Devotional Literature
“The peculiar design of this publication is to impress devotional feelings as early as possible on the infant mind; to lay the best foundation for practical devotion in future life.”
—Mrs. Barbauld in Hymns in Prose for Children
Devotional works in a variety of genres were considered an integral element in the religious education of children. Prayers, hymns, psalms, and devotional texts in prose and verse were published to promote personal daily prayer and piety and to provide a foundation for spiritual contemplation. Included here are examples in French, English, Dutch, and German from the Continent, England, and the United States.