Sermons Volume 4, Sermons on Titus · Sermon 9
SERMON IX.
TITUS II.12.
—Righteously, &c.
I Now come to the second Branch, wherein the Duty of Man is express'd, and that is Iustice or Righteousness, which implies the Duties of our Publick Capacity, and Relation to others. Tho the Discourse be moral, yet it may conduce to spiritual Ends. Therefore let us see what may be spoken concerning Justice and Righteousness. Justice is a Grace by which we are enclined to perform our Duty to our Neighbour. There are many Distinctions usual in this Matter, which I shall omit, and only deliver you the Nature of this Grace in some general Rules; and then shew you how much it concerns us to look after this Grace, to be just and righteous in the Course of our Conversation.
First; To give you the Nature of this Grace in some general Rules, and they are such as these; To give every Man his own; to do Injury to no Man; to make Restitution; to bear the Injuries of others with Patience; in many cases not to demand our own extreme Right; to do as we would be done unto; Publick Good to be preferred before Private; and that according to our power we must be useful to others.
1st. To give every Man his own. This is laid down, Rom. 13.7. Render therefore to all their Dues, Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom, Fear to whom Fear, Honour to whom Honour. This Due ariseth either by virtue of the Law of God, or by virtue of a Bargain and Contract, or by virtue of a voluntary Promise.
(1.) There is a Due that ariseth by virtue of the Law of God: such things cannot be dispensed with, therefore the Obligation cannot be made void: as for instance; A Child is to honour his Parents by the Law of God: and a Father cannot discharge his Child from Obedience, as we may remit a Duty or thing that is due by Bargain and Contract, because we have greater power over... There is a Due to every one, as Reverence to Parents, Obedience and Tribute to Magistrates, double Honour to Ministers, and the Guides of the Church. It … Injustice to deny Parents a Respect; it is Theft and Robbery to defraud Magistra…es of their Tribute, or Ministers of their Maintenance; it is not a Gift, but a De… … …he Scripture saith, they are worthy of double Honour, 1 Tim. 5.17. Let the Ela… …hat rule well, be counted worthy of double Honour, especially they who labour in the W…rd and Doctrine. And it is not in a begging way, as a Contribution, but as an honorary Stipend. Things that are due by natural Duty, cannot be dispensed with, as things due by Bargain and Contract, because the Obligation cannot be made void.
(2.) There is a Due that ariseth by way of Bargain and Contract: Rom. 13.8. Owe no Man any thing, but to love one another. If Mony be borrowed, but not restored, it is Theft and Injustice. If you bargain with another, the full Bargain is due to him. 1 Thess. 4.6. Let no Man go beyond, or defraud his Brother in any Matter, because that the Lord is the Avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. He is to enjoy his full Bargain. The Apostle saw a need of enforcing this Doctrine in the Church, to prevent the Iniquity of Traffick. The Seller is not to work upon the Simplicity of the Buyer, nor the Buyer upon the Necessity of the Seller; but all things must be done equally, else God will be offended. But chiefly is this Iniquity committed, (and that it is in an high degree) when the Reward you are to give, is not bought with Money, but earned with Labour. Defrauding the Hireling and Servants of their Wages, is a very crying Sin, the greatest height of Iniquity; it cries in the Ears of the Lord of Hosts; Iames 5.4. Behold the Hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields, which is of you kept back by Fraud, crieth: and the Cries of them which have reaped, are entred into the Ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. God is their Patron. This is a grievous Sin, because it is their Life, and their Support and Solace: Deut. 24.14, 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired Servant, that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy Brethren, or of the Strangers that are in thy Land within thy Gates. At his Day thou shalt give him his Hire; neither shall the Sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his Heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be Sin unto thee. It is often spoken of in Scripture: There is a greater and more pressing Inconvenience to defraud the Labourer, than to defraud others.
(3.) Again, there's a Due ariseth by voluntary Promise. We make our selves Debtors; and it is part of Justice to make good our Promise, though it be to our own hurt and loss: Psal. 15.4. —He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. All Promises must be kept but those that are evil, and those are void in making: Why? because they are Bonds of Iniquity, so they must be broken, and not kept; and again, because they are contrary to the former Promise we have made to God to obey his Laws: it is evil to make a sinful Promise, and it is a greater Sin to keep it.
2d Rule, Do Injury to no Man: Jer. 22.3. Do no Wrong, do no Violence. Do no Wrong to their Persons, their Names, or their Goods.
(1.) Not to their Persons, that will not sute with the Mildness of Religion. The Apostle saith, Phil. 2.15. Be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God without rebuke. Man by Nature is fierce, hateful, and hating one another, Titus 3.3. that is, his Disposition: but now the Children of God their Nature is changed: The Spirit of God is in all his Members. Now Christ went about doing Good, he did no Harm; neither was Guile found in his Mouth: And if you would be the Children of God; you must be like him, be harmless. That we may be mindful of this, the Lord hath given us an Emblem of it almost in all things, among the Birds, the Beasts, the Plants, the Worms. Among the Birds; Natural Men are compared to the Eagle and the Kite, Birds that are ravenous; and a Christian to the Dove; Matth. 10.16. Be harmless as Doves. Among the Beasts; Natural Men are compared to the Wolf and the Lion, and a Christian to the Lamb. Among the Plants; Natural Men are compared to Briars and pricking Thorns that cannot be touched: saith the Spirit of God, The Sons of Belial shall be as Thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with Hands, 2 Sam. 23.6. And the Children of God are compared to the Lilly. And then among the Worms; Wicked Men are compared to Vipers, Mat. 3.7. O Generation of Vipers: And the Children of God to an innocent Worm apt to be trod upon, to receive Injury, and do none; Psal. 22.6. I am a Worm, and no Man. Usually in a well-ordered Kingdom, the Fierceness of Men is restrained by the Severity of Laws; but yet it is bewrayed, and breaks out in fury against those that fall under the Displeasure of the Magistrate, especially for Matters of Religion, out of blind Zeal; these Civil Men are fierce and cruel. And therefore it is notable that Paul ▪ when he makes an acknowledgment of his Natural Condition, saith, 1 Tim. 1.13. I was a Blasphemer, a Persecutor, and Injurious. That Paul was a Blasphemer of God, and a Persecutor of the Saints, is clear; but how doth he say he was Injurious, since elsewhere he said, He walked in all good Conscience to this Day? I suppose it relates to the Violence of his Persecution, to his haling and dragging the Saints out of their Houses, having a Commission from the Rulers, Acts 8.3. and that he calls his Injury. Thus it falls out, Men are transported by Irregularity, Heats and Violence; and forget Humanity. Now in such Cases, tho the Cause be right, yet this violent dragging and insulting over those that are in their power, is but natural Rage let loose: and this Paul confesseth to be his Injuriousness, and a Crime that kept the same pace with his Blasphemy and Persecution. True Zeal is manifested by Pity and Compassion. The heights and fervours of Zeal are only necessary, when evil Men are countenanced, and when it is dangerous to appear against them; not when they fall under our power, then there is some Pity due to their Humanity.
(2.) Do no Wrong to their Names; next to their Persons this is to be valued. A Slanderer is worse than a Thief: the one is publickly odious, but the other robs us of our better Treasure; Prov. 22.1. A good Name is rather to be chosen than great Riches, and more conducible to our Usefulness for God, than Wealth. A Wrong done to the Estate is sooner repaired, than a Wrong done to the Name of others; for a Reproach divulged, is hardly recalled; when the Wound is cured, yet the Scar remains: And therefore this is a very great Evil to do wrong to their Names: Especially when you reproach the Godly, and wrong them, because their Discredit lights upon Religion. God is much concerned in the Credit and Honour of his Servants. You hinder their Service, and lay them open to the Rage of the World. A blemished Instrument is of little use. Numb. 12.8. saith God, Were ye not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses? To speak against Persons eminent and useful for God in their Age, is to render them suspected to the World. And who would drink of a suspected Fountain? You hinder their Use and Serviceableness. And the Wrong is greater when one Christian blemisheth another: For one Scholar to speak against another, and one Lawyer against another, so for one Christian to speak against another, it aggravates the Injury. Therefore when there is cause to speak against a Man, it should be with Grief.
(3.) There must be no wrong to their Goods, no invading of Right and Property: Eph. 4.28. Let him that stole, steal no more. Every one is against a gross Thief: but the more plausible and secret ways of Wrong, and getting Estates into your Hands, or abusing Trusts, is Theft. The Apostle there writes to the Ephesians that lived in the City, and by Iniquity of Traffick were likely to heap up an Estate to themselves.
I shall here take occasion to handle a Question or two about Property.
1. Is there any Property yea or no? or must all Goods lie in common? This was Plato's fancy. Some Men think that if all were levell'd, and reduced to a Parity, and we did live as Fishes in the Sea, there would be less Confusion in the World. But this is contrary to God's Appointment, who by his Wisdom hath cast the World into Hills and Valleys. God is the Maker of Rich and Poor; Prov. 22.2. The Rich and the Poor meet together, the Lord is the Maker of them all. And Christ saith, Mat. 22.11. Ye have the Poor always with you. A World of Mischief would follow otherwise; if there were no Property, there would be no Justice, whose chief Property is to give every Man his own: there could be no Charity; How can we give, if we have nothing that we can call our own? It would hinder Diligence and prudent Administration; the Idle would have as great a share as the Industrious and Diligent: Rewards of special Eminency and Vertue would be taken away; Who would undertake the hardest Labours, and the condition of Servants? Superiority and Inferiority is the Bond of human Society; it is God's Wisdom to dispose of the Conditions and Estates of Men, that one should need another, and supply each others Wants and Defects: the Poor need the Bounty of the Rich, and the Rich the Labour and Service of the Poor. Obj. But what shall we say to the Example of the Primitive Times? Acts 4.32. And the Multitude of them that believed, were of one Heart, and of one Soul; neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed, was his own, but they had all things common. Answ. This was extraordinary, and it was done freely, and not by virtue of any Precept, as appears by what Peter said to Ananias, Chap. 5.4. Whilst it remained, was it not thy own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own Power? still they kept a Property to dispose of it as they saw cause. And pray mark, it is not said, that they did equally divide among them all the things that were sold; but, Acts 2.44, 45. All that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their Possessions and Goods, and parted them to all Men, as every Man had need. Here was no levelling, but an orderly Charity; there was great necessity, and they believed the Destruction and Desolation of Iudea, and therefore in wise fore-sight took this course. And therefore it is notable, that it is not said that they sold all they had, but only their Possessions and Inheritances, Acts 4.34, 35. As many as were Possessors of Lands or Houses, sold them, and brought the Prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the Apostles Feet, &c. And still it was free; yet it was not taken from them, but freely given by them; it was not catch who catch can, but Distribution was made unto every Man according as he had need, ver. 35. Some good People kept their Houses still, as Mary had her House, Acts 12.12. He came to the House of Mary.
2. Have wicked Men any Right in what they do possess? or may they be spoiled as the Canaanites were, and outed of all their Possessions? I answer, Wicked Men have a civil Right, and that is Banck enough against Violence and Invasion of Property; or suppose there were no other Title but Grace, and a Man that had not Grace were an Usurper, what a World of Inconveniences and Confusions would follow? If one Man were made Judg of another Man's Grace, how should we know who had a Right? Give unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's: if it were so, we could not trade with them: but Abraham bought the Field of Mamre. Wicked Men have a civil Right: but that is not all, they have a Right before God, a common Right of Providence, so that they are not Usurpers of what they do possess, it is their Portion, Psal. 17.14. From Men of the World, which have their Portion in this Life, and whose Belly thou fillest with thy hid Treasure. It is true, they have made a Forfeiture as to God, and deserve to lose all, but the Sentence of the Law is not executed upon them; and therefore by the Gift and Indulgence of God they have a just and free use of such things as fall to their share and portion. There cannot be a better Title than God's own Gift: now God in the general course of his Providence, giveth wicked Men many things, as he gave Tyrus to Nebuchadnezzar. He that giveth them their Lives, giveth them Meat and Drink; they do him common Service, and God rewardeth them with common Mercies. But they have not such a Right as God's Children, a Right from the Covenant of Grace, from God's Love, and for their good, but their Blessings are salted with a Curse.
3d Rule of Justice. If Wrong be done, Restitution must be made. It is not enough to reconcile your selves to God if you have thriven by unjust Gain, but you must make Restitution to Men, else the Sin remains. There is in all such Acts the Sin, and the Injury. Now many seek to take away the Sin while the Injury remains, but that cannot be; and some may seek possibly to do away the Injury while the Sin remains, they do not reconcile themselves to God. In the Law of Moses, he that wronged his Neighbour was to make Restitution, Levit. 6.5. He shall restore it in the Principal, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his Trespass-Offering. That Law speaks of Wrong done against our Will. The Thief that wronged with set purpose, was to restore fourfold; but if a Man did by chance, and against his Will, wrong another, when he was convinced of it, he was to restore the Principal, and the fifth part in the day of his Trespass-Offering. Our Lord renews and repeats this Sentence of the Law, Mat. 5.24. First be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift. It is an Allusion to this Law, where on the day of their Offering they were to make Restitution; this is the only way to retract the Wrong. As long as you retain the use and fruit of your fraudulent Practices, the Sin and the Injury is continued, and there can be no true Repentance. In the very counterfeit Repentance of Iudas there was a kind of Restitution, it is a necessary Fruit of Grace. When Salvation was come to Zacheus his House, and he was converted, he offers the Restitution of the Law; If I have taken any thing from any Man by false Accusation, I restore him fourfold, Luke 19.8. 'Therefore the continuance of Gain gotten by Fraud, upbraideth the tender Conscience with the Sin. Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum: and if you should be disabled from Restitution, your acknowledgment must be very serious and humble, and take Shame to your self, and do what you can. And if Servants have purloined from their Masters, or if any have thriven by Iniquity of Traffick, restore as far as possibly you can: He that can rectify the Injury, and doth not, doth not repent, and God will not accept him. If the Party wronged be not living, it must be given to the next Heir: if none of the Line be found, it must be given to God; for as long as it remains with you, it is an accursed thing, and will bring a Curse on all the rest. If you have wronged others in their Names, make them all the Satisfaction you can. Christ drew from Peter a treble Profession of his Love, to answer his threefold Denial. By all publick Vindications you should seek to heal the Wound you have made. Take an Instance of one that accused a Bishop at Ierusalem falsly, God touched his Heart that he wept his Eyes blind.
4th Rule of Justice: You must bear the Injuries of others with Patience, rather than revenge them. If Patience be not a part of Justice, I am sure private Revenge is a part of Injustice; because you take God's Work out of his Hands, and you make your selves Magistrates without a Commission. Rom. 12.9. Dearly beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto Wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. You must leave it to God and his Deputies. It is an Usurpation, and against all right to avenge your selves; that a Man should be Accuser, Judg and Executioner, and all in his own Cause, where Self-Love is, is apt to make us partial. If we are fit to be an Accuser, certainly not to be Judg and Executioner. …t crosseth the Ends of just Revenge, which are to right the Party wronged, or mend the Party offending, or to provide for publick Safety. He that avengeth his own Quarrel, doth but more and more enrage his Adversary, scandalize others, and not right himself. In taking Wrong we suffer Evil, in returning Wrong we do Evil; the one is our Affliction, the other is our Sin. It will be no Excuse for you to say, you were wronged first. See how the Spirit of God takes off these Pleas, Prov. 24.29. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the Man according to his Work. This is but a continuance and reciprocation of Justice. So Prov. 20.29. Say not thou, I will recompense Evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. I remember Lactantius hath a pretty saying in this Case; Qui par pari referre nititur, ipsum à quo laesus est imitatur. Revenge and Injury differ only in Order; he that begins the Injury, goeth before in Mischief; and he that requites it, comes as fast after as he can; he doth but delight to follow that which he saw go before him. If you judg it evil in others, why do you fall into the like your selves? What care hath he of Justice and Goodness, that imitateth that which he acknowledgeth to be evil? It is no Excuse to say he began; his doing Wrong to thee doth not dissolve the Obligation of God's Law, or the binding Power it hath upon thy Conscience. Nay, the return of Injuries argues you to be the more malicious, because it is a more willing, a more knowing Act.
5th Rule: We must be so far from wronging any Man, that in many cases we must not demand our own extream Right; Phil. 4.5. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men, the Lord is at hand; your Moderation, foreign, it signifies the mitigating of the extremity of Justice. James 3.17. The Wisdom that is from above, is peaceable and gentle. Extream right is but an Injury, when you do not all you may do by the Letter of the Law out of Lenity and Christian Forbearance. Power stretched to the utmost, is but Tyranny; and when the words of the Law are urged contrary to the end, the Law is made a Pattern of Sin and unjust dealing. In short, this Equity and Moderation lieth in not interpreting things doubtful to the worst sense, Eccles. 7.16. Be not righteous overmuch. When we do not interpret things rigorously, that are receptive, and capable of more plausible Interpretations; when we depart from our own Right for just and convenient Reasons, Psal. 69.4. I restored that which I took not way. For Peace sake much may be done, that we may not dishonour God, nor vex others for every Trifle; the good of others is to be considered, that we may not undo them, tho it be our Right. Thus Paul departed from his own Right, to cut off occasion from them that desire occasion, 2 Cor. 11.12. He would labour with his Hands rather than lose an opportunity of spreading the Gospel. 2 Thess. 3.8. Neither did we eat any Man's Bread for nought, but wrought with Labour and Travel night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Paul took no Maintenance, the spiritual things we sow are above your best carnal things: considering our Labour and Pains, the Bread we eat is bought at the dearest rate. We have a Right; but for God's Glory, and not to lay a stumbling-Block in the way of young Converts, we recede from it. You are not to exact all your Labours, Isa. 58.3. When you hold poor Men to a Bargain that is burdensome, it is Injustice. And thus our Lord Christ himself paid Tribute to avoid Scandal.
6th Rule: Do as you would be done unto, Mat. 7.12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the Law and the Prophets: this is the scope of Scriptures. This saying the Roman Emperor Severus much admired, and wrote it upon many places of his Palace; for it is a Rule serves in all cases. If we would do as we would be done unto, what Lives might we lead? We are very tender of our own Interest, give a favourable Sentence in our own case, and are very sensible of the Wrong done to us; we would not be circumvented by a fraudulent Bargain, we would not be detracted in our own Names, we would have our Infirmities hidden and not divulged, we would be succoured in such Distresses; now do so to them. If in all cases we would do aright and judg aright, let us change the Persons; and suppose our selves in another's case, would I have others thus do with me? But how is this Law to be understood? Some lay violent hands upon themselves, others desire things sinful, as to be drunk, and to commit Adultery. I answer, it is meant of what we wish to our selves, by a regular Self-love, and a free and unperverted Will.
Again, it holdeth not in Duties of Relations; it is not just that the Father should do that to the Children, which he would have the Children do to him, as to give Honour and Reverence, and the like: So in all Relations between Inferiors and Superiors, it is to be understood if we were in their place, and in the like condition, as if I were a Son, or if I were a Servant; still take the Person of him with whom thou dealest, upon thy self; that Right which you would have others do to you, as you would be kindly dealt with in buying and selling, in pardoning Injuries, forgiving unadvised Wrongs, do you the same to others. This will help us to keep a good Conscience in all our dealings.
7th Rule. Publick Good is to be sought as well as private, and in many cases to be preferred before it. No Man is born for himself, and therefore it is Injustice when Men mind only their own things, and are wholly taken up with fulfilling their own Wills and Desires. God hath commanded us to love one another, he hath devolved upon one Man the Respects of all the World in effect, for all Men are bound to love thee, and seek thy Good: What's the reason of this? but to engage and oblige us the more to seek the good one of another. Rom. 12.5. We are all Members one of another; the Members seek the good of the Body. The Stomach receives Meat not for it self, but to disperse it for the use of the whole Body. When Men are of a narrow private Spirit, and do not seek the Welfare of others, they sin against Nature and Grace. Man is foreign, a sociable Creature; if he could live by himself, then he might live to himself. Human Society is founded upon Communion and Commerce, and therefore we are bound to seek the good one of another. There is a great Body, to which all the Members must have respect. As in a Clock all the Wheels move one another, and each part receiveth help one from another; so every one should mind the common Good, and be sensible of the common Evil; 1 Cor. 10.24. Let no Man seek his own, but every Man another's Wealth; not his own exclusively, it is not to be understood in sensu conjuncto, not his own so as to neglect and exclude the Care of the Publick. We are not to live as Beasts, every one to shift for himself; but Human Society is maintained by Communion and Converse. Yea, in many cases others Good is to be sought more than our own; Rom. 15.3. For even Christ pleased not himself: for the common good of the Elect, he regards not his own Life. And this Example we are to follow: 1 Iohn 3.16. Hereby perceive we the Love of God, because he laid down his Life for us; and we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren: that is, my single Life to save the Community; I must promote their Spiritual Good with the loss of my Temporals; my Interest must be exposed to hazard for a more publick Good.
8th Rule: We must help others according to our Power: This is a part of Righteousness. In the Law it is said, It shall be Righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God, Deut. 24.13. when it speaks of the Poor's due. Carnal, wicked, covetous Men stand upon Property; 1 Sam. 25.11. Shall I take my Bread and my Water, and my Flesh that I have killed for my Shearers? &c. Thy Estate is not thy own, but God's; it is ours in Law, but God's in Use; and you are but Stewards for him. This will be no Plea in the Day of Judgment to say, It was my own, and I did not rob others: thou art a Thief before God, if thou givest not. He that useth not his Estate as God would have him use it, is a spiritual Thief; Prov. 3.27. With-hold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the Power of thy Hand to do it. When the Poor are cast upon thee by God's Providence, they are a kind of Owners; that which thou detainest from them is theirs: it is not ours when Christ calleth for it, and his Members need it. Ambrose saith, Non qui capit aliena, sed qui non dedit sua, &c. Though we have done no wrong, yet if we have not disposed our Goods and Estate for God's Glory, it is Injustice and Sin; as Stewards must dispose of Goods according to the Mind of the Master.
Secondly; What reason have we to look after this Grace of Righteousness, and to be just?
1. It is a piece of God's Image, Ephes. 4.24. That ye put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness. Nothing makes us so like God as Righteousness; we must be like God not only in Holiness, but in Righteousness. See the distinction between these two, the one signifies Purity of Nature, and the other Justice and Equity in our Dealing and Conversation. For God is holy in all his Ways, and righteous in all his Works; his Essence is holy, and his Administrations just. So the new Man is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness: be like God in both.
2. It is an Evidence of the Truth of Grace, to walk in all your Relations righteously, amiably and justly. We are bidden to bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance, Luke 3.8. that is, such as are meet Evidences that there is a Change wrought. What are these? Defraud no Man; Exact no more than is appointed you, ver. 13. And when the Souldiers came to ask, What shall we do? he said, Do Violence to no Man, neither accuse any falsly, and be content with your Wages, ver. 14. And that is the reason the Children of God so much stand upon their Righteousness, because it is an Evidence of their Interest in Grace. Iob 27.6. My Righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go. Acts 10.35. In every Nation, he that feareth … and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with him; still it is made to be the Evidence that God hath taken us into his own Grace, and that we are Heirs of Salvation.
3. It is a delight and rejoycing to God, to see his Children just and righteous in all their Dealings. God exceedingly hates Iniquity in Traffick and Commerce. Deut. 25.15, 16. Thou shalt have a perfect and just Weight, a perfect and just Measure shalt thou have; that thy days may be lengthened in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an Abomination to the Lord thy God. And it is repeated again, Prov. 20.10. Divers Weights, and divers Measures, both of them are alike Abomination to the Lord. But now it is said, Prov. 15.9. He loveth him that follows after Righteousness. So Psal. 106.3. Blessed are they that keep Iudgment; and he that doth Righteousness at all times.
4. It is necessary for the Honour of Religion; Grace teacheth us to live soberly and righteously. Truants at School are a Reproach and Disgrace to the Skill of the Teacher: And so carnal Professors are a Reproach to God. If Men are unrighteous, they never learn'd it of Grace. Hypocrites usually abound in Acts of Worship and Duties of the first Table, but they seldom make Conscience of Duties of the second Table; here they bewray themselves. What's the Cry of the World? None so unjust and unrighteous in their Dealings as those that profess Religion; this brings a Reproach upon the Ways of God. Neh. 5.9. It is not good that ye do; Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the Reproach of the Heathen our Enemies? It is high time to vindicate Religion, and do it all the Right we can, and make it comely, Rom. 12.17. Provide things honest in the sight of all Men. The wicked World are apt to speak ill of the Gospel of God. Now the Lord would have the World know, that there is no such Friend to Human Society as his Grace. The ancient Fathers were wont to make Challenges, Dent Imperatores tales, tales Consules, tales Exactores fisci, talem exercitum, &c. Let all the World shew such Emperors, Princes, Magistrates, such Treasurers, such Souldiers as the Christian Religion can. But Religion is mightily made a Contempt, when Men make it to be the pretence of vile Practices.
5. It will be for your own Comfort, whatever falls out in the World, Good or Evil. Samuel could say, 1 Sam. 12.3. Whose Ox have I taken? or whose Ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any Bribe to blind mine Eyes therewith? If Good come, Prov. 16.8. Better is a little with Righteousness, than great Revenues without Right. And in Death you will die comfortably, when you can wash your hands in Innocency.
6. Consider how just some of the Heathens have been, and shall Grace come short? What a Disparagement is this, as if Grace did teach thee to be unjust? Regulus when he had pass'd his Word, tho it were to endure an exquisite Torment, yet he would not break it. Curius Dentatus, when he had been employed in the highest Services of State, as General of an Army, yet after he returns to the Plough again, not enriched at all with publick Spoils. Of Aristides it was said, You may sooner pull the Sun out of Heaven, than turn Aristides out of his course. Scevola buying a piece of Ground, and the Seller setting too low a Price, saith he, This is too little, and he gave a great deal more. Abimelech would not have took Sarah, if he had understood she was Abraham's Wife. Now shall Nature do more than Grace?