nity to try their Tempers, and which way to deal with every one of them, so as to ferve himfelf of them. He was to them in his Master's ftead, and kept all the Accounts for him. He therefore could find a way to put a trick upon him well enough, fo that he could but bring 'em to comply with him, both to their own, and his Advantage. And thus he brings the matter about. Whatever, faith he, you owe my Mafter; own no more of the Debt but fo much, and fet down in your Bills fo much, as paid to me his Steward, for his ufe; leave it to me to fatisfy him how that part of the Debt which you pretend to have paid to me hath been difpofed of, I will discharge you of it, and you and I will divide it between us, and we will live together merrily on it. Here's the Project refolv'd on, and poffibly among many Tenants and Debtors, could hardly miscarry, but enough would be found ready enough to comply with him, and go fhares with him in the Sin of Cozening their Lord, upon condition to fhare in the Gain too, and fave a part of the Rents or Debts due to him in their own Purses.

This is ufually the upfhot and Conclufion of all the Sinners deliberation and confultation with himself, about what he is to do that he may live. As we commonly fay, over Shooes, over Boots. He cares not how deep he wades, fo that he can but catch what he Fishes for. Carelefnefs and wafting in his Office, the Steward refolves to mend no otherwife than by cheating when he is out of it. And here we may fee the Mifchief of accuftoming one's felf to any Sin. It is rarely left off, and as rarely goeth fingly, and alone,

but draweth on more Sins after it. When one Devil hath open'd the Door, and is entertain'd,'tis eafy for a Legion to enter; and they are not very backward to enter, where the way is

open.

And indeed of all other Sins, that of Profufenefs and Wafting, a Habit of fpending and living voluptuously and prodigally, cannot endure to be alone, nor will it take Leave, and be gone quickly. Sins of this kind are they which not only gratifie the fenfual and carnal Man most of any, but which give the Repute of Gentlefolks, and of Perfons of a gentile Humour, and good Breeding, And fuch gentile Sins cannot be maintain'd at a low Rate, they must have a multitude of other Sins to bring in Provision for them. Neither Digging nor Begging will ferve to feed these devouring Sins. If by honeft Labour, or the Hand of Charity, we can get a bare Livelyhood, enough for Nature, and to keep us alive, and in Health, 'tis well; but what fhall we do to live like our Selves, to look great, to make fome Figure above our Neighbours, at least, amongst the beft of them to eat and drink, and wear as well as they, and to keep gentile Company, and to appear Some-body in the World. There must to uphold us in this Condition, be a Club of Sins, and not only of our own, but of others too, at work continually. We muft entertain all that will come in Volunteers to join with us, and hire as many more as we can to affift, and all will be found little enough to fupply him with what he can account fufficient, who hath always been used to have too much. A Steward that's content with his Salary, may in

deed

deed live honestly, and Comfortably enough for an honest Man; but how fhall he do either to live vainly, and to keep in the Gentleman's Row, and feed all his Lufts? Or how fhall he grow rich, and leave his Children Gentlemen after him, if he make not bold with his Mafter's Goods more than with his own Allowance? Neither wafting or thriving can be maintain'd by the fcant Salary, or honeft Industry, and faithful Service of a juft Steward. Some other Tricks must be learn'd, and it's eafy enough, at this Day, to find those who are very perfect and cunning at them; the Master's Negligence, and the Tenents or Debtors Difhonefty, are good helps to them. They have the Arts of thriving, by fucking from both, till they grow too great for both. And indeed whatever fuch Stewards deferve for the wafte they make of what is not their own, fuch Lords and Tenants, well deserve to be thus drained for feeding fuch Leeches who will never leave fucking till they burst.

Wafting is ftill the thing that wicked Men refolve upon, and all they take into their Confideration is, which way of VVafting will ferve their turn beft, or will be eafieft for them to make use of. Honest Labour we find will not bring in enough for our Appetites; what then, will not Stealing, or Robbing, or Cheating, over-reaching, and taking advantage of Ignorance or Credulity in Trading and Bargaining; will no fuch Arts as these ferve us neither? If we be afhamed to beg, are we also afhamed to borrow what we either never intend, or cannot hope to be in a Condition to pay again? Or are we too modeft to pay one with what we borrow of another, till

we

we make our laft Creditor pay all? Some orother of these will be always accounted gentile fhifts, and fo long as they will keep us in the Mode and Garb of Gentlemen, few of us are afhamed of them, and especially of being borrowing Thieves. Tho' I think among all forts of Thieves, there's none fo mischievous a Thief as he, that thus fteals by borrowing. The righteous and good natured Man is ever merciful and lendeth, and he is the worft of Thieves by whom fuch good and kind Men are the greatest Sufferers. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again. Pfal. 37. 21. Whereby we may underftand either his Sin, or its Punishment, his Character of his Fate. He that ufeth this Trade is certainly a wicked Man; and he that is wicked, is often thus punished, by being reduced to fo needy a Condition, as at once makes needful for him to borrow, and him unable to pay what he borroweth.

I shall say no more of this now, seeing it seems no way applicable to the Defign of the Parable: Only thus much by way of Advice. Let us all learn to be Godly, and fo fhall we alfo learn to live foberly. Let us learn to live foberly, and that will make it very eafy for us to live juftly. Piety will make any one well contented with what will fuftain Nature for the Service of God and Nature is beft kept in a fit Temper for God's Service with a little; and where a little is enough, there can be no Temptation to do unjustly.

Verfe

;

Verse 8.

And the Lord commended the unjust Steward, because he bad done wifely; for the children of this world are in their Generation wiser than the chil dren of light.

Itherto in this Parable, we have been enter

tain'd with a Story of a rich Lord, and his unjuft Steward. We have heard how this waftful Fellow abufed his Lord's goodness to him, and was falfe to his Truft: What Difpleasure his Lord conceived against him for his base and ungrateful Behaviour; how he call'd him to give up his Accounts, and difcharged him from his Stewardthip; and Laftly, what cunning Shifts and Fetches this Man had for himself, to be as little a Lofer, as might be, by the Lofs of his Place. We have now before us, in thisVerfe, two things to be confider'd.