life; but then meditation comes afterward; it only comes when the mind is already filled and engaged, and occupied, nay, often crowded and surcharged with worldly ideas. It is not only therefore fair and right, but it is absoltutely necessary, to give to religion all the advantage we can give it by dint of education: for all that can be done is too little to set religion upon an equality with its rival; which rival is the world. A creature, which is to pass a small portion of its existence in one state, and that state to be preparatory to another, ought, no doubt, to have its attention constantly fixed upon its ulterior and permanent destination. And this would be so, if the question between them came fairly before the mind. We should listen to the scriptures; we should embrace religion, we should enter into every thing which had relation to the subject with a concern and impression, even far more, than the pursuits of this world, eager and ardent as they are, excite.

But the question between religion and the world does not come fairly before us. What surrounds us is this world; what addresses our senses and our passions is this world; what is at hand; what is in contact with us; what acts upon us, what we act upon, is this world.

Reason, faith and hope are the only principles to which religion applies, or possibly can apply: and it is religion, faith and hope striving with sense, striving with temptation, striving for things absent against things which are present. That religion therefore may not quite be excluded and over-born, may not quite sink under these powerful causes, every support ought to be given to it which can be given by education, by instruction, and above all, by the examples of those, to whom young persons look up, acting with a view to future life themselves.

Again. It is the nature of worldly business of all kinds, especially of much hurry or over-er) ployment, or over-anxiety in business, to shove and keep out religion from the mind. The

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and Giver of every blessing which he enjoys; lastly, there would still be the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ. All these things would, with or without religious ordinances, be equally real and existing and valid; but men would not think equally about them. Many would entirely and totally neglect them. Some there would always be of a more devout, or serious, or contemplative disposition, who would retain a lively sense of these things under all circumstances and all disadvantages, who would never lose their veneration for them, never forget them. But from others; from the careless, the busy, the followers of pleasures, the pursuers of wealth or advancement, these things would slip away from the thoughts entirely. Together with religious " ordinances" we mentioned religious "exercises." By the term reliigious "exercises? I in particular mean private prayer; whether it be at set times, as in the morning and evening of each day, or whether it be called forth by occasions, as when we are to form some momentous decision, or enter upon some great undertaking; or when we are under some pressing difficulty or deep distress, some excruciating bodily pain, or heavy affliction; or, on the other hand, and no less properly, when we have lately been receiving some signal benefit, experiencing some signal mercy; such as preservation from danger, relief from difficulty or distress, abatement of pain, recovery from sickness: for by prayer let it be ob served we mean devotion in general; and thanksgiving is devotion as much as prayer itself. I mean private prayer, as here described; and I also mean, what is perhaps the most natural form of private prayer, short ejaculatory extemporaneous addresses to God, as often as either the reflections which rise up in our minds, let them come from what quarter they may, or the objects and incidents which seize our attention, prompt us to ter them; which, in a religiously disposed mi will be the case, I may say, every hour, and wh ejaculation may be offered up to God in any p