LEVIT. XIX. II, Te fhall not feal, &c, T is it to steal? WHAT hold another Man's Goods without his 1. God hath the abfolute Propriety in, and is the first Owner of all Things in the World, Gen. xiv. 19. 2. He is pleafed to put fome Things into the Hands of Men to difpofe of and manage under bim. 1. For the Employment of their Faculties. 2. For the maintaining of their outward Man. For their Trial here,in order to their Estate hereafter. 3. He entrufts all with fomething, but not all alike; but fome more, fome lefs, Matt. xxv. Is. 4. Every one hath a real and particular Title, under GOD, to the Goods entrusted with him, fo that they are not Common, as the Fratricellians and Anabaptifts hold. 1. We are commanded not to covet our Neighbour's Houfe. 2. To give to him that asketh, Matt. v. 42. A&t. xx. 35. St. Paul laboured, A. xx. 34. 1 Thef. ii. 9. OBJECT. Act. iv. 32. Anfw. 1. It is faid that he poffeffed. 2. The Poffeffors fold the Land, and brought it to the Apoftles, ver. 34, 35. 3. Peter tells Ananias, his Lands were his own, 'A&t. v. 4. There was a Communication of Eftates to one another, but no Community in Eftates. Omnia indifcreta funt apud nos præter uxores, Tertul. Apol. Not as that all Things were Common as to the right Title and Poffeffion, but to the Ufe and Enjoyment. 5. He that taketh away or withholdeth what another hath a civil Right unto, stealeth. To Theft then is required, 1. That a Man take away, or withhold, 3. Without his Knowledge, and contrary II. How appears the Greatnefs of the Sin? 4. The Civil Law. III. Who are guilty of it? 1. Such as violently take any Thing from 2. That do but covet it. Command. X. 4. That do any Injury to anothers Estate. 5. That 5. That use unlawful Means for the advancing of their own, by the Dimniution of anothers Eftate; as by, 1. Lying. 2. Perjury. 3. Defrauding, I Thess. iv. 6. 6. That withhold the Labourer's Hire, Fac. v. 4. 7. That do not endeavour what they can to preserve anothers Eftate. 8. That do not relieve the Poor, Luk. xvi. 2. Matt. XXV. 14. 9. That confent with Thieves, Pfal. 1. 18. Prov. xxix. 24. 1. Before the Act, by counselling them to it, I Reg. xxi. 7, 8. Prov. i. 11, 12, 13. 2. Directing them in it. 2. In the Theft. 1. By aiding, Isaiah i. 23. 2. Not hindring it. 3. After it. 1. By receiving ftolen Goods to keep for the Thief. 2. By buying them for himself. 3. By concealing from others the Thief, or the Theft, or ftolen Goods. 10. A Man may be a Thief in God's Account, by abufing and robbing his own Estate; as, 1. That through Idlenefs he doth not endeavour lawfully to preferve and encrease it, Ecclef. iv. 5. 2. If through Prodigality he lavish it away, Prov. xxi. 17. 3. If through Niggardlinefs he robs and denies himself the Enjoyment of it, Ecclef. ii. 26. C4 USE. USE. Avoid this Sin. 1. God hates it, Pfal. 1. 17, 18, 21, 22. 2. It is a croffing and oppofing the Order and Providence of God. 3. Who are once infected with it, can fcarce be brought off from it. 4. Theft will never make a Man the richer, Male parta, male dilabuntur. 5. But the poorer, bringing a Curfe on what he hath. 6. If discovered it will bring you to a Temporal IO. 7. Howfoever to an eternal Death, 1 Cor. 6. MEANS. 1. Repent of what ye have done in this Kind. 2. Refrain the Company of Thieves. 3. Wean your Minds from Earth. LEVIT. XIX. 11. Nor deal falfly, nor lie one to another. I WHAT HAT is it to deal falfly? That is, to do contrary to our Promifes and Profeffions. I. To God. 1. By not performing what we promised, Numb. XXX. 2. Ecclef. v: 5. Pfal. lxxvi. 11. 2. By not loving and defiring him as we pretend. 31. 3. By not worshipping and ferving him as But confider, 1. God deals truly with you. 2. He will not be mocked, Gal. vi. 7. 2. To our Neighbours. 1. Pretending to love, when we hate them, Pfal. xxviii. 3. Fer. ix. 8. 2. To do them good, when we strive to injure them. 3. By defrauding and cozening them in our dealing with them, 1 Thes. iv. 6. Confider, 1. Whatsoever we defraud our Neighbour of, tho' it be in our Poffeffion, 'tis not pur own. 2. Tho' |