them forward, and dwelling upon them. Ne

ver obtrude them upon him.

brought up, always treat them

advocate.

When they are

gravely and re

spectfully. Never ridicule either them or their Never impute to him either a weak head or a corrupt heart. Never indulge in language approaching to acerbity. And whenever you find that the discussion affects him unpleasantly, let it be instantly dropped, and not soon revived.

12. Be especially ON YOUR GUARD AGAINST

ALL THOSE

UNHALLOWED TEMPERS AND HABITS WHICH INTERFERE WITH FRATERNAL IN

TERCOURSE, and which are hostile to brotherly love. Many tempers and feelings are apt to creep in among companions in study, and even among theological students, which cannot fail to exert an influence deeply hostile to that fraternal affection which ought ever to reign among them. In this revolting list, pride, vanity, selfishness, egotism, envy, unhallowed emulation, jealousy, and suspicion, hold a prominent place. Where any one or more of these reign, like the "dead flies in the apothecary's ointment," they are apt to cause the whole mass to send forth an evil "savour. 22 Set a solemn guard over your spirit, with respect to these tempers. If you yield to the power of pride, vanity, or jealousy in your intercourse with your companions, you will, assuredly, repel and alienate them. If

you allow yourself to envy the superior talents or popularity of any brother, and to sicken at his success; there is, of course, an end of all fraternal feeling toward him. If you permit carnal emulation to reign in your breast, or dark suspicion to gain the ascendancy in your mind, on the ground of some equivocal word or action, you may bid adieu to all comfortable intercourse with the objects of such feelings. If any of your fellow students be manifestly superior to yourself in any attainment or excellence, depend on it, the indulgence of fretfulness and envy at the view of it, and giving vent to corresponding expressions, will only serve to diminish your own comfort, and to render your inferiority more glaring. O how destructive of peace, as well as wicked, are all these tempers! How deeply are they capable of poisoning the social intercourse even of the pious! How uncomfortable to those who indulge them! And how humiliating their aspect, in the view of the wise and the good, when they become visible! My dear young Friend, abhor such tempers. Strive to subdue and banish them. Whether you regard your own enjoyment, or that of others, put them far away. Rejoice in the gifts and accomplishments of your brethren. Be always ready to put the most favourable construction on their words and actions. If

2

you are tempted at any time to suppose, that they do not honour you as much as they ought, recollect that they are much more likely than yourself to have an impartial opinion on this point; and, especially, that the most fruitless of all methods of gaining honour, among the wise and the good, is to make an angry, or even a querulous demand of it. Be kind, respectful, and truly benevolent to every brother. Be ever disposed to give honour where it is due, without stint or grudging. Study to "please every one for his good to edification ;" and you may safely leave your own standing among your companions to "Him who judgeth righteously "

13. Be careful to improve the excellent opportunity which you enjoy in the Seminary, for ASCERTAINING AND CORRECTING YOUR OWN FOIBLES, AS WELL AS THOSE OF OTHERS.. Solitude is a situation by no means favourable for detecting our foibles. In fact, many of them are not developed, until we go into society, and put our social feelings and propensities to the test. Many a serious young man, who, in early youth, and in retirement, appeared to be a pattern of all that was gentle, frank, generous and amiable, has been, unexpectedly, found, when brought more extensively into society, to disclose very different characteristicks. If,

監

on the one hand, he succeeded in gaining distinction among his companions, he became, perhaps, proud, supercilious, dictatorial, and, it may be, insufferably arrogant. If, on the other hand, he found his standing with his fellows less elevated than he was led to anticipate, he became sour, envious, jealous, full of suspicion, ready to misconstrue every word and action, and to consider the most innocent remark as having a hostile aim. Or, perhaps, his infirmity of character took the course of succumbing to his new circumstances, and appearing the flattering, creeping sycophant. Now, as society has a wonderful power in exciting these peccant humours into action, and bringing them into view; so the best society, --such as that in a theological Seminary ought to be, -seems to present one of the best means of correcting them. Surely a circle in which cultivated knowledge, pious principles, and mutual and fraternal inspection, reign, is one of the most favourable on earth for mollifying those asperities, rubbing, or pruning off those excrescences, and applying a remedy for all the acidities and obliquities, which are so unfriendly to social and christian enjoyment. Whatever others may do, then, let me earnestly advise you to avail yourself of this advantage. You will never enjoy such another. Carefully watch the workings of your own mind, both to

ward those above you, and those below you, on the scale of talents and influence. And so far as you discover either pride or sycophaney ;arrogance or despondency-envy, or a disposition meanly to flatter;-never rest till you root them out, and banish them from your bosom. Entreat your intimate frien is to tell you your faults with perfect candour, and reciprocate the favour with them. Watch over one another with affectionate fidelity. And when any of your defects, infirmities, or mistakes, are disclosed to your view by a brother, receive the communication with meek and humble thankfulness. As far as my experience extends, I would say, few things afford a worse prognostick of the spirit, and destiny of a young man, than his resenting such a painful and self denying effort to promote his benefit. In short, study daily to make your intercourse with your brethren a means of correcting, as far as possible, every moral and intellectual fault, and of promoting every amiable grace and virtue, both in yourself and in your associates.

14. Let me advise you to be PUNCTUAL AND DEVOTED IN YOUR ATTENDANCE ON THE THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, which is connected with the Seminary. It has not a little surprised me that the meetings of this Association should be often so thinly attended, and so frequently marked with languor and want of interest.