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constituted authorities-the rights of property-the supremacy of the law-the impartial administration of public justice-and to honour the constitutional form of government of the country, by whatever party it may be administered. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.'* Another duty is to conduct the affairs of the company on such a liberal, yet prudent scale of expense, as shall afford encouragement to the industry, trade, and fine arts of the country. Solomon says, Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field, and afterwards build thy house.' Which means, understand it rightly, 'Get your money before you spend it, but having got it, live in a scale of expense corresponding to your means afterwards build thy house. Individuals may be justified in living much within their means, in order to provide for old age, or for the proper settlement of their children; but public companies cannot have such motives for conducting their establishments with an unsuitable economy. But, above all, it is the duty of a public company to maintain, in all its transactions, a high-toned morality. Righteousness exalteth a nation.' A departure from moral rectitude is altogether inexcusable in a public company. As all their actions are presumed to be the result of previous deliberations, they cannot plead in excuse, as individuals do, the power of passion, the impulse of the moment, or the force of habit. In proportion to the weakness, or the absence of temptation, in such proportion would their conduct be the more criminal; § while their wealth and influence would render their example more extensively injurious to the public morality. If parties of high station in society depart from the strict rule of duty, those of inferior station will deviate still more widely. If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked."|| Gilbart's Practical Treatise on Banking.

4. Logic will teach us to notice the different species of any particular virtue or vice.

"Question. What is forbidden in the Eighth Commandment? "Answer. The Eighth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbour's wealth or outward estate.

"Q. How may we be said to steal from OURSELVES?

"A. By idleness, niggardliness, and prodigality.

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Q. How many ways may persons be said to steal from others, or unjustly hinder their neighbour's wealth or outward estate?

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Tit. iii. 1, 2,
§ Prov. vi. 30.

+ Prov. xxiv. 27.

Prov. xiv. 34.
Prov. xxix. 12.

"A. Several ways; particularly by theft, robbery, resetting, defrauding, monopolizing, and taking unlawful usury."-Assembly's Shorter Catechism explained by James Fisher.

"A merchant should be an honourable man. Although a man cannot be an honourable man without being an honest man, yet a man may be strictly honest without being honourable. Honesty refers to pecuniary affairs; honour refers to the principles and feelings. You may pay your debts punctually, you may defraud no man, and yet you may act dishonourably. You act dishonourably when you give your correspondents a worse opinion of your rivals in trade than you know they deserve. You act dishonourably when you sell your commodities at less than their real value, in order to get away your neighbour's customers. You act dishonourably when you purchase at higher than the market price, in order that you may raise the market upon another buyer. You act dishonourably when you draw accommodation bills, and pass them to your banker for discount, as if they rose out of real transactions. You act dishonourably in every case wherein your external conduct is at variance with your real opinions. You act dishonourably if, when carrying on a prosperous trade, you do not allow your servants and assistants, through whose exertions you obtain your success, to participate in your prosperity. You act dishonourably if, after you have become rich, you are unmindful of the favours you received when you were poor. In all these cases there may be no intentional fraud. It may not be dishonest, but it is dishonourable conduct."—Lectures on Ancient Commerce.

5. Logic will teach us to investigate the causes and consequences of virtues and vices, and the various circumstances by which they may be attended.

"The effect of intemperance in shortening life is strikingly exemplified in the contrast afforded by other classes of society to the Quakers, a set of people of whom I must again speak favourably. It appears from accurate calculation, that in London only one person in forty attains the age of fourscore, while among the Quakers, whose sobriety is proverbial, and who have long set themselves against the use of ardent spirits, not less than one in ten reaches that age-a most striking difference, and one which carries its own inference along with it.

"It is remarked by an eminent practitioner, that of more than a hundred men in a glass manufactory, three drank nothing but water, and these three appeared to be of their proper age, while the rest who indulged in strong drinks seemed ten or twelve years older than they proved to be. This is conclusive."-Macnish's Anatomy of Drunkenness.

"But if a man is a fool to expect to attain wealth by dishonest means, he is a still greater fool if he expects that wealth so acquired will afford him any enjoyment.-Enjoyment, did I say? Is it possible, that in such a case any man can expect enjoyment? What! enjoyment for you-you who have obtained wealth by falsehood-by deception-by extortion-by oppression-you expect enjoyment? Listen-listen to the hearty denunciations of all honest men; to the awful imprecations of those you have injured; to the reproaches of your family, whose name you have dishonoured; to the accusations of that conscience whose voice you have stifled, and to the wrathful thunder of that heaven whose laws you have outraged! Listen to these—these are the enjoyments that will attend your ill-gotten wealth: He that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his end shall be a fool.'"-Lectures on Ancient

Commerce.

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6. Logic will teach us how to apply general principles to particular acts, institutions, or opinions, and to judge of their propriety:

WAR.-"When we contemplate the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, forming a perfect contrast to the war character, and, remember that this was designed as a pattern for our conductwhen we consider his precepts, and reflect that these are of perpetual obligation; and further bring to mind, that his followers took no part in wars for more than two hundred years after his personal appearance on earth, can we entertain a doubt of the incompatibility of war with the duties of a Christian? Can we draw any other conclusion, than that, in adopting the spirit and practice of war, we must act with such inconsistency with the precepts and example of Jesus Christ, and the example of his followers, as amounts to a dereliction of Christianity itself!"

OATHS." The imposition of an oath carries with it the strong presumption, that the individual is not to be believed without it. This idea has an extensively demoralizing effect, on those who are placed within the sphere of its influence. It opens a wide door to the disgusting vice of lying. When men become reconciled to the idea, that an oath is necessary to the truth, it is a kindred feeling to reconcile them to falsehood, in their ordinary communications. Nor is this the only immoral tendency of requiring oaths, to ensure the truth. It holds out a temptation to swearing in conversation. Reconciled, in the first place, to speak falsehood, unless under the coercion of an oath, and, in the next place, to attest the truth by swearing, a disposition is produced, in some men, to give their conversation the appearance of truth, by interspersing it with profane oaths.'

SALUTATIONS." They believe there is no propriety in bowing the body, and uncovering the head, to any created beings; for worship belongs to God only. But if we are told, that in fashionable life these actions have no such intention, we reply, that if they have become unmeaning, men of correct feelings ought neither to offer nor receive them. If they are intended only to express civility and ordinary respect, we say, that these can be expressed in a more appropriate manner, than by degrading the outward acts of Divine worship down to a mere expression of common civility, or even nothing at all. Everything which relates to Divine worship, or that homage we pay to the Almighty, should be carefully guarded from being introduced into the familiar intercourse between man and man; lest, by the association of ideas, our worship itself become adulterated and offensive.

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"We believe that, under the Gospel, we are bound to speak every man truth to his neighbour. The expressions, mister, or master, and your most obedient, &c. your humble servant, &c. being in the common application untrue, we decline to use. love and charity which the Gospel inspires, are above all compli mental expressions, and need neither flattery nor falsehood to set them off to advantage.

"The plain language, as we term it, or the use of the singular pronouns to a single person, has much to recommend it. In the first place, it is consonant to truth; for the plural pronoun does express a plurality of persons to whom it relates: hence, we consider it a departure from truth, to address a single individual with a word that conveys an idea of more than one. We consider the plain language, too, as the language of the greatest and best of men that have ever lived, to one another and to God. And we think this authority ought to possess great weight. The rules of the language contribute something to the same effect. It must be admitted, that the beauty and precision of the language are greatly injured by the promiscuous use of the plural pronouns."

AMUSEMENTS.-" Those vain amusements which have been denominated Recreations, we consider beneath the dignity of the Christian character; and they frequently prove the inlet to much vice and corruption. H. Tuke, in his Principles of Religion,' chap. 9, says: There are three rules relating to amusements, by which our conduct should be regulated. 1.-To avoid all those which tend needlessly to oppress and injure any part of the animal creation. Of this class are cock-fighting and horse-racing: also hunting, &c. when engaged in for diversion and pleasure. 2.-To abstain from such as are connected with a spirit of hazardous enterprise; by which the property and temporal happiness of individuals and families are often made to depend on the most precarious circumstances; and the gain of one frequently entails

misery on many. Of this class are all games in which property is staked. 3.-To avoid such as expose us to unnecessary temptations, with respect to our virtue; or which dissipate the mind, so as to render a return to civil and religious duties ungrateful. Of this kind, stage entertainments are peculiarly to be avoided, with various other places of public amusement, which have a tendency to corrupt the heart, or to alienate it from the love and fear of God.' "The Doctrines of Friends, by Elisha Bates.

I shall conclude this section by a quotation on the moral effects of the Industrial Exhibition.

"The many friendships that will be established during the existence of the Exhibition between the members of different nations, will be so many powerful motives for resisting war, so many guarantees for quiet and reasonable legislation; the breaking down of unfounded prejudices, a more accurate and enlarged knowledge of the real character of our neighbours, the right appreciation of their talents and other excellences, the perception of those points in which we ourselves are inferior to them,—all these things have the same tendency, and they may rationally be expected to follow from that more close collision with foreigners which will be caused by the Great Exhibition of Industry. It is not enough, therefore, to say that it will, under this aspect, promote the welfare of mankind; we may boldly say, it will promote their moral and religious welfare.”—Mr. Whish's Prize Essay.

SECTION VI.

THE APPLICATION OF THE ART OF REASONING TO THE FORMATION OF HABITS OF REASONING.

THE object of all rules is the formation of habits. Habits can be formed only by repeated acts. The rules direct how the act should be performed. The repetition of the act produces the habit. And when the habit is fixed there is no further occasion for rules. But practice is still necessary in order to confirm and strengthen the habit.

1. To form a habit of reasoning, take care of your health.

The possession of health seems essential to independence of mind. 'Tis those who have a weakly constitution who

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