A New Years Gift.

OR, THE Youth's Instructor THROUGH The Wilderness of this World, TO THE Mansions of Eternal Glory. WITH A most Pious and Religious Catechism, fitting for the Capacities of Young Chil­dren; with several Morning and Evening Prayers: And Prayers before and after the Receiving the Holy Communion.

With Graces before and after Meat.

To which is added the Life of Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson.

Recommended as useful and very necessary for the Ʋse of Children, by D. Stephens.

Printed according to Order.

LONDON, Printed and Sold by J. Wilkins, near Fleet street MDCLXXXXVIII.

A Catechism for Children.

Question. WHo made thee?

Answer God.

Question. What is God?

A. He is Almighty, Maker, and Governour of all things.

Q. Wherefore did the Lord make thee?

A. To serve him.

Q. How oughtest thou to serve him?

A. As he hath appointed in his Laws.

Q. which be they?

A. The keeping of the Ten Commandments, as they are appointed in the Twentieth Chap. of Ex.

Q. What dost thou believe concerning Je­sus Christ?

A. I believe he is the only begotten Son of God, of the Father, the Eternal Son of God, and able to save sinners.

Q. What hath Christ done for thee?

A. He dyed for me.

Q. If Christ were God, how could he Dye?

A. Christ was both God and Man, as he was God, he could not dye; but being Man, he dyed for my sins, and rose again for my Redemption.

Q. Are all then saved by the Death of Christ?

A. No; only such are saved as by a lively faith [...]ay hold on him.

Q. What is a lively Faith.

A. A true Belief and faithful relying on all the Promises of God, and a stedfast belief that Christ dyed as well for my Sins as any other, if I, thro Faith, do lay hold on him.

Q. Who was the first Man that God Cre­ated?

A. Adam.

Q. Who was his Wife?

A. Eve.

Q. Of whom was the first Man, Adam, a Figure?

A. Of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ.

Q. How do you prove that?

A. The first Man Adam was made a living Soul, and the last Adam, Christ, was made a quickning Spirit.

Q. What cast Adam out of Paradice?

A. Sin.

Q. Who was the Faithfullest Man?

A. Abraham.

Q. In what?

A. In offering his only Son Isaac when he was tryed.

Q. What else?

A. He lese his Native Land, as God com­manded.

Q. Who was the Meekest Man on Earth?

A. Moses.

Q. Who was the hard-heartedst Man?

A. Pharoah.

Q. Who was the Patientest Man?

A. Job.

Q. Wherein?

A. VVhen the tydings came to him of the sud­den loss of his Goods and his Children, he said, Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Q. How long did he live?

A. Nine Hundred sixty nine years.

Q. Who was the only Righteous Man?

A. Noah.

Q. What Man Wrestled with Gods Angel

A. Jacob.

Q. Where?

A. At Penel, when he was going to meet his Brother Esau.

Q. After his Wrestling with God, who was he called?

A. Israel.

Q. VVhy?

A. Because as a Prince he had power with God.

Q. VVho was the only Man after Gods own heart?

A. David.

Q. VVherein?

A. He followed the Lord with all his heart.

Q. VVho was the wisest Man?

A. Solomon.

Q. VVherein?

A. In asking of God for Understanding.

Q. VVho was the strongest Man?

A. Sampson.

Q. VVherein lay his great strength?

A. In his Hair.

Q. How many Judges Governed Israel?

A. Seventeen; from Judah to Samuel.

Q. What occasioned the Change of Israels Government?

A. Samuels Son's ill Goverment.

Q. Who was the first King of Israel?

A. Saul.

Q. Who was the second King of Israel?

A. David.

Q. Who was the third King of Israel?

A. Solomon.

Q. How long did Solomon Reign?

A. Forty Years.

Q. Who was the Oldest Man?

A. Methusalem.

A Prayer before the Receiving of the Holy Sacrament.

O Heavenly Father, fit me with a lively Faith, profound humility, filial obedience, inflamed affections, and universal charity: O raise in my Soul, all those heavenly transports of zeal and de­votion, of love and desire, of joy and delight, of praise and thanksgiving, which becomes the re­membrance of a crucified Saviour, which becomes one redeemed by the Blood of God, and that for his sake only that redeemed me, in whose holy Words I sum up all the Graces and Blessings I stand in need of. Our Father, &c.

A Thanksgiving after Receiving the Sacrament.

O How plentiful is thy goodness, my Lord, and my God, which thou hast laid up for those that fear thee, and put their trust in thy Mercy!

Was it not love infinite enough dearest Lord, to give thy self for me on the Cross? Was not that Sacrifice of thy self sufficient to expiate the Sins of the whole World? What, Lord, couldst thou then do more for me?

O dearest Lord, raise thou my Devotion to the highest pitch it can possibly reach, to praise thee; en­large my Soul to its utmost extent to love thee Amen

A Praer for the Morning.

BLessed be God, for keeping me this Night past. God bless me, and keep me from sin and danger this day following; and give me Grace to love and serve him, and to honour and obey my Father and Mother, according to his Com­mandment, that I may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, thro' Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for the Night.

BLessed be God, for keeping me this day past in health and safety. God forgive my Sins, and give me, Grace to do so no more: God give me Faith in Christ, and Salvation by him. God bless me and keep me, and my Father and Mother, this night and for ever, thro' Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Morning Prayer.

VVE bless thee for keeping us this night past, and day peesent hitherto. Now take us, O Lord, into thy protection; guide bless, and keep [Page 7]us from sin and danger, Grant we may always so demean our selves as in thy sight and presence, that at the last day we may give up our accompts with joy, Hear and answer us for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, in whose name and words we fur­ther pray unto thee, saying, Our Father, &c.

An Evening Praer.

WE bless thee for the blessing of the day past, that thro thy goodness we have not want­ed any good thing. Pardon the Sins we have this day committed, and be fully reconciled to us in Christ: take us into thy tuition this fol­lowing night; refresh us with quiet rest and sleep, and raise us up the ensuing day (if thou shalt in mercy add it to our lives) to serve thee with dili­gence in the discharge of the duties of our places, to thy praise and our comfort and salvation, thro' Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour: to whom, with thy self and holy Spirit, be all Honour, Praise and Glory, now and evermore. Amen.

Grace before Meat.

God bless his good Creatures to me.

Grace after Meat.

Blessed be God for his Goodness in feeding of me.

Before Meat.

God bless us and our Food and save us throug Faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.

After Meat.

Blessed be God for our health, food, and hope of Salvation, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Child compleatly Arm'd for Christ, &c.

A More notable Instance of True saving Know­ledge than what I am going to lay before you, as a worthy pattern to guide and direct your lives and conversations by, has perhaps been sel­dom or never recorded, especially in these latter woful evil days wherein Sin and wickedness so much abound, and wherein all manner of Abomi­nations, with Grief I speak it, are so much coun­tenanced, &c.

Elizabeth Robinson, was the Daughter of John Robinson, a very reputable Mercer in the Parish of St. Martins in the fields: she was carefully, by her Religious Father taught and well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures: But it deed there appeared no­thing extraordinary in her, till towards the 11th year of her Age, at which time it pleased God to visit her with a sharp fit of Sickness, during the continuance whereof one ask'd her, what she thought would become of her if she should dye? She answer'd. That she was afraid she should go to Hell. Being asked why she harbour'd such Thoughts, she reply'd, Because she feared she did not love God. Again, being asked how she did know she did not love God? she replied, What have I done for God ever since I was born? Being asked again, Whether she was not sorry that she could not love God? she answered, Yes; but was still afraid it was to late: some few Months After this she had a discovery o [...] hee approaching Death which was no small com­fort to her: Anon, said she, I shall be with Christ, and I shall live, with him for ever. So she dyed be­tween a Eleven and Twelve years old.

FINIS.

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