Now what is this beautiful church, where they all are?"

"It is the temple at Jerusalem." "Do you know who built the first temple?"

"It was King Solomon."

"Yes, and it was a very beautiful and splendid building. When the Jews sinned against the Lord, they were taken away prisoners to a far country, and the beautiful temple was destroyed by their enemies. But after seventy years God brought them back, and they built the temple up again, and God said, by the prophets, that this second temple would be more glorious than the other, because the Saviour, the Messiah, would appear in it. It was one of the laws God gave the Jews, that a mother should bring her first baby very soon into the temple, to give thanks to God for having given her a child, and present it before him for his blessing. So Joseph and Mary came from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, about six miles, to do this. Now Ellen shall read about Simeon."

"And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ."-Luke ii. 25, 26.

"What character is Simeon here said to be?"

"Just and devout."

"That means, he was a good and holy man, and one who lived much with God in meditation and prayer. What is it said he waited for, Ellen ?"

"The consolation of Israel."
"What is meant by that?"

"I do not know, mamma.'

"It means that he was expecting, waiting for, the coming of the Saviour. I think it is a very beautiful description of Jesus, The consolation of Israel,' who Iwas to be their comfort under all sorrows and trials. Simeon had prayed and thought much about this, and the Holy