Do not work upon the Sellers poverty. This is to grind the faces of the poor, and great oppression; It is no mean sin in many rich Citizens, who take advantage on the necessity of poor tradesmen. The poor man must sell, or his Family starve; the rich man knoweth it, and will buy but at such a rate, that the other with all his labour shall not earn his own bread. God made the rich to relieve, but these (I must be bold to say) rob the poor. Its an ill way for any to raise themselves higher in the world by trampling poor men under their feet. God hath sometimes made their houses, (as high and as firm as they were) to fall down upon their heads, who have thus sucked out the blood of poor mens hearts. Some will tell us, They do no wrong herein; for if poor men will not take their money, they may let it alone, they do not force them. Reader, if thy soul be died with this crimson sin, I shall only ask thee this question; Is this to love thy Neighbour as thy self? If thou hadst a Wife and several small Children, and the providence of God had called thee to this poor mans condition; wouldst thou be contented to work hard a whole week, and when thou wast compelled to fell thy wares to buy food for thy family, to receive (the money for materials deducted) but six pence ⟨p. 20⟩or twelve pence for all thy pains? Let thy own conscience be judge in this ease: Is not this, for men to live like fish, the greater devouring the lesser? I have heard a Country Mercer say (who is now in heaven) that several times, when poor men have brought lace, or ribands, or other ware to him, he hath tried how low he could beat the price, and because of their necessities, he hath brought them to allow their commodities for less then the very materials cost them; but after he had so done, he durst not but give them a just equitable price; his conscience would not suffer him to make them suffer, because their poverty necessitated them to sell. And truly where men act otherwise, though their consciences may be quiet, because asleep, yet they have no true rest, and the time will come that conscience will awake to their woe. When some of the Jews had bought Lands and Vineyards of their brethren at an under rate, they being forced to Mortgage them to get bread, Nehemiah rebukes them severely for working upon others extremity;
Do not work upon the Sellers poverty. This is to grind the faces of the poor, and great oppression; It is no mean sin in many rich Citizens, who take advantage on the necessity of poor tradesmen. The poor man must sell, or his Family starve; the rich man knoweth it, and will buy but at such a rate, that the other with all his labour shall not earn his own bread. God made the rich to releive, but these (I must be bold to say) rob the poor. Its an ill way for any to raise themselves higher in the world by trampling poor men under their feet. God hath sometimes made their houses, (as high and as firm as they were) to fall down upon their heads, who have thus sucked out the blood of poor mens hearts. Some will tell us, They do no wrong herein; for if poor men will not take their money, they may let it alone, they do not force them. Reader, if thy soul be died with this crimson sin, I shall onely ask thee this question; Is this to love thy Neighbour as thy self? If thou hadst a Wife and several small Children, and the providence of God had called thee to this poor mans condition; wouldst thou be contented to work hard a whole week, and when thou wast compelled to fell thy wares to buy food for thy family, to receive (the money for materials deducted) but six pence ⟨p. 20⟩or twelve pence for all thy pains? Let thy own conscience be judge in this ease: Is not this, for men to live like fish, the greater devouring the lesser? I have heard a Country Mercer say (who is now in heaven) that several times, when poor men have brought lace, or ribands, or other ware to him, he hath tried how low he could beat the price, and because of their necessities, he hath brought them to allow their commodities for less then the very materials cost them; but after he had so done, he durst not but give them a just equitable price; his conscience would not suffer him to make them suffer, because their poverty necessitated them to sell. And truly where men act otherwise, though their consciences may be quiet, because asleep, yet they have no true rest, and the time will come that conscience will awake to their wo. When some of the Jews had bought Lands and Vineyards of their brethren at an under rate, they being forced to Mortgage them to get bread, Nehemiah rebukes them severely for working upon others extremity;
