A True ACCOUNT of the BEHAVIOUR, CONFESSION, AND Last Dying SPEECHES Of the 4 Criminals that were Executed at TYBURN , On Friday the 23d, of October, 1691 .

ON Saturday the Ordinary Visited the Condemned, in order to the fitting them for their latter End, and for the Duties of the ensuing Lord's Day.

On which was preach'd unto them, in the Forenoon, a Sermon on this Text, Romans 6. ver. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. The Conclusion of which Discourse was thus directed to those under Sentence of Condemnation.

And now may I bespeak you Sentenced Persons in the words of St. Paul to his newly Coverted Romans; What fruit had ye in those things, whereof ye are now, I hope penitentially ashamed? Bitter fruits I'll warrant you, you account the sad Effects of your Vicious Practices, which have exposed you to this Extream, though Condign Punishment. Are you not at last ashamed of your evil ways, now that you eat of the Distateful Fruits of them, and wish a thousand Wishes you had never committed them? For do their past momentary Pleasures or Profits any thing Compensate the lasting Troubles of Mind, and amazing Terrors of approaching Death, which ye at present undergo?

O Sin! Where is thy profit? when as thy loss is that of our Immortal Souls, that of Peace of Mind, and Eternal Happiness: where thy Pleasure? when as thy Torment is that of a Disquieted Conscience, that of an afflictive Sense of having no share in the Love and Enjoyment of God, an Infinite Good!

Let me appeal to your own sad Experience for a Proof of the unfruitfulness of Sin.

When you Robbed and committed Violence, were not your Hearts afraid of a Discovery, of an Apprehension? When your Feet ran to evil, and you made haste to shed Blood, were you not under Terrors of Resistance from those you Assalted? When you lurked privily for the Innocent, did you not lay wait for your own Blood, and lurk privily for your own Lives, as the fatal Event hath proved you did? What's now become of all your unjust acquirements? of your filling your Houses with other Mens Spoils? Do they Help and Relieve you, in the Day of your Distress? Are they not rather miserable Comforters, giving you Trouble and Disquiet of Mind in the remembrance of them?

O better had it been for you, had you been Beggers all your Lives time, than by undue treasuring up of Gain, to have treasured up to your selves Wrath against the Day of Wrath, unless your Repentance prevent it; better were it to have wanted here with Poor Lazarus, than to want with Dives in the other World a Drop of cool Water, to allay the Schorchings of Fire Everlasting! O fly those Infernal tormenting Flames, by a timely and sincere Repentance! Escape for your Lives, for your future eternal Lives; and look not back (as the Angel's Charge was to Lot) unless it be with Grief and Hatred on your past evil Courses: the end of those things is to be Death Temporal unto you; O may they not prove you Death everlasting!

Let then God's Chastisements drive you who would not suffer his Mercies to lead you to Repentance; be thankful to him for this Correction of you in your outward Man, that the inner one, your Souls, may be saved in the Day of our Lord: Run to him by a speedy Change of Heart and Manners; lay hold on God's Septer of Grace and Salvation while 'tis yet extended towards you: Confess and bewail, abhor and detest, and in firm purposes of Heart so forsake every wilful sin, as that you would never, by Divine Grace preventing you, return again to your former Impiety; take heed that the end of your Lives be not the beginning of a never-ceasing Death unto you; be fit to Dye, and then you will be the fitter to Live, should any of you find sparing Mercy; which I would not have you expect, so as to hinder your Preparation for Dying: O get but your Pardons sealed in Heaven before you go hence, and then whether you obtain your Pardons on: Earth it matters not much; get but Holy Tempers of Soul which may qualifie you for a seeing God with Delight, and whether you are much longer seen in this World, it will little import you. Spend the short remainder of your time, in making Provision for Eternity, in continual Good Works; 'twas too much to have hazarded your Souls once: O endanger them not again through your Impenitent Carelessness, but be employed in pious Meditation, in good Reading, in Self-examination and Prayer, in humble confessing of your sins unto God, in Penitent Deprecation of his Wrath and Vengeance, in earnest Imploration of his Mercy and Forgiveness. Dye in Charity with all the World, forgive as you would be forgieen by your Heavenly Judge; and what injuries you have done to others, beg both theirs and God's Pardon for them; and seek to make them all the amends you can before your depart hence: and after you have done all, after you have mourned for, and hated, and resolved against sin your utmost, yet acknowledge your selves unprofitable Servants; that you still deserve Hell and Damnation, were not God the Father's Mercies infinite, and God the Son's Satisfaction and Atonement all-sufficient. In a word; so prepare for Death, that it may be an Introduction of you into Life Everlasting.

The Ordinary preacht in the Afternoon on this Text, viz. Acts 3. ver. 19. Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

On the Monday the Ordinary Visited the Condemned, and inquired of them what Impressions the Prayers and Sermons, on the Lord's Day, made upon their Hearts. Several of them replyed, That they were under greater Convictions of their sins, and they hoped more Penitent than before: He stated the nature of true saving Faith and Repentance, and exhorted them not to deceive themselves with mistakes concerning the due qualifications for a future happy Estate, because nothing less than a thorough change of Heart, in converting to God, could Intitle them to his pardoning Grace and Mercy, which purifies as well as pacifies the Conscience: where God passes an Act of Oblivion, upon the account of Christ's Priestly Merits, he renews a Corrupt Nature, in turning it from the Love and