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DISCOURSE V.

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PART I.

EPHESIANS iv. 28.

Let him that fole, fteal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his Hands the Thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

HE Words now read to you make up a complete Sense, without depending upon what goes before, or comes after. They contain a Confirmation

and Explication of the eighth Commandment: For what the Apoftle enjoins concerning Labour, and working with our Hands, is no more than the neceffary

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This Confideration will likewise reach the Cafe of wiser Men: You must not despise your weak Brother. Charity obliges you to be civil and courteous to him; and when a Man of Understanding is joined in Society with a weak Man, the Difcourfe muft be according to the meaneft Capacity; and it is fometimes a Piece of Charity to submit to the Converfation of Men of much lefs Ability than yourself.

From all these Confiderations together then it appears, that the Conversation of the World, upon common and trivial Subjects, is not blame-worthy. It is a Diverfion in which we must not spend too much Time; if we offend in this Respect, we shall be anfwerable for the Neglect of weightier Matters; but otherwise, if we tranfgrefs not the Bounds of Innocence and Virtue, we truft in Chrift that our harmless, though weak and unprofitable Words, fhall not rife up in Judgment against us.

DISCOURSE V.

PART I.

EPHESIANS iv. 28.

Let him that ftole, fteal no more ; but rather let him labour, working with his Hands the Thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

HE Words now read to you make up a complete Sense, without depending upon what goes before, or comes after. They contain a Confirmation

and Explication of the eighth Commandment: For what the Apoftle enjoins concerning Labour, and working with our Hands, is no more than the neceffary H 3 Confequence

The

Confequence of the Command, Thou shalt not fteal. For fince all Men are equal Sharers in the Wants and Neceffities of Life, and the Things which should supply these Wants are unequally divided, so that some have more than enough, and fome much less; it follows, that the Neceffities of the one must be supplied from the Abundance of the other. Steal you must not, and give perhaps he will not. only Way then by which you can come at the Things you want, is by Purchase or Exchange; and the only Thing a poor Man has to exchange, is the Work and Labour of his Hands: And therefore it follows as a Confequence of the Law, that fince you muft not fteal, you must work, and purchafe by your Labour and Industry the Things which are neceffary for your Support and Subfiftence. In all that rich Men do, they want the Help and Affistance of the Poor; they cannot minister to themselves either in the Wants, or Conveniencies, or Pleasures of Life: So that the poor Man has as many Ways to maintain himself, as the rich Man has Wants or Defires; for the Wants and Defires of the Rich must be ferved by the Labour of the Poor.

But

then

then the rich Man has often very wicked Defires, and often delights in finful Pleasures; and though to serve the Rich be the poor Man's Maintenance, yet in these Cases the poor Man must not ferve him; and therefore the Apostle adds, that he must labour, working with his Hands the Thing which is good. His Poverty obliges him to serve Man, and therefore he must work with his Hands; and his Reason and Religion oblige him to serve God, and therefore he must work only the Thing which is good.

Labour is the Business and Employment of the Poor, it is the Work which God has given him to do; and therefore a Man cannot be fatisfied in working merely as far as the Wants of Nature oblige him, and spending the rest of his Time idly or wantonly : For if God has enabled him to gain more by his Labour, than his own Wants, and the Conveniencies neceffary to his Station, require, he then becomes a Debtor to fuch Duties, as are incumbent on all to whom God hath dispensed his Gifts liberally. He must confider that he owes a Tribute to his Maker for the Health and Strength hẹ enjoys; that there are others who want Limbs to labour, or Sense and Understanding

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