lative truth, but which is also a principle of action which purifies the heart, works by love, and regulates the whole converfation.

It is education chiefly that forms the human character; and it is a virtuous and religious education that forms the character of the Christian. The mind, at that early and innocent period, being untainted with actual guilt, and all alive to every generous impreffion, bends without labour to the force of instruction; is eafily formed to all the beauties of holiness, and by frequent and repeated acts, acquires habits of devotion and virtue. The principles that are then imbibed, and the habits that are then acquired, although they may be fometimes fhaken and weakened by the contagion of evil example, are feldom or never entirely obliterated. When the good feed is thus fown, we have the promise of Almighty God, that he will grant it the increase, and caufe it to fpring up into everlasting life. When the Christian doctrines are thus received, not merely as articles of belief, but also as principles of action, through the blessing of God, they will attain the afcendant over the unruly paffions, and exert fuch an entire influence over the mind, as will enable it to refift temptation, and to come off triumphant. When the good foundation is thus laid, the winds may arise, and the rains may descend; the tempeft may blow and beat upon the house, but the foundation of the structure fhall not fail, for it refts upon a rock.

Next, In order to preserve our innocence and integrity uncorrupted from the world, let us beware with what company we affociate. Evil communica

tion corrupts good manners. It is not indeed always in our power to avoid falling into the company of the wicked, but it is always in our power not to make such persons our confidents and companions. It is the grand fecret of life, both with respect to virtue and to happiness, to felect good and worthy perfons to be our friends and companions; fuch perfons with whom we would not only wish to live, but also defire to die. Such perfons whom we would not only choose to be the companions of our careless hours, but also the partners of our enjoyments through all eternity.

There is something in the friendship and familiarity of good men, extremely great and honorable to human nature; and there are fome confiderations in Christianity that carry these to their highest perfection. The great commandment of our Lord to his followers, was to love one another. In the holy facrament of the fupper, we are united together in fuch intimate bonds of union, as to become members of one body. We have one faith, one hope, one baptifm, one Lord, the Father of all, one Saviour who died for the fins of the world, one Spirit who dwells in the hearts of the faithful. We are fellow heirs of the fame grace of life, fellow expectants o the fame heavenly rewards.

Under these confiderations, the friendship of good men would be attended with the most beneficial effects. They would support each other in the temptations and afflictions of life, and by quickening each other's diligence, provoke one another to love and to good works. Such affociations of good and worthy perfons, in times of public degeneracy and

corruption, are spoken of in Scripture with the higheft honor. "Then they that feared the Lord, fpake "often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and "heard it; and a book of remembrance was writ"ten before him for them that feared the Lord, "and that thought upon his name. And they shall "be mine, faith the Lord of Hofts, in that day "when I make up my jewels; and I will fpare "them as a man spareth his own fon that ferveth " him."

Further, In order to keep ourselves unfpotted from the world, let us acquire firmness and forti, tude of mind. There is no principle in human nature that is attended with a train of more dreadful confequences, than that facility of manners, that fim. plicity of difpofition, that weakness of foul, which is eafily perfuaded from its refolution, to comply with every propofal. This good nature, as it is falfely called, is the worst nature in the world, and is the occafion of more calamities, and of more crimes, than the actual inclination to wickedness. To oppose the actual vitious inclination, Almighty God hath indued us with an understanding to dif cern its evil, and with a confcience to check its progrefs; but this pernicious feebleness of mind has the appearance of fociablenefs and of virtue, and, by that appearance, deceives us to our ruin.

Perfons of fuch a character make no original ef forts of mind. They feem born to enlift under a leader, and are the finners or the faints of accident. Fortitude of mind, and ftrength of refolution, are requifite for every purpose of human life. In particular, they are necessary to keep us from the con

Let us be cautious in lay

tagion of evil example. ing down refolutions: let us be cautious in concerting plans of action: but when we have once refolved, let us be immutable. When we have

chofen our path, let us hold on, though the temptations of life fhould befet us on one hand, and the terrors of death on the other, not fuffering the commotions of the world, nor even the changes of nature, to fhake or to disturb the more ftedfaft purpofe of our fouls. The most valuable of all poffeffions is a ftrenuous and a steady mind, a felf-deciding fpirit, prepared to act, to suffer, or to die, as occafion requires.

This is not an ideal character, which exists only in description. God hath never wanted his thoufands who have not bowed the knee to the idols of the world. We can reckon up a venerable compa

ny

of Patriarchs, and a facred society of Prophets, a holy fellowship of Apostles, an innumerable army of Martyrs and Confeffors, who were found faithful in the midst of the faithlefs, who approved themselves the fons of God without rebuke, in the midst of an evil and profane generation, and having received the recompence of reward, are now fitting on thrones, and finging Hofannah in the heavens.

The contemplation of their lives fhould animate us to run the race that is fet before us, with the fame alacrity and zeal. Did we frequently and fe riously call up to our remembrance, the lives and the virtues of thofe who are now inheriting the promises. Did we, by faith and contemplation, rep. resent to our minds those unfeen rewards of which they are now in poffeffion, we fhould feel our hearts

burn within us; with zeal and emulation, we would inhale a portion of the fame divine spirit, and beholding as in a glass reflected, their virtues and victories, we would be changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the living God.

Catera defunt.

N. B. The Sermon which was delivered in its finished state, by the Author, from this Text, was much admired by his hearThe above is only a part of it, and a first copy.

ers.