failings and weaknesses, must necessarily lessen our opinion of them.

Confirmation. It is the nature of man to have a high opinion of any excellence he is not fully acquainted with: he is prone to imagine it much greater than it really is; and therefore when it becomes thoroughly known, the expectation is at an end, and the good qualities which we at first admired, having no longer the recommendation of novelty, become not only less striking, but often produce indifference and contempt.

Simile. As the frogs in the fable were at first terrified by the noise of the falling of the log which Jupiter threw down into the lake for their king, but by degrees became so familiar with their wooden monarch as to despise it; so kings have often found by mixing too familiarly with their subjects, and masters by being too free with their servants, that they have lost their importance in proportion to their condescension.

Example. James the First, King of England, was a man of considerable learning, and had as few bad qualities as the generality of his subjects; but, by jesting with his attendants, and descending to childish familiarity with them, scarcely any King of England was held in greater contempt.

Testimony. A celebrated teacher has said that young people cannot be too much on their guard against falling into too great familiarity with their companions; for they are sure to lose the good opinion of those with whom they are familiar.

Conclusion. It may, therefore, be laid down, as confirmed by reason and experience, that nothing requires greater caution in our conduct, than our behaviour to those with whom we are most intimate.

The necessity of Exercise.

Exercises.

The proper use of Amusements.

On Laudable Exertion.

The importance of a good character.

The Folly of Dissipation.

Want of Piety arises from the want of sensibility.

The importance of Hospitality and the civilities of common hf3

Religion consistent with true politeness.

On the pleasures of Conversation.

The dignity of virtue amid corrupt examples.

The duties and pleasures of Reflection.

The obligations of Learning to the Christian Religion.

On Decency as the only motive of our apparent virtues.

The importance of the government of temper.

The value of the art of printing.

The baneful effects of Indulgence.

The influence of the Great.

The Beauty and Happiness of an open behaviour and an ingenuous Disposition.

The utility of religious ceremonies.

A good heart necessary to enjoy the beauties of nature.

The wisdom of aiming at perfection.

Family Disagreements the frequent cause of immoral conduct.

The selfishness of men of the world.

The necessity of Temperance to the health of the mind.

Advantages of music as a recreation.

Necessity of attention to things as well as books.

The influence of fashion.

An honorable death preferable to a degraded life.

LXVII.

ABSTRACTS.

An abstract is a summary, or epitome, containing the substance, a general view, or the principal heads of a treatise or writing.

The taking of abstracts from sermons, speeches, essays, &c. is an exercise which the student will find exceedingly useful in the cultivation of habits of attention, as well as of analysis. In writing abstracts, it is not necessary to endeavor to recall the exact language of the original, the purpose of the exercise is fully subserved, if the principal idea be recorded

Example.

ON DIVERSIONS.

It is generally taken for granted, by most young people of fortune, that diversion is the principle object of life; and this opinion is often carried to such an excess, that pleasure seems to be the great ruling principle which directs all their thoughts, words, and actions, and which makes all the serious duties of life heavy and disgusting. This opinion, however, is no less absurd than unhappy, as may be shown by taking the other side of the question, and proving that there is no pleasure and enjoyment of life without labor.

The words commonly used to signify diversion are these three, namely, relaxation, amusement, and recreation; and the precise meaning of these words may lead us to very useful instruction. The idea of relaxation is taken from a bow, which must be unbent when it is not wanted to be used.

that its elasticity may be preserved. Amusement literally means an occasional forsaking of the Muses, or the laying aside our books when we are weary with study; and recreation is the refreshing or recreating of our spirits when they are exhausted with labor, that they may be ready, in due time, to resume it again.

From these considerations it follows that the idle man who has no work can have no play; for, how can he be relaxed who is never bent? How can he leave the Muses who is never with them? How can play refresh him who is never exhausted with business?

When diversion becomes the business of life, its nature is changed all rest presupposes labor. He that has no variety can have no enjoy ment; he is surfeited with pleasure, and in the better hours of reflection would find a refuge in labor itself. And, indeed, it may be observed, that there is not a more miserable, as well as a more worthless being, than a young person of fortune, who has nothing to do but find out some new way of doing nothing.

A sentence is passed upon all poor men, that if they will not work, they shall not eat; and a similar sentence seems passed upon the rich, who, if they are not in some respect useful to the public, are almost sure to be come burthensome to themselves. This blessing goes along with every useful employment; it keeps a man on good terms with himself, and consequently in good spirits, and in a capacity of pleasing and being pleased with every innocent gratification.

As labor is necessary to procure an appetite to the body, there must also be some previous exercise of the mind to prepare it for enjoyment; indulgence on any other terms is false in itself, and ruinous in its consequences. Mirth degenerates into senseless riot, and gratification soon terminates in satiety and disgust.

Abstract of the above.

1. It is a common error to suppose that diversion should form the business of life, the contrary being true.

2. This is proved by the derivation of the words used to express diversion viz., relaxation, amusement, and recrea

tion.

3. They who have no labor can have no diversion.

4. When diversion becomes labor, it is no longer diversion. 5. All men must have occupation, or be miserable.

6. There must be labor of mind as well as labor of the body, for the well being of both.

Exercises.

Exercises in the practice of taking abstracts are frequently presented by the preacher. They may also be found in volumes of sermons, in periodical papers and essays, in common text-books in literary institutions, and in the wide circle of English literature It is not, therefore, deemed important to present them in detail in this volume.

LXVIII.

The faculty of invention, it is thought, has been sufficiently exercised in the preceding principles to enable the student now to fill out an essay from heads, outlines, or abstracts, as in the following

Example.

ON INDEPENDENCE.

HEADS.

1. No being perfectly independent but God.

2. The dependence created by trade and commerce is, in fact, a kind of independence.

3. Pecuniary dependence the most humiliating of any.

4. Pecuniary dependence naturally degrades the mind and depraves the heart.

5. Young people ought to be particularly careful to avoid pecuniary dependence.

The Essay founded on the above heads.

Independence, in the largest and most unlimited sense, is to created beings, a state impossible. No being is perfectly independent, but the One Supreme Being: all other beings, by their very nature, are dependent, in the first place, on their Creator, and in the second, on their fellowcreatures; from whose good-will and assistance they derive their chief happiness.

This dependence, however, consists in a mutual interchange of good offices; in such a suitable return of favors received, as makes each party obliged to the other, and at the same time leaves each other independent. This kind of dependence we find in different countries, that trade in com modities which are necessary to both; by which means, they become use. ful, but not indebted to each other.

But the most general sense of independence is that of property. The circulating medium, called money, and which is the representative of al most every thing that we wish, has in it something so sacred, that we can never receive it gratuitously, without losing our dignity and becoming dependent. We may ask for favors of another kind, and though they are granted to us, we are not degraded; but if once we ask a pecuniary favor we lose our independence, and become enslaved. No more can we con verse with our creditor on the same equal terms that we did before. No more can we controvert his opinion, and assert our own: a conscious in

feriority has deprived us of freedom, and we are the slave of him who was formerly our equal.

But the most deplorable part of this picture is, that dependence not only enslaves the mind, but tends to deprave the heart. We feel ourselves degraded by receiving pecuniary favors, and conscious of what our creditor must think of us, when we cannot return them, we are apt to view him with an eye of jealousy and distaste; and thus become guilty of one of the worst of crimes, the crime of ingratitude.

Young people, who know but little either of themselves or of the world, are apt to think such pictures of human nature misanthropical. They are, however, such as have been drawn by the experience of all ages and nations; and concur with several other traits to show us the natural depravity of man. If, therefore, we wish to preserve ourselves independent, -if we wish to maintain a proper dignity of character and freedom of opinion, - if we desire, above all things, to preserve ourselves from that depravity of heart, which we are so apt to slide into when we cannot pay our debts, let us beware of borrowing money; for, as our immorts Shakspeare says,

"A loan oft loseth both itself and friend,

And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."

Exercises.

On the Multiplication of Books.

1. No amusements more attainable, or attended with more satisfaction, than those derived from literary subjects.

2. The student can enjoy in his library all that has employed the active mind of man.

3. Reading especially gratifying to those who are confined by profession or by circumstances.

4. Much of the student's time necessarily employed in retracing the progress of those who have gone before him.

5. Modern authors justify to themselves and others the addition which they make to the number of books.

2.

On the means of rendering old age honorable and comfortable.

Man degenerates in his nature as he advances in life.

2. That state is wretched, when the heart loses its sensibility.

3. Old age, though insensible to many pleasures, has a keen perception of pain.

4. Old age not always attended with natural infirmity.

5. A life of temperance preserves the equanimity of the mind.

6. A devotional spirit will afford the most lively enjoyments.

7. These enjoyments increase with the nearness of the approach of fruition.

8. That life honorable which affords the most useful lessons of virtue. 9. That life comfortable, which, although unattended with absolute en ment, has a solace for pain and a prospect of enjoyment near.