and influence of our government and institutions; whether this land is indeed to be a name and a praise in the earth," or to be known among the nations as a field of blasted hope, and of political and moral desolation. This mighty question will no doubt be settled before two generations shall have passed away; and hence we naturally look with deep and strong interest not only on the passing movements of the day, on the character and influence of those who have now most to do in regulating our public interests, but also on every thing which will be likely to exert a forming influence on the character of the next generation. There is every reason to believe that our academies, and colleges, and professional institutions of various kinds, enclose at this moment, the germ of far the greater part of the influence which a few years hence will decide all the great questions connected with our national weal or woe. Surely then he cannot be a friend to his country, or a friend to humanity, with whom it is a matter of indifference what is to be the character of the rising generation; especially of that class who are favored with liberal advantages for intellectual culture.

We cannot but regard it as one of the favorable signs of the times, that the class of young men who are in the progress of a liberal education or who are destined to it, have recently awakened a deeper interest in the minds of the reflecting and christian community, than at any former period. One evidence of this is to be found in the annual concert of prayer which has for several of the last years been extensively observed, with especial reference to our literary and professional institutions; and upon which we think we may say without presumption God has already strongly impressed the seal of his approbation. Another similar evidence we find in the many judicious and seasonable articles which have appeared in our periodicals on the same subject; and we may add, in several books which have recently been written to subserve the same purpose. Among these, the work of Mr. Dickinson, the title of which stands at the head of this article, holds an important place. While it is especially designed for students, the greater part of it will be found applicable to young men of any occupation, particularly those in the higher walks of life. The design which the author contemplates is twofold to establish, first, the importance of a fixed belief in divine revelation, and a cordial reception of its truths; and secondly, the importance of an elevated standard of christian character. This plan very happily meets the case of each of the two great divisions of the class which the book contemplates-those whose religious opinions are yet to be established, and religious character begun; and who of course are opposed to the various forms

of infidelity and irreligion; and those who have made a christian profession and hopefully entered on a christian life, but who nevertheless, from the circumstances in which they are placed, are peculiarly liable to become unduly conformed to the world, and to contract a habit of comparative religious indifference. We are quite sure that neither of these classes can read this book attentively and seriously, without finding it a most useful monitor and guide, amidst the circumstances of temptation and peril by which they are surrounded.

In the remarks which we intend to make in connection with this valuable work, we shall endeavor to fall in, as far as we can, with the general design of the author, by suggesting some of the sources of danger to the moral principles and habits of students, especially such as are connected with public institutions; and to advert briefly, as we pass along, to some of the means of preventing the contemplated evil. We shall consider distinctly the dangers incident to each of the two classes to which we have referred. We set out with the broad principle that it is of great importance that all our educated young men should be brought under the influence of religion. That this is important in respect to that class who are destined to the christian ministry, none but the infidel will question; but it is not so readily perceived how this should be important in regard to those who are destined to other professions, or to no profession at all. We say nothing here of the personal value of religion to every individual, as connected with his own immortal interests; but we say that it is of immense moment that all educated men should be religious, on account of the extended influence which they must exert upon other minds. Happily there are not wanting examples of men of high intellectual culture, out of the clerical profession, to which we may appeal for an illustration of the benign and powerful influence of a devoted piety. There are pious physicians, and pious lawyers, and pious statesmen, who labor as christians in their appropriate sphere; and who often exert a direct influence in favor of the cause of religion, which, if they were ministers of the gospel, would be forbidden to them by the suspicions and jealousies of the multitude. Besides this, all these various classes of cultivated minds, when they are imbued with the influence of religion, are guided in their general movements by a benevolent impulse, and are rendering efficient, though it may be indirect, aid to the great cause of virtue and happiness. If our country is to be preserved from ultimate ruin, who can doubt that this is to be effected through the influence of religion; and where will that influence be likely to be felt to better purpose than in our national councils at the very fountain of political life and action? We rejoice in VOL. IV.

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the fact that so many of our educated and gifted young men are directing their attention to the christian ministry-the exigences of the church and the world demand it, and are likely to demand it more and more; but we are far from feeling regret when we see young men of the same class entering the other professions with right motives; for we are fully satisfied that each of these professions furnishes a field for christian usefulness; and we do not wish to see it abandoned to a reckless and unprincipled ambition. Would Wilberforce, or Howard, or Thornton, or John Mason Good, have probably done more for the moral benefit of their fellow men or the glory of Christ, if their lives had been spent in the hallowed vocation of a christian minister? Such men, we repeat, are needed in all professions; and in whatever department of action we find them laboring, provided they labor with facility and effect, we can hardly consider them out of their place. We would not sanction the principle that every pious student must of course direct his eye to the ministry; but we would earnestly maintain that religion is of immense importance to every cultivated man, let his profession or occupation be what it may.

There is danger from various sources that students in the course of their education, may be allured into the paths of skepticism and downright infidelity. One source of danger is found in the fact that in the great majority of cases the youth who enter our literary institutions, have previously had little or no instruction in respect to the evidences of christianity. They may have been accustomed in most instances to attend regularly on the preaching of the gospel; and many of them, from having pious parents, may have had some early impressions of the general importance of religion, and may have been trained to regard it with decent respect; but neither in the one case nor the other is there ordinarily found an intelligent conviction of the divinity of the christian system. If we do not greatly mistake, there is an error on the part of most ministers in preaching so little on the evidences of christianity; dwelling much, (as indeed they should do) on the doctrines of the gospel, but rarely exhibiting the great foundation on which these doctrines are built. The consequence of this is, that young persons especially are left at the mercy of every caviler; and that kind of general impression that christianity is true which is formed under the influence of such inadequate teaching, is far too weak to resist the wiles of an accomplished skeptic. We have known instances, (and we are sure that such instances are not uncommon) in which young men have entered a literary institution without having a single doubt that the bible is a revelation from God; and yet as their faith was little more than a prejudice of education, it gradually gave way, as it was assailed

by the cavils of unbelief, to absolute skepticism. If previous to their being brought into circumstances of temptation, they had been instructed in the evidences of christianity, there is little doubt that they might have withstood the attack upon their principles; and not unfrequently their intellectual conviction of the truth of the bible, might, through the influences of God's Spirit, have ripened into a cordial and sanctifying belief of its doctrines.

Another source of danger is found in the fact that in every literary institution in which a large number of youth are assembled, it may always be expected that there will be some, whose moral and religious principles have already been corrupted. It happens not unfrequently that these are young men who have been accustomed to move in the higher walks of life, who if they are not originally more gifted, are more accomplished, than most with whom they are associated; and not improbably they have all the influence that wealth and family can give them; and perhaps withal have a fascinating address, and an easy way of gaining access both to the understanding and the heart. Let but a solitary individual with these advantages enter a literary institution, and become the daily companion of a large number of unsuspecting young men, and it will be strange indeed if he does not soon prove that "one sinner destroyeth much good." Let there be several such characters scattered through a community, and if special means are not used to counteract their influence, it will inevitably work like the leaven of death. What renders their success more probable is, that their infidelity from being seen in the splendor of their own genius or accomplishments, loses its deformity or hatefulness; and the unreflecting youth while he listens to the sophistry of skepticism, is cheated into the delusion that to become an infidel will confer some claim to intellectual superiority.

If it were possible to know the whole process by which any youth, especially in such circumstances as we are supposing, is brought to the point of renouncing christianity, there is little doubt that it would appear that this melancholy result was to be referred in no small degree to the pride of intellect. Young men are exceedingly ambitious of distinction; and because the path which the gospel marks out is plain and broad and open, so that the simplest intellect can walk in it, they are too prone to leave it in pursuit of something which they imagine more out of the range of weak minds and vulgar prejudices. They contrive strangely to deceive themselves in respect to this matter; for the real truth is that while a few gifted minds have gone off into the mazes of infidelity, and have operated with tremendous energy against the gospel, the great multitude who have risen to high intellectual distinction, have acknowledged christianity to be a religion from heaven, and not a few have stood forth in the ranks of its open advocates.

The youth who should be mainly influenced by a desire to have his name associated with those who have had the highest character for genius and learning, would, even on this principle, if he acted consistently, hold fast his belief in divine revelation; for it admits not of question that the greatest and most accomplished minds have cordially embraced the gospel, and have regarded it as the highest wisdom to surrender themselves implicitly to divine teaching.

We are not of the number of those who would proscribe the Latin and Greek classics as part of a liberal education; still we cannot doubt that as they are sometimes studied, there may be danger of their exerting an influence unfriendly to the moral charter, and especially to a strong and settled conviction of the truth of the gospel. Every one knows that there are parts of some of the Latin and Greek poets-though they are now excluded from the books read in most of our colleges-which are of a flagrantly immoral tendency, and which are fitted to strengthen the vicious propensities on the one hand and to cover virtue with blushes on the other. This likewise is unhappily true, to an equal extent of many English works, which are highly popular at the present day-of the writings of Byron, Bulwar and many others. We believe that the minds of the young can be guarded against contamination, from both these quarters by the watchful care of parents and teachers; though we are quite sure that without strict attention in making suitable selections, and suggesting proper cautions, there may be great danger that the student, even while he professes his belief in christianity, may become deeply and dreadfully imbued with polluting principles.

But perhaps a more fruitful source of infidelity than any other in our literary institutions as well as every where else, is the strength of vicious propensities. A youth of a religious education and good habits, falls into bad company; and under the influence of temptation his sober and regular habits soon give place to a course of irregular and criminal indulgences. This of course is not done without a severe conflict with conscience, and without painful recollections of the past and gloomy forebodings of the future; and one way of getting the mastery over these internal remonstrances is by persuading himself that conscience is a bugbear, and all religion a delusion. When this is done, the inward conflict ceases, the path of vice becomes comparatively smooth and easy, and the heart is "hard as the nether millstone." No man would ever be a speculative infidel, if he did not suppose there was some purpose to be answered by it, beyond the mere pleasure of contemplating a favorite theory. The ultimate object is always of a practical nature: it is nothing less than to stop the tormenting corrosions of conscience, and to strew with flowers the path