phors, which are derived from fome real anology or refemblance betweeen feveral things; as when wings. and flight are applied to riches, it signifies only, that the owner may as easily lofe them, as he would lofe a bird who flew away with wings.

And I think, under this head, we may rank those words, which signify different ideas, by a fort of an unaccountable far-fetcht analogy, or diftant resemblance that fancy has introduced between one thing and another; as when we fay, the meat is green, when it is half-roafted: we fpeak of airing linen by the fire, when we mean drying or warming it: we call for round coals for the chimney, when we mean large fquare ones and we talk of the wing of a rabbit when we mean the fore-leg: the true reason of these appellations we leave to the critics.

Words alfo change their fenfe by the special occasion of using them, the peculiar manner of pronounciation, the found of the voice, the motion of the face, or gestures of the body; fo when an angry mafter fays to his fervant, it is bravely done, or you are a fine gentleman, he means juft the contrary; namely, it is very ill done; you are a forry fellow: it is one way of giving a fevere reproach, for the words are spoken by way of farcasm or irony.

6. Words are applied to various fenfes, by new ideas appearing or arising fafter than new words are framed. So when gun-powder was found out, the word powder, which before signified only duft, was made then to signify that mixture or composition of nitre, charcoal, &c. And the name canon, which before signified a law, or a rule, is now also given to a great gun, which gives laws to nations. So foot-boys, who had frequently the common name of Jack given them, were kept to turn the fpit, or to pull of their mafter's boots; but when inftruments were invented for both these fervices, they were both called jacks, though one was of iron, the other of wood, and very different in their form.

7. Words alter their fignifications according to the ideas of the various perfons, fects, or parties who use them, as we have hinted before; fo when a papist uses" the word heretics, he generally means the proteftants;

when a proteftant ufes the word, he means any perfons who were wilfully (and perhaps contentiously) obftinate in fundamental errors. When a Jew fpeaks of the true religion, he means the inftitution of Moses; when a Turk mentions it, he intends the doctrine of Mahomet: but when a Christian makes use of it, he defigns to fignify Christianity, or the truths and precepts of the gospel.

8. Words have different fignifications according to the book, writing, or difcourfe in which they ftand. So in a treatife of anatomy, a foot fignifies that member in the body of man: But in a book of geometry or menfuration, it fignifies twelve inches.

If I had room to exemplify most of thefe particulars in one fingle word, I know not where to chufe a fitter than the word found, which feems (as it were) by chance, to fignify three diftinct ideas, (viz.) healthy (from fanus) as a found body; noife, (from fonus) as a thrill found and to found the fea (perhaps from the French fonde, a probe, or an inftrument to find the depth of water.) From thefe three, which I may call original fenfes, various derivative fenfes arife; as found Aleep, found lungs, found wind and limb, a found heart, a found mind, found doctrine, a found divine, found reafon, a found cak, found timber, a found reproof, to beat one foundly, to found one's meaning, or inclination, and a found or narrow fea; turn all thefe into Latin, and the variety will appear plain.

I confess, some few of these which I have mentioned as the different fprings of equivocal words, may be reduced in fome cafes to the fame original: but it must also be granted, that there may be other ways befides thefe whereby a word comes to extend its fignification, to include various ideas, and become equivocal. And though it is the bufinefs of a grammarian to purfue these remarks with more variety and particularity, yet it is also the work of a logician to give notice of these things, left darknefs, confufion and perplexity be brought into our conceptions by the means of words, and thence our judgments and reasonings become er

roneous.

CHAP. V.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS RELATING TO OUR IDEAS.

Direction I. TURNISH yourselves with a rich variety of ideas; acquaint yourselves with things ancient and modern; things natural, civil and religious; things domeftic and national; things of your native land, and of foreign countries; things prefent, paft and future; and above all, be well acquainted with God and yourselves; learn animal nature, and the workings of your own fpirits.

Such a general acquaintance with things will be of very great advantage.

The first benefit of it is this; it will affift the use of reafon in all its following operations; it will teach you to judge of things aright, to argue juftly, and methodife your thoughts with accuracy. When you fhall find feveral things a-kin to each other, and feveral different from each other, agreeing in fome part of their idea, and difagreeing in other parts, you will range your ideas in better order, you will be more eafily led into a diftinct knowledge of things, and will obtain a rich store of proper thoughts and arguments upon all occafions.

You will tell me perhaps, that you defign the study of the law or divinity; and what good can natural philofophy or mathematics do you, or any other fcience, not directly fubordinate to your chief defign? but let it be confidered, that all sciences have a fort of mutual connection; and knowledge of all kinds fit the mind to reafon and judge better concerning any particular fubject. I have known a judge upon the bench betray his ignorance, and appear a little confused in his fentiments about a case of suspected murder brought before him, for want of fome acquaintance with animal nature and philofophy.

Another benefit of it is this: fuch a large and general acquaintance with things will fecure you from perpetual admirations and furprizes, and guard you against that weakness of ignorant perfons, who have

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never feen any thing beyond the confines of their own dwelling, and therefore they wonder at almost every thing they fee; every thing beyond the smoke of their own chimney, and reach of their own windows, is new and ftrange to them.

A third benefit of fuch an univerfal acquaintance with things, is this; it will keep you from being too pofitive and dogmatical, from an excefs of credulity and unbelief, that is, a readinefs to believe, or to deny every thing at first hearing; when you fhall have often feen, that strange and uncommon things, which often feemed incredible, are found to be true; and things very commonly received have been found falfe.

The way of attaining fuch an extenfive treasure of ideas, is, with diligence to apply yourfelf to read the beft books, converfe with the most knowing and the wifeft of men, and endeavour to improve by every perfon in whofe company you are; fuffer no hour to pafs away in a lazy idlenefs, and impertinent chattering or useless trifles: vifit other cities and countries, when you have feen your own, under the care of one who can teach you to profit by travelling, and to make wife obfervations; indulge a little curiofity in seeing the wonders of art and nature; fearch into things yourselves, as well as learn them from others: be acquainted with men as well as books; learn all things as much as you can at firft hand; and let as many of your ideas as poffible be the reprefentations of things, and not merely the reprefentations of other men's ideas thus your foul, like fome noble building shall be richly furnished with original paintings, and not with nere copies.

Direct. II. Use the most proper methods to retain that treasure of ideas which you have acquired; for the mind is ready to let many of them flip, unless fome pains and labour be taken to fix them upon the memory.

And more especially let thofe ideas be laid up and preferved with the greatest care, which are most directly fuited, either to your eternal welfare as a Chriftian, or to your particular station and profeffion in this life; for though the former rule recommends an univerfal acquaintance with things, yet it is but a more general

and fuperficial knowledge that is required or expected of any man, in things which are utterly foreign to his own bufinefs; but it is neceffary you fhould have a more particular and accurate acquaintance with those things that refer to your peculiar province and duty in this life, or your happiness in another.

There are fome perfons who never arrive at any deep, folid, or valuable knowledge in any science, or any bufinefs of life; because they are perpetually fluttering over the furface of things in a curious and wandering fearch of infinite variety: ever hearing, reading, or afking after fomething new, but impatient of any labour to lay up and preferve the ideas they have gained their fouls may be compared to a looking-glafs, that wherefoever you turn it, it receives the images of all objects, but retains none.

In order to preferve your treasure of ideas and the knowledge you have gained, pursue these advices, especially in your younger years.

1. Recollect every day the things you have feen, or heard, or read, which may have made any addition to your understanding: read the writings of God and men with diligence and perpetual reviews: be not fond of haftening to a new book, or a new chapter, till you have well fixed and established in your minds what was ufeful in the laft: make use of your memory in this manner, and you will fenfibly experience a gradual improvement of it, while you take care not to load it to excess.

2. Talk over the things which you have feen, heard or learned with fome proper acquaintance; this will make a fresh impreffion upon your memory; and if you have no fellow-tudent at hand, none of equal rank with yourselves, tell it over to any of your acquaintance, where you can do it with propriety and decency; and whether they learn any thing by it or no, your own repetition of it will be an improvement to yourfeif: and this practice alfo will furnish you with a variety of words and copious language, to express your thoughts upon all occafions.

3. Commit to writing fome of the most confiderable