Law. and the Goſpel are fo contrary to the moſt of Mens Luſts. a It 154mpoſtvle that the moſt of theWerld ſhould be ay or fo thoſe win faithfully declare it ; this t end the Paprits and-ther Friends in our age $64 anderitcod, that as 1t was the buſincls of the Phariſees in their ©221C,10 1t hatit been the bufineſs of the Popiſh the Law of 30d. as Men may Hatter themfe! Leotcrs to it, tho, they keep their ſeveral Luſts,
Reconciled to it, he Phariſees in their Age, have for ſome time ſo
_—
Caſuiſts,ſo to Expound | ves that they are not and ſo to Interpret
to whom we lend, ſo as he cannot repay u*, For the quciion 8 bout Ujury, as to which ſome conceive this Text a Prohibition (11 15 not a place to handle it in the Latitude. I do not thiok it 9 ever abſolutely forbidden to the Fews, they might take it of 5/4 gers, and that not only of the Canaanites, whom ſome iy they might kill (which T doubt after their agreement to a quict Conte
” 7
tion) but of ot! er Strangers alſo who came not urdcr the Deron?
tion of Canaanites, That argued the taking cf Utyry t& Le not Fo
ere no The Iz} Probahie "5, IVE "N\eighboy t Yn of
-—
| nap. VI,
| ha
forbidden, and not abſolutely, ant univerſally forbidden, but reſpect- ively, only with reference to their Brethren of the fame Church and Nation, 10 rather to be reckoned amongſt the Municipal Laws of the 2s, than the Common Laws of God for all Mankind. Beſides char, amongſt the Jews there was !eſs need of it, partly in reſpett of their Years Of Jubilee, and partly in regard their imployments were chiefly 1 Husbandry, and about Cattel, which called not for ſuch Sums of Money, 45 Merchandizing doth. Nor is it to be referred ro any of the Ten Commandments, unlejs the Seventh, Thou ſhalt not Steal, which forbidding Sins agaiatt Charity, and ſuch Sins againſt Charity being their forbidden, as are The rabing away the Goods of another againſt their Will, and without a njuft cauſe, I cannot ſee, how the lending of Money for a moderate uſe, when it is helpful, and relieving to our Neighbour, ſhuuid be any hind of Stealing, when his good Will appeareth 1n the Contract; por can there be any injuſtice 11 1t, where there is a Quid pr» 410, but a Proportion for what I am indammaged by the loan z unlels any will lay it is un- uſt, becauſe againſt the Law of God, which is to beg the Queſtion, this Argument being brought to prove 1t 15 not contrary to the Law of God. The Exacting of an undue Proportion for Uſury, or a mo- derate Proportion, when we piainly lce, our Brother is fallen into Poverty, and cannot pay it, may be forbidden, as a Sin againſt Cha- riry, and that love that we ought to thew to our Neighbours, and the Mercifalneſs here required, wv. 35. yet, admitting the Law of God, Dent. 23- 19, 20» fO be interpreted of all Vſury, (which it leemeth hard, for then the Jews might not ſe: for any thing more at twelve Months time than if they were paid prelently, for the Words are Uiury of Mony, Uſury of Vittuals, Uſui y of any thing lent upom Uſury J ir concerned the Fews only betwixt themlelyes, not in their dea]- ings with any Strangers which is plain, V. 20. foalfo, Exod. 22. 245. where the Terin Poor 15 alſo putin as it 13, Leuit, 25. 35, 35, 37. gy which Texts the Pfalmift muſt be expounded, P/al. 15. 5. It way poſſibly from the Equity of that Law cblige us, to be more kind to thoſe that are of the ſame Nation and Church with us, than anto others, eſpeciaily ſuch as are no Chriſtians ; and amongtt thoſe that are Chriſtians, to thoſe that: are Poor, than to thoſe who have better Eſtates. But as I faid in the beginning, I had rather inter- pret the Precept of the Text more largeiy, as a general precept or Mercy, from the Example of our Heavenly Father.
37 Judge not, and ye ſhall nor be judged, condemn nor, and ye ſhall not be condemned, forgive, and ye ſhall be
forgiven.
See the Notes on Matt»). 7. t.and on Matth. 5, 14. where we have diſcourſed, what private Juzgings arc here forbidden, and what for- gtving 1s here required.
38 * Give, aud ir ſhall be given unto you, good mea- | | ſure preſſed down, and ſhaken togerher, and running 7.2, over, ſhall men give into your bolom, * For with the * fame meaſure that ye mete withal, ic ſhall be mealured to you again,
To let us know how God favoureth Atts of Charity and Juſtice we ſhall obſerve, that there are no good Deeds, that God ſo reward-
nor any Sins, which God fo puniſheth by way of Reftaliztions, as Sins contrary to theſe, eſpecial'ly ſuch as are more eminently con- trary. -This Verſe ſpeaks of Acts of Charit'., Give, and it ſhail be given to you, and that not bare mcafure, but good Mealure, Pretfed down, and ſhaken together, and running over z nothing can more Concur to make good Meaſure, than the thaking of the Buthel, the Crouding and Preffing down of the Corn, or Meal with the Hand, and the Pouring in till the Meafure runneth over. So as that which is here promiſed, is a plentiful reward to Charitable and Merciful Ations, cither from the Hand of God more mediately, God ftir- ring up otFers to be as Kind to us as we are to others, or more 7m- mediately, himſelf t leffing us by his inexpe&ted Providential Diſpen- lations 3 to this purpoſe are abundance of Scriptures, Deut. 24. 16. Pal. 41. Tt. 2, 3. Prov. Fl. 25. and 28. 27. 2 Cor. 9. 6. If Men will not be 10 jult,as to requite the good which their Brethren have done them, having it in their Power, 1et God will be faithful to his Pro- miles, and by his Providence take care, that thoſe who have done atts of Mercy, not in a mecr Commiſcration to Humane Conditi- on, but 11 a juit obedience to his Will, ſhall not loſe by what they have done,they ſhail be rewarded fully and plentifully, finding again (rho it may be after many days) the Bread which they have caſt up- on the Waters, according to his command,
Can the
39 And he ſpake a parable unto them,
blind lead the blind ? ſhall they not both fall into the ditch ?