"The Works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have
pleasure therein."—Psal. cxi. 2.
Printed by J. Gall & Son. 22, Niddry Street.
The Author of the following pages is a plain man, who has endeavoured towrite a plain book, for the purpose of being popularly useful. Thephilosophical form which his enquiries have assumed, is the resultrather of accidental circumstances than of free choice. The strongdesire which he felt in his earlier years to benefit the Young, inducedhim to push forward in the paths which appeared to him most likely tolead to his object; and it was not till he had advanced far into thefields of philosophy, that he first began dimly to perceive theimportance of the ground which he had unwittingly occupied. The truthis, that he had laboured many years in the Sabbath Schools with which hehad connected himself, before he was aware that, in his combat withignorance, he was wielding weapons that were comparatively new; and itwas still longer, before he very clearly understood the principles ofthose Exercises which he found so successful. One investigation led toanother; light shone out as he proceeded; and he now submits, with full[Pg vi]confidence in the truth of his general principles and deductions, theresults of more than thirty years' experience and reflection in thegreat cause of Education.
He has only further to observe, that the term "Nature," whichoccurs so frequently, has been adopted as a convenient and popular modeof expression. None of his readers needs to be informed, that this isbut another manner of designating "The God of Nature," whoselaws, as established in the young mind, he has been endeavouring humbly,and perseveringly to imitate.
Myrtle Bank, Trinity, Edinburgh,
8th May, 1840.
| PART I. | |
| ON THE PRELIMINARY OBJECTS NECESSARY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATION. | |
| CHAP. I. | |
| On the Importance of establishing the Science of Education on a solid Foundation, | 13 |
| CHAP. II. | |