Man but dives in death; Dives from the sun, in fairer day to rise; HULL: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR; AND MAY BE HAD, OF J. BOURNE, BEMERSLEY; TRAVELLING CONNEXION. OR THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ANY OF THE 1830. PREFACE. THE present is a day of active exertion. Idleness is neither a characteristic of the pious nor the irreligious. Various are the means adopted by the mischievous and unwearied spirit of infidelity for the purpose of inducing us to regard religion with indifference, impugn it with subtilty, and reject it with scorn. The doctrine of man's immortality, and other fundamental truths of Revelation, are attacked by wit and genius in every possible way; and these attacks are attended with a zeal and activity which would do honour to a better cause. Unhappily in too many instances they awfully succeed. This being the case, what does religion expect of all who worship at her altars? Surely she expects, may she requires, that every follower of Christ should consecrate himself, with a deep devotion to the promotion of his master's interest. Such being the views not only of the writer of the following pages, but of a considerable part of the religious world, it is not surprizing that the press should be teeming at the present day with productions on almost every part of revealed truth. Did I think it of importance I might observe, that I have been requested, and repeatedly urged to publish, by persons whose wisdom and piety I think much superior to my own; and that numbers who have heard the leading particulars of the following Discourses from the pulpit, have expressed an earnest desire to have them for perusal in the family and in private. But though these ideas are not destitute of weight, and though they have frequently been urged by authors, yet I do not conceive that they A a |