Death, To the reader
TO THE Chriſtian READER.
THE Word of the Lord is in it ſelf always precious, yet beſt eſteemed where and when there are few or no open Viſions; therefore it is ſaid when Samuel began to Propheſy, the word of the Lord was precious in thoſe days, 1 Sam. 3 1. For when there is a Famine of hearing the Word, then will men wander from Sea to Sea, and run to and fro, to ſeek the word of the Lord: and the fair Virgins and Young men will faint for thirſt, Amos 8.12, 13. It is the l…s wonderful, but not the leſs Sinful, that good Books & good Sermons, are ſo little valued in our Age: for the full Soul is wont to loath the hony comb. And Iſrael it ſelf deſpiſed the Corn of Heaven, when it …ell about their Tents every day: yet through the mercy of God things are n…t come to that woful paſs in New England, but that good Sermons and good Books find many good Friends. And we have the leſs reaſon to fear, the following Diſcourſes will want Readers, nay we cannot but hope for a general acceptance, conſidering the weightineſs of the Subject, the worthineſs of the Author, and the awfulneſs of the Occaſion of their Preaching and Printing.
1. The weightineſs of the Subject on which the Sermons treats. It is no leſs then LIFE and DEATH is to be ſet before you: which when Moſes ſet before Iſrael, he call'd Heaven and Earth to Record, Deut. 30.19. Sirs, What is more bitter then the Death that Sin deſerves? except the Sin that deſerves it: and what is more ſweet then the Life that God gives through Jeſus Chriſt? except God in Chriſt who gives it. Beſides, both the Death and the Life treated on are ETERNAL, and they whoſe minds run on Eternity, and the things that are Eternal, will not account the time long or loſt, that is requiſite for the Reading a little Book Surely they that chooſe Life, will do more then this to eſcape the Wages of Sin, and to attain the Gift of God: and what more neceſſary and proper, than to ſtir up Youth to cleanſe their ways, that ſo they may eſcape the threatned Death, and obtain the promiſed Life? and this the Reader will find effectually done in the Third Sermon.
2. The Worthineſs of the Author, will be no little motive to them that beſt know him: viz. The Church and Town of Ipſwich, where he Exerciſes his Paſtoral Charge and Care, and the Neighbourhood round about; and were he as well known in other parts, where this Book may come, we ſhould not have mentioned this argument; & his known modeſty forbids us however, to ſay much of it; yet we may not omit ſaying, that we eſteem him to be a pious, painful, Miniſter of the Goſpel; and that God hath Crowned his Miniſterial Labours with good ſucceſs, and hath owned and honoured his Miniſtry, (as well as that of his Aged, Reverend, and Worthy Colleague, Mr. William Hubbard) with the convincing, humbling, comforting, and (a… is generally believed) converting as leud, and rude, and wretched a Sinner, as moſt that are brought home to God, whoſe woful circumſtances, gave the occaſion of the Enſuing Sermons; in Preaching whereof he commended himſelf to the Conſciences of them that heard him; and eſpecially to hers, who for the ſake of his frequent viſiting her in Priſon, and Praying with and for her, and for his Counſils in private and in publick, cried out in Priſon, O Bleſſed Rogers▪ O happy Priſon! but we paſs this, being got before we are aware to the third particular, which was the awful occaſion of the Sermons. They being Preacht at the Trial, Condemnation & Execution of one Esther Rodgers, (who by the way, tho' ſhe was of the ſame name with the Author, yet was no ways related to him, unleſs as her Spiritual Father.) This poor woman was the unnatural Mother, and cruel Murtherer of two ſpurious babes, the fruit of her own Body; a moſt dreadful inſtance of the Wrath of God againſt the Sin of Fornication & Whoredom, which ſo ſadly abounds in our Land, and a Warning to ſuch, as indulge themſelves in the breach of the Seventh Commandment, leaſt thereby they lead themſelves into temptation, and ſo God leave them to break the Sixth; and to work folly & falſhood againſt their own lives, & the lives of their Children, as well as againſt their own Chaſti…y & Honour. One reaſon why God ordained ſuch dreadful puniſhment for Sinners in this world was, That a…l Iſrael might hear and fear, and do no more ſo wickedly: and we judge that the reading of theſe Sermons, and the Confeſſions and Penitential Papers, and Dying Speeches and Prayers of the poor Condemned Woman, may be a means to ſtartle the Riſing Generation, and to keep others from ſinning in the ſame kind, and to make them to beware of the works of Darkneſs, leaſt God bring them to light, and to puniſhment at the ſame time, publiſhing and puniſhing in the place of Beholders, what was done in ſecret. And let it be remembred, that her ſin found her out, and that ſhe endured unexpreſſible horror, before ſhe obtained Conſolation; and when ſhe did obtain i…, it muſt be aſcribed to the unaccountable Soveraign Free Grace of God, who to the Eternal Glory of his free Grace, granted her Repentance unto life, when many others dy without inſtruction, and go aſtray in the greatneſs of their folly, being taken by their own iniquity, and held with the cords of their own ſin, as is threatned, Prov. 25 22, 23. So true is that, Rom. 9.18. The Lord hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hard…s; i. e Judicially leaves them to the hardneſs of their own hearts. The Gracious Lord gives inſtances of both kinds, that none may preſume, and that none may deſpair, but that all may work …ut their own Salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who worketh in us both to will & to do of his good pleaſure; Phil. 2.12, 13. And it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who ſheweth mercy, Rom. 9.16.
We have nothing further to add, but to deſire of the Reader, a juſt candour toward the Reverend Author, and his holy endeavours; ſo as not to wring or wreſt any particular expreſſion beyond his intention, who had no inclination, much leſs deſign to appear in Print, but was averſe even to a fault, and very hardly perſwaded to ſuffer it to be done, perhaps fearing, what was proper enough to profit a well-minded popular Auditory, might not be fully guarded againſt a cavelling adverſary; for his province at that time was that of predicant, and not of a diſputant; & his deſign was, to convince men, that ſin was odious, and that God was gracious, and to urge both to the uttermoſt He dealt with the Conſciences and affections of Sinners, to move them to repentance, that God might be Glorified, & Sinners might be Saved. As it had a good effect in Preaching, ſo we hope and pray that it may in Printing. And if any ſhould think the worthy Author might have been more particular on this occaſion, in ſetting forth the danger and miſchief of the Sin of Fornication, for the warning of the Riſing Generation. Let the Reader know, that the Reverend Mr. Hubbard did purpoſely and effectually do it in the ſame Pulpit, from thoſe words, in 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know ye not that the Unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God? be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Adulterers, &c. Which made him more general, which his Text alſo led him to, for the wages of all and every Sin is death. Now that God may be Glorified, the Reader benefited, and the pious Author further encouraged and ſucceeded in his Miniſterial Labours; is the hearty deſire of your Friends and Servants for Chriſt's Sake.
Salem 11th d. 7th. m. 1701.
Nicholas Noyes.
Joſeph Gorriſh.