·· Eighth.Commandment. a)llong them, who had liberally afforded them all things to enjoy! Yet ye have robbed me &t yeJay, Wherein hilve we robbed rhee ? In, Tahe.r and ~ffinngs. Ye IJre carfed wirh aCurfe, for y~ have robbed me, .e?en zbu W~ole J:'arzom . Cer.t~inly thofe Thiogs which are appomted for the Worlntp and Servtce of God; whettier they bo origimtlly by Divine Right or not, ye_t they cannot be alirnated nor d~tained Without involving the Perfons,_or ~he Nation t~ar ~oth thus, m a moll d1refu~ Curfe: For this is no other than a robbmg God of hiS Rtghr. And how far tbefe Nat.'ons may be concerned in this Sin, and bow deeply tunk under thts Curfe, I leave It to the Confideration of 'thofe who have no other lmerefis to fway their Judgments but that of Piety and Honefiy; · . · ' Secondly Theft is committed againfi Men by an unjufi feizing of detaining whai of Right b~longs unto them; 2nd this may be done eith_er by Frat:d or Force: And therefOre our Saviour in reciting the Commandments menuons them both, Mark ro. 1 9 . Do nor ftelli, defraud nor. This is a Sin that God bath threatned with many leVere Curfes and Pumfhments. . Firft, The Temj)Oral Punifltmerit which the·Scrlpiute awards ,unto it is a Foutfold, and tometimes a Ftvetold, RcRnuuon, as you may fee, Exod. 2 2. 1. And therefo""re Zache.us, when he was converted, offers a FourfOld Reftitution to thofe whom he lJad wronged, Luke ' '· 8.If 1 have taken any Thing from nny Monby f•!J< AccufazioR I rejlore him Fo.urfo!d. And yet befides this Hcfiitution it feemS that femetimes the Offenders were to be put to Deattl, efpecially if the Circumftances of their Toeft added Cruelty and Oppreffion unto ir. This appears in the Parable oi~Nathnn, 2 Som. 12. when he had mofi artificially ' aggravated the Crime of tbe Rich Man ill' taking away the Poor Mao's Lamb, he lo raifed David's Compaffion and lndigDation that be prooounceth this Sentence, "'Verft 5, 6. The Man that bath done tbi$ Thing fhallfurely die: Jlnd he jha/1 reftore · the Lamb Fourfold, becaufe he did this Thing, and becaufe he had no Pity. So that you fee that even under the Law of Alofes it was noi unlawful in fome Cafes·to pun1flr a Thief with Death, although iho ufual and prefcribed · Puni!hment was Rell:itution. Indeed our Law condemns them ro Deatbl nor is it juftly to be reprehended , for •rooting out fuch B-anes and Pefis frotn the Commonwealth. For fince Punifhments are eo be inftifkd, nor fo much out of Revenge as Caution ; nor becaufe fome have offended, but to deter orhers fiom offending, it is but reafonable that the Penalry fhould anfwer this End; whicll we might very well doubt whether among us any lighter than Death would do fince we fee fo manY frill perfift in this wicked Courfe of Life, norwirhftanding th~ Severity of the Punifhmenr the Law pro• ides for them. Sllin for SN.in, and all that a Man bath will he give for his L1je. If therefore the Fear of Death itfelf cannot be forcible enough ro det~r them, certainly the Fear and Refiirution would be much lefs efieflual; and fuch a geatlo and mitigated Puni!hmant would but open a wide Gap ·to all manner of H.obbery and R•pine. · But be!ides the l'uni!hment Whith is threatned by the Law, confider, Secondly, God leaves a Curfe upoa what is gotrcn by Theft and Deceit; a Curfc that will bla!t and confume all fuch wicked lncceafe. They put ir into a BJg witb Holes, and by fome uoperccivable Providence it firangely waftes, and flips away between rheir Fingcis. But ufually Luxury and lnremperanci devours what is got by Theft and RapiDe, God by his llighteo~s Judgment making one Sin the Vengeance of another. But however fame fecret wuhenng Curfe fetzetb upon it ; and what is thus wickedly added to our former Po!Ie!lions, will rub its llufi and Canker: upon them all; and ifRefiitution be not duly made_, will. infenfibly prey upon them, and conlume thetn. And therefore fatth the Wtfe Man, Prov. 2r. 7· The Robbery of rbe Wicked fha/1 dcf/roy them; and, ]er. 17. rr. ils the Partridge /itteth on Eggs, and hatchet'? rfJtm n_ot ; fo hf that g_eltetb Riches, and not by ~ight, jhall /errve tbcm in the m1djt of lm Days, and at hu En,fha/1 be a Fool. Many times G6d raifeth up fuch againfi them who !hall deal with them as they have dealt with 0 • thers; and when thcfe Spungts ate full of what they have unjuftly fuLk'd up, fltall fqueeze them, and make them refund thdr ill-gouen Treafure. Thus God threatens the Chaid4<lns, Hab. 2. 8. Becaufe thou hoft Jpoiled many Nations all the Remnant of the People fhn/1 Jpoil thee. Such unjufi Gettints tend only unto Poverty : A<d in th is Senfc it is no Solrecifm to iay they have but gain'd a Lofs, and trcafured for ~hemiCJvc_s, a_nd their _Pofter.ity, Want and Beggary. And therefOre as you de· ftre to thnve 10 the World, and to have your Earthly Comfotts 111ultiplied, fo : be Ccc fuR
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