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SIMILES.

NO field can bear two crops at the same time.

"The Ass between two Hay-stacks."-A fable.

The sun and moon cannot both shine at the same time.

No cask can contain two liquors at once.

Between two stools we fall to the ground.

If there are two fires in one room both will smoke.

A ship blown by two winds is obedient to neither. A ball struck in two opposite directions remains stationary.

HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.-Issachar.-Gen. xlix. 14. Reuben, unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.Jacob's prophecy.

Atalanta and the golden apples.-See Classical Dictionary.

When Medea fled from her father's court with Jason, she made her escape secure by tearing to pieces her brother Absyrtus, and strewing his mangled limbs along the road; for while Etes stopped to pick up the relics of his son, Medea gained time to embark.

When Antony was contending for the empire of Rome, his attention was divided between love and ambition; in consequence of which, he lost both his empire and his mistress: Whereas Octavian, by steadily pursuing one object, overcame every rival and rose to supreme authority.

While the ship Argo lay at anchor on the Asiatic coast, the young Hylas disembarked to fetch water from a spring; but staying to gather wild flowers which adorned his path, he arrived at the well-spring at the dusk of evening, fell into the river, and was drowned.

QUOTATIONS.-No man can serve two masters.-Matt.

vi. 24.

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.Jumes, i. 8.

He that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed.-James, i. 6.

A man of all trades is master of none.

With many irons in the fire, some must burn.

Like a man to double-business bound

I stand in pause where I shall first begin,
And both neglect.-King in Hamlet.

Assis entre deux selles le cul à terre.

Perpetua cunctatio reddit actiones imperfectas.-Democritus.

Defecit currens, velut equus hinniendo fessus.

Duos qui sequitur lepores, neutrum capit.

Dum in dubio est animus, paulo momento huc illuc impellitur. Cicero.

Rerum diversitas aciem intentionis abrumpit.-Cicero. Qui multiplicat scientiam, multiplicat dolorem.

CONCLUSION. Hence ...

THEME IV. Idleness is the Rust of the Mind.

INTRODUCTION. As iron is corrupted by rust, so the mind is corrupted by idleness.

1ST REASON. The idle mind not only acquires no fresh accessions of knowledge, it even forgets what it once knew.

2ND REASON. The idle, being weary of doing nothing, seek to "kill time" by foolish or sinful diversions, which are injurious to the mind and morals.

3RD REASON.-As it is easier to do evil, than to do good, the occupations of the idle will intuitively tend to evil, as the easier task.

4TH REASON. All sublunary things have a tendency to degenerate, unless checked in their downward course by

wholesome restraint and exercise; as idle minds are too listless for exercise, and too indolent for self-restraint, they must degenerate also.

5TH REASON. Satan is always ready to employ the idle; and Satan's work is never otherwise than evil.

6TH REASON. The world is full of allurements and temptations, which the idle have neither the desire nor the energy to resist.

7TH REASON. The flesh is master, when the mind is idle; and the carnal passions are the enemies of virtue.

SIMILES.-An uncultivated garden will be overrun with weeds.

An iron tool will corrode with rust, if never used.
Stagnant water will soon corrupt and putrefy.

A ship at sea left by the helmsman, will be tossed by the waves and driven by the winds upon rocks and quicksands.

A horse unexercised and a hawk unflown contract diseases, from which in active life they are entirely free. An idle dog will be mangy.

The hand unexercised will become stiff and incapable of work.

An evergreen will soon run to bare stems and be covered with withered branches, unless pruned at the proper seasons.

A fire will go out, if not attended to.

Moths will fret garments, which are not in wear.

A room that is unused and disregarded, will soon be filled with cobwebs, dust, and vermin.

HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.-When Hannibal wintered at Capua, his brave soldiers were so corrupted by luxury and idleness, that they could no longer resist the foe they had so frequently conquered.

Ezek. xvi. 49.

The mutiny of the ship "Bounty" was caused by a calm at sea; for being at anchor for a long time, the crew was unemployed and became mutinous.

The Cretans were proverbially lazy, and St. Paul says they were proverbially wicked also.-Titus, i. 12.

QUOTATIONS.-The way of the slothful is a hedge of

thorns.

An empty vessel may be filled with poison, but a full one has no room for infusion.-Buck's Christian Guide.

Idleness offers up the soul, as a blank to the devil; for him to write what he will upon it.—Dr. South.

Idleness is the root of much evil.
Idleness is the parent of vice.

An idle brain is Satan's workshop.
Idle men tempt the devil.

Doing nothing is doing ill.

He that gathereth not, scattereth abroad.-Luke, xi. 23. As in a standing pool, worms and filthy creepers increase; so do evil and corrupt thoughts in the stagnant mind.-Seneca.

Prov. xv. 19; x. 4; xx. 13.

Eccl. x. 18.

If good we plant not, vice will fill the place,
As rankest weeds the richest soil deface.-Pope.

In works of labour or of skill,

Let me be busy too;

For Satan finds some mischief still

For idle hands to do.- Watts.

Sloth, like rust, consumes much faster than labour wears; while the used key is always bright, as poor Richard says.-Dr. Franklin.

Iter pigrorum quasi sepes spinarum.

Plurima vitia docet otium.

Otium famis mater est, et frater furti.-Tobias.

Corporum habitus quiete ac otio corrumpitur, gymnasiis et motibus magna parte conservatur; Itidem animæ habitus institutione ac meditatione servatur, evaditque melior: Otio autem (quod ab omni disciplina vacatio est), neque discit quicquam, ac si quæ didicerit, obliviscitur. -Plato translated by Stobbæus.

Arcum intensio frangit, animum remissio.-Publ. Mim.
Homines nihil agendo, discunt male agere.-Cato.
Facilis descensus Averni ;

Sed revocare gradum, superasque evadere ad auras,
Hic labor, hic opus est.- Virgil.

Malo mihi male quam moliter esse.-Seneca.

Inertia est mater ejestatis.

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THEME V. The first Stroke is half the Battle.

INTRODUCTION. The success of a battle depends in a great measure on the prudence and vigour of the onset; and a judicious beginning of any other enterprise is a fair earnest of ultimate success.

1ST REASON. At the beginning of an undertaking theory gives way to practice: If this test succeed well, the operator may fairly conclude, that every arrangement has been judiciously made.

2ND REASON. The beginning of every work is the most difficult part, because the labour is new, and practice has not yet given experience to the novice: If, therefore, the most difficult part be done well, it is but reasonable to infer that the less difficult will be successfully performed also

3RD REASON.-The beginning of every work is not only

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