N01484:88
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.
I have read a Rhetorical Flight, calling this Penitent Thief, The Firstborn among the Children of a Crucified Saviour. I do not wonder, that I find Chrysostom calling him, A Prophet, and Athanasius calling him, A• Evangelist. It is indeed a very Remarkable Thing, That when our Saviour was forsaken of all His Disciples, and when He had not one left in the World openly to appear for Him, a Conver•ed Thief is employed […] Preacher of His Glories. Ah! Lord, Rather than there shall be none to Preach, thy Glories, there shall be Instruments ⟨p. 46⟩called for that Work from Quarters th•• none could have imagined! The Cross itself shall be so far from stopping the Preaching of the Gospel, that you shall find it admirably done from the very Cross itself. You are now to hearken unto a Sermon preached from the Cross. Never had there been such a Sermon heard from such a Pulpit before; Never such a Preacher! A Thief turned into a Saint. A Prisoner turned into a Minister; into a sort of an Apostle. A Bloody Enemy of God, become the only Believer and Confessor of His Christ, openly appearing in the World. Oh! the wonderful Changes wrought by the Grace of our God! Methinks, an• extraordinary Matter, may be expected from such an extraordinary Preacher. You may look to be Entertained with something that shall be well worthy of your Observation.
I have read a Rhetorical Flight, calling this Penitent Thief, The Firstborn among the Children of a Crucified Saviour. I do not wonder, that I find Chrysostom calling him, A Prophet, and Athanasius calling him, A• Evangelist. It is indeed a very Remarkable Thing, That when our Saviour was forsaken of all His Disciples, and when He had not one left in the World openly to appear for Him, a Conver•ed Thief is imploy'd 〈…〉 Preacher of His Glories. Ah! Lord, Rather than there shall be none to Preach, thy Glories, there shall be Instruments ⟨p. 46⟩called for that Work from Quarters th•• none could have imagined! The Cross itself shall be so far from stopping the Preaching of the Gospel, that you shall find it admirably done from the very Cross itself. You are now to hearken unto a Sermon preached from the Cross. Never had there been such a Sermon heard from such a Pulpit before; Never such a Preacher! A Thief turn'd into a Saint. A Prisoner turned into a Minister; into a sort of an Apostle. A Bloody Enemy of God, become the only Believer and Confessor of His Christ, openly appearing in the World. Oh! the wonderful Changes wrought by the Grace of our God! Methinks, an extraordinary Matter, may be expected from such an extraordinary Preacher. You may look to be Entertained with something that shall be well worthy of your Observation.