It is no part of my plan to give even a fragment of natural history in this department of my work; but merely to endeavour, by the most reasonable means, to eradicate from the minds of the miserable, their doubts of the goodness of Jehovah. In order to accomplish my object, the truth must be exhibited; not as it is to be found among interested seets and parties, and mercenary preachers and politicians, but as it is in the book of nature, which no ignorant transcriber can deface, nor bigoted translator can gainsay. Indeed we too often find, in the works of classical and clerical authors, nothing but wrong premises, wrong conclusions, and wrong association of ideas, with a super-abundant transcription of latin and Greek quotations, which not one in a thousand can understand; and only shews the reader's ignorance, and the author's learning: in addition to which, such pedants add a string of titles to their names, by telling the world that they are A. M. Masters of Arts, D. D. Doctors of Divinity, M. D. Doctors of

Medicine, &c. &c. If this is not vanity, I must confess, I do not understand the etymology of the word,

There are many works by which I could gain more praise and profit than this; namely, such as would be gratifying to the pride of men clothed

with a little brief authority:" such as would flatter the wealthy booby with a cringing servility; such as would support error in its destructive career: finally, such as would gratify the vitiated taste of the volatile and gay. But my avowed design in this work, is neither transitory praise, nor temporary reward. Agreeably to my plan, I can be useful only to one description of men, and those are the unhappy poor; the characters particularized above, will perhaps view my arguments with the side-glance of contemptuous disregard; while the poor and afflicted man, I hope will receive benefit from them: I shall therefore endeavour to simplify my style, and adapt it to his capacity.

Had I a throat of brass, and adamantine lungs, I would call all my

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fellow worms, from the centre to the cir cumference of the earth, and while the social and sympathetic tear stole from my own eye, I would wipe the tears of despair from theirs : I would endeavour to remove their doubts, by answering their doubtful interrogations; and, with the most anxious solicitude, I would entreat them, to "look through nature up to nature's God," for unadulterated truth; and to take their eyes and hearts from the world, where truth is discarded, and interest is the order of the day, both among politicians and ecclesiastics; where almost every sect endeavour to appropriate the promises and presence of God to their individual churches, to the exclusion of the rest of mankind. Little do they think, that the temple of Jehovah is the universe ; his lamp the sun; his sounding-board, the firmament; his organ, the melodious voices of his saints, who love him; his altar, the most humble heart; and the high priest, the everlasting Father and Prince of Peace; who does not offer the blood of bulls and goats,

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as an atonement for the sins of the people, as the Jewish high priest did, but he offers his own blood, the richest that ever flowed, as an expiatory sacris fice for the sins of all mankind! Unless the truth shall make us free, we never "shall be free indeed." We were

placed upon this earth to know, to love, and to obey the truth, to be grateful to God, and affectionate to man; for it is a fundamental law of nature, (hear it ye cruel, unfeeling rich men, and trem. ble at your approaching doom!) that the cruelty of man to his fellow-man, shall recoil upon himself; that no individual villain, or government of them, shall ever find their happiness in the misery of others. This one simple truth, undermines the false hopes of millions of the great, the rich, the mighty and honourable of mankind. This sentiment will be grating to the feelings of many, who will no doubt hate me, because I tell them the truth. I am most earnestly desirous to do good to mankind; I must, therefore, calculate upon calumny and abuse from them:

but abuse or applause are synonimous terms with me, as I endeavour to write so as to merit the approbation, not of man but God.

I know a man not far from where I now sit, who has enriched himself from the substance of the poor: but is he happy? No happiness is as far from him as the east is from the west. Examine those rich men who appear most happy, and you will find that they. have purchased their ideal felicity at a very dear rate; they have sacrificed public respectability, domestic felicity, peace of conscience, tranquillity of mind, and all for what? for the sake of accumulating superfluous wealth: yet at the close of life, they see nothing but false friends and relations around them, longing for their death, that they may inherit their ill-gotten gain.

Ah! if from the lonesome garret where I am now writing, at midnight! for the relief of the miserable, I could make my voice to be heard, and could communicate to them my thoughts, I` would imprint upon their hearts this