historical books of the Old Testament; provided you read them as an
history in a regular course, and keep the thread of it in your mind as
you go on. I know of none, true or fictitious, that is equally
wonderful, interesting, or affecting; or that is told in so short and
simple a manner as this, which is of all histories the most, authentic.

5. I shall give you some brief directions, concerning the method and
course I wish you to pursue, in reading the Holy Scriptures. May you be
enabled to make the best use of this most precious gift of God--this
sacred treasure of knowledge!--May you read the bible, not as a task,
nor as the dull employment of that day only in which you are forbidden
more lively entertainments--but, with a sincere and ardent desire of
instruction; with that love and delight in God's word, which the holy
Psalmist so pathetically felt and described, and which is the natural
consequence of loving God and virtue.

6. Though I speak this of the bible in general, I would not be
understood to mean, that every part of the volume is equally
interesting. I have already said, that it consists of various matter,
and various kinds of books, which must be read with different views and
sentiments.

7. The having some general notion of what you are to expect from each
book, may possibly help you to understand them. I shall treat you as if
you were perfectly new to the whole; for so I wish you to consider
yourself; because the time and manner in which children usually read
the bible, are very ill-calculated to make them really acquainted with
it; and too many people who have read it thus, without understanding it
in their youth, satisfy themselves that they know enough of it, and
never afterwards study it with attention when they come to a mature age.

8. If the feelings of your heart, whilst you read, correspond with those
of mine whilst I write, I shall not be without the advantage of your
partial affection, to give weight to my advice; for, believe me, my
heart and eyes overflow with tenderness, when I tell you how warm and
earnest my prayers are for your happiness here and hereafter.

_Of Genesis._

9. I now proceed to give you some short sketches of the matter contained
in the different books of the Bible, and of the course in which they
ought to be read.

10. The first book, Genesis, contains the most grand, and, to us, the
most interesting events, that ever happened in the universe: The
creation of t