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CHAP. IX.

Concerning just dealing in Traffick, Trading, and Commerce.

Bferve a strict integrity, and uprightne in all occasions of intercourse, matters of traf fick, commerce, and bargaining; making Confcience to be true in thy words, faithful in thy promifes, punctual in thy performances, and in all things, dealing justly and uprightly; doing to others (according to our Saviours Golden rule, Luke 6.31.) As thou wouldst that others should do to thee, Mat.7.12. Whatsoever ye would (with a rectified judgment, and an honeft heart) that men fhould do to you, even fo do ye to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. In all contracts, and acts of commerce with others, 'tis good to put our felves in their ftead; and to make frequent appeals to our own Confciences, and to ask our felves, Would I be thus dealt with? Would I be content to have this measure measured to my felf? Should I (if it were my own cafe) think this fair dealing, if used towards my felf? Paul faies Gal. 5.14. All the Law is fulfilled in one word ( chac is, all that part of the Law which concerns our duty towards man) Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf. This expreffion prefcribes the manner

of our love, not the meafare of it; a parity or likeneffe for kind, not for degree or proportion.

That therefore the black art of defrauding may be abhorr'd, and all deceit in traffick and commerce avoided; I fhall give fome Directions both to buyers and fellers, which (if carefully obferved) will exceedingly tend to their comfort and advantage: For light and honeft gains maké a heavy purse, whilst great and dishonest make a heavy heart.

Directions to buyers.

1. Let not the buyer debafe or dispraise a good commodity that he is about to buy, to bring down the price, and to get it for leffe than he knows it to be worth, Prev.20.14. It is naught, it is naught, faith the buyer, but when he is gone his way, then he boafteth.

2. Let not the buyer peremptorily fay he will give no more for a commodity, than he offers, and yet intend to give more, rather than go go with out it. 'Tis too frequent with buyers to say they will not give a farthing more, and with fellers, to fay, they will not take a farthing less, and yet ufu al with both to go from their words.

3. Give good and currant money for what you buy, Gen.23.16. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the filver which he had named in the audience of the Sons of Heth, four hundred Shekels of filver, car

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rant money with the Merchant. To put away braffe or falfe money, (when you know it to be falfe, though perhaps you took it for good, except you return it to the perfon of whom you received it) is a branch of deceit. 'Tis better to fuffer wrong, than to do wrong.

4. Do not work upon the weaknesse or neceffity of the feller, and fo give him leffe than in your Confcience you apprehend the thing to be justly worth between man and man. Soine will not buy, except they may have that they are dealing for, at their own price, though the feller cannot so afford it. We thould be willing to give to the worth of the thing we buy,according to common eftimation. If the buyer give a price (knowingly) far inferiour to the true value, he is an over-reacher: Ifhe work upon the neceffities of the poor, who must fell to buy bread, he is an oppressour.

5. In your buying a commodity, do not take any advantage of any oversight, or mistake in the feller, Gen. 43.12. And the money that was brought again in the mouth of your facks, carry it again in your hand, peradventure it was an overfight.

6. Buy not any thing on the Lords day, except upon abfolute neceffity. Let God have the time confecrated to his Worship. Let there be no bargaining nor dealing on that day.

7. Buy not any ftollen goods (if you knew them to be ftollen) though the price be never f

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Directions to Sellers.

I. Do not multiply words in felling, Prov.10. 19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not fin. Zach. 11. 12. If ye think good, give me my price, if not forbear.

II. Do not highly commend and over-praise a commodity you know to be faulty; nor fell that for good, which you know is not fo. Do not lie, nor equivocate. How many are there, that in this cafe, to deceit, add lying; and (too often) bind all thefe fins together with an oath, fwearing their commodities are good, when they know they are not? And then what an heap of fin is here gathered together? abundantly enough to fink any poor foul into Hell: And all this, to skrew a little more money out of their neighbours pockets; and that fomtimes fo very little, that it is an amazing wonder, how any man that thinks he has a foul, can fet it at lo miferable and contemptible a price.

III. Do not difgnife and hide the faults of the commodities you fell, by using fome art to them, to make them look fairer and better than indeed they are. This is acting a He though it be not peaking one) which has furely as much of the intention of cheating and defrauding as the most impudent lying can have. Hereby thou makeft thy neighbour pay for fomewhat which is Сс

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IV. Do not fell commodities by falfe withi measures, Amos 8.5. When will the new be gene, that we may fell corn? and the S that we may set forth wheat, making the E fmall, and the Shekel great, and falfifys ballances by deceit ? Prov.20.10. Divers and divers meafures, both of them are alike s nation to the Lord, Dent.25.14,15. Th not have in thine houfe divers meafarts, and afmall. But thou shalt have a perfe weight, a perfect and just measure shalt that thy daies may be lengthened in the the Lord thy God giveth thee, Micah 6/ there yet the treasures of wickednelle is of the wicked, and the fcant meafare, the minable?

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V. In felling, do not work upon the or unskilfulness of the buyer: If you d to be unskilful, ufe him rather the betto, the worse. Zeph 1.9. In the fame day as punish thofe that leap on the threshold, and Mafters houfes with violence and deceit. 4.6. That no man go beyond, and defraud ther in any matter; because that the Lords venger of all fuch, as we also have fortsey you, and teftified. Neither take advanta his prefent urgent neceffity: Do not make

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