Sermon at Execution of a Man Found Guilty of Murder, Sermon 3

Sermon at Execution of a Man Found Guilty of Murder · Sermon 3

p. 85VVHat I have to ſay to the poor condemned Priſoner ſhall be under theſe I we Heads: viz. Something, 1. By way of Conviction and Awakning. 2 By way Encouragement and Counſel. Firſt, To begin with Matter of Conviction & Awakening▪ and tho' I underſtand he is already ſomewhat conſiderably affected & concerned, yet more of that may be uſeful for him. And here I ſhall uſe all Plainneſs and Freedom, taking it for granted, that dying men are paſt all expectation of Flatteries or Complements, and that plain dealing, which will do moſt Good, will find beſt Acceptance.

1. Thou ſtandeſt here before the Lord and his People at this Time, as a ſolemn Example of that ſacred Text, Numb. 32. 23. You have ſinned againſt the Lord, and be ſure your ſin will find you out. This day is this Scripture awfully fulfilled upon you. You have owned under your hand that you have lived all your dayes in thoſe abominable ſins of Curſing, Swearing, Lying, Drunkenneſs and Sabbath-breaking, ſuch ſins as that the leaſt of them (however you have made a light matter of them) without deep Humiliation & ſincere Application to the Bloud of Chriſt, i… enough to exclude you forever from any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven. 1. Cor. 6. 9▪ 10. And thoſe that have been acquainted wi… you think you have not wrong'd your ſelf i… that Confeſſion. Beſides all the other evils th… p. 86your own heart is privy to, and many more which the All-ſeeing God has obſerved in you. I ſpeak not this to upraid you but further to humble you, and withal to tell you, that you glorify God by this Confeſſion Thus you ſay you have liv'd, and theſe ſins you traded in, till now at laſt the Lord has left you to commit that great & horrendous Sin of Murder, in the doing of which you have even fill'd up your meaſure, and all the reſt of your ſins do in this one ſin find you out and light upon you. You may look at this ſin as part of the puniſhment of your former and other ſins. And it is one of the Lord's moſt righteous, but withal moſt tremendous waies of puniſhing Sin; viz. with Sin, or by Sin: Leſſer ſins are puniſhed by leaving men to greater ſins. Thus did the Lord puniſh the Gentiles, Rom. 1. 18, &c. the Apoſtle there calls it the Revelation of the wrath of God from heaven, when for their Unthankfulneſs & Vanity &c. He gave them up to vile Affections, and Actions, among which Murder is mentioned as one, v. 18.—32. Solomon tells us, Prov. 13. 21. that Evil purſueth ſinners, and it is true of the Evil of Sin and the Evil of Puniſhment both, that they do purſue ſinners, tho▪ there that of Puniſhment is properly intended, as appears by the Oppoſition unto the Good which ſhall be repaid to the righteous. You have bin purſuing the evil of Sin, and the evil of Puniſhment hath been in the mean time purſuing you, and now you are overtaken & ſeized thereby.

p. 872. The Great & terrible God is dreadfully angry with you for this ſin, & for all the reſt that that have bin previous thereunto. The only Subject upon which that fearful thing the Anger of God falls, is Sin, and Sinners for Sin. All His own works are good, his Creatures good, ſo owned & pronounced in Gen. 1. 31. and therefore the Lord is pleaſed with them, SIN only that is the Devils work & Man's work, God is angry with. You have heard ſomething e'en now of the nature of God's Anger, but who knowes the Power of it. Pſal. 90. 11. And you are the perſon againſt whom this inconceiveable Anger is enkindled; O let this word ſink down into the bottom of thy Heart, and pierce thy very ſoul. Say to thy ſelf, I am the man with whom the eternal GOD, the Soveraign of the whole World is angry. Think on that Text, & let thy heart meditate terror the while, Pſa. 7. 11. God is angry with the wicked every day. While thou wert Curſing, Swearing, Drinking, to exceſs, &c. God was angry with thee, even every one of thoſe dayes was he angry, while thou wert wickedly tranſgreſſing, living in a courſe of open Tranſgreſſion, He was angry all the while; Thou wert conceiving Sin, and God was conceiving Anger, which is now brought forth, tho thou tookſt no notice of it, nor hadſt any dread of it before. Eſpecially He is ſeverely angry with thee for this execrable Sin of p. 88Murder, for which there is no expiation but by the death of the Murderer; whereof that Reaſon is given Gen. 9. 1. becauſe man was made in God's Image, ſo that the Killing of a man is the Deſtroying of the image of God. Murder is a Sin againſt the light of Nature; and ſo hainous that the Barbarians who had no knowledg of the true God, yet concluded that Vengeance followed the Murderer up and down▪ ſo that tho' he may eſcape for a while, however at length it would not ſuffer him to live. Act. 28. 4. Know then that this is the main thing thou haſt to think on, this is the moſt terrible thing before thee, not ſo much the pain or ſhame of the death thou art ſpeedily to undergoe, as the Anger of God that comes with it. This is the great Concernment of every man at all times, and of thee principally at this time: How ſtand matters between God and thee? how is He affected, is He angry or pleaſed? Why, I tell thee, That God whoſe favour is life, and whoſe Wrath is Death, He is angry with thee. That Anger of God at which the Heavens ſhake, the Earth moves, the Hills quake, the Rocks rend, Hell it ſelf trembles is now upon thee. The Devils believe that there is a God and tremble, Jam. 2. 16. do thou believe that, and further that God is angry with thee, and tremble at it.

3. You are by the Law of God and man, for this Sin declared to be a perſon whom the earth p. 89cannot bear. The Creation groans under you as a common Enemy to mankind, and one who by the poſitive and indiſpenſable Command of God muſt fly to the pit and no man muſt ſtay you, Prov. 28. 17. This is the Decree of God, and▪ the righteous Sentence of man concerning you▪

You are yet but a young man, and according to ordinary courſe might have lived many years in this world, had not your over-much Wickedneſs brought you to dy before your time, as Eccleſ. 7. 17. Not before God's time, but before your time, i. e. before that time which is uſual for man, whoſe dayes are reckoned threeſcore and ten, and ſometimes four ſcore years. Pſ. 9. 10. Alſo before your time which probably you had lotted on, and which men too often do promiſe themſelvs. Such as upon any awakenings of Conſcience and Calls to Repentance, delay & put it off while in their Youth, it is upon a promiſe of repenting when they are old, and how many in that ſenſe die before their time▪

And here for your further awakning, obſerve the Lord in his Providence making good another dreadful word upon you, viz. that bloudy and deceitful men ſhall not live out half their dayes, Pſal. 55. 23. Thus you are a ſon of Death. God and man have ſaid to thee, Oh wicked man, thou ſhalt ſurely dye.

4. Your time is numbred and almoſt finiſhed. Indeed God has numbred all our times & Year…, p. 90and the number of our months is with him, Job▪ 1… ▪ 5. But the number of your (I cannot ſay month… but) dayes is with your ſelf, you your ſelf may number your own dayes; The Lord teach you to apply your heart unto wiſdom while numbering them, Pſal. 90. 12. You are juſt now upon the very brink of the Pit, the Grave is ready for you, upon the very Edge of Eternity are you (I ſay eminently you) now walking, & will be within the line of it very ſpeedily.

Job could ſay, when a few years are come, then I ſhall go the way whence I ſhall not return, Cap. 16. 22. But you may ſay, Before 4 dayes are come & gone, I ſhall be gone to the place from whence I ſhall not return till the very heavens be no more. It made Belſhazzar's Countenance to be changed, the joints of his loins to be looſed, and his knees to knock one againſt another, to ſee the Hand-Writing upon the wall. Dan. 5. 6. and we may imagine (or at leaſt one would think you whoſe very caſe it is may imagine) how his thoughts within him were troubled, when the Interpretation laid that dreadful doom upon himſelf, that his Kingdom was numbred & finiſhed by God, and it was meant of his life & All, which was loſt that night. v. 27. 30. It's true, we have none of us any leaſe of our lives, we cannot ſay what may befal us this night, and yet (O amazing Madneſs & Folly!) how apt are we (if not to boaſt of, yet) to lot upon tomorrow! p. 91How ready to promiſe to our ſelvs many▪ years▪ as the Fool in the Goſpel did! Luc. 12. 20. who well deſerved the name of Fool, had it been for that one evidence of it only.

But for your part, you have your bounds ſet, & told you, beyond which you cannot paſs; you know at the utmoſt the Date of your life, and Day of your Death, you may die ſonner, but you muſt not live longer, your end is in your view, you have but a few ſteps thither, and had not need take any vain, unprofitable or falſe ones.

You ſeem to bewail your ſin of Sabbath-breaking, well, know that you ſhall never have another Sabbath to break.—The Lord help you to keep this as you ought. I cannot paſs this particular without once more commending it to your ſerious Conſideration; O chew upon it, dwell upon it, that a few hours hence you ſhall cirtainly dye. It's a very awful thing to us to look upon you, a perſon in your Youth, Health, and Strength, Breaſts full of milk, and Bones moiſ…ned with marrow, and then to think that within ſo many daies this man, tho' in his full Strength muſt dy: and methinks it ſhould be much more awful to you.

5. Your Death will not expi…te your Offence in the ſight of God, nor cauſe the Turning away of His Anger from you: Its true the ſhedding of your bloud will take away, the Sin from the Land that it ſhall no… ly there, elſe innocent bloud p. 92ſhould be imputed to the Land; but this doe… nothing towards the Satisfaction of Gods Juſtic… in order to the Removal of his wrath from the Murderer. Puniſhment makes no amends for Sin, unleſs it be that which was inflicted upon Chriſt as he ſtood in the capacity of a Surety in behalf of the Elect, and ſo bare both their ſin and their puniſhment, but otherwiſe H…ll torments don't ſatisfy God's Juſt…ce nor quench the fire of his wrath, muchleſs can any bodily ſuffering do it, tho it be the higheſt, even death it ſelf. Do not then deceive your ſelf; Say not I have ſinned, its true, but am now to ſuffer the Law, and that being undergone I ſhall then be quitt. It is ſo indeed as to any thing that men can do to thee, but thy death does not at all deliver thee out of the hands of Divine Juſtice. Nay rather Sixthly,

If you get not this Sin and all the reſt of your ſins done away, and ſo the Anger of God removed, your approaching Death will be but the beginning of Sorrows to you. However ſenſually or like a Beaſt (or worſe) you have lived, you ſhall not dye as Beaſts dye, ſo as that there ſhall be an end of you and all your ſufferings together: No, no ſuch matter. Your precious immortal ſoul muſt live forever, and if you get not the fire of God's Anger put out, Know that there is a Fire kindled in his anger that ſhall burn to the loweſt Hell. Without Repentance p. 93…to life (which is the gift of Chriſt, and for your Comfort I tell you in the midſt of all theſe bitter things I have been ſpeaking to you, he is freely willing to give it, even to you: Oh look up to Him heartily for the ſame, I ſay unleſs you get this Repentance unto life) your death is but an In-let to the Second death. No ſooner ſhall your guilty ſoul be forced out of your wretched body, but it ſhall appear before God that gave it, there to receive another manner of Sentence of Condemnation than what you have already heard from man, by which you were condemned to dye, but there was room for a Lord have Mercy on your ſoul, to be annexed▪ whereas in that Sentence there will be no mercy upon your ſoul, for your ſoul is the principal ſubject of the 2nd. death. Separating your ſoul and body aſunder was the aim and will be the …ſſue of this Sentence, but the death & everlaſting, utter loſs of your ſoul (for which nothing can be given to God in Exchange Mat. 16. 26.) will be the meaning of this Sentence. The… ſhall your ſoul be committed into & left in the hands of the Devil your maſter, whom you have ſerved, that great Murderer & Lyar (who was ſo from the beginning, and is the father & lord of ſuch) to be dragged down by him into the place where your fellow-Murderers and fellow-Lyars and fellow-Drunkards are, viz. into the lake that burns with fire & brimſtone, which is the p. 94ſecond death. Rev. 21. 8. there to be tormented with the Devil & his angels, where the Worm never dyeth, and the fire never ſhall be quenched. Marc. 9. 43. 44. You have a ſcareing viſion, Rev. 6. 8. of one whoſe name was Death ſitting on a pale horſe, that viſion is now before you and it cannot but be very terrible and affrighting, but the main terror lies in what comes after, Hell followes it, Hell followes Death hard at the heels. Death is but the door between the two worlds, that lets the ſoul of a Chriſtleſs ſinner out of this world into Hell. The Second Death after the firſt, is the miſery of the firſt, and the firſt would be compartively but a ſmall matter were it not for the ſecond.

7. Finally, Conſider you have no time to get ſin pardoned & wrath turned away (if it be not done already) but between this and Death, into the very Borders, and under the Sentence of which you now are. In the grave there is no repentance, no Remiſſion, Eccl. 9. 10. Before 4 dayes more paſs over your head (and Oh how ſwiftly do they fly away!) you will be entred into an Eternal & unchangeable ſtate of weal or woe, and of Woe it will be if ſpeedy and thorough Repentance prevent it not.

Thus far by way of Conviction & Awakning. My 2nd Word is principally by way of Counſel.

Unto which I ſhall promiſe a Word of Encouragement, leſt what has bin ſaid may ſeem to harſh p. 95and ſevere to a man in his Condition. But the Wound muſt be opened & ſearched before the Plaiſter be laid on; and there is a Plaiſter as large as the ſore, the Lord in mercy make it ſtick.

Know then, That notwithſtanding all that has bin ſpoken, there is Hope in Iſrael concerning this thing. There is a way found out & reveal'd by God for the Turning of His Anger even from ſuch ſinners. The bloud of Jeſus can waſh away the guilt of the ſin of ſheddng man's blood, for which no Ranſome may be taken by man, yet God ha… found out a Ranſome, and does now graciuoſly offer thee the benefit of it.—Paul was a Murderer and yet pardoned. Manaſſeh made the ſtreets of Jeruſalem to ſwim with innocent bloud, and yet was forgiven. Nay the greateſt Murderers that ever were in the world, even thoſe that imbrewed their wicked hands in the bloud of the Son of GOD were, many of them, converted & reconciled to God; and are now in heaven beholding the Glory▪ of that Chriſt whom they Crucifyed, Act. 2. And ſeveral others who were under the ſame Condemnation, were exhorted in the following Chapter to repent & to be converted, and were thereupon promis'd that their ſins ſhould be blotted out. ver. 29.

It is true that no murderer hath eternal life. 1. Joh. 3. 15. and that Drunkards ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God, 1. Cor. 6. 10. and yet the next words ſay (ver. 11.) ſuch were ſome of you, but p. 94duplicate page p. 95duplicate page p. 96you are waſhed, ſanctifyed, juſtifyed. If all Sins and Blaſphemy againſt the Son of Man may be forgiven, Mat. 12. 31. 22. then this Sin againſt one of the ſons of men may be forgiven too. God can pardon great ſins, yea, & therefore or the rather pardon them becauſe great, Pſal 25. 11. And He does delight, where Sin has abounded to make Grace ſuper-abound, Rom. 5. 20. And ſo I come to my word of Counſel.

And Oh let my Counſel be acceptable to thee, before thou be driven out from among men, & put beyond all poſſibility of hearing or taking counſel.

1. See & be yet more affected with this deplorable condition, and let thy ſoul be afflicted at the thoughts of it, and eſpecially at thy ſin that has brought thee into it▪ I urge this again becauſe thou canſt not be too much concerned thereabout.

2. Look upon all thy life paſt: let this ſolemn hand of God upon thee bring all thy ſins to Remembrance. Conſider how thou haſt walked in a Courſe of ſin from ſtep to ſtep, and let all thy Actual ſins lead thee back to the Sin of thy Nature, the evil Fountain from whence all theſe bitter ſtreams have iſſued; and let all put together make thee vile in thine own eyes, and make thee to abhor thy ſelf for the ſame.

3. Beg hard for a broken heart, that may unfeignedly mourn for ſin, that being burdened with it thou mayſt moſt bitterly weep, and ſigh & groan under it. Such ſins as thou ſtandeſt Convicted p. 97of call for the deepeſt Humiliation & Contrition. Its the bane of multitudes of Sinners in the world, that their Convictions of Sin were but ſleighty and their Humiliation ſuperficial, and ſo their Converſion not real. God will prick thee to the heart, yea and break thy Heart all to pieces for thy ſin if ever he pardon thee. Alſo bemoan thy ſelf for all thy Prophanneſs, Looſneſs, Senſuality which has expoſed thee to this great ſin at laſt. Bewail all thoſe evils which the holy God has to charge thee with; thy Rending His Sacred name by Curſes & Oaths, wronging His Truth by Lying, Abuſing his good Creatures to Exceſs, Making thy Belly thy god, and ſacrificeing the Lord's Bleſſings thereunto, which he lent thee for His own Uſe and Service; And eſpecially for thy rejecting of his Goſpel, of which great and horrible ſin, thou art convicted out of thy own mouth, while thou wert profaning his Sabbaths, & neglecting to give thy Attendance on the publick Worſhip, and ſo turning away thine Ear from Hearing the joyful ſound by which thou mightſt have been forever bleſſed.—

Let all theſe be remembred, and be as Gall and Wormwood to thy ſoul.

4. Acknowledge an Holy & Righteous hand of God in leaving thee to this great Tranſgreſſion. Confeſs what thou haſt done and give glory to God for what He has done: Say, He is juſt for I have ſinned. Yea, and glorify him for this, that He p. 98can make even this Sin, at leaſt the puniſhment Attending it, a means to bring thee to Repentance for all the reſt of thy ſins which elſe thou mighteſt have gone on ſecurely in, unto endleſs Perdition. This prodigious ſin of Murder, together with thy being brought to Condign Puniſhment for the ſame, may (through the Soveraign Grace of God, who can bring good out of evil) be an occaſion by its loud cry of blood in thine ears to awaken thee out of that ſleep from which thou mightſt elſe have never awakned, till everlaſting burnings had awakned thee. The Lord bleſſed Manaſſeh's being brought into Chains to put him upon ſeeking the God of his Fathers; and the ſame God can bleſs this Chain with which thou art now bound, as a means to bring thee to everlaſting Liberty. It's one of the Lords wayes of Dealing with men to bring them to good, viz. when they are bound in Fetters, and holden in Cords of Affliction, to ſhew them their work and their Tranſgreſſion that they have exceeded in, and then to open their ears to Diſcipline and to command them to return Job. 36. 8. 9. 10. Yea, and he can cauſe them to return by Sealing Inſtruction at ſuch a Time and in ſuch a way. Thus can the Lord bring back thy ſoul from the pit tho' thy body muſt go thither. It is I confeſs a ſtrange way to leave men to undo themſelves, thereby to prevent their being everlaſtingly undone: But p. 99doubtleſs there have been ſuch Examples in the world, of men that have been thus ſaved; and who can tell but thou mayſt make one more?

5. Heartily bleſs God, and wonder at His Kindneſs therein, that He did not ſuddenly take thee away with His ſtroke, as He has done many ſuch a ſinner as thou haſt been. Many a Drunkard has ſtaggered and reeled into the Pit, has dropt into Hell in a moment, and gone full of Drink into the place where there is not a drop of water to cool his tongue. Bleſs Him that he did not choak thee with a Lye in thy mouth, or make thee fall down dead as ſoon as ever thou haſt vented it. So were Ananias and Sapphira… ſerv'd, Act. 5. 5,—10. Bleſs him that He did not ſtop thy breath juſt when ſome execrable Curſe or Oath was out of the evil Treaſury of thy filtthy rotten heart crawling up that open Sepulchre of thy throat. Bleſs him that he did not ſtrike thee dead in the place when thou wert profaning of His Sabbaths and for not ſanctifying that holy Reſt unto God, that He did not in the twinkling of an eye ſend thee to the place where thou ſhould have no reſt, night nor day. O bleſs him for this time of Patience and Forbearance; for a ſpace to repent that Divine Long-ſuffering has afforded thee. Bleſs Him that He has given thee a longer time of Conſideration & Preparation for a latter end, that that poor wretch had who was by thy cruel hand p. 100hurried away into Eternity in a little time. When thou gaveſt him his death's wound, Vengeance might have given thee a fatal ſtroak, and ſent thee to thy own place before him. But he is gone, and thou art left, and forborn a little (tho' but for a very little) longer;—let the Goodneſs of God lead thee to Repentance.

6. See that of thy ſelf thou haſt no way left to ſatisfy Juſtice or pacify divine Anger. Say within thy ſelf, Wherewith ſhall I come before the Lord, before whoſe dreadful Tribunal I muſt appear within a few hours? And then ſay to thy ſelf, I have no thouſands of rams nor 10 thouſands of rivers of oyl: and if thou hadſt, hear the Lord ſaying to thee that they would avail nothing; no, nor would the firſt-born of thy Body be an expiation for the ſin of thy ſoul. All thy confeſſions, prayers, tears will not anſwer for the leaſt of a Thouſand of thoſe ſins, under the guilt of which thy ſoul is now lying. Shouldeſt thou ſpend every precious moment of thy ſhort time in Confeſſing Praying, fighing, groaning, weeping, all that would not doe. No, no: Here thou ſtandeſt, a guilty Creature, condemned of God & man; and canſt not ſtrike one ſtroke toward thy own Salvation nor deſerve that God ſhould do it for thee. God has judged thee, and men have judged thee worthy of Death, and do thou judge thy ſelf worthy of Damnation too. A ſelf-judging and ſelf-condemning frame is a ſuitable frame for thee to be in this day.

p. 1017. Humbly & heartily, like a poor, laborious heavy laden, periſhing, ſhiftleſs Creature, caſt thy ſelf down at the Footſtool of the Throne of Grace crying and looking for the Mercy of God through the Merits of Chriſt unto thy Pardon & Acceptance. And Oh the height and depth and length and breadth of the Grace of God in Chriſt! There's room for a Curſer, Swearer, Lyar, Drunkard, yea and a Murderer too, to ly at that Footſtool with hope. Then fly for refuge to lay hold on that hope that is ſet before thee Heb. 6. 18. Flee away to the City of Refuge, and I do aſſure thee from God that the Door ſtands ready to receive thee: and Oh make haſte for the Avenger of blood is at thy very heels. The City of Refuge under the Old Teſtament was only to entertain the Man-ſlayer, not the Murderer, him that killed a man unwittingly and unwillingly, while the wilful Murderer was by expreſs Command from God to be deliver'd up: But herein (as in all other things) does the Antitype out doe the Type. Jeſus Chriſt who was and is the Subſtance of that ſhaddow invites Murderer as well as Man-ſlayer; and has declared it to be the Father's Will and his own Reſolution that whoſoever comes to Him He will in no wiſe caſt out. Joh. 6. 37. The ſame Advice which was given to the Murderers of Chriſt (as has been hinted to thee Act. 3. 20.) I do now in the name of the Lord give to thee, Repent and receive Chriſt, p. 102and thou ſhalt be ſaved. Thou haſt ſorely angered God already by all that Courſe of ſin that thou haſt lived in, and principally by this laſt great ſin that thou art condemned for; now do not anger Him yet more by neglecting to embrace his Son. Thou haſt done all theſe Wickedneſſes, now don't add to all the reſt that which will be unſpeakably more than all the reſt, the rejectof a Saviour; yea of a Saviour thus openly, freely, heartily, offering himſelf to thee, even to thee in particular in this ſolemn Ordinance, and that as verily & as really as if He ſhould by an audible voice call to thee by name from Heaven and invite thee to come.

Set thy heart to theſe things that from the Lord I am Teſtifying to thee this day, for they are thy life. Hearken then, as for thy life, as for thy laſt, or at leaſt that which is next to thy laſt.

And that which I have to ſay to thee is this,

Behold Jeſus Chriſt is for thy ſake come into this place this day, this Sabbath, this thy laſt Sabbath, which ſhould therefore be a great Day to thee, and here He ſtands, & cries to thee, that if thy guilty ſoul be heated & ſcorcht by God's Anger and made thirſty after Righteouſneſs which may put out that flame, & allay that heat, and in which thou mayſt be found in that day, Lo, here it is for thee; Open thy mouth wide, and He will abundantly ſatisfy thee. Hear Chriſt ſaying to thee, Thou condemned Malefactor, I pitty thy p. 103caſe, my bowels do yern over thee, and tho' dye thou muſt by a violent death, as to the taking away thy bodily life, yet I profeſs I have no delight in thy deſtruction, I have no pleaſure in thy death, and tho, thou dye Temporally, I would have thee live Eternally. Again, hear the ſame Lord Jeſus asking thee & expoſtulating the caſe about thy ſoul, What doeſt thou mean to do with thy ſoul? whither ſhall it got when it leaves thy body? what care haſt thou taken about it? I'm afraid but little hitherto. Haſt thou provided a place of reſt for it? Why if thou be at a loTs (and it is a good ſtep to thy being found if thou doſt feel thy ſelf loſt) if thou art afraid leſt the devil ſhould get it at laſt, whoſe ſlave thou haſt too much bin all thy days and art willing to be effectually eaſed of that fear, why then, (ſaith Chriſt) Give it me, while it is yet thy own ſoul and thou art poſſeſſor of it, let me have it alienated unto Me; it is indeed a ſilly, ſorry, guilty, bloody ſoul, but be it as it is, give it me, I know how to take & waſh & cleanſe & keep & ſave it. Don't deny me, I have often asked thy heart & ſoul of thee, and could never yet get a grant of thee I ask it once more, and it is one of the laſt times that I ſhall ask it, and I came this day into this Ordinance on purpoſe to be ſpake thy ſoul that I may have it for my ſelf, and ſave it for thee. Why thus is Chriſt urging, intreating, pleading with thee, & even forceing himſelf upon thee by His Importunity. How canſt thou ſend Him away p. 104grieved for want of His Errand! Eſpecially conſider that if thou do not voluntarily & freely (Oh pray hard that in this day of power He will make thy ſoul a willing ſoul) give thy ſoul to Chriſt preſently, the Devil will have it quickly whether thou wilt or no.

Thou haſt then before thee this one great Duty of Beleeving, and He ſayes to thee this day, only believe; and that's my great Counſel in His Name.

If thou ask, What is Believing on Chriſt?

1 Anſwer, It is for a poor, ſinning, damned ſoul that is paſt ſtanding in himſelf, humbly to fall down before him, and proſtrate it ſelf at His feet, that He may ſave it. It is to commit thy ſoul into the hands of Chriſt, believing that He is able to keep what thou haſt committed to Him until that Day.

I am informed that thou didſt this morning hear a precious Diſcourſe in another Congregation, from that moſt ſuitable and ſeaſonable Text (Iſai. 45. 22.) Look unto me and be ye ſaved all ye ends of the earth. Why that is Beleeving; viz. Looking to Jeſus for Salvation. Looking to and taking Him as thy Lord and Saviour. One ſuch humble hearty Look will ſave thee, which if thou canſt but do before thou go'ſt out of this world, then thoſe that have bin affectionately and ſincerely looking up to God for thee, ſhall find thee to their great Joy & Comfort at the right hand of Chriſt in the day of His appearing among p. 105thoſe ſheep that heard His voice and followed Him, tho' thou didſt never hear him till one of the laſt of his voices, nor follow him at all unleſs it were with ſome of thy lateſt Steps. And it will be magnifyed Mercy, amazing Mercy if it be ſo.

The Lord grant it may be ſo.

Only remember alſo, that is no eaſy matter to believe, no eaſy matter to repent, and if thou know'ſt ought of the nature of each, thou haſt experienced it ſo to be. Faith and Repentance are the gift of Chriſt; ask them of Him, and be well aſſur'd that He is more ready to give, than thou art to ask.

And if the Lord help thee now to believe, i. e. to receive and take up with Chriſt as thy Lord & Saviour, thou ſhalt give glory to God by believing, and the Lord will account Himſelf, by the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, which by Faith thou laidſt hold on, abundantly ſatisfyed for all the Dishonour thou haſt done to Him all thy dayes.

Now if any thing will break a hard heart, ſure it is the affectionate warming yea melting Offers of the Grace of Chriſt in the Goſpel unto a Perſon ſo vile that might be ready enough to fear he had ſinn'd himſelf into an eſtate beneath, & out of the reach of Mercy. And Oh be ſpeedy about this work: almoſt all thy dayes are rolled away in Gods anger, thou mayſt count the few hours that are left thee, don't loſe an hour, a Minute; ſpend every one of them ſeriouſly in Reading, Meditation, Prayer, good Diſcourſe, Asking Queſtions of and Hearing Counſel p. 106from any that are concern'd for thy ſoul,

Let it appear to all that look on thee that after ſo much miſpence & loſs of precious time, the ſcarcity of it has raiſed the price with thee. Unto thee may it be moſt truly ſaid Now or Never.

And becauſe he deſires it, bear with me while I offer a Word of Warning & Council to others. And it is commendable to ſee ſuch a perſon deſireous to have his Companions in ſin warned

Are there any that hear me (and I wiſh there were not many) who are guilty of Lying, Curſing, Swearing, Drunkenneſs let me ſay to you,

You may not expect to have any come from the dead to warn you, but here is one that is juſt going to the dead who bequeathes you this Warning, leſt you alſo be in like manner hung up as Monuments of God's wrath. God is picking him out, and ſeting him forth to be an Example unto you Jude. 7. He might as righteouſly have left ſome of you to have bin examples unto him and others; but unto the holy Soveraign Counſel of God it has ſeemed meet to take him and leave you, and in taking him has left you that ſolemn warning which if you take it not, ſhall be a Teſtimony againſt you in that Day. And becauſe he in his Writing deſir'd me that I would ſpeak ſomething to Young men, I would alſo deſire them eſpecially to mind what is ſaid, tho' as it concerns all, let every one take his portion.

p. 107See wither leſſer ſins will lead you, even unto greater till at laſt you come to the Great Tranſgreſſion. Your frequent ſwallowing of Gnats will make you not to ſtick at Camels. Cuſtom of ſin will take away Conſcience of Sin; and when Conſcience of ſin is gone, what ſin is there that you are not ready for?

I ſhall ſpeak a few words to each of thoſe Sins which he Wills them a Warning againſt.

Curſing & Swearing begin to grow common in this Land. It was not ſo in our firſt dayes. I lived near 20 years in this Countrey before I heard an Oath or a Curſe. But now as you paſs along in the ſtreets, you may hear children curſe and Swear, and take the great & dreadful Name of God in vain. They have learnt it from elder perſons. Wo to thoſe that taught them if they repent not. The Lord will not hold you guiltleſs: You ſhall anſwer not only for your own Oaths & Curſes & Blaſphemings of God's Name, but for the ſins of thoſe Children whom you have taught, yea made to ſin. It has alwayes bin the great deſign of Satan to debauch the Profeſſors of Religion; hence he ſuggeſted to Balaam the Counſel which he gave to Balak to draw Iſrael unto ſin, to debauch the Youth, and then he need not hire any to curſe them becauſe their holy God would be wroth with them: and its dreadful to think what ſucceſs the Inſtruments of the Devil have had of late years p. 108in this Land. Thoſe that vainly ſwear, let 'em read what Jeſus Chriſt the Judg of all ſaith, (and He is a Judge that ſtands at the door and heares and is ready to judge both the quick and the dead, (Jam. 5. 9. with Pet. 5. 5.) I ſay hear Him ſpeaking thus (Mat. 5. 34.) I ſay unto you, (and there is a great deal of weight to be laid upon that Introduction, I ſay unto you ſwear not at all. The ſame is alſo repeated by the Apoſtle James▪ Cap. 5. 12. where note the form of vehemency & earneſtneſs (as one calls it) in which He propounds it, Above all things, Swear not, it being a great Sin much in uſe, and when ſo, it is hardeſt left:v. Manton in Locum. therefore above all things do not ſwear, and its enforced from the danger of falling into Condemnation. I remember what pious Herbert ſaith in his Advice to young men, that the Swearer has neither any fair pretence for doing it, nor excuſe when done, either from pleaſure or profit, &c. and adds, that if an Epicure he could forbear Swearing.

As to Curſing I ſhall commend that ſolemn Text to all that are guilty of it Pſa. 109. 17, 18, 19.) As he loved Curſing, ſo let it come unto him, &c. let it come into his bowels like water and oyl into his bones. The cauſeleſs Curſe, ſhall not come (Pro. 26. 2.) unleſs it be upon the head of him that vented it. The Apoſtle James inveighs againſt it among the evils of an unruly Tongue, intimating how abſurd it is, that out of the ſame mouth p. 109ſhould proceed bleſſing & curſing, that we ſhould bleſs God, and curſe men that are made in the ſame Image, with the ſame Tongue Cap. 3. 9, 10. If ever you deſire to be bleſt, hate & ſhun Curſing. God will curſe them that curſe.

The next is Lying, a Sin that we learn from the Womb, Pſ. 58. 3. and can hardly leave it when old. Hence David ſaw need to pray to be kept from the way of Lying Pſ. 119. 27. A ſin eminently contrary and ſo diſpleaſing unto God, as He calls Himſelf a God of Truth, and yet I may truly ſay, a Sin much predominant among us.

We have had Truths Monthly Market kept of late in this place: and Truth has ſolemnly bin expoſed to Sale, in that faithful & true witneſs that has been born to the worth of Truth, from that Text Prov. 23. 23. and it has bin offer'd a very good peniworth; what Buyers there have have bin God knowes, and the Day will Diſcover: but when the Truth is fallen in the Streets, and men don't according to the rule Eph. 4. 25. every man ſpeak truth to his Neighbour, I fear they have miſſed their Market. If Truth be received into the heart in the love of it, the tongue that ſpeakes out of the abundance of the he…r… Mat. 12. 34. would be taught to utter Truth. Remember that great Command, love the Truth & peace. Zech. 8. 19. and if you mean to have the latter you muſt love and uſe the former. Truth & Peace come & go together. Want of Truth in p. 110ordinary Converſe, utterly ſpoils all Converſation here; and he that loves and frames a Lye, makes a way to himſelf down to the lake which is framed and prepared for the En-Entertainment of ſuch Lyars, Rev. 1. 8. and is the place allotted to them all. Herbert well adviſeth men to dare to ſpeak truth, and adds, that nothing needs a Lye Ʋide his Church Porchbut a Fault, and that needs it leaſt becauſe it is doubled thereby.

And O you Drunkards! Let Trembling take hold of you, eſpecially you Drunkards of Ephraim Iſa. 28. 1. I mean Church-Member Drunkards, I wiſh there were none ſuch that hear me this day, who either are Church-Members now, or were till diſmembred for that ſin: ſee (I ſay) unto what end one of your Companions in that ſin is brought. God ſometimes hangs up Drunkards in chains, as Spectacles to the world, and that by ſnatching them away by ſome untimely End: Sometimes they they fall in the Water, and are drowned, ſometimes into the fire & are burned, and ſometimes by other obſervable Providences He ſets a mark on thoſe ſinners, & bears His Teſtimony againſt the Sin. And it was that ſin chiefly that expoſed this poor creature to the ſin of Murder for which he is now to ſuffer. Receive Inſtruction leſt Vengeance overtake you when you are leaſt aware of it.

Sabbath-breaking is likewiſe a growing evil▪ p. 111and therefore to be teſtifyed againſt. It was that Sin which brought Iſrael of old unto Deſolation. Hear this perſon telling you that he feels this ſin now lying as an inſupportable load upon him. And believe it, all that are guilty of that ſin, ſhall find it ſooner or later, alike burdenſome to them. As men ſpend their Sabbaths, ſo they are. The right Sanctifyer of the Sabbath is a bleſſed man, Iſa. 58. 13, 14. It has bin obſerved of old, that Religion lives & dyes with the Sabbath. Hear this dying man bewailing his Sabbath-breaking, and if you would not bewail alſo when dying and ſuffer for it for ever, after you are dead, repent of and reform that ſin. Its worth obſerving, that this Duty of Sanctifying the Sabbath in the 4th Commandment, is commended to the care and charge of Superiors and Heads of Families eſpecially. See that you ſet a good example, and require all that are under your ſhaddow to immitate you,

Whether there be any other preſent that are guilty of the the ſin of Murder God knowes. Some Acts of Murder have been done among us ſundry years ſince, the Actors whereof lye yet concealed, but let them know; if there be any ſuch, that the Lord will have a time to bring to light all the hidden works of darkneſs. The ſame hand that has delivered up this Murderer to Juſtice, will alſo find out you at ſome time or other. You may wonder that a juſt and holy p. 112GOD hath ſuffered you to live all this while Happy you if this Example may awaken you, and Gods Forbearance may lead you to Repentance. Otherwiſe be aſſur'd that you are but reſerved to be puniſhed, if not in this world, as uſually ſuch ſinners are, yet in the world to come.

To Conclude in a few words more to this Bloody Sinner.

Conſider, that all who live under the Goſpel, are brought to Jeſus the Mediator of the New-Covenant, and to the blood of ſprinkling, that ſpeaks better things than that of Abel, Heb. 12. 24. And thereupon its preſently added ver. 25▪ ſee that ye refuſe not him that ſpeakes from Heaven. Abels blood cryed for Vengeance upon the Murderer, but Chriſt's blood cries for Pardon: and Chriſt Himſelf calls on thee to receive & not refuſe Him; unto which Call if thou yeild the Obedience of Faith, His blood will ſpeak on thy behalf. Thy Sins ſpeak bitter things againſt thee, old ſins, ſins of youth, a Courſe of ſin, and this bloody ſin cries aloud & ſpeaks moſt bitterly, but that blood of Chriſt can out ſpeak, out-cry all theſe. It was from Hence that David when under the Anguiſh of ſoul for his Blood-Guiltineſs, expected pardon and had it, and ſo mayſt thou. Pſal. 51.

Let thy heart leap to hear ſuch Language of this blood. Goe thy way and ſpend that little time that is left thee in ſtudying the Vileneſs of thy ſins committed, & the Miſery unto which p. 113thou art thereby expoſed, together with the Excellence and Preciouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, and Him crucified, who is ready to ſave thee from Sin preſent and wrath to come. And tho' thou art not able to come, yet the glorious lifting up of Chriſt in the Goſpel, together with the general Invitation unto all that need Him, are the means appointed & bleſt by God to draw Men to come.

Chriſt would fain have the Honour of ſaving ſuch a wretched Sinner as thou art, and be thou well aſſured that unleſs thou add unto that Sin of ſhedding of Man's Blood, the guilt of Refuſing and Slighting of Chriſt's Blood, thou ſhalt not periſh.

All the ſins that ever thou haſt committed ſhall not damn thee, unleſs thou add Unbelief to all the reſt, viz. the wilful rejecting of a tendered Saviour. There is Wrath on thee, but it ſhall not be Everlaſtingly upon thee, if thou Believe; it is Unbelief only that makes-Wrath abide, (Joh. 3. ult.) other Sins do diſpleaſe, but this only can deſtroy.

Look up to Him for the gift of Faith.

The good Lord open thine Ear, that thou may'ſt be no longer rebellious, but help thee ſo to hear as that thy Soul may live.

FINIS.