The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

'314 LETTERS, TRACTS, Uf^.fame, or nearly the fame things, are read by everyteacher. The doctrines, the precepts, and motives,are the fame : In fhort, the fame fyitem is taught bywhofoever is the profeflbr. The effedl therefore muftbe tlie fame, though the refpe6live abiUties of theprofefTors may be very different. If a dvvarf raifesup a {lone four feet high, and a giant raifes a ftonqof the fame weight and fize alfo four feet, vv^hen theyare both let fall on a pavement, the impreffion madeby the dwarf's ftone will be equal to that made bythe giant's. If Therfites throws a dart with all hisforce, which is as 20 5 and Ajax, whofe force is a5100, throws a dart of equal weight and fharpnefswith a force only as 20, each of them will alike piercetlie fluield of He^lor. It is very much the fame with refpeclto any two teachers. However far one of tliemmay excel the other in ability, the fame, or nearly the 'fame force is exerted and applied by each of them : Nay,in fome refpecls, the weak profeflbr may feeni ratherto have the advantage : Senfible of his inability, hev/ill, it is probable, be more in earned ; his way ofthinking and fpeaking Ls more familiar ; his capacity]& more com.menfurate to that of his fcholars. Incommon li£e, a weak man enlightens and leads aweak man more effectually than a man of ability cando. If he teaches in Latin, or even in Englifli, andblunders in grammar now and then, the (ludents willbe diverted j they will be roufed to attention, andwill long remember the do61:rines or things which theprofeflbr had not ready language to exprefs. By thismeans they v/ill imbibe knowledge perhaps fafl:erthan by a grave, uniform, and fenfible difcourfe,which oftentmies tires the hearers ; and having nobreaks in it, does not renew nor keep up their attention.But we judge of teachers, not by the depth oftheir knowledge, but by the eafinefs of their compofitions,and by their expreflfmg themfelves in a natu-*