. to certain men of diftinguifhed genius who have unhappily proflituted their talents to the fervice of impiety and vice. By quoting names which fcience hath confecrated, they hope to attach themselves to their glory, and to derive an honor from thinking like them. That there have been unbelievers of penetrating minds, and polifhed wit, I am not difpofed to deny-nor can it be denied on the other hand, that men deftitute both of wit and penetration are continually affecting a vain reputation from being able only to retail their maxims. Hume! Rouffeau! how many vain conceited youth have you contributed to deftroy! Your writings* ftill continue to diffufe a baneful poison through fociety! Oh! fatal talents! that have produced fo many ambitious imitators, afpiring to refemble you, but who can refemble you in nothing but your crimes! Such are the motives that commonly incline men to the fide of infidelity. In pro * Those writings that were immediately directed against the interefts of piety, and the foundations of revealed religion. For the reft, they are always ingenious, and Hume, in particular, generally useful. portion as a man is virtuous, chafte, tempe- Thefe difcourfes I fhall now conclude with a few reflections addreffed to young perfons, and efpecially, to the ftudious youth in this affembly. In this precious and critical period of life your habits, and your principles are both to be formed. Thefe have fuch a reciprocal connexion and influence, that, if you fuffer yourselves to be feduced by pleasure, you are in hazard of plunging into impiety. Urged by the ardor of pallions that are juft beginning to unfold themselves-flattered by hope which, as yet, has feldom disappointed you-expofed to the example, and the folicitations of the thoughtlefs and the diffipated-and without experience to caution or direct you, you are encompafled with dangers, not the leaft of which is that of adopting falfe maxims of conduct, and falfe principles on the fubject of religion. You are in danger from companions, and you are in danger from books.-The propenfities of your age expofe you to companions who, in the purfuit of pleasure, have caft of the fear, and almoft the remembrance of God. You will fee realized among them all thofe caufes to which I have afcribed the prevalence of impious principles. But, while you fee them, you are in hazard of being infected by them. Powerful is the contagion of vicious fympathy; and the ardent inclinations to pleasure, the limited knowledge, the unripened prudence of youth, often expofe them as an easy prey to feducers who lie in wait to deceive. Avoid thofe dangerous companions who make a mock of fin; and, above all, thofe who not only fay in their heart there is no God, but, who are vain of their folly, and proclaim These their impiety with a brazen front. adminiller to young minds the most fatal poifon-more dangerous than contagion and the peftilence, they draw after them a mighty train of ruin. Beginning only with apologies for your propenfities, they flop not till they have whelmed you in the dreadful gulph of impiety. You are in danger from books. Thofe writers are first apt to catch the youthful attention, that pleafe by a certain brilliancy and wit, that agitate the heart, and taint the imagination. Thofe efpecially feem to be fought after, at the present period, with peculiar zeal, that attempt to fhake the foundations of religion, and, by removing the idea of God, and of his holy inspection and government from the universe, relax the ties of moral obligation, and give an unrestrained licence to the paffions. In your choice of books let folidity and truth be their principal recommendation. These will always be found favourable to fincere piety, and to good morals. Check that forward prefumption, fo natural to youth, of carly thinking that you are wife. No quality can be more an enemy to virtue, and to every fubftantial and useful improvement; or more certainly lead to vice and infignificance of character.-Let it be your firft and fupreme concern to examine the truth, and understand the excellence of revealed religion. I am far from requiring you to be implicit believers. Religion has nothing to fear from the most faithful and rigorous fcrutiny. It fuffers only from partial and fuperficial inquiries. Enter into this investigation with an honeft love of truth, and with a fincere determination to embrace, and to obey it, wherever it may be found, and however felf-denying may be the duties it prefcribes. Ruinous and fatal will be the errors into which you will fall, if, on this momentous fubject, you content yourselves with a hafty furvey, or, only feek for evidence against the gospel, and in favour of your paffions. What can concern you fo highly as to know if you are immortal beings, or, if you have no higher hope than to mingle again with the clods of the earth in eternal filence -If God is just to take vengeance on fin-or, if all things come alike to all men, and there fhall, at laft, be no difference between the |