there is an ordinary price, which thofe that deal in them know and understand; and when the contractors equally understand the price, there can be no deception or injuftice in the contract, be it made ever so hard. On the contrary, if he whom I contract with be ignorant or unfkilful, I must not rate his want of understanding, or fet a tax upon his ignorance; but use him justly, as one that repofes a truft in me, and cafts himself upon my equity; for, if I do not this, I am guilty of injustice.

The fame may be said where a man takes advantage of Nor ufe op- another's neceffities. When a poor man is driven by preffion. his wants, and forced to fell his wares to fupply his neceffities; give him the price you would have done, if he wanted your money no more than you need his goods. On the other fide, if the poor man be forced to buy upon trust, increase your price no higher than what makes you recompence for the lofs, which by the rules of trade you fuftain by the credit you give him; because he who makes advantage of another's neceffities, adds oppreffion to mifery; which is not only injuftice, but cruelty. Neither muft you take any thing from the commodity or price, for which you have barNor unjut gained. He who buys a commodity by weight and weights and measure, hath a right to as much as the common measures. standard allows him and to take any thing from the bargain by false weights or measures, or adulteration, or by falfly weighing or measuring, is no lefs than theft. And he who fells a commodity hath a right to the money for which he fold it: And if the buyer knowingly pay him mony. uncurrent coin, or forcibly detain from him any part of the price, he alfomanifeftly violates the indifpenfable rules Of engrof of justice. Moreover, be not guilty of engroffing, or fing. buying all of a commodity into your own hands, with the fole view of felling it the dearer, and thereby to opOf raising prefs or diftrefs the publick. Neither let the people curfe thee for being the first that hath raised the goods. price of goods. Deal not in ftolen goods, knowing or fufpecting them to be fuch; for thereby thou becomest as bad as the thief. Neither let it be laid to thy charge that Overfight thou haft taken any advantage of the mistake or of the feller over fight of the feller; for whoever takes more than

Nor bad

the price,

and of ficlen

he

Deceit.

he bought, or gives any thing less than he bargained for, is guilty of theft. And, finally, never juftify your deceit, when you are detected of a fraud, by adding lyes to your unfair dealing: for not only a good and a quiet confcience is to be valued above the greateft gain: and that man hath but little regard of his confcience, who, to get a shilling more in a bargain, will venture to expofe it. For

The ufual bait of injuftice is gain and profit: this is the common mark that fraud and oppreffion aim at, Thefe are though usually they fly fhort or beyond it, and, not the ways inftead of inriching, do finally damage and im- to be rich. poverish men. It is indeed known, that unjuft dealing may fometimes raife a man's fortune; but it is as well known, that in its natural tendency it impairs and ruins it; because, by dealing unjustly, he makes it every man's intereft to forfake him, and fets a crofs upon his own door to warn all cuftomers from entering therein. Is it reasonable to fuppofe, that any one would knowingly have to do with a knave, that always lies upon the catch to cozen him; with whom he can neither speak nor act fecurely, but must be forced to ftand upon his guard continually? Or, how can a man thrive, when no-body cares to deal with him; when his house is haunted, and his frauds and cozenages appear like fprites at his door, o frighten all men from his fhop? So you fee that juftice in dealing is so neceffary to men's thriving in the world, that even they who are not honeft are fain to feem fo: but for a nan to feem to be honest is no way fo fecure as to be really b; for, if he be not, the event of things will un- The advanmafk and fet him out. For no man can be fecure tage of fair of privacy in an unjust action; let him carry it dealing. ever fo demurely, one accident or other will draw the curtan and bring to light the fraud and villainy behind it: fo that, how much foever a man may gain by a prefent cheat, he is fure, if he be discovered, to be a lofer at the laft. Injuftice is as great an error in politicks as in morals, and doth befpek a man to have as little wit as honefty. The fum therefore is briefly this: he that in the whole courfe of his lifeacts fincerely and juftly, with a continual respect to the reapn of things, and to the law of God; that carries on all

his

Give con

his undertakings by fair and equitable means, avoiding all frauds and deceits, all bafe and unworthy practices; this man takes the wifeft and fureft courfe to fucceed in all his defigns, refpecting either his prefent or his future happiness. And, III. If a man fhould thrive by his fraud and injuftice here, alas! what comfort can he take in his ill-gotten Evil-gotten goods. wealth; when every part of it awakens fome fad reflection in his confcience! Yet this is the cafe, when all a man enjoys, when the very meat which he gorges, and the drink which he guzzles, the cloaths which he tinual dif- flaunts in, fhall thus approach and upbraid him, quiet. with an, O wretched man! we are the price of thy innocence, and thy eternal happiness: for us thou hast freely configned thy immortal spirit to everlasting confusion! When his bags and coffers cry, guilty! guilty! and every thing he enjoys whispers fome accufation against him; what comfort can he take in the purchase of his frauds and oppreffions and cruelties? Yet this is commonly the fate of unjuft poffeffors, who, under the disguise of a chearful countenance, too commonly wear woeful hearts. The avenging principle within us will certainly do its duty, upon any eminent breach of ours; and make every flagrant act of wickedness, even in this life, a punishment to itself. Moral evil can no more be committed, than natural evil can be fuffered, without anguish and difquiet: Whatever doth violence to the plain dictates of our reafon concerning virtue and vice, duty and fin, will as certainly difcompofe and afflict our thoughts, as wound will raise a smart in the flesh that receives it. Good and evil, whether natural or moral, are but other words for pleasure and pain, delight and uneafinefs. There is no need of arguments to evince this truth; the univerfal experience and feeling of mankind bears witness to it. For fay, did ever any of you break the power of a darling luft, refift a preffing temptation, or perform any act of a confpicuous and diftinguishing virtue, but that you found it foon turn to account to you? Did not your minds fwell with a fecret fatisfaction, at the moment when you were doing it? And was not areflection upon it afterwards always fweet and refreshing ; health to your navel, and marrow to your bones? On the contrary,

contrary, did you ever indulge a criminal appetite, or allow yourself sedately in any practice which you knew to be unlawful, but that you felt an inward ftruggle, and strong reluctance of mind before the attempt, and bitter pangs of remorfe attending it? Though no eye faw what you did, and you were fure that no mortal could discover it; did not shame and confufion fecretly lay hold of you? Was not your own confcience instead of a thoufand witneffes to you?

pu

Since therefore injuftice is a damnable fin, it neceffarily follows, that when a man deals unjustly by another, he must either refolve to undo his own act, or to run the And ruin hazard of being undone for ever; the former of the foul which is a ridiculous vanity, and the latter a de- eternally. fperate madness. What a vanity is it for a man to do what he refolves to undo, to flander with a purpose to vindicate, and cheat with refolution to refund; that is, to do any evil thing with a purpose to be never the better for fo doing? And feeing every wilful act of injustice binds men over to eternal nishment, and nothing but reftitution can release from that fad obligation; it follows that he, who deals unjustly by others, without an intent to make reftitution, doth by his own act wilfully oblige himself to endure eternal torments, and the lofs of heaven. And for the fame reason, that justice and equity is neceffary to be practised at all; for the fame reafon, whenever any failure has been made in the practice of thefe duties, reftitution ought to be made to the perfons who have been wronged. For repentance neceffarily fupposes a defire that the offence had never been committed. And the only poffible evidence of the fincerity of that defire is the making of restitution, wherever it can be done in reality and with effect. Therefore,

tion.

Before we can hope for pardon, we must resolve on restitution. Concerning which, obferve that it is that The neceffity part of juftice to which a man is obliged by fome of reftituformer contract, or a foregoing fault by his own or another man's act, either with or without his will. The borrower is bound to pay, and much more he that steals or defrauds. In the cafe of ftealing, there is an injury done to our neighbour, and the evil still remains after the action is

2

paft;

paft; therefore for this weare accountable to our neighbour, and we are to take the evil off from him, which we brought upon him, or else he is an injured perfon, and a fufferer all the while; and that any man should be the worse for me, by my act, and by my intention, is against the rule of equity, of justice, and of charity: I do not that to others, which I would have done to myself; for I grow rich upon the ruins of my neighbour. So that, if the wrong I do to another man be fuch as is repairable, I muft refolve to repair it, or to perifh eternally. He who doth not repair an injury when he is able, doth every moment continue to repeat it, and though the first act was tranfient, and died in the commiffion; yet, if it leaves a continual evil behind it upon the good name or ef tate of my neighbour, I am as much obliged, if I am able, to remove the evil from him, as I was not to bring it upon him; and while I neglect to remove it, I wilfully continue the evil upon him, and in fo doing continue to do him harm. When I rob or defraud a man of his eftate, or any part of it, the fin doth not ceafe with the act of ftealth or cozenage, or violence, which ends or expires in the commiffion; but continues fo long as the damage or evil effect of it remains : whilft he suffers in his estate by my act, and it is in my power to repair it, I continue injuring him. Wherefore, our fin can never be pardoned, till we have restored what we unjustly took or wrongfully detained: which we must really perform when we are able. Which doctrine, befides its evident and apparent reasonableness, is derived from the exprefs words of fcripture, reckoning reftitution to be a part of repentance, neceffary in order to the remiffion of our fins: If the wicked reftore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, &c. he shall surely live, he fhall not die. And the practice of this part of juftice is to be directed by these rules following: That perfon, who is a real cause of doing his neighbour wrong, whether by commending or encouraging it, Methods of by counfelling or commanding it, by acting it, or reftitution. not hindering it when he might or ought, by concealing it, or receiving it, is bound to make reftitution to his neighbour, if without him the injury had not been done, but was done by him or his affiftance; because by him his neighbour