40 MISTAKES IN PURSUING KNOWLEDGE. 



move in charity, rest in Providence, and turn upon the 

 poles of truth," and sound knowledge in its various 

 streams leads to this exhilarating confluence of good, 

 pursue it. 



If knowledge, rightly conducted, and directed to right 

 ends, brings you nearer to the Fountain of Knowledge, 

 and thus makes you more happy, while it enlarges 

 your capacity of conferring happiness upon others; 

 and you love to be happy, and to confer happiness, 

 pursue it. 



But, while you pursue it, let me entreat you to avoid 

 most carefully the great error of mistaking or misplacing 

 the ultimate object of knowledge. " For many," says 

 Lord Bacon, " have entered into a desire of learning and 

 knowledge ; some upon an inbred and restless curiosity ; 

 others for ornament and reputation; others for contra- 

 diction and victory in dispute ; others for lucre and 

 living; few to improve the gift of reason given them 

 from God, to the benefit and use of men. As if there 

 were sought in knowledge, a couch, whereupon to ease 

 a restless and searching spirit ; or a terrace for a wan- 

 dering and variable mind to walk up and down in, at 

 liberty unrestrained ; or some lofty tower of state, from 

 which a proud and ambitious mind may have a prospect ; 

 or a fort and commanding ground for strife and conten- 

 tion ; or a shop for profit and sale ; and not rather a 

 rich storehouse for the glory of the Creator of all things, 

 and the relief of man's estate." 



In your mental and scientific pursuits, then, define to 

 yourselves clearly the purposes which you have in view : 

 see to it that they are in no way incompatible with the 

 nature, the duty, and the ultimate destiny of man, and 

 you cannot direct your aim to too high a point. Re- 



