Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A56520
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Blood for blood, or, Justice executed for innocent blood-shed being a true narrative of that late horrid murder committed by Mary Cook upon her own and only beloved child, with several remarkable passages preceding the fact, as also what was most worthy observation during her imprisonment, and at her execution / faithfully communicated for publique satisfaction by N. Partridge and J. Sharp ; with a sermon on the same occasion ; with other spectaters and visiters whilst in prison and at her execution.
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Partridge, N.; Sharp, J.
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1670
(1670)
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Wing P630; ESTC R36660
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19,984
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50
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sentence and execution hath removed the Offendor from the society of men except deep sorrow and unfeigned repentance bitter sighs lamentable cryes and above all the blood of a Saviour doth mediate to the appeasing wrath the same Offendor must be given up into the hands of Devils to be tormented with fire and brimstone whereas St. Mark saith their worm shall never dye and their fire shall never be quenched Therefore Reader if Murder speaks thus loud with God and man no doubt but City and Country will ring of it and Oh that the cry of this even of this that a Mother should so forget her tender Babe as not only to neglect it but the worst of evils to murder it yea to bath as it were her hands in her childs blood We again pray and say Oh that it might if possible reach to the ends not only of England but the earth to beget a reverence to God a dread to sin and a continual praying and watching over our hearts and lives and to bespeak warning to all that none henceforward upon themselves their child or neighbour shall entertain a thought to do this abominable thing that God so hates In a word there is nothing in the world the flesh or the devil can suggest how taking soever with thy sensual affections or however backed with arguments of pleasure or profit or secrecy but this Narrative and Sermon may teach thee to retort upon the suggester How can I do this wickedness and sin against God or hearken to this lying vanity and forsake my own mercy Oh that when you find your hearts at any time sordid a cogitare a vain sinful thought arise or lust conceive in thee thou wouldst dash it in pieces against the spiritual rock Christ and oppose enticements unto the secretest evils with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the eye of God sees thy most retired thoughts and actions whilst yet unhatched and in the shell are open and manifest to him fearing that the porch is too large already to conclude in order to the spiritual and eternal advantage of your soul we leave this short warning and small expedient in your hands and if it may further that end we have our aim and let God have the sole praise A more full account of the life and death of Mary Cook taken by several Eye and Ear Witnesses most conversant with her from the hour she did commit that horrid Murther upon her Child till she was laid in the Grave THe subject of our present Narrative being a horrid Murther Before we come to the sad and Tragical matter of Fact give us leave in a few lines to open the hainousness of this sin the dangerous consequences of it and what means ought to be used for the preventing of it No Sin committed against the Commandements of the second Table cryeth louder to God for vengeance and unto Man for Justice than the shedding of innocent blood And the Lord said unto Cain What hast thou done the voice of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4.10 Rev. 6.10 1. God will not stop his ears from the cry thereof nay he seemeth to speak as if he could have no rest until he be avenged on the Murtherer 1. Because it is a sin against his express Commandement Thou shalt not kill Exod. 20.13 2. Because it is the defacing of Gods Image in which man is Created Whosoever sheddeth Mans blood by Man shall his blood be shed Why For in the Image of God made he Man Gen. 9.6 Now to raze the Kings Picture or great Seal is High Treason 2. Man ought not to stop his Ears from the cry of innocent blood because there is no way to purifie the Land from the guilt of innocent blood but by executing Justice upon the Blood-shedder You shall take no satisfaction for the life of a Murderer So you shall not pollute the Land wherein you are for blood defileth the Land and the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it Numb 35.33 Now as above said Gods Command is expresly Thou shalt do no Murder 1. Murder lyeth either in the Omission of Duty in doing good to my self or my Neighbour with respect unto Soul or Body whereby I may procure his welfare 2. In practicing evil against my self or Neighbour whom I am commanded to love as my self and to avoid all cruelty and unmercifulness against him A word or two of Soul-Murder Soul-Murder is dreadful though minded but by a few in the World the greater pity 1. When a people perish for want of plain and faithful preaching If thou warn not the wicked and he dye in his sin his blood will I require at thy hand Ezek. 33.8 2. When Parents and Masters of Families neglect their Duties to the souls of those that are committed to their charge mind not to teach Children and Servants to know God and to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to stir them up to read and hear Gods holy Word and to hallow Gods Holy day to sanctifie it and themselves to the Worship and Service of their God whereby they might come to know God and Jesus Christ which is Life Eternal Deut. 6.6 7. May not we take up a lamentation for the excessive Remisseness in this Duty Youth for the most part suffered upon the Lords day to take their pleasure as if it were a day only for play Sad will the charge be of such Masters and Parents at the last day And those Children and Servants that are Sons of Belial will be under no Yoke but refuse to receive instruction and turn away from or stiffen the neck against reproof shall dye without remedy and his Souls blood required at his own hand Prov. 1.29 But so much shall suffice to be spoken of Soul-Murder or Omission of Duty to the Soul So I may murder my self or Neighbour by wilful neglect of doing good to my self when I shall refuse either Food or Physick which God hath ordained for the preservation of natural Life or Health The principal thing is to open Murther as it lieth under the practice of Evil against my self or Neighbour which is done sometimes secretly sometimes openly 1. Secretly When I am angry with another without cause or that it exceeds the cause either for time or measure When passion sinks deep in the heart it becomes devillish So that there should never be anger in our breasts where sin against God is not the cause otherwise you sin in being angry and give place to the Devil Ephes 4.26 27. If you be angry only for some injury done to your self you may easily find pride at the Root and if not timely prevented revenge will be the Fruit. Qu. But how shall I prevent it 1. Lay those manifold offences done by thee against God into the Ballance against those offences or injuries men do against thee and that may be one way
Salvation Then several Scriptures were read unto her and pressed with earnestness upon her amongst many others that in Mark 5.25 and forward concerning that Woman which had a bloody issue who said in her self If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be whole Much was spoken unto her from this wherewith she was observed to be very much affected tears trickling down more than usually and with earnestness said O that I could believe That evening before she suffered her Husband 's long absence from her gave her occasion to suppose that endeavours were using for a Reprieve or a Pardon for her at which she did rather express dislike than to be well pleased saying she had rather choose to die than to continue in that place with that wicked company it being a Hell upon Earth if any such were and that she was not at all concerned about a Pardon from Man could she but obtain a Pardon from Christ it was that she most desired nevertheless for her better preparation for death she could have wished a little longer time but she was willing to die if that could not be obtained That night she took a little rest for the supporting of nature but it was judged she slept not above half an hour but some time was spent by her self her Husband and Mris. R.H. in prayer and reading she her self taking her Bible read the fourth chapter of Matthew and wept much in the reading of it saying The Lord Jesus was tempted but he was God-man and the Evil-one found nothing in him and so could not prevail against him but I a vile wretch Temptation no sooner came and assaulted me but I was overcome by it a wicked woman that I am to give way to that roaring Lion Then reading Isa 44.22 I have blotted out as a cloud thy transgressions and as a thick cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee brake out again with tears saying Oh! what grace is this What my sins what a Redeemer to such a great sinner as I have been Then turning further unto Isa 54.7 8. I will have mercy upon thee saith thy Redeemer See saith she here is Redeemer again Her Husband a little before morning asked her how it was with her she answered Not so well as to boast nor so bad as to be altogether dejected When morning came she dressed her self that she might be in readiness when called but seemed a little impatient to lose so much time in dressing her body when she had so little to improve for her soul which lay at stake Several both Ministers and other Christian friends waiting to go up unto her when she was ready one of them desiring to know how it was with her this morning she answered that she was now entring upon the borders of Eternity but Oh what should she do she wanted the light of God's countenance Whereupon both awakening and comforting words were spoken unto her and then a little time was spent in prayer to God that he would please graciously to direct us so to speak unto her as might advance his Glory and effectually administer comfort unto her Soul In prayer she was seen to melt very much And having ended that duty as God did direct the words of God were spoken unto her and she was desired to speak what was upon her heart for our comfort who had been labouring for the Lord with her But she being silent for a little space but observed to have some conflict in her soul by the tears which fell and sighs which broke forth It was again propounded unto her Whether she found not a secret perswasion that God was able to pardon her great and manifold sins but also very great fears whether he were willing yea or no Whereupon she broke forth into a fuller passion of tears saying O Sir you speak the very thoughts of my heart God hath convinced me of the Alsufficiency of his Grace that though my sins be as Scarlet as Crimson he can make them white as Snow as Woel but O to know whether he will or no that lieth as my great fear Wherupon endeavours were used to encourage her to hope in God's mercy who had testified his unwillingness that any sould should perish and that he took no pleasure in the death of sinners but rather desired their return that they might live Also the Lord Jesus graciously invited sinners yea the greatest of sinners under the heaviest load and burden of their guilt and filth being weary of their load to come to him that they might be saved and find rest and had promised that who ever came unto him though at last if in truth he would not cast them out and that he had sent his Ministers to beseech sinners to be reconciled unto God and that we came in his Name and Authority to deliver that his Message unto her Therefore the Question was put unto her Whether she was willing to accept of mercy from Christ and to take Him upon his own terms Unto which she answered with a seemingly altered countenance as to chearfulness Yea she was willing and desired with her whole soul to be sanctified throughout by Jesus Christ and washed in his Blood as ever she desired to be justified by his Righteousness or saved by his Death Then it was judged expedient to leave her a little retired that she might improve a few minutes in secret betwixt God and her own soul desiring all the company to withdraw saving her Husband and Mris R.H. And after a little space of time she desired we would come up again and apprehending her in a pretty good frame willing to resign up her self now unto the Lord what time the Officers could spare for now the time drew near was spent in fervent prayers and tears unto God with and for her In the close being desired to tell us what returns God had graciously given to all our endeavours with her she said that the Lord had brought her to that resolution that although she might not sensibly lie in his bosom yet she would penitently lie and die at his feet and if she perished she would perish there When she came to the place of Execution she seemed to have a mixture of fear and hope in her wringing one by the hand said O what shall become of me now if my heart have deceived me hitherto Some words being spoken unto her she encouraged her self again in the freeness of God's grace and the fulness of mercy that was in Christ for poor penitent sinners After earnest Prayers put up unto God for her and seasonable Counsels given her by Mr. Ordinary and some others she went upon the Ladder having before expressed an earnest desire to have spoken to the people but wanting strength she entreated us to declare to the Spectators and to all the World That she desired to justifie the Lord in all his righteous proceedings against her and that she died justly for her great