SERM. men, whilft all their wit and forefight fhall IX. be made fubfervient to it.

2. Secondly, The law of charity is next in order to oblige us to the fame duty, to make exact payment of what we owe to others, and reftore them that part of their property which is in our poffeffion.

For what elfe can we collect from those general rules of charity, that we fhould love our neighbour as ourselves, and do unto others as we would they should do unto us? Suppose the circumftances changed, that he who is now creditor were indebted to us: fhould we be eafy or well fatisfied to be defrauded of the debt? Could we take it in good part, that he fhould either confume our substance as his own, or else hide and hoard it up for his own creatures and dependants? And can we then be fo deftitute of brotherly love, and Chriftian fympathy, as to offer thofe injuries to other people which we fhould be uneafy to endure from them? Can we be fo blind and ftupid as to judge that reafonable in another's cafe, which would be most unreafonable in our own? It may often happen that the refufal of payment may prove the ruin of our brethren, and drive them to fuch freights and neceffities as will make them fit objects of the tendereft compaf fions. In fuch cafes our religion requires us to impart fomething of our own to their

fupport

support and relief, and whofo hath this world's SER M. goods (fays St. John) and feeth his brother IX. in need, and butteth up his bowels of compaffion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

And, if they are inexcufable who neglect to relieve him with a bountiful hand, much more muft their crime be aggravated, who have been the very Authors and caufe of his misfortune, by with-holding from him that which was his own.

How

does it move our pity to see men, that were both honeft and industrious, contented with their stations, and ferviceable to the publick, all crush'd and ruined on a sudden by the fuccefsful oppreffion and knavery of others, in whom all thofe good qualities are wanting, and who seem fent into the world only to confume the fruits of the earth, and exercise the virtues of better men? Whilft, with equal justice it must raise our indignation, to fee thofe merciless oppreffors fifing on the ruins of their more virtuous neighbours, and spending the fortunes of other people in their own luxurious exceffes.

Such injuftice then must be the height of uncharitablenefs; and if fuch men should prétend to religion or the love of God, they are liars (as St. John affures us) and the truth is not in them; for he that loveth not

* 1 John iii. 17.

SERM. his brother whom he hath feen, and knows IX. to be of like frame and fashion with himfelf, how can he love God whom he hath not feen? Befides, that a fincere love of God muft needs be productive of the love of brethren, from a principle of duty and obedience, for this commandment have we from bim, that he who loveth God, fhould love his brother alfo.

But, if the love of God and their brethren be principles which they are strangers to, let us try at leaft what may be argued from the love of themfelves. That is a principle which they feem to be poffeffed of in good earnest, though from miftaken notions of their real intereft, they have been led into fuch practices as tend to their deftruction. For, as furely as vengeance belongeth to the Lord, fo certainly he will repay them according to their deeds. The complaints of the oppreffed and in-, jured fhall not return fruitlefs and unheard. Behold (fays St. James) the hire of the labourers that have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of fabaoth*. His vengeance often follows them in this life; a fecret curfe cleaves to their ill-gotten wealth, which, like leaven leavening the whole lump, fhall make it all to moul* James v. 4.

der

der and confume away, and leave them SERM. equally deftitute of riches, but lefs objects IX. of compaffion. From hence the Apoftle obferves to them, that their riches were corrupted, and their garments moth-eaten ; that their gold and filver was cankered, and the ruft of them should be a witness against them, and eat their flesh as it were fire*.

To the fame purpose the Prophet has raught, that the curfe of the Lord shall enter into the house of the thief (and fuch is every fraudulent dealer and oppreffor) and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and fhall confume it, with the timber thereof, and with the ftones thereof.

But whether he be thus followed or not with fwift immediate vengeance, he shall be fure to find it at the laft, when all men fhall be judg'd according to the law of cha rity; when They fhall fuffer judgment without mercy who have shewed no mercy, and they fuftain juftice to the uttermoft, who would not exercise justice and equity to others; when all they who have neglected to relieve the poor out of their abundance, much more they who have with-holden that which was their own, fhall be fentenced to depart into everlafting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

No doubt, there is likewife, on the other hand, a law of charity to be observed by

James v. 2, 3.

+ Zech. v. 4.

SERM. creditors towards their decayed, insolvent IX, debtors; and they who are over hafty and rigorous in exacting every thing that is owed them, however they may argue with the Laws on their fide, will hardly be acquitted from the guilt of oppreffion at the bar of God. They fhould therefore set up a court of equity within their own breast, and, where they find there's not fufficient to pay, fhould either allow longer time, or elfe remit the debt either in whole or in part, as the circumftances of the cafe require; and not too rigidly infift upon the payment of fuch pence from their brethren, when they have fo many talents themselves to be forgiven by our heavenly Father. But, as the subject before us has led me only to confider the duty of the Debtor, fo the law of charity is undoubtedly stronger on that fide, because, to all other confiderations there is added that of property, which alone should be fufficient to require a faithful payment from all who have ability to make it.

And thus, having dispatched two of the Heads propofed, by, FIRST, laying before you the true meaning and defign of the Apoftle in these words, Owe no man any thing, and then, SECONDLY, proceeding to enforce this duty, and fhew whence our obligation rifes to the payment of our debts, I should