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Sure he that made us with such large discourse,
Looking before and after, gave us not

that capability and God-like reason,

To rust out unused.".

7. Our Creator has bestowed upon us all the intellectual and moral powers of our nature, to be improved with incessant and ever growing exercise. The human mind is on its triumphat march to the temple of wisdom and truth. It is immortal, and its imperishable interests should be regarded, as the immediate Jewel of the soul." Under the guidance of Christian morality,

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"Knowledge to the soul

Is life, and liberty, and peace,
And while eternal ages roll,

The joys of knowledge shall increase."-S. N. Sweet.

THE DISADVANTAGES OF IGNORANCE.

1. Ignorance is the source of a large portion of the vice and misery that exist in the world. In the absence of a knowledge of human nature, and of the attributes of Deity, man is not otherwise distinguished from the brute creation, than by the figure of his species. While ignorant of the philosophy of the mind, and of the character of God, he is but a child of a larger growth, even in advanced age. He violates municipal laws, of the existence of which, he is unconscious; and yet, he suffers their penalties. He believes that imaginary beings, called witches, have actually existed; and although the dead return not to the earth, his imagination is visited with spectral illusions of midnight ghosts. Being a stranger to Christianity, which reveals all that mortal man can know of future events; he puts confidence in the false pretences of sooth-sayers, some of whom are to be found, in almost every community. A thousand other ills, from which the well informed individual is free, "Shade the prospect of his joys."

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2. Unacquainted with history, he knows not the pleasure derived from a survey of the vast fields of knowledge which it unfolds. Having paid no attention to astronomy, he has yet to learn, that the stars are worlds, some of which are much larger than ours, and all of which, are, in all proba

bility, inhabited by intelligent and happy beings. But what is most to be regretted, is, that such a person does not know, that of all the works of God, man alone has

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and soar, as on an angel's wing, to heaven. He attaches more importance to the frail and perishable body, than to the immortal mind.

3. If his mind and heart are not imbued with the spirit of Christ, he will be likely to diminish rather than increase the happiness of those around him. He will probably cherish and practically exemplify a feeling of extreme selfishness. He will live without friends, and when he dies, nobody will mourn. And, moreover, he may "do himself harm." If he do not spend his leisure hours in acquiring valuable knowledge, he may be tempted to visit places where that life and soul destroying stuff,-ardent spirits,are sold; or he may stultify himself enough to visit houses, the doors of which, like " the gates of hell," stand open day and night. Vice, like this, draws a dark cloud over his prospects of happiness, through the eternal shadows of which, nothing is clearly discernible but misery and wo.

4. In view of these thoughts, the question suggests itself to every philanthropist, what means can be adopted for the general diffusion of knowledge. I answer, that one of the greatest known engines of influence, to effect that object, an object inseparably connected with the purity and perpetuation of our free and glorious institutions, is the Press. Many of the people of the United States have neither leisure nor disposition to pursue a systematic course of study; and all such may be greatly benefitted by cheap and entertaining literary papers and books. The great mass of our countrymen have not the pecuniary means of attending the higher institutions of learning. That knowledge which our academies and colleges impart, is confined to comparatively few. It is "like morning light, which gilds the mountain tops, but reaches not the valleys."

5. Our chief reliance then must be upon common schools, institutions established to qualify teachers of such schools,

useful books, and upon well conducted educational publications, for the universal spread of knowledge, and for the intellectual and moral culture of future generations, as well as the present. The schoolmaster and the literary newspaper are abroad; and they cannot fail to exert a powerful influence upon the habits and morals of the people.

6. Let teachers and editors labor to combine the educa. tion of the heart with that of the head, and, while exerting themselves to make broader and deeper the streams of knowledge, let their instructions be imbued with that pure spirit, which rising above all sectarianism, embraces the noble doctrines of Christ and the apostles. Ignorance and iniquity produce misery; knowledge and religion, happiness. Dr. Wayland's definition of human happiness is most excellent. "It consists in the gratification of our desires within the limits assigned to them by our Creator." Those, and those only who act in accordance with the laws of vir tue, by seeking knowledge, and by the limitation of their desires within the bounds of enlightened reason, can be happy.

It has been often said, and with much truth, that neither wealth nor fame afford substantial happiness. It is to be found only by living as becomes "mortal and immortal beings." Feeble, indeed, is our hold upon this life. One by one, we are rapidly dropping into the grave. "If," there. fore, as Alexander Hamilton expressed it, "we would rescue any thing from final dissolution, we must lay it up in God."-S. N. Sweet.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

The opinion of I. F. Mack, Esq., Superintendent of Common Schools, in the City of Rochester, N. Y. .

Professor Samuel N. Sweet

DEAR SIR :-I have recently examined your work, entitled, "Practical Elocution," and take pleasure in saying, that, in my opinion, it is admirably adapted to the purposes of teaching reading as well as public speaking. It is alike calculated to afford the means of improvement in Elocution in Common Schools as in the higher, and I hope soon to see it introduced as a reading and text book, into all the "Public Schools" under my charge. The introductory observations and illustrations, including the Elementary sounds of our language, cannot fail to be serviceable to the student in oratory. The selections are varied and excellent, and the explanatory notes give a new impulse to the reader, decidedly favorable to improvement in that most important branch of Education. That the benefits resulting to the public from a very general circulation of your work, may at least in some measure, compensate you for your efforts to promote the cause of reading and speaking, is the sincere wish of your Obedient servant,

Rochester, Oct. 16, 1843.

I. F. MACK.

The opinion of the Committee on Books, taken from their report submitted to the Board of Education of the city of Rochester, and on motion adopted.

A work entitled "Practical Elocution," by Professor Samuel N. Sweet, has been laid before the committee. A brief examination of it has satisfied them that it is a work admirably adapted to improve pupils in the art of speaking and reading. The selections are from the best writers and speakers, the world has known, and are suited alike to pupils of Common Schools, and those more advanced. As such, it is earnestly recommended to the attention of Teachers of Public Schools.

Rochester, Oct. 5, 1843.

L. K. FAULKNER, Chairman Committee on Books.

The opinion of His Excellency, William H. Seward, Governor of the State of New-York.

Samuel N. Sweet, Esq., Professor of Elocution

My DEAR SIR:-I return you my thanks for your kindness in sending me a copy of your useful work on Elocution. I have carefully examined it, and am satisfied that it will prove eminently useful in our public schools. Accept my congratulations. It ought to be a source of great satisfaction to you that you have accomplished a work which will exert a beneficial influence in the education of our countrymen.

With sincere wishes for your continued usefulness, I remain your old friend and obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Albany, Nov. 28, 1839.

The opinion of Hon. Alfred Conkling, Judge of the U. S. for the Northern District of the State of New-York.

Having given a cursory examination to Sweet's Elocution, it affords me pleasure to state that it appears to me to contain a judicious selection of pieces suitable for reading and declamation in American Schools, and that the biographical and other historical sketches, appended to the pieces, are so instructive and useful, as essentially to enhance the value of the book, and to render it, in connection with its other merits, preferable to any other work of its kind with which I am acquainted. Owasco, near Auburn, April 26, 1841.

ALFRED CONKLING.

The opinion of William Hopkins, A. M., Principal of the Auburn

Academy.

DEAR SIR :-Permit me to express to you my high satisfaction of your instruction on the subject of Elocution, in this Institution. It is but justice also to add, that I am highly pleased with your work on 'Practical Elocution,' and I unhesitatingly pronounce it the best work of the kind that has come to my knowledge. It has been introduced into the Academy under my charge, after having passed a rigid criticism by the committee on text books. Among the excellencies of the work, may be mentioned the great variety of suitable pieces for declamation, the explanatory notes and the simplicity of the rules on the subject of Elocution. In conclusion, I cordially recommend the work to the notice of teachers and all interested in the cause of education. With much respect, yours, &c. Auburn, April 25, 1840. WILLIAM HOPKINS.

From the Courier and Enquirer.

Professor Sweet has devoted himself to the purposes of improvement in reading and oratory, with unremitting and enthusiastic zeal. He is the author of a very popular work entitled 'Practical Elocution;" he delivered a Lecture on the subject, before the Law Association of this city, six years since, for which he received a public expression of their thanks, and brings high qualifications to the execution of the task of lecturing he has undertaken.

New-York, May 30, 1842.

From "The New-Yorker."

Mr. S. N. Sweet's work on Elocution contains much good matter, and we cordially recommend it to all who may desire an acquaintance with the principles of Elocution. His "Select pieces for Exercises," we commend most heartily. They are more varied and numerous than those of any elementary work we have ever examined. They are culled from the Bible, from Cicero, Demosthenes, Shakspeare, Milton, Addison, Ossian, Blair, Pope, Beattie, Byron, Heber, Franklin, Jefferson, Clinton, &c., and among living speakers or writers, from Chalmers, Channing, Moore, Campbell, Bryant, Halleck, Webster, Clay, Van Buren, Biddle, M'Duffie, J. Q. Adams, Geo. Combe, H. Ware, Dr. Nott, &c. &c. The brief axplanatory notes appended to each extract enhances the value of the work. New-York, February 29, 1840.

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