is therefore unjust (i. e. sinful, and utterly unbecoming a professor of religion) to purchase smuggled goods, even in small quantities, and for family use. As for those who, being in trade themselves, make this practice a branch of their business, and, under the semblance of a fair reputation, are doing things in secret which they would tremble to have discovered, being afraid of the exchequer, though not of God; I can only pray, that God may give them repentance: for it is a work of darkness, and needs it. Transactions of this kind cannot be carried on for a course of time, without such a series and complication of fraud and meanness*, and for the most part of perjury likewise, as would be scandalous, not only in a professed Christian, but in an avowed infidel.

It should be observed likewise, that there is hardly any set of men more lost to society, or in a situation more dangerous to themselves and others, than the people who are called smugglers. Frequent fightings, and sometimes murder itself, are the consequence of their illicit commerce. Their money is ill gotten, and it is generally ill spent. They are greatly to be pitied. The employment they are accustomed to has a direct tendency to deprive them of character and the privileges of social life, and to harden their hearts and stupify their consciences in the ways of sin. But for whom are they risking their lives and ruining their souls? I would hope, Reader, not for you, if you account yourself a Christian. If you, for the sake of gain, encourage and assist

* Dr. Johnson, defining a smuggler, says, he is "a wretch who imports or exports goods without payment of the customs."

them, by buying or selling their goods, you are so far responsible for the consequences: you encourage them in sin; you expose them to mischief. And have you so learned Christ? Is this the testimony you give of the uprightness of your hearts and ways? Is it thus you shew your compassion for the souls of men? Ah! shake your hands from gain so dearly earned. Think not to support the cause of God with such gain; he hates robbery for burnt-offering. Think it not lawful, or safe, to put a farthing of it into your treasury, lest it secretly communicate a moth and a curse to all that you possess: for it is the price of blood, the blood of souls. If you are indeed a child of God, and will persist in this path after admonition received, be assured your sin will find you out. If the Lord loves you, he will not suffer you to prosper in your perverseness. You may rather expect, that, as a little damaged corn is sufficient to spoil the whole heap to which it is laid, so money thus obtained will deprive you of the blessing and comfort you might otherwise expect from your lawful acquisitions.

If you are determined to persist, in opposition to Scripture, to law, to equity and humanity, you have doubtless, as I suppose you a professor, some plea or excuse with which you attempt to justify yourself, and to keep your conscience quiet. See to it, that it be such a one as will bear the examination of a dying hour. You will not surely plead, that "things are come to such a pass, there is no carrying on business upon other terms to advantage!" Will the practice of the world, who know not Christ, be a proper precedent for you, who call yourself by his name? That cannot be, since his command is, "Thou shalt

not follow a multitude to do evil." That the truth and power of his grace may be manifested, he is pleased to put his servants into such situations, that they must forego some seeming advantages, and suffer some seeming hardships, in their worldly connections, if they will approve themselves faithful to him, and live in the exercise of a good conscience. He promises, that his grace shall be sufficient for them. It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich; and for want of this we see many rise early, take late rest, and eat the bread of carefulness, to no purpose. And I believe, integrity and diligence in business, with a humble dependence upon his PROVIDENCE, are the best methods of thriving even in temporals. However, they who lose for him are in no danger of losing by him. They may be confident of so much as he sees best for them; and they shall have his peace and blessing with it. But if, when you are placed in a state of trial, the love of the world is so powerful in your heart that you cannot resist the temptation of enriching yourself by unlawful means, you have great reason to fear you have not his Spirit, and are therefore none of his.

Dear Sir,

LETTER XLI.

I am, &c.

On the Ministry of Angels.

THE saints on earth, though exposed to many sufferings, and assaulted by many enemies, are as safe as the saints in glory. They have been enabled, in the day of God's power, to commit themselves to the care of Jesus, the great Shep

herd; who is faithful to his trust, and able to save them to the uttermost. His eye is always upon them; his everlasting arms are underneath them; and no power, or policy, can separate them from his love.

The Apostle, in the name and behalf of the church militant, having taken a leisurely and distinct survey of all the difficulties and opposition they can possibly meet with, in life or in death, from the visible or invisible worlds; triumphs in an assurance, that none of these things singly, nor all of them together, shall prevail; but that, on the contrary, believers shall be made conquerors, yea, more than conquerors, through Him who has loved them.

In the course of his enumeration of the real or supposed dangers to which the people of Christ are exposed, he particularly mentions angels, principalities, and powers; intimating to us a subject of great importance, though too seldom and too faintly attended to by us; I mean, the part which the inhabitants of the unseen world take in our concerns. Angels is a general name: the terms principalities and powers, and elsewhere thrones and dominions, applied to them, we shall not perhaps clearly understand, till we mingle with the world of spirits. These different names seem, however, to imply that some difference of degree, and possibly some subordination of rule, obtains among them. But they shall not be able, either singly or collectively, to separate believers from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

The general distribution of angels, principalities, and powers, is into good and evil. They were all created glorious and excellent creatures; for nothing but good could originally proceed

from God, the fountain of goodness. But some of them" kept not their first estate." Sin despoiled them of their glory, and changed them from angels of light into powers of darkness. And though they have a permissive liberty, subservient to the limitations and designs of Divine Wisdom, to influence the minds and to interfere in the affairs of mankind; yet they are confined in chains of darkness which they cannot break, and are reserved to the judgment of the great day.

There are likewise an innumerable company of elect or good angels, Rev. iii. 11, who were preserved by sovereign grace, and are now established (together with believers) in CHRIST JESUS, the great Head of the whole family of God, in heaven and in earth. From these, we may From these, we may be sure, believers have nothing to fear. They are our brethren and fellow-servants. They join in the song of the redeemed before the throne; and rejoice in the conversion of a sinner upon earth, We cannot include these in the Apostle's challenge, any farther than by way of supposition; as he expresses himself upon another occasion, Gal. i. 8. It is not possible that an angel from heaven should preach, if he came to preach, any other Gospel than that which is revealed in Scripture; but if such a thing could be supposed, we ought not to regard him. So, it is not to be thought that the elect angels of God should wish to hinder the salvation of a sinner; but if you conceive, for a moment, that any or all of them could form such a design, they would not be able to succeed, for they are all subject to "HIM who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." So far, however, are the holy angels from designing us harm, that they are greatly instru