SERMON I Preached before the UNIVERSITY of OXFORD, on ACT-SUNDAY in the Afternoon, July 8, 1733. DEUT. xxx11. 46, 47. And he faid unto them, Set your Hearts unto all the Words, which I teftify among you this Day; which ye shall command your Children to obferve to do, all the Words of this Law. For it is not a vain Thing for you: Because it is your Life; and through this Thing ye shall prolong your Days in the Land whither ye go over Jordan to poffefs it. T HESE Words contain the last Exhortation, which Mofes, the great Founder of the Jewish State, gave his Countrymen, on the very Day wherein he had Notice of his approaching Death. He had freed them, with infinite Danger to himfelf, from Egyptian Tyranny, and the worfe Bondage of Idolatry and Superftition: he had received for them, from God's own Mouth, fuch Laws of Life, as in their Circumstances were moft conducive to Virtue and Happiness these he had delivered to his Peo ple, established on the fureft Foundation of Regard; affectionate Reverence to the Object of all Duty, and Author of all Good: he had laboured, with infinite Patience, through a long Course of Years, to cultivate in them this important Principle of religious Obedience: and now, drawing near to the Clofe of a Life spent in their Service, he recommends it again; firft, with all the Force of a most perfuafive Eloquence; and afterwards by every Charm, that Poetry itself could add; fetting Happiness and Mifery before them, in an Ode of divine Sublimity and Spirit, which they are commanded by Heaven to learn themselves, and teach their Pofterity. This therefore he communicates in a folemn Manner to the whole Congregation, as the Conclufion of all his Cares for them; and then takes his final Leave in the Exhortation of the Text, confirming once more at his Death the Importance of those Precepts, which he had been giving them through his whole Life. Set your Hearts, &c. Their own Obfervance of God's Law was fecuring the Felicity of one Generation only: but educating their Children in Religion and Virtue, this was perpetuating Bleffings to each Part of the Society and to the whole: lafting Profperity and Peace, in the good Land they were going to poffefs; and in that better Country*, of which it was an Emblem, Life for evermore . * Heb. xi. 16. Pf. cxxxiii. 4. The Words afford then a juft Occafion for peaking, I. Of the Advantages of right Education ; II. The Duty of endeavouring, that these I. The Advantages, and indeed Neceffity, of right Education. Other Creatures arrive, without their own Care, at the small Perfection, of which they are capable, and there ftop: but the whole of Man's Existence, that appears, is a State of Difcipline and Progreffion. Youth is his Preparation for maturer Years: this whole Life, for another to come. Nature gives the Abilities to improve; but the actual Improvement, we are to have the Pleasure and the Reward of giving ourselves and one another. Some Minds indeed, as fome Soils, may be fruitful without Cultivation; others, barren with it; but the general Neceffity is the fame in both Cafes; and in both, the richest, and most capable of producing good Fruit, will be over-run, if neglected, with the rankest and worst Weeds. Now the only univerfal Precaution, that can be in this Respect, Christianity hath furnished, by introducing a ftated Method of Inftruction, unknown before; which, joined B 2 with with the Parents private Care, is, to the Generality of Mankind, fufficient for the Purposes of intellectual and moral Improvement. But to Perfons of more extenfive Influence, a more particular and appropriated Inftitution is neceffary; for the World's Sake as well as their own. This, with regard to the Teachers of Religion, Men almoft without Exception acknowledge: but too commonly forget it in another Cafe, of no lefs Importance; theirs I mean, whofe Authority is to inforce the Laws of Conduct, and whofe Example to lead the Way in Life. Here fometimes a wrong Care, often an imperfect one, is taken by the fondest Parents. The outward Accomplishments and Decencies of Behaviour they teach them with great Exactnefs, and do well but then, withbut the leaft further Provifion, fend them abroad into the School of the World, there to learn what they can. The Confequence is, what must naturally be expected: Trifles and Follies, ever readieft at hand, and beft fuited to the unjudging Mind, get firft into Poffef fion; and, in many, leave Place for nothing elfe to enter. Such, unqualified for the valuable Employments of Life, muft lofe their Days in the low Amusements of a falfe and effeminate Politeness; hoping for no higher a Character, than a Set of Creatures, equally contemptible, can give one another by mutual Admiration; and happy after all, if they chance to preferve an innocent Worthleffness. 7 1 But But fuppofe Room left for fome Attention to Knowledge; not even the Forms of decent Carriage, though obvious Things, are fully learnt without regular Application: what fort of Acquaintance then with Science must that be, which is picked up occafionally and by Accident? A thorough one indeed we must judge it, were the firft Appearance to determine us; that Air of Sufficiency, with which a Person thus educated for the most part delivers his Sentiments. But if we examine, as the World will, what is under this Appearance to support it; then a Mind is discovered, thoughtlefly perfuaded of its own Knowledge, where it is very ignorant; and affecting Knowledge, even though it is conscious of having none: firft making haftily whatever Determination is fashionable, about Queftions half understood, and not at all confidered, be their Importance what it will; and then going on immediately to act upon this Determination, without the least Diffidence, or the leaft Thought what the Laws of human Actions are unmoved by Reason, and scorning it; but changing frequently on mere Fancy, and fluctuating through Life without Rule or Guide, from the forward Extravagancies of a profligate Youth, to the End of an early and defpicable old Age, The Benefits of Converfation greatly depend on the previous Attainments, both of thofe, who are fuppofed to communicate Knowledge, В з |