art condemns thee not, which is the case the apostle
supposes,--the rule will be infallible;'--(Here Dr. Slop fell
asleep)--'thou wilt have confidence towards God;--that is, have just
grounds to believe the judgment thou hast past upon thyself, is the
judgment of God; and nothing else but an anticipation of that righteous
sentence which will be pronounced upon thee hereafter by that Being, to
whom thou art finally to give an account of thy actions.

'Blessed is the man, indeed, then, as the author of the book of
Ecclesiasticus expresses it, who is not pricked with the multitude of
his sins: Blessed is the man whose heart hath not condemned him; whether
he be rich, or whether he be poor, if he have a good heart (a heart
thus guided and informed) he shall at all times rejoice in a chearful
countenance; his mind shall tell him more than seven watch-men that sit
above upon a tower on high.'--(A tower has no strength, quoth my uncle
Toby, unless 'tis flank'd.)--'in the darkest doubts it shall conduct him
safer than a thousand casuists, and give the state he lives in, a better
security for his behaviour than all the causes and restrictions put
together, which law-makers are forced to multiply:--Forced, I say, as
things stand; human laws not being a matter of original choice, but of
pure necessity, brought in to fence against the mischievous effects of
those consciences which are no law unto themselves; well intending, by
the many provisions made,--that in all such corrupt and misguided
cases, where principles and the checks of conscience will not make
us upright,--to supply their force, and, by the terrors of gaols and
halters, oblige us to it.'

(I see plainly, said my father, that this sermon has been composed to be
preached at the Temple,--or at some Assize.--I like the reasoning,--and
am sorry that Dr. Slop has fallen asleep before the time of his
conviction:--for it is now clear, that the Parson, as I thought at
first, never insulted St. Paul in the least;--nor has there been,
brother, the least difference between them.--A great matter, if they
had differed, replied my uncle Toby,--the best friends in the world may
differ sometimes.--True,--brother Toby quoth my father, shaking hands
with him,--we'll fill our pipes, brother, and then Trim shall go on.

Well,--what dost thou think of it? said my father, speaking to Corporal
Trim, as he reached his tobacco-box.

I think, answered the Corporal, that the seven watch-men u