IT seems, there has in all Ages been such a Way. And the Way is in Ours as much trodden as ever. Yea, we have newly seen a formidable Exhibition of the Way, and of the End which the Way will bring unto. But there are things to be Mark­ed in the Way. There are many Remarkables in the Way. It may be a thing of Good Conse­quence, yea, tis a thing of the Last Importance, for us to take notice of them. We will this day Mark the Way that Wicked Men have trod­den. And indeed; this will be one proof that we do not take the Way. To Mark the way which Wicked Men do take, is a Step which Wicked Men do not use to take. Tis a Step [Page 2] that would have a Tendency to bring them and keep them out of that way This made Eliphaz afraid that Job had fail'd in this point. He Feared, That Job had been tainted with this Impiety, To Forget that the Most High God, whose Throne is in the Heavens did mark the Ways of Men, or take any cognisance of what they did in the world. This produced a Fear in him, That Job did not Mark the Ways of Wicked Men. For this Forgetfulness is one art and Cause of their wicked Ways

But the DOCTRINE which I have now before me is this.

If we Mark the Ways of [...] men, which is indeed, an old Way, we shall find in it some things that are truly Remarkable.

It seems orderly & requisite for u [...], in the first place to Satisfy a more General Enquiry; The Subject which our Discouse is anon more Particularly to insist upon, is first in a more General way to be Enquired after. What it the way of Wicked Men? I answer, you may be sure Tis a way of Wickedness; Tis a Wicked Way. Tis the Way that is not good. We read, Psal 1 [...]9. 24. See if there be any wicked Way in me. We read, Prov 8. 13. I hate the Evil way. We read, Psal. 1. 6. The way of the ungodly shall perish. This is the Way trodden by wicked Men. [Page 3] But you have not yet a Sufficient Answer. The Question, what is the Way which Wicked Men have trodden? Will not be answered without some Account of the more Distin­guishing Steps, which they take in their Way. Kn [...]w then. The Way of Wicked Men, lies both in Wicked Opinions & in Wicked Practices. There are those Opinions, which are called, 2 Pet. 3. 17. The Error of the Wicked. False Opinions; Those Wrong Thoughts, which will hinder men from the Acknowledgments of God, which He has made necessary for us. There are those Practices, which are called, 2 Pet 2. 2 Pernicious Ways. Vile Practices. The Ungod­liness & worldly Lusts, which are inconsistent with a Godly, & Sober, & Righteous Life in the World. Yet more particularly. The Way of Wicked Men, is to Forget God, and the End for which God creates them and preserves them; the Errand which God sends them to appear among Mankind upon. Their Way is to feel no Want of, to see no worth in an admirable Saviour; to feel no Distress about an Interest in Him; to be careless whether they be ever Saved from their Sins, or no. Their Way is, to Propound an Happiness in the Enjoyment of this World, and be very Earnest, Vehement, Violent in Seeking after worldly possessions: Regardless of any Higher Portion. Their Way is, t [...] make Light of Sin; [Page 4] to Entertain Temptations to Sin with Easy Compliances; and to have but a short and small Regrett for it, when they have Sinned. I will give you a true Survey and Report of the Road; The Way which Wicked Men have trodden, is thus described; Eph. 2 2. 3. Ye walked according to the course of this World, ac­cording to the prince of the power of the Air, in the L [...]sts of the Flesh, fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind. Finally, There is no need of my Travelling a great way from my Text, that I may point out unto you, the Way that Wicked Men have trodden. Lo [...]k back no more than Two Verses, and you will see; Their Way is this: Thou say [...]t, How doth God know! Tis to be insensible, that they have the Eye of God upon them in their Way. Tis to be unmindful, that God is acquainted with all their Ways; knows every Word uttered by their Tongues; knows their very Thoughts afar off Tis to act, as not Expecting that God will ever call them to any Account of what they have done in their Lives. This is their Way And, My Friend, If this be thy Way, then thou art in the Way that Wicked Men have trodden. Wo to thee, Thou art one of them. Of every one who makes this his Way, I must faithfully tell you, in such Terms as those; Job 34 8 He goeth in company with the workers of Iniquity, he walketh with wicked men.

[Page 5] We are now ready to proceed upon our more Special Enquiries. And these will be no more than Two.

I. What is there to be Marked in the Way that Wicked Men have trodden; or, what shall we find Remarkable in the Way of wicked Men! Many Remarks are to be made upon it. I will Single out a few, that will be as Useful, as they are Obvious.

First. We may Mark this in the Way that Wicked Men have trodden; Tis an old Way. It is a just observation, which a famous & an accute Scotch Expositor has upon my Text; That Sin is a very Old Trade in the World. We read, Joh. 8. 44 It was from the Beginning. Sin was committed in the very Beginning of the World. The World had not been begun long before the Way of Sin was taken up. Tis true, the Way of Sin is not so old, as the Way of Truth Our Excellent Caryl has well Ex­pressed it; ‘Tho' man quickly went out of the Way, surely, his First step was not out of the Way. He went Right before he went Wrong; he stood before he fell.’ But then, the way of Sin is very old. In the Sinful ways of men, to seek after a Felicity in things under the Sun, here tis that it has been said, There is no New Thing under the Sun. Tis no New Thing for men to Sin against God. And tho' men are Inventers of Evil Things, yet there is rarely [Page 6] any sort of Sin committed in our days, but what was committed in the Days of old. In­deed, we read, Jer. 6. 16 Ask for the old pathes, where is the Good way, and walk therein. There is a Good old Way. And it is the oldest Way. The Greatest Antiquity is to be pleaded for that Way. But then, there is an [...]ll way, that is also an old Way. The Way o [...] Sin, is a very beaten Way It was trodden, as here we find in the Old World, and long before the Flood. It was that Way, that the Flood rushed in upon the world. One gives this Paraphrase on my Text. Hast thou marked the Way of the old World? An Old Way; Very near, very near, as old as the World. The very first man, that was born into the World, proved a wicked man. Of Wicked men in our Days, We read, Jud. 11. They have gone in the way of Cain. The Nature of Man was betimes depraved with corruption. Ah, Mankind, How Early didst thou rise, & corrupt all thy Doings? Men have naturally taken the way of Sin, ever since our First Fall from God. And, how Quickly did we fall! Man in Honour, How few Nights didst thou continue so? The Way of Sin is more than five Thousand and seven Hundred Years old. It is no Apology [...]or an Evil thing; Tis no more than what others have done before me. The via trita, is not always via tuta. It may be an old Way, and yet not a safe Way. It may be [Page 7] an old Way, and yet be the Way that Wicked men have trodden. Sinners, what undesireable Company, will you find there, if by Wandring from the way of understanding, you go down to the Congregation of the Dead. You are going in the Old Way, & the Sinners who trod that way in old Time, will be your Companions, in the End of the way. You will have your Souls gathered with Cain, and the Monsters of the old World; with the Sodomites, & with Achithophel, and with Judas, and with the Wretches that a Great while ago, walked in that way of Sin that you have chosen. Oh! poor Comfort, in having such Fellow-Suf­ferers!

Secondly. We may Mark this, in the Way that wicked men have trodden; Tis an Hard Way; a way full of Trouble. We read, Prov. 13 15. The way of Transgressors is hard. Tho' it be a Broad Way, yet it is a Rough One. A Very Troublesome way. The way lies all thro' the Valley of Achor What we render, A way of wickedness, is in the Hebrew Original, A way of Grief Tis a Grievous Way. A Wic­ked man, His way is always Grievous. Of them that walk in this way, We read. Rom. 3. 17. The way of peace they have not known. In the way of Piety, there is a Glorious Peace to be Enjoy'd. Great peace have they that Love that Way; and if they were always in it, there [Page 8] would be nothing to offend them: nothing but what they might be [...] from it. There is a Peace belonging to them, who walk according to the Rule that lays out the way of God, & of Holiness [...] of Mind, in a Faith of the [...] & Faithfulness, & in an Assurance of the Di [...]ine Favour; A Calm within, whatever St [...]rm there may be abroad. But, alas, There [...] Peace, saith my God unto the wicked. You may Mark this, Wicked men find their L [...]sts perpetually Enslaving of them; their [...] throwing them into perpetual Dis [...]rders; their [...] by the Justice of God, made their [...] & so there are many Sorrow [...] to the wicked. And you may Mark this, Wicked men carry about also a Guilty Conscience with them▪ a Conscience that keeps them in a continu [...] Une [...]siness; a Conscience continually Scourging of them, & roaring in their Ears, The Great God will one day dreadfully Punish thee for these Miscarriages. Oh! Tis a Sad thing to walk in the way that wicked men have trodden. Mark it, Sirs; Tis a Walk in the Valley of the shadow of Death!

Thirdly. We may Mark this in the way that wicked men have trodden, They are at more Pains in their way to Damn themselves, than G [...]dly men are, in a better way to Save them­selves. Wicked men take a great deal of Pains in their way; they find it a Laboriotes [Page 9] Way. The very term for wickedness, in the Greek Language of the New Testament, im­plies, [...] in it. A Labour to hasten on a [...] With less Labour has many a [...], laid h [...]ld on Eternal Life. Of a wicked [...] we read, Psal. 7 14 Behold, he [...] iniquity. Ah, Silly Soul; With less Travail, & less Anguish, many an one has been [...] again, & had the Image of a Glorious [...] in him. Indeed, [...]here is no get­ting to Heaven with u [...] a taking of Pains for i [...]. We are to Strive, that we may Enter the [...] a [...]e; It requires Agonies to be an Over­ [...] & make [...]re of Heaven. But you may [...] this: That many a Sinner is at more Pains, to plunge himself into the lowest Hell, than many a Saint is to secure a share in the Good Things of the Heavenly Places. He runs down to the [...]mbers of Death, more eagerly, than any Christian runs in the Race which ends in the Heavenly Mansions. A wicked man does more to Please the Flesh, & the World, & the Devil, than a godly man does to Please God He serves the Destroyer with more In­dustry, than one who yet finds Acceptance with Him, uses in serving the only Saviour. He is more Industrious to get himself put off with a Portion in this Life, than one who yet attains unto it, is to attain unto a better and lasting Substance in Heaven. He will waste his [Page 10] Estate, he will ruine his Health, he will ven­ture his Life, & all that he may be the sooner & the deeper drowned in an horrible Perdition. Many an one, who never did so much for it, yet arrives unto the Salvation of the Soul Of wicked men, we read, Jer. 9 5 They weary them­selves to commit iniquity. You may Mark this; Many an one with a Patient continuance in well­ doing, arrives less-tired unto the Glory of Hea­ven, than a wicked man arrives to a Lodging in the place of Dragons, which he has been all his Days working for. Oh! the Fully, Oh! the Madness, of wicked men! When they are in the Place of Torments, with what corroding Indignation will they look back upon it!

Fourthly. There is this to be Marked in the way that wicked men have trodden; Men are Deceived all the way; it is a very Deceitful way We read, Prov. 11. 18. The wicked worketh a deceitful work. A wicked man is drawn into his way, with many Promises which the Temp­ters make unto him. The Promises deceive him; his Temptations have imposed upon him; he meets with Disappointments of all his Expecta­tions. He Promised unto himself, such Satis­factions as he never meets withal. He is Pro­mised, that he shall find Contentment in his way; but his way never, never brings him to it. It is Promised unto him, That when he has acquired such & such Good Things, they will [Page 11] Stay with him; His mountain shall be strong. Lo, These things make to themselves wings, & flee away, and leave him destitute; leave him distracted. It is Promised unto him, that he shall have a Long time yet in his way; Goods laid up for many Years. Lo, This Night thy Soul is required of thee! When a man takes the way of Sin, it may be said of him, as Isa. 44. 20. A deceived Heart hath turned him aside.

And you may Mark this one Deceit more, than which there is hardly any more fre­quent, in the Way of a wicked man, He is deceived about the Nature, & the Period of his Way. He is not apprehensive, what he is a doing, & where he is a going. He apprehends no other, but that he may take this Way, & yet not miss of Everlasting Blessedness. It is as we read, Prov. 14. 12. A way that seems right to a man, but the end the way of death. Poor Sinner; Thou art a Self-deceiver! The man dreams, that he is in the way to the City of God; and that a Merciful God, will easily forgive all the False steps he has taken in his way, up­on his bare saying, Lord, Have Mercy upon me! The Dream is anon found, a most fearful De­lusion, The Chains of Darkness anon laid up­on him, Undeceive him. O dreadful Way of being Undeceived! Oh! how dreadful, to be so late Undeceived!

Fifthly. There is this to be Marked in the [Page 12] way that wicked men have trodden; The Way grows more Dirty; Men grow worse & worse, the longer they go on in the way. We read, 2 Tim 3. 13. Wicked men will [...]ay worse and worse. Men rarely keep at a Stand in the way of Sin. Tis a way, wherein the Sinner Knows not where he shall s [...]op As men in a right way grow stronger & stronger in it; They find the Way of the Lord Strength unto them; the Longer they are in it, the Stronger they grew; they gain the more Strength to do, what is to be done in the Way. Thus, in a Bad Way, the Inclinations and Resolutions of Wickedness, these grow Stronger & Stronger. Sin gains the more Strength, by being persisted in. We read, Heb. 3 13 To Day,—l [...]st hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin. You ought with a trem­bling Soul, to Mark this thing; The Longer any one does continue in Sin, they grow the more Hardened in it; The Hearts which to Day were Hard enough, grow Harder by to Morrow. They are daily Provoking the Holy One, to withdraw His Grace from them. He is Provoked every day, as the Psalmist Ex­presses it. On the Withdraw of that Grace, Oh! the Hold that Satan takes of them! Oh! the Work that Satan makes with them! At first the Heart of the Sinner will Smite him, for a lesser Transgression. He Conquers, he Smothers, he keeps under, he gets over, the [Page 13] Relu [...]ancies of a [...] Heart He goes on to greater & greater Degrees of Impiety At length, he Marks at Fear, and like an Horse rushing into the Battel, he rushes upon the Grossest Abominations. Riot, Rev [...]ls, De­bauches grow familiar with him. Horrid [...] & the Language or Fiends, proclame his [...] Hell B [...]wdy, & Filthy Songs, enough to infect the very Air, they are uttered in, are the finest of his Vocal Mu­sic. Dishonest Gaming becomes no little part of his Business. He is well acquainted with the [...] of the Harlot. It is not long before his Impiety improves into Malignity. He for­sakes he abhors, the Churches of God. And those whom he takes to be Useful Servants of God, he derides them, he Slanders them, he [...]bels them. His Throat is an open Sepulchre for them; when he speaks of them, he shows how glad he would be to have them in their Sepulchre. They are now almost Ripened for a Terrible Destruction from God. Their Ini­quity is almost full The Vengeance of God now quickly seises on them. O You that are in the Way of wicked men; Little do you foresee, what Wickedness you will be left unto.

Sixthly. There is this to be Marked in the Way that wicked men have trodden; Men often begin to Repent of the Way, & yet they hold [Page 14] on their way. In the way of Wickedness, there often occurs, this wretched Conduct, Psal. 78. 34, 36. They returned and enquired Early after God;—But they lied unto Him. A Gracious God often Checks the Sinner in his way; A Flaming Sward gives a Check to him, in his way that is perverse before God Perhaps, the Candle of the Lord within him, gives unusual Blazes and Scorches: Compels him to be bit­terly sensible of his Condition. He falls it may be into some unusual Miscarriage, & his wounded Soul falls a bleeding upon it. Some Uncommon Dispensation of God, it may be, a­wakens him to Consider his Ways, dwakening things fall out, upon him, or before him. Now, he begins to wish, O! That I might lead a better Life! He Bewails his former Follies. He Cries out of them as Cursed Follies. He Resolves that he will no more abandon himself to such Follies. He makes his Vows to God, & says, I will no more Transgress! He begins a Reforma­tion; begins a Course of Religious Duties. His best Friends hoped, Surely we shall now see a Glorious Conversion to God! But what comes of all this? All wears off in a little while. His Vows do signify no more than the Green Wyths, or the New Cords upon Sampson. It may be said, as in 2 Pet 2. 22 The Dog is turned to hi [...] own Vomit again; & the Sow that was wash­ed unto her wallowing in the [...]ire. The Good [Page 15] Motions, the Good Purposes, in the Soul of the Unhappy Man, They are all Vanished! His Vices [...] Head again He quickly becomes as V [...]cious as he was before. Yea The Evil Spirit returns with Seven worse than what was before. O Case that calls for bleeding Lamentations! Mark this; The Way of wicked men, has now and then some Interruptions in it: There are some feeble [...] towards Repentance in it. But still, after all, they go on still in their Trespasses.

Seventhly. In the Way that wicked men have trodden, there is this Thing that calls for a Mark upon it, When men in their Way grow Wicked Overmuch, oftentimes they Quickly Perish from their Way. We read, Eccl 7. 17. Be [...] ever much wicked; why shouldest thou die before thy time? Some there are that are wick­ed Overmuch: They are so far gone in Wicked­ness, that they have Out-sinned the Day of Divine Patience. The Long-suffering God will now bear no longer with them. The wicked ones bid intolerable D [...]fiances to Heaven in their Blasphemies Monstrous Undutifulness to their Superiors is expressed by them. They Mark the Ministers and Messengers of God, with outragious Insolenci [...]. They grow so dangerous to Humane Society, that there is no Enduring of them They fall to hatching such Mischief, that the Children of God are [Page 16] compelled to Complain unto their Father of them. The Wretches are now probably near the End of their Way. There is a dire­ful Symptom of wicked and wretched Ones, hastening to their End; in Prov 29. 1. He that being often Reproved, hardeneth his Neck, shall suddenly be destroyed and without Remedy. Oh! That some Ungodly Ones would lay to Heart, these Thunders of God!

Eighthly. In the Way that wicked men have trodden, there is this Thing that calls for a Mark upon it, God by Wonderful Ways does bring out, the most Secret Wickedness in their Way. In the Way of wicked men, there are many things done, for which they flatter themselves with an Eternal Secrecy; for, as we read, Eph. 5 17. They are things that are done of them in Secret But the Crimes of wicked Ones are not Concealed from God; Can any hide himself in Secret Places, that I shall not see him, saith the Lord? Let never such Arts of Concealment be used for the Covering of their Crimes, I, even I, Know them; and am a Witness of them, saith the Lord And the Glo­rious God has astonishing Ways to bring out the Secret Wickedness in which wicked Men do indulge themselves. God fulfils that word upon them, Numb 32. 33. Be sure your Sin shall find you out. He makes the Accomplices of Wicked ones, to bring out one another. [Page 17] God leaves Wicked Ones to fresh Villanies, which bring out all their former ones. God so Terrifies them, as to make them bring out themselves; their own Tongues to fall upon them­selves. Odd Circumstances fall out, that no one could have thought of; and these bring them out. Yea, A Bird of the Air shall carry the Voice & that which has wings will tell the mat­ter: the Spirits of the Invisi [...]le World will be Concerned in it. Oh! Let the Sinners in Zion be afraid, and let the Hypocrites thereof be sur­prised with Fearfulness, that what they have done, will not always be kept Secret Repent Seriously, Repent Sincerely; That is the only way for the Covering of Iniquity.

Ninthly. In the Way that wicked men have trodden, there is vet One thing more to be Marked; That is, The End of the Way. Tis a Way that will be terribly Punished in the End; It will be Bitterness in the Latter End. We are called upon, Psal. 37. 37. Mark the per­fect man, and behold the upright, for the End of that man is peace. But we are now to be thus called upon. Mark the Wicked man, & behold the Evil one, & his Evil Way; for the End of his Way, is to ly down in desperate & eternal Sorrow. Sinners, You are warned of God; Prov 13 21 Evil pursueth Sinners. The Warning that God has given you, is, The wicked shall not go Un­punished. Nay, There is a strange Punishment [Page 18] reserved for the Workers of Iniquity. O Mark the Way, which the Righteous God has [...]aken with wicked men, and Mark the Destruction which their Way does bring upon them.

Wicked men have been Punished in all A­ges. They were so when their Foundation was Overthrown with a Flood. They shall be so, when God shall make this World of theirs, & for them, a Fiery Oven, in the Day of His Anger. In every Generation a multitude of Wicked ones, are most Remarkably Punished by God. Yea, their Punishments are such as carry in them Remarkable Signatures of a Judgment from God. At Last, it comes to that; Mat. 25 46 The Wicked shall go away into everlasting Punish­ment O amazing Punishment! O tremendous Punishment! Mark this, O all you that Forget God. You will find it a fearful Thing to dy the Second Death; to fall into the Hands of the Living God.

II. And now, methinks, there should be another Enquiry; In what Manner, To what Purpose, are we to Mark the Way that Wicked Men have trodden? How are we to Observe what is to be Mark'd in the Way of wicked men? But I may now surely leave it unto You, my Hearers, to answer this Enquiry You are not at a Loss how to answer it.

First; Have you Marked the way that wicked men have trodden? Certainly you will Shun [Page 19] that Way The Bias of your Souls, Oh, how can it now be any other than th [...]se [...] Psal. 119 128 I hate every false way The Choice & the Voice of your Souls will now be that; ‘O m [...] dear Saviour, Do thou rescue me from every Wicked [...] from all the [...] of the Destroyer S [...]ew me [...] Way, Teach me thy Pathe [...]; O my Good [...] Reduce my Soul, & Conduct me in the [...] of Righteous­ness for thy Names sake.’

Secondly; Have you [...] the Way that Wicked men have trodden? Certainly You will do what you can, to [...] from that way. Ah, how can you bear to see your Friends, go­ing on in a Way, that will carry them down unto the Dead? Think on that Word Jam. 5 20 He that Converts a Sinner from the [...] of his way, shall save a Soul from Death. Especially, Your Children,—to them you [...]we this Com­passion. No greater Joy, than [...] see them Walking in the Truth No greater Vexation, or Abasement, than to see them take another Way Oh! Teach them Oh! Charge them! Oh! Cry to God for them! Do all you can to Reclaim them, and Preserve them from every Evil Way Lay the strongest [...] upon them, to Keep the way of the Lord.

Lastly; I have one thing more to move, Tis this; My Friends, Mark Your Own Way. Mark the way which you are Your selves tread­ing [Page 20] of. You are so advised: Prov. 4. 26. Pon­der the Path of thy Feet. Oh! Bring your selves under a strict Examination Put this Question to your selves, ‘What is the Way that I am in? Am I in the Old way that Wicked men have trodden? Or, Am I in the Way of Good men?’ Unquestionably Happy, Happy might be the Fruits of this Question well thought upon!

¶ But that which at this time I principally aim at, is; To Confirm the Observations that has been offered, and Quicken the Dispositions that have been advised, with some Solemn Remarks upon as tremendous a Spectacle, as ever our sorrowful Eyes have look'd upon. The Way that Wicked Men have trodden, has newly terminated in a Tragical Execution of Death, on such a Number of Criminals, as our sorrowful Eyes have never before seen toge­ther, with hands clapped at them, hissed out of their Place. The Glorious GOD Expects, that we do the best we can, to make this a Profitable & a Serviceable Spectacle; and that our Fool­hardy Sinners, Knowing the Terror of the Lord, may be Disswaded from going on still in the [...] Trespasses it [...]as a thing once imagined con­cerning some surviving Impenitents, If One went unto them from the Dead, they will Repent. O Impenitents, that in the Way which Wicked [Page 21] men have trodden are hastening down unto the Dead, there are now to Come unto you Twenty Six in a Crue together from the Dead, who with an Hoarse but Loud Voice, terribly call upon you, to Repent of your Sins & not Persist in such Crimes as have brought them to what they are now come unto. If you will not hear the Warnings of your Faithful Pastors, hear the Roarings of Twenty Six ter­rible Preachers, that in a Ghastly Apparition, are now from the Dead, calling upon you to Turn & Live unto GOD.

It was the Hand of the Glorious GOD, which brought these Criminals, to Dy in a Place, where His Faithful Servants took un­common Pains, for their Instruction & Conver­sion; And it may be, [Who can tell?] there were some [...]lect of GOD among them, who may have their Salvation in this astonishing way accomplished But how much will it add unto the Displays of Sovereign & Myste­rious Grace, if You that have had their Dying Words & Groans & Pains before you, may find the Means of Your Salvation in them!

Oh! Take a due Notice of what you have seen in the Way which these Wicked men have trodden, & in the fearful End which their Way has brought them to! and let it not be said of you, Go tell this People, you see indeed, but perceive no [...], & very little Regard what you see.

[Page 22] Have you not particularly Marked This in the Way of the Wicked men; That the Way of Piracy & Robbery, & of the Outrage us Wicked­ness whereto the Pirates and Robbers abandon themselves is a say which the Holy GOD ap­pears as a Swift Witness against; a Way wherein the Sinners bring a Swift Destruction upon themselves; a say wherein the Car [...]es in the Flying Roll gone forth against them, do very Swiftly overtake them? How many Thousands of the Sea-Minsters, who have been the T [...]rror of them that [...] the Sea, have been Swiftly Cut off. & Strangely Exterminated, and what a Strange [...]unishment has been hastened on the Workers of Iniquity? They that would not behold the way of the Vineyards, nor take to any way of Honesty & Industry, for Living ashore, have gone to make their Depredations on the Waters; But how has their Portion been Cursed in the Earth; and what a Remarkable Curse of GOD, has been upon them? On this Remark will you not Conceive the utmost Horror of running into the Pathes of the Destroyers Oh! Rather Dy, than go With, or do Like such Wicked men. My Son, If such Sinners Entice thee, Consent thou not unto them. No, Rather Dy than do it! But then, Look upon all the Ways of Unlawful Gain, which are trodden by Wicked Men, as the Ways that have Destruction & Misery in them. Abhor the Ways; Avoid [Page 23] [...]he Ways: Be terrified by that word, which you have now again seen so Amazingly Verifi­ed; Jer 17 11. 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. Hear, Hear the Cry from the horrible Scaffold unto you. Oh! Let not the Lust of the Eye poison & pervert you! Oh! Let not the insatiable Thirst of Riches draw you into indirect Methods of coming at them! Oh! List not your selves among them who will be Rich, but madly drown themselves in Perdition, by their Attempts to be so! Look for a Confounding Blast from GOD, upon all Unlawful Enter­prizes.

Go on, & Mark the Dying Lamentations of the Wicked Men, at the End of the Way which they have trodden.

Among the dolorous Ejulations of the Dy­ing Pirates, how often do you hear them Con­fessing; My Grieving & Leaving & Scorning of my Parents, has been that which has brought the dreadful Vengeance of GOD upon me! Shall this Confession make no Impression on You, O Wicked and woful Children, who break the Hearts of your Parents, with your Ungodly Courses? You cannot but know, that it Kills your Distressed Parents, & makes their Hearts even to stoop with Heaviness, to see that you [Page 24] are Irreclameable from your Enormities, and that none of their Commands or Counsels, will prevail with you, to Reform your Dis­orderly Living. O Murderers of your Parents, Can you think, that you shall Escape Unpunish­ed? Will you not hearken to the Voice of our Parents; The LORD will do something worse than Slay you, for this Disobedience! Tis a Sign, that GOD has a Terrible Thing to do upon you. Wretches, Leave off your Im­pieties, & be no longer an Heaviness unto your Parents; Or GOD will do a Terrible Thing upon you: Something which the Ears of them that hear of it shall tingle at!

How many of the Dying Pirates do you hear Crying out, My Prophanation of the Lords­Day, was the Inlet of all the Wickedness that has brought me to this Evil Day! Having Marked this in the Way of the Wicked men, Oh! Re­solve to spend the Sabbath well, & fill it with the Exercises of agreeable Devotion. Despise not this Rest of GOD, left the Holy GOD for ever shut you out of His Rest; Shut you up, where there is no Rest, but the Smoke of their Torment ascends for ever and ever.

How many of the Dying Pirates have you seen Mourning at the Last, because of their giving themselves up to the Vice, about [Page 25] which you are forewarned of GOD, At the last it will bite like a Serpent & sting like an Ad­der? Their Excessive Cups have been worse than Rats-ba [...]e in their Bowels, when GOD has come at length to put His Cup of Tremb­ling into their Hands. Having Marked this in the Way of the wicked men, Will you not have done with the Intoxicating Bottel? and the Pot wherein your Death will be met with­al? What will you bring all sorts of Woes up­on your selves, & go Staggering on to Ruine, with a Shameful spewing upon all your Glory?

How many of the Dying Pirates have you seen wringing their Impure, Filthy, Unchast Hands at their Death, & with an unutterable Dolour declaring that they found the Stings, which the Abominations of Unchastity left upon their Souls, to be More Bitter than Death? Having Marked this in the Way of the Wicked men, will you make your Hearts like Ovens, that shall have Irregular Desires ever Burning in them, till GOD make your Souls like a Fi­ery Oven, by the Scorchesof His Anger there? Will you Prostitute your Bodies to detestable Actions, till GOD cause your Carcases to come under a speedy Putrefaction? Shall the Spirits which entred the Swine of Old, hurry you down into the Deep? Why will you take the Coals in your Bosom, and anon have that [Page 26] Epitaph upon you; They died in Youth, because their Life was among the Unclean!

When the Pirates have been going to draw their last breath, with what Remorse have they look'd back on the Oathes which they had in their Impious Breath belch'd out, with a Con­tempt & Challenge of their Maker? When their Mouth has been going to be stopp'd, with what Remorse have they thought, how full their Mouth has been of Cursing? Have not their Last Speeches most sadly Bewailed the Vile Speeches, with which they have discovered Souls full of Rottenness? Has it not began Hell above ground unto them, & caused them to gnaw their Tongues for Pain, to think. What their Tongues when Fired of Hell, have shot up against the Heavens? In their Imploring the Mercies of the Great GOD, how has it Con­founded them; To Think, How hid [...]ously have I Offended & Blasphemed the GOD whom I now make my Cries unto! When they have apprehended themselves just falling into the Hands of Devils, how has it Confounded them to think, These Tormentors are they, whose Lan­guage I have been used unto? Having Marked this in the Way of the Wicked men, Will you not now Keep your Tongues from Evil? Verily, If you desire Life, & love many Days, that you may see Good, you will do so!

[Page 27] Have you not heard the Dying Pirates, pouring out their Complaints of the Evil Company which had Entangled them, & Cry­ing out, This Evil Company has brought me, to what I once little thought of ever coming to? Ha­ving Marked this in the way of the Wicked men, Will you not Forsake the Foolish & Live? Are you willing to have your Souls gathered with such Sinners, as you n [...]w associate withal? Oh! Depart from the Tents of the Wicked men, lest you Perish in all their Sins! Continue not the Com [...]anions of Fools, if you would not be De­story'd among them.

Finally, Have not the Dying Malefactors, left the World Earnestly Commending a Godly Life and pressing the practice of a Re­ligion that should have something more than meer Morality in it. Earnestly Commending a Serious, Daily, constant Worship of God, & the Religion of the cl [...]set? Yea, Earnestly Com­mending of Early PIETY, and Exhorting Young People betimes to Return unto GOD? You must needs have Marked this. But, Oh, what Effect shall the Remark have upon you! Children, Will you not Begin Immediately to Live Religiously; & will you not from this time say unto GOD, Thou art my GOD & Saviour, and the Guide of my Youth? Oh, Take not up, first with a Lifeless Religion, and then the Ir­religious [Page 28] Life which That will bring you to. And whereas, it has been Marked concerning some of those who have lately Perished, That they had sat under the Means of Grace; but having refused the O [...]ers of a SAVIOUR often & often made unto them, a Righteous GOD left them in the Hands of the Destroy­er; so they were given up to Confirmed & Increasing Wickedness, in which they have Perished Wonderfully Oh! Presently, Come into the Ways of Wisdom, and Work about your Salvation with a Fear and Trembling, lest this prove also your Condition. Mind the Story, lest you make the Story! And [...]et Heaven see this Issue of what you have seen; Surely, I have seen the Young Wanderers bemoaning them­selves; and sa [...]ing, Alas, How much have I hitherto been [...] a Bullock unaccustomed [...] the Yoke. O my SAVIOUR, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, For Thou art the Lord my GOD. LORD, I Repent, I Repent: [...] ashamed, Yes, I am Even confounded, [...] those things which have been the [...] of my Yo [...]th. And I hope to be delivered from them. When it is come to this, it will follow, These are pleasant Children; I will Surely have Mercy on them, Saith the Lord.