486 tNIVERSAL RULE OF FOrfTV. This excellent rule would teach us tenderness and benefi- cence to those that are unhappy. We shouldnever make a jest of the lame or the blind, the crooked or the deformed : we should never ridicule the natural infirmities óf the meanest of our fel- low-creatures, nor their providential disadvantages, if we did but put ourselves in theroom ofthe blind and lame, the deformed and the poor,and ask whether we should think it just and rea- sonable to bemade time mockery and the jest of those that behold us. We should certainly be inclined to visit the.sick, and feed the hungry, to give drink to him that is a-thirst, and to secure the. feeble and helpless from the oppression of the mighty, if we enquired of our own hearts, what treatment we should expect if we were hungry and thirsty, if we were sick and helpless. This blessed command of our Saviour would incline us to reprove with gentleness, to punish with mercy, and never to cen- sure others without a just reason, and a plain call of providence; for we ourselves desire and would reasonably expect this sort of treatment fromothers. If wecarried this sentence always inour memories, should we blaze abroad scandalous reports before we know the truthof them ? and publish doubtful suspicions of our neighbour's guilt ? Should we blackenhis character to the ut- most, even where there is a real crime, and make no reasonable allownces for him? Should we perpetually teaze children, ser- vants; or friends with old faults, and make their follies and mis- carriages the matterof our delightful conversation ? Should we Censure every little deviation from the truth, as heresy ? Should we pronounce anathemas and curses upon him that leaves out of his creed a few hard words which men have invented, or that dif- fers from us in the business of meats, and days, and ceremonies ? We ourselves think it hard to have doubtful reports of evil pub- lished concerning us, and suspicions blown up into guilt: We think it hard if our crimes are aggravated to the utmost, and no reasonable allowances are made : We find it very painful to us, Sand think it unreasonable to be ever teased with the mention of our former follies, or to have our little differences from another's faith or worship to be pronounced heresy, and to be cut off froth _thechurch for it. In short, if this blessed rule-of our Saviour did but more universally obtain, we should never persecute one another for our disagreement in opinion, for we should then learn this lesson, that another has as much right to differ from me in his sen- timent, as I have to differ from him. If this rule dill but prevail amongst all that own the christian name; then truth, honesty and justice, meekness and love would reign and tri- umph through all the churches of Christ, and those vile afï'ec..
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