breathe, throughout, the heart-felt earnestnefs, the whole beautiful flame of fraternal and christian friendship. In short, St.Paul was thoroughly acquainted with human nature and human life. In this inftance he discovers not more concern for the edification and felicity of Young Men, than knowledge of their confequence, character, and fituation. I faid, Their Confequence, Character, and Situation. What thefe are, let us now briefly recollect. We juft hinted at them in the beginning. A flight illuftration of each will furnish fufficient motives for the warmest exertions of zeal on our part, and for an affectionate concurrence with thofe exertions on yours.

Could we fuppofe to exift upon earth a reasonable being, who was doomed after a few years to drop into nothing; ftill you. will allow, that to render him, even for fo fhort a space, happier in any respect, would be no contemptible exercise of

kindness. Minds endowed with the leaft humanity cannot but derive fatisfaction from imparting it, in whatever degree. But how are the obligations to benevolence extended and ftrengthened, when it is confidered that every individual of the human race was made for immortality, and contains in his frame capacities of growing delight through every stage of his exiftence! On this comprehenfive and elevating fyftem, it may be affirmed, that to awaken the love of virtue and knowledge in any fingle breast, is, befide conferring a prefent benefit of the moft valuable fort, to ferve a future intereft, as much fuperior to the temporary falvation of a state, or the mere external welfare of all mankind, as the felicity poffeffed by one foul through an endless duration, must amount to a fum greater than any poffible accumulation of good, that can be enjoyed by any imaginable number of men through periods bounded by time. But of securing this object, it is acknowledged on all

hands, there are many more probabilities in the days of youth than in later years. Of what immenfe moment then muft it. appear, to advance the happiness, by advancing the improvement, of a numerous race, fuftaining, as Young Men do or will fuftain, a great diverfity of relations, and formed, as they are in common with others, to exift for ever!

You, my honoured hearers, conftitute a large, an effential, and a capital branch of the human fpecies. You are, or you expect to be, united with fociety by a thousand ftrong, and a thousand tender ties. The bofoms of your parents, kindred, and friends, are at this moment throbbing with anxiety on your account. In your lot is involved the lot of multitudes. You have the power of communicating bleffings or woes innumerable, inexpreffible, inconceivable. The effects, which your behaviour in particular will produce on the conduct, difpofitions,

reputation, and peace or wretchedness of the other sex, are not to be told. To you your country turns her impatient eye, eager to find in your perfons her hope, her protection, and her boast; well knowing that the muft rife or fink as you shall support and adorn, or disgrace and betray her. While I thus fpeak, I fancy that I fee you fhooting up into fathers, mafters, men of bufinefs, teachers, tutors, guardians of youth, physicians, lawyers, divines, magistrates, judges, legislators, or, to fay the whole at once, into useful members of a mighty ftate, through all its variety of departments, which you may in the progrefs of life be called to fill. When your predeceffors retire from the scene, are unfitted for action, or numbered with the dead, it is you who must fupply their places, and carry on the system of human affairs. With refpect to many, there is reafon to fuppofe, that the greater part of your days is yet before

you. But who can fay how much its pleasures, or its pains, may be increased or diminished by your present deportment? When the eventful story is ended with your lives, it will be refumed in your pofterity. Your influence, my friends, will reach to fucceeding ages. Nameless generations will, in no small degree, receive their turn and character, confequently their happiness or misery, from the conduct which you fhall pursue, and from the principles which you shall propagate. If your memories fhould be handed down to future times, you will be bleffed as the benefactors, or execrated as the pefts, of humanity: and, to finish the account, when the world fhall hear of your conduct and principles no longer, when the world itself fhall be no more, their final result in relation to yourselves, and millions of your fellow creatures, will be nothing less than everlasting deAtruction, or life eternal.