A True ACCOUNT of the BEHAVIOUR, CONFESSION, AND Last Dying SPEECHES Of the Six Criminals that were Executed at TYBURN, On Friday the 12th of September, 1690 .

AT the Sessions in the Old Bayly , on the 5th of September, 1690 . an eleven persons received the Sentence of Death, six Men and five Women, of which three were Quick with Child.

On the next Day, being Saturday, the Ordinary visited the condemned Criminal, praying with them, and earnestly exhorting them to look back on the the Vicious Course of their Life, and to consider for what secret Sins, not repented of, God had justly suffered them to commit the Crimes for which they were under the Sentence of Death.

They were not then so sensible of their sinful and deplorable Condition; therefore Exhortation to Repentance was renewed, as also to prepare for the solemn Duties of the Sabbath.

On the Lord's Day, in the Forenoon, the Text was in the 5th of S. Matthew's Gospel and the 8th Verse, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

In the Afternoon a Sermon was preached on the 59 and 60th Verses of the 119th Psalm. I considered my ways and turned my feet into thy testimonies. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments.

From the former part of which Words were stated the syncere signs of a penitential Reflection on a sinful Life.

The Divine Law casts down all proud Thoughts, in a syncere Convict, so that he submits to the searching Power thereof, that he may throughly understand his deceitful Heart. He loves the Law of God, because it is very pure and strict, as disturbing false Peace in the Conscience.

Where there is a Horror and Conviction there will be an unfeigned Grief for offending God's Holy Spirit, and an universal Hatred of all Sin as Sin, more as it pollutes than damns, put therefore your selves to Grief and Shame, chiefly for perverting the Long-suffering of God, who hath waited so long to be gracious to you; you have already, in excess, turned away your Hearts from God to the indulging of your Lusts: It is high Time to abandon Satan's Service. When Sin by Custome becomes rooted, the Power and Kingdom of Satan is more confirmed: Resolve therefore immediately to convert to God, late Repentance is not so acceptable, because herein the Lord is less glorified. It is not so profitable to others, who lose much Edification, by not setting early good Example before them. It is not so comfortable to your selves, not only because you wrestle with more difficulties, as the Heart is grown more obdurately stubborn, but because you cannot so fully clear up your syncerity in turning your Feet unto God's Testimonies.

There is little tryal of the Truth of Repentance, when we are forced in to God by sharp Afflictions or Agonies of Terror, at the Approach of Death. As soon as you resolve to change your evil Course, all yonr endeavours will have Acceptance with God, he will be ready to help you, if you persue your Advantages, the Work will grow easier, so that after a while you shall be enabled to run the Paths of God's Commandments with pleasure and delight: Let us therefore cast away the Sin which so easily besets us, let us speedily and resolutely run the race of Obedience set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith; so shall we triumph in our very Conflicts. What unspeakable Joy will this Testimony of our Conscience produce, that we have so seriously considered our Ways as seriously to turn our Feet into God's Testimonies.

I now proceed to give an Account of the condemned Prisoners Behaviour, what course of Life they led, and what penitential Dispositions were in them to fit them for their Death.

I. Francis Osborne< no role > , Condemned for robbing on the Highway: He was a Goldsmith , by Trade, in Cannon-street above 7. Years. He confest the Crime to the Ordinary, though he denied it at his Tryal. He said that it much troubled his Conscience that he drew on the other Accomplices to the said Robbery, but would not declare their Names. He confest that for his many secret Sins, in which he lived without any Remorse, and for keeping bad Company, God had now brought him to publick Shame: That he neglected praying and other Duties of Religion, otherwise the Lord had kept him from robbing; but affirmed that this was the first Flt of that nature. He was very compliant with the Advice which I gave him to prepare for his Death.

II. G - W - condemned for robbing on the Highway. He confest the Crime, I ask him what Employment had been bred up to; he said that he had served the late King James as a Trooper , and had served our present King William, but some difference arising 'twixt him and his superior Officer, he quitted the Service about a quarter of the Year since, which he much blames himself for, because an idle Life had exposed him to robbing on the Highway. He was not so sensible at the first, yet afterward lamented the ill Course of his Life, and that he had given bad counsel and example to others.

III. Thomas Yarrold< no role > , condemned for stealing a Gelding: He confest the Fact. He had exercised Husbandry , in the Service of a Minister, for three Years. He says, It repents him that he did not follow the good Counsel of his religious Master, but left him and went to Sea , afterwards being desirous of an eae Life, he quitted that Employment and joyned with bad Company, till he brake the Sabbath: He seldom prayed that God would keep him from the Wickedness of his own Heart, so he grew more dissolute.

IV. John Daynter< no role > , condemned for breaking the House of one Mr. Joseph Yates< no role > , in the Day-time. He was formerly a Shoemaker , set up for himself, but neglected his Trade and joyned himself to merry Company, as himself exprest it, they spent freely and bore his share most what. He said, That he had sinned against the clear and strong Convictions of his Conscience, had made many Vows to God of Reforming his Life, but had broken them: Yet in this Concession, though he wept, he ac|knowledged that his Tears and utmost Repentance could not cleanse away the Guilt and Pollution of his Sins. He said that he durst not trust his own Heart, his relenting for Sin is so late and slight, and praies to God, that his sorrow, may not be more for the Fear of Death, than that he hath offened a Gracious and long suffering God. I hope he was penitent.

V. James Smith< no role > , condemned for robbing in the Highway, with G - W -: when he was tyed up, in order to receive the Sentence of Death, he exceedingly misbehaved himself. The Ordinary laid this very much to his Conscience, so that he desired him, to publish his deep Sorrow for it, and that he begs the Pardon of the Court for his mad and wicked Carriage. He confesses the Crime, and that his Friends bred him up to no Employment, so he hath been exposed to many Temptati