T HOUGH I may not think it improper , but rather very reafonable and juft, 
to offer or dedicate to G O D any valuable Property or Ble fifing we have received 
from him , yet the Uncommonnefs of dedicating a Book to the Great Creator 
of the Universe, may require jome Apology amongjl Men. They will perhaps 
agree, that People m almojl all Ages and Places of the Worlds in order to Jhew their 
Gratitude /<?GOD, have offer 1 d, prefented , or facrificed to him Part of the Increafe of 
Juch good Things, as he in his Goodnefs had blefjed them with an Ability of producing 
out of the Earth, whether Cattle , Fowl, or the Fruits of the Ground ; j'uch as Bulls, 
Sheep, Corn, Wine, Oyl, and a Variety oj other Things, both Animal and Vegetable $ 
and of thefe they offer d, generally, the Firfi-born of Animals, and the Firfi fruits of 
V get able Productions, thofe being always accounted the fair ejl and mo/l proper to prefent 
to the Giver of all Good Things \ fo that it may be objected to me, that my offering 
to GOD is of a Species differing from what has been nfually facrificed or prefented 
to him ; to which 1 anfwer , that in my Opinion the Endowments of the Mind of Man, 
and h s inward Ability of penetrating into, and admiring the wonderful Works of the 
Great Creator, are Gifts far fuperior to thofe which ferve him only for Food 
and Cloathing, for which Reafon, it is more the Duty of a Man to thank God for the 
Endowments of his Mind, than for the Support of his Body. If any Jhould objeB that 
this is not the Firfi fruits of the thinking Faculty in me, and therefore of Courfe not 
jo worthy off being prefented to G O D to fuch I anfwer, that tho' Animal and Ve- 
getable Bodies may produce better Fruits at firfi than they do afterwards, it is otherwife 
as to the Powers and Perff'eBions off the Mind, which are always better 1 d and much 
improved by Age, RefleBion, and long Experience, fo that the Mind or Soul attains not 
its great eff PerfeBion and Beauty, till the latter Part of Life ; whereas the Body is 
moffl perff'eB in the earliefi Stages thereof' confequently , if a Man would offer any Thing to 
a the 
