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
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
these their sins are of a scarlet and crimson dye aggravated iniquities filling up the measure of other sins not barely transgressions and violations of a holy Law of God but breaches of his Law with such aggravations that ripen for Damnation 1. Uncleanness is an aggravated iniquity filling up the measure of other sins Prov. 2.18 this appears 1 In that it is a sin that God leaves the abhorred of his Soul and reprobates to a wallowing and continuing in Eccles. 7.26 Prov. 22.14 A Sin that he leaves them to that he never intends good to these are left of God to go the way to Hell and not escaping these sins they may not think to escape damnation Prov. 7.27 Prov. 5.5 these expressions that the abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein plainly intimates that many previous and foregoing sinful courses have provoked God to jealousie and hot displeasure and that he will leave them to this sin to prepare them for a day of Vengeance 2. A Sin that takes away the heart from God and that which is good Hos. 4.11 It alienates and estrangeth the heart from God and the holy Commandment it causeth sinners to disregard and slight promises and threatnings it takes away the heart from thinking and meditating of God and his Word from delighting in God and his Commandments from contriving and studying how to please God and obey his voice so that they will not hearken to his voice they will none of him when the heart is thus taken off from God and that which is good the measure of sin will be filled up apace Prov. 2.17 3. In that they are addicted and accustomed to this Sin are hardened persons and seldome truly repent Prov. 2.19 Prov 7.13.23 the Scripture speaks of these as the most impudent and shameless sinners yea as those that refuse to be ashamed many of these past feeling Eph. 4.18 19. Now when any are hardened from Gods fear they will fall into mischief and the heart of those will be set in them to do evil 4. A Sin that hath ruined and made desolate Nations and Lands guilty of it It drowned the Old World it brought down Fire and Brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah Gen 19.13 Sodom had many other sins as Pride Idleness c Gluâ—tony but this sin of Uncleanness made it a desolation and a sin that eternally ruins and undoes the Soul Prov. 6.32 2. Murder is an aggravated Sin filling up the meaâ—uâ—e of other sins other sins treasure up wrath against the day of wrath This sin ripens for cutting down finisheth the transgression and brings forth death this appears in 1. That the cry of this sin pierceth the very heavens and brings down the Curse of God Gen. 4 10 11. he sinned in his wrath against his Brother he finished that sin in the murder of him God admonished and warned him for his passionateness and angryness but when he had committed this sâ—n saith God Thou art cursed from the earth 2. Inasmuch as usually they are hardened against Gods â—ear and contemners of God that are thus guilty Gen. 4.9 he doth not fall down and cry out against himself for his own guiltiness but as though it were a light thing to break with God he adds sin to sin he lies to hide his murder and takes up God disdaiâ—fully Am I my Brothers Keeper A Parent a Master a Prince would account such language from a Child Servant or Subject unallowable sawciness and contempâ— He speaks as though it was an affront to put such a question to him and therefore after God denounced a Curse on him he doth not bewail the greatness of his sin he doth not relent or manifest sorrow that he had sinned against God as he had done only faith My punishment is greater than I can bear and instead of busying his mind to get his sin pardoned by building a City he diverts his mind from contemplating on his guiltiness 3. In that God will not permit Murderers to liâ—e here but causeth them to dy before their time Blood thirsty men shall not live out half their days Exod. 21.14 Flying to the horns of the Altar shall be no sanctuary or security to them Numb 35.31 there can be no compensation mâ—de for the explaâ—ing of guilt as to this life God will have no man plead that the natural life of such aâ— one may be spared Prov. 28.17 4. In that a whole Land cannot be innocent but polluted that suffer innocent blood to cry against it in neglecting the Execution of Justice for such a transgression In that a whole Land shall smart for sparing a convicted Murderers Life When Murder is uncertain as to the author of it see what is incumbent on a people for the preventing the Wrath of God Deut. 21.1 â—â— 10. A people have no reason to expect that it will goe well with them liâ— they neglect execution of Judgment for this sin Deut. 19.11 12 13. Numb 35.33 the conniving at and suffering of such sins greatly moved God to wrath against Israel Jer. 2.34 5. In that the very light of nature teacheth that God is not wont to suffer this Sin to go unrevenged Acts 28.4 the Wrath of God is not only revealed from Scripture light against this Sin but the Barbarians by the light of nature judge it too great an offence for the Judge of the World to permit long unrevenged here USE I. Of Information 1. What great reason they have to be humbly thankful to God that are restrained and kept from these Sins Every one by nature hath the seeds of all Sin and disobedience Its God that witholds all as well as Ahimelech Gen. 20.6 Religious Education our own wisdom and resolutions can't restrain even from such wickedness Its God that makes us to differ one from another that keeps from such pollutions many of the Wise and Learned of the World many that make a profession have been guilty We are not to be unthankful for restraining gracâ— we are humbly to acknowledg God when he keeps back from presumptuous sins 2. What great reason Ministers Parents and Heads of Families have to warn all under their Charge against and to restrain them from such sinful practices and courses These Sins will not only expose theirs to such calamities in this life that will make the ears of them that hear to tingle but render them obnoxious to Eternal Damnation 3. How they are to blame who suffer and permit such things under their eye and roof that are leading occasions to such Sins They are to blame that suffer and allow their Children and Servants in the black and dark night to be absent from the Religious Orders of their Families to be going the way to such houses they are to be reproved who bring up their Children and Families in Idleness which doth occasion the abounding of sin even this sin of Uncleanness Idleness occasioned Sodâ—ms being so vile Heads of Families are to be reproved that see Young Ones Children or
any company or society when but a little of their sin is made known or but a few of their ungodly pranks brought to light but now all shall be made manifest to their everlasting disgrace 6. God won't design any good to you in any in all those sorrows and torments that you shall indure Here when God chastens he aims at profit he puts into the Furnace to puriâ—y but then his wrath will be a confirming fire Reprobate silver shall they be called God who was so long abused slighted and disregarded will not have one thought or intention to do you any good or to prepare you by these miseries for his favour He sentenceth to everlasting fire prepared for Devils You will be separated from all those that God designs good to the Judgments of God will be to make you miserable Oh! Consider of these things you that forget God least he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you It s an ease to the Spirits of many a man and woman under afflictions to have comfortable hopes and perswasions that God is carrying on a design of Love Grace to their Souls by such Dispensations that by these he is preventing worse Judgments 1 Cor. 11.32 but no ease can come to the Damned from any such consideration God never designs to bring them out of torment but the Smoke of their torment will ascend for ever and ever USE III. Of Warning To Warn all to take heed of those sin and to warn them that are guilty of them speedily to repent and fly to Christ for pardon and forgiveness 1. To warn every one of you to take heed of these sins 1. Or God may justly suffer you to be punished in the same way that you abuse others Job 30.10 God permits this many times by way of retaliation 2 Sam. 12.11 Hos. 4.12.15 they themselves had been unclean You would be far from taking pleasure in having these sins paid back into your own botomes to have Husbands or Wives to have Children Sons or Daughters left of God to Uncleanness but it would be a righteous thing with God to permit you to be exercised after such a sort 2. Or you will take a course to bring an unremoveable reproach blemish and spot on your selves Prov. 6.33 If you get a pardon as to everlasting punishment yet a spot will remain 1 King 15.5 Solomon tells you a Good Name is better than precious Oyntment I am sure they justly forfeit the reputation of wisdom that will part with a good name for the pleasures that are to be enjoyed in this way 3. Or the best that can be expected is sorrow unspeakably greater than any pleasure you can reap in this way of sinning Sorrow from the Judgments of God and that will be sure to overtake you in this life and rottenness of bones being brought to a morsel of bread How many heart distressing troubles was David followed with after he fell into these sins how was he punished in and from his own Children and how by his Subjects revolting Sorrows from the Influences of Gods Spirit in bringing to a sound repentance He tells of broken bones his moisture turned into the drought of Summer he lost the joy of Gods salvation Oh how will Conscience accuse and perplex who would undergo the horrors of Conscience that will fill the Soul of such to the causing of them to have a dreadful sound in their ears for all the delight that is this way to be enjoyed the Psalmist Psal 51. acquaints us how such pleasures bite at the last Cain says his punishment is greater then he can bear his guilty conscience makes him fear that every one that meets him is Gods Executioner 4. Or it 's to be feared that if once you yield that you will hold on in such wayes till Death overtake you Sinners are stupified that are left to these wayes of Sin You have heard that few are recovered by unfeigned repentance Stollen waters are so sweet and pleasant to ignorant carnal men who know not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of hell that they oftimes go on till a dart strike thro' their liver Prov. 7.23 the young man had so much conscience left him that he would not yield till with much fair speaking he was sollicited and then he goes on till death these are oftimes so far besotted by their lusts that reproofs will be slighted by them Hos. 4.4 5. They are Sins that bring great wrath upon a Land Hos. 4.23 when the Sons of Eli had given themselves to these sins God was wrath and Thirty four thousand men fell in the Battle and the Ark of God was taken The wrath of God distresseth a Land where such Iniquities abound Wars Impoverishing Dispensations to many Families and Towns are the effects of Gods Anger stirred up 〈◊〉 kindled by such provocations Why should you rebel thus against the Lord and so provoke God to be wroth with the whole Congregation 6. Or you may fear that God will destroy you for defiling his Temple 1 Cor. 13.17 Direction 1. Don't disobey Gods Counsels and walk contrary to them in refusing Christ Psal. 81.11 12. they take a direct course to fall into these abominations to their everlasting contempt that cast contempt upon the Word of God and on his Son A Christless Soul can have no assurance that he shall not be left finally to the worst abominations Prov. 2 10.16â— Prov. 5.12 13. 2. Don't rely on your own wisdom to be security to you from these abominations but endeavour to have your ways such as may please God Eccl. 7.22 Some are ready to say as Hazael are we Doggs that we should do such things and yet both do them and have pleasure in them that do them Yea though they know the Judgments of God against them who do such things Solomons Wisdom was no preventive grace it self is no preservative from foul acts of sin where persons are carnally confident of their own strength Peter after his boasts is so scared by a sorry damsâ—l that he denies Christ and Curses and Swears See that your wayes are well pleasing to God that you may be kept by the mighty power of God through faith to Salvation 3. Abstain from all appearance and leading causes to such sins don't come â—igh the door of her house don't be out in evenings among foolish vain jolly company when you should be in your Closets and on your knees before God Prov. 5.8 9. Prov. 4.14 1â— the young man spoken of Prov. 7.1 was going the way to her house in the black and dark night he is insnared Prov. 17.18 19 21. beware and take heed of Idleness as that which will occasion your sinning after this sort Usually Unclean persons are idle persons there was abundance of Uncleanness in Sodom and that because there was abundance of Idleness Ezek. 16.49 beware of drinking away your precious time Drunkenness ushers in Murder and
than God laugh at you for ever God will be ashamed of them that are ashamed of Him before an Adulterous and Wicked Generation God will have them in Derision Yea he will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their fear cometh as desolation that on such pretences set at nought his Counsel Prov. 1.26 You are afraid sinners will laugh at you and count you a silly Creature you take a direct course to be a fool for ever 2. Others have kept from Sin under greater Temptations Moses Joseph Lot Daniel and the three Children 3. It would be no damage but a benefit to get rid of such Company whose favour you think to lose The Psalmist says Depart from me you wicked men I will keep the commands of my God Moses counted the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the pleasures and treasures of Egypt 4. It may be your Conversion might be an occasion not only of the Reformation but found Conversion of many others It may be your being so concerned for Christ may cause them to say O thou fairest among women Whither is thy beloved gone that we may go and seek him with you Cant. 6.1 It may be you may make them ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation you are not sure you shall be reproached by any 5. Your Conversion to God will rejoyce many God Christ your Godly Relations and Ministers will be glad and rejoyce Luk. 15.32 2 Joh. 4. 3 Joh. 3. 11. You say you are not convinced that such and such things are Sins you see no great harm in them God prospers you in such wayes if you really thought them to be sins you would reform You have heard such Unclean words and gestures reproved in the Pulpit but you are not of the Ministers mind you have known others that have fled from such things have been Afflicted and you have been Prospered 1. You don't bring your deeds to the light to know what they are that it may be made manifest what they are you might have been Convinced Your refusing to try your actions renders it suspicious that you have a Secret jealousy they are naught you would not willingly know them to be sins Joh. 3.20 2. You have often from the Ministry been warned of such courses and have heard them condemned from Scripture arguments your saying you are not of the Ministers mind who cites Scripture for what he layes down whilst you refuse to search with the Bereans whether the things be so or no will be no plea for you 3. Your own consciences have accused you for these things when you have lookt upon Death to be near when you are well your love to your lusts puts a new darkness upon your judgments that were before corrupted by the fall 4. Outward Prosperity is no argument that your ways are good You can say by experience that Soul prosperity don't go along with such ways and courses Prov. 1. penult others have been converted and you blinded and hardened you have lost the things that have been wrought and are gone backward 12. You say your Sins are Secret from the eyes of the world and you were never left above once to be actually and grosly Unclean If you had been an open sinner one addicted to wayes of Filthiness you think God would be very angry but you sinned but once you hope God will over look that and paâ—s it by 1. God that is to be your Judge sees in Secret and will Damn for Secret Sins Secret Sins will Damn you as well as open Christ denounced woes against Scribes and Pharisees for Secret sins God will bring every Secret thing into Judgment Eccl. 12.14 2. Adam by one act of disobedience was shut out of Paradise the Angels thrust out of Heaven 3. One act of these Sins may fill up the measure of other sins Ananias and Saphira they fill'd up the measure of sin in Lying one of these sins don't go alone many other sins prepare and make way for them 13. You say you have many good things as well as evil you hope your good may be set against your evil You Pray Hear Read and do many good things you hope no present hazard you should be afraid were it not that you are Religious in many things 1. Such have perish'd Eternally The Pharisies could say as much as you in this respect Yea Herod did many things gladly and the young man that came to Christ could say All these have I kept from my youth up 2. Those things which you call good are an abomination to God whilst you give your selves liberty to sin See what God sayes to them Isa. 1.11 God threatens to make them as Shiloah Jer. 7.14 3. By your impenitency you take a course to be openly wicked and to lose your Religiousness Though Herod had a respect to John the Baptist a while by retaining his Herodias he is left first to Imprison him who he had heard gladly and then Beheads him 14. You say you have known several do such things and yet when they come to dye they have made a very good end you hope you shall too 1. Did you never know any that seemed to be as good and religious as they whilst Sick that after recovery were worse Oh! do you think that all that were prophane in Health and Hypocrites in Sickness recover And that they all go to Heaven that are full of good Expressions on a Sick bed to Death 2. It may be God may come upon you with a sudden destruction that you may never come on a Sick bed Who can tell what a morrow may produce When you think Death farthest off and promise your selves years God may say Fools this night shall your Souls be required 15. You say you saw religious and good men do such things and therefore you apprehend no great harm in them surely they would never have done such things if there had been so much provocation and therefore so much hazzard in them 1. It may be they were only Hypocrites that you saw act so So was Judas so was Demas so the Scribes and Pharisees that were had in such Veneration for their Sanctitie 2. You are to follow none only wherein they follow Christ. Good men are not the rule you are to walk by Consider how the Prophet was punished that was deluded upon a Prophets suggesting to him that an Angel had so spoken to him 1 King 13.13 I would conclude with a Word of Warning to you that are the occasion of our being here this day before the Lord who are under a Righteous Sentence of Death To turn to the Lord under the guilt of these sins before the Decree bring forth You have stood before an Earthly Tribunal and are found guilty How will you stand before the Tribunal of Christ to answer for all your sins your day of Grace is almost gone and within a few hours you will either be in Heaven or Hell Oh! now turn to God or you will
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.