354\ CHRISTIAN MORALITY. our day : For the profit that accrues by the detaining ofmoney that is due to another beyond the customary or contracted time of payment, should doubtless be given to the person to whom the principal money was due ; or at least he should havesuch a valuable share of it as may compensate the damage or loss he sustains by the delay. It is a covetous desire of gain that tempts men to practise extortion, and to prey upon the necessities of those they deal. with. When the buyer wants any conveniency of life, they. force him to give much more than it is worth, because lie stands in the utmost need of it ; or they constrain the seller perhaps to part with some of his most valuable, possessions for a trifle, because he' is under special necessity and present distress This was the extortion which Jacob practised upon his bro- ther Esau, when he made him sell his birth-right for a mess of pottage, while he was' faint with hunting. And it is the same iniquity when we imposeupon the ignorance or known unskilful- ness of the persons we deal with ; and especially when we make our advantage of children or servants, or of persons who confess their own ignorance, and leave thechoice of the goods, or the determination of the price, to the conscience of him that, sells. We may indeed set a just value upon our own goods ; but we must not set a price upon any man's pressing necessity, nor raise a tax upon his ignorance. It can never be certainly deter- mined how much it is lawful for a trader to get by his merchan- dise : Doubtless he may sometimes make a greater gain of the same things than at another: And this is often necessary, in order to compensate the losses, the risks or dangers that he passes through. He may lawfully make those advantages which the change of things, and the divine providence often puts into his hands : Nor is it unlawful for him to takemore of some persons than he does of others for the same merchandise ; for he may treat some of his customers' favourably, though he must deal righteously and justly with them all. But let him see to it that he use ingenuity towards the poor, the necessitous, and the un- skilful, as well as moderation towardall men. The circumstances . of things are.so various, that much of the practice of justice must be left to the court of equity in every man's breast, under the sacred influence 'of this rule, Do that to others whichyou think reasonable that others should do to you., It isbest in all doubt- ful and difficult cases to practise what is fair and honourable in the sight of men, and what is safe and innocent in the sight of God : for a good conscience is better than the largest gain : But where the sacred principles .of virtue are over-borne by, corrupt inclinations, the moral powers of the soul are stretched
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