The ORDINARY of NEWGATE his Account of the Behaviour, Confessions; and Dying-Words, of those Condemned Criminals, who were Executed at Tyburn, on Wednesday the 3d of November, 1703 .

AT the Sessions held at Justice-Hall in the Old-Baily, on Wednesday and Thursday, the 13th and 14th of October last , two Persons were found Guilty, and accordingly receiv'd Sentence of Death, and five more were called to their former Judgments.

From the time of this their Condemnation, to the Day of Execution, I constantly attended them, and had them up in the Chappel twice every day; earnestly and pressingly admonishing them, both in publick and private, to an ingenuous and sincere Confession of their Sins; and to a hearty forsaking of them, and imploring God's Mercy and Grace duly to lament for them, and effectually to repent of them, if ever they intended to avoid the Eternal Horror and Misery and Torments of the Damned in Hell; and were at all (as they should greatly be) concern'd for the Joys and Glory and Happiness of the Blessed in Heaven.

On the three intervening Lord's-Days, I preach'd publickly to them and others then in the Chappel; viz.

The first Lord's-Day, the 17th of Oct . both in the Forenoon and Afternoon upon Eph. 6. 18. being part of the Epistle for the Day, and the Words these: Praying always with all prayer and supplication, and watching thereunto with all perseverance, and supplication for all Saints.

From which Words I shew'd,

1st. That by this Expression, Praying always, is to be understood, not the being continually on our knees in the act of Prayer (for the necessities of Human Life will not permit it;) but the keeping our selves at all times void of offence, and in such a Holy Frame of Spirit, as to be always fit for Prayer; taking all opportunities for it, and doing it as often as our own and others occasions call us to it, and we can possibly perform it. In which sense are to be taken also this of the Apostle's, 1. Thess. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing, and such like Precepts, which we find in other Places of Scripture.

2dly. That we ought to do this (as the Text directs) with all Prayer and supplication; using all proper Forms in our publick, and all liberty of Words in our private Prayers, that may both express our wants, and excite our affections; so as to omit nothing which we should pray for; distinctly petitioning for good things, and deprecating evil ones.

3dly. That this is to be perform'd in the Spirit, that is, 1. With our own Spirit, with full attention and application of Mind; so as not to draw nigh to God with our Mouths only; but to make our Addresses and Approaches to him with all the Fervor and Zeal and Affections of our Souls: And 2. We must do this with the Spirit of God, by whose only assistance we can make acceptable Prayers to him, according to what the Apostle says, Rom. 8. 26. and 27. The Spirit helps our Infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: But the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be utter'd. &c.

4thly. That we ought to be vigorous and constant in this excellent Exercise of Prayer, joyning all the Faculties of our Souls to the Divine Spirit, which (upon our fervent application to God for it) we shall surely receive, according to our Saviour's Promise, Luk. 11. 9. Ask, and it shall be given you: Seek, and ye shall find: Knock, and it shall be open'd unto you Which he speaks of the Spirits; as it is most evident from what follows V. 13. Your Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. And both in our asking for, and co-operating with the Divine Spirit, we must use all diligence, vigilancy, and watchfulness, in obedience to Christ's Precept and his Apostles, Matt. 26. 41. and Mar. 13. 33. Watch and pray. Col. 4 2. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same; and I Pet. 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. Which Duty is to be done and perform'd, not only for once, but always, with all perseverance, i. e. with perfect constancy, indefatigableness, and unweary'd continuance in it; under every circumstance and condition of Life whatsoever, whether adverse or prosperous, tho' our Petitions may not be presently granted: For they shall be heard and answered at last, to our full joy and satisfastion, if so be that we faint not. This is what our Blessed Saviour himself so sensibly teaches us in the Parable of the poor Widow and the unjust Judge, Luk. 18. 1. &c.

5thly and lastly, That we are to pray not only for our selves, but for others also: For all Saints, says the Text, that is, for all the true Members of Christ's Church. And indeed we ought to pray for all Men in general, according to the Apostle's Exhortation, 1. Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. Which having said, he goes on to shew what Persons we should pray for in an especial manner; For Kings (saith he, v. 2.) and for all that are in authority, that under them we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.

In my further inlarging upon those Particulars, I took occasion to shew them the Necessity, Object, Excellency, Use, and Benefits of PRAYER, and gave them Directions for it; concluding with a particular Application to the Condemn'd Persons, whom I earnestly press'd the Practice of this great Duty upon.

On the second Lord's-Day, being the 24th of Oct . I preach'd again to them both in the Forenoon and Afternoon, upon part of the second Lesson appointed for that Morning-Service, viz. Lu. 10. 25, 26, 27, and 28. And behold a certain Lawyer stood-up and tempted him, saying, Master, What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life? He said unto him, What is written in the Law? How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy Neighbour as thy self. And he said unto him, Thou hast answer'd right: This do, and thou shalt live. Having open'd the Text, and descanted upon these four Particulars in it,

1st. The Lawyer's great and important Question to Christ, Master, What shall I do to inhet Eternal Life?

2d. Christ's Answer by way of another Question, which he puts double to this Lawyer. What is written in the Law? How readest thou?

3d. The Lawyer's Reply thereto, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c.

4th. Christ's Assent and Advice to him, Thou hast answered right: This do, and thou shalt live.

Then I laid down this Proposition, as the Doctrine of the Text; viz. That Eternal Life is attainable by Obedience to the Law of God: Which Law plainly requires of us these two Things, which are comprekensive of all its Precepts.

1st. Love to God in the highest degree, to be shew'd in all the Actions of our Lives, especially by our ready submission, and thorough-resignation to his Will. And 2dly. Love to our Neighbour, (that is, every Man) in the same degree of sincerity with that we have for our selves; doing as much for him (so far as in us lies) as we would have him to do for us; and doing no more against him, than we would willingly he should do against us.

After I had largely discours'd upon this, I proceeded further to shew, 1st. That a due Preparation for Eternal Life, was the chief Business of this, which is the only time we have for it. Because 2dly. When Death has given the final Stroke, our Day of Grace is at an end and it is impossible for us to repent and do any thing whatever in such a manner as it may be acceptable to God. And therefore, as a further Motive to this Preparation, 3dly. We ought to consider, that our Life here is but very short, and when once ended, there immediately follows an irreversible and Eternal State, either of Misery or Happiness.

These I inlarg'd upon, and apply'd in particular to the condemned Prisoners; whom I exhorted from the Consideration of its Shortness, to husband their time so well in Prayers, and Meditations, Self-Examination, and Stirring up of themselves to true Humility, Contrition and Repentance, that