tain? [Ans. All the divine truths which God has revealed to mankind.] Which is the most excellent book in the world? [Ans. The Bible.] Who wrote it? [Ans. Holy men inspired of God.] By whom were the five first books of the Bible written? [Ans. By Moses.] Who was Moses? [Ans. The great lawgiver and leader of the Jews.] Who were the Jews? [Ans. The chosen people of God.] Have not you already learnt from former Lectures a good deal of the history of the Bible? [Ans. Yes.] Shall you not like to read these histories in the very words of Scripture? [Ans. Yes.] Where ard they to be found? [Ans. In the Bible.] Is it not very comfortable to you to have the easy parts of the Bible put together for you? [Ans Yes.] Should you read other books instead of Scripture Lessons? [Ans. No.] Should you prefer any books to the Word of God? [Ans. No.] Attend then while I read and explain the word of God.

Read Lesson 1, verse 1 to 26.

Explanation. This is the first chapter of the first book of Moses, called Genesis; it gives an account of the creation of the world, and informs us of many things which could never have been known to mankind without Divine Revelation, because they happened before there was a man upon the earth, and were known only to God himself.

The earth being without form signifies, that all the different parts of which the world is now composed, namely, earth, fire, water, &c. were mixed together. The earth being void signifies, having no trees, plants, or living creatures upon it. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters to bring the earth into form, and fill it with creatures.

Light is one of the most valuable blessings belonging to this world. The Creator did not destroy darkness, because darkness is also a blessing, as it is suitable to repose; but God so ordered the light and darkness, that they should succeed or follow each other all round the world; so that when one half of the earth was in darkness, the other half should have light.. As the darkness was before the light, it is here said that the evening and the morning were the first day.

By the firmament is meant the air in which the birds fly. The firmament is a great blessing; nothing in this world can live without air.

The gatheting together of the waters into seas, and leaving dry land between them, made the world fit for the habita

tion of the living creatures that were afterward to be in it, and also for the production of trees and all kinds of plants. Grass, herbs, and fruit trees, are among the great blessings of life. If the first grass, herbs, and fruit trees, had not had seed in themselves, there would soon have been an end of their kinds; and all the living creatures which feed upon them would have died.

The two great lights which God created were the sun and the moon. The sur serves to divide the day from the night, and also to divide the year into the four seasons, of spring, summer, auturon, and winter: the moon divides the year into months. This division of time is very useful to mankind.

Questions.-What did God make from nothing? [Ans. The heavens and the earth.] How came mankind to know that the world arid all things in it were made by one Creator? [Ans. God revealed it.] What form was the world in at first? i. [Ans. It was without form.] What was there in it ? [Ans. Nothing: it was void.] What is said to have moved upon the face of the waters, to bring the earth into form, and fill it with creatures? [Ans. The Spirit of God.] Could mankind have found out what was done before there was a human creature upon earth? [Ans. No.] Could any creature have found out the hidden things of God, unless it had pleased God to reveal them? [Ans. No.] Out of what did God make all things? Ans. Out of nothing.] How came there to be light? 3. [Ans. God said Let there be light; and there was light.] Does not this give you a high notion of the power of God? [Ans. Yes.] What is meant by the Firmament? [Ans. The air in which the birds fly.] What had the grass, herbs, and fruit-trees, in themselves? 12. [Ans. Seeds.] What would have happened if these things had not been created with seeds in themselves? [Ans. There would have been an end of them.] What would have happened if there had been an entire end of the herbs, trees, and plants? [Ans. All living creature would have been starved to death.] What two great lights did God make to rule the day and the night? [Ans. The sun and the moon.] What else did God make to give light? [Ans. The stars.]

Rend verse 26 to the end.

By man is to be understood humankind. God created at first but one human creature, called Adam, which name signifies the man; and from Adam have proceeded all the human

creatures which have ever come into the world. Adam is therefore called the father of us all. Whatever was done for Adam, or in respect to him, was done for him as mankind. To be in the image of God, signifies to bear some resemblance to God.

By having dominion, is meant having rule over others. By subduing the earth, was meant, that man should make use of every thing the earth produced for his comfort, as lord of the creation, under God. Man could not have known what things were good for food if God had not told him, neither would he have had a right to any of the things in the world, unless God had expressly given them to him. And we should observe that, when God gave man dominion over the lower creatures, he did not give him permission to starve, or ill treat them; they were still His creatures, and he gave them food as such. We are also to observe, that God made all things good, there was no corruption or blemish in any one of them.

Questions.---What creature did God make last? [Ans. Man.] What are we to understand by the word Man? [Ans. Humankind.] How many of the humankind did God make at first? [Ans. One.] Was the world made for Adam only? [Ans. No.] Who was it made for? [Ans. All mankind.] In whose image was man made? [Ans. In the image of God.] Were any of the other creatures, besides Man, created in the image of God? [Ans. No.] What did God give to man over the other creatures? [Ans. Dominion.] Who is the great governor over all things? [Ans. God.] Could man have had dominion, if God had not been pleased to give it him? [Ans. No.] Could man have ruled over the living creatures, and have made use of those which have no life, if God had not given them for his use? [Ans. No.] What did God give to man for food? [Ans. Every herb bearing seed, and every fruit-tree yielding fruit.] What did God give to the other creatures? [Ans. Every green herb.] Was there any fault, or imperfection, in any of the creatures when they came out of the hands of their Creator? [Ans. No.] Could they have been mended, or improved in any respect? [Ans. No.]. What were they all? 31. [Ans. Good,]

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION.

Explanation. This Lesson lays the foundation of true Religion, by revealing, that there is one God, the Father Al

mighty, maker of heaven and earth; those who have followed their own imaginations, instead of Divine Revelation, have fancied that there were many gods, but the works of the creation shew that they had all one Creator. This Lesson likewise gives an account of the origin of Mankind, by informing us that God made at first one Human Pair only, and ordained that the race of Mankind should increase and multiply, which has happened accordingly. We also learn from this Lesson, that before a living creature came into the world God, by making trees, plants, and herbs, with seed in themselves, provided food for all the creatures he intended to create at first, and for all that should proceed from them till the end of the world. This should lead us to reflect upon the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, displayed in the works of the

creation.

Questions.---What is the foundation of all Religion? [Ans. -To believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.] In how many days did God make the world, and all things in it? [Ans. In six days.] Which of the commandments teaches the same thing? [Ans. The fourth.] How did mankind come into being [Ans. God created one man.] Whose word have we for there being but one man? [Ans. God's.] Did not God bless mankind, and say that they should increase and multiply? [Ans. Yes.] Have they done so [Ans. Yes.]. How did God provide for all living creatures before they came into the world? [Ans. God made food for them.] Which of the living creatures was made last? [Ans. Man.] Was it not very comfortable to all the living creatures to find the world thus prepared for them? [Ans. Yes. Was it not very comfortable to find that the trees, and plants, and herbs, had seed in themselves? [Ans. Yes.] Have not all the generations of mankind been made partakers of the blessings of creation by these means? [Ans. Yes.] · Do not we ourselves partake of them? [Ans. Yes.] Does not the same sun and moon light us that gave light to the first man? [Ans. Yes.] Have we still day and night, and fruitful seasons? [Ans. Yes.] Do not mankind still gather seeds and fruits in abundance? [Ans. Yes.] Could any but an almighty Eeing have made all things, and provided for them in this wonderful manner? [Ans. No.] Are you not convinced then that God is almighty? [Ans. Yes.] Could any but an all-wise Being have made them? [Ans. No.] Are you not convinced then that God is all-wise? [Ans. Yes.] Would any

but an all-good God have brought all things into being, and provided for the comfort and subsistence of all to the end of the world? [Ans. No.] Are you not convinced then that God is all-good? [Ans. Yes.]

Instruction.---As Man was created in the Image of God, it was his duty to keep up this divine image, by copying the divine perfections in every thing he could; and by submitting his will to the will of God. To have the Divine Image in their souls should be the desire of every human being. Chris-tians are instructed in the New Testament how to obtain it, and in what manner they are required to submit their will to God's will; and children are taught this at an early age in the Catechism; let it then be your endeavour to learn it, for there is no other way to gain everlasting life and happiness.

If God had not given man dominion, the beasts would have been too powerful for him; and other creatures would have made him uncomfortable. If Man does not let the other. creatures have food proper for them, he acts the part of an› unjust governor, and abuses the dominion God has bestowed upon him. These reflections should lead us to be thankful to our Creator for the dominion he has given us, and to use it with kindness; and the thought that God made man in his own image, should also raise in our minds an earnest desire to be as like to God as possible, and to endeavour to increase the goodness of the world by our own good works.

Questions.---As Man was made in the image of God, who should he desire and strive to imitate? [Ans. God.] Can any creature be as good as God? [Ans. No.] But cannot they try to be as good as their nature will admit of? [Ans. Yes.] Whose will should God's creatures do, his or their own? [Ans. God's will.] Is it not a happy thing for man to have dominion over the lower creatures? [Ans. Yes.] How should we treat the lower creatures? [Ans. Kindly.] Whose creatures are they all? [Ans. God's.]

LESSON II.

Read Verse 1 to 8.

Explanation. By the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts of them, are meant the world and all things belonging to it, together with the sun, moon, and stars. By God's resting,