The ORDINARY of NEWGATE his Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and Last Speeches of the Malefactors that were Executed at Tyburn on Wednesday the 20th of December, 1704 .

AT the Sessions held at Justice-Hall in the Old-Bailey , on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the 6th , 7th and 8th Instant, Ten Persons received Sentence of Death; viz. 3 Men and 7 Women: Of which Number, Two of the Women, then found with quick Child, and (out of abundant Mercy) Three others, with Two of the Men, are reprieved; and the rest, namely, John Smith< no role > , Sarah Smith< no role > , and Mary White< no role > , are now order'd for Execution.

From the time of their having this Condemnation pass'd upon them to that of their Execution, I constantly visited them, and had them brought up to the Chappel in Newgate , where I pray'd with them, and read and expounded the Word of God to them every day, both in the Morning and Afternoon, and preach'd four times in publick to them, viz.

On the LORD's-DAY, being the 11th instant, upon Luke 10. 42. But one thing is needful: And Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Of which Words, and their Context, having first given a general Account; I then proceeded to discourse upon the following Particulars; shewing,

I. What is the One thing needful, viz. A diligent attending to the Word of God, that ingrafted Word which is able to save our Souls, Jam. 1. 21.

II. Mary's Wisdom in her Choice of embracing the present Opportunity, without any delay, of hearing and receiving this Word, to her Souls Instruction and Comfort, while her Sister Martha, like many others of her Stamp, was neglecting it.

III. The Excellency of the thing thus chosen by Mary; prov'd not only from the Goodness of it, [Mary has chosen that good part] but from the Eternal Duration of it, [which shall not be taken away from her.]

These were the Heads of my Morning Discourse, which I concluded with a pressing Exhortation to Repentance, directed in particular to the Persons under Condemnation.

In the Afternoon I preach'd again upon the same Text; and from it took Occasion to inlarge upon the Subject of Repentance; to which the Word of God invites all Sinners, with the gracious Promise of Salvation. And herein I shew'd,

I. The Nature of Repentance; setting forth,

1st, What it is too often mistaken to be, and is not; viz. A meer outward Expression of Grief and Sorrow - &c. And,

2dly, What it really is; viz. A Change of the Heart, a sincere Love to God, a perfect Hatred to Sin, &c.

II. The Necessity of Repentance; shewing that without Repentance there is no Pardon; without Pardon there is no Salvation; and without Salvation there is Eternal Damnation, &c.

III. The Time when this great Duty of Repentance is to be set about; which is, the present time, without any the least Procrastination or Delay. God allows us not one Moment to endulge our selves in Sin. To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts, saith the Holy Ghost by David. Psal. 95. 7, 8. & Heb. 3. 7, 8.

Which great Duty of Repentance, both as to the Necessity and Speediness of it, I inforced,

1st, From the Example of Mary in the Text, who lost no time in the reforming of her Life, by the Word of Christ, which she was so greedy to receive. And,

2dly, From the great Reward that shall ever attend her for her having readily chosen to hear her Saviour's Doctrine, rather than to put off the present happy Opportunity she had for, it, and mind some other Business that time.

Again, on the LORD's-DAY following, viz. the 17th Instant in the Morning, I preached to the Prisoners in Newgate upon Acts 17. 31. being part of the second Lesson appointed for that Morning, and the Words these, Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the World.

From which Words, first historically and paraphrastically explain'd, I treated of the Last Judgment, shewing,

I. The Certainty of it.

II. The Severity of it.

III. The use we ought to make of this Doctrine of a future Judgment, and the Means to avoid the Severity thereof.

In the Prosecution of which Subject, I took for my Text in the Afternoon these Words of Solomon, Eccl. 11. 9. But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment.

From which Words I shew'd,

I. That Men shall certainly be judged for all these things, viz.

1. Their wicked Thoughts.

2. Their idle, prophane, blasphemous and hurtful Words.

3. Their unjust and mischievous Actions.

II. That a timely and sincere Repentance will efface and blot out all these ill things, set all to rights again, and prevent Mens falling under Eternal Condemnation, when they shall come to be judged.

After I had discours'd upon these to my Auditory in general, I then apply'd my self with suitable Exhortations to the Condemned in particular; whom I did (in my frequent Visits to them) find for the most part very tractable and desirous of spiritual Help, in order to their Salvation, which they were now sensible they had by their Sins put to very great Hazard.

What Confessions they made to me, and what Dispositions they appeared to be in at their Death, I shall here acquaint my Reader with, in the following Lines.

I. John Smith< no role > , condemned for robbing on the High-Way, viz. 1st, Mr. William Birch< no role > near Paddington , on the 29th of October last , and taking from him a Gray-Mare with a Saddle and Bridle: And 2dly, Thomas Woodcock< no role > Esq ; and his Lady, with another Gentlewoman in the Coach with them, on Finchley Common the 6th of November last , and taking from them Things of Value, which they had again. He confessed those Facts very freely, and begg'd Pardon both of God and them he had wrong'd; but said withal, that though he must needs own he had been a great Offender in many things, yet he never was before reprehended by the Law; nor ever deserved to be so, but for some Facts which he had committed between and upon those two Days, viz. the 29th of October and 6th of November last : So that (as he said) he was an Offender but of eight Days; adding, that it was at first a great Surprize and Uneasiness to him, to find his last Robbery to have been split into three distinct Facts, and to be the matter of 3 several Indictments against him. But he said he was very much contented to be thought the worst of Men by Men, provided he might obtain the Favour of God by Christ; which he earnestly implored. He said farther, that he was about 23 years of age, born at Winchcomb within 10 miles of the City of Gloucester ; That he was a Perriwig Maker by his Trade, and was well brought up by his Parents, who gave him Civil and Christian Education; but he did not answer their Expectation and Desire; and was disobedient and undutiful to them, and fell into many Extravagancies and Debaucheries. Of which he so frankly made his Confession to me, and in all appearance seem'd to be so sorry for them and so desirous to make Amends (if he could) to the World that I have great Hopes he was that inwardly which he outwardly appear'd to be. " And for the Reader's further Satisfaction herein, I must refer him to his Last Speech writ in his " own hand and deliver'd to me at the place of Execution. " A true Copy of which Speech, together with his particular " Confession of all the several Robberies by him committed " (within the space of 8 days only) shall be published this Day " about Noon, in a Paper by it self, it being too long and too " material to be crouded in here.

II. Sarah Smith< no role > , alias Boroughs< no role > , Condemned for privately stealing Goods out of the Shop of Mr. William Haslewood< no role > . She said she was about 48 years of age, born at Lambeth , and liv'd a while in Black-Fryers , and that her Employment wa selling of