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is an old saying and a true one, that "The receiver is as bad as the thief." I hope my readers, whether old or young, will think about this, and remember that it is their duty to refrain from buying what has been gotten by wrong means, quite as much as it is to abstain from stealing. There are several texts upon this subject in the book of Proverbs. I will mention two: "Wealth gotten by vanity (or wrong means) shall be diminished," chap. xiii. 11; and "An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed," chap. xx. 21. When the merchants took Joseph down to Egypt, they little thought that the poor lad was a treasure more precious than all their spices, and balm, and myrrh ; and that their poor young slave would one day be the lord of Egypt. As for the money Joseph's brethren got by selling him, we may be sure that it did them no good: the famine that came, a few years afterwards, diminished their substance; although God was pleased to preserve the greater part of their property, through the means of their brother whom they had sold.

We may also notice that these merchants dealt in slaves. It is a very dreadful thing, that men, women, and children should be sold like cattle. This will be noticed in another place. Meanwhile, we may just remark, that this is forbidden by the Divine law; for we read, Exod. xxi. 16, "He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, shall surely be put to death."

In the law, as delivered to Moses, we do not find any laws or regulations respecting trade. The neighbouring nations were idolaters, and the Hebrews could not have intercourse in trade with them without danger of being led away from the true religion. Alas! how many professors, now, and at all times, have been led away by the desire of unlawful gain, and by too great eagerness after wealth! But we do not find that trade and commerce were forbidden; on the contrary, it is evident they were not, for we find positive commands for just and true dealings in the way of trade, Deut. xxv. 15, 16, "Thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy days may be lengthened in the land which

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the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, (those who have unjust weights and measures,) and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God." It would be well if this and similar texts were written up in every shop and warehouse; but still better, if they were written upon the hearts of every buyer and seller. See also Prov. xi. 1. In later times, the Jews traded more with the surrounding nations; we read of this in 1 Kings x. and 2 Chron. i. Trade was encouraged by King Solomon, and accounted honourable. In 1 Kings xxii. we also read of King Jehoshaphat preparing ships to trade with Ophir; but when Ahaziah, a wicked king of Israel, wanted him to join in this trade, he refused. My readers, remember this, and avoid uniting with wicked and ungodly persons in trade, or in any other pursuits.

Money is often mentioned in Scripture. The earliest notice is Gen. xxiii. 16, where Abraham paid a sum of four hundred shekels of silver to Ephron, " money current with the merchant." It is not supposed that this was coined money, but only that weight in silver; for the ancient method of receiving or paying money was by weighing the pieces of metal, as is now usual in China and in some other countries. There is no certainty of any coinage of money among the Jews, till the time of Judas Maccabeus, long after the return from Babylon. The penny paid to the labourers, Matt. xx. 9, for their day's wages, was a Greek silver coin, worth about sevenpence, which would then purchase more food than two or three times that sum now would buy. In later times, the Greek and Roman money was current in Judea, Matt. xxii. 20. In this money the taxes were paid. The reader will recollect that a publican was one who collected the taxes and custom money, Matt. ix. 9; Mark ii. 14. Matthew and Zaccheus were such. In general the publicans were guilty of fraud: they were also much hated by the Jews for being the officers of their foreign rulers. On these accounts they were spoken of in the manner we read in the gospels.

Much of the ancient Greek and Roman money was what are now called medals. Some record the conquest of Judea by the Romans, representing that country as a female captive sitting under a palm tree. See page 107.

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Our blessed Lord referred to merchants and trade. In Matt. xiii. we read the parable of the merchant man, who sought for goodly pearls; and, in Matt. xxv. we read that the faithful servants to whom the talents were intrusted, went and traded with them. But we may here particularly notice the pearl merchant. When he had found one of great price, or very valuable, he went and sold all that he had, even his "goodly pearls," that he might buy it. This pearl of great price," represents to us the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have really found him are ready to part with every worldly possession or indulgence, that they may obtain him. He has promised that those who seek him shall find him: "With all thy getting, get understanding," Prov. iv. 7, and the knowledge of Christ, as the Saviour who suffered upon the cross for our sins, is the true wisdom. When we really love Christ, and remember his great love towards us, then we seek to do his will: his " ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace."

We have seen that trade was not forbidden by the law of Moses, nor by our Lord, when carried on fairly and honestly, and without breaking the commands of God. But the trade was sinful which our Lord reproved, when he drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple, John ii. Matt.xxi. Mark xi. Luke xix. Observe, it is related by all the evangelists. Although in our days we do not see people buying and selling in the churches and chapels, how many there are who make the Lord's day a day of merchandise, and buy and sell thereon for their own pleasure or profit, without the least necessity! Many, alas! are not taught how sinful it is; but, I am sorry to say, I have heard even of Sunday scholars who have bought and sold on this day! To such I would say, "Ah! my child, though it may seem only a trifle; yet, you break the fourth commandment, for an apple, a cake, or something of that sort, which is not necessary to be got." And grown-up persons should remember that, although there may be cases when it is requisite to buy medicine or food, (if, for instance, they were unexpectedly in a strange place,) on the sabbath; yet such very seldom occur, perhaps not even once in a person's life. Beware that you do not deceive yourselves, like the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who thought it necessary to buy fish

and other things on the sabbath, Neh. xiii. 16, but when Nehemiah shut the gates on the sabbath, and kept out the dealers, the people found that they could manage without buying on that day. Again, there are many who do not buy or sell upon the Lord's day, but who think, and even talk a great deal about their merchandise, their bargains, and schemes of profit. Where is the difference between this and handling the goods themselves?

The merchants and traders whom Nehemiah thus shut out, were men of Tyre, the most famous for trade among all the cities in or near Judea. In Ezekiel xxvii. we have a full account of the vast trade of that wealthy city. In that chapter, Tyre is compared to a ship. The drawing and description at page 112, will help to explain that passage of Scripture, and also give some ideas respecting the ancient ships. In reading the chapter, we see the great wealth and extensive commerce of the city, which appears to have traded with all countries, and to have dealt in all the principal articles of trade of the present day. Here again we find mention of merchants who dealt in slaves! ver. 13. Wealth increased, until "her merchants were princes, and her traffickers the honourable of the earth," Isa. xxiii. 8. The people of Tyre became proud; in their anxiety to get riches they dealt unjustly, and became " defiled by the iniquity of their traffic." God, by the prophet Ezekiel, declared the downfal of that proud and wealthy city, which in a few years was accomplished, as foretold by the prophet; see Ezek. xxvi. xxvii. and xxviii. "Riches fly away as an eagle toward heaven," Prov. xxiii. 5. This strongly shows the uncertainty of riches, the danger of having our hearts cumbered and led astray by worldly wealth, and the certain consequences of unjust gain. In Ezek. xxvi. 4, 5, we read, "They shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God." Modern travellers have told us how completely this has been fulfilled. The precise situation of ancient Tyre is not exactly known, so utterly has it been destroyed; but a place is pointed out where it probably stood. Bruce passed by, and was a witness of the fulfil

ment of the prophecy that Tyre should be a place for fishers to dry their nets. Two miserable fishermen had just returned from their labours, and were about to spread their nets upon the rocks.

Yet, awful as the case of Tyre was, our Lord said it should be more tolerable for the inhabitants of Tyre, in the day of judgment, than for the inhabitants of Chorazin and Bethsaida, where he had so often preached the gospel, and told the glad tidings of salvation; confirming his words by his miracles; yet the inhabitants attended not to his words! Oh! may this not be our case! we have the Scriptures in our hands, and the gospel is preached throughout our land, yet how many neglect the concerns of their souls! Will not many poor Indians and Negroes, at the last day, appear to have profited by what multitudes who are called Christians have despised? They will in that day be found rejoicing in the Lord, with the poor woman of Tyre, see Matt. xv. having listened to the glad tidings which so many amongst us reject. Like her, they feast upon the crumbs of the bread of life, which we neglect! My dear readers, especially you who have pious friends, relatives, parents, teachers, and ministers, improve the opportunities you enjoy. The blessed Saviour is set before you.

He called himself the Bread of life, John vi. 35, 48, 51. Large portions of this Bread are set before you, for you are told much about Christ, and how he suffered to save poor sinners. Pray that you may be enabled to feast thereon, to love him, and to serve him. If you enjoy this glad news, which is spoken of as a feast, Isa. xxv. 6, surely you will not forget the poor heathen; you will be anxious "to send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared," Neh. viii. 10. Help all those societies, by which the gospel is sent to the heathen.

The history of King Solomon presents many particulars respecting the commerce of the Jews, and other nations. He was a man of peace, as his name signifies, and encouraged trade. In his days the inhabitants of Tyre were very active in trade; he saw the advantages they derived from commerce, and was anxious that his subjects should partake of these benefits.

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