your sins Having finished his Speech he then called on the Lord by Prayer intreating the people to join with him He prayed with an elevated voice and with many tears this Prayer following O Merciful GOD which according to the multitude of thy mercies doest so put away the sins of those which truly repent that thou remembrest them no mnore Open thine Eye of Mercy upon me wretched Sinner that I am who most earnestly desire pardon and forgiveness of all my former sins and particularly for my late horrid Blood guiltiness Lord if it be not too late and I trust no time is too late for thee to shew mercy wash away this blood of my Brother which sticks so close to my soul in the blood of my Saviour O let me call him so which was shed for my sins and the sins of the whole world Let not the voice of my murdered Brothers blood cry louder for vengeance then the blood of our crucified Jesus be heard to cry for pardon Give me Lord a truly penitent heart and then accept of that penitent heart of mine which is thine own gift Given me plenty of brinish tears but first steep and wash those tears of mine in the wounds of thy Son Make me here to abhor and loath and judge and condemn my self that in thy great day hereafter The great day of the Lord I may not be condemned eternally both body and soul Renew in me most loving Father whatsoever hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the Devil or by mine own bloody carnal will and frailness Cause me to set all my sins before my face and then do thou cast them behind thy back Cause me to spread all my sins before thee my God as Hezekiah did the the blasphemous Papers of Rabshekah and then do thou blow them away with the blast of thy holy Spirit And forasmuch as I do humbly and earnestly desire to put my trust only in thy mercy Impute not unto me my former or latter sins the sins of my body and the sins of my soul sins of omission or sins of commission sins which I have done to please my self or others sins against the First or against the Second Table against thee my God against my Neighbor or against mine own Sonb Let this first death of mine which I am now ready to pay in satisfaction to Man's Law be acceptable in thy sight O God and so do thou deliver me from the second death Deliver me from my Blood guiltiness O God and take me yet into thy favour through the merits and blood shedding of thy most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ Amen! Amen! Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from my blood guiltiness who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death Lord have mercy upon me a sinner Christ have mercy upon me a sinner Lord have mercy upon me a sinner A Merciless a Profane a Thieving a Bloody sinner Lord though I had no mercy upon my Brother yet do Thou have mercy upon me For Lord I have so much the more need of mercy for my soul by how much I had so little mercy upon his life Lord I confess with horror of soul that I killed him suddenly giving him no time to prepare for death Yet Lord I must confess to thy great glory and goodness that Thou hast given me time and respite to repent before I die He then desir'd me as I stood upon the Ladder to pray for him which I also did he joining therein very solemnly I then having done prayer asked him how he did He told me he doubted not of doing well he laid all behind him and would go to Christ alone for life and salvation saying Now I am lanching into the Ocean of Eternity Then he delivered to me the written Speech desiring the Executioner to forbear Turning him off till he lifted up his hands and said Lord Jesus receive my soul I then took him by the hands and took my leave of him After he had stood still a little while in a way of Ejaculations with his Cap over his eyes he lifted up his hands and said the words aforesaid Then the Executioner did his office and he was a dead man in a few moments And in a few moments more who knows which of us will not be dead men also Oh consider therefore all you that yet are alive the following Admonition An Admonition to all persons whatsoever especially to Parents and Children Masters and Servants c. TO Parents and Masters of Families hear what the Lord faith to you Ephes 6.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a putting of a thing into the mind an urging and pressing of it an informing and instructing the mind Leigh crit sacâ—â— Now this Text tells you of two very great faults viz. First In case admonishing of Children and Servants be totally omitted where 's then your obedience to God who leaves their Education to your care Nay instead of giving good advice and examples to Youth you many times I mean many Heads of Families rather ruine them by living without Knowledge and without Conscience your selves Oh consider this and acquaint your selves with God and with Jesus Christ that you may be able to acquaint all committed to your nurture with the fame God and with the same Lord Jesus Christ the knowing of whom is the excellencie of knowledge Secondly A word to men of care but of very little care in this thing I grant you use prayer and you read Sermon-notes sometimes and the Scriptures themselves among your people at home but how often and how earnestly is that exercise Alas once it may be on the Lords day and then no great regard had how they profit or whether they profit or no so that something be done though nothing come by it by way of benefit to their Souls 'T is a wonderful weakness in many great Professors of Religion who will pray and beg of God strongly upon their knees for Light Knowledge Grace and Holiness to be given to their dear Children and to their Servants and yet these very persons will contribute little or nothing besides good wishes towards the conversion and welfare of souls that by their importunate supplications seem to be precious in their eye If praying be all you have to do for your Family what mean then those many Scriptures that command the doing of many other duties besides praying with and praying for your people and if prayer onely be not enough why do you onely pray Indeed 't is well done to wish well to them that dwell with you though it be part it is the least part of your duty doth not the Lord look for much more from you doth he not charge Fathers and Mothers and Masters to instruct rebuke correct their Children and Servants and to call them to account concerning their profiting in Gospel knowledge I am confident the carelesness of you in these things is that which renders Preaching so
very lewd Young man being addicted to divers sins which he himself hath freely confessed For instance 1. He was a great Company-keeper and given to Gaming very much whereby he gain'd money and several Watches of Young men one whereof he restor'd to the Owner after his Conscience was awaked in prison 2. He enticed some Servants to purloin from their Masters and sell the Goods then would he and they go together and spend the money among themselves 3. He lived in Fornication frequenting the company and the houses of Harlots in so much that as he himself under his own hand informed me he judged this very sin of Whoredom did draw him on to that of shedding blood Concerning which fact I shall now speak as also concerning his carriage in Prison and at his Execution being an Eye and Ear-witness thereof THis Nathaniel Butler came from Alton in Hampshire where he was born and at the time of his Apprehension was an Apprentice with one Mr. Goodday a Drawer of Cloth in Carter-lane London during which time he became acquainted with one John Knight an Apprentice also in the same City These two were much together but especially when Mr. Worth John Knight's Master was gone to Bristol-Fair then did these two young men lie together several nights at Mr. Worth's house at the Rose in Milk-street where in the shop on Wednesday morning being the 6. of August 1657. Nathaniel Butler seeing some Bags of money he was thereupon tempted to take away the life of his Friend and Bed-fellow that he might securely convey away the Money which he had now seen in the Till of the shop After they had been abroad that day at night they lay again together the bloody design running still in the mind of Butler he intending about the dead of the night for so he expressed himself to me to destroy the Young man by cutting his throat Accordingly he took his knife in his hand but his heart would not suffer him to do it then he laid down the knife again yea he took up and laid down hi sknife several times so he told me before he acted his cruelty But in the morning very early he did indeed fall very violently and inhumanely on the Youth who lay harmlesly asleep upon the bed The first wound not being mortal awaked him whereupon he strugled and made a noise not considerable enough which was heard into another room of the same house Then Butler chopt his fist into the mouth of the Young man and so they two lay striving and tumbling very near half an houre before the fatal blow was given but at length he did most barbarously murder the Young man giving him a very ghastly deadly wound cross the throat And then he went down taking away out of the shop a sum of money in two bags being about One hundred and twenty pounds And so with his double guilt of Robbery and Murder leaving his bloody Shirt behind him and a Lock of his own Hair in the hand of the dead Young man which Hair was pull'd off in their striving together one to commit the other to prevent the fact after he had so done he went to his masters house in Corter-lane where he privately laid the Money in a new Trunk that he bought with part of the Money This Murderer abode for certain days that is from Thursday to Saturday at his Masters house unsuspected following his business at home as formerly Many thoughts and jealousies were working in men who should be the Murderer And in a few days one in Milk-street the street where the Murder was done knowing that Butler used sometimes to be with the Young man who was now murder'd went to Butler's Master's house in Carter-lane and spake with him by whose words and carriage he supposed he might be guilty and so caused him to be apprehended But yet for some small time the said Butler denied the Fact but at length confessed That he and he only did it After his apprehension he was brought before the Lord Major of London to whom he declared the Murder and the Circumstances of it crying out for a little time for his soul and much lamenting his sin That night he was committed to Newgate and there lay exceedingly startled about the state of his soul saying often What will become of my poor soul What shall I do to be saved beginning now to see the sinfulness of sin Whom I may compare to Manasseh in three respects 1. As to matter of fact for Manasses shed much innocent blood 2 King 21.16 so did he shed too much innocent blood 2. He something resembled Manasses in his imprisonment mentioned 2 Chr. 33.11 As Manasses was taken and bound with fetters so was he clapt in the Hole or Dungeon of Newgate with heavy irons about his legs 3. Manasses and he were one and the same in this sense that when they were in affliction they besought the Lord God and humbled themselves greatly before the God of their fathers For this great Offender could often say He could never be humbled enough Upon the 13 of August when he was arraigned at the Sessions in the Old-Baily he pleaded Guilty to the Indictment with very much shame confusion of face and sorrow of heart And on Friday the 15. of August he demeaned himself very humbly before the Bench heartily submitting to the Sentence of Death that then passed upon him saying He had destroyed the Image of the Eternal GOD alluding as I verily believe to those words in Gen. 9.6 For in the image of God c. After his Sentence he was conveyed back to prison penitently acknowledging that he had neglected the good Word of God and therefore was the longer kept off through ignorance of the Gospel from closing with Christ Jesus But after a few days discourse with several Ministers and others who opened the Scriptures to him he began to understand through the grace of God the Word of Grace And though he had many good Books brought to him by divers visiting Friends yet he chiefly looked into the holy Scriptures themselves and found very much advantage light and peace by these following passages out of the Old Testament viz. 2 Sam. 12.9 Where Nathan spake sharply to David for despising the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in the sight of the Lord in killing Vriah the Hittite with the sword Vers 13 David said to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan said to David The Lord also hath put away thy sin From hence he understood the readiness of God to forgive confessing repenting sinners though they are guilty of innocent blood Job 33.27 28 He the Lord looketh upon men Oh that men would look after the Lord and if ANY say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not he that is the Lord will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Isa 45.18 19. I said not unto the
heart Psal 101.2 Have you no love to religion to propagate it and to provide for it's flourishing when you are dead and gone Doth not your neglect of family-duties make all the endeavours of our godly magistrates and of godly ministers to be ineffectual and frustraineous God hath put it into their hearts to do good but t is but little they can do in publick because you are so remiss in private And t is the desire of our souls to beat down sin but we groan under the sense of sad disappointment and this is one reason of it what we do at the Church is undone by you again in your Families No setting on the word no praying over the word c. Oh that these things might be as so many spurs in your sides to quicken you to family duties Set up prayer in your Families There 's a curse pronouned upon the Families that do not call upon God The Lord be merciful to the thousands of Families in the City where there is scarce a purger by the master of the family from yeer to yeer How can such hope for the blessing of God to be upon them who though he gives mercy freely yet he will be sought unto for it Ezek. 36.3 7. How can such look for Gods bounty who deny him his worship Doth not prayer procure all your Family-comforts and sanctifie all your family-comforts Morning and Evening call upon God and call in your servants let them not want the benefit of prayer 't wil be poor to feed their bodyes and to starve their souls If you eate together by all means pray together Catechize your children and servants instruct them in the fundamentals of religion would you keep them from error in the Head from loosness in the life make conscience of this duty How excellent how necessary how profitable is this ordinance and yet how sadly is it neglected we may in a great measure blame you for the many Hereticks and erroneous persons with whom we swarm in these dayes Read and open the Scriptures to them but do this with all humility and sobriety or else there will be danger These are the Magazine the Treasury of all knowledge able to make you and yours wife to Salvation Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you and in all that belong to you See that they frequent the publick Ordinances let them follow you to the house of God not out of state but in love to their soules and when they are there see they keep there that they do not run out again to Ale-houses and Taverns as too many do to our grief and your shame be it spoken when a publick Ordinance is ended call them to an account see what they remember wherein they profit how they relish the word this is to do good indeed to their soules Keep them to a strict observance of the Lords-day you will not let them trifle away your day then you 'l hold them to their work Oh! let them not trifle away the Lords day Why do your children and servants stand gazeing at your doors upon the Sabbath Call them in put them upon reading wholsom books and other exercises which are proper to the day be not partakers of their sin What ever liberty you grant them at other times hold them to a close sanctification of the Sabbath And spend this day with them in prayer repetition singing of Psalms This is to make your Families as so many little Churches of Jesus Christ How little conscience do the generality of you make of Sabbath bath-duty we might sadly bemoan this before the Lord. For your selves you can make that day which is a day for Physick for the soul to be the Day for Physick for the Body you cannot spare time all the weeke long you 'l take it upon the Lords day And for your children and servants let them walk in the Field play in the streets sleep in their beds or drink in Taverns 't is all one to you Will God beare this from you Certainly this will be bitterness in the end Do not indulge your servants in idleness that is the bane of youth the Devils in-let to all temptations An idle person is like tinder that will take every sparke that falls upon it let them be out of imployment 't is a thousand to one but presently they are in some sin And yet those that know how to use their Liberty let them have it sometimes for lawful recreations but this we leave to your prudence In the pursuit of your own pleasures and conveniences have a care of your Families Many of you go to your Country houses we condemne you not for it but what becomes of your servants As Eliab said to David with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness Whilst you are in your pleasant gardens gratifying your selves in your creature-enjoyments who takes care of them that are left behind to pray with them to instruct them to see they sanctifie the Sabbath the health of some Masters bodies is the ruine of their servants souls Set them in all things a good example if they see you can strain in defraunding others they 'l easily come to strain in the defrauding of you let them see you fear to sin and that will be an awe upon their spirits against sin Take your Apprentices out of religious Families in the Country Many of you are punished with vexatious servants you may thank your selves for it you take your Apprentices by the pound not by good education who will give most not who will deserve most and you smart for it afterwards But how do these Heads swell upon our hearts though we do but name them These are some of the things which we should present to the serious consideration of you who are Governours Families and the Lord make them useful to you In particular it is of great use to prevent much wickedness to look to the keys and doors of your houses and to have them in your own custody not in your servants that so an occasion of sinning may be cut off from those that seek such occasions as most fit for their pernicious designs Keep up Discipline or rather restore it again How is it fallen in these times how is it almost lost amongst us in the City The reins which your predecessors held with a very strict hand are very loose in yours many of your servants will do what they list and you let them alone we do very much lament the low ebb of Discipline and Government and judg that to be one Cause of the many disorders which are among us we heartily wish it may be restored in Church in State in Families if this be wanting all things run up to strange confusion A Word to the Youth and Apprentices of this City and we have done Oh that you would hear us now least you mourne at the last and say How have we hated instruction and our hearts despised reproof And have
The Penitent Murderer BEING AN Exact Narrative Of the Life and Death of NATHANIEL BVTLER Who through Grace became a Convert after he had most cruelly murdered JOHN KNIGHT With the several Conferences held with the said Butler in Newgate by the Right Honorable the LORD MAIOR and several eminent Ministers and others As also his Confession Speech Prayer and the Sermon preached after his Execution with several useful Admonitions and excellent Discourses Collected by RANDOLPH YEARWOOD Chaplain to the Right Honorable the Lord Major of the City of LONDON Deut 13.11 And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you London Printed by T. Newcomb for J. Rothwell at the Fountain in Goldsmiths-Row in Cheapside and Tho. Matthews at the White-horse in the New Buildings in Pauls Church-yard 1657. London Saturday Sept. 12. 1657. Reader THis is that Exact Narrative concerning Nathaniel Butler which was some time since promised to come forth by my appointment under the hand of Randolph Yearwood Robert Tichborne Major To the Right Honorable Sr ROBERT TICHBORNE Kt Lord Major of the City of LONDON My Lord You have done being directed and enabled from on high many noble and good actions for this City the Government whereof is yet yours But really my Lord the right honorable act was this your personal and frequent visiting Nathaniel Butler when he lay a prisoner in Newgate His soul certainly was precious in your eyes and this engaged you to send others and to go your self to see him several times I verily believe you will see him yet once more not as a Malefactor in an obscure disparaging Goal but as an Angel of God in the Kingdom of Christ whither I am confident he is gone and you are going Before he went he desired me to give you humble thanks for all the favor he had received from you or by your means from others He was very thankfull to your Lordship and the rest of the Honorable Bench for his Fortnights Reprieval confessing that Court to be both just and merciful Just in condemning his body to death and merciful in sparing his life for some weeks after the Sentence upon design to save his soul And truly you may safely conclude that his soul is safe And is not such a Conclusion a rich Requital of all your Exhortations Tears and Prayers My Lord I shall rejoice to see you grow and abound yet more and more in Righteousness Holiness and as the Elect of God bowels of Mercies which will render you like unto and well liked of by the LORD of Lords To whom I leave you and remain Your Lordship's Servant RANDOLPH YEARWOOD THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader THE Malefactor mentioned in this following Narrative was none of mine acquaintance till for his horrid fact he was apprehended and imprisoned So that it was not any Relation of mine to him that put me upon this publication but I undertook this work as judging it of general concernment to all men both good and bad 1. As to the bad If thou art an evil wicked man er woman then this Narrative with the annexed admonitions and sermon c. much concern thee to make thee if possible penitent and truly reformed 2. Art thou a gracious good man or woman then thou hast reason to rejoyce on carth as God himself and the Angels of God rejoyce in heaven ever one repenting sinner Luke 15.7 and 10. I doubt not but thou wilt be well satisfied by the following Lines concerning the true conversion of a very hainous Offendor Now good Reader grant me one request not to look upon the following Discourses as a bare story or a piece of News and so having read and seen it there is an end But read and consider read and pray that this great and extraordinary passage of divine Providence may profit thy Soul which is the desire of my heart and Soul to God himself Otherwise I could not be as indeed I am thy Well-wisher Friend and Servant RANDOLPH YEARWOOD Three Conferences held with Nathaniel Butler during his Imprisonment by the Right Honorable the Lord Major under his Lordships own hand WHen Nathaniel Butler was first apprehended and brought before me he was in exceeding great burden of Spirit full of tears free to confess the Fact with all the aggravations thereof and was sollicitous for nothing but a few days respit for his poor Soul it seeming to me that nothing at that time was on his thoughts but what should become of his Soul At my first Conference with him which was about five or six days after his Condemnation I found him very ready to acknowledge his actual sins and to charge himself with them and the aggravations that did accompany them and this with sad tears of complaint and indignation against himself and his sins but did take no notice of his sinful Nature Which my self and a Friend with me Mr Griffith of the Charter house perceiving We endeavoured by Scripture to shew him his sinful Nature as the Root of all his sinful actions which he diligently hearkened to and was affected with but acknowledged his former Ignorance herein and that he had not so expresly before thougth hereof or been instructed hereabout and what he heard and received at this time among other Particulars was so far blest and wrought into his soul that to our selves and as we heard to others he did from that Night following much insist upon and bemoan his sinful nature and the state of sin he was born in as well as or together with those sinful acts he was guilty of At my second being with him after applying the free grace of God and Christ crucified to his faith for the pardon of his sins I asked him whether his heart could most willingly receive that pardon or a pardon for his life and bid him consider and tell me what his heart said in that Point After a little pause he made me this Answer That indeed he did not desire to live longer in this world for he had found sin so bitter a thing and himself so prone to sin that if he should live longer and sin against God it would be much more bitter to him then death and he did heartily Blesse God that had brought him to the hand of Justice and did truly love the party who as he thought was the Instrument to discover him acknowledging that the Devil had tempted him to lay violent hands on himself and after that temptation to fly beyond the Sea which if God had suffered him to do and so escaped Justice he might have gone on in his former course of sin without Repentance but did truly bless God that had delivered him from these temptations and had brought him to that condition that then he was in he did acknowledge with much thankfulness to God man the mercy of a few days between death and judgement and that God had given him so great a share in
the hearts and prayers of his people he did several times throw himself on the free grace of God in the blood and merits of Jesus Christ alone for his Salvation renouncing all but Christ acknowledging that he beleeved to be washed from his bloody Fact and all his other sins by no means but by the blood of Jesus Christ At my third and last time of being with him which was the night before he died I indeavoured to hold forth to his faith from Scripture the glorious state in heaven to all Eternity that Jesus Christ had purchased and was in the possession of for true believers and into which such souls should immediatly enter when they leave the body and abide there with Christ their Head for ever To which he gave very great heed and attention and though his lips said little yet to my apprehension his soul spake very much for it wrought in his body as if it were raised up by Faith through what was held out to him even to the admiring of that grace and glory The working of his soul was mixt with Tears as I conceive of Joy for he mentioned nothing of the fear of Death though he was often minded of it how neer it was at hand nor did I then perceive any paleness in his face or sinking of Spirit the Symptomes of the fear of Death But that those workings of his Soul were reachings after that glorious Inheritance held out in Rom. 8.17 To be heirs of God joynt heirs with Christ which Scripture was then opened to him And that glorious inheritance set forth by the concurrence of several other Scriptures with an indeavour to give him a View by the eye of faith of that which in a very few moments after his soul should to all Eternity be made partaker of in joy and glory with Christ in Heaven which was infinitely more then could be expressed or conceived and this I judge did make his Soul so work within him After some time in prayer I parted with him and almost the last words I had from him were these He told me he was really offended with himself because he hated sin no more which had caused him to offend God so much he told me Satan was busie to perswade him That all his Faith and Repentance was false but he had beleeved the Divel too long and he would trust him no longer but now cast his eternal soul on the free grace of God in the Blood of Christ alone for Salvation renouncing himself wholly In this resolution and frame of Spirit I left him And as I am informed through the free grace of God he did abide and increase in it to his last breath Upon the whole I am truly perswaded from that Work of God that I observed to be wrought in him and the degrees of it that though his former life was full of all wickedness his soul exceeding ignorant of God and his own sinful nature all that time and his Repentance and Faith in Christ very late yet that the free grace of God who is not bounded to time did make both his Faith and Repentance true and do beleeve he is with Christ in glory I do not give this Publike Attest to encourage sin but to magnifie the free grace of God in Jesus Christ to Sinners and I do assure whosoever reads this that poor soul which is the Subject of it found sin to be exceeding bitter before he had any tast of the sweetness of Gods free grace in Christ Hoping this may be of Publike Use I am free to Attest it with my Name September 10. 1657. Robert Tichborne Major A brief Account of a Visit given to Nathaniel Butler a Prisoner in Newgate upon the Friday before he suffered by Tho. Case a Minister of the City of London wherein he made these following Observations THE said Nathaniel Butler expressed 1. A deep sense of that desperate Bloody fact which he had committed which he loaded with all the blackest aggravations that might be especially with this Consideration That for ought he knew he had destroyed body and soul with oue blow He had begg'd and obtained a space of Repentance from his Judges but had not afforded his Brother one moment to beg pardon at the hand of God This Consideration stuck so deeply upon his spirit that it had well nigh sunk him into despair had not God sent in some relief by the hand of one that visited him in prison in the instance of Manasseh who having sacrificed his sons unto Devils and shed much other innocent blood upon his repentance finding mercy did not despairingly afflict himself with the consideration of what became of the souls of those whom he had so cruelly murdered Secret things belong unto the Lord c. 2. He exprest not only sense of the guilt of Blood but a right Gospel-notion of the sinfulness of sin All sin the least sin not as destroying only but as defiling not as contrary to the Creature in the effects of it but as contrary to God in the nature of it A grieving of the Spirit a crucifying of Jesus Christ afresh a most unworthy requital of the love of a crucified Saviour 3. He discovered also that which indeed was the thing which I came purposely to the Prison to enquire after viz. A right apprehension of Original sin the Corruption of his Nature which he lookt upon as the Fountain and Spring-head of his Murder Theft and all other actual wickedness bewailing them all with David in their first source and spring Behold I was born in sin and in iniquity did my mother conceive me Ps 51.5 In a word He had as right a notion of the state of Unregeneracie as ever I found in any new Convert 4. He exprest also an high appretiation of Jesus Christ not only for pardon of sin but for power against sin not only to deliver the soul from the wrath to come and everlasting burning but from the state of Nature As a Fountain of Holiness as well as a Fountain of Happiness 5. An high apprehension and admiration of Free-grace in pardoning such a sinner as he was Which he exprest with much self-abhorrencie as one that had no regard to the Sabbath never acquainted himself with the Bible or Catechism never prayed And if a good Thought were entring his heart he would thrust it away from him with greatest indignation The pardon of these with other sins he admired in some such language as the Apostle did 1 Tim. 1.13 6. God had vouchsafed him a sweet taste of the Promises some whereof most suitable to his condition God had pitched his soul upon which he repeated with so sweet a relish as a man might perceive his soul was even ravished with the sence thereof 7. Wonderfully did he bless and admire the goodness of God in calling such a cruel enemy to mankind as he was in murdering his Brother into the prayers compassion and care of so many of his precious
seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and he will ABVNDANTLY pardon The word abundantly he used to pronounce with an emphasis for he saw his eyes being now annointed with spiritual eye-salve that he had multiplied sins exceedingly and that he stood in absolute need of the Lords abundant multiplied pardons whereof he had good hope through this good word of Isaiah Ezek 18.23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should return from his wases and live 30. Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions SO iniquity shall not be your ruine 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth wherefore turn your selves and live ye Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord here the poor Prisoner would note to his comfort that a repenting sinner hadnot onely the Word and Promise of God for forgiveness but the Oath of God to give such a finner the greater assurance of pardon I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his ways and live Turn ye turn ye see the importunity of God with poor sinners for the good of their souls from your evil ways For why will ye die O house of Israel Micah 7.18 was a place pleasant to his soul Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the reranant of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Vers 19. He will turn again as one doth when his anger is gone he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast ALL their sins into the depth of the Sea Now I shall give you a short List of some New Testament Texts whereby the Lord conveyed Counsel and Consolation to this doubting staggering poor Wretch Matth. 18.11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost Joh. 3.14 15 16. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternal life For God SO loved the WORLD that whosoever this word whosoever he he spake with joy beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Now saith Nathaniel Butler I am one to whom this word speaketh and therefore God gave the Lord Jesus Christ for my soul I beleeve in him and therefore I trust to live eternally through him according to the gracious terms of the Gospel John 6.37 and him that cometh to me I will in no wise here he would repeat and reiterate these words in NO WISE CAST OVT in NO WISE in NO WISE cast out 1 Tim. 1.15 This a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 2.5 6. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time In hearing reading and conferring upon these and many more Scriptures he would often say to me and others these are good Scriptures brave Scriptures are they not brave Scriptures He would make very diligent and frequent search into his soul concerning the sincerity of his sorrow and would not easily beleeve that his repentance was true or that he had right to the precious promises of the Gospel But by much speaking to him by many good people that he would applie Christ and also by seeking unto God for a spirit of Faith for him he did begin to act a faith of recumbency and adherence being as he often said perswaded that the Lord Jesus Christ was able to save to the uttermost and willing to save such as come unto God by him yet he could not come up to that full assurance of hope and confidence as he desired and we also desired heartily on his behalf So that sometimes he would break forth and say How can I that have been gurlty of all sins whatsoever almost as Murder Fornication Theft c. challenge or apply a pardon He was much afraid of running upon either of these two Rooks that is presumption or despair I told him that diffidence and despair was the strongest presumption against God saying to him Is it not presumption for a man to dis obey God and not to beleeve him Now the command of God in his glorious Gospel is that men weary of and heavy laden with sins should come to Christ that they might find rest to their souls The design of God said I in the Scriptures is not to give some feeble weak hope of pardon but a lively hope and a firm expectation of salvation to all that mourn and really repent Which so wrought upon him that for the space of some daies before his suffering death it pleased the God of all comfort to give him joy and consolation and sometimes strong consolation insomuch that he would at times express very great inward gladness which all that knew his former mournings were glad to see and glorified God for giving him the joy of his salvation for he was so satisfied concerning the favour and mercy of God towads him in Jesus Christ that he rather now desired death then feared it as seeing death through Jesus Christ without a sting On the Lords Day towards evening the Lord Mayor to whose Conference I refer you went the third and last time to visit him for the next day he was to die and my Lords advice very much refreshed his spirit it being his Lordships design to speak of Heaven with the glory and joy of that Kingdom and to establish the Prisoners thoughts thereon After his Lordship had left him he seemed to be very chearful in his spirit blessing God that he should put it into his Lordships heart to condescend so far as to pray and confer with such a despicable poor wretch as he was heartily thanking his Lordship for his abundant love That night being his last night I kept him company in Newgate so did divers others continuing with him in the Dungeon or Hole for so the Keepers call it till towards midnight conferring with him and endeavouring to comfort him to the end he delighted all the time of his Imprisonment in Christian Company and spiritual Discourses but in his last night he was very much carried forth to spend himself about spiritual things So that we judged it meet to leave him alone a while lest being altogether without rest and refreshment in his body he might thereby be made unfit for the service of the next day intending then to
forgiveness from all the world for the wrongs and injuries which I have done so I do here desire to declare and that freely and with all my soul that I do truly forgive all the World for all the wrongs that I have suffered from every one therein even those evil Companions of mine which have in any kind been the Devils instruments in tempting me and thereby have brought me unto that evil which here I am now to undergo even the losing of my life Confessing it was more mine own evil and sin in consenting to do those wicked actions which have occasioned me now to be here to suffer then theirs and I am more to blame my self in being here then any other whatsoever I am fully satisfied that through Gods assistance I might have resisted the temptation and avoided that evil I have done so that that the true cause of this my present misery is wholly mine own though I intend not hereby to excuse the Devil nor any of his Instruments I therefore here once more advise all young men and women to take heed of the beginings of evil and to take heed that they never forsake God nor his ways and counsels for I have found that there first began my ruine neglecting Gods Word and not regarding his counsels given me there he left me to mine own ways and unto mine own counsels to follow them as a just punishment for my great wickedness in leaving God and the directions which he had given me for my good And as I desire to forgive every one so it is my heary prayer that God for Christs sake will forgive them for all that is evil in any of them And let me say this to magnifie the infinite goodness of God who oft-times makes a poor Creatures extremity to be his own opportunity I might now have been going from this place to Hell had not the mercy of God prevented me which I hope he hath done for his own names sake and for his dear Son Jesus Christ his sake who is my blessed Redeemer who hath purchased life and salvation for all humble penitent and believing sinners of whom I hope I am one who defire to manifest the truth of my Faith by all the means which God hath enabled me and where I am not able to do what I would Phope God in mercy will accept the will for the deed I have now almost done As I have been a wondrous greast sinner and God hath shewed forth wondrous mercy to save me so it hath pleased God to shew forth wonderful kindness to me in stiring and moving my Lord Major to move the Bench to give me so large a time of Repentance and not only so but his Lordship hath used great means not only in sending me the assistance of good Ministers but he also came twice himself to visit me and prayed with me which kindness of his I pray God to reward a hundred sold into his bosom And here I desire to bless God as for the time and means for repentance so for the grace and heart to repent which all were effects of the wonderful love of God towards me so vile and wicked a sinner as I have been I have great reason also in all humili y to thank the good people of this City for their many prayers to God for me and for their kind visits of me I hope they will believe that God hath heard their prayers on my behalf and wil visit them even every one of them that in love to my poor soul have visited me in this my great necessity And it is my desire and hope that the good people of this City may by this experiment be so encouraged as never to cease seeking of God for his grace for any sinner whatsoever who of his infinite grace and mercy hath had respect unto so wicked so vile and sinful a Creature as I was out of whom I hope I may truly say he hath cast forth legions of sins and left in me none behind to hinder my access unto God by Jesus Christ I have now done What shall I say more Lord teach me what to say that I may glorifie thee who hast thus glorified the riches of thy mercy upon me a poor vile Creature as a close of what I have to say and so therewith to close up my life my wicked and sinful life and withall go into a life where I shall sin no more offend God no more but be in an estate of blessing and praising God for ever and ever And therefore unto that God of all grace who is able to keep that which I shall commit unto his trust and to preserve me both sould and body into thy hands O merciful Father and blessed Redeemer I commit my soul humbly beseeching thee to remember that good word whereupon I desire to rest and wholly cast my self even the sure word of thy faithfulness O blessed Saviour from whose sweet lips dtopped this sweet saying That whosoever cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out This blessed saying hath been and at present is the joy and comfort of my soul And for this body of mine which hath been a body of sin it is now through grace become the Temple of the Holy Ghost And as the blessed Apostle Paul believed and therefore he spake so I believe and therefore speak That he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise me up also by Jesus and present me unto God without blame I have done Good people all you that have had the patience to bear me thus long let me humbly beg your prayers with me and for me That he which hath begun a good work in me will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ Nathaniel Butler After he had read some part of this Speech the people pressing and making a noise I told Mr. Sheriff Milner that I humbly conceived it best for the Malefactor to forbear reading any further the people not being able to hear because of the noise and that he should rather speak briefly from his own breast without book whereunto Mr. Sheriff consented and the Prisoner put up his written Speech and spake then with a very loud voice and with abundance of tears to this effect That he would humbly desire the Magistrates of London to look after the suppression of Popish Priests and Jesuites for some of the Popish party had been with him in prison perswading him but in vain to die in the Roman Catholique Religion Then he addressed himself to Masters and Servants advising and pressing them strongly to be both very watchful and careful in their several capacities Masters to look well after their Servants and Servants to serve their Masters in singleness of heart admonishing and exhorting all men to fear the Lord saying If you love your souls leave off evil ways and be warned by mine example But if ye will keep your sins and hope for pardon God will keep his pardon and you shall keep
unprofitable What will it profit you or yours to hear Sermons and after that never to hear more of them Take heed of ignorance and idleness ignorance in not knowing what ye ought to do and idleness in refusing to take pains with your people Mal. 3.16 Formerly They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought on his name But now how seldom do we see Families conferring among themselves Husband and Wife speaking of God and of Christ that Children may learn Where is a Master and Mistris or Master and Dame that now adaies drop one gracious word in the hearing of their Servants the whole week or moneth nay it may be the whole year throughout is it any wonder then for young ones and inferiors to fall into evil ways when you that are elder and their Tutors and Governors walk so loosely and unchristianly before them Will you now search the Scriptures and know your work and do it entirely will you be faithful and true to all those Souls the Lord hath entrusted you with and take heed least their present miscarriages and their after-condemnation be and it will be unless you do all that belongs to your part charged upon your account Nathaniel Butler hath given me under his hand that if he had continued with one Master to whom he was turned over he beleeved he never had come to such a pass as he did The day is coming when it will come to pass that God shall set your sins and defaults in order before your faces And dare you then accuse God or can you excuse your selves when in truth it shall be laid to your charge that such a Son such a Daughter such a Man-servant or Maid-servant had never done so wickedly in one kind or other they never had faller into the waies of the Devil nor fallen under the wrath of God if we who had the nurturing over-sight and admonishing of them had done our duty O remember the counsel of Christ in these two Scriptures That of Paul to the Ephesians 5.4 and latter end lately touched upon Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord That is teach them to know and love to serve and fear the Lord give them such nurture and instruction such spiritual matter for their minds to work upon as the Lord prescribeth by the Scriptures The other Text of very great use and service to Masters is in Col. 4.1 Masters give to your Servants that which is just and equal knowing that also ye have a Master in Heaven 'T is not onely just and equal to give food and raiment or knowledge or understanding in a Trade to your Servants but 't is just and equal for you to give good counsel to your Servants to serve God and till this be you are unjust men and unequal in your waies unconscionable as to the souls of your Servants 'T is a very honourable character that the most High himself gives to Abraham Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord Abraham did not command his Children and Servants to honour him and serve him onely for so most men are apt enough to lay their commands upon children and housholds but his command required his Relations to walk in the way of God If men would follow Abraham herein what orderly holy and reformed Families would then be found in the Land I hope that these Scripture-passages and passages of providence also one whereof and indeed a very sad one you have seen in the fore-going Narrative will touch your hearts and engage you to look after this that you and your Children you and your Servants be henceforth found in the way of the Lord. Many Masters are very like the Egyptian Task-masters in two respects which are both remarkable viz. 1. The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in Morter and in Brick and in all manner of service in the field all their service wherewith they made themserve was with rigor Exod. 1.13 14. O the rigor and bitterness that some servants abide during the time of their serving some men how many merciless harsh cruel Parents and Masters are more like Egyptians then Israelites more like Turks then Christians by their cruelty provoking directly against the Gospel-Statute Sons Daughters and Servants to do that which without unreasonable provocation they would never have done 2. Too many Heads and Rulers of houses seem Egyptians rather then Christians not only in exacting service from their inferiours with all storminess and bitterness of spirit but likewise in this sense more wicked then the former that they will not so far are these men from pressing their servants to serve God suffer them to go and serve the Lord do not some upbraid and revile threaten and discourage Servants and Sons and Daughters if they look after goodness and exactness of life Exod. 7.16 And thou shalt say The Lord God of the Hebrews bath sent me unto thee saying Let my people go that they may serve me in the wilderness and behold hitherto thou wouldest not hear I beg of you these two things 1. That you would be content when your children and servants do perform to you reasonable service And 2ly that you would exhort and beseech them by the mercies of God to present their bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is to God-ward their reasonable service But least I should not prevail with you I shall therefore direct my counsel and admonition to children and servants themselves that in case your Overseers see not their duty or do it not yet your selves may make conscience to carry it so towards God and all men that ye adorn thereby the Doctrine of God our Saviour Young people hear what Christ commandeth Eph. 6.1 Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Gol. 3.20 The Lord is angry at and displeased with disobedient Sons and Daughters Eph. 6.5.6 7 8. Servants saith Paul a servant of Christ be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh for as to soul and conscience Christ only is Lord and Master and in this sense we are forbidden to call any man Master Matth. 23 8. with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ Not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart With good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth though never so mean a servant the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Obj. But some servant may say My Master is a very harsh froward man or else I
could willingly serve him in singleness of heart Aus Thou art bound by the Gospel to obey and be in subjection to such a man if he be thy Master 1 Pet. 218 19. Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear of neglecting their lawful commands not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto ye were called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously I confesse it were well for Masters for wo to them that are naught and froward making their servants to suffer words and buffetings and other abuses wrongfully and well for Servants if they could serve men gentle and good but however they serve a God and Saviour that 's good and that will reward all that suffer lesse or more for his sake As my advice to you is that you would honour and obey and be faithful in all things to your Masters so I beseech you shun all sins and all appearance of evill but especially flee from idle companions Prov. 13.20 He that walks with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed Riotous deboist drunken swearing cursing whoring wretches are fools in the sense of Scripture and seeing it is self-destructive to be a companion with such persons wilt thou walk any more with such drinking to drunkenness Dicing and Carding are things of evill report and very evill things they lead likewise to other evils Nathaniel Butler was a great Company keeper and a great Gamester and what did he grow to at the last 2. Flee 2 Tim. 2.22 youthfull lusts Flee fornication 1 Cor. 6.18 But before a man will flee from any thing he must see that thing to be dangerous Now that Fornication Uncleanness and Whoredom is dangerous I demonstrate thus whereby it will appear every way destructive that it 1. Endangereth Reputation 't is a dishonour to the name and person of a Man or Woman Deut. 23.17 There shall be no whore of the daughter of Israel nor a Sodomite of the sons of Israel Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God Rom. 1.24 Wherefore God gave them up unto uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies among themselves Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable in all and the bed underfiled implying the defiled is shameful but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge 2. Endangereth substance Pro. 29.3 Who so loveth wisdom rejoyceth his father but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance How many have spent fair Estates by following this filthy sin Many spend their own substance and that also which is not their own but their Masters or Parents upon impudent wicked whorish women it is a disgracing and an impoverishing sin who sees not this by experience oftentimes 3. Following Harlots will lead thee to Hell will provoke God to take vengeance on thee Jer. 5 7 8 9. How shall I pardon thee for this thy chidren have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods when I had fed them to the full then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in Harlots houses the vengeance of God will rout and miserably destroy such troops when he sets himself in array against them they were as fed horses in the morning every one neighed after his neighbours wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul wo then to their souls be avenged on such a Nation as this Prov. 7.25 26 27. Let not thine heart decline to her ways go not astray in her path for she hath cast down many wounded wounded in their credit wounded in their Estates and wounded in their Consciences yea many strong men have been slain by her This is a bloody wounding slaying sin Vers 27. Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death To live in chambering and wantonness is the way to lie down in the chambers of death Remember the two young men named in the Narrative who were lately bedfellows above ground and now are become chamber-fellows bellow for the fear of the Lord prolongeth dayes but the years of the wicked shall be shortned break off then speedily from all sin as you hope for long-lasting life here and for everlasting life hereafter Obj. We can repent and mourn and pray hereafter For did not Nathaniel Butler live a long time wickedly and repented in a short time at the last Answ Do not think that you can repent when you please if you put off Repentance you put it to a peradventure 2 Tim 2.25 In meekness instructing those that oppse themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth Do as David did Psal 119.20 who made haste and delayed not to keep the Commandments of God Delays in matters relating to life are most dangerous I hope no man nor woman will presume that the Lord is any way obliged to wait upon them so long as they please indeed it pleaseth him to wait to be gracious but who knows how neer to a period the time of Gods attendance on sinners is Acts 17.30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth alt men every where to repent 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all as Acts 17.30 men every where should come to repentance The Gospel of God and the goodness of God are gone forth for this very end to lead men to repentance but if sinners refuse to repent then after their hardness and impenitent heart under the Gospel goodness and long-suffering of God they treasure to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 1. God hath a day of grace for every poor sinner 2. He hath a day of wrath for men finally impenitent Think on it is it not a thing proper and likely to provoke God against you to swear in his wrath you shall never enter into his rest seeing men despise his goodness and do receive his grace in vain Nathaniel Batler being Executed in Cheapside over against Milk-street End about eight or nine in the morning a Multitude of People being Spectators he was afterwards cut down and his Corps put into that Coach which
man meaning Paul is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbeleeving and abominable and MVRDERERS heart-murderers and hand-murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all Liers shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the Second death T is not torture enough for a Murderer to die only once God hath designed for him a second death an eternal death no Murderer remaining a man of hatred hath eternall life abiding in him the Devil himself will as soon be saved as he that hateth his Brother Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers malicious angells devills and malicious men devils incarnate must be excluded together heaven is no place for men of hatred and malice Three Objections Object 1. But some may say 'T is no danger to hate a poor man Prov. 14.20 The poor is hated even of his own e Neighbour but the rich hath many Friends no man nor God himself as some men think mindeth the poor man Obj. 2. A man surely may hate him that speaketh evil that prophesieth damnation against me as in 1 King 22.8 And the King of Israel said to Jehosophat there is yet one man Macaiah the son of Imlah by whom we may enquire of the Lord but I hate him for he doth not prophesie good concerning me but evil Obj. 3. He hateth me saith another he is mine enemy may I not hate him Matth. 5.43 Ye have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy but I say unto you Love your enemies or else you will prove your own worst enemies for it is death the second death to hate a poor man an enemy or any man Is hatred a Man-murdering sin and a Soul-murdering sin Then take heed of helping on this hatred any way As there are ways to provoke to love which few love to walk in so there are tricks and devices of the Devil to drive on the design of hatred in mens hearts that he may drive men to destruction Decline especially naming men by this or the other name of reproach D. Hall late Bishop of Norwick who was a very worthy learned and godly man in a small Treatise of his called Pax terris p. 44. speaks thus Damnentur ad imum usque barathrum illa nominum opprobria Lutheranorum Calvinianorum Arminianorum Puritanorum Praelaticorum Presbyterianorum Independentium quae fidei ejusdem professoribus vulgò objectari solent i. e. Let those terms or names of reproach and disgrace saith he of Lutherans Calvinists Arminians Puritans Prelaticals Presbyterians Independents which are commonly objected to the Professors of the same faith let them be condemned to the lowest hell I am confident they were coined there and they prove an occasion of much hellish hatred among Christians It 's often known that one man hateth another meerly because he passeth in the world under one or other of these dividing names whereas it may be the man deserves no such name but if he do I am fure it is not fit nor Gospel-like to leave loving a man of a different minde in some circumstantial matters of Religion You will not be able to come off in the day of account by this plea. Indeed I hated such a man and I thought I did well for he was called an Episcopal man or a Presbyterian or an Arminian or Anabaptist or a Schismatick and Sectary The Lord God will demand Was not such a man thy brother was he not thy neighbour nay did he not fear my name notwithstanding this or that nick-name maliciously put on him and shouldst thou have hated thy Brother thy Christian Brother a man that lived in all good conscience by thee considering this startling Text Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murderer and ye know O then hate no more that no murderer hath eternal life abideing in him Lastly We see the excellency of Love in 1 Cor 12. ult and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is the way of life as hatred puts mens lives in hazard and jepoardy so love looks after the saving of life it permits others to be in peaceable possession of their own lives and then love to brethren is an evidence of that mans life eternal that loves his brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 We know we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Hatred is deadly and perillons to men every way and love is of a soul-protecting tendency Love is excellent and lovely in this respect A Philanthropie in us a love to men as men and a love to regenerate men as such assures our hearts we are in the path-way to heaven as malice and hatred is the high-way to hell from which the Lord of heaven deliver your souls 'T is the way the high-way to Heaven a man never goes after God till he walks in love Ephes 5.1 2 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us So long as men caled Christians live in bitterness wrath anger and clamour evil speaking and in malice they are the Children of the Devil for him they obey but when we are kind one to another TENDER-HEARTED forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake is ready to forgive us this God-like and Christ-like life this love-life is a lovely evidence of our following God our heavenly Father as dear children and of following our dear Lord and Saviour Consider Ephes 4 end and Ephes 5.1 2. and I hope that context will make smooth and sweeten your rough and bitter spirits towards each other mutually A Recollection of the sum of two Discourses between S. T. and N. B. in Newgate on Thursday Aug. 13. and Thursday Aug. 20 1657. both continuing several houres HAving by the Providence of God upon due occasion and call bin with N. B. as an eye Ear witness among others of the wonderfull grace of God to him in his last dayes to the rejoycing of my heart and being desired and prest to contribute some thing to the Narrative by those worthy persons concerned in the publication thereof I shall do it very briefly according to my best knowledge and remembrance My first address unto him was to know what serious sense he had of his hainous sin and his soules condition In answer to which he did in a very mournfull manner largely lay open the strong convictions he had upon his conscience of the sinfulness and damnableness of his sin ennumerating himselfe the several aggravating circumstances thereof with the time and manner of his conviction which began not untill his imprisonment and fetters began For albeit he was followed and filled as he said with distraction amazement and disquietment from the time of the fact making him restless in all places Yet he told me he had no solid conviction of his sin
he should be certainly and undoubtedly saved according to Mat 11.28 Joh. 6.37 Acts 16.31 Esay 55.7 also 1 Tim. 1 v. 15. hee hereupon brake out I see my self undone for ever without the mercy of God in Christs blood I know not whether to go but to Christ but intermixing interrogatively is there mercy for me Is there hope for such a one as I am well I will adventure my soule upon this foundation I am resolved I will trust and hang here adding that common Phrase I can but perish I can but dye and if I do it shall be in trusting upon Gods grace and Christs righteousness but I will hold fast that word John 6.37 he hath said those that come I will in no wise cast out I do come to him and I will cleave to him surely he will not cast me off I told him that upon this Gospell ground he might soundly and surely gather to himself comfort and if his repentance and faith thus farr were but sincere he might assuredly conclude upon the faithfulness of God and truth of his Gospell that he should be saved the which I endeavored to make plaine and practicable to him also The Lord was pleased so wonderfully to enable him by his spirit to lay hold upon and embrace these considerations that his heart was filled with Joy and Peace through beleeving in so much that he was in such a brearhing panting Extasy that he put his hands upon his sides and cryed out Oh my heart will break is there hope for me is there salvation for me Oh what comfort is this I never felt nor tasted the like before I formerly thought there was no comfort but in my sinfull way nor no joy but in sinfull pleasures with much more the like and to the amazement of several persons present But in the midst of this Joy correcting himself he breaks out Oh what is become of the soule of him I have murthered to whom I gave no space to repent I told him that was indeed a high aggravation of his sin and therefore should be improved to humble him the more but withall the state of the others soule was to him a secret and all his distracting thoughts about it would contribute nothing to the other or himself and therefore that he should spend the rest of his time and thoughts about his own soule finally and principally Manasseh might as well have had doubtfull thoughts about the multitudes of soules whose Innocent blood he shed in Jerusalem but this hindred not his pardon Oh saith he what a mercy is it that I have space to repent that I was not served as I served him I might have escaped apprehension and some way or other have died suddenly in my sins He took much notice of the patience of God and of the tenderness of the Lord Major from whose visits and Instructions he had reapt much benefit also that his souls condition was so much upon the hearts of such who knew the weight of sin and the worth of a soule to be instant with God for him Oh but saith he I am afraid of Presumption lest I should take comfort too soon I told him that as a person might be presumptuous in crying peace whiles going on in sin so might he if he were not sincere and sound in his repentance and faith but if that were true he could not be presumptuous in concluding and applying the promise of the Gospel to himselfe nor on the other hand could he presume too farr in coming to and resting upon the grace of God in Christ but the more he did the more accepted He said I am sure I am humbled for my sins as in the sight of God and I would be more I do abhor my selfe and my sin that if I had oportunity I durst not commit sin against so good a God to offend and dishonor him and mentioning that Text. 1 John 3.20.21 my heart doth not condeme mee of hypocrisy in this and hereupon hiis heart was greatly raised again to a strong confidence in God I do hope saith he according to that word Phil 1.6 that God hath begun this work and will performe it to the day of Jesus Christ and whiles I do live I will trust in him and seek to him and yet not rest on any thing Some Papists have come saith he told me I must be a Roman Catholick or no salvation but alas what works have I to rest upon but my murder and my other many evil workes before that would sink me for ever but for the mercy of God on which I trust Others doubt saith he I dissemble but alas what wil that availe me now the Lord knows I do discover what I can of persons and their sins that I may do the utmost good I can in preventing sin against God and the ruine of others soules and I have a heart to do more if I could for God before I dye Finally he exprest much bope and comfort joy several times in a panting breathing manner and that Mr. Yearwood had been an instrument of great refreshment to him in his frequent Visits to whom I refer the Reader for a more perfect Narrative he oft exprest not only his willingness but desire to dye both because of that just law of God blood for blood and because he had such good hope through grace that his sin and sorrow should both have an end much admiring at his gift of memory to retain all spoken to him and also wondring at the change in his heart his comforts joys as being new strange things to him greatly wondring and magnifying God that he should take the occasion upon this his most foule sin to bring him to a sight of all other sins and save his soul The Lord grant it may have the like effect on others in the same pernicious pathes and that especially yong men may hear and fear and be converted and healed FINIS A SERIOUS ADVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF LONDON By some MINISTERS of the GOSPEL in the said CITY Upon occasion of the HORRID MURDER And DREADFUL DEATH OF NATHANIEL BUTLER An high Malefactor Beloved in Christ AS we thought it a great duty lying upon us before the execution of the sentence of death upon Nathaniel Butler to lay out our selves to the utmost for the promoting of his spiritual and eternal good in frequent praying with him in constant praying for him in endevouring to convince him of the superlative greatness of his sins and in spreading of the freeness of the grace of God in Christ before him according to the penitential workings we observed in him So having done our duty to him who is dead under the stroke of justice and as we hope with some success too through the grace of God for which we bless him we humbly judge there is a further duty incumbent upon us unto you the inhabitants of this famous City who have been spectators of this Tragedy in a serious
recommending of this providence to you and the duty which it calls for Psal 9 16. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth And surely this latter Age though an Age full of sin hath not set before you a more dreadful instance of mans sinfulness and Gods justice though in the end sweetned much with mercy then that which in and upon this notorious Malefactor hath been laid before your observation And therefore we cannot here be silent but must take this advantage with all humility and affection to your souls good plainly to open our hearts to you By some we know before hand we shall be slighted and censured as men too busy and may be as men too credulous but in the presence of God we can say our aim is publick good and the discharge of our consciences and therefore we are not discouraged And we are not wholly without hope but that some benefit may be reaped from these few lines which here with all sincerity we do present upon that late providence which hath been before you Exod. 14.20 That providence we say which like the Cloud is on one side very dark on the other side very bright very dark as to mans sin very bright as to Gods mercy T is the daily and inward grief of our spirits God knows it that our Ministry is so successeless that we see so little fruit of the word preached by us that in a City where there is such plain and powerful preaching such horrid sins should be committed Ezek. 19.14 This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation But possibly some secure sinners may be a little startled and awakened by this terrible judicial hand of God and so a word setting in with this providence may be more effectual then many in an ordinance We cannot but comply with the will of God in the use of all means for the furtherance of your salvation And oh that God would so bless this dispensation that you all may hear and fear and sin no more Touching the sad occasion we will not inlarge upon that the hainous murder the abominable uncleanness the wicked theft of which Nat Butler was guilty of the former but once which we speak not by way of extenuation for that 's too much of the two latter very often as also the shamefulness and dreadfulness of his death these we pass over as being very well known to all of you Neither shall we interest our selves in any narrative of the workings of God upon his heart during his imprisonment and at his execution though herein we could speak much as being for the most of us very often with him in this time and narrow observers of him Nor shall we expatiate upon some of those great truths of the Gospel which this famous instance doth lead us to Namely that sometimes it pleases God in the sovereignty and prerogative of his grace to ceaze upon the greatest sinners and out of the coursest rubbish to erect the monuments of his unlimited mercy 1 Tim. 1.16 The Lord doth sometimes take the vilest wretches and hangs them out as patterns of his infinite love that the freeness of his grace may be admired and the greatest of sinners may be incouraged but still in the way of Faith and Repentance we do not we dare not limit the Grace of God as to exclude this Notorious and Bloody sinner from it nay we have good hope that through the infinite Mercy of the Father and the All-sufficient Merits of the Son he is accepted to eternal Life Indeed when we consider the horribleness of his sin the greatness of his joy after a short humiliation yet deep and through we hope we easily conjecture that some will question both the prudence of any publication and the truth of his Conversion But we will meddle with neither of these leaving men to jude of the former and God alone who searches and knows the heart to judge of the latter Waving therefore all these things our only design and businesse in this application is to press upon you the inhabitants of this City to some of whom we are more neerly related in our respective Charges the several duties which do naturally result from this Providence We would exhort you in the first place To be thankful to God for his Restraining Grace which though it be short of his Renewing Grace yet t is with all thankfulness to be valued Oh! bless the Lord who keeps you from those sins which this poor Wretch was guilty of that you are not Adulterers Theeves nay Murderers and Malefactors to be punished by the Judge this is the Lords mercy 1 Cor. 4.7 Who makes you to differ from others Have not you the same Names Have not you the Seed and Spawn of all wickedness in you And should God leave you to the baseness of your own hellish hearts would you not also run to all Excess of sin and that with Greediness too When you read over this sad Story we beseech you lay your hands upon your hearts and say What a mercy is it I was neither the Murderer nor the Murdred We desire you to mourne over the crying sins that are to be found amongst us Oh! the Scarlet sins that swarm in London even in London Swearing Drunkenness Uncleanness Profanation of the Lords Day Contempt of the Gospel and of the Ministry thereof nay even Blood-guiltiness is to be found amongst us Should not your Souls like the Soul of Righteous Lot be vexed within you for these things 2 Pet. 2.7 Should you not all come up to be Ezekiel's mourners in the remembrance of them Ezek. 9.4 Especially considering that these things are done in times of Reformation and in a place of Vision even in London where the Light of the Gospel shines so gloriously where the Words is Preached so plentifully and powerfully even there these abominations are to be found Will you not lay them to heart And what reason have you to admire the patience of God to this City T is a wonder London is not made a Sodom that desolation doth not seize upon your houses that you are not all swept away with the Beesome of suddain destruction that you are not hung upon the Gibbet as Spectacles of Gods vengeance to all the Nations round about What so much provocation and yet the City to stand Oh the Patience and Long-suffering of God! Doubtless if God had not a Remnant amongst you who seek him daily and fear his Name you had been laid desolate long before now Isa 1 9. We need not from hence to stir you up to submit to Government and to bless God that you live in a place where Laws are Executed What a Chaos what a Wilderness of wild Beasts should we be if Malefactors were not punished What Confusion Cruelty Barbarousness would overspread all if by wholsome Laws and the care of good Magistrates in the Execution of them we had not some Boundaries set to the Lusts of
men whether would the heart of man run if there were not some rein upon it T is sad the Law of God will not keep men from sin but seeing it will not t is mercy we have the Laws of Man Many are afraid of the Gallowes which have no sense of Hell This great Sinner is represented to you as an eminent instance of the Grace of God and so we hope he was T is very necessary therefore we should here insert a Caveat against the abusing of this Grace of God How apt are we with the Spider to suck Poyson where with the Bee we should suck Honey How many will be apt from hence to encourage themselves in sin and to say Let us sin that Grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Or let us sin for Grace will abound Man is not more prone to any thing then to catch at eminent Acts of Grace and to make that Fewel to his Lust which God intended only to be Food to his Faith And never was there any age wherein there was more of this Spirit of Presumption then this wherein we live insomuch that upon this very account some of us were very inclinable to think That 't was better to have the story of this man suppressed then published But since providence hath so ordered it that it doth see the Light we cannot but annex to it an Antidote against presuming Sinners do not pervert this Grace of God God lets you have it to keep you off from the rock of despair not that you should run upon the rock of presumption Deut. 29.19 20. If you sin you may have mercy but if you presume to sin can you then expect mercy Grace rejected may yet save you though that will cost you dear but oh tremble to abuse the grace of God to incourage you in sins God sometimes gives some rare instances of his grace to notorious sinners that none may despair but he is very choice in these that none may presume T is true upon repentance the greatest sinner shall find mercy but how do you know that God will give you repentance How many are in the same condemnation that this offender was that die without any such work upon them we affectionately beseech you and warn you not to turn this grace of God into wantonnesse These things we hint in general More particularly we shall address our selves to you in the several capacities wherein you stand You the Right honourable Magistrates of the City with all submission and yet with all boldness we exhort you to do your duty T is not enough for you to punish sin when 't is before you but you are to endevour the preventing of it you see what is the sad fruit of Ale-houses Whore-houses and such places we hope your zeal will yet continue nay be heightned in the suppressing of them Down with them Down with them spare them not they are the Divels Shops and let him have no Free-Trade amongst us If you will none shall have so many Customers as he How many Labourers drink that away at these houses which should maintain their wives and children with bread How are the youth of this City debaunched at them where they have their Gaming Cheating Whoring and what not Oh let your Reformation be severe and throughout in this particular But herein blessed be God we have great cause as well to commend as to quicken your zeale We heartily wish that those who have power in the Suburbs of the City would be as active in the restraining of sin as you are that those places and persons which you will not indure in the City the naming of which would soul our pen might not be held up and harboured there otherwise it will be small advantage to smother Whores out of one Hive when they have another ready to receive them We hear and fear t is too true that Priests and Jesuites those Romish Locusts do swarm amongst us in the City and Suburbs We beseech you for the sake of Jesus Christ and for love to the Gospel to put forth your power to the utmost for the discovering suppressing of them And the rather because they and their party are so bold as to intrude themselves upon prisoners condemned to die to pervert them from the true Religion for this attempt they were bold to make upon N. B. before he was executed We should also speak to our selves and to our reverend Brethren in the Ministry Doth not this providence speak something to us Should we not from hence be stirred up in our several congregations more vigorusly to reprove sin and to deter men from sin Whither will sinners go if we let them alone Let our preaching be lively quick powerful by Gods blessing it may be a means to prevent these abominable practises However let 's do this and then let our hearers do what they will their blood shall be required at their own hands Ezech. 3.18 19. We shall be free from it Let us beat down drunkenness Adultery c. and such scandalous sins and while we labour to preach down unbelief let us take heed that presumption and gross sins do not break in upon us with a mighty breach Should we enlarge upon these things we should be tedious Our principal intendment was to speak a word to you the people and Citizens of the place which we shall dispatch with all plainness and brevity And here we will only take the liberty of advising you in the Notion of Governours and Governed You that are Governours we mean Governours of families give us leave to set in with this providence and to stir you up to make more conscience of the Family-duties and engagements that lie upon you in reference to your children and Servants Probably if things be not mis-repesented had there been a consciencious discharge of these duties in the Family where this young man lived he had never come to this sad end But we had rather awaken then censure Was not that a brave resolution of Joshua I and my house will serve the Lord. Josh 24.15 Gen. 18.9 Can you have a better Evidence of sincerity towards God then a faithful comming up to relative and Family-duties Do not parents that send up their children to you put a great trust into your hands Are not their children dearer to them then all their outward comforts and shall they miscarry under you for want of care Will not their blood be required at your hands if they perish through your neglect will it not be sad to have children and servanns to rise up in judgment against you and to bring in evidence at the great tribunall of Christ Lord my Father never minded me Lord my master never regarded me I might sin he never reproved me I might go to hell it was all one to him will not this be sad will not this be sweet to you when you come to die to be able to say Lord I have walked in my house with a perfect