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THE VNICÈRSAL RVLE
OF-EQUITY:
rSERM. XXXfIT.
"
There
is
nothing
that
we know,
that
gives
a
man
so
true
and
lively
a sense
of
the sufferings
of
others, or re-
strains
him so
powerfully from
doing
unrighteous and op-
pressive things,
as his
having
smarted formerly
himself
under
the
experience of them. Now
the
supposing
an-
other
man's
ill
usage
to
be our
own,
is
the giving ourselves
a present
sense,
as
it
were,
and
a kind
of
feigned
experi-
ence
of
it;
which
cloth),
for the
time,
serve
all
the
pur-
poses
of
a-true
one.'
.
V.
It
is
such a rule,
as
if
well
applied,
will
almost
al-
ways
secure our neighbour
from
injury, and secure
us
from guilt,
if
we
should chance
to
-hurt
him..
God
will
not
impute
guilt
to us,
if
we
should
happen to
mistake
in
a
point of doubtful enquiry, and
to
hurt
our neighbour
by
a
conscientious obedience
to
this rule.
I
say,
it
Nvill'almost
always
secure
us from
injuring
our
neighbour,
I cannot
say,
it
is' always
an absolute,
infal-
lible,
and
certain rule of right
and wrong; for
our
know
-
ledge
of
the
eternal soles of right
and
wrong,
is
but
im-
perfect
;
neither our
own
heads or hearts,
are furnished
with
-all
the various
and
particular
principles
of
equity.
A mere enquiry into our
own
hearts or
consciences,
can
never
give us
a
perfect
knowledge
of
the
abstracted rules
of
justice
:
Nor
can
it determine
us
to the
certain prac-
tice
of
it, in
all-
the most
intricate
cases,
unless these
per:-
-
feet rules
of justice
were fully -written in
the
heart
of
every man.
But under
the
present circumstances
of
mankind,
in
this poor,
ignorant,
and
corrupt
state
of
hu-
mran
nature, it appears
to be the best, the
most
righteous,
the most secure, and the most universal
rule
that ever
could
be
invented or
given to
men;
for
it
will
certainly
secure and prevent
every man from
injuring
his neigh
bour
in
all cases,
except
where he himself
is
willing
and
content
to
receive
equal
injury
:
And
I
am sùre,
self-love
will
tell
us,
that
these cases are exceeding
few.
It
is
evident therefore,
that
an
honest
man
will
scarce
ever mistake
in
keeping-close
to this
rule.
And
if
I
should then
happen
to
do an
injury
to my
neighbour, in-
stead of
strict
equity,
yet
I can
appeal
to
God, and
say,
-
I
endeavoured
to
apply this rule to
my
conscience, in
the
present
circumstances,
with
the
utmost
sincerity,
I
acted
no
otherwise
to
my
neighbour,.
than I desired or
judged
it
reasonable for
my
neighbour to
act
towards
me in
the