man well knows what Equity and Fair Dealing is, when he expects it from Others; and in the fame Measure ought He therefore likewife to deal with Them.

AND for the fame reason, that Juftice and Equity is necessary to be practised at all; for the fame reason, whenever any Failure has been made in the Practife of thefe Duties, Reftitution ought to be made to the perfons who have been wronged. For Repentance neceffarily fuppofes a Defire that the Offense had never been committed. And the only posfible evidence of the Sincerity of That Defire, is the making of Reftitution, where ever it can be done, in reality and with Effect.

AND because whoever fincerely defires to avoid Sin, will indeavour also to avoid Temptation; therefore he that would not be tempted to defraud Others, must understand himself to be obliged by This Commandment, to indeavour to get an honest livelyhood by his Own Labour and

Induftry.

Induftry. Let him that ftole, fteal no more; Eph.iv.28. but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to Him that needeth.

CHARITY alfo (as I before observed,) being the Means by which Providence has appointed the Poor to be fupported, is a Duty within the Intent of This Com⚫mandment. But for the Proportions of This, there is no certain Rule, as there is in the matter of strict Justice; And therefore the Measure hereof must be left to every man's own Prudence in the Knowledge of his own Circumftances, without laying Snares or Scruples upon Any.

THE Obligations incumbent upon us to avoid the Sins, and to practise the Duties, which This Commandment has regard to; are, in the first place, the Reafon and Neceffity of Things. For upon the fecuring of men's Properties, depends all Humane Society; and without Justice, there can be no Commerce. Take away all fenfe of Justice; and ftraitways every man's hand will be against every man, and

every man's hand against Him; nor will mankind any longer be distinguished from the wild Beasts of the Foreft, who devour each other according to their Strength, and have no Title or Property in any thing. In the next place; fince God has endued men with Reason and Confcience and with an unavoidable Senfe of Right, 'tis plainly His Will made known by the Light of Nature, that they should make Use of those Faculties to the preservation of Society: So that the Confounders of Property, are Destroyers of the Order of God's Creation. Lastly, the Revealed Will of God in Scripture, is most express upon This Head. In the Law of Moses; Deut.xvi. That which is altogether juft, faith he, Levit. xix. fhalt thou follow. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falfely: Thou shalt not defraud Prov.xi. 1. thy neighbour, neither rob him. A falfe Balance is an Abomination to the Lord, but Exod.xxii. a juft Weight is his Delight. If a Thief

20.

II, 13.

2,

be found breaking up, and be fmitten that be die; there fhall no Blood be shed for him. And, under the Gospel; among the Unrighteous, concerning whom it is expressly

declared

10.

declared that they shall not inherit the Cor. vi. Kingdom of God, are by name reckoned Thieves and Covetous and Extorti

oners.

THE Benefit arifing from that general Truft and Confidence, which would follow upon the universal Practice of Justice and Honesty amongst Men, would be inconceivably great. It would be a Fulfilling of That Prophecy, that the Wolf shall Ifai.xi.6. dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard fhall lie down with the Kid, and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together, and a little Child fhall lead them. It would be an anticipation of the Happinefs of that new Heaven and new Earth, wherein Righteousness is to dwell for 2 Pet. iii.

ever.

13.

P COMMANDM.

COMMANDM. IX. Thou shalt not bear falle Witness again thp Neighbour.

NEXT to the Life and Property of our Neighbour, which are fecured to him by the 6th, 7th, and 8th Commandments; there is nothing generally dearer to men, than their Reputation or Good Name. Nay, in fome cafes, it has been accounted more valuable even than Life itfelf. And in many circumstances, to despoil a man of his good Name, is in a manner the fame thing as robbing him of his Goods; Because in matters of Trade and Commerce, and indeed in most other ftates of Life, very much depends upon men's characters and reputation. So much reputation, is always fo much Power: And according to men's Credit and Esteem in the world, fo much proportionally is their Influence and the Weight they have in it. For the fame reasons therefore, that we are bound to take care of the Life and Property of our Neigh