parts of the mind to which that language belongs, as it was of the understanding, previous to the pro per adjustment of words. But when added to this, it is confidered that this language is in a very poor and defective state amongst us, and that out of the numberlefs emotions whereof the human mind is capable, there are but a few that have any peculiar marks belonging to them as their fymbols; it will be found that the difficulty of treating juftly of the poffions and fancy, must be much greater, than of the understanding; whofe language was fufficiently copious, and wanted only regulation; whereas in the other cafe, we must wait for the gradual increase of the language itfelf, till its deficiencies are fupplied, before we can attempt to regulate it proper ly, in order to have a comprehenfive and juft view of the powers of the mind. And indeed till that be done, thofe nations that have no names for number beyond three, might as well pretend to display all the wonders of arithmetic, as we to delineate the immenfe field of mental emotions, without a fuffi cient number of marks to stand as their fymbols. But I will not anticipate upon this head, what thè reader will find fully explained in the courfe of thefe lectures.

It will be allowed by all perfons of reflection, that there is no fpeculative point more ardently to be wifhed for, than to have it in our power to contemplate those parts of the human mind, which are ftili concealed from us, or falfely viewed through the mists of error, with the fame clear fatisfaction that we find in examining Mr. Locke's view of the understanding. But at the fame time if the means

were

were pointed out, of rendering both these views practicably ufeful, by fhewing how a general spirit of good fenfe, and clearness of reafon, might be propagated through the natives of this country; by fhewing how the paffions hurtful or dangerous to fociety may be fuppreffed, and those of the nobler and focial kind, calculated to promote the general good, may be brought forward, invigorated, and carried into due exertion; by fhewing how the powers of the imagination may be fo regulated as to diffuse a general good tafte through the nation; a point effentially neceffary to promote fome of the nobleft ends that can be answered by the two other powers, those I mean of a refined understanding, and delicate fenfibility: it must be allowed that the execution of such a plan, would tend more to the real benefit of this realm, than all the uninspired books that have been written from the creation of the world to this hour.

BUT it will be faid, how, or from whom is this to be expected? Are not these the very points about which the most eminent of our writers have employed their labours, hitherto to little purpose? Have not these been the chief objects in the works of our most celebrated divines, moralifts, metaphyficians, critics, writers of effays, &c. and have we any reafon to believe that this age will produce writings in thofe feveral ways fuperior to what have hitherto appeared? Such are the questions likely to be asked by thofe, whofe minds have been narrowed by an early falfe bias given to us in our fyftem of education, and afterwards continued through life; I mean that extravagant idea entertained of

B

the

the power of writing, far beyond what in its nature it can ever attain. But fuppofe it be afferted, that this is the very caufe of the failure, in the attempts made by fo many men of distinguished abilities to reform mankind. Suppofe it be afferted, that they have all used an instrument, which in its very conftruction, was incapable of accomplishing the work they were about. In fhort, that fome of our greateft men have been trying to do that with the pen, which can only be performed by the tongue; to produce effects by the dead letter, which can never be produced but by the living voice, with its accompaniments. This is no longer a mere affertion; it is no longer problematical. It has been demonftrated to the entire fatisfaction of fome of the wifeft heads in thefe realms: and readers of but moderate difcernment, will find it fully proved in the fixth and seventh lectures, on Tones and Gef

ture.

BUT that the bulk of my readers may not enter upon the difcuffion of this point, with all their prejudices about them, they are defired to reflect, that language is the great inftrument, by which all the faculties of the mind are brought forward, moulded, polished, and exerted; and that we have in ufe two kinds of language, the fpoken and the written. The one, the gift of God; the other, the invention of man. Which of these two is most likely to be adapted to its end, that of giving the human mind its proper fhape, and enabling it to display all its faculties in perfection?

If they want to judge by effects produced in our own times, how far the one language has the advantage

vantage over the other, let them only reflect on a recent inftance of a late minister, who by the mere force of cultivating the language bestowed by the Deity on humankind, as far as he could carry it by his own pains, raised himself to the fole direction of affairs in this country: and not only fo, but the powers of his living voice fhook diftant thrones, and made the extremities of the earth to tremble. When it is well known that had the fame fentiments been delivered in the language of men; had they been fent out into the world in a pamphlet ; they would probably have produced lefs effects upon the minds of a few readers, than thofe of fome hireling writers. And we have many flagrant inftances in our methodist preachers, of the power which words acquire, even the words of fools and madmen, when forcibly uttered by the living voice: And if the language of nature be poffefled of fuch power, in its prefent neglected and uncultivated ftate, how immenfe must be its force, were it carried to the fame degree of perfection, that it was amongst the ancient Greeks and Romans?

HAD the Greeks or Romans been bleft with the light of revelation; had they been poffeffed of fuch a religion, and fuch a conftitution as ours, together with fome difcoveries which time has produced; they would have carried all the powers belonging. to human nature to the utmoft degree of perfection; and the state of fociety amongst them would have approached as nearly to that blissful ftate, to which we are taught to look forwards, a fellowship with angels, as the boundaries of the two worlds would permit. And would not this neceffarily be

Our

our cafe, were we poffeffed of those articles, in which the Greeks and Romans confeffedly excelled us? We want only their arts added to our sciences. Their arts are effentially neceffary to render the nobleft difcoveries in modern philofophy, practicably useful to fociety. Their arts are effentially neceffary to diffuse those benefits through all ranks of people, which fuch a religion, and such a conftitution as ours, are in their own nature capable of bestowing. In fhort, their arts are effentially neceffary to our making a right ufe of all those bleffings, which Providence has showered down with a more liberal hand on this country, than on any other in the world. Now they had no arts whatsoever, in which they excelled us, that did not take their rife, either immediately, or confequentially, from the pains bestowed upon the culture of the language of nature, the living speech. What is there wanting then amongst us, but to apply our felves with induftry to the fame means, in order to attain the fame ends?

I KNOW there are few capable of tracing a fpecu lation of this fort, through all its steps, fo as to perceive the justness of the deduction. But I am now little folicitous about what judgment fhall be paft upon the theory, fince the time is approaching of trying it experimentally. A few fenfible effects produced from practice, will carry more conviction to the bulk of mankind, than a thousand fpeculative arguments. It is with true fatisfaction of heart I hail the approaching day, when all that I have advanced upon this fubject will be put to that teft. Whoever attended the courfe of lectures during their delivery, will be convinced that things,

are