Part A: It indicates he would train in his uncle's profession.
Part B: It conveys amusement.
In this excerpt, Franklin is describing his childhood education. He states that everyone believed he was going to be good at school, and encouraged his father to provide him with an education. He also describes how his uncle Benjamin had given him his volumes of sermons. He indicates that this was done in case he wanted to train in his uncle's profession. However, Franklin also exhibits some amusement as to the purpose of these texts and their connection to his future profession.
