his danger, calmly told him he should now judge for himself of the truth of what he faid, and then very deliberately plunged him into the water; by which feeming cruelty, it is more than probable he faved the life of his child.

Let a child who has been inftructed in the nature of danger from his own experience, but whofe mind has never been weakened by repeated fenfations of terror; and one whofe infant education has been conducted upon principles exactly contrary; be both for the first time prefented with a new and ftriking object. Obferve the grave and penetrating looks of the former, while he fagacioufly examines the appearance of the object before him, in order to form a judgment of its qualities. After having looked at it on every fide, he ventures, though with much caution, to fubmit it to his touch. Finding it every way way harmless, he becomes reconciled to it, and difmiffes all apprehenfion. While the

poor

poor infant who has been accustomed to quake at unknown phantoms prefented to his imagination, affociates this strong, though undefined idea of evil, with every new object of uncommon appearance, and without venturing on examination, gives vent to his feelings in fhrieks and lamentations. Are the minds of these two chil dren equally prepared for entering on that most material part of education which must be derived from experience? How many fources of information are open to the one, which to the other are by his fears shut up! And is it not probable that a great and decided difference will mark their characters through life?

If we analize the flavish fear of death, which constitutes no trifling portion of human mifery, we shall often find it impoffible to be accounted for on any other grounds than thofe of early affociation. Frequently does this flavish fear operate in the bofoms of those who know not the pangs

pangs of an accufing confcience, and whofe fpirits bear them witness that they have reason to have hope and confidence towards GOD. But in vain does reason and religion speak peace to the foul of him whose first ideas of death have been accompanied with strong impreffions of terror. The affociation thus formed is too powerful to be broken, and the only resource to which minds under its influence generally refort, is to drive the fubject from their thoughts as much as poffible. To this cause we may attribute the unwillingness which many people evince towards making a fettlement of their affairs; not that they entertain the superstitious notion of accelerating the hour of their death by making a will; but that the averfion to the fubject of death is fo ftrong in their minds, that they feel a repugnance to the confideration of whatever iseven remotely connected with it.

How often the fame affociation operates in deterring from the serious contempla

tion of a future ftate, we must leave to the confciences of individuals to determine. Its tendency to enfeeble the mind, and its confequences in detracting from the happinefs of life are obvious to common obfervation; but as every subject of this nature is best elucidated by examples, I shall beg leave to introduce two from real life, in which the importance of early affociation will, I truft, be clearly illuftrated.

The first instance I fhall give of the abiding influence of ftrong impreffions received in infancy, is in the character of a lady who is now no more; and who was too eminent for piety and virtue, to leave any doubt of her being now exalted to the enjoyment of that felicity which her enfeebled mind, during its abode on earth never dared, to contemplate. The first view fhe had of death in infancy was accompanied with peculiar circumstances of terror, and this powerful impreffion was, by the injudicious language of the nursery, aggravated and encreased,

till the idea of death became affociated with all the images of horror that the imagination could conceive. Though born of a noble family, her education was strictly pious; but the piety to which she was a witnefs was tinctured with fanaticifm, and had little in it of that divine fpirit of "love which cafteth out fear." Her understanding was naturally excellent; or, in other words, what is in our fex generally termed mafculine; and it was improved by the advantages of a very fuperior education. But not all the advantages fhe derived from nature or cultivation, not all the strength of a found judgment, nor all the fagacity of a penetrating and cultivated genius, could counteract the affociation which rendered the idea of death a fubject of perpetual terror to her mind. Exemplary in the performance of every religious and every focial duty, full of faith and of good works, fhe never dared to dart a glance of hope beyond the tomb. The gloomy shadows

that