employing time as fast as it comes; and if what we are doing is wise and good, we are improving it.

If there be no future life, there can be no ultimate object to justify the continued and severe exertion now recommended. To toil for mere existence, when no life lies beyond after toil is over, is disheartening. Even the acquirement of knowledge, though invigorating and ennobling the mind for a vast future, if no such future exists, has too much of labor and delay and uncertainty in the results to be achieved in an ordinary human life, to tempt one whose existence is bounded by the horizon of an earthly life. Human pride may even in such a case insist on pursuing intellectual paths merely for the dignity of the employment; but Mr. Foster impressively asks what such dignity would be worth which is so soon to perish.

"He talks of his dignity, while he expects to become, in a short time, a small addition of particles to that mere mass of earth which is inferior to every organized body, and which will perhaps be sold by the rood, while the addition that he makes to the quantity will not increase the value more than a farthing—his dignity! when all the powers of the operation of which he was so proud are soon to be reduced to the single power of supplying a little rank moisture to the nettles and night-shade that may grow around his grave, and harbor the spiders or the vipers, each one of which will then be a prince in the region of existence compared with him. He must talk of his dignity, when perhaps even now the tree is cutting down out of which his coffin is to be formed; and the young trees which will soon sprout from its root will spread their verdure in the air, and be the resort of life and songs, when he will be an incomparably meaner thing in the creation than the fungus that flourishes at their feet."

He may spend his life in reaching the summit of fame by his laborious investigations and extended researches through the realm of nature's laws, and then yield to the process of dissolution going on in himself, and envy the bird that fits by him on his road to annihilation. If he spends his time in speculative inquiry after truth, his object may be reached, and the light of truth only shine upon him for a moment as he relapses into eternal night. If there be no future life, then he may make pleasure his object rather than virtue, for the severity of disci

pline requisite for the latter will hardly remunerate in this short life, while pleasure may continually flow in through the senses with little effort, with the precaution that she be not pushed to an excess which destroys her life. One who thus gives himself up to pleasure, must look with contempt upon those who believe in a future, but, like themselves, live only for the present. Fame, to such a man, is an empty thing, for the highest, when attained, will not alleviate a single pain or soothe a single sorrow; and the world that praises him would not turn aside to save him from oblivion. Ease, our author recommends to such, as the rule of life, as calculated to prolong an existence on which alone they depend for happiness. "The wisest occupation of your hours will be, a diversity of little harmless undertakings, involving such a gentle exercise of the decaying physical and mental faculties as may help to beguile both the languor of existence, and the dread of losing it, and amuse you into your final sleep."

But if there be a future endless life, then surely this short space must, by every serious mind, be considered and used as an introduction to that life to come. And if eternity is too grave a subject to enter into our theory of the use of life here, the momentous fact still remains, and it will intrude itself into the finest constructed theory which the lover of pleasure may frame. It is not only that a vast future lies before us, and that a knowledge of its existence has barely reached us, but Christianity has thrown such a light upon it, and so adjusted our relations to it, that no more can we close our eyes to its importance, or our ears to its ever sounding commands. Aside from any moral bearing of the subject, the magnificence of the idea itself of immortality should exert a controlling influence over our plans for life. "To an enlightened mind it would be a mournful thing to look back on one day with a full consciousness that it had been lost, as having contributed in no degree to the grand purpose for which all our days were given." What a nobility it gives to a state of mind and style of life to have in view the infinite future, that while executing his plans, the man r anticipates results which will take place after the globe has been consumed."

If the future was to be only as long or several times as long

as the present life, it would become us to draw our plans across the whole field, and provide as much for that, as in youth we now provide for manhood and old age. The exertion it requires to shake off our apathy with respect to the great reality which amounts to a disease, must be put forth, or like the drowsiness of the traveller who lies down amid the snows, a fatal sleep will overpower the frame. A business or profession should be chosen by what, in a moral view, would be most advantageous. Thus should we have a single aim, and every part of life would be bound together into one complete whole.

To waste time in indolence is worse than to squander money. Many a man does absolutely nothing but eat, drink, and sleep.

Who is not tempted to reproach the sun for shining on such a piece of moving matter; such a mockery of a rational nature.” To indulge excessively in sleep is to submit to a bondage which is productive of more mischief than that of witches and magicians in the dark ages. Mr. Foster claims that six or seven hours is as much as should ordinarily be spent in sleep, and condemns the practice of presenting as a mere matter of pleasantry all rebukes of our friends for a too long indulgence. This is a moral evil, thus to choose annihilation, as far as moral and intellectual exercises are concerned, for so long a period beyond the requirements of nature. If we thus voluntarily slight the grand privilege of conscious existence conferred upon us by God now, we may in the future life set a light value upon that existence, and be eternal losers. The time thus lost is worth all that infinite goodness would confer upon us in the diligent and devout improvement of it. To wisely use those extra hours would certainly not more than fulfil the claims of duty to Him who gave us life to use. How much in the way of thought, reading and study, the formation of plans for getting and doing good, might thus be accomplished! What a reproof to a late riser to meet one who for some hours has been engaged in some useful employment? While you are just recovering animal sensation, he has had important thoughts, made substantial advance on the acquirements of yesterday; or, by spending this time in devotion, he has grown in stature as an immortal being, by converse with the "Original Being," while you have been unconscious of your own existence.

Strike the difference between the two classes of habits, and the result in a moderately long life is surprising. One additional day out of a week counts up in all that makes life improving here, and starts one on his eternal course with a momentum which its endless ages will not exhaust.

It is a sin to feel and complain that we have too much time. If we have too much, how desirable to transfer a part to some who have too little; some who cry "millions of money for an inch of time": some who find themselves on the borders of a calamity which a little delay might prevent; some dying sinner who has not time and space for repentance, but eternity is upon him before he is aware.

One of the great difficulties in the improvement of time lies in the use of intervals between one occupation and another. These changes should be as infrequent as possible, so as to secure the most continuity of action consistent with our necessarily various duties. Method in planning and executing will be a great help, as a good system well followed will exclude much of that loss of time which comes of hesitation and indecision as to what shall next be done. Even the best system must have the quality of elasticity to accommodate itself to circumstances in which we are necessarily brought in contact with men less methodical and prompt than ourselves. Method should subserve utility, and not degenerate into iron servitude, so that we can leave it temporarily to meet one who comes to us with fulness of information on an interesting subject, or to pursue a path of investigation unexpectedly opened before us, or to gather up the ideas and imagery which an unusually excited imagination scatters in profusion around us.

The habit of close observation will fill up with useful thought and knowledge many unavoidable intervals. Human nature is spread out before, an open book, at every corner, in every crowd, in almost every place where we can, for a little time, be driven, and some new phase may strike and interest an observant eye. Things thrust themselves before us at such intervals worthy of notice; and in the absence of anything else, our own impatience may afford us a subject of metaphysical thought which may sharpen and improve the mind.

The carrying of books of essays and sketches in the pocket may be open to the criticism that undue attention is drawn to us from others, but times and places are not wanting when a grammar of a language, an abstract of a science, or a synopsis of an argument, may be successfully and improvingly perused.

Solitary life is not necessarily a mode of existence eminently favorable to improvement. Those who live thus are generally free from the necessity of following any one employment, and time, of which they have so much, is in danger of being dissipated. The quietness of such a life tends to slowness of mind, and consequent inappetency of the faculties to any active and productive exertion. Even when persons of more sanguine temperament and lively imagination are thus solitary, their energies are often spent in theories and useless plans, rather than in lines of practical life, and thoughts become more numerous and varied than connected and useful. Thus do men become unfitted for severe study and laborious investigation, and find their minds growing impatient with all subjects requiring an exertion of their powers. No proper standard is kept before them of the exertions and attainments of others by which to measure themselves, and thus they are constantly liable to over-estimate their own accomplishments. The additional disadvantage is also experienced of a removal from social observance and jurisdiction by which we lose the inspiring and restraining influence which living men have over us, so far surpassing the power of books read in solitude, when no human eye witnesses the feelings stirred, and the incipient purpose rising in the mind, perhaps only to subside again, making the man resolve and re-resolve, and die the same.

A careful reading of this book will assist the mind to a higher life of thought and action, and we close it with the strong feeling that we belong to a wide economy of things, and that the improvement of the present has a direct bearing upon our welfare in distant ages.