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On Munday the x. of February, 1556. The CXL. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the foure and twentith Chapter.
14 Thou shalt not defraude the hired seruaunt which is needie and poore, neither of thy brethren, nor of the straunger which is in thy lande within thy gates.
15 Thou shalt giue him his hyre for his day, before the sunne goeth dowen: for he is poore, and therewith sustaineth he his life. Least he crie against thee vnto the Lorde, and it be sinne vnto thee.
16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the chil∣dren die for the fathers, but euery man shalbe put to death for his own sinne.
17 Thou shalt not wrest the right of the straunger, nor of the fatherlesse: nei∣ther shalt thou take the widowes rayment to pledge.
18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a seruaunt in Egypt, and that the Lorde thy God deliuered thee thence. Therefore I commaunde thee to doe this thing.
IF there were not great wicked∣nes and crueltie in men, it were [ 30] needeles to set downe anie such law as is heere contained, to wit, That we withholde not from a poore mā the wages which he hath earned. For we knowe that it is as it were his bloud, ac∣cording as it is written: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate thy breade.* 1.1 Therefore when a man bestoweth himselfe in our seruice, we ought at least wise to giue him that wherewithall he is sustained and nourished. And therefore I tolde [ 40] you that if we had but one droppe of kindnes in vs, we needed not to be taught this doctrine. For nature teacheth vs what is right and indifferent. Let vs therfore conclude when we reade yt which i•• written here, that we are accused before God. of beeing as brute beastes towardes our neigh∣bours. For God would suffer vs to followe on our owne course, if he sawe that euery of vs did discharge himselfe of his duetie. But forasmuch as men are so peruerse and wicked, that the rich [ 50] seeke nothing but to deceiue the poore, & to de∣uour their sustenance & the labor of their hands; it was needefull that he should prouide some re∣medie against them. And this is the way for vs to fare the better by that which appertaineth to the ordering of our life. Oftentimes when we reade of any admonition in the holy scripture, we are of opinion that it is superfluous. For why? Wee haue no consideration of the cause which moued God to cōmand this or that, to wit, that [ 60] forasmuch as he seeth ye vices which are lurking in vs, he meaneth to correct them. Wee must therefore examine ourselues, and that will teach vs, that God exhorteth vs not in vaine to do that which is our duetie. For albeit we know well y∣nough what men say vnto vs, and euery of vs can confesse that the things which are sayd are true: yet is it not ynough for vs to haue the reasona∣blenes and rightfulnesse of ye thing proued vnto vs, vnlesse wee be also inforced to followe that which we knowe to be iust and acceptable vnto God.
Nowe whereas it is sayde that a man shall not withholde the hyre of a poore man, it is all one as if God in generall did shewe, that men ought to deale vprightly, & by all kinde of curtisie with those which are poore, and employ themselues to doe vs seruice. And hee speaketh expresly of the poore, because there is no pitie in this case towardes the rich man: for if we owe him anie thing, he may tarrie for it, he is not so hastie to haue his monney payde him from day to day, a man shal not be so soudainly pressed to giue him his payment. In deede we ought not to tarry til we be plucked by the eares, to pay that which we owe. That is alwaies to be condemned: and we excuse ourselues vainely, if we say: this man is aforehande, he hath no great neede: I may therefore withholde that which is his. But I speake of the precise houre of payment, when a man is contented that I shall deferre the pay∣ment of my dette from this day vntil to morow. If I offer to pay him, he will aunswere me, I shal haue it time ynough. And why? He knoweth that I am readie to paye him any day: and as for himselfe hee hath no such hast but hee can well staye. But a poore man hauing trauailed the whole day, hath nothing to eate but what he getteth by his labor: what crueltie then were it if I (when I haue had a mans sweat, and labour) will for all that withholde from him his dayes hyre? And therefore this reason is expresly ad∣ded: for he sustaineth his soule therwith, or he easeth his soule thereby. For ye word which Moses vseth