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Precepts of Holinefs, and fets before us the strongest Motives to it; our peculiar Rela tion to a holy God and Saviour; our being the Temples of the Holy Ghoft, which Temple if any Man defile, him will God destroyTM; our being Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth", not intended to have our Portion here, but to inherit a fpiritual Happiness hereafter: and every one that bath this Hope, must purify bimfelf even as God is pure. I fhall conclude therefore with St. Paul's Exhortation : Fornication and all Uncleanness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh Saints; neither Filthiness, nor foolish Talking, nor fefting, which are not convenient: for this ye know, that no Whoremonger, nor unclean Perfon, bath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no Man deceive you with vain Words: for because of these Things cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Difobedience. Be not ye therefore Partakers with them: walk as Children of Light, and have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness.

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LECTURE XXVI.

The Eighth Commandment.

UN

NDER the Eighth Commandment is comprehended our Duty to Our Neighbour, in respect of his worldly Substance. And, to explain it diftinctly, I fhall endeavour to shew,

I. What it forbids: and

II. What, by Confequence, it requires.

I. As to the former. The Wickedness of Mankind hath invented Ways to commit fuch an astonishing Variety of Sins against this Commandment, that it is impoffible to reckon them up, and dreadful to think of them. But most, if not all of them, are fo manifeftly Sins, that the leaft Reflection is enough to make any one fenfible, how much he is bound conscientiously to avoid them. And he, who defires to preferve himself innocent, eafily may.

The

The most open and fhameless Crime, of this Sort, is Robbery; taking from another what is his, by Force: which, adding Violence against his Perfon to Invafion of his Property, and making every Part of human Life unfafe, is a complicated Tranfgreffion, of very deep

Guilt.

The next Degree is fecret Theft: privately converting to our own Ufe what is not our own. To do this in Matters of great Value, is confeffedly pernicious Wickedness. And though it were only in what may seem a Trifle; yet every Man's Right to the smallest Part of what belongs to him is the fame, as to the largeft, and he ought no more to be wronged of one, than of the other. Befides, little Inftances of Difhonefty cause great Difquiet: make the Sufferers diftruftful of all about them; fometimes of thofe, who are the fartheft from deferving it make them apprehenfive continually, that fome heavier Injury will follow. And indeed almoft all Offenders begin with flight Offences. More heinous ones would fhock them at firft; but if they once allow themselves in leffer Faults; they go

оп

on without Reluctance, by Degrees, to worfe and worse, till: at laft they fcruple nothing. Always therefore beware of fmall Sins. And always remember what I have already observed to you, that when any Thing is committed to your Care and Truft, to be dishonest in that, is peculiarly base.

But, befides what every body calls Theft, there are many Practices, which amount indirectly to much the fame Thing, however difguifed in the World under gentler Names. Thus, in the Way of Trade, and Bufinefs: if the Seller puts off any Thing for better than it is, by falfe Affertions, or deceitful Arts: if he takes Advantage of the Buyer's Ignorance, or particular Neceffities, or good Opinion of him, to infift on a larger Price for it, than the current Value; or if he gives lefs in Quantity than he profeffes, or is understood to give: the Frequency of fome of thefe Things cannot alter the Nature of any of them: no one can be ignorant that they are wrong, but fuch as are wilfully or very carelessly ignorant: and the Declaration. of Scripture against the last of them is extended, in the fame Place, to every one of the

Reft.

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1

Reft. Thou shalt not have in thy Bag divers Weights, a great and a small: thou shalt not bave in thine Houfe divers Measures, a great and a small. For all that do fuch Things, and all that de unrighteously, are an Abomination unto the Lord thy God.

On the other Hand: if the Buyer takes Advantage of his own Wealth; and the Poverty or prefent Distress of the Seller, to beat down the Price of his Merchandise beyond Reafon; or if he buys up the whole of a Commodity, especially if it be a neceffary one, to make immoderate Gain of it; or if he refufes or neglects to pay for what he hath bought; or delays his Payments beyond the Time, within which, by Agreement or the known Course of Traffic, they ought to be made: all fuch Behaviour is downright Injuftice and Breach of God's Law. For the Rule is, If thou felleft ought unto thy Neighbour, or buyeft ought of thy Neighbour's Hand, ye shall not oppress one anotherb

a Deut. xxv. 13-16,

b Lev. xxv. 14.

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