N01357:34
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.
111. The Weakest, and even the Youngest People, our Children soon after ⟨p. 19⟩they have done hanging on the Breast; May be taught, That their Conversion to God is necessary, and What they will do, if ever they come to be Converted. The Fear of God will imply a Sincere and Thorough Conversion unto Him: it will bring People to do those things, which are done by none but those that are Converted unto God. The People of the Lowest Capacity, may & should Concern themselves, about the Grand Concern of a Real Conversion. Our Children themselves, tho' it be not long since they were Weaned, yet, supposing they can act Reasonably, they will not Exercise themselves in things too high for them, if they are Exercised about the Great Matters of their Conversion to God; It will be but a Reasonable Thing of them to think often on this; What shall I do if I am Converted unto God? And, What will become of me, if I am not Converted unto God?
Be the Capacity of the People, in the Lowest Class that can be; yet the Children may be taught, some things of the Greatest importance for all the People in ⟨p. 20⟩the World. That Vast Concern, of Conversion to God, is to be indeed addressed at this rate, Hear this, All ye People, Give Ear, All ye inhabitants of the World; Both Low and High, Rich and Poor together. Truly, Low People, and Poor People, and Young People, and All that have Souls to look after, are to be called upon, thus to look after their Souls. Indeed, the Highest & the Richest upon Earth, have infinite cause to be Solicitous on this Greatest of all Occasions. To You, Sirs, it must be said; If you Die Unconverted unto the Fear of God, be your other Excellencies what they will, yet you die without Wisdom. And then; Tho' a Man have the Wisdom to Govern & Manage Whole Nations of Men, if he die without this Wisdom, How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning, who didst Order the Nations? Tho' a Man have the Wisdom to Understand as Many Languages as a Mithridates, or a Mordecai; if he die without this Wisdom, he must be Lodged where he shall gnaw his Tongue for Pain, and know no Speech but that of