in ueeper differences of character. '!'hough the character is supple and mobile it is nevertheless real. 'rbere are good and bad children-children who are pure,'true, honest, kind; and children who are marked with the reverse of these qualities. 2. A child is responsible for his deeds. Unless he is crushed by tyranny, within the scope .Jf a reasonable child-liberty he has room in which to play his small part on the staae of life. He must not be brought up with the notion that he is an irresponsible age~t because he is young and weak. Conscience needs to be enlightened, trained, and strengthened in early days. 3. A child's character is revealed in his deeds. The character may be slight and feeble; and the deeds may be simple and insignificant. Yet even in the nursery cause and effect are at work; fruits reveal the nature even of saplings. Even children cannot be judged by outward appearance. With them inno- cent looks may cover sinful thoughts. Children also may deceive themselves, or make false pretences, though we do not see the hardened hypocrisy of the world in the simpler deception of the nursery. Still, it is to the conduct of children that we must look for indications of their true characters. II. A LESSON FOR ALL AGES. If even a child is to be known by his doings, the inference is that much more may a man be known in a similar way. l. Character ripens with yea:rs. If it begins to appear in childhood, it will be much more vigorous in manhood. There is something dolefully prophetic in the vices of infancy. Though often laughed at by foolish observers, these vices are the early sprouts of terrible evils that will increase with growing strength and enlarging opportunities. The more clearly we are able to detect differences of character even in childhood, the more certain is it that similar differences are aggravated in manhood. 2. Responsi1n7ity grows wi'th opportunity. The deeds of children are to be regarded as characteristic-as either culpable or praiseworthy according to their moral tone. How much more must this be the case with grown men and women, who know more, have larger powers, and suffer from fewer restrictions I If the child who has continual restraint upon him, and who lives under perpetual tutelage, yet manifests characteristic conduct, the free man ca:inot escape from the responsibility of his doings. 3. Conduct is always a sure sign of character. It is so even with children who know little, and who are constantly hampered by superior authority. It must be so with double certainty in the case of adults. It is vain, indeed, for men and women to pretend that the index hand does not point truly. In the freedom of adult age there is no excuse to be urged against the inference that our deeds are the fruits of our character. Therefore, if lhe conduct is evil, the heart needs to be renewed.
Ver. 14.-The buyer. I. THE CONDUCT OF THE DUYER CALLS FOR COl\SIDERATION. It is usual to discuss questions of trade morality chiefly in regard to the conduct of the man who sells. Deception, adulteration, dishonest work, the grinding of employes, etc., are denounced by indignant onlookers. But the conduct of the customer is less severely handled. Yet there are many reasons why it should not be overlooj;:ed. All are not sellers, but everybody buys. 'l'herefore when commercial morality is dis- cussed in regard to buying, the subject does not only apply to traders, it concerns all people. Moreover, if men cheat and do wrong in their business when selling, though there is no fair excuse for their conduct, it may be urged that they are driven to extremes by the pressure of competition and by the difficulty of earning a livelihood. But when many people are making ordinary purchases they are not in the same position and under the same temptation. Traders, of course, are buyers in the way of business. But people of affluent circumstances are also buyers without any consideration of business exigencies, but solely for their own convenience. If such people do not behave honourably they are doubly guilty. II. THE BUYER IS SUDJECT TO MORAL OBLIGATIONS. 1. He owes Justice to the seller. He has no right to squeeze the unfortunate trader's profit by the pressure of undue influence, threatening to withdraw his custom or to injure the connection among bis friends, taking advantage of the fact that the seller is in want of money, etc. It is his dnty to pay a fair price, even though by the stress of circumstances be might force a sale e.t a lower rate. 2. He owes truth to the seller. lie may misrepresent the absolute value of his purchase, perhaps knowing more of its true worth than the seller, but trying to deceive him. Thus the skilled connoisseur may take an unfair advantage of 3g4 THE PROVERBS. [OH, XX. 1-30,
the ignorance of the trader from whom he buy~ ~ome mre nrtlcle of ve1·tu. Or a pcr~on may pretend not to want what he secretly covets most eagerly. Such a device is false and unworthy of a Christian profession. 3. He owes liumanity to the seller. It is 11 gross abuse of trade to make it a condition of wnrfare. A man is not necessarily one's enemy because one does buRiness with him. The unfortunate person who must needs sell at a great loss rather than not sell at all, is not the legitimate prey of the first greedy customer who is _ab_le ~ pounce upon him. The curse of trade is hard, cruel, brntal selfishness. Cbrist1amty teaches us to regard the man with whom one does business as a brother. '!'he buyer should learn to treat the seller as he desires to be treated in turn, and so to fulfil the law of Christ. 'l'he same principle requires kindli- ness of manner. III. THF: OBLIGATIONS OF THE DUYER ARE COMMONLY NEGT,ECTF.D. The causes of this neglrgencc arc manifold; e.g.: 1. Inconsiderateness. Often there is no intention of doing an injustice. The buyer simply forgets the rights of the seller. This incon- siderateness does harm in various ways. Careless customers give needless trouble to shop-peop!e, . Some o:der for _view more _goods than they need to effect a purchase; some persist m shoppmg late m the evenmg, etc. 2. Selfishness. The chief cause of the evil is a sole regard for self. People wbo are reasonable and kind in their own homes will manifest the most tyrannical spirit, the most cynical selfishness, in their shopping. When the veneer of social habits is broken this ugly vice is more visible in the most volished society than among rougher people. 3. Sinfulness. The evil heart is seen here as elsewhere. For the buyer to force injustice and to cheat tbe seller is for him to reveal himself as a slave of sin as truly as if he broke out in wanton ,iolence and open robbery. '