6. This adage is noteworthy for its connection with an event in the life of the Revolutionary hero, Paul Jones. After his celebrated victory in the Ranger, he went to Brest to await the command of a new ship that had been promised him. He waited for months in vain. He wrote to Franklin, to the royal family, and to the king, but was put off with delays and excuses. Finally, he happened to pick up a copy of "Poor Richard," and read, "If you would have your business done, go; if not, send;” and profiting by the lesson, he hastened to Versailles, and there got an order for the purchase of a ship, which, in honor of his teacher, he renamed the Bon Homme Richard.

7. It is significant that Franklin uses the word frugality rather than economy. It is more in harmony with his practical philosophy. "Economy avoids all waste and extravagance, and applies money to the best advantage; frugality cuts off all indulgences, and proceeds on a system of rigid and habitual saving." Frugality is in danger of running into the vice of parsimony.

8. These are the West Indies, to which Spain originally laid claim by the so-called right of discovery. Of all the islands not one now belongs to Spain. The extensive revenues at one time derived from the Indies were squandered in foreign wars and domestic strife.

9. "Fortunate is the man who learns by the experience of others."

10. According to Franklin's distinction, a poor person is one who cannot supply his natural wants; an indigent person is one who cannot supply his artificial wants. Hence we may give the sense of the maxim by saying, More persons suffer from artificial than from natural wants.

II. The law giving the creditor a right to imprison the debtor in default of payment continued till late into the nineteenth century. It was abolished in New York in 1831. The history of the relation of debtor and creditor shows the march of social progress. In ancient times the creditor had power not only over the person of the debtor, but over his wife and children also. A reference to this fact is found in Matt. xviii. 25.

12. Franklin firmly believed in an overruling Providence. In his last illness he expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Being, "who had raised him, from small and low beginnings, to such high rank and consideration among men." This belief is clearly seen in his speech before the convention assembled to frame the Constitution of the United States, when he moved that the sessions be opened each day with prayer. "I have lived, sir, a long time; and, the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that GOD governs in the affairs of men; and, if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, sir, in the Sacred Writings, that 'except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.' I firmly believe this."

IV

SELECTION FROM JONATHAN EDWARDS

RESOLUTIONS

BEING sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace, to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Remember to read over these resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good of mankind in general. Resolved so to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, To be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the forementioned things.

3. Resolved, If ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it.

5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, To live with all my might while I do live.

7. Resolved, Never to do any thing which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, To act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my own dying and of the common circumstances which attend death.2

10. Resolved, When I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom and of hell.

11. Resolved, When I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, If I take delight in it as a gratification of pride or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, To be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, Never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account, except for some real good.

17. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, To live so at all times, as I think it best, in my most devout frames, and when I have the clearest notion of the things of the gospel and another world.

19. Resolved, Never to do any thing which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which, if I should see in another, I should account a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the might, power, vigor, and vehemence, yea, violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.3

23. Resolved, Frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs, and ends of it; and, if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the fourth resolution.

24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully to endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, To examine carefully and constantly what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, To cast away such things as I find do abate my assurance.1 27. Resolved, Never wilfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, To strive every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, Never to say any thing at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind; agreeable to the lowest humility and sense of my own faults and failings; and agreeable to the Golden Rule; often when I have said any thing against any one, to bring it to, and try it strictly by, the test of this resolution.

32. Resolved, To be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, and that that in Proverbs xx. 6, “A faithful man, who can find?" may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, To do always toward making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without an overbalancing detriment in other respects.

34. Resolved, In narrations, never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, Whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved.

36. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call to it.

37. Resolved, To inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent; what sin I have committed; and wherein I have denied myself. Also at the end of every week, month, and year.

38. Resolved, Never to utter any thing that is sportive, or matter of laughter, on a Lord's day."

39. Resolved, Never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness, as that I intend at the same time to consider and examine afterwards whether it be lawful or not, unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, To inquire every night before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could with respect to eating and drinking.

41. Resolved, To ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.

42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed when I was received into the communion of the Church; and which I have solemnly remade this 12th day of January, 1723.

43. Resolved, Never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's; agreeably to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12th, 1723.

44. Resolved, That no other end but religion shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it.6

45. Resolved, Never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion.

46. Resolved, Never to allow the least measure of fretting or uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved, to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye; and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, To endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving, and sincere temper; and to do, at all times, what such a temper would lead me to, and to examine, strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have so done,