they give us in the room of that religion which is the anchor of our hopes, and which they labour to take from us? Do they point out the deftination of man, the end of his creation, his duty, his intereft, a foundation of reft to his foul? If not, what have they in view? What friends to mankind are those who fubvert the order of society, and leave no fecurity for private friendship or public faith? By reading fuch books many are spoiled thro' philofophy and vain deceit. These fyftematical teachers of errour have abounded of late years, fo that the world can scarce contain their publications. They have been spread with great industry. Our young people are peculiarly expofed by them to err from the words of knowledge.

We have referred to the books which contain inftruction in errour-the light and frivolous-the licentious coarse and obfcene-thofe written in a polished ftyle, with the view of giving the more ready currency to diffimulation, impurity and excefs-books which abound with lewd and profane wit, and would, by ridicule, bear down truth and integrity-and books written with great labour and fophiftry, with fpecious reafoning and argumentation, against revealed religion, moral government, human agency and accountablenefs, in fupport of univerfal fcepticism and fatality.

We now proceed to affign the reasons, which peculiarly enforce on young people a caution against books of this description. The general reafon is, that they contain inftruction in errour. Ceafe, my fon, to hear the inftruction which caufeth to err from the words of knowledge inftruction which leads into dangerous and fatal errouri, both in principle and practice. True wifdom cannot enter into a foul that is open to fuch inftruction It feparates from God and Chrift-It fhuts and bars the mind against that knowledge which is life eternal yea, against the things belonging to our peace, honour and fafety in this world.

ob thilw youfob bar wob lluq of

There is a fpirit in man, and the infpiration of the Almighty hath given him an understanding capable of everlafting improvement. Shall his foul then cleave to the duft? Shall its noble faculties be debafed to the contemplation of frivolous, low and fenfual objects? to the service of the bodily appetites? to vain imaginations, which exalt against the knowledge of God? The noble powers of the foul fhould rather be exercifed in contemplations on the Father of fpirits, the Father of lights; his perfections and works, his providence and will; on what he requireth of us; the way and means of acceptance with him; how we may ferve his will in our generation, and lay up in ftore for ourselves a good foundation against the time to

come.

If fuch is the only worthy employment of your intelligent and immortal powers, then it is a perverfion of these powers, a waste of time, to be occupied in reading fuch books as have been mentioned. Their defign and tendency is, to turn away your thoughts and alienate your hearts from the juft objects of them; to exclude from the heart and mind the things of God and the foul to fill you with light, and froward, and contemptuous thoughts of thofe things and objects which are entitled to your moft dignified, delightful and fober fentiments and affections.

There are not wanting books, written in the best manner, on every important branch of science, morals and religion-adapted to entertain and improve perfons of every age, rank, and diverfity of talentsbooks calculated to enlarge, purify and elevate the mind-books ftored with the beft information and principles; written with ability, perfpicuity and force; leading in a plain and fafe path--books compofed by authors warmly attached to the outward, spiritual and immortal interefts of mankind. These burning and fhining lights, if dead, ftill fpeak by their excellent writings. Shall the cool and deliberate thoughts, the

mature inftruction, of fuch authors, whether living or dead, be neglected, that you may read authors whofe inftruction caufeth to err from the words of knowledge? who aim not to ftore your minds with useful fentiments and virtuous principles; but to banifh thefe from the mind, and render it as vacant as poffible, by teaching you to live without reflection.

One clafs of books would amuse you with frivolous and fanciful notions, with fictitious hiftory instead of real? They would scatter rather than collect your thoughts. You must give account how you employ your thoughts, and fpend your time. If God is not in all your thoughts, if your fouls are not, what account will you be able to give? Can God or your fouls be in your thoughts, if, in the choice of books for your inftruction, you prefer fiction to reality, trifles to substance? Volatility pleases the idle; but those who are employed as they ought to be, reflect that they must give account of their idle thoughts as well as words that it behoves them to keep the heart with all diligence. They therefore prefer fuch books as contain ufeful and ferious inftruction. They cannot be entertained with trifles. Your time and advantages were not given to be confumed in vanity, but to be improved to the glory of God, the good of your fellow men, and your own beft account. The days of youth are the best to lay a good foundation, both for life and godlinefs. Be not idle and vain; but wife, and ftudious to know what the will of the Lord is. In this cafe your leisure hours will not be spent in reading ufelefs books, but the most inftructive: The former cherish the vanity incident to early life; the latter give the mind a right direction at the most important period.

If frivolous books cannot be read without an abuse of time, the danger is much greater from the loose and licentious, which inflame luft and paffion. These are read only by minds already polluted. Thefe impure

fountains pollute the mind yet more, and fix a difguft to every chafte and virtuous fentiment. They denounce reason, fear the confcience, and involve in every temptation and luft ruinous in this life and that to come. They would ftrip you of all fhame, and lead you to boast in the fouleft difgrace.

There are writers who infift, that the unrestrained indulgence of the appetites and paffions is allowable; that it is to follow the propenfities which the Author of nature hath given us, and which he therefore cannot disapprove. Such writers muft anfwer for the agency they have had in ruining the principles and morals of their readers. They are the bane of fociety, and ought to be hunted from it. There is no focial connection which they do not violate. Their contagion is like the peftilence, and their reproach that which cannot be wiped away. They fill the world with their grofs obfcenity. You may fhun the reading of their books; but you cannot read them without being the worse for them; and the more fo in proportion as you read these profligate writings. If fuch is the danger, yea, fuch the guilt, of reading them, I befeech you, avoid them, as you value a reputation for the things which are true, pure, lovely, and of good report—as you value your own fafety, and the wishes of your deareft connections and friends.

Would you imbibe the inftruction of thofe authors, who have beftowed on immorality and impiety every embellishment which genius could devife? You have much occafion to guard against their fnares and allurements. If their genius is admired, their turpitude is to be abhorred as of the deepest dye-more malignant than even the groffeft profligacy, as it is more studied and fyftematic: It is an effort to change the nature of virtue and vice, of fweet and bitter. refining upon immorality, and exhibiting it in a pleafing form, it entices many, who could not be feduced while it retained its native deformity. Think not

By

that it can be the lefs odious, because fashionable-or because language has embellished it. Be peculiarly cau tious of writings, which thus abuse the powers of language, and enlift the gifts of God into the fervice of Satan. Polite depravity avoids a clownish violation of the laws of morality; but teaches to violate them as men of breeding and fashion. The clown may poffibly feel occafional remorfe for his immoralities: But the polished gentleman despises what are called remonftrances of confcience. Superior to vulgar prejudice and fuperftition, initiated in the wiles of Satan, brought up in his school, he refines upon deception, impurity and excefs; and experienceth pleasures of fin, which those of a groffer mould do not find. Beware then of the books which contain inftruction in the art of finning.

you

Beware alfo of the very many books, which coffers and blafphemers have publifhed, and which their difciples fpare no pains to circulate. Prefume not that fhall withstand their ridicule and profanity. A curiofity to read their writings is dangerous. It implies light thoughts of God and his government, of good morals and of the human foul. Or it implies, that the cause of fuch writers is entitled to an hearing; that they have fomething to fay in their own justification-that it may be immaterial whether the laws of piety and morality have or have not any real foundation-that the fear of God and regard to man may be things indifferent, if not fenfeless. They are fenfelefs, if they can be ridiculed with innocence: They are indifferent, if the fcoffer has any excufe-if he has any claim to have his writings read. The fcoffer writes to fubvert focial order, and "confound even the names "of things." His blafphemy afcends to heaven. He fports himself with the good fenfe and feelings of mankind in all ages and nations. What can exceed the depravity which writes a book to ridicule the existence and perfections of a Creator and Governour of the univerfe, the moral obligations of man, the belief of a fu