Instructions to the LIVING, from the Condition of the DEAD.
A Brief Relation of REMARKABLES in the Shipwreck of above One Hundred Pirates,
Who were Cast away in the Ship Whido, on the Coast of New-England, April 26. 1717.
And in the Death of Six, who after a Fair Trial at Boston, were Convicted & Condemned, Octob. 22. And Executed, Novemb. 15. 1717. With some Account of the Discourse had with them on the way to their Execution.
And a SERMON Preached [...] their Occasion [...]
Boston, Printed by John Allen, for Nicholas Boone, at the Sign of the Bible in Cornhill. 1717
The End of Piracy.
ANTIQUITY Entertains us with Prodigious Relations, of the Miseries which Mankind have suffered from the Growth of PIRACY. But perhaps no Example of growing. PIRACY has been more considerable, than what the Romans were in [...]ested withal, after the Destruction of [...], and of [...]. When those [...]ast Cities were destroy'd, the Inhabitants not having a place of Retreat, or means of Subsistence, betook themselves to Piracy as their Profession; and there were not want [...] People to Encourage them. 'Tis not easie to imagine the Heighth of Power, that so [...] a Society arose unto, [...] with which they [...] [Page 4] their Dominion. All Commerce was interrupted; The City [...]hat was the Empress of the World was well nigh Starved; Some of its Magistrates as well as the other principal Citizens, fell into the Hands of the Robbers. The Coasts of Italy were every where molested and the Robbers with their Vessels, Entered the very Tiber, as if Rome it self were designed for a Prey unto them. The Temples and Cities, which lay near the Sea, were Sacked; and they had the Command of no less than Four Hundred Towns on the Coasts, unto which they might retire in Cases of Extremity; while other Marine Cities paid Ransomes to them for their Liberties. These Praedacious Animals, tho' they were dispersed over the whole Mediterranean, yet set up a sort of Commonwealth, and Elected Governours, and had above One Thousand Ships of several sorts, and formed Regular Fleets to carry on their Disorders. They had their Ports, their Watch-Towers, their Arsenals and Magazines; and Cilicia was, as it [...], their Citadel, from whence they [...] out Supplies for their Squadrons, [Page 5] upon occasion. An Extraordinary Remedy was required, for a Mischief become so Formidable. The Courage and Conduct of Pompey was the Remedy. The Romans, assisted by the Rhodians, furnished Pompey, with five hundred Ships, and all the Provisions that were necessary. Pompey surpass'd the Hopes of them that Employ'd him; and in less than Three Months time he purged the Sea of Pirates; Conquered their whole Fleet; Pursued 'em to the Fortresses they had prepared among the Rocks of Taurus; Compelled the most of them to surrender upon Discretion; and lost not one Ship in the Expedition.
Before the PIRACY on the Atlantick, by reason of whom Sailing is now dangerous, arrive to any thing like what we have seen on the Mediterranean, the British Crown, Equips a Squadron of Men of War for their Extirpation. And, May our Glorious GOD [...] success unto the Enterprize.
§ 2. In the mean time, What the Compassion of our GOD has done for New-England, in the In [...]ctions of [...] [Page 6] Justice on an horrid [...] of PIRATES, which made a [...] unto our Coast, has had in it some Occurrences, the Relation whereof may be worthy to be Preserved and Published.
About the latter end of April, there came upon the Coast [...] Ship called, The Whido whereof one Bellamy was Commander: A Pirate Ship, of about [...] Men, and 23 Guns. These Pirates, after many other Depraedations, took a Vessel which had Wines aboard; and put Seven of their Crew on Board, [...] Orders to Steer after the Whido. The seven Pirates being pretty free with the Liquor, got so Drunk, that the Captive who had the Steering of the Vessel, took the opportunity of the Night, now to run her ashore, on the backside of Eastham.
A Storm was now raised and raging [...] the Whido ignorantly following the Light of her Stranded Prize, perished in a Shipwreck, and the whole Crew were every one of them drowned, except only one Englishman, and one Indian, that were [...] on Shore alive.
[Page 7] § 3. It is [...]redibly affirmed, That when these Barbarous Wretches, perceived that their Ship was breaking under them, and that they must Swim for their Lives, they horribly Murdered all their Prisoners (whereof they had a great Number) aboard; [...] they should appear [...] Witnesses against them. The doleful [...] heard unto the Shore, a little before they [...] and the Bloody Wounds found in the Bodies afterwards thrown ashore; were two great Confirmations of this Report.
[...] How far they Wickedness of Men [...] them.
§ 4. [...] [Page 8] The Delivered People said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a Prey to their Teeth!
§ 5. After some waiting for Direction, His Excellency, Colonel SHUTE, the Governour, of New-England, received, such Orders, that the Trial of the [...], who had not been drowned might be proceeded in.
Accordingly on Tuesday, October 22 1717. there was held at Boston, a Special Court of Admiralty (according to the Act of Parliament) for the Trial of
Simon Vanvoorst, who was Born at New-York.
John Brown, Born in Jamaica.
Thomas Baker, Born at Flushing in Holland.
Henrick Quinter, Born in Amsterdam.
Peter Cornelius Hooff, Born in Swed [...]n.
John [...], Born at Nants in France. And T. S. Born at Boston in England.
The Last was Cleared; But the other Six, after a very fair Trial, were [Page 9] found Guilty, and received Sentence of Death.
§ 6. The Ministers of Boston, improved the Time, which the Clemency of the GOVERNOUR allowed for that purpose, to bestow all possible Instructions upon the Condemned Criminals; Often Pray'd with them; Often Preached to them. Often Examined them, and Exhorted them; and presented them with Books of Piety, suitable to their Condition. And perhaps, there is not that Place upon the face of the Earth, where more pains are taken for the Spiritual the Eternal Good of Condemned [...].
§ 7. On Friday, [...]. Novemb. 15. Came o [...] the Execution of these Miserables.
What may now be offer'd, is.
A Recollection of several Passages, which [...] it Discourse with the Prisoners while they walked from the Prisoner to the Place of Execution.
Your determined Hour [...] [Page 10] Cry in the Destruction which GOD this Afternoon brings upon you. I am come to help you what I can, that your Cry may turn to some Good Account. How do you find your Heart now disposed?
Oh! I am a dreadful Condition! Lord JESUS, Dear JESUS, Look upon me!
You are sensible, That you have been a very Great Sinner and that you are by your Sins Exposed unto the dreadful Displeasure of the Glorious and Holy GOD;—Hands, which it is a fearful Thing to fall into!
Oh! Yes; I am! And is it possible that such a Sinner should ever find mercy with GOD! O GOD, wilt thou pardon such a Sinner!
My Friend, This is the very First Thing that I am to advise you of. There is a Pardon to be had! The Blessed GOD has made this Gracious Proclamation; That His Name is, A GOD Gracious and Merciful, Forgiving Iniquity, and Transgression and Sin. He is a GOD Ready to pardon. 'Tis your Duty to Lay hold on the Proclamation. The Pardoning Mercy of GOD is an [Page 11] Infinite Mercy. You have not Sinned beyond the Bounds of a Mercy that has no Bounds. Poor man, Try to Believe, Embrace, Admire this Wonderful Mercy. You have Sinned enough already: Don't add the Sin of Despair to all the rest. Our Good GOD is One who takes pleasure in them that hope in His Mercy.
Oh! I wish I could! I wish I could!
GOD help thee! I say this to you, As Great as your Sins have been, there are now Comforted in the Paradise of GOD, the Spirits of some who once committed the very same [...] that you are now guilty of.
Lord! I have been guilty of all the Sins in the World!
But now, O Give all the Attention of a Dying man▪ I am to shew you, how the Pardening Mercy of GOD may come to reach [...] [Page 12] Died for as; has undergone the [...] that is due to as for our Sins has had His Blood shed▪ as [...] for us. This Blood obtains a full [...] for all that come and humbly plead [...] with the Dispositions of [...]
[...]
[...]
[...] [Page 13] may dy such a Death as my Saviour died! Oh! that my Mind may be filled with the Love of God, and have the Image of my SAVIOUR produced in it. These Wishes will flame in you wonderfully, if the Blood of your SAVIOUR be Sprinkled on you, for a Pardon.
Oh! I can't come▪ I can do nothing▪ Pity me, O GOD! Sweet JESUS, Pity me!
I'll mention to you a sweet word of your Great SAVIOUR; A word worth a Thousand Worlds! Have you not a mighty Load Lying on you?
Oh! A Load, A Load, that is the heavy for me.
Now heat the Wo [...]d of your SAVIOUR: Come to me, All ye that Labour, and are heavy [...] & I will give you Rest. Answer [...] it; But first Look to Him, for [...] to give the Answer; O my SAVIOUR I come unto thee!
O Almighty GOD. Look upon me.
[...] perceive you are [...]: very Great [...] But [...] must be [...] with such at [...]
Poor Vanvoorst, What shall [...] done for thee? How do you find your Heart, in the dreadful Hour, that is now come upon you!
I hope, a Little [...] than it has been.
You will give all possible Attention, unto the Admonition of Piety, which are now to be given you.
Tho' you have so wickedly Chosen Other Gods; Yet the Glorious GOD, is Willing to be Your GOD. The GOD, [...] have denyed so many thousands of times; the GOD whose Baptism you have Sinned against▪ the GOD against whom you have Rebelled, after you had been by Religious Parents dedicated unto Him; This GOD is yet Willing to be Your GOD. And if you have Him for Your GOD; then you are Happy to all Eternity! You will have a Place in His Holy City assign'd unto you.
What shall I do to be so Happy?
Nothing in your own Strength. But having begg'd of GOD, that He would Strengthen you. You must first [Page 15] Bewail it Bitterly, that you have Served Other Gods. You have set up your Self in the Throne of GOD. You have placed on the Riches of this World, the Dependence you should have, had only on GOD. You have hearkened unto Satan more than unto GOD. Are you Sorry for this?
I hope, I am.
Well; What remains is this. Our Great SAVIOUR is the Head of His People in the Covenant of GOD. You come into the Covenant of GOD, and He becomes Your GOD, when you heartily Consent, that your SAVIOUR do for you those two Grand Things▪ which in His Covenant with GOD for His People, He Engaged the doing of. GOD help you to understand this important Matter. Attend unto the Two Proposals.
In the first place, Do you Consent unto this; That the Sacrifice of your Great SAVIOUR, should be your Atonement; and that GOD should be favourable to you for the sake of that alone?
I hope I do.
But then, at the same time, [Page 16] Do you heartily Consent unto this; That your SAVIOUR should by His Good spirit quicken you to Live unto GOD; and render every Sin Loathsome unto you; and incline you to every thing that is Holy and Just and Good; and give you a New Heart; and make you a New Creature; and set up His Kingdom in your Soul, and Dwell and Rule there for ever.
I hope I do.
In thus Returning to GOD, it is most necessary, that you should have in Heart full of Contrition, from the Sense of your horrid Sins against Him.
I have been [...] very Great Sinner.
Of all your past Sins, which are they, that now by most heavy upon you?
My Undutifulness unto my Parents; And my Profanation of the Sabb [...]th.
Your Sinning against a Religious Education, is a fearful Aggravation of all your Sins. I pray you, to count it so.
I do, Sir.
But I wish, that you, and all your miserable Companions here, were more sensible of the Crime, for which you are presently to be chased from among the Living.
Robbery, and Piracy! You felt the Light of GOD in your own Soul, condemning you for it, while you were committing of it. All Nations agree, to treat your Tribe, as the Common Enemies of Mankind, and Extirpate them out of the World. Besides all this, and the Miseries you brought on many good people, in their Disappointed Voyages, I am told, that some were Kill'd in your subduing of them. You are Murderers! Their Blood cries to Heaven against you. And so does the Blood of the poor Captives; [Fourscore, I hear,] that were drown'd, when the Whida [...] was Lost in the Storm, which cast you on Shore
We were Forced Men.
Forced! No; There is no man who can say, He is Forced unto any Sin against the Glorious GOD! Forced! No; You had better have Suffered any thing, than to [...] Sinn'd as you have done. Better have died a [Page 18] Martyr by the cruel Hands of your Brethren, than have become one of their Brethren.
Or, If I should allow that you were at first a Forced Man, what were you [...], when you came upon the Coast of Cape-Cod? Were not you one of those, who came [...] Aboard the Prize, wherein you were Lost? When the Ma [...]e so managed the Tack, that you Lost the Sight of the Whidau, and you might have Escaped easily from your Masters into our Arms, did not you Ca [...]se the Mate, and Compel him with a thousand Menaces, to Recover the Sight of your Sh [...]p? After your Shipwreck, did you fly into our Arms like men Escaped [...] of Prison? Or, did not you Endeavour still such a Flight from us, as [...] Enable you [...] Return unto the Trade you were now used [...]nto? Is this the Conduct of a Forced Man?
We are Blessed with one of the Best GOVERNOURS [...] a Person of uncommon Goodness, and Candour, and Clemency. He was is full of Desire to have shown Mercy, unto you and your Friend Baker here, as was possible. [Page 19] Instances were made unto him on your behalf, by Friends; whom he set all possible value upon: I my self bore my part in the pressing. Instances. But, when he Remonstrated unto us, the strong and full Proofs which there were of your being Active Pirates; and of your having the Cry of so much Innocent Blood against you; and we saw, his Apprehension, that he could not answer it unto GOD, no more than unto the King, (whose Commands for all Severity upon you were very positive) we could say no more; but must Approve and Applaud the Inflexible Justice that we see joined with a Temper full of Mercy in him.
Say now; What think you of the Bad Life, wherein you have Wandred from God? Can you say nothing, that your Worthy Parents, (whom you have so kill'd!.) may take a little Comfort from! have some Light in their Darkness?
I am heartily sorry for my very bad Life. I dy with hope that GOD Almighty will be Merciful to me. And I had rather Dy this Afternoon, I would Chuse Death, rather than return [Page 20] to such a Life as I have Lived; rather than Repeat my Crimes.
'Tis a Good and a Great Speech; But such as I have heard uttered by some, who after a Reprieve, (which you cannot have) have returned unto their Crimes. I must, now Leave you, in the Hands of Him who Searches the Heart; and beg of Him, Oh! May there be such an Heart in you!
Brown, In what State, in what Frame, does thy Death, now within a few Minutes of thee, find thee.
Very Bad! Very Bad!
You see your self then a most miserable Sinner.
Oh! most Miserable!
You have had an Heart Wonderfully bardened.
Ay, and it grows harder. I don't know what is the matter with me. I can't but wonder at my self!
There is no Help to be had, any where, but in the admirable SAVIOUR, whom I am now to point you to. Behold, an Admirable [Page 21] SAVIOUR so calling on you, Look to me and be Saved. O Wonderful Call! Salvation to be had for a Look!
Ay, But I can't Look!
Ah, poor, sad, lost Creature, Look for Help to Look! But mind, What I say unto you. Set your Heart unto these Things, They are your Life it. You are to Look unto your SAVIOUR, in all his Offices, for all His Benefits, you would hope to be received by a SAVIOUR, who Receiveth Sinners.
First, You must Consider your SAVIOUR, as a Priest; and you must say to Him, O my SAVIOUR, I Rely upon thy Blood, that I may be cleansed from all my Sin! Is this the Language of your Soul?
Yes, Syr.
You must Consider your SAVIOUR then also as your Prophet; and you must say unto Him; O my SAVIOUR, Teach me thy Ways; and let not a Deceived Heart be my Ruine at the last! Is this also the Language of your Soul?
Yes, Syr.
You must now Consider your SAVIOUR as your King; and you must say unto Him; O my SAVIOUR, [Page 22] Enter into my Heart [...]. Set up thy Throne there; Let thy Law be written there. [...] all the Enmity of my Carnal Mind against GOD. Cause me to Love Him! I [...] this the Language of your Soul?
Yes, Syr.
Oh! I wish it may be so. I take notice, you have your PrayerBook with [...] Forms of Prayer, may [...] of use to those who need the Assistances. You have had such put into your Hands; and you have also had the Bible bestow'd on you, with Leafs folded unto Psalms, proper for you to turn into Prayers. But after all. A Soul touched with a sense of your Condition, and fired with the Sight of what [...] and what you want, and what our SAVIOUR is willing to do for you, will cause you to Pray, beyond that any Forms in the World can do. I am jealous, that what you read sometimes, is rather for an Amusement, than from any real and lively Sentiment raised in you: For some of the Prayers you Read, are not pertinent unto your Condition. Friend, Make that Prayer, O Lord, I beseech then, deliver my Soul! Make that Prayer, O Lord, Gather not [Page 23] my Soul with Sinners! Make that Prayer, God be merciful to me a [...]. These are Great Prayers, though [...] ones Great Prayers, when they proceed from an Heart broken before the Lord.
Oh! God be merciful to me [...] Sinner!
A Sinner. Alas, What cause to say so! But, I pray [...] What more Special Sins, Ly now as a more heavy Burden on you?
Special Sins! Why, I have been guilty of all the Sins in the World! I know not where to begin. I may begin with Gaming! No, Whoring, That Led on to Gaming; and Gaming Led on to Drinking; and Drinking to Lying, and Swearing, and Cursing, & all that is bad; and so to Thieving; And so to This!
You ought now to Dy Warning of all People, against these Paths of the Destroyer.
I will say to you, but this one thing more. GOD has distinguished you from your Drowned Brethren, by giving you a Space to Repent, which was denied unto them. I am Sorry you have made no Better use of it. It may be, the [Page 24] Space has been given, because GOD may have some of His Chosen, among the Six Children of Death. GOD forbid, that the Space must be of no use to you, but only to aggravate you Condemnation, when you appear before Him.
Hoof; A melted Heart would now'be a comfortable Symptom upon thee. Do you find any thing of it.
Something of it; I wish it were more!
To pursue this Good Intention, I will now give a Blow with an Hammer, that breaks the Rocks to pieces. I will bring you the most Heart-melting Word, as ever was heard in the World. We find in the Sacred Scripture such a word as this; CHRIST, who is GOD, does beseech you, Be ye Reconciled unto GOD. That ever the Son of GOD, should come to us, with such a Message from His Eternal Father! What? After we have so Offended His Infinite Majesty! After we have been so Vile, so Vile!—and He stands in so little Need of us!—To beseech [Page 25] such Criminals, to be Reconciled unto the Holy GOD, and be willing to be Happy in His Favour. O Wonderful! Wonderful! Methinks, it cannot be heard without flowing Tears of Joy!
Ah! But what shall I'do to be Reconciled unto GOD!
Make an Answer, make an Echo, unto this Wonderful Word of your SAVIOUR. And, what can you make but this?—And for this also, you must have the Help of His Grace to make it; O my dear SAVIOUR, I beseech thee to Reconcile me unto GOD.
Oh! That it might be so!
A Reconciliation to GOD it the Only thing that you have now to be concern'd about. If this be not accomplished, before a few minutes more are Expired, you go into the Strange Punishment reserved for the Workers of Iniquity. You go, where He that made you, will not have Mercy on you; He that formed you, will shew you no favour. But it is not yet altogether Too Late. An Hearty Consent [...] the Motions of the [...], will prepare you to pass from an Ignominious Death, into an Inconceivable Glory.
Oh! Let me hear them!
First, You must Consent unto This; O, my SAVIOUR, I fly to thy Sacrifice; I beg, I beg, that for the sake of That, thy Wrath may be turned away from me; I cannot bear to have thy Wrath Lying on me! Can you say so!
I say it, I say it!
But then, You must Consent unto This also; O my SAVIOUR, I Cry unto thee, to take away all that is contrary to GOD in my Soul; and cause me to Love GOD with all my Soul; and Conquer my depraved Will; and bring to Rights all that is Wrong in my Affections; and let my Will become entirely subject unto the Will of GOD in all things. Can you say so.
I say it, I say it!
If it be heartily said, The Reconciliation is accomplished. But if you were to Live your Life over again, how would you live it?
Not as I have done!
How then?
In Serving of GOD, and in doing of Good unto Men.
GOD Accept you. Oh! That [Page 27] your SAVIOUR, might now say to you, as He said in a Dying Hour, unto One, who died as a Thief, This Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. I do with some Encouragement leave you in His Glorious Hands.
O my dear JESUS! I Lay hold on thee; and I resolve, never, never, to let thee go!
May He help you to keep your Hold, of the Hope set before you.
My Death this Afternoon, 'tis nothing, 'tis nothing; Tis the wrath of a terrible GOD after Death abiding on me, which is all that I am afraid of.
There is a JESUS, who delivers from the Wrath to come; With Him I Leave you.
Quinter, Thou art come into a Dark Time.
'Tis a Dark Time with me.
But will you receive it, if I bring you Light in this Darkness!
God be merciful to me!
One who had been a Great [Page 28] Sinner, had this Experiment, I said, I [...] confess my Transgressions unto the [...] thou forgavest the Iniquity of [...] May not this be your Experience too!
I wish it may!
When you have Sinned, you have swallowed a Deadly Poyson. With a [...] of Repentance, and Confession, you must cast up this Deadly [...] If your Soul go away with it, you are Banished from GOD, and fixed in Eternal Miseries.
What shall I do?
Do you Confess, That you are a very Great Sinner
Yes, I confess, I have committed all manner of Sins.
Are you Sorry for what you have done?
Heartily Troubled.
But are you sensible, That you have an Heart full of Sin; An Heart that is desperately wicked? All the Sin in your Life, came out of your Heart. Are you Troubled, that you have such an Heart?
Heartily Troubled.
[...] Look up to GOD for New Heart?
With all my Heart.
Do you own that GOD is Righteous in all the Evil that is some upon you?
Yes, I do.
But now, Your Confession must be made, with a Faith Leaning on the Great Sacrifice. On every Stroke in your Confession of your Sin, [...] must add; Lord, Pardon my Sin, for the sake of the Blood of my SAVIOUR.
I desire to do so.
But, we are taught, He that confess [...]t [...] and forsaketh shall find mercy. You will have no Opportunity now, for the Experiment of a Reformed Life; You cannot now Live to see, whether you don't Return unto Folly. But however, your Heart must be so set against all Sin, that your Choice must be, Rather to Dy than to Sin.
Tho' [...] cannot show you Mercy; your [...] is forfeited, beyond the Reach of Mercy from the Government; yet upon a True Repentance, you will find Mercy with GOD. [...] Repentance is also [...] Gift. Oh! Keep Looking up [Page 30] unto Him; Lord, Give me a Repenting Heart! O my SAVIOUR, Thou givest Repentance and Remission of Sins!
Man, Thy Immortal SOUL is presently to Return unto GOD. A SOUL doing so, can look for nothing but His Fiery Indignation, and a dreadful Banishment from Him; Except it be a SOUL with another Biass upon it, than what men have in their Depraved Nature. It must be, A SOUL to which a CHRIST is Precious; to which a CHRIST is the Prince of Life, the Living Spring of all that is Good: A SOUL to which all Sin is odious, and more Bitter than Death: A SOUL groaning under all its Evil Inclinations, as the most heavy Burdens; A SOUL sick of attemts to find Satisfaction in Creatures: A SOUL desirous above all things to Serve and please the Glorious GOD.
My Friend, May thy SOUL now be found so disposed!
VI. The Last among the Sons of Death, was a poor Frenchman, (called John Shuan,) to whom, inasmuch as he understood not English, and had [Page 31] been a Roman Catholick, the Minister thus applied himself.
O Pecheur tres-miserable. Vous estes un Prisonnier [...] de la Justice; Mais Vous estes un Prisonnier de L' Esperance.
Notre Seigneur et Sauveur JESUS CHRIST, est L' Esperance des Pecheurs; Et il ny a point de Salut en aucun autre.
Cette parole est Certaine, et digne d'etre Entierement receue; C'est que JESUS CHRIST est venu au monde, pour Souver les pecheurs.
Mais il est fort necessaire, d'invequer votre Sauveur.
Vous pleurez d'une maniere Lamentable; Las! Miserable Ie suis; qui me delivra?
JESUS CHRIST Le Grand Sauveur du Monde, respond, Regardez vors [...] s [...]yez Sauvez. Entendez vous [...]
Ouy, Monsieur. Ie l'entende bien.
Ah, Mon Frere! Les Cordeaux de la Mart vous avoient Environnez; Et Les destresses d'Enfer vous avoient rencontrez. Mais, Invoquez Le Nom de l'Eternel, disant, Ie te prie, Eternel, Delivre mon Ame.
O meschant, Retourntz a L'eternel, et [Page 32] it [...] pitie do vous, et il pardonnera [...] or plus.
Entenaez vous?
Ouys Monsieur; le vous remercy.
Mais it faut que vous vous contentions du seul Sacrifice, et de L'Intercession de JESUS CHRIST. [...] pardon de ses pechez, par sa propres merites, ou par la Mediation de quelqua Creature. [...] faut, que votre priere soit, L'Obeissance de JESUS CHRIST a ta Loy, O mon Dieu, est [...] Se [...]le Justice. En Consideration de catte se [...]le Justice, fai que l' obtienne pardon et Favenr [...]upres de Tol. le Renonce, le Renonce, a tous autres Mediatours.
Que dites vous! Renoncez vous tous [...] Mediateurs!
Ie ne scay pas ce que le diray.
[...] le remets votre Esprit en la [...] votre Redempteur JESUS CHRIST.
Translated into English, at the Desire of the Bookseller.
Most Miserable Sinner; You are a Prisoner of Justice, but, you are yet a Prisoner of Hope.
[Page 33] One Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST is the Hope of Sinners; and indeed there is not Salvation in any other.
This is a Saving most certain, and worthy to be of all Entirely received; That JESUS CHRIST is Come into the World, for to save Sinners.
But it is most Necessary, that you call upon your Saviour.
You make this Lamentable Outcry, O wretched man that I am; who shall deliver me!
JESUS CHRIST, the Great SAVIOUR of the World, gives this Answer, Look unto me, and be Saved.
Understand you what I say?
Yes, Syr; I understand you very well.
Ah, My Brother; The Cords of Death compass you, the An guishes of Hell come upon you. But now, Call on the Name of the LORD, and say, O Lord, I beseech thee, Deliver my Soul.
Sinful Man, Return to the Lord, and He will have pity on you; and He will abundantly pardon you.
Do you understand me?
Yes Syr; and I thank you.
But you must then take up with the Only Sacrifice and Intercession of JESUS CHRIST. No one comes at the Pardon of his Sins, on the account of his own Deserts, or thro' the Mediation of any Creature. Your Prayer must be this, O my GOD, The Obedience of JESUS CHRIST unto thy Law is my only Righteousness For the sake of that Righteousness only grant that I may find pardon and mercy with thee! I Renounce, I Renounce all other Mediators.
What do you say to This? Do you Renounce all other Mediators?
I can't well tell, what to say to it?
I commit your Spirit into the Hand of JESUS CHRIST, your Redeemer.
At the Place of Execution, a Prayer was made by a Minister of the City; The Chief Heads whereof were;
[Page 35] An Adoration of the Divine Justice in the Evil pursuing Sinners;—
—Whereof here was now a dismal Spectacle;—
—And of the Divine Mercy in the Forgiveness offered unto Chief of Sinners.
A Confession of what we have Committed, when we have Sinned;
—And of what we have Deserved;
—And of the Wicked Heart, which does Expose to all.
An Admiration of the Grace, which is Ready to Pardon;
And of the Blood which does purchase the Pardon;
With an Essay to Lay hold on it.
And Aspirations after the Token and Effect of a Pardon, in an Heart hating of, and mourning for, all Sin, and filled with the Love of GOD.
An Application of these things more particularly unto the Case of the Miserables now standing on the Scaffold;—
With ardent Cries to Heaven, that Free Grace might yet have Triumphs and Wonders in them; and all Heaven be filled with Praises.
[Page 36] —Pleading, That nothing Less than an Almighty Arm, could change such Vicious and Obstinate Hearts as theirs; but that the Holy Spirit, who is the Arm of the LORD, is nothing Less than the Almighty GOD.
A Supplication, that GOD would Sanctifie the horrible Spectacle unto the vast Croud of Spectators now assembled; and Effectually Caution them to Shun the Paths of the Destroyer.
Especially, the Young People; That they might Betimes give themselves up to the Conduct of their SAVIOUR; Left their Disobedience provoke Him, to Leave them in the Hands of the Destroyer.
And a Supplication for our Sea-faring People; That they may more generally Turn and Live unto GOD; That they may not fall into the Hands of Pirates; That such as are fallen into their Hands, may not fall into their Wayes; That the poor Captives may with Cries to GOD that shall pierce the Heavens, procure His Good Providence to work for their Deliverance; And, That [Page 37] the Pirates now infesting the Seas, may have a Remarkable Blast from Heaven following of them; the Sea-monsters, of all the most cruel, be Extinguished; and that the Methods now taking by the British Crown for the Suppression of these Mischiefs may be prospered.
On the Scaffold, as the Last Minute came on, several of the Malefactors, discovered a great Consternation.
Baker and Hoof appeared very distinguishingly Paenitent.
But Brown, behaved himself at such a rate, as one would hardly imagine that any Compos Mentis, could have done so. He broke out into furious Expressions, which had in them too much of the Language he had been used unto. Then he fell to Reading of Prayers, not very pertinently chosen. At length he made a Short Speech, which every body trembled at; Advising Sailors, to beware of all wicked Living, such as his own had been; especially to beware of falling into the Hands of the Pirates: But if they [Page 38] did, and were forced to join with them, then, to have a care whom they kept, and whom they let go, and what Countries they come into.
In such amazing Terms did he make his Exit! With such Madness, Go to the Dead!
The rest said Little, only Vanvoorst, having (with Baker) Sung a Dutch Psalm, Exhorted Young. Persons to Lead a Life of Religion, and keep the Sabbath, and carry it well to their Parents.
Behold, Reader, The End of Piracy!
WARNINGS TO Them that make Haste TO BE RICH.
BOSTON. 27. d. VIII. m. 1717.
He that getteth Riches and not by Right, shall leave them in the midst of his Days, and at his End shall be a Fool.
[...] a very sad [...], a very black Tragedy, which entertains us, in a just Sentence of DEATH passed upon a [Page 40] Great Number of PIRATES, who have made their wicked Attempts to [...] [...] and not by Right, and are now [...] leave them, and all the World, in the midst of their Days; Their End, and a fearful End is come; in which their Folly is with the most insupportable Stings now charged upon them. What are these PIRATES now, but so many Preachers of those Things; which once they could not bear to hear the Servants of GOD Preach unto them? Unhappy, but Practical, and Oh! why not Powerful, Preachers of the Evil which pursueth Sinners, and of the Destruction and Misery found in the Ways of Ungodliness and of Dishonesty. It will be our Folly, if the Voice of such Warners be not understood, pondered, hearken'd to; 'Twill be a proper Exercise of Wisdom, in the Winners of Souls, to make the Voice of their Warnings as Articulate and Effectual, as 'tis possible. My Heare [...], The Condition of these wretched Men, is to Preach unto you; and I now read [Page 41] their Text unto you; A Text on which they give you a very dismal Commentary.
The Sinful People, on whom [...] by his Prophets denounced very destroying Judgments for their Sins, were yet very confident of their escaping the Destruction threatend unto them. One Ground of their Carnal Confidence was this; They were a Wealthy People; And they were an Instance of a Proverb, which one of their own Kings had left with them; The Rich Mans Wealth is his [...] City, and as an high Wall in his own conceit. My Text pulls down the High Wall of their Strong City, and shows them the Folly of their vain Imaginations. They were a Rich People, 'tis true; But then, what Riches they had, they did not come honestly by them. They got Riches, but not by Right. Their Great Persons had generally got their Great Estates in Ways forbidden by GOD, Ways offensive to GOD: Now it could not be well expected, that such [Page 42] [...], or their Estates could be [...] things. No; As the Woodcock [...] on what it did not lay, so is he that [...] Riches and not by Right. But [...] Rapacious Bird, What becomes of it? Shall it long enjoy the Nest which it hath so praedatiously siez'd upon? By no means: He shall leave them in the midst of his Days, and at his End he shall be a Fool. Convinced of his own Folly, he shall call himself, A Fool; and all the World from the Conviction of what they see, shall also agree to call him so.
My DOCTRINE, will be a Voice of the LORD, from Occurrents which we see upon the Waters, and you hear the God of Glory Thundring in it.
RICHES not gotten Honesty are gotten Foolishly; and the dreadful Death which comes at the End of an Unjust Life, will terribly proclaim the Folly of it.
[Page 43] The Peals of [...] Thunders are to be distinctly heard in the [...] PROPOSITIONS.
I. It is no rare thing, I am sorry [...] say so!—that Riches are got, or sought, but not so Honestly as they ought to be. 'Tis often so, that Men would get Riches, but not by Right.
But who are these Workers of Iniquity? The Hue-in-cry after the Men who are to be Indicted for the Crimes of Trespassing upon the Rules of Honesty in the pursuit of Riches; 'tis to be taken out of the Eighth Commandment. The Trespasses of Men on what is implied in the Eighth Commandment, and all Essays unjustly to sieze, or keep, what belongs unto another; These are the Points wherein Men go to get Riches and not by Right.
But I shall single out some, that are more Notorious Transgressors in the Ways of Dishonesty; and assure them, that they belong to the Tribe of Evil-doers.
[Page 44] [...] sure, the PIRATE at Sea, and [...] the Robber on Shore, is one who [...] to get Riches and not by Right. [...] here it may be complained, That [...] the Laws reach the lesser Pirates [...] Robbers, there are, as one of them too truly told the Execrable Alexander, much Greater Ones, whom no Humane Laws presume to meddle withal: Monsters, whom we dignify with the Title of Hero's: Conquerors and Emperors, but yet no other than a more splendid sort of Highway-man. Of these, Many have done abominably; But thou, the Leviathan lately at Versailles, hast excelled them all.
But it must also be asserted, That he who loves to Oppress, or to Extort from another, what he has no Legal Claim unto, the same is Brother to a Thief. When 'tis become Necessary for a Man to have such or such a Commodity, and his Neighbour takes advantage of his Necessity, to scrue unreasonably upon him; When a Man takes advantage from his Neighbours [Page 45] being Low, and Mean, and Weak, and compells him to Hard Bargains [...] him; then he goes to get Riches [...] not by Right. He who would escaped the Devouring Fire, and Everlasting Burnings, must be one who despises the Gain of such Oppressions.
But then, he who Pilsers from his Neighbour, or privately takes any of his Possessions from him, without some Allowance from him for it; This is the proper Thief: All the World Brands him for such an one. What he gets, is most unquestionably not by Right. Neighbours must be some Way Agreed about it, before one may take what belongs unto another.
All Fraud in Dealing, must also be condemned as a sort of Theft. Cheating and Lying, in Dealing, is but Stealing. To warrant a thing for Sound, and Good, and so and so Valuable, when it may be known to be otherwise; To draw a thing out of anothers hands by any False Talk about the matter; To use False Weights, and False Scales, and False Measures
[Page 46] This may be to get Riches; but it is [...] by Right; You cannot think it is!
Men may get Riches also, but you [...] be sure, 'tis not by Right, When 'tis a Trade of Sin which they make their Earnings of: If they get Money by the direct advancing of Idolatry; By Fortune-telling; By Unchastity; By playing the Pimp, or Band; Or, By serving the Lusts, which ought to be mortifyed.
Gaining by Gaming is as bad. It is to get the Estate of a Neighbour at a Price, which it ought not to be staked at. If he be such a Sot, as to stake any thing of his Estate at such a Price, our Charity should not permit us to take it from him. Surely, O Man, Thou durst not pray over this way of getting, and seriously and solemnly Beg of the Glorious GOD, O Lord, I beseech thee, send now Prosperity! A Clear Proof, 'Tis not by Right!
And, I pray, Why should the setting up of Lotteries, be esteemed a Christian and a Credible Way of Living? [Page 47] Methinks, No Man that [...] Examine them, can Justify them [...].
The Men also, that run rash [...] Debt, and care not how much, [...] how long they ly in Debt; and will Borrow, without any View, or Care of Paying again: I would ask of the Creditors, Thinkest thou this to be Right.
I will declare one thing more unto you; Not only Unfaithful Treasurers, but also, Judges, who take Bribes, either to pass a wrong Judgment, or [...] passing a Right one: Lawyers who take Fees, for pleading a Case, which they know to be an Ill one; Rulers, who Sell the publick Places of Trust, to which Merit should be the only Recommendation: These too, may get Riches: But when the World that groans under it, shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruptions, what they do will be condemned, as Not by Right. You may Flatter your selves, in your own Eyes, O ye Greedy Ones, As doing only what is Customary: But your Iniquity will be found hateful, and it will [Page 48] be found a Filthy Lucre, that you are [...] Greedy of.
[...] Stroke more, shall finish my [...] of The Methods wherein Men get Riches and not by Right; It is done, when Men withhold more than is meet, and allow not a due Portion of their Estates unto Pious Uses. A Fault, which provokes the Holy One to withhold His Blessing from them. They fancy, they get Riches by this Parsimony; but it eventually tends unto Poverty!
These People, all pray the Fool.
But this is what I am going more fully to advertise you of.
II. The Men who seek to get Riches, but not Honestly, they do very Foolishly. The Man who gets Riches, and not by Right, will most certainly be found a Fool at the last. We shall all presently see the Exaltation of this Folly.
First. Most Certainly, Sin is Folly. How often, how often, has the Wisdom [Page 49] of GOD, in his Holy Oracles, call'd it so? No Man ever Sins, but he transgresses the Rules of Wisdom▪ It may be said of him, as in Prov. V. 23. In the Greatness of his Folly he goes astray. And his Confession must be that, 2 Sam. XXIV. 10. I have sinned in what I have done, and I have done very foolishly.
Now when Riches are not got Honestly, they are got Sinfully. If they are not got by Right, they are got by Sin. The Law of the Glorious God is, Thou shalt not Covet. But there is an Evil Coveteousness in them, who get Riches, and not by Right. The Law of the Glorious GOD is, All things that you would have men do to you, do ye even so to them. They who get Riches, and not by Right, are those, who do not as they would be done unto. The Law of the Glorious GOD is, That no man over-reach, or defraud his Brother in any matter. They who get Riches, and not by Right, are such as Over-reach and Defraud their Brethren. Yea, O [Page 50] Man, What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly? Such Laws of the Only wise God, cannot without the most insolent Folly be trampled on.
But Secondly; If Men will get Riches and not by Right, Let us enquire, Whether they don't lose more than they get. If they do so, 'tis most evidently an Egregious Folly which they are guilty of. Now, O Man, by unjust Gain, encreasing thy Substance, Come and see me state thy Accompts, and from thy most certain Losses, learn how foolishly thy Business has been carryed on.
First; It is an astonishing Truth, and among them that walk in the Ways of Dishonesty, it falls down like a flaming Thunderbolt!—Foolish Men, All the Riches which are not Honestly gotten, must be lost in a Shipwreck of Honest Restitution, if ever Men come unto Repentance and Salvation. There is no Man, who gets Riches and not by Right, but the Repentance, [Page 51] unto Salvation, will bring him to that Language Zacheus; LUK. XIX. 8. Lord, I Restore. My Friends, 'Tis a tremendous Lesson of Christianity, which I am now treating you withal. Oh! tremble before it. It is, RESTITUTION, RESTITUTION; without which all things not Honestly gotten, will remain and corrode, as an Eternal Poison in the Soul of the Offender. If you get Riches and not by Right, it must be Repented of; it must be Repented of: A Righteous God who loveth Righteousness, will banish you out of His Kingdom, if it be not Repented of. Now, there can be nothing plainer than this; That if you Retain in your hands, what you have gotten and not by Right, you do not Repent of what you have done. You cannot Repent, if you do not Refund unto the utmost of your Capacity. Of a Man who has got Riches and not by Right, we are told Job XX. 15. He hath swallowed down Riches, and he shall vomit them up again, GOD shall cast them out of his Belly. O [Page 52] Unjust Man, look for a terrible Vomit. Either God will by Scourges, make thee throw up thy Unjust Gain, and fetch it out of thee by one Impoverishing Stroke after another; Or else, He will by Repentance dispose thee, to throw it up, with an active, equal, patient Restitution. Alas, what hast thou been a doing? A Restitution of all thy Ill-gotten Treasures must be endeavoured, if thou wouldest not shut thy self out from the Everlasting Mercies of GOD. Ah! How fearfully, how fatally, how irrecoverably are the Souls of many Unjust Men entangled in the Snares of Death? They cannot hope to find Favour with GOD, or an Acceptance among true Paenitents, if they do not endeavour all the Restitution that is possible. But will they ever come to this? No, The Vomit is too strong for them; they'll sooner dye than come unto it! Foolish Men; You have at once lost all that you have got! You must with your own hands throw all over-board, if [Page 53] you would not be drown'd in Perdition at the Last!
Secondly. A Good Esteem is lost, by them who get Riches in the Ways of Dishonesty; A Good Esteem among all those, who are willing to live in all Godliness and Honesty. We have been told, Prov. XXII. 1. A good Name is rather to be chosen than great Riches. 'Tis far more Honourable and Reputable, to be a Good Man, than to be a Rich Man. It will most of all be found so, in the Day when every Man shall receive Praise of God, who is found worthy of it. But now as a Thief is ashamed when he is found, so 'tis a shameful Thing to be found a False-dealer in any Degree, in any Affair: It makes a Man lightly esteemed. All Baseness in any Dealing, is a Blemish on the Dealer. To Deal unjustly with any Man; 'tis a Blot in any Scutcheon. The Kings themselves that have done it, are of, of what Memory, I beseech you? No one believes it, if they say, A Blessed One.
[Page 54] Thirdly, Yea, a Good Conscience is Lost. And that's a worse Loss, a Thousand Times; a Loss which if we were wise, we should at any time take Joyfully the Spoiling of our Goods, for the preventing of! When a man gets Riches and not by Right, he has a Conscience within him, which tells him, He does what the ought not to do. The Servant of GOD could say; Heb. XIII. 18. We have a Good Conscience, in all things willing to Live honestly. Men don't keep a Good Conscience, when they don't Live Honestly. The man that has taken more than his own, is he, of whom we read, A Dreadful Sound is in his Ears; And again, Terrors shall make him afraid on every side. His Wounded Conscience keeps roaring in his Ears; Thou hast wronged thy Neighbour, and there is a Just GOD, who is a dreadful Revenger of such Wrongs at these. 'Tis a Folly for a man to in [...]ur the Reproaches of an Angry Conscience. All the Riches of a Chaldean or Persian Monarch, would be too dearly bought, if a man must have them accompanied with the Lashes of a Guilty Conscience, furiously Reproaching of him. All the Relish of [Page 55] Riches is Lost; Rocks of Diamonds, & Mountains of Gold, are not worth a Straw; where the Conscience is like the Troubled Sea, and there is no peace unto the Wicked!
Fourthly; The Loss of the SOUL is horribly Endangered; Yea, without Repentance, the Danger is Unavoidable. And oh! that the awful words of our SAVIOUR, who knew the Worth of a SOUL, were duly considered with us; Mat. XVI. 26. What is a man profited, if he gain the whole World, and Lose his own Soul! We commonly say, One may buy Gold too dear. If the SOUL be bartered away for Gold, verily, we buy Gold too dear! To get Riches and not by Right, is to render the SOUL obnoxious to the Wrath of GOD. A SOUL perishing under the Wrath of GOD, is a Lost SOUL. Such is the SOUL of the Wicked, & of him who in Ill Wayes does make Haste to be Rich. No man can Wrong another man, but it may be said of him, He wrongs his own SOUL. A very Unjust man had it said unto him; Hab. II. 9, 10. Wo to him that Coveteth an Evil Covetousness; Thou hast Sinned against thy SOUL. To Lose the [Page 56] [...] [Page 57] comes at the End of an Unjust Life; This, This will discover the Matchless Folly of all that is not Honestly done in and for the Getting of Riches.
They that Get Riches and not by Right, must know, that this Trade won't Last always. Their Way, & their Life, must come to an End. It won't be Long before they have such Tidings bro't unto them; Ezek VII. 6. An End is come, the End is come, it watcheth for thee, behold, it is come! No Riches will keep any man always alive. 'Tis no New Thing, to have it said, The Rich man died. It is an Occurrence of daily Experience, That they who boast themselves in the multitude of their Riches, cannot Redeem a Brother, no, nor themselves, to Live for ever, and not see Corruption. Verily, The Fat Ones of the Earth cannot keep alive their own Souls. Much less, will the Mammon of Unrighteousness, keep off the Arrest of Death. But now, at the Death of the man who gets Riches and not by Right, What will there be Observable? Something to be Observed, by which the Folly shall be manifest unto all men. Come, Let us Mark the Unjust man, [Page 58] and behold the False Dealer, for the End of that man, will declare him to be a Fool.
First. There is oftentimes, an Early Death, in the Strange Punishment for these Workers of Iniquity. They that Get Riches, and not by Right, are oftentimes thus Punished; They must Leave them in the midst of their Days. Thus, we find a Rich Fool promising himself Goods Laid up for many years. But, in the midst of his Days he feels this Order from Heaven served upon him; Luke XII. 20. Thou Fool, This night thy Soul shall be required of thee; Then whose shall these things be, which thou hast provided: The man must not Live to Taste the Sweet of his Ill-gotten Goods. And perhaps the Wealth of the Sinner, is Left unto a man more Just than himself. GOD required His People to deal Righteously with one another, and Employed this motive; Deut. XXV. 15. That thy Days may be lengthened in the Land, which the Lord thy GOD giveth thee. But in Unrighteous Dealings, men take the most Ready Course, that their Dayes may be Shortened in the Land.
It is especially thus, when men grow [Page 59] more Dangerous Criminals, and are so sharp set with the Cursed Hunger of Riches, that they do things wherein Humane Society shall be considerably Damnified. Our Gracious GOD has a Wondrous Tenderness for Humane Society; And when men grow so Outrageous in the Ways of Dishonesty, that Humane Society suffers Insupportable Damages from them; Now there goes up that Cry to Heaven, 'Tis Time, Lord, for thee to Work! And, GOD comes down, GOD steps in, GOD in Compassion to Humane Society, fulfils that word upon the man who trusted in the abundance of his Riches, and Strengthened himself in his Wickedness; Psal. LII. 5. GOD shall take thee away, and plack thee out of thy Dwelling-place, and Root thee out of the Land of the Living. Such Dangerous Criminals are Wicked overmuch. And the Doom of them that are Wicked overmuch, is, To Dy before their Time. Such Dangerous Criminals are Left sometimes to do Bloody as well as Deceitful Things. And the Doom of such Bloody and Deceitful men, is, They shall not Live out half their Dayes. Yea, many times [Page 60] the Wretches run into Capital Crimes. It is reckoned among the Crimes of them who are Greedy of Gain; Prov. I. 15. Their feet run to Evil, and make Haste to shed Blood. The Sword which is to defend Humane Society, now animadverts upon them. That Sword of GOD cuts them off. They Dy at the Place of Execution, and as a Fool dieth. O dismal Sight! Young men drawn to the Place of Execution! Young men, who must flee to the Pit, and none may stay them! Young men, hurried out of the World, for having forfeited their Lives, by Getting Riches, and not by Right. Such a Sight is this Day to be seen among us; Behold, All ye your selves have seen it!
Secondly, But let the Death of the Wicked come when it will, be sure it Scribs them of all the Riches they were Possessed of. The Riches which have been gotten, and not by Right, many times Leave men before they Dy. There is a secret Blast from GOD, upon the Estates that have not been Honestly come at. GOD has many Ways to blist Ill gotten Estates, and make such Treasures of [...] to melt away to [...]. Yea, Sometimes, if a man do [Page 61] but get a Little unrighteously, it proves a Moth to all the rest that he has gotten, and brings a strange Consumption upon it. But whether this fall out or no; This you may be certain of: When men Dy, then they must Leave all that they have got. So we are told, 1 Tim. VI 7. We brought nothing into the World, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Ah, Dying Man, Thou art going, thou art going from all thy Possessions: When thou Dyest, thou shalt carry nothing away, neither shall thy Glory descend after thee!
Thirdly. At the Death of men, and at the End of all, it will be found, That SIN is what nothing is to be gotten by! To Sin, 'Tis to do a Deceitful Work. O the Deceitfulness of Sin! Men dream of Getting, I know not what, by Sinning against the Blessed GOD. But, Be not Deceived: In the End it will be found, That nothing is to be Gotten, by the Unfruitful Works of Darkness. Men may for a while Hatter themselves, that Sin will bring [...] small Gain unto the Crafts men; But Syrs, I will call upon you, as the Prophet of old upon a Deceived People; What will ye do in the end [Page 62] thereof? We read; Prov. X [...]. 21. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning: But the End thereof shall not [...] blessed. Be sure, it will be found so, [...] a Dying Hour, and at that which will [...] the End of all men At the End of Life, and when the Wickedness of the Wicked is brought unto an End; Then [...] will be found, That nothing has been [...] by Sinning, but only this, That [...] Blessings of GOD have been all Sinned away. It is a Quaestion [...] may [...] many an Unrighteous Dealer into [...] Agony; What is the Hope of the [...], tho' he hath Gained never so much, then GOD shall take away his Soul? Yea, All sorts of Impieties have this in them, to terrify you from committing of them. 'Tis a smart Interrogatory; & you will ill in the End have it put unto [...]; What Fruit have you had of these things, whereof you are now ashamed! For the End of those things is Death. What fruit will the Unchrist have, of his Lewdness? The End [...] Death. All that he Gets is, [...] shalt [...] the Last. What Fruit will the [...] have of his Tipling? The [...] is Death. all that he Gets is, [...] the [...], it bites [Page 63] like a [...], stings like an Adder. What [...]? What Gott?—Be thy Evil Ways what they will, O man, if thou Sin, and pervert that which it, Right, in the End thou shalt say, [...] has not profited me! So in the End, the Sinner is a Fool!
After [...] Admonitions from GOD [...] SAVIOUR, if hope, there are [...] [...]ctions. Piety, that will find [...] Reception with you.
First. It is to be hoped, That if any of you have [...] Riches, and not by Right; you will [...] it, [...] it; Seek a Reconciliation with GOD; And come to that E [...]solution; Job XXX [...]. [...]. If I have done Iniquity, I will do it no [...].
Secondly. It [...] to be hoped, That you will all keep close to the Wayes of Unspotted Honesty; Be Harmless; Be Blameless; Offer to no man the least Injury in the World; Aim at the Benefit of others as well as your own: Prefer the Little of [...] Righteous man, before the Treasures, of many Wicked. And be within the reach of that Consolation, Psal. CVI. 3. Blessed [Page 64] is he who doth Righteousness at all times.
Thirdly. It is to be hoped, That instead of grasping inordinately after the Riches of this World, you will seek more importunately after the Durable Riches of the Spiritual Blessings in the Heavenly Places. Yea, Seek these True Riches [...] an Holy Violence; Take them by [...]! Be in Earnest for the [...] Riches of CHRIST, and for that Wisdom, the Merchandise whereof is better than the Merchandise of Silver, and the Gain thereof than [...] Gold. Oh! Be [...] Earnest for what you have set before you, in Eph. I. 18. The Riches of the Glory of the Inheritance among the Saints.