When first I began to write, I had nothing in view but to please my own curiosity, to see how I could put my thoughts into words; and seeing that I succeeded better than I expected, although far short of what I wished, or of the real working of my mind. I had not the remotest idea that any one would ever see it. After my first writing these it was some time before I wrote any more. If I had written the workings of my mind once in every three months, it would swell to a large volume; but I have written only some of the particulars. The first thoughts that I had of printing it were, when I came to a dark country where I thought I never would hear the Gospel preached in purity, that if I had a copy of it printed for each of my children, it might give them correct views of religion, and, in the hand of God, might be the means of making them look after the one thing needful, an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, by entering in by the straight gate of conversion. But, when the eruption took place in the Church of Scotland, I thought of writing upon the same; and seeing that the greater number of Ministers denied, what I thought they solemnly avowed, in the day that they were married to the Church, as it is called in Scotland, Christ's Office of King, as in our Shorter Catechism. Having for some time thought how to begin it, but could not think upon any way that I could so short and plainly express my mind as the way in which I speak, as if I were talking to them. Then I thought that I would not care if the world knew my opinions of it, and how I came to these opinions. Then, I had another struggle, thinking it was but vain glory in me to shew to the world my thoughts of religion, and to write of religion, as it were, to the learned, yea, and to the godly too, and to the infidel and mocker, seeing that I had never seen any part of a man's life while he himself lived. Then I thought, was I going to depend my eternity upon what the Lord has done for me and in me! and ashamed to own Jesus and his injured cause. The assembled universe will see it one day, when what would be wrong could not be righted. Then it came into my mind, if you will give it to the public every eye will be watching for your failings. This objection of the wisdom of the old serpent was easily answered. If it were to put me to watch and pray more, and to cry for more grace to walk more humbly, I ought to have done it before this time, knowing the Apostle Paul often told how he was converted; and David called those that feared God and that he would declare to them what the Lord had done for his soul; and seeing what I had written before of the Ministers of Scotland and what happened when brought to the test agreed so well, I determined, if I could, to show to the public that I had something to say for Christ and his cause.