SERMON XXXV. EXODUS XXI 14.. But if a man come prefumptuously upon his neighbour, to fay him with guile ;- -thou fhalt take him from my altar, that he may die. As the end and happy refult of fociety was our mutual protection from the depravations which malice and avarice lay us open to-fo have the laws. of GOD laid proportionable reftraints against fuch violations as would defeat us of fuch a fecurity. Of all other attacks which can be made against us that of a man's life which is his all-being the greatest the offence, in GoD's difpenfation to the Jews, was denounced as the most henious-and represented as most unpardonable. At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be fhed.-Ye fhall take no fatisfaction for the life of a murderer; he shall furely be put to death.—So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are for blood defileth the land ;- -and the land cannot be cleanf ed of blood that is fhed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.For this reafon, by the laws of all civilized nations, in all parts of the globe, it has been punished with death. Some civilized and wife communities have so far incorporated these severe difpenfations into their municipal laws, as to allow of no diftinction betwixt murder and homicide, at leaft in the penalty ;leaving the intentions of the several parties concerned in it, to that Being who knows the heart, and will adjust the differences of the cafe hereafter. This falls, no doubt, heavy upon particulars ;-but it is urged for the benefit of the whole. It is not the business of a preacher to enter into an examination of the grounds and reasons of fo feeming a feverity. Where moft fevere-they have proceeded, no doubt, from an excess of abhorrence of a crime which is, of all others, moft terrible and shocking in its own nature-and the most direct attack and ftroke at fociety;as the fecurity of a man's life was the first protection of society-the ground-work of all the other bleffings to be defired from fuch a compact. Thefts,-oppreffions, exactions, and violences of that kind, cut off the branches ;this fmote the root:all perished with it;-the injury irreparable.-No after-act could make amends for it. What recompenfe can he give to a man in exchange for his life?- What fatisfaction to the widow, the fatherlefs,to the family,-the friends, the relations, cut off from his protection, and rendered, perhaps, deftitute,perhaps miferable for ever?. No wonder, that, by the law of nature, this crime was always pursued with the most extreme ven geance; which made the barbarians to judge, when they faw St. Paul upon the point of dying a fudden and terrifying death,No doubt this man is a murderer who, though he hath escaped the fea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. The cenfure there was rash and uncharitable; but the honeft deteftation of the crime was uppermoft. They faw a dreadful punishment-they thought;—and in seeing the one, they fufpect ed the other. And the vengeance which had overtaken the holy man, was meant by them the vengeance and punishment of the Almighty Being, whofe providence and honour was concerned in purfuing him, from the place he had fled from, to that ifland.. The honour and authority of God is most evidently ftruck at, most certainly, in every fuch crime, and therefore he would purfue it ;-it being the reafon, in the ninth of Genefis, upon which the prohibition of murder is grounded;for in the image of GOD created he man; as if to attempt the life of a man had fomething in it peculiarly daring and audacious ;-not only fhocking as to its confequence above all other crimes-but of perfonal violence and indignity against GOD, the author of our life and death. That it is the highest act of injuftice to man, and which will admit of no compen fation I have faid.But the depriving a man of life, does not comprehend the whole of his fuffer. ing; he may be cut off in an unprovided or difordered condition, with regard to the great account betwixt himself and his Maker. He may be under the power of irregular paffions and defires. The beft of men are not always upon their guard.fure we have all reason to join in that affecting part of our Litany,―That, amongst other evils-GOD would deliver us from fudden death;-that we may have fome forefight of that period, to compose our fpirits, prepare our accounts,-and put ourselves in the best posture we can to meet it; for, after we are most prepared,—it is a terror to human nature. The people of fome nations are faid to have a peeuliar art in poisoning by flow and gradual advances. In this cafe-however horrid-it favours of mercy with regard to our fpiritual state ;-for the fenfible decays of nature, which a fufferer must feel within him, from the fecret workings of the horrid drug, give warning, and show that mercy, which the bloody hand that comes upon his neighbour fuddenly, and flays him with guile, has denied him. It may serve to admonish him of the duty of repentance, and to make his peace with GOD, whilft he had time and opportunity. The speedy execution of justice, which, as our laws now ftand, and which were intended for that end, must strike the greater terror upon that account.-Short as the interval between fentence and death is, it is long, compared to the safe of the murdered.. Thou allowedft the man no time,said the judge to a late criminal, in a most affecting manner; -thou allowedft him not a moment to prepare for eternity;and, to one who thinks at all, it is, of all reflections and felf-accufations, the moft heavy and unfurmountableThat, by the hand of violence, a man in a perfect ftate of health, whilft he walks out in perfect fecurity, as he thinks with his friends,-perhaps whilft he is fleeping foundly to be hurried out of the world by the affaffin, by a fudden ftroke to find himself at 'the bar of God's juftice, without notice and preparation for his trial- -it is moft horrible! Though he be really a good man (and it is to be hoped God makes merciful allowances in fuch cases), —yet, it is a terrifying confideration at the best and as the injury is greater,there are also very aggravating circumftances relating to the person who commits this act :- As when it is the effect, not of a rash and fudden paffion, which fometimes diforders and confounds reafon for a moment, but of a deliberate and propenfe defign or malice;-when the fun not only goes down, but rifes upon his wrath; when he fleeps not-till he has ftruck the stroke ;—when, after he has had time and leifure to recollect himfelf,and confider what he is go ing to do when, after all the checks of confcience,the ftruggles of humanity, the recoil. ings of his own blood, at the thoughts of shedding another man's,he fhall perfift ftill,and refolve to do it.- -Merciful God! protect us from doing or fuffering fuch evils. Bleffed be thy name and providence, which feldom or ever fuffers. it to escape with impunity.In vain does the guilty flatter himself with hopes of fecrecy or impunity :the eye of GOD is always upon him. Whither can he fly from his prefence ;-By the immenfity of his nature, he is present in all places;-by the infinity of it, to all times by his omnifcience, to all : |