N00683:24
A good man making a good end. The life and death, of the Reverend…
A good man making a good end. The life and death, of the Reverend Mr. John Baily [i.e., Bailey], comprised and expressed in a sermon, on the day of his funeral. Thursday. 16.d. 10.m. 1697. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Two line epigram in Latin]
printed by B. Green for Michael Perry, 1698
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.
II. Let every man in this World that hath an Immortal Spirit, he above all Things Thoughtful for the welfare of that Spirit in another World. When we Commit a Spirit into the Hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is, that so it may Escape that Wretchedness, and Attain that Blessedness, in another World, whereof our Lord hath in His Word advised us. When that Ambassador of Christ, who is lately gone back unto Him, was Resident among us, there was no one Thing, that he more Vigorously Insisted on, than This; Oh! there is nothing so dreadful, as that Hell, which every wicked Soul shall be turned ⟨p. 13⟩into: There is nothing so joyful as that Heaven which is prepared for every Godly Soul: And there is nothing of so much concernment for you, as to flee from that Wrath to Come, and lay hold on that Life Eternal. I say accordingly; There are astonishing Dangers, whereto our Souls are Exposed by our Sins Our Spirits are in Danger of being forever Banished from the Communion of the Lord Jesus Christ, into a State of Easeless, and Endless Horror; Our Spirits are in Danger to be Plunged into doleful Torments, among the Devils that have been our Tempters: Our Spirits a•e in Danger to be Seized by the Justice o• that God against whom we have Sinned, and laid under Everlasting Impressions of His Indignation There are Spirits in Prison; there is Danger lost the Vengeance of God, Chain up our Spirits in that fiery Prison. (It was but a little before he went unto Heaven, that our Batly in Twenty Six Discourses on Rev. 6.8. Opened the Treasures of that Wrath among us▪) And we should now be so Thoughtful of nothing upon Earth, as how to get our Spirits Delivered from thi• Formidable Hell. The Fittest Language for us, would be like that, in Psal. 116.3, 4▪ The pains of Hell are getting Hold on me; O Lord, I beseech thee, to Deliver my Soul. But then, There is a Great Salvation, which our Lord Jesus Christ ha's wrought for us; and that Salvation is, The Salvation of the Soul. Our Spirits may ⟨p. 14⟩