N00355:120
A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder preached…
A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder preached at Boston in N.E. March 11th 1685[/]6. : (Together with the confession, last expressions & solemn warning of that murderer to all persons; especially to young men, to beware of those sins which brought him to his miserable end.) / By Increase Mather, teacher of church of Christ.
Boston: printed by R.P. i.e, 1687
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.
and yet who among you can say that your Great Change is not nearer unto you? but I do with utmost ardour of spirit declare unto you, That if your souls are found Faithless & Christless when they are required of you, Woe, woe unto you ten thousand times,—for infinitely more than ten thousand Ages. He that made you will not have mercy on you; He that formed you will show you no Favour. You shall, be banished from the light of his countenance for evermore. Because you would not look unto the Son of God while the day of His patience did continue, you, shall miserably perish when his wrath is kindled more than a little. Then instead of the delightful sound which the High-Priests Bells do now make, of Look & be saved, or the silver Trumpets wherewith the Lord Christ doth proclaim a Jubilee of […] to Captives ⟨p. 73⟩and opening of the prison to them that are bound, you shall hear nothing but the Thunder of his exasperated Jealousy. Now you have him offering of Salvation for a Look, but if you are such deaf Adders as to disregard the same, you shall hereafter look unto him, and see nothing but Frowns & fierce Lightnings, and flagrant sparkling Coals of Juniper about him: Alas, in the room thereof you shall have from him only those bitter angry astonishing Words in Matt. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire. Then, O then all your looks unto him will meet with such confusion as the Lord speaks of in Zech. 7. 13. It is come to pass, as he cried & they would not hear, so they cried and I would not hear, saith the Lord. And will you make such a choice as this, ye children of Folly? You that have a million times bin hearkening to the bloody Devil when he has said serve me and take Hell for thy pains: will you not hearken unto that▪ altogether lovely Lord who saith unto you, Look unto me, and I with all my Salvation will be thine Verily, the most black mouthed Oaths, and foul Uncleannesses and filthy Drunkennesses of the vilest Debauchee, will not pull down sorer Punishment than this UNBELIEF will bring upon the UNLOOKING Sinners, who will thus render themselves as the Fat of Lambs before the JUSTICE of the Almighty ⟨p. 74⟩for their contemning the Lamb of God. I pray you Brethren, do not thus wickedly. O do not for want of a Look make it more tolerable for Sodom & Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for you.