The Aggra1Jations of Murder. 9· r6. ll. And fome further help it will be to underlland the Grtatntji of this fin: Confider there– fore, 1 • It is an unlawful ddlroymg, not only a Creature of God, but one of his noblrft Cre.ztures upon earth ! Even on_e that .bearerh. (at leall the natural) Image ?f God.. ~en.P• 5, 6. And furt– !Y )'Owr blood of your l:ves mU 1requzre: at the band ~f every beaft w11l I rtqH.tre at; and tJt the hand of man : al ohe hand of every ma~s bro~her wiU I require oht life of man : who[o j/mJJuh mans bJ.,d, by mo>tjhaU hi< blood bcjhed: form the t~age of God made lit man. Yea God Will not only haYe the btajt !lain rh•t killeth a man, but alfo forbiddeth there the wing of blood, v. 4• that man might not be accuflomcd to cruelty. 2 • It is the opening a door toconfufio~ and all calamiry in t_he 'Yorld: For if one man· m.ay kill another without the ftntence of the Mag1firate, another may ktll htm; and the world will be like Malliffs or mad Dogs turned allloofe on one another, kill that kill can. 3 • If it be awick.,cd man that is killed, it is the fending of a foul ro Hell, and cutting off histime of Repentance and his hopes. If it be aGodly ma11, it is a deprivingof the World ol the bklling of a protitabl< member, and all that are abom him of the benefits of hi.s goodnefs, and God of the fervicc: which he was here to have performed. Thcfe are enough to mfcr the dreadful confequents to the Murderer, which are fuch as thefe. 1 IT. 1 • It is a fin which bringeth f0 great aguilt, that if it be repented of and paraoned, yet Confcicnce very hai'dly doth ever atrain to peace and quietnefs in this World : .And if it be unpar.. cloned it is enough to tnake a man his oWn Executioner at~d tormenter. 2 , It is a fin that feldome fcopeth vengeance in this life : If the Law of the Land take not away their lives, as God appoinreth, Gen. 9· 6. God ufeth to follow them with his extraordinary P!agues, and caufeth their fin to find them our, fo that the blood·thir/ly man doth feldome live out half his dayes. The Treatifes purpofc!y written bn this fubjc&, and the experience cf all Ages, do give us Very wonderful Narratives of Gods j~dg:ments_, in t~e detefri~g .of mur~ereri an~ bringing them to puniOunent. They go about a~htle hke CaJ.~, wtth a terrd1ed Confctence, afratd of every one they fte, till feafonablc vengeance g1ve them thetr reWitld; or rather fend them to the place where they murt receive it. . . . . . , 3 • Fbr it is eternal torment under th~ wrath of God, wl:uch JS the final pumlhment wh1ch they mull expect (If very great Repentance and the blood of Chril\ do not prevent it.) There are few 1 think t,hat by flume, and terrour of Confcience, ate not brought to fuch a Repentance fot it, as Cain and JudJI had, or as a man harh that haih brought calamity on himfelf1 and therefore wilh they had never done it, becaufe of their own unhappinefs thereby ( el<Cept thofe perfecutors or murderers that are hardened by Ertour, pride or power) : But this will not prevent the venge– ance of God in their damnation: It mull be a deep Repentance proceeding from the Love of God and man and the hatred of fin, and fenfe of Gods difpleafure for it, which is only found in fanel!– fied foul; ! And alas how few Murderers ever hlVe the grace to manifefi any fuch renovation and repentance? Hhh hhh h Tit.t.
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