BEING THE FIRST VOLUME OF A SYSTEM OF 01 THEOLOGY FOR CHILDREN. CHARACTER OF GOD. BY REV. JOHN TODD, Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Thiladelphia, SECOND EDITION. NORTHAMPTON: PUBLISHED BY J. H. BUTLER. Entered according to the act of Congress, in the year 1839, by J. H. BUTLER, in the clerk's office of the district court of Massachusetts. STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN.......PHILADELPHIA. TO MASTER JOHN EDWARDS TODD: My dear Boy, Most of this little book has been written and laid up in my drawer, for a long time, because I was afraid to have it printed, lest it should not be good, and do good. Many a weary hour, long after you and most other people have been asleep, have I been working over these pages. Even now, I have many fears lest it will not be found to be all that I could wish. If my plan may be carried out, I wish to .make this series of volumes, (the last I ever expect to write for children,) a complete SysTEM OF THEOLOGY, so plain, that children can understand it, so pretty that they will read it, and so good, that it will make them good. The next volume will be on "the BIBLE," and (iv) that, I am sure, will be interesting-much more so than this can be. You are now five years old, my boy; and should God spare your life five years more, I shall hope that there is not a word in this book which you, and all others of the dear children who read it, cannot easily understand. For children of your age, and upwards, I have written it. You know how busy I am, and how seldom I have even half an hour to be with my children, because my duties are so many and so pressing. Should you live to grow up to be a man, and live, as I hope you will,- to do good long after my head rests in the grave, you will wonder why your father, with all his professional duties, should ever write books. Let me tell you. Far away from our house, lives an aged widow. She has no children near her. She has no home. She has no money. She has been deprived of reason ever since I can remember. She does not even |