And

amufements; it probably weakens and enervates many, by refining their tafte, and employing their mind to the detriment of their body; it misleads numbers to meddle with things quite out of their fphere, with which they have no concern whatever, and thereby to neglect more ferious affairs; it frequently renders certain ferviceable and ufeful inftitutions, methods, cuftoms, writings lefs effective, as people are enabled to fpy out their defects and errors, but are not yet able to fupply their places with better. All this is undeniable. yet the greater proficiency of a nation in knowledge remains, notwithstanding, a real and defirable advantage; it is always far preferable to its oppofite. The evils of the former are not general; they are at least only tranfient, and will be far overbalanced by the good which is the natural confequence of that proficiency. And this, my pious hearers, is the topic that I intend now to discuss. We are doubtless a people greatly enlightened, and we begin to enjoy the advantages of our proficiency. As the apostle in our text fays to the chriftians: "Now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" as chriftians ye are brought to the knowledge of truth, think and live as perfons who know the truth; fo may we also address you: as men and as chriftians, you are in poffeffion of more means of inftruction and improvement than many other, perhaps than the generality of perfons and nations; you are already then capable of being farther

03

farther enlightened than they; it therefore behoves you to conduct yourselves conformably to these privileges. In order to incite you to this, my pious hearers, I will reprefent to you the value of the greater intellectual improvement of a people or community; and then deduce from it a few rules for your conduct.

The gradual improvement of mankind is a natural confequence of the conftitutions and regulations which God has eftablifhed in the world, and the course he has prescribed to the human mind. As, in nature, the dawn fucceeds the night, which in its turn gives place to the bright effulgence of day, and every creature feels itfelf produced anew to life, incited to the fresh exertion of its powers, and to proceed onward to its object: fo likewife the knowledge and perceptions of mankind are perpetually increafing in extent and perfpicuity, and their minds are conftantly struggling for greater activity, for higher perfection, whenever the progrefs of the former and the efforts of the latter are not violently obftructed and confined. This general proficiency in knowledge is therefore perfectly in the order of providence, as a part of the plan laid down by God, in his moral administration. It must therefore be good; it must have a real and great value, even though we should not allow it. In this manner are we taught by religion to judge of it, and our reflec

tions convince us that this judgment is true. how various and confiderable are the advantages

For,

that

that accrue from a more copious acceffion of light to mankind, to the nation that has it to rejoice in!

First, wherever it exifts, it begets a far greater and more complete exertion and application of the faculties of the human mind. This no one will de ny. But must not this ufe, this exercife, this improvement of our nobleft faculties, be highly defirable; and must it not be highly defirable in a view to all mankind? Is not the deftination of all mankind in effentials the fame? Are they not, in this stage of their existence, to rife from fenfual to ra tional creatures? Are they not all to think, juftly and correctly to think, and to ftudy to raise them felves more and more above the vifible and the prefent? Are they not all capable of a continual progrefs? Have they not all the fame natural predifpofitions, capacities and powers? Can that which brings these predifpofitions into action, which unfolds and exercifes thefe capacities and powers, be bad and hurtful? Or are they only to be formed, unfolded, exercised by the learned, by men of fuperior stations? Wherefore then do all men poffefs them in common? Or is it right and fit that this formation, this expansion, this exercise of the pow. ers of the human mind, fhould be arbitrarily limited and controuled? Who may arrogate to himfelf this right over his brethren? Do not these limitations, fo far as they are juft or expedient, neceffarily arife from the particular condition of perfons, of times, of circumftances, of refources, of the actual ftate

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state of things? And if, in general, these limitations were further dilated, what harm would enfue? Or is truth perhaps the exclusive property of the learned, or of the ruler, or of the opulent and noble? Is not every man appointed and called to the knowledge of truth? Is it not honourable and falutary to every man? Granting that it is liable to be misapprehended by fome, to be abused by others. Is it always to be mifapprehended, always to be abufed? Does not the morning fucceed to the daybreak, and to that again the full fplendor of noon? Should there be then no dawn, left any one, deceived by its feeble light, might stumble, or lose his way ? Is then the night more favourable to the traveller than the dawn? Is error, is ignorance, always harmless? Are not the evils that attend them much greater and more various, than thofe that may arife from the mifapplication of truth? No, whoever esteems and loves mankind, his brethren, who understands their nature and appointment, will fpread light around him whenever he can, and is unconcerned about the confequences it may produce; fince this he knows for certain, that light is better than darkness. No, it is only the impoftor, only the tyrant in the state and in the church that can be interested in it; it can only be neceffary to the attainment of their defpotic defigns, that men fhould be kept in blindness and error, fhould be withheld from approaching the light, left they should fee through the veil flung acrofs their intentions and

actions.

actions. It is written, and may well be applied to this fubject, "Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, left his deeds should be reproved." And for the fame reason it is, that he hindereth others from coming to the light, as far as in his power lieth.

Farther. Where a greater improvement of the intellectual faculties prevails, there is a more complete and more elevated use and enjoyment of the beauties and bleflings wherewith God has embellished our earth, and by which he has revealed to us his greatness and glory. What are all the beauties, all the wonders of nature, all its bounties and delights, to the unthinking man, who lives amongst an unenlightened people! How little will they be obferved by him! How much lefs will they be enjoyed in rational consciousness and a foothing elevation of the mind to God! How feldom ufed to the ends for which they prefent and offer themselves to him! How vainly do the heavens and the earth declare to him the glory of God, the Creator and Father of the univerfe! Cold and thankless he fees them with barren furprize; he diverts himself with them, indeed, as a child is amufed with the bright sparks he perceives in the firmament at night, and the variegated colours with which the face of the earth is adorned; he tramples under foot, with equal indifference, plants and flowers and creeping things; and takes no farther interest in them all, than as they bring immediate advantage or detriment

to