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 1 
 
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THE 
 
 A 
 
 \ 
 
 ASPECT AND INFLUENCE 
 
 OJ 
 
 CHRISTIANITY 
 
 UPON THE 
 
 COMMERCIAL CHARACTER 
 
 A DISCOURSE, 
 
 DELIVERED AT MONTREAL, OCTOBER 15, 1837. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 Rev. NEWTON BOSWORTPI, F. R. A. S. 
 
 MONTREAL : 
 
 WILLIAM GREIG, 195, ST. PAUL STREET; 
 AND LESSLIE & SONS, TORONTO. 
 
 1837. 
 
 Ai 
 
 5-2- 
 
 /34^' 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 
 It was thought, by some friends who heard the substance of the 
 following Discourse, that its publication might be useful at the present 
 crisis. In a single address of ordinary length, it was quite impossible 
 to discuss, with adequate fulness, the important topics it embraces. 
 The writer considers it as only a collection of hints ; of such hints, 
 however, as he deemed important, and lihely, by the blessing of God, 
 to lead to a higher object than the purstiit of any transient good. He 
 wished, as a minister of religion, to lead his hearers, as he now 
 desires to lead his readers, to a consideration of their '^ latter end," 
 and the means of obtaining " durable riches, righteousness,'' and 
 eternal life. Should this object be attained, if it be cnly in a single 
 instance, he ivill have reason to bless God that he was led first to 
 deliver, and then to print, this plain discourse. He would express 
 his conviction that a more extended vietv of the subject, in both its 
 divisions, by any one of competent abilities and leisure, would have a 
 tendency to produce lasting and extensive good. He is persuaded 
 that the transactions of Commerce are often conducted on principles 
 at variance with those of the Gospel, and that those who thus pursue 
 it arc in great danger of losing the unseen and eternal in their 
 disproportionate attention to the visible and temporary. May the 
 Author of all good smile upon this attempt to avert so unspeakable 
 an evil. 
 
 Montreal, November 8, 1837. 
 
 37^52. 
 
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1 Timothy, iv. 8. 
 
 Godliness is profitable unto all things. 
 
 It is one among the numerous excellencies of 
 Christianity that it meets man in every condition, and 
 adapts itself with astonishing facility to his circum- 
 stances and his wants, whatever may be the diversity 
 of the one or the extent of the other. It is scarcely, 
 if at all, possible for the most lively imagination to 
 picture a state or emergency in which a human being 
 can be placed on earth, where some part or other of 
 God's holy word can be of no advantage to him. 
 There is no sorrow that it cannot alleviate, no enquiry 
 which it cannot practically answer, no principle which 
 it does not illustrate, no motive to seek God and 
 holiness and heaven which it does rot suggest, no 
 direction in duty which it does not supply. The Law 
 of the Lord is perfect^ making wise the simple ; his 
 statutes are pure, rejoicing the heart ; his promises are 
 certain, and his salvation is complete to every one 
 
 i.*4i«iP*»^,~- 
 
that believetli. It is this universal fitness to promote 
 the best interests of our race, this wonderful adaptation 
 to every variety of character, age, condition, and 
 circumstance, that constitutes one of the strongest 
 evidences of the Truth of Revelation, and proves it 
 to have been derived from the Father of Lights, who 
 knew what was in iran, and what was needful^^r man 
 in this his dependent and probationary state. 
 
 The term Godliness in the text, though in its more 
 general acceptation expressive of likeness to God, or 
 conformity to his moral character, is applicable in 
 detail to every branch of practical religion. This 
 conformity can only be obtained in the manner, and 
 on the principles, unfolded to us in the Scriptures of 
 truth. The whole contents of the KSacred Volume, as 
 relating to man, may be contemplated under two 
 aspects, — as a Code of Morals, and as a Dispensation 
 of Mercy ; the one to prove and regulate his obedience, 
 and the other to point out to him the way of salvation. 
 In both these lights I wish to present the sacred oracles 
 before you in reference to the subject which is to engage 
 our consideration, and to shew their influence in the 
 formation of that godliness which is profitable unto all 
 thingSy having the promise of the life that now is, and 
 of that which is to come ; contributing as effectively 
 to our real w^elfare in ihe present state as to our 
 preparation for the bliss of eternity. 
 
 I. As A Code of Morals, the system promulgated 
 in the word of God is immeasurably superior to all 
 others that the world has ever seen. Those who have 
 
compared it with the dictates and prescriptions of 
 heathen morality, are fully convinced of this fact : even 
 intidels themselves have confessed that the latter are 
 not to be compared to the morality of the Gospel. 
 Their rock is not as our rock, even our enemies them- 
 selves beitifr judges. The mind of man is both too 
 impure and too ignorant to relish or to discover 
 principles so holy, and precepts so admirable, as those 
 which Christianity developes. It will not be expected, 
 on this occasion, that I should traverse the wide field 
 of Christian obedience, and shew how every part of it 
 is affected by the precepts of the Gospel, or even that 
 I should state at length the grounds of moral obliga- 
 tions : it will be sufficient to shew the bearing of 
 scriptural injunction upon the commercial character, 
 and its tendency, when faithfully obeyed, to produce 
 the most substantial benefits. 
 
 The advantages of Commerce are manifold and 
 obvious. It promotes the intercourse of nations, — 
 enlarges the boundaries of knowledge, — contributes to 
 the welfare of mankind by an interchange of com- 
 modities, supplying the wants of one country by the 
 excess of another, — calls into action the energies of 
 the bold, the skilful, and the enterprizing, — and, what 
 in the estimate of the Christian philanthropist con- 
 stitutes its highest excellence, it opens facilities for 
 the introduction of the Gospel into all lands and 
 nations. 
 
 To ensure success, on Scriptural principles, in the 
 pursuits of commerce, Integrity, Diligence, and 
 
 IIIM^iMi 
 
8 
 
 Moderation are indispensably requisite, whatsoever 
 other qualities, as adjuncts or modifications of these, 
 may bo included in our principles of action. Now 
 these are all either enjoined by direct precept, or 
 inculcated in some other form, in the moral code of 
 the Sacred Scriptures. 
 
 1. Integrity. This fundamental principle, — com- 
 prehending in its wide extent fidelity to engagements, 
 punctuality in the discharge of obligations, fairness in 
 dealing, "a just weight and full measure," accuracy 
 in report, and universal equity in all its modes and 
 ramifications, — is enjoined by the word of God in a 
 great variety of forms, both preceptive and exemplary. 
 To quote them would be an endless task, and 
 unnecessary to those who arc acquainted with the 
 morality of the Bible. Perhaps the essence of them 
 all is embodied in this divine aphorism of our Great 
 Teacher, All things whatsoever ye would that men 
 should do to you, do you even so to them ; for this is 
 the lauh Were this most admirable rule universally 
 acted upon, it would banish for ever that crooked policy 
 which vitiates the purity o^ commercial intercourse, 
 and introduces interminable jealousies, suspicions, and 
 discords among men, even in tho ordinary transactions 
 of life. By the strict observance of this rule a person 
 would acquire the confidence of the community in which 
 he dwelt, and a character for " integrity and upright- 
 ness," which would contribute materially to his success ; 
 a success, of which the value would be enhanced by the 
 consciousness of having done "the thing that is il^ht." 
 Of such a man it mav be said, with the utmost truth 
 
 i 
 
 ± 
 
t 
 
 X 
 
 and emphasis, that •' his word is his bond ;" and if 
 the customs of society, the uncertainty of life, and the 
 frailty of memory did not require it, the form of a 
 written security might in his case be dispensed with. 
 How different from him whoce word can never be 
 relied upon, whose representations are received with 
 distrust, whose promises are never confided in, and 
 who, by a series of petty shifts and evasions, or of 
 fraudulent transactions on a more extended scale, 
 acquires for himself the disgraceful notoriety of an 
 unfair trader. The one is a blessing to society, the 
 other a curse ; the one inspires confidence, the other 
 destroys it ; the one diffuses a beneficial, the other a 
 baneful, influence all around him ; the one is honep.t 
 and open as the day, the other dark and suspicious 
 as the night ; by the one the true honour and dignity 
 of the mercantile character is sustained, by the other 
 it is brought into discredit and contempt. 
 
 Upon my younger hearers I would urge, with all 
 the earnestness of which I am capable, an immediate 
 attention to the importance of unbending integrity as 
 an essential ingredient in the formation of character. 
 Let them adopt it, at once and for ever, as the 
 foundation principle of all their doings. Let it enter 
 among their first conceptions of the qualities indispen- 
 sable for their future guidance. Let them cherish it 
 as a precious germ which shall evolve and expand itself 
 in virtuous action. Let it become an element in all 
 their thoughts and feelings, until they acquire such 
 a habit of *' doing justly" that it shall be painful and 
 unnatural for them to act in a contrarv manner. Thus 
 
10 
 
 will they lay a secure basis for that measure of prospeity 
 which alone the law of " godliness" authorizes them 
 to expect and strive for ; and they will enjoy what mey 
 thus honourably acquire without the stings of an 
 upbraiding conscience. 
 
 A second quality most desirable in commercial life is 
 
 2. Diligence. This also is emphatically recom- 
 mended in the Sacred Directory, both by precept and 
 example. The desire of the slothful killeth him. Be 
 thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look 
 well to thy herds. The hand of the diligent maketh 
 rich. Seest thou a man diligent in his business f He 
 shall stand before kings; intimating that, according 
 to the established laws of social life, industry in our 
 proper calling is the most effectual way of attaining 
 success and respectability in our secular pursuits. 
 This is a comprehensive direction, enjoining not only 
 activity, but perseverance ; prompting not merely to 
 an occasional act, but to a habit of attention and labour. 
 No extensive purpose can be accomplished, and no great 
 object can be obtained, by fitful and transient efforts, 
 however intense ; but by continued and patient 
 application. This, while it is one of the most useful 
 of all habits, is comparatively rare ; being by no means 
 of easy acquisition. The most ardent and energetic 
 are the most exposed to failure in this point. They 
 seize upon an object with avidity, amuse themselves 
 with it for a while, and then are urged, by desire of 
 change or love of novelty, to relinquish it in favour of 
 some new pursuit. They i-nter upon an cmplovment 
 
11 
 
 *" 
 
 which strikes their fmicy with delight, and fills their 
 hearts with promise ; but it soon becomes irksome to 
 them by its sameness, or discouraging by little difficulties 
 in the way, real or imaginary, and they retire from it 
 in despair. Having heard the history of one and 
 another who have risen to opulence by successful 
 engagements in trade, they are naturally desirous of 
 proceeding in the same course, at least of reaping the 
 same reward. But here they deceive themselves : 
 they are dazzled and attracted by the result, but 
 overlook the means which lead to it ; or, after a brief 
 trial, take umbrage at the pains and labours which are 
 the indispensable conditions of success. 
 
 Now this state of mind must be resolutely opposed 
 and overcome, or all expectations of success from the 
 pursuit of business will end in disappointment. Let, 
 then, the whole subject, in all its tendencies, bearings, 
 and requirements be carefully and deliberately weighed, 
 and the decision be made accordingly. Let a deter- 
 mination be formed and acted upon to give close and 
 unremitted attention to the object, in its minute details 
 as well as its larger departments, during all the time 
 allotted to the purpose; and let there be added, to 
 the energy which excites to action, the diligence 
 necessary to render it effective, and the unconquerable 
 perseverance which shall carry it onward to its desired 
 consummation. 
 
 In the next place, the Scriptures require us to exercise 
 3. Moderation in the pursuit of earthly good. 
 
m 
 
 They do this, in passages too numerous to be quoted, 
 not only by the authority of the universal sovereign, but 
 by assigning reasons for the injunction ; and reasons, 
 too, so clear and powerful that those who refuse 
 obedience, are chargeable with not only opposing the 
 prerogative, but calling into question the wisdom, of 
 the Most High. Let your moderation he known unto 
 all me?i, — so constantly practised, and so visibly 
 displayed, that none may have cause to charge you 
 with departing from it. He that maketh haste to be 
 rich shall not he innocent. This declaration, thouffh 
 made by the wisest of men, is not, I am aware, in 
 unison with the too prevalent spirit of the present age. 
 Like some of the instructions of our Lord, it will be 
 deemed a " hard saying ;" but it is nevertheless founded 
 on the nature of things, and enforced by the authority 
 of Divine Inspiration. A too eager desire of acquisition 
 blinds the understanding to the distinction between 
 right and wrong, and betrays the heart into an 
 indifference as to the measures to be pursued, or into 
 an adoption, without scruple, of such as aro manifestly 
 evil. The Apostle Paul, in his first Epistle to 
 Timothy, looking at the same principle in another form, 
 observes, They that will he rich fall into temptation 
 and a siiare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, 
 which drown men in destruction and perdition, and 
 declares that those who have indulged to excess the 
 love of money, have pierced themselves through ivith 
 ma7iy sorrows. This determination to be rich, at all 
 hazards and by any means, whether conscience be 
 wounded or not, is no less likely than the passionate 
 haste censured bv Solomon to lead to a violation of 
 
13 
 
 justice and truth ; and when both are united, and 
 exert their powers in combination, nothing else can be 
 expected than an utter disregard of the precepts of 
 morality, the claims of benevolence, and the fear of 
 God. A selfish concern for his own personal safety 
 may have led the unhappy subject of this passion to 
 be cautious not to offend against the letter of human 
 laws ; but no other semblance of regard to honour or 
 to virtue can be expected from him, or is to be 
 discovered in his practice. 
 
 The rapacious spirit of modern commerce, having 
 thrown off all moral restraint, is prepared for every 
 species of dishonourable artifice, and therefore adopts, 
 without reluctance or hesitation, measures of the most 
 unjustifiable character, regardless alike of the property 
 or the lives of others. It is as cruel as it is undis- 
 criminating. The only question is, whether the gain 
 which is sought, be it just or unjust, is likely to be 
 obtained. All other considerations are thrown to the 
 winds. Shame is absent, and conscience is asleep. 
 We need not travel far for examples of this unprincipled 
 rapacity. Some of our own traders — I am ashamed 
 to avow it — in their dealings with the Indians, 
 not only purchased their valuable articles for very 
 triflinir and inferior considerations, but bv the intro- 
 duction of ardent spirits among them, to inebriate and 
 deceive them, have inflicted upon them a lasting injury, 
 which centuries will be insufiicient to remove. To 
 such a height had this abomination ascended, that it 
 was found necessary to restrain it by authority. The 
 North West Company, much to their honour, have 
 
 . 1 
 
14. 
 
 opposed the introduction of intoxicating liquors among 
 the Indians, and have excluded it from all those sections 
 of the country where they have exclusive control over 
 the trade. The influence of this regulation has 
 already proved highly salutary, in the improved conduct 
 of the Indians, and the increased safetv of travellinsr 
 among them. The Legislature of Upper Canada has 
 also enacted a law forbidding the use of ardent spirits 
 by oui' tri:ders among the Indians, whether by sale, or 
 gift, or any other manner whatsoever. By that practice, 
 thus at last abolished, we have debased, and degraded, 
 and well nigh exterminated the aboriginal inL-'bitants 
 of this land, who might, by kind treatment and 
 Christian instruction, have been moulded into a noble 
 and virtuous population. 
 
 The eager desire to amass wealth, and the 
 determination to do so, without regard to means, has 
 been productive of another evil whi^h requires to be 
 noticed, — the careless exposure of borrowed capital. 
 When a zealous votary of Mammon, after exhausting 
 his own resources, is either compelled by difficulty, or 
 tempted by hope, to avail himself of the aid of borrowed 
 money, it not unfrequently happens that he engages in 
 more hazardous speculations, and with greater temerity 
 than before. Instead of being more cautious, he is 
 less ro, because he has greater means at command ; 
 and being eager to redeem himself, or rapidly to acquire 
 a fortune, he fails perhaps in both objects, and loses 
 all. This is a " sore evil," and a most censurable 
 practice. Whatever right a man may claim to do 
 what he will with his own, he has none to involve 
 
15 
 
 another in his ruin, or to risque the property which 
 he obtained on loan, except upon the most clear and 
 rational prospect of success. But this recklessness of 
 consequences, this dereliction of prudence and honour, 
 though in these days too common to excite wonder, 
 will admit of no justification in the court of conscience. 
 He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. 
 
 But this is not all. When the object is more 
 cautiously and steadily pursued, it is often permitted 
 so completely to absorb the whole soul, and keep the 
 faculties upon the stretch, that there is neither time, 
 nor desire, nor energy left for mental improvement, or 
 attention to the claims of religion and the soul. If 
 the plain and humble Christian who has no time to 
 read any thing but his Bible, may be denominated, in 
 a good sense of the words, a man of one book, he who 
 is thus confined to earthly pursuits, may be as justly 
 termed, in a bad sense, a man of one idea. He thinks 
 of nothing but accumulation ; and however magnificent 
 the idea mav be in his own conception, he cannot, by 
 all his efforts, expand it beyond the magnitude of a 
 bubble which rolls upon the earth and bursts at his 
 feet, or floats in the lower stratum of the atmosphere 
 till it is lost in air. Engaged in one unceasing round 
 of worldly occupation, the wTetched slave of avarice 
 has but little reason to congratulate himself on any 
 superiority to his sable brethren who labour in the 
 mine or at the oar, in the misery of constrained 
 servitude, and the degradation of mental darkness. 
 Constantly panting after gain, and exclaiming, Give, 
 girp, ho never says, It is pnoiigh, and never enjoys 
 
what he thus laboriously acquires. What greater 
 calamity can befal a rational being than to be fast 
 bound in the chains of a never satisfied cupidity ? 
 
 It is to a violation of this rule of moderately pursuing 
 our secular concerns, that we are to ascribe, if I 
 mistake not, the sad disaster whi'.h has recently 
 convulsed the commercial world from its centre to its 
 extremities, involving thousands in ruin, and shaking 
 the confidence of nations. To this we mav ascribe the 
 passion for over-trading, and adventurous speculation 
 beyond the bounds of prudence and probability ; the 
 production of factitious capital, which, resting on 
 spurious credit, is liable to be di'.sipateJ with that 
 which supports it ; the disregard of all the rules and 
 calculations of better times ; the scornful reiection of 
 those slower but more certain methods which made 
 our forefathers respectable and happy ; and the 
 consequent adoption of wild, chimerical, and unlawful 
 measures, equally at variance with discretion and 
 morality. 
 
 It is a remarkable circumstance in the history of 
 the late transactions, that no loss of real property can 
 be assigned as the cause of the universal distress 
 which has prevailed, and which all classes of the 
 community so strongly feel. No famine has visited 
 any considerable portion of the globe ; no pestilence 
 has destroyed the race of serviceable animals; no 
 inundation has carried off millions of acres of produce, 
 ready for the reaper's hand ; no tempest has wrecked 
 and destroyed a fleet of merchantmen, with all their 
 
17 
 
 valuable cargo ; no huri'icane has swept over country 
 after country to desolate the earth ; no volcano has 
 sent forth its fires to such an extent as to reduce the 
 inhabitants of a continent to poverty ; no earthquake 
 has swallowed a hundred trading cities with all their 
 well stored repositories of food, clothing, and merchan- 
 dize ; no general* conflagration has reduced to smoke 
 and ashes the materials of commerce and the supplv 
 of human wants. We hear not any complaints of 
 deficiency in the usual articles of consumption and 
 merchandize. Commodities of every kind are every 
 where to be found ; the onlv difficultv is to obtain and 
 pay for them. Providence has been very bountiful to 
 us ; but in the midst of our sufficiency we are in straits. 
 How is this to be accounted for ? Evidently by a 
 derangement of that artificial and delusive system 
 which a morbid craving of accumulation, and a neglect 
 of moral considerations, have introduced into the 
 commercial world. Illustrations and proofs of this 
 sentiment might be easily adduced, did the time and 
 place permit. 
 
 fl In 
 
 In this point of our enquiry, then, it is of great 
 importance to observe that the eternal Sovereign will 
 not suffev his laws to be broken with impunity, 
 
 whether they be the laws of our physical constitution 
 
 of our social intercourse — of our moral relations or 
 
 of his spiritual kingdom. If we thrust our hand into 
 
 * r do not overlook the great fire at New York last year. It destroyed much 
 property, ruined matiy individuals, and put a transient stop in some quarters to 
 the operations of trade ; but it does not invalidate the substantial truth of the 
 statement, as it will not account for a thousandth part of the misery which the 
 world has suffered, is suffering, Mnd « itt suffer. 
 
If 
 
 the fire, we cannot avoid feeling pain ; if we practise 
 intemperance, we injure our health ; if we wish to 
 have friends we must shew ourselves friendly ; if we 
 infringe upon the* rights of others we must suffer in 
 our own ; if we violate the dictates of conscience in 
 our dealings with each other, that conscience will, 
 sooner or later, require an ample compensation for the 
 insult. The laws that should regulate this intercourse 
 are plainly laid down in Scripture, and some of them 
 have now been pointed out to you ; and never will 
 nations, communities, and I may add, individuals, be 
 secure from the danger of such disasters as have 
 recently overtaken us till the principles of those laws 
 are generally adopted. 
 
 It is in the social community as in the world of 
 nature. The operation and observ .nee of the 
 immutable laws enacted by the great Creator is 
 essential to the intended effect ; the neglect or 
 violation of those laws is as necessarily productive of 
 failure or disappointment. If the action of gravity 
 were suspended, or any of the original forces disturbed 
 which retain the planets in their orbits, confusion, 
 irregularity, or destruction would ensue to the general 
 system. If in the vegetable world a plant should fade 
 and die before its fruit has been matured, we infer 
 that at some point the established order of vegetation 
 has been deranged, either by defect of nutriment, or 
 injury of structure. So, in human affairs, to set at 
 nought the plain and settled laws of action, will be to 
 endanger all hope of success, and frustrate the design 
 hv the verv effon to secure it. 
 
 i 
 
 J 
 
19 
 
 i 
 
 A character formed on the principles, and according- 
 to the model, distinctly laid down by divine authority, 
 may be expected to exhibit such qualities as the 
 following. The person possessing it would maintain 
 a strict integrity in all his concerns, making his 
 engagements with caution, and fulfilling them with 
 scrupulous fidelity. Pie would tnke no mean advantage 
 of any favourable circumstances in which he might be 
 placed ; but, while he would call his skill into exercise 
 to take every honest advantage of their occurrence, he 
 would remember the claims of equity and honour. 
 His wishes for himself would regulate his treatment 
 of others. The duties of his vocation he would 
 discharge with unremitting assiduity, and its objects 
 he would pursue with diligent activity, yet with calm 
 perseverance, so moderating his attention to them as 
 to possess his soul in patience. He would be careful 
 not so to entangle himself with a multiplicity and 
 diversity of concerns as to perplex and fetter his 
 mind ; but reserve himself for such other occupations 
 as duty or inclination call for. Against that feverish 
 anxiety which results from rash and hazardous 
 speculations he would be especially on his guard. 
 Remembering that a man's life and happiness consist 
 not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, 
 he would seek to use as well as to appropriate, to enjoy 
 as well as to obtain. A safe and moderate competency 
 being the point at which he aimed, he would cheerfully 
 devote to the attainment of it as much time as it 
 required; but would not suffer it to encroach upon 
 other purposes, in his estimation at least equally 
 valuable. The cultivation of the nobler faculties of 
 
 J 
 
eo 
 
 his nature, the improvement of his n.ind, the enlarge- 
 ment of his knowledge, the pleasure ot social 
 intercourse and of benevolent exertion, would receive 
 a competent portion of his regard ; an<l jealously would 
 he resist any abridgement of the hours allotted 
 to these engagements. Regarding ever,, thtng aa 
 heautiful in Us season, he would assign to business and 
 ,0 recreation f.ieir just and equitable portions; and, 
 by this agreeable interchange of employment^, at once 
 promote his cheerfulness and health, and check that 
 tendenc ■ to avarice which an exclusive pursuit of gam 
 never fails to produce. Holding thus the balance 
 even, wlselv dividing his attention, repelling extrava- 
 gant desire's, seeking only the practicable and the safe, 
 studving wkolsoever things are honest, true, and oj 
 good report, he would most effectually secure his own 
 interest and peace of mind, while he displayed an 
 example which, if universally imitated, would equally 
 advance the general good. 
 
 Happily, this is not altogether a hypothetical 
 portrait, or a solitary instance of worth ; numerous 
 examples of it exist on both sides of the Atlantic -, but 
 they are too rare. Had they been general, instead of 
 par'tial,-forming the rule rather than the exception,- 
 wild speculation, reckless adventure, unprincipled 
 rapacity would never have risen to so fearfu a 
 predominance, and the greater part of the calamities 
 that have recently overtaken us would have been 
 unheard of and unknown. Fewer rapid fortunes might 
 have been made, but the general prosperity of nations 
 would have been placed on a firmer _asis. 
 
 i 
 
^1 
 
 Siit'h solid virtues as have been referred to, are best 
 favoured and cherished by adlierin^ to the maxims 
 of Holv writ ; and Divine Providence jrencrallv blesses 
 them with success and rei)utation. Even so distant 
 and feeble an approximation to his own infinite 
 excellence the Kin<ifs of kings deligldtfh to honour. 
 
 Thus, then, it appears that Godliness, by the 
 principles it inculcates, and the practices it enjoins, is 
 eminently favourable to the temporal interests of 
 mankind at large, and that the Bible, as a Code of 
 Morals, is worthy of perpetual and uni'ersal regard. 
 
 But these precepts, excellent as they must be deemed 
 by every considerate and well-ordered mind, may be 
 observed from very insufficient and unworthy motives. 
 Adapted as they are to promote individual and general 
 benefit, they may be resorted to for that very end, and 
 that alone ; from a mere principle of selfishness, with- 
 out the slightest regard to the authority which enjoined 
 them. A thoughtful and observant man, reflecting on 
 the tendencies of human action, and learning wisdom 
 from the experience of others, is directly led to the 
 conclusion that " Honesty is the best policy," and that 
 the safest way of obtaining an object is to pin'sue it 
 cautiouslv and laboriouslv ; and this conviction fallinir 
 in with his natural temperament, he resolves to act 
 with inteoritv, and to manage all his affairs with 
 diligence and moderation. He adopts the plan, 
 pursues it, and prospers. To such a one, we may 
 say — ' You have gained your object, but you have 
 failed in your duty, because you ^iwe not God theglorii. 
 
 c 
 
 \ 
 
TV 
 
 You liave acted upon ])riiK'iples, tlius far according- to 
 godliness, but as you tlid not adopt them from a holy 
 motive, they will only condemn you at the bar of 
 jud^rment. You have ^rathcred around you many 
 comforts, but ncme that will comfort your spirit when 
 it is departing- into eternity. You have acquired a 
 respectable standin«r in society, but how do you stand 
 in the sight of God ? Slander has rot breathed upon 
 your reputation, nor suspicion even cast a glance upon 
 your honour ; but you have loved the world, and sought 
 not the honour that cometh from above. Y'ou have 
 been faithful to your engagemenls, you have exercised 
 the courtesies of life, you have not betrayed your 
 friend, you have not oppressed the poor — but you 
 have loved the world. The miserable you have often 
 pitied and relieved, from the promptings of natural 
 sympathy ; the welfare of your country you have 
 advanced, on the dictates of enlightened patriotism ; 
 but you have loved the world ; and love it still ; it 
 is your chosen portion, and you desire no better. Now 
 if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not 
 in him. Y^ou have tailed, then, in the very first 
 principle of duty towards your Maker and Judge. 
 The first and great commandment is, Thou shalt love 
 the Lord thy God with all tinj heart, with all thy mind, 
 with all thy soul, and ivith all thy strength. This 
 commandment you have broken. To you may be 
 addressed the awful words of our Lord to the 
 unbelieving Jews, J know yon, that you have not the 
 love of God m you. And he knows you, too, as 
 thoroughly and as intimately as he knew them ; and 
 he knowij that the solemn charge is as applicable to 
 
2a 
 
 /*■ 
 
 you as it was to them. The love of the world has so 
 *comi)letcly filled your heart, that there is no room in it 
 for tlie luihitation of God t/iroifirh the spirit. Nor do 
 you desire that He should dwell there. The Law of 
 God is unchanjreahle, and cannot be revoked. It will 
 not admit of the least deviation from its requirements, 
 bceause it is petfecty like its Divine Author. But 
 this law you have broken ; and you have no means, in 
 yourself, of repairing it, or of satisfy in<r its demands. 
 The sentence of condemnation is gcme forth against 
 you; and the sword of eternal justice is drawn to 
 execute it upon you. If you die in this state, you will 
 le down in darkness, and perish under the frown of 
 the Almighty; 
 
 To such a character as I have supposed (O ! that it 
 were only supposition, and not reality) it would be my 
 duty to address these alarming declarations, to warn, 
 rebuke, and exhort him to flee from the wrath to come. 
 But is there any hope ? Blessed be God, there is ; 
 and it is to be found in the Gospel of Christ. There 
 let us search for it, while we consider the Sacred 
 Oracles as proclaiming to us, 
 
 II. A Dispensation of Mercy. Man is not now 
 in his original condition. God created him " upright" 
 and holy. He stood high in the favour of his Maker, 
 whose presence he enjoyed, and in whose service he 
 delighted. His residence was Eden, and every action 
 was piety and pleasure. He was placed under a law, 
 with but one prohibition, as a mark of his dependence, 
 and a test of his faithfulness. But this prohibition ho 
 
broke through ; and thus renounced his allegiance, 
 forfeited his peace, exposed himself to the just anger 
 of his righteous sovereign, and involved himself and 
 his posterity in misery Lud ruin. Sentence of 
 condemnation was passed upon him, and expulsioi- 
 from paradise ensued. But God^ who is rich in mercy, 
 looked with pity on his wretched and guilty creature, 
 devised a plan for his restoration to happiness and 
 purity, without any compromise of his dignity or 
 impeachment of his rectitude. A Saviour was 
 announced ; and in due time Christ died for the 
 ungodlif, that idl who belieiie in him should not perish, 
 as for their disobedience they deserved to do, but 
 receive the pardon of their sins, and ha(w eternal life. 
 
 Law, in itself, knows nothing of mercy. Its 
 jurisdiction is separate and independent, it makes no 
 provision for the breach of its own enactments. It is 
 absolute and inflexible in its demands. The decrees 
 of human legislation are, indeed, sometimes repealed 
 or their infraction connived at, because they are found 
 to be inefficient, unjust, or impracticable ; but the law 
 of (jod is hohj, and just, and good, a transcript of his 
 own eternal rectitude ; and therefore to pass over a 
 transgression of it, without an adecjuate recom])ence of 
 some sort, would be in itself an infringement of equity. 
 As obedience is due to the great governor of the 
 universe, to disobey is to rob him of his right, and to 
 tolerate disobedience is to encourage rebellion, and dis- 
 turb the equity of the divine administration. Sin is a 
 transgression of th.e htw ; and every sinner, if he oifend 
 but in one point, sets nt nought the divine authority, 
 
•^5 
 
 and exposes himself to the penalty of death, and 
 exclusion from heavenly blessedness. 
 
 The Scriptures assure us that we are all by nature 
 the children of icrath, that we have all erred and 
 straji/ed from the way of God, and that sentence is 
 passed upon all ineny for that all have sinned. But a 
 reference to sin in general is little likely to work in 
 your minds the conviction that you are in a state of 
 condemnation, since men are singularly ingenious in 
 finding excuses for their crimes, and persuading them- 
 selves that all is well with them, even when they are 
 most obnoxious to the divine displeasure. I shall, 
 therefore, endeavour to fix your attention upon that 
 particular offence to which the pursuits of commerce 
 more especially expose you, though in truth every 
 human being, more or less, is liable and prone to it. 
 I mean the love of the world, and the choice of it as a 
 portion, to the exclusion of the Infinite good. Ever 
 since the fall there has been a fatal propensity in man 
 to forsake God, to love, and even ivorship^ the creature 
 more than the Creator, to substitute the pleasures of 
 sense for those of reason, and the gratification of the 
 passions for the favour of the Almighty. Of two great 
 evils the whole human race have been f^mXiy— -forsaking 
 the fountain of living icaters, and hewing out cisterns 
 that can hold no nniter. Nor can any of you plead 
 exemption from the charge. If, then, while engaged 
 in your lawful calling, you pursue the things of the 
 world in the spirit of the world ; if your motives are 
 purely selfish, beginning and terminating in your 
 personal gratification ; if, when you prosper in your 
 
 ■*nr 
 
 '"mrm. 
 
Q6 
 
 designs, you assume all the credit to yourself, and give 
 not to God the honour due unto his name, or when 
 riches increase you set your heart upon them ; if you 
 are looking to the present state as your rest, and rot 
 desiring or preparing for a better ; if you have given 
 vour heart to vanitv and not to God, and are living to 
 vourselves and not to Him ; if vou denv vourselves in 
 nothing because he has forbidden it, and perform no 
 action from a design to please him and a regard for his 
 authority ; — then are you in a condition which angels 
 regard with pity, and fiends with malignant joy. 
 You are ouiltv of a wilful violation of the First and 
 Great commandment, and liable to all the penalties 
 denounced aoainst it, — for vou love not God with all 
 your heart. 
 
 To whatever subterfuo;e vou mav have recourse, and 
 whatever palliations you may offer, you cannot escape 
 from the charge, while the law of God stands 
 unrepealed, and his equitable character as governor of 
 the universe remains unchanged. Both stand out 
 asfainst vou in terrible arrav : and unless thev be 
 withdrawn, you have nothing to expect but the 
 execution of the sentence, and nothino- before vou but 
 a fearful looking-for ofJ/i(li>))ienf and of fiery indig- 
 nation. What plea can you advance in arrest of 
 judgment? Will you say that, convinced of your 
 error and your guilt, you will for ever renounce and 
 abandon them both ? With whatever sincerity you 
 may have cherished this idea, it will not avail to 
 extricate you from danger, (i'od requirefh that which 
 is past. He (finnnt rcnounro his holiness, or suffer 
 
'H 
 
 
 one tittle of his law to fail. All analogy, as well as all 
 justice, is against you in this matter. A resolution 
 not to contract a future debt will not discharge an old 
 one ; a detevmination not to repeat an offence will never 
 compensate for one that has been already committed. 
 Injury has been done, and you cannot repair it ; guilt 
 has been contracted, and you cannot remove it. Could 
 you, from this hour, keep the whole law of God in all 
 its purity, without any deviation or defect, with internal 
 affection as well as external conformity, vou would 
 have no superfluity of merit to fill up the measure of 
 deficient obedience. The position, then, in which you 
 stand as a sinner before God, viewed from whatever 
 point it may, is the most fearful and affecting that 
 imagination can conceive. The law says, " Do this, 
 and thou shalt live. Transgress this, and thou shalt 
 die." The rewards of obedience you cannot claim, 
 for you have not rendered it ; the defects of obedience 
 you cannot supply, for you have no resource to draw 
 from, and vou arc continuallv addintr to their number : 
 the penalties of disobedience you cannot escape, for 
 you have incurred <;hem ; for the sin of disobedience 
 you cannot atone, since you have no compensation to 
 propose, and no offering to present. 
 
 Happily man is not left without hope, under all the 
 pressure of this misery and guilt. The Gospel, as 
 an angel of mercy, comes in to his relief ; and herein 
 consists its superlative; value. Glad tiding;^ of great 
 joy are brought to those who are lying under the curse 
 of a violated law. The God of love beholds with 
 compassion his degraded and perishing creature, and 
 
 -wir 
 
^8 
 
 says, DeiUjsr him from going down to the pit, for I 
 hare found a ransom. The offended party provides 
 mear of reconciliation for his oflPending child. Herein 
 is lo< '., not that we loved God, but tliat lie loved usy 
 and sent his son to he the propitiation for our sins. 
 The Saviour himself, gladly co-operatin<jf in the 
 covenant of peace, flies to our rescue ; and, laying 
 aside his glory, steps down from the throne, and 
 humbles him self to the death of the cross. The Gospel 
 announces this astonishing plan in all the freeness and 
 fulness of its provisions, and proclaims pardon through 
 the blood of the Holy One, by ftiith in his name. Thus 
 mercy and truth are united with righteousness and 
 peace. Thus the claims of justice are secured by the 
 very act in which the Divine benignity is exercised, 
 while God's glory is promoted, and the sinner eternally 
 saved. 
 
 You will perceive, my brethren, at one view^, the 
 practical application of these cheering truths, and learn 
 that as the law, by the penalties it denounces upon 
 transgression of which all are guilty, is a ministration 
 of death, so the gospel, by the deliverance it promises 
 and secures, is a ministration of life. The one 
 destroys, because men have failed in their obedience ; 
 the other saves, because Christ has perfectly fulfilled 
 the law in our behalf, and suffererl the penalties which 
 sinners have deserved. But to whom are these benefits 
 available ? To everij one that helieveth. If, therefore, 
 my brethren, under a sense of guilt and a feeling of 
 canger, you apply to the Redeemer ; if, humbled, 
 broken-hejirted, penitent, you come to him who alone 
 
 ■■ 
 
'^\) 
 
 can exalt and comfort you ; if you renounce your own 
 imperfect riivliteousncss as a ground of confidence 
 before God, and put on the righteousness of Christ, 
 even the ri^'hfeon.sness which is of God IjJJ fiif^i ; i^' 
 persuaded that you must sink and be lost without 
 divine aid, you cry out ' Save, Lord, or we perish / 
 if you thus lehoid hy faith the Lamh of God, trust in 
 his atonin.o- l)loo(l, rely on his all-perfect sacrifice, 
 obedience, and advocacy, and m this manner come unto 
 God hji Him,~Yoi\ have the most absolute promise 
 that a Deity can give, of acceptance, pardon, and 
 salvation ; for whosoever thus seeks an entrance into 
 his kingdom and glory shall /// ?w wise he cast out. 
 
 But if, on the other hand, you are so careless of your 
 eternal interests that you have no concern about them ; 
 or if the world has gained such an ascendancy over you 
 that you are unwilling to renounce it even for salvation 
 itself ; or if you are too proud to be ludebted to another 
 for those blessings which you fancy your own virtues 
 deserve \ the Gospel will be no " dispensation of mercy" 
 to you. For you, Christ will have died i)i cain, while 
 you thus contemptuously reject his mercy, and in the 
 most awful manner thmjud^T //ourselves unworthy of 
 eternal life. 
 
 And for what does the votary of the world forego 
 these high advantages? \Miat potent influence can 
 have lulled him into a forgetfulness of his eternal 
 interests? Iti^ iho deed fulness of siu ; the benumb- 
 ing power of sellishness on a depraved heart; the 
 pnidominance of worldly motives in a worldly spirit. 
 
 D 
 
 "^y 
 
30 
 
 In matters of commerce the invariable object is profit, 
 each party seeking to obtain that which to him 
 respectively is of more value than that which he parts 
 wdth ; and he who gives an exorbitant price for an 
 inferior commodity, or barters a rare jewel for a thing 
 of nought, is justly chargeable with folly, and deemed 
 incompetent to manage even the most ordinary affairs. 
 It is some consolation, amidst the losses of trade, to 
 know that their extent may be calculated, and by 
 diligence and attention sometimes repaired. But wlio 
 can calculate the loss of heavenly blessedness, and who 
 can regain it when once the sentence is pronounced, 
 and tlie door is shut f The redemption of the soul is 
 precious ; but if it be not secured in the present life, 
 it ceasethfor ever. We naturally look with surprise 
 and censure upon him who lavishes his fortune upon 
 trifles, or sacrifices the welfare of a whole life for the 
 pleasure of a moment ; but he who prefers the gratifi- 
 cations of sense to the favour of God, and loses his 
 soul rather than give up his sin, is guilty of an 
 infatuation for which language has no name, and which 
 nothing can account for but the melancholy fact that 
 the God of this world hath blinded his eijes^ and 
 hardened his heart. 
 
 <^ 
 
 There was one of old who contented himself with 
 making provision for the flesh tofiiljil the lusts thereof, 
 and whose whole pleasure consisted in accumulation, 
 and in plans to secure what he had gained, to whom 
 it was said, Thou fool! this night thi/ soul shall be 
 required of thee : then whose shall those things be that 
 fhnu hast promded? Then, where shall that soul be, 
 
31 
 
 which thus limits its desires to a perishing world,—- 
 thus prostitutes its noble faculties to the pampering of 
 the flesh,— thus wraps up its energies in the narrow 
 circle of selfish indulgence,— thus hangs its eternal 
 destinies on a thread so slender as mortal existence ? 
 
 Suffer me, my brethren, to press upon you the all- 
 important question. How stands the matter, then, 
 between God and your souls ? Do you think of every 
 thing but Him, and his righteous commands ? Are 
 you satisfied if your worldly designs prosper, without 
 feeling any concern whether happiness or misery be 
 your portion in eternity ? Is the frown or the smile of 
 your Creator and Judge, a matter of equal indifference 
 to you ? Is it your pleasure to live ivithout God in the 
 world, and while you remember with gratitude every 
 other benefactor, to forget Him who gave you being ? 
 Have you no love to the Saviour, no delight in his 
 service, no desire to be like him, no hope to be with 
 him ? Is this world all in your esteem, and the future 
 nothing ? 
 
 When you consider the mutable nature of all earthly 
 
 good, its limited power to satisfy the best desires of 
 
 the soul, or rather its utter insutficiency for this end,— 
 and above all the transient possession we have of it, 
 for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain 
 we can carry nothing out,— yon will at once perceive 
 the wisdom of seeking a more enduring substance, of 
 laying up treasure in heaven, of securing a title to an 
 inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, audfadeth 
 not awaih Vou surely need no argument to prove to 
 
iM2 
 
 you the absurdity of that unhappy man's determination 
 who said, " Soul, take thine ease ; thou hast much 
 goods Uiid up for many years." What is there in 
 bams, and fruits, and worldly abundance to give " ease'' 
 to the soul, when CJod requires if ? These things 
 have their use, and our Heavenly Father knoweth that 
 we have tieed of them, during our sojourn upon earth ; 
 but they arc only adapted to the wants of the body, — 
 the soul recjuires a more ethereal iiutriment, and can 
 be happy only in Crod. To be alienated from Him is 
 to be severed from the oidy source of true felicity ; to 
 be an enemv to Him is to be at enmity with our own 
 peace. To be reconciled to Him is our highest 
 privilege and dignity ; to enjoy Him is to enjoy every 
 thing. Behold, then, another illustration of the 
 doctrine of the text, that GodlincHS is projitahle unto 
 all tilings, harinir the promise of the life that now is, 
 and oftliat which /V to come. 
 
 The annals of commerce are not destitute of examples 
 tending to evince the same truth. Many names might 
 be adduced of Christian merchants eminent in their 
 generation for piety and wealth, successful in their 
 enterprises, and liberal in their distribution, considering 
 themselves as stewards, not owners, of the property 
 they acquired ; of 7nen fearing God and hating 
 covetousness, equally diligent in business, and fervent 
 in spirit, serving Ciod in all. Such men give a tone 
 aL ' an inlluonce to the society in which they move, 
 and arc an honour to the profession in which they arc 
 engaged. They have shewn the compatibility of an 
 active life witli a ('hristiaii spirit, and have taui>ht us 
 
3.S 
 
 
 how to live unto God while living among men. With 
 all their other acquisitions, they have obtained the 
 pearl of great price : with a competency of worldly good, 
 they are also rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom. 
 Walking in all humility before God, and enjoying the 
 comforts of his^ love, they have at the same time 
 acquired the confidence and respect of all who are 
 judges of character and lovers of true worth. They 
 are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. On the 
 contrary thev olorv in it, and are careful, by the 
 consistency and holiness of tlieir deportment, to adorn 
 the doctrine of God their Sariour. Of a similar spirit, 
 I trust, are some who now hear me. May their 
 example be universally imitated, and diffuse its holy 
 influence throughout the whole community. 
 
 Suffer me to conclude with a fev,- w^ords of exhortation. 
 
 \ ; 
 
 
 First. Be upon your guard against the love of the 
 ?vorld. Nothing is more destructive to the souls of 
 men. It is the universal temptation which besets the 
 liuman race ; and nothing but the grace of God can 
 deliver you from it. There is no danger against which 
 the Saviour and his Ai)ostles are more frequent and 
 solemn in their warnings than this ; and the reason 
 is obvious, — there is none to which we are more 
 exposed, or which is more successful in its attacks and 
 more fatal in its consequences. From the carnal mind 
 it will receive a warm and cordial welcome, as in perfect 
 harmony with its propensities and desiies ; and upon 
 such a mind it will exert its deadly power till it is 
 plunged bcnond hope into the pit of perdition. Even 
 
 "*Tr 
 
.'34 
 
 the Christian is not exempt from its influence. It 
 makes its approaches in so insidious a manner, and 
 comes in such a specious guise, under such allurinj»- 
 names, and with such delusive pretensions and promises, 
 that even the children of light are liable to be deceived 
 by it. Should it gain an ascendancy in your hearts, 
 it will mar your comfort, cloud your evidences, lower 
 your spirituality, impede your usefulness, and make 
 work for bitter repentance. Watch against it, 
 therefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech you, with 
 incessant vigilance, and pray against it with a holy 
 importunity, that the power of Christ may rest upon 
 you, and bring your very thoughts into a sweet subjec- 
 tion to his will. 
 
 I 
 
 Secondly. Be careful that you mistake not the way 
 ofsalmtion. Some of you may have been more correct 
 and moral in your deportment than others, and on that 
 account may deem yourselves in a fair way for heaven. 
 But trust not to your own virtues, which are very 
 imperfect at the best, and very deficieat at the utmost. 
 If they spring from any other motive than the love of 
 God, they are not virtues in His sight, whatever they 
 may appear in your's. Vi weighed in the balance, they 
 will all he found wanting. The very best of them will 
 7iot stand in the judgment, much less atone for the sins 
 you have committed. Your own hearts will condemn 
 you. By the deeds of the law shall no flesh limng he 
 justified; and if not justified before God, you cannot 
 be saved. The blood of Christ alone will avail you 
 here. It was shed for the guilty, and every one that 
 believeth in him shall receive the benefit of his death, 
 
35 
 
 the pardon of sin, and everlasting life. Those who do 
 not receive Christ by faith— a faith which works by love, 
 and shews its reality by the fruits of holiness which it 
 
 bears remain under the law, exposed to its penalties, 
 
 and awaiting its curse. There is no other name ^iven 
 under heaven by which we can he saved ; but that name 
 is all-sufficient. His redemption is co^nplete, and 
 presents to the eye of faith all that a guilty sinner 
 needs to set him free from the .condemnation of the 
 law, to purify his heart by the influence of the Spirit ; 
 and thus, while it gives a title to eternal life, renders 
 him who believes in Jesus, meet for the possession and 
 enjoyment of its unutterable blessedness. To renounce 
 his own fancied righteousness is humbling to the pride 
 of man ; but he must be humbled in order to be exalted. 
 Happy those who, like the great Apostle of the Gentiles, 
 desire to appear before the throne, not having on their 
 own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteous- 
 ness which is of God by faith. In no other way can 
 heaven be attained. Man cannot earn a right to it — 
 man cannot work a fitness for it. By Christ alone the 
 way is opened — through faith alone we are enabled to 
 walk in that living way. Thanks be to God for his 
 unspeakable gift. If you look into yourselves, you will 
 find nothing but matter for despondency ; but if you 
 look to Jesus, you behold a foundation strong enough 
 to sustain your hopes to all eternity. 
 
 Finally . Whatever my love to your souls may impel 
 me to desire, I am not so presumptious as to suppose 
 that these representations, or any representations that 
 I can make, will prevail upon the sinner to repent and 
 
 -—«▼- 
 
:U') 
 
 turn to (iod, or induce the believer to walk more 
 closely with Him, without that divine agency vvhicii 
 alone can render them effectual. Paul claimed not 
 this power, either for liimself or his elocjueiit com- 
 panion and fellow-labourer, ApoUos ; but still the one 
 continued to ])lant and the other to water, in the faith 
 that God would ••ive the increase. The Almitihtv still 
 works by means ; and the great means w liich he has 
 appointed to gather in and edify liis chur(;h are the 
 exhibition of Christ in the (jlosi)el, and the a])peals 
 contained in his holy word. .1 look to the sanu: all- 
 potent influence on which they rested, to render the 
 gospel to you the ^mwer of God unto miration ; and 
 mj/ hearfs desire and prajjer for ifou all is, that t/ou 
 mail he saved. Amen. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 EKRATA. 
 Page 10, line 1 — read prosperity. 
 19, 21 — for call read calls.