The Wicked Mans Portion

TO THE READER.

THe ensuing Sermon was, (as is in the Title Page expressed) Preached u • on a very sad & solemn occasion. I did not kn • w that it would fall to my Lot to attend that service, a whole week before, and much other business was upon my hands at the same Time, necess • ry to be done; in which r • spect nothing but what is Plain and Common is to be expectted in this Discourse. Yea and if I had had never so much time for Preparation, it is my Principle, (and those few in the world that know anything of me, will testify that my continued Practice is according to that Principle) that Plainess in delivering the Truths of God, is always to be endeav • ured after; but more especially when such awful occasions are presented, as caused the Preaching of this Sermon. Plain food is best in a Spiritual as well as in a Nat • ral sense.

Little did • think of Printing this sermon when I Preached it; but that God who sometimes giveth favor to those who ar • not men of skill hath so ordered by his Providence a • that many have desired, that it might be thus expos • d to the view of the world; out of respect to whose Imp • rtunity, I have transcribed for them a Copy of what▪ was spoken, and that not only as to the things, but (sinc • that was desired) as nigh as I could remembe • , in the same words, which were delivered. If I may by this Publication be instrumental to prevent any from sinning against God; & if the Lord will bless these poor Meditations for t • e good of young ones amongst us (especially such as are of the Rising Generation in New-England, for whose sakes I am most willing, not only to Preach, and to writ • , but to dy, if I may but thereby Promote their Conversion and Salvation ) I have then my whole desire.

The blessing of the God of Heaven, go along with his own Truth. which is the Prayer of

SOlomon being a man full of wisdom, was very observant of the Providences of God, which hap • ed in the place and in the age wherein he lived. He doth in this Chapter give us an account of some of his Observations that way, There is one special Observation in this Context, viz in the 15 verse of this Chapter, where we have the wise man saying, There is a just man that perisheth in his Righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. Now lest any one should abuse this doctrine of the just man's perishing in his righteousness; and the wicked man's prolonging his life in his wickedness, He proceeds to a double exhortation.

1. He doth exhort to beware of errors on the right hand. verse 16th. where there are two errors on the right hand mentioned.

1. Overmuch Righteousness. Be not righteous overmuch. Not that it is possible for any man to have more of real Goodness in him, than he ought to have: but he may be more righteous in his own Conceit, than he should be; and he may be Superstitious, he may add to the Word of God, which is the rule of Righteousness, Men may likewise be more severe in punishing Offenders then the Rule doth allow o • , the Corinthians did sometimes err on that hand, and that is to be righteous overmuch

2, Overmuch Wisdom. Neither make thyself overwise. which must be understood as the former Particular, A man be wiser in his own eyes, than he ought to be, He may be wise above what is written, He may p • y into the secrets of the Alm • ghty, and endeavor to trace him wh • se ways, are past finding out, and whose • ootsteps are not known. And this Exhortation is urged from the Consideration of the woe • u • l effect of this overmuch wisdom and righteousness, viz self destruction. Why shouldest thou destroy thyself? As the moth that will venture too near to the light, destroyeth itself, so they that will be overwise, and will needs know more than God would have them to know, destroy themselves.

2. The other exhortation is against Errors on the Less hand; of which there are two mentioned in this verse and in the words which have been read, in opposition to the two former spoken of in the verse immediately foregoing.

1, Be not overmuch wicked. q. d. though you must not be righteous overmuch, yet take heed of erring on the other extreme, which our nature is most prone unto. The Hebrew is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 h. e. do not wickedly much. Not that the Preacher doth allow of any wickedness at all only his design is to show the evil of all excess in wickedness.

2. Another error on the le • t hand is Foolishness. Neither be thou Foolish. Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 h. e. Neither • e thou a Fool, because all wickedness is folly, and sinners are Fools, as afterwards we shall show. And this exhortation is l • kewise pressed by an argument taken from the miserable end that such sinners come to at last, God in his righteous Providence doth many Times so order that they d • before their Time. Why shouldest thou dy before thy Time? It is as if it were said, Though it be so that here and there a wicked man doth prolong his life in his wickedness, yet for any one thence to embolden himself in sin, is the greatest folly imaginable, for usually it falls out otherwise, that wickedness doth shorten the days of those that are guilty of it.

The Doctrine therefore from the words is, [Doct.]

That the Providence of God doth oftentimes • o dispose as that a • untimely death shall be the Portion of him that hath been wicked overmuch.

In the Doctrinal handling of this Truth, Three things may be attended.

1. To inquire how any one may be said to dy before his Time.

2. What overmuch wickedness that is which is usually followed with untimely Death, or when one may be said to be wicked overmuch.

3. The Reasons of the Doctrine, why God in his providence doth often so dispose as that an untimely death shall be the Portion of such as have been wicked overmuch.

Quest. 1. How can one be said to • y before his Time?

Answ. Not in respect of the decree of God. No man shall dy before the Time which the Lord hath determined be fulfilled. The Time of every man's Death is appointed. Hence Job saith Chap. 14. verse 14. All the days of my appointed Time will I wait till my change come. and in the 5th verse of that Chapter it is said, Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass. Not only the years but the months, nay the days which every man shall live are determined by the Lord, so as that he shall not live a day longer, nor dy a day sooner than was before appointed. But a man may be said to dy before his Time.

1. In respect of his own expectation. He may dy before ever he doth expect Death. Hence sinners are said to dy suddenly. 1 Thess. 5. 3. When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon th • m as travel upon a woman with child and they shall not escape. Sudden destruction cometh upon sinners, that is, not only which is in itself sudden, but as to their expect • tion so. Thus in the Patable concerning the wicked servant. M •• h. 24. 48, 49, 50. If that evil servant shall say in his heart, • y Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow s •• vants, the Lord of that servant shall come in in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware 〈◊〉 So doth He dy before his Time wherein • e expected • a • h is come. It is often so with them that have been •• ry wick • d and Foolish; where • ore it is said in the Parable c • ncerning the Fool when h • thought he had many years to live. Luke 12. 20: God said unto him Thou Fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Hence.

2. A sinner may be said to die before his Time, in respect of his Preparation for a dying hour. Death may come upon him, before he is prepared to encounter with that enemy. And then he dieth indeed, in dying he shall dy, if death find him unprepared; the second death taketh hold on that soul. The devils sometimes said to Jesus Christ, Art th • u come to torm • nt us b • fore our Time. Truly such • soul goeth to th • Place of Torment before his Time. There is many a sinner that death finds without an Interest in Jesus Christ, There is some sin that he hath not repented of, nay it may be he hath not truly repented of so much a • one sin, and then he is not prepared to dy. It had been better for him that he had never been born, than that he should die and go out of the world in that Condition,

3. A sinner may dy before that Time be fulfilled, which according to the ordinary cours • of nature he might have lived.

And this is especially intended here in the Text. why shouldst thou die before thy time, Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and not in thy Time. that is to say, before that time which according to the ordinary course of nature thou mightest have lived, be expired. Many times the Divine Providence doth so order as that they who have been wicked overmuch shall not live out that time. Thus concerning the world of the ungodly which lived before the flood, Eliphaz s • ith Hast thou ma • ked the old way which wicked m • n have trodden, who were cut down out of time, Job. 22 15, 16. According to the ordinary course of Nature, they migh • have lived a Long Time, but they were cut down by the s • roke of Death. wicked men never dy before they ar • ripe in sin, but they often dy before they are ripe in Nature. They are carried and chased out of the world by some violent d 〈…〉 .

Some • imes this is brought to pass by the Lord's immediate 〈…〉 d. If • en be generally wicked overmuch, the Lord sends Public destroying Judgments, whereby thous • nds dy before their Time. so on the old world, • o on Sodom and Gomorrhah; in the morning they were well and likely to have lived many a fair day, but dead and damned before night. Those sore Judgm • nts of Famine, Plague, and Sword, come and sw • ep away multitudes before their time, when a people are become wicked overmuch. And Particular Judgments do hence come upon Particular persons, whereby they were cut of before their Time. There was that wicked Er and his w • cked brother Onan, did commit abominable uncleanness in the sight of God, and therefore the Lord slew them▪ that they died before their Time. so Nadab and Abihu were wicked overmuch, and there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Corah and his complices wickedness was amongst th • m and i • their dwellings, and as the Psa • mist (all 〈…〉 to that 〈◊〉 Judgment) speaketh Death seised upon them and they went down quick into hell.

Psal. 55. 15. Ananias and Sapphira wer • wicked overmuch when they committed Sacrilege, and also sinned and lied in a Church Assembly where there is a special Presence of the Spirit of God, and th • y became guilty of lying to the Holy Ghost, wherefore first the one of them fell down and gave up the Ghost, and then the other, and thence were both cast into one grave and this before their Time. The Scripture is full of awful instances to this Purpose. Again sometimes God's Vicegerents are improved as executioners of his wrath and justice upon such sinners. The Magistrate beareth not the sword in vain, but is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. Hence David speaketh saying, I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land, that I may cut of the wicked doers from the city of the Lord. Psal. 110. 8. I will early destroy them▪ in the original it is, in the morning I will destroy them, because in those Times Malefactors w • re execu • ed in the morning; and thats his meaning, that He would see execution done upon Capital Offenders. Th •• S • uls cu • sed posterity was cut off by the han • of Justic • . because of the Murder which their Father had committed, and no doubt but they had been some way Acc • ssary, in in consenting, or approving, or not duly bearing witness against that iniquity.

Sometimes again the Lord in a Judicial way giveth up such sinners to the Power of Satan, and their own Corruptions, so as that they become their own executioners, as we se in Judas, who after he had brought himself under the guilt of innocent blood, went to the halter to let out his wretched soul,

But thus much may suffice to be spoken to the first enquiry, we come to the second thing propounded, Namely, What overmuch wickedness that is which is usually followed with untimely death, or when a man may be said to be wicked overmuch?

Answ. 1. When 〈◊〉 • oth make himself to be mor • wicked than ind • ed • e is. e. g. When he doth falsely accuse himself to be guilty of this or that which he was never actually guilty of. There are such woeful foolish creatures in the world, that glory in their shame, and take a pride in saying that they have committed this or that abomin • tion, which yet it may be they never did commit. It is just with God, that such should dy before their Time, and that they should be dealt with, as if they were really guilty thereof; as we se in the Instance of that Amalekite, who accused himself as having an hand in Saul's death: It is all question whether he had so really or no, yet inasmuch as he • ccused Himself, David condemned him, 2 Sam 1. 16. David said thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath t • stifi • d against thee saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed. So when any poor creature shall say that he hath out-stood and sinned away the day of Grace, albeit the Holy Spirit is fecretly striying with him still, or that he hath sinned against the Holy Ghos • . Or that his sin is greater than the mercy God. As Francis Spi • a after his Apostasy uttered such a desperate blasphemy as that my sin (said He) is greater than the mercy of •• d. And thus it was with despairing bloody Cain, be said, mine iniquity is greater than can be forgiven. Gen. 4. 13. Austin doth well reply upon him, mentiris Cain, thats a Lye Cain, thy sin is not gre • ter th • n ca • be forgiven. Some have observed that Cain's Desperation and blasphemy, was a greater evil than his Murder was, when he shed the innocent blood of his own Brother. And indeed despair layeth the Foundation for all excess in wickedness, it maketh men to become no better than devils incarnate; and causeth them to die before their Time, witness Judas who in despair hanged Himself; And have not we in our days known or heard of many rueful instances of that Kind?

2 When a man shall become guilty of such sins as are of a very heinous nature, then be may be said to be wicked overmuch▪ There are Scarlet sins, Crimson abominations, wh • ch the Heavens blush to behold. There are bloody sinners, whose souls lie bleeding under Prodigious guilt, even such as have been guilty of evils; that by the Law of God and man are Capital Crimes, these are they that have been wicked overmuch. to mention only one or two Crimes.

Mu • there is a great and horrid wickedness, and so Capital as that whoever hath been guilty of it, may in no case he p • rdoned by man. Numb. 35. 30. 31. Whoso Killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death, mor • over they shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer which is Guilty of death, but He shall be surely put to death. And they that have been guilty of this wickedness, usually dy before their Time, according to that scripture Psal. 55. 23 But thou O God shalt bring them down to d • struction, bl ••• y and deceitful men should not live out half their days. It is thought by some that Cain. (who was the first murderer amongst men) died before his Time. The Jews have a Tradition that Lamech killed Cain and a young man that wa • with him hunting in the woods; To this purpose some understand that place (our version doth evidently favor that Interpretation) Gen. 4. 23. 24. Lamech said, I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt i • Cain be avenged seven fold surely Lamech seventy and seven • old. However the providence of God. doth usually so dispose as tha • they who have taken away the lives of others by violence, shall themselves dy a violent and bloody dea • h. Joab murdered Abner and Amasa, and He (though an old man) died before his Time, He that had shed the blood of others, his own blood was shed for it at last. Joash conspired against Zachariah and stoned him with sto • es, and afterwards, His own servants Conspired against hi • and slew him.

Many other Instances are recorded in the Scripture, and in human writings all confirming the Truth of this. Yea God from Heaven doth usually Pursue this sin, with special signal Testimonies of his Righteous displeasure. Hence the Lord hath strange ways to discover this sin. Rather then the Murderer shall not be found out, the Heaven shall reveal his iniquity and the Earth shall rise up against him. How often have the fowls of Heaven, and the dumb creatures of the earth brought Murder to Light?

The story is ancient and famous concerning Bessus who had murdered his own Father; and sometime after the swallows making a noise in the chimney as it is the manner of those birds to do, His guilty Conscience was afraid they had told of him, whereupon he goeth to kill the swallows, and being asked the reason, why (saith he) the swallows do nothing but say Bessus hath Killed his Father, Bessus hath Killed his Father, whereby he was suspected, and upon examination confessed the fact.

It is also storied of a soldier belonging to King Pyrrhus, that being slain, a dog which he had, could by no means be enticed from the dead body, but the King coming by, he fawned upon him as it were craving help at his hands whereupon He caused all his army to pass by in order, and when the murderers came the dog flew fiercely upon them, and then fawned upon the K • ng the soldiers hereupon examined, confessed the Murder, and received condign Punishment. Many other Instances to this Purpose I co • ld produce, but I for bear.

Again, Rebellion is a Crime which they that are guilty of, are wicked overmuch. When Inferiors shall wickedly • ise up against Sup • riours. When Subjects shall in a way of Rebellion rise up against the Authority which the Lord hath set over them, such often dy before their Time, Hence Christ saith, All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword Math. 26. 52. that is to say they that take up the sword in a way of Rebellion against Lawfull Authority. That Doctor Gamaliel in the speech he made in the Council taketh notice of two examples concerning this. Acts. 5. 36, 37. The • das boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number • f men, about four hundred joined themselves, was slain, and all as many as obeyed him were scattered, and brought to naught, after this man r • se up Judas of Gallilee, and drew away • uch People after him, he also perished, and all even a • many as Obeyed him were dispersed. So when Servants shall rise up in Rebellion against their Masters, it is a wicked thing. wherefore even Jezebel could say▪ Had Zimri Peace who slew his Master 2. K • n. 9. 31. After he had slain his Master had he peace in his own Conscience? Did he Prosper after that day? Did not the hand of God follow him till he himself was slain? Had Zimri Peace who slew his Master?

So when children sh • ll rebel against their Parents, their wickedness is excessively great. And such Children do usually dy before their Time, witness the fifth Commandment where it is said, Honor thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days, may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Therefore they that break this Commandment may expect that their days shall not be long, but they shall die before their Time▪ We see it in Absalom, He was a rebellious Child, and what came of him? was he no • hanged at last▪ and three darts thrust th • ough his heart while he was yet alive. And • ravellers report that in the same Place where Absalom was buried, there is now a vast heap of stones, which is come to pass by this means, it is Customary for everyone that passeth by that Place, to throw a stone upon Absalom using these words▪ Thus shall it be done to the son that rebels against his Father, Thus shall it be done to the child that riseth up against his Parents.

• . When a man shall multiply Transgression then he may be said to be wicked overmuch. when he shall commit the same 〈◊〉 over and over again. Once is too much but many Times is overmuch indeed. Eccles. 8. 12▪ Though a sinner do evil an hundred times. Alas there is many a sinner that hath done so, He hath made himself drunk an hundred Times, He hath been unclean and abominable in the sight of God an hundred Times, He hath lied against his conscience an hundred Times, then he hath been wicked overmuch. So when a vile creature shall add sin to sin, as the Prophet complaineth of them, Isai. 30. 1. When he shall add new transgressions to old sins, sins of age to sins of youth, later to former iniquities. What saith the Scripture? 1 Pet. 4. 3. the Time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings &c. Therefore when a sinner shall add new debts to the old score, it is more than sufficeth, that is to say, He is wicked overmuch.

4. They that are incorrigible in the ways of sin, are wicked overmuch. Who sin against all means that can be used to reclaim them. There are such sinners as do despise all means, they will take no warning. Though God himself speaketh to them by awful Providences, taking some and hanging them up before their eyes, yet they will go on still in their trespasses. And though they that are the Lord's vicegerents on earth, do estab • is • and execute severe and righteous Laws, and put sin and sinners to shame, yet they still continue to transgress against the Lord. This doth evidence a desperately wicked man. It is spoken concerning a man that is beyond measure wicked, that he doth run upon the thick bosses▪ of the Buckler of the Almighty Job. 15. 26. What is the Buckler of the Almighty? It is the Word of God, And what are the thick Bosses of that Buckler? They are the threatenings and sanctions annexed to that Word. When sinners shall transgress in a Land where there are Laws established and regulated according to the Word of God, and those Laws faithfully executed, they run themselves upon the thic • Bosses of te Buckler of the Almighty, and therefore are despereatly wicked. And there are that sin against the light of the Gospel and reproofs administered in the Word and Name of God: such are wicked overmuch, and have cause to fear that they shall die before their Time. witness that awful scripture Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroy • d, and that without remedy. And there are that despise reproofs, instructions, admonitions, exhortations, privately administered in Familyes, by masters, Parents▪ such are also wicked overmuch, and do often dy before their Time. Witness the sons of Eli, of whom it is said, they hearkened not to the voice of their Father, because the Lord would slay them 1 Sam. 2. 25. Doth thy Father give thee good counsel? but wilt thou not hearken to him? This is a sign, that the Lord will slay thee. Remember those proud and profane young men, the sons of Eli, they regarded not what their Father said to them, and therefore they died before their Time. This cometh of not hearkening to the voice of a Father.

5. They that mind nothing but this world and the vanityes and lusts thereof are wicked overmuch. Even they that live like Athists without God in the world. And this last Particul • r suits wi • h the scope of this Context. For as they are righteous overmuch who under pretence of Religion neglect their particular Callings, so they are wicked overmuch who neglect duties of Religion, out of respect to the world. There are that 〈◊〉 in a continual neglect of God & of their own souls and Salvation. Hence no prayer it may be not so much as in the Family, no reading of the Scriptuers, no Meditation, no self-examination. How do men live as if there were no world but this, as if there were no God to serve, and they had no souls to save? Certainly, all such are wicked overmuch.

And thus have we done with the second thing propounded in order to the clearing of the Doctrine before us. We come to the third Particular, viz to inquire into the Reasons of this Doct • ine▪ why God in his Providence doth often times so dispose as that an untimely death shall be the portion of him that hath been wicked overmuch?

For Answer, we shall only mention two Reasons, briefly.

1. The Lord doth this that he may manifest his righteous [Reas.] displeasure against s • n H • b • . 1. 13. He is of purer eyes than to behold evil▪ and cannot look • n in quity, that is to say with approbation or without d • t • station and indignation against sin. The bl • ss • d Holy God do • h bear an infin •• e detestation and indignation against sin. Hence he leaveth Marks of his displeasure upon the sinner▪ as God set a mark upon Cain's forehead, so he sets a mark of displeasure upon notorious Transgressors. Yea sometimes when he forgiveth the sin▪ yet • e doth visit with Temporal vengeance▪ that so the world may see that sin is odious and abominable in the sight of God. Hence such sinners as the Text speaketh of, must dy • b • fore their Time.

2. That so • thers may thereby be warned and deterred from [Reas] the C • mm • ssion of the like evils. Thus it was with Lots wise, she died before her Time, that so others might be warned by her example, to beware of becoming guil • y of the same sin, which she was so awfully punished for. therefore Christ said to his disciples, Luke▪ 17. 32. Remember Lots wise, meaning so remember her, as that you may forever take heed of doing as she did. She was turned into a pillar of salt, that others might be seasoned thereby and preserved from the like evil. God is wise and wonderful in his Providences, and knoweth how to ord • r the death of two or three so as to prevent the destruction of many thereby. Hence • e hath appointed that • ustice shall be executed in a solemn way, upon Capital offenders, that others may hear and fear, and none may do anymore so wickedly. We find the Lord himself giveth this Reason of this matter. Deut. 13. 8, 9, 11. Thou shalt not hearken unto him▪ neither shall t • ine eye pity him, neither shall • thou spare, b •• • hou shall • surely Kill him▪ and all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

We come now to Apply this Doctrine. There are two Uses to be insisted on, 1. By way of Instruction or Information, 2. By way of Exhortation▪

1. By way of Information, Inf. 1. We may see by this, that sin is the greatest folly in the world. Well might Solomon say as in the Text, neither be thou foolish, For to sin and do wickedly is the greatest foolishness that ever was or can be. Sin is a departure from the Rule of Wisdom. For a man to part with his life for nothing, is not that monstrous folly? And thus doth a wretched sinner do. Men's sins are unfruitful works of darkness. What Profit had you of those things whereof ye are now ashamed? Sin is the most unprofitable thing in the world. It is good for nothing, neither for body, nor soul, nor name, nor estate, but brings death and ruin upon all. A man by sin (especially some sins) looseth his Name. A wound and dis • onour doth he get, and a reproach that that shall not be wiped away. And he loseth his life, and that before the Time as the Text showeth; yea and without repentance will loose his soul forever. Prov. 8. 36. He that sinneth against me wrongs his own soul. The Impenitent sinner brings ruin upon his own soul. Therefore sin is folly, and and the more sinful the more foolish. The greatest Sinners are the greatest Fools in all the world. Wherefore it is said Eccl 9. 3. The Heart of the sense of • en is full of evil, & madness is in their Heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. Yea to the Damned! O what horrible madness is it, for any man, that so he may enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, to venture eternal damnation of his precious and immortal soul?

Infor. 2. It followeth from hence, that shortness of days is in itself a judgment. For it is threatened as a Punishment of wickedness. It is a fruit of sin and of the curse. If Adam had not sinned there would have been no short lives, none of his Posterity should have had their lives shortened. And in the times of the Restitution of all things, when the Curse shall be removed, it will not be as at this day. Rev. 21. 4. There shall be no more death. To be sure there shall be no more such untimely death as our eyes do with sadness behold this day. Look as long life is in itself a blessing, and therefore is Promised as such in the Scripture Ps • l. 91▪ 16. With long life will I satisfy him, Prov. 4. 10. Receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many▪ and 10. 27. The fear of the Lord prolongeth days. Whatever any true believer hath done or suffered for, or according to the will of God, whilst he was in the world, shall come in upon the account at the last and great day, a glorious reward o • mercy sh • ll be given for it, thence is it, so great a mercy to live long. So on the other hand, sho • t life is a great judgment, and is often threatened as s • ch in the Scripture Prov. 10. 27. Th • years of the wicked shall • be shortened. Eccles. 8. 13. Neither▪ sh • ll he prolong his days, And it is mentioned as an heavy Impr • cation. Psal. 109 • L • t▪ his days be few. For when a w • cked man dy • th (dying in his sins) He is undone forever. when once his body is gone down into the pi • of the grave, and his soul is gone d • wn into the pit of eternal darkness, He cannot hop • for the mercy of God, He cannot hope for the pardon of his sin, He cannot hope for the salvation of his soul. Therefore short life is in itself a judgment. Only as to the elect of God, it is turned into a mercy. As afflictions are in themselves evil and fruits of the curse, but to believers they become the greatest blessings. So an untimely death is in itself a great evil, but • o one that belongs to the election of grace, it becometh a wonderful mercy; for it hasteneth his eternal hapiness and glory.

Infor. 3. Hence it likewise followeth that Righteousness • is the way to obtain long life▪ If wickedness bring untimely death, then Righteousness will deliver from death. There is no r • ghteous man, but shall live in this world so long as life shall be good for him to enjoy.

But someone will say, do we not see that good men die when they are young as well as others?

Answ. Very true. As there are some that are too wicked to live long▪ So there are others that are too Good to live long; in such an evil wretched world as this▪ Jeroboams godly son, died in his youth. Josiah a most eminent servant of the Lord, died in the midst of his days. Enoch though the best man, and the best minister of God, in all the world in his time, was taken out of the world before he had lived half so long as men in those days were wont to live, but then it would not be good for them to live any longer. God is only wise and faithful, and therefoer he taketh his servants to himself, when he seeth that life will not be best for them.

Besides, a man may live long in a little Time. It is said, the child shall die an hundred years old. Isai. 65. 20. Though a child in respect of years, yet he shall have the grace, and gravity, the wisdom and knowledge of a man that hath lived an hundred years. And indeed that is most desirable▪ It is in many respects a great mercy to be freed from the prevailing infirmities of old age, and therefore to live long in a little time is most desirable, As I remember Mr. Gotton in an Epistle which he hath Prefixed to one of Mr. Nortons Books, taketh notice if it, with reference to Dr. Pr • ston▪ that it was his constant desire affectation and expression▪ that he might live long in a little Time, and the Lord granted him the desire of his heart therein. Some live longer in seven years, then others do in ten times seven years. They do more for God and more for his People in seven years then others do in twenty, forty, threescore, or in fourscore years. Moreover, that promise of long life will be fulfilled to the righteous in the life to come. As indeed all promises (and threatenings too) are fully accomplished in the world to come. There the righteous shall live forever▪ It was promised to to Christ, that he should be satisfied with long life. Psal. 91. & the last. And that he should prolong his days. Isai. 53. 10. Yet we know that Christ was not in this world much above two and thirty years. How then did he prolong his days? In the other world his days are prolonged to eternity, according to the Scriptuer Psal. 21. 4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, length of days forever and ever.

Use. 2. Let it be a word of Exhortation 1. Here is a general word of exhortation. 2. More Particular.

1. Let us all be exhorted to make a right Improvement of such awful Providences as the Text speaks of. There is such a Providence before us this day, which hath occasioned me to speak from these words at this Time. For truly I think God would not have us suffer such solemn awful Providences as these • o pass away without taking special notice of them, and making some good Improvement thereof.

You will say, But what use should we make of this awful Pr • vidence?

Answ. It should cause us humbly to reflect upon our own vile natures. Have we been kept from the like evils that others have been guilty of? No thanks to our own hearts, for we have the same nature that they have, and if God had given us up to our own hearts lusts, we should have been as bad as they, or as any of the children of men, that ever were in the world. Wherefore the Apostle in the third Chapter to the Romans, discoursing of the state of men by nature, saith • Their feet are swift to shed blood v. 15. Why; Is every natural man a Murderer? Truly, he hath a Murderers heart within him, and he would quickly shed blood, He would actually commit Murder, if God did not restrain him. How should this thought humble us, and make us vile in our own eyes? As I Remember it is noted concerning that blessed Martyr, that if he did hear of any that were condemned or accused on the account of Witchcraft, Murder, Robberies or any other Impiety, He would smite upon his breast and say, In this breast of mine, is that which would have caused me, to have been guilty of the same evil, if the Grace of God had not prevented me. And it is recorded of one of the Ancients that he was never told of any great wickedness committed by others, but it did him some Good, it made him the more distrustful of his own Heart, He would say Ille h • ri, tu hodie, ego cras. He committed that sin yesterday, thou diddest commit the same sin today, and I shall commit it tomorrow if the Grace of God do not restrain and prevent me.

2. Another Use which we should make of this Awful Providence is. To consider sadly whether there be not some prevailing evil, that the Lord doth hereby rebuke and seek to humble us for: I fear there is such an evil, I mean with respect to those woeful breaches of the fifth Commandment which are to be found amongst us. This is a prevailing evil, we may see it everywhere. How do Inferiors rise up against Superiors? Look into the Commonwealth, and we shall find that Magistrates are not honored and acknowledged in their places as ought to be. Look into Churches, and how do some carry it there, as if that Scripture were Apocrypha even that Scripture Heb. 13. 17▪ where it is said obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls. Look into Schools, and how do Children contemn and despise and disobey their masters contrary to the fifth Commandment? Look into Families, and O what disobedient Children? O what unruly servants may we find there? Nay, Look into the streets, and there we may observe (I have sometimes beheld it not altogether without grief and shame) the child behaving himself proudly against the Antient, and the base against the Honorable: so that in this respect New-England is in a great measure become degenerate from the good manners of the Christian world. If there be any prevailing iniquity in New-England this is it. And therefore no marvel that such an awful Providence doth come to rebuke and humble us, that servants have conspired together to Kill their Master. There hath been no such deed done or seen in our Israel before now. And mark what I say, If ever New-England be destroyed, this very sin of disobedience to the fifth Commandment will be the ruin of this Land▪

3. Another Use we should make of this Providence, is to beware of those sins which do often times end in untimely death.

Pride is one of those sins. Corah was a Proud man, He could not bear to be subject to that order neither in Church nor Commonwealth, which God had appointed, and He died not the common death of all men. Haman was exceeding proud and highminded, and his pride brought him to the Gallows at last. But what need we go far for examples? One of these poor condemned Creatures that is here standing before the Lord this day, saith that he thinks his pride hath been his ruin. I asked him the other day in the prison, what sin it was that he thought in his Conscience God was provoked with him for, so as to leave him to that which hath brought him under this condemnation? He told me, he thought i • was for his Pride. For he thought much of i • that such an one as He should be a servant, and he sometimes used such words as these, I am flesh and blood as well as my Master and therefore I know no reason why my Master should not obey me as well us I obey him. Thus did he say, and now we see what his Pride brought him unto, therefore beware of that sin.

And Idleness is a sin that doth bring many to a miserable end at last. I • was one of those▪ sins which caused thousands in Sodom and G • morrah to dy before their Time in a dreadful manner. As for one of these poor condemned Creatures Idleness▪ hath been his bane. He would not diligently follow the calling which he was set in, but lived an Idle vag • ant life, and what is he now come to? Therefore beware of that sin.

And Disobedience to Parents is a sin that is often punished with untimely death▪ (as was partly intimated before) One of these that are to be executed this day, doth confess that his disobedience to his Parents hath provoked the Lord, to bring this misery upon him. He saith that when he was a Child his Father gave him good Instructions and prayed for him, but he regarded it not. His Father would have had him gone to School, but he would not. His Father would have had him▪ gone to a Trade but he would not▪ And after his Father was dead, he would not be subject to those that had the care and charge of him, but ran away from them, and since that from time to time hath run away from them that have been his Masters. And now behold what all this disobedience hath brought him unto. All you disobedient Children that are here▪ before the Lord this day, hearken to the Word of the Lord. There is a Scripture which methinks should strike Terror and Trembling into your Souls, It is that Prov. 30. 17. The eye that mocketh his Father and despiseth to obey▪ his Mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles eat it. The eye that mocketh his Father. Stubborness and contempt is to be seen in the eye, therefore the meaning is, that he that is stubborn and rebellious against his Father, shall be so dealt with. Well, a Father hath many times that Wisdom and Authority with him, that the child dare not disobey him, but he careth not for his Mother; Therefore it is added, He that despiseth to obey his Mother. You Children that disobey your Mothers hearken to this; • he ravens are like to feed upon you; that is to say such sinners shall come to an untimely death, and it may be not have a decent honorable bu •• all. It is to be feared that suc • children▪ will come to the Gallows, and be hanged up in G • bbe • s for the ravens and e • gles to feed upon them if they will. And it is greatly do, be observed, that the most of those that dy upon the Gallows, do confess that they have been guilty of disobedience to Parents. Yea God is so provoked▪ with such wicked children, as that he doth sometimes leave them against nature to destroy themselves as a just Punishment of unnatural disobedience. There was an awful example of this, which happened in this Country about fifteen years ago. I was not myself in this Land at that time, but I have had an account of it from those that knew it. A young man drowned himself, but before he did that, he left a writing directed to his Father, wherein he had such words as these, O Father, I have kept my soul as long as ever I could; My ruin was, the pride and stubbornness of my tender years, which should have been fetched out with sharp correction; and evil counsel and company hath been my un • oing. I have a young brother that follows my step • , he is going the wide way to destruction, I beseech you take pains with▪ him & correct him as well as counsel him, that • e may not be undone soul and body as well as I. Words to this purpose, did that perishing young man (though the son of a Godly Father) write when he was going into eternity. You disobedient▪ children think of it, and the Lord strike it home to your Hearts.

Drunkenness also, is a sin, that often brings those that are guilty of it to a miserable end at last▪ A vile creature, it may be when he is drunk, He will go and drown himself, and his soul go down into eternal darkness in that condition, or he will commit some horrid sin, for which the sword of Justice will Cut him off. When he is drunk He will commit Adultety, or a Rape it may be. Alas we hear that such a villainy hath been Committed of late, in a Plantation not far off; Or in his drink He'le Kill a man, and so die before his Time. Therefore beware of that sin.

And Covetousness is a sin, which many Times brings untimely death, It did so upon Achan. The Love of money is is the root of all evil. This hath occasioned many a bloody unnatural Murder. the story is famously known of a man in Cornwell, that his son having been many years absent from him and coming home with a Por • mantue full of silver and Gold, and his Parents not knowing who he was, for the sake of his money conspire together, and in the right time cut his throat, and in the next morning when they knew it was their own son whom they had Murthered, they did in anguish and horror, both of them destroy themselves.

And there is a Tragical story lately printed, of a prosane young man, that K • lled his own Mother that bare him, cut of hopes that when she was dead, He should enjoy her estate. For which he was put to a most dreadful Death, weights of iron and stone were laid upon him for two days together, until his life and soul were pressed out of his body. This execution was was done just about four years ago. Therefore take heed and beware of Covetousness.

Also take heed of giving way to passions, revenge, anger and the like. These two condemned creatures, their master corrected them, and as they thought dealt hardly with them, and therefore in wicked passion, wrath, and rage they would take an axe and knock him in the head, for which now they must die.

Beware also of giving way to Discontents and sullen Melancholy, for that also causeth some to die before their Time. There is a lamentable story lately Published; of a woman that in pangs of Melancholy discontent went to destroy herself several times, but was by the Providence of God prevented, but afterwards giving way to those Temptations, and not humbling herself on the account of former miscarriages, she embrewed her hands in the blood of her own Child, for the which she was afterwards executed, near to the place where she had committed that unnatural Cruelty and Murder. Therefore let us beware of giving way to the distempered workings of our own spirits.

But thus for the word of General Exh • rtation.

2. Let me more particularly exhort, those that have been wicked overmuch. You that have been guilty of great sins and provocations before the Lord, O Repent and turn to God in Jesus Christ. Return Return O sinners return return. Stop sinners! stop. go no further, if you love your lives go no further. why should you die before your Time? It may be Repentance may save your Lives. There have been some that have been guilty of Capital Cr • mes, yet when they have repented and turned to God in Jesus Christ, He hath covered their sins, that the world hath never known of them. However if there be true Repentance, the lives of your souls shall be saved. In some cases Repentance cannot prevent the first death, but it will always (if sound and sincere) prevent the second death. Oh! then Turn to God in Jesus Christ.

And I would apply this more Particularly unto these poor Guilty Condemned Creatures, who are standing in the solemn presence of the Lord, and whose naked souls must by and by appear before God the Judge of all, to receive a Sentence either of eternal Life, or of eternal Death. Hearken you to the word of the Lord this once. I beseech you mind what I say, because you are now come unto your last hour. It may be there are many here this day, that this is the last Sermon, that ever they shall hear, but as for you the thing is Certain, you shall never hear another Sermon; and therefore let these words sink down into your Ears and Hearts.

A few Considerations and Directions let me spread before you.

Consider. 1. That you have been wicked overmuch. The sin which you are now to die for is exceeding great, even Murder. The Scripture faith that no Murderer hath eternal life. And there is another Scripture that faith, that Murderers shall have their Part in that Lake which burns with f • re and bri • stone which is the second Death. And no doubt you have been guilty of many other Greivous sins, which have provoked the Lord to leave you unto the Commission of this horrid Murder. This Murder also is exceedingly aggravated in respect of the person whom you have sl • in, even your Master. O how have you risen up in Rebellion against the glorious Image of God, not only in that you have shed the blood of a man, who was made after the Image of God, but such a man as had peculiar Dominion over you, in that respect you have offered fearful violence to the sacred Image of the blessed God. So that you have transgressed the fifth and sixth Commandments at once in the highest degree that you could do. And since your Apprehension, yea Conviction and Condemnation you have told many lies (at least one of you, it is to be feared both of you) against your Conscience.

2. Consider that now you must die before your Time. especially one of you, a poor young creature that hath hardly lived twenty years in this world, and must this day be turned out of it. Yea, both of you dy before your Time. you might according to the ordinary course of nature have lived many a year. You must be cut off by a violent and dreadful death. For indeed the anger of the Lord would fall upon this whole Country where your sin hath been committed, if you should be suffered to live.

3. Consider, That there is yet a possibility for you to escape the second death. Though your sin be very great, yet God can pardon it. I remember a passage concerning a poor creature that was condemned to die for wickedness he had been guilty of (I the rather mention it because he was Country man to one of you) but when he was in Prison gave good Hopes of his unfeigned Repentance, and when he came to the place of execution, He had this expression, O! God is a great forgiver, God is a great forgiver, so I say to you in his Name, the Lord is a great Forgiver, It is his Name to forgive iniquity Transgression and sin. Yea and He hath (upon deep and unfeigned Repentance) for given those th • have committed this sin which you are now to suffer for▪ Manasseh shed much innocent blood, yet when he humbled himself greatly, the Lord was entreated for him. There are some in Heaven that were once Bloody sinners. David was delivered from Blood guiltiness • Upon his Repentance it was said to him, The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die, As to the second death he did not die. And Saul (afterwards Paul) had once the guilt of blood upon him, And therefore he made his Confession before the Lord, Saying, Lord; When the blood of thy Martyr Steven was shed, I also was standing by and Consenting to his death. Yea when he did repent and Turn to God in Jesus Christ, God for gave him his Iniquity. Know therefore, that there is Mercy enough with God to Pardon and Save as great sinners as you are.

And know, that Jesus Christ the Son of God, Came to Save the chief of sinners. There is Merit and Righteousness enough in Jesus Christ. He was bruised for our Iniquityes, and wounded for our Transgr • ssions. The wounds of Christ can make amends for those wounds which you gave your Master, when you slew him. The Blood of Christ can satisfy for the blood which you have shed. Jesus doth deliver from wrath to come. And he doth not exclude you from salvation by him, if you do not by Impenitency & Unbelief exclude yourselves. Neither can the death you suffer hinder the Salvation of your souls, in case you truly repent and believe. Jesus Christ hath been made a Curse, that so he might redeem from the Curse of the Law. Yea He (the blessed son of God) was hanged upon a Tree, though He never knew any sin only for the sins of his people; and therefore he hath sanctified all manner of deaths unto those that shall believe on Him. Oh Consider of it and let it break your Hearts.

4. Consider Presently it will be too late for you to think of these things. when once you are dead, when once your souls are out of your bodies, it will be too late for you to think of these matters. There is no Repenting in the Grave, there is no Believing in Hell. Behold now is your accepted Time, now is the hour of your Salvation. If you do not Now accept of Jesus Christ upon his own Terms, you will be undone, and damned to all Eternity.

By way of Direction I shall speak two or three words.

1. Do what you can that God may have glory by you that little Time that you have to live. Therefore see that you solemnly warn others, (especially young ones) to take heed of those evils which your Consciences tell you, have made way for your destruction. And see that you be sincere and ingen • ous in making confession of your sin. The Scripture saith if we confess our sins, that is with a Penitent broken heart, desirous never more to commit them, God is faithful to forgive them. And ag • in, He that Confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy▪ but he that hid • th his sin shall not pr • sper. I charge you in the Name of God, as you will answer it by and by before his Judgments seat, that you do not deny or disown what you know is Truth. And I urge this the rather, because you have not been so ingenuous in confessing your evil, as God and men have expected from you. You accuse and in • p • a • h one another. The one of you saith, th • t the other Killed his Master, and you only stood by and did not strike one blow, & so doth the other say. You accuse him and he accuseth you. But deceive not yourselves, if you deny what you knowns is Truth, though God be most m • rcifull, yet Go • that made you will not have mercy on you; and though Christ be a Savior for great sinners, He then will not save you. The devil hat • brought your bodies to ruin and now his great design is to destroy your souls. He knoweth if he can Perswade you not to give glory to God by Confessing, he shall have your souls forever. I tell you truly if you now disown the Truth, when once your souls are out of your bodies, they shall suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

2. Look up to God in Jesus Christ, that he would give you Repentance and Faith unfeigned. You cannot convert yourselves, but God can do it, therefore look up to him for that end, and cry mightily to him, • s for your lives. If the Magistrate should say to yo • (they may not, they dare not say so▪ because then the displeasure of God would come upon them & upon this People) that if you would cry earnestly for your lives, you should have them, O how • arnest would you be? Behold, the God of God's saith to you this day, (and in his nam • I proclaim it) that if you seek unto him with all your-Hearts, it is possible that the sentence of eternal death which is upon your souls may be revok • d O then pray for the lives of your souls. I Remember it is storied of a poor woman that being Condemned to die, as soon as the sentence was past, she fell a crying and shriking in a lamentable manner, the Judge rebuked her, and bad her hold her peace, but she replied O my lord it is for my life, it is for my life. So I say to you, O cry to the Lord for Grace and for pardoning mercy, It is for the lives of your souls. yea it is for the lives of your Souls.

And further to awaken hereunto,

3. Think sadly of eternity O Eternity Eternity! It is an amazing Meditation. There was a man that said, If I were to endure the wrath of God for a thousand y • ars only, methinks I could bear it, but when I think of Eternity I am amazed. I beseech you think seriously of this. I might charge you, and I do so in the Name of God, but I also bese • ch you. Though you are poor, vile, condemned creatures, yet as I said to you in the Prison, so I say in this solemn • Audience. I could be content to lie down at your feet, upon Condition I might be Instrumental of Good to your Souls, so greatly do I desire (God is witness) your Salvation; Therefore I pray you, for the Lord's sake, I pray you for your immortal Souls sake, that you would lay these things to Heart, and we will once more cry unto the Lord, that he would have Mercy and Compassion upon those Precious and Immortal Souls of yours.

Errata

P. 5. l. 9. for were read are. l. 17. for alleging read alluding. l. 22. for they read thence. l. 33. for 110. read 101.

P. 12. l. 1. for Hebr read H • b.