Proverbs 20:14 - Homiletics

The buyer

I. THE CONDUCT OF THE BUYER CALLS FOR CONSIDERATION . It is usual to discuss questions of trade morality chiefly in regard to the conduct of the man who sells. Deception, adulteration, dishonest work, the grinding of employes, etc; are denounced by indignant onlookers. But the conduct of the customer is less severely handled. Yet there are many reasons why it should not be overlooked. All are not sellers, but everybody buys. Therefore when commercial morality is discussed in regard to buying, the subject does not only apply to traders, it concerns all people. Moreover, if men cheat and do wrong in their business when selling, though there is no fair excuse for their conduct, it may be urged that they are driven to extremes by the pressure of competition and by the difficulty of earning a livelihood. But when many people are making ordinary purchases they are not in the same position and under the same temptation. Traders, of course, are buyers in the way of business. But people of affluent circumstances are also buyers without any consideration of business exigencies, but solely for their own convenience. If such people do not behave honourably they are doubly guilty.

II. THE BUYER IS SUBJECT TO MORAL OBLIGATIONS .

1 . He owes justice to the seller. He has no right to squeeze the unfortunate trader's profit by the pressure of undue influence, threatening to withdraw his custom or to injure the connection among his friends, taking advantage of the fact that the seller is in want of money, etc. It is his duty to pay a fair price, even though by the stress of circumstances he might force a sale at a lower rate.

2 . He owes truth to the seller. He may misrepresent the absolute value of his purchase, perhaps knowing more of its true worth than the seller, but trying to deceive him. Thus the skilled connoisseur may take an unfair advantage of the ignorance of the trader from whom he buys some rare article of vertu. Or a person may pretend not to want what he secretly covets most eagerly. Such a device is false and unworthy of a Christian profession.

3 . He owes humanity to the seller. It is a gross abuse of trade to make it a condition of warfare. A man is not necessarily one's enemy because one does business with him. The unfortunate person who must needs sell at a great loss rather than not sell at all, is not the legitimate prey of the first greedy customer who is able to pounce upon him. The curse of trade is hard, cruel, brutal selfishness. Christianity teaches us to regard the man with whom one does business as a brother. The buyer should learn to treat the seller as he desires to he treated in turn, and so to fulfil the law of Christ. The same principle requires kindliness of manner.

III. THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE BUYER ABE COMMONLY NEGLECTED . The causes of this negligence are manifold; e.g. :

1 . Inconsiderateness. Often there is no intention of doing an injustice. The buyer simply forgets the rights of the seller. This inconsiderateness does harm in various ways. Careless customers give needless trouble to shop people. Some order for view more goods than they need to effect a purchase; some persist in shopping late in the evening, etc.

2 . Selfishness. The chief cause of the evil is a sole regard for self. People who are reasonable and kind in their own homes will manifest the most tyrannical spirit, the most cynical selfishness, in their chopping. When the veneer of social habits is broken this ugly vice is more visible in the most polished society than among rougher people.

3 . Sinfulness. The evil heart is seen here as elsewhere. For the buyer to force injustice and to cheat the seller is for him to reveal himself as a slave of sin as truly as if he broke out in wanton violence and open robbery.