The Polynesian., 1841-01-16
100,

name any list of books. or of authors,
which could recommend as equally wor"
thy of attention to You all The first,
and almost the only book, deserving such
universal recommendation, is the BIDLE--
aud, in recommending that, ! fear that
some of you will think am performing
supcrfluous, and others Il very unncccssa-
~, otlice--yct such is my deliberate opin-
ion. The Bible is the book, of all others,
to be read at all ages, and in all conditions
of human life not to be read once or
twice or thrice through, and then TO be
laid aside. but to be read in small por-
tons of one or two chapters. every day.
and never to he intcrmttcd. unless by
some everything necessity.
The attentive and repeated pcrusal of
the Bible, in small portions every day,
leads the mind TO habitual meditation up
on biccts of the highest interest to the
welfare of the individual in this world, as
well as to prepare him for that hereafter
to which we are all destined. 1t furnish
es rules for our conduct towards others
in our social relations. In the command
ments delivered from Sinai, in the inmit-
able s,blmity of the Psalms and of the
Prophets, in the profound and conccntra-
ted observations upon human life and
manners embodied in the Proverbs of Sol
onion, in the philosophical alIegory so
beautifully set forth in the narrative of
facts, whether real or imaginary, of the
Book of JOB. an active mind cannot pc
rusc single chapter and lay the book
aside to think, and take it up again to-
morrow, without finding in it advices for
our own conduct, which we may turn to
useful account i'll the progress of our dali
ly pilgrimage upon earth and when we
pass from the Old Testament to the New,
we meet at once a system Of universal
morality founded upon one prcccpt of
universal applications pointing us TO peace
and good will towards the whole race Of
man for this life. and to peace with God,
and an ever blessed existence hereafter.
My Friends, if all or any of YOU have
spiritual pastors to guide you in the paths
of salvation, do not imagine that am
encroaching upon the field of their appro-
D''''o "Si'N|S' SICtN Us IL Hull vi TIC
world to men Of the world, and say to
you search The scrptues' If ever you
tire of them in seeking for rule of faith
and a standard of morals, search them as
records of history. General and compcn-
dious history is one of the fountains of
human knowledge to which you should
all resort with steady and pcrscvcring pur-
suit. The Bible contains the only au-
thentic introduction to the history of the
world; and in storing your minds with
the facts of this history. you will immedi-
ately perceive the need of assistance from
geography and chronology. These as
sistanccs you may find in many of TIE
Bibles published with commentaries. and
you can have no difficulty in procuring
them. Acquaint yourselves with the
chronology and geography of the Bible
that will lead YOU to a general knowledge
of chronology and geography, ancient and
modern, and these will open to YOU an
inexhaustible fountain of knowledge res
pectlng the globe which you nhabt, and
respecting the race of man (its inhabitanD
to which you yourselves belong.
You may pursue these inquiries lust 50
far as YOUR time and nclin,t;on v,;U ,x