3. Consider the fruitlessness of our care unless God add a blessing ; ver. 27, ' Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature ? ' A man never gets anything of God by not trusting him. He that will not take God's word must look elsewhere. The way to obtain earthly things is to be less careful and distracted about them.
4. Consider it is for them to distrust who know no providence, or no particular providence : ver. 32, ' For after all these things do the gentiles seelv.' Distrust and carking becometh none but those that will not grant a providence. Shall our profession be christian, and our practice heathen ?
5. Set your minds on a higher interest : ver. 33, ' But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.^ You then promote both cares at once. Christi- anity is a compendious ^ay ; the body followeth the state of the soul. Man was made to contemplate and enjoy better things ; and when he doth so, these things shall be given in over and above.
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14, 143
SERMON IX.
Righteously, &c. — Titus ii. 12.
I NOW come to the second branch, wherein the duty of man is expressed, and that is justice or righteousness, which impUes the duties of our public capacity and relation to others. Though the discourse be moral, yet it may conduce to spiritual ends. Therefore let us see what may be spoken concerning justice and righteousness. Justice is a grace by which we are inclined to perform our duty to our neighbour. There are many distinctions usual in this matter, which I shall omit, and only deliver you the nature of this grace in some general rules ; and then show you how much it concerns us to look after this grace, to be just and righteous in the course of our conversation.
First, To give you the nature of this grace in some general rules, and they are such as these. To give every man his own ; to do injury to no man ; to make restitution ; to bear the injuries of others with patience ; in many cases not to demand our own extreme right ; to do as we would be done unto ; public good to be preferred before private ; and that according to our power we must be useful to others.
First rule, To give every man his own. This is laid down, Rom. xiii. 7, ' Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour.' This due ariseth either by virtue of the law of God, or by virtue of a bargain and contract, or by virtue of a voluntary promise.
1. There is a due that ariseth by virtue of the law of God ; such things cannot be dispensed with, therefore the obligation cannot be made void. As for instance, a child is to honour his parents by the law of God, and a father cannot discharge his child from obedience, as we may remit a duty or thing that is due by bargain and contract, because we have greater power over it. There is a due to every one, as reverence to parents, obedience and tribute to magistrates, double honour to ministers and the guides of the church. It is injustice to deny parents a respect ; it is theft and robbery to defraud magistrates of their tribute or ministers of their maintenance : it is not a gift, but a debt, the scripture saith, they are ' worthy of double honour,' 1 Tim. v. 17 ; ' Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour ; especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.' And it is not in a begging way, as a contribution, but as an honorary stipend. Things that are due by natural duty cannot be dispensed with, as things due by bargain and contract, because the obligation cannot be made void.
2. There is a due that ariseth by way of bargain and contract : Rom. xiii. 8,' Owe no man anything, but to love one another.' If money be borrowed but not restored, it is theft and injustice. If you bargain with another, the full bargain is due to him : 1 Thes. iv. 6, ' Let no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.' He is to enjoy his full bargain. The apostle saw a need of enforcing this doctrine in the chm'ch to prevent the iniquity of traffic.
144 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. IX.
The seller is not to work upon the simplicity of the buyer, nor the buyer upon the necessity of the seller, but all things must be done equally, else God will be offended. But chiefly is this iniquity committed, and that it is in an high degree, when the reward you are to give is not bought ■with money, but earned with labour. Defrauding the hireling and servants of their wages is a very crying sin, the greatest height of iniquity ; it cries in the ears of the Lord of hosts : James v. 4, ' Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth ; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.' God is their patron. This is a grievous sin, because it is their life and their sup- port and solace : Deut. xxiv. 14, 15, ' Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant, that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of the strangers that are in thy laud within thy gates. At his day thou shalt give him his hire ; neither shall the sun go down upon it : for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it : lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.' It is often spoken of in scripture. There is a greater and more pressing inconvenience to defraud the labourer than to defraud others.