N00729:136
Pillars of salt. An history of some criminals executed in this land, for capital…
Pillars of salt. An history of some criminals executed in this land, for capital crimes. : With some of their dying speeches; collected and published, for the warning of such as live in destructive courses of ungodliness. : Whereto is added, for the better improvement of this history, a brief discourse about the dreadful justice of God, in punishing of sin, with sin. : [Two lines from Deuteronomy]
printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1699
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.
ON March 11. 1686. was Executed at Boston, one James Morgan, for an horrible Murder. A man, finding it necessary to come into his House, he Swore he would Run a Spit into his Bowels; and he was as bad as his word.
He was a passionate Fellow; and now, after his Condemnation, he much bewailed, his having been given to Cursing, in his passions.
He was a passionate Fellow; and now, after his Condemnation, he much bewayl'd, his having been given to Cursing, in his passions.
The Reverend Person who Preached, unto a great Assembly, on the Day of this poor man• Execution, did in the midst of his Sermon ⟨p. 72⟩take occasion, to Read a Paper, which he had Received from the Malefactory then present in the Assembly. It was as followeth.
I James Morgan, being Condemned to Dye, must needs own to the glory of God, that He is righteous, and that I have by my sins, provoked Him to destroy me before my time. I have been a great Sinner, guilty of Sabbath-breaking, of Lying, and of Uncleanness; but there are especially two Sins whereby I have offended the Great God; one is that Sin of Drunkenness, which has caused me to commit many other Sins; for when in Drink, I have been often guilty of Cursing and Swearing, and quarrelling, and striking others: But the Sin which lies most heavy upon my Conscience, is, that I have despised the Word of God, and many a time refused to hear it preached. For these things, I believe God has left me to that, which has brought me to a shameful and miserable death. I do therefore beseech and warn all persons, young men especially, to take heed of these Sins, lest they provoke, the Lord to do to them as He has justly done by me. And for the further peace of my own Conscience, I think my self obliged to add this unto, my foregoing Confession, That I own the Sentence which the Honoured Court has passed upon me, to be exceeding just; inasmuch as