friends full broadly upon this, but they denied the imputation, and said it was all jealousy, because no one attempted to imitate me save the professor himself.

But before closing this essay I must remind you that there are two classes of men who are in nothing benefited by the studies of their youth, and with neither would I wish you to form intimate friendships. The one class consists of those who rest their character on their conversation and manners, though every thing they say or do tells you they have learned nothing, or have taken particular good care to forget what they have learned. The other consists of those who rest their character entirely on learning, and bore you for ever with it. I advise you, both in your own character, and in the choice of your intimate friends, to avoid either of these extremes. The liberal sciences are the busines and

occupation of youth, but we do not acquire them merely for the purpose of displaying them. They are no farther necessary than to invigorate your mind and to prepare you for the discharge of active and important duties. The possession of learning, therefore, is useful to your character, but never ought to be made the parade of it. Consider for what it was that you were bred to virtuous knowledge, and had the germs of wisdom early implanted in your mind. It was to teach you to rule your passions, to subdue their rage, and stay their headlong course through the mazes of eventful life. Reflect, that life and death are only varied modes of endless being. Reflect, that life, like every other blessing, derives its value only from the use make of it. It was not for itself that the Eternal gave it, but for a nobler end, and that end is VIRTUE. If your life is preserved by the loss of your wealth, the

you

bargain is profitable, but both would be cheaply saved by the loss of virtue.

Therefore, my son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not

152

SERMON VI.

REASON AND INSTINCT.

"I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless."

THIS is a difficult subject for an old shepherd to enter upon. What! hath man a spirit, a soul, and a body? So St. Paul seems to infer, and therefore I am bound to believe it as true; but how to separate the soul and the spirit, I am rather at a loss. The latter I must suppose to be the principle of animal life inherent in every living creature, and resident in the blood and the nerves; and the other that reasonable and immortal substance in the human race which distinguishes them from all other earthly creatures, and is the fountain of thought, reason, and conception. It is a ray of the Divinity; a spirit united to an organised body, by which all the operations of

mind are carried on.

Its existence is ap

parent by consciousness or conception of our own being, and its continuing permanent amid the successive changes of our material frame. Philosophers have come to no certain conclusion as to its seat in the body, with the exception of my friend and patron Dr. Dunlop, who is quite decided on the subject,— and there are more impossible theories, too, than his; but as it may not be deemed orthodox, I do not choose to set it down here. The truth is, that its qualities and substance no man can comprehend. To state any other opinions of men concerning it, would be but exposing human ignorance.

Some of the ancients have supposed that there are three kinds of souls, the rational, the sensitive, and the vegetative. But in all ages the soul has furnished questions of difficulty, and no human investigation has yet proved adequate to the final settlement of the dispute;