The Curse of Corne-horders: WITH The Blessing of seasonable Selling. In three Sermons, on PRO. 11. 26. Begun at the general Sessions for the County of Cornwall, held at Bodmyn, and continued at Fowy. By CHARLES FITZ-GEFFRIE.  D. Cyprianus ad Demetrian. §. 8. Miraris in poenas generis humani iram Dei crescere, cum crescat quotidiè quod puniatur.— De sterilitate aut fame quereris, quasi famem maiorem siccitas quam rapacitas faciat, quasi non de captatis annonarum incrementis & pretiorum cumulis flagrantior inopiae ardor excrescat. Quereris cludi imbribus coelum, cum sic horrea cludantur in terris. 
Printed at London by I. B. for Edward Dight dwelling in Excester. 1631.   

To the truly ennobled and rightly honoured, Sir REGINALD MOHUNE, Knight and Baronet: Grace, Mercy, and Peace be multiplied.  
SIR,  
THE end of God's punishments is to bring sinful man unto Repentance. In afflicting us he intends not our affliction, but our reformation. He who delights not in the death of sinners, takes no pleasure in their sufferings, but in compassion causeth sometimes temporal suffering to prevent eternal aching; according to that of the Apostle, 
1 Cor. 11. 32.  We are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. If he attain not this end by one rod, he useth another. If the Pestilence prevail not, he sends the sword; if that works not, he inflicteth Famine, and like a good Physician, by diverse medicines he tendeth to the same cure. If the same cross have not effected the end for which it was sent, he sends it the second time, as a man doth his servant who hath not fully done his errand at first. Thus doth he with particular persons, thus doth he with whole Nations, whose good he intendeth. He visited our sins with the Pestilence, this wrought not a sound recovery; he lanced us with the Sword, there yet remained many peccant humours, those he sought to cure by Famine, 
Veteres omnes morbos inediâ curabant.  as the ancient Physicians used to cure all diseases by Abstinence. We seemed to be on the mending hand, but we relapsed, and God was fain to go to work with us again; as we renewed our old sins, so did he his old judgements. He sent the Plague the second time, threatened it the third. About seven years since the creature suffered and we by it, for our abuse of it, and for our unthankfulness to the Creator. The same punishment he hath inflicted this year on sundry places of the land. Thus is God enforced to reassume his rods, when we renew our sins; and as we use to take from our children their Bread when they do wanton with it; so by want he correcteth our former wantonness, taking from us that which we abuse, thereby teaching us to use it better when we have it, that by want we may know how to use abundance. These two years of dearth (in some distance) called from me these three Sermons. That which in the first was summarily delivered in one, unto the ears of that Bench on which you have sat sundry years as chief, is upon this years' occasion enlarged into three, and now sent abroad into public, for the benefit of many, is first presented unto your eyes. In this Dedication I crave not patronage, but only acceptance. The King's command, my calling, the necessity of the times are sufficient to patronise it. Neither have I cause to doubt of your acceptance; your care for your Country's good, and your endeavour in this particular do assure me that you will approve his labours, who, according to his calling, addeth the best advancement he may unto yours▪ Whereunto he will not cease to adjoin his continued prayers to the fountain of Grace, for all gracious blessings on your person, on your public employments, on your noble Family; who is, and will be (while he is)  
Your worships in all Christian duty and service most ready, Charles Fitz-Geffry.   

A brief view of the ensuing Sermons.  

Concio prima.  
THe occasion of the choice of this Text. page 1  
The division thereof into two parts. In the former part are considered, 1. The sin, 2. The sequel. p. 3  
1ma. me. The sin, withholding Corne. ibid.  
All conservation of Corn, not unlawful. What is unlawful herein. ibid.  
Under the word Corn, every public commodity comprehended. p. 4  
Doct. 1. It is a grievous sin to procure or further famine, by seeking to raise the price of Corn. ibid.  
Reasons. 1. It is odious unto God. The detaining of other commodities not so necessary for the life of man, as Corn, forbidden by God. Much more of this, without which, the life of man can hardly, yea, not at all be sustained. The necessity of bread unto man's life. p. 5, 6  
2. It is opposite to Nature, unto which Corne-horders are traitors. For, 1. That which Nature most desireth, they do most detest, that is, plenty. p. 7, 8  
2. And that which Nature most detesteth, they most desire, namely, Dearth and scarcity. ibid.  
3. Condemned by the Laws of Nations. p. 9  
Application. Three sorts of people guilty herein. p. 11  
1 The greedy Farmer, who sometimes withholdeth Corn, even in selling it. ibid.  
2 The covetous Merchant. p. 13  
3 The Hucksters, or Badgers of Corne. p. 14   

Concio secunda.  
SEcunda primae, The sequel; The curses of the People. p. 17  
A Common sin draws on a common curse. p. 18  
Doct. 2. The people's curse, justly procured, is a fearful judgement. p. 19  
The people's curse twofold, 1. Causeless or unjust; this not to be feared nor regarded. ibid.  
Exhortation to Magistrates and Officers to do their duties, though the people do causelessly curse them. For such curses God will bless them. ibid.  
2 The justly caused curse of the poor and oppressed, this curse very fearful. p. 20  
Use. Terror to all kind of Oppressors. p. 21  
Especially to Corne-horders. p. 22  
That these curses are not effectless in this life, showed by examples. A story out of Matthew Paris of Walter Grey, Archbishop of York, a covetous Corne-horder, Anno Dom. 1234. p. 23  
Another of a Germane Bishop devoured by Rats, An. 930. p. 24  
The effect of these curses, in latter times, wherein some of these Nabals have hanged themselves, when the price of Corn hath fallen. ibid.  
The greatest curse of all at the day of judgement. p. 25  
Objections answered. 1. May I not do with mine own what I list? p. 26  
Answer. Christ only may both say and do so: Man cannot (without limitation) who can cast nothing his own properly, but his sin. ibid.  
Men may not use their own, to the hurt of others. ibid.  
It is damnable to withhold our own, when our brethren are ready to perish for want of that which we may well spare. p. 27  
Two other Objections, joseph and Gedeon, their examples answered. p. 30, 31  
Famine, a grievous punishment. p. 31  
It is proper to God alone to punish a sinful Nation with famine, or any other judgement. p. 32  
We have deserved to be thus scourged. But this famine is not inflicted immediately by the hand of God, but enforced by the cruel covetousness of men. p. 33  
An invective against covetousness. p. 35  
These Corne-horders worse than Usurers. ibid.  
The pitiful estate of poor labouring-men in these times, deplored. p. 36   

Concio tertia:  
THe second part of the Text, wherein is considered; 1. The duty to be performed; Selling. p. 39  
2. The recompense, Blessing. p. 40  
Doct. 3. There is a charity sometimes in selling, as well as in giving. ibid.  
Use 1. To teach us to acknowledge God's goodness in accepting any service done at his command, though for our own advantage. p. 41  
God sometimes accepteth selling, where there is ability of giving. ibid.  
Use 2. To incite those who are of ability, to this duty of selling. p. 42  
Four things required in charitable selling. p. 43  
1 To sell that which is good for quality, convenient grain, ibid.  
2 To sell for convenient gain, at a reasonable price. ibid.  
3 To sell in convenient season. p. 44  
4 With measure convenient. p. 45  
2da. 2 de. The recompense, Blessing. ibid.  
Obseruat. The reward more emphatically laid down, than the judgement threatened. p 46  
Doct. 4. God will bless him who selleth charitably in time of extremity, though men be unthankful. ibid.  
Two sins of the poor: 1 Murmuring, 2 Unthankfulness. ibid.  
Neither of these should discourage us from charitable actions, for though men be ungrateful, yet God is not forgetful. p. 47  
Application. 1. Unto Magistrates, exhorting them to do their duties in this behalf, according to his Majesty's Orders. ibid.  
And to draw on others by their examples. p. 48  
Dehortation from withholding justice, and from selling it. p. 50  
2. To Ministers, to be careful and and faithful in distributing spiritual Corn for the bread of life, especially in these dangerous days. ibid.  
3. To the poor. Here is no warrant for them to revenge their wrongs with cursings, as commonly they do. p. 51  
But rather to accuse their own sins, the causes of all their calamities. p. 52  
4. Encouragement and comfort to charitable sellers. p. 54  
God shall crown them with blessings, external, Internal, Eternal. p. 55, 56.    

THE CURSE OF Corn-Horders.  

The first Sermon.  PROV. 11. 26. He that withholdeth Corn, the people shall curse him: But blessing shall be upon the head of him who selleth it. 
THe extremity of the times do even extort from me this Text, 
The occasion of the choice of this Text.  together with the Explication and Application thereof, as God shall enable me. Our gracious Sovereign, like a provident joseph, hath endeavoured to prevent the famine, or to provide remedies against it. To this end he hath sent ●orth his Proclamations, and hath authorized his Hands in these remote places, the justices of Peace, to draw forth the poor imprisoned grain out of private Barns, and to afford it the freedom of the Markets. The justices have done their endeavours, and the best of them do continue so doing. But covetousness careth for no Laws, being like the lawless judge, 
a Luk. 18. 2.  Who neither feared God, nor regarded Man. Hence it is that Laws are eluded, the King's edicts not regarded, the Magistrates endeavours frustrated, and the hopes of the poor disappointed. The deaf Adder will not be charmed; the greedy Farmer will not enfranchize his Corn, though the Country do curse him, and those curses be ratified in heaven. But let not us cease to do our duties though others do not theirs. Let Aaren and Hur support the hands of Moses; 
Ministers.  let Ministers (as his Majesty commandeth) join their forces with the Magistrates against this monster, 
Et quae non prosunt singula, iuncta iwant.  Avarice. The good effect which the one cannot produce alone, may (by God's blessing) ensue upon the religious endeavours of both together. I come therefore to publish a Proclamation from the King of heaven, penned by the wisest King on earth, against all engrossers of the fruits of the earth, the terour whereof is this,  
He that withholdeth Corn, the people shall curse him, but blessing shall be on the head of him who selleth it.  
Most of Salomon's Proverbs are a Commentary upon that one sentence of his Father David, 
a Psal. 37. 27.  Is●hew evil, and do good; and commonly they are bipartite, one part dissuading from some evil, the other exhorting to the contrary virtue. His Arguments are those which are most powerful, Punishment, and Reward; dehorting from some sin by punishment threatened, exhorting to Virtue by some reward proposed: Such is this sentence, resembling the two Hills, 
b Deut. 11. 29. 27. 13.  the one of Curses, the other of Blessings: 
Iosh. 18. 33.  He that withholdeth Corn, the people shall curse him; 
Division of the Text into two parts.  there is Ebal, the Mountain of cursing: But blessing shall be on the head of him that selleth it; there is Gerizin, the Mountain of blessing.  
In the former we are to consider, 
In the former part consider, 1. The sin, 2. The sequel.  1. The sin, 2. The sequel. The sin, hiding or withholding Corn; the sequel, the curses of the people. In the latter, we have, 1. the duty, 2. the benefit or reward: The duty, selling; the benefit, blessing: But blessing shall be on the head of him that selleth it. Of these (God willing) in their order; and first of the first part, 
Prima primae. The sin withholding Corne.  and first branch thereof; namely, the sin condemned, which is, withholding of Corne.  He that withholdeth Corne. 
All conservation or keeping up of Corn, 
All keeping of Corn not unlawful.  is not always unlawful. joseph, in the seven years of plenty, gathered and kept Corn against the seven years of scarcity. Sundry Cities have their Magazines, wherein they providently do store up Corn and other provision, the better to endure the extremity of an assiege or famine. 
* Paruula na● exemplo est magni formica laboris, o'er trahit quod cunque potest, acque addit aceruo quem struit, haud igna●a e● non incauta futuri Horat. Hyemis memores tectque repenunt Virgil. 4. Aenid. Parcum genus est patiensque laboris. Ovid Metam. 7. Videatur Plinius. lib. 11. cap. 30. et Ambros. Hexam. l. 6. c. 4. item Aelian. de var. histor. l. 1. Indè dictum Granigerum agmen,  Nature hath taught the silley Ant this lesson of husbanding her provision, 
a a See Pro. 6. 6, 7, 8.  and she by her example readeth the same Lecture unto man, by the mouth of Solomon.  

b What is unlawful herein.  But then to withhold Corn when public necessity doth call for the venting it, upon hope to enhance the price, thereby to make a prey of the poor, who have then most need to be relieved, this is a crying sin, causing the people with bitter cries to complain to God against such detestable covetousness, and to pursue the same with bitter curses.  
The ancient latin reading doth well express the meaning; Captans pretia frumenti, (so 
c Ambr. Offic. l. 3. c. 6.  Saint Ambrose allegeth the place.) He that catcheth at all advantages by the price of Corn, and endeavours to raise it higher, being more greedy of his private gain, than affected with the public good, every one that doth so, cometh within the compass of this curse. So that not only hiding or hording, but selling and buying too, in some cases, are here forbidden; when they are so done in private, as that the price is thereby enhanced in public: whereof we shall have occasion to say more (God willing) in prosecution of this Text.  

d Under the word, Corn every public commodity is comprehended.  I doubt not but that under this one word, Corn, is comprehended any other Commodity, useful for the Country; but the Times do confine my intendments to that particular which my Text doth here assign; namely, against all avaricious horders or hucksters, who pinch the guts of the poor, to fill and extend their own purses; taking advantage by the dearth of Corn, to make it more dear: on which ground I may safely lay down this doctrinal Position. 
Doctr. 1.   It is a grievous sin to procure a Dearth, or further a Famine, 
A grievous sin to procure or further famine by raising the price of Corne.  by seeking to raise the price of Corne. 
When public necessity doth require, and our own ability doth permit us to send abroad our Corn by reasonable and seasonable selling, then to withhold it in hope of greater Dearth, this is a great sin: For it is odious unto God, opposite unto Nature, injurious unto mankind, and therefore condemned by the Laws of Grace, of Nature, and of Nations. 
Reasons.   
First, 
1. It is odious unto God.  it is odious unto God, as being directly a breach of his Law, a rebellion against his Ordinance. Otherwise he would never have inveighed against these Corne-horders so bitterly as he doth, by his Prophet Amos, saying, 
e Amos ●. ●, 5, 6  Hear ye this, o ye that swallow the poor, and make the needy of the Land to fail, saying, When will the new Moon be gone, that we may sell Corn; and the Sabbath, that we may set forth Wheat; and make the Epha small, and the Shekel great; and buy the poor for silver, and the needy for shoes, and sell the refuse of the Wheat? If any do except and say, What is this against horders? this is rather against sellers of Corn: I intimated at first, that there may be as great a sin, in some kind of selling, as in keeping: and those jews who sold at last, they did hoard up Corn at first, to this purpose: that when the time served their turn, they might sell it at their own pleasure and price: 
f Dod ad Text.  and now the time is come, they must sell it in all haste, lest the price should fall again: They were now so eager after selling, that they thought the days of God's Service too tedious till they were at it. They kept it in while it was good, and sold it when it was worse, they abated the measure and augmented the price; they made the people pay for the best, when they sold but the refuse; and so instead of selling to the poor, they enforced the poor to sell themselves at a vile rate for necessary sustenance, and so to become their slaves. 
g vers. 8.  The Lord threateneth a fearful judgement on the whole Nation, for this inhuman cruelty of some particular persons towards their poor brethren. 
The detaining of other commodities not so necessary for the life of man a Corn, forbidden by God.   
Lesser sins than this in comparison, the engrossing of commodities not so necessary for the life of man as Corn is, are threatened with heavy judgements in the word of God. The imprisoning of coin in Coffers, when it should be dispersed abroad unto pious and charitable uses, is condemned by the holy Ghost, who saith by Saint james 
h jam. 5. 1, 2, 3. , that The very rust thereof shall be a witness against the keepers, and that the canker of their silver shall eat up their flesh as fire. The like judgement is denounced in the same place against those who keep their garments close in their wardrobes to cloth the Moths, 
Much more of bread-Corne, without, which the life of man can hardly, yea, not at all, be sustained.  rather than they will produce them to cloth Christ his naked members. What then shall become of them who are kinder to Rats and Mice, than to their Christian brethren, being contented that vile vermin shall devour that for nothing, which poor Christians cannot get of them for money. 
i The necessity of bread unto man's life.  Bread is called in Scripture the 
k Isa. 3. 1. Levit. 26. 26. Ezech. 4. 16. 5. 16. 14. 13.  stay and staff of life, because life is thereby sustained as by a Staff: and when God doth threaten one of his heaviest punishments on a Land for sin, he doth threaten to break the staff of Bread; So necessary it is for this life, that all necessaries are comprised under this one, Give us, this day, our daily bread. Christ calleth himself the bread which came down from heaven: his Word is called the bread of life. All which do show how necessary bread is for the use of man: so necessary, that neither body nor soul can well be fed without it; not the body without common bread, nor the soul (in those of discretion) without Sacramental bread: so necessary, that although a man have diverse varieties of meats, and do want bread, the best is failing, because the binder of all the rest is wanting: other meats, without bread, are but besoms without a band, they cannot sweep away hunger from nature; 
Satis est homini flwiusque Ceresque.  but if a man have only bread and water, sufficient for quantity, and convenient for quality, he may live and do well: so that to withhold Corn, and thereby to break the staff of bread, is not only sinful, but savage; not only against the Law of God and grace, but against the Law of Nature.  
Nature teacheth men to seek good and shun evil, to pray and strive to avert those public punishments, 
2. It is opposite to nature.  Sword, Pestilence, and Famine. Nature teacheth us that we are not borne only for ourselves, and that public utility is to be preferred before private commodity. This could Cicero say out of Plato, one heathen out of another. It was the praise of Cato 
l High mores, haec duri immota Catonis secta f●it, scr●are modum, finemque tenere, Naturamque sequi patriaeque impendere vitam. Nec sibi, sed toti genitum se credere mundo. Lucan l. 2.  that he was, In Commune bonus, good for the Commonalty, being resolved, that he was borne, not for himself, but for all mankind.  
But these Antipodes to Nature as well as unto Grace, these Man-haters, opposite to the Common good, as if the world were made only for them, would appropriate the earth, and the fruits thereof, wholly to themselves, thinking that they can never have enough, unless they have all; and that while others have any thing, they themselves have nothing. Wherefore as Quails grow fat with Hempskirke lock, which is poison to other creatures, so these grow full by Dearth, which is the famishing of others. Their whole study and endeavour is to trouble the pure streams of public plenty, that they may have the better angling for their private commodity. 
m Eccle. 5. 9  The profit of the earth is for all (saith Solomon) and the King himself is served by the field. But these, as if the earth, and the profits thereof, were proper to them alone, as if they were the Kings of the field, and the whole tribute thereof were to be paid into their insatiable Exchequer,, do study how they may dry up the public fountain, or draw the whole stream thereof into their own Cistern. 
n Corn-horders traitors to nature.  Traitors they are unto Nature; for that 
o That which Nature most desireth, they detest; that is, Plenty.  which Nature most desireth, they detest; and that which Nature teacheth most to detest, that do these most desire: Plenty is desired by every well minded man, naturally, and Grace doth allow such desire; for Plenty is a sweet effect of God's goodness and favour, therefore called by David, the Crown of the year: 
p Psal. 65. 11.  Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy steps drop fatness. But these desire to pull the Crown of Plenty from the head of the year, and instead thereof, would put thereon a crown of thorns, as the miscreant jews' did on the head of Christ. Plenty is one of God's chiefest earthly blessings; but these envious children do think that their poor brethren have too much of their heavenly Father's blessing. Again, 
And that which nature teacheth most to detest, they do most desire, namely, Dearth and Scarcity.  that which Nature teacheth most to detest, they do most desire; namely, Dearth and Scarcity: that which Nature teacheth to prevent, they endeavour to procure; they pray for that which all men else do pray against; angry, in their minds, at our Liturgy for having prayers against Dearth and Famine, and thanksgiving for seasonable weather, which they cannot endure save in their own fields; ready to chide God because he is so prodigal of his temporal favours, as to cause 
q Mat. 5. 45.  his Sun to arise on the evil as well as on the good, and his rain to fall on the just and on the unjust; whereas these, by their wills, would have the Sun to warm, and the rain to moisten no fields nor gardens, but of the evil and unjust, that is, their own. What then can we think of them but as enemies both to God and man, opposite both to Grace and Nature? Solomon at the consecration of the Temple 
r 1 King. 8. 38.  making way for the people's prayers by his own, for the removing of common calamities, setteth Famine in the forefront of them, as the first and worst of all. What shall we think of them who pray for that which Solomon prayed against, esteeming that a benefit to them, which is one of the greatest curses that can fall on a Nation? When God threateneth four heavy judgements on a Land, wherein if these three Worthies, Noah, job, and Daniel were, 
a Ezech. 14. 13, 14.  they should deliver none but their own souls, he giveth the precedence unto Famine. What then shall we think of those who care not though job, Noah, and Daniel, and all the righteous men in the Country starved, so they may be filled? When God by his Prophet makes a brief Catalogue of the crying sins of Sodom, this comes in at last, not as the least of them, 
b Ezec. 16. 49.  Manum pauperis & egentis non confirmavit; She did not strengthen the hands of the poor and needy: It is not not said that she weakened, but that she did not strengthen; & that not the heart, but the hand of the poor and needy; and yet God reigned hell out of Heaven, fire and brimstone on her to consume her. What then shall become of them who do not strengthen, but enfeeble, not the hands, but the hearts of their poor brethren, by withholding from them that which is the staff of their hands, and (under God) the strength and life of their hearts?  
And that these Cormorants are such enemies to the public good, 
3. Condemned by the Laws of Nations.  all wise men who desired to procure it, have perceived. Therefore this cursed practice of imprisoning the Country's provision, hath ever been condemned by the Laws of Nations. These Cankers of the Commonwealth were by the ancients branded with odious appellations, commonly called by the old Romans, Dardanarians, vexers, scourgers, torturers, of the store of the year. 
c Annonam vexare et tentare vel maximè Dardanarii solent, quorum avaritia itum est tam mandatis quam costitutionibus. Ulpian. in leg. Anon. D. de extraordinar. criminio.  These Dardanarians (saith Ulpian their great Civilian) are they who chiefly do vex and persecute the annual provision, against whose Avarice Princes and States have always opposed the bars of edicts and constitutions.  
There is extantan Epistle or Edict of Apollonius, an ancient Governor, against those scourgers of the Country, by enforced Dearth and scarcity; the beginning whereof, in effect is this; 
d Terra communis omnium matter est, propterea iusta; vos autem iniusti, qui eam duntaxat vestram matrem esse voluistis; quod nisi ab huiusmodi incepto destiteritis, diutiùs vos in ea permanere non sinam. Epistol Apolloniꝭ ad a●nona vex●tores in princip.  The Earth (saith he) is the common mother of all, and therefore just, but you are unjust who would engross her wholly to yourselves, and make a monopoly of the Common mother, as if she were bound to be a mother only to you, and a stepmother to all her children beside: but if you desist not from your doings, I will take order that she shall not long be a mother unto you, but I will root you out of her, as being unworthy to be a burden unto her.  
I speak nothing of our national Laws, because I speak before them, who can better inform me herein, than I can others. The last Proclamation, together with the book, published by authority, for fuller declaration of his Majesty's mind and purpose, for preventing the Dearth by punishing these Dardanarians, hath breathed some life into the poor Country, from whom these do labour to take away life, by withholding the stay thereof. God put it into the hearts of Governors to act, as well as to enact; to perform, as well as to proclaim; that the Proclamation against these horders and hucksters be not like that Senatus consultum against the Mathematicians in Rome, 
e De Mathemalicis Italia pelend is factum Senatus consultum atrox et irritum. Tacit. Annal. l. 12. c. 52.  Atrox at irritum, fierce, but effectless: and that these may not be among us, 
f Genus hominum quod in Civitate nostra & vetabitur semper & retinebitur. Tacit. hist. l c. 22.  as the Historian complained, the others were among them, a kind of people always condemned, but ever reprived, if not acquitted. Affliction is ever fearful, and misery still mistrusteth the worst: No marvel then if the poor people do misdoubt, because there seemeth a door left open to these their oppressors, that they shall not carry their life from them without licence: wherefore finding after so much thunder by edicts, little lightning by effects, no lightning of their afflictions: they fear that they have cause to complain, We are all the worse for licenses. These fears would soon be removed, and peradventure these afflictions too, if but one or two of the offenders in a Country were punished for terror to the rest, 
Tacit, Annal. l. 2. c. 31.  as Pituanius and P. Martius were, when all the Mathematicians and Magicians were banished out of Italy.  
Three sorts of people are found among us, 
Application. Three sorts of people guilty of this sin.  guilty of this sin, and consequently liable to the ensuing Curse: 1. the greedy Farmar: 2. The covetous Merchant: 3. The cunning Huckster, or Badger, as they are called. I add these Epithets to distinguish between the guilty and the guiltless in every profession.  
The greedy Farmar sometimes withholds Corn by selling it; 
1. The greedy Farmer, who sometimes withholds Corn even in selling in.  withholding it from those who need it, to sell it to those who will make greater profit by it; so that the needy shall more need it: For who so selleth at a price too high for the poor, he withholds it from the poor, as he doth meat from a child, who sets it on a shelf whereto he cannot reach. Now what is this, but Captare pretia frumenti, to make the price too heavy, when either he will not send it to the Market, or if he send, will not sell but at his own price?  
Thou sayest, I thresh out my Corn as fast as I can, and do fell it, and therefore I am not guilty, I am no with-holder of Corne. Thou sellest, but to whom? to the poor? No, unless as the jews did, of whom Amos complained, that they sold the refuse of the Wheat, and yet at the price of the best, as if thou wouldst add to the badness of the grain, and want of measure, the greatness of the price, to make a sorry satisfaction. Thou sellest it, but to whom? to them who help thee to sell the rest the dearer, to the Merchant or Badger, who by exporting or transporting it farther, do cause it to be scarser and dearer at home. Thou sellest it, but where? at home, in private, and so causest the Markets to be unfurnished. For how canst thou have time to thresh for the Market, when all is too little to thresh for the Merchant, whom thou hast promised to furnish with so many scores of bushels by such a day. The Markets are the Commons of the common people, and of many who use good hospitality; let them be enclosed, soon will these grow lean: The Markets are their Magazines; if the poor buyers be not there provided, how shall their wants be supplied? The Markets are their Wells, if the covetous Farmers dry up these, as the envious Philistines did the Wells of Isaac, these poor sheep must needs perish. Thou sellest, but in what manner? In gross, or by such quantities as the poor cannot accomplish; whereas if thou wilt shun the curse threatened, and obtain the blessing promised, thou must do as the Word importeth in the second part of my Text, Perfringere frumenta, break it out from the heap by small parcels, as the poor do need for the present and are able to compass. Break thy Bread to the hungry; so break thy Corn by half bushels, by pecks, by gallons to the needy, as their ability meeteth with their necessity. To set a whole loaf before a child who hath neither strength to break, nor knife to cut, is not to feed him, but to famish him.  
I am not vancquainted with some of their Apologies: I have made a Purchase, or taken a Lease, or bought so much at a survey to be paid on such a day, and I must sell many Bushels together to make up a good sum of money, I cannot tarry the leisure of these lingering Markets. All this while I hear no arguments but drawn from the common place of thine own profit; and thou mayest remember that the buying of a Farm, and a yoke of Oxen excluded the unworthy guests from the great marriage Feast; these excuses are worse. Thou hast made a purchase, and the calamity of the Country must pay for it: thou hast bought a bargain, and thy poor brethren, their wives and children must pinch for it. A bad bargain (bare-gaine it may well be called) to buy the curses of God and man. Say not that I condemn purchasing, because I am no purchaser, God grant I never be in such manner. Buy Farms, take Leases, make bargains for Oxen, cattle, Corn, or what you will, as long as you wrong not your own souls, which you cannot choose but do, if you wrong or pinch the poor members of the Saviour of souls.  
The covetous Merchant is also free of the company of these Corne-catchers. 
2. The covetous Merchant.  He withholds Corn from the poor, by drawing it from Markets, to export it, or transport it into other parts or places whether nearer or more remote; especially out of the Land, and that without regard of Religion, or charity, or any thing else, save his own gain, which to him is godliness. Tros, Tyriusque, Protestant, Papist, Mahometan, English, French, Spanish, Barbarian, all are alike to him, so he may gain by them. The savour of lucre is sweet to him, though raked out of the puddle of the most filthy profession in Europe, or in all the world. Mistake me not, I traduce not the calling, not only lawful, but laudable, I may add, honourable, the second supporter of the Kingdom. Not the Lion and the Vnicorue, but the Plough and the Ship, under God, are the supporters of the Crown. The Merchants by their travels and adventures join together foreign Nations which the Sea hath set far asunder; they make remote Countries to be ours upon the matter, causing their commodities to be ours; casting with their Ships such a Bridge over the Ocean, that the chiefest, profits of both the Indies do come home to our houses. I have often yearned that they have been no better considered of, but suffered to be a prey to Dunkers abroad, and to as bad at home. I know that it is lawful to transport our commodities, particularly our Corn into other Nations, upon some conditions, as other Nations do make us partakers of their profits: yea, this sometimes may be done to those who are of another, that is, of an evil Religion. Nature teacheth this: The Egyptians relieved the Israelites in the Famine, 
g Gen. 43. 32.  though it were an abomination to the Egyptians, in their peevish superstition, to eat bread with the Hebrews, yet they would, in common humanity, afford them bread to eat by themselves. But this I affirm; to famish English, and to feed French or Spanish; to starve brethren, and to nourish enemies; to pinch the members of Christ, to preserve the limbs of Antichrist; to thrive by the death of Saints, and life of reprobates; this cannot possibly escape a curse; and all Merchants that use such courses, I can say no better of them, than a blessed Saint said at least three hundred years sithence, 
Basil.  They are all Mercatores humanarum calamitatum●… Merchants of men's calamities.  
The third sort are these whom we call Badgers of Corn, 
3. Hucksters, or Badgers of Corne.  who were not to be condemned for conveying Corn from those places where it may well be spared, to other places within the Country where there is more want, if they did not procure want in those places where it doth abound, nor forestall the Markets, but would take that which the Markets do leave, nor raise the price to make the poor to smart for it.  
Sufficient hath been said (I hope) to show the impiety, the inhumanity, the injustice of this sin of procuring a Dearth by withholding Corn; and that it is a lawless rebel against the laws of Grace, of Nature, 
The sin of withholding Corn, more hamous in our land, than in others.  of Nations. Let this be farther added and considered, that this oppression is the more cruel, and this cruelty the more heavy in our Land, where Corn serveth both for Bread and Drink; whereas other Countries by the benefits of the soil do abound with wine; or because of the heat of the Climate, are contented with water. But among us these with-holders' of Corn do doubly plague the poor people, starving them with hunger, and choking them with thirst; depriving them of that which they should both eat and drink. Our children do not say unto their mothers, 
Lament. 2, 12,  Where is Corn and Wine? Keep you the Wine, give unto their Mother's Corn, and they will find in it both bread and drink that shall content them as well as wine. But deny them Corn, you take from them bread, drink, life and all. Wherefore the curses of these Corn-mungers are likely to be doubled; for that is the recompense they must expect for their cursed covetousness, namely, curses: and as the mischief is common, so it is justly pursued with a common curse, the curses of the Commons, The People shall curse him.   

THE SECOND SERMON.  PRO. 11. 26. The People shall curse him. 
THE sin and the odiousness thereof to God and Man, hath been (in part) discovered, that it may be shunned; and shunned it will be the sooner, if the judgement threatened be seriously considered; which judgement is expressed in these words: The People shall curse him.  
Populares] So junius with some others, 
The sequel. The curses of the people.  do render the word, the Commons; or Popul●●…, as most do read, the People, implying a collective curse; as if there were a gathering of curses over the whole Country, and none (save such as himself) refused to contribute curses towards him. Not one man, not a few, but the whole Country (as with Hue-and-Cry) shall pursue him with curses. Execrabuntur, shall curse and ban him; or Maledicent, shall say all evil of him, and pray that evil may befall him. The Original word is very Emphatical, Persodient, they shall dig, or stab, or run him thorough with curses. A Metaphor borrowed from digging or stabbing; as who should say, the people with their curses shall dig on him, as with Mattockes, or run him thorough, as with Rapiers.  
A common crime still draws on a common curse. 
A common sin draws on a common curse.  God, in justice doth use to proportion the punishment to the offence. Who so hurteth or oppresseth many, must look to be cried out against, and to be cursed by many. The wings of their punishment shall spread as far as the tallands of their oppression, their judgement shall be of equal dimensions with their transgressions. Our Dearth-mongers, as they are procurers of a common calamity, must look to be pursued with a common outcry, the whole Country shall stab them with cursings, as they seek to stab it with starving.  
But is this such a punishment to be hunted with the clamours and curses of the people? Doubtless it is, when those curses are justly caused by wrongs done unto the people. In such cases we may safely lay down this assertion, 
Doct. 2.  that The People's curse, justly procured, is a fearful judgement.  
Hardly can there be a greater plague, 
A fearful thing to be justly cursed by the people.  then to be pursued by the clamours and curses of the people for oppressing them. Here we must distinguish, that we may the more safely teach: The people's curse is twofold, 
The people's curse twofold.  either caused, or causeless; just, or unjust; either justly procured by some real wrong insticted on them; 
1. Causeless or unjust, this not to be feared or regarded.  or unjustly vented out of error or malice, where no just cause hath been given. Solomon himself affordeth us this distinction, saying, 
a Pro. 6▪ 2.  As the Bird by wand'ring, and the Swallow by flying, do escape, so the causeless curse shall not come to pass. 
b Sciendum est quòd scriptura sacra duobus modis maledictum memorat, aliud videlicet quod approbat, aliud quod damnat. Aliud enim maledictum profortur iudicio iustitiae, aliud livore vindictae Greg. Moral. l. 4. c. 5.  Where he showeth, that there is a causeless curse, which is not to be feared: when people out of spleen, or because their corrupt humours are not satisfied, do fly to the fools Asylum, or shelter of execrations or curses. Such are the curses of some impudent and insatiable beggars: such are the curses of some desperate malefactors against the judges, when they are sentenced according to Laws and their deservings: such are the curses of Roarers, sons of Belial, against zealous Ministers, for discharging their duties. Hence jeremy complained, that he was causelessly cursed; 
c jer. 15. 10.  I have not lent on usury, neither have men lent to me on usury, yet every one doth curse me.  

d Exhortation to Magistrates and Officers to do their duties though the people do causelessly curse them.  And it is not unprobable that some of you (worthy Magistrates) for diligence in doing your duties, and for your laudable endeavours to furnish the Markets by drawing forth the Corn out of the bands of horders, and the hands of hucksters, shall carry away some curses from the mouches or in the minds, of these mizars. 'Tis not unlikely, but that some of them (such is their charity) will reward you with curses, even for this your care to prevent the curses of the people upon them. But be not discouraged, Solomon hath secured you against such airy execrations. These breath-bullets shall not pierce you; these Spears of Reed, and Swords of Bulrushes shall not so much as prick your reputations, much less your consciences. 
Such curses shall not hurt their credits or consciences, but rebound on those who do use them.  The bubbles of such curses shall fall into the faces and eyes of those who blow them up: like madmen they run at you with the hilt, but the point of the sword runneth into their own breast. Let that be your refuge which was David's in the like case, even flying unto the Lord, 
e Psa. 109. 28.  Let them curse, but bless thou. Say you by them as he did by Shimei, when he cursed him, 
f 2 Sam 16. 12. For such curses God will bless them.  God will requite good for such cursing. If for doing justice, you be unjustly pursued with virulent tongues, the same promise appertaineth unto you, which the fountain of blessedness hath made unto us: 
g Mat. 5. 11. 12  Blessed are ye when men revile you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. Their curses are but like the Pope's Bruta fulmina, his banning Bulls, which the more loudly they bellowed against Queen Elizabeth, of blessed memory, the better she prospered, the more she was blessed 
h Beati super quos talis maledictio cadit. utinam ut super nos ista maledictio veniat. Euseb. Emis. seu. ser. 4. post. 4, Domini.   
Therefore, 
i I●ai 51. 7.  Fear not the reproach of men, neither be afraid of their revile; but, 
k lsai 8. 13.  Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, let him be your fear, let him be your dread. Rest in the blessing of the Lord, 
l Ephe. 1. 3.  Who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ. Let these causeless curses be so far from hindering or disheartening you in your lawful courses, as that you do rather rejoice in them, and bind them as crowns to your heads; and be you assured that the promise God made to Abraham, belongeth to every child of his, continuing in his faith and obedience, and so particularly unto you, 
m Gen. 12. 3.  I will bless them that bless thee, and will curse him that curseth thee.  
chose, formidable is that curse which is extorted by oppression, 
3. The justly caused curse of the poor & oppressed, this is very fearful.  and vented forth from a breast surcharged with vexation. No Iron Bullet, driven by the strongest powder, from the mouth of a Cannon, is more terrible and tearing. Such a curse being shot from earth, mounteth up to heaven; and being sent up from man, is sealed by God. It is true, that the common people do commonly err and offend herein; their curses, many times are their fooles-bolts, shot without aim, and falling without hurt, save to themselves. But many times they are enforced, by grievous pressures, to shoot these arrows against their oppressors; and then they hit surely, and wound deeply. In this case the people have a legative power like the Pastors, What they bind on earth, is bound in heaven. Here the voice of the people, especially of the poor, the people of God, is the voice of the God of the people. Therefore we find in Scripture, that the curse of the people, and a woe from God, are all one upon the reckoning. Our Wise man saith, in this book, 
n Prou. 24. 24. See Pro. 17. 15  He that saith unto the wicked, thou art righteous, the people shall curse him. The Prophet Isay, inveighing against the same sin, saith, 
o Isai 5. 30. 23  Woe to him that justifieth the wicked for a reward. Here you see that God addeth a woe to that sin whereon the people do affix a curse: a curse extorted from them is sealed with a woe denounced by Him; ᵖ whose curses, as they are never discharged without just cause, so they never return without effect.  
Hear and tremble all ye Nimrods', 
Use.  all you rough-handed Esawes, 
Terror to all oppressors of the poor.  grinders of the poor, oppressors of the people. Think not to fillip off these curses which your cruelties have squeised from them, 
Vt quidam memoratur Athenis sordidus & diues vulgi cont●mnere voces Sic solitus, Populus me sibilat ac mihi plaudo Ipse domi quoties nummos contemplor in arca.  with Tush, what care I what the people say? The Fox, the more he is cursed, the better he fares. 
q Maledictio divina sicut nunquam temerè emittitur ita nunquam re infecta revertitur. Cartw● ad Text.  Let them curse and spare not, as long as such curses do fill my Coffers. Know you, that the curse of the people, justly caused, is a vapour exhaled from earth; or rather indeed a thunder, which causeth a thunderbolt to be cast down from heaven. Let the oppressor post from it as fast as he can, it shall overtake him (r as the arrow of jehu did jehoram) and smite him between his arms, 
Horat. l 1. sat. 1 ● 2 King. 9 24  and run thorough his heart; let him fence himself with the best ammunition that he may, it shall pierce him thorough. No coat of male shall rebate the edge, no armour of proof shall bear off the stroke of the people's curse, when it is edged with justly conceived passion and backed by the Almighty's approbation. Wise men therefore will hearken unto the counsel of wise Syrachides; 
s Ecel 4 2, 3, 5, 6.  Make not an hungry soul sorrowful, neither provoke a man that is in distress. Add not more trouble to an heart that is vexed, defer not to give to him that is in need. Turn not thine eyes from the needy, and give him no occasion to curse thee; for if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him.  
And among all grinders of the poor, 
Especially to Corn horders.  tremble you who withhold from them that which they should grind for the necessary sustenance of life, and so grind them the more, because you keep them from grinding. You rural Tyrants, who, by withholding your Corn, do enforce the miserable people to fly to their for lost hope of ringing a peal of curses, against your covetousness, in the ears of the Almighty. If 
z jam. 5. 4.  the hire of the labourers, who have reaped down your fields, being by fraud kept back, cryeth, and those cries do enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath: then doubtless, the deserved curses of those who are ready to perish, because you will not so much as fell unto them that which they laboured to reap, and to save for you, and which without the sweat of their brows, and galling of their hands, you could not have saved, do sound like a volley of shot in the ears of the God of mercies, and will awake him to take vengeance on your cursed cruelties. 
u Exod. 2●. 22, 23, 24.  If any widow or fatherless child be afflicted by thee (saith the Lord) and in their affliction do at all cry unto me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the Sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. Will God hear the cry of one widow, of one fatherless child, being afflicted, and can his ears be shut at the general cry of the whole multitude, among whom are so many widows, so many Orphans, and some of them (doubtless) his own children, the sons and daughters of his dear Saints, the linely members of his only begotten son Christ jesus?  
And that these enforced curses are not always effectless in this life, 
That these curses are not effectless in this life, showed by examples.  witness the fearful judgements which God hath inflicted on some Nabals for terror unto others. I could tell you old Chronicle-stories out of Matthew Paris, and others, of terrible examples in our own Land, upon offenders in this kind. 
A story out of Matthew Paris, of Walter Grey, Archbishop of York, a covetous Corn-horder.  As that of Walter Grey, a Archbishop of York, in the year of grace, 1234. Who having five years' Corn underhand, would not thresh it out for the relief of the poor in three years' famine, hoping still that the price would increase. Being advertised by his Officers that it was greatly to be feared, lest the Corn were consumed by Mice, 
An. Dom. 1234.  he willed them to deliver it to the Husbandmen, who dwelled in his Manor, upon condition that they should pay him as much new Wheat for it after Harvest. They attempting to take down a great mow of Corn which he had at Rippon, saw the heads of many Snakes, and Toads, and other venomous creatures peering out at the end of the sheaves. This being related to the Archbishop, he sent his Steward with diverse of good credit to inquire the truth thereof, who seeing what others had seen, enforced, not withstanding, certain poor men to go up to the top with ladders. They were scarcely up, when they saw a great smoke arising out of the corn, and felt withal a loathsome stink, which compelled them with all haste possible to hie them down again: Moreover, they heard an unknown voice saying unto them, Let the Corn alone, for the Archbishop and all that he hath, belongeth to the Devil. In fine (saith the Story) they were fain to build a wall about the corn, and then to set it on fire, fearing lest such an huge number of venomous creatures should empoison, at least annoy the whole Country. I could tell you out of foreign Authors, of a 
x Another of a Germane Bishop devoured by Rats. Anno 930.  Germane Bishop, who in time of dearth kept in his Corn, and called the poor which came about him begging relief, the Rats and Mice which devoured his Corne. But God retorted his malicious scum upon his own head; 
Hatto Episcopus Moguntinensis.— Nomineq idem Episcopus et Pastor, sed reipsa Lupus. Scribunt quidam quòd mures quoque●o men eius detentes a parietibus et tapetibus aebraserint.— Ind & in hodiernum diem turris ipsa, turris muri●m vocatu. job Fincel. Andr. Housdorphius. Phil. Laui●er. in theat. histor. Theod. Zuinger. in Theat. vit. human. l. 18. Ravisius Textor.  for he himself was soon after devoured alive by Rats and Mice, notwithstanding that he immured himself in a strong Tower, which is reported to be yet standing, and in the name it beareth to retain a memorial of the strange judgement.  
I had rather prefer to your consideration the pious action of 
y B. Godwin. Catalogue of English Bishops.  Ethelwald, a Bishop of Winchester, before the Conquest, who in a great Dearth, did break up all the Plate belonging to his Church, and gave it to the poor, saying, that the Church in good time might be provided of necessary ornaments, but the poor that perished for want of food, could not be recovered.  
But these examples of ancient times do less affect, and may be held fabulous. 
z The effect of these curses in latter times, wherein some of these Nabals have hanged themselves, when the price of Corn hath fallen.  That God hath made the curses of the poor effectual upon such covetous Corne-horders, even in recent remembrance, may appear by this, that some of this cursed crew have become their own executioners, and in kindness have saved the Hangman a labour by haltering themselves, when contrary to their expectation, the price of corn hath suddenly fallen: and this both in other Countries, and among us, as 
a Lavater, Cartwright ad Text.  Divines of good reputation have delivered upon their own knowledge.  
But worst of all will be, 
The greatest curse of all, at the day of judgement.  when Christ at the great and terrible day of his coming shall add unto all these the insupportable weight of his heavy and intolerable curse, when he shall say unto these, as unto others (in some respects more excusable than these) 
b Mat. 25. 41, 42.  Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; for I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat, I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink: nay, you would not so much as sell me meat and drink for ready money, and at a dear rate, when by relieving me you might have enriched yourselves; by feeding me, you might have filled your own purses. Oh what shall be said to them who will not sell for money, when Depart from me ye cursed, is the mildest word that Christ shall afford them, who would not give freely? What Hell shall be hot enough for those that will not sell, when Hell fire is prepared for those who would not give?  
Shall I speak now unto the deaf Adder, who will not hear the voice of the Charmer? shall I lose my sweet words by spending them on stones or stony hearts, who regard not the Law of God, the command of the King, the cry of the Country, the curses of the people, the tears distilling down the widow's cheeks, the sighs exhaled from Orphant's fainting tongues, the ruthful spectacles of hunger-starved scellitons, whose very sight-might dissolve eyes of adamant into tears? they who are not moved by any of these, by all of these, what hope is there that they will be mollified by my weak words? But a necessity is laid upon us, and we must speak; for if we should be silent, the stones would even cry out against these, whose hearts are harder than the neither Millstone. If they will not hear us, let them yet tremble at this determinate speech of God himself by Solomon, Captans pretia frumenti maledictus est in plebe: He is cursed by the people who catcheth at advantages by the price of Corne. The sentence is peremptory (
c Definita est sententia, nihil disputationi relinquens. Ambros. Offic. l. 3. c. 6.  saith a Saint) leaving no place for disputation. If thou dost so, pretend what thou wilt, fill thy mouth with arguments, cast the best colour on the matter that thou canst, all thy fig-leaved Apologies will not fence thee from the curse.  
Thou wilt say peradventure, 
Objections answered.  I do no man wrong, I keep but mine own, I may sell mine own when I please; Is it not lawful for me to do with mine own what I list? 
1. May I not do with mine own as I list?   
But know, first, that thou abusest the words of Christ, 
Answ.  He only (because he is Lord of all) may do with his own what pleaseth him. 
Christ only may do with his own as he list.  Man cannot, because he is not absolute owner of any thing; for what hath he that he hath not received: He must therefore do with his own, that which pleaseth the Supreme owner of all things. 
Man cannot, who can call properly nothing his own save his sin.  Again, call it thine own; it is not lawful for thee to do with thine own what thou wilt, unless thou wilt do that which is lawful and right. Thou mayst not use thine own to the hurt of another man. 
Men may not use their own to the hurt of others.  Thou mayest not murder with thine own sword, nor make men drunk with thine own drink, nor burn thy neighbour's house with thine own fire. God, who is the owner of the earth, telleth thee that thou mayest not withhold his (which thou unproperly callest thy) Corn, thereby to famish and impoverish thy brethren. 
It is damnable to withhold our own when others are ready to perish for want of that which we may well spare.  The purple Glutton fries in hell fire for withholding his own bread from poor Lazarus, lying at his gate. It cost Nabals' life, for denying his own bread and victuals to David and his followers, when he kindly craved it in his need. What canst thou expect then, who wilt rather be cursed by the poor, than sell thine own to them at a reasonable rate in their necessity? Know this therefore, that this Corn is not thine own, but it belongeth rather to the poor when they need it, and thou canst well afford it. Thou takest from them that which is theirs, by withholding from them that which thou callest thine. Thou dost wrong enough, in not doing right; thou exercisest cruelty, in not showing mercy; thou killest all, from whom thou keepest that which should keep them alive. Is he a thief that takes from a man his own, and makes him to be in want? What is he less, that will not sell a poor man his own when he is in want? It is the worst kind of covetousness (saith a 
d Videatur D. Basilius ser. 1. in Auaros.  Saint) not to give to those who are ready to perish, that which otherwise will perish; what is it than not to sell it unto them? Thou sayest (saith the same) To whom do I wrong, if I keep mine own? I demand of thee again (in the words of that blessed man) What are those things thou callest thine own? Thou answerest, why? my Coin, my Clothes, my Corne. But how came these things to be thine own? Didst thou bring them with thee into the world? Didst thou not come naked out of thy mother's womb? Shalt thou not return naked again? Whence then hast thou these things? If thou sayest, I got them by chance, or it is my good fortune that I have them; thou dost not acknowledge the author and disposer of all things, thou art unthankful, thou art no better than an Atheist. If thou confessest thou hast them from God, that he gave them unto thee; then tell me, why did God give them unto thee rather than unto another? For God is not unjust, or one that knoweth not how to divide his own gifts in equal proportions. Why then hath God given thee so much, and him so little? Why art thou rich, and he poor? Certainly for no other cause, but that thy fullness might supply his want, and that both might, doing their duties, obtain of him a reward; thou of faithful distributing, and he of his patient enduring. If all were rich, what praise were there of patience? If all were poor, who should be able to show charity? If there were, in this kind, an equality, two precious virtues would be vile or not at all, Charity and Patience. Therefore the most prudent disposer of all things, hath most providently ordained this inequality, that as the patience of the poor is exercised in wanting, so the charity of the rich may be showed in relieving. But thou, gripping all in the tallands of thine insatiable Avarice, and thereby depriving so many of their portions, sayest thou keepest but thine own, and thou wrongest no man. Thou dost herein (saith the same blessed Bishop) as if entering into a Theatre, thou keep, or drive out all other spectators, as though those shows, which were provided for all, were proper to thee alone: or, as if invited to a feast by a great friend, together with many other guests as good, or better than thyself, thou shouldest sit down at the table, and keep all the dishes to thyself, excluding the rest, as if the whole dinner were provided for thee alone. Yet still thou sayest, I keep but mine own, I do no man wrong. But tell me sadly, Who is a covetous man? He who is not contented with that which is sufficient, but still craveth more. Tell me again, who is a thief? He who takes away that which is another man's. Art not thou then covetous, who art not contented with that which is too much, and which would well content an hundred men, as good, and as dear bought by Christ, as thou art? Art not thou a thief, who keepest that to thyself which thou hast received of thy Lord and Master to distribute and divide among thy fellow-servants, thine own portion (and that double, treble, yea seven to one of theirs) being allowed thee? Shall he who takes away a man's garment from him, be called a robber, and shall not he who will not cloth the naked, if he be able, be also a spoiler? Shall he who kills a man with a sword, be called a murderer, and shall he be any better that withholdeth from him that whereof the want will shortly kill him? Doth not he put out the Lamp that poureth not oil into it, as well as he that blows it out? Doth not he put out the fire that puts not on wood, as well as he that throws on water? What's the odds, but that which the murderer doth suddenly, thou dost it leisurely and lingeringly, and so art the more cruel murderer of the two; because thou dost not quickly dispatch, but doublest 
c Tristior est laetho, laethi mora.  Death by delaying, and 
d Prob saevior ense Parcendi rabies concessaque vit● dolori. Claudian.  extendest life only for greater torment; not so merciful as a courteous hangman, that leaps on the shoulders, or pulls by the heels, to put out of pain; but rather as cruel as that 
e Lutum sanguine. maceratum. Caligula●  Tyrant, who was said to be nothing but mortar made of blood, not contented to put innocents unto death 
f Ita feriut sentiant se meri, Sueton.  unless the Executioner did so strike them, that they might be sensible of their dying. Never say then that thou keepest but thine own. It is the bread of the hungry which thou detainest; it is the garment of the naked which thou sufferest to lie Moth-eaten in thy press; It is the gold and silver of the needy, which rusteth in thy Coffer: It is the Corn of the poor, ready to dye with hunger, which thou sufferest to moulder in thy Mow or Barn. Never say, thou dost no man wrong. Thou wrongest so many as thou dost not relieve, being able. Callest thou thyself a Christian, and arguest thou thus, quite contrary to the rules of Christianity? Answer once an Heathen who never knew Christ and his Gospel, unto his short question: Cur eget indignus quisquam te divite? 
Horat.   
Why seest thou any one to want; who is unworthy, while thou dost abound? Art thou not unnatural, who sufferest that which nature cannot endure, vacuity? Art thou worthy to breathe the air, who wilt not endeavour to do as the air doth, shift some of itself from places that are oner-full, to others that are empty? How canst thou call thyself a Christian, when the members of Christ do quiver with cold for want of that which doth cloth the Moths in thy press? Or to want necessaries, for lack of that which the rust consumes in thy bags, or starve for need of of that which relieveth Rats and Mice in thy Barns? He is a bad servant who will flaunt it in silks himself, gotten by his master's goods, and glut himself with the choicest food, and see his Master's children, (yea the Master himself in them) go naked, or ready to starve for want of bread.  
But did not religious joseph in the years of plenty, 
Obiect. 2.  gather and keep up Corn, which he sold afterward in the years of famine? 
Joseph's example answered.  He did so, and that lawfully; for you have been told that there is a lawful storing up of Corn, when it is done, as joseph did, not to procure a Dearth, but to prevent it, or to be the better provided against it. 
i Fortasse dicet. Et Ioseph in abundantia frum●nta collegit, in caritate vendidit. joseph sanctus omnibus aperuit horrea, non clausit, nec pretia captavit annonae, sed perenne subsidium collecavit, nihil sibi acquisivit, sed quemadmodum fames etiam in posterum vinceretur provida ordinatione disposuit. Ambr. Offic. l. 3 c. 6.  Godly joseph opened his Garners in the years of famine he did not shut them; his intent was not to raise the price, but to provide a supply against the time of want. He gathered and kept not for himself, but for others, even for strangers: thou withholdest it from neighbours, and wilt suffer vile vermin to feed on it, rather than thy brethren. Shamest thou not to allege the example of joseph, whose care for the common good so directly condemneth thy covetousness, who carest for none but for thyself.  

k Object. 3. Gedeons' example. judg. 6. 11. Answered, B. o● Exon. Contemplate. vol. 3. l. 9 Gedeons' calling.  But do we not read that Gedeon threshed out his Corn, not to sell it, but to hide it, and yet is not blamed for so doing?  
He did. But when did he hide his Corn? in time of invasion by the enemy. His Garner might be closer and safer than his Barn. And from whom did he hide it? not from his neighbours, but from his and their enemies, the Midianites. Thy course is quite contrary. Then the Israelites threshed out their corn to hide it from the Midianites: but our Midianites will not thresh out theirs, or if they do, it is to hide it from the Israelites. The Sword of the Lord and of Gedeon (the godly Magistrate) be against such merciless Midianites.  

l Famine, agrievous judgement.  Dearth and Famine is one of the most grievous judgements which God inflicteth on a sinful Nation. 
m Ezech. 6. 11  Thou shalt fall by the Sword, by Famine, and by the Pestilence. These are the three rods wherewith God useth to scourge a wanton and wicked people. I know that some grave 
n B. Cowper on Rom. 8. 35.  Divines do affirm Famine to be the easiest of the three, because God, who best knows the weight of his own rods, accounteth three day's Pestilence, and three months of the sword, equal with seven years' famine. But this to me seemeth no sufficient reason: sure I am, that David, in his hard choice, preferred pestilence before it; 
* 2 Sam. 24. 14, 15.  and it is not probable, that he would choose the heaviest punishment. Besides, the Prophet jeremy saith, 
o Lamen. 4. 9 Dira fames semper magnorum prima malorum 1st comes●● Lucand●.  They that be slain by the sword, are better than they that be stain by hunger. Moreover, this scourge of famine is the worse and the more intolerable for the miseries and mischiefs that do commonly attend it. Pestilence often is the companion of it, robberies, rebellions, outrages and other enormities are the Pages that do wait upon it. Dire famine! thou hast taught tender-hearted Mothers to turn Cannibals, and to become Butchers, cooks, carvers, eaters of their own children: Thou hast taught men to exceed Cannibals, and for want of other food to devour their own flesh, and as much as they might, to eat up themselves. For this jeremy most lamenteth, as for the most lamentable judgement, 
p Lam 2. 11, 12  Mine eye doth fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and sucklings do swowne in the streets of the Catie. They say unto their Mothers, where is corn and wine? They swooned as the wounded in the streets of the City, their soul is poured out into their Mother's bosom. That which follows is most pathetical; 
q Lam. 2. 20.  Shall the women eat their own fruit, and their children of aspan long?  
Now it is proper to the Lord alone to punish a sinful Nation. 
It▪ is proper to God alone to punish a sinful Nation with famine or any other judgement.  He knows when it is fittest to whip a people with famine, and he hath ways enough to bring such a calamity on a Country whensoever it pleaseth him: 
r Psal 107. 34.  A fruitful land he turneth into barrenness, for the wickedness of the people that dwell therein. Sometimes 
s Leu. 26. 29.  he makes the heavens above as brass, and the earth beneath as iron: so that albeit men do labour and sow, yet they receive no increase. Sometimes again, 
t Deut. 11. 14.  he giveth the former and the later rain in due season, so that the earth yieldeth abundance; but the Lord sending blasts, rusts, Meldewes, Caterpillars, Cankerworms, doth cause the hope of the year to fail: as if such worthless creatures were more worthy to enjoy the fruits of the earth, then sinful and unthankful man: sometimes even when the Corn is not yet reaped, but expecteth the hook, or while it standeth in the field awaiting to be housed in the Barn, God sends airy threshers, violent winds, to beat it out of the ear; the furrows of the field do become the threshing-floore; the Wheat is sowed where it grew, and that without the help of hand, plough or harrow: thus harvest, threshing, and seedtime do untimely meet together, as they did some few years since. Our crying sins, 
We have deserved to be thus scourged  particularly the vile abuse of the creature by Drunkenness and riot, have called for vengeance, and we have deserved to be scourged, not only with famine, but with the other two rods, with sword also and with pestilence.  
But this Dearth is not inflicted immediately by the hand of God, 
But this Famine is not inflicted immediately by God, but enforced by the cruel covetousness of Men.  but enforced by wicked men's cruel covetousness. God hath not broken the staff of bread, but churlish Nabals have gotten it into their own fists, and withhold it from the people who should be supported by it. We cannot complain, 
u joel 1. 10.  The field is wasted, and yet the Land mourneth; the Corn is not wasted, but withheld. God hath not sent want of bread, but covetousness hath caused cleanness of teeth. God hath not smitten us with blasting, nor sent Caterpillars, nor Cankerworms, but the Devil hath raised up Caterpillars and Locusts, those 
x Frumentarii pretii captatores, Amb Offic. ●. 3. c. 6.  Catchers at the Dearth of Corn (as the Father styleth them) and these do make a private gain of a public detriment, improving that as a profit to themselves, which God ordained as a plague for sinners; 
y Hos. 2. 21, 22  The Lord hath heard the heavens, and the heavens have heard the earth, and the earth hath heard the corn; but those earthworms will not hear the voice of the Lord, nor the crying complaints of the poor. The earth hath answered the expectation of the sour, but cannot answer the unsatiable greediness of the seller. Many men's Barns are full of Corn, but their breasts are empty of compassion: their Garners are stuffed and stored; two years grain under hand in many men's keeping, yet they still gape for a greater dearth, and do their best, or rather worst to procure it. They suffer their Mow-hayes to stand laden with corn near the highways, in the open view of the poor, the more to anger their hunger. Thus they bring upon their brethren on earth a torment, much like that which Poets devised for Tantalus in Hell, to have fair apples at his lips, and yet to pine with hunger; and in the midst of fair water up to the chin, to perish with thirst. 
z Ezech. 5. 16.  These arrows of famine that have wounded our sides, had less afflicted us, had they been shot directly from the just hand of God; him we could have entreated with our prayers, mollified with our tears, pacified with our repentance; But nothing can prevail with impenetrable Avarice: 
a Sam. 24. 14  O let us fall into the hands of God (for his mercies are great) but let us not fall into the hands of merciless men. If our sins must needs be scourged, let not greater sinners be the Beadles: Who hath given you commission to be the Country's hangmen? where is your warrant to thrust yourselves into the seat of God's justice; or to take his quiver and to shoot against his children those arrows which he keepeth against his enemies? You may indeed, for a while, be the rods of God's wrath (as Ashur was to Israel) but upon our true repentance, God will turn his wrath from us, upon you: and the child being humbred, the rod shall be cast into the fire.  
O insatiable Avarice! 
An invective against covetousness.  Doth not the earth yield thee sufficient increase? what meanest thou to plow and harrow the very guts of thy poor brother for greater gain? Now it is far worse than they said it was in the beginning of the iron-age; for then Covetousness 
b Itum est in viscera terrae.  went but into the bowels of the earth; but now men 
c Itum est in viscera fratrum  dig into the bowels of their brethren, yea, 
d Itum est in viscera Christi.  they delve into the bowels of Christ himself for coin.  
Call ye me this Usury, or rather Felony? 
* These Corn-horders worse than Usurers. Latrocinium hoc an foenus appellem? Captantur tanquam latrociniꝭ tempora quibus in vis●era hominum clarus insidiator obrepas Ambr▪ ubi supr.  Usury itself is charitable in respect of this. Usury yet sends abroad money for money; this rural sacrilege will not sell corn for coin. Usury indeed biteth, but this killeth by keeping away that which should sustain life. Usury by money stealeth money out of men's purses (as one by pouring a little water into a dry Pump, forceth out a great deal more) but this Burglary breaketh into men's bowels, and robbeth them of that which should maintain them. Is not this gain more odious, more base than that of the Emperor, who extracted gold out of Urine? I perceive, that among our Pagan-Christians, it holds as currant as it did among the Pagans; 
e Lucri bonus est odor ex re Qualibet— Iwenal  Sweet is the scent of Silver, out of what sink soever it be raked: seeing to these Horseleeches gain is sweet, though sucked out of the bowels of their brethren.  
Oh, if you have any bowels yourselves, or have not drunk up that obdurate river, 
f Flumen habent Cicones quod potum saxea reddit Viscera, quod tactis inducit marmora rebus Ouid. M●tam.  which is reported to turn the bowels of the drinker into hard marble; look once over the threshold of your poor neighbour, some poor coater, some daily labourer, for his groat or three pence a day, groaning under the burden of an heavy house-rent, with a house full of small children on the bargain; and if you will not enter in, yet stand without a while, and become officious Euesdroppers, listen to the piteous complaints that are among them. There may you see, 
The pitiful estate of poor labourers in these hard times, deplored.  or hear the woeful mother, with her eldest daughter, the one carding or knitting, the other spinning a sorry thread, and singing to her turn an heavy tune of some sorrowful Psalm; as, O Lord consider my distress; or, O Lord how are my foes increased; or, Help Lord, for good and godly men do perish and decay: Then awakes the poor sucking Infant, and crying, interrupts both work and music: The mother takes it up, and gives it suck with tears, for with milk she cannot. Alas! how can the infant draw milk from the breast, when the Nurse cannot get meat for the belly: Mother, saith another child, when shall we eat? Mother, saith another, where is bread? O mother, saith another, I am so hungry I know not what to do. Thus the feeble children do call upon the woeful mother, she complains to the sad father, he answers her with piteous complaints against the pitiless neighbours; Alas! What shall I do? I have been at goodman— such a ones house; from him I went to goodman— such a one (good men with a mischief, that have not a mite of goodness in them, because no compassion on their miserable fellow-members,) I have been over the Parish, I have been out of the Parish, with money in my hand, and cannot get a peck of Barley: they have it, but they say they cannot spare it. O miserable condition! the poor man is put to a double labour; first, to get a little money for Corn, and then to get a little Corn for money, and this last is the hardest labour: he might have earned almost half a Bushel, while he ruunes about begging to buy half a peck. Thus do our Country- Pharaohs make their brethren bondslaves, enforcing them to make Brick, and denying them Straw; crying, Hang them, hang them if they steal, yet not setting them on work, nor relieving them when they have wrought, and so enforcing them either to steal or to starve.  
Remember, O ye Palmer-wormes remember, your predecessor, the rich fool in the Gospel. 
h Luk. 12. 16. Quid faciam? Nun haec pauperis vox est, non habentis subsidia vivendi?— Quid faciam (inquit) quòd non habeo? Clamat sedives non habere; Paupertatis hic Sermo est, de inopia queritur abundans fructibus.— Et dixit, Hoc faciam, horrea mea destruam. Diceret potius, Aperiam horrea mea, ingrediantur qui tolerare famem non queunt, veniant inopes, intrent pauperes, repleant sinus suos. Desiruantur parietes qui excludunt esarientes. Vt quid ego abscondam cui Deus facit ab indare quod l●rgior? Ambros. l de Nabuth c 6. Id. ibid. c. 7. Dam incrementa pretiorum aucupor, amisi usum beneficiorum. Quantas anni superioris frumento animas pauperum reseruare possem? Haec me magis delectarent pretia, quae non nummo aestimantur sed gratia:— Tu verò non h●c ditis, sed ais. De ruam horrea mea Recte destiues ea quibus nullus pauper onustus revertitur, etc.  The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plenteously. And he thought with himself, What shall I do, because I have no room to bestow my fruits? What shalt thou do, man? Hast thou so much that thou knowest not what to do with thy goods? I will tell thee what thou shalt do: Give to the poor out of thine abundance; if thou wilt not do so, yet sell to them at a reasonable price. What shalt thou do? why? make the guts of the poor thy Garnors; their bowels, thy Barns; their empty maws, thy Mow-hayes; so shalt thou be sure that both thy substance and thy soul shall be safe. How? no, I'll none of that. Why? what wilt thou do then? I know what I will do: I will pull down my Barns, and build greater. Nay, soft and fair, thou mayest save charges and labour; for, O fool, this might shall they take away thy soul from thee. So let thine enemies perish, O Lord, even all these who are enemies to those whom thou most befriendest, the poor and indigent: unless it rather please thee (which we most desire) to give them grace to turn merciful, that so thou mayest have mercy upon them: and unless it please thee to give them wisdom from above, to fly from the curse, by forsaking the cursed sin which procureth it, and to buy a blessing at so cheap an hand, as by selling the superfluity of their Corn, having reserved sufficient for their own provision: For, Blessings shall be on the head of him who selleth it.   

THE THIRD SERMON.  PRO. 11. 26. But blessing shall be upon the head of him who selleth it. 
I Have almost been tired on Mount Ebal, 
The second part of the Text, wherein it is to be considered.  the Mountain of Cursing; Whereunto the first part of my Text necessarily tasked me. I do therefore (after some pause) the more willingly climb the Mount Gerizim, the Mountain of blessing, whereunto the second part doth lead me; and glad I am to follow, because the ascent is easy, and the top excellent. The ascent I call the Duty, which is selling, than which, what more easy? By the top I understand the recompense, which is no less than Blessing; than which, what more excellent?  But blessing shall be on the head of him who selleth it. 
Consider we first, 
1 The Duty to be performed▪ Selling.  the duty, which is selling of Corn, opposite to the sin of withholding it.  
That selleth.] 
Perfringentis Metaphora à rebus fractis▪ Cartwright ad locum.  The Original word importeth breaking, or dividing. The meaning is, that Corn must be broken from the heap, and by small portions distributed abroad among many, according to the necessity and ability of the buyer; that they who cannot reach a Bushel, may have a Peck, or half a Peck, for their money. The like phrases are frequent in Scripture: Break thy bread unto the hungry.— Give a portion unto seven— As a loaf of bread is broken and divided among many, that every one may have some, and not one all; so Corn is to be broken from the heap, and not to be sold by the heap to engrossers, and to such as will make a commodity by retailing it at a dearer rate, but in smaller portions to be divided and subdivided to the poorer sort of people who do buy for necessity. Thus to sell (especially in such seasons as these) is a work of charity, and shall not want a reward; for it shall receive a blessing. So that There is a Charity sometimes in selling. 
Doct. 3.   
There are three principal deeds of Charity: 
There is a charity in selling, as well as in giving.  1. Giving, 2. Lending, 3. Selling. Giving is the chiefest and most noble; It is more blessed to give, than to receive; and therein man doth most resemble God, 
a 1 Tim. 6. 17.  Who giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy. Lending is next, if it be free lending; 
b Psalm.  A good man is merciful and dareth, saith the Psalmist. Selling is the last, yet this also (rightly performed) wanteth not a blessing. The holy Ghost in Scripture prescribeth rules for selling, giving a charge, that 
c 1 Thes. 4. 6.  No man do circumvent or defraud another in bargaining. 
d Act. 16. 14.  Lydia, a seller of purple, is praised, and said also to be a worshipper of God. In the last Chapter of this book, the godly Matron is commended, not only (though chiefly) for her bounty in giving, 
e Prou. 31. 20  Pro. 31. 20. She stretcheth forth her hands to the poor, yea, she spreadeth them out to the needy; but also for her selling; She maketh fine wool, 
Vers. 24.  and selleth it, and delivereth girdles to the Merchants.  
Behold herein, 
Use 1.  and acknowledge the gracious indulgence and great kindness of our heavenly Father, 
To teach us to acknowledge God's goodness in accepting any Service done at his command, though for our own profit.  and Master to us his poor children and servants. He imposeth no hard task upon us. Christ may well say, 
f Mat. 11. 30.  My yoke is easy, and my burden light: If there be any hardness in any of his precepts, it is mollified again with some mild qualification. 
g Chrysost. ad pop. Antioch. hom. 65.  Canst thou not (saith a Saint) keep virginity? God gives thee leave to marry: Canst thou not fast? God gives thee leave to eat: Hast thou a great charge, many of thine own to be provided for, so that it is not for thine ease to give? Behold, God giveth thee leave to sell, yea, promiseth a blessing where thou makest a benefit.  

h Luk. 12. 33.  Sell that you have, and give alms, saith our Saviour: Is that somewhat hard to sell and give all? Why, then sell some, and give alms of a part, yea, give alms even by selling some part of that which you may well spare to your poor brethren; that 
i 2 Cor. 8. 14.  now at this time your abundance may supply their want, that [at another time] their abandance may supply your want, that there may be an equality. Yea, where there is ability of giving, 
God accepteth sometimes selling, even where there is ability of giving.  there God accepteth selling at some times, such times as these. He who selleth to prevent a Dearth, doth a good work, as well as he who giveth in the time of Dearth. A few Bushels sent to the Market, and sold indifferently to the needy, do please God, as well as money or bread given at the door: by this, one or a few are, for the time, refreshed; by the other, many are weekly relieved; by giving at the door, many times, idle bellies, loose lozel's, lewd loyteterers are pampered, whose backs had more need to be punished; but by reasonable and seasonable selling, many poor painful families are maintained, which having laboured hard all the week, must not only pray, but fast the Sunday, if they caunot buy a little Corn the Saturday. So that the way to heaven is not so narrow, nor the gate so straight, but that a courteous Farmer, with his Cartload of Corn may enter into it, who is ready to relieve the Country by charitable selling. 
Use 2.  Behold how God esteems that mercy to others, 
To incite those who are of ability, to this duty of selling.  which brings a commodity to ourselves; and saith, in effect, to you that are of ability, in these extremities; Thy neighbour hath need, yea, I myself, in him, do suffer want, now every thyself. At other times (and so now too especially) 
k Prou. 19 17.  He that giveth to the poor, dareth unto the Lord; at this time, He that selleth unto the poor, giveth unto the Lord, and the Lord will repay him with a blessing on the bargain. Doth David say of him, 
l Psal. 112. 9 2 Cor. 9 9  Who hath dispersed and given to the poor, that his righteousness remaineth for ever? Behold, his righteousness also remaineth, and a blessing is laid up for him who disperseth and selleth to the poor. Did that blessed Saint say truly in one sense, 
m Nemo dicat, Non habeo; Charitas de sacculo non erogatur. Augustin. in Psal. 103.  Charitas de sacculo non erogatur, Charity is not drawn out of a Sack: we may as truly (in this sense) affirm the contrary, Charity is drawn out of a Sack. When a man openeth the Sack and selleth as he ought, he dealeth charitably. To sell, in Latin, is, 
n Vendere quasi venum dare.  To give to sale; so that to sell to him that needeth, is a kind of gift. The charitable seller shall have his reward, as well as the charitable giver.  

o Not every one who selleth, but he who selleth charitably, hath the recompense.  I say, The charitable seller: for, Not every one that selleth, nor that selleth at every time, must expect the blessing. Even those whom the people do curse for not selling at this time, do mean to sell at another time. But he who will so sell as that he may buy a blessing, must sell charitably. How is that? He must sell,  

p Fourething required in charitable selling.  1. Convenient grain, 2. For convenient gain, 3. In season convenient, and 4. Measure convenient.  

q To sell that which is good for quality, convenient grain.  First, he must show charity in selling, in regard of the matter; he must sell that which is good for quality. He must not sell the refuse of the wheat, lest instead of a blessing, he come within compass of the curse denounced by Amos 
r Amos 8. 6. , against such sellers. Some will sell indeed, but it shall be the orts and fragments of Rats and Mice. 
s Plerumque, hoc homines nequeunt quod vendere donant. Faern in fab.  Many will give that which they cannot sell. 
t Haec hodie porcis comedenda relinques. Horat.  But many are worse than the Portuguese host, who, if his guests would not accept his proffered Pears, he would tell them that the swine should eat them. Many will not sell to their brethren but that which is almost too bad to be cast unto the swine.  

u For convenient gain.  Secondly, convenient grain must be sold for convenient gain, otherwise there is no charity, but injury and oppression in selling. Gold may be bought too dear, and so may grain. Wherefore, as Saint john Baptist counselled the Publicans, so do we the popular Publicans, the Farmers, 
x Luk. 3. 13.  Exact no more than is appointed. Men say that light gain makes heavy purses; some shall find that their light ware and heavy price will make guilty consciences, & heavy hearts at the last. Too many do catch their poor neighbour, the buyer, as, they say, men do use to catch the Panther, by placing the prey on a Tree in his sight, so far above his reach, that he breaks his heartstrings in leaping at it: so, many do bring into the Market good Corn, but as a bait in the sight of the buyer; for they pitch such an high price on it, that the poor Coater, though he stretch his purse-strings till they break again, is not able to reach unto it. And if they cannot have their own price, home it must again, or be housed until the next Market; and if the price do fall in the mean time, they are ready to hang themselves, because they neglected their first advantage.  
Thirdly, selling (especially in this) cannot be charitable, 
3 In convenient season.  unless it be also seasonable. God giveth every thing food in due season; so will the godly afford their poor brethren that which must feed them in the fittest season. Tempestivity in doing, addeth weight and worth to every good deed. What is a pardon worth, that cometh after execution? As much as the Cardinal's Cap which the Pope sent to B. Fisher, when the head was off that should have worn it. Farmer's will sell (forsooth) but not yet, not in haste, the price is not yet high enough for their purpose. They have learned the language of the jews in Haggaies' times, and do say, by relieving the spiritual Temples of the Lord, as they did by repairing his material Temple. 
y Haggai 1. 2.  The time is not yet come, the time that the Lords house should be built. The time is not yet come that we should sell; it will be dearer a great deal, and that ere long. What is this but to delay a blessing, until it turn to a curse; like the reprieving of a good dish of meat till it be moulded, and full of worms? You who desire a blessing upon your selling, remember that of the Apostle, and take it as spoken to you in this particular, 
z ● Cor. 6. 2.  Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. Now is the time (you who have Corn to sell) now is your time to sell it; now that Corn is dear, now bring it forth, furnish the Markets, bring down the price; now take your time, that you may bring a blessing on your souls.  
Lastly, as the matter must be good, so the measure must be just; 
4 Convenient measure.  there must be a conveniency as well in regard of quantity as of quality, otherwise, charity and a blessing will be absent from your selling. 
a Prou. 11. 1.  False balances are abomination unto the Lord; and are not false Bushels and false Pecks also? 
b Levit. 19 36 Deut. 25. 15. Ezech. 45. 10.  Just Balances, just weights, a just Ephah, and a just Hin shalt thou have. 
c Amos 8.  To make the Ephah small, and the Shekel great, and to sell the refuse of the Corn: bad ware, and as bad measure, this is not to sell unto the poor, but to sell the poor, or to buy them for so base a price as a pair of shoes, saith the Prophet. Such Merchants are some of our mizars, who bring good grain and great measure to the Market, only to fetch up the price, and do sell worse Corn and less measure to their poor neighbours at home at the same price, swearing that they sold it for so much at the Market, and so by a mental reservation, reserve their souls (without repentance) for the Devil. What can this be, but a manifest breach of that strict injunction, 
d Deut. 25. 13, 14.  Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse weights, thou shalt not have in thine house diverse measures, a great and a small; 
Vers. 16.  and mark what follows, and tremble all ye that practise such craft, All that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord. And how can abominable selling expect a blessing? It is the charitable seller, for whose head this Crown is prepared, as a reward, not of merit, but of mercy; which that it may the more fervently affect us, let it be a little more punctually considered by us, Blessing shall be on the head of him who selleth it. 
2 damn, 2 de.   
Here it is observable, 
Obseruat.  that the reward promised, is larger and more emphatically laid down, 
The reward more emphatically laid down, than the judgement threatened.  than the punishment threatened. For whereas the Antithesis requires that it should be said, The people shall bless him, as it was of the contrary, The people shall curse him, it is not so said, but, Blessing shall be on his head, which is more emphatical. For hereby it is signified, that God taketh on him to be the bestower of the blessing, he will not entrust the multitude therewith, he will do it himself to prevent failing. In naming the head, (the sublimest and noblest part of the whole body) he intimateth that God, who is the fountain of blessedness, will stream down blessings upon him plentifully and comfortably. That which is poured down upon the head, must needs proceed from something that is above the head. Now there is none higher than the head of man, that can confer a blessing on man, but God alone. Hence therefore it must needs follow, 
Doct. 4.  that God will crown with blessings that man who charitably selleth his Corn in times of extremity, 
God wilblesse him who selleth charitably in time of extremity.  thereby to mitigate or abate the Dearth.  
These are two sins especially reigning among the poorer sort of people; 
Two sins of the poor.  1. Murmuring, and 2. Unthankfulness: If they want, and be not presently satisfied, 
1 Murmuring  they murmur against God and man; 
2 Unthankfulness.  they cry out on the hardness of the times and of men's hearts. This David, long sithence, observed in some of that kind; 
e Psal. 59 15.  They wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. And yet being satisfied, commonly they are unthankful both to God and man. They have mouths full of cursing against them who withhold Corn; but not a breath of blessing (too many of them) for those who relieve them, either by giving, lending, or selling. This makes men's hearts to be harder than they would be; and this causeth God to punish such murmuring, such unthankfulness, by increasing their wants, 
Neither of these should discourage us from charitable actions.  and removing the supplies. But let neither of these discourage good Christians from doing their duties; let no man be disheartened from charitable beneficence by the people's unthankfulness: For though man be ungrateful, 
For though men be ungrateful, yet God is not forgetful.  yet God is not forgetful. Good men in doing good, do look up chiefly to the fountain of goodness, to God and his glory. Be ye assured therefore, that though men do neglect their duty, yet God can as soon forget himself as his mercy. If the people, who are ready to curse when they want, be not as ready to bless when their wants are supplied, yet God, who hath poured charity into your hearts, will pour down blessings upon your heads, and so crown in you his own gifts.  
I must reserve some time for Application, 
Application.  and so much the more, because my Text (rightly applied) surroundeth the whole Temple, and bespeaketh all Auditors here present, of whatsoever condition, even from the Chancel to the Church-door, as well for application as attention.  
And because Solomon saith, Blessing shall be upon the head, 
1 To the Magistrates, exhorting them to carefulness in doing their duties in this behalf, according to his Majesty's orders.  let me first begin with the head of this assembly, and prepare them to receive the blessing, which afterward (like Aaron's ointment) may from the head distil unto the beard, and thence run down to the hem of the garment.  
To you (right Worshipful) doth Solomon speak in this Proclamation, as Proclamations are first addressed to the chief Officers, that by them they may be published to the People. If you be failing in doing your duties, if you discharge not that trust which God hath imposed and his anointed hath reposed on you, how will you answer it? how will you escape the curse of God and man. But (praised be God) the Country doth witness, and we thankfully acknowledge, that hitherto (some of you especially) have not been failing. Proceed in the name of God; all the praise and recompense is paid unto perseverance: fear not, faint not, be resolute, be courageous; you have God, the King, the Clergy, the Country on your sides: only a few scarabees, whose element is dongue, may assay to scare you from your commendable courses. But let not their buzzing outbrave your worthy proceedings: let not the murmurings nor reproaches of a few, worthier to be punished then regarded, daunt you in the service of God and your Country. I have heard strange language from some of their lips; The Markets are worse furnished, and the price of Corn more risen since the justices have been so industrious. Strange inferences! just like Teuterton Steeple the cause of Goodwin sands. As if judges were the cause of so many felonies, as Physicians (in some places) are of so many funerals, and Attorneys of so many Lawsuits. These are but bubbles blown up by malice or covetousness; let them not be Lions to stop you from going on courageously in the way of justice. Though the people do sometimes curse where they should bless, yet God will surely bless, where he findeth obedience. As blessing shall be on the head of them who sell their Corn willingly, so shall it be on your heads, who cause them, or compel them to sell, who are unwilling. The blessing that might have been on their heads, if they had sold willingly, shall be taken from theirs, 
And to draw on the people by their example.  and placed on your heads, for enforcing them to do their duty. And doubtless, this blessing shall be doubled, if you draw them on by example, as well as by authority. If blessing shall be on the head of the seller, how many blessings shall be on the bountiful giver and releever of the poor? If it be more blessed to give than to receive, then, doubtless, it is more blessed to give than to sell. Let me incite you (Worthies) to an holy ambition, a godly envy, or (to avoid the odiousness of the term, style it rather) zeal. Disdain, disdain that your Tenants should carry away from your heads, such a Crown by selling, when you may anticipate the blessing by bountiful giving. Or let those Earthworms be so base, that they will not buy heaven by selling, be ye more generous (Noble Bereans) buy it you by giving. 
O quae stultitia est! Deus emit sanguine seruos, Mercari paruo nos piget aere Deum.  Christ was contented to be sold himself at a vile price, that he might buy us at so dear a price as his own blood. How can we call ourselves Christians, if we will not buy Christ for a little silver, or a morsel of bread? Hospitality at all times commendable, in these hard times is Royal. Learn of Noble Nehemias, to make your houses Hospitals for the poor. Away with that mock-chimney, or rather poison of Hospitality, entertaining of Nimrods', Esau's, Ismaels', and those devouring Dromedaries, their followers. If ever, now, now follow your Saviour's counsel of inviting and entertaining your poor neighbours at your tables; if not at your tables, yet in your houses; if not in your houses, yet at your doors; or if you will not have them come to your own houses, yet send sometimes to see how they are provided at their own. Your Overseers for the poor, in many Parishes, are poor Overseers: It is a worthy work for a justice of Peace, in his Parish, to oversee them, and if need be, to be a Deacon in ministering and distributing to the necessities of the brethren. Christ hath descended to base services for us. If any say, I talk of cost and charges; I will soon show how that may be saved, at least quitted. Stop somewhat of the stream in your Butteries and Sellars, and open it rather at your doors. Rescue your Wine and your Beer from the tyranny of Roarers, and turn it into bread for the necessary relief of your hungry neighbours. Pluck your drink from the throats of them that waste it, that you may the better bestow your morsels on those who want it. How many a hungry family might feast it a week, on the healths that are wasted in some gentlemen's houses in a night?  
One word more, 
Dehortation from withholding justice, & from selling it.  I pray you, at parting: you have mystical Corn, as well as material. justice and Equity is your Corn; if you withhold this, the people will curse you, and God will add the weight of a woe to their curses. Only, this Corn of justice is not for the Market; it must not be sold, take heed of that, it must be equally divided, and distributed freely. justice's must not be sold by the basket, as Corn is by the Bushel. Though in Cities, commonly, Merchants be justices, yet neither in City nor Country must justices be merchants, especially of justice. The sellers of this kind of Corn, are liable to a curse, equal with the with-holders' of the other. Blessing shall be on the head of them who uprightly do administer it, and freely do distribute it.  
I see here are Ministers present, 
2 To Ministers. To be careful and faithful in distributing spiritual Corn for the bread of life.  as well as Magistrates, and shall I dismiss my brethren without a blessing? Were this a Visitation (as in some kind it is) here were a Text for a Concio ad clerum, He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him. As for material Corn, our neighbours will exempt us from the curse by keeping our Corn from us, not allowing us (by their wil●) sufficient to serve our own turns, much less to be sellers. But (blessed and beloved Brethren) let us remember that we are Gods Husbandmen, 
Hieronym. Hugo Cardinal. et aly.  and Joseph's (as I may say) for spiritual Corn: some of the ancients do take this Text in a mystical sense, and by Corn do here understand the Preaching of the Gospel. O let us not be hiders and with-holders', but stewards and disposers of that grain whereof is made the bread of life. Never had we more need to be bountiful in breaking it to the People, then in these dangerous days: see we not how the seeds-men of sathan, the Devil's farmers and Proctors, Jesuits and secret Sectaries do bestir themselves? They are not sparing in threshing out their tares: they sell, yea, they give abroad their Romish grain, they impose it on the people, and do press them to take it: Shall we be with-holders' and hiders of God's grain, when so many are ready to perish for want of knowledge? It may be the common people, who care not much for this mystical corn, will not curse us, though we keep it from them: but though they do not, God will; for if he be cursed who withholds corporal bread, how shall he escape who withholds the bread of the foul? And if blessing shall be on his head who in a needful time produceth his corn, that the people may have the food which perisheth, how blessed shall he be who in so needful times as these, is bountiful in bestowing on them the food that endureth to everlasting life?  
Let me now speak to them, 
3 To the poor. Here is no warrant for them to revenge their wrongs with cursings, as commonly they do.  for whom I have spoken all this while; namely, the poorer sort of people, who are therefore the poorer and more miserable, because they care so little to repair to the Temple, and to hear what God saith unto them. Though the people's curse be the curse of Corn-horders, yet this is no warrant for you, O ye Poor, to be impatient, & to revenge your wrongs with execrations and curses. Vengeance is mine, and I will recompense, saith the Lord. When Saint james had bitterly inveighed against covetous rich men for keeping in their coin, and their clothing, and for detaining from the labourer his hire, though he said that 
a jam. 5.  The rust of their silver should be a witness against them, and that the moths of their garments should at their flesh as fire, and that the cries of the laborers entered into the ears of the Lord; yet he doth not counsel the labourers to cry, much less to curse, but exhorting them to patience, adviseth them to commit their case to the Supreme judge, saying, 
b Vers. 7, 8, 9  Be patient therefore, brethren, till the coming of the lord— Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned. Behold the judge standeth before the door.  

* But rather to accuse and curse their own sins, the cause of that sufferings. Malorum omnium n●●orum casa est pecc●um. Nihil imputerus astris; sacrilegio annus Exaruit. Symmach.  Rather, look into yourselves, accuse yourselves, and if you will needs curse, ban and abandon your own sins, for they are the causes of all your calamities. Your grudging, your murmuring, your unthankfulness, these, and the like, have caused God to harden the hearts of men against you. Sin, sin is the procurer of Dearth, and of all other disasters beside. 
c Psal. 107.  God turneth a fruitful land into barrenness: why doth he so? For the wickedness of the people that dwell therein. Only for sin, Bethleem, which was an house of Bread, became an house of famine; and that land, which abounded with milk and honey, was abandoned to Dearth and scarcity. In the Caldean language 
d Lingua patria Caldaei nuncuparunt Sodomam et Gomorram coecitatem et sterilitatem. Ambrso. l. de Noe et Arca. c. 19  (saith blessed Ambrose) Sodom and Gomorra do signify blindness and barrenness. 
e Particularly that common sin of the vulgar, who are more careful for material bread than for the word, the bread of their souls.  Consider with yourselves, whether among your other sins, your affected blindness be not a cause of this inflicted barrenness. Alas! you do not feel your greatest famine: miserable is your ignorance: I have known some of you that have not known whether Christ were a man or a woman. How solicitous are you for corporal, how careless of Spiritual sustenance? crying out that you are ready to dye for want of a crust, and not perceiving that you do daily perish for want of knowledge? 
f Psal. 59 15.  You wander up and down for meat, and grudge if you be not satisfied; you may be fed at home with the food that endureth to everlasting life, and will not come to receive it. If your neighbour deny you Wheat or Barley, you complain, you cry, you are ready to curse him. But if God do send a famine, not of bread, but of (that which is much more precious) the word of God, or if the bread of life be withholden from you, by those who should break it unto you, you are nothing grieved thereat, you never complain of that want. These, and the like, your peculiar sins have caused unto you this Dearth. Accuse not so much the covetousness of others, as your own corruptions: not the constellations or courses of the heavens, but evil men, evil minds, evil manners, do make the times evil. 
Mala tempora facit nobis contemptus Dei, temporum cursus non facit. Chrysologus. De orat. et ●eiunio ser 43.  Amend them, and these will soon be amended. And amend, if not for love of God and godliness, yet for fear of judgements. Repent, if not invited thereunto by goodthings, yet enforced by these things which you account evil, What you have lost by sin and negligence, redeem, recover by true repentance. Learn you once to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then you have a most sure word of promise, that 
g Mat. 6. 33.  all these things shall be added unto you God will turn stones into bread, make the most stonyhearted Mammonist relent and yield you bread, or he will rain down bread from heaven, or cause the Ravens to feed you, or work any miracle rather than you shall perish. Or if it please God to correct you with this rod, and to exercise you with this affliction, yet despair not; for even these public calamities are sanctified to God's children. To them, this very scourge of famine (as well as other curses) have their natures altered, as the bitter waters of Mara, were turned into sweetness, and a stinging serpent changed into a flourishing rod. No extremity of famine (no more than any other temptation) can turn the love of God from his children; as is clear by that bold challenge of the Apostle to all afflictions and crosses, and to this as well as to any of the rest, 
h Rom. 8. 35.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or FAMINE? No, for in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.  
Can I quit the Mountain of blessing, without bequeathing a blessing? I cannot; and to whom should I bequeath it, 
4 Encouragement and comfort unto sellers.  rather than unto them on whom my Text doth bestow it, the Sellers? We who are the Preachers of Peace, may, and aught sometimes encourage men unto contention, so it be against sin, and the courses of sinners. Contend you therefore (charitable breasts) against these hard-hearted horders: Be you as covetous for your souls, as they are for perishing substance: While they heap up curses on themselves by withholding, strive you for blessings by charitable selling. Now is your harvest, take advantage of these hard times to store yourselves with the best riches; see how God makes many to want, that you may abound, and suffers others to be miserable, that you may be blessed by relieving them. Neglect not this opportunity, but now by seasonable selling buy unto yourselves an assured blessing; you see with what a fair offer God presents you, to get heaven without losing any thing on earth. That blessing which others attain unto by free giving, you may get by profitable selling.  
Blessed shall you be in your outward estate, you shall never be the poorer at the years end; 
God shall crown them with blessings external.  you shall find as much coin in your purses, as the greedy cormorant that sharketh after all advantages. God will blow on his store, and boar holes in his bags, while yours shall hold, and be increased: A little that the righteous hath, is more than all the riches of the wicked. Blessed shall you be in your names and reputations; you shall be praised and well reported of by all men (all good men) and by the truth itself: the precious ointment of a good name shall perfume the places of your abode: The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.  
Blessed shall you be in the love of the people. The daily labourer shall daily pray for you; and Magistrates shall praise you; godly Ministers shall rejoice & take comfort in you; widows & orphans in their hearty prayers shall send letters of commendation in your behalf unto heaven, to the King of heaven, their special protector and assured friend to all that do befriend them.  
Blessed shall you be in your husbandry, and in your fields; this years selling shall be the next years sowing and reaping: the earth which was cursed for Adam's sin, shall be blessed unto you: No worthing, no marvel, no manuring shall procure you more plenty of Corn, than this your selling of Corn; yea, a blessing shall be on your children, and on your posterity after you, as is promised unto the faithful.  
God shall crown you with spiritual blessings: 
Internal.  
i Psal. 4. 7.  He shall put gladness into your hearts, more than they have, when their corn and their wine is increased, and the prices with them: you shall have peace of conscience, joy in the holy Ghost, greater treasures than all full coffers and barns can afford.  
You shall be blessed in your sickness. God himself shall be your Physician, your keeper, 
Psal. 41. 3.  your attender: The Lord will strengthen you upon the bed of languishing, he himself will burn all your bed in your sickness. You shall be blessed in that hour wherein others are most distressed, in your Death; with old Simeon you shall depart in peace, your eyes beforehand seeing your salvation.  
But most blessed shall you be after Death, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all.  when God shall crown you with everlasting blessedness in heaven; then shall the head of blessings be on your head, when you shall be most nearly and eternally joined unto your head Christ jesus, who is blessedness itself, Who is God blessed for ever. O how joyful shall you be at that day, when others shall be most sorrowful: how blessed, when these Corn-holders' shall be cursed▪ for when they shall be sent away with the Goats on the left hand, with that woeful word, Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels: then shall you standing among the sheep on the right hand hear that happy call, Come ye blessed 
k Mat. 25. 34.  of my father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  
To which Kingdom he bring us who hath prepared it for us, and to him one God in three persons, blessed for ever, be ascribed all praise, power, might, majesty, glory, and Dominion, now and for ever. Amen.  
FINIS.