and examples; and as imitation feldom fails of improvement, that a wicked age will be thus fucceeded by a more wicked progeny.

No time of a man's life is of fuch confequence to the whole future' part of it, as that when he is juft entering into a knowledge of the world; yet no part of it is, among us, fo little regarded. Xenophon could fend his sons at fourteen to Sparta, that they might know the whole bufinefs of their life in learning to command and to obey; two things, which, as all our youth are left to themfelves about at that fime, we find they never know how to do either of them afterwards; and the people of whom thefe princes were to learn their future conduct knew themselves fo well the value of inftruction at that time, that when Antipater demanded once of them, as hoftages, fifty of their children, they begged leave to fend him twice the number of grown people. How oppofite to this, and to all forts of fenfe and reafon, is our method of winking at the first vices of children, and thus leading them without difficulties into what we in vain think they will afterwards be cloyed of? Ill habits are not fo foon fhook off; and the prudent Jew who left his boy his full defire of money at fixteen, that he might be tired of extravagancy by twenty, has only taught him the way to run through that by five and twenty which he could not well have otherwife got rid of in the whole time his polite courfe of vices' will let him live.

We are wrong even in our most tenatious principles, in regard to children, when we think at all about their fate. We judge it of all things the most neceffary to fee the natural bent of a child's defires, to know what fort of life he had best be brought up to, not confidering that thefe defires are but the refult of the converfation of thofe VOL. II. No. 16.

Young minds are fo foft and tender that they take any bent, and fo empty that they receive all impreffions, and neither the one nor the other are ever to be thoroughly shook off afterwards; fhall then the youth, who is hereafter to command an army, receive his firft principles from a converfation with fervants, perfons inured to a slavish subjection, or from books of idle ftories, every one of which he is to know a year or two afterwards are fenfelefs forgeries? No, let him conve fe from the beginning, with those who can inftil into his tender thoughts the principles of honour, magnanimity, and true greatnefs; let thefe be the first marks his tender mind receives thefe which are impreffions he is never to forget. Let him take pains to read, not what he must be taught hereafter to defpife, but what it will be his duty and his intereft ever to remember; and learn fo early to know himfelf and others; let him thus early learn what he ought to fear, what to defire, and what is 'paffion, what virtue, that he may in his fucceeding years diftinguish between avarice and ambition, between liberty and licentioufnefs, and between fervitude and flavery. That parent errs who fuppofes there is more ftrength of mind required to read the antient Greek and Roman hiftory, the noël blet, and most pleasing fubject in the world, as we have them tranflated into our own language, than the idleft romance; the fame genius M m will

will ferve to reverence truth as well as fiction, and the fame memory that will retain how many wonders there are in the life of a knighterrant, will not fail in the real virtues of a Roman general.'

The few of our modern parents who think to govern and educate their children at all, feem to lay it down as a fundamental rule, that this is to be done by an auftere feverity. They would have their children own an awe to them, but they unhappily mistake between reverence and terror. Fear is the principle they would inculcate, but they diftinguish not between fear with love, and fear with hatred. A mild and chearful deportment would never take off from the refpect of a child, but would teach him at once to love the leffon and the teacher; and he would be in love with virtue and wisdom, while they courted. him under fo amiable an appearance; instead of which, as it is now managed, the manner of inculcating what is good, breeds in the child a horror and averfion for it and it is unquestionable that the frequent feverities of our public fchools are the things that make all our gentlemen blockheads, while they deteft that which it cost them fo dear to learn. Firft, let a child be taught what is right and what is wrong, what he is to be commended for, what afhamed of; and the natural love of praife, and fear of fhame, will be more powerful incentives to good, and checks from evil, than all that can be given him from the rod. Blows are for brutes, and harsh words for fervants; neither are fit for children or for pupils: probably the fource of half the fcandalous cowardice of our prefent race of young people is to be looked for in the fchoolmafters rod and ferula. The mind once broken by feverity, once taught to bear with patience blows and infolent language, is ruined for the whole time to come, it never

can recover its native greatness; and if it pafs through the course of life afterwards without the reproach of cowardly fervility, it is owing to constraint, the courage is merely mechanical, and powerful custom; for a few neceffary moments only gets the better of all that was imprinted in the genius

:

A generous temper will furely be at any time infinitely more ftrongly affected with honour than with fear; and the inculcating this as a natural pre-eminence in the moral world would indeed be of infinite fervice in forming the tender minds of youth to fo just a road of thinking when this was once established, furely the defire of fame and approbation would be in every young breast an infinitely more powerful, as well as a nobler incentive to good actions, and a proper difcharge of their duty, than can be expected from that abject confideration, the fears of punishment for the omitting them.

A love of praife is ingrafted in our very nature, and even born with us, the wife author of nature having kindly given it us as the beft of all promoters of virtue, and a juft behaviour in our feveral stations; and shall the parent fly in the face of heaven by endeavouring, with feverity, with pain and punishment, to obliterate that glorious principle, and teaching the tender and unformed, mind of an infant, that it is better to be a fpaniel than a companion and a friend.

The pre-eminence of virtue is to be every way inculcated, and this native law of praife encouraged in the tender breast, and with thefe a deteftation of every thing that is mean, vicious, or infamous. If there be any innate goodness in the heart, thefe cannot fail to blow the heavenly spark into a flame that will blaze through the whole life to come; and where thefe fail the unhappy parent may be affured feve

rity is vain, and never will effect what he intends by it.

All extremes, however, are equally fatal and blameable, and there is no virtue whofe utmoft limits in a weak mind will not lead to vice. Generofity in the foolish mind often becomes prodigality, and good economy, avarice; thus in the too weak understanding of a parent, the mild nefs and gentle treatment here recommended, may be carried to as ruinous an extream as the harshest severity. An indulgent flattery, and weak fondness for a child, that can make the parent believe his very follies virtues, and inculcate a love of them into his mind, as fuch, muft have the most terrible effects upon a life to come; and a weak fear of giving the tender youth any uneafinefs, cannot but expofe him to eternal uneafineffes when a man. The fathers ufually err in the other extreme, the mothers in this.

A STRIOT ATTACHMENT TO TRUTH ENFORCED.

SOCIAL intercourfe is imprinted

166

in the very nature and form of our conftitutions. It is an article of fo great importance to our prefent welfare, that we cannot poffibly long fubfif without it. We are members one of another," and therefore ought to guard against every circumftance, that may tend, in any respect, to weaken the bonds of fociety, Truth is the band of union and the bafis of human happiness. As nothing is fo effential to the promotion of mutual confidence, as a ftrict regard to truth; fo nothing is fo likely to fubvert fociety, as the violation of this virtue. For mutual confidence is the chief cement of all focial intercourfe, and is founded upon fidelity: without truth there is no reliance upon language, no confidence in friendfhip, and no fecurity in promifes and oaths. If men as members of society, either refuse to discharge their engagements, or deviate from the truth, they not only fap the very foundation of

focial intercourfe, but alfo forfeit their own credit, and the confidence of mankind. Truth is born with and conftantly attends our frame, and no one can fhake it off without violating his nature.

In short, truth is in every respect fo agreeable to human nature, and fo requifite to promote as well as preferve a good understanding between individuals, that every man living not only expects, but defires it from others. Even the most common lyar, the falfeft witnefs, and the moft perfidious covenant breaker, are very anxious to have others tell the truth to them; and none are more ready to complain than they, if they have it not. Hence if we observe the very obvious rule of equity, viz. "of doing as we would be done unto," we fhall not only take care to speak truth ourfelves, but have a right to claim it from others.

But falfity and deceit are never so highly culpable in any one, as when they are perpetrated under the cloak of righteoufnefs. None are capable of deceiving their fellow-creatures fo effectually, as when they previously ingratiate them felves into their favour, by being disguised under the mask of probity, fidelity, or veracity. Confequeny the greater diligence a man ufes, to procure the confidence of any one, the more heinous his offence if he does it purposely to deceive. For what treachery can be more aggravated, what villainy more base and ungrateful, than first to raise a confidence and then deceive it?

Moreover, a perfon addicted to the vice of lying, is not only an enemy to fociety, but to his own private interest; he probably may reap fome advantage from his treachery, provided he gains his point, but at best he makes a very bad bargain; for whatever prefent advantage he reaps, it is purchafed at the expence of his character and good name, which he will hardly redeem. If falfhood and deceit once ferve his turn, it is as much as M m z he

he has a right to exped from it, particularly if he is detected. When a man has once forfeited his credit, then nothing will ferve his turn, neither truth nor falfhood; he will fcarcely gain credit to what he fays, even when he speaks truth; but fo long as he is true and just in all his dealings, he is entitled to all the advantages of fociety. For if mankind cannot charge him with the violation of truth, in any refpe&t, they will of courfe credit what he fays. But if he is convicted of falfhood, who will believe his report? Even his oath is difputable. For the fame bafe motives that hath induced him to break his word, or to fpeak what is not true, may probably induce him to break his oath. Likewife, upon the whole, the leaft impeachment of a inan's veracity, very juftly weakens his credit, and deprives him of all mutual confidence.

It is the univerfal confent of mankind, in general, to treat a lyar, with that fcorn and contempt he fo fuftly merits. And yet this, though very difagreeable, is not the worlt confequence aring from this vice; for while he is thus fcorned and despised by men, as having perverted the very bafis of converfation, and polluted the very fanttity of truth; he is held in abomination" of that being, who is very eminently filed a God of truth, and who hath defined to perdition, whofoever loveth or maketh a lie,"

Mankind fhould maintain a strict regard to truth in conformity to the character of their heavenly father,

66

whole words are true." His promifes are fure and certain; falfhood is as impofiole to him as any other imperfection. God is not a man that he should lie." With him there is no variableness nor fhadow of turning. And therefore, if men are defirous to merit the title of being his children, they must ftrive to imitate him in this part of his moral character.

They thould likewife maintain a ftria regard to truth, in conformity to the example of their immaculate

Now

But as truth is exemplified in the characters of our heavenly Father, and his only begotten Son our Lord, fo is it alfo enforced, by many injunctions in the holy fcriptures. "Let every man speak truth with his neighbour." "Do nothing against the truth." "Whatfoever things are true, think on thefe things." And the prohibition of lying is in both the Old and New Teftament quite abfolute, Lie not one to another." fuch injunctions and prohibitions fufficiently explain to us the divine will in this respect, and ought fo far to influence our conduct, as to make us very cautious to maintain the strictest attachment to veracity, in all our words and actions. The pleafures and rewards of it are inexpreffibly great, and afford the greateft fatisfaction; it frees us from all the anxiety and confufion, into which the oppofi'e conduct would involve us; for truth is fo plain and fimple it requires no art. It is always confiftent with itfelf, and needs nothing to help it out; whereas a lie is troublefome and needs many more to confirm and make it good. Truth gives boldnefs to the countenance, as well as firmness and intrepidity to our actions. Cultivate therefore facred truth, as a fund of fel.-complacence of refpect and love to others, and of favour with Almighty God. Labour to attain that, venerable character of "an Ifraelite indeed in whom is no guile." Be fincere and undiffembled in difcourfe; and in particular avoid ftrong and pofitive affertions; for they generally promote oaths and curfes in order to fupport and confirm them, and thus too often add the guilt of profaneness to that of falfity. Never indulge yourselves in the too common practice

of

of telling marvellous and extraordinary relations; for either your cre dulity will be ridiculed, or your veracity doubted. In fhort, maintain on all occafions, plain, fimple, natural truth, and then you will not only fupport fociety, but preferve your integrity, and in fome measure obtain the approbation of your heavenly Father. For be affured, the lips of truth fhall be had in honour, fhall be eftablished for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment."

Bristol, Nov. 3, 1783.

E S SA

M

"that

A. G.

Y

AN's whole life is a fyftem of vanity, and but for a short season : in the beginning it was indeed reckoned by hundreds of years; man fometimes attained to two, three, or four hundred years, but this bears not the leaft proportion to eternity! Now, hundreds are brought down to fcores. Threefcore and ten, or fourfcore in general is its utmost length. Yet as if years were too big a word for the fmall feafon of man's life on earth, we find it counted by months in' Job. "The number of his months are with thee;" our courfe like that of the fun is feen in a small fpace of time. We begin to die as foon as we are born, in a short time we difappear and are no more. But frequently life is reckoned by days, and thofe but few. "Man that is born of a woman is of few days." (Job.) Nay, in fcripture accounts it is bus one day, yea it is brought down to a moment, and lefs than a moment, lower than which it cannot be carried. David says, "Mine age is as nothing before thee," And Solomon agreeable to this tells us, "There is a time to be born and a time to die," but makes no mention of a time to live, as if our life was but one fkip from the womb to the filent grave. But fhort as our time on earth is, it is crouded with various

and an incredible number of accidents which may fuddenly take us off the ftage of life. A perfon may rise up in the morning as healthy as ever he was in his life, and before noon may be a lifeless corpfe, perhaps knocked down and murdered by fome bloody affaffin, cr by any other means; but if we chance to live out our appointed time, we know not how foon that time may come, when we fhall be regularly taken off. If we live till we are forty, fifty, or fixty, it is but a fhort space, and time flies fwiftly away.

"Our life as a dream, Our time as a ftream,. Glide fwiftly away;

And the haft'ning moment refufeth to ftay."

Since then life is fo fhort and uncertain, it is neceffary that we should not only attend to the moral and external, but to the internal duties of Christianity, become fober, and have a due regard for the wife rules which Providence has laid down for us. The following, I think, is very ftriking,

Whatfoever ye would that men fhould do unto you even fo do unto them.” It is an undeniable fact, that if this divine rule of righteoufnefs was the univerfal rule of human conduct, the greateft calamities of life would be totally unknown, and the world be a paradife of pleafure inftead of a fink of wretchedness and woe. The cries of the oppreffed would be heard no more, and hated tyranny would no more fully humanity.