Ordinary of Newgate Prison:
Ordinary's Accounts: Biographies of Executed Convicts
13th February 1719
From the{ 1st, The Authority 2d, The Antiquity 3d, The Usefulness
of the Scriptures. And from the Whole prov'd, That Men's Spiritual Miscarriages often proceed from their prodigious Neglect of Reading and Hearing with devout Attention the Word of GOD, which is written for their Learning, for their Instruction and Comfort, and which (if duly obey'd) will be a happy Mean to keep them from Sin and Everlasting Damnation, and also preserve them unto Eternal Life.
On the Lord's Day the 14th of the same Month of December last
, I preach'd to them (both in the Morning and Afternoon) on part of the Gospel appointed for that Day, viz. Matt. 11. 10. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my Messenger before thy Face, which shall prepare thy Way before thee.
In speaking to which Words, I shew'd,
I. Who that Messenger was, viz. St. John the Baptist; and what was the Life he led, viz. a Life of Austerity and strict Piety, shunning all the vain Pomps and Delights of the World, as it became One that was a Preacher of Humility and Repentance, in order to prepare Men's Hearts for their embracing the Gospel of CHRIST. And here I took occasion to observe, How necessary it is for Men to read the Scriptures, and (by a constant practice of them) make themselves well acquainted with them; which containing both the Mysteries of God's Holy Religion, and the Means of Eternal Life and Salvation, were therefore often quoted and referr'd to by our Blessed Saviour himself; as we may see here in the Text, and in several other Places in the Book of GOD.
Then I proceeded to shew,
II. What the Subject of that Message was, of which the Text speaks, viz. the Preaching of Repentance and Amendment of Life.
On those two Points I enlarg'd, and particularly on the latter; shewing,
1. The true Nature 2. The absolute Necessity 3. The great Danger in the Neglect or Delay 4. The blessed Fruits
of Repentance.
On the Lord's Day the 21st of December last
I preach'd to them again, Morning and Afternoon, upon Mark 13. 26. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds with great Power and Glory.
These Words (pointing to the Last Coming of Christ, to which His First had a reference) I first open'd and explain'd in general, and then did from them shew in particular.
I. The Certainty of Christ's Coming at the last Day to Judge the World.
II. The Uncertainty of the Time when He shall come.
III. ult. The great Concern it is to all Men, and the constant Care they should take, to be always prepar'd, as for that Day, so for Death, which will presently usher them into Judgment; for as soon as the Soul is separated from the Body, a Sentence is then privately pass'd upon it, either of Absolution or Condemnation, and that Sentence (which is never to be revers'd) will be publickly confirm'd, and also extended to the Body, at the Day of the general Resurrection, when all must appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in the Body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. 5. 10.
And on the Day of CHRIST's Nativity I did again preach to them, both in the Morning and Afternoon, on part of the Epistle appointed for that Day, viz. Heb. 1. 1, 2. the Words being these; God, who at sundry times, and in diverse manners, spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, has in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son, whom He has appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the Worlds.
From which Words (first explain'd with their Context, and illustrated by parallel Places, and other Texts in general) I spoke to these two Points; in particular shewing,
I. The Agreement II. Tho Difference
between the Old and New Testament.