fcore,) or fhould draw on a wretched life in banishment from the contents thereof: by which things refpectively are intimated to us the rewards of piety in this kind, or the punishments of impiety in the future ftate, whereof the land here mentioned was a fhadow or figure: what length of days in Canaan was to them, that to us is immortal life in heaven; what being excluded thence was then, that now is everlasting death, or banishment into the regions of mifery.

I might also note the congruity of the reward propounded, that they who are grateful to those from whom, in fubordination to God, they received life, shall by God's difpenfation enjoy that life long and well; and that they who neglect the authors of their life, fhall foon be deDeut. xvi. prived of it, or of its comforts. But I find the fame reward affigned to the diligent obfervers of other duties; particularly to them who are just in their dealings; to them who are charitable to the poor; to them who are Prov. viii. meek and patient; to them who confide in God; and to Deut. xxvi. all good men that obey God's commandments.

20.

Pl. xxxvii.

29, 9, 11.

xxxiv. 12, 13, 15.

16.

15.

I fhall only add, farther, that we may, according to analogy and like ground of reafon, reduce unto this commandment the obligation we have to honour all those who perform toward us beneficial offices like unto those which we receive from our parents; thofe who preferve our life by relief, protection, or defence; those who afford us maintenance or education; thofe who watch over us for the good of our body or of our foul; thofe who instruct us, or advise us; fuch are our governors and magiftrates, either political or ecclefiaftical; our benefactors and patrons; our schoolmasters and tutors; our efpecial faithful friends; and the like: but I pafs forward.

In the subsequent precepts are contained the prime rules of juftice toward our neighbour; the obfervation of which is not only most equal and reasonable in itself, but neceffary for the prefervation of civil fociety, and public peace among men; for the procurement of our fafe and pleasant living and converfing in the world; men thereby being secured in the quiet enjoyment of God's gifts and

the fruits of their industry, and of whatever is dear and precious to them; of their lives firft; then of the comforts of their conjugal ftate; of their poffeffions; of their reputations; the laws refpecting these being here disposed in order, according to the value of their respective objects, in the nature of things, or in the opinion of men, or in regard to the confequences arifing from them.

Thou shalt not kill.

VI. Commandment.

OF all good gifts conferred upon us, none (according to the natural and common esteem of men) is more precious than life itself, the foundation of enjoying the reft. God hath therefore referved the disposal of it entirely to himfelf, as his fpecial prerogative; neither he that hath it, nor any other person having absolutely any just power or right over it; no man can take away any man's life, but by commiffion or licence from God, reasonably presumed to be granted by him: fo may God (the absolute king of the world) be fuppofed to have committed to lawful magiftrates, as his vicegerents and officers, in his name and behalf, upon reasonable caufe, for preservation of public justice, peace, and order, in a lawful course of juftice, to difpofe of men's lives, who have forfeited them to the law; (the magiftrate, as St. Paul faith, beareth not Rom.xiii.4. the fword in vain; for he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.) He hath not forbidden fovereigns (in cafe of neceffity, and when amicable means will not prevail) to maintain the fafety or welfare of the focieties entrusted to their care, even by armed violence, against such as wrongfully invade them, or anywife harm them, and will not otherwise be induced to forbear doing fo; in which case the refolution of fuch differences (infomuch as they cannot be tried at any other bar, or composed by other means) is referred to God's arbitrement; who is the Lord of Hofts, the fovereign protector of right, and difpenfer of fuccefs; the foldier, in a just cause, being then his minifter, and carrying a tacit commiffion from him. God alfo may be fuppofed, toge

1 Pet. ii. 14.

ther with life, with a natural love to it, with means to preserve it, to have imparted to every man a right to defend his life, with its neceffary fupports, againft unjust, extreme, and inevitable violence upon it, or them: the flaughter therefore which may happen in these cases (or in the like, wherein God hath plainly by a general order, or by special command, or by permiffion reasonably suppofed, conferred on any perfon a power over his neighbour's life, in the maintenance of God's own honour, or in fubferviency to public good) is not concerned in the defign or meaning of this precept: for he that kills another, in a way not irregular, as a minister of justice, or in a lawful war, as a foldier authorized by a sovereign power here under God, or for his own just and neceffary defence, doth not, according to the intent of this law, kill; but rather God himself, the Lord of life and death, doth then kill; the authority of killing fo being derived from him, and his work being done thereby; vengeance is his, and he fo (by his inftruments) repays it. But here is forbidden all other voluntary taking away our neighbour's life, when a man acts as a private person; without juft and neceffary caufe, in any illegal or irregular way; upon what motive, principle, or end foever, (whether it be out of hatred, fpite, envy, revenge; for our prefumed fafety, or pretended reparation of honour; for promoting what intereft, or procuring what fatisfaction foever to ourselves,) by what means foever, either by direct violence, or by fraudulent contrivance; in an open or clandeftine manner; immediately by ourselves, or by means of others; by advifing, encouraging, anywife becoming inftrumental, or acceffory thereto.

This is the crime exprefsly prohibited: but a pofitive duty fhould also be understood; that we are obliged, fo far as we are able, to preserve our neighbour's life; by relieving him in extreme need, by fuccouring him in extreme danger; by admonishing him of any destructive mischief, when he appears tending unawares thereinto; the neglect of which things argueth a murderous difpofition toward our neighbour, is in reasonable esteem, and

in God's fight a killing of him; for we mistake, if we think with Cain, that we are not our brother's keepers, or are not bound, when we are able, to preserve his life.

The violation of which commandment is certainly the moft heinous fin that can be committed of all thofe which are not immediately directed against God himself, or the persons which peculiarly represent him; and a fin which never can efcape vengeance and due punishment from him. It is the greatest wrong to God; it is the extremeft injury to our neighbour; it is the highest sort of uncharitableness; it is a principal offence against public fociety.

I. It is an exceeding wrong and affront done unto God; in affuming the disposal of his gifts; in difpoffeffing him of his rights, by robbing him of a creature, of his child, his fervant, his fubject, (one whose life is precious to him, and toward whom he beareth a tender regard ;) an ufurping in a high way his fovereign authority, his throne of majesty, his tribunal of juftice, his fword of vengeance; to omit the facrilege, as Philo fpeaks, committed herein by violating God's own image, which every man doth bear.

2. It is also an extreme injury to the perfon, who is thereby deprived of an unvaluable good, which can nowife be repaired or compenfated: he that lofes his life, doth therewith lofe all the good he poffeffeth, or is capable of here, without any poffibility of recovering it again: the taking therefore of life can be no fuitable revenge, no reasonable satisfaction, for any injury or damage received; it infinitely, in a manner, furpaffeth all the evil, which any man can fuftain from another in his eftate, or fame, or welfare of any kind; for those things have their measure, and may be capable of fome reparation, but this is altogether extreme and irreparable; and therefore doth include greatest iniquity: add hereto, that not only all temporal good is hereby at once ravished from a man, but the foul also of the perfon may incur the greatest damage or hazard in refpect to its future eftate by being thus fnatched away: the flayer not only robbeth his brother PP

VOL. V.

Matt. v. 21.

of his temporal life, but of his time of repentance, and opportunity of making peace with God.

3. It is alfo the highest uncharitableness to deal thus with our neighbour; arguing that nothing of good-will, of pity, of humanity toward him is left in us: to hate his brother to the death is the utmost pitch of hatred. If in imitation of our Saviour, and out of refpect to him, we ought, as St. John instructeth us, to be willing to lay down our lives for our brethren; how enormous a crime, how oppofite to Chriftian charity is it, to take away our brother's life!

4. It is likewife a main offence against the public; not only by unlawful bereaving it of a member and subject, but to its prejudice and dishonour (yea, fo far as lies in us to its fubverfion and diffolution) affuming to ourselves, pulling away from it, its rights and prerogatives of judg

ment.

Such, briefly, is the direct intent and importance of this law: but our Saviour in his comment hereon hath explained and extended it farther, fo as to interdi&t all that anywife approaches in nature, or in effect tends unto this heinous evil: he means to obftru&t all the springs, and extirpate all the roots thereof; such as are rafh, causeless, outrageous, inveterate anger, contumelious and despiteful language, referving grudges or spite in our heart, not endeavouring speedily to reconcile ourselves to them, who have done us injury or displeasure; for these things, as they commonly do produce the act of murder, fo they argue inclinations thereto, (which, if fear and self-respect did not reftrain, would produce it,) and confequently in moral account, which regardeth not fo much the act as the will, are of the fame quality therewith; however they arife from the fame bitter root of great uncharitableness; 1 John iii. upon which fcore St. John telleth us, that he that hateth his brother is a murderer; and confequently in effect all malice and spite, envy, hatred, malignity, rancour, immoderate and pertinacious anger and animofity are here prohibited.

15, 17.