tranfcendent moral perfections? The righteous man is conformed to all these.

If the love of the truth, and candid enquiries after it, especially the most important-if the affemblage of virtues comprehended in the love of God and our neighbour, and in the government of our appetitesif a conformity to all the beft of beings, finite or infinite, is amiable and excellent in any character, then religion is fo: For it involves all thefe. It comprehends "whatsoever things are true, honeft, juft, pure, "lovely, and of good report"-every virtue, every thing praife-worthy. Religion therefore gives a decided preference to a character; and the more fo, the earlier it is embraced: It is amiable at any period, in any ftation: It gives an ornament of grace and a luftre to all who embrace it, whether they be young or old, high or low.

What reason then can be given for poftponing that which is so excellent, which gives fuch pre-eminence? a pre-eminence which feems to be acknowledged even by the irreligious? For men who are governed by no principle, may yet difcern and approve the things that are excellent. This is evident from the teftimony of an accufing confcience; and from the confidence which they place in men of principle; but withhold from perfons of a character like their own. The hypocrite, who feems to be religious, who takes great pains to appear righteous, acknowledges, by his dif fimulation, the excellence of religion. This being admitted on all hands, no reafon can be given for any delay in the choice and profeffion of it, but what amounts to a declaration, that turpitude and deformity are to be preferred to moral beauty.

The understanding may be darkened, and the heart depraved, to that degree as to call evil good, and good evil; to put darkness for light, and light for darkness; bitter for fweet, and fweet for bitter. Great indeed is this darkness and depravity. As the confequence of

having pleasure in unrighteousness, men know not the truth: The light is painful to them: They are given over to delufions, and believe a lye. The effectual guard against such a state of mind as this, is an early attention to the evidence and excellence of religion-— the fuperior character of the righteous man to that of his impious neighbour. In every exterior view his neighbour may be fuperior: But the good difpofition of the heart, the amiable qualities of the mind, give a fuperiority and weight to the character above every thing elfe-an excellence which is of great price in the judgment according to truth.

To fit at the feet of Emmanuel, and learn of him the words of eternal life-to have the fame mind as was in him--to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in him, as the fupreme object of purfuit, the main bufinefs of life, this is an excellent fpirit. Whatever excellence other qualities, unconnected with the spirit of the gospel, may be thought to have, this excelleth them all: It is an unchangeable, eternal excellence. It is the temper of heaven. You may be ftudious to excel in other things, which may recommend you to human esteem and favour; but unless you have approved yourselves to God, and are of that number whom he delighteth to honour, what can it avail that you may be highly esteemed with men? When we speak of excellence in moral agents, as fuch, it is a proper queftion to afk, Excellence in whofe judgment? The answer muft be, In the judgment of the wife and good-and especially in the judgment of God, with whom we have to do-who is privy to the thoughts and intents of the heart, and therefore weigheth actions in their principles-who will render to all free intelligent agents according to their character.

Compare characters of known piety with the thoughtless, the unftable, and double-minded, perfons in whom is no faith-with fuch as are the prey of every vanity, paffion and excefs-Compare those youths,

into whose hearts true wisdom hath entered, even the the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom; with those who despise wisdom and inftruction; are open to the counsel of the ungodly; choose their own way, and are filled with their own devices. You will confefs the truth in the text--that religion is the brightest ornament, and irreligion the most deformed, uncomely thing in the world. Wisdom is juftified of her children. Her doctrine defcends on their minds as the rain and dew on the tender grass: Its falutary influence, on their temper and life, recommends it to obfervers as altogether lovely.

We have three claffes of young perfons mentioned in fcripture: Firft, Such as really "fear the Lord "from their youth." Secondly, Those who have been trained to habits of visible regularity and fobriety; as the young man who propofed to our Lord the queftion about eternal life. Thirdly, Such as fay,

Let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth." The firft will be wife in their latter end: They will not depart from the virtuous paths to which they are early inured. There is safety in those paths. The fecond, if they continue to love any object more than God, their Saviour and their fouls, will never enter into life, whatever their enquiries are about it, or however righteous and eftimable they may be in the view of men. The last know not that God will bring them into judgment. I leave it to your own reflections, with which of thefe claffes you must caft in your lot, as you would merit an amiable, an excellent character.

IMPROVEMENT.

IF what has been observed on this fubject be attended to, the friend of religion will not be thought to be fuch an abject creature as his enemies would represent him. What is there in the doctrine, precepts, motives and hopes of Christianity, or in the life of its Author,

that can be spoken against ? what that does not bear the marks of an excellence fuperior to that which was ever taught, or commanded, or manifefted in the life of the wifest and best of men, in any age or nation ? Why then should it ever have been fuggefted, that the character of an intelligent creature may be impaired and funk by profeffing this religion and living according to it? If any thing improves and exalts the human character, this does. If any thing can degrade the character of man, it is a vain imagination, that he is not dependent on, or indebted or accountable to, the great God-Thus he cherishes the pride and ambition of apoftate fpirits.

What must we fay of those, who are the sport of paffion, the flaves of luft, devout worshippers of mammon, or funk in fenfuality? If the foul of man conflitutes his fuperiority, then those things are excellent, which give to the rational and immortal principle the direction and control of the appetites and paffions, and affimilate him to fuperior intelligences in the world above. This religion doth: It is perfect, converting the foul; fure, making wife the fimple; right, rejoicing the heart; pure, enlightening the eyes. All the things that may be defired are not to be compared to it. Irreligion blinds and degrades the noble faculties of the foul-eftranges it from all that is good, or that is worthy of its contemplation, and love, and confidenceturns its thoughts and alienates its affection from God, from the way of truth and holiness, from whatever can dignify and adorn the nature of man--from whatever might fill up the part affigned him in the world, It is a fource of vain hopes,

If irreligion is thought to be a mark of fuperior difcernment, of a great and independent mind, it is a fuperiority and independence learned from hell, and in which the prince of darknefs excels. The men of religion take heed that they be not deluded by himbe not led away with the falfe glare and outside of

things. They fix on objects of real, fubftantial and lafting excellence, not on fuperficial and tranfient, or merely fictitious, objects-not on things which drown men in perdition.

If the imperfect view we have taken of the nature and spirit of religion, and of the excellent character of the righteous or religious man, be juft, why should those in youth cherish objections to religion, or ask to be excufed from the early choice of it? Ingenuous minds will hear her cause fairly argued. Such minds will embrace her, if indeed fhe fhall appear to be excellent, the perfection of beauty. She addreffeth herself to the understanding, and to the heart, and asks for no other respect than will do equal honour to both. Do you wish to be reputed youths of an ingenious mind? capable of diftinguishing things which differ? able to give a reason of your choice? wifhing to justify it to your own minds upon the cooleft reflection? We recommend religion to you as having in all things the pre-eminence. Look to those who were, and to those who are, its brightest ornaments. Look to the cloud of witneffes, whofe names are written in heaven, and are tranfmitted in the facred oracles to excite your emulation of their faith, patience and charity--who stood faft in the Lord in many and great temptations -whofe love to religion many waters could not quench, nor the floods drown. Look to those pious dead whom you once knew, and could not but venerate; who being dead yet fpeak to you. If they were the excellent of the earth, then follow them. Cultivate the like fpirit of faith and love. Have they transmitted a favour of religion? Was their death precious in the fight of the Lord? Is their memory blessed? Shew that you are thankful for their good example, that you hold their memory dear, by becoming cordial, firm friends of religion, which caft the luftre on their character, and made them bleffings in their day. Did they shine as lights in the world? Be it your care