CHAPTER III.

A Method proposed for Communicating the Knowledge of the Scriptures to Children and Youth, in a Progressive Course of Instruction, by Means of Selections from the Bible.

CHILDREN who have been made acquainted with the general outlines of Scripture History by the means already pointed out; namely, Lessons adapted to their tender capacities, accompanied by Prints, and an Historical Catechism, will be capable by the time they are seven years old, (and many even before that period) of understanding a considerable part of the Sacred Volume; and if they have been accustomed to look forward to it as a privilege to peruse the page of divine Revelation, they will be desirous to read it. But, although the BIBLE contains information and instruction, suited to mankind in every stage of life, and under all the varying circumstances of human affairs, the study of it, in its collective state, is too extensive, and too difficult for young minds; and when it was the general practice for children to read the Scrip

tures

tures in schools as a task book, beginning with the New Testament, and reading the whole of the Old Testament after it, they very often, from not comprehending the meaning of what they read, and from being perplexed with long Scripture names, conceived a disgust for the inspired writings, which continued throughout life.

To prevent this evil, recourse was had in schools and families to abridgments called "Histories of the Bible," in which the principal events of Sacred History were given, in a summary way, detached from the doctrinal parts, &c. and in the language of other books. Works of this kind, if suited to the comprehension of children, are very useful in the first stage of Christian Education, preparatory to reading the Scriptures; and, upon an enlarged scale, they are serviceable likewise in more advanced life, for the purpose of assisting young minds in the recollection of what has been previously read in the Sacred Volume; but no human compositions, ought to be used as substitutes for the BIBLE itself; because, from that alone, is religion to be properly and effectually learned.-As soon, therefore, as a child, can read fluently, and is capable of having any part of the Scriptures explained to him, in a practical way, that part should be put into his hands, and other parts in succession,

till he has obtained such a general knowledge of the contents of the Bible, as may enable him to read any portion of Scripture with pleasure and edification: and this desirable end, we presume, may be effected, by means of SELECTIONS used in the following order.

1st. From the HISTORICAL BOOKS of the OLD TESTAMENT.

2d. From the HISTORICAL BOOKS of the NEW TESTAMENT.

3d. From the PROVERBS, PSALMS, &C.

4th. From the PROPHETIC Books and the EPISTLES.

The Selection from the Old Testament should be the first to begin with, because this part of the Bible contains the fundamental truths, upon which all revealed religion is built, and leads naturally to the New Testament.-The objects to be chiefly attended to, in conducting the child through these lessons, arc, to establish in his mind, upon the authority of the Scriptures, a firm belief in God, as the Creator, Governor, and Preserver of all things; to give distinct and clear ideas of the di

vine attributes of God's moral government of the world-of his Providence, both rational and particular; and to shew, that God has revealed himself to mankind, and given them positive commandments; that God designed mankind for immortality; but that the first man, by his disobedience through the temptation of the devil, corrupted his nature and brought sin and death into the world; that in consequence of this, all mankind are in a corrupted and degenerate state; but that immediately after the fall, God graciously promised to send a Redeemer; and repeated this promise from time to time in various ways. The child may then be asked, whether he does not think such a book as this should be read with great attention? And previously to putting the Selection into the child's hands, it will be advisable for his mother to turn over the BIBLE with him, to shew him how it is divided, first, into two principal parts, the Old and New Testament; and, these parts into books, chapters, and verses; and to tell him that the first part gives the history of God's goodness to mankind before the coming of our Saviour; and the latter, the history of our Saviour's life and death, his doctrines and resurrection, and the preaching of his apostles. It will also be proper to give him some short account of the sacred writers; and to tell him, that though these good men, from living at different

$ 2

different periods of time, or in distant places, had no opportunity of consulting one another, their writings agree together so as to form one complete book, such as no man, or set of men, could have written, but by the immediate inspiration of the HOLY SPIRIT. That he is therefore to regard THE BIBLE as the WORD OF GOD, as much as if he had heard the Almighty speak what is written in it. That he should consider the Holy Scriptures as God's beft gift to mankind, because that without it, they would have known nothing of heavenly things, nor of the salvation which Christ has purchased for them. She may then tell him, that as she trusts, his reason is now sufficiently strong to enable him to understand all that is necessary for a child to know of the Scriptures, he shall read some. lessons which consist of chapters taken out of the Bible, in the very words of divine inspiration; and in which he will find all the Scripture Histories which she has taught him before (by means of his Easy Lessons, and the Historical Catechism, and to which his Scripture Prints relate;) together with a great deal of instruction concerning his DUTY. That he must now set about learning his duty from his HEAVENLY FATHER, who caused the Scriptures to be written, that all his children might learn, what HE, as the CREATOR, GOVERNOR, and PRESERVER of the World, has done for

Mankind;