ll lead the
pupil to reflection, not only on its nature, but on its use; and the
ability to do so, as we shall afterwards see, may be acquired by almost
any individual with ease. Regular training in this way, leads directly
to habits of reflection and observation, which are of themselves of
great value; but which, when found acting in connection with the desire
and ability to turn every truth observed into a practical channel,
become doubly estimable, and a public blessing. The pupil therefore
ought early to be trained of himself to supplement the question, "What
does this teach me?" or, "What can I learn from this?" to every
circumstance or truth to which his attention is called; because the
ability to answer it forms the chief, if not the only correct measure of
a well educated person. In proof of this it is only necessary to remark,
that as it is not the man who has accumulated the greatest amount of
anatomical and surgical knowledge, but he who can make the best use of
it, that is really the best surgeon; so it is not the man who has
_acquired_ the largest portion of knowledge, but he who _can make the
best use_ of the largest portion, that is the best scholar. Hence it is,
that all the exercises in a child's education should have in view the
practical use of what he learns, and of what he is to continue through
life to learn, as the great end to which all his learning should be
subservient.

The moral advantages likely to result from the general adoption of this
mode of teaching useful knowledge are exceedingly cheering, and the only
surprise is, that it has been so long overlooked. That the principle,
though not directly applied to the purposes of education, was well
known, and frequently practised by our forefathers, appears obvious from
many of their valuable writings. One beautiful example of its
application is familiar to thousands, though not always perceived, in
the illustration given of the Lord's prayer towards the close of the
Assembly's Larger and Shorter Catechisms. The study of the lessons there
drawn from the truths stated or implied in that prayer, will afford a
better idea of the value of this mode of teaching, than perhaps any
farther explanation we could give, and to these therefore we refer the
reader.

Before closing these general observations upon the value and necessity
of this method of training the young to the practical use of knowledge,
there is a circumstance which should not be omitted