lation.] Can any Religion be a true one that is not founded upon Divine Revelation? [Ans. No.]

Instruction.---Divine Revelation was given by God to mankind through the Eternal Son of God, who is called on this account The Word, or the Revealer of Heavenly Truths, In the first ages of the world, the Eternal Son of God appeared as the Lord God to chosen persons, and revealed Divine truths; which they made known to others; afterwards God the Holy Ghost inspired persons, who were on this account called Prophets, and the Prophets declared to the world what was thus revealed to them. After this, for a considerable time, nothing new was revealed, but at length the eternal Son of God came upon earth in the person of Jesus Christ, and taught the divine truths of the Gospel, and when he ascended into heaven, after his resurrection, the Lord sent the Holy Ghost to inspire the Apostles, that they might reveal to the world, by their preaching, the whole of those divine truths which Christians are required to believe; and that the knowledge of what had been revealed from time to time might never be lost, God inspired Holy Men to write the Scriptures. The Lord also planted his Church upon earth by taking mankind into Covenant with himself; he appointed Holy Ordinances to be observed by all the members of his Church, and provided an Order of Men as his Ministers, to instruct his people in the truths of Divine Revelation, and to perform the Rites and Ceremonies of his holy Religion.

Questions.---Who has been the Revealer of heavenly truths to mankind from the beginning? [Ans. The Eternal God.] What is the Eternal Son of God called on this account? [Ans. The Word.] Did God always give Divine Revelation in the same way? [Ans. No.] How was Adam taught to know his Creator? [Ans. The Lord God appeared to him.] Who is the Lord God? [Ans. The Son of God.} Do you recollect any other persons mentioned in Scripture to whom the Lord God appeared and revealed heavenly truths in the early ages of the world? [Ans. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.] Did not these chosen persons make known to others what the Lord revealed to them? [Ans. Yes.] When the Lord did not appear visibly, how did he reveal Divine Truths to particular persons? [Ans. He sent the Holy Ghost to inspire them.] What were those persons called who were thus inspired by the Holy Ghost?

[Ans. Prophets.] Did, the prophets make known what the Lord revealed to them by the Holy Ghost? [Ans. Yes.] When the Lord had ceased for a time to reveal new truths to mankind, in what way did He afterwards reveal the truths of the Gospel? [Ans. The Lord came down from heaven and took human nature upon him.] What was the Eternal Son of God called when he thus took our nature upon him? [Ans. Jesus Christ.] What did the Son of God do after his ascension? [Ans. Sent the Holy Ghost to inspire his apostles.] How did the apostles make known to those who lived at the same time what had been revealed to them? [Ans. By preaching the Gospel to all nations.] What did the Lord God do that the truths of divine revelation might be carried down from generation to generation? [Ans. He inspired holy men to write the Scriptures.] What did the Lord appoint for all the members of his church to observe? [Ans. Holy ordinances.] How did the Lord provide for the instruction of his Church? [Ans. He ordained an Order of Ministers.] What were the Lord's ministers to do? [Ans. Instruct the people in the truths of divine revelation, and perform the rites and ceremonies of his holy religion.]

Instruction.---By the Church of Ged is to be understood a society of human beings in covenant with God, as his peculiar people, and solemnly engaged as such to serve and worship him in the way of his own appointment, not following their own imaginations, or the inventions of other men. In the beginning of the world, there was only one Religion; but in a short time mankind began to make Religions for themselves, which by degrees led them into the worship of idols, and in process of time all the nations of the earth fell into idolatry ; but the Lord would never suffer the true Religion to be lost; he always graciously preserved his Church. When the Lord destroyed the whole earth by the flood, he preserved his Church in the Ark, in Noah and his family. When the Lord dispersed mankind at the Tower of Babel, he preserved his Church in the family of Shem; and when all the nations of the earth were corrupted by idolatry, the Lord called Abraham, one of the posterity of Shem, out of his own country, and afterwards made of Abraham's posterity a great nation, and chose them for his peculiar people. This nation had the truths of divine revelation committed to their keeping, and had divine ordinances, and a holy priesthood, such as no other nation upon earth had ever

had. The Church of God was then with the Israelites, that is, the Jews.

Questions.---What is meant by the Church of God? [Ans. A society of people in covenant with God as his peculiar people.] How are those who are taken into covenant with God to worship and serve him? [Ans. In the way God appoints.] If God ordains particular rites and ceremonies, should not his people obey them? [Ans. Yes.] As there is an Order of Men set apart in God's appointed way as Ministers of the Church should people set up ministers for themselves? [Ans. No.] How many religions were there in the beginning of the world? [ns. One.] Did all mankind keep to the true religion? [Ans. No.] What did following their own imaginations lead them into? [Ans. Idolatry.] Can you tell of any things that have been worshipped as idols? Ans. The sun, moon, and stars, men and women, birds and beasts, fishes and creeping things, plants of various kinds, and images made of gold and silver, wood and stone.] Did the Lord suffer his Church to be totally destroyed? [Ans. No.] Where was it preserved at the flood? [Ans. In the Ark.] How many persons did the church consist of at that time? Ans. Eight.] In what family was the true religion preserved after mankind were dispersed from the Tower of Babel? [Ans. In the family of Shem.] Who was Shem? [Ans. One of the Sons of Noah.] Who did the Lord call out of his native country, when all the nations of the earth were corrupted with idolatry? [Ans. Abraham.] For what purpose did the Lord call Abraham? [Ans. To make a great nation of him] What was to be established in this nation? [dns. The church of God.] What great nation came from Abraham [Ans. The Israelites.] What are the Israelites called now? [Ans. Jews.] How was the Jewish nation distinguished above all the nations of the earth? [Ans. They were the chosen people of God.] What was committed to their keeping? [Ans The truths of divine revelation.] Where was the Church of God at that time? [Ans. In the Jewish nation.]

LECTURE II.

Of the Christian Church.

Instruction.---When God took the Jews for his peculiar people, he cast off the Gentiles, that is, God left the idola

trous nations for a time to follow their own imagination; but it was the gracious intention of God to admit the Gentiles into his Church, when the great purposes for which the Jewish nation was set apart were fulfilled; which purposes were, to shew by the wonders wrought amongst them that the Lord is the only true God; and to prepare the world to receive the Lord when he should come in the flesh to reveal a religion suitable to all mankind.

Questions.---Who did God cast off for a time when he took the Jews for his peculiar people? [Ans. The Gentiles.] Who were the Gentiles? [Ans. The Heathen nations.] To what nation did God commit the truths of divine revelation which had been made known from time to time to mankind? [Ans. The Jewish nation.] Who wrote the history of former things and the prophecies relating to future times for the use of God's chosen people? [Ans. Moses and the Prophets.] What did the Lord prove by the wonders he wrought amongst the Jews? [Ans. That he is the only God.] What did the Lord prepare the world to do by their means? [Ans. To receive him when he should come in the flesh.] What was the Lord to reveal when he should come in the flesh? [Ans. A religion suitable to all mankind.]

Instruction.---The Religion which the Lord God revealed to mankind when he took our nature upon him was the Gospel, which is now called the Christian Religion. It was first offered to the Jews, and many amongst them gladly accepted it; but as a nation they rejected it. They crucified our Lord Jesus Christ, persecuted his apostles, and refused to let the Gentiles partake of God's favour with them, on which account the Jews were cast off, and the true Religion was preached all over the world to the Gentiles, many of whom became Christians; and such of the Gentiles as did so, together with the Jews that embraced the Gospel, were formed into the Christian Church, of which our Lord Jesus Christ himself is the Head. The Christian Church is now therefore the true Church, for it has Divine Revelation for its guide in the way of everlasting life, Divine Ordinances, and a Holy Priesthood to administer them.

Questions.---What religion did the Lord God reveal to mankind when he came upon earth in our nature? [Ans. The Gospel.] What do we call the Gospel? [Ans. The Christian religion.] To whom was the Gospel first preached? [Ans. To the Jews.] Did they receive it? [Ans. No.] How did they behave? [Ans. They crucified our Saviour and per

secuted his Apostles.] What did they refuse in respect to the Gentiles? [Ans. To let them partake of God's favour with them.] How were the Jews punished for all this? [Ins. They were cast off.] To whom was the Gospel preached then? [Ans. To the Gentiles.] Did many of them receive it? [Ans. Yes.] Of whom was the Christian Church composed in the time of the Apostles? [Ans. Of converted Jews and Gentiles.] Does this Church still exist? [Ans. Yes.]. What has the Christian Church for its guide in the way of everlasting life? [ns. Divine Revelation.] Are there divine Ordinances in the Christian Church? [Ans. Yes.] Is there also a holy priesthood? [Ans. Yes.]

Instruction.---Whilst the Jewish nation was the peculiar people of God, the Church at Jerusalem was the only Church; the priesthood was there; the sacrifices could be offered in the Temple only. All the men of Israel were required to go to Jerusaleiur three times a year to keep the great festivals, which were the Passover, the Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles; for though they had Synagogues where they assembled to pray and hear the word of God, they had no Sacrifices in them? but the Christian Church is composed of many branches, and the ministry is suited to it. In every Christian nation there are places called Church-es and Chapels properly consecrated or set apart for Public worship, and Ministers properly ordained to administer the divine ordinances, and to teach the truth of divine revelation to the people who are committed to their care. The Church of England is a branch of the Christian Church; it has places consecrated to Public worship according to the principles of the Christian Religion. It has divine Ordinances, namely, the two Sacraments ordained of Christ himself, and a holy Priesthood, agreeably to the institution of the Apostles, consisting of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons; and it has a Liturgy or Form of Prayer, conformable in every respect to the Holy Scriptures, which is used in all the Churches throughout the kingdom. Whoever is received into the Church of England according to the form of baptism prescribed by that Church, becomes a Member of the Holy Catholic Church. By the Holy Catholic Church is meant the whole Society of Christians, of which our Lord Jesus Christ is the Head, and every national Christian church a part of it.

Questions---Where was the Church of God established when the Jews were the peculiar people of God? [Ans, At