The Converted Sinner

A Generation of Pirates, have of late Years, been an Uncommon Terror of them that haunt the Sea ▪ O! may our Sea faring People duely consider the Growing & Grievous Judgments of GOD upon them! And the Sea no longer say, Wisdom is not with me!

BUT a strange Blast of Heaven has followed that Generation of Sea-Monsters. We know of several Thousands, that in a little Time hav◊ Perished Wonderfully! And no where more Wond◊◊ fully than on the Coast of New-England, where the Prayers against them, have Distinguishing Ardours.

A little knot of Sea-Robber◊, under the Conduct of one Philips (and Satan) had in about half a Years time, done incredible Mischiefs. In this Time they robbed no less than four & thirty Vessels, and offered most Abusive & Barbarous Usages to the People that were so unhappy as to fall into their Hands: yea, some they Murdered.

ON the Eighteenth of April, 1724. Andrew Harradine of Glocester & Iohn Philmore of Ipswich, with Six others detained Prisoners by this Philips ▪ formed a Resolution and Combination, if GOD should please to help them, to deliver themselves with the Destruction of the Pirates. And Heaven did help them to accomplish it! At once, conveniently stationing themselves for the Enterprize, they threw the Master over-board; they cut down the Captain with an Adds; they dispatch'd the Boatswain with a Broad Axe; and found a like ◊ay to send the Gunner out of the way. The Four Officers being thus brought into Desolation as in a Moment, the rest fell into such Terrors, that they Surrendred themselves Prisoners to the brave Conquerors, which were a minute before their Prisoners.

TH◊ Pirates being brought into Boston, received their Trial on May 12. Many of whom were ◊ound Forced Men, and Cleared. Several received Sentence of Death, whereof Two, (whose Names were, Archer, and White) were Executed on Iun. 2. Ensuing.

IT was the Request of These, that produced a Sermon▪ to a Great Auditory, [oh! that with as Great Efficacy!] from One, who has formerly more than Ten times, had fetch'd from him into the Public, Discourses Occasion'd by Capital Exeecutions; And one sometimes they say; among the Pirates a little Spoken of. It is among the Admirable Works of the Divine Providence, that the Glorious GOD fetches Good out of the Greatest Evil, and makes the Sins ◊nd Woes of the Wicked, an Occasion of Benefits unto His Chosen.

p. 1A Repenting Ephraim.

It is Written, in

Jeremiah XXXI.18.

I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, — Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, For thou art the Lord my GOD.

WHAT fitter Language, What bette◊ Advice, for those who are now hearing the Last Sermon that ever they shall hear in the World! They are bem◊aning themselves. Oh, Let them ◊earn how! May they be heard thus bemoaning themselves! — Yea, but at the same time, Hear this, O all ye People, every one of you; For there is not one of you All, but for ought he knows this may be the Last Sermon [Rema • kably Confirmed within a Few Hours. — A Young Man of Twenty Three, who as little as any expected that the Sermon of this Afternoon would be the Last, the next Morning about Six • 'clock, fell from the Top of a Mast, and Lost his Life.] he shall ever hear in the World▪ p. 2A Short Prayer ▪ this; But a very Great Prayer it is. A few Words: and an Abundance of Important Matter Contained in them. Some very Ignorant Ones are at a loss how to Pray. Especially, Our Little Children are to have their Ignorance relieved, in our Teaching them, how to Pray. There are some Sentences in our Bible, easy to be Remembred, easy to be Repeated If those brief Sentences were well Understood, & well Improved, they would be mighty Prayers, when well uttered before the Lord. There is a Pathetic Prayer, in that Sentence, O Lord, I beseech thee to deliver my Soul! There is a Powerful Prayer, in that Sentence, GOD be Merciful to me a Sinner! There is a Comprehensive Prayer in that Sentence, I am Oppressed, Lord, Undertake for me. Such Ejaculations may prove Arrows in the hands of a mighty Faith; Happy the Soul that has a Quiver full of them. The ◊hole Bible is of use, especially our Psalter, to ◊◊ll the Quiver. But of all those Arro◊s, methinks, there can be none more Significant, than that which we are now to take into our Hands. Yea, the poor Dying Offenders, I hope I may say, Penitents, now in the Auditory, have express'd their Desires, That This may be the Text, which they shall now hear treated on; A Text from a Paragraph of the Bible, which since their Condemnation to Dy, they have much Lived upon. Oh! That this Prayer may be often heard going up from us, before the ◊ord! Yea, Tis a Prayer which the smallest of us, and they that are least acquainted with Prayer ▪ least furnished for Prayer, may yet send up unto the Lord. Lord, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God.

p. 3IF the Prayer were to be interpreted, for the Return of the Israelites from their Captivity; even such a lower Interpretation would bring Instruction with it unto us. It would ◊nstruct us, That if we would see any Happy Turn upon our Condition, we should look up to our GOD for it. When we find our Affairs Plunged unto Difficulties we wish for an Happy Turn upon them. Our whole Condition is at the Disposal of the Glorious GOD. If GOD please to Turn it, we shall have our Sickness turned into Health, our Straits and Wants turn◊d into Plenty, our Unsettlements turned into more Settled Circum◊◊◊nces; and such a Turn as that on the Psalmist; Lord, Thou hast turned for me my Mourning in◊o Delight; thou hast 〈…〉 off my Sackcloth and girded me with Gladness. 〈…〉 recourse to GOD for it, O al◊ you that 〈…〉 ◊ishing for such a Turn. But then, my Friend, 〈…〉 sure, that the Glorious GOD be thy GOD; and ◊◊◊◊efore make Choice of Him for thy GOD. Hopeful◊◊ mayst thou say, Turn thou me; if thou canst ◊◊◊ cerely say, Thou art the L◊rd my GOD. 〈…〉 Great GOD will deny no Good Thing unto tho◊e whom He is a GOD unto. If this GOD be our own GOD, He will Bless us; He will Bless us Wonderfully!