to whom Honour; owe no Man any thing, but to love one another: Rom. 13. 7, 8. There are fome things due by the Law of God, whofe is the Earth and the Fulness thereof, and by whofe Grant the Children of Men enjoy it; there are Dues likewife by the Laws of Men, which allot to every one their Portion, upon which foot generally stand the Rights of Mankind; and there are fome Dues granted and confirm'd by both, as the tenth part of our Subftance, which are the Portion of the Priests, by the Laws of God and Man: thefe are all to be strictly and inviolably obferv'd, rendring to Cæfar the things that are Cæfar's, and to God the things that are God's. In a word, Whatever Debts we have contracted, either by buying, borrowing, bargaining, or any other way engaging for our felves or others, must be justly and faithfully difcharg'd, without diminution or delay; this is manifeftly imply'd in this Commandment, which is grounded upon the fundamental Law of Equity, and is carefully to be kept to in all our Dealings. 2dly, Here is imply'd likewife the permitting to all Men the quiet Enjoyment of all their Poffeffions, without depriving or disturbing them in any part of them: this is the Apoftle's meaning, when he wills all Men to live quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honefty; and elsewhere, If it be poffible, as much as lieth in them, to live peaceably with all Men. The fenfe of which is, that we fhould moleft no Man in his juft Rights, nor any way leffen his Substance, but suffer every one to fit quietly under his own Vine, and peaceably reap the Fruits of it. Now because the enjoining of any Duty contains in it all the neceffary Means and Helps tending thereunto, we are to look upon thofe Virtues that are requifite to promote Honefty, and quiet Living by one another, to be enjoin'd with it. And they are thefe following: : 1. Labour and Diligence in fome Calling. This was requir'd in the foregoing Precept as a Prefervative of Chastity, and a neceffary Means to prevent Leudnefs and Debauchery, which Idlenefs unavoidably leads Men to and the fame is requir'd in this Commandment as a Prefervative of Honefty, and a neceffary Means to prevent Poverty and Stealing, which Idlenefs expofes many to: Let him that stole, Steal no more (faith the Apostle) and to that end advises to labour, working with his Hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth; Eph. 4. 28. They They that will not put forth their Hands to work, do commonly reach them out to fteal; whereas they that labour in an honest Calling, not only keep off Poverty from themfelves, but are enabled to relieve the Neceffities of others. But because our Labour, without the divine Affistance, will be but a flender Relief either to ourselves or others, here is requir'd, 2. Prayer unto God for his Bleffing upon it, which alone can give it the defir'd Succefs; this will difcover fuch a dependence upon God, and fuch a fenfe of his Ability and Readiness to help us, as will engage the divine Providence, and secure us from all the Dangers and Miseries of Want: for tho the Lions may lack, and Juffer Hunger, yet they that fear the Lord ball want nothing that is good, Pfal. 34. 10. The true Reason that many do not profper, is, either that they caft off all due Care of their Affairs, or call not upon God for his Bleffing upon them; and where these things are neglected, 'tis no wonder if they fink into Want and Poverty: for 'tis the Bleffing of God that maketh Rich, and preferves from the Temptations of Poverty; and 'tis Prayer alone that procures this Bleffing, and protects from all the Evils and Dangers of it. Hence we find Agar not only labouring but praying against Poverty, Left I be poor (faith he) and teal, Prov. 30. 9. and defiring to be fed with Food convenient for him. And our bleffed Saviour, in his excellent Form, hath directed us to add Prayer to our Labours, and every day to ask our daily Bread: Where, tho we are directed to call and depend upon God for a Subfiftence, yet we are no way encourag'd to pray for Abundance, to feed our Luxury, or spend upon our Lufts; but only to ask our daily Bread, and to be fed with Food convenient for us. 3. Another Virtue neceffary to preferve Honesty and prevent Stealing, is Contentedness with our Condition: for this will keep us from envying the Profperity, or invading the Rights of other Men; whereas he that is not fatisfy'd with his present State will never think that he hath enough, and that will tempt him to break in upon others, and to feather his Neft with the Spoils of his Neighbour: and therefore the Apoftle wills all Men to be content with such things as they have, without cafting an evil Eye, or reaching out a purloining Hand after that which is another's. As for himfelf, he tells us, that he had learnt in whatever State he was, therewith to be content; he knew how to want, and was thereby 495 thereby arm'd against the Temptations to Theft and Envy; and he knew how to abound, and was thereby enabled to avoid the abufing himself and God's Creatures by the Evils of Luxury and Intemperance; and in every Condition he had attain'd that Art of Contentment as to be not only eafy, but thankful: which Leffon he recommends to us, and would have us learn from him, Phil. 4. II, 12. Not that we are reftrain'd from bettering our Condition, where it may be honestly and fairly done, but that we do not use any foul or indirect Arts to compafs it, by feeking to mend ourfelves by marring of others, or build our own Fortunes upon the Ruin of other Men. But this Virtue of Contentment will fall in more properly under the tenth Commandment, where it fhall be farther handled, 4. Here is requir'd the great Virtue of Charity to the Poor and Needy, which God the Giver of all things hath made due to them: not indeed to the able, lufty and idle. Beggars, who are to be made to labour, and get their own Bread; but to the aged, impotent and decrepid Poor, whom Sickness or other unavoidable Accident or Neceffity hath caft upon us: to thefe our Alms become a Debt, which as Juftice requires to pay, fo fhall we be not only unjust, but unfaithful in detaining it. Laftly, Another great Duty requir'd in this Commandment is that of Reftitution, the beft Remedy and Expedient both against the Act and the Guilt of Stealing; which being of fo great confequence to the prefent Peace and future Happiness of our Souls, I fhall briefly fhew the Nature, Neceffity, and Usefulness of this Virtue. For the Nature of Reftitution, 'tis that Act of Juftice which confifts in repairing of Injuries, or making Satisfaction for the Wrong done to any. Where I style it, 1. An Act of Fuftice, and fo it is; for if Juftice requires the rendring to all their due, then we may neither take, nor keep from another what is his. He that knowingly withholds any thing from the right Owner, is a Thief and a Robber; and as the firft taking it away was an Act of Injuftice, fo is the keeping of it no lefs in every Inftant of the Poffeffion fo that the fame Juftice that forbids the taking away any thing from our Neighbour, requires the reftoring of it where any fuch thing is done; for which reafon, Reftitution is reckon'd an Act of Justice. : 2. I ftyle it that A&t of Justice, which confifts in repairing Injuries and Wrongs; for the clearing whereof, we are to obferve in the A&t of Stealing, ift, The Affront done to God, by breaking of his Law. And 2dly, The Injury done to Man by invading of his Property. To the repairing of the first, Repentance is neceffary, whereby alone we can obtain Pardon of God whom we have offended, and by Acts of Justice and Mercy atone for the Violation of his Laws. To repair the latter, we must restore the thing taken away from another, or make him an equal and due Satiffaction; taking off all the evil we have brought upon him, and not fuffering any to groan under the burden of our Injustice, which is against all the Rules of Equity and Charity. But here it may be ask'd, 1. Who are they that are thus to make Reftitution? To which the answer is, all that have willingly wrong'd any Perfon, and either by force or fraud hurted his Neighbour; yea, not only they that have done this in their own Perfon, but all that have counsel'd, affifted, or any way promoted the doing of it, are likewife bound to Reparation: for these being all Actors and Abetters of the Wrong, are to be Sharers in the Satisfaction. But, 2. Of what things is this Reftitution to be made? Why, of all that which of right belongs to another, and was unjustly taken or kept from him; all that is borrow'd or receiv'd of him must be return'd; all that is intrufted or committed to our Care must be accounted for: In a word, every thing of another's, that is in our keeping, whether by the lawful ways of Loan or Truft, or the unlawful ways of Fraud and Injustice, must be reftor'd to him; if the thing be loft or perifh'd, then the Value of it, with all the Fruits and Profits accruing by it; and Satiffaction is to be made for all the damage of detaining it. But, 3. To whom is this Reftitution to be made? Why, to the Party wronged, for common Reason directs the Satiffaction where the Injury was fuftain'd: If the Party be deceas'd, then to the Heirs to whom the Right defcends; but if these cannot be found, then to God Almighty the Lord of all, who hath transfer'd this Right on the Church and Poor, whom 497 whom he hath made his Receivers in this Cafe, as appears by the Grant which himself hath made of it, Numb. 5. 8. If he that hath done any Trespass, hath no Kinfman to receive the recompence of the Trespass, then let the Trespass be recompens'd unto the Lord, even to the Priest who shall make Atonement for him. And for the Poor, Chrift himfelf declares, that whosoever shall do it to one of thefe, does it unto him Mat. 25. 45. by which we are directed where Reftitution is to be made in all Cafes. : If it shall be ask'd here concerning the quantity, How much is to be reftor'd? I answer, all that hath been unjustly gotten or taken away; the whole damage must be repair'd, and all the wrong done must be fatisfy'd for this, com mon Juftice and Equity exact from us, which will us not to leave our Neighbour worfe than we found him; we are to do him all the good we can, but not the leaft Harm or Injury: if any be done either wilfully or unadvifedly, full Reparation must be made to the utmost of our Power and Knowledge, that no Cry of Oppreffion may come against us, nor any have juft caufe to complain of our Injustice. Reftitution then must be intire, and reach to the leaft Mite of unjuft Gain; and where that is difficult to be known by reafon of the multiply'd Acts of Fraud, there we are to return rather more than lefs, and be fure to exceed rather than come fhort of Satisfaction. This we find was the Practice of penitent Sinners in this matter: Zacheus reftor'd fourfold, and fo did St. Matthew and the other Publicans, who had defrauded by their Exactions; and all that will find Mercy, muft go and do likewise. But here it may be farther ask'd concerning the manner of Reftitution; Whether it must be done by the Party himfelf that did the Wrong, or whether it may be done by another in his ftead? As alfo, whether the Reparation must be publick, or whether it may fuffice if the Wrong be privately repair'd? To which I anfwer, that if the Wrong done to any be notorious and publick, fo as great Offence may be given or taken by it, 'twill be expedient that the Reftitution be made by the Perfon himself who did the Wrong; and that as publickly too, if it conveniently may be, as the Injury, to prevent the Evil and Contagion of fo bad an Example: otherwife, if the Damage be fecret, a Man may provide for his own Credit, and fecure a good Conscience, if he restore that privately by a Friend which was fecretly taken away. Tho in other Cafes, I dare not pronounce a VOL. II. private |