THE ORDINARY of NEWGATE, His ACCOUNT of the Behaviour, Confession, &c.

AT the Sessions held at Justice-Hall, in the Old Baily , in September last, Eight Men, viz. Joseph Upton< no role > , Henry Fluellin< no role > , Charles Goulding< no role > , Thomas Raby< no role > , Dean Bryant< no role > , Edward Barcock< no role > , Jonathan Thomas< no role > , George Whalley< no role > , and one Woman, viz. * Sarah Woodcock< no role > , were by the Jury convicted of capital Crimes, and received Sentence of Death. And,

At the Sessions held at the same Place in October, Four Men, viz Thomas Jones< no role > , alias Brown< no role > , John Machell< no role > , John Fosset< no role > , alias Powell< no role > , and William Sylvester< no role > , were likewise capitally convicted, and received Sentence of Death accordingly.

They were all exhorted to pray earnestly for the Grace of God, and that they might be renewed in the Spirit of their Minds; and by sincere Repentance might be enabled, with full Purpose of Heart, to turn to God in Christ, and save their Souls from everlasting Misery.

Two of them having been convicted of murdering their own Wives, I exposed to them the great Evil of their most horrid Sin, and endeavoured to convince them, that Murder is the highest Degree of Wrong we can do to our Neighbours; and that the Heinousness of it might be seen by the Consequence of the first Act of this Kind that ever was committed; Abel's Blood crieth from the Earth, God tells Gain; Gen. iv. 10. yea, the Guilt of this Sin is such, that it leaves a Stain even upon the Land where it is committed, such as is not to be wash'd out, but by the Blood of the Murderer, as appears, Deut. xix. 12, 13. In the Case of wilful Murder, no Refuge was allow'd but such a one was to be taken thence, and delivered up to Justice, Exod xxi. 14. Thou shalt take him from my Altar, that he may die; and it, is our Saviour tells us, Matt. v. 22. Hell-Fire he Portion of him that shall but call his Brother Fool, what Degree of those Burnings can we think proportionable to this so much greater Injury?

I observ'd to the others, that Theft and Robbery is a Crime which makes Men odious to God, and unfit for human Society; and that nothing but Repentance and Reformation, could prevent them from suffering for it hereafter.

They were put in Mind of their renewing their Baptismal Covenant by receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper, and they were instructed in the Nature of this Sacrament.

They attended in Chapel, when Health allowed them, and were attentive to Prayers and Exhortations, behaving devoutly to Appearance, and some of them, sometimes wept and lamented, only John Machell< no role > was so much indisposed, that he never was able to come up to Chapel, but was confined to his Cell in a most miserable and poor Condition. When I visited him, he declared himself penitent, and did not deny his Crime.

*Sarah Woodcock< no role > was, by a Jury of Matrons, found with quick Child, upon which her Execution was respited.