The trades-man's calling being a discourse concerning the nature, necessity, choice, &c. of a…

And among other Frauds False Lights are justly reckoned; when Men do so contrive the Lights in their Shops, as to represent their Commodities to be better than they are; when the honest Chapman comes home, they are quite another thing. What can be more fraudulent? It is no other than picking thy Neighbour's Purse of so much as is extorted hereby from him, above the real worth of that Commodity. How can you rejoice or sleep with such dishonest Gain? Is not the Lord the Avenger of all such? Be not deceived, God is not mocked, tho thy harmless Neighbour be trapanned. If thy timely Repentance and Restitution prevent it not, he will take thee from thy false Lights, and thrust thee without Bail or Main-prize into true and endless Darkness.

And among other Frauds False Lights are justly reckon'd; when Men do so contrive the Lights in their Shops, as to represent their Commodities to be better than they are; when the honest Chapman comes home, they are quite another thing. What can be more fraudulent? It is no other than picking thy Neighbour's Purse of so much as is extorted hereby from him, above the real worth of that Commodity. How can you rejoyce or sleep with such dishonest Gain? Is not the Lord the Avenger of all such? Be not deceived, God is not mocked, tho thy harmless Neighbour be trapan'd. If thy timely Repentance and Restitution prevent it not, he will take thee from thy false Lights, and thrust thee without Bail or Main-prize into true and endless Darkness.

4. This Justice doth oblige a Tradesman to the right working of all Manufactures. The Municipal Laws indeed, do generally make excellent Provision for this; but unless Men be under the awe of God and their own Consciences, they may easily find Evasions, and trample the Laws under their Feet. And the Law reaches not to innumerable Cases of this nature. Tho it bind him that makes the Cloth, yet it reaches not him who makes up the Apparel; tho it obligeth him that tans the Leather, yet it reaches not him that makes up the Shoe; and so in many other Instances; ⟨p. 106⟩now here Justice comes in, and teaches the Tradesman to do all such Work for others, as he would choose to have them done for himself. It's true, it may not be necessary to bestow equal care and labour upon each piece of Work; the Stuff, the Price, the design of it may not require it; but Equity requires you to give to every Manufacture the Perfection requisite to its kind; and not through Sloth, or multiplicity of Business, or any other selfish respect, render things useless, or unserviceable.