Wine, Chaff for Wheat, and the like, of which we read Ifa. 1. 22. and Amos 8. 6. This is but too common to put off falfe and counterfeit Ware, or fuch as are mingled and blended with other things; which is no better than plain Theft or Stealing: for he that by falfifying or disguifing a Commodity skrews more than 'tis worth out of another's Pocket, does no better than pick it, and the Buyer is robb'd of all that is taken above the juft Value.

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(2.) Others defraud in the Qualities of the Goods they deal in; for tho the thing fold be true as to the Kind and Subftance of what it was fold for, yet it may have many Defects and bad Qualities, which if not difcover'd to, or difcern'd by the Buyer, a great Fraud or Wrong may be done to him therefore if any fell a Commodity for found and good, which he knows to be faulty; or if he declare not the Faults to the Buyer, and abate for them accordingly, he is a plain Cheat, for he makes him pay for fomething which he hath not, and buy thofe good Qualities that are not there: which is downright Theft or Stealing from our Neighbour.

(3.) Others again defraud in the Quantity of the Goods they deal in, and that is done by falfe Weights and Meafures, which is likewife no better than Stealing: for he that fells lefs than Weight, makes the Buyer pay for that which he hath not; and he that ufeth falfe Weights and Meafures, withholds from another fo much as the Weight and Measure falls fhort of the due Proportion and therefore we find a frict Charge against it, Deut. 25. 15, 16. The Prophet Amos complains of fome that made the Ephak Small, and the Shekel great, falfifying the Ballance with Deceit, Amos 8. 5. And Solomon more than once tells us of falfe Weights and Measures, that they are an Abomination to the Lord, Prov. II. I.

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(4.) Others defraud in the manner of uttering their Goods and Commodities; not only concealing their Faults, but extolling them above their Worth, and commendingthem for thofe Qualities that are not in them; taking advantage likewife of the Ignorance, the Neceffities, and the Fondnefs of Chapmen, to put the Dice upon them, whereby they make them pay for their Follies, and fell the Wants and Infirmities of their Brethren; which is arrant Theft or Stealing.

3. All falfifying in Trufts, Bargains, and Contracts, are forbidden in this Commandment. He that is intrufted for: another,

another, robs him of all that of which he gives not a fair Account, or is difpos'd of contrary to his Intereft or Will. So likewife all Bargains and Contracts transfer a Right to the things promis'd and agreed to; and therefore to falfify or act contrary to them, is to deprive them of a just Due, and confequently to fteal from them.

But befide the foremention'd ways of Stealing, there is yet a worse kind of Theft than all thefe, forbidden in this Commandment, known by the Name of Sacrilege, which ist the robbing of God, or proving deceitful to our Maker. If you ask how this is done, God himself anfwers it, Mal. 3. 8. Te have robbed me in Tithes and Offerings. This is a peculiar Right, which God, who giveth all things, hath referv'd for himself, and appropriated to the Maintenance of those that serve at the Altar; fo that to falfify or detain any part of this, is to commit Robbery against God, and to fteal from our Maker. How heinous and provoking a Sin this is, I fhall not need to fay; fince God himfelf declares, that he will not only punish private Perfons for this Sacrilege, but will curfe whole Nations, and that with a double and deplorable Curfe too, where it reigns, Mal. 3.5.

Laftly, The laft, tho none of the leaft Sins forbidden in this Commandment, is the Sin of Uncharitableness, or withholding Alms from the Poor; for thefe are not barely a Gift, but a Debt due to the Indigent and Needy, by a Right transfer'd and fettled on them by the great Proprietor and Landlord of the World; and to withhold it from them in cafes of extreme Want and unavoidable Neceffity, is one of the worst forts of Stealing

These are the main things condemn'd in this Commandment; and fince by the former Rule, where any Sin is forbidden, there all the Degrees, Steps, and Occafions of it are forbidden with it; I muft here confider fome of the chief Occafions and Temptations to these enormous Evils. And

here the

First and great Cause of these Sins is an inordinate Love of the World, which the Apoftle tells us is the Root of all Evil; and particularly of all that Fraud, Sacrilege, and Injustice that is to be found in it: for Men that fet their Hearts too much upon the World, care not how they come by it; and this will prompt them to break down all the Inclofures of Right, and to invade the Properties of one another.

2dly, Idienefs is another great occafion of Stealing; for fuch as refuse to labour in fome Calling to get an honeft Livelihood, will not fail to reach out their Hands in picking and stealing from others: and, like the idle Drones, will live upon the Labours of the more induftrious Bees: and therefore as this Sin is forbidden in the preceding Commandment as an Incentive to Luft and Debauchery, fo is it condemn'd in this as an apparent Caufe of Theft and Robbery.

3dly, Difcontent with our prefent Condition is another frequent occafion of Stealing; for they that are diffatisfy'd and uneafy in their own State, will be ready to mend it by the unjust Methods of Rapine, Violence, and Oppreffion, and as opportunity offers, will help themselves by the Spoils of their Neighbour.

Thus we fee the feveral Acts of Injuftice, or ways of ftealing, forbidden in this Commandment, together with the Motives and Occafions of them; it remains that I fhew fomething of the Evil and Danger of them, the better to diffuade and deter from them.

(1.) The Evil of them plainly appears in this, that they are a manifeft Violation of the Laws of God and Man; for both of them have, by the strictest Precepts and Prohibitions, warn'd and caution'd us against them. Yea, they are contrary not only to the Rules of Reveal'd Religion, but to the common Principles of Nature and Reason, which forbid any Wrong or Injury to be done to any, and not to do that to others, which we would not have done to ourfelves. Now there is none that would willingly have his Houfe plunder'd, his Goods purloin'd, or his Property either openly or fecretly invaded; and if we would but confider and act by that common Dictate of Nature, of doing as we would be done by, we fhould foon fee the Sinfulness of all fuch Practices, and be fufficiently arm'd against all Temptations to them. Befide,

Thefe Sins are deftructive to the Peace and Welfare of Mankind; for they will not fuffer Men to enjoy their own, or live quietly by one another, they deprive them of all the Comfort of their Labours, and defeat all the Rewards of Industry: fo that Thieves and Robbers are the Pefts of a Commonwealth, and the Bane of all human Society. Then,

(2.) For the Danger, that is evident from the Punishments annex'd to thefe Offences both by divine and human Laws;

Laws; the one making temporal, the other eternal Death the Reward of them. The craftieft Thief and the ftouteft Robber are often caught in their own Snare, and they who drive a Trade in this Wickednefs, feldom mifs at laft of the Reward of it.

But if any fhould be fo fortunate in these finful Courses, as to escape earthly Punishments, he fhall unavoidably fall under future and eternal Vengeance; for the Apostle af fures us, that God is the Avenger of these things, 1 Theff. 4, 6. And this he doth,

Sometimes by fcattering all fuch ill-gotten Subftance. Mony gotten by Fraud and Oppreffion, like Quick-filver, flides thro' the Fingers of thofe that hold it fastest; and an invifible Hand takes away that which hath been unjustly taken from another: fo God himself threatens, Habb. 2. 6, 7, 8. Wo be to him that increaseth that which is not his, that ladeth himself with thick Clay! for those hall rise that fball trouble him, and awake that hall vex him because he bath spoiled others, the Remnant of the People Shall Spoil him. Moreover, fometimes God avenges these things by blafting the Comfort of what continues with them, and mingling a Curfe with all that they poffefs: a little ill-gotten Goods like Leven leveneth the whole Lump, diffufing itfelf, and corrupting the whole Mafs; this, like a Moth or a Canker, cats out the Sweetness of what they have, and embitters all with the Sting of an evil Confcience.

But befide fecret Remorfe within, this Sin is aveng'd with Shame and Ignominy from without, which renders them vile and odious in the fight of God and Man. The petty Thief is commonly branded and known from others by the Marks of Infamy, which if they prevail not to their Reformation, lead to farther Degrees of this Wickedness, which bring on Ruin and an untimely End: For the bloody and deceitful Perfon fhall not live out half his Days, Pfal. 55. 23. and Solomon tells us, that the Robbery of the Wicked Jhall destroy them, Prov. 21. 7. Thus is God the Avenger of these things here in this World: But the foreft part of his Vengeance is referv'd for hereafter, when the Black Bill of all their Frauds and Injustice fhall be brought in against them; when the Cries of the Hireling and Labourer, opprefs'd in their Wages, will enter into the Ears of the Lord of Hofts, and the Ruft of all ill-gotten Subftance witnefs against them: then will they receive the Wages of their Unrighteousness, and be not only excluded from the Regions

Regions of Light and Glory, but doom'd, with the damned Crew of fuch Harpys, to the Dungeon of eternal Horror and Darkness.

Wherefore in the last place, let all Men beware of this Sin of Stealing, which is attended with fo many doleful and unfpeakable Evils: 'tis the Apoftle's Advice, Let no Man defraud or go beyond his Brother in any matter, 1 Theff. 4. 5. Do not difquiet thy Confcience with any unjuft Gain, nor defile thy Fingers with fuch filthy Lucre; remembring that whilft thou art over-reaching thy Brother, Satan is all the while over-reaching thee; and whilft thou art purloining another's Subftance, the Devil is purfuing and running away with thy Soul, the Lofs of which is far more valuable than the Gain of the whole World.

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I

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DISCOURSE XIX.

EXOD. XX. 15.

Thou shalt not Steal.

Difcours'd the laft time of the Negative Part of this
Commandment, and fhew'd what was forbidden by it:
I proceed now to the Pofitive Part, to let you know

what is commanded in it.

And here, as the invading of any Man's Property by Force or Fraud, and depriving him of any thing that by the Bleffing of God or his own Industry is juftly his, is the thing condemn'd by this Law; fo the preferving him in his Rights, and permitting every one quietly to poffefs and enjoy their own, is the thing requir'd and fettled by it. And therefore,

The first and great thing enjoin'd by this Commandment is Juftice, Honesty, and Fair-Dealing between Man and Man; and this confifts not only in doing no wrong to any, but in doing right to all: this Virtue not barely restrains Men from withholding what is another's, but inclines them to give every one their juft Dues. To this we have many Precepts in Holy Scripture; to have our Conversation honest among the Gentiles, i Pet. 2. 12. to render to all their Dues, Tribute to whom Tribute, Custom to whom Custom, Honour

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