A Warning Against Oppression Poem by Rees Prichard

To get some pounds, and thy good name abuse -
To get, thro' loss of fame, mere dung and dross -
To get much wealth, and thy salvation lose,
Is wretched gain, and miserable loss.

Better a mite, through justice to possess,
Than minted gold, thro' fraud and guilt, obtain'd:
One, will the way, wherein thou walkest, bless -
T'other consume, e'en what was justly gain'd.

Better one field through a fair bargain bought,
Than through oppression a whole realm to win,
By which thy soul, to torment shall be brought,
Thy wife, to poverty - thy sons, to sin.

With him, thou hast oppress'd, in time agree -
Zacchëus-like, whate'er thou took'st away,
Restore:- ere thou shalt from the gaol get free,
Thou must the debt, to the last farthing, pay.

Do thou no wrong to any man alive,
'Tis better suffer ten, than offer one;
For ev'ry wrong, thou an account must give:
If wrong'd, to thee strict justice shall be done.

What wilt thou do with thy ill-gotten gain?
'Twill eat through all thy substance in the end,
It shall not in the house of God remain;
And its vile savour will our Lord offend.

The lands it buys, shall quickly be re-sold -
The houses soon shall fall, it does erect -
If giv'n thy sons - in sin 'twill make them bold -
If to the poor - the Lord will it reject.

The wealth, thou hast unjustly got, restore,
Or on thy house 'twill pull down Heaven's wrath;
The rest with it will not agree - no more
Than erst the ark did with the men of Gath.