Neceffary Duty, is the Undoubted Indication and Property of a Weak, and Little, and Base Spirit, which is not Able to Support, and therefore does readily give up, the moft Excellent Ornaments and Accomplishments, when any faint Attempt is made upon Them. Those therefore who engage in Duels, through fear of fuffering fome little Seeming Calumnies and Reproaches, (for in the Judgment of the best and wifest Men, they are far from being really fuch) do at once forfeit All juft Pretenfions to true Honour and Generofity of Mind, and all Claim and Title to Eternal Salvation. Fourthly and lastly, 'Tis obfervable of those Intentions and Affections which the Gospel hath reduced to the Prohibition in the Text, that there is this Peculiarity in the Guilt and Danger attending them, That they are the Immediate Pollutions of the Soul, and do render it Obnoxious to the Wrath of God, tho' no Actual Violence should proceed from them, and 'tis through their Mediation, and purely owing to them, that any Ex ternal ternal Act of Violence becomes Morally Evil: The very fame Action, which, pro- ́ ceeding from vicious Purposes and Affections, becomes highly Criminal, is perfectly Blameless, when they are not the Foundation of it; otherwife, a Man would not be pronounced Innocent, who destroys his Neighbour's Life through Ignorance, or his Own, in a Fit of Frenzy. And we ought therefore to take the more diligent Heed, that we keep the Commandment, in this Refined and Extenfive Senfe of it; for whilft we are free from all Outward Reftraints, we eafily flide into the Tranfgreffion of it. Men who have not fufficient Degrees of Natural Courage, or want Favourable Opportunities, Actually to Defile their Hands with Blood, may yet Sacrifice their Neighbour in their Secret Thoughts and Wishes, and Indulge their Imagination in the View of thofe Mortal Wounds, which they dare not give; and Men, who are afraid to handle the Inftruments of Death, may Shoot out their Arrows, even bitter Words, and pierce the Souls of their Brethren with the Expref fions of Cruelty, Defpitefulness, and Scorn: But they may Juftly alfo Fear that the Blood thus fhed in Fancy and Conception only, fhall be laid to their Charge, and that the Reward of the Falfe, or Cruel Tongue, fhall be, as the Iniquity it felf is, mighty and fharp Arrows with hot Burning Coals. For whofoever is angry with his Brother without a Caufe, fhall be in Danger of the Judgment; and whofoever shall fay to his Brother, Racha, fhall be in Danger of the Council; but whosoever shall fay, thou Fool, Shall be in Danger of Hell-Fire. And this demonftrates the Excellence of the Gospel of Chrift, that as Moral Duty, in Every Branch of it, is therein raised to the most Elevated Height of Perfection, fo more efpecially does it Recommend and Promote the Exercise of Univerfal Charity and Benevolence, by an Abfolute Prohibition of all Strife, and Variance, and Clamour, and Evil-fpeaking, and Wrath, and Hatred, and Envy, and Rancour, and Malice. For these are fome of thofe Works of the Devil which every Difciple of Chrift has folemnly lemnly Renounced, and whoever indulges them, dishonours the Profeffion, and forfeits the Privileges of the Gospel. Let this then be the Ufe and Application of the Whole, That the Heinoufness of the Sin of Murther fhould raise in us a Proportionable Abhorrence of it, and the utmoft Efteem and Defire of those Qualities and Practices, which are most directly and fully Opposed to it; That we fhould ftand at the utmost Distance from the utmost Danger; That we should not only have the tendereft Regard to the Prefervation of our Neighbour's Life, but to the Conveniencies and Comforts of it; That instead of Violence and Injury we should abound in Acts of Beneficence; That Anger fhould be prevented by Habitual Meeknefs; Malice by Lovingkindness and Compaffion; Revenge by Constant Endearments, and Hatred by Complacency and Delight. So fhall we fully anfwer the End of the Commandment, and being thus Heavenly in our Difpofitions here, we cannot fail of obtaining an Inheritance in those Manfions of Everlasting Peace, and Love, and Joy, where |