You will not enter upon this war without money, without arms, without soldiers; but with twenty thousand will go forth to meet him, that cometh against you with ten thousand. What is more, infinitely more. you will be watched by the Omniscient eye, and protected by the Almighty hand. of God. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," is a promise, in a peculiar sense appropriated to Christians. determined to do their duty.

Nor will you find, at all, the same vexations, and embarrassments, from your fellow-men. Few persons think of contending against the public conduct of the Legislator, or the Magistrate, who is believed from principle faithfully, and firmly, to do what he thinks right. The Minister, who is acknowledged to adhere undauntedly to the truth of the Scriptures, will be quietly permitted to preach whatever he believes to be truth.

Fourthly. Because it is Honourable.

Look back upon the history of man; and tell me who, in your own opinion, have been the honourable members of the human race. Is one warping, wavering man in the number? Among all those, who have sacrificed their own judgment, and consciences, to the opinion of others, to the dread of censure, to the love of popularity and applause, to the desire of advancement, to the lust for office, is there a single Washington; a Chatham; an Alfred; a Gustavus; an Aristides; a Leonidas; a Judas Maccabeus; an Apostle; a Prophet; or a Patriarch? How infinitely different is this conduct from that of the Saviour of Mankind; who set his face as a flint, against the opposing opinions, slanders, and persecutions, of the whole nation, in which he was born; and sealed the truth of his testimony on the accursed tree. Glory, and honour, in the supreme and immortal sense, belong only to those, who patiently or as it is in the original, firmly and perseveringly, continue in well-doing. These are the men, whom in your consciences you respect and reverence. These are the men, who are reverenced by mankind; who receive here, and throughout eternal ages will receive hereafter, the honour, which cometh from God only. These are the greatest, while wavering Christians, although really possessing the christian character, will be the least, in the kingdom of heaven; and while few, very few, among all those, who yield themselves to mental bondage, will ever be found in the regions of life.

Fifthly. Because it is Delightful.

All the observations, which have been already made, illustrate this important truth. The character, which is safe, useful, and honourable, cannot but be pleasant to the possessor. This, however, is far from being all. The Independence, which I am urging, is the direct source of peace in the soul; the peace derived from an approving conscience, and an approving God; the beginning, and the end, of all sincere enjoyment. In its retrospective views it finds a multitude of objects on which its eye fastens with delight, and over which Conscience sheds a perpetual sunshine. Its prospects, its future designs, still brighter and better with continually increasing excellence, are a regular progress in the high way of holiness towards the paradise of God. Temptations may betide; dangers may multiply; and sufferings may threaten: but the Christian hero, possessing his soul in the fortitude of the Gospel, will be able to say, "None of these things move me; neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy." Secure of the smiles of God, on death he will look with serenity; and to the world beyond the grave with hope, which maketh not ashamed. There he will see a divine reward prepared for him; a crown of glory, at the sight of which earthly diadems are changed into dross and dirt: and there he will be welcomed to the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, as a glorious addition to their number, and their joys.

My Young Friends, You have begun life with many blessings, promises, and hopes. Your behaviour, while under my care, has strongly recommended you to my affection. You go into the world with my best wishes, and my fervent prayers. May the Lord God be with you and make your way through life prosperous! May he enable you to be strong, and very courageous, to do all the words of his law, and not to turn from it to the right hand, or to the left. In this way you will find life a blessing to yourselves. In this way you will be blessings to your fellow men. In this way the rod and staff of the good Shepherd will support you, as you pass through the valley of the shadow of death: and in this way you will ascend to immortal glory beyond the grave.

bids me to entertain a single doubt that the instructions, which I now address to you, will be received with candour and good-will. I hope they will not be forgotten.

The first class of benefits, which you are required to confer upon your fellow-men, and which will ordinarily be more in your power than any other, is formed of such, as are naturally involved in the peculiar employments, to which you will hereafter devote yourselves. These to an observing man will usually be obvious; and by all men will be acknowledged to be indispensable parts of your duty. Whether you betake yourselves to the pursuit of Agriculture, Commerce, Law, Medicine, or Theology; whether you are found in private or public stations; it will be admitted by each of you, that the business, to which you are thus addicted, ought to be performed faithfully by yourselves, and usefully to others. But this class of beneficial efforts I shall not insist upon at the present time. My chief object is to urge upon you a beneficence, collateral to this; a beneficence, which will be suggested to you almost daily by passing events; which it will be in your power to render without neglecting your professional duties; which in single cases will often be of more importance than such of those duties, as can be performed within an equal period; which, united, may be justly considered as of inestimable value; and which on all these accounts is indispensably required of you by your Maker. Let me now point out to you some of the ways, in which you may advantageously exert this beneficence towards your fellow-men.

As a preliminary to all the observations, which will be made in this discourse, I shall suppose you to be established in some useful business; which will furnish you with competent means of subsistence, and in the prosecution of which, if faithful to yourselves, you will acquire in some good degree reputation and influence. In this situation let me urge upon you, not merely as generous and honourable conduct, but as a duty to God and to mankind, from which you cannot be released, such encouragement of well-behaved young men, as they may need, and as it may be in your power to furnish them without too serious inconvenience to yourselves. Young men, at their entrance into life, are apt to feel all the dif ficulties, really involved in their circumstances; and usually many

more, which are chiefly imaginary. These, however, operate on their minds with the same force, as if they were real. The field is to them new and unlimited; and the objects, which it contains, are numerous, and for that reason perplexing. Naturally, they fasten their eyes on those which are forbidden. By the number of these objects, they are perplexed: by their nature, they are disheartened. During a period to come, of greater or less length, many of you, should Providence prolong your lives, may not improbably find yourselves in this very situation. Very many others have been in it before you; and by the blessing of God have surmounted the obstacles, which lay in their way to success. This extensive experience proves, that they are less formidable, and ought to be less discouraging, than you will imagine them. When you shall have triumphed over them all; let me exhort you to remember the anxiety and despondence, which you felt in these circumstances and from your own sufferings learn to feel, and to relieve, the sufferings of such as come after you. To be the friend of young men is to sustain one of the most respectable characters, and to act one of the most useful parts, ordinarily within the reach of a person, even of distinguished worth. It is to comfort the heart, sustain and invigorate the energy, multiply the blessings, and expand the usefulness, of many youths, fitted, both by their endowments and their dispositions, to become benefactors to mankind. At the same time the good, to be done, may be accomplished in most cases with very little self-denial or inconvenience. Often, advice may be all that is necessary: not unfrequently, countenance: and at times, sympathy. Should other aid be needed; he, who communicates it, will be the more deserving; and enjoy the satisfaction regularly springing from pure beneficence.

Another mode of doing good, which will be extensively in your power, is to befriend Education; particularly that, which is furnished by parochial schools. On this copious subject I can only give

hints.

It is proverbially acknowledged, that, independently of the operations of the Divine Spirit, the character of men is chiefly formed by the discipline of childhood: and in our own country a great part of this discipline is furnished by parochial schools. New England justly 'ims the reputation of having distinguished

herself by an attention to these Institutions, which, to say the least, is uncommon; and no part of New England, perhaps, more than this State. Yet it is unquestionably true, that our own system is in many respects lamentably imperfect. Often, this is in various particulars the character of the instructors; and always, as I believe, of the scheme of instruction. Even the modes, in which reading, writing, and spelling, are customarily taught, are extremely defective; and seem rather to have been the result of accident than of thought. The time, spent in learning to read and write badly, is from twice to six times what would be necessary to learn both well. The waste might easily be applied to the attainment of other knowledge, confessedly of great value.

It cannot be denied, that this subject is of very serious importance: since it must affect, to a considerable extent, the well-being of the whole rising generation. Comparatively, however, it is insignificant. Moral and religious instruction, an object of far higher consequence, there is reason to fear, is often either wholly neglected, or administered with such carelessness, as is nearly allied to absolute neglect; or is given so erroneously and imperfectly, as to be little better, and sometimes perhaps worse, than none. There are undoubtedly cases, widely and happily different from all these; but, it is to be feared, they are far fewer than a good man would wish.

Were every schoolmaster to comprehend the extent and importance of his office; were he at the same time a Christian; or would he even act as a Christian; and were the scheme of instruction to be formed on the principles, taught in the Gospel; he would become a preacher of righteousness to his little flock; and his instructions hopeful means of their piety. To parents, who trained up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, he would become in this case a powerful aid; and to those, who did not, the best of all substitutes. In this case every child in the community, who was sent to school, would in a good degree receive a religious education; and be hopefully prepared to be virtuous here, and happy hereafter.

The change, which would be made in the character of the next generation, were a complete reformation to take place in both particulars, would, I suspect, be greater than the most sanguine man can be easily induced to believe. To effectuate such