THE
SHORTER CATECHISM
IN VERSE:
WITH SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES.
TO WHICH ARE ADDED,
A FEW HYMNS FOR CHILDREN.
Second Edition, Improved
"Deep on thy soul, before its pow'rs
Are yet by vice enslav'd,
Be thy Creator's glorious name
And character engrav'd.”
EDINBURGH:
PUBLISHED BY JOHN LOTHIAN,
ST ANDREW'S SQUARE.
M.DCCC.XXVIII.
Price Twopence.
J. PI(illegible text)ANS & SON, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE object of translating the SHORTER CATECHISM, that excellent System of Divinity, into verse, is, that children may thereby more easily and lastingly commit it to memory. That verse is superior to prose for this purpose, has been incontestibly proved by the experience of all ages. It may be objected, that many of the words in the following translation are above the capacity of children, but this objection applies equally to the original; and, as words are only signs of things, all words are alike unintelligible until their meaning be explained. Though the SHORTER CATECHISM be by no means a poetical subject, yet the verse might have been rendered much more smooth and flowing in a paraphrase; but the object of the Author was rather to condense than expand the original. Should the following attempt tend, in the smallest degree, to facilitate instruction, and render the acquirement of knowledge in divine things more agreeable to the youthful mind, the Author will consider himself amply rewarded; but should it be otherwise, he will rest satisfied with the consoling reflection, that, though he has failed, his failing has leaned to the side of virtue.
THE
SHORTER CATECHISM
IN VERSE.
Q. For what chief end is life on man bestow'd?1
A. To glorify a and aye enjoy b his God.
a l Cor. x. 31. b Psal. lxxiii. 25, 26.
Q. What is the rule by which we this may do?2
A. The Scriptures only are the standard true a.
a.Eph. ii. 20.2 Tim. iii. 16. I John i.3.
Q. What are we in the Scriptures chiefly taught?3
A. What to believe concerning God we ought;
The duty also which his holy will
Requires mankind completely to fulfil a.
a 2 Tim. i. 13.
Q. What is that being whom our God we call?4
A. God is a spirit a, filling all in all,
Who infinite b, eternal c, changeless d is,
In being e, wisdom f, pow'r g, and holiness h,
In justice, goodness, and in truth i the same;
Such is our God, and holy is his name j.
a John iv.24. b Job xi.7. c Psalm xc.2. d
James i. 17. e Exod. iii. 14. f Psalm cxlvii. 5. g
Rev.iv. 8. h Rev. xv. 4.i
Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. j Luke i. 49.
Q. How many Gods are there?
A.There is but one a,5
A. The living God, besides whom there is none b.
a Deut. vi. 5.b Jer. x, 10.
Q. How many persons in the Godhead are?6
A. Three, so the scriptures certainly declare;
The Holy Ghost, the Father, and the Son a,
Who are in substance, pow'r, and glory, one "b."
a Matt. xxviii, 19. b 1 John v. 7.
Q. And what are God's decrees, can you
define?7
A. They signify th'eternal, grand design,
Form'd by the counsel of his will, whereby,
For his own glory, from eternity,
He fixedly hath fore-ordain'd each thing,
That time has brought, or yet to pass shall
bring a.
a Eph. i. 11, 12
Q. And in what manner doth Jehovah please 8
To execute his sovereign decrees?
A. He first did by creation's work commence,
And now proceeds by works of providence a.
a Rev. iv. 11. Dan. iv. 35.
Q. Work of creation, what doth it imply? 9
A. God's making all things in earth, sea, and
sky.
He spoke the word,—in six days' space they
stood,
All form'd from nothing,—and all very good a.
a Gen. i. 1—31. Heb. xi. 3.
Q. How did Jehovah first mankind create?10
A. Both male and female in a happy state;
Their minds his glorious image a did express,
In knowledge, purity, and righteousness b;
And undisturb'd they full dominion sway'd,
O'er all the other creatures he had made c.
a Gen. i. 27. b Col. iii. 10. Eph. iv. 24. c
Gen. i. 28.
Q. What by the works of providence is meant? 11
A. God's holy a, wise b, and all omnipotent,
Preserving c still, and over-ruling all
His creatures, and their actions, great or
small d.
a Psal. cxlv. 17. b Isa. xxviii. 29. c
Heb. i. 3. d Psal. ciii. 19.
Matt. x. 29.
Q. What special act of providence did God12
Use towards man, while he in bliss abode?
A. When God created man, with him then he
Did in a covenant of life agree,
Upon condition of obedience true a,
Forbidding him to eat that fruit which grew
Upon a certain tree, which would instil
Into the mind the sense of good and ill,
On penalty that, did he not comply
With this command, he certainly should die b.
a. Gal. iii. 12. b. Gen. ii. 17.
Q. In innocence did our first parents dwell?13
A. They, free will having, sinn'd, alas! and fell a.
a Eccl. vii. 29.
Q. And what is sin, can you distinctly show?14
A. Sin, the sole cause of every human woe,
Is not conforming to, with proper awe,
Or violating God's most holy law a.
a 1 John iii. 4.
Q. What sin brought Adam from his high degree?15
A. He ate the fruit of the forbidden tree a.
a Gen. iii. 6, 7, 8.
Q. Did all mankind in his transgression fall? 16
A. Yes; for as head he represented all a.
a Rom. v. 12.
Q. What did the fall of mankind usher in?17
A. A wretched state of misery and sin a.
a Rom. v. 12.
Q. Where lies the sinfulness of that condition,18
To which mankind fell by the first transgression?
A. It lies in guilt of Adam's earliest sin a,
The want of perfect righteousness within b,
And all corruption of the carnal mind,
Original c and actual combin'd d.
a Rom. v. 19. b Rom. iii. 10. c Eph. ii. 1. Psal. li. 1. d Matt. xv. 19.
Q. What is the misery of this estate?19,
A. The misery, alas! is very great;
It is the loss of fellowship with God a,
Which man enjoy'd in Eden's blest abode;
The being under just avenging wrath b,
And subject to the first and second death c.
a Gen. iii. b. Eph. ii. 3. Gal. iii. 10. c Rom. vi. 23. Matt. xxv. 41.
Q. Did God leave all the human race to die 20
In that estate of sin and misery ?
A. No; from eternity he freely chose
A number to eternal life a, and those
To rescue from a state of sin and woe,
Into a covenant of grace did go,
With a Redeemer, who his life should give
A precious ransom, that their souls might live b.
a Eph. i. 4. b Rom. iii, 21, 22.
Q. Who doth for sins of God's elect atone? 21
A. 'Tis Jesus Christ the Lord a, and he alone;
Who, being God's belov'd, eternal Son,
In pow'r and glory with the Father, one,
Became a man b; and God and man shall he
Still, in two natures and one person, be c.
a l Tim. ii. 5. b John i. 14. e Rom. ix. 5. Heb. vii. 24.
Q. How did the Son of God become a man?22
A. According to redemption's glorious plan,
By taking to himself our nature whole,
A body true a, and reasonable soul b,
Being by the Spirit's power conceiv'd within
A virgin's womb, and born c, yet without sin d.
a Heb. ii. 14, b Matt. xxvi. 38. c Luke i. 33. d
Heb. vii. 26.
Q. How many offices, can you unfold,23
Does Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer, hold?
A. Christ, as Redeemer of the human race,
Doth faithfully perform the offices
Of Prophet a, Priest b, and King c; and all
these three
Both when in lowly and in high degree.
a Acts iii.22. b Heb. v. 6.c Psalm ii. 6.
Q. A prophet's office how doth Christ fulfil?24
A. He, by his word a, and Spirit b, doth reveal c,
For our salvation, God's most holy will.
a John xx.31. b John xiv. 26. c John i. 18.
Q. Say how his priestly office he performs?25
A. By his once offering up, for sinful worms,
Himself a sacrifice, to satisfy
The justice a stern of him who is Most High,
In reconciling sinners to their God b,
And pleading for them in his high abode c.
a Heb. ix. 28. b. Heb. ii. 17. c Heb. vii, 25.
Q. How doth he fill the office of a king? 26
A. Us to himself he doth subdue and bring a;
Rules and defends us b, conquers and restrains
His foes and ours c; for King of kings he reigns.
a Psal. cx. 3. b Isa. xxxiii. 22. c l Cor. xv. 23.
Q. In what did Christ's humiliation lie?27
A. In leaving for a time his throne on high,
In being born, and that of parents low a;
Made under law b, and made to undergo
The mis'ries of this life c, his Father's wrath d,
The cross's painful and accursed death e;
In being buried, and remaining bound,
In chains of death, for three days under ground f.
a Luke ii. 7. b Gal. iv. 4. c John liii. 3. d Matt.
xxvii. 46.e Phil. ii. 8. f Matt. xii. 40.
Q. In what consists Christ's exaltation, say? 28
A. In rising from the dead th' appointed day a,
And re-ascending to heav'n's blest abode;
In sitting there, at the right hand of God b;
And thence descending, with great pomp and pow'r,
To judge the world at time's remotest hour c.
a 1 Cor. xv. 4. b Matt. xvi. 19: c Acts xvii. 31.
Q. How are mankind the blest partakers made29
Of that salvation for which Jesus died?
A. His Spirit's influence a, that all controuls,
Applies it graciously to sinners' souls b.
a Titus iii. 5, 6. b John i. 12.
Q. How doth the Holy Spirit this apply?30
A. By working faith in us a, and with that tie
Uniting us to Christ, our all in all,
In the firm bond of an effectual call b.
a Eph. ii. 8. bEph. iii. 17. 1 Cor. i. 9.
Q. Effectual calling, what doth it imply?31
A. The Holy Spirit's pow'rful work a, whereby,
Convincing us of misery and sin b,
Op'ning our minds to let new knowledge in c,
He turns our will d, and makes us to embrace
Christ willingly, with all his offer'd grace e.
a 2 Tim. i. 9. b Acts ii. 37. c Acts xxvi. 18. d Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
c John vi. 44, 45.
Q. When men, effectually call'd, believe,32
What profit do they in this life receive?
A. Justification a first in order flows,
Adoption b next, and following on those,
Sanctification, with all other gain,
That doth by those unto the just pertain c.
a Rom. i. b 30. Eph. i. 5. c 1 Cor. i. 30.
Q. Justification, what doth it comprise ?33
A. A gracious act of Him who is most wise,
By which he freely all our sins forgives a,
And us, as righteous, in his sight receives b,
For nothing meritorious of our own,
But for the righteousness of Christ alone c,
To us imputed, when in him we trust,———.
For only faith can make the sinner just d.
a Eph. 1. 7. b 2 Cor. v. 21. c Rom. v. 19. d Gal. ii. 16.
Q. What is adoption? A. 'Tis an act of grace a,34
By which we are receiv'd, and have a place,
Among the children of Almighty God,
To share the benefits on them bestow'd b.
a 1 John iii. 1. b John i. 12. Rom. viii. 17.
Q. Sanctification, what doth it include ?35,
A. A work of grace a, by which we are renew'd b,
Enabled more and more from sin to cease,
To grow in righteousness, and live in peace b.
a 2 Thess. ii. 13. b Eph. iv. 24. c Rom. viii. 1.
Q. What benefits accompany or flow36
From all these blessings to the saints below?
A. Assurance of God's love, of conscience peace,
The Spirit's gladness a, and of faith increase b;
All these the sanctified of God attend,
With perseverance therein to the end c.
a Rom, v. 1, 2, 5. b Prov. iv. 18. c 1 John v. 13.
Q. What benefits do persons who believe37
In Jesus Christ, from him at death receive?
A. Believers' souls, at death, are made complete
In holiness a, and gain heav'n's blissful seat b;
While, join'd to Christ c, their bodies in the tomb
Shall sleep in peace d, till he again shall come e.
a Heb. xii. 23. b Phil. i. 23. c l Thess. iv. 14. d Isa. lvii. 2.
e Job xix. 26.
Q. And what advantages at last shall they38
Receive from Jesus at the judgment day?
A. When the last trump shall rend the flaming skies,
They shall in glory from their graves arise,
Be own'd, acquitted, by their Judge and Lord a,
And to unmingled happiness restor'd b.
a Cor. xv. 43. Matt. x. 32. b 1 John iii. 2. 1 Thess. iv. 17.
Q. Of man what duty doth the Lord require ? 39
A. To yield his will, obedience quite entire a.
a Micah vi. 8.
Q. What rule did God to man at first reveal,
By which he might obey his holy will?
A. The rule, of which mankind should stand in awe,
At first reveal'd, was call'd the moral law a.
a Rom. ii. 14, 15.
Q. Where is the moral law concisely shown ? 41
A. The ten commandments make it briefly known a.
a Deut. x. 4. Matt. xix. 17.
Q. What do the sum of these commands impart ?42
A. To love the Lord our God with all our heart,
With all our soul, with all our strength and mind
And, as we love ourselves, to love mankind a.
a Matt. xxii. 37, 38, 39, 40.
Q. What is the preface to the ten commands?43
A. Thus, in the book of Exodus, it stands—
I am the Lord thy God, who set thee free
From Egypt's land, and house of slavery a
a Exod. xx. 2.
A2
Q. What’s taught by what this preface doth record?44
A. That, since Jehovah is the only Lord,
And our God and Redeemer, we are bound
To keep unerringly his precepts sound a.
a Deut- xi. 1. Luke i. 74, 75.
Q. Which is the first commandment in the code?45
A. Before me thou shalt have no other God.
Q. And what doth it require? To know a, and own46
Jehovah to be God the Lord alone.
Aud our God also b, and as such to give
Him worship due so long as we shall live c.
a 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. b Deut. xxvi. 17. c Matt. iv. 10.
Q. And what doth it forbid? A. Or to deny a,47
Or not give glory due to the Most High,
As God alone b, and our God c, or bestow
On ought that worship which to him we owe d.
a Psal. xiv. i. b Rom. i. 20, 21. c Psal. Ixxxi. 11. d Rom. i. 25
Q. What do these words, before me, chiefly teach?48
A. That all things are within Jehovah’s reach;
And that his judgments he at last shall pour
On all who other gods than him adore a.
a Psalm xliv. 20, 21.
Q. Which is the second precept of the law? 49
A. No graven image thou shalt make, nor draw
Likeness of ought, whatever it may be,
That doth inhabit heav’n, or earth, or sea;
To them do any service shalt not thou,
Nor worship them, nor down before them bow;
For I, the Lord thy God, a jealous King,
Will fathers’ sins upon their children bring,
Ev’n to the third and fourth succeeding race
Of them that hate me; and bestow my grace
To many thousands who me love and serve,
And from my righteous statutes never swerve.
Q. And what doth this command of us require?50
A. T’accept, observe a, keep pure, and quite entire,
All such like worship, rites, and rules, as God
Hath in the Scriptures for our use bestow’d b.
a Deut. xxxii. 46. Matt, xxviii. 20. b Deut. xii. 32.
Q. And what’s forbidden, can you clearly show?51
A. That man to images should ever bow a;
Or other worship render to the Lord,
Than that which is appointed in his word b.
a Deut. iv. 15, 16. b Col, ii. 18.
Q. To this command what reasons are subjoin’d?52
A. The Lord’s supremacy o’er all mankind a;
Th’ exclusive right by which we are his own b,
And zeal which he hath for his worship shown c.
a Psal. xcv. 2, 3. b Psal. xlv. 11. c Exod. xxxiv. 14.
Q. Which is the third command? A. Do not profane53
God’s holy name by taking it in vain;
For such as are so impiously bold,
The Lord will certainly not guiltless hold.
Q. What is the conduct this commandment claims?54
A. To use with holy reverence the names a.
The titles, attributes b, rites c, works, and word d,
Of him who is the great and only Lord.
a Psalm xxix. 2. b Rev. xv. 3, 4. c Eccl. v. 1. Job xxxvi. 24.
d Psalm cxxxviii. 2.
Q. What conduct doth the third command deny?55
A. Profaning or abusing ought, whereby
Jehovah, who is God the Lord alone.
Is pleas’d to make himself to sinners known a.
a Mal. ii. 2.
Q. What reason is assign’d for this command ?56
A. 'Tis, though its breakers may escape men’s hand,
Yet will the Lord our God not them acquit,
When he in judgment on their souls shall sit a.
a Deut. xxviii. 58, 59.
Q. Which is the fourth command ?
A. Remember aye57
To sanctify aright the Sabbath-day.
Six days for labour are on thee bestow'd,
The seventh's the Sabbath of the Lord thy God;
In it no work whatever shall be done
By thee, thy servant, daughter, or thy son;
Or by thy cattle, or thy stranger guest;
All that's within thy gates from work shall rest.
For in six days the Lord to heav'n and earth,
To sea, and all that in them is, gave birth,
And ceas'd the seventh ; wherefore he saw meet
To bless the Sabbath-day, and hallow it.
Q. What doth the fourth command from us require?58
A. The keeping holy, at our God's desire,
Those days he hath appointed in his word,
And one in seven completely to the Lord a.
a Lev. xix. 30. Deut. v. 12.
Q. Which of the seven hath God expressly blest,59
And set apart to be a day of rest?
A. From earth's creation to that period when
Our Saviour from the grave arose again,
Jehovah did the seventh day record
To be the weekly Sabbath of the Lord a;
The first day since shall be, through every clime,
The Christian Sabbath to the end of time b.
a Gen, ii. 3. b Acts xx. 7. Rev. i. 10.
Q. How should mankind the Sabbath holy keep?60
A. By pray'r and praise, and meditation deep a;
And resting wholly ev'n from work or play,
That lawful is on any other day b;
Yet must we not refuse what from our hand
Necessity or mercy may demand c.
a Psal. xcii. 1, 2. b. Lev. xxiii. 3. c Matt. xii, 11, 12
Q. What doth the fourth forbid ? A. Or to omit,61
Or ill perf the duties shown in it a ;
Or to profane the consecrated day,
By idly squand'ring precious time away;
Or by bad actions b, or whatever brings
Us needless thoughts or words of worldly things c.
a. Matt. i. 13. b Ezek. xxiii. 38. c Isa. lviii. 13.
Q. What reasons doth the fourth commandment show,
Why we should sanctify the Sabbath so?62
A. They are, God's granting us six weekly days,
To earn a living by all lawful ways a;
His blessing it b; his own example bright c;
And claiming it as his exclusive right d.
a Exod. xxxi. 15, 16. b Gen. ii. 3. c Exod. xxxi. 17. d Lev. xxiii. 3.
Q. Which is the third command we should fulfil?63
A. Honour thy father and thy mother still,
That prosperous and long thy days may be
In that good land thy God shall give to thee.
Q. What doth the fifth command of us require?64
A. To keep the honour of each one entire;
And do our duty to both young and old,
As in this life they place and kindred hold a.
a Eph. v. 21, 22. Chap. vi. 1, 5, 9. Rom. xiii. 1. Rom. xii. 10.
Q. What doth the fifth forbid ? A. Or to neglect,65
Or act against the honour and respect
That's due to all, in whatsoever sphere
Almighty Providence hath plac'd them here a.
a Rom. xiii. 7, 8.
Q. What reason added to the fifth appears? 66
A. A promise of success, with length of years,
As it God's glory and their good shall serve,
To all who this command in truth observe a.
a Eph. vi. 2, 3.
Q. Which is the sixth command? 67 A. Thou shalt not kill.
Q. And what doth it require? 68
A. That man should still
Use lawful means to banish strife a,
And to preserve his own b and neighbour's life c.
a Matth. v. 9. b Eph. v. 28. c Psalm xxxii. 3, 4. Job ix. 13.
Q. And what doth it forbid ? A. To kill a, or do69
Whatever may unjustly tend thereto b.
a Acts xvi. 28. Gen. ix. 6. b Prov. xxiv. 11, 12.
Q. The seventh commandment, tell me, which is it?70
A. 'Tis, Thou shalt not adultery commit.
Q. And what doth this command from us require?71
A. A chaste behaviour and subdued desire a.
a 1 Thess. įv. 4. Eph. v. 11, 12. 2 Tim. ii. 22. Col. iv. 6. 1 Pet. iii. 2.
Q. What doth the seventh commandment disallow?72
A. All violation of the marriage vow;
All actions, gestures, likewise words obscene a,
And all desires and thoughts that are unclean b.
a Eph. v. 3, 4. b Matt. v. 29.
Q. Which is the eighth command? A. Commit no stealth.73
Q. And what doth it require? A. T'augment the wealth
Of others a and ourselves b, as means afford74
That are consistent with God's holy word.
a Lev. xxv. 35. Phil. ii. 4. b Rom. xii. 17. Prov. xxvii. 23.
Q. And what doth it forbid? A. To cheat or steal,75
Or act against our own a or others' weal b.
a 1 Tim. v. 8. b Prov. xxviii. 19. chap. xxi. 6. Job xx. 19, 20.
Q. Which is the ninth command, can you declare? 76
A. Do not false witness 'gainst thy neighbour bear.
Q. What is required in the ninth command? 77
A. To keep inviolate truth's sacred band;
'Tween man and man its blessings to promote,
And chiefly when our testimony's sought a.
a Zech. iii. 16. 1 Pet. iii. 16. Acts xxv. 10. 3 John 12.
Q. And what doth it forbid mankind to do? 78
A. To utter whatsoever is not true a;
Or act in any way that may defame
The honour of our own b or neighbour's name c.
a Rom. iii. 13 b. Job xxvii. 5. c Psalm xv. 3.
Q. Which is the tenth command? A. 'Tis, Covet not79
Thy neighbour's house, thy neighbour's wife, nor
That doth to him in any way pertain,[ought
His ox, his ass, his servants, or his gain.
Q. And what doth it require ? A. Complete content80
With whatsoever lot to us is sent a,
And still to cherish towards all mankind,
And all that's theirs, an honest frame of mind b.
a Heb. xiii. 5. b Rom. xii. 15. I Cor. xiii. 4.
Q. And what doth it forbid ? A. All discontent81
With our estate a, to envy or lament
Our neighbour's good b, or have affections wrong
To things that properly to him belong c.
a 1 Cor. x. 10. b Gal. v. 26. c Col. iii. 5.
Q. Can any man all these commands fulfil?82
A. No; since the fall no mere man has the will,
Or pow'r, to keep them perfect a; but proceeds
To break them daily in thoughts b, words c, and
deeds d.
a Eccl. vii. 20. b Gen. viii. 21. c James iii. 8. d James ili, 2.
Is each sin heinous in the same degree?83
No; some sins in themselves are, and may be,
By certain aggravations, worse by far,
In the Creator's sight, than others are a.
a John xix. 11.
Q. To every sin, as wages, what is due?84
A. God's wrath and curse, here and hereafter too a.
a Gal. iii. 10. Matt. xxv. 41.
Q. What doth the Lord require mankind to do,85
T'escape his wrath and curse to sinners due?
A. The Lord, for so the Holy Scripture saith,
Requires that we in Jesus Christ have faith;
Repentance unto life a, and that we choose
The outward means with diligence to use,
By which our blessed Saviour doth bestow
The benefits which from redemption flow b.
a Acts xx. 21. b Prov. ii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Q. And what is faith in Christ? A. A saving grace a,86
By which we him most cordially embrace b,
And for salvation rest on him alone c,
As by the glorious gospel he's made known d.
a Heb. x. 39. b John i. 12. c Phil. iii. 9. d Isa. xxxiii. 22.
Q. What doth repentance unto life imply?87
A. It also is a saving grace a, whereby,
Convinc'd of sin b, and having full belief
In Christ's salvation c, sinners do, with grief,
And hatred of their sin, turn to the Lord d
And vow, and strive, to keep his holy word e.
a Acts xi. 18. b Acts ii. 37. c Joel ii. 13. d Jer. xxxi. 18, 19.
e Psalm cxix. 59.
Q. What are the outward means by which the Lord 88
Doth us redemption's benefits afford?
A. The outward ordinary means, by which
God doth the way of life to sinners teach,
His holy solemn ordinances are,
Chiefly the word, the sacraments, and prayer a
All which are made subservient to effect
The sure salvation of his own elect.
a Acts ii. 41, 42.
Q. How for salvation is the word made sure ?89
A. The reading it, but chief the preaching pure,
The Spirit makes an efficacious means,
In turning sinners from their many sins a;
And raising them in holiness of mind,
And joy b, through faith, till they salvation find c:
a Psal. xix. 7. b Thess. i. 6. c Rom. i. 16.
Q. How should we read and hearken to the word,90
That it to us salvation may afford?
A. With preparation due a, and prayer sincere b,
We should its precious doctrines read and hear;
With love receive them c, in our hearts them hide d,
And make them constantly our faithful guide e.
a 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2. b Psal. cxix. 18. c Heb. iv. 2. 2 Thess. ii. 10.
d Psal. cxix. 11. e James i. 25.
Q. How, for salvation to the chosen some,91
Do sacraments effectual become?
A. Through nought of ministers, or of their own a,
But by the blessing of the Lord alone;
His Spirit working in them who believe,
And worthily those sacred seals receive b.
a Cor. iii. 7 b 1 Pet, iii. 21.
Q. What is a sacrament ? A. An holy rite,92
By Christ appointed, where, by signs of sight,
He and his cov'nant-blessings are reveal'd a,
And to believers are applied and seal'd b.
a Gen. xvii. 10. b Rom. iv. 11.
Q.How many sacraments can you declare,93
In the New Testament recorded are?
A. The sacraments, of which it bears record,
Are Baptism a, and the Supper of the Lord b.
a Mark xvi. 16. b 1 Cor. xi. 23.
Q. And what is baptism ? A. 'Tis a sacrament,94
By Jesus Christ ordain'd, to the intent,
That washing us, who were through Adam lost,
In name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost a,
Should signify and seal our grafting in
To him who died to save our souls from sin,
Partaking benefits his grace affords b,
And our engagement to be still the Lord's c.
a Matt. xxviii. 19. b Rom. vi. 3. c Rom. vi. 4.
Q. To whom is baptism properly applied ? 95
A. To none by whom the Saviour is denied,
Till they to him faith and obedience yield a;
But Christians' infants are to be so seal'd b.
a Acts ii. 41. b Gen. xvii. 7, 10. Acts ii. 38, 39.
Q. What's the Lord's Supper? A. 'Tis a rite divine 96
By Christ appointed, wherein bread and wine,
Giv'n and receiv'd, hold forth his death to view a;
And they alone become partakers true,
That, by no carnal or corporeal mode,
Feed on the body of th' incarnate God;
But, through those symbols, by true faith partake
His flesh and blood, who suffer'd for their sake;
That thereby they in righteousness may grow,
And share the blessings from his death that flow b.
a Luke xxii. 19, 20. b 1 Cor. x. 16,
Q. And what to do is strictly requisite,97
Before partaking of that holy rite?
A. To search our hearts with pious care, and learn
If we have knowledge proper to discern
Christ's broken body a, faith on it to feed b,
Repentance genuine c, and love indeed d,
And new obedience too e, lest haply we
Unworthily eat, and so more guilty be f.
a 1 Cor. xi. 28, 29. b 2 Cor. xiii. v. c 1 Cor. xi. 3i. d 1 Cor. xi. 18, 20.
e l Cor. V. 8. f 1 Cor. xi. 27.
Q. And what is pray'r ? A. An off'ring up to God98
Of our desires a, for things to be bestow'd
On us according to his holy will b,
In name of Christ c, with full confession still
Of all our sins d, and due acknowledgement
Of all the mercies he to us hath sent e.
a Psalm lxvi. 8. b Rom. viii. 27. c John xvi. 23. d Dan. ix. 4.
e Phil. iv. 6.
Q. What rule hath God for our direction given,99
How we may supplicate the throne of heaven?
A. His whole word is of use in that respect a;
But the chief rule, us rightly to direct,
Is that which Christ for his disciples fram'd,
And now is therefore the Lord's Prayer nam'd b.
a 1 John v. 14. b Matt. vi. 9.
Q. Can you the prayer of the Lord repeat?100
A. Our Father who in heaven hast thy seat,
Thy name be hallowed; thy kingdom won;
And as in heav'n, on earth thy will be done.
May we each day our daily bread receive.
Forgive our debts, as debtors we forgive.
And lead us not into temptation's pow'r;
But keep us safe from ev'ry evil hour:
For thine's the kingdom, thine's the pow'r to reign,
And thine's the glory, evermore. Amen.
Q. What's taught us in the preface of this prayer?101
A. That, as Jehovah's styl'd our Father there,
We may, with holy confidence and awe a,
As children to a father b, near him draw,
Who can our souls in every trouble stay c;
And that we should with and for others pray d.
a Isa. Ixiv. 9. b Luke xi. 13. c Psalm xlvi. 1. d Eph. vi. 18.
Q. What do we pray for in the first request?102
A. We, in the first petition thus exprest,
(Thy name be hallow'd,) pray that the Most High
Would make ourselves and others glorify
Him in all things by which he is reveal'd a;
And cause his works him glory due to yield b
a Psalm lxvii. 1, 2, 3. b Rom. xi. 36.
Q. And in the second, what do we entreat?103
A. In this (Thy kingdom come) we ask defeat
To Satan's kingdom a, that the reign of grace
May o'er this earth succeed in every place b,
And that the reign of glory soon may be
Begun, to last throughout eternity c.
a Psalm lxviii. 1. b Psalm li. 18. 2 Thess, iii. 1. Rom. x.l.
c Rev. xxii. 20.
Q. What ask we in the third, which thus doth run,104
( And as in heaven, on earth thy will be done?)
A. That by his grace God freely would bestow
A mind with pow'r and willingness to know,
Obey, and be submissive to his will a,
Ev'n as the angels who it all fulfil b,
a Psalm cxix. 34, 35, 36. Acts xxi. 14. b Psalm ciii. 20, 22.
Q. What do we in the fourth petition crave,105
(May we each day our daily bread receive?)
A. In this we pray that God would freely grant
Of this world's good sufficient for each want a,
And that his gracious blessing may attend
Whate'er his goodness may be pleas'd to send b.
a Prov. xxx, 8. b Psalm xc. 17.
Q. What do we in the fifth petition crave,106
(Forgive our debts as debtors we forgive?)
A. In this request we to Jehovah pray,
For Jesus' sake to wash our sins away a,
In which request we holy boldness find,
Since by his grace we can forgive mankind b.
a Psalm li. 1. b Matth. vi. 14.
Q. And in the sixth, what's meant when we implore,
(And lead us not into temptation's power, 107
But keep us safe in every evil hour?)
A. In this we earnestly our God beseech,
To keep us always from temptation's reach a;
Or, when temptations strong beset our way,
That he would prove our constant help and stay b.
a Matt. xxvi. 41. Psalm xix. 13. b Psalm li. 10, 12.
Q. What's clearly taught us, can you now declare,
By the conclusion of this holy prayer, 108
(For thine's the kingdom, thine the power to reign,
And thine the glory, evermore. Amen?)
A. In this conclusion it is fully shown
That we in prayer should hope in God alone,
That only him we should by prayer implore a,
And in our prayers him rev'rently adore,
Ascribing to him, as Jehovah true,
The kingdom, power, and glory that is due b;
And should, in proof we wish our 'quests to gain,
And trust he hearkens to them, add, Amen c.
a Dan. ix. 18. b 1 Chron. xxix. 11, 13. c Rev. xxii. 20.
THE CREED.
In God, the Almighty Father, I believe,
From whom all things did being first receive :
My faith is also firmly fix'd upon
Our Lord and Saviour, Christ his only Son ;
Who was conceived by the Sp'rit Divine,
And of a virgin born, of David's line,
Condemn'd by Pilate, by his own denied,
Hung on the cross, where, suffering sore, he died,
Who was entomb'd, and in death's fetters lay,
Till dawn'd the third, the heav'n-appointed day;
Then he, arising, burst death's mighty band,
To heav'n ascended, and at God's right hand,
Now sits in glory, and ere long shall come
To judge the world, and take his ransom'd home.
I in the Holy Ghost believe, and, too,
In Christ's Church holy, Catholic and true,
The sweet communion of the saints below;
That God shall pardon to our sins bestow,
And that from dust our bodies shall again
Awake to life for evermore, Amen.
A MORNING HYMN.
AWAKE, my soul, the morning shines!
The sun is on his way;
And darkness down the west declines,
Before the face of day.
The little birds are all on wing,
And warbling 'mong the sprays ;
Do thou, my soul, them join, and sing
The great Creator’s praise.
O God Almighty ! thou art he
Who did from nothing frame
The heav’n, the earth, and rolling sea;
How glorious is thy name !
O ! teach me how I may perform
Thy holy will aright!
For man at best is as a worm,
And nothing in thy sight!
As clouds before the morning’s face,
With rapid speed retire ;
So may, before thy glorious grace,
My sinful thoughts expire!
The way of evil may I shun,
And every wicked snare;
Remembering always what thy Son
Did for poor sinners bear!
O, may I ne’er forget, when young,
That thou delight’st to hear
The praises of an infant’s tongue
Approach thy gracious ear.
As I to years of manhood grow,
May I continue still
Thy heavenly wisdom more to know,
And more obey thy will!
For life, for death, my soul prepare,
That I at last may gain
The paradise above, and there
For evermore remain!
AN EVENING HYMN.
Now has the glorious orb of day
Beyond the ocean sunk away,
And left the world in gloom ;
But soon he, from the eastern main,
Will in his glory rise again.
And make all nature bloom.
But who can tell if from the bed
Where now I lay my weary head,
I ever shall arise?
Cold death may o’er my slumber steal,
And with his icy fingers seal,
In his long sleep, my eyes!
How many children, young as I,
Within his cold embraces lie,
To wake no more in time,
Till the last trumpet rend the spheres.
And thunder in the sinner’s ears,
Its awful notes sublime!
Then, O my God, my spirit keep,
That when I wake, or when I sleep,
I may be ready still,
Should the grim messenger appear,
To look upon him without fear,
And go to Zion hill.
May God my parents both protect;
And may I give them due respect,
For all their tender care ;
And when in glory Christ shall come,
To take his faithful foll’wers home.
May they this glory share !
Now, O my God, for Jesus’ sake,
Me in thy safe protection take,
While slumber shuts my eyes;
And, if another morn I see,
May I due glory give to thee,
Whenever I arise!
THE BIBLE.
While others romances and novels may read,
To make time fly faster that flies with such speed!
There is nothing shall yield me a greater delight.
Than reading my Bible, by day and by night.
Other hooks may indeed be compos’d by the pen
Of the greatest, the wisest, the learned’st of men;
But the Bible eclipses their glory as far
As the sun in his splendour eclipses a star!
What bard can compare with the prophet Isaiah,
Who sung so sublime of the glorious Messiah?
Can Grecian or Roman e’er strike the lyre string
So wildly delightful as Israel’s king?
Or any historian such knowledge afford,
As that which is taught in the book of the Lord ?
O how my young bosom exultingly glows,
As I read how this world out of nothing arose,—
How yon great orb of light out of dark chaos sprung,
While the stars of the morning triumphantly sung;
How all things were form’d on this wonderful ball.
And man was created the lord of them all!
How happy he liv’d—how delightful his hours,
While he walk’d with his God in a garden of flow’rs ;
No sorrow he knew, till he stretch’d forth his hand,
And took of the fruit ’gainst his Maker’s command.
Then paradise wither’d—the earth ceas’d to bloom,
For sin scatter’d o’er it death’s horrible gloom!
Man, happy no longer, now destin’d to toil,
With the sweat of his brow he must water the soil;—
The prey of disease, disappointment, and pain,
Quick down to the dust he must wander again;
And his soul, never dying, cast off from its God,
In the regions of woe must take up its abode.
Till the great day of judgment, when, awful to tell!
Both body and soul shall be cast into hell,
Where the worm never dies, and the fire ever burns,
And whence no inhabitant ever returns!
So teaches my Bible ;—but this is not all,
For, tho’ human-kind were undone by the fall,
Yet God, out of mercy and infinite love,
To redeem them from death, sent his Son from above;
And all who believe in him never shall die,
But exchange this abode for a home in the sky;
Where sin cannot enter our pleasure to blight—
Where the presence of God fills each heart with delight!
Where the arches of heav’n shall eternally ring
With the song which the ransom’d of Jesus shall sing;
While the angels, enraptur’d, the sweet chorus raise,
And never grow weary of hymning his praise!—
The thought how transporting !—O can it be true,
That these eyes my Redeemer in glory shall view?
That these ears shall be charm’d with the anthem of bliss?
That this tongue shall with angels that anthem express?
Yes—answers my Bible, with promise divine ;
Then thanks be to God that the Bible is mine!
THE SINNER’S WARNING.
SINNER, haste ! see arrows flying,
Swift from death’s unerring bow;
See, around thee, thousands dying,
By those poison’d shafts laid low.
Sinner, haste ! the grave is yawning
To receive thy mortal clay!
Heed not pleasure’s fatal fawning ;
Haste, O sinner, haste away!
Haste, and look not once behind thee,—
Fiends from hell thy soul pursue!
And, if out of Christ they find thee,
What, poor sinner, wilt thou do?
Haste, the Saviour is intreating;
All he asks, and hinders none;
Haste, the hour of mercy’s fleeting—
Soon it shall be ever gone!
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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