Sixth Commandment. which be thy Condition in this Life never fo deplorable and wretched, thou hart n~ Reafon to haflen, but wilt in Hell think that they came too foon upon rhee. · . ' Secondly, The Munhering of another is a moll ~einous. and black Sin, a Sin that God d01h ufually, by fame wonderful Method of hiS Provtdence, derea, and bring to punHbment, and which dogs the Confcien~es of thofe who are guilty of it with horrid Affrights and Terrors, and bath fomeumes extorted from them a Confelfion of it when there hath beer. no other Proof nor Evidence. The Two greatell Sinners that rhe Scripture bath fet the blackell Brand upon were both Murrherers, Cain and Judas; the one the Murrherer of his Brother, the other firfl of his Lord and Mallet and then of himfelf. Aad God fo infinitely hates and detells it, that although the'Altar were a Refuge for other Offenders, yet he would not have aMunherer !helrer'd there, but he was to be dragg'd from that unviolable San8:uary unto Execution according to tbat Law, Exod 2 r. 24. If a Man come prefumptuoujly upon his N;1"ghbour, 11nd jl(IJ him witbGuilc, _tboujhalt rake him from mine Altar, tbat be may die. And accordingly we read, r Kzngs 2. 30. That whefJ Joab had fled, and taken hold on the Horns ofrhe Altar, fo char the MefiCngers who were feilt to put him to Dea~h durll not violate that Holy Place by !bedding his Blood, Solomon gives Command w have him ilain, even there, as if tbe Blood of a wilful Munherer were a very acceptableSacrifice offered up unto God. And indeed in the firft Prohibition of Murther that we meet withal God fuhjoir.s a very weighty Reafon why it fhould be fo od ious unto him, Gen. 9- 6. Wbofojheddub il'!an's Blood, by Manjhallbis Blood be jhiit ;for in the Image of God made be Man. So that Homicidium e/f Decidium ~ to flaughrer aMan is to flab God in Effigie: For though the Image of God's Holinefs and Purity be totally defaced in us fince the Fall, yet ftill every Man, even the moll Wicked and Impious that lives, bears fame Stritlures of the Image of God in his Intelletluals, the Freedom of his Will, and his Dominion over the Creatures: And -God will have every Part of his Image fo revered by u1, that he who a!faultS Man is efteemed by him as one who attempts to alia!linatc God himfelf. 179 This of Mutt her is a crying Sin; Blood is loud and clamorous: The firll that ever was fhed was heard as far as from Earth to Heaven, Gen. 4· J o. The Voice of thy Bro· tber's Blood crierb to'"' from the Ground: And God will certainly hear its Cry, and . avenge ir. Bur not only he whofe Hands are imbrued in the Blood of others, but thofe alfo who are acceffiry are guilty of Murrher. As, Firjl, Thofe who Command or Counfel it to be done. Thus Da~id became guilty of the Murther of Innocent Vriah; and God, in drawing up his Charge, accufeth him with ir, 2 Sam. r 2. 9· Thou haft jlain him witTJ the Sword of the Children of Amman. Secondly, Thofe who confent to Munher are guilty of ir. Thus Pilau, for yielding to tbeclamorousOurcries of rhe Jews, Crucifiebim, Crucifiehim, tho' hewafhed his Hands, and difavowed the Faa; yet was as much guilty as rho!e who nailed him to~~& ' - Thirdly, He that concealeth a Munher is guilty of it. And therefore we read, Deut. 2 1. 6? 7. That in cafe a Man were found flain, and the Murtherer unknown, the Elders of rnat City were to a!femble, and wafi_l their Haods, an~ pr?te!t, Tbot they had not {hed thu Blood, ne1tber bad tbezr Eyes fecn rt. Inttmaung, that if they had feen and concealed it, they had thereby become guilty of the Murther. Fourthly, Thoie who are in Authority, and don't puni!h a Murther, when cam· mitted and known, are themfelves guilty of it. Thus when by the wicked Artifice of Jezebel Naboth was condemn'd to die, although Ahab knew nothing of the Contrivance till after the Execution, yet beca?fe he did not vindicat~ that Innocent Blood when he came to the Knowledge of tr, the Prophet chargeth 11 upon him ' Kzngs 21. 19. Haji thou KilleJ, and a!fo taken Pof!eJ]ian ? The Guilt lay·upon him' and the Punilhment due to it overtook him, although we do not read that he wa~ any · uilty of it than in not puni!hing thofe who had committed it. And thofe rates, who upon any Refpea whatfoever fuffer a Murtherer to efcape unpu ed, are fa id to pollute the Land with Blood, Numb . 3). 3r, 3 2 33· ie ]hall take no Satisfailion for tbe Life of a Murtberer, but he fha/1 furely be' pMt Aaa2 u .
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