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dered satisfactory, I must appeal to authority. This book is not more full of parables than were the discourses of Jesus Christ. I shelter myself under his example.

III. REQUEST TO PARENTS.

Every parent knows there is great danger that children will run over the pages of a book where narrative and dialogue are introduced to illustrate religious truth, and that they will, with peculiar dexterity, find out and read all that has the interest of a story, and skip the rest. There will, perhaps, in this volume be less danger from this, from the fact that the whole is so intimately interwoven as to render it in most cases difficult to separate. A mother can, however, effectually prevent it, if she pleases. If her children are young, and she fears this danger, let her read the book to them, or let her assign a distinct and a limited portion for each Sabbath; and after it is read, let her examine them in it, asking questions in regard to the plan and design of the chapter-the circumstances of each narrative-and especially the purpose for which it is introduced. This however must be done, not in the suspicious manner of hearing a lesson which you fear has not been learned, but with the winning tone of kindness and confidence.

IV. THEOLOGY OF THE WORK.

As to the theology of the work, it takes every where for granted that salvation is to be obtained

through repentance for past sin, and trust for forgiveness in the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is not, however, a work on theology. It is designed to enforce the practice, not to discuss the theory of religion. Its object is to explain and illustrate Christian duty; but it exhibits this duty as based on those great principles in which all denominations of evan gelical Christians concur.

V. OTHER BOOKS OF THE KIND.

There are already several most interesting and useful books before the public, whose object is the same with this—to give Christian instruction to the young. This work appears not as their rival, but as their companion. Most young Christians have, in the course of half a dozen years, time to read a great many pages; and as each writer discusses different topics, or presents them in new aspects and relations, it is well that this class of books should be multiplied. If twenty different individuals in various parts of our country, whom Providence has placed in such circumstances as to interest them particularly in the young, would write for them, the books would all be read if they were properly written, and would all do good. They would be different, if they were the results of the independent reflection and observation of the authors, and each would co-operate with and assist the others.

CONTENTS.

Story of the Chinese and the map. Difficulties in all subiects.

Astronomical difficulties. Difficulties in religion to be expect-
ed. First difficulty. Attempt to avoid it. Čonversation con-
tinued. Second difficulty. Extent of the creation. Difficul-
ty. The existence of suffering inexplicable. The pirate con-
demned to die. Accountability. Foreknowledge. Story of
father and son. Imaginary conversation with an infidel. An-
swering prayer. Case supposed. The sick son. Miraculous
interference in answering prayer. Sources of difficulty. Al-
gebra. The surd. Difficulty theoretical. None in practice.

Objects of this chapter. 1. Inquiries. Disobedient school-boy.

2. Perplexities of Christians. Way to avoid them. Plausible

reasoning sometimes unsafe. Scholars in geometry. Draw-

ng inferences. Story of the knights and the statue. The

shield of brass and iron. One kind of controversy. 3. Diffi-

culties of children. Children's questions. 4. Difficulties of

parents and teachers. The school-boy's question. A humble,

docile spirit.

The doubting clerk. The unexpected letter. The sick child.

Possible mistakes. Men act from reasonable evidence. Evi-

dences of Christianity, Historical, Internal, and Experimental.

Illustration. The phosphorus.

1. Historical Evidence. Seal. Miracles. Examining witnesses.
The court. The court-room. The prisoner. His accusation
and trial. Testimony of the owner; of the watchman. The
lawyer's question. The watchman's story. The prisoner con-
victed. Points secured on trials. Three points to be attended
to. Irruption of the barbarians. Old manuscripts. Genuine-
ness of the Scriptures. Quotations. Illustration. Use made
of quotations. Paley's Evidences. Necessity for proving the
genuineness of the Scriptures. The original records not re-
maining. The second point. Opportunities of knowing. The
housebreaker's trial. Sacred writers could not have been mis-
taken. They were eye-witnesses. Third point. Their style
of writing. Impartiality. Elevated views. They were disin-
terested. Our Savior's farewell address. Interested witnesses.
Battle of Lexington. Parliament and Congress.__Points prov-
ed. Argument from prophecy. Prophecies. False prophe-
cies. Subject difficult. Were the Christian witnesses believ-
ed? Contest with Paganism. Power of truth.

2. Internal Evidence. Unity of the Scriptures. The Bible a

number of books. Its single object. The Bible a history of

Christ. Sacrifices. Meaning of sacrifices. Their moral influ-

ence. Conclusion of the book. Appropriate language. The

advent of the Savior. Its time and place. The Mediterranean

Sea. Interesting associations. Character of God. Language

of nature; of the Bible. The sufferer in the hospital. Jeho-

vah just as well as merciful. Butler's Analogy.

3. Experimental Evidence. Case of sickness supposed. Medi-
cine. Proof of it. The mother. The mother and her sick

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