51.

Youth is eminently the fittest season for establishing habits of industry. Rare indeed are the examples of men, who, when their earlier years have been spent in dull inactivity or trifling amusements, are afterwards animated by the love of glory, or instigated even by the dread of want, to undergo that labour to which they have not been familiarized. They find a state of indolence, indeed, not merely joyless, but tormenting. They are racked with cares which they can neither explain nor alleviate, and through the mere want of pursuits they are harassed with more galling solicitude, than even disappointment occasions to other men. Not trained up "in the way in which they should go" when they are young, they have not the inclination, and, when they are old, they have not the power, to depart from idleness. Wearied they are with doing nothing: they form hasty resolutions and vain designs of doing something; and then starting aside from the very approach of toil, they leave it undone for ever and ever.-Dr Parr.

52.

Accustom yourself to submit on all and every occasion, and on the most minute, no less than on the most important circumstances of life, to a small present evil, to obtain a greater distant good. This will give decision, tone, and energy to the mind, which, thus disciplined, will often reap victory from defeat, and honour from repulse. Having acquired this invaluable habit of rational preference, and just appreciation, start for that prize that endureth for ever; you will have little left to learn. The advantages you will possess over common minds, will be those of the Lanista over the Tyro, and of the veteran over the recruit.-Lacon.

53.

Modesty and humility are the sobriety of the

mind: temperance and chastity are the sobriety of the body.-Dr Whichcote.

54.

It is much easier to think right without doing right, than to do right without thinking right. Just thoughts may, and woefully do fail of producing just deeds; but just deeds are sure to beget just thoughts. For when the heart is pure and straight, there is hardly anything which can mislead the understanding in matters of immediate personal concernment. But the clearest understanding can do little in purifying an impure heart; the strongest, little in straightening a crooked one. You cannot reason or talk an Augean stable into cleanliness. A single day's work would make more progress in such a task than a century's words. Thus our Lord's blessing on knowledge is only conditional: If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John xiii. 17). But to action his promise is full and certain: If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God. (John vii. 17).-Guesses at Truth.

55.

Nothing is more commonly observed than, that whilst a man is teaching another, he improves himself; our memories are frail and treacherous, and we think many excellent things, which for want of making a deep impression, we can never recover afterwards; in vain we hunt for the straggling idea, and rummage all the solitudes and retirements of the soul for a lost thought, which has left no tracks or footsteps behind it. The first offspring of the mind is gone, 'tis dead as soon as born; nay, often proves abortive in the moment it was conceived. The only way therefore to retain our thoughts is to fasten them in words, and chain them in writing.Dr T. Fuller.

56.

I have often observed, that by the mere propounding a difficulty to another, I have presently been able to resolve that which was too hard for me whilst I resolved it only in my own breast.Dr T. Fuller.

57.

To form the profound philosopher, or the elegant scholar, is not always within our power. But every man will be called upon to discharge some duties to the community, and every man is endowed with talents for the acquisition of some knowledge. It is not necessary for him to feel the beauties of composition, to measure the motions of the planets, to exercise his memory in history, or to invigorate his judgment by logic. But he may become a useful citizen, or a skilful artificer; and in order to become so, he must often turn a deaf ear to the syren song of indolence.-Dr Parr.

58.

Men hope, by systems and rules, to shape different minds according to one fixed model; but nature and the accidents of life intervene to thwart the design, and thus keep up the infinite diversity of intellect and attainments, corresponding to the equally varied tempers and fortunes of mankind. -W. B. Clulow.

59.

Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too

soon.

60.

He is not likely to learn who is not willing to be taught; for the learner has something to do as well as the teacher.-Dr Whichcote.

61.

It has been remarked,- "that no one can be taught faster than he can learn."

B

62.

Nothing is more absurd than the common notion of instruction; as if science were to be poured into the mind like water into a cistern, that passively waits to receive all that comes.-Harris.

63.

The framers of preventive laws, no less than private tutors and schoolmasters, should remember, that the readiest way to make either mind or body grow awry, is by lacing it too tight.-S. T. Coleridge.

64.

It is not less true of the intellect than of the body, that premature exertion occasions mal-conformation or disease.-W. B. Clulow.

65.

A monitor ought, in the first place, to have a regard to the delicacy and sense of shame of the person admonished. For they who are hardened against a blush, are incorrigible.—Epictetus.

66.

The teachers of youth in a free country should select those books for their chief study, so far, I mean, as this world is concerned,—which are best adapted to foster a spirit of manly freedom. The duty of preserving the liberty which our ancestors, through God's blessing, won, established, and handed down to us, is no less imperative than any commandment in the Second Table; if it be not the concentration of the whole.-Guesses at Truth.

67.

None are so fit to teach others their duty, and none so likely to gain men to it, as those who practise it themselves; because hereby we convince men that we are in earnest, when they see that we persuade them to nothing but what we choose to do ourselves.-Dr T. Fuller.

68.

The small progress of men under the best religious instruction, need excite the surprise of no one who recollects the ignorance and mistakes of the Apostles under the teaching of our Saviour. -W. B. Clulow.

69.

Discipline, like the bridle in the hand of a good rider, should exercise its influence without appearing to do so, should ever be active, both as a support and as a restraint, yet seem to lie easily in hand. It must always be ready to check or pull up, as occasion may require; and only when the horse is a runaway, should the action of the curb be ceptible.-Guesses at Truth. 70.

A fault once excused is twice committed.

71.

per

Humanity is the first of virtues; but humanity should be tempered with judgment; for when the same lenity is shewn to imprudence, or even to the indulgence of vicious habits, that is due to unavoidable misfortune, or to accidental error; instead of doing any real good to the individual we shew it to, we only encourage his faults, and aggravate the distress that we wish to relieve, besides the example and encouragement we give to others; till at last we are forced to use that severity, which, if exercised sooner, and perhaps in a smaller degree, would have been the greatest humanity we could shew.W. Danby.

72.

All men should rather wish for virtue than wealth, which is dangerous to the foolish: for vice is increased by riches. And in proportion as any one is destitute of understanding, into the more injurious excess he flies out, by having the means of gratifying the rage of his pleasures.-Epictetus.