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CLXXI.

that unless it were exprefs'd at the compofition, that SERM. the creditor would never expect more from him, upon any account of equity and conscience, but did freely forgive him the reft, the contrary whereof is ufually done; I fay, unless it were thus exprefs'd, there is no reason why the creditor's favour in making a composition should be abused to his prejudice; and why a legal discharge, given him on purpose for this reafon among others, to put him into a capacity of recovering himself and giving full fatisfaction, should be fo interpreted, as to extinguish the equitable right of the creditor to the remainder of his debt.

The fecond use of this doctrine of reftitution fhould be by way of prevention, that men would take heed of being injurious, and fo take away the occafion of reftitution, and free themselves from the temptation of not performing fo difficult and fo unwelcome a duty. It is much easier of the two, not to cozen or opprefs thy neighbour, than after thou haft done it, it will be to bring thyfelf to make reftitution : therefore we should be very careful, not to be injurious to any one in any kind; neither immediately by ourselves, nor by aiding and affifting others, by our power and intereft, or skill in the law, or by any other way, to do injustice.

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SERMON CLXXII.

The usefulness of confideration, in order to repentance.

DEUT. xxxii. 29.

O that they were wife, that they understood this, that they would confider their latter end!

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SERM., HIS chapter is called Mofes his fong, in CLXXII. which he briefly recounts the various providences of GOD toward the people of Ifrael, and the froward carriage of that people towards him.

Firft, He puts them in mind how GOD had chofen them for his peculiar people, and had by a signal care and providence conducted them all that tedious journey, for the space of forty years in the wilder. nefs, till he had brought them to the promised land, which they had now begun to take poffeffion of.

And then he foretells, how they would behave themfelves after all this mercy and kindness God had fhewn to them, ver. 15. "Jefurun waxed fat, and "kicked, and forfook GOD which made him, and

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lightly esteemed the rock of his falvation." Upon this he tells them, GOD would be extremely difpleased with them, and would multiply his judgments upon them, ver. 19, 20. "When the LORD "faw it, he abhorred them, because of the provok

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ing of his fons and of his daughters; and he faid, "I will hide my face from them, I will fee what "their end fhall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith." And ver. 23. "I will heap mifchief upon them, I will

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spend mine arrows upon them." And then he SER M. enumerates the particular judgments which he would fend upon them: nay, he declares he would have utterly confumed them, but that he was loth to give occafion of so much triumph to his and their enemies, v. 26, 27. "I faid, I would fcatter them "into corners, I would make the remembrance of

them to cease from among men were it not, that "I feared the wrath of the enemy, left their adver"faries fhould behave themselves ftrangely, and left

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they should fay, our hand is high, and the LORD "hath not done all this." And he adds the reafon of all this severity; because they were fo very stupid and inconfiderate, v. 28. "For they are a nation "void of counfel, neither is there any understandss ing in them."

And in the conclufion of all he reprefents GOD as it were breaking out into this vehement and affectionate wifh. "O that they were wife, that they "understood this, that they would confider their "latter end!"

"O that they were wife, that they understood "this!" What is that? This that may refer to all went before. O that they were wife to confider what God had done for them, and what they had done against him, and what he will do against them,. if they continue or renew their former provocations! O that they were but duly apprehenfive of this, and would lay it seriously to heart!

But from what follows, it feems more particularly to refer to thofe particular judgments which GoOD had threatened them withall, and which would certainly befall them, if they ftill continued in their difobedience. "O that they were wife, that they understood this, that they would confider their lat66 ter

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SERM." ter end!" that is, the fad confequences of thefe CLXXII. their provocations, that by the confideration thereof,

they might prevent all thofe evils and calamities, by turning from thofe fins which would unavoidably bring them upon them.

From the words thus explained, I fhall obferve thefe four things.

I. That GOD doth really and heartily defire the happiness of men, and to prevent their mifery and ruin. For the very defign of these words is to express this to us, and it is done in a very vehement, and, as I may say, paffionate manner.

II. That it is a great point of wisdom to confider seriously the last iffue and confequence of our actions, whether they tend, and what will follow upon them. And therefore wisdom is here defcribed by "the con"fideration of our latter end."

III. That this is an excellent means to prevent that And this mifery, which will otherwife befall us. is neceffarily implied in this wish, that if they would but confider these things, they might be prevented.

IV. That the want of this confideration is the great cause of mens ruin. And this is likewife implied in the words, that one great reason of mens ruin is, because they are not fo wife, as to confider the fatal iffue and confequence of a finful courfe. I fhall speak briefly to each of thefe.

I. That God doth really and heartily defire the happiness of men, and to prevent their mifery and ruin. To exprefs this to us, GOD doth put on the vehemency of a human paffion, "O that they were "wife," &c. The laws of GOD are a clear evidence of this; becaufe the obfervance of them tends to our happiness. There is no good prince makes laws with any other defign, than to promote the

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publick welfare and happiness of his people: and SERM. with much more reafon may we imagine, that the CLXXII. infinite good GOD does by all his laws defign the happiness of his creatures. And the exhortations of fcripture, by which he enforceth his laws, are yet a greater evidence how earnestly he defires the happiness of his creatures. For it fhews that he is concerned for us, when he useth so many arguments to perfuade us to our duty, and when he expoftulates fo vehemently with us for our neglect of it, faying to finners, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O "houfe of Ifrael?" "Ye will not come unto me, that

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ye might have life," fays our bleffed SAVIOUR, with great trouble to see men so obstinately set against their own happiness; and again, "how of"ten would I have gathered you, as a hen gathereth "her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" And to fatisfy us yet farther, that it is his real defire, by our obedience to his laws, to prevent our ruin, God does frequently in fcripture put on the paffions of men, and use all forts of vehement expreffions to this purpose, Deut. v. 29. "O that "there were fuch a heart in them, that they would “fear me, and keep all my commandments always, "that it might be well with them, and with their "children for ever!" And Pfal. lxxxi. 13. "that my people had hearkned unto me, and Ifrael "had walked in my ways! I fhould foon have fub« dued their enemies, and turned my hand against "their adverfaries." Jer. xiii. 27. "O Ifrael! wilt "thou not be made clean? When fhall it once be?" And to name but one text more, when our bleffed SAVIOUR wept over Jerufalem, how paffionately does he wish that "fhe had known in that her day, "the things that belonged to her peace!"

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