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them. May God be merciful to them! May he be glorified by their reformation, rather than their destruction!

Is there any more knowledge or virtue in that body of men (some hundreds of thousands) the English sailors? Surely not. It is not without cause, that a ship has been called a floating hell. What power, what form of religion is to be found in nine out of ten, shall I say? Or ninety-nine out of a hundred, either of our merchantmen or men of war? What do the men in them think or know about religion? What do they practise? Either sailors or marines? I doubt whether any Heathen sailors, in any country or age, Greek, Roman, or Barbarian, ever came up to ours, for profound ignorance and barefaced, shameless, shocking impiety. Add to these, out of our renowned metropolis, the whole brood of porters, draymen, carmen, hackney-coachmen, and I am sorry to say, noblemen and gentlemen's footmen, (together making up some thousands,) and you will have such a collection of knowing and pious Christians as all Europe cannot exceed.

! 'But all men are not like these.' No, it is pity they should. And yet how little better are the retailers of brandy or gin, the inhabitants of blind ale-houses, the oyster-women, fish-wives, and other good creatures about Billingsgate, and the various clans of pedlars and hawkers, that patrol through the streets, or ply in Ragfair, and other places of public resort. These likewise amount to several thousands, even within the Bills of Mortality. And what knowledge have they? What religion are they of? What morality do they practise ?

'But these have had no advantage of education, many of them scarcely being able to write or read.' Proceed we then to those who have had these advantages, the officers of the excise and customs. Are these, in general, men of reason? Who think with clearness and connection, and speak pertinently on a given subject? Are they men of religion? Sober, temperate? Fearing God, and working righteousness? Having a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man? How many do yo ufind of this

kind among them? Men that fear an oath, that fear perjury more than death? That would die rather than neglect any part of that duty which they have sworn to perform ? That would sooner be torn in pieces, than suffer any man, under any pretence, to defraud his majesty of his just right? How many of them will not be deterred from doing their duty, either by fear or favour? Regard no threatenings in the execution of their office, and accept no bribes, called presents? These only are wise and honest men. Set down all the rest as having neither religion nor sound

reason.

"But surely tradesmen have." Some of them have both: and in an eminent degree. Some of our traders are an honour to the nation. But are the bulk of them so? Are a vast majority of our tradesmen, whether in town or coun try, I will not say, religious, but honest men? Who shall judge whether they are or not? Perhaps you think St. Paul is too strict. Let us appeal then to Cicero, an honest Heathen. Now, when he is laying down rules of honesty between man and man, he proposes two cases.

1. Antisthenes brings a ship-load of corn to Rhodes, at a time of great scarcity. The Rhodians flock about him to buy. He knows that five other ships laden with corn will be there to-morrow. Ought he to tell the Rhodians this, before he sells his own corn? Undoubtedly he ought, says the Heathen. Otherwise he makes a gain of their ignorance, and so is no better than a thief or a robber.

2. A Roman nobleman comes to a gentleman to buy his house, who tells him, "There is another going to be built near it, which will darken the windows," and on that account makes a deduction in the price. Some years after, the gentleman buys it of him again. Afterward he sues the nobleman for selling it without telling him first, that houses were built near, which darkened the windows. The nobleman pleads, "I thought he knew it." The judge asks, Did you tell him or not? And on his owning, he did not, determines, "This is contrary to the law, Ne quid dolo

malo fiat," (let nothing be done fraudulently,) and sentences him immediately to pay back part of the price.

Now, how many of our tradesmen come up to the Heathen standard of honesty? Who is clear of Dolus malus ? Such fraud as the Roman judge would immediately have condemned? Which of our countrymen would not have sold his corn or other wares at the highest price he could? Who would have sunk his own market, by telling his customers there would be plenty the next day? Perhaps scarcely one in twenty. That one the Heathen would have allowed to be an honest man. And every one of the rest, according to his sentence, is "no better than a thief or a robber."

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I must acknowledge, I once believed the body of English merchants to be men of the strictest honesty and honour. But I have lately had more experience. Whoever wrongs the widow and fatherless, knows not what honour or honesty means. And how very few are there that will scruple this! I could relate many flagrant instances. But let one suffice. A merchant dies in the full course of a very extensive busiAnother agrees with his widow, that provided she will recommend him to her late husband's correspondents, he will allow her yearly such a proportion of the profits of the trade. She does so, and articles are drawn, which she lodges with an eminent man. This eminent man positively refuses to give them back to her; but gives them to the other merchant, and so leaves her entirely at his mercy. The consequence is, the other says, there is no profit at all. So he does not give her a groat. Now where is the honesty or honour, either of him who made the agreement, or of him who gave back the articles to him?

That there is honour, nay, and honesty to be found in another body of men, among the gentlemen of the Law, I firmly believe, whether Attorneys, Solicitors, or Counsellors. But are they not thinly spread? Do the generality of Attorneys, and Solicitors in Chancery, love their neighbour as themselves? And do to others, what (if the circumstance were changed) they would have others do to them?

Do the generality of Counsellors walk by this rule? And by the rules of justice, mercy, and truth? Do they use their utmost endeavours, do they take all the care which the nature of the thing will allow, to be assured that a cause is just and good before they undertake to defend it? Do they never knowingly defend a bad cause, and so make themselves accomplices in wrong and oppression? Do they never deliver the poor into the hand of his oppressor, and see that such as are in necessity have not right? Are they not often the means of with-holding bread from the hungry, and raiment from the naked? Even when it is their own, when they have a clear right thereto, by the law both of God and man? Is not this effectually done in many cases, by protracting the suit from year to year? I have known a friendly bill preferred in Chancery, by the consent of all parties; the manager assuring them, a decree would be procured in two or three months. But although several years are now elapsed, they can see no land yet. Nor do I know, that we are a jot nearer the conclusion than we were the first day. Now where is the honesty of this? Is it not picking of pockets, and no better? A lawyer who does not finish his client's suit, as soon as it can be done, I cannot allow to have more honesty (though he has more prudence) than if he robbed him on the highway.

"But whether lawyers are, or not, sure the Nobility and Gentry are all men of reason and religion." If you think they are all men of religion, you think very differently from your Master, who made no exception of time or nation, when he uttered that weighty sentence, "How difficultly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven!" And when some who seem to be of your judgment were greatly astonished at his saying, instead of retracting or softening it, he adds, "Verily, I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." You think differently from St. Paul, who declares, in those remarkable words, verified in all ages, "Not many rich men, not many noble are called and obey the heavenly calling.

So many snares surround them, that it is the greatest of all miracles, if any of them have any religion at all. And if you think they are all men of sound reason, you do not judge by fact and experience. Much money does not imply much sense; neither does a good estate infer a good understanding. As a gay coat may cover a bad heart, so a fair peruke may adorn a weak head. Nay, a critical judge of human nature, avers that this is generally the case. He lays it down as a rule

Sensus communis in illa

Fortuna rarus.

Common sense is rich man,' says he, will bear him out." parvula res est.

rarely found in men of fortune.' 'A has liberty to be a fool. His fortune

Stultitiam patiuntur opes: But Tibi You have little money, and therefore should have common sense.*

I would not willingly say any thing concerning those whom the providence of God has allotted for guides to others. There are many thousands of these in the Established Church: many, among dissenters of all denominations. We may add, some thousands of Romish priests, scattered through England, and swarming in Ireland. Of these therefore I would only ask, 'Are they all moved by the Holy Ghost, to take upon them that office and ministry ?' If not, they do not "enter by the door into the sheep-fold;" they are not sent of God. Is their eye single? Is it their sole intention in all their ministrations, to glorify God and save souls? Otherwise, "the light which is in them is darkness." And if it be, "how great is that darkness!" Is their "heart right with God?" Are their "affections set on things above, not on things of the earth?" Else how will they themselves go one step in the way, wherein they are to guide others? Once more," Are they holy in all manner of conversation, as he who hath called them is holy?" If not, with what face can they say to the flock, "Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ ?"

12. We have now taken a cursory view of the present state of mankind in all parts of the habitable world, and

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