he immediately bethought himself of reftitution, and faid, * Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And this is the more necessary, because where such false dealing or open injustice has been done, reftitution is the first step which must be made in order to reconciliation: We can't expect an injured man should be appeased without it; nor is it poffible to make him due fatisfaction, so long as he continues under the real effects of the injury, and we detain that from him, which he only ought to enjoy or to difpose of. In other cafes (particularly the offences of the tongue, cenforious reviling or detraction, and the like) we are to make him what amends we can. (2.) By reparation to his esteem and credit in the world; endeavouring to do him justice in as publick a manner as we have injured him; retracting our unworthy censure and fufpicions of him; acknow ledging the fault of that reviling language we have given him, and doing all that lies in our power to reverse the undeserved character we have exposed him in; or if deserved, to soften it according tơ the rules of charity; thus labouring, as far as is poffible, (in effect at least) to unsay what we have said, and undo the mischief we may have done him, that he may not fuffer by our unchriftian passion and indiscretion. 'Tis seldom we can effectually make him amends, and set him right this way; which therefore should make us keep the stricter guard upon our tongue, that we be not guilty of offences and mischiefs that are so hard to be rectified; because the ill-nature of mankind is apter to take in and nourish the ill impressions of our spleen, and the bad character we give, than any after-vindications or apologies we can make to foften or re * Luke xix. 8. tract tract them: but it is, however, the only way that we can fet our selves to reparation in this matter; and therefore we are bound in confcience to it, and let it avail as far as it can to that purpose. Again, (3.) WHERE the injury is of a lower rate, or when an affront is only in the cafe, reconciliation may be effected by begging of pardon. This is the least we can offer to an offended brother; and therefore we should never be backward in it, when it will be accepted. Perhaps we may think it a little disgraceful to us; but if it be a disgrace, the fin of an ill tongue is but very gently punished by the shame of acknowledging it. And as pride was the main principle of that contempt, or other rudenesses in our language, from which the offence arose; even natural equity suggests, that no fatisfaction can be answerable, which does not apparently disclaim and mortify that pride, the insolence of which is to be made amends for by a contrary act of humility and fubmiffion. But after all, I shall beg leave to think it no disgrace, but an argument of an ingenuous temper, to afk pardon: and that whatever the vain maxims of the world may teach, he is certainly the most a gentleman, as well as most a Christian, who reflects upon it as a greater shame to have been guilty of such ill-manners, than to retract it, and therefore is always ready with a generous fubmiffion to revoke what he has faid or done unworthily. Now which foever of these three forts of fatisfaction shall become reasonable, according to the nature of the offence, and necessary towards a reconciliation, our Saviour presses it here upon us, to lose no time, to make no delays, but immediately to fet about it; and that for two very good reafons: The first is, That our devotions to God will be all unacceptable, and odious in his fight, till 1 this be done. This is sufficiently hinted in those words: If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. It is in vain to hope that God will accept us, fo long as, having given our neighbour juft occafion of resentment, our Minds continue the abuse by an averseness to give him due fatisfaction, or so long as we shall needlefly delay to offer it. And therefore upon the first remembrance of what we have faid or done to grieve him, even tho' we should be then going to the private or publick services of religion, we are oblig'd, if an opportunity can be had at that time, to go to him and make up the quarrel presently, by performing or promifing fuch fatisfaction as the laws of Chriftianity require; or if for want of opportunity it be impracticable, then we must prepare our selves for it, by a readiness and fincere resolution at least to do it as foon as possibly we can: And the one or the other of these is so indispensable a duty, that our prayers will be but a mocking of God without it. The second reason urged by our Saviour, is drawn from prudence, as the first was from religion. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him; left at any time thy adversary deliver thee to thee judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be caft into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. The laws of every nation protect the perfons, goods, and reputation of every single subject that belongs to them, and will revenge the injured. If therefore I have been so wicked as to have done a wrong to my neighbour, my wifeft course is by a timely fubmiffion and repentance to restore him to this right, and prevent a fuit at law, which will force me to it otherwise at a great expence and trouble. And thus the present duty inculcated in this paragraph of our Saviour's fermon, is an instance amongst many others which might be produced, that true religion and true wisdom are inseparable; the precepts of Chriftianity being also principles of prudence, and providing as well for our peace and intereft in this world, as for our eternal happiness in the next. But the argument which ought to weigh most with us, in engaging our practice of this or any other chriftian duty, is the authority of our lawgiver Christ Jesus. : CHAP. ΧΙΙ. Of CHASTITY, and of needless SEPARATION after Marriage. MATTH. V. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Te have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee, that one of thy members should perish, and and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of di vorcement. But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. F ROM improving of the fixth, our Lord here goes on to the seventh commandment, which he fortifies by some new and necessary outworks; not only denies us entrance into this city of Sodom, but guards us off from any near approach to it; extending purity to a more excellent latitude, reducing marriage to the strictness of its original inftitution, and putting a stop to the beginnings of adultery in this, as he had taken away the occafions of murder in the former; that a Christian may have all his appetites in due subjection, that he may be angry and fin not, that he may marry and not offend. This we may suppose to be the true meaning and defign of this paragraph, as much as if our Saviour had express'd himself in the following manner. "THE Law forbids adultery, and ye do not de "ny it does so; but beware left ye deceive your " felves Q3 1 |