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unjust for their sakes, when it may be we are a little shy in our own cnse ; for there conscience would boggle at it as too gross, but friend- ship puts an honest pretence upon it. I mast love my friend, but ^Lsqlte ad aras ; where religion forbids rae, I must not keep friendship with men to break amity with God. He is our chief friend, and other obligations cease when his law interposeth by way of bar and restraint. Your friends may be dear to you, but truth and righteousness must be dearer : 2 Sam. xiii. 3, ' But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother ; and Jonadab was a subtile man.' It was an abuse of friendship when Jonadab would countenance Amnon in his sin, and so his friend proved his greatest foe by his pernicious counsel ; though he was a friend to his person or sin, yet a foe to his soul. True friendship is grounded in God and virtue ; to do for our friend, where his law is in no danger to be broken, is true friendship : Prov. xxvii. 6, ' Faithful are the wounds of a friend , but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.' To reprove them, and cross them in their sins, is to promote their salvation. So it holdeth good as to our party. It is gross partiality to aggravate the faults of others, and spare them because they are of our combination and society ; because then for interest you lose conscience, when we think all is right and well done by those whom we best like, and all wrong that is never so well done by adversaries. Or else we shall soon fall into gross unrighteousness ; as Barnabas was led away by Peter's dissimulation. No ; when Peter walked not uprightly, Paul withstood him to the face, Gal. ii. 12, 13. Otherwise we have a stone and a stone, a weight and a weight.
(3.) We must not be drawn to do an unrighteous deed by fear or flattery. Sometimes fear is an evil counsellor, and we run into a snare if we be not fortified against it: Prov. xxix. 25, 'The fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.' Tear must be checked by a sure trust. God can bring us off from an inconvenience better than any injustice of ours. So by flattery many are enticed into evil, which otherwise they could not bring their hearts to commit : Prov. xxvi. 28, ' A flattering mouth worketh ruin ; ' Prov. xxix. 5, ' A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet;' that by worldly allurements or fair pretences and crafty insinu- ations draweth others into sin.
(4.) Do nothing unjust even for religion's sake. When men are secure of their end, they care not what means they use. Alas ! we should not step out of God's way for the greatest good in the world. A good end will not warrant an ill action. God needeth not our iniquity to uphold his interest. Christ hath other ways to get up than upon the devil's shoulders. Nothing dishonoureth God more than when men deceive, lie, break oaths, rebel against lawful authority, or use any sinful means to secure and promote religion. It is flat un- belief, and making more haste than good speed, to ease ourselves of our burdens and discontents by any sinful shifts : Job xiii. 7, ' Will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him ? ' God needeth not my lie for his glory: Piom. iii. 7, 'For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why yet am I also judged a sinner ? ' He will have no honour tendered to him but by
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lawful and approved means. It argueth our impatiency and ill tlioiiglits of God wlien we seek, like Jacob, to get the blessing by a wile.
(5.) Not by opportunity. Be not tempted to be unrighteous or unjust when put into places of power and trust; such have an oppor- tunity of being unrighteous. Many are innocent because tliey have no opportunity to be otherwise. It is said, John xii. 6, that ' Judas was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.' If we will find the sin, God m;iy righteously find the occasion. And when corrupt affections and suitable temptations and objects meet, it is dangerous to the soul. Well, then, the scripture showeth that we must not depart from our rule and resolution of righteous and just dealing upon any temptation whatsoever. Many resolve to be just, but when the tempta- tion Cometh, their resolution is shaken. Oh, remember, the greatest gain will prove a loss and a hard bargain in the issue : Mat. xvi, 26^ ' What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? ' He that seeketh to pleasure others, or help himself by unjust means, doth but consult shame to himself and his friends.
3. Because it referreth them to a more noble end, which is the glory of God: 1 Cor. x. 31, 'Wiiether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatso- ever ye do, do all to the glory of God; ' Phil. i. 11, ' Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the gloiy and praise of God.^ Now he that propoundeth to himself such an end is more exact and thorough in the use of means than another can be that only mindeth his own intei'est ; for the baser the end is, the more base are a man's actions ; but the nobler end he hath, he liveth at a higher rate than others do. That which is done for God must be done in a godlike manner, or as will become the excellencies of God.