'C}IÁPTER XX. 155 humble heart, a lowly spirit, and a sober and teachable tem- per. See Dr. Cheyne's Preface to his Essay on Health and long Life. XII. Some of the practical parts of geometry, astronomy, dialing, optics, statics, mechanics, 8(c. may be agreeable enter- tainments and amusements to students in every profession at leisurehours if they enjoy such circumstances of life as to fur- nish them with conveniences for this sort of improvement ; but let them take great care, lestthey entrench upon more necessary employments, and so fall under the charge and censure of wast- ed time. Yet I cannot help making this observation, that where stu- dents, or indeedany young gentlemen, have in their early years made themselves masters of a variety of elegant problems in the mathematic circle of knowledge, and gained the most easy, neat, and entertaining experiments in natural philosophy, with some short and agreeable speculations or practices in any other of the arts or sciences, they have hereby laid a foundation for the esteem and love of mankind among those with whom they con- verse, in higher or lower ranks of life ; they have been often .guarded by this meansfrom the temptation of innocent pleasures, and have secured both their own hours and the hours of their companions, from running to waste in sauntering and trifles, and from a thousand impertinencies in silly dialogues. Gaining and drinking, and many criminal and foolish scenes of talk and ac- tion, have been prevented by these innocent and improving ele- gancies of knowledge. XIII. History is anecessary study in the supreme place for gentlemen who deal in politics. The government of nations, and distressful and desolating events which have in all ages attended the mistakes of politicians, should be ever present on ,their minds, to warn them to avoid the like conduct. Geo- graphy and chronology, which precisely informs us of theplace and time where such transactions or events happened, are the eyes of history, and of absolute necessity in some measure to attend it. But history, so far as relates to the affairs of the bible is as necessary to divines as to gentlemen of any profession. It helps us to reconcile many difficulties in scripture, and de- monstrates a divine providence. Dr. Prideaux's Connection of the Old and New Testament, is an excellent treatise of this kind. XIV. Among the smaller histories, biography, or the me- moirs of the lives of great and good men, has a high rank in my esteem, as worthy of the perusal of every person who de- votes himself.to the study of divinity. Therein we frequently find our holy religion reduced to pi notice, and many parts of
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