THE

HISTORY OF JONAH,

FOR

CHILDREN AND YOUTH;

DESIGNED ALSO AS AN AID

TO FAMILIAR BIBLICAL EXPOSITION IN FAMILIES,
SABBATH SCHOOLS, AND BIBLE CLASSES.

BY REV. T. H. GALLAUDET,
Late Principal of the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb.

73086

HARVARD COLLEGETM

FEB 27 918

LIBRARY

Fine money

Entered according to the act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, by CROCKER & BREWSTER, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

CHAP. I.-Omniscience of God. Meaning of the word

prophet. Schools of the prophets among the Jews.

CHAP. II.-Birthplace of Jonah. His call to go to Ni-

neveh. Description of the city. Its great wicked-

ness.

CHAP. III.-God often punishes the wicked in this

world. God hates wickedness. The danger of chil-

dren becoming wicked, as the people of Nineveh

were.

CHAP. IV.-Jonah tries to flee to Tarshish. A dread-

ful storm. The sailors cry to their false gods. They

throw their goods overboard to save the ship. Men

will part with any thing to save their lives. How

much more ought we to be willing to part with any

thing to save our souls..

CHAP. V.-Jonah asleep. The captain awakes him,

and calls upon him to pray. Sinning makes people

leave off praying. Remorse a source of wretched-

ness. Casting lots explained. The mariners cast

lots. The lot falls on Jonah.

CHAP. VI.-Jonah tells who he is, and why he wished

to go to Tarshish. Sin will, sooner or later, be de-

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tected. The mariners are in great alarm. Jonah

tells them to cast him into the sea. They at length

do it. Jonah's feelings. Children may die unexpect-

edly. Are we prepared to die?

CHAP. VII.-The storm ceases. The mariners fear

before the power of God. They worship him for

his goodness. How much more grateful to God

ought we to be. The meaning of sacrifices. Christ

the great sacrifice. A dreadful punishment will

overtake the impenitent.

CHAP. VIII.-God is very merciful to the penitent.

He designed to save Jonah. Why God afflicts us. A

great fish prepared by God to swallow Jonah. Ob-

jections to this answered. Miracles explained.

CHAP. IX.-Jonah swallowed by the fish. He prays to

God. Duty and nature of prayer in time of danger.

Explanation of Jonah's prayer. Afflictions are very

distressing when they are marks of God's displea-

sure against our sins.

CHAP. X.-Jonah almost in despair. Yet he hopes in

the mercy of God. He looks toward the temple of

God at Jerusalem. Do we love the house of God?

God can deliver from the greatest danger. God is

very kind to listen to our prayers.

CHAP. XI.-Jonah is happy in trusting in the true God.

The idols of the heathen are lying vanities. Duty

of sending the Gospel to the heathen. Jonah vows a

sacrifice of thanksgiving. How ought we to show

our gratitude to God?

CHAP. XII.-The fish casts Jonah out upon the land.

God does many things, the manner of doing which

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we are not able to understand. Jonah again sent to

Nineveh. He goes, and thus shows that his late re-

pentance was sincere.

CHAP. XIII.-Jonah threatens the destruction] of Ni-

neveh in forty days. The Ninevites have some

hope of being spared, if they repent, Explanation of

what is meant, when the Bible speaks of God's re-

penting. We should go to the Bible to get our

knowledge of God, and be satisfied with what it

teaches us.

CHAP. XIV.-If the Ninevites repented at the preach-

ing of Jonah, how great will be the condemnation

of those who repent not at the preaching of Jesus

Christ. What this condemnation is. God is good

in punishing the impenitent.

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CHAP. XV.-The king hears of Jonah's threatenings.

He clothes himself in sackcloth. He and the nobles

decree that there shall be a general fast.

CHAP. XVI.-The people are directed to pray, as well

as to fast. They willingly obey the decree. A great

change in their conduct. God spares Nineveh. The

duty of fasting, and of having seasons of public

fasting, humiliation and prayer.

CHAP. XVII.-Jonah is very angry that the Nine-

vites are to be spared. Reasons of his feeling so.

God's expostulation with Jonah. We should never

feel ashamed while doing our duty. Jonah goes

out of the city, builds a booth, and sits under it, to

wait and see the fate of Nineveh. God prepares a

gourd to overshadow Jonah.

CHAP. XVIII.-Jonah exceedingly glad of the gourd.

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