Speedy repentance urged. A sermon preached at Boston, Decemb. 29. 1689. In the hearing, and at the request of one Hugh Stone, a miserable man under a just sentence of death, for a tragical and horrible murder. : Together with some account concerning the character, carriage, and execution of that unhappy malefactor. : To which are added, certain memorable providences relating to some other murders; & some great instances of repentance which have been seen among us. / By Cotton Mather Pastor of the Gospel in Boston.

Speedy repentance urged. A sermon preached at Boston, Decemb. 29. 1689. In the hearing, and at the request of one Hugh Stone, a miserable man under a just sentence of death, for a tragical and horrible murder. : Together with some account concerning the character, carriage, and execution of that unhappy malefactor. : To which are added, certain memorable providences relating to some other murders; & some great instances of repentance which have been seen among us. / By Cotton Mather Pastor of the Gospel in Boston.

Table of contents

Title page

§

THE Introduction.

The SERMON.

Conclusion. 1.

Conclusion 2.

Conclusion 3.

Conclusion 4.

Conclusion 5.

Conclusion I.

Conclusion 2.

Conclusion 3.

Assertion 1.

Assertion 2.

Assertion 2.

APPLICATION

Counsel I.

Counsel 2.

Counsil. 3.

Counsel 4.

Counsel 5

THE Character and Carriage and Execution of Hugh Stone.

The Last Speech of Hugh Stone.

His Prayer.

§

Article. I

EXEMPLE. I.

Exemple, II.

Exemple. III.

Article. II.

Exemple, I.

Exemple. II.

ERRATUM.

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Speedy Repentance urged

A SERMON Preached at Boston, Decemb. 29. 1689. In the Hearing, and at the Request of One Hugh Stone, A Miserable Man Under a just Sentence of Death, for a Tragical and Horrible MURDER.

Together with some Account concerning the Character, Carriage, and Execution of that Unhappy MALEFACTOR.

To which are Added, certain Memorable Providences Relating to some other Murders; & some great Instances of Repentance which have been seen among us

By Cotton Mather Pastor of a Church in Boston.

Boston, Printed by Samuel Green and Sold by Joseph Browning at the corner of the Prison Lane, and Benj. Harris at the London Coffee House. 1690.

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Conscientia mea meruit Damnationem, & poenitentia mea non sufficit ad Satisfactionem: Sed certum [...] quod misericordia tua superat omne [...] offensionem.

Anselm. in Med.

THE Introduction.

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OUr Blessed Saviour, ha [...] [...] that Character of his [...] cters, That they be Rulers over. His Houshold, and that Commandment to them, That they should give every one their meat in due Season. Whether or no our Good Neighbours will acknowledge our Government, which we Esteem to be not at all Despotical, but wholly Ministerial, and would rejo [...] if we could therein, with more universal E [...] cation enjoy the Assistence of those that might Rule well, though they Labour [...] in Word and Doctrine; yet I am sure we, ought with a very sollicitous Fidelity to look [...] our Stewardship, in that part of it, [Page]which concerns the Feeding of the Houshold. It is Food and not From which we are to Entertain the Souls of our people with; [...] not Windy and Empty Speculations, and Notions which Animum non dant quia non habent, are expected from us; but solemn and useful Admonitions, about Faith and Repentance, and Holiness, which make up, The One Thing Needful, and about those things without which no man shall see the Lord. And if not Froth, much less is Poison, to be [...] in our Discourses: not a Snake instead of a Fish; which alas, is now adayes no less frequently, than fatally met withal in [...] about Justification, more than about any one Article of Religion But in all this there is to be had a special Regard unto the Due Season too; in which Every Thing is Beautiful. For, tho' the Efficacy of Grace consist not in Moral Perswasions applyed (as the Arminians Dogmatize) Tempore & Modo Congruis, in a suitable and seasonable manner; yet a Spiritual; Physician, ought to watch his Time, as well as weigh his Dose; and we should prudently take what Advantage may be given by Providence to make this or that particular Truth awakening to the min [...] of them with whom we have to do.

[Page] The Sense of these things, caused me to Preach a Sermon, which might Exc [...]e and Assist Speedy Repentance, in that Congregation, which I would a [...]fully [...]member my self, Accountable to the Lord Jesus for. The Due Season, which this, Homely, but I hope, wholsome Food, was adapted unto, was at the Request and Presence of a miserable Murderer, then under a just Sentence of Death, to be speedily Executed on him. The Man was one HUGH STONE, of Andover; who upon a Quarrel between him and his own [...]ite, about Selling a piece of Land, having some words as they were walking together on a certain Evening, very [...] reached a stroke at her Throat with a shar [...] Knife, and by that one stroke, fet [...]ell [...] the Soul of her, who had made him a [...] of several Children, and would [...] yet another to him, is she had [...] a few Weeks longer in the World. The [...] man, was too soon surprised by his Neighbours, to be capable of denying the Fact; and so be pleaded Guilty, upon his Trial. Being under Condemnation, and his End hastening upon him, he gave me his Desires to hear a Ser [...] from me, before be Dy'd. Wherefore, I thought there was now before me [...] Due Season, to make a Food of such Things, [...] I now also permit[Page]others (and to permit them, is all I have done) to Print for the Edification of such as the Publishers propound thereby to benefit. I confess that I had not so much as One Day allow'd [...] for my Original Preparations of the Sermon; and therefore, not being able exactly to keep what I did not, could not write, necessitates me to Alter, and doubtless to Amend some Imperfections in it. Yet it is very near, what it was at its first Delivery; and from the Experience which formerly I have had, in [...] a Discourse of this kind, I encourage my self, with Hopes, that notwitstanding all the Weaknesses in it, I may find in the Day of the Lord Jesus, That I have not Laboured in v [...]n. The Sermon is plain; but besides my inclination at all Times to make none but such even an Heathen [...]eneca would [...]ve thought me, that on this occasion any other [...] have been improper. I excuse not the me [...]nness of the Composure; but an waiting upon the Eternal Spirit, who breathes how, and [...] where, He please, to make it profitable.

The SERMON.

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Job. VII. 2 [...].‘And why doest thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine Iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust, and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.’

WE have now before us, a very miserable, but we cannot excuse the hardness of our own Hearts, if it be not also a very profitable, Spectacle. You see a poor man in Irons here, whose crying Murders have now procured unto him that Sentence, which will not permit [...] to live many hours longer in the world. His Case does truly Preach to You, the same [...] my Text [...] Preach to Him; [Page] but while I have an Eye to his particular circumstances, I shall not so overlook yours, as to leave any one person in this vast Congregation without the Food proper in the present season for them. This Malefactor do [...] know that he quickly must; and all of you do not know but you sooner may come to sleep in the Dust; wherefore let every one of you now hear as those that are concerned to get their Transgression pardoned, and their Iniquity taken away.

The Book of JOB, in a sweet Poesy, gives us a true History, of strange Calamities, and stranger Deliverances befalling a famous Person, who made Arabia the Happy, by his dwelling there. Had it not been Real and Certain matter of Fact, which is here told unto us, we may not imagine that the Prophet Ezekiel, or the Apostle James, would have made such References, as they did [...]to it; it only remains that we do our parts to make it as useful, as 'tis Real and Certain.

[Page] It has been conjectured by some, that Moses was the Writer of this elegant Narrative; and the Arabian Idioms here and there occurring in it, consist very well with the Abode of Moses in his Exile: but it is as evident that Job lived before Moses, as 'tis that he lived after Abraham.

Very wonderful Afflictions at once did surprize this Renowned Man! and under his Troubles, we find him pouring out of his Complaints. Unto whom [...] It was a sigh that once passed from him. As for me is my complaint to Man? Alas, he found Man a Physitian of no value to be complained unto; and therefore 'tis unto God, that he now makes the; Complaints, which our Context is the conclusion of.

In the Verse before out Text, we have both a Confession, and a Petition of a Distressed Man.

For the Confession, we have both the Matter of it, and the Object of it. The Matter of it, is contained in those [Page] words, I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee? q. d. Tho' I am clear of many things which my Friends do accuse me of, yet my sins before God are so manifest and so multiplied, that I can do nothing for the vindication or expiation of my Miscarriages. The Object of it is intimated in those words, O Thou preserver of Men, which are by some rendred, O thou Observer of Men, q. d. God has Observed more amiss in me, than ever I found in my self.

For the Petition, it is with an Expostulation. It is, Why hast thou set me as a Mark against thee; so that I am a Burden to my self? The Sorrows of men, are the Arrows of God; they that are shot full thereof are sensible of a Burden in every one of their concerns: Why hast thou? is here a Deprecation of the evil mentioned.

Well, if we now pass on to our Text, we shall have there, both a Petition, and an Argument.

[Page] For the Petition, it is here with an Expostulation too. Tis, Why dost thou not Pardon my Transgression, and take [...] way my Iniquity? As before, Why dost Thou? was as much as to say, O do it not; so here, Why dost thou not? is equivalent unto saying, O do it. And it seems to follow upon the Title newly put upon the Great God, O thou Preserver of Men; q. d. Lord, since thou art the Preserver and the Pardoner of so many Sinners in the World, why should not I share in thy Mercies among the rest?

For the Argument: the force of the plea for a Pardon here, seems to ly in this, It will else quickly be too late! The terms of it are, For now shall I sleep in the Dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be; which in short is, I shall quickly be dead and gone! To Not be, is a Scripture-SacredPhrase for Dying: denoting not a total Annthilation but a vast Alteration comeing upon us by Mortality, which is [Page] also here styled Sleeping, with respect unto the condition of the Body in the Grave. And whereas we read of the Morning, in this place, it may be an Allusion to the Morning Sacrifices usual among the people of God; and it may carry this Import with it, q. d. Lord, if a Morning or two hence, thou shouldest Look to find me on my knees as I am now before thee, it will be too late; I shall be departed into that State, where in, I can make no Prayer to thee, and have no Pardon from thee, World without End.

Wherefore the Doctrine unto which you are now to give a very great Attention, is this.

Men should be very Importunate in their Prayers to the Eternal God, That their Transgression may be pardoned, and their Iniquity taken away, before the Sleep of Death bring their Great Change upon them.

[Page] For the clearing of this Truth, we have now Two Enquiries that ly before us.

Our first Enquiry is to be,

What is implied in the Pardoning of Transgression and the Taking away of Iniquity?

For answer to this; in general, The Glorious Benefit of JUSTIFICATION is herein implied. If you ask for a Description of Justification, then know, That it is an Act of Gods, Free Grace, Releasing a Believer from the Guilt of Sin and Accepting him as Righ [...]ous, thro' the Obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are two things which a Religion still pretends to make provision for; to remove the greatest of our [...]roubles, & to obtain the greatest of our Desires. The Christian Religion does both of these in a very admirable manner. The First [...] [Page] done in [...]. The Distress of Guilty Sinner lies in this point, What shall I give for the sin of my Soul? Be hold, that matter in Justification very wonderfully provided for. The Psalmist of did, called this a Parable, and A Dark Saying; [...], The preci [...] cus Redemption of a Soul, by the Mess [...] as alone Blessed be God, that we can with satisfaction penetrate a little way into the Mystery But I may not give you a full Discourse upon this illustrious Head of Divinity, which indeed the Standing or the Falling of the whole Church is concerned in the right stating of; and as I may not so I need not insist upon it, because; you have the published Writings of many Learned Men, on this very point; which I most heartily Recommend unto your Perusals [...] suppose you are all of the Disposition, which our famous Wilson would often express, by saying, I Love no [...] thing so much as to see a Preacher keep[Page]close to his Text, and the Scope of it; and therefore I shall now keep Close to my Text, 'by offering to you a few Conclusions relating to JUSTIFICATION, All which the Terms used in my Text suggest unto us; but in all, I must also keep close to the Man whom I do here most particularly design the edification of.

Conclusion. 1.

[My Transgression] The Hebrew word for it Notes, a Transgression out of Pride: And my Conclusion from it is,

There is a wicked and a cursed Pride in the Sins of men.

The First of our sin [...] was founded in a cursed Pride, & the most of our Sins are tainted with it. The first sin of Adam had Pride for a main ingredient of it. It was propounded unto him, in Gen. 3.5. Ye shall be as Gods, Honour and Grandeur was the Bait which he was taken with, and his Pride affected a higher condition that that which his [Page] Maker had plac'd him in. The first Sin of Satan too had Pride for its Original. Hence we are advised in I Tim 3 6. he that is lifted up with pride, falls into the condemnation of the Divel. It is thought that his Dissatisfaction at some Priviledges, which he foresaw Mankind likely to be the subject of, was that which prompted him to the Rebellion and Apostasie, in which he is now King over the children of pride. Tis thus in all the Sins which those have been the Parents of; there lies Pride at the bottom of them all. What Solomon sayes of one Sin, Only by Pride comes contention; the like may be said of All Sin, Mainly by Pride comes Transgression. Upon the Root of Pride it is, that there grows all the Disobedience to God, which is at any time committed in the World. It was the Saying of the Prophet, in Jer. 13.17. If ye will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret Places for your pride. From our Pride it is, that we do not Hear the voice of God unto us in his Ordinances [Page] or in His Providences; Tis Pride that makes us thick of Hearing, when our God councels us to Do Justice and have Mercy, and walk Humbly with Him: Every Sin (as one sayes of every man) hath a Pope in the Belly of it; something that Exalts it self against all that is called GOD. The Sinners whom Solomon calls the Fools, are those whom David calls the proud. If men were not proud Fools they would never espouse a way of wickedness; men Sin with an High Heart, and that makes them Sin with an High Hand against the God of Heaven. Through Pride, it is, that we must have our Will, tho Gods Will be quite contrary thereunto. And when the most High layes his commands before us, we do; as if we were Above Him, say, We will not hearken thereunto. Through pride it is that we can't bear the Order which the Sovereign God has fixt us in, but we take indirect wayes to relieve and alter our circumstances. And here is the [...] of all our Miscarriages. Be sure YOU [Page] that are now in Chains before us, must acknowledg this to be the Rise of yours. Your Proud Impatience of a little contradiction, and your Proud Resistance to the Rules of good living, have brought you to the Sin for which you are to dy.

Conclusion 2.

[My Iniquity] The Hebrew Word for it imports Iniquity with Crookedness and Perverseness. And hence I form this Conclusion.

The Sins of Men have a World of unrighteous Crookedness & Perversness in them.

Our Sins are not Right Things, but there is a most uncomely Obliquity in all of our Iniquity. Every Sinner may say, as in Job. 33.27. I have perverted that which is right. The Path which God in his Word has directed us unto, is a right path, or as 'tis called A path of Righteousness; but sin is a wandring from it; the Sinne [...] goes astray in the greatness of his folly. Sin is a Deviation [Page] from a strait Rule The Psalmist could say in Psal: 119: 128. I esteem thy precepts concerning all things to be right. But now every false way has a figure not conformed unto the pre cepts of God. The Sinner walks in crooked paths, when God has required, make strait pathes for your selves. And he has no constant course. One while 'tis one Lust, and tha [...] another, which he is madly slaving unto; Sin is that Harlot, whereof tis said, her wayes are moveable! And the Sinner is herein a most unrighteous man: He defrauds both God and man of their dues, with an injustice too black to be described. But if ever there were a perverse and an unjust man in the World, I am sure YOU that are in Irons here ought to account your self such an one. Your F [...]owardness has pusht you on to the most unreasonable thing that was ever done in the Land, in which you have not now long to live.

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Conclusion 3.

[Pardon my Transgression] The word, Pardon, signifies the Removing of a [...]oad; yea, a Transferring of in unto him who takes it off.

Whence this Conclusion doth arise

In Justification, the Burden of Sin is Translated from the Sinner unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sin is an Heavy Burden upon the Soul which it lies upon; and the Sinner may justly roar under it, as in Psal. 38. 4. My Iniquities, as an heavy Burden, are too heavy for me. Hence, The Bearing of Iniquity, is a phrase that sometimes occurrs in the Book of God: Every sensible Soul, feels it like a ponderous Mountain of Lead upon him; the Thousands of Talents which he owes unto the Revenge of God, are a Weight upon him, which he finds there is no Enduring of. Ask the Undone Murderer that is now before you, whether he feels not Sin like a Load upon him? That Malefactor will be prest to [Page]Death for ever, by the Dead Weight of Sin, who shall be so Mute under his Guilt, as not to cry our, Lord I am oppressed, undertake for me. But in Justification, this intollerable Burden is Translated unto the Blessed Lord Je sus Christ, who was made a Curse for us. And thus we are told in Isa. 53.6. God hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all. The Burden of Sin, is the Obligation to make Satisfaction for it; this is a Burden enough to Break the Backs of all the Angels in Heaven, if it were laid upon them. On Supposition of a Law given by God, and on Supposition of that Law broken by man, there follows a Necessity of a Satisfaction to be made unto the Justice of that Holy One, who will be known to be of purer Eyes than to behold Iniqui [...]y. The Rule according to which the Almighty God acts as the Judge of the World, is the Rectitude and Holiness of His Nature; and the Law which he hath given us [Page] is Ratify'd with such a Sanction, that there is now no pardoning of a Sinner without a Satisfaction to Him, Against whom only we have sinned. Now the Obligation to pay the Debt which our Sin has run us into, is in Justification made to fall upon our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Surety for Good. As one speaks well. Nostram ca [...]sam Sustinebat, qui nostram fibt Carnem aduniverat; and as I remember, Prosper expressed it, We were Crucify'd in Him; or according to the Language of the ancient Cyprian, He bore both us and all our sins. The Lord Jesus now becomes the Antitype of the Ancient Scape-Goat, upon whose Head, is laid all the Sin, which we have to answer for. There is an Imputation in this Affair; and as 'tis said in 2 Cor. 5. 21. God made Him to be Sin for us, who knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him; 'tis thus by a Divine Imputation and Constitution.

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Conclusion 4.

[Take away mine Iniquity] The word, Take away, signifies a Causing to pass away, and indeed therein, a passing by. Whence we have this Conclusion.

[...]n Justification the Great God causes the Sin of Men, to pass away, without Notice of it.

Sin is passed by, and made to pass away, when it is Forgiven to us. Our God therein says unto us, as in 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Lord hath put away thy Sin. As we do by Gods Law, in Sinning, so God does by our Sin in Forgiving. Hence the same word, is used for both. In Sinning we pass by His Law, as a thing not worthy of our Notice; thus in Forgivi [...]. He passes by our Sin, without an [...] such Notice of it, as to Damn us, or to Judge us, for the same. Our sin becomes now, in some sort as tho' it had never been at all; but as 'tis said in Jer. 50. 20. Iniquity shall be sought [Page]for, and there shall be None; and Sins, and they shall not be found. And Methinks, a poor Murderer, such an One as is within Hearing of what we are now speaking, should have his very Heart leap within him at the mention of such a thing. What? For such an One, when He stands at the Bar of the Lord Jesus, to have such a Verdict brought in for him, as, Not Guilty, there! But thus it is in Justification, God therein causes our Sin to pass away. But whither does it pass? We have a Reply to That in, Isa. 38. 17. Thou hast cast my Sins behind thy Back. Our Sin therein passes as far from the Avenging Eye of God, as what we cast behind us, never to be regarded any more. Whither did I say, it passes? Nay, to advance a little further, 'tis said in Mic. 7. 19. Thou wilt cast all their sins into the Depths of the Sea. But shall they not Rise and Float again? Truly, a Milstone thrown into the deepest Ocean shall sooner be [Page] brought in sight, than the Sin of one who has been a Subject of Justification, shall over be brought up for his Condemnation any more.

Conclusion 5.

It is observed, that the same words [Transgression, and Iniquity] are used both for Sin it self, and for the punishment of Sin.

Wherefore I shall here tender you this one Conclusion more.

In Justification, the severe punishment of Sin, is Remitted, with the Fault it self.

There has been a vain Distinction used about this matter, between [Reatus Culpoe] Guilt, as Deserving of punishment; and [Reatus Poenoe] Guilt, as Obliging to punishment. But these are so inseparable, that when Guilt is Remitted, the punishment goes along with it. In Justification, our Bonds are taken off, and nothing is demanded of us, as a price to A [...]o [...]le [Page] the Righteous God. It was said in in Isa. 33. 24. The Inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; the people shall be forgiven their Iniquity. Thus, when men are Forgiven their Iniquity, they shall not by vindictive Justice be made to say, I am sick, or I am poor, or, I am pained, and the like. There are no proper Paenalties remaining for a justify'd man. Whatever Troubles he may afterwards meet withal, there shall not be the Wrath and the Curse of God spicing of them; and in regard of the Second Death, it is very peremptorily declar'd unto him, Thou shalt not Dy. It was the cry of the Psalmist, in Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant. The God of Heaven, acts not so much like a Judg, as like a Father, to a justify'd man; and He not only secures him from the vengeance of Eternal Fire, but also, puts a New and a [...]nd Respect upon all the Temporal Afflictions, which do befal such a Man. The [Page] Afflictions which happen to him, are not so much Punishments as Chastisements; and a Reconciled God therein proceeds according to that Rule in Rev 3. 19. Whom I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten. Yea, if a Correction be at any time employ'd upon him, it is at the same time a Benefit, in that very thing which called for it. As the Dumbness of Zachary was as much an Argument for his Faith, as a Chastisement for his Unbelief.

And I am to tell the wretched Malefactor here, That his Prison, and his, very Gallows, will but be turned into his Advantages, upon his true Repentance. Man, you shall find Honey for your Soul, in the Bowels of those Devourers, if your Sins be once done away.

But then, our Next Enquiry is to be:

Why should men be Importunate in their Prayers to the Eternal God, for the pardon of their Sins, before the [Page] Sleep of Death bring their Great Change upon them.

For answer to this, Let these three Conclusions, all found in the Text, be laid together.

Conclusion I.

None can Forgive Sins, bit God.

The Scribes of old were so far Well Instructed, as to say, in Marc.2.7. Who can Forgive Sin, but God only? The true. Answer is very short; None Injuries done to men, may so far be forgiven by Men, as men only are concerned in them. Hence 'tis among the solemn Charges of the Lord Jesus, to us all; in Mat. 6. 14. Forgive men their Trespasses. But as it was of old said, If a Man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Even so If a man sin against the LORD; who shall pardon him? Injuries done to God, are to be Forgiven by Him alone, whose Great Name is that in Exod. 34. 7. The Lord Forgiving Iniquity, and Transgression, and Sin. It is a Maxim, Nemo potest Remittere de Jure [Page]Alieno; No man can dispose of Anothers Right. Who then can Intrude, or dare Invade upon the Great God, so as to allow for a Wrong which has been done unto His Majesty? To Forgive Sin, is a prerogative peculiar to the God of Heaven; and it is therefore mention'd among His Regalia, in M c. 7 8. W [...]o is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth Iniquity? 'Tis one of His Incomparable Excellencies, and a Flower in His Glorious Crown; T [...]is the Glory which He will not give unto another. Look upon sin as a Debt; still God is the Creditor; Look upon sin as a F [...]uls; still God is the Governour, to whom alone belongs the Remission of it. We are advertised of this, Rom 8. 33. It is God that Justifies Ministerially to Declare a Pardon, is one thing. This may be done by the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ; as the Priests were to pronounce upon the Cleanness of the Leper. In which respect our Lord said [Page] in John 20 23. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them. And in such a sense was the Prophet Jeremiah to pull down and pluck up Nations; that was, to Declare what Nations were so to be dealt withal.

But Authoritatively to Dispense a Pardon, is another thing, and it pertains to God alone. It was a passage of Moses, in Numb 14. 17. Let the power of my Lord be great [The Jews find a Letter of a greater figure than usual there, to intimate, they say, something of an extraordinary Greatness; but what is it? it follows] Pardon I beseech thee. None but one that has the great Power of a God can pardon Sin. The Popish Blasphemy and Villany upon this point, was the Scandal which first gave occasion to the Protestant Reformation; and God forbid that any Protestant should Return to lick it up. Wherefore YOU that here stand Condemned both by God and Man, are [...]w to be put in mind, not only that [Page] we have no Priests to Absolve you, and Deceive you, and that the Rulers of this place may not Pardon you, if they could: but also, if that your murdered Wife had Forgiven you before her Expiration, this would not acquit you before the Tribunal of the Eternal God. To invert the words of Elihu, When He gives quiet, who can make trouble? I would say, If he trouble you, who can Quiet you? If He do not forgive, none can Pardon you.

Conclusion 2.

The God of Heaven requires our Importunate Prayers, that our Sins may be forgiven to us.

Tis an Article in that Platform of Prayer; which our Lord has given us, O our Heavenly Father, Forgive us our Trespasses. When a certain Man had sinned at a grievous Rate, there was this Direction given to him, in Acts 8. 22. Repent of thy wickedness, and pray to God. And O that this Direction [Page] might penetrate into the very Soul of the sad man that is now before us here; a Man (if he be worthy to be called so) of whom we may say, O this Man hath sinned a great Sin! Behold, the course to be taken by every sinner, that would have a Pardon from the Lord; Pray to God, if perhaps thy sin may be forgiven thee. We have a promise of a Pardon, in Ezek 36.25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. But what follows? Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be enquired of, to do it. We must enquire of God, and entreat of God; if we would not perish without a Pardon forever. There is no sign of a Pardon in any man, till it can be said of him, as in in Acts 9.11. Behold he Prayes! Tis in Prayer that we confess our Sins, 'tis in Prayer that we renounce our Sins, 'tis by Prayer that we cast all our Sins, upon the Lord Jesus Christ; and without this, the least Sin in the World is utterly unpardonable.

[Page] Even those that have been already Pardoned, are to continue praying for a Pardon still. Tis a thing which none among the Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, are to be excused from. They need the comfort of a Pardon to be sensibly Renewed unto them; and tho' it have been once told unto a David, The Lord has put away thy sin, yet he keeps praying still in the terms of the fifty first Psalm, a Prayer fitted for the lips of all that want a Pardon. Luther sometimes distinguished between a Secret pardon, & an open pardon: a secret Pardon, every true Believer has, but an open Pardon implies an Assurance and Evidence of a Pardon, which many a Believer wants. Well, if we want Assurance, we are to pray that it may be vouchsafed; if we have Assurance, we are still to pray, that it be continned. A Prayer for a pardon is never out of Season.

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Conclusion 3.

The sleep of Death, brings upon men so great a change, that they had need make sure of a Pardon before they are overtaken with it.

To set this Conclusion home, there are three Assertions, which methinks may sound like so many Claps of the loudest Thunder, in the Ears of all this Numerous Auditory; but especially of that poor man, that must never come within these Walls again.

Assertion 1.

The Death of Men, is a kind of sleep unto them.

This is a Scheme of speaking used by the Holy Spirit of God. Death is a Sleep to the Godly: therefore it was said in John 11:11,12. Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth; Howbeit Jesus spake of his death. Death is a Sleep to the Wicked also. Hence it is said in Dan. 12.2. many of them that sleep in the Dust shall awake, [Page]to shame and everlasting contempt. Our Burying places, are therefore not unfitly termed, Caemeteries, or Dormitories, or Sleeping places. Thus the Psalmist feared, in Psal 13. 3. Lest I sleep the sleep of Death. Death is a Sleep, How? Tis not for the Spirit so. A Psychopannychia, a sleeping of the Soul on Death, is too gross and sad a thing to be imagined: it is it self, a Dream. The Active Apostle would never have said, as in Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dislodged and be with Christ; if he should have had nothing to do but Sleep in the Lodging which he was thus desirous to go unto. Let no man imagine that his departed Soul shall become stupid and senseless, and without all Apprehensions after Death. God forbid it should be so! Nor do YOU that are here a dying Prisoner, expect that within a few Hours, you shall be fallen into a Deep Sleep of all your Faculties. No, the Souls of Men at the hour of Death, do rather begin [Page] to Awake out of the Slumbers and Phan [...]asms, which they are here buried in, and they have a most exquisite feeling of the condition which they then pass into: How then is Death a sleep? Tis thus for the Body. The Body then has a Rest, in a Bed; a Rest from a million weary Travels: but as a Sleep will have an End, so this Rest will be not perpetual, not eternal; the Resurrection when the Almighty God will call, Awake yee that ly in the Dust! that is the Morning which will put a period thereunto.

Assertion 2.

The Pardon of Sin, is not after Death, a thing to be obtained. As 'tis said in Isa. 38. 18, 19. They that go down into the Pit, cannot hope for thy Truth; The Living, the Living, he shall praise thee. Even so, The Living, the Living, he may get a Pardon, but if once a man be gone down to the Pit. he is past hope of such a thing. The Dead must cry out, [Page] as the Dying have sometimes done with a wosul Desperation, 'Tis all too late! all too late! When once a man is Dead, what is the next thing? 'Tis answered in Heb. 9. 27. After Death, the Judgment. A Judgment, and not a Pardon, is the thing to be then attended unto. And what kind of Judgment will it be? Truly, 'twill be a Judgment which no Pardon will Reverse, none can Repeal. We read an amazing property of it, in Heb. 6. 2. Eternal Judgment; even the Jews in their Confession of Faith call it so. When once we are Dead, we pass into a World, where all is Eternal; there we are fixed like Rocks in an astonishing Ocean of Eternity; 'tis an Eternity of Weal, or an Eternity of Wo, nothing but Eternity which remains before us. And O how awful should the mention of Eternity, Eternity! be to YOU, forlorn and fetter'd man, who, if you do not get a Pardon of the Great God, before this week be out, [Page] must unto all Eternity be deprived of it.

Assertion 2.

But infinite and Horrible Woes must be the Portion of those whom Death find; Unpardoned. As the Prophet said, Wo unto the Wicked, even so I say, Wo unto the Unpardoned, it shall be ill with him, if Death find him so. It is testify'd unto us, in Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is Death. Our Sins are every Day crying in the Ears of the Lord of Hosts, pay us our wages, pay us our wages! When Death arrives unto an Unpardoned Man, then pay-day comes, and the Wages of Death and Hell for ever, are pay'd unto the Sinner, whom 'tis due unto. That Good Man took it for granted, If I be Wicked, wo unto me! So may a man upon the Brinks of Death [and ONE of you is very certainly so] assure himself, Wo unto me, if I now be found Unpardoned! Then He that made me [Page]will not have mercy on me, and He that formed, me will show me no Favour. Where Sin is the Needle, there Destruction is the Thred; if a pardon have not cut it off, before the Thred of our Lives be broken, Wo to us! Nothing will then remain for an Unpardoned Sinner, but A Fearful Expectation of a Fiery Indignation to devour him; Nothing will remain, but Everlasting Fire with the Divel and his Angels; Nothing will remain, but, The Worm which Dyeth, not and the Fire which never shall be Quenched. But no Tongue may Express or Heart conceive, the Dolor, the Torment, and Anguish of that Estate, which after Death is reserved for the Unpardoned. By the Help of an Exalted Fancy, a man may represent unto himself, Racks, and Boots, and Fires, and Rivers of Ardent Brimstone and Running Be [...] metal, to cruciate a Malefactor in, but all of them are little things in comparison of, That which is the portion of [Page]the Unpardoned, and the Heritage appointed unto Him by God. As One in Trouble of Conscience for Sin, hearing some Discourse about Burning to Death, cryed out, This is but a Metaphor to what I feel! Truly, the most hideous Tortures in the world, are but Metaphors unto the terrible Blows and Wounds, which with immediate Impressions of Divine Indignation will in the other world, be inflicted upon the Unpardoned World without End. Indeed, as a Painter being asked to draw unto the Life, the Horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, only besmeared his Table with Blood, intimating that the Thing was too Bloody to be otherwise Described. So, could I cover my Pulpit with nothing but Blood and Fire, it would give some little expressive Characters of what the Unpardoned at their Death are D [...]om'd unto. But all words are here swallowed up.

[Page] What Remains must be the

APPLICATION

Of the Truths which have been thus cleared unto us. And

1. There is an USE of these things which every one of us All are to be addressed with. 'Tis this;

Let every man among you, seek, and Secure a Pardon, before the Sleep of Death shall overtake you.

We all own our selves to be Sinners before that God, whose Eyes are like a Flame of Fire. It was begg'd, by one, and may be begg'd by us all, as in Psal. 19. 12, 13. Cleanse thou me from Secret Sins, keep back thy Servant also from presumptuous Sins. Besides, the Corruption brought with us into the world, which Concupiscence the Apopostle to the Romans, in two or three [Page] Chapters together, calls by the Name of SIN more than twice seven times there have been Actual Sins of all sorts, which we have defiled our selves withal. And besides our presumptuous sins many thousands of times Repeated in our Lives, whereof I may say to every man, as once 'twas said unto One, Thou knowest the wickedness which thy own Heart, is privy to; there are also our Secret Faults which every day, without Humble Recollections, we fall into. Some Sin thro' Ignorance; and thus do many among us, with whom Clip'd Oathes are such frequent Things. Their common interjection is Marry; and they think not, that they Swear by the Virgin Mary: ever now and then, a God so, passes from them, and they do not think that they swear, by Gods Soul, in speaking so. Others do sin thro' Carelesness, and Heedlesness: and hence they let more Spiritual Sins wonderfully have Dominion over them; Pride, Passion, [Page]Malice, and By-Ends, do strangely carry them away. In short, it is impossible to reckon up, how many Regards there are, wherein we have cause to Acknowledge before the Great God, Father, we have sinned! But why then do not we seek a pardon for our many and our mighty Sins? know we not, That we shall quickly Sleep in the Dust? As we are Sinners, we are also Mortal; and we are Mortal Sinners too. Let me then urge a few Counsils upon you all; and Let That man who is now just upon taking an Eternal Farewel of such Counsils, give a very particular Attention thereunto.

Counsel I.

Seek a Pardon, and seek it EARNESTLY. O be in Good Earnest, & (to speak Scripturally) be in Agonies about this Grand Concern.

To awaken your zeal hereabout.

Consider, The vast Blessings and Comforts which a Pardon is accompanied [Page] withal. Tis an iterated Exclamation about a pardoned Man. in Psal. 3 [...]. 1, 2. O the Blessednesses of such a man There are Blessednesses in this Life which a pardon will bring unto us. A pardon will be the Sugar of all our mercies. This was that which made Health, to be Health indeed unto Hezekiah; he could not only say, I a [...] alive and Healthy! but he could say therewithal, as in Isai. 38.17. Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. A Pardon will also be the sweetner of al [...] our Troubles. It will be a piece o [...] wood from the Cross of our Lord Jesus, to dulcifle the waters of Marah, which are usually so bitter to us When a man lay sick of a sore Disease, this Word was enough to make his Bed for ever easy to him, in Mat. 9.3. Son, be of good Cheer, thy Sins [...] Forgiven thee. But there are more marvellous Blessednesses which a pardon brings in the Life to come. 'Tis a Link which the Apostle finds, in [Page] (that which the Ancients call) The Golden Chain of Salvation, Rom. 8. 30. Whom he Justified, Them he also Glorified. There is no less than a Kingdom to follow upon a Pardon. Tho' the Sinner were here in the Fetters of Affliction, yet his very Chains will be turned into Crowns, when once a Pardon has made him capable thereof. O 'Tis well worth your while, to be in Earnest, about so Desirable a Thing as this! What shall I say more? A Malefactor once receiving Sentence of Death, did with a most Earnest Noise cry to the Judge for mercy; and being rebuked, for being so clamorous, replyed, Why, it is for my life, it is for my Life l and shall not I be in Earnest for it? So, and more than that, may I say concerning a Pardon from the Hands of God; Seek it; it is for the life of a precious and Immortal Soul, which is worth your being in Earnest for it.

[Page]

Counsel 2.

Seek a Pardon, and seek it PRESENTLY. Be able to say, concerning your Seeking a Pardon from, as the Psalmist said about his Keeping the Precept of the Eternal God; I made Hast, and did not Delay to do it.

To awaken your Hast here-about.

Consider the Incredible Dangers of all Delays. Your main Business is to become well provided of a pardon for your Sins. Let me now say unto you, as in 2 Cor. 6. [...]2. Behold, Now is the Accepted Time, Behold Now is the Day of Salvation! If you slip this Now, you may never have another; you may miss of Acceptance and Salvation for ever more. O do not say, as the Unhappy Faelix did, I'll concern my self about these matters at a more convenient season; for a More convenient Season will never come. The Great God says, To Day! and [Page] our To morrow, cannot be a more convenient season than, that which the allwise God hath pointed us unto. You have Now about you, a thousand conveniencies for the getting of a Pardon, which no Season hereafter will have blowing in the S [...]ils thereof. Nay tis possible, you may never have any other season at all. We are told, in Eccl. 9.12. Man knoweth not his time. We are bid in Prov. 27.1. Boast not thy self of Tomorrow. We do not know that the Time which is future, will ever come to be present with us, and he was but a welladvised man, who could say, I have not had a To morrow, for these many years. It was a prudent Admonition given by a Ra [...]i to a Scholar, among the Jews, Child Be sure to Repent at least a day before you Dy [...]. That person is worse than Mad who does not make sure of this. But you cannot make sure of it, if you do not Repent within the next three of four hours that are now [...]ore you. If any man propound [Page] an Hercafter unto himself to make sure of a Pardon in, I would say unto him, Thou Fool, This Night thy Soul may be required of thee. And let me add the words once u [...]ed in a case of sudden and extream Hazzard, save thy self in Night, for To morrow thou mayest be Slam.

Counsil. 3.

Seek a Pardon, and seek it HOPEFULLY. Despair not of it, but that your sins which have been like Scarlet, may yet become as Wool, and that your sins, which have been as Crimson may become like Snow. To quicken this Hope in your Souls.

Consider the Boundless Mercy of the infinite God. It may be that your sins have had most bloody Aggravations; as being against much Light, and much Love, and against very solemn Vows unto the contrary. Yet a Pardon is attainable, if you slight it not. What is Gods Design, in our Pardon? it is to [Page] magnifie His Grace, and (as the Apostle speaks) that he may Commend His Love. Well then, the greater our Pardon is, the greater will Gods Glory be. Hence it was the plea of the Psalmist, in Psal. 25.11. O Lord, Pardon my Iniquity, for it is great. What a FOR is that? How strange an Argument is th [...]? The Despairing Soul thinks, God will not Pardon my Iniquity FOR it is Great. But if we really Turn to God, the greatness of our sins will become no less than a plea for the Pardon of them. For Great Sinners will give Great praises, if they may tast of his pardoning mercy. Be not then Discouraged from industrious endeavours hereabout: but remember, that when our Lord Jesus hath said, in Joh. 6 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out; None of our Names are excepted there.

Remember also that there are some now [...]riump [...]ing with God in Heaven that once [...] [...] of the [...] same [Page] Sins which We are now terrified withal. Where is Abraham, that once was an Idolater? what became of Menasseh, the Conjurer? and of Magdalen the Strumpet? Is it not an Epitaph written by the Apostle upon the Grave of Rahab, Rahab the Harlot perished not? yea, did not even some of those that Murder'd the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, afterwards partake in the pardoning vertue of His Blood, which with wicked Hands they had been shedding of? see also 1 Cor.6.9,10,11. And why may not YOU come to be pardoned as well as they, if you tread in their steps, by a serious and sedulous making after it? Perhaps you have been ready to Sin. But it is an Attribute of God, in Neh. 9. 17. He is ready to pardon. Have you gone on a great while in Sin, and grown old and gray, and horribly Ripe in your Evil wayes? yet hear that Charm, in Jer. 3.1. Thou hast played the Harlot with many [...]vers, yet Return unto Me saith the Lord. In the primitive [Page] times there was one Victorius, a very old Man, converted unto Christianity: the Church would not receive him for some time, for thought they, Old Sinners do not use thus to turn and Live: But he evidenced the Reality of his Conversion, so that they sang Hymnsabout it, in the Christian Assemblies, and it was every where proclaimed, Victorius is become a Christian! Victorius is become a Christian! Even so may it come to be a shout over the oldest Sinner among you all, That Old Wretch has got a Pardon after all! Behold I have an Order to make an Offer of a Pardon within these, Walls this Day; and in the Name of the Eternal King, I make it unto every Soul among the many hundreds of People here. A Preface once Angrily made by Moses, let me Chearfully and Joyfully make the Day; Hear ye Rebels: But that which I thus Preface is, The glorious King of Heaven will receive every one of you to Mercy, if you will now at last lay [Page] down your Arms. I am to assure you There is Hope in Israel concerning this thing. Do not say with them, in Eze. 37 [...]11. Our Hope is lost. No, to all your other Sins, I beseech you add not that of Despair, which will be at least equal to the greatest of them, which you have already perpetrated. What a [...]efandous. Blasphemy was that of Spira, one of whose Roarinas was, My Sin is greater than the Mercy of God! That is the Cursed Language of Despair, which let no man indulge [...] Don't connt the Day of yet over with you. Safest thou? I am afraid the Spirit of God has done striving with me [...] nay, if thou art afraid of it, then it is not yet come to pass; He may be striving in those very Fears. S [...]ist thou, I fear I have committed the Unpardonable sin? If thou fear it, then thou hast never Done it [...]. They that are conscienciously solicitous and suspicious about it, are yet Clear from the great Transgression.

[Page] O then come to God at the Door of Hope thus opened for you.

Counsel 4.

Seek a Pardon, and seek it BELIEVINGLY. It is to be Enjoy'd by none but a Believing Soul.

To Excite this Faith.

Consider, The proper and only Gospel-way, to a pardon. 'Tis by Faith; as we are minded in Rom.5. 1. We are Justify'd by Faith. We must Request, and Expect our Pardon to come swimming down unto us in the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ alone; and we must keep our Eye upon Him, under that Notion, in John 1. 29. The Lamb of God which takes away the Sin of the World. We must look upon our Pardon as purchased and procured for us, by the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ, [...] in the Eternal Covenant of Redemption En [...]g'd unto His Father, That He [...] make His own Soul an offering for the Sins of all His Chosen ones. We are to take the Merits of the Lord [Page] Jesus Christ, as they are profered [...] unto us in the Tenders of the Gospel; and lay the whole Stress of our Guilty Souls thereupon, for ever. It is said in I John 1. 7. The [...] Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin. Where fore we must Renounce all Dependence upon [...] any Righteousness of our own for our pardon. Let us not place any Trust, in any Good Works, or in any Good Frames of our own, as tho' they could render the Holy God propitious to us. It is said in Job 9. 2, 3. How should man be Just with God? If He will contend with him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. The Jews give this Exposition of it; The pleas which men fetch from any Good thing in themselves, for the pardon of their sins, are so weak, and so trifling, and so foolish, that the Great. [...] would scorn to give an [...]nsw [...] to one among a Thousand of them. [...] Alas, we must not so much as ascribe the Inclinations of God to Impute the [Page] Righteousness of Jesus Christ unto us; [...]nto any Humiliations and Reformations which we may be dispos'd unto, [...] are to ly before the Lord, as Loathsome, Undone, Wretched Creatures, and Shout Grace! Grace! con [...]ning all the Methods of our pardon. Here, to speak as Jerome of old, All Hands are Dissolved, because nothing done by our Hands will be founded answer the Righteousness of God. It was a thing prescribed in-Ancient D [...] rectiores for the Visitation of the Sick [...] that the Sick M [...]n should be taught to say, O my God, I now place the Death of the [...] Jesus Christ, between me and my Sins. Behold, words fitted for every Sin sick Soul! What else can we say, seeing we are told in Acts 26. [...]8. Men receive the Forgiveness of, [...], and are Sanctify'd by Faith in Christ Jesus. And hence even one of the greatest Giants among the Romish Philistines, having argued a great while, for the Interest of our own [Page] Merits, in the pardon of our Sins, at last he comes to that memorable issue of all [Tutissimum est By Reason [...] the uncertainty of our own Righteousness and the Danger of vain Glory, 'tis the safest course to Repose our whole Tr [...] in the Mercy and Grace of God alo [...] Indeed! I pray, why then did you Bellarmine, Dispute with so long and strong a Sophistry, against the safest course in the World? I beseech you, Let none of us take any other course for the pardon of our Sins.

Counsel 5

Seek a Pardon, and seek it [...]NITENTLY. And there are especially Two Expressions of Repentance, which we are to be exercised in, They are conjoyned in Prov. 28. 13. He that Confesseth, and Forsaketh his Sins, [...] find Mercy.

Wherefore,

1. Confess all your Sins, if you [Page] would have the pardon of them. It was said upon a devout purpose of Confession, in Psal. 32. 5. I said, I will Confess my Transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the Iniquity of [...] Sin. How much more, will an [...] performance of it, have such a Consequence?

In some Cases our Sins must be confessed unto Men. Indeed, our secret Sins must not be divulged, until God Himself have in a manner brought them out; but then we are by our own ingenuous Confessions to perfect the Discovery. So David, so Jonah thought, tho' they could say unto God, Against thee, thee only have I sinned; scarce any but God being privy to their Miscarriages. And thus Achan, when others were made Sufferers by his being a Sinner, and God was pointing at him as the Troubler of all the Neighbourhood, his Duty then was that, My Son, Confess and Give Glory to God. But be sure, Sins [Page] committed before Men, must be Confessed unto Men. When Josephs Brethren had been Brethren in Iniquity, they heard one another with a bi [...] ter Confession saying. We are verily Guilty! When the Publicans and Soul [...] diers & such people, that had sinned publickly of old came to a better sense they Confessed their sins, no doubt at publickly as they could. We must give all men to see that we do not Approve of Sin, by our taking shame, to our selves for what sin they have seen us overtaken with, and like the, Convicted Leper crying out, Unclean, Unclean!

But in all Cases, our sins must be confessed unto God; who knows them all; and whom they have all affronted and abused, It is said in I John 1. 9. If we Confess our Sins, He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins. We are to confess our sins before the God of Heaven, both very particularly, and very sincerely. We may do well to [Page] take a Catalogue of Duties Required, [...] Sins Forbidden, in all the Commandments of God; and Examining [...] that Glass, what Spots we have had [...] our Hearts and Lives, we should [...] [...]way [...] them all before God. And [...] [...]way [...] them, without any Excuses or [...]sences to Extenuate them, in our [...]mentations. An Upright man, lies in the Dust; Let us lay our selves [...]ere, and so Enlarge upon our own Vileness, as becomes, A Spirit without Guile. Such a Confession as this, must be made if we would have [...]y marks of a pardoned Soul upon us.

2. Forsake all your Sins, if you would make Genuine your Confession of them. When you have once Vomited up your Sins by Confessing of them, O do not return to them, as, A Dog to his Vomit. Come to say, as in Job 14. 31. I will not offend any more; and study to Do what you say. As, The Burnt Child will dread the Fire, So let us Dread all the Sins which our [Page] Souls have been scorched with [...] an let us not espouse any Way of [...] ness If any of us will go on, [...] our Sins, let us not forget what [...] come o [...] it; no less truly than [...] [...] Psal.68 21. God shall wound the [...] of such an one, as goeth on [...] Trespasses. But O what horrible [...] are those which the [...]nipotent [...] of the Great God shall be the [...] of! Do not venture to go on in [...] course of Sin; but be able to say, hate every false way; and especially, [...] able to [...], I kept my self from min [...] Iniquitie. Albeit any [...] may have been as dear as a Right-eye, or a Righthand unto you, nevertheless, Aw [...] with it! Whatever bad course you have heretofore been us'd unto abho [...] it now, with a very hearty and zealou [...] Detestation; and say, What [...]ave I [...] ny more to do with Ido [...] [...] Tis a Ne [...] Life that we are now [...] [...] studious of; and we may not promise a pardon to our selves, while we continue [Page]in Sin. Tho' God at first Justif [...] the ungodly, yet he will not let a Justified [...]an remain ungodly any more; no he [...]ches him to Deny all ungodliness, [...]nd Live Godlily, Soberly, and Righte [...]sly in this [...]sent Evil World.

[...] But there is a very particular [...] of these things, to be Regarded by [...] among us, who is never to see the [...] of another Sabbath more. Tis [...]igh Sto [...]re, that I am now more immediately concerned with; and therefore let him, as a man just come unto the very side of the black River of Death give earnest heed, unto what shall [...]ow be said before we part.

Unhappy Man; you must now Dy before your time, for your being wicked [...]ver [...]ch, and because you have been [...] Man of Blood, you must not Live one, all your Dayes. I am a little to invert the wor [...] [...] Text, in my Spee [...]l [...] unto you, and lay, Why don't you seek to have your Transgression pardoned, and [Page]your Iniquity taken away? For you stall sleep in the Dust, before this Week be our, and if we seek you next Friday Morning, you shall not be among us. Tis a great Favour of God unto you, that you have liberty to hear a Sermon or two before the Execution which you [...] Sentenced unto; your Monstrous Hands hurried your poor W [...]fe out of the World with a greater and more cruel Expedition. Your may lament it with an inexpressible Bitterness, that you have no better improved those hundreds of Sermons which you have enjoyed heretofore. But I now beseech you, let not one more be lost. You are Hearing for your last; O let it be as for your Life: Look out for a Pardon, before it be too late, and let not the Divels cheat you of a Never-dying Soul: Every Drop of that innocent Blood in which you have imbrued your merciless Hands has a Tongue in it; and it makes a fearful hideous Clamour in the Ears of the Great God, saying, [Page] Vengeance, O Lord, Vengeance on the cruel Murderer! Methinks, you should be concerned for a Saving Interest in that Blood, that speaks better things. Nothing but the Blood of the Lord Jesus, will drown the voice of that horrible Cry. This Blood speaks for, A Pardon, to them, whom it belongs unto; O do you now speak for a Title to that Blood; I say again, Before it be too late.

What shall I say, that may stimulate the Christ ward motions of your Fettered Soul!

I am to tell you, First, That your Sin is very Great. The Sin, for which you now stand Condemned, is, a sin of a [...] & bloody Dye, Murder is the [...] Barbarous and Divelish, a [...] [...]ll the Crimes that are Iniqui [...] [...] punished by the Judge. Will [...] [...]f kill a Wolf? no, and the very Bears agree among themselves. But shall a Man than be worse than a Wolf, unto a Man? If, He that loves [Page]another fulfils the Law, 'tis easy to tell what he does, that Murders another. The most Wretched Pagans have observed of the Murderer, That Vengeance will not suffer him to Live. But your Murder is one hardly to be parallel'd in an Age! 'Tis said, No Man (if he have but the Heart of a MAN in him) ever hated his own Flesh. What then are you, that have Murdered yours? Find a Name for yourself, if you think it possible! You have Murdered Her whom you should have Loved above all the world; Her whom you should have Cherished with all the Kindness and Goodness of an Holy Conversation; Her whom you should have been willing even your self to have Dy [...] for the preservation of. And with Her 'tis said, you have Murdered a [...]nfant, which never saw the Light. This is your Sin. And Doubtless, they were not few or small Sins, for which God left you unto This. You [Page] had long before, been guilty of those Impious both Omissions and Commissions, which gave the Divel at last a very entire Possession of you. O Consider of them all; aud especially Trouble your own Soul, for your Unbelief in Rejecting the Saviour of it. You have sat long under the Gospel; but you have Refused, yea you have Crucify'd the blessed Redeemer, who therein besought you to be Reconciled unto God. How should the Remembrance of this be to you, as the Wormwood and the Gall, and cause your Soul to be Humbled in you.

I am to tell you, Next, That your Case is very sad. Look round about, and say, Is there any Sorrow like your Sorrow? Your House; you have Troubled it, and it is turned upside down by what you have done; and, what [...] [...], what Horrour, have you fill'd [...] Hearts of your scattered Children with? Your Name; you have Blemish'd it, it must Rot, without [Page] a Grave-stone among Civil People, & you must hereafter be known by this Description, The Man that Murdered his Wife. Your Body; it has undergone the pains of Chains and Gaols, & there is a little more pain reserved for it, before it feed the Worms. But above all, your SOUL, your Soul, is brought into Dangers too affrighting to be patiently thought upon. What is it that the Word of God, pronounces upon the Murderer? No Murderer has Eternal Life It says, The Murderer shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God. It says, The Murderer shall have his portion in the Lake that burns with fire and Brimstone. Surely, Thy very Heart must be moved out of its place, to hear of such an End as this, which indeed will never have an End What think you of Changing your Fetters, for the Chains [...] [...]ness in the Dismal Vault belo [...] [...]hat think you of changing your P [...]on, your Dungeon, for the Outer Darkness, in which there is gnashing of Teeth for evermore! [Page] Truly, it becomes you to lay your self in the Dust, and cry out, Wo is unto me, that I have Sinned!

I may tell you Thirdly, That your TIME is very short. You may not Entertain the least Thought of having your Life now prolonged in the world; the very World, will be defiled if you continue in it. Were there a City of Refuge among us, which you were fled into, yet we ought to fetch you thence, and see you made a Sacrifice. The Great God has Required this coucerning you; Let him hasten to the Pit, Let no man stay him; and you must before this Day Se'nnight be gone, thither, Whence you cannot Return. As it was said unto a better man than you, Set thy House in order, for thou shalt Dy and not Live. Thus, I would say to you, that cannot possibly set your Desolate House in order any mo [...], Set thy Soul in order, for thou shalt Dy before this Week expire. Undone man, where shalt thou [...] [Page] within a few Hours? Tho' this Day Se'nnight, you should Roar, Lord. Lord, One Sabbath more! or, Lord, Lord, One Sermon more, and one Season more! it will be in vain for ever and ever.

And yet let me tell you, Lastly, That there is a May be of Mercy for you. Tho' with Cain, you have been a Murderer; yet let not the out-cry of Cain be with you, My sin is greater than can be forgiven. You may be made a Manasseh, for Blessedness, as you have been such an one for Wickedness. A Pardon is to be had, if you slight it not; and how should that melt your very Heart within you?

In an English Plantation, that is not far from New-England, a while ago, there were two or three [...] Condemned to Dy, as I have heard, for [...]acy. After their Condemnation they [...]oke Prison, and fled into the Woods; from whence, after some weeks, they returned[Page]of their own Accord, and Surrendred themselves unto the Authority, saying, We got away only that we might have time to make our peace with God, and get the pardon of our Sins assur'd unto us, which thro' Grace, we have done, and now we tender our Lives, to satisfie the Justice of the Law. The Judges were so pleased with this Ingenuity, that first they bestow'd a Reprieve on them, and then procur'd a Pardon for them.

For your part, you are utterly & for ever uncapable of a Pardon, from the Hands of Men; but were you in earnest about it, you might yet get a Pardon from the Hands of God without flying any whither, but unto the Horns of the Altoer, the Lord Jesus for it.

One which Died of Bleeding had that Expression about the Blood of the Lord Jesus, One Blood kills me and another saves me. Truly, as the Blood of the person whom you have Murdered calls for your Death, so the Blood of [Page] our dearest Jesus will bespeak no less than eternal Blessedness for you, if by impenitence you put it not away. Our Lord said once to one that was Hanging on a Tree, Thou shalt be with me in Paradise. You may go from the Gallows to a Kingdom, if after your abominable doings, you yet will but consent unto the Terms of the New Covenant.

But I must acquaint you, that the only Remedy for you, is to carry a distressed Soul unto the Lord Redeemer, who is Exalted to be a Prince & Saviour [...] O look unto him, whose call unto us is; Look unto me! Look unto Him, and Sigh, and say, Lord, grant unto me, both Repentance and Remission of sins.

And while you are thus looking to Him, study to do some Remarkable Thing for the Honour and Glory of God, and for the warning of such as are walking in those wayes, which [Page] have brought you to this, That Men [...]ap their Hands at you, and hiss you out of your place. This is the least you can do by way of Gratitude unto Him that has made you so capable of a Pardon as you are.

I have done. But O that you may not be Hard-hearted any more! You have the Name of STONE; God forbid, that you should have the qualilities and properties of a Stone, in your obduration. May these Words pierce as deep into your heart, as your Knife did into the Throat of your miserable Wife! may the God of Heaven therefore take away from you the heart of stone, and at the same time give you the white Stone of Absolution from the many thousands of Sins, with which you stand charged in the Books of his Remembrance.

And may the good God sanctifie the condition of this Man unto us all; that [Page] all of us may learn to Abhor and Avoid Sin, and be thankful for [...]he Grace without which, Lord, what should the very best of us all Degenerate unto!

FINIS.

THE Character and Carriage and Execution of Hugh Stone.

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THe foregoing Sermon having been Preached unto the Guilty Murderer, I thought it my Duty to observe what operation the Truth and Word of God might have upon him; and to answer his own desires, that I would assist him in the last minutes of his life; nor was I altogether ignorant that the Labours that the Famous Perkins used with Prisoners, were so successful, as to encourage these that should make an Example [...] them.

I have hardly met with so unintelligible a man, as this Hugh Stone. He could and would frequently speak very [Page] well, but with many very Reasonable things which he uttered, he mingled as great Impertinencies. I know no whether the use of his Reas [...] were not sometimes disturbed by the Horrour of his mind; for he thought himself sometimes haunted with the Ghost of his Murdered Wife. But his Conversation in the Prison before his Condemnation, was in diverse things very Scandalous; and I could wish there had been more exactness in his Repentance afterwards. His Passions upon any Provocation were so inordinate, as that we did not wonder to see what he was come unto. And as on the one side, I never saw a Man express less fear of Dying, so on the other, I never heard a Man express more care about every Trifle, which he counted himself concerned in.

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 the [Page] Reader may find or make something useful to himself, what ever it were to the Poor Man 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 Wo, now depends upon the well or [...]ill taking of.

Hugh Stone. Sir, I Thank you, and I beg you to do what you can for me.

Min. Within a very few Minutes your immortal Soul must appear before God the Judge of all. I am heartily sorry you have lost 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 Tribunal 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[Page]given me this Afternoon, to Live such a Life as I have Li [...]ved heretofore, [...] 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 a Sinner? That the Guilt of the First Sin committed [...]y Adam, is justly charged upon you? And that you have hereupon a Wicked Nature in you, full of Enmity, against all that is Holy, and Just, and Good? For which 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 W [...]ath and Curse of God, both in this Life, and that which is to come?

H. S. I am sensible of this also.

[Page] 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 [...]very 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 [...]e 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 the Commandment is Exceeding Broad; it reaches to the Heart as well as the Life: it includes Omissions as well as Commissions, and it at once both Requires and Forbids. But I pray, make an experiment upon any [Page] one Commandment, in which 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 and Graven Image; How have I broken it?

Min. Thus: You have and 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 and 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 it was.

Min. You ought to see it. God help you to see it! There is a boundless Ocean of it. And then for that SIN, [Page] which has now brought a shameful Death upon you, 'tis impossible to Declare the Aggravations of it; hardly [...]n 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 in your outward Man, but chiefly for the Wrongs and Wounds therein given to your own Soul; and not only for the Miseries you 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 Hopes?

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 as died to save Sinners.

Min. Truly, There is no other Name by which we may be saved? The Righteousness [Page] of the Lord Jesus Christ, [...] that alone, in which you may safely anon appear before the Judgment [...] of God. And that Righteousness in 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 alon [...] 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 [...] been Born.

[Page] Min. 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; & your Help, also, That lies in Blood. I am to [...]ffer 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 that Blood, for all the other saving [...]ffects of it? shall I explain what I mean?

H. S. Do Sir.

Min. The Blood of the Lord Jesus, not only Sin Pardoning Blood, but so Soul-Purifying and Heart-softening land. It embitters all Sin unto the [...]ul, that it is applied unto, and mor [...]ies every lust in such a Soul. Are [Page] are you desirous of this?

H. S. With all me Heart?

Min. The Lord make you so. The Lord Seal your Pardon, in that Blood which is worth ten thousand World.

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. Why, Confess and Bewail th [...] Sins that have undone you, and publickly Advise, and Exhort, and Charge all that you can, to take heed of [...] evil wayes.

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. It was Contention in my [...] [Page] I had been used unto something of Religion: and I was once careful about 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 came to.

Min. I would pray you to Vo [...]t up all Sin, with a very hearty detestation. You are going (if I may so speak) to disgorge your Soul; if you [...]o not first cast up your Sin, if your [...]oul and your Sin come away together [...]ou cannot but know something of the [...]ismal condition which it must pass to. O what cause have you to fall [...] with Sin forever? it has been your [...]nly Enemy. Here is the only Re [...]enge which you may allow in your [...]f. You must not now bear any Ma [...] against any one man in the World, [...] forgive even those that have done [...] the greatest Injuries. Only upon [...] be as [...]vengeful as you can; I [...] [...] like Sampson, so to D [...], [Page] 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 breath your last. Your are just going to take a most awful Step, which has this most Remarkable in it, That i [...] 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 Merciful Redeemer, that he may keep you from a Miscarriage, which cannot be recal'd & redress'd throughout eternal Ages. The Lord show unto you the Path of Life!

Attend unto these, as the last word that I may speak before the Prayer, with which I am immediately to take a long Farewel 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 Truths and Wayes, or of Enmity against what has His blessed [Page] Name upon it, you shall be fixed, and settled, and confirmed in it, until the very Heavens be no more. But they are very Terrible Plagues and Pains, which you may be sure will accompany this everlasting Disposition of your Soul.

On the other side, If God now find your Soul, under the power of Inclinations to Love Him, Fear Him, Serve Him; and to esteem the Lord Jesus above a thousand Worlds; you shall then be Confirmed in the perfection of such a Temper, and of all the Joy, that must Accompany it. Which of these is the Condition that I now 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 [Page] 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 Prefence of the Lord.

After this Discourse; ascending the Ladder, he made the following Speech.

The Last Speech of Hugh Stone.

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YOung Men and Maids; observe the Rule of Obedience to your Parents; and Servants to your Masters, according to the Will of God, & do the Will of your Masters: If you take up wicked ways, you set open a Gate to your Sins, to lead in bigger afterwards; thou can'st not do any thing but God will see thee altho' thou thinkest thou shalt not be catched, thou thinkest to hide thy self in Secret, when as God in Heaven can see see thee, though thou hast hid it from Man. And when thou goest to Thievery, thy wickedness is discovered, and thou a [...] found Guilty. O Young Woman that is Married, and Young Man, look on [...] here; be sure in that Solemn Engagement, you are obliged one to another; Marriage is an Ordinance 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, [Page] 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 & 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 [...] Merciful God, and a Gracious and Loving Father; Alas, that thou [...] Nourish up Children that have Rebelled [...][Page]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 and 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, and 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 [...]ake have pity on me. Now I am coming [...] Judgment, Lord, let the Arms of thy [Page] Mercy Receive my Soul, and let my sins be 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. If 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 shedding innocent Blood: O Gracious God, Remember thou me in Mercy; let me be an Object of thy pity 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; pity the poor Children that go like so many Lambs that have lost their keeter; that they may not come to such a Death as I do Lord, for the [...] of Jesus Christ, and the Righteousness of [Page] 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 those that have put up their Petitions for me, be accepted for the sake of Jesus Christ. Now I am coming, now I am coming, thou mayst say, I called to thee, and thou wouldst 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 Lord, let me enjoy Rest for my Soul. The desire of my Soul is to be with thee, in thy Kingdom, let me have a share in that Kingdom. Now is the time, Lord Jesus; the Grave is opening its mouth; I am now living, though dead in Sin, let my prayers be heard in heaven thy holy place; thy hands hath made me, & I know thou can'st Save me; hide not thy face from me; and affect the hearts of thy people with this sad Object, that they may labour to serve thee betimes, and may not give themselves up to profaneness and Wickedness, especially 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 out of thy heart and thou art unprepared to commit thy self and Family unto God; thou art [...]n [...]it to come into[Page]Gods Presence. I have cause to cry cut and be ashamed of it, that I am guilty of it, because I gave way to that Sin more than any other, and then God did leave me to practise wickedness, and to Murder that dear Woman, whom I should have taken a great deal of Contentment in, which if I had done, I had not been here to suffer this Death.]

Thou art Holy, Just, and Good, and therefore O Lord have mercy on me, for the sake of thy Son pity 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 it be thy blessed will; 'tis a day of great Trouble with me; my Soul is great ly Troubled; give me one Glimpse of Comfort in thy Kingdom; by & 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 Sama [...]ia, a Tasie 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, [Page] 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 of Hugh Stone, in the Prison, the morning before his Execution.

When Young People are Married they make use of Prayer in their Families, and when they Pray, they do believe there is Sincerity and Affection in their Prayer; but when Difference between a Man and his Wise doth arise, then that doth occasion hindrance of Prayer in their Family; and when Prayer is wholly omitted, it lets 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 his Praying.

FINIS.

§

§

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TO Contribute a little further unto the Design of this Book, I shall here Annex Two Articles of Observations, extracted from an Hitherto-Reserved Collection of MEMORABLE PROVIDENCES. I have Recorded them in such Words (and the Rest in such Wayes) as these.

Article. I

Act. XXVIII. 4.‘A Murtherer—Vengeance suffereth not to live.’

AMong all the perpetrators of the more hideous and enormous Impieties in the world, there is no person more Abhorred by the Lord, than the Murtherer; and there is none so much pursued by the Lord as that bloody Monster is. Those Children of Cain, that rob their innocent Neighbours of their lives, usually endure [Page] first all Hell in their own Consciences, by which Mark upon them, they are made more incapable of avoiding the Halter which they are worthy of, and that Halter is but a Sling out of which their guilty Souls are hurled into a further, a lasting, an endless Hell. Very trivial are the occasions and pretences for which often this pe [...]e of Devilism is committed. No greater provocations truly, than what the two Brothers at Padua had, between whom there Issued first a Quarrel and then a Murder, only from this Original, that on a certain evening together, one was wishing for Oxen as many as the Stars, the other was wishing for A Pasture as large as the Firmament. But the Expectations of its Concealment scarce ever escape a Lamentable Dissappointment in them who are so vain as to promise unto themselves a Secrecy and Impunity in this Villanny; for a Beff [...] will find the very S [...]allowes to Chirrup out his Murder of his Fa [...]er. Nor can a Temporal Recompence for this atrocious Iniquity ordinarily be avoided by the sincerest Repentance it self; besides the [...] of eternal fore, which without Repentance [...] follow [...]s there upon. The [...] [...] himself [...] [Page] his soul swim away to Eternity in his blood.

To the innumerable Exemples of these things, which all Ages do admire, Let these be added.

EXEMPLE. I.

The First Murtherer of his Neighbour in New-England (as I take it) was one Billington at Plimouth in the year 1630. He shott a poor man that he was a mortal enemy unto, & expected that for want of Power or of People in that Infant Plantation he should have evaded the execution due to him for his Capital Offence. but Justice inflicted his deserved death upon him.

Exemple, II.

One Mary Martin, her Father going away from hence to England, had left her in the House of one Mr. Mitten, a Married man, who became so enamoured of h [...] as that he attempted her Chastity: Such was her weakness and Folly, that [...]hee yeilded unto the vile Temptations; tho' with such Reluctancies, that begging of God for deliverance from the wi [...] follicitations, she pleaded, If over she were overtaken again, she would leave her selfe unto his Justice, to be made a publi [...] [...]mple, However not governing her self, nor Remembring [Page] her promise, with the same Sin a third time was she overtaken. Afterwards going to Service in Boston, she found her self to have conceived; but living with a favourable Mistriss, who would not allow any Suspicion or Suggestion of her Dishonesty, and thinking her self unable to bear the shame or grief of the Discovery, she wholly concealed it until the Time of her Delivery. Being then alone by her self in a dark room she used violence to destroy the Child, once and again, before she effected the unnatural Barbarity. Hereupon she wrapt up the Infant in her Chest for fifteen days until her Master & Mistress went aboard the ship in which they were Transporting themselves to England. On this Occasion the was put to remove unto another House there some that before had apprehended, how perceived that shee had lately been delivered of a Child. They charging it upon her, she at first denied the Murther, & said, It was still, [...]orn, but upon search it was [...] him her chest, and she being made to [...] the [...] of it, before the Jury, the blood came fresh thereinto; whereupon the confessed the whole Truth. In her [...] [...] and at her Execution she carried her self so Exceeding penitenly [Page] that the observers had great Hopes of her true Repentance. But this was particularly remarkable, That as she acknowledged her Twice Essaying to kill her Infant before she could make an end of it; so, through the unskilfulness of the Hang-man, they were fain to turn her off the Ladder Twice before she could expire.

Exemple. III.

An English Ship sailing from some-where about the Mouth of the Streights, was manned with some cruel Miscreants, who quarrelling with the Master & some of the Officers, turn'd them all into the Long-bont, with a small quantity of provisions, about an hundred Lengues to the westward of the Spanish Coast. These followes in the mean while saile for New-England, where as Providence would have it, the Master and his afflicted Company in the Long-boat arrived too; all except one who died of their Barbarous usage. His countenance was now become terrible unto them, who though they had Escaped the Sea, yet Vengrance would not suffer them to live ushaoer. At his Instance and complaint they were Apprehended and the Ring-leaders of this Murderous Piracy had a Sentence of Death executed on them. The horronts which [Page] attended the Cheef of these Malefactors in his Dying hours were such as exceedingly astonisht the beholders. Though he was a very stout man, yet now his Tremblings and Agonies were inexpressible. One speech let fall by him was, I have been amongst drawn swords, flying bullets, roaring Canons, amidst all which I never knew what fear meant; 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.

Loud cries the spilt blood of a Brother;

He kills himself that slayes another.

Clamitat ad Coelum vox Sanguinis.

Article. II.

Isa. LV. 7.‘Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord and He will have mercy, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.’

It was once the affectionate Out-Cry of a Condemned but a Converted and a Comforted Malefactor, God is a great forgiver, God is a great forgiver! It is indeed rarely seen that Bad livers to, ever become [Page] Sincere Poenitents in Old Age. When the Devils have had a Possession of many years, they plead a sort of Proescription against the Holy Spirit of God, and make their interest so strong, that very Extraordinary must be the Influences of the Grace that shall destroy it. Scripture seems to pronounce a sinner of an hundred years old to be cursed, and Experience commonly discovers a Sinner of Fifty years old to be hardened beyond all recovery. The Generality of them that are brought home to God under the constant Dispensations of the Gospel, will find that between Fifteen and Thirty is the Age in which most of the Elect become Called ones. But as nothing is more Soveraign than the Free-Grace of God, He calls both Whom and When he will; and He leaves many Civil and Moral people in their Unbelief, when He Renewes the Worst of men, and those that not only have done evil an hundred times, but likewise an hundred years been in the rebellious Tents of the Ungodly; So nothing is more glorious than that Free-Grace which pardons without bounds, and forgives the Sins which no Conscience has vigour enough to describe all the Aggravations of. Let no man that begins to have sad Thoughts [Page] about the State of his own soul, despair of Mercy from God in Christ; it reaches even to, The Chief of Sinners. It is for a Cain to roar, My sin is greater than can be forgiven! but perhaps his Despair was not inferiour to his Murder, and Austin well replied upon him, mentiris, Cain, Cain, Thou l [...]est. The Tempter that once told thee; Tis too soon, may now tell thee, Tis too late to repent; and thou mayest have in thy Thoughts the Voice which once a flagitious man had in his Ears, a little before he dyed, No Mercy, No Mercy! But When he speoeketh hard unto thee, beleeve him not. Come, and Confess and forsake all thy sins, and thou shalt have Mercy. Come, and cast the Burdens of a Guilty and Wretched soul upon the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt have Rest. Unto the Greatest and the Oldest Sinners, yet, Return unto me, saith the Lord.

Exemple, I.

A while since, there dyed at Lancaster, a man whose name was Richard Lenten, arrived in age to so many years above an hundred, That he had lived in Wedlock with his wise for Sixty three years, and yet she was Thirty five years younger than himself; [Page] and he was able to follow his toils at Husbandry, very livelily but about a month before his End.

This man had been all his dayes a poor ignorant carnal and sottish man, and unacquainted with the very Principles of his Catechism, after he had satt under so many hundreds of Sermons as he had: Nevertheless, when he was about, an hundred years old, God blessed the Ministry of His Word unto this mans awakening; and he became a diligent Enquirer after the things of the life to come, and a Constant Serious Attender on all that was Religious. He arrived unto such measures of a wellinformed Devotion, that the Church which was very strict in the terms of their Communion, yet received him into their Fellowship about Two years before he dy'd; Wherein he continued under a good Character, so long as he continued in the World.

Exemple. II.

There dwelt at a Village in this Countrey, one who dyed in December 1688. This man had been remarkable for his bad Life, till he had spent fifty years in the lewd and rude Courses of notorious Ungodliness. Though he had the Benefit [Page] of a christian and pious Education, yet he had shaken off all the yokes which that had laid upon him. Hee became a foulmouth'd Scoffer at all good men and good things; and a great mocker of ChurchMembers in particular. The Vices of Drunkenness and Swearing and Lying made the Characters of his Conversation. Sabbath-Breaking and Promise-breaking, made him infamous among honest people, and his Disobedience to his Parents was not unequal to the rest of his miscarriages. Original Sin, in the furthest efforts of it, fill'd his whole man, and his whole way, for half an hundred years; at which age he left the world; and he had sat under & sinn'd against the meanes of Grace all this while. But yet, which you will admire to hear! Yet this enormous liver was judg'd to be converted unto God some few weeks before he died, The great God so blessed & owned the Ministry which he enjoyed, that the Efficacy of it on him, became conspicuous to Astonishment. He became a serious Paenitent, and so devout, so pensive, that every one saw a New-Creature in him. He mourned for all his former faults, and caused his Complaints to reach unto the Plague of his Heart as the Root [Page] of all. He reformed what was amiss in him, and applyed himself with an exceeding Vigour to the Saviour, for the Salvation of his soul. While the Grace of God was thus beginning its Impressions on him, he fell [...]ortally sick, and it was not long before he passed out of this world with a marvellous Assurance of his Interest in a better.

It were Endless to reckon up the extraordinary Expressions that fell from him, & Behaviours that he had in the sick and last dayes of his life; but some of them were such as these.

—O (said he) What a wonder of Mercy is it to my soul, that God hath not cast me immediately into Hell, and given me no Time to repent, or to beg for an Heart to Repent! But Great Mercy hath spared a great Sinner.

—The stoutest man (said he) that ever lived, should he but seriously think on ETERNITY, and have no Christ to fly unto, it will so sink the the Heart of him, that he could never bear it; but the Lord will show Mercy to my distressed soul.

He gave himself wholly to Prayer, and would excuse Watchers from sitting with [Page] him, that he might be at leisure for Communion with God alone. Sometimes he would give a start as he lay, and being asked the Reason of it, he said, O I have a great work to do! and but a little time to do it!

The conflicts which he endured in his Spirit were unutterable, under which, he day & night kept wrestling with God for His Mercy. One morning his Brother enquiring of him how he did, he replied, ‘O I have had as doleful a night as ever man had, I have had three great enemies this night encountering with me; the World, the Flesh, & the Devil. I have been this night, both in Hell & in Heaven; and I can truly say with David, all this night long I have watered my couch with my [...], but as the day broke, my Saviour came & vanquished the Devil, & told him that he had no right in me, for He had Redeemed me with His own Blood.’

To his Father once he said, ‘I have felt a great work on my distressed soul; This your son was lost and is found, was dead and is alive. Doleful nights have I seen; the Thoughts of my sins did sorely oppress me, when I would be crying to my [...] Saviour for His mercy, He would seem not to pitty me, but to say, Thou hast been [Page]a servant of the Devil and of thy Lust, and dost thon now come to me? I have been calling to thee, and thou hast been hardening thy heart at my Calls, and dost thou expect mercy after all? And then the Devil would put in, saying, Thou hast been my Vassal so long, thy Cries for Mercy are now all too late. I have also seen the face of an Angry God, and that is the most terrible thing that was ever seen. I then found no stay for my distressed soul, but Free-mercy! Free-mercy! The Lord now put under me His everlasting Arms, and gave me an heart still to pray & say, Lord Jesus, Mercy for Thy own sake, Mercy for thy Name's sake! My Redeemer would say, Thou art a great sinner and an old sinner! The Answer of my soul was, Truth, Lord, but even such sinners have already found mercy at thy hands, I come to thee, for with thee the fatherless find mercy.’

—He would break forth into very High Expressions; his great Comfort was fetch'd from that Promise in Mat. 11. 28. Come to Me—and I will give you rest. He would now cry out, ‘O the Riches of Free-grace! There are thousands of thousands, & ten thousand times ten thousand, in the third Heaven, rejoicing over a great and an old sinner coming to Glory! O glorify [...][Page]grace for ever.’—He would say, ‘O blessed Sickness, blessed sickness! what a friend hast thou been to me! and now Welcome Death! or Wecome Life, what my dearest Redeemer please. O that I could declare to my Relations and my Neighbours! yea that I could declare to Kings and Worlds what the Lord has done for my soul!’—He would reflect on the Humiliation of the Lord Jesus Christ, with an amazed & a transported soul; he would break forth into a great Adoration of it, and say, O this wonderful mercy to undone sin [...]rs! He would also make that one of his Admirations, O the glorious work of faith, which doth role it self on Christ alone! [He bewailed it with a peculiar Bitterness, That he had been for the change of Government. But he said, he believed that God would restore to us, the judges as at the first, & the counsellours as at the beginning, & pastors according to His own heart. He was likewise much concerned about the Interest of Christ in the world; & about the Success of the Prince of Orange, whose glorious Expedition we had then by the edges, a small notice of, he talk'd in strains that seem'd surprisingly prophetical.] His counsil to every one was, To make their Calling & Election sure. And he would often say, O I am an old sinner & [Page]but a young Convert! I am fifty yeers old, and have lived but seven weeks all this while.

To his Brethren he said, ‘You are carefull about a Garment for me under my weakness this winter, but Brothers, I have a better Garment than you can provide for me; the long white Robe of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, will cover me all over.’

He kept praying & praising, & singing psalms till his end came; and then being taken speechless & senseless, his friends apprehended they should hear him speak no more. Thus he lay for divers hours drawing on; but at length he just came to himself again, and sprang up in his bed, spreading his arms abroad, as tho' going to leap into the Arms of a Redeemer, and Shouting, O my friends; Heaven rings all over at this! They wonder at this, a great and an old sinner coming to Heaven! Behold, in my father's house are many mansions; if it had not been so, my Saviour would not have said it; But He is gone to prepare a place for me, O the Riches of Grace! O glorifie Free-Grace for evermore! And so he went away to the Rest of God.

Despair not. That alone will mercy bar To faults that like the Sands [...] [...]ountains are.

FINI

ERRATUM.

[Page]

Page, 46. Line, 14. r. Day of Grace

Information about this book

Title statement

Speedy repentance urged. A sermon preached at Boston, Decemb. 29. 1689. In the hearing, and at the request of one Hugh Stone, a miserable man under a just sentence of death, for a tragical and horrible murder. : Together with some account concerning the character, carriage, and execution of that unhappy malefactor. : To which are added, certain memorable providences relating to some other murders; & some great instances of repentance which have been seen among us. / By Cotton Mather Pastor of the Gospel in Boston.

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2006-06.

ID [DLPS]

N00429

ID [TCP]

N00429

ID [STC]

Evans 539

ID [STC]

Wing M1156

ID [NOTIS]

APX2695

ID [IMAGE-SET]

539

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99019439

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This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 539.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N00429)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 539)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 539)

Source

— Speedy repentance urged. A sermon preached at Boston, Decemb. 29. 1689. In the hearing, and at the request of one Hugh Stone, a miserable man under a just sentence of death, for a tragical and horrible murder. : Together with some account concerning the character, carriage, and execution of that unhappy malefactor. : To which are added, certain memorable providences relating to some other murders; & some great instances of repentance which have been seen among us. / By Cotton Mather Pastor of the Gospel in Boston., Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728., Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728. Memorable providences, relating to witchcrafts and possessions. Selections..

Extent

[8], 87, [1], 15, [1] p. ; 15 cm. (8vo)

Printed by Samuel Green, and sold by Joseph Browning at the corner of the Prison Lane, and Benj. Harris at the London Coffee House.,. Boston, :: 1690.. (Signatures: A^8(-A8) B-G^8.) (Extracts from Mather's Memorable providences, relating to witchcrafts and possessions, 15 p. at end.) (Erratum note, p. [16] at end.)

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