N00152:67
The wicked mans portion. Or A sermon (preached at the lecture in Boston in…
The wicked mans portion. Or A sermon (preached at the lecture in Boston in New-England the 18th day of the 1 month 1674. when two men were executed, who had murdered their master.) Wherein is showed that excess in wickedness doth bring untimely death. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a Church of Christ. ; [Six lines of quotations]The wicked mans portion. Or A sermon (preached at the lecture in Boston in New-England the 18th day of the 1 moneth 1674. when two men were executed, who had murthered their master.) Wherein is shewed that excesse in wickedness doth bring untimely death. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a Church of Christ. ; [Six lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1675
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.
And Disobedience to Parents is a sin that is often punished with untimely death. (as was partly intimated before) One of these that are to be executed this day, doth confess that his disobedience to his Parents hath provoked the Lord, to bring this misery upon him. He faith that when he was a Child his Father gave him good Instructions and prayed for him, but he regarded it not. His Father would have had him gone to School, but he would not. His Father would have had him gone to a Trade but he would not; And after his Father was dead, he would not be subject to those that had the care and charge of him, but ran away from them, and since that from time to time hath run away from them that have been his Masters. And now behold what all this disobedience, hath brought him unto. All you disobedient Children that are here before the Lord this day, hearken to the Word of the Lord. There is a Scripture which methinks should strike Terror and Trembling into your Souls, It is that Prov. 30. 17. The eye that mocketh his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles eat it. The eye that mocketh his Father. Stubbornness and contempt is to be seen in the eye, therefore the meaning is, that he that is stubborn and rebellious against his Father, shall be so dealt with. Well, a Father hath many times that Wisdom and Authority with him, that the child dare not disobey him, but he careth not for his Mother; Therefore it is added, He that despiseth to obey his Mother. You Children that disobey your Mothers hearken to this; •he ravens are like to feed upon you; that is to say such sin••rs shall come to an untimely death, and it may be not have ⟨p. 19⟩a decent hono•••ble burial. It is to be feared that such children will come to the Gallows, and be hanged up in Gibbe•s for the ravens and eagles to feed upon them if they will. And it is greatly do be observed, that the most of those that die upon the Gallows, do confess that they have been guilty of disobedience to Parents. Yea God is so provoked with such wicked children, as that he doth sometimes leave them against nature to destroy themselves as a just Punishment of unnatural disobedience. There was an awful example of this, which happened in this Country about fifteen years ago.