of human affairs, but an acquaintance with the principles of wisdom? Who are the friends and patrons of truth, but they, who, with diligence, dig for, and with joy find, this hidden treasure? Who will be the advocates and guardians of liberty, but those who are read in history, especially that of our own country, and have formed just and liberal sentiments concerning the rights of mankind? Who will act their part in life with propriety and usefulness, but those who have studied the extent and obligation of the law of God? To whom is Christianity indebted for a rational and enlightened, a liberal and warm support, but to those who are conversant with divine truth, and comparatively "count all things but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus ?"

In a word, to whom have men recourse in their difficulties, but to the sensible and judicious? From whom do we seek information and guidance; from the ignorant, or from enlarged and cultivated minds? They are the lights of the world; they diffuse those beneficent beams around them, which shine on the ignorant, and discover the paths of rectitude and bliss.

When, from the scenes of more public life, such retire into their own domestic circle, a taste for books will qualify them to pour instruction into the opening minds around them; and to spend those hours in reading to a wife and family, imparting knowledge, and cementing affection, which others are tempted to consume uselessly, or expensively, or perhaps intemperately, in parties abroad. From them arises a well-informed and enlightened genération, to convey to their descendants the truth and knowledge, which they derived from reading. "Here it is, as in the Athenian "Torch-race, they successively transmit from "one to another the torch of knowledge; and "no sooner hath one quitted it, but another, "equally able, takes the lamp to dispense the light to all within his sphere*."

Usefulness and dignity of character-innocence of manners, and the security of your virtue-the pleasure and entertainment of your own minds invite you, if you would shew a good understanding to seek knowledge, in particular, religious knowledge.

* Seed.

Such being the importance and utility of knowledge, and of mental culture, I would wish, in this connexion, to give you a conviction of the excellence of Christianity, as the friend of literature. I would wish to raise in your minds a grateful sense of the obligations which we owe to it, as it hath greatly favoured and supported the interests of learning.

Religion, in general, if you would study it with judgment, accuracy, and extent, will, as it has been intimated, lead you into a copious, diversified, and pleasing course of reading. To understand Christianity, in particular, it is expedient to cultivate the mind. It shews, at once, the importance of an enlightened understanding, and the excellence of the gospel, that all the useful learning, which is now in the world, is owing, in a great measure, to revelation.

Because the principles of divine knowledge, and the words of eternal life were originally expressed in the learned languages; these languages have been the more carefully and diligently studied through all ages of the church. To shew the weakness of paganism, and the

insufficiency of philosophy, classical erudition has been pursued. Till the third century, the Christians generally wrote in Greek, and they preserved the Latin from sinking into absolute barbarism. To the care of Christians we are indebted for the preservation of the most valuable productions of antiquity.

In the long night of ignorance," the embrios of literature," would have been totally, abortive, if the desire of scriptural knowledge had not been a stimulus to preserve some places of instruction. The opposition to Christianity hath been a spur to enquiry; an incentive to learned investigations. On this account Chronology hath been ascertained, and philosophical researches have been pursued. In every age Christianity hath suggested religious motives, to excite and animate the labours of the apologist, the critic, and the commentator.

"To the gospel then," says a learned di"vine, and to those who have embraced it, are "due our grateful acknowledgements for the "learning that is at present in the world. The "infidels, educated in Christian countries, owe "what learning they have to Christianity, and.

"act the part of those brutes, who, when they "have sucked the dam, turn about and strike "her *."

But while from these considerations, I would lead you to contemplate the importance and excellence of Christianity; the divine author of which may be justly stiled, in this sense, "the light of the world;" ye will remember, that this light not only scatters the darkness of ignorance and error, but purifies the heart. Ye will remember, that though we wish to inspire a love of knowledge and a taste for solid reading, it is with a further view, namely,-to engage you to the practice of what is excellent and good. Knowledge enriches and exalts the understanding; but how absurd a character will be formed, by the union of light, in the head, with the darkness of vice cast over the life.

The sciences enlarge our views, and embellish the mind; they are pleasant to the intellectual powers, and they are useful in the con

* See this curious Topic, ingeniously and fully treated in Jortin's Sermons, Vol. 7, and Knox's Essays, Vol. 2.