MAN THE REFORMER

A LECTURE READ BEFORE THE MECHANICS' APPRE

LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, BOSTON, JANUARY 25, 18

MR. PRESIDENT, AND GENTLEMEN,

I WISH to offer to your consideration thoughts on the particular and general r of man as a reformer. I shall assume t aim of each young man in this associa the very highest that belongs to a rationa Let it be granted, that our life, as we le common and mean; that some of those and functions for which we were mainly are grown so rare in society, that the mer them is only kept alive in old books and traditions; that prophets and poets, that ful and perfect men, we are not now, have even seen such; that some sources man instruction are almost unnamed a known among us; that the community in we live will hardly bear to be told that

nation, and nis dally walk elevate by urse with the spiritual world. Grant all this, we must, yet I suppose none of my auditors l deny that we ought to seek to establish rselves in such disciplines and courses as will serve that guidance and clearer communican with the spiritual nature. And further, I ll not dissemble my hope, that each person hom I address has felt his own call to cast ide all evil customs, timidities, and limitations, d to be in his place a free and helpful man, a former, a benefactor, not content to slip along -ough the world like a footman or a spy, caping by his nimbleness and apologies as any knocks as he can, but a brave and upht man, who must find or cut a straight ad to everything excellent in the earth, and t only go honorably himself, but make it sier for all who follow him, to go in honor d with benefit.

In the history of the world the doctrine of form had never such scope as at the present ur. Lutherans, Hernhutters, Jesuits, Monks, akers, Knox, Wesley, Swedenborg, Bentham, their accusations of society, all respected nething, church or state, literature or hisy, domestic usages, the market town, the