A True Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and last Dying Speeches of the Condemned Criminals, that were Executed at Tyburn on Wednesday the 26th. of this Instant Jan. 1697 .

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

Ps. 39. 13. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

The first Observation.

WHen we are encompassed with Terrors of deadly dangers; then to obtain a little respite of Time, wherein to repent of the evil of our Ways, is to be counted a very great Mercy.

Yet strange it is, that the dying Man's want and wish, viz. (Lord afford me longer time to settle the eternal state my Soul,) is the living Man's Burthen. When Death is out of sight, we waste Time in the excesses of Sinning; but when Death stares us in the Face, and we are ready to shiver into Ashes, then time is more precious. So much Time which we have lost in the neglect of Piety and Virtue, so much have we lost of the encrease of our Happiness; yea, of our strength and Ability, to work out our Salvation at present.

2ly, Observe, That the desire of longer Life should not proceed out of our fond Love to it, nor from the Slavish fear of Death; but chiefly to recover Spiritual Strength in our Souls, for the more vigorous service of God, that we may publickly be more Beneficial to others, and to work out our own Salvation with a more zealous and cheerful activity. Before I go hence; Observe, That the consideration that we are Strangers and Pilgrims in this World, only for a Season, and must depart we know not how soon, should quicken us up to the vigorous exercise of all gracious Qualifications, whereby we may attain everlasting Life, and an Inheritance undefiled and indefeasible in Celestial blessedness. Before I go hence; Observe, that Saints who know that they are recovered from the state of spiritual Death in Sinning, and are Redeemed from the Curse of eternal Death; by the Renovation of their Hearts and Life can speak of Death natural, in soft and mollifying Expressions as the Translation of their Souls from Earth to Heaven. They willingly chuse and covet to dye, that so the Veil of their Flesh being rent from their Souls, they may have a clearer, perfect and fixt injoyment or Heavenly Felicities. There they shall delight themselves in those eternal streamings forth of glorious light, from the transforming beauty of God's holiness, imprest on the Souls of all his Saints united to him in Christ, by an immutable covenant of free Grace and Favour. But the wicked desire to take firm rooting in the Earth. Neither can they go cheerfully to meet Death, as not prepared for the Encounter. They are not reconciled to God in Christ, and therefore cannot entertain any good opinion of Death. They are driven hence in their wickedness, as an abhorrence to God and Men. They are scattred from the Face of the Earth like Chaff, being not only useless, but vile, as not worth the gathering up, by any Hand of Preservation. It is farther observable. That David doth not complain out of any discontents, that he must leave the World by Death, and thereby e seen no more, as to any delightful converse with his Godly Friends; nor that when he is Translated hence, shall not enjoy the solemn Ordinaries of God's Sanctuary. David well considered, That the loss of comfortable Communion with the Saints on Earth, is abundantly recompenced in the Seeing and enjoying of God himself, in a glorious state.

Here I shall prove, That the Souls of Godly Men at Death, ascend immediately to God, to be enstated in their essential blessedness, tho' they wait to be reunited to their Bodies, as their additional Felicity in their compleat Personalities. Yet this their waiting for the reunion of their Bodies, is without any allay or Diminution to their Souls essential blessedness, in the present sight and enjoyment of the God of Glory. A middle place and state (which Brentius feigned below the Imperial Heaven of God's immediate presence) would administer only scanty Refreshments, tho' Superlative to what they enjoyed in God's Sanctuary on Earth

Objection, Souls newly released out of their earthly Prisons, cannot bear the light of the glorious Communications of God's beauty and bounty to them.

I answer, That the Souls of the Righteous, after their expiration out of their Bodies, are perfectly purified by Christ's meritorious Intercession for their admission into Heaven, as being fitted for this State, by the immediate Consummating Act of the Spirit of Holiness, sealing them up to a glorious Felicity. The Apostle St. Paul, knew no middle state twixt these two, viz. To be absent from the Body, and immediately present with the Lord. We walk (saith he) during this Life by Faith: and after Death, by the clear open Beautifying sight of God: Therefore the most resplendent Regions, inferiour to the most perfect Communications of God's Love from his immediate presence, cannot satisfy the most earnest longings of the Soul, after the highest enjoyments of God.

The Conclusion was thus directed to the Criminals

Little have you considered Davids affirmation, that when Men go hence, they shall not any more be seen on earth, to rectify any mistakes in the eternal concernments of their Souls. Yet what Folly and Madness hath possest your hearts, who are surprized by Death, before you can prosecute fully, your intended preparations for eternal Life, Will you securely persist in trusting your deceitful Hearts, that you have thorowly and sincerely Repented, when as such self flattery may ruin you beyond any remedy of working out your Salvation? You had a fit time wherein to repent and reform your Lives; but I fear you have made your repenting Season an encouragement to provoke God, with a more confirmed Rebellion, till the present terrors of Death surprize you: Wo to such who delay their beginning to get Grace into their Hearts, till they are ready to finish their course in Nature. To suffer patiently, and to exercise a resigning Will, to be disposed by the Lord for Life or Death, is work enough for any Man, when under the Convulsive pangs of Death. A dying Pvrson is very unfit for any Worldly concernments, much more for Heavenly, that he may judge aright of his meet requisite dispositions, and due Qualifications for a blessed eternity. When we are dying, all spiritual Considerations are interrupted, perplext and scattred, for then strong teptations will assault us, to doubt of our Interest in God. Let us therefore clear up our evidences for eternal Felicity, before we are rendred unfit for so necessary and serious a work: Therefore, let us while Nature is vigorous, exercise all such gracious Habits which may set us in a ready posture to encounter Death that the slavish fear of it may be subdued, and that we may take a delightful prospect of triumphing over all the powers of hellish darkness, which then chiefly design to assault us with the dismal suspicions of an Interest in God's Love and Favour.

Yet strange it is, to observe that the Mercy of deliverance from the terrors of Death, renders Men secure, sensual and licentiously perverse in Sinning. How sad an account is this, that the renewal of Life, strikes many with the dead Palsie of security, a stroke worse than Death, because not felt.

When the Souls of such sit trembling on their Lips, as ready to take their flight into the other World? they will then cry too late, Spare me O God, a little longer, that I may settle the state of my Soul, in order so as to get a prospect of eternal Life.

Yet if such obtain rescuing Mercy from present Death, their promises of future Obedience to God's sacred Laws vanish when the fears of Death are scattered.

Many being indulged a longer time of living, they strive not to get a new Heart, nor any Heavenly Conversation, as well as a strange preservatson. But a person sincerely thankful for restoring mercy, will walk humbly and strictly as under the Eye of God's Omniscient observation. He will not dare to indulge the least willful turning aside from his Vows of vigorous obedience, but will beg a strong Consti