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 ori ginal 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 way the lives of birds, hares, fishes, and other animals, for the mere gratification of a taste for hunting or fishing, can scarcely be exculpat ed 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 desira

* Math. 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 behead

ers.

ble 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 render his existence either unpleasant or intolerable, he ought to be ranked among the class of murderFor 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 car casses 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; that an ab

ed: 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.

horrence 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 pas sions; that every indication of a cruel and unfeeling disposi tion 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 practise 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 the nations; the confused noise of invading armies, the sounds of martial music, the groans of dying victims, and the hoarse shouts of conquerors, would be heard no more. Peace would descend from heaven to dwell with man on earth; prosperity would follow in her train, science would enlarge its boundaries and

shed its benign influence upon all ranks; the useful arts would flourish and advance towards perfection; philanthropy would diffuse its thousand blessings in every direction, and every man would sit "under his vine and fig-tree" in perfect security from all danger or annoyance.

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."

This commandment is to be viewed as comprehending with in its prohibition, every species of lewdness, both in thought, word, and action; as adultery, fornication, incest, poligamy, &c.; and likewise all those licentious desires and affections from which such actions proceed. In this comprehensive sense it is explained by our Saviour, in his Sermon on the Mount, and by the Apostles, in their letters to the Christian Churches. It is founded on the distinction of sexes which exists among mankind, and on the law of Marriage, which was promulgated immediately after the creation of the first pair-a law which was intended to limit, and to regulate the intercourse of the sexes; and to promote purity, affection, and order, among the several generations of mankind. By this law the marriage union is limited to two individuals. He who made mankind at the beginning, says Christ, made them male and female, and said, "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh." And, it might easily be shown, from an induction of facts, and from a consideration of the present circumstances of the human race, that this law, and this alone, is calculated to promote the mutual affection of the married pair, and to secure the peace and happiness of families, and the harmony of general society. By this law the union is made permanent, so long as the parties exist in this world. "What God hath joined, let no man put asunder." This regu lation has a tendency to promote union of affection and interests, and to induce the parties to bear with patience the occasional inconveniences and contentions which may arise. Were divorces generally permitted, on the ground of unsuitableness of temper, or occasional jars, society would soon be shaken to its centre. Every real or supposed insult, or provocation, would be followed out, till it terminated in the separation of the parties; families would thus be torn into shreds; the education of the young would be neglected; parental authority disregarded; and a door opened for the prevalence of unbounded licentiousness. Soon after the commencement of

the Revolution in France, a law, permitting divorces, was passed by the National Assembly; and, in less than three months from its date, nearly as many divorces as marriages were registered in the city of Paris. In the whole kingdom, within the space of eighteen months, upwards of twenty thousand divorces were effected; and the nation sunk into a state of moral degradation, from the effects of which it has never yet recovered. This is one of the many practical proofs presented before us, of the danger of infringing on any of the moral arrangements which the Creator has established.

The precept under consideration is to be considered as directly opposed to all promiscuous and licentious intercourse between the sexes. And the reasonableness of this prohibition will appear, if we consider, for a moment, what would be the consequences which would inevitably follow, were this law to be set aside, or universally violated. A scene of unbounded licentiousness would ensue, which would degrade the human character, which would destroy almost all the existing relations of society, and unhinge the whole fabric of the moral world.-One end of the institution of marriage was, to "replenish the earth" with inhabitants, to perpetuate the successive generations of men, and to train up a virtuous and intelligent race to people the congregation of the heavens. But this end would be ultimately frustrated, were a promiscuous and unlimited intercourse to become either general or universal. For, it has been found, that, wherever such intercourse partially prevails, it strikes at the root of human existence, and has a tendency to prevent the operation of that law which the Creator impressed on all living beings, "Increase and multiply." In the haunts of licentiousness, in large cities, and in all such societies as those which formerly existed in Otaheite, under the name of Arreoy, the laws of nature are violated, the course of generation obstructed, and numbers of human beings strangled at the very porch of existence. So that were mankind at large to relapse into such licentious practices, the human race, instead of increasing in number, to replenish the desolate wastes of our globe, according to the Creator's intention, would rapidly decrease every succeeding generation, till, after the lapse of a few centuries, human beings would be entirely extirpated, and the earth, barren and uncultivated, would be left to the dominion of the beasts of the forest.

But, although such a distant event were to be altogether disregarded, the immediate consequences of such unhallowed courses would be dismal in the extreme. That union of heart, affection, and of interests, which subsists between the great