acter and reputation of the worthy and deserving, and zealously stands forth as the defender of injured innocence from calumny and reproach. It is the generous and unsolicited patron of useful improvement, and the friend and encourager of modest merit. With disinterested sincerity and goodness of intention, it counsels and advises for the good of society, or of individuals, without the view of compensation or the pride of self-sufficiency. No private views, no selfish motives, no personal resentments can induce it to sacrifice the great interests of mankind to its own, or to violate the sacred obligations which bind society together. Justice and truth, fidelity and integrity, humanity and compassion, are with it considerations infinitely paramount to every private gratification:-And could it invariably regulate the world by its dictates, it would soon become a kind of celestial babitation, where every mean, selfish, and malevolent passion would cease to exist.

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Philanthropy should be impressed on the mind of man from his earliest years. It should be entwisted with his feelings, and made one of his moral sentiments as soon as they begin to operate and unfold themselves. By a proper and easy management of his education this may be effected; for the kind and benevolent affections will not fail to discover themselves, especially in youth, if they are not déhased or perverted. The love of mankind, if properly cherished and drawn forth into exertion, will produce the most excellent effects. For this purpose, it is requisite to jafuse into the young and tender mind just and worthy notions of mankind; and to teach it not to entertain too harsh or unfavourable an opinion of the world. It is unjust, uncharitable, and the certain sign of a morose, peevish, and selfish disposition, to represent the whole human race as an undistinguished mass of knaves and cheats. Man, in the ordinary course of life, pursues his own interest in

the

the common, and what he thinks, the most approved method. A knave or a hypocrite are monsters which can be singled out and distinguished among the crowd; and bad as the world is, there is much generosity, disinterestedness, and integrity, discoverable by those who are disposed to redder to every man his due.

There are a number of pretenders to this amiable disposition, who yet are destitute of its true and genuine spirit, and for the sake of truth, such counterfeits should be detected and exposed. These are your popular haranguers, who, being furnished with a competent portion of impudence and a very volubie tongue, are ever finding fault with the existing order of society, and new-modelling the constitution of things. They are perpetually discovering abuses, and brooding with discontent over the trifling or imaginary sufferings of themselves or others. They can find no criminal who has not been unjustly condemned or inhumanly treated; or no suppression of tumult or disorder, where the incendiaries have not been cruelly oppressed, and deprived of their dearest rights. They cannot tamely sit under the intolerable burdens which are imposed on them ; nor can they with patience behold an order of men whe, they think, are no better than themselves, enjoying ease and plenty, while they are doomed to toil and hardship. Such men are all compassion, at least in appearance, to the wants of the poor: and the champions of the injured cause of a certain class of men; but alas! they would take the most unwarrantable means to accomplish their purposes; they would overturn every wise and salutary regulation, and trample on the most sacred laws and institutions of their country.

I could almost venture to affirm, that there is no man of this disposition, however specious his pretences may be, who is not actuated by vanity or ambition. The most enterprising

enterprising and successful candidates for power; or the most dangerous and daring leaders of faction, have covered their hidden designs under these plausible pretexts. JULIUS CÆSAR, the greatest conqueror, and perhaps the most ambitious man the world ever produced, commenced his career by ingratiating himself with the populace, by magnifying their grievances, and promising to redress their wrongs. When I hear one of these violent declaimers issuing forth a torrent of noise and clamour from his distempered brain, which a few more grains of enthusiasm would qualify for bedlam, I am at a loss to know whether I am most roused with indignation at him, or moved with compassion for his deluded hearers, who would certainly be much better employed in handling the oar, or "guiding the plough-share to the steep." These warnings, however, are given more for the sake of the latter class, who are in danger of being imposed on by such artifices, than with a view to the amendment of the former, whose stubborn and self-sufficient minds would defy the most powerful and salutary instruction.

It is true, philanthropy does not shut our eyes against glaring evils or abuses. Where the interest of society is materially concerned; and where the means appear practicable and compatible with justice and benevolence, it prompts to act with vigour and zeal in the public cause. But it is deaf to every party complaint, every murmur of discontent, and every cry of faction or innovation. It is not forward to tear up by the roots, regardless of events, every institution, human or divine, to which the minds of men have been habituated and inured, (though mixed with some inconveniences, as all things of the kind are,) to promote some interested views, or some fine spun speculative idea. It freely, and without grudging, contributes its share of what may be necessary to the support of the state or the civil and religious institutions of its country; and zealously Fromotes

promotes every useful or beneficial office which tends to th improvement of mankind.

It is this great and godlike disposition of mind which has contributed more than any other to dignify and immortalize the greatest heroes of antiquity. With what admiration, mixed with gratitude, do we recall to our recollection those illustrious characters who have generously and disinterestedly embarked in the service of mankind. In short, I think true and genuine philanthropy is the most striking portrait of that Divine original, the source of all perfection, which can be delineated in this erring and im perfect state. A GALLOVIDIAN.

HINTS FOR INURING THE YOUNG TO HABITS OF ATTENTION AND REFLECTION IN HEARING SERMONS.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CHEAP MAGAZINE.

Gentlemen,

THAT excessive listlessness, and criminal indifference, with which sermons are but too frequently heard, has often made me think that something ought to be attempted to promote a reformation in this respect. In order to strike at the root of the evil, it appears necessary to endeavour by every proper method to form the minds of the rising generation to proper habits, and to direct their attention to proper objects. As your useful publication is in a great measure intended for them, or for the advancement of their interest, the insertion of the following hints, if you shall judge them worthy of a place, and if they come within the compass of your plan, will perhaps render some service to the public, while it will greatly oblige, Gentlemen, &c.

October 30th, 1813.

T. B. G.

PREACHING forms a prominent part of the public exercises of our Religion. It is intended for the elucida

tion

tion of those Scriptures which God has given to be "a lamp unto our feet, and a light to our path," and which alone are "able to maké us wise unto salvation." It is an ordinance of Divine appointment; for "it hath pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.” If such then be its institution and origin, and if such be the design for which it was appointed, surely it becomes us conscientiously to observe the Apostle's exhortation," not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manher of some is." But how many are there that appear regularly in the “congregation of the saints,” who, instead of being "ready to hear, give the sacrifice of fools." They hear the preacher's voice, but that is all! After repassing the sacred threshold, no more trace is left than if they had never entered. This is a melancholy fact ;-but that it is a just representation of what actually takes place every day, no one can deny. Let us wipe off the stain,— let us clear ourselves of the reproach, by listening to the voice of wisdom, "watching daily at her gates, and waiting at the posts of her doors." And in order to lessen the evil in future years, let us endeavour to lay a good foundation, by training up the rising race to proper habits, and educating them in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

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The first thing I would propose in prosecution of my plan is, that parents should require of their children an account of something they may hear every Lord's day.

At how early a period of the child's life this practice should be commenced, cannot be specified. His capacity and other circumstances, must in this point regulate the parent's conduct; but surely it ought to be begun as soon as the power of reflection shall have been discovered. is certain that children are susceptible of information on many subjects, much earlier than we are ready to imagine.

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