The student and pastor Author:John Mason Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 8. Avoid theological minutenesses. Lay ne stress on trifles; as you see many do, either from a wrong education, or a weak turn of mind. Reserve your zeal for the... more » most important subjects, and throw it not away upon little things. Lastly. Let none but the best writers in divinity be your favourites. Those are the best writers, who at once discover a clear head and a good heart, fcolid sense and serious piety ; where faith and reason, devotion and judgment, go hand in hand. CHAP. IV. THE METHOD OF COLLECTING AND PRESERVING US1FUL THOUGHTS FROM CONVERSATION. it can be done without affectation and pedantry, turn the conversation on the subject you have been reading last, if you know it to be suitable to your company ; and introduce your maturest observations upon it. This will fix it in your me mory, mory, especially if it becomes matter of debate. For 'the mind is never more tenacious of any principles, than those it has been warmly engaged in the defence of. And in the course of such debate you may perhaps view them in a new light, and be able to form a better judgment of them, and be excited to examine them with more care. Intercourse awakens the powers, whets the mind, and rubs off the rust it is apt to contract by solitary thinking. The pump for want of use, grows dry, or keeps its water at the bottom, which will not be fetched up unless more be added. When you have talked over the subject you have read, think over what you have talked of; and perhaps you will be able to see more weight in the sentiments you opposed, than you were willing to admit in the presence. of your antagonist. And if you suspect you was then in an error, you may now retract it without fear of mortification. That you may at once improve and please in conversation, remember the following...« less