92 The Nature and Necefity Van, thi.ngsconfiderable, the irregularityandvicioufnefsofthe A&, and the Evil Effe&s of it upon other Men : the former refpe&s the Law, and callsfor Sorrow andRe- pentance for our Violation of it; the latter refpe&s the Perron that is injured, and calls for Satisfa&ion and ReRitution . So that our Obligation to Refti- tution is founded in the immutable and indifpenfable Lawof Nature, which is To dothat to another, whichwe mould have another do to us. We would have no Man be injurious to us, or if he bave been fo, we would have him makeSatis- fa&iön andReparation to us of the Injury he bath done and we takeit grievoufly from him, if he do not. Now nothing is more juft and equitable, than that we fhoulddo that to others, which we in the like cafe would expo& from them: for thevery fame obligation that lies upon others towards us, does lie upon us in regard to others. H. This will yet further appear, if we confider the Nature of Repentance, which is to be forry for what we have done, and not to do the like for the future. Now if thou be forty for what thou haft done, thou wifheft with all thy heart thouhadit not done it ; and if thou dolt fo, thou wilt undo, as much as in thee lieth, what thouhaft done. Now the heft way toundo an Injury, is tomake Re- paration for it ; and till we do this, we continue in theSin. For ifit was a Sin, todo the injury at firft, it is the fame continued, not to make Satisfaktion 5 and we do not ceafe to commit the Sin, fo long as we detain that which is another's Right. Nothingbut ReRitutioncan flop the progrefs of Sin : for if it be a Sin to take that which is another Man's from him by fraud or violence, it is the fame continued and virtually repeated, to detain and keep it fromhim; and nothing more contrary to Repentance, than to continue in the Sin thou pretendeft to re- pent of. For how art thou forry for doingof it, if thou continueft to do it, if thou wilt go on to do it and do it again ? How dolt thou hate thy Sin, if thou enjoy the Benefit and reap the Advantage of it ? If thou dolt this, it is an Argu- ment thou loveftthy Sin Hill: for thou didit never love it for it felf, but for the Profit of it ; and fo long as thou retaineft that, thou canft not be quit of the Sin. Thou holdeft fa(t thy Sin fo long as thou refufeft to make Satisfa&ion for it ; and Repentance withcut ReRitution differs as much from true Repentance, as conti- nuance in Sin does from the forfakingof it. Sires aliensnon redditur, non agitar poenitentia,fedfingitur ; fo St. Auguflin; Ifwe do not reflore that which we have in- jurioufly detained from another, our Repentance is not real, but feigned and hypocri- tical, and will not be.effe&sal to the obtainingofour Pardon. 'Tis a very com- mon, but a true and terrible faying, Non dimittitur peccatum, vifi reflituatur able- tura, No Remiffion without Refitution. If we will inherit the Profit and Advan- tage of Sin, we cannot think it unreafonable or unjull that we fhould inherit the Punifhmentof it. When the Scripture fpeaks of Repentance, it frequently mentions ReRitution as a proper Fruit and Effe&ofit, and as a neceffary and indifpenfable Condition of Pardon and Life. Ezek. 33. 54, r 5, 16. Again, when I fay unto the wicked, Thou fhaltfurely die : ifhe turnfrom his Sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked reflore the pledge, give again that he bath robbed, &c. As if he had faid, when I denounce Death and Deftru&ion to the wicked, there is but this one way to efcape it, and that is by Repentance ; but then take notice, what a Repentance it is, that will avail to this end ; it is not a bewailing our felves, and lamenting over our Sins, but a forfaking of them and returning to our Duty ; If we turn fromour fin, andda that which is lawful and right. For inftance, if he have been guilty of Injultice andOppreffìon; if he leave his Courte, and deaf jufily and righteoufly with his Neighbour, and not only fo, but he alto make Re- ftitution for the injury he bath done, and reftore what he bath unjuflly detained and taken away; If he refiore the pledge, andgive again that he bath robbed, and do no Injuftice for the future, but walk in the Statutes of Life without committing iniquity ; upon thefe Terms and no other he (hall live, he (hill not die. Yea the very light of Nature could fuggel thus much to the People of Nneveh, that there was no hope, without this Fruit of Repentance, ofappeafing God's Wrath. There- fore the King and the Princes,after all the external folemnity offafting, and fsckcloth, and
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