364 CnRISTIAN IVIORALÍTY; to bis creatures; and that is the voice of reason, of scripture, anti 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 affairsof life, but seldom look into their ac- counts, or perhaps keep none at all : And thus they live upon the spend, and are utterly 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. Per- haps they have let their accountsrun long behind, they are a lit- tle jealous of their circumstances, and then it is an unpleasant and tedious task to take a thorough review of them. By this meansthey run on venturing and heedless, till justice overtakes them, and ruin seizes them atonce. Then they see what a shame- ful and cruel inroad they have made upon their neighbour's pro- perty : They find then that they have fed and clothed themselves aud their householdout of their neighbour's estate. What shall I say to persons of this character ? Their souls are generally hardened on all sides against conviction, and it is with much dif- ficulty they are ever brought to confess their own folly, their sloth and unrighteousness. Ask thyself, Oman, O woman, ask thy- self this short and solemn question, " Am Twilling myneighbour should deal thus with me, and spend my substance for his daily support ? ".. Here let it be observed, that I would always except from this accusation such as are mere children and cannot work, or such as are aged, and past all ability of labour, such as are weak and sick, and rendered thereby utterly incapable of Working, and such as seek work with honest diligence, and wouldbe glad to be employed in ally thing they can do, if they could find others to employ them. Some of these indigent and necessitouspersons are in every city, and they seem to be marked out by providence as the proper objects of compassion and bounty, and are not to be blended with the slothful and idle creatures in the general charge of unrighteousness. Fifthly, The next spring of injustice is malice and envy. This is the vilest of all, and the most like the devil; for it con, trives mischief, and brings injury upon others,, without seeking- gain and advantage to self, This is a vile iniquity, and has a great deal of the spirit of cruelty and of hell in it, whereill-nature and spite reign and triumph. Though envy and malice awaken and excite thesinner to acts of unrighteousness and violence, and tempt us to rob our neighbour of what is his due ; yet these vicious principles aim more frequently to disturb the peace, or health, and good'name of
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