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[Illustration]

  No. 23.

  THE CHILD WHO DIED
  AND LIVED AGAIN.

  BY THE AUTHOR OF "PEEP OF DAY."

  LONDON:
  JOHN HATCHARD AND SON.
  1848.




[Illustration]

THE CHILD WHO DIED AND

LIVED AGAIN.




Did you ever see a person who was dead? Perhaps you have seen one of
your own brothers or sisters lying on a death-bed. What a change
takes place when we die! No more breath comes out of the mouth, no
colour is seen on the cheeks; the eye can look at us no longer, nor
the tongue speak to us; the body soon grows cold and stiff; it has no
more feeling than the ground on which we tread. And why? Because the
soul is gone out of the body. While the soul or spirit is in us we are
alive, but when it is gone out then we are dead. The soul can never
die, but the body is only made of dust, and it soon crumbles away and
becomes dust again.

No one can make a dead person alive again. Yet once there was a man in
this world who made dead people alive. Who was that man? He was called
Jesus; he was not only a man, he was God too; he was the Son of God.
Most people would not believe that he was the Son of God, though he
said he was. Yet we are sure he said true, for if he had been a wicked
man he could not have made dead people alive again. God his Father was
with him, and this was the reason he did such wonderful things.

One day a rich man came to Jesus, and fell down at his feet, and begged
him to come to his house. He said, "My little daughter is dying." He was
very unhappy, he loved his little girl very much, and she was his only
child. His name was Jairus, but I do not know the name of his little
girl. I do know her age, she was twelve years old. The father thought
that if Jesus only put his hands upon her he could make her well.

The Son of God was very kind to people in trouble. He went with the
father, and a great crowd followed him. As he went along the road, he
was pressed on every side by those who wanted to see him and to hear
what he said.

Before he reached the sick man's house, some people came and said to
the father, "Your daughter is dead." They told him it was now of no
use for Jesus to come. They little knew what he could do; but Jesus
said to the father, "Do not be afraid, she shall be made well."

When he came to the house, he only allowed three of his friends to
come in with him. Their names were Peter, James, and John. There was a
great noise and bustle in the house; there were men playing music, and
people weeping and crying out with loud voices because the girl was
dead. When Jesus came into the room where she was lying, he said to
these people, "Why do you make this noise? The girl is not dead, she
only sleeps." Then they began to laugh at him, for they knew the child
was dead. Why did Jesus say she slept? Because she was soon to be made
alive. Her death was like sleep.

Jesus would not let the people who mocked, stay in the room, but he
let the girl's father and mother be there, and his own three friends.
There were just these five in the room with him when he went to the
bed and took hold of the girl's hand and said, "Girl, I say unto thee,
arise." Immediately her spirit (or her soul) came again into her body.
Then she was alive. She was now quite well; she was not weak now, as
she had been; she got up out of her bed and walked about. Then Jesus
desired that something might be given her to eat. Her parents were
very much surprised. They had been afraid that Jesus would not be
able to make her alive. They did not know he could do everything. He
made all our bodies and gave us souls, and one day he will call all
the dead people out of their graves.

I wonder whether that young girl loved Jesus. She was old enough to
understand what he said. At twelve years old children can understand
almost as well as men and women can; they learn more quickly, and
remember better. Though they love play still, they have a great deal
of sense. Some children at twelve years old begin to take great pains
with their learning; then they get on very fast. Some begin to be very
useful; they can do more now than take care of the baby or run upon
errands, and often they get places as servants. If they are steady,
and tell no lies, they are trusted and get on well in the world.

Some children at twelve years old begin to think about their souls and
to say, "What would become of me if I were to die?" They go and hear
sermons, and they can understand them. They look in the Bible, and
they can understand a great deal which they read. Then some begin to
pray and to say, "Merciful God, give me thy Holy Spirit, for the sake
of Jesus Christ."

But there are some who at twelve years old will mind their parents no
longer. They say, "We are not little babies now, we will do as we
please." They forget all the kindness their parents have shown them
for twelve years, and they forget the words that God has spoken,
"Honour thy father and thy mother."

You can read the history of the daughter of Jairus in your Bible in
Mark v. verses 23, 24, and 35 to end; Luke viii. 41, 42, and 49 to end.




THE DYING CHILD.


    Why do you weep?
      I am falling asleep,
    And Jesus my Shepherd,
      Is watching his sheep;
    His arm is beneath me,
      His eye is above;
    His Spirit within me
      Says, "Rest in my love:
    With blood I have bought thee,
      And wash'd thee from sin;
    With care I have brought thee
      My fold to be in;
    Refresh'd by still waters,
      In green pastures fed,
    Thy day has gone by--
      I am making thy bed."

  _Extract in "The Twin Brothers."_


  THE END.


  Macintosh, Printer, Great New-street, London.




PRAYER.


    O Father in Heaven,
    Thou hast made all things;
    The sun, moon, and stars, the land and sea.
    Thou hast made me.
    Thou hast taken care of me.
    I thank Thee for all thy kindness.

    Great God, Thou art in every place;
    Thou seest in the dark,
    As well as in the light;
    Thou knowest all the naughty things
    That I have done, and said, and thought.

    O Merciful Lord, pardon my sins,
    Because Jesus Christ, thy dear Son,
    Died upon the cross for sinners.
    Give me thy Holy Spirit,
    That I may love Thee, and obey thy laws.
    Keep me from minding Satan,
    And save me from going to hell:
    And whenever I die,
    O take my soul to Heaven.

    When Jesus comes with clouds,
    And with the holy angels,
    May I be glad to see Him.
    May my dear parents, and brothers, and sisters,
    Be happy with Thee for ever and ever.
    May all people love Thee,
    And speak of thy goodness.
    Hear me for Christ's sake. Amen.





End of Project Gutenberg's The Child Who Died and Lived Again, by Anonymous