N01369:49
The sad effects of sin. A true relation of the murder committed by David Wallis, on his companion Benjamin Stolwood: on Saturday night, the first of August, 1713. With his carriage oftener condemnation; his confession and dying speech at the place of execution, &c. : To which are added, the sermons preached at the lecture in Boston, in his hearing, after condemnation; and on the day of his execution, being Sept. 24. 1713.The sad effects of sin. A true relation of the murder committed by David Wallis, on his companion Benjamin Stolwood: on Saturday night, the first of August, 1713. With his carriage ofter condemnation; his confession and dying speech at the place of execution, &c. : To which are added, the sermons preached at the lecture in Boston, in his hearing, after condemnation; and on the day of his execution, being Sept. 24. 1713.
printed by John Allen for Nicholas Boone, 1713
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.
If God should order for man, some, Conditions, & some ⟨p. 9⟩Employments, & some Companions, which He withholds from them, Verily, they would be drawn into abundance of Sin, more than they are.
If God should order for man, some, Conditions, & some ⟨p. 9⟩Employments, & some Companions, which He witholds from them, Verily, they would be drawn into abundance of Sin, more than they are.
Secondly, The Diverting of us from Sin, by the Good Hand of God, this is one Method used by our Good God in withholding us from Sin. We should Sin more than we do, but our God withholds us, by finding something else for us to do. One gave this agreeable Account• how he kept his Innocency; The Devil don't find me at Leisure, to do what he would have me to do. Infuriated Saul would have Embrued his hands in the Blood of a Servant of God, but God called him off! We read, 1 Sam. XXIII. 27. There came a Messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come away:—You know for what. Many such a Messenger comes unto us from God, that calls us another way, when we are just upon some sinful perpetrations. The Flood seems to have been as notable, as General, an Example of this Observation. The ⟨p. 10⟩Curse of the Flood, is in this turned into a Blessing on the World. The more fructifying mould of the Earth, has been so damnified by the Flood, that men live now with more Difficulty than they did before. No man that knows the Heart of man, will deny, that a Flood of Wickedness is prevented in the World, by mens being so necessarily taken up how to Live in the World. What infinite Wickedness would men be hatching every where, if they had nothing else to do! If the World had nothing but Fruitful Plains in it, it would soon be an Entire Sodom, and fit for nothing but a Conflagration. Indeed our God withholds us from Sin, when he Compels us to Work. For the most part, our God plunges us into such indigent Circumstances, that the most of our Thought, and our Time, goes to the Earning of our Bread. By Engaging us in our daily Occupations, without which we and our Families would starve, Our God withholds us from Sinning against Him. And ⟨p. 11⟩sometimes when our Vocations are not enough to Engross our Care, and withhold us from Sin, our Vexations must; God finds out for us Vexations that shall. One man is hampered with such a Malady; another man is Embroiled with such an Enemy; a third man is taken up with such an Inconvenience. Why so; The Voice of the All-wise God unto us in these things is, Thus I withheld thee from Sinning against me!
Secondly, The Diverting of us from Sin, by the Good Hand of God, this is one Method used by our Good God in witholding us from Sin. We should Sin more than we do, but our God witholds us, by finding something else for us to do. One gave this agreeable Account• how he kept his Innocency; The Devil don't find me at Liesure, to do what he would have me to do. Infuriated Saul would have Embrued his hands in the Blood of a Servant of God, but God call'd him off! We read, 1 Sam. XXIII. 27. There came a Messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come away:—You know for what. Many such a Messenger comes unto us from God, that calls us another way, when we are just upon some sinful perpetrations. The Flood seems to have been as notable, as General, an Example of this Observation. The ⟨p. 10⟩Curse of the Flood, is in this turn'd into a Blessing on the World. The more fructifying mould of the Earth, has been so damnified by the Flood, that men live now with more Difficulty than they did before. No man that knows the Heart of man, will deny, that a Flood of Wickedness is prevented in the World, by mens being so necessarily taken up how to Live in the World. What infinite Wickedness would men be hatching every where, if they had nothing else to do! If the World had nothing but Fruitful Plains in it, it would soon be an Entire Sodom, and fit for nothing but a Conflagration. Indeed our God witholds us from Sin, when he Compels us to Work. For the most part, our God plunges us into such indigent Circumstances, that the most of our Thought, and our Time, goes to the Earning of our Bread. By Engaging us in our daily Occupations, without which we and our Families would starve, Our God withholds us from Sinning against Him. And ⟨p. 11⟩sometimes when our Vocations are not enough to Engross our Care, and withold us from Sin, our Vexations must; God finds out for us Vexations that shall. One man is hampered with such a Malady; another man is Embroiled with such an Enemy; a third man is taken up with such an Inconvenience. Why so; The Voice of the All-wise God unto us in these things is, Thus I witheld thee from Sinning against me!
Thirdly; Interest, Interest; That is a Surprising Method of God; That is a strong sort of a Curb, wherewith our God Withholds us from Sinning against Him. The Metal which the Curb is usually made of, is well known in the World. We say, Interest will not Lie; tho' it will often make men do it. Every man is True to that, which he takes to be his Interest. This is a most Exquisite Policy of Heaven, as I may call it, in the Government of the World. Humane Society, would be Damaged, yea, Disbanded, ⟨p. 12⟩if some Sins were not become very odious, which yet men are naturally enough prone unto; It is Interest that has made them Odious; men feel 'tis for their Interest that they should be so. God makes the Transgressors feel that word; Hab. II. 9, 10. Woe to him that Coveteth an Evil Covetousness; Thou hast consulted shame to thy self. God makes men see, that by such and such Sins, they shall bring a Mischief on themselves; This withholds them from Sinning against Him! There is a Detestable Generation of men, who go under the Name of Deists. These Dangerous Wretches pretend unto a kind of Moral Virtue; Their Moral Virtue is this; A man expects the Civilities of his Neighbours; his Condition would be insupportable should his Neighbours count him unworthy of their Civilities. Now, that a man may not Lose the Civilities of others, he must then treat them with Civilities. These are all the Bonds of a Good Behaviour, that these Baptised Infidels ⟨p. 13⟩are sensible of. This is all, that keeps the Dangerous Monsters, from Stealing, and Lying, and Murder. Our God withholds men from Sin, by making them see, that their Neighbours will else withhold their Civilities from them▪ Tis the Hope of Gain, by their show of some Godliness, that withholds many men from the Grossest Efforts of Ungodliness.
Thirdly; Interest, Interest; That is a Surprising Method of God; That is a strong sort of a Curb, wherewith our God Witholds us from Sinning against Him. The Metal which the Curb is usually made of, is well known in the World. We say, Interest will not Ly; tho' it will often make men do it. Every man is True to that, which he takes to be his Interest. This is a most Exquisite Policy of Heaven, as I may call it, in the Government of the World. Humane Society, would be Damaged, yea, Disbanded,
Fourthly. There is the Method of Conscience; Our God withholds us from Sin, by the Control of Conscience, which He has placed as His Deputy in our Souls. Men durst not Sin as they would, because of what the Candle of the Lord shows unto them; they can't Sin except they put out this Candle. A Conscience which tells them, That they who do such things are worthy of Death; The Conscience which causes a Wicked man, to do what no other man could bring him to; Act. XXIV. 25. To Tremble at the Thoughts of a Judgment to come. That stands in the way of many a man, like an Angel with a Flaming ⟨p. 14⟩Sword, and stops him, when his Way is perverse before the Lord.
Fourthly. There is the Method of Conscience; Our God witholds us from Sin, by the Controul of Conscience, which He has placed as His Deputy in our Souls. Men durst not Sin as they would, because of what the Candle of the Lord shows unto them; they can't Sin except they put out this Candle. A Conscience which tells them, That they who do such things are worthy of Death; The Conscience which causes a Wicked man, to do what no other man could bring him to; Act. XXIV. 25. To Tremble at the Thoughts of a Judgment to come. That stands in the way of many a man, like an Angel with a Flaming ⟨p. 14⟩Sword, and stops him, when his Way is perverse before the Lord.
And our God, by ordering a Good Education for us, keeps our Conscience in a more Wakeful and Active Plight; so that we cannot get over the Checks which it gives unto us. This Light within, tho' it be so darkened that it is not a sufficient Guide unto Life, yet it shows us, many Fair Things, and like a Fire it scalds us if we do any Foul ones. The Supreme Governor of the World holds the World in order by this Golden Engine, & withholds men from very much of the Disorder which else they would rush into. Many a man would Murder his Parents, Destroy his own Wife, Debauch his Neighbours, Blaspheme God, Burn down the Town, and run a muck among the people, if some Conscience did not withhold men from Sinning at such a rate of Outrageous Madness. The men who proclaim it, that they have shaken off the Regards of Conscience, and suppressed & smothered ⟨p. 15⟩its Admonitions, they are but so many Beasts of Prey let loose upon the World; It is from the Curse of God, when such Increase and Multiply.
And our God, by ordering a Good Education for us, keeps our Conscience in a more Wakeful and Active Plight; so that we cannot get over the Checks which it gives unto us. This Light within, tho' it be so darkened that it is not a sufficient Guide unto Life, yet it shows us, many Fair Things, and like a Fire it scalds us if we do any Foul ones. The Supream Governour of the World holds the World in order by this Golden Engine, & witholds men from very much of the Disorder which else they would rush into. Many a man would Murder his Parents, Destroy his own Wife, Debauch his Neighbours, Blaspheme God, Burn down the Town, and run a muck among the people, if some Conscience did not withold men from Sinning at such a rate of Outrageous Madness. The men who proclaim it, that they have shaken off the Regards of Conscience, and suppressed & smothered ⟨p. 15⟩its Admonitions, they are but so many Beasts of Prey let loose upon the World; It is from the Curse of God, when such Increase and Multiply.
Fifthly, and Finally. I can show you a more Excellent Way, than all of this. There are those whom a Good God Withholds from Sin, by infusing into their Souls a Principle of Grace, which is contrary to Sin; A Principle under the power whereof, men cannot Sin like other men. A Principle of Piety does God shower down from Heaven, into the Souls of some; […] Principle of Respect unto all the Holy and Just and Good Laws of Heaven. By such a Principle the Dispositions to Sin in the Hearts of Good men are Mortified; & the Considerations which deter from Sin, are Entertained, with a most Lively Efficacy. Under the force of such a Principle, a man cannot but hate Sin, and Loath Sin, and refuse to Sin; and if he be pressed unto: Sin, he will say, Gen. XXXIX. 9•. How shall I do this Wickedness, and ⟨p. 16⟩Sin against God? O admirable way of being Withheld from Sin! To be inspired with an Antipathy to every known Sin. The New Nature in a Child of God says to him, No, Thou shalt not Sin; Oh! Do not the Abominable Thing, which is hated by the Soul of God! This lays a Glorious Restraint upon him. Oh! that we were more commonly Restrained so! But now,
Fifthly, and Finally. I can show you a more Excellent Way, than all of this. There are those whom a Good God Witholds from Sin, by infusing into their Souls a Principle of Grace, which is contrary to Sin; A Principle under the power whereof, men cannot Sin like other men. A Principle of Piety does God shower down from Heaven, into the Souls of some; 〈…〉 Principle of Respect unto all the Holy and Just and Good Laws of Heaven. By such a Principle the Dispositions to Sin in the Hearts of Good men are Mortified; & the Considerations which deter from Sin, are Entertained, with a most Lively Efficacy. Under the force of such a Principle, a man cannot but hate Sin, and Loath Sin, and refuse to Sin; and if he be pressed unto: Sin, he will say, Gen. XXXIX. 9•. How shall I do this Wickedness, and ⟨p. 16⟩Sin against God? O admirable way of being Witheld from Sin! To be inspired with an Antipathy to every known Sin. The New Nature in a Child of God says to him, No, Thou shalt not Sin; Oh! Do not the Abominable Thing, which is hated by the Soul of God! This lays a Glorious Restraint upon him. Oh! that we were more commonly Restrained so! But now,
II. The Mercy of our Good God, in thus Withholding us from Sinning against Him; This is what we are to wonder at; and what exceedingly bespeaks our Praises unto Him. This will appear immediately. For,
II. The Mercy of our Good God, in thus Witholding us from Sinning against Him; This is what we are to wonder at; and what exceedingly bespeaks our Praises unto Him. This will appear immediately. For,
First. We shall fall into Sin, yea, into all manner of Sin and Blasphemy, and such as would never be Forgiven too; if our God Withhold us not. We are every one of us Depraved with Original Sin; and this our Original Sin is the Original of Every Sin; it contains in it a propensity to every Sin. We must every one of us all confess, Behold, I was •hapon in Iniquity. We must every one of us make that Confession, ⟨p. 17⟩The whole Imagination of our Heart is only Evil continually. Our First Parents whom God justly made the Representatives of all Mankind, were made Mutable. And it was no unjust Thing in the Sovereign One to make them so: Immutability is the Prerogative of none but the Infinite GOD. These our Parents, abused their own Liberty, and brought upon themselves a most Sinful Pravity; which cannot but be derived now unto us their Unhappy Children […] A Seed of Evil Doers, Children that are Corrupters! We are born with Hearts whereof we read, Matt. XV. 19. There proceed out of them, Evil Thoughts, Murders, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, False witness, Blasphemies. There is no Heart among us, but if God should not withhold it, rapid streams of Sin would burst from it, and whole Torrents of Iniquity. Bring in a Catalogue of all the Crying Sins found any where among the Children of men, there is no Heart among us, but what would soon carry us into the worst of them all, if God Withheld us not. And if God should allow Satan to fill this Heart, an Heart that is of it self so desperately wicked, no man alive can imagine to how a desperate a ⟨p. 18⟩Degree of Wickedness we should be carried, and with how vehement an Impetuosity! An Evil Spirit not forbidden by God, will go forth, and persuade an Aha•, an• prevail also, to any thing in the World. If God should not Withhold our Adversary from hurting of us, his Devices would soon be too cunning for us: The Charms and Chains of Hell would soon bring the last Confusion upon us.
First. We shall fall into Sin, yea, into all manner of Sin and Blasphemy, and such as would never be Forgiven too; if our God Withold us not. We are every one of us Depraved with Original Sin; and this our Original Sin is the Original of Every Sin; it contains in it a propensity to every Sin. We must every one of us all confess, Behold, I was hapon in Iniquity. We must every one of us make that Confession,
Secondly. We are very Unworthy that God should withhold us from Sinning against Him; our Frequent Sinning has Left us in the greatest Unworthiness of such a Mercy! By our former Sins, we deserve to be left unto further Sins. The punishment of Sin with Sin, is no uncommon procedure in the tremendous Dispensations of God. Men Sin with Delight; They signalize their Love of Sin, their Choice of Sin. The Justice of God then passes this Doom upon them, Let them go on to Sin! They be not willing to be hindered! When people will not Hearken to the Voice of God, it is but a Righteous Thing with him, To give them up unto the Lusts of their own Hearts, and let them walk in their own Counsels, which you may be sure, will ⟨p. 19⟩he bad enough The Righteousness of God never shines brighter than in that black Event of wilful Sinning; Rom. I. 26. For this cause, God gave them up to vile Affections. If we are withheld from any Sin, that ever […] fell into, we must say, Lord, This is […] not worthy of! Tis, Mercy, Mercy, that withholds us from Sin; for we can plead no Merit of our own for such a Blessing. In begging to be withheld from Sin, our Style must be that; God be merciful tome a Sinner! Tis to be very Mercifully, that is to say, Undeservedly dealt withal.
Secondly. We are very Unworthy that God should withold us from Sinning against Him; our Frequent Sinning has Left us in the greatest Unworthiness of such a Mercy! By our former Sins, we deserve to be left unto further Sins. The punishment of Sin with Sin, is no uncommon proceedure in the tremendous Dispensations of God. Men Sin with Delight; They signalize their Love of Sin, their Choice of Sin. The Justice of God then passes this Doom upon them, Let them go on to Sin! They be not willing to be hindred! When people will not Hearken to the Voice of God, it is but a Righteous Thing with him, To give them up unto the Lusts of their own Hearts, and let them walk in their own Counsels, which you may be sure, will ⟨p. 19⟩he bad enough The Righteousness of God never shines brighter than in that black Event of wilful Sinning; Rom. I. 26. For this cause, God gave them up to vile Affections. If we are witheld from any Sin, that ever 〈…〉 fell into, we must say, Lord, This is not worthy of! Tis, Mercy, Mercy, that witholds us from Sin; for we can plead no Merit of our own for such a Blessing. In begging to be witheld from Sin, our Style must be that; God be merciful tome a Sinner! Tis to be very Mercifully, that is to say, Undeservedly dealt withal.
Thirdly, Tis a Great Mercy sure, to be Withheld from the Greatest Evil; If we are not Withheld from Sinning against God, we fall into the Greatest Evil in the world. Sin, tis the Greatest Evil. Our Saviour, who is the Good One, has called it, Joh. XVII. 5. The Evil. A […] Escape from some Extreme […] of perishing, we so with a shuddering Horror, look back upon it. We give a start, when the Thought of it suddenly darts into our minds; We almost […] away, when we Think what we […]. My Friend, When […] Withheld from Sin, 'tis an Escape, ⟨p. 20⟩which thy Soul may be well amazed in Reflecting on. Thou ma•st with a Transport of Joy cry out, My Soul is escaped, as a Bird out of the Snare of the Fowler: Oh! the Mercy, Oh! the Mercy of it! When our God says, I have withheld thee from Sinning against me, He does in Effect say, I have withheld thee from throwing thy self into many Sorrow•; I have withheld thee from wronging thy own Soul; I have withheld thee from the worst thing that could have befallen thee. To Sin, Tis to Deny the God that is Above. Tis a sad Thing to be left unto so vile a Thing. To Sin, Tis to do that for which the Wea•h of God comes. To be Withheld from Sin, 'tis to be withheld from stepping over a dismal Precipice; from tumbling down into a Devouring Fire, and Everlasting Burnings. O thou Saved of the Lord, Withheld from Sin, thy Song may be that; Lord, Thou deliveredst my Soul from Death, my Eyes from Tears, and my Feet from Falls. The Mercy cannot be too highly spoken of!
Thirdly, Tis a Great Mercy sure, to be Witheld from the Greatest Evil; If we are not Witheld from Sinning against God, we fall into the Greatest Evil in the world. Sin, tis the Greatest Evil. Our Saviour, who is the Good One, has call'd it, Joh. XVII. 5. The Evil. A 〈…〉 Escape from some Extream 〈…〉 of perishing, we so with a shuddering Horror, look back upon it. We give a start, when the Thought of it suddenly darts into our minds; We almost 〈…〉 away, when we Think what we 〈…〉. My Friend, When Witheld from Sin, 'tis an Escape,
I. There are some Occurrences in the World, that are very much to be wondered ⟨p. 21⟩at; But we now see the Reason of those Wondrous Occurrences. I will entertain you with the Mention of Two or Three Things, whereof we must now say, These are the Doings of the Lord, and they are marvellous in our eyes. If there were not a Good God, who withholds men from Sinning against Him, the World would not have such a Respite from such Wonderful Miseries, which I shall now tell you of.
I. There are some Occurrences in the World, that are very much to be wondred ⟨p. 21⟩at; But we now see the Reason of those Wondrous Occurrences. I will entertain you with the Mention of Two or Three Things, whereof we must now say, These are the Doings of the Lord, and they are marvellous in our eyes. If there were not a Good God, who witholds men from Sinning against Him, the World would not have such a Respite from such Wonderful Miseries, which I shall now tell you of.
First. We may Wonder that some Destructive Wickednesses are not ever now and then done in the World, by people that are Wicked enough to do them. There are people, who have nothing within them, to withhold them, from such Things as are too horrible to be spoken of. People there are, who would Stick at nothing, that they could see themselves able to do, that they may ruin others, and Enrich themselves. People there are, who if it came into their Minds, what they are capable of doing, and yet might Lie Concealed after all, and it may be Roast their own Eggs into the Bargain, would soon be the Actors of direful Tragedies! Many an honest man, is aware of Ways to do incredible Mischief, which if some ⟨p. 22⟩Wicked men should be as much aware of, they would be more perilous Creatures, than the Dragon of Hetruria, whereof Dion tells us, that after he had made fearful Devastations, he was killed with a Thunderbolt. The men are Devils, and very cunning and subtle Devils too; but they have Chains of Darkness upon them. They don't see what they can do: And would if they saw it. Prudence will direct, that I should not go too far in Explaining my self.—But this I may say; There are People that would make a very Light matter of a Perjury; they would make nothing for a small matter to Forswear themselves. Tis a wonder, that no more Naboths are Sworn out of their Lives, or at least out of their Vineyards, by them that have no Yoke upon them. Tis very strange! And so is another thing, that I will venture to speak of. He that is willing to throw away his own Life, may easily be master of Another mans. And yet, you have known many people set upon throwing away their own Lives. But you scarce ever knew one of these desperate Suicides disposed unto the killing of any besides themselves. What is the Reason of this? Our Good God has ⟨p. 23⟩acquainted us; I withheld them!
First. We may Wonder that some Destructive Wickednesses are not ever now and then done in the World, by people that are Wicked enough to do them. There are people, who have nothing within them, to withold them, from such Things as are too horrible to be spoken of. People there are, who would Stick at nothing, that they could see themselves able to do, that they may ruine others, and Enrich themselves. People there are, who if it came into their Minds, what they are capable of doing, and yet might Ly Concealed after all, and it may be Roast their own Eggs into the Bargain, would soon be the Actors of direful Tragedies! Many an honest man, is aware of Wayes to do incredible Mischief, which if some
Secondly. We may wonder, That this World is not an entire Aceldama, and that it Swims not with Blood, even up to the Horse-bridles. There are cursed Fires Latent in the Souls of men; Fires that have sometimes broke out, and burnt all round about, burnt unto the very Foundations of the Mountains, burnt down all before them. A very Little Thing will serve sometimes, to blow up these Fires; Maxima odia ex Levissimis causis! And then a whole Nation becomes a formidable Volcano; no more habitable than a Vesuvie. Our Apostle speaks, as if every man had the Heart of a Murderer in him; and Rom. III. 15, 16. Feet swift to shed Blood; Destruction and Misery in their ways. We see some Commit bloody Murders. Why don't they grow as common, as they did a little before the Final Catastrophe on Jerusalem! The Venomous Hearts of Men, have in them the Root, which all Murders grow upon. Sometimes a Cup of poison to be trembled at, has been put into the Hands of Nations; Then the Intoxicated Nations have run mad; ⟨p. 24⟩have been furiously set upon destroying one another; have sheathed their Swords in one another's bowels, with a Rage that has reached up to Heaven. The Passions have been of old called; The wild beasts of the Soul. if those Wild Beasts are once let loose, they make fearful Depredations▪ they turn Populous. Regions into a Wilderness! When a Kingdom is divided against it self, what Adonis, what Opiates are they, that keep under the worst of all Frenzies, that would soon bring all to Desolation! When Distracted People think themselves oppressed, what is it that keeps under the Massanello's, or keeps things in the Calm, which tis said, the French Salvages told a greater than themselves, was the thing which of all they had seen, they most admired at? Who is it that Stills the Noise of the Seas, and the Tumult of the People? Our Good God has acquainted us with the Reason of this; I withheld them!
Secondly. We may wonder, That this World is not an entire Aceldema, and that it Swims not with Blood, even up to the Horse-bridles. There are cursed Fires Latent in the Souls of men; Fires that have sometimes broke out, and burnt all round about, burnt unto the very Foundations of the Mountains, burn't down all before them. A very Little Thing will serve sometimes, to blow up these Fires; Maxima odia ex Levissimis causis! And then a whole Nation becomes a formidable Volcano; no more habitable than a Vesuvie. Our Apostle speaks, as if every man had the Heart of a Murderer in him; and
Thirdly. We may wonder, That there is any True People of God Left in the World; and that the Burning Bush is not Consumed. Our Lord-Redeemer has through' all Ages, a Church visibly Existing on the Face of the Earth; His Willing, ⟨p. 25⟩and His Holy People. The Generation of them that seek Him: A Generation which Condemns the World, and Offends it, and […] it, and must not marvel, if it be […] of the World Satan, who is the God of this World, and the Spirit that works in the Children of Disobedience, fills his Children with an implacable Aversion and Antipathy for this People of God. They will grant not only Liberties, but also Preferments, to Devils Incarnate […] yea, tho' they may differ very much among one another. But they will turn every Stone, that the Children of God may be Discouraged, and even Exterminated. The Persecution of Dissenters, has been in all Ages carried on; Always with most Unreasonable Barbarities, and sometimes, to an Extremity of cruel Dissipations; even such an Extremity, that the Dioclesians on the Thrones of Iniquity, have boasted, of a, Superstition Christiana deleta; That there was no more Christianity •eft in the World. But still the Church of our Lord, Our-lives the Attempts of all its Adversaries, yea, gains ground, grows great, & improves by those Attempts; and having Obtained ⟨p. 26⟩Help from God, it continues to this Day. The Song of the Church in all Ages hath been that; Psa. LXXVI. 10. Surely, The wrath of man shall praise thee, the Remainder of that Wrath shalt thou Restrain. We can hardly tell whence it is, That tho' the Wolves bring forth many more at a Litter, than the Sheep; and we seldom hear of a Wolf killed, when the Sheep is every day Led into the Shambles; yet there are a thousand times more Sheep known in the World than there are of those ravening Devourers. But I now propound a much stranger thing than this. The Faithful People of God, are Counted like sheep for the slaughter all the Day long. They are but a Little Flock, a very Little Little Flock; The Wolves, they, as it was of Old said about a Syrian Herd of them, Fill the Country. Now, Whence is it, that the Church is not utterly cut off; & the Name of it, no more had in Remembrance! Why have no Days of Purim, and of Bartholomew, nor Irish Massacres totally Extinguished it? Our Good God has acquainted us with the Reason of it; I withheld them. Oh!
Let us now Give to our Good God, the Glory of such Wonderful Dispensations.
Thirdly. We may wonder, That there is any True People of God Left in the World; and that the Burning Bush is not Consumed. Our Lord-Redeemer has thro' all Ages, a Church visibly Existing on the Face of the Earth; His Willing, ⟨p. 25⟩and His Holy People. The Generation of them that seek Him: A Generation which Condemns the World, and Offends it, and 〈…〉 it, and must not marvel, if it be 〈…〉 of the World Satan, who is the God of this World, and the Spirit that works in the Children of Disobedience, fills his Children with an implacable Aversion and Antipathy for this People of God. They will grant not only Liberties, but also Preferments, to Devils Incarnate 〈…〉 yea, tho' they may differ very much among one another. But they will turn every Stone, that the Children of God may be Discouraged, and even Exterminated. The Persecution of Dissenters, has been in all Ages carried on; Always with most Unreasonable Barbarities, and sometimes, to an Extremity of cruel Dissipations; even such an Extremity, that the Dioclesians on the Thrones of Iniquity, have boasted, of a, Superstitione Christiana deleta; That there was no more Christianity •eft in the World. But still the Church of our Lord, Our-lives the Attempts of all its Adversaries, yea, gains ground, grows great, & improves by those Attempts; and having Obtained ⟨p. 26⟩Help from God, it continues to this Day. The Song of the Church in all Ages hath been that; Psa. LXXVI. 10. Surely, The wrath of man shall praise thee, the Remainder of that Wrath shalt thou Restrain. We can hardly tell whence it is, That tho' the Wolves bring forth many more at a Littter, than the Sheep; and we seldom hear of a Wolf kill'd, when the Sheep is every day Led into the Shambles; yet there are a thousand times more Sheep known in the World than there are of those ravening Devourers. But I now propound a much stranger thing than this. The Faithful People of God, are Counted like sheep for the slaughter all the Day long. They are but a Little Flock, a very Little Little Flock; The Wolves, they, as it was of Old said about a Syrian Herd of them, Fill the Country. Now, Whence is it, that the Church is not utterly cut off; & the Name of it, no more had in Remembrance! Why have no Dayes of Purim, and of Bartholomew, nor Irish Massacres totally Extinguished it? Our Good God has acquainted us with the Reason of it; I witheld them. Oh!
