PREFACE.

IN times like the present, it is important to seize upon every opportunity, and to use all lawful means, to convey Divine truth to the mind. Infidelity is using the press to pervert, degrade, and ruin the souls of the young. Licentiousness is in league with infidelity, and together they are doing immense mischief to the rising generation. The Church of Christ has done much to counteract the influence of an infidel and licentious press; but much yet remains to be done. Under this impression, we rejoice to see works of a moral or spiritual character published in a cheap form, and circulated largely among the masses. But we especially rejoice when works calculated to arrest the attention, interest the mind, and sanctify the heart of young persons are published and circulated among us. With such feelings we wish to introduce to parents, teachers, and young persons, this volume. It is simple-Scriptural-adapted to arrest the attention, and impress the heart. It is an attempt to please, in order to profit ; to interest, in order to instruct; to impress, in order to improve. Here are flowers and food, fancy and facts, faith and feeling, doctrines and duties. It speaks to the eye, that it may improve the heart. It cautions the careless, counsels the perlexed, and comforts the cast-down. It advises in order to advance,

woos in order to win, and soothes in order to sanctify. The tendency of it is thoroughly good.

Parents, here is a book for your children. The pictures will please them, impress them, and, under God's blessing, do them good. What they see in the illustration will lead them to read the remarks; and both together will lay hold on the memory, so that the truths conveyed are never likely to be forgotten. Teachers, here is a present for your children. You want reward-books for your industrious pupils. This is one of the right sort; it will second your own lessons, and apply your instructions; it will place before the eye what you suggest to the ear: and what is seen in youth is seldom forgotten. Friends, here is a book that you may safely circulate among the junior branches of your families, and give on birth-days to your acquaintances and younger relatives; it is likely to do good to many, Young people, you may safely lay out your money in purchasing this volume for yourselves. You will not regret it. It would have made our hearts leap for joy to have possessed a copy of it when we were young, and it would perhaps have preserved us from some snares into which we have fallen, Books for the young then were very scarce, ard most of them were trash; now they are plentiful, but all are not good. Get good books, read them carefully, store your memories with their contents, and pray to the Lord to give you grace to reduce them to practice.

Reader, remember the best books are inefficient without God's blessing. Therefore, while we recommend this book to you, we would affectionately urge upon you to pray for the Holy Spirit, that He may apply the contents to your heart. Everything is just what God makes it. God can make this book a Nathan, to warn, reprove, and comfort

you; or a Solomon, to advise, counsel, and instruct you. He can make it a source of pleasure, a rod of correction, or a light to shine upon some difficult path. If you read it with prayer, if you ponder its contents with seriousness, you will not be likely to regret that you possess it. May the Lord, in His great mercy, accompany the perusal of it with His special blessing, and make it useful to thousands, is the heart's desire and prayer of

Yours in Him,

JAMES SMITH.

Cheltenham.