The Happy Evening


DID you overspend a happy evening? I do

not call it a happy evening when men meet 

together in a public-house to drink. It may be a

merry evening, but it is not a happy one; it often

ends in quarrelling and fighting, and the next day

is very miserable, for the men find their money is

gone, and their heads are heavy and full of pain, I

I do not call it a happy evening when children

play in the streets till it is dark, and make a riot,

and behave rudely to the people who are 

passing; for when they get home they are not 

happy.

They have nothing pleasant to think of as they

 lie in their beds; they remember they have made

 a great noise, and laughed very loud, till the

 neighbors were angry at their rudeness: this

 does not make them feel happy.

But what is a happy evening? No one can be

happy who is not wishing and trying to be good.

It is children who love God and wish to please

him, who are the happy children.

I am going to tell you now of some people who

loved God very much, and of a very happy 

evening they spent. You have heard how the Son

 of God, Jesus, once lived in this world, and how

 he was killed by wicked men, and nailed to a 

cross of wood. Two days after he had died, some

 of his friends were in a room together; they 

were talking about him. Some of them said to the

 others, "We have seen him; he is alive again." 

Others said, "We have not seen him." How much

 they did wish to see him! All in a moment Jesus

 stood in the midst of the room. How had he got

 in, for the doors were locked? He could get in

 whether doors were locked or unlocked it made

 no difference to him, for Jesus is the Son of

 God, and can do all things.

Jesus spoke to his friends; these were his 

words, "Peace be unto you!" which means, "Be 

happy; I will make you happy." But though he

 spoke so sweetly, and looked so kindly at them,

 his friends were frightened; they thought it 

could not be Jesus himself, because, they had 

seen him die upon the cross; they thought it 

might be a ghost or spirit, but not the body of 

their dear Lord.  Jesus knew they were 

frightened, for he sees into people's hearts, and 

knows all they think. So he told them not to be

 afraid, but to look at his hands and his feet. He 

said, "See, it is I myself. A spirit hath not flesh 

and bones, as ye see me 

have." Then his friends looked at his hands; they

 saw the marks of the great nails which had 

fastened those dear hands to the cross, and 

when they looked at his feet, they saw the marks

 of the nails in them also. Then they looked at 

his side, and they saw the deep hole which the

 spear had made; for a soldier had pierced that

 tender side with his spear, and made the blood

 flow out upon the ground. Those marks did not

 hurt Jesus now;

no one could hurt him now; he never could feel

pain again, nor could He die any more.

When his friends had seen those marks, then

they knew that it was Jesus who spoke to them;

and oh, how glad they were! I do not think you

were ever so glad in all your life as they were at

that minute, for they loved Jesus so very much.

They knew he had died to save them from going

to hell. Oh, how they loved him! Yet still they

could hardly believe it was Jesus himself; it 

seemed too wonderful that he should be alive 

again. Then Jesus said, “Have ye here any 

meat?" He meant to eat something before them.

 There was a little food in the room; it was the

 sort of food that poor people generally ate in 

that country a piece of broiled fish, and a piece

 of an honeycomb. Jesus began to eat this food

 while all his friends looked at him; then they

 were sure he was really alive,

again. He told them to go and tell people how

he had died and lived again; and then he

 breathed on them, and said, "Receive ye the

 Holy Ghost."

Where is Jesus now? He did not stay always

with his friends in this world; he went up to 

heaven to his Father; he is with his Father now.

 But He will come again. If he were to come into

 this room this evening, should you be glad to

 see him? He knows whether you love him. Do you

 ever speak to him, now He is in heaven? He 

knows whether you do. Do you ever think when

 you are at play, "Jesus sees me now; I will not

 grieve him by saying wicked words?" He knows

 your thoughts. When he comes again, I hope he 

will call you, and say, "Come, come to me, my 

child."

He will say to some people, "Go away." How

dreadful that will be!

You will find this history in Luke 24:35-43

John 20:19-23.

 

Scripture Facts.


CHILD'S PRAYER.


GRACIOUS Lord, we look to thee,

Meek and humble may we be;

Pride and anger put away,

Make us better every day.

Teach us for our friends to pray,

And our parents to obey:

Richest blessings from above,

Give them for their tender love.

May we find the sweets of prayer

Sweeter than our pastimes are;

Love the Sabbath and the place

Where we learn to seek thy face.