confider with pleasure how that fuccefs may be continued, and thofe hopes realized. Suffer me then to give you, with regard to your future happinefs in life (I do not fay my advice, let that word fhould found harthly From one, who is perhaps not older than feveral of yourlelves)-but fuffer 'me to give you, what from a perfon of any age may be heard with patience, my opinion, and my reafons

for it.

In regard to your paf conduct and attainn.ents, I need only obferve, that, as far as I am connected with them, it would be highly unreasonable to be 'diffatisfied. You have not all, indeed, equal learning; but neither can you all have had equal opportunity to learn and there is not one among you, who, if he fhall continue the profecution of literature, may not, with moderate application, make a good appearance. If fome of you have lefs regularly than others attended the buinefs of the clafs, it ought to be remembered, that you are not all equally difengaged from other bufinels. If ever, during the time of our meeting in this place, there might have been difcovered, by whispers or inattention, fome levity not defirable in a fociety of philofophers; my duty mull have required me not to let it 'país unnoticed. Such momentary inadvertence, however, I willingly confider as the object rather of admenition than of reproof. For in the fleadieft minds there is a tendency to cafe and relaxation; a fort of elalic force which no weight of ftudy can overcome; which impels one from ablirast fpeculation to natural amufement, feducing often into thoughtle nfs the mot willing attention, and obtruding upon the moft guarded feriouinefs a ludicrcus idea. Such unintentional abfence of mind we cannot call a fault: it is an infinity, indeed, which we do well to guard againft, and difcom.ge; but it is what mot 'mea are fubject to, and therefore ought readily to forgive. Scimdi, et Ty's revon "petim na damga vi

We all wish for happiness, and muft, confequently, efteem thofe purfuits most deirable, in which we expect to be most happy. This propolition it is unnecellary to demonftrate; for none is more agrecable to the reafon or to the wishes of mankind; and none is more frequently repeated, or more zealously defcanted upon. And yet no propofition (which may feem ftrange perhaps, but is nevertheless true) has been more grofsly mifapplied.

Men who feek food and exercise, as the means of health, have fenfe enough neither to fwallow hemlock, nor to labour in the mines: nor in ablaining from these are they fuppofed to manifeft any extraordinary fagacity. Hemlock may indeed be eaten; yet every perfon would acknowledge that man to act abfurdly who thould use it for food; fince food is fought for the nourishment of the body, which hemlock would deftroy: and although labour in the mines be undoubtedly exercife, it is an exercise which, inftead of repairing, waftes the conflitution; and which, therefore, it would be madness in him to choose, who feeks exercife for health's fake only. With fuch prudence do men determine, where the fenfes are concerned, and the interefls of the body.

Nothing more is requisite to our true felicity, than that we fhould, with prudence not inferior, determine in cafes in which reafon directs, and in which are concerned, the eternal interefts of the foul. Nothing more is requifite, than that, in pursuing the means of happiness as of health, we attend not only to their general appearance, but to their latent qualities and experienced effects; left, inftead of nourishment, we fwallow a poifon, which may perhaps increafe prefent pleafure by temporary gratification, but which will certainly diminish our happiness upon the whole, by dif qualifying us for better enjoyments.

Some of the more ignorant and fenfual Turks, enamoured of thofe lethargic reveries, which they derive from opium, are faid to acquire in

time the habit of fwallowing it in great quantities. This they accomplish by the conflant difcipline, or rather conftant difeafe, of many weeks: for which they are rewarded with two or three years of fleepy delirium, early dotage, and a miferable death. Now, that they enjoy fome momentary corpereal gratifications more exquifite than thofe of men in health, feems very probable yet who is fo frantic as to believe their condition fo good as that of men in health, even with regard to mere bodily pleafure?

But does not the perfon,' (one might afk) who has it in his power to derive habitual pleafure from an habitual ufe of opium, and yet neglects to use it, omit an opportunity of gratification, and confequently make his fum of happiness fmaller than it might have been?' It might be anf wered, if such a question were thought worthy of an answer, that the habitual ufe of this drug, in exchange for that fhort and prefent enjoyment which it fupplies, prevents greater and future enjoyments; and therefore diminishes, inftead of increafing, the general fum of happinels.

Never, probably, was the queftion propofed yet fimilar questions, of greater abfurdity and more dangerous confequence, are, tacitly, at lealt, and, in practice, if not in words, affented to every day. Does not the perfon, who has it in his power to derive enjoyment from the prefent gratification of covetoufnefs, revenge, or fenfuality, and neglects to do fo, omit an opportunity of pleasure, and confequently make the fum of his happinefs fmaller than it might have been?' To this question few men perhaps would give an affirmative answer; yet men furely act as if they thought it deferved one, who follow courfes, which, if its doctrine is ill-founded, are hurtful, not to the happiness of others only, but to their own. The gratifications propofed in this queftion, like thofe in the former, diminish, inttead of increafing, the general fum of happinefs, by excluding other enjoyments

more excellent, and of longer continuance.

To us, in fhort, this is the language of both reafon and revelation-Ye defire happinefs, and ye do well, fince for happinefs ye were intended: be as happy as ye can. Only, for your own lakes, have prudence enough to believe, that your happiness will not be confulted in facrificing a greater to a less enjoyment.

Compliance with this reasonable admonition will fometimes, indeed, require us to abitain from things apparently defirable: but fuch abftinence is unavoidable in this world of probation, where inconfiftent pleafures are propofed to our choice, for an exercise to the virtuous, and opportunity to the wicked. The question is, nor whether we hall give up any of the gratifications we are capable of; for fome of them must be given up whatever courfe we follow, fince it is impoffible to enjoy at the fame time things inconfiitent with each other; but the question is, which of them fhall be given up; the virtuous, or the vicious, the greater good, or the lefs. Shall we lament the hardship of this facrifice? As well might a hungry man, who had either poifoned or wholfome eatables in his choice, complain, because he could not have the wholefome, without abitaining from the poifoned.

But a life of virtue, it may be faid, demands painful and perpetual abítinence. Now if a man's experience of the matter he decides on, may be allowed to give weight to his decifion, this cavil can have little authority; having been propofed, never by a virtuous man, but by thofe only who, inftead of having experienced a life of virtue, are deviling reafons to excufe themfelves from ever experiencing it. The objection, however, may be confuted on furer ground than the character of the objectors. For they, according to the common practice of fophiftical reafoners, who conceal one part of a fubject in order to give an appearance of deformity or difpro

knowledge the goodness of God, in offering us falvation on terms fo eafy, that, in order to attain our greatest happiness in heaven, we have only to prefer and purfue what is in reality our greatest happiness on earth. Yet, were Chriftian virtue attended in this life by hardships, infinitely exceeding thofe that now attend it, nay, were it one uniceafing hardship of both mind and body, no rational being who fought his own intereft could hefitate a moment in determining to practife it, confidering the authority by which it is enjoined, and the everlafting importance of the fanctions awaiting it hereafter. For the New Teftament not only contains a fyftem of moral doctrine fo pure and perfect, as would deferve the acquiefcence of every true philofopher, even if it had been propofed by no divine authority, or connected with no eternal retribution; but is, moreover, attefted by proofs fo ftrong and fo various, that the converfion of those who reject it could hardly be hoped for, though a meffenger from the dead were commiffioned on purpose. This may feem paradoxical: yet any candid man, who is acquainted with the hiftory of the Chriftian church, may eafily convince himself, that it is not the want of reafonable evidence in our religion which makes the infidel diflike it, but the want of licentious doctrine; a want which no meffenger from the dead could be expected to fupply. Look on the conduct and morality of unbelievers. Where is the man among them, whofe virtue has fuggefted an improvement to that fyftem which he renounces as imperfect? Alas! he renounces it, in order, not to improve his virtue, but to hide from himself the fins of which it would perpetually remind him. Where is the man among them, who retains in other enquiries that fcrupulofity of logic, which he tortures to perplex the evidence of the gospel? Alas! the blafphemy of Voltaire is tried by gentler crutiny than the doctrine of Jefus : and at laft we learn, that, in oppofi

tion to the cruelty of fome interested Jews, the oblinacy of a few ancient believers in magic, the palpable mistakes and mifreprefentations of infidious or ignorant men, the apoftacy of a profligate emperor, the fneer of a petulant Frenchman-the opinions of the learned avail nothing, nor the practice of the virtuous, nor the certainty of the inference of the caufe from the effect, nor the faith of nations, nor the accomplishment of prophecy, nor the demonftration of miracles, nor the blood and teftimony of ten thoufand martyrs.

This fubject needs no further profecution. If I were arguing with men prejudiced against virtue and Christianity, there would now be no time for confutation: there is now no occafion for it, while I addrefs myself to thofe who, having feen the evidence of the gofpel to be ftronger than that of any other ancient narrative; hav ing feen, how much, even in this life, the joys overbalance the difficulties of virtue; and having confidered the value of that everlafting inheritance, which God has prepared for them who love him; will not haflily give up the conviction of their understanding, the approbation of their conscience, the eleem of mankind, the favour of Omnipotence, and the fociety of angels and juft men made perfect, for the honour of attending an atheiftical fophifter into either that punishment, which he has too much reafon to apprehend, or that annihilation, which is the laft and dearest object of his wishes.

God, whofe adorable Providence fupplies each individual man, nay and even the moft diminutive infect, with fome advantages, to make up for the difadvantages of its condition, afforded to thofe primitive Chriflians, whofe faith was to be tried in perfecution and torment, the clear and infallible evidence of miracles, wrought often before their eyes, and often at their command. To us, who, by his goodnefs, live in days of peace and liberty, he offers a fyftem of evidence, not,

if we will honeftly confider it, lefs convincing; but more extenfive, and confequently more liable to be overlooked by the negligent, or misreprefented by the malicious. The rays of demonftration, which enlightened thofe firft profelytes to Christianity, are, at this interval of time, difperfed, though not diminified; what flione clear upon then, from miracles performed in their prefence, we have now to trace and collect through all the range of hiftory. And although, of a light fo durable and fo widely diffufed, and in its progrefs, through fo many ages and nations, fo often heightened by contraft and multiplied by reflection, the reality be not now lefs difcernable to candid obfervers, than it was when the beams were more clofely concentered; the fplendour is lefs alluring, and the quantity will feem lefs confiderable, to thofe, who are too indolent to examine all the expanfe which it enlightens, and more willing to be dazzled by inevitable conviction, than to bear the fatigue of patient enquiry.

This prefent fate of the evidence of our religion, infidels would fain reprefent as unfuitable to the conduct of Divine Providence; converting into an argument againt Chriflianity facts that furnish no imall evidence in its favour. Those infidels, however, will find it rather difficult to prove, that God would moft effectually have fupported the dignity, by abandoning the juf tice of his adminiftration; by giving thofe primitive Chriftians, who had fo much greater temptation than we have to do wrong, no more ftriking encouragement to do right; or by appointing that inattentive and worldlyminded men, in thefe times of religious tranquillity, fhould have much encouragement and an eternal recompence, for believing what it was impoffible for them to doubt. Yet has he, who makes all things work together for good to fuch as diligently feek him, perpetuated to us, in fome meafure, by means of the very fufferings thofe firft Chriftians endured, that evi

dence of miracles which convinced and fupported them: and although, from the circumflances of the time, we cannot fhare with them in the bleffings beflowed on fuch as forfake houfe, or friends, or life, for the gofpel; we may partake in a bletting which they enjoy not-the blefling of thofe who have not feen, and yet have believed.'

After thefe remarks on the practice of virtue as indifpenfable to happiness, allow me to mention a study indifpenfable to the knowledge of virtue; I mean the ftudy of the fcripture. This I feek not to enforce by argument; for on thofe it needs not be enforced, who propofe to dedicate their time to theology; and men of other profeffions are beyond the reach of argument, if they think it unreafonable that, after a day fpent in ad, vancing their temporal intereft, and ftudying the inclinations of man, fome minutes fhould be given to the law of God, and the interefts of eternity.

But is not the ftudy of fcripture a dry occupation, requiring much toil of criticifm, and frequent fearch of commentators?' If drynefs in compofition be the oppofite of what is brief, elegant, interelling, and momentous, the ftudy of fcripture will be acknowledged, by all who are in any degree converfant in it, to deserve as little to be called dry, as any feience whatever. With regard to the authority of criticifms and comments; as far as they ferve to make us better acquainted with the gofpel, either by remarks on the language in which it is written, or by gathering into one view all the paffages connected with each particular doctrine, fo far they are ufeful in directing, or abridging, at leaft, the labours of the ftudent. But further than this it may be dangerous to trust them; and, even without trufting them thus far, we may learn with certainty all the doctrines effential to falvation. So little is the labour of criticifm, or frequent fearch of commentators, neceffary for the ferious Chriftian, or even expedient