Masters, for I know their Sorrows.—And I have also feen the Oppreffion, wherewith the Egyptians oppress

them.

The Oppreffion, which Pharaoh, and his People were guilty of towards the Ifraelites, was the requiring of them unreasonable Labours, and fetting over them Tafk-Masters, to afflict them with their Burdens, Exod. i. 11.

But this Abuse of Authority, and Power, this Miftreatment, Tyranny, and Cruelty towards Inferiors is very provoking to the merciful God.

It is an Iniquity which God has threatened terribly to punish. In Isa. xlix. 20. God fays to his People, I will feed them that opprefs thee with their own Flesh, and they fhall be drunken with their own Blood, as with fweet Wine, and in Jer. xxx. 26. the Almighty fays I will punish all that oppress them.

Thus fpeaketh the Lord of Hofts, faying, Execute true Judgment, and fhew Mercy, and Compaffion, every Man to bis Brother. And opprefs not the Widow, nor the Fatherless, nor the Stranger, nor the Poor, and let none of you imagine Evil against his Brother, in your Heart. Zech. vii. 9, 10.

I will be a fwift Witness-against those that oppress the Hireling in his Wages, the Widow, and the Fatherless, and that turn afide the Stranger from his Right, and fear not me, faith the LORD of Hofts. Mal. iii. 5.

If Parents treat their Children with unreasonable Severity, and withold from them, what, according to their Rank, and Circumstances in Life, and the Occafions of the Children, fhould be allowed them, they are guilty of the Sin of Oppreffion.

If Mafters make their Servants to ferve with Rigour, and by exacting unreasonable Labours, or by not allowing them Food convenient in fufficient Quantity, they imbitter their Lives, they are alfo guilty of Oppreffion.

If Men of Riches, or Power, bear hard on their Inferiors, retrench the Liberties they have a Right unto, or put them unreasonably to Trouble, they are guilty of Oppreffion. St. James faid, Do not rich Men opprefs you, and draw you before the Judg ment-Seats? James ii. 6.

But the LORD will be a Refuge for the oppressed, Pfal. ix. 9. Thus faith the LORD, execute Judgment in the Morning, and deliver him that is fpoiled out of the Hand of the Oppreffor, left my Fury go out like Fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the Evil of your Doings, Jer. xxi. 12.

As thefe Words fhew the Indignation of the righteous God against those who can, and will not deliver the Oppreffed from their Oppreffors, fo they manifeft that the Wrath of almighty God is greatly provoked by the Iniquity, and Cruelty of Oppreffors; and that fuch unmerciful Perfons have Reason to expect Punishment, not only hereafter, but even in this World, when the righteous God vifits a People for their Sins. For he shall have Judgment without Mercy, that bath fhewed no Mercy: Saith the Word of the Lord, James ii. 13.

X. MURDERERS must be reckoned one Sort of Perfons appointed to fuffer the Vengeance of God both in this World, and the next.

He is a Murderer, that defignedly, and maliciously takes away the Life of another, and he is a Tranfgreffor of the fixth Commandment, which fays, Thou shalt not kill, Exod. xx. 13.

And the juft God has appointed that all fuch fhall be put to death. Whofo heddeth Man's Blood, by Man fhall his Blood be fhed, faid the fovereign Lord of Life and Death. Gen. ix. 6. He that fmiteth a Man fo that he die, fhall furely be put to Death, Exod. xxi. 13. If a Man come prefumptuously upon his Neighbour, to flay him with Guile, thou shalt take him from mine Altar, that he may die, says God, Exod. xxi.

13, 14. In Numb. xxi. 13. the Almighty fays, Ye shall take no Satisfaction for the Life of a Murderer, which is guilty of Death: But he shall furely be put to Death.

The Confideration of thefe Laws fhould deter all Men from the Crime of Duelling.

There is no DUEL fought, but one of the Parties gives the Challenge; and the Occafion of it is fome Injury, fome Provocation either imaginary, or real.

Oftentimes it is imaginary, fome Words or Behaviour of the Perfon challenged, mifreprefented, or misunderstood; and a cool Inquiry into the Cafe, would prevent a Quarrel, and confirm a Friendship.

But fuppofe the Challenger has indeed been miftreated, and fuffered a real Injury, the Laws of God, and of the Land have provided a Remedy, and the Law is open to be used for obtaining Justice to one, any Way really injured.

The injured Perfon must not murder the Man that has offended him; fuch a cruel Action, is a fubverting, in that Cafe, all the Laws, divine, and human, made to prevent fo heinous a Crime.

And what is the Apology for his wicked Challenge? Is it that his Innocence of fomething he has been falfely accused of may be vindicated, and made manifeft?

This is best done in an open Court of civil Judicature, where the real State of Things may become evident by the Teftimony of Witneffes on both Sides. But his Innocence can never be cleared by his endeavouring to kill, and murder the Perfon that has falfely accused him, nor by his expofing himfelf to be murdered by the other. And the true State of the Cafe between the Duellers after their Battle, may continue to the Publick, in as much Darkness and Uncertainty as before, because of the different Accounts of it by the Friends of each Party. Or, is the Reafon of the Challenge to get Satif

faction

faction for the Affront, or Injury done him? But what Satisfaction can it be for a Man needlefly, and wickedly to expofe himself to be murder'd by the Man, whom he challenges.

If the Satisfaction meant is the Gratification of a malicious Defire of taking Revenge by a wilful fhedding the Blood of his Neighbour, of his Brother who has offended him, it is a wicked Satisfaction, and greatly to be abhorred; and the Defire of it ought to be contradicted: The gratifying fuch a Defire is an Act of Rebellion against the divine Authority, which fays, Thou shalt not kill, Exod. xx. and which has also faid, Avenge not yourselves, Rom. xii. 19.

And as to the Challenged, what is his Apology for his wicked Acceptance of the Challenge? Is it that he fhall be esteemed a Coward, a Man of no Courage, if he does not accept it? Be it fo, yet better for him that unreasonable Men think fo, than for him (in direct Oppofition to the Will, and Law of the great God) violently, and maliciously to take away the Life of another, or thus unjuftifiably to expose his own.

In the Cafe of a DUEL, the Challenger, and the Challenged (according to their Appointment) meet at the Place fixed upon; they meet each of them with a premeditated, and malicious Defign to kill, and to murder the other, in Defiance of the Authority of that God who made them both, who commands them to love each other, and to promote each others Safety and Good, and if they did fo, they would find true Honour, Peace, and Comfort. But what a fhameful, horrid Tragedy do they act by their Duelling.

Let the Cafe be rightly considered both as to the Perfon killing, and the Perfon killed: The Person killing is a Murderer with his Hands, and Heart, and the Character of being a Murderer will always

moft

most justly belong to him: And if he truly repents, the best that can be faid of him is, that he is a Pe nitent Murderer. But there remains an indelible Stain in his Character; it can never be faid of fuch a Man, that he never was a Murderer. And will the Character of being a Man of Courage compenfate the juft Shame, Disgrace, and Guilt of being a Murderer?

It should likewife be confidered whether the Perfon kill'd was fit for Death; if not, the Murderer forced his Appearance before God, to be fent down among the accurfed Spirits, to be referved to the Judgment of the great Day.

The Murderer puts a Period to his Space for Repentance, to his Opportunity of feeking Peace with God, and eternal Salvation. Thus it is with the Perfon killing.

O the miferable Confequences of Duelling!

And then as to the Perfon killed; he had Murder in his Heart, and no Space to repent of it. Duellers take the moft effectual Course to render their everlasting Damnation, Shame, and Torment inevitable.

These fix Things doth the LORD hate, yea feven are Abomination unto him: A proud Look, a lying Tongue, and Hands that shed innocent Blood, Prov. vi. 16, 17.

The Prophet Hofea, faid (Hof. iv. 3, 4.) By Swearing, and Lying, and Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adultery, they break out, and Blood touchetb Blood. Therefore fhall the Land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall lauguifh with the Beasts of the Field, and the Fowls of Heaven; yea the Fishes of the Sea alfo fhall be taken away.

The righteous Providence of God often has in a moft remarkable Manner difcovered Murderers, and brought them quickly to fuffer Death by the Sentence

3