The practice of Christian graces, or, The whole duty of man laid down in a plaine and familiar way for the use of all, but especially the meanest reader : divided into XVII chapters, one whereof being read every Lords Day, the whole may be read over thrice in the year : with Private devotions for several occasions...

PARTITION XI. (Book 11)

Of JUSTICE, about the Possessions of our Neighbour, against ••njuring him as concerning his WIFE, His Goods. Of Malice, Covetousness, Oppression, Theft, Of Paying of Debts, &c.

§. 1. THe third part of negative ju∣stice concerns the possessions of our neighbours;* 1.1 what I mean by possessions, I cannot better explain, then by referring you to the tenth Commandment, the end of which is to bridle all covetous appetites and desires towards the possessions of our Neighbour. There we find reckoned up not only his house, servants, and cattel, which may all pass under the one ge∣neral name of his goods or riches, but parti∣cularly his wife, as a principal part of his pos∣sessions, and therefore when we consider this duty of negative justice, in respect of the pos∣sessions of our Neighbour, we must apply i•• to both, his wife, as well as his goods.

2. The especial and peculiar right,* 1.2 that every man hath in his wife, is so well known that it were vain to say any thing in proof of it; the great impatience that every husband hath to have this right of his invaded, shews that it is sufficiently understood in the world, and

therefore none that does this injury to ano∣ther, can be ignorant of the greatness of it. The corrupting of a mans wife, enticing her to a strange bed, is by all acknowledged to be the worst sort of theft, infinitely beyond that of the goods.

3. Indeed there is in this one a heap of the greatest injustices together;* 1.3 some towards the woman, and some towards the man: To∣wards the woman, there are the greatest ima∣ginable; it is that injustice to her soul, which was before mentioned as the highest of all o∣thers, 'tis the robbing her of her innocency,* 1.4 and setting her in a course of the horredst wick∣edness (no less then lust and perjury together) from which it is probable she may never re∣turn, and then it proves the damning of her e∣ternally. Next it is in respect of this world, the robbing her of her credit, making her abhor∣red and despised, and her very name a reproach among all men; and besides it•• is the depriving her of all that happiness of life, which arises from the mutual kindness and affection that is between man and wife, in stead whereof this brings in a loathing, and abhorring of each other; from whence flow multitudes of mis∣chiefs, too many to rehearse, in all which man hath his share also.

4. But besides those,* 1.5 there are to him ma∣ny, and high injustice; for it is first the rob∣bing him of that, which of all other things he accounts most precious, the love and faithful∣ness of his wife, and that also wherein he hath

such an incommunicable right, that himself cannot, if he would, make it over to any o∣ther; and therefore sure it cannot without the utmost in justice be torn from him by any: Nor is this all, but it is farther the ingulfing him (if ever he come to discern it) in that most tormenting passion of jealousie, which is of all others the most painful, and which oft puts men upon the most desperate attempts, it be∣ing as Soloman says, Prov. 6. 34. The rage of a man. It is yet farther, the bringing upon him all that scorn, and contempt, which by the unjust measures of the world falls on them, which are so abused, and which is by many esteemed the most unsufferable part of the wrong; and though it be true that it is very unjust, he should fall under reproach, only be∣cause he is injured, yet unless the world could be new moulded, it will certainly be his lot, and therefore it adds much to the injury: A∣gain, this may indeed be a robbery in the usu∣al sense of the word, for perhaps it may be the thrusting in the child of the adulterer in∣to his family, to share both in the mainte∣nance and portions of his own children; and this is an arrand theft; first, in respect of the man, who surely intends not the providing for another mans child; and then in respect of the children, who are by that means de∣frauded by so much as that goes away with. And therefore whoever hath this circum∣stance of the sin to repent of, cannot do it effectually, without restoring to the family,

as much as he hath by this means rob'd it of.

5. All this put together will sure make this the greatest and most provoking injury that can be done to a man,* 1.6 and (which heightens it yet more) it is that, for which a man can never make reparations; for unless it be in the circumstance before mentioned, there is no part of this sin, wherein that can be done; to this purpose it is observable in the Jewish Law, that the thief was appointed to restore fourfold, and that freed him; but the adulte∣rer having no possibility of making any resti∣tution, any satisfaction, he must pay his life for his offence. Lev. 20. 10. And though now a days adulterers speed better, live many days to renew their guilt, and perhaps to laugh at those, whom they have thus injured, yet let them be assured, there must one day be a sad reckoning, and that whether they repent or not: If by Gods grace they do come to repentance, they will then find this to be no cheap sin, many anguishes of soul, terrors, and perplexities of conscience, groanes, and tears it must cost them, and indeed were a mans whole life spent in these penitential ex∣ercises, 'twere little enough to wipe off the guilt of any one single act of this kind; what overwhelming sorrows then are requisite for such a trade of this sin, as too many drive? Certainly it is so great a task, that it is high∣ly necessary for all that are so concerned, to set to it immediately, lest they want time to

go through with it; for let no man flatter himself, that the guilt of a course and ha∣bit of such a sin can be washt away with a single act of repentance; no he must propor∣tion the repentance to the fault, and as one hath been a habit and course, so must the o∣ther also. And then how strange a madness is it for men to run into this sin (and that with such painful pursuits, as many do) which he knows must at the best hand, that is, supposing he do repent of it, cost him thus dear; but then, if he do not repent, infinitely dearer; it looses him all his title to heaven, that place of purity, and gives him his portion in the lake of fire, where the burnings of his lust shall end in those everlasting burnings: For how closely soever he have acted this sin, be it so that he may have said with the adulterer in Job 25. 15. No eye seeth me, yet 'tis sure he could not in the greatest obscurity shelter himself from Gods sight, with whom the darkness is no darkness, Psal. 139. 12. And he it is, who hath expresly th••eatned to judg this sort of offender, Heb. 13 4. Adul∣terers God will judg. God grant that all that live in this foul guilt may so seasonably, and so throughly judg themselves, that they may prevent that severe and dreadful judgment of his.

6. The second thing,* 1.7 to which this nega∣tive justice to our neighbours possessions reacheth, is his Goods, under which general word is contained all those several sorts of

things, as House, Land, Cattel, Money, and the like, in which he hath a right and propor∣ty; these we are by the rule of this justice to suffer him to enjoy, without seeking either to work him damage in any of them, or to get any of them to our selves: I make a dif∣ference between these two, because there may be two several grounds, or motives of this inju∣stice; the one malice, the other covetous∣ness.

7. The malicious* 1.8 man desires to work his neighbour mischief, though he get nothing by it himself; 'tis frequently seen, that men will make havock, and spoile of the goods of one, to whom they bear a grudg, though they ne∣ver designe to get any thing to themselves by it, but only the pleasure of doing a spight to the other: This is a most hellish humour, directly answerable to that of the Divel, who bestows all his pains and industry, not to bring in any good to himself but only to ru∣ine and undoe others: and how contrary it is to all rules of justice, you may see by the Precept given by God to the Jews concerning the goods of an enemy, where they were so far from being allowed a liberty of spoile and de∣struction, that they are expresly bound to pre∣vent it, Exod. 23. 45. If thou meet thine e∣nemies oxe, or his asse going a stray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again: If thou see the asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldst forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him: Where you see

it is a debt we owe to our very enemies, to prevent that loss and damage, which by any accident he is in danger of: and that even with some labour, and pains to our selves. How horrible an injustice is it then, purposely to bring that loss, and damage on him? Who∣ever is guilty of this let him never excuse him∣self by saying, he hath not inricht himself by the spoil of his neighbour, that he hath nothing of it cleave•• to his finger; for sure this malici∣ous injustice is no less a fault then the covetous one; nay I suppose in respect of the principle & cause, from which it flowes, it may be greater, this hatred of another being worse then the immoderate love of our selves; whoever hath thus mischieft his neighbour, he is as much bound to repair the injury, to make satisfaction for the loss, as if he had inriched himself by it.

8 But on the other side,* 1.9 let not the covetous defrauder therefore judg his sin light because there is another, that in some one respect out∣weighs it, for perhaps in others his may cast the scales; certainly it does in this one, that he that is unjust for greediness of gain is like to multiply more acts of this sin, then he that is so out of malice; for tis impossible any man should have so many objects of his malice, as he may have of his covetousness; there is no man at so general a defiance with all mankind that he hates every body; but the covetous man hath as many objects of his vice, as there be things in the world he counts valuable: But I shall not longer stand about this comparison,

'tis sure they are both great and crying sins, and that is ground enough of abhorring each; let us descend now to the several branches of this sort of covetous injustice; 'tis true they may all bear the name of robbery, or theft for in effect they are all so, yet for methods sake it will not be amiss to distinguish them into these three Oppression,* 1.10 Theft, and Deceit.

9. By oppression I mean that open and bare∣faced robbery, of seizing upon the possessions of others, and owning, and avowing the doing so. For the doing of this there are several instru∣ments: as first that of power, by which many Nations and Princes have been turned out of their rights, and many private men out of their estates; sometimes again. Law is made the instrument of it; he that covets his neigh∣bours lands or goods, pretends a claim to them, and then by corrupting of justice by bribes and gifts, or else over-ruling it by greatness and authority gets judgment on his side: This is a high oppression, and of the worst sort, thus to make the Law, which was intended for the protection, and defence of mens rights, to be the means of overthrowing them; and it is a very heavy guilt, that lyes both on him that procures, and on him that pronounces such a sentence, yea and on the lawyer too, that pleads such a cause, for by so doing he assists in the oppression; sometimes again, the very necessities of the oppressed are the means of his oppression; thus it is in the case of extortion, and griping usury; a man is in extreme want of money, and this gives

opportunity to the extortioner two rest uncon∣scionably from him, to which the poor man is forced to yeild, to supply his present wants. And thus also it is often with exacting Land∣lords, who when their poor tenants know not how to provide themselves elsewhere, rack and skrew them beyond the worth of the thing. All these and many the like are but several wayes of acting this one sin of oppression which becomes yet the more hainous, by how much the more helpless the person is, that is thus oppressed, therefore the oppression of the widow, and fatherless, is in Scripture mentioned, as the height of this sin.

10. It is indeed a most crying guilt,* 1.11 and that against which God hath threatned his heavy vengeance, as we read in divers texts of Sriptures: Thus it is, Ezek. 18. 12. He that hath oppressed the poor, and hath spoiled by vio∣lence, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him: and the same sentence is repeated a∣gainst him. ver. 18. Indeed God hath so pe∣culiarly taken upon him the protection of the poor, & oppressed, that he is engaged as it were in honour to be their avenger, and accordingly, Psal 12. We see God solemnly declare his re∣solution of appearing for them, ver. 5. For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord, I will set him in safety from him; the advice therefore of So∣lomon is excellent, Prov. 22. 22. Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppresse the afflicted in the g••te, for the Lord will plead their cause, and

will spoil the soul of those that spoiled them; they are like in the end to have little joy of the booty it brings them in, when it thus enga∣ges God against them.

11. The second sort of this injustice is theft,* 1.12 and of that also there are two kinds, the one the withholding what we should pay, and the other taking from our neighbour what is al∣ready in his possession.

12. Of the first sort is the not paying of debts,* 1.13 whether such as we have borrowed, or such as by our own voluntary promise are be∣come our debts, for there are equally due to him, that can lay either of these claims to them; and therefore the withholding of ei∣ther of them is a theft, a keeping from my neighbour that which is his; yet the former of them is rather the more injurious, for by that I take from him that which he once actu∣ally had (be it money, or whatsoever else) and so make him worse then I found him: This is a very great, and very common inju∣stice; men can now a days with as great con∣fidence deny him that asks a debt, as they do him, that asks an alms, nay many times 'tis made matter of quarrel for a man to demand his own, besides the many attendances the cre∣ditor is put to in pursuit of it, are a yet far∣ther injury to him, by wasting his time, and taking him off from other business, and so he is made a looser that way too. This is so great injustice, that I see not how a man can look upon any thing he possesses as his own

right, whilst he thus denyes another his. It is the duty of every man in debt, rather to strip himself of all, & cast himself again naked upon Gods providence, then thus to feather his nest with the spoiles of his neighbours. And surely it would prove the more thriving course, not only in respect of the blessing, which may be expe∣cted upon justice, compared with the curse, that attends the contrary, but even in worldly pru∣dence also; for he that defers paying of debts, will at last be forst to it by Law, and that upon much worse terms, then he might have done it voluntarily, with a greater charge, & with such a loss of his credit, that afterwards in his grea∣test necessities he will not know where to bor∣row. But the sure way for a man to secure him∣self from the guilt of this unjustice, is never to borrow more then he knows he hath means to repay, unless it be one, who knowing his disabi∣lity, is willing to run the hazard. Otherwise he commits this sin at the very time of borrowing for he takes that from his neighbour upon promise of paying, which he knows he is never likely to restore to him, which is a flat robbery.

The same justice which tyes men to pay their own debts tyes also every surety to pay those debts of others, for which he stands bound,* 1.14 i•• case the principal either cannot or will not: for by being bound, he hath made it his own debt, and must in all justice answer it to the creditor, who, its presumed was drawn to lend, on confi∣dence of his security, and therefore is direct∣ly cheated and betrayed by him, if he see him not satisfied. If it be thought hard, that a man

should pay for that, which he never received benefit by, I shall yeild it, so far as to be just matter of wariness to every man how he enter into such engagements, but it can never be made an excuse for the breaking them.

As for the other sort of debt, that which is brought upon a man by his own voluntary promise,* 1.15 that also cannot without great inju∣stice be withholden; for it is now the mans right, and then 'tis no matter, by what means it came to be so. Therefore we see David makes it part of the description of a just man, Psal. 15. 4. that he keeps his promise, yea, though they were made to his own disadvantage; and surely he is utterly unfit to ascend to that Holy Hill, there spoken of, either as that signifies the Church here, or Heaven hereafter, that does not punctu∣ally observe this part of justice. To this sort of debt may be reduced the wages of the servant, the hire of the labourer, and the withholding of these is a great sin, and the complaints of those that are thus injured, ascend up to God. Behold (saith St. James) the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, c••yeth, and the cryes of them that have reaped, are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbaths: and Deut. 24. 14, 15. we find a strict command in this matter. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, at his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the Sun go down upon it, for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it, lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be sin unto thee. This is one of those loud clamou∣rous

sins, which will not cease crying, till it bring down Gods vengeance, and therefore though thou have no justice to thy poor bro∣ther, yet have at least so much mercy to thy self, as not to pull down judgemenns on thee by thus wronging him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  His posses∣sion.
• * 1.2

  H••s wife.
• * 1.3

  The enti∣cing a mans wife, the greatest in∣justice.
• * 1.4

  To the wo∣man.
• * 1.5

  To the man.
• * 1.6

  The most irrepaira∣ble.
• * 1.7

  His goods.
• * 1.8

  Malicious injustice.
• * 1.9

  Covetous injustice.
• * 1.10

  Oppression.
• * 1.11

  Gods ven∣geance a∣gainst it.
• * 1.12

  Theft.
• * 1.13

  Not paying what we borrow.
• * 1.14

  What we are b••und for.
• * 1.15

  What we have pro∣mised.