The vial poured out upon the sea. A remarkable relation of certain pirates brought unto a tragical and untimely end. Some conferences with them, after their condemnation. Their behaviour at their execution. And a sermon preached on that occasion. : [Two lines from Job]

The vial poured out upon the sea. A remarkable relation of certain pirates brought unto a tragical and untimely end. Some conferences with them, after their condemnation. Their behaviour at their execution. And a sermon preached on that occasion. : [Two lines from Job]

Table of contents

Title page

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A Remarkable RELATION OF A Cockatrice crush'd in the Egg.

A Conference, with the Pirates. July 6. M. stands for Minister. P. P. for Pirates.

A Second Conference. July. 9.

WISDOM In the Latter End. A SERMON occasion'd by the Condition of the Condemned Pirates, July 10. 1726.

APPLICATION.

The EXECUTION.

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The Vial poured out upon the SEA. A Remarkable RELATION Of certain PIRATES Brought unto a Tragical and Untimely END. Some CONFERENCES with them, after their Condemnation. Their BEHAVIOUR at their Execution. AND A SERMON Preached on that Occasion.

Job XX.29.

This is the Portion of a wicked Man from GOD, and the Heritage appointed unto him by GOD.

BOSTON: Printed by T. Fleet, for N. Belknap, and sold at his Shop near Scarlet's Wharf. 1726.

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Job XXIV.19.

He is swift as the Waters; their Portion is cursed in the Earth; he beholdeth not the way of the Vineyards.

Thus Paraphrased by the Incomparable Sir Richard Blackmore.

TO this vile Crue you may the PIRATE add

Who puts to Sea the Merchant to invade,

And reaps the Profit of another's Trade.

He sculks behind some Rock, or swiftly flies

From Creek to Creek, rich Vessels to surprize.

By this ungodly Course the Robber gains,

And lays up so much Wealth, that he disdains

And mocks the poor, unprofitable Toil,

Of those, who plant the Vine, or till the Soil.

A Remarkable RELATION OF A Cockatrice crush'd in the Egg.

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A Vessel of that sort which they call, a Snoe, belonging to certain Merchants in Bristol, and commanded by John Green, of that City, sailed from Jamaica, some time in April, 1726. bound for Guinea. The Boatswain, William Fly, having before concerted with some aboard, (in a way of Revenge, they said, for Bad Usage) the Destruction of the Master and the Mate, and the proper Consequences, on May 27. about One a Clock in the Morning, he, with one Alexander Mitchel, went into the Cabin, and siezing on the Master, held his Hands, while Mitchel wounded him. Then they hawled him up; who perceiving their Intention to throw him overboard, beg'd, For the Lord's sake, don't throw me overboard; For if you do, you throw me into Hell immediately. But Fly bid him say, Lord, Have Mercy on my Soul! And when he siezed the Mainsheets with his Hand, to prolong his Time, the merciless Monsters, with a Cooper's Broad-axe, cut off his Hand, and threw him over-board. While this was a doing, one Samuel Cole, presently assisted with Mitchel and one Winthrop, secured the Mate, whose Name was [Page] Thomas Jenkins, and brought him upon Deck, telling him, that he should go after the Master. Accordingly, having first cut him down the Shoulder with a Broad-axe, they threw him over, just before the Main Shrouds. After he was thrown over, he cried out unto the Doctor, For the Lord's sake, to fling him a Rope. But Fly soon secured the Doctor, and put him in Irons; and confined the Gunner also and the Carpenter, who were not for their Turn.

Two Days after this, they met one of the Ships, that came out in Company with Green, and hailing them, ask'd, How Captain Green did. They answered, Very well! At your Service! But upon consulting, whether they had best attack that Ship, they left her, in Consideration, That they had not Hands enough to Man her. So, they bore away for North-Carolina; Where, off Cape Hattaras Bar, on June 3. there lay a Sloop at Anchor, whereof the Commander was one whose Name is Fulker. Some of the Sloop's Hands went aboard Fly, who was now become the Captain of the Snoe, supposing them to want a Pilot. Fly commanded Fulker aboard, and informed him, They were Gentlemen of Fortune; and let him know, that they must have the Sloop, if it sailed better than the Snoe. The contrary Winds rendring the Sloop unable to be brought off, our New Captain fell into a great Passion, and swore he would burn her, and bringing Fulker to the Geers, (who it seems, unadvisedly provoked them) inflicted a severe Scourging upon him. The Boats Crue, could not bring the Sloop any further than the Bar, but there she bilg'd and sank: and the Pirates endeavoured then to set [Page] her on Fire, but could not make the Fire to take. Fulker and his Men, and his Passengers, were detained Prisoners by Fly; But on June 5. they sailed from thence; and on the Day following they saw a Ship commanded by one whose Name is Gale, bound from Barbados to Virginia. They could not come up with Gale till the next Morning; when they hoisted their Black Flag, and fired several Guns at the Ship; and there being little Wind▪ Gale struck; and Fly made the Men his Prisoners; but robbed the Ship only of several Sails, and some Cloaths and small Arms; and after a Captivity of Two Days released them; at the same time giving Fulker, and one of his Passengers, and a Servant, and Green's Doctor, their Liberty. However they forceably detained one William Atkinson, who had been Commander of a Brigantine, but left her for a Passage home in Fulker, bound then for Boston: And who had often declared, That if the Pirates ever took him, he would humour them, till he could see his first Opportunity to rise upon them. They wanted him to be their Pilot, for the Coast of New-England; which they told him▪ he should be, or, They would blow his Brains out. It seems, they forgot, how bad a Coast New-England has been for Pirates to come upon! Off of Delaware Bay, they met a Sloop commanded by one Harris bound from New-York to Pensilvania, having about Fifty Scotch-Irish Passengers aboard; which upon their hoisting of their Black Flag Surrendred unto them. After they had a little ransack'd the Vessel, and kept her twenty four Hours, they forced a Lusty Blade, one James Benbrook, from her, and so dismiss'd her. Fly bore away for Martha's Vineyard, pretending [Page] to Water there, and so away for Guinea; But the Pilot purposely miss'd the port, (whereat Fly was very angry,) and on June 23. bearing Eastward, they mett with a Fishing Schooner, on Browns Bank; from which upon Fly's hoisting his Black Flag, and threatning to sink her, the Master came aboard them, & Fly told him, he must have the Schooner, unless he could inform him, where to get a better Sailor. About Noon, they saw some other Schooners; and Fly sent that Schooner with seven hands after them. Fly (who had now entirely sold himself to the God of Ekron,) and Three other Pirates, whereof one (Samuel Cole aforesaid, was in Irons upon Suspicion of Mutiny, remained aboard the Snoe; and fifteen others that had been taken by him; namely, Fulkers Mate, a couple of his Boys, Green's Gunner and Carpenter, five of Gale's Men, Benbrook, Three Fishermen belonging to the Schooner, and our Atkinson. While the Pirates were gone upon their chase, there appeared in Sight several other Fishing-Vessels; and Atkinson by telling Fly what he saw, drew him forward, from his two Loaden Guns, and Sword, which he had with him; and while Fly satt on the Windlace with his Prospective-Glass, Benbrook and Walker, (who had been Fulker's Mate) upon the Direction from Atkinson, secured Fly, and put him in Irons; and Atkinson struck another of the Pirates; and with the Help of the Carpenter, soon confined the other Two. Thus they made themselves Masters of the Snoe; the rest of the Prisoners all the while standing unactive, not being made acquainted with the Design, which was now managing for their Deliverance.

[Page]On June 28. the Happy Captors brought in their New Captives; having taken them Captives, whose Captives they were. So, The Triumphing of the wicked, was but for a moment.

And, the Special Court of Admiralty which the Act of Parliament has ordered for the Trial of Pirates, [Whereof the chief Judge, was the Honourable WILLIAM DUMMER Esqr. the Lievtenant Governour, and Commander in Chief, of the Massachuset-Province,] quickly tried these Four Pyrates, and after plain and full Conviction, on July 3. pass'd the just Sentence of Death upon them; namely, upon William Fly, the upstart Captain, who was a Young man, about Seven and twenty years of old; Henry Greenville, a married Man about foriy seven years of Age; Samuel Cole, about Thirty seven years of Age, having a Wife and seven Children; And, George Condick, a Youth of Twenty, or thereabouts.

They were now cast into a place, Where, besides the prayers, which abundance of Godly Christians made for them, That in the Destruction of the Flesh their Spirit might be Saved, great pains were taken, by the Ministers of City, to dispose them for a Return unto God.

Because, it may be Edifying to the Survivers, whatever it might be unto the Criminals, [Whereof one, appeared all along a very Hardened Wretch, and a Fearful Instance of Divine Dereliction,) here shall be inserted a Relation of Two Conferences with them.

A Conference, with the Pirates. July 6. M. stands for Minister. P. P. for Pirates.

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M.

UNhappy Men!— Yet not hopeless of Eternal Happiness!— A Marvellous Providence of GOD has put a Quick stop to a swift Carriere you were taking in the paths of the Destroyer. But had you been at once cut off in your Wickedness, what had become of you? A merciful GOD has not only given you a space to Repent, but has ordered your being brought into a place were such means of Instruction will be Employ'd upon you, and such pains will be taken for the Salvation of your Souls, as are not commonly Elsewere to be met withal, May this Goodness of GOD lead you to Repentance! — Among other and greater proofs of This, you will accept the Visit, which I now intend you.—

P. P.

We thank you, Syr.

M.

The poor men, whom you murdered, You hurried out of the world; You allow'd them no space to Repent. They begg'd at least for a little Time if you would not be disswaded from Killing them;—that you would not immediately bring on them the Death, which with a prodigious Anguish, they told you, they were unprepared for. A Gracious GOD has not so hurried you out of the world, but given you some Time, to prepare for your [Page] Death. And verily, you must not think now to brave it out so sottishly and hardily, as I am told, some of you have made some Essay to do. You have now to do with an Infinite and an Almighty GOD. You must not think to Mock at the Thunder of an Omnipotent GOD, or laugh at a Damnation which now slumbers not. A most Holy GOD, whom you have provoked by horrid Crimes, and Offences that cannot be numbred, has evidently begun to Execute his Vengeance upon you. You yett see but the beginnings of Sorrows, if you don't seasonably seek a Deliverance from the wrath to come. Something within you, tells you, That the great GOD is Angry with you; And, who knows the power of His Anger! You are going to appear before a Glorious GOD, with whom there is a Terrible Majesty. You are within a very few Days, to be thrown into those Hands, which if you dy in Ill Terms with Heaven, you will find it a fearful thing to fall into. Now, tis only in the Way of REPENTANCE, and in the Flight of a Repenting Soul, to a REDEEMER, that you can be saved from the inconceivably Miseries in the Future State and World which you are now presently to pass into. In these awful Circumstances, you are willing to be advised!

P. P.

Yes, Syr!—

M.

Your case is very Bad: Wretched, Forlorn beyond Expression. But, you must not look on it as Desperate. You must not say, Our Hope is lost. There is yet Hope in Israel for you. 'Tis true, There's no Hope of your Living any longer in this World. Nor indeed have you ever yet Lived. You are no longer capable of having that Mercy shown you that shall prolong your Life ▪ Your Life here is [Page] forfeited! Humane Society has been so wrong'd by you, that you may not be suffered any longer to continue in it. But there is yet room for you to Hope, and look for the Mercy of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, in an Everlasting Life, And will not the Thought of This, wonderfully melt and break your Hearts within you! Tho' you have been so wicked overmuch, that the Sword of Justice can do no other, than Cause you to Dy before your Time, yet there is Mercy with GOD for you, if you Return to Him; yea, He will Abundantly Pardon you; and you may after Death be received into the Rest and Peace and Joy of an Heavenly Paradise: And the great REDEEMER, will Remember you, [as He will a Penitent Thief!] when he comes in His Kingdom, and in the Resurrection of the Dead Remember you with the Favour which He bears unto His People. Will you then with awakened Souls, attend unto what I am going to set before you; and will you set your Hearts unto it?

P. P.

We hope, we shall.

M.

You have something within you, that will compell you to confess, That the Things which you have done, are most Unreasonable and Abominable. The Robberies and Piracies, you have committed, you can say nothing to Justify them.

P. P.

No, Syr, Not a word!

M.

It is a most hideous Article in the Heap of Guilt lying on you, that an Horrible Murder is charged upon you; There is a cry of Blood going up to Heaven against you.

P. P.

[Under all the marks of Confusion.] Fly said, I can't charge my self with Murder. I did not strike and wound the Master or Mate! It was Mitchel did it!—

[Page]The rest said, There was a Murder; and whatever Mitchel and this Man did, we were aiding and assisting to it. And it is the dreadfullest of all the Things we have to think of.

M.

Fly, I am astonished at your stupidity. I cannot understand you. I am sure, you don't understand yourself. I shall be better able, another time to reason with you.

Fly said, It is very strange another should know more of me, than I do of myself. There are False Oathes ta-against me.

M.

You can't wonder at it, if Mankind agrees to treat you as the Common Enemies of Mankind. You can't complain of it, if the Government pass a Sentence of Death upon you.

P. P.

No, Syr, we can't.—

M.

Certainly, The GOD of Heaven has been greatly Offended at you, for some Things in your former Conversation. Certainly you sinned Grievously, before you were left unto the Crimes, which have now brought such a Tragical End upon you. Certainly, you have by some Extraordinary Gratifications of the Devil, procured his having such an Advantage on you, and such a possession of you, as appeared in your being thus Led Captive by him to do his will. What is it in your former Life, that lies now most heavy upon you? Say, Fly.

P.

My horrid Swearing and Cursing.

M.

Say, Cole.

P.

My Swearing and Cursing, and my Drunkenness.

M.

Say, Greenville.

P.

I must say the like, my Swearing and Cursing, and my Drunkenness.

M.

Say, Condick.

[Page]P.

Fly, Syr, He is a poor Creature, He knows nothing! — If he ever Learnt any Catechism, he has forgott it all.

M.

Alas, what shall I do? — I will talk more Separately with him, another time. In the mean time, Do you, Condick, Mind as well as you can, what I say to these. I will speak so plainly to them, if it be possible, that you may understand it.

You are all Sensible, That there lies upon you a Necessity to Turn and Live unto GOD.

P. P.

Yes, Syr.

M.

Do you feel, that you cannot of yourselves, (or if He don't help you,) Turn and Live unto him?

P. P.

Yes, Syr.

M.

Do you own, that you are not worthy of his Help; no, that He may justly withhold from you, the Influences of His Grace, which you have despised!

P. P.

Yes, Syr.

M.

This Humiliation must be laid in the Foundation, of your Conversion to GOD. And now, you acknowledge, That you have broken all the Commandments of the Glorious GOD.

P. P.

Yes, Syr.

M.

You will, by'nd by take the Catechism, and see what is Forbidden and what is Required in the Ten Commandments, and examine what your Miscariages have been, in each of the points referr'd unto. — But know, That in all your Sins, you have Denied the GOD that is above; trampled on your SAVIOUR; Vexed His Holy SPIRIT; pleas'd the Devil; and brought Mischiefs and Ruines on yourselves. In every Sin, you have done, An Horrible Thing! And, you have done very foolishly. You think so.

[Page]P. P.

We do so.

M.

But now, you must go back, and go down, to the Root of all your Wickedness. The sin of your First Parents in eating the Forbidden Fruit, was a very Vile Rebellion against the Glorious GOD. You were in that Rebellion. From hence there is derived unto you a Corruption that is the very Image of Satan, whom you in your First Parents did hearken to. All the Faculties of your Souls are depraved and enfeebled in this Corruption. You have in you an Heart that is desperately wicked; an Heart fully set in you to do evil. If you have been Restrained from any actual Enormities, it is not because you have not had an Heart inclined that way, but because GOD has witheld you from sinning against Him. You have in you a Disposition to, All manner of sin! You are aware of This.

P. P.

We believe it.

M.

By these things, you Deserve all the Sad Things, which have ever yet befallen you, from the Hand of an Offended GOD. Yea, you deserve all the strange Punishment reserved for the workers of Iniquity, in that Hell which the word of GOD has called, The place of Torment.

P. P.

We do.

M.

Now, How shall you escape the Damnation of Hell? Hear with Astonishment, the good and glad Tidings which I am to bring you; The Gospel which is to be preached unto Every Creature! — The Eternal SON of GOD, the second of the Three Persons in the eternal Godhead, has taken the Man JESUS into one Person with Himself▪ This GOD-MAN, has placed Himself in the Room of His people. The Law of GOD is armed with [Page] a Penalty. The Penalty is the Destruction of the Sinner. It must be Executed; There can be no dispensing with it. But our good GOD has allow'd of it, that His JESUS undergo the Penalty of the Violated Law for us. He has undergone it. He Dyed in our stead. He became a Sacrifice for us. There fell upon Him the Punishment that was due to us for our Sin. When we come to plead This, as we ought to do, GOD will Release us from the Punishment. Now mind Exceedingly! — You must cast yourselves in the Dust before the Lord, and weep to Him with unspeakable Agony, and plead at this rate before Him; — O Great GOD; Let me escape the Death due to me for my Sin, because my SAVIOUL has Dyed for me. Let the Blood which my SAVIOUR shed for His People, procure my Salvation from what my Sin has expos'd me to.— You will try to plead thus, and so Hope for Mercy, with a GOD Ready to Pardon.

P. P.

We hope, we shall.

M.

You must now Remember, That the Gates of the Holy City, will stand open for none but the Righteous Nation. The Law of GOD will shut those Gates upon all that can't show a Righteousness, which will fully come up to all the Demands of it. You must be owners of a Righteousness, which has no Imperfection in it, or the Law of GOD which is the Everlasting and Unalterable Rule of it, will never admit you into Blessedness. What will you do in this awful case?

P. P.

Repentance will do for us, instead of it.

M.

No, It won't. — But, mind the only Refuge, you must fly to. Oh! Fly to the City of Refuge, that is now to be set open for you. Even Wilful [Page]Murderers, may enter there. — Our SAVIOUR is become our Surety. He had a most Holy Heart; He led a most Holy Life; He yielded a most perfect obedience to the Law of GOD. No Fault could ever be found in Him. This was to produce a Righteousness, for His People, Renouncing all Dependance on their own, to plead for their Acceptance with GOD. It was He that made the Law. It was for our sake that He put Himself under it. You never can make yourselves a Righteousness. You, of all Men Living, are Spoilt for That! But now, O what an Amazing Thing! You, as wretched as you are, have this Righteousness provided for you. You have now a Tender of it, as a Cord thrown out unto a drowning Man. You! —that were far from throwing out a Cord unto the poor Men, whom you cast into the Ocean to perish there! — Oh! Lay hold on this precious Cord; and thus pour out your Tears before the Lord.

O Holy GOD, Tho' I am the most unrighteous Wretch that ever appear'd before thee, yet I desire JESUS CHRIST the Righteous, to be my Advocate in the Heavens. That Righteous One has been and has done all that thy Law calleth for. For the sake of that Righteousness, Oh! Let the Blessedness of the Righteous, be what this Lothsome Sinner shall arrive unto! Will you Consider what I say, and beg of the Lord, that He would give the understanding of it.

P. P.

We hope we shall.

M.

Well; But if the Offering of your SAVIOUR, do avail for you, there will be produced a New Heart in you; Your Heart will now close with GOD; and you will make the Service of GOD, the the Chief End and Main Work of your Life. And [Page] GOD will be to you, what you have heretofore vainly sought in Creatures. The Love of GOD will be Rooted in your Souls; and all the Branches of PIETY will be found growing upon it. You will say, What have I any more to do with Idols? You will not Sin, to please the Flesh, or the World, or the Devil. You will have Respect unto all the Commandments of GOD. This Wisdom you lack; Alas, Destitute have you been of it, all your Days! But, the Direction is, If any Man lack Wisdom, let him ask it of GOD! Send up then, Oh! send up a Cry that shall pierce the Heavens; Lord, Bestow a New Heart upon me! You must always remember, Without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. You cannot be Received into the Heavenly World, if you have not first an Heavenly Heart. Heaven could not bear you to be in it; Nay, which is a dreadful word, You could not bear to be in Heaven, if you have not another Biass prevailing on your Heart, than what you have had, while you have been Wandring from the Way of understanding, and going astray from GOD in the Greatness of your Folly. You must therefore most Earnestly Beseech your SAVIOUR, to Unite you unto Himself, & by His Good SPIRIT Quicken you for Living unto GOD: and fulfil in you all the good pleasure of His Goodness.

Thus, I have in a few words given you the Sum of the Matter; which I hope, you will Think over, when I am departed from you. For one Conference, thus much may be Enough, if you will try when I am withdrawn, to go over the Way of Life that has been set before you.

I will at this Time add only this One Remark. If you come to the Repentance that is unto Salvation, it [Page] will appear, in Dispositions, that will be the Reverse of Those, which have push'd you on, to the Sins Repented of. I'l Illustrate it, with Two Instances.

First, That which push'd you on to Robberies and Piracies, was an Immoderate, Inordinate, Irregular Desire of Worldly Possessions. Now, if you Repent, you will have a Disposition patiently to bear any Wants and Straits, that GOD may order for you; and rather suffer any Poverty and all sorts of Difficulties, than Sin, or do any Unlawful Thing, to gain the World. In this point how do you find yourselves disposed?

P.

Fly, — Be sure, I have nothing more to Expect from the World.

Co. and, Gr:

We hope, we should never do as we have done.

M.

Secondly, That which has push'd you on to Murders, as well as Robberies and Piracies, was an Hatred of your Brother, 'Tis what you have carried on to the last Extremity, A most Finished Hatred; Now if you Repent, you will have a Disposition full of Benignity; Good will towards Men, will sweeten your Minds; You will have an Hearty Love to your Neighbour. You will Wish well to every one, whose Welfare, is Consistent with the public Safety.

Now, shall I Enquire after this point also; How you find yourselves disposed in it? Say— Fly particularly, Do you say; Are there any in the world, which you don't wish well to.

P.

Fly. Yes; There is one Man, that I don't, and I can't wish well to! It is a Vain Thing to ly, If I should say, that I forgive that Man, and that I wish him well, [Page]I should ly against my Conscience, and add Sin to Sin.

M.

Alas, Man, Thou dost add Sin to Sin. To bear Malice against your Neighbour, or be unable wish him well, tho' it be not a Lye, yet it is as great a Sin as a Lye. But you must part with all Sin, if you would find the Mercy and have the Comfort of a Penitent. The Great GOD has over and over again required you to put away all Malice, and lay aside all Malice. Yea, the SON of GOD, the True witness, who delivereth Souls, has expresly told you, That if you do not Forgive, you shall not be forgiven. I hope, the Lords-Prayer is not forgotten with you. Our Lord has taught us to pray, Forgive us as we forgive. I hope, you pray according to that Prayer.

P.

Fly. Yes, I do! —But for all that, I cannot Forgive that Man. GOD Almighty Revenge me on him! — 'Tis a Vain thing — I won't dy with a Lye in my mouth,

M.

Thou talkest like a Madman! — I hope that you will take pains with your own Heart, and cry to God for the Help of His Grace, that you may be disposed, as you know you should be; and that I shall find you in a Better Frame, when I come again to Visit you.

I hope, I now find the rest of you so.

P.

P. Co. and Gr. We heartily forgive all the World; and wish well to every Man.

M.

I have Supplied you with several Books of PIETY, to assist you in your Preparation for the Death before you. I hope, you allow some Time to a Serious Perusal of them. One of them, is Entituled, The Converted Sinner; and was occasion'd, by the last Predecessors you had in the state and place you are now brought into.

[Page]P.

Fly. I read that Book before ever I was brought hither!

M.

—And yet, come hither! An Aggravation of the Crimes that have brought you hither!

—But, above all; You have the Holy BIBLE in your Hands. 'Tis the Word of Life. Oh! Read it, and Learn from it how to call upon the GOD, that speaks unto you in it. Particularly, Meditate on the Fifty first Psalm, and let that Psalm teach you how to pray under your Blood-guiltiness. But whatever Form of Prayer may be commended unto you, see that it be always the Prayer of the Soul, which you address to the Glorious GOD: The Prayer of a Soul, full of Agony, Mourning for your Sin, —Wo is unto me that I have Sinned, and Groaning to your SAVIOUR, O Wretched one that I am, Wilt thou Deliver me!

We will now pray with you and for you.—

A Second Conference. July. 9.

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M.

ACcording to your Desire, which I am always ready unto the best of my power to Gratify, I have used my humble Intercessions, with His Honour the Lieu. Governour, to grant you a Reprieve of Two or Three Days, that you may have Time to make more Thorough Work, in the Process of Repentance which is, The one Thing that is Needful for you. He is a Person every where known to be of an Excellent Spirit, and as he is one of unspotted Equity, so he is one of uncommon Clemency. It afflicts him, that he cannot grant you such a Small Releef, but, as the Special Court by which the Time and Place of your Death, were Agreed, Voted, and accordingly Registred, is now dissolved, he apprehends it improper for him now, to alter any thing about it.

But in this very Thing, you may now see the Hand of an Holy and a Righteous GOD, obliging you in some Degree to say, As I have done so GOD has Requited me! The Men whom you Murdered, they begg'd, they pleaded, they with the Groans of a Deadly wounded Man importun'd you, that you would Allow them a Little Time, and not hurry them out of the World. But, Unmerciful Creatures, You were Inexorable. — And now, you Petition for a Little Time; and so has the Glorious GOD ordered [Page] it, that it cannot be granted you. May this very Thing help to awaken the Sentiments of Repentance in you. Especially since the Long-suffering of GOD, has allow'd more than a Fortnights Time of Recollection, to you that would not allow a Moments Time, to them whose Blood is crying to Him against you.

And now, Fly; I hope, you are come to a Better Frame, than what I lately left you in.

F.

I am where I was.

M.

I am sorry for it. What? Is not your Heart yet prevailed withal, to let the Leaven of Malice be purged out of it? Can't you dy, wishing well to every one?

F.

'Tis a Vain Thing to dissemble. No; I can't. There are those, that I can't Forgive.

M.

But you must; and you must Resign your Heart up to your SAVIOUR, that by the Influences and Assistences of His Grace, you may.

F.

But I can't. — And I won't go out of the World, with a ly in my mouth.

M.

What Criminal and prodigious Nonsence are you guilty of! —And yet you'l go out of the World, with what is as Bad in your Heart; Even with Murder there, You will go out of the World, in a plain Rebellion against a Command of GOD our SAVIOUR, the Glorious One, who is the Judge of the World; whose Judgment-Seat you must appear before.

Has not the Great GOD our SAVIOUR, Expresly commanded you, To forgive, even the greatest of Enemies and of Injuries; and set before you an admirable and most Imitable Example of doing so? Dare you to Dy, persisting in a plain and a known Disobedience to Him? Can you imagine, that [Page] He will be the Author of an Eternal Salvation for you, if you flatly refuse to Obey Him? O Vain Imagination! O Vile Imagination!

And I pray what, have you to say of the Government?

F.

GOD Reward them according to their Deserts.

M.

You must not go on in this Impiety.

F.

I can't help it!

M.

But, you must get Help for it. Certainly, you pretend some Hope to be Forgiven by GOD. Have not you wrong'd the Great GOD of Heaven infinitely more, than it is possible for any Man and Worm upon Earth, to Wrong you?

F.

Be sure!

M.

Will you then hope to have Ten Thousand Talents frankly forgiven to you, & not forgive the Farthing, which is the most of the wrong that can be done to you? Nay, The Man that you say, has done you the greatest Wrong, has in Reality done you, what would prove the greatest Kindness and Service that could be done you, if you would wisely make a due Improvement of it. He has put a stop to a Course of Wickedness, in which you were apace running on Headlong to Hell. He has brought you into the way of Repentance & Salvation. You may Bless GOD forever, for what you call the Wrong that has been done you; and, if you be not a Madman, you will do so.

F.

I must be where I am. 'Tis in vain to say any more.

M.

I will say thus much more; and the Blood of your Soul would ly upon me, if I should not say it. If you go away in this obstinacy, you cannot look for any other, but that He who made you [Page]will not have Mercy on you, and He who formed you will shew you no Favour.

I will pass from This, to another Matter, wherein I hope to see some Relentings begun upon you. Your Murders, your Cruel and Bloody Murders!—

F.

I can't Charge myself, — I shan't own myself Guilty of any Murder, — Our Captain and his Mate used us Barbarously. We poor Men can't have Justice done us. There is nothing said to our Commanders, let them never so much abuse us, and use us like Dogs. But the poor Sailors —

M.

What's this, to clearing you of the horrid Murders you stand convicted of?

F.

I never Struck, either of the Persons!

M.

You held the Captains Hands down, while Mitchel struck him:

F.

No, 'Twas to Save him from the strokes.

M.

And hawle him out of the Cabin, and throw him overboard!

But who plotted the Revolution aboard the Ship? a Day or Two before! What was your Intention about the Captain and the Mate, when you should sieze them? Why did you carry Mitchel, with his Broad-Axe into the Cabin? Who threw the Captain and the Mate overboard?

If Mitchel was the only Murderer, why did you not sieze him, and reserve him for Justice? Were the Murders, any other than one Article, in the Complicated Plot of Piracy, which you were now upon? Every step that any one of you all, took in the Piracy you have been prosecuting, involved you all in the Murders, which the Piracy begun withal?

And, who was it that gave the Ghostly Advice to the Captain, how to make Sufficient Preparation for [Page] the Eternal World? I hope, you now think, a more preparation to be Necessary.

F.

I shan't own my self Guilty. False Oathes are taken against me!

—Cole now said, I desire to be removed out of the Room; I can't bear to stay and hear, my Guilty Companion, so stand upon his Innocence. He and we are all verily Guilty. And there's the Blood of the Captain yet in the Cabin, crying against us.

—Greenville Concurr'd unto what he said.

M.

Miserable Man, You know the Word of GOD, That no Murderer has Eternal Life. And Murders cannot be pardoned, if they be not Confessed, Bewailed, and Repented of.

We can do no more, but with Tears [which, alas, you have not for yourself!] Lament the unaccountable and unparallel'd Obduration that you are given up unto; and Beseech you to Consider your ways; and send up our Cries unto the GOD of all Grace, to bestow a New, and a Right, and a Soft Heart upon you.

I have done with you, any further than to ask your Attention unto the brief Instructions, which your Three Brethren here are now expecting of me.

Poor Sons of Death; Be attentive to the Words of Life; and Hearken as for Eternity.

You are in most affecting Circumstances. If you Dy two or three Days hence, in ill Terms with Heaven, you will be doom'd and thrown into Miseries, inconceivably more grievous, than any things which you ever have in this World been vexed withal. Your Spirits will be continually tortured with the furious and rending Scourges of a Guilty Conscience. An Infinite GOD will arm your Conscience [Page] to make direful Reflections on your past Misbehaviours. You will fall into the Hands of Devils; you may guess a little, how they will handle you, by your way of handling one another. Your Filthy Bodies will after a long period be Raised, that in them you may receive according to what you have done in Them. How tremendous pains, will be then inflicted on you! Yea, The Lord GOD Omnipotent will not only Banish you from all comfortable Enjoyments, but with more immediate Impressions of His Wrath, make you the Everlasting Triumphs of His Vengeance, and shoot intolerable Coruscations of it into your Enlarged Minds, and keep all the Anguish of a Tormenting Fire upon them. Verily, He will Punish like a GOD; And you will find a Strange Punishment reserved for the workers of Iniquity. Can you hear this, and not cry out; O Lord, My Flesh trembles for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy Judgments!

But then, if before you Dy, you do in the Methods of a Repenting Faith get your Pardon Sealed, and your Souls taken into the Saving and Healing Hands of that Good One, whose Call now unto you, is, Look unto me, and be Saved: Your Expired Spirits, will be taken into the Paradise of GOD. And the REDEEMER will anon Raise you from the Dead, and make you partakers of the Spiritual Blessings in the Heavenly places. Tho' you have been the Companions of Robbers, you shall then be the Companions of Angels; yea, you shall Inherit all things, and be Filled with all the Fulness of GOD. The Things to be done for you, are beyond what the Heart of Man can conceive.

You are not strangers to what we read of a Menasseh, [Page] in his Chains, returning to GOD. Oh! may you do and fare like him!

One, who had been a very wicked Man, dying in this Country, after the standers-by took him to be Dead, revived so far, as to start up in his Bed, & cry out, O! All Heaven rings with it; A Great and [...] Old Sinner, coming to Heaven! As wicked as you have been, [wicked overmuch, and now to Dy before your Time for being so!] yet before Tuesday night, Heaven, Heaven, will be filled with the High-praises of GOD, and there will be Joy among the Angels for your Arrival there!

And now,

First, Cole, Do you answer me distinctly; answer me to such Tings as these.

[The Answers, being mostly but words of Compliance, there will be no need of Reciting them, and Repeting them.]

'Tis by coming into the Covenant of GOD and of Grace, that you are to Lay hold on Eternal Life. Behold, the meaning of that Covenant, and the manner of coming into it.

You must apprehend, That the Eternal SON of GOD, has in a Covenant with His Eternal FATHER, engaged, That He will bring His People to Blessedness; — bring them to all the Good, which a GOD of Infinite Goodness, has purposed for them. You are apprehensive of This. —

One Thing Engaged by our Lord-REDEEMER, is, To offer up a Sacrifice unto Divine Justice to make Atonement for them; and undergo the sad Things which are due to them for their Sins, that so they may be delivered from them. And therewithal, To Obey the Law of GOD, and so [Page] work out, and bring in a Righteousness, that shall be Reckoned Their's; for them to be dealt withal according to it. This is already done; Is it not?

Now, Do you Consent, unto This; To be Forgiven of GOD, on the account of the Sacrifice your SAVIOUR has presented for you?

Do you Consent unto This; To be Accepted with GOD, on the account of the Righteousness with which your SAVIOUR does furnish you? And, You have no other Hope! — no other Plea!

Well; But another Thing Engaged by our Lord-REDEEMER is, To make suitable Impressions on the Souls of His Chosen; To fill them with the Love of GOD and their Neighbour; To Heal all that is amiss in them; To Quicken them for Living to GOD; And work in them what is well pleasing in the sight of GOD; and Conform them to His Will in every thing; and render all Sin Odious to them; and incline them to every thing that is Holy and Just and Good; and fit them for, and bring them to, the Heavenly world.

For you, This remains to be done. Do you consent, That He'l do all this for you, and in you?—

Do you Resign yourself up to His Holy SPIRIT, that He may do so? —

Instead of saying, I will Fear GOD and Serve Him, do you say, O my SAVIOUR, I desire, that by Thee Living in me, I may Fear GOD, and Serve Him!

So, you are willing, that your SAVIOUR fulfil in you and for you, all the Good pleasure of His Goodness!

If your Heart be in This, then you are in the Covenant of GOD!

[Page]Now, Greenville, Do you distinctly answer me to such things as these. There are Two Adams. The First Adam, who has been our unhappy Father; and Second Adam who is our Almighty SAVIOUR.

The Conversion to GOD, without which, you Perish Wonderfully and Eternally, lies in your Translation from the First Adam, to the Second Adam.

You are sensible, That the First Adam, whom the Great GOD constituted the Head of His offspring, Sinn'd against his GOD, in eating the Forbidden Fruit. —

An horrible Sin it was!

It is your Sin; You had your part in it. GOD justly reckons it yours! —

Your First Father ceasing to be what he should be, there is derived from him to you, a Base Nature. Your Nature is depraved. All your Faculties are enfeebled, and corrupted. You have now an evil Disposition in you. — prone to all Evil. — Full of Enmity to GOD. — poisoned by the Devil. — In his Image.

You feel This. —

Under the Efficacy of this Evil Principle, you have trespassed against the Laws of GOD, in Actual Sins, — Many, — Heinous, — All of them inexcusable. —

They render you worthy of all the Sorrows you have met withal! — yea, worthy of all the great Plagues and of long Continuance, in another world.

All this while, you have been a Slave to Satan, — Serving diverse Lusts? — In Hourly Danger of being thrown where the Smoke of the Torment ascends forever and ever?

You feel this, — own it, — Count your condition very miserable.

[Page]You dare not continue in it. You tremble at the Thoughts of lying under the Curse of GOD.

Then, Be astonished; And, Oh! Receive not the Grace of GOD in Vain.

The Blessed JESUS is the Second Adam. And since He is GOD as well as Man, He is more Able to Relieve you, than the First Adam could be to Ruine you.

You hear Him inviting of you, to come under the shadow of His wings.

You are made willing to do so; — And be Found in Him: — And be Drawn by Him. — You can't come if He don't help you.

You are willing, That as the Sin of your First Father is imputed unto you, so that what your SAVIOUR has done and born for His People, should be yours: — Availeable for you! — And you be saved from the Curse, because He has been made a Curse for you.

You are also willing, That your SAVIOUR should make a New Creature of you; — Stamp His Image upon you, and make you to Hate what He hates, and Love what He loves, and bring you to be all that He would have you to be?

You commit your self into His Precious Hands, that it may be so?

— I leave you in those Hands; and ask you accompany the Prayers that we shall now proceed unto. —

WISDOM In the Latter End.
A SERMON occasion'd by the Condition of the Condemned Pirates, July 10. 1726.

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Job IV.21.

They Dy even without Wisdom.

THe Greatest Unhappiness imaginable! And yet such as the most of Men are overtaken withal. To prevent such an Unhapness, as it would be the brightest Wisdom, that any Man alive can attain unto, so it should be the liveliest Care that every Man living shall have his Mind concern'd about. It is impossible to begin this Care too soon. It is impossible to pursue this Care too much. Except this be a Mans Chief Care, it is impossible to escape the formidable Unhappiness. I have before me the most Important Subject in the World. We cannot Preach too frequently [Page] or too fervently on the Subject. You cannot hear too Attentively. I bring you this Day, those Maxims of Wisdom, which will require the greatest Attention from you. We are a Congregation of Dying People. The Danger of our Dying without Wisdom, 'tis incident unto us; 'tis threatning of us; we cannot be too deeply affected with it. We live without Wisdom, if we are not very deeply affected with it!

A Comparison is instituted between Angels and Men; to prove, That if Angels must abase themselves before GOD, and lay aside all boasting pretensions to perfection, much more must Men do so. The Children of Men on Earth are on many Accounts inferiour to the Angels of God, in Heaven. The Inferiority is particularly conspicuous, in our Mortality. And indeed, we are not only Mortal Creatures, but our Death is attended with some very Humbling Circumstances. First, when men Dy, they are stript of that Excellency which makes them valuable among the Living. Tho' men may Excel never so much, in Strength or in Beauty, in Wealth or in Honour; in Learning or in Authority; They are carried Naked unto the Grave. Death, deprives them, disrobes them, of those things for which they were esteemed Excellent. Indeed there is one Excellency, which if Men had it, would Abide with them, when they Dy, and would outlive their Death. True Wisdom would do so. But now, Secondly, Behold, how unhappy the most of Men are in this thing, They Dy without Wisdom. And this is that awful Doctrine, which I am to insist upon.

[Page]Let Men be never so wise, they are to Dy; but the most of Men are so unhappy as to be found without Wisdom when they Dy.

No Wisdom can deliver any Man from Death; But it is a fearful wretchedness attending the Death of many Men, that they come to it without Wisdom.

I. The first Thing before us is, The Unhappiness of All Men; which yet unto some who have a part in a Great Saviour, in a great Measure ceases to be an Unhappiness. Whatever Wisdom there be in any Men, Death is the unavoidable Portion of all Men. There is no Wisdom that will keep off the Stroke of Death. So some take the meaning of this Clause. In the Original it runs, They Dy, and there is not Wisdom in them; that is, no Wisdom to send off the stroke of Death. Nulla est Sapientia qua mortem Effugiant. So 'tis carried by Interpreters. The wisdom of Men signifies no more to save them from Death, than if they had no Wisdom. The Wisdom of any Man will not give him any more priviledge, to Exempt him from Death, than the veriest Fool in the World. We read, Eccl. 2.16. How dyes the wise Man? even as the Fool. We read, Psal. 49.10. Wise Men dy, likewise the Fool and the Brutish perish. It was of old said, concerning a wise Man, Died Abner as a Fool dieth? In some Sense he did so Dy. The Wisest Man in any Court or Colledge upon Earth, is as liable to Death as the poorest Creature that comes within the statute of Idiocy. We read, Heb. 9.27. — 'Tis appointed for Men once to Dy. The Common Law of Death is what every Man, must submit unto. The Law runs, All Titles, Dignities,[Page]Preferments, Excellencies &c. to the Contrary, in any wise notwithstanding. 'Tis the Common Lot of Mankind; of wise Men, as well as others. They must be none but Egregious Fools, who can dream of any Exemption from this common Lot. Ah, Foolish Wretch, and far gone in Folly; shall the Earth be forsaken for thee; or shalt thou be permitted never to forsake the Earth! And shall a Decree more Established than a Rock, be removed of its place, that thou mayst always continue in thy place? No, we have the Summ of the Matter, and the Root of it. Rom. 5.12; Wherefore, as by one Man Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin; and so Death passed upon all Men, for that all have sinned.

First. No Natural Wisdom will secure, or excuse any Man from dying like all other Men. We read, 1 King. 11.43. Solomon slept with his Fathers. Where is the Politician, that can Out-wit his Last Enemy, or by his Wit elude the Approaches of that Enemy? What Lawyer so Cunning as to Quash the Writ of Death? Academies are emptied of their Inhabitants, as well as Hospitals. There is one honourable Tribe of Men, whose Profession 'tis to prolong Life. But the Physicians cannot instruct us how always to prorogue Death. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother, or find out an Elixir by which his Patient may Live for ever, and not see Corruption. They sometimes put by a Pass, which Death is making at us; but let them Fence never so Skilfully, anon Death gives a Home Thrust, and the Distrest Physicians look on with troubled and grieved Eyes, and own, We are now Physicians of no Value. They dye themselves likewise; and none sooner, than they that like Paracelsus, brag of their Immortalizing Medicines.

[Page]Secondly. No, nor will Religious Wisdom neither. We read, Josh. 1.2. Moses my Servant is Dead. They that are wise unto Salvation, yet will not by that Wisdom Save themselves from Temporal Death. Piety will deliver from the Sting of Death; but not from Death it self. Piety will deliver from the second Death; but not from the First Death. Piety will obtain a Resurrection for us, that will bring us out of the Grave; it will not obtain a Preservation for us, that we shall not go into the Grave. What Man is he that liveth, let him live never so piously, never so prayerfully, never so Fruitfully, who shall not see Death, or deliver his Soul from the hand of the Grave? In fine, It was a Sentence in the Wisdom of the Ancients; Is Vir non est, qui lapides atque edificia corruere, et homines mori miratur. The Man that wonders to see Buildings fall, and People dy, is not worthy the Name of a Man. I remember Posidonius in the Life of Austin, tells us, how much that Great Man was affected with that Sentence, a little before his own going out of the World. May we all, since we are all going out of the world, accustom ourselves to this Heart affecting Meditation.

II. The second Thing before us, is, A much worse unhpppiness that befalls the most of men, and the worst unhappiness that any Man can have befalling of him. The most of Men, dy before they have arrived unto the only true Wisdom. Few Men are wise before they Dy. Thus this clause is well carried by Expositors; Prius moriuntur quam quicquam intellexerunt de Divina Sapientia. They Dy before they know what Wisdom is: They dy strangers, to Divine, Real, Saving Wisdom. All Men are, born [Page]Fools. We read, Job 11.12. Born like the wild-Asses Colt. And the most of Men Dy Fools. The lives of Men are generally spent in Folly. And they dy before the cure of their Folly.

We will Enquire; First, Whence it proceeds, that the most of Men, dy before they arrive unto Wisdom? You may be sure, The Fall of Man is the cause of this evil. Man was ambitious of Wisdom. The Temptation of the Forbidden Fruit was, A Tree to be desired, to make one wise. But Man by his Fall has lost his Wisdom. A Darkness is come upon his Mind. His perverse Mind is now naturally disposed unto Error. He is naturally Ignorant, and out of the way. His Faculties, to discern wisely what is Right and Good, are horribly wounded by his Fall from God. It is now come to pass, that the Children of Men come under that Character; Rom. 3.16.17. —The way of Peace they have not know. And because the depraved Soul of Man loves his Error, therefore the Holy God leaves him in it. Because he will not be reclaimed from it, God lets him go on in his Error. Because he hates the Light, God witholds it from him. He Delights in his Darkness, & prefers and practises the Works of Darkness; God therefore gives him up to his Darkness. We may add, what we read; 2. Cor. 4.4. The god of this world blinded their Minds. Satan is by the wrath of God, become the Ruler of this Dark World. Men do by Sin put themselves under the Dominion of Satan. Satan shuts his poor Slaves up in those Dungeons, where the Rayes of Wisdom do not reach them. Sinners enslaved by Satan, may say of their Master, He has laid me in the lowest Pitt, in Darkness, in the Deeps. They are by the Intrigues of Satan, kept so [Page] full of Business, and carried unto such a Distance from God, that they can't see things in a True light. So they go down to the Generation of their Foolish Fathers, and they never see light.

Secondly. We will Enquire, How it appears, that the most of Men Dy before they arrive unto Wisdom. There needs no stronger, nor no sadder proof of this, than what we have in the Daily Complaints of Dying Men. Some Dy with very little sense of what has been amiss in their Lives. Madness has been in their Hearts while they have lived, & with that Madness they have gone to the Dead. But, of them who are not perfect Sotts and Stones in their Death, the most by far, dy confessing and complaining, that they have been without Wisdom all their Dayes. They own, they have never come unto Wisdom, until their Dying Hour be come upon them. And it is well, if now they do any more, than see that they have been without Wisdom; it is well if now they come really to get any of that Wisdom, which they have been thus long without. We read, Prov. 5.11, 12. of, Mourning at the last, How have I hated Instruction! The most of Men go on foolishly all their days, in such Indiscretions, that they mourn at the last; ‘Oh! If I were to live over again, I would never lead my Life so foolishly as I have done! I would order my Life after another and a wiser Manner than I have done!’ When that famous Roman Cicero, was come towards the latter End of his Life, he cried out, O me nunquam prudensem! 'Alas, I have never done the part of a 'Wise Man, in all my Days. Thus do the most of Men cry out of themselves, at a latter End full of Bitterness. Dying Men say; We have lived without [Page]Wisdom. At their Death 'tis found and own'd, they have been without it. In a Dying Hour to be forced unto the Confession, I have until now been wholly destitute of Wisdom! And now, no opportunity to Exert it, or, perhaps to obtain it! —

We will Enquire, Thirdly. Who they are, which Dy before they arrive unto Wisdom. You shall shall have a brief Description of them.

First, They who Dy Unprepared for Death, such Dy without Wisdom. The truest Wisdom of Man, lies, of old they said, In a Meditation of Death; I will say, In a Preparation for death. Death finds none but Egregious Fools Unprepared for it. We are warned, That before we dy, we must be prepared for it, by a Sanctifying Change upon us; Prepared for it, by being Renewed in the Spirit of our Minds: Prepared for it, by turning to God, and Closing with Christ, & having the Dispositions which will render us meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in light. We are warned, That if we dy before we are thus Prepared for it, it will be Good for us, that we had never been born. Our Death will be but a sort of a Trap door, by which we shall be thrown down into the place of Dragons, a place of Torments. It can be no Wisdom to slight this warning, and neglect this Preparation for Death. Unto one Unprepared for death, it was said; Luk. 12.20. Thou Fool! Oh! how justly, how justly may it be said unto such an one; Ah, Fool, dying without Wisdom! The unprepared Soul, tumbles into a dreadful Eternity, with such a shriek as that; ‘What a Fool, Oh! what a Fool, have I been! What horrible Stripes has my Folly brought me to!’

[Page]Secondly. They who dy, before they have begun to live, shall dy without Wisdom. A Man does not begin to live, until he lives unto God. He that never begins to mind the Great Errand, which GOD sent him into the World upon, has not begun to live. He that fills not his Life with Acknowledgements of GOD, and studies not to Acknowledge God in all his ways, has not begun to live. He that lives wholly to himself, and sweels away his Life, only in the Hurries, and the Pleasures, and Amusements of this Life; may have it said of him, as, 1 Tim. 5.6. He is dead, while he lives. 'Tis not Wisdom; No, 'Tis Folly in its Exaltation, to live at this rate. If Death overtakes a Man, while he is yet alienated from the Life of God; If Death siezes upon a Man, before he is experimentally acquainted with the Methods of a Godly Life: the Man dies without Wisdom.

Thirdly. They who dy in their Sins, these dy without Wisdom. Sin is Folly. Every Sinner is a Fool. In sinning we bring our selves into cause for saying, as, 2 Sam. 24.10. I have sinned, and I have done very foolishly. Men are not come to Wisdom, till they have left off sinning, or, while they go on still in their Trespasses. If Men dy before they are Converted from the Error of their ways, they dy without Wisdom. To dy Unpardoned, is to dy Miserable. To dy with Sin unbewailed, and unforsaken, and unrepented of, is to dy Unpardoned. So to dy — with Folly not abandoned, nor forgiven; To dy, with the Wrath of God yet abiding on the Soul; To dy, and carry away a Guilty Conscience, which will gnaw, and scourge, and vex the Soul, and be within it, a Worm that will never dy! Certainly, tis no Wisdom to dy so!

APPLICATION.

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But my Discourse must pass into a most Importunate Exhortation. And it is an Exhortation, to be managed with the most Vehement Importunity, because we are every one of us very nearly concerned in it. If any one of us could promise himself to be excused from dying at all; Yea, or if any one of us could promise himself to live so much as One Day longer, the Exhortation might suffer some Abatement of the Flame in which it must come unto us. Oh! But not one of us can promise any such matter. We are all concerned. My Address must be as extensive as that; Psal. 49.1. Hear this, all ye People. This must be the Exhortation to us all. Immediately, Immediately become so wise, as to get beyond the Danger of dying without Wisdom. If you enquire, and methinks you should be Inquisitive, What is that Wisdom? GOD Himself shall give you an Answer, Job 28.28. And unto Man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom, and to depart from evil, that is Understanding. Syrs, be assured of this. A Man may have the Wisdom to Govern and Manage whole Nations of Men; but if he dy without any better Wisdom, How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning, who didst order the Nations? A Man may have the Wisdom to understand as many Languages as a Mithridates; but if he dy without better Wisdom, he must be lodg'd where he shall gnaw his Tongue for Pain, & know no Language but that of Roaring and of Blasphemy. A Man may have the Wisdom to Calculate all the Motions of the Heavens; but if he dy without better [Page] Wisdom, he must go down to Hell, and lie in restless Chains of Darkness there. An acute Philosopher, will not by all his Wisdom, avoid a worse Fate than that of an Empedocles.

The greatest Case that ever can be spoken to, is now to be briefly spoken to. What shall a Person do, that he may be rescued and preserved from the Unhappiness of dying without Wisdom? O my dying Friends; Hearken, Hearken to the Counsils of GOD; the Dictates and the Lessons of the truest Wisdom!

First. You must Repent of all your Folly before you dy; Else you will dy without Wisdom. To Sin is to play the Fool. To go on in Sin, is to go astray in the Greatness of our Folly. To walk in the way of Sin, is to wander from the way of Understanding. Repentance is a Resipiscence; 'tis a growing wise again. In Repentance a Man does that thing; Luk. 15.17. come to himself. The Sinners dy without Wisdom surely, who go out of the world before they come to themselves. Ah, Dying People; This, This you have to do before you dy. You must Lament before the Lord, the Miscarriages which your Lives have been fill'd withal; the Violations of His Holy and Just and Good Laws, in the Course of your Lives; Esteem it a most Lamentable Thing, that you have offended Him: You must lay to heart that fountain of all wickedness every one of us has in his own desperately wicked Heart; that evil Heart of unbelief, which inclines us to depart from the living God. You must apprehend Sin as the worst evil; be apprehensive of an hideous and horrid evil enwrapped in it; especially, as it is a Denial of the God that is Above. You must loath and Judge [Page] yourselves, as worthy of a terrible Destruction from God, for the offence that your Sin has given to His Infinite Majesty. You must Believe that He is a God ready to Pardon. Believe the offer which He makes of His Pardoning Mercy unto the Chief of Sinners. Believe the purchase which the Blood of your Saviour has made of a Pardon, for all that will embrace the offer. You must Accept this astonishing Offer. But Accept it, with a sincere Desire, a steady Purpose to Transgress no more. Sincerely and stedily say, I will not offend any more. And if you have wrong'd your Neighbour, you must endeavour all suitable Reparation and Restitution. You dy without Wisdom, if you dy without such a Repentance. Oh! Let it not after this be said, as, Jer. 8.6. No Man Repented him.

Secondly. You must make sure of an Interest in a Glorious CHRIST, before you dy; else you will dy without Wisdom. You are sensible, That our Great Redeemer, is for many and weighty Causes in the Sacred Scriptures, called by the Name of, Wisdom. We read, 1 Cor. 1.30. He is of GOD, made unto us, Wisdom. Then to dy without Christ, is to dy without Wisdom. Wherefore, This you have to do before you dy. You must come to an Acquaintance, and an Union, with your only Saviour. You must consent unto that Covenant, which your Saviour, as the Head of His People, has made with His Eternal Father; and be willing that He should not only make Expiation for your Sins, but also Quicken you and Assist you to Live unto Him. You must Receive your Saviour in all His Offices, and with all His Benefits, and have a Soul ravished with His Excellencies; and commit your all into [Page] His Hands, and Rely upon Him for all the Blessings of Goodness. Oh! Let no one dare to dy, till he has done this. To dy Christless is to dy without Wisdom, and without Hope of Blessedness! Faith is in the New Testament ever now and then called, Wisdom. If you dy, before you have obtained a precious Faith in the only Saviour, you dy without Wisdom, and the Gospel being hid from you, you are Lost, Lost for ever. If a Christ be not your Portion, you have your Portion with Unbelievers; A Portion from which, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my Soul!

Thirdly. You must have your Minds rectified with a Principle of Grace, before you dy; else you will dy without Wisdom. That Principle of Grace, which purifies the Soul of a Sinner from his Evil Tendencies, and makes a New Creature of him, is most reasonably called, Wisdom. Thus we read; Psal. 51.6. Of Wisdom in the Hidden Part. A Principle of Grace, will cause a Man to act wisely. To fear GOD, and prize His Christ, and hate all Sin, and sleight this World, and bear Afflictions patiently and fruitfully, and be a good Steward of the manifold Favours of GOD, and be a Blessing in all Relations, and keep joyfully looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in an Everlasting Life: This is to act wisely. A Principle of Grace will produce this wise Behaviour. A Soul dismiss'd by Death, being found under the power of such a Principle, will be found mark'd for the Heavenly World. It has the Marks of the Lord upon it. A Soul then found without such a Principle, will be found without any Claim to the Blessings of the Heavenly Places. It will be claim'd by the Destroyer; and it can have nothing but a fearful Expectation of a fiery Indignation. [Page] My Neighbours, Before you dy, you must with a Conversion to GOD, have a Principle of Grace wrought in your Souls. And therefore, you must Cry to the God of all Grace, and wait on Him for it, with a most unspeakable Agony. You must Resign your selves unto the Spirit of Grace, and sollicit, and entertain His Influences, and submit to, and fall in with, His Operations. Keep doing so, while you Live; Keep doing it, as for your Lives. Tremble, Tremble at the Thought of dying, till you have in you, the Spring of Everlasting Life!

Fourthly. You must wisely Measure, and wisely Employ, the Time of your Lives; otherwise you will be without Wisdom, at the End of your Lives. 'Tis Wisdom to Measure our Time well. Thus we read; Psal. 90.12. So teach us to number our Days, that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom. 'Tis Wisdom, not to allot upon more Days than we have Reason for. 'Tis Wisdom to allow, that for ought we know, we are entred into the very last of our Days. Again, 'Tis Wisdom to Employ our Time well. Thus we read; Eph. 5.15, 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the Time, because the Days are evil. 'Tis Wisdom to spend our Hours, in such a manner that we may give a good Account how we have spent them. 'Tis Wisdom not to throw away our Hours impertinently, but be always either doing or getting of Good in them all. Mind it then, Syrs. You will dy without Wisdom, if your Death surprize you; if your Death come unexpectedly;— if at your Death you must say; I never look'd for this! I did not imagine that I could be so near to this. You will dy without Wisdom, if your Death come upon you, before you have learnt the [Page] Skill of Living Usefully; if your Death cut you down, before you are grown Fruitful in good Works; and bring forth much Fruit unto God. Oh! Beware of this.

Fifthly. To Escape the Finished Folly of Dying without Wisdom, one way is, To Learn Wisdom from the Dying. Verily, The Thoughts of a Dying Man, are those wherein Ordinarily you hear Wisdom Justified, even by those who never in all their Days before have been the Children of it. The Wisdom which the Children of Exalted Folly have derided, while they thought of nothing but living always here, is, in The Thoughts of a Dying Man, how Approved, how Applauded, how Recommended unto the Survivers! When Men see the Days of the life of their Vanity come to their period, they Recommend unto the World, the Religion of GOD our SAVIOUR, and a Conformity to the Maxims of it, as the only Wisdom in the World! Ask a Dying Man, What is the Wisest Course that can be taken? He will say; ‘Oh! live to GOD, and live by the Faith of the SON of GOD, as soon and as much as ever you can; And fill your life with Acts of Devotion towards GOD, and with Acts of Benignity towards Man; And let the Views of a life to come govern you in all Manner of Conversation.’

Such Things you have a thousand and a thousand times heard from the Quivering Lips, that have had an Immortal Soul just Expiring from them. Won't you hearken to the Voice of such Teachers, but Mourn at the last, for your Obstinacy and Impenitence? O ye Fools, when will you be wise! —

And now, The Great GOD has ordered it, that a Number of Dying Men appear among us, in [Page] some Tragical and peculiar Circumstances. Another Company of PIRATES under Sentence of Death appear among us, and are within a few Hours to be Executed.

Certainly, It will be the Wisdom of us all, but especially of our Sea-faring Tribe, to learn from these Dying Men, some things which the living that see the End of these Men must lay to Heart, — if they would not with an Hard Heart lay up for themselves Treasures of Wrath, to be poured out upon them, in the Righteous Judgment of GOD.

Learn from these poor Men, the Mischief of those Two Vices, wherein so many of the Sea-faring Tribe suffer the doleful Shipwreck of their Souls, and are drowned in Perdition. The first, that of Drunkenness; And then, that of profane Swearing and Cursing. These poor Men do, with unutterable Anguish cry out, under the heavy Load of Guilt, which these Two Vices have laid and left upon them. The former Vice, resigns the Sinner up to the Possession of the Devil; and by Consequence, to all manner of Wickedness. The latter Vice, declares that the Devil has taken an horrible Possession of the Sinner, and the Wretch cannot now so truly say, what he use to do, My Tongue is my own; as he may say, 'Tis the Devils: And being Set on Fire of Hell, 'tis plain, what and where a Torment is intended for it. Being thus Warned of them, Oh! Steer clear of the Rocks, where you see the Breakers before you!

At the same time, when, Oh! when, will the Sea no longer have cause to say of Wisdom, It is not in me! And complain that they who follow the Sea, will so Madly as they do, abandon themselves, [Page] and let their Souls drive to the Courses of Self-destruction! Poor Sailours, Will you never hearken to the Voice of Wisdom? Always be Madmen, and with Madness in your Hearts go to the Dead? Never become a Pious, a Sober, a Serious, and a Prudent Generation? Let the Condition of these Poor Men help you to receive Instruction and acquaint your Hearts with Wisdom. In their Condition you see, that if you go on still in your Trespasses a Provoked GOD can by the Hands of Sea-Monsters, which thro' His Curse upon you do Increase and Multiply, & become the Terror of them that haunt the Sea, bring sore plagues upon you: And even one of these Leviathans have a permission to pillage no less than Four Hundred Vessels of you. Yea, and what is infinitely worse; In their Condition you see what you may be left unto: And how far, if you remain Incorrigible in your evil ways, the Justice of GOD may give you up to the Lusts of your own Hearts, and leave you to do those things, which may bring a fearful End upon you, that once you little imagined. Oh! What may you come to!

My Friends; Be Admonished by these things; And, Be wise.

But while I am addressing the poor Sailours, and beseeching them, that they would not let the Devil, who is the worst of Masters, enslave them, nor have their Names in the Book of, The Wicked one, I would presume upon an Address to the Masters of our Vessels, that they would not be too like the Devil, in their Barbarous Usage of the Men that are under them, and lay them under Temptations to do Desperate Things. We allow, Syrs, That you must be Commanders aboard, and you must keep a strict Hand [Page] over your Men; and you may, as Times go, too often have occasions for Severities; But still, there must be no room for Barbarities. Our best Commanders find they can do without such Things. The Men must be used as Rational Creatures. Yea, Masters, you must Remember your MEN, — Don't you call 'em so? — They are your Brethren. And you would certainly find it so, that with a Merciful Usage of your Men, if you wisely maintain the Exercises of PIETY aboard your Vessels, and be yourselves bright Examples of it, your GOD, and the Conscience that speaks from and for Him in your Men, would be on your side, and your Authority would be sufficiently Established.

I Conclude. And, Hear this, O all ye People, every one of you! You cannot be secured from the Inexpressible, the Incomprehensible Infelicity of, Dying without Wisdom, if you do not immediately come into a fixed RESOLUTION, for that which is, The Beginning of Wisdom: Resolved for the Fear of God, and a Life of Religion. Oh! Be not so Exceeding Mad, any of you, as to remain Unresolved, whether the Glorious GOD be not worthy of a perpetual Homage from you; whether a Gracious REDEEMER have not such Things to do for you, as are worth your looking to Him for; whether the Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places, are not rather to be chosen, than a Devouring Fire, and Everlasting Burnings! Will our young People, be so wise now, as to Consider their Latter End! We read of such a Thing as that; Prov. 1.4. Giving to the young Man Discretion. The word for, Discretion, there, may be rendred, Thoughtfulness. Oh! That our young People would be so Discrete as to be more Thoughtful [Page] than they often are! Oh! that they might be able to say, I thought on my ways, and I turned my Feet unto the ways, whereto GOD has born His Testimonies. And, Children, I now more particularly Demand your Thoughts on two Questions, in the Catechism for Conscience, which continually comes upon you.

I demand it of you, whether you are sure of any more Time to get Wisdom, than this very Moment, before you dy? GOD has taught you an Answer to this Question; Prov. 7.5. Boast not thy self of Tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a Day may bring forth.

I demand it of you, whether if you dy without Wisdom, your Folly will not be inexcusable, your Horror intolerable, your Torture insupportable? God has taught you an Answer to this Question; Heb. 10.31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living GOD.

I hope 'tis no longer a matter of Suspense with you; But you are come to a point, Great God, Thro' thy CHRIST I desire to live unto thee.

The short SERMON occasion'd by the Condition of these Miserables, is thus finished. What remains, is,

The EXECUTION.

[Page]

AND now, speedily, that is to say, On Tuesday, the Sentence against the Evil Works of these Men, must be executed. One of the Four, namely, Condick, was Reprieved. As for Fly, he had been all along, a most uncommon and amazing Instance of Impenitency and Stupidity, and what Spectacles of Obduration the Wicked will be, when they have by a course of Wickedness under and against Warnings, provoked the GOD of Heaven to withold His Influences from them. The Sullen and Raging Mood, into which he fell, upon his being first Imprison'd, caused him to break forth into furious Execrations, and Blasphemies too hideous to be mention'd; and not eat one morsel of any thing, but subsist only upon a little Drinking, for almost all the remaining part of his Life. He declined appearing in the Public Assemblies, on the Lords-day, with the other Prisoners, to be under the appointed means of Grace, because, forsooth, he would not have the Mob to gaze upon him. He seem'd all along ambitious to have it said, That he died a brave fellow ▪ He pass'd along to the place of Execution, with a Nosegay in his hand, and making his Complements, where he thought he saw occasion. Arriving there, he nimbly mounted the Stage, and would fain have put on a Smiling Aspect. He reproached the Hangman, for not understanding his Trade, and with his own Hands rectified matters, to render all things more Convenient and Effectual.

[Page]When he was called upon, to Speak what he should judge proper to be spoken on that sad occasion, at least for the Warning of Survivers, he only said, That he would advise the Masters of Vessels to carry it well to their Men, lest they should be put upon doing as he had done.

At the same time, he declared his obstinate Refusal, to Forgive the Person that had been the Instrument of bringing him to Justice. When the Necessity of that Charity was urgently press'd upon him; and advantage taken from a Recital of the Lords-Prayer used among the Devotions of the Criminals on the present Occasion, to urge it; he still persisted in his Unrelenting Frame; and an Expression of that Importance was in the last words, he Expired withal. But it was observed and is affirm'd, by some Spectators, that in the Midst of all his affected Bravery, a very sensible Trembling attended him; His hands and his Knees were plainly seen to Tremble. — And so we must leave him for the Judgment to come.

The other Two, Cole and Greenville, had much greater Signs of Repentance upon them. They made their Prayers, and seem'd continually praying, and much affected. They desired the Spectators to take Warning by them. And they mentioned Profane Swearing and Cursing, with Drunkenness and Sabbath-breaking, as Crimes which were now particularly grievous to them. They also justified the Court, as well as acknowledged the Justice of the Glorious GOD, in the Punishment they were now brought unto.

[Page]A Minister present having made a Pertinent and Pathetic Prayer, the Officer, willing that all that was possible might be done for their good, after some time, ask'd them, whether they would have another Prayer. Fly did not accept the offer, but said, If the other Two be Ready, I am! However, the other Two desiring it, another such prayer was made by another Minister; and after that, another by a Third; with which they joined attentively. (while Fly look'd about him unconcerned.)

Then the Execution was finished; And Fly's Carcase hanged in Chains, on an Island, at the Entrance into Boston-Harbour.

Cole, being one that could use his Pen, did on the Morning before his Execution, give out a Paper, in which ‘he Lamented his early accustoming of himself to Profane Swearing; and Blasphemous Language; and Excessive Drinking; and his frequent stealing of Liquors from his Master, for the Satisfaction of them who hired him to do it. He added his bitter Lamentations, that when he came to Man's Estate, he abandoned himself to criminal Pleasures, to Drinking, Dancing, Whoring, and the rest. He begg'd all Sea-faring-Men to take Warning by his Ignominious and Miserable Death; to which he was now brought, by the Enticements of the Wicked. He confess'd himself to be justly Condemned; and gave abundance of Thanks, for the Assistance of Good Ministers, and the wholesome Instructions and holy Directions they had given him, and [Page] and express'd his Hope of entring into Heaven, by the Blood of His Glorious Redeemer.’ And he earnestly desired, that this Paper might be published to the World.

The poor Man, in the Prison, had owned unto a Minister, That from the Moment of the Murders on Board, he never had a minutes Quiet in his Mind, but was continually Meditating how to run away from the whole World, and if it were possible run away from himself. The Apprehension of his having some Intention to knock the Vessel on the Head, and perhaps the Captain, caused them, for some Days before Mr. Atkinson's happy Revolution, to lay him in Irons, and every Day cruelly to bestow more than an Hundred Lashes upon him; whereof he continued Sore to his Death. He now saw the Glorious GOD, beginning to Execute on him His Vengeance, by the Hands of his own Bloody Companions: And he endured such Miseries, as made him look upon his forlorn Circumstances in the Boston-Gaol, as a sort of a Deliverance. It was there endeavoured, that this Construction of his Miseries might be set home upon him. However, it was admirable to see, how the Vengeance of GOD, sometimes makes Aceomplices in Sin, horrible Scourges to one another!

It was a Saying of the Orientals, Happy is he, who corrects his Faults by the Faults of others. And now, Happy would our Sea-faring People particularly be, if the Crimes and the Ends of some whom they have seen Drowned in Perdition, might effectually cause them to beware of the Faults. with which they may any of them charge themselves.

[Page]Upon those words used unto Achan just before his Execution, The Lord shall trouble them THIS DAY; the Jews have a Charitable Fancy, That on THAT DAY, he saw an end of all his Trouble; and that in the world to come he shall have no further Trouble, but be found among the Penitent and the Pardoned. With the Malefactors, who dy Penitent and Pardoned, it will be so; But the Infallible Judgment of who are so, is what none but GOD the Judge of all, can determine.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

The vial poured out upon the sea. A remarkable relation of certain pirates brought unto a tragical and untimely end. Some conferences with them, after their condemnation. Their behaviour at their execution. And a sermon preached on that occasion. : [Two lines from Job]

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2008-09.

ID [DLPS]

N02345

ID [TCP]

N02345

ID [STC]

Evans 2779

ID [NOTIS]

APX2823

ID [IMAGE-SET]

2779

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99019572

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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. 2779.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N02345)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 2779)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 2779)

Source

— The vial poured out upon the sea. A remarkable relation of certain pirates brought unto a tragical and untimely end. Some conferences with them, after their condemnation. Their behaviour at their execution. And a sermon preached on that occasion. : [Two lines from Job], Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728..

Extent

[2], 51, [1] p. ; (8vo)

Printed by T. Fleet, for N. Belknap, and sold at his shop near Scarlet's Wharf.,. Boston: :: 1726.. (Attributed to Cotton Mather by Holmes.)

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