here, and every where. Q. Who gave you every thing you have? A. God gave me every thing I have. Q. What must you do for God? A. I must love God most, and be a good child. most, and be a good child ? A. If I love God most, and be a good child, then he will bless me, and give me every thing that is good for me: And when I die, he will take me to heaven, where I shall have all the best things. B 4 Q. What "" 1 Q. What will God do if you be naught? As foon as children can speak, their only Prayer is to Ask blessing: which the Father and Mother ought to give Reverently Standing. If there be a Grandfather, or a Grandmother in the family, their bleffing ought to be ask'd first. As foon as thy children can be made to understand any praying to God, teach them such short a. John iv. Thanksgiving and Prayer, as they can understand a, and say heartily, such as these. 24. A Thanksgiving and Prayer for a little Child. I thank God for making me. I thank God for giving me every thing I have. I thank God for keeping me from hurt. I pray God bless me, and make me a good child. I pray God bless (my Grandfather, and my Grandmother, and) my Father, and my Mother, and my Brothers and Sifters, and every body. Or thus. My Father in heaven, I thank thee for making me. I thank thee, &c. I pray thee to bless me, and &c. As foon as thy children can be made sensible that their faults difplease God, let them be carefully taught to be forry, and very forry for difpleasing God, their Best Father. And teach them the answers to these questions. i What : Q. What must you do that God may forgive your A. I must be very forry for displeasing God, my Q. What else must you do that God may forgive A. For my faults against my Father, or my Mo- Be not over ther, or against any body else, I must ask them fcrupulous forgiveness. If I have stollen any thing, I must in trifles. bring it again. If I have told a lie of any body, I must tell the truth. And I must forgive every body that has done me any wrong. Q. When you have done all that God may forgive you, what must you do then ? A. I must be sure that God will forgive me for 6. Mark Jesus Chrift's fake b. Q. Who is Jesus Christ? c. As he is man. And he is God in heaven, and every where, as A. Jesus Christ is God's own Son, and our Great King in heaven, next to God c. Great as his Father, Phil. ii. 5 to 12. Q. Why will God forgive you for Jesus Christ's fake ? d. As he is man. When thy children have learn'd to be forry for displeasing God, their Best Father; then let them before their Thanksgiving and Prayer, forrowfully confess their faults to God. A Con xvi 15,16. Luke xxiv. 47. : g. Matt. xv. 36. Alts A. Confeffion for a little Child. I have been a naughty child. I have - (Here let him confess bis faults) I pray God forgive me, and help me to do so no more. Or thus. My Father in heaven, I have been a naughty child. I have I pray thee forgive me, and help me to do so no more. : And with his Thanksgiving let him say, I thank thee most of all for giving thy own Son to be kill'd for our faults, to save us; and for helping us to do what thou wilt have us do; and for bringing all that love thee to heaven. " When they receive any particular blessing, let them give thanks for it. And let them pray for any blessing they want. Be sure let them understand, and be sensible of every thing they speak to God. To this end, let children always use childrens language. By no means fuffer them to prate before God any thing that they do not understand, how common foever it be. The custom of the world is no excuse for fuch rudeness. As they know what they say, when they ask their Father or Mother for any thing; so they may be taught to understand what they say, when they pray or give thanks to God, Their Graces may be these. Before meat. I thank God for our meat and drink g. After meat. I thank God for our (my) breakfast, dinner, xxvii. 35. fupper. Remem Remember who it is that we speak to, when we pray. Therefore take care that both thy self, and thy children, and thy servants speak unto God with all Decency and Reverence. And abhor every thing that is otherwise. In the morning, when thou art dress'd and wash'd, and the room where thou prayest is set in as decent order as it may be, and in the evening, before thou art drowsie, or haft begun to undress thy self, kneel Decently upon thy knees b, without b. Lake any thing under them, except there be a necessity xxii. 42. for it. And humbly offer up thy Prayers to Almighty God. And fee that thy children and fervants do the same: But withall take care, that thou and they be fit and prepared for Prayer i. See i. Heb. xi. 24 Question of the following Catechism, and the 28, 29. Commandments 18, 19, 20 Questions. Such Lessons, and Prayers, and Graces, as are here for little children, may be taught to such ideots of any age, as have no more understanding than they. And the following Catechism may be an Exposition of the Church Catechism for the weakest fort of riper years, of vulgar understanding. All forts of little ones, whether in age or in understanding, have surely a right to the Commandment of our Saviour, Matt. xviii. 10. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. Therefore all fuch must be taught with all Diligence and Tenderness, all they are capable of... learning and doing for the Service of God, and the Salvation of their Souls. THE |