are very extensively made in this country, and but too probably in others also! Among the innumerable frauds, practised in this vast field of human business, I shall specify the following. Multitudes of persons, when forming bargains, misrepresent, or conceal, the state of the markets. Most men profess to be willing to be governed in their dealings by the market price. But great numbers of these very men intend to buy for less, and sell for more. Hence they carefully conceal this price from those, with whom they deal; and thus buy at diminished, and sell at enhanced, prices. This conduct is plain dishonesty; and would not deceive even the subject of it, were he not blinded by his own avarice. He perfectly knows, that his neighbour would not buy, nor sell, on these terms, except from his ignorance; and that the advantage, which he gains, is gained only from his neighbour's misapprehension of the commodities in question. Can an honest man take this advantage? Would any man of reputation justify himself in taking it of a child? Why not of a child, as well as of a man? Because, it will be answered, the child knows not the worth of what he buys, or sells. Neither, in the case specified, does the man. Would he, who takes this advantage, be willing, that his neighbour should take it of him? The answer to this question needs not be given. It is plain, then, that the conduct referred to is unjust and fraudulent. : There are many other persons, who directly misrepresent the market price. These men feel satisfied, if they do not palpably lie if, for example, they report what this price has lately been ; what they have heard somebody declare it to be; or what price has been given by an individual, who has sold at a high, or bought at a low, price; both, very different from the general one. All these are mere fetches, used by a dishonest mind to deceive itself, and to defraud others. Another palpable fraud of this class is the use of false weights and measures. These are often used, when they are known, and often when they are suspected, to be false; and, more frequently still, when they are suffered to become defective through inattention. In this, the man is apt to feel himself excused, because he is not intentionally fraudulent: not remembering, that, whenever it is in his power, God has required him to do justly, and not merely not to design to do unjustly. He has given him no permission to sin through negligence. Weights and measures are often formed of such materials, as to ensure decay, and diminution. Whenever this is known to be the case, the proprietor is unpardonable, if he does not by frequent examinations prevent the injustice. The wrong he cannot but foresee; and the remedy is always, and entirely, in his power. If we love justice as we ought, we shall take all those measures, which are necessary to accomplish it. He, who is resolved to do to others what he would that others should do to him, will never suffer it to remain undone for want of exertions, which demand so little self-denial. Whenever a man begins to do wrong through negligence, he will soon do it through design. Indifference to sin is the next step to the love of it. The only safety in this case, and all others of the like nature, is to resist the beginnings of evil. If our opposition to it be not begun here, it will never be begun. Every smaller transgression prepares the way for a greater. Every gross villain has become such by small beginnings. "No man," says the Latin proverb, "becomes abandoned at once." He, who begins to backslide without compunction, will find his remaining course only downward; and will descend with continually increasing velocity to the bottom. Another prominent iniquity of this class is Selling commodities, which are unsound and defective, under direct professions, that they are sound and good. This is sometimes done with palpable lying; sometimes with indefinite and hypocritical insinuations. Agents, and men who buy to sell again, often assert their wares to be good, because those, of whom they received them, have declared them to be good. These declarations are often believed, because the agent professes, or at least appears, to believe them; while, in truth, he does not give them the least eredit. One of the grossest impositions of this nature is practised upon the public in advertising, and selling, nostrums as safe and valuable medicines. These are ushered into news-papers with a long train of pompous declarations, almost always false, and help them along, even tolerably, through their present, tedious, dragging existence. Few persons are more to be pitied, as certainly few are more to be blamed, than those, who find their enjoyment only in diversions; and cling to a ride, a dance, a visit, a play, or a novel, to keep them from sinking into gloom and despondence. Industrious persons, who spend their time in useful pursuits, are the only persons, whose minds are serene, contented, and cheerful. If we wish happiness for our children, then; we shall carefully educate them to an industrious life. Let no parent, at the same time, forget what alarming temptations, and what gross sins, surround idleness and profusion. This consideration will, if any thing will, compel parents to educate their children in this manner. The parent's fortune is, here, of no significance. The heir of a fortune is far more exposed to all these evils, than he, who has none. If he is to go through life with a fortune; he is to be taught to earn, and to preserve, property. Without this instruction, he will, probably, ere long be beggared, tempted without any defence to multiplied sins, and become a liar, a cheat, a drunkard, and perhaps a suicide. What parent would not tremble at the thought, that his own negligence would entail these evils upon his offspring? 2. Young persons, whatever may have been their education, are, here, forcibly taught to pursue an industrious and economical life. The children of wealthy parents are generally prone to believe, that they are destined, not to usefulness, but to enjoyment; and that they may be idle, therefore, without a crime. No opinion is more groundless; and very few are more fatal. God made all mankind to be useful. This character he requires of them without conditions. He, who does not assume it, will be found inexcusable at the final day. Every human car ought to tingle, and every heart to shudder, at the doom of the unprofitable servant in the Gospel. Still more prone are youths to believe, that profusion is honourable; and to shrink from the imputation of niggardly conduct. There is no more absolute absurdity, than the supposition, that prodigality and generosity are the same thing. They are not even allied. Generosity consists in giving freely, when a valuable purpose demands it; and with a disposition, benevolently inclined to promote that purpose. Prodigality is the squandering of property, not for valuable, but base and contemptible purposes; for the mere gratification of voluptuousness, vanity, and pride. All these gratifications are mean, selfish, and despicable. The generous man feels the value of property. The prodigal has no sense of this value. The generous man gives, because what he gives will do real good to the recipient : the prodigal, because he cares nothing about property, except as it enables him to acquire reputation, to gratify his pride, to make an ostentatious display of wealth, or to outstrip and mortify a rival. In all this there is not an approach towards generosity. On the contrary, the motives are grovelling and contemptible; and the manner, in which they are exhibited to the eye, is disingenuous and hypocritical; a gaudy dress upon a loathsome skeleton. But the prodigal fails of the very reward, which he proposes as the chief object of his expense. In spite of all his wishes, and efforts, even weak men perceive, that he is totally destitute of generosity; and those who most flatter, are the first to forsake, him: while, to shelter their own meanness and treachery, they proclaim, more loudly than any others, his weakness, faults, and miseries, to mankind. Let every youth, then, fasten his eye on this wretched charac ter, this pernicious conduct, and this deplorable end. His own exposure let him strongly feel. Let him realize with solemn emotions of mind; that Idleness and Profusion are broad and beaten roads to ruin, both in this world and that which is to come. With these views, let him devote all his time to some useful and upright employment; and thus make every day yield its blessings. What he acquires by commendable industry, let him faithfully preserve by prudent, watchful care. In this manner he will become honourable in the sight of wise and good men, a blessing to himself, to his family, and to mankind: while he will, at the same time, fulfil one important end of his being. always delusive. The silly purchaser buys, and uses, the medicine, chiefly or only, because it is sold by a respectable man, and under the sanction of a splendid advertisement, to which that respectable man lends his countenance. Were such men to decline this unfortunate and indefensible employment, the medicines would probably fall into absolute discredit; and health, and limbs, and life, would in many instances be preserved from unnecessary destruction. Another specimen of similar fraud is practised in concealing the defects of what we sell. This is the general art, and villainy, of that class of men, who are customarily styled Jockies: a class, unhappily comprehending multitudes, who would receive the appellation with astonishment and disdain. The common subterfuge of these men is this; "that they give no false accounts concerning their commodities; that the purchaser has eyes of his own, and must judge for himself." No defence can be more lame and wretched; and scarcely any, more impudent. A great proportion of vendibles are subject to defects, which no purchaser can descry. Every purchaser is, therefore, obliged to depend on the seller for information concerning them. All this the seller perfectly knows; and, if he be an honest man, will cer tainly give the information to the purchaser; because in the same situation he would wish it to be given to himself. At the same time, no purchaser would buy these articles, if he knew their defects, unless at a diminished price. The actual purcha ser is therefore, in colloquial language, taken in; and taken in by palpable villainy. his Another specimen of the same nature is furnished by the practice of depreciating the value of such commodities, as we wish to buy. "It is naught, it is naught," saith the buyer; but, when he hath gone way, he boasteth. Such was the conduct of men in the days of Solomon. We have ample proof, that human nature, now, is not in this respect altered for the better. The ignorant, the modest, and the necessitous; persons, who should be the last to suffer from fraud; are in this way often made its victims. A decisive tone, and confident airs, in men better dressed, and supposed to know better, than themselves, easily bear down persons so circumstanced, and persuade them to sell their commodi |