people sleeping in sermon time, or looking about as if they did not attend to the Minister's instructions; and many people make it a practice to go out of church the moment the sermon is ended, as if they did not want to depart with a blessing. Instead of doing so, devout people stay till the Minister has ended the blessing, and then each person offers a prayer silently for himself.

Questions.---What should we do when the Minister is preaching? [Ans. Listen attentively.] Is it not comfortable to hear the Minister pronounce a blessing upon the congregation? [Ans. Yes.] In whose name does he pronounce it? [Ans. In God's name.] What should every one do then? [Ans. Stay till the blessing is ended.]

Instruction.---While some people slight Sermons, as if there was no benefit to be derived from hearing the Word of God explained by learned Divines, who have made the Scriptures their particular study, other people place religion entirely in hearing Sermons, and set little account by the Service of the Church; nay, they suffer themselves to be persuaded to think that the gospel is never preached but by unlearned persons, who pretend to have an extraordinary gift, and who claim a privilege to preach in houses or fields : but those are fatal mistakes, for though good sermons are certainly very useful, no words that men can preach should take place of the Prayers and Praises of the Church. And it is very wrong to believe that any persons are particularly inspired to preach the Gospel, unless they work miracles; but miracles have long ceased, because there has been nothing new to reveal since the time of the Aposles; therefore all that is required of Ministers now, is to study the written Word, and to pray to God to enable them so to understand it, that they may be able to preach sound doctrine to their flock.

Questions.---Does the whole of religion consist in hearing sermons [Ans. No.] Where should we go to hear the Word of God? [Ans. To his house.] Should any presume to preach the word of God, who has not been ordained to the sacred Ministry? [Ans. No.] Do those preachers who pretend to be inspired, work miracles as the Apostles did? Ans. No.] Why does not God give the power of working miracles to his Ministers now? [Ans. Because there is now no new doctrine to be revealed.]

INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING, THE FASTS
AND FESTIVALS.

Instruction.---In the Communion Service, after the Prayer for the King, the Collect, Epistles, and Gospel for the day are read. These Prayers, with the portions of Scripture joined to them, are suited to the days set apart for the commemoration or observance of particular mercies, conveyed to us through Christ Jesus our Saviour, or in memory of the blessed Apostles, and other holy persons, who preached the Gospel, and laid down their lives for the truth. Some of these are called Festivals, and other Fast-days. By Festivals are meant days of religious rejoicing; by Fast-days are meant days of religious mourning.

Questions.---What is a Collect? [Ans. A short prayer suited to the day.] What are the Epistle and Gospel? [Ans. Portions of Scripture.] To what days are the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels suited? [Ans. To holydays.] What are holydays? [Ans. The Festivals and Fasts appointed by the Church.] What is meant by a Festival? [Ans. A day of religious rejoicing.] What is meant by a Fast? [Ans. À day of religious mourning.]

Instruction.---The Holydays, which are called our Saviour's, were designed to put us in mind of some of those acts by which he redeemed mankind, and for which we ought, in a particular manner, to express our gratitude to our Redeemer, and to glorify the Father of all Mercies. The Saints' days were designed to do honour to the memories of the first preachers of the Gospel, and other Holy Martyrs, who laid down their lives for its sake, and to encourage others to bear all the trials they may meet with in a Christian course of life with courage and patience. The early Christians were very strict in their observance of those days of penitence and humiliation, called Fasts. They usually abstained from all food, till the public devotions of the day were over, which was about three o'clock in the afternoon, and then eat of the plainest and most simple food; and these outward acts of mortification were accompanied with a suitable humiliation of mind and sorrow for their sins. They also passed the Festivals in a religious manner, assembling together to praise God for his mercies, and performing acts of charity.

Questions.---What are those Festivals which are called our Saviour's, kept in commemoration of? [Ans. Our Lord's

acts of redemption.] Who are the other Festivals kept in memory of? [Ans. The blessed Apostles and other holy persons.] What are these days called? [Ans. Saints' days.] What is the meaning of the word Saints? [Ans. Holy persons. s.] How did the first Christians spend the Festivals? [Ans. They assembled together to praise God for his mercies, and did acts of charity.] Did they not keep the Fasts very strictly? [Ans. Yes.]

Instruction.---The Feasts and Fasts of the Church, which were formerly so very strictly observed by Christians, are in these days much neglected, and in consequence of this neglect, wickedness prevails in the world: few people now think of any festivals but those which are called the three great ones, namely Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide; or of Fasts, but that of Lent and Good Friday; and even these are by many persons slighted and forgotten. The custom, however, of going to church on the Holydays is still observed by some picus Christians, and the children of most charity schools are required to attend divine service in them; but it is shocking to see the carelessness and want of reverence in the behaviour of many of these children, which surely would not be the case, if they perfectly understood the purpose for which they go to church.

Questions.---Are the festivals and fasts observed now as they used to be formerly? [ns. No.] Do not some religious people still go to church on these days if they can? [Ans. Yes] What children usually go to church on these days? [ns. Charity children.] How should they behave in church on these occasions? [ins. With reverence.] Is it not very shocking to see children playing and talking in the House of God? [Ans. Yes.]

Instruction.---It is not expected that persons who gain their living by their daily labour, should keep every Fast or Feast-day, and for this reason the service is not performed in villages, which chiefly consist of labouring poor; but the poorest may find time to rejoice in the birth of their Saviour, on Christmas day, and to mourn over his cruel death, and their own sins, which were the cause of it, on Good Friday. It is a great shame, indeed, to neglect either of these days; and it is a very great sin to pass Holy days in riot and drunkenness, as many do, either from not knowing or not considering the holy purposes for which they were ordained.

Questions.---What festival in particular should every Chris

tian observe? [Ans. Christmas-day.] What fast in particular should they keep? [Ans. Good Friday.] Is it right to spend holydays in drunkenness and riot? [Ans. No.] How should all who do go to church behave themselves there? [Ans. With reverence and devotion.]

Instruction.---All the Sundays in the year are Festivals, and so are Christmas-day, the Circumcision of Christ, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Saints' days. The Fasts are the forty days of Lent, the Ember days, the three Rogation days, all the Fridays in the Year, except Christmas-day falls on that day, also the Vigils or Eves, by which are meant the days before certain Festivals, such as Christmas eve, Easter eve, &c. &c.

INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE COLLECTS.

Let the Children learn the Collect for the Sunday every week, and repeat it as a part of their Sunday Lesson. When they have repeated it, let them have it explained. Tell them they may always know what the Sunday, Festival, or Fast is, by looking in an Almanack. If it can be conveniently managed, the Scripture Lesson should be that in which the Gospel for the day is included; the Epistles in general may be reserved to a future time.

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Instruction.---The Sabbath has been a Holyday from the creation of the world. Besides keeping the day holy as a Sabbath, the Church has appointed to each Sunday the commemoration of some particular mercy. Look at the beginning of your Prayer Book, in the Table for the proper sons for Sundays, and you will see what the Sundays are called; and you may always know what Sunday it is at any time, by looking for the day of the month in an Almanack.

Questions.---Which day of the week is the Christian Sabbath? [ins. Sunday.] Why is it called the Lord's day? [Ans. Because our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead upon it.]

Instruction ---The four Sundays before Christmas-day are called Sundays in Advent. The word Advent signifies the coming of Christ in the flesh. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, for these four Sundays, are intended to prepare the minds of Christians for the great festival of Christmas, on which the birth of our Saviour is commemorated.

Questions.---What are the four Sundays before Christmas called? [Ans. Sundays in Advent.] What is meant by the Advent? [Ans. The coming of Christ in the flesh.] What are the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, for those days designed to prepare Christians for? [Ans. The great festival of Christmas.]

The First Sunday in Advent.

Instruction.---By works of darkness are meant wicked works. By the armour of light, are meant Christian virtues. Questions.---Who is meant by him that liveth and reigneth with God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, world without end? [Ans. Jesus Christ our Saviour.] Are not wicked works very properly called works of darkness? [Ans. Yes.] Can they be done in open day, and in the face of the world, as good works may? [Ans. No.] What armour will defend us against the assaults of the devil? [Ans. The armour of light.] What is properly so called? [Ans. Christian virtues.] What must we pray for to enable us to cast away works of darkness and put upon us the armour of light? [Ans. The grace of God. When have we need of Christian virtues? [Ans. In this mortal life.] Why is the present life called a mortal life? [Ans. Because it will end in death.] What shall we be prepared for, if we practise Christian virtues to the end of our mortal life? [Ans. Christ's coming to judge the quick and the dead.] What shall we rise to? [Ans. The life immortal.]

The Second Sunday in Advent.

Instruction.---The food which we eat will not nourish our bodies, unless it goes into the stomach to be digested. It is the same in respect to our spiritual food, the Word of God. To digest it inwardly, signifies to get nourishment from it for our souls, that they may have everlasting life.