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MÓRALITV,
viz.
JVSTÌ
&C.
[mtg.
xxv::
not
the
ancient
land
-
marks,
nor enter into
the
field
of
the
fatherless
:
for
their Redeemer
is
mighty,
and
he shall
plead their
cause with
thee.
Prove.
xxiii.
10,
II."
If
we
review
the records
of
the
Jewish
history,
we
shall find the cruel and the covetous, the
tyrant
and the
oppressor, made
terrible
examples
of
the vengeance
of
God
against unrighteousness.
Survey
the plagues
of
Egypt, and the dreadful desolations
of that
fruitful coun-
try,
with
the
destruction
of
the first-born
by
the
midnight
pestilence, and the armies
of
Pharaoh
drowned
-ïn
the
Red
-sea,
and
you
may
read there
the wrath
of God
against the
unrighteousness
of
men,
written
in
dreadful
characters. They treated
the
race
of Israel
with
cruelty
and sore oppression
;
they destroyed
their
male- children,
and provoked God
to
bring
swift
destruction
upon
themselves. Behold
Adonibezek, king
of thé Canaa-
nites, with his
thumbs and
his
great
toes
cut
off by
Joshua,
and
confessing the
justice of
the
great God.
"
Threescore
and
ten kings, said
he,
with
their
great
toes
and
their
thumbs cut
off,
have
gathered their meat
under
my table
:
As
I
have done,
so
God hath requited
nie,
Judges
i.
7.
"
See
the
dogs
licking up the blood
of
Ahab
in
the place where
he slew
Naboth
the
Jezreelite,
in
order
to
take unjust
possession
of
his
vineyard,
1
Kings,
xxi.
19.
These
things which were
written
of
old
time,
remain upon record
for
our instruction
in
the
days
.
of
christianity.
But
let
us
take more
special
notice what
influences may
be
derived from the
gospel,
and
from
the name
of
Christ,
to
enforce the
practice
ofjustice
among men.
I.
If
we
look to
our Lord
Jesus Christ
as
a
law
-
giver,
how
various and
how
plain are
his
solemn
and repeated
commands,
not
only
in his
sermon upon the mount,
but
upon other
occasions too,
that justice
be
practised be-
tween man and man.
Ile
bath explained
to
us
that
glo-
rious rule
of
equity, on
purpose
to
make
the practice
of
justice
easy,
plain,
and universal,
"
love
your neighbour
as
.yourself; that
is,
do to others, as ye would
that
others
do to you."
We
cannot
but think
that
the holy soul
of our
Lord
Jesus
was
concerned
to
secure
the
practice
of
justice
and
righteousness among
his
followers, when
we
read
his
ter-
rible
rebuke
to the pharisees for
the
neglect
of
it
:
and
a
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