dily to sleep; consciousness
becomes engrossed among the reflex and mechanical parts of life; and
soon loses both the will and power to look higher considerations in the
face. This is ruin; this is the last failure in life; this is temporal
damnation; damnation on the spot and without the form of judgment. "What
shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and _lose himself_?"

It is to keep a man awake, to keep him alive to his own soul and its
fixed design of righteousness, that the better part of moral and
religious education is directed; not only that of words and doctors, but
the sharp ferule of calamity under which we are all God's scholars till
we die. If, as teachers, we are to say anything to the purpose, we must
say what will remind the pupil of his soul; we must speak that soul's
dialect; we must talk of life and conduct as his soul would have him
think of them. If, from some conformity between us and the pupil, or
perhaps among all men, we do in truth speak in such a dialect and
express such views, beyond question we shall touch in him a spring;
beyond question he will recognise the dialect as one that he himself has
spoken in his better hours; beyond question he will cry, "I had
forgotten, but now I remember; I too have eyes, and I had forgot to use
them! I too have a soul of my own, arrogantly upright, and to that I
will listen and conform." In short, say to him anything that he has once
thought, or been upon the point of thinking, or show him any view of
life that he has once clearly seen, or been upon the point of clearly
seeing; and you have done your part and may leave him to complete the
education for himself.

Now the view taught at the present time seems to me to want greatness;
and the dialect in which alone it can be intelligibly uttered is not the
dialect of my soul. It is a sort of postponement of life; nothing quite
is, but something different is to be; we are to keep our eyes upon the
indirect from the cradle to the grave. We are to regulate our conduct
not by desire, but by a politic eye upon the future; and to value acts
as they will bring us money or good opinion; as they will bring us, in
one word, _profit_. We must be what is called respectable, and offend no
one by our carriage; it will not do to make oneself conspicuous--who
knows? even in virtue? says the Christian parent! And we must be what is
called prudent and make money; not only because it is pleasant to have
money, but beca