82 The Nature andNeceffity Vol. II. our part it ought to be a folemn Ratificationof our Covenantwith God, to depart from iniquity, and to walkbefore him in holinefs and righteoxfnefs all the days of our Lives. SERMON CXVI- The Nature and Neceffity of Reftitution. LUKE XIX. 8, 9, The Firft And if I have taken any thing from any Man by falfe accufation, I re- Sermon on fiore him fourfold. And jefus faid unto him, This day is Salvation this Text. come to this Houfe. ONE particular and eminent Fruit of true Repentance, is themaking of Re- ftitutionand Satisfa&ion to thofe whom we have injured. As for God. we canmake no Satisfa&ionand Compenfation to him, for the injuries we have done him by our Sins; all that we can do in refpe&of God, is to confefs our Sins to him, to make acknowledgment of our Mifcarriages, to be heartily troubled for what we have done, and not todo the likefor the future. But for Injuries done toMen, we may in many cafes make Reparation and Satisfa &ion. And this, as it isone of the beft figns and evidences of a true Repentance; lo itis one of the molt proper and genuine effeas of it : for this is as much as in us lies, to undo what we have done, and to unfin our Sins. But, becaufe the pra&ice of this Dutydoth fo interfere with the Intereft of men, and confequently it will be very difficult to convince men of their Duty in this particular, and to perfwade them to it ; therefore I defign to handle this particular Fruit and Effe& of a true Repentance by it felf, from thefe words, which containin them, I. The Fruit andEffe&of Zacheus his Converfion and Repentance If have taken any thing from any Man, I refiere him fourfold. II. The Declaration which our Saviour makes hereupon, of the truth ofhis Repentance and Cqnverfion, and the happy ftate he was thereby put into. And : es*faid unto him, This day is Salvation come to this Houfe, for as much as he alfo h theSon of Abraham ; as if he had faid, By thefe Fruits and Effe&s it appears, that this is a Repentance to Salvation; and this Man whom you look upon as a firmer and a heathen, may by better right call AbrahamFarber, than anyof you formal Pharifees and fens, who glory fo much in being the children of Abraham. I. The Fruit and Effe& of Zacheus's Converfon and Repentance; If &c. This Zacheur, as you findat the sd ver¡e, was Chief of the Publicans, which was an Office of great Odium and Infamy among the Jews, they being the Col- le&ors of the Tribute which the Roman Emperor, under whofe Power the Jews thenwere did exaa from them. And becaufe thefe Publicans farmed this Tribute of the Emperour at a certain Rent, they made a gain out of it to themfelves, by exa&ingand requiring more of the People than was due upon that account; fo that their Calling was very infamous, upon three accounts. r. Becaufe they were the Inftruments of oppreffing their Countrymen; for fo they looked upon the Tax they paid to the Romans, as a great oppreffion. 2. Becaufe they were forced by the Neceffity of their Calling to have familiar Converfation with Heathens, whom they lookt upon as Sinners. Hence the Phrafe
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