promise made to it. Thus faith the Lord thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Ifrael: I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit; which leadeth thee by the way, that thou shouldeft go. O that thou wouldeft hearken to my commandments : then should thy peace be as the river; and thy righteousness the waves of the fea*.

* Ifa. xlviii. 17, 18.

as

SERMON CXXIV.

(Preached before the UNIVERSITY of OXFORD, on ACT SUNDAY in the Afternoon, July 8. 1733.)

THE ADVANTAGE OF A RIGHT EDUCATION.

DEUT. xxxii. 46, 47.

And be faid unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words, which I teftify among you this day; which ye shall command your children to obferve to do all the words of this

law.

For it is not a vain thing for you: Because it is your life; and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land whither ye go over Fordan to poffefs it.

THESE words contain the last exhortation, which Mofes, the great founder of the Jewish state, gave his countrymen, on the very day wherein he had notice of his approaching death. He had freed them, with infinite danger to himfelf, from Egyptian tyranny, and the worfe bondage of idolatry and fuperftition: he had received for them, from God's own mouth, fuch laws of life, as in their circumstances were most conducive to virtue and happiness: these he had delivered to his people, eftablifhed on the fureft foundation of regard; affectionate reverence to the object of all duty, and author of all good: he had laboured, with infinite patience, through a long courfe of years, to cultivate in them this important principle of religious obedience; and now, drawing near to the close of a life spent in their fervice, he recommends

it

it again, first, with all the force of a moft perfuafive eloquence, and afterwards by every charm that poetry itself could add; fetting happiness and mifery before them, in an ode of divine fublimity and fpirit, which they are commanded by Heaven to learn themselves, and teach their pofterity. This, therefore, he communicates in a folemn manner to the whole congregation, as the conclufion of all his cares for them; and then takes his final leave in the exhortation of the text, confirming once more at his death the importance of those precepts which he had been giving them through his whole life. Set your bearts, c.

Their own obfervance of God's law was fecuring the felicity of one generation only; but educating their children in religion and virtue, this was perpetuating bleffings to each part of the fociety and to the whole; lafting profperity and peace in the good land they were going to poffefs; and in that better country*, of which it was an emblem, life for evermore t.

The words afford then a just occafion for speaking,

I. Of the advantages of right education; and,

II. The duty of endeavouring that thefe advantages may be obtained.

I. The advantages, and indeed neceffity, of right education. Other creatures arrive, without their own care, at the fmall perfection of which they are capable, and there ftop: but the whole of man's exiftence, that appears, is a ftate of difcipline and progreffion. Youth is his preparation for maturer years; this whole life for another to come. Nature gives the abilities to improve; but the actual improvement we are to have the pleasure and the reward of giving ourfelves and one another. Some minds, indeed, as fome foils, may be fruitful without cultivation; others barren with it; but the general neceffity is the fame in both cafes; and in both, the richeft, and moft capable of producing good fruit, will be over-run, if neglected, with the rankeft and worst weeds.

Now, the only univerfal precaution that can be in this refpect, Chriftianity hath furnished, by introducing a stated method

method of inftruction unknown before; which, joined with the parents private care, is, to the generality of mankind, fufficient for the purposes of intellectual and moral improvement. But to perfons of more extenfive influence, a more particular and appropriated inftitution is neceffary, for the world's fake as well as their own. This, with regard to the teachers of religion, men almost without exception acknowledge; but too commonly forget it in another cafe, of no lefs importance; theirs, I mean, whofe authority is to enforce the laws of conduct, and whofe example is to lead the way in life. Here fometimes a wrong care, often an imperfect one, is taken by the fondeft parents. The outward accomplishments and decencies of behaviour they teach them with great exactnefs, and do well; but then, without the leaft further provifion, send them abroad into the school of the world, there to learn what they can. The confequence is, what muft naturally be expected: trifles and follies, ever readieft at hand, and best suited to the unjudging mind, get firft into poffeffion; and, in many, leave place for nothing else to enter. Such, unqualified for the valuable employments of life, muft lofe their days in the low amufements of a falfe and effeminate politeness; hoping for no higher a character, than a fet of creatures, equally contemptible, can give one another by mutual admiration; and happy, after all, if they chance to preferve an innocent worthleffnefs.

But fuppofe room left for fome attention to knowledge, not even the forms of decent carriage, though obvious things, are fully learnt without regular application; what sort of acquaintance then with fcience muft that be, which is picked up occafionally and by accident? A thorough one indeed we muft judge it, were the first appearance to determine us; that air of fufficiency, with which a perfon thus educated for the most part delivers his fentiments. But if we examine, as the world will, what is under this appearance to fupport it, then a mind is discovered, thoughtlessly perfuaded of its own knowledge, where it is very ignorant, and affecting knowledge, even though it is confcious of having none: first making haftily whatever determination is fashionable, about quef tions half understood, and not at all confidered, be their im portance what it will; and then going on immediately to act

пров

upon this determination, without the leaft diffidence, or the leaft thought what the laws of human actions are; unmoved by reafon, and fcorning it; but changing frequently on mere fancy; and fluctuating through life without rule or guide, from the forward extravagances of a profligate youth, to the end of an early and defpicable old age.

The benefits of converfation greatly depend on the previous attainments, both of thofe who are fuppofed to communicate knowledge and to receive it. If therefore instruction be neglected, converfation will grow trifling; if perverted, dangerous. Still, acquaintance with the world, however corrupted, may be an useful part of education; but then it must be the laft. It gives a beautiful polish; but of this the best prepared mind will be the moft fufceptible. It teaches many things; but good or bad, according as the learner is qualified to distinguish. He whom, improved good fenfe hath enabled to observe upon common practice, will extract wisdom and virtue from the vices and follies of mankind: but fuch as are ignorant, and capable only of imitating, will of course admire the worst of what they fee; and be the more effectually ruined, the more they aim to be accomplished. It is therefore a merciless thing to throw out poor creatures, unprincipled in what is right, to fhift for themselves, where fo much wrong is to be learnt.

Regular cultivation of the understanding then is what good education begins with. The earliest branch of this, acquaintance with useful languages, unlocks the treafures of ancient learning, and makes the improvements of every age and climate our own. Then the politer parts of literature most agreeably open the faculties, and form the taste of young perfons; adorn our difcourfe, and endear our company, in riper years; give a grace to wisdom and virtue; relieve the fatigue of our bufy hours, and elegantly fill up the leifure of our vacant ones. At the fame time the art of just reasoning opportunely comes in, to curb the licence of imagination, and direct its force; to fix the foundations of fcience; afcertain the degrees of probability, and unveil fpecious error. With this guide we proceed furely. Knowledge of nature opens the univerfe to our view; enables us to judge worthily of the constitution of things; fecures us from the weakness of vulgar

I