The Spirit of God, who is a Righteous Lord, and Loves Righteousness, does first of all direct ⟨p. 4⟩us, to pay a Debt which People owe unto their Superiors; That they who serve the Public, and have their Thought and their Time taken up, in watching for the Safety of the People, may be handsomely Subsisted in their Station. A Debt this is, which is not always duly considered, nor so honestly paid as it ought to be! But then, the Direction goes on; That whatever Debt People may owe to one another, in the way of their Dealing with one another, be also duly answered. People must not be in Debt unto one another, any further than what is anovoidable. 'Tis true, there is One Debt, which tho' it should be ever Paying, yet it will be ever Owing. A Debt of Love to one another. Of this, as much as you please! But for any other Debt, even for that which is a proper Debt, Here you cannot be too Cautious. Let Christians come Slowly into it; and let them get Quickly out of it. Let Christians Exercise their Wisdom in coming in, and their Justice in getting out. Come into it, with the Pace of a Tortoise, and get out of it, with the Flight of an Eagle.
The Spirit of God, who is a Righteous Lord, and Loves Righteousness, does first of all direct ⟨p. 4⟩us, to pay a Debt which People owe unto their Superiours; That they who serve the Publick, and have their Thought and their Time taken up, in watching for the Safety of the People, may be handsomely Subsisted in their Station. A Debt this is, which is not always duely considered, nor so honestly paid as it ought to be! But then, the Direction goes on; That whatever Debt People may owe to one another, in the way of their Dealing with one another, be also duely answered. People must not be in Debt unto one another, any further than what is anovoidable. 'Tis true, there is One Debt, which tho' it should be ever Paying, yet it will be ever Owing. A Debt of Love to one another. Of this, as much as you please! But for any other Debt, even for that which is a proper Debt, Here you cannot be too Cautious. Let Christians come Slowly into it; and let them get Quickly out of it. Let Christians Exercise their Wisdom in coming in, and their Justice in getting out. Come into it, with the Pace of a Tortoise, and get out of it, with the Flight of an Eagle.
