(1.) According to the divine law, this sin is to be punished with death, by the hand of the civil magistrate, Deut. xix. 11, 12. Thus Joab, who had deserved to die for murders formerly committed, was slain, by David’s order, by his son Solomon; though he sought protection by taking hold of the horns of the altar, 1 Kings ii. 28, 29. Many other crimes might be expiated by sacrifices, which God ordained should be offered for that end; whereas, no satisfaction was to be accepted for this sin but the blood of the murderer, Numb. xxxv. 31. And it is a matter of dispute with some, whether kings, who may pardon many crimes, by virtue of their prerogative, can, according to the laws of God, pardon murder, without being supposed to extend their clemency beyond its due bounds?
(2.) God often gives up those who are guilty of the sin of murder, to the terrors of a guilty conscience, which is a kind of hell upon earth; as in the instances of Cain, Lamech, and others, Gen. iv, 13,-15. and 23, 24.
(3.) Such are followed with many remarkable instances of divine vengeance; so that the blast of providence attends all their undertakings. Thus David, after he had killed Uriah, was followed with such rebukes of providence, that the latter part of his life was rendered very uneasy thereby; and what the prophet foretold was fulfilled, that the sword should never depart from his house; that is, as long as he lived, 2 Sam. xii. 9, 10.
(4.) The judgments of God for his sin, are oftentimes transmitted to posterity. Thus Simeon and Levi’s murder of the Shechemites, was punished in the tribes that descended from them; who, according to the patriarch’s prediction, were divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel, Gen. xlix. 7. And Saul’s slaying the Gibeonites, was punished in David’s time, by a famine occasioned thereby, 2 Sam. xxi. 1. And the murders which the Jews had committed on the prophets in former ages, were punished in the destruction of their state and nation; when all the righteous blood that had been shed upon the earth, came upon them, Matt. xxiii. 35.
(5.) Their lives are often shortened, and they brought to the grave with blood. Thus Absalom perished by the just judgment of God, for the murder of his brother, as well as his other crimes; and in this the Psalmist’s observation holds true, that bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, Psal. lv. 23. We are now to consider,
4. That this Commandment may be broken otherwise than by the taking away the life of our neighbour. It may be committed by a person in his heart, when he has not an opportunity to execute his malicious designs; or is afraid to do it, because of the punishment from men, which will ensue. Thus the apostle says, Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer, 1 John iii. 15. Of this we have an instance in wicked Ahab; who hated Micajah, because he prophesied not good concerning him, but evil, 1 Kings xxii. 9. And, it is more than probable, that this hatred would have broke forth into murder, could he have laid hold on the least shadow or pretence that might have put a colour on so vile an action. And Jezebel was guilty of this sin, who threatened to murder the prophet Elijah, chap. xix. 2. and the Jews, who were filled with malice against our Saviour; for which reason they would have put him to death at that time; but they feared the people, Mark xi. 18. And as this is a sin that reigns in wicked men, there are some instances hereof even in good men. Thus David carried his resentment too far against Nabal, though a churlish and ungrateful man, when he resolved, in his passion, not only to take away his life, which was an unjustifiable action, but to destroy the whole family, the innocent with the guilty, 1 Sam. xxv. 21, 22. and he was sensible of his sin in this passionate resolution, which occasioned his blessing God for his preventing it, by Abigail’s prudent management.
There is another instance of sinful and unaccountable passion, that cannot be excused from a degree of heart-murder in Jonah; who was very angry because God was gracious, and spared Nineveh, on their repentance; and in this fit of passion, he desires that God would take away his life, justifies his anger, and, as it were, dares him to cut him off; which was as bad a frame as ever any good man was in. And all this took its rise from pride, lest some should think him a false prophet, who did not rightly distinguish between what God might do, and would have done, had they not repented, and what he determined to do, namely, to give them repentance, and so to spare them. I say, rather than be counted a false prophet, which, it may be, was a groundless surmise, he was angry with God for sparing it, Jonah iv. 1-4.
Here it will be enquired, whether all anger is sinful, or a breach of this Commandment? To which it may be answered, That since the apostle says, Be angry and sin not, Eph. iv. 26. it implies, that there may be anger which is not sinful; but, on the other hand, may rather be styled, a zeal for God. Of this kind was that anger which our Saviour expressed against the Scribes and Pharisees, when he calls them serpents, a generation of vipers, Matt. xxiii. 33. and when he whipped the buyers and sellers out of the temple; on which occasion it is said, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, John ii. 15, 17. And the apostle reproved Elymas the sorcerer, who endeavoured to turn away the deputy from the faith, with words that seemed full of anger; when he addressed himself to him in this manner; O full of all subtilty, and all mischief thou child of the Devil, thou enemy of all righteousness; Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? Acts xiii. 10. And Peter could not reprove that vile hypocrite Simon Magus, when he offered to purchase the conferring the Holy Ghost, without expressing some anger and resentment, as the cause required, when he says, Thy money perish with thee, &c. chap. viii. 20, 21, yet that he might let him know that it was only zeal to God that provoked his anger, he gives him friendly advice to repent of this his wickedness, ver. 22. From whence we may take occasion to enquire,
(1.) What is the difference between sinful anger or passion, and an holy zeal for God?
[1.] An holy zeal for God, leads us rightly to distinguish between the person reproved, and his actions, that give us occasion for it; so that we hate the sin, but not the person that commits it. Thus the Psalmist says, I hate the work of them that turn aside, Psal. ci. 3. But sinful anger is principally directed against the person with whom we are offended.