A50164:94
Speedy repentance urged a sermon preached at Boston, December 29, 1689
Speedy repentance urged a sermon preached at Boston, December 29, 1689 : in the hearing and at the request of one Hugh Stone, [a mis]erable man [under a just sen]tense of [death] for a [tragical and] hor[rible murder : together with some account concerning the character, carriage, and execution of that unhappy malefactor : to which are added certain memorable providences relating to some other murders, & some great instances of repentance which have been seen amongst us / by Cotton Mather.]Speedy repentance urged a sermon preached at Boston, December 29, 1689 : in the hearing and at the request of one Hugh Stone, [a mis]erable man [under a just sen]tence of [death] for a [tragical and] hor[rible murder : together with some account concerning the character, carriage, and execution of that unhappy malefactor : to which are added certain memorable providences relating to some other murders, & some great instances of repentance which have been seen amonst us / by Cotton Mather.]
Boston: printed by Samuel Green, 1690
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Wherefore,
VVherefore,
1. Confess all your Sins, if you ⟨p. 51⟩would have the pardon of them. It was said upon a devout purpose of Confession, in Psal. 32. 5. I said, I will Confess my Transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. How much more, will an exact performance of it, have such a Consequence?
In some Cases our Sins must be confessed unto Men. Indeed, our secret Sins must not be divulged, until God Himself have in a manner brought them out; but then we are by our own ingenuous Confessions to perfect the Discovery, So David, so Jonah thought, tho' they could say unto God, Against thee, thee only have I sinned; scarce any but God being privy to their Miscarriages. And thus Achan, when others were made Sufferers by his being a Sinner, and God was pointing at him as the Troubler of all the Neighbourhood, his Duty then was that, My Son, Confess and Give Glory to God. But be sure, Sins ⟨p. 52⟩committed before Men, must be Confessed unto Men. When Joseph• Brethren had been Brethren in Iniquity, they heard one another with a bitter Confession saying, We are verily Guilty! When the Publicans and Soldiers & such people, that had sinned publicly of old, came to a better sense, they Confessed their sins, no doubt a• publicly as they could. We must give all men to see that we do not Approve of Sin, by our taking shame to our selves for what sin they have seen us overtaken with, and like the Convicted Leper crying out, Unclean, Unclean!