PREFACE. THE writer of the following pages has some acquaintance with working men. In early life he numbered many of them amongst his friends,--was admitted to their meetings for religious and intellectual improvement, and at the table of a noble-minded relative, who regarded piety as the true gentility, he met them as frequent guests. Subsequent years have given him no reason to regret that intercourse, nor to repudiate those ancient friendships; but they have taught him that British Christianity is ill acquainted with British Industry. Seldom, for instance, has he found a religious book entirely suited to the labourer as he is. We have good books in abundance, but they are usually written with an eye to the parlour or boudoir. And we have myriads of tracts; but their topics and their style are mostly a tradition B |