An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 12 · Verse 7
VER. 7.
He is a Merchant; the ballances of deceipt are in his hand; he loveth to oppreſs.
THis Scripture, though it ſeems to be ſomwhat a harſh one, and hard to reade, yet it may be a good providence The Text ſeaſonable.of God that did bring it to hand at ſuch a time as this is.
That's the ſcope of the Prophet: We may exhort long The ſcope.enough ſaith he, yet ſo long as their hearts are covetous, and ſet upon their way of getting gain, they will never regard what I ſay, they will not turn to God, they will not hear of turning to God, but will turn a deaf ear rather. This indeed is the guize of men that have great dealings in the world, and their hearts are ſet upon their Great dealersriches, let there be the moſt glorious Truths ſet before them that ever were, yet they are as nothing to them: we reade in Luke 16. of Chriſt himſelf preaching before a company of men, and ſome of them being very covetous, mark what the Text ſaith, verſ. 14. The Phariſees alſo who were covetous, heard all theſe things, and they derided him, they blew their noſes at him, ſo the word *foreign.ſignifies, they ſcorn'd him. Chriſt he ſpake of Excellent and Divine Miſteries, and there were ſome of his Auditors that had dealings in the world, and great eſtates, and they ſcorn'd at whatſoever he ſpake; Tel us of ſuch things as theſe are! tell us of waies of gain, how we may come to enrich our ſelves: This ſeem'd to be the diſpoſition of ſome of the Auditors of Hoſea at this time, therefore ſaith he, He is a Merchant.
The word that is here tranſlated a Merchant, it ſignifieth a Cananite, and may be tranſlated, if you would foreign Expoſ. 1tranſlate it according to the very letter of the word, He is a Cananite, for the ſame word that ſignifies a Cananite ſignifies a Merchant in the Hebrew tongue. You have the like in other places of Scripture, Job, 41. 6. Shall they part him among the Merchants, among the Cananites, ſo is the word in the Hebrew: and in Prov. 31. 24. She delivereth Girdles to the Merchants, the word is to the Cananites. Now the reaſon why that a Merchant, and a Cananite hath the ſame name in Scripture, it is, becauſe the Country of Canaan was much given to Merchandize, and indeed much to deceipt. As the Mathematicions were cal'd Caldeans from the Country becauſe the Country was ſo Cananite, why ſignifie a Merchant. Chaldaeans, why taken for an Aſtrologer. Arabian, why a Thief.full of Mathematicions; ſo Arabia, Robbers and Theeves, were call'd by the name of Arabians becauſe that it was ſo full of them; and ſo becauſe Canaan had ſo many Merchants therefore it hath the denomination, A Cananite, and a Merchant.
But here the holy Ghoſt calls them not Iſraelites, mark, God he doth not ſay, you are an Iſraelite, but a Cananite, Expoſ. 2.and that is by way of upbraiding of them, becauſe they had degenerated ſo much from Iſrael, (that was ſpoken of before) ſo he would not call them Iſraelite, but calls them Cananite. Obſerve that, Men by their ſin may loſe the honor of their Progenitors.
And further, Though it's true, that the calling of a Merchant Obſ. 1. Obſ. 2.is not only Lawful, but a very honorable imployment, yet the abuſe of it may make it very contemptible, if it be abuſed and corrup ed it may grow to be very contemptible; for ſo here, the holy Ghoſt doth caſt ſuch a word upon them, to ſhew, how through their corruption they had made a calling that was honorable, to become contemptible, and, they had brought contempt upon their own perſons: for though Merchants that are ſubtil may in the pride of their hearts rejoyce in their ſubtilty and cunning, and think that they can circumvent others by their deceipt, and get money that way in going beyond them; they may glory in this as if it were a great excellency in them, but the holy Ghoſt caſts contempt upon thoſe, he is a Merchant, a Cananite, and the ballances of deceipt are in his hand.
The ballances of Deceipt are in his hand] The Lord abhor'd their ballances of deceipt, yea, and profeſſed that they are an abomination to him, if you reade Levit. 19. 35, Levit. 19. … 36. Illuſtrated.36. Ye ſhall do no unrighteouſneſs in Judgment, in Metyard, in Weight, or in Meaſure. Juſt Ballances, juſt Weights, a juſt Ephah, and a juſt Hin ſhall ye have: I am the Lord, I am Jehovah. This lies upon it, if you will acknowledg me to be the Lord, to be Jehovah, be juſt in your dealing, have no unjuſt ballances, let there be no injuſtice in your trading. And in Deut. 25. 13. and ſo on to the 16. Thou ſhalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great, and a ſmal; thou ſhalt not have in thy houſe divers meaſures, a great and a ſmal: But thou ſhalt have a perfect and a juſt weight, a perfect and a juſt meaſure ſhalt thou have, &c. For all that do ſuch things, and all that do unrighteouſly (mark) are an abomination to the Lord thy God. There's much laid upon it, you think you may take liberty in ſuch things, no ſaith the text, all that do ſuch things they are an abomination to the Lord thy God, 'tis not only a thing that God forbids, but a thing that God abominates to be deceiptful in trading. Doeſt thou profeſs any intereſt in The Point urged.God? haſt thou any hope that God ſhould be merciful to thy ſoul, to do thee any good? doeſt thou think that God is thy God? know this is an abomination then to thy God, to that God that thou profeſſeſt to have any intereſt in; nay, in Prov. 11. 1. there's likewiſe a Scripture to the ſame purpoſe, A falſe ballance is an abomination to the Lord; but a juſt weight is his delight. God takes pleaſure in that. Now ſaith the Prophet here, The ballances of Deceipt are in his hand, as if he ſhould ſay, let him have riches any way, he doth not mind turning to God, but he regards the ballances of deceit.
We are to underſtand this for all kind of deceit in trading, 1 The Text opened.though only ballances are here mentioned, yet here's a ſynechdoche; one ſpecial thing is mentioned in a buſineſs to ſet out all of that nature, not only Deceitful Ballances, but Meaſures, and Tale, and Lights, and Mixtures, when they ſhall mix water and other things with any Commodity to make it heavier, or mix ill ware with good ware, deceiptful gloſſes, and appearances, to make wares that are ill to ſeem to be good by many Arts that Trades-men have to put a gloſs upon their wares; deceiptful words, to tell them what they coſt, and what the goodneſs of it is, to make many proteſtations, yea, and deceiptful Oaths, all ſuch things are here condemned; and deceiptful Books, and deceiptful Reckonings; So that by Ballances of deceipt, are alwaies of Merchants, of Trades-men, whether by Ballances, Weights, Meaſures, Tale, Lights, Words, Proteſtations, Oaths, Appearances, Gloſſes, Mixtures, Books, and Reckonings, all kind of deceiptfulneſs is here condemn'd, He is a Cananite. Yet thoſe have their due honor, that are righteous in their dealing; but ſuch as make profeſſion of Merchandize, and are not righteous in their dealings, they cannot think much that the Scripture ſhould call them in the way of upbraiding, a Cananite.
Or if he doth but joyn with others in deceipt, that com… in here: As if there be any men, and the way they take 2.he knows it is to cozen others, yet to get gain he wil be content to joyn with them to partake a part of their gain: theſe things, and perhaps your own conſciences would tell you of abundant more that you know of, of the myſteries of iniquity that there is in trading: As we reade of thoſe in the Revelation, that were under the power of Antichriſt, they might not buy nor ſell, except they had the Mark of the Beaſt upon them. And the truth is, among The Mark of the Beaſt.a great part, if not moſt of our Buyers and Sellers there is the Mark of the Beaſt upon them, deceiptfulneſs and falſneſs among them, and becauſe this is thought to be ſo light a matter, therfore the Scripture laies the more weight upon it. And ſo much as the time will give me leave, I ſhall labor to lay ſome weight upon this, Of deceiptfulneſs in waies of Trading.
The ballances of deceipt are in his hand. That is (ſaith a 3. Innuitur continuum ac perpetuum ſtudium. Meiſn. in loc.Learned Interpreter upon the place) By this that they are in his hand, is intimated a continual and perpetual ſtudy and endeavor to deceive, he hath it at hand, and it is in his hand continually. In the forenamed place, Deut. 25. 13. and ſo on, There men are forbidden to have Deut. 25. 13. obſerved.a falſe weight in their bag; you muſt not keep a falſe weight in your houſe, much leſs in your hand.
Or it may be he alludes to thoſe that have a ſlight of 2.hand, to make the ballances turn one way, or the other way, ſo as their Cuſtomers ſhall not perceive it. —And he loveth to oppreſs.Text.
What oppreſſion is there in Trading? If I buy a commodity and ſell it again, what oppreſſion can there be? Oppreſſion in Trading.There may be oppreſſion in Trading, As thus:
1. Oppreſſion in Monopolizing of Commodities, that 1. Monopolizing Commodities.poor men that have been brought up to ſuch a Trade, and that have no other livelihood at all but that, that a few men get into their own hand, and make ſuch uſe of it themſelves that poor men are not able to live by them, this is oppreſſion; Certainly this monopolizing in Trading is a great oppreſſion, the Lord hath in great meaſure delivered us, but not wholly delivered us from that, there is a great cry in many parts of the Land ſtill of that.
And then Secondly, Oppreſſion in Trading; when as 2.men take the advantages of mens weakneſſes that they deale withall in their Trading: but eſpecially when they take advantages of mens neceſſiries, that is, If I know that ſuch a man muſt ſell his Commodity, now for men to take advantage of his neceſſity and therefore beat it down, ſo as even almoſt to undo a man becauſe he is neceſſitated for the ſelling of it. I verily beleeve you know the meaning of ſuch things as theſe are.
Or now, Thoſe that work upon the neceſſity in buying, as ſometimes when men bring over Commodities, and muſt bring over ſuch Commodities, you will let them lie to the laſt period, that ſo you may have them at any rate, and ſo when you come to know that men muſt needs have a Commodity of you, then to raiſe the price ſo as they cannot live upon it, this is even to drink their very blood, this is Oppreſſion.
They love to oppreſs: (that is) The poor of their wages.Expoſ.
There are many poor men that are ſervants to you that are Merchants, and Trades-men, they live upon their 1.labor, and they muſt come and fetch Commodities of Oppreſſion of under-trades-men.you, that they muſt live by; now you knowing their neceſſity that they muſt have your work, therfore you beat down their wages, and not give unto them according as they may maintain their families: you will ſay, I do not wrong them, If he doth not, another will, I but that will not ſerve the turn.
Or otherwiſe, They love to oppreſs: Trades-men oppreſs 2.their debtors, when they have gotten poor men into their debts then they will make them that they ſhall buy Debtorsof them, and of none other, and ſo will put off any of their braided ware to them, and put it off at a deer rate. You will ſay, We ſell it them, yea, but you force them to buy of you; for if they ſhould go from you, then you fall upon them, and put them into priſon, or evil intreat them ſome other way. This is to love to oppreſs, to take the advantages of mens neceſſities when they are grown poor. Certainly theſe things are grievous to the Spirit of God, and are abominable in the eyes of God, theſe are rebuked here, and that you may ſee that there is a great deal of evil in theſe Ballances of deceit, and oppreſſion in trading, do but conſider theſe particulars.
Firſt, Obſerve how this is brought in, in my text, as 1. The evil of deceipt in trading.oppoſite to turning to God; Turn to God, then preſently, He is a Merchant, the ballances of deceipt are in his hand; he loveth to oppreſs. Thoſe men that live in any way of deceipt or oppreſſion to get gain to themſelves by thoſe waies, theſe are men that yet have not turned to God; thou haſt not turned to Jehovah, thy heart is not turned to him, thy heart is turned to the earth, the earth is thy portion, thou art to look for the things of the earth to be thy portion, it is not God that thou haſt choſen, nor turned unto him.
Then Secondly, Thou doeſt certainly not know what 2.ſin doth mean, that dareſt venture the leaſt ſin for the greateſt gain; had God ever enlightened and awakened thy conſcience to ſee what ſin doth mean, thou wouldeſt rather loſe all thy eſtate, and be cloathed with rags all thy daies, than willingly to commit the leaſt ſin, to get the greateſt eſtate. It was a ſpeech of Auſtin, That there muſt not be ſo much as an officious lye, that is, a lye when a man intends no hurt, but good, yet this muſt not be told, ſaith he, no not for the ſaving of the ſouls of all the world: ſurely then a lye muſt not be told to get twelve pence in a bargain, or five ſhillings, or fifty ſhillings, or five pounds, it muſt not be told to ſave the ſouls of all the world; Now to tell a lye to deceive others as well as thy ſelf, ſurely, God hath not yet laid the weight of ſin upon your ſouls, the day is yet to come that you ſhall know (perhaps to all eternity) what the weight and burdon of ſin means.
And then in the Third place. Certainly you do not 3truſt in God, you may ſpeak of truſting in God, but it is apparant by this, That you have jealous thoughts of God, that you do not beleeve that God takes care of you; and here's not only ſin, but it ſhews your miſery, you are in ſuch a condition, that your own conſciences condemn you, and tell you that God takes no care of you, for did you beleeve that God had care of you, care over my bodie, my eſtate, my ſoul, then I'le leave it to God, I'le caſt my care upon God, I'le go on in Gods way, and leave all other things to God. But now, when a man is low in the world and would fain riſe higher, or would provide ſuch a portion for his children, and he falls to deceiving, and ſo thinks to get it that way, this is the plain explicit Engliſh of it; For my part I dare not truſt God to take care for me, and that that I think God to do for me is not enough, if I truſt to Gods bleſſing, I may be a poor man, my children may be poor, and I dare not truſt to promiſes, nor protections, nor providences, but I muſt take my own way; (the truth is, the language is as much as thus much) I cannot get an eſtate by God, and therefore I'le ſee what I can do by the Devil.
And then Fourthly, All duties of Religion that thou performeſt 4.are rejected by God; you who are conſcientious to your ſelves of waies of falſeneſs in your trading, and it may be have gone on many daies and yeers in your waies, I ſay, all the duties of Religion that you perform are rejected by God, you will deceive, and yet come to hear, and deceive again, and yet hear, and ſo make the duties of Religion to be a colour to your deceipt. Who would ſuſpect ſuch a man that is ſo forward in matters of Religion that he ſhould be ſo deceiptful? Oh! curſed is that wickedneſs above all wickedneſs, it is aggravated by this, When thou makeſt Religion to be a colour of deceipt, know, that God caſts all thy profeſſion and duties as filth and dung back again in your face. I'le give you this on Scripture in Ezek. 28. 18. Thou haſt (ſaith the text) defiled thy Sanctuaries (how?) by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy TRAFFICK: By the iniquity of thy Traffick thou haſt defiled thy Sanctuaries. You go abroad and there you traffick, and deceive, and put off falſe Commodities, and have falſe Reckonings, and the like: now you come into the Sanctuary, Oh but you defile the Sanctuary by the greatneſs of your iniquity; and among other greatneſs of your iniquities, the iniquity of your Traffick is that that defiles the Ordinances of God unto you: In Micah, 6. 8. when thoſe Hypocrits had ſaid, What ſhall we do? ſhall we come with ten thouſand Rams, and Rivers of Oyl? Saith the Prophet, He hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juſtice, &c. As if he ſhould ſay, Though you come with all theſe things, it's all to no purpoſe, whatſoever Offerings you offer to God, it's all nothing, except you do Juſtice.
Fifthly, There is a curſe mingled with every thing thou 5.doeſt enjoy. Though it may be ſome things are gotten honeſtly, yet (I ſay) there is a curſe mingled in all things thou doeſt, it doth venem and poyſon every thing thou doeſt. In Zach. 5. 3. there was a flying Rol of twenty Cubits, and the breadth of it ten Cubics: then ſaid he unto me, This is the curſe that goeth over the whol earth, (for whom?) For every one that ſtealeth ſhall be cut off &c. Everie bit of meat thou eateſt at thy Table thou maieſt look upon it as dipt in the curſe of God, I have gotten this by deceipt, thou wouldeſt be loth to have everie bit of meat rouled up in dirt and ſo put into thy mouth, but everie bit of meat is rouled up in the Curſe of God.
And then Sixthlie, ſurelie thou that art guiltie of 6.this deceipt in the way of trading thou canſt not pray, if thou comeſt to prayer, ſurelie thy conſcience is verie blind, for when thou art conſcious to thy ſelf of deceipt, how canſt thou come into the preſence of a righteous God? Canſt thou ſay, Oh Righteous Father? dareſt thou come into the preſence of ſuch a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS God that profeſs, to abominate thy waies, ſurely thy conſcience muſt be very blind, if thou doeſt not underſtand the evil of thy ſin; It may be there was a time at firſt of thy trading that thy conſcience did trouble thee for a little time, thou had'ſt miſ-giving thoughts, but thou haſt worn them out, and ſo art ready to bleſs thy ſelf that thou haſt gotten over ſuch a difficulty as that is: thy condition is far worſe. Or if not, If thy conſcience be not ſear'd with a hot Iron, then thou wilt be terrified. I verily think that thoſe that have any light left in them that they dare not go to prayers; Oh! doeſt thou ſo prize a little gain, as to take away the freedom of thy ſpirit, and the holy boldneſs of thy heart in prayer! Oh how ſhouldeſt thou ſay to Gain, Get thee hence as a menſtruous cloath.
Seventhly, Know, that if thou ſhouldeſt come to make 7.uſe of thy eſtate in any good work, God rejects it: Iſa. 61. 8. For I the Lord love Judgment. I hate robbery for burnt offerings; What will you come and get by deceipt an eſtate, and come and offer it to me, I abhor it ſaith God. 'Tis a ſpeech of Chryſoſtom, Why doeſt thou deſpiſe, and Chryſoſtom.deſpight God in this, in bringing unclean things to him? it's a reproach to God: a man that hath gotten an eſtate by deceipt, if he brings his eſtate to any Service of God, he doth reproach God.
Eightly, know that God will avenge ſuch things, it may be the poor man that thou oppreſſeſt in thy trading 8.he cannot right himſelf upon thee, becauſe a bargain is a bargain (you will ſay) yea, but God will come over with the bargain again; it may be you have done with him in your bargain, but God hath not done with you.
You will ſay to him, You ſaw what it was, and you bought the thing of me as it was, and I have nothing to The excuſes of deceiptful dealers.ſay to you; but God hath much to ſay to you in this, mark thoſe two Scriptures, Micah, 6. 11. the Lord having ſhewn what he did require, that men ſhould be juſt in their waies, now ſaith the text in ver. 11. Shall I account them pure with the wicked ballances, and with the bag of deceiptful weights? for the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have ſpoken lyes, and their tongue is deceip ful in their mouth; therefore alſo will I make thee ſick in ſmiting thee. Oh! when God comes to ſmite thee, he will make thee ſick to purpoſe: ſickneſs to ſuch men as have defiled conſciences in their trading is dreadful ſickneſs indeed, as if God ſhould ſay, You ſhal have not De mali quaeſitis non-gaudet tertius Haeres:—Of goods ill got, the thud Heir joyeth not.great content in what you have, I will be avenged on you for what you do, either you, or your heirs ſhall no enjoy it. But that place concerns Chriſtians very much, a place that it's impoſſible for you that are exerciſed in Scripture, but you muſt needs take notice of it, 1 Theſ. 4. 6. That no man go beyond, and defraud his brother. In any matter, you muſt not go beyond your brother; your brother is weak, you will ſay, Let the weaker look to it as well as he can: No, you muſt not take advantage of his weakneſs, he is your brother, you muſt not defraud him, no not in any matter, why? becauſe that the Lord is the avenger of all ſuch, as we alſo have forewarned you and teſtified.
And know this day, the Lord forewarns you once A vehement applic. of the text.more by the Miniſtry of his Word, and the Lord by his Word doth teſtifie againſt you in this one thing, and if you go on in anie way of deceipt, you go on againſt the verie ſtrength of the Word, and ſtrength of Conſcience this day, and this Word that is preached this day to you ſhall certainlie teſtifie againſt you another day.
Yea further, When you come to die, Oh! how terrible 9.will death be to ſuch men! when they ſhall leave the ſweet of all their eſtates, and carrie nothing but the guilt, of all with them: In Job, 27. 8. What hope ſhall an hypocrite have, though be hath gained, when God takes away his ſoul? Sometimes men they ſeek to deceive, and they are diſcovered, and ſo they are rendered baſe and contemptible to all the world; yea, but ſometimes again, they may carrie it ſo cunninglie, as they ſhall never be diſcovered, perhaps in this world, but they ſhall gain, as Ephraim ſaith here, I am become rich and have gotten ſubſtance, but what hope hath this hypocrite though he hath gained? what profit ſhal it be though thou haſt gained the whol world and ſhalt loſe thy own ſoul? See alſo James, 5. 3. The ruſt (of your Gold and Silver) ſhall eat your fleſh as it were fire.
Yea, Know further, That thou muſt reſtore, if thou 10.haſt any eſtate now, or if thou ever comeſt to have any eſtate, it muſt be reſtor'd or thou canſt not expect to find mercy from God with all the ſorrow, cries, and prayers that can be, without reſtitution, there cannot be expectation of pardon and forgiveneſs. The ancient Reſtitution.ſpeech that all Divines in all Ages of the Church have cloſed withal was, There muſt be Reſtitution of that that is falſlie gotten, if it be in thy power to do it, thou muſt reſtore it or elſe thou canſt not have anie hope of merciemercy, thoſe ſweet morſels that you have ſwallowed, muſt be vomited up again; And therefore you that are Apprentices take heed of pleaſing your Maſters, to be deceiptful, for if you have a hand in it you muſt reſtore. I'le give you Scripture and Reaſon for it.Why we pardon without Reſtitution.
The Reaſon is this, That 'tis impoſſible that any kind of repentance can be accepted of God without reſtitution, the reaſon is; becauſe, That if I have power to reſtore, all the while I do not reſtore I do continue in the 1 Reaſon.ſin, I do not only wrong the man juſt the verie hour I have deceived him, but all the while I keep that which is his in my hand, this is the argument that repentance can never be accepted of God that may ſtand or doth ſtand with a wilful continuance in the ſin that a man ſeems to repent of, Do I repent of my ſin, and yet wilfully continue in the ſin? I ſay, Wilful, for I have it in my hand to reſtore: Oh but I ſhall undo my ſelf; I but that's wilful ſtill, Is it better for thee to keep an eſtate, or to keep a ſin? Now certainly any man that hath anie light muſt needs acknowledg thus much, That if I truly repent me of my ſin, I muſt do what poſſibly I can to undo my ſin; Can I ſay, I am heartilie ſorrie for a ſin, when I do not what I can for to undo that ſin again if I can?
And for the Scriptures for Reſtitution, there are divers, 2. Scripture.I'le give you two or three, Ezek. 33. 14, 15. And when I ſay unto the wicked, Thou ſhalt ſurely die: If he turn from his ſin, and do that which is lawful and right, if the wicked reſtore the pledg, give again that he hath robbed, &c. he ſhall ſurely live, he ſhall not die. He doth not walk in the Statutes of life except he give again that which he hath robbed. And ſo in Numb. 5. 6, 7. there you have the Law about reſtitution, when a man or woman ſhall commit anie ſin that men commit, to do a treſpaſs againſt the Lord, and that perſon be guilty, then they ſhall confeſs their ſin which they have done, (is this al?) and he ſhall recompence his treſpaſs with the princial thereof, and ad unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him againſt whom he hath treſpaſſed. He muſt confeſs his ſin, yea, but that's not enough, Numb. 5. 6, 7. an excellent Scripture for Reſtitution.but he muſt recompence the partie. This is a moſt excellent Scripture; Mark, it's ſaid here, If a man ſhall treſpaſs againſt the Lord, it's not only againſt Man, but againſt the Lord, againſt the rule of Juſtice that the Illuſtrated. 1.Lord hath ſo ſet for the maintaining of order and humane Societie in the world: And then obſerve it further, if a man or woman commit a ſin, that men commit, and do a treſpaſs: you wil ſay, I do no other than all trades-men do, mark, ſaith the text, If a man or woman commit 2.any ſin that men commit, as if the holy Ghoſt ſhould ſay, I confeſs it is a ſin that is ordinarie, but though it be ordinarilie committed by men, though there ſhould be confeſſion of that ſin, yet if there be not reſtitution, it will do you little good. I remember Latimer in one of his Sermons that he preach'd before King Edward, ſpeaking Mr. Latimerof this verie point of Reſtitution, he ſaith that the firſt day that he preached about it there comes one and gives him twenty pounds to reſtore; the next time he preached there comes in another and brings thirtie pounds, and another time he preached and there comes another and gives him two hundred pounds, ten ſhillings, and he hath this homelie expreſſion, Reſtore what you have gotten, elſe you will cough in Hell, and the Devils will laugh at you; His expreſſiō of non-reſtorers.Certainly it is that, that will lie heavie upon conſcience; Gravel in the kidnies will not grate ſo upon you as a little guiltineſs that is upon your conſciences. I my ſelf knew one man that had wronged another but of five ſhillings, and it ſeems he did not much regard it being but five ſhillings, yet God awakening his conſcience fiftie yeers after he comes and could not be quiet till he had reſtor'd that five ſhillings. And therefore know, that though it be manie yeers ſince you have gotten any thing by deceipt and wrong, yet God will (if he hath a love to you) put you to reſtore it again. Oh! what fooliſh luſts are the luſts of covetouſneſs, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Thoſe that will be rich they fall into many fooliſh luſts; this ſin of covetouſneſs, and deceiptfulneſs it doth bring men into fooliſh luſts, and makes men pierce themſelves with manie ſorrows; and Oh! that God would pierce them with ſome ſorrow this day, that they might never have one nights reſt quiet, till at leaſt they do reſolve in their hearts that they will ſet upon a way to make Reſtitution.
And even thoſe of you that have made falſe agreements with your creditors, if God awakens your conſciences, I ſee not how you can ſatisfie your conſcience till you ſatisfie them, theſe things will not be peace another day.
Now the Lord convince thoſe that hearing the Word of God are guilty, and know that God will call for an account of this thing, and of this text that through providence you have come to hear of this day.