To the Reverend Dr. BEVERIDGE,
AN EUCHARISTICON,
Occasion'd by his seasonable and excellent Sermon
about Restitution, on *St. Luke 19. 8. preach'd at St.
Laurences London, Tuesday, March 17. 1690.
* And Zacheus stood, and said unto the
Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my Goods
I give to the Poor, and if I have taken
anything from any man by false accu-
sation, I restore him fourfold.
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COming by Chance into St. Laurence-Kirk,
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Where Preachers did of Old Resistance Jerk,
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The prating Reader having made an End,
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I saw your Rev'rence on the Mount ascend,
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Like Publican-Zacheus, who, to see
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Jesus pass by, climb'd up into the Tree.
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My Thanks, good Sir, I must confess is due
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To penitent Zacheus, and to You.
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He by Example, You by Preaching, taught
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(And therein seas'nably reveal'd the Thought
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Of many Hearts) the Nature and Extent
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Of that great Duty of the Penitent,
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Call'd Restitution, which embalms his Tears,
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Sets him to Rights, and pays off all Arrears:
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Procures his Pardon from th'offended God,
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Atones his Vengeance, and do's charm his Rod.
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Pardon (a) th' Impenitent in vain implore,
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Impenitent are they that don't (b) Restore
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To th'wronged Man what was his (c) Own before.
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(a) No Pardon without Repentance, and
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no Repentance without Restitution. Dr. Be-
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veridges Sermon on St. Luke 19. 8. before-
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mention'd.
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(b) And as ye have hurt the Name of your
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Neighbour, or otherwise hindred him, so
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now intend to Restore it to him again.
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For without Restitution, God accepteth
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not your Confession, nor yet your Repen-
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tance. Book of Homilies, Fol. pag. 286.
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120. pag. 465.
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(c) And so it is still, for Possession does not
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take away Right, and therefore Zacheus
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emphatically says, My Goods. Behold Lord,
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the half of my Goods I give to the Poor--
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My Goods, i.e. what remains to me after I
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have restor'd what I have unjustly taken
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from another, who has the Right, and not
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I, though I have the Possession. And what
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remains when I have made such Restitu-
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tion, I may truly call my own---Dr. Bev-
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ut supra.
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If this be true, Sir, then Your Flock is damn'd,
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And every swearing Priest that can be nam'd;
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Who, to detain unjustly, do not dread,
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The Crown they stole from off their Monarch's Head:
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Whom by false Accusation they dethron'd,
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And, as an Abdicating King, disown'd.
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Tho'* t' Abdicate by Force, seems, by the By,
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A Monstrous Riddle, and Unlearned Lye:
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Which to (d) believe, a Judgment is on those,
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Who think't no Sin their Sov'raign to Depose,
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Renounce, Abjure, Transfer Allegiance too:
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And what cannot a debauch'd Conscience do?
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* To abdicate an Office, supposes a volun-
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tary Act and the consent of him who quits
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it: according to Tully, Salust, Livy, etc.
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(d) For this cause God shall send them
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strong delusion, that they should believe
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a Lye: That they all might be damned
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who believed not the Truth, but had plea-
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sure in Unrighteousness, 2 Thess. 2. 11. 12.
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If RESTITUTION, Sir, must needs be made,
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Why not to Scepters, as well as to the Spade?
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If to our Fellow-Subjects we owe that Care,
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Much more to Kings who God's Vicegerents are.
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Or is it Lawful to defraud the King,
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Whil'st we are just to every other Thing?
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Is it our Duty to do Right to All
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Except to Him, whom we our Father call?
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Must God's Laws be obey'd b'our partial Will,
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Th' Apostles sad (e) Prediction to fulfill?
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Render to all their Dues, the Gospel says,
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Directs to strait, condemns all crooked Ways.
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Restore to th' Wrong'd, and to all Justice do,
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The Voice of * Moses is, and (f) Jesus too.
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(e) In the last days perilous times shall
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come, for Men shall be lovers of their
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own selves, covetous----disobedient to Pa-
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rents, unthankful, unholy, without Natu-
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ral Affection, Truce-breakers, False Accu-
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sers --- Fierce, Despisers of those that are
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Good, Traytors --- 2 Tim. 3 1, 2, 3, 4. A
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Text, which 'tis to be wisht a certain Re-
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verend Divine, [Dr. Sh--ock] who lately
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preach'd at Whitehall, had gone thorough
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with.
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* Lev. 6. 2, 3, 4, 5.
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(f) Remember the G[o]lden Rule which
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our Saviour recommends, Whatsoever ye
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would that Men, etc. Dr. Bev. ut supra.
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Go preach this Gospel-Doctrine through the Town,
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Bid 'em Restore who do Usurp the Crown.
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The Man's (g) alive, and too his injur'd Son,
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To whom Restore before the (h) Setting-Sun,
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Or else (sad Fate!) Three Kingdoms are undon.
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Fill City and Court-Pulpits with the Sound,
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Cry, (i) RESTITUTION, all the Kingdom round.
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Fear not, preach, pray (You Leader of the Blind!)
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Bewitched Subjects to a better Mind.
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By the Excorcising Art conjure the Devil
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From Rebel-Hearts, stop the impending Evil.
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Bid 'em transcribe Zacheuss (k) Honestie,
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Lest they ascend, not his, but Hamans Tree;
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(Tho, as Zacheus, so amply to Restore,
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Will make the Thieves, and frolick Lenders, poor.)
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Or else descend into the lowest Hell,
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Where Parricides, Robbers and Rebels dwell:
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For if the Publican we do contemn,
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The Publican the Christian will condemn.
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Bid 'em Repent, do Justice, and Restore,
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Call home the King, and then Rebel no more.
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(g) If the Man is alive whom ye have
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wrong'd, make Restitution to him; or if
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he is dead, to his Son, or Executor, etc.
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(h) And I advise you to make no delay,
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make Restitution before the Sun is set. Id.
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ibid.
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(i) Without Restitution to the wrong'd,
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never expect God's Blessing upon you or
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yours, etc. Id. ibid.
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(k) Be just, and act like honest Men, etc.
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follow the Example in the Text, etc. Id. ib.
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