If you have wronged a man in his estate any way, although it were seven, twenty years ago, if God comes to awaken your consciences, it will not serve your turn to return and repent, that is, to be very sorry that you have done it, and ask God forgiveness, but before you can have peace, you must make satisfaction where you have wronged, if God enable you: Now, doth God stand so much upon that, that if one hath but wronged a man in his estate, that all the sorrow and repenting in the world will never bring peace of conscience, without restitution, where there is ability? then certainly, if one hath wronged another in his soul, and hath endangered the damnation of that, by ⟨p. 271⟩drawing of him to sin: It is not enough for thee that thou seest this thy sin, and thou art sorry for it, and thou wilt never seek to draw others any more, no, but thou art bound, if such be alive, to go to them if thou canst, and to seek now to do them as much good for their souls, as thou wert a cause of evil; what if this soul should perish at last by this sin, that thou wert a cause to draw them to, thou hadst need look about thee while they live, that if it be possible thou mayest make a satisfaction for that soul-wrong that thou hast done to them; and it may be such a one is dead, and so dead, as for ought thou knowest he never did repent him of that sin; now then see what a case thou art in: there is one drawn to a sin by thee, and now he is in Hell for that sin that thou wert the cause of; what a case hast thou brought thy self into now? Is it any otherwise like, but that thou must follow? shall one be in Hell for a sin that thou wert the cause of, and dost thou think always to escape? here is the dreadful estate that any man brings himself to, when he draws others to sin: thou hadst need to look about thee, and thy heart to be affected with that sin that hath been punished with the eternal damnation of those souls that thou hast drawn to that sin.— And not only by tempting to sin, but by encouraging to sin, by dissuading from that that is good: It may be some souls have been in a good forwardness to that which is good, they have begun to inquire after the ways of God, but have gotten into thy company, and thou hast sought to take them off;
If you have wronged a man in his estate any way, although it were seven, twenty years ago, if God comes to awaken your consciences, it will not serve your turn to return and repent, that is, to bee very sorry that you have done it, and ask God forgiveness, but before you can have peace, you must make satisfaction where you have wronged, if God inable you: Now, doth God stand so much upon that, that if one hath but wronged a man in his estate, that all the sorrow and repenting in the world will never bring peace of conscience, without restitution, where there is ability? then certainly, if one hath wronged another in his soul, and hath indangered the damnation of that, by ⟨p. 271⟩drawing of him to sin: It is not enough for thee that thou seest this thy sin, and thou art sorry for it, and thou wilt never seek to draw others any more, no, but thou art bound, if such bee alive, to go to them if thou canst, and to seek now to do them as much good for their souls, as thou wert a cause of evil; what if this soul should perish at last by this sin, that thou wert a cause to draw them to, thou hadst need look about thee while they live, that if it bee possible thou mayest make a satisfaction for that soul-wrong that thou hast done to them; and it may bee such a one is dead, and so dead, as for ought thou knowest hee never did repent him of that sin; now then see what a case thou art in: there is one drawn to a sin by thee, and now hee is in Hell for that sin that thou wert the cause of; what a case hast thou brought thy self into now? Is it any otherwise like, but that thou must follow? shall one bee in Hell for a sin that thou wert the cause of, and dost thou think alwaies to escape? here is the dreadful estate that any man brings himself to, when hee draws others to sin: thou hadst need to look about thee, and thy heart to bee affected with that sin that hath been punished with the eternal damnation of those souls that thou hast drawn to that sin.— And not onely by tempting to sin, but by incouraging to sin, by disswading from that that is good: It may bee some souls have been in a good forwardness to that which is good, they have begun to inquire after the waies of God, but have gotten into thy company, and thou hast sought to take them off;
