Serm.XLVIII. with the Ways,andMeans oflknowing them. 3 3 5 Firfi, Confider thofe feveral Duties which God here requires of us, and upon the Performance of which he will be pacified towards us. Secondly, By what ways and means God bath difcovered thefe Duties to us, and the goodnefs of them ; He háth fbewed thee, 0Man, what it good, &c. I. We will briefly confider the feveral Duties which God here requires of us, and upon the Performance of which he will be pacified towards us ; What loth the Lord requireof thee, but to do Juflly, and to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ? It was ufual among the Jews to reduce all the Duties of Religion to thefe three Heads, Mice, Mercy, and Piety ; under the firft two, comprehending the Duties which weowe to one another, and under the third the Duties which we owe to God. r. 7ufiice. And I was going to tell you what it is, but I confidered that every Man knows it, as well as any Definition can explain it to him. I (hall on- lyput you in mind of fome of the principal Instances of it, and the feveral Vir- tues comprehended under it. And, Firf%, Ju(lice is concerned in the making of Laws, that they be fuch as are equal and reafonable, ufeful and beneficial, for the Honour ofGod andReligion, and for the publick good ofHuman Society ; This is a great Trutt, in the difcharge of which, ifMen be byaffed by Favour or-Intereft, and drawn afide from the Confederation and Regard of the publick Good, it is a far greater Crime, and of worfe Confequence than any private Act of Injufticebetween Man and Man. And then, Justice is alfo concerned in the due Execution of Laws ; which are theGuard of Private Property, the Security of Publick Peace, and of Religion and Good Manners. And, Laflly, In the Obfervance of Laws and Obedience to them; which is a Debt that every Man owes to HumaneSociety. But more efpeciallyJußice is concerned in the Obfervanceof thofe Laws, whe- ther of God or Man, which refpe& the Rights of Men, and their mutual Com- merce and Intercourfe with one another. That we ufe Honefly and integrity in all our Dealings, in Oppofition to Fraud and Deceit ; Truth and Fidelity, in Oppofition to Falfhood and Breach of Trutt ; Equity and good Confcience, in Oppofition to all kindof Oppreffeon and Exa&ion. Thefe are the principal Branches, and Inftancesof this great and comprehenfive Duty of Justice; the Violation whereof is fo much the greater Sin, becaufe this Virtue is the firmelt Bond of Humane Society, upon the Obfervation whereof, the Peace and Hap- pinefs ofMankind does fo much depend. 2. Mercy, which does not only fignifie the inward Affe&ion of Pity and Corn- paffion towards thofe that are inMifery and Neceflìty, but the Effe&s of it, in the Actual Relief of thofe whofe Condition calls for our Charitable Help and Affiftance ; By feeding the Hungry, and cloathing the Naked, and vifiting the Sick, and vindicating the Oppreffed, and comforting the Afflifted, and miniftring Eafe and Relief to them if it be in our Power. And this is a very lovely Vir-, tue, and argues more goodnefs in Men than mere Juffice doth. For yuflice is a 1Ctrid Debt but Mercy is Favour and Kindnefs. And this perhaps may be the reafon of the different Expreffions in the Text, that when God barely commands us to dojufily, he requires we (hould love Mercy, that is, take a Particular plea- Cure and Delight in the Exercife of this Virtue, which is fo proper and agreeable to Mankind, that wecommonly call it Humanity, giving it itsName from our ve- ry Nature. In (bort, it is fo excellent a Virtue, that I (hould be very furry that any Religion (hould be able to pretend to the Practice of it more than our own. 3. Piety; To walk humbly with thy God. To walk humbly in the fear of the Lord ; fo the Chaldee Paraphrafe renders thefe Words. And this Phrafe may comprehend all thofe A&s of Religion which refer immediately to God ; A firm Belief of his Being and Perfe&ions an awful Senfe ofhim, as the dreadSovereign and righ- teous Judge of the World; adue Regard to his Service, and a reverent beha. viour of our felves towards him in all Aás of Worship and Religion, in Oppo-
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