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SEAM.
X1ITI.1
CrTRrSTIAV
M6'ItALITT,
V
IZ. JIISTICTi,
&c.
397
we
converse with
hath
something due
to
him
;
and this
we
are bound
to
pay as men,
and
much
more
as
chris-
tians.
But
since cases
and circumstances are
infinite,
and
it
is
impossible for
any
book to
contain,
or
any man to
re-
ceive
and
remember
so
many special rules for
justice, as
there
may be
occurring circumstances
in
the world,
which
require
the
practice
of it
;
our Lord Jesus
Christ
has therefore
given
us
one
short
rule whereby to
judge
what
is
due
to.every
man, and fitted
it
to
every
purpose
:
Mat.
vii-.
12.
All
things
whatsoever
ye
would
that
men
should
do
unto
you,
do
ye
even
so
to
them
:
For
this
is
the
law
and the prophets.
I
confess
there
may
happen
in
human
affairs
some
cases
of
such exceeding
intricacy and
difficulty,
that
very
few
persons have
skill
enough
to
determine
precisely
what
is
due,
or
what
would be
strictly
-just
and righteous:
Nor
will
this
rule
infallibly
lead
us
into the perfect know-
ledge
of
it
;
but
even in such cases, a
sincere honest man
consulting
his own
ponscience, and asking,
.
what
he
thought
reasonable
that
his
neighbour,
in
the like case,
should
do to
him,
would seldom
wander
far from
strict
justice
;
and
by
practising agreeably
to
this general
law,
he
would
approve
his
conduct
both
in
the
sight
of
God
and.men.
Thus our
blessed
Saviour bath
set
up-
a
court
of equity
in
the
breast of
every man.
This rule
is
easy to
be
under-
stood,
and
ready
to be
applied upon
every occasion.
The
meanest of
them may
learn and practice
it,
and
the
highest
are
bound
to
'obey
it.
This
is
that
divine
and
comprehensive-rule of justice
or righteousness,
by
which
you must egulate
all
your
actions, and
give
every
one
their
due
:
Do
to
others, as
you
would have them
do
to
you;
Not
as
an
unreasonable
self-love
would
wish
to
re-,
ceive from others;
but
as
your
own
conscience would
think it reasonable others should
do
tip
you, as
I
have
explained it
at
large in
a
sermon
on
that
text.*
The
second thing proposed,
was to
discover
invarious
instances what those things
are
which
are
just, or
wherein
our
righteousness must
appear.
iJere it
is
necessary
to
distinguish
justice
into
that
See
Sermon
XXXIII.