danger of a partial Confession and Repentance of the horridness of the Judgment of God of the sinfulness of having and hiding Sin and pleaded with him by the Patience and Mercy of God by his Grace in affording him the means and helps God had granted him how that notwithstanding what was done upon him all would be to no purpose as to his Salvation but would aggravate his Condemnation Nothing would stir him nor a Word come from him At last I told him 't was Satan's Great Design to lock him up for his own to harden him against Christ and that we would have him know and the Devil know that we were the Ministers of Christ and must declare his Word and should leave him to the Judgment of the Great God We told him That whose confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy but he that hideth his sin shall not prosper i. e. shall not be blessed or happy but on the contrary We spared no Arguments or Pains to recover him out of the hands of the strong Man armed There were some good People with us who dealt with him to the same purpose At last God was pleased to own us and preserve us from a Foyl and baffle off the Devils and so he told us He believed none of his Confederates were living however he knew of none And then we went on again His Heart was melted his Tears returned his Ears were opened to further Instruction As he went along to the place of Execution he sighed mourned wept groan'd that I never heard the like Oh! how did he complain of his hard and obstinate Heart Oh this hard Heart O mercy mercy Oh sweet Jesus have mercy upon me When he came in sight of the Tree Oh! there is the place I am going to Oh! my sins have brought me to it Oh! my stealing my drinking my swearing my whoring my Sabbath-breaking my gaming I turned to him and said And your stealing was to maintain your other sins Oh! Ay ay Oh my hard and obstinate Heart Oh sweet Jesus have mercy upon me Oh Father have mercy upon me Oh pardon my sins And thus he continued from the Prison to the place of Execution which is I suppose a good Mile or more He said little upon the Ladder but desired all present to take Example He died very soon after he was turned off so that I believe his Heart was almost broken with Grief before the last stroke of Death This is a plain and true Account of both these Persons as to the matter and as to the very Words that are most remarkable I have but few Remarks upon them 1. They who are not at all ashamed of the most shameful sins think the Punishment deserved a great shame to themselves and Kindred 2. It is a good sign when persons are more grieved for their sins than ashamed of the Punishment 3. The Devil will hold out to the last and baffle Ministers if he can but we must not suffer it but resist him with those Weapons that are mighty through God 4. What Honourable Reverent Sweet Words will poor Souls that have been ignorant Despisers of Christ give him when they come to see their need of him Grace and Mercy to every Reader of what is written Three useful Books written by Mr. Edward Pearse viz. The Best Match or the Souls Espousal to Christ A Serious Warning to a lively and thorough Preparation for Death A Treatise of God's Unchangableness Books lately Printed A Discourse of Sickness and Recovery By T. Rogers M. A. A Treatise of Closet-Prayer by Mr. Slater Hearts Ease in Heart Trouble A Book useful for those that are in Affliction By J.B. An Abridgment of the Holy History By S. Clark Author of the Annotations on the Bible lately Published Sold by J. Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard FINIS
Christ alone our Life THE GREAT CASE Of Every Man's LIFE and DEATH Determin'd by the Sentence of God In 1 John 5.12 Opened and applied in a SERMON Preach'd in the Sessions-House at Northampton Sept. 9th 1690. to some Prisoners the Day before their Execution And now Published with Enlargements for the further Benefit and Service of Souls With a Narrative of the Behaviour of the Prisoners By EDWARD PIERCE M.A. Rector of Cottesbrook in Northamptonshire LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson and are to be Sold by Thomas Pasham Bookseller in Northampton 1691. To the Honourable Sir James Langham Kt and Baronet my most Honoured Patron Sir William Langham of Walgrave John Thornton of Brockhole Esq Grace and Eternal Life Most Honoured Sirs THE Reasons for the Honour and Service which I owe to every of your Persons are more than I shall declare or than you desire should be declared I should not have grac'd these few Sheets with your Names but that I hope to make some advantage of them for those that shall be in such unhappy Circumstances of the Prisoners who were the occasion of my preaching upon this Argument by proposing you as Examples to Gentlemen of Quality and Goodness who shall bear the Office of High-Sheriffs as you have done The first of you considering the Charge committed to you by the Law of the Bodies of Prisoners and the Power you had over the Prison judged it to be a great Duty to take care of their precious Souls as if they had been a part of your Houshold Having a large room in the Hearts of able good Ministers you made use of it and easily obtained their pains of Preaching Weekly in the Prison They were all Licensed Preachers and of Eminency in the Country beside the Reverend Dr. Ford then Minister in the Town But before your Year expired this Light in the dark place was put out by one who should rather have set up Light in it if you had not It could not be for not reading the Liturgy which all did nor for want of a Liturgy for the Goaler had got A.B. Laud's which was sent into Scotland and put that Kingdom into a Flame This Sir you so tenderly resented that had it not been so near the end of your Shrievalty you would have tried his Power in that House which was as your own for that year But then as about three years before and after it was the Policy of Rulers to countenance no more preaching than would consist with the Design then subtily covered but afterwards revealed Great care was taken that Zeal in Religion should not disturb the Quiet of the State and they were made use of to put out the Candles who were of all men most obliged to keep them burning in Conscience to God and Love to Souls There was then in the Goal a large Room next the great Parlour which look'd to the Street and a Pulpit in it with a Gallery above Stairs at one end of it as I remember and other Conveniences for the Prisoners and others tho then it was hard for any of the Town to get admittance except they were Friends or could make acquaintance in the House and there was Six Pound per Annum paid to a Preacher for preaching once a Month as I remember given by Sir Francis Nicholas and your old Acquaintance in Em. Col. And my sincere Religious Friend Mr. William Holms received it many years for Preaching there But since the dreadful Fire there is a very fair House built that stands in good Air open to the Fields on one side which make a pleasant prospect well contrived for all Offices and Vses but there is no Room proper nor fit for preaching I presume the Salary is paid but it is more than I know that there is as much as one Sermon in a year preached for it After the Fire the Goal was removed into a strait House and since that more good may have been done in the Prison than I can tell of by private Visits especially by the Excellent Dr. Conant who was much taken up in those private Exercises of his Ministry but the Office of Salvation as Martyr Latimer calleth the preaching of the Word hath been shut up there And I wish that some like to your self may open it again and others keep it open The Second of you in few years succeeded your Elder Brother and there being no extraordinary Goal in your Year there was no extraordinary pains to be taken especially remembring how that compassionate Act of your Brothers was check'd and controul'd and you must needs have undergone a Contest with the same Power which was so lately exerted against the ordinary great means of Salvation then in the same person whom you at a publick Table heard speak contemptibly of Preaching and therefore could not expect the favour of a Connivance from him But Sir be pleased to take a share in this little Present because of the Encouragement you have given me speaking very kindly of my Performances in this kind when you have heard first from others and then took a particular Account of them from my self The Third of you succeeded the Second the very next year if I am not much mistaken and when you saw your time revived the Exercise and set up most of the same Lights which had been taken down before in the same place to shew the involuntary Inhabitants of it a way to prevent and escape their greatest Dangers And you met with no Interruption It is happy when poor Prisoners fall under the Care and Custody of such Men as know that there are immortal sinful Souls in those Bodies of which they must give an account by their Place The greatest of their Miseries is That they are shut up from the publick Light and means of Salvation therefore mercy on their Souls is the greatest mercy that can be shewed unto them And when all Acts of Charity shall come in remembrance even this to the Souls of men upon which commonly least Cost is bestow'd will be found the greatest The Lord God of Grace put it into the Hearts of Gentlemen to be thus merciful to Souls in Bonds whether in Prison or out of Prison And Honoured Sirs whatsoever you have done or have procured the doing of in this excellent kind will turn to your best account The Objects of all other Charities are mortal Bodies but the Objects of this are immortal Souls and to help to ransom them from the power of Devils is a nobler Work than to ransom Slaves from Heathens whose greatest misery is that they are in the hands of the Enemies of Christ Yet tho outward Charities must by no means be neglected nor intermitted for there is a Charge to be laid upon rich Men to be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.17 18. And upon all and every man 2 Cor. 8.7 Every man according as he hath purposed in his heart so let him give c. yea even he who laboureth with
Matth. 20.28 Oh! what an inestimable Ransom is that 3. The Nature of Christs Mediation His Work was not so easie and cheap as the Socicinians make it They make our Mediator to be a Messenger sent from God to make known his Will to the World Catech. Racov. de prophetico Christ munere or an Interpreter of his Mind But to what End doth the Apostle add this Who gave himself a Ransom for all if that was all But he who is that One and only Mediator between God and Man gave himself a Ransom for those who could never have redeemed their own Lives who lay under the Sentence of Death and Condemnation Let it not be tedious to you to read and ponder Heb. 9.14 15. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offer'd himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God The Offerer or Priest was Christ the Offering or Sacrifice was Himself Body and Soul even unto Death and Blood that which gave Efficiency and Power to the Offering was the eternal Spirit or Divine Nature he to whom it was offered was God who in Justice required and in Mercy accepted it for them who believe and repent to purge Conscience from Guilt and Pollution vers 15. And for this Cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called may receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance Here we have the Reason or Cause of Christ's Mediatory Office He is a middle Person dealing between both Parties God and Men and for both To God he gave himself a Ransom Nam ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 officium non minus pertinent hominum vice apud Deum fungi quam Dei vice apud homines Grot. de Satisfactione Christi p. 172. which is a Satisfaction for Sin and sinful Men For them that are called he procured the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance the means by which he obtained Pardon for the sins of the Hebrews under the First Testament whereof Moses was a Typical Mediator and the eternal Inheritance for them who are called and believe was his Blood the Blood of Attonement And this great Work of Christ was performed by him as a Priest and so he is a Mediator in his Priestly Office and procures Peace and Reconciliation as a Priest and therefore as a Priest he is Mediator As a Priest he offered up himself to God in our sted and for our Good so he stood between us Sinners and the offended God and made Attonement and as Priest he appears for all that believe in him for he is an Advocate and makes intercession which he could not do if he were not the Propitiation for our sins 1 John 2.2 And so he is a Mediator between both for both for he is the Mediator of the New Testament having satisfied by his Death and Obedience for the Violation of the first Covenant made with Adam in the Guilt of which all Mankind are involved and for the sins of the Hebrews under the first Testament made with their Fathers which no Sacrifice could expiate or satisfie for All the Mercy and Goodness of God is conferred upon them that are called and brought to believe and obey him by a Testament or Covenant and all that Man is obliged to as Duty and Obedience is required in that Testament whereof Christ is Mediator And therefore some judicious Divines put this into the Description of the Office of Christ Mediator that Christ is the Person God-Man who doth confederate God and Man in the same Covenant of Grace Christianus Schotanus Disput 19. De Mediatore Thess prima Le Blanc Thess 1. An Christus sit Mediator secund utramque naturam p. 109. Tileni Syntagma de Incarnatione Fil. Dei Disput 1. Thess 4. and make them one again The whole Work of Christ as Mediator may be reduced to two Heads 1. To satisfie for the Breach of the first Covenant and redeem sinful Men from the Curse of it 2. To bring God and Man into another Covenant the Covenant of Grace and to make them one To this end it was necessary 1. That he should be a Mediator of Redemption and Reconciliation 2. That as God is one there should be one Mediator and so there is one and but one 1 Tim. 2.5 3. This one Mediator is said to be Man in this Text but not meer Man nor Mediator as Man only excluding the Divine Nature but the Man Christ Jesus He addeth to the Nature Man the Names Christ Jesus which contain the Nature and Person of the Son of God and signifie that wonderful Person Pet. Martyr administros Regn. Polonici L. Com. p. 1113. our Lord Jesus Christ The Words do not shew according to which Nature Christ is Mediator but that the Mediator is Man and that Jesus Christ is Man who bringeth us to God It is usual in Scripture to speak of the Person of our Mediator Jesus Christ by one of his Natures Genevenses Thes Theol. de Christo Med. Thes 27. p. 49. Centur. 1. not excluding the other from the Unity of the Person So by the Man Christ may be understood that Person who hath that Nature which is truly called Man and that for divers Reasons 1. That the Apostle would encourage us to put our Trust and Confidence in him Reverend Mr. J. Ball of the Covenant p. 269. as being our Elder Brother 2. To encourage us in the Duty of Prayer through the Mediator to which we are exhorted as knowing the greatness of that Power and Authority which Christ hath with his Father residing in our Nature 3. That it might appear that our Mediator was the same Christ or Messiah which was promised from the Beginning as the only Restorer of miserable Sinners the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.14 4. That no man to whom the Gospel is preached Nequis igitur se torqueat ubinam ille quaerendus Mediator aut qua via ad ipsum perveniendum hominem nominans propinquum imo contiguum nobis esse admonet quandoquidem caro nostra est Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 12. S. 1. 2. of any Condition or Quality whether in Authority or under Authority high or low rich or poor should be discouraged or terrified from seeking and accepting that Salvation which by the Gospel is proposed and offered to all Conditions of men seeing there is one Mediator for all as there is one God over all and good to all and that one Mediator is the man Christ Jesus who is near to us and bound not only by the bond of Nature as Man but by Office and Undertaking as Mediator Redeemer and Reconciler to save all that come unto him Now if you have cause to fear everlasting Destruction for want of a Mediator and Redeemer nor for want of Tenderness of Compassion or
from him in all that have him Life is first in God So often the great Evangelical Dr. Sibs Expos on the 4 c. 2 Ep. to the Corinth So in the Excellency of the Gospel above the Law p. 418. c. then in Christ Mediator and then in us who believe All our Mercies Blessings Comforts of all kinds and degrees from Election to Glorification are first in Christ and from him to us Therefore in having him you have all as in a Fountain as large as an Ocean running in a full stream to Eternity O what a thing is this life It is everlasting life begun in Faith in Christ and Regeneration running up hill a marvellous cross and hard passage against mighty and unwearied opposition of Satan and the VVorld and our indwelling Corruption labouring to choak it at the very mouth of it in our Sanctification till it run into the vastness of immeasurable Eternity Mark what it is called It is Life it is a life of Sentence as the Reverend Dr. Sibs often calls it or Absolution from the Sentence of the Law and Death It is a life of Grace from Christ by his Spirit kindled in a dead Nature and this is the Spring of Heavenly Glory The least Beam of the light and life of Grace has more Glory in it than all the VVorld on this side Heaven can shew It is for the Excellency of it called The life of God Ephes 4.18 And the life of Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 11. For we which live are alway delivered unto unto Death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal Flesh Nature teacheth Men to prize life above all things therefore life whether of Sense or Reason is the best thing in Nature's Orb But for the life of Grace and Glory Grace teacheth Faith which is called a wise Grace by that named Divine teacheth a gracious Man who is the best of Men to lose his life for Grace and eternal life For we which live are always delevered unto Death for Jesus sake c. And will not this move you to have Christ the Son and life with him VVhat do you stick at Do you know that if you have the Son he must have you and that you must forsake your Sins and all the World at his Call And will you stick at these things O what an Act of Grace Mercy Pity and love is it in Christ to receive and have you If Christ have you not the Devil will and your Enemies shall and will have you What should I speak of Sin and the pleasures of Sin and all the Vanities under the Sun Will you stick at these And not part with them at the first word that you may have Christ and Life I will only say to you if every Hair of your Head were a life of Pleasure Wit Mirth Diversion Riches and Honour you should part with them all for this life of Grace and Glory Christ paid more for your Redemption for life than all the lives in the whole World are worth If you will not forsake Sin your loathsom Disease for life and spiritual Health If you will not deny your selves in your Vanities for Christ and the hopes of Glory how many drops of Blood would you have shed for your own Redemption if such a price had been set upon your own Souls Now Christ and Life are offered you for having how cruel and merciless are you to your precious Souls that will not have them And O! how happy for ever shall you be if you have life and that more abundant more abundant in duration and confluence of all things to make you fully and for ever happy Hearken again That which is to be had is life eternal it is the life of life who can describe it This life is but a Vapour which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away James 4.14 It fleeth as it were a shadow Job 14.2 The natural life is sustained by corruptible earthly matter The spiritual life is a noble Heaven-born life but encumbred with a mixture of much evil while upon Earth A life rooted in Christ or it could not continue a life of continual Contention and Warfare much clouded and distracted with vain Thoughts Doubts Fears Unbelief Cares for the body for the Morrow and things of this life It hath its good days and times foresights and foretastes of Heaven in Communion with God and Christ by the Spirit in Ordinances it hath its Victories Peace Increase Comforts and Supports by the way But when Time is run out into Eternity and the new Man grown into a perfect Man then life will appear to be life indeed That life is a life all of Grace and Holiness without one dark or vain thought or indwelling Sin A life like God's in conformity to him a life of Vision perfect Union and Communion A life free from any thing that shall cause Trouble and Repentance A life without Care for what we shall eat or wherewith we shall be clothed Immortality and Glory shall be our Clothing and the living God that is a full infinite Fountain shall be our life A life full of God Goodness Holiness Light Peace Joy and satisfaction for ever It is happy now to walk with God and to be under Grace O what will it be to be for ever with the Lord When Adam took his Death by the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil he would have made his way to the Tree of Life but that he was kept off by a Flaming Sword But all that have Christ shall live upon him as upon a Tree of life which will yield all manner of Fruit and satisfie every blessed one with blessedness Have Christ and you shall have eternal life immediately upon your believing in Christ your Head Your Soul shall enter into eternal life upon your Dissolution and Body as well as Soul shall have eternal life at the Resurrection Q. But some may desire to know How they may come at this Eternal Life A. The Text is your Direction for that Have the Son and you have Life Q. But how shall I come to have the Son 1. A. The original and first Cause of our having the Son and so the first way by which we have him is by God's gracious Act of giving us his Son As he gave him for us to be a Saviour so he gives him to every Soul prepared by Grace and that is the Work of the Holy Ghost and so we have him The Spirit of Grace gives to every one that hath Christ understanding to know him and a heart to receive him and when we receive him Whatsoever is wrought in Man it is by the Spirit all comes from the Father as the Fountain and through the Son as Mediator but whatsoever is wrought it is by the Holy Ghost in us Excel Dr. Sibs as before p. 579. Grace is in the Father as a Fountain in Christ as Treasurer in the Spirit as
thou any Sense left Any desire of Happiness and Heaven or fear of Hell O then take up the serious Thoughts of the Life of the World to come of Glory and Immortality and apply thy self to Jesus Christ not slightly and ineffectually but betimes and earnestly Thou shalt find no Discouragement from him but most gracious Inclinations and assurance of being received into his Bosom and Arms as a Saviour of them that believe And know for certain that if thou come short of Eternal Life Quamvis fides non fit nisi ex Dei dono hominis voluntate infidelitas tamen non est nisi ex sola hominis voluntate Prosp Responsa ad Cap. Gallorum p. 330. it is thy own Sin and Fault and the remembrance of that thy Sin of making light of Christ will lie heavy upon thee to Eternity as the main Cause of thy Damnation 6. In what Honour and Reputation should the Son of God be had in the World seeing as was Prophesied of him by Simeon to the Mother of our Lord that should be for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Luke 2.33 He will raise up all that are humble and poor and broken in Heart that come unto him that they may have Life but he will be by his Justice and Power the fall of all them that refuse him If Christ be so high and great that the eternal Life and eternal Death of all be in his Hand O! what seeking should there be unto him for Life and Mercy What crowding to his Doors What knocking and lifting up of Eyes Hands Voices Hearts to the Throne of Grace for Life And how would Christ be reverenc'd and fear'd admir'd and magnify'd sought unto and lov'd if Men would believe that he is the Prince of Life and the Author of eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 O how would it be said Happy is that Man that hath him first It is the Will of his Father that all Men should honour the Son as they honour the Father but how true is that that they who believe not honour neither the Father nor the Son no tho he have Life and Death in his Power How will Petitioners for Pardons from a King gratifie even Door-keepers and Friends that can make way for them How will the proudest Knee come down to the King himself 7. Then hence be satisfied in the true cause of the Damnation of Sinners Sinful Man takes himself to be wise in shifting off the true Cause of his Miseries and Sufferings which come upon him from himself upon others The Woman that thou gavest me c. Gen. 3.12 Adam doth not only cast the Blame upon the Woman but upon God himself Which thou gavest me If thou hadst not given me the Woman I had never eaten But now this Text is of great use to carry us to the proper Cause of Perdition the true reason why Sinners die is because they have not the Son And if this be the Cause of Perdition then as you love Life and hate Death do all that God commands you to prevent your Damnation in the Cause of it The means of Grace are the open and beaten way of Life O! keep that way with care and diligence 8. Then how inexcusable will all Unbelievers be before God's Tribunal that have not Life They shall then know what a Life what a Pearl they have lost And the more inexcusable the greater will the shame of their being placed on the left Hand be and the more their shame the more grievous will their Torment be They should have had Christ and he was made known and offer'd as the Author of Eternal Salvation and Salvation and Damnation were set out before them but they neglected the Son of God and lost Eternal Life by wilful neglect The Cause of the Death of Sinners is slighting of Christ Mat. 22.5 Neglecting of great Salvation Heb. 2.3 Refusing to hear Christ Heb. 12.25 Scriptures quoted but little before But Soul to whom I speak what think you Is a Saviour to be neglected when there is but one and no other Is the Salvation of Soul and Body to be neglected when thou hast but one of a kind one Body and one Soul Is Life Eternal to be neglected when there is but one day of Salvation and when that is once gone not one moment to be added to it They who in the Parable of the Wedding-Feast are said to make light of Christ are the good Husbands and Men of Business in the World who could spare no time from their careful Occasions to spend in seeking nay in accepting the Grace and Favour of God and Communion with him who had made great preparation for them We should let all things lie rather than neglect the momentous Affairs of a better and more enduring Life Oh! then how do they neglect it and make light of Christ who are Men of Pleasure and Diversion who have so much time lying upon their hands that they are glad of such Persons and Occasions as will help them to consume it And how can they who throw away this Life save that which is to come And with what Shame and Confusion will they go out of the World and come out of their Graves to be judged by the Judge of the whole World who offered them a dearly purchased Pardon and Life What a Mad-man would you account him to be who hath no more life to spend than what runs between Condemnation in Law and execution in Judgment that would spend that precious time in stead of securing his precious Life upon his Hair his Cloaths in reading Plays in Drollery Songs Racing Gaming the News of the Town fruitless Disputations Contentions Quarrelling and Fighting Oh! What time have we but the time of Patience and long-suffering which we should count Salvation 2 Pet. 3.15 That is a time for us to take hold of eternal life All are condemned already that do not believe John 3.18 But if Judgment be not speedily executed shall we live after the Flesh this time Then we must die Rom. 8.13 How bitter will Death be after a Life of Pleasure and when this shall be a continual Aggravation to make it the more bitter that eternal life was lost through neglect How mad are worldly Men with themselves if they lose a Fortune as they speak or a Place of Profit or Honour by being out of the way at a convenient season Oh! how will they rave when they go to Hell for the loss of life by negligence and folly 9. One Inference more and so to other Uses Hence you may plainly see what is the great Duty and Interest of all Men whatsoever to whom the Word of Salvation is sent it is to have and to secure to themselves the having of Jesus Christ for have Christ have life and all spiritual Blessings all kind of promises of all kind of good but no Christ no Life What is every natural Man's business in the World but to live in
Murder to the last as I said before We opened to her the ways whereby she might participate in the Guilt but still she denied all saving that she stood at a distance when her Husband 's Brother-in-law stabb'd the Man and when he had done the Fact he told her Husband in their Cant that he had kill'd the Man and threw away the Knife The next time I came I found her very much humbled in Spirit bewailing that she had been a very great Sinner and with many Tears and loud Cries for sin she seemed glad that she should go out of a sinful World in which she desired to live no longer What said Mr. D that you may sin no more Yes yes that I may sin no more against a merciful God The World said she was a sinful World And how are you reconciled to the manner of your Death said I Said she I could bear it I can suffer it tho all the Friends I have in the World look'd on I judg'd this to be a considerable degree of Humiliation remembring how high she was before While Mr. D. was preparing to preach I was preparing them for it and did explain and enlarge upon some things which I was afraid they understood not she apprehended me and her Knowledge grew I remember I told her That she should not think the way to obtain Pardon was to diminish her Sin in Number Nature and Aggravation and that Pardon extended even unto Blood to all penitent Believers that the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all Sin and therefore besought her to acknowledge her sin of Blood-guiltiness She received my Words with meekness and sense but persisted as before At Prayer and Sermon she behaved her self with Attention and Reverence and we hope it was not in vain she promised to observe our Direction in our absence Her Demeanour at my Sermon was very attentive and with Signs of inward Affection After we had done Mr. D. desired them to remember what was preach'd and to retire and that we would come again to them that night When we thought it most convenient we repaired to them there were several others in the Room well employed but she was at Prayers at her Bed-side Her Heart was so full that she could not refrain from speaking out the Language of her own Heart with good words and matter Flames of Fervency and then with Silence When she rose up she thanked us for our Pains and said She blessed God now she understood how it was and must be with her She understood her Case and found her self willing to die and tho she had been a great Sinner she hoped she should find Mercy She now knew the way she told us she was not afraid to see her Coffin which was brought into the Room She desired to live no longer to sin in a sinful World Next Morning we came betimes and adjusted several matters of Reckonings as Offences that nothing might be a stop in her way She reproved some and counselled others She reproved an old Man for flouting at me when I was wont to visit There comes or there goes your Soul-saver which we took not well but she spake well While we were busie with the poor Fellow she the Room filling fell on her Knees to secret Prayer and continued a good space taking no notice of any thing that might interrupt her When the Officer came to unlock her Irons she wept bitterly and roar'd sorrowing and rejoycing at her end I applied my self as pertinently as I could to that occasion upon which she was very quiet and well composed After a preparatory Preface concerning Prayer as the last Exercise of the Thief upon the Cross one of us praid in the Prison I told her I would attend her to the place and bad her if any Doubt or Fear should arise that she should let me know it She went along weeping praying confessing and counselling one that held her by the Arm. When once I turned from her to speak to the Fellow she turned quick and said O Sir do not leave me When she came in sight of the Tree she burst out into more Tears and said O yonder is the place yonder is the place but I am to suffer nothing for my Sins in comparison of what my Saviour suffered for me for my Sins and was much upon that till we came to the place of her End There one of us pray'd and she went up the Ladder without Fear or Boldness spake little she desired them all to reverence and hearken to the Ministers of God confessed she had been a great sinner and being ask'd about the Murder she denied it as before she prayed a little while and went off to Eternity The Fellow had disobediently ran away from his Master and Father who knew not what was become of him He gave himself to Thieving and other Sins maintained by his Theft He was arraigned the foregoing Assizes and burnt in the Hand before my Lord Chief Justice Pollixfen who shewed by his Countenance and Carriage an unwillingness to condemn him to die but that he feared there was no hope of his amendment that would not carry his Warning in his Hand so lately given him We found him grosly ignorant in the three Forms of Religion the Lords Prayer Ten Commandments and Creed he could not repeat them without help He was ripe in Sin but slow to take in what was good He had the same pains taken with him which the other had if not more for he stood in need of more His Face was covered with shame exceedingly dejected and he was penitent something he spake of Pardon of Sin Repentance and Mercy but understood nothing of Jesus Christ as Mediator and Salvation by him or Faith in him We instructed him in those things and had some weak Hopes concerning him but we had cause to fear all would be lost the morning of his Dying Day Then we instructed him in the knowledge of Christ the Mercy and Grace of God in the Nature of Repentance Confession of Sin that his Repentance and Confession might be full that God might be glorified and others might be warned and called from the Evil of their ways We pressed him to detect his Complices and acknowledge the Injuries he had done and to ask Pardon who could not restore or compensate Mr. D. told him he was at Coventry when he and others had broken into several Houses when they were going towards Ireland Here all the signs of Ingenuity and Goodness fell flat and went in again An horrid sullen paleness and dulness of Spirit seized him We told him his Detection would be no accusation of any we should make no ill use of what he told us to endanger any Man's Life but if it lay in our Power to warn them and call them from the way of Death to Life and break the Knot and Combination We applied our selves to him with Mercy and Judgment we told him of the