Of Restitution, (or at least an attitude towards it).

"I don't owe him anything." These foolish and hurtful words were spoken by a man in reference to another man that he greatly wronged, and they were spoken in the midst of claiming repentence. Honestly, that man could never pay that which he owes the other man. Never, never in his life. But those words stuck fast in my head.

Today I was reading one of my "Am I ever gonna finish this?" books, The Evil of Evils, by Jeremiah Borroughs. There is much meat in this book, much meat that I have to digest for myself, rather than try to dish out to others. But this section immediately reminded me of those words -- "I don't own him anything."

Judas got thirty pieces of silver. He had a covetous disposition and would have money. He would not be as poor as the other disciples, so he got money in a sinful way; but when his conscience came to be awakened and terrified, he went (and a kind of vengeance went with him) to the Scribes and Pharisees and threw the money down. Those coins were too hot for him, he could not endure the scalding of them in his conscience. They were even, as it were, melted in his soul. He could not keep the thirty pieces of silver, they were so terrible to him.

So, certainly, that's your thirty pieces: any household stuff, anything you have gotten in a sinful way. Oh, it will be terrible to you one day! I beseech you, brethren, take notice of it. Anyone who has gotten, by ways of sin, anything, it is not enough to the salvation of that soul that it has been never so sorrowful. All the sorrow in the world, and repentance you can have for sin, will not save your soul unless you restore. Unless you make restitution to the utmost of your ability, you can never have comfort and assurance that sin is pardoned. It is an old saying of an ancient, "The sin is not remitted until that which was taken away is restored."

There are many men and women who think, if they can get anything by sinful ways, they will repent and pray to God for forgiveness and be sorry, and yet keep that which was gotten in a sinful way. No, that will not serve the turn, all your praying to God with never so much sorrow. There must be restitution of what you have sinfully gotten to the utmost of your ability. Though the party is dead, you must not keep it.