The ORDINARY of NEWGATE his Account of the Behaviour, Confession, and Last Speech of Thomas Sharp< no role > , who was Executed in Drury-Lane on Friday the 22d. of September, 1704 .

AT the Sessions held at Justice-Hall in the Old-Baily , on Wednesday the 6th , Friday the 8th , and Saturday the 9th Instant, four Persons were found guilty of Death, viz. Two Women for Burglary, a Boy for stealing of a Horse, and the above-named Thomas Sharp< no role > for a Murther proved to have been by him committed in Drury-Lane , on the 10th of August last past, upon the Body of Thomas Thompkins< no role > , a Watchman in the Parish of St. Giles in the Fields . The first Three are repriev'd. (And God grant they may ever remember this Mercy, and make a right use of it.) As for the other (Thomas Sharp< no role > ) he is order'd for Execution, as a due Punishment for his Sins, and for a Warning to other notorious Sinners, who will do well to take it, and reform by it.

On Thursday the 8th Instant , being appointed for a Day of Publick Thanksgiving, I had an Opportunity to preach to them, which I did on these Words of the Royal Prophet, Psal. 34. 3. O magnifie the Lord with me, and let us exalt his Name together.

From which Words I took occasion to shew my Auditory,

1st, That it is our most indispensable Duty to praise God, and be thankful to him for all his Mercies, and for all his Dispensations towards us, whether they be gentle or severe, because they are all of them Tokens of his Paternal Care and Love, which in the Issue will prove blessed Effects to his dutiful Children, and returning Sons and Daughters.

2dly, That the Disposition requisite for our serving and praising God acceptably, is to depart from Sin, resign our Will to God's Will, and stedfastly purpose to obey him.

3dly, and lastly, That the Benefits and Advantages accruing to us from the religious Performance of this Duty, are the diverting God's terrible Judgments from us, and obtaining an Encrease of Mercies and Favours, which he often bestows on us in this World; but to be sure, he will do it in the World to come: Where from our praising God here, we shall be advanced to the praising of Him more perfectly and more joyfully hereafter with the blessed Saints and Angels to all Eternity.

On the Lord's-Day, the 10th Instant , I preach'd again to the Condemned Persons and others, viz.

In the Morning upon these Words, which are found in the 27th Verse of the 10th Chapter of St. Luke, and were part of the Gospel for the Day, viz. Thou shalt love - thy Neighbour as thy self.

From which Words, I shew'd,

1st, That this Love to our Neighbour, which is commanded in the Text, is to be understood both Negatively and Positively, and is a Duty which every Man is bound and able to perform. 1. The Negative Part of it, consists in not doing or not wishing Harm and Injury to any Man, even our greatest Enemy, upon any Occasion or Account whatever. 2. The Positive Part of it consists in doing all the Good we can to all Men, and wishing and praying for the Temporal and Eternal Welfare both of their Bodies and Souls, as heartily and sincerely as our own.

2dly, That our Obligation to this Duty is, 1st, From Nature; We are all of the same Kind and Frame, and therefore should be kindly disposed one to another; and do that to others which we would have them do to us. 2. From God's Command, who has strictly enjoyned it. And 3. From the Example of Christ, who is a most perfect Pattern of Love to us.

3dly, That the Want of this Christian Love in Men, is the Cause of most, if not all, the Murthers, Robberies, Injuries, and other Mischiefs committed in the World.

4thly, and Lastly, That the Benefits arising from our sincere Love to our Neighbour, are innumerable and unspeakable; not only in that such a Love makes all things easie and happy to us in this World, but fits and prepares us for that place where eternal Love does reign, that is Heaven; in which blesssed Place we shall be perfectly united to God; in whose Presence is the Fulness of Joy, and at whose Right-Hand there are Pleasures for evermore.

In the Afternoon I preach'd upon Rom. 13. 13. The Words being these. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.

Which Words having paraphrastically explain'd with their Context, I shew'd from them,

1st, Our Duty of calling upon, and praying to God.

2dly, The manner of doing this, as it ought to be done.

3dly, The Motives thereto; taken from the mighty Consideration of our receiving Help in our Troubles here, and perfect Salvation hereafter.

On the last Lord's-Day, the 17th I did (according to my wonted manner) preach at Newgate, both in the Morning and Afternoon; and my Text was in Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my Sins unto thee, and mine Iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin.

Having first given a Paraphrastical Account of these Words, I then proceeded to shew,

1st, That the Confession of our Sins is a most necessary part of Repentance, which being followed by the forsaking of them, and Amendment of our Lives, is a most evident Proof, both to our selves and the World, that our Repentance is sincere; and being such, will find Acceptance with that good and gracious God, who desireth not the Death of a Sinner, but rather that he would turn from his Wickedness, and live.

2dly, That it suits well this Confession of our Sins, to be accompanied with outward Weeping, Lamentation, and Humiliation, to the greatest degree, for our having been such miserable Wretches, such prodigal and disobedient Children, as to displease, and grieve, and run away from our heavenly Father, in whose House and Favour alone we can live happy.

3dly, and lastly, That the Effects and Benefits of true and sincere Repentance, are indeed very great and comfortable Things to a poor Sinner; he being thereby taken out of the Slavery of Sin and Satan, and admitted into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. Which speaks his happy Rescue from unspeakable and unconceivable endless Misery in Hell, and his obtaining the blessed Enjoyment of unutterable and incomprehensible everlasting Rest and Felicity in Heaven.

All which Discourses I concluded with such Inferences drawn from them, and such pressing Exhortations to Repentance and Faith, as were proper for the Occasion, and applicable (in a particular manner) to the condemned Persons, whom I visited twice every Day, and of whom there is now (as I said before) one only order'd for Execution, viz. Thomas Sharp< no role > ; who is the melancholy Occasion of this Paper's appearing abroad again, after that it had received a happy Interruption the Session before this, by reason that no Body was then executed.

This Thomas Sharp< no role > , in the Account that he gave me of himself (wherein he seem'd, in some Circumstances, to be somewhat sparing, for the sake of his Parents, that are yet living, and know nothing of his Miscarriages and Troubles) told me only (and I did not think fit to press him to a more particular Discovery in things indifferent) that he was about 29 Years of Age, born in the West of England , and was at first a Glover by Trade, but left that Calling to serve the Crown; in whose Service he had spent, both at Sea and Land, about 11 Years; and that the last Sea-Service he was in was on board a Dutch Man of War: and his last Service at Land was in Colonel Hamilton's Regiment , under the Command of Capt. Welsh, in which he had been a Year and a half, and actually was, at the time of his being apprehended. He confess'd, that he had been a very ill Liver, and too too mnch addicted to the common and reigning Vices of the Age, viz. Swearing, Cursing, Drunkenness, Lasciviousness, Sabbath-breaking, Gaming, Neglect of God's Service, and the like; besides those Facts which the Law takes a particular Cognizance of; he having before now been under Sentence of Death, which he receiv'd at the Old-Baily the 27th of February, 1701 . for breaking the House of Mrs. Mary Brown< no role > , a Widow , then living in St. Giles in the Fields , and taking from thence a pair of Holland-sheets and other Goods; adding, that he was very sorry he had no better improv'd the Mercy shewn him in the Reprieve then given him, and the Pardon that ensued. Whereupon I asking him whether in his former Troubles, he never had any serious Thoughts of reforming and amending his Life; he answer'd, That he had several times taken up Resolutions to that purpose, but for want of one thing, which (as he is now sensible of) ought to have been in his Resolutions, he could never bring them to any Effect; but broke them as soon as he had made them, or at least, upon the next Opportunity and Temptation. Now, what this thing was, which render'd his good Resolutions thus ineffectual, he declared to be this, viz. That in those his Resolutions of forsaking his Evil way, he did not seriously think of parting entirely with, and leaving for good and