and requires simplicity in Bargaining and faithfulness in performing Covenants The former respects chiefly the Dignity of Persons this latter the Equality of Things The common Instruments of this sort of Justice are Weights and Measures the use of which was introduced by natural Reason and Necessity Commerce and Traffick became necessary as soon as Mankind became multiply'd and divided into Colonies For God in his wise and good Providence has so ordered that there is no condition of Life wherein one does not stand in need of another whether we respect private Families Communities or Kingdoms And this for the preservation of Society and to promote and spread abroad Love and Friendship over the Face of the Earth Now it is not easie to imagine how this necessary Commerce could be effected without these Instruments of Justice Weights and Measures Neither is it material to enquire when and by whom they were invented seeing we are sure they are as old as Traffick in the World And indeed Authors disagree much in this point as Polydore Virgil has observed from whose account we can only gather thus much that some Nations invented them before others Diogenes Laortius affirms Lib. 9. Antiq. That Pythagoras first invented them for the Grecians and Josephus tells us that it is credible That Cain the Son of Adam first establish'd the use of them but there are no Footsteps of this in Scripture There seems to me to be more ground for a Conjecture That Tubal Cain the Son of Lamech contrived these and the like Instruments seeing he is recorded for an Instructor of every Artificer in Brass and Iron Gen. 4.22 Him Vossius takes to be the same with Vulcan But as to that particular Instrument The Balance The first Invention of it is by the Heathens attributed to Astrea who is therefore deified for the Goddess of Justice and her Balance is advanced among the Celestial Signs to denote the extreme Value of this Invention and the sacred Regard they had to the use of it But now if the Balance and Weights be of humane Invention how will this Proverb of Solomon's be accounted for which plainly ascribes 'em to Divine Institution A just Weight and Balance are the Lord's By which we are not only to understand that the Lord approves of 'em and requires 'em in all our Dealings of Traffique with one another But that he claims this Ordinance of Justice as his own Institution intimating that his over-ruling Hand was imployed in the Workmanship of all and every of these Instruments All the Weights of the Bag are his Work This seeming difference is easily made up For as Dr. Taylor observes Tho' this part of Justice depends upon the Laws of Man directly and takes its Estimate and Measures from civil Sanctions and private Agreements yet it is built upon the Laws of God by plain Consequence and undeniable Inference as I shall undertake to prove from three Topicks First From the Law of Nature Secondly From the Revealed Laws of God Thirdly From the Established Laws of his Vicegerent established in this Kingdom First If we examin the Law of Nature we shall soon find that all the Instruments of just Dealing are ultimately resolved into God's Workmanship For who taught the first Inventers of them this useful Art Who imparted to them this Skill in Geometry Who guided the Workman's Hammer Who gave Men that Natural Sagacity to find out the critical Rules of Proportion Who but the God of Nature Who but that Omniscient Workman who writ his first Law the Law of Nature in the Hearts and Minds of all his Servants This Natural Principle furnish'd Men with common Rules of Justice as is evident from the Moral Precepts and Practice of the Heathens Commerce says Tully in his excellent Book of Offices consists in buying and selling hiring and letting and exchanging Commodities but there can be none of this Dealing says he without Justice Offic. Lib. 2. And therefore in another place he condemns it as a pernicious Error That they had a cunning artificial sort of People in great admiration misstaking Craft for Wisdom And that the like fraudulent Abuses of this Divine Institution were practised in former Ages we learn from the Testimony which Aristotle gives of the Merchants in his time For the remedying of which Abuses the Ancients did appoint divers Officers call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wilkins who were to overlook the common Measures of Justice So sacred a Regard had those Moralists for this piece of Natural Religion that they worship'd Justice for a Goddess complaining that she had left the Earth and was retired in Heaven from whence she came leaving only her Scales as I hinted before within our sight in the Zodiac as a sign that our Dealings with Men should be equally divided as the Globe is with the Equinoctial Line Lucan adjustae pondera Librae Thus Nature it self directs us to Heaven for the Author of the Balance as Virgil sings Jupiter ipse duas aequato examine Lances Sustinet Intimating that the Righteous God weighs all the Actions of Mortals as in the Scales of Justice whence the Poets stile him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the High and Heavenly Holder of the Balance Such Honour and Reverence do the Disciples of Nature pay to the Balance as the noblest of all Mechanical Instruments and worthy of a Divine Author But Secondly A just Weight and Balance are the Lord's by the Laws of Reveal'd as well as Natural Religion The Divine Institution of this Ordinance of Justice is frequently repeated in the Old Testament and confirm'd by general Rules of Righteousness laid down in the New First Hear the Voice of the Lord in the Law given by Moses Ye shall do no Vnrighteousness in Judgment Lev. 19.35 in Meteyard in Weight or in Measure Just Balances just Weights a just Ephah and a just Hin shall ye have I am the Lord your God Observe that solemn Confirmation IAM THE LORD He stamps the Mark of his Royal Authority upon them Again This Law is enforced by a promised Blessing and the contrary Practice prohibited under pain of an heavy Curse Deut. 25.13 Thou shalt not have in thy Bag divers Weights or as it is in the Original a Stone and a Stone a great and a small i.e. the greater to Buy with and the lesser for Selling or the one for public Shew and the other for private Vse Likewise Thou shalt not have in thy House divers Measures a great and a small but thou shalt have a perfect and a just Weight a perfect and a just Measure shalt thou have that thy Days may be lengthened in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee For all that do such things that is do falsify Weights and Measures are an abomination unto the Lord thy God i. e. highly abominable as the Abstract signifies Accordingly we find God expressing a more than ordinary Displeasure against his own People for this fradulent
Dealing Amos 8.4 Hear this O ye that swallow up the Needy even to make the Poor of the Land to fail Saying When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat making the Ephah small and the Shekel great and falsifying the Balances by Deceit The Lord hath sworn by the Excellency of Jacob surely I will not forget any of these Works Upon so much Reason and Divine Authority does this Observation stand Ezek. 45.9 10. Prov. 11 1â— 20.10 A just Weight and Balance are the Lord 's God seems to have consecrated them by these and several other Divine Sentences that we meet with in the Old Testament thereby to raise in us a Reverence in the Use of them And in the New the Law of the Lord of Righteousness is as full tho' not so particular in this Point There the Golden Rule is establisht To do to all Men as we would have done to us i. e. So to deal with every Man as if we had exchanged Persons with him and he were in our place and we in his Again Our Lord in reckoning up the Duties of Justice besides the Commandment Do not Steal he adds Defraud not thereby expressly forbidding this secret Theft of abusing our Brother in buying selling c. And the like Instructions we have from his Apostles to converse in the World with Simplicity and godly Sincerity 1 Thes 4.6 not to lie one to another not to go beyond or defraud our Brother in any matter because the Lord is the Avenger of all such An Argument charged with Thunder and Almighty Indignation And so I proceed to the Third Topick From which we prove God's Title to these Instruments of Justice And that is from the Laws of his Vice-gerent The Statutes of this Realm We have many excellent Statutes and Ordinances about the Weights and Measures used in this Realm which shew what abundance of Care our Ancestors have taken to prevent all Cheating and Deceit herein And for greater security in this matter it has been judged absolutely necessary to intrust our Kings with the care and charge of them and accordingly the Royal Standards which must regulate all others are kept in the Exchequer as the Roman Standards were in the Capitol by a special Officer of his Majesty's Houshold Now tho' these be Human Laws and Provisions yet they are made for the better Execution of Divine Laws and consequently do confirm God's Title and aggravate every Transgression It must be an high Aggravation to dissemble both with God and Man and that perhaps in a matter of very small moment so that a Peniworth of unjust Gain shall often cast the Scale against the weighty Considerations of Duty both to God and the King We should reverently consider the double Mark and Impression viz. of Divinity and Majesty that is stampt upon these Instruments of Justice and that awful Consideration would make us render to Caesar the thing that are Caesar 's and to God the things that are God's and raise a just Hatred in our Minds against all unclean Hands But the highest Aggravation is to cheat a poor credulous Neighbour under this shew of Justice To deceive with the Balances of Equity is like Lying and Swearing falsely upon the Gospels of Truth Weights Balances and Measures whether of Application or Reception being authorized by the Royal Signature become the Peoples Security for Honesty of Commerce they are appointed as it were Judges to give every Man his Due He therefore that imposes upon his Neighbour by Slight of Hand false Weights or the like does in this sence corrupt the King's Judges and makes Justice itself a Cloak for his Knavery He holds a Lye in his Right-hand nay he lies not to Man but to God He violates that just Ordinance which God has consecrated he secretly wounds his Prince's Authority and undermines his Government by dissolving those secret Tyes of Justice which like Nerves and other sinewy Ligaments bind the Members of the Body Politic together This Observation agrees with the Context and with the Royal Concern which Solomon here expresses for Just Dealing among his People He often repeats his Charge against False Weights to shew his Detestation of such Practices and in the Verse following my Text declares That the committing this Wickedness is an Abomination to Kings because their Throne is established in Righteousness Thus we have the Royal Honour and Interest and the Public Faith beside Divine Commands all engaged for the Security of Trade and to keep Men from doing and receiving Injuries And if this be not sufficient we may further consider the Sacred Regard that the Jews had for the Preservation of Commutative Justice from all Abuse and Falsification in this kind insomuch that the Publick Standards and Originals by which all other Measures were to be tryed and allowed were with much Religion preserv'd in the Sanctuary the care of them being committed to the Priests and Levites whose Office it was among other things to inspect all manner of Measures and Size Hence that frequent Expression According to the Shekel of the Sanctuary which as the learned Bishop Wilkins observes doth not refer to any Weight distinct from and more than the Vulgar as some fondly conceive but only obliges Men in their Dealing and Traffique to make use of such Measures as were agreeable to the Public Standards that were kept in the Sanctuary The Sum of all is As God hath declared himself the Author of Weights and Measures That he is pleased in the due Use of them and that the contrary Practice is an Abomination to him So in all our Dealings with Men we are to set him before us as the Rewarder or Avenger of our Deeds and accordingly all good Kings and States have enacted or executed Laws for this equal Administration of Private as well as Public Justice knowing that those corrupt Practices which are abominable to God will soon if not remedied be destructive to Government Lastly There is an Emphasis in the last words of the Text which affords another worthy Consideration All the Weights or Stones in the Bag are his Work ALL the Weights except there be False Ones which are the Workmanship and Invention of the Devil and accursed of God But all the Just Weights the least as well as the greatest are here noted to be the Lord's and that to signifie to us that we must be scrupulously Just and do no Unrighteousness no not even the smallest Matters Every little Fraud is a Sin and every Sin must be hated and universal Righteousness prove our Sincerity The Tempter oft gets Advantage by whispering to Men that the Sin is small and such as God's Servants themselves frequently commit This is one of the subtillest Insinuations of the Devil a Net in which he catcheth innumerable Souls for the Sin is not small in respect to the Guilt which is great enough to ruin the Soul every Act of
Christianity nor Humanity in all this Therefore let me seriously Exhort all that hear me this day and I wish that my Exhortation might reach not only the Ears but the Hearts of all the People of this Land That they would make it as it really is Matter of Conscience to be exact strict and scrupulous in all Points of Justice and that To all Persons In all Things and At all Times First To all Persons To the Simple as well as the Skilful to the Poor as to the Rich without any Partiality or Respect to Persons only respect the Weakness and Necessities of your poor Brethren and make some Charitable Allowances accordingly Justice is required in all Cases but a kind Partiality may be indulged in this However beware of being Vnjust where you should be Charitable impose not on the Weak Man's Ignorance nor take Advantage of the Poor Man's Necessity make not the One Buy his Folly nor the Other Pay dear for his Poverty and Want This adds Inhumanity to Injustice Oppression to Misery If God has given you more Skill and Understanding than your Neighbour Justice requires that you help him with it and use him not only Justly but Ingeniously as one that reposeth a Trust in you and casteth himself upon your Honesty Again If a poor Man be driven by Necessity to Sell his Wares Justice requires that you give him the same Price that you would do supposing that he stood in no more need of your Mony than you do of his Commodity Beware of the hainous Crime conmdemned by the Prophet of Buying the Poor for Silver Amos. 8.6 and the Needy for a pair of Shooes And on the other hand let not the Poor think themselves priviledged by their Necessities to Over-reach and Defraud their Rich Neighbours but rather by their Diligence and Patience by their Modesty and Integrity recommend their Condition to the Mercy of God and the Charity of all good Men. The Richest Man hath a Right to conscionable Dealing as well as the Poorest Beggar only with this Difference That to the Poor extremity of Justice is unmerciful which to the the Rich Person may perhaps be innocent because it is within the Latitude of Justice and he stands not in need of Mercy In a word In the compass of Lawful Gain which is allowed to Tradesmen use Favour towards the Necessitous Ingenuity towards the Ignorant and Moderation at least just Dealing towards all Men. Secondly Be strictly Just as becomes honest Men and conscientious Christians in all Things as well as to all Persons substract not the least from just Measure detain not the least Grain of Weight for the least as well as the greatest are the Lord 's For this Reason Weights are made of Stones and other hard Mettals that by Vse they may not easily be diminish'd Many have sinned for a small matter says the Son of Sirach For a piece of Bread A poor Reward some Men will Transgress 'T is a lamentable thing to observe how some Persons will dissemble conceal equivocate deny nay lie and swear too and all to skrew a little unjust Gain from their Neighbour and that sometimes so very little ' That as the Excellent Author of the Whole Duty of Man observes 't is a Miracle that any Man who thinks he hath a Soul can set it at so miserable and contemptible a Price But I have observed to you before both what Temptation and Danger there is in these Little Sins and shall now only add this short Advice as a Preservative from Danger In all Intercourse with others do not do all which you may lawfully do reserve some little in your own Power keep not only within the Limits of lawful Gain but at some Distance from Temptation If you go to the utmost Verge of what is Lawful you will be in danger to tread upon the Skirts of Injustice Consider not therefore how far the Laws of Equity allow you to go but how far you may go with safety Consider that there is no Medium betwixt the utmost Extent of Justice and the Confines of Sin and that there is a dangerous Precipice joyns upon the Borders of Christian Liberty Watch therefore and Pray likewise that ye enter not into Temptation Abhor that which is evil cleave to that which is good Thirdly and Lastly Maintain your Integrity and just Dealing in all Times in a difficult and unsetled as well as a steady course of all Things Do not make your Fortune in Calamitous Times nor Delight to fish in troubled Waters When the Nation labours under any unhappy Grievance and the Body Politic through Wars or other evil Accidents is sick and sore wounded be not like Ill Humours in Natural Bodies which run all to the part affected and cause greater Inflammations do not make private Advantage of public Miseries but let every Man in his Station apply his healing Hand by mixing Mercy with Justice in all his Dealings That I may the better be understood in this point Let it be considered that as the Iniquities of Clippers has brought this Kingdom into a difficult and confused State as to the Coin so I need not tell you those Difficulties lye heaviest upon poor Tradesmen and Labourers and I scruple not to say That they who allow the Poor less than their Coin is worth which is brought to the Balance are themselves guilty of Clipping in foro Conscientiae In the Court of Equity and of Conscience and before the Righteous God because in Effect they diminish the just Value of it only here is the Difference That Clipping is properly a Robbery of the Public This of private People That is done without any design of Injury to any private Person and so pretended though without Reason to be no Sin but the Sin of false Weights and unjust Balances was never disputed How can we dispute the Sinfulness of That of which God has expresly declared his Detestation again and again It is often condemned in this Book by a terrible Word and called an ABOMINATION i. e. such an Evil as God Detests with a singular Indignation for Idols are called by the same cursed Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abominable Things On the contrary a just Weight is said to be his delight and he has promised an acceptable Blessing even Length of days to the observers of it Deut. 25.15 A perfect and just Weight shalt thou have that thy Days may be lengthned in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee I will conclude with a few Scriptures which shew how this Duty is hedged about with Rewards and Punishments And First Hear this O ye that Swallow up the Needy falsifying the Balances by Deceit Amos 8.4 Shall not the Land tremble for this and every One mourn that dwelleth therein And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord observe this Terrible Threatning That I will cause the Sun to go down at Noon and I will darken the Earth in the clear Day I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and your Songs into Lamentation I will bring up Sackcloth upon your Loyns and Baldness upon every Head and I will make it as the Mourning of an Only Son and the End thereof as a bitter Day And which is most Dismal of all I will send says the Lord a Famine into that Land not a Famine of Bread nor a Thirst for Water but of Hearing the Word of the Lord. And to shew that an Estate got by these Injurious Means shall not last long nor afford much Enjoyment hear again what the Prophet Micah declares Meca 6. Chap. 6. Are there yet Treasures of Wickedness in the House of the Wicked and the scant Measure that is abominable Shall I count them pure with the wicked Balances c. Thy Rich Men are full of Violence Therefore will I make thee sick in smiting thee Thou shalt eat but not be satisfied Thou shalt sow but not reap c. But on the contrary The wealth of the Sinner is laid up for the just says Solomon and he that hath clean hands Prov. 13.22 c. shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord where the Righteous live for evermore Their Reward also is with the Lord Psal 24. and the care of them with the Most High To which Divine Care and Protection I commend your Souls and Bodies that they may be preserved blameless till the coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST And now Lord we beseech thee to grant thy People Grace to withstand the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and with pure Hearts Hands and Minds to follow thee the only GOD through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS