may have found, or unjustly taken away.-Luke xix. 8; Lev. v. 2, &c.; Deut. xxii. 2, 3; Job xx. 10, 18; Ezek. xviii. 8, and xxxiii. 15; Exod. xxii. 3, 4; Numb. v. 8. 5. By charity and equity, in cheerfully but prudently lending to others for their assistance, even without interest, or hope of payment, if their circumstances require it.-Deut. xxiii. 19, 20; Lev. xxv. 35, &c.; Psal. xv. 5; Matt. v. 42; Luke vi. 35, &c. 6. By charitable donations of that which is truly our own, and with a real desire to help the poor, and to promote the religious service of God.-Luke xi. 41, and xvi. 9; 1 Tim. v. 8; Eph. iv. 28; Eccl. xi. 1; 1 John iii. 17; Gal. vi. 10; Prov. xxxix.; 2 Cor. ix. 7; Matt. vi. 3, 4. What we give must be from an honourable regard to Christ and his poor members, or brethren of mankind. And when donations are thus given, they are most reasonable, as we hold all that we have from God as his stewards,-Luke xvi. 10; 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18; Psal. cxii. 9; Prov. x. 2; they are most honourable, conforming us to the pattern of God in Christ,-Luke vi. 35; 2 Cor. viii. 9; Acts xx. 35; they are most conducive to secure proper necessaries for ourselves and our posterity,Prov. xi. 24, &c., xix. 17, and xxviii. 27; Eccl. xi. 1, 2; Psal. xxxvii. 25, &c.; they are a most remarkable means of preventing trouble, or of securing comfort under it,-Psal. xli. And they who confer them will be most honourably proclaimed by Christ in the last judgment, Matt. xxv. 34, &c.; and they will be abundantly but graciously rewarded in heaven to all eternity.-Matt. v. 7, and vi. 4; Luke xvi. 9. INFERENCES. 4. From this subject we learn,-1. That God prospers means used; such as prayer, prudence and foresight, dependence and diligence. 2. That the world is not our portion. 3. The danger of indifference respecting those in need. That love to the poor is an evidence of a state of life.---1 John iii. 14. 5. The danger of withholding from the poor what it is in our power to bestow upon them.-See Matt. xxv. 42, &c. Sins Forbidden. The Eighth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbour's wealth or outward estate. ANALYSIS AND PROOFS. We are here taught, 1. That we are forbidden to neglect lawful means for procuring wealth for ourselves and families. 1 Tim. v. 8.—“ If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 2. That we are forbidden to do that which may hinder the increase of our wealth and outward estate. Prov. xxiii. 21. "The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." See also Prov. xxi. 17. 3. That we are forbidden to neglect the furtherance of the wealth of others, when it is in our power. Deut. xv. 8.— "Thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth." 4. That we are forbidden to do any thing which may hinder the furtherance of the wealth of others. Zech. viii. 17. -"Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour." See also Eph. iv. 28. EXPLANATION. Obs. 261.-The Eighth Commandment forbiddeth whatever doth or may unjustly hinder our own wealth or outward estate. We may be guilty of this in the following ways:— 1. By idleness.-2 Thess. iii. 10, &c.; 1 Tim. v. 13; and 1 Thess. iv. 11, &c. 2. By carelessness and sloth.-Prov. xiii. 4, vi. 10, 11, xxiii. 21, xxiv. 30, &c., and xxviii. 19. 3. By not depending upon God and acknowledging him in all our worldly business.-Deut. viii. 28; Psal. cvii. 38. 4. By prodigal wasting of that which God bestows upon -Prov. xxi. 17; Luke xv. 13, 30. us. 5. By rash engagements in lawsuits and suretyship.— Matt. v. 40; 1 Cor. vi. 1, &c.; and Prov. vi. 1, &c., and xxii. 26, &c. 6. By foolishly giving to such as have no need, or to sluggards, or to spendthrifts; and by imprudently lending to rash projectors, or to prodigal wasters, or the like.-Psal. cxxv. 5. 7. By distrustful anxiety in procuring and retaining earthly things.-Matt. vi. 31, &c.; Prov. xxviii. 22; Eccl. iv. 8. 8. By sordid churlishness—wanting a heart to enjoy, in a proper manner or degree, that wealth which we have; or to lay out proper expenses on our affairs.-Eccl. vi. 1, &c. 9. By the exercise of unlawful callings; such as gambling, stage-playing, smuggling, &c., &c.; and grasping at excessive gains, by which the curse of God is brought upon what we have. On these things the blessing of God cannot be sought; because they are calculated to deprive the thoughtless of their substance, by laying temptations in their way. And hence such occupations fall under the name of stealing; and we deprive ourselves of our wealth by encouraging them.-Zech. v. 4; Hag. i. 6. Obs. 262.-The Eighth Commandment forbiddeth whatever doth or may unjustly hinder the wealth or outward estate of others. Among the ways by which our neighbour's wealth may be unjustly hindered, the following should be remembered :1. Besides direct theft, we hinder our neighbour's wealth by a covetous inclination to have his property, and by idle3.—Heb. xiii. 5; Col. iii. 5; Josh. vii. 21, &c.; Eph. iv. 28; Matt. xx. 6. ness. 2. By base gain procured by sordid or unlawful means, and by enabling persons to earn their subsistence by unlawful amusements. Hab. ii. 15. 3. By simoniacal merchandize of spiritual gifts, pardons, censures, church livings, or other sacred things; giving or procuring them for money, or through favour, or the like.Job xv. 34. 4. By family frauds, either by husbands, or wives, or children, or servants.--1 Tim. v. 8; Prov. xxviii. 24, and xxxi. 12; Tit. ii. 9, 10. 5. By taking advantage of our neighbour's ignorance or necessity in buying or selling; which is done, (1.) By improper or false commendation of that which we sell, or dispraise of that which we intend to buy.-Prov. xx. 14. (2.) By adulterating goods, or selling one kind and delivering another.-Amos viii. 5, 6. (3.) By using false weights or measures in merchandize.--Amos viii. 5; Mic. vi. 10, 11; Prov. xi. 1; Lev. xix. 35, &c., and xxiv. 14. 6. By bad payment of debts--neither early nor fully enough, nor in current-money.-Psal. xv. 4; Acts v. 1, &c. ; Gen. xxiii. 16. 7. By dishonest partnership-taking as much or more of the gain, when we have less of the stock, or less labour in procuring it.-Matt. vii. 12; 1 Thess. iv. 6. 8. By removing our neighbour's landmarks; injuring his corn, grass, goods, or conveniences; decoying his servants or customers from him; screwing ourselves into his business; or such like.-Heb. xiii. 1; Prov. xxii. 28, and xxiii. 10; Mic. ii. 2, and vii. 2, &c. 9. By dishonesty in trust-particularly to the poor, the fatherless, or widows.--Prov. xxiii. 10, &c.; Luke xvi. 1, &c., and xx. 47. 10. By dishonesty in loans.--Exod. xxii. 14, 25, &c.; Psal. xv. 5; Matt. v. 42. Connected with this, is the contracting of debt in a dishonest manner; which arises either from a want of intention, or a probable appearance of ability, to keep our promise of payment in due time; or when there is no real necessity on our part; or when it is done to the hurt of others--purchasing things which we might well enough want.--Psal. xxxvii. 21; 1 Thess. iv. 6; Isa. lix. 14. 11. By fraudulent bankruptcy.-Luke xv. 13; Jer. ix. 4, &c. 12. By uncharitable or sinful use of our own property: such is the practice of engrossing corn, and the other most necessary commodities, which cannot be wanted,-Prov. xi. 26; the depopulation of villages by the enclosure of commons; or unjust enclosures, Isa. v. 8; and Micah ii. 2. Connected with this sin is that of oppression, or bearing down our neighbour by our superior wealth, or power, or influence, or by vexatious lawsuits, or by retaining pledges, or such like. Mic. iii. 2, 3; Ezek. xxii. 7; Mal. iii. 5; Exod. xxii. 26, &c.; Deut. xxiv. 6; 1 Cor. v. 11, and vi. 10. 13. By partnership with thieves-by tempting and encouraging others to steal,-Psal. xxix. 24; by not checking this abominable practice when we have it in our power, or not punishing it as it deserves; or by resetting stolen goods, or concealing them. This is 14. By unmercifulness to the poor.-Eph. iv. 28. perfidious ingratitude to God,-Matt. xviii. 23, &c.; Luke xvi. 10; it is murder of the poor,-1 John iii. 15; James ii. 16, &c.; and an evidence that we are destitute of the grace of God.-1 John iii. 17. It provokes God to deal unmercifully with us,-James ii. 13, and v. 4; Prov. xxi. 13; imperceptibly wastes our substance,-Prov. xi. 24, &c.; James v. 2, 3; and, if persisted in, it will at last condemn us,-Matt. xxv. 41–46. 15. By a sacrilegious deficiency in that good example, religious instruction, fervent prayer, and other important usefulness, which we owe to our neighbour, for promoting his temporal as well as his eternal good.-Heb. x. 24. 16. By withholding from the support of the Gospel, or not giving in a manner answerable to our income. See Matt. iii. 8; Neh. x. 32, and xiii. 10; Hag. i. 4; 1 Cor. ix. This sin is considered by God as levelled at himself; and it is a very great evidence, that they who are guilty of this have never yet received the Gospel in the love of it-let man say what he will. They who have really experienced the value of the glad tidings of salvation in their own case, will do what they can to send them to others. See our Lord's command to all his disciples respecting this.-Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; Mark xvi. 15, 16. INFERENCES. From this subject we learn,--1. That we ought to use the world, but not abuse it. 2. That we ought to acknowledge God in the procuring of our substance, and in the giving of it away. 3. The evil of the sin of stealing,-it curses, reproaches, brings to an untimely end, and excludes from the kingdom of heaven, if unrepented of.-Zech. v. 3, 4; Job xxx. 5; 1 Cor. v. 10. 4. The necessity of contentment with our lot. 5. That we ought to beware of a covetous spirit, and of idleness. 6. That the sins forbidden in this commandment cannot be concealed from an omniscient God. 7. That we ought to be strictly just in all things.--Matt. vii. 12. 8. That there is no religion where injustice dwells. 9. The necessity of watchfulness. The Ninth Commandment. The Ninth Commandment is, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exod. xx. 16; Deut. v. 20. |