not do this, much less may the rich, who have all things and abound. So facred a thing is property, that God declares himself the revenger of all fuch, as in any matter defraud their brethren.

No man has a right to live on charity, as long as he can live by labor. The Apostle does not fay, Let him beg, but let him labor. Charity is much recommended in the gospel. They who are rich must be ready to diftribute. If there are fome who are bound to give, there are others who may receive. And who are these? The Apostle tells us, they are fuch as need: But they who can labor are not the needy; for these are commanded to labor, that they may give to the needy. The objects of our charity, then, are thofe needy perfons, who have not the ordinary comforts of life, nor ability to procure them by their labor. The Apoftle fays, "If any man will not work, neither let him eat." Let him not be fupported by your beneficence, but feel the effects of his own idlenefs. There are fome induftrious and prudent people, who by the hand of providence are reduced to fuch difficulties, as really to need the help of their neighbors. To thefe we fhould fhew mercy with cheerfulness. But to vagrant beggars, of whom we know nothing, but from their own information, we are bound to give no more than what their immediate prefervation requires.

The obligation to labor is not confined to the poor; it extends to all, according to their various capacities. If man was made only to eat and drink, they who have goods laid up for many years, might take their ease, eat, drink and be merry. But our Apoftle teaches us, that we have fomething to do befides fupplying our own wants, and those of our immediate dependents. We are to communicate to fuch as need. And as long as there are fuch with us, our wanting nothing is no reason why we should do nothing. There are fome

whofe condition raises them above manual labor; but none whose rank elevates them above the ob ligation to be useful. If a poor man should be induftrious, that he may gain what his own wants require, and fomething to fpare to those who are poorer than himself, the rich furely should devife liberal things, and abound in every good work.

The neceffary affairs of the world cannot be managed by manual labor only: Some must be employed in matters of government; fome in the education of youth; fome in difpenfing religious inftructions. There is an extenfive field for vari ous employments, and every man should be diligent in his own. If a man with his prefent abili ties may be useful, with greater abilities he may be more fo. Let every one therefore ftudy to enlarge his abilities, that he may extend his usefulness.

III. The Apostle teaches us, that every man muft choose for himself an honeft calling and must work that which is good.

We must employ ourselves in fome kind of businefs which is lawful in itself. Every occupation which arifes from the condition, and is adapted to the exigences of mankind, is lawful. Befides real neceffaries, there are various conveniences, which we may reasonably defire; and every employment which contributes to the improvement of human happiness, is good and commendable. Such an employment we may choose, and no other. An occupation good in itself may be unfuitable for us, because with our education, means and abilities, we cannot direct it to its proper end. Here we should be out of our place. We are to maintain good works for neceffary uses, and that they may be profitable to men. A profeffion incompatible with our usefulness, if it may be good in other hands, cannot be so in ours. A work in which a man makes gain by the expenfe, and enriches himself by the lofs of others, is theft embellished and re

fined. As our calling muft be lawful in itself, fo we must use it in a lawful manner, with integrity, juftice and fidelity.

From thefe obfervations we may fairly collect, that gaming, when it is ufed as an art to get money, is criminal, for this obvious reafon, because it is unprofitable; and what one gains by it another muft lofe. Both parties cannot be gainers, as they may in the employments which arise from human wants; and a business in which one muft neceffarily lose as much as the other gets, is for that reafon, immoral.

This leads us to another obfervation;

IV. That in all our labors we should have a regard to the good of others. The Apostle fays, "Let him labor-that he may have to give to them who need."-" Work with your own hands, that ye may walk honestly toward them who are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."

The man who is poor fhould aim to mend his circumftances, and to provide not only for his immediate fupport, but also for his future neceffities. For this end he is bound as well to frugality and sobriety in his expenfes, as to diligence and induftry in his calling. They who labor ftrenuously, and fpend profufely, take a part as inconfiftent with reafon and religion, as they who work not at all. If the Chriftian must work to ferve the ends of charity, he must lay up fome. thing for the day of sickness and the time of old age, when he will be unable to work; for the first piece of charity to which every man is bound, is to keep himself from being a burden on the charity of

others.

Next to himself, the Chriftian is to provide for them of his houfehold. If he neglects thefe, he is worse than an infidel. Nor muft he provide for their prefent maintenance only, but also for their future fupport and usefulness. This is best done by

training them up to induftry in fome honeft calling, and by forming them to early habits of virtue and piety.

Hence it appears, that the Chriftian, in ordinary cafes, is not bound to give to others all that he can fave out of the fruits of his labor; for then he could not make that provifion for future wants, to which juftice and charity, as well as prudence, oblige him.

It appears also that the condition which fubjects us to the neceffity of labor, does not exempt us from the obligation to beneficence. The rich are indeed under the highest obligations; but the poor are not excufed: And every one will be accepted according to that he has. The Apoftle's direction is, "Let every man lay by him in ftore as God has profpered him." The command given to the Jews was, that "every third year they fhould bring forth all the tenth of their increase that fame year, and lay it up within their gates, that the ftranger, the fatherlefs and the widow might come and eat and be fatisfied." The tenth of the increase of every third year, was the thirteenth part of their yearly increase. The proportion required of all was the fame; the benefaction therefore would be greater or less according to each one's ability. "Withhold not good from them, to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. Say not to thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give, when thou haft it by thee."-" Give to him that afketh; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away."-"As there is opportunity, do good to all men."

We fee, that we may not neglect the needy, in pretence that we are not fo able, as our neighbor is, to relieve them. Perhaps he will excufe himself in the fame manner. Each one must attend to his own duty, and not wait to fee whether another will do his. If we all wait for one another, nothing

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will be done at all. If we think our poverty exempts us from the common obligation to do good, let us inquire, whether we have used our time and fubftance with prudence and frugality. If our difability is the fruit of our own vice and folly, it will be but a miferable kind of exemption from the calls of charity.

The obligation to usefulness lies indiscriminately on all, whether in a public or private, in an affluent or moderate condition. If one cannot be fo useful as another, yet he be useful; he may may fill his fmaller, as well as the other his larger circle.

That we may be useful, we must be quiet and peaceable; we must injure no man in his person, defraud no man in his property, and wound no man in his reputation; we must govern our fpirits, bridle our tongues, and render to all their dues.

We must confine ourselves within our own proper fphere, for here we can de more good than elfew here. We must attend to our perfonal and domeftic concerns, the labors of our profession, the order of our families and the education of our chil dren; and never rafhly invade the province, or officiously meddle in the affairs of other men. Charity, indeed, will look at the affairs of others; will study to relieve their wants, rectify their mistakes and redress their wrongs: But fhe will not pry into their fecrets, take part in their contentions, obtrude her advice where it is not defired, nor pafs her judgment where fhe has not information; fhe will not go up and down as a talebearer, disturbing the peace of neighbors and the harmony of families. Leaft of all will fhe quit her humble station to arrange the great affairs of communities, and regulate the deep politics of ftates. She will not exercife herself in great matters and in things too high for her. She will not clamor against public measures to difplay her own importance and awak