Yet they afterwards became sensible of the Folly of their Resentment; and as the Friends and Relations of Towers refused to give him any Hopes of a Reprieve, or Expectations of Life, he changed his Passion into Grief and Sorrow, that he had lost, by his neglect, the Use of Letters and Reading. As Rowland Swanson< no role > of the Four was alone able to Read, he very industriously assisted his Fellow Prisoners, and call'd upon them to listen to the Scriptures early each Morning, and before they went to Rest at Night. They were all very frequent and regular in their Devotions, when alone by themselves, as well as constant attendants at the Chapel; and 'twas thought apparent they never had any Designs of making an escape from Justice, and the execution of the Sentence that was pass'd upon 'em.

Immediately after their Conviction, the Words they were first instructed from were taken out of the xiv of St. Luke, verse 26.

If any Man come to Me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brethren and Sisters, yea and his own Life also, he cannot be my Disciple.

The Prisoners who were under the Sentence and Conviction of the Law, appeared to be very serious and attentive while they were directed to postpone every Engagement to God and Religion; to let go the Thoughts of the World, Friends, Kindred, and of Life itself, and place their Hearts upon Heaven, and those Treasures, which Moth and Rust cannot corrupt, and where Thieves do not break through and steal. Because the Folly of those is great, who say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a City, and continue there a Year, and buy and sell and get Gain: The Apostle tells them as follows, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the Morrow; for what is your Life? it is even a Vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away, James iv. ver. 13, 14. It were better therefore to say with the Psalmist, How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House, they will be still praising thee. Blessed is the Man whose Strength is in thee, in whose Heart are thy Ways, who passing through the Valley of Baca, make it a Well. For a Day in thy Court is better than a Thoasand: I had rather be a Door-Keeper in the House of my God, than to dwell in the Tents of Ungodliness. For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield; the Lord will give Grace and Glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, Psalm lxxxiv.

They were next instructed from the following Words of the Psalmist.

Let the sighing of Prisoners come before thee; according to the greatness of thy Power, preserve thou those who are appointed to die.

In considering the three sorts of Prisoners who ought to pray and to lament their Condition, that their sighing might come before God, we especially directed the third sort, who were under Bondage and in Adversity, for evil Doings and vicious Practices: As in Baruch, Chap. iii. Verses 1st and following, O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, the Soul in Anguish, the troubled Spirit, cryeth unto thee. Hear O Lord and have Mercy; for thou art mercifull; and have pity upon us, because we have sinned before thee. For thou