issue. They mean not to proceed beyond the point of safety; and they have no doubt, they can easily effect an escape, whenever danger appears; but ere they are aware, they are arrested by the iron grasp of habit, and ruined forever.

Take for example, a young man, who occasionally drinks to excess in the social circle; he does not dream that he is entering upon a course which will probably end in confirmed intemperance. He means no harm; he says of the sin, is it not a little one? there can be no danger in this. But soon his bands are made strong, and he becomes the slave of a sottish vice.

Thus it is with all vicious practices. However slight at first, they tend, by a strong and necessary impulse, to the point of utter depravation of principle, and ruin of character. There is no safety but in guarding against the first approaches of evil. To step upon forbidden ground is to throw one's self into the power of the destroyer; and if God interpose not to deliver, ruin is inevitable. It was a wise saying, among the ancients, that the way of vice lies down hill. If you take but a few steps, the motion soon becomes so impetuous and violent, that it is impossible for you to resist it.

Another danger, to which young men are exposed, arises from the want of firmness and independence of character. They have not a due sense of their individual responsibility; and are too apt to yield to the practices and opinions of others, in opposition to their own convictions of duty. They imagine, that their respectability and success in life, depend on being on good terms, with those of the same age and standing with themselves. This leads them to accommodate themselves to their habits, to their modes of thinking and acting, and to their errors and vices.

They dread the thought of being singular. They cannot bear the ridicule of companions, nor gather courage enough to say, no, to those associates who would draw them into a fellowship with themselves, in dissipation and vice. Many a young man has, in this way, fallen, to rise no more. He yielded to the solicitations of a sinful companion, not because he approved of them, but because he did not dare to resist them. He went with him in to the ways of evil, not because he was pleased with them,

but because he had not courage to turn his back on his seducer, or incur the sneers of an unprincipled associate,

I have here touched upon a topic which deserves a much more careful consideration than I can now give it,— I mean the pernicious influence of bad company. Of all the causes which operate to undermine the principles and ruin the characters of young men, this, I have long been satisfied, is the most fatal. We are all, says Mr. Locke, a kind of chameleons, who take a tincture from the objects which surround us. And a greater than he has said ;-He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

We are, by the very constitution of our nature, creatures of imitation. We instinctively and necessarily catch the spirit, and copy the manners, and imitate the practices, of those with whom we associate. Show me the company you keep, and I will tell you your character, is an old adage; and it is verified by universal observation. This principle of our nature is capable of being turned to the most valuable purposes. By associating with the virtuous, the wise and the good, we bring to bear on ourselves, a most powerful influence of assimilation. All our good principles and good traits are strength ened and improved; and we feel ourselves advancing daily, in all that is worthy and excellent.

On the other hand, if we associate with the immoral and the unprincipled, we come under an influence which cannot fail to injure us. We shall soon be like them. "If we do not carry to them a similarity of taste, we shall be sure to acquire it." And let me say to you, my friends, it is not the low and the dissipated, the vulgar and the profane, from whose example and society you are most in danger. These, every young man, who has any sense of character, will, of course, despise and shun.

But there are persons of decent morals, of polished manners, and interesting talents, but who, at the same time, are unprincipled and wicked; who make light of sacred things, scoff at religion, and deride the suggestions and scruples of a tender conscience, as superstition,these are the persons whose society and influence are most to be feared. Their breath is pollution, their embrace, death.

To guard against the dangers that have been mentioned, bring strongly before your minds the deep, personal interest you have, in keeping yourselves secure from the evils that threaten you. Recollect your high destination, as rational and immortal beings, and remember, that your all, both for this, and the future world, depends on the manner in which you demean yourselves in this state of your probation. If, during the few years in which your characters are forming, you shun the paths of vice, and carefully cultivate habits of virtue, intelligence and good eonduct; you cannot fail to rise to respectability, and usefulness, and happiness.

You will have the sweet approbation of your own minds to cheer and animate you; friends will rise up to patronise and encourage you; providence will smile upon your efforts and ways; and your life, crowned with the blessings of God and the gratitude of your fellow men, will decline in peace, and give a fair promise of a bright rising in another world. Remember, my young friends, that all this depends on a few short years; upon this vernal season of habit and character; upon the very hours that are now flitting by you. Improve these aright, and you are made forever,-misimprove them, and you are undone forever.

LESSON XCII.

The Use of Biography.-JANE TAYLOR.

THAT "what man has done man may do," is a most stimulating and encouraging truth. It is this consideration chiefly, that renders the lives of individuals who have distinguished themselves in their day and generation so interesting to their fellow-creatures and it is a remark which should be borne in mind, whether we are studying the actions of great good men, or of clever bad men. the former case, we should inquire whether we are not possessed of the same qualities, powers, and opportunities, (generally speaking) with which they were favoured; and in the latter, that we partake of the same de praved nature, and are liable to the same temptations that

In

led them astray. It is not the history of other beings,of those above or below us in the scale of intelligence; it is neither of angels nor brutes, but of men like ourselves that we read.

It is a common remark, that biography is one of the most useful studies to which we can apply; but we must remember, that its usefulness, to us, entirely depends upon our right application of it. It is idle indeed, to take up a book of any kind, merely with a view to entertainment: we hope our readers are all of them, by this time, above so childish a practice: but it is possible to read with a general desire to derive benefit, and yet without that close, personal application of it to ourselves, which alone is likely to do us good. We would therefore recommend, especially to the reader of biography, to keep one grand object in view; and to make this close inquiry whenever such a volume is opened,-In what respects is this applicable to me?-How can I make it subservient to my own improvement? We will endeavour to offer some suggestions that may assist the reader in this inquiry.

Suppose that a young person in the quiet and humble walks of life should meet with the annals of some great warrior or statesman ;-he would probably say, "This is nothing to me, except as mere amusement; I have no ambition, at least I have no talents or opportunities to distinguish myself in public life; I am quite contented with my humble lot; I seek not great things for myself." Herein, indeed, he would show his wisdom; and yet it might not be true that such a history was nothing to him. Whatever is in itself excellent, is worthy of our attention, and more or less of our imitation, however widely our circumstances may differ.

Great talents and splendid achievements are necessarily confined to a few; and as we may be virtuous and happy without them, this is not to be regretted but it is the duty and interest of every individual to aim at excellence, in his own sphere, however humble and while it may be the farthest from our wishes or our duty to engage in public services, it may still be highly to our advantage to trace the steps, and to mark the progress, by which great men have arrived at eminence. Many of the very same qualities are requisite to make a good tradesman, or skilful

mechanic, which are needed to form a great statesman or general.

We shall probably find that such a man was early distinguished from the frivolous or dissolute around him by devotedness to his object: that he made it his study, his pleasure; not merely engaging in it as a matter of course, or of necessity. We shall find that he was not discouraged by difficulties, but rather stimulated by them to more vigorous efforts; that he never consulted his own ease or gratification, when they stood in the way of his grand design that he was characterized by a disregard to trifles of all sorts, and by a steady aim at the most important ends.

Now as these, among other good qualities, ensured to him success and distinction, so we may be assured that the same causes will produce the same effects, in whatever situations they are applied. Thus far a little apprentice-boy may learn of Peter the Great; and become, by and by, as distinguished in his trade, as the Czar was in his empire. When we read the lives of distinguished persons, we are generally struck with the lamentable mixture of mean qualities and bad actions which sullied the glory of their highest achievements. In the whole history of mankind, there are but a very few exceptions to this remark.

From which we may learn, not to envy that eminence of rank or talent, which so peculiarly exposes to temptation. At the same time it should make us watchful of ourselves; since, if men thus eminently gifted, and possessed of such gigantic powers, had not wisdom sufficient to govern their passions, nor strength to resist temptation, what need must there be for us to guard against the danger! For although it frequently appears that clever men are wicked men, it by no means follows that to be wicked one must needs be clever; on the contrary it is often seen that persons of the weakest intellect sink into the lowest degrees of vice.

From the lives of distinguished bad men, we see the small value, in themselves, of those shining qualities which dazzle mankind. What is genius without virtue !—it is but a splendid curse; proving still more baleful to the individual himself, than to those within the sphere of his influence. But in tracing the career of men distinguish