6 THE IMPROVEMENT OF TUE MIND. together with the one day in seven in the Christian world, al- lows sufficient time for this, it men would but apply themselves to it with half as much seal and diligence, as they do to the trifles and amusements of this life; and it would turn toinft- pitely better account. Thus it appears to be the necessary duty and the interest of every person living to improve his understanding, to inform his judgment, to treasure up useful knowledge, and to acquire the skill of good reasoning, as far as his station, capacity and cir- cumstances furnish him with proper means for it. Our mistakes in judgment may plunge us into much folly and guilt in practice. By acting without thought or reason, we dishonour the God that made us reasonable creatures, we often become injurious to our neighbours, kindred or friends, and we bring sin and misery upon ourselves : For we are accountable to God our judge for every part of our irregular and mistaken conduct, where he bath given us sufficient advantages to guard against those mistakes. It is the design of Logic to give this improvement to the mind, and to teach us the right use of reason in the'acquire- ment and communication of all useful knowledge ; though the greatest part of writerson that subject have turned it into a composition of hard words, trifles and subtleties for the mere use of the schools, and that only to amuse the minds and the ears of men with empty sounds, which flatter their vanity, and puff up their pride with a pompous and glittering chew of false learning ; and thus they have perverted the great and valuable design of that science. A few modern writers have endeavoured to recover the honour of Logic, since that excellent author of the Art of Thinking led the way : Among the rest I have presumed to make an attempt of the same kind, in a treatise published seve- ral years ago, wherein it was my constant aim to assist the rea- soning powers of every rank and order of men, as well as to . keep an eye to the best interest ofthe schools and the candidates of true learning, There I have endeavoured to skew the takes we are exposed to in our conception, judgment Mid rea- soning; and pointed to the various springs of them. I have also laid down many general and particular rules how to escape error, end attain truth in matters of the civil and religious life, as well as in the sciences. But there are several other obsetva- Lions very pertinent to this purpose, which have not fallen so directly under any of those heads of discourse, or at least they would have swelled that treatise to an improper size ; and there- fore I have made a distinct collection of them here out of various authors, as well as from my own observation, and set them down. tinder the followiom heads.
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