Serm. CXVI1. f IZeftitation...' 95 a. But chiefly, in re(peft of our future Eftate in another World, it is every man's intereft to make Reftitution. Without Repentancewe are ruined for ever, and without Reftitution no Repentance. No unrighteousMan bath any i,: heritance in the Kingdom ofChrifi. Ifthou continue in thy fraud and oppreflion, and car- ry thefe Sins with thee into another World, they will hang as a Milftone about thy Neck, and fink thee into eternal Ruin. He that wrongs his Brother hates him, and he that hateth his Brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer Bath eternal Life abiding in him, t John 3. 1 5. Rom. I. t $. The wrath ofGod is rek- vealedfromHeaven, againfi all ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of Men. So that if it beMens Interefts to efcapethe Wrath of God, it concerns us to make Reparati- on for thofe Injuries which will expofe us to ir. That isa dreadful Text, james 5. I, 2, 3, 4. Go to now ye rich men, weep and :howl for your mifriesf that (hall come upon you. Tour riches are corrupted, andy.ur garments moth- eaten : Tour Gold and Silver is canker'd, and the tuft of them (hall be a witnefe againfi you, and fhall eat yourflefh asit were ¡ire : ye have heaped treafure together for the laß days. Behold! theHire of the labourers which have reaped down your Fields, which is ofyoukept back by±fraud; crieth i and the cries of them which have reaped, are enter'd into the earsof the Lord of Sabbaoth. Do not by detaining the treafüres ofwickednefs, treafure. up to'your felves wrath againfi the day ofwrath: do not make your (elves Miferable for ever, that youmay be Rich for a little while : do not for a little Silver and Gold, forfeit the eternal inheritance, which was not purchafed with corruptible things, but with theprecioxs,Bloodofthe Son ofGod : And if this, Confideration, which is the weightieft in the World, will not prevail with Men, I canonly fay with the Angel, Rev. 22. I I. He that h unjuft, let him be unjuft (till, let hitncontinue inhis ln- juftice at his peril, and remember whatis addedat the I2th verfe, Behold "> I come quickly, andmy reward is with me, to giveto every Man according as his work fhall be. II. In refpet of our Children and Pofì;erity, it is greatlyour intereft to make Reftitution God many times fullers an Efate got byoppreflion toprofper for a little while : but,there is a corle attends it, which defcends upon the Elate like an incumbrance; and Parentsmany times when they think they entail an Eftate, they entail Poverty upon their Children. Jib 2o. +.to.:fpeaking of the Children of the Oppreffor, he faith, His Children¡hall feek toplead the Poor, and hishands (hall reftore their Goods. And lob 2I. I g. God layette up his iniquity for his Chil- dren. Thou layeft up Riches for thyChildren; and God lays up thine Iniquity and Injullice for thee',, the CurIe that belongs to them. Hab. 2. 9 lo, II. Wo tohim that coveteth an evil covet.uufnefr, or gaineth an evil gain to his Houfe,, &c. Thou thoughtef to raife thy Family by thofe ways; but thou haft confulted fhame to thy Houfe, No fuck effeftual way to ruin thy Family, as Injuftice and Opprefiion. As then you would not tranfmic a Curfe to your Children, and devolve:Mifery upon your Family, free your Eftates from the burden and weight of whatisother Mens, left by Gods juif Judgment and fecret Providence, that little whicIa you in- jurioufly detain from others, carry away your whole Efface to them -and their Family. God's Providence many times makes abundant Reftitution, whenwe will not. Having now endeavoured to fatisfie Men, that it is their trueft Intereft, tomake Reftitution for the Injuries they have done to others, it remains only that I fhould anfwer an Objection or two, whichMen are apt to make againft this Duty. Firfi, Men fay they are afham'd to do it. Anf. It is not matter of fhame, but of Praife and Commendation. But it may be thou wilt fay, Itis matter of fhame tohave injur'd another, and this is the way to lay open thy fhame. Indeed if the Injurywere publick, the Reftitution ought to be fo too, as the only way to take off the flume of the injury. For thy Reffitution doth not in this cafe pub-. lifh thy fhame, but thy honefty:: but iftheInjurywas private, thou :mayftpreferve thy own Credit, by concealing thy felt; and provided thou do the thing effectu- ally, thou mayft be as prudent, as to the mannerof doing it, as thdurpleafeft. Secondly, Another Objeftion is the prejudice it will be to Mens Eftates. But this I have anfweed already, by [hewing that it is more their Intereft tomake Re-, ftitution, than to continue in theSin. I (hall only add, that, as our:Sariour rea fons
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