were exchanged for man's erect and noble form. The education of intellect, then, may prove a curse, rather than a blessing, both to the possessor, and to mankind in general.

Nor is this assertion unsupported by many lamentable examples. Need I refer you to Napoleon, the greatest scourge and curse, perhaps, that Heaven in anger ever sent on the human race? Need 1 refer you to Byron, "a man of rank, and of capacious soul?"

"Great man! the nations gazed, and wondered much,

And praised; and many called his evil good:

Wits wrote in favor of his wickedness,

And kings to do him honor took delight.

Thus full of titles, flattery, honor, fame,

Beyond desire, beyond ambition full,

He died. He died of what? Of wretchedness:-
Drank every cup of joy, heard every trump

Of Fame, drank early, deeply drank, drank draughts
That common millions might have quenched; then died
Of thirst, because there was no more to drink.

His goddess, Nature, wooed, embraced, enjoyed,
Fell from his arms abhorred; his passions died;

Died all, but dreary, solitary Pride;

And all his sympathies in being died.

As some ill-guided bark, well-built and tall,
Which angry tides cast out on desert shore,
And then, retiring, left it there to rot,

And moulder in the winds and rains of heaven;

So he, cut from the sympathies of life,

And cast ashore from pleasure's boisterous surge,

A wandering, weary, worn, and wretched thing,

A scorched, and desolate, and blasted soul,

A gloomy wilderness of dying thought,

Repined, and groaned, and withered from the earth."

Who, that is not utterly bereft of reason, would choose to live the life, and die the death of Napoleon, or Lord Byron? What rational parent could hold up the character of either of them for the admiration and imitation of his beloved children? And yet they were gifted with intellect of the highest order; and that intellcct was cultivated to a degree that is rarely attained by the most favored of the human family. Why is it, then, that the soul should instinctively recoil at the bare

thought of running the race, and sharing the fate of these highly gifted, but misguided men? Oh! it is the voice of Nature, umambiguously bearing testimony within us, that there is in man a something infinitely more noble than animal passions; or even than intellect of the highest order, and cultivated to the utmost limit of perfection. That nobler something consists in man's moral and religious faculties, by which he is allied to God, to holy angels, to good men-and, in short, to every thing morally great and good on earth, or in heaven. Yes, there is in the most obscure peasant, that ever lived on the face of the earth, that which is infinitely more noble than intellect the most exalted, that God ever conferred on a created being.

I hail it as one of the most auspicious omens of the nineteenth century, that it is now generally admitted by all, who understand the philosophy of mind, even by sceptics and infidels themselves, that man possesses by naturc a religious organization; that his religious faculties are the highest and most authoritative with which he is endowed; and, consequently, that they should rule, guided by intellect properly enlightened.

Were man by nature destitute of moral and religious faculties, he must always remain in that condition. A being with one faculty more, or one less, than man possesses, would not be man, but something else.

Besides, if men were not by nature possessed of religious faculties, revelation to them would be of as little use, as light to a man born blind. Indeed, it would be physically and morally impossible to make to them a revelation of a moral or religious character, for the plain reason, that they would be physically incapable of receiving it; and the idea of a revelation made to such persons, would present as palpable a contradiction as that of REVELATION unrevealed. Neither could children be religiously educated, if they were not religious by nature. You cannot create faculties by education;-nor can you educate faculties, which do not exist, any more than you can improve the sight of a man who has no eyes.

It may be regarded, then, as undeniable, if not self-evident, that man possesses by nature religious faculties; and that the perfection and glory of his being consist in the development and supremacy of those faculties, under the guidance of enlightened intellect. Were we naturally destitute of a religious organization, intellect, however exalted, could serve no other purpose, than to pander ignobly to the base and selfish gratification of the animal passions.

Indeed, it is the religious, and not the intellectual organization, that furnishes an infallible criterion, by which to distinguish between the man and the brute It is this, that exalts man to an immeasurable distance above the lower tribes. The distance intellectually between the highest specimens of the brute, and the lowest of the human family, is so small as to be imperceptible. Nay, it is even questionable, whether there may not be found some brutes possessing more intellect than some men. But to brutes you never can impart, by any system of education whatever, religious or moral feelings, although you can edu cate their intellect. The plain and obvious reason is, that you cannot educate faculties, which do not exist.

But, as we have already seen, the idea would be most horrific, that

brates should possess the intellect of men; and the effects would be no less desolating and horrific in man's erect and noble form, than in the grovelling attitude of the brute. Hence, when intellect alone is educated, and the religious faculties wholly neglected, or abused, a class of beings is produced, which, for the sake of distinction, may be called HUMAN BRUTES-the Napoleons, the Murrells, the Dantons, the Marats, and the Robespierres of our race, the scourge and curse of mankind-differing from the actual brute, from lions and tigers, mainly in being accountable, and in possessing superior intellect, which capacitates them to commit ravages so much the more fearful, and to spread havoc and desolation to a more alarming extent. Whereas, had the moral organization of these men been properly educated, they might have shone conspicuously among the most distinguished benefactors of the human race; might have been as immortal in honor, as they are now in infamy; might have lived unspeakably blessed themselves, and the source of unnumbered blessings to their fellow-men.

From these reflections it must be obvious, that, were there no hereafter, and were our highest hopes and aspirations confined to the present life, still, the grand point in education would be the proper training of THE MORAL SENTIMENTS. Better neglect every thing else in education, than this. Nay, if this is neglected, the less intellect men have, and the less that intellect is cultivated, the better. However startling and extravagant, at first view, this sentiment may appear to some, it is but a corollary to the proposition, that lions and tigers are less mischievous and miserable in their own nature, than they would be

WITH THE SUPERADDED INTELLECT OF MAN.

Let it be noted here, that our reasoning hitherto has proceeded purely on philosophical principles-on plain and undeniable matters of fact, presented alike to the observation of all, who can, and will think. Whether, therefore, revelation be true, or untrue-whether there be, or be not a future state of rewards and punishments, such as the Bible discloses still it is undeniably plain, that, in the great business of education, even with an exclusive reference to human happiness in this life, a proper moral and religious training is the grand and all-impor tant interest, the one thing needful. But, it is no less plain, that the Bible, in its doctrines and precepts, its hopes and fears, rewards and punishments, is the only perfect and infallible guide to the attainment of this grand object. Consequently, either the Bible is true, or God has designedly organized men so; that it is essential to their perfection and happiness, even in this world, TO BELIEVE A LIE. Yet, to suppose that God could have acted thus, would be blasphemy of the darkest shade. And, hence, if the Christian Scriptures be calculated, in the very nature of things, to produce the highest style of man, (as is admitted by all who understand the philosophy of man's organization, not excepting infidels themselves,) then it does follow, clear as demonstration, that Christianity is from heaven; and that to deny this proposition, is to blaspheme God.

Now, if these things be so; if the education of the MORAL SENTIMENTS be so vastly important with respect to this life; and if there be a future state of rewards and punishments, such as Christianity discloses; what created intellect, cherubic, or seraphic, can even begin to approximate a correct conception of the tremendous importance of this

subject? Low, infinitely low, and grovelling, as compared with the dignity of the theme, must be the highest flights of fancy, the utmost range of created intellect, the loftiest soarings of finite imagination. The occasion will not allow us to do more, than barely glance at this subject of unspeakable importance, of awful, yet delightful grandeur and sublimity. And, yet, I cannot feel satisfied to pass it by wholly unnoticed.

Christianity clearly reveals, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just, and of the unjust. It teaches, that "God hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world righteously by Jesus Christ, of which fact he hath given assurance unto all men by raising him from the dead." It testifies expressly, that after this final judgment, the wicked "shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." The Author of Christianity, in whose lips no guile was ever found, informs us distinctly, that it is better to lose a right hand, or a right eye, and enter into life halt and maimed, than, having all our members, to be cast into hell, into the lake that burneth with fire, and with brimstone, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. "Be not afraid," (says he,) "of them that kill the body, and after that have no more, that they can do. But I will forewarn you, whom you shall fear: Fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him."

In short, the most fearful images, that mind can imagine, or nature furnish, are selected by the Saviour of men, to picture to our view the horrors of damnation. And it is a plain dictate of common sense, that as the shadow, in point of reality, falls infinitely below the substance, which it accompanies-in like manner, and in the same degree, must these images, superlatively fearful as they are, come short of the horrible reality, which they are intended to represent.

But, on the other hand, the destiny, that awaits the righteous, is ineffably glorious and sublime. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him, as he is."

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

"Do ye not know, that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not, that we shall judge angels?"

Can heart desire, or imagination conceive, a destiny more sublime than to wear the likeness of him, who is "THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS FATHER'S GLORY, the express image of his person;-to have our vile bodies fashioned like unto his glorious body;-nay, more, to be delivered from all the sufferings, privations, and persecutions of this life, and be seated with our elder brother, THE SON OF GOD, in the throne of the Universe, being associated with him in the final judgment of an ungodly world, and of apostate angels?

Lord, 'tis enough! Imagination can conceive no more.

Such, then, friends and fellow-citizens, is a very hasty and imperfect sketch of our leading views on this important subject. If these views be not wholly erroneous, it is manifest, that every system of education, which does not regard Christianity as the one thing needful, is radi

cally defective, and pernicious in its tendency. The scriptures alone "are ABLE to make men wise unto salvation"-to conduct them to the perfection of their being-to the highest attainable dignity and happiness in this world, and to glory inconceivable and everlasting in the world to come. Such were, no doubt, the views of those who founded this Seminary, over which I have the honor to preside. Such are the views of its Faculty, Patrons, and Trustees. With such views, I trust, it will ever be conducted. And, let me add, I would infinitely prefer, that Bacon College should be blotted out of existence, and its very name erased from our memory, rather than see it aid in perpetuating the miserable delusion, that the proper training of the MORAL SENTIMENTS is not the chief business of education, or that this training can be properly conducted, except in harmony with the sublime, the heavenly precepts and principles of the Christian religion.

But, on this important point, I desire not to be misunderstood. Christianity never was intended to operate as a talisman, or an incantation. It can only operate in so far as it is understood, and reduced to practice. Its effects are truly sublime-a bright reflection of the glory of its Author. It can raise a world lying in wickedness, from the deepest abyss of misery and degradation, and restore it to holiness, to happiness, to God. But, that any individual may be thus restored to a blissful connexion with the throne of the Eternal, he must be not merely a hearer, but also a DOER of the word.

I rejoice to think, that men are beginning to be aroused from their long slumbers, and to wake up to the importance of these things. Throughout the length and breadth of Christendom, but especially in our beloved land, the subject of education is exciting an intense interest. It is beginning to be generally felt and acknowledged, that education should be adapted to the nature of that which is to be educated; and, consequently, that, in the education of human beings, the training of the MORAL SENTIMENTS—those faculties which are peculiarly HUMAN, and the noblest part of our nature-should ever be regarded as the most important point. A spirit of emulation has gone abroad in our land, and the different sects and parties seem to be vieing with each other for the mastery in the struggle, who shall do most for the great cause of education. "It is good to be zealously affected in a good cause;" especially when that zeal is guided by knowledge.

Shall we, then, my brethren, ignobly sleep at our post, and take no part in this work of faith, and labor of love; we who profess to have consecrated our all to the service of our Master; we, who deplore, day and night, the unhallowed divisions, merely for opinion's sake, exist ing among the advocates of the same failh, AND THE PERNICIOUS STRIFES NATURALLY RESULTING FROM THESE DIVISIONS; we, who glory in laboring for the union of all Christians, on the common foundation of one Lord, one faith, and one bap'ism, as an indispensable prerequisite to the conversion of the world? Shall we, instead of taking the lead in this good work. ignobly fall in the rear; or be so mean, as to do nothing but bury our Master's talent committed to our charge? Heaven has smiled benignantly upon us, and blessed our feeble efforts in his ser vice beyond measure. We say it, not boastingly, but for the purpose of exciting within you a proper feeling of graiitude, and a corresponding sense of obligation.