profound observer of human life and manners, ' will clothe a man with rags.' Drowsiness here intends that course of conduct, which, in opposition to the steady energy and vigorous efforts of industry, aims at obtaining a subsistence by dishonest and low-minded arts. Such were the facts three thousand years ago: such are the facts at the present hour. In the whole list of jockies and sharpers, it is rare in this, and probably in all other countries, that we find a man possessed of even moderate property. Those, who are most successful, acquire such habits of expense, such expectations of supplying their wants by playing at any time, and consequently such a contempt for economy, and even for common prudence, that they become poor of course. The old age of a gamester is the cold and comfortless evening of a forlorn and miserable day.

4. Gaming is the destruction of character.

• A good name,' says Solomon, ' is better than great riches, and loving favour, than silver and gold.' A fair, unblemished reputation is one of the chief blessings of man; one of his prime enjoyments; one of his principal means of usefulness. Without it he can obtain neither influence, nor confidence; neither profitable employments, nor real friends. But no Gamester was ever respected as such. Whatever talents or advantages he may otherwise have possessed, his character has been always sunk by his gaming. Look around the world, and judge for yourselves. You never knew, and therefore never will know, a gamester, who in this character was regarded by his neighbours with esteem. Common sense steadily attaches disgrace to the name. So conscious of this fact are the whole class of gamesters, that they usually take effectual pains to carry on their wretched employment in scenes of solitude and secrecy, where they are effectually hidden from the eyes of mankind.

But who, that possesses common sobriety, or even sanity of mind, who that is not a fair candidate for bedlam, would voluntarily destroy the blessing of his own good name? The slanderer, who blasts the reputation of another, is universally and justly regarded with abhorrence. What the slanderer does for another, the gamester does for himself. The slanderer is a vile and abominable wretch. In what respect is the gamester less vile and abominable? The slanderer is an assassin; the gamester is a suicide.

5. Gaming is the direct road to many other sins. Every gamester, with too few exceptions to deserve notice, becomes a sharper of course. High expectations of acquiring property suddenly, distressing disappointments, great gains, and great losses instantaneously experienced, strong hopes alternated with strong fears, and holding the mind habitually in a state of anxious suspense, regularly prove too powerful for the honesty of every man who has not too much virtue to be a gamester. By what is called fair play he fails of being successful. A series of ill success tempts him to play unfairly. Ultimately, he is charged with it. He denies it; and is thus guilty of falsehood. The charge is reiterated. He swears to the truth of his denial; and is thus guilty of perjury. His oath is doubted. He becomes angry, profane, and furious; and not unfrequently engages in a quarrel to vindicate his wounded honour. At times the dispute is terminated by a duel. In all ordinary circumstances, his affections become sour, and his mind envious at the success of his companions, and malicious toward their persons. At the same time, he is prompted to murmur at his ill success; to curse what he calls his luck, but what is in truth a dispensation of God; and to adopt a course of profane, blasphemous, and fiend-like language. To close this wretched detail, the gamester very often terminates his miserable career with drunkenness, and not unfrequently with self-murder. Who that is not lost to every hope of virtue, who that is not lost to common sense and common feeling, can be willing to thrust himself into a course of life, or in the entrance upon a course of life, which presents at the very gate most formidable temptations to these enormous sins? Who would be willing that a father, a husband, a brother, or a son should be guilty of these sins, or exposed to these temptations? This question will probably never be answered. Will it then be said, that men are found who love these relations better than themselves? It will not be said. But it must be said, because it is true, that multitudes of men resort to the gamingtable with an infantine giddiness of mind; a hair-brained spirit of adventure; a greedy avarice, and a treacherous confidence in their own watchfulness against temptations; in that prudent care which, always seen with microscopic eyes, they considered as abundantly sufficient to secure themselves from every danger. Thus, while the really prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself,' these ' simple,' self-deceived beings ' pass on, and are punished.'

From these considerations it is, if I mistake not, evident beyond debate, that gaming is a gross fraud; that, in many other points of view, it is an enormous sin; and that it is, in an alarming degree, fatal to all the real interests of man. There are however persons, who, because they escape some of the dangers, and avoid some of the iniquities connected with this practice, will flatter themselves that they are scarcely chargeable with the rest. They may not claim the character of virtue; but they will insist that their conduct is almost, if not entirely, innocent; and will at least believe themselves, if guilty at all, to be guilty only in a very minute degree. To these persons let me seriously address the following considerations:

(1.) Gaming is an appearance of evil.

• Abstain from all appearance of evil,' is a command of the same God, who said, 'Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart;' and is therefore armed with the same authority. But every person of piety, and almost every sober man, pronounces gaming to be an evil. It cannot therefore be denied to be an appearance of evil. By the arguments here advanced, it has been shown, unless I am deceived, to be a real and dreadful evil. That every man, therefore, is bound to abstain from it cannot be questioned.

(2.) Every gamester feels it to be an evil.

In all the early parts of his addiction to this course of life, he will find himself frequently employed, if he has any moral principles at all, in devising arguments and excuses to quiet his own conscience, and justify himself to others. This is not the conduct of a man who feels himself innocent. No person ever sought an excuse for prayer, for honest industry, for the pious education of children, or for a faithful attendance on the public worship of God. Most persons at the gamingtable are sensibly disturbed by the unexpected presence of a wise and good man. But such persons create no disturbance in the minds of those who believe themselves to be virtuously employed. Were the Redeemer of mankind again upon earth, no person who acknowledged his character would be willing to be found by him at a gaming table.

(3.) Gaming cannot be prayed for.

Nothing can be right or innocent for which we cannot pray. In all pursuits which he believes to be justifiable, every man can without difficulty ask for the blessing of God. But no man ever asked, no man ever will ask, that is, seriously and solemnly, or in other words really, for the blessing of God upon the employment of gaming. But that which cannot be prayed for is sinful.

(4.) Neither gaming, nor the circumstances which regularly attend it, can be recited at the day of judgment.

I call upon every gamester solemnly to consider, whether he will be able to come before the Judge of the quick and the dead,' and declare to Him with confidence, or even with hope, that he has spent life, or any part of it, in the business of gaming. But the conduct which cannot be rehearsed then, cannot be right now. Who can soberly approve in this world, of that which will condemn him in the world to come?

There are many persons who condemn what is called gambling, or gaming for money, and who yet appear to think themselves justified in gaming for mere amusement. Let me exhort all such persons to remember, that, whatever influence this conduct may have upon themselves, it will, as an example, be pernicious to others. Multitudes will know that they game, who will never know that they do not game for money. Multitudes also will be either unable, or uninclined, to make any serious distinction between these kinds of conduct. All these will directly plead the example as a justification of themselves, or at least as a palliation of their own guilt. This will peculiarly be the fact, where the persons concerned are persons of reputation; and, unfortunately, a considerable number of those who employ themselves in gaming for amusement, are of this character. The example of one such person will be pleaded by all who know it. Under the wings of one such man, a multitude of gamblers, almost all of whom are without reputation, and great numbers low, contemptible beings, will gather; and feel themselves brooded in safety, and secured from the dreaded intrusions of public censure. Were gambling unfurnished with reputable and fashionable examples, it would, I think, be easily exterminated from the world. Every person possessed of a generally fair character may therefore feel assured, that, if he games for amusement, he is one of the means, and not a small one, of keeping gambling alive among mankind; and that he contributes efficaciously to the cxistence of all the sin and all the misery which it will produce at future periods.

To these observations it will probably be replied, " Must I deny myself an innocent pleasure, because my neighbour is pleased to make a bad use of my example?" St. Paul has long since answered this question. For meats destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak,' Rom. xiv. 20, 21. And again, 1 Cor. viii. 13, ' Wherefore if meat make my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.' However innocent gaming for amusement may be, it cannot be more innocent than eating flesh,' than doing that which the Apostle has pronounced 'pure.' Yet the apostle, and God who inspired him, have declared, that whatever occasions our brother to stumble, or fall into sin, it is good not to do, however innocent it may be otherwise; and the apostle has declared, that he would not do this, even though' eating flesh,' so innocent, so directly allowed by God, and so important as food for man, were the thing in question, no, 'not while the world standeth.' Nay, he has further declared in the verse preceding that last quoted, that when in such cases' we wound the weak conscience of our brother, we sin against Christ.' All this he declares concerning eating flesh, and concerning every other innocent thing. If then our gaming for amusement be, what it cannot fail to be, a cause of inducing others to game for money, to become gamesters, and to fall into any or all of these sins; then in gaming for amusement we sin against Christ, by wounding the conscience of our weaker brethren, and becoming the direct means of tempting them to sin.

The supposition here made is, however, false. Gaming for amusement, in such as are either partially or wholly games of chance, particularly with cards and dice, is not and cannot be innocent. It is, almost of course, a sinful waste of time. As an amusement it is unnecessary and useless. It refreshes neither the mind nor the body; and fails therefore essentially of being a lawful amusement. Better amusements can always be substituted for it; particularly exercise, reading, and con