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I come now to fpeak, upon what, indeed, I would have gladly avoided, had I not been particularly pointed at, for the part I have taken in this bill. It has been faid, by a noble lord on my left hand, that I likewife am running the race of popularity. If the noble lord means by popularity, that applaufe bestowed by after-ages on good and virtuous actions, I have long been struggling in that race: to what purpose, alltrying time can alone determine. But if the noble lord means that mushroom popularity, which is raised without merit,and loft without a crime, he is much mistaken in his opinion. I defy the noble lord to point out a fingle action of my life, in which the popularity of the times ever had the smallest influence on my determinations. I thank God I have a more permanent and fteady rule for my conduct, the dictates of my own breaft. Those who have foregone that pleafing adviser, and given up their mind to be the flave of every popular impulfe, I fincerely pity: I pity them ftill more, if their vanity leads them to miftake the fhouts of a mob, for the trumpet of fame. Experience might inform them, that many who have been faluted with the huzzas of a crowd one day, have received their execrations the next; and many, who by the popularity of their times, have been held up as fpotlefs patriots, have, neverthelefs, appeared upon the hiftorian's page, when truth has triumphed over delufion, the affaffins of liberty. Why then the noble lord can think I am ambitious of prefent popularity, that echo of folly, and fhadow of renown, I am at a lofs to determine. Befides, I do not know that the bill now before your lordships will be popular: It depends · much upon the caprice of the day. It may not be popular to compel people to pay their debts; and, in that cafe, the prefent must be a very unpopular bill. It may not be popular neither to take away any of the privileges of parliament; for I very well remember, and many of your lordships may remember, that, not long ago, the popular cry was for the extenfion of privilege; and fo far did they carry it at that time, that it was faid, the privilege protected members even in criminal actions; nay, fuch was the power of popular prejudices over weak minds, that the very decifions of fome, of the courts were tinctured with that doctrine. It was undoubtedly an abomidable doctrine; I thought fo then, and

I think fo ftill; but, nevertheless, it was a popular doctrine, and came immediately from thofe who are called the friends of liberty; how deservedly time will fhow. True liberty, in my opinion, can only exift when juftice is equally adminiftered to all; to the king and to the beggar. Where is the juftice then, or where is the law that protects a member of parliament more than any other man, from the punishment due to his crimes? The laws of this country allow of no place nor any employment to be a fanctuary for crimes; and where I have the honour to fit as judge, neither royal favour, nor popular applause, fhall ever protect the guilty.

I have now only to beg pardon for having employed fo much of your lordships' time; and I am forry a bill, fraught with fo many good confequences, has not met with an abler advocate; but I doubt not your lordfhips' determination will convince the world, that a bill, calculated to contribute fo much to the equal diftribution of juftice as the prefent, requires with your lordships but very little fupport.

SECTION V.

An Address to Young Persons.

I INTEND, in this addrefs, to fhow you the importance of beginning early to give serious attention to your conduct. As foon as you are capable of reflection, you must perceive that there is a right and a wrong, in human actions. You fee, that those who are born with the fame advantages of fortune, are not all equally profperous in the courfe of life. While fome of them, by wife and fteady conduct, attain diftinction in the world, and pass their days with comfort and honour; others, of the fame rank, by mean and vicious behaviour, forfeit the advantages of their birth; involve themselves in much mifery; and end in being a difgrace to their friends, and a burden on fociety. Early, then, may you learn, that it is not on the external condition in which you find felves placed, but on the part which you are to act, that your welfare or unhappiness, your honour or infamy, depends. Now, when beginning to act that part, what can be of greater moment, than to regulate your plan of conduct with the moft ferious attention, before you have yet committed any fatal or irretrievable errors? If instead of exerting reflection for this valuable purpofe, you deliver yourselves up, at fo

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critical a time, to floth and pleasure; if you refuse to listen to any counfellor but humour, or to attend to any purfuit except that of amusement; if you allow yourselves to float loofe and careless on the tide of life, ready to receive any direction which the current of fashion may chance to give you; what can you expect to follow from fuch beginnings? While fo many around you are undergoing the fad confequences of a like indifcretion, for what reafon fhall not thofe confequences extend to you? Shall you attain fuccefs without that preparation, and escape dangers without that precaution which is required of others? Shall happiness grow up to you, of its own accord, and folicit your acceptance, when, to the rest of mankind, it is the fruit of long cultivation, and the acquifition of labour and care? Deceive not yourfelves with fuch arrogant hopes. Whatever be your rank, Providence will not, for your fake, reverfe its eftablished order. The Author of your being hath enjoined you to "take heed to your ways; to ponder the paths of your feet; to remember your Creator in the days of your youth." He hath decreed, that they only "who feek after wifdom, fhall find it; that fools fhall be afflicted, because of their tranfgreffions; and that whoever refufeth instruction, fhall deftroy his own foul." By listening to these admonitions, and tempering the vivacity of youth with a proper mixture of ferious thought, you may enfure cheerfulness for the reft of life; but by delivering yourselves up at prefent to giddiness and levity, you lay the foundation of lafting heavinefs of heart.

When you look for ward to thofe plans of life, which either your circumstances have fuggefted, or your friends have propofed, you will not hesitate to acknowledge, that in order to purfue them with advantage, fome previous difcipline is requifite. Be affured, that whatever is to be your profeffion, no education is more neceffary to your fuccefs, than the acquirement of virtuous difpofitions and habits. This is the univerfal preparation for every character, and every station in life. Bad as the world is, refpect is always paid to virtue. In the ufual courfe of human affairs, it will be found, that a plain understanding, joined with acknowledged worth, contributes more to profperity, than the brighteft parts without probity or honour. Whether 1ience or business, or public

life be your aim, virtue ftill enters, for a principal share into all thofe great departments of fociety. It is connected with eminence, in every liberal art; with reputation, in every branch of fair and useful bufinefs; with diftinction, in every public ftation. The vigour which it gives the mind, and the weight which it adds to character; the generous fentiments which it breathes; the undaunted fpirit which it infpires; the ardour of diligence which it quickens; the freedom which it procures from pernicious and difhonourable avocations; are the foundations of all that is highly honourable, or greatly fuccefsful among men.

Whatever ornamental or engaging endowments you now poffefs, virtue is a neceffary requifite, in order to their shining with proper luftre. Feeble are the attractions of the fairest form, if it be fufpected that nothing within correfponds to the pleafing appearance without. Short are the triumphs of wit, when it is fupposed to be the vehicle of malice. By whatever means you may at first attract the attention, you can hold the esteem, and secure the hearts of others, only by amiable difpofitions, and the accomplishments of the mind. These are the qualities whofe influence will laft, when the luftre of all that once sparkled and dazzled has paffed away.

Let not then the feafon of youth be barren of improvements, fo effential to your future felicity and honour. Now is the feed time of life; and according to "what you fow, you fhall reap." Your character is now, under Divine affistance, of your own forming; your fate is, in fome measure, put into your own hands. Your nature is as yet pliant and foft. Habits have not established their dominion. Prejudices have not preoccupied your understanding. The world has not had time to contract and debase your affections. All your powers are more vigorous, difembarraffed, and free, than they will be at any future period. Whatever impulfe you now give to your defires and paffions, the direction is likely to continue. It will form the channel in which your life is to run; nay, it may determine its everlafting iffue. Confider then the employment of this important period, as the highest trust which fhall ever be committed to you; as in a great measure, decifive of your happinefs, in time, and in eternity. As in the fucceffion of the feafons, each, by the invariable laws of na

ture, affects the production of what is next in course; so, in human life, every period of our age, according as it is well or ill spent, influences the happinefs of that which is to follow. Virtuous youth gradually brings forward accomplished and flourishing manhood; and fuch manhood paffes of itself, without uneafinefs into refpectable and tranquil old age. But when nature is turned out of its regular courfe, diforder takes place in the moral, juft as in the vegetable world. If the fpring put forth no bloffoms, in fummer there will be no beauty, and in autumn, no fruit: fo, if youth be trifled away without improvement, manhood will probably be contemptible, and old age miferable. If the beginnings of life have been "vanity," its latter end can fcarcely be any other than "vexation of fpirit."

I fhall finifh this addrefs, with calling your attention to that dependence on the bleffing of heaven, which, amidst all your endeavours after improvement, you ought continually to preferve. It is too common with the young, even when they refolve to tread the path of virtue and honour, to fet out with prefumptuous confidence in themselves. Trusting to their own abilities for carrying them fuccefsfully through life, they are careless of applying to God, or of deriving any affiftance from what they are apt to reckon the gloomy difcipline of religion. Alas! how little do they know the dangers which await them? Neither human wisdom, nor human virtue, unfupported by religion, is equal to the trying fituations which often occur in life. By the fhock of temptation, how frequently have the most virtuous intentions been overthrown? Under the preffure of disaster, how often has the greatest constancy funk? "every good, and every perfect gift, is from above." Wifdom and virtues, as well as "riches and honour, come from God." Deftitute of his favour, you are in no better fituation, with all your boafted abilities, than orphans left to wander in a trackless defert, without any guide to conduct them, or any shelter to cover them from the gath ering ftorm. Correct, then, this ill founded arrogance. Expect not, that your happiness can be independent of Him who made youth. By faith and repentance, apply to the Redeemer of the world. By piety and prayer, feek the protection of the God of heaven. I conclude with the folemn

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