APRAYER before the Reading of the HOLY SCRIPTURES.

ALmighty God, and most merciful Fa

ther, who haft appointed thy Word "to be a Light to our Feet, and a Lamp unto our Paths, and caufed all Holy Scrip"tures to be written for our Learning; grant "us the Affiftance of thy Holy Spirit, that "we may in fuch wife read, mark, learn, and "inwardly digeft them, that by Patience and "Comfort of thy Holy Word, we may em"brace, and ever hold faft, the bleffed Hope "of Everlasting Life, which thou haft given "us in our Saviour JESUS Chrift.

"And feeing of thy tender Love to Man"kind, thou haft given thy dear and only "Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin, "and alfo an Example of godly Life; give

us Grace that we may always most thank"fully receive this his ineftimable Benefit, "and alfo daily endeavour ourfelves to fol"low the bleffed Steps of his most holy "Life, who liveth and reigneth with thee " and the Holy Ghost, ever One Go DWorld "without End. Amen.

Page 18, Line 23, for fifth read fiftieth.

AN

AN

ABSTRACT

OF

SCRIPTURE HISTORY

By WAY of
Question and Anfwer.

LESSON' I.

Of the CREATION of the WORLD.

OD created the World out of Nothing, by the Word of his Power, according to the Counfel of his own free Will, and for his own Glory. In Six Days he finished the curious Fabrick, and rested the Seventh Day from all his Labours. As to the Formation of Man, he made him in his own Image, after his own Likeness, of

B

the

the Duft of the Ground, and breathed into his Noftrils the Breath of Life. Man is the Image of God, becaufe he is endow'd with fuch noble Faculties as enable him to answer the chief End for which he was created, that is to say, to know the Supreme Being, and love him as his heavenly Father, and bountiful Benefactor. The Name of the first Man was Adam. GOD provided a Help, or Companion meet for him, by taking out one of his Ribs, which he made Woman, in Order to be the Object of his tendereft Affections, and, as it were, his fecond Self. The Name of this his new Confort was Eve. Thefe our firft Parents were planted by GoD in a terreftrial Paradise, that is to fay, in a delightful Garden, where they dwelt together in a State of perfect Innocence, and uninterrupted Felicity. Of every Tree therein they might freely eat, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil only excepted. The Man and his Wife were both naked, but not afhamed; for they knew no Sin. They were perfe&t Strangers to all the Toils and Inconveniencies of Life, and Death had then no Dominion over them. GoD likewife created a numerous Hoft of pure and incorporeal Spirits, that is to fay, of holy Angels.

The

The CATECHISM.

Queft.WHO made the World?

Anfw. GOD.

Q. Of what Materials did he make it ?
A. Out of Nothing.

Q. How did he make it?

A. By the Word of his Power.

Q. To what Purpofe did he make it ?
A. For his own Glory.

Q. How did he make the First Man? A. In his own Image, after his own Likenefs, of the Duft of the Ground, and breathed into his Noftrils the Breath of Life.

Q. For what End was Man created?

A. To know, and love the great Author of his Being.

Q. Of what was the firft Woman made ?
A. Of one of the Man's Ribs.

Q. For what Reafon ?

A. To fhew that they two were one Fleft. Q. What Sort of Place was the terreftrial Paradife?

A. A beautiful Garden,

bere GOD A

mighty planted Adam and Eve.

Q. How did they live there?

A. In a State of perfect Innocence, and uninterrupted Felicity.

Q. Had Death at that Time any Dominion over them? A. No.

Q. What were the holy Angels?

A. Pure and incorporeal Spirits.

TH

******

LESSON II.

Of the FALL of MAN.

HERE were fome of thofe Angels before-mentioned, who ungratefully rebelled against the Almighty; but he caft them headlong into Hell-Fire, there to remain, in unutterable Torments, the everlafting Monuments of his divine Difpleafure. Thefe are thofe apoftate Spirits, or Angels of the Devil, who are for ever artfully contriving how to tempt Mankind, and make them fin against their Maker. Accordingly, Satan, their Head, or Ring-leader, affum'd the Shape of a Serpent, and perfuaded the Woman to eat of the forbidden Fruit. She yielded to his fubtle Infinuations, took of the Fruit thereof, and gave alfo unto her Husband with her, and he did eat. Whereupon GOD curfed the Serpent, and declared, that the Seed of the Woman fhould bruife the Serpent's Head; that is to fay, a Saviour of the World fhould one Day come, to destroy the Works of the Devil. He drove Adam and Eve out of Paradife; after which, they long liv'd in a most deplorable State and Condition. They loft the Grace and Favour of God, became Captives of Satan, and subject not only to

Death