Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-10-12
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY.
From Chalmers Works.

From Chalmers Works. @~r' -.
Tho Guilt OF Dishonesty not to be estimats
cd by the Gain OF it. -
90 He that is faithful in that which IL least, IS
faithful also IN much and he that 10 unjust In
the least, is unjust Also in much''-Luke
xvi 10.
EContin ued from Our fast1
The second reason, why he who is unfaiths
full In the least has incurred the condem-
nation Of him who is unfaihful in much,
is, that the lttleness of the gain, so far
from giving liuleness to the guilt, is in
fact circumstance Of aggFavation.
There is Just this difference. He who has
committed injustice for the sake Of q less
advantage, has done it on the impulse Of q
less temptation. He has parted with his
honesty at an inferior price; and this cir1
cumstance may 60 So to equalize the esti-
mate, as to bring 1t very much 10 one with
the deliverauce, in the text, to Our great
Teacher righteousness. The Limitation
between good and evil stood as distinctly
before the notice ofthe small as of the great
depredator; and he has just made as di.
rect contravention to the first reason.
when he passed over Upon the wrong side
of It, And he may have made little Of
gain by the enterprise, but this does not
allay the guilt Of it. Nay, by the second
reason, this may serve to aggravate the
wrath of the divinity against him: It
proves how small the price is which he sets
upon his eternity, and how cheaply he can
bargain the faith of Sod away from him.
and how low he rates the good of an in
heritance with him. and for what trifler
he can dispose of all interest in his king
dom and in his promises: The very cir.
cumstance which gives to his character
milder transgression in the eyes Of the
world, makes 1t more odious in the jude-
nlent of the sanctuary. The more paltTy
it is in respect to profit, the more profane
it may be in respect Of principle. It lik-
ems him the more to profane Esau, who
sold his birthIight for amess Of pottage.
And thus it is, indeed, most woful to think
of such senseless and alienated world;
and how heedlessly the men OF il are post
ing their infatuated way to destruction;
and how, for as little gain as might serve
them dav, they are contracting as much
guilt as will ruin them for ever and are
profoundly asleep in the midst of such de-
signs and such doings, as will form the
valid materials of their entire and eyerlast.
ing condemnation.
1t iswith Argument such as this that We
would try To strike conviction among a
very numerous class of offenders in society
those who, in the various departments
: Of trust or service, OF agency, are ever
practising, in Titles, at theswork of secret
appropriation-those whose hands are in
state Of constant defilement, by the put
ting Of them forth to that which they
ought to touch not and taste not, and han
die not-those who silently number such
pilferments as can pass unnoticed among
the perquisites of their Office; and who BY
an excess in their charges, just so slight as
to escape detection-or by habit of pur-
Joining, just so restrained as to elude dis
covery, have both conscience very much
at ease in their own bosoms, and credit
very fair, and very entire, among their ac-
quaintances around them. They grossly
count upon the smallness Of their trans
erosion. But they are Just going in
small way to hell. They would recoil
with violent dislike from the act Of mid
night depredator. 1t is just because ter.
rors, and trials, and executions, Have
thrown around it the pomp and the cir
cumstance of guilt. But at another bar.
and on day of more dreadful solemnity,
their guilt will be made to stand out in its
essential characters, and their condemna-
ton will be pronounced from the lips Of
Him who judgeth righteously. They.feel
that they have incurred no outrageous for.
fixture of character among men, and this
instils a treacherous complacency INTO
their own hearts. But the piercing eye of
j Him who looketh down from heaven is
{ upon the reality of the Question; and He
who ponders the secrets Of every bosom,
can perceive, that the man who fecoils on
ly from such a degree of iDjusticc as IS
notorious, may have no justice whatever
in his character. He may have sense
of reputation. He may have the fear OF
;. detection and disgrace. He may feel re-
volt In his constitution against the magni-
r tude of gross and glaring yioiatlon.-
He may even share in all the feelings and
> principles of that conventional kind OF
morality which obtains 10: his neighbor-
hood. But, of that principle which is sur
. rendered by the least act of unfaithfulness.
( he has no share whatever. He perceives
no overawing sacredness in that boundary
which separates the right from the wrong.
4 IF he only keep decently near, it is mat
ter Of indifference to him whether he be on
this or on that side Of it. He can be I'm.
!. tfaithful In that which is least. There may
-lbe other principles. and other considers.
!, lions 10 restrain him ). but certain il is,
risha. b isnow the principle Of justies which
. "a