N01357:15
The A, B, C. of religion. Lessons relating to the fear of God, fitted…
The A, B, C. of religion. Lessons relating to the fear of God, fitted unto the youngest & lowest capacities. And children suitably instructed in the maxims of religion. : [One line from I John]
Boston, : Printed & sold by Timothy Green, at the lower end of Middle-Street, 1713
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
THE A, B, C. OF Religion.
Psal. XXXIV. 11. Come, Ye Children, Hearken unto me; I will Teach you the Fear of the Lord.
A Dead Child was once raised unto Life, by GOD, at the Prayer of an Holy Prophet unto Him. And in the Raising of this Child, we read, 2 King. IV. 34. He lay upon the Child, and (first) ⟨p. 2⟩put his Mouth upon his Mouth; and (then) his Eyes upon his Eyes; and (afterwards) his Hands upon his Hands;—and the Child opened his Eyes. We Pray, That the Souls of our Children may Live. If we are our Selves the true Children of Abraham, it will appear in this; we shall importunately. Pray to God for our Children, Oh! that they may Live in thy sight! But Praying for them, is not all we have to do for them. The Enlivening Word of God must be applied unto them. We must apply the Lively Oracles of the Word, unto the Mouths, and the Eyes, and the Hands of the Children. If our God please then to make an Application of it unto their Hearts, this will cause them to Live. Yea, tho' the Children are Cast forth unto the Loathing their Person, and evenly Dead, and rotting and stinking in their Sin; yet, O Lord, Thou wilt say unto them, Live; yea, thou wilt say unto them in their Blood, Live. There is is that Excellency in the Word of God, that it suits all Ages. It has Milk for the Babes, as well as Meat for the ⟨p. 3⟩Strong. It instructs both the Old and the Young, to Praise the Lord. You have here a Psalm, of Lessons to be Learned by Children; even as soon as they learn their Letters. In the Hebrew, every Verse begins with a New Letter, according to the Order of the Alphabet; Perhaps, that so the Hebrew Children might have it as Early as they had their Alphabet. Children are here called upon. The Fear of God is Commanded & Commended unto Children. It is here shown unto children, what they are to do, that they may be Happy Children.