Progressive Education

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: tion, and for every thing by which an idea of it is excited, religious worship will be the natural consequence; and when they are once imbued with a true feeling of piety, they will possess the only foundation on which to build a superstructure of earthly excellence. Section III. On the Communication of...
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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: tion, and for every thing by which an idea of it is excited, religious worship will be the natural consequence; and when they are once imbued with a true feeling of piety, they will possess the only foundation on which to build a superstructure of earthly excellence. Section III. On the Communication of Knowledge. Deeply impressed with the importance and holiness of his vocation, the instructor must sedulously cultivate in himself high and noble sentiments. His intercourse with his pupil must be perfectly simple; he must be thoroughly acquainted with his moral condition, and his susceptibility to particular ideas or feelings; and if he manifest both a desire to sympathize with him, and an earnest wish to exercise a salutary influence over him, he will soon gain the confidence of a well-disposed child. But having thus lowered himself to the level of infancy, he must elevate himself again to the rank of man, by an approach to Heaven. He must refresh his strength, exhausted by the details of his occupation, at the source of all strength; and from that station take a general view of the whole task which lies before him. He will return better prepared for it, and more capable of moulding the mind entrusted to his care. When we consider instruction with a reference to the general end of education, we soon perceive the particular direction given to the mind by each different study. All true knowledge is easily associated with a feeling of piety, and will even favour its growth, by connecting the idea of the Deity more closely with all our thoughts. Impregnated by this living principle, every branch of instruction will put forth moral blossoms, and in addition to its physical and earthly utility, may bear fruit for eternity. But, on the other hand, it cannot be denied, that eve...