I N T 



lelTeiiS our intcreR in fclf by incrcnfiii;r our concern with 

 every thing arountl ui;. It enlarores the comprehciilioii of 

 the foul ; for it offers for contemplation the laws of the uni- 

 vcrfe. It prepares the ftuiient for an acquaintance with the 

 human mind ; for the ftridlnefs with which its inveiligations 

 are condu>fled, prevents that wildnefs of theorizing which is 

 the bane of fcience, and forms the habit of cautioufly attend- 

 ing to phenomena, in order to afcertain the general laws 

 which regulate thorn. It aids the caufe of religion ; for it 

 acculloms the mind to feek for the caufes of obferved ap- 

 pearances, and leads it from dcfign and regularity to infer 

 an inteUigent Firft Caufe. 



Hiftory produces or cultivates tlic habit of purfuing with 

 accuracy a feries of conuefted events or phenomena ; of 

 tracing caufes from effefts, and of obferving the operation of 

 caufes, either fmgly, or in their various combinations. Tlie 

 rtudent is concerned about realities, and his judgment is 

 correfted ; the web he contemplates is not unfrequently 

 intricate, and his penetration is exercifcd in unfolding it. 

 He obferves the flow operation of moral caufes, and he 

 learns patience as to the refult of his exertions for the good 

 of others ; he fees the efficacy of minute caufes operating 

 in conjunftion with predifpofmgcircumllances, and he learns 

 prudence in the direftion of thofe exertions. The en- 

 lightened ftudy of hiftory prevents the formation, or pro- 

 motes the eradication of thofe prejudices which narrow the 

 comprehenfion of the mind. " There is fcarce any folly or 

 vice," fays lord Bolingbroke, " more epidemical among the 

 fons of men, than that ridiculous and hateful vanity, by which 

 the people of each country are apt to prefer themfelves to 

 thofe of any other, and to make their own cuftoms, and 

 manners, and opuiious, the ftandard of right and wrong, of 

 true and falle." This prefcnts an effeftual bar to improve- 

 ment in the great focial concerns of man ; and it is apt, 

 perhaps necefl'arily fo, to be accompanied with contradled 

 views of the qualities of thofe who differ from us in their 

 rehgious or political fentiments. Now what in one cafe 

 deftroys the ihufion tends to diflipate it in the other. He 

 who has learnt to view the qualities and aftious of other 

 nations as not to be defpifed becaufe unlike thofe of his 

 own, places himfelf out of his little narrow fphere of fclf, 

 and gains a comprehenfive habit of thought, which will pre- 

 vent him from refufing to admire thofe qualities and aftions, 

 which can ilaud the teft of reafon, in bodies of men, or 

 ■ in individuals v.-ho differ from him in their modes of think- 

 ing. The (liidy of hiftory is well adapted to the cure of 

 thofe prejudices. Accuftomed to contemplate the hiftorv 

 of other nations, to view them in their mutual dependencies 

 :uid coniieAions, for a time to make then- in'.erclls our 

 own, we learn to regard the community nf which we form 

 a part as itfelf a part of a ftill greater community, and 

 ■without becoming indiiferent to its welfare and its excel- 

 lencies, we acquire the power of difcerning the value of 

 opinions and praftices which are of foreign growth. 



Tlie ftudy of compofition derives its value, partly from 

 facilitating our own praftice, and partly from putting it 

 in our power, more fully to feel and to appreciate the 

 beauties of the beft autiiors. The praflice of compofition 

 is highly valuable, becaufe it enables us to benefit others by 

 our mental attainments ; to judge of the extent and folldity 

 of thofe attainments { to command our knowledge ; and to 

 make that knowledge clear and fubftantial. Habits of 

 corredl compoiition are alnioft nccelTariiy produftive of pre- 

 cifion in our ideas, of perfpicuity in our reafonings ; they 

 prevent their poffcffors from refting fatisficd with fiiperficial 

 notions ; and they force tliem to think clofcly. 



The higheft fcienufic objei"t to which the young can 



i N T 



be direfted, and what indeed fliould furm the lafl art of 

 education, is inental philofophy, or the philofophy of tlie 

 human mind, that fcience which teaches us the laws of our 

 mental fram.e, which fhews us the origin of our variou? 

 modes and habits of thought and feeling, how they operate 

 upon one another, and how they are cultivated or repreffed. 

 The well direfted ftudy of it calls into aflion and improves 

 the higheft intelleftual faculties ; and while it employs the 

 powers of the mind, it fuggefts the beft means for their 

 culture, and the bell mode of their dircftion. It enables 

 us to trace the intricacies of our own hearts, and points out 

 the proper difcipline for their correftion. It difcovers to 

 us the real excellencies of the mind, and guides us in our 

 efforts for the attainment of them. To fuccefs in forming 

 the moral and mental character of others, it is more or leis 

 effential ; for it difclofes the nature of our influence over 

 their minds, and the beft mode of excrcifing it fo as to 

 bring their various faculties into the beft adjufted and 

 moft perfeft ftate. Purfued with proper views, and in a 

 proper manner, it lays the beft foundation for the h'ighcll 

 degrees of intelleftual, moral, and religious improvement. 

 " There are difficulties," to ufe the words of the great 

 Hartley, " both in the word of God, and in his works ; 

 and thefe difficulties are fometimes fo magnified, as to lead 

 to fceplicifni, infidelity, or atlieil'm. Now the contemplation 

 of our own fiame and conllituiiun, apiiears to me to have 

 a peculiar tendency to leflei; thcle d:Hiculties attending na- 

 tural and revealed religion, and to improve their evidences, 

 as well as to concur with them in their determination of 

 man's duty and expedlations." 



The beft ground-work for the purfuit of mental fcience 

 is, an accurate judgment, a difcriminating, penetrating in- 

 telleft, and a habit of correft and cautious reafoning ; and 

 therefore the beft preparatory culture of mind is the ftudy 

 of the various branches of the mathematics and of natural 

 philofophy. But habits of refleftion, and good fenfe, are 

 all which is effential to the beneficial purliiit of mental 

 fcience ; and with thefe, it will in all cafes lead to refults 

 highly important to individual welfare and ufefulnefs. The 

 young in particular will be led, by an acquaintance with 

 the praftical laws of the mind, to perceive how their pre- 

 fent conduft aftetfs their future charafter and happinefs ; 

 to perceive the importance of avoiding a frivolous em- 

 ployment of their time without any end beyond mere amufe- 

 ment ; to perceive the impoffibility of indulging in vicious 

 gratifications without leffening their means of happinefs, 

 and checking tlieir progrels towards excellence. Tliey will 

 learn how habits are formed, aiinoft imperceptibly, and, 

 when long exercU'eJ, how exccodin,:,rly diificult it is to 

 eradicate them ; ihey will learn to conlider the formation of 

 habits, as requiring, therefore, their utmoft clrcumfjiedion. 

 They will be enabled to difcern what habits of thought and 

 feeling are baneful, what ufeful ; what means of happinefs 

 fhould be regarded as of primary value, what ftunild be 

 regarded as fecondary only. In fliort, there can be no 

 hefitation in affirming, tliat, next to the imnicdiate purfuits 

 of religion, to which the laws of the mind direft,' a judi- 

 cious acquaintance with thofe laws is the moft important 

 means for the right employment of that period of life on 

 which the happinefs of our exiftence in a great mcaftrre 

 depends. 



Intellectlial Thinking. See Thinking. 



INTELLIGIBLE, any thing capable of being under. 

 flood, or conceived, by the mind. 



Philofophcrs have invented certain beings which are purely 

 intelligible, and only fubfitt in the nnderllaiiding : inch are 

 the entia nuionis, uiilverfa! ideas, and otlicr chimeras. 



The 



