e division of
your subject every time you sit down to this exercise, until the whole
is completed. Then lay it aside till you have finished another. After
this, review, correct, and copy the first one. The advantage of laying
aside an exercise for some time, before correcting it, is, that you will
be more likely to discover its defects than while your first thoughts
upon the subject are fresh in your mind. But never commence a subject,
and leave it unfinished. Such a course renders the mind fickle, and
unfits it for close study and patient investigation. Finish what you
begin, however difficult you may find it. Scarce any habit is of more
practical importance than perseverance. Do not be discouraged, even if
you should be able to bring forth but one idea under each division of
your subject. You will improve with every exercise. I well recollect the
first attempt I made at writing. With all the study of which I was
capable, I could not produce more than five or six lines. Carefully
preserve all your manuscripts. By referring to them occasionally, you
will discover your progress in improvement. In these exercises you can
make use of the knowledge you acquire in reading, whenever it applies to
your subject. But, in everything, remember your dependence upon God, and
seek the direction of his Holy Spirit.

_Reading_ is also of great importance. By this we call in the aid of
others' minds, with the experience of past ages. But, unless you observe
some system in your reading, you will derive comparatively little
benefit from it. I will endeavor to mark out a simple plan, which you
may find useful. For this purpose I shall arrange the various kinds of
reading, under four different heads, to each of which you may assign
particular days of the week.

1. _History_, two days;
2. _Biography_, one day;
3. _Doctrinal_, one day;
4. _Miscellaneous_, two days.

The advantages of this plan are, that the knowledge you acquire will be
more complete than it would be if you were to pursue but one subject at
a time; and the variety will add interest to the employment. But each of
these different kinds of reading requires a separate notice.

(1.) History is divided into two kinds, sacred and profane. It is for
this reason that I have assigned two days in the week for the reading of
it. I would have one of these days devoted to the history of the church,
and the other to the history of the world. Both these are highly
necessary to every on