AT the Sessions of Oyer and Terminer for London, and Gaole-delivery of Newgate begun at Justice-Hall in the Old Bayly, Octob. 10. and ending on the 12 of the same Month, there were in all (as by a Printed Narrative you may already have heard) Five persons, who being Convicted on fair Tryals ( per Patriam) of several ca­pital Crimes, received Sentence of Death: But Two of them, whose Crime was stealing of two horses, appearing to be objects of mercy, as having never been concern'd in any such offences before, and seeming now extremely penitent for the same, obtained a Gracious Reprieve. The other Three were this present Wednesday, Octob. 17. carryed [Page 4] to the place of execution, and by a shameful death surrendered their unhappie lives as Vi­ctims duely forfeited to the Justice of the Law.

These were all three old notorious offen­ders; two of them (taken in Gardiners-lane, Westminster) had long followed the Padd, as they call it, that is, Robbed upon the Highway: The other had made it his trade to break open houses, and pilfer away peo­ples Goods, being burnt in the hand but two Sessions ago: So that if such Malefactors should have longer been endured, honest Subjects would not be able either to sleep securely in their Dwellings, or travel abroad with safety on their lawful occasions; but both within doors and withou [...], been liable to the spoils and outrages of these barbarous Savages.

To assist these poor wretches for the good of their Souls after the time of their Con­demnation, the Sheriffs not onely manifested their pious Charity in sending them able Divines to instruct them, and especially Mr. Ordinary, who very laboriously discharges [Page 5] his weighty office on such occasions, but likewise several godly Ministers of their own accord, in Christian-compassion to their pe­rishing condition, were pleased to visit them. Who laid before them the miserable state they were in; That now their days we num­bered, nay their very hours and minutes which they had to live in this world; and yet these few minutes were all the time and opportunity they had to provide for eterni­ty. That they were doom'd by Justice to a certain death; and though 'twas vain for them to flatter themselves with hopes of longer life in this world, yet there was means left, by a speedy, thorow, sincere and hearty repentance of their sins, and fleeing to Christ for mercy and forgiveness, to secure them­selves, by vertue of his merits and righteous­ness, of a most happy and everlasting life in the world to come. That to such vile and sin­ful wretches as they had been, it was unspea­kable mercy that they had yet a little space left, wherein to make peace with their God: for they might have gone on still in riot and wickedness, and been suddenly snatcht away [Page 6] in the very acts of their impiety &c. These and many other pressing exhortations, toge­ther with severe threatnings to affright them and sweet promises to allure them, taken from the Word of God, were made use of, to bring them to a due sense of their sins, and to cry mightily to God for salvation. But the deaf adder refuses the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely All this good seed could take no root, or produce very little vi­sible fruit on the stony ground of two of these Prisoners obdurate hearts; they not seeming (to outward appearance at least) to take that due and sensible notice of this most important counsel, as might be expected from persons in their condition▪ But the Spi­rit bloweth where it listeth. The third see­med much affected with this pious advice, and was very earnest and frequent in bewailing his sins, and condemning himself bitterly for having so wickedly mis-spent his precious time heretoforr. He acknowledged to some, that he had several years been a Thief, but not till of late upon the High-way: that at first his Conscience would after every fact se­verely [Page 7] check him; but since custom of sin­ning taking away the sense, he had run on from one degree of wi [...]kedness to a greater without controul. He was very frequent in Prayer, wherein he has been heard to express himself to this effect.

‘Most dreadful and glorious God, though thou hatest all the workers of iniquity, yet through the Media­tion of thy blessed Son, with pity behold me a mise­rable sinner. Had I lived according to thy Command­ments, or submitted to the Gospel of thy Son, I might approach thee with the confidence of a childe: but I have been a Rebel against thee from my youth up, for­getting the God that made me, and the Saviour that redeemed me, quenchign and grieving the holy Spirit, and slighting the endless Glory which thou hast pre­pared for me. Oh the precious time which I have lost, which all the world cannot call back; the wonderful love which I unthankfully rejected! How have I lived in continual acts of all kinde of Profaneness, all kind of Debauchery, Whoring, Swearing, Drunkenness, and especially Theft, which now has brought me to this woful, forlorn, condemned case wherein I am a shame to my friends, and a burden to my self; and thou, O God, art my Terrour, who shouldct be my onely Hope and Comfort. Lord, thou knowest my secret sins, which yet are unknown to men, and all their Aggra­vations. Mine iniquities, Lord, have found me out; my fears and sorrows overwhelm me: a shameful [Page 8] death expects me in this world, and endless torments are ready to receive me in the other. But, Lord! thy Goodness is equal to thy Greatness, thy Mercy over all thy works. Good God, be merciful therefore unto me, the vilest of sinners: save me for thy abundant mercy, for the merit of thy Son, and for the promise of forgiveness which thou hast made through him; for in these alone is all my trust. Thou who didst pati­ently endure me when I despised thee, Oh do not re­fuse me now I seek unto thee, and in the dust implore thy mercy. Lord, I ask not for longer life in this world, but for life eternal; not for liberty to sin again, but for deliverance from this sinning nature, and that body of death which overwhelms me. To this purpose Lord give me thy grace to improve these few minutes, and prepare me for death and Judgement; that when I leave this world with shame, I may be received into glory, and yeeld my departing soul with joy into the faithful hands of my Redeemer. Amen.’

He behaved himself very penitently in the Cart, Prayed a considerable time by himself privately at the place of Execution; desired all people to take warning by him to avoid Idleness and Ill Company, which brought him to this Ignominious End. The other joyned in the publick Prayers, but said very little that could be heard. But all of them together suffered very patiently, and with submissive acknow­ledgements of the Justice of the Sentence.