Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

Communications.
The Monitor.....No. XVI.

"Covet earnestly the best gifts."

The great apostle of the Gentiles was perfectly acquainted with the sinful propensities of the human heart. Perhaps no person had ever any clearer views of the impotency of "fleshly wisdom," in raising the soul from sin to holiness than St. Paul, yet his epistles abound with directions concerning the education of youth. How earnestly does he exhort Timothy to give himself to study, so that he might not be a novice in the work for which he was designed. It is of the greatest consequence to a young man to begin life with correct notions of himself and of the world in general. First as to himself. He ought to know that: the very best he is a fallen creature--that however great his attainments, he may possibly be "ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." This consideration however, ought not to damp his ardor in the pursuit of useful knowledge, but only serve to humble his pride when he would feel disposed to count himself to have already attained it. Bountiful nature has distributed her gifts with a most liberal hand, so that scarce one of the human race but that has something on which they can improve. The young man therefore should search diligently to find what he is best calculated to perform, and rouse into action all the best powers and faculties of the soul. Habits of the mind are formed like habits of the body. By a long continuance in one way it becomes familiar and changed with difficulty. It is then a matter of consequence that the habits of thinking be properly formed. If the thoughts are suffered to dwell on objects that are low or trifling, the mind insensibly loses its relish for all that is noble, and with difficulty raised above more sensual enjoyment. In youth while all the faculties are flexible a little close attention will turn the thoughts into a proper channel, but if it neglected then, the mind becomes vulgar and all its brightness is obscured by the filth which it is plunged, and the man remains through life groveling in the dirt, and scarcely raised above the level of the brutes.