N01484:40
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. An hard Heart, is an Heart very Dull of Understanding in the Word of God; not brought quickly to understand the Truths and Things of Religion. We read; Mar. VIII. 17. Perceive ye not yet; neither understand? Have ye, your Heart hardened? Sometimes the Heart of a Man apprehends no more than a Stone, of those Things, which are The Things of our Peace. 'Tis an hard Heart that is thus Unapprehensive, so Inadvertent. Thus we read, Mar. VI. 52. They considered not, for their Heart was hardene•, Many a Man does not consider what the Word of God speaks unto him not consider what Errand •he came ⟨p. 9⟩into the World upon, or how to behave himself in the World; not consider how soon he may go out of the World, nor what will become of him when he is gone out of the World. Alas, the Heart of this Man is hardened. An hard Heart is the same with a slow Heart. We read, Luk. XXIV. 25. O Fools, and slow of Heart to believe. An Heart slow to take in right Notions about the Glory of GOD, the Beauty of CHRIST, the Damage of SIN, and the Reasonableness of Religion; an hard Heart it is! An Heart that is hard to be instructed in the Affairs of the Kingdom of God. An hard Heart is a Sottish one. A blind Mind goes with an hard Heart. We read, Joh. XII. 40. He hath blinded their Eyes, and hardened their Heart. O you that sit under the Means of Knowledge, but still remain Souls without Knowledge, and know very little of […] Points which to know is Life […], you have the Light shining about you our not entering into you; no, […] ⟨p. 10⟩than into a Stone; you have cause to cry out, Oh! the hardness of my Heart! What will become of me!
First. An hard Heart, is an Heart very Dull of Understanding in the Word of God; not brought quickly to understand the Truths and Things of Religion. We read;