ciety, who is worth at least 150,000 dollars, in the decline of life ; yet I would sooner entreat the vilęst sinner in behalf of the poor, than this man; he can behold misery at his very door, without shedding a tear, or giving a cent.

This man has got but one child, a young lad, who has received a finished education, as it is called, and

a is brought up in all the gaiety of fashionable life. Was this abundant wealth appropriated to benevolent purposes, and only an annuity of 500 dollars per annum, reserved for the maintenance of the son, how much good might be done with the overplus ! It would be a comfort to the father in his dying moments, to reflect that he provided plentifully for his child, and at the same time remembered God, his poor, and the prosperity of Zion; but the best of all, this superfluous wealth would not (which without a miracle it will) be the means, to convey the wretched son to the nison of eternal death. Now if this man

meets a just re-action of Providence, surely it is his own fault: God is not impeachable for his delinquency, or the punishment of it. I could point out many characters* of a similar

cast,

but alas! it will answer no purpose. As well might I attempt to prevail upon a hungry lion to relinquish his mangled prey, as to induce them to distribute their superfluous wealth.

Ah! paradise is even on earth, for the delight of such wealthy men, to whom God has given the power of doing much good

• I know an eloquent preacher, belonging to a very religious society, an excellent man in many respects, who possesses a handsome paternal fortune, and

many thousands of dollars beside; yet there is not a preacher belonging to his professional denomination, more penurious than he, although a majority of them are very poor: This man is a batchelor, and has no family, and no relation, but a very rich brother. Surely his keeping the eyes of the blind, and the feet of the lame locked up in his coffers, is a stumbling. block to his hearers !

2

a

if they would but improve the blessed opportunity, as they will most assuredly wish they had done, when they find sickness seize, medicine fail, and the icy arms of death encircling them. I must confess, that the parsimonious and tyrannical conduct of some distinguished professors of religion, has been a stumbling-block to me. I associated with them, with the view of putting myself under the protection of virtue, because I found the word religion continually in their mouths; but, because I would not be a dependent partizan, I was calumniated: However, their oppression and calumny has cured me of my bigotry, and sectarian predilections, their disorders, of which I have been the victim, has inspired me with the love of order, and their defects have taught me to take my eyes from man, and to look only to God for relief, for rest, for refuge. But I yet love and forgive them from my heart, because I also have had much forgiven; and only lament, that the arbi

It is no part

trary few, in either church or state, should have the power to oppress and persecute, the comparatively innocent many. Here I intend my animadversions relative to them shall cease; and I hope they will not be considered acrimonious, when my sufferings, privations, and losses, are remembered with my services..

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 argumentation, 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 sects, and parties, and mercenary preachers and politicians, but as it 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 the 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 vanity.

There are many performances I could gain more praise and profit by, than the present ; 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 radical design in this work, is nei