In Actions.
Have you wronged, deceived, or circumvented your neighbour in buying or selling?
Have you injured him by stealing, cheating, usury, extortion, or any unlawful contract? by putting off false money, or using false weights or measures?
Have you bought or received stolen goods?
Have you contracted debts without design of paying them?
We also sin by wronging our creditors, or our own family, by prodigal expenses; by refusing to pay our just debts when able, or by culpable extravagance rendering ourselves unable to pay them by neglecting the work or business for which we were hired, and obliged by contract to perform; in fine, by unjustly taking or keeping any thing of value belonging to another; in which case it is impossible to obtain forgiveness without making restitution to the best of our power. [And here it is to be observed, that where two or more jointly injure another, in goods or reputation, they are jointly and severally obliged to restitution; that is to say, they are bound to contribute their respective proportions towards repairing the injury; and every individual of them is answerable before God for the whole injury, when either or any of the accomplices refuse to repair their portion thereof.]
In Omissions.
Have you neglected to succour, comfort and assist your neighbour in necessity?
Have you neglected to restore ill-gotten goods, or to repair injured characters?
Have you refused to be reconciled to an enemy, or to perform duties of obligation, such as respect and love towards parents, obedience to superiors, &c.
Sins Against Ourselves Are Committed
By Pride.
In having too great an esteem for ourselves, and haughtily despising others
In being too apt to speak of our own affairs, or in our own praise;
In aspiring to honours and preferment through vanity;
In affecting to be humble, or in deceiving others by hypocrisy
In being influenced in what we do by human respects, for obtaining the applause and esteem of men
In being too much wedded to our own opinions and inclinations;
In being too solicitous about our health;
In being too fond of the pleasures, comforts, and conveniences of life.
By Avarice.
In being backward in giving alms according to our ability;
In squandering away in gaming, or in vain and foolish expenses, the substance that Providence hath given for the relief of the poor and distressed;
In not only refusing them an alms which we can afford, but in refusing it with bitterness, reproaches, imperious, ill-natured language, or with an insulting air;
In being too much attached to the goods of this life; where it must be ever remembered, that whatever is really superfluous to us belongs of right to the poor; that where there is much, much should be given; and that where there is only a little, even some of that little should be cheerfully given; for "God loves the cheerful giver."
By Envy.
In being sorry for the prosperity of others
Rejoicing at their misfortunes
In wishing with jealousy for what belongs to them.