To THE PARENTS AND GOVERNORS OF FAMILIES BELONGING TO THE Congregation which usually Assembles for Worship in Ber ru- Street, London. SINCEfriends, beloved in our Lord, INCE you make a solemn profession of the religion of Christ, and build your hopes of a happy eternity upon it, I am well persuaded it is the desire of your souls that your families should be trained up in the practice of'the same religion, and become heirs of eternal happiness together with your- selves. For this end you engage their attendance on public worship; but your minister; have littlehope of obtaining this end by all their public labours, sinless you join to assist them with your private instructions and prayers. Even when we address our discourses to the young, we can do it but in general language; but you have some special advantages with regard to those of your own house: There are many opportunities which you may seize to promote this pious work ; many tender moments of address wherein youmay apply yourselves in a more particular manner to the understandings and to the consciences of your children, in order to fix the great doctrines and duties of Christianity upon their memory and their heart. I need not inform you, for you are well apprized of this great truth, that the foundation of all religion is laid in knowledge. We most not wor- ship an unknown God, nor pay him service without understanding. t pre- sume therefore that you,takedue care and pains to instruct your children in their early years in the chief principles of our holy religion, and t would hope that while you make then; learn that full and comprehensive form of instruction called the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, you endeavour to in- form themof the meaning of every sentence, that they may not learn words by rote without knowingwhat they mean. And yet I beg leave to enquire or you, my friends, after all your labours, whether you can find that your children take in the sense of those questions and answers in the years of infancy and childhood, when you impress the words upon their memory? Do they pronounce the answers in such a manner as though they understood the meaning of them ? May 1 be permitted yet further to enquire concerning yourselves vs hen you learned this catechism in your younger years ? Did you understand all those sentences and expres- sions, when perhapsyou could readily repeat then; by heart? I am per- suaded you have made some observations upon your own experience, both in learning and in teaching the things of God : Surely you are convinced it is far better that children shouldbe instructed in the important principles of their duty and happiness, in such a way, as may lead them to understand the words which they learn to pronounce. Have not many of you often wished for some easier and shorter forms of knowledge, whereby your child- ren might have soute sense of divine things, and early religion let into their minds in a way more suited to their feeble capacities. Far be it from me to take out of your hands that valuable catechismof the assembly of divines : I am not going to persuade you to lay aside the use of it in your families; but only to render the work of instructing your childrenand servants moreeasy and more successful. I would fain two pose
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