420 CHRISTIAN MORALITY, V'IZ, JUSTICE, &C. [SEAM, XXV. sors of christianity, if argument, and shame, and terror can have power and prevalence over sin and temptation. G may almighty grace attend this discourse of justice, and 'work the sacred love ofit in the hearts of men ! Now if ye are made willing to walk by the rules of equity and justice, instead of próposing particular di- rections for this end, I shall proceed, In the fifth and last place, to point out the various springs ofinjustice, that ye may avoid them. The great and general spring of injustice to our neigh- bour is a criminal and excessive love to ourselves. For since the comprehensive notion of justice lies in this, to give to everyone that which is due, it follows, that the .general notion of injustice consists in taking to ourselves more than is due, or in giving less than is dueto our neighbour. There are a thousand instances of this unrighteousness among men, in reference to their bodies, their souls, their -good name, or their possessions in the world. This general term of injustice is so extensive, that it includes a great part of the sins forbidden in the second table. Disobedience to parents and governors, rebellion, :-trea- son, murder, adultery, theft, violence and plunder, cheat- ing, and deceit, and slander; with all sinful desires to possess what belongs to our neighbour, .may, be justly ranked under the head of unrighteousness And they spring from this one fountain, namely, an excessive re- gard to self. It is to this natural and exalted idol that We sacrifice the peace and the property, the good name, -and -even the life of our fellow-creatures. Nor will any ethod be effectual to secure us from the practice of in- justice, till we learn to degrade self a little in our own esteem, and tojudge of our neighbour, and of the things that are his due, by the same rule and Measure by which we take an estimate of ourselves, and of what is due tv us. Let us put our neighbour in the place of self, and judge how he ought to be treated.. But that we may more effectually guard ourselves from the temptations of injustice, let us descend to Par- ticulars, and we shall find that almost all the unrighteous practices of men spring from some of these six princi, pies; viz. covetousness, pride, ,luxury, sloth, malice tigainst men, or distrust of God.
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