CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE.

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the blessings of free institutions, of equal laws equally administered, of intelligence, virtue, happiness and glory — you must give the full influence of your name, your character, your property, your prayers, your example and your efforts, To EXTEND THE RELIGION OF JESUS OVER OUR LAND AND THROUGH THE WORLD.

CHAPTER XIII.

VARIOUS TOPICS.

"That ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

COMPLETENESS of character is greatly to be desired. Having laid the foundation for a strong, noble, and enduring edifice, in substantial knowledge, right principles, true virtue and religion, let nothing be wanting to finish, beautify, and adorn it. There are many subordinate things which enter into the composition of a finished character, which though comparatively small, yet have an important bearing upon a man's usefulness and happiness. The most essential of these may be noticed under a few general heads.

HEALTH.

It is every man's duty to take good care of his health. Mens sana in corpore sano a sound mind in a sound body, is justly styled the great

est of earthly blessings.

You may have all

other things that earth can

give, and yet without

health to enjoy them, what are they to you? I knew

a man possessing large wealth and the luxuries of every clime, who could take nothing but gruel received through a tube no larger than a quill, and was doomed to years of suffering terminating only in death. This man had an excellent constitution, and might have enjoyed fine health to a good old age. Yet he fell in the midst of his days. It was no unavoidable disaster or innocent cause that brought him down; it was improvidence, inattention, exposures, and high-living.

In the season of youth, while so abundantly supplied with the sap of life, while the fountains are so full that they seem incapable of ever failing, you are very liable to presume too much upon your constitution, and to make those invasions upon it which will afterwards cost you bitter and unavailing repentance. My directions respecting health will be principally of the conservative kind. There are some trite and homely proverbs which are yet well worth keeping for their important truth. Among these is the one which you have heard a thousand times, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." It is my humble ambition to administer an ounce of prevention. This will be done in the following specifics.

CHEERFULNESS.

It is unnecessary here to explain that law of our constitution, by which cheerfulness contributes to health, and melancholy to

disease. Let it suffice to state the fact. Moral causes operate upon the human system as powerfully as physical, though not so instantaneously and obviously. All the dispositions and passions which have the melancholic and the unsocial type such as gloom, sorrow, grief, fear, despondency; and such! as envy, anger, malice, jealousy, revenge-tend to vitiate the secretions, especially those of the stomach and liver, consequently to impair the digestion, reduce the tone of health, and gradually derange the whole system. On the contrary, all the dispositions and affections which have the cheerful and the benevolent type- such as hope, joy, peace, gladness, contentment; and such as love, gratitude, satisfaction, delight, kindness-tend to promote the healthful and vigorous exercise of all the functions of physical life. Sin, dark and malignant, tends to kill the body as well as the soul. But religion, that "fruit of the Spirit," which is "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance," not only saves the soul from death, but tends to impart health, energy, and length of days to the body.

Expelling all the dark and sour tempers, by keeping your heart full of love to God and man; being resigned to the dispensations of Providence, and "contented with such things as you have;" keeping "always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men," so that your head may

EXERCISE AND RECREATION.

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be sweetly pillowed at night, and refreshing slumbers may ever visit your eye-lids; learning to take the brighter view of every prospect, and to "trust in the Lord at all times;" avoiding impatience, irritation, fretfulness; maintaining a benignant, serene, calm, sunny spirit-will hold forth such charming inducements to sweet Health to come and live with you, that she will seldom be able to resist your solicitations.

EXERCISE AND RECREATION. If you are laboring upon a farm or at any active employment, you will of course be sure of sufficient exercise; but even then it is well to spend occasionally a part of a day in some agreeable recreation. To be always

going the same round of toil, tends to make one "dull," according to the proverb. It is well for every man, whatever be his employment, occasionally to break quite away from it, and to throw himself into new circumstances. The bow that is kept continually bent, is in danger either of breaking or of losing its elasticity.

If your employment is sedentary or confined, exercise and recreation are indispensable. One hour every day, is the least you ought to think of appropriating to some pleasant and active exercise, if possible in the open air. It is well also to make your exercise contribute to some other useful end, besides merely your health.