"and with all thy mind. This is the first "and great commandment. And the se"cond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two com"mandments hang all the law and the "prophets." The force of truth, my brethren, is not to be resisted; and a plain tale will always convince. The Pharisee, or Scribe, as he is elsewhere called, (for both were nearly the same,) experienced this; his prejudices, for a moment, gave way, and he could not help replying to JESUS, (as we find in Mark xii. where the same circumstance is related,) "Master, thou hast "said the truth; for there is one GoD, "and none but He: And to love Him with "all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all "the strength, and to love his neighbour "as himself, is more than all burnt-offerings "and sacrifices."

After the plain and positive answer, which JESUS thus gave to the "tempting" question of the Pharisee, no man can possibly be at a loss to understand, on what commandments all the law and the prophets hang; or, in other words, in what true religion consists. He finds from that answer, that CHRIST Himself has reduced the law to this great compounded duty, the love of GoD and man.

But, though this must be acknowledged by every man, who thinks at all upon the subject of religion; yet he may still, perhaps, entertain very false notions, respecting what the love of GOD and man comprehends. He may probably think, that it does not extend so far as CHRIST intended it should go; or he may imagine, that it includes many idle or superstitious services; such as, shutting himself up from the world, and inflicting terrible punishments upon his own body, as some modern christians of the Romish church do; or, in "the tithing of "mint and cummin," "and in washing "of pans and platters," like the mistaken and bigoted Pharisees of our Saviour's time. They, indeed, who are in the habit of" searching the Scriptures," or listening to the preachers of GOD's word in their church, will not hold such vain fancies as these; because they will find from thence,. that the love of GoD and man comprehends every duty of adoration, faith, and obedience to the law of GOD, as revealed by JESUS CHRIST; and every duty of compassion, benevolence, justice, fidelity, and brotherly love, to their fellow-creatures. The members of the church of England, in truth, would be inexcusable, if they were ignorant of these things; since it is one great advan

tage, as well as a fair subject of commendation, of that church, that it takes especial care to give right notions on this, and all other important points of religion, to its members; and that, at an age too, when they are most likely to be led into wrong opinions; and best able to remember those which are right, if they are instructed in them. I allude to the excellent Catechism, which our wise and pious forefathers provided, almost three hundred years ago, for the instruction of the young members of the Church of England, in the principles of our holy religion. It is drawn up with great plainness and simplicity, so as to be easily understood, even by the young and ignorant; sufficiently full and comprehensive, to contain all the articles of the christian faith, and all the rules of a christian's duty; and yet so short, as to be readily learned, and easily remembered. The order of instruction also, which it follows, is equally scriptural and sensible beginning with the explanation of infant baptism, as the first step in christianity; going on to shew the obligations to holiness and virtue, which those who are baptized into CHRIST's religion, are bound to fulfil; and ending with an account of the blessed sacrament of the LORD's supper, as a public acknowledgment of our holding the

VOL. II.

faith of JESUS; of our being members of the church of England; and as a means of grace and strength, to enable us to fulfil the duties of our christian calling. Fully sensible of the importance of such instruction, our church has made provision, that this "form "of sound doctrine" should be learned and understood by all its members; and for this purpose (as you will see in your Prayerbook) has directed, that every young person should be taught it, " before he or she be brought to be confirmed by the

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Bishop;" that the Clergy of different parishes should teach it to the children of their respective parishes, on the Sundays, or holidays; and that all persons who have the care of children, should bring them to the clergyman, at the time and place ap pointed, for the purpose of being thus examined and instructed in the Catechism of their church. It is true, that this public teaching of the Catechism has, for a long time past, fallen into disuse; though the manifest advantage of it is so great, that it seems highly desirable, it should be once more generally put in practice. This, however, is no reason, why private instruction in the Catechism should not be conscientiously kept up; and to me it appears, that no parent, or master, can consider himself as

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having fulfilled his duty to GOD, or as being a faithful member of the church to which he belongs, if he do not use his diligence," in instructing his own children, and those which are committed to his care, in that summary of his faith and practice, the Church Catechism. With respect to the information which it gives to young people, of their duty to GoD and man, nothing can be more short, familiar, or scriptural. I will repeat to you what it says on these two important heads, and make a few observations on each of the quotations.

"Our duty towards GoD," says the Catechism," is to believe in Him, to fear Him, and ، to love him with all our heart, with all our "soul, and with all our strength; to wor

ship Him, to give Him thanks, to put "our whole trust in Him, to call upon "Him, to honour his holy name and his ،، word, and to serve Him truly all the days "of our life." Nothing can more shortly, but at the same time, more fully, explain our duty to God, than this extract. We are to "believe in GOD;" to receive the Bible, as his own divine word, as the revelation of Himself, and the declaration of his will to mankind : to believe, fully and firmly, all its truths and doctrines, more especially the great articles, of our fall in Adam, and our