Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

"For what good is there to the owners thereof, save the beholding of them with their eyes?" Men also, many times, in getting of riches, get therewith a snare to their soul: But few get good by getting of them. But this consideration Mr Badman could not abide.

2. Consider, that the getting of wealth dishonestly, (as he does that getteth it without good conscience and charity to his neighbour) is a great offence against God. Hence he says, "I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain, which thou hast made." is a manner of speech that shews anger in the very making of mention of the crime. Therefore,

It

3. Consider, that a little honestly gotten, though it may yield thee but a dinner of herbs at a time, will yield more peace therewith than will a stalled ox, ill gotten : "Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues hout right.

4. Be thou confident, that God's eyes are upon al thy ways, and that he pondereth all thy goings, and also that he makes them, writes m down, and seals them up in a bag, against the time to come.

5. Be thou sure that thou rememberest, that thou knowest not the day of thy death. Remember also, that when death comes, God will give thy substance, for the which thou hast laboured, and for the which perhaps thou hast hazarded thy soul, to one thou knowest fot who, nor whether he shall be a wise man

or a fool. And then, "what profit hath he that laboureth for the wind?

Besides, thou shalt have nothing that thou mayest so much as carry away in thine hand. Guilt shall go with thee, if thou hast got it dishonestly, and they also to whom thou shalt leave it, shall receive it to their hurt.

These things duly considered, and made use of by thee to the preparing of thy heart to thy calling of buying or selling, I come, in the next place to shew thee how thou shouldst live in the practice part of this art. Art thou to buy or sell?

1. If thou sellest do not commend; if thou buyest, do not dispraise, any otherwise, but to give the thing that thou hast to do with, its just value and worth; for thou canst not do otherwise knowingly, but of a covetous and wicked mind. Wherefore else are commodities overvalued by the seller, and also undervalued by the buyer? "It is naught, it is naught, says the buyer, but when he hath got his bargain he boasteth thereof." What hath this man done now, but lyed in the dispraising of his bargain? And why did he dispraise it, but of a covetous mind to wrong and beguile the seller.

2. Art thou a seller, and do things grow dear? Set not thy hand to help, or hold them up higher this cannot be done without wickedness neither; "for this is a making of the shekel great." Art thou a buyer, and do things grow dear? Use no cunning or deLG

ceitful language to pull them down; for that cannot be done but wickedly too. What then shall we do, will you say? Why, I answer, leave things to the providence of God, and do thou with moderation submit to his hand. But since, when they are growing dear, the hand that upholds the price, is, for the time, more strong than that which would pull it down, that being the hand of the selJer, who loveth to have it dear, especially if it shall rise in his hand; therefore I say, do thou take heed, and have not a hand in it. The which thou mayest have to thine own and thy neighbour's hurt, these three ways.

1. By crying out scarcity, scarcity, beyond the truth and state of things; especially take heed of doing this by way of a prognostick for time to come. It was for this for which he was trodden to death in the gate of Samaria, that you read of in the book of Kings. This sin has a double evil in it. 1. It belyeth the present blessing of God among us; and, 2. It undervalueth the riches of his goodness, which can make all good things to abound towards us.

2. This wicked thing may be done by hoarding up, when the hunger and necessity of the poor calls for it. Now that God may shew his dislike against this, he doth, as it were, license the people to curse such an hoarder up: "He that with-holdeth corn, the people shall curse him; but blessing

shall be upon the head of them that selleth it."

3. But if things will rise, do thou be grieved: Be also moderate in all thy sellihgs, and be sure let the poor have a pennyworth, and sell thy corn to those in necessity: Which then thou wilt do, when thou shewest mercy to the poor in thy selling to him, and when thou for his sake, because he is poor, undersellest the market. This is to buy and sell with good conscience: Thy buyer thou wrongest not, thy conscience thou wrongest not, thyself thou wrongest not, for God will surely recompense thee.

I have spoken concerning corn, but thy duty is to let thy moderation in all things be known unto all men: The Lord is at hand.

Atten. Well, Sir, now I have heard enough of Mr Badman's naughtiness; pray now proceed to his death.

Wise. Why, Sir, the sun is not so low; we have yet three hours to night.

Atten. Nay, I am not in any great haste; but I thought you had even now done with his life.

Wise. Done! no, I have yet much more

to say.

Atten. Then he has much more wickedness than I thought he had.

Wise. That may be. But let us proceed. This Mr Badman added to all his wickedness this; he was a very proud man, a very proud man; He was exceeding proud and haughty

Wise. Laugh you to scorn! the proud man will laugh you to scorn, bring to him what text you can, except God shall smite him in his conscience by the word. Mr Badman did use to serve them so that did use to tell him of his. And besides, when you have said what you can, they will tell you they are not proud, and that you are rather the proud man, else you would not judge, nor so malapertly meddle with other mens matters as you do. Nevertheless, since you desire it, I will mention two or three texts: They are these: "Pride and arrogancy do I hate. A man's pride shall bring him low. And he shall bring down their pride. And all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble, and the day that comes shall burn them up." This last is a dreadful text; it is enough to make a proud man shake: God, saith he, will make the proud ones as stubble; that is, as fuel for the fire; and the day that cometh shall be like a burning oven, and that day shall burn them up, saith the Lord. But Mr Badman could never abide to hear pride spoken against, nor that any should say of him, He is a proud man.

Atten. What should be the reason of that? Wise. He did not tell me the reason; but I suppose it to be that which is common to all vile persons. They love this vice, but care not to bear its name. The drunkard loves the sin, but loves not to be called a drunkard. The thief loveth to steal, but cannot

« AnteriorContinuar »