is often attended with a strange inclination to difpute the truth of Religion itself; as, on the other hand, he, purity which loves and femblance in the pure, who preferves that cherishes its rewill be under no temptation to question the being, attributes, or claims, of the great Architype of all perfection. Have you ever known an inftance, in which the man who became difaffected to modeft women appeared to maintain any steady veneration for his Maker? As to the elevated joys which the good are taught to expect hereafter s I declare, for my own part, I never knew an individual who laughed at the notion of female virtue, that feemed to show, upon any occafion, the smallest folicitude to fecure them, if indeed he believed a word of the matter. Account for this coincidence as you pleafe; the fact I take the liberty to affirm. I am fufficiently aware, that fuch men will affect to defpife much of what has been now advanced on the fubject of both fexes, as the language partly of ignorance, partly of enthusiasm, and partly of what they are prone to call Want of Liberality.' But on examining my moft fecret fenfations, I feel that I can return their pretended contempt with real pity; convinced by a thousand proofs, that they are truly objects of the laft, while they know from a thousand experiments, that the first is only a mask, to conceal, if poffible, the inquietude of confcious guilt and folly. To conclude; after all we have faid respecting the Advantage to be derived by Young Men from the Society of Virtuous Women, much must be left to your own reflections. Reprefent to yourselves a youth of good sense, and good dispositions, dedicating a confiderable share of his social hours to the converfation of a few females, who were chafte but not severe, frank but not indelicate, good-natured but with proper dignity, ferious and lively by turns, polite and fincere at the fame time, elegant without vanity, knowing without pride, and pious without oftentation: you, my brothers, can better imagine than I can describe, the improvements which he muft neceffarily receive from fuch communications. When I spoke of a Few Females, I did not think only of the young. Those men who should deny attractive qualities to women advanced or advancing in life, and avoid their company on that account, would betray a bad understanding and a worse taste. Whatever they may think of the affertion, nothing can be more true, than that many, very many, of the most accomplished and most agreeable companions, are to be found among fuch of the other fex, as have outlived the allurements of youth, with the little conceits, affectations, and follies, to which it is subject, and have matured, by recollection and experience, the best acquifitions of their early days. Perhaps, indeed, one of the fureft marks of fobriety, and intelligence, is having a pleasure in the conversation of age. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 3 9015 04133 6135 2 care, Bleffed are those of both sexes, who, by the sweetest symphony of minds and hearts attainable in this world, together with the daily practice of all the Christian Virtues, are preparing for the immortal concert of the fons and daughters of God. Take beloved and honoured, we call upon you in God's name to take care, left any of you should, by a contrary course, expose yourselves to the infamy and horror of an everlasting exclufion from that divine asfembly. Save me, almighty Father, fave this people, fave the youth of this generation, from a doom fo dreadful; and grant of thine infinite mercy, through our only Mediator, that the intercourses of time may lay a foundation for the triumphs of eternity. Amen. |