The ORDINARY of NEWGATE his Account of the Behaviour, Confessions, and Dying Speeches of the Malefactors that were Executed at Tyburn, on Wednesday the 27th. of October, 1708 .

AT the Sessions held at Justice-Hall in the Old-Baily, on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, being the 13th , 14th , 15th , and 16th Days of this instant October , Six Persons, namely, three Men and three Women, were found guilty, viz. One Man and Two Women, of Murther, and the other Three of Felony; and so accordingly received Sentence of Death. Three of these Persons are Reprieved, and the other Three are now order'd for Execution.

Soon after Sentence was pass'd upon them, and they carry'd back to Newgate, I visited them; as I did every day, both in the Morning and Afternoon, while under this Condemnation; exhorting them to repent, and shewing them the Necessity, and the Nature and Effects of Repentance. I pray'd with them, and they then seem'd, some more, some less, affected with my Exhortations and Prayers.

On the Lord's Day the 17th instant I preach'd to them, both in the Forenoon and Afternoon, upon these Words of God, Exod. 20. 13. Thou shalt not kill.

Which Text having first explain'd in general, I then proceeded to discourse from it upon these distinct Particulars.

I. I shew'd, What that Sin is, which is here forbidden; and the Heinousness and Guiltiness of it.

II. The Severity of the Punishment due to it, which in this World is irremissible, as the Fact is irreparable: And therefore by the Law of God, the Murtherers ought to be put to Death, without mercy; or else that Land or Nation in which they live must suffer for the Blood by them unjustly shed therein; as we read Numb. Chap. 35. Verses 30, 31, & 33.

III. and lastly, How much it concerns them heartily to repent, who are guilty of such a great Offence, which they ought to look upon as the greatest indeed that ever can be offer'd to Human Nature.

Having enlarg'd upon those Particulars, I concluded at both times with Applications and Exhortations suitable to the Circumstances of the Persons Condemn'd.

And on the last Lord's Day, the 24th instant, I preach'd again to them, viz. in the Morning upon Psal. 51. 3. For I acknowledge my Transgressions, and my Sin is ever before me.

Which Words, and their Context, I did first paraphrastically explicate, and then gave them the Description and Character of a true Penitent; shewing them by Particulars, both the several Gradations and Blessed Fruits of his Repentance, which is always attended with a free Confession not only to God, but to Man also, where the Crime is scandalous, and the Punishment of it publick: Which I proved from the Practice of David, and other Penitents; whose Confessions we find recorded in the Sacred Pages, as well for our Instruction and Conversion, as a Testimonial of theirs.

In the Afternoon I preach'd upon Prov. 1. 7, being part of the First Lesson for that Evening-Service, and the Words these: The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge; but Fools despise Wisdom and Instruction.

From which Words I shew'd;

I. That by the Fear of the Lord is to be understood the Reverence and Obedience that Men owe to God and to his Worship and Service: Which summarily comprehends the Whole of Religion, as we find it (Eccl. 12. 13.) express'd in these very Words that contain both the Precept and the Reason of it, Fear God and keep his Commandments; for this is the Whole [Duty] of Man.

II. That by these Words, The Beginning of Knowledge, is meant the Foundation of that true Knowledge and Wisdom, without which all other Knowledge is vain and useless.

III. That both that Fear and this Knowledge are of the greatest Use and Benefit to us, for the promoting of our true and chiefest Interest, which is the Peace and Comfort of God's Spirit in our Souls, while we live here, and the Eternal Peace and Happiness of Heaven, when we are dead.

IV. and lastly, That therefore it is the greatest piece of Folly and Madness imaginable for Men to cast off that Fear, and despise this Knowledge, and to reject all the wise Counsel and wholsom Instruction, and other the means by which true Wisdom may be attain'd.

On these I discours'd at large, and then summ'd up all in a particular Application to the Condemn'd; Who in my frequent Visits to them, being (among other things) exhorted to clear their Consciences by free Confessions of the Crimes for which they stood Condemned; some of 'em were prevailed with to do as directed and advis'd: And the Account I receiv'd from them that are now to die, concerning their past Sinful Lives, is as follows.

I. Mary Ellenor< no role > This name instance is in set 143243920. , condemn'd for the Murther by her committed upon her Bastard Male-Infant, on the 25th day of September last . She presently confess'd, that she was Guilty: That the Child was born alive: That she threw him into the Vault, where she heard him cry: And that with a Broom-stick she kept him down, till he was quite dead. When I asked her how she could be so cruel and so hard-hearted, as to do this barbarous action; she said, The Devil had too much power over her. She mightily lamented and abhorr'd this her heinous Crime, and that which had brought her into it, viz. the Sin of Whoredom; to which, she said, she was induced by T.F. a young Man, an Apprentice to a Coach-maker, not yet out of his time, who upon his Promise of marrying her when he had served out his Prentiship, prevailed with her to commit Lewdness with him. She own'd he had to do with her several times, but protested she never knew any Man besides him in that foul carnal way. If that Young Man, who by his deluding this poor Wretch, brought such a Guilt and Misery upon her, should come to see this Paper, I would desire him to consider what he has done, and how, by his Sin of Uncleanness, he has prov'd the wicked Occasion of an innocent Infant's being murther'd, and the Murtherer's being brought to an untimely and shameful End. I spare his Name here, as being more desirous to bring him to serious Consideration and Reformation, than to Shame and Confusion. But I must needs tell him plainly, that if he does not repent and heartily pray for Grace to lead a more chaste and virtuous Life, God's Vengeance will certainly overtake him, perhaps in this World, but to be sure in the World to come. As for this unhappy Woman, she seemed to be throughly grieved for that most inhumane and bloody Fact. She was very ignorant, and could not so much as read; but yet she knew her Faults were great and deserved great Punishment. She appear'd sensible of the Enormity of her Sins of Murther and Whoredom, and acknowledg'd, that without true Repentance both of those and all other the Sins of her Life, she could not be sav'd. Therefore she express'd great grief and sorrow of Heart, and cry'd bitterly, and pray'd to God for Pardon and Forgiveness. She was (as I could perceive) unreserv'd and free in her Confession to me, and desired my Prayers; which she had. She told me, that she was not yet full 23 years of age; That she was born at Dover , and came from thence seven years ago to London , where she had liv'd all that while in several honest Families, as a Servant . She said, she ever was faithful to her Masters and Mistresses, and might have lived very happy, if she had been as honest in all other respects, as she was in Service. So she expressed her self, and greatly bewail'd her Sins, and seem'd indeed to be very penitent.

II. Agatha Ashbrook< no role > This name instance is in set 834. This set is in the group(s): MothersOBP . , condemn'd for the Murther of her Female Bastard-Child, committed the same day on which Mary Ellenor< no role > This name instance is in set 14324392. , before mention'd, did murther hers,