than they could receive from an elephant or a beaver, if such creatures had the faculty of communicating their ideas.

Such is the present character of the great majority of this world's population-and how is it to be elevated to a standard befitting a rational and immortal intelligence? Only by the universal extension of such an education as that, the outlines of which we have faintly sketched. The communication of knowledge is the first part of that process by which the human character is to be raised and adorned, as light was the first agent employed in the arrangement of the material creation; and this knowledge must, in every instance, be conjoined with religious principle and moral conduct, otherwise it will only prove the intelligence of demons. Man, although, in one point of view, he is allied to the beasts of the field, in another, he is allied to superior natures, and even to the Deity himself; and therefore ought to be rendered fit for associating with such intelligencesfor receiving from them communications of knowledge and feli city, and for imparting to them similar benefits in return. If man is destined to a future world, as we profess to believe, he will, doubtless, mingle with beings of various orders during that interminable existence which lies before him; and his preparation for such intercourses will, in a great measure, depend on the training he receives, and the principles he imbibes, during his sojourn in this sublunary sphere. There is no essential dif ference between men on earth, and the highest created beings in any region of the universe, but what consists in the degree of knowledge, and the degree of holiness, or moral perfection, which they respectively possess. When man is endowed with a competent measure of these qualifications, he is fitted for the highest degree of social enjoyment, both in this life and in the world to come; and therefore, in so far as we refuse to lend our aid to the cause of universal instruction, or set ourselves in opposition to it, we do every thing in our power to debase the character of our fellowmen, to prevent them from rising in the scale of intelligence, and to interpose a barrier to their present and future happiness.

I might likewise have shown the utility of universal education, from the tendency it would have to induce the mass of mankind to lend their aid in promoting every scheme which tends to advance the improvement of the social state of man; the cultiva. tion of the soil, the forming of spacious roads and foot-paths, canals, rail-roads, and bridges; the universal illumination of towns, villages, and the country at large, by gas-lights and other contrivances; the establishment of expeditious conveyances in

every direction by sea and land; and the carrying forward to perfection the various arts and sciences. But as I have elsewhere adverted a little to some of these objects, I shall only add, in the meantime, that the value and security of property in any country, depend, in a great measure, upon the intelligence and morality of its population. If the whole mass of society were thoroughly enlightened and moralized, we should no longer hear of " strikes" taking place among workmen, of servants embezzling the property of their masters, or of combinations being entered into in opposition to the interests of their employers. Every man's house would be his castle; and we should lie down to rest in the evening in perfect security from the incendiary, the insidious pil. ferer, and the midnight depredator. This security has already been partially felt in those countries where an enlightened education is general. Mr. Stuart, when describing the New England States, remarks, that "robberies very seldom happen in that country, and that the doors of houses are frequently left unlocked during night"—the inhabitants having little fear of either depre dations or annoyance from their neighbours.

III. Intellectual and religious education, universally extended, in combination with every other Christian exertion, would be more efficient than any other arrangement hitherto made for hastening the approach of the Millennium. That a period is about to arrive, when knowledge, holiness, and joy, shall distinguish the inhabitants of the world in a degree far surpassing what we have yet experienced, is clearly predicted in the oracles of inspiration. By these oracles we are informed, that “ All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations worship before him"-that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the seas," ,"-and that "all shall know him, from the least to the greatest," that "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh see it together," that "the heathen shall be given to Messiah for his inheritance, and the uttermost ends of the earth for his possession," that "all kings shall fall down before him, all nations serve him, and the whole earth be filled with his glory," -that during the continuance of this happy era, "wars shall cease to the ends of the earth, and the nations shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace," that "the earth shall yield her increase, and be fat and plenteous,"—that the inhabitants "shall build houses and inhabit them, and plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, and shall long enjoy the work of their hands," that "they shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace," that "there shall be nothing to hurt or destroy," and

that "righteousness and praise shall spring forth before all nations." In what manner, then, may we conceive that such predictions will be accomplished? Are we to suppose that, by one appalling act of Omnipotent power, the wicked will at once be swept from the face of the earth, and that the physical aspect of our globe will be instantly changed and renovated by the same Almighty energy, as at the first creation? Or, are we to conclude, that this auspicious era will be introduced in consistency with the established laws of nature, and by the agency of human beings, under the influence and direction of the Divine Spirit? For the former supposition we have no evidence whatever in any of the intimations given of this event in the Scriptures, and it would be inconsistent with all that we know of the by-past operations of the Divine Government; as might be clearly shown, by an induction of facts and arguments of various kinds, were this the proper place to enter into such a discussion. If, then, we admit the latter conclusion, it will follow, that the Millennium will be introduced by a concentration of the moral and intellectual energies of mankind directed to this great object--by following out those plans which are calculated to promote the renovation of the world-by the consecration of a far greater proportion of our treasures for this purpose than has ever yet been thought ofand by directing our eyes to the Supreme Disposer of events for that wisdom which is "profitable to direct us" in all our arrangements, acknowledging Him as the original source of all our activities, and who alone can render them successful.

What, then, are those means by which the moral world may be renewed" in knowledge and holiness, after the image of Him who created it?" Undoubtedly the efficient training of the young from the earliest period of infancy to the age of manhood, is one of the first and most important steps to the thorough renovation of the world-a subject which has hitherto been egregiously trifled with, and almost overlooked, in our Christian arrangements. We have all along laid too much stress upon the mere preaching of the gospel, or, in other words, the delivery of a piece of human composition to a mixed multitude, the one-half of whom are unprepared by previous instruction either to understand or to appreciate its truths; and hence the comparatively feeble effects which have been produced on the moral characters of men; hence the con fused conceptions entertained of Divine truth; and hence it happens, in certain cases, that the truth delivered rebounds from the heart like a ball of cork from a wall of adamant, because it has not been previously prepared for its reception; and, to palliate our remissness and inactivity, we have sometimes had the pre

sumption to ascribe this effect to the withholding of Divine influence. Let it not, however, be imagined that I mean to discourage the preaching of the gospel. No: nothing is farther from my intention. Let the gospel be proclaimed still more extensively, and with far more energy and pathos than have ever yet been displayed; and let missionary exertions, and every other Christian activity now in operation, be carried forward with still greater vigour. But let our chief attention be directed to the preparation of the minds of the young for the reception of the truths of religion to invigorate their rational powers and their principles of action, and to counteract, on the first appearance, every evil propensity, and then we may expect that the " Word of God" will soon run like a mighty river through the world, and "have free course and be glorified," enlightening the understanding, purifying the affections, and "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." An intellectual, moral, and religious* education, universally extended, constitutes the essence of the Millennium; it is one of its chief characteristics, and will form the foundation of all the happiness which will then be enjoyed; for it is one of the distinguishing circumstances connected with that period, that "all shall know Jehovah, from the least to the greatest." But how can we expect that the superstructure can be reared, if the foundations be not laid, or that "the desert will rejoice and blossom as the rose," while the hand of industry is never applied to root up the briers and thorns, and to cultivate the soil?

Is it inquired, when we may expect the Millennium to commence? I reply, just when we please. Are we willing that it should commence in the present age? We have the means in our power, if we choose to apply them. In the course of forty years from this date the Millennium might not only be commenced, but in a rapid progress towards the summit of its glory, provided we are willing at this moment to concentrate all our moral and intellectual energies, and to devote all our superfluous wealth, or at least a tenth part of it, to the furtherance of this object. Nay, in the course of half that period, we should have a generation rising up

In this and various other parts of this work, I have used the words moral and religous, in compliance with common usage, as if they conveyed distinct ideas. But I conceive that the ideas they express are so intimately connected that they can never be separated. There can be no true morality but what is founded on religion, or the principles of Christianity; and religion can have no real existence but as connected with the morality of the Bible-the promotion of which, in principle and conduct, is the great object of all the revelations of Heaven.

in knowledge and holiness, far superior to any race which has appeared in the world during the ages that are past. For, were we just now to commence a universal system of infant instruction, and continue the course through all the higher departments for merly specified-in the course of twenty years all the children who are now about two years of age (if continued in life) would have arrived at the age of twenty-two, in an enlightened and moralized state, and would form the most numerous and influential portion of the population, and give a tone to all ranks of society." Even the physical aspect of the globe, within the course of another century, might be renovated, and adorned with every thing that is beautiful and sublime. The wealth that has been expended in the madness of warfare, even by civilized nations, during a century past, had it been appropriated to philanthropic improvements, would have been sufficient to have cultivated all the desolate wastes of our globe, to have made its wildernesses like Eden, and its deserts "like the garden of the Lord,"-in short, to have transformed it into something approaching to a terrestrial paradise. We have it in our power to accomplish all this in the century to come, if we are willing to devote our energies and our treasures to the purposes of philanthropy and general benevolence.

But, is it of any avail to address the majority of our fellowmen on this subject? No: we might as soon speak to the tides and currents of the ocean, and expect them to stop at our command, as to expect that the current of licentiousness, folly, ambition, and avarice, in which three-fourths of mankind are carried headlong, will stop its course, and diverge into the channel of religion, philanthropy and beneficence. But I trust there is still a select band of Christian philanthropists who only require to be convinced of the necessity of extraordinary exertion, and to receive an additional stimulus, in order to excite them to a godlike liberality. What sacrifiec would it be to a man who has £500 a-year to devote annually £100 to the purposes of religious and intellectual improvement? to another who has £1000 a-year to devote £300, and to another who has £10,000 to allot £4000 annually for the same object? It would not deprive any one of them either of the necessaries or of the luxuries of life, or of any thing that contributes to comfort, honour, or sensitive enjoyment. It is now high time that the sincerity of a profession of Christianity should be tried by the test of pounds, shillings, and dollars. We have beheld numerous instances of ministers and others aspiring after the highest stations and the largest salaries, in order to increase their incomes. Let us now see what sacrifices they will make of the wealth which God has given them for