The Fortieth Lord’s Day

40 The Fortieth Lord’s Day
Exodus 20:13
You shall not kill.
In this sixth command of the Decalogue Moses addresses the person and life of man, and this is the reason why this command is placed before the other two following commands,1 in which are handled only the adjuncts of these. For the person and life are of greater importance than the things that belong to the person. Therefore care was first to be had of this, and then of those. The command is proposed negatively, as are the rest that follow; yet the precedent ones were proposed affirmatively. The reason is because in things belonging to the fifth precept,2 privation is more used than contrariety; that is, it is more commendable not to give the honour to those to whom it is due, than to load them with manifest injuries and reproaches. But in these commands nothing is more usual than that for the duties commanded, we run into the quite contrary faults as to hurt our neighbour’s life or his livelihood in his goods, or to bear a false testimony against him, or to inordinately desire anything that is his. It was therefore very suitable that in the fifth commandment, the perfect duty opposite to the privation of honour should affirmatively be commanded of us; but in the rest it was more necessary that we should be recalled from the contrary faults and sins, by a negative prohibition. Now the life for which provision is made in this command, is both bodily and spiritual; and both these ought to be considered not only in their esteem and existence, but also in all their accessory qualities that makes for their comfort and convenience.
Doctrine 1. Out of conscience to God and his law, we ought to abstain from all such things that tend to hurt our neighbour’s bodily life. 
This is gathered from the words of this command, because while murder or killing is forbidden, all causes and effectual occasions of it are also forbidden. 
Reason 1. Because man is made after the image of God, and so any unjust violence done to the person or life of a man, is against the honour of God, Genesis 9:6, etc.3
Reason 2 . Because God alone is the father of spirits, and the Lord of our life. He that unjustly hurts his brother’s life therefore does an injury to God, and arrogates4 to himself that power which properly belongs to no other but to God alone.
Reason 3 . Because the greatest wrong that can be done to a man in this life, is to deprive him of life, in which all other injuries are privatively5 contained. 
Use 1. Of Admonition: that we diligently keep ourselves not only from spilling blood, which is the height of this injury, but also from all cruelty, and from all words and deeds by which man’s life, or the comforts and conveniences of his life, may be hurt or impaired.
1 Adultery and stealing.
2 To honor your Father and your Mother. 
3 Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. 
4 To assert one's right or title to something; to claim for oneself.
5 The act of depriving someone of something.
Use 2 . Of Admonition also: that by like reason and conscience, we keep ourselves from all the inward dispositions and affections by which man is led and provoked to hurt his neighbour unjustly, such as 1. Anger. 2. Hatred, which is as it were, a vehement anger now strengthened and rooted in the mind; which is why men work great evils to those whom they hate, and do so constantly; from this affection endeavor follows; and from endeavor, the act itself of hurting. 3. Envy, whereby men so repine 1 at others’ good estates, that they wish them worse, or some evil. 4. Desire for revenge, whereby men render evil for evil, and that is itself evil. Although it is sometimes honest and laudable to desire restitution for what is taken away, or satisfaction for the wrong, or chastisement or punishment against someone that has offended, this is because (and when) some evil in these things and the like is wished to the offending party — not as evil, but as it tends to his good, and so as it may be good for him. Yet desire for revenge, whereby we desire some evil to another, such that it is only evil to him and without any reference to his good, can never be honest, laudable, or lawful.
Doctrine 2. But most of all we ought to keep ourselves from such things whereby the life of the soul of our brother is hurt.
This is gathered from the words of the Text, because above all other, this is the deadliest sort of killing a man; of which also the Scripture admonishes us in the same phrase whereby bodily killing is forbidden, I will require his blood at your hands, Ezekiel 33:8. Yet there is this difference between bodily and spiritual killing, that no man can be spiritually killed or murdered by violence and mere force, as many are killed bodily.
Reason 1. Because a man’s spiritual life is his most precious possession, far surmounting his bodily life. 
Reason 2. Because hurting this life belongs to the hurt of his eternal state and condition. Reason 3. Because depriving this life draws with it the deprivation of all the true comfort of the bodily life also.
Reason 4 . Because in hurting this life, God’s glory is directly wronged by reason that this life cannot be hurt except by the sin of the one that hurts it, as well as the sin one that is hurt; though bodily life may be taken away without the sin of the one whose life it is.
Use. Of Admonition: that with great care and conscience we keep ourselves from all things whereby this life of the soul is hurt; such as, 1. From Heretical 
Doctrines. 2. From evil and corrupt counsel. 3. From scandalous and pernicious examples. 4. From all neglect of those duties that we owe our Neighbour with regard to this eternal salvation.
Doctrine 3. It is our duty not only to abstain from all those things which hurt the life of our Neighbour, bodily or spiritual; but also to carefully do all those things whereby he may be furthered in either life, and it may be made more lovely and comfortable for him.
It is hence gathered, that as no command is altogether negative, but always contains and commands the contrary duties to the sins forbidden, so it is also in this sixth Commandment. Reason 1. Because there is a certain communion of nature and bodily life among all the posterity of Adam, as they all come from one and the same blood. There is likewise a like communion of spiritual life among many, as to the act and exercise itself; and among all, as to the hope and possibility.
1 Express discontent; whine.
Reason 2 . Because religion sets up a sort of society among men and as it were, a spiritual City or Commonwealth, in which everyone is bound to procure the common good,1 and advance it as much as he can.
Reason 3 . Because God is glorified in such duties, and according to the power and occasion given to us, there arises a calling to us, and a divine allowance whereby we are to perform this duty in a special manner.
Use . Of Exhortation: to all sorts of duties whereby the life of our Neighbour may be cherished; such as, 1. To a care for peace and love. 2. To patience. 3. To courtesy. 4. To pity, mercy, and bounty. 5. To spiritual alms of Instruction, Exhortation, Admonition, Consolation, as occasion requires. This also refers to those sins which we commit against our ownlives, such as drunkenness, surfeit,2 the evils of whoredoms and uncleanness, and the like; and contrarily, those duties whereby we ought to procure and further our own comfort, both of life and health and also of body and soul.
1 1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: - the Greek sumphero means to bring together for what is profitable. The NIV, ESV, and NAS use “common good.” 2 To indulge one's appetite to satiety or excess; over-indulgence in anything.