$165. Against wronging our Neighbour by injurious Actions. Having thus considered injurious words, let us next consider injurious actions. On this head we are enjoined "to keep our hands from picking and stealing, and to be true and just in all our dealings." As to theft, it is a crime of so odious and vile a nature, that one would imagine no person, who hath had the least tincture of a virtuous education, even though driven to necessity, could be led into it. I shall not, therefore, enter into a dissuasive from this crime; but go on with the explanation of the other part of the injunction, and see what it is to be true and just in all our dealings. Justice is even still more, if possible, the support of society, than truth: inasmuch as a man may be more injurious by his actions, than by his words. It is for this reason, that the whole force of human law is bent to restrain injustice; and the happiness of every society will increase in propo tion to this restraint. that We very much err, however, if we sup. pose, every thing within the bounds of law is justice. The law was intended only for bad men; and it is impossible to make the meshes of it so strait, but that many very great enormities will escape. The well meaning man, therefore, knowing that the law was not made for him, consults a better guide-his own conscience, informed by religion. And, indeed, the great difference between the good and the bad man consists in this: the good man will do nothing, but what his conscience will allow; the bad man will do any thing which the law cannot reach. It would, indeed, be endless to describe the various ways, in which a man may be dishonest within the limits of law. They are as various as our intercourse with mankind. Some of the most obvious of them I shall cursorily mention. In matters of commerce the knave has mary opportunities. The different quali ties of the same commodity- the different modes of adulteration-the specious arts of vending the frequent ignorance in purchasing; and a variety of other circumstances, open an endless field to the ingenuity of fraud. The honest fair dealer, in the mean time, has only one rule, which is, that all arts, however common in busi ness, which are intended to deceive, are utterly unlawful. It may be added, upon this head, that if any one, conscious of having been a transgressor, is desirous of repairing his faults, restitution is by all means necessary; till that be done, he continues in a course of injustice. Again, in matters of contract, a man has many opportunities of being dishonest within the bounds of law. He may be strict in observing the letter of an agree ment, when the equitable meaning re quires a laxer interpretation: or, he can take the laxer interpretation, when it serves his purpose; and at the loop-hole of some ambiguous expression exclude the literal meaning, though it be undoubtedly the true one. The same iniquity appears in withhold. ing from another his just right; or in putting him to expense in recovering it. The movements of the law are slow; and in many cases cannot be otherwise; but he who takes the advantage of this to injure his neighbour, proves himself an undoubted knave. It is a species of the same kind of injus tice to withhold a debt, when we have ability to pay; or to run into debt, when we have not that ability. The former can proceed only from a bad disposition; the latter from suffering our desires to exceed our station. Some are excused on this head, as men of generous principles, which they cannot confine. But what is their generosity? They assist one man by injuring another. And what good arises to society from hence? Such persons cannot act on principle; and we need not hesitate to rank them with those who run into debt to gratify their own selfish inclinations. One man desires the elegancies of life; another desires what he thinks an equal good, the reputation of generosity. Oppression is another species of injustice; by which, in a thousand ways, under the cover of law, we may take the advantage of the superiority of our power, either to crush an inferior, or humble him to our designs. Ingratitude is another. A loan, we know, claims a legal return. And is the obligation less, if, instead of a loan, you receive a kindness? The law, indeed, says nothing on this point of immorality; but an honest conscience will be very loud in the condemnation of it. We We may be unjust also in our resentment; by carrying it beyond what reason and religion prescribe. But it would be endless to describe the various ways, in which injustice discovers itself. In truth, almost every omission of duty may be resolved into injustice. The next precept is, "to bear no malice or hatred in our hearts." The malice and hatred of our hearts arise, in the first place, from injurious treatment; and surely no man, when he is injured, can at first help feeling that he is so. But Christianity requires, that we should subdue these feelings, as soon as possible;," and not suffer the sun to go down upon our wrath." Various are the passages of Scripture, which inculcate the forgiveness of injuries. Indeed no point is more laboured than this; and with reason, because no temper is more productive of evil, both to ourselves and others, than a malicious one. The sensations of a mind burning with revenge are beyond description; and as we are at these seasons very unable to judge coolly, and of course liable to carry our resentment too far, the consequence is, that, in our rage, we may do a thousand things, which can never be atoned for, and of which we may repent as long as we live. Besides, one act draws on another; and retaliation keeps the quarrel alive. The gospel, therefore, ever gracious and kind to man, in all its precepts, enjoins us to check all those violent emotions, and to leave our cause in the hands of God. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord;" and he who, in opposition to this precept, takes vengeance into his own hands, and cherishes the malice and hatred of his heart, may assure himself that he has not yet learned to be a Christian. These precepts, perhaps, may not entirely agree with modern principles of honour: but let the man of honour see to that. The maxims of the world cannot change the truth of the gospel. Nay, even in recovering our just right, or in pursuing a criminal to justice, we should take care that it be not done in the spirit of retaliation and revenge. If these be our motives, though we make the law our instrument, we are equally guilty. But besides injurious treatment, the malice and hatred of our hearts have often another source, and that is envy; and thus in the Litany, "envy, malice, and hatred," are all joined together with great propriety. The emotions of envy are generally cooler, and less violent, than those which arise from the resentment of injury; so that envy is seldom so mischievous in its effects as revenge but with regard to ourselves, it is altogether as bad, and full as destructive of the spirit of Christianity. What is the religion of that man, who instead of, thanking Heaven for the blessings he receives, is fretting himself continually with a disagreeable comparison between himself and some other? He cannot enjoy what he has, because another has more wealth, a fairer fame, or perhaps more merit, than himself. He is miserable, because others are happy. But to omit the wickedness of envy, how absurd and foolish is it, in a world where we must necessarily expect much real misery, to be perniciously inventive in producing it! Besides, what ignorance! we see only the glaring outside of things. Under all that envied glare, many unseen distresses may lurk, from which our station may be free: for our merciful Creator seems to have bestowed happiness, as far as station is concerned, with great equality among all his creatures. In conclusion, therefore, let it be the great object of our attention, and the subject of our prayers, to rid our minds of all this cursed intrusion of evil thoughts— whether they proceed from malice, or from an envious temper. Let all our malicious thoughts soften into charity and benevolence; and let us forgive one another, as God. for Christ's sake, has forgiven us." As for our envious thoughts, as far as they relate to externals, let them subside in humility, acquiescence, and submission to the will of God. And when we are tempted to envy the good qualities of others, let us spurn so base a conception, and change it into a generous emulation— into an endeavour to raise ourselves to an equality with our rival, not to depress him to a level with us. Gilpin, $166. Duties to Ourselves. Thus far the duties we have considered come most properly under the head of those which we owe to our neighbour; what follows, relates rather to ourselves. On this head, we are instructed "to keep our bodies in temperance, soberness, and chastity." Though our souls should be our great concern, yet, as they are nearly connected with our bodies, and as the impurity of the one contaminates the other, a great degree of moral attention is, of course, due to our bodies also. As our first station is in this world, to which our bodies particularly belong, they are formed with such appetites as are requisite to our commodious living in it; and the rule given us is, "to use the world so as not to abuse it." St. Paul, by a beautiful allusion, calls our bodies the "temples of the Holy Ghost;" by which he means to impress us with a strong idea of their dignity; and to deter us from debasing, by low pleasures, what should be the seat of so much purity. To youth these cautions are above measure necessary, because their passions and appetites are strong; their reason and judgment weak. They are prone to pleasure, and void of reflection. How, therefore, these young adventurers in life may best steer their course, and use this sinful world so as not to abuse it, is a consideration well worth their attention. Let us then see under what regulations their appetites should be restrained. By keeping our bodies in temperance, is meant avoiding excess in eating, with regard both to the quantity and quality of our food. We should neither eat more than our stomachs can well bear; nor be nice and delicate in our eating. considering the many bad consequences which attend a breach of temperance.Young men, in the full vigour of health, do not consider these things; but as age appear, they may perhaps repent they did comes on, and different maladies begin to temperance. not a little earlier practise the rules of sequences of intemperance are still worse. In a moral and religious light, the conTo enjoy a comfortable meal, when it comes before us, is allowable; but he who suffers his mind to dwell upon the pleasures of eating, and makes them the employ. ment of his thoughts, has at least opened one source of mental corruption†. enjoy the pleasures of the table, such as After all, he who would most perfectly they are, must look for them within the rules of temperance. The palate, accus tomed to satiety, hath lost its tone; and the greatest sensualists have been brought to confess, that the coarsest fare, with an appetite kept in order by temperance, af fords a more delicious repast, than the most luxurious meal without it. soberness or sobriety relates properly to As temperance relates chiefly to eating, drinking. And here the same observations recur. The strictest, and perhaps the best rule, is merely to satisfy the end of drink. ing. But if a little more indulgence be est circumspection. taken, it ought to be taken with the great To preserve the body in health is the end of eating; and they who regulate themselves merely by this end, who eat be inclined to great strictness on this head. With regard to youth, indeed, I should without choice or distinction, paying no In eating, if they eat of proper and simple regard to the pleasure of eating, observe food, they cannot easily er Their grow perhaps the best rule of temperance. They ing limbs, and strong exercise, require go rather indeed beyond temperance, and larger supplies than full-grown bodies, may be called abstemious. A man may which must be kept in order by a more be temperate, and yet allow himself a little rigid temperance. But if more indulgence more indulgence. Great care, however, is be allowed them in eating, less, surely, here necessary; and the more, as perhaps should in drinking. With strong liquors no precise rule can be affixed, after we of every kind they have nothing to do; have passed the first great limit, and let and if they should totally abstain on this the palate loose among variety*. own discretion must be our guide, which languor which attends age‡, requires, perOur head, it were so much the better. The would be constantly kept awake by haps, now and then, some aids; but the + -Nam variæ res, Ut noceant homini, credas memor illius escæ, Dulcia se in bilem vertent, stomachoque tumultum -Corpus onustum Hesternis vitiis, animum quoque prægravat una, Ubive Accedant anni, et tractari mollius ætas Imbecilla volet. HOR. HOR. Sat. Ibid. spirits spirits of youth want no recruits: a little rest is sufficient. As to the bad consequences derived from excessive drinking, besides filling the blood with bloated and vicious humours, and debauching the purity of the mind, as in the case of intemperate eating, it is attended with this peculiar evil, the loss of our senses. Hence follow frequent inconveniences and mortifications. We expose our follies we betray our secrets-we are often imposed upon-we quarrel with our friends -we lay ourselves open to our enemies; and, in short, make ourselves the objects of contempt, and the topics of ridicule to all our acquaintance.-Nor is it only the act of intoxication which deprives us of our reason during the prevalence of it; the habit of drunkenness soon besots and impairs the understanding, and renders us at all times less fit for the offices of life. We are next enjoined "to keep our bodies in chastity." "Flee youthful lusts," says the apostle," which war against the soul." And there is surely nothing which carries on a war against the soul more successfully. Wherever we have a catalogue in Scripture (and we have many such catalagues) of those sins which in a peculiar manner debauch the mind, these youthful lusts have always, under some denomination, a place among them.-To keep our selves free from all contagion of this kind, let us endeavour to preserve a purity in our thoughts our words and our actions. First, let us preserve a purity in our thoughts. These dark recesses, which the eye of the world cannot reach, are the receptacles of these youthful lusts. Here they find their first encouragement. The entrance of such impure ideas perhaps we cannot always prevent. We may always, however, prevent cherishing them: we may always prevent their making an impression upon us: the devil may be cast out as soon as discovered. Let us always keep in mind, that even into these dark abodes the eye of Heaven can penetrate; that every thought of our hearts is open to that God, before whom we must one day stand; and that however secretly we may indulge these impure ideas, at the great day of account they will certainly appear in an awful detail against us. Let us remember again, that if our bodies be the temples of the Holy Ghost, our minds are the very sanctuaries of those temples: and if there be any weight in the apostle's arguments, against polluting our bodies, it urges with double force against polluting our minds. But, above all other considerations, it behoves us most to keep our thoughts pure, because they are the fountains from which our words and actions flow. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Obscene words and actions are only bad thoughts matured, and spring as naturally from them as the plant from its seed. It is the same vicious depravity carried a step farther, and only shews a more confirmed and a more mischievous degree of guilt. While we keep our impurities in our thoughts, they debauch only ourselves: bad enough, it is true. But when we proceed to words and actions, we let our impurities loose: we spread the conta gion, and become the corrupters of others. Let it be our first care, therefore, to keep our thoughts pure. If we do this, our words and actions will be pure of course. And that we may be the better enabled to do it, let us use such helps as reason and religion prescribe. Let us avoid all company, and all books, that have a tendency to corrupt our minds; and every thing that can inflame our passions. He who allows himself in these things, holds a parley with vice; which will infallibly debauch him in the end, if he do not take the alarm in time, and break off such dalliance. One thing ought to be our particular care, and that is, never to be unemployed. Ingenious amusements are of great use in filling up the vacuities of our time. Idle we should never be. A vacant mind is an invitation to vice. Gilpin. § 167. On coveting and desiring other Men's Goods. We are forbidden next, "to covet, or desire other men's goods." There are two great paths of vice, into which bad men commonly strike; that of unlawful pleasure, and that of unlawful gain. The path of unlawful pleasure we have just examined; and have seen the danger of obeying the headstrong impulse of our appetites. We have considered also an immoderate love of gain, and have seen dishonesty and fraud in a variety of shapes. But we have yet viewed them only as they relate to society. We have viewed only the outward action. The rule before us, "We must not covet, nor desire other men's men's goods," comes a step nearer home, and considers the motive which governs the action. Covetousness, or the love of money, is called in Scripture "the root of all evil;" and it is called so for two reasons; because it makes us wicked, and because it makes us miserable. First, it makes us wicked. When it once gets possession of the heart, it will let no good principle flourish near it. Most vices have their fits; and when the violence of the passion is spent, there is some interval of calm. The vicious appetite cannot always run riot. It is fatigued at least by its own impetuosity; and it is possible, that in this moment of tranquillity, a whisper from virtue may be heard. But in avarice, there is rarely intermission. It hangs like a dead weight upon the soul, always pulling it to earth. We might as well expect to see a plant grow upon a flint, as a virtue in the heart of a miser. It makes us miserable as well as wicked. The cares and the fears of avarice are proverbial; and it must needs be that he, who depends for happiness on what is liable to a thousand accidents, must of course feel as many distresses, and almost as many disappointments. The good man depends for happiness on something more permanent; and if his worldly affairs go ill, his great dependence is still left. But as wealth is the god which the covetous man worships (for covetousness," we are told, "is idolatry,") a disappointment here is a disappointment indeed Be he ever so prosperous, his wealth cannot secure him against the evils of mortality; against that time when he must give up all he values; when his bargains of advantage will be over, and nothing left but tears and despair. But even a desiring frame of mind, though it be not carried to such a length, is always productive of misery. It cannot be otherwise. While we suffer our selves to be continually in quest of what we have not, it is impossible that we should be happy with what we have. In a word, to abridge our wants as much as possible, not to increase them, is the truest happi The prodigal, is the only covetous man. though he differ in his end, may be as avaricious in his means t. The former denies himself every comfort; the latter grasps at every pleasure. Both characters are equally bad in different extremes. The mise is more detestable in the eyes of the world, because he enters into none of its joys; but it is a question, which is more wretched in himself, or more pernicious to society. As covetousness is esteemed the vice of age, every appearance of it among young persons ought particularly to be discou raged; because if it gets ground at this early period, nobody can tell how far it may not afterwards proceed. And yet, on the other side, there may be dan. great ger of encouraging the opposite extreme. As it is certainly right, under proper restrictions, both to save our money, and to spend it, it would be hi hly useful to fix the due bounds on each side. But nothing is more difficult than to raise these nice li mits between extremes. Every man's case, in a thousand circumstances, differs from his neighbour's; and as no rule can be fixed for all, every man of course, in these disquisitions, must be left to his own conscience. We are indeed very ready to give our opinions how others ought to act. We can adjust with great nicety what is proper for them to do; and point out their mistakes with much precision; while nothing is necessary to us, but to act as properly as we can ourselves; observing as just a mean as possible between prodigality and avarice; and applying, in all our difficulties, to the word of God, where these great land-marks of morality are the most accurately fixed. We have now taken a view of what is prohibited in our commerce with man kind: let us next see what is enjoined. (We are still proceeding with those duties which we owe to ourselves): Instead of spending our fortune therefore in unlaw ful pleasure, or increasing it by unlaw ful gain; we are required" to learn and labour truly (that is, honestly) to get our own living, and to do our duty in that state of life into which it shall please God to call us."-These words will be suffici ently explained by considering, first, that we all have some station in life-some Sæviat, atque novos moveat fortuna tumultus; HOR. Sat. particular |