cribe no value to commerce by which he procures them? Or who will allow himself to be deterred from pronouncing it eftimable and desirable, because thefe conveniences and elegances of life may be abused, as indeed they but too often are?

Laftly, my pious hearers, by all these means, commerce contributes in no fmall degree to foften and polish the manners of mankind, to form their taste, and to promote mutual toleration and forbearance among them. The more mankind converse together, and the more closely they are connected among themselves: the more attention will they fhew to what may displease or please another; the more affiduously will they remove every difficulty in the way of their intercourse with each other, repudiate whatever has a tendency to disturb their connection, and fedulously avoid whatever may give umbrage or offence to one another. The more good and beautiful articles they can compare and contraft with others, and the oftener they are neceffitated to chufe between them: the more will their taste be corrected and refined; the more impartial is their judgment of what is beautiful and good, In fhort, the more diverfity they perceive in the opinions and ufages of mankind, and the more they observe how little influence they have on their general and most important determinations and actions; the more justly will they learn to judge of thefe things; the more will the distance and diflike which thefe caufes might have occafioned be weak.

ened;

ened; the more will they be accustomed to look upon the individual as a man, and to be kindly affec tioned to every good man, to esteem every intelligent and honeft man, to whatsoever nation he may belong, whatsoever language he may speak, whatsoever religious opinions he may hold, whatsoever customs he may chufe to obferve. Accordingly this mutual toleration and esteem is always far greater and more universal among mercantile nations, than among fuch as are more confined to their own territories, and have lefs intercourse with others.

And this, my pious hearers, this it is, that gives commerce in general and on its own account a great and intrinfic value, what renders it important and honourable in the eyes of the reflecting man. It even poffeffes this value in a greater or lefs degree, when the man that carries it on thinks narrowly and acts felfishly, when he regards it merely in reference to his own personal profit, and cares not how little advantageous it may be to others. But in that cafe, and in regard to him, it is of extremely little, or indeed of no value, as he degrades and debafes it, by his fentiments and conduct, to a low and defpicable means of gaining a livelihood. A great distinction therefore, my pious hearers, is to be made between the value of commerce, taken intrinfically and at large, and the worthinefs it confers on fuch as carry it cn. The former is and ever remains very great; the latter but too frequently is extremely fmall. Would you therefore, who exercife this calling,

magnify

magnify it likewise in regard to yourselves, and render it a means to you of greater perfection and more durable happiness; allow me to recommend to you the following admonitions and precepts.

Exercise your understanding in habits of reflection, and strive to enrich it by augmenting your ftock of useful knowledge, particularly fuch as relates to your affairs and undertakings. Study the objects in which you are daily concerned, their nature and quality, their utility, the purposes to which they may be applied, their modifications and tranfmutations, their influence on the general weal of the community; ftudy the ways and methods in which they are produced, obtained, wrought up, improved, applied; ftudy the ftate of the countries and nations with which in your tranfactions you are mediately or immediately connected; study the perfons with whom you are concerned in bufinefs, or whom you employ, and on the character of whom fo much depends in the profecution of it: fo will you constantly find in all you do more employment and food for your mind; always more clearly understand what and wherefore and to what end you do it; and thereby a thousand objects, which in themselves may be very infignificant, will acquire a greater worth and importance in your fight. You will execute as thinking, as enlightened men, with complacency and pleasure, what otherwife you would only perform as day-labourers, from neceffity, and probably with diflike.

Enlarge

Enlarge therefore the orbit of your views, the circuit of your knowledge and perceptions, in proportion as you enlarge your field of action. Pursue the affairs that offer themselves to you, not in a mere mechanical manner; work and operate, not as it were blindfolded, or merely by old maxims and customs handed down from father to fon, but upon well digefted principles and plans. Strive more and more to comprehend the whole of the concern wherein you are engaged, and to comprehend it with more participation and intereft. Revolve frequently in your mind the nearer and more remote, the present and future confequences of your tranfactions and dealings, the influence they may and will have, in a thousand methods, on the conduct, the fortunes, the happiness of vaft numbers of mankind of all claffes and conditions. This alfo will confer great weight and dignity on all you undertake and

execute.

Expand your heart too in this respect by benevolent, humane fentiments and feelings. Let not covetousness, not mean felf-intereft, not vanity, but genuine universal philanthropy and brotherly love, be the leading principles of your diligence and industry. Think it your duty and your glory, not barely to labour for your own, but likewise for the general profit; and do this not folely according to the natural combination of things, and without peculiarly thinking on it, but do it with consciousness and confideration, and fo as that this view may be always prefent

present to your mind. Hefitate not therefore to bear hardships, to manage trufts, to tranfact affairs from which you have little particular advantage to expect, but which you know will bring profit to others, or tend to the fupport and the good of the whole; and reckon not as labour in vain, as pure loss, whatever is attended by fuch confequences and effects. The idea that all you do in your lawful vocation, and by lawful means, is a part of the chain of businesses whereby the general welfare is upheld and advanced, whereby the fum total of life, of activity, of pleafure, of happinefs, which is or may be among mankind, is augmented and put in circulation; this idea will give you fatisfaction and courage in all your affairs, and fill you with an honest complacency at the fight of every result of your good endeavours. By fuch a way of thinking, every bufinefs you tranfact, petty and trouble. fome as it may be, will become an honourable employment, a labour of love. And thus will you degrade yourselves by nothing, think nothing a lofs of time or a diffipation of your powers, which in any way may be of advantage to fociety.

In fine, add a dignity to your calling, you who purfue commerce as rational, intelligent and wellintentioned men, by confidering yourselves as inftruments in the hand of providence, whereby the cultivation of the earth and the eivilization of its inhabitants are carried on and advanced; as inftruments whereby God diffufes and multiplies his ma nifold

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