human heart, of the trials and sorrows that make part of the lot of man in life,-or of the confidence which it becomes him to exercise during all the varied changes and yet indefinite prospects that make part of his inheritance. The idea to which I at present allude, is that of God being "our Father in Heaven,”—and man consequently a beloved child of this heavenly Father. This also is a favourite mode of expression with our Lord throughout all his discourses; and it has been excellently observed, that he who first spoke of God under this image,—and made that image familiar to the fancy and heart of man,-proceeded upon more profound and just views of the exigencies of human nature, and of its entire constitution, than have been displayed by the most apparently learned disquisitions of mere human pretenders to illumination and science. The adoption of this mode of speaking of God, however, by no means interferes with the other conception of his being our Sovereign, to whom we are bound to offer a willing and loyal service. On the contrary, the two ideas are but varied expositions of one simple, but grand view of the entire nature and station of man, adapted with a fine discrimination to the different aspects under which his wants and du

ties occasionally present themselves; and the same observation is applicable to them both, namely, that, throwing aside all partial conceptions, and arbitrary abstractions, they offer to us a view of our entire nature and destiny, not only in the highest degree luminous and instructive, but perfectly suitable to the views of One who came among us,— not as a solver of perplexing questions, or as a speculative reasoner on subjects of doubtful import,-but as the best and wisest teacher of all those duties, as the finest and most interesting expounder of all those relations, which bind man to the Being who formed him,—and the actual realization of which, in his living conduct, gives to his whole nature its distinctive and harmonious grandeur.

Taking advantage, then, of the fundamental idea which pervades our Saviour's doctrines,-namely,that this world is a portion of one vast "kingdom" which is destined to be more perfectly evolved during the progress of ages,-and that man must be viewed as a subject of this kingdom, if we would exhibit his duties or his destiny in their most striking aspects-it is the purpose of the Author to offer, in this first part of the work, some such general views of the nature of this "kingdom of God," as

may correct the false conceptions that are very generally entertained respecting it, and suggest, at the same time, the principles of those peculiar exhibitions of human duty, by which the work will be found, in its progress, to be characterized. The Author wishes it to be understood,-at this early part of his work,-that his views of human duty will be found to be built on principles and modes of conception which he believes to be not only more simple and inviting than those generally adopted,— but to be, in a great measure, peculiar,—and he takes also this opportunity of stating, that his ideas respecting the kingdom of God, as described in the following sections, have suggested the whole train of his subsequent reasonings,—and, consequently, that his readers may judge of the probable justness and value of his practical notions,—from what they shall observe of the soundness and illumination of his exposition of the grand peculiarities of the Divine kingdom, considered as extending its limits over all the portions of this earth, and throughout all the ages of its duration.

This first part of the work will, therefore, consist of a series of discourses under the following titles,which are intended to embrace such aspects of "the

kingdom of God upon earth," as are necessary for elucidating the practical principles to be explained in the future portions of the treatise.

I.

GENERAL VIEW OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD,—OR REIGN OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH.

II.

RELATIVE PLACES AND RANK OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

III.

TRUST COMMITTED TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE KING

DOM OF GOD.

IV.

CHARACTERISTIC OR PECULIAR ASPECTS OF THAT

PORTION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD WHICH IS ESTABLISHED UPON EARTH.

The elucidation of these different topics, will afford, it is hoped, a sufficiently full view of this most interesting subject;—at least it can scarcely fail to open up some pleasing views of the fine and comprehensive wisdom by which our Saviour's plans, as a Moral Instructor, were distinguished,—and will serve as a suitable introduction to those peculiar views of practical duty which it is the object of the ́succeeding portions of the work to present.