the providence of God, but that ho nefty is in its own nature the freest from danger.

First, because fuch a one lays no projects, which it is the intereft of another to blast, and therefore needs no indirect methods or deceitful practices to fecure his intereft by undermining others. The paths of virtue are plain and straight, fo that the blind, perfons of the meaneft capacity, fhall not err.-Dishonefty requires fkill to conduct it, and as great art to conceal-what 'tis every one's intereft to detect. And I think I need not remind you how oft it happens in attempts of this kind-where worldly men, in hafte to be rich, have overrun the only means to it, and for

want of laying their contrivances with proper cunning, or managing them with proper fecrecy and advantage, have loft for ever, what they might have certainly fecured by honefty and plain dealing. The general caufes of the disappointments in their bufinefs, or of unhappinefs in their lives, lying but too manifeftly in their own diforderly paffions, which by attempting to carry them a fhorter way to riches and honour, difappoint them of both for ever, and make plain their ruin is from themfelves, and that they eat the fruits, which their own hands have watered and ripened.

Confider, in the third place, that as the religious and moral man (one of which he cannot be without the

other) not only takes the fureft course for fuccefs in his affairs, but is dif pofed to procure a help, which never enters into the thoughts of a wicked one: for being confcious of upright intentions, he can look towards heaven, and with fome affurance recommend his affairs to God's bleffing and direction:whereas the fraudulent and difhoneft Man, dares not call for God's blefling upon his defigns,—or if he does, he knows it is in vain to expect it. Now a man who believes that he has God on his fide, acts with another fort of life and courage, than he who knows he ftands alone;-like Efau, with his hand against every man, and every man's hand against his.

The of the Lord are upon

eyes

the

righteous, and his ears are open to their cry, but the face of the Lord. is against them that do evil.

Confider, in the fourth place, that in all good governments who underftand their own intereft, the upright and honest man ftands much fairer for preferment, and much more likely to be employed in all things when fidelity is wanted-for all men, however the cafe ftands with themselves, they love at least to find honefty in those they truft; nor is there any ufage we more hardly digeft, than that of being outwitted and deceived. This is fo true an observation, that the greatest knaves have no other way to get into bufinefs, but by counterfeiting ho

nefty, and pretending to be what they are not; and when the impofture is discovered, as it is a thousand to one but it will, I have juft faid, what must be the certain confequence :for when fuch a one falls, he has none to help him,-fo he feldom rifes again.

This brings us to a fifth particular, in vindication of the text,-That a virtuous man has this ftrong advantage on his fide (the reverfe of the laft) that the more and the longer he is known, fo much the better is he loved,-fo much the more trusted;fo that his reputation and his fortune have a gradual increafe:-and if calamities or cross accidents fhould