When our blessed Saviour was upon earth, little children were brought to him, and he kindly took them in his arms, laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. You have read this pleasing account in the New Testament, and you have been taught that this kind Saviour came down from heaven, and was called Jesus, because he should save his people from their sins; you have learned that God Almighty will punish all wicked people after death, by sending them into a dreadful place. Now, consider, children, that you are all sinners, and though you are young, be sure, that unless you repent, and put your trust in Jesus Christ, God will cast you off for ever, and then you must be miserable. But Jesus Christ loves little children who come to him; he was nailed to the cross, and died to save them; and he will bless them, while they live; and when they die, he will take their souls up to heaven to himself, where they will be happy with the blessed angels for ever. Now, if you love him, my dear children, you will try and do what he says, and that is what we mean by your duty. Out of love, therefore, to you, we give you this little book, which sets before you some of the good instructions which are so kindly given you by your friends in the Sunday School: you must take care to keep in mind these things, if you would behave like children who love their Saviour, and hope to go to heaven. Read, therefore, this affectionate admonition, consider it well, and pray to God for grace, that you may profit by it.

1. Be early and constant in your attendance at School. Many naughty children come perhaps on one Sunday, and then are absent for two or three following ones; this shows that they have no desire to learn; if they loved our Saviour, they would not do so. Let not trifles keep you away; do not mind a little cold or a little rain, but hasten to school, and if you are there before your teachers, they will be pleased with you, and welcome you with a smile; they will also be encouraged to take pains with such good children, and you will go on regularly, and will not forget your former lessons, and be obliged to learn them over again, as foolish and idle children must often do. Such early attendance will prevent your class being thrown into confusion; and your teachers will be delighted to find that you are always ready for them as soon as they are ready for you.

2. Be very attentive to instruction. If instead of minding what is said to you, you gaze about the school, and look at the other children, you will still remain ignorant. When your teachers are explaining what you have been reading, listen, and try to understand them. When you are learning your lesson, keep your eyes fixed upon your book, and take as much pains as you can, that you may repeat it quite perfectly.

3. Be silent in your Class. Do not whisper and talk with those who sit next you; you have much to learn, and little time for the purpose; make it not less by your own carelessness.

4. Be thankful to your Teachers. They seek your welfare; you hear them pray for you, and they often do so when you are not with them. Their hearts' desire and prayer to God for you, is, that you may be saved; they would bring you to Jesus Christ, that you may be delivered from the wrath of God and endless misery, through his precious blood shed for you; that you may be saved from your sins, by repentance and faith in him; that you may be taught to pray to God through him; and that, by his grace, you may learn and obey his holy commandments, forsake all sin, do his will all the days of your life, and when you die, may inherit the kingdom of heaven. Whenever, therefore, they admonish, take heed to their words, fix your eyes upon them, and your thoughts on what they say; it is for your good that they take pains with you; they are seeking your salvation, and your endless happiness. How unkind will it be if you do not love them! How insensible must you be, if you do not profit by their instruction! How dreadful will your case be, if, in the day of judgment, they should be obliged to bear witness against you, that they taught you, and laboured to bring you to salvation, but you would not! On the contrary, how joyful will it be for both, if you are placed together at the right hand of our blessed Saviour, and hear him say, "Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

5. Honour and obey your parents. Remember, this is God's commandment. Consider this when you repeat the fifth commandment; grieve them not by impertinence and obstinacy; dare not to answer them with passion or disrespect; never speak evil of them, nor let others do so in your hearing; be always gentle, humble, and dutiful, in your manner; never frown, or be perverse, or idle, when they require you to work, but show that you are willing and industrious; be a comfort to them, attend on them in sickness, read your books to them, and tell them what your teachers say to you; and strive, as much as in you lies, to be the staff of their old age, like good Joseph in the Scripture. So God and they will bless you; and you will be like our blessed Saviour, who was subject to his parents in his childhood, and cared and provided for his aged mother even while he hung upon the cross.

6. Love your Brothers and Sisters. Be kind in your behaviour to each other, and show your love by actions as well as words. Do all in your power to make them happy; let brothers especially behave with gentleness to their sisters; they are by nature more weak and defenceless, and therefore brothers should treat them with peculiar tenderness. If your brothers or sisters displease you, do not speak angrily to them, but be patient, and forgive them, as you hope our blessed Saviour will forgive you. If they rail at you, rail not again; but pray for them; let them see that you love them still, and they will be ashamed of themselves, or, even if they are not, our Saviour will be pleased with you; for when he was reviled, he reviled not again. It is a sad thing when brothers and sisters quarrel, and dreadful when they strike each other; but a good and pleasant thing when brethren dwell together in unity and love.

7. Reverence the Lord's day. It is appointed for the worship of God; and all its hours should be employed in his service. On this holy day you must give up your amusements, and have as little as possible to do with worldly things; on this day you are taught to read the word of God, and you go with your school-fellows to worship him in his house; there you are to join with the congregation in prayer and praise, and to hear the minister of God preach the gospel, which is to make men wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Let your behaviour be very serious when you are thus engaged; listen to every word which the minister speaks; he is the messenger of God Almighty, and speaks as if Christ Jesus besought you, by him, to be reconciled to God. Pray to God that his word may prove a blessing to you, and try to understand all you hear; good children will not only endeavour to recollect the text and part of the sermon, but will also repeat them to their parents and teachers. Those who are idle, careless, or sleepy, in the house of God, act as if there was no fear of God before their eyes.

8. Read daily in the Bible. It is the word of God himself; it points out the way of salvation by our Saviour Jesus Christ; if you love him, you will delight in reading about him in the Bible. God's word is given for a light unto your feet, and a lamp unto your path: you know the use of a lamp in a dark night; such is the Bible, a light to guide us in this dark world. Ignorance and wickedness are the darkness of the world: Jesus is the light, and the Bible is to instruct you in the knowledge and love of him. Obey its commands, avoid what it forbids, follow its directions; and when you read it, pray to God to give you understanding, and a heart to receive its truths, that by his grace and blessing you may profit by them.

9. Pray to God constantly. What a mercy it is that—

God is your heavenly Father, who loves you; and though you cannot see him, he can both see and hear you; and he will hear you at all times. Confess all your sins to him, and think upon the love of our blessed Saviour, who died for your sins, and pray to God to prosper you, for his name sake. My dear children, he is very merciful; and if you are sorry for your sins, and afraid you shall be cast into the wicked place for them, you must tell him your fears, and he will be gracious to you, and teach you so to believe on our Lord Jesus Christ, that your sins will certainly be all forgiven; and then, oh, how must you love him! When you are tempted to be naughty, and disobedient, or ill-tempered, or idle, pray to him to give you a new heart and a right spirit; and do not give over praying for it till you find a better mind in yourselves; for he will give you the Holy Spirit, if you ask for it. Praise him also for all his mercies to you, especially for raising up such good friends to teach you the way of salvation.

10. Take a cheerful part in the praises of God. You learn hymns, in order to sing those praises. What beautiful hymns they are! I hope you will not merely please yourselves with the tunes, but study the meaning of the words, that your hearts may make melody to the Lord. How sweetly Moses, and the children of Israel, sang upon the banks of the Red Sea, when God had delivered them from the wicked Egyptians! Exodus, xv. How sweetly David sang to his harp and other instruments of music, as you read in the Book of Psalms! Our blessed Saviour sang a hymn with his disciples before he suffered; Matt. xxvi. 30. and Paul and Silas sang the praises of God when they were in prison, at dark midnight, and their feet were made fast in the stocks. Acts, xvi. 25. Oh, may you, dear children, sing his praises in the same blessed spirit, and it will be as sweet incense before his throne.

11. Abhor Swearing. What! a Sunday School child swear! Awful thought! And yet there are some who do! Such wicked children are taking the broad road which leads to hell. And what will [Pg 13]
[Pg 14] be your feelings, if you are cast into that dreadful place, after all the pains which have been taken to lead you to heaven! Your case will be far more dreadful than that of others, who are left to perish in ignorance and sin. Never take the sacred name of God in vain! Never use it but with fear and reverence, and when it is necessary to use it. When careless children call upon the name of God in their common conversation, as many do, exclaiming, Oh, Lord! Oh, God! Lord, have mercy! and the like, it proves that they are very wicked, or at least very thoughtless. Reverence his name, and tremble at the thought of mentioning it lightly.

12. Avoid bad company. Remember the Bible says, "A companion of fools shall be destroyed." "Therefore, come out from among them, and be separate, and I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Shun all places of public amusement, particularly taverns and play-houses. Many people call them harmless, and their diversions innocent; but do not believe them; all sorts of wickedness and folly are practised there—gluttony, drunkenness, indecency, swearing, and sins of almost every kind; if you go to them, you will soon become as bad as the rest of those who frequent them; do not mind the scorn of those who may despise you, because you will not run to the same excess of riot as they. If they are your relations, or your acquaintance, endeavour to persuade them to go to the house of God on the Lord's day, and on every other day to keep out of the path of temptation. If they will not be persuaded to do so, at least go not with them into any sinful course. They may endeavour to persuade you, but withstand their entreaties; call to mind the words of Solomon, "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not!" They may entice, but they cannot compel you; and as evil communications corrupt good manners, so, if you join their company, you will be in danger of following these wicked examples. If, my dear children, you hope to meet our Saviour at the last, and to spend eternity in heaven with holy angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, how can you bear to be in company with those wicked people upon earth, who are, every day, making themselves more fit for the company of the devil and his angels in the outer darkness, "where there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth?"And now I commend you unto God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified. We love you, we care for you, we pray for you! Oh, may God turn your hearts by the Holy Spirit to himself, that you may be his dear children; and may he bless this little book to you, and give you grace to read, to mark, to understand, and to practise its directions; may you walk in the path of duty while you live on earth, and at last join the assembly of his people before his throne in heaven, share in their happiness, and unite in their praises, to all eternity.

[Pg 17]
[Pg 18]