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Sin no more. Love much: for thou hast much

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Do you still ask, But what shall I do for bread ?-For food to eat and raiment to put on? I answer, in the name of the Lord God, (and mark well! His promise shall not fail,) "Seek thou first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and these things shall be added unto thee."

Settle it first in your heart, Whatever I have or have not, I will not have everlasting burnings. I will not sell my soul and body for bread: better even starve on earth than burn in hell. Then ask help of God. He is not slow to hear. He hath never failed them that seek him. He who feeds the young ravens that call upon him, will not let you perish for lack of sustenance. He will provide, in a way you thought not of, if you seek him with your whole heart. O let your heart be toward him: seek him from the heart. Fear sin, more than want, more than death. And cry mightily to him who bore your sins, till you have bread to eat that the world knoweth not of; till you have angels' food, even the love of God, shed abroad in your heart: till you can say, 'Now I know that my Redeemer liveth, that he hath loved me and given himself for me: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God!'

A WORD TO A SMUGGLER.

1. What is Smuggling? It is the importing, selling, or buying of run goods: that is, those which have not paid the duty appointed by law to be paid to the King.

1. Importing run goods. All smuggling vessels do this with an high hand. It is the chief, if not the whole business of these, to bring goods which have not paid duty.

2. Next to these are all sea captains, officers, sailors, or passengers, who import any thing without paying the duty which the law requires.

3. A third sort of smugglers are all those who sell any thing which has not paid the duty.

4. A fourth sort, those who buy tea, liquors, linen, handkerchiefs, or any thing else which has not paid duty. II. "But why should they not? What harm is there in it ?"

1. I answer, Open Smuggling (such as was common a few years ago, on the southern coasts especially) is robbing on the highway: and as much harm as there is in this, just so much there is in smuggling. A smuggler of this kind is no honester than an highwayman. They may shake hands together.

2. Private Smuggling is just the same with picking of pockets. There is full as much harm in this as in that. A smuggler of this kind is no honester than a pickpocket. shake hands together.

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3. But open smugglers are worse than common highwaymen, and private smugglers are worse than common pickpockets. For it is undoubtedly worse to rob our father, than one we have no obligation to. And it is worse still, far worse, to rob a good father, one who sincerely loves us, and is at that very time doing all he can to provide for us, and to make us happy. Now this is exactly the present case. King GEORGE is the Father of all his subjects: and ́not only so, but he is a good father. He shews his love to them on all occasions; and is continually doing all that is in his power to make his subjects happy.

4. An honest man therefore would be ashamed to ask, Where is the harm in robbing such a Father? His own reason, if he had any at all, would give him a speedy answer. But you are a Christian: Are you not? You say, you believe the Bible. Then I say to you, in the name of God, and in the name of Christ, "Thou shalt not steal." Thou shalt not take what is not thine own, what is the right of another man. But the duties appointed by law are the King's right, as much as your coat is your right. He has as good a right to them, as you have to this: these are his property, as much as this is yours. Therefore you

are as much a thief if you take his duties, as a man is that takes your coat.

5. If you believe the Bible, I say to you, as our Saviour said to them of old time, "Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's." If then you mind our Saviour's words, be as careful to honour the King, as to fear God. Be as exact in giving the King, what is due to the King, as in giving God what is due to God. Upon no account whatever rob or defraud him of the least thing which is his lawful property.

6. If you believe the Bible, I say to you, as St. Paul said to the ancient Christians, "Render unto all their dues :" In particular," Custom to whom custom is due, tribute to whom tribute." Now custom is by the laws of England due to the King. Therefore every one in England is bound to pay it him. So that robbing the King herein, is abundantly worse than common stealing, or common robbing on the highway.

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7. And so it is on another account also: for it is a general robbery: It is, in effect, not only robbing the King, but robbing every honest man in the nation. For the more the King's duties are diminished, the more the taxes must be increased. And these lie upon us all they are the burden not of some, but of all the people of England. Therefore every smuggler is a thief-general, who picks the pockets both of the King, and all his fellow-subjects. He wrongs them all and above all, the honest traders, many of whom he deprives of their maintenance: constraining them either not to sell their goods at all, or to sell them to no profit. Some of them are tempted hereby, finding they cannot get bread for their families, to turn thieves too. And then you are accountable for their sin as well as your own: You bring their blood upon your own head. Calmly consider this, and you will never more ask, "What harm there is in Smuggling?"

III. 1. But for all this, cannot men find excuses for it? Yes, abundance; such as they are. "I would not do this," says one; I would not sell uncustomed goods: but I am

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under a necessity: I can't live without it." I answer, May not the man who stops you on the highway, say the very "I would not take your purse; but I am under a necessity: I can't live without it." Suppose the case to be your own: and will you accept of this excuse? Would not you tell him, "Nay, let the worst come to the worst, you had better be honest, though you starve." But that need not be neither. Others who had no more to begin with, yet find a way to live honestly. And certainly so may you: however settle it in your heart, "Live or die, I will be an honest man.'

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2. "Nay," says another, "we do not wrong the King: for he loses nothing by us. Yea, on the contrary, the King is rather a gainer, namely, by the seizures that are made."

So you plunder the King, out of stark love and kindness! You rob him, to make him rich! It is true, you take away his purse: but you put an heavier in its place! Are you serious? Do you mean what you say? Look me in the face and tell me so. You cannot. You know in your own conscience, that what comes to the King, out of all the seizures made the year round, does not amount to the tenth, no, not the hundredth part of what he is defrauded of.

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But if he really gained more than he lost, that would not excuse you. You are not to commit robbery, though the person robbed were afterwards to gain by it. You are not to do evil, that good may come. If you do, your damnation is just.

"But certainly," say some, "the King is a gainer by it, or he might easily suppress it." Will you tell him which way? By custom-house officers? But many of them have no desire to suppress it. They find their account in' its continuance, they come in for a share of the plunder. But what if they had a desire to suppress it? They have not the power. Some of them have lately made the experiment: and what was the consequence? Why they lost a great part of their bread, and were in danger of losing their lives.

Can the King suppress Smuggling by parties of soldiers?

That he cannot do. For all the soldiers he has are not enough, to watch every port and every creek in Great Britain. Besides, the soldiers that are employed, will do little more than the custom-house officers. For there are ways and means of taking off their edge too, and making them as quiet as lambs.

"But many courtiers and great men, who know the King's mind, not only connive at smuggling, but practise it." And what can we infer from this? Only, that those great men are great villains. They are great highwaymen and pickpockets: and their greatness does not excuse, but makes their crimes tenfold more inexcusable.

But besides. Suppose the King were willing to be cheated, how would this excuse your cheating his subjects. All your fellow-subjects, every honest man, and in particular, every honest trader ? How would it excuse, your making it impossible for him to live, unless he will turn knave as well as yourself?

3. "Well, but I am not convinced it is a sin: my conscience does not condemn me for it." No! Are you not convinced, that robbery is a sin? Then I am sorry for you. And does not your conscience condemn you for stealing? Then your conscience is asleep. I pray God to smite you to the heart, and awaken it this day!

4. "Nay, but my soul is quite happy in the love of God: therefore I cannot think it is wrong." I answer, Wrong it must be, if the Bible is right. Therefore, either that love is a mere delusion, a fire of your own kindling; or God may have hitherto winked at the times of ignorance. But now you have the means of knowing better. Now light is offered to you. And if you shut your eyes against the light, the love of God cannot possibly continue.

5. "But I only buy a little brandy or tea now and then, just for my own use." That is, I only steal a little. God says, Steal not at all.

6. "Nay, I do not buy any at all myself: I only send my child or servant for it." You receive it of them: Do you not? And the receiver is as bad as the thief. +

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