A Praflical Expojition Ju!lice of God fo! the Violation. of his Law. But this is nor all, but rhou fiand efi in Debt ~nto Man likewife, ~y lnJUf!:s done ag~tnft him, and both thy Crtdirors muft he fattsfled: God by the Rtghteou!nefs of Chttft through thy Fairh and Repentance and Man by an Acknowledgment, Reparation and 1\e!titut ion. The Apofil e hath cotnmanded us, R(lm. 1 3· 8. To owe no Man any Tbing, but to Love one ano1brr. .~nd indeed SatisfafHon for Wrongs is a neceffary Part of Repentance; fOr he 1hn truly Repents) doth really, and from his Heart, wi!hthat the V,1ronghad nt:vcr been done :Jr.d therefore will be Hue to do his ucmofi to annihilate the Faulr, by giving the ahuf(:d Patty a Compenfation fully anfwerable to the Injury, and to tlie utmofi of his Ability · rcfiore l11m mro the fame or a better Condmon than that m whiCh he was bdOre he received the Wrang. Therefore, Hrft, Att thou Confcious to thy felf that thou ha!\ wronged any Man in his Cre. dit and Reputation, either by raifing or divulging Falie and Slanderous Repons? Know that thou art his Debtor, and Jufi:ice obligeth thee ro make him Satisfaction for thatlnjury, by wiping away thofe Afperfions1 and licking away the Dlft wi1h the fame Tongue with which thou didft befpatter him; tor il th ou fuflere!l the lame !{e. portS to run on which thou hafi fer on Foo~ all that fhotll relart them afrer thee muJ. riply thy Guilt; and all the numerous Ott-fpring of Lies, which (through a cenafr~ Itch that Men have of fpeaking Ill) will be foon propagated, !hall all b• charged "P' On thee; for ofthem all thou and the Devil art the Father. ~~condly, Art thou Confcious t~ou hall wro~ged thy Superiors. as A1ngijlrotrJ 1 Mmi.fters, Parents, or Mafters, m that Authomy and Power rhat God harh gh'(n them over thee, by a Difobedient Demeanour towards them? Know that rhou :m their Debtor, and it Iyes upon thy Confcience ro give them due Sarisfaaion. whicb becaufe it cannot be done by recalling the Offi:nces pafi, it rnufr be done by a'n Hum. ble Acknowledgm;~t to ~hem, defiring their Pardon, and promiling and endeavouring more ready SubmJ(hon for the future, So was the Cafe of iJaron and A1.iriam when they bad a:flfonted 1r1f!)ts, and were convinced of the Wrong they had done him: Anron makes his humble Acknowledgment; and begs Forgivenefs, Numb. 12. r I • .Alas 111y Lord, I befeecb tb~e lay_ not zbis Sin upon .us, wherein we ht1ve done Foolb?ily, 'and whertin we bave Srnned. And fo the Prod!fjal when he returned to his Fazher confcf. fCd his Difobedience, LuJr.e 1 5· 2 r,. Father, I havt Sin11~d againj! Heaven and in thy Sight anda11tno more wortby to be called tby Son. Which tho H be a Parable ytt teach~tb us real and literal Duties in parallel Cafes. ' Thirdly, Art thou Confcious to thy felf that thou hall wronged any one in their Right, either in withholding or taking from them what in Law and Equity belonged rothem? Thou an their Debzor, and as fuch an bound w make them Satisfa8ion, by making them a full and plenary Refiitution; and that though the Thing wherein thou ba!t wronged them be great or fmall, more or lefS, yea, rho' it i11ould feemingly tend to the Lols ofthy Credit to acknowledge fuch a Wrong, orvifibly tend to thy Jmpove· tifhing and Undoing to refiore it. Nor is it enough whtn thy Confcience checks rhee for it that thou confefs the Sin to God, and prayeR for Pardon at his Hands, but it beho;eth thee to render mno Man what is his,_ and what thou unjuiHy keepeft from him, whether it be his by thy Promife and Eoga&ement, or by his former Title and Polfeffion. As thou love!l thy Soul, and hope!l for Pardon and Salvation, thott muft make Reftitution; and the Reafoo is, becaufe as long as thou deraineit ic fo long thou continueft in the Commiffion of the fame Sin; for an unjufi Detainer and Pofieffion is a continued and prolonged Theft: And certainly our Repentance~ be it what it will can never be true and fincere wllile we continue in.the Sin we teem to repent of. a~d rh is Repentance not being true, Pardon fhall never be granted thee, bur as th~u remaineU a Debtor to Man, fo thy Debt to God remains uncancelFd; and though Men m1y not Sue thee to recover their Rig_hr, becaufe rhii Sin f?~etimes_is fo _fi.crerly carried on that it may not come to thcJr Kno~'ledge) yet D1vme Ju!hce Will Sue thee for it and Purfue thee to Ererr.al Cond'emnauon. But yo~ may fay, Wbaz if tbf!.fe v.1bom we have ·wronged be fince dcPd, how can an) Rejiizution be made to tbem, or any Recomprnce reach tbe~!? . . liinfwer, In this Cafe thou art boutfd ro find out then Ch1l~ren or Rd:nions, _m whom they ft illlive, and to whom it is to be fuppofed that whicb chou haft detatn· ed ihould have defcended and to reftore it unto tbem, wirh ample SarisfaEtion likewife for all the Prejudice r'hey have fufiained in r_he ~ean Time for want ofir.. , . But in Cafe nono can be found to whom of Right tt may belong, thoo Goo s Right ukes
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