Being young, and grosly ignorant, they were carefully instructed in the first element of Religion, that there is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and Man; the Man Jesus Christ, who gave himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due Time. 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.

The Viciousness of their Lives was also represented to them; how dreadful it is to depart from the true and living God, to trust in Vanities and Things of this World, to which they were wholly addicted; yet these Triffles could not in the least satisfy the Desires of an immortal Soul, which can acquiesce in nothing less than God Himself, who is the Author of our Being and Fountain of all our Mercies: And their whole Life having been nothing but a despising of God, and deviating from his Commandments and Ordinances, they were directed to turn the Bent of their Inclinations another Way, towards God and Christ, which as it is their Wisdom, much more is it their Interest so to do, as most agreeable to the Will of God, and most suitable to the rational Nature of Man.

Theft and Robbery being the Crimes most of of them suffered for; the Evil of this great Sin was particularly represented to them; how it was contrary to all Laws divine and human; and consequently liable to the Penalty, both temporal or eternal, annex'd to such Laws; the evil of Theft (as we told them) appears by the Injustice thereof, in wronging our Neighbour of his Right, and Property, to which we have no Title or Claim, on which Account it is prohibited by the express Law of God, Thou shalt not steal; it is the Will of God, that Man who is made after his Image, should live in a regular and rational Way, agreeable to the Doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are commanded by our Saviour to love all Men, to love our Neighbour as ourselves; but to rob and spoil them of their Goods and Property, is to devour and reduce them to Misery and Poverty, which is contrary to the Nature of God, who is good to all, whose Mercies are over all his Works, and his munificence extends to the righteous and the wicked, causing his Sun to enlighten the good and evil. And as to Highway Robberies, it was represented to them, they were next if not equal, to that most atrocious of all Sins and Crimes Murder, since in Case of the least Opposition, or resistance, they not only knock'd down, but kill'd and murther'd the Persons attack'd by them; as hath been frequently too often seen in the Streets and Neighbourhood of this City.

Two of them, William Bird< no role > and Thomas Homan< no role > , being convicted of Murther, it was represented to them, what a dreadful Thing it is to rob innocent Persons of their Lives in an unexpected Moment, and that it was most just with God to throw them into the Pit of Hell and everlasting Destruction on a sudden, for such barbarous Cruelty; the speciality of their Crimes was shewn them; the one, Homan, having murder'd an old, innoffensive Gentlewoman, his Neighbour, in a most cruel Manner, thinking to rob her of her Goods; the other, Bird, having, in a Way unparallel'd and unheard of, in a Hole, where there was not sufficient Air to breath in, thrust down twenty or thirty poor Women, taken off the Street, committed to his Care, many of whom were like to die, though by proper Care recover'd; but four of them, in that narrow confin'd Place, for want of Air, were actually stifled to death. For these most attrocious Crimes, they were exhorted to fly unto the Blood of Christ, which only can cleanse us from all Sin, to exercise in a lively Faith Christ's Merits and Intercession, and to repent deeply and sincerely of all their Sins, especially Murder, begging the Assistance of God's Grace and Holy Spirit, to enable them to work out their Salvation, and so to fit and dispose them for God's heavenly Kingdom and Glory.

Upon Thursday the 11th of November , Report was made to his Majesty in Council, of the Sixteen Malefactors under Sentence of Death in the Cells of Newgate; when Christopher Peterson< no role > , alias Jack the Sailor, for stealing an Oil-skin Bag, and 17 Pound Weight of Tea, the Property of Wm. Barton< no role > , out of the Shop of the said William Barton< no role > , February 10th . William Edwards< no role > , of St. George's Bloomsbury , for stealing one Piece of Gold Coin, Value 3 l 12 s. two Pieces of Gold Coin, Value 36 s. each, and four Pieces of Gold Coin called Guineas, Value 4 l. 4 s. the Property of Thomas Clarke< no role > , in the dwelling House of