The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

^22SE'RMONS.of the wall, and the beam out of the timber fliall artfwerit," condemning yom* avarice and cruelty. Ifyou confider your practice as it affects your characterwhile you are alive, and after your death ; itblackens, it blafts your reputation -, it draws uponyou the public odium, and the curfe of tbe poor ;ar.d your memory will llink, and be dsteflable whenyou are gone. If you confider your extortion as itwill (without repentance) affeft you in another world—ah ! I mull flop fhort— I tremble to fpeak what Icannot but think. There feems to be a curfe on yourdiflionefh gain. I do not hear that many of you aregrown richer by your high exactions ; there aie nowas m.any of your ellates at market as perhaps at anytime pail :" Ye have fold the poor, and not enrichedvourfehnes by their price. Vi^hat fruit then had yoain thofe things whereof you fliould be alhamecl,'' andfeel remorfe ? and " the end of them is death." Ifyou would adl juflly by your poor, tenants, and yourown poor fouls, and prevent in fome degree the defolationof the country, there muft be a fpeedy andtotal alteration of your temper and pra6lices -, rejectthe counfel of your rapacious advifers ; exa(£t no moreof your tenants but what is reafonable ; abate at leaftthe third of all the leafes you have let within thefefeven years pail ; cherifh your tenants ; inilruclthem 5 make immediate reparation to thofe whomreduce your ex-you have moft grievoufly oppreffed ;pcnce in idle horfes, equipage, furniture, drefs, andcollly entertainments j in moil of which articles, e-fpecially in the lafl, you confult no principle but yourvanity. Your Saviour hath commanded, that whenyou make a feafl, you iliould call the poor, becaufethey cannot recompenfe you ; but you reverfe hisrule, and like chiefly to entertain thofe who in returnwill ent^tain you as well as you have done them.It is certainly a more manly pieafure to fee your tenantsliving iu tolerable eafe, than to fee a number