A True ACCOUNT of the BEHAVIOUR, CONFESSION, AND Last Dying SPEECHES Of the 13 Criminals that were Executed On Thursday and Friday the 26th and 27th of February, 1690 .

THE Ordinary, in the Forenoon of the Lord's day, peach'd on the last two Verses of the first Psalm, viz. The ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment, nor sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous: These words import thus much. That as the Godly and the wicked are discriminated in their Course of Life; So, at Christ's Tribunal, they shall be rankt in a different Portion of Reward or Punishment: Thus the Lord knows, approves, commends and rewards the way of the Righteons, though the wicked shall not stand, but fall in their Trial at Christ's Tribunal. This denotes a State of Shame, Contempt, Horror and Desperation. Christ will put Honor on the Righteous, by assuming them into the Clouds to set them on Thrones of Judgment, as approving the Equity of his Sentence, on the Reprobates. But Hypocrites shall stand on the Left-hand, so as to be judged on the Earth, the Stage of their Impiety and Collusions. They shall be rejected, because they set their best Services to sale, for the Auction of their own Credit, and not to raise the Revenue of Christ's Honor.

Here followed a List of other Sinners, who cannot expect any Moderation of Christ's Judiciary Sentence. How shall they stand in the Judgment, who cannot sleep unless they cause some to fall into their Nets of cruelty, who oppress the Widow and the Fatherless, who fall prostrate in worshipping an Idol, being so blockish and stupid, as to say, in their distress, to the work of their own hands, Arise and save us, who Atheistically scoff at strictness of Life, and Heart-purity, who ask in scorn, where is the God of Judgment, because of his delay to execute it? Who call prosperous Vice Vertue, and afflicted Innocency, a proud singulatity and zeal, a peevish madness? How shall such stand speechless, who cease praying, but have a very voluble Tongue in pouring out Oaths and Execrations, being void of common Modesty? Can any think to have their sins covered by Christs Priestly Propitiatory Merits, who contemn the word of Reconciliation, which is the Scepter of Christ's Kingly righteousness: Can such look Christ in the face, who now dispise his favour, and sin directly against this only remedy of their sin and misery who keep not the Faith of Christ uncorrupted in a ure Conscience, but subject their Hearts to the fleshly interest of their Lusts? Let us not debase the excellency of our Heaven-born Souls, by bowing to any Temptation, which Satan shall impose upon them. Such cannot expect to stand upright at Christ's Tribunal, who stand watching for oppertunities of sinning to perpetrate their Deeds of Darkness. What punishment can be commensurated to recompence the Love of self Destruction? Together with some seasonable Advice to the Condemned, &c.

I proceed to give an Account of the Criminals Confessions and Behaviour.

I. Robert Congden< no role > , Condemned for the Barbarous Murther of three Persons in Ratcliff ; I inquired, what tempted him to commit it? he said that one sin brought on another. In his younger time, he cheated several Persons of their Mony, with which he was intrusted. When he first came from Sea-service , he Robbed a fellow Lodger in Wapping of 14 l. in Mony. He confest that he wanted neither Food nor Clothing necessary, but covetousness of Money prevailed upon him, to supply his wicked excesses. That he contrived that Murther two weeks before he committed it. That he Murthered all the three Persons with his own hand, viz. the Woman coming behind her, he struck her with an Iron Bar on the Head, so that she never spake word. That he had no pitty on the Child though it began to cry. That the Maid-servant being sent out to buy Tobaco, at her return, he stood behind the door and knockt her down, so that she died immediately. Then he Robbed the House of Plate and Mony, but was under an horrid affrightment, and could not stay in the House. He thought that he should be suspected in offering the Plate to sale, and went back, but thinking he could not escape being taken, he did venture to sell it, and so was discovered. He said, That his Heart was so hardned that he could not Repent, yet was full of horror in himself. I asked him concerning the two Persons mentioned in his Tryal, how far they were abetting, he said that they were escapt, and he would not accuse them of any thing. I told him that it was his duty to confess the whole truth, whether they Robbed with him, or whether either or both of them Murthered any of the three Persons, or consented to what himself did? He said, That he would not be a means of bringing any Mn to a sentence of Death, if taken. I told him, That his Crime was black and horrid enough, he need not, by concealing others, lead himself with the whole, if not Guilty. He was very wavering in what he had before confest, which I wondred at afterward, upon telling him that if he did not speak truth, and the whole truth he could not be saved; he said, That he did the Murther on all the three himself.

II. George Reason< no role > , Condemned for Burglary. He confest, That he had been a very great and vile Sinner, in many respects That he did not pray to be kept from the venting of his evil Inclinations, but abated the fear of God, and had not taken warning by the examples of publick Justice on others, and therefore that God had righteously found him out, to punish him for his Iniquities. He said that he could not stand before the sight of his many and great sins, how then should he be able to appear at the strict and just Tribunal of the knowing God? He was attentive to Instruction and Prayer, I hope he was Penitent.

III. William Glassenberry< no role > , Condemned for a Burglary. He confest his great sins, and Relented in the remembrance of the Evil course of his Life. That he little minded his duty to God, till he was brought into this distress. He was very sorry for the remorselessness of Congden, having so much bloodguiltiness upon him.

IV. W. G. Condemned for stealing 24 yards of Cloth, value 8 l. the Cloth was found upon him. He was Conscious to the Contrivance of Mr. Goodman's Murther, the late Turnkey of Newgate. He confest that he whetted the Knife which killed him, and that he had been guilty of many other notorious sins. He did not express any signs of remorse, will he knew that he was in the Dead Warrant.

V. Charles Hughes< no role > , a notorious Criminal formerly, and now condemned for Burglary. He was little sensible of his evil course of Life. I was desired by Mrs. Elizabeth Shooter< no role > , the Widow of Captain Shooter, Murthered lately, to inquire of him, Reason and Glassenberry, whether they, or any of them, committed it. They all three, as dying Men, upon the hopes of their Salvation, denyed that they either did it, or knew who did it. I laid it home, more especially to Rason and Hughes. Rason utterly denied that he knew any thing of it. I asked Hughes whether he knew, or heard since, who did it? He was somewhat shy to answer, and would not declare any thing as to his suspicion of any body.

VI. Henry Knight< no role > , alias Wright< no role > , and Edward Stephens< no role > , both condemned for Counterfeiting fifty pieces of false Mony, the Stamps and some false Mony being found in their custody; they did not absolutely deny the Crime. They said, That they had been great sinners, but would not discover any of their Accomplices. Knight said, That he was willing to dye, that he might not live to commit more sin, and so aggravate his Provocations of Almighty God.

VII. John Ray< no role > , condemned for Coyning several pieces of false Mony. He said, That he had improved his natural indowments, by much study and diligence in reading Physical Authors; and that he was so unhappy as to fall into bad Company. That he pretended among some who counterfeit Money, that himself knew an Art how to mix Meal so that it should not be discerned from true Coyn: yet he could never bring his Essay to perfection. He said, That he was not so deeply dipt in that artificial Treason, as he was reputed to be, yet he acknowledged the righteous Hand of God, in bringing him under this sentence of Death, for he had lived in customary sins, and contracted such firm habits in them, that though at times he prayed and resolved against them, yet his Convictions wore off, and he could not retrive his wonted excesses. That now his Heart is thorowly broken and contrite for all his sins, and yet