454 THC PRAYING CHRISTIAN affairs. That the integrity, the veracity, the justice, the purity, the liberality, the watchfulness over ourselves, the candour towards others, all exercised in the fear Of the Lord, and strengthened by the word of God and prayer, should be brought from the retirement of devotion to the regulation of the conduct. Though we have observed above, that it is rather the spirit than the language of religion that should be carried into business, yet we cannot forbear regret- ting that we seem to decline much from- the sober usages of our ancestors. For- merly testamentary instruments were never made the mere conveyance of worldly possessions. They were also made the vehicle of pious sentiments, and always at least opened with a devout offering of the soul to Him who gave it. Indeed it is difficult to imagine how a man can write the words my last will with- out a solemn reflection on that, last act which must inevitably follow it, and in
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