N01484:108
A sorrowful spectacle. In two sermons, occasioned by a just sentence of death, on…
A sorrowful spectacle. In two sermons, occasioned by a just sentence of death, on a miserable woman, for the murder of a spurious offspring. : The one declaring, the evil of an heart hardened, under and against all means of good. : The other describing, the fearful case of such as in a suffering time, and much more such as in a dying hour, are found without the fear of God. : With some remarkable things, relating to the criminal; proper for all to be informed of. / By Cotton Mather, D.D. and F.R.S. ; [One line from Acts]
Boston: printed by T. Fleet & T. Crump for Samuel Gerrish, 1715
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.
First. Some that suffer very sad Things, do not Reform the Sins, which have brought their Sufferings▪ It may be said of some, as in Jer. V. 3. O Lord, Thou hast Consumed them, but they have refused to receive Correction. Our Afflictions come to us, with a Message from God. The Message, and Language of them, is; Oh! Repent of thy Way, and of thy Doings, which have procured these things unto ⟨p. 59⟩thee; Of the Wickedness, which has procured thee all this Bitterness. Yet many Afflicted ones there are, whose Afflictions do not bring them to Repentance. Their Iniquity is not thereby Purged, and the Fruit thereof is not the taking away of their Sin. The Duty they Omitted before their Afflictions, tho' they are Afflicted, yet they continue in their Omission of it. The Trespass they committed before their Afflictions, tho' they are Afflicted, yet they continue in their Commission of it. Tho' they have born Chastisement, they are not Inquisitive what those Offences may be, for which they have been Chastised; and they do not say, What is meet surely to be […] unto God, I will not Offend any more▪ Tho' the Holy One have Stricken them for their Sinning against Him, yet they are not more afraid of Sinning, than formerly. Tho' God be vexing them with all Adversity; […] it an Evil World unto them, […] they are not more weaned […] Love of the World. Tho' […] ⟨p. 60⟩an Afflicted Life, yet they do not lead a more Prayerful, a more Fruitful, a more Heavenly Life; a Life of more Communion with God. Tho' the Rod be Employed upon them, yet they do not Hear the Red. They have their Cross, but no Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness growing upon it.
First. Some that suffer very sad Things, do not Reform the Sins, which have brought their Sufferings▪ It may be said of some, as in Jer. V. 3. O Lord, Thou hast Consumed them, but they have refused to receive Correction. Our Afflictions come to us, with a Message from God. The Message, and Language of them, is; Oh! Repent of thy Way, and of thy Doings, which have procured these things unto