Chap. 2o e.,`n êxpvfition upon the Bookof J o a. Vert. 18. 53 r they never law, much leffe wronged in perfon : Whereas the Lewes ofrettitution fay, The perfon wronged rnuft be repay- red. To give to the poore at large is charity, but no reflituci- on ; yet to give to the poore what is not justly ours, is no cha- rity, hdo mancan indeed doe an a6t ofcharity, but he that hath -done or is ready to doe all efts of Juttice. God doch as much hate robbery for charity to the poore now, as he did of old for facrifice or burnt offerings to himfelfe. So that till a man bath restored and done all men right, he is not in a capacicie to give to the poore, and to howmany poore foever he gives, he makesno reftitution, unleffe he gives to thofe individual& perlons (if they may be found and will receive it) whom he bath perfonally wronged. Secondly, If inch be not living, .then reftitution muff be made to their heires or Executors, to whom the right and. difpofi Lion of their eftate Both belong. Thirdly, Ifneither the man himfelfe, nor his heires are to be found, then the perfon offending mutt rettore to God ; he mutt put his ill gotten goods into Gods Treafury. The earth is the Lords, and the fiallneffe of it; he gives to all, and yet he looks to receive from many. Honorsr theLord with thyfubffance (Pro.' 3. g.) God hath a double treafury, to which we are to bring our fubttance, that we may honour him. I;irtt, All the godly are Gods treafury; fuppofe they are not in extrearne want and fo need not the gifts of charity, yet God rakes it well, and as done to r imfelfe, when we beftow Upon fuck the gifts of bounty, for theirencouragement and more comfortable fub- fi{tance in this world. Secondly, The poore, chiefly the godly poore are Gods treafury ; I doe not fay we mutt examine eve- ry poore man to know whether he begodly or no before we gave ; but filch as we know tobe godly we fhould not fayle to give to before others. That's the rule of the Apoftle ; Doe good to All, ifp cially to thfewho are ofthe Hoss/li,ld offaith, (Clal. ic. Thus therewill never want perfons to whom reftitution may be made ifthe man cannot be had nor any of his who was wrong'd, then rettore to God. Any godly man, efpecially a. godly poore man is Gods Treafury. - The fifth thing gnettioned is the proportion, or how much mutt be reftored. The Text anfwers and retolves it, thus Hefkall refsore all his fubßance, or, all that he hath in the world Y y 2 r. (halt
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