(2) Injustice.
Secondly, we must endeavor to have in our hearts a sense and feeling of the want of Christ, and to see our damnable estate in ourselves; and how greatly we stand in need of the blood of Christ to wash away our sins. Behold a notable means to make any man
(even if he were covetousness itself) turn his heart from the money of this world, and seek wholly after spiritual and heavenly things.
For the consideration of our own misery in ourselves, and a lively sense of the need we have of Christ, will make us hunger after him and his righteousness, above all worldly things.
We find by experience that many are endued with good gifts of knowledge, of joy in the word of God, zeal, etc. who nevertheless in their callings are overcome with this soul-sin of covetousness.
And the reason is because they were never thoroughly touched with any sense or feeling of the need they had of Christ; their hearts were dead in sin and corruption, and they never knew the vileness of their own natures, and in what extreme misery they are, apart from Christ. And if they might be brought to seeing their unworthiness, and made to hunger after him, they would then begin to say with Paul, I consider all things as dung in regard to Christ (Phi 3.8); and with David, as the hart pants after the rivers of waters, so thirsts my soul after you, O Lord (Psa
42.1). This is the counsel of Christ: First seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mat 6.33). We must, in ourselves, be like the wounded man that lay in the road, that Christ Jesus the true
Samaritan may come by us to dress our wounds, and to power his own precious blood into our souls. For as Mary said, God fills the hungry with good things, but the rich he sends away empty (Luk
1.53). And thus we shall be able, by God's grace, to turn our affections that are set on the world, to heavenly things. Thus also we see how to walk in our callings with good conscience, and to avoid the sin of covetousness.
(2) Injustice. Now I come to the second sin of injustice, whereby men abuse their callings to the hurt and hindrance of others, either publicly or privately. We have an example of this in Zaccheus the
Publican, who enriched himself by false accusations (Luk 19.8).
Now this sin spreads itself as largely through all degrees and states of men, as the former sin of covetousness, as it will appear if we simply take a look at what are the principal callings.
And first, we begin with EMPERORS and PRINCES, by whom is practiced the greatest injustice that can be, because they are in the greatest callings. For many of them do not content themselves with their own dominions, but encroach either by fraud or violence on their neighbor kingdoms; and for increasing their estates, they do not
spare shedding rivers of blood — as today with the Turk in Asia; and the Spaniard also, who seeks by all means to make himself the
Emperor of the Western world.
Similar injustice appears in the calling of those MAGISTRATES who take bribes, to favor particular men in executing justice and judgment.
Injustice also creeps into the chair of Moses (MINISTERS) when the word of God, the food of men's souls, is withheld; and also when it is corrupted partly by the poison of men's errors, partly by the devices of man's brain. Injustice in the calling of the LAWYER is to take larger fees than statutes or conscience will allow; and also to delay lawsuits, indeed not from morning till night, as Jethro said to Moses,Exo 18.13 but from term to term, and year to year, in order to increase their gain. In the calling of the PHYSICIAN, it is injustice to prescribe medicine on the inspection of urine, which by the best and most learned, is judged to be insufficient and often deceitful; indeed, to prescribe drunkenness and fornication as the cure of some diseases; and to prescribe medicine for absent parties, upon establishing the 46 In the calling of the MERCHANT and TRADESMAN, there are false weights and measures, diverse weights and cost at the time of the interview.
47 mingling, changing, setting a gloss on wares measures; engrossing, 48 glozing,
by powdering, starching, blowing; black markets, 50 lying, swearing, and all manner of bad dealing. In the PATRON, there is a presentation given, but with a secret condition of smoothing,
51 In the LANDLORD, there is raising of rents, taking immoderate fines, having his own tithes or some other fleece out of the living.
52 — and the cause is lack of sobriety and temperance, in diet and apparel. enclosing grounds that have lain common out of mind
In the HUSBANDMAN and CORN-MONGER, there is exceeding injustice in hoarding grain till a time when they can gain a further advantage; and in taking whatever they can get for their own, even though it
53. In the calling of the PRINTER, who should serve the special good of the Church and Commonwealth, there is exceeding injustice done to both by publishing libels and heretical books, whereby errors are spread abroad; just as there is by publishing unchaste, immodest, and unprofitable writings. And in the calling of the BOOKSELLER there is similar injustice, in that they sell all books, good and bad, of truth and falsehood, doing it hand-over-head (without any regard), to everyone that comes to them. For at this day in England, a Papist may furnish himself with all kinds of books about his own heresy, and that is in the shops of the Protestants — a thing to be thought leads to the blood of the poor being shed
upon which greatly hinders the good of our Church.
Thus over all estates and callings, the canker of injustice has spread itself, so that we may take up the complaint of the Prophet Micah, It is hard to find a righteous man: every man lays a net for his brother, and seeks his hurt, his blood, and utter undoing (Mic 7.2).
This is so plain, that the one who has only half an eye may see it. Yet the unjust man does not lack excuses, but faith.
Obj: The world is nothing, and therefore those that would live in the world must do as other men do.
Ans: This indeed is the blind reason of ungodly men. But Paul gives another rule, and bids us to walk unblameably in this present world, as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Phi
2.15). And if the whole world were to give themselves to the practice of injustice, yet the child of God must carry himself in his calling in such a manner, that he may be a light to those with whom he lives.
Obj: Others, more blind and shameless, to maintain their injustice, allege the example and practice of our Savior Christ, in sending for another man's ass and colt when he went to Jerusalem (Mat 21.2-3).
Ans: But who does not see the notorious abuse of this passage of Scripture? For our Savior Christ did this as Lord, not only of the beast, but also of the owner. And therefore when he sent his
Disciples, at the same time he inclined the heart of the owner to be willing to let them go: showing himself thereby to be the Lord that has the hearts of men in his hand, and consequently the governor of all other things.
Other allegations for the defense of injustice are of no moment.
Now then, we must enter into an examination of all the works of our callings. And finding what does not stand with equity and justice, we are to forsake it. And to better persuade us to this, these reasons may be used:
First of all, it is God's commandment that every man should deal justly in the works of his calling. As Paul says to Titus, The grace of God that brings salvation to all men has appeared, and teaches us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Tit 2.11-12). Again, Let no man defraud or oppress his brother in anything (1Th 4.6). Now then, if we have been faulty in this previously, let us now begin to make this commandment a matter of conscience.
Secondly, we must consider with ourselves, that as long as we practice injustice in our particular calling, all our worship and service of God in prayer and thanksgiving, in hearing the word and receiving the Sacraments, is an abomination to the Lord. For this reason he says to the Jews, I abhor your Sabbaths and new moons (Isa 1.13); and the reason is because their hands were full of blood. Again, the Lord professes that the sacrifices offered to him by the Jews were as if a man were to cut off a dog's neck, and offer it to Him in a sacrifice (Isa 66.3), because they lived in their wickedness.