afterwards live in society as it were dead, being numbered amongst the vile and wicked, with whom no one will hold intercourse. This, when it is done from enmity, hatred, or revenge, is homicide or murder; for the civil life proceeds and is estimated by many in the world, in a like degree with the life of the body; and he who kills or destroys it, is also as guilty before the angels in the heavens, as if he had killed his brother or neighbor as to the life of the body. For enmity, hatred, and revenge breathe murder, and will it, but are restrained and curbed by the fear of the law, of resistance, and of reputation: nevertheless, they are an effort to murder, and all effort is as it were an act, for it goes forth into act when fear is removed. These things are what the Lord teaches in Matthew,[1] 'Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause [or rashly, as it should be translated] shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [which signifies wretch or miscreant], shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.'"[2] From this passage we may learn, what it is that constitutes the spirit of murder:—it is "enmity, hatred, and revenge;"—any feeling, that leads us to injure our neighbor in reputation, character, or in any other way. And we see from these the Lord's own words, what He meant by His Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" (for it
- ↑ v. 21, 22.
- ↑ Apocalypse Explained, n. 1012.
