literature, and have laid out a part of their fortune in the acquisition, should reap the fruit of their labour, and be indemnified for the expense of their education: the workman is worthy of his meat, and they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, Matt. x. 10. 1 Cor. ix. 14. Yet, the same Jesus Christ, who was the herald as well as the pattern of disinterestedness, said to his apostles when he was speaking to them of the miracles which he had impowered them to perform, and of the truths of the gospel in general, which he intrusted them to preach, Freely ye have received, freely give, Matt. x. 8. And St. Paul was so far from staining his apostleship with a mercenary spirit, that when he thought a reward for his ministry was likely to tarnish its glory, he chose rather to work with his hands than to accept it. That great man, who had acquired the delightful habit of living upon meditation and study, and of expanding his soul in contemplating abstract things; that great man was seen to supply his wants by working at the mean trade of tent-making, while he was labouring at the same time in constructing the mystical tabernacle, the church: greater in this noble abasement than his pretended successors in all their pride and pomp. A man of superior understanding ought to devote himself to the service of the state. His depth of knowledge should be a public fount, from which each individual should have liberty to draw. A physician owes that succour ta the poor which his profession affords; the counsellor owes them his advice; the casuist his directions; without expecting any other reward than that which God hath promised to benevolence. I cannot help repeating here the idea which Cicero gives us of those ancient Romans, who lived in the days of liberty, and of the true glory of Rome. "They acquainted themselves, says that orator, with whatev"er might be useful to the republic. They were seen walking backward, and forward, in the public places of the city, in order to afford a freedom of "access to any of the citizens who wanted their ad"vice, not only on matters of jurisprudence, but " on any other affairs, as on the marrying of a daugh"ter, the purchasing, or improving of a farm, or, in short, on any other article that might concern "them."* 3. A third sense may be given to the precept of Solomon, and by selling we may understand what, in modern style, we call betraying truth. To betray truth is, through any sordid motive, to suppress, or to disguise things of consequence, to the glory of religion, the interest of a neighbour, or the good of society. It would be difficult to demonstrate which of these three meanings is most conformable to the design of Solomon. In detached sentences, such as most of the writings of Solomon are, an absolute sense cannot be precisely determined; but, if the interpreter ought to suspend his judgment, the preacher may regulate his choice by circumstances, and of several probable meanings all agreeable to the analogy of faith, and to the genius of the sacred author, may take that sense which best suits the state of his au * De Oratore. Lib. iii. dience. If this be a wise maxim, we are obliged, methinks, having indicated the three significations, to confine ourselves to the third. In this sense we observe six orders of persons who may sell truth. I. The courtier. II. The indiscreet zealot. III. The apostate, and the Nicodemite. V. The politician. A courtier may sell truth by a mean adulation. An indiscreet zealot by pious frauds, instead of defending truth with the arms of truth alone. An apostate, and a Nicodemite, by loving this present world, 2 Tim. iv. 10. or by fearing persecution when they are called to give a reason of the hope that is in them, 1 Pet. iii. 15. and to follow the example of that Jesus who, according to the apostle, before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good good confession, 1 Tim. vi. 13. A judge may sell truth by a spirit of partiality, when he ought to be blind to the appearance of persons. A politician, by a criminal caution, when he ought to probe the wounds of the state, and to examine in public assemblies what are the real causes of its decay, and who are the true authors of its miseries. In fine, a pastor may sell truth through a cowardice that prevents his declaring all the counsel of God; his declaring unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin, Micah iii. 8. Thus the flattery of the courtier; the pious frauds of the indiscreet zealot; the worldly-mindedness and timidity of the apostate and of the Nicodemite; the partiality of the judge, the criminal circumspection of the members of legislative bodies; and the cowardice of the pastor; are six defects which we mean to expose, six sources of reflections that will supply the remainder of this dis Course. I. Mean adulation is the first vice we attack; the first way of selling truth. We intend here that fraudulent traffic which aims, at the expense of a few unmeaning applauses, to procure solid advantages; and, by erecting an altar to the person addressed, and by offering a little of the smoke of the incense of flattery, to conciliate a profitable esteem. This unworthy commerce is not only carried on in the palaces of kings, it is almost every where seen, where superiors and inferiors meet; because, generally speaking, wherever there are superiors, there are people who love to hear the language of adulation ; and because, wherever there are inferiors, there are people mean enough to let them hear it. What a king is in his kingdom a governor is in his province; what a governor is in his province a nobleman is in his estate; what a nobleman is in his estate a man of trade is among his workmen and domestics. Further, the incense of flattery doth not always ascend from an inferior only to a superior, people on the same line in life mutually offer it to one another, and sometimes the superior stoops to offer it to the inferior. There are men who expect that each member of society should put his hand to forward the building of a fortune which entirely employs themselves, and which is the spring of every action of their own lives; people who aim to shelter themselves under the protection of the great to incorporate their own reputation with that of illustrious persons, to accumulate wealth, and to lord it over the lower part of mankind. These people apply one engine to all men, which is flattery. They proportion it to the various orders of persons whom they address; they direct it according to their different foibles; vary it according to various circumstances; give it a different ply at different times; and artfully consecrate to it, not only their voice, but whatever they are, and whatever they possess. They practice an absolute authority over their countenances, compose them to an air of pleasure, distort them to pain, gild them with gladness, or becloud them with grief. They are indefatigable in applauding; they never present themselves before a man without exciting agreeable ideas in him, and these they never fail to excite when, blind to his frailties, they affect an air of extacy at his virtues, and hold themselves ready to publish his abilities and his acquisitions for prodigies. They acquire friends of the most opposite characters, because they praise alike the most opposite qualities. They bestow as much praise on the violent as on the moderate; they praise pride as much as they praise humility; and give equal encomiums to the lowest avarice and to the highest generosity. Such is the character of the flatterer. first traffic which the wise man forbids. This is the Sell not the truth. Shameful traffic! a traffic unworthy not only of a Christian, and of a philosopher; but of every |