3d Rule of Justice. If Wrong be done, Restitution must be made. It is not enough to reconcile your selves to God if you have thriven by unjust Gain, but ⟨p. 85⟩you must make Restitution to Men, else the Sin remains. There is in all such Acts the Sin, and the Injury. Now many seek to take away the Sin while the Injury remains, but that cannot be; and some may seek possibly to do away the Injury while the Sin remains, they do not reconcile themselves to God. In the Law of Moses, he that wronged his Neighbour was to make Restitution, Levit. 6.5. He shall restore it in the Principal, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his Trespass-Offering. That Law speaks of Wrong done against our Will. The Thief that wronged with set purpose, was to restore fourfold; but if a Man did by chance, and against his Will, wrong another, when he was convinced of it, he was to restore the Principal, and the fifth part in the day of his Trespass-Offering. Our Lord renews and repeats this Sentence of the Law, Mat. 5.24. First be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift. It is an Allusion to this Law, where on the day of their Offering they were to make Restitution; this is the only way to retract the Wrong. As long as you retain the use and fruit of your fraudulent Practices, the Sin and the Injury is continued, and there can be no true Repentance. In the very counterfeit Repentance of Judas there was a kind of Restitution, it is a necessary Fruit of Grace. When Salvation was come to Zacheus his House, and he was converted, he offers the Restitution of the Law; If I have taken any thing from any Man by false Accusation, I restore him fourfold, Luke 19.8. 'Therefore the continuance of Gain gotten by Fraud, upbraideth the tender Conscience with the Sin. Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum: and if you should be disabled from Restitution, your acknowledgement must be very serious and humble, and take Shame to your self, and do what you can. And if Servants have purloined from their Masters, or if any have thriven by Iniquity of Traffic, restore as far as possibly you can: He that can rectify the Injury, and doth not, doth not repent, and God will not accept him. If the Party wronged be not living, it must be given to the next Heir: if none of the Line be found, it must be given to God;
3d Rule of Justice. If Wrong be done, Restitution must be made. It is not enough to reconcile your selves to God if you have thriven by unjust Gain, but ⟨p. 85⟩you must make Restitution to Men, else the Sin remains. There is in all such Acts the Sin, and the Injury. Now many seek to take away the Sin while the Injury remains, but that cannot be; and some may seek possibly to do away the Injury while the Sin remains, they do not reconcile themselves to God. In the Law of Moses, he that wronged his Neighbour was to make Restitution, Levit. 6.5. He shall restore it in the Principal, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his Trespass-Offering. That Law speaks of Wrong done against our Will. The Thief that wronged with set purpose, was to restore fourfold; but if a Man did by chance, and against his Will, wrong another, when he was convinced of it, he was to restore the Principal, and the fifth part in the day of his Trespass-Offering. Our Lord renews and repeats this Sentence of the Law, Mat. 5.24. First be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift. It is an Allusion to this Law, where on the day of their Offering they were to make Restitution; this is the only way to retract the Wrong. As long as you retain the use and fruit of your fraudulent Practices, the Sin and the Injury is continued, and there can be no true Repentance. In the very counterfeit Repentance of Iudas there was a kind of Restitution, it is a necessary Fruit of Grace. When Salvation was come to Zacheus his House, and he was converted, he offers the Restitution of the Law; If I have taken any thing from any Man by false Accusation, I restore him fourfold, Luke 19.8. 'Therefore the continuance of Gain gotten by Fraud, upbraideth the tender Conscience with the Sin. Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum: and if you should be disabled from Restitution, your acknowledgment must be very serious and humble, and take Shame to your self, and do what you can. And if Servants have purloined from their Masters, or if any have thriven by Iniquity of Traffick, restore as far as possibly you can: He that can rectify the Injury, and doth not, doth not repent, and God will not accept him. If the Party wronged be not living, it must be given to the next Heir: if none of the Line be found, it must be given to God;
