The ORDINARY of NEWGATE his Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and Last Speeches of the Criminals that were Executed at Tyburn, on Wednesday the 22d of March, 1703/1704 .

ON Saturday the 11th Instant , being the last Day of the Sessions, lately held at Justice-Hall in the Old-Baily, Seven Persons received Sentence of Death, whereof Two being found with quick Child, were then Reprieved, and another since, by HER MAJESTY's gracious, Mercy; the rest, viz. William Williams< no role > , Thomas Williams< no role > , William Barrow< no role > , and Thomas Jones< no role > , are order'd for Execution.

On that Evening I visited them and pray'd with them. And on the next Day being the Lord's-Day the 12th Instant , I preach'd to them and others that came up to the Chappel, both in the Forenoon and Afternoon upon Luke 23. 42, and 43. part of the Second Lesson appointed for that Morning Service, and the Words these, And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

From which Words, spoken to our Saviour by the Penitent Thief that was crucify'd with him, and our Saviour's gracious Answer to him, I shew'd,

I. That happy Malefactor's great Faith and true Conversion, expressed,

1. In what we find him to have said before (viz. Ver. 40.) to his Companion, whom he concernedly rebuked for his railing on Christ, whose Divinity he also at the same time acknowledged, saying, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same Condemnation?

2dly, In the ingenuous and open Confession he makes of his Sins, owning the Punishment inflicted on himself and the other Malefactor, to be just, and what indeed they had deserved, Ver. 41. We indeed suffer justly, for we receive the due Reward of our Deeds.

3dly, In his justifying Christ, and asserting his Innocence, in these Words which immediately follow his Confession; But this Man has done nothing amiss.

4thly and lastly, In his fervent and faithful Application to Christ, in the Words of the Text; Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.

By all which we may observe, he had a true Notion of Christ's two Natures (viz. the Divine and the Humane) and through the Vail of Death, he could see that glorious Kingdom and Crown of Life, which Christ, by his then approaching victorious Death and triumphant Resurrection, was to obtain, both to Himself and all these that believed on Him.

II. The blessed Effects of that Faith and Confession, which were,

1st, The Absolution and Remission of his Sins.

2dly, That Eternal Life and Glory, which were the happy Consequents thereof.

All imply'd in our Saviour's Gracious Promise to this truly Penitent Malefactor (which for the greater Confirmation of his Faith, he prefaces with an Asseveration) Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

On the following Lord's-Day, being the 19th Instant , I preach'd again to the Condemned Persons and others there present, both in the Forenoon and Afternoon, upon Luke 11. 28. (being part of the Gospel for the Day) But he said, Yea rather, Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.

In discoursing upon which Words, I first illustrated them from the Context, and then I laid down this Proposition, viz.

That God has made the Terms of Salvation such, as all Men might receive them and comply with them, and that though every one could not have the Honour of being the natural Mother of Christ, yet every one that weuld hear and keep the Word of God, might be blessed; and they that did so, were accounted by him as near and dear to him as his own Mother was; as himself expresses it, Mat. 12. 45. & Mark 3. 35. Whosoever shall do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my Brother, and Sister, and MOTHER. And Luke 8. 21. My MOTHER and my Brethren are these [pointing to his Disciples] which hear the Word of God, and do it.

In inlarging upon this Proposition, I shew'd,

1st, That Men should be diligent to hear, For Faith comes by hearing, and hearing, by the Word of God, Rom. 10. 17.

2dly, That they should take heed how they hear, which is our Saviour's Advice, Luke 8. 18.

3dly, That they should obey the Word which they hear, and repent of their former Disobedience to it, and according to the Apostle's Admonition, receive with Meekness the ingrafted Word, which is able to save their Souls, Jam. 1. 21.

From these Particulars, I proceeded to treat of Faith and Repentance, and having shewn,

I. What true saving Faith was, and how Obedience to God's Word was inseparable from it.

II. What that Repentance was, which only was available to Eternal Salvation.

Then I laid down,

III. Some pressing Motives to a speedy Repentance, taken from these weighty Considerations.

1st, The Shortness of our Lives here.

2dly, The Impossibility of Repenting after Death.

3dly and lastly, The Irreversible and Unalterable State, either of Happiness or Misery, which we must come to in another World, as soon as we depart out of this.

All which several Discourses, I concluded with particular Application and pathetick Exhortations to the condemned Prisonners, suitable to their sad and deplorable Condition, by reason of their Sins. Of which I endeavoured all along to make them truly sensible; and to that purpose, had them every Day twice brought up to the Chappel, where I pray'd with them, and read and expounded the Word of God to them; drawing from that most instructive and comfortable Word, some Arguments encouraging and pressing them to Believe, to Repent, and be Saved.

As I thus taught them in publick, so I did also discourse them in private, and press'd them to make an ingenuous and open Confession, of what their Consciences told them, they were guilty of, and ought to discover for the Glory of God, the Good of Mankind, and the Tranquillity of their own Minds here, and Salvation both of their Souls and Bodies hereafter. Upon which they severally open'd themselves to me, as follows.

I. William Williams< no role > , condemned for Robbing on the High-Way. He said, he was about 22 Years of Age, born at Landaverry in the County of Carmarthen in Wales . He owned the Fact for which he was condemned, and withal acknowledged, that he had committed several other Robberies of the like Nature; but since his Confinement, he had made the best Reparation he could, by giving such Intelligence to the Persons he had wrong'd, and such Advice to those that had brought him into these unlawful Practices, and all others concerned with him therein, as he was bound and able to do. He confess'd that he was before this, under the same Condemnation,