the perfons, or focieties, where he was firft taught the rudiments of vice, and initiated in the principles of licentiousness and riot. I am none of those who either deny or conceal the original, inherent, univerfal corruption of human nature; and yet I fcruple not to affirm, that example, inftruction, and affiftance, are neceffary to our improvment even in vice. Without this, no fingle perfon is capable of arriving at that degree of depravity which we have fometimes occafion to obferve.

Whoever would examine into the reafons, and impress his mind with a fenfe of the danger of corrupt fociety, especially to youth, may just reflect upon the following particulars.

1. We are all by nature prone to fin. It is the growth of the foil, as weeds of the curfed ground. If weeds can hardly be reftrained by the utmost diligence and care of the hufbandman, what an enormous product might he expect, if he would directly apply himself to their encouragement and cultivation! Juft fo, if by the utmost care and attention parents can hardly restrain the irregularities of their children, and form them to true piety and goodness; what wickedness may they not arrive it, if they are delivered over to fchools of profanity, and sufă fered to form their fentiments and manners, from thofe who have long walked in the ways of "their own hearts, and in the fight of their own eyes, without fearing God, or regarding man.'

2. Young

2... Young perfons are ignorant and unfufpicious; strangers to the world, they are alike igno-rant of the characters of men, and the effects of vitious courfes. What a prey must fuch be to the artful and infinuating language of those, who, enslaved by habit, and wearing the chains of vice, find their chief remaining pleasure in feducing others into the fame miserable state! Juftly is the great enemy of mankind called the deceiver, be--cause he betrayed our first parents into rebellion by a lie: an in the fame way he and all his fervants continue to paint and varnish over fin with . falfe colours, that it may be embraced without: reluctance, by thofe who know not that after-wards it biteth like a ferpent, and stingeth like; " an adder.' Need I tell you in what a decent garb fin is often clothed; and what honourable, names it often affumes in the world, to gain the easier admiffion? Senfuality and intemperance is. focial affection, and good fellowship: filthy obfcene converfation is but harmlefs mirth and freedom anger and refentment is but honour, refo-lution, and dignity of mind. In short, the whole. tenor and ftrain of fafhionable converfation is. often little elfe than a strong illufion put uponthe mind, to pervert the dictates of reason, and evade the reproofs of confcience. How dange rous fuch intercourfe to young unwary minds, who are often deeply penetrated with the poison, before they so much as fufpect the defign of its

being adminiftred! It requires no common de-gree of fortitude and refolution, as well as no fmall measure of fpiritual wifdom, to refift the: importunity of finners, and unravel the fubtilty with which they ly in wait to deceive.

3. Vice is ufually baited with pleafure, of which young perfons are peculiarly fenfible: their affections of every kind are in the moft lively and vigorous state. One of the first and most important leffons, which parents and guardians muft teach them, is moderation and reftraint; whereas the immediate effect of affociating with the profane, is not only to ftrengthen their paffions by indulgence, but to inftruct them how to plead in their defence; and above all, to infpire them with an abhorrence of confinement and rule. From these unhappy attachments, these most pernicious friendships it is, that instruction however excellent, is unwillingly listened to; and, the most wife and gentle government is esteemed: harth and fevere. It has been fometimes obferved, that perfons ftrictly and piously educated, when they have come into the world, have run headlong into the moft vitious and abandoned courfe of life. This has been commonly afcrib ed to the rigour of their former confinement, and an advice grafted upon it, that parents fhould be lefs fevere to their children, left they fhould more than compenfate this early restraint, by the liberties which they afterwards affume. But though I willingly admit, that every parent should

temper

temper his authority with gentleness and love;a yet I am far from thinking the effect, juft now: mentioned, is afcribed to its proper caufe: it is not owing fo much to the rigour of parental authority, as to young perfons getting into the fociety of men without principle, and there fecretly imbibing thofe vitious defires, which afterwards they rejoice in an opportunity of gratifying to the full. However ftrict and severe any perfon's education may be, if he comes to matu→ rity of age, before he contracts an intimacy with. thofe who juftify the commiffion of fin, confcience will have acquired fo great authority, that: all folicitation to grofs wickedness will be received with abhorence. This opinion is fupported by a fact, which I imagine I have obferved, that the children of pious parents, who are betrayed into vitious courfes, are almost always fuch as have been moft early removed from their immediate inspection.

4. The danger of corrupt fociety to young per fons appears, from their being expofed to ridicule and fcorn, which is of all other trials hardest for them to bear. I fhall have occafion, on the third general head, to fpeak more fully on this fubject; but in the mean time, it is certain, that a fenfe of fhame is strong in young perfons in general, and that ridicule is the ufual weapon, by which adepts in vice affault the caufe of truth and piety; by which indeed they commonly endeavour to destroy all regard to decency and order. It is lamentable.

Jamentable to think, how often perfons of excellent capacity, and admirable difpofitions, have been led aftray by the abufe of this most amiable quality, à fenfe of fhame.

From all these confiderations, we need not be furprised at the frequent and strong cautions given in the word of God, upon this fubject: He that walketh with wife men fhall be wife; but a companion of fools fhall be destroyed. -Whofo keepeth the law, is a wife fon: but he that is a companion of riotous men, • fhaineth his father.' But there is nothing more moving than that earnest and pathetic exhortation; Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men; avoid it; pafs not by it; turn from it and pass away.' The wife man's infifting upon this important counfel, and the iteration of the expreffions, ferves to convey, in the strongest manner, a fenfe of the certain ruin of those who neglect to observe it.

II. Let us now proceed to confider the hardening nature of fin, which leads from walking in the counfel of the ungodly, to ftanding in the

way of finners.' Upon this, as on the former particular, I may observe, it is aknown and beaten fubject, on which it is eafy to fay things ftrong, but difficult to fay any thing new. There are feveral juft remarks upon it, or ftriking fimilitudes, which have been handed down from the earliest ages; and were probably the first fruits

of