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Pillars of Salt.

An HISTORY OF SOME CRIMINALS Executed in this Land; FOR Capital Crimes.

With some of their Dying Speeches; Collected and Published, For the WARNING of such as Live in Destructive Courses of Ungodliness.

Whereto is added, For the better Improvement of this History, A Brief Discourse about the Dreadful Justice of God, in Punishing of SIN, with SIN.

Deut. 19.20.

Those which remain shall hear & fear, and shall hence­forth commit no more any such Evil among you.

BOSTON in New-England. Printed by B. Green, and J. Allen, for Samuel Philips at the Brick Shop near the Old-Meeting-House. 1699.

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Preface.

WHen the Blessed Farel, had Preached unto a Vast Multitude of People, some that liked it not; asked, By whose Command, or, at whose Desire, he P [...]eached? He Answered, and it was Answer Enough; B [...] the Command of Christ, and at the Desire of His Peo­ple 'Tis possible, the Author of the Ensuing Dis­c [...]urs [...]s, and Relations, may be asked a Reason for doing what he has done, in this Publication: Bu [...] his Resonable Account of it is, 'Tis all done by the Command of Christ, and at the Desire of His People.

One [...]a [...]es we [...]l, That Sermons Preached, are like Showres of Rain, that Water for the Instant; B [...] Sermons Printed, are like Snow that lies longer on the Earth. God grant that the Truths falling from Hea­ven, in this Form, this Winter upon our Neighbours, may Soak into their Hearts, with a Sensible and a Du [...]able, Efficacy.

We find in Zuinger, the mention of a City be­si [...]ged by a Poten [...] Enemy; where the Inhabitants took the Dead Bodies of the Starved People, and set them in Armour on the Walls; at the sight whereof, the Amaz [...]d Enemy F [...]ed. Viee is [...]e Enemy that be­seiges [...]s; a Number of Dead Wretches are here set on our [...] may the horrible Sight cause that worst Enemy to fly before it▪

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REFLECTIONS on the Dreadful CASE of Sin Punished With Sin.
Made, Novemb. 17. 1698, at Boston-Lecture.

Give Attention to as Dreadful a Case, as ever [...] was discoursed! You find it proposed, in

ROM. I.28.

God gave them over unto a Reprobate Mind, to Do those things which are not Convenient.

THE Fearful Judgments of Go [...] upon men, for their Sins against Him, are so observably multi­plied among us, that we are un­accountably Sinful, if we do not Cry out, Lord, My Flesh Trembleth for Fear of [...]hee, and I am Afraid of thy Judgments.

[Page 4]But it is to be Feared, That the most Fearful of all those Judgments, are least of all observed Namely, The Iudgments wherein the Holy God Punisheth one Sin with another, and Leaves a woful Sinner, yet more wofully to Sin against Him. Sirs, These Judgments of God, are of all the most Fearful; and yet, alas, they are of all the most Frequent. Of these amazing Judgments, we may say, How unsearchable are th [...] Judgments of God, and His Wayes past finding out

These are the Judgments of God now before us. The Apostle of the Gentiles, is here decla [...]ring, the Means to know God, which the Gentiles and particularly, the Romans, had Enjoy'd is the Light of Nature; and relating how they neg [...]lected and abused those Means, in their not Glorifying Him as God; but Inventing, and Erecting and Adoring vain Images of Him. The pro [...]gress of the Divine Judgments, against the For [...]lorn Gentiles, for their not Glorifying of God, [...] here described unto us. God Left them, Fo [...] this cause, in the first place, to become vain in thei [...] Imaginations. It is a marvellous Thing, I hav [...] often marvelled at it! That while the more Ba [...]barous Nations have Worshipped the Sun, th [...] Moon, the Stars, and the more specious and gli [...]tering Objects of Idolatry; such Learned Nat [...]ons as the Egyptians worshipped a Bull, a Dog and a Rat; The Learned Graecians, worshippe Feavers, and Passions, for their Gods; and o [...] most Learned Romans worshipped the very Fur [...] [Page 5] of Hell. Truly, there was the Just Wrath of God, in this Thing, That the Nations, who had most of Light, whereby to know God, and yet Glorified Him not as God, should become thus Vain in their Imaginations. But stop'd they here? No; There is mention'd a further Depravation whereto God loft them, in His Just Wrath against them, for their Idolatries: For this cause God gave them up to Vile Affections; which also imply and comprize Vile Practices in them. It is here indeed, Three Times over noted, That God punished their Idolatries, by leaving the wretched Idolaters to other and farther Abomi­nations; Especially, He punished the Spiritual Uncleannesses of Idolatry, by leaving them to the Corporal Uncleannesses of Debauchery: They who worshipped God under the Shape, it may be, of Bruits, were left by God, unto the Sins, which made them worse than Bruits. If you Read the Old Pagan Suetonius his life of Nero, you'l see those very Villanies acted, in the Unclean Court of Rome, which our Apostle here Brands with Infamy. The Christians at Rome, knew where to find a Court, that at this very Time▪ would afford an Exemplification, and Explication, of what the Apostle thus wrote unto them.

In our Text; the matter is once again Re­peted. Behold, the Holy God here Punishing of Sinners, by Giving them over to a Reprobate mind. But what is a Rebrobate mind? It is here Expla­ned; [Page 6] A mind let upon doing of those Things which are not convenient: Or, which are unrea­sonably wicked. And a Black Lest of those things then follows; The Bottom of Hell it self, could not afford but such a Black List of Crying Abominations.

Now there is a very Terrible Doctrine which even like a Thunder-bolt hence falls among us.

That the Holy God, often Punisheth many Sins of men, by Giving them up to still Blacker Sins against Him.

I find, the Jews have a Notable saying; Mer­ces Transgressi [...]nis Transgressio; That is to say, Men are punished for One Transgression, by being therefore Given up unto Another. And this is the Thing, that is now to be said unto us; God help us to Receive with an Agreeable and Pro­fitable Attention, what shall be said concerning it.

There are Two very Important CASES, to be now Treated upon.

In the first place, the Methods of the Divine Sov'raignty and Equity, in thi [...] awful manner, are now to be set before us. It is a Subject of deep Enquiry;

The First CASE. How does the Holy God, Punish men for One Sin, by Leaving them to Another; and how is it Consistent with His Holiness to do so?

[Page 7]Now this is an Enquiry so full of dazzling Mystery and Amazement, that it must be answer­ed, with all Humble Modesty. Our Humble An­swer to it, must be, in these Conclusions.

Conclusion. I.

There are certain Spiritual Plagues, as well as Temporal Plagues, among those Terrible Things, which a Sinful world is justly Plagued wi [...]hal. Temporal Plagues, or, Disastrous Blows upon men, in their Secular concerns, are not the only Punishments, that their Sins are chastis'd withal; Calamities that befal Sinful men more immedi­ately in their Outward man; Such as Poverty, and Slavery, and Reproach, and Sickness, and the Embittermen [...]s and Abbreviations of the Na­tural Life, are not all the Sc [...]u [...]ges, with which the Sins of men are punished. There is another Sort of Arrows, in the te [...]ible Quiver of the Sin-Revenging Lord: Even Spiritual Plagues, or direful and i [...]e [...]ul Strokes from God, upon the Spirits of them, that Sin against Him. In these Plagues, the God of Heaven, saith, as to that Sinner, in Exod. 9.14. I will send my plagues upon thy Heart; The Heart, the Soul, is the Object, that these Plagues, more immediately fall upon

This General Conclusion, we lay in the Foundation of our whole Discourse; because to thi [...] Head of Spiritual Plagues, is to be referred th [...] [Page 8] whole Case, of, One Sin punished with another.

Conclusion II.

As an Instance of Spiritual Plagues, The Ora­cles of God, have often told us, That Some Sins, are not only Consequents, but also Punishments of others. To this purpose, we have that famous passage, in Isa. 6.10. where, the people who had sinfully Stopt their Ears, and Shut their Eyes, have this Judgment passed upon them for it; Make the heart of this people Fat, & make their Ears Heavy, and Shut their Eyes. The whole Jewish Nation, have now for many Ages, been a Flaming Monument of such Plagues, and Fulfilment of the Prophecy that praedicted them: God hath for this Cause given them up to a vile Unbelief: they are Shut up in Unbelief, as in the Utter Darkness of a Prison, because they have to criminally Refused the Lord Messiah; and in that Prison of Unbelief, must they Ly punished, until the Times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The Wrath of Heaven, does not Now commonly with such Visible Strokes from Heaven, cut off them that have provoked it, as perhaps it commonly did, when the Lord more visibly Exhibited Himself, as a King among His People, in the Mosaic Paedo­gogy. But Spiritual Plagues, and such Derelicti­ons, and such Dispensations, as more immedi­ately affect the Spirits of men, with a Confirmed [Page 9] State of Sin, are those that are now Scattered like Brimstone on mens Habitations. And yet such Plagues also were of Old [...]flicted, as well as Now. Hence we read, in Psal. 81.11, 12. My people would not Hearken to my voice; so I gave them up, unto their own Hearts Lust, and they walked in their own counsels. This was to punish mens former Sins, by giving them up to further Sins; even all the other Sins, that their own Hearts Lust would incline them unto. Hence we read, in Psal. 95.10, 11. It is a people that Err in their Heart, and have not known my wayes: Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not Enter into my Rest. This was to punish mens first Refusal of Entring into Rest, by giving them up, unto One Sin after another, which might bring Desolation upon them. Hence we read, in Hos. 4.17 Ephraim is joyned unto Idols: And now, What shall be done to Idolatrous Ephraim? Enemies ▪ Devour him▪ Famines, Consume him! Thunders, Batter him▪ No; A worse Thing than all of This, Let him alone. But then, I am sure, Sin and Hell, won't Let him alone. Upon this Passage, I remember one of the Ancients, breaks forth into that Ex­clamation, Vis Indignantis D [...] Terribilem vocem dudire? 'Tis the Dreadful Voice of an Angry God! Ponder to this purpose, Likewise that passage, in Isa. 63.17. O Lord, why hast thou made us to Err from thy wayes, and hardened our Heart from thy Fear? God punisheth One Sinful Error in [Page 10] men, by giving them up to another, One Sinful Hardness, by giving them up to another. It is an awful Observation, of Austin's; Jussist et sic est, ut paena sua sibi sit omnis inordi [...]atu [...] affectus.

Conclusion III.

As well Scripture as Reason tells us, That Sins may truly be accounted Punishments; and that it is among the worst of Punishments, to be given up unto a Reprobate mind. As there is a Moral Evil in every Sin, so Sin may be reckoned a Paen [...]l Evil too. There is no Sin, but what is a Misery as well as a Sin. A man, by Running into Sin, does run into Darkness: The Sinner does, according to 1 Joh 1 6 Walk in Darkness: And is it not a miserable thing to Walk in Dark­ness from day to day? A plagued Egypt scarce knew a thing more miserable. By every Sin, a man is Degraded, and Debased and Disgraced, and made a miserable Wretch. Hence we are told, in Rom. 3 23. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Alas, By Sinning, we very sadly Loose our glory. Sin is in the very Nature of it, a Departure from God: and there­fore it is a Departure from the Chief Good, and from that Faelicity, and Fr [...]ition which is most of all to be desired. In every Sin, a man does that astonishing Thing, in Jer. 2.12. To Forsake the Fountain of Living Waters, and h [...]w out cisterns [Page 11] that can hold no water. Now, Sy [...]s, Think, and judge, and say, Whether an Immortal Soul, can bring upon it self a greater misery. Yea, and the more of Sin any man doth commit, the more of misery does belong unto that man; and the more of Wrath will God at the last propor­tion out unto him. The Sinner is, as the Bible speaks, Heaping up Wrath; and by every New Sin, he adds unto that Heap, which being Fired by the Breath of God, shall scorch and scald upon him, throughout Eternal Ages. The Wa­ges of Sin is Death; and the more Sin that any man hath done, the more of Wages, and of Burn­ings, and of Torments, will belong unto that man for ever. There are also Degrees of Sin; the Book of Truth informs us, that there are some Greater Abominations; and some Sins have more of misery in them, than others have. Some Sins bring more of Blemish on the Names of men, and more of Blindness, and Bondage, and Horror on their Minds. There are Miscarriages, that bring more of Confusion with them, and that more confound men in all their Interests. It may be, they are miscarriages, that render men presently and grievously obnoxious to the Resentments of the Societies which they belong unto, and that bring Censures and Ruins upon the obnoxious. I have read of a Judge, who being to punish a man for Drunkenness, ordered that the man should be Drunk over again: He [Page 12] judged it seems, That the Crime it self was its own punishment, a man could not be worse pu­nished than by being Left unto such a Beastly Crime: [and have I not wrong'd the Beasts, in calling it so: The Beasts affect it not!] Indeed the very Pagans themselves have seen cause to say, Sceleris in Scelere Supplicium. Sin is its own plague. He that lays all these things together, will be convinced of This, Lord, Thou dost never punish our Sin more Terribly, than by Leaving us to Sin yet more against thee!

Conclusion IV.

The Punishment of Sin, does ever proceed from the God, that is offended by Sin; though Sin it self do not so. A Reprobate mind is not made by that God, who is Goodness it self, and who alwayes made all Things very good: And yet this Good God may order the Effects of a Reprobate mind, for to be the punishments of those that have done Evil before Him. We are wise­ly to Distinguish, between Sin, as it is a Crime, and as it may be the Punishment of a Crime. Now, according to this Distinction, we are cer­tain, That God cannot be the Author of Sin: Ul­tor peccati non est Author peccati. The Jesuites and Arminians, that Revile us, for Holding that God is the Author of Sin, do but show, that they Resolve to Revile: The Lord Rebuke them▪ No, We all Agree to say, He that cannot Look on [Page 13] Iniquity, will not Make Iniquity; He that Hates all the Workers of Iniquity, cannot Himself Work Iniquity. The God that cannot Lye, cannot in a­ny thing Decline, from His own Eternal Rule of Right, nor Incline any of us to Decline from that Rule, Are Sinners given over by God? Ne­ver so, but that at the same time it may be said of them, as in Eph. 4.19. They have given them­selves over unto Wickedness. Hence is that cau­tion, in Jam. 1.13, 14. Let no man say, when h [...] is Tempted, I am Tempted of God; for God canno [...] be Tempted with Evil, neither Tempteth He an man; But every man is Tempted, when he is draw [...] away of his own Lust, and Enticed. But then we are also certain, That there is no punishmen [...] of Sin, but what comes from God. God Act as a Judge, in the punishment of Sin; yea, ther are Positive Acts of God about it; It is a Flowe of His Crown, in Psal 94.1. O Lord God, T [...] whom Vengeance belongeth. The Revenging of Si [...] is from God; from the Throne of God, from the Hand of God, and not without some Act o [...] the Great God, issue out all those Revenge [...] which testify against the Sins of men.

Conclusion V.

The Acts of God, in bringing about, the Pu [...]ishment of one Sin with another, are infinite [...] Blameless, but marvellously Various. There a [...] [Page 14] several Holy Acts of the Thrice Holy God, in giving a Sinful man up unto a Reprobate Mind. When God Punishes one Sin, with leaving a man to Another, 'tis by doing that Stupendous Thing, whereof we often Read in His Word; Namely, The Hardening of the Heart in such a man. But how is this brought about? Some have con­ceived, That this was one of the Unutterable Things, heard by our Apostle Paul, when he was Caught up to the Third Heaven; Tis very sure, no man on Earth, can fully Utter this Tremen­dous Operation of God.

In general; We all Agree with Austin, That God Hardens not the Heart of any man, or gives him up to a Reprobate Mind, Infundendo Maliti­am, or, by Infusing of Sin, into his Heart: but He rather does it, Non Infundendo Gratiam, or, by not Infusing of Grace.

Let us more particularly, take up these Appre­hensions Concerning it.

I. The Original Sin, which man hath De­ [...]raved himself withal, contains in it▪ an hideous and hellish Disposition, to Every Sin whatso­ [...]ver▪ Besides our Actual Sins which are Num­berless, we have within us, an Original Sin which indeed, the Original of them all. Of this do [...]ome understand, what they so Read, in Psal. 90. [...]. Thou hast set our Secret in the light of thy countenance; even that Sin, that is of all the most [Page 15] Secret; the Original Sin defiling of our Hearts within us. However, of this most plainly, we have that Confession, in Psal. 51.5. Behold, I was shapen in Iniquity, and in sin did my Mother con­ceive me. Our First Parents, whom God justly made the Representatives of all mankind, were made Mutable; and it was no Unjust Thing in the God of Heaven to make them thus Mutable: Immutability is the prerogative of God alone. These [...] Parents being thus Mutable, abused the Liberty o [...] their own will, and by Sinning against God, they brought a Pravity upon their Natures. This Pravity is with all possible Equity unavoida­bly derived unto Us, their Children; who ac­cordingly bring Vicious Natures into the World with us. Now, in this Original Sin of our Na­tures, there are the Se [...]ds of all the Wickedness Imaginable. We are told, in Matth 15.19 Out of the Heart proceed Evil Thoughts, Murders, Adul­teries, Fornications, Thefts, False Witness, Blasphe­mies. But we are sure, There comes nothing out of the Vessel, which was not first in the Vessel. Truly, This Evil Figment (as the Jews call it) in the Heart, is perpetually Forging of Wickedness, and it naturally carries us to all the villanies which a wicked world was ever defaced withal. When you have brought in (if you can do it) a Ca­talogue, of all the monstrous Enormities, that have been drying this World for the Fires of the Last Conflagration, Then let me say, In my [Page 16] Heart, and in thy Heart, there is a woful Disposition to all of those Enormities!

II If God should not by His Grace, Restrain the Rage of Original Sin, in the Hearts of Men, they would soon [...]ush upon the most Outrage­ous Impieties in the World. As it was said, in Psal. 76.10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, the Remainder of that wrath shalt thou Re­strain: So may we say, Surely the Rage of Sin is permitted by God, so far as His praise may be fetch'd out of it; but the Remainder of that Rage He Re­strains most gloriously. The Restraints of Grace upon the children of men are Wonderful. Up­on Some there are the Restraints of Special Grace. There is a principle of Sanctity showred from on High into their Hearts; and Original Sin is powerfully mortified by that principle. Hence the persons under those Restraints, heartily Hate Sin, and Loath Sin, & will not freely commit any known Sin; but say as in Gen. 39.9. How can I do this great wickedness, and Sin against God? Upon Others, there are only the Restraints of Common Grace. There is a Conscience in them; and though that Light within be so Darkene [...], that it is not a sufficient guide unto Life, yet this Light shows men many Fair Things, and Like a Fire, it flashes Fiery Rebukes upon them, if they do not those things. This Conscience is a curious Engine, whereby God, the Supreme Go­vernour [Page 17] of the World keeps the World in Or­der. Men would be so many French Dragoons, or Turkish Pyrates one upon another, if it were not for this Check from God upon them. A man would soon Murder his Father & Mother, Destroy his own Wife, and Debauch his Neigh­bours, Blaspheme God, and Fire the Town, & Run a m [...]ck among the people, if God should not Lay upon him Restraints of Conscience, (and some further, of Interest,) and say, as in Gen. 20.6. I witheld thee from sinning against me. Men may say Like Hazael, when they hear of any Brandeable Action, Am I a Dog, that I should do such a Thing? But every man of us all, would be a Dog; and a Devil too, if the Restraints of Grace were taken off. The Devout Martyr Bradford therefore, when he heard of any Ex­traordinary Sin perpetrated in the Neighbour­hood, would smite his own Heart, and say, In this Heart of mine is that which would soon betray me into the same Sin, if God should Leave me to my self! And such was the Speech of the Ancient, on such an occasion. Ille Heri, Tu Hodie, Ego Cras: If he Sin'd Yesterday, and if Thou Sin To Day, I am as Likely to Sin To morrow.

III. God, upon great provocations, With­draws, or Witholds from Sinful men, the Grace, which He never owed them; and Thou! they Sin, most horribly, enormously, [Page 18] prodigiously. There are Venemous Fires, as one may call them, in the Souls of men; The Grace of God, keeps under those Fires, with Heaven­ly Chains upon them: If men stir up their own Sin, till He Remove these Chains, those Fires will break forth, and belch out, and vomit up Affronts to Heaven, Like so many Flaming Mountains; men will be all over Set on Fire of Hell immediately. 'Tis very sure, That God may Deny to men, the Grace which He never Ow'd them. God never oblig'd Himself unto any Unregenerate man, to bestow the Influen­ces of His Grace upon that man. And, if this Grace have been Despised, and Rejected, and Rebelled against, how much more unexception­able does it still become; for the Soveraign Lord of all, to forbear bestowing of it? In this point we are Silenced, from Rom. 9.14, 15. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God Forbid For He says, I will have mercy, on whom I will have merey. To Ly at the Foot of the Soveraign God, with an Humble Silence, under His Uncontrouleable Irresistible Will, is an Essential part of that Humiliation, without which, no man shall see the Lord. Now if the Grace of God, be not granted unto Sinful men, what piece of Sinfulness will they stick at? At None at all▪ Should the Dam of Restraining Grace be taken down, a devouring Flood of Sin, will presently carry all before it.

[Page 19] IV. When the Punishment of Sin with Sin, is to be brought about, the Sinless and Spotless Providence of God, often presents unto the Sin­ner, those Objects, which are the Occasions and Incentives of his Falling into Sin. It was by the Spotless Providence of God, that the Golden Wedge came in the way of Achan, and that the Charming Lady came in the sight of David: And now, what needed any more to Captivate the Forsaken of the Lord? We say, 'Tis Opportunity that makes a Thief: God, in His most Spotless Providence, gives to many a Sinner, an Opportunity, to Exert the Lusts that are Nested in him; and there needs no more than such an Opportunity, for an Heart abandoned by Heaven, to conceive Sin, and bring forth Death. A man once, who did not know his own Heart, won­dred when it was told him, That he should Burn Cities, and Kill People, and Brain Children; and Rip up Women with Child: Thought he▪ I am sure, I han't an Heart for to do such Barba­rous, Things! Now the Prophet, that he might assure this man, of his Living to Do all these Things, only says to him, 2 King. 8 13. Thou shalt be King: q d Thou shalt have an Opportu­nity to do all of this; There needs no more! The Mistress of a Family, Lets what Plate is necessary, be commonly used about the House, though a Thievish Servant will Steal that Plate, [Page 20] and Smart for doing so, God, in His most Unblemishable Providence, gives a Chenter, an Opportunity to Defraud his Neighbours: & gives a Drunkard, an Opportunity to see the Wine give its colour in the Cup: and gives a Wanton, an Op­portunity to Court his Mistresses. There needs no more, to Take such a prepared Heart, as the poor Sinners is: The Sparks are no sooner struck, but the Tynder takes immediately.

V. There is nothing that more Entraps a Sin­ner, in the punishment of Sin with Sin, than the Scandal of Sin committed by great Preten­ders to Godliness: and it is not without the ordering of God, that this Trap is laid for un­godly men. The Sin of men, is, that they do not themselves Personally, and Seriously, and Sincerely, enter into Covenant with God in Christ, and Walk in His Blessed wayes, accord­ing to His Covenant. Now, God will Punish this their Sin, by giving them up unto more Sin, and unto Obstinacy in all their Sin. How is it ac­complished? Men are very ready to take up their Opinion of a Way, from the Character of them who walk in that way. But there will alwayes be persons of a Bad Character & Car­riage, among those, who profess the Christian Religion, which is the way of Truth. And So there follows that mischief, i [...] 2 Pet. 2 2 By reason of them the way of Truth shall be Evil spoken [Page 21] of: Men take up unreasonable prejudices against the way of Truth, and so they go on in the way of Sin, until they dy. Now, God Orders it, that when such Things Do fall out, as they must fall out, our ungodly people shall be acquainted with them. David, a professor of the way of Truth, did a very Scandalous Thing, upon which he received that Admonition, By this Deed, thou hast given great Occasion unto the Enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme. Now, the Lord ha's Ordered the Recording of This Deed, that men for the Sin of being the Enemies of the Lord, may be given up unto their Blasphemies. We find, in the writings of the Ancients, that about a Thousand years after this, namely, in the primitive Times of Christianity, many Pagans, would not be Christians ▪ and made this plea for it: The Christians tell us, that their Christianity, is a thing much better than what we profess: but it can't be as they say: for one David, was one of their greatest Saints, and by their own Confession, this David, was one who did as Damnable Things, as could be done by a mortal man! Oh! Lamentable Wretchedness! [compare, Ezek. 36.20. with Rom. 2.23, 24.] Sometimes, when a multitude of Sinners must be Given up to Sin, God Orders it, that they shall see the Scandalous Immoralities, that some Eminent Man falls into. There was once a Minister of God, that fell into a Sin, for which the Displeasure of God brought a very Tragical Thing upon hi [...]: [Page 22] An ungodly man, who before this, had some A wo upon him, from the words of that Minister, saw the Tragedy: And now, what followed? We read, in 1 King, 13.33. After this Thing, Jeroboam Returned not from his Evil way. Thus, there are Strict pretenders to Godliness, that fall into Sins, which give Scandals to the Neighbour­hood: The Neighbours, that were through their own Sinfulness, before this, not well-Established in Godliness, After this Thing, they cast off all Regards of Piety, and become very Impious. I have read of one, sorely Tempted unto A­theism, who gave this doleful Account of it; I Live under a Minister that will Preach Good Ser­mons, but his Conversation is quite Contrary to his Preaching: He is a Lascivious Wretch; and there­fore, since he does not Believe, that there is a God, it makes me suspect, whether there be one or no. Thus, the Great God, sets a Cup of Poison, before un­godly men, who have sleighted the Waters of Life: The Sin of a Scandalous Example, is a Cup of Poison set before them: They Take it, and Swell, and Burst, with Enmity against God, & perish in their Enmity.

VI. An Offended God, sometimes for Sin, gives men up to a Singular Energy of Satan; and Then! Then they go on to Sin, with a very Satanical Fury. There's many a Prayerless Heart, many a Slothful Heart, many a Coveteous Heart, [Page 23] many a Malicious Heart, many a Lascivious Heart, many an Heart inordinately set upon Sin, after means used for the Cure of it. Some Devil sees this Heart, and puts in, as it were, a Memorial desiring, That he may take a fuller pos­session of that woful Heart. The Righteous God permits [...]; and it is a Righteous Thing with Him to permit it. God will no longer Defend the Soul of the Sinner from the Efficacy of the Devil. And now, what follows? The Sinner is, Led Captive by the Devil at his will. And, alas, what won't men do, when the Devil is in them? As we read, in 1 King 22.22. There came forth a Spirit, and he said, I will go forth, and I will be a Lying Spirit: — And the Lord said, Thou shalt perswade him, and prevail also: Go forth, & do so. Thus, the Devils; They stand ready to Go forth, and be, one of them, a Lying Spirit, a­nother of them, a Sensual Spirit, another of them, a Profane Spirit, in the Hearts of them, that are given over by God: God sayes, Do, Go, Thou shalt prevail against that miserable Sinner. There is a prodigious Instance of this Thing in profane Swearers. When they have used themselves to Swear Profanely, some Devil takes that possession of their Tongues, that they Belch out Hellish Oaths continually, and Swear so commonly, tha [...] they know not how to speak without it. Wha [...] Vile Things did Judas perpetrate, when as it i [...] said, in Joh. 13.27. Satan Entred into him: An [...] [Page 24] Ananias, when, as it is said, in Act. 5▪3. Satan filled his Heart? Even a Peter, a Child of God, may do very Criminal Things, when Sifted by a Devil: The presence of a Silly Damsel, most wretchedly Entangles him. How much more, will one that is a Child of the Devil, he most heinously Criminal, when he is given up to do the Lusts of his Father? But under this Diabolical Possession, there is no prop [...]rty of the Devil, more commonly to be noted, than that of his being, An Unclean Spirit. An Unclean Spirit often Seizes the Heart of a man, that hath Invited him. And that Heart, then becomes an Oven, that ha's the Fire of Hell, upon every Temptation glowing in it: The Vile Affections of Uncleanness, do then Shake off their Bridles: The Beast is by some Devil Spurr'd on to Exorbitances that cannot be imagined: When the Spirit of Uneleanness, hath taken the Sinner, 'tis very Rare, [ Solomon saw Scarce One of a Thousand!] that they Stop, till they be run down into Deep, of Perdition, with their Brethren.

VII. One very usual way, wherein, God gives [...]en up to a Reprobate Mind, is by leaving them to [...]he Delusions of an Erronious Mind; and Suffering them to take up Vile Opinions, that Suit [...]heir Vile Affections. We read of some Sinners, [...]ere, That they become vain in their Imaginations, [...]nd their Foolish Heart is Darkned. And thus, we [Page 25] read of some, in 2 Thes. 2.10, 11, 12. They Received not the Love of the Truth, that they might be saved: For this cause, God shall send them Strong Delusion, that they should believe a Lye, that they all might [...]. Fallen man, is a Creature full of Ignorance: His Fall ha's wounded his Intel­lectuals: He is more prone to Vain Thoughts, than to Right, ones: Leave this Wild As [...] Colt unto himself, and he'l rush Head Strong into every False way. If God, the Father of Lights, do not Enlighten us, we shall see nothing aright: But He wi [...]holds His Enlightning Influences, From the minds of those, who not Love the Truth, which He ha's given them: The Powers of Darkness, then set in [...] Darken them, with Strong Delusions; They are Blinded by the [...] of this World: And, Strong Delusions do certainly lead men to Strange Iniquities. Yea, sometimes God gives men over to such Strong Delusions, that they will count the most bloody Murders, to be a Good Service to Heaven; they will count the most Nicolaitan Abominations to be but Innocent Recreations; they will plead for no less Crimes, than that of which the Impudent Italian Cardinal, published an A­pology, and an Encomium. What a Reprobate Mind is there in those men, that can Reverence an Incarnate Devil at Rome, as if he were an In­fallible Vicar of Christ, and a God upon Earth; and that can conform to all the Extravagant Folly and Madness of Popery? All Europe did so two [Page 26] Hundred years ago, and more than Half Europe do so, to this Day! God ha's given men over to such a Strong Delusion, to Punish them for their not Loving the Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a Reprobate Mind, is there in those men, that can reckon such a foolish and such a Filthy Whore-master, as that Impostor Mahomet, for the great Prophet of God, and receive such a Vo­lumn of abominable Non sense as the Alcoran, for the Book of Life? The Three Greatest Em­perours upon Earth, do it, at this day; and mighty Empires, and Kingdomes do it! God ha's given men over to such a Strong Delusion, to punish them, for their not Loving the Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a Reprobate Mind, is there in those men, who look upon the poor feeble ruin'd Conscienc [...], the Remainder of an Ex­cusing and a Condemning Principle in Fallen man, to be, The Christ of God; and who make the whole Gospel of Christ, nothing but an Allegory of this poor Conscience; and who dream, that when this Proud Wicked Conscience is become so unfaithful as to Cease Accusing of them for Sin, they are then Free from Sin? More than an Hundred Thousand in the English Nation, since our Time have done so! 'Tis because a Jealous God, will Punish men, for their Slighting of His Precious Christ, and not living in the Love of the Truth. But, Ah, Lord, What wilt thou do to Nations, wherein there is to be found after all, [Page 27] a more Horrible Thing! The Revelation of the Christian Religion, is the most Glorious Favour, that ever the God of Heaven Enriched the World withal: And there is as full Demonstration given, to the Christian Religion, as there is for the Being of a God: It is impossible for any thing to be more fully Demonstrated than This, That our Blessed Jesus is the Redeemer of the World, and that He is Risen from the Dead. And yet there is a Generation of Sinful men, of late horribly multi­plyed in the English Nation, who Deride all this Reveled Religion, and Blaspheme the Glorious Lord of it. Whence is this? Truly, 'Tis from the Dreadful Vengeance of God, upon this Ge­neration, for their Disobedience unto His Holy Religion. By the late Reigns, that made more than Three Kingdomes to Sin, 'tis Incredible how much Vice got head in the Kingdomes: Vice, which is ever contrary to, and Condemned by, the Holy Religion of our Lord. Men that were called, Christians, would give themselves over, to that Vice, which was not allow'd among the Sober Pagans themselves: and now God ha's given them over, to shake off the very Name of Christians. Men have Rebelled against the Oracles of our Lord Jesus Christ; and now they abandon those Heavenly Oracles, to set up wretch­ed Stuff, which they call, The Oracles of Reason. There is the Vengeance of God in this Thing, to Ripen the Nation for an Amazing Storm, [Page 28] that will doubtless break upon it, ere this Gene­ration pass away.

It is an awful passage, which I find in the Writings of a Learned Person, of the English Nation, who hath sometimes Preached in that very Pulpit, where I am now Standing.

‘The Hydra of Socinianism, hath not only Hissed, but mortally Stung many a Soul in the Polonian, Hungarian, Transylvanian, and Begick Churches, and I could heartily wish it had never S [...]vum after Pelagius, through the [...] Sea's, with whole Polios ty'd about its Neck, to lay its Poisonous Eggs, in our Se­minaries. The Lord speedily Crush them in pieces, that they may never hatch into fiery living Serpents, to provoke the Lord unto Vengeance. What Country in Europe hath Sw [...]e [...]ed under more Tearing Scourges, bitter State-Confusions, and Convulsions, and dread­ful Shakings, than Poland, where it had its first vent and patronage? And how far the Belgick Lion, hath had his Nails pared, and his Teeth knock'd out, by that Hammer of Gods Wrath, in Europe, since the Publication of those Blasphemous Treatises, I wish both They and We did seriously lay to Heart.’

[Thus Mr. S Lee.]

But what may now be fear'd, for the Fate of England, where Socinianism hath not only been prevailing horribly, but also been advancing [Page 29] into Deism, which Denies the only Lord God, even our Lord Jesus Christ, with a yet more horrible Degree of Blasphemy!

THus you have seen the Holy methods of God, in Punishing of Sin with Sin: Yea, you have at this very moment before you, a Tragical and Amazing Instance of His doing so. That mans Heart is all Adamant, and a very Reprobate Mind indeed is in that man, who is not now Inquisitive, How to prevent so direful a Punishment. It is Time for us, to take into our Thoughts,

The Second CASE. What course we are to take, that the Great God, may not make our being left unto more Sin, the direful Punishment of our Sin?

That we may Escape this Tremendous Ven­geance of God, Si [...]s, Let us attend unto the Counsels of Heaven, that are now to be set be­fore us.

I. Let us not be of such a Reprobate Mind, as to Esteem it a Small Thing, for the Great God once to give us over, unto the Punishment of Sin, with Sin Consider, with a Trembling S [...]ul, Consider the Deplorable condition, of them [Page 30] who are under the sore Punishment of Sin with Sin; There never was a Sorer Punishment! Ne­ver did any Rapid Peals of Thunder, carry such Alarums of Death with them, as those, in Rev. 22.14. He that is unjust, Let him be unjust still; and he that is Filthy, Let him be Filthy still. Never does the Curse of God more Irefully Thunder-strike a Sinner; than when it Punishes him for one Injustice by leaving him to another, and when it Punishes him for one Filthiness by leav­ing him to another. Other Afflictive Dispen­sations of God, may be Fatherly Castigations; But when Sin is Punished with Sin, this looks hor­ribly Vindictive. When the wise man speaks of mens being left unto the Sinful Folly of Un­cleanness, he sayes, in Prov. 22.14. He that is Abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein. And when the Heavenly Psalmist, speaks of mens being left unto the Sin of Coveteousness and Earthly-mindedness, he sayes, in Psal. 10.3. That man, the Lord Abhors him. Truly, when a man is given over to Sin, it carries, this fearful Aspect with it; it looks as if such a man were under the Abhorrence of the Lord! I tell you, Sirs, and it is a dreadful Thing that I am going to tell you: This, of being Left unto Sin for Sin, 'tis a Punishment for a Devil. The very Devils are punished by being left unto the Sin, that aug­ments the Chains of Black Darkness for ever upon them. Those forlorn men, that are left unto [Page 31] Sin for Sin, have the Black Chains of Darkness, in some sort, like those of the very Devils laid upon their Souls. Oh! Tremble, when you Think on't! Mark what I say; There is not one Regenerate Soul among you all, but what will readily own the Truth of This: A man had better have his Eyes put out, than be given over to a Penal Blindness of Heart. A man had bet­ter ly groaning under the dolours of the Stone, than be given over to an Heart of Stone. A man had better be a Captive to Africans or In­dians, than be given over, to the Dominion of Sin, and be a Bond slave of Lust, a Vassal of Mam­mon, and Led Captive by Satan at his will. What shall I say? To be given up unto Vile Affections, is worse than to be given up unto the most Vile Reproaches. Man, Thou art given over to a Reprobate Mind, if thou art not thus perswaded. But for a man to be thus perswaded, is one way to Escape this Terror of the Lord.

II. Let us not Refuse the Offered Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel, to deli­ver us from all Sin, and from all the Punishment of our Sin.

Syrs, The Lord JESUS CHRIST, who Saves His People from their Sins, do's in His Gospel, [ The Gospel of your Salvation!] make you an Offer of His Great Salvation. One Thing in the Salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, is, The Pardon [Page 32] of all your Former Sins, th [...]ough the Blood of that Son of God, which, (because is the Blood of the Son of God!) Cleanses from all Sin. And when He gives the Pardon of Sin, He also there­with gives a Power against it, and that Blessing of the New Covenant, Sin shall not have Dominion over you. The only way to be Delivered from Falling into Sin, is, To get into that New Co­venant, by a Real, and Cordial, and Thankful Acceptance of the Salvation, which is offered unto us, on the Terms thereof.

We read it Three Times noted concerning Pharaoh, That he Hardened his own Heart: But then it follows no less than Seven Times upon it, That the Lord Hardened the Heart of Pharaoh. Ah, miserable Unregenerates; The Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, with His Righteousness, is Tendred unto your Acceptance, even that Spirit whose office 'tis, to Preserve your whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body, Blameless unto His Com­ing. If you Harden your own Hearts, against the calls of the Gospel, to Accept of this Grace, t'wil come to This, that the Lord will Harden your Hearts. And, when the Lord shall Harden your Hearts, alas, you'l be giv [...] over to Sin, and Wrath unto the uttermost. We read of Some in 2 Thes. 2 10, 11. Because they Received not the Love of the Truth, that they might be Saved; For this cause, God shall send them Strong Delusion. Sinners, if you don't Receive the Grace of the Lord Jesus [Page 33] Christ, propounded in the Truth of the Gospel, For this cause God will send you strong Confusion, and lay you under Strong Fetters of Sin, your Bonds will be made Strong forever! The Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven, makes a wondrous Offer of His Grace unto us. — But before I do Arti­culate, that Gracious and Wondrous offer, there is one Solemn Advice that must be given you. Tis This; The Devils of Hell, doubtless observe who Consents to the Motions of Heaven; and where they observe an Heart that Consents not, They, They! lay a claim to that woful Heart. Since that Heart, won't have a Christ, and the Spirit of Christ, Say those wretched Devourers, Let us enter into that Heart, and have it, and hold it for ever. The Formidable wrath of God, sayes, It shall be so! And then, Oh! what Sins, what Sins, are the poor Sinners left unto! After this awful Admonition, I am now to propound unto you, the offer of the Lord Jesus Christ! an offer, which I would preface with the All-Sum­moning Words of Micajah, Hearken O all ye people every one of you. Ti's This; Perishing Soul! Shall I Reconcile thee to God, and Furnish thee with Everlasting Righteousness? And shall my Holy Spi­rit now take Possession of thee, and Subdue Iniquity in thee &, preserve thee from Iniquity, and Guide thee by Counsel, and Bring thee to Glory? Consent mise­rable Soul, Consent! and thou shal't be Saved from all thy miseries. And now, Take the Warning [Page 34] of God? If your hearts do not Readily, Thank­fully, Sincerely Accept this Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, no man can say, what Sin you may be left unto! There is no Sin but what you may be left unto: You have no Assurance, but that you shall Sin Extravagantly, Sin Impenitently, yea, Sin unpardonably. Ti's for this Cause, That I can Foretel, In places where the light of the Gospel, now shines brightest among us▪ We shall see breaking out the most incredible Efforts and Fu­ries of Wickedness.

But under the dread of this, O Soul in peril, do Thou to Day, Hear the Voice of God, in His Gos­pel! that thou mayest not be Hardened in Sin, and punished with it.

III. Sensible of our own Inability to preserve our selves, let our Prayers to be preserved from Sin, and not punished with Sin, be Daily, be Hearty, be full of Agony. Is there any one person [...] who dares pretend, That he is his own Keepe [...]? I hope, Not one. Be not self con­fident. Say not, I shall never fall into such or such gross Abominations. Man, my heart Akes to [...] thee say so: Thou a [...]t the most likely of all men, to fall into those very Abominations. There is no Sin more certainly, and more sig­nally punished with Sin, then this vain self confi­dence. God punished it, in Peter with a Fall, that broke all his bones for him. No, when we [Page 35] see Malefactors in chains, or hear of the most Cri­minal & Capital offences commited, it becomes us, most sensibly to confess, Lord, It is from thy Grace, thy Free Grace, thy Rich Grace alone, that I am not in the circumstances, of those Doleful crea­tures! Being therefore very jealous of our own propensity to Sin, let us, make that Prayer con­tinually, in Psal. 119.133. Lord, Order my steps in thy word, and let not any Iniquity have Dominion over me. Make that Prayer continually, in Psal. 13.3, 4. O Lord my God, Lighten mine Eyes, least I sleep the sleep of Death, least mine E­mies say. I have prevailed against him, and those that trouble me, Rejoyce when I am moved.

Christians, you are not now urged unto that Prayer, Lord, give me not poverty! Because you may be poor in this world, and yet, Rich in Faith, and Heires of a Kingdom. You are not now ur­ged unto that prayer, Lord, Remove from me Re­proach and Contempt! Because you may be made a Gazing stock by Reproaches, and yet have a great Recompence of Reward after all. Nor are you ur­ged unto that Prayer, I wish I may prosper, and be in Health! Because you may be Troubled with often Infirmities, and yet have a Sound Heart within you. But you are urged unto Prayer to be Delivered from Sin, even to be preserved from the evil! because there is the Bitterest Indignation of God in That. Oh! make this Prayer, with all possible Fervency and Agony, Lord, Lord! what­ever [Page 36] befal me, give me not over to fall i [...]to Sin a­gainst thee: Oh! Do not leave me to Dishonour thy Glorious Name, I pray thee, I pray thee! Yea, let your Prayer to this purpose, be assidi [...]ous and incessant, and wonderfully Import [...].

IV. Let us Examine our selves with sincere Impartiality, and humble Sincerity, whether we are not Already Fallen into some Sin, where­in we are punished for some Former Sin. Indeed this is one of the unhappy Symptomes usually at­tending a Soul given up to Sin for Sin; That such a Soul, is most unhappily Insensible of its own wretched circumstances. Of such, 'tis said in Rom. 11.8. God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber. 'Tis perhaps an allusion, to those that are Bitten with an Asp; on which Bite they are Stupified, they Slumber, they doze, they dy a­way in their Stupidity. Syrs, if a Stupidity be upon you, while you are growing more and more Sinful before the Lord, God is now smi­ting of you, with this Transcendent Wretched­ness, of being Left unto Sin for Sin. Caution, Suspicion, Fearfulness, & Self Examination, would be a good prevention of this Wretchedness. Examine particularly; Do you Indulge no [...] Sins, which Evidently do you all sorts of Injuries, & yet you can' [...] for your Lives leave off those In­jurious Miscarriages? A man is given over to Sin for Sin, when he plainly sees himself [...] [Page 37] by Sin, and yet says, as in Prov. 23.35. I will seek it yet again. Many a man, Evidently sees it, yea, Feels it, That by his Drunkenness, he brings upon himself a Wo; That by his Unclean­ness he gets unto himself a Wound; That his Vain Company ever serves him, as the Thieves did the poor man Travelling from Je­rusalem: And yet the man is in, A Bond of Ini­quity: he cannot forbear Sinning, any more than the poor Animal in the Woods, running into the mouth of the Fascinating Rattle Snake, although he fears, and Cries, and Shrieks, and knows that he runs into the Jaws of Death. Ah, Soul; That Sin seems now to be Armed with a Commission from God, thus to Hold thee, in such a Bond of Iniquity. 'Tis a Sin that is a Pu­nishment upon thee, as well a Sin; a Punishment upon thee, for thy not Repenting of Sin.

Or, Again; Do you not now Make Light of Sins, and those, very Atrocious Ones too, which once were no such Light Matters with you? It is a Token of one Given over to Sin for Sin, in Prov. 149. To make a mock at Sin. David once could have his Heart Smite him, for little more, than an evil Glance of his Heart; but when he is Left unto Sin for Sin, he scarce Relents, at the most horrible Adulteries. Those things that once would have Terrified your Souls, can you now do them without any Terror of Soul at all? Sins either of Commission, or of Omission, that once [Page 38] would have set your Hearts, all on a light Fire with Anguish, can you now allow from Day to Day, without any Anguishy Remorse of Heart a­bout them? Then! There seems this Doom from God passed upon you, Let that Sinful Heart be Hardened in Sin! And there is the Punishment of your Sin, in that very Sin.

Syrs, If it be thus with you, 'tis time to look about you.

But being thus fallen upon the Symptoms, of Sin punished with Sin, we will mention a few more of those Deadly Symptoms. Particularly;

Are none of you unaccountably confirmed in your Sins under and after very great Afflicti­ons? It was a Black Brand upon a man, whom God had Given over to Sin for Sin, in 2 Chron. 28.22. In the Time of his Distress, did he Trespass yet more against the Lord. The Errand of our Afflictions, is, to Embitter Sin unto us, and Re­cover us out of Sin: All the Fruit should be, To take away our Sin. Well; Although sharp and sore Afflictions have been upon you, do you con­tinue as full of Sin, as you were before you were Afflicted? May that character be given of you, A Fool bray'd in a Mortar, and yet his Foolishness not departing from him? Does the Almighty com­plain concerning you, In vain have I Smitten him, he Receives no Correction? Obstinate Sinner, Wha [...]? Art thou as Worldly, and as Prayerless, and as Profane, after all the Blows of God upon thee, [Page 39] as thou wast before▪ Truly, Sins that appear thus Incureable, do seem special Effects of the Divine Wrath, upon the Souls of men; Man, if thou hadst not been Given up to the Sins thus upon thee, the Chastisements of God, one would have thought, might have Cured them. An Im­penitent Thief on a Cross, is a Wretch Given o­ver to Sin for Sin. There is no Repeated Impae­nitence, but what is punitory; There is a Punish­ment as well as a Sin, in all persisted Impaenitence.

Moreover; Have none of you Fallen into Sins, that have proved unhappy, and scandalous Occasions, to the Falls of others? God was Giv­ing over a People to Sin for Sin, when He Left them to that mischief, in Ezek. 36.20. They pro­faned my Holy Name, among the Heathen, whither they went, when they said, These are, the people of the Lord! Sometimes a man is Left unto Sins, that others make Occasions for them to profane the Holy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Enemies of that Holy Lord, [ Alas, Are there such among us!] have Occasions, by the Sins of some, given unto them, to say, These are your Christians, These are your Church Members, These are your Professors! No, Syrs, No; They are no [...] These. But you that have by your Sins, given Occasion for others to Sin, have more than a lit­tle Occasion to mourn before the [...]. If God had not been very Ang [...]y with you, for some othe [...] Sins, He would never have Left you unto Thes. [Page 40] It is the saddest Infelicity, that can befal any man, to be a Stumbling of Iniquity unto those that are about him, and an Instrument of cau­sing others to Fall into Iniquity. Oh! how much better were it for a man to Dy, than to have those things fall out in his Life, that shall really wound the precious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and prejudice others against His Truths and Wayes and Interests! Better Dy im­mediately! Poor man. Have thy Sins put others upon Sinning? Art thou by thy Sins, an Exam­ple, and Incentive, of Sinning? Oh, Read the ho [...]. Indignation of God against thee, in such Exposing Sins: They are a severe punishment from the Hand of God upon thee, for some other Sins, not yet enough considered: Is it possible for a man to be more severely punished?

Finally; It may be, a Spirit of Hatred and Railing against the Faithful Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, hath Seized some among you. God hath given over a Sinful man, to Sin, and Death, when he comes to say, about a Faithful Minister of God, in 1 King. 22.8. As for that man, I hate him. There are many Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose whole D [...]sign and Business it is, to Glorify their Lord, and Edify His people. There is not the worst Enemy they have in the World, but they Love that man, and would gladly Serve him either by Day or by Night. The very Conscience of [Page 41] the worst Enemy they have in the World, makes that man to own, That these are Good men, and Love nothing so much as to Do Good continually. Well, If such Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, were duely Held in Reputati­on, God would probably make their Ministry wonderfully profitable to you; their Ministry might vastly Help your Faith, your Joy, your E­verlasting Salvation. Why then, are so many of you, given over, to Persecute the Servants of God with cruel Reproaches? If a Minister, do but his Duty, as he will answer it unto the Son of God, [...] the prevention of Sinful Apostasies in the Churches, Why must he be Bark'd at, with Names, that can't come out of a Christians mouth? If a Minister do but carefully and watchfully use his Opportunities, to be Service­able, as knowing that he must give an Account, Or, If a Minister do but Preach with a Zeal that becomes the Oracles of God, Why must the Infamous Taverns ring with the most odi­ous Titles there Smok'd out upon him? Silly Souls, Can you do Us any Hurt, think you? Indeed you would, if you could: We Forgive you with all our Hearts: Oh! Our Father, Our Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do! But alas, you Hurt your selves in all of this; And, Oh! if our Tears, tho' they were Tears of Blood, might but Save you, from thus Wrong­ing of your own Souls. In this your Sin, the [Page 42] Great God is punishing of you: He Gives you over to all, of this Malignity, because of your [...]arrenness under our Ministry. The Calls of Heaven in our Ministry, have not been duely Entertained; and now God Leaving you, to a Raging and Foaming Madness against Us, may seem to say, Never shall that Ministry, or any o­ther be of much Benefit, unto those miserable Souls; Thus will I punish them, for their getting so little Benefit heretofore! O consider of it.

V. Let the Sins of Unchastity be Loath'd by us, with a Peculiar Antipathy; because ordinarily there are more Sins that follow, to Punish them: 'Tis very Rarely otherwise. Unchast Persons have this foretold concerning them, in Prov. 5.11, 14. They shall mourn at the last, and say, I was almost in all evil. Alas, If you wallow in the Nasty Vices, and Puddles, of Unchastity, God will give you over, to be Almost all in Evil! There are Two Things, that frequently occur among us. One thing very Frequent is This; A per­son that falls into One Act of Unchastity, if they don't presently with Bleeding Souls fly to the Blood of the Lord for Pardon, they are usually left unto another. Yea, and God punishes the Unclean, by giving them over, to proceed from one kind of Unchastity unto another. First the young Wretch, confines his Wantonness unto him­self alone; but he goes on to Fornication, he goes [Page 43] on to Adultery; he goes on, — to ne [...]andous and stupendous Abominations. The Fire of Lust, becomes like the Fire of Hell, in the Oven of that Unchast Soul; 'tis never quench'd, until God shall drench it in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimestone. And another Thing very Fre­quent is This; A Person abandoned unto the Sins of Unchastity, is rarely brought unto Repen­tance; God punishes the Unclean, by giving them over to Eternal Obduration in their Unchastity. These are Sins, whereof 'tis said, They take away the Heart: The Bruitified Wretch that is Habi­ [...]uated thereunto, ha's no Heart for Christ, no Heart for Penitence, no Heart for Piety left unto him. Hence you shall see, That though Ma­lefactors, have by an Unchast life brought them­selves unto the very Gallows, the Fire of Lust hath B [...]ked their Hearts into such Insensible Hardness, and Seared them into such Insensibili­ty, that nothing will work upon them. We have seen, that they'l continue their Whoredomes, in the very Prison; they'l go out of the World with Lyes in their Mouths; you shall have al­most as many Lyes from them as Tears: The Sottishness upon them, is the Amazement of all Spectators. Whence is this? 'Tis the punish­ment of Sin with Sin, in those, who as Eph. 4.19. Being past all Feeling, have given themselves over unto Lasciviousness to work all Uncleanness with Greediness.

[Page 44]In fine. I Remember a Notable Stroke of the Syriack Interpreter, on that passage, in Psal. 9.16. The wicked is snared in the work of his own Hand; unto this purpose, In senectute quando relinquitur Improbus, a Peccato, turpiter ad idem revocatur in Desiderijs. An Old Sinner, who instead of leav­ing Sin, hath had Sin through Old Age leaving him, is yet in his Old Age again Ensnared with the Lusts of his youth. And when 'tis said, in Psal. 11.6. Upon the Wicked, God shall Rain Snares; I Remember some of the Ancients make this gloss upon it; Laquei sunt Vetera Peccata (et cupidines) iterum praedominantia; The Snares of the wicked, are their old Lusts again getting power over them: As the Poet complains of it, in a man of Fifty years Old, Intermissa Venus diu, Rursus Bella moves. Alas, how often do we see God, thus leaving men, to Ensnaring Unchastity.

VI. Let us walk Humbly, and Softly, and Sad­ly, all our Dayes, under the sense of Old Sins, that we may not be Punished with New Sins for the Old ones. I will mention to you, a Dismal Thing, which hath before now, befallen a David himself. David seems to have a little Forgotten, that Humiliation, to which his Old Falls had ob­liged him: And now, you'l quickly Hear of New Ones! Now, as in 1 Chron. 21.1. Satan stood up, and provoked David, to do a Thing, wherein a positive Commandment of God was [Page 45] neglected; and, what a world of Mischief en­sued upon it! Even Good men are sometimes left unto very Heart breaking Sins; Why? Be­cause their Hearts, which were once Broken for the Lamentable Sins of their Youth, are grown Proud, and Vain, and carnal, and Corkish, and Frothy, and have lost the Tenderness, & Waten­fulness, which they were once Humbled into. They too much loose that Frame of Repentance for Old Sins, which they should mentain all their Dayes, and God leaves them to New Sins, that so their Old Wounds may Bleed afresh, and the work of Repentance be duely Renewed in them. We shall now have those Lamentations from them, in Lam. 3.19, 20· Remembring the Worm­wood and the Gall; my Soul ha's them still in Re­membrance, and is Humbled in me!

And there is another Observable Thing, here proper to be mentioned. The Sins of our Children, are in some regard our own. Let it be now Remembred, That if we Loose the Paeni­tent Remembrance of our own Youthful Vanities, God will Remember against us the Sins of our Youth, by Leaving our Children, to Do in their Youth, as we did in ours. We Live to see our Children Left unto those very Sins, which were the Iniquities of our Heels, but the Sorrowful Re­membrance whereof, we have too much Laid at our Heels; 'Tis for our doing so, that God leaves them to act our Old Sins over again, and Revive [Page 46] in us the Sorrowful Remembrance of them, and bring our Gray Hairs with sorrow to the Grave.

VII. Let us all take heed of Sinning with Presumption; for Sin is mostly and justly the punishment of all presumptuous Wickedness. 'Tis not usually for Sins of Infirmity, that God sends this Horrendous Damnation upon a Sinner, To give him up unto Sin: 'Tis for Sins of presumption, that is to say, when men Sin, and Know that they Sin: 'Tis as we are here told, for Holding the Truth in Unrighteousness; that is to say, when men Know the Truth, and yet will Do Unrighte­ousness. Hence was that Supplication and Expe­ctation, in Psal. 19.13. Keep back the Servant from presumptuous Sins; then shall I be Innocent from much Transgression. The Advice from Hea­ven, then to us all, is This; Do not Rebel against the Light: God will give us over to the Dark Influences of more Sin for the punishment of such Rebellion.

I Address this Advice, very particularly to you, that are Members of our Churches, in the Full Communion thereof, and Communicants at the Table of the Lord. Oh! Let all such be afraid of Living in any Open or Secret Course, of doing those Things, for which you Know, that the Wrath of God comes upon the Chil­dren of Disobedience. Be mindful of it, Syrs; You Stand in an Holy Place: For You to allow [Page 47] your selves in any Wickedness, Known to your selves, though perhaps to no body else, 'Tis an High-handed presumption in you. If you don't Pray, both in your Families, and in your Re­tirements; if you are Gamesters, or Cheaters, or Fornicators, or Adulterers, or unaccountable Mis­penders of your precious Time at the Tavern; You Sin with an High Hand and God will give you up to Sin with an Hard Heart; That, That shall be the punishment of your presumptuous Impiety! It may be, some will go Reeking Hot, upon the Gratifications of their Fil [...]hy Lusts, Either To or From, the Dreadful Sacrament of their Confusion at the Table of the Lord. An Horrible Thing! Ye Atheistical Wretches, I am verily perswaded, a Terrible God will A­venge Himself upon many of you, by Leaving you to some Further Sin, that shall bring you forth to be Censured, before all the Congre [...]ti­on; And after this, you shall be but Brands of Hell fire, though spared a while, it may be to keep Stinking and Smoaking, in your Neigh­bourhood, for the Admonition of your Neigh­bours. Then, the Churches will see the Fla­ming Sanctity, and the Sharp-Edg'd Omnisci­ence, of the Lord Jesus Christ, when you are thus Led forth among the Workers of Iniquity. Hear, Hear the Cha [...]ge of God! Oh, be afraid of being Sinners in Zion; Let Fearfulness of be­ing Hypocrites there, now fall upon your Souls.

[Page 48]And that this Advice, may reach to more, that are greatly concerned in it, I now further say, Behold, how much you that have had a Religious Education, are to be careful that you do not Irreligiously Sin against that Education. It may be Remark'd, That there are no greater Prodigies of Wickedness, and Scoffers and Haters o [...] Religion, than many who have had a Religi­ous Education: There is a Corruptio Optimi, in them; the most Generous Wine, produces the sowrest and sharpest Vinegar of Wickedness. They who in their Childhood were Instructed, and Inspected, and Corrected by their Pious Pa­rents, do sometimes prove Impious Apostates. They Apostatize to Superstition, They Apostatize to Pro­fanity,, They Turn the veriest Villians on Earth and Firebrands of Hell; It may be said of them, as it was about the Sons of that Eminent Minister of God, Old Eli, The Sin of the Young men is Great: At Last, they have that Epi­taph upon their Graves, They Dy'd in Youth, and their Life was among the Unclean! Why does this come to pass? Why, 'Tis the Irri­tated Vengeance of God upon them, for their Unfruitfulness under a Religious Education. They have made no Good Improvement of the Godly Precepts, and the Godly Patterns, which they have had from their Godly Parents: And the God of Heaven Therefore so Forsakes them, that at Last, they are more Improved [Page 49] in Presumptuous Wickedness, than any other Young Men that Sin against Him. Hearken my young Folks; Oh! Work out your own Salvation, with a Fear of becoming thus very Desolate.

VIII. Being Reproved for any Sin, Let us Hear the Reproof Suitably and Fruitfully, Lest we be punished with another Sin, for our not Hearing of it. Many a man, in the way of Sin, meets with a Reproof ▪ that stands Like an Angel with a Drawn Sword in his way: If the man will still rush on, God passes that Sentence of Death. upon him, On let him go! Let him go on still in his Trespasses! There are Parental Re­proofs, There are Pastoral Reproofs, There are Fraternal Reproofs, There are Ecclesiastical Re­proofs, and there are Providential Reproofs. Are we fallen under any of these Reproofs? O give an Obedient Ear, unto a Wise Reprover, and ap­prove thy self Wise, by a Reproof Entring into thee, more than an Hundred Stripes into a Fool. Man, Let the Reprover of thy Sin, be like a Good Angel appearing to thee; and say as Da­vid, when one Reproved him for his Rashness, in 1 Sam. 25.32. Blessed be the Lord God, which sent thee this day to meet me. Be'nt Fretful at a Re­proof, Like a Dog with a Thorn in his Foot, snapping and snarling at any one that goes to take it out; But be Thankful for a Re­proof. Otherwise there will come this punish­ment [Page 50] from God upon thee, That thou shalt be Given over to more Sin, as one utterly Incorrigi­ble: and as a Foolish one, who will be no more Ad­monished There was a man once, who taunted and Scoffed at a man of God, that Reproved his Offences; and that man of God saith unto him, in 2 Chron. 25.16. I know that God ha's Deter­mined to Destroy thee, because thou hast not Hearken­ed unto my Reproof. Is there now any man, Re­proved for an Omission or a Commission, which the Great God is offended at? If the man do sleight all Reproofs, why may it not be said, I know, That the Lord hath Determined to punish thee, with leaving thee to more Sin, for this thy Rebellion? There is a word of God, that Falls like an Hot Thunderbolt from the Firmament of Heaven upon those that will not be Reproved; in Prov. 29 1. He that being often Reproved, Hardens his Neck, shall suddenly be Destroy'd, and that without Remedy. How? Perhaps, by being left unto some Destructive Act of Sin, that shall bring upon him, an Excision from the People of God, and render him like water spilt upon the Ground.

IX. Finally; Let us with a very particular and profitable Notice, Entertain the Warnings, of such as we have seen left unto Sins, that have at last brought Publick Shame upon them. We see Criminals ever now and then brought forth among us, who in their Confessions ac­knowledge, [Page 51] what Sins they were, for which the Holy God left them unto the Grosser Sins, that have at last brought Ruin upon them. Those Confessions, what are they but so many Warnings from God unto us all, to Hear and Fear, and be­ware of doing any such Dangerous Wickedness? In the Name of God, Sirs, Take these Warnings, lest we also be left unto the Sins, that have proved so Fatal unto others.

I must now Report unto you, the Horrible Cries, that I have known uttered, by Detected Sinners, under the Loads of Publick Shame, in the Hours of their Distresses.

There have been some, whom our Churches have laid under the Highest Censure, for their Wickedness; our Churches have in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, pronounced upon them, a Dreadful Sentence, of Excommunication, as a Token of a more Dreadful Sentence, to be pass'd in the Day of God, upon the Workers of Iniquity; our Churches have Chased them out of the Camp, for the Leprosy of their Iniquity found upon them. Now, the Censured Sinners, I think, generally make this Confession, That they made little Con­science of Secret Prayer; long before they fell into the Sins, that brought the Censures upon them. 'Tis often seen, That when Christians grow Dull, and Cold, in Secret Prayer, 'tis not long before they fall into some Sin, that layes their Souls a bleeding, fainting, Dying before the [Page 52] Lord. Grievous Falls from God, and Falls into Sin, They usually, if you mind it, begin at the Closet Door. Would you not be Punished, with Armies of Sin prevailing over you? O keep the Hands of Secret Prayer lifted up. You'l shortly fall into some horrid Sin else, and then have cause to Lament with Origen, My Secret Pray­ers, were poorly, if at all, performed in the morning of the Black Day, when God left me to my self! Yea, some, that have Dyed not long since upon the Gallows, there Cryed out, That their Living without Prayer in their Families Laid them open to all the Wick [...]dness, for which they were now to Dy so Tragically.

This leads me to add, There have been those among us, that have been Exterminated for Capital Sins: the Sword of Justice, hath cutt them off, in the Execution of Just Laws, which have Condemned such Criminals to Dy before their Time. And there are especially Four or Five Sins, which I have known, the Malefactors, in the Cords of Death at the Gallows, bemoan, as the Sins for which the Holy God left them unto the Crimes, that were so Capital.

First; Some of the Dying Malefactors, have much Lam [...]nted, the Sin, o [...] Apostasy from Good Beginnings in Religion. They had been un­der some Convictions, and Awakenings in their Younger Time, and they had been concerned about the Condition of their Souls; but they [Page 53] have cast off all S [...]riousness, and so gone on from Bad to Worse, until they had utterly lost them­selves in a Deep Gulf of Wickedness: First I left God, and then God left me, and now. I am come to This! Thus have I known them Cry out, when the Dimness of the Anguish of Death was upon them. Come then; You that have been well Catechised, and Admonished in your Child­hood, and that have afterwards Joyned your­selves unto Assemblies in which the Lord Jesus Christ hath been most Purely Worshipped: O Don't Cast off the Thing that is Good, lest you Roll down the Hill, without ever Stopping till you come at the Bottom of Wickedness. It was the Observation of an Excellent Man, ‘That if any began well in the wayes of Religion, & Godliness, and afterwards cast off their Profes­sion, God usually sets a Visible Mark of His Displeasure upon them, even by some Visible Judgment in this World; so that all who passed by, might say, This was an Apostate!’

Again, The Dying Malefactors among us, have much Lamented, the Sin, of, Notorious Unprofi­tableness under the Means of Grace. Their Out-cryes have been, That upon very Trivial Preten­ces, they have commonly Absented themselves from the Publick Ordinances of God; and that when they have heard the Sermons in the Pub­lick, and heard the Offers of a Lord Redeemer, they have Sleighted all that they have heard. [Page 54] This, This hath been like a Dagger at their Hearts, when they have seen themselves going out of the World; and they have Cryed out, Oh! how many Worlds would I give now, for that Christ, and Pardon, and Glory, which once I trod un­der foot! It is because I Refused a Blessed Saviour, that God hath justly let the Destroyer now take pos­session of me! And hence also, there are no Out-cryes more usually groan'd and Shriek'd, by these Miserables, than those about, Their Pro­fanation of the Lords Day! They usually tell us, That their neglecting to Sanctify the Lords Day, and Mispending the Holy Time of that Day, gave the Devil his First Advantage over them. Then, and Thence, it was, (they tell us) that the Devil fill'd their Souls, with all manner of Wickedness. Will you Remember these Things, My Neighbours; and Remembring them, Avoid these Paths of the Destroyer?

Moreover, The Dying Malefactors among us, have not seldome Lamented, the Sin, and Snare of, Evil Company Keeping. You have been told, A Companion of Fools shall be Destroy'd. And I have seen the Destroy'd Creatures making those out cries, Ah! This I have got, by keeping so much Company with Fools; 'Tis my wicked Company, that has brought me to This! O my Young Folks, Take this Warning; If you Love your Lives, Forsake the Foolish, and Live. There is nothing that more Infects our Young Folks with Wick­edness, [Page 55] than their Wicked Company. Our Ears are fill'd with Complaints, That there is a knot of Young Beau's in this Town, by whose Vici­ous courses, all our more Hopeful Sons, are in danger to be infected, poisoned, ruined. If a­ny of those Lew'd Youths, are now present in this Assembly, I Leave this Warning from God upon you, That it is to be fear'd, God will make some of you Examples, of an Early and a woful Death, for your Impieties. But, as for Thee, My Son, if those First-rate Sinners Entice thee, Oh, consent thou not!

Finally, There is no One Sin Lamented with more Frequent and Bitter Ejaculations, by the Dying Malefactors among us, than that of, Diso­bedience unto Parents. When I have Asked, as I have often Asked, the Criminals, For what Sin, do you think, the provoked God of Heaven, gave you over to the Sins, for which you are now to Dy▪ What might be the special provocation, that procure [...] your being thus given over by God? The common Answer which they have made, has been, Oh my Disobedience to my Parents, my Disobedience to m [...] Parents, and my Ungovernableness, under such Parent [...] and Masters, as God had given me! These hav [...] been their doleful Out cries, when the Shado [...] of Death has been upon their Eye-lids, and whe [...] their quivering Souls have been just going [...] appear before the Judgment Seat of God.

[Page 56]Think of it, Young, People! And O Treat your Parents, with all possible Reverence and Affection, That so your Dayes may be long in the Land. When David had a Son, that proved Rebellious, he foretold concerning that Son, and the Accomplices of his Rebellion, in Psal. 55.23. These Bloody and Crafty men shall not live out half their Dayes. Whence did he gather this? He might gather it, from the Fifth Commandment, where the promise to those that Honour their Pa­rents, implies a Threatning, for those who do not so, That their Dayes will not be long in the Land. There was long ago made this Observation, in Prov. 30.17. The Eye that mocks at his Father, and despiseth to obey his Mother, the Ravens of the Val­ley shall pick it out, and the young Eagles shall Eat it: The Young man shall go abroad, and be kill'd in the Wars, and the Fowls of Heaven shall prey upon his unburied Carcase. An Eye, wherein a Parent is despised, it is worthy to be a prey of Ravens and Eagles, which indeed rise up in the Reproach of such an Eye. When the old Ravens are sick and spent with Age, the young Ones, will keep with them, and nourish them while they Live, and bury them when they Dy: When the Bills of the old Eagles are so grown over with Age, that they can't Feed themselves, the young Ones Feed them, and Help them, with a marvellous Tenderness. Child, If thou wouldest not perish unper the [Page 57] Curse of God, be not such a Cham, as to con­temn the Persons, or the Commands, of thy Pa­rents. No, Study to oblige them, study to obey them, study by all possible Wisdom, to give a Glad Heart unto them, Lest▪ God give a Sad Heart unto thee, another Day, for all thy Wickedness.

Hearken, Young Folks; Perhaps, you have the solemn Charges of a Father, who is full of Anxiety for you, That you should know the God of your Father, and serve Him with a perfect Heart, and a willing Mind. He charges you, To Pray in Secret without Ceasing, and, Read the Holy Scriptures which would make you wise unto Salvation, and keep clear of the Epidemi­cal Vices, and of all Vicious Company. Oh! Tremble to come under such a Tremendous Doom, as that in 1 Sam. 2.25. They Hearkened not unto the voice of their Father, because the Lord would slay them. A Righteous God, has a pur­pose to Slay thee, in thy Sins, if the voice of thy Father do not Save thee from thy Sins! Or, if your Father do not enough advise you, yet you may have a Mother, that Importunately pursues you, with her Advice. Truly, She is even in Travail for you over again; She w [...]ings her Hands, and She Drowns her Eye, and She begs of you, and for you, What? My Child! And What [...] the Child of my Bowels! and what? the Child of my Vowes? Give not thy Soul to Satan, [Page 58] and thy Wayes to that which Destroyeth Souls. Oh! Trample not on these Entreaties of thy Mother; her Language to thee, is that, in Judg. 9.7. Hear­ken unto me, that God may Hearken unto thee. What shall I say? Dutiful Children, have in all Ages, been Signalized by the manifold Blessings of God: But unto the Undutiful, the Signal Hand of Heaven, fulfils that word, in Deut. 27.10. Cursed is he that sets Light by his Father or his Mo­ther. Children, I have taught you how to Es­cape the Curses of God. Now, the Lord g [...]ve to all of you, understanding in all things.

[Page 59]

Pillars of Salt.

IT hath been Thought, that the Dying Spee­ches of such as have been Executed among us, might be of singular Use, to Correct and Reform, the Crimes, wherein too ma­ny do Live; and it has been wish'd, that at Least, some Fragments of those Dying Speeches, might be preserved and published. Upon this Advice, from some Good Persons, I have Stollen an Hour or Two, wherein I have Collected some Accounts, of several Ill Persons, which have been Cut off, by the Sword of Civil Justice in this Land: and this Collection, I suffer to go abroad, in Hopes, that among many other Es­sayes to Suppress growing Vice, it may signifie something, with the Blessing of Heaven there­upon, to let the Vicious understand, what have been the Cries of our Miserables, when passing into another World. Behold, an History of Criminals, whom the Terrible Judgments of God have Thunder struck, into Pillars of Salt.

[Page 60]

(I)

ABout the Year, 1646. here was one Mary Martin, whose Father going from hence to England, Left her in the House of a Married Man, who yet became so Enamoured on her, that he attempted her Chastity.

Such was her Weakness and Folly, that she yielded unto the Temptations of that miserable man; but yet with such horrible Regret of Mind, that begging of God, for Deliverance from her Temptations, her plea was, That if e­ver she were Overtaken again, she would Leave her self unto His Justice, to be made a publick Exam­ple.

Heaven will convince the Sinful Children of men, that the Vowes, which they make, Rely­ing on the Stability and Resolution of their own Hearts, are of no Significancy. A Chain of Hell was upon her, and the forfeited Grace of Heaven was witheld from her; She fell a Third Time, into the Sin, against which her Vowes had been uttered.

Afterwards, going to Service in Boston, she found her self to have Conceived: But she Liv­ed with a favourable Mistress, who would ad­mit and allow no suspicion of her Dishonesty,

A Question, Like that Convincing One, of our Saviours unto the Woman of Samaria, was once oddly put unto her; Mary, Where is thy [Page 61] Husband? And One said also; Did I not think, thou wer't an honest and sincere Creature, I should verily think, thou wer't with Child! These passa­ges, which were warnings from God, unto her guilty Soul, did serve only to strike her with A­mazement, not with any true Repentance.

She concealed her Crime, till the Time of her Delivery; and then, being Delivered a­lone, by her self in a Dark Room, She Murder­ed the harmless and helpless Infant; hiding it in a Chest, from the Eyes of all, but the Jealous GOD.

The Blood of the Child Cried, when the Cry of the Child it self were thus cruelly sti­fled. Some circumstances quickly occurr'd, which obliged her Friends to charge her with an Unlawful Birth. She Denied it Impudently. A further Search confuted her Denial. She then said; The Child was Dead Born, and she had Burnt it to Ashes. With an Hypocritical Tear, she added, Oh! that it were True, that the poor Babe were any where to be seen! At Last it was found in her Chest; & when she Touch'd the Face of it before the Jury, the Blood came fresh into it. So She confessed the whole Truth concerning it.

Great Endeavours were used, That she might be brought unto a True Faith in the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the pardon of her Blood guiltiness; and it may be, none [...]ndeavou­red [Page 62] it more, than that Reverend man, Old Mr. Wilson, who Wrote several Sheets of pathetical Instructions to her, while She was in Prison. That Renowned Man, Old Mr. Cotton also, did his part in endeavouring that she might be Re­newed by Repentance; and Preached a Ser­mon, on Ezek. 16.20, 21. Is this of thy Whore­doms a small matter, That thou hast [...] my Chil­dren? Whereof great Notice was taken. It was hoped, that these Endeavours were not Loft: Her Carriage in her Imprisonment, and at her Execution, was very Paenitent. But there was this Remarkable at her Execution: She ac­knowledged, her Twice Essaying to Kill her Child, before she could make an End of it; and now, through the Unskilfulness of the Executioner, she was turned off the Ladder Twice, before She Dyed.

(II.)

THere was a miserable man, at Weymouth; who fell into very ungodly practices: but would particularly Signalize his ungodliness, by flouting at those Fools (as he call'd 'em) who would ever Confess any Sins, laid unto their Charge.

This man lived in abominable Adulteries; but God at lenth smote him with a Palsey. His Dead Palsey was accompanied with a Quick Con­science, which compelled him to Confess his Crimes: But, he Confess'd them so Indiscreet­ly, [Page 63] that by their Divulgation, they reach'd the Ears of the Authority: And in this Confession, there was involv'd and concern'd, the Wretch­ed Woman, who chiefly had been concern'd with him in the Transgression.

By the Law of this Country, Adultery was then a Capital Transgression, as it hath been in many other Countrys: and this poor Adulterer, could not escape the Punishment which the Law provided.

(III.)

ON June 6. 1662. At New-haven, there was a most Unparallel'd Wretch, One Potter, by Name, about Sixty years of Age, Executed for Damnable Bestialities; although this Wretch, had been for now Twenty years, a Member of the Church in that Place, and kept up among the Holy People of God there, a Reputation, for Serious Christianity. It seems that the Unclean Devil, which had the possession of this Monster, had carried all his Lusts with so much Fury into this One Channel of Wickedness, that there was no Notice taken of his being Wicked in any other. Hence t'was, that he was De­vout in Worship, Gifted in Prayer, Forward in Edifying Discourse among the Religious, and Zealous in Reproving the Sins of the other Peo­ple; Every one counted him, A Saint: And he Enjoy'd such a Peace in his own mind, that in several Fits of Sickness, wherein he [Page 64] seem'd Nigh unto Death, he seem'd Willing to Dy; Yea, Death (he said) Smiled on him. Nevertheless, this Diabolical Creature, had Lived in most infandous Buggeries for no less than Fifty years together; and now at the Gallows, there were killed before his Eyes, a Cow, Two Heifers, Three Sheep, and Two Sowes, with all of which he had Committed his Bru­talities His Wife had seen him Confounding himself with a Bitch, Ten years before; and he then Excused his Filthiness, as well as he could, unto her, but Conjured her to keep it Secret: but he afterwards Hanged that Bitch himself, and then Returned unto his for­mer Villanies, until at last, his Son, saw him hideously conversing with a So [...] ▪ By these means, the burning Jealousy of the Lord Jesus Christ, at Length made the Churches to know, that He had all this while seen the Covered Filthi­ness of this Hellis [...] Hypocrite, and Exposed him also to the Just Judgment of Death, from the Civil Court of Judicature. Very Remark­able had been the Warnings, which this Hell-Hound, had Received from Heaven, to Repent of his Impieties. Many years before this, he had a Daughter, who Dreamt a Dream, which caused her, in her Sleep, to cry out, most Bit­terly; and her Father, then with much ado obtaining of her to tell her Dream, She told him, me Dream't, that she was among a great [Page 65] Multitude of People, to see an Execution, and it prov'd her own Father that was to be hang'd, at whose Turning over, she thus cried out. This happened before the Time, that any of his Cursed Practices were known unto her! At another Time, when there was a Malefactor adjudged in those parts to Dy, for the very same Transgressions, which this Rotten Fellow was guilty of, the Governour, with some of the Magistrates, most unaccountably, without any manner of Reason, for their so doing, turn'd about unto this Fellow, and said, What think You? Is not this man worthy to Dy? He now Confessed, That these Warnings did so awaken his Conscience, as to make him, for a Time, Leave off his Infernal Debauehes; and so, he said, He thought all was Pardoned, all was well with him. Nevertheless, he Return'd unto his Vomit, and his Quagmire, until the Sentence of Death, at last tell upon him; and then he acknowledged, That he had Lived in the Sin of Beastiality, ever since he was Ten years Old, but had sometimes Intermitted the Perpetration of it, for some years together. During his Imprisonment, he continued in a Sottish, and Stupid, frame of Spirit, and mar­vellously Secure about his Everlasting Pardon and Welfare: but the Church whereto he be­longed, kept a Solemn Day of Humiliation on this Occasion, wherein Mr. Daven [...]o [...] Preach­ed [Page 66] on Josh. 22 20. Did not Achan Commit a Trespass, in the Accursed Thing, and Wrath fell on all the Congregation of Israel? And in the close of the Fast, that Faithful People of God, Ex­communicated this Accursed Achan, from their own Society. But as I have seen Bewitched Self Poisoners, under a Singular Energy of some Devil, obstinately Refuse all offered Relief, un­til the Poisons had prevailed so far, that all Re­lief was too late, and then with roaring Ago­nies they would have given Ten Worlds for it; So this Bewitched Beast, that had not been afraid of Dying, till he came to the Place of Executi­on, when he came There, he was Awakened into a most Unutterable and Intolerable An­guish of Soul, and made most Lamentably Des­perate Out cries; Among which Out cries, he warned men, particularly, to Take heed of Neg­lecting Secret Prayer; which he said, had been hi [...] Bane. He said, he never used Secret Prayer in his Life, and that he frequently omitted Family Prayer too; Yet, he said, he had Prayed and Sinned, and Sinned and Prayed; namely, by E­jaculations, with which he contented himself, throwing Set Prayer aside. But so he Perished!

(IV.)

AN English Ship, (in the year 1673.) Sail­ing from somewhere about the Month of the Streights, was Manned, with some Crue [...] [Page 67] Miscreants, who quarrelling with the Master and some of the Officers, turn'd 'em all into the Long Boat, with a Small Quantity of Provisions, about an Hundred Leagues, to the Westward of the Spanish Coast.

These Fellows, in the mean while, set Sail for New England: where, by a Surprizing provi­dence of God, the Master, with his Afflicted Company, in the Long-boat, also arrived; all, Except one who dyed of the Barbarous Usage.

The Countenance of the Master, was now become Terrible to the Rebellious Men, who, though they had Escaped the Sea, yet Vengeance would not suffer to Live a Shore. At his Instance and Complaint, they were Apprehended; and the Ringleaders of this Murderous Pyracy, had a Sentence of Death Executed on them, in B [...]ston.

Under that Sentence, there was heard among them, a grievous Lamentation for This; Their Education had been under the means of Grace, and the faithful Preaching of the Gospel in England; but they had Sinned against that Education.

And one of them sadly Cryed out, Oh! 'Tis my Drunkenness, 'Tis my Drunkenness, that hath brought me to this Lamentable End!

The Horrors, which attended the Chief of these Malefactors (one Forrest) in the last Hours of his Life, were such as Exceedingly asto­nished the Beholders. Though he were a very stout man; yet now his Trembling Agonies and [Page 68] Anguishes, were inexpressible One Speech let fall by him, was, I have been among drawn Swords, flying bullets, roaring Canons, amidst all which, I knew not what Fear means: but now I have Appre­hensions of the dreadful wrath of God, in the other World, which I am going into, my Soul within me, is amazed at it.

(V.)

ON March 18. 1674. two men, (whose Names were Nicholas Feavour, and Robert Driver) were Executed at Boston. The Crime for which they were Executed, was, the Mur­ther of their Master; whom, upon the Provo­cation of some Chastisement, which he had given them, they knock'd on the Head, with an Axe, in their Bloody Rage.

After they were Condemned, they bestow'd their Lamentations not only, on the Particular Crime, which had now brought them, to their Untimely End, but also on some Others, for which their Consciences told them, that the Righteous God, had left them unto This.

One of them, said, His Pride had been his Bane; For, he thought much of it, that such a one as he, should be a Servant; and he would sometimes utter such words as these, I am Flesh and Blood; as well as my Master, and therefore I know no Reason, why my Master should not obey me, as well as I obey him. And now, said he, See what my Pride ha's brought me to!

[Page 69]One of them also, said, That his Idleness had Ruin'd him: He would not Industriously fol­low his Calling, but Live an Idle, Slothful, Va­grant Life. This, he said, had undone him.

And one of them, said, That his Disobedience to his Parents, had brought this misery upon him. His Father, he said, gave him Good In­structions, when he was a Child: but he Re­garded them not. He would not go to a School, when his Father would have sent him to it. He would not go to a Trade, when his Father, would have put him to one. After his Father was Dead, he would not be Subject unto them that had the Charge of him; he ran away from Them; and after that, he ran away from seve­ral Masters. Thus he Ran into the laws of Death.

These things are particularized, in the Sermon Preach'd just before their Execu [...]ion; and after­wards Printed under the Title of, The Wicked mans Portion.

(VI.)

ON Sept. 22. 1681. One W. C. was Executed at Boston, for a Rape committed by him, on a Girl, that Lived with him; though he had then a Wife with Child by him, of a Nineteenth or Twentieth Child.

This man, had been Wicked Overmuch. His Parents, were Godly Persons; but he was a Child of Belial. He began Early, to Shake off his O­bedience unto Them; and Early had Fornication [Page 70] laid unto his Charge; after which, he fled unto a dissolate Corner of the Land, a place where­of it might he said, Surely, the Fear of God, is not in this Place: He being a Youth, under the Inspection of the Church at Roxbury, they, to win him invited him to Return unto his Friends, with such Expressions of Lenity towards him, that the Reverend Old Man, their Pastor, in a Sermon, on the Day when this man was Execu­ted, with Tears bewayled it.

After this, he Lived very Dissolutely, in the Town of Dorchester; where, in a Fit of Sick­ness, he Vow'd, That if God would Spare his Life, he would Live as a New Man: but he horribly forgot his Vows. The Instances of his Impiety, grew so Numerous and Prodigious, that the wrath of God could bear no longer with him: he was Ripened for the Gallows.

After his Condemnation, he Vehemently Protested his Innocency, of the Fact, for which he was Condemned; but he Confessed, That God was Righteous, thus to bring Destruction upon him, for Secret Adulteries.

A Reprieve would have been obtained for him, if his foolish and froward Refusing to hear a Sermon on the Day appointed for his Execu­tion, had not hardened the Hearts of the Judg­es against him. He, who had been a great Scof­fer at the Ordinances of God, now Expos'd him­self, by being Left unto such a Sottish Action!

[Page 71]He had horribly slighted all calls to Repen­tance, and now through some Wretches over­perswading of him, that he should not Dy, ac­c [...]ding to the Sentence & Order of the Court, he hardened himself still, in his unrepentant frame of mind.

When he came to the Gallowes, and saw Death (and a Picture of Hell too, in a Negro then Burnt to Death at the Stake, for Burning her Masters House, with some that were in it,) before his Face, never was a Cry, for, Time! Time! A World for a Little Time! the Inexpressi­b [...]e worth of Time! Uttered, with a more unut­terable Anguish.

He then Declared, That the greatest Burden then Lying upon his miserable Soul, was his having Lived so unprofitably under the Preaching of the Gospel.

(VII.)

ON March 11. 1686. was Executed at Bo­ston, one James Morgan, for an horrible Murder. A man, finding it necessary to come into his House, he Swore he would Run a Spit into his Bowels; and he was as bad as his word.

He was a passionate Fellow; and now, after his Condemnation, he much bewayl'd, his ha­ving been given to Cursing, in his passions.

The Reverend Person who Preached, unto a great Assembly, on the Day of this poor man [...] Execution, did in the midst of his Sermon [Page 72] take occasion, to Read a Paper, which he had Received from the Malefactory then present in the Assembly. It was as followeth.

‘I James Morgan, being Condemned to Dye, must needs own to the glory of God, that He is righteous, and that I have by my sins, provoked Him to destroy me before my time. I have been a great Sinner, guilty of Sabbath-breaking, of Lying, and of Uncleanness; but there are especially two Sins whereby I have offended the Great God; one is that Sin of Drunkenness, which has caused me to commit many other Sins; for when in Drink, I have been often guilty of Cursing and Swearing, and quarrelling, and striking others: But the Sin which lies most heavy upon my Conscience, is, that I have despised the Word of God, and many a time refused to hear it preached. For these things, I believe God has left me to that, which has brought me to a shameful and mi­serable death. I do therefore beseech and warn all persons, young men especially, to take heed of these Sins, lest they provoke, the Lord to do to them as He has justly done by me. And for the further peace of my own Conscience, I think my self obliged to add this unto, my foregoing Confession, That I own the Sentence which the Honoured Court has pass'd upon me, to be exceeding just; inasmuch as [Page 73] tho' I had no former Grudge and malice a­gainst the man whom I have killed, yet) my Passion at the time of the Fact was so outra­gious, as that it hurried me on to the doing of that which makes me justly now proceeded against as a Murderer.’

After the Sermon, a Minister, at his Desire, went unto the place of Execution with him. And of what passed by the way, there was a Copy taken; which here Ensueth.

The DISCOURSE of the Minister with James Morgan on the way to his Execution.

Min.

I'M come hither to answer your desires which just now you exprest to me in the Publick, that I would give you my compa­ny at your Execution.

Mor.

Dear Sir, how much am I beholden to you! you have already done a great deal for me. Oh who and I that have [...] wretch, that any Servants of God should take notice of me!

Min.

I beseech you to make this use of it, I believe there is not one Christian this day be­holding you, who would not willingly be at the greatest pains they could devise to save your pre­cious Soul: How merciful then is that Man who is God as well as man! how unspeakably ready is the Lord Christ to save the Souls of sinners [Page 74] that affectionately Look unto him! The good­ness, and pi [...]ifulness of the most tender-hearted man in the world is but a shadow of what is in Him. The compassions of any man compared with the Bowels of a merciful JESUS are but as the painted Sun, or the painted Fire in com­parison of the real.

Mor.

Oh that I could now look unto Him as I ought to do! Lord help me.

Min.

Well, you are now a dying man, the last hour or two of your life is now running. You know your self now to stand just on the brink of Eternity; y [...]u sh [...]l [...]sently be in a state of won­derful happiness of horrible misery which must endure forever: which of those estates do you now count your self stepping into?

Mor.

Oh Sir, I am afraid, but I am not without hope that God may have mercy on me.

Min.

What's your ground for that hope? O see that your confidences been't such as God will by and by reject.

Mor.

I don't know well what to say, but this I hope is a good sign, I have lived in many grievous sins, in Lying, Drinking, Sabbath breaking and evil Company keeping; God has made now these so bitter to my soul that I would not commit them a­gain, might I have my life this afternoon by doing it.

Min.

That's a great word, God grant it may not be a word only, the good word of a good pang, without such a thro' change of heart as you must [Page 75] have if you would not perish everlastingly. You are not like to have any longer time in this world to try the Sincerity of your Profession.

Mor.

I know it, and I beseech you Sir to help me what you can: I hope the means used with me since my Condemnation ha'n't been lost.

Min.

I would not have the sence of the pain and shame which your body is about to undergoe, any ways hinder your mind from being taken up about the Soul matters which I shall endeavour to set before you.

Mor.

Sir, as for the pain that my body must pre­sently feel, I matter it not: I know what pain is; but what shall I do for my poor Soul? I'm terrify'd with the Wrath of God; This, this terrifyes me, Hell terrif [...]es me: I should not mind my Death, if it were not for that.

Min·

Now the Lord help me to deal faith­fully with you, and the Lord help you to receive what he shall enable me to offer unto you. Mark what I say: You were born among the enemies of God, you were born with a soul as full of enmity against God, as a Toad is full of poison. You have liv'd now, how many years?

Morg

I think about Thirty.

Min.

And all these thirty years have you been sinning against the Holy God. Ever since you knew how to do any thing, you have every day been guilty of innumerable sins; you de­serve the dreadful wrath and curse of the infi­nite [Page 76] God. But God has brought you here, to a place where you have enjoy'd the means of Grace. And here you have added unto your old Sins, most fearful Iniquities: you have been such a matchless, prodigious Transgressor, that you are now to Dy by the stroke of civil Just­ice; to Dy before your time, for being wicked over­much. There is hardly any sort of Wickedness which you have not wallowed in. That Sin particularly which you are now to Dy for, is a most monstrous Crime. I can't possibly describe or declare the sins whereby you have made your self an astonishing Example of Impiety and pu­nishment.

Mor.

O Sir, I have been a most bellish Sinner. I am sorry for what I have been.

Min.

Sorry, you say: well, tell me, which of all your sins you are now most sorry for, which lies most heavy.

Mor.

I hope I am sorry for all my sins, but I must especially bewail my neglect of the means of Grace. On Sabbath dayes I us'd to lye at home, or be ill im­ploy'd elsewhere when I should have been at Church. This has undone me!

Min

And let me seriously tell you, your de­spising of Christ is a most dreadful sin indeed. You have for whole years together had the Call of Jesus Christ to seek an Interest in him, and you would now give all the world for that Interest, but you would take no notice of him. [Page 77] The Jews of Old put him to a worse death than yours will be this afternoon; and by your con­tempt of Christ you have said, the Jews did well to do so. How justly might he now laugh at your Calamity? And for these sins of yours, besides the direful woes and plagues that have already come upon you, you are now expos'd unto the Vengeance of eternal fire. You are in danger of being now quickly cast into those exquisite amazing Torments, in comparison of which, the anguishes which your body ever did feel, or shall feel before night, or can ever feel, are just nothing at all; and these dolorous tor­ments are such as never have an End; as many sands as could lie between this earth and the Stars in Heaven would not be near so many as the Ages, the endless Ages of these Torments.

Mor.

But is there not Mercy for me in Christ?

Min.

Yes, and its a wonderful thing that I have now further to tell you. Mind, I entreat you. The Son of God is become the Son of Man; the Lord Jesus Christ is both God & Man in one Person, and he is both sufficiently able & willing also, to be your Saviour. He lived a most righteous life, & this was that such as you and I might be able to say before God, Lord, accept of me as if I had lived righteously. He dyed at length a most cursed death, and this was that we might be able to say unto God, Lord, let me not dye for Sin, since thy Son ha's dyed in my room. [Page 78] This glorious Redeemer is now in the highest Heaven, pleading with God for the Salvation of His Chos [...]n ones. — And he pours out his Spirit continually upon them that do believe on him: might you then be enabled by his Grace to car­ry your poor, guilty, condemned, enslaved, ig­norant Soul unto Jesus Christ, and humbly put your trust in him for deliverance from the whole had state which you are brought into. Oh then his voice is to you the same that was to the peni­tent Thief, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

Mor.

Oh that I might be so! Sir, I would hear more of these things: I think, I can't better fit my self for my Death than by hearkning to these things.

Min.

Attend then: The never dying Spirit that lodges within you, must now within a few minutes appear before the Tribunal of the Great GOD; in what, [...] in whose Righteousness will you then appear? will you have this to be your Plea, Lord, I experienced many good Motions & De­sires in my Soul, and many sorrows for my sin before I dy'd: or will you expect to have no other Plea but This, Lord, I am vile, but thy Son is a Surety for the worst of Sinners that believe on Him; for his sake alone, have MERCY on me.

Mor.

I thank God for what He ha's wrought in my Soul.—

Min.

But be very careful about this matter: if you build on your own good Affections in­stead of Jesus Christ the only Rock, if you think [Page 79] they shall recommend you to God, He that made you will not have mercy on you.

Mor.

I would be clothed with the Righteousness if JESUS CHRIST.

Min.

But you can't sincerely desire that Christ should justify you, if you don't also desire that He should sanctify you: those two always go together. Is every lust that has hitherto had possession of your heart become so loathsome to you, that it would fill your Soul with joy to hear Jesus Christ say, I will subdue those Iniquities of thine; I will make a holy, an heavenly, a spiritually minded person of thee.

Mor.

I would not Sin against God any more.

Min.

But I must deal plainly with you: You have made it sadly suspicious that your repen­tance is not yet as it ought to be: when men truly & throughly repent of sin, they use to be in a special manner watchful against that Sin which ha's been their chief Sin: one of your principal sins which ha's indeed brought you to the Death of a Murderer, is Passion, unmortifi'd and outragi­ous Passionateness: Now I have been this day in­formed, that no longer since than the last night, upon some Dissatisfaction about the place which the Authority hath ordered you by and by to be buried in, you did express your self with a most unruly Passionateness.

Mor.

Sir, I confess it, and I was quickly sorry for it, tho' for the present I was too much disturbed: [Page 80] 'Twas my folly to be so careful about the place where my body should be laid, when my precious Soul was in such a Condition.

Min.

Truly you have cause to mourn for it. Sec [...]e the welfare of your soul, and this (now) pinion'd, hang'd, vile body of yours will shortly be raised unto glory, glory for evermore. And let me put you in mind of one thing more, I doubt you han't yet laid aside your unjust Grudges a­gainst the Persons concerned in your Convicti­on and Condemnation: You have no cause to complain of them: and you are not fit to pray, much less are you fit to dye, till you heartily wish them as well as your own soul: if you dy mali­cious, you die miserable.

Mor.

I heartily wish them all well, I bear Ill-will to none▪ What a lamentable thing is this? Ah this is that which has brought me hither!

Min.

What do you mean?

Mor.

I over heard a man mocking and scoffing at me when I stumbled just now, he does very ill. I have done so my self. I have mock'd and scoff'd like that man, and see what it hath brought me to; he may came to the like.

Min.

The Lord forgive that foolish hard hearted creature. But be not too much disturbed.

Mor.

Yonder! I am now come in sight of the place where I must immediately end my days. Oh what a huge Multitude of people is come together on this occasion. O Lord, O Lord, I pray thee to make [Page 81] my Death profitable to all this Multitude of People, that they may not sin against thee as I have done.

Min.

Amen, Amen, ten thousand times; the Lord God Almighty say Amen to this Pray­er of yours! It would indeed be an excellent thing if you would now come to receive your death with some satisfaction of soul in this thought, That much Glory is like to come to God by it: I am verily perswaded God intends to do good to many souls by means of your Execution: This is a greater honour than you are worthy of.

[After the Discourse had been intermitted about a minute or two by reason of the mie [...]y way.]
Mor.

I beseech you Sir speak to me Do me all the good you can: my time grows v [...]ry short: your discourse fits me for my Death more than any thing.

Min.

I am sorry so small a thing as a plashy Street should make me loose one minute of this more than ordinary precious time; a few paces more bring you to the place which you have now in your eye, from whence you shall not com [...] back alive. Do you find your self afraid to dy there?

Mor.

Sir, if it were not for the Condition that my Soul must by and by be in, I should not fear my death at all; but I have a little comfort from some of Gods promises about that.

Min.
[Page 82]

And what shall I now say? These are among the last words that I can have liberty to leave with you Poor man, thou art now going to knock at the door of Heaven, and to beg & cry, Lord, Lord open to me! The only way for thee to speed, is, to open the door of thy own soul now unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Do this, and thou shalt undoubtedly be admitted into the Glories of His Heavenly Kingdom: You shall [...]are as well as Manasseh did before you: leave this undone, and there's nothing remains for you but the Worm which dyeth not, and the Fire which shall not be quenched.

Mor.

Sir, show me then again what I have to do.

Min.

The voice, the sweet voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, (who was once hang [...]d on a tree, to take away the Sting and Curse of even such a Death as yours) unto all that close with him, His Heav [...]nly voice now is, O that I and my saving work might be entertained, kindly en­tre [...]ted, in that poor perishing Soul of thine. Are you wil [...]ing?

Mor.

I hope I am.

Min

His Voice further is, If I am lodged in thy Soul I'le sprinkle my blood upon it, and on my account thou shalt find Favour with God. Do you con [...]ent to this?

Mor.

This I want.

Min.

But this is not all that he saith, His Voice further is, If I come into thy Soul, I will change [Page 83] it, I will make all sin bitter to it, I will make it an holy heavenly soul. Do you value this above the proffers of all the World?

Mor.

I think I do,— and now Sir, I must go no further, Look here— what a solemn sight is this! Here lyes the Coffin which this Body of mine must presently be laid in. I thank you dear Sir, for what [...]ou have already done for me.

Min.

When you are gone up this Ladder, my last Service for you, before you are gone off, will be to pray with you: but I would here take my leave of you. Oh than I might meet you at the Right Hand of the Lord Je­sus in the Last Day. Farewell poor heart, Fare thee well. The Everlasting Arms receive thee! The Lord Jesus, the merciful Saviour of Souls take possession of thy Spirit for himself. The Great God, who is a great Forgiver, grant thee Repentance unto Life; and Glorify Him­self in the Salvation of such a wounded Soul as thine for ever. With Him, and with His free, rich, marvellous, Infinite Grace, I leave you. Farewell.

Being Arrived unto the place of Executi­on, his Last Speech upon the Ladder, then taken in Short-Hand, was that which is here inserted.

‘I Pray God that I may be a warning to you all, and that I may be the last that ever [Page 84] shall suffer after this manner▪ In the fear o [...] God I warn you to have a care of taking th [...] Lords Name in vain. Mind and have a car [...] of that Sin of Drunkenness, for that Sin lead to all manner of Sins and Wickedness: (min [...] and have a care of breaking the sixth Com [...]mandment, where it is said, Thou shalt not a [...] no Murder) for when a man is in Drink, he i [...] ready to commit all manner of Sin, till he fi [...] up the cup of the wrath of God, as I hav [...] done by committing that Sin of Murder. [...] beg of God, as I am a dying man, and to ap [...]pear before the Lord within a few minutes that you may take notice of what I say to you▪ Have a care of drunkenness, and ill Company and mind all good Instruction, and don't tur [...] your back upon the Word of God, as I hav [...] done. When I have been at meeting, I hav [...] gone out of the Meeting-house to commit sin and to please the lust of my flesh. Don [...] make a mock at any poor object of pity, bu [...] bless God that he has not left you as he has jus [...]ly done me, to commit that horrid Sin of Mu [...]der. Another thing that I have to say to you is to have a care of that house where tha [...] wickedness was committed, and where I ha [...] been partly ruined by. But here I am, an [...] know not what will become of my poor sou [...] which is within a few moments of eternit [...] I have murder'd a poor man, who had [...] [Page 85] little time to repent, and I know not what is become of his poor soul; Oh that I may make use of this Opportunity that I have! O that I may make improvement of this little little time, before I go hence and be no more. O let all mind what I am a saying now I'm go­ing out of this world. O take warning by me, and beg of God to keep you from this sin which has been my ruine. [His last words were] O Lord, receive my Spirit, I come unto thee, O Lord, I come unto thee, O Lord, I come, I come, I come.’

(VIII.)

ONe Hugh Stone, upon a Quarrel, between himself & his Wife, about Selling a piece of and having some words, as they were walking together, on a certain Evening, very barbarously reached a stroke at her Throat, with a Sharp knife; and by that One Stroke fetch'd away the Soul, of her, who had made him a Father of several Children, and would have brought yet another to him, if she had lived a few weeks longer in the world. The wretched man, was too soon Surprised by his Neighbours, to be ca­pable of Denying the Fact; and so he pleaded, Guilty, upon his Tryal.

There was a Minister that walk'd with him to his Execution; and I shall insert the principal Pas­sages of the Discourse between them; in which [Page 86] the Reader may find or make something useful to himself, what ever it were to the Poor ma [...] who was more immediately concerned in it.

Minister.

I am come to give you what Assistance I can, in your taking of the Steps, which your eternal Weal or Woe, now depends upon the well or ill taking of.

Hugh Stone.

Sir, I Thank you, and I beg you t [...] do what you can for me.

Min.

Within a very [...] Minutes▪ [...]ur immortal Soul must appear before God the Judg of all. I am heartily sorry you have [...]ost so much time since your first Imprisonment: you had need use a wonderful Husbandry of the little piece of an Inch which now remains. Are you now prepared to stand before the I [...] of God?

H. S.

I hope I am.

Min.

And what Reason for that Hope?

H. S.

I find all my Sins made so bitter to me, that if I were to have my life given me this After­noon, to Live such a Life as I have Lived heretofore▪ I would not accept of it; I had rather Dy.

Min.

That is well ▪ if it be True. But suffer me a little to search into the Condition of your Soul. Are you sensible, That you were Born [...] Sinner? That the Guilt of the First Sin commit [...]ted by Adam, is justly charged upon you? And that you have hereupon a Wicked Nature in you [Page 87] full of Enmity against all that [...] Holy, and Just, and Good? For when you deserved to be de­stroyed, as soon as you first came into this world.

H. S.

I am sensible of this.

Min.

Are you further sensible, that you have lived, a very ungodly Life? That you are guilty of thousands of Actual Sins, every one of which deserves the Wrath and Curse of God, both in this Life, and that which is to come?

H▪ S.

I am sensible of this also.

Min.

But are you sensible, That you have broken all the Laws of God? You know the Commandments. Are you sensible, That you have broken every one of Them.

H. S.

I cannot well answer to that. My Answer may be liable to some Exceptions. — This I own, I have broken every Commandment on the Account mentioned by the Apostle James; That he who breaks one is Guilty of all. But not otherwise.

Min.

Alas, That you know your self no better than so! I do affirm to you, that you have particularly broken every one of the Commandments; and you must be sensible of it.

H. S.

I cann't see it.

Min.

But you must Remember, That th [...] Commandment is Exceeding Broad; it reaches t [...] the Heart as well as the Life: it includes Omisions as well as Commissions, and it at once bot [...] Requires and Forbids. But I pray, make an exp [...] riment upon any one Commandment, in whic [...] [Page 88] you count your self most Innocent: and see whe­ther you do not presently confess your self Guilty thereabout. I may not leave this point slightly passed over with you.

H. S.

That Commandment, Thou shalt not make to thy self any Graven Image; How have I broken it?

Min.

Thus: You have had undue Images of God in your Mind a thousand times. But more than so; that Commandment not only forbids our using the Inventions of men in the worship of God, but it also requires our using all the In­stitutions of God. Now have not you many & many a time turned your back upon some of those glorious Institutions?

H. S.

Indeed, Sir, I confess it: I see my sinfulness greater than I thought is was.

Min.

You ought to see it. God help you to see it! There i [...] a bo [...]nlless Oeean of it. And then for that SIN, which has now brought a shame­ful Death upon you, 'tis impossible to Declare the Aggravations of it; hardly an Age will show the like. You have professed your self Sorry for it!

H S.

I am heartily so.

Min.

But your Sorrows must be after a Godly Sort. Not meerly because of the miseries which it has brought on your outward Man, but chiefly for the Wrongs and Wounds therein given, to your own Soul; and not only for the Miseries you [Page 89] have brought on your self, but chiefly for the Injuries which you have done to the Blessed God.

H. S.

I hope my Sorrow lies there.

Min.

But do you mourn without Hope?

H. S.

I thank God, I do not.

Min.

Where do you see a Door of Hope?

H. S.

In the Lord Jesus Christ, who has died to save Sinners.

Min.

Truly, There is no other Name by which we may be saved? The Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, is that alone, in which you may safely anon appear before the Judgment Seat of God. And that Righteousness is by the marvellous and infinite Grace of God, offered unto you. But do you find, that as you have no Righteousness, so you have no Strength? that you cannot of your self move or stir, to­wards the Lord Jesus Christ, though you justly perish if you do not Run unto Him? that it is the Grace of God alone which must enable you to accept of Salvation from the Great Saviour?

H. S.

Sir, my Case in short is This, I have laid my self at the Feet of the Lord Jesus Christ for my Salvation; and had it not been for His meer Grace and Help, I had never been able to do That. But there I have laid and left my self; I have nothing to plead, why he should accept of me. If He will do it, I am happy, but if He will not, I am undone for ever; it had been good for me that I never had been Born.

Min.
[Page 90]

And you must justifie Him if He should Reject you. You surprize me, with at once giving me so much of the Discourse, which all this while I have been labouring for. I can add but this! The good Lord make you sin­cere in what you say! — Your Crime lay in Blood; and your Help also, That lies in Blood. I am to offer you the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, as that in which you may now have the Pardon of all your sins. Now you may try the sincerity of your Faith in the Blood of the Lord Jesus for a Pardon, by this. Have you an Hope in that Blood, for all the other saving effects of it? shall I explain what I mean?

H. S.

Do Sir.

Min.

The Blood of the Lord Jesus is not on­ly Sin Pardoning Blood, but also Soul purifying, and Heart fof [...]ening Blood. It embitte [...]s all Sin unto the Soul, that it is applied unto and mor­tifies every lust in such a Soul. Are you desi­rous of this?

H. S.

With all my Heart?

Min.

The Lord make you so. The Lord Seal your Pardon, in that Blood, which is worth ten thousand Worlds! But what will you do for that God, who has given you these hopes of a Pardon? you must with a holy Ingenuity now do something for the Honour of that God, whom you have sinned so much against.

H. S.

What shall I do?

Min
[Page 91]

Why, Confess and Bewail the Sins that have undone you, and publickly Advise, and Exhort, and Charge all that you can, to take heed o [...] such evil waves.

H. S.

I will endeavour to do it as God shall help me.

Min.

I pray tell me plainly what special Sin, do you think it was, that laid the first Founda­tion of your Destruction? where did you begin to leave God, and Ruine your self?

H. S.

I was Contention in my Family. I had been [...] unto something of Religion: and I was once [...] the Worship of God, not only with my Family, but in secret also▪ But upon Contention be­tween me and my Wife, I left off the Wayes of God and you see what I am [...] to.

Min.

I would pray you to Vomit up all Sin with a very hearty detestation. You are going (if I may so speak) to [...]isgorge your Soul; i you do not first cast up your Sin, i [...] your Son and your Sin come away together, you canno [...] But know so nothing of the dismal condition which it must pass into▪ O what cause ha [...] you [...]o [...] out with Sin for ever? it has bee [...] your only Enemy. Here is the only Reven [...] which you may allow in your self. You mus [...] not new bear any [...] against any one ma [...] in the World, but forgive even those that hav [...] done you the greatest Injuries. Only Upon Si [...] be as revengful as you can; I would have yo [...] [Page 92] like Sampson so to Dy, taking of a just Revenge.

H S.

I hope I shall.

Min▪

Well, we are now but a very few pa­ces from the place, where you must breathe your last. You are just going to take a most awful Step, which has this most Remarkable in it▪ That it cannot be twice taken. If you go wrong now, it cannot be Recalled throughout the Dayes of a long Eternity. I can but commit you into the Arms of a Merciful Redeemer, that he may keep you from a Miscarriage, which cannot be recall'd and redress'd through­out Eternal Ages. The Lord show unto you the Path of Life! Attend unto these, as the last words that I may speak before the Prayer, with which I am immediately to take a long Farewell of you. You are now just going to be Confirmed for ever. If the Great God pre­sently find you under the power of Prejudice a­gainst any of His Trud [...]s and Wayes, or of Enmity against what has His blessed Name upon it, you shall be fixed, and settled & confirmed in it, until the very Heavens be no more. But they [...]re very terrible Plagues and Pains, which you may be sure will accompany this everlasting Disposition of your Soul. On the other side, [...]f God now find your Soul, under the power of Inclinations to Love Him, Fear Him, Serve Him; & to esteem the Lord-Jesus Christ above [...] thousand Worlds; you shall then be Confirmed [Page 93] in the perfection of such a Temper, and of all the Joy, that must Accompany it. Which of these is the Condition that I row leave you in.

H.S.

Sir, I hope the latter of them.

Min.

The Good God make it so; and grant that I may find you at the Right-hand of the Lord Jesus, in the Day of His Appearing. May this Ladder prove as a Jacobs Ladder for you, and may you find the Angels of the Lord Jesus ready here to convey your departing Soul into the Presence of the Lord.

After this Discourse; ascending the Ladder, h [...] made the following Speech ▪

‘ YOung Men and Maids; observe the Rul [...] of Obedience to your Parents; an [...] Servants to your Masters, according to the wi [...] of God, and to do the will of your Masters: [...] you take up wicked ways, you set open a Ga [...] to your Sins, to lead in bigger afterwards; the [...] can'st not do any thing but God will see thee, a [...] tho' thou thinkest thou shalt not be [...] thou thinkest to hide thy self in [...] when as God in Heaven can see thee, t [...]oug [...] thou hast hid it from man. And wh [...]n the goest to Thievery, thy wickedness is discovere [...] and thou art sound Guilty O Young Wom [...] that is Married, and Young Man, look on [...] here; be sure in that Solemn Engagement, y [...] are obliged one to another; Marriage is an O [...]dinance [Page 94] of God, have a care of breaking that Bond of Marriage-Union; if the Husband pro­voke his Wife, and cause a Difference, he sins against God; and so does she, in such Carri­age; for she is bound to be an Obedient Wife. O you Parents that give your Children in Mar­riage, remember what I have to say, you must take notice when you give them in Marriage, you give them freely to the Lord, and free them from that Service and Command you ought to have, yet you ought to have a tender regard to them. O thou that takest no care to lead thy life civilly and honestly, and then Committest that Abominable Sin of Murder, here is this Murderer, look upon him▪ and see how many are come with their eyes to behold this man, that abhors himself before God; that is the Sin that I abhor my self for, and desire you, take Example by me; there are here a great many Young People, and O Lord, that they may be thy Servants! Have a care, do not sin; I will tell you, that I wish I never had had the opportunity to do such a Murder; if you say, when a person has provoked you, I will Kill him: 'Tis a thousand to one, but the next time you will do it. Now I Commit my self into the Hands of Almighty God.’

His Prayer.

O Lord our Good God; thou art a Merci­ful God, and a Gracios and Loving Fa­ther; [Page 95] Alas, that thou shouldest Nourish up Chil­dren that have Rebelled against Thee! O Lord, I must confess, thou gavest me opportunity to read thy Written Word; Thou art also my Creator and Preserver; but, Lord, I have not done according to the Offers of thy Grace; thou hast not hid from me the opportunities of the Good Things & Liberties of thy House and Ordinances, but I have waxed wanton un­der the Enjoyment of them. I have given thee just cause to provoke thee to Anger, and thou hast left me to Shame, not only on my self, but on my Relations. O Lord God I do confess that I have sinned against thee, & done all these Iniquities against Thee, and before thine eyes. Lord, I have sinned especially against thee; pardon my Sins of Youth; Lord, par­don this bloody Sin I stand here Guilty of. O Lord, hide not thy face from me; I humbly beg it of thee: for there is no man can Re­deem his Brothers Soul, but only the Blood of Jesus Christ must do it. Let it be sufficient to satisfie for my poor Soul. I have not done any thing that thou shouldest be pleased to shew me thy Love, or that I should have any thing from thee, but only Everlasting Misery. I am unworthy to come to thee; yet Lord, for thy Mercies Sake▪ have pity on me. Now I am coming to Judgment, Lord, let the Arms of thy Mercy Receive my Soul, and let my sin be [Page 96] Remitted; Good Lord, let not my sins which Condemn me here in this world, rise up to Condemn me in the World to come; though they have Condemned me in this world, shew mercy, Lord, when I come before thy Judg­ment Seat. It my Soul be not humbled, Lord, humble it; let my Petition be acceptable in Heaven thy Holy Mountain. I am unworthy to come into thy Presence, yet O let me come into thy Kingdom; and deliver my Soul from Blood Guiltiness, in the Blood of Jesus Christ. O let my wounded Soul mourn for my Sin that hath brought me here, Sin brings Ruine to the poor Soul; wo is unto me for mine Iniquity. If I had gone to Prayer in the morning when I committed this Sin, Lord God, thou wouldest have kept back my hands from sheading innocent Blood ▪ O Gracious God, Remember thou me in Mer­cy; let me be an Object of thy pitty and not of thy wrath; the Lord hear me and par­don my sins. Take care of my poor Children. I have scattered them like stragling sheep fly­ing before the Wolf; pitty the poor Children that go like so many Lambs that have lost their Keeper; that they may not come to such a Death as I do! Lord, for the sake of Jesus Christ, and the Righteousness of thy Son, accept my Soul, and receive me into the Arms of thy mercy; that I may enjoy Everlasting Rest. Pardon all my sins; and let the Prayers of all [Page 97] those that have put up their Petitions for me, be accepted for [...]he sake of Jesus Christ. Now I am coming, now I am coming, thou mayst say, I cal [...]ed to thee, and thou wouldest not come; I must say, my sin brought me here, O the World, and the corrupt nature of man, that has proved my ruine! O Lord, Good Lo [...]d, let me enjoy Rest for my Soul. The desire of my Soul is to be wi [...]h thee in thy Kingdom, le [...] me have a share in that Kingdom. Now is the time, Lord J [...]sus; the Grave is opening is mouth; I am now living, though dead in Sin, I [...] my praye [...]s be h [...]a [...]d in [...]eaven thy holy place; thy hands hath made me, and I know thou canst Save m [...]; hide not t [...]y [...]a [...]e [...]om me; and affect the hea [...] o [...] thy people with this sad O [...]ject, [...] they may labour to serve thee be [...]imes, & m [...]y not give them [...]elves up to Profan [...]ness and Wickedness, [...]pecially that Sin of Drunkenness, which is an in [...]let of all Abo­minations.

When thou hast thy head full of Drink, the Remembrance of God is [...]ut of thy heart; and thou art unprepared to c [...]mmit thy se [...]f and Family unto God; thou art unfit to c [...]me int [...] Gods [...] I have cause to cry out an [...] he ashamed of it, that I am guilty of it, because [...] gave way to that Sin more than any other, then God aid it [...] to practise Wickedness & to Murder [...] man, whom I should have taken a great [...] [Page 98] in, which if I had done, I had not been here to suffer this Death.

Thou art Holy, Just, and Good, & therefore O Lord have mercy on me, for the sake of thy Son pitty me, now Lord, I am coming. O that I could do thee better Service.

[ Many of you that behold me, I know wish you never had seen me here.]

Lord, receive my Soul into a better place, if is be thy blessed will; 'tis a day of great Trouble with me; my Soul is greatly troubled; give me one Glimpse of Comfort in thy King­dom; by and by let me have one dram of thy Grace. Accept of me now at this time, 'tis the last time; Good Lord, deny me not, give me, as the Woman of Samaria, a Taste of that Living Water, that my Soul may Thirst no more. I beg it for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

After this, he was by the Prayers of a Mini­ster then present, Recommended unto the Di­vine Mercy. Which being done, the poor man poured out a few broken Ejaculations, in the midst of which he was turned over, into that Eternity which we must leave him in.

The Speech o [...] Hugh Stone, in the Prison, the morning before his Execution.

When Young People are Married, they make use of [...] in their Families, and when they Pray, [Page 99] they do believe there is Sincerity and Affection in their Prayer; but when Difference between a Man and his Wife doth arise, then that doth occasion hin­drance of Prayer in their Family; and when Prayer is wholly omitted, it let's in all confusion; and every evil work: He said, That he used to Pray in his Family, but when he did Pray, it was in a for­mal manner, but now from the Consideration of Eternity that he was going into, he was made the more Considerate in his Prayers that he made, and did hope that now he had the Spirit of Prayer in [...] Praying.

(IX)

ON June 8. 1693 Two Young Women, (the one English, t'other Negro) were Executed at Boston, for murdering their Bastard Children.

The English Young Woman, gave to the Mi­nister, who Preach'd that Afternoon, the fol­lowing Paper of Confessions; which he took oc­casion, in the Sermon, to publish unto the Con­gregation, where she also was then present be­fore the Lord.

‘I Am a miserable Sinner; and I have justly provoked the Holy God to leave me unto that Folly of my own Heart, for which I am now Condemned to Dy. I cannot but see much of the Anger of God against me, in the [Page 100] Circumstances of my wof [...]l Death; He hath Fulfilled upon me, that Word of His. Evil pur­sueth Sinners. I therefore desire, Humbly to Con [...]ess my many Sins before God, and the World: but most particularly my Blood Cuilti­ness Before the Birth of my Twin-Infants, I too much parlyed with the Temptations of the Devil, to smother my Wickedness by Murther­ing of them: At length, when they were Born I was not unsensible, that at least, One of them was alive; but such a Wretch was I, as to use a Murderous Carriage towards them, in the place where I lay, on purpose to dispatch them out of the World. I acknowledge that I have been more Hard hearted than the Sea Monsters; and yet for the Pardon of these my Sins, I would Fly to the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the only Fountain set open for Sin and Uncleanness. I know not how better to Glorify God, for giving me such an Oppor­tunity as I have had to make sure of His Mer­cy, than by advising and entreating the Rising Generation here, to take Warning by my Exam­ple; and I will therefore tell the Sins, that have brought me to my shameful End. I do Warn all People, and especially, Young People, against the Sin of Uncleanness in particular; 'tis that Sin that hath been my Ruine; well had it been for me, if I had answered all Temptati­ons to that Sin, as Joseph did, How shall I do this [Page 101] Wickedness, and Sin against God? But, I see, Bad Company is that, which leads to that▪ and all other Sins; and I therefore beg all that Love their Souls to be familiar with none but such as fear God. I believe, the chief thing that hath brought me into my present Condition, is my Disobedience to my Parents: I despised all their Godly Counsels and Repro [...]fs; and I was always of an Haughty and Stubborn Spi­rit. So that now I am become a dreadful In­stance of the Curse of God belonging to Diso­bedient Children. I must Bewayl thi [...] also, that although I was Baptised, yet when I grew up, I forgot the Bonds that were laid upon me to be the Lords. Had I given my self to God, as soon as I was capable to consider that I had been in Baptism, set apart for him, How hap­py had I been! It was my Delay to Repent of my former Sins, that provoked God to leave me unto the Crimes, for which I am now to Dy. Had I seriously Repented of my Uncleanness the First Time I fell into it, I do suppose, I had not been left unto what followed. Let all take it from me; they little think, what they do, when they put off turning from Sin to God, and Resist the Str [...]vings of the Holy Spirit. I fear, 'tis for this, that I have been given up to such Hardness of Heart, not only since my long Imprisonment, but also since my Just Condemnation. I now know not what [Page 102] will become of my Distressed, perishing Soul. But I would humbly Commit i [...] unto the Mercy of God in Jesus Christ; Amen.’

(X)

IN the Year, 1694 A miserable Indian, cal­led Zachary, was Executed for Murder.

He understood so very little English, that it put the English Minister, who, after his Con­demnation, visited him, unto an Inexpressible deal of trouble, to convey unto him, the Princi­ples and the Directions of our Holy Religion. But the Lord so succeeded the endeavours used upon the wretched Salvage, that within a little while, he could give a sensible, tho' a Shattered, Account, of the Fundamentals in Christianity. And such an Impression, had the Doctrine of Grace upon him, that he professed himself, desirous rather to Dy, than to Live at his Old sinful rate. He seem'd, even to long for his Execution, that so he might be delivered from all disposition to Sin against God. But all his Hopes of Everlasting Salvation, he seem'd very Suitably to place, on the Obedience which the Lord Jesus Christ, had yeelded unto God in the room of Sinners.

Of this poor creature, nothing had been here mentioned, if it had not been to introduce the mention of this one passage.

[Page 103]He said, That the Thing which undid him was This: He had begun to come, and hear the Preaching of the Gospel among the Indians: But he minded the Indian-Preacher, how he lived; and he saw plainly that the Preacher minded his Bottle, more than his Bible: be lov'd Rum too well, and when his Rum was in him, he would quarrel with other people, and with himself Particularly. This (he said) Preju­duced him against the Gospel. So [...]e lived as a Pagan still; and would be Drunk too; and his Drunkenness had brought all this misery upon him.

(XI.)

IN the Year, 1698. Was Executed at Spring­field, one Sarah Smith.

Her Despising the continual Counsils and Warning of her Godly Father in law laid the Foundation of her Destruction. When she was married, she added unto the Crime of Adultery, that o [...] Stealing; which latter Crime occasioned her to fly unto New Jersey. Afterwards, coming to Reside in Deerfield, her (second) Husband, was carried captive unto Canada: But the wo­man, in Grievous Horrour of mind, for the Breaches of the Seventh and Eighth Command­ment, received many most suitable counsils, from Mr Williams, the [...] Minister of that place. In conformity to his Counsils and Warn­ings, [Page 104] for a while she led a Reformed life, and se [...]med much affected with the word of God, in t [...]e publick Dispensations of it. But e're it was l [...]ng. she lost her Seriousness, her Tenderness, her Convictions; and R [...]lapsed into the Sin of Adultery Her m [...]st Relapse into that Sin was at [...]ended with a Conception, which, tho' she en­deavoured for to render it an Abortive, the Ho­ly providence of God would not suffer i [...] to be so She did, with much Obstinacy, Deny and Conceal her being with Child: and when the Child was Born, she smothered it: but the Neighbours found it ou [...] immediately. She then owned the matter, but made the usual pretence, That the Child was Dead Born: and remain'd as poor Sinners undone by the Sins of unchastity use to be, under extream Hardness of Heart. Mr Williams rarely visited he, but found her guilty of New Lyes: tho' sometimes viol [...]nt pangs of Horror would come upon her, where­in she detected her own Lying, and seem'd great­ly to Bewail it. The Honourable Judges, desired Mr Williams' to go down unto Springfield, (which was the place,) at the Time of her Ex­ecution; who then found her under an aston­ishing stupidity of Soul: and yet not pretend­ing to Hopes of Happiness in another world. He found her guilty of more Lyes! which after­ward she confessed so to be; she slept both at the Prayer and the Sermon: in the publick [Page 105] Assembly on the day of her Execution: and seem [...]d, the most unconcern'd of any in the Assembly: professing therewithal, That she could not but wonder at her own unconcernedness. At her Execution, she said but lit [...]le, only, That she de­s [...]ed to give Glory unto God, and to take shame unto her self, and that she would warn all others, to be­ware of the Sins, that had brought her unto this miserable End; especially, Stealing, Uncleanness, Ly­ing, Neglecting to Read the Scriptures, and Neglect­ing to Pray unto God. She had absented her self much from the word of God, on Lords-Dayes, and Lecture Dayes: and staid at home, till she had fallen into this capital Transgression: Then, she would come unto the meetings, with some seeming Devotion. She had Sinn'd away great Convictions, and Awakenings; and Satan, with Seven more unclean Spirits, entred into her; and God. s [...]med then to withhold from her, the Efficacy of the means of Grace and Good, which His Faithful Servants in the Neighbour­hood, used with her.

(XII.)

ON November 17. 1698. There was executed in Boston, a miserable Young Woman, whose Extraordinary circumstances rung throughout all New England On this Day of her Execution, was Preached the Sermon, [Page 106] which we have now placed, at the Beginning of this History, as an Inscription upon our, Pillars Of Salt. Because the last passage of that Sermon, gave a summary Narrative, of what it is fit the publick should know concerning that Criminal, I have Transferr'd them, into this place. The Sermon Concluded in these words.

‘BE astonished, O Congregation of God, Stand astonished, at the Horrible Specta­cle, that is now before You: This House, and perhaps this Land, never had in it a more A­stonishing Spectacle.’

‘Behold, a Young Woman, but an Old Sinner, going this Day to Dy before her time, for being Wicked over much! Behold, One just Nineteen Years Old, and yet found Ripe for the Venge­ance of a Capital Execution. Ah, Miserable Soul, With wath a swift progress of Sin and Folly, hast thou made Hast unto the Congregation of the Dead! Behold a Person, whose Unchast Con­versation appear'd by one Base Born Child ma­ny months ago! God then gave her a Space to Repent, and she repented not: She Repeted her Whoredomes, and by an Infatuation from God upon her, She so managed the matter of her next Base Born, that she is found Guilty of its Murder: Thus the God, whose Eyes are like a Flame of Fire, is now casting her [Page 107] into a Bed of Burning Tribulation: And, ah, Lord, Where wilt thou cast those that have com­mitted Adultery with her, Except they Repent! Since her Imprisonment, She hath Declared, That she believes, God hath. Left her unto this Undoing Wickedness, partly for her staying so profanely at Home sometimes on Lords-Dayes, when she should have been Hearing the Word of Chirst, and much more for her not minding that Word, when she heard it. And she has Confessed, That she was much given to Rash Wishes, in her Mad Passions, particularly using often that III Form of spea­king, He be Hang'd, if a thing be not thus or so, and, I'll be Hanged, if I do not this or that; which Evil now, to see it, coming up­on her, it amazes her! But the chief Sin, of which this Chief of Sinn [...]rs, now cries out, is, Her Undutiful Carriage towards her Parents. Her Language and her Carriage towards her Parents, was indeed such that they hardly Durst speak to her; but when they Durst, they often told her, It would come to This. They indeed, with Bleeding Hearts, have now Forgiven thy Rebellions; Ah, Sarah, mayst thou Cry unto the God of Heaven to Forgive Thee! But under all the doleful circumstan­ces of her Imprisonment, and her Impiety, she has been given over, to be a prodigy of still more Impaenitent Impiety. A Little before her [Page 108] Condemnation, she Renewed the Crimes of her Unchastity: she gave her self up to the Filthy Debauches, of a Villain, that was her Fellow-Prisoner; and after her Condemnation, her Falshoods, and her Furies have been such, as to proclaim, That under Condemnation she has not Feared God. Was the [...]e ever seen such an Heighth of Wickedness ▪ God seems to have Hanged her up in Chains, for all the Young People in the Countrey, to see, what prodigies of Sin and Wrath it may render them, if once they Sell themselves thereunto. Behold, O Young People, what it is to Vex the Holy Spirit of God, by Rebelling against Him. This, This 'tis to be Given over of God! And yet after all this Hard-hearted Wickedness, is it not possible, for the Grace of Heaven to be Triumphantly Victorious, in Converting and Pardoning so Unparallel'd a Criminal? Be astonished, Mise­rable Sarah, and Let it now break that Stony heart of thine, to Hear it; It is possible! It is possible! But, O thou Almighty Spirit of Grace, do thou graciously Touch, and Melt this Obstinate Soul, and once at last, mould her Heart into the Form of thy Glorious Gospel. The Glorious Gos­pel of God, now utters unto thee, Undone Sa­rah, that Invitation, Tho' thou hast horribly gone a Whoring, yet Return unto me, saith the Lord, and I will not cause my Anger to fall upon thee. The Lessons of this Gospel have been both pri­vately [Page 109] and publickly set before thee, with a vast variety of Inculcation. If all the Extra­ordinary pains that have been taken for the softening of thy Stony Heart, be Lost, God will dispense the more terrible Rebukes unto thee, when He anon breaks thee between the Milstones of His Wrath.’

‘Oh, Give now a great Attention, to some of the Last Words, that can be spoken to thee, before thy passing into an astonishing Eterni­ty.’

‘The Blessed Lord JESUS CHRIST hath been made a Curse for Us; there has been a most Acceptable Offering and Sacrifice, present­ed by the Lord Jesus Christ unto God, for all His Chosen: there is a Fountain set open for Sin and for Uncleanness: and thou, O Bloody Sin­ner, art Invited unto that Open Fountain. Such is the Infinite Grace of God, that thou mayst come as freely to the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Forgiveness of thy Sins, as they that have never Sinn'd with a Thou­sandth part of so much Aggravation; Come, and Welcome, says the Lord, who Receiveth Sinners. If God Enable thee Now, to Lay Hold on the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, tho' thy Faults are Infinite, thou wilt yet before Sun-set Stand without Fault before the Throne of God. Thy Soul is just sinking down, into the Fiery Ocean of the Wrath of [Page 110] God, but the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, is cast forth unto thee, once more, for thee, to Lay Hold upon. Oh! Lay Hold up­on i [...], and Live! If God help thee, to do so, Then, as it was said, The Mary whose Sins are many, has them Forgiven her, So it shall be said, The Sarah, whose Sins are many, has them Forgi­ven her! Then, as it was said, Rahab the Harlot perished not, so it shall be said, Sarah the Harlot, perished not! Tho' the Blood of thy murdered Infant, with all thy other Bloody Crimes, horribly Cry to God against thee, yet a louder and better C [...]y from the Blood of thy Saviour, shall drown that formidable Cry. Yea, then, There will be Joy in Heaven this Afternoon among the Angels of God; the Angels of Hea­ven will stand amaz [...]d, and say, O the Infinite Grace, that can bring such a Sinner unto Glory! But if ever the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, be applied unto thy Heart, it will immediately Dissolve that Heart of thine; it will cause thee to Mourn for every Sin, to Turn from every Sin, to give thy self entirely unto God. It will be impossible for thee, to Go on in any Known Sin, o [...] to Dy with a Ly in thy mouth, [...] Dy than commit any Known Sin in the World. If this Disposition, be [...] in thee, before Three or Four [...] Expired, thy Immortal Spirit, will anon pass into Eternal Torment: [Page 111] thou wilt before To morrow morning be a Companion of the Devils and the Damned; the Everlasting Chains of Darkness will hold thee, for the Worm that n [...]ver d [...]s, & the Fire that never shall be Quenched: thou shalt fell in [...]o the Hands of the Living God, and b [...]come as a glowing Iron, possessed by his Burning Ven­geance, throughout Ete [...]nal Ages; the God that made thee, will not have mercy on thee, and He that formed thee will show thee no Favour. But for his Mercy, and Favour, while there is yet hope, we will yet Cry unto Him.’

FINIS.
[Page]

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THere is now in the Press, and will speedi­ly he Published, A Book, Entitule [...], The Fo [...]y of Sinning. Opened and applied in t [...] Sermons, Occasioned by the Condemnation▪ One th [...]t was Ex [...]cuted at Boston in New Eng­land, on November 17. 1698. By the Reverend Mr. Increase Mather, Praesident of Harvard Col­ledge in Cambridge, and Preacher of the Gospel at Boston in New England.

Sold by Michael Perry, at his Shop over a­gainst the Town House, in Boston.

There will also be Published, A Book, Entituled, Decennium Luctuosum. Or, An History or Remarkable Occurrences, in the Long WAR, which New England hath had wi [...]h the Indian Salvages, from the year 1688. to the year 1698. (with some other Memorables) Faithfully Collected and Improved.

Sold by Samuel Philips at the Brick Shop near the Town House in Boston.

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