fame fort to relate. Several young perfons were prefent, who feemed fo much to enjoy the converfation, that I apprehend they never will read or hear the texts which were mentioned, without affociating them with the anecdote that caused fo much mirth. I will likewife take the liberty of mentioning another practice, which I have often witnessed, and which, though not precifely the fame, is very fimilar in its effects: I mean the talking on religious fubjects in a manner which has a tendency to excite laughter. Some perfons, from their peculiar turn of mind, are much tempted to this. I do not mean to charge them with want of reverence for religion, but whilft they indulge themselves in this way of talking, they are not aware of the impreffions which they may be making on the minds of others. All fuch as have a natural tura for wit and humour should here be on their guard. Religion is not a gloomy, but it is a ferious thing.

The fubject of this paper may, perhaps, appear ftrange to fome who have never met with any thing of the kind: many, however, I am convinced, will feel its importance.

O. R.

It is impoffible not to feel the force of O. R's animadverfions. No fmall portion of blame, how ever, attaches to those clergymen, who, by their carelefs and incorrect manner of reading, furnish matter for ludicrous anecdote. It is hoped Americans will profit by the above remarks, to whom they are as applicable, as to the English.

TRE important and feafonable truths contained in the following extracts from a Faft difcourfe of

that celebrated divine, the Rev. ROBERT HALL, founded on Jer. viii. 6. entitle them to diftinguifhed notice.

"A lax theology is the natural parent of a lax morality. The peculiar motives, accordingly, by which the infpired writers enforce their moral leffons, the love of God and the Redeemer, concern for the honour of religion, and gratitude for the ineftimable benefits of the chriftian redemption, have no place in the fashionable fyftems of moral inftruction.*

The motives almost exclufively urged, are fuch as take their rife from the prefent ftate, founded on reputation, on honour, on health, or on the tendency of the things recommended to promote, under fome form or other, the acquifition of worldly advantages. Thus even morality itfelf, by diffociating it from religion, is made to cherish the love of the world, and to bar the heart more effectually against the approaches of piety."

P. 34, 35:

"We fhall ill confult the true interefts of revelation, by distinguifhing its peculiarities, in hope of conciliating the approbation of infidels, and of adapting it more to their tafte; a mistaken and dangerous policy, by which we run imminent rifque of catching their contagion, without imparting the benefit of its truth. Let us not for a moment blench from its myfteries: they are myfteries of godliness; and however much they may furpafs human reafon, bear the diftinct impress of a di

"If the reader wishes for a further statement and illustration of thofe melancholy facts, he may find it in Mr. WILBERFORCE's celebrated book on re

ligion, an inestimable work, which has, roufe the infenfibility and augment the perhaps, done more than any other to piety of the age." p. 34. Nore.

vine hand. We rejoice that they are myfteries, fo far from being afhamed of them on that account; fince the principal reafon why they are, and must ever continue fuch, is derived from their elevation, from their unfearchable riches, and undefinable grandeur. In fine, let us draw our religion and morality entirely from the word

of God, without feeking any deeper foundation for our duties, than the will of the Supreme Being, an implicit and perfect acquiefcence in which, is the highest virtue a creature can attain." p. 63, 64.

We hall gratify our readers with fome further extracts from this admirable difcourfe in our next number.

In fulfilment of our promife, we lay before our readers the following interefling account of 'The Society in Scot land for propagating Chriflian Knowledge. It was drawn up by the late Dr. KEMP, their secretary, in the form of an Address, and by request was delivered to the company affembled at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in London, May 18, 1803, being the anni versary Festival of this Society in London. The Duke of Atholl in the

chair.

MY LORD AND GENTLEMEN,

By the appointment of my confituents, "The Society in Scotland for propagating Chriftian Knowledge," I wait upon you at this time, to give you their beft thanks for all your former favours, of which they are impreffed with the greateft fenfe, and to folicit the continuance of your patronage and fupport.

You have been accustomed annually on the day of the anniverfary, to receive an account of that extenfive charity, and its immediate pursuits and objects. Had it pleafed God to have prolonged the life of him from whom you were wont to hear it, my vifit to London on this occafion would have been unneceffary, and would

See laft No p. 78.

have been fuperfeded. It falls to my lot, the furviving brother fecretary of that gentleman, to fupply his place until it shall be filled up by a new election. Had eloquence like his, been mine, I should have rejoiced to employ it in giving to his memory a wellmerited tribute of praise; my talents fuffice for nothing more than the statement of a few plain wellknown facts; but the perfonal knowledge of many among those whom I have now the honour to addrefs, will fupply my deficiencies. You, gentlemen, well know the genius and talents of the late Dr. Hunter, the activity, and comprehenfiveness, and benevolence of his mind. Few men ever employ ed greater exertions or with happier fuccefs in promoting the intereft of a variety of charitable inftitutions. To the friends of thefe charities his memory will long be dear; nor are we, of the Society in Scotland for propagating Chriftian Knowledge, an exception: we feel and acknowledge the obligations, which he laid us under.

At a period when the interest of our inftitution had declined, and was indeed at a low ebb in London, his vigorous and active mind devised and executed liberal plans for its revival, and procured

for it many zealous friends; he had the happiness to leave it in a moft flourishing condition.

What his powers of eloquence were, I have no occafion to itate; for within these walls you, gentle men, have often heard them called forth in behalf of the charity, on account of which we have this day affembled; and the effects af forded fufficient evidence of their influence.

Bear with me, gentlemen: fome of you, I know, will fympathife with me, while I mourn over his lofs, not as a publick man only, or as the benefactor of fociety at large, and of this fociety in particular, but as a private friend, than whom never one was bleft with a kinder heart or warmer affections, more ready to enter into the feelings, or with more active exertion to promote the intereft of every man whom he accounted a friend, and stood in need of his af fillance. Not a few of you, I am perfuaded, will concur in the fentiment, when I fay, that I loved him while aliye, and mourn over him now that he is gone.

. Permit me now to attempt to fulfil that duty of the fecretary of the fociety, which Dr. Hunter was wont to perform.

Accounts of the fociety in Scotland for propagating chriftian knowledge have been repeatedly publifhed to the world, and many prefent are well acquainted with the hiftory of an inftitution which has fubfifted for near century. But there are probably some pref, ent, and these of the highest confideration, who may not have had an opportunity of reading these publications, or having their attention particularly directed to this intitution. I fhall be forgiven then, I hope, if in this addrefs, I beltow a few fentences upon itş

origin, progrefs, and present ob. jects.

The Society in Scotland for propa gating Chriftian Knowledge derived its existence from the benevolence of a few private gentlemen, who in the beginning of the last centu ry had made themselves acquainted with the melancholy condition of the inhabitants of the remote districts of Scotland, and were deeply affected by the profound ignorance and grofs barbarifm in which they were buried. They found that these poor people were utterly deftitute of almoft all the means of knowledge and improvement.

The few proteftant ministers fettled among them, were thinly scattered over an immense furface of rugged country; divided indeed into parishes, and each provided with a proteftant minifter, but these parishes refembling rather fhires, or provinces of great extent. Even at this day, when the numbers of minifters is greatly increased, fome of thefe parishes which I have travelled through, are fixty miles in length by forty in breadth. Others of them confist of several islands detached from each other by miles, and in fome cafes, by leagues of a boisterous fea.

The parishes on the main land of the highlands, are for the most part interfected by arms of the sea reaching far into the country, or. by rapid rivers deftitute of bridges, and in the winter generally impaffable; many of them by high mountains, which for months together are covered with fnow; fo that all intercourse is prevented between the feveral parts of the fame parish, and of courfe, between the minister and the people, except in the district in which he. happens to refide.

The body of the people were

writing, arithmetick, and fuch like degrees of knowledge."

The fubfcribers and firft members of the fociety were, many of them, of the highest rank and moft diftinguished characters in Scotland. Permit me to read from an authentick lift published by authority, a few of their names -James, Duke of Queensbury and Dover: John, Duke of Atholl, (the great grand father of our prefent noble chairman ;) David, Earl of Buchan; Thomas, Earl of Haddington; John, Earl of Lauderdale; James, Earl of Seafield; David, Earl of Glafgow; Charles, Earl of Hopetoun; Archibald, Earl of Inlay. Befide these noblemen,

there occur on the lift the names

of many gentlemen of rank and fortune; the judges of the fupreme court of judicature in Scotland, all the minifters of Edinburgh and its vicinity, and a great number of its most refpectable cit

izens.

Four thousand pounds were railed, and immediately the fociety began their operations as defcribed in their charter. By establishing schools for the inftruction of youth, they wished to rescue their as yet uncorrupted minds from the ignorance and barbarism of their fathers, to imbue them with the first principles of fcience and religion, and to open to them the channels of farther improvement, by teaching them to speak and to read the English language.

Need I fay to well-informed men, acquainted with human nature, that the instruction of youth, is of all methods the most effectual for conveying knowledge and improvement to an ignorant and uncivilized people?

The fuccefs which attended the

firft beginnings of the plan adopted by the fociety, foon gave to it celebrity, and brought a large addition to the lift of its patrons and friends. Its funds rapidly increafed, and in exact proportion to their increase, the number of schools upon its establishment was augmented.

In the year 1738 they amounted to an hundred and twelve.

At that time, the fociety, deeply regretting the idleness and ignorance of the common arts of induftry, which generally prevailed in the highlands and islands, and being perfuaded that idleness and vice commonly go hand in hand, refolved to do what in them lay to cure this evil. They applied for, and obtained from his late majesty king George IId, a new patent, authorizing them to erect fchools of industry for teaching the youth of both fexes, and particularly females, its more common branches. Upon this part of their plan, as well as upon that of the firft patent, they have ever fince proceeded, and now the number of their schools of induftry amounts to above an hundred, at which are taught above two thoufand young perfons, chiefly girls.

In confequence of thefe fchools, the women of the remote parts of the highlands and islands, who, as ufually happens in rude countries, were chiefly employed in the labours of the field, are now occupied in employments befitting their fex, in fpinning, fewing, knitting, and the like appropriate arts, while at the fame time they learn to read the fcriptures, and to underftand the first principles of religion.

(To be concluded in our next.)