Eighth Commandment. Gentlemen, I rh ink I f'hould do them no great Injur~ ; fuch 1 m.ean who are nei.t~er ft:n~ i ceable to God., nor thei r Counuy, who have noth1ng of true Worth and G.!nt!lHy in them, but an:: a Company of leud and defp:::rare R?yfiers, the .mo[t u~profira ble Mfmbers in the Commonwealth, and good for n?rhmg bur '? kill. and ddl:roy one another in their diUnken Quarrels. I know there IS no neceffuy for Manual Employmen t and Labour to rhofe whom God bath liberally endowed with hi s Embly Bleflings . but yet they may have a Calling, and with in their own Sphere may find Employm~nr enough to take up their Time and Thoughts; and fuch as may make them the mofl Beneficial Men on Earth, and truly honoured and lo\•ed by others: For by their .Authority, their Example, the Amplenefs of their Dernefi1es ~nd Re_- venues and the Dependence that orhers have upon them, they may be as mft ucnnal t9 Promote Goodnefs and Venue, as too commonly they _are to promote Vice and Villany . and to fuch. truly generous Spirits, who intend to be fo employed let me commedd' the careful Pcrufal of an Excellent TreatiH~ direEl:ed unro them, Emitulcd, The Gentleman's Gdling. But yet withal, if they fhould condefcend to fome flaw ted Vocation, and Courfe of Life, ir would be no DiijJaragemenr to theirGenrility; for cenainly AdtmJ was as much a Gentleman, and had as large Demefhes, as any of them, and yet God thought fir to place him in Eden , that he might drefs and keep the Garden. But as fome have no Employment; fo, . Secondly, Others have an unlawful Employment: Sucb whofe only Work it is to inftrua Vice, and excite Men to it. And how ma ny fuch are there wbo live by the provoking and encouraging the Wickcdnefs of others; and continually make ufe of all the Allurements that might entice unto Evil, and recommend Debauchery firft to the Fancy, and then tQ the Will and Affeaions. Thirdly, Others have indeed an hone!! and a lawful Calling, but they are negligent and fiathful in it. Now Sloth rendeth to Poverty, Prov. 6. ro, 21. Yet a !ittl~ Sleep, a liule Slumber, a little fo~ding of the Hands to Sleep, Jo jha/1 t hy Poverty com~ tiS one tbat travclletb i drawmg nearer and nea1er tO thee by foft and filent De.. grees ; and thy want as an armed Man, who, though his Pace be flow, by reafon ofrheweight of his Armour, yet his A1Taultsaremoreirrefifl:ible and defi:ru£l:ive. And Poverty tempts to Thefi:, Prov. ;o. 9· Lefll am Poor, and Steal. And therefore this Command wh ich fOrbids Theft, mutt by confequence enjoin Labour and lndufrry in thofe Lawfu l Calliogs wherein the Divine Providence bath fer us; according to that of the ApoHle, Epb. 4· 28. Ln him that fto!c flea/ no more; but ratbcr!et him labour working with his Hands t he T hing that is good, that be 11Jt1)' have to give to him tha; needcth; and fo by his lndufiry of a Thief become a Benefatlor and Almfgiv<r. Secondly, l t requ ires us to be contented with that Portion ofea rthly ComfOrts which our Heaven ly Father allots unto us. Hebw r 3• ').Be content wilb tboJe Things ;e bave. And certainly he that is not conren t wi th what God allows him, lyes under a gr i.e- . vous Temptation, by frauclulent and unjuft Courfes to carve out his own Condition* DJfcon~ to himfe~f, an_d _to invade the R!ghts and Properri7s of others: ¥- Let us therefore C~~:~~rch~.:ck thts repmmg Temper beumes, and not thmk that we hzve too little, and cefsare others too much; but whatfoever God affordeth us let us account it fufficient Pro- the Roor vifion, and a Child's Portion ; and although it be but Food and Raiment neither ?f :!1 In... the mofl delicate, nor the moft fumpruous, yet baving Food and Rai111cn; let us~~ ~~1 ~· therewith _be contented, as the Apo~le. exhorts us, 1 Tim. 6. 8. Let us look 'upon all rhiuks t other Thmgs as fuperfl.uous, or mdtfferenr, and not murmur, although we fhould himfelf never-obta in them: For whatfoever is needful to thy Subfiftence, God's Providence wronged an~ ~letTing upon thy Indufiry will f~r.ni!h thee with it ; and what is nor needfu l to~~~~ ~~c thts IS not worth thy Envy and Repmmg. · as much , And fo much for the Expofition of this Commandment. a& fome 0 .; 1 fhall only fubjoin a Word or Two unto thofe who areConfcious to themfelvesthers, wi_1l that they have wronged others of what was their Due, and either withheld or taken b~ ap~e ~~ from, what by Law and Equ~ty belonged to t_hem: Let fuch know t'har they~~~~~ ~~ are bound tO make tbem a perfeEl: and plenary Sausfaaton, by making an em ire and Vrolence plenary ReR:hution, if the Thing they have fi:olen or purloined be Hill extant r~ i ncre~fc: · · and in their hand) or if not, then by making a full and fatisfa.El:ory Compenfation '~15 own Yea, be the Th1ng great or fmall, more or lefs, though it fhould feemingtf iJ.,~?~~~ tend to the lofs ~ ~ thy Credit, by ack11,owledging fuch a Wrong, or ,ifibly'"~"· reo cl
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