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Let us pray.

yourselves out of these flames of contention, of the world, which, to speak my sentiments that your minds, being lighted up by the in a few words, are for the most part outpure and celestial fire of the Divine Spirit, wardly more pompous than these of ours, but may shine forth in holiness, and burn with inwardly equally vain, and more insignificant the most fervent charity. than the busy amusements of children playing on the sands, and eagerly building little houses, which, with giddy levity, they instantly pull down again. Or if you choose to be more severe upon the fruitless labours HONOUR and praise are due to thee, O of mankind, and their busy and irregular infinite God! This is the universal voice of motions backward and forward, and from one all the blessed spirits on high, and all the place to another, you may, with a great man, saints on earth: Worthy art thou, O Lord, that knew all these things by experience, to receive glory, and honour, and power, be- compare them to the fluttering of frightened cause thou hast created all things, and for flies, the toilsome hurry of the ants, and the thy pleasure they are. We, here before motions of puppets. + But he that, amidst thee, with united hearts and affections, offer all the confusions and commotions which thee, as we can, the sacrifice of gratitude, happen in human affairs here below, has relove, and praise. How much are we indebt- course to divine contemplation, and the hopes ed to thee for ourselves, and for all that we of eternity, as the lofty, impregnable tower possess for in thee we live, move, and have of true wisdom, "is the only person that enour being. Thou hast redeemed us from joys uninterrupted ease and tranquillity, like our sins, having given the Son of thy love, the heavenly bodies, which constantly move as a sacrifice and ransom for our souls; the on in their orbits, and are never, by any viochastisement of our peace fell upon him, and lence, diverted from their course."+ by his stripes we are healed. On this conAnd, indeed, what wonder is it, that he sideration, we acknowledge, we are no longer can easily view all the dreadful appearances at our own disposal, since we are bought of this wretched life, with a resolute and with a price, and so very great a price, that steady countenance, who, by frequent interwe may glorify thee, O Father, and thy Son, views and daily conversation with death itin our souls and our bodies, which are so self, which we call the king of terrors, § has justly thine. May we devote ourselves to rendered it familiar to him, and thereby not thee, through the whole remaining part of only divested it of its terrors, but also placed our life, and disdain the impure and ignoble it in a beautiful, pleasant, and quite amiable slavery of sin, the world, and the flesh, that, light. By this means, he dies daily, and, in all things, we may demean ourselves as becomes the sons of God, and the heirs of thy celestial kingdom, and make, daily, greater progress in our journey towards the happy possession thereof.

doubtless, before he suffers a natural death, he dies in a more exalted sense of the word, by withdrawing, as far as is possible, his mind from the incumbrance of earthly things, and, even while it lodges in the body, weanBless thy church, and our nation, and ing it from all the worldly objects that are this our university: may it be thine, we pray placed about him. And, in this very sense, thee. We entreat thou wouldest become our philosophy of old was most properly called father, our protector, and our supreme teach- the meditation of death, which the Roman er, who hast thy chair in heaven, and teach-orator has, in my opinion, explained with est the hearts of men on this earth. May great propriety, and the precision of a philothe youth flourish under thy instruction, sopher. "What is it we do," says he, that they may be not only learned, but espe- when we withdraw the mind from pleasure, cially upright, pious, and true Christians, entirely devoted to the honour of thy name, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

EXHORTATION VII.

THESE academical exercises of ours are, to be sure, no great matter, nor do we make any high account of them; yet, after all, we set no higher, perhaps even a less value, upon the bustling affairs of mankind, which make a much greater noise, and the farces that are acted upon the more exalted theatres

that is, the body, from our means and sub-
stance that is the servant of the body, that
provides for its wants, from the common-
wealth, and every kind of business; what is
it we then do, I say, but recall it to itself,
and oblige it to stay at home? Now, to
withdraw the mind from the body, is no-
thing else but to learn to die." Let us,
* Ως ότε τις ψαμάθον συναγή παις αγχι θαλάσσης,
Ος έπει των ποιησεν αθυρματα, νητείταισιν
Αν αυθις συνέχευσε ποσίν και χερσιν αθυρων.

† Μυΐδιων επτοημένων διαδρομάς, μυρμηκών ταλαιπο
ρίας και αχθοφορίας, και σιγιλλαρια νευροσπαστούμενα.
Otia solus agit, sicut cœlestía semper
Inconcussa suo volvuntur sidera lapsu. Luc. lib 'il-
Φρικωδεστάτην εικονα. Η Μελίτη θανατου.

Quid aliud agimus, cum a voluptate, id est a corpore, cum a re familiari quæ ministra est et famula corporis, cum a republica, cum a negotio omni severa. mus animum, quid tum agimus (inquam) nisi illum,

therefore, reason thus, if you will take my gladness springing from on high. And advice, and separate ourselves from our bodies, this is the man that is truly possessed of that is, let us accustom ourselves to die that tranquillity and happy disposition of this, even while we sojourn on this earth, mind, which the Philosophers boast of, will be to the soul a life like to that which the Divines recommend, but few attain. it will enjoy in heaven, and, being delivered And though he will neither willingly suffer from these fetters, we shall move at a better himself to be called a philosopher, nor a phirate, the course of our souls will be less re-lologer, yet he is, in reality, well versed in tarded in our journey to that happy place, at the things of God, † and, by a kind of diwhich, when we arrive, we can then, and vine influence and instruction,‡ has attain. then only, be truly said to live; for this life ed to the light of pure and peaceable truth; is but a kind of death, the miseries whereof where he passes his days in the greatest I could paint, if it were seasonable; but, to quietness and serenity, far above the cloudy be sure, it was most justly called a life of and stormy regions of controversy and disputhe greatest misery by Dionysius the Areo-tation.

pagite, or whoever was the author of that If any of you has been thus instructed, book that goes under his name. he has certainly attained the highest of all And, indeed, young gentlemen, I am of arts, and has entered upon the most glorious opinion, that such a view and meditation of liberty, even before he hath received any death will not be unsuitable, or improper, University degree. But the rest, though even for you, though you are in the prime of they are presently to have the title of Master life, and your minds in their full vigour; of Arts, still continue a silly, servile set of nay, I would gladly hope, you yourselves men, under a heavy yoke of bondage, wherewill not imagine it would, nor be at all of- by even their minds will be cramped with fended at me, as if, by mentioning that oppressive laws, far more intolerable than inauspicious word unseasonably, I disturbed any discipline, however severe. None of your present joy, drew a kind of black cloud you, I imagine, is so excessively blinded over this bright day of festivity, or seemed with self-conceit,§ so ignorant of the nature to mix among your laurels, a branch of the of things, and unacquainted with himself, hated cypress. For a wise man would not as to dream that he is already a philosopher, willingly owe his joy to madness, nor think or be puffed up with an extravagant opinion it a pleasure, foolishly to forget the situation of his own knowledge, because he has gone of his affairs. through the ordinary exercises at the UniverThe wise man alone feels true joy, and sity; though, to speak the truth, the philo real wisdom is the attainment of a Christian sophy which prevails in the schools, is of a only, who bears with life, but hopes for vain, airy nature, and more apt to inspire the death; and passes through all the storms mind with pride, than to improve it. As it and tempests of the former with an undaunt- is my earnest prayer, so it is also the object ed mind, but with the most fervent wishes of my hope, that you will retire from the looks for the latter, as the secure port, and the Seminary, with your minds excited to a keen fair havens+ in the highest sense of the ex- and wholesome thirst after true erudition, pression; whose mind is humble, and, at the rather than blown up with the wildfire of same time, exalted, neither depending upon science, falsely so called: and, what of all foreign, that is, external advantages, nor other attainments is of greatest consequence, puffed up with his own; and neither elevat- that you will leave us, deeply affected with ed nor depressed by any turns or vicissitudes of fortune.

He is the wise man who relishes things as they really are; who is not, with the common sort of mankind, that are always children, terrified by bugbears, nor pleased with painted rattles; who has a greatness of soul, vastly superior to all fading and perishing things; who judges of his improvements by his life, and thinks he knows every thing he does not covet, and every thing he does not fear. The only thing he desires, is the favour and countenance of the Supreme King; the only thing he fears, is his displeasure; and, without doubt, a mind of this cast must, of necessity, be the habitation of constant serenity, exalted joy, and ad seipsum advocamus, et secum esse cogimus? Secernere autem a corpore animum, necquicquam aliud Est quam mori discere.

* Πολυταθιστα την ζωήν.

Η Καλούς Λιμένας

the most ardent love of heavenly wisdom. Whatever may be your fate, with respect to other things, it is my earnest request, that it may be your highest ambition and your principal study, to be true Christians; that is, to be humble, meek, pure, holy, and followers of your most auspicious Captain, the Lamb, wherever he goeth; for he that followeth him shall not walk in darkness, but be conducted, through the morning light of Divine grace, to the meridian and never-ending brightness of glory.

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EXHORTATION VIII.

But

AMIDST these amusements, we are unhappily losing a day. Yet some part of the weight of this complaint is removed, when we consider, that, while the greatest part of mankind are bustling in crowds, and places of traffic, or, as they would have us believe, in affairs of great importance, we are trifling our time more innocently than they. what should hinder us from closing this last scene in a serious manner, that is, from turning our eyes to more divine objects, whereby, though we are fatigued with other matters, we may terminate the work of this day, and the day itself, agreeably; as the beams of the sun use to give more than ordinary delight, when he is near his setting?

hast created, and their never-failing consola-enriched with thy heavenly influences, that tion, into what by-paths of error do our it may constantly supply pure and limpid souls divert, and to what dangers are they streams, for the welfare and improvement of exposed on every hand, when they stray away thy church and people, to the glory of thy from thee! But while they keep within thy exalted name, through our Lord Jesus Christ; hiding-place, O Most High, they are safe to whom, with thee, and the Holy Spirit, be under the shadow of thy wings. O how honour, praise, and glory, world without happy are they, and how well do they live, end. Amen. who pass their whole lives in that secret abode, where they may continually refresh themselves with the delicious fruits of thy love, and shew forth thy praise; where they may taste and see that thou art good, O Lord, and be thoroughly persuaded of the immense riches of thy bounty, which all our miseries cannot exceed, nor our poverty exhaust; nay, which the constant effusion of them upon the whole universe, and all its parts, cannot in the least diminish! As for us, who are before thee, the most unworthy of all thy creatures, yet at the same time, the most excessively loaded with all the instances of thy goodness, can we avoid crying out with the united voices of our hearts, Let praise be ascribed to the Lord, because he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever? Who shall declare the great and wonderful works of God, who shall shew forth his praise; who ruleth by his power for ever, and his eyes observe the nations, that the rebellious may not exalt themselves; who restores our souls to life, and suffers not our feet to be You are now initiated into the philosophy, moved? But, on the other hand, alas! how such as it is, that prevails in the schools, justly may our songs be interrupted with bit- and, I imagine, intend, with all possible dister lamentations, that, under such strong and patch, to apply to higher studies. But O! constant rays of his bounty, our hearts are so how pitiful and scanty are all those things cold towards him! O how faint and languid which beset us before, behind, and on every is our love to him! How very little, or near side! The bustling we observe, is nothing to nothing, is the whole of that flame which but the hurrying of ants eagerly engaged in we feel within us; and, as that love fails their little labours. The mind must surely within us, we misplace our affections upon have degenerated, and forgotten its original the things around us; and as we follow as effectually as if it had drunk of the river vanity, we become vain and miserable at the Lethe, if, extricating itself out of all these same time. But may thy Spirit, O Lord, mean concerns and designs, as so many whom we humbly and earnestly beg of thee, snares laid for it, and rising above the whole descending into our hearts, inspire us tho- of this visible world, it does not return to its roughly with life, vigour, and celestial purity. Father's bosom, where it may contemplate Please to enlighten thy church throughout his eternal beauty, where contemplation will the whole habitable world, and particularly inflame love, and love be crowned with the in these islands, with the continued light of possession of the beloved object. But, in thy countenance: if thou apply thy healing the contemplation of this glorious object, hand, we shall presently be whole; nor need how great caution and moderation of mind we look to any quarter for other remedies is necessary, that, by prying presumptuously than those we have always found to be more into his secret councils, or his nature, and powerful than our most obstinate distempers. rashly breaking into the sanctuary of light,* Bless this city, and this celebrated university. we be not quite involved in darkness! And, Grant, most gracious Father, that the num- with regard to what the infinite, indepenbers of youth we send out from it this day, dent, and necessarily existent Being,† has and every year, may be, by thy effectual thought proper to communicate to us congrace, consecrated and devoted to thy service. cerning himself, and we are concerned to Forbid, we pray thee, that they should either know, even that is by no means to be obbe the means of spreading pollution among scured by curious, impertinent questions, thy people, or suffer themselves to be tainted nor perplexed with the arrogance of disputawith the infection of a wicked world; but tion; because by such means, instead of let this fountain of learning be continually * Εις τα του φωτος αυτα. Η Τρι εντως οντι.

enlarging our knowledge, we are in the fair selves! The Roman philosopher, ridiculing way to know nothing at all; but readily to the graminarians of his time, observes, be received by humble faith, and entertained" that they inquired narrowly into the miswith meek and pious affections. And if in fortunes of Ulysses, but were quite ignorant these notices of him, that are communicated of their own.' The sentiments of a wise to us, we meet with any thing obscure, and and pious man are quite different, and I hard to be understood, such difficulties will wish you may adopt them. It is his princibe happily got over, not by perplexed con- pal care to be thoroughly acquainted with troversies, but by constant and fervent prayer. himself, he watches over his own ways, he "He will come to understand," says, ad- improves and cultivates his heart as a garden, mirably well, the famous bishop of Hippo, nay, a garden consecrated to the King of "who knocks by prayer, not he who, by kings, who takes particular delight in it; he quarrelling, makes a noise at the gate of carefully nurses the heavenly plants and truth." But what can we, who are mortal flowers, and roots up all the wild and noxious creatures, understand, with regard to the in- weeds, that he may be able to say, with the expressible Being we now speak of, espe- greater confidence, "Let my beloved come cially while we sojourn in these dark prisons into his own garden, and be pleased to eat of of clay, but only this, that we can by no his fruits." And when, upon this invitation, means comprehend him? For though, in the great King, in the fulness of his goodthinking of him, we remove from our idea ness, descends into the mind, the soul may all sort of imperfection, and collect together then easily ascend with him, as it were, in a every perceivable perfection, and adore the chariot of fire, and look down upon the earth, whole with the highest titles, we must, and all earthly things, with contempt and after all, acknowledge, that we have said disdain: "Then rising above the rainy renothing, and that our conceptions are no- gions, it sees the storms falling beneath its thing to the purpose. Let us, therefore, in feet, and tramples upon the hidden thungeneral acknowledge him to be the immov- der."+ able Being, that moveth every thing; the immutable God, that changeth all things at his pleasure; the infinite and eternal fountain of all good, and of all existence, and the Lord and sole ruler of the world.

Let us pray.

WHATEVER satisfaction we look for with. If you, then, my dear youths, aspire to out thee, O heavenly Father, is mere delugenuine Christianity, that is, the knowledge sion and vanity; yet, though we have so of God and divine things, I would have often experienced this, we have not, to this you consider, that the mind must first be day, learned to renounce this vain and fruitrecalled, and engaged to turn in upon itself, less labour, that we may depend upon thee, before it can be raised up towards God, ac- who alone canst give full and complete satiscording to that expression of St. Bernard, faction to the souls of men. We pray, there "May I return from external things to those fore, that by thy Almighty hand, thou would. that are within myself, and from these again est so effectually join and unite our hearts to rise to those that are of a more exalted na- thee, that they may never be separated any ture." But the greatest part of men live more. How unhappy are they who forsake abroad, and are, truly, strangers at home; thee, and whose hearts depart from thy ways! you may sooner find them any where, than They shall be like shrubs in the desert, they with themselves. Now, is not this real mad- shall not see when good cometh, but dwell ness, and the highest degree of insensibility ? in a parched and barren land. Blessed, on Yet, after all, they seem to have some the contrary, is he who hath placed his conreason in their madness, when they thus stray fidence in thee; he shall be like a tree plantaway from themselves, since they can see no-ed by the rivers of water, he shall not be thing within them that, by its promising as- afraid when heat cometh, nor be uneasy in pect, can give them pleasure or delight. the time of drought. Take from us, O Lord, Every thing there is ugly, frightful, and full whatever earthly enjoyments thou shalt think of nastiness, which they would rather be ig-proper; there is one thing will abundantly norant of, than be at the pains to purge away; make up all our losses, let Christ dwell in and therefore prefer a slothful forgetfulness our hearts by faith, and the rays of thy faof their misery, to the trouble and labour of regaining happiness. But how preposterous is the most diligent study and the highest knowledge, when we neglect that of our

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vour continually refresh us in the face of thine Anointed; in this event, we have nothing more to ask, but, with grateful minds, shall for ever celebrate thy bounty, and all our bones shall say, Who is like unto thee, O Lord, who is like unto thee?

Ulyssis mala explorant, ignorant sua.

+ Celsior exsurgens pluvils, nimbosque cadentes Sub pedibus cernens, et cæca tonitrua calcans.

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Let thy church be glad in thee, and all in by his providence; the law of God given to this nation, and every where throughout the mankind, and the rewards and punishments world, that regard and love thy name; by annexed to it. The other class of the grand the power and efficacy of the gospel, may articles of religion are indeed peculiar to their number be daily augmented, and let Christian Philosophy, but believed in comthe gifts of thy grace be also increased in mon by all the professors of that religion. them all. Bless this university; let it be These are the great foundations of our faith, like a garden watered by thy heavenly hand, and of all our hope and joy, with regard to that thy tender shoots may grow, and in due the incarnation of the Son of God, his death time produce abundant fruit, to the eternal and resurrection for the destruction of sin, honour of thy most glorious name, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

VALEDICTORY ORATION.

and consequently of death; his ascension into the highest heavens, with that same flesh of ours, in which he died, and his exaltation there above all ranks of angels, dominions, and thrones, &c.; whence we expect he will return in great glory, in that day, when he will be glorious in all his saints, and admired in those that believe. As many, therefore, as desire to receive him in this his THOUGH this, I imagine, is the last ad- last manifestation, with joy and exultation, dress I shall ever have occasion to make to must of necessity be holy, and, in conforyou, I will not detain you long from your mity to their most perfect and glorious Head, studies, nor encroach on the time allowed sober, pious, upright, and live in full conyou for recreation. This is, to be sure, the tempt of this perishing transitory world, their first time that some of you have heard me own mortal flesh, and the sordid pleasures but I have a great many others to bear wit- of both in a word, all the enjoyments which ness of the constant design of all my disser- the mean and servile admire, they must tations in this place. They will testify, that trample under foot and despise. For whothe intention of all my discourses was, "that ever will strive for this victory, and strive so the form of sound words," that is, the Chris- as at last to obtain it, the Lord will own him tian doctrine, and consequently the fear and for his servant, and the great Master will aclove of God, might not only be impressed, knowledge him for his disciple. He will atbut also engraven upon your hearts in last-tain a likeness to God in this earth, and, ing and indelible characters; and that you after a short conflict, will triumph in the might not only admit as a truth, but also Divine presence for ever. These are the docpay the highest regard to this indisputable trines which it is our interest to know, and maxim, "that piety and religion is the only in the observation of which out happiness real good among men."+ Moreover, that will be secured. To these you will turn your minds might be the less encumbered your thoughts, young gentlemen, if you are in their application to this grand study of wise; nay, to these you ought to give due atreligion, and the more expeditious in their tention, that you may be wise: those phantoms progress therein, I constantly endeavoured, we catch at, fly away; this shadow of a life with all possible warmth, to divert you from we now live, is likewise on the wing. Those those barren and thorny questions and dis- things that are without the verge of sense, putes, that have infected the whole of theo- and above its reach, are the only solid and logy and this at a time, when the greatest lasting enjoyments. : "Why are ye fond of

part of divines and professors, and those of no these earthly things," says St. Bernard, small reputation, engaging furiously in such" which are neither true riches, nor are they controversies, "have split into parties, and yours? If they are yours," continues he, unhappily divided the whole world." It" take them with you." And Lactantius was my constant practice to establish those admirably well observes, that, "whoever pre great and uncontroverted articles of our holy fers the life of the soul, must, of necessity, religion, which are but few and clear; some despise that of the body; nor can he aspire part whereof are confirmed by the common to the highest good, unless he despise ad'consent of nations, and of all the human vantages of an inferior kind. For the allrace; and all the rest by the unanimous wise God did not choose that we should atvoice of the whole Christian world. Of the tain to immortality in a soft, indolent way, first sort are those we have often advanced in treating of the being and perfections of the One supreme and eternal Principle, and the production of all things by him; the continual preservation and government of the world

• Υγιαινόντων λόγων τυπος.

4. Ότι έν και μονον εν ανθρώποις αγαθον ή ευσέβεια, 7 Σχίζονται, και κοσμον όλον τιμνούσιν αθέσμως

but that we should gain that inexpressible reward of eternal life with the highest difficulty and severest labour."+ And, that you

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Quid terrena hæc amplectimini, quæ nec veræ divisunt, nec vestræ? Si vestræ sunt, tollite vobiscum. Quisquis animæ vitam maluerit, corporis vitam contemnat necesse est, nec aliter aspirare ad summum poterit bonum, nisi quæ sunt ima despexerit. Noluit enim sapientissimus Deus, nos immortalitatem deli

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