8. Idleness and deceit.

9. Lying and slandering. 10. Every evil notion, impure thought, and base desire.

8. Contentedness and liber

ality.

9. Truth and uprightness. 10. Good thoughts and perseverance to the end.

[See Note before the 12 Prayers in Chapter 3.]

22. O my GOD, let nothing take away my heart from Thee. May I have no other GOD, no other love, but only Thee.

23. O my GOD, make me so zealous for Thy honour, that I may try to worship Thee as I ought, and may show a due regard to all the parts of Thy worship.

24. O my GOD, let it be the great business of my life to love and glorify Thy Name with my lips and in my life, and by leading all I can to honour Thee.

25. O my GOD, give me grace to worship Thee at all times, in private and in Thy holy temple; and to serve Thee truly all the days of my life.

26. O my GOD, help me for Thy sake to give due honour to all those set over me, those placed under my charge, and all with me at home and at work, in the Church and in the world.

27. O my GOD, teach me to seek the health, safety, and happiness of my neighbour; that he may be the better able to serve and love Thee.

28. O my God, let Thy love make me hate all uncleanness, that I may purify myself as Thou, LORD, art pure.

29. O my God, teach me to be just in giving to all men what is due to them. Help me to be thankful to Thee for Thy gifts, temperate in my use of them, and liberal in giving to those that are in need.

30. O my God, give me grace always to speak the truth, and to hate all things that hurt my neighbour's good name.

31. O my God, give me a heart that may, for the love of Thee, stop all the risings of sinful desire, before they lead to consent or to any evil words and deeds.

The LORD JESUS said

1. Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.

Golden Rule.

The LORD JESUS saidAll things whatsover ye

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.-S. Mark. xii. 30, 31. S. Matt. xxii. 40. Compare Deut. vi. 5, x. 12.

1. With all thy soul love GOD above.

2. And, as thyself, thy neighbour love.

First Table-Commandments

I-IV.

O GOD, Who alone art worthy of my love: Grant me grace, that I may never forget Thee nor Thy glorious perfections; but serve Thee according to Thy Word, and according to my vows, in sincerity and godly fear: that I may not spend Thy holy days in idleness or in formal acts of worship, but may honour and serve Thee with my body and my spirit; through JESUS CHRIST my Saviour. Amen. Second Table-Commandments

V-X.

Open mine eyes, O LORD; that I may see Thy law to be holy and just and good; and that I may keep it with my whole heart. Teach me to love and honour all whom Thou hast placed over me; to do violence to no man; to hate all uncleanness, deceit, lying, and evil desires; for JESUS CHRIST'S sake. Amen.

you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.-S. Matt. vii. 12.

Be you to others kind and true, As you'd have others be to you; And neither do nor say to men Whate'er you would not take again.

11.-SACRAMENTS.

We cannot believe or do as we ought without GOD's help. So GOD has given us His Holy Sacraments as means of grace. JESUS CHRIST was made man, and thus became the Saviour of all that come to Him: He now applies that salvation to each through Sacraments.

I. By HOLY BAPTISM We are washed from the sin of our birth, and born again of water and of the Spirit.Chapters 12-16.

II. HOLY COMMUNION feeds us with the Most Precious Body and Blood of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST.-Part III.

Holy Baptism and Holy Communion are the two great Sacraments of the Gospel, appointed by CHRIST Himself, necessary for all Christian people. They stand above all other ordinances in the Church of GOD.

3. Confirmation gives us the

Holy Ghost to strengthen us. -Chapters 17-18.

4. Absolution cleanses us from sins committed after Baptism.-Chapter 32.

5. By the ministry of GOD's Priests in the Visitation of the Sick our souls are helped in their affliction.

6. By Holy Orders we are provided with Divinely-appointed Ministers.

7. Holy Matrimony blesses and sanctifies the state of the married.

The Visitation of the Sick is described in S. James v. 14. 15. Sick people ought to send for a clergyman before they are too weak to receive the full benefit of his help. The visit of a clergyman does not condemn a sick man to death: "the prayer of faith" may even "raise him up." Sickness is "GOD's visitation:" the priest comes on GOD's behalf to help the afflicted to make his peace with GOD, or to minister to him according to the special needs of his soul. [Prayers for the Sick, Part VII.]

are reserved for the Bishop only. The clergy of the Church of England trace their descent from the Apostles whom the LORD JESUS ordained. The Bishop of Rome, a few years ago, sent some Bishops to England; but, of course, it would be a sin for us to give up the clergy whom GOD has set over us, and follow the Roman clergy or any other teachers of religion who try to make converts.

In Holy Matrimony a Christian man and woman

66

are

'joined together by GOD;" and JESUS said, "What, therefore, GOD hath joined together let not man put asunder." S. Mark x. 9. Some irreligious people like to be "without GOD" in their marriage; and the Registrar gives them a license to live together as man and wife. They think in this way to escape public disgrace; but theirs is not Holy Matrimony. Church people should not marry in Advent or Lent, or during Great Festivals.

"according to the use " of the branch of that

this land. A great part of the Prayer Book is very ancient. Its forms of worship have been handed down from the early Church. "The use of the Church of England was arranged very much in its present form in the year 1549. Since that time the Prayer Book has been revised: it was put forth, just as we have it now, by the authority of the Church of England, in the year 1662. Some people, who do not believe Church doctrine, want the Prayer Book altered again; and they blame the clergymen who obey the Prayer Book as it is. Alterations of that kind would be very sinful. For "the use of the Church of England must agree with the doctrine of the Church" of which it is a part. 1 Cor. xi. 16.

12.

HOLY BAPTISM.

The first Sacrament is that by which we first come to JESUS. This is what the Bible says to you-" As many of you as have been baptized into CHRIST have put on CHRIST." Gal. iii. 27. Therefore, of course, as many as have not been baptized have not put on CHRIST, and are none of His. All baptized persons are Christians, though they are not all good Christians. But no unbaptized

they may be trying to do what is good. All baptized persons are children of GOD, though they are not all obedient children. But no unbaptized persons are children of GOD, though they may do some things that GOD'S children do. This seems quite plain. We cannot save ourselves, or make ourselves GOD's people. It must be GOD's act, and He has taught us that He does it in Holy Baptism. We must be born again. We can't be saved by our own good thoughts, or feelings, or faith. JESUS CHRIST is our only Saviour, and we must come to Him to be saved. Therefore "repent and be baptized, every one of you." Acts ii. 38. You must come to your Saviour in this way. and not in any other way of your own. Hear His words, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD." S. John iii. 5.

13.-INFANT BAPTISM.

Infants must be baptized as soon as possible after their birth. It is very wrong to put off this duty, as some people do, for months or even years. JESUS said, "Suffer the little children to come

unto Me, and forbid them not." S. Mark x. 14. "Registration" is not Baptism. Registration means only that the infant has been born into this world" born in sin:" Baptism means that in it the infant has been born again of water and of the Spirit. Baptism is more than "naming." The Christian name is only a sign of the new birth into GOD's family, just as the surname is a sign of the infant's birth into its parents' family. Names that are really "Christian" can be chosen from the Church Kalendar. Infants

ought to be baptized publicly, that is, in Church during the service; that the people may be reminded of their own Baptism, and may pray for the children. The office for the "Public Baptism of Infants" ought not to be used in Church as a private service, when there is not a public service going on. It is the duty of every Christian to do all he can to bring infants to Holy Baptism, and to take care that no infants die without this blessing. It is not necessary for either father or mother to be present at the Baptism of their child. The mother should be Churched as soon as she can go out. No fee should be given to any one for baptizing a child, or writing its name in the registers.

Christian people ought to be glad to act as sponsors for their friends' children, when asked to do so. Some persons are afraid to do this; for they think they shall have to answer for the children's sins. This is a great mistake. All that God-fathers and God-mothers have to do is to help parents in the care of their children's souls, by seeing that the children are taught their duty to GOD and man. You will find all this explained in the end of the Baptismal Service. It is the duty of parents and Godparents to train up children "in the nurture and admonition of the LORD." It is a great sin for Church people to neglect the teaching of their children, or to send them to any but Church Schools, where they will be trained up in the religion into which they have been baptized.