A True ACCOUNT of the BEHAVIOUR, CONFESSION, AND Last Dying SPEECHES Of the 15 Criminals that were Executed On Monday the 22th of December, 1690 .

THe Ordinary visited them every day after their Condemnation, and on the last Lord's Day a Sermon was preached to them, on this Text, Deut 32. 29. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end.

Whence five things were observable, 1. The Benefit and Advantage of a Religious Consideration in general. 2. The no less advantagious Benefit of considering our latter end in particular. 3. That to consider our latter end, is an Argument of our Wisdom and Understanding. 4. Some Seasons and particular Occasions were instanced wherein consideration of our Latter End is more especially necessary. 5. That Discourse was concluded with some Motives for the putting in practice this important Duty, then a Charge given to the Condemned as follows.

O that you were wise, that you understood this, that you would consider your latter end.

I know you do consider it in one sense, that is, your minds are in continual fearful Apprehension of it, but this is not that considering of your latter end, which the Text exhorts to, this is the minding in such sort their Deaths and Departures, as to prepare and make ready for them.

O that I may dye the death of the righteous, is the ardent Wish of every one; but O that I may live the Life of the Righteous of how very few. Sirs, deceive not your selves, there is no having your latter End like the Righteous Man, but only by having your precedent Life like his.

What? Will not you consider your latter end, so as to prepare for it, who have it in so near a view, and Death stares you in the face, and are you yet unprovided against it?

O certainly it is your Wisdom, it is your Understanding, to consider the things belonging to your everlasting Peace, before they be for ever hid from your Eyes. How utterly inexcusable will you be, if you do not, to morrow, to morrow my Friends will be the latter end as to this Life. O that tomorrow may be the beginning of an Eternity in Blessedness unto you.

Take care therefore that they be in a due Qualification for-Heaven and Happiness; take heed that they be meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light and Glory.

This Life is the only State of Tryal and Probation, there is no amending in the other World what was left defective in this Work of Conversation, at our departure out of this.

Therefore let us now give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure, let us work out our Salvation with a cautious Fear and Trembling, left our Contrition be imperfect, and our Repentance unsincere.

O blessed God! is this the business you are imployed about for an endless Eternity, and can you be too careful concerning it? Think not a few Tears, Sighs, and Lord have Mercy on me, to be Repentance This is not so cheap and easy a performance, especially when there is a whole course of Life of wickedness to be repented of. Oh, no! it imports all the painful Throws and Pangs of of a second Birth, of a life of Regeneration. It imports a broken and contrite Heart, an Hatred and Detestation of Sin, as well as a Sorrow for it. Sincere and stedfast Resolution of new Obedience, yet, an actual ceasing to do evil, and learning to do well. And, oh! may your Repentance be such! may it be a repenting you more that you have offended a good and gracious God by your impieties, than that these have exposed you to condign temporal Punishment.

O cause you new Joy in Heaven by your Repentance, as you have formerly grieved, quenched, and offered dispight to Gods Holy Spirit by your obstinately wicked and impenitent Lives. Think it not enough to say within your selves, We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, for he is no Propitiation for yonr Sins, unless you truly repent and forsake them. The Redemption purchased by our Saviour, and the Promises of his Gospel, belong not to you, if you have not the Qualifications of Redeemed ones, nor the performed Conditions of the Gospel-promises, viz. Truth Faith, Repentance and Amendment: Without Holiness there is no Happiness without beholding Gods Face in Righteousness here, there is no beholding that in Glory hereafter. And therefore see that you have a Divine and Holy Nature implanted in you in this Life, and then departing hence, meerly disposed for eternal blessedness, when at the Resurrection from the Dead you awake up, after Gods likeness, you shall be endlesly satisfied therewith.

I shall proceed to give an account of the condemned Criminals, as to their former course of Life, and in what frame of Heart they were for a blessed Eternity.

I. John Bennet< no role > alias Freeman< no role > , but more notoriously known by the name of the GOLDEN FARMER, condemned for the Murther of Charles Taylor< no role > , and several Robberies, to the value of some thousand Pounds. I was with him several times in his Chamber, and exhorted him to disburthen his Conscience, by a free Confession of his Evil Courses, yet after much Advice for his Souls Welfare, and many Prayers that God would work his Heart to Repentance, nothing more than what follows could be obtained: That he had been a great Sinner, and was guilty of most Sins. That he was not so much grieved for the Shame of this condign Punishment, as for offending God. And that he was not solicitous to lengthen out his Life upon Earth, but to get his Pardon sealed in Heaven. He shed many Tears, yet said, That he trusted only in Christ's Righteousness for Pardon and Peace in Conscience. He was exhorted chiefly to be deeply humbled for the Murther he had committed, and upon reading to him David's Penitential Prayer, in these Words, Deliver me from Bloodguiltiness O God, and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness, he gave some Signs of great Remorse; yet I told him, That his Tears could not expiate his great Provocations of God, for they stood in need of cleannng by the Merit and Efficacy of Christ's Blood shed, This he acknowledged. Then I endeavoured to make him more sensible, offering Violence to the Dictates of his own Conscience, before he could so long proceed in the wicked Trade of Robbing, and putting many Persons into affrightment of losing their Lives: He did acknowledg this Crime, whereupon I horted him to make Restitution to the utmost, of what remained in his Hands, otherwise his Repentance could not be syncere: He thought this to be strange Doctrine, whenas, he said, he dyed for robbing. I told him, that he paid his Life to the Justice of the Law, it made no Satisfaction nor Recompence to those he had despoil'd of their Estates. And added farther, That he should not conceit that his former Supplies of the Wants of the Poor was any