The Substance of Christian Religion, Lecture 40
The fortieth Lords day.
Exod. 20. 13.
Thou shalt not kill.
IN this sixth command of the Decalogue Moses treats of the person and life of man, and this is the reason, why this command is placed before the other two following, in which onelyonly are …andled, only the adjuncts of these. For the person and life are of greater importance, than the things that belongs to the person. Therefore care was first …o be had of this, and then of these. The command is proposed negatively, without the rest that follow, when yet the praecedent were proposed affirmatively. The reason is, because in things belonging to the fifth precept, privation is more used than contrariety; that is, it is more commendable not to give the honour to such as it is due, than to load them with manifest injuries, and reproaches. But in these commands nothing is more usuall, than that unto the duties commanded, we run into the quite contrary faults as to hurt our neighbours life or his livelihood in his goods, or to beare a false testimony against him, or to desire any thing inordinately, that is his. It was therefore very sutable that in the fifth commandement the perfect duty opposite unto the privation of honour should affirmatively be commanded us; but in the rest it was more necessary that we should be recalled from the contrary faults, and sinnes by a negative prohibition. Now the life, for which provision is made in this command, is both bodily and spirituall; and both these ought to be considered not onelyonly in their esteem and existence, but also in all their accessarie qualities, that makes for their comfort and conveniency.
Doct. 1. Out of conscience to God and his law, we ought to abstaine from all such things, as tend to the hurt of our neighbours bodily life.
This is gathered from the words of this command; because while murther or killing is forbidden all causes also, and effectuall occasions thereof are forbidden.
Reas. 1. Because man is made after the image of God, and so any unjust violence done to the pe… son or life of man, makes against the honour of God, Gen. 9. 6. &c.
Reas. 2. Because God alone is the father of spirits, and the Lord of our life. He doth therefore an injury to God who unjustly hurts his brothers life, and arrogates to himself that power which belongs properly to no other but to God alone.
Reas. 3. Because this is the greatest wrong that can be done to a man, as to this life, to deprive him of life, in which all other injuries are privatively contained.
Use 1. Is of Admonition That we diligently keep our selves not onelyonly from effusion of blood, in which consists the height of this injury; but also from all cruelty, and from all both words and deeds, whereby mans life, or the comforts and conveniencies of his life, may be hurt, or impaired.
Use. 2. Is of Admonition also that by like reason and conscience we keep our selves from all those inward dispositions and affections, whereby men use to be led and provoked to hurt their neighbour unjustly; as are. 1. Anger. 2. Hatred, which is as it were a vehement anger now strengthned and rooted in the minde, whence it is, that men wish great evils to such as they hate and that constantly; form which affection indeavour follow's; and from endeavour the act it self of hurting. 3. Envy, whereby men so repine at others good estates that they wish them worse, or some evil. 4 Desire of revenge, whereby men use to render evil for evil, and that as it is evil. For although the desire of restitution of what is taken away, or of satisfaction for wrong, or of chastisement, or punishment, against such or such an one, that hath offended, be honest sometimes and laudable; to wit, because and when some evill in these and the like, is wished to the party, not as evil, but as it tends to his good, and so as it may be good for him: Yet desire of revenge, whereby we desire some evill to another, as it is, and may be evill to him onelyonly, without any reference to his good, can never be either honest, laudable, nor lawfull.
Doct. 2. But most of all we ought to keep our selves from such things, whereby the life of the soul of our brother is ….
This is gathered from the words of the Text, because of all other this is the deadl…est sort of killing a man; of which also the Scripture admonisheth us in the same phrase, whereby bodily killing is forbidden, I will require his blood at thy hands. Ezek. 36. Yet this difference there is between bodily and spiritual killing, that no man can be spiritually killed, or murthered by violence and meer force, as bodily many are.
Reas. 1. Because the spiritual life of a man is his preciousest possession, farre surmounting his bodily life.
Reas 2. Because the hurting of this life, belongs to the hurt of his eternal state and condition.
Reas. 3. Because the depriving of this life drawes with it the deprivation of all the true comfort of the bodily life also.
Reas. 4. Because in hurting this life, Gods glory is directly wronged, by reason that this life cannot be hurt, but by the sin as well of him that hurts it, as him that is hurt; though bodily life may be taken away without the sin of him whose it is.
Use, Of Admonition, that with great care & conscience we keep our selves from all things whereby this life of the soul is hurt; as, 1. From Heretical Doctrines. …. From evill and corrupt counsells▪ …. From scandalous and pernitious examples. 4. From all neglect of such duties, as we owe unto our Neighbour, in order to this eternal salvation.
Doct. 3. It is our duty not onelyonly …o abstain from all such things, as the life of our Neighbour bodily or spiritual is hurt by▪ but also carefully to do all such things whereby he may be fu…red in either life, and it may be made more lively and comfortable to him.
It is hence gathered, that as no command is altogether negative, but containes alwayes and commands the contrary duties to the sinnes forbidden, so is it also in this sixt Commandment.
Reas. 1 Because there is a certaine communion of nature and life bodily amongst all the posterity of Adam as they do all come of one and the same blood. There is likewise a like communion of spiritual life amongst many, as to the act and exercise it self; and amongst all, as to the hope and possibility.
Reas 2. Because religion sets up a sort of society amongst men, and as it were, a spiritual or City o… Commonwealth; wherein every one is bound to procure the common good, and advance it as much as he can.
Reas 3 Because God in such duties is glorified, and according to the power and occasion given us, there ariseth to us, a calling, and a divine allowance, whereby we are in special manner to perform this duty.
Use. Of Exhortation to all sorts of duties, whereby the life of our Neighbour may be cherished; as, …. To a care of peace and love. 2. To patience. 3. To courtesie. 4. To pitty, mercy, and bounty. 5. To spiritual almes of Instruction, Exhortation, Admonition, Consolation, as occasion shall require. Hither also are such sinnes to be referred, as we commit against our owne lives, as drunkennesse, surfet, the evills of whoredomes, and uncleanness, and the like; and contrarily, those duties, whereby we ought to procure and further our owne comfort both of life and health, as also of body and soul▪