441 / 514
aE$M.
XXVI.]
CäRISTIAN
MORALITY,
'VIT.
JUSTICE,
&6
433
Bence.
Let
him
that
stole
steal
no more,
but
rather
let
him
labour, working with
his
hands, the
thing
which
iS
good;
and
that not
only
for
his own
support, but
that
he may have to
give
to him
that needeth,
Epli.
iv.
$.
How
little
do those christians
read their
bibles
!
Or
how
little
do they
mind what the
great
apostle tells
them
!
They
profess they were
never brought
up to work,
and
give
that
answer roundly
as a sufficient
excuse for
idle
-
ness:
And therefore
when
they become poor and neces-
sitous, they
think it
the
duty
of
others
to
maintain
them,
without stretching
out their
own
hand
for
any
thing
but
to beg
and receive.
They
will
apply
themselves to no
employment,
though they
are
told
their
duty
continually:
Their
pride, indolence,
and
sloth, with-hold them from
labour, though
they are called
to
it
daily
in
the loudest
language
in
which
God
now
-a
-days
speaks
to
his
crea-
tures
;
and
that
is
the
voice
of
reason,
of
scripture,
and
of
providence.
But there
is
another sort
of
sloth and
idleness,
that
leads
on
to
the practice
of
injustice
too,
and
that
is
when
men
are
busy
in
their trades, and
the
affairs
of
life,
but
seldom look into
their
accounts, or perhaps keep
none
at
all
:
And
thus
they
live
upon
the spend,
and are
ut-
terly ignorant whether their
income
will
support
it.
They
eat
and drink
with daily
chearfulness,
and
sleep
sound
upon their
pillow, while
they
know
not
whether
their
food
and raiment, and
even
the bed they
rest
on, be
their
own
or
no.
Perhaps
they have
let their accounts
run
long behind, they are
a little
jealous of
their circum-
stances,
and
then it
is
an
unpleasant and
tedious task to
take
a
thorough
review
of
them.
By
this means they
run
on
venturing
and
heedless, till
justice
overtakes
them,
and ruin
seizes
them
at
once.
Then
they
see
what
a shameful
and cruel
inroad
they have made upon
their
neighbour's
property
:
They
find
then
that
they have fed
and clothed themselves
and their
household
out of their
neighbour's estate.
What
shall
I
say to
persons
of
this
character
?
Their
souls
are generally hardened
on
all
aides
against conviction, and it
is
with much difficulty
they
are ever brought
to confess
their
own
folly,
their
sloth
and unrighteousness.
Ask
thyself,
O man, O wo-
man, ask
thyself
this
short
and
solemn
question,
"
Arra
VOL.
I.
F