NEW TESTAMENT.

463

that he was a mere Man, and and Practices, by condemning
that his Divinity was only them in the strongest Terms
adventitious, and therefore He contrasts them with the
separated from him at his Truths and Doctrines of the
Passion, and against the Ni- Gospel, in which they had
colaitans, or Gnostics, who been instructed, and in which
taught that the Knowledge they are exhorted to continue.

of God and Christ was suffi- The Epistles of St. John. v.
cient for Salvation; that being E. 96 to 106. N. 37-40.
justified by Faith, and freed
S. St. John sanctions the
from the Restraints of the Books of the New Testament,
Law, they might indulge in and completes the Canon of
Sin with impunity-He cau- Scripture, by writing his Gos-
tions Christians from being pel, at the Request of the
seduced by these Doctrines Church at Ephesus. - N. 41.

REMARKS.

The present Key Sheet will be found considerably enlarged, when compared with the one first used in the Testament: yet that would elicit a fulness of meaning in the oracles of God, not to be conceived, without witnessing the practical effects of using it. Perhaps the characters are yet too limited. It is desirable, however, not to have them greatly multiplied. Some texts contain both doctrines and duties; and might be marked for either, e. g. in Mark vi. 12. repentance is a doctrine: it is the minister's duty to preach it, and the duty of all to exercise it. Sometimes the same passage inculcates more than one doctrine, or enjoins more than one duty. In that case, questions should be repeated. Some passages are designedly left without marking them: and the pupil should never pass over one jot or tittle of Inspiration, without endeavours to know the mind of the Spirit there revealed. Usually one letter is intended to apply till another letter occurs. When g, or o, or u, follows f, while they suggest additional questions, they should not supersede such other questions as might be appropriately asked with only ƒ at the beginning of the paragraph. Whenever the name of a country, city, river, or other subject of geographical, statistical, or chronological remarks, occurs, the pupil ought to be prepared to answer any important question which might be proposed. When i is used before a parable, it is expected that the leading truths intended to be taught by that passage, should be distinctly and particularly stated. It will be useful often to inquire what parallel texts can be named. It should not be understood by pupils that all the questions apply where a letter occurs, but several of them will. Nor should the instructer fail to ask other important questions which may occur. It is confidently believed that, if pious parents would question their families in some such manner respecting the chapters which should be read for prayer Sabbath evenings, and then have a free conversation respecting the truths they had read, and their application to family and personal circumstances, important benefits would be realized. It is recommended that instructers and pupils avail themselves of important advantages, which they may derive from connecting with the Key Sheet, a careful examination of the annexed general outlines of the plan for instructing Bible classes, recommended by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church, a few years since, originally drawn by Dr. Romeyn, and politely communicated to me, in his own hand-writing.

OUTLINES FOR BIBLE-CLASS INSTRUCTION.

"I. The historical part of the portion of scripture, which constitutes the lesson-including the two great divisions, the church and the world.

II. The biographical part, including the two great classes, believers and unbelievers; with the effects which their good and bad example have had upon the church and the world. III. The doctrinal part, including the nature and perfections of God-the character, person, offices, and work of Christ-the actual state of man by the fall, &c. &c.-marking distinctly the gradual increase of knowledge on these points from age to age, through the patriarchal and levitical dispensations, till the Christian dispensation furnished mankind with the clear, full development of God's gracious purposes towards our fallen state.

IV. The preceptive part, including the whole range of our duties, according to the moral law.

V. The positive ordinances, including the sacraments, types, sacrifices, the priesthood, the temple service: distin guishing between these positive institutions and moral duties-the first dependent on the will of God, and therefore mutable-the last on his nature, and therefore immutable: marking the changes of the first from time to time, with the reasons for the change, and unfolding the influence which they obviously were intended to have upon the spiritual exercises of our hearts, and our obedience to the moral law.

VI. The practical lessons which the historical and biographical parts furnish for the regulation of human conduct, in all the relations of life."

N. B. In these outlines it will be understood that general questions should be asked the pupils; and full instruction given by the Pastors under each division.

HINTS.

It is highly desirable, that all, who have the REFERENCE TESTAMENT, should become familiar with the KEY SHEET and TABLES subjoined. For this purpose, each reference letter should direct the eye to the corresponding letter with its questions in the Key sheet, till all those questions suggest themselves as soon as the letter is seen. Every proper name, about the pronounciation of which there can be any hesitancy, should be examined in the Table till the correct pronunciation of it becomes familiar. All words found in the Etymological, Geographical, and Miscellaneous Tables, should be traced from the text to those Tables, and when found on the map which now accompanies the work, to that likewise. When reference is made to prophecy, the Reference and Chronological Tables, are to be consulted.

From the Remarks, Hints, Key, and Explanatory Directions, it will be seen that the reference letters suggest TOPICS, rather than questions in detail, and should be used accordingly. Should it be sometimes thought that the Printer, or the Editor, had inserted a wrong letter in the margin, if the existence of that letter should lead the person using it to pause, and ascertain what the Holy Spirit does teach there, the great end of the marking would be answered. KEY.

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