and new barriers against the intrusion or the resentment of parents, magistrates, and others who may be especially dreaded.

Thus multitudes of crimes are devised and perpetrated which owe their existence solely to the fact that the criminals kept company with each other.

Hence it is often said by the wretch who has been discovered in the commission of gross sins, "I should never have "thought of doing such a thing had I not been in that place "or in that company."

II. Sinners, by being companions, encourage each other to sin.

In the first place, by example.

Mankind are creatures of imitation. The propensity to imitate is conspicuous, even in infancy, but much more in early childhood. Children then scarcely do any thing but what they see others de, and attempt to do almost every thing which they see done by others. This original characteristic of our nature is never lost. All men imitate much through life, and many do little else. Not a small portion even of virtuous conduct owes it existence to this cause, while sins are multiplied by it without end.

To sin we are prone by nature. The sight of sin, therefore, in the example of others leads us by mere social impulse to the commission. Nor is this all. The example emboldens, nay it prompts us to follow. We feel an ambition to resemble our companions, and to rival them in whatever they do. At the same time, the guilt and the danger gradually lessen in our apprehension. On the one hand, they become familiar by being frequently presented to our view; and, on the other, are little felt by the hardened beings who sin continually before our eyes. Thus both become less and less, until they are finally forgotten.

Second, Sinful companions encourage each other to sin by arguments.

Older and more shrewd perpetrators have long been obliged to consider extensively the means of quieting the soul under

the consciousness of guilt, and the apprehensions of danger. All the arts of self-justification and self-flattery, and all the means of resisting the force of arguments against their practices they have been compelled to explore and adopt. To these refuges they have been often driven, and have thus rendered them familiar. They have found them necessary to themselves, and therefore know that they will be useful to others. Hence they bring them out on every occasion to quiet the scruples, and sustain the trembling hearts of young beginners.

To these adepts in iniquity, also, every advantage arising from the commission of the sin in question is at hand, and such advantages they fail not to exhibit in the fairest colours. The disadvantages, at the same time, whether real or pretended, which may spring from not committing the crime, and losing the favourable opportunity, and from obeying the dictates of conscience, they know how to set forth in lights equally strong and affecting, and thus place the unskilful adventurer on enchanted ground, where every thing wears a false form, and a deceitful hue.

Third, Such companions encourage others to sin by exhortations.

Every passion is addressed by these men from which they expect any aid. The fears of the novices are attacked on the one hand, their resolution on the other. Their sympathy is awakened. The obligation of being faithful to the fraternity is urged. Their cowardice is censured. Their courage is praised. Their hopes are stimulated. They are promised estecm, honour, and rewards. They are threatened with contempt, desertion, discovery, and punishment. Like the Philistines, when they fought against the ark of God, these modern enemies of his cross and kingdom mutually cry, Be strong, and quit yourselves like men.

Fourth, Such sinners encourage each other to sin by flattery. No persons so industriously labour to find out the weak side of others as hardened sinners, and none more usually succeed. To this they address themselves with a power not easily resisted. All the qualities, for which they see their young companions value themselves they enhance. Those of

which they are ashamed they either soften or annihilate. To these persons they profess an ardent friendship; to their interests, a fixed attachment. They stimulate their hopes, commend their efforts, prefer them to their rivals, and praise the spirit and ingenuity which they discover in the commission of crimes.

To these persons, in the character of friends, the novice has united himself as companions. Their esteem, therefore, and their good-will are by this very union invested with high importance. To stand well with them is often thought to be an enviable distinction, and whatever they say makes of course a dangerous impression on the inexperienced heart. To their example, their arguments, their exhortations, and their flatteries, the novice in iniquity submits at first with little resistance, and ultimately yields himself up without a struggle.

Fifth, Sinners encourage their companions to sin by ridicule. Fools, we are informed, make a mock at sin; and, it may be added, with truth, at virtue also. Against both these great objects, and every thing connected with them, is the ridicule of such men assiduously directed. As far as is in their power, they laugh religion, duty, the Christian character, parental authority, parental tenderness, filial piety and conscientiousness, the denunciations of the Scriptures, a future retribution, and in a ⚫ word all serious thoughts, persons, and things, out of countenance. To overcome the stripling's reluctance to any sin, they tell him that he has done other things which were as bad, or worse; and that it is contemptible to stagger at small things, after he has perpetrated greater. At his scruples they sneer. At his apprehensions they smile. Detection, they assure him, is impossible, or at least incredible; and punishment and perdition mere tales of wonder, repeated with no other design than to frighten children away from pleasure. They further inform him, that whatever may be true of some sins, that which is proposed by them in any given case is either no sin at all, or a mere trifle undeserving of the least serious regard. At the same time, they hiss at all the cautions, warnings, and injunctions of parents, ministers, and magistrates as mere bugbears, believed by none of those who utter them, and employed

merely to compel the obedience of the young and ignorant, and make the task of governing easy to themselves. All things of this nature they declare have never been believed, except by children and fools, while all wise and sagacious men have derided them from the beginning. Weak and silly people, they observe, have always been priest-ridden, and conscience ridden; just as they have believed in dreams, and trembled at ghosts and spectres; while men of sense have laughed at them all; and, boldly challenged their own rights, have with a noble independence of mind turned all these goblins out of doors, and seized resolutely upon the genuine pleasures of life. These, and the like things uttered in the language of sneer, and with airs of contempt and derision, are usually taught with a sure and controlling efficacy. Few, even among men, are proof against the shafts of ridicule. We cannot wonder that youths should become an easy prey.

III. Sinners communicate the spirit of sinning to each other. The love of sin exists in every child of Adam as a powerful propensity; and by means of the social, sympathetic spirit of man, is easily set on fire. Whatever things are thus told, the heart is prepared to believe, because it wishes to believe The snare is ventured upon, because it is pleasant. The temptation is the apple of the Manchineel, beautiful to the eye, fragrant to the smell, and delightful to the taste; but conveying a deadly poison to the veins. It is the song of the Sirens, charming the heedless mariner to shipwreck on the fatal shore. It is the cup of Circe, delighting the palates with its sweets; but changing him who drinks of it into a brute. In the midst of companions, amid gaiety, sport, mutual encouragements, and mutual solicitations, it becomes a spell, enchants the eye, and fascinates the heart. Cast your eyes upon a mob. What has called them together? What has roused their passions? What has generated their violence? Not one in a hundred can answer these questions. Some trifling cause of no moment gathered perhaps a little cluster at first. Others joined them, merely because they saw this collection. Then others, and others still, till finally we

see them become a multitude.

Some then cry one thing, and some another; as at Ephesus in the time of the Apostles; for the assembly is confused, and the greater part knew not wherefore they have come together. Yet the passions rage, the soul is set on fire, and acts of violence, which none of them separately would have perpetrated, or even devised, are done, merely because the spark in one bosom was caught by another, and another, and the flame broke out with the fury of a conflagration.

In a manner generally corresponding with this, the sympa↑thetic spirit in evil companions spreads from breast to breast, and becomes more vigorous by every interchange. Under its influence, all help each other to sin; and, taking each other by the hand, are mutually led onward to perdition.

IV. While sinners are employed in the company of each other, they lose all the benefit which they might have derived from better instructions, examples, and motives.

This, at the first glance, may seem a trifling loss. A little reflection will prove it to be incalculable. A youth in this seminary would hardly think himself censurable, much less believe himself in danger of suffering any serious evil from spending one hour of the twenty-four in what he perhaps would call agreeable company, but what is, in truth, too often the very company which I have described. Yet this would amount to at least a twelfth part of the whole time customarily devoted to the business of life by very industrious men, and probably to at least a sixth, of what such a youth would employ in this manner. Of his proper time for business, therefore, it would occupy two months every year. But if he spend one hour at the beginning, he will soon consume three; one half of the busy time of the year, and by obvious consequence half of the busy period of his own life. When we subduct the seasons of sleep, of our meals, of our exercise, of our occupa

tions in nameless trifling pursuits, the remainder will be found much less than any man who has not calculated with exactness would be persuaded to believe. The portion of time devoted