interesting and profitable to all lovers of the truth."

"FRANCIS CUNNINGHAM."]


MY DEAR CHILDREN--I purpose to give you, in this letter, an account of
my conversion to the true Christian religion--that religion which was
established by our Lord and his apostles, professed by their followers
during the first two centuries of the church, and which is now
followed by the protestant or reformed Christians. I am conscious that
neither my abilities nor my education qualify me for this task. A mere
mechanic, and possessing but few advantages of education, I find it
very difficult to express, as I could wish, the thoughts and feelings
which crowd upon my mind. But how great and numerous so ever may be
the difficulties which I must encounter in such an undertaking, I am
impelled to it by the tender affection I bear you, and by the earnest
desire and hope of being useful to you. May God be my helper; may he
not suffer me to be deterred by any obstacle; and may he grant me the
blessing of accomplishing that which I consider as a sacred duty.

It _is_ my imperative duty to make you acquainted with the real
motives which have produced the most important, solemn, and decisive
step in my life.

It is my duty to give glory to God for the unspeakable mercy which
he has deigned to show me, in calling me from darkness into his
marvellous light; in opening to me the treasures of his infinite
compassion, and in giving me the hope of salvation by faith in his
Son, who only "has the words of eternal life," being alone "the way,
the truth, and the life."