feeling on his own, a firm and habitual conviction, that there is no ftable foundation on which morality can reft except a Chriftian fear and love of God! How often does the parent expend his folicitude in unremitting efforts to fit his children for worldly eminence; to prepare them to make their way as politicians, as merchants, as followers of lucrative profeffions; to be skilful feamen, intrepid foldiers, men of learning, of taste, of accomplishments, and what the world is pleased to call "men of honour:" regardless of the duty of training them up as fervants of a God of holiness, and difciples of a crucified Saviour!

A work intended to facilitate the attainment of the most important knowledge will experience, I am confident, your favorable acceptance. I offer it to you with additional fatisfaction, as it affords to me an opportunity of conveying to you a public affurance that I retain a grateful remembrance of your inftructions.

I am,

DEAR SIR,

Your obliged and faithful fervant,

THOMAS GISBORNE.

YOXALL LODGE near LICHFIELD,

Nov. 11, 1799.

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PREFACE.

AMONG perfons who are convinced that youth, the fpring-time of life, is the season when the feeds which are to occupy and fill the heart are to be fown; and who regard the acquifition of eternal happiness through Jefus Chrift as the great object of human existence; it is a common, and I fear, a juft complaint, that in any mode of education fufficient attention is too feldom devoted to religion.

Of late years much has been done, and ably done, to facilitate the communication of religious knowledge to youth. Many excel

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excellent elementary works, having for their object the explanation of fcriptural history, and fcriptural doctrines, in a manner at once instructive and engaging to the opening mind of the pupil, have been given to the public and they have been received with the gratitude which the writers merited. Let me not be fufpected of a dif pofition to detract from the value of those works, the circulation and use of which I wish to fee every day more widely extended, when I venture to observe, that an additional treatife on a plan fomewhat enlarged has appeared to me to be wanting; a treatise which might fitly intervene between the perufal of books of the clafs to which I have alluded, and the ample range of reading scarcely to be expected but from the leifure and industry of manhood. The deficiency which I conceived to exift, I

have

have endeavoured in the following pages

to supply.

My intention has been to lay before the reader a familiar and compendious view of the Christian religion, and of the principal historical events connected with its introduction and progrefs, its corruption and reformation; including a concife account of the fcriptures of the old and new Testaments, and a summary of the evidences of the truth of Christianity, together with fome remarks on forms of church government and religious establishments. Bearing in mind that I have been addreffing myself to natives of Great Britain; I have been folicitous to draw the attention of the reader, wherever the subject afforded a fit opportunity, to events or circumftances which have had a particular influence on his own country; and by rendering him acquainted