568 Chap. 24. An Empofition upon the Book of j O$r Verf 14 take an heifer which bath not been wrought with, and which bath not drawn in theyoke(therein fitly fhadowing the murtherer, in whole Bead the heifer was to be flaine;for fuch are Eons of Belial, men who will not beare the joke ofobedience) And the Elders cf the City Mall bring down the heifer into a rough valloy(the very place was to carry a refemblanceof a murtherous fpirit, and of the as of murther,both being rough and uncouth)&íh rllflrike di the heifers neckshere in the valley (implying that ifthey could have got the murtherer into their hands,he muff have dyedundea their hand) Then thePriett mutt come to decide the controverfe (ver. 5.) and (at the 6th verle) The Elders oftheCity that are next unto the thine man ¡hall roafb their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley(wafhingof the hands;was, firft,an argu: ment that blood defiled' ; fecondly,it was a ceremony which im- plyed innocenceand cleareneffe from blood,as appeares by a like arrtion ofPilate ( Matto. 27. a4.) But there Elders muff not only ufe this fpeaking ceremony, toPhew their innocency, but they mutt explicitly proleffe it (vet% 7.) and they ¡hall anfwer and fay, our hands have not fliedChia blood, neither have our eyes [cote it, And then the Prieft mutt pray (ver. 8, 9) Be merciful/ O Lerd, unto thy people lfrael, whom thou ¡aft redeemed, etnd lay not innocent blood unto thy people ofIfraele charg,and theblood (hall beforgiven, fo thouput awaytheguilt of innocent bloodfrom among you, when thou (halt doe that which ic right in the fight of the Lord. This folemn Law and the manner of proceeding upon it, fhewes three things, as to the poynt in hand. Firft, that the Lord is very tender offheddirg mans blood ; Secondly, that the ih:ddingofmansblood in any murtherous way is extreamlydi( pleating to him. Thirdly, That God will certainly bring ven- geanceore time or other firft or laft,u.pon the mureherer,feeing a whole City fhould be charged, in fomedegree, with the blood of a man Elaine neere them, if they didnot publickly and folemnly declare and teftifie their cleareneffe from ic. But befdes there two general Confiderations taken from Scripture, and now initanced in ; Thereare may other grounded both upon Scripture authority and common reafon, which let forth the vileneffe of this fin ofmurther. Firft, Murtheroffereth violence tonature in common, there Icing but one common nature in all men, Arid hence S econdly,
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