A plain discourse upon uprightness showing the properties and privileges of an upright man…A plain discourse upon uprightness shewing the properties and priviledges of an upright man…

How far the blast of temptation may, for a time, bend or bow a sincere Christian, or how long, no man can determine: the best are frail enough, and they who are most censorious of others warpings, would perhaps fall more foully, if they lived under their temptations: but this base obsequiousness is no part of the mans uprightness, when the snare is broken, the sincere man will come to himself, and there abide.

3. An upright man is a great enemy to Defrauding of others. He that studies that most righteous Law, Mat. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them, and hath it written in his very heart, as that Heathen Emperor had it written in each room ¹of his house, will abominate this most wretched practice. For which of you would be cheated, or defrauded by another? Would you think it well to have a cracked estate offered to you? an unsound beast, or unprovable wares, imposed upon you? a blear-eyed Leah instead of a beautiful Rachel put upon you? you would condemn and dislike it. Open the book of your own Consciences, they will tell you that it is hateful therefore, ⟨p. 71⟩to deal so with another. The upright man considers, that he is not born only to promote his own profit; that he should love his neighbour as himself; that all his bargains and doings in the world, will be tried again, and therefore let others do as they will, so will not he because of the fear of God, Neh. 5. 15. He is one that hath laid this Law upon himself, rather to suffer the greatest injury, than to do the least: and that because he sees more evil in the least sin, than in the greatest suffering. Besides the remembrance he hath, and the dread of that 1 Thes. 4. 6. That no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such. The Conscience of his duty, and rooted liking of truth and equity, doth above all things steer him in these matters. He knows that there is as much honesty in stealing the money out of his purse, or robbing him by the way, as in a wilful cheating or defrauding him, and therefore he will not do it in any matter.