A True Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and last Dying Speeches of the Condemned Criminals, that were Executed at Tyburn on Wednesday the 3d of this Instant Novem. 1697 .

On the Lords-Day, after the Condemnation of the Condemned Criminals, a Sermon was Preached on this Text,

Psal. 32. 2. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity, and in whose Spirit there is no Guile.

The Doctrinal Observation from the Connexion of the Words is this.

THERE must be a right Spirit of Purity formed in the Heart, to take away the falseness of it, in the concealing and extenuating of Sin, before the Lord will Pardon the Condemning Demerit of Sinning.

Sanctifying Grace is the only true Wisdom, which David Petitioned for, that so his Hypocrisy (whereby he had cover'd his Sins) might be Cured. In the very order of Nature, the guiles of sinning are defeated by abominating them, and the loal chastity of the Soul is formed, before the deadly penalty of Sinning is remitted or cancelled. See Scriptural Records for this method of God, in pardoning Sin and Sinners, Acts 2. 3. and Chap. 3. 19. 26 Also, Chap. 5. 30, 31. there it is affirmed, That God gives Christ; first, to be the King of Righteousness, by his divine Power to subdue and sanctify the proud Heart of a Sinner, before he can be in a capacity to lay any Title to Christ as a preistly Saviour, who hath by his Meritorious Death satisfied divine Justice, in order to the sealing the penitent Sinners Pardon.

The Holiness, Wisdom, Justice, yea, the very Goodness of God, require this stated indispensable order of Salvation.

No Prince in Wisdom, will pardon a Rebel while he retains the Heart of a Traytor. The Spirit of Holiness will not set his Seal of pardoning mercy (for comfort) on an hard impenitent Heart. No Man can in Reason think to make the Impression of a Seal on the Water which is gliding away. Such are the fluid Resolutions, sickle and false Purposes of Sinners. That they will turn to God, and reforme the course of their Lives. If God should only pardon a Sinner, and not change his Heart, he would immediately forfeit such a Pardon. Besides in effectual Vocation to God in Christ, we resign sincerely our whole Man in Converting to God, and are made new Creatures: So that Faith, Repentance and universal Obedience, are parts of Regeneration and Sactifying Grace. Also, Christ redeems us from the Malediction of God's Laws, in the same method in which we made our selves sinful and miserable: We first blotted out the Image of God in Holiness; this must first be reinstampt, to make us partakers of the divine Nature, before we can be in any Capacity to have the guiltiness of Sinning not imputed to us, and the penalty of Death for Sinning Remitted; hence St. Paul's meaning, in saying, That God justifies the ungodly, is only this, That the best of Men are ungodly in a lower Degree, as having the Relicks of Sin in them, and therefore not being perfect in their Obedience, these have need of God's continued Act, to justify them in Christ: Even a Regenerate Person upon committing any new Sin, must renew the Acts of his Faith and Repentance, before the Guilt and Defilement of that Sin can be taken away, by the renewed Act of God's Justifying Grace. Indeed a sincere Christian looks upon this to be his chief compleat Blessedness, that he is made Conformable to God in Holiness; he well knows, that this is the Congruous method of God's pardoning Mercy, that it is dispensed with an holy Wisdom, and a just Clemency, so as to preserve the reverend Majesty of his goodness. Thus divine Priviledges follow the Inspiration of Spiritual Life. For the better understanding of this, That Sanctification preceeds Justification; you must distinguish, that there is a two fold Sanctification.

The first is wrought in our Regeneration, which is the infusion of the principles of universal Holiness; this is properly Sanctification, and doth necessarily preceed Justification, as hath been Demonstrated. But that Sanctification which follows Justification, this is the reparation of the decays of Grace, at first infused in Regeneration, and is a continual Renovation of the Image of God, when sullied and defaced. It is properly a deeper rooting or impression of the divine Nature, in a Progressive walking after the Conduct of the Spirit of Holiness; this is a consequent Demonstration of the truth of our Justification. Thus you see that we are justified by Faith in Christ, as the consequential effect of our union to him by the Spirit of Holiness. Faith purifies the Heart, as deriving from union to Christ, the likeness to God in Holiness, before it can pacify or quiet the Conscience in any hope that Sin is pardoned. Thus the Renovation of our corrupt Nature as it is the great design of Christ's Love in dying for us, so it is the chiefest part of our blessedness, in order to eternal Salvation. Therefore that is a false peace in the Conscience, which doth not disturb, yea, mortify the indulgence of corrupt Nature. For the Peace of God in a justifyed Person, rules so strongly in his Heart, that it ejects the dominion of the least lust, and will not suffer any sensuality of the afflictions to controul the Law of Sanctifying Grace. A truly justified person is very studious to get greater Degrees of Purity instampt upon his Heart, to preserve the Seal of his Pardon undefaced, by any wilful Act of Sinning; yea, he will strive to abound in all the fruits of Holiness and Righteousness as the Testimonial of his gratitude to God, not only for sparing the forfeited Life of his Soul, but also, for the Lord's Superlative favour, in adopting him to the Inheritance of Celestial Glory. A truly Justified Person doth not only beg of God to pardon the falseness of his Heart, in the former covering the Guiltiness of Sinning; but he more earnestly prays that God would poise and Cure the fickleness of his Heart, to make him stedfast in his Service. Thus being Reconciled to God in Christ, the truely penitent have the aggrevation of their Sins pardoned, and so blotted out, that no inditement shall start up against such, to implead them at Christ's Tribunal; when the universal frame of Nature shall break and be dissolved with amazing Thunder-claps; yet, such who now Repent and turn to God unfeignedly with their whole Hearts, these shall be refresht with the Smiles of their Judg, who shall turn Advocate in their behalf. He will fortify their Soul with an holy Courage and humble Confidence in the Treasures of his Grace and Mercy. He will not only acquit them as clothed with his perfect Righteousness; but being conformed to him in an holy state, such shall be admitted to reign with Christ, on Thrones of Glory of Eternity.

The conclusion was thus Directed to the Condemned.

How confident are most Men that their Sins are Pardoned, whereas they still continue in their full force of contracted Guiltiness? How absurdly do Men expect that the most upright Judge Eternal, will pardon the condemning Guilt of Sinning altho' the subtile Guiles and flattering Insinuations of their Lusts are fondly indulged? But meer Dreams of Pardoning Mercy will overwhelm the Soul with Terror, when Conscience shall be awakened to charge it self with all the Abominations of Men's Hearts and Lives; yea, the Mercy and Goodness of God would be blemished, if the Lord should promiscuously misplace it on Sinners, while they stout it out in their Rebellion. Yet I fear that you are not Ingenuously willing to have your mistakes in the Concernments of Eternal Life, to be faithfully discovered, & safely rectified, by the sacred Rules of Truth and Holiness. Do not think that meer Consternation and Anguish in your Consciences is sincere Repentance, and the Pangs of the new Birth: This may proceed from the dreading of publick shame, and the smarting Punishment of Sinning, and not from any true sense of the Malignity of the Heart, in Sinning against God, or the defiling effects of it upon the Heart. Faint Skirmishes with corrupt Nature cannot subdue the Propensities of secret Lusting; nor can a short abstinence from Sinning prove that the Love of it is subdued; Have not your Lusts revived in a sharper Paroxysm, upon any trifling temptation of sordid worldly Profit or sensual Pleasure? Besides, that is a false peace of Conscience, which doth not Rule so strongly as to eject the Dominion of every Lust, that it shall not controul the Law of Sanctifying Grace.

Truly Justified Persons maintain a very strict watchfulness, to preserve the integrity of the new Creature, that it be not Impaired. These are studious to strengthen the vigorous Constitution, of their Souls in Holiness, that it may not languish, and that the beautiful frame of Sanctifying Grace