fcious of wanting worth, is full of that envious difcontent which foolish vanity produces, and diflikes to fee people happy unless their happiness is his own work.

Pupil. Defpicable meannefs indeed! What punishment does he not deferve, who, from fuch motives, ufes his power over a human heart to rob it of that real pleafure, which it would naturally enjoy! of a

Tutor. Often by fuch a cruel tyranny, the peace tender and delicate mind is fo deeply wounded, that every favor, and every poffible attention afterwards, cannot heal it; domeftic fweets are embittered; and moral misconduct enfues.

Pupil. Henceforth then I will each day inquire what good I can render, and what evil avert from my friends ? If, when their minds are tormented by violent paffion, or overwhelmed in deep diftrefs, I cannot give them relief, I can at least endeavor not to interrupt them in their pleafures; and if I cannot augment my own happinefs, I may avoid diminishing theirs.

Tor A noble refolution! worthy an ingenuous heart! As every indulgence of paffion makes a fecond indulgence more natural, fo every victory over it makes a fecond conqueft more eafy. By the habitual exercife of the gentle and tender affections, you will fecure to yourfelves pure and permanent pleafare; you will fpread joy and cheerfulnefs, all around you; and be fitted for the perfect enjoyments of that world, where meeknefs, humanity, and benevolence hall have an unceafing reign.

To you, who are parents, nature itself hath

given a tender concern for your children's welfare, as your own; and reminds you justly, that, as you have brought them into the dangers of life, your bufinefs is to provide that they get well through them.

2.

Now, the only provifion commonly attended to, of wealth and honors, can never produce happinefs, unless the mind, on which all depends, be taught to enjoy them pro In

erly. Fortune, without this, will but lead them to more abandoned fallics of extravagance, and expofe them to more public cenfure.

3. Education then is the great care with which you are entrusted; fcarcely more for their fakes than your own.. You may be negligent of your fon's inftruction, but it is on. you as well as himself, that his ignorance and contemptiblenefs will bring both reproach and inconvenience. You may be regardless of his morals; but you may be the perfon who will at last moft feverely feel the want of them..

bitter

4. You may. be indifferent about his religion; but remember, dutifulnefs to you is one great principle of religion, and all the reft promote fuch habits as you may ly repent (when it is too late) your omiffion to cultivate in him; and you may live and die miferable on his account,, whom timely care would have made your joy and comfort..

5. Therefore, in a cafe of fuch moment, let no falfe fhame nor favorite paffion prevail over you, but "Give. your hearts wholly to the Lord who made you." Lay the. foundation of your lives here, on the firm ground of Chrif tian faith; and build upon it whatever is juft and good worthy and noble, till the ftructure be complete in moral beauty.

6. The world, into which your children are entering,lies in wait for them with variety of temptations. Unfavorable fentiments of religion will foon be fuggefted to them, and all the faares of luxury, falfe honor and intereft, fpread in their way,, which, with moft of their rank, are. too fuccefsful, and to many, fatal.

7. Happy the few, who in any part of life become fen-fible of their errors, and with painful refolution tread back the wrong steps which they have taken!

8. But happiest of men is he, who by an even courfe of right conduct, from the firft, as far as human frailty per mits, hath at once avoided the miferies of fin, the forrows of repentance, and the difficulties of virtue; who not only can think of his prefent ftate with compofure, but reflect on his paft behavior with thankful approbation; and look forward with unmixed joy to that important future hour,. when he fhall appear before God, and humbly offer to. intim a whole life fpent in his fervice.

A. SERIOUS

A SERIOUS ADDRESS FROM A PRECEPTOR TO HIS SCHOLARS.

I

AM truly fenfible of the important truft re-. pofed in me, and cannot but feel a folicitude to discharge it with propriety. I will not fay that the pecuniary emolument arifing from it is by any means indifferent to me. No man would facrifice his cafe, and enter into an anxious employment, without a defire of thofe rewards which are allotted to induftry.

2. And it is equitable that he, who is willing to step forward and render himfelf extenfively ufeful to others, fhould derive fuch advantages from his exertions, as may render his old agé eafy and refpected, or provide for the wants of a rifing family.

3. But I muft declare, on the other hand, that the fatisfaction arifing from a confcioufnefs of performing the duty incumbent on me, and rendering a fervice equivalent to. the recompenfe, weetens every labor, and gives additional value to the pecuniary compenfation.

4. You are placed here for two purpofes; the improvement of the undertanding, and the formation of virtuous principles for the guidance of your moral conduct. Improvement of the understanding is apparently the first object in your entrance at fchool; but it cannot be doubted but that improvement of the heart is really esteemed by those to whom you are moft dear, at a higher price than the fineft accomplishment of the moft cultivated intellect.

5. It is your bufinefs to unite thefe eftimable objects, and to fuffer your hearts and understandings to vie with each other in the purfuit of excellence. The principal purpofe of my frequent addreffes is to promote the knowledge and the practice of the Chriftian religion; and in the performance of this purpefe, I fhall of neceffity be led to recommend the pureft fyftem of morality. Ethics, improved and exalted by the Chriftian religion, become the guides to real wisdom and folid happiness, to which they could nev er attain when taught only in the fchools of heathen philofophy, 6 In

6. In the religious part of your education, it is not expected that you should be engaged in the profound difquifi tions of theology. The plain doctrines of the religion which you have been taught to profefs must be explained to you;, but the principal bufinefs is to open your hearts for the reception of those fentiments and precepts, which conduce to the direction of your actions in the employment and engagements of your fubfequent life."

7. In the first place, I must then remind you of the ne. ceffity of reading the Scriptures; that is, of drinking the facred waters at the fountain. But to read the Scriptures to advantage, judgment is neceffary; and as judgment at your age is not mature, you muft feek and follow the directions of your inftructors.

S. At your age, the plainest and most perfpicuous paffages will beft deferve and reward your attention. The historical parts of the Old Teftament will entertain you, if you confder them only in a claffical view, as valuable paffages of ancient hiftory; but I chiefly refer you to the books which more immediately conduce to moral inftruc tion..

-9: If you read the Old Teftament with a tafte for its beauties, you will accomplish two important purpofes at the fame time. You will acquire a knowledge of the Holy Bible, which is your duty; and you will improve your tafte. and judgment, which is your bufefs as ftudents in the courfe of a polite education.

10. The New Teftament requires the peculiar attention of every one who profeffes himfelf a Chriftiant here alfo judgment is neceffary to direct the ftudent in the mode of his fludy. To one who has not the requifite fhare of introductory knowledge, the Gofpel will appear to contain many difficulties.

¡I.

As you cannot yet engage in theological ftudies, I muft recommend it to you to take up the Teftament with that humility which becomes all human creatures, but more particularly perfons fo young as you are, and fo deftitute of all that knowledge which can enable you to form a decifive opinion in divinity.

12. You will do right to pay particular attention to the fermon on the mount, and to that admirable epitome of all

morat

moral philofophy, the rule of doing to others as we wish them to do to us. If you pay due obedience to this precept, you will never hesitate in determining what part you Thall act whenever difficulties occur.

you

13. It will however be proper that fhould at an early age familiarize to your mind the language of the Scriptures, in all their parts, though you should not be able fully to comprehend them. You will thus treafure up many ufeful paffages in your memory, which, on many occafions in the courfe of your lives, may be useful.

14. A very early acquaintance with the words of the Old and New Teftament, even before any adequate ideas of their meaning have been obtained, has been found useful in fubfequent life to the profeffed divine.

15. And here I cannot but animadvert on the prevalent neglect of the Holy Scriptures; a neglect which too plainly indicates a faint belief in the doctrines which they contain, and which ought to animate every parent and inftructor in the bufinefs of infufing religious fentiments and a rev. erence for the Scriptures, while the mind is moft fufceptible of deep impreffions.

16. You, who conftitute a part of the rifing 'generation, will exert yourselves in removing an evil which menaces the ruin of the national morals and profperity. They, indeed, who are capable of a fentiment fo enlarged as this, exhibit a man inefs of mind, which is the more honorable to them as it is uncommon at their age.

17. In the religious part of your education, it would be a difgraceful omiffion to neglect the catechifm. I recommend it to you as a ufeful, though tumble guide, and I wifh to warn you against that pride of heart which induces fome perfons to flight it, and from that fpirit of cenforioufnefs, which caufes in others a diflike of all that contradicts their own particular perfuafion.

18.

Make it a rule, never to be violated, to pray n and morning. It is indeed true that in this, and fchools, it is ufual to begin and end the exercifes day with prayer; but I am forry to fay h confidered as a mere formality. You

to this duty, and you will alf rep

ag down on your pillow, and