us;

1. The fifth petition of the Lord's prayer, forgive us our trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trespass against let a man seriously think with himself and confider; if he do not this heartily and cordially, he prays against himself, when he repeats that petition; for he that doth not forgive, carries within himself an unanswerable argument that his fins are not forgiven; nay, he puts a bar and an impediment to the forgiveness of his fins.

2. The other is, Mat. xviii. 34, 35.

And

bis Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he fhould pay all that was due unto him. So likewife shall my heavenly father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trefpaffes. Though it be but a parable, yet take the notion that the parable doth exhibit. There was a creditor who in his goodness complies with the neceffity of his debtor's cafe, and abates of his due, and takes fuch compofition as he might have: this debtor, that was fo fairly dealt withal, hath a petty debtor of his own, one that owes him a fmall fum; and he falls upon him and ufes him extremely hard. Hereupon the Lord of that fervant was wroth with him, and the parable represents, that the debt that was remitted and abated, returned upon him again. Our Saviour means thus; we ourselves are greatly indebted to God, we pray for pardon and forgiveness and grace, and we do obtain it; and God doth expect we should express the sense thereof by dealing with others tenderly and compaffionately; and in cafe we do not thus imitate God, in forgiving as we are forgiven, we provoke God to revoke what before

for

was

was in a way fairly to be remitted us; and we take a courfe to reinforce and bring upon ourselves a cancell'd obligation. Give therefore (let me intreat you) fair allowance for these things; 1. For the perfon's ig-. norance and incogitance, where he hath done amifs. 2. Give a just allowance for his neceffity and poverty. 3. Give a just allowance for his misapprehenfion and miftake. 4. And lastly, give a juft allowance for the frailty of human nature,be wanting to nothing that the reafon of the thing or the equity of the case may require.

I have but two things to add to this argument, and then shall pass on to the next head. The first shall concern the kinds of justice and righteousness; for there is a famous diftinction in the world, that must not be neglected righteoufnefs and justice, which is in bargain and commutation; and righteousness and juftice, which is in diftribution. The other fhall, only refolve this queftion, what righteousness is, and what it imports when it is afcribed unto God.

First, The kinds of justice, to wit, commutative and diftributive juftice; the former is concerned in bar-, gain and treaty, buying and felling. The latter is concerned in rewards and punishments. The main thing is now to ftate which is the rule and measure of justice in these two. For the former, the rule or measure of commutative juftice, which runs through all the affairs of ordinary life; the rule there, is the proportion of things; and here he that will be righteous, must afford a penny-worth for a penny. The feller is not to take any advantage of the ignorance of the buyer; but if he finds him unfkilful, he ought, by his skill to supply him; the skill of the one ought

to

to be the fafety and fecurity of the other. Every trade is a trust; fo that a man coming to an artist prefumes he may depend upon his fkill; and if he deceive him, he is unjuft. Every profeffion, I fay, hath a trust in it, and doth declare that the person is a person of skill; and if men be honest, a man may prefume he may truft to the skill of the artist, and have confidence in his fidelity; fo that any one that is a cheat in his own way of trading, or falfe in his profeffion, is guilty of a double iniquity; and the charge is the deeper, and the perfon more guilty, according to the confequences of the failure, and where the damage that follows upon the miscarriage is greater and more mischievous. Wherefore let two forts of profeffions take heed to it; those that are concerned in the lives and in the health of men; and those that are concerned in the state of mens fouls. ft. Those that are concerned in the lives and healths of men. For if they fail, they do certainly make themselves obnoxious to the very letter of the fixth commandment, thou shalt not kill. I take it for granted, that if those who are engaged in those trades and profeffions that refer to the lives and healths of men, as thofe that are concerned in meat and drink and medicine, if they fail, they are very great finners and obnoxious to the fixth commandment; and no apology for them, to use things that are either naught and unwholfome or not well prepared, for the advantage of gain; for that is the temptation. Then, 2dly, Those that are concerned in the state of mens fouls; if they do comply with mens fancies and ungrounded imaginations, and fet themselves to gratify VOL. IV, thefe;

D

these; their miscarriages are very high. The xiii of Ezekiel the whole chapter is spent for the reproof of these and the apostle in 2 Cor. ii. 17. For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God, &c. 2 Pet. ii. 3. There we read of thofe that practifed upon the word, and made merchandise of mens fouls. And this as to commutative justice, and the rule and measure of right in all trade and profeffion, in buying and felling. -Then as to the other part, diftributive justice, here not only the proportion of things, but the refpect of perfons is to be taken into confideration; and this is known in distributing rewards and proportioning punishment. 1. In diftributing rewards. Greater rewards are due for the actions and employments of those whose skill depends upon a leifurely, tedious, coftly and expenfive education, than to those who do acts proceeding from natural ftrength, which a man is born to, and it costs him nothing. 2. Then for inflicting of punishments. Since faults are aggravated by their relation to perfons, and to the committer of them; (for any fault or any fin is aggravated by the height, excellency, place, dignity and power of the person that doth commit it ;) punishments therefore are to be proportioned accordingly, and are more or lefs due upon this confideration: a fault is greater because such a one commits it; a man of place, education, knowledge, one that hath other advantages and other engagements, the fault is aggravated by his advantages and by his engagements, which another that wants them, his fault is lefs, though materially the fame. If a man fteal for the neceffity of his foul, no man despiseth him; but if a man fteal

out

If those

out of wantonnefs, the fault is aggravated. that defpifed Mofes, law, died without mercy, &c. of how much forer punishment fuppofe ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of God, &c ? This I have added, to declare to you the rule and measure of justice, either commutative or diftributive.

The fecond is, what the notion of justice and righteousness is, when it is attributed and afcribed to God. And this is worth your confideration; for in this particular there are very great mistakes: therefore I answer; righteousness and juftice, when it is ascribed to God, imports one of these three things. 1. Sometimes it imports God's faithfulness in keeping his promises. 2. Sometimes his uprightness and integrity in his actions. 3. Sometimes his graciousness in pardoning our failings. And I dare say, all scripture that attributes righteousness and juftice to God, doth denote one or other of these a scripture of each.

1. For the first; fometimes it imports Gods faithfulness in keeping his promife. Heb. vi. 10. God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love. This must be in respect of his word and promise; for no creature under heaven doth merit any thing of God, and God is engaged to no creature but by his promise; for he is not profited by our goodness, nor hurt by our wickedness. God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love; that is, God is not unfaithful, to perform his free and voluntary promife. And our Saviour hath taught us, that when we have done all we can do, we are unprofitable fervants; we have done no more than our duty. This is therefore the first. D 2 2. Sometimes