s the right time and place to make
use of them. To know _how_ to do good is a great matter, but to know
_when_ to do it is no small one.

Simpson was an honest, good-natured, young man; he was now become
sober, and rather religiously disposed. But he was ignorant; he did
not know much of the grounds of religion, or of the corruption of
his own nature. He was regular at church, but was first drawn
thither rather by his skill in psalm-singing than by any great
devotion. He had left off going to the Grayhound, and often read the
Bible, or some other good book on the Sunday evening. This he
thought was quite enough; he thought the Bible was the prettiest
history book in the world, and that religion was a very good thing
for Sundays. But he did not much understand what business people had
with it on working days. He had left off drinking because it had
brought Williams to the grave, and his wife to dirt and rags; but
not because he himself had seen the evil of sin. He now considered
swearing and Sabbath-breaking as scandalous and indecent, but he had
not found out that both were to be left off because they are highly
offensive to God, and grieve his Holy Spirit. As Simpson was less
self-conceited than most ignorant people are, Stock had always a
good hope that when he should come to be better acquainted with the
word of God, and with the evil of his own heart, he would become one
day a good Christian. The great hinderance to this was, that he
fancied himself so already.

One evening Simpson had been calling to Stock's mind how disorderly
the house and shop, where they were now sitting quietly at work, had
formerly been, and he went on thus:

_Will._ How comfortably we live now, master, to what we used to do
in Williams's time! I used then never to be happy but when we were
keeping it up all night, but now I am as Merry as the day is long. I
find I am twice as happy since I am grown good and sober.

_Stock._ I am glad you are happy, Will, and I rejoice that you are
sober; but I would not have you take too much pride in your own
_goodness_, for fear it should become a sin, almost as great as some
of those you have left off. Besides, I would not have you make quite
so sure that you _are_ good.

_Will._ Not good, master! Why, don't you find me regular and orderly
at work?

_Stock._ Very much so; and accordingly I have a great respect for
you.

_Will._ I pay every one his own, seldom miss church, have not been
drunk si