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it was not fo good to Naboth, because this was his fathers, and he esteemed it more: Thus also there is a ftealing of a-. nother man's contentment, altho' that in which he placeth it may be a matter of very little or no worth at all, but yet if therein he hath an intereft of affection, as they call it fuch as a man may have for fome petty jewel, a hawk, a hound,: or the like, fo that it pleafe him, or delight him, the wrong-ing of him in that, is not only a fin against the fixth com mand, in grieving him, but against this in prejudicing him. of his contentment, which as to him, in fome retpect, is a forer wrong than the taking from him, of that which in itfelf were of far greater worth, would have been. There is a failing by unfkilfulnefs; as, when one taketh on him fome office, and receiveth wages or hire for it, and is. not qualified for; nor fuitable to the place and employment, thus Phyficians, lawyers, and judges, often fteal from men, through their ignorance: As alfo minifters, who fupply charges they are unfit for, and confume that which should entertain others, but this fin in ministers is oftentimes more through unfaithfulness, when being sustained for the good of the people they turn rather to be hurtful. Thus Chrift, John x 1. calleth false prophets, thieves and robbers: And indeed, it is the worft gain in the world, that utterly unfkilful and unfaithful minifters get by ftarving and murthering the immortal fouls of men. 22. We wrong others when we communicate not to them when they are in need, and we in capacity to help them, yea, when by idleness and prodigality we incapacitate ourselves to communicate to the ne ceffities of others, as Ephef. iv. 28. is clear. 23. Befide there cometh in here all felling and buying of what should not be fold or bought, as public places in church or state; this first from Simon Magus, Acts viii. 18, 19. is called Simony, and is a fin of a high degree, making that faleable which the Lord will have free and it taketh in not only giving money, but any other thing upon this account to promove fuch and fuch perfons, or receiving any thing to be fwayed fo, and fo whether it be munus manus, liguæ aut actionis, a gift of the hand tongue or action. 1. By a gift of the hand is under. ftood money or things that are ufually given. 2. A gift of the tongue comprehendeth fair fpeeches, folicitations, flatteries, &c. 3. By a gift of action is understood, fervice dependence, on-waiting and courtefies, (as they are call ed) made ufe of to procure anothers favour, and in all men may greatly fin, as when they hunt after these three and are fwayed with any of them, and fo covet any of them, as when magistrates or judges fell justice for bribes when men by lying and falfe-witnefs bearing, fell the truth,

whereof

whereof lawyers are chiefly guilty, who for fees plead ill caufes wittingly: Or when one giveth them, that he may gain more really upon the other; as for inftance when men by any of thefe bribes buy juftice, and much more injuftice. and buy lies or falfe teftimonies to prevent or pervert juftice. 24. There is a guilt in confenting to, encouraging in, conDiving at, or justifying of fuch as commit this fin, or are receivers or refetters of what is ftolen, for their ftrengthning and encouragement; fee Pfal. 1. 18: Prov. i. 10 25. Seiz ing upon other folks goods fometimes under pretext of efcheats, as admirals do upon fea-wreck, and fuch like; when there is no just ground to take away the owners right, and this is reckoned open violence before God, and is a moft cruel adding of affliction to the afflicted. This in then of theft, in reference to our neighbour is fallen into by violence, deceit, negligence, unfaithfulness, ignorance, unskilfulness, &c. And when all is faid, a tender heart will still need its own examination and trial of itself, there being as many ways to break this command, as they are ways to prejudice our neighbours estate.

We come now to confider how a man is guilty in wronging his own eftate (for there is a fkili and dexterity in the managing the unrighteous mommon) which we confider two ways; 1. As he wrongeth and diminisheth his estate by not providently caring for its preservation and increase, or improvement: When he is not frugal, or not fo frugal as he ought to be, but lazy and floathful, he becometh guilty of the breach of this command, because he incapacitateth himfelf for being ufeful to others, and putteth himself in hazard of poverty and want, which is the proper foare of this fin of ftealing, and difpofeth for it, Prov. xxx. 9. This poverty which is fo enfnaring, is brought on. 1. By finful spending and debauching away of our eftate and time, as the prodigal did, Luke xv. 11. &c. 2. By unneceffary wafte in prodigality and lavifhnefs, fuch as (though unjustly) Judas condemned in the woman fpoken of, John xii. 5. For much fpending must have much to uphold it, and must have many ways to furnish itself according to the proverb most ordinarily verified, Omnis prodigus eft avarus, every prodigal man is greedy or covetous, to fatisfy one luft he exerceth another: however he being but a steward of what he poffeffeth he by his prodigality, not only interveeneth from the right end what means God hath given him to be otherways dif pofed of, but alfo draweth upon himself poverty. 3. By negligence, lazinefs, carelelnefs, &c. in a lawful calling (for they that are given to fleep, or idlenefs, hall come to pover

ty, as the wife man faith) or being without a calling altogether. When God giveth men ability of body or mind, it is fad that they fhould be useful for nothing, nor active in any thing but to fin, and be fnares and reproaches unto Chriftians and Chriftian religion, as all idle perfons, bearing the name of Chriftians, are, whoever they be whether gentlemen or others. It is obferveable, that both before the fall and after the fall, God put that task of working in mens hand, commanding him to labour: many other fuch foolifh ways there are whereby a man cometh unto poverty, and becometh guilty of not providing for himtelf, or his family: Alfo by furetyfhip many are bowed and brought low, which although it is not fimply to be condemned, more than to give freely, yet it is to be well regulated by charity and prudence, directing so to affift our neighbour in his prefent exigence, as we may be fure also of our atter relief, left for the debts of others, our own families be made to moan for want. 2. We may confider a mans failing in reference to this command, as he wrongeth and ftealeth from himself the free and comfortable use of his own eftate; of this man Solomon fpeaketh, Ecclef. iv. 6 8. and vi. 1, 2. and he ftewardeth not the world well when he hath it, who cannot find in his heart to live on his own, and who liveth heartlefly, as if he had nothing at all; in this refpect a man wrongeth him. felf, and particularly thefe ways: 1. By coveting too great a measure of riches, fo that he will not be content with enough, but he will and must be rich, this is avaratia, or greed, even though the means be lawful which he useth for acquiring of riches. 2. By the vexing anxious manner of feeking after even what is neceffary: Thus a man may be diffidently and vexingly folicitous for his to-morrow's dinner, and be vexed about it, as it is Matth. vi. 31. Caring for the morrow, what he shall eat or drink, or taking thought about it; this is is carking carefulness. 3. There is a failing in keep ing any thing of the world that we have gotten, when we cannot beftow it, cannot win or part with it, for charitable, either publick or private ufes, nay, not for honest uses, this is niggardlinefs: And when it is univerfal, both in reference to ourselves and others, it is durities, or extream hardness. 4. Some may spend on themselves liberally, buc they can part with nothing for charitable fupply of others, fuch a one was Nabal, 1 Sam. xxv. and this is churlifhnels. 5. Some cannot even beftow on themfelves what is fufficient either for meat, drink, or cloathing, as we may ice, Ecclef. vi. 1, 2. and chap. iv. 8. that the man hath much, and yet can neither fleep nor eat heartily, because the comfortable

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ufe of creature enjoyments is God's gift, this is fordidnefs. Over all these perfons the world prevaileth, it mastereth and overcometh them, and they do not mafter and overcome it as Chriftians ought to do.

If we would come to confider, in the next place how a han fhould profit, better, and improve his own estate, it will be hard to fpeak fo of it, as to pitch upon particulars ; for certainly God alloweth partimony; or fuitable and due fparing and frugality; as he diffalloweth and difcounte nanceth the extreams in the defect and excefs; we would then confider the midft, in quo ftat virtus, as they ufe to fay and fo fpeak of the pofitive part in thefe following questions, 1. If a man may aim and endeavour to increase his eftate, how far? by what means? or how? and for what ends? 2. How we are to walk in merchandize and bargains? 3. How to walk in charity, alms, and diftributing to others? 4. How to walk in managing of our eftate, as to the gathering, keeping, or preferving and ufing of it? 5. What to judge of, and how to carry in ufury (as it is called?) 6.What to account of the panifhment of theft in the court of men? 7. How it came that the covetous have been fo marked or noted in the primitive times, 1 Cor. vi. 10. and Ephef. v. 5. that they have been looked on as perfons fecluded from heaven, and not worthy of church-fellowship? and what marks to know them by? where we may touch a little on the ill of that fio, and fpeak a word by way of diffwafive from it.

For the firft, That one may lawfully increase his eftate or goods, cannot be denied, it being well qualified, Jacob, Gen. xxx 30. found it neceffary to provide for his family; and 1 Tim. v. 8. It is a thing that nature itself teacheth a very infidel. The great matter is to qualify it rightly; 1. As to the end, 2. the meafure, 3 the means, 4, the way and the

manner.

1. For the end, 1. The chief and the laft is God's glory, that we may be ferviceable to him with our fubftance, in our generation, and may be kept from stealing and lying, Prov. xxx. 8. 9. 2. Others good, that we may be helpful to them, for men may and should work for this end, altho* they had what were lufficient for themfelves, fee Eph, iv. 28. 3. Ourfelves are to be confidered, and we are to look here, I to neceffity, 2. to convenience, 3. to honesty. There is a threefold neceffity, 1. of providing for ourfelves, 2. for our family, Tim. v. 8. 3. For our place and ftation, fuch as Nehemiah, cap. v. 14. &c. was apprehenfive of, hence tribure is allowed to the magiftrate, being in fo public and eminent a ftation, and fo useful for the people: In all these

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we should live, as far as may be, on our own, having an eye to that direction of the wife man, Prov. v. 15. 3. Convenience requireth more than neceflity, and is to be provided for, fee Prov. xxx. 8. Where Agur prayeth for that which is neither too much nor too little, but convenient. 2. There is honesty, and this hath yet a farther reach than conveniency, and thus we are to provide things honeft in the fight of all men, which may be lawfully aimed at; to be honest then, even before men, is commendable, honefty being no pride, fee Rom. xii. 17. 2 Cor. viii. 21.

2. As for the measure, which is to be kept in the increafing of our goods, it is hard to determine it, yet fure folks are not left to gather as much as they may even by lawful means attain to, having no bound fet to their defires, defigns, and endeavours, but adding one thing to another, til they be, as it were, alone in the earth, which is repraved, Ha v. 8. Hab. ii. 9. This boundlefnefs, alas! haunteth and attendeth too many, and hath never fatisfaction. Agur found there was an excefs in riches to be prayed againft, as well as poverty, otherwise he durft not fo have prayed: Et is with riches as with meat and drink, competency is good, but excefs furfetteth and loadeth, Luke xxi. 34. Hab. ii. 6. We conceive thefe generals may be laid down here, 1. What may conduce for the ends aferefaid, and is neceflary convenient, and honeft, that men may aim at, and no further is needful. 2. Riches not being promifed, but only what is convenient, and our endeavours being commanded only for things honeft, this indeed may be aimed at, but a man fhould not intend to attain to any thing beyond what he hath a promise or command for: The promife is, be foull not want any good thing, Pfal. xxxiv, 10. and lxxxiv. 11. which is indeed broad enough, and may in some respect be extend÷ ed even to the command for things honeft, whereof we have fpoken; fee Heb. xiii. 5, 6. where, in the Greek (to guard the hearts of the people of God against covetoufness, and to fortify against all fears of wanting what is neceflary and com. petent) there is a five fold negative in the promite, I will not, not, leave thee, neither, not, not, will Ljor fake thee, 3. A man may aim and endeavour to be as rich as he may warrantably pray to be, but no more; and his prayers are guided partly by the promises, and by the commands, Give us this day our daily bread and partly by the faints approved examples, as that of Agur's, Give me neither poverty nor riches, Prov. xxx. 7, 8. 4. The measure may be judged of, and tried by this general, to wit, if the omitting of fuch a thing hath the juft ground of a

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