briers and thorns the natural feed-pleasures which enervate and debase body and mind; cherish paffions deftructive of focial order and happiness, of all human rights; and lavish the bounties of heaven. They who are given to pleasures covet the things of others, and are prodigal of their own, waxing wanton, and nourishing their hearts as in a day of flaughter. Such pleasures haften the evil days wherein is no pleafure. They are the fource of inexpreffible vexation and infamy. They make men with there were no future existence, no God. Their votaries may find religion true, when too late to make choice of it.

View the prevailing love of pleasures in its aspect on industry, enterprize, morals and science-on public order and public fpirit-on the councils and civil administration of nations, and their intercourse with each other-and on the tranquility of the world. Or take a nearer view, in its afpect on the harmony of neighbourhoods and families. Read, hear, remark within your own obfervation, the deplorable effects of diffipation-early diffipation. Thofe of firm health, good parts, regular families and good education, have been thus enfnared and ruined. Nor have they alone fuffered the confequences. Partners, parents, children, kindred, friends, neighbours, affociates in bufinefs have been irreparable fufferers; yea, other and more extenfive connections, according to the rank and influence of fuch diffipated characters.

Remark this evil in its rife, progrefs and effects. It may originate in allowing too much time for innocent amufements; or in too great attention to dress and ornament; or in a fondness for company, without judgment in the choice. Obferve those whofe diverfions are ill-timed, or continued too long, or unbounded by any measure; or who recur to fuch as are in themselves unlawful, though not fo in any high inftance. Their beginnings may be fmall; but fee how the latter end is increafed! Obferve those who discover

a fpecies of vanity, first in things feemingly trivial. As means and opportunity are afforded, the difpofition grows up into all the pride of life.

As to those who find no enjoyment but in company, they fall into temptation and a fnare, into many foolifh and hurtful lufts. The young man void of underftanding, paffing heedlessly by the way, was met by an artful foe to his peace. With her fair fpeech, "the" defpoiled him of his virtue. "He goeth after "her ftraightway, as an ox goes to the flaughter, or "as a fool to the correction of the ftocks: Till a dart "ftrike through his liver, as a bird hafteth to the "fnare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. She "has caft down many wounded. Her houfe is the way to hell."

Intemperance has flain millions and millions. Will you give to this the name of pleasure?" Wine is a "mocker, ftrong drink is raging. Who hath woe? "who hath forrow? who hath contentions? who "hath babblings? who hath wounds without cause? "They who tarry long at the wine. At the last it bit"eth like a ferpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine 66 eye fhall behold strange women. The glutton and "the drunkard come to poverty." They make a "god "of their belly, and glory in their fhame." What pleasure hath the epicure, which has not an immediate overbalance of pain? While his language is, "Let "us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die," he lays up in ftore for himself a fure foundation of accumulated diftrefs and infamy in time to come, when his bones fhall be filled with the fins of his youth.

There are not a few who fteal the property of others, or throw away their own, in gaming. If we are to judge from their intense application, this is to enjoy pleasure. Indefcribable as their pleasure is, not a fingle quality or appendage of it can be named, which does not put good fenfe and virtue to the blufh. It is a wafte of time, youth and talents. It is a violation

of friendship, civility and humanity. Think you this cenfure fevere? I venture to add, that open robbery is brave compared to it. He who demands a man's purfe on the road, pretends to no politenefs; he steps out boldly as a robber. He who takes from another, at a gaming table, all that he hath, is the familiar friend, who has, it seems, delicate fentiments of honour. Debts thus created, must be discharged, at the expence of honeft creditors and neareft connections. If there is pleasure in acquiring property in this way, it is the pleasure of a robber, an affaffin, or a burglarian. Superior skill in the game, is skill in which the greatest artists are the worft characters. What character more vile than theirs, whose time and talents are devoted to enfnare and spoil their fellow-men?-perhaps their intimate acquaintance? They muft prefume that they owe no duty to God, to their generation, or to any of the deareft ties in life. If they can by fraud, or (which is the fame thing) by fuperior skill at the game, make provifion for themselves and their dependents, it is well-certainly to be preferred to the drudgery of getting a fubfiftence by purfuing fome employment, which, however ufeful, is full of labour.

But fuppofe their circumstances independent, and that they really have no occafion for an employment to procure a maintenance, it is demanded, May we not do what we will with our own? may we not take from others in like circumftances? You may indeed, if neither you nor they are accountable to God or man, or to your own reafon and confcience-if you, who have received moft, owe nothing to Him who giveth you all things richly to enjoy-if you are abfolutely the proprietors of what you have if you depend

not either on God or man-if it is better to lavifh your abundance, than to apply it to charitable uses. But if much is required of them who have received much-if the affluent fhould be rich in good works, and truft in the living God-if they must confefs, All our

You are

Atore cometh of thine hand, it is all thine own--if no man may live or die to himself, but to the Lord, then the above demand, May we not do what we will with our own? is licentious. It indeed takes for granted what is not true. What you poffefs is not your own. the fteward of another's goods. Stewards may not waste or neglect their Lord's goods. The univerfal Proprietor, from whom cometh every good gift, diftributeth to every one feverally as he will. None may fay to him, "What doest thou? Shall thine eye be "evil, because God is good?" Let no man place himfelf in God's ftead. Let none in their fulness fay, "Who is the Lord? Our riches are our own, who is "Lord over us."

Further, If you have an abundance, why do you covet that which is another man's? Why the mean avarice that would take from him, without any confideration, what he poffeffeth, and to which you do not even pretend to have the smallest claim? for the difpofal of which he muft account? Why this illaudable courfe to increase in riches? or why this wafte of them, when great good may be done with them, in a variety of ways? Why this confumption of precious time? this wafte of life, which God hath given for ufeful and important purposes?

Of all which goes under the name of pleasure, gaming appears to promife the leaft, however fascinating, and adopted by polite circles. By gaming I intend no one fpecies more than another; but every kind which has for its object the taking from another his property without any return or confideration. Those kinds are the most criminal, which confume the most time, wafte the most property, and expofe to the greatest fnares. The pleasure of good fuccefs, is that of impoverishing, and perhaps ruining, your unfortunate friend-ftripping him of his laft fhilling-of the garment that covers him-of his furniture and habitation. The pleasure of ill fuccefs is that of being impoverished and ruined yourself.

Those who have not proceeded far in the enchanting path of pleasure may be reclaimed. The chief hope of fuccefs to cautions and admonitions on this head is from those in youth, and whofe minds are yet open to ingenuous fentiments. The profligate would entice you to follow him in all his exceffes, thoughtless of death and a future reckoning. Will you confent? What fruit has he of the way which feemeth right in his own eyes? the way in which he hath wearied himself? To what ftraits has it reduced him? What are his profpects in life? what his reflections, if he retains the power of reflection? What would he give, could he tread back his devious fteps? If he has proceeded fo far that there is no retreat, can his counsel be good? can his example be a worthy or fafe pattern? Inftead of hearkening to his counfel-inftead of devoting the beft part of life to dishonourable and deftructive pleafures, observe in him the folly, infamy and mifery of them. Remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. Remember your Creator, before those - evil days come in which is no pleasure. Do not drown the voice of confcience and the voice of religion in the tumult of diffipation. With fuch a life is connected forgetfulness and ignorance of God, difregard to focial duties, and infenfibility to perfonal danger and welfare.

The virtues opposed to diffipation come recommended and enforced by the pleasure they yield. Religion is fo far from being a joylefs, that it is the only happy life. For the pleafures it forbids, it offers other and fuperior pleasures; thofe of reafon and reflection, contemplation and love, inward ferenity from the confcious approbation of God. These are pleasures worthy of intelligent, accountable, immortal beings. They will bear a review. They improve in proportion to the ardour with which they are purfued. They laft for ever. There is no good in talents, power or external advantages, but to rejoice and do good. Would