Summer is in session, and I am thoroughly enjoying the white sparkling beaches of Pensacola, Florida. Though I’m soaking up the sun, I still have a trusty book in hand. Recently, I’ve been brushing up on my history with the early colonial textbook, The New-England Primer.
In early colonial America, students, equivalent to a first-grader, used only two books to learn to read – The New-England Primer and The Holy Bible. Like students today they also had to learn their ABCs! The tiny blue primer uses one of the greatest teaching tools, rhyming! Each letter comes with a little rhyme to help the little ones. But these rhymes are not your ordinary “Itsy Bitsy Spider” rhymes. They are rich, powerful, and morally impacting rhymes!
| A | In ADAM’S Fall We sinned all. |
| B | Heaven to find; The Bible Mind. |
| C | Christ crucify’d For sinners dy’d. |
| D | The Deluge drown’d The Earth around. |
| E | ELIJAH hid By Ravens fed. |
| F | The judgment made FELIX afraid. |
| G | As runs the Glass, Our Life doth pass. |
| H | My Book and Heart Must never part. |
| I | *For some reason the letter ‘I’ is omitted* |
| J | JOB feels the Rod,– Yet blesses GOD. |
| K | Proud Korah’s troop Was swallowed up |
| L | LOT fled to Zoar, Saw fiery Shower On Sodom pour. |
| M | MOSES was he Who Israel’s Host Led thro’ the Sea |
| N | NOAH did view The old world & new. |
| O | Young OBADIAS, DAVID, JOSIAS, All were pious. |
| P | PETER deny’d His Lord and cry’d. |
| Q | Queen ESTHER sues And saves the Jews. |
| R | Young pious RUTH, Left all for Truth. |
| S | Young SAM’L dear, The Lord did fear. |
| T | Young TIMOTHY Learnt sin to fly. |
| U | *’U’ was also omitted No idea why! |
| V | VASHTI for Pride Was set aside. |
| W | Whales in the Sea, GOD’s Voice obey. |
| X | XERXES did die, And so must I. |
| Y | While youth do cheer Death may be near. |
| Z | ZACCHEUS he Did climb the Tree Our Lord to see. |
Did your teachers or parents help you learn through rhyming? Do you as a college student still use rhymes to help you memorize important information? I know rhyming significantly helps my memorization!
I would also venture to say many adults do not know the stories surrounding these Biblical characters depicted in the ABCs. During your quiet studies, I would encourage you to read about Vashti, Xerxes, and Esther or Ruth and Naomi.
Remember this memorization from The New-England Primer was required of a 1st grader around the age of 7 years! I hope someday I will be able to richly bless my children with these ABCs!
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