N01608:46
The valley of Hinnom. The terrors of hell demonstrated and the methods of escaping…The valley of Hinnom. The terrours of hell demonstrated and the methods of escaping…
The valley of Hinnom. The terrors of hell demonstrated and the methods of escaping the terrible miseries of the punishments on the wicked there, declared. In a sermon preached in the hearing, and at the request, of a man under a sentence of death for a murder; just before the execution of the sentence; and upon a text by himself assigned for the sermon to insist upon. At Boston, 13.d. IV.m. 1717, : [Two lines of quotation in Latin]The valley of Hinnom. The terrours of hell demonstrated and the methods of escaping the terrible miseries of the punishments on the wicked there, declared. In a sermon preached in the hearing, and at the request, of a man under a sentence of death for a murder; just before the execution of the sentence; and upon a text by himself assigned for the sermon to insist upon. At Boston, 13.d. IV.m. 1717, : [Two lines of quotation in Latin]
Boston: printed by J. Allen for Robert Starke, 1717
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.
Having been so concerned,—and it is no Bad sign to be so concerned, That your Neighbours may by the Fear of GOD, be preserved from the HELL, wherein the Wicked shall be Punished, Every One will take it for granted, that you have made it your own main Concern to be preserved from that Place of Dragons. You are aware, 'Tis the Fear of GOD, that must preserve you! If you have the Fear of God now at last wrought in a Soul, which has been for Three or Four and Thirty years destitute of it, and Lying Dead in Trespasses and Sins; Then, Then, is your Grand point secured. Oh! Lift up an unpacified cry to the GOD of all Grace; Lord, Unite my Heart for thee, and for the Fearing of thy Name!
You have upon you some Symptoms! ⟨p. 47⟩of a Begun Repentance, which comfort the Servants of GOD, who have been Travailing for you. But, Oh! Be inexpressibly solicitous, That it be a Thorough Repentance. Man, It must be a very Heady Repentance. It will not be a Right work, if it be not an Heart-Work. O Tremble, O Tremble, Exceedingly; Lest the Confusion of, A Deceived Heart, prove your Portion after all.
You have upon you some Symptomps! ⟨p. 47⟩of a Begun Repentance, which comfort the Servants of GOD, who have been Travailing for you. But, Oh! Be inexpressibly sollicitous, That it be a Thorough Repentance. Man, It must be a very Heady Repentance. It will not be a Right work, if it be not an Heart-Work. O Tremble, O Tremble, Exceedingly; Lest the Confusion of, A Deceived Heart, prove your Portion after all.
Wherefore, Commune with your own Heart, and let your Spirit make a Diligent Search. O Examine; Is there no SIN, but what is become odious to me? Examine; Is a whole CHRIST, with all His Benefits precious to me? Examine! Is there nothing I so much long for as to have my Heart filled with the Love of GOD, and have GOD Reigning in my Soul? O make a Severe, Exact, Thorough Scrutiny!
Wherefore, Commune with your own Heart, and let your Spirit make a Diligent Search. O Examine; Is there no SIN, but what is become odious to me? Examine; Is a whole CHRIST, with all His Benefits precious to me? Examine! Is there nothing I so much long for as to have my Heart fill'd with the Love of GOD, and have GOD Reigning in my Soul? O make a Severe, Exact, Thorough Scrutiny!
If you are thus Really Turned unto GOD, then may you go away Singing, Return to thy Rest, O my Soul!—For Thou, O Lord, hast delivered my Soul from Death!
Ah, Poor FENWICK, Wilt thou not magnify the Grace of GOD thy SAVIOUR! Of old, a City of Refuge in the Holy Land, would not receive and protect a Murderer. But in a Glorious CHRIST there is a City of Refuge that stands open for thee. A Penitent Murderer may find a Refuge there. Oh! Fly for a Refuge unto the Hope set before thee.
Ah, Poor FENWICK, Wilt thou not magnify the Grace of GOD thy SAVIOUR! Of old, a City of Refuge in the Holy Land, would not receive and protect a Murderer. But in a Glorious CHRIST there is a City of Refuge that stands open for thee. A Paenitent Murderer may find a Refuge there. Oh! Fly for a Refuge unto the Hope set before thee.
Marvellous has been the Favour of GOD, in stirring up the Hearts of His Ministers, to labour so Compassionately as they have done for thy Salvation. But all their Compassion is but a small, faint, cold Image of what thou shalt find in the Heart of their Master, and thy SAVIOUR.
Marvellous the Grace of our GOD, in making thee a Tender of that Blood which Cleanses from all Sin, and speaks better Things than the Blood of thy slain Brother, which cries from the Ground against thee.
Marvellous the Grace of our GOD in reaching out unto thee His very ⟨p. 49⟩great and precious Promises; and particularly that Word, which is worth Ten Worlds, Him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.
And yet more Marvellous the Grace of our GOD, if after all thy Impiety, and Long, Long, Provoking Impenitence, He has overcome thee, to Receive His offered Grace, and lay Hold on Eternal Life.
Then, Then mayst thou hear thy SAVIOUR from Heaven Surprising of thy humbled Soul, with such a Sweet Voice as that; Son, Be of good cheer, Thy Sins are forgiven thee! Such a Sweet Voice as that; This Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.
Then, Then mayst thou hear thy SAVIOUR from Heaven Surprizing of thy humbled Soul, with such a Sweet Voice as that; Son, Be of good cheer, Thy Sins are forgiven thee! Such a Sweet Voice as that; This Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.
FINIS.
THE Dying Speech OF Jeremiah Fenwick, Who, after he had at the place of Execution, less audibly spoken the substance of these Things, then gave the ensuing Instrument […] a more full Declaration of his Dying Sentiments.
THE Dying Speech OF Jeremiah Fenwick, Who, after he had at the place of Execution, less audibly spoken the substance of these Things, then gave the ensuing Instrument 〈…〉 a more full Declaration of his Dying Sentiments.
I Consider my self as a dying Man, and I desire to dye giving Glory to God, before whom I am now to make my Appearance. I offer up my Praises unto God who has granted me such a space of Repentance, and so many helps and means to bring me to it.
I hope, the Faithful Servants of God, will with some comfort see ⟨p. 2⟩some Harvest of the great pains they have taken for my Good.
To all the other Sins of a Wicked Life, I have added this; That I have too much delayed my Repentance, even since my Imprisonment, while the Sentence against my evil work, was not yet certain to be Executed. Though I have hereby so affronted and provoked the good Spirit of Grace, that He might justly withdraw for ever from me, yet such has been his Free and Rich Grace, as to continue still to visit me with his Influences; and bring on a work of Repentance in my Soul.
I heartily mourn for all the Sins of my Life; and above all for the Fountain of all Sins, which I have in an Heart that is desperately wicked. I most particularly confess and bewail my Blood-Guiltiness. I owe my Life to Justice, for having wrongfully taken away the Life of my Brother, whom I ought to have loved as my self. I own the Justice of the Government in their Proceeding against me. But, Lord, there is Forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.