[SERM. mitted, who could be fafe? Has not every Man fome Enemies? If they might gratify their Re venge by the Murder of those they hate; by the fame Principle, the Friends of the Murdered Perfon would gratifie theirs by the Murder of Them; and fo there would be an endlefs Circulation of Murders; fo that we fhould be in a worfe Condition than the favageft Brute Beafts. In the mean Time, what would become of all Law and Juftice, if every Man might be his own Avenger?

2. This leads us to another Confideration against Murder; and indeed, against all private Revenge; namely, that it invades the Magiftrate's Office, and by fo doing, opens a Door for all Disorders and Confufions among Men: The plain Tendency of it being this, that the weakest must go to Pot, and be always in the Wrong; and the ftrongeft, if their Caufe is ever fo bad, must always prevail; what fignifies the Magistrate's Office, if it is in the Power of every private Man to fuperfede it, by being his own Avenger?

3. The Crime of taking away our Neighbour's Life, is aggravated beyond all other Injuries which can be done him, infomuch as Life is more valuable than Eftate. Job ii. 4. Skin for Skin, and all that a Man hath will be give for his Life, is true, especially in the World's Estimation, tho' it was faid by fo bad an Author.

4. At least, in this Refpect, the taking away of a Man's Life is greater than any other Crime that can be committed against him; because this cuts off his Day of Grace, and Opportunities of Repentance; whereas other Misfortunes,

if his Life be spared, may perhaps be repaired afterwards.

5. God claims a peculiar Prerogative in the Life of Man, as being a Creature made after his own Image. He defigned him to be Lord of the Universe, and all the other Creatures of this lower World to be fubject to him; and Man only to be fubject to God himself; and therefore it is no wonder if God looks upon it as an Invasion of his Property, for any one to break in upon this Order, and to invade the Life of Man. And to fcare Men from it, he has appointed, that even in this Life this Crime fhall be punifhed, Whosoever sheds Man's Blood, by Man fhall his Blood be fhed, Gen. ix. 6.

6. Let us confider, that there is no Sin Men naturally have a greater Horror of, than this Sin of Murder; or that gives them more Uneafinefs afterwards; and that there is no Vice which Human Laws have taken more Care to remedy and prevent; nor that God's Providence has used so many strange Ways to bring to light and difcover. Of all which many great Instances might be brought, but that I hasten to a Conclufion.

But before I have done, I must crave leave to offer a few fhort Advices by Way of Application, to caution you against any Tendency towards this Sin: And then I fhall Conclude.

The grofs Act of Murder it felf is fo odious, and Human Laws take fo good Care to punish it, that I fhall not need much to guard you against it, especially under that Notion of Murder. But the Enemy of Mankind has many Ways to perfuade us to the fame Sin, under a

different

different Drefs and Difguife. And these are the Things which in this Exhortatory Part I intend: chiefly to caution you againft.

1. First then, If ye would avoid the Sins prohibited in the Sixth Commandment, beware of a falfe Notion of Honour, too much. in Request in the World; which reckons it a Dishonourable Thing to bear with any the leaft Affront or Injury, without that Barbarous Satisfaction of drawing our Neighbour's Blood. for it. This is the most unaccountable Prac-. tice among Chriftians that ever was heard of, For there is nothing more express in the Chriftian Religion, than that we are not to avenge our Selves. There are Laws and Judges to do. right between Man and Man; which is a much more equal Conftitution, than to leave every Man to right himself. But if we were to right our Selves, how comes this to be a proper Method to do it? Is it probable that the righteous. Decifion will always be of the Side of the best Fencer, or the strongest Man, or the Fierceft Combatant? And what Satisfaction can it be to a true Christian, either to kill his Neighbour, or to be killed by him? Is this like a Man that believes the Doctrine of the Gospel and a Future State, to go to Death in a revengeful or cruel Temper of Mind?

2. If ye would avoid the Sin of Murder prohibited in my Text; by all Means avoid those things which prove the ufual Caufes or Occafions of it; fuch as Rage, Drunkennefs, and Party Quarrels. He that gives Way to Rage and Paflion, can never be fure of avoiding Mischief, while he is under the Influence of

fo bad Counsellors. And for Drunkenness, it's drowning of Reason, and occafioning Quarrels,

well enough known, to guard a Wife Man against it. Who bath Wo? fays Solomon, Who hath Sorrow? Who hath Contentions? Who hath Babbling? Who bath Wounds without Caufe? Who bath Redness of Eyes? They that tarry long at the Wine, they that go to feek mixed Wine. Prov. xxiii. 29. And for Party Quarrels, doth not every Age almoft produce Experiments how Mankind are divided upon that Account; and how deep thofe Divifions run, that most commonly they end in Bloody Wars and Rebellions? For I do not know how it is; there are a great many ill Things, which a Man would be afraid of doing alone, which yet he will boldly venture upon, when he is but one of the Crowd.

3. Whofoever would guard against Taking away of his Neighbour's Life unjustly, let him beware of a Narrowness of Soul, and a blind Zeal in Matters of Religion. It is not eafie to be believed how readily an Hatred of our Neighbour creeps into our Minds, when we first take him to be an Enemy of God, by profeffing a falfe Religion. What dreadful Perfecutions have been fet on Foot, and how many Thousands of good Mens and Womens Lives have been taken away by this falfe Zeal? We know not what manner of Spirit the Spirit of the Gospel is, or else we fhould never fet about Propagating of it by the Way of Perfecution,

4. Beware of a Spirit of Cruelty and Seve nity to Servants and Slaves, and other poor

People

us.

People that are in your Power. There is nothing more frequently or more ftrongly prefs'd in the Chriftian Religion, than Love and Charity; which Virtue alone, if we were poffeffed of it, would be fufficient to incline us to make all Eafie and Happy that are about And befides, let us remember, that we have a Mafter in Heaven, who will call us to Account, and with the Merciful, will shew himself merciful, as the Pfalmift fays; but with the Froward, will fhew himself Froward; that is, he will repay Men in their own Coin; Mercy to the Merciful; but the fevere Ufage which they unjustly dealt to others, he will in Juftice repay to themselves.

5. Laftly, Beware of a Quarrelfome, Contentious Spirit: There is a fort of Men, who, valuing themselves upon their great Strength, ufurp a Superiority over others; and fo are ready upon all Occafions, to hector and provoke them; and if they are ever fo little affronted or injured, or (which is all one to them) if they do but fancy that they are, think it below them to wait for Reparation in the ufual Way of Law and Justice; but take upon them to be both Judges and Executioners themselves. Thefe Hectors and Bullies are of all Men the most apt to break out in injurious Words and Actions to their Neighbours; and when their Paffions are up, are of all Men, the moft apt to fall into Tranfgreffions of this Commandment; and tho' their Quarrels feem often fudden and occafional, yet confidering the continual Surlinefs of their Temper, and their habitual Readiness for all Mischief, it is a great Question, whether this is not as finful and

dangerous