W I C K E D M E N D E B T 0 R S. Book IV. METAPHOR. fon. A Man may be a Debtor by Office, Gal. v. 3· by Duty, Rem. viii. 12. by the Law of Charity, Ram. xv. 27. by trefpaffing or of– fending, whether God or Man, ;watt. vi. 12. PARALLEL. he murl be accountable to God for in the great Day, &c. Matt. xxv. 1 9· Man is a Trefpalfer, an UHCndtr, or a guil;:y Perfon, ha\,ing broki.n the Law, the l'enalty of which is eternal Death; fo that as a Traitor, or flagitious Perlon, by his heinous Crimes he is become a Debtor to eveda!t– ing Punifhment. !I. An evil Debtor is unwi:ling IJ. So wicked Men do not love to think upon to be called to en Account; no- ·.the Day of Judgment, care not w hear of thole thing is worfe to him, than to h~ar large Bills and 1-Iand.writings .rhat are againft the News, Give a11 Account of thy them. I low grievous will rhat Voice f•om l-lca– Stewardjhip. Hence it is fa id, One ,·en be to ungodly Men, Give an Account •f your was brought tl7at owed ten tbouStewartJ;.hip, Luke xvi. 2. Arife )'e Dead, and Jand '[a/ents; 1l1att. xviii. 24. as come to Judgment ! Give an Account of all rhe if it were by Force; he was haled Oaths you have fworn, the Lies you have ruld, before his Mafter to reckon with the Times you have been drunk, the lJavs of .him. Grace you have negleeled ; give an Account of all the hard and reproachful Words you have Jpoken •gainfl: your·godly Neighbors, and of all the Wrongs and lnjunes you have .done them; give an Account of all thole Talents that were lent you; v.hat Improve. ment have you made or' your Knowledge and !-'arts, your Sealons and Sabbaths, and of thofe many Years you have had in the \'Vorld' ']his, I !ay, is grievous to wicked Men to think upon. 'l'heyjha/1 be brought forth in the Day of Wrath, Job xxi. 30. they will not come willingly, but 1hall thereforc ·be as it were hakJ bdore the J uc!ge .of.Heaven and Earth. Ill. Ill Debtors are attended .with Shame. .Ambrofe fpeakerh of .fame, who for the Shame and Dif– trefs thereof, have made away with themfelves, fearing more Uppro– prium J/it,e, than JV!ortis Pericu/um, the Reproach of Life, thim the Punifhment of Death. -JV. Some great a11tl ill Debtors have many Shtfrs and Delays ro put off their,Creditors; it is acommox1 .Cuftom amongrlMen far in Debt, to contrive Ways to excufe rhem– fdves, and make: vain Ap:1logies, and all to !hift and_.put off further .Trouble. 'HT. Sinners are fu ch vile Debtors , thot thcv are attt:nded with great Shame, and rhen·fore, Adc1i1· like, hide rheir S1ns, do not love, nay, thty are afhamcd 2ny fhould know how black and noto– rious in \VIckednef.'i rhey are; they h<~ve gor many Ways to cover thtir Iniquity. IV. So Sinners have many Vlays to excufe themfelves: Have y.ou not heard lome fpeak ng ro this Purpofe, I was dra\o'o n in before I w.1s aware; I had not cone fuch or fuch a Thing, had it not been for fuch or fuch an .Onc; but all are guilty of human Infirmities, I fhall do better; when God gives me more Grace, I .intend to refOrm: their evil Deeds, and F orgivends. And thus they put olf God and Confcience by trifling De.Iays and Excufes, and repent not of nor go to God through the Mediation of Jelus Chrirl for Pardon V. Some Debtors hare their ~ Credir.ors; Leve tes alienum. debitore facitgrave inimicum, faith Bw-ges, a linle.Mone.y borrowed makes a Man Debtor, but a great deal an Enemy; fo the more they owe, the more they hate. ·Nay, Arijlotle .faith, Debtors wijh their· Creditors la have no Being, wifh rhey ~Xere dead, Jo that they might but thereby be freed from rheir Debts. V!. Some Debtors are fo far ir-t Debt, that thty owe much mo.e than they are worth, or are able to ,.pay, or make a compenlation tor. V. Wicked Men hate God, they are of<cn fet out in Scripture as Haters of him, becaufe they fear him as an angry Judge, who will feverely de– mand Satisfaction to the laft Farthing; they care nor whether there were are any God or no, to call them to an Account for all thei Wickednefs which they daily commit againft him; hence the Apofile fai<h, '!'he carnal Mind is Emnit)' againfl God, Rem. viii. 7· nay, and the Lord pofitively faith of the Wicked, that their Soul abhorred him, Zech. xi. 8. NI. Sinners are fo far in Debt to God, that they are not able to make him Satisfaction, they owe ten thoufand Talents, and have not one Farthing to pay: The Aggravation of Sin lyoth in this, viz. that it is again(! God; therefore that Offence that 3 ~
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