taching them from interests with which they ought to be associated. This, of course, presupposes that the conversation of Christians is such as "becometh" them, and to this they are bound by their sacred profession. It may indeed be made, and ought to be made, a vehicle of right sentiment, a channel for the communication of truth, and for the disclosures of Christian experience: it should always be sober, "seasoned with salt," and would then be eminently instructive. Christians might exercise a potent and salutary influeuce over young men, by introducing them into association with others of a similar age with themselves, whose cast of character is likely to benefit them. By thus watching over their early friendships they might do incalculable good, for as these are frequently the most lasting, and the most influential, every means should be adopted to place them on the best foundation. While the promotion of this object is eminently the duty of a pious parent, it is also within the province of a christian visitor or friend. By gentle hints and occasional expositions of character, by facilitating, preventing, or controlling intercourse, he might easily assist these parental desigus, and carry into effect the purposes of his own benevolence. Unripe in judgment, and immature in years, young men, even of sober habits, will, if unchecked, often rush into premature connexion with those who are only calculated to do them an injury. Caught by a plausibility of manner, attracted by a gaiety of spirit, and charmed by a certain precocity of talent, they are soon ensnared. It is the part of christian goodness to deliver them from the snare of the fowler, to make them aware of their perilous situation, and to facilitate their way to a better companionship. Let them set before the young the evils of thoughtlessness, the danger of sceptical insinuations against Christianity, or its professors, the folly and criminality of the theatre, the gaming-house, and the card-table, the value of religion, the worth of the soul, and whatever else may awaken them to just and important considerations. An experienced christian has often an opportunity of doing much good, by taking care of the young man's Sabbath for him. Even a comparative stranger may influence by himself, or his own sons, or others, his attendance on evangelical instruction; might check his Sunday visiting, or annihilate his Sunday parties; or might, by a little persuasion, engage him in the distribution of tracts, or other works of Christian benevolence: in a word, he might, by skilful management, and with the aid of others who frequent the same place of worship, kindly involve him in the entanglements of christian love, and bind him at once to duty and to privilege. As so many young men on the Sabbath are afloat on the stream of circumstances, without a definite object, or in search only of uncertain pleasure, the active christian might contrive some method of enticement into the right way. It is not the exclusive duty of official men to "watch for souls;" let every christian employ his best abilities and opportunities to snatch them from the fangs of the destroyer. There is reason to fear that many a young man is lost to the christian community through the neglect of members of churches in not fostering the incipient emotions of piety. Let it not be supposed that young men, scattered about in a congregation, many of them but loosely attached to it, are at an inaccessible distance. Without any verbal communication on their part, it may often be obvious, from their manner in attending upon the means of grace, that they are not altogether uninterested spectators: their countenances indicate the workings of inward feeling; the word of God has evidently taken some hold of their consciences; the thoughts are awake, the tear of sorrow falls, the mental eye is opening to the light; further instruction is needed, and would doubtless be welcomed; and a fellow-worshipper of more advanced years might easily contrive an incidental intercourse, which might soon issue in a beneficial confidence. If young men, under these hallowed impressions, are suffered, for a length of time, to visit and revisit the house of God, without any friendly recognition, or direct effort to aid their enquiries—if allowed to go and come with the crowd, without notice or concern from those who might separate and solace them-the probability is, that in the majority of instances, a great moral injury will ensue; strong feelings will subside, valuable sentiments be obliterated, and important resolutions abandoned.-Extracted from Dr. Cox's Prize Essay, Our Young Men. LONDON: T. RILEY, Printer, 161, Fleet Street. THE YOUNG MEN'S No. 26.] FEBRUARY, 1839. [VOL. III. THE MORAL INFLUENCE OF THE PRESS. character of their productions. Let By Dr. Cox. them beware of abusing the talents which they ought to employ, des-. THE rising generation will inevita-pising the opportunities which they bly receive a deep impression from ought to improve, and corrupting the literature of the present day, the age which they ought to elevate which is most current and most and bless! approved. The books that fill the We want historians, philosophers, shelves of our libraries, that lie upon and poets, of an elevated order, moral the tables of our drawing-rooms, or and religious, whose sanctified gecirculate among the cottages of our nius shall guide the public taste and peasantry, are instruments of good influence the youthful mind. We or evil to the youth of our land, and, want men baptized with the inspirathrough them, to succeeding ages. tions of Heaven, fresh from the The press is a mighty engine, and mount of communion with God, its impulses are everywhere felt, and and conversant with celestial themes; will and must generate ten thousand men who shall place the foundations impulses which operate beyond itself. of their systems on the everlasting What is read in a newspaper, idly rock of scriptural truth, whose eye flung about a room, a novel, or a shall discern in all events the workjest-book, may imprint indelible ings of an universal Providence, and traces on the heart in one hour the embellishments of whose dewhich shall last through life and scriptive pages shall beam alike transmit its influence to other times. with beauty and with piety. Let We may have become, and our the young be captivated, but not children may become what we are, polluted; instructed, but not misand what they will be, in a consid- led. Let them learn, in the proerable measure, by incidental and ductions of our noblest writers, that collateral circumstances. In pol- true science is the investigation of itics, in the economy of life, in the works of Deity; true philosophy science, even in religion itself, both is the knowledge of his will; true our character and theirs may be history is the discovery of provi formed or modified by the current dence in the developments of human literature of the day; and both edi- nature, the revolutions of empire, tors and periodical writers are high- and the fulfilments of prophecy; ly responsible, as well as more vol- true learning is the consecration of uminous contributors to the reading all attainable literature at the foot world and the rising age, for the of the cross; and true poetry is imVOL. III. B 66 agination and expression eminently course, and branded with the mark consecrated to virtue and to God. of reproach. The writer who, by O that men of talent and power to inuendos or sophistry, would awaken affect the public mind would con- suspicion of the truth of revelation sider, that the capacity to do good in the minds of the ingenuous and involves the obligation; and that uninformed; who, ostensibly aiming it involves, too, the duty of pro- at a different object, takes occasion found and prayerful examination of to maintain a secret warfare with what is essential and eternal good! the Saviour of the world, and his O that they would realize the awful august train of apostles and evangeconsequences to themselves of par- lists, of confessors and martyrs; ticipating, in any measure, in the who, in the records of history, in guilt of spreading irreligious senti- narratives, in elementary treatises, ments, or contributing, if not to dares to infuse a moral poison, desthe contempt of eternal realities, to tructive of the happiness and very to a feeling of indifference to them! existence of society,-should have And we have need of an increase pointed against him the shock of of "reviewers" of the right stamp, critical vengeance, and the reviewer of those whose criticisms shall nei- should blast, with intolerable infamy, ther extol impiety nor disparage the atrocious productions of his pen." There is a generation of vipers," religion. It has been remarked, and the justice of the observation who live by detraction and caricawill approve itself to every reflect- ture, and who pander to the low ing person-"Our monthly and quar- and vulgar passions of the multitude. terly sheets of criticism, as they These are fed and fostered by pubare for the most part written, belong lishers whose business is to study to party rather than to mankind: what is taking, that is, what will and, instead of exhibiting christian catch the popular feeling, by fun, virtue in the meekness of wisdom, burlesque, and frivolity. Producthey breathe, too commonly, hatred, tions which, in other respects, might malice, and all uncharitableness. be comparitively harmless, are seaYet what important services are soned profanity, bitter sarcasm, and these capable of rendering to the jesting "which is not convenient" cause of human happiness, as the with scriptural topics and religious vehicles of moral and religious in- practices. Works of this descripstruction genius and science, taste tion have not only a tendency to and learning, are, indeed, the legi- gratifiy a bad taste already formed, timate and immediate subjects of but to generate it; so that young criticism. But the attention of re- men especially, whose early years viewers neither can, nor ought, to should be devoted to solid acquisibe restricted to these. They not tions, are tempted to waste their only stand as sentinels in the ave-time, vitiate their mental habits, nues of fame, to examine the pre- and corrupt the springs of thought. tensions of every candidate for im- The author once inquired of a resmortality, and to interrupt the propress of stupidity, ignorance, and folly-but they ought also to be the guardians of morality and religion. 'Infidelity, arrayed in the garb of genius, should be arrested in its 66 : pectable publisher what works of solid merit he was at present selling in the greatest number? His answer was to this effect: "Solid merit, Sir? If you mean works of moral philosophy, science, history, or re ligion, why we are selling very few, | sentence well couched, takes both and very slowly. To say the real the sense and the understanding. I truth, the worst works sell the best. There is not a book in my possession that has half the sale of that, (naming it) which I believe you agree is, in reality, but mere rubbish!" 66 love not those cart-rope speeches, that are longer than the memory of man can fathom. I see not but that Divinity, put into apt significants, might ravish as well as Poetry. The weighty lines men find upon the "Works of a bright and sketchy stage, I am persuaded, have been kind," observes the author of “The the lures, to draw away the pulpitGreat Metropolis," are among followers. We complain of drowsithose most generally read in the ness at a sermon, when a play of a present day: and again, “The doubled length, leads men on still current of public taste seems, at with alacrity. But the fault is not present, to run principally in the di- all in ourselves. If we saw Divinity rection of works which have a per- acted, the gesture and variety would sonal relation; no matter whether as much ivigilate. But it is too to bodies or men, or to persons in high to be personated by humanity. their individual capacities The stage feeds both the ear and the Anything in the shape of scandal, or eye, and through his latter sense, abuse, is sure to be read with avi- the soul drinks deeper draughts. dity." It might have been added, Things acted, possess us more, and anything in the shape of broad and are, too, more retainable, than the coarse humour, to amuse idleness, passable tones of the tongue. Beto relieve the drudgery of thinking, sides here we meet with more comand to furnish small talk. In the passed language, the Dulcia sermomean time, what is to become of nis, moulded into curious phrase, our youth? OF PREACHING. though it is to be lamented, such wits are not set to the right tune and consorted to Divinity; who without THE excess there is in the defect doubt, well decked will cast a far of Preaching, has made the pulpit more radiant lustre, than those obslighted-I mean the much bad ora- scene scurrilities, that the stage tory we find it guilty of. It is a presents us with, though overspread wonder to me, however men can and spangled in their gaudiest tyre. preach so little and so long, so long At a sermon well dressed, what una time and so little matter; as if bystander can have a motion to they thought to please by the incul- sleep? Divinity well ordered casts cation of their vain tautologies. I forth a bait, which angles the soul see no reason that so high a Princess into the ear; and how can that as Divinity is, should be presented close when such a guest sits in it? to the people in the sordid rags of They are sermons but of baser the tongue; nor that he which metal, which lead the eyes to slumspeaks from the Father of Lan- ber. And should we hear a conguages should deliver his embassage tinued oration, upon such a subject in an ill one. A man can never as the stage treats of, in such words speak too well, when he speaks not as we hear some sermons, I am contoo obscure. Long and distended fident, it would not only be far more clauses, are both tedious to the ear, tedious, but nauseous and contemptand difficult for their retaining. Aful. The most advantage they have than of other places, is in their good much moving in an orator, when the lives and actions. For it is certain soul seems to speak as well as the Cicero and Roscius are most com- tongue. Saint Augustine, says plete, when they both make but one Tully, was admired more for his inan. He answered well, that after tongue than his mind. Aristotle often asking, said still, that action more for his mind than his tongue: was the chiefest part of an orator. but Plato for both. And surely Surely the oration is most powerful, nothing decks an oration more, where the tongue is diffusive and a judgment able well to conceive speaks in a native decency, even in and utter. I know God hath chosen every limb. A good orator should by weak things to confound the pierce the car, allure the eye, and wise, yet I see not but in all times, invade the mind of his hearer. And a purified language hath much prethis is Sarcus's opinion; Fit words vailed. And even the Scriptures, are better than fine ones. I like not (though I know not the Hebrew) those that are injudiciously made, yet I believe they are penned in a but such as be expressively signifi- tongue of deep expression, wherein cant; that lead the mind to some- almost every word hath a metaphothing, beside the naked term. And rical sense, which does illustrate by he that speaks thus, must not look some allusion. How political is to speak thus every day. A kembed Moses, in his Pentateuch! How oration will cost both sweat and the philosophical is Job! How massy rubbing of the brain. And kembed and sententeous is Solomon in his I wish it, not fizzled, nor curled. Proverbs! how quaint and flamingDivinity should not lasciviate. Un-ly amorous in the Canticles! How wormwooded jests I like well, but grave and solemn in his Ecclesiastes? but they are fitter for the tavern, that in the world there is not such than the majesty of a temple. another dissection of the world as it Christ taught the people with autho- is. How were the Jews astonished rity. Gravity becomes the pulpit. at Christ's doctrine! How eloquent Demosthenes confessed he became a pleader is Paul at the Bar! in an orator, by spending more oil than disputation how subtil! and he that wine. This is too fluid an element reads the Father's shall find them, to beget substantials. Wit pro- as if written with a crisped pen. Nor cured by wine, is for the most part, is it such a fault as some would make like the sparkling in the cup, when it, now and then, to let a Philosopher it is filling, they brisk it for a mo- or a Poet, come in and wait and ment, but die immediately. I ad- give a trencher at this banquet. mire the valour of some men, that before their studies, dare ascend the pulpit and do there take more pains than they have done in their library. But having done this, I wonder not, that they often spend three hours, but to weary the people into sleep. And this makes some such fugitive divines, that like cowards, they run away from their text. Words are Auditory. Mercury himself may not all, nor matter is not all, nor move his tongue in vain, if he has gesture, yet together, they are. It none to hear him but a Non-intell Saint Paul is president for it. I wish no man to be too dark and full of shadow. There is a way to be pleasingly plain, and some have found it. Nor wish I any man to a total neglect of his hearers. Some stomachs rise at sweet-meats. The prodigals a mine of excellency, that lavishes a term oration to an approved |