{"number":76,"title":"Thou shalt not Kill","part":null,"questions":[67,69],"paragraphs":[],"clauses":[],"items":[],"text":"*EXOD. XX.* 12. Thou shalt not Kill.\n\n(3.) We must not injure anothers *Soul.* This is the greatest Murder of all, because there is more of God’s Image in the Soul than in the Body. Ths Soul, tho it cannot be annihilated, is said to be murdered, because it misseth of Happiness, and is for ever in Torment. Now how many are Soul-murderers?\n\n1\\. Such as corrupt others by bad *Example. Vivitur Exemplis—The World is led by Example*; especially the Examples of Great ones are very *pernicious. —Magnates, Magnetes*—We are apt to do as we see others *before* us, especially *above* us. Such as are placed in High Power are like the *Pillar of Cloud,* when *that went Israel went.* When Great Ones move in their Sphere, others will follow them, tho it be to Hell. Evil Magistrates, like the Tail of the Dragon, draw the *third part of the Stars after them.*\n\n2\\. Such as *entice* others to Sin. The *Harlot* by curling her Hair, rolling her Eyes, laying open her Breasts, doth what in her lies, to be both a Tempter and a Murderer. Such an one was *Messalina,* Wife to *Claudius* the Emperor. *Prov.* 7.7, 10. *I discerned a young Man, and there met him a Woman with the Attire of an Harlot, so she caught him and kissed him.* Better are the Reproofs of a Friend, than the Kisses of an Harlot.\n\n3\\. *Ministers* are Murderers, who either *starve,* or *poyson,* or *infect* Souls.\n\n(1.) That *starve* Souls. 1 *Pet.* 5.2. *Feed the Flock of God which is among you.* These Feed themselves, and starve the Flock: Either through Non-residing they do not Preach, or through Insufficiency they cannot. There are many in the Ministry (a shame to speak it) so ignorant, that they had need to be taught the *First Principles* of the *Oracles of God, Heb.* 5.12. Was not he fit to be a Preacher in *Israel,* (think ye) who being asked something concerning the Decalogue, answered, He never saw any such Book?\n\n(2.) That *Poyson* Souls. Such are *Heterodox* Ministers, who poyson People with Error. The Basilisk poysons Herbs and Flowers by breathing on them. The Breath of Heretical Ministers, like the Basilisks Breath, poysons Souls. The *Socinian,* that would rob Christ of his Godhead; the *Arminian,* that by advancing the Power of the Will, would take off the Crown from the Head of Free-Grace; the *Antinomian,* who denies the Use of the Moral Law to a Believer, as if it were antiquated and out of date▪ these Poyson Mens Souls. Error is as damnable as Vice. 1 *Pet.* 2.1. *There shall be false Teachers among you, who privily shall bring in* damnable *Hereresies, denying the Lord, that bought them.*\n\n(3.) That *Infect* Souls, *viz.* By their *Scandalous Lives.* Exod. 19.22. *Let the Priests which come near to the Lord sanctifie themselves.* Ministers who by their Places are *nearer* to God, should be holier than others. The Elements, the higher they are, the purer. The Air is purer than the Water; the Fire is purer than the Air. The higher Men are by Office, the holier they should be. *John Baptist* was a shining *Lamp.* But there are many who infect their People with their Bad Life: They preach one thing, and live another. Qui curios simulant & Bacchanalia vivunt. They, like *Eli*’s Sons, are in White Linen, but they have Scarlet Sins. Some say that *Prester John,* the Lord of *Africa,* causeth to be carried before him a Golden Cup full of Dirt: A fit Emblem of such Ministers as have a Golden Office, but are dirty and polluted in their Lives. They are Murderers, and the *Blood of Souls will cry against them* at the last Day.\n\n4\\. Such as destroy others by getting them into *bad Company,* and so making them Proselytes to the Devil. *Vitia in proximum quemque transiliunt.* Sen. A Man cannot live in the *Aethiopian* Climate, but he will be discoloured with the Sun; nor he cannot be in bad Company, but he will partake of their Evil. One Drunkard makes another; as the Prophet speaks in another Sence, *Jer.* 35.5. *I set before them pots full of Wine and Cups, and said unto them, Drink ye Wine.* So the Wicked set Pots of Wine before others, and make them drink till Reason be stupified, and Lust enflamed. These are guilty of the Breach of this Commandment, they are Murderers of Souls. How sad will it be with these, who have not only their *own Sins,* but the *Blood of others* to answer for. So much for the First thing forbidden in the *Commandment,* the Injuring of others.\n\nII. The Second thing forbidden in it is, the injuring *ones self. Thou shalt not kill*: Thou shalt do no hurt to thy self.\n\n(1.) Thou shalt not hurt thy *own Body.* One may be guilty of Self-murder, either 1. Indirectly and Occasionally. 2. Directly and Absolutely.\n\n1\\. *Indirectly* and *Occasionally.* As,\n\n*First,* When a Man *thrusts himself* into Danger which he might prevent. As if a Company of Archers were shooting, and one should go and stand in the place where the Arrows fly, if the Arrow did kill him, he is accessary to his own Death. In the Law God would have the Leper shut up to keep others from being infected, *Lev.* 13.4. Now if any would be so presumptuous as to go in to the Leper and get the Plague of Leprosie, he might thank himself, he occasioned his own Death.\n\n*Secondly,* A Person may be in some Sence guilty of his own Death, by neglecting the Use of Means: if sick, and use no Physick. If hehath received a Wound, and will not apply Balsom, he hastens his own Death. God appointed *Hezekiah* to lay a *Lump of Figs to the Boil, Isa.* 38.21. If he had not used the Lump of Figs, he had been the cause of his own Death.\n\n*Thirdly,* By *Immoderate Grief,* 2 *Cor.* 7.10. *The Sorrow of the World worketh Death.* When God takes away a dear Relation, and one is swallowed up with Sorrow. How many weep themselves into their Graves! Queen *Mary* grieved so excessively for the loss of *Calice,* that it broke her Heart.\n\n*Fourthly,* By *Intemperance, Excess in Diet.* Surfeiting shortens Life. *Plures periere crapula quam gladio*: Many dig their Grave with their Teeth. Too much Oyl choaks the Lamp: The Cup kills more than the Canon. Excessive drinking causeth untimely Death.\n\n2\\. One may be guilty of Self-murder *Directly* and *Absolutely.*\n\n(1.) By *Envy.* Envy is *Tristitia de bonis alienis,* a secret repining at the Welfare of another. Invidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis. An envious Man is more sorry at anothers Prosperity, than at his own Adversity. He never laughs but when another Weeps. Envy is a Self-murder, a *Fretting Canker. Cyprian* calls it *Vulnus occultum,* a Secret Wound; it hurts a Man’s self most-Envy corrodes the Heart, dries up the Blood, rots the Bones. *Prov.* 14.30. *Envy is the rottenness of the Bones.* It is to the Body as the Moth to the Cloth, it eats it, and makes its Beauty consume. Envy drinks its own Venom. The Viper which leap’d on *Paul*’s Hand, thought to have hurt *Paul,* but fell her self into the Fire, *Acts* 28.3. So while the envious Man thinks to hurt another, he destroys himself.\n\n(2.) By laying *Violent Hands* upon himself, and thus he is *Felo de se*; as *Saul* fell upon his own Sword and kill’d himself. Because I see so many in the Bills of Mortality who make away themselves, let me a little expatiate. It is the most unnatural and barbarous kind of Murder for a Man to butcher himself, and imbrue his Hands in his own Blood. A Man’s self is most near to him, therefore this Sin of Self-murder breaks both the *Law of God* and the *Bonds of Nature.* The Lord hath placed the Soul in the Body as in a Prison; now it is a great Sin to break Prison, till God by Death open the Door. Self-murders are worse than the Brute-Creatures, they will tear and gore one another, but no Beast will go to destroy its self. Self-murder is occasion’d usually from *Discontent.* Discontent is joyned with a sullen Melancholy. The Bird that beats her self in the Cage, and is ready to kill her self, is the true Emblem of a discontented Spirit. And this Discontent ariseth,\n\n1\\. From *Pride.* A Man that is swell’d with an High Opinion of himself, thinks he deserves better than others; and if any Cross befall him, he is discontented, and now in a suddain Passion will make away himself. *Achitophel* had high Thoughts of himself, his Words were esteemed Oracles; and to have his Wise Counsel rejected, he was not able to bear it. 2 *Sam.* 17.23. *He put his House in order, and* hanged *himself.*\n\n2\\. Discontent is occasioned from *Poverty.* Poverty is a sore Temptation: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, *Menand. Prov.* 30.29. *Give me not Poverty.* Many by their Sin have brought themselves to Poverty; and when a great Estate is boil’d away to nothing, then they are discontented, and think better to die quickly, than languish in Misery. Hereupon the Devil helps them to dispatch themselves.\n\n3\\. Discontent is occasion’d from *Covetousness.* Avarice is a dry Drunkenness, an Horseleech that is never satisfied. The Covetous Man is like *Behemoth, Job* 40.23. *Behold he drinketh up a River, and yet his Thirst is not allayed.* The covetous Miser hoards up Corn; and if he hears the Price of Corn begins to fall, then he is troubled, and there’s no Cure for his Discontent but an Halter.\n\n4\\. From *Horror of Mind.* A Man hath sinn’d a great Sin, he hath swallowed down some Pills of Temptation the Devil hath given him; and these Pills begin to work in his Conscience, and the Horror is so great, that he chooseth *Strangling. Judas* having betray’d Innocent Blood, he was in that Agony, that he hanged himself to quiet his Conscience. As if one should, to avoid the stinging of a Gnat, endure the biting of a Serpent. This Self-murder, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is an *High Breach* of this Commandment, it is an *execrable Sin.* I can see no ground of hope for such as make away themselves; for they die in the very Act of Sin, and cannot have time to repent.\n\n(2.) Here is forbidden hurting ones own *Soul. Thou shalt not Kill.* Many who are free from other Murder, yet are guilty here; they go about to murder their own Souls; they are wilfully set to damn themselves, and throw themselves into Hell.\n\nQuest. *Who are they that go about desperately to murder their own Souls?*\n\n*Resp.* 1. Such wilfully go about to murder their Souls, who have no Sence of God, or the other World. They are *past feeling, Eph.* 4.19. Tell them of God’s Holiness and Justice, they are not at all affected. *Zech.* 7.12. *They made their Hearts like an Adamant.* The Adamant, saith *Pliny,* is insuperable, the Hammer cannot conquer it: Sinners have Adamantine Hearts. The Altar of Stone, when the Prophet spake to it, *rent asunder,* 1 *Kings* 13.2. But Sinners Hearts are so hardened in Sin, that nothing will work upon them, neither Ordinances nor Judgments; they do not believe a Deity, they laugh at Hell: These go about to murder their Souls, they are throwing themselves as fast as they can into Hell.\n\n2\\. Such as are set wilfully to murder their Souls, are they who are *resolved* upon their Lusts, let what will come of it; the Soul may cry out, I am killing, I am murdering. *Eph.* 4.19. *They have given themselves over to work all Vncleanness with Greediness.* Let Ministers speak to them about their Sins, let Conscience speak, let Affliction speak, yet they will have their Lusts, tho they go to Hell for them. Are not these resolved to murder their Souls? As *Agrippina,* Mother to *Nero,* said, *Occidat modò imperet,* Let my Son kill me, so he may Reign. So many say in their Hearts, Let our Sins damn us, so they may but please us. *Herod* will have his incestuous Lust, tho it cost him his Soul. Men will for a drop of Pleasure drink a Sea of Wrath. Are not these about to massacre and damn their own Souls?\n\n3\\. They murder their Souls, who avoid all means of saving their Souls. They will go to Plays, to drunken Meetings, but will not set their Foot within God’s House, or come near the Sound of the Gospel-Trumpet. As if one that is Diseased should shun the *Bath,* for fear of being healed. These do wilfully damn their Souls, and are as great Murderers of themselves, as he, who having means of Cure offered him, chooseth Death rather than Physick.\n\n4\\. They do voluntarily murder their Souls, who suck in false Prejudices against Religion; as if Religion were too strict and severe; they that espouse Holiness must live a melancholly Life, like Hermits and Anchorites, and drown all their Joy in Tears. This is a Slander which the Devil hath cast upon Religion: For there’s no true Joy but in *believing, Rom.* 15.13. No Hony so sweet as that which drops from a Promise. Some Men have foolishly taken up a Prejudice against Religion; they are resolved rather never to go to Heaven, than go thither through the *Strait Gate.* I may say of Prejudice as *Paul* to *Elimas,* Acts 13.10. *O Prejudice, thou Child of the Devil, thou Enemy of all Righteousness,* how many Souls hast thou damned!\n\n5\\. They are wilfully set to murder their own Souls, who will neither be good to themselves, nor suffer others to be so. *Matth.* 23.13. *Ye neither* go into *the Kingdom of Heaven your selves, neither* suffer *ye them that are* entring, *to go in.* Such are those that persecute others for their Religion. Drunken Meetings shall escape Punishment: But if Men meet to serve God, then let all Severity be used. These are resolved to Shipwrack others, tho they themselves are cast away in the Storm. Oh! Take heed of this, of murdering your own Souls: No Creature but Man doth willingly kill its self. So I have done with the First, the *Sin Forbidden* in this *Commandment, Thou shalt not kill.*"}