PLANATORY OF THE ENGRAVINGS, AND OF NUMEROUS PASSAGES CONNECTED WITH ROBERT SEARS, 122 NASSAU STREET. BOSTON: SAXTON & PIERCE, 133 WASHINGTON STREET. AND SOLD BY THE BOOKSELLERS GENERALLY. 46 439t PREFACE. "ANOTHER PICTURE-BOOK!" -exclaims the reader, as he casts his eyes upon our frontispiece and titlepage. Some good people, we know, object to pictures, especially in religious works; assigning as a reason, that they only amuse the reader, while thers object to them on the score of their expense. Without ntering into a lengthy controversy, we would simply remark while we have labored in this way to make the present volume ttractive, we intend much more. They are all designed to be trictly illustrative of the work - many are new and beautiful nd they are introduced under the idea that visible representtions are in many cases better, to convey correct impressions, man written descriptions, alone, can be. We go a step farther, ad say that ongravings of a superior character, may be even ade to do something more than merely ILLUSTRATE - we believe ey may be made to cultivate the mind, chasten the imagination, evelop taste, and benefit the heart. Shall the teachers of vice ad engravings an important aid in accomplishing unworthy endsvitiating the taste and imagination? and shall the teachers and ofessors of a HOLY RELIGION, neglect to turn them to a good count, in the promotion of USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, and the best terests of man?* - Objections have also been made to the pictures commonly introduced into our les, as being mere creations of fancy and the imagination, often unlike nature, and quently conveying false impressions. This objection, however, cannot, in truth, be ed against our pictorial illustrations. In the language of a celebrated divineere the fine arts are made subservient to utility, the landscape views being, withexception, MATTER-OF-FACT views of places mentioned in Scripture, as they ear at the present day; thus, in many instances exhibiting in the most forcible ner to the eye, the strict and literal fulfilment of many remarkable prophecies. cities of Babylon, Ninevch, Petra, &c., in their present ruined and desolate conn, are astonishing examples, and so completely exemplify, in the most minute parars, everything which was foretold of them, in the height of their prosperity, that etter description can now be given of them, than a simple quotation from a chapter verse of THE BIBLE, written two or three thousand years ago. |