into every family. "Honour thy father and thy mother," says the Apostle, " which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long upon the earth." These words, which are frequently repeated in Scripture, are not empty sounds; nor ought they to be deprived, even under the Christian dispensation, of their obvious and literal meaning. Filial piety has a natural tendency to produce health, long life and prosperity; and could we trace the whole of the secret history of Providence in reference to this precept, we should, doubtless, find this position abundantly exemplified. At any rate, were it universally practised, it would carry along with it a train of blessings which would convert the tumults and convulsions of nations into peace and tranquillity, and transform the moral wilderness of this world into a scene of verdure, beauty and loveliness, which would enrapture the mind of every moral intelligence; and, among its other benefits, "length of days, and long life and peace," would undoubtedly "be added" to the other enjoyments of mankind.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.

"Thou shalt not kill."

This precept forbids the taking away of the life of any sensitive or intelligent existence. The command is absolute, without the least exception, as it stands in the Decalogue; and it is universal, extending to every rational and moral agent. It implies that, as every sensitive and every intelligent being derived its existence from the Omnipotent Creator of heaven and earth, no one has a right to deprive it of that existence, except that Being by whom it was bestowed. And, whatever exceptions to the universality of this law may be admitted, they can be admitted only on the authority of the Lawgiver himself, who is the Original Fountain of existence to all his creatures. The principal exceptions to this law are the following:-1. The man who has violently taken away the life of another is commanded, by the authority of God, to be put to death. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." This is the dictate of rea

*

son as well as of revelation; for no human power can recal the departed spirit, or reanimate the lifeless corpse, and no adequate compensation can ever be given for such a crime. 2. The life of the lower animals is permitted by the same authority to be taken away, when these animals are necessary for our food, or when they endanger our existence. This permission was first granted, immediately after the flood, to Noah and his descendants. "God said to Noah and his sons; every thing that moveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things." Without such a positive grant from the Creator, man could have had no more right to take away the life of an ox or a sheep, than he has to imbrue his hands in the blood, or to feast on the flesh of his fellowmen. To take the life of any sensitive being, and to feed on its flesh, appears incompatible with a state of innocence; and therefore, no such grant was given to Adam in paradise; nor does it appear that the Antediluvians, notwithstanding their enormous crimes, ever feasted on the flesh of animals. It appears to have been a grant suited only to the degraded state of man after the deluge; and, it is probable, that, as he advances in the scale of moral perfection, in the future ages of the world, the use of animal food will be gradually laid aside, and he will return again to the productions of the vegetable kingdom, as the original food of man, and as that which is best suited to the rank of a rational and moral intelligence. And, perhaps, it may have an influence, in combination with other favourable circumstances, in promoting health and longevity. But, although the inferior animals, are, in the mean time, subjected to our use, no permission is granted to treat them with harshness or cruelty, or to kill them for the sake of sport and amusement. And, therefore, the man who wantonly takes away the lives of birds, hares, fishes

* Notwithstanding the considerations here stated, the Author is doubtful whether the Creator has conceded to man the right of taking away the life of another, even in the case of murder. If the passage here quoted ought to be considered as a prediction rather than a law, as is most probable, it will afford no warrant for the destruction of human life; and there is no other injunction of this kind which has any relation to the New Testament dispensation.

and other animals, for the mere gratification of a taste for hunting or fishing, can scarcely be exculpated from the charge of a breach of this commandment.

The above are the principal exceptions which the Creator has made in reference to the law under consideration. And it may not be improper to remark, that, besides the direct act of murder, every thing that leads to it, or that has a tendency to endanger life, is to be considered as forbidden in this commandment. All unkindness and harsh treatment exercised towards servants, dependants, and brute animals, by which life may be shortened or rendered intolerable-all furious and revengeful passions, which may lead to acts of violence-all quarrelling, fighting, and boxing, either for bets, or for the gratification of hatred or revenge-all wishes for the death of others, and all contrivances either direct or indirect to compass the destruction of our neighbour-all criminal negligence by which our own life or the life of others may be endangered or destroyed-and all those actions by which murder may be committed as a probable effect, as the burning of inhabited houses, and the throwing of the instruments of death into the midst of a crowd-are to be regarded as involving the principle of murder, as well as the direct acts of suicide, duelling and assassination; and, consequently, as violations of that law which extends to the secret purposes of the heart, as well as to the external actions. Even unreasonable anger, malice and scurrility are declared by our Saviour to be a species of murder: "Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca," that is, thou worthless empty fellow, "shall be in danger of the council."* Life is desirable only as it is connected with enjoyment, and, therefore, when a man treats his brother with such a degree of hatred and scurrility, as to

* Matth. v. 22. Christ, in this passage, refers to a common court among the Jews, composed of twenty-three men, wherein capital sentences might be passed, on which a malefactor might be strangled or beheaded: this was called the Judgment. But the Sanhedrim, or Council, was the supreme Jewish court, consisting of seventy-two; in which the highest crimes were tried, which they, and they alone, punished with stoning, which was considered a more terrible death than the former.

render his existence either unpleasant or intolerable, he ought to be ranked among the class of murderers. For the apostle John declares, without the least limitation, that "whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and he that loveth not his brother, abideth in death." And, if this criterion be admitted, a train of murderers will be found existing in society far more numerous than is generally supposed.

It would be needless to attempt an illustration of the consequences which would ensue, were the breach of this law to become universal. It is obvious, on the slightest reflection, that were this to happen, human society would soon cease to exist. That prophecy which was given forth respecting Ishmael would then receive a most terrible and extensive accomplishment, in the case of every human agent: "His hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him." Every man would assume the character of an infernal fiend; every lethal weapon would be prepared and furbished for slaughter; every peaceful pursuit and employment would be instantly abandoned; the voice of wailing and the yells of fury and despair, would be heard in every family, in every village, in every city, in every field, in every kingdom, and in every clime. Every house, every street, every valley, every forest, every river, every mountain, and every continent would be strewed with fearful devastation, and with the mangled carcasses of the slain. The work of destruction

would go on with dreadful rapidity, till the whole race of man were extirpated from the earth, leaving this vast globe a scene of solitude and of desolation, an immense sepulchre, and a spectacle of horror to all superior intelligences. And, let it be remembered, that such a picture, horrible and revolting as it is, is nothing more than what would be the natural result of the principle of hatred, were it left to its native energies, and were it not controlled, in the course of providence, by Him who sets restraining bounds to the wrath of man.

In order to counteract the tendencies of this baleful principle, it is of the utmost importance that youth be trained up in habits of kindness, tenderness and compassion, both towards human beings, and towards the inferior animals s; that an abhorrence should be excited in their

minds of quarrelling, fighting, and all mischievous tricks and actions; that they be restrained from the indulgence of malicious and resentful passions; that every indication of a cruel and unfeeling disposition be carefully counteracted; and that every tendency of the heart towards the benevolent affections, and every principle of active beneficence be cultivated and cherished with the most sedulous care and attention. For, in youth, the foundation has generally been laid of those malevolent principles and passions which have led to robbery, assassination, and deeds of violence, which have filled the earth with blood and carnage and which have displayed their diabolical energy in so dreadful a manner amidst the contests of communities and nations.

Were the disposition to indulge hatred, which leads to every species of murder, completely counteracted, the greatest proportion of those evils which now afflict our world, would cease to exist. Human sacrifices would no longer bleed upon Pagan altars; the American Indians would no longer torture to death their prisoners taken in war, nor the New Zealanders feast upon the flesh and the blood of their enemies. The widows of Hindostan would no longer be urged to burn themselves alive on the corpses of their deceased husbands; nor would the mothers of China imbrue their hands in the blood of their infant offspring. The practice of Duelling would forever cease, and would be universally execrated as an outrage on common sense, and on every generous and humane feeling, and as the silly attempt of a puny mortal to gratify wounded pride or disappointed ambition, at the expense of the life of his fellow creature. Despotism would throw aside its iron sceptre, and the nations would be ruled with the law of love; and plots, conspiracies, treasons and massacres would be attempted no more. The fires of the Inquisition would cease to be kindled, the supposed heretic would no longer be consigned to the horrors of a gloomy dungeon, racks and gibbets and guillotines would be shivered to pieces and thrown into the flames, and the spirit of cruelty and persecution would be extirpated from the earth. Riot, tumult, and contention would be banished from our streets, and harmony and concord would prevail throughout all our borders. War would forever cease to desolate