The Heinous Nature of the Sin of Murder, Sermon
THE Hainous Nature OF THE SIN OF Murder. AND The Great Happineſs OF Deliverance from it. As it was Repreſented in a SERMON at the Lecture in Boſton, Sept. 24. 1713. Before the Execution of one David Wallis.
By Benjamin Colman, Paſtor of a Church in Boſton.
Boſton, N. E. Printed by John Allen, for Nicholas Boone, at the Sign of the BIBLE in Cornhill. 1713.
The Hainous Nature Of the SIN of Murder: And the great Happineſs of Deliverance from it.
Pſalm LI.14.
Deliver me from Blood-guiltineſs, … GOD, thou God of my Salvation▪ A… my Tongue ſhall Sing aloud of … Righteouſneſs.
THIS Pſalm, as it was Compoſ… by One of the Beſt of Sain… upon one of the moſt Sad O… caſions that was ever know… … …reathes the moſt Conſu… …; Expreſſing in the … lively colours, and in the moſt affecting manner▪ the Affliction and Diſtreſs, Humiliations, Fears and Deſires of a Repenting Soul. David had been guilty of one of the fouleſt Acts of Wickedneſs in the matter of Ʋriah, which Sin he here bitterly bewails; and as a Teſtimony of his unfeigned Sorrow, and that he might be as notorious an Inſtance of true Repentance, He ſends this Hymn to the Maſter of Muſick in the Tabernacle, to be there perpetually uſed. In the Text, he names the very fact and bloody guilt, which was Murder; that Enormous Crime, the Guilt of Blood, ſhed in a very baſe and barbarous manner; for he Slew Ʋriah with the Sword of the Children of Ammon. He cries to God for Mercy, and makes his Supplication to his Judge for Pardon.
Deliver me from Blood-Guiltineſs: i e. Let me not Ly under the Guilt and Condemnation hereby contracted, but let it be pardoned to me, and let me never be left unto the like again. Deliver me from the puniſhment due unto this Crying Sin: And Lord ever prevent and keep me from it any more, by thy Reſtraining Grace. This Prayer he addreſſes to GOD, who only can Forgive Sin, or Keep us from Sinning. He eyes him as the God of his Salvation; his Prayer being for Salvation from the Dominion of Sin, & from the Condemnation due thereunto. You may obſerve alſo a great Vehemency and Earneſtneſs in this his Supplication; he prays in the moſt ardent, fervent manner.
Finally. HE Makes his ſolemn Vow and Promiſe, that God ſhould have the Glory both of the Pardoning Mercy, and Renewing Grace: My Tongue ſhall ſing aloud of thy Righteouſneſs. Righteouſneſs is here uſed for Grace, Mercy, Clemency, Truth and Faithfulneſs. This he would Sing of, Confeſs, Laud and Celebrate in Songs of Praiſe, Thansksgiving and Bleſſing. And he would ſing aloud of it; in the moſt publick manner he would proclaim the Infinite Goodneſs &. Faithfulneſs of God to Returning Sinners.
GODS Righteouſneſs is often put for his Grace in the great buſineſs of a Sinners Juſtification and Sanctification▪ They meet together herein. This th… Penitent comforts himſelf in, and therefore Sings of it. And this he ſings alo… of, to acquaint and affect others there… with.
There are two or three things to be obſerved in the words. 1. The hainous Guilt of Murder. 2. That Deliverance from it is to be earneſtly ſought of God. 3. That God muſt have the Glory of ſuch Preſervation and Deliverance.
I. That Murder is a Sin of a very hainous and heavy guilt. So the Text ſpeaks of it; Blood-guiltineſs, or the guilt of Blood. A deep Stain, & a deep Wound; whereby the Conſcience is gaſhed and defiled.
I will only look into the Law of God, and obſerve to you how it is forbidden and condemned therein. It cries from the Ground, and brings down Vengeance from Heaven. Cain was the firſt Murderer after the Devil, who was ſo from the beginning. He was of that Wicked One, and ſlew his Brother. Then God the Sovereign Judge ſaid to him; What haſt thou done? the voice of thy brothers blood crieth to me from the Ground; and now thou art curſed from the Earth, which has open'd her mouth to receive thy brothers blood from thy hand, Gen. 4.10, 11. Murder is a Crying Sin; it cries in the dying words of Zachariah, The Lord look upon it and require it: Or in thoſe words of the Souls under the Altar; How long Lord, Holy and True? The Heavens reveal this Iniquity, and the Earth riſes up againſt it, Lamech was one of Cains Accurſed Race, and it ſhould ſeem of the ſame bloody and barbarous Diſpoſition: Whether he had Murder'd any of the Holy Seed or no, yet certainly he owns himſelf to be a very fierce and cruel man; and he glories in this his ſhame, as ſuch fierce and bloody people uſe to do: with a haughty Impenitence he preſumes on, and challenges the Protection of Providence. He had a gall'd but an unhumbled Conſcience: I have ſlain a man to my wounding, & a Young man to my hurt.
See how ſeverely the Law of God forbids Murder, & makes it Capital. Gen. IX.5, 6. And ſurely your blood of your lives will I require: at the hand of every beaſt will I require it; and at the hand of man, at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man. Whoſo ſheddeth mans blood, by man ſhall his blood be ſhed: for in the Image of God made by man. Numb. 35.31, 33. Moreover, y…u ſhall take no ſatisfaction for the life of … murderer, which is guilty of death: but … ſhall be ſurely put to death. So ye ſhall … pollute the land wherein you are: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleanſed of the blood that is ſhed therein, but by the blood of him that ſhed it. Exo. XXI.14. But if a man come preſumptuouſly upon his neighbour to ſlay him with guile, thou ſhalt take him from mine Altar, that he may die. Prov. XXVIII.17. A man that doeth violence to the blood of any Perſon, ſhall flee to the Pit, let no man ſtay him.
Theſe Texts need no Comment; they utterly forbid the Concealment or the Protection of a Murderer among a people; the Government may not Pardon this Sin, nor People interceed for it; It may not be bought off by any Price or any Favour, on the pain of Guilt on the Publick: Gods Altar may not ſhelter him, and much leſs any Humane Power or Pity.
Let no man think that this looks Cruel or Inhumane: The Juſtice of God has ſo fix'd it; Yea, his tender Mercies to Mankind do account for this His Righteous Law and Judgment. Let us not preſume to arraign the infinite Wiſdom and Mercies of God, in a partial reſpect to any natural tenderneſs or compaſſion of our own: We ſhall ſo invade and ſacrifice all Law, both Humane and Divine to our own weakneſs.
No Humanity or Law of Mercy will allow us to deſire or endeavour the ſaving the life of him that is Convict of Murder. It is a wrong to Humane Nature in the higheſt manner; and the mercy and protect… of Humane Nature is utterly forfeited; ye…, the Revenges thereof are incurred.
Murder is the greateſt wrong to God; at whole Image the S…b is, and at His Dominion. Life is the moſt precious of all the good gifts of God He is the abſolute Lord of it, and h…s reſerved the diſpoſ… of it intirely to Himſelf.
The Magiſtrate is the Miniſter of God, and the Avenger to Execute wrath upon him that goes Evil; God has put the Sword into his hands, to cut off Evil-doers from the Inheritance of the Lord, and he muſt not bear the Sword in vain. Government among Mankind, is for this reaſon of the laſt n… …, and one of the great Goods to the World. But for any Private Per… voluntarily to take away his Neigh… Life, whether in Clandeſtine m… ner, or by Open violence, is the extreameſt Injury to our Neighbour, and one of the higheſt Offences againſt Humane Society.
A mans Life is Invaluable to him, and it is not to be repaired, there is nothing equal to it; not all a mans precious Subſtance. Skin for Skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his Life. Self-love, and Self-preſervation, are an Invincible Principle, and Law, implanted by God in the hearts of all men.
But then moreover, to take away the Life of any one, fixes his Soul for Eternity in an Unchangeable State of Happineſs or Miſery: and ſo (as one ſays) not only is all Temporal Good hereby at once raviſhed from a man, but his Soul incurs infinite hazard, and it may be damage.
And as to Humane Society, the Sin of Murder ſtrikes at the very Being, and all the Comforts hereof. For there were no more living in any quiet or ſafety, if this might be allow'd, then there might be among the wild and ſavage Beaſts of the Woods, where the ſtronger and fiercer prey upon the weak and mild. So that Societies muſt disband, and all the Rules as well as Bleſſings of it diſſolve together, if the Crime of Murder, were not held Capital, and unpardonably ſo among men. As Jacob ſaid of his two Sons, and all his Fatherly Goodneſs could not reconcile him to them, nor cover their bloody Stain. Gen. 49.5, 6, 7. Simeon and Levi are brethren: inſtruments of Cruelty are in their habitations. O my Soul, come not thou into their ſecret; unto their aſſembly, mine honour be not thou united: for in their anger they ſlew a man, and its their ſelf-will they digged down a wall. Curſed be their anger, for it was fierce: and their wrath, for it was cruel.
Murder ordinarily comes of cruel & curſed paſſion. This does not excuſe the Fact; for the Law is made to govern mens paſſions, or to puniſh the Enormous Outrages of them; 1 Tim. 1.9. Knowing this, that the Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawleſs & diſobedient, for the ungodly and for ſinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for man ſ…yers.
There were two things in the Law of Moſes, that were high Expreſſions of … …inous Nature of Man-ſlaughtere… …, … …ount of God: The one was, that he that kill'd a man by Accident or Ʋnawares was obliged to flee to ſome City of Refuge, where he muſt remain in Baniſhment from his own Houſe and Patrimony, and in a kind of Priſon there, until the death of the High Prieſt. By which it is certain that God meant to teach us to conceive a dread and horror of the Guilt of Blood; in that tho' the Fact were not Voluntary, nor done deſignedly; tho' it were but Chance-medly, and Homicide per Infortunium, yet that the Man-ſlayer muſt incur ſo much danger, inconvenience and confinement. The other Argument of the Criminalneſs of Murder was, that if a Brute Creature happened at any time to kill a man, it was to be ſlain by the Hand of Juſtice, Exod. 21.28, 29. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, then the ox ſhall be ſurely ſtoned, and his fleſh ſhall not be eaten: but the owner of the ox ſhall be quit. But if the ox wore wont to puſh with his horn in time paſt, and it hath been teſtified to his Owner: and he hath not kept him in: but that he hath killed a man or a woman, the ox ſhall be ſtoned, and his Owner alſo ſhall be put to Death. Here was another high Inſtance of Gods Care of the Life of Man, and of his Deteſtation of the Sin of Murder. And indeed this was according to that more Catholick Law given unto Noah, The Blood of your Lives will I require of every Beaſt.
To Conclude, Na… Con…ce has the higheſt reſentment and horror againſt the Sin of Murder, it is an univerſal and irreſiſtible Principle in the Hearts of all men. And famous to that purpoſe was that Law of the Common-wealth of Athens, quoted by Mr. Hales of Eaton, and ſince by Dr. Towerſon; that if only a Wall had by chance fallen down and killed a man, the Judges of that Place were to Sit upon & Arraign it, & upon Conviction, to throw the Stones thereof out of the Country. By this they gave the utmoſt Teſtimony, how ſacred a thing they eſteemed the Life of Man to be, and with what horror they looked upon the ſhedding of his Blood.
The moſt Barbarous People and Places have a Conſcience of the Vengeance due to, and purſuing Murderers; witneſs what we read of the People of M… lita, who when they ſaw the Viper faſtning upon the Apoſtles Hand, cried out No doubt this man is a murderers though he hath eſcaped the ſea, yet Vengeance ſuffereth not to live.
And …ow to look back on all that has been ſaid of the Hainous Nature of the Sin of Murder; It ſhould be improved by all that are here preſent, to deter them from all Approaches, or tendencies towards this Crying Guilt; and People ſhould be warned againſt indulging the leaſt appearance of it in Will, or Wiſh, or Word; and alſo of all wicked paſſions or Cuſtoms that may but tend to draw on the Fact, or provoke God to leave us to it.
At the ſame time you ſee the Government juſtifyed in their righteous Care to Purge the Land of this Guilt; nor can they anſwer it to God, or their People, to do otherwiſe: It is their Obedience on the Divine Law, and their Fidelity and Tenderneſs to Humane Society, that conſtrain them to the Condemnation and Execution of a Murderer.
… now let me with a Bleeding … Beſeech you the poor Condemned … here preſent, to lay to heart … Greatneſs of this your Sin, for … you are this Day to Die. O … Great Penitence does ſuch a Great Sin committed by you, call for! How heavy ſhould it Ly on your Conſcience! With what Tears of Blood ſhould you confeſs it, and bewail it! I think you have been bowed down in Soul under the Weight of it. And Bleſſed be God who has not left you deſtitute of the outward ſigns and expreſſions of Penitence, Affliction and Sorrow for this Hainous Fact; from the day (I think) that you committed it. You have in words and ſigns been in ſome meaſure Mourning after Chriſt, after Repentance, Pardon and Salvation; Be you excited and encouraged to do ſo more and more, to the laſt of that few remaining Moments of your Life: And the Lord glorify his Renewing and Pardoning Mercy on you.
II. I paſs unto the Second Thing to be obſerved from the Text, which is▪ That Deliverance from this crying Guilt of Blood is to be earneſtly ſought of God. This is the very Petition in the Text▪ Deliver me from Blood-guiltineſs … then there is Deliverance from … we ſhould be very earneſt in … for it unto God.
1. There is Deliverance from Blood-guiltineſs to be obtained from God. And that of two ſorts. 1. To be kept from the Bloody Guilt. 2. The Pardon and Forgiveneſs of it when contracted.
1. We may by the Divine Reſtraining Grace be kept from the Commiſſion of the Sin of Murder; and this is a bleſſed Deliverance from Blood-guiltineſs. We are thro' Grace all of us (I truſt) one only excepted, free of this Guilt; and ever ſhall be ſo. But then it is God that has kept, prevented and delivered us from it; and He muſt hereafter keep us, or we ſhall fall into it. For we are Incident to it thro' the horrid Corruption that is in our Nature; and the very beſt of us are by no means our own Keepers. There is no Sin, but what the vile and curſed …ture of man is prone to, and capable of; and the ſame vile Naure is …mon to us all. Eſau had Murder … his heart, when he came out againſt his Brother Jacob; and ſo had Joſephs … when they caſt him into the … God kept them however from … GOD left David to fall into it, to … him the wickedneſs that was in… …. GOD left Simeon and Levi, Joab and Abſalom, and others to fall into it, on one temptation or another. Are we Better by Nature than they? No, but God has kept us from their Temptations, or Reſtrained us when tempted. When the Prophet of the Lord told Hazael the Syrian of the Murders, Cruelties and Barbarities which he would in time commit againſt Iſrael; He anſwered with deteſtation, But what? is thy Servant a Dog, that he ſhould do this great thing? ſuch abhorred & enormous wickedneſs: Yet he did it afterward; like a dog he rent and tore and devoured; He prov'd as much a brute and beaſt of prey, how impoſſible ſoever he before-hand tho't it of himſelf. And indeed the Angers, Paſſions, & Wraths of men are ſo violent; that it is a wonder of the Divine Reſtraining Grace, & a marvellous Inſtance of the Power and Providence of God that there are not many Murders to one committed in the World. How does Madneſs and Rage and mortal Hatred glare out in mens looks, and words▪ and geſtures? How eaſily do they grow Outrageous, and ſtrike or draw? From whence come blows Fightings, & Duels and Stabbing (more baſe and cruel tha… all the reſt) but from mens luſts which war in their Members? So that the Sin is in our Nature; though by the Divine Mercy ſo few are left to it.
We ſee a Miſerable Perſon preſent, whom God has left to the great Sin of Murder, while you and I are kept from So? but who maketh thee to differ? Are …ou better than he? Is not thy Nature as bad as his? Have not thy Paſſions … as violent as his? How often in thy … haſt thou alſo been on the Brink of this Sin? But God has had Mercy on …, & not ſuffered thee to act thy own curſed. Will ▪ O adore the Soveraign Providence of God! Behold, the Goodneſs and Severity of God! to him that is …llen, Severity, but to thee Goodneſs! Is …e a greater. Sinner, than ſome of us? …ll thee nay, but except you repent, you …ll all likewiſe periſh.
Other great Sins do expoſe and lead to …s of Murder; by debouching, harden…ing and ſoaring the Conſcience; and by …king God to give people up to their … luſts and paſſions▪ But to return, … bleſſed deliverance from Sin to be … …o… it; to have the guilt and the …s of Repentance prevented; and the preſent Shames, Miſeries and Ruin that do ſometimes attend it.
2. There is Deliverance from Blood-guiltinſes after it is Contracted, by the Commiſſion of Murder: i. e. The Merciful God has admitted Sinners to Repentance, even in this Caſe. And there is forgiveneſs of it, and cleanſing from it, through the Blood of Chriſt. It has been repented of we ſee in our Text, & it has been pardoned. 2 Sam. XII.13. And David ſaid unto Nathan, I have ſinned againſt the Lord. And Nathan ſaid unto David, the Lord alſo hath put away thy ſin; thou ſhalt not die. Manaſſeh was a great Sinner and Murderer; he fill'd Jeruſalem with the Innocent Blood which he ſhed; yet was he afterward an Eminent Penitent, and obtained Mercy.
The Mercies of God are Infinite, Free and Soveraign. He has mercy on whom he will have mercy. The Merits and Vertue of the Blood of Chriſt are alſo Infinite, and have purchaſed Pardons for the greateſt Sinners upon their Repentance. The Power of Renewing Grace is Infinite; Almighty Grace! I… can change the hearts of the greateſt Sinners, and is often Glorify'd upon th… Worſt. The Offers of Mercy by th… Goſpel, its Calls and Promiſes are unlimited; to all, even the Chiefeſt Sinners. Mat. 12.31. All maner of Sin and Blaſphemy ſhall be forgiven unto men. Iſai. 1.18. Come now and let us reaſon together, ſaith the Lord,: though your ſins be as ſcarlet, they ſhall be as white as ſnow: tho' they be red like crimſon, they ſhall be as wool. 1 Tim. I.15. This is a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chriſt Jeſus came into the world to ſave ſinners; of whom I am chief. Thus we read again; that the Blood of Jeſus Chriſt our Lord cleanſes from all Sin; and that whoſoever cometh to Him, He will in no wiſe caſt out.
Here is Comfort for thee, O miſerable Malefactor, and Priſoner of Hope! and how ſhould it revive and chear thy ſad and wounded Soul, and cauſe thee to admire and adore the Riches of the Mercy of God thro' Chriſt, his Grace abounding to the chief of Sinners. There is Deliverance from Blood guiltineſs. There is pardon and forgiveneſs with God, even for thee, if thou doſt believe on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and with a repenting, bleeding Soul for this and all thy other Sins, doſt find Grace to fly unto His Blood: I may then, and now do promiſe you in the Preſence, and in the Name of Chriſt, My Great Lord and Maſter, our Common Saviour and Judge, the free and full Remiſſion of all your Sins, how many or great ſoever they have been
O that it might pleaſe God to give thee, together with the moſt affecting ſenſe of the Hainous Nature of thy bloody Crime; to apprehend the freeneſs & fulneſs of his Mercies by Chriſt Jeſus; and thy Saviours Alſufficiency and readineſs to beſtow both Repentance and Pardon on thee.
Hear it, and be aſtoniſhed; hear it, and be thou raviſhed with the Grace of God: God gave the Life of his own Son, Chriſt the Son of God gave his own Blood, for the Redemption even of Murderers upon their Repentance. He died even … his own Murderers, for them that … wicked hands crucified and ſlew … Prince of Life: and therefore the Apoſtle Peter calls even upon them to … pent, that their Sins might be blo… out, who had themſelves denied the … Our, and the Juſt, and deſired a M… or to be granted to them.
…n …hen Chriſts Blood can … the Guilt of Blood; and Faith in the Blood of Chriſt can both purifie and pacifie the polluted wounded Soul of a Murderer. It is true that St. John tells us, That no Murderer has Eternal Life abiding in him. But the Apoſtle there is ſpeaking of him that hates his brother, & has a malicious murderous frame of ſpirit within him: Such an one abideth in death; and has no ſeed or principle of Spiritual Life, no beginning of Eternal Life within him. How many ſuch Murderers, haters of God and one another, there are among us, under a more dreadful ſentence then a preſent bodily death; He knows that ſearches the hearts of the Children of men. But he that has truly repented of all his Sins, and believeth on the Son of God, though he may have been a Murderer, yet he has Everlaſting Life, and ſhall not enter into Condemnation in the World to come; but is paſſed from Death unto Life. Thus then there is Deliverance from Blood-guiltineſs. This was the firſt Thing.
2. We ſhould be very earneſt in Prayer unto God for this Deliverance: That He would keep us from it: that He would ſave us from the Condemnation due to it.
Let every one here preſent before the Lord, Pray to Him to be kept and preſerved by Him from this & all other great Tranſgreſſions. Keep back thy ſervant from preſumptuous ſins, let them not have dominion over me: So ſhall I be innocent from the great Tranſgreſſion. It is an excellent and needful part in our Litany; From Envy, Hatred and Malice, and all Ʋncharitableneſs (& ſo from Murder one frequent curſed Effect of them;) Good Lord deliver us.
But who is there that will not wiſh and pray to be kept from this Sin of Murder! who would not deprecate the being left to it, if it were only in regard of their Temporal Life? Surely we ought But then be ſenſible that thou needeſt the▪ Divine Keeping: Be ſenſible that thy heart is deceitful above all things, & deſperately wicked: Be ſenſible of the violence of thy own Luſts and Paſſions: Be ſenſible that theſe (even all thy cauſeleſs wraths and angers) render thee as a Murderer in Gods ſight: Yea, let the Beſt remember with the Apoſtle, Tit. III 3. For we our ſelves alſo were ſometimes fooliſh, diſobedient, deceived, ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Remember that the Devil is a Murderer, and will not the malicious Spirit inſpire and ſtir up as he is able his own Venome and Malignity in thy Soul? to make thee as like himſelf, and as odious to God, and contrary to Goodneſs as he can? Remember that this Sin of Murder was the firſt Enormity and flagitious Act after the Fall: The Devil hurried wretched Cain into This; He was of that Wicked One, and ſlew his Brother. Thou art of that Wicked One, and only hateſt thine, and art unreaſonably angry on every petty occaſion: O fear, leſt ſome time or other he puſh thee into the Overt Act of Murder. Beg of God to keep thee.
And now I turn me again unto the Wretched Spectacle before us, whom God has ſuffered to fall into this Crime. And need I call upon thee, O miſerable David, to Pray earneſtly to God for the Pardon of This thy Sin. Every one of Ʋs ſhould this Day Cry to God for the Forgiveneſs of all our Angers and Paſſions; The pardon of our Malice and Hatreds. But O with what anguiſhes of Soul, and agonies of Grief ſhould You be Lying at the Feet of Mercy, Crying inceſſantly for Pardon. I hope you have been doing ſo day and night, ſince the Fact, and now you have but an hour more to do it in. O do it the more Fervently in thy laſt Agonies. O with what care and fear, with what vehemence and importunity, ſhould you wreſtle now! and we in Prayer to God for you. The Blood of thy Murdered Brother cries againſt thee from the Ground, but the Blood of Chriſt which is the Blood of Sprinkling, and ſpeaketh better things than that Blood of Abel, Cries aloud for Mercy upon all Repenting Sinners. Wilt not thou go now unto that Blood of the Covenant, the Blood of the Great Sacrifice for Sin, and the Blood of Interceſſion; and by Faith therein, Cry unto God in Prayer for thy own Soul? Wilt not thou Cry to thy God and Saviour; Deliver me from this Guilt of Blood, O God thou God of my Salvation.
And here let me tell thee; that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Eternal Son of God, the Crucified Jeſus, is the God of thy Salvation; neither is there Salvation in any other. He is the only Saviour of Sinners, and He is an Alſufficient One. He is a City of Refuge, a Rock of Salvation for thy poor Soul to flee unto, and be ſafe from the Avenger of Blood, the Avenging Juſtice of God. O flee for Refuge to the Hope that is ſet before thee. There is now no Condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Jeſus. Look to the Crucified Saviour, and Beg of Him to Remember thee, and Receive thee to His Kingdom. O may he ſay to thee, as he did once to the Malefactor by him on the Croſs: This day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe.
You have I hope been paſſing your laſt Weeks in Prayer for the Life of your Precious and Immortal Soul. Now Die doing ſo. It is for your Life, and an Infinitely better One, than this, which your Sins have loſt. Be found now Lying at the Feet of Chriſt, waſhing them with your Tears, and wiping them with the Hair of your Head. There ly with utmoſt Grief and Self-loathing for your Scarlet Sins; there ly Confeſſing and giving Glory to the Juſtice of God; There Ly Admiring Free Grace, and truſting in Chriſt, as able to Save unto the uttermoſt, all that come unto God by Him. While the Sorrows of Death compaſs thee, and the … of Hell get hold on thee, and thou findeſt ſorrow and trouble; Then Call that upon the Name of the Lord; O Lord, I beſeech thee, deliver my Soul. Gracious is the Lord and Righteous; yea, our God is Merciful. There is Deliverance from Blood-guiltineſs, and it is earneſtly to be ſought after, from the God of our Salvation.
Which was the Second Thing obſerved from the words.
III▪ And Laſtly, the Laſt Obſervation is, That God muſt have the Glory and Praiſe of this Preſervation and Deliverance. My Tongue ſhall ſing aloud of thy Righteouſneſs. Thy Mercy, Compaſſion, Grace and Faithfulneſs.
If God prevent and keep us from falling into Sin, the Glory and Praiſe is to be Aſcribed to his Preventing Grace … It is the Lords Doing, and ſhould be Marvellous in our Eyes. So it will be, if we are ſenſible of our own, Deſperate Wickedneſs. It is the Greateſt Good, Kindneſs and Benefit that God can do …s in thi… … to his beſtowing Sanctifying … ſome reſp… … of Sin … a Greater … Pardon of … upon Rep… … who … …er Sinne… … and bl… for this reaſo… ▪ … and Sa…ls are, who… the Ang… … over … their Rep…tance
Moreover, God Owes us not his Grace, but it is what we …ve continually …een forfeitin…, … the wicked a… of it provoked him times with… … …umber, to take it … us.
If then God has kept … from any … …ven the worſt T…ſgreſſion, to … Name be the G… Pſal. CI.…, 7. … Lord is thy Keeper: The Lord is thy … upo… by right ha…d the Lord ſhall …reſerve thee from all … ſhall pre…erve thy Soul. 116.…, 9 Return unto thy Reſt, O my Soul, … Lord hath dealt bountifully with th…. For th… ha… …elivered my ſoul from death, m… … tears, and my feet from fall… …. verſe 24. Now unto him … … you from falling, … …leſs before the pr… … Glory with exceeding J…y. To the only wiſe God our Saviour, be Glory and Majeſty, Dominion and Power, both now and Ever. Amen. Thus let us Sing aloud of Gods Righteouſneſs, becauſe that he has graciouſly kept us from Blood-guiltineſs.
AND now David, If it may pleaſe God to Deliver thee from the Guilt of that Blood which thou haſt ſhed, thou wilt f…r …ver Praiſe and Sing of his Pardoning Mercy.
O the Glory of Divine Grace in pardoning ſuch Guilt as thine is! O the Glory that may redound to GOD for …ver in thy Salvation! The Glory of …ee H…ting Love unto the Chief of Sinners! The Glory of Christ the Saviour, thro' whom it is that the Grace of God is thus Magnified to Sinful Man! The Glory of the Divine Holineſs in the Forgiveneſs of Sin thro' the Blood of Chriſt, the Justice of God having received full Satisfaction thereby; So… … God can be Juſt, and yet the juſtifi… of all them that Believe! The Glory of the Power alſo of Renewing Grace, whereby God is able to ſul… all things to himſelf; and to Soften, Sanctifie, & Change thy Heart! And finally, the Glory of Gods Holy, Wiſe and Terrible Providence, and yet moſt tender to thee and merciful, in whatever Methods it may uſe, and make them Effectual Means of thy Converſion and Salvation! Ah, If thy very Sin may bring thee unto Chriſt, and into the way of Divine Awakenings, Inſtruction & Conviction; how ſhouldeſt thou in thy very Chains, and on the Gibbet Sing aloud of Gods Righteouſneſs.
If thou haſt any Hope that God has pardoned thy Sin, I'm ſure thou muſt needs adore and bleſs, extol and magnifie the Mercy of God in Chriſt. O cheriſh Admiring Thoughts of free Grace in pardoning great Tranſgreſſions; and let them ariſe from the ſight of the Greatneſs of thy own Sins. Let Chriſt be Glorious, Admirable, Excellent and Precious to thy Soul. …t O beware of preſumptuous hopes in… …nd Reliance on the Divine Mercy Let …hy hopes therein increaſe infinitely in …e Humiliation, Sorrow, Abaſement and Self-Abhorrence for thy Sins. O the Aſtoniſhment it ſhould beget within thee to think of finding Mercy with the Holy God! How humbly ſhould you hope for it! How ſhould it break thy Heart, and melt thy Soul within thee! And while it does this,—how ſhould it raiſe, raviſh and tranſport thy dejected Soul.
Let me then Call upon you this day, and in this last hour of thy Life, My Son, Give Glory to the Lord God of Iſrael, and own publickly his Righteouſneſs and Juſtice in this thy miſerable End. Make Confeſſion of thy Sins to God and man; juſtifie both: Take ſhame and confuſion of face to thy ſelf; for thou haſt ſinned againſt both▪ Wilt thou not fear God under thy Condemnation, and ſay with the penitent thief on the Croſs, and I indeed justly, for I rece… but the due deſert of my deeds. God is Holy in judging thus: His throne is ſpotleſs; thou convict before him muſt be ſpeechleſs. Confeſs then his Righteous and terrible Providence, and fly to his Mercy. Say with repenting David in the Context. v. 2, 3, 4. Waſh me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanſe me from my ſin. For I acknowledge my tranſgreſſions: And my ſin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſight: That thou mightest be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt and be clear when thou judgest.
Again, give Glory to God by warning others. Preach to them in thy Dying words, in more affecting Ones than I can ſpeak to thee. God can help the to do ſo; for who has made mans mouth? Have one word for God before thou dieſt! Warn Young people of thy Sins, and call o… careleſs profane Sinners to learn by thy Example to fear God and turn to him, that ſo Iniquity may not be your ruine. How knoweſt thou but that before thou dieſt thou may'ſt be inſtrumental to turn ſome one from the Error of his way, and ſave a Soul from Death and cover a multitude of Sins; or to prevent to ſome or other the like Sins and the like Temporal Deſtruction. God grant thy Sufferings may be Sanctified thus for ſaving Good to others. So ſhalt thou teach Tranſgreſſors Gods ways, and Sinners ſhall be converted unto him. The Lord in Mercy open thy lips, and thy mouth ſhall ſhew forth his Praiſe,
To Conclude, Give Glory to the Righteous and Faithful God, by laying hold on his Free Grace in Christ Jeſus. God and his Righteouſneſs are Glorified in Chriſt. God has Glorified his Son Jeſus, to be a Prince and Saviour. Thy Faith in Chriſt ſhall Glorify God in the beſt manner that a Sinner can do it. So the Malefac…or on the Croſs turned his face to his Crucified Saviour, and ſaid, Lord, Remember me. So do thou look unto Jeſus, the Author of thy Salvation. And God grant thee a Sight of him, at the Right hand of God, and Faith to Cry to Him, Lord Jeſus receive my Spirit.
O that God would Purge thee and Pardon thee; and make thee to hear the voice of Joy and Gladneſs, that thy broken bones might rejoyce! That He would hide his face from thy Sins and blot out all thine Iniquities! That He would create in thee a clean Heart and renew a right Spirit within thee! The Lord caſt thee not away from his preſence; nor deny his Holy Spirit to thee! The Lord give thee the Joy of his Salvation, and uphold thee with his free Spirit!
The Lord Enable thee to Expire in ſuitable apprehenſions and praiſes of his Righteouſneſs and Mercies thro' Chriſt to all penitent Sinners And God, the God of thy Salvation, bring thee to Sing thereof for ever among Redeemed Souls in a better Life.
FINIS.
End of the text · Benjamin Colman, The Heinous Nature of the Sin of Murder (1713)