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SERBI.
XXIV.]
CHRISTIASS
SfORALITI,
VIZ.
JtisTICE,
ó:C.
407
tory
of
the good
Samaritan
in
the gospel
tells
me,
that
in such
a
case every
man
is
my
neighbour, though
he
be
of
a
different nation, sect,
or
party.
But
when men are
fellow
-
subjects,
or
fellow
-
citizens,
or combined
in
any
natural,
civil,
or religious
society,
this
rule
of
justice
appears
with
more force and evidence;
it
strikes
a
brighter light upon the
conscience,
and ought
to
have
more power upon the
heart
and
practice;
for
combina-
tion into society
is
an implicit
contract
or promise
of
mutual
help
under
necessity.
I
confess,
several
of
the instances
which
I
have
men-
tioned
under
this
fifth
head may be
referred
also to
cha-
rity and
mercy,
of
which
I
shall
speak
hereafter; but
for
as
much
as
the light
of
nature
and
the
law
of God re-
quire
these beneficial actions
of
men
toward each other,
I
have here placed them
under
the head
of justice.
VI.
The
last piece
of justice
which
I
shall
mention,
is
reparation
to those whom
we
have wilfully
injured,
as
far
as
possible
:
And this
is
a
certain
duty,
whether
we
have done them injury
in
their
souls, in
their
bodies,
in
their
estates, or in
their
reputation.
If
we
have
led
them into
errors or
heresy
by
our conver-
sation
;
if
we
have
tempted
them to
sin by
our
allurement
or
example
;
if
we
have solicited
their
assistance
in
any
base or
guilty practices
of
our own;
we
ought seriously
to employ
our
best powers
and prayers toward their
re-
covery from the snare
of
the devil:
If
we
have wilfully
injured their health
;
if
we have
blasted
their credit;
if
we
have
thrown
a
blot upon their
good
name;
if
we
have
defrauded
them
of
any
part
of their
due, or wasted
their
substance,
let
us
know
and consider
that
the
law
of
justice
requires
us to
make
what
restitution
we
are capa-
ble of
:
But
still
it
must
be
done
in
such
a.
manner
as
must
consist
with
our duty
to
the
rest
of our
fellow-
creatures
round about
us.
It
is
a vain
thing to
pretend
to
be sorry
and repent'
that
we
have
done
our
neighbour
a wilful injury,
or
to
flatter
him with idle compliments
of
asking
his
pardon,
while
it
lies in
our
power
to
repair
the damage
he sus
-
tains
in
a way
of
consistence with
our other
duties,
and
yet
we
obstinately refuse
it:
Such a
repentance
as
this
cannot
be
sincere
in the
sight
of
God,
nor
have
we
any
°D4