occafions ftand forth to public view without difmay. To be convinced of the unfpeakable advantage which the honeft and good man has in this refpect over the knave and hypocrite, view him in feveral diftinct capacities and relations, to remark what unaffected courage and confidence the consciousness of acting and meaning well infpires. Obferve him in commercial life, and you will fee that, having never wronged or defrauded any man, but always acted upon the principles of the stricteft equity and niceft honour, he is not afraid of meeting with a single individual, whereever he goes, who can upbraid him with having impofed upon his ignorance, or abufed his confidence. He never fees the man who calls to his remembrance acts of dishonesty or meannefs which he would be ashamed to bring to light; or has occafion to impute it to his good fortune, that he has escaped the neglect and con tempt, tempt, or the punishment, which he has merited. Every one with whom he has tranfacted business is a witness to his fair and honourable proceedings; and he can never want friends, who will take pleafure in advancing his profperity, or in affording him affistance upon an unexpected reverse of fortune. The consciousness of his own integrity, and the reliance he places on the good opinion of mankind, accompany him wherever he goes, and infpire him with a degree of confidence, in the profecution of his defigns, which none but an honest man ever feel. View him, in the next place, in the capacity of a friend. He has made no profeffions of friend@hip which his heart did not acknowledge: he has violated no engagement or promife; he has betrayed no fecret with which confidence or friendship had entrusted him; he has never forgotten the zeal and tenderness which are due to the intereft and character of a I friend. friend. He can therefore have no with to conceal from his friend any part of his conduct, and is capable of enjoying in perfection all the delights of reciprocal attachment and confidence. Has he been appointed guardian of the fatherless, or protector of the widow? He has the fatisfaction to reflect, that he has in no instance violated the facred truft reposed in him, or, by abuse or delay, facrificed the interests of his charge to his own; but, on the contrary, has, through the whole proceeding, faithfully discharged every obligation of equity and honour, of friendship and humanity. Far from feeling any shame or apprehenfion at the idea of having his whole conduct thoroughly canvaffed, he feels a generous pride in the consciousness of having faithfully executed his truft, and finds a welcome teftimony to his fidelity in the grateful hearts of the perfons committed to his care. Accompany him into the retired scenes of domestic life, you will find that his cha racter racter will bear the ftricteft examination from thofe to whom it is most intimately known-you will fee that, though he is obliged to folicit from the affection of his relatives and dependants a candid indulgence of his foibles and infirmities, he can make a confident appeal to them for the fincerity and ardour with which he has endeavoured to ferve their intereft and promote their happiness. Lastly, obferve his works of charity and mercy, and you will find him reaping the fruits of his liberality in the gratitude of thofe whom his bounty has relieved, and in the esteem and affection of all the good around him: and though he has been influenced, in the distribution of his charity, by higher motives than the defire of applause, you will eafily perceive that the remembrance of his generous deeds affords him fatisfaction, and that the respect which they have procured him among his fellow-citizens infpires him with confidence. So powerful is the effect of a confciouf- P nefs nefs of having acted well with respect to mankind, that it even fortifies the mind against the malignant affaults of envy and flander. The fairest character may fall under reproach and obloquy, and may for a time lie under unjust cenfure. But the man who is confcious of his innocence, can be under no temptation to hide himfelf, at such a season, from the public eye, or to let the murmur against him die away without notice. This is, indeed, the wifest course which can be taken by those whose confciences fecond the public cenfure; and there are cafes in which it may be most prudent to treat even flander and defamation with neglect. But honest and upright men have it commonly in their power to make their appeal to the public; and, by calling in the general testimony of their paft conduct, as well as producing immediate evidence of their innocence, to filence the voice of flander. In the last place, the good man has not only no reason for fhame before men, but he |