ENGLAND'S- BEST HOPE. 97 him against these false and sordid, but popular maxims, which, though the phrases may be used chiefly by the lower orders, the things themselves are practi- cally adopted, pretty equally, by " the great vulgar and the small." Some vin- dicate speculatively loose principles, by the assertion that " thoughts are free." Tell your son this is not true. A Chris- tian must endeavour to bring his thoughts to the same correct standard with his actions, and from the same awful motive, " Thou God seest !" There is another popular but unfound- ed axiom respecting the use of wealth, namely, that " Aman may do what he will with his own." Christianity denies this assertion also. Every man has in- deed a legal right to the disposal of his own property, but religion interdicts his right to spend it in vanity or vice ; or if he be exempt from these grosser tempt- ations, she still abridges his right to monopolise it. Christianity expects that the deserving and the distressed shall F
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