leisure hours are spent in worldly cares, or in gossipping, rather than among their books. They invite premature intellectual torpor and debility. They cease to instruct their hearers. And soon become a dead weight, instead of a comfort and a blessing to their congregations. Such is the history of many a minister who had good natural talents; and concerning whom the expectations of his friends were raised; but who could never be persuaded to love study. Rely upon it, no minister will ever be, for any length of time together, really acceptable and popular as a preacher, who is not a constant and diligent student; and who does not "feed his hearers with knowledge and with understanding."

Make a point, then, of being a "hard student" as long as you live. Keep up the habit of reading much, reflecting much, and writing much, as long as you have strength enough to open a book, or wield a pen. Content not yourself with merely that kind of study which will qualify you to prepare your sermons with success; but let your constant aim be to make rich and solid additions to your stores of professional knowledge. For this purpose, con. stantly keep under perusal some great standard work. And never consider yourself as having gotten through a year well, unless you have carefully read seven or eight such works, in addition

to all your other studies. This will render your sermonizing more easy and delightful to yourself, and more profitable to others. It will keep up the activity and tone of your mind. It will avert premature dotage; and better qualify you, in every respect, to do your Master's work.

17. Do not, however, CONFINE YOURSELF TO THE PERUSAL OF BOOKS STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL.

Endeavour, as far as practicable, to keep pace with the current literature of the day, by reading the most important new books which appear. Be careful, also, to maintain a constant familiarity with your College-studies. There is a shameful negligence on the part of many young clergymen as to this matter. If you live, you will probably be, one day, a Trustee, or a Visiter of some College or Academy; and you may often be called upon to examine students on all the branches of knowledge taught in those institutions. And will you not disgrace yourself, if you shall have become so rusty in those studies as to be wholly unable to do it, or to do it in a very bungling and inadequate manner? Besides; you know not to what station God in his providence may call you. It is the part of a wise man to be prepared for any one. During a considerable part of the eighteenth century, in the days of Dickinson, Burr, Edwards, Davies, Finley,

Ewing, Allison, Wilson, Witherspoon, Macwhorter, and a nmber of others who might be mentioned, we had a very honourable proportion of ministers in our church, whose classical and scientifick attainments, and general literature were so rich and mature, that they were well qualified for the highest literary as well as ecclesiastical stations; and acted as conservators of literature in their respective neighbourhoods. Whether we have as many now, in proportion to our numbers, who are thus qualified, I will not at present decide. But

what you lies, that the Church may have one such individual in yourself.

18. Always have some reading, or some other intellectual employment, TO FILL UP THE

SMALL SPACES OF TIME WHICH WOULD OTHER

WISE BE LOST. To the man of real wisdom, every moment is precious. To waste even single minutes, therefore, appears to him unspeakably more foolish than throwing away gold. Yet, in the lives of the most industrious, many minutes will occur, in the course of every day, which must inevitably be wasted, unless some expedient be adopted to furnish means for filling up every vacant moment, however unexpectedly it may occur. For this purpose, I would advise you always to carry a Bible in your pocket, and some other

portable book of value, which may be taken up for a few moments, wherever you may happen to be, and laid down again without material disadvantage. And when you go from Home, always take with you books enough, and of the proper character, for the profitable employment of your time, while waiting at taverns, or travelling in publick conveyances, in which many a precious hour is lost by the improvident man.

If you are only awake to the importance of this subject, and have your attention vigilantly directed to the economical use of time, it is wonderful how much of it may be easily saved from utter waste.

HAND.

19. Study much WITH YOUR PEN IN Keep several blank books on your shelves. One of these should be a common. place-book, in which you should enter references to the volume, chapter and page in which any remarkably just sentiments, or able discussions are to be found. This is, undoubtedly, a method greatly preferable to that which is adopted by many; I mean the method of laboriously transcribing long passages from books; which ought never to be done unless with respect to such books as you may not be able to see again. If you possess, or can easily procure the book, a reference to the passage which strikes you,under its appropriate title,in a volume

kept for that purpose, is quite sufficient, and much less laborious and exhausting. It is a good thing, too, while the contents of a book of sterling value are fresh in your memory, to throw on paper a compend or synopsis of the scope, plan, and reasoning. This will not only tend to fix them in your memory; but may also serve, if filed and preserved, some important purpose afterwards. And, finally, in an interleaved Bible be careful to enter, in a small, neat hand, all the striking criticisms, and expositions of scripture, which you may meet with in the course of your reading, or your attendance on the preaching of others.

20. It will be, in many cases, a great saving of time, if you LEARN THE CHARACTER OF

BOOKS, FROM GOOD JUdges, befoRE YOU READ THEM. As no one has time or strength to read every book that can be found, on a given subject; and as it would not be worth his while if he had; it is desirable for a student, at the outset of a particular investigation, to find out, from those on whom he can rely, what writers have treated on the subject which he wishes to explore, with most ability. I have often been distressed to see inexperienced but zealous readers, wasting weeks and perhaps months, in reading inferior, and even paltry books, when those which were far more worthy of their attention, might have been had with equal ease.