Ser. 171. doth not suffer Chriftians to deal so hardly with another: but if the gospel remit of this rigour, and do not allow Chriftians to challenge it, we fhould voluntarily do in effect that which they were forced to, that is, we should use our best endeavours and diligence to put ourselves into a condition of making satisfaction; and we fhould not look upon any thing beyond the neceffary conveniencies of life as our own, till we have done it; unless the party injured will recede from his right, in whole or in part. For though the impoffibility of the thing do difcharge us for the prefent, yet the obligation ftill lies upon us to do it, fo foon as we are able.

And here it will be proper to confider the case of those who have compounded with their creditors for a small part, whether they be in confcience and equity released from the whole debt. I am loth to lay unneceffary burdens upon mens confciences; therefore I am very tender in refolving fuch cafes: but I ought to have a more tender care of the fouls of men, than of their eftates: therefore, to deal plainly, and to difcharge my confcience in this matter, I think fuch perfons do, notwithftanding the compofition, ftand obliged in equity and confcience for the whole debt, and are bound to discharge it fo foon as they can with tolerable convenience. My reafon is, becaufe, though they be difcharged in law, yet the law does not intend to take off the obligation of confcience or equity, which they are under, but leaves that as it found it. Thus the cafe ftands; men who are in a way of trade, are engaged by the neceffities of their calJing, to venture a great part of their eftate in other mens hands, and by this means become liable many times to be undone without their own fault; therefore it is usual, when any man in a way of trade becomes difabled, for the creditors to make fuch a compofition with him as his eftate will bear; and upon this compofition to give him a full discharge, fo as that they cannot afterwards, by law, require of him the remainder of their debt. Now, though this be a favour to the debtor, yet it is principally intended for the benefit of the creditor; because it being his act, it is to be presumed, that he intended it as much as may be, for his own advantage; and fo it is, for the creditor has as much satisfaction at

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prefent as can be had, and the debtor is hereby left in a capacity of recovering himself again by his induftry and diligence, which could not be, if he were not fully difcharged; for if he were ftill liable for the reft, he would continually be obnoxious to imprisonment, which would render him incapable of following his calling; or, if he were at liberty, he could have no credit to enable him to do any thing in his calling; for who would trust a man with any thing, who is liable every moment to have it taken from him? So that the reason of this plenary discharge is this, that men who are otherwife hopeful, and in a fair probability of recovering themselves, may not be rendered incapable of getting an eftate afterwards, whereby they may fupport themselves, and discharge their debts. Now, this discharge being given in order to thefe ends, it cannot be imagined that it fhould be intended to defeat them; but it is in all reafon to be fuppofed, that the creditors did not intend to take off the obligation of equity and confcience, only to put the man into a condition of doing fome thing towards the enabling him to difcharge his debt. So that, unless it were expreffed at the compofition, that the creditor would never expect more from him, upon any account of equity and confcience, but did freely forgive him the reft, the contrary whereof is ufually done; I fay, unless it were thus expreffed, there is na reafon why the creditor's favour in making a compofition fhould be abused to his prejudice; and why a legal difcharge, given him on purpose, for this reafon, among others, to put him into a capacity of recovering himfelf, and giving full fatisfaction, fhould be fo interpret ed, as to extinguish the equitable right of the creditor to the remainder of his debt.

The Second ufe of this doctrine of reftitution should be by way of prevention, that men would take heed of being injurious, and fo take away the occafion of restitution, and free themselves from the temptation of not performing fo difficult and fo unwelcome a duty. It is much easier of the two, not to cozen or opprefs thy neighbour, than, after thou haft done it, it will be to bring thyself to make reftitution: therefore we should

be very careful, not to be injurious to any one in any kind; neither immediately by ourfelves, nor by aiding and affifting others, by our power and intereft, or skill in the law, or by any other way, to do injustice.

SERMON

CLXXII.

The usefulness of confideration, in order to repentance.

DEUT. XXXII. 29.

that they were wife, that they underflood this, that they would confider their latter end!

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His chapter is called Mofes his fong, in which he briefly recounts the various providences of God toward the people of Ifrael, and the froward carriage of that people towards him.

Firft, He puts them in mind how God had chosen them for his peculiar people, and had, by a fignal care and providence, conducted them all that tedious journey, for the fpace of forty years in the wilderness, 'till he had brought them to the promifed land, which they had now begun to take poffeffion of.

And then he foretels, how they would behave themfelves after all this mercy and kindness God had fhewn to them, ver. 15. Jefurun waxed fat, and kicked, and forfook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his falvation. Upon this he tells them, God would be extremely difpleafed with them, and would multiply his judgments upon them, ver. 19. 20. When the Lord faw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his fons and of his daughters: And he faid, I will hide my face from them, I will fee what their end fhall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. And ver. 23. I will heap mischief upon them, I will spend mine arrows upon them. And then

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401 he enumerates the particular judgments which he would fend upon them: nay, he declares he would have ut. terly confumed them, but that he was loth to give occafion of fo much triumph to his and their enemies, ver. 26. 27. I faid, I would fcatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men; were it not, that I feared the wrath of the enemy. left their adverfaries fhould behave themselves ftrangely, and left they fhould fay, our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this. And he adds the reason of all this severity; because they were fo very stupid and inconfiderate, ver, 28. For they are a nation void of counfel, neither is there any understanding in them.

And, in the conclufion of all, he reprefents God, as it were, breaking out into this vehement and affectionate with, O that they were wife, that they underflood this, that they would confider their latter end!

O that they were wife, that they understood this! What is that? This may refer to all that went before. O that they were wife to confider what God had done for them, and what they had done against him, and what he will do against them, if they continue or renew their former provocations! O that they were but duly ap prehenfive of this, and would lay it feriously to heart!

But from what follows, it seems more particularly to refer to those particular judgments which God had threatened them withal, and which would certainly befal them, if they ftill continued in their difobedience. O that they were wife, that they understood this, that they would confider their latter end! That is, the fad confequences of these their provocations, that by the confideration thereof, they might prevent all thofe evils and calamities, by turning from those fins which would unavoidably bring them upon them.

From the words thus explained, I thall observe these four things.

1. That God doth really and heartily defire the happiness of men, and to prevent their mifery and ruin. For the very defign of these words is to exprefs this to us, and it is done in a very vehement, and, as I may fay, paffionate manner.

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2. That it is a great point of wisdom, to confider fe riously the last iffue and confequence of our actions, whi ther they tend, and what will follow upon them. And therefore wisdom is here defcribed by the confideration of our latter end.

3. That this is an excellent means to prevent that mifery, which will otherwife befal us. And this is neceffarily implied in this with, that if they would but confider these things, they might be prevented.

4 That the want of this confideration is the great cause of mens ruin. And this is likewife implied in the words, that one great reafon of mens ruin is, because they are not fo wife, as to confider the fatal iffue and confequence of a finful courfe. I fhall fpeak briefly to each of these.

I. That God doth really and heartily defire the happiness of men, and to prevent their mifery and ruin. To exprefs this to us, God doth put on the vehemency of a human paffion; O that they were wife! &c. The laws of God are a clear evidence of this; because the ob fervance of them tends to our happiness. There is no good Prince makes laws with any other defign, than to promote the publick welfare and happiness of his people: and with much more reafon may we imagine, that the infinite good God does by all his laws defign the happiness. of his creatures. And the exhortations of fcripture, by which he enforceth his laws, are yet a greater evidence how earnestly he defires the happinefs of his creatures. For it fhews that he is concerned for us, when he ufeth fo many arguments to perfuade us to our duty, and when he expoftulates fo vehemently with us for our neglect of it, faying to finners, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael? Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life, fays our bleffed Saviour, with great trouble to fee men fo obftinately set against their own happiness; and again, How often would I have gathered you, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! And to fatisfy us yet further, that it is his real defire, by our obedience to his laws, to prevent our ruin, God does frequently in fcripture put on the paffions of men, and ufe all forts of vehement expreffions to this purpose. Deut. v. 29. 0 that

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