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ment of all mankind, UNDER TWO GREAT CLASSES; the UNRENEWED and the REOn this scriptural and strongly marked distinction is based the main division of the present work.

NEWED.

In addition to this primary distinction, there will be recognised some of those minor peculiarities, which the Spirit of God has deemed worthy of specification. Each heart has, what may be termed, its own moral or spiritual idiosyncrasies; and even the same heart differs widely from itself at different periods. It is well, therefore, that these specific traits should be faithfully described, so that each reader may, in some portion of the work, as from a glass, see his own image clearly reflected.

It had been easy to have thrown this little work into the narrative form, or to have given to it the attraction of fictitious incident, the embellishment of a fancy dress; but the author, from principle, was unwilling to minister to what he has long deemed a vitiated public taste, or to swell the number of those sacred fictions which tend, he is persuaded, to enervate the youthful mind, to diminish the reverence

of the youthful heart, and to clothe the hallowed form of religion in too light and loose attire. Having on other occasions publicly expressed his conviction of their injurious tendency, and awakened some attention to the necessity of a change in public taste and practice, he is disposed consistently to act upon his expressed opinions, and to hazard the experiment, whether truth may not be popularly and attractively presented, though it come in its own simple form, and rest only on its intrinsic merits.

Should the experiment succeed, and the present work be favourably received, it will probably be followed by others not unsuited to the Sunday school library, yet especially designed for the private reading of the Christian closet, and for the social reading of the Christian family circle, and intended to form a connected series, having reference to the discipline of THE THOUGHTS, THE LIPS, AND THE LIFE, of the Christian; that he may be prepared for "THE DEATH of the righteous," and "THE RESURRECTION of the just."

The work now offered has its origin in the strong promptings of duty; in deep

solicitude for the proper culture of hearts, whose sanctification is essential to present happiness, and whose affections and habits will go with them to THE ETERNAL WORLD. May it be perused by you, reader, in that "honest and good heart," which receives

the truth in the love of it," under the solemn conviction that the eyes of "THE SEARCHER OF HEARTS" are upon you, and that all the secrets of your heart shall be made known in THE DAY OF HIS ACCOUNT. Affectionately commended to your serious attention, it is also commended to the blessing of НІМ, HIM," without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy;" and "who alone can order the unruly wills and affections of sinful man."

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