N00355:138
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.
To the Reader.
IT was the Motion of many, and the Importunity of some that drew from me my consent to make this (almost extemporary) discourse thus public. The Prisoner sent to me on the After-noon before the Sabbath, a writing under his hand, wherein he owned the Justice of God in bringing him to this untimely End, and the Righteousness of the Sentence of Man upon him▪ together with a Confession of those sins that he had lived in all his days, of which there is something spoken in the Sequel: adding 2 Requests, viz. that I would take some Notice of him in my Sermon, and that I would give warning to those of his Fellow-Sinners that had been guilty of the like evils, left they also become like monuments of divine Justice. Such reasonable requests especially from a dying man I could not deny. My Subject that day was Isa. 12. 1. and my Business at that time to discourse of the necessity, means & marks of the turning away of God's Anger, which I judged not unsuitable for a person in his condition; accordingly did, as there was occasion, apply my self particularly to him in my Sermon, which is not so proper to insert here, What was directly spoken to himself, or to others at his desire, so far at least as my memory would serve me, is committed to the Press, and added as an Appendix to those more studied sermons which the Lord put into the heart of other of His Servants to preac• for his sake that is gone, and publish for the good of others that survive. The good Lord follow the whole with his blessing, and grant that all Israel may hear & fear, so that there may no more such great wickedness be done in this our Land.
IT was the Motion of many, and the Importunity of some that drew from me my consent to make this (almost extemporary) discourse thus public. The Prisoner sent to me on the After-noon before the Sabbath, a writing under his hand, wherein he own'd the Justice of God in bringing him to this untimely End, and the Righteousness of the Sentence of Man upon him▪ together with a Confession of those sins that he had lived in all his dayes, of which there is something spoken in the Sequel: adding 2 Requests, viz. that I would take some Notice of him in my Sermon, and that I would give warning to those of his Fellow-Siners that had been guilty of the like evils, left they also become like monuments of divine Justice. Such reasonable requests especially from a dying man I could not deny. My Subject that day was