Resentmentseemstohavebeengivenusbynaturefordefence，andfordefenceonly。Itisthesafeguardofjusticeandthesecurityofinnocence。Itpromptsustobeatoffthemischiefwhichisattemptedtobedonetous，andtoretaliatethatwhichisalreadydone；thattheoffendermaybemadetorepentofhisinjustice，andthatothers，throughfearofthelikepunishment，maybeterrifiedfrombeingguiltyofthelikeoffence。Itmustbereservedthereforeforthesepurposes，norcanthespectatorevergoalongwithitwhenitisexertedforanyother。Butthemerewantofthebeneficentvirtues，thoughitmaydisappointusofthegoodwhichmightreasonablybeexpected，neitherdoes，notattemptstodo，anymischieffromwhichwecanhaveoccasiontodefendourselves。
Thereis，however，anothervirtue，ofwhichtheobservanceisnotlefttothefreedomofourownwills，whichmaybeextortedbyforce，andofwhichtheviolationexposestoresentment，andconsequentlytopunishment。Thisvirtueisjustice:theviolationofjusticeisinjury:itdoesrealandpositivehurttosomeparticularpersons，frommotiveswhicharenaturallydisapprovedof。Itis，therefore，theproperobjectofresentment，andofpunishment，whichisthenaturalconsequenceofresentment。Asmankindgoalongwith，andapproveoftheviolenceemployedtoavengethehurtwhichisdonebyinjustice，sotheymuchmoregoalongwith，andapproveof，thatwhichisemployedtopreventandbeatofftheinjury，andtorestraintheoffenderfromhurtinghisneighbours。Thepersonhimselfwhomeditatesaninjusticeissensibleofthis，andfeelsthatforcemay，withtheutmostpropriety，bemadeuseof，bothbythepersonwhomheisabouttoinjure，andbyothers，eithertoobstructtheexecutionofhiscrime，ortopunishhimwhenhehasexecutedit。Anduponthisisfoundedthatremarkabledistinctionbetweenjusticeandalltheothersocialvirtues，whichhasoflatebeenparticularlyinsisteduponbyanauthorofverygreatandoriginalgenius，thatwefeelourselvestobeunderastricterobligationtoactaccordingtojustice，thanagreeablytofriendship，charity，orgenerosity；thatthepracticeoftheselastmentionedvirtuesseemstobeleftinsomemeasuretoourownchoice，butthat，somehoworother，wefeelourselvestobeinapeculiarmannertied，bound，andobligedtotheobservationofjustice。Wefeel，thatistosay，thatforcemay，withtheutmostpropriety，andwiththeapprobationofallmankind，bemadeuseoftoconstrainustoobservetherulesoftheone，butnottofollowthepreceptsoftheother。
Wemustalways，however，carefullydistinguishwhatisonlyblamable，ortheproperobjectofdisapprobation，fromwhatforcemaybeemployedeithertopunishortoprevent。Thatseemsblamablewhichfallsshortofthatordinarydegreeofproperbeneficencewhichexperienceteachesustoexpectofeverybody；
andonthecontrary，thatseemspraise-worthywhichgoesbeyondit。Theordinarydegreeitselfseemsneitherblamablenorpraise-worthy。Afather，ason，abrother，whobehavestothecorrespondentrelationneitherbetternorworsethanthegreaterpartofmencommonlydo，seemsproperlytodeserveneitherpraisenorblame。Hewhosurprisesusbyextraordinaryandunexpected，thoughstillproperandsuitablekindness，oronthecontrarybyextraordinaryandunexpected，aswellasunsuitableunkindness，seemspraise-worthyintheonecase，andblamableintheother。
Eventhemostordinarydegreeofkindnessorbeneficence，however，cannot，amongequals，beextortedbyforce。Amongequalseachindividualisnaturally，andantecedenttotheinstitutionofcivilgovernment，regardedashavingarightbothtodefendhimselffrominjuries，andtoexactacertaindegreeofpunishmentforthosewhichhavebeendonetohim。Everygenerousspectatornotonlyapprovesofhisconductwhenhedoesthis，butenterssofarintohissentimentsasoftentobewillingtoassisthim。Whenonemanattacks，orrobs，orattemptstomurderanother，alltheneighbourstakethealarm，andthinkthattheydorightwhentheyrun，eithertorevengethepersonwhohasbeeninjured，ortodefendhimwhoisindangerofbeingso。Butwhenafatherfailsintheordinarydegreeofparentalaffectiontowardsason；whenasonseemstowantthatfilialreverencewhichmightbeexpectedtohisfather；whenbrothersarewithouttheusualdegreeofbrotherlyaffection；whenamanshutshisbreastagainstcompassion，andrefusestorelievethemiseryofhisfellow-creatures，whenhecanwiththegreatestease；inallthesecases，thougheverybodyblamestheconduct，nobodyimaginesthatthosewhomighthavereason，perhaps，toexpectmorekindness，haveanyrighttoextortitbyforce。Thesufferercanonlycomplain，andthespectatorcanintermeddlenootherwaythanbyadviceandpersuasion。Uponallsuchoccasions，forequalstouseforceagainstoneanother，wouldbethoughtthehighestdegreeofinsolenceandpresumption。