In the inftruction of persons whom we believe to be destined to survive the ftroke of death, and to furvive in happiness or in misery proportioned to the nature of their conduct in this fhort and preparatory scene of existence, the main object to be pursued is to inspire them with fuch views of things, to establish them in fuch principles and rules of action, as are calculated to render that future and most important state of being, a period of bleffedness. Such would ftill have been the dictates of reason, had the result been likely to be unfavourable to happiness in the prefent life. How forcibly, then, do they prefs upon those who are convinced, as is the cafe with all who believe in the Chriftian Revelation, that "godliness has the promise of the life "which now is, as well as of that which "is to come(c):" that the very fame views of things, the very fame principles and rules of action, which lead to never-ending

(c) 1 Tim. iv. 8.

felicity

felicity hereafter, promise in the common courfe of events a larger portion of external comforts than is attainable by any other means; and are accompanied by a ferenity of heart, and by a cheerful fense of the protecting care of infinite Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, which far more than outweigh the collected amount of all other terreftrial enjoyments. The chief folicitude, therefore, of every one who is called to fulfil the duties of tuition ought to be this: to engage the understanding and the affections of the pupil in favour of piety and virtue, by unfolding the truth, the importance, and the inherent excellence of the Chriftian religion; and by inculcating the obligations of morality, not as ultimately refting on independent principles of their own, but as founded on the precepts and fanctions of the Gofpel, and forming one branch of human duty to God.

Is the truth of this position univerfally admitted? It is not. By fome persons, who,

who, difdaining the maxims of what they ftyle the vulgar herd of mankind, affert pretenfions to fuperior intelligence; and by others, who, from thoughtleffness, from fafhion, from humility, have acquiefced in the authority of the former; an opinion precisely the reverse of this is maintained. We are told that the great business of Education is to guard the mind against the influence of prejudice: that of all prepoffeffions, those which respect religion are the moft dangerous and the most enflaving; the most easy to be imbibed in childhood and youth; the moft difficult, when once imbibed, to be shaken off in the maturity of the understanding: that religion is therefore a fubject which ought never to be brought forward as a matter of instruction, but rather to be entirely kept out of fight during the course of education; in order that the young perfon, when judgement shall have acquired fufficient ftrength, may weigh with unbiaffed difcernment the contending creeds, which divide the well-informed part

of

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of mankind, and adopt that which shall be found conformable to reafon and truth. Thus, it is afferted, and thus only, will belief be rational. Thus, and thus only, add fome of the patrons of this opinion, who disclose, intentionally or unintentionally, the secret sentiment as to religion which the majority of them entertain, will the world be enabled to shake off the fetters of delufion, prieftcraft, and fanaticism; and children have a chance of being emancipated from the fuperftitions of their forefathers.

It will be proper to remove this obstacle before we attempt to proceed further.

The human mind in infancy has been compared, and in fome respects juftly compared, to a blank fheet of paper. In one material point, however, the comparison fails. The fheet of paper, deposited on a fhelf, or locked up in a drawer, continues a blank; it acquires no impreffion of characters

racters until they are purposely imprinted by the hand of the writer. Is that the case with the youthful mind? If you forbear to impress it with ideas and fentiments, can you prevent it from receiving impreffions from the perfons and the objects with which it is daily converfant? As well might you forbid the calm furface of the lake to reflect the woods and rocks of the impending mountains. The mind is originally an unfown field, prepared, it may be, for the reception of any crop. But if those, to whom the culture of it belongs, neglect to fill it with good grain, it will speedily and spontaneously be covered with weeds. If right principles of action are not implanted, wrong principles will sprout up; if religion be not fostered, irreligion will take root. The foil, in its natural ftate, favors the growth of every noxious production. The experience of every one who attends to the workings of his own heart bears testimony to the truth of the fcriptural doctrine concerning the inherent tendency to evil, which characterises human nature. To keep the