make proficiency in Christian knowledge.  Content not yourselves with this, that you have been taught your Catechism in your childhood, and that you know as much of the principles of religion as is necessary to salvation.  Let not your teachers have cause to complain that while they spend and are spent to impart knowledge to you, you take little pains to learn.  Be assiduous in reading the Holy Scriptures.  And when you read, observe what you read.  Observe how things come in.  Compare one scripture with another.  Procure and diligently use other books which may help you to grow in this knowledge.  There are many excellent books extant which might greatly forward you in this knowledge.  There is a great defect in many, that through a lothness to be at a little expense, they provide themselves with no more helps of this nature.”  Weighty, wise, and lamentably true words.

“Mundanus,” says William Law, “is a man of excellent parts, and clear apprehension.  He is well advanced in age, and has made a great figure in business.  He has aimed at the greatest perfection in everything.  The only thing which has not fallen under his improvement, nor received any benefit from his judicious mind, is his devotion; this is just in the same poor state it was when he was six years of age, and the old man prays now in that little form of words which his mother used to hear him repeat night and morning.  This Mundanus that hardly ever saw the poorest utensil without considering how it might be made or used to better advantage, has gone on all his life long praying in the same manner as when he was a child; without ever considering how much better or oftener he might pray; without considering how improvable the spirit of devotion is, how many helps a wise and reasonable man may call to his assistance, and how necessary it is that our prayers should be enlarged, varied, and suited to the particular state and condition of our lives.  How poor and pitiable is the conduct of this man of sense, who has so much judgment and understanding in everything but that which is the whole wisdom of man!” How true to every syllable is that!  How simple-looking, and yet how manly, and able, and noble!  We close our young men’s session with Law and Butler to-night, and I cannot believe that our session with those two giants has left one feeble mind in the two classes; they were all weeded out after the first fortnight of the session; though, after all is done, there are still plenty left both among old and young in the congregation.  Even Homer sometimes nods; and I cannot but think that John Bunyan has made a slip in saying that Feeble-mind enjoyed the Interpreter’s House.  At any rate, I wish I could say as much about all the feeble minds known to me.