Thou shalt not, faith Solomon, remove the ancient bounds Prov. xxii. which thy fathers have laid. And, left we fhould efteem it to be but a light offence fo to do, we fhall understand, that it is reckoned among the curfes of God pronounced Deut. xxvii. upon finners. Accurfed be he, faith Almighty God by Mofes, who removeth his neighbour's doles and marks, and all the people fhall fay, anfwering Amen thereto, as ratifying that curfe upon whom it doth light. They do much provoke the wrath of God upon themselves, which ufe to grind up the doles and marks, which of ancient time were laid for the divifion of meers and balks in the fields, to bring the owners to their right. They do wickedly, which do turn up the ancient terries of the fields, that old men beforetime with great pains did tread out, whereby the Lord's records (which be the tenants' evidences) be perverted and tranflated fometimes to the difheriting of the right owner, to the oppreffion of the poor fatherlefs, or the poor widow. These covetous men know not what inconveniences they be the authors of. Sometime by fuch craft and deceit be committed great diforders and riots in the challenge of their lands, yea, fometimes murders and bloodshed, whereof thou art guilty, whofoever thou be that giveft the occafion thereof. This covetous practifing therefore with thy neighbour's lands and goods is hateful to Almighty God. Let no man fubtilly compass or defraud his neighbour, bid- 1 Theff. iv. deth St. Paul, in any manner of caufe. For God, faith he, is a revenger of all fuch. God is the God of all equity and righteoufnefs, and therefore forbiddeth all fuch deceits and fubtilty in his law, by these words: Ye shall Deut. ix. not deal unjustly in judgment, in line, in weight, or measure. Ye ball bave just balances, true weights, and true meafures. Falje balances, faith Solomon, are an abomination Prov. xx, unto the Lord. Remember what St. Paul faith, God is the revenger of all wrong and injuftice, as we fee by daily experience, however it thriveth ungracioufly which is gotten by falfehood and craft. We be taught by experience, how Almighty God never fuffereth the third heir to enjoy his father's wrong poffeffions, yea, many a time they are taken from himfelf in his own life-time. God is not bound to defend fuch poffeffions as are gotten by the Devil and his counfel. God will defend all fuch men's goods and poffeffions, which by him are obtained and poffeffed, and will defend them againft the violent oppreffor. So witneffeth Solomon, The Lord will deftroy the boufe of the Prov. xxv. proud man: but he will stablish the borders of the widow.

Ee 3

No

Pf. xxxvi. No doubt of it, faith David, better is a little truly gotten to the righteous man, than the innumerable riches of the wrong ful man. Let us flee therefore, good people, all wrong practices in getting, maintaining, and defending our poffeffions, lands, and livelihoods, our bounds and liberties, remembering that fuch poffeffions be all under God's revengeance. But what do we fpeak of houfe and land? Nay, it is faid in the Scripture, that God in his ire doth root up whole kingdoms for wrongs and oppreffions, and doth tranflate kingdoms from one nation to another, for unrighteous dealing, for wrongs and riches gotten by deDaniel iv. ceit. This is the practice of the holy One, faith Daniel, to the intent that living men may know, that the Most High hath power over the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomfoever he will. Furthermore, what is the caufe of penury and fcarcenefs, of dearth and famine? Is it any other thing but a token of God's ire, revenging our wrongs and injuries done one to another? Ye bave Hagg. i. fown much, (upbraideth God by his Prophet Haggai) and yet bring in little; ye eat, but ye be not jatisfied; ye drink, but ye be not filled; ye clothe yourselves, but ye be not warm; and be that earneth his wages, putteth it into a bottomlefs purfe: ye looked for much increafe, but lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it bome, (into your barns) I did blow it away, faith the Lord. O confider therefore the ire of God against gleaners, gatherers, and incroachers upon other men's lands and poffeffions! It is lamentable to fee in fome places, how greedy men ufe to plough and grate upon their neighbour's land that lieth next them: how covetous men now-a-days plough up fo nigh the common balks and walks, which good men beforetime made the greater and broader, partly for the commodious walk of his neighbour, partly for the better fhack in harveft-time, to the more comfort of his poor neighbour's cattle. It is a flame to behold the infatiableness of fome covetous perfons in their doings: that where their anceftors left of their land a broad and fufficient bier-balk, to carry the corpfe to the Chriftian fepulture, how men pinch at fuch bier-balks, which by long ufe and cuftom ought to be inviolably kept for that purpose: and now they either quite ear them up, and turn the dead body to be borne farther about in the high-ftreets; or elfe, if they leave any fuch meer, it is too ftrait for two to walk on.

Thefe ftrange encroachments, good neighbours, should be looked upon. Thefe fhould be confidered in thefe days of our perambulations; and afterward the parties admonished,

admonished, and charitably reformed, who be the doers of fuch private gaining, to the flander of the township, and the hindrance of the poor. Your highways fhould be confidered in your walks, to understand where to beftow your days works, according to the good ftatutes provided for the fame. It is a good deed of mercy, to amend the dangerous and noifome ways, whereby thy poor neighbour, fitting on his filly weak beaft, founder not in the deep thereof, and fo the market the worfe ferved, for difcouraging of the poor victuallers to refort thither for the fame caufe. If now therefore ye will have your prayers heard before Almighty God, for the increase of your corn and cattle, and for the defence thereof from unfeasonable mifts and blafts, from hail and other fuch tempefts, love equity and righteoufnefs, enfue mercy Levit. xxiv. and charity, which God moft requireth at our hands. Deut. xxix. Which Almighty God refpecteth chiefly in making his civil laws for his people the Ifraelites, in charging the owners not to gather up their corn too nigh at harveft feafon, nor the grapes and olives in gathering time, but to leave behind fome ears of corn for the poor gleaners. By this he meant to induce them to pity the poor, to re- 1 Cor.ix.10. lieve the needy, to fhew mercy and kindnefs. It cannot be loft, which for his fake is diftributed to the poor. For he which miniftereth feed to the fower, and bread to the hungry, which fendeth down the early and the latter rain. upon your fields, fo to fill up the barns with corn, and the Joel viii. wine-preffes with wine and oil; he, I fay, who recompenfeth all kind of benefits in the refurrection of the just, he will affuredly recompenfe all merciful deeds fhewed to the needy, howfoever unable the poor is upon whom it is beftowed. O, faith Solomon, let not mercy and truth for- Prov. iii. fake thee. Bind them about thy neck, faith he, and write them on the table of thy heart; fo fhalt thou find favour at God's band.

Thus honour thou the Lord with thy riches, and with the firft-fruits of thine increase; fo fhall thy barns be filled with abundance, and thy preffes fhall burft with new wine: nay, God hath promifed to open the windows of heaven upon the liberal righteous man, that he fhall want nothing. He will reprefs the devouring caterpillar, which would devour your fruits. He will give you peace and quiet to gather in your provifion, that ye may fit every man under his own vine quietly, without fear of the foreign enemies to invade you. He will give you not only food to feed on, but ftomachs and good appetites

to take comfort of your fruits, whereby in all things ye may have fufficiency. Finally, he will blefs you with all manner of abundance in this tranfitory life, and endue you with all manner of benediction in the next world, in the kingdom of heaven, through the merits of our Lord and Saviour to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoft be all honour everlasting. Amen.

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The State of Matrimony.

HE word of Almighty God doth teftify and declare whence the original beginning of matrimony cometh, and why it is ordained. It is inftituted of God, to the intent that man and woman fhould live lawfully in a perpetual friendship, to bring forth fruit, and to avoid fornication. By which mean a good confcience might be preserved on both parties, in bridling the corrupt inclinations of the flesh within the limits of honefty; for God hath ftraitly forbidden all whoredom and uncleanness, and hath from time to time taken grievous punishment of this inordinate luft, as all ftories and ages have declared. Furthermore, it is alfo ordained, that the church of God and his kingdom might by this kind of life be conferved and enlarged, not only in that God giveth children by his bleffing, but alfo in that they be brought up by the parents godly, in the knowledge of God's word, that thus the knowledge of God and true religion might be delivered by fucceffion from one to another, that finally many might enjoy that everlafting immortality. Wherefore, forafmuch as matrimony ferveth us as well to avoid fin and offence, as to increase the kingdom of God; you, as all other which enter the ftate, muft acknowledge this benefit of God, with pure and thankful minds, for that he hath fo ruled your hearts, that ye follow not the example of the wicked world, who fet their delight in filthiness of fin, but both of you ftand in the fear of God, and abhor all filthinefs. For that is furely the fingular gift of God, where the common example of the world declareth how the Devil hath their hearts bound and entangled in divers fnares, fo that they in their wifeless state run into open abominations, without any grudge of their confcience. Which fort of men that live fo defpe

rately