from such motives are honestly labouring to save their fellow men from present and eternal ills. There is no view of the fatal disorder of mind more afflicting than this; thus to behold, amiable and intelligent men, from negligence, inattention to the word of God, early prejudices, and other causes which palliate, but cannot justify, hazarding the best and eternal interests of immortal minds, for no conceivable good.

Yet the common indifference of mankind to the destinies of a future scene, probably prevents many from valuing such dangers as of any material consequence. But there are considerations in regard to the present life alone, which make the course alluded to, appear very inconsistent with the spirit of benevolence. Those who question the authority of the Bible, and destroy the motives of fear and of gratitude presented in its pages, are persons who maintain that all who are sincerely honest in their religious belief, and live according to their principles, are sure of eternal happiness in the future world. Of course, as it respects the eternal world, it is of small consequence what a man believes, and the great object of life is to consult for happiness in this state of existence.

The dictate of reason then would be, that mankind should never attempt to shake the faith of any of their fellow beings, but to take every method to strengthen it; while every means of promoting peace, harmony, and friendship, should be sought.

But it is well known, that those who found their hopes of eternal happiness, for themselves and all they hold dear, on the atoning sacrifice of our Creator, cannot be more grievously injured or afflicted, than by efforts that destroy the confidence of their families and friends in the Bible, and the doctrines it reveals. It is impossible for any efforts of this kind to be made, without producing anxiety, displeasure, grief, and indignation. It cannot be understood what good is intended by such efforts, from those who allow that it is of small consequence what is our belief, if it is only sincere. They see

that peace and harmony in families, in neighbourhoods, and in society at large, is destroyed, and they cannot realize where the benevolence, or the kindness, or the honour, that leads to such attempts on the peace of mankind, with the prospect of much evil, and of little good.

Persons who make attempts to propagate sentiments, which they acknowledge are not necessary to future happiness, have learned by experience, that misery, dissatisfaction, evil speaking, and many other evils spring from such efforts; and yet, with such facts in full array, they still honestly believe, and seem to comfort themselves with the belief, that they are liberal, virtuous, and benevolent, and are acting the part of benefactors to mankind.

CHAPTER XXXI.

1

ON THE CULTIVATION OF INTELLECT, SUSCEPTIBILITIES, WILL,

AND HABITS.

There are two peculiarities in mental phenomena, which have a controlling and constant influence on every power of mind. These are, the influence of emotion, and the phenomenon of habit. It is these two principles which operate in forming the peculiarities of all minds, and in determining both their intellectual and moral character.

In the articles on the different intellectual powers, the fact was presented, that the vividness of our sensations depends entirely on the interest which the mind feels in them, so that continually, sensations produce no effect on a mind which is interested in other things. Thus in order to have any perception become vivid, it is necessary to impart some interest to the object that occasions it.

The mode then, of cultivating clear and quick perceptions, must obviously consist in devising methods of interesting the mind in the objects which are presented for attention. This teaches the importance of making every pursuit and study of infancy and childhood interesting, by awakening curiosity, by connecting the stimulous of companionship, the approbation of teachers and friends, the inspiring motives of piety, and every other pleasurable association, with their pursuits. The commencement of education with a child, is training the senses to the clear and quick performance of their duties, and it is by connecting pleasing emotions with perceptions, that this is effected.

It has also been shown that the vividness of our conceptions, depends upon the emotions of interest which exist in the mind. If the perceptions have been clear and vivid, in past experience, it has much influence in determining the distinctness of the conceptions. But the vividness of conception depends more upon the present state of the mind in regard to the interest felt, than to the character of past perceptions. If the mind is deeply interested in any pursuit, all the concep-tions which are connected with this subject, become defined and distinct, and the degree of this vividness depends altogether on the degree of interest felt. Of course, the same method is to be pursued in cultivating clear conceptions, as in cultivating quick perceptions. Every mode should be devised to interest the mind in the pursuit in which it is to be engaged.

It has been shown also, that the principle of Association rests chiefly on the same foundation. Those ideas that were connected together when the mind was under the influence of emotion, are those which by this principle are recalled togeth

er.

Of course, that process of mind called "committing to memory," is dependant on this principle. The power of recalling past ideas in the relations in which they formerly existed, and of recognizing them as past states of mind, are the

two acts included in the term Memory. The first of these acts is the connected return of past ideas, called association, and the second is an act of judgment in noticing relations.

As then, the connection of ideas, depends upon the power of emotion existing in the mind, at the time they were previously thus connected, it can be seen, that memory depends upon the strength of feeling, which attends our perceptions or conceptions. A ready and a retentive memory is cultivated, then, by connecting interesting objects of pursuit, with this intellectual effort.

Attention and Abstraction, it has been shown, are simply conceptions, and perceptions, attended with different degrees of interest, by which some parts of a whole become vivid and prominent, and others fade away. Judgment is the power of the mind by which we notice relations. This exercise of mind, must to a great extent depend upon the vividness of our conceptions, for when our ideas are all indistinct, and undefined, the relations among these ideas cannot readily and clearly be discerned. The ready operation of this faculty, therefore, depends upon the existence of feeling with our conceptions and perceptions.

. From what precedes it appears, that all our intellectual operations depend upon our emotions, so that a mind which is endowed with strong susceptibilities, is the one, which if properly cultivated, is most likely to become distinguished for its intellectual powers and operations.

The principle of habit, has no less influence upon our mental character than the power of feeling. There is no operation of mind, which, by repetition, does not become a habit; so that the exercise of the mind in this way, is continually accelerated. Were it not for this peculiarity of mind, no improvement could be made by experience. If every operation of mind was just as difficult, and just as imperfect, after a thousand attempts, as at the first essay, it can readily be seen, that both our intellectual nature, our capacity for enjoy.

ment, and our stimulous to activity, would be essentially impaired.

It is by the power of habit, that we gain success in almost every intellectual and physical operation, so that were it not for this, we should remain through life, in almost infantile imbecility. As the mind is now constituted, the intellectual powers, the susceptibilities, and the will, are all to a greater or less extent, brought under the operation of this principle. Thus quickness both of perception and of conception, is greatly increased by habit. We find some minds, which are endowed with the strongest susceptibilities, have always been placed in such circumstances, and employed about such physical drudgeries, that their intellectual powers seem never to have been called into operation, and undergo a benumbing torpor.

Those who have been called to watch the varied developement of mind, will bear witness to the fact, that minds very often appear stupid, inanimate, and singularly inefficient, which after a certain degree of culture, seem to burst forth with uncommon vigour and efficiency, and waken with delight to the conscious exercise of powers, which never before were realized to exist.

It is probably owing to this fact in mental science, that the African race, which in the morning of the world, stood at the head of our intellectual nature, are now reduced by the benumbing influence of ignorance and slavery, to a torpor and stupidity, which have led some, to question their claims to the honours of our intellectual nature, and to place them among the brutes, to whose level, the barbarity and selfishness of their fellow men have well nigh reduced them.

The power of habit is no less clearly discerned in the various operations of the judgment. It is this principle altogether, which determines those peculiar classes which are distinguished, as mathematical minds, imaginative minds, investigating minds, &c. An imaginative mind, is one that has formed