CHAPTER XVIII. 133 be suitable to every temper or person ; nor are they of any use for the delivery of a discourse by memory, nor of much service in learning the sciences ; but they may be sometimes practised for the assisting our remembrance of certain sentences, numbers, or names. CHAP. XVIII. Of determining a Question. I. WHEN a subject is proposed to your thoughts, consider, whether it be knowable at all, or no: and then whether it he not above the reach of your enquiry and knowledge in the pre- sent state; and remember that it is a great waste of time, to busy yourselves too much amongst unsearchables : the chief of these studies is to keep the mind humble, by finding its own ig- norance and weakness. II. Consider again whether thematter be worthy of your enquiry at all; and then, how far it may be worthy of your . present search and labour according to your age, your time of life, your station in the world, your capacity your profession, yourchief design and end. There are many things worthy en- quiry to one man, which are not so to another ; and there are things that may deserve the study of the saine person in one part of life, which would be improper or impertinent at another. To readbooks of the art of preaching, or disputes about church dis- cipline, are proper for a theological student in theend of his aca- demical studies, but not at the beginning of them. To pursue mathematical studies very largely may be useful for aprofessor of philosophy, but not for a divine. III. Consider whether the subject of your enquirybe easy or difficult ; whether you have sufficient foundation or skill,fur- niture and advantagesfor the pursuit of it. It would be mad- ness for a young statuary to attempt at first to carve a Venus or a Mercury, and especially without proper tools. And it is equally folly for a man to pretend to make great improvements in natu- ral philosophy without due experiments. IV. Consider whether the subject be any ways useful or no, before you engage in the study of it ; often put this question to yourselves, Cui bono ? to what purpose ? what end will it'at- tain ? Is it for the glory of God, for the good of men, for your own advantage, for the removal of any natural or moralevil, for the attainment of any natural or moral good ? Will the profit be equal to the labour ? There are many subtle impertinences learnt in the schools, many painful trifles even among the ma- thematical theorems and problems, many dciles nugae, or la- borious follies of various kinds, which some ingenious wen have i3
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