Here is, 1. A great duty required of us, and that is to appear for the
relief of oppressed innocency. If we see the lives or livelihoods of
any in danger of being taken away unjustly, we ought to bestir
ourselves all we can to save them, by disproving the false accusations
on which they are condemned and seeking out proofs of their innocency.
Though the persons be not such as we are under any particular
obligation to, we must help them, out of a general zeal for justice. If
any be set upon by force and violence, and it be in our power to rescue
them, we ought to do it. Nay, if we see any through ignorance exposing
themselves to danger, or fallen in distress, as travellers upon the
road, ships at sea, or any the like, it is our duty, though it be with
peril to ourselves, to hasten with help to them and not forbear to
deliver them, not to be slack, or remiss, or indifferent, in such a
case. 2. An answer to the excuse that is commonly make for the omission
of this duty. Thou wilt say, "Behold, we knew it not; we were not aware
of the imminency of the danger the person was in; we could not be sure
that he was innocent, nor did we know how to prove his innocence, nor
which way to do any thing in favour of him, else we would have helped
him." Now, (1.) It is easy to make such an excuse as this, sufficient
to avoid the censures of men, for perhaps they cannot disprove us when
we say, We knew it not, or, We forgot; and the temptation to tell a lie
for the excusing of a fault is very strong when we know that it is
impossible to be disproved, the truth lying wholly in our own breast,
as when we say, We thought so and so, and really designed it, which no
one is conscious of but ourselves. (2.) It is not so easy with such
excuses to evade the judgment of God; and to the discovery of that we
lie open and by the determination of that we must abide. Now, [1.] God
ponders the heart and keeps the soul; he keeps an eye upon it, observes
all the motions of it; its most secret thoughts and intents are all
naked and open before him. It is his prerogative to do so, and that in
which he glories. Jer. xvii. 10, I the Lord search the heart. He keeps
the soul, holds it in life. This is a good reason why we should be
tender of the lives of others, and do all we can to preserve them,
because our lives have been precious in the sight of God and he has
graciously kept them. [2.] He knows and considers whether the excuse we
make be true or no, whether it was because we did not know it or
whether the true reason was not because we did not love our neighbour
as we ought, but were selfish, and regardless both of God and man. Let
this serve to silence all our frivolous pleas, by which we think to
stop the mouth of conscience when it charges us with the omission of
plain duty: Does not he that ponders the heart consider it? [3.] He
will judge us accordingly. As his knowledge cannot be imposed upon, so
his justice cannot be biassed, but he will render to every man
according to his works, not only the commission of evil works, but the
omission of good works.