Chap. 31. An Expoßtion upon the Boske of J o a. \Teri. 5. 3371 poverty; and while he deceaveth his brother, deceaves himfelfe moft. Unjuft gaine provesour crone Joffe ; And is not looting gaine avanity ? Now that every ranwho gaines by injuftice is a loafer by hisgaine, may be cleared by thefe following Confide- rations. Firft A man either repents of wronging others, or he re'. penes not ; There's no middle between theft two. Ifhe repents of what he bath done, his repentance is a demonftraiion that what he had donews vaine. No wife man will doe that know- ingly, of which he muft or ought to repent. Repentance is the reliefe offolly. And if ever God give a finger true repentance for his iniquity, his owne confcience will preach and preffe this doetrineupon him, that fin is folly. Secondly , Unjuft gaine is a vanity, becaufe he that repents of it topurpofe, will be convinced that there is a neceflìty for him to reftoreand give backe what hebath gottenunjuftly ; 'Tis in- deed a mercy, and the heft of thecafe, when a mans confcience is ficke of his (in this fence) unrighteous Mammon, and ke vo- mits it up againe by reftitution. But is it not a vanity to get that, which we may not keepe, and keepe a good confcience too ? Is it not a vanity and amadnes to gather that which we muft fcat- ter, or to take that from the rightowners, which we cannot pof- f effe as our owne ? Againe, ifwe infift upon the other part of the fuppofition, That he who bath don wrong repentsnot,nor reftoreth what he bath wrongfully gotten, This will prove a greater vanity. For Firft , Though he hold what he bath, yet it is under a curie; And the curie of God will eyther make the bonnie of it fade as a flower, and wither in his hand, or (which is worfe ) his heart will be hardned the more and he the more dangeroufly enfnared by it. But Secondly , He that repents not but holds what he bath un- duely gotten, is often brought to shame and trouble in the face of the world ; and is not that gaine a vanity, by which we bole ( which to a mere snortal span, is more precious then thou- landsofGold and Silver) our credit and reputation ? What bath any man to look (as to this world) which is worth the having, when once he bath loft his good name ? Thirdly , Suppofe a man holds what he bath unrighteoufly X x gotten,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=