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MED.

words of the offence. We know well XXI. enough, that stealing is a sin; but it is only one branch of a most extensive transgression. It is hardly possible, in a much larger discourse than the present, to define the various insidious methods of over-reaching. Indeed, I think every day brings forth new specimens of undefined crimes, and new laws are continually called for to check them. These I shall not attempt to follow. They evade the wisest legal head; how then can my feeble pen arrest them? Fraud, forgery, and commercial deceit, are deadly weapons of destruction in the hands of ingenious wickedness and unprincipled knowledge.

Withholding wages that are due, withholding bread from the poor, withholding instruction from the ignorant, withholding charity from the deserving (where we are called upon, and there is a capability of performing these several duties) may all be considered as

XXI.

branches of stealing, and undoubtedly MED, operate as a fraud on society, and an offence against God. Alas!" Who

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can tell how how oft he offendeth? "O cleanse thou me from my secret "faults*." Who shall ascend into "the hill of the Lord? or who shall "stand in his holy place? He that "hath clean hands, and a pure heart, "who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbour. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righte ousness from the God of his sal"vation."-Remove from me all worldly mindedness which may tempt me to deceive; let me prefer an handful with honesty, before large treasures with a bad conscience; let me be so open to the grace of God, that I may spurn the slightest deviation from rectitude of conduct, but on the best and most evangelical principle,

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Psalm xix. 12.

+ Ib. xxii. 3, 4.

MED.

XXI.

"render to all their dues-tribute to

" whom tribute, custom to whom cus"tom, fear to whom fear, honor to " whom honor *.'

*Rom. xiii. 7.

MEDITATION XXII.

PS. cxix. 128.

All false Ways I utterly abhor.

THE nearer the mind approaches to MED. the highest apprehensions of Divine XXII. love, the nearer will the actions of men approach to the standard of God's commandments. What then is our duty? Not to think ourselves perfect by our obedience, but to deduce our obedience from our faith; that is, from the revealed will of God-not merely from the natural law which accuses or excuses, but from written testimony, which supersedes all human glosses and interpretations, and speaks the unequivocal T

MED. language of heaven, as if we heard the XXII. very thunderings and voices of the holy

mount.

It was a gracious mercy of the Almighty to leave such an unerring rule with us, as is delivered to us in the ten commandments. Whatever obscurity may be impressed on our contemplation of various parts of creation, whatever darkness the lapse of ages may have thrown over the manners and customs of the world, however unable we may be to fathom the divine decrees, or to interpret the depths of Almighty wisdom; all is plain and open here. "The way-faring man (who hath eyes to see and ears to hear) shall not err "therein;" at least, his error will be wilful and his condemnation scaled, unless he be cleansed through the purification of the sanctuary.

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But the more we dive into the true intent of the commandments of God,

* Is. xxxv. 8.

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