34Á CIIRISTIAN MORALfTT. eeive help in any of these instances, it isnecessary he shouldgive them help in other instances wherein they stand in need of his. This is one foundation of justice betweenman and man ; that so every man may have. the necessariesand conveniences,of lifeby his neighbour's assistance. Thus the king himself; as Solomon says, is served by thefield ; Eccl. v. 9. Theprince stands in need of the plowman : The plowman gives food to the prince, and the prince gives to theplowman protection and safety. I might run through the variousinstances wherein justice is to be practised, and skew how thehigher and lower orders and characters of men have mutual need of each other : The buyer and the seller, the artificer and the merchant, the teacher and the scholar-; and thus I might make it appear, that unless a due exchange of benefits be maintained, and the practice of justice secured, none of us could enjoy the safety, the ease, or the con- veniences of life. Wherethere is no practice of justice amongst men, no man can live safe by his neighbour : Every one that is mighty and Malicious, that is proud or covetous, that is envious or knavish, would rob another of his clue, and either assume the possessions of hisneighbour-to himself, or make havoc of them, and destroy them. Therewould be everlasting eonfusión amongst men,'slan- der and theft, cheating andknavery; plunder and slaughter, and bloody violence would reign among all theti dies of mankind ; if justice werebanished from the earth ; for neither life, norliberty, norpeace, nor any ofour possessions, nor our good name, can be secured without it: Therefore the light and law of nature sets a sacred guard upon justice, and has written the necessity of it in he conscienees of all men, whohave not searedthose consciences as with a red-hot iron, and rased out so much of human nature from their souls, The practice of justiee.has so extensive an influence into the whole conduct of our lives, and the welfare of mankind; that some of the heathenwriters havemade it to be comprehensive of all virtues. Butbecause sinful men are ready to break thebends acorn- mutativejustice and invade the property, the peace, or the lire of their neighbours, therefore government is appointed, and magis- trates are ordained to maintain peace and equity amongst men, and to punish the breakers of it. This is the greatest reason why there must be such,a thing as magistracy and distributive justice aalongst mankind ; that those who commit outrage upon their neighbours, and practice injustice toward them, may be punished by the laws : For, as the apostle says to Timothy, the lare is not n,ade for the righteous, but for the disobedient, for the vn`7odly, andfor sinners ; for murderers, stealers, and liars; 4c: I lüat it
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