I -sure of their ability to do so, or know positively 

 that they will be unable to do so. There is yet 

 another species of falsehood, which consists in 

 saying one thing but meaning another, and which 

 ought to be at all times avoided as scrupulously 

 as positive lying. Persons who resort to this 

 mean practice think that, because they do not lie 

 in the words which they use, they do not commit 

 any actual sin or crime ; but this is a mere delu- 

 sion. The lie is committed by the attempt to 

 convey a false or wrong meaning, for the purpose 

 of misleading ; and such a mode of speaking is 

 therefore both deceitful and sinful. It is impos- 

 sible to overrate the importance of truth. It is a 

 duty which no man can safely neglect. We should 

 not only observe it in everything relating to our- 

 selves and our neighbours, but we should seek to 

 ascertain it, and hold fast by it, in all things. If 

 we study history, we should endeavour to get the 

 books of best authority. If we cultivate science, 

 we should make sure that we receive nothing 

 which is not satisfactorily proved. Nothing but 

 good testimony can prove the truth of an event ; 

 and nothing but experiment, and a careful obser- 

 vation of facts, can prove the truth of anything in 

 science. We should allow no opinion to rest in 

 our minds unless we are certain, and have taken 

 pains to make ourselves conscientiously certain, 

 that it is right, and not founded in error. Every 

 wrong opinion, or supposition of what is false, 

 tends to do harm in the world ; while everything 

 we know for truth, and every opinion and senti- 

 ment that we know to be rightly founded, tends to 

 the good of mankind. 



Benevolence. 



Though it is intended that every person should 

 depend chiefly on himself for what he needs or 

 desires, yet all mankind are. connected by various 

 common ties, and therefore they should wish well 

 to each other, and be disposed to serve and help 

 each other, on all fitting occasions. By wishing 

 well to one another, we are induced to look with 

 kindness on what our fellow-creatures are doing 

 for themselves, and to address them in a friendly 

 manner. The good words we use cause those 

 whom we address to feel kindly to others, and thus 

 an agreeable state of feeling is spread abroad 

 throughout society, and the total amount of human 

 happiness is much increased. If, on the contrary, 

 men were not to wish well to each other, there 

 would be a general sulkiness amongst them, and 

 no one would feel happy. 



There are many evils in the world from which 

 no one can be sure of escaping, however careful 

 he may be. We may be sick or hurt ; our best 

 schemes may fail ; poverty and want may over- 

 take us. It is proper, when any suffer from these 

 evils, that the rest should do what is in their power 

 to console, help, and restore them. By these 

 means the unfortunate are saved from extreme 

 hardship, and the rest are made happier ; for it is 

 delightful to be able to lessen the sufferings of our 

 fellow-creatures. Men are also differently en- 

 dowed by nature. Some are strong in body and 

 mind, others weak. Some are little tempted to 

 err, others are much tempted. Some get wealth 

 and good education from their parents, others get 

 neither. The lot of different nations is not less 

 unequal ; some being enlightened, while others 

 are sunk in barbarism. It is therefore incumbent 



PRACTICAL MORALITY. 



upon us all, both as individuals and as nations, 

 to take an interest in each other the strong to 

 help the weak, the good to correct and improve 

 the bad, the rich to help the needy, and the 

 enlightened to impart their knowledge to the 

 ignorant. 



Our Almighty Creator has given us the senti- 

 ment of benevolence, that we may use it for these 

 purposes ; and he has further, as we read in the 

 Scriptures, laid upon us his direct commands to 

 love each his neighbour, to succour the poor, to 

 visit the widow and fatherless, and to exhort and 

 instruct one another. In all these things we must 

 use prudence. Where our gifts would encourage 

 idleness, or minister to vice, it were better to with- 

 hold them. We must take care that our gifts are 

 sure to relieve real suffering, and that they will do 

 good, and not harm, to those who receive them. 

 It is generally best to assist a needy person in 

 such a way as to enable him to help himself. We 

 must also take care that what we give can be well 

 spared, and that our giving it will not prevent us 

 from paying what we owe to others. If we give 

 what is not our own, or what we should employ in 

 paying our debts, we may be said to act as robbers 

 rather than as givers. 



Magnanimity. 



Some people are said to have little minds 

 They are always finding fault for trifles ; they 

 resent the smallest injuries, even when the injury 

 was not meant ; they are jealous of every one in 

 the same trade or profession with themselves ; 

 they envy everybody who succeeds in anything-; 

 they keep up spite for a long time about little 

 offences, and vent it when they get a proper 

 opportunity, long after everybody else has for- 

 gotten that they had been offended. It is very 

 different with great-minded persons. They do 

 not easily take offence ; they soon dismiss anger ; 

 they rejoice to see others succeeding, even though 

 they may not be succeeding themselves. They 

 may emulate or strive to be equal with a neigh- 

 bour, but their rivalry is of a generous nature. 

 They can allow for the motives which actuate 

 others, and easily pardon an error which has been 

 committed through inadvertency, even though it 

 may have been grievously mischievous to them- 

 selves. Such persons never condescend to tricks, 

 or stratagems, or any other low arts, for the pur- 

 pose of accomplishing an end. They scorn no 

 one, however humble, if honest ; they entertain 

 no hatreds. They are too much at ease with 

 themselves to be liable to sentiments that aim at 

 the depreciation or injury of others. Such is 

 magnanimity ; a rare quality in the world, but 

 one which is never beheld without the highest 

 admiration. 



Civility. 



The well-being of society would be greatly pro- 

 moted if the nature and use of this Christian 

 virtue were more generally known. We take 

 this to be, in personal intercourse, the observance 

 of the command, ' Do to others as you would that 

 others should do to you.' The most rapid glance 

 at any community shews this that some of its 

 members are brought into contact, in matters of 

 business, necessarily ; others meet, incidentally, 

 who have no particular connection ; others meet 

 for social purposes, in various forms ; and that 



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