be

eternity; Oh! grant, that our spirits may ' sustained by a lively faith in thy Son Jefus 'Chrift-that the visage of death may be difarmed of its terrors-and that we may triumphantly enter " into that rest which remaineth for the people of God!"

SERMON

SERMON XXIII.

DEUT. XXV. 14, 15, 16.

Thou shalt not have in thy houfe divers measures, a great and a small.

But thou shalt have a perfect and juft weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have; that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

For all that do fuch things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God.

WER

ERE the holy Scriptures perused with more frequency, and greater attention, the welfare of fociety would be preserved by the uniform obfervance of justice, and the pervading prevalence of integrity. For could any man, who had conftantly before his eyes God's awful denunciations against fraud, dare, deliberately, to commit it? Would any man-for

whatever

whatever confideration, who meditates on the fcriptures which teftify of God, which "fhew "us what is good, and what the Lord our God requires of us"-openly violate those laws which bring dishonor on God, and destruction on himself? No, he would be able to return a right answer to the awful queftion proposed by our bleffed Saviour, What fhall it profit "a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose "his own foul? or, what shall a man give in exchange for his foul?"

The defign of this difcourfe is to shew, that every man, by dealing fairly and justly, most effectually promotes his own intereft, and fecures the bleffing of God on his endevorsand to exhort you, in the laft place, as you hope to meet the Saviour of the world in peace, to "wash your hands in innocency, and "take heed unto the thing that is right."

Now, in the language of the text, not to "have divers meafures, a great and a small,

"but to have perfect and juft weights, and

perfect and just measures," is, not to wrong any one, though, in all human probability, we could do it without danger of difcovery, and dread of difgrace: not to have the villany to encroach,

encroach, or the meanness to impofe on the fimplicity, or ignorance of others, however conducive to our own intereft:-not to detain from any one, what we know in our confcience, belongs to him, though he may not know it himself:-not to deceive by speaking otherwife than we think-but to perform what we profefs, and fulfil what we promife: and to be in reality, what we are in appearance: it is to obferve literally, the rule propounded by our Saviour" whatsoever ye would that "men fhould do to you, do ye even fo to "them :"-it is to profecute all our defigns by fair, and honest means, and to challenge the inspection, and judgment of God, upon our every action.

The advantages of acting fairly, and honeftly, are many in number, and great in value. For what fo effectually promotes character, and eftablishes reputation? An honeft man we truft with confidence, and efteem his promife equal fecurity with the ftrongest engagements.

Not fatisfied with employing an honest man ourselves, we feel it incumbent on us, for both the good, of our friends, and as the reward of uprightnefs, to proclaim his integrity. "Who

ever