Author: William Cogswell

Publisher:

Published: 2015-07-11

Total Pages: 38

ISBN-13: 9781331170518

Excerpt from A Valedictory Discourse, Preached to the South Church and Parish in Dedham, December 20, 1829 I propose, in this discourse, to point out the way, in which Individuals, Parishes, and Churches, as such, may expect prosperity and happiness. I am led to a consideration of these topics by the words of the apostle, selected for my text; and by an ardent desire for your best interest, temporal and eternal. I. I am to point out the way, in which Individuals may expect prosperity and happiness. Man, naturally, is in a revolted state, alienated from God and a life of holiness. Disorder reigns within and without him. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward." Consequent upon this, are the frowns of indignant Heaven. A paradise is turned into a hell. Adversity and misery stalk abroad in the earth. There is no peace to the wicked, and the wages of sin is death. Our world is one vast Aceldama, one great charnel-house. Death has reigned from Adam to Moses, and from Moses to the present time. Besides all this, multitudes are now experiencing the second death in regions of utter despair and interminable wo - the gnawings of that worm, which shall never die, and the pains of that fire, which shall never be quenched. And multitudes more of hardened impenitent sinners will be doomed to endure the blackness of darkness forever - the most unutterable anguish. Such are the evil effects of sin. And nothing, my hearers, but a restoration to the entire love of God, and the perfect obedience of gospel holiness, will redeem man from that wretchedness, to which he is by sin exposed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.