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 BX 9184 .A5 W45 1848 
 Whitecross, John. 
 The Assembly's shorter 
 catechism 
 
THE ASSEMBLY'S 
 
 I 
 
 SHORTER CATEC.piSM, 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 APPROPRIATE ANECDOTES; 
 
 CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO ASSIST 
 
 PARExVTS AND SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHERS, 
 IN THE INSTRUCTION OP YOUTH. 
 
 \Ai \\\\ e 'T-^** ** 
 
 By JOHN WHITCROSS, 
 
 TEACHEK, EDINBURGH. 
 
 NEW EDITION. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 ROBERT CARTER, 58 CANAL STREET ; 
 A\D PITTSBURG, 50 MARKET STREET. 
 
 1848. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The Assembly's Shorter Catectisra has 
 been long and justly esteemed an excellent 
 compendium of religious knowledge. To il- 
 lustrate it, explanatory catechisms, and even 
 Bodies of Divinity, have been composed. Pa- 
 rents and teachers have used it for the purpose of 
 initiating the young in the principles of religion. 
 To contribute to their assistance in a labor so 
 important, is the design of the following compi- 
 lation. 
 
 Having been in the habit of selecting an anec- 
 dote or two, suited to the subject of instruction 
 in the Sabbath School under his charge, the 
 compiler was led to conceive the plan of this 
 little work. It will be generally allowed, that 
 anecdotes and stories are calculated to engage 
 the attention of children, which gained by this 
 means, may be happily kept, while directed to 
 other parts of instruction. 
 
 While, from the similarity of several of the 
 questions, it was found difficult to prefix to each 
 its appropriate anecdotes, it is hoped there will 
 
IV TREFACE. 
 
 be few, if any, aJtogether misplaced. Gare has 
 been taken to admit JlS far as possible, only those 
 of 4 religious n&tui'e, ^hich may, with propriety 
 be related by a pious parent or teacher, when 
 instrv;cting his children oi scholars on a Sabbath 
 evening. 
 
 Though this little volume is to be viewed as 
 chiefly adapted to the use of pa?en^s and Sabbath 
 School teachers, yet it may not be uninteresting 
 to the general reader. The questions under which 
 they are arranged, will serve as^a gi^i.de in select- 
 ing anecdotes suited to particular circumstances; 
 and something may be. found fitted to pltaae and 
 to instruct. 
 
 A few miscellaneous anecdotes have batn ad- 
 ded, several of which weje selected after most 
 of the sheets had gone through the press. I'^'sme 
 of these, it is presumed, will appear new ind 
 striking. 
 
 If, through the Divine blessing, this wort in 
 any measure serve the purpose designed, 'he 
 compiler will rejoice that his humble laV m 
 have not been in veiin. 
 
 Edinburgh^ July 28, 1828. 
 
THE 
 
 SHORTER CATECHISM, 
 
 ILLUSTRATED, &c. 
 
 Q,. 1. What is the chief end of man ? 
 A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him 
 for ever. 
 
 The late Lady Glenorchy. in her dairy, re- 
 lates her being seized with a fever, which threat- 
 ened her life. " During the course of which," 
 she says, " the first question of the Assembly's 
 Catechism was brought to my mind. — What is 
 the chief end of man .^' as if some one had asked 
 it. When I considered the answer to it, " To 
 glorifv God and to enjoy him for ever," I was 
 struck with shame and confusion. I found I 
 had never sought to glorify God in my life, nor 
 had any idea what was meant by enjoying him 
 for ever. Death and judgment were set before 
 me ; my past sins came to my remembrance j 
 I saw no way to escape the punishment due unto 
 them, nor had I the least glimmering hope of 
 obtaining the pardon of them through the righ- 
 teousness of another." From this unhappy state 
 
 1* 
 
she was shortly after delivered, by believing on 
 the Lord Jesus as the only Saviour of the guilty. 
 
 Such Tyas ]\Ir. Hervey's strict piety, that he 
 suffered no moment to go unimproved : when he 
 was called down to tea, he used to bring his He- 
 brew Bible or Greek Testament with him ; and 
 would either speak upon one verse or upon se- 
 veral verses, as occasion offered. " This, ' says 
 Mr. Romaine, " was generally an improving sea- 
 son. The glory of God is very seldom promoted 
 at the tea table ; but it was at Mr. Hervey's. 
 Drinking tea with him, was like being at an or- 
 dinance ; for it was sanctified by. the word of 
 God, and prayer." 
 
 An eminent minister, after having been silent 
 in company for a considerable time, and being 
 asked the reason, signified that the powers of 
 his mind had been solemnly absorbed with the 
 thought of eternal happiness. " O m}- friends," 
 said he, with an energy that surprised all present, 
 " consider what it is to be for ever with the Lord 
 — for ever, for ever, for ever !" 
 
 A French officer, who was a prisoner upon 
 his parole at Reading, met with a Bible ; he read 
 it, and was so struck with its contents, that he 
 was convinced of the folly of sceptical principles, 
 and of the truth of Christianity, and resolved to 
 become a protestant. When his gay associates 
 rallied him for taking so serious a turn, he said 
 in his vindication, " I have done no more than 
 my old school-fellow Bernadotte, who has be- 
 come a Lutheran." "Yes,. but he became so," 
 said his associates, '• to obtain a crown." ''My 
 motive," said the Christian officer, '■ is the 
 
same ; we only dilTer as to ine place. — The ob- 
 ject of Beraadotte is to obtain a crown in Swe- 
 den, mine is to obtain a crown in heaven." 
 
 CI. '2. Wliat rule hath God given to direc'- us how we 
 may glorify and enjoy him 1 
 
 A. The word of God, which is contained in the Scrip- 
 tures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule 
 to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 
 
 A gentleman travelling in a stage coach, at- 
 tempted to divert the company by ridiculing the 
 Scriptures: "As to the prophecies," said he, 
 "in particular, they were all written after the 
 events took place." A minister in the coach, 
 who had hitherto been silent, replied. "Sir, I beg 
 leave to mention one particular prophecy as an 
 exception, 2 Pet. iii. 2. ' Knowing this first, that 
 there shall come in the latter days. Scoffers.' 
 Now. sir, whether the event be not Ions; after the 
 
 o 
 
 prediction. I leave the company to judge." The 
 mouth of the scorner was stopped. 
 
 The learned Salmasius said on his death-bed, 
 " O ! I have lost a world of time ! If one year 
 more were added to my life, it should be spent 
 in reading David's Psalms, and Paul's Epistles." 
 
 Mr. Locke, a little before his death, being ask- 
 ed what was the shortest and surest way for a 
 young gentleman to attain a true knowledge of 
 the Christian religion, made this reply : '• Let 
 him study the holy Scriptures, especially the New 
 Testament ; therein are contained the words of 
 eternal life. It has God for its author, salvation 
 for its end, and truth, without any mixture of er- 
 ror, for its matter." 
 
 It was customary in Cromwell's time for his 
 soldiers to carry, each a Bible in his pocket. 
 
8 
 
 Among others, a profligate young man, was 
 ordered to attack some fortress. During the en- 
 gagement a bullet had perforated his Bible, and 
 gone so far as to rest opposite these words in 
 Ecclesiastics : " Rejoice, O young man in thy 
 youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of 
 thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and 
 in the sight of thine eyes ; but know thou, that for 
 all these things God will bring thee into judg- 
 ment." The words, so appropriate to his case 
 powerfully affected his mind, and proved by the 
 blessing of God, the means of his conversion. 
 He used to observe, that the Bible had been the 
 happy means of saving both his soul and body. 
 
 A person in Birmingham, who lived in the neg- 
 lect of the worship of God, and of reading the 
 Bible, was, on a Lord's day, sitting at the 
 fire with his family ; he said he thought he 
 would read a chapter in the Bible, not having 
 read one for a long time : But, alas ! he was dis- 
 appointed ; it was too late, for, in the very act of 
 reaching it from the shelf, he sunk down and im- 
 mediately expired. 
 
 CI. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach 1 
 
 A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to 
 
 believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of 
 
 man. 
 
 Dr. Elliot was well acquainted with Colonel 
 Allen, a celebrated infidel in America, and made 
 him a visit at the time when his daughter was sick 
 and near death. He was introduced to the libra- 
 ry, where the Colonel read to him some of his 
 writings with much self-complacency, and asked, 
 " Is not that well done f While they were thus 
 employed, a messenger entered, and informed 
 
Colonel Allen tliat his daughter was dying, and 
 desired to speak with him. He immediately 
 went to her chamber, accompanied by Dr. Elliot, 
 who was desirous of witnessing the interview. 
 The wile of Col. Allen was a pious woman, and 
 had in.structed her daughter in the principles of 
 Christianity. As soon as her father appeared at 
 her bedside, she said to him, " I am about to 
 die; shall I believe in the principles you have 
 taught me, or shall I believe in what my mother 
 has tmsrht me?" He became extremely asri- 
 tated; his chin quivered, his whole frame shook, 
 and after waiting a few moments, he replied, 
 "Believe what your mother has taught you." 
 
 A worthy officer, during the war assembled 
 all his men in the cabin, and stating the critical 
 situation of his country, proposed to them the 
 contribution often day's pay, as a free will-olTer- 
 ing to the necessities of their country. This be- 
 ing cheerfully agreed to. he presented each of 
 them with a Bible, desiring them to peruse it care- 
 fully, adding, '■ It will instruct you to fear God, 
 honor the king, and love your country." 
 
 A poor boy, going to a Sabbath School, was 
 met by a companion, who invited him to play the 
 truant; but he absolutely refused, and went to 
 school. When this came to be known, the boy 
 was asked what it was that kept him from com- 
 plying with the temptation? He answered, "Be- 
 cause I read in my Bible, 3Ii/ son, if sinners en- 
 tice thee, consent thou, not:" 
 
 a. 4. What is God. 
 
 A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchanorcable 
 HI his I'oing, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, 
 and truth. 
 
10 
 
 Simonides, a heathen poet, being asked by 
 Hiero, king of Syracuse, What is God ? desired 
 a day to think iipon it; and when that was ended, 
 he desired two ; and when these were past he 
 desired lour days; thus he continued to double 
 the number of days in which he desired to think 
 of God, before he would give an answer. Upon 
 which the king expressed his surprise at his be- 
 havior, and asked him, What he meant by this ? 
 To which the poet answered, '• I'he more I 
 think of God, he is still the more dark and un- 
 known to me." 
 
 A little boy of extraordinary abilities, being 
 introduced into the company of a dignitied cler- 
 gyman, was asked by him. Where God was? 
 with the promise of an orange. "Tell me," re- 
 plied the boy, " where he is not, and I will give 
 you two." 
 
 The teacher of a Sabbath School in Bristol, 
 discoursing with the children, asked, among other 
 things, '• where is God ?" one of the elder boys im- 
 mediately answered, " In heaven." The teacher 
 not appearing satisfied with this reply, again re- 
 peated the inquiry, when a lad younger than the 
 other, answered, " Every where." Kequiring 
 still further explanation, the question was again 
 put, " Where is God?" when a third boy called 
 out, " God is here." The views of the teacher 
 were now met; and he endeavoured to impress 
 upon the minds of the children the important 
 truth that God is in heaven — God is every where 
 — God is here. 
 
 It was a fine reply that a pupil of the deaf and 
 dumb.institution at Paris made to the following 
 
11 
 
 question, put by a gentleman visiting it. " What 
 is eternity?" ''It is the lifetime of the Al- 
 mighty." 
 
 Q,. 5. Are there more Gods than one 1 
 
 A. There is but one only, the living and the true God. 
 
 An Indian chief having sent for Hiacoomes, 
 a co-nverted native, with the view of receiving re- 
 ligious instruction from him, after some conver- 
 sation, the chief asked him. " How many Gods 
 the English worshipped ?" Hiacoomes answered, 
 " One. and no more." On which the chief reckon- 
 ed up about thirty-seven principal gods which he 
 had; "And shall I" said he, '-throw awav all 
 these thirty-seven for the sake of one only ?" 
 " What do you yourself think?" said Hiacoomes; 
 "For my part. I have thrown away all these and 
 many more, some years ago. and yet I am pre- 
 served, as you see, to this day." '• You speak 
 true," said the chief "and therefore I will throw 
 away all my gods too, and serve that one (lod 
 with you." Hiacoomes proceeded more fully to 
 instruct him, and the rest of the company with 
 him, and the chief having promised, as is 
 above declared, to worship the true God, and 
 serve him only, was as good as his word ; for he 
 carried himself as a true servant of God all the 
 days of his life after. 
 
 At Buhapurum, in the northern Cicars, a child 
 about eight years old, who had been educated in 
 Christianity, was ridiculed on that account, by 
 some heathens older than himself In reply, he 
 repeated what he had been taught respecting God. 
 " Show us your God !" said the heathens. " 1 
 cannot do that," answered the child: " but I can 
 soon show you yours." Taking up a stone, and 
 
12 
 
 daubing it with some resemblance of a human face, 
 he placed it very gravely upon the .ground, and 
 pushing it towards them with his foot ; '-There," 
 said he, "is such a god as you worship." 
 
 Q.. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead !? 
 
 A. There are three persons in the C^dhead; the 
 Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three 
 are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and 
 glory. 
 
 "Sitting lately," says one, "in a public room 
 at Brighton, where an infidel was haranguing the 
 company upon the absurdities of the Christian re- 
 ligion, I could not but be pleased to see how 
 easily his reasoning pride was put to shame. He 
 quoted those passages, ' I and the Father are 
 one;' 'I in them, and thou in me;' and that 
 there are three persons in one God. Finding his 
 auditors not disposed to applaud his blasphemy 
 he turned to one gentleman, and said with an 
 oath, ' Do you believe such nonsense ?' The 
 gentleman replied. ' Tell me how that candle 
 burns?' Why answered he, 'the tallow, the cot- 
 ton, and the atmospheric air produce the light.' 
 'Then they make one light, do they not?' 
 ' Yes.' ^Will you tell me how they are one in 
 the other, and yet but one light ?' ' No, I cannot.' 
 ' But you believe it?' He could not say he did 
 not. The company instantly made the applica- 
 tion, by smiling at his folly ; upon which the 
 conversation was changed. This may remind 
 the young and unexperienced, that if they believe 
 only what they can explain, they may as well 
 part with their senses, being surrounded by the 
 wonderful works of God, whose ways are past 
 finding out." 
 
to 
 
 When Mr. Job Orton, a dissenting minister at 
 Shrewsbury, was preaching from Isaiah ix. 6., 
 his more orthodox hearers, who had doubts con- 
 cerning his belief of the divinity of Christ, were 
 all attention in hopes of hearing their pastor's 
 real sentiments. They were, however, disap- 
 pointed ; for when he came to the words, " The 
 mighty God," all he said was, " The meaning of 
 this I cannof tell, and how should I, when his 
 name is called Wonderful ?" 
 
 Two gentlemen were once disputing on the 
 divinity of Christ. One of them who argued 
 against it, said. " If it were true, it certainly 
 would have been expressed in more clear and un- 
 equivocal terms." " Well," said the other, '• ad- 
 mitting that you believed it, were you authorized 
 to teach it, and allowed to use j^our own language, 
 how would you express the doctrine to make it 
 indubitable^" "I would say," replied he, "that 
 Jesus Christ is i/ie true God.'' " You are very 
 happy," rejoined the other '• in the choice of your 
 words ; for you have happened to hit upon the 
 very words of inspiration. St. John, speaking of • 
 the Son, says, ' This is the true God and eternal 
 life.' " 
 
 a. 7. What arc the drcrccs of God 1 
 
 A. The decrees of God are liis eternal purpose, accord- 
 ing to the counsel of his will, whereby for his own glory, 
 he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to jfess. 
 
 " Some preachers near Olney," says Mr. 
 Newton, " dwelt on the doctrine of predestina- 
 tion. An old woman said, 'Ah, I have long 
 settled that point, for if God had not chosen me 
 before I was born, I am sure he would have seen 
 nothing in me to have chosen me for afterward !' " 
 
 2 
 
14 
 
 A young person, riding one day with a friend 
 of his, asked him, " What is your opinion of elec- 
 tioii, sir?" His friend judiciously replied, " Ste- 
 phen, you have learned fractions, decimals, &.c. 
 do you understand them ?" " Yes, sir." " Do 
 you think when you were in addition you could ?" 
 "No sir." "Neither can you, my dear boy, at 
 present comprehend the deep things of God." 
 The youih appeared much interested, and durijig 
 the remainder of the journey he seemed to be ab- 
 sorbed in his own reflections. 
 
 Mr. Winter was lately in company with an At- 
 minian, who spoke violently against the doctrine 
 of election, "You believeelection, "said Mr. Win- 
 ter, " MS firmly as I do." " I deny it," answered 
 the other : " on the contrary, it is a doctrine 1 de- 
 test." " Do you believe that all men will be 
 saved on the last day, or some only ?" " Only 
 some." " Do you imagine that those some will 
 be found to have saved themselves?" "No, cer- 
 tainly : God in Christ is the only Savior of sin- 
 ners." " But God could have saved the rest, 
 could he not ?" " No doubt." " Then salvation 
 is peculiar to be saved?" "To be sure." "And 
 God saves them designedly, and not against his 
 will?" "Certainly." "And willingly suffers 
 the rest to perish, though he could easily have 
 hindered it?" "It should seem so." "Then 
 is not this election? It amounts to the same 
 thing." 
 
 Q,. 8. How doth God execute his decrees 1 
 A. God cxccuteth his decrees in the works of creation 
 and providence. 
 
 Julian, usually styled the apostate, one of the 
 Roman emperors, with the view of invalidating 
 
15 
 
 the truth of our Savior's prophecies respecting 
 the desolation of the Jews, made an attempt to 
 rebuild the temple of Jerusalem; but from the 
 breaking out of terrible balls of fire near the foun- 
 dations, the workmen were obliged to abandon the 
 impious attempt. " Who hath hardened himself 
 against God, and halh prospered? His counsel 
 shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure." 
 
 The celebrated Richard Boylej Earl of Cork, 
 who rose from a humble station in life to the 
 highest rank, and passed through strange and 
 trying vicissitudes, used these words as his motto, 
 and ordered them to be engraved upon his tomb: 
 GocVs providence is my inheritance. 
 
 An ancient philosopher used to bless the gods 
 for three privileges — ^J'hat he was made, not a 
 brute but a rational creature — That he was born, 
 not in barbarous climes but in Greece — Thfit he 
 lived, not in the more nnci/ltivated ages, but in 
 the time, and under the tuition of Socrates. How 
 much better reason have we to bless God, that in 
 his providence, we are born in Britain in a time 
 of Gospel light ! 
 
 CI. 9. What is the work of creation 1 
 
 A. Tlic work of crcntion is, Goil's inakin<i all thinrrs of 
 nothing, by the word of his power in the space of six days, 
 and all very good. 
 
 Sir Isaac Newton said, a little before his death, 
 " I do not know what I may appear to the world ; 
 but to myself [ seem to have been only like a 
 boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting my- 
 self; now and then finding a smoother pebble, 
 or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great 
 ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me. 
 
 The late Dr. Beattie of Aberdeen, wished to 
 
16 
 
 impress on tlie mind of his son, a little boy, about 
 six years of" age, the important truth that God 
 made him. In the corner of a little garden, 
 without informing any person of the circumstance, 
 I wrote in the mould, with my finger, the three 
 initiaL letters of his name, and sowing garden 
 cresses in tlie furrows, covered up the seed, and 
 smoothed the ground. Ten days after this, he 
 came running *o me, and with astonishment in 
 his countenance, told me that his name was grow 
 ing ill the garden. I lauglied at the report, and 
 seemed inclined to disregard it, but he insisted on 
 my going to see what had happened. " Yes," 
 said I, carelessly, on coming to the place, " I see 
 it is so : but what is there in this worth notice ? 
 is it not mere chance ?" and I went away. He 
 followed me, and taking hold of mv coat, said 
 with some earnestness, " It cannot have happen- 
 ed by chance, — somebody must have contrived 
 matters so as to produce it." " So you think," 
 said 1, " that what appears as the letters of your 
 name .cannot be by chance?" 'Yes." said he 
 with fi,rmness, "I think so." "Look at your- 
 self," I replied, "and consider your hands and 
 fingers, your legs and feet, and other limbs; are 
 they not regular in their appearance, and useful 
 to you ?" he said they were. " Came vou then 
 hither," said I, "by chance?" "No," he an- 
 swered, "that cannot be; something must have 
 made me ;" " And who is that something?" I 
 asked. He said, " I do not know." I had now 
 gained the point I aimed at, and saw that his rea- 
 son taught him (though he could not express) that 
 what begins to be, must have a cau?e ; and that 
 what is formed with regularity must have an in- 
 
17 
 
 telUgent cause. I therefore told him the name of 
 the GUEAT Being who made him, and all the 
 world ; concerning whose adorable nature, I 
 gave him such information as I thought he could 
 in some measure comprehend. 'J 'he lesson af- 
 fected him greatly, and he never forgot either it 
 or the circumstance that introduced it. 
 
 A gentleman being invited by an honourable 
 personage to see a stately building, erected by 
 Sir Christopher Hattan. he desired to be excu- 
 sed, and to sit still, looking on a flower, which 
 he held in his hand. 'For," said he, "1 see 
 more of God in this flower, than all the beau- 
 tiful edifices in the world." 
 
 CI. 10. How did God create man 1 
 
 A. God created man, male and female, after his own 
 imaijr, in knowiodire, rii;liteousness, and holiness, with 
 dominion over the creatures. 
 
 When Galen, a celebrated physician, but 
 atheistically inclined, had anatomized the human 
 body, and carefully surveyed the frame of it, 
 viewed the fitness and usefulness of every part of 
 it, and the many several intentions of every little 
 vein, bone and muscle, and the beauty of the 
 whole, he fell into a pang of devotion, and wrote 
 a hymn to his Creator. 
 
 Bailey, a Griqua. in South Africa, stated, that 
 the first thing which led him to think of religion, 
 was observing the Hottentuts, who belonged to 
 Zak river mission, giving thanks when eating, 
 "i went," said he "afterwards to that settle- 
 ment, where I heard many things, but felt no in- 
 terest in them. But one day, when alone in the 
 fields. 1 looked very seriously at a mountnin. as 
 the work of that God of whom I had heard; 
 
 2* 
 
IS 
 
 then I looked at ray two hands, and for the first 
 time noticed, that there was the same number of 
 fingers on each. I asked why are there not five 
 on this hand, and three on that? it must be God 
 that made them so. Then I examined my feet, 
 and wondered to find my soles both flat ; not one 
 flat and the other round. God must have done 
 this, said I. In this way I considered my whole 
 body, which made a deep impression on ray mind, 
 and disposed me to hear the word of God with 
 more interest, till I was brought to trust that Je- 
 sus died for my sins " 
 
 It happened on a day, when Mrs. Rowe and 
 Dr. Watts were together, that the former, who 
 was remarkable for the elegance of her person, 
 began to rally the latter on his external appear- 
 ance, which was rather diminutive. The doc- 
 tor heard her for some time with great good hu- 
 mor, but, at length, thinking that she was pro- 
 ceeding too far, he retreated a few paces, and 
 with a dignity and manner peculiar to himself de- 
 licately chid her in the following extempore lines : 
 
 Could I in stature reach the pole, 
 Or grasp creation in my span ; 
 
 I'd still be mcasur'd by my soul : 
 The sours the slaturc of i\icman. 
 
 0.. 11. "What arc God's works of providence 1 
 
 A. God's works of providciire are, his most holy, wise, 
 
 and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, 
 
 and ail their actions. 
 
 The punctuality of Mr. Newton, .while tide- 
 surveyor at Liverpool, was particularly remarked. 
 One day, however, some business had detained 
 him. and he came to his boat much later than- 
 usual, to the surprise of those who had observed 
 his former punctuality He went out in the boat 
 
19 
 
 as heretofore to inspect a ship; but by some ac- 
 cident the ship blew up just before he reached it; 
 and it appears, that if he had left the shore a few 
 minutes sooner, he must have perished with the 
 rest on board. 
 
 Inscription on a tomb-stone in Jamaica, 
 
 — " Here lies the body of Lewis Galdy. Esq., who 
 departed this life at Port-Royal, the 22d of De- 
 cember, 1736, aged eighty. He was born at 
 Montpelier. in France : but left that co\intry for 
 his religion, and came to settle in this island, when 
 he was swallowed up in the great earthquake, in 
 the year 1692, and. by the providence of God, 
 was bv another shock thrown into the sea. and 
 miraculously saved by swimming, until a boat 
 took him up. He lived many years after, in 
 great reputation, beloved by all who knew him, 
 and much lamented at his death." God is 
 a God of providence, as well as a God of grace. 
 *' Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and 
 one of them shall not fall on the ground without 
 your Father. But the very hairs of your head are 
 all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of 
 more value than many sparrows." 
 
 Queen I\Iary having dealt severely with thepro- 
 testants in England, about the latter end of her 
 reign, signed a commission to take the same 
 course with them in Ireland, and, to execute the 
 same with greater force, she nominated Dr. Cole 
 one of the commissioners. The doctor coming with 
 the commission to Chester, on his journey, the 
 IMavor of that city, hearing that her majesty was 
 sendlngr a messenger into Ireland, waited on the 
 Dr., who in discourse with the Mayor, took out of 
 
20 
 
 a cloak -bag a leather box, sayins^, " Here is a com- 
 mission that shall lash the heretics ot" Ireland," 
 callinp' the prolestants by that title. The good wo- 
 man of the house, being well affected to the protest- 
 ant religion; and also having a brother named 
 John Edmonds, of the same religious profession, 
 then a citizen of Dublin, was much troubled at the 
 doctor's words ; but watching her convenient 
 time, while the Mayor took his leave, and the 
 doctor complimented him down stairs, she open- 
 ed the box, took the commission out, and 
 placed in lieu of it, a sheet of paper with a 
 pack of cards wrapt up in it, the knave of 
 clubs being faced Tippermost. The doctor com- 
 ing up to his chamber, and suspecting nothing of 
 what had been done, put up his box as formerly. 
 The next day going to the water-side, wind and 
 weather serving him, he sailed towards Ireland, 
 and landed on the 7th of October, 1558, at Dub- 
 lin. When he arrived at the castle, the Lord 
 Fitz-Walter, being Lord Deputy, sent for him to 
 come before him and the privy council. He 
 came accordingly, and after he had made a 
 speech relating on what account he had come 
 over, he presented the box to the Lord Deputy, 
 who, causing it to be opened, that the secretary 
 might read the commission, there was nothing 
 save a pack of cards, with the knave of clubs up- 
 permost ; which not only startled the Lord De- 
 puty and council, but the doctor, who assured 
 them he had a commission, but knew not how it 
 was gone. The Lord Deputy made answer, 
 " Let us have another commision, and we will 
 shufTle the cards in the meanwhile." The doctor 
 being troubled in his mind, went away, and re- 
 
21 
 
 turned to England, and, coming into the court 
 obtained another commission ; but staying for 
 tlie wind on the water side, news came to him 
 that the Queen was dead ; and thus God preserv- 
 ed the protestants of Ireland. Queen Elizabeth was 
 so delighted with this story, which was related 
 to her by Lord Fitz-Walter on his return to Eng- 
 land, that she sent for Elizabeth Emmonds, and 
 gave her a pension of £40 a year, during her life. 
 
 d. 12. What special act of providence did God exer- 
 cise towards man in the state wherein he was created "? 
 
 A. When God had created man, he entered into a co- 
 venant of life with him, upon condition of perfect ohe- 
 dience ; and fi)rbiddinir hiia to eat of the tree of the 
 knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death. 
 
 In the reign of King Charles I. the goldsmiths 
 of London had a custom of weighing several sorts 
 of their precious metal before the privy council. 
 On this occasion, they m ide use of scales, poised 
 with such exquisite nicety, that the beam would 
 turn, the master of the company affirmed, at the 
 two-hundredth part of a grain. Noy, the famous at- 
 torney-general standing by, and hearing this, re- 
 plied, " I should be loath then to have all my actions 
 weighed in these scales." With whom 1 heartily 
 concur, says the pious Hervey, in relation to my- 
 self And since the balances of the sanctuary, 
 the balances in God's hand, are infinitely exact, 
 O what need have we of the merit and righteous- 
 ness of Christ to make us acceptable in his sight, 
 and passable in his esteem. 
 
 A servant who had made that improvement 
 which might be expected from hearing the irre- 
 ligious and blasphemous conversation continually 
 passing at the table where he waited, took an 
 
22 
 
 opportunity to rob his master. Being apprehend- 
 ed, and urged by his master to give a reason for 
 this infamous behavior, '"Sir," said he, " 1 have 
 heard you and your friends, so often talk of the 
 impossibility of a future state, and that after death 
 there was no reward for virtue, nor punishment 
 for vice, that I Avas tempted to commit the rob- 
 bery." " Well," replied the master, " but had 
 you no fear of that death which the laws of your 
 country inflict upon the crime ?" " Sir," re- 
 joined the servant, looking sternly at his master, 
 " What is that to you, if I had a mind to venture 
 that? you and your wicked companions had remov- 
 ed my greatest terror; why should I fear the less?" 
 
 Q,. 13. Did our first parents continue in the estate 
 wherein they were created 1 
 
 A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their 
 own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, 
 by sinning against God. 
 
 " Many have puzzled themselves," says Mr. 
 Newton, " about the origin of evil ; I observe 
 there is evil, and that there is a way to escape it, 
 and with this I begin and end." 
 
 When the physicians told Theotimus, that ex- 
 cept he abstained from drunkenness and unclean- 
 iiess, &c. he would lose his eyes ; his heart was 
 se wedded to his sins, that he answered, " Then 
 farewell sioeet lightV He had rather lose his 
 eyes than leave his sins. So a man bewitched 
 with sin, had rather lose God, Christ, heaven, and 
 his own soul, then part with it. 
 
 Colonel Gardner having received a challenge 
 to fight a duel, made the following trulj^ noble 
 and christian reply ; " 1 fear sinning^ though you 
 know, Sir, I do not fear fighting." 
 
23 
 
 Q,. 14. What is sin?' 
 
 A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression 
 of, tlie law of Goil. 
 
 The last words that Archbishop Usher was 
 heard to express, were, '• Lord forgive my sins, 
 especially my sins of omission^'' 
 
 A minister explaining the distinction between 
 sins of omission and commission, made use of the 
 following simile bv way of illustration, "Behold 
 yonder tire which lately burnt with so much 
 brightness; it is now dull: let it alone, and it will 
 soon go out ; but if you pour water on it. you 
 will put it out. The first is an act of omission, 
 the second of commission." 
 
 Count CTodomar, a foreigner of note, often 
 professed, in th'j declining part of his years, when 
 death and the eternal world seemed nearer, " 'I'hat 
 he feared nothing in the world more than sin; 
 and whatever liberties he had formerly taken, he 
 would rather now submit to be torn to pieces by 
 wild beasts, than knowingly or willingly commit 
 any sin against God." 
 
 Phebe Bartlett, a very little girl, went with some 
 other children, to gather plums in a neighbor's 
 orchard. On bringing some of the fruit home, 
 her mother mildly reproved her, and said she 
 ought not to have gathered the plums without 
 leave, because it was sin.: God had commanded 
 her not to steal. The child not being sen^jifjle 
 of the evil before, seemed greatly surprised and 
 bursting into tears, cried out, '• I wont have these 
 plums!" and turning to her sister. Eunice, very 
 earnestly said to her, '• Wiiy did you ask me to 
 go to that plum tree ? I should not have gfone. if 
 you had not asked me." The other children did 
 
24 
 
 not seem much concerned ; but there was no pa- 
 cifying Phebe. Her mother mentioned the cir- 
 cumstance to the ov/ner of the tree, and requested 
 of him that she might have the phims ; but still 
 she was deeply affected ; and being asked what 
 it Avas that troubled her now? she said that she 
 wept, BECAUSE IT Vv'AS SIN. She declared that 
 if Eunice were to ask her a hundred times, she 
 ivould not go again, and she retained an aversioii 
 to that fruit for a long time after. 
 
 Gl. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell 
 from the estate wherein they were created 1 
 
 A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the es- 
 tate wherein they were created, was their eating the for- 
 bidden fruit. 
 
 The late Mr. Thomas, one of the missionary 
 brethren at Serampore, was one day, after addres- 
 sing a crowd of the natives on the banks of the 
 Ganges, accosted by a Brahmin as follows : " Sir, 
 don't you say that the devil tempts men to sin?" 
 '• Yes," answered Mr. Thomas. '• Then," said 
 the Brahmin, " certainly the fault is the devil's ; 
 the devil therefore, and not man, ought to suffer 
 the punishment." While the countenances of 
 many of the natives discovered their approbation 
 of the Brahmin's inference; Mr. Thomas, obser- 
 ving a boat, with several men on board, descend- 
 ing the river, with that facility of instructive re- 
 tort for which he was so much distinguished, re- 
 plied. " Brahmin do you see yonder boat ?" 
 '■' Yes." " Suppose I were to send some of my 
 friends to destroy every person on board, and 
 bring me all that is valuable in the boat. — who 
 ought to suffer punishment? /for instructing them, 
 or tkcf/ for doing this wicked act ?" '• Why," an- 
 swered the Brahmin, with emotion, "you ought 
 
'^3 
 
 all to be put to death together." " Aye Brah- 
 min," replied Mr. T. " and if you and the devil 
 sin together, the devil and you will be punished 
 together." 
 
 " There is," says one, " a tree called the man- 
 chaneel, which grows in the West Indies ; its ap- 
 pearance is very attractive, and the wood of it 
 peculiarly beautiful ; it bears a kind of apple, re- 
 sembling the golden pippen. This fruit looks 
 very tempting and smells very fragrant ; but to 
 eat of it is instant death ; and its sap or juice is so 
 poisonous, that if a few drops of it fall on the 
 skin, it raises blisters, and occasions great pain. 
 The Indians dip their arrows in the juice, that 
 they may poison their enemies when they wound 
 them. Providence hath so appointed it. that one 
 of these trees is never found, but near it there also 
 grows a while wood, or a fig-tree, the juice of 
 either of which, if applied in time, is a remedy 
 for the diseases produced by the manchaneel. 
 Now, when I read this account, I thought of sin 
 and salvation. Sin, like this poisonous apple, looks 
 pleasant to the eye, and men desire it — eat of it, 
 and die. We may think there is no harm in such 
 a thing. — it is only a little sin : but who would eat 
 only a little poison ? The least sin, if not for- 
 given, will ruin our souls for ever. This is 
 fruit that must not be tasted ; yea, it ought not 
 to be looked upon, or thought of It is sin that 
 gives to the darts of Satan all their fiery qualities ; 
 and to the arrow of death all its bitterness. Now 
 all who have looked upon the fruit of this tree 
 have desired it, and have eaten of it ; and if not 
 delivered from its fatal effects will surely die : but 
 there is a remedy at hand ; it is the precious blood 
 
 o 
 
26 
 
 of the Son of God, which soothes the troubled 
 conscience, and cleanses it from all sin. 
 
 " Not halm, new bleeding from the wounded tree, 
 Nor bless'd Aralna witli his spicy grove, 
 Such fragrance yields." 
 
 RowE. 
 
 Apply, therefore, to this means of cure ! fly to 
 a crucitied Saviour ! there is no time to be lost ! — 
 the poison works within ! — the disease every mo- 
 ment is increasing ! — Go to the great Physician 
 without delay, and say, ' Lord, if thou wilt, thou 
 canst make me whole !' " 
 
 Q.. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgres- 
 sion 1 
 
 A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for 
 himself, but for his posterity ; all mankind, descendinor 
 from him by ordinary generation, sinned in hiui, and fell 
 with him in his first transgression. 
 
 A pious minister, having preached on the doc- 
 trine of original sin, was afterwards waited on by 
 some persons, who stated their objections to 
 what he had advanced. After hearing them, 
 he said, " I hope you do not deny actual sin 
 too ?" " No," they replied. The good man 
 expressed his satisfaction at their acknowledg- 
 ment ; but to show the absurdity of their opin- 
 ions in denying a doctrine so plainly taught in 
 Scripture, he asked tbem. '• 13id you ever see a 
 tree growing without a root?" 
 
 When Melancthon was first converted, he 
 thought it impossible for his hearers to withstand 
 the evidence of the truth in the ministry of the 
 gospel : But after preaching a while, he com- 
 plained, " That old Adam was too hard for young 
 JVIelancthon." 
 
27 
 
 "I overheard a discourse," says one, "some- 
 thing like altercation, between a deacon, his son, 
 and servants. Some one had informed him that 
 the cattle had broken into the corn field, and 
 were making great ravages. His servants were 
 ordered to make haste and turn them out. and re- 
 pair the breach. ' How came they in there ? ' 
 says one ; ' Which way did they get in ? ' cries 
 another ; ' It is impossible, the fences are good,' 
 says a third ; ' Don't stand here talking to no 
 purpose,' cries the deacon, with increased earnest- 
 ness, ' they are in the field destroying the corn. 
 I see them with my own eyes. Out with them 
 speedily, and put up the fence.' As I approach- 
 ed him, he began to be more calm. ' Your par- 
 don, sir ; these fellows have quite vexed me. 
 They make one think of our pastor's sermon on 
 the origin of sin, spending their timft needlessly, 
 inquring how it came into the world, while he 
 ought to be exhorting us to drive it out.^ ' Your 
 observation is just,' said I, ' and your directions 
 to yourservants contain sound orthodox doctrine; 
 —a good practical improvement to the discoufse 
 we have heard to-day.' " 
 
 CI. 17. Into what estate did the fall brins mankind 1 
 A. The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and 
 misery. 
 
 The Rev. and pious Dr. Ives, whose house was 
 on Oxford road, and by which the criminals were 
 carried weekly in carts to Tyburn, u.sed to stand 
 at his window, and say to any young friends who 
 might be near him. pointing out any of the most 
 notorious malefactors, "There goes Dr. Ires!" 
 — If an explanation was asked, he took occasion 
 to expound the innate corruption of the human 
 
28 
 
 heart ; and appealed to the experience of his audi- 
 tors, " whether they had not felt the movements 
 of those very passions, errors, prejudices, lusts, 
 revenge, covetousness, &c., whose direct tenden- 
 cy was to produce the crimes for M^hich these of- 
 fenders satisfied the claims of public justice, and 
 which were solely prevented from carrying them 
 to the same dreadful fate, by the restraining 
 grace of God." 
 
 " I have this evening." says Mrs. Houseman, 
 in her dairy, " had my dear child with me in my 
 closet, conversing with her, endeavouring to 
 awaken her, and convinceherof her sin and misery 
 by nature and practice. The child was seemingly 
 affected, and melted into tears ; so greatly was 
 she distressed, that I was obliged to turn my dis- 
 course, and tell her God was good, and willing to 
 pardon and receive sinners, especially those chil- 
 dren that were desirous to be good betimes, and 
 in their younger days set themselves to love God 
 and serve him. I told her she must pray to God 
 to pardon her, and give her grace to serve him. 
 The child seemed willing to pray, but wanted 
 words to express herself I asked her if I should 
 help her, and teach her to pray ?" The pious 
 mother adds, " O Lord, may this dear offspring 
 rise and call thee blessed !" 
 
 Cyrus, the Emperor of Persia, after he had 
 Ions: been attended by armies, and vast trains of 
 courtiers, ordered this niscription to be engraven 
 on his tomb, as an admonition to all men of the 
 approach of death, and the desolation that fol- 
 lows it. namely, '" O man ! whatsoever thou art 
 and whencesoever thou comest, I know that thou 
 wilt come to the same condition in which I now 
 
29 
 
 am. I am Cyrus, who brought the empire to the 
 Persians; do not envy me, I beseech thee, this 
 little piece of ground which covereth my body." 
 
 Q,. 18. Wucrcin consists the sinfulness of tliat estate 
 whcreinto man fell ] 
 
 A. 'I'he sinfulness of that estate whercinto man fell, 
 consists in the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want of origi- 
 nal righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, 
 which is commonly called Original Sin ; together with all 
 actual transgressions which proceed from it. 
 
 A certain Italian having his enemy in his 
 power, told him there was no possible way for to 
 save his life, unless he would immediately deny 
 and renounce his Savior. The timorous wretch, 
 in hopjs of mercy, did it, when the other forth- 
 with stabbed him to the heart, saying, " That 
 now he had a noble revenge, for he had at once 
 killed both his soul and his body." 
 
 Dr. Milne, the late missionary in speaking of 
 his conversion, says, "The book which God made 
 use of more especially for convincing me of ray 
 sin and misery, was BosloiUs Fourfold State, 
 which I read with the deepest attention It con- 
 ducted me to my own heart, discovered the evils 
 which before lay hid in the chambers of imagery ; 
 the monstrous ingratitude to God which had 
 marked all my conduct ; and the pollution of 
 original and actual sin, with which my .soul was 
 contaminated. I saw that I w'as necessarily un- 
 der the strongest and most righteous obligations 
 to God, and had never for one hour of my life 
 discharged those, but lived in rebellion against 
 the author of my life ; so I Uds justly under the 
 curse of God's righteous law, and exposed to 
 everlasting misery." — Under the tormenting 
 fears of eternal wrath, he sometimes wished him.- 
 
 3* 
 
30 
 
 self transformed into a stone, or one of the fowls 
 he saw tlying'over his head in the fields. He 
 was frequent and fervent in prayer, and was in 
 the mercy of God, led to those means by which 
 he learned how even a vile and guilty creature, 
 such as he was, might be for ever saved. 
 
 It is a very singular fact, says a country pa- 
 per, that a hare which was opened a few days 
 ago at Sheffield, was found to have two hearts. 
 They were joined together by a thin membrane. 
 An African heathen, after having heard the mis- 
 sionaries for some time, declared seriously to one, 
 that he had now got two hearts within him. The 
 one heart said, Do good ! the other said, Do evil ! 
 Many besides this heathen, feel within them two 
 opposing principles. 
 
 The beginning of Nero's reign was marked by 
 acts of the greatest kindness and condescension: 
 by affability, complaisance, and popularity. The 
 object of his administration seemed to be the 
 good of his people ; and when he was desired to 
 sign his name to a list of malefactors that were 
 to be executed, he exclaimed, " I tcisk to heaven 
 I could not write !" He was an enemy to flat- 
 tery ; and when the senate had liberally commend- 
 ed the wisdom of his government, Nero desired 
 them to keep their praises till he deserved them. 
 Yet this was the wretch who assassinated his 
 mother, who set fire to Rome, and destroyed 
 multitudes of men, women, and children, and 
 threw the odium of that dreadful action on the 
 Christians. The cruelties he exorcised towards 
 them were beyond description, while he seemed 
 to be the only one who enjoyed the tragical 
 
31 
 
 spectacle. " The heart is deceitful above all 
 things, and desperately wicked, who can know 
 it?" 
 
 CI. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto 
 man fell 1 
 
 A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, 
 are umlcr his wrath anil curse, and so made liable to all 
 the miseries of this Ufe, to death itself, and to the pains of 
 hell for ever. 
 
 Some of the natives of South America, after 
 listening a while to the instructions of the Catho- 
 lic missionaries, gave them this cool answer ; 
 " You f^ay that the God of the christians knows 
 every thing, that nothing is hidden from him, 
 that he is every where, and sees all that is done 
 below. Now, we do not desire a God so sharp- 
 sighted ; we choose to live with freedom in our 
 woods, without having a perpetual observer of 
 our actions over our heads." 
 
 " I am creditably informed." says Mr. Orton, 
 in his sermon on Old Age, " that a person who 
 had lately a large sum of money left him to dis- 
 tribute in charity, had application made to him 
 for a share of it from no fewer than thirty per- 
 sons who had rode in their own carriages." 
 
 Some time ago, a gentleman in London, when 
 on his doath-bedjfelt s% strong an aversion to dy- 
 ing:, and leaving: behind him all his hard-earned 
 wealth, that he hastily rose from his bed, went 
 out and walked in his yard, calling out that he 
 would not die. But the unhappy man's strength 
 being soon exhausted, he was brought back to 
 his bed by his affrighted friends, whero he expir- 
 ed, for his hour was come. Love to Christ will 
 make the greatest monarch willing to lay down 
 
32 
 
 his crown and die, that he may be with Christ, 
 which to him, as well as Paul, will be great 
 gain. 
 
 " Ah ! Mr. Hervey," said a dying man, " the 
 day in which I ought to have worked is over, 
 a*nd now I see a horrible night approaching, 
 bringing with it the blackness of darkness for 
 ever. Wo is me ! when God called, I refused. 
 Now 1 am in sore anguish, and yet this is but 
 the beginning of sorrows. I shall be destroyed 
 with an everlasti'ng destruction." 
 
 A young girl, eighteen years of age, a native 
 of New-York, was brought up by her parents, in 
 all the gayeties and follies of youth ; by them 
 encouraged to ornament her person, and engage 
 in every vain amusement. When she was taken 
 ill, three physicians were sent for immediately, 
 who pronounced her speedy dissolution. No soon- 
 er was their opinion made known to her than she 
 requested as a favor, that all her gay companions 
 might be collected with haste. They were soon 
 around her bed. when she told them she was go- 
 ing to die, described the awful manner in which 
 they had spent their precious time, and exhorted 
 them all to repentance before it was too late, in 
 a very affecting manner. She then turning to her 
 father and mother, addressed to them, in the pre- 
 sence of her acquaintance, these heart-rending 
 words: '• You have been the unhappy instruments 
 of my being ; you fostered me in pride, and led 
 me in the paths of sin ; you never once warned 
 me of my danger, and now it is too late. In a 
 few hours you will have to cover me with earth ; 
 but remember, while you are casting earth 
 
33 
 
 upon my body, my soul will be in hell, and your- 
 selves the miserable cause !" — she soon after ex- 
 pired. 
 
 d. 20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in tlie es- 
 tate of sin and misery 1 
 
 A. God liavinjT, out of his mere good pleasure, from 
 all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter 
 into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate 
 of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of sal- 
 vation by a Redeemer. 
 
 The late Lord Bollngbroke, the celebrated In- 
 fidel, was one day reading in Calvin's Institutions, 
 when a clergyman of his Lordship's acquaintance 
 came on a visit to him. Lord B. said to him, 
 " You have caught me reading John Calvin : he 
 wa.s indeed a man of great parts, profound sense, 
 and vast learning. He handles the doctrines of 
 grace in a very masterly manner." '■ Doctrines 
 of grace /" replied the clergyman ; '• the doc- 
 trines of grace have set all mankind together by 
 the ears." " I am surprised to hear you say so," 
 replied Lord B. ; you who profess to believe 
 and to preach Christianity. Those doctrines are 
 certainly the doctrines of the Bible, and if I be- 
 lieve the Bible, I must believe them ; and let me 
 tell you seriously, that the greatest miracle in the 
 world is, the subsistence of Christianity, and its 
 continued preservation as a religion, when the 
 preaching of it is committed to the care of such 
 unchristian wrefches as you." 
 
 A good man who had been for a long time per- 
 plexed about the doctrine of election, as fearing 
 he was not among the number chosen, resolved one 
 day to fall down upon his knees, and give thanks 
 to God for having elected some to everlasting 
 life, though he should be passed by. He did so, 
 
34 
 
 and the happy consequence was, that while thus 
 engaged, he obtained assurance of his own per- 
 sona! election, and was freed from the perplexity. 
 
 When the Rev.' Geors;e Whitefield was in the 
 zenith of his popularity. Lord Clare, who knew 
 that his influence was considerable, applied to 
 him by letter, requesting his influence at the en- 
 suing general el ction at Bristol. J\lr. White- 
 field replied, that in general elections he never 
 interfered, but would earnestly entreat his lord- 
 ship to use diligence to make his own particular 
 calling and election sure. 
 
 The late Mr. Newton, rector of St. Mary 
 Woolnoth. when his memory was nearly gone, 
 used to say, that forget what he might, he never 
 forgot two things, — 1st, That he was a great 
 sinner, — 2d, That Jesus Christ was a great Sa- 
 vior. Two most important subjects of recollec- 
 tion. 
 
 a. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God's elect 1 
 A. The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, wlio, heinij the eternal Son of God, became man, 
 and so was, and continued to be God and man, in two 
 distinct natures, and one person, for ever. 
 
 A poor man, unable to read, who obtained his 
 livelihood by mending old shoes, was asked by an 
 Arian minister, how he knew that Jesus Christ 
 was the Son of God 1 " Sir," he replied, '' I am 
 sorry you have put such a question to me before 
 my children, although I think I can give you a 
 satisfactory answer. You know, sir, when I 
 first became concerned about my soul, and un- 
 happy on account of my sins, I called upon you 
 to ask for your advice, and you told me to get in- 
 to company, and spend my time as merrily as I 
 
couli!, but not to eo to hear tlie methoclists." — 
 "I did so," answered the ungodly minister. "I 
 followed 3'onradvice," continued the illiterate cob- 
 bler, "tor some time; but the more 1 trifled, the 
 more my misery increased ; and at last I was per- 
 suaded to hear one of those methodists ministers 
 who came into our neighborhood, and preached 
 Jesus Christ as the Savior. In the greatest ago- 
 ny of mind, I praj^ed to Him to save me, and to 
 forgive mv sins; and now I feel that he has free- 
 ly forgiven them ! — and by this I know that he is 
 the Son of God." • 
 
 " I have sometimes heard of Christ," said an 
 Indian girl, seven years old. " and now I expe- 
 rience him to be just such a Savior as I want. 
 I have often heard people undertake to tell of the 
 excellency that is in Christ ; but their tongues 
 are too short to express the beauty and love which 
 are contained in this lovely Jesus ! I cannot tell 
 my poor relations how lovely Christ is ! I won- 
 der mv poor playmates will chose that dreadful 
 place Hell, when here stands that beautiful per- 
 son, Jesus, calling upon sinners, and saying, 
 ' Com-^ away sinners to heaven!' Come. O do 
 come to my Savior! Shut him out no longer, 
 for there is room enough in heaven for all of you 
 to be happy for evermore. It causes much joy 
 at times, that I delight to serve him; and by the 
 help of God I mean to hold out to the end of my 
 days." 
 
 Sometimes there were more kings than one at 
 Sparta, who governed by joint authority. A 
 king was occasionally sent to some neighbouring 
 senate, in character of a Spartan ambassador. Did 
 
36 
 
 he, when so sent, cease to be a king of Sparta, 
 because he was also an ambaesador 1 No ; he did 
 not divest himself of his regal dignity; but only- 
 added to it that of public deputation. So Christ, 
 in becoming man, did not cease to be God ; but 
 thous:h he ever was, and still continued to be King 
 of the whole creation, he acted as the voluntary 
 servant and messenger of the Father. 
 
 Among the many whom Mr. Whitefield was 
 honored to be the means of converting to the 
 knowledge and love of the truth, and who will be 
 a crown of joy to him in the day of the Lord, it 
 is perhaps not generally known that the celebrated 
 Mr. Hervey is to be mentioned. In a letter to 
 Mr. Whitefield, Mr. Hervey thus expresses him- 
 self: " Your Journals, dear sir, and sermons, es- 
 pecially that sweet sermon on What think ye oj 
 Christ. ? were the means of bringing me to th( 
 knowledge of the truth. 
 
 d. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become 
 man'! 
 
 A. Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to 
 himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being con- 
 ceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the Womb of 
 the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin. 
 
 When the late Mr. Hunt was preaching one 
 Sabbath morning at his meeting-house, Horsley- 
 down, on '• The mystery of godliness," he took 
 occasion to challenge the audience to explain how 
 God assumed human nature ; when a little boy in 
 the gallery rose, and with much simplicity repeat- 
 ed the folloAving answer from the Assembly's 
 Catechism, " Christ the Son of God became 
 man," &c. Mr. H. then enquired if he could 
 give the Scripture proofs, which, after a short 
 
37 
 
 pause, he did correctly. The venerable minister 
 was much affected, publicly thanked him, called 
 him his young tutor, and invited him into the ves- 
 try after the service, where several persons hand- 
 somely rewarded his diligence. 
 
 A boy, in Haggerston Fields, near London, 
 having a book under his arm, was asked what 
 book it was ; he said, the New Testament. 
 Have you read about Jesus Christ in it ? he was 
 asked. No, said he, I am only in at Luke. And 
 immediately ran off. Thus thg boy showed, that 
 though he had read two lives of Jesus Christ, viz. 
 by Matthew and I\Iark. yet had not considered 
 whose life he was reading. When will children 
 be wise and consider ? 
 
 CI. 23. What offices does Christ execute as our Re- 
 deemer 1 
 
 A. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a 
 
 Erophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of 
 umihation and exaltation. 
 
 '■ Several persons of sixty years and upwards," 
 says Mr. Doolittle, " being asked concerning the 
 three offices of Christ, could frive no other ac- 
 count of them than this, that they were Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost." 
 
 A trader once endeavoring to persuade the 
 Indian brothe-r Abraham, that the IMoravian bre- 
 thren were not privileged teachers, he replied, 
 '• They may be what they will ; but I know what 
 they have told me, and what God has wrought 
 within me. Look at my poor countrymen there, 
 lying drunk before your door. Wliy do you not 
 send privileged teachers to convert them, if they 
 can ? Four years ago, I also lived like a beast, and 
 not one of you troubled himself about me ; but 
 
38 
 
 wLen the brethren came they preached the cross 
 of Christ, and I have experienced the power of 
 his blood, according to their doctrine, so t)iat I 
 am freed from the dominion of sin. Such teachers 
 we want." 
 
 Gideon, a converted Indian, was one day at- 
 tacked by a savage, who presented his gun to his 
 head, exclaimed, '' Now I will shoot you, for you 
 speak of nothing but Jesus." CTideon answered 
 " If Jesus does not permit you, you cannot shoot 
 me." The savage was so struck with this an- 
 swer, that he dropped his gun, and went home 
 in silence, 
 
 Cl. 24. How doth Christ execute- the office of a pro- 
 phet 1 * 
 
 A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in rcveahng 
 to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of .God for our sal- 
 vation. 
 
 The comfortable influence of the precious truths 
 of the Bible at a dying hour, was manifested in 
 the Case of a poor soldier, who was mortally 
 wounded at the battle of Waterloo. His com- 
 panion conveyed him to some distance, and laid 
 him down under a tree. Before he left him, the 
 dying soldier entreated him to open his knapsack, 
 and take out his pocket bible, and read to him a 
 small portion of it before he died. When asked 
 what passages he should read, he desired him to 
 read John xiv. 27. "Peace I leave with you; 
 my peace I give unto you ; not as the world 
 giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be 
 troubled, neither let it be afraid." " Now," said 
 he, " I die happy. I desire to have peace with 
 God, and I possess the peace of God which pas- 
 seth all understanding." A little while after, one 
 
39 
 
 of his officers passed him, and seeing him in such 
 an exhausted state, asked him how he did. He 
 said, " I die happy, for I enjoy the peace ot" God 
 which passeth all understanding," and then expi- 
 red. The officer left him, and went into the bat- 
 tle, whei'e he was soon after mortally wounded. 
 When s\irrounded by his brother officers, full of 
 anguish and dismay, he cried out, '• Oh ! I would 
 give ten thousand worlds, if I had them, that I 
 possessed that peace which gladdened the heart 
 of a dying soldier, whom I saw lying under a 
 tree ; for he declared that he possessed that peace 
 of God which passeth all understanding, I know 
 nothing of this peace ! I die miserable 1 for I die 
 in despair." ^ 
 
 Dr. Owen, having been for a considerable time 
 in distress of mind, went one Lord's day with a 
 cousin of his to hear Mr. Calamy, a celebrated 
 preacher in London. From some occurrence 
 Mr. Calamy was prevented from preaching that 
 day. Being uncertain whether there would be 
 any sermon at all, Dr. Owen was solicited by his 
 relation to go and hear another eminent minister, 
 Mr. Jackson. Being indisposed to go farther, 
 however, he kept his seat, resolving if no minis- 
 ter came, to return to his lodgtng-s. After wait- 
 ing some time, a country minister came up to 
 the pulpit ; a stranger, not only to Dr. Ow?n 
 but to the congregation, who, having priiyed 
 earnestly, took for his text, these words. Matt. 
 viii. 26. "Why are ye fearful? O ye of little 
 faith !" The very readingof the words- snrpri'^cd 
 Dr. Owen ; on which he secretly put up a prnyer 
 that God would be pleased by the minister to 
 speak to his case. And his prayer was heard ; 
 
40 
 
 for in that sermon, tlie minister was directed to 
 answer those very objections which he had com- 
 monly formed against himself; and though he 
 had formerly given the same answers to himself 
 without effect, yet nov/ the time was come, when 
 God designed to speak peace to his soul: and 
 the sermon, (though otherwise a plain famjliar 
 discourse,) was blessed for the removing of all 
 his doubts, and laid the foundation of that solid 
 peace and comfort, which he afterwards enjoyed 
 as long as he lived. 
 
 CI. 25. How doth Christ execute the office of a prie«t1 
 A. Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once 
 offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, 
 and reconcile us to God ; and in making continual inter- 
 cession for us. 
 
 Xenophon mentions an Armenian prince, ta- 
 ken captive, together with his queen, by Cyrus, 
 who, on being asked, if he desired the restoration 
 of his liberty, his kingdom, and his queen, an- 
 swered. '• As for my liberty and my kingdom, I 
 value them not ; but if my blood would redeem 
 my wife, I would cheerfully give it." Cyrus 
 having generously restored him all. he asked his 
 queen what she thought of Cyrus's person, she 
 replied, " I really did not observe him; my mind 
 was so occupied with the man who offered to 
 give his life for my ransom that I could think of 
 no other." Jesus Christ has actually done what 
 this prince offered to do. and has abundantly ex- 
 ceeded that generous action. May I feel a similar 
 regard to him. so as to overlook all other objects. 
 
 " 1 observed a little Namaqua Oirl in my house," 
 says Mr. Schmelen, " about eight years of age, 
 with a book in her hand, very accurntely instruct- 
 ins another frirl about fourteen. When I asked 
 
41 
 
 her if she loved the Lord Jesus % she answered 
 ■ Yes, I do, and 1 desire to love him more.' I in- 
 quired why she loved him, since she had never 
 seen him? She answered, ' He loved me first, and 
 died tor me on the cross, that I might live.' When 
 I asked her it" the Lord Jesus Christ would love 
 little children, she could not answer me for weep- 
 ing, and at length fainted away. I had frequently 
 observed this child under deep impressions at our 
 meetings. She is descended from a wild bushman 
 and was stolen from her people and country, but 
 has no desire now to return." 
 
 History informs us of two brothers, one of 
 whom, for capital crimes, was condemned to die ; 
 but on the appearance of the other, who had lost 
 an arm in the successful defence of his country, 
 and on his presenting the remaining stump, the 
 judges were so affected with a grateful recollection 
 of past services, as fully, for his sake, to pardon 
 the guilty brother. Thus the Kedeemer, in inter- 
 ceding for his people, appears, "as a lamb that 
 had been slain," presenting the merits of his suf- 
 ferings and death on their behalf; nor does he 
 thus appear in vain. 
 
 CI. 26. How does Christ execute the ofiice of a king 1 
 A. Christ executeth the ollic-e of a kinjj, in subduinif us 
 
 to hiinsi'If. in ruIinjT and defendin<T us, and in restraining 
 
 and conijuering all his and our eiuMuies. 
 
 It has been said of Edward the Black Prince, 
 that he never fought a battle which he did not 
 win : and of the great Duke of Marlborough, that 
 he never besieged a city which he did not take. 
 Shall that be said of men, which we deny con- 
 cerning the Most High God ? Is he less success 
 ful than some human generals ? shall these invin- 
 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 cibly prevail, and grace be liable to defeat? Im- 
 possible ! The former of these, having conquered 
 and taken prisoner king John of France, nobly 
 condescended to wait on his royal captive tJie 
 same night at supper. Christ having first subdued 
 his people by his grace, waits on them afterwards 
 to their lives' end. 
 
 Constantine the Great, observing the failure of 
 his predecessors, who sought the aid of their idols 
 determined to acknowledge the true God alone ; 
 in which resolution he was strengthened by his 
 pious mother, Helena. Having addressed himself 
 in fervent prayer, his supplications were remarka- 
 bly answered. Dusebius, his biographer, affirms, 
 that while on his march against iMaxentius, one 
 of his rivals, he beheld in the heavens a luminous 
 cross, with this inscription, By this overcome I 
 Constantine was deeply impressed ; and ponder- 
 ing on the event, as the story states. Christ ap- 
 peared to him on the following night, with the 
 same sign of a cross, directing him to make use 
 of that symbol as his military ensign. He obeyed; 
 and the banner of the cro.'^s was always afterwards 
 displayed in his camp. He obtained a remarka- 
 ble victory over Maxentius, and soon became sole 
 emperor. 
 
 7^he Roman Emperor Julian, a determined 
 enemy of Christianity, was mortally wounded in 
 a war with the Persians. In this condition, we 
 are told, that he filled his hand with blood, and 
 casting it into the air, said, "O Galilean! thou 
 hast conquered." During this expedition, one 
 of Julian's followers asked a christian of An- 
 tioch, '' What the carpenter's son was doing?" 
 
43 
 
 " The Maker of the word," replied tne chris- 
 tian, " whom you call the carpenter's son, is era- 
 ployed in making a coffin for the emperor." In 
 a few days after, news came to Antioch of Ju- 
 lian's death. 
 
 Gl. 27. Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist 1 
 A. Christ's humiliation consisted in his beinir horn, and 
 that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing 
 the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed 
 death of the cross ; in beinrr buried, and continuing under 
 the power of death for a time. 
 
 A gentleman being with Mr Hervey in his 
 garden, he plucked a rose and desired the gentle- 
 man to present it to his wife to put her in mind 
 of her Redeemer, the Ro.se of Sharon. She put 
 such respect upon the giver and the gift, as to 
 put it into a frame with a glass ; upon hearing of 
 this, he wrote the gentleman. '' Your lady has 
 shown the most welcome compl'aisance to me, 
 and to the rose, in putting it to such a use ; and 
 could that poor vegetable be sensible, it would 
 rejoice to be a remembrance of its amiable Crea- 
 tor 1 heartily wish she may every 'day become 
 more and more acquainted with the Rose of Sha- 
 ron ; that his loveliness, riches, and glory may be 
 revealed in her heart by the Holy Ghost." 
 
 A little boy, between four and five years old, 
 vas one day reading to his mother in the New 
 Testament ; and when he came to these words, 
 *' the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air 
 have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where 
 to lay his head," his eyes filled with tears, his 
 tender breast heaved, and at last he sobbed aloud. 
 His mother inquired what was the matter; but 
 for some time he could not an<'wer her. At 
 length, as well as his sobs would let him, he 
 
44 
 
 said, " I am sure, mamma, if I had been there I 
 would have given him my pillow." 
 
 Dr. Grosvenor's first wife was a most devout 
 and amiable woman. The Sabbath after her 
 death, the doctor expressed himself from the pul- 
 pit in the following manner: "I have had ^ 
 irreparable loss ; and no man can feel a loss of 
 this consequence more sensibly than myself; but 
 the cross of a dying Jesus is my support : I fly 
 from one death for refuge to anothtry' How 
 much superior was the comfort of the christian 
 divine to that of the heathen philosopher. Pliny 
 the younger, who says, that, in similar distresses, 
 study was his only relief 
 
 Lewis II. of France, died of vexation, occa- 
 sioned by the revolt of his son Lewis of Bavaria. 
 The broken-hearted father said, as he expired, 
 •' I forgive Lewis ; but let him know, he has been 
 the cause of my death." The sins of God's elect 
 were the cause of the Messiah's death: vet. in 
 dying he declared. " Fa,ther, forgive them ; for 
 they know not what they do." 
 
 Cl. 28. Wherein consistoth Christ's exaltation 1 
 A. Christ's exaltation coii!?isteth in his risinfrafiain from 
 the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, 
 in sitting at the right hand of God the Father; and in 
 coming to judge the world at the last day. 
 
 A little child when dying, was-asked where it 
 was going? "To heaven." said the child. "And 
 what makes you wish to be there ?" said one. 
 " Because Christ is there." replied tlie child. 
 " But," p^id a friend, " what if Christ should leave 
 heaven?" "Well," said the child, "1 will go 
 with him." Some time before its departure, it 
 expressed a wish to have a golden crown when 
 
45 
 
 it died. "And what will you do," said one, 
 "with the golden crown?" "I will take the 
 crown," said the child, •• and cast it at the feet of 
 Christ " Does not such a child, to use the lan- 
 guage of prophec)', die a hundred years old ? 
 
 A Christian king of Hungary, being very sad 
 and pensive, his brother, who was a gay courtier, 
 was desirous of knowing the cause of the sad 
 nes# '■ Oh, brother." said the king, " I have 
 been a great sinner against God, and know not 
 how to die, or how to appear before God, in 
 judgment! ' The brother making a jest of it 
 said, '■ These are but gloomy thoughts." The 
 king made no reply, but it was the custom of the 
 country that if the executioner came and sound- 
 ed the trumpet before any man's door, he was 
 presently led to execution. The kin^- in the 
 dead of the night, sent the executioner to sound the 
 trumpet before his brother s door : who hearing 
 it, and seeing the messenger of death, sprang in- 
 to the king's presence, beseeching him to know 
 inwhathehadolfended. "Alas! brother,' said the 
 king, '• you have ijever offended me. And is the 
 sight of my executioner so dreadful? and shall 
 not I, who have greatly offended, fear to be 
 brought before the judgement seat of Christ?" 
 
 " On January last," said a pious father in writing 
 to his friends, " I dreamed that the day of judg- 
 ment was come. I saw the Judge on his great 
 white throne, and all nations were gathered be- 
 fore him. My wife and I were on the right hand ; 
 but I could not see my children. 1 said. I cannot 
 bear this ; I must go and seek them I went to 
 the left hand of the judge, and there found them 
 
46 
 
 all standing in the utmost despair. As soon as 
 they saw me, they caught hold of me and cried, 
 '• O ! father we will never part." I said. -my 
 dear children, I am come to try, if possible, to 
 get you out of this awful situation." So J took 
 them all with me. but when we came near the 
 Judge I thought he cast an angry look, and said 
 "What do thy children with thee now? they 
 would not take thy warning when on earth and 
 they shall not share with thee the crown iu%ea- 
 ven ; depart ye cursed." At these words, I 
 awoke bathed in tears. A while, after this, as 
 we were all sitting together on a Sabbath eve- 
 ning, I related to them my dream. No sooner 
 did [ begin than first one, and then another, yea, 
 all of them burst into tears, and God fastened 
 conviction on their hearts. Five of them are 
 rejoicing in God their Savior; and I believe, 
 the Lord is at work with the other two, so that 
 I doubt not he will give them also to my prayers. 
 
 Q,. 29. How arc we made partakers of the redemption 
 purchased by Christ 1 
 
 A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased 
 by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 When Bishop Butler lay on his death-bed, he 
 called for his chaplain, and said, " Though I have 
 endeavored to avoid sin, and to please God, to 
 the utmost of my power, yet, from the conscious- 
 ness of perpetual infirmities, I am still afraid to 
 die." '• IMy Lord," said the chaplain, '• you have 
 forgotten that Jesus Christ is a Savior." — 
 •■ I'rue." was the answer; "but how shall I 
 know that he is a Savior for mef' — " My Lord, 
 it is written, ' Ilim that cometh unto mc I wili 
 
47 
 
 in no wise cast out.^ " " True, ' said the TBi'sTiop'; 
 " and I am surprised, that thousfh I have read that 
 Scripture a tnousand times ov'er,tI never felt 
 its virtue till this moment; and now I die happy." 
 
 Several learned men tried to persuade a great 
 scholar to believe in Christianity ; but it seems 
 all their labor was vain. A plain honest per- 
 son, however, managed the argument in a dilfer- 
 ent manner, by referring not so much to logical 
 reasoning, as to the work of the Divine Spirit, so 
 that at last the scholar exclaimed, " When I 
 heard no more than human reason I opposed it 
 with human reason ; but when I heard the Spirit, 
 I was obliged to surrender." I'hus it is. the 
 wisest trusting to their own wisdom are lost; 
 while those who are taught of the Spirit, know 
 the way of God in truth. 
 
 Mr. Guthrie, an eminent mini.sterin Scotland, 
 was one evening travelling home very late. Hav- 
 ing lost his way in a moor, he laid the reins on 
 the neck of his horse, and committed himself to 
 the direction of Providence. After long travel- 
 ling over ditches and fields, the horse brought 
 him to a farmer's house, into which he went, and 
 requested permission to set by the fire till morn- 
 ing, which was granted. A popish priest, was 
 administering extreme unction to the mistress 
 of the house, who was dying. ]\Ir. (^uthrie 
 said nothing till the priest had retired; then he 
 went forward to the dying woman, and asked her 
 if she enjoyed peace in the prospect of death, in 
 consequence of what the priest had said and done 
 to her. She answered that she did not ; on which 
 he spoke to her of Salvation through the atoning 
 
48 
 
 blood of the Redeemer. ■ The Lord taught her to 
 understand, and enabled her to believe the mes- 
 sage of mercy, and she died triumphing in Jesus 
 Christ her Savior. After witnessing this aston- 
 ishing scene, Mr. CTuthrie mounted his horse, and 
 rode home. On his arrival, he told Mrs. Guthne 
 he had seen a 2;reat wonder durino- the nioht. 
 "I came," said he, "to a farm house, where I 
 found a woman in a state of nature, I saw her in 
 a state of grace ; and left her in a state of glory." 
 
 Q,. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption 
 purchased by Christ 1 
 
 A. The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased 
 by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us 
 to Christ in our effectual calling. 
 
 Mrs. Romaine was once in company with a 
 clergyman, at Tiverton, who ran out witih no little 
 zeal against what he called " irresistible grace ;" 
 alleging that "such grace would be quite incom- 
 patable with free will.'" '• Not at all so." answer- 
 ed Mrs. Romaine; ''grace operates effectually, 
 yet not coercively. The wills of God's people 
 are drawn to him and divine things, just as your 
 will would be drawn to a bishopric, if you had 
 the offer of it." 
 
 A talking lady, of that sect that honestly avow 
 their Arminian sentiments, was one evening en- 
 gaged in a dispute with a gentleman of the oppo- 
 site opinion, and argued so long, and so violently 
 in defence of the creature's hein^ first in the mat- 
 ter of conversion to God, that to her surprise, she 
 preceived it was one o\.lnck in the morninir. She 
 started, and said, " Well, T have not thought it was 
 so late ; I see I cannot work upon you, and I am 
 sure all you say will not convince me; so good 
 
49 
 
 Aight." " Yes," said the gentleman, " it is time 
 do go to rest. Madam, I wish you a good night. 
 1 suppose, however, that when you retire, you 
 think to spend a few minutes between you and 
 God." '• Doubtless, sir, I do." " Please then, 
 madam, to tell God what you have just told me." 
 ■' What is that, sir?" " Why, madam, that you 
 began wjth him before he began with you." '• No, 
 I will not." said she. " I knew you would not." 
 replied the gentleman, " and therefore I reserved 
 this argument to the last ; for I never found any 
 person of your opinion, that could address God. in 
 consistency with the language which you hold 
 out so confidently to your fellow-mortals." She 
 was evidently hurt by this simple confutation ; 
 went away without answering a word, and never 
 spoke to him afterwards. 
 
 " I have had six children," said Mr. Elliot, 
 " and I bless God for his free grace they are all 
 either with Christ, or in Christ ; and my mind 
 is now at rest concerning them. My desire was, 
 that they should have served Christ on earth ; 
 but if God Avill choose to have them rather serve 
 him in heaven, I have nothing to object to it. 
 His will be done." 
 
 Q,. 31. What i.« effectual calling 7 
 
 A, EflVctual calliniT is the work of God's Spirit, whore- 
 by, convincin<f us of our s-in and misery, enli«,'hteiiiniT our 
 minds in tlie knowledire of Christ, and rcncwinL' our wills, 
 he doth |)er.su;ide and enable us to embrace J<'sus Christ, 
 freely otlVred to us in the gospel. 
 
 The Rev. Thomas Doolittle used tu catechise 
 the members, and especially the young pcojjle. of 
 hia congregation, every Lord's day. One Sab- 
 bath evening, after having received an answer ia 
 
 5 
 
. 50 
 
 the words of the Assembly's Catechism, to the 
 question, " What is effectual calling V and hav- 
 ing explained it, he proposed that the question 
 should be answered by changing the words us and 
 our, into ?ne and my. Upon this proposal, a 
 solemn silence followed ; many felt its vast im- 
 portance; but none had courage to answer. At 
 length a young man rose up and with every mark 
 of a broken and contrite heart, by divine grace, 
 was enabled to say, " Effectual calling is the 
 work of God s Spirit, whereby convincing me of 
 mi/ sin and misery, enlightening mv mind in the 
 knowledge of Christ, and renewing m^/ will, he 
 did persuade and enabled me to embrace Jesus 
 Christ, freely offered to mc in the gospel." The 
 scene was truly affecting. The proposal of that 
 question had commandedunusual solemnity. The 
 rising up of the young man had created high ex- 
 pectations, and the answer being accompanied 
 with proofs of unfeigned piety and modest)-, the 
 congregation was bathed in tears. This young 
 man had been convicted by being catechised, and 
 to his honor. Mr. D. says, "From being an ig- 
 norant and wicked youth, he had become an in- 
 telligent professor to God's glorjr, and my much 
 comfort " 
 
 Mr. George Whitefield was preaching once at 
 Easter, in England. A man was present, who 
 had loaded his pockets with stones, in order to 
 throw them at Mr W. He heard his prayer, 
 however, with patience ; but no sooner had he 
 named his text, than the man pulled a stone out 
 of his pocket, and held it in his hand, waiting for 
 a fair opportunity to throw it. But (lod sent a 
 word to his heart ; and the stone dropped from 
 
51 
 
 his hand. After sermon, he went to Mr W. and 
 told him, " Sir. 1 came to hear you this day. with 
 a view to break your head, but the Spirit of (lod 
 throiiojh your ministry, has given me a broken 
 heart." The man proved to be a sound con- 
 vert, and lived an ornament to the g;osp(;l. 
 
 Mr. Nathaniel Partridge, one of the ejected 
 ministers in England, having once preached at St. 
 Alban's upon those words. Rev. iii. 18 '•' Anoint 
 thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou niayest see;" 
 a poor man who was as blind in mind, as he was 
 in body, went afterwards to his house, and asked 
 him very gravely, '• where he might gtit that oint- 
 ment to cure his blindness?" It is to be hoped 
 the minister improved the occasion, for saying 
 something to this ignorant creature, with a view 
 to open the eyes of his mind, though we are not 
 informed re.specting it. 
 
 CI. 3-3. Wli.-it benefits do they that are effectually called 
 partake of in this life 1 
 
 A. They that are effectually called do in lhi.s life par- 
 take of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the 
 several benefits which in this life do either accompany or 
 flow from them. 
 
 The Rev. Thomas Doolittle, a godly faitliful mi- 
 nister, of the seventeenth century, having finished 
 prayer, looked round upon the congregation, and 
 observing a young man who had ju^t been put 
 into one of the pews, very uneasy in his situation, 
 adopted the following singular expedient to 
 detain him: — Turning to one of the niemb-:^rs of 
 his church, who sat in the gallery, he asked him 
 this question aloud, '• Brother, do you repent of 
 coming to Christ?" " No. sir," he replied."! 
 never was happy till I came ; I only re-pent that I 
 did not come to him sooner." The minister then 
 
52 
 
 turned to the opposite gallery, and addressed him 
 self to an asfed member in the same manner 
 " Brother, do you repent of coming to Christ ?' 
 "No, sir;" said he, '-I have known the Lord 
 from my youth upwards."' He then looked down 
 upoji the young man. whose attention was fully 
 engaged, and fixing his eyes upon him said, 
 " Young man, are you willing to come to Christ ?" 
 This unexpected address from the pulpit, exciting 
 the observation of all the people, so affected him, 
 that he sat down and concealed his face. -Tho 
 person who sat next him encouraged him to rise 
 and answer the question. 1'he minister repeated, 
 '•'• Young man. are you willing to come to Christ? ' 
 With a tremuloils voice, he replied. " Yes. sir." 
 " But «'//c?z, sir?" added the minister, in a solemn 
 and loud tone. He mildly answered. " Now, 
 sir." " Then stay," said he, " and learn the 
 word of God, which you will find in 2 Cor. vi. 2. 
 ' Behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now 
 is the day of .salvation.' " By this sermon he was 
 greatly affected and came into the vestry, after 
 the service, bathed in tears. The relustance to 
 stay, which he had discovered, was occasioned 
 by the strict injunctions of his father, who threat- 
 ened that if he went to hear the fanatics, he 
 would turn him out of doors. Having now 
 heard the gospel, and being unable to conceal the 
 feelings of his mind, he was afraid to meet hi9 
 father. The minister sat down and wrote an af- 
 fectionate letter to him, which had so good an 
 effect, that both father and mother crime to hear 
 for themselves. They were both brought to a 
 knowledge of the truth : and together with their 
 son. were joyfully received into christian com- 
 munion. 
 
53 
 
 Mr. Matthew Henry, a little before his death, 
 said to a friend, '" You have been used to take no- 
 tice of the sayings of dying men: this is niine, 
 That a life spent in the service of God. and com- 
 munion with him, is the most comfortable and 
 pleasant life that any one can live in this world." 
 
 a.^3.3. What is justification 7 
 
 A. Justification is an act of God's free ?racc, wherein 
 he pardoneth all our sins, and acceptcth us as ri^fhtcous in 
 his sijrht, only for the righteousness of Ciirist imputed to 
 us, and received by faith alone. 
 
 Mr. Fleming, in his Fulfilling of the Scriptures, 
 relates the case of a man who wa.-! a very great 
 sinner, and for his horrible wickedness was put to 
 death in the town of Ayr. This man had been so 
 stupid and brutish a fellow, that all wbo knew him 
 thought him beyond the reach of all ordinary 
 means of grace ; but while the man was in prison, 
 the Lord wonderfully wrought on his heart, and in 
 such a measure discovered to him his sinfulness, 
 that after much serious exercise and sore wrest- 
 ling, a most kindly work of repentance followed 
 with great assurance of mercy, insomuch, that 
 when he came to the place of execution, he could 
 not cease crying out to the people, under the 
 sense of pardon, and the comforts of the presence 
 and favor of God: " O, He is a great forgiver! 
 He is a great forgiver!" And he added the fol- 
 lowing words : " Now hath perfect love cast out 
 fear. I know God hath nothing to lay against 
 me, for Jesus Christ hath paid all ; and those are 
 free whom the Son makes free. ' 
 
 In the parish where Mr. Hervey preached, 
 when he inclined to Arminian sentiments, there 
 resided a ploughman, who usually attended tho 
 
 5* 
 
54 
 
 ministry of Dr. Doddridge, and was well informed 
 in the doctrines of grace. Mr. Hervey being ad- 
 vised by his physician, for the benefit of Jiis health, 
 to foil w the plough, in order to smell the fresh 
 earth: frequently accompanied this ploughman in 
 his rural employment. Mr. Hervey, understand- 
 ing the ploughman was a serious person, said to 
 him one morning. " What do you think is the 
 hatdest thing in religion ?" To which he replied, 
 " I am a poor illiterate man, and you, sir, are a 
 minister : I bog leave to return the question." 
 " Then," said ?>Ir. Hervey, " I think the hardest 
 thing is to deny sinful self;" and applauded at 
 some length this instance of self-denial. The 
 ploughman replied, " Mr. Hervey. you have for- 
 got the greatest act of the grace of self-denial, 
 v.'hich is to deny ourselves of a proud confidence 
 in our own obedience for justification." In re- 
 peating this story to a friend, Mr. Hervey ob- 
 served : •• I then hated the righteousne.ss of 
 Christ: I looked at the man with astonishment 
 and disdain, and thought him an old fool. 1 have 
 since clearly seen who was the fool; not the wise 
 old Christian, but the proud James Flervej'." 
 
 The late Mr. Reynolds of Bristol, being im- 
 portuned by a friend to sit for his portrait, he at 
 last consented. — '• How would you like to be 
 painted ?" " Sitting among books." " Any book 
 in particular?" " 7'he Bible." "Open at anj^ 
 part?' At the fifth chapter of the Romans; 
 the first to be legible : ' Therefore being justified 
 by FAITH, we have peace with God, through our 
 Lord J^,sus Christ.' " 
 
 Q,. 34. What is adoption'? 
 
 A. Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby wt» 
 
55 
 
 are received into tiie nuinber, and have a right to all the 
 privile;fes of the sons ofCiod. 
 
 A Caffre boy, twelve years old, was asked 
 whether he did not repent having coming to 
 Gnadenthall, the missionary settlement of the 
 Moravian brethren. On his answering in the ne- 
 gative, the missionary observed, " But in the 
 Caffre country you had meat in plenty, and ex- 
 cellent milk, and here you can get neither. " To 
 this he replied, '• It is very true ; but I wish to 
 become a child of God ; and I hear in this place 
 how I may attain it whilst in my own country 
 I hear nothing of it. I rejoice, therefore, that I 
 am come hither and am satisfied with any thing." 
 
 The Rev. INIr. Thomas Boston, whose praise is 
 in all the churche;], was one Sabbath evening sit- 
 ting in his room, musing upon his sinfulness, and 
 much dejected. One of his children came forward 
 to him, and said •■ Father, did you not say in the 
 church to-day, that though we were rebellious 
 children, yet we were children still ?" The child 
 thus bringing his own words to his recollection, 
 was a means of restoring peace to his mind. 
 
 A Popish priest in Ireland, who is making the 
 Scriptures his daily study, and is an advocate for 
 the schools in that country, which most of the 
 priests oppose, lately met one of the scholars going 
 to school, and asked him. what book it was he 
 carried under his arm ? '• It is a will, sir," said 
 the boy. " What will ?" rejoined the priest. 
 " The last will and testament that Jesus Christ 
 left to me, and to all who desire to chiim a title in 
 the property therein bequeathed," replied the boy. 
 " What did Christ leave you in that will ?' " A 
 kingdom, sir." " Where does that kingdom lie ?" 
 
56 
 
 " It is the kingdom of heaven, sir." " And do 
 you expect to reign as a king there ?" " Yes, sir ; 
 as joint heir with Christ." " And will not every 
 person get there as well as you ?" " No. sir : 
 none can get there but those that clum their title, 
 to that kingdom upon the ground of the will :" 
 The priest asked several other questions, to which 
 the bov gave such- satisfactory answers as quite 
 astonished him. " Indeed," said he, '-you are a 
 good little boy: take care of the book wherein 
 God gives you such precious promises ; believe 
 what he has said, and you will be happy here and 
 hereafter." 
 
 Q,. 35. What is sanctification 1 
 
 A. Sanctification is the work of God'.s free grace, 
 whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the im- 
 age of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto 
 sin, and live unto righteousness. 
 
 Two or three years before Mr. Newton's death, 
 when his sight was become so dim, that he was 
 no longer able to read, an aged friend and brother 
 in the ministry, called on him to breakfast. Fami- 
 ly prayers succeeding, the portion of Scripture for 
 the day was read to him. It was taken out of 
 Bogatsky's Golden Treasury ; '' By the grace of 
 God I am what I am." It was the pious man's 
 custom, on these occasions, to make a short fa- 
 miliir exposition on the passage read. After the 
 reading of this text, he paused for some moments, 
 and then uttered the following aftecting soliloquy: 
 " 1 am not what I ought to be. Ah ! how im- 
 perfect and deficient ! I am not what I u-hh to 
 be! I abhor what is evil, and I would cleave to 
 what is good ! I am not what I hope to be ; 
 soon, soon, I shall put off mortality, and with 
 mortality all sin and imperfection. Yet, though 
 
57 
 
 I am not wliat I ought to be, nor what I toisk to 
 be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say. I am 
 not what I once was, — a sLive to sin and Satan; 
 and 1 can heartily join with the apostle, and ac- 
 knowledge, ' By the grace of God, I am what I 
 am!' Let us pray." 
 
 A friend of Archbishop Usher repeatedly urged 
 Vifti to write on sanctification ; which at length he 
 engaged to do ; but a considerable time elapsing, 
 the pcrfdrmanee of his promise was importunate- 
 ly claimed. Tiie bishop replied to this purpose : 
 " I have not written, and yet I cannot charge 
 myself Avith a breach of promise ; for I began to 
 write but when I came to treat of the new crea- 
 ture which God formeth by his Spirit in every re- 
 generate soul, I found so little of it wrought in 
 myself, that I could speak of it only as parrots, or 
 by rote, without the knowledge of what I might 
 have expressed ; and therefore, I durst not pre- 
 sume to proceed any further upon it." Amazed 
 to hear so holy a man speak in this manner ; the 
 bishop added, " I must tell you. we do not under- 
 stand what sanctification and the new creation 
 are. It is no less than for a man to be brought 
 to an entire resignation to the will of God. and 
 to live in the offering up of his soul continually 
 in the flames of love, as a whole burnt-olfering 
 to Chrisi; and oh ! how many who profess Chris- 
 tianity are unacquainted experimentally, with 
 this great work upon their souls !" 
 
 King: Robert Bruce, the restorer of the Scot- 
 tish monarchy, being out one day reconnoitenng 
 the enemy, lay at night in a barn, belonging to a 
 loyal cottager. In the morning, still reclining his 
 head on the pillow of straw, he beheld a spider 
 
58 
 
 climbing up the beam of the roof. The insect 
 fell to the ground, but immediately made a second 
 essay to ascend. This attracted the notice of the 
 hero, who, with regret, saw the spider fall a se- 
 cond time from the eminence. It made a third 
 unsuccessful attempt. Not without a mixture of 
 concern and curiosity, the monarch twelve times 
 beheld the insect balHed in his design ; but its 
 thirteenth essay was crowned with success ; it 
 gained the summit of the barn ; w hen the King 
 starting from his couch, exclaimed, " This des- 
 picable insect has taught me perseverance ! 1 will 
 follow its example ; have I not been twelve times 
 defeated by the enemy's superior force ; on one 
 fight more hangs the independence of my coun- 
 try.' In a few days, his anticipations were fully 
 realized, by the glorious result to Scotland of 
 the battle of Bannockburn. Let the christian 
 learn both from the insect and the patriot to per- 
 severe in his endeavors, to overcome his spiritual 
 enemies, and to gain the crown of glorv. Con- 
 staufy will issue in his reaching the objects of 
 his holy ambition. 
 
 CI. 36. What are the benefits which in this life do ac- 
 company or flow from ju-stificution, adoption, and sanctifi- 
 catiou ] 
 
 A. The l>ciiefitfi whicli in this life do accompany or 
 flow from justitication, adoption, and sanctifieation, arc, 
 assurance of (tod's love, peace of conscience, joy in the 
 Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein 
 to the end. 
 
 The celebrated Philip de Morney, prime min 
 ister to Henry the l\"th of France, one of the 
 greatest statesmen, the bravest officers, and the 
 most exemplary christian of his age; being asked 
 a little before his. death, if he still retained the 
 
59 
 
 same assured hope of future bliss, which he had 
 so comfortably enjoyed durinp; his illness, made 
 this memirahle reply, " I am," said he, '• as con- 
 fident of it, from the incontestible evidence of the 
 Spirit of God. as ever I was of any mathematical 
 truth from all the demonstration of Euclid." 
 
 Mr. Kidd. when minist'T of Queensferry. a few 
 miles from Edinburgh, was one day very much 
 depressed and discouraged, for want of that com- 
 fort which is produced by the faith of the gospel 
 alone. He sent a note to Mr. L , minister of 
 Culross, a few miles off, informing him of his 
 distress of mind, and desiring a visit as soon as 
 possible. Mr. L. told the servant, he was so busy 
 that he could not wait upon his master but de- 
 sired him to tell Mr. K. to rcjnemhcr Tnrwnnd ! 
 When tlie servant returned, he said to his master, 
 "Mr.^L. could not come, but he desired me to 
 tell you, to remember Torwnod !" This answer 
 immediately struck Mr. K., and he cried out, 
 " Yes, Lord ! I will remember T/ice. from the 
 hill Mizar, and from the hermonites!" All his 
 troubles and darkness vanished upon the recollec- 
 tion of a day which he had formerly spent in 
 prayer, along with Mr. L. in Torwood. where he 
 nad enjoyed eminent communion with God. 
 
 When Lord North, during the American war, 
 sent to the reverend Mr. Fletcher of Medelej', 
 (who had written on that unfortunate war. in a 
 manner that had pleased the minister.) to know 
 what he wanted, he sent him word that he want- 
 ed but one thing, which it was not in his lordship's 
 power to give him and that was more ^race. 
 
 A p'^r'^oa who suspected that a minister of his 
 acquaintance, was not truly a Calvinist, went to 
 
60 
 
 him and said, " Sir, I am told that you are 
 against the perseverance of the saints." " Not I, 
 indeed," answered he, " it is the perseverance of 
 sinners that I oppose." " That is not a satisfac- 
 tory answer, sir. Do you think that a child of 
 God cannot fall very low and yet be restored V 
 He replied. " I think it will be very dangerous U 
 make the experiment." 
 
 Gt. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Chris 
 at death 1 
 
 A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect 
 in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory ; and then 
 bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves 
 till the resurrection. 
 
 Mr. Robert Bruce, the morning before he died, 
 being at breakfast, having, as he used, eaten an 
 egg, he said to his daughter, " I think I am yet 
 hungry : you may bring me another egg." But 
 having mused a while, he said, " Hold, daughter, 
 hold, viy master calls me.'" With these words his 
 sight failed him: on which he called for the Bi- 
 ble, and saifl, '-turn to the 8th chapter of the 
 Romans and set my finger on the words. — ' I am 
 persuaded that neither death nor life. Sic, shall 
 be able to separate me from the love of God, 
 which is in Christ Jesus my Lord.' " When 
 this was done, he said, " Now is my finser upon 
 them r Being told that it was, he added, " Noio, 
 God he ioith you, my dear children : I have break- 
 fasted loithyou. and shall sup with my Lord Jesus 
 Christ this night.^' And then expired. 
 
 Addison, after a long and manly, but vain strug- 
 gle with his distemper, dismissed his physicians, 
 and with them all hopes of life. But with his 
 hopes of life, he dismissed not his concern for the 
 living, but sent for a youth who was nearly re- 
 
61 
 
 lated, and finely accomplished. He came, and 
 after a decent pause, the youth said, '• Dear sir, 
 you .sent tor me, I believe : I hope you have some 
 commands ; I shall hold them most sacred." 
 Forcibly graspingthe young man'shand, he softly 
 said, '• See in what peace a christian can die !" 
 He spoke with difficulty, and soon expired. 
 
 A young girl at Portsea, who died at nine 
 years of age, one day in her illness, said to her 
 aunt, with whom she lived, " When I am dead, 
 I should like Mr. Griffin to preach a sermon to 
 children to persuade them to love Jesus Christ, 
 to obey their parents, not to tell lies, but to think 
 about dying, and going to heaven. I have been 
 thinking," said she, " what text I should like him 
 to preach from, — 2 Kings iv. 26. You are the 
 Shunamite, Mr. G. is the prophet, and I am the 
 Shunamite's child. When I am dead, I dare say 
 you will be grieved, though you need not. The 
 prophet will come to see you, and when he says, 
 ' How is it with the child V you may say, ' It is 
 well' I am sure it will be well with me. for 
 I shall be in heaven, singing the praises of God. 
 You ought to think it well too." Mr. G. ac- 
 cordingly fulfilled the wish of this pious child. 
 
 A little girl in York.shire, about seven years of 
 age, went, accompanied by a brother younger 
 than herself, to see an aunt who lay dead. ( )n 
 their return home', the little boy expressed his 
 surprise that he had seen his aunt, saying, " I 
 always thought when people were dead, that they 
 went to heaven, but my aunt is not, for I have 
 seen her." "Brother," replied his sister, '"I 
 fear you do not understand it ; it is not the body 
 
 6 
 
62 
 
 that goes to heaven : it is the think that goes to 
 heaven: the body remains, and is put into tl:e 
 grave where it sleeps till God shall raise it up 
 again." 
 
 Ci. 'S8. What benefits do believers receive from Christ 
 at the resurrection 1 
 
 A. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in 
 glory, sh;ill be opt'uly acknowledged and acquitted in the 
 day ot' judiriiient, and made pertectly blessed in the lull 
 enjoying of God to all eternity. ' 
 
 Ah infidel and profligate youtli. who had for- 
 merly disregarded all the pious injunctions of his 
 pareut. on one occasion went with thetn to hear 
 a popular minister who had come to the town 
 where they dwelt. The subject of discourse 
 was ike hearenJy slate ; ?ind the minister describ- 
 ed in glowing Imguage. the nature of the Fiap- 
 piness. employment, and company of the spirits 
 of just men made perfect. On his return home, 
 the youth expressed his admiration of the speak- 
 er's talents; •• but " said he, turning to his mo- 
 ther, " I was surprised, that while the smile of 
 approbation was visible in the countenances of 
 all around me, you and my lather appeared gloo- 
 my and sad, and more than once were in tears. 
 I was surprised." continued the youth. ' because 
 I thought that if any could claim an interest in 
 the subject, you were the happy persons." " Ah, 
 my son," replied the anxious mother, " I did 
 weep; but it was not because I feared my own 
 personal interest in the subject, or that of your 
 affectionate and pious father. I w^ept. when 1 
 thought of you ; it is the fear that you^ the son 
 of my womb, and the son of my vows, would be 
 banished at last from the delights of the celestial 
 paradise, which caused my bursting heart to seek 
 vent in tears." " I supposed." said the father, turn- 
 
G3 
 
 ft 
 
 ine: to his wife, "those were yoxir reflections. 
 Thp thoiie;ht of the spiritual rondition of onr son 
 forcibly impressed my own heart, and liiade me 
 weep ton." The pointed, yet cautious and ten- 
 der admonition of the mother, wisely sanc>t^ioneel 
 by the husband, found its way to the youthful 
 heart of hsr child, and terminated in his saving 
 conversion to God. 
 
 '• I remember." says the writer of Mr. John 
 Janeway's life, "once there was a great talk 
 that one had foretold that dooms-diy should be 
 on such a day. Al'thouo:!!- he blamed their daring 
 folly that could pretend to know that which was 
 hid yet, granting their suspicion to be true, what 
 then ? said he ; what if the day of judgment 
 were come, as it will most cerfainly come short- 
 ly? If I were .sure the day of judgment were to 
 come within an hour, I should be glad with all 
 my heart. If at this very instant. I .should heat 
 Bu.'h thunderings. and see such lightnings as Is- 
 rael did at Mount Sinai. I am persuaded my'very 
 heart would leap for joy. But this I am confi- 
 dent of, through infinite mercy, that the very 
 meditation of that day, hath even ravished my 
 soul; and the thought of the certainty and near- 
 ness of it is more refreshing to me than the com- 
 forts of the.Avliole world." 
 
 Luther being once in great poverty, and a con- 
 siderable sum of money beine sent to him utiex- 
 pectedly, by a nobleman of Germany, said, " I 
 tear God will give my reward here ; but I protest 
 I will not be so satisfied." A little will sati-^fy 
 the saints during their journey, but it is only the 
 enjoyment of God in heaven, that will satisfy 
 them as a portion. 
 
64 
 
 Q.. 39. What is the duty which God requireth of man t 
 A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience 
 to his revealed will. 
 
 " A person." says Mr. Erskine, " who had 
 been at public worship, having returned home 
 perhaps somewhat sooner than usual, was ad<ed, 
 by another of the family, who had not been there. 
 ' Is all done T ' No,' replied he, ' all is sadd, bul 
 all is not donel' " 
 
 When a gentleman lately presented a Bible to 
 a prisoner under sentence of death, he exclaimed, 
 " Oh, sir, if I had had this book, and studied it, 1 
 should never have committed the crime of which 
 I am convicted." So it is said of a native Irish- 
 man, when he read for the first time in his life, a 
 New Testament which a gentleman had put into 
 his hands, he said, " If I believe this, it is im- 
 possible for me to remain a rebel." 
 
 Antonio Guevaza. used to say, '• That heaven 
 would be filled with such as had done good vorks 
 and hell with such as i/Uended to do them." A 
 very suitable hint to those who put off their con- 
 victions, to what they think will be a more con- 
 venient .season. 
 
 " T remember," says Dr. Cotton Mather, " what 
 Calvin said when the order for his banishment 
 from unsrrateful Geneva was brousfht to him: 
 ' Most assuredly, if I had merely served man. this 
 would have been a poor recompense ; but it is my 
 happiness that I have served Him, who never 
 fails to reward his servants to the full extent of 
 his promises.' 
 
 CI. 10. What did God .it first reveal toman for the rule 
 of his obedience. , 
 
 A The rule which God at first revealed to man for his 
 obedience, was the moral law. 
 
65 
 
 A follower of Pythagoras had bought a pair of 
 shoes from a cobbler, for which he promised to 
 pay him oa a future day. On that day he took 
 the money : but. finding the cobbler had died in 
 the interim, returned, secretly rejoicing that he 
 could retain the money, and get a paif of shoes for 
 nothing. His conscience, however, says Seneca, 
 would allow him no rest, till, taking up the money, 
 he went back to the cobbler's shop, and casting 
 in the money, said, " Go thy ways, for though 
 he is dead to all the world besides, yet he is alive 
 to mo." 
 
 A clergyman once travelling in a stage-coach, 
 was asked by one of the passengers, if he thought 
 that pious heathens would go to heaven. '• Sir, 
 (answered the clergyman.) 1 am not appointed 
 judge of the loorld, and consequently cannot tell ; 
 but if you ever get to heaven, you shall either find 
 them there, or a good reason whv they are not." 
 A reply well fitted to answer on impertinent ques- 
 tion dictated by idle curiosity. 
 
 A certain preacher in the wist of England, 
 remarkaole for his ojiposition to the morul law 
 as a rule of life to believers, was preaching on a 
 week-day evening at a village, in a cottage full of 
 poor people ; when, declainiing in his usual way 
 against the law, and seeming at loss for expres- 
 sions sufficient to degrade it, he said, '• the lata 
 is dead; it is fallen; it is done with.'' Having 
 just then occasion to use his handkerrhicl". he 
 spread it out. and holding a corner in each hand, 
 said, ■• The law, my friends, has fallen down before 
 the belli' rer like this luni'llerchiif;^^ then If^ttiug it 
 go from his hands, it unfortunately fell on tho can- 
 
 G* 
 
6G 
 
 dies, and extinguished them, leaving the preacher 
 and all his hearers in darkness : — a very just 
 though accidental representation of that mental 
 and practical darkness wiiich such preaching is 
 likely to produce. 
 
 Q,. 41. Where is the moral -law summarily compre- 
 hendetl 1 
 
 A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the 
 ten commandments. 
 
 Archbishop Usher, being once on a visit to 
 Scotland, heard a great deal of the piety and de- 
 votion of Mr. Samuel Rutherford. He wished 
 much to witness what had been told him. but was 
 at a loss how to accomplish his design. At 
 length it came into his mind to dress himself like 
 a pauper ; and on a Saturday evening, when turn- 
 ing dark, he called at Mr. R's. house, and asked 
 if he could get quarters for a night Mr. R. con- 
 sented to give the poor man a bed for the night, 
 and desired him to sit down in the kitchen, which 
 he cheerfully did. Mrs. Rutherford, According 
 to custom on Saturday evening, that her servants 
 might be prepared for the Sabbath, called them 
 together and examined them. In the course of 
 the examination, she asked the stranger how many 
 commandments there were. To which he an- 
 swered, eleven. On receiving this answer, she 
 replied, '• What a shame is it for you ! a man with 
 grey hairs, in a christian country, not to know how 
 many commandments there are ! There is not 
 a child of six years old in this parish but could 
 answer this question properlj-." She troubled 
 the poor man no more, thinking him so very igno- 
 rant ; but lamented his condition to her servants ; 
 after giving him some supper, she desired a ser- 
 
vant to show him up stairs to a bed in the garret. 
 Mr. R. on discoverinp; who he was next morning, 
 requested him to prencli for him that day, which 
 the bishop consented to do, on condition that he 
 would not discover him to anv other. IVIr. Ruth- 
 erford furnislied the bishop with a suit of his own 
 clothes, and early in the morning he went into the 
 fields ; the other followed him, and brought him 
 in as a strange minister passing bv, who had 
 promised to preacli for him. Mrs. R. found that 
 the poor man had gone away before any of the 
 family were out of bed. After domestic worship 
 and breakfast, the family went to the church, and 
 the bishop had for his text, John xiii. 34. " A 
 new commandment I give unto you, that, ye love 
 one another." In the course oi" hi.^ sermon he 
 observed, that this might be reckoned the eleventh 
 commandment: upon which Mrs. R. said to her- 
 self, "that is the answer the poor man gave me 
 last night;" and looking up to the pulpit, said, 
 " It cannot be poaeible that tliis is he !" After pub- 
 lic worship, the strange minister and Mr. R.. spent 
 the everiing in mutvial .'satisfaction; and early on 
 Monday morning the former went away in the 
 dress in which he en me, and was not dis<?overed, 
 Mr* Ralph Erskine composed the 'following 
 ode on the death of his first wife. Mrs. Margaret 
 Dewar, who died, November 2'2d, 1730, after 
 having borne ten children. Aged 32. 
 
 The law brouijht forth her prccrp!s ten; 
 
 And these dissolv'J in jjrace : 
 This vine as many boutrhs, and then 
 
 In'glory took lier phico. 
 
 Her dyiniT breath triiiinpliantly 
 
 Did that .swoot anthem sing, 
 Thanhs be to God for victonj ; 
 
 O Death,! u-here is thy sting? 
 
68 
 
 Q,. 42. What is the sum of the ten commandments 1 
 A. The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the 
 Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all 
 our strength, and with all our mind ; and our neighbor 
 as ourselvfes. * 
 
 " Papa," said a little boy to his father. " what 
 is the meaning of the words cherubim and sera- 
 phim, which we meet with in the holy Scrip- 
 tures ?" " Cherubim." replied his father, " is a 
 Hebrew word signifying knowledge. Seraphim is 
 another word of the same language, and signifies 
 flame. Whence it is supposed, that the cheru- 
 bim are angels who excel in knowledge ; and that 
 the seraphim are angels likewise, who excel in 
 loving God " " I hope, then," said the little 
 boy. "when I die I shnll be a seraph; for I would 
 rather love God than know all things." 
 
 " I see God will have all my heart, and he shall 
 have it," was a fine reflection made by a lady, 
 when news wns brought of two children drown- 
 ed, whom she tenderly loved. 
 
 A martyr was asked, " Whether he did not 
 love his wife and children, who stood weeping 
 by him?" " Love them? Yes." said he : " If all 
 the world were gold, and at my disposal. I would 
 give it all for the satisfaction of living with them, 
 though it were in a prison. Yet, in comparison 
 of Christ, I love them not." 
 
 A boy, called Abraham, i;iot qfiite four years 
 old, was not onlj'^ remarkably patient and resigned 
 during his last illness, but his conver.=iation pro- 
 ved an abiding blessing to his father, who hap- 
 pened then to be in an unhappy state of miud. 
 On the day before he died. he. asked him. '• Fea- 
 ther, do you love me ?" the father replied, " Yes, 
 
69 
 
 I do." Upon Treating his qiiestion, lie re- 
 ceived the same answer. But, then," added he, 
 " do you love your Savior?" " No," replied the 
 father, •• I am just now very poor and miserable." 
 "Ah!" said the child, " if you do not love our 
 Savior, you cannot love me as you ought." 
 
 During the retreat of Alfred the Great, at 
 Athelney in Somersetshire, after the defeat of his 
 forces by the Danes, a beggar came to his little 
 castle there, and requested alms ; when his queen 
 informed him that they had only one small loaf 
 remaining, which was insufficient for themselves 
 and their friends, who were gone abroad in quest 
 of food, though with little hopes of success : the 
 king replied, '• Give the poor Christian one half 
 of the loaf He who could feed live thousand 
 men with five loaves and two fishes, can certainly 
 make that half of the loaf suffice for more than 
 our necessities." Accordingly the poor man 
 was relieved, ihid his noble act of charity soon 
 recompensed by a providential store of fresh pro- 
 visions, with which his people returned. 
 
 Gt. 43. What is tlic preface to the ten commandments'? 
 
 A. The preface of tlic ten commandments is in these 
 words, I ani tlie Lord thy God, whicli have broui^ht thee 
 out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 
 
 A friend calling on the Rev. Ebenezer Ers- 
 kine, during his last illness, said to him, '-Sir, 
 you have given us many good advices, pray what 
 are you now doing with your own soul?" " I am 
 doing with it," said he, "what. I did forty years 
 ago; I am resting on that word, / am Ike. Lord 
 thy God ; and on this I mean to die." To 
 another, he said, '' The covenant is my charter, 
 and if it had not been for that blessed word, lam 
 
70 
 
 the Lord thy God, my hope and strength had 
 perished from the Loid." The night on which 
 he died, his eldest daughter was reading in the 
 room where he was, to whom he said, -What 
 book is that you are reading, my dear?" " it is 
 one at' your sermons, sir." '■ What one is it?" 
 " It is the sermon on tiiat text. / am the Lord thy 
 ' Gad.'^ ■• O woman." said he, 'that is the best 
 sermon I ever preached." And it was most 
 probably, the best to his soul A little after- 
 wards with his linger and thumb, he shut his own 
 eyes, and laying his hand below his cheek, 
 breathed out his soul into the hands of his living 
 Redeemer. Happy the man that is in such a 
 state! happy the man whose God is the Lord! 
 
 A gentleman one day took an acquaintance of 
 his upon the leads of his house, to show him the 
 extent of his possession ; waving his hand about. 
 "There," says he. 'that is my estate." Then 
 pointing to a great distance on one side. 'Do 
 you see that farm?" '"Yes." '•Well that is 
 mine." Pointing again to the other side, ' Do 
 you see that house?" "Yes," '"That also be- 
 lonofs to me." '• Then." said his friend. •' do you 
 see that little village out yonder l'' •■ ^'e<?," 
 " Well, there lives a poor woman in that village, 
 who can say more than all this." '• Aye! what 
 can she say?" -Why. she can say. "Christ is 
 mine ' " He looked confounded, and said no 
 more. 
 
 Q. 44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments 
 teach us 1 
 
 A. The preface to the ten commandments tcacheth us. 
 That brcause God is the Lord, and our God, and I'edoem- 
 er, therefore wc are bound lo keep his comniandnients. 
 
71 
 
 Cardinal Wolsey, a great minister of state, un- 
 der kincr Henry Vlll. of Eiit^Iand, haviii^^ fallen 
 under (he displeasure of that monarch, madf the 
 following sad reflection a little before his death: 
 '• Had I but served my God as diligently as I 
 have served my king he would not have forsa- 
 ken me now in my grey hairs. But this is ihe 
 just reward that I must receive for my indulgent 
 pains and study, not regarding my service to ( iod, 
 but only to my prince. ' 
 
 When Polycarp was exhorted to swear, and 
 blaspheme Christ in order to save his lif*', hf re- 
 plied, •• Fourscore years have I served Christ «nd 
 have ever found him a good master. h)w then 
 can 1 blaspheme my Lord arid Savior!" Wlien 
 he camo to the stake at whi>'h he was to be 
 burnt, he desired to stand untied, saying, '• Let 
 me alone; for he that gave nie strength t) cune 
 to the fire will give me patience to underc- > he 
 fire- without your tying." 
 
 iMr. Venn, an evangelical and faithftil minister 
 of Christ, was one day addressed by a nei-rh- 
 boriri;r clergyman in near}-.- the following words, 
 "Mr. Venn, I don't know liow it is, but I sliinild 
 really think your do -triuj-s of fjrace and fi 'A, 
 W.^re calculated to make all your hearers live in 
 sta. and yet I must own that there is an ast »iii h- 
 ing ref irmation wrought in your parish ; wh -r-as 
 I don't believe I ever have made one soul the bet- 
 ter, thout^'h I have been tellincr them their dn'i ' fop 
 many years." Mr Venn smiled at the ,cl-«ri.'V- 
 man's honest confession and frankly toM him, 
 "he would do well to buri» all his old serm )ns, 
 and try what preaching Christ would do" 
 
72 
 
 Q.. 45. Which is the first commandment ? 
 
 A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have rro other 
 gods before me. 
 
 CL. 4G. What is required in the first cominandment 1 
 
 A. The first commandment requireth us to know and 
 acknowledge Gotl to be the only true God, and our God ; 
 and to worship and glorify him accordingly. 
 
 A poor' Arabian of the desert was one day- 
 asked how he came to be assured that there was 
 a God? "In the same way," replied he, '-that 
 I am able to tell by the print impressed on the 
 sand whether it was a man or a beast that passed 
 that way." 
 
 Mr. Hervey for some years before his death, 
 visited very few of the principal persons in his 
 neighborhood. Being once asked, " Why he 
 so seldom went to see the neighboring gentle- 
 men, who yet showed him all possible esteem 
 and respect ?" He answered, *' I can hardly 
 name a polite family where the conversation ever 
 turns upon the things of God. I hear much frothy 
 and worldly chit-chat, but not a word of Christ ; 
 and I am determined not to visit those compa- 
 nies where there is not room for my Master as 
 well as myself." 
 
 Mr. Collins, the deist, met one day v\'ith a plain 
 countryman going to church. He inquired where 
 he was going. '• To church, .sir," " What to do 
 there ?" " To worship God." " Pray, whether, 
 is your God a great or a little God f " He 
 is BO great, sir. that the heaven of heavens cannot 
 contain him: and so little that he can dwell in 
 my heart." Collins declared, that the simple an 
 swer by the countryman, had more effect upon 
 his mind than all the volumes which the learned 
 doctors had written against him. 
 
73 
 
 An atheist being asked by a professor of chris- 
 tlinity, '• how he could quiet his conscience in so 
 desperate a state?" replied, " As much am I as- 
 tonished as yourself, that believing the christian 
 religion to be true, yoii can quiet your conscience 
 in livins: so much like the world: Did 1 believe 
 what you profess, I should think no care, no dili- 
 gence, ho zeal enough." Alas ! that there should 
 still, by christians, be so much cause given for 
 the astonishment of atheists ! 
 
 CI. 47. What is forbidden in tlie first commandment 1 
 
 A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or 
 
 not worshiping and glorifying the true God as God, and 
 
 our God ; and the givin'i of that worship ajid glory to any 
 
 other jvhich '\i due to him alone. 
 
 » 
 
 Lord Rochester was one day at an atheistical 
 meeting in the house of a person of quality- He 
 undertook to manage the cause, and w£^ the prin- 
 cipal disputant against God and religion, and for 
 his performance received the applause of the whole 
 company. " Upon which," says he, '• my mind 
 was terribly struck, and I immediately replied 
 thus to myself ; Good God ! that a man that walks 
 upright, that sees the wonderful works of <-iod, 
 and has the use of his senses and reason, should 
 use them to the defying of his Creator!" 
 
 The famous astronomer, Athanasius Kirclier, 
 having an acquaintance who denied the exi.stence 
 of the Supreme Baing, took the following method 
 to convince him of his error upon his own princi- 
 ples. Expecting him upon a visit, he procured a 
 very handsome globe of the starry heavens, which 
 being placed in a corner of the room in which 
 it could not escape his friend's observation, 
 the latter seized the first occasion to ask from 
 
 7 
 
74 
 
 whence it came, and to whom it belonged. " Not 
 to me," said Kircher, "'nor was it ever made by 
 any pemon, but came here by mere chance. " 
 " That," replied his sceptical friend, is absolutely 
 impossible ; you surely jest." Kircher, howevej, 
 seriously persisted in his assertion, took occasion 
 to reason with his friend upon his own atheisti- 
 cal principles. " You will not," said he, " believe 
 that this small body originated in tnere chance ; 
 snd yet you will contend that those heavenly 
 bodies of which it is only a faint and diminutive 
 resemblance came into existence without order 
 and design." Pursuing this chain of reasoning, 
 his friend was at first confounded, in the next 
 place convinced, and ultimately joined in a cor- 
 dial acknowledgement of the absurdity of deny- 
 ing the existence of a God. 
 
 Nichols, Potter, and T. Wilson, of Westmin- 
 ster, preaching one after another before his IMajes- 
 ty. George III., bedaubed the king, who, as Lord 
 Mansfield told Bishop Wqrburton, expressed his 
 offence publicly, by saying, that he came to chap- 
 el to hear the praises of God and not his own. 
 
 A gentleman in England, who had a chapel 
 attached to his house, was visited by a person 
 from London, to whom he showed' the chapel. 
 "What a glorious kitchen this would make!" 
 said the visitor. " When I make a God of my 
 belly," replied the gentlemen, " I will make a kit- 
 chen of my chapel. 
 
 ex. 48. What are we specially taught by thes^ words 
 [before me] in the first commanilnient 1 
 
 A. These words [before me] in the first commandment, 
 teach us, That God, who seeth all thin;:*, taketh notice of, 
 and is much displeased with the sin of having any other 
 God. 
 
75 
 
 Mr. Scott, tVie venerable expositor of the Bible, 
 speaking of his early years, says, " A hymn of 
 Dr. Watts' eotitled, • The all-seeing (lod,' at this 
 time foil in my way ; I was much affected by it, 
 and havins: committed it to memory, was fre- 
 quently repeating it. and was thus continually led 
 to reflect on my guilt and danger. '• Parents," he 
 adds -may from this inconsiderable circumstance, 
 be reminded, that it is of grfiat importance to store 
 their children's memories with oseful matter, in- 
 stead of suffering them to be furnished with such 
 corrupting trash as is commonly taught tliera. 
 They know not what use God may make of these 
 early rudiments of instruction in future life." 
 
 A profane coachman pointing to one of the 
 horses he was driving, said to a pious traveller, 
 " That horse, sir, knows when I swear at him." 
 " Yes," replied the traveller, '• and so does One 
 abore^^ 'I'he coachman seemed to feel the re- 
 proof, and immediately became silent. 
 
 A lady who once heard Mr. Romaine, express- 
 ed herseif mightily pleased with his discourse, 
 and told him afterwards, that she thought she 
 could comply with his doctrine, and give up 
 every thing but one. " And what is that, ma- 
 dam ?" " Cards, sir." "You think you could 
 not be happy without them." "No. sir; I know 
 I could not!" " Then, madam, they are ynir 
 god, and they must save you." This jjoinled 
 and just rej^ly is said to have issued in her con- 
 version. 
 
 Q.. 4!). Which is the second conimnndmrnt'? 
 
 A. The second cominaiKhneiit i.<, Thou shall not iiiako 
 unto thee any graven iina^e, or any likeness of any tliinij 
 that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth bvneath, 
 
76 
 
 or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shah nol 
 bow down thyself to tiiym, nor serve them ; for I th« 
 Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of 
 the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth 
 generation of them that hate me ; and showing mtrcy un- 
 to thousands of them that love mc, and keep my command- 
 ments. 
 
 CI. 59. What is required in the second command- 
 ment'? 
 
 A. The second commandment requireth the receiving 
 ob.serving, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious 
 worship and ordinances as God hath appomted in his 
 word. 
 
 Ill tlie begintiing of the reign of Edward VI. 
 of England, Charles V. Emperor of Germany, 
 having requested that leave might be given to the 
 Lady Mary, afterwards Queen Mary, to have 
 mass said in her house; the council sent the 
 bishops Cranmer and Ridley to the king to en- 
 treat him, for certain state reasons, to grant it, 
 The king having heard all they could say on the 
 matter, gave them such grave and sound answers, 
 supported by scripture, against any such permis- 
 sion, that the bishops could not reply. However^ 
 they continued to press him not to disoblige the 
 Emperor, as such a step might have very bad 
 consequences. The king bade them be satisfied 
 and told them, " He was resolved rather to lose 
 his life, and all that he had, than agree to that 
 whi?h he knew Avith certainty to be against the 
 truth." The bishops still continued to urge him; 
 the king at length burst into tears, witnessing his 
 tenderness for the truth, and his zeal for the de- 
 fence of it, by much weeping, which the bishops 
 no sooner saw, than they wept as fast as he, took 
 leave, and withdrew. In their return, meeting 
 with Mr. Cheek, the king's tutor, archbishop 
 
77 
 
 Crannier took him by the hand, and said, " Ah I 
 Mr. Cheek, you may be glad all the days of your 
 life that you have such a scholar; for he hath 
 more divinity in his little finger, than we have 
 in our whole bodies." 
 
 When one of the kings of France solicited M. 
 Bougier, who was a protestant, to conform to the 
 Roman Catholic religion, promising him in re- 
 turn a commission or a government. "Sire," 
 replied he. " if I could be persuaded to betray 
 my God for a marshal's staff, I might be induced 
 to betray my king for a bribe of much less value." 
 
 When Mr. Nathaniel Heywood, a nonconfor- 
 mist minister, was quitting his living, a poor man 
 came to him, and said, '• Ah ! Mr. Heywood we 
 would gladly have you preach still in the church." 
 " Yes," said he, •• and I would as gladly preach 
 as you can desire it, if I could do it with a safe 
 conscience." " Oh ! sir," replied the other, '• many 
 a man now-a-days makes a great ga.sh in his con- 
 science , cannot you make a little nick in yours?" 
 
 Ct. 51. What is forbidden in tiic second command- 
 ment 1 
 
 A. The second conimandinont forl)i<ldeth- the worsliip- 
 ing of God by images, or in any oilier way not appointed 
 in his word. 
 
 One day in the spring of 1823, a little girl, 
 about five years old. accompanied her manitna to 
 pay a visit to a lady in the neighbourhood ol' C — . 
 When alighting from a carriage in the court- 
 yard, she espied a statue of king William III and 
 immediately addressed her mamma in these 
 words ; • ]\Iamma, is that a f^rnvca iiiKH^c there ? 
 If it is, I will not fall down and worship it. I will 
 only worship God Almighty ! ' This prompt and 
 
 7* 
 
78 
 
 cLristian-like determination of the little girl, not 
 only pleased but astonished all presejit. 
 
 A writer in the Anti-Jacobin Review for April 
 1819, informs us, that a native of India, lately in 
 London, very much censured the want of images 
 in our churches; he said, The worshippers had 
 nothing upon which they could fix their attention, 
 and hence they were often gazing at each other, 
 and often at mere inanity. '• We," said he. "' have 
 in our temples an image of the Deity to look at, 
 with large eyes, huge ears, great hands, and long 
 feet. Not that we believe this very jmage to be 
 the Deity, but we use it only to fix our attention, 
 and to remind us that the Being which it repre- 
 sents can see every thing, hear every thing," &c. 
 
 A protestant who rented a small farm under 
 Alexander, second Duke of Gordon, having fallen 
 behind in his payments, a vigilant steward, in his 
 Grace's absence, seized the farmer's stock, and 
 advertised it to be sold by auction on a fixed day. 
 The Duke happily returned home in the interval, 
 and the tenant went to him to supplicate fur in 
 dulgence. '-What is the matter, Donald?" said 
 the Duke, as he saw him enter with sad downcast 
 looks. Donald told his sorrowfuLtale in a concise 
 natural manner : it touched the Duke's heart, and 
 produced a formal acquittance of the debt. Do- 
 nald, as hecheerfuUy withdrew, was staring at the 
 pictures and images Avhich he saw in the duea\ 
 hall, and expressed to the Duke in ahomrly way, 
 a wi.sh to know what they were. '• The.se " sa-id 
 the Duke, who was a Roman Catholic, "axe the 
 saints who intercede with God for iue." " My 
 lord Duke," said Donald, " would it not be beltet 
 
79 
 
 to apply yourself directly to God ? I went to 
 muckle Sawney CJordon, and to little Sawney 
 Gordon; but if I had not come to your good 
 Grace's self. I could not have got my discharge, 
 and both I and my bairns had been turned out 
 from house and home." . 
 
 CI. 53. What are the reasons alincxed to the second 
 commandment ? 
 
 A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment 
 are, God's sovereitrnty over us, liis property in us, and 
 the zeal he hath to his own worship. 
 
 When certain persons attempted to persuade 
 Stephen, king pf Poland, to constrain .^onie of" his 
 subjects, who were of a different reli'.ion, to em- 
 brace his. he said to them. " I am king of men, 
 and not of consciences. The dominion of con- 
 sciences belongs exclusively to God.' 
 
 Two men of learning were conversing together, 
 about the method they shouU* take, in reference 
 to a certain regulation imposed upon them by the 
 higher powers, and to which they had conscien- 
 tious scruples. One of them thoughtlessly and 
 ' impiously swore. '"By my faith," said he, •• I must 
 live." The other calmly and pleasantly replied 
 " I hope to live by my faith too. though I dare 
 not swear by it." The result was that the man 
 who resolved by grace, to venture his temporal 
 interest for conscience sake, lived in prosperity 
 to see the other bec:s:ing:, and to contribute to his 
 relief. 
 
 A Spani«:h boy. who was a Roman Catholic, 
 having a silver crucifix hanging in his bosom, was 
 asked by a person in his ompnny to sell it for a 
 half d^illar. at which he shook his head. He was 
 then ofi'-'red a dollar, to which he replied in broken 
 
80 
 
 accents, " No, not for tousands of iousands." Is 
 not this a keen reproof to children of protestant 
 countries, who live in the awful neglect of God's 
 " unspeakable gift ?" 
 
 d. 53. Which is the third commanJment 1 
 
 A. The third cotnmanJinent is, Thou shalt not take the 
 
 name of the Lord thy CTod in vain ; for the Lord will not 
 
 hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 
 
 CI, 54. What is required in the third commandment 1 
 A. The third commandment requircth the holy and 
 
 reverend use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, 
 
 word, and works. 
 
 In the year 1796, when the ship Duff was pre- 
 paring to take out the missionaries from the Lon- 
 don Missionary Society, Mr. Cox, one of the 
 Directors, was one day walking in the street ; 
 he was there met by a very fine looking boy, about 
 14 years of age, who. stopping him, said. " Pray 
 sir, have you not some management in the ship 
 that is going out with the missionaries ?" " Yes, 
 I have, mv voung man," said Mr. Cox. '■ I should 
 like very much, sir*, to go out with her as a cabin 
 boy." " Would you," "said Mr. Cox, "have you 
 any parents?" " I have a mother," said the boy, 
 "but no father." "And is your mother willing 
 you should go ?" '• O yes, sir, very willing." 
 Mr. Cox then desired the boy to call at his house 
 and to bring his mother along with him, that she 
 might speak for herself At the time appointed, 
 the boy and his mother came, who. having de- 
 clared her williiiffness that her son should 2:0. the 
 matter was accordingly settled. In the course of 
 the conversation, a gentleman who was present, 
 in order to try the boy, said to him, "So you 
 wish to go to sea?" " Yes, sir, in the missionary 
 ship." " And you can swear a good round hand. 
 
81 
 
 I suppose ?" Shocked at the very idea of such a 
 thing, the ingenuous little fellow burst into tears, 
 and exclaimed. '•• If I thought there roould be 
 swearing aboard at all, I would not go." 
 
 A man that was addicted to a very wicked 
 course of lite, going one Sabbath morning to buy 
 a game cock for fighting, was met by a good man 
 on his way to a meeting, who asked him, where 
 he was going. He related the whole to him. and 
 after much entreaty, was prevailed on to go with 
 him to the meeting, where it pleased God to con- 
 vince him of his misery. On the Monday morn- 
 ing he went to his work, where he was beset by 
 the rest of the colliers, who swore at him. tojd him 
 he was going mad. and upbraided him by saying, 
 that before a month was at an end. he would 
 swear as bad as ever. On hearing this, he kneeled 
 down before them all, and earnestly prayed that 
 God would sooner take him out of the world, 
 than sui'fjr him to blaspheme his holy name ; on 
 which he immediately expired. The person who 
 was the ii\strument of bringing him to the know- 
 ledge of the truth, died in a i'ew days afterwards. 
 
 Mr. John Howe being at dinner with some per- 
 sons of fashion, a gentleman expatiated largely in 
 praise of Charles I., and made some disagreeable 
 reflections upon others. IMr. Howe observing 
 that he mixed many horrid oaths with his dis- 
 course, took the liberty to say. that in his humble 
 opinion, he had omitted one great exellence in 
 the character of that prince ; which, when the 
 gentleman had pres.sed him to mention, and waited 
 with impatience to hear it, he told him it was 
 'his : '' that he loas never heard to swear an oath 
 
82 
 
 in common coarersatlofi." The gentleman took 
 
 the reproof", and promised to break .off the practice. 
 
 C. 55. What is forbidden in the third coiiiiiiai)dment 1 
 A. Tlie third cominaiidmcnt forbiddeth all [irofaning 
 
 or abusing of any thing whereby God niaketh himself 
 
 known. 
 
 The late Rev. .John Brown of Haddington, once 
 passing the Firth of Forth, between Leith and 
 Kinghorn, had for a fellow-passr nger. one who 
 appeared to be a Highland nobleman. Mr. B. 
 observed with grief, that he frequently took the 
 name of God in vain: bu-t suspecting, that to re- 
 prove him in* the presence of the other passen- 
 gers, might tend only to irritate him, he forbore 
 saying any thing till he reached the opposite 
 shore. After landing, Mr. B. observing the 
 nobleman walking alone, stepped up to him, and 
 said, " Sir. I was sorry to hear you swearing while 
 on our passage. You know it is written, ' Thou 
 shalt not take the name of the Lord thj' God in 
 vain.'" Dn this the nobleman, lifting his hat, 
 t. and bowing to Mr. B. made the following reply ; 
 " Sir, I return you thanks for the reproof you have 
 now given me, and shall endeavour to attend to 
 it in future ; but," added he, " had you said this 
 to me while in the boat, I believe I should have 
 run you through with my sword." 
 
 The Rev. John Maclaurin of Glasgow, well 
 known to the Christian world by his valuable 
 writings, in passing one day along the street, was 
 disturbed by the noise of some disorderly soldiers. 
 One of them particularly, just as Mr. Maclaurin 
 approached them uttered this awful imprecation, 
 " God damn my soul, for Christ's sake !" The 
 good man, shocked with hearing such blasphe- 
 
83 
 
 mous lanojuage, went up to him, and laying his 
 hand on the shoulder of" the man said to him with 
 peculiar mildness and solemnitv. " Friend. God 
 has already done much for Clirist's sake : suppose 
 he should do that too, what would become of 
 yon ?" It was a word in season, find it came 
 with power. The conscience of the soldier sunk 
 under the reproof. He was lead not only to reform 
 the evil habit of swearing, to which he had been 
 long addicted, but to reflect on liis ways, and to 
 turn to the Lord. He became a real Christian; 
 and proved the soundness of his conversion by 
 maintaining to the end of his life, a conversation 
 becoming the gospel. 
 
 A minister of the gospel one day finding a ser- 
 vant beating his master's horses, and taking the 
 name of (lod in vain, he stood still and reproved 
 him sharply. The servant made no reply ; but 
 proinpfed by curiosity, cajne next Lord s day to 
 hear his reprover preach. "Swear not at all," 
 said the preacher, when concluding his discourse, 
 "is a divine command that binds both master and 
 servant. I knew a man, not long ago, who sur- 
 prised one of the swearing tribe of servants, in th^ 
 very act of damning his master's horses. The 
 son of Belial, though challenged, durst not open 
 his mouth for his father's interest; but hung 
 down his head like a coward in the devil's service. 
 He ywsscd by, and had not the manners to thank 
 his reprover, or grace to promise amendment. Is 
 he here? — Do I see him? — Shall I name him?" 
 jyter some pause, he added, " We shall rather 
 pray for him?" The servant was sitting trem- 
 bling before him; and may it be proper to add, 
 that he came forward to the minister, confessed 
 
84 
 
 Lis fault, gave signs of true penitence, was added 
 to the cliuich, and never after heard to blaspheme 
 that worthy name. 
 
 CI. 56. What is the reason annexed to the third com- 
 mandment'? 
 
 A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, 
 That however the breakers of this commandment may 
 escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will 
 not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment. 
 
 An eleetorof Coloirne. whowas likewise an arch- 
 bishop, one day swearing profanely, asked a pea- 
 sant, who seemed to wonder, " what he was so 
 surprised at V '• To hear an archbishop swear," 
 replied the peasant. " I swear." replied the elec- 
 tor, "not as an archbishop, but as a prince." 
 "But, my Lord," said the peasant, " when the 
 prince goes to the devil, what will become of the 
 archbishop?" 
 
 A person who lived in the parish of Sedgley, 
 near Wolverhampton, having lost a considerable 
 sum by a match at cock-fighting, to which practice 
 he was notoriously atldicted, swore in the most 
 horrid manner, that he would never fieht another 
 cock as long as he lived ; frequently calling upon 
 God to damn his soul to all eternity if he did. and 
 with dreadful imprecations, wishing the devil 
 might fetch him if he ever made another bet. It 
 is not to be wondered at. if resolutions so im- 
 piously, formed, should be broken ; for a while 
 however, thev were observed ; but he continued 
 to indnlee himself in every other abomination 
 to which his depraved heart inclined him. But, 
 about two years afterward. Satan whose willing 
 servant he was, inspired him with a violent desire 
 to attend a cocking at Wolverhampton ; and he 
 
lolnplied with the temptation. When he- came 
 to the place, he stood up, as in defiance of Hea- 
 ven, and cried, " I hold four to three on such a 
 cock." " Four what ? ' said one of his compa- 
 nions in iniquity. "Four shillings." replied he. 
 " ril lay," said the other. Upon which they con- 
 firmed the wager, and, as his custom was, he threw 
 down his hat, and put his hand in his pocket for 
 the money ; when, awful to relate, he instantly 
 fell a ghastly corpse to the ground. Terrified at 
 his sudden death, some who were present, forever 
 after desisted from this infamous sport ; but Others, 
 hardened in iniquity, proceeded in the barbarous 
 diversion, as soon as the dead body was removed 
 from the spot. 
 
 Q,. 57. AVliich is the fourth corrmiandmont "? 
 
 A. 1'hc fourth commandment is, Remrnibor the Sab- 
 bath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shall thou labor, 
 and do ail thy work; but the seventh-day is the Sabbath 
 of the Lord lliy X.iod: in it thou shalt not do any work, 
 thou, nor tliy son, nor thy dauj^htcr, thy man-sorvant, nor 
 thy maid-s'^rvant, nor thy cattle, nor the .strantjcr that is 
 within thy aates. For in six days the Lord made heaven 
 and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the 
 seventh-day : wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, 
 and hallowed it. . 
 
 Q,. .'J8. What is required in the fourth commandment? 
 
 A. The fourth commandment requiri'th the keeping 
 holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his 
 word, expressly one whole -day in seven, to be a holy 
 Sabbath to himself. 
 
 That great man. Sir Matthew Hale, thus speaks 
 of the Sabbath : " I have," says he, " by long and 
 sound experience, found that the due observance 
 of this day, and of the duties of it, have been of 
 singular comfort and advantage to nu-. The ob- 
 servance of this day hath ever had joined tu it, a 
 blessing upon the rest of my time : and the week 
 
 8 
 
86 
 
 Aat hath been so begun, hath been blessed and 
 prosperous to me ; and, on the other side, when 
 I have been negligent of the duties of this day, 
 the rest of the week has been unsuccessful and 
 unhappy to my own secular employments; so 
 that 1 could easily make an estimate of my suc- 
 cesses the week following, by the manner of my 
 f)assing of this day : and this I do not write light- 
 y or inconsiderately, but upon a long and sound 
 observation and experience.'' 
 
 It is said of the pious and learned Mr. Gouge, 
 that as he forbore' providing suppers on the evp 
 before the Sabbath, that servants might not be 
 kept up too late, so he would never sutler any 
 servant to tarry at home to dress any meat on 
 the Lord's day for any friends, whether they were 
 mean or great, few or many. 
 
 A girl of only eight years of age, seemed al- 
 ways much impressed by what she heard at school, 
 and often rehearsed it to her mother after she 
 came home. One evening, the teacher h:id been 
 speaking against the evil of Sabbath profanation, 
 and Utile JM returned as usual, deeply affect- 
 ed by the teacher s remarks. In order to see if 
 she still recollected this subject, her mother re- 
 quested her one Sabbath morning, a short time 
 afterwards, to go to the well and fetch some wa- 
 ter. She looked her mother in the face, and re 
 plied with tears, "But God will see me, mother; 
 for he sees and knows all that we do. Have you 
 forgotten what we heard in school about the evil 
 of breaking the Sabbath; I will rise eaily to- 
 morrow morning, and bring you as much v^^ater 
 as you please." 
 
87 
 
 « 
 
 d. r>!). Wliirli (by of the seven hath God appointed 
 to be the weekly Sahhath 1 
 
 A. I'Voiii the betrinninir of tlic worKl to tliP resurrec- 
 tion of Christ, God appoint*-d the seventli day of the 
 week to be the weekly t^'abbath; and the first day of the 
 week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, 
 whieli is the Christian Sabbath. 
 
 Mr. Phillip Henry used to call the Lord's day, 
 the queen ot'davs, the pearl of the week, and ob- 
 served it accordine;lv. His coininon salutation 
 of his family or friends, on the Lord s day in the 
 morniiip: was that of the primitive Christians; 
 "the Lord is risen! he is risen indeed !" making 
 it his chief business on that day, to celebrate the 
 memorv of Christ's resurrection ; and he would 
 say sometimes, •' Every Lord's day is a true Chris- 
 tian's Easterday." 
 
 On Easter Sunday, the Greek church are ac- 
 customi^d to perform a solemn service in honoi 
 of our Lord's resurrection. On Easter Sunday 
 in 1814. the Emperor of Russia, &c. ^c . not 
 being- able as usual, to assemble for this purpose 
 in their cathedral, met, with the whole Russian 
 army, in the palace of Louis the XV. at Paris, 
 when the service was performed by seven of the 
 priests. The Emperor kneeled down, as did his 
 80.000 soldiers, and aU united in solemn thanks- 
 givino: to God for the resurrection of .lesus L hrist. 
 The French soldiers, and innumerab'/e spectators, 
 though ignorant in a great measure of the inten- 
 tion of the ceremony, were deeply affected with 
 the spectacle, and burst into tears. 
 
 Mr. John Knox, a little before his death, rose 
 out of his bed : and being asked. '• Why he rose, 
 being so sick?" he answered, " 'I'hat he had had 
 in the night sweet meditations on the. resurrection 
 
88 
 
 « 
 
 of Jesus Christ ; and now he would go into the 
 pulpit, and impart to others the comforts he felt 
 in his soul." 
 
 d. 60. How is the Sabbath to be sanctified 1 
 
 A. The Sabbath is to he sanctified by a holy restlnor all 
 that day, even from such worldly employments and' re- 
 creations as are lawful on other days; and spcndino- the 
 whole time in the public and private exercises of God's 
 worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works 
 of necessity and mercy. ' 
 
 A little boy in London, who attended a Sab- 
 bath School, having occasion every Lord's day 
 to go through a certain court, observed a shop 
 always open for the sale of goods. Shocked at 
 such a profanation, he considered whether it was 
 possible for him to do any thing to prevent it. 
 He determined to leave a Tract, on the '• Lord's 
 Day," as he passed the shop in the course of the 
 week. He did so "; and oir the following Sabbath 
 observed that the shop was shut up. Surprised 
 at this.* he stopped, and considered whether this 
 could be the effect of the tract he had left. He 
 ventured to knock gently at the door ; when a 
 woman within, thinking it was a customer, an- 
 swered aloud, " You cannot hare any thing ; wt 
 clonH sell on the Sundny .''' Encouraged by whal 
 he had heard, the little boy still begged for ad- 
 mittance ; when the woman recollecting his voice, 
 said, ■• Come in my dear little feHow: it was you 
 that left the tract here, against S-^bbatb-breaking,* 
 and it alarmed me so, that I did not d^re to keep 
 my shop open any longer ; and I am determined 
 never to do so ac;ain while I live." 
 
 A woman who always used to attend public 
 worship with great punctuality, and took care to 
 be always in time, was asked, how it was phe 
 
89 
 
 could always come so early ; she answered, very 
 wisely, '• That it was part of her religion, not to 
 disturb the religion of others." 
 
 The attention of a servant maid in Edinburgh 
 to the spiritual interest of a little girl committed 
 to her charge, and who died when nine years old, 
 was peculiarly owned of God. The Servant was 
 accustomed to attend on the ministry of the late 
 Mr. Patison, and the child was permitted to ac- 
 company her. By degrees; the attention of her 
 young charge was so drawn out to the sermons 
 she heard, that the account she gave of many of 
 the precious truths which fell from the lips of that 
 worthy minister of Christ, far exceeded what 
 might have been expected from her tender years. 
 Happening, one day, in the course of his lamily 
 visits, to call at the house where the dear child 
 and her maid lodged, during the bathing season, 
 Mr. Patison entered into conversation with her, 
 and from her punctual attendance on public or- 
 dinances, took occasion to ask her if she recol- 
 lected his preaching on Isaiah xl 1 I. 'He shall 
 feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather his 
 lambs with his arms," &c. ''Yes," replied the 
 child. •• 1 remember it very well; for all the time 
 you were preaching, I was wishing with all my 
 heart that I were one of Christ's lambs " " Ah !" 
 my dear," said the good man, not a little affect- 
 ed. " What a happy day would it have been in 
 Bristo street, had all my hearers been employed 
 in a similar manner!" 
 
 One Lord s day, as a man was passing through 
 Haworlh on horseback, his horse lost a shoe; ne 
 applied to a blacksmith, who told him, *' 'I'hat he 
 could not shoe a horse on the Lord s day, with- 
 
 8* 
 
90 
 
 out the minister's permission." They went to 
 gethorto Mr. Grimshaw the minister ot" the place 
 and the man satisfying- him that he really was in 
 haste, going for a midwife, Mr. Grimshaw per- 
 mitted the blacksmith to shoe the horse, which 
 otherwise he would not have done for double pay. 
 
 CI. Gl. What is fovbidilon in the fourtli commandment 1 
 A. The fiiiirtli coiniiiandinent forbiddeth the omission 
 or careless performance of the duties required, and the 
 |)rofar.in<^ of the day by idleness, or doing that wliic,h is 
 in itself sinful, or by unneccessaj-y thoui^hts, words, or 
 works, about our worldly employments, or recreations. 
 
 It was the frequent and almost constant custom 
 of Mr. Grimshaw to leave his church while the 
 psalm was singing, to see if any were absent from 
 worship and idling their time in the church-yard, 
 the street, or the ale-house : and many of those 
 whom he so found he would drive into the church 
 before hiin. "A friend of mine, says Mr. New- 
 ton, '-passing a public-house in Haworth, on a 
 Lord's day morning, saw several persons making 
 their escape out of it, some jumping out of the 
 lower windows, and some over a low wall : he 
 was at lir.st ularmed, fearing the house was on fire; 
 but, on inquiring what was the cause of 'the com- 
 motion, he was told, that they saw the parson 
 coming. They were more afraid of their parson 
 than they were of a justice of peace His reproofs 
 were so authoritative, and yet so mild and friendly 
 that the stoutest sinners could not stand before 
 him." 
 
 A minister, observing that some of his people 
 made a practice of coming in very late, ai^d after 
 a considerable part of the sermon was over, was 
 determined that they should feel the force of 
 
91 
 
 public reproof. One day- therefore, a^ they en- 
 tered the place of worship at their usu-al late hour 
 the minister, addressing his consrregation. said, 
 "But, my hearers, it is time for us now to con- 
 clude, for here are our friends just come to fetch 
 us home." We may easily conjecture what the 
 parties felt at this curious but pointed address. 
 
 On a Sabbath-day, two sons of a poor widow 
 in Derbyshire, the elder sixteen and the younger 
 thirteen years of age. went to slide on some ice 
 at a short distance from home.. Before they left 
 their habitation, they liad been requested by their 
 mother to accompany her to the house of (lod, 
 and, whilst on the ice, were warned of their dan- 
 ger, by a person who passed bv and knew the 
 depth of the water. But, alas! their mother's 
 pious request, and the seasonable warning of their 
 neighbor Avere both in vain. In a littJe time the 
 ice gave way ; and, awful to relate ! clasped in 
 each others^ arms, they sunk to rise no more ! 
 Thus were the.se youthful Sabbath-breakers called 
 to stand before the judgment seat of that almighty 
 Being who has said, ^' Remember the Sabbath- 
 day, to keep it holy." 
 
 In the year 1 809, a youth about seventeen years 
 of as:e, the son of a respectable tradesman in 
 London, went out for the purpose of sliooting 
 birds on a Lord's day in the aflenmon. He had 
 done so more than once before, which cominn^ to 
 the knowl dge of his father, he expressly enjoined 
 him never to do the like again But the lad, 
 disrea;aidina: this command, and taking advantage 
 of his fither's absence, borrowed a gun from a 
 person in the neighbourhood, and went out as 
 
92 
 
 usual. While he was watching the birds, the gun 
 by some accidept, went off, and killed him on the 
 spot. Not returning at the accustomed time, his 
 friends were alarmed ; a search was made, and 
 at length his body was discovered in a barn, in a 
 state too shocking to be described. 
 
 Gl. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth 
 commandment 1 
 
 A. The reasons annexed to the fourth conmiandment 
 are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own 
 employments, his challengincr a special property in the 
 seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath 
 day. 
 
 " I now beg permission," says one of the mis- 
 sionaries, " to relate the simple argument of a 
 pious poor man with a Sabbath-breaker. I had it 
 from the poor old man a few weeks since, in the 
 course of conversation with him. which very much 
 .interested me: He is a member of our church at 
 Mattishall. In reasoning with the Sabbath break- 
 er, he said, ' Suppose now, I had been at work 
 hard all the week, and earned seven shillings ; and 
 suppose 1 met a man, and gave him six shillings 
 out of the seven, what should you say to that?" 
 ' Why, that you were very kind, and that the man 
 ought to be thankful.' ' Well, but suppose he was 
 to knock me down, and rob me of the other shil- 
 ling; what then?' 'Why, then he would deserve 
 hanging.' Well, now, this is your case ; thou 
 art the man: God has freely given you six days 
 to work in, and earn your bread, and the seventh 
 he has kept for himself, and commands us to keep 
 it holy ; but you. not satisfied with the six daya 
 God has given, rob him of the seventh ; what 
 then do you deserve?' The man was silenced.' 
 An old man who lived on the Jura mountain in 
 
*98 
 
 Switzerland, where the winter is very long and 
 the summer very short, and where it is ot great 
 consequencfi to preserve their hay, and put it up 
 in good order : because, it" they run out, tlieir 
 cattle must sfarve, as the snow lies so long and so 
 deep, they cannot go to their neighbors and get 
 any, even if they had .suflicient to spare. This 
 man had the love of Jesus anAthe i'ear of God in 
 his heart, and kept the Lord's day as the Lord 
 commands his people to keep it One Lord's 
 day, when the hay was just in the finest order for 
 putting up, his sons came to him and proposed to 
 Lim to go and put up the hay ; but he said, '• Not 
 so, my sons ; this is the Lord' s day." However, 
 his sons Avere tempted by the value of the~liay, 
 and the fijieness of the weather, to prepare them- 
 selves for work; but the moment tiify put their 
 forks into it, a storm broke over their heads, and 
 the rain poured upon them in torrents — one of 
 the most violent storms they ever had — and the 
 hay was completely destroyed. The old man ad- 
 dressed his sons : '' Thou shalt do no work on the 
 Sabbath-day. Six day.s shalt thou labor and do 
 all thy works ; but the seventh day is the Sabbath 
 of the Lord thy God ; in it thou shalt not do any 
 work, tliou, nor thy son. nor thy daughter, thy 
 man-servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, 
 nor the stranger that is within thy gates. My 
 sons." continued the old man, •'?/«« have, done a 
 ■work to save your hay. and the rain iias destroyed 
 it. Learn from this to respect the comniandnients 
 of the Lord." His sons never forgot thi^ lesson; 
 and they never again did common work on the 
 Lords day. 
 
 On a Lord's day, at. the time of the great frost 
 
94* 
 
 in the vear IG34, fourteen young men (vere play- 
 ing at tbutball, on the river 'I'lent. near Gains- 
 burougli ; while thus engaged, in th^ open viola- 
 tion of God's command, tliey met together in a 
 sculUc ; the ice suddenly broke, and ihey v.-ert 
 all drowned ! 
 
 When a minister of the gospel was spending k 
 few weeks in Edinjjurgh, there came, on business 
 to the house where* he was, a man of the world — 
 one of those modern scoffers who are so constantly 
 •fulfilling Peter's prediction, 2 Peter iii. 3. He 
 was introduced to the preacher in the following 
 
 manner: " This is Mr. , an acquaintance of 
 
 mine, and I am sorry to add, though young and 
 healthy, never attends public worship." '• i am 
 almost tempted to hope." replied the minister, 
 " that you are bearing false witness against your 
 neighbor." " By no means," said the infidel, 
 "for I always spend my Sunday in settling ac- 
 couuts-." The minister immediately replied, 
 '' You will find, sir, that the day ofjudgment will 
 be spent in exactly the same manner." 
 
 Q,. G3. Which is the fifth commandment'? 
 
 A. The fifth commandment is, Honor thy father and 
 thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land 
 which the Lord thy God jiiveth thee. 
 
 Q,. Gt. What is required in the iit^li command. nent 1 
 
 A. The fifth comuiandaient reijuireth the preserving 
 the honor, and p.n-formiiig the duties, belonging to every 
 one in their several places and relations, as superiors, in- 
 feriors, or equals. 
 
 'I'he judicious Hooker used to say, " If 1 had no 
 other reason and motive for being religious, 1 
 would earnestly strive to be so for the sake of 
 my aged mother, that I might requite her care of 
 me, and cause the widow's heart to sing for joy." 
 
95 
 
 The danprer occa'^ioned by an awful eruption 
 of Mount Etna, many years since. obllirt;ci the 
 inhabitants of the adjacent country to Hco in mery 
 direction for safety. Amidst the hurry and con- 
 fusion of this scene, every one carryinti- a-\vay 
 whatever he deemed most precious, two .sons, the 
 \)ne named Anaphias. the other Amphonimus. in 
 <he heij^ht of their solicitude for the pres^>r\•nti()n 
 of their wealth and goods, recollected their father 
 and mother, who, being both very old. were 
 unable to save themselves by flight. Filial ten- 
 derness overcame every other consideration : — 
 " Where." exclaimed the generous youths, ■shall 
 we find a more precious treasure than our pa- 
 rents?" This said, the one took up his father on 
 his shoulders, the other his mother, and so made 
 their way through the surrounding smoke and 
 flames. 
 
 A little boy about seven years old. was on a 
 visit to a lady, who was very fond of him. Al- 
 though he was a great way from home, he behaved 
 very wiell. and endeavored to do every thing 
 that he thought would have pleased his parents 
 had they been present. One day. at breakt'ast, 
 there was some hot bread upon the table and it 
 was handed to him; but he refused to take it. 
 "Do vou not like hot bread?" said the lady. 
 "Yes," replied he. "I am very f)n(l of it." 
 "Then, my dear, why do you not take some?" 
 " Because my papa does not approve of mv eating 
 hot bread." I suppose that his father thmieht, as 
 most people think, thathot bread is not wholesome. 
 " But your father," said the lady " is a pr<?at way 
 off, and will not know whether you eat it or not. 
 
90 
 
 You may indulp;e yourself for once. There will be 
 no harm in that." ''No. I v/ill not disobey mv fath- 
 er and mother. I miiSt do what they have told me 
 to do, though tney are a great way off. I would 
 not touch the roll, if I were sure nobody would see 
 me, I myself would know it: and that would be 
 sufficient " When the lady found him so reso- 
 lute in doing what was right, she was pleased 
 with him. and commended him; and. no doubt, 
 he felt much happier, in his own mind, than he 
 would have done if he had eaten the hot roll. 
 
 Fro^dsriok II. king of Prussia, made it a point 
 to ret'.irn every mark of respect or civility shown 
 to him in the street by those who met him He 
 one day observed at table that, whenever he rode 
 through the streets of Berlin, his hat was always 
 in his hand. Baron Pollnitz, who was present, 
 said. " That his majesty had no occasion to notice 
 the civility of every one who pulled his hat off 
 to him in the streets." '• And why not." said the 
 king in a lively tone, " are they not all human 
 beings as well as myself." 
 
 Q.. G5. Wh.Tt is forl)iil<1pn in the fifth commandment'? 
 
 A. The fifth commandment forbiddetli the neglecting 
 of, or doin<T any tliinrj against, the honor and duty 
 which helongeth to every cne in their several places and 
 relations. 
 
 An amiable vouth was lamenting, in terms of 
 the sincerest grief the death of a most affection- 
 ate parent. His companion endeavored to con- 
 sole him, by the reflection, that he had always be- 
 haved to the deceased with (Ivfy. /en'Jcruess. and 
 rexpecL So I thought, replied the youth, "whilst 
 my parent was living : but now I recollect with 
 pain and sorrow many instances of disobedience 
 
 J 
 
97 
 
 and neglect, for which, alas ! it is too late to make 
 atonement." 
 
 There was lately a man who had an only son, 
 to whom he was very kind, and gave every thing 
 that he liad. When his son grew up and got a 
 house, he was very unkind to his poor old father, 
 whom he refused to support, and turned out of 
 the house. The old man said to his grandson, 
 " Go and fetch the covering from my bed, that I 
 may go and sit by the way-side and beg." The 
 child burst into tears, and ran for the covering. 
 He met his father, to v.hom he said, " I am going 
 to fetch the rug from my grandfather's bed, that 
 he may wrap it round him, and go a-bop-ging?" 
 Tommy went for the rug, and brought it to his 
 father, and said to him, •' Pray, father, cut it in 
 two, the half of it will bo large enough for grand- 
 father, and perhaps you may want the other half 
 when 1 grow a man and turn you out of doors." 
 The words of the child struck him so forcibly, 
 that he immediately ran to.his father, and asked 
 forgiveness, and was very kind to him till he died. 
 
 A certain farmer in England had an only son, 
 to whom he was greatly Attached, and never 
 could think of chastising him for his faults. 
 When he arrived at the age of twelve years, he 
 bade adieu to his father's hoube, and went with a 
 band of gypsies. For nearly twenty years he was 
 never heard of It happened, however, that the 
 old man was under the necessity of taking a jour- 
 ney a considerable way, with a. large sum of money. 
 He had to pass a wood, and as he went on. n man 
 rushed fiom it. seized his horse, and demand- 
 ed his money. The old man remonstrated with 
 
 y 
 
98 
 
 him. lie would not hear, bu^ again demanded 
 his money. Most reluctantly he gave it up. 
 The lobb T gazing at him, .'=aid, •■ Do you know 
 me?" '-No.'' said tlie old man. •• Do you not 
 know me ?" he repeated. '• No, I do not know 
 you." '■ Well," said the robber, '• I am your 
 son !" and. returning his money, added, • Had 
 you corrected me wlien young. 1 might have 
 been a comfort to you ; but now I am a disgrace 
 to you. and a pest to society!" 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Berridge being once visited by 
 a loqiiacious young lady, who. forgetting the mo- 
 desty of her sex, and the superior gravity of an 
 aged divine, engrossed all the conversation of the 
 interview with small talk concerning her.'^elf. 
 When she rose to retire, he said, " Madam, be- 
 fore you withdraw, I have one piece of advice to 
 give you; and that is. When you go into com- 
 pany again, after you have talked half an hour 
 without intermission. I recommend it to you to 
 stop a while, and see if any other of the company 
 has any thing to say ' 
 
 Once, at a meeting of ministers, a question was 
 started to be debated among them. Upon the 
 first proposal of it a confident young man shoots 
 his bolt presently. " 'I'ruly. ' said he, '• I hold 
 it so," '• You hold, sir," answered a grave min- 
 ister, "it becomes you to hold your tongue." 
 
 CI, QiC)'. What is the reason annexed to the fifth coin- 
 mandiiicnt 1 
 
 A. Tlio reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, 
 a promise of lonj; life and |)ros|)ei'ity (as tar as it shall 
 serve for God's glory and their own good) to all sucii as 
 keep this commandment, 
 
 Frederic, the late king of Prussia, having rung 
 
99 
 
 Lis bell one day, and nobody answerin^j, opened 
 the door, and found the page in waiting, asleep 
 on a sofa. He was just going to awake him 
 when he perceived the end of a paper out of his 
 pocket, on which something was written; this 
 excited his curiosity ; he pulled it out. and found 
 it to be a letter from the mother of the page, 
 thanking him for having sent her a pari of his 
 wiiges, which had proved a very timely assistance 
 to her "and, in conclision, beseeching Ciod to 
 bless him for his filial duty. The king stepped 
 softly to his room, took a roleau of ducats and 
 slipped them with the letter into the page's pocket. 
 Returning to his apartment, lie rung so violently, 
 that the page awoke, opened the door, and en- 
 tered. " You have been asleep," said the king. 
 The page attempted to excuse himself; and in 
 his embarrassment, happening to put his hand 
 into his pocket, felt with astonishment the ro- 
 leau. He drew it out, turned pale, and looking 
 at the king, burst into tears, without being able 
 to spsak a word. '• What is the matter?' said 
 the king, " what ails you ?" '• Ah ! sire," said 
 the young man, throwing himself at his majesty's 
 feet, "somf'bodv wishes to ruin me ; I know not 
 how I came by this money in my pocket." 
 '•What God bestows," resumed the king, '-he 
 bestows in sleep;* send the money to your moth- 
 er ; salute her in mv name, and assure her. that 
 I shall take care of both her and you." 
 
 A clergyman, who is now fulfilling the duties 
 of his office with faithfulness and punctuality, 
 was asked, when examined for orders by the 
 
 * A Gerr/an proverb. 
 
100 
 
 bishop's chaplain, whether he had made divinity 
 his study? he replied, that he had not particvlarly 
 studied it ; " but," said he, " my mother taught 
 me the scriptures." "Ah!" said the chaplain, 
 " mothers can do great things ! ' The young 
 man was examined with respect to the extent of 
 his knowledge, was approved, ordained, and desi- 
 red to preach before the bishop. The excellent 
 mother alluded to, in w'riting to another of her 
 sons, on the birth of his eldest child, says, ' Give 
 him an education that his life may be useful — 
 teach him religion that his death may by happj' ?" 
 
 Piiilip Henry, speaking once of a wicked son 
 in the neighborhood, that was very undutiful to 
 his mother, charged some of his children to ob- 
 serve the providence of God concerning him ; 
 perhaps, saith he, I may not live to see it, but, do 
 you take notice, whether God do not come upon 
 him. with some remarkable judgment in this life, 
 according to the threatening implied in the rea- 
 son annexed to the fifth commandment; but he 
 himself lived to see it fulfilled not long after in a 
 very signal providence. 
 
 '• Some time ago," says one, '• I met with a 
 little boy of a most interesting character. He 
 was happet aneath his grey plaid, in the bield of 
 a preen rash bush. He had been readine; for 
 when I came up. he closed a small pocket Bible. 
 I imagined he had been weeping, for his eyes 
 were wet. 1 inquired after his little history, and 
 where his parents lived. ' My father and mither 
 are baith dead,' said he, ' an I ha'e n;ie body to 
 leuk to me but my maister and mistress, but they 
 are unco kind to me. Yonder the place where 
 my father stay'd ; it gars me aye greet when J. leuk 
 
101 
 
 at it. That was my fatlier's Bible ; there the 
 psalm (referring to the 12th) they sung that nicht 
 he de'ed. 1 m aye vex't(^vhen 1 read the psahns; 
 I iis'd to say them to my father on the Sabbath 
 nichts, when he tell't me an' my wee brithers he 
 was soon gaun to d'e. an' gar't us aye fa' to the 
 greetin', but he bade us dight our een, an' no 
 greet ; for if we saught the Almighty, he vvad be 
 a father to us when he was dead and gane.' " 
 
 Q. Gl. Whitrh is the sixtli cotiimandmontl 
 A. I'he sixth coininamimcnt is, 'i'liou siialt not kill. 
 CI. 68. What is required in the sixth coininanduunt '? 
 A. The sixth coiniiiandineiit requireth all iawlul en- 
 deavors to preserve our own life, and the life of others. 
 
 Sir Theodore Mayem, on his death bed, gave 
 this advice to a noble friend that asked his coun- 
 sel for the preservation of health, — '• Be mode- 
 rate in your diet, use much exercise, and little 
 physic." 
 
 " A meek man," says Mr. Henry, " escapes 
 many of those perplexities, those woes, and sor- 
 rows, and wounds without cause, which he that 
 Is passionate, provoking, and revengeful, brings 
 upon his own head." An instance of this he 
 mentions, taken from Mr. Baxter's book on Pa- 
 tience, "Once as the author was going along 
 »ke streets of London, a hectoring rude f'llow 
 jostled him; he went on his way, and took no 
 notice of it ; but the same man, alfronting the 
 next person he met, in a similar manner, he drew 
 his sword, and demanded satisfaction, ou wliich 
 mischief ensued." 
 
 A certain person, being on a jury in trial of 
 life and death, he was completely satisfied of the 
 innocence of the prisoner ; all the other eleven 
 
 9*- 
 
102 
 
 •were of the opposite opinion ; but he was resol,- 
 ved, that a verdict of guilty should not be brought 
 in. In the lirst place, he spent several hours in 
 trying to convince them ; but found tliat he 
 made no impression, and that he was exhausting 
 the strength which was to be reserved for another 
 mode of operation. He therefore, calmly told 
 theni it should now be a trial who could endure 
 confinement and famine the longest, and that 
 they might be quite assured he would sooner die 
 than release them at the expense of the piiso- 
 iier's life. In this situation they spent about 
 twenty-four hours, when, at length, they all ac- 
 ceded to his i-erdict of acquittal. 
 
 The Romans had a law, that no person should 
 approach the emperor's tent in the night, upon 
 pain of death ; but it once happened, that a sol- 
 dier was found in that situation, with a petition 
 in his hand, waiting for an opportunity of present- 
 ing it. He was apprehended, and going to be 
 immediately executed ; but the emperor having 
 overheard the matter in his pavilion, cried aloulJ, 
 saying, '• if the petition be for himself let him die, 
 if for another spare his life." Upon inquiry, it 
 was found that the generous soldier prayed for 
 the lives of his two comrades who had been taken 
 asleep on the watch. The emperor nobly forgave 
 them all. 
 
 CI. G9 What is forbidden in the sixth coinmandnient ? 
 
 A. The sixth comtiiatKhnent forl)id(h^th tlie takiiiir away 
 of our own life, or llie hfo of our neighbour unjustly, or 
 whatsoever tendeth thereunto. 
 
 It is recorded of .John Dod, that one night, 
 very late, he felt strongly moved to visit a gentle- 
 man of his acquaintance, who lived at some dis- 
 tance. Not knowing what might be the design 
 
103 
 
 of Providence in this, he went. Ilavins; come to 
 the house and knocked at the door, the gentleman 
 himself opened it ; to whom Mr. Dod said, '• I am 
 come to you; I know not why myself, but I wa.s 
 restless in my spirit till I had done it." The gen- 
 tleman replied, " You know not why you came; 
 but God know why he sent vou." On which he 
 pulled out the halter with which he intended to 
 take away, his own life, which by this means was 
 happily prevented. 
 
 A gentleman who was very ill, sendi;>g for the 
 late Dr. Lake, told him that he fuund he must 
 die. and g-ave him the following^ account of the 
 cau.se of his death. He had about a fortnight 
 before been riding over Hounslow-heath, where 
 several boys were playing at cricket. One of 
 them, striking the ball, hit him just on the toe 
 with it. looked him in the face, and ran away. 
 His toe pained him extremely. As soon as he 
 came to Brentford, he .sent for a surgeon, who 
 was for cutting it off. But unwilling to sufFvir that, 
 he went on to London. When he arrived there, 
 he immediately called another surgeon to examine 
 it, who told him his foot must be cut off But 
 neither would he hear of this ; and so, before the 
 next day, the mortification siezed his leg^ and in 
 a nay or two more struck up into his hodij. Dr. 
 Lake asked him. whether he knew the boy that 
 struck the ball? he answered, '• About ten years 
 ago, I was riding over Honnslow-heath, where an 
 old man ran by my horse's side, begged me to 
 relieve him. and. said he was almost famished. I 
 bade him be gone. He kept up with me still; 
 upon which I threatened to beat him. Finding 
 that he took no notice of this, I drew my sword, 
 
104 
 
 and with one blow killed him. A boy about four 
 years old who was with him screamed out. ' His 
 lather was killed !' His face I perfectly remem- 
 ber. That boy it was who struck the ball against 
 me, lohich is the cause of my deathJ 
 
 Alexander the Great having invited several of 
 his friends and general officers to supper, pro- 
 posed a crown as a reward for him who should 
 drink most. He who conquered on this occasion 
 was Promachus, who swallowed fourteen mea- 
 sures of wine, that is eighteen or twenty pints. 
 After receiving the prize, which was a crown 
 worth a talent, i. e. about a thousand crowns, he 
 survived his victor}^ only three days. Of the rest 
 of the guests, forty diedof their intemperate drink- 
 ing:. " The end of these thin£;s is death." 
 
 Q.. 70. Which is the seventh comma mimcnf? 
 
 A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not com- 
 mit adultery. 
 
 Q.. 71. What is required in the seventh command- 
 ment ■? 
 
 A. The seventh commandment requireth the preserva- 
 tion of our own and our neighbour's chastity, in heart, 
 speech, and behaviour. 
 
 Alexander the Great, having defeated Darius 
 king of Persia, the wife and daughters of Darius, 
 who were women of remarkable beauty, were 
 taken captive. ' 'J'hough it was but too common 
 to use female captives with indecency. Alexander 
 strictly avoided every thing in his conduct towards 
 them that would have given them cause to snsnect 
 any danger to their honour ; and no doubt, think- 
 ing it was more glorious and worthy of a king 
 to conquer himself, than to subdue his enemies. 
 he never approached any of them, but permitted 
 them to live unseen in the greatest privacy. 
 
105 
 
 Mr. Newton, as a commander of a slave ship, 
 had a number of women under his absolute com- 
 mand; and knowing the danger of his situation 
 on that account, he resolved to abstain from flesh 
 in his^bod. and to drink nothing stronger than 
 water during the voyage ; that by abstemiousness 
 he might subdue every improper emotion. Upon 
 his setting sail, the sight of a certain point of land, 
 was the signal for his beginning a rule which lie 
 was enabled to keep 
 
 Dr. Hugh Latimer, one of the primitive re- 
 formers, was made Bishop of Worcester in the 
 reign of Henry VIII. It was the custom of those 
 times for each of the bishops to make presents to 
 the king on new-year's day. Bishop Latimer 
 went with the rest of his brethren, to make the 
 usual offering; but instead of a purse of gold, 
 he presented the king with a New-Testament, in 
 which was a leaf doubled down to this passage : 
 "Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." 
 
 Q.. 7"2. What is forbidden in the seventh command- 
 ment ? 
 
 A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste 
 thoughts, words, and actions. 
 
 A lady of suspected chastity, and who was 
 tinctured with intidel principles, conversing wifli 
 a minister of the gospel objected to the .Scrip- 
 tures on account of their obscurity, and the great 
 difficulty of understanding them. The minister 
 wisely and smartly replied. — " Why. madam, 
 what can be easier to understand than the seventh 
 commandment, Tkoii shnlt not commit adultery.^ 
 
 Anthony Wi'liam Boehm, a German divine, 
 once preached from Exod. xx. 14. "Thou shalt 
 not commit adultery." A Chevalier, who was 
 
106 
 
 one of his hearers, felt himself so much offended 
 and insulted, that he challenged Boehm to fight 
 a duel, because he thought his sermon designed 
 entirely to oH'end Isini. Boehm accepted the 
 cha'lenge, and appeared in his robes, but instead 
 of a pistol, he liad the Bible in his hand, and 
 spoke to him in the following maimer: " I ara 
 sorry you were so much olfended when I preach- 
 ed against that destructive vice; at the time I 
 did not even think of you : here I appear w'ith the 
 sword of the Spirit, and if your cojiscience con- 
 demns you. I beseech you for your own salvation, 
 to repent of your sin.?, and lead a new life. If 
 you will, then fire at me immediately : for 1 Avould 
 willingly lose my life, if that might be the means 
 of saving your soul. ' 7'he Chevalier was so struck 
 with this lan<ruao;e. that he embraced him, and 
 Solicited his friendship. 
 
 it is said that Henry the Great of France, took 
 mui h pleasure in conversing with an honest and 
 religious man of low situation in life, who used 
 great freedom with liis majesty. One day, he said 
 to the king, ' sire, I always take your part when 
 I hear any man speaking evil of you; 1 know that 
 you excel injustice and generosity, and that many 
 worthy things have been done by you. But you 
 have one vice lor which God will condemn you 
 if you do not repent, 1 mean the unlawlul love of 
 women." The king, it is said, was too magnani- 
 mous to resent this reproof but he long felt it like 
 an arrow in his bosom; and sometimes said, that 
 the most eloquent discourses of the doctors of the 
 Sorbonne had never made such an impression on 
 his soul, as this honest reproof from his humble 
 friend. 
 
107 
 
 d. 73. "Which is the eiijlilh romtnandmontl 
 A. The ciirhtli coiniiKimiiiu nt is, Tlion shall not steal 1 
 (X. 74. Wh:it is rcciuircil in tho oi;.'!!!!! ro-ninanilincnt 1 
 A. The eiijhth coiiimru\iIiii(>iit n'(|iiir('lh the hiwCiil pro- 
 
 curin<j anil furthrrinjr the wealth and outward estate of 
 
 ourselves and others. 
 
 Two persons who were employed in collect- 
 ine; money for some public charity, knocked at the 
 door of a certain p:entleman, intending to solicit 
 hi'! donation. While waiting there they over- 
 heard the master of the house severely reproving 
 his servant, for the wa-te of a small piece of can- 
 dle. Judging from this appearance of extreme 
 parsimony, that he was a covetous man one of 
 them proposed that they should lose no more time 
 in waiting there, but go on to the next house : the 
 other person, however, thought it best to stay. 
 At length they were introduced, when the gen- 
 tleman, having read their case, immediately pre- 
 sented them \\ilh five guineas The collectors, 
 so agreeably disappointed, could not conceal their 
 surprise ; which, beins: observed bv the donor, he 
 desired to know why th^^y expressed so much won- 
 der at the gift. '■ The reason, sir." said one of 
 them, ''is this: we happened to hear you se- 
 verely blaming your servant r>r losing an inch of 
 candle, and expected nothing from a person who, 
 we feared was so parsimonious." " Gentlemen.' 
 replied he, "it is true I am very exact in the 
 economy of my affairs: I cannot endure the 
 waste of any thine:, however small its value; 
 and I do this, that I may save out of a moderate 
 income, something to give to (lod and reli'jion. 
 
 A nobleman, lately travelline: in Scotland was 
 asked for alms, in the lli'/h stre>»t <if' Tidinbureh, 
 by a little ragged boy ; he said he had no change ; 
 
108 
 
 upon wKich the boy oiTered to procure it. His 
 lordsliip, in order to get rid of his importunity, 
 gave him a piece of silver, which the boy conceiv- 
 ing was to be changed, ran off for the purpose. 
 On his return, not finding his benefactor, who he 
 expected would have v/aited; he watched for seve- 
 ral days in the place where he had received the 
 money, pursuing his occupation. At length the 
 nobleman happened again to pass that way ; he 
 accosted him, and put the change he had procured 
 into his hand, counting it with great exactness. 
 His lordship was sopleased with the boy's honesty, 
 that he placed him at school and designed to do 
 for him. 
 
 Some years ago, resided in a country village, a 
 poor but worthy clergyman, who. with the small 
 stipend of 40Z. per annum, supported himself, a 
 wife, and seven children. At one time walking and 
 meditating in the fields in much distress, from the 
 narrowness of his circumstances, he stumbled on 
 a purse of gold. Looking around in vain to find 
 its owner, he carried it home to his wife ; who 
 advised him to employ it, at least a part of it. in 
 extricating thera from their present difficulty ; but 
 he conscientiously refused, until he hnd used his 
 utmost endeavors to find out the former pro- 
 prietor, assuring her, that honesty is always the 
 best policy. After a short time, it was owned by 
 a gentleman, who lived at some little distance, to 
 ' whom the clergyman returned it, with no other 
 reward than thanks. On the good man's return, 
 his v/ife could not help reproaching the gentle 
 man with ingratitude, and censuring the over- 
 scrupulous honesty of her husbaiyl ; but he only 
 replied as before, honesty is 'the best policy. A 
 
109 
 
 few months after this, the curate received an in- 
 vitation to dine with the gentleman, who after 
 hospitably entertaining him, gave him the presen- 
 tation to a living of 300/. per annum, to which 
 he added, a bill of 50/. for his present necessities. 
 The curate, after making suitable acknowledge- 
 ments to his benefactor, returned with joy to his 
 wife and family, acquainting them with the happy 
 change in his circumstances ; and adding, that 
 he hoped she would now be convinced that 
 honesty loas the best policy ; to which she readily 
 assented. 
 
 Q,. 75. What is forbidden in the einhth coiiimandinentl 
 A. The eighth cominandment forbiddeth whatsoever 
 
 doth or may unjustly liindcr our own or our neighbor's 
 
 wealth or outward estate. 
 
 A gentleman in Surrey, some years a^o, held a 
 farm worth 200/ a-year in his own hands, till he 
 was obliged to sell half of it to pay his debts, and 
 letthe other half to a farmer, on a lease of 2 1 years. 
 After a while, the farmer wanted to buy the land. 
 '• How is this. ' said the gentleman, '■ that I could 
 not live upon the farm, being my own, while you 
 have paid rent, and yet are able to purchase it ?" 
 " O," said the farmer, " two words make all the 
 difference: you said i.'^fl, and I say co/«e ; you lay 
 in bed, or took your pleasure, and sent others 
 about your business ; and I rise Betimes, and see 
 my business done myself." 
 
 One of the catechists of a Sabbath school 
 going to visit a boy who had been absent, heard 
 the following story related by his mother ; " U mo- 
 ther !" exclaimed the boy. as he entered the house 
 one day, '• something has killed all my rabbits." 
 Without giving his mother time to reply, he con- 
 
 10 
 
110 
 
 tinued. " It is a judgment of God come upon me 
 for stealing meat for them ; but," said he, " I am 
 glad that I have none left, for they would have 
 been a temptation to make me steal again." 
 
 Mr. Samuel Fairclough,at thirteen years of age, 
 hearing his godfather, Mr. Samuel Ward, preach- 
 ing on restitution, from the instance of Zaccheus, 
 and often repeating, that the sin was not forgiven 
 unless what was taken was restored, was so 
 touched with remorse for the robbincr of an or- 
 chard, that, after a restless night, he went to a 
 companion of his, who was guilty of the same 
 crime, and told him that he was going to Mr. Jude, 
 the owner, to carry him twelve pence for his 
 three-penny worth of pears, of whichhe had wrong- 
 ed him. His companion, fearing whipping from 
 bis master, answered, Thou talkest like a fool, 
 Sam, for God will forgive us ten times sooner than 
 old Jude will forgive us once. But Sam, being 
 of another mind, went to .Tude's house, confessed 
 the injury, and offered the money. .Tude par- 
 doned him; but would take no money. This 
 grieved him more ; upon which he made ap- 
 plication to his spiritual father, Mr. Ward, and 
 opened to him the whole state of his mind, wIiq 
 received and treated him with great kindness and 
 attention. 
 
 Mr. Boston states in his memoirs, that having 
 been employed, when a young man, for some time, 
 by a notary, his employer failed to pay him for 
 his services. Seeing a neglected book lying in 
 the notary's chamber, he secretly took it away, 
 thinking he might lawfully iise this method of 
 paying himself ; but on farther reflection, he view- 
 
Ill 
 
 ed his conduct as sinful, and inconsistent with 
 strict justice. Impressed with this conviction, he 
 replaced the book with the same secresy in which 
 he had taken it away. An amiable instance of 
 that tenderness of conscience for which the ven- 
 erable man was remarkable. 
 
 Q,. 16. What is the ninth commandment "? 
 
 A. The ninth cominandiiient is, Thou slialt'not bear 
 false witness ajrainst thy neighbor. 
 
 Q,. 77. What is required in the ninth commandment 1 
 
 A. The ninth commandment rcquireth the maintaining 
 and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our 
 own and our neighbor's good nagie, especially in witness- 
 bearing. 
 
 Petrarch, a celebrated Italian poet who flour- 
 ished 400 years aeo, recommended himself to the 
 confidence and aiiection of Cardinal Colonna. in 
 whose family he resided, by his candor and strict 
 regard to truth. A violent quarrel having occur- 
 red in Cardinal Colonna's household, the Car- 
 dinal, wishing to decide with justice, assembled 
 all his people, and obliged them to bind themselves 
 by a solemn oath on the gospel to declare the 
 whole truth. Every one without exception sub- 
 mitted to his determination, even the Cardinal's 
 brother, bishop of Luna, was not excused. - Pe- 
 trarch, in his turn, presented himself to take the 
 oath ; the Cardinal closed the book, and said. •' As 
 to you, Petrarch, your icordis sujficical"' 
 
 When the late president of the United States 
 of America was about six years of age snne one 
 made him a present of a hatchet. Iliglily pleased 
 with his weapon, he went about chopping every 
 thing that came in his way; and going into the 
 garden, he unluckily tried its edge on aa English 
 cherry-tree, stripping off its bark, and leaving 
 
112 
 
 little hopes of its recovery. The next morning, 
 when his father saw the tree, which was a great 
 favorite, he inquired who had done the mischief, 
 declaring he would not have taken five guineas 
 for it ; but no ons could inform him of the offender. 
 At length, however, came George, with the 
 hatchet in his hand, into the place where the 
 father was, who immediately suspected him to be 
 the culprit. " George," said the old gentleman, 
 " do you know who killed that beautiful little 
 cherry-tree yonder in the garden?" The child 
 hesitated for a moment, and then nobly said, " / 
 cannot tell a lie, papa, — you know I cannot tell a 
 lie. — I did cut it with the hatchet !" '• Run to 
 my arms ! Glad am I, George,*that you have kill- 
 ed my tree — you have paid me for it a thousand 
 fold ! Such an act of heroism in my son is of 
 more worth than a thousand cherry-trees, though 
 blossomed with silver, and their fruits of gold." 
 Not many years ago, a man waited on a magis- 
 trate near Hitchen, in the county of Hertford, and 
 informedhimthathehadbeen .stopped by a young 
 gentleman in Hitchen, who had knocked him 
 down, and searched his pockets ; but not finding 
 any thing, he suffered him to depart. The ma- 
 gistrate, astonished at this piece of intelligence, 
 despatched a messenger to the young gentleman, 
 ordering him to appear immediately, and answer 
 to the charge exhibited against him. The youth 
 oba^yed the summons, accompanied by his guar- 
 dian and an intimate friend. Upon their arrival 
 at the seat of justice, the accused and the accuser 
 were confronted ; when the magistrate hinted to 
 the man, he was afraid he had made the charge 
 with no other view than that of extorting money, 
 
113 
 
 and bade him take care how he proceeded ; ex- 
 horting him in the most earnest and pathetic man- 
 ner, to beware of the dreadful train of conse- 
 quences attending perjury. The man insisted 
 upon making oath to what he had advanced ; the 
 oath was accordingly administered and the busi- 
 ness fully investigated, when the innocence of the 
 young gentleman was established by the most in- 
 controvertible evidence. The infamous wretch 
 finding his intention.s thus frustrated, returned 
 home much chagrined ; and meeting soon after- 
 wards with one of his neighbors, he declared he 
 had sworn to nothing but the truth, calling God 
 to witness the same in the most solemn manner, 
 and wished, it' it was not as he Imd said, his jaws 
 might be locked, and that his flesh might rot upon 
 his bones; when, terrible to relate ! his jsiws were 
 instantly arrested, and the use of that faculty he 
 had so awfully perverted was denied him forever ! 
 and, after lingering nearly a fortnight, he expired 
 in the greatest agonies, his flesh literally rotting 
 upon his bones ! 
 
 CI. 78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment 1 
 A. The ninth cominanduient forbiildcth whatsoever is 
 prejudicial to trutli, or injurious to our own or our neigh- 
 bor's good name. 
 
 " It was but the other night." says a pious gen- 
 tleman, •' that [ wandered across the bleak and 
 barren mountains, at the foot of which stands the 
 little cottage where I was born: and, O delight- 
 ful thought, born again ! Yes, it was at that 
 humble spot, that I ficst tasted the bitter cup of 
 true repentance, and drank of the spring of peace, 
 purity and joy : the remembrance of which often 
 fills my eyes. with tears, and my heart with rap- 
 
 10* 
 
114 
 
 ture. Seeing a cottage at a distance, I walked up 
 to it, entered, and told the inmates tlie cause of 
 my being there. I was most kindly received. 
 Seven sweet children were stationed round the 
 homely board : yet, sadness seemed to pervade 
 the whole circle. On asking the cause, the mo- 
 ther informed me, that one of the children had 
 been telling a falsehood ; upon this a little girl 
 was instantly covered with blushes, and a tear 
 started fiom her eye. 'Robert,' said the father, 
 ' bring the Bible, and show your sister who it is 
 she has offended.' The little boy. younger than 
 herself, read the ninth commandment, and the 
 first eleven verses of the fifth chapter of the Acts. 
 This being done, every member of the family 
 brought a proof from Scripture of the sin and 
 danger of lying. The father, then, with much af- 
 fection, showed them that this was as offensive to 
 God now, as it was when he struck Ananias and 
 Sapphira dead ; and that it was of the Lord's mer- 
 cies we were not consumed. He then sung the 
 51st psalm, read a portion of the word of God, fre- 
 quently making pious and solemn observations as 
 he went along, and afterwards prayed with his 
 children most devoutly. On ri.sing from prayer, 
 the offending girl wept bitterly. She approached 
 her father with pensive looks, begged him to for- 
 give the offence, and withdrew, that she might 
 pray alone to God for /tis forgiveness. I vras of 
 course highly gratified. I returned home under 
 the deep impression of the awfulness of the sin of 
 lying; and could not help wishing that all pa- 
 rents would correct their children in a similar 
 way, whenever they offended in a similar manner." 
 
 One day there happened a tremendous storm 
 
115 
 
 of lightning and thunder, as Archbishop Leighton 
 was going t'rom Glasgow to Dunblane. He was 
 descried, when at a distance, by two men of bad 
 character. They had not courage to rob him: 
 but wishing to fall on some method of extorting 
 money from him, one said, '• I will lie down by the 
 way-side as if I were dead, and you shall inform 
 the archbishop, that I was killed by the lisjhtning, 
 and beg money of him to bury me." When the 
 archbishop arrived at the spot, the wicked wretch 
 told him the fabricated story. He synipathised 
 with the .survivor, gave him money, and proceed- 
 ed on hi.s journey. But when the man returned 
 to his companion, he found him really lifeless ! 
 Immediately he began to exclaim, '• Oh ! sir, he 
 is dead! Oh! sir, he is dead!" On this the arch- 
 bishop discovering the fraud, left the man with 
 this impirtant reflection, " It is a dangerous thing 
 to trifle with the judgments of God." 
 
 When any one was speaking ill of another in 
 the presence of Peter the Great, he at first li-ten- 
 ed to him attentively, and then interrupted him. 
 " Is there not," said he, '• a fair side also to the 
 character of the person of whom you are .speak- 
 ing? Come, tell me what good qualities you have 
 remarked about him ?" 
 
 CI. 70. Which is the tenth comin.'indmont? 
 
 A. Tlio tenth commandmont is, Thou shalt not covet 
 thy nci;:hl)or's house, thou shall not covt-t thy neinlilior's 
 wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, rior his 
 ox, nor his ass, nor anv thinu that is thy neiirhl)or's. 
 
 d. 1^0. What is requiri'il in tiic tenth roiniinndinent ? 
 
 A. The tenth coinnian(hnent requireth full content- 
 ment with our own condition, with a ritrht and eliarital)le 
 frame of spirit toward our neighbor, and all that is 
 his. 
 
116 
 
 " No doubt," said the late Mr. Brown of Had- 
 dington, •• 1 have met with trials as well as others ; 
 yet so kind has God been to me, that 1 think, i{ 
 God were to give me as many years as I have 
 already lived in the v/orld, I would not desire 
 one single circumstance in my lot changed, ex- 
 cept that I wish I had less sin. It might be 
 Written on my coffin; Here lies one of the cares 
 of providence, who early wanted both father and 
 mother, and yet never missed them." 
 
 An Italian bishop struggled through great dif- 
 ficulties without repining,and met with much op- 
 position, without ever betraying the least impa- 
 tience. An intimate friend of his, who highly ad- 
 mired these virtues which he thought impossible 
 to imitate, one day asked the bishop, if he could 
 communicate his secret of being always easy ? 
 " Yes," replied the old man, " I can teach you my 
 secret with ereat facility : it consists in nothins: 
 more than making a right use of my eyes." His 
 friend begged him to explain himself " Most 
 willingly," returned the bishop: "in whatever 
 state I am. I first of all look up to Heaven, and 
 remember that my principal business here, is to 
 get there ; I then look down on the earth, and 
 call to mind how small a space I shall occupy in 
 it when I come to be interred ; I then look abroad 
 on the world, and observe what multitudes there 
 are who are in all respeft.s more unhappy than 
 myself Thus I learn where true happiness is 
 placed, where all our cares must end. and how 
 very little reason I have to repine or complain." 
 
 A poor little boy, in the neighborhood of Chat- 
 ham, was bound apprentice to a chimney sweeper. 
 
117 
 
 Some time afterwards he began to attend the 
 Sabbath school, and there was reason to liope that 
 the instructions he received were made useful to 
 hisY>recious soul. Being one day sent to sweep 
 a chimney, instead of the dismal noise which is 
 usually made on those occasions, he was heard to 
 sing these sweet lines of Doctor Watts : 
 
 " The sorrows of the mind 
 
 Be banish'il from this place ; 
 Relij^ion never was desiirji'd 
 To make our pleasures less." 
 
 What a striking instance of the power of religion 
 on the youthful mind ! it not only promotes sub- 
 mission in a state the most abject, and a calling 
 the most dangerous, but imparts true pleasure 
 even when surrounded with the darkness and 
 soot of a chimney. 
 
 Q,. 81. What is forbidden in the tenth comiiiandinent? 
 
 A. The tenth coinmandmcnt forbiddeth all discontent- 
 ment with our own estate, envyinir or irrievinjr at the vrood 
 of our nei'^hbor, and all inordinate motions and alVectiona 
 to any thing that is his. 
 
 " When I was a lad." says one. "an old gentle- 
 man took some trouble to teach me some little 
 knowledge of the world. With this view I re- 
 member he once asked me, wlien a man was rich 
 enough? I replied, when he has a thousand 
 pounds. He said. No. — Two thousand ? No. 
 — Ten thousand ? No — Twenty thousand ? No. 
 — An hundred thousand ? whieh I thought would 
 settle the business ; but he still continuing to say 
 No, I gave it up, and confessed I could not tell, 
 but b'»!rp;ed he would inform me. lie gravely 
 said. When he has a little more than he has, and 
 that is never ! If he acquires one thousand, he 
 wishes to have two thousand ; then five, then ten, 
 
118 
 
 then twenty, then fifty ; from thai his riches 
 would amount to a hundred thousand, and so on 
 till he had grasped the v/hole world ; after which 
 he would look about him, like Alexander,' for 
 other worlds to possess." 
 
 A young person once mentioned to Dr. Frank- 
 lin, his surprise, that the possession of great riches 
 should ever be attended with undue solicitude; 
 and instanced a merchant, who although in pos- 
 session of unbounded wealth, was as busy, and 
 much more anxious than the most assiduous clerk 
 in his counting-house. The Doctor, in reply, 
 took an apple from the fruit basket, and present- 
 ed it to a child in the room, who could scarcely 
 grasp it in his hand. He then gave it a second, 
 which filled the other hand : and choosing a third, 
 remarkable for its size and beauty, he presented 
 that also. The child, after many inefiectual at- 
 tempts to hold the three apples, dropped the last 
 on the carpet, and burst into tears. " See there," 
 said he, '• is a lltLh man with more riches than 
 he can enjoy." 
 
 Mutius, a citizen of Rome, was noted to be of 
 so envious and malevolent a disposition, that Pub- 
 lius one day observing him to be A^ery sad. said, 
 " Either some great evil is happened to Mutius, 
 or some great good to another." 
 
 A gentleman was once extolling at an extra- 
 vagant rate the virtue of honesty ; what a dignity 
 it imparted to our nature ; how it recommended 
 us to the Supren>€ Being. He confirmed all by 
 a celebrated line from Pope, 
 
 "An honost man's the noblest work of God." 
 " Sir." replied one, " however excellent the vir- 
 
119 
 
 tue of honesty may be, I fear there are very few 
 men in the world that really possess it." '■ You 
 surprise me," said the stranger. " Ignorant as I 
 am of your character, sir, 1 fancy it would be 
 no difficult matter to prove even you a dishonest 
 man." " I defy you." " Will you give me leave 
 then to ask you a question or two, and promise 
 not to be offended V '• Ask your questions and 
 welcome." " Have you never met with an op- 
 portunity of getting gain by unfair means ?" 
 The gentleman paused. '• I don't ask whether 
 you made use of, but whether you have met with 
 such opportunity ? I for my part have, and I be- 
 lieve every body else has." " Very probable I 
 may." " How did you feel your mind affected 
 on such an occasion? Had you no secret desire, 
 not the /cast inclination to seize the advantage 
 which offered ? Tell me without any evasion, 
 and consistently with the character you admire." 
 " I must acknowledge. I have not always been 
 absolutely free from every irregular inclinalio?i : 
 but." — '• Hold, sir, none of your salvos, you have 
 confessed enough. If you had the desire, though 
 you never proceeded, this shows yoii were dis- 
 honest in heart. This is Avhat the Scriptures call 
 concupiscence. It defiles the. soul. It is a breach 
 of that law which requireth truth in the imcard 
 parts ; and unless you are pardoned by the blood 
 of Christ, will be a just ground of your condem- 
 nation, when God shall judge the secrets of men." 
 
 Q,. 82. Is anv man able perfectly to keep the com- 
 mandments of God 1 
 
 A. No mere man since the fall is able in this life per- 
 fectly to kfi-ii the eomniandments of God, l)Ut dotli daily 
 break t!ietn in thought, word, and deed. 
 
120 
 
 Dr. C4ill once preaching on human inability, a 
 gentleman present was much offended, and took 
 him to task for degrading human nature. " Pray, 
 sir," said the doctor, '• what do you think that 
 man can contribute to his conversion?" He 
 enumerated a variety of particulars. " And have 
 you done all this?" said the doctor. " Why, no, 
 I cannot say I have yet ; but I hope I shall begin 
 soon." " If you have these things in your pow- 
 er, and have not done them, you deserve to be 
 doubly damned, and are but ill qualified to be an 
 advocate for free will, when it has done you so 
 little good." 
 
 Anne de Montmorency, constable of France, 
 having been mortally wounded at an engagement, 
 was exhorted by those who stood around him, to 
 die like a good christian, and with the same 
 courag-e which he had shown in his life time-. 
 To this he most nobly replied in the following 
 manner , " Gentlemen, and fellow soldiers ! I 
 thank you all very kindly for your anxious care 
 and concern about me : hit the man who has been 
 enabled to endeavor to live •wt.li., for four score 
 years past, can never be to seek now, how to die 
 WELL for a quarter of an hour. But observe, my 
 having been enabled to endeavor to live well, is 
 not the ground of my dependence ; no, my sole 
 dependence is on Jesus Christ. It is by the grace 
 of God, through him, that I now am what I am." 
 
 It is related of one of the ancients, that a man 
 without learning came to him to be taught a 
 psalm. He turned to the 39th. but when he had 
 heard the first verse of it, " / said I xviU take 
 heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue ; 
 
121 
 
 die man would hear no more, saying, this wa8 
 enough if he could practice it; and when the in- 
 structor blamed him. that lie had not seen him 
 for six months, he replied, that he had not done 
 the verse ; and forty years after, he confe.^sed he 
 had been all that time studying it, but had not 
 learned to fulfil it. ■ " If any man offend not in. 
 word, the sa?ne. is a perfect man, and able also to 
 bridle the lohole body." 
 
 A woman, professing to be under deep con- 
 viction, went to a minister, crying aloud that she 
 was a sinner ; but when he came to examine her 
 in what point, though he went over and explained 
 all the ten commandments, she would not own 
 that sne had broken one of them. 
 
 Ql. 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally hei- 
 nous 1 
 
 A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several 
 aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than 
 others. 
 
 On the 4th of August, 1796, between 1 1 and 
 12 o'clock in the forenoon, a violent stoim of 
 thunder and lightning aro.se in the district of 
 Montpelicr. In a field, about a mile from the 
 town, a body of 900 French soldiers lay encamped. 
 At a small distance from the camp, five of the 
 soldiers were assisting a husbandman in gather- 
 ing in the produce of the earth, for hire. ^ When 
 the storm came on, the whole party took reluge 
 under a tree, where the five soldiers began to 
 blaspheme God for interrupting them in their la- 
 Dor; and one of them in the madne.ss of his 
 presumption, took up his firelock, which he hap- 
 pened to have by him,. and pointing it toward the 
 skies, said that he would fire a bullet at him who 
 
 11 
 
122 
 
 sent the storm ! Seized with horror at this blasphe- 
 mous declaration, the husbandman made all the 
 haste he could to quit their company ; but scarcely 
 had he got to the distance of ten paces from the 
 tree, when a ilash of lightning struck four of the 
 soldiers dead, and wounded the fifth in such a 
 manner, that his life was despaired of 
 
 When that truly devoted missionary. Henry 
 Martyn, was at Shiraz, in Persia, translating the 
 New Testament into the language of that coun- 
 try, he seems to have been delighted v/ith the 
 following incident, which he notices in his jour- 
 nal, June 28, 1811. "The poor boy," says he, 
 " while writing how one of the servants of the 
 high priest struck the Lord on the face, st5pped, 
 and said, sir, did not his hand dry up ?" 
 
 Bonner was one of the most bloody instruments 
 of persecution, during the cruel reign of Mary of 
 England. Being confined in the toiver of London, 
 upon the accession of Q,ueen Elizabeth, which 
 was the highest punishment inflicted on him, he 
 went to visit some of the criminals kept in that 
 prison, and wishing to ingratiate them, called 
 them his frle/ids and neighbors. Upon this, one of 
 them answered, " Go, you beast, into hell, and 
 find ybur friends there, for we are none of them. 
 I killed but one man upon a provocation, and do 
 trul}^ repent of it ; but you have killed many holy 
 persons of all sorts, without any provocation from 
 them, and are hardened in your impenitence." 
 This fact is related by Bishop Jewel, in a letter to 
 Peter Martyr. 
 
 d. 8i. What doth every sin deserve 1 
 
 A. Every sin dcservcth God's wrath and curse, hoth in 
 this Ufe and that which is to come. 
 
123 
 
 Walking in the country, (says the Rev. Mr. 
 Jay.) I went into a barn, where I found a thra.^her 
 at his work; I addressed him in the words of Solo- 
 mon, '• ?.Iy friend, in all labor there is profit." 
 But what was my surprise, when, leaning upon 
 his flail, he answered, and with much energy, 
 "No, sir: that is the truth, but (here ir^ one ex- 
 ception to it : I have long labored in the service 
 of sin. but I got no profit by my labor." " Then." 
 answered I, "you know somewhat of the apostle's 
 meaning when he asked. ' What fruit had ye 
 in those things whereof ye are now ashamed :' " 
 " Thank Crod," he replied, "'I do ; and I also 
 know, that now, being freed from sin, and having 
 become a servant unto righteousness, I have my 
 fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." 
 
 A German prince, travelling through France, 
 visited the arsenal at Toulon, where the galleys 
 are kept. The commandant, as a compliment 
 to his rank, said he was welcome to set any one 
 galley-.slave at liberty, whom he .should choose to 
 select. The prince, willing to make the best use 
 of his privilege, spoke to many of them in suc- 
 cession, inquiring why they were condenmed to 
 the galleys. Injustice, oppression. fal«e accusa- 
 tion, were the only causes they could assign : 
 they were all innocent and ill-treated. At last he 
 came to one, who, when he had a^sked the ques- 
 tion, answered to this effect. '• Mv lord, I have 
 no reason to complain. I have been a very des- 
 perate wicked wretch ; I have often deserved to 
 be broken alive upon the wheel. I account it a 
 great mercy that I am hero." The prince fixed 
 his eyes upon him, gave him a gentle blow upon 
 
124 
 
 his head, and said, " You wicked wretch, it is a 
 pity you should be placed among so many honest 
 men. By your own confession, you are bad 
 enough to corrupt them all : but you shall not 
 stay with them another day." Then turning to the 
 offrcer, he said, " This is the man sir, whom 1 
 wish to be released." 
 
 A venerable minister' at H , preached a 
 
 sermon on the subject of eternal punishment 
 On the next day, it was agreed among some 
 thoughtless young men, that one of them should 
 go to him, and endeavor to draw him into dis- 
 pute, with the design of making a jest of him and 
 of his doctrine. The wag accordingly went, was 
 introduced into the minister's study, and com- 
 menced the conversation, by saying, '• I believe 
 there is a small dispute between you and me, sir, 
 and I thought I would call this morning, and try 
 to settle it." "Ah," said the clergyman, "what 
 is it V " Why," replied the wag, " you say that 
 the wicked will go into everlasting punishment, 
 and T do not think that they will." " Oh, if that 
 is all," answered the minister, " there is no dis- 
 pute between you and ?ne. If you turn to Matt. 
 XXV. 46, you will find that the dispute is between 
 you and the Lord Jesus Christ, and I advise you 
 to go immediately and settle it with him." 
 
 Q,. R'3. "What doth God require of lis, that we maj 
 escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin? "* 
 
 A. To esi-ape the wratli and curse of God due to us 
 for sin, God requiroth of us fjiith in .Tcsns Christ, repent- 
 ance unto life, witii the diliji^ent use of all the outward 
 means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits 
 of redenij)tion. 
 
 The late Rev. Mr. Brown of Haddington, to- 
 wards the close of his life, when his constitution waa 
 
125 
 
 sinking under his multiplied and unintermitted 
 labors, preached on the Monday after the dis- 
 pensation of" the Lord's supper, at Tranent, a se- 
 rious and animated sermon from these words, 
 '• The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 
 you all. Amen." After the service was con- 
 cluded by prayer and praise, and he was just 
 about to dismiss the congregation, it occured to 
 him that he had made no direct address to those 
 who were destitute of the grace of the Lord 
 Jesus ; and though worn out by his former exer- 
 tions, he, at considerable length, and with most 
 intense earnestness, represented the horrors of 
 their situation, and urged them to have recourse, 
 ere the season of forbearance was past, to the 
 rich and sovereign grace of the long despised 
 Savior. This unlooked-for exhortation, appa- 
 rently made a deep impression, and was long re- 
 membered by the more serious part of the hearers, 
 A certain man, on the Malabar coast, had in- 
 quired of various devotees and priests, how he 
 might make atonement for his sins; and he was 
 directed to drive iron spikes, sufficiently blunted, 
 through his sandals ; and on these spikes, he was 
 directed to place his naked feet, and to walk 
 about four hundred and eighty miles If through 
 loss of blood, or weakness of bodj', he was obliged 
 to halt, he might wait for healing and strength. 
 He undertook the journey, and while he halted un- 
 der a large shady tree, where the gospel was some- 
 times preached, one of the missionaries came and 
 preached in his hearing from these words. ' The 
 blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." 
 While he was preaching, the man tose up. threw 
 ofl' his torturing sandals, and cried out aloud, 
 
 11* 
 
126 
 
 •* This is what I want ;" and he became a lively 
 witness, that the blood of Jesus Christ does cleanse 
 Trom all sin indeed. 
 
 It is related of one, who, being a prisoner in a 
 dark dungeon, when the light was brought to 
 him for a little, to eat his diet, would pull out 
 his bible, and read a chapter, saying that he could 
 find his mouth in the dark, but not read in the 
 dark. 
 
 A poor boy, about ten years old, brought a few 
 pence, his savings from the small presents which 
 his father had occasionally given him, for which 
 he seemed "highly pleased, to obtain a bible. He 
 was asked if he should not repent, when the fruit 
 should be ripe of ha ving given away all his money. 
 " Oh ! no," he replied with great vivacity ; " what 
 we 6at is soon gone, but the word of God en- 
 duretli for ever. ' 
 
 a. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ 1 
 
 A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby 
 we receive and rest upon him alone for Salvation, as he 
 is offered to us in the Gospel. 
 
 " Children," says Cecil, '• are capable of very 
 early impressions. I imprinted on my daughter 
 the idea of faith, at a very early age She was 
 playing one day with a few beads, which seemed 
 wonderfully to delight her. Her whole soul was 
 absorbed in her beads. I said, " My dear, you 
 have some pretty beads there ?"-p-" Yes. papa ?" — 
 " And you seem vastly pleased with them ? — 
 Well now, throw them behind the fire." The 
 tears started into her eyes; she looked earnestly 
 at me, as if she ought to have a reason for so 
 cruel a sacrifice. Well, my dear, do as you please : 
 but you know, I never told you to do any thing 
 
127 
 
 whicli I do not think would be for your good; 
 she looked at me a few moments longer, and 
 then summoning up all her fortitude, her breast 
 heaving with the effort, she dashed them into the 
 fire. '• Well," said I, '• there let them lie ; you 
 shall hear more about them another time ; but 
 say no more of them now." Some days after, I 
 bought her a box full of larger beads and toys of 
 the same kind. When I returned home, I opened 
 the treasure, and set it before her ; she burst into 
 tears Avith excessive joy. " These my child," 
 said I, ■' are yours, because you believed me when 
 I told you to throw these paltry beads behind the 
 fire; your obedience has brought you this trea- 
 sure. But now, my dear, remember as long as 
 you live, what faith is. I did all this to teach 
 you the meaning of faith. You threw your beads 
 away when I bade you, because you had faith in 
 me. that I never advised you but for your good. 
 Put the same confidence in God ; believe every 
 thing that he says in his word. Whether you 
 understand it or not, have faith in him that he 
 means your good." 
 
 Mr. Marshall, author of the "Gospel Mystery 
 of Sanctification." having been for several years 
 under distress of mind, consulted Dr. Goodwin, 
 an eminent divine, giving him an account of the 
 state of his soul, and particularising his sins, 
 which lay heavy on his conscience. In reply, 
 he told him. he had forgot to mention the greatest 
 sin of all. the sin of unbelief in not believing on 
 the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of his 
 sins, and sanctifying his nature. On this he .seti 
 himself to the studying and preaching of Christ 
 and attained to eminent holiness, great peace of 
 
128 
 
 conscience,' and joy in the Holy Ghost. Mr. 
 Marshall's dying words were these, " The wages 
 of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord." 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Mason, of New York, was re 
 quested to visit a lady in dying circumstances in 
 that city, who, together with her husband, openly 
 avowed infidel principles, though they attended 
 his ministry. On approaching her bedside, he 
 asked if she felt herself a sinner, and her need of 
 a Savior. She frankly told him she did not, 
 and that she believed the doctrine of a Mediator 
 to be all a farce. " Then," said the Doctor. " I 
 have no consolation for you, not one word of 
 comfort. There is not a single passage in the 
 Bible, that warrants me to speak peace to one 
 who rejects the Mediator provided ; you must 
 take the consequences of your infidelity." He 
 was on the point of leaving the room when one 
 said, " Well, if you cannot speak consolation to 
 her, you can pray for her." To this he assented, 
 and kneeling down by the bedside, prayed for 
 her as a guilty sinner just sinking into hell, and 
 then, rising from his knees, he left the house. 
 To his great surprise, a day or two after, he re- 
 ceived a message from the lady herself earnestly 
 desiring that he ivould come down and see her, 
 and that without delay. He immediately obeyed 
 the summons. But what was his amazement, 
 when on entering the room, she held out her 
 hand to him. and said with a benignant smile, 
 " It is true, — all that you said on Sabbath is 
 •true. I have seen myself the wretched sinner 
 you described me to be in prayer. I have seen 
 Christ to be that all-sufficient Savior you said 
 
129 
 
 he wa«!, and God lins mercifully snatched me 
 from the abyss of intidelity in which I was sunk, 
 and placed me on that rock of ages. There 1 am 
 secure ; there I shall remain ; / knoiv irhoni I 
 hare hclieced." The doctor's prayer, through 
 the divine blessing, fastened on her mind, she 
 was convinced of her guilty state, and enabled 
 to rest wholly on the Saviour, and after solemnly 
 charging her husband to educate their daughter 
 in the fear of God, she expired in the exercise of 
 joy and peace in believing. 
 
 The Rev. David Dickson, professor of divinity 
 in Edinburgh, being asked, when on his deathbed, 
 how he found himself, answered, " I have taken 
 my good deeds and bad deeds, and thrown them 
 together in a heap, and fled from them both to 
 Christ, and in him I have peace." 
 
 Gl. 87. What is repentance unto life. 1 
 
 A. Repentance unto life i.s a saving grace, whereby 
 a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension 
 of the merey of Ciod in Christ, doth, with <;rief and hatred 
 of his sill, turn iVoni it unto C-iod, with full purpose of, and 
 endeavor after, new obedienc<'. 
 
 A lady being visited with a violent disorder, 
 was under the necessity of applying for medical 
 assistance. Her doctor, beijig a gentleman of 
 great latitude in Ivis religious sentiments, endea- 
 vored in the course of his attendance to persuade 
 his patient to adopt his creed, as well as to take 
 his medicines. He frequently insisted with a 
 considerable degree of dogmatism, that repen- 
 tance and reformation were all that either Ciod or 
 man could require of us; and that, consequeutly 
 there Avas no necessity for an atonement by the 
 suflerings of the Son of God. As tliis was a 
 
130 
 
 doctrine the lady did not believe, she contented 
 herselt" with tbllowing his medical prescriptions, 
 without embracing his creed. On her recovery, 
 she forwarded a note to the doctor, desiring the 
 favor of his company to tea. when it suited his 
 convenience, and requested him to majve out his 
 bill. In a short time he made his visit, and the 
 tea-table being removed, she addressed him as 
 follows : '• My long illness has occasioned you 
 a number of journeys, and I suppose, doctor, you 
 have procured my medicines at consi^ierable ex- 
 pense." The doctor acknowledged that '• good 
 drugs were not to be obtained but at a very high 
 price." Upon which she replied, " I am ex- 
 tremely sorry that I have put you to so much-la- 
 bor and expense, and also promise, that on any 
 future indisposition. I will never trouble you 
 again. So, you see, I. both repent and reform." 
 The doctor immediately shrugging up his shoul- 
 ders, exclaimed, '■ That will not do for me." — 
 ' The words of the wise are as goads.'' 
 
 " I have heard," says Mr. Daniel AVilson, in a 
 sermon of his, " of a certain person, whose name 
 I couJd mention, who was tempted to conclude 
 his day over, and himself lost ; that, therefore, it 
 was his best course to put an end to his life, which 
 if continued, would but serve to increase his sin, 
 and consequently his misery, from which there 
 was no escape ; and seeing he must be in hell, the 
 sooner he was there the sooner he should know the 
 worst; which was preferable to his being worn 
 away with the tormenting expectation of what 
 was to come. Under the influence of such sug- 
 gestions as these, he went to a river, with a de- 
 sign to throw himself in ; but as he was about to 
 
131 
 
 do it, he seemed to hear a voice saying to him, 
 Who can tell ? at least, as deep an impression 
 was made upon him, as if these words had been 
 audibly delivered. By this, therelbre, he was 
 bfoufiht to a stand ; his thoughts were arrested, 
 and thus begin to work on the passage mention- 
 ed, H'7i) ca/i Ip.ll ? (Jo:iah iii. 9.) viz. VVhatCJod 
 can do when he will proclaim his grace glorious? 
 Who can tell — How far God may suffer the 
 tempter to prevail, and yet after all, disappoint 
 his nuilice ? Who can tell — How long the Spirit 
 may strive, and yet return with renewing effica- 
 cious grace ? Who can tell but such an one as 
 I may find mercy? or what will be the issue of 
 humble prayer to heaven for it? Who can tell — 
 what purposes God will serve in my recovery? 
 By such, thoughts as these, being so far influen- 
 ced as to resolve to try, it pleased God graciously 
 to come in and enable him, through all his doubts 
 and fears, to throw himself by faith on Jesus 
 Christ, as able to save to the uttermost all that 
 come to God by him, humbly desiring and ex- 
 pecting mercy for his sake, to his own soul. In 
 this he was not disappointed ; but afterwards be- 
 came an eminent christian and minister; and 
 from his own experience of the riches of grace, 
 was greatly useful to the conversion and comfort 
 of others. 
 
 CI. 88. What are the outward moans whereby Christ 
 commuiii'-.iteth to un the benefits ofreileinption ? 
 
 A. 'J'he outward and ordinary means wl>ereby Christ 
 commimieateth to us the benefits of redemption, arc his 
 ordinanees, especially the word, saeramerits, and prayer; 
 all which arc made effectual to the elect for salvation. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Berridge is said in one year to 
 
 have been visited by a thousand different persons 
 
132 
 
 under serious impressions, and it has been com- 
 puted, that under his own and the joint ministry 
 of Mr. Hicks, about four thousand were awaken- 
 ed to a concern for their souls in the space of 
 twelve months. Incredible as this may appear, 
 it comes authenticated through a channel so res- 
 pectable, that it would be illiberal to disbelieve it. 
 
 John Skinner, of Houndscroft, in Gloucester- 
 shire, was a strolling fiddler, going from fair to 
 fair, and supplying nuisic to any that would hire 
 him. Having determined to incommode Mr. 
 Whitefield, who was going to preach, he obtained 
 a standing on a ladder raised to a window near 
 the pulpit ; he remained a quiet, if not an atten- 
 tive hearer till the text was named, when he in- 
 tended to begin his opposing and annoying ex- 
 ercise on the violin. It pleased God while he was 
 putting the instrument in tune, to convey the word 
 spoken with irresistible power to his soul; his at- 
 tention being diverted from his original design, 
 and his purpose broken, that God's purpose ac- 
 cording to election miijht stand, he heard the 
 
 O 111 
 
 sermon out, when he became altogether a chang- 
 ed character. 
 
 The Rev. .John Baily, an eminent divine of the 
 17th century, was so honored of God as to be 
 made the instrument of the conversion of his own 
 father, while he was yet a child. His mother was 
 a remarkably pious woman, but his father a very 
 wicked character. The good instructions and 
 frequent prayers of the former, were so blessed 
 to the soul of little John, that he was converted to 
 God while very young; and having a remarkable 
 gift in prayer, his mother caused him to pray in 
 
133 
 
 the family. His father overhearing him engaged 
 in this exercise, was so struck with remorse and 
 shame at finding his child, then not above eleven 
 or twelve years of ^ge, performing that duty in 
 his house, which he had neglected "him?elf that it 
 brought on a deep conviction of his wretched state, 
 and proved under God the means of his salvation. 
 Q.. 89. How is the word made effectual to salvation 1 
 A. The spirit of God maketh the readintr, hut espe- 
 cially the preaching of the word, an eflectual means of 
 convincinjT and converting sinners, and of buildino- 
 them up in holiness and comfort, through faith ujito 
 salvation. 
 
 A certain libertine of a most abandoned char- 
 acter, happened one day to stroll into a church, 
 where he heard the 5th chapter of Genesis read • 
 importing that so long lived such and such per- 
 sons, and yet the conclusion was, •• they died." 
 Enos lived 905 years, and he died. — Seth 9 1 2, and 
 he died.— Methusalah 969, and he died. The 
 frequent repetition of the words Ite died, notwith- 
 standing the great length of years they had lived, 
 struck him so deeply with the thought of death 
 and eternity, that, through divine grace, he be- 
 came a most exemplary christian. 
 
 Dr. Staunton was called the searching preach- 
 er. Once, when preaching at Warborough.near 
 Oxford, a man was so much affected with his first 
 prayer that he ran home, and desired his wif^ to 
 get ready and come to the church, for there was 
 one in the pulpit who prayed like an angel. The 
 woman hasted away, and heard the sermon, 
 which, under the divine blessing, was the means 
 of her conversion, and she afterwards proved an 
 eminent christian. 
 
 12 
 
134 
 
 Archbishop Leighton. before his attaining; this 
 high dignity in the church, being asked, " Why 
 he did not preach on the times, as the rest of his 
 brethren did," replied, " That if they all preach- 
 ed on time, might not one poor brother be allow- 
 ed to preach on efernily .?" 
 
 The Rev. Mr. N. one Sabbath morning, open- 
 ed his Bible to mark the passage he had been 
 studying throughout the week, and from which he 
 intended to deliver his discourse that day ; but to 
 his great surprise, he could not find the passage ; 
 for neither words nor text could he recollect. He 
 endeavored to recall the subject to memory ; 
 but all to no effect. While thinking how he should 
 be confounded before the congregation, another 
 passage darted into his mind with peculiar energy. 
 He accordingly preached from it, and during the 
 discourse, he observed a person, apparently in a 
 clerical habit, enter the place, and after having 
 heard a little, seemed bathed in tears, and never 
 raised his head through the whole of the sermon. 
 Mr. N. never had more liberty in preaching. In 
 the evening, this person called on Mr. N., and 
 after expressing his obligation for the sermon he 
 had heard, he added, '• Two or three years ago, 
 I heard you in such a place, preach upon a subject, 
 and ever since I have been under the spirit of 
 conviction and bondage. This daj- I took my 
 horse and rode to hear you, and bh ssed be God. 
 he has now given me to see him as my reconciled 
 God and Father in Christ .Tesus, and has also 
 given me to enjoy that liberty wherewith he makes 
 his people free." "After some interesting con- 
 versation, we both," says Mr. N., •• began to see 
 the good hand of God in this matter, and his 
 
135 
 
 good pvovideuce in determining me in such a 
 remarkable manner, to preach upon a subject I 
 had never before proposed, and which he had ac- 
 companied with such a powerful efficacy. To 
 me it was one of my best days, and one which 
 both by him and me, will be remembered through 
 a joyful eternity." 
 
 a. 90. How is the word to be read and heard, that it 
 may become effectual to salvation. 
 
 A. That the word may become efTectual to salvation, 
 we must attend thereunto with dilirrence, preparation, 
 and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in 
 our hearts, and practice it in our lives. 
 
 As Mr. NicoH. of Exeter, was once preaching, 
 he saw several of the aldermen asleep, and there- 
 upon sat down. Upon his silence, and the noise 
 that presently arose in the church, they awoke, 
 and stood up with the rest, upon which lie. arose 
 and said, '• The sermon is not yet done., but now 
 you are awake, I hope ynu will harken more dili- 
 gently !" and then went on. 
 
 When Archbishop Cranmer's edition of tho 
 Bible was printed in 1538, and fixed to a desk in 
 all parochial churches, the ardor with which 
 men flocked to read it was incredible. They who 
 could, procured it; and they who could not, 
 crowded'to read it, or to hear it read in churches, 
 where it was common to see little assemblies of 
 mechanics meeting together for that purpo.se after 
 the labor of the day. Many even learned to read 
 in thfir old age, that they might have the plea- 
 sure of instructing themselves from the Scrip- 
 ture^5. Mr. Fox- mentions two apprentices who 
 joined each his little stock, and bought a Bible, 
 which at every interval of leisure they read; 
 
136 
 
 but being afraid of their master, wbo was a zea- 
 lous papisi, tbey kept it under the straw of their 
 bed. 
 
 The pastor of a congregation in America, after 
 many year's labor among his people, was suppos- 
 ed by some of them to have declined much in his 
 vigor and usefulness ; in consequence of which, 
 two gentlemen of the congregation waited upon 
 him and exhibited their complaints. The minister 
 received them with much affection, and assured 
 them that he was equally sensible of his langor 
 and little success, and that the cause had given 
 him very great uneasiness. The gentleman wish- 
 ed he would mention what he thought was the 
 cause. Without hesitation, the minister replied, 
 '• The loss of my prayer-book. ' •• Your prayer 
 book !" said one of the gentlemen with surprise ; 
 "I never knew that you used one." '• Yes," re- 
 plied the minister. '• I have enjoyed the benefit of 
 one for many years till lately, and I attribute my 
 want of success to the loss of it. The prayers of 
 my people were my prayer-book ; and it has oc- 
 casioned arreat jrief to me that they have laid it 
 aside. Now if you will return, and procure me 
 the use of my prayer-book again. I doubt not I 
 shall preach much better, and that you will hear 
 more profitably." The gentlemen, conscious of 
 their neglect, thanked the minister for the reproof, 
 and wished him a good morning. 
 
 Mr. W. a merchant at Boston, in America, ac- 
 cording to his wonted liberality, sent a present of 
 chocolate, sugar. Sec. to the Rev. Dr. B. with a 
 billet desirine his acceptance of it. as a comment 
 on Gal vi. 6. '• Let him that is taught in the word 
 
137 
 
 communicate to him that teacheth. in all good 
 things. ' The doctor, who was then contiiied by 
 sickness, returned his compliments to Mr. W. 
 thanked him for his excellent familr/ expositor, 
 and wished .Mr. \V. to give him a practical expo- 
 sition of Matt. XXV. 36. " I was sick and ye visited 
 me." 
 
 A poor woman in the country went to hear a 
 sermon, wherein among other evil practices, the 
 use of dishonest weights and measures was ex- 
 posed. ^V'ith this discourse she was much pf- 
 fected The next day when tlie minister, accord- 
 ing: to his custom, went amonj: his hearers, and 
 called upon the woman, he took occasion to ask 
 her what she remembered of his sermon. The 
 poor woman complained much of her bad memo- 
 ry, and said she had forgotten almost all he had 
 delivered- '• But one t+iing, " said she. *• I re- 
 member. I remembered to burn my bushel. ' — A 
 doer of the word cannot be a forgetful hearer. 
 
 Q,. 91. How do the sacraments become effectual means 
 of salvation ' 
 
 A. The sacraments become effectual means of salva- 
 tion, not from any virtue in them, or in him that iloth 
 adminiritcr them: but only by the blessin:i of Christ, 
 and the workijig of his JSpirit in them that by faith 
 receive them. 
 
 During the residence of Sir Ralph Ab' rcrora- 
 bie. at the ancient seat of his family, in Clackman- 
 nan-shire, his humility and christian deportment 
 pointed him out as a proper person to Bll the office 
 of an elder in his parish-church. Being ordained 
 according to the rites of the Church of Scotland, 
 when the solemnity was ended, he addressed the 
 minister to the foliowinj^ purpose : '• Sir, 1 have 
 
 1> 
 
138 
 
 often been entrusted by my sovereign with hon- 
 orable and important commands in my profes- 
 sion as a soldier, and his majesty has been pleased 
 to reward my services with distinguished marks 
 of his royal approbation ; but to be the humble 
 instrument, in the ofiice of an elder, of putting 
 the tokens of my Savior's dying love into the 
 hands of one of the meanest of his followers, I 
 conceive to be the highest honor that 1 can re- 
 ceive on this side of heaven. 
 
 Colonel Gardiner, in a letter, mentions the 
 pleasure with which he had attended a prepara- 
 tion sermon the Saturday before the dispensation 
 of the Lord's Supper. He writes, •• I took a walk 
 on the mountains over against Ireland ; and I per- 
 suade myself, that were I capable of giving you 
 a description of what passed there, you would 
 agree that I had much better reason to remem- 
 ber my God from the hills of Port-Patrick, than 
 David from the land of Jordan, and of the Her- 
 monites, from the hill Mizar. In short, I wrest- 
 led some hours with the Angel of the covenant, 
 and made supplications to him with floods of 
 tears and cries, until I had almost expired ; but 
 he strengthened me so, that like Jacob. I had 
 power with (jod and prevailed. You will be 
 more able to judge of this, by what j*bu have felt 
 j-ourself, upon the like occasions. After such a 
 preparatory work, I need not tell you how bless- 
 ed the solemn ordinance of the Lord's Supper 
 proved to me ; I hope it was so to many," 
 
 d. 92. What is a sacrament 1 
 
 A, A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by 
 Christ: wherein, by sensihk' signs, Christ, and the bene- 
 fits ci' the new covenant, arc represented, sealed, and ap- 
 plied to believers. 
 
139 
 
 In the year ] 805, when an installation of the 
 knights of" the p^arter was approaching, and his 
 late majesty was conversing with some persons 
 of high rank on that subject, a distinguished no- 
 bleman, said to the king, " Sfr, are not the new 
 knights, now to be installed, obliged to take the 
 sacrament before the ceremony T' His majesty 
 changing countenance, and assuming a se\%re 
 look, replied. "'No; that religious institution is 
 not to be mixed with our profane cerem,onies. 
 Even at the time of my coronation, I was very 
 unwilling to take the sacrament; but when they 
 told me it was indispensable, and 1 must take it, 
 before I approached the communion table, I took 
 off the bauble from my head. The sacrament, 
 my lord, is not to be profaned by our Gothic in- 
 stitutions." 
 
 " On Sabbath last," says a good man, " we 
 were enabled to keep our New l^estament pass- 
 over ; it was a good day. a day of solvation. A* 
 the sacret? banquet my hard heart melted, an^ 
 the tea"rs flowed plentifully from my ^yes; but 
 they were tears of joy; my heart was full. On 
 
 Monday Mr. B preached from these words: 
 
 " And one shall say, I am the Lord's !" Oh 
 what a sermon to me ! my heart made the happy 
 claim, and cheerful surrender again and again. 
 My soul said. I am the Lord's ; and with my hand 
 I subscribed it, and I hope and believe will never 
 unsay it. 
 
 " Sweet was the hour I freedom felt, 
 . To c.ill my .Tesiis mine, 
 To see his smiling fare, and melt 
 In pleasures all divine." 
 
 Truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant, the 
 
140 
 
 son of thine handmaid, thoii hast loosed my bonds 
 Why me, O Lord ? Why me 1 What am I. or 
 what is my father's house, that thou hast brought 
 me hitherto ?" 
 
 Gl. 93. Which are the sacraments of the New Testa- 
 ment 1 
 
 A. Tht sacraments of the New Testament are, bap- 
 tism, and the Lord's supper. 
 
 Iflr. Matthew Henry, the author of the excel- 
 lent commentary on the Bible, baptized one of 
 his children himself. His friends thought this not 
 so proper, but he judged it as fit as it is for a 
 minister to communicate in the Lord's supper, 
 which he himself administers, 
 
 " We can truly say," observes a Moravian mis- 
 sionary, "that among the very considerable num- 
 ber of Esquimaux who live with us, we know of 
 few who are not seriously desirous to profit by 
 what they hear, and to experience and enjoy 
 themselves, that which they see their countrymen 
 possess. Our communicants give us pleasure ; 
 for it is the wish of their very hearts to live unto 
 the Lord, and their conduct affords proofs of the 
 sincerity of their professions ; thus for example, 
 Esquimaux sisters, who have no boat of their own, 
 venture across bays some miles in breadth, sitting 
 behind their husbands, on their narrow kajahs, in 
 order to be present at the holy sacrament, though 
 at the peril of their lives " What a lesson is this 
 for those who live near, and make any trifling 
 thing an excuse ! 
 
 Melancthon relates a story of a tragedy that 
 was to be acted, of the death and passion of 
 Christ. But he that personated the Redeemer 
 on the cross, was wounded to death by one that 
 
141 
 
 should have thrust his sword into a bladder of 
 blood ; and he, by his fall, killed one that acted a 
 woman's part, lamenting under tlie cross. The 
 brother of him who was first killed, slew the per- 
 son who stabbed him, for which he was apprehend- 
 ed and executed. So speedily was their daring 
 impiety punished. 
 
 U,. 94 What is oaptism 1 
 
 A. Baptism is a sacrarm-nt, whrrcin the washing with 
 water in the name of the l"'ather, and of the Son, and of 
 the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into 
 Christ, and partaicing of tlie benclits of the covenant of 
 grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's. 
 
 Mr. Philip Henry drew up the following .short 
 form of the baptismal covenant, for the use of his 
 children. 
 
 '• I take C4od, the Father, to be my chiefest 
 good and highest end. 
 
 I take God; the Son, to be my Prince and Sa- 
 viour. 
 
 I take God, the Holy Ghost, to be my sancti- 
 fier, teacher, guide and comforter. 
 
 I take the word of God to be my rule in all 
 my actions. 
 
 And the people of God to be my people in all 
 conditions. 
 
 I do likewise devote and dedicate unto the 
 Lord, my whole self, all I am, all 1 have, and all 
 •I can do. 
 
 And this I do deliberately, sincerely, freely, 
 and for ever." 
 
 This he taught his children, and .hey each of 
 them solemnly repeated it every Lord s day in 
 the evening, after they were catechised, he put- 
 ting his (unen to it, and sometimes adding, "So 
 say, and so do, and you are made for ever." 
 
142 
 
 A Greenlander, who for mafty years had com- 
 munication with the Moravian missionaries, but 
 could naver resolve to forsake his land, where he 
 was held in great respect, being at the capelin 
 fishery, got a sight of his derughter, who had re- 
 moved from him, and was baptized, and showepl 
 his resentment at it. But she modestly told him 
 the reasons that induced her to it ; set forth the 
 happiness of believe'rs, concluding with these 
 words : " So happy may you also be ; but if you 
 will not, I cannot stay and perish with you. 
 This softened his heart, and he began to weep , 
 went with her to the missionary, and declared, 
 his intention now was, not to take away his 
 daughter from the baptized, but rather go with 
 her. He expressed his resolution to remain with 
 the missionaries, and his wish that the rest of 
 his children might be baptized. " As to myself,"' 
 said he, " I dare not think of baptism, as I am 
 very bad, and old too, and incapable of learning 
 much more ; but yet I will live and die with 
 you, for it is very reviving to me, to hear of our 
 Saviour." 
 
 A murderer being present at a baptism among 
 the Indians, and getting upon a form, to have a 
 full view of the ceremony, v/as so moved, that he 
 crept under the seats. He entered afterwards 
 into conversation with Isaac Glikkikan, and 
 amon;- other thin"s, asked him whether he* 
 knew Avhere the devil lived, " That I do," re- 
 plied Isaac, " he lives in your heart." 
 
 Q,. 9-5. To whom is baptism to be administered ? 
 
 A. Baptism is not to be administered to any lliat are 
 out of the visible churcli, till they profess their faitli in 
 Christ, and obedience to him; ])ut the uifants of such as 
 ire meiubers of the visible church are to be baptized. 
 
143 
 
 As an instance of the misapplication and abuse 
 of the sacred ordinance of baptism, the author 
 of the PuoTESTANT, ])ublishes in that excellent 
 work, a description sent him by a correspondent, 
 of the ceremony of the baptism of a bell, which 
 took place at Naples. A noble lord was god- 
 father to the bell, and a lady of quality was god 
 mother. Most of the prayers said on the occa- 
 sion, ended with the following words : '■ That 
 thou wouldest be pleased to rinse, purify, sancti- 
 fy, and consecrate these bells with thy heavenly 
 benediction." The following were the words of 
 consecration: '■ Let the sign be consecrated and 
 sanctified in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The bishop then 
 turning to the people, said, ■' The bell's name is 
 Mary." He had previously demanded of the god- 
 father and god mother, what name they would 
 have put upon the bell, and the' lady gave it this 
 name. 
 
 A gentleman in Vermont, who had lived to 
 middle age without religion and without family 
 prayers, was thus accosted by his little son, not 
 quite seven years old: " Papa, yon have taught 
 me to pray morning and evening, and now 1 want 
 to knoui if you eci'r prnj/ ?" The father con- 
 scious of his failure in this duty, and astonislied 
 at this unex-pected question, v\'as at a loss for a 
 reply. At length recollecting that he had some- 
 times attempted to pray in secret, replied, ■ 1 hope 
 I have sometimes endeavored to pray that you 
 might be a good boy, and that 1 might also be 
 enabled to do my duty." The child replied, 
 
 " W^ell. papa, Mr. and Mrs ■: pray in their 
 
 families, and sometimes, when they have been 
 
144 
 
 here, you have asked them to pray. Is it wicke^ 
 Pa ?" " O no, my child, all good people pray, 
 and it is right they should." '■ Well, papa, if' it is 
 right they should, is it not right that yon should?" 
 " 1 suppose it would be my son. if my heart was 
 right." •' Well, papa, v^ere my sister and I ever 
 baptized?" '" No," says the father, sighing with 
 a heavy heart ; " No, you are neither of you bap- 
 tized." "Why not papa? I have seen several 
 little children baptized, when I have been at 
 meeting. Is it wicked papa, to baptize children?" 
 " O no, my son, I do not conceive it to be wick- 
 ed, but I cannot get you baptized." " Why not, 
 papa ?" "Because I do not belong to the church." 
 " Why do you not belong to the church, papa ? 
 is it wicked ?" '• O no, my son; nothing, I sup- 
 pose debars me, but my own wicked heart.'* 
 '' Well, pa, if it is right you should, why will you 
 not belong to the church, and so get sister and 
 me baptized ?" 
 
 These solemn inquiries v/ere directed by the 
 Holy Spirit to the conversion of the father, who 
 soon commenced family prayer, and is now a dis- 
 tinguished member of the church. 
 
 a. 96. What is the Lord's Supper 1 
 
 A. The Lord's Supper is a sacrament, wlierein, by 
 giviiiff and receiving bread and wine, according to 
 Christ's appointment, tiis death is showed forth ; and 
 the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and car- 
 nal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body 
 and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nour- 
 isliment and growth in grace. 
 
 One Sabbath morning, during the reign of 
 James II. of England, a captain, with a party of 
 soldiers, went out to hunt down the protestants, 
 as they termed it ; they met a young woman, a 
 
145 
 
 servant maid, running along the road early in the 
 morning, without either shoes or stockings. The 
 captain of the band asked her where she was go- 
 ing, so early in the morning, and what was the 
 urgency of the business that made her run so fast. 
 She told him that she had learned that her elder 
 brother was dead, and she was going to receive 
 her share of the riches he had bequeaihed to her, 
 as well as to her other brothers and sisters ; and 
 she was afraid she should be too late. The com- 
 mander was so \v(i\\ pleased witLher answer, that 
 he gave her halfa-crown to buy a pair of shoes, 
 and also wished her success ; but if he had known 
 the real business she was going on, which was to 
 a sacrament, he would most probably have pre- 
 vented her from going that day, to tho place 
 where she hoped to receive durable riches. 
 
 " Do you believe in transubstantiation?" said 
 a protestant to a papist " Yes, I do," was the 
 reply. " Why," said the other, ■' the thing is im- 
 possible." '• And I," said the papist. '• believe 
 it becmse it is impossible !" 
 
 '• Suppo-sing," says Archbishop Tillotson, " the 
 doctrine of transubstantiation had been delivered 
 in Scripture, in the very same words that it is 
 decreed in -the council of Trent, by what clearer 
 evidence could any man prove'to me. that such 
 words were in the Bible, than I can prove to him, 
 that bread and wine after consecration, are bread 
 ?ind win*^ stilt? He could but appe.il to my eves 
 to prove such words to be in the Biblo ; and with 
 the same reason and justice might I appeal to 
 several of his senses, to prove to him. that the 
 bread and wine after consecration, are bread and 
 wine still." 
 
 13 
 
146 
 
 " A more devout communicant at the table of 
 the Lord," says Dr. Doddridge, in his Life of 
 Colonel Gardiner, •■ has perhaps seldom been any 
 where known. Often have I had the pleasure to 
 see that manly countenance softened into all the 
 marks of humiliation and contrition on this oc- 
 casion ; and to discern, in spite of all his efforts 
 to conceal them, streams of tears flowing down 
 from his eyes ; while he has been directing them 
 to those memorials of his Redeemer's love. And 
 some who have conversed intimately with him 
 after he came from that ordinance, have observed 
 a visible abstraction from surrounding objects, 
 by which there seemed reason to imagine, that his 
 soul was wrapped up in holy contemplation. And 
 I particularly remember, that when we had once 
 spent a great part of the following Monday in 
 riding together, he made an apology to me for 
 being so absent as he seemed, by telling me, that 
 his heart was flown upwards, before he Avas aware, 
 to him whom not having seen he loved ; and that 
 he was rejoicing in him with such unspeakable 
 joy, that he could not hold it down to creature 
 converse." 
 
 CI. 97. What is required to the worthy receiving of the 
 Lord's supper 1 
 
 A. It is required of them that would wortlilly partake 
 of the Lord's supper, that they examine themselves, of 
 their knowlcdire to discern the Lord's body, of their faith 
 to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obe- 
 dience ; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgr 
 ment to themselves. 
 
 The three questions which Philip Henry ad- 
 vised people to put to themselves in self-examina- 
 tion before the sacrament, were. What am 1? 
 What have I done? and, What do I want? 
 
147 
 
 A notorious drunkard and swearer once com- 
 ing to partake of the Lord's supper from the 
 hands of Mr. Higginson, the good man warned him 
 to withdraw. On which the wretch went away, 
 venting his resentment, but filled with horrors 
 of conscience ; under which continuing a few 
 days, he at length cried out, " He was damned, 
 he was a dog, and was going to the dog? for ever." 
 And in this miserable condition he died. 
 
 In a speech in the house of Lords, in 1719, 
 Lord Lansdowne said. " The receiving of the 
 Lord's supper was never intended to be as a quali- 
 fication for an office ; but as an open declaration 
 of one's being and remaining a sincere member 
 of the church of Christ. Whoever presumes to 
 receive it with any other view, profanes it. and 
 may be said to seek his promotion in this world, 
 by eating and drinking his own damnation in the 
 next." 
 
 During the ministry of Mr. Andrew CTray at 
 Glasgow, Mr. William Guthrie of Fenwick, on 
 one occasion, assisted him at the dispensation of 
 the Lord's supper. Some of Cromwell's officers, 
 then in Glasgow, acting on the principle of pro- 
 miscuous admissions to the Lord's table, were 
 comingirregularly, withouthavingacquaiiited the 
 minister, or giving evidence that they were pre- 
 pared for the observance of that holv ordinance. 
 Mr. Guthrie addressed them, when leaving their 
 
 f)ews to come to the table, with such gravity", reso- 
 ution, and zeal, that they were quite conr;)unded, 
 and sat down again, without giving any further 
 disturbance. 
 
 a. nS. What i's prayer 1 
 
 A. Prayer is an orTering up of our desires unlo GoJ. 
 
148 
 
 for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, 
 with confessions of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment 
 of his mercies. 
 
 Amyntor, at a memorable period of his life, 
 was under great distress of conscience, and har- 
 rassed hj violent temptations. He made his case 
 known to an eitperienced friend, who said, " A- 
 myntor, yoih do not fray^'' Surprised at this, he 
 replied, "I pray, if such a thing be possible, too 
 much. I can hardly tell how many times in the 
 day I bow my knee to God ; almost to the omis- 
 sion of my other duties, and the neglect of my 
 necessary studies." '• You mistake ray meaning, 
 dear Amyntor ; I do not refer you to the ceremony 
 of the knee, but the devotion of the heart, which 
 neglects not any business, but intermingles prayer 
 with all: v/hich in everyplace looks unto the 
 Lord ; and on every occasion lifts up an indigent, 
 longing soul, for the supply of his grace. This," 
 added he. and spoke with peculiar force '' this is 
 prayer, which all the devils in hell cannot with- 
 stand." 
 
 A poor man once came to a pious minister, and 
 said, '• Mr. Carter, what will become of me ? I 
 work hard, and fare hard, and yet I cannot thrive." 
 Mr. Carter answered, " Still you want one 
 thing; I will tell you what you shall do. Work 
 hard, and fare hard, and p?Yi3/ hard ; and I wih 
 warrant you shall thrive " 
 
 Dr. Johnson once reproved the Rev. Dr. 
 Maxwell, for saying grace in his presence, with 
 out mentioning the name of our Lono .Iksus 
 Christ ; and hoped he would be more mindful 
 in future of the apostolical injunction. A sea- 
 sonable hint to many. 
 
149 
 
 A gentleman of" very considerable fortune, but 
 a stranger both to personal and family religion, 
 one evening took a solitary walk through part of 
 his grounds. He happened to come near to a 
 mean hut. where a poor man lived with a nume- 
 rous family, who earned their bread by daily la- 
 bor. He heard a continued and pretty loud 
 voice : Not knowing what it was, curiosity 
 prompted him to listen. The man. who was pi- 
 ously disposed, happened to be at prayer Avith his 
 family. So soon as he could distinguish the 
 words, he heard him giving thanks, with great 
 affection, to God for the goodness of his provi- 
 dence, in giving them food to eat and raiment to 
 put on, and in supplying them with what was ne- 
 cessary and comfortable in the present life. He 
 was immediately struck with astonishment and 
 confusion, and said to himself, " Does this poor 
 man, who has nothing but the meanest fare, and 
 that purchased by severe labor, give thanks to 
 God for his goodness to himself and family ; and 
 I. who enjoy ease and honor, and eve'ry thing 
 that is pleasant and desirable, have hardly ever 
 bent my knee, or made any acknowledgement to 
 my Maker and Preserver!" It pleased God to 
 rrlake this providential occurrence the means of 
 bringing him to a real and l.istingsense of religion. 
 
 The mother of a little boy about six years of 
 age, sometime ago, went in search of a house, 
 taking her son along with her. Having taken one 
 of but a single apartment, on their way hon*e the 
 boy burst into tears. His mother inquired what 
 was the matter ; '• Because you have taken that 
 house," said the child. '■ My dear," replied the 
 mother, " is not that a better house than the one 
 
 13* 
 
150 
 
 which we at present occupy ?" '• Yes," said the 
 little boy, sobbing, " but there is no closet for 
 'prayers in it." How few, when taking houses, 
 look out for such conveniences ! 
 
 CI. 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in 
 prayer "? 
 
 A. Thte whole word of God is of use to direct us in 
 prayer ; but the special rule of direction is that form of 
 prayer which Ciirist taught his disciples, commonly called 
 Thk Lord's Prayer. 
 
 A good man speaking one day to a pious girl 
 of prayer, she said, '• When I was a child mv mo- 
 ther taijght me to pray ; but now the Lord makes 
 me." Being asked how she knew the Lord's 
 teaching from that of her motheir, her reply was : 
 '• I'he Lord make's me both to rejoice and weep ; 
 he makes my heart glad, and gives me new wordj." 
 
 When Mr. Thomas Watson was in the pn?^>it 
 on a lecture day before the Bartholomew act 
 took place ; among other hearers. '• there can's 
 in," says Dr. Calamy, '-that reverend and learned 
 prelate. Bishop Richardson, who. was so weU 
 pleased with his sermon, but especially with his 
 prayer after it, that he followed him home, to givft 
 him thanks, and earnestly desired a copy 6f hi.s 
 prayer." "Alas!" said Mr. Watson, 'that i^ 
 what I cannot give ; for I do not use pen to mr 
 prayers ; it was not a studied thing, but uttereo 
 as God enabled me, frorii the abundance of vai 
 heart and affection, fro re 'iiuta.^' Upon whic> 
 the good bishop went away, wondering that anj 
 man could pray in that manner extempore. 
 
 A Hottentot of immoral character, being ua 
 der deep conviction of sin. was anxious to know 
 how to pray. He went to his master, a i>..:t»'l> 
 
151 
 
 man, to consult with him ; but his master gave 
 him no encouragement. A sense of his own 
 wickedness increased, and he had no one near 
 him to direct him. Occasionally, however, he 
 was admitted tvith the family at the time of pray- 
 er. The portion of Scriptute which was one day 
 read hy the master was the parable of the Phari- 
 see and Publican. While the prayer of the Pha- 
 risee was rjad, the poor Hottentot thought within 
 himself, •• This is a good man ; there is nothing 
 for me ;" but when his master came to the prayer 
 of the Publican. — (ilod be merciful to me. a sin- 
 ner — '-This suits me," he cried; '"now I know 
 how to pray!" With this prayer he immfidintely 
 retired, and prayed night and day for two days, 
 and then found peace. Full of joy and gratitiide, 
 he went into the fields, and as he had no one to 
 whom he could speak, he exclaimed, '' Yc kills, 
 yt rocks, ye trees, ye rivers, hear what God has 
 done for my soul ! — he has been merciful to me, 
 a sinner" 
 
 '• I once," said Mr. Romaine, •• uttered the 
 Lord's prayer without a wandering thought, and 
 it was the worst prayer I ever ofl't^red. 1 was on 
 this account, as proud as the devil.", 
 
 a. 100. What doth the preface of the Lord's prayer 
 teach us ? 
 
 A. The preface of the Lords prayer, (which is, Oiir 
 FaLhrr whicli art in Acar?/i,) teaches us to draw neai» to 
 God with all holy reverence and confidence, as chihlrcn to 
 a father, able and ready to help us ; anil that wc sliouid 
 pray with, and for others. 
 
 In a family at Shelton, lived Mr. G.. a person 
 much given to swearing. A child, about four 
 years of age, would often remark to her mother, 
 with great horror, how Mr. G. swore, and wished 
 
152 
 
 to reprove him, but for some time durst not. 
 One day she said to her mother, '■ Does Mr. G. 
 say Our Fathe.r ?'' (a term she used to express 
 in her prayers.) The mother replied, she could 
 not tell ; she then said, '' I will watch, and if he 
 does, I will tell him of swearing so." She did 
 watch, and heard him say his prayers privately 
 in bed. Soon after this, she heard him swear 
 bitterly; upon which she said to him, •• Did you 
 not say Our Father this morning? — how dare 
 you swear ! Do you think he will be your father 
 if you swear?" He answered not a v/ord, but 
 seemed amazed ; and well he might. He did 
 not live long after this, but was never heard to 
 swear again. " Out of the mouth of babes and 
 sucklings God has ordained strength." 
 
 " My grandfather," says Mr. Orton, " once 
 solicited a very excellent, but modest minister to 
 pray in his family, when there were several others 
 present ; he desired to be excused, alleging that 
 he had not thought of it, and there were so many 
 other ministers present." My grandfather re- 
 plied, " Sir, you are to speak to your master, 
 and not to them ; and my Bible tells me, he is 
 not so critical and censorious as men are. ' 
 
 " Some impressions," says a young man, lately 
 gone abroad as a missionary to the heathen, " of 
 the importance and necessity of true religion, 
 were made upon my mind at a very early period. 
 The first particular one that I recollect was, I 
 think, when 1 was about five years of age. There 
 happened one day a very viok-nt storm of thunder 
 and lightning in our neighborhood; on which 
 occasion a few Christian friends, who lived near 
 
153 
 
 us, terrified by its violence, came into my father's 
 house. When under his roof, in a moment there 
 came a most vivid (lash, followed by a dreadful 
 peal of thunder, which much alarmed the whole 
 company, except my father, who turning towards 
 my mother and our friends, with the greatest 
 composure, repeated these words of Dr. Watts: 
 
 "The God that rules on l)i^h, 
 
 • And tlmnders when he please; 
 
 That riilcs upon the stormy sky, 
 And uianairps the seas : 
 
 This awful God is ours; 
 
 Our father and our love," &c. 
 
 These words, accompanied with such circum- 
 stances, sunk deep into my heart. I thought how 
 safe and li.ippv are those who have the gr.at God 
 for their father and friend ; but, being conscious 
 that I had sinned asrainst him. 1 was afraid he was 
 not mv lather, and that, instead of loving n'e. he 
 was angrv with me ; and this, for some time 
 after, coniinued to distress and grieve my mind." 
 Pie then proceeds to say, that these early im- 
 pressions were succeeded by olhL'rs, occasioned 
 by parental admonitions, "the death of a sister, 
 the conversation of pious friends, and the reading 
 of useful l»joks, which terminated in his conver- 
 sion. 
 
 A wealthy planter ill Viiginia. who had a 
 great number of slaves, found one of them read- 
 ing the Bible, and reproved him for the iiep^lect 
 of his work, saying there was time enough on 
 Sundays fjr reading the Ijiblo ; and that on other 
 days he ought to be in the tobacco houses The 
 slave repeating the ofl'ence. he ordered him to be 
 whipp^-d. Going near the place of punishment, 
 soon after its infliction, curiosity led him to listen 
 
154 
 
 • 
 
 to a voice engaged in prayer: and he heard the 
 poor black ini|jlore the Almighty to forgive the 
 injustice of his master, to touch his heart with a 
 sense of his sin and to make him a good Chris- 
 tian. Struck with remorse, he made an imme- 
 diate change in his life, which had been careless 
 and dissipated, burnt his profane books and cards, 
 liberated all his slaves, and appears now to study 
 how to render his wealth and talents useful to 
 others. 
 
 Q.. 101. What do we pray for in the first petition 1 
 A. Jn the first petition, (which is, Hallowed he thy 
 name,) we pray, That God would enable us and others 
 to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself 
 known ; and that he would dispose all things to his own 
 glory. "t 
 
 The great Mr. Boyle had such a veneration of 
 God, and such a sense of his presence, that he 
 never" mentioned the name of God without a pause 
 and a visible stop in his discourse. 
 
 In the life of Mr. Wyndham, prefixed to his 
 speeche.5 in parliament, it is remarked, that no- 
 thing so highly offended him as any careless or ir- 
 reverent use of the name of the Creator. " I 
 remember," says his biographer. " that, on read- 
 ing a letter addressed to him, in whicHthe words 
 ' My God,' had been made uSe of on a light oc- 
 casion, he hastily snatched a pen, and before he 
 could finish the letter, blotted out the misplaced 
 exclamation." 
 
 When the Rev. 7^homas Scott was speaking 
 to Mr. Newton on a change of situation with re- 
 gard to interest; Mr. N. told him the story of a 
 nobleman who was selected as ambassador by 
 his king, but excused himself, on the ground of 
 
loo 
 
 his family, and urgent concern*? at home ; but 
 was answered, " You must go, only do you mind 
 my concerns heartily, and I will take care ot" 
 yours." " Thus," saith Mr. Newton, " God, as 
 it were, says to you." 
 
 One day, when the Rev. Mr. James Durham 
 and the Rev. Mr. Andrew Gray, were to preach 
 in the same town, as they were walking together, 
 Mr. Durham observing: multitudes throng in- 
 to the church where Mr. Gray was to preach, 
 and but one here and there dropping into the one 
 he was to preach in, said to Mr. Gray, " Brother, 
 I perceive you are like to have a throng church 
 to-day." To which Mr Gray answered, '• Truly 
 brother, they are fools to leave you, and come to 
 me." To which Mr. Durham nobly replied, 
 '• Not so. dear brother, for a minister can receive 
 no such honor and success in the ministry, ex- 
 cept it be given him from heaven. I rejoice that 
 Christ is preached, and that his kingdom and in- 
 terest are getting ground, and that his honor 
 and esteem do increase, though my esteem in 
 people's heart should decrease, and be diminish- 
 ed ; for I am content to be any thing, so that 
 Christ may be all in all." 
 
 CI. 102. What do we pray for in the second petition 1 
 A. In the second petition, (which is, Tltyl'hii^iiom come,') 
 we pray, That Satan's kingdom may be destroyed ; and 
 tliat the kincfdom of jirace may Itc advanced, our.><eIves and 
 others brought into it, and kept in it ; and tiiat the king- 
 dom of glory may be hastened. 
 
 A little girl sent about ten shillings to a gen- 
 tleman for the purchase of some missionarv tracts; 
 and in her letter she says, " She who takes this 
 freedom to ask so much of a stranger, began this 
 
156 
 
 letter witli a trembling hand. She is indeed 
 young in years and in knowledge too, and is not 
 able to talk much with a gentleman on religion ; 
 but her mother has taught her, almost eleven 
 years, to say, ' Thy kingdom come ;' and she be- 
 lieves she cannot be saying it sincerely if she does 
 nothing to help it on among the heathen. This 
 thought emboldens her to write to a stranger, 
 almost as thou£;h he were a friend." 
 
 Melancthon, going once upon some great ser 
 vice for the church of Christ, and having many 
 doubts and fears about the success of his busi 
 ness, was greatly relieved by a company of poor 
 women and children, whom he found praying to 
 gether for the prosperity of the church, 
 
 '• I know," says Mr. Fenner, " an old man that 
 used constantly to go to the laborers in the field 
 and talk to them about religion as they were 
 reaping and working. He would go to men's 
 shops where he was acquainted, and stir them up 
 to the care of their souls ; and by this means, 
 brought above forty men and women to s?ck for 
 heaven, who before had no more care that way, 
 than if they had" been a company of beasts. 
 Wouldst thou not be glad to do good- Thou 
 wilt never be able to do it, except thou be zealous. 
 Paul had women and sundry private chrf.stiRns, 
 who labored with him in the gospel. This, this 
 beloved, would cause religion to thrive here 
 among; us.^' 
 
 Dr. James Spencer, some days before his 
 death, gave orders that nothing of black should 
 be in his cofTin ; — '' For," said he, " I have been 
 a sorrowful man these many years, lamenting the 
 
157 
 
 deplorable state of Christ's chiircli militant upon 
 earth ; but now being upon the point of retirng 
 into the church triumphant in heaven, I will not 
 have the least mark of sorrov/ left upon tan ; but 
 my body shall be wrapped up all over in w'hite, 
 for a testimony that I die in expectation of a bet- 
 ter, and more glorious state of Christ's church 
 to come, even upon earth. 
 
 Q,. 103. What do wc pray for in the third pctilion 1 
 A. In the third petition, (which is, Tnif will ,be done 
 on carta as it is in heaven;) wc pray, that God by hia 
 grace would inalvc us able and willinir to know, obey, 
 and submit to his will in all thuiirs, as angels do in 
 heaven. 
 
 There was a good woman, who. when she was 
 ill being asked, whether she was willing to live or 
 die. answered, " Which God pleaseth." "But," 
 said one standing by, '• If God should refer it to 
 you, whether would you choose ? ' '• Truly." said 
 she, "if God should refer it to me, I would even 
 refer it to him again." 
 
 Some years ago, a Christian widow in London 
 saw, with great alarm, her only child taken dan- 
 gerously ill. As the illness increased .'^he became 
 almost distracted, from a dread of losing the child ; 
 at length it became so extremely ill and so con- 
 vulsed, that she kneeled down by the bed, deeply 
 affected, and in prayer said, "Now, Lord, thy 
 will be done " From that hour the child began 
 to recover, till health was perfectly restored. 
 
 Thomas Potter, a plain and simple man, whom 
 Dr. Doddridge mentions in his Life of Colonel 
 Gardiner, that he was very deficient in natural 
 things, yet. he enjoyed the. gift of a va«t retention, 
 both of scripture phrases and scrij)ture places ; 
 
 14 
 
158 
 
 and had an aptness of applying suitable texts, in 
 a wonderful, though h.e pointed them out in an 
 awkward manner. Two young persons, whose 
 intentions were to be married in a short time, ap- 
 plied to him, acquainting him with their circum- 
 stances and requesting a text; he immediately 
 pointed them to Psalm xlvi. 10. "Be still and 
 know that I am God," as altogether suitable to 
 their case. The parties were quite at a loss how 
 to apply this to their intentions, and replied, that 
 he must be mistaken, asking for another; but 
 Thomas insisted on it ; he had no other for them. 
 The parties retired; but Providence soon ex- 
 plained that scripture, for within a few days, by 
 a sudden illness one of the parties died, and the 
 survivor was left to learn the needful lesson, of 
 submission to His will who does as it pleases 
 him in heaven or in earth. 
 
 '• What occasions that melancholy look ?" said 
 a gentleman to one of his young favorites, one 
 morning. He turned away his face, to hide a 
 tear that was ready to start from his eyes. His 
 brother answered for him, " Mother is very an- 
 gry with him," said he, " because he would not 
 say his prayers last night ; and he cried all day, 
 because a sparrow died of which he was very 
 fond." The little mourner hastily turned round, 
 and looking at me exclaimed, " 1 could not say 
 thy loill he done, because of my poor bird." The 
 gentleman took him by the hand, and pointing to 
 his school fellows, " Mark the observation," said 
 he, " from the youngest present only six years 
 old ; for it explains the nature of prayer, of which, 
 perliaps, some of you are ignorant. Many per- 
 sons repeat words, who never prayed in their lives. 
 
159 
 
 My dear boy, I am very glad to find *you were 
 afraid to say to God what you could not say 
 truly from your heart ; but you may beg of him 
 to give you submission to his will." . 
 
 Q.. 104. What do wc pray for in the fourth prtilionl 
 A. In the fourth petition, (whicli is, GiiK vs this lUiij our 
 daily Lrcad,) we pray, That of God's tree gift we may re- 
 ceive a competent portion of the good tlii^igs of this hfe, 
 and enjoy his blessing with them. 
 
 Professor Frank relates that at one time all 
 his provision was spent ; " but in addressing my- 
 self," says he, "to the Lord, I found myself deep- 
 ly affected with the fourth petition of the Lord's 
 prayer. Give us this day our daily bread ; and 
 my thoughts were fixed in a more especial man- 
 ner, upon the words, this day, because on the 
 very same day we had great occasion for it. 
 While I was yet praying, a friend of mine came 
 before my door in a coach, and brought the sum 
 of 400 crowns. 
 
 A pious woman used to say, she should never 
 want, because her God would supplj' her every 
 need. In a time of persecution, she was taken 
 before an unjust judge, for attending a conventi- 
 cle as they styled her offence ; the judge on see- 
 ing her, rejoiced over her. and tauntingly said, '' I 
 have often wished to have you in my power, and 
 now I shall send you to prison, and then how will 
 you be fed?" she replied, " If it be my heavenly 
 Father's pleasure, I shall be fed froiu your table." 
 And that was literally the case ; for the judge's 
 wife being present at her examination, and being 
 greatly struck with the good woman's firmness, 
 took care to send her victuals from her table, so 
 that she was comfortably supplied all the ^v■hile 
 
IGO 
 
 she was'in confinement ; and the other found her 
 reward, for the Lord was pleased to work on her 
 soul, to her real conversion. 
 
 Mr, C. Winter observes, that in a time when 
 he was destitute, and knew not where to look for 
 a suppl)^, he received a letter, of which the fol- 
 lowing- is a copy, and which he kept, as he said, to 
 record the kind providence of the Lord. '• Dear 
 a'nd Rev. Sir, I enclose you twenty pounds, as I 
 suppose your purse may be low. I commend 
 you to the grace and love of Jesus; may he long 
 shine upon you, and bless you. My dear friend, 
 your's affectionately, J. Thornton." 
 
 A poor servant who had a wife and children 
 to support, was once reduced to such distress, 
 that, with the concurrence of his wife, he went to 
 his master's flock, and brought home a lamb, 
 whiph was killed, and a part of it dressed, and set 
 on the table. The next thing to be done before 
 their hunger could be relieved, Avas lo ask a bless- 
 ing on the food. The poor man's heart was fill- 
 ed with anguish. How could he ask a blessing 
 from God on the fruit of unrighteousness ? tears 
 gushed from his eyes. He rose ; he went di- 
 rectl}"^ to his master, told him what he had done 
 and implored his forgiveness. His master knew 
 him to be not only a sober and industrious but an 
 honest and well-disposed man, and. that nothing 
 but the greatest straits, could have tempted him 
 to be guilty of what he had done. After a suita 
 Tile admonition, he assured him of his hearlyfor- 
 giveness, told him that he was welcome to what 
 he had got, and that he should not be disappoint 
 ed in any future application which he might find 
 
161 
 
 it necessary to make to him, for the supply of his 
 wants. The servant returned home with joy ; 
 and with his family, he ate that food which was 
 now his own, with gladness, and praised the 
 Lord. 
 
 d. 105. "What do we pray for in the fifth petition 1 
 A. In the fifth petition, (which is, And furgive usmir 
 debts, as wc forgive our debtors,) we" pray, That God, for 
 Christ's sake, would froel}' pardon all our sins; which we 
 are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we 
 are enabled from the heart to forgive others. 
 
 When Tetzel was at Leipsic. and had collected 
 a great deal of money from all ranks of people, a 
 nooleman, who suspected the imposition, put the 
 question to him: " Can you grant absolution for 
 a sin which a man shall intend to commit in fu- 
 ture ?" '• Yes," replied the frontless commission- 
 er, " but on condition that the proper sum of 
 money be actually paid down." The nobleman 
 instantly produced the sum demanded ; and in 
 return, received a diploma, sealed and signed by 
 Tetzel, absolving him from the unexplained crime, 
 which he secretly intended to commit. Not long 
 after, when Tetzel was about to leave Leipsic, the 
 nobleman made inquiry respecting the road he 
 would probably travel, waited for him in ambush 
 at a convenient place, attacked and robbed him ; 
 then beat him soundly with a stick, sent him back 
 again to Leipsic with his chest emptv. and at 
 parting said, ' This is the fault I intended to com- 
 mit, and for which I have your absolution." 
 
 A gentleman once went to Sir Eardley Wilmot, 
 (late Lord Chief Justice of the court of common 
 pleas.) under the impression of great wrath and 
 indignation, at a real injury he had received from 
 
 14* 
 
162 
 
 a person high in the political world, and which 
 he was meditating how to resent in the most ef- 
 fectual manner. After relating the particulars, 
 he asked Sir Eardley, if he did not think it would 
 be manly to resent it? " Yes." said the Knight, 
 '" it will be mayily to resent it, but it will be God- 
 like to forgive it." The gentleman declared that 
 this had such an instantaneous effect upon him, 
 that he came away quite a different man, and in 
 a very different temper from that in which he 
 went. 
 
 In a school at Youghall, in the master's acci- 
 dental absence, one boy having been provoked, 
 struck another. On hearing the complaint, the 
 master determined to punish the culprit, when the 
 aggrieved boy entreated pardon for the offender. 
 On being asked, why he would interpose to pre- 
 vent a just example 1 he said, '• I was reading 
 the New Testament lately, that .Tesus Christ said, 
 we should forgive our enemies, and I w*ish to for- 
 give him. and I beg he may not be punished for 
 my sake." This Christian plea was too powerful 
 to be resisted. The offender was pardoned, and 
 the parent of the poor boy was highly pleaSed at 
 the circumstance. 
 
 A poor little African negro, only ten years of 
 age, went to hear the preaching of one of the 
 missionaries, and became through his instrumen- 
 tality, a convert to the Christian religion. His 
 master (an inveterate enemy to missions ) hear- 
 ing of it, commanded him never to go again, and 
 declared he would have him whipped to death if 
 he did. The poor little boy in consequence of this 
 mandate, was very miserable. He could scarcely 
 
163 
 
 refrain from going, yet he knew his deatli was ine- 
 vitable ir he did. In tliis critical situation, he 
 sought direction and asSsistance at the throne of 
 grace, and after having done this, he felt convinced 
 that it was still his duty to attend, but to be care- 
 ful that he should never interfere with his mas- 
 ter's business, and, for the rest, to leave himself 
 in the hands of Ciod. He therefore went, and on 
 his return, was suinmoned to his master's presence ; 
 and after much violent and abusive language, re- 
 ceived tive-and-tvventyla.^hes.and then in a sarcastic 
 tone of blasphemous ridicule, his master exclaim- 
 ed, " What can Jesus Christ do for you now?" 
 " He enables me to bear it patiently." said the 
 poor child. " Give him five-and-twenty lashes 
 more," said the inhuman wretch. He was obey- 
 ed. "And what can .Tesus Christ do for you 
 now ?" asked the unfeelihg monster. " He helps 
 me to look forward to a future reward," replied 
 the little sufferer. " Give him five-and-twenty 
 lashes more." vociferated the cruel tyrant, in a 
 transport of rage. They complied ; and while 
 he listened with savage delight to the extorted 
 groans of his dying victim, he again demanded, 
 " what can Jesus Christ do for you now?" The 
 youthful piartyr. with the last effort of expiring 
 nature, meekly answered, " He enables me lo pray 
 for yow, iiiassa." And instantly breathed his last! 
 
 Q.. lOG. What do we pray for in the sixth petition 1 
 A. In the sixth petitiort, (which is, Am/ UaJ us vol into 
 temp'nfion, but ddivcr vs from rvil,) we pray that God 
 would either keep us from beinr; tempted to sin, or support 
 and deliver us when wo are tempted. 
 
 Dr Pendleton and Mr. Saunders meeting to- 
 gether in the beginning of Queen Mary's reign, 
 
164 
 
 and speaking of the persecution which would 
 likely arise ; with regard to which Mr. Saunders 
 discovered much weakness and fear ; Pendleton 
 on the other hand, boasted of his resolution, that 
 he would endure the severest treatment, rathei 
 than forsake Jesus Christ, and the truth which 
 he had professed. Yet not long after, poor fee 
 ble, faint-hearted Saunders, through the goodness 
 of Giod, sealed the truth with his blood, while 
 proud Pendleton played the apostate, and turned 
 papist. 
 
 A plain countryman, who was effectually call 
 ed by divine grace under a sermon from Zech. 
 iii. 2, was some time afterwards accosted by a 
 quondam companion of his drunken fits, and 
 strongly solicited to accompany him to the ale- 
 house. But the good man strongly resisted all 
 his arguments, saying, " I am a brand plucked 
 out of the fire." His old companion not under- 
 standing this, he explained it thus : " Look ye," 
 said he, " there is a great difference between a 
 brand and a green stick ; if a spark flies upon a 
 brand that has been partly burned, it will soon 
 catch fire again ; but it is not so with a green 
 stick. I tell you I am that brand plucked out of 
 the fire, and I dare not venture into the way of 
 temptation for fear of being set on fire." 
 
 The following anecdote may perhaps illustrate 
 the promise, '• as thy days so shall thy strength be." 
 Under the reign of Paganism, a Christian, not- 
 withstanding her pregnancy, was condemned to 
 die in her profession. The day before her -exe- 
 cution, she fell into labor, and crying out in hex 
 pangs, the jailer insulted her, saying, ■' If you 
 make a noise to-day, how will you endure a vio- 
 
165 
 
 lent 3eath to-morrow?" to this she replied, " To 
 day I suffer what is ordinary, and 1 have only or- 
 dinary assistance ; to morrow, 1 am to sulFer what 
 is more than ordinary, and shall hope for more 
 than ordinary assistance." Oh ! woman great 
 was thy faith. 
 
 One night Mr. Newton found a bill put up at 
 St. Mary VVoolnoth's, upon which he comment- 
 ed a great deal when he came to preach. The 
 bill ivas t» this effect, " A young man. having 
 come to the possession of a very considerable for- 
 tune, desires the prayers of the congregation, 
 that he maybe preserved from the snares to Avhich 
 it exposes him " — '• Now, if the man," said Mr. 
 Newton, " had lost a fortune, the world would 
 not have wondered to have seen him put up a 
 bill, but this man has been better taught. ' 
 
 CI. 107. What does the conclusion of the Lord's prayer 
 teach usl 
 
 A. 1'he conclusion of the Lord's prayer, (which ia 
 For thine is Ht£ kiii<f<lom, and the power, and !he <rIonj 
 for ever. Amen.') teaches us to, to take our encourairement 
 in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise 
 him, ascribing kininloin, power, and (jiory to him. .And 
 in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, 
 we say, Amen 
 
 Alexanderthe Great had a famous, but indigent 
 philosopher in his court. This adept in science 
 was once particularly straitened in his circum- 
 stances. To whom alone should he apply, but 
 to his patron, the conqueror of the world ? I lis 
 request was no sooner made than granted. Alex- 
 ander gave him a commission to receive of his 
 treasurer whatever he wanted. He iminediiitely 
 demanded, in his sovereign's name, ten thousand 
 pounds. The treasurer, surprised at Ifeo large a 
 
166 
 
 demand, refused to comply ; but waked upon the 
 king, and represented to him the affair, adding 
 withal, how unreasonable he thought the petition, 
 and how exorbitant the sum. Alexander heard 
 him with patience ; but as soon as he had ended 
 his remonstrance, replied, " Let the money be 
 instantly paid. I am delighted with this philoso- 
 pher's way of thinking ; he has done me a singu- 
 lar honor; by the largeness of his request, he 
 shows the high idea he has conceived, both of my 
 superior wealth and my royal magtiificence." 
 Thus let us honor what the inspired penman 
 styles the mart^ellous loving kindness of Jeho- 
 vah. " He that spared not his own Son, but de- 
 livered him up for us all, how shall he not with- 
 him also freely give us all things? ' 
 
 Mr. John Janeway, when on his death-bed, 
 was employed chiefly in praise: " O," said he to 
 his friends, " help me to praise God ; I have now 
 nothing else to do. I have done with prayer and 
 all other ordinances. Bofore a few hours are 
 over, I shall be in eternity, singing the song of 
 Moses and the Lamb I shall presently stand 
 upon mount Zion, with an innumerable compa- 
 ny of angels, and spirits of just men made perfect, 
 and with Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. 
 I shall hear the voice of much people, and with 
 them, shall cry, Hallelujah, glory, salvation, ho- 
 nor, and power unto the Lord our God. And 
 again we shall say. Hallelujah !" In this tri- 
 umphant manner he expired, about the twenty- 
 second year of his age. 
 
 A lady, who had just sat down to breakfast, 
 had a strong impression upon her mind that she 
 
167 
 
 must instantly carry a loaf of bread to a poor man 
 who lived about half a mile from her house, by 
 the side of a common. Her husband wished her 
 either to postpone taking the loaf of bread till af- 
 ter breakfast, or to send it by her servant ; but 
 she chose to take it herself instantly. As she 
 approached the hut, she heard the sound of a hu- 
 man voice. Willing to hear what it was. she stepped 
 softly, unperceived to the door. She now heard 
 the poor man praying, and, among other things, 
 he said, " O Lord, help me ; Lord, thou wilt help 
 me; thy providence cannot fail: and although 
 my wife, self, and children, have no bread to eat, 
 and it is now a whole day since we had any, I 
 know thou wilt supply me, though thou shouldest 
 again rain down manna from heaven." 'l"he lady 
 could wait no longer: she opened the door. 
 " Yes," she replied : " God has sent you relief. 
 Take this loaf and oe encouraged to cast your 
 care upon Him who careth for you ; and when 
 you 3ver want a loaf of bread, come to my house." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
 ANECDOTES 
 
 REMARKABLE CONVERSION. 
 
 The Lord has various means to bring about 
 his own gracious purposes ; and sometimes con- 
 descends to make use of incidents apparently 
 trifling to accomplish his most important designs. 
 The truth of this remark may be exemplified in 
 the following fact : — A young gentleman of high 
 connexions, and great respectability, was induced 
 by gay acquaintance to accompany them to a ball. 
 Arrived at the scene of dissipation, the festive 
 company proceeded to their amusement. The 
 music struck up, and he among the rest was high- 
 ly delighted with the diversion. In the midst of 
 their enjoyment, as though a messenger had been 
 sent immediately from heaven, — the clock struck 
 one. That striking passage of Dr. Young's in- 
 stantly rushed upon liis mind: 
 
 " The bell strikes one. We take no note of time 
 
 But from its loss. To give it then a tongue 
 
 Is wise in man. A§ if an angel spoke, 
 
 I feci the solemn sound. If heard aright, 
 
 It is the knell of my departed hours; 
 
 Where arc they 1 with the years beyond the flood: 
 
 It is the signal that demands dispatch: 
 
 How much is to be done ! My hopes and fears 
 
 Start up alann'd, and o'er lite's narrow verge 
 
 Look down — On what 'I a fathomless abyss ; 
 
 A dread eternity ! 
 
169 
 
 Conviction seized the youth. Alarmed and 
 terrified, he left the dissipated throng, and retired 
 to his closet. The result was, a savint^ change, 
 and he is now a Christian indeed, in whom is no 
 cheri.shed guile. 
 
 MERCIES ASCRIBED TO THE PROPER SOURCE 
 BY A LITTLE BOY UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE. 
 
 A little gij:l being indisposed, complained of 
 feeling pain. Her mother said to her. " I will 
 give you some medicine, my love, which will make 
 you quite well to-morrow." Her brother, who 
 was standing by. replied, " Oh no. mamma, medi- 
 cine alone will not make her well : when I was 
 ill, I took a great deal, but it did me no good 
 until I prayed to God to make me well; and then 
 I was better the very next morning ; when I 
 thanked God for making me better; and now I 
 am quite well, and so will Ann if she pray to God." 
 
 INSUFFICIENCY OF WORLDLY AMUSEMENTS. 
 
 A French physician was once consulted by a 
 person who was subject to most gloomy fits of 
 melancholy. He advised his patient to mix in 
 scenes of gaiety, and particularly to frequent the 
 Italian theatre; and added, " If Carline does not 
 expel your gloomy complaint, your case must be 
 desperate indeed ' The reply of the patient is 
 worthy the attention of all those who frequent such 
 places in search of happiness, as it shows the unfit- 
 nessandinsufficiencyofthe.seamusements. '-Alas! 
 sir, / am Carline ; and while I divert Paris with 
 mirth, and make them almost die with laughttr, I 
 myself am dying with melancholy and chagrin." 
 
 ZEAL FOR THE SCRIPTURES. 
 
 There was a peasant in the county of Cork, 
 15 
 
170 
 
 who under'stood that a gentleman had a copy of 
 the Scriptures in the Irish language, and beerged 
 to see it. He asked whether he might borrow the 
 New Testament in his own tongue. The gentle- 
 man said, he could not obtain another copy, and 
 he was afraid to trust it to take a copy in writing. 
 "Where will you get the paper?" asked the 
 gentleman. " I will bviy it." '' And the pens 
 and ink ?" " I will buy them." " Where will you 
 find a place ?" " If your honor will allow me 
 your hall, I would come after I had done my 
 work in the day, and take a copy by portions of 
 time in the evening" The gentleman was so 
 struck with such zeal, that he gave him the use of 
 the hall and light, by which to take a copy. The 
 man was firm to his purpose, finished the work, 
 and produced a copy of the New Testament in 
 writing by his own hand. A printed copy has 
 been given him in exchange, and the written one 
 is placed iu the hands of the Noble President of 
 the British and Foreign Bible Society, as a 
 monument of the desire of the Irish to know the 
 Scriptures. 
 
 PROVIDENTIAL INTERPOSITION. 
 
 Mr. John Craig, a distinguished minister, and 
 colleague of Knox, having gone to reside in Bo- 
 logna, in a convent of Dominicians, found a copy 
 of Calvin's Institutions, which God made the 
 means of his conversion to the reformed faith. 
 He was seized as a heretic sopn after, and car- 
 ried to Rome, where he was condemned to be 
 burnt; but on the evening preceding the day of 
 execution, the reigning pontiff died, and accord- 
 ing to custom, the doors of all the prisons were- 
 
171 
 
 thrown open. All others were released ; but 
 heretics, after being permitted to go outside the 
 walls, were reconducted to their cells That 
 night, however, a tumult was excited, and Craig 
 and his companions escaped. They had entered 
 a small iiui at some distance from Rome, when 
 they were overtaken by a party of soldiers sent to 
 apprehend them On entering the house, the 
 captain looked Craig stedfastly in the face, and 
 asked him if he remembered having once relieved 
 a poor wounded soldier in the neighborhood of 
 Bologna : Craig had forgotten it, " l^ut," said the 
 captain, '"I am the man; I shall requite your 
 kindness: you are at liberty ; your companions I 
 must take with me ; but for your sake I shall treat 
 them with all possible lenity." He gave him all 
 the money he had. and Craig escaped. Rut his 
 money soon failed him; yet God who feedeth the 
 ravens did hot. Lying at the side of a wood, full 
 of gloomy apprehensions, a dog came running 
 up to him with a purse in his teeth. Suspecting 
 some evil, he attempted to drive the animal away 
 but in vain. He at length took the purse, and 
 found in it a sum of money which carried him to 
 Vienna. 
 
 WARNING TO SABBATII-BREAKERS. 
 
 A horse-dealer in London, of considerable pro- 
 perty, had for some time past made it his constant 
 practice to nick his horses on the Sabbnth. One 
 Lord's day morning he was employed as usual ; 
 his horse was bound with cords, the fatanmife 
 applied, and whether it went in too deep or not, 
 is unknown ; but the hor.se gave a violent jirk, by 
 which he loosened, himself from his bandage, and 
 
172 
 
 gave His owner a blow on the stomach, which oc- 
 casioned instant death. Let those who profane 
 the Sabbath, remember, that God is jealous for 
 the honor of his holy day. 
 
 THE BIBLE SXIPERSEDED. 
 
 An English officer, who was lately at Valen- 
 ciennes, states the following fact, which came un- 
 der his own observation. A number of Bibles in 
 French had been sent from Ene;land to the above 
 city, for sale or distributiou. Many of the people 
 received them with gratitude, and read them with 
 avidity ; but the priest getting information of the 
 matter, ordered all the Bibles to be returned. The 
 English officer, who was acquainted with him, 
 asked the reason of this : to which he gave the 
 truly Popish reply : — " / teach the people every 
 thing that is necessary for them to know!" 
 
 THE LOSS OF HOPE THE LOSS OF ALL. 
 
 The brother of the late Dr. F. was on a voyage. 
 A violent storm drove the ship near a dangerous 
 coast. The danger every moment increasing, 
 led Mr. F. at length to ask the captain, if there 
 was a possibility of being saved ? The captain 
 replied in the negative. Upon this Mr. F. re- 
 tired to his cabin, lay down on his bed, and re- 
 signed himself to a watery grave. The captain 
 and crew remained upon deck. In a moment, an 
 unexpected surge, with an immense swell of the 
 sea, carried the ship over the reef of rocks, and 
 left her, as the sea retired, upon a sand-bank. In- 
 stantly the captain and crew jumped upon the 
 sand, and before the return of another wave, got 
 upon an eminence, and thus providently escaped 
 death, M. F. was the only man lost. The waves 
 
173 
 
 soon beat the ship to pieces. Had he been 
 watching, his life would have been saved. 
 
 NEW SHOES. 
 
 A very gratifying instance of generosity was 
 lately witnessed among the boys of a Sabbath 
 School. One of their number having been ab- 
 sent for several Sabbaths, the boys were inform- 
 ed, that the cause was his having no slioes. and 
 his parents being too poor to buy him any. The 
 next Sabbath, they freely contributed a sufficient 
 sum to enable their school-fellow to appear among 
 them, at their next meeting in school, with new 
 shoes. 
 
 HUMAN MERIT. 
 
 The following epitaph is inscribed upon a monu- 
 ment in one of the Roman Catholic chapels, in 
 the city of Cork: — ''J. II. S. Sacred to the me- 
 mory of the benevolent Edward Alolloy. the friend 
 of humanity, and father of the poor; he employ- 
 ed the wealth of this world, only to procure the 
 riches of the next ; and leaving a balance of 
 merit on the book of life, he made heaven debtor 
 to mercy. He died 17th October. 1818, aged 
 90. R. J. P." How daring the impiety of mak- 
 ing the Creator debtor to his creature ! 
 
 NOTHING TO DO. 
 
 A tradesman who had acquired a large fortune 
 in London, retired from business, and went to 
 reside in Worcester. His mind, without its usual 
 occupation, and having nothing else to supply its 
 place, preyed upon itself so that existenre became 
 a torment to him. At last he was sei/ed with (ho 
 stone; and a friend, who found him in one of its 
 
 15* 
 
174 
 
 severest attacks, having expressed his concern, — 
 " No, no, sir," said he, " do not pity me, I beseech 
 you, for what 1 now feel is ease compared with 
 the torture of mind from which it relieves me." 
 
 THE BIT OF STRING. 
 
 A poor lame boy came one day to a gentleman 
 who was very kind to him, and asked for a piece 
 of string, saying, " Do let it be a good long bit, 
 sir." The gentleman inquiring what it was for, 
 the boy seemed unwilling to tell ; but at last said 
 it was to make a cabbage net, which he could 
 sell for three-pence, as he wished to send the mo- 
 ney to help to pay for printing Bibles for the 
 poor heathen: '-And you know, sir," added he. 
 " It may pay for the printing one side of a leaf of 
 one of them." The gentleman gave him a large 
 piece of string, and told him to bring the net when 
 it was finished. The boy brought it, and the 
 gentlejnan said, " you are a good boy ; there is 
 three-pence for you to send for the Bibles, and 
 three-pence for yourself" " No, sir," exclaimed 
 the boy, " do send it all, perhaps it will pay for 
 printing both sides." 
 
 THE WAY TO THE PIT. 
 
 A young man, on reaching the door of a thea- 
 tre, overheard one of the door-keepers calling out, 
 "this is the way to the ;;i/." Having had some 
 instruction in the word of God in early Hie, he in- 
 terpreted what the man said, that the employ- 
 ments of the theatre led to hell. The thought 
 haunted him. made him cease frequenting such 
 amusements ; he became attentive to the concerns 
 of his soul, and was afterwards a preacher of the 
 Gospel. 
 
175 
 
 THE OLD FORMALIST CONVERTED. 
 
 A poor old man, when a cliild of three years 
 of age, had been taught by his niuther to repeat 
 a prayer every night, which he did till he was 
 seveiity-three years old; and not a little proud was 
 he to say that he had not omitted saying his 
 prayers every night for seventy years! At this ad- 
 vanced age, it pleased God to afflict him severely; 
 he was led by the Holy Spirit to see that he was 
 a poor sinner, who had been living in the form of 
 godliness, but had never felt its power. He was 
 enabled to speilti the i'ew last years of his life in 
 humlilc dependence on the grace of Christ ; and 
 .wljen he referred to himself he would often add, 
 '• I am the old man who said his prayers for seven- 
 ty years, and yet all that time never prayed at all." 
 
 THE PRAYING LITTLE GIRL. 
 
 A little girl in London, about four years of age, 
 was one day playing with her companions. Tak- 
 ing them by the hand, she led them to a shed in 
 the yard, and asked them all to kneel down, as 
 she was going to pray to God Almighty ; '• But 
 don't you tell my mamma," said she, '• for she 
 never prays, and would beat me if she knew that 
 I do." Instead of keeping the secret, one of her 
 play-mates went directly and told this little girl's 
 mother, who was very much struck, but for the 
 prisent took no notice. Some time after, on her 
 going in doors, her mother asked her what she 
 had been doing in the yard ; she tried to avoid 
 giving a direct answer. The question being re- 
 peated, the answer was the same : when her 
 mother having promised not to be angry with 
 her, and pressing the inquiry by very kind words, 
 
176 
 
 she said, " I have been praying to God Al- 
 mighty." " But why do you pray to him ?" " Be- 
 cause 1 know he hears me, and 1 love to pray to 
 him." "But how do you know he hears you?" 
 This was a difficult question, indeed, but mark 
 her reply ; putting her little hand to her heart, 
 she said, '• Oh, I know he does, because there is 
 something here that tells me he does." This lan- 
 guage pierced her mother's heart, who was a 
 stranger to prayer herself, and she wept bitterly. 
 " I love them that love me ; and they that seek 
 me early shall find me." 
 
 USEFULNESS. 
 
 On the day of his death, in his eightieth year, 
 Elliot, the "apostle of the Indians," was found 
 teaching the alphabet to an Indian child at his 
 bedside. •' Why not rest from your labors 
 now.?" said a friend. "Because," said the ve- 
 nerable man, '• 1 have prayed to God to render 
 me useful in my sphere ; and he has heard my 
 prayer, for now that I can no longer preach, he 
 leaves me strength enough to teach this poor 
 child his alphabet." 
 
 REMARKABLE PRESERVATION. 
 
 Sir Thomas Gresham, who built the Royal 
 Exchange in London, was the son of a poor wo- 
 man, who, while he was an infant, abandoned 
 him in a field. By the providence of God, how- 
 ever, the chirping of a grasshopper attracted a 
 boy to the spot where the child lay ; and his life 
 was, by this means, preserved. After Sir Thomas 
 had, by his unparalleled success as a merchant, 
 risen to the pinnacle of commercial wealth and 
 greatness, he chose a grasshopper for his crest ; 
 
177 
 
 and becoming, under the patronage of Q,ueen 
 Elizabeth, the founder of the Royal Exchange, 
 his crest was placed on the walls of the building 
 in several parts, and a vane, or weathercock, in 
 the figure of a grasshopper, was fixed on the 
 summit of the tower. 
 
 RECONCILIATION. 
 
 Two good men on some occasion had a warm 
 dispute ; and remembering the exhortation of the 
 apostle, " Let not the sun go down upon your 
 wrath," just before sun-set, one of them went to 
 the other, and knocking at the door, his offended 
 friend came and opened it, and seeing who it 
 was, started back in astonishment and surprise ; 
 the other, at the same time, cried out, " Tlie sun 
 is almost doicn.^^ This unexpected salutation 
 softened the heart of his friend into affection, 
 and he returned for answer, '• Come in, brother, 
 come in." What a happy method of conciliating 
 matters, of redressing grievances, and of recon- 
 ciling brethren. 
 
 OMNISCIENCE OF GoD. 
 
 A father said to his son, who was at Sabbath 
 school, and had attended to what he heard there, 
 " Carry this parcel to such a place." " It is Sab- 
 bath," replied the other. " Put it in your pocket," 
 replied the father. " God can see in my pocket," 
 answered the child. 
 
 A LIAR TAKEN AT HER WORD. 
 
 In the year 1824, a woman who resided near 
 Wedmore, was taken before J. Barrow, Esq., a 
 magistrate of the county, charged with having 
 stolen cider from a neighborinsr farmer. During 
 the examination, the woman wished that God 
 
178 
 
 would never suffer her to speak again, or let her • 
 go home to her family, if she was guilty ; the 
 words were scarcely spoken, when she fell to the 
 ground speechless ! She was conveyed immedi- 
 ately to the inn, where she continued for some 
 time in a dreadful state. 
 
 BIBLE MEN NOT COWARDS. 
 
 The captain of a ship says, " I am in the ha- 
 bit of reading the Scriptures to the crew. I 
 have suffered much lately at sea ; having been 
 dismasted, and had all my boats washed away, a 
 little to the westward of Cape Clear. I then had 
 an opportunity of seeing who was who ; and I 
 found the most unprincipled men the most use- 
 less and the greatest cowards in this awful gale, 
 and the Bible men altogether the reverse, most 
 useful and courageous." 
 
 PRAYING TO THE VIRGIN MARY. 
 
 The following prayer was offered by the late 
 king of France, on the occasion of the baptism of 
 his young grand-nephew, the Duke of Bordeaux: 
 " Let us invoke for him the protection of the mo- 
 ther of God. the queen of the angels ; let us im- 
 plore her to watch over his days, and remove far 
 from his cradle the misfortunes with which it has 
 pleased providence to afflict his relations, and to 
 conduct him by a less rugged path than I have 
 had. to eternal felicity." Here thej-e is no God 
 acknowledged but a' mere creature; and if such 
 idolatry shall be persevered in, it is probable that 
 the young prince, if spared as long in the world, 
 will have to go over a still more " rugged path" 
 than that of his predecessor. 
 
170 
 
 BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 
 
 A woman who had once and again been guilty 
 of a sin wiiich incntred the censure of the church, 
 in the way of public rebr.ke. presented herself be- 
 fore the parish session, that she might be taken un- 
 der discipline, expecting as a thing of course, that 
 she would have to stand in the church, and that 
 she would be restored to church privileges. 
 But appearing to the minister and elder.^ to be a 
 person who had no just sense of the evil of her 
 sin, and exhibiting no signs of repentance, she 
 was told that she could not be admitted to the 
 privilege of the discipline and censure, which 
 could be properly applied only to the penitent, 
 and could be of no use to the hardened and in- 
 sensible, such as she appeared to be. She went 
 away greatly disappointed, because she was not 
 to be rebuked, as she expected. She was in 
 effect though not in form, excommunicated. 
 
 But the matter did not rest here. The sinner 
 could find no peace in her conscience. The idea 
 haunted her by night and by day ; she began to 
 rellect on her own character and conduct; she 
 thought she must be a wicked creature indeed, 
 seeing she was not reckoned worthy so much as 
 to give public satisfaction for her sin ; she was, 
 in short, brought to consideration, and deep re- 
 pentance ; on evidence of which, she was restored 
 to church communion, and she maintained a good 
 character all the rest of her life. When she ap- 
 plied to the session, she was very ignorant, and 
 could not read. but. when awakened to a sense 
 of her guilt, she immediately learned to read, so 
 as to be able to read her Bible, and make it appear 
 that she had profited by the merciful discipline of 
 the church 
 
180 
 
 YOUTHFUL PRAYER. 
 
 A Sabbath school boy, in London, who had 
 been well taught, received a visit from a country 
 cousin, about the same age, and it was agreed 
 they should sleep together. When they went to 
 their room, the Sabbath school boy kneeled down 
 by the bed-side, and said his prayers ; but the 
 country cousin stripped off his clothes and jump- 
 ed into bed. When the other arose from his 
 knees, he asked his cousin how he could think of 
 going to bed without saying a prayer. He re- 
 plied, that he did not know any ; however, this did 
 not satisfy the Sabbath scholar; he made his 
 cousin get out of bed and repeat the evening 
 prayer after him. 
 
 THE END. 
 
Princeton TheoloqtCJil Seminary-Speer Library 
 
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