vient to discovering the springs of society, unfolding the principles of human nature, teaching lessons of practi cal wisdom, and acting on the condition of man. He sought knowledge for these ends alone, and valued particulars only as they opened light into some new truth, and conducted him to useful and comprehensive results.

LESSON II.

Importance of Mental Improvement.-ABRIDGED FROM

WATTS.

No man is obliged to learn and know every thing; this can neither be sought nor required, for it is utterly impossible; yet all persons are under some obligation to improve their own understanding, otherwise it will be a barren desert, or a forest overgrown with weeds and brambles. Universal ignorance or infinite errors will overspread the mind which is utterly neglected and lies without any cultivation.

The common duties and benefits of society, which belong to every man living, as we are social creatures, and even our native and necessary relations to a family, a neighborhood, or a government, oblige all persons whatsoever to use their reasoning powers upon a thousand occasions; every hour of life calls for some regular exercise of our judgment as to times and things, persons and actions; without a prudent and discreet determination in matters before us, we shall be plunged into perpetual errors in our conduct. Now, that which should always be practised, must at some time be learned.

Besides, every son and daughter of Adam, has a most important concern in the affairs of a life to come; and therefore it is a matter of the highest moment, for every one to understand, to judge, and to reason right, about the things of religion. It is in vain for any to say, we have no leisure or time for it. The daily intervals of time and vacancies from necessary labor, together with the one day in seven in the christian world, allow sufficient time for this, if men would but apply themselves to it with half as much zeal and diligence as they

together with the manner in which those habits are formed.

Spell sought, some, comprehensive.

Spell there. What does it mean? Now spell another. What does that mean?

Spell principal," the principal thing." Spell princi ple, "that is a good principle."

Spell lessen, to make less. Spell lesson, to be learned and recited.

66

Spell sum, a sum of money." Spell some, “he has some money."

Spell sought, endeavoured to find. Spell sot, a drunkard.

Is obliged, is under obligation, it is no man's duty.
Spell learn, know, every, neither, sought, impossible.
Improve, to make better, to cultivate.

Spell some, their, own, forest, any, necessary.
Understanding, knowledge, skill, mind, intellectual

powers.

.Barren, bår'rên, unfruitful, sterile.

.Desert, wilderness, waste country.

Universal, total, extending to all things.

Change universal into an adverb. Answer, Universally.
Infinite, unbounded, endless, numberless.

Change infinite into an adverb.

Change utterly into an adjective. Ans. Utter.

Change necessary into an adverb.

Spell the adverb.

Spell family, neighborhood, errors, practised, daugh

ter.

Government, güv'ůrn-mênt.

-.Oblige, impose obligation, lay obligations of gratitude, compel.

-Use, employ, make use of, to be accustomed.
.Thousand, thổů'zånd, ten hundred, a great number.
Change regular into an adverb.

Change prudent, and discreet into adverbs.

Matters, mât'tůrz. Change perpetual into an adverb. Perpetual, never ceasing, endless, continual, uninterrupted.

do to the trifles and amusements of this life; and it would turn to infinitely better account.

Thus it appears to be the duty and the interest of every person living, to improve his understanding, to inform his judgment, to treasure up useful knowledge, and to acquire the skill of good reasoning, as far as his station, capacity, and circumstances furnish him with proper means for it. Our mistakes in judgment may plunge us into much felly and guilt in practice. By acting without thought or reason, we dishonor the God that made us reasonable creatures; we often become injurious to our neighbors, kindred, or friends; and we bring sin and misery upon ourselves: for we are accountable to God our Judge for every part of our irregular and mistaken conduct, where he hath given us sufficient advantages to guard against those mistakes.

LESSON III.

Directions for the attainment of useful Knowledge.ABRIDGED FROM WATTS.

Deeply possess your mind with the vast importance of a good judgment and the inestimable advantage of right reasoning. Review the instances of your own misconduct in life; think seriously with yourselves how many follies and sorrows you had escaped, and how much guilt and misery you had prevented, if from your early years you had but taken due pains to judge aright concerning persons, times, and things. This will awaken you with lively vigor to the work of improving your reasoning powers, and seizing every opportunity and advantage for that end.

Consider the weakness, frailties, and mistakes of human nature in general. Consider the depth and difficulty of many truths, and the flattering appearances of falsehood; whence arises an infinite variety of dangers to which we are exposed in our judgment of things.

Contrive and practise some suitable methods to acquaint yourself with your own ignorance, and to impress

h

Errors, er'rurz. Daughter, dåw'tůr. Adam, åd'ům,
-Moment, consequence, importance, point of time.
Spell leisure, daily, vacancies, sufficient, diligence.
Christian world, those parts of the world, where
christianity is the prevailing religion.

Sufficient is an adjective: what is sufficiently?
What is infinitely? Change it into an adjective.
Duty, that which a person ought to do.

Interest, that which is most for a person's happiness.
.Treasure. "Knowledge" is here represented under
the figure of money or riches. See Metaphor in
the Appendix.

Change useful and proper into adverbs.

Spell proper, guilt, friends, guard, against.

Plunge what figure is here employed? How are folly and guilt represented?

Change reasonable into an adverb.

Into what can an adjective be changed? How?
When the adjective ends in y, what is done?

When the adjective ends in ble, how is it changed?
Into what can an adverb ending in ly be changed?
How? Give examples of each.

What is deeply? What is deep?

Possess your mind with, impress your mind with, feel.
Vast, very great. Change vast into an adverb.
Inestimable, not to be estimated, incalculable.
Review, consider over again, recollect, look back upon,
Misconduct, improper conduct, actions done amiss.
What is seriously? What is serious?

Had escaped the auxiliary verb had is here used in-
stead of what ?

Spell are, due, seizing, consider, frailties, depth.
Awaken what figure? In what state is the person
represented as being?

Difficulty, dif'fè-kůl-té. Flattering, flåt'tür-ing.
Spell falsehood, suitable acquaint, present, knowledge.
Parts, natural talents, powers of mind.

Spell presume, ready, vivacities, ridicule, imagine.
Change ready into an adverb. Into what is the y
changed?

your mind with a deep and painful sense of the low and imperfect degrees of your present knowledge.

Presume not too much upon a bright genius, a ready wit, and good parts; for these without labor and study will never make a man of knowledge and wisdom. This has been an unhappy temptation to persons of a vigorous and gay fancy, to despise learning and study. They have been acknowledged to shine in an assembly, and sparkle in discourse upon common topics; and thence they took it into their heads to abandon reading and labor, and grow old in ignorance; but when they had lost the vivacities of animal nature and youth, they became stupid even to contempt and ridicule.

As you are not to fancy yourself a learned man, because you are blessed with a ready wit, so neither must you imagine, that large and laborious reading and a strong memory can denominate you truly wise. It is meditation and studious thought, it is the exercise of your own reason and judgment upon all you read, that gives good sense even to the best genius, and affords your understanding the truest improvement. A boy of strong memory may repeat a whole book of Euclid, and yet be no geometrician. One may learn half the Bible by heart, and yet understand very little of divinity.

Be not so weak as to imagine, that a life of learning is a life of laziness and ease. It is no idle thing to be a scholar indeed.

Let the hope of new discoveries, as well as the satisfaction and pleasure of known truths, animate your daily industry. Do not think learning in general is arrived at its perfection, or that the knowledge of any particular subject in any science cannot be improved, merely because it has lain five hundred or a thousand years without improvement.

Do not hover always on the surface of things, nor take up suddenly with mere appearances; but penetrate into the depth of matters, as far as your time and circumstances allow, especially in those things which relate to your own profession. Do not indulge yourselves to judge of things by the first glimpse, or a short and superficial view of them; for this will fill the mind with errors and