disorderly houses of entertainment; and lastly, an idle life, which brings men to poverty.

These things I have just hinted to you, that every one in our several places may do our duty, and endeavour to put a stop to these growing crimes.

That churchwardens and their assistants may take notice of, and present (as they are bound by their oaths) sabbathbreakers, drunkards, and absenters, from the public worship.

That parents may admonish and correct their children before they fall into the snare of the devil.

That servants may abhor every degree of pilfering and wronging their masters, because they cannot foresee what the least known sin may lead them to.

That magistrates may not be discouraged, nor their hands weakened, from doing their duty to God and to their country by the impertinent censures of ignorant men.

And lastly, that we may every one of us remember the command of God, Thou shalt not hate thy brother; thou shalt [Lev. 19. not suffer sin upon him, for that is indeed to hate him.

17.]

"Am I my brother's keeper?" was the answer of the [Gen. 4. 9.] wickedest man then upon earth. It was the answer of Cain to God.

Yes, truly every good christian is so far his brother and his neighbour's keeper, as to do as much as lieth in his power to keep him from ruining himself, either in this world, or in that which is to come.

He is so far his keeper, as to admonish him when he sees him take evil ways; to correct him if he has any authority over him! and, lastly, to keep him as much as he can from injuring himself or others, by bringing him to judgment; that the nation may not suffer, and draw down the judgments of God for sins that go unpunished.

SERMON LIII.

OF FRAUD.

GENESIS xliii. 12.

13; 25. 14; Prov. 22.

See Lev. 19. And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight.

16.

A man of justice and integrity in his dealings is a character very desirable; and most people are apt to claim it as their right. On the other hand, there are so many ways of forfeiting this character, without a man's being exposed to the world for his dishonesty; nay, very often without taking notice of it himself; that one cannot be too earnest with people to consider this matter a little more seriously, if it were but to convince them how often they claim a character which they are not always careful to deserve.

But then, when it is considered, that for every act of injustice a man is accountable to God; and that restitution, where it can be, must be made, as we hope for salvation, though it is a duty which people are very hardly persuaded to submit to; these things considered, it is every body's concern to know, and to avoid, a sin of so much deceit and danger.

Now there are several parts of injustice, or ways of forfeiting the character of an honest man, which I shall not now insist upon; such are, the taking what is another man's right by secret or open force; that is, by theft or robbery; by oppression, when he is not able to contend with us; or by extortion, when his necessities force him to submit to the hardest terms we think fit to impose upon him. These are all crimes of so ill fame, that all people pretend to abhor them! the laws are

severe in punishing them; and such as are guilty are, for the most part, convinced they do ill.

But then there are acts of injustice, which, though they are not so barefaced, yet are as evil in the sight of God, as ill-becoming an honest man and a christian, and as hard to be repented of, as the former; such are, the taking advantage of men's ignorance, or mistakes; overreaching them in bargains, or in suits at law; imposing upon their belief by a pretended sincerity, and then making a hand of their simplicity these and such as these, are the sins that I would endeavour to set in a true light, that all good men may avoid them; and that all evil men may repent of them.

Now the text I have chosen for this discourse is an instance of great integrity. It is the direction and command of Jacob to his sons; who, returning out of Egypt, where they had been to buy corn, and finding the monies which they had before taken with them packed up and returned with the rest of their goods, were greatly surprised, and at a loss what to think of so uncommon an accident. In the mean time, their father orders them what to do: "Take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight."

In these words, here are two duties of great importance expressly set down. Peradventure it was an oversight. Here is a direction never to take advantage of other people's mistakes, negligence, or ignorance. Take double money in your hand, &c. Here is restitution expressly required.

Of which two duties, and the sins that are contrary to them, I will endeavour, by the assistance of God's good Spirit, so to speak, as that your time may not be altogether lost in hearing them explained.

I. To begin with the first of these duties.

Now, there being a world of practices very dishonest, and yet people make a shift to live in them without either public reproach, or private regret; it will therefore be proper to consider, how they will be able to justify themselves before the Judge of all the earth.

Peradventure it was an oversight; and therefore we must not make our advantage of it. This was Jacob's rule. Let

6.

SERM. us see how far this rule ought to oblige all honest men, and how well it is observed.

LIII.

Now, people may not see their interest, but overlook their rights several ways; and to take advantage of their circumstances would be manifest injustice.

For instance :-If a man is in drink, he is in the very language of the world, overseen; and if in such circumstances he happens to fall into ill hands, and makes a bargain, it is ten to one but he heartily repents of what he has done; and very often his family smart for it. Now, a good man, when he sees this, would reason just as Jacob did; it was an oversight, and you shall not suffer by it.

But is this the practice of the world? Very far from it. 1 Thess. 4. And though the Apostle expressly declares, "that the Lord is the avenger of all such as go beyond or defraud another in any matter;" yet people will not easily quit a good bargain, for any law of God, if the laws of man will not force them to it.

Prov. 29. 5.

To proceed :-How easily may a poor man, who has a righteous cause, mistake in defending it? But will his oversight give me a right to that, to which, in truth, I had no just title, before I made this advantage of his weakness or poverty? Or can any body think, that because the injustice is done in the face of a court, that it is less a crime than if it had been done on the high road?

To feed a man with monies, or to help to run him into debt, by encouraging him to borrow, when he has no occasion, that I may get a better bargain of his estate, when he shall be forced to sell it; this should seem by the commonness of it, to be no great crime. But pray does the man know what he is doing? If he does not, I take advantage of his weakness; I help to ruin him, and perhaps his family; and if he is really guilty of a sin in squandering away the inheritance of his forefathers, it is impossible I should be guiltless.

"He that flattereth his neighbour," saith Solomon, "spreadeth a net for his feet." It is possible for a man, by fair speeches, to make his neighbour overlook his own interest but then, to take any ill advantage of a man, because he has an opinion of my judgment and integrity, is a wickedness which God will certainly avenge, though no law on earth can call a man to an account for it.

Because it is less hazardous to wrong orphans than older people, is it therefore less criminal? No, sure: so far from it, that God declares Himself concerned in the cause of the fatherless and the widow; that He will undertake and vindicate their cause against those that oppress them. And why? Why, because they have none else to help them. For which very reason a man should be very fearful of taking advantage of the weaknesses, or oversights, of such helpless people, because such people have a right, and a promise, of redress from God. "Remove not the old land-mark; and enter Prov. 23: not into the field of the fatherless: for their Redeemer is 10, 11. mighty; He will plead their cause with thee."

How often do wills, and other writings of moment, fall into the hands of such as thereby have an opportunity of wronging their neighbour? And people that will make use of such an opportunity do generally think, that this is a less offence than stealing. But for what reason? Why, only because for stealing (if a man is caught) he will be in danger of being hanged; while at the worst he will only be called a dishonest man, if the other be discovered. And yet the crimes are equally forbidden, equally unjust, and dangerous, in the sight of God; whose judgment will be according to right, and not according to the false opinions of men.

A man who borrows monies, which he knows he cannot repay, plainly takes an advantage of his creditor's ignorance of his circumstances. It is probable he may fancy himself less guilty than if he had stolen so much, or taken it by force; but he would not think so, if the laws had made these two crimes equally penal, as they are in truth equally unjust in the sight of God and man.

There are too many who will make no scruple of imposing upon their neighbours' ignorance in passing off bad monies, who yet would startle at the thoughts of counterfeiting the current coin. I question whether such people have considered how near akin these two crimes are to one another.

To proceed:-If a man will take all advantages which the very laws allow, he will very often do great injustice, and in good conscience make himself liable to restitution. For instance :-A man, in settling his estate, which he may righteously do, forgets some formality which the law requires. Now,