sides the mere law of justice: but this law of commutative justice that I am now treating of, obliges us to it, The light of nature and scripture both suppose and oblige parents to take care of their children, to advise and instruct, nourish and provide for them; therefore obedience and honour becomes their due. The command of submission given to subjects, supposes and obliges princes and rulers to protect and defend them from all injury. The precept of chearful and willing obedience given to servants, supposes and obliges masters to do the same things unto them; that is, to treat them with good-will, and chearfully give them their food and clothing, or their wages and hire, Eph. vi. 9. Nature and scripture suppose ministers and teachers to be capable and willing to give good advice, counsel, and instruction to those who are younger, or who accept of their preaching; therefore let respect and honour be paid where it is due.

It is the foundation and rule of commutative justice in all these instances, that whilst inferiors are obliged to pay due regards to those that are above them, the superiors are equally obliged to confer those benefits on persons of a lower character, which the law of God, and the light of nature require; but some of the cases I have mentioned, will fall in naturally under the following particulars.

II. Another instance of commutative justice, is, the particular kindness that is due to near relations. This is a very beautiful and pleasant part of life where it is well managed, this affectionate and delightful exchange of good turns one for another.

Now, that it is due to near relatives, according to the appointment of God, will be made evident in this

manner.

God the great Creator of all things, could have produced all men immediately by his own power, and have made them arise up in several successions of time, without such a propagation or dependence

one upon another, if he had pleased; and then there would have been none of these tender and engaging relations of father, son, and brother. But the wise Creator hath ordained otherwise; he hath appointed such methods for the building of families, and continuing mankind in the world, as binds every soul of us by the ties of nature to one another, Acts xvii. 26. Óf one blood hath God made all the nations of the earth. And those that are nearer akin to one another, especially in the same family, as brethren and sisters, ought to look upon themselves under more peculiar and mutual obligations to do kindnesses to each other in the first place, according to their capacity. The obligation lies on each party, because it lies upon the other. My brother is bound to love and help me, therefore it is my duty to help and love my brother: For a brother is born for adversity, Prov. xvii. 17. It is the sovereign will of Heaven, that there should be such near relations, who should be bound by the law of creation and du ty to protect, to support and assist one another in a time of adversity: This is the design of God the Creator, in the course of his providence, in his subdivision and propagation of all the families of the earth.

And as it is a piece of justice to confer this mutual help which is due to near relations, so there is something of justice too in our distinguishing acts of kindness and assistance according to difference of necessity, and according to difference of merit. I cannot believe I am bound to love or serve every brother, or every sister, with equal degree of affection and kindness, whatsoever their character be, whether virtuous or vicious, nor to bestow equal benefits upon them, where there is not equal necessity; this can never be of divine appointment. And there is some duty, some kindness, some assistance always due to those that are our near relatives, yet this very rule of justice obliges us to give more re

spect or love to those that are in themselves more honourable and worthy, and those who merit more at our hands, may reasonably expect it. This will further: appear from the next particular.

III. Another instance of justice is, Love to those that love us, and gratitude to those that have done us good. Those that have been serviceable to us in the: concerns of our souls, or our bodies, demand kindness: from us, and returns of service, according to their be nefits, and our capacity.

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Let us first take notice of the gratitude that is due for spiritual benefits. The Christian Galatians, who. were converted from idolatry and heathenism, and reconciled to God by the preaching of St Paul, had such a powerful and penetrating sense of their obligations to him, that if it were possible, saith the apostle, I bear you record, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and given them to me,'.Gal. iv. 15. And when the same apostle writes to Philemon, who was converted to the faith by his ministry, he gently insinuates the obligations he was under; though I do not think proper to tell thee,' saith he, 'how thou owest unto me, ' even thine own self,' ver. 19. St Paul speaks upon this principle in many places of his epistles, 1 Cor. ix. 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? And when he gives an account of the contribution which the Christians of Macedonia and Achaia made for the poor saints at Jerusalem, he expresses himself thus: • It hath pleased them verily to make this contribution, ' and their debtors they are; for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things;' because it was from the Jews that the gospel first came forth, and was preached among the Gentiles.

There is some sort of gratitude due also to those who by their writings, or more especially by their conversation or instructions, have improved our understandings, and added to our knowledge, in things.

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natural or moral, as well as divine. There are some persons in the world, who have advanced their intellectuals in a very sensible manner, by the company of their friends, but they have so much of pride and self reigning in them, that they refuse to acknowledge it: They would fain have the world believe, that it is the rich soil of their own understanding has produced this harvest of itself: They are ambitious and fond to have it thought that their notions are all their own. Though they plumed themselves with borrowed feathers, they are unwilling to confess whence they received them, and pretend they are owing to nature only. But pride is a secret vice, and a cursed spring of injustice in more instances than one, as I shall shew hereafter.

After the benefits bestowed on our souls, we ought to consider what is due to those that have served our bodies, or our natural life. Those that have healed our diseases, that have saved us from imminent dangers and calamities, or present death; those that have fed or clothed us, or supported life when we were poor and destitute: All these deserve particular kinds of remembrance, and due returns of service. Those that have either vindicated our honour, or increased our reputation, and spread our good name in the world, stand intitled also to some agreeable returns of benefit.

Do not let us imagine then, that gratitude is a mere heroic virtue, that we may pay, or not pay at our pleasure; for nature dictates it to us, as a piece of strict commutative justice, and equity of dealing between man and man. We may be very properly said to treat our neighbour unjustly, if we refuse to serve him again, who hath first served us, when his distressed circumstances shall require our assistance.

There are some cases indeed wherein the person who is obliged by his neighbour's kindness, cannot possibly make a return equal to the benefit received,

without ruining himself and his family, or exposing himself much more than his neighbour did to serve him. There are cases wherein the person who hath obliged us, may over-rate his kindness, and undervalue all our acknowledgments: He may require most unreasonable returns, and think he is never sufficiently recompensed. There are cases also wherein the benefactor may repent of his past services, may endeavour to take away the benefit bestowed, may without reason commence a resolute enmity. and do what in him lies to cancel all former obligations: In such circumstances as these, the obligation of gratitude may be diminished, and perhaps may cease altogether. And though sometimes, in these very cases, there may be high and heavy charges of ingratitude brought by the first benefactor against a person of a very grateful mind; yet these accusations may be utterly unjust in the sight of God, who knows and weighs all circumstances in the righteous balance. But where no such bars are laid in the way, it is evident that the practice of gratitude, and a mutual return of benefits, is but a piece of natural justice. The very publicans and sinners do good to those that do good to them, Matt. v. 46. Luke viii. 32.

IV. Another piece of justice is, the payment of the full due to those whom we bargain or deal with, whether the contract be made formally in words or implied in the nature of things according to the -customs of mankind. And under this head, not only those who buy and sell, who lend and borrow; but all ranks and degrees of mankind, who have any commerce with each other, are included; from the prince upon the throne, to the day-labourer in the highways and the hedges.

The very notion of commutative justice implies the giving one good thing in barter or exchange for another. And all commerce amongst men was originally carried on this way, namely, the husbandman gave corn, the grasier cattle; the draper gave