Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-10-22

melancholy, as well as surprising, to see how
generally men neglect the pursuit OF this sci
ence; allow their life to grow up, If may so
say, according as casual circumstances may
direct; give up the shaping of their characters
into any ones hands, who has a mind to as
sune the office; and thus let that life, whose
WE'LL being is to them worth all things else,
become what it may suit any ones caprice to
make it.
! Few men live in themselves, find in them
selves the grounds Of the actions they per-
form. 1t is wonderful how little indepen-
dence, notwithstanding the boastng Of men,
there is in the world. 1t is perhaps. one of the
first principles in this science orife, that every
man should try, as much as possible, to form
his character, as he would, if he were the only
created being in existence. OF course, by
character here, ! mean something more than
the aggregate Of man's outward actions
/ mean bv it that inioTd state, whence orig
ina'e,-those collected principles which form
the groundwork Of his being.
/ 1t is obvious, | think, that this lf-lnsu-
laton is what every person is capable Of per-
forming. Suppose for moment man to be
in this iBsusted posture; would he not know
as clearly as he does now, that there is n
God? Would he not equally well understand
the difference between right and wrong, and
his obligations to pursue the one and eschew
the other? Is doing right a mere imitation
Of others, or is it an obedience to law writ
ten on every mans heart, whose character,
would not be obiterated, or their force dimi-
nished, even though all men but himself were
annlhiated?
! A blindness to our own individual pow
or to mould our own characters, is one OF
At. a. -
moral growth. 1t is as common too, rs it is
eflectnal. To person in whom ! could de-
tect an incipient blindness of this kind,
would say, try TO understand the value of your
life. Think of it, not as mere existence in
this world, mere living and breathing in
common with the brutes, but as something
which can never become extinct, of which if
you lose the well-belng, you lose every thing.
A possession Of such value, one would be
slow, we should think, to give up the care of
into any ones hands, but his from whom he
received it.
In addition, the advice would be very natu.
raj, to begin at once TO free himself from all
extraneous human influence in this NATTER
lmbibe as much knowledge as You can from
those around you, but only in such a way, as,
in the exercise of your own utmost intelli-
gene, TO make it assist you in your one great
business. The architect gathers materials
for his building from many hands, but he puts
them together himself, and he knows what
he does. The owner stands BY, not know
ing con6ding the construction of his mansion
to another, and he does it perhaps with safe
ty. But, my immortal reader, in this matter
you are both architect and owner. Adopt,
then, into your mansion, no materials that
will not endure the fires Of the last day.
Who can measure his infatuaton who sees
the walls of his house going up, Of such ma
terials and on such a foundation, as will then,
crumble into atoms? Inspect with the most
anxious vigilance this momentons work, that
your house may be "eternal in the heavens"