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tribes of New Holland, Borneo, Sumatra, and Madagascar, visit ing the British Isles with the productions of their respective climates, and holding literary and religious correspondence with the directors of our philosophical and missionary associations, on all the subjects of Christian and scientific investigation.

I behold the scenery of the heavens more fully explored, and new prospects opened into the distant regions of the universethe geography of the moon brought to perfection, its mountains and vales thoroughly explored, and traces of the existence and operations of its inhabitants exhibited to view-the nature of comets ascertained-the causes of the various phenomena which appear on the planets explained-the construction of the sun and the nature of his spots determined—the sublime scenes connected with the new and variable stars, double and treble stars, and the many thousands of nebula dispersed through the regions of boundless space, more fully displayed-and the Divine character and perfections appearing with still greater lustre and magnificence throughout the amplitudes of creation.

I behold the ministers of religion expatiating, amidst thousands of intelligent worshippers, on higher themes and more diversified topics than those to which they are now necessarily restrictednot confining their attention merely to first principles, and to a few fragments of the Christian system, but taking the whole of Divine Revelation as their text-book, and deriving their illustrations of it from the records of Providence, and from all the diversified scenes of the universe.-In fine, I behold the human soul, thus elevated and refined, and endowed with multifarious knowledge, dropping its earthly tabernacle in the dust, and, in another and a higher region of existence, contemplating the economy of other worlds, exploring the wonders of Divine Wisdom and Omnipotence throughout the immensity of creation, prying into the mysteries of human redemption, rising nearer and nearer to the Divinity, expatiating amidst objects of beauty and beneficence, and beholding new scenes of grandeur and felicity rising to view, in boundless perspective, while ages, numerous as the drops of he ocean, are rolling on.

Let none imagine that such views are either romantic or Utopian-they are the necessary results of what will undoubtedly take place, when knowledge and Christian principles are universally diffused. It is owing chiefly to ignorance and the preva lence of malignant principles, that science has been so slow in its progress, that contention and warfare have wasted and demoralized the nations, that the earth has been left barren and uncultivated, that savages have been permitted for ages to roam

without arts and instruction, that religion has been neglected, and that so many evils, physical and moral, have been introduced into the social state. Remove the cause of existing evils, and opposite effects will be produced-effects surpassing, in benignity and grandeur, every thing which has occurred since time began. In the present age, distinguished from all the periods of time which have hitherto elapsed, these effects are beginning to appear. All the movements now going forward in the moral, political, scientific, and religious world, have an evident bearing on the approach of a more auspicious and enlightened era. The rapid progress of scientific discoveries, and of improvements in the arts the numerous and cheap publications, on all subjects of useful knowledge, now issuing from the press, in hundreds of thousands at a time, and read by all classes of the communitythe erection of public seminaries on new and improved plans, throughout different countries both of Europe and America-the establishment of philosophical institutions, missionary associations, and reading societies, in every town, and almost in every parish-the extensive circulation of newspapers, magazines, and literary and religious journals, of all descriptions-the steam-boats and carriages which have been constructed, and the numerous canals and rail-roads which have been formed, for the speedy conveyance of passengers from one place to another, in order to facilitate the intercourse of human beings-the application of machinery to the different arts and manufactures, for increasing the productions of human labour-the desire excited among all ranks, even the lowest, for rational information, and for investigating every subject connected with the happiness of the social state-the abolition of slavery, with all its degrading accompaniments the reformations going forward both in Church and State -the spirit of liberty bursting forth among the nations in both hemispheres of the globe-the conversion of savage tribes to Christianity, and their advancement in knowledge and civilization, these, and many similar movements, viewed in connection with the Divine declarations, that "Wars shall cease to the ends of the world," and that "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah❞—plainly point to a period which is on the wing, when the light of truth shall irradiate the inhabitants of every region, and when improvements of every description shall be introduced into every department of the physical and moral world. It only remains, that, as agents under the Moral Gover. nor of the world, we arouse ourselves from our present lethargy, and devote all our powers, and wealth, and energies, to the accomplishment of such glorious designs, resting assured, that

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"our labour," if conducted with wisdom and perseverance, "shall not be in vain in the Lord."

In fine, if the world is ever to be enlightened and regenerated— if the predictions of ancient prophets are to be fulfilled-if the benevolent purposes of the Almighty, in relation to our world, are to be accomplished-if war is to ceasc its desolating ravages, and its instruments to be transformed into ploughshares and pruning. hooks-if selfishness, avarice, injustice, oppression, slavery, and revenge, are to be extirpated from the earth-if the tribes of mankind are to be united in the bonds of affection, and righteousness, and praise spring forth before all nations-if the various ranks of society are to be brought into harmonious association, and united in the bond of universal love-if the heathen world is to be enlightened, and the Christian world cemented in one grand and harmonious union-if the landscape of the earth is to be adorned with new beauties, and the wilderness made to bud and blossom as the rose-if "the kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Messiah," "the whole earth filled with his glory," and his sceptre swayed over the nations throughout all succeeding ages-these long-expected events will, undoubtedly, be introduced by the universal instruction of all ranks, in every thing that has a bearing on their present happiness, and their immortal destiny. If we, therefore, refuse to lend our helping hand to the accomplishment of this great object, we virtually attempt to frustrate the purposes of the Eternal, and to prevent the present and future happiness of mankind. And while we pray to the "Great Lord of all," that he would "appear in his glory to men," and hasten the time when "his name shall be great from the rising to the setting sun," we only offer an insult to the Majesty of Heaven, while we refuse to consecrate our wealth and influence to his service, and to engage in holy activity as "workers together with God." We may legislate as we have hitherto done, for ages to come-we may make, unmake, and modify our civil laws, enforce hundreds of regulations and enactments for the punishment and prevention of crime-we may build thousands of churches and colleges, and academies without number-we may engage in profound discussions and investigations, and compass sea and land to make proselytes to our opinions; but unless the foundations of society be laid in the rational and religious education of all classes of the young, our most specious plans will prove abortive, and our superstructures gradually crumble into dust, and, "like the baseless fabric of a vision, leave scarce a wreck behind."

APPENDIX.

Page.-Insanity from Excessive Study.

The following instance of the effects of excessive study, and the danger of neglecting the animal functions, is extracted from the "American Annals of Education" for September, 1833.

Mr. Joseph Frothingham, from Salem, State of Massachusets, was a student of the Oneida Institute. In April, 1833, he was suddenly missed, and strong suspicions were entertained of his having been murdered. Nothing was heard of him, however, until a letter was recently received by his parents, dated "Atlantic Ocean, 12th May, 1833,-500 miles east of Newfoundland Banks." The following extract from his letter will show to what account his abduction is to be charged :-" While at the Institute, having nothing else to do, and wishing to get ahead, I applied myself very closely to study, (particularly the Latin grammar,) leaving off only when absolutely necessary. You recollect I arrived during vacation, before the regular course of labour had commenced, and thinking I should have plenty of it in a few days, contented myself with taking very little exercise. The effects of this close application from sunrise till nine in the evening I soon perceived, and several times was sensible that my thoughts for a moment or two were rather wandering. Yet I did not feel at all anxious or discouraged, reasoning with myself, that so sudden a change of pursuit must necessarily cause me at first to feel rather unwell, and that after a few days my mind would recover its wonted tone. After the 5th or 6th of April, the little momentary aberrations became more frequent, and how I spent much of the time intervening between that date and the 8th, I am wholly unable to say. Some things which I did I recollect distinctly, and others only as we recall the vagaries of a dream. But after the 8th, every thing is wrapt in confusion,-shadows, clouds, and darkness rest upon it.' I have a vague dim recollection of feeling something as if standing near a mountain, when a volcano bursts from the side. To escape the fiery deluge I travelled by sea and land, but onward it still seemed to move, and ever to rear itself a wall of living fire. One only thing I can recollect clearly. Finding myself in a strange street, near a large stone building, I inquired of a soldier the name of the place, and he answered, Montreal.' For a moment I wondered what could have brought me there, but then came confusion over my mind again, and not an idea or incident can I recollect, until yesterday about 10 a. m. when I found myself in the steerage of a ship bound from Quebec to Liverpool. I immediately communicated every thing to my fe! low-passengers, (a young man and wife,) and from them learned the following particulars."

It appears that he met them accidentally, and embarked with them, after making most of the necessary preparations; and, after passing through various difficulties in his way down the river, reached the ship. In conse quence of the small sum of money which Mr. F. had, he was consigned to the steerage, but kindly supplied with necessaries by the captain. It was not until a week's confinement with sea-sickness (which perhaps was the very remedy which a kind Providence saw necessary) that he recovered his

recollection; and then, he observes, his "mind, in an instant, was as clear and as rational as ever." The conclusion of his own letter will be more interesting than any abridgment. "The captain remarked, that he had sometimes suspected me to be a little deranged, and my fellow-passengers thought my appearance very odd at Quebec; but as I was frequently engaged, while on board, in reading their books, they concluded it was owing to absence of mind, and a naturally eccentric character.' They could hardly believe me, when I first made known to them my utter ignorance of every transaction since the time I met with them on the St. Lawrence. They told me I had been uniformly courteous and cheerful; and that, when we walked from the shore to a house during the storm, I carried her in my arms about half the way, she being too cold and wearied to walk. They were well wrapped up in blankets, but I had nothing but my cloak, and got two of my fingers frozen. You can better conceive than I can express, how strangely I felt when reason first told me I was in the cabin of a vessel; and when I knew, from the pitching and tossing, that that vessel was on the ocean. I am in hopes of meeting with some vessel bound homeward; and, if I cannot return in her, to send this letter. If we speak no vessel in which I can return, I shall probably take passage immediately after arriving in Liverpool. Till then, I leave all other incidents connected with this almost incredible loss of reason. I do not doubt that study was the cause, and thus are all my hopes of going through college blasted-for I should not dare to make a second attempt. But I think nothing of that. I am lost in wonder that such a journey should have been performed in safety in such a singular absence of mind; and to think too that I even went through all, without ever losing my money, is most strange. My preservation appears indeed miraculous-but I know not what to say. How thankful should I be to the Great Being who has guided and directed my wanderings-thankful! 'tis too tame a word. Words cannot express my feelings, and I leave all, for the contemplation almost overwhelms me."

Mr. Frothingham has since returned, and confirms the whole account. "Would that his well-meant but mistaken zeal in study (says the editor) might be the means of saving many now in danger from a result not less fatal to future plans, and of preserving others from that partial mania-that predominance of the body over mind, which we believe gives rise to not a few of the follies, and errors, and faults, of sedentary men. We will only add, as an example of a result more deadly, from a similar imprudence, that one of the most diligent and promising students of an institution, returned to his room after a long tour on foot, in perfect health, and, as he imagined, with a stock laid up on which he might draw. He sat down closely to study. The blood thus accumulated, which rushed to Mr. Frothingham's brain, in this case burst forth in a profuse discharge from the lungs; and, after years spent in struggling, by the aid of a fine constitution, against the diseases and the effects of study, he fell in the midst of the brightest prospects of usefulness, a victim to his hasty efforts to be a scholar. Would not a thorough knowledge of physiology preserve both sexes from incalculable evil?"

The very singular case of Mr. Frothingham, described above, suggests, both to the philosopher and the divine, a variety of interesting reflections in reference to the action of mind on the corporeal functions, and to the goodness and care of a superintending Providence. He must have travelled more than twe nundred miles by land and water, before he found himself

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