PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

In the first part of the Work we have discoursed of the situation of man, as a subject of the kingdom of God,―and have endeavoured to give some more just and satisfactory ideas respecting the appearances which that situation presents to him, than are commonly to be met with. Our views on these topics, however, it is presumed, will be found to have been such, as not only to commend themselves to the acceptance of men of well-informed and candid minds, —but to afford a simpler and more satisfactory account of the ordinary phenomena of our condition, than the mode of exhibiting or explaining them which is more generally adopted ;—and, at the same time, to afford a solution of many of the apparent perplexities of the subject, which, in the more com

mon modes of interpretation, seem to be encompassed with inextricable difficulties.

In the second part of the Work, we have followed out the ideas evolved in the first part, by exhibiting what seems to be a simpler view of the object proposed to man, as a subject of the kingdom of God, than that which is usually exhibited as resulting from the more common modes of viewing the peculiarity of his situation, as a member of that kingdom;-and it is hoped that our explanations on this point have been so fully given, as to leave all wish for complete elucidation without any reason for complaint,-while, at the same time, the ideas contained in this portion of the Work will be perceived to be a natural result of the principles unfolded in that which had preceded it,—and to afford a view of the duty required of man entirely in unison with all his natural apprehensions,—and finely evincing the unity of plan by which the whole arrangements of his condition are characterized.

In the part of the work on which we are now to enter, we intend, as the title announces, to explain the best mode of attaining the object. Our pur

pose, however, in this part, is not to give particular directions for the conduct of a virtuous life,-these being reserved as the subject of the fourth part of the treatise ;-but to correct what we think some very erroneous ideas which, however, are almost universally adopted respecting the general mode of accomplishing the duty prescribed to us in life,-and to point out what we esteem the true method, by following out which we may hope to realize the measure of excellence which, as limited yet progressive beings, we are capable of attaining,—and thus may not be forced eventually to bid adieu to life with the melancholy feeling, that in all our attempts at fulfilling our trust we have laboured in vain,— and have either been seeking after a good which it is not permitted to man to realize, or have sought that good in a way which, being essentially wrong, could not possibly lead to the end proposed.

This being the general view which pervades this third part of the Work,—we shall, for the sake of greater plainness and facility in conducting our elucidation, subdivide our illustrations into the three following sections :

In the first place, we shall consider the situation of man in this world, viewed as a subject of the kingdom of God, as presenting to him a field of high and progressive movement, in which great issues are proposed to his ambition,—and an opportunity is afforded him of calling into exercise, and substantiating in actual conduct those fine and pure conceptions of excellence which he is capable of forming, and by the power of forming which his nature is so preeminently distinguished.

In the second place, we shall consider human life as presenting to every man a series of more obvious, and, in one view of them, of rougher duties, by the influence of which his passions are excited, and his happiness often subjected to great fluctuations,-but by the proper discharge of which his fidelity,-and firmness, and good conscience, as a subject of the Divine kingdom, are chiefly to be manifested. These are the common and ordinary duties of life, by which the condition of every one man is especially distinguished from that of every other,—and which, altogether, constitute "the trust committed to him ;'

by his manner of discharging which his failure or success, as a subject of the Divine kingdom on earth, is chiefly determined.