General improvement a Christian duty.

CHAPTER XI.

PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT.

"The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

THE chapters which the reader has just perused are on subjects connected with the improvement of the character: that is, they are upon the means by which this improvement is to be promoted. This studying of the Bible, the keeping of the Sabbath, and the influence of trial and discipline, are all intended to be means for the promotion of moral progress. There are some things, however, which I wish to say inregard to the character itself as it goes on in the process of improvement. Reader! do you desire to avail yourself of the opportunities and means which I have described? Do you wish to study the Bible, to remember the Sabbath, and to improve all the occurrences of life, as the means of promoting your progress in all that is good? If so, look now with me a little while into your character itself, that you may see in what respect it needs your attention, and in what way you can so employ the means which I have described, as to gain the fullest benefit from them. As I think that every young Christian ought most assiduously to cultivate his moral, and also his intellectual powers, I shall discuss in order both these points.

I. MORAL IMPROVEMENT.

EVERY young Christian will find, however sincerely and

Moral improvement.

Faults.

The vain boy.

ardently he may have given up his heart to God and commenced a life of piety, that a vast number of faults remain to be corrected-faults which he acquired while he lived in sin, and which the force of habit have fixed upon him. Now you know, or you may easily learn, what these faults are, and your first effort is to correct them.

In order now to make clear the course which I think ought to be taken to correct such faults, I will suppose a case, and bring into it the various methods which may be adopted for this purpose; and I shall write the account with a double aspect-one toward parents, with the design of showing them what sort of efforts they ought to make to correct the faults of their children, and the other toward the young, to show what measures they should adopt to improve themselves.

First, however, I will mention a very common, but a very ineffectua! mode of attempting to correct faults. A father sees in his son some exhibition of childish vanity, and he says to him instantly, at the very time of the occurrence, You are acting in a very foolish manner.-You show a great deal of vanity and self-conceit by such conduct; and in fact I have observed that you are growing very vain for some months past; I don't know what we shall do to correct it."

The poor boy hangs his head and looks ashamed, and his father, talking about it a few minutes longer in a half irritated tone, dismisses and forgets the subject. The boy refrains, perhaps, from that particular exhibition of vanity for a little while, and that is probably all the good which results from the reproof.

Another wiser parent sees with regret the rising spirit of self-conceit in his son; and instead of rushing on to attack it without plan or design at the first momentary impulse, he resorts to a very different course. He notices several cases -remembers them-reflects that the evil, which has been

Way to reform him.

Conversation with his father.

forming perhaps for years, can not be corrected by a single abrupt reproof-and accordingly forms a plan for a protracted moral discipline in the case, and then seeks a favorable opportunity to execute it.

something to do, which, if you do it right, will wind up the day very pleasantly."

"I am not certain that it will please you, but you may do as you choose about undertaking it. It will not be pleasant at first; the enjoyment will come afterward."

Samuel. But what is it, father? I think I shall like to do it.

Father. Do you think that you have any faults, Samuel ? Samuel. Yes, sir, I know I have a great many.

Father. Yes, you have; and all boys have. Some wish to correct them, and others do not. Now I have supposed

that you do wish to correct your faults, and I had thought

Instances of vanity.

of describing one of them to you, and then telling you of a particular thing which you can do which will help you to correct it. But then it will not be very pleasant for you to sit here and have me find fault with you, and mention a number of instances in which you have done wrong, and particularize all the little circumstances which increased the guilt; this, I say, will not be very pleasant, even though you know that my design is not to find fault with you, but to help you improve. But then if you undertake it, and after a little while find that you are really improving, then you will feel happier for the effort. Now consider both, and tell me whether you wish me to give you a fault to correct or not.

If the boy now has been under a kind, and gentle, but efficient government, he will almost certainly desire to have the fault, and the way by which he is to correct it, pointed out. If so, the father may proceed as follows:

Father. The fault that I am going to mention to you, is vanity. Now it is right for you to desire my approbation. It is right for you not only to do your duty, but to wish that others should know that you do it. I think, too, it is right for you to take pleasure in reflecting on your improvement, as you go on improving from year to year. But when you

fancy your improvement to be greater than it is, or imagine that you have made great attainments, or when you obtrude some trifling merit upon the notice of strangers for the sake of exciting their admiration, you exhibit vanity. Now, did you know that you have this fault?

Samuel. I do not know that I have thought of it particularly. I suppose, though, that I have it.

little con

Father. That you have the fault now is of very sequence, if you only take hold of it in earnest and correct it. It has grown up with you insensibly; in fact, almost all children fall into it. I presume that I had as much vanity as you have, when I was as young. Do you think now that

The boy's list.

you can recollect any cases in which you have shown vanity?

Samuel. I don't know; perhaps I could if I should have a little time to think.

Father. Well, I will give you time to think, and if you really wish to correct yourself of the fault, you may think of all the cases you can, and tell me of them. If you prefer it, you may write the list and show it to me.

Now, if the subject is taken up in this spirit, most boys, who had been treated on these principles before, would receive the communication with pleasure, and would engage with interest in the work of exploring the heart. And such a boy will succeed. He will bring a list of instances, not perhaps fully detailed, but alluded to distinctly enough to recall them to mind. His list might be perhaps something as follows:

"Dear Father, I have made out a list of the times in which I was vain, and I now send it to you.

“1. I brought out my writing-book a few evenings ago, when some company was here, in hopes that the people would ask to see it.

“2. I said yesterday at table, that there was something in the lesson which none of the boys could recite until it came to me, and I recited it.

"3. I pretended to talk Latin with George when walking, thinking that you and the other gentlemen would overhear it.

"I suppose I could think of many other cases if I had time. I am glad that you told me of the fault, for I think it a very foolish one, and I wish to correct it.

"Your dutiful son,

Samuel."

Now let me ask every one of my readers who has any