Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-05-17
PAY YOUR DEBTS.

RELIGION that does not make man hon
ext is good for nothing. If man profess
90 10 lie a christian and defrauds his neigh
bor. that mans religion is vain. And he is
dishonest who withholds from another that
which is his due, when il is in his power to
pay it. =,
We, in this country, have acquired bad
name abroad for our State regulations, but
il is not this Of which we wish to speak just
now. 1t is Of the laxness, not to call is by
harsher name, of many professors of re-
lieion, who seldom or never pay their debts
until after being called upon again and a
gain, and perhaps finally being threatened
with suit at law. There are some such
men in almost every community.
We have one of these men now in our
eve. He is very amiable, easy man, who
never wishes to quarrel with his neighbors,
and is always willing TO do them favor
when they are in want Of help. But he new
or pays his debts when he can avoid it,
His bills al the store, at the shops Of me-
chanics, perhaps for the food which he eats
or the raiment he wears, are unpaid, and he
feels not the least computations OF con-
science on the subject He prays in his
family and in the social meeting, and some
people think that he may be christian ;
but men of the world say that if he would
be honest, they would have better opinion
Of his religion.
We see another debtor. He has no OBJ
iections to buying any thing he can get up
on trust he will even subscribe for re-
ligious newspaper, or new edition of the
Bible, and makes loud professions of his
N - IL, and hat htt
when called on to pay his subscription, he
is unfortunately just then out OF money, he
will certainly pay it in few days; but he
is no more ready month afterwards than
he was before, and never intends to pay -
He pretends nevertheless TO be plous man,
but he deceives very few.
Just now, we see another man of this al
ways-owing and never-paying class. Some
time ago, he contracted heavy debt, and
he has never vet seen the time when he
could pay the whole of it at once; and,
therefore, he has paid none of IT. His IN
come has been such that he might, with
little economy and much selfdenial, have
paid part of the debt every year, and by
this time have extinguished it but his con-
science does not seem to trouble him at all,
although he HueS on that which does not be-
long to him.
Men may sophisticate as much as they
please, they can never make it right and all
the bankrupt laws in the universe can new
er make it right for them TO neglect to pay
their debts There is SIN in this neglect,
as clear and as deserving church discipline,
as in stealing or false swearing. lie who
violates his promise to pay, or withholds the
payment of a debt, ,ohen it is in his pOt0er to
meet his engagement. ought to be made to
feel that, in the sight of God and of all hon
est men, he is swindler. Religion may be
a very comfortable cloak under which to
hide; but if religion does not make man
ideal JUSTLY" it is not worth having.
But what shall poor man do who is in
debt? Let him work hard and pay it. De-
nv Yourself all the luxuries and very many
Of the comforts of life; be willing to take a
humble place in society, and mortily your
pride; in dress and style Of living be as SIM
pie and economical as possible if necessa-
ry, live on bread and water, and labor dill
gently, until YOU satisfy the demands of
your last creditor: but never lay up a cent
of money nor spend cent needlessly while
you owe 1t to another. We wish that this
principle could be ingrdined into the hearts
and conscences, at least of protesting chris
tians. There is a looseness on the subject
in the church that is perfectly irreconciable
with the law of God and the maintenance of
a good reputation in the eyes of the world.
Let no man be trusted who negiectS to pay
his debts If misfortune has suddenly de-
prived him of the ability to pay that is an
other thing; but if by his conduct he shows
that he has no disposition to meet his en-
gagements, especially small debts, let him
not be trusted He that is unjust in little
will be unjust in much. He who defrauds
will steal, and there is scarcely no difference
between stealing aud wilfully neglecting to
discharge debt--N Y. Observer.