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The wretched victim feels no relief, but from the increase of the poisonous draught; and sinks by painful but hastened steps to his grave,

with this melancholy truth inscribed on his mind, if any religious impression yet remains, that the drunkard shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1

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- From these destructive vices, it will be some relief to direct your attention to the delightful effects of INDUSTRY, and of those kindred virtues, on which we shall have next to observe,

If you are industrious, you will be useful to yourself, to your friends, to the community at large:-you will escape the seduction of bad company; you will avoid many temptations, to which the idle and unoccupied are necessarily subjected. Instead of being a burthen and incumbrance to others, you will, by your diligence, not only obtain a provision for yourself and for your own immediate connections,

but you may be enabled (as you ought to do, if in your power) to set apart, every week, something for the relief and comfort of the unfortunate and necessitous.

It has been observed, that vices are seldom found single; but that VIRTUES go always together. They are social, not solitary, in their

nature. Honesty, sobriety, and industry, excellent and praiseworthy as they are, appear but with diminished lustre, unless accompanied by their sister virtue-PRUDENCE. To enable you to reap and enjoy the fruits of your exertions, prospective prudence, which regards future welfare and satisfaction in preference to present indulgence and gratification, must direct your conduct. Without it, your other good quali ties will fail of the object of attainment.In some foreign countries, where the power of the few, or the violence of the many, destroys the security of property, the industrious have but little encouragement to lay up the produce of their labour. But in our own free and well regulated government, the law holds out equal and certain protection to all: every individual is secured in the enjoyment of the fruits of his own diligence and application.-Those, whom we see in the possession of wealth and affluence, are not exclusively, nor even the greater part of them, persons who derive their fortunes from their ancestors. They have mostly acquired them by their own industry. And, where the case is otherwise (whatever may have been accumulated by careful and thriving parents) if their children are thoughtless, idle, and extra

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vagant, riches will soon make them wings, and fly away.-Look to the acting Governors of this GREAT AND USEFUL CHARITY, under whose protection you have securely passed the preceding period of your life. You will find that most of them owe their affluence and indepen dence to their own exertions and attentions. As to many of them (for some we can speak from self-experience) powerful facts may be stated, in confirmation of our assertion, and as inducements and incentives to your industry and application.-It may be enough to remind you, that, with the blessing of God, you may, by attention and prudence, make the same use as they have done of the adv an tages, which a good education has afforded

you.

With regard to KINDNESS and FORBEARANCE, it is your duty to reflect, that, to the benevo lence of those who first received you into this House, you owe the comforts and advantages, which you at present possess; and that to the MERCY OF GOD, and to that alone, you must look for all your future hopes and happiness, -here, and hereafter.-It will therefore, we hope, be unnecessary to impress on your mind (instructed as you have been in the principles

of our religion) the CHRISTIAN DUTY of cultivating these amiable and excellent virtues,and of forgiving, as you hope to be forgiven. We shall therefore conclude, by intreating you to be PIOUS AND HUMBLE,-to be HONEST, SOBER, INDUSTRIOUS, PRUDENT, KIND HEARTED, AND FORBEARING. These are the qualities, by which we call on you, to testify your gratitude to your benefactors.-PROSPER, THRIVE, AND BE USEFUL IN THE WORLD.-BE VIRTUOUS. -BE HAPPY.-And we shall thereby receive an abundant reward for every care and attention, which we have bestowed upon you.

27th April, 1803.

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No. XXVII.

PROPOSED INQUIRY AS TO SCHOOLS.

In order to the extension of a general system

of religious and moral education among the poor, it is submitted that a previous Inquiry into the present state of charity and other schools will be requisite, in order to ascertain,

1. The places in which those schools are entirely adequate to the object;

2. The places where a greater extension of their benefits is wanted, and such extension is practicable; and

3. Those where new schools for the poor are necessary or expedient.

For this purpose it is proposed, that (with exception of the great classical schools, and of private seminaries receiving no support from charitable foundation, public aid, or private subscription) a parliamentary return be made from all the charity schools + in the kingdom, under the following heads:

• Reports, Appendix to Vol. IV.

+ This would make a valuable supplement to the returns very recently made under Mr. Rose's Act, 43d George III.

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