profitable employment of their learning, and of all their faculties, to the honour of God, and the salvation of immortal souls. To others, besides those who either are, or are about to be called to the office of the ministry, the Author would gladly offer something which may tend to establish their faith, and direct their practice. In the higher classes of society,among those who have abundant means and opportunity of becoming well acquainted with "the things which belong unto their peace," the advantages of superior attainments, and liberty of choice, are not always improved as they ought to be, in the acquisition of that knowledge of God, of themselves, and of their relative obligations, which is absolutely essential to the proper government of their hearts, and to the performance of their social duties. It would seem, that the more time that is bestowed upon them, undistracted by the necessary occupations of the world-the less inclination there often is to employ it according to the commands of God, and the dictates of right reason. It is, therefore, possible, that those who are unwilling to devote any large portion of their days to spiritual matters, may yet be induced to look into a brief summary of that which stronger expression, for them not to understand, And if they once endeavour to trace out the boundaries of true religion, they will require no eloquence to prove to them, that her ways are ways of pleasantness, and that all her paths are peace. To the young, however, most especially, among whom religious sentiments, and sacred matters, are made the frequent topic of discussion, too often with unjustifiable garrulity, and whose modes of thinking and of speaking on such subjects, are imbibed from those around them-to such persons it may be of some advantage to have placed before their eyes a connected scheme of God's dispensations of Providence and Grace, and of the reciprocal duties which spring from man's situation upon earth. It may be advantageous to them to be able to turn to the opinions of some of the best and wisest men whom the Church of England has produced, and to the very words of that Church itself, on any head on which they may entertain a doubt, or on which they hear conflicting sentiments avowed. If the Author have unconsciously been guilty of infusing any subtle poison into his composition, he has, at least, supplied the antidote. If he be convicted of inconsistency with the authorities he fying to the lex eiucated tases senti. are, and must per le te wees interest and vines u te Priest:-out Church really does hold as truth, and what she does not acknowledge. And if this humble work should be the means of making any of his poorer brethren understand the excellencies of the Church, of which they are conscientious members, and so, of confirming them in their attachment to it, he will consider himself amply repaid for all the labour and anxiety it has cost him. To his Clerical Brethren,-to Students in Divinity, to the higher classes of the Laity,-but especially to the young among them, and to all of the less educated ranks, who may be desirous of a brief epitome of the principles on which are founded, their Faith and Practice, as Christians, in communion with the Church of England, the Author commends his unpretending book, entreating them not to overlook or palliate his faults, but to unite with him in sincere and earnest prayer to the One great eternal God, that notwithstanding all its defects, He will graciously be pleased to bless it to the glory of His Name, and the spiritual benefit of all who read it;— that, so far as it is conformable to his holy Word, it may, like the Scriptures from which it is derived, be profitable to them, "for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righ |