2313 ON INSTRCCTION BY CATECHISMS. ignorant part of mankind, there will be still too much ignorance of God, and Christ, and religion, found even in a nation blessed with liberty and the gospel ; it is needful that parents, and mas- ters, and ministers, should labour in prayer, as well as in writ- ing and teaching, that God may succeed all our cares with a divine blessing, that he may print the great and necessary truths of christianity on the souls of children and youth by his own Spirit, that he may write the duties of it in their hearts, and make them legible in their lives. O may the rising'generation in Great Britain, have their minds and consciences so divinely inlayed with the sacred articles of our holy religion, that they may stand the shock of temptation in this day of growing infide- lity, and standup in future times to profess, defend and adorn the gospel of Christ ; and may these little unambitious labours of mine for the use of children and babes be so far blessedof heaven, as to bear some happy influence toward diffusing the beams of divine light in a dark world3 for the glory of our Ite- deemer, and the eternal salvation of souls. Aojen. Advertisement to Teachers. Together with the second edi- tipn of this book the several catechisms are at the same time also printed in small books by themselves for the use of children according to their different ages. But it was thought proper before they were thus printed and more diffused in the world, to subject them once more to the careful examination of several worthy ministers ; that no word nor phrase might be left in them which might create any difficulty to the understandings or con- sciences of children, or which might be offensive to anyof their parents or teachers ; supposing that they hold the common chief protestant doctrines which are generally professed amongst us, though they maydiffer in their opinion in lesser things. This is the reasonwhy some few expressions arealtered and made plainer, and I hope my readers will agree that they are every where changed for the better, and therewill be no occasion for any more changes in any following edition. Yet if any persons dislike a word or phrase, they may put another in the room of it. Advertisement to Leaders. If any persons, younger or elder, have a mind to pass a right judgment how far any of these catechisms may be necessary or useful to themselves, let them ask themselves the questions while they hide the answer from their eyes ; or let two of them ask each other the questions by turns, and then it will appear they have need to learn the answer of these catechisms,wheresoever they are not able to give a tolerable answer of themselves.
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