principles of his education fometimes recur with force; if the fears of futurity, at certain moments, difquiet him; he ftudies to reprefs them, and to fortify his heart against itself, by venting, in a bold and indecent ftile, the maxims of impiety. His fcoffs, his fneers, his profane declamations against religion, are they any proof of the real and fettled conviction of his mind? Far from it. His mind is weak and timid; and he strives only to fupport his courage by playing the infidel. He is a coward who endeavours to allay, or conceal his apprehenfions by an overacted bravery-He resembles a foolish child who fings in the dark to chase away his own fears.*

Every view which we have taken of the fubject, tends to confirm the truth which I proposed to illuftrate, that one, and, perhaps, the principal caufe of that infidelity, real or pretended, that infects the circles of fashionable diffipation, and has plunged fo many profligate youth in the depths of impiety, is to be found in the growing vice and licentiousness of the public manners. "The fool hath faid in his heart there is no God

* Maffillon.

Corrupt are they, and have done abominable, iniquity."

A few philofophic infidels, perhaps, in whom a tafte for ftudy and fcience may have corrected the groffer diforders of the paffions, will feel themfelves little affected by the general ftrain of the obfervations hitherto made. Yet is it true, notwithstanding, that the ground of their oppofition to the gospel, is an inward and ftrong averfion to the purity and holiness of its precepts. They cannot fubmit their hearts to the yoke of the Redeemer; therefore, they endeavour to break and caft it off. But I have chiefly in view that numerous tribe who have never even fuperficially examined the principles of christianity—who have adopted the cant rather than the philofophy of impiety—and who continually fport its principles as a juftification of their irregulari ies. Unhappy men! who are tearing away, with pernicious zeal, every remaining tie that yet imposes any check upon your career to ruin; for one moment ferioufly confider your ftate-pause in your courfe, and look forward to its end. If there is a God, with what aggravated terror will you at last meet

this judge whom you had not expected? If the gospel is true, what, O miferable fouls! muit be your fearful destiny? Can your impious levity change the eternal nature of right and wrong, or, by making you forget, fufpend the punishment of your crimes? Can your denial, or your oblivion of your creator, impede the fure and awful courfe of his juftice?

If infidelity is condemned by the difgraceful principle from which it fprings, it is not lefs condemned by its unhappy confequences. That horrible doctrine that removes God from the univerfe, preients nothing to the rational view but a boundless walte of death-of inevitable fufferings during a few moments of exiftence, followed by the hideous profpect of eternal annihilation. If the fyftem of nature is not arranged and governed by a wife and gracious providence; if we do not exift by the power, and under the protection of a merciful and almighty parent; if there is no happiness but by accident, and the tranfient poffeffion of it must only augment the pain of being speedily torn from it forever; if mifery is urged upon us by the laws of a fatal neceflity, and

there is no remedy for extreme fuffering; if in this life only we have hope, and all beyond is a fearful gulph of everlaiting oblivion; then existence is a curfe, this world is a dreary prison, the good man may fit down in defpair, and weep over his own being; or, like the fons of guilty pleasure, he may renounce his ufelefs virtue, and lay, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die!"

The certain tendency of principles of irreligion is to increafe the immorality and license from which they spring. Whatever weakens the obligations of piety, tends to diffolve both the ties of virtue, and the reftraints of vice. Convenience and power become the only rule of justice-inclination and opportunity the only limit of voluptuoufnels. Relaxation of morals marches in the front, libertinifm follows in the train of infidelity. How cautious ought youth to be even of listening to principles fo flattering to the paffions, but fo dangerous to the foul! Shun, as the most ruinous enemies, thofe falfe friends who endeavour to infinuate into you the fatal poison. Sufpect the gay and fascinating forms of plea

fure under which they prefent vice to your choice-for, in the end," it biteth like a ferpent, and flingeth like an adder."

Thefe principles appear in their most pernicious and deteftable form when they invade, as, in fome inftances, even in this young country they have done, that fex whofe peculiar glory is modesty and chastity. Religion fhould always find an asylum in the female breaft. It is the highest embellishment, and it is the greatest security of their characteristic virtues. When their religious fentiments begin to be corrupted, fociety is on the verge of diffolution-licentiousness then is under no reftraint. But, while their hearts preferve the facred depofit of religion, entrufted to them in their early education, they impose the most effectual check upon libertinifin of manners.— To their piety, the public morals will owe the most effential obligations. Deteft, therefore, and fhun the man who would ever attempt to feduce your heart, by betraying your understanding. The principles of irreligion can never be infinuated to you but with the bafeft defigns. Pleasure is the decoy of vice, and the advocate of im