2. All Intemperance in the Ufe of Meat and Drink? A. Yes. Luke xxi. 34. Take Heed to yourselves, left your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkennefs, and fo that Day come upon you unawares. 3. An inordinate and exceffive worldly Sorrow? A. Yes. 2 Cor. vii. 10. The Sorrow of the World worketh Death. 4. Envy at another's Welfare? A. Yes. For a found Heart is the Life of the Flesh, but Envy is the Rottennefs to the Bones. Prov. xiv, 30, 5. Defperate Adventures? A. Yes. Mat. iv. 7. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 6. The Neglect of what is necessary to preferve Life, as Food, Phyfick, moderate Exercise, and the like? A. Yes. For not to preferve Life, is interpretatively to destroy it. Q. Secondly, this Commandment hath Respect to our Neighbours Perfons; And in this Respect, Doth it not here forbid us 1. All Homicide, or violating another's Life? A. Yes. Gen. ix. 6. Who fo fheddeth Man's Blood, by 'Man fhall his Blood be shed. 2. Cauflefs and rafh Anger? A. Yes. Mat. v. 21. Whofoever is angry with his Brother without a Caufe, fhall be in Danger of the Judgment. 3. Hatred? A. Yes. 1 John iii.13. Whofo hateth his Brother, is a Murderer; and ye know that no Murderer hath eternal Life. 4. De O 3 4. Defire of Revenge? A. Yes. Rom, xii. 19. Dearly Beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give Place unto Wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay it, faith the Lord.. 5. Provoking Words? A. Yes. Prov. xv. I. A soft Answer turneth away Wrath, but grievous Words ftir up Strife. 6. Oppreffion of the Poor, and all Unmercifulnefs towards them? A. Yes. Exod. xxii. 21, 22. Thou shalt neither vex a Stranger,nor opprefs him: For ye were Strangers in the Land of Egypt. Ye fhall not afflict any Widow or Fatherless Child. 7. Fighting of Duels? A. Yes.. For thefe are wilful Attempts of Men to destroy and murder one another: And are worthy of Death, by the Laws of God and Men. 8. Wars that are begun, and carried on without Neceffity? A. Yes. Jam. iv. 1. From whence come Wars and Fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your Lufts, that war in your Members? Catechift. When a righteous Peace hath been duly endeavoured for, and cannot otherwife be obtained, in this Cafe, War is neceffary and lawful. But unlawful Wars are the greatest Caufe of the cruelest Murders, as Mr. Baxter writes. All that a Man killeth in an unlawful War, he murdereth: And all that the Army killeth, he that fetteth them to work by Command or Counfel, is guilty of himself. And therefore how dreadful a thing is an unrighteous "War? 'War? And how much have Men need to look about them, and try every other lawful Way, and fuffer long, before they venture upon War? It is the Skill and Glory of a Soldier, when he can kill more than other Men. He ftudieth it; he maketh ic the Matter of his greatest Care and Valour, and Endeavour: He goeth through very great Difficulties to accomplish it: This is not like a fudden or involuntary Act. Thieves and Robbers kill fingle Perfons; but Soldiers murder thousands at a time; And because there is none at present to judge them for it, they wash their Hands as if they were innocent, and fleep as quietly as if the Avenger of Blood would never come. O what Devils are thofe Counsellers and Incendiaries to Princes and States, who ftir them up to unlawful Wars! And how cruel are thofe Rulers to their own, and others Souls, who, when they may avoid them, will yet engage therein; as if their Glory and Greatness were to kill and to detroy. But, O what Man that careth for his Soul, had not rather be tormented a thousand Years, than have the Blood-guiltinefs of a famous applauded Alexander, or Cafar, or Tamerlane, to answer for! But to proceed to fome other Questions. The Questions and Answers. Q. Is not Cruelty to dumb Beafts here forbid den in this Commandment 3 A. Yes. For this naturally leads Men on to be cruel to one another. Prov.xii.10. A righ teous teous Man regards the Life of his Beast, but the tender Mercies of the Wicked are cruel. Q. And seeing that the Life of Man which ought to be preferved, is not only corporal, or the Life of the Body, but also spiritual, or the Life of the Soul, Is it not a Sin against this Commandto be any way injurious to our own or other ment, to A. Yes. For the Soul of Man is more noble than the Body, and the Spiritual Life is more precious than the Corporal. Q. To come to the Affirmative Part of this Commandment What is the general Duty that this requires of us 300 A. That we endeavour, by all lawful Means, to preferve our own Perfons, and the Perfon of our Neighbour. Q. First for our own Perfons, Are we not here required 1. Defence of our felves, where justly it may be made, against fuch as do affault us, and would take away our Lives. A. Yes. Luke xxii. 36. He that hath no Sword, let him fell his Garment, and buy one. 2. The Nourishing and Refreshing of our Bodies, in a moderate and fober Ufe of Meat, Drink and Sleep? A. Yes. Eph. v. 29. For no Man ever yet hated his own Flesh, but nourisheth it, and cherisketh it. 1 Tim.v. 23. Drink no longer Water, but ufe a little Wine for thy Stomach fake, and thy often Infirmities. 3. Temperance in our Diet? A. Yes. Prov. XXV. 16. Haft thou found Hony? Eat fo much as is fufficient for thee. Exercife and Labour? A. Yes. Eccl.y. 12. The Sleep of a labouring Man is fweet. 5. The Ufe of Phyfick for the Recovery of Health in Sickness? A. Yes. Mat ix. 12. They that are whole need not a Phyfician, but they that are fick. 6. Patience under Troubles? A. Yes. Fam. 7. Chearfulness of Spirit? A. Yes. For a 9. Meekness and Gentleness? A. Yes. Tit. Q. And are we not here required to be charitable to the Souls of Men, especially our own' Souls, and to do what we can, for the Salvation of them? A. Yes. Phil. ii. 12. Work out your own Salvation, with Fear and Trembling. Catechift. And now we fhould endeavour, Applica according to these Premiffes, to have a duetion. Regard and Charity for the Perfons of all Men, even their Souls, and their Bodies. Put on therefore, as the Elect of God, Holy and Beloved, Bowels of Mercy, Kindness, Humbleness of Mind, Long-fuffering, forbearing ค one |