never I would offer some things to your consideration for your conviction of guiltiness and need you have to get your peace made with God You are by nature a Child of Wrath and guilty of Adams Sin you brought a guilty defiled Soul into the world with you You were shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did your Mother conceive you You have long refused and slighted Jesus Christ and would none of him as your Prophet your Priests and your King and so are under a Sentence of Death from the Gospel as well as the Law by your unbelief you have sealed down the Wrath of God upon your own Soul you have fallen also into great Land-polluting moral evils Lying Stealing Adultery and Murder You would not hearken to the voice of your eminently pious Father-in law warning of you You have accustomed your self to these ways of sin tho' you Lived under the convincing preaching of the Gospel You closed your eyes and would not see tho' for many years you Lived under an eminently Soul-searching Ministry you have given up your self to these sins in the day that God was pleading his Controversie and hedging up your ways with thorns in the day of the Lords anger you have sinned more and more when God had driven you out of one Plantation into another by the Enemy when God had taken away your first Husband by Death and suffered your second to be carried into Captivity when he was in bondage you were wantonly doting on your Lovers yea though you could not look out an your door but the Garrison and Souldiers before your eyes proclaimed it to be a day of Gods anger your sin is very great in your violating your Marriage Covenant You have relapsed after God filled your Soul with horror for these abominations and turned again as a Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire You refused to be prevented from Murder by covering your Adultery with lying though so solemnly admonished and cautioned You have unnaturally murdered the fruit of your own body what in you lay its Soul have abused patience and long suffering exercised towards you of God multiplying lying and hardening your heart have not feared God being under a righteous Condemnation and Sentence of Death but to this day continued in lying You have slighted the Word of God quenched the Spirit of God refused Christ and have by these things filled up the measure of your sins so that you must Dye that the Land be not guilty None may stay you from death and suffer you to live least the Land be greatly polluted And you are now Enjoying your last Opportunity in Gods House you that have idled slept away yea whored away part of so many Sabbaths and Lectures shall have no more You that have disregarded Gods Counsels how righteously might God say I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear comesâ— Yet he sayes after all these things turn Jer. 3.7 For the life of your body your case is hopeless Your sin is so heinous that your life can't be saved without injustice Well then since you can't live guiltless labour to die penitent since your Body can't be saved alive endeavour that your Soul may be saved alive in death there is yet a possibility that your Soul may be saved See Prov. 1.20 22 23 24. Jesus Christ the essential wisdom calls after such an one as you to come to him though you have been long sinning lov'd and delighted in sinning yea tho' you have hated knowledge you are called upon encouraged to come God in Christ is shewing how ready he is to show you mercy upon your repentance and to help you in your repentance he offers you the best help and help suitable Oh then come away to Jesus Christ now left upon your refusal the after verses be made good against your Soul Direction Come away to Christ now upon the call and encouragement of the Gospel Stay away no longer Don't think your Prayers good promises and others praying for you will save you But hasten away to Christ There is no other Name given whereby you can be saved Act. 4.12 And no other way of being saved by Christ than by coming to him or believing on him You are called this day in an Ordinance of Christ to come for Reconciliation 1 Cor. 5.19 Christ came to save guilty sinners It s a faithful saying and worthy of your acceptation that Christ came into the World to save Sinners chief of Sinners The greatest sinners have been justified in this way 1 Cor. 6.11 So Manasseh that shed much innocent blood Consider for your encouragement that Christ fully accepts of them that ran far from him that refused to come as long as they could retain any hopes of being saved in any other way upon their coming to him Luke 15. God won't upbraid you upon your coming Jam. 1.5 Yea he that comes unto me I will in no wise cast out though he have been a great and an old Sinner though he have sinned away many Convictions yet if he come he shall have mercy Christ Jesus calls you to come not to sell you pardon but give you Grace Matth. 11.29 I will give you rest Christ aimes at your present gain and not at his own and therefore if you have no money yet you may have the mercy you want Isa. 55.1 Consider 1. That Christ don't call you to come to him to be Punished but Pardoned Christ in the Gospel comes to you to save you calls you to come to him to be pardoned It s true if you refuse the calls of Christ in this life he will call you in the next life to be punished and condemned Oh! Christ calls you and you need not be afraid to come to him now for he doth not call you to come to be punished for sins alâ—eady committed but that he may pardon and forgive them blot oâ—t the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against you May you have a free and full pardon of so many and great sins upon coming then delay no longer 2. Jesus Christ calls you to come not to pass a Sentence of Death upon you but to take it off from you There will be no Condemnation against your Soul when once you are gotten into Christ. Rom. 8.1 yea Christ says such shall not enter into Condemnation for they are passed from death to life there is a sentence of death gone out against you in the Law 't is a holy and righteous sentence too now the Gospel offers no mercy to the repealing and taking off this Sentence of Condemnation without coming to Christ. 3. Christ calls you to come to him not to shut you up in the Prison of Hell but to set you at liberty Oh! Christ would bring you out of the pit wherein is no water for Christ received a Commission from the Father to proclaim liberty and the opening of the prison doors to them that are shut up Isa. 61.1 2.
Servants wantonly toying dallying one with another fooâ—ishly sporting on beds before their eyes unreproved Iâ— Parents and Heads of Families countenance and wink at such things I know no reason they have to exercise charity towards them that they won't play the Whoâ—e and be grosly Unclean out of their sight they are to blame that know their Children make themselves vile and restrain them not 4. That the case of some is exceeding hazzardous and full of danger they have the astonishing guilt of these Sins of Uncleanness Murder upon their Souls they have not only committed thâ—â—â— evils but have not repented of them have the guilt of these sins still lying upon their Souls If the Consciences of theâ—e are aâ—lâ—ep and they under security yet they are in hazzard and great danger It may be they sâ—id when they were tempted to these sins they would yield to them it would be only repenâ—ing of them afterwards Oh they are but a few who addict themselves to such a way and course of Sin that unâ—eignedly repent and turn to God Prov. 2.19 These had need to flie for refuge to escape for their lives 5. It s a thing much to be lamented that any among us at this day should be left to such Sins It s sorrowful to hear that Pagans and Papists should be guilty in these respects much more lamentable when any among our selves especially at this day are walking on in these ways God hath been hedging up our wayes with thorns to stop us in ways of sin shall any in such a day when God is purging us be thus Unclean Shall any contemn the Justice of God and flight his anger Rivers of tears should run down our eyes We should behold these Transgressors and be grieved USE II. Of Awakening to all that are guilty of these Sins Know it that for these things cometh the Wrath of God upon the children of Disobedience There is reason that such Sinners should tremble at the Wrath of God hear what the Text and Doctrine saith to such as you I would fain have charity that there is but one in this Assembly that hath been guilty of Murder in the highest degree of it yet I fear there are several that have Murdered in their hearts and some who have been guilty of interpretative Murder for hiding and concealing the Uncleanness of which this poor Condemned One was guilty before she became guilty of Murder for which she is to dye I fear the guilt of Innocent Blood lies also upon some that through a greedy desire to get gain have made drunk the heathen to the occasioning quarrels to death among themselves and ploddings of death to others Oh consider of the words and truth of God to you this day and labour to get a pardon for your Blood-guiltiness Here also is certainly matter of Awakening to all unclean Sinners Adulterers or Fornicators It may be there are not many before God that have before man been convicted of Uncleanness not many who have in the sight of man had Bastards laid to their charge yet to be feared much Uncleanness to be charged on several who are Whoremongers in the sight of God and exposed to this Wrath that you hear determined from the Lord God of Hosts against the Unclean Hear tremble all you Unclean Ones elder younger who have not only been in heart but actually unclean before the eye of your Judge How can you escape the Wrath of God under the guilt of these This Sin of Uncleanness is one great cause why the Land mourns this day and is a sin for which many will despairngly mourn at last unless they speedily repent This evil is thought to be a prevailing growing evil I shall therefore more specially have a regard to the guilty of Uncleanness in what remains Awakening 1. To all those who can commit this Sin with greediness and without remorse these have got the mastery of their consciences who can commit this sin without terror the wounds that this sin makes are not felt time was when the accusations of conscience made them tremble fill'd them with inward horror time was when they could not yield to lesser acts of Uncleanness without much difficulty from the arguing of a conscience informed from the Word of God But now they are greedy after the pleasures of sin will and can argue for Uncleanness and promise themselves security So the whorish Woman spoken of in Prov. 7.15 She becomes an Orator for it useth all her Eloquence to inveigle a companion doth not barely hint a desire of the commission of that sin but useth much fair speaking Now they can watch for fit seasons and for suitable companions Eph. 4.17 18. Fear of Hell a Religious Education fear of shame and reproach will do nothing to prevent the commission oâ— this Sin 2. To all those who are guilty of this Sin just after Sabbaths soon after they are comâ— from hearing the Word of God Some therâ— are who before they sleep or give themselveâ— rest in their beds are Unclean It s much to bâ— feared there are those who on the evenings aâ—ter Sabbaths are wanton and unclean who 〈◊〉 as though God had been giving them a Dispensation to be vile rather than exhorting of them to Holiness of Life and conversation How many who do in this way as it were bid defiance to God and say they don't value his word or like them the word that hath been spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not do it but we will certainly do whatever goeth forth out of our own mouth such are surely impudent Prov. 7.14 15. 3. To all those who descend from Godly and Religious Parents who to the grief and against the Godly Warnings and admonitions of their pious Relations are Unclean 1 Sam. 27.25 Those may boast themselves of their priviledges and say they have Abraham to their Father but they are to God as Children of the Ethiopians hath not God in his Word said of such as you If they forsake me I will cast them off for ever Prov. 29.1 4. To all those who break their Covenant with God and man for the fruition of adulterous pleasure Mal. 2.14 Prov. 2.17 18. Fornication is not connived at by God but he is a swift witness against these Mal. 3.5 those who sin with so many aggravating and heightening circumstances as these can't be very long in filling up the measure of their Sin for a judicial process they have before witness on earth in the presence of God promised Chastity 5. To all those who condemn it in others and know that it hath brought down the Wrath of God upon them and yet live in it some that are guilty of this Sin cry out against others and speak as though the sorest punishment that could be thought of could not be too severe So did Judah when his daughter-in-law was guilty of Whoredom yet himself as deeply guilty Gen. 38.24 Surely these are inexcusably
WARNINGS TO THE Unclean IN A DISCOURSE From Rev. XXI 8. Preacht at Springfield Lecture August 25 th 1698. At the Execution of Sarah Smith By Mr. John Williams Pastor of the Church at Deerfield Boston Printed by B. Green and J. Allen for Michael Perry at his Shop over-against the Town-House 1699. THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE HENRY STEVENS of Vermont FSA c. 4 Trafalgar Square London 1882 TO THE READER ALthough in the Popish Sense we mâ—y allow no sin to be Venial For the wages of every sin is death yet there are doubtless degrees in sin some are in their nature circumstances more peculiarly aggravated and expose to a much sorer Condemnation Among which may be reckoned those which are not only violations of positive Precepts but of the very dictates and law of nature in such sins there is both a contempt of the Divine Authority and a great deal of violence offered to Conscience which would restrain from the commission of them and is a plain demonstration of prevailing Atheism of the heart and mighty power and love of sin in it to over-bear the light they have but that such sins should be committed under the clear light of the Gospel shews men to be wholly without excuse It therefore is and ought to be for a lamentation that though we live in such an Age of the World wherein the Light of the Gospel shines with greater clearness probably then it ever did since the first revelation of it yea in days too wherein the Wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the unrighteousness of men That in such days there should be found so many sad instances of these horrid and unnatural sins of Murther and Uncleanness but especially of this latter that there is ground to fear that it hath been one of the things for which God hath so long had a controversie with the Land As for what is obvious to men of this nature we have reason to hope that the Land is free from the guilt of it by the vigilance and faithfulness of those to whom God hath committed the Sword of Justice but there are many things of this nature secret which the method of God in his Judgments seems directly to point at It is noted among the procuring causes of Israels miseries 2 King 17.9 That the Children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right in the sight of the Lord probably this may reâ—err to what we read in 1 King 14.24 There were Sodomites in the land However that be it 's certain the Prophets reckon up the sins of Whoredom and Adultery among the black Catalogue of their abominations and the causes of their calamities Jer. 5.7 They assembled themselves by troops in Harlots houses and Hos. 4.11 Whorâ—dom and Wine take away the heart these are such things as defile the Land where-ever they are committed and will certainly procure an increase of Judgments unless repentance prevents whensoever God in his just Wrath leaves any to be monuments of shame ignominy before the world it is a loud call to all who lye under such guilt to be speedy and thorough in repentance God both requires and expects it should be so Deut. 13.11 All Israel shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously on which account it seems very sutable to accompany such sad instances with solemn warnings that those who are under the like guilt may be awakened and others may be awed and it is especially needful that persons be put in remembrance of the dreadful consequence of these things in the world to come in comparison of which the greatest shame and severe penalties here are as nothing and as the Judgment of God is more severe so it is more certain he hath positively declared Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and adulterers God will Judge these works of darkness may escape the notice so the Judgment of men but there will be no escaping the Judgment of God there is no darkness or shadow of death where the workers of Iniquity may hide themselves the eye of God follows men into their darkest recesses and he will surely have a day to bring to light the hidden things of darkness To promote these Ends it is that many of the Hearers of the following sollid and seasonable Warning delivered just before the Execution of a person convicted of these horrid sins of Murther and Adultery have desired the publication of it to which the Author hath consented being desirous to further the right Improvement of such a sad Example to deter others from the like abominations As for the person Executed for these sins she is an awful instance of the infatuating hardening and stupifying power of this bruitish Sin of Uncleanness her love to frequent practice of it having occasioned her stifling many convictions contracted a fearful stupidity and sottishness upon her near the approaches of death It is earnestly to be wished that such Warnings and Examples might not be in vain that all would so improve them that we might see no more such Examples To conclude therefore let me perswade all to consider the heinous nature and dreadful effects of these sins the Apostle gives a particular account hereof 1 Cor. 6.9 13 14 15 16 17. It s a sin against a mans own body it is a defiling of that which should be the temple of God it is a Sin loathsome in it self and makes those who are guilty of it loathsome to God and to men too when it is discovered it is a sin that is ordinarily the punishment of other sins Prov. 23.27 A Whore is a deep ditch and a narrow pit the abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein It is a Sin that dreadfully hardens and besots those who are guilty of it Prov. 21.9 't is said of the Harlot nâ—ne that go in unto her return again neither take they hold of the path of life 2. That persons would more carefully avoid the inducements to this Sin which are too common Such are over cosâ—ly light garish Attire impudent and immodest carriages filthy communications idleness intemperance by which the body is inflamed and modesty banished the command that forbids the acts of Uncleanness forbids also the occasions and tendencies to it and unless there be a tenderness and watchfulness to avoid these there will be little hopes that gross pollutions will be avoided Thus commending the following Warnings to the Blessing of God and to the serious consideration of the Rising Generation I am Your Souls well-wisher W. Williams WARNINGS TO ALL Unclean Persons Rev XXI 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire brimstone which is the second death SInners promise themselves a great deal of pleasure satisfaction and delight in the ways of Disobedience to the holy Commands of God but the destinations and appointments of God to them are far
otherwise They say they shall sollace themselves with love and take their fill of love But in these words you see what God appoints them too not to a bed deckt with coverings of tapistry with carved works with fine Linnen of Egypt perfumed with myrrh aloes and cinnamon but to a lake burning with fire and brimstone a righteous allotment from God to all them that burn in their filthy lusts here In these words by an elegant Antithesis we have represented to us the differing frame of the wicked from the godly and the differing portion of these from the godly the Godly in the foregoing verse are described from their constancy and perseverance in opposing whatever was contrary to the holy nature or holy Law of God and happiness in its full complement or perfection is promised them of God The Ungodly spoken of in these words are such as are for preâ—ent ease and endless sorrow and pain are threatned to them In which words we have as it were a Catalogue of those that are appointed to Wrath or a very severe Commination or Threatning c. With the Subjects thereof 1. The Commination or Threatning shall have their part c. an absolute peremptory threatning shall have not that its probable or who can tell but it may be so they are in danger its very much to be feared it will be â—o but they shall have their part Part share or portion so much as hath been demerited by their sins and is appointed them of God who will give to every man according to the fruit of his doings Lake figuratively put for the place of Torâ—ent Hell wherein the reprobate shall be â—ormented Burns with fire and brimstone denoting the â—xtream torments of Hell when 't is said they â—hall have their part c. 't is as much as though â—t had been said they shall be adjudged to a most grievous Damnation by an irreversible Sentence Second Death Eternal Death c. Damnation of Soul and Body in Hell concludes under it the separation of the whole man Soul and Body from the glorious presence of God and the delivering of the Sinner to endless pain and torment in Hell 2. The Subjects of this doleful Commination Fearful Such as through fear of man swerve from the holy profession and practice of Godliness comprehending all those who are afraid from the encouragements of the Gospel to commit their Souls to Christ who dare not on Gospel Encouragements believe on Christ. Unbelieving all that remain in a Christless and Impenitent State on whatever consideration whether from sloth love of sinful pleasures or contempt of Christ and his Glorious Grace Abominable Those that are left to sin against nature and such as are guilty of Sodomy and Beaâ—tiality Murderers Those that unjustly take away the life of others or do that which hath a tendency thereto those that offer violence to the blood and life of others Whoremongers Unclean persons whether married who are termed Adulterers or unmarried who are called Fornicators Sorcerers Witches those that have familiar amity with Evil Spirits Idolaters Idol worshippers that use Idols in Religious Worship Such also are all that put the Creature in the room and stead of God All Lyars Such as are deceitful and dissembling who speak otherwise then they think and do otherwise then they speak such as accustom themselves to speak falsly comprehend those that fall into Heresie and all practical Lyars as Hypocrites who profess that they know God yet in works deny him any dying under the guilt of these sins are the Subjects of this Commination Any living under the single guilt of any one of these heads of sin are at present under a Sentence of Death and nothing but unâ—eigned repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ can prevent their being the Subjects of this threatning eternally DOCTRINE Murder and Uncleanness are sins that God punisheth men and women dying under the guilt of with Eternal Damnation Or thus That Impenitent Murderers and Unclean persons will â—e made the Subjects of Hell Torments Hell Torments will be the portion of all Impenitent and Unclean Persons I have singled out these two rather then the rest because God in his Providence calls me to â—ear testimony against these and to warn one in a peculiar manner convicted of both these and under a just Sentence of Death speedily to repent and get a pardon in the blood of Christ. Uncleanness and Murder are Sins that God punisheth not only in this life but in the world to come when the natural life of these shall be expired and that by Divine Appointment worse sorrows then ever they endured here shall seizâ— upon and apprehend them the sufferings of wrath here and loss of liâ—e by divine vengeance will not expiate guilâ—iness but divine wrath will pursue and abide on the guilty in the other world One Death will lead to another the First Death makes way for the Second God don't punish the Guilty only with Damnation but Everlasting Damnation Sinners dying under the guilt of these sins shall not only be Damned but everlastingly Damned Quest. How doth it appear that God will punish them that dye under the guilt of these sins with Everlasting Damnation 1. From Scripture Threatnings and Comminations God is not a man that he should lye nâ—ither the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do iâ— Or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good God that said of old that he would Chastize as their Congregation had heard God who is truth and cannot lâ—e who after he had threatned his impâ—nitent people in ancient times for their Aposâ—acy warned them against flattering themselves with hopes of impunity by saying the Lord have spoken it this God hath in his Word threatned thus to deal with Unclean Sinners commanded them not to deceive themselves with hopes of a less punishment 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.6 these Exclusions from the Kingdom of Heaven comprehend in them positive punishments even the punishment of Eternal Damnation If Sinners hearing the curses and threatnings of Gods Word embolden themselves with promising themselves happiness they will find themselves in the issue separated to all evil Deut. 29.19 20. For heaven and earth shall sooner pass away than one jot or tittle of Gods word fail of its accomplishment 2. Because these are Transgressers of the Holy Law of God and Damnation is due to them on this account Rom. 6.23 Rom. 1.13 Every Sin is a transgression of the Holy Law of God it s therefore a meet and a reasonable thing that they should have their due Hell and Damnation are as really due to them and deserved by them in this their last end as ever wages were to a man at the end of his days work God is neglected slighted his holy Law trampled upon for a little present carnal satisfaction so that the Justice of God is concerned thus to deal with them 3. Because