464 UNIVERSAL RULE OF ECiumr, [Here the sermon-may be divided, if it be too long to beread in a family at once.] VII. It is a most extensive rule, with regard toall the sta tions, ranks and characters ofmankind : for it is perfectly suited to them all s And I think it may be said, that it is equally useful to the richand the poor, to the buyer and the seller, to theprince and to the peasant, to themaster and the servant : Theyall come under the single rule of duty and justice : This should govern them in all theirconduct. Be yourcondition, O christians, what it will in the world, do but put yourselves into the circumstances of one another, in your own thoughts, for a moment, and ask tvhat is reasonable to be done to yourselves ? And your consci- enceswill return a speedy and easy answer what you should do to others. Let the tenant say, G° If I were a landlord, what should I think reasonable that my tenant should pay me ?" And the land- lord should ask himself, " Were I tenant, what should I claimof my landlord ?" I wouldhave the master enquire, " What should I expect, if I were a servant, at thehand of my master ?" And let the servant say, " What, if I were amaster, shouldI expect from the hands of one that served me ?" Parents should ask themselves, " if Ihad been a negligent child, and guilty of some trifling offence, could I think it just my father should be in such a passion with inc ?" And the son should enquire, " if I were a father, would I not think'it reasonable my child should obey me- in such particular. instances or commands ?" Thus the landlord and tenant, thus the master and servant, thus the father and the sonmay come to an adjustment of their mutual obligations. The merchant should say to himself, " if I were an artifi- cer, shouldI think it reasonable that the labour of myhands, and the sweat ofmay brows, should be screwed down to so cheap a price ?" The seller óf goods should say, " If I were the buyer, would I think it just to have such corrupt or faulty wares put intomyhands ? Am I willing to have my necessity, any ignorance, or unwariness flans imposed upon ?" And the buyer should ask himself, " If I were the seller, should I bear to have my goods thus run down and depreciated below the just value ?" The learned professions may also learn their duty from this rule. The lawyer should say to himself, " What if I were the client should I think it equitable to have mycause so long delayed, by so many shiftings and escapes, from a determination?" The physicians and the surgeons should put themselves in the places of their sick and wounded patients, and say, " Do we prescribe nevera potion, or usenever a plaister more than we would think proper for ourselves, if we were languishing under thesame sick- ness or wounds? Do we take the same safe and speedy methods
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