The crucifying of the world by the cross of Christ with a preface to the nobles, gentlemen, and all the rich, directing them how they may be richer / by Richard Baxter.

5. IF you are Crucified to the world, take heed that you use no unlawful means for the procurement of worldly things. Stretch not your consciences for the compassing of such ends. Lay still before you the Rule of Equity; Do as you would be done by. Put your brother with whom you deal, in your own case, and your selves in his; and so drive on your bargains in that mind. If you did thus, you would not sell too dear, nor buy too cheap; you would not make so many words to get his goods for less then the worth, nor to sell your own for more then the worth: Nay you would not take more then the worth, if by ignorance or necessity your brother should offer it you; nor give less then the worth, though through ignorance or necessity he would take it. The love of money hath so blinded many, that in selling they think it to be no sin, to take as much for a com∣modity as they can get; and in buying they think it no sin to get the commodity as cheap as they can have it; never once asking their own hearts, How would I desire to be dealt with my self, i•• it were my own case? Nay Covetousness is the common cause that maketh most of the world cry out against Covetousness. When men are like ravenous greedy beasts, that grudge at every bit that goes besides their own mouths, they will reproach all that cross their covetous desires. If they cannot by words perswade a tradesman to sell his ware at such rates as he cannot live by, they will defame him as a covetous griping man: and all because he fitteth not their covetous desires: and all that will escape their censure of being covetous, must shut up their shops ere long, to the defrauding of their creditors. If a Physitian that hath been a means to save their lives, do demand but half his due, it being the calling which he liveth on, they will defame him as Covetous, because he contradicteth their covetous desires: and would have any thing from them which is so near to their hearts. Let a Mi∣nister but demand his own, which was never theirs, but is his by the Law of the Land, and they will reproach him like Quakers, as a covetous hireling; and if he will not suffer every worldly miser to rob him, they will defame him as if he were sick of their disease: So far are they from the Primitive practise of selling all, and laying down at the feet of the Apostles, that they would steal

from the Church those Tenths which neither they nor their Fa∣thers before them had any propriety in, any more then in the Lands of any of their neighbours, as in the case of Impropriators they are forced to confess. Let a man give all that he hath to the poor, and he shall be defa••••ed as covetous, because he will not give more then all. I or if he give to nineteen, and have not wherewith to satisfie the twentieth, he that hath nothing or less then he expected, is as much unsatisfied, and as forward to speak evil of him, as if he had given to none at all. And usually so un∣reasonable are these covetous expectations, that you may sooner displease ten of the••, then satisfie one.

Whence also comes the Theevery, the Lying for the sake of Commodity, the over-witting and over-reaching of each other, but from this sin. Whence is it that most Ale▪sellers and Vintners will make a trade of poysoning souls, and will nourish that odi∣ous vice, which is the ruine of mens bodies, the impoverishing of their families, the dishonour of God, and the shame and danger of the towns and Common-wealths in which they are committed? but only for the love of a sordid gain. And were it not more for fear of men then God, the most of them by far, would make the Lords day their chief Market-day; for they care not to rob even God himself for this unprofitable gain. And its well if Butchers, and many other Tradesmen would not do the like, if the Laws of the Land and the severity of Magistrates did not restrain them. This is the Love they have to God, and eternal Glory! Thus you may see whether they are dead to the world, or rather to Christ! Gehezi thought himself wiser then his Master, when he went after Naaman for his prize: And Achan thought himself wiser then all Israel, when he hid the gold: And Saul thought it wisdom to spare Agag and the best things from destruction. But the Leprosie taught one, and the stones taught another, and Gods rejection taught the third, to know that by experience which they would not learn by the warnings of the Lord. The like may be said of contentious Law-suits, the common effects of Covetousness and Revenge; and so of all other unlawfull gain.

If indeed you are dead to the world, do not so much as tell a lie to get all the riches of the world. Remember also the com∣mands of God, Lev. 19. 13. Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour,

neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night: And 1 Thes. 4. 6. That no man go beyond and de∣fraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the aven∣ger of all such, as we also have forewarned you, and testified. And 1 Cor. 6. 7, 8, 9. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to Law one with another: Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer your selves to be defrauded? Nay you do wrong, and defraud, and that your Brethren: Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?] These lessons would be better learnt, if covetousness did not stop mens ears. But its a befooling stupifying vice. It makes men lose themselves for gain. For as Austin saith, [Avarus antequam lucretur, seipsam perdit; & antequam aliquid capiat, capitur.] And all this is for the pleasing of their fancy, that they may have more then they need. For Avarus est caecus; credendo enim di∣ves est, non videndo. Amas pecuniam O caece, quam nunquam vide∣bis, caecus possides, caecus morituruses, &c. Idem.] And when they pretend Necessity, it is but the voice of Covetousness: For, saith the same Austin, [Non est in carendo difficultas, nisi cum fuerit in possidendo cupiditas.] Et alibi [Pauperiorem se judicat abundans: quia sibi de••sse arbitratur, quicquid ab aliis posside∣tur toto mundo eget, cujus non capit mundus cupiditatem.]