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434
CHRISTIAN MORALITY, VIZ. JUSTICE,
&C.
rSERM.
XXVi.
I
willing
my
neighbour should deal
thus`
with
nie,
and
spend
my
substance
for
his daily
support
?"
Here let it
be
observed,
that
I
would
always
except
from
this
accusation
such as
are
mere children, and
cannot
work,
or such
as
are
aged, and
past
all
ability
of
labour,
such
as
are
weak
and
sick,
and
rendered.thereby
utterly
incapable
of
working, and
such
as seek work with
honest
diligence, and would
be
glad to be,employed.
in
any thing
they can
do,
if
they could find others
to employ them.
Some
of
these
indigent and
necessitous persons
are
in
every city, and they seem to
be
marked out
by
provi-
dence
as
the
proper
objects
of
compassion
and.
bounty,
and are not
to be
blended
with
the slothful
and idle
crea-
tures
in
the
general
charge
of
unrighteousness.
Fifthly,
The
next
spring
of
injustice
is
malice
an
envy.
This
is
the
vilest
of
all,
and the
most
like the de-
:vil: for
it
contrives
mischief,
and
brings injury
upon
others, without
seeking gain
and
advantage
to
self.
This
is
a
vile
iniquity, and has
a
great
deal
of
the spirit
of
cruelty and
of
hell in
it,
where
ill-
nature and
spite reign
and triumph.
Though
envy
and
malice awaken and excite the sinner
to acts
of
unrighteousness and
violence,
and
tempt
us
to rob our neighbour
of
what
is
his
due;
yet
these vicious
principles
aim
more frequently to disturb the
peace,
or
health, and good
name
of
our
neighbour, than
to
injure
his
estate.
It
is
wrath and hatred
that
boils up
the blood
into
fury and revenge, and
moves
us to
smite
our
neigh-
bour
with the
fist
of
wickedness;
nor
is
the guilty passion
allayed till
it
has
practised
mischief to
his body,
or
his
reputation, or
his family,
or
to
something
that
belongs
to
him.
Hence
proceed murders and death,
and
all
the
train
of
evils
and injuries of the cruel and
bloody kind.
It
was
from this
principle that
Cain
slew
Abel
his
brother,
that
the
sons
Of
Jacob
sold
Joseph
into slavery:
It
was
from this
principle
that
Sanballat
and
Tobiah
joined
their
rage and their
counsels
against
the Jews,
that
they might
hinder
the rebuilding
of Jerusalem,
and endeavour
to
destroy
the
builders, and
throw down the work,
10.
I
hope there
are
no
examples
of
this
flagrant injustice
to be
found among
us who
profess
piety.
But are
there