them are, repeating the same monotonous sentences from day to day, and from year to year. Still, it is your duty to attend Divine worship, to join in praise and prayer with the community of Christians to whom you belong, and listen, reverently and attentively, to the word preached, as you know not whence a blessing may come, or when it may light.

But as the attendance on Divine service takes up but a small portion of the day, in directing your studies for the remainder of it I am rather at a loss. I cannot insist on your reading of sermons, not even my own, for I never could do it myself, except Sterne's and Boston's, the two greatest opposites in nature. The BIBLE is by far the most inexhaustible book in the world, even laying aside its Divine origin altogether. For its great antiquity, simplicity of narrative, splendour of poetry, and wise and holy injunctions, there is no work once to be compared with it; therefore, by all means, read your Bible,

and attend to all the ordinances of Christianity; for it is beautiful and becoming to see a young person attending reverently upon these, and can scarcely fail to make her more acceptable both with God and man. Therefore attend diligently on the ordinances of religion, and read your Bible,-all save the book of Leviticus, which I always make my own children leave out. The study of the Jewish ceremonial law can be of no benefit to any one, but least of all to a young lady. I wish that book had been cancelled from the Holy Scriptures; for there are many of the injunctions so disgusting, that they cannot be read even by men.

I believe I may be singular in this idea, but I have always thought it would be best for young women to read the New Testament before the Old one. In youth, their minds are like wax softened by the fire, and ready to take any impression; and surely the Gospels, containing the pure, unblamable, and holy life of

our Saviour, his love for our fallen race, sufferings, death, and resurrection, must leave an impression on their tender minds never to be effaced. They can then read the history of the Jews, and the prophecies concerning Him who was to come afterwards, and wonder at their precise and extraordinary fulfilment.

In attendance on all the ordinances of religion, be sure that your dress be plain and modest. Avoid by all means such ridiculous ornaments as the prophet describes at the beginning of this essay. Lay these aside for balls and assemblies, and there dazzle as much as you like; but in the house of God let always modesty of carriage, and decency of deportment and dress, prevail. I shall conclude this address with the beautiful advice of

the wise man, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth."

67

SERMON III.

GOOD BREEDING.

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life; but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."

WHEN the great moral philosopher of Israel dictated this, it is evident that he alluded to our daily conversation; one of those constant mental ingredients which contribute so much to the happiness or misery of a family or community. I shall therefore dedicate this discourse solely to the best means of improving ourselves in that, the most useful of all accomplish

ments.

The first rule, then, in conversation is to please the people with whom it is your lot to converse. This to a young person appears a much more difficult task than it really is. At the period of life at which I write this, and I have many brethren of mankind of the same age, or thereabouts,

we think the young are more agreeable when they discover an ingenuous and modest disposition, than when they endeavour to display the powers of their understanding. It frequently happens, however, in both sexes, during the period between youth and maturity, that there is a strong desire to speak, where the previous desire of pleasing has not been attended to. I have seen many young men positively dogmatical, when they ought to have been receiving instruction. But it should be considered, that the faculty of conversation is different from the use of speech. We may have the gift of tongues without charity, which is nothing; but conversation is that simple and good-natured eloquence which pleases every one.

The great error of young men is to overrate their talents, as well as to mistake the application of them. We may be assured that every appearance of conceit is correspondent with some weakness of intellect. When a man is astonished