A sorrowful spectacle. In two sermons, occasioned by a just sentence of death, on a miserable woman, for the murder of a spurious offspring. : The one declaring, the evil of an heart hardened, under and against all means of good. : The other describing, the fearful case of such as in a suffering time, and much more such as in a dying hour, are found without the fear of God. : With some remarkable things, relating to the criminal; proper for all to be informed of. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S. ; [One line from Acts]

A sorrowful spectacle. In two sermons, occasioned by a just sentence of death, on a miserable woman, for the murder of a spurious offspring. : The one declaring, the evil of an heart hardened, under and against all means of good. : The other describing, the fearful case of such as in a suffering time, and much more such as in a dying hour, are found without the fear of God. : With some remarkable things, relating to the criminal; proper for all to be informed of. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S. ; [One line from Acts]

Table of contents

[1]

Title page

The OCCASION.

The worst of Plagues; What it is, and How to shun it. BOSTON: 29 d. III m. 1715.

The First PROPOSITION.

The Second PROPOSITION.

The Third PROPOSITION.

APPLICATION.

The Grand Concern, of Suffering and of Dying People. BOSTON, 9 d. IV m. 1715.

[2]

Title page

The Divine Compassions Declar'd and Magnified, To Engage and Encourage the greatest Sinners to a Speedy and Earnest Repentance.

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A Sorrowful Spectacle. In Two SERMONS, Occasioned by a Just Sentence of DEATH, on a Miserable Woman, for the MURDER of a Spurious Offspring. The ONE Declaring, The EVIL of an HEART HARDENED, under and against all Means of GOOD. The OTHER Describing, The Fearful Case of such as in a Suffering Time, and much more such as in a Dying Hour, are found without the FEAR of GOD. With some Remarkable Things, relating to the Criminal; proper for All to be Informed of.

By Cotton Mather, D. D. and F. R. S.

Act. XX 2 [...]. [...]

BOSTON. Printed by T. [...] & T [...] for Samuel Gerrish, on the North Side of the Town-House, in King-Street, 1715

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The OCCASION.

WHAT gave Occasion to the SERMONS here Exhibited, was an Amazing Instance of what the poor Children of Men abandoned unto Ignorance and Wickedness may be left unto! A Prodigious Instance of that Hardness of Heart, which especially the Sins of Unchastity, accompanied with Delays of Repentance, do lead unto.

Margaret Gaulacher, an Irish Woman, arrived the last Winter from Cork in Ireland, a Servant, that soon found a Place in a Family where she would not have wanted Opportunities and Encouragements for the Service of GOD.

She had been by her part in a Theft brought into Trouble in Ireland; and after her Transportation hither, it was not long before she was found in Thievish Practices.

Ere she had been long here, it was begun to be suspected, that she [Page] was with Child, by a Fornication; But she so Obstinately all along denied it, that at last she must feel the Effects of her Obstinacy.

She was delivered of her Illegitimate, when she was all alone; and she hid the Killed Infant out of the way; which was within a little while discovered.

Of her Behaviour in the Time of her Imprisonment, and of the Means used for her Good, there is an Account given in our SERMONS.

The Woman was of a very Violent Spirit; and the Transports and Furies thereof, sometimes were with such Violence, as carried in them, one would have thought, an uncommon Degree of Satanic Energie.

By'nd by, she would bewail her Passions, and promise to indulge herself no more in such Passionate Outrages.

One who owns himself to be a Roman-Catholick, affirms to me, that she privately Declared herself unto him, to be in her Heart, of his Religion; [Page] But she never would own any thing of that unto the Ministers who visited her with the Means of her Salvation.

A Gracious and Worthy Servant of God, Mr. Thomas Craighead, (a Faithful and Painful Minister of the Gospel, who came from Ireland, much about the same time that she did) having Instructed her, and used many Charitable Endeavours for her Good, was desired by her to be near her at her Execution; who accordingly Pray'd with her there, and continued his Instructions unto the Last.

She said little, but referr'd herself to the Paper which had been read Publickly in the Congregation just before.

And yet she Frowardly let fall one Word, which did not seem very consistent with it; For which fretful Strain of Impatience, being rebuked, she added, Then the Lord be Merciful unto me! and spoke no more.

[Page] All that remains for us to do, is to leave her in the Hands of a Sovereign GOD, whose Judgment, and not ours, has the Disposal of her; and make the best Improvement we can of such a Tragical Spectacle; for which the ensuing SERMONS are some Essays.

But, I ought now if I can, to Refresh my Readers, with something that shall be more Agreeable, more Comfortable; have less to Trouble them; something that may be the Reverse of so shocking a Spectacle, as has here given Troublesome Idea's unto them.

Looking among my Reserved Memorials, I find an Excellent Handmaid of the Lord, a bright Candidate of the Heavenly Glory, finishing her Holy Life, in such Remarkable Circumstances, that I cannot withold a Brief Relation of the Matter.

Some while ago, there died in our Salem, a Gentlewoman whose Name was Mrs. Rix, the Daughter of the Reverend Mr. Skelton, (one of the [Page] Two first Ministers, that Illuminated the First of the Churches in the Massachuset Colony;) A Gentlewoman of Real Piety, and of equal Patience; and one who had been a Disciple of the Cross, and had endured much Affliction, especially by Sickness, with much Submission to the Will of God. Some while before she died, her Valuable Pastor, (the Reverend Mr. Nicholas Noyes,) gave her a Visit, wherein the Holy Minds of both, had their grateful Entertainments. Particularly, she told him, That there had newly appeared unto her, several Shining Persons, who told her, That they were not now come for her, but on that Day six Weeks hence, they would come for her, and fetch her away with a Glorious Equipage. And then she immediately asked her Pastor, I pray Syr, what is the meaning of the Word EQUIP AGE? I don't remember that I have heard that Word EQUIP AGE!—Her Pastor with his usual Wisdom, (tho' wondring at what she said, and pondering [...] [Page] in his Heart,) advised her by no means, to build her Hopes, on any Visionary Matters, but have them forever▪ Built on the sure Foundation, which the Covenant of Grace, declared in the Gospel, afforded for them. She gave him abundant Satisfaction that she did so. But yet she kept in an Heavenly Manner, Praying, and Waiting, and Longing, to see her long Six Weeks expired; and precisely at the Expiration thereof, she died.

My Readers, I could not withhold [...] ▪ Passage from you; nor forbear observing to you, That a Soul filled with the Love of GOD, and a Pleasure in all possible Obedience and Conformity to the Will of GOD, and a dislike of every thing that may be Displeasing to Him: A Soul that [...], and Admires, and Adores, the Blessed JESUS, and Believes on him for all Good, and has a perpetuated course to Him as the Fountain [...] A Soul, that is full of [...] towards all the Children of Men and cannot h [...]rbour the least [...] [Page] or Malice against any Neighbours, no, be they never so Injurious ones, but will delight in seeing, and in serving of their Prosperity: Such a Soul, is very sure of being ere long fetch'd away to the Heavenly World with a Glorious Equipage. Whatever becomes of the Soul, which has never Sweat out the Poison of the Old Serpent, this is a Soul, that may Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God,

Cotton Mather.

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The worst of Plagues; What it is, and How to shun it. BOSTON: 29 d. III m. 1715.

Prov. XXVIII. 14.‘He that hardeneth his Heart shall fall into Mischief.’

WHO can hear these [...], without [...] Heart aking at the Hearing of [...] Who can without a Trembling Soul, have the Thunder of these Words in his Ears, and not earnestly [...] the Stroke of such a [...] Who among us will upon [...] forbear the just Exclaim [...] my Flesh Trembles for [...] afraid of thy Judge [...].

The Books written [...] [Page] Solomon, seem to have those two Titles assign'd unto them. Eccl. XII. 10. Acceptable Words, and Words of Truth. It has been thought by some, That when Solomon speaks of his, Verba Delectabilia, or, Acceptable Words, he may mean his Book of Canticles. And when he speaks of his, Verba Fidelia, [...]or, Words of Truth, he may mean his Book of Proverbs. Behold, One of those Words of Truth, which we are to Believe and Receive, as Faithful sayings, and worthy of all Acceptation.

The Verse before us, is like that Miraculous Pillar, which gave Con [...]ct unto Israel in the Wilderness; It has a Bright side, and a Dark side, belonging unto it. On the Bright [...] of this Oracle, we see the Shelter, the safety, the universal Happiness of the Godly Man. Happy is the Man that feareth always.

There is indeed a Fear that is far from any Happiness. Not Happy, but Wretched, the Man who feareth w [...] ther the Mercy of God in Christ [Page] can be extended unto so great a Sinner as he knows himself to be. Not Happy, but Foolish, the Man, who torments himself with Fears of those Evils, whereto we are Obnoxious in this present Evil World. Not Happy, but Faulty is the Ma [...]; who by the Fears of Death spoils [...] Joys of Life. Not Happy, but Reprehensible is the Man, who lets his Heart sin [...] with Fears that the Church of God shall utterly Sink. When we are in the Covenant of Grace, it will be an unhappy Thing for us to Fear that, [...] one Article of it shall not be [...] unto us. There is also a [...] Fearfulness, which is an Unhappiness to them that Labour under [...]. But then, Oh! Happy the Man, who has the Fear of God always Govern [...] his Heart and Life. Happy [...] who never lays aside a [...], and of the Evils [...] he exposed by [...], who feareth always, [...] [...] ceived by his own Heart, [...] Deceitful above all Things, Happy [...][Page]Man, who feareth always, lest this World so Entangle him, as to make him neglect the Affairs of another and a better World. Happy the Man, who feareth always, lest when he has Lovely Things about him, he set his Love too much upon them. Happy the Man, who feareth always, lest he shall give at last, but a poor Account of the Talents whereof he is Accountable.

But now let us take a view of the Dark side, which threatens Mischief and Misery to the Wicked Man. The Character of a Wicked Man is, He hardens his Heart. And the Consequence hereof is, He falls into Mischief.

The DOCTRINE before us will be.

An Hard-hearted Sinner, will fi [...] [...] by Hardening his own Heart, [...] get nothing but Mischief and [...] for his Portion.

[Page] There are some Awful PROPOSITIONS, which we must now attend unto.

The First PROPOSITION.

An Hard-hearted Sinner▪ is no unusual Spectacle. Hardness of Heart is a Spectacle too frequently to be seen among the Sinful Children of Men.

But, what is an Hard Heart? And what are the Symptoms of it?

You know, in general; There is a Metaphor in the Phrase. An Hard Heart is a Soul, that has Dispositions, wherein the Properties of a Stone are answered. The Heart means [...] which like the Bowel that we call. The Heart, is within us. 'Tis our Inner Man. The Hardness of the Heart, is allusive to the Hardness of a Stone. As hard as a Stone, is a Proverbial Speech. An hard Heart has in the Sacred Scripture this Denomination▪ Ezek. XI. 19. A Stony Heart Yet, 'Tis an Heart compared [...] Stone, which is the most [...] in all [...]he Fossil Tribe; even [...] [Page] We read, Zech. VII. 12. They have made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone. The Qualities of a Stone are then to be enquired after. O look Inward; Enquire within; and, Commune with thine own Heart. My, Friend, If thy Heart have these Qualities, it is an hard Heart; and it is time for thee to cry out, God be Merciful to me, an Hard-hearted Sinner!

First. An hard Heart, is an Heart very Dull of Understanding in the Word of God; not brought quickly to understand the Truths and Things of Religion. We read; Mar. VIII. 17. Perceive ye not yet; neither understand? Have ye, your Heart hardned? Sometimes the Heart of a Man apprehends no more than a Stone, of those Things, which are The Things of our Peace. 'Tis an hard Heart that is thus Unapprehensive, so Inadvertent. Thus we read, Mar. VI. 52. They considered not, for their Heart was hardene [...], Many a Man does not consider what the Word of God speaks unto him not consider what Errand [...]he came [Page] into the World upon, or how to behave himself in the World; not consider how soon he may go out of the World, nor what will become of him when he is gone out of the World. Alas, the Heart of this Man is hardened. An hard Heart is the same with a slow Heart. We read, Luk. XXIV. 25. O Fools, and slow of Heart to believe. An Heart slow to take in right Notions about the Glory of GOD, the Beauty of CHRIST, the Damage of SIN, and the Reasonableness of Religion; an hard Heart it is! An Heart that is hard to be instructed in the Affairs of the Kingdom of God. An hard Heart is a Sottish one. A blind Mind goes with an hard Heart. We read, Joh. XII. 40. He hath blinded their Eyes, and hardened their Heart. O you that sit under the Means of Knowledge, but still remain Souls without Knowledge, and know very little of [...] Points which to know is Life [...], you have the Light shining about you our not entring into you; no, [...] [Page] than into a Stone; you have cause to cry out, Oh! the hardness of my Heart! What will become of me!

Secondly. An hard Heart is an Heart not easily impress'd upon; what the Word of God will not easily make any good Impression upon. Sometimes the Word of God makes a Deep Impression upon the Heart; yea, the Heart is Conformed unto the Word of God, as if it were cast into the Mould of it. So we read, Rom. VI. 17. Ye have obey'd from the Heart, that Form of Doctrine whereinto ye were drawn. This is not an hard Heart; It is an Heart of Wax, rather than an Heart of Stone. But now, an hard Heart is one; that Hears the Commandments of God, but will take no Notice of them; will not obey them, will not observe them. It hears the Promises of God, but it is not affected with them; the Consolations of God are small unto it. It hears the Threatnings of God, but it is not affrighted at them; it Mocks at the Fear: The great God says; Jer. XXIII. 29. Is [Page]not my Word like an Hammer, which breaks the Rocks in pieces. But many an Heart under the Knocks of that Hammer, is never broken by them. The Sinner is earnestly call'd upon, To forsake the ways of Sin; to Embrace his only Saviour; To come into the Covenant of God. He stirs no more than a Stone. The Loud Calls of Heaven are made unto him, to Arise and call upon his God, and set upon the Practice of Prayer, and form unalterable Resolutions of Piety; As Good speak to a Stone! He is nothing the better, for sitting under the good Word of God. All Counsils, all Rebukes, all Exhortations are thrown away upon him. O hardness of Heart! There is an Heart that will not Conform unto the Word and Will of God; An Inflexible Heart; An Unpliable Heart; An Heart from which the Demands made in the Word of God have that Return. As for the Word spoken to me [...] of the Lord, I will not hear [...] it. What shall be said of such [...]. [Page] We read Isa. XLVIII. 4. I know, that thou art Obstinate; and thy Neck is an Iron Sinew, and thy Brow Brass; An Heart [...]as hard as Iron and Brass; O Hard-hearted Obstinacy! Unperswadeableness is Hard-heartedness. The Children of Unperswadeableness are Hard-hearted ones. We read of An Heart hardened from the fear of God. An Heart that will not be perswaded heartily to Fear God, and Seek Him, and Serve Him; This is an Heart that is Hardened.

Thirdly. An hard Heart is an In [...]ensible one; an Heart that has no Sense, either of Blows given to it, or of Loads lying on it. A Man has the Blows of the Divine Wrath given to him. An hard Heart keeps him Insensible of the Blows. He is Afflicted, but he is not Amended. He is Incorrigible under his Affliction. The Rod is employ'd upon him; and yet his Foolishness departs not from him. After his Chastisements, he is as Carnal, as Worldly, as Profane, as he was before. Tho' his Estate be broken, his [Page] Heart is not broken. He meets with Losses one after another; but he has his Heart as much set upon the World as ever it was, and he maintains as little Communion with God as ever he did. It may be said of many People, This People do not Return to him that Smites them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts. Is not such an Heart, harder than a Rock? 'Tis verily so! A Rock yielded Water, when smitten with the Rod of God and of Moses. Here is a Rock that yields not one Tear of Repentance, tho' the Rod of God hath smitten it! We read, Jer. V. 3. O Lord, Thou hast smitten them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive Correction▪ They have made their Faces harder than a Rock; They have refused to return. The Man that gets no Good by the Calamities inflicted on him; one who does neither Discern the Hand of God, nor Answer the End of God, in Calamitous Dispensations; write upon [...]im, This Man has a very hard Heart [Page]within him. Again; A Man has the Loads of his own Guilt lying upon him. An hard Heart keeps him Insensible of the Loads. The Curse of the Law, is enough to break the Stoniest Rock upon the Face of the Earth. Yea, He that is the Rock of Ages, becoming a Surety for us, when the Curse fell upon Him, He cried out, Oh! Let it pass from me; 'Tis Insupportable! The Sinner is under the Curse; and he complains not of it. He is yet in his Sins; and yet he does not cry out, My Iniquities are an heavy Burden, too heavy for me! O! 'Tis an hard Heart that can lye under unpardon'd Sin, and never [...]ay to Heart, the Sin, and the Folly, and the Danger of it. We read of such a thing as that; 1 Tim. IV. 2. A Conscience Seared with an hot Iron. The Heart has now a prodigious hardness upon it. A Man can Sin, and fall into no Remorse, no Sorrow for the Sin. He can go on in Sin, and be wholly unconcern'd, tho' he remain unreconciled unto God. He has a [Page] vast Heap of Sins, which are to be proved on him, and he is to be Judged for them at the Tribunal of God: But he is past Feeling, and goes on to Sin with all Greediness. Most certainly, there is an hard Heart in such a Sinner: Plain, very Plain, the Diagnosticks of the Malady.

The Second PROPOSITION.

The Sinner of an hard Heart, is one who hardens his own Heart. He confirms his own Hardness by a presumptuous Resolution to go on [...] Sin.

There is a Natural hardness of Heart, which we are all Born withal. The Stone of the Heart is an Hereditary Distemper. But then, there is an Acquired hardness of Heart, which is when Men do Confirm and Augment and Increase their hardness, by going on to Sin with an high [...] against the Lord.

We will enquire more Particular [...] When, and How, does a [...] his Heart?

[Page] He does it, Ah! wretched Sinner, Thou doest it, in such Things as these.

First. A Sinner does Render and Proclaim himself Hard-hearted in Sin, when he has made himself Impudent in it. We read of some; Ezek. III. 7. They are Impudent and Hard-hearted. Where there is a Brow ef Brass, there is an Heart of Stone. A Sinner has hardned his Heart, when he has got an hearty Courage for Sin, and is grown so Courageous in it, as that he can Sin Openly, and Publickly. If Men Declare their Sin like Sodom, they hide it not; and it may be said unto them; as in Jer. III. 3. Thou hast a Whores Fore-head, thou refusest to be Ashamed. Confident Creature, If thou hadst not made thyself Hard-hearted, thou wouldest be more Ashamed. The hardness of Heart, arrives to a more considerable Obduration, when a Sinner can express a more singular Defiance of the Infinite GOD, a what he does. Those People have [...] their Hearts, of whom the [Page] Holy One may say, as in Isa. LXV. 3. 'Tis a People that provoketh me to Anger, continually to my Face. People that can Sin in the special Presence of GOD; People whom the nearest Relation to GOD will not restrain from the grossest Impieties; People that will go reeking to or from the Table of the Lord, under the unrelenting Appetites of the vilest Impieties; Church-Members that under a Mask of Religion will carry on a Course of Adulteries, or of Dishonesties. And so have those People, who are so Hardy as to make their Appeals to GOD for the Vindication of their Innocency, when GOD knows the Matters to be Unjust and Untrue, wherein He has been so daringly Appeal'd unto. O Hard-hearted Monster; What an hardenss of Heart hast thou contracted, in [...] thou canst say, God knows,—a [...] to be so or so, when thou dost thyself know that it is not so!

Secondly. A Sinner has hardened his Heart in Sin, when he will [...] [Page] to Sin, with the utmost Hardiness, tho' he has the Light and Voice of his Conscience Reclaiming of him. To be so Hardy in Sin, as to trample on all the Remonstrances of Conscience against it, is to harden ones Heart in Sin. We find it Exemplified; 2 King. XVII. 13, 14. The Lord testified against them, saying, Turn from your evil Ways: Yet they would not hear, but hardened their Necks. Conscience, the Deputy of God, pleads in his Name with many a Man, Oh! Do not the Abominable Thing! And yet, the Abominable Man will do that Thing. Such a Man has hardened his own Heart unto a Degree that is Horrible! A Sinner hardens his Heart when he omits those Things, whereof his Conscience tells him, This is Commanded of GOD! But he yet more hardens his Heart, when he commits those Things, whereof his Conscience tells him, This is Forbidden by GOD! It may now be said of such,—what we read, Zech. VII. 12. They have made their Hearts as [...] Adamant Stone, lest they should hear[Page]the Law, and the Words which the Lord of Hosts hath sent by His Spirit. There are those, that won't forbear Sinning, tho' their Conscience do stand before them with a flaming Sword, as the Angel did before Balaam; and say, Thy Way is Perverse before God; The Wrath of God will fall upon thee in this evil Way. O Desperate hardness of Heart! Wherein does the Heart of a Divel differ from it! Foolhardy, Self-hardened Sinner; What wouldest thou do if thou couldest? What less than push an Impotent Stab upon the Almighty GOD Himself? What less than stretch out thy Hand against God, and strengthen thyself against the Almighty, and run upon Him, upon the thick Bosses of His Buckler!

Thirdly. When a Sinner has an Impenitent Heart, then he has h [...]rdened his Heart. Those Things go, together; Rom. II. 5. Thy Hardness and Impenitent Heart. A Sinner does harden his Heart, when he will by no Admonitions be brought home unto [Page] God, from all his Wandrings in the Wilderness of Sin. A Sinner is told, That Sin is an evil and a bitter Thing. He hardens his Heart, if notwithstanding this, he will persist in Sin. He is told, That a CHRIST is the One Thing that is Needful. He hardens his Heart, if a CHRIST and His Great Salvation, be still neglected with him. He is told, That the Ways of Piety are pleasant Ways. He hardens his Heart, if still he remain a Stranger to these Ways. But, Oh! What have I now brought the Matter to! All that continue in their Unregeneracy, will find themselves included in the Charge. Unhappy Sinners, you stand every one of you all Indicted for this; That you have hardened your own Hearts: else you could not be what you are. There is no Unregenerate but what comes under that Unhappiness; Jer. IX. 26. Uncircumcised in Heart. Some that have been opened after their Death, have upon the Dissection had a Stone found in their Heart; a Stone without a Metaphor. [Page] Ah, poor Unregenerate; Open thy own Heart now while thou art alive. A Stone will be found in that Heart of thine. Thou hast thyself hardened it into a Stone. The Petrifaction is owing to thy own Iniquity.

The Third PROPOSITION.

Mischief will be the effect of this. An Hard-hearted Sinner by hardening his own Heart, falls into a Mischief that will render him very Miserable.

But what is that Mischief, which a Sinner by hardening his Heart will fall into?

Truly, All that Mischief which any Sinner has cause to be Fearing always.

To use more of Particularitie.

First. A Sinner by hardening his own Heart, falls into that matchless Mischief, that fearful Mischief, a penal hardness of Heart, Inflicted 'by the Judgment of God upon him. O Mischief whereto there is none to be [Page] equalled! We read of one, who hardened his own Heart; And ano [...] it came to that; Exod. XIV. 8. The Lord hardened the Heart of Phara [...] 'Tis true, so far as hardness of Heart is a Sin; the Holy GOD is not th [...] Author and Father of it. We ma [...] say, 'Tis not of the Father. We must say, No Man is tempted of God unto it. And yet there is an active Providence of God about that hardness of Heart, the Mischief whereof a Sinner that hardens his own Heart will fal [...] into. [See Psal. CV. 25.]

First. The Holy GOD in His Righteous Providence, withdraws His Grace from the Sinner that hardens his own Heart, and then, O Sinner what an Horrid hardness of Hear [...] will soon seize upon thee! GOD hardens the Heart of such a Sinner not, Infundendo Malit [...]; [...] but Non Infundendo Gratiam; not by Infusing of Sin, but by withholding o [...] Grace. 'Tis enough, that it shall be said, as in Deut. XXIX. 4. The Lord hath not given you an Heart GOD [Page] never ow'd His Grace unto a Reprobate Sinner: And the Sinner in hardening his own Heart, Sinfully sleights that Grace. How Justly, how Justly, and Unexceptionably, does the Holy GOD, now deny His Grace unto the Sinner, and leave the Sinner to be filled with his own ways! But Oh! [...]he wondrous hardness of Heart, which unavoidably follows upon this Dereliction of God! When the Sun withdraws, all Things Harden apace. Men by hardening their own Hearts, [...]o Grieve the good Spirit of God: The Grieved Spirit hereupon withdraws from them: When He withdraws, their Hearts will harden, how Heinously, how Hideously!

Secondly. When a Sinner hardens his own Heart, the Righteous Providence of an Holy GOD, will cast before the Sinner such Objects, as he shall Abuse to strengthen the hardness of his Heart, how Perniciously, how Exceedingly! As the Potter sets his Clay in the Sun, and it is hardened here; so the great God, before [Page] whom we are, as the Clay before the Potter, [And, whom He will, He hardeneth!] when a Sinner hardens his own Heart, the great▪ God is provoked then to set him in very hardening Circumstances. Perhaps, the Sinner shall now be hardened, by being left in the Hands of Wicked Company. Among all the Engines of Hell, there is not upon the Face of the Earth a greater Hardener! 'Tis from a Dispensation of the Holy God, that the Sinner becomes intimately Acquainted with Company that shall teach him the Arts of Sin, and spur him to the Practice of them; Company that shall instill into him Notions that dispose him to Atheism, and prepare him for all manner of Sin and Blasphemy; Company that shall prejudice him against the Best Men and Things, and so lay the Dark Fetters of Death upon him. So becoming a Companion of such Fools, Sinner, Thy Heart is hardened, and thy Immortal Soul destroy'd. But then, there is another dismal Occasion [Page] which brings an hardness upon the Heart of many a Sinner, which is forever to be deplored. It is in the Scandalous Falls of such as have made a fair and high Profession of Christianity. By the Disposal of God, it comes to pass, that when a Sinner has been hardening his own Heart, his Lot shall be cast, where some that every body thought First-Rate Christians, fall into Scandalous, Amazing, Infandous Actions. The Divel knew, what a Game he should pray, when he drew those Persons into such Actions! The perverse Use the Sinner makes of what he sees, is to conclude; Well, All Religion is a Cheat. If I do the worst Things in the World, I do nothing, but that in which the greatest Pretenders to Religion indulge themselves! The Foolish Sinner is now hardened, and the Bars of the Pit are about him forever!

Thirdly. A Sinner that hardens his own Heart, is by the Righteous Providence of the Holy GOD, left in the Hand of Satan; And Oh! what [Page] a Satanic Hardness will the Heart of such a Sinner be soon congeled into! Of Impious ones, we read, 2 Cor. IV. 4. The God of this World has Blinded their Minds. 'Tis the same, who hardens their Hearts. An Ahab will be hardened with a Vengeance when the Lying Spirit shall have a Permission for the Seducing of him. An hardened Heart is a seared Heart. But it is the Divel, that brings from Hell, those Hot Irons, by which the Heart of a Sinner comes to be so Hardened and Seared. Anatomical Observations have told us, That the Stone whereof some have died, being opened, a Snake has been found in it. When the Heart of a Sinner is hardened, there is the Old Serpent in the Stone, to make it so. A Sinner by hardening his own Heart, Invites the Divel to take Possession of it. What the Sinner Invites, that the Holy GOD Permits. Yea, There is a Sentence now passed from the spotless Throne, That it shall be so But, Oh! What an hard Heart will [Page] that be, which has the Divel filling of it! Forlorn Ananias, If Satan fill thy Heart, what, what wilt thou come to?

But then, Finally. When God Judicially gives a Sinner up to hardness of Heart, what Sin will there be, which the Sinner will not fall into? 'Tis a dreadful Word; LXXXI. 12.I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lust, and they walked in their own Counsels. Oh! the Snares and Pits into which now their Walk will carry them! The Doom which the Holy GOD now passes on the hardened Sinner, is; He is Unjust, and he shall be still Unjust. He is Filthy, and he shall be Filthy still! The Sinner is now left unto the enslaving Power of Sin: He will now serve diverse Lusts; and he will now stick at no Sin that shall be proposed unto him. Is not here Mischief enough! And an Introduction to all the Mischief imaginable; Mischief surpassing all Imagination! For,

[Page] Secondly. A Sinner by hardening his own Heart, must also fall into all that Mischief, which every Sin, as well as an hard Heart has entail'd upon it. SIN, what is the Wages of it? Our youngest Children have this Instruction given them, as part of the Milk for our Babes; The Wages of Sin is Death. Now, this Death, yea, all of this terrible Death, is what a Sinner by hardening his Heart will fall into: All the Curse due to Sin; all the Wo brought by Sin; all the Wrath to which by Sin the Sinner becomes obnoxious. Verily, O Hard-hearted Sinner, Nothing less than Destruction will be thy Portion; A Destruction from God, if thou were not horribly Hardened, would be a Terror unto thee. Lo, the Great GOD utters His Voice, and that a mighty Voice, in those Words; XXIX. 1. He that being often Reproved, hardens his Neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without Remedy.

There are Temporal Mischiefs and Ruines, whereto Sinners do by hardening [Page] their Hearts in Sin, expose themselves. There is that Word fulfill'd upon them; Ezek. VII. 26. Mischief shall come upon Mischief unto them. Their Sin brings a Mischief on their Estate; It is a Fire that consumes their Substance. It brings a Mischeif on their Esteem: A Wound and a Dishonour do they get by it, and a Reproach that will not be wiped away▪ It brings a Mischief on their Bodies: God makes them Sick in Smiting them for it. Spiritual Plagues accompany these Mischiefs. The Sinners plunge themselves into Blindness, into Madness, into foolish and hurtful Lusts. They are given up to vile Affections. They are left unto the most Self-undoing Follies. They keep Cutting and Wounding themselves among the Monuments of the Dead, and there is no binding of them. It won't be long before the Execution of that Word falls upon them; Rom. II. 5. After thy Hardness thou treasurest up unto thyself Wrath against the day of Wrath, God will e're long break the Heads [Page] of the Hard-hearted Leviathans. e're long, the hardened Heart shall be thrown into the Devouring Fire, and Everlasting Burnings, where, who can dwell? Oh! What Heart can endure a Dwelling there? Ah! Heart of Stone, e're long thou shalt be thrown between the direful Milstones of the Revenges of God; and how miserably Ground unto Powder there! O the Mischiefs! O the Mischiefs! O the sore Plagues and of long Continuance, in which an hardened Heart will terminate! The End of it will be in Miseries that will never have an End!

APPLICATION.

I. Most certainly, it very much behoves us, to Examine ourselves, Whether we are not Hard-hearted and Self-hardened Sinners before the Lord. Some there are, who have a Lovely softness of Heart. It may be said of them, as in 2 Chron. XXXIV. 27. Thine Heart has been Tender. Shall I [Page] find out these Heirs of Blessedness? They are those who have a yielding Soul; a Soul ready to yield unto the Demands of GOD; They say, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Yea, or to bear? They are afraid of All Sin; troubled at All Sin. The Sins that seem Little to others, are Grievous to them; A vain Word Grieves them; A base Thought Grieves them. To say no more; They perceive the hardness of their own Hearts; They bewail it▪ They bemoan it; It makes them cry out, O wretched one that I am! To these Tender-hearted ones there belong the great Consolations of God! Comfort ye, Comfort ye, this my People, saith the Lord. But then there are some, upon whom a Sinful hardness of Heart is very Conspicuous, very Notorious, very Distinguishing. Of these my Context shall direct us to make some Discovery. The Verse before my Text, is, a notable Passage. He that covereth his Sins shall not Prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsakes them, shall have Mercy: And now▪ [Page] it follows, He that hardeneth his Heart shall fall into Mischief. Be it now known unto you. If you will retain your Sins, and not confess them, not forsake them, upon those Calls unto Repentance, which you are Entertained withal, you are the Sinners that harden their Hearts. But Oh! what Mischiefs do you lye open to? Concerning the Hearers of our Blessed Saviour, we read; Mar. III. 5. He looked round about on them with Anger, being grieved for the hardness of their Hearts. He now looks round about our Congregation; and where he sees any-still going on in their Sins, He says upon them, Oh! The grievous hardness of Heart, which these poor Sinners are under the power of!

II. But I am now, to Address you, with an EXHORTATION, which I shall bring you in Terms which the Holy Spirit of God has prepared for you; even those Terms; Heb. III. 7, 8. To Day if you will hear His Voice, harden nor your Hearts. And, Oh! that the Holy Spirit would this Day set [Page] in, to make this Exhortation become Effectual! O Thou irresistible Spirit of▪Grace, Do thou break our Hearts, and make us Tremble at all those Things that will harden them.

That our dear People may take a due Course, to be delivered from the Mischiefs of an hardened Heart, let them now hearken to the Counsels of God.

First. Look up to GOD your SAVIOUR, for so great Salvation. Oh! Pray hard, Oh! Cry hard, unto the God of the Spirits of all Flesh, that He would save you from an hard Heart, and give you an Heart of Flesh. You have a sweet Promise of such a Blessing; Ezek. XXXVI. 26. A new Heart will I give unto you, and a new Spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the Stony Heart out of your Flesh, and will give you an Heart of Flesh. O plead so Gracious a Promise; and urge; O my God, Be it unto me according to thy Word; and let a soft Heart be given to me! It is not in Men or [Page] Means, to Soften an hard Heart. As they said of Old, Who shall roll away the Stone from the D [...]o [...] of the Sepulchre? Even so, may we say, Who shall take away the Stone from the Heart, which keeps it Rotting in the Grave of a sinful Estrangement from God? Verily, None but GOD can do such a Thing. 'Tis a Creating Work. As he said, Create in me a Clean Heart, O God; so must we say, If ever I have a soft Heart, O God, it must be of thy Creating in me! He that can change a Stone, into a Child of Abraham, and none but He, can change an Heart of Stone, and rescue a Sinner from the Mischiefs of it. O Hard-hearted Sinner, look upto thy SAVIOUR. Be not so Stouthearted, as to be always f [...]r from this Righteousness▪

Secondly. There are Heart-breaking Meditations, which you are to be advised unto; There are Specificks against an hard Heart in the Meditations. Of the Things which are harddened by the Cold and Frost of our Winter, we read; Psal. CXLVII. 18. [Page] He sendeth out his [...] them. It might indeed be [...] breaking Subject for your Meditations; How Foolishly and Fearfully have I ruined myself by my Sins against the Glorious God! It might be a yet more Heart-breaking Subject for your Meditations; What a shameful Disingenuity has there been, and how Ungratefully have I done, in my Sins against the Glorious GOD? But then proceed, and Meditate on what the Word of God has declared unto you, concerning His Infinite Mercy, ready to Receive and Pardon you after all your Sins. Methinks, the sending forth of this Word, should Melt your Hearts within you. Behold the Heart of your Saviour yearning over you; Behold Him shedding His Heart-Blood for your Sins; Hear Him calling to you, O poor Sinner, yet come unto me, and I will not cast thee out. Certainly, to Meditate on such a Word, will Melt your Hearts within you. My Friend, What an Heart hast thou, if steeping it in the Blood of thy Saviour dissolve it not!

[Page] Lastly. Beware, Oh! Beware of such Things, as will have a Tendency to harden your Hearts; Beware of all Heart-hardeners, and as you love your Souls avoid them.

Take the Warnings of God If you are in hazard of having your Hearts hardened by the Society of any Ungodly People; Shun them, Fly them, no longer Assotiate with them; Oh! Forsake the Foolish and live. Be warned therewithal, That all Sins against Knowledge are mighty hardeners of the Heart; The oftner you Repeat such known Sins, the more will you harden your Hearts. But no Sins have a more fatal Efficacy this way, than the Sins of Unchastity. Ah! Bewitching Sins, How do you take away the Heart of them that Wallow in you! What Infatuations do they bring upon those tha [...] venture on them! When People have once abandoned themselves unto the Sins of Unchastity, with what hardness of Heart will they sleight a [...] the Calls of Heaven, to Reform [Page] their Evil-doings? With what Stupidity do they go on from one Vileness to another, and wax worse and worse? How Stupidly do they lay aside all Consideration of their own Interest; and become like Bruit Beasts, and anon Perish in their own Corruption! God leaves them; Satan takes them; Nothing will bring them to any Good. When they are in Chains for their Wickedness, even then they will Repeat it, being held in the Chains of their Wickedness.

Of this we have a very Tragical Instance now before our Eyes. One who by hardening her Heart has brought herself into wonderful Mischief; and continues to harden her Heart, after the wondrous Mischief has come upon her like a Whirlwind from the Lord.

Ah, poor Creature; Thou hast been Guilty of many Sins, and Heinous ones. But, Oh! Don't add this to all the rest, this Comprehensive one, this Atrocious one; To harden [Page] thy Heart after all, and so to bind all fast upon thy Soul forever.

God has done a dreadful Thing upon thee, in leaving thee to a Crime for which thou art now as one Wicked overmuch, to Dye before thy Time, and e're twenty five Years have rolled over thee, the Sword of Justice with an untimely Stroak must cut thee off. But it will be a much more dreadful Thing, if thou art left after all unto an hard Heart, that will not Repent of thy Abominations, and of thy Bloodguiltiness.

If thou hadst not hardened thy own Heart exceedingly, Oh! what Things would be seen upon thee; other Things than are yet seen upon thee! Verily, A soft Heart would Mourn and Weep and Bleed, for a Life sweell'd away in Sin against the Glorious GOD. A soft Heart would soon Drown thee in Tears, from the View of the doleful Things thy Sin has brought upon thee. A soft Heart would make thee own the Justice of God and Man in what is [Page] now done unto thee; and would Silence thy Froward and Fretful and Furious Gnashing upon such as thou hast no Cause to treat with so much transported Fury.

It breaks the Hearts of the Good People in the Place, to see thy Deplorable State: They are concerned, when they see thy Lamentable State: But above all, to see, that thou art thyself no more concerned for it; no more affected with it; so little Broken in Heart. And shall not thy own Heart at length be Broken, when thy own State comes into thy Consideration?

One once could say, God makes my Heart Soft, and the Almighty Troubles me. And will it not make thy Heart Soft, when thou thinkest on the amazing Trouble, which thou shalt feel from the Wrath of the Almighty GOD, if thou Dye in thy Sins? Verily, All the Sorrows thou seest here, are but the Beginning of Sorrows, if thou art not by a broken Heart prepared for the Salvation of God.

[Page] But then, What an Heart-breaking Thought is this? Margaret, There is yet Mercy for thee, if thou wilt not by an hard Heart refuse the Mercy; The Mercy, thro' which Rah [...] the Harlot perished not; The Mercy, thro' which Mary Magdalene had her many Sins forgiven her; This Mercy is ready to do Wonders for thee. A Merciful Saviour Invites thee; O come unto me, and I will do Wonders for thee.

Come and fall down before Him, and beg the Blessings of a soft Heart at His Gracious Hands. I know not of any Advice that can be so Proper, or so Needful for thee, as this; No Prayer of so much Importance to be made by thee as this.

The Ignorance which lays Chains of Darkness upon thee, is a sore Encumbrance on thy Essays for turning to God. Yet thou art not so Ignorant, but thou canst make this Petition to thy SAVIOUR. Lord, soften this hard Heart of mine! And, Lord, Bestow a New, and a Clean, and a Soft Heart upon life! And, God be Merciful to me a Sinner; yea, an Hard-hearted Sinner!

Now, May the Gracious Lord accordingly look down upon thee.

[Page]

The Grand Concern, of Suffering and of Dying People. BOSTON, 9 d. IV m. 1715.

Luk. XXIII. 40.‘Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art under—Condemnation?’

WE have before us, what calls not only for our Attention, but also for our Astonishment. Who can behold the Son of God in our Flesh; becoming Obedient unto the Death of the Cross, that so the [...] which the sinful Children of Men have by their Sin offered unto the Law of God, might be [...] by so matchless a Sacrifice! [...] [Page] behold, the Just suffering for the Unjust, and one most Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, [...] from Sinners, treated as if He had been the Chief of Sinners? Who can behold this, and not be Astonished at it? The Justice of the Infinite GOD, never Triumphed so Gloriously▪ But one signal Article in the Humiliation of our dear Saviour, was the fulfilment of that Prophecy; Isa. LIII. 12. He was [...] with Transgressors. His Adversaries contriv'd this Ignominy for Him, that there should be Two Capital Offendors Crucified with Him; An Ignominious Infliction, whereof the Pagan Deriders of Christianity, as long after as the Days of Hieroc [...]es, made their Advantage. The Criminals, doubtless were not simple Thieves; A Flagellation with Restitution would have been all their Punishment, if Theft had been all their Crime. It seems, as if they had been Robbers and Cut-throats; too dangerous Creatures, to have their Live; indulged unto them. What was done [Page] in, and for, and by, one of these Malefactors, is what will call us to be still Astonished. Of these two Malefactors, wherein some find a Type of those two People, the Jews and the Gentiles; the one continued an obdurate and obstinate Wretch, and as he lived so he died, Abandoned of God. The other became a true Penitent, and an astonishing Monument, of what the Sovereign Grace of God may do for the worst of Sinners in the World. He employ'd the last six or seven Hours of his Life on the Cross, at such a rate, that one may see the whole Race of Christianity run in half a Day and the Ground wonderfully swallowed in a most expeditious Piety. The common Opinion is, That the Grace of God first found him here; and that he came to the Cross, no other than a finished Villain, but was here in his last Moments turned into a Child and Saint of God. But some rather incline to the Opinion. That the Spirit of God, might [...] him, [Page] and very much Enlighten him, and Rectify him, while he was in the Gaol, none can say how long before his Execution; and that he might come to the Cross in some degree, furnished with that Principle of Grace, which now broke forth, in its most lively and wondrous Operations. Be it how it will; Here is a Specimen of what Sovereign Grace may do, for a Sinner in the last Moments of his Life; yea, of what Sovereign Grace may do for a Malefactor who dies [...] the Gallows!

The first Effort, which we see of the Divine Principle, in the Soul of this Penitent, is, His Rebuke upon his Fellow-sufferer. He saw and heard the Outrages of the Monster; he [...] his Outrageous Affronts unto the Glorious Redeemer, whom his own Soul now Glorified as the Son of God, and the [...] of the Dead; [...] he Faithfully and Zealously [...] him for his Behaviour▪ where [...] he proclaimed that the [...] of God [...] horribly wanting in him▪

[Page] An Ingenious Man some Ages ago, wrote a Learned Book, about, The Metamorphosis of an High-way Man into an Apostle. And he brings in Christians, like Bees, gathering of Delicious Honey, from the Flowers growing in the Field, which the History of the Penitent Thief affords unto us. Christians, you are this Day to join with me in that Employment. Here is Honey out of the Rock!

I have read a Rhetorical Flight, calling this Penitent Thief, The Firstborn among the Children of a Crucified Saviour. I do not wonder, that I find Chrysostom calling him, A Prophet, and Athanasius calling him, A [...] Evangelist. It is indeed a very Remarkable Thing, That when our Saviour was forsaken of all His Disciples, and when He had not one left in the World openly to appear for Him, a Conver [...]ed Thief is imploy'd [...] Preacher of His Glories. Ah! Lord, Rather than there shall be none to Preach, thy Glories, there shall be Instruments[Page]called for that Work from Quarters th [...] none could have imagined! The Cross itself shall be so far from stopping the Preaching of the Gospel, that you shall find it admirably done from the very Cross itself. You are now to hearken unto a Sermon preached from the Cross. Never had there been such a Sermon heard from such a Pulpit before; Never such a Preacher! A Thief turn'd into a Saint. A Prisoner turned into a Minister; into a sort of an Apostle. A Bloody Enemy of God, become the only Believer and Confessor of His Christ, openly appearing in the World. Oh! the wonderful Changes wrought by the Grace of our God! Methinks, an [...] extraordinary Matter, may be expected from such an extraordinary Preacher. You may look to be Entertained with something that shall be well worthy of your Observation.

Behold, a Sermon preached unto a Malefactor, a Poor, Blind, Hardened Malefactor under Sentence of Death [...]ea, now arriv'd unto the last Moments [Page] of his Life under the Execution of the Sentence. 'Tis preached by one, who had been Guilty of the same Crimes; but was come unto the Repentance, which would assure the pardoning Mercy of God unto him. They that begin to Fear God themselves, are sollicitous to bring others unto the Fear of God; but none more, than such as have been Wicked with or like themselves; none so much as their Companion [...] ▪ in Wickedness. Our Penitent here, commends unto his Dying Brother, the only. Thing that can secure the Welfare of a Soul after Death; procure a Safety to a Never-dying Soul; and Reproves his want of that Thing, 'Tis, The Fear of God.

The DOCTRINE which I am now to give you, is;

As the RELIGION which bring [...] [...] SALVATION, is to FEAR GOD; so 'tis [...] Grievous Thing for People in a Suffering Time, and a yet more [Page] Dreadful Thing for People in a Dying Hour, to be without the FEAR OF GOD.

I. The first observable Thing that now occurs unto us, is; That Real, Vital, Saving RELIGION does consist in the Fear of God; A Religious Fear of the Glorious God.

The Thing which the Convert Inculcated on his Friend under Condemnation, is, All that Religion, which will bring unto Salvation. The Term used for it, is, The Fear of God. The Censure due to a Man of no [...]eligion, is; Thou dost not Fear God.

There are some general Expressive; and Instructive Terms, by which the Whole of Practical Religion is described unto us. It is called, The [...] of God, a Trust an Hope, a Delight in Him, a [...] of God, and [...] Calling on Him. It is called, [...], and Repentance, and Newness of Life, and, A good Conversation in Christ and, A patient Continuance in [...] doing. Oh! Make a Tryal of yourselves [Page] by these Discriptions of Religion; Try, See, Find, whether the Experience of such Things will Entitle you to the Denomination of Truly Religions.

But, the Fear of God, is one of those notable Terms. And now, Come ye Children who would Profess Religion, and be found the truly Religious Children of God; I will [...] you what is that Fear of God, which is demanded of you.

First. In true Religion, the Fear of the Divine Displeasure, whereto all Sinners are obnoxious, drives a [...] unto the JESUS, who saves His People from their Sins. The Fear of God contains in it, a Fear of His Displeasure, to which we are by Sin become obnoxious. One that has the Fear of God, can say, Lord, My Flesh trembles for fear of thy Displeasure, and I am afraid of the Judgments to which my Sin exposes me. But so far the Divels themselves may go; They tremble; worse than Divels they who do not so! But [...] Fear wherewith we are [Page] to be moved, must put us upon doing what we are to do, that we may be Saved. It must cause our Flight unto the only SAVIOUR. This is the Fear of God in the right Notion of it. Thus you have been taught it in Psal. CXLVII. 11. The Lord taketh Pleasure in them that fear Him, that hope in His Mercy. It is the MESSIAH of God, in and by whom His Mercy reaches us. A Fear without Hope of that Mercy, is the Despair of them that are cast into outer Darkness. The Fear which Awakens and Animates our Flight unto that Mercy, [...] the Fear of God in the True, Clear, [...] Operation of it.

Ah, Soul fallen from God! Thou must see thyself by thy Sin lying [...] to the Anger of God! A strange [...]ishment waiting for thee, O worker of Iniquity. Hearken to this. Destruction from God must be a Terror to thee; Thou hast cause to be terribly Distressed in the Apprehensions [...] it. In this Distress, a Glorious CHRIST is to be set before thee, [...] [Page] thy only Saviour! A JESUS, who Delivers from the Wrath to come. 'Tis requisite, that thou fly unto thy JESUS as thy only Refuge. Look unto the Sacrifice of thy JESUS for thy Propitiation. Look unto the Righteousness of thy JESUS, for thy Justification. Put thyself under the Conduct of thy JESUS, that thou mayst be brought unto Life Eternal. This [...] the Fear of God. Here, here is true Religion. Unto one who does this; there shall be fulfilled that Word▪ Mal. IV. 2. Unto you that fear [...] Name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with Healing in his Wings. Truly, They that Fear the Name of [...] are they that have their Eye to [...] Sun of Righteousness, and g [...]t [...] the shadow of His Wings, for [...] Healing of all that is amiss in [...] Condition. Gloriously this [...] God, shining in our Convert [...] Cross. [...]st thou fear God; O [...] rate Soul? Yes, Thy Look [...] His JESUS to be thy Saviour; [...] declare thy Fear of God.

[Page] Secondly. In True Religion, the Religious Fear of [...] against God, Restrains and Governs the Soul, and makes every Sinful Thing, a Fearful and an Hateful Thing unto the Soul. When the Fear of Sin Restrains and Governs the Mind exceedingly, then the Man Fears the Lord exceedingly. The Fear of Sin, is [...] main Ingredient in the Fear of God. We read. Prov. VIII. 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate Evil. The Man who Fears God, is one who shuns Evil; one who has an Horror of SIN, as the worst Evil. Whatever such a Man takes to be a Sin, he is afraid of it; he would not be more afraid of a Fiery Furnace. A Temptation to Sin, is rejected by such a Man, with a vast Abhorrence of it.

The Fear of Sin in True Religion, issues from an Awe, and an awful Sight which a Believer has of some Things that are not [...]een.

First; The Presence of GOD, is Awful to a Man that Fears Him. The Fear of God will make a Man [Page] Realize the Eye of God. One that Fears God, is under the Power of this Apprehension; O Lord, Thou art acquainted with all my ways: O Lord, There is not a Word in my Tongue, but thou knowest it: O Lord, Thou knowest my Thoughts afar off. This makes him afraid of every Sin; afraid of even the most Secret Sin. If a Sinful and Vicious or Foolish Thought break into his Mind, he is afraid of affording it a Lodging there. An Omnipresent GOD, is much Considered, much Reverenced, by the Man that, Fears Him. Such an one may say, I have set the Lord always before me. He Labours, he Watches, he Wishes, That he may behave himself always as before the Lord.

Again; The Judgment of GOD is Awful to such a Man. The Fear of God assures a Man of a Judgment to come; and it makes him Tremble at the Apprehension of being Pronounced, Guilty, in that Judgment, The time of the Dead, when they shall be Judged, is the Time, when a Reward [Page] shall be given to them that Fear God. They that Fear God, have their Eye much on the Time, when the Dead shall be Raised and Judged, and on the Reward which is then to be given to the Children of Men. One that Fears God, is very Thoughtful of the Day, when we must every one stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ; the Day when God will bring every Work into Judgment. The Dread of this Day, is to such a Man, The Terror of the Lord. His great Study is, Oh! That in the Day of God, I may give up my Account with Joy, and not with Grief! Oh! That I may do nothing that may prove to my Disadvantage in the Day when I give up my Account unto God! The Fear of God is not in the Man, who is not so disposed, so affected. I am sure, in the Convert on the Cross, these things were very Visible.

Thirdly. True Religion, which Fears God, will Religiously and Conscienciously endeavour to Serve God. The Worshippers of GOD, are called, [Page] Those theat fear Him. The Worship and Service of GOD, is called, His Fear. We read of one, Act. X. 2. He was a Devout Man, and one that feared God, and prayed unto God always. The Fear of God will put a Man upon all the Devotions of a Godly Life. The Fear of God will bring forth Prayer to God: Secret Prayer, Private Prayer, Public Prayer; All Prayer with Perseverance in it. When Men cast off this Fear, then they restrain Prayer. The Fear of God, will fill the Life of a Man with Work for God. It will make a Man Abound in the Work of the Lord. It will make a Man Diligent in the Work of both His Callings, the Spiritual and the Temporal. Continual Acknowledgments of God, are in the Endeavour of the Man that Fears Him. We are so called upon▪ Prov. XXIII. 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the Day long. 'Tis done in our conformity to that Rule of Piety, Acknowledge the Lord in all the Ways. This Fear of God will bring a Man to that Perswasion, I have to do [Page]with God in every Thing. And from so sweet a Root, as the Fear of God, there will issue and flourish a Love to Man. The Fear of God will make a Man afraid of doing or wishing any Hurt unto his Neighbour; It will make him contrive to be a Blessing in his Neighbourhood; It will make him a Good Man, and a Doer of Good. This, this is to Fear God.

But, certainly, you can scarce hear these Instructions, without expecting two Things to be immediately pressed upon you.

First. O view yourselves in this Impartial Glass, and see what you are Try and see, whether you have the Fear of God in you, or no. It was enquired; Psal. XXV. 12. What Man is he that fears the Lord? Let every one of us make the Enquiry, Am I the Man that fears the Lord? Let there be no such Token of Death upon us, as may give Cause for our being so questioned thereupon, Dost not thou fear God? Examine, Whether upon the Question, you can say, Yes, I [Page]prize CHRIST, I hate Sin, I walk with GOD, and Labour to please Him. Oh! be not at Rest until you come to this.

Secondly. You see, and, Oh! will you not seek, a Blessing of which you have cause to be exceedingly, unspeakably desirous. 'Tis, The Fear of God. A Man cannot infuse the Fear of God into his own Heart. It is the Grace of GOD. Oh! Let us make our Supplication to GOD, for this Grace. If any of you lack this Wisdom; this Beginning of Wisdom,—Let him Ask it of God. It was an hopeful Character of some; Neh. I. 11. Thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name. Oh! may all of you come into it; and make that Petition, O Great GOD; Let there be an Heart in me to fear thee! 'Tis a Petition to be made Importunately, to be made Continually!

II. The Second observable Thing which we have before us, i [...]; That when People who suffer Evil Things, continue to do Evil Things, it argues [Page] that the Fear of God is wanting in them. Oh! Grievous Thing! Did the Sun ever look upon a more Grievous Thing! Ah, Forlorn Soul, wherein such a Grievous Thing shall be exemplified! When a poor Man Condemned unto various and grievous Miseries, went on in Gross Mis [...]arriages, and the Cross itself would not make him turn unto God, this procured that Righteous Reproof unto the miserable Creature, Dost not thou fear God? It shew'd great Want of the Fear of God.

Let us a little Inform ourselves, How it is.

First. Some that suffer very sad Things, do not Reform the Sins, which have brought their Sufferings▪ It may be said of some, as in Jer. V. 3. O Lord, Thou hast Consumed them, but they have refused to receive Correction. Our Afflictions come to us, with a Message from God. The Message, and Language of them, is; Oh! Repent of thy Way, and of thy Doings, which have procured these things unto [Page]thee; Of the Wickedness, which has procured thee all this Bitterness. Yet many Afflicted ones there are, whose Afflictions do not bring them to Repentance. Their Iniquity is not thereby Purged, and the Fruit thereof is not the taking away of their Sin. The Duty they Omitted before their Afflictions, tho' they are Afflicted, yet they continue in their Omission of it. The Trespass they committed before their Afflictions, tho' they are Afflicted, yet they continue in their Commission of it. Tho' they have born Chastisement, they are not Inquisitive what those Offences may be, for which they have been Chastised; and they do not say, What is meet surely to be [...] unto God, I will not Offend any more▪ Tho' the Holy One have Stricken them for their Sinning against Him, yet they are not more afraid of Sinning, than formerly. Tho' God be vexing them with all Adversity; [...] it an Evil World unto them, [...] they are not more weaned [...] Love of the World. Tho' [...] [Page] an Afflicted Life, yet they do not lead a more Prayerful, a more Fruitful, a more Heavenly Life; a Life of more Communion with God. Tho' the Rod be Employ'd upon them, yet they do not Hear the Red. They have their Cross, but no Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness growing upon it.

Secondly. Some who Sinned before they Suffered, fall into New and more Sins, after their Sufferings. Evil Men wax worse and worse under those Things, which they should have grown Better upon. We read of such [...] Incurable; 2 Chron. XXVIII. 22. In the time of his Distress, did he Trespass yet more against the Lord. There are many Fools, who because of their Transgressions, and because of their Iniquities, are Afflicted. And yet they add new Transgressions, and add new Iniquities, unto the old Score of their Enormities; This they do after their Afflictions. They have Sinned, and they have Smarted; And, for all this they have Sinned still; and they have [Page] added new Sins unto the vast Heap of their Provocations; and been more Sinful, in further Out-breakings, and Outrages of Impiety. 'Tis especially thus, when People do like the Wicked Thief on the Cross, Blaspheme God under their Afflictions; When they are full of Discontent, full of Impatience, full of Murmuring under their Afflictions; full of Envy against those who do not endure the like Afflictions; When they take Indirect Courses to escape their Afflictions, unlawful Methods to abate their Afflictions. That ever the World should have such Monsters in it!

Thirdly. Such Incorrigible ones discover themselves to be destitute of the Fear of God. We may on this occasion say that in Psal. XXXVI. 1. The Transgression of the Wicked saith within my Heart, There is no fear of God before his Eyes. The Charge may be very plainly proved upon them.

First. If we see Suffering [...] upon [...] People, God expects that [...] Him, and improve in all [...] [Page] upon such Admonitions. Thus we read; Zech. UI. 7. I have cut off the Nations,—I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive Instruction. Surely then, if we do not receive Instruction from Suffering upon ourselves, 'tis plain, that we do not Fear God. When others are Scourged, God expects that we should all Hear and Fear, and no more do Wickedly. Surely then, if they that are under the same Condemnation, go on to Sin under their Scourges, these do not Fear God. There can be no doubt of this!

Secondly. They who get no Good by their Sufferings, forget that they have to do with God in their Sufferings. Were People sensible that God sends their Sufferings on them, and comes looking for the Fruit of His Dispensations, they would certainly get some Good by them. We read, Job V. 6, 8. Affliction comes not forth of the Dust, neither doth Trouble spring out of the Ground.—I would seek unto God. Were we sensible, that we have to do with an Higher than all Second [Page]Causes in our Sufferings, they would certainly bring us nearer to God. But now, if Men cast off the Sense of God, it is plain, they also cast off the Fear of God. It is undoubtedly, so.

Thirdly. They that are Incorrigible Sinners under Sufferings, are unquestionably Unconverted Sinners. We read; Psal. CXIX. 71. It is good for me, that I have been Afflicted, that I might learn thy Statutes. It is then good for us that we have Suffered any Humbling Things, when we are quickened in and by our Sufferings, to Learn, and to Love, and to Do the Statutes of God. There is a true Conversion to God, in doing so. Under Sufferings, to be brought into the Frames, and unto the Rules of a New-Creature; under Sufferings, to be brought into the Covenant of God, and of His Grace, and unto a consent unto all the Articles of [...] under Sufferings, to Embrace a Precious CHRIST, in all His Offices, for and with all His Benefits; And under [Page] Sufferings to have all Sin rendred Abominable to us; This is to get Good by Sufferings. But they who are Strangers to these things, are Unconverted Sinners. And all Unconverted Sinners, are Strangers to the Fear of God. Unto every Unconverted, and Unregenerate Soul, Thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and my Fear is not in thee, faith the Lord God of Hosts. This cannot be questioned.

Lastly. Sinners Incorrigible under Sufferings, proclaim themselves without Fear that the Justice of God, may yet bring more heavy Sufferings upon them. They make a Fearless, Darring, Hardy Challenge to the Justice of God. God threatens them who are Incorrigible under their Sufferings, at that rate; Lev. XXVI. 23, 24. If ye will not be Reformed by these Things, then will I Punish you yet seven times more for your Sins. God will go on, Punishing the Incorrigible Sinner, and Multiplying His Plagues upon him, until he has destroy'd the Sinner wonderfully. God will go on still in His Inflictions, if the Sinner will go on still [Page] in his Trespasses. Yea, 'Tis the tremendous Commination of God; After thy Hardness and Impenitent Heart, O Incorrigible Sinner, thou shalt find thou hast been treasuring up Wrath against the Day of Wrath, and thy woful Portion will be in the Perdition of Ungodly Men. But, the Incorrigible are not afraid of what a just God will do unto them. No, you Wretches, whose Heart-strings are Sinews of Iron, you Fear it not! This fully proves the Indictment, That the Malefactors have not the Fear of God before their Eyes.

These Things cannot well go off, without this Direction unto us. My Brethren, Give this Demonstration; that you have the Fear of God; Having suffered Evil Things, do not persist, Oh! no longer persist, in Doing any Evil Things. Be prevailed withal, to make this Use of all your Sufferings. Consider, What is the Errand which the Affliction I now suffer is come upon? Make that Request unto God; Job X. 2. Shew me wherefore thou contendest[Page]with me. But then, Repent, Oh! Repent of the Miscarriages, which have procured such a Suffering for you. It is a memorable Word; Rev. III. 19. As many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten; be Zealous therefore, and Repent. Christians, If you grow more Zealous of all good Works, and Repent of all your Evil Works, there has been the marvellous Love of God, in Rebuking and Chastening of you. Conform to the Will, Comply with the Call, of Him, who sends all your Sufferings, as His Messengers, upon you. Be Sollicitous for nothing so much as this; Oh! that my Sufferings may not be lost upon me! This will Demonstrate, That you Fear God. And, O Lord, How great is thy Goodness, which thou hast laid up for them, who so do Fear [...]!

III. The Third [...] Thing, in which the [...] the Trumpet is to wax yet Louder and Louder unto us, is this: 'Tis a Dreadful Thing for any one to Dye without the Fear of God.

[Page] Why was the Convert so much in Earnest, that his poor Friend might have in him the Fear of God? Why, He was just a Dying. He was to Dye that Afternoon. If he Dy'd before he had the Fear of God wrought in him, he must pass into a very Bad Condition after Death. Had it not been so, to what purpose had it been so earnestly to inculcate the Fear of God upon him! Truly, If any Man Dye, before he have a Soul Impregnated, Rectified, Purified, by the Fear of God, the least that can be said, is; It had been good for that Man, that he had never been Born. If the Life of Man come to an end, before the Fear of God has begun to Regulate his Life, his Death will bring a dreadful Change upon him. 'Tis a fear [...] Thing for a Soul to go [...] of the World, not marked with the Fear of God for Blessedness in another [...] Never, never was there heard a mo [...] Astonishing Thunderclap, than that Word; Joh. VIII. 24. Ye shall Dye in your Sins. This, this will be the Fa [...]e [Page] of them, who Dye without the Fear of God. They Dye in their Sins, and their Death is a Trap-door, that lets them down into horrible Miseries.

The Pulpit must now become a Sinai. And since you are now to stand before a Flaming Mountain, Be afraid, O ye Sinners in our Zion; Let Fearfulness also Surprize you, O ye Hypocrites thereof. I am to tell you;

First. The Future State will be a Dismal State unto them, whose Death finds them in ill Terms with God. We have all possible Assurance, that after Death Men pass into a Future State. After Death a Judgment. A Redeemer, who by Rising from the Dead, asserted Himself to be the Eternal Son of God Incarnate, has assured us of it. The Future State, as it will be Inconceivably Happy to some, so it will be Unutterably Doleful to others. It will have such a Distribution as that; Matth. XXV. 46. The Wicked shall go away into everlasting Punishment; but the Righteous[Page]into Life Eternal. Particularly; There are some, who at their Death have their Spirits turned among Divels: One may almost say, turned into Divels. They are confined unto very uneasy Confusions: Rueful Chains of Darkness are laid upon them. They languish under the amazing Terror of a Wrath to come; a Fiery Indignation that shall one Day Devour them. He will one Day Raise them from the Dead: But it will be, that He may inflict a Second Death upon them; and a Death which will have in it, a Torture suitable to the Demerit of their Offences: A Torture whereto all the Racks and Fires here, are but Metaphors. A Guilty Conscience will remain in their Spirits, and the Wrath of God therewith forever Torturing of them. Thus, even thus, the Enemies of God are to be dealt withal.

Secondly. The People whose Death finds them without the Fear of God, are such as Dye in ill Terms with God: And, Oh! What, what will the Future State be unto them! We read; [Page] Psal. XC. 11. Who knows the Power of thine Anger? Even according to thy Fear, so is thy Wrath. Men shall be treated by the Wrath of God, according to the Fear of God which there has been in their Souls. By the fear of God Men get from under His Wrath. But if they are without the fear of God, they have His Wrath forever abiding on them. For,

First. If People Dye without the fear of God, they Dye Unpardoned: And this Entails the formidable Wrath of God upon them. We read; Psal. CIII. 11, 12. Great is His Mercy towards them that fear Him. He removes our Transgressions from us. But if People do not fear God, their Sins are lying on them, sticking to them; not one of a Thousand, alas, not one of their many Thousands, removed from them. The Wrath of God therefore falls upon the Man, who Dies without the fear of God. He is not at Peace with God, and so he can't avoid the Wrath of God. But, Oh! How dreadful a Thing to fall under the Wrath [Page] of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! How fearful a Thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God! The Wrath of God sometimes lays People under incredible Torments in this World. But undoubtedly, the Tormenting Blows and Scalds, which the Wrath of God will give unto the Children of Wrath in the World to come, will exceed all that is ever seen in this World. Oh! Never yet were those unsearchable Treasures of Wrath so broken up, that any People alive upon Earth, have had a full Display thereof. But there is this Terror of the Lord added unto the dismal State of it Sinner lying under this Wrath; We know no Period of it! The Lamentations will not be, All our Days are passed away under thy Wrath. No, The Days will Never, Never, Never be All passed away. Nor will they be Days neither. They will be Nights rather than Days. 'Tis all utter Darkness. There will be Blackness of Darkness forever. O Dreadful! To be Exiled from GOD! And with an everlasting [Page] Exile! To be made Vessels of Wrath, wherein the Wrath of God against Sin, shall hang up Everlasting Monuments and Spectacles! This is the Portion of them who Dye without the fear of God: This the Heritage of them who do not get into the Favour of God before they Dye.

Secondly. If People Dye without the fear of God, they Dye with a Vene [...]ious Nature still unchanged; and so they carry an Eternal Fuel for the Wrath of God into Eternity with them. We read, Rom. VIII. 7. The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God. Until the fear of God come into the Mind, the Sinner has a Carnal Mind that remains uncured in him. Now there is no prospect for the Cure of that Carnal Mind, when a Sinner is fallen under the Revenges of God, for his Enmity. No, He that is Unjust will still be Unjust; and he that is Filthy will be Filthy still. A perpetual Enmity to God is then rivetted into the Mind of the Sinner; Never, never [...] be gotten out. But what will be the [Page] Consequence of this Enmity? It must needs make the Future State a very Dismal one. A perpetual Enmity to God, must needs involve the sinful Wretch in a perpetual Wretchedness. No Comfortable Visions of God can be allow'd unto him, whom God counteth for His Enemy. Continual Rebukes from God, will be thundered upon him. Irregular Passions will keep his Enraged Soul in a perpetual Storm. His Desires will never be gratified, but be always creating of Troubles unto him. He will Hate God, and God will Vex him; and the Vengeance of Heaven will be perpetually Triumphing over him. This 'tis to Dye without the Fear of God: This must they look for, who Dye without Wisdom.

And now, Oh! the Importunity, the Fervency, the Energy, which the EXHORTATION should be urged withal!

See to it, O all ye People, every one [...]f you, See to it, That you Dye not [Page] without the fear of God, and, Alienated from the Life of God.

My Hearers, We are every one of us all, under a Condemnation of Death. Know you not? Alas, you are obliged every Day to see the Execution of it; It is appointed unto Men once to Dye. The irreversible Sentence is gone out from the Mouth of God; So Death has passed upon all Men, for that all have Sinned.

What? My Friend, Under this Condemnation, and not Fear God! O our Dying People,—And I Address every one of you all, under that Appellation; O our Dying People, Why will you Dye, and not get the Fear of God into your Souls before you Dye?

First. There are None of you, but for ought you know, may Dye very Speedily, yea, may Dye very Suddenly. Unto the Youngest and unto the Strongest of you all, and unto them that are most ready to put far away the Evil Day, it may be said, as in Prov. XXVII. 1. Boast not of To- Morrow, for thou knowest not what a [Page]Day may bring forth. Children, It highly Concerns every one of you, to Retire this very Evening, and Commune with your own Hearts; and ask, Have I yet attained unto the fear of God?—Ask, Is my Soul yet Renewed with the fear of God? And send up your Cries from the Dust unto the Lord; Even those Cries; Psal. LXXXVI. 11. Lord, engage my Heart to fear thy Name. You are not sure that you have one Week more to Live. 'Tis Time to lay hold on a Mercy, for the ensuring whereof you are not sure of having any more Time allow'd unto you.

Secondly. There are Some of you, who know, that you are just going to Dye.

Aged People surely cannot but know this. I am therefore to say unto you; An Aged Person without the fear of God, Oh! 'Tis one of the most Melancholy Sights that can be look'd upon. What? Past Fifty, and come to the Use of Glasses, and flying down to the Grave, with the Haste of an [Page]Eagle to the Prey; and still without the fear of God! Oh! Lamentable! I entreat you, I entreat you, Syrs, to make Haste in lifting up your Cries unto God. Oh! God of all Grace, Implant thy Fear in my Soul before I die! Oh! Let not my Death surprize me, before the Grace of thy Fear has Enlightened me! And Oh! be at no Quiet, until you feel the Working of it. Your Epitaph will else quickly be that; Eccl. IX. 3. Madness is in their Heart while they Live, and after that they go to the Dead.

But of those who are sure of having the Arrest of Death presently served upon them, there is none that has a more affecting Assurance of it, than a poor Daughter of Death, who is this Afternoon to have her Soul Required of her. Ah! poor Creature! Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art under a Condemnation, to a Tragical Death which is to be this Afternoon executed on thee; and within three or four Hours, thy Soul will be Required of thee; within three or four [Page] Hours thy Soul must make its Appearance before a Terrible GOD! Oh! What, what will be the Condition of that Perishing Soul, if no Fear of God be found in it, when it Appears before Him?—

There is indeed a vast Abundance even to a Profusion, of Instructions, bestow'd more Privately on such Malefactors as Dye among us: No Place upon Earth does equal this Place for that Exercise of Charity. And this poor Creature has had a very particular Share thereof: Not only have the Ministers of the Gospel done their Part, in Visiting of her, but also many Private Christians have done theirs, in a most Exemplary manner. As of old in Jerusalem it was the Usage of the Ladies, to [...] for the Dying Malefactors, that [...] which was called, The [...] the Condemned, so the Young Gentlewomen here in their Turns, h [...]e Charitably gone to the Prison [...] Day for diverse Weeks together, and because of her not being able to Read, [Page] have spent the Afternoons in Reading Portions of the Scriptures, and other Books of Piety, to this Condemned Woman, and giving their Excellent Counsils unto her. Nevertheless, we chuse in a more Publick way also to direct a few Words of our Sermons, unto such Persons; when we have them among our Hearers; Because, the Preaching of the Gospel, is the Grand Ordinance of our Saviour, for the Conversion of a Sinner from the Error of his way; and we would wait upon our Glorious LORD, in that way which he has Ordained, hoping, still hoping, to see a Soul saved from Death!

Wherefore once more, O miserable Woman, entring into an Eternity to be trembled at; Once more, thou shalt hear the Joyful Sound of the Gospel, inviting thee to the Fear of God, and the Faith of thy only Saviour. And if there be not in this Last Essay, a more saving Impression from the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God made upon thee, than thou hast yet [Page] felt from any former ones,—Oh! the dreadful, dreadful Consequences! What will become of thee!—Can thy Hands be Strong, or can thy Heart endure, in the View of what a Terrible GOD will order for thee?—Behold, Ah! poor Margaret, Behold a mighty Congregation of People, with Hearts Bleeding for thee, and Wishing and Praying and Longing to see the fear of God making some Discoveries in thee. And shall thy Heart still remain unaffected with thy own Condition; discovering still a total Estrangement from the fear of God! No Tears are enough, Tears of Blood were not enough, to be employ'd on so prodigious a Spectacle!

I am sorry, I am sorry, that I find myself obliged so much to speak it. Even since thou hast been under Condemnation, thou hast not feared God. Not many Hours are passed, since I saw in thee, so much Rage, and so; Unrighteously harboured, and so Indecently Vomited, against some Vertuous Children of God, that it [...] [Page] too Evident, this fear of God had not yet begun to soften thee.

But if the fear of God enter not into thy Soul, before thy Soul be driven out o [...] thy Body, which will be now,—alas, before many Minutes more be expired, thy Desolate, Forsaken, Miserable Soul, can have no part in the Kingdom of God. My Soul cannot be safe, if I forbear to tell thee so!

Ah, poor Creature, Art thou wiling to Dye unreconciled unto the God, whom thou hast Affronted with infinite Provocations? To Dye, and fall into the Mouths of Dragons, who have so long poisoned thee, and enslaved thee? To Dye and be cast into the Eternal Burnings, from whence the Smoak of the Torment will ascend forever and ever? What? Shall all the Means of Good, which in a Religious Place have, been used for thee, with hopes that they might find out one of the Elect of God, serve only to aggravate thy Eternal Condemnation [Page] at the last? Oh! Dreadful Consideration!

But, Oh! Be Astonished at it! There is yet a Door of Hope set open for thee; It will for one Hour it may be, stand open yet! Oh! Be full of Astonishments at such an Heart-melting Declaration, as is now to be made unto thee. A Compassionate SAVIOUR, is yet willing, to Cleanse by Soul with His Blood, from the Sins, which by casting off the fear of God thou hast fallen into; yet wiling to create in thee a Clean Heart, [...]at shall be filled with the fear of God, if he be sought unto; yet calling to thee, O look unto me and be Saved! And yet affording unto thee that Encouragement, in Joh. VI. 27. He that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.

And, Oh! What wilt thou now [...]o under these Astonishing [...]? Wilt thou not improv [...] these few Minutes with a most [...] industry and Agony? Do [...] [...]e no longer such an Hard-hearted [Page]Prodigy! Fall down before thy SAVIOUR, and cry out; O my Saviour; Take pitty on my Soul, and now at the Last, let Sovereign Grace break forth, with a good Work of thy fear in my Soul! Cry out, O my Saviour, Let my Sin be all pardoned, and let all Sin be as Abominable unto me, as it is unto all that fear thy Name! Let thy Outcries pierce the very Heavens.

But, be it known unto thee, If the fear of God be in thee, it will be a thing more Bitter than Death unto thee, that thou hast Sinned against His Glorious Majesty; Thy Malice against every Neighbour will be extinguished; Thou wilt submit with Patience, to the Punishment of thy Iniquity; And thou wilt be an Holy, Humble, Thankful Soul, and quite another Creature!—God of His Infinite Mercy make thee so!

Tho' I have now no more to say unto this poor Creature; yet I have something to say unto all this Congregation of God; and her Circumstances [...]urnish me with an Awful Occasion for it.

[Page] I wish, Oh! I wish, the Testimonies of a thorough Repentance in her, were more Conspicuous. But I would make the best Use I can, of what Little has been obtained.

This Woman in her better Frames, has very Voluntarily over and over again, testified her Desire, to do what Good may be done, by an Instrument, that she has put into my Hands; Signed with her own, before several Witnesses, after every Clause thereof had been distinctly Considered with her. An Instrument which▪ I shall now Read unto you.—

A Miserable Death is hastened upon me, for my Sins against the Almighty God. I own the Justice of the Almighty in what is come upon me; and I own also the Justice of the Government [...] Executing the Sentence of [...] which cuts me off. I have [...] to be amazed at the Mercy [...] [Page] Lord, in providing a Saviour for so great and vile a Sinner. I fly to Him, that my Sins may be all pardoned for the sake of His Blood, and that I may be delivered particularly from the Bloodguiltiness wherewith I am justly Chargeable; and also that He would give me a New Heart, and make all my Sins Bitter and Loathsome to me.

I am sensible, That without a true Repentance, I must Perish under the dreadful Wrath of God: And wo to me, if I Dye in my Sins. But I am informed, That in Repenting of my Sins, I shall do well to warn other Sinners against such things as have been the undoing of my Soul.

I do therefore declare, That I believe God has been greatly Offended at me, for the Sins of an Unbridled Tongue; whereof Swearing and Cursing is to be particularly reckoned; and for my Profanations of His Holy Sabbaths. But the Sin which above many lies [Page] heavy on my Mind, is my Disobedience and Rebellion against my Parents; A Sin against which I would have all to be warned, that would not come to an untimely End.

I also Bewail before the Lord, and His People, the Sins of Unchastity, which have led me on to the Ruine that is now come upon me. Little do poor Creatures consider, when they are once got into the Unclean ways of Unchastity, what they shall come to.

Being forsaken of God, I attempted in Murderous Ways, to Destroy my Unborn Infant. God saw my Wickedness, and would not let me succeed in those Attempts; but [...] me to such a Neglect of my Newborn Infant, as has made it a just thing that I should now Dye for the Murder of it.

God [...]e Merciful to me a Sinner: and make my Warnings Profitable to other Sinners.

[Page] The Violent Passions whereinto this Woman has been Transported since her calm and free Exhibition of this Instrument, leave us at a perfect Loss what to make of her. We can do no more, but leave her to the unknown Mercy of God.

But my Hearers, You can yourselves now generally make agreeable Remarks, on this Instrument; And you will not let such an uncommon Engine of Piety be lost among you.

But, I hope, Undutiful Children especially will tremble at the Spectacle which God this Day hangs up for them all with a Trembling Soul to look upon. Undutiful Children, How often, how often have you now heard from the Gallows, those doleful Eiulations, Disobedience to Parents is what brings to this! Yea, 'tis a wonderful Thing I am now to tell you. This poor Creature here, cannot now forget it. In a mad Rage once, [Horrible to be spoken!] she Cursed her own Mother. And her enraged Mother then uttered that Imprecation [Page] upon her, I wish thou mayest Dye upon the Gallows! And now, see what it is come to! Oh! do not you go on in your Disobedience. If you have given your Parents cause to Complain, that you have made Heavy Hearts for them, Repent of what you have done; and Obey them, Oblige them, Comfort them. What will the Holy GOD else leave you to? Child, If thou wilt not hearken to my Counsil, I know that God has determined, He will destroy thee!

And, Oh! that all Profane Delays of Repentance, might after this appear more Frightful, from a fresh and a black and a stupendous Experiment, that has been made of the Danger in them. This poor Creature, upon her very first Imprisonment, had the best Advice that could be given unto her, to spend her Time unto the best Advantage. But a vile Person in the Prison perswaded her, that he should make his Escape, and would carry her off; and all should be well. I know not how to relate the Hideous [Page] Hardness of Heart, which this Foolish Perswasion betray'd her to. But I cannot perceive any of all her Follies, to be now more Cruciating to her, than what were the Fruit of this Perswasion. Particularly, That now she minded nothing of Repentance, until her Condemnation; And God knows, what poor Work she has made of it since, tho' the Honourable Judges have Mercifully allow'd so much Time unto her.—O Procrastinating Sinners, If by secure Delays of Repentance, you so Vex the Holy Spirit of God, as to procure His Departure from you, what Hardness of Heart may you be given up unto! Wo to them, when I depart from them, saith the Lord.

But now at last, Shall the Sins of Unchastity undergo one Contusion more? Good God, make it an Effectual one!

Abominable Sins! The Sins where of our Holy JESUS, hath from Heaven sent this Notice to us, I hate there! The Sins, which the Holy Scripture [Page] points out, as a fatal Ditch, a filthy Pit, set open for the Abhorred of the Lord. How Mischievous the Abominations! What Wounds, what Wounds, do they leave upon the Souls of Men! What Wounds upon all their Interests! What Infatuations do accompany them! Oh! the Hideous Havock, which the Sins of Unchastity make among the polluted Children of Men! The Ruines which they undergo from the Fleshly Lusts, that War against our Souls!

Ah, Tempted Souls; I don't propose that you should make any Rash Vows, under the Anguish which the [...]lthy Fires may give unto you. I know, you'l break them if you do. But the best Proposal is, To Humble yourselves in the Dust before the Lord. What else can you do, when the Serpents of the Dust are Coiling about you? From thence, lift up your, Cries unto your Saviour, O my dear Saviour, I shall Sin against thee, if thou forsake me. Oh! Forsake me not utterly▪ Oh! Pity me; Oh! Rescue me. The Blood of thy Cross has purchased for me[Page]the Death of my Inordinate Lusts. Oh! Give me the Grace, which thy Death has purchased for me. Let my Lusts all Dye before it! O Succour my Tempted Soul; And, O Holy Spirit of Grace, do thou take Possession of me, and Purify me, Purify me Wonderfully! Thus keep Crying to your Holy Lord. Who can tell, how He will Send from above, how He will Take you, how He will Draw you out of many Waters!

I cannot but think, That there is a Voice of God unto the Country in this Thing; That there should be so many Instances of Women Executed for the Murder of their Bastard-Children. There are now Six or Seven such unhappy Instances, that are upon Record, and made Pillars of Salt in Printed Memorials. Lo, God [...]nds out. His Voice, and that a mighty Voice, in these Things. Lord, Help us to understand thy Meaning in them.

Certainly, There is a Loud Voice and Call from God unto Good Men, to consider more than ever; What Sacred Exorcisms are to be used, that [Page]the Unclean Spirit may be suppressed in the Land.

Most certainly, There is this Voice of GOD: Let all People beware how they give way to lesser Beginnings in the Sins of Unchastity. Oh! People can't see, where they shall stop, if once they give the Reins to Impetuous Impurities.

Most certainly, All of us that may upon Reflection find any Stumbles into the Sins of Unchastity, may now hear this Voice of GOD unto us; O Bewail your Impurities; and Abhor yourselves before an Holy GOD; and get the Cleansing Blood of your Saviour sprinkled on your Souls. And may we not apprehend one thing more! Several Bastard-Children have been Murdered in this Place; But there has not unto this Day been any Detection of the Murderers. There is this Day a Voice of GOD, and lo [...], it is a mighty Voice, unto th [...]se Bloody Creatures; Oh! Let not the Patience, and Forbearance of God be lost upon you, Wonder at it, That God has not all[Page]this while delivered you up, to the Sword of Justice. Let the Long-suffering of God be for your Salvation. O Turn to God, with [...] Repentance, lest He leave [...] something that all the People shall be [...] at!

I have done. I have these Faithful Warnings in the Hands of GOD, for Him to make them Efficacious. O Glorious LORD, Give thou, for Thou alone canst [...] an Efficacy to them!

FINIS.

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[Page]

The Divine Compassions Declar'd and Magnified: To Engage and Encourage the greatest Sinners unto a Speedy and Earnest Repentance. A SERMON, Preach'd at the Lecture in BOSTON, June 2. 1715. Upon the Sorrowful Occasion of a Miserable Woman present, under Sentence of Death for the Murder of her Spurious Infant.

By BENJAMIN COLMAN, A. M.

BOSTON: Printed by T. Fleet & T. [...] for Samuel Gerrish, on the North Side of the Town-House, in King-Street, 1715.

[Page]

The Divine Compassions Declar'd and Magnified, To Engage and Encourage the greatest Sinners to a Speedy and Earnest Repentance.

EZEK. XVIII. 23.‘Have I any Pleasure at all that the Wicked should die? saith the LORD GOD: and not that he should return and live?’

THESE Words are among the many Endearing Arguments and Addresses, wherewith the Great GOD persues wilful and obstinate Sinners; if it [...]ight be possible at last to softe [...] 'em unto Repentance.

THE Wicked Jews had [...] a strange Opinion of the Blessed [...] [Page] as if he took all Advantages against 'em, to Punish 'em; and particularly that they suffered for their Fathers Sins It was become a kind of Proverb among 'em, tho' it carry'd a plain Reproach and Impeachment of the Divine Judgments; that the Fathers had eaten four Grapes, and the Children [...] Teeth were set on Edge. The Objection was Foolish as well as Profane; for it is no ways Unjust in GOD to inflict Temporal Evils upon the Children for their Parents Sins: For a great many present Punishments of the Sins of Parents, do by a natural and unavoidable Tendency involve their Posterity in Calamities and Miseries.

IN the Chapter GOD asserts in General His own Soveraignty and Justice that all Souls are His, and that the Soul that Sins shall die. But more especially there are four things pretty much insisted on; as Mr. Henry divides the Chapter: That it shall [...] ill with the wicked Man, tho' he ha [...] a good Father; that it shall [...]e we [Page]with the good Man, tho' he had a wicked Father; that it shall be well with Penitents, tho' they began never so ill; and that it shall be ill with Apostates, tho' they began never so well.

UNDER the Third of these Heads our Text falls; Have I any Pleasure at all that the Wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways and live?

LET us attentively Consider, Who it is that speaks, and What is said. Saith the Lord GOD: He it is that speaketh from Heaven, and see that you refuse Him not. What Attention, Reverence, Fear and Faith do we owe [...]nto His Words? whether of Grace or of His Anger and Wrath.

OBSERVE the Thing sai [...] and the Form wherein it is clothed. Have [...] Pleasure at all? No, [...] not the least, that the Sinner [...]: But on the contrary, [...] instantly, unspeakably Pleasing [...] Great and Holy GOD, that [...] from his evil ways and live▪ [...] He [Page] desires, this wou'd delight Him; this He aims at, and endeavours in all His Addresses unto perishing Souls for their Salvation.

HE can Appeal to Sinners themselves and refer it to them to judge, Have I any pleasure at all that the Wicked should die? Besides the vehement Negation on God's part herein imply'd, it is as much supposed that the Sinner can't deny or oppose the Truth of what is here affirmed. So that the Doctrine before us is this:

Doct. That the Lord our GOD has given us the utmost Assurances, that He has no pleasure at all in the Death of Sinners, but on the contrary, that He earnestly desires their Repentance and Salvation.

IN speaking to this Doctrine, I shall only 1. Premise a few Words for the stating and limiting the Truth asserted; and then 2. Exemplify, Illustrate and prove it by an Induction of undeniable Instances.

[Page] I. I would Premise a few Words for the Stating and Limiting the Truth before us: Which may serve as so many Negative Propositions, to tell us what is not meant to be affirmed. As,

1. IT is a most certain Truth, that GOD has Pleasure in hating Sin. He has the highest Complacency in His own Holiness, the Rectitude of His own Nature; and consequently in the Aversations of that Holy Nature: He is not a God that can have Pleasure in Wickedness, neither can Evil dwell with Him; He hateth all the workers of Iniquity. Psal. 5. 4. Even a sanctify'd Nature on Earth, so far as its measures of Sanctification are, doth more or less find great Pleasure in its Aversations to Sin. They that love the Lord hate Evil. There are all the Pleasures of Love to GOD in the hatred of Sin. All [...] is not Grievous and Painful; all [...] Regular and truly Natural, is [...] and Pleasant: Pain proceeds only from the Irregularity of a thing, its being Wrong. The Blessedness and [Page] Joy of GOD is in His own Holiness. The hatred of Sin is therefore Essential to GOD and to His Blessedness. So that tho' GOD has no Pleasure that the Wicked should die, yet has He Pleasure in hating the Wicked, as such, and their ways: The Wicked and him that loveth Violence His Soul hateth. Psal. 11. 5.

2. MOREOVER, God has Pleasure in Glorifying His Justice in all the Demands of it against the Wicked. The Justice of GOD is an Attribute Essential to Him. It necessarily follows upon the Rectitude and Holiness of His Nature, together with His Dominion and Government. If there be one most Holy Lord and Governour of the World, I'm sure that it is Essential to Him to Punish Sin at such Times, and in such Manner and Circumstances, as His Wisdom, Purity, the Order and Good of the World, and His own Honour and Glory do direct unto. So far God's Punishing Sin by a necessity of Nature is Intelligible, and Certain; and no [Page] farther can I apprehend it. GOD's Holiness, Honour & Justice is dearer to Him than a thousand Worlds; Pereat Mundus sed fiat Justitia; let the World be Burnt up, but let Justice be Glorify'd. The Goodness and Mercy of GOD can have no Pleasure in any Display of itself, any further than is consistent with the Satisfaction and Glory of Justice. They do not Lust against each other; oppose, repine at, or glory over one another: No; they agree, unite, and are both Glorious in the Exaltation of either. Goodness in GOD is as much for the Preservation of the Rights of a Holy and Wife and Perfect Administration of Government, as strict Justice is; and Justice delights in the Exaltation of Mercy these preserv'd, as much as it does in the Inflictions of the Punishments which they call for. Hence GOD is just to forgive, as well as to punish. It is as Delightful to GOD to glorify His Justice as His Mercy. The one is as dear to Him as the other. They never [Page] Rival, but infinitely Delight in each other. St. James has a Passage that may be easily mis-understood: Jam. 2. 13. Mercy rejoiceth against Judgment. If you should understand this of Mercy in GOD, it could be only spoken Popularly; as among Men Mercy shown to the Evil that deserve it not, seems to get the Victory and Ascendant. But indeed the Apos [...]e there speaks of Mercy in Man, when that is in its Display and Exaltation, triumphing over the Wickedness and Enmity and Injuries of others; it gives a Person Comfort and Rejoicing in his prospect of the Judgment of God: For he shall have Judgment without Mercy, that sheweth not Mercy; and Mercy rejoiceth against Judgment. So that it is not spoken of the Mercy of GOD rejoicing against His Judgment; but of the Grace of Mercifulness in the Saint, enabling him to rejoice against the threatning and Condemnation of the Law.

TO return from this Digression. Tho' GOD has no Pleasure that [Page] the Wicked should die, yet has He Pleasure in Glorifying His Justice in all the Demands of it upon the Wicked: That is infinitely Pleasant to Him.

3. LET it be also further observed, as another great Maxim of Truth; That GOD has ineffable Pleasure in fulfilling and performing His Word. Whether it be the Promises or the Threatnings thereof; the Words of Grace or those of Terror. They are both the unchangeable Truths of GOD, and according to His most Blessed and Perfect Nature; and the Pleasure of GOD is equal in the fulfilment of either. As for GOD His Work is Perfect; He is a GOD of Truth and without Iniquity, Just and Right is He. He has not more Pleasure in holding the Universe in its Order, than He has in fulfilling of His Words; the Word which threatens the Wicked with Death. Yea the Heavens and the Earth shall pass away, sooner than one Jot or Tittle of God's revealed written Truth. More settled is this [Page] than the Ordinances of Heaven, and the Beauty and Glory of the Universe more depends on this than on their Order and Motion. Hence 'tis that He will Laugh at the Calamity of the Wicked, and Mock when their Fear cometh. Prov. 1. 25. There can be no room for Pity when Holiness Justice and Truth stand forth and demand Execution. GOD is Plenteous and Abundant in Truth as well as Mercy and Goodness. Just and True are His Ways, true and right His Judgments, and therefore He necessarily takes Pleasure in them. The strength of Israel cannot lye nor repent, for He is not a Man that He should repent. Psal. 89. 34. Neither will I alter the thing that is gone out of my Mouth.

4. AND lastly. We must also lay down this for an undoubted Truth, That the Sufferings of the damned cannot give God Perturbation or Disrest. Tho' GOD has no Pleasure that the Wicked should die, yet if they die in their Sins it gives Him no Inquietude, Uneasiness or Disturbance. He is [Page] Over all blessed for ever. GOD lives in a full Complacency and in everlasting Rest. Uninterrupted, and never to be diminished is His Satisfaction in Himself: With Him is the Fountain of Light, and there can be no Darkness at all near Him.

GOD is liable to no Passion, or disorder of Affection. Heaven is the Temperate Region. Humane Passions have their Transports and their Pain; and to accomodate Himself to us and affect us God speaks of Himself after the manner of Men; but let us beware of thinking GOD altogether such as ourselves. What is imperfect in us, we must infinitely remove from GOD, when we conceive and speak of Him. We may as well make to ourselves a Graven Image of Humane Form and call it GOD, because that GOD has spoken of Himself as having an Eye to see, an Ear to hear, a Mouth to speak, and a Hand to strike; as conceive of GOD after the Imperfection of our own Souls in the workings of their Affections. The first would be only [Page] to make a Dead Lifeless Image of GOD; the last to impute Evil and Moral Disorders to Him.

IF we Punish from Anger it roils us: if Pity remain it grieves us. If Joy seizes us, and Love work strongly in us, they overcome us almost: But much more if Wrath and Hatred move us, we suffer most ourselves in the Punishments we lay on others. But it is not so with God: Tho' we read of His Wrath, yet must we not ‘suppose or imagine any Painful Impression on the Divine Mind. He neither feels the Miseries He pities; nor is vext at the Sins which He detests.’ The Divine Mind is ever Serene, Calm and Impassible; and ‘we must abstract all that in our Conceptions of Him,’ which spring out of the Imperfection either of Nature or Happiness.

SO far I have labour'd to State and Limit the Truth before us; to clear and deliver it from those Cavils and Objections that may rise against it in our Minds. Tho' GOD [Page] has no Pleasure that the Wicked should die, yet it is infinitely Pleasurable to Him to hate Sin, to glorify His Justice, and to perform His Truth and Threatnings against Sin; and the Miseries of them that perish are no grief or offence of Heart unto Him.

II. I now pass unto the Second Thing propounded, which is; To illustrate, prove, and exemplify the Doctrine by an Induction of diverse Instances: all which shall confirm and shew that GOD has given us abundant Assurances that He has no Pleasure in the Death of Sinners, but in their Repentance.

1. AND as it is fit, I will begin, first with the positive Affirmation hereof in the Word of GOD. And this is instead of a thousand other Proofs, if GOD had said it: His Truth endureth [...]ro out all Generations. Yea the GOD of Truth has passed it into an Oath, which is the highest Confirmation and [...]n End of all Strife or Dispute; It shows the Immutability of His Counsel, [Page] wherein it is impossible for GOD to change; and so is a Ground for the strongest Confidence, and Consolation to them that fly for Refuge from Guilt and the Avenger of Blood to lay hold on the hope of Forgivness and Life Eternal. Now this Oath we have in Form and express Terms: Ezek. 33. 11. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the Death of the Wicked, but that the Wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye dye, O House of Israel? How solemn is this Assurance given to Sinners? and what could GOD do more to assure them? Is it not a wonderful Condescention in the Great GOD to superadd His Oath unto His Word? to swear to what He had once said, that so His Word might make the deeper Impression on us? whereas any one Word of GOD, the Eternal Truth is instead of ten thousand Oaths. Therefore He swears by Himself, there being no Greater to swear by: As I live, saith the [Page]Lord, I have no &c. GOD is Sincere ‘and Faithful in all that He says; He deals plainly with us and speaks what He intends:’ His Words are the true Image and Declaration of His Mind. And He has told us of Himself, that He would have all Men to be saved. 1 Tim. 2. 4. that He is not willing that any should Perish, but that all should come to Repentance. 2 Pet. 3. 9.

NOW shall we believe GOD, or shall we make Him a Liar? shall we scruple and doubt after His positive Word is passed? No; let GOD be true; let His Word be magnified, in GOD let us praise His Word! that Word by which the World stands! until the time come when the Angel lifts up his Hand to Heaven hereafter and swears by him that liveth for ever and ever, that time shall be no mercy and then by the same word shall all things be dissolved.

2. GOD has given assurance to Sinners that He hath no pleasure in their Death, in the Revelation which [Page]He has given us of His own merciful Nature. When He descended to Proclaim His Name to Moses, in how many Attributes of Grace was it, as the Saviour of Sinners and ready and abundant to Pardon? The Lord Gracious and Merciful, Long-suffering and abundant in Goodness; keeping Mercy for thousands &c. How many Words are here heap'd up to show how much the glory, nature and will of GOD is in the Salvation of Sinners, their Repentance and Pardon? Mercy, Grace, Patience, Goodness, Faithfulness all glorified in forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin. And to Magnify this the more to Sinners for their Comfort and to draw forth their confidence therein, and adorations thereof, we read that He is [...] in Mercy, and plenteous in Mercy; of the greatness of His Mercies, and the multitude of His Mercies; His manifold Mercies and His tender Mercy; and all imploy'd for the help and relief of perishing Sinners. P [...]al. 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender Mercies, blot out my Transgressions.

[Page] 3. THE Relation wherein GOD stands to His Creatures, may afford Assurance unto Sinners that He has no pleasure in their Death, save only as the Honour, Holiness and Justice of His Government do necessitate it.

WE are all the Work of His Hands: One GOD created us. Now GOD has implanted in us, a natural and necessary, but most free chosen and delightful Regard to our own; whether our own, Works, or our Offspring. We desire to see those that come of us Happy; in all their Afflictions we deeply share and are afflicted; it is very painful to us to see them suffer; On the other hand, How does it please us to see them Happy? what Content have we in their doing and faring well? how do we Rejoice in their Prosperity? And has not GOD a higher and superior Regard, think we, to all His Works?

DO we not esteem it a proper suitable and wi [...]e Inclination in Us? most Beneficial and most Just? Certainly [Page] it is. But far more Necessary is the High Creator, the Father and Preserver of all things! If His tender Mercies were not over all His Works, what would become of them?

WHAT wise Man has pleasure in the Destruction of his own Work? when he has done it with any Degree of Art, bro't it to some great Perfection, and to an equal Usefulness and Service? Does he not cherish it and tender it? And are not the Glorious and perfect Works of GOD dearer to Him, and more precious in His Sight?

TRUE, To His own Honour and Glory, the Ends of His Holiness Wisdom and Justice, and the common Good of all His Creation, it is meet & good that a Million of Creatures be thrown away in a day into an Eternal Perdition: for what are these unto the Honour and Government of GOD? and to His Glory from Infinite Millions of Holy and better Creatures, and their joynt-happiness? 'Tis but as an Achan sacrificed out of [Page] the Congregation to the Justice of Heaven, and for the Preservation of the Whole! But otherwise, the GOD who made us, the Rock that formed us, certainly bears a very gracious Inclination to us and our happiness: the Misery of His Creatures can in it self alone be no pleasure to Him.

SEE the Context: v. 4. Behold, all Souls are mine; As the Soul of the Father, so also the Soul of the Son is mine; the Soul that sinneth it shall die. God, the Father of Spirits, is a lover of Souls; He thro'ly knows the Excellency and price of them; and what the loss and what the Misery of His Immortal Workmanship is; and it can't be pleasing to Him to behold it.

[THEREFORE He at first Created Man on Earth, as He did the Angels in Heaven in a state of Holiness and Happiness. It was His pleasure that we should have liv'd happy for ever. He made all things Good, and formed Man in His own Image. He planted the Tree of Life, the Sacrament of Immortality, in the [Page] midst of Paradice; He forbad and warn'd Man of one baneful Tree set there to try and prove his Obedience and Gratitude to his Creator. Death and Misery was thus forbidden in the Causes of it; Life and Happiness were before given and the careful Preservation of them was thus requir'd. It was with great Displeasure that He saw Man naked and ruined. What is it that you have done? said He—and drove them out of Paradice into Labours and Sorrows, in a World which their Sin had blasted. The Creators Rest was glorious, when He saw all things that He had made, and behold they were very Good and Happy; and this wou'd have been the Rest of His Soul for ever to have seen His Creatures ever have remain'd so under His Blessing.

TO Conclude, GOD had no pleasure in the Fall of Angels, nor of Man; He made them both Happy: He has pleasure in the Angels that stand, and in the Sinners whom His Grace [Page]recovers. He chose not their Sin and Ruin, tho' He permitted their own profane Choice; and for it He curs'd them in His Wrath and sore Displeasure.]

4. THE very Threatnings of the Law against Sin, the Threatning of Eternal Death in case of Impenitence in Sin, shows that GOD has no pleasure that the Sinner should die, but that he repent and live.

THE Intention of the Threatning is in Mercy to the Sinner, to prevent his Sin and Destruction: it is to deter and affright us from Sin, that so the woful Effects thereof may not fall upon us. GOD shows us the Evil of Sin, and what a dangerous thing it is to commit it, that we may tremble at the Motion of it, and fly therefrom.

CAN we think that He who warns us of our Danger desires that it should befall us? No, far from it: It were the most cross and perverse Imputation that can be; most absurd, and also most ungrateful and bafe.

[Page] THE Threatning does not make the Effect of Sin to be what it is: No; that had been the same without the Publication of the Curse. That the Wicked shall die is founded in the very Nature of Sin; the Holiness and Essential Dominion of GOD make that Necessary.

It is not owing to the Absolute and meer Will of GOD, that he who Sins shall die; but to the Holiness and Rectitude of the Divine Nature, and to the wise and Righteous Administration of His Government.

THE Threatning of God's Word only lets us know what will be and must be in case of Sin; what the Wisdom and Justice of GOD make Necessary. And why is this made known to us by the Word, but for our Warning; that we may not by Sin, and by continuance therein, bring Death and Damnation upon our selves.

LET us look into Humane Governments and their Laws. These ordain Death in many Cases as the Sanction necessary to the Ends of Government, [Page] or to [...] merit of the Crime. But shall we think now that it is the Will and Pleasure of the Government that any shou'd commit these Capital Crimes and suffer Death therefor? Or when the Judges legally Condemn the Convicted Person, and see that the Malefactor be Executed, does it follow that they have pleasure in the Criminals Death? No, GOD forbid. Yet the Provision of the Law, and the Execution of it is Wise, Necessary, Good; and a tender Care for the Publick. It is to prevent Transgression that Death is made the Punishment; and for this End the Punishment is told and warn'd of? and the Meaning hereof can be no other than this—that the Authority have no pleasure that any should transgress and Suffer; but however it pleases rather that a Transgressor do suffer than that Right and Wrong, Good and Evil be Confounded; the Order of the World and the Welfare of it lye at the Mercy of every Licentious Wretch.

[Page] THUS the Threatning of Death against Sin shows that GOD has no pleasure that the Sinner should die.

AND the Juditial Executions of Providence in this Life do really speak the same thing. Providence hangs up one Criminal in Chains for Warning and Terror unto others. As of old the Reason of the Severities and Executions of the Law was this; Deut. 13. 11. And all Israel shall hear and fear and do no more wickedly. The Tragic End of one may thus prevent the Transgression and Perishing of many others. The Terror of the Punishment strikes many with Horror at the Tho't of the Fact. Smite the Scorner, and the Simple will beware.

IT may be a Mercy to the Body to cut off a Gangreen Member; and so to the Community to stone an Achan. The Public Justice may be Inexorable to a private Criminal, because the public Compassions to the whole Community prevails. It is Expedient that one Man should die, and that the whole▪ Nation perish not. The Sinner [Page] may bring it to that sad pass as to himself, that the Divine Justice may fix on his Eternal Ruine and cut him off in his Sin; and yet the Wise and Gracious GOD may Mercifully order and turn it to the saving many other Souls from Death.

5. GOD's sending His own Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to die for us, is the highest Argument of all that He has no pleasure that the Sinner should die. No greater Testimony could GOD give of His Desire of our Salvation. And therefore has He no pleasure that the Sinner shou'd die, because His Soul has the utmost Complacency and fullest Satisfaction in the Death of Christ; by whom we have received the Attonement.

THE express End of the Incarnation and Sufferings of the Son of GOD was to save Souls from Death. And what a Price was this for a Soul! now was the Heart of GOD set upon saving Sinners? We see HIM of whom are all things, and by whom [...] all things, sent upon the Work of [Page] our Redemption from Sin and Death. What a Desire then had GOD thereof?

THIS Divine and Glorious Person submitted for this End to the deepest Humiliation and Abasement, to bitter Sorrows and to an accursed Death. He was made Sin and a Curse to deliver us from the same. He paid in Ransom for our Souls His own Life, His precious Blood. Not only did the Son of GOD become Man, but a Sacrifice to satisfy the Justice of GOD for Man's Sin. And therefore did His Father love him, because He laid down His Life for us. What pleasure then has He in the Life and Salvation of poor Sinners?

WHY else has He provided for it at such an Expence of Grace? and why is the Call, the Offer, Tender and Promise of Life thro' Him so earnestly urged on us? Had GOD desired our Death He might have left us in our Blood, and never have said unto us, Live. But we see that He had pleasure in the Death of His [Page] own Son, rather than we should die in our Sins. 1 Jo. 4. 9. In this was manifest the Love of GOD, because He sent His Only-begotten Son that we might live thro' Him.

6. AND lastly. It may be argued from Stories of Scripture Penitents, that the Holy GOD has no pleasure that the Sinner should die, but rather that he repent and live. Where is the Instance of a Penitent whom GOD has not readily and with pleasure receiv'd and pardoned? When David had so hainously sinned, yet did he no sooner confess, but GOD remitted. When Peter had so hainously denied Christ, but thereupon had wept bitterly before GOD, his Sin was never once mentioned against him by his Saviour. When Manasseh humbled himself greatly before GOD, the Lord GOD of his Father, tho' he had before exceeded in wicked Transgressions, yet was the Lord entreated at his Tears.

WITH what Tenderness and Mercy did Christ ever receive the Penitent [Page] Sinner? The Woman at His Feet, washing them with her Tears, how did He as it were forget, and forbid the Mention of her Sins? The weeping Person also bro [...]t to Him for His Condemnation, how gently did He reclaim, by confounding her more guilty Accusers?

WHEN the Publican stood Abased in the Temple, Imploring Mercy in deep Confusion of Soul, and smiting on his own Breast from the Conscience of Guilt and Fear of Wrath; how graciously was he dismissed with a Pardon? And when the Prodigal return'd unto his Father from his Rebellion and his Riot, saying, Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son; how tenderly was he received? Luk. 15. 20.And when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him, and had Compassion on him, and ran, and fell on his Neck and kissed him. What Joy and Pleasure, Mirth and Feasting, Music and Dancing also follow'd that blessed Evening? v. 23. [Page] Bring hither the fatted Calf and kill it, and let us eat and be Merry; for this my Son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.

THESE Instances are so many strong Proofs of GOD's Pleasure, not in the Death of Sinners, but in their Repentance.

USE I. WE see the Adorable Goodness of the Lord our GOD, the Glory and Riches of His Grace and Mercy. The Exaltation of it lies in this, That tho' Sin be infinitely hateful to Him, and provoking, yet that he seeks and endeavours the Repentance of Sinners with so great Desire. O how glorious, how dear and amiable shou'd this render the Name and Ways of our GOD unto us! Mic. 7. 18, 19. Who is a GOD like unto Thee, that pardoneth Iniquity, and passeth by Transgression—? He retaineth not His Anger for ever, because He delighteth in Mercy. He will turn again, He will have Compassion upon us: He will subdue our Iniquities: and Thou wilt cast all their Sins in the depth of the Sea.

[Page] II. WE learn what Compassion we owe unto the Wicked, and how we should endeavour their Repentance and Salvation. It should be a most sorrowful thing to us to see Men Sin against GOD and damn their own Souls. There should be Joy on Earth as there is in Heaven over one Sinner that repenteth. Our hearts desire and prayer for others should be that they may be saved, and we should count our selves happy if we may be any ways Instrumental therein. This is true Love to Men, true Devotion toward GOD.

III. OUR Doctrine brings Conviction to the Wicked, the Ungodly and Impenitent, and on diverse Accounts do they stand Condemned by it.

1. AS having pleasure in their own Death. GOD says to them, Why will you die? This He Charges upon you, and justly Complains of it. He says, You hate your own Soul, you love Death. O how Unnatural and worse than Brutish is this? A natural brute Beast flies from Death, and from everything [Page] that hurts its Life; but mad as Men are, they Murder their own Souls, void equally of pity and of fear.

2. OUR Doctrine reproves and condemns all them thao have pleasure in the Sins of others: whether Tempting them to Sin, Approving them, Indulging them in it, or Rejoicing at it and Insulting over them. The latter is as barbarous, as the former treacherous; but all Impious. Rom. 1. 32. Who knowing the Judgment of GOD, that they who do such things are worthy of Death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Rom. 14. 15. Destroy not him—for whom Christ died.

3. Satan is highly pleas'd and gratified in thy Sin and Impenitence. He desires thy Damnation: he seeks thy Death. You grieve and offend GOD, and Murder your self, to gratify his Spleen; to satisfy his Lust against thy Soul. As the Fowler is pleased to see the Bird taken in his Snare; as the Lion is pleas'd when he is devouring [Page] the Prey, or as a malicious Enemy when he has his will and lust upon his hated Foe; so is the Devil pleas [...]d in the Ruine of thy Soul. There is Joy in Hell at thy Sin, and in thy Destruction.

4. THY Damnation will be owing to thy self at last, thy own wilful Choice of Death in the Causes of it. Thou art a Self-destroyer, and canst have no Excuse, nor lay the Blame of thy Eternal Misery on any one but thy self. Thou hast a Devil and art Mad, he goeth about to kill thee. With the furious Demoniac thou stabbest thy self. You act against the deepest Principle in Nature, even Self-preservation. A Devil let loose upon you could not do you more hurt than you do to your self. False, pitiless, cruel and base to your self. And such Reflections will be your exquisite and eternal Torment.

IV. ON the other hand, The Doctrine is full of Comfort and Encouragement to every poor and contrite Spirit, that trembleth at GOD's Word, [Page] feels the plague of its own Heart, and fears the Wrath of GOD; that is mourning in the Conscience of Sin, and in the Apprehension of the Curse due thereto.

IS Sin your Burden, GOD your Fear, Grace your Desire? and do you doubt whether GOD will delight to shew thee Mercy? let me rebuke thy Unbelief, and warn thee of the Wickedness thereof.

THO' your Sins are many, great and hainous; tho' they may have been long persisted in and often repeated; yet GOD seeks thy Repentance, and desires you wou'd turn and live: He would glorify His renewing Grace, and His pardoning Mercy upon thee. Have you considered and turned? then all your Transgressions shall not be mentioned against you; you shall surely live, you shall not die.

TRUE, You deserve Death for past Sins, and GOD might have struck you dead in 'em, if He had any pleasure in your Death: but He [Page] spares you, and continues the Offers of Grace, Pardon and Life to you.

OUR Text for ever forbids and rebukes Despair, wou'd revive the Spirit of the Humble, and encourage them that are of a fearful Heart: It wou'd lift up the weak hands, and strengthen the feeble knees; make the lame man to leap as an Hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing.

V. AND lastly, Let the Use be in an earnest Exhortation unto Repentance. The Use which the Context makes for us: v. 31, 32. Cast away from you all your Transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit; for why will ye die, O House of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn your selves, and live ye.

I will only urge this by these two Considerations.

1. THE Goodness of GOD shou'd lead you to Repentance. GOD seeks your Repentance from the most tender Compassion to thy poor Soul. O let [Page] it soften thy hard Heart: do not harden it against the Mercies of GOD: let Divine Goodness win and melt it: let thy Saviour's love to thy Soul, constrain and draw forth thy Soul unto Him again Let the Tears and Blood of thy Saviour affect thee. It is a dreadful Case to perish in contempt and in spite of Infinite Mercy it self, labouring to hinder thy Ruine.

2. IF the Goodness of GOD cannot lead thee to Repentance, then GOD will have pleasure in they Eternal Damnation. He wou'd not now have you die; it wou'd please Him to see you repent and live; but if you despise and slight this His Goodness, and continue to do so, and die Impenitent, the Wrath and Vengeance of GOD will then take place, and have its Satisfaction. He that made you will not have Mercy on you, and He that formed you will show you no Favour.

TURN or die. O might the Word fasten on the foolish Heart of every [Page] one that goeth on still in his Trespasses. Think not at last of finding Mercy, nor of dying in Peace, tho' you for the present go on in Sin: the Lord will not spare you, but the Anger of the Lord and His Jealousy will smo [...]k against that Man, and all the Curses of the Law shall lye upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his Name from under Heaven. Jer. 13. 14. I will not pity, nor spare, nor have Mercy.

FOR our Text and Doctrine we have the Oath of GOD; As I live saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure that the Sinner should die: but have we not His Oath too for the Impenitent Sinners Destruction? Deut. 32. 40, 41. For I lift up my Hand to Heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glittering Sword, and mine Hand take hold on Judgment; I will render Vengeance to mine Enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

[Page] BUT I cannot Conclude without casting an Eye of tender Compassions on the poor Condemned Person before us; and O that GOD wou'd please to Enable her to apprehend the abounding Riches of His Glorious Grace and Compassions to the chief of Sinners, and glorify the same unto her.

YOU have heard, poor Margaret, (and O might it be to your everlasting Comfort and for your eternal Salvation that you have heard) that the Holy and most Merciful GOD has no pleasure at [...]ll that the Sinner should die, but that the Sinner do repent and live. Now why should not your Soul be overcome, and all the Wickedness thereof, by the Mercies of GOD? why should not thy hard Heart be softened and melted into floods of Tears for thy Sins, that the pardoning Mercy of GOD may be magnified toward thee!

[...] your Sins more in number and kind, and more hainous than they are; were thy Soul fouler and more stained with lust and with the guilt [Page]of blood too than it is; (tho' it be very bad, and how can you think it cou'd be worse than it is?) yet there is no reason for thee to despair of GOD's Mercy. It is only thy own hardness and Impenitency that can exclude thee from it. The glorious GOD pities thee, the People of GOD pity thee; O miserable Woman pity thy self, have compassion on thy own Soul, and cry mightily to thy Saviour that thou mayest find Mercy.

NEITHER GOD nor Man have pleasure in thy Death. Thy Judges on Earth have no pleasure in thy Condemnation and Execution, but they can't answer it to GOD or Man to spare thee and suffer thee to live. The Murderer by the Law of GOD must surely be put to Death, and he that sheddeth mans blood by man must his blood be shed. But tho' it be unavoidable that you must die by the Hand of Justice here, yet let me however tell thee that GOD has no pleasure in your Eternal Death. Indeed GOD has infinite pleasure in hating your Sin, [Page] and in glorifying His Justice in all the Demands of it against you if you continue Impenitent; God will with Ineffable pleasure fulfil and execute all His Threatning against Impenitent Sinners, and your Eternal Sufferings in Hell will never give Him any perturbation and disrest. But GOD has as much pleasure in fulfilling all His gracious Promises to the repenting Sinner, the penitent Believer in Jesus Christ. Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure, &c.

WHEREFORE Believe me, Margaret; (or rather Believe the true and Merciful GOD, who has said it in His Word, and revealed so much of His own Merciful Nature to thee that thou mayest believe it; and has given His own Son to die for the chief of Sinners, and has chosen many such unto Eternal Salvation by him) Believe me I say, in what I therefore speak to you from the Blessed GOD; If you do at last die in your Sins and perish for ever [...] is [...] [...]our [...] have[Page]pleasure in your own Death and Eternal Destruction, and none else but the Devil who has Instigated you to commit the deadly Sins which you have done; none but that Enemy of your Soul will be pleas'd and gratified in your final perishing.

THY Damnation will be owing at last to thy self, thy own Choice thy own Wilfulness. You won't [...] pent and be saved. You will not go to Christ that you may have Life. Turn you, turn you, why will you die?

IT is true you can't change your own heart, nor give your self Repentance, nor can we work it in you: But GOD can do it by His Word and Spirit: O might it please Him to do it now, or at least before you die, that you may not die for ever and ever; that the second Death may not have dominion [...]ver you.

BUT let me tell you what GOD will bring you to if ever He give you Repentance unto Life. He will make Sin infinitly odious to thy Soul and very bitter. He will make thee very vile and loathsome in thy own [Page] Eyes. He will fill thy Soul with bitter Sorrow and Mourning for thy Sins; and with deep Humiliation and Abasement before Him and in the sight of all Men as not worthy of the least Mercy from Him, but of Wrath unto the uttermost: He will fill thy Mouth with agreeable Confessions against thy self, unto the Glory and Honour of His Justice and Holiness, and to thy own shame and confusion of Face; which justly belongs to thee. Instead of vain Excusings of thy self, and hard Reflecting upon others, GOD will bring thee if He shews thee Mercy to own and fear His Justice, and to lay thy hand upon thy own heart and smite there, and say, GOD be merciful to me a vile Criminal, that deserve no Mercy! O wilt thou not thus fear GOD, being under His Condemnation, and that most justly!

AND after GOD has shown thee the Cursed Nature and Demerit of Sin, and thy own great Sinfulness, and wro't thee into the bitterest Mourning and deepest Humiliation [Page] [...]n that account; so that thou shalt [...]eely confess, that if He damn thee [...]or ever He is most holy and just in doing so; then He will also discover [...]o thee the Glory of His own Grace and Mercy in saving such a wretch as thou [...]rt; in pardoning such Guilts as thine are. He will bring thee to admire and adore His Love in Christ Jesus to poor miserable Souls! He will make Christ Glorious in thy Eyes, and Precious to thy Soul. You will be Amazed at it, and Confounded within your self, to think—did the [...]on of GOD come and die for me? did Christ come and shed His blood for me? will GOD look upon such a one as I am? [...]ay I find Mercy before a Holy GOD [...]ter all my Pollutions and with these [...]ains of Blood upon my Soul? O the Admirable Goodness of a Holy GOD! O the Excellency and Loveliness of my Saviour! O the transporting Hope of finding Mercy yet at last! so the poor dying Thief on the Cross turn'd himself to Christ and said, Lord, remember me! and so he [...]eard Christ say in answer to his [Page] Prayer, To day thou shalt be with me! Ah poor Margaret, why should not you lift up your Soul unto your Saviour in His Kingdom, and make that Prayer? and why may not you hear that Answer from His glorious Lips?

O that thy Soul were prepared for the Consolations in Christ! that God might pour the soft healing Oyl into thy wounded Soul! that there were a contrite Heart to seek receive and feel it! How wretched and miserable are you if you must die next week without a Sign or any Sense of GODs having savingly touched thy Heart! How can you think of dying without Repentance and without the hopes of a better Life? without a sutable sense of thy Sin, or hope of an Interest in Christ, and the Mercy of GOD thro' Him!

THE greatest Compassion and Tenderness to thee at present is, to awaken in thee, if it might be possible, a sense of the Terrors of GOD, and of His Wrath impending over thee, unless you find Grace from Him to make [Page] your Escape therefrom by true Repentance and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If your Wounds be not Open'd they will never be Cleans'd, and if they be not cleans'd they can never heal, but will Gangreen and Rot.

WHEREFORE, In the Name of GOD I beseech you to confess your Sins and repent; even all the Sins of your whole Life, but especially those which have bro't you to this tragic End and accursed Death. And Fear, O fear and tremble lest by Impenitence and hardness of Heart you fall and sink under the Wrath and Curse of GOD in tho Eternal World which is to come; [...] that second and more dreadful Execution of a poor Soul which is after [...]eath; for what is the hanging of a dying Body on a Gibbet to the casting of an Immortal Soul into the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death.

WOMAN! If you will earnestly seek to Christ for Mercy, Pardon and Cleansing thro' His Blood. He [Page]will with a great deal of pleasure give you of His Grace and Spirit, and prepare you for His Eternal Mercies! but if you do it not Instantly, having but a few Days more to live, the Holy Jesus who has died to save Sinners will say concerning you, My Soul shall have no pleasure in thee, but in thy Eternal Death: which GOD of His Infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ forbid and have Mercy on thy Soul.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

A sorrowful spectacle. In two sermons, occasioned by a just sentence of death, on a miserable woman, for the murder of a spurious offspring. : The one declaring, the evil of an heart hardened, under and against all means of good. : The other describing, the fearful case of such as in a suffering time, and much more such as in a dying hour, are found without the fear of God. : With some remarkable things, relating to the criminal; proper for all to be informed of. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S. ; [One line from Acts]

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2007-10.

ID [DLPS]

N01484

ID [TCP]

N01484

ID [STC]

Evans 1764

ID [NOTIS]

APV7039

ID [IMAGE-SET]

1764

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99002555

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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. 1764.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N01484)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 1764)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 1764)

Source

— A sorrowful spectacle. In two sermons, occasioned by a just sentence of death, on a miserable woman, for the murder of a spurious offspring. : The one declaring, the evil of an heart hardened, under and against all means of good. : The other describing, the fearful case of such as in a suffering time, and much more such as in a dying hour, are found without the fear of God. : With some remarkable things, relating to the criminal; proper for all to be informed of. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S. ; [One line from Acts], Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728..

Extent

[2], vii, [1], 3-92, [2], 47, [1] p. ; 14 cm. (12mo)

Printed by T. Fleet & T. Crump, for Samuel Gerrish, on the north side of the Town-House, in King-Street,,. Boston: :: 1715.. (Caption titles: The worst of plagues; what it is, and how to shun it. [and] The grand concern, of suffering and of dying people.) ("The divine compassions declar'd and magnified ... upon the sorrowful occasion of a miserable woman present, under sentence of death ... by Benjamin Colman ... 1715."--47, [1] p. at end, with separate title page (on leaf I6).)

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