society itself will possess a very pernicious influence over any mind. It is dangerous to be accustomed to the absence of religion, and to be familiarized to the contemplation of the most solemn and important subjects in a state of disunion from God, and non-advertence to the prospect of eternity.

For a person, especially a young person, to be accustomed to hear life and death, judgment and eternity, and all the most serious and awful scenes of human existence spoken of, I will not say with unbecoming levity, but without advertence to religion, with regard only to physical causes and effects, is a dangerous process, and must be attended with the most serious peril. Next to the infusion of positive impiety, the most evil element in which the mind can be placed is that out of which religion is expelled. To live without God in the world, and to converse with those who thus live, is, only in a lower degree than positive impiety, less dangerous to a creature who is in a state of probation, and whose everlasting interest depends on acquaintance with and obedience to his Maker.

I recollect, some years ago, that upon reading some very popular tales (Moral Tales they are styled), the talent of which is exceedingly great, but which are distinguished by the total absence of religion, and the want of all reference to it even in the scenes of death; the influence on my mind was such that, during the time devoted to that reading, it was with great difficulty and perplexity I was able to discharge my ministerial duties. It became, therefore, painfully evident to me, that to be conversant long together with trains of thought or associations of ideas from which religion is entirely excluded is of most dangerous tendency; for religion is a positive thing, and at the same time it requires to be brought into view: it must be realized by an effort of the mind; it addresses not itself to the senses, does not occur naturally in the paths of life; it lies in an invisible state, and can only be realized by a positive act of faith, and be made operative by a serious exertion of the mental faculties, by calling our attention to spiritual impressions, and thereby overpowering the mechanical and necessary operations of sensible objects.

In the next place, suppose the society into which we enter be vicious in the sense before adverted to; that it be impure society, distinguished by the prevalence of indelicate jests and lascivious associations; such communication, it is unnecessary to say, must corrupt good manners. Must not the primary effect be, at least, gradually to inure the mind to the contemplation of vicious objects, without horror and disgust? Are you not aware that familiarity tends to weaken all impressions? As the mind is passive in receiving them, there is nothing so disgusting at the first view but it may be rendered indifferent, or even an object of complacency. Vicious objects, though they revolt a pure and chaste mind, though every well-disciplined spirit turns aside from them with strong disrelish, yet they have such an alliance with the corrupt propensities of our nature, which always remain with us (for even the best are but partially sanctified), that the effect of bringing such objects frequently before the mind must be to subdue the antipathy, to

wear off the impression of disgust, and soften the features of deformity; to teach us to contemplate such objects with indifference, till at length we shall certainly come to regard them with a greater or less degree of complacency. The horror of vice gradually subsides, till, before men are aware, they find themselves affected with the most impure conversation very differently from what they were at first. The chastity of the mind is violated; they have lost that instinctive recoil of disgust which such objects naturally inspire, and are become capable of partaking of them with that guilty zest with which their association with the corrupt tendencies of our nature is too apt to invest them. This is a process perpetually going on. There are persons perpetu ally receiving the contamination of impurity by this channel. If, then, you meet with persons of this description, who delight to communicate the taint of impurity, and seek to draw down the minds of others to that gross element of sensuality in which they themselves are grovelling, avoid them, pass not by them, "turn from them and pass away;" recollect that such conversation is most essentially evil, and will, before you are aware, corrupt your "good manners."

Suppose, in the next place, that the society into which we enter be of an impious nature, distinguished by a rejection of Christianity, or of its great and leading doctrines, and has in it, consequently, the contagion of impiety; such communication cannot fail, in the strongest degree, to "corrupt good manners." To hear objections against Christianity continually repeated without being answered, to hear the cause of Christ attacked in every possible form without being in a situation, in a becoming manner, to undertake its defence, must have an injurious tendency. Conversation, if we intend to please and be pleased, should never be a scene of continual dispute; we must either relinquish such society or hold our peace. That person who feels himself called upon on every occasion to defend his religion, will grow weary of contention, and seek repose in another kind of society. But if he continues in it, he will at length learn to be silent; silence will lead to acquiescence, and finally he will adjust his opinions to the standard of those with whom he associates. Every man makes the esteem of his companions a great and leading object. When a person, therefore, from that motive, learns to suppress his convictions, he will easily pass from thence to that guilty shame of Jesus Christ before men which is one of the most baneful elements of corruption and degeneracy. It is dangerous to be in that society where all is against Christianity, and nothing in its favour; where it is perpetually assailed in a variety of forms, and nothing said in a serious, argumentative manner to sustain its interests and vindicate its sanctity. If any man supposes that he has strength of mind to continue in such society without having the foundations of his confidence in the truths of Christianity weakened, that man is entirely unacquainted with his own heart. You may feel conscious of no change of opinion, you may relinquish no article of faith, but the practical assent of the mind is capable of all sorts of varieties possible; the degree of conviction, the strength of that hold which religious principle has upon you, may be weakened in a most VOL. III.-H h

essential manner before you have altered the speculative articles of your belief. The speculative belief in the great truths of Christianity is, in pious minds, continually changing itself into practical belief, producing that sense of the reality of eternal things which justifies the definition given of faith, as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Infidel society has the effect of weakening that practical conviction, of estranging the mind from the evidences of Divine truth, and bringing it into a state of obscurity; it is an element of darkness, and no person can preserve, within its sphere, a permanent and abiding conviction of such truths as are only seen by the eye of faith, and are best realized in the calmness of the sanctuary, and the solitude of the closet. Besides, we shall always find that those who have rejected the yoke of Christianity are anxious to propagate their disbelief; they have not the tranquillity of innocence, the confidence of truth; and they feel themselves strongly fortified, secure, and fearless, in proportion as they have swelled their confederacy, extinguished the conviction, and put out that light of faith in others which is a condemning light to them, and holds out to them a fearful misgiv ing in the prospect of eternity. Those who are determined to bid farewell to Christianity have not done it in consequence of a serious process of conviction, but in consequence of consulting their passions, not their reason, determining to gratify their appetites without restraint or control, and indulging in the pleasures and honours of this world without check. Conscious of this, in a greater or less degree they fear that the foundation they are resting upon may prove insecure; they wish, therefore, to be strengthened by the co-operation of others, and feel a guilty satisfaction in proportion as they multiply disciples among their associates, and are thus enabled to hear an echo in every voice, and see the reflection of infidelity in every breast. Is it not extraordinary that men who can only boast that they have discovered that man is nothing,-that this world is the whole of his existence,― that his destiny is withered, and shrunk to the shortest possible compass, is it not extraordinary that they cannot at least be silent; that they should be desirous to propagate a discovery so full of shame and reproach? The reason is, that they have fears on the side of religion, though they have not its hopes; they dread the truth of it, having given up all prospect of benefit from it, having relinquished all part in its consolations; therefore they feel their fears allayed, their perturbation subside, in proportion as they swell their numbers by an extensive confederation. They are "deceiving and deceived."

Let me earnestly impress it on every one who wishes to be saved;— and if you do not, why approach the sanctuary of God, why hear the words of this book, why lift up a prayer to the throne of heaven in the name of the Great Redeemer?-if you wish to be saved, go not into such society; or, if you enter it unawares, remain not in it. To choose such persons as confidants of your hours of affectionate and social intercourse is to live in an element of contagion; it is to go into a pest-house; it is to take up your abode in the midst of the most virulent and destructive diseases. "Evil communicatione" will "corrupt

good manners." No experience of our own,-no extent of observation may go to invalidate or impair the truth of this maxim, which is confirmed by the experience of all ages.

III. But I proceed, in the third place, briefly to explain the warning here given, and to enforce the caution which is strongly implied in the words "Be not deceived." There are many sources of self-deception; let me, therefore, warn every one not to be deceived.

1. In the first place, be not deceived by the adduction of false precedents. It may be suggested that our Lord was pleased to mingle in discriminately with all classes and descriptions of persons; but do not imagine that it would, on that account, be safe for you to imitate this part of his conduct. Recollect the infinite disparity of his situation and character, and yours. He came into a world of contagion, but it was to impart the medicine of life; he came to a great infirmary, but he was himself the physician of souls; he "came to save sinners," but was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners."* When Satan himself came he found nothing in him. Does it follow that we, who are placed at so infinite a distance beneath him, should be safe in such contagion? "Be not deceived" do not take a partial view of our Saviour's character; do not consider one portion of it only his exposure to moral danger,-while you forget his sanctity, his watchfulness, his care over his own conduct, his self-government, and the constant use of those rules of prudence and piety which are recommended by other parts of his example. If you can find an infallible way to overcome temptation, and achieve the victory over the enemies of your salvation, you may then plead the precedent of our Lord's example against the genius of his religion and the import of his precepts. It was impossible that his spotless character should be contaminated. Can we plead that exemption and impossibility?

2. Be not deceived by your past experience. You may be ready to say, that you have been frequently exposed to vicious society,-you may be living in it now, and perceive none of those evils, discern none of that degeneracy and corruption to which we have adverted; and you appear to pass through it with impunity: "Be not deceived:" you are very ill judges, it may be, of the state of your own minds; you may imagine that you have received no injury because you have fallen into no great crime, have violated none of the more essential laws of social morality; but if you look within, you may perceive a preparation for the commission of these in the weakening of that conscience which preserves you in the fear of God, in the decay and eclipse of the spirit of faith, in the relaxed hold of the great prospects of eternity which you had before. What has been the effect of such society on your private devotions? Has it carried you to your closet? Has it prepared you to retire for communion with God? Has it endeared to you the Scriptures, or estranged you from them? Has it made the transition easy to the duties of private and solitary piety? Did you find such society calculated to make it more difficult, or more easy, for you to enter into the true spirit of religion; and to practise

* Heb. vii. 26

those duties without which all the devotions of the sanctuary will be only "walking in a vain show," and seeking the applause of man, instead of the approbation of Him who "seeth in secret ?"

3. Do not be deceived by any complacent reference to the time of life at which you have arrived, or the progress in religion which you have already made. Though the influence of evil society upon the young is of the most corrupting tendency; though their minds, in the period when the character is formed, are most subject to its hurtful influence; yet the danger of "evil communications" is by no means confined to them. No: at whatever period of life you have arrived, "evil communications" will "corrupt good manners." Habits are lost in the same way as they are acquired; the fruits of long custom in right action are speedily dissipated and destroyed by exposure to contrary custom in doing wrong; and the mind of no person has arrived at such a state of confirmation in holy habits as to make a relaxation of vigilance safe, or enable it to yield itself up securely to the casual influence of place and society. Religion is a perpetual warfare; religion is a perpetual exercise of self-command; it is a perpetual reference to the will of God; it is a perpetual use of the power of selfgovernment and attention to the invisible eye of Him that seeth in secret. If you commit yourself to evil society now, what shall hinder you in the most advanced age from forsaking the law of God, and disgracing the latter part of your life by conduct totally different from that which conferred dignity on your youth? Solomon in his youth feared God, but when old age came upon him, through the contagious example of his idolatrous wives, he forsook the God of his fathers, and exposed his kingdom to perdition and ruin. No, my brethren, there is no such thing as depending upon any force of habit, unless its influence produces right conduct at present; if it inspires us with a holy resolution, and gives a right view of our duty at the present moment, and determination to adhere to it, we may rejoice in that habit; but if it produces recumbency, a slothful dependence upon God, and neglect of the precautions of religion and the rules of duty, we have reason to believe that he who thus thinketh he standeth will soon fall.

4. Be not deceived by any supposed strength of resolution with which you may enter into such society. It is much easier abstained from than renounced. The paths of sinners are much more easily shunned than they are quitted. When confederacies are formed, it requires a powerful effort to break them. It is far less difficult to keep out of society than to resist its current. The action of fire is mechanical and necessary, you may approach it or not; so you may avoid evil company if you please. The ranks of impiety are not so thin as not to give you sufficient warning to escape them; but when you are in them, in the very focus of temptation, no resolution you can exert will for a moment stop its progress: you must submit to its action; you are committed to your fate, and must take the consequences; you must be deteriorated and degenerated with the causes of deterioration and degeneracy. Be not deceived, then, by supposing that any previous resolution has considerable influence on the conduct of men