Divine Poems, Commandment 8
Commandment VIII.
VIII Thou ſhalt not ſteale, &c.
If a Souldier might not thieve,
No man may, as I believe;
If ſuch meaſure Achan find
For a prey in war purloin'd,
What, on theſe will Juſtice bring
Who rob Country, Church and King?
With his Children Achan fell
(Yet I hope their Souls are well.)
But if theſe do not amend
Greater Plagues for them attend.
Comma. VIII.
What want ſo e're oppreſs thee may
Steal not, anothers goods away.
LIght fingred Achan here doth figur'd ſtand,
Who for infringing of this Eight Command,
Brought both on him and his a fearful Doom
To make it known to every age to come,
That Sacriledge and pilfring may undo
Both ſuch as uſe it, and their Children too.
So ſtrongly are theſe Precepts knit together,
And have ſo much dependance each on other,
That none of their whole number can be miſt,
Nor virtue perfect, without all ſubſiſt.
A Families neceſſities, who can
Support aright or honour God or Man
With due reſpects? or fully exerciſe
The praiſeful work of Chriſtian Charities,
Unleſs this righteous Law had been ordain'd
Whereby each man his own might have retain'd?
The painful hand had wrought but for a prey
For ſlothful Drones to ſpoil and ſteal away,
Did not this Law prevent; and they ſhould then
Poſſeſs moſt wealth who were the ſtrongeſt men.
None would have labour'd but for preſent need,
And to procure and keep, whereon to feed,
Would ſo imploy us, that we ſhould not find
A leiſure hour to rectify the mind,
By knowledge, or by ſeeking that which is
The Eſſence of our Being, and our bliſs,
For, as baſe Poverty hath dwelling there
Where lawleſs living and diſorders are;
So, where that Poverty, doth much abound,
A brutiſh Ignorance is alwayes found,
For, though wealth makes none wiſer, yet, it might
Yield means of knowledge, being us'd aright;
And equal are the ſins, to rob the rich
As ſpoil the poor although they ſeem not ſuch,
Since that which makes the difference in the facts
Is in the ſufferer, not in him that Acts.
Let no man therefore, lay his hand on what
Is portion of another mans Eſtate,
With purpoſe to defraud him; leſt it bring
A Gangrene, and become a curſed thing,
Which will devour what he before poſſeſſed,
And ſtop him in the way of being bleſſed.
Rob none; But of all other ſhun the Theft
By which poor widdows are of that bereft
Which is their lively hood, or that whereby
The Fatherleſs compelled are to cry
To God for vengeance. And be wary too
Thou do not willfully thy ſelf undo
By execrable things, leſt Achan's Crime
Bring on thee Achan's death, in evil time.
For, though Deaths due for every ſin that's done
Some louder cry, and bring it ſooner on.
There are a thouſand Thieveries by which
The worldling is advanced to be rich
With little ſence of ſin, although they be
Infringements of this Law in high degree.
The Trades-man ſtealeth by a frequent lying
In bargaining, in ſelling and in buying;
And moſt he ſuffers by this fair-tongu'd thief,
Who entertains of him the beſt belief.
Some Courtiers have their pilfrings, which they call
Their Fees or Vails, whereby when dues are ſmall,
And, their expences large, they ſoon grow great,
And keep their Maſter alſo in their Debt,
Whoſe Royal name is uſed to conceal
Their frequent robbing of the Common weal.
Some ſteal into Eſtates by their unjuſt
Abuſe, by whom they have been put in truſt;
And men ſo frequently this way miſdo,
That ſuch are counted honeſt Livers too.
Some rob the Church (and this too is no news)
By keeping from her Labourers their dues,
And by aſſuming as their own Eſtate
What Piety to God did conſecrate
Some Church-men rob the Layty by taking
That Calling on them without conſcience making
Of thoſe performances, for which God gave
The portions and the places which they have;
And doubtleſs, for the ſins of ſuch as they
The Churches heritage is took away.
Some by Authority or quirks of Law
Raiſe projects from their neighbours to withdraw
Their livelihood: Some others do no leſs
By outward ſhews of ſtrict Religiouſneſs,
Or cloked honeſty, the latter ſort
Make means to Couſin by their good Report.
Some wantons, (guilty of no petty wrong)
Steal Hearts, which unto others do belong.
Some ſteal both Goods and Perſons. Thus do they
Who take the heirs of mens Eſtates away
Againſt their Wills; And when this theft's begun,
Moſt commonly both parties are undone.
Some ſteal the wit of others. And an Aſs
To be a witty Creature, thus may paſs.
Some ſteal rewards and praiſes which are due
To other men; and theſe are not a few.
Some ſteal preferments, I could tell you how,
But will not, leſt indanger'd I may grow
By babling of it; or leſt other ſome
May by that means to wealth and greatneſs come,
Who do as yet retain their honeſties,
Becauſe they have not learn'd ſuch tricks to riſe.
Some ſteal mens good opinions, by concealing
Their own enormities, and by revealing
Their Neighbours errors, with ſuch ſhews of Ruth
As if they were all Charity and Truth.
Shun all ſuch thieviſh Paths, for he that follows
Theſe Tracts, may peradventure ſcape the Gallows,
But ſhall not ſcape unpuniſh'd, though God may
Defer his wages till a longer day.
As thoſe are not excus'd; So ſhall not he
From our Infringement of this Law be free,
Who nouriſheth a cauſe of this offence
By Idleneſs, by Prodigal expence,
By vicious gaming, by regardleſneſs
To husband wiſely, what he doth poſſeſs
By keeping to himſelf what was beſtown
As well for others uſes, as his own;
Or by withdrawing (through deceit or might)
The hirelings wages or the poor-mans right
Whereby thoſe may be driven to ſupply
By ſtealth or fraud, their griping poverty.
More ſuch occaſions, he himſelf may find
Who doth examine with a ſingle mind
His private practices, and how the end
Of one thing on another doth depend.
Oh Lord vouchſafe me grace to be content
"With whatſoever thou to me haſt lent
"As long as life on me ſhall be beſtown,
"Let me be fed and cloathed with my own,
"And, not with that which being none of mine
"May make my Neighbour want, or elſe repine;
"If by a wilful or unwitting wrong
"I have detained ought which doth belong
"Unto my Neighbour, Give me means and will
"By reſtitution for my doing ill
"To make amends, or elſe do thou repay them
"The dues which I unwillingly delay them.
"Forgive thou alſo my unrighteouſneſs,
"That it corrupt not that which I poſſeſs,
"Or marr my thrift; and for the time to come
"So wary keep me of departing from
"This Law, that I may ſtill in heart and hand
"Continue faithful unto this Command
Amen.