N00355:96
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.
When our first Father began a desperate War against the Omnipotent God, we were part of the mad Regiment involved in his perfidious Treason, and our Emnity against our Maker ha• from our very Cradles been so enormous, that we should long ere now have bin Devils-in-flesh, if the checks of Restraining Grace had bin taken away. And, what unreasonably vicious lives has we been leading ever since a Rational Soul apparently acted in us! How have we bin every moment sinning against the Law of God, transgressing every precept of Love to God & to man• […] ⟨p. 57⟩how grievously, have we bin sinning against the Gospel too! fearfully grieving, slighting, and shamefully affronting a Redeemer that for many a day besought us to be reconciled unto God! This have we been & done. And Ah Lord, doest thou open thine eyes upon such ones? What if the Lord Jesus Christ had now only spoken unto us such fiery wrathful words as those in Isa. 1. 23. Aha, I will ease me of mine enemies, & avenge me of mine Adversaries! or th•se in L•c. 19. 27. Those mine enemies bring hither, and s•ay before me! Verily I say unto you, he would be clear in his speaking and just in his judging so. What if he should appear unto us in the black garments of all-desolating indignation, with keen Darts & consuming Thunder-bolts in his hand? What if he should appear in flaming fire, to take vengeance on us that have not known God, nor obeyed his Gospel? Surely this would be no more than a proper and a proportionable Dispensation. But instead of this, the winning Language, which with bowels full of such Philanthropy as (this King's wedding a Queen out of our poor Family) His taking our Nature to subsist in his Second Person, doth evince and incline Him to have unto us) he speaks unto us, is, O Look in•o Me and be SAVED. Yea, and in this thing he doth with a Riddle of Free Grace distinguish us from, by dignifying us above uncountable Multitudes of our Fellow-creatures, our Fellow-criminals▪ ⟨p. 58⟩