To acquire knowledge, two essentials are indispensableearnest attention and industrious application; without the former, the sensations made on the brain by the speaker or writer will be fleeting and evanescent; without the latter, the mental effort required will not be made, the ideas will not be impressed on the memory. With these efforts a weak brain will be strengthened and enriched; without them a strong one will remain void of knowledge.

As our ideas, or those treasured-up impressions of external nature which we use in comparing, judging and reasoning, are acquired by our perceptive faculties, the fixing of our attention, so as to perceive accurately the properties, peculiarities, and beauties, of every thing around us, is necessary to the proper culture of those faculties.

And in proportion as our memories are well stocked with useful ideas, so shall we be able to compare truly, judge wisely, and reason accurately; and these reflecting powers we can strengthen and enlarge by the frequent concentration of our thoughts to find out the causes, uses and application, of the existence around us.

To aid us in our investigations we should accustom ourselves mentally to analyze every object worthy of attention; and on all subjects beyond our reach and experience we should be more observant of minute facts than great authorities. We should also endeavour to trace all actions to their source and tendencies, and to test all political and social arrangements by their effects in diminishing evil or in promoting good.

Good books, those intellectual treasures left by the wise and good who have preceded us, we should attentively study for information, rather than read for amusement; for storing our minds with materials for thought-for awakening our perceptions of truth, excellence and beauty-for forming and fixing our resolutions to virtue-for improving

the present by the experience of the past. And the best test for distinguishing good books, is the number of valuable thoughts and virtuous resolutions we can glean from them; not by merely remembering the words of the author, but by causing his ideas to become a portion of our own minds.

But though reading will thus enrich our memories, we must carefully compare and patiently reflect on the subject read, if we desire to work out new thoughts for ourselves; and every good thought may, by industry, be made an element of human improvement.

Nor must we be content with our acquirements; for 'mental idleness enervates, while proper exercise invigorates the brain. We should rather give wings to our thoughts, in order to discover fresh subjects for investigation and study.

Nor must we hoard up our knowledge, like the miser his wealth, we must strive to use it for the instruction and benefit of mankind; and to enable us to do this we must cultivate the arts of composition and expression, and seek to test our opinions by conversations and discussions with persons of superior knowledge and experience to ourselves.

Nor must mere intellectual attainments be our only aim; we have higher and nobler faculties to be developed and exercised. We have to cultivate our moral nature, which, directed by intellect, will enable us to controul our appetites and passions, stimulate us to the highest and worthiest aims, and prompt us to self denial and self sacrifice in order to promote the happiness of our race.

INDIVIDUAL DUTIES.

ON OUR MORAL CULTURE.

As neither individual nor general happiness can exist without morality, our moral culture becomes a duty of paramount importance. But as various notions are entertained respecting the nature of our moral being, it is advisable that we seek to understand the truth respecting it. And as a means to this end, our own feelings and experience should be first consulted.

We are all of us more or less conscious of a power within us, prompting us to feelings of compassion and acts of kindness; something that causes us to feel hurt at another's injury, and to rejoice when we can render him justice; a feeling expressive of pain and regret at acts of cruelty, violence and disorder; and of respect and veneration for those who devote themselves to their prevention or removal, and who seek to increase the sum of human happiness.

Those feelings are found to be stronger in some, than in others; but are naturally irregular and impulsive in all. They are often seen to be weak or inactive, when passion, selfishness, or interest prompts us to disregard them; and powerful for good when roused to activity, and directed by knowledge.

Those emotions, designated moral, are therefore of themselves mere blind impulses; and unless they are properly cultivated so as to become established habits in our lives and conduct, and at the same time directed and governed by

the intellect, will not be safe and proper moral guides for us. For we often see persons prompted to be charitable without discrimination, some to be devout without being moral, and others to be severely just, without consideration, judgment, or mercy.

When, however, these moral impulses are trained and strengthened by judicious culture, and are guided by sound reasoning powers, we shall then become truly moral. They will then form self-con troulling powers to guide our passions to their legitimate ends; and will afford us the greatest delight in alleviating the misery, and promoting the happiness of our fellow creatures.

Now in order to guide us in the self-culture of our moral capabilities, we should keep steadily before us the three-fold nature of our own being. We should remember that we have animal, intellectual, and moral powers, and that each and all of them are habituated, are strengthened and enlarged by exercise; and they are so by reason of a physical law of our nature, which causes a larger supply of pure blood to be sent to nourish the part most in use; brain and muscle being equally subject to this law.

If, therefore, we pursue our mere animal gratifications, and give way to our passions and appetites, we shall find, to our sorrow, that they will gradually gain strength by exercise, and will eventually assume the mastery over our intellectual and moral powers. It is in this manner that vicious habits are formed and strengthened; it is thus that the passions gradually acquire an ascendancy over the better portion of man's nature, too frequently embittering his existence, and often working his destruction.

But if, on the other hand, we direct our aspirations and resolves to the cultivation of our intellectual and moral powers, they also will become strengthened and fortified by frequent exercise, till eventually they acquire a supremacy

for

good. Thus constantly keeping before us our life's mission of usefulness and duty, by carefully considering the tendency of our actions, and by keeping an ever watchful guard over our passions, our moral nature will become stronger and stronger, and our vicious impulses be more easily subdued. Our moral nature thus cultivated and trained will become to us our ever vigilant monitor warning us of evil, our faithful guide rightly directing our conduct, our beneficent mentor constantly urging us to the performance of acts promotive of human happiness.

Therefore if we understand those laws of our moral nature, we may perceive that we have to a great extent the formation of our own character in our own power; and we shall be more or less responsible, according to the knowledge we possess, if we disregard the influences that affect that nature for evil or for good.

As evil influences are almost certain to produce evil consequences, we are morally bound on all occasions to eschew them, however fair or attractive the garb they may assume. For though our resolves may be strong, and our purpose firm, we may not always be able to remain stedfast when we listen to temptation, or come in close contact with the seductions of vice.

To all individual gratification, all conversation, books, or amusement, we should therefore apply the test of morality; and all which is in any way calculated to deteriorate our own nature, or undermine the morals of society, all which is not approved of by our intellectual and moral perceptions of right, truth, purity and propriety, we may safely condemn as evil to be shunned.

Be virtuous and be happy, be vicious and be miserable, are the great laws of man's nature; for though vice may seem to flourish for a season, its fruits will certainly prove bitter, its seeds will surely produce misery at last. consciousness of a worthless and useless life, the disrespect

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