delight in being made like him. That it was to chose him for the Souls Pattern in an Holy State, as well as the Portion of its Felicity.

That true Seeking him, is to Glorifie him, as God in our right conceptions of his Nature and Divine Excellencies, to Love, trust in, and Obey him. To fear him for his Goodness and Mercy, as well as Power and Justice. It is not so study God, as to heap up many distinct Notions of him, which yet make no impression of Holiness on the Heart and Conversation. Without this a Man may remain a Stranger, yea an Enemy unto the Lord.

Here the Ordinary demonstrated the Sin and Misery of such who live in a constant and Habitual forgetfulness of God, because every Creature and Act of Providential Preservation, doth demonstrate that the Lord doth abundantly afford an occasion and Obligation of Solemn remembrance of him. That yet Men wander from God, because they have lost the Government of their hearts and Affections, and so settle on vain Objects

Then the Ordinary shewed wherein the extent of the duty of seeking the Lord did consist. Urged divers Agreements to perswade to it, with Rules and Directions how to perform it Sincerely.

In the close of the Afternoon Sermon, he made a particular Speech to the Condemned Criminals, that they would so seek into the Lord, that they may live in a Blessed Eternity. And shewed wherein the Life of new Creatures in Christ, consists, how it may be promoted and preserved, in the comfortable effects of it, as to the exercise of Faith and Repentance, shewing their Necessity, Excellency, and how they may be facilitated in order to Eternal Life. And then pressing them to Labour after a Blessed Fruition of God, he dismissed them, with Prayers for a Blessing on the Duty's of the Lord's Day. They were all of them very Attentive, and seedmed much Afficted with the greatness of their Sins, and I promised them that erarly next Day (God willing) I would Visit them, and confer with them about their Soul State, to prepare them for their approaching Death.

According to my promise, I visited about Nine of the Clock on Monday in the Forenoon the several Prisoners, and spent some confiderable time in Prayer, Exhortation, and took a particular Account of their course of Life, and sit dispositions for Death.

I. I went to Mr. Robert Frances< no role > his Chamber, because he desired me to take a particular Care of him; And found him in a serious good Frame and composure of Mind, willing to Resign himself to the alwise ducture of God's Spirit, and his determination for Life of Death. First I Prayed with him, and then entred upon an inquiry into his Life and Conversation, precedent to the Crime of Killing Mr. Dangerfield. He was very free to give an Account of himself. He said that he was Born of Protestant Parents, and bred up in good Literature. That twenty Years since he was a Student in Christ-Church Colledge in Oxford . That afterward he went over Sea with Sir Joseph Williamson< no role > , his late Majesties Ambassador , as an Attendant on him. That for fourteen Years last past he hath been of the Society of Grays Inn , and practiced in the Law . That he did not lead any Extravagant Life, till this unhappy Crime. He acknoweledged that he saw Dangerfield in the Pillory at Westminster: And that on the Day in which he was Whip?d to Tyburn, Mr. Frances was with a Friend at a Coffee-House near to St. Andrews Church in Holbourn , and thought not to have staid there, because he was to Dine that Day with his Friend, and was in the Afternoon to have Managed a Cause for a Client at Guild-Hall, so that he was going home from the said Coffee-House; but a report coming thither that Dangerfield was in his return from Tyburn, and very near; He left his Wife in his Friends Hand, and went to meet the Coach in which Dangerfield was, only out of Curiosity (as he saith) to observe how he look'd after his being Whip'd, he said that the Coach did not stop, but he went to the side of it, and said, Have you had your Heat to Day? How is it now with you. Dangerfield, upon those Words, (he says) called him Son of a Whore, and said, what have you to do with me? Mr. Frances being asked by the Ordinary what moved him to Kill Dangerfield, he replied, that his Passion was stired up at Dangerfield's Reviling Language, and said that he only intended to Beat him with a Bamboo Cane, which was Furz'd and worn out at the end of it. But the Coach moving onwrad, the Cane Wounded Dangerfield in the Eye; but he intended only to have thrust it as his Breast. He also said that he had a short Sword, and yet used it not, because he did not design to kill Dangerfield.

Mr. Frances being told by the Ordinary, that very thrust proved Fatall, and was a very Inhumane Act toward a person in his distrets; to this Mr. Frances replied, that he never bore any Malice nor Grudge to Mr. Dangerfield, nor was he moved to that Act, by any person whatsoever, only God left him to himself, for the punishment of his former Sins, to run into this suddain Effort of passion. Mr Frances was much affected with my discourse, and wept in praying with him: he was very attentive to more then the other Criminals; so, he seemed very Penitent, and I hope that this Sentence of Death on him did awaken him, to a serious recalling to mind whatsoever former Sins he might be Guilty of, in order to make his peace with God, who is the Searcher of all Hearts, and only knows who are truly penitent.