been early conducted into the path of wisdom by the hand of virtuous and religious Education, be thankful to Divine Providence for fo diftinguifhed a privilege. Let the young, who ftill enjoy the benefit of wise instruction, seasonable admonition, and good example, from their parents and preceptors, fet a juft value on the advantages they poffefs; and instead of complaining and murmuring under the yoke of authority, let them rejoice that they have it in their power to correct the errors of their own judgment, and fupply the defects of their own experience, by the knowledge and wifdom of those whom time and obfervation must have qualified, and whom interest and affection muft incline, to conduct them in the right path. "Hear, ye children, the inftructions of your parents, and attend to know understanding." And let those who have paffed the years of juvenile inftruction, or have been in any measure deftitute of the benefits of education, industriously VOL. I. improve

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improve the opportunities which they at prefent enjoy for acquiring a more perfect knowledge of their duty. Let your eyes be ever open to what paffes in the world, not to furnish you with matter for uncharitable reflections, but to enable to you collect useful inftructions from the virtues, and feasonable warnings from the follies and vices, of others. Let your ears be ever attentive to the casual fuggeftions of good fenfe and prudence in conversation, and efpecially to the faithful admonitions of friendship. Employ fome ftated portions of the leifure which you are able to command, be it more or less, (for fome leifure it is in the power of every one to command) in making yourselves acquainted with fuch writings as treat of religious and moral fubjects in the cleareft and most interesting manner: efpecially study that facred volume which abounds with every fpecies of moral and religious inftruction. "Search the scriptures, which are able to make you wife unto falvation."

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falvation." In fine, attend diligently to the leffons of inftruction, exhortation, and admonition, which are delivered to you at stated feafons; always endeavour: ing to carry away with you, from time to time, fome useful information, or fome good impreffion, that "ye may not be forgetful hearers but doers of the word."

In this manner, my brethren, in the midst of all your ardour in the search after pleasure, and all your cares and labours to acquire riches, "get wifdom, and with all your getting get understanding.-Watch daily at the gates of Wisdom, and wait at the posts of her doors: for whofo findeth wisdom findeth life, and hall obtain favour of the Lord.”

Which, &c.

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On

On the Neceffity of establishing good Principles, and fixing a prudent Plan of Conduct, in carly Life.

PROVERBS iv. 26.

Ponder the path of thy feet, that all thy ways may be established.

THERE is not in human life a more interesting period than that which lies between childhood and mature age. In this period chiefly it is that the character of the future man is formed, and that the feeds of his future honour or difgrace, happiness or mifery, are fown. At its commencement childish sports and amuse

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ments lofe their charm, and are left behind as no longer deferving of attention; and the young adventurer preffes forward, not without fome degree of impatience, into the spacious field of new pursuits which lies before him. He promises himself enjoyment, distinction, felicity.

To damp his ardour by foreboding difappointment and vexation would be as injudicious as it would be unkind: for though many young perfons, who have fet out in life with high expectations, have been in a fhort time loft to themselves and the world, this has almost always happened through fome folly or misconduct of their own or their friends. Where the foil is good, and the culture skilful and industrious, a plentiful harvest may be commonly expected.

It is, however, at this season, abfolutely neceffary that young perfons fhould find leifure for ferious reflections on their nature, expectations, and duties. Entering upon a world in which they must rely Bb 3

upon