committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten, though with few stripes." For it being the discernment that such and such actions are evil, which renders them vicious in him who does them, ignorance of other things, though it may lessen, yet it cannot remit the punishment of such actions in a just administration, because it cannot destroy the guilt of them; much less can corrupt deference and regard to the example of superiors, in matters of plain duty and sin, have this effect. Indeed, the lowest people know very well, that such ill example affords no reason why they should do ill; but they hope it will be an excuse for them, and thus deceive themselves to their ruin: which is a forcible reason why their superiors should not lay this snare in their way.
All this approves itself to our natural understanding, though it is by means of Christianity chiefly, that it is thus enforced upon our consciences. And Christianity, as it is more than a dispensation of goodness, in the general notion of goodness, even a dispensation of forgiveness, of mercy, and favour, on God's part, does in a peculiar manner heighten our obligations to charity among ourselves. "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, that he sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 1 John iv. 9—11. With what unanswerable force is that question of our Lord to be applied to every branch of this duty, "Shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?" Matt, xviii. 33. And can there be a stronger inducement to endeavour the reformation of the world, and bring it to a sense of virtue and religion, than the assurance given us, "that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way," and, in like manner, he also who preventeth a person's being corrupted, by taking care of his education, "shall save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins?" James v. 20.
