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IT is the greatest misery that attends a suffe∣ring condition, that it tempts men to seek a deliverance by sin. Agur gives this reason why he deprecated poverty, Prov. 30.9. Lest (saith he) I be poor and steal, and take the name of the Lord in vain. Even Theft its self is a taking of Gods name in vain, as being a practical deny∣ing of Gods alsufficience to provide for us, with∣out
the interposition of our sin, and there∣unto are men tempted by extream poverty. It were easie to recount many indirect courses which are taken by men and women, utterly to defend themselves against want. Some be∣take themselves to unlawful trades, no less than prostituting their own bodies, or the bodies of others, therewith to provide for their backs and bellies; some have other trades as bad as that (if so bad can be;) others use lawful cal∣lings unlawfully, vending bad commodities, taking unconscionable rates, pinching those poor people that work to them. Some go the way of open violence, (as by robbery, extor∣tion, oppression,) others the no less dishonest way, of secret fraud and cousenage. Some are tempted to break, not because they cannot pay their debts and live: but because they can∣not live so as they were wont to do if they should pay their debts, and therefore they will rather defraud their Creditors, than their Genius. Some, if God take away from them but some part of what he hath given them, resolve to lend him nothing (in that sense as they who give to the poor, are said to lend to the Lord) not but that they are more able than some others who are careful to maintain good works, and to be very charitable: but because they are not so able as they have been; as who should say, if God impair his wonted bounty towards them, (though much of his bounty be still extended towards them, howbeit not so much as former∣ly) they will put an imbargo upon all their cha∣rity, nothing shall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 out to the poor, if there come not into them so much as formerly. It
sounds like taking some kind of revenge upon God himself.
I wish the words of David, Psal. 10.9. were not applicable to many, where speaking of a wicked man, he saith, He lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net. Are there not many that work upon the necessities of poor men, and grinde their faces when they have them at an advan∣tage? These are some of the ill methods and ar∣tifices whereby too many attempt to make up their losses. But better it were to be alwaies poor, than to grow rich by such waies as these. Where sin is made use of as the cure of Afflicti∣on the remedy is worse than the disease, and it is as our Proverb speaks, Out of the Frying-pan into the Fire. Deliverance obtained by sin is like Jacob's blessing procured by lying, which was many waies imbittered to him: For none of all the Patriarchs had so many crosses as he. Sin is a worse labyrinth than affliction: worse to stay in, and worse to get out of. So David found it when he would have concealed his shame in the matter of Bathshebah by making Uriah drunk, that would not do his business, neither did he see how he could effect his design without kil∣ling him: and when that was done, he was in a worse case than ever; for then watered he his couch with his tears, then were his bones bro∣ken. So Peter thought to have secured himself, by denying his master: but that denying cost him dearer than it is probable his owning of Christ at that time would have done. All that men truly get by sin, they may put in their eyes (as we say) and not see the worse. What had
become of Job if he had followed the wicked counsel which his wife gave him, whereby to put an end to his troubles? saying, Curse God and die.
Let those that are tempted to repair their losses by indirect means, think but of three Texts. The first is, Prov. 21.6. The getting of creasure by a lying tongue, is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. The next is, Prov. 22.16. He that oppresseth the poor to encrease his riches, shall surely come to want. The last is, Jer. 17.11. As the Partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not: so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his daies, and at his end shall be a fool. But as for those that chuse rather to suffer than to sin, God taketh a particular care of them: witness Daniel, preserved in the Lions den; and the three children in the fiery furnace. They that sin under sufferings, what do they but take in more lading in a storm, whereas the usual and best way is, to cast out part of that lading which they had taken in before.
O Lord, I desire to depend upon this, that thou knowest how to deliver the righteous out of temptations; and that without their unrigh∣teousness. Let not the lot of the wicked so long rest upon the backs of thy servants, as to make them put forth their hands to wickedness. Cause us to believe, that thy blessing only so maketh rich, as to add no sorrow therewith. and let us never forget or misdoubt what thou saidst to thy servant Abraham, I am God all-sufficiernt, walk thou before me and be upright. Doubtless a little which a righteous man hath
is better than great treasures of the wicked. Let me ever be perswaded (as I hope I now am) that innocent poverty is much more elegible than ill gotten prosperity.