come too common. That nothing This is a grievous fin on many accounts. to the providence of God, as if God could not provide for his creatures without their taking evil courfes_to get what they want. We know what a reproach it would be to the Master of a family, if his Servants fhould fteal to get themselves bread; and will not God be as much difpleafed with his Servants, when they bring fo great a fcandal on his Providence, which takes care of all his creatures and does the best for them? It is true God has made fome poor and fome rich; but then he has commanded the rich to take care of the poor out of the plenty he has given them, which if they do, S 2 -he 6 he will reward them; and if they neglect to do fo, they will fuffer for it. On the other hand he has commanded the poor to be contented with their condition and not to defire by unjuft ways to better it, but to depend upon his providence and promife, that they fhall not want what is needful for them; and that he will make them a great amends in the next world for what they want in this. Now, if men will not believe God, nor truft his promifes, but will take evil courfes for what they want, they provoke him to leave them to their own ways, and then they foon bring reproach and ruin upon their name and family; they for the most part continue poor befides; and what is most fad, they take the way to make the next life more miferable than this. But there is another thing which fhould fhould make all men to abhor this Vice, and that is, the great difficulty of repenting truly of it. Moft people hope, fometime or other to repent them of their Sins, tho' few confider how hard it is to forfake any one Vice to which one is accuítomed; but especially to repent of this fin is very hard; for it is difficult, very difficult to flesh and blood, to ask forgiveness, to restore ill-gotten goods, or to make fatisfaction to those who have been wronged; and yet this is a part of true repentance, that people fhould as much as is in their power, undo what they have done amifs. Is it needful to tell you that this Vice is grievous upon another account; that it caufes unchriftian Quarrels, heart-burnings, and dif content amongst neighbours; is an occafion that honeft people are without caufe fufpected, and evil reports raifed on fuch as do not deferve S 3 them, them, to the breach of Charity and good neighbourhood? In fhort; it brings Sin, and Shame, and fometimes Death, you fee, upon people here; and without repentance, death eternal hereafter. And tho' those people who are addicted to pilfering do always hope never to be difcovered, yet few efcape; fooner or later the providence of God brings them either to fhame or pu nifhment. The most effectual way of curing this Vice as well as moft others, is to let people fee the neceffity, the fatisfaction and the advantage of bringing up their Children and Servants in the fear of God and under a Senfe of his all-feeing Eye. Shame and Death are dreadful things; but yet they are not of pow er to keep men from Sin, without the fear of God be in their hearts. And if people are not bred up in the the fear of God, it is next to a miracle if they ever turn out well; fo that rich and poor fhould all aim at this, to teach their Children the ways of Piety and Virtue. People may be poor and not able to give their Children learning; but in a Chriftian country none can poffibly want means of having them inftructed in things neceflary to Salvation; for want of which many are ruined without fufpecting the danger. If, after inftilling proper princi ples, people would be careful to punifh and difcountenance all appearance of this Evil we are fpeaking of, many would live orderly who are now a burthen to the land. But God knows, there are fome feeds and branches of this Evil which men do not think fit to discountenance; not confidering, that the greatest Sinners began at firft with leffer crimes. |