eyes and his mouth though his teeth were set before and offered to speak but could not recover the use of his Tongue but his reviving being known within an hour the Officers came to the house where he was and conveyed him to the place of Execution again and hung him up again until he was quite dead whence he was carried by his mourning friends to Islington where he now sleepeth in the Bed of his Grave until the morning of the Resurrection from whence though buried in dishonour he will then be raised in glory Thus you have had the Relation of one that was but young in years but old in wickedness you have read of his Sabbath-breaking prophaness swearing lying stealing drunkenness fornication and the like sins which he confessed himself frequently and deeply guilty of and to compleat and fill up the measure of his sins he added to the rest the horrid sin of Murther I believe you have scarcely heard of sin grown up to such maturity in so short a time as it did in him who when he was imprisoned was under sixteen years of age And what could any expect should be the issue and product of sin arriv'd to such perfection but Death and wrath and the vengeance of eternal fire But behold here an instance of Free-grace His sins did abound but Gods grace did super abound Sometimes God doth sow the seed of grace in the heart that is most unlikely to receive it and reapeth great glory to his Name by pardoning great sins VVe read that when Ephraim was bent upon wickedness so that a man could hardly expect the restraining of Gods anger any longer but that it should kindle in his breast and break forth in a flame to devour a people so rebellious yet the Lord expresseth himself in a way of wonderful mercy and astonishing free-grace Hos 11. 8 9. How shall I give thee up O Ephraim How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim My heart is turned within me not against Ephraim but towards him my repentings not mine anger are kindled together I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger And the reason is not drawn from any thing in Ephraim to move him but only from himself For I am God and not Man If one man had been so provoked by another and it had lain in the power of his hand to have avenged himself on his enemy surely he would not have spared or shewn any favour But because he is God and not Man whose thoughts are not like our thoughts and whose mercies are not like our mercies but further removed above them then the Heavens are removed above the Earth in comparison with whose mercies our most tender mercies are not less then cruelty therefore because he is God and not Man and herein would act like himself he hath pity and sheweth favour unto Ephraim Take another instance in Israel who had made God to serve with his sins and wearied him with his iniquities having pressed God herewith as a Cart is pressed with sheaves and nothing but vengeance could rationally be expected and that God should say as at another time for God doth not shew such favour to all and at all times that the freeness of it might be the more evident Ah I will ease me of my Adversaries and avenge me on my Enemies and I even I am he that will make such audacious sinners see and feel what an evil and fearful thing it is to affront and provoke me yet read how graciously God pardoned Israel declaring the ground of it to be only for the glory of his own Name Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Surely no motive from this young mans person or any good previous disposition he being so exceeding vitiated by such defiling sins could in the least encline God to have mercy upon him but the motive was taken from himself and his own bowels He had mercy on him only because he would have mercy and compassion only because he would have compassion If some yea many are passed by who have escaped the more gross pollutions which are in the world through Lust and never committed such God-provoking sins as you read in the Narrative that he committed but for lesser faults are punished everlastingly when God hath had mercy upon him and thrown the skirt of his love over him and wrought a gracious change in him we must say with our Saviour Mat. 11. 26. Even so Father because it so seemed good in thy sight It is through free grace that any are saved but in the Salvation of such a one God hath demonstrated the exceeding riches of his grace towards him through Jesus Christ Eph. 2. 7. Let not any from this example of Gods free grace presume to continue and indulge themselves in a sinful course hoping to obtain mercy at the last as he hath done and so turn God's glory into shame and his grace into wantonness for it is a rare example hardly again to be parallel'd will a man run himself through the body because some have been healed of such wounds will a man drink down poyson because some by an Antidote have expelled the poyson and escaped with life is not Presumption the bane and ruine of Millions of Souls may not God cut you off in the act of some of your sins and not give you time for repentance and if life doth continue may not he deny you the grace of repentance doth not custom and continuance in sin harden your heart and fasten you in Satans Chains hath not God threatned that such who cry peace peace to themselves though they walk after the imagination of their own hearts to add drunkenness to thirst that he will not spare them but his anger and his jealousie shall smoak against them and that he will blot out their name from under heaven Deut. 29. 19 20. The great improvement which should be made of Gods gracious dealings with this young man is for all to admire God's Free-grace and especially for poor distressed souls that are upon the brink of Hell in their own apprehensions and are ready to despair of Gods mercy because of the greatness of their sins to take encouragement from hence and hopes that there may be mercy in store for them they have not been murderers whatever their sins have not been and if a murderer hath been received into favour why may not they hope Let such think with themselves that it is free grace hath saved him and let them sue out at the Throne of Grace for the same grace which is freely tendred unto them A Recollection out of this Narrative of those passages from which in charity we do conclude that the work of grace was really wrought in his soul or the Evidences of T. S. of his Title to eternal happiness 1. HE bitterly lamented his sins and loathed himself for them
with him on Saturday before he dyed he charged him with his sin which had caused such a blot upon all the Profession he had made and what great cause he had to be humbled before God and desired him to tell him as a dying man whether it was his voluntary act and delight in excessive drinking or no And he did prosefs that he knew it was not the quantity that he had drank which was not near so much as at other times he did use without distempering of himself However God was pleased to make him taste the bitterness of that Cup in that he had given such occasion to sinners to speak evil of the wayes of God and beating his hands being returned to himself upon the stones cryed out Oh that I should offend God! And though he did much lament the scandal yet he always said that he looked not upon it as a sin of drunkenness but a circumvention or to use his own words that something was put into the drink to distemper his head On Saturday during the Sessions he was arraigned and pleaded Guilty confessing with many tears and wringing his hands that he through the instigation of the Devil and enticement of that wretched Creature meaning the Harlot had committed that bloody fact which was such an horror to his Conscience that he would not do it again for ten thousand Worlds his Carriage and Confession was such that he much moved the honourable Bench and Jury and most of the Beholders On Monday next he received his Sentence of Death after which time he was with the other condemned Prisoners and did pray with them four times a day and read to them and sung Psalms with them After the Execution of the rest he had time given or procured him by the honourable Sheriff of London for some days which he improved to the great advantage of his Soul On Friday night he uttered these expressions in company with H. B. being the day that the other Prisoners were Executed I find saith he so much sweetness and delight and pleasure in Gods ways and so much folly in the ways of sin that if there were no Heaven to reward nor any Hell to punish I could not but love the ways of God and the People of God Oh it is so sweet to be in company with them praying and conversing with them over what is in hearing others Swear and Curse that I account it as great a mercy as any almost that I may be in their Company O methinks it is a Heaven to me to be with God's Ministers and People and Prayer now is so sweet that I grudge the time always when I am off from my knees or go down to the grate Now there is nothing in the World I prize like Christ one Christ above Ten thousand Worlds now I do repent and I do believe through Mercy it is the Lords work but I earnestly beg and pray for a more humble and a more broken heart and a more through sense of sin and a greater sorrow for it and beg that God would enable me to come to him to believe in him Lord saith he Faith is thy work Repentance is thy work do thou enable me to repent nay thou hast enabled me to repent and I do from the very bottom of my heart Lord as far as I know my own heart I repent that I should offend so gracious and so merciful a God as thou art Lord and Faith is thy work Lord saith he hast thou not said No man can come to thee except the Father draw him Draw me O Lord and I shall run to thee enable me to believe Lord and I shall believe nay I do believe Lord that Jesus Christ his blood was not shed in vain Did Christ die for nothing Lord Did he not die to save all repenting and believing sinners of whom I am chief On Saturday at night in company with Mr. Baker he Discoursed thus Oh! my dear Friend taking me by the hand come hither saith he and opening the Coffin look here is the Ship saith he in which I must lanch out into the Ocean of Eternity and is it not a terrible thing saith he to see one's own Coffin and burying-cloaths when at the same time I am as well as you do you think it would not daunt you to go to the gallows to have the Halter and to dye there were this for the sake of the Gospel I should not care were it ten hundred times a worse death but to suffer this cursed death for such horrid sins O this is sad Why said I you have a greater mercy in some respect than those that dye in their beds for they are full of sickness and pain and cannot so well mind Repentance as you who are well and have nothing else to mind Ah Sir saith he their sins are of a far less nature than mine and so they do not need so much repentance as mine do my dying for such horrid sins makes my repentance to be so much the more hard O saith he I believe it it is a hard work to dye I could carry it out as bravely as any do you think I could not but to consider that as I die and am sentenced from God's Barr so I must be for ever immediately either be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable To consider this would make a stout heart to tremble Those poor Creatures that were here the other night meaning the other condemned Prisoners they know now what it is to be in an eternal state and if they are gone to Hell O Lord how miserably are they disappointed who hoped for to have gone to Heaven and are sent from thy Barr to endless burning Lord what a mercy is it that I have a little time longer left let it be improved to thy glory and let my soul live and I shall praise thee The last Lords day he lived he desired to be alone and spent it in wrestling with God by prayers and in other duties in order to his preparation for his great change by death that then he expected the next day in which duties he found so much of God that he had some fore-tasts of the joys of Heaven and when we asked him what of God he had found that day he replyed That he had such pleasure and delight in mourning for sin and praying unto God that he was loath to come off from his knees At night there were some Ministers that sat up with him and spent that night in prayer with him and for him and in conference on Monday morning came T. D. to him before day thinking it was his last day for an Order was sent on Friday for his Execution on Monday and said to him Thomas how is it with you now your last day begins to dawn He said Blessed be God I am not afraid to dye because I hope I shall go to Jesus Christ After some time in prayer for him we desired him to spend some time
blessed Lord God I beseech thee O Lord look down upon me with an eye of pity if it be thy blessed will it is thy infinite mercy that I am on this side the grave and out of Hell O Lord I have deserved to be cast into torments to all Eternity How have I offended thee and run on in fin and thought I could never do enough to abuse thy mercy pardon the sins that I have committed wash that blood from off my soul let not me perish to Eternity It was an horrid crime to shed innocent blood pardon that sin O Lord let the blood of Christ cry more for mercy than the blood of that creature cry for for vengeance O Lord thou hast been merciful to me in giving me time to Repent for ought I know her soul is undone for ever Lord forgive me Lord forgive me I knew not what I did Forgive my Sabbath-breaking Lying Cursing forgive my drunkenness blot them out of the book of thy remembrance turn them away behind thee Lord I have repented of them from my soul that ever I should offend a God so good and so merciful and gracious I do believe on thee and do wholly throw my self upon thee I acknowledge it would be just in thee to damn my Soul but it will be infinite mercy in thee to save me and what free Grace will it be in thee to pardon me It is dreadful to lose the body but how dreadful will it be to lose the Soul to all Eternity Lord let it not be in vain that I had so many instructions O let me not go down to hell let my soul bless and praise thy Name for ever for what thou hast done for me thou hast been at work upon my heart and thou hast helped me to Repent the Lord be praised Lord I desire to be more and more humble under the sence of my sins for they are dreadful there are many souls that have not committed those sins that are now in Hell O what a mercy is it that I am not in those flames in those devouring flames Lord as thou hast spared me here spare me to Eternity Let not my soul perish Lord reveal thy self unto me make known thy love unto me tell me my sins are pardoned tell me that I have an Interest in Christ before I go hence and be seen no more that I might leave some Testimony behind me that I might tell thy Ministers what thou hast done for me and tell thy People what thou hast done for my Soul Lord this will not be onely for my satisfaction but for thy glory Blessed Lord pardon the sins that I am guilty of and take away this cursed base heart of mine break this rocky stony heart in pieces these sins of Murder and Drunkenness c. were in my heart before I thought no eye did see me commit those sins but thou didst see me Lord turn my heart to thee and take away this heart of stone and take away this cursed nature for it was this cursed Nature that brought me to these sins and to this end and I was in danger of loosing my soul to all eternity but Lord though I a great sinner Christ is a great Saviour he is able to save me from my sins though they be never so great I do believe Lord I speak freely from my heart so far as I know my heart I do believe it is my grief I can sorrow no more for my sins which have been the cause of offending thee so long and so much One drop of thy blood sprinkled upon my soul will pardon all my sins Lord cross the black line of my sins with the red line of thy blood I am not able to answer for one vain thought much less for all my horrid crimes Lord save my immortal soul that I might sing praise to thee to all eternity Thou hast pardoned Manasseh that was a great sinner and Mary Magdalen and Paul that were great sinners and the Thief upon the Cross and thy mercies are as great thy mercy and thy love to repenting sinners is not shortned though my sins be great yet thy mercies are greater then my sins Lord be with me in my death then let me have some comfortable assurance of thy love unto my soul of the pardon of my sins do thou be my God and my Guide now and to all eternity Amen This Prayer he put up with much earnestness with great brokenness of heart for sin that all that joyned with him were exceedingly affected and blessed God for the Spirit of Prayer they discerned God had so plentifully poured out upon him After we had some other discourse with him we took our leave of him telling him we purposed to see him again at the place of Execution After two or three hours when the time of his going from Newgate drew near we were willing to return to see him once more there and the rather because one Minister that had not yet been with him was desirous to visit him and then again after some few words with him we asked him to go to prayer again once more saying Now this will be the last time that we shall pray with you in this place And he did perform this duty with great liveliness that now he excelled himself and the nearer he came to his end the more fervently we perceived he prayed but we took notice that in this last duty in Newgate he was much in praising God and blessing God for his mercy to him to our great astonishment After a few words when this duty was over we took some of us our final farewell of him and he expressing his thanks to Gods people for their prayers for him and to the Ministers for their love and pains with him was commended by us to the Grace of God saying ' Thomas The Lord be with you the Lord of Heaven be with you O the Lord of mercy help you and have compassion on you This morning he expressed himself to his Friend H. B. thus Oh my friend we cannot tell how glorious a place Heaven is but if once I get thither and could drop down a Letter to you and tell you of the glorious things I there shall find how would it rejoyce your heart And to his Friend parting with him said I know God loveth me and that I am going to the Kingdom of Heaven The last Speech of Thomas Savage at the place of his Execution at Ratcliff Gentlemen HEre I am come to dye a cursed and ignominious Death and I most justly deserve it for I have Murthered a poor innocent Creature and for ought I know have not only murthered her body but if God had no more mercy of her soul then I had of her body she is undone to all Eternity so that I deserve not only death from Men but Damnation from God I would have you all that look upon me take warning by me the first sin I began with was Sabbath-breaking
in the morning and she made him drunk with burnt Brandy and he wanted one Groat to pay of his reckoning she then again perswaded him to knock the Maid on the head and she would receive the money he going home between twelve and one of the clock his Master standing at the Street-door did not dare to go in that way but climbed over a back-door and commeth into the Room where his Fellow-servants were at Dinner O saith the Maid to him Sirrah you have been now at this Bawdy-House you will never leave till you are undone by them He was much vexed at her and while he was at Dinner the Devil entered so strong into him that nothing would satisfie him but he must kill her and no other way but with the Hammer to which end when his master was gone with all the rest of his Family to Church leaving only the maid and this boy at home he goeth into the Bar fetcheth the Hammer and taketh the Bellows in his hand and sitteth down by the fire and there knocketh the bellows with the Hammer the Maid saith to him Sure the boy is mad Sirrah what do you make this noise for He said nothing but went from the Chair and lay along in the Kitchin window and knocked with the Hammer there and on a sudden threw the Hammer with such force at the maid that hitting her on the head she fell down presently screaking out then he taketh up the Hammer three times and did not dare to strike her any more at last the Devil was so great with him that he taketh the Hammer and striketh her many blows with all the force he could and even rejoyced that he had got the victory over her which done he immediately taketh the Hammer and with it strikes at the Cupboard Door in his masters Chamber which being but slit-Deal presently flew open and thence he taketh out a Bag of Money and putting it upon his arm under his cloak he went out at a back-door straight-way to this base house again when he came thither the Slut would fain have seen what he had under his Cloak and knowing what he had done would very fain have had the Money he gave her half a Crown and away he went without any remorse for what he had done Going over a Stile he sat down to rest himself and then began to think with himself Lord what have I done and he would have given ten thousand worlds he could have recalled the blow After this he was in so much horrour that he went not one step but he thought every one he met came to take him He got that Night to Green-wich and lay there telling the people of the house that he was to go down to Gravesend that night he rose and walked about and knew not what to do Conscience so flew in his face The Mistress of the house percieving the Lad to have money and not sealed up said I wish this Lad came by this money honestly The next morning he going away towards Woolliedge the Mistress of the house could not be satisfied but sent for him back and told him Sweetheart I fear you came not by this money honestly Yes indeed Mistress saith he I did for I am carrying of it down to Gravesend to my Master a Wine Cooper VVe live upon London-bridge and if you please to send any one to my Mistress I will leave my money with you So there were some people going to London and he writ a Note to send to his Mistress and he left the Money with the woman of the House and went his way wandring toward VVoolliedge and there was in the Ship-yard about which time news came to Greenwich of the Murther that was committed at Ratcliff by a youth upon his Fellow-servant and that a bag of Money was taken away the Mistress of the House forthwith concluded that sureit was the same Youth that was at her house and that that was the Money whereupon she sent men out presently to seek him who found him in an Ale-house where he had called for a pot of beer and was laid down with his head on the Table and fallen asleep one of the men calling him by his name Tom saith he Did you not live at Ratcliff He said Yes And did you not murther your fellow-servant He confessed it And you took so much money from your Master he acknowledged all then said they You must go along with us He said Yes with all my heart So they went forthwith to Greenwich to the house where he lay that night where when he came he met his Master with some friends and when his Master spake to him of it he was not much affected at first but after a little while burst out into many tears thence he was conveyed to the Justice at Ratcliff where he fully confessed the Fact again and by him was committed close Prisoner in the Gaol of Newgate where Mr. H. B. who after some acquaintance with him had this preceeding Narrative from his own Mouth came to see and speak with him and he seemed but little sensible of what he had done Are you said he the person that committed the murther upon the maid at Ratcliff He said Yes O what think you of your condition What do you think will become of your precious Sou you have by this Sin not only brought your body to the Grave but your Soul to hell without Gods infinite mercy Were you not troubled for the Fact when you did it Not for the present Sir said he but soon after I was when I began to think with my self what I had done The next time he asked him whether he were sorry for the Fact He said wringing his hands and striking his breast with tears in his eyes Yes Sir for it cuts me to the heart to think that I should take away the life of a poor innocent Creature and that is not all but for any thing I know I have sent her soul to Hell O how can I think to appear before God's barr when she shall stand before me and say Lord this wretch took away my life and gave me not the least space that I might turn to thee he gave me no warning at all Lord. O then what will become of me Soon after the imprisonment of this Thomas Savage in New gate Upon the desire of one of his Friends Mr. R. F. and T. V. went to him in the prison and had liberty with much readiness from the Keepers to discourse with him They asked him if he were the person that had murthered the maid He answered that he was they did then open to him the heinous nature of that sin endeavouring to set it home upon his Conscience telling him of the express Law of God Thou shalt not Kill and the express threatnings That whosoever sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed They spake to him of the Law of the Land and the punishment of Death which
would certainly be inflicted upon him that he had but a few VVeeks more to live and then he would be Tryed and Condemned and Executed but they told him that the punishment of the temporal Death was but small in comparison with the punishment of eternal Death in Hell which he had deserved and was exposed unto They told him that so long as Death should make a separation between his Soul and body that his Soul must immediately appear before the dreadful Tribunal of the Sin revenging God and there receive its final doom and be irreversibly sentenced to depart from the presence of the Lord into everlasting fire if he were found under the guilt of this or any other sin They asked him if he knew what Hell was telling him what a fearful thing it would be for him to fall into the hands of the living God how intolerable the immediate expressions of Gods Wrath would be upon his Soul what horror and anguish he would there be filled withal and how he would be bound up in Chains of darkness until the Judgment of the great day and then told him of the glorious appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to Judgment that soul and body should be then joyned together and condemned together and punished together with such exquisite torments as never entred into the heart of man to concieve declaring the extremity and the Eternity of the torments of hell which were the just demerit of his sins Then they asked him whether he had any hopes of escaping this dreadful punishment of hell He answered that he had they enquired into the grounds of his hopes He told them that he repented of his fault and hoped God would have mercy on his soul They asked him whether he thought his Repentance could procure for him a Pardon He knew no other way They told him that God was just and his justice must be satisfied and there was no way for him to do it but by undergoing the Eternal torments of Hell and did he know no way of satisfying God's justice besides and pacifying his anger that was kindled against him No he knew not any and yet did he hope to be saved He answered yes They enquired whether ever he had experience of a gracious change wrought in him Herein he could give no account and yet hoped to be saved They told him his hopes were unfound having no good foundation and he would find himself disappointed that it was not his repentance his tears and prayers though he ought to use them as means that would save him if he fixed the Anchor of his hope upon them That if he hoped to be saved in the condition which for the present he was in he would certainly be damned that he must cast away all those groundless hopes he had conceived and endeavour to despair in himself that being pricked and pained at heart through the apprehensions of the wrath of God ready to fall upon him and seeing no possibility of flying and escapeing if he looked onely to himself he might cry out VVhat shall I do to be saved and enquire after a Saviour and then they spake to him of the Lord Jesus Christ and the way of salvation by him which before he was sottishly ignorant of as if he had been brought up in a Country of Infidels and not of Christians The words spoken to him by these two Ministers seemed to take little impression upon him whilst they were present yet after they were gon the Lord did begin to work and he did acknowledge to Mr. B. that two had been with him he knew not their names whose words were like arrows shot into his heart and he did wish he had those words in writing especially one expression of T. V. That he would not be in his condition for ten thousand Worlds did affect and affright him that he said it made his hair stand an end An account of a Discourse betwixt T. D. and T. S. about fourteen dayes after he was Prisoner in Newgate VVHen I came to him and saw him in Irons I said were these Fetters for the sake of the Gospel they would be far more precious than chains of Gold but see here the cursed Fruits of sin thou that shouldst all thy life-time have been a faithful servant of God hast neglected no time to serve the Devil I asked him how old he was He said sixteen years old I told him he was a young man but an old sinner then I began to set my self to bring him to a sense of his sins and of his miserable and lost estate and asked him Whether he belived there was a God He answered Yes and dost thou believe that this God is true He said Yes and taking up the Bible I asked him Dost thou believe that this is the Word of God He answered Yes then I told him according to this word he was a damned wretch and God had past a sentence of death upon him and told him plainly that he should not enter into the Kingdom of God but be a Companion of Devils in a Lake of brimstone to all Eternity meaning without Repentance conversion and Faith in Christ Then I turned him to several Scriptures and told him This was the word by which he must be judged at the barr of God and be damned or saved according as then he should be found to be converted or unconverted The Scriptures were as followeth 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind Verse 10. Nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Another Scripture I read to him was Gal. 5. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness v. 20. Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies v. 21. Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God The next Scripture to the same purpose was Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have there part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death I told him these were the words of the holy true and infallible God this was the sentence which God had passed upon him as the desert of those abominable sins which he was guilty of for these Scriptures pointed at several of the sins which he confessed he had lived in and had committed as drunkenness lying uncleanness and murther I cryed you confess your self guilty of these sins and that God threatneth you with Eternal death with everlasting torments and exclusion from his presence and Kingdom not only Gods Justice but
Gods Truth also stood betwixt him and eternal happiness and told him that I spake it with reverence that the Holy God must be a Lyar or else he dying in the guilt of these sins must be certainly and eternally damned I asked him what do you think how will you escape the damnation of hell and the great wrath that is come You have heard what God saith what do you say what course will you take and what means will you use that you may not according to God's threatning be cast amongst Devils into Eternal devouring flames to this at present he made no reply but did often shake his head and lifted up his eyes towards Heaven Next I endeavoured to bring him to a sight and sense of the corruption of his nature and of the sinfulness of his heart and told him all those sins were in his heart before they were actually committed and turned him to the saying of Christ in the 15th of Matthew ver 19. For out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witnesses Blasphemies and told him that in his repentance for those sins he must not only lay to heart and be grieved for the outward acts but lament and bewail the inward principle of corruption whereby he was so strongly inclined to such horrid abominations according to the example of David after his sins of Adultery and Murther in his confession did follow them up to the rise and original from whence they did spring Psal 15. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me By this time I perceived some workings of heart within him and that he was in some measure sensible of his lost estate and by his deportment and carriage to be cast down not knowing what to do I was unwilling to leave him without some grounds of hope that it may be he might be saved that there was a possibility that he might obtain pardoning mercy and be delivered from that great damnation that was due to him for his great transgressions I began to open to him the readiness of Christ the fulness and sufficiency of Christ to save the greatest sinners and that God I hoped in mercy to his soul had sent me one of his Embassadors to offer him a pardon and Eternal life if he were but willing to accept of Christ upon the terms of the Gospel for his Lord and Saviour and did encourage and assure him upon repentance and faith in Christ there was mercy yet for him though a Murderer from these Scriptures Isa 1. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and though they be as red as crimson they shall be as wool As I opened to him the great mercy of God in Christ toward Sinners dyed in grain that were sinners of a scarlet colour that had committed heinous transgressions he brake forth into tears and wept plentifully at the tydings of mercy and possibility that such a one as he might be saved Besides I turned him to some Scripture-promises that God would certainly forgive his sins and save his Soul if he could repent and get Faith in Christ Such as Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy and Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon This Scripture he diligently heeded and turned it down in his Bible and these two Scriptures the night before he suffered amongst others he alledged as the grounds of his hopes of mercy I also gave him some Scripture instances of great Sinners that had obtained mercy turned him to the example of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. to that of Mary Magdalen Luke 7. 37 38. to that of the Jews Acts 2. 37 38. that were guilty of the blood of Christ that had murdered the Son of God a greater murther than which could not be committed and yet upon Repentance and Faith many of them were pardoned and saved To that of Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. shewed him how God had set up Paul as a pattern of Free-grace towards great sinners for the encouragement of such that though guilty of great sins afterwards should believe To all these he hearkned very carefully and took notice of the places of Scripture for his meditation after I left him And last of all I endeavoured to set before him Jesus Christ as the only Remedy and Saviour for his Soul and shewed him the insufficiency of all his Duties Prayers and Tears to get off the guilt of the least sin that if he could shed a thousand tears of blood for any one vain thought it would be no better than puddle water to justifie or to save him Much discourse I had with him at this time besides what is here inserted and several other times when I went to visit him in Newgate which I willingly omit because this book should not swell to too great a bulk After all I went to prayer with him in which Duty he was much dissolved into tears he seemed to me and his faithful Friend that was most with him above all others to be very earnest in Prayer and with weeping eyes to beg for pardon and for Converting Grace and Christ to be his Saviour which was much insisted on in the prayer that was made for him After which advising him to consider of what I had said for that time I took my leave of him The next time after this Discourse that Mr. Baker came to him he Enquired how it was with him he said what T. D. had said did very much startle him that he knew not what to reply and cryed out very much of the heinousness of his sins that he should commit that horrid Sin of Murder and knew not what to do for that left a deep impression upon his heart that God must be a Lyar or else he in that condition of impenitency must be damned yet he laid hold upon that promise that was unfolded to him That if a sinner turned from his wicked ways God would abundantly pardon And afterwards read on the verse that followed Isa 55. 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. Upon which considering said Men cry out for death and vengeance no mercy to be had from men but Gods thoughts to a repenting sinner were life for he delighteth not in the death of a sinner About four or five days after this he was puzled about his performing of Duties and resting only upon Christ for Salvation for he was tempted if he performed duties to rest upon them or to let them alone and leave them off if he must rest only upon Christ At which time H. B. coming to him enquired how it was with him now and how he hoped
me Sometimes he tempts me to delay telling me that it is time enough for me to think of Repentance when I am Condemned and that God is a merciful God and sometimes he tempted me to Despair telling me that it was impossible that so monstrous a sinner as I had been should be saved But blessed be God that he made me to think that these were but the Devils Temptations although I have been sadly hurried with them for some days but that which did most fill me with terror was the frequent fears of the Devil 's appearing personally to me which did so exceedingly trouble me in Prayer so that I could say nothing when I kneeled down but was fain to set the Candle down before me and durst not look one way nor other for fear I should see him and my thoughts have been so vain many times when you have been reading to me that I have scarce heard a word of what you said A Discourse betwixt H. B. and T. S. Prisoner in Newgate after some Friends went away dissatisfied fearing he had not a sense of his sin c. H. B. asking him how it was with him He replied It is the grief of my Soul that I should be no more affected I think I have the most rocky stony heart in the world if ever there was an heart of Iron I have one it is not fit to be called an heart To have others come and pray with me and instruct me and see how they are affected with my condition and yet I not at all affected with my own condition Oh it is the grief of my soul to see it so and yet as soon as Ministers and good people are gone and I walk about and consider oh it melts me and breaketh my heart in pieces to think I can mourn for sin and grieve for sin no more when Gods people are with me because it causeth them to think that I am not sensible of my sin though blessed be God I am in some measure sensible of the evil of my sins and it is the grief of my soul to think how I have dishonoured God and abused his Mercy and spurned against his Mercy and Patience After this they both spent some time in Prayer and H. B. asked him how it was with him now He said I find so much sweetness in prayer although I cannot find God loveth me that to think I am not Cursing and swearing as others are but be confessing my sin my very tears trickle down my Cheeks for joy sometimes I find my heart so dead and dull in duty that I know not what to say in Prayer at other times I find my heart so full and so much affected in Duty that I could wish I might never rise off my knees The night before the Sessions H. B. coming to him asked him if it was not terrible to him to think of appearing before the Barr of men he answered methinks when I consider seriously of it what a light poor thing mans Barr is in comparison of Gods Barr yet mans Barr is enough to daunt one to hear them say Take him Gaoler tye him up but to appear before Gods Barr who knoweth all the sins that ever I committed he saw all my secret sins and for God to say Take him Gaoler take him Devil shut him up in the Dungeon of Hell Oh! that is enough I believe to make the stoutest heart in the World to tremble for there is no recalling that sentence and I believe there are many go out of this Prison as I saw formerly three that went to be hanged and they were almost drunk and did sing all the way they went but oh their note was soon changed when they came to stand before Gods Barr. The morning before he went to the Sessions H. B. and the Prisoner spent some time in prayer the Prisoner in his prayer did earnestly beg of God that he would keep him from those temptations he might be exposed unto by bad company After this he was taken down to the Sessions house but was not called because the Jury of Middlesex did not sit that day At night H. B. came to him again and asking how it was with him he answered he found it no easie thing to be a true Christian I thought before I came to Prison that reading a Chapter now and then and saying the Lords Prayer and the Creed at night when I went to bed would have saved me though many times I was asleep before I had half done but now I find it no such easie thing to get to Heaven nay I find it the hardest thing in the World for my Prayers and Tears and Duties if I could fall upon my knees and never rise off from them while I live they would not save me for all this is but my duty but I now know there is merit enough in the blood of Christ to save me and he did earnestly beg of God in Prayer that God would wash his Soul in the blood of Christ and blot out all his sins out of the book of his remembrance and turn them behind his back though I as earnestly beg they might be all spread before my face that I might have a more humble and throughly broken heart for them Lord one drop of that blood is enough to wash away all my sins And so after some conference H. B. left him for that night who heard from one that was with him that night that he spent that time most in Prayer and Reading The second morning in the time of the Sessions Mr. Baker that was a careful friend for the good of his Soul went to the Sessions House where he found him well and in good Frame and continued with him for the space of two or three hours that morning after which time Mr. Baker was from him to hear the Tryal of the Person that was arraigned and afterward executed for the Fire upon the house burnt down in Mincing-Lane for the space of half an hour or thereabout in which time in company of other Prisoners he was much distempered with something that he had drank amongst them which did take from him his understanding that he was not his own man we judge that though this did cast a blemish upon the profession that he had made after he came to Newgate it was not a voluntary act but some surprisal or design of the other upon him partly because the quantity was far less than what at other times he could drink without any disturbance to his head A Friend also heard Hannah the Strumpet that enticed him to his former wickedness say Others have made you drunk to day but I will make you drunk to morrow But afterwards he was afraid to drink in their company but rather denied to take what was necessary for his refreshment The Prisoners were much against his accusing of that Harlot and did much perswade him to take something to chear his Spirits and when T. D. was
in that Duty which he performed with so much affection and earnest pleading with God that all the company were exceedingly melted and their hearts beyond ordinary measure warmed and raised that the room did ring with sighs and groans and there was such a mighty presence of the Spirit poured out upon him and on those that joyned with him that we do not remember the time when ever we had experience of the like In which Prayer after the confession of his sins he begged earnestly for pardon and for an interest in Christ saying O Lord wilt thou let me dye without a Christ Shall I leave this world before thou smilest upon my Soul Thou hast promised pardon and mercy and salvation to those that do repent and to those that do believe Lord I do repent and do believe if I know my own heart I do repent I do believe Lord I roll my self upon thy Son I cast my self at his foot for mercy Thou wouldst be just if thou dost damn me but thou hast pardoned others and it will be to the praise of thy free-grace to pardon me Lord shall those Prayers that have been made and all those Tears that have been shed for me and all those Instructions which have been given me be all in vain With many other Expressions in that Prayer which wonderfully affected the hearts of those that were with him that afterwards we looked upon one another wondring at the Grace of God towards him that one so wicked all his days so young being sixteen years old so lately acquainted with the ways of God should have such a Spirit of Prayer poured out upon him after this he prayed with more life and fervency than before and the nearer he came to his end the more we perceived God was ripening him for Glory After this we took our leave of him not knowing but that was the last day for the Cart stood below and the Coffin fetched down and some of the honourable Sheriffs of Londons men came into the Prison but the Sheriff of Middlesex having not notice to be ready his Execution was deferred till Wednesday following Reader Here take notice that the report that the reason why he was not Executed on Monday was because he was drunk is an abominable falshood for to our knowledge that were with him he did not eat nor drink that morning When we went up to him again we told him we perceived he was not to dye that day giving him caution not to think there was any pardon intended for him and one came from the Sheriff to acquaint him with the reason of the delay of his Execution When his Coffin was carried up to him again one asked what he thought and what were the workings of his heart when he saw his Coffin brought back he said he was much troubled and it daunted him to see it for he could willingly have dyed that day to go to Christ On Monday in the Afternoon he had an excessive pain in his Teeth as we judge occasioned by his leaving off his Cloaths and putting on some thin Apparel to dye in and that evening he expressed great willingness to dye and leave the World He said I see and feel so much excellency in Christ that he is so pure in Grace pure in Holiness pure in all things Lord I count it an Hell to be upon Earth I so long to be where I might enjoy thee and he spent some time in Prayer notwithstanding his pain with much affection wherein he said The pain of the Teeth was great but the pain of Hell was greater On Tuesday the day before he dyed after some time spent in prayer both by him and H. B. being full of joy he expressed himself thus O my dear Friend what a welcome shall I give you when you come to Heaven and say to you Come see come see this is the Glory that you told me of but all that you ever told me was nothing to what I have found O what a place is this O how shall we love one another then Sure it cannot be but Heaven must be a glorious place where God Christ and Angels be The night before he dyed a Minister came to Thomas Savage and after other serious discourse sor satisfaction of a Christian Friend that had seen him before he demanded of him what were now the grounds of his hopes of Salvation He made this reply God both in infinite mercy made me deeply sensible of great sins and not only of them but of the vileness of my heart and nature and God hath made me to abhor my self for my sins and I hope truly to repent of them for that which hath been the delight of my soul is now as bad as Hell and God hath given me to see that all my own Prayers and Tears and all the Prayers of all the good people that come to me are not able to save A Christ alone I throw my self at the feet of Christ for mercy and if I perish I will perish there I feel longings and breathings after Christ and love him more than my life I long to be with him and I would not be to live any longer this World is a little Hell because of sin I fear not death for I hope the sting of it is taken out for me This last night before his death he desired us to sit up with him in order to his better preparation for the great work he had to do the next day that we might wrestle with God on his behalf that when death approacheth so near unto him he might have some nearer accesses unto God into his Soul that when pale death stared him in the face he might see Gods smiling countenance which opportunity we readily embraced and spent the former part of the night in prayer till two of the Clock in the morning about which time he desired us to go down into the Lodge that he might have some part of the night for prayer and meditation alone and to discourse a while with his friend Mr. Baker to whom he most of all did open his very heart and spake more freely to than to any other whom for that reason we left with him and when we were gone down his Friend being with him who told us afterwards he fell into admiration and said What a Prodigy am I What a wonder of Mercy that God should encline the hearts of his Ministers to come and pray with me and pour out their souls in prayer thus for me For me a Murtherer for me a Drunkard for me so vile and sinful Well I cannot but love God and though I go to Hell yet I will love God for his goodness and graciousness to me already manifested in this world yea though I should be damned for my sin yet I could and would love God What would they venture to come and pray with me a Murtherer How did they know but I might have Murthered some of them Pray for me wrestle
whereby I got acquaintance with bad company and so we went to the Ale-house from the Ale-house to the bawdy house there I was perswaded to rob my Master as also to murther this poor innocent creature for which I am come to this shameful end I was drawn aside I say by ill company pray take heed of that for it will not only bring your bodies to the grave but your soul to hell have a care of neglecting the Sabbaths it is that which hath not only brought my body to the grave but my soul in danger of eternal torments And try the ways of God for the Lord be praised I have found so much of excellency and sweetness in Gods ways that I bless God that ever I came into a Prison And now though I am leaving this world I know I shall go to a better place for I have repented from my soul for all my sins not because I am to dye for them but to see that I should do that whereby I should deserve Hell ten thousand times over and so dishonour God Now the Lord have mercy on my Soul The Prayer of THOMAS SAVAGE at the place of Execution O Most merciful and for ever blessed Lord God I beseech thee look down upon my poor immortal soul which now is taking its flight into another world which now is ready to appear before thy barr Lord I beseech thee prepare me for it and receive my soul into the Arms of thy mercy and though my body die and I come to die this shameful death yet let my soul live with thee for ever Lord pardon all the horrid sins that I have committed the Sabbath breaking Lying Swearing Cursing Vncleanness and all the rest of my sins that ever I have committed Lord give me a new heart and give me faith that I may lay hold and throw my self fully and wholly upon thee enable me O Lord give me saving repentance that I may come to thy Bar and thence be recieved into glory let me not be a prey to Devils to all eternity let not my soul perish though my body die let my soul live Lord let me not be shut out from thy presence and let not all the Prayers and Tears and Counsels and instructions that have been made and shed on my behalf be in vain pity my poor soul Lord my immortal soul Lord it would be just with thee to cast me into everlasting burning I have been a great sinner but Christ is a great Saviour O Lord thou hast pardoned great sinners and thou canst do it Lord and Lord wilt thou not do it Lord let me not be a fire-brand in Hell and a prey to Devils to all eternity let me not then be shut up with Devils and damned souls when my soul takes its flight into another World Lord I have repented for what I have done from the bottom of my heart I have repented and Lord if thou wouldst damn me thou wouldst be just but how infinitely more would it be for the glory of thy free grace to save such a sinner as I am good Lord pour down thy Spirit upon my soul O tell me that I have an interest in Christs blood good Father good Lord before I go hence Lord I am willing I am willing to leave this world I can prize thee above all there is nothing I can prize like to thee wilt thou not recieve my soul recieve it into thy arms and say Come thou blessed of my Father good Father for Jesus Christs sake pity my poor soul for pities sake Lord it is not my Prayers or Tears will save my soul but if ever I am saved it must be through free-grace and the blood of Christ and if there be not enough in that Blood Lord I am willing to be Damned Lord look down upon my poor soul and though I have been such a sinner thou art able to pardon me and wash me apply one drop of thy blood to my soul Lord my immortal soul that is more worth then Ten Thousand Worlds It is true Lord I confess I have taken a great deal of pleasure in sin I have run on in sin and could not invent where to go on thy day and was wont to study into what place and into what company I might go upon the Sabbath day forgive me Lord wash me receive me into thy arms O Lord Oh for one glimp of mercy Lord if thou wilt please to reveal thy self to me I shall tell it to all that behold me It is a mercy Lord that I am not in Hell and that thou showest me the bitterness of sin before I come into Hell it is a mercy Lord that I have had the Prayers converse and instructions of so many of thy Ministers and People Lord recieve my soul one smile Lord one word of comfort for Jesus sake Oh let me not go out of this world let not my soul perish though I killed a poor innocent Creature Lord deal not with me as I dealt with her but pity me pity me for Jesus Christ sake Amen One asked him in the cart Well now Thomas how is it with your soul What sense have you of God's love He answered Sir I thank God through infinite mercy I find God loves me and that now I can chearfully go After his Cap was over his Eyes he used these Expressions Lord Jesus recieve my Spirit Lord one smile Good Lord one word of comfort for Christs sake though death make a separation between my soul and body let nothing separate between thee and my soul to all eternity Good Lord hear me Good Father hear me O Lord Jesus receive my soul VVhilst he did thus pathetically express himself to the people especially to God in prayer there was a great moving upon the affections of those who stood by and many tears were drawn from their eyes by his melting speeches All this was the more remarkable in this young man being under sixteen years of age when he was first apprehended After he was turned off the Cart he strugled for a while heaving up his body which a Young man his friend perceiving to put him quickly out of his pain struck him with all his might on the breast several times together then no motion was perceived in him and hanging some considerable time after that and as to all outward appearance dead insomuch as one said to another friend of his namely Mr. B. Now he is in Eternity and the people beginning to move away the Sheriff commanded him to be cut down and being receiv'd in the arms of some of his friends he was conveyed by them into a house not far distant from the place of Execution where being laid upon a Table unto the astonishment of the beholders he began to stir and breath and rattle in his throat and it was evident his life was whole in him from the Table he was carried to a bed in the same House where he breathed more strongly and opened his
those Tongues for madness it may be it would make thee think that an Oath is no such light matter You say Words are but wind but believe it this wind will rise to such a storm as will not be allay'd without deep repentance till it hath blown thee into hell Did you never read the third of Mal. ver 5. I will come near to Judgements and I will be a swift witness against the false swearers and such as fear not me saith the Lord of Hosts But you 'l say Your tongues are your own who is Lord over us Psal 12. 4. You shall hear one shortly that will answer that question and let you know that he is Lord over that and that your own tongue shall be made to condemn you But what is it that I see How does that swearing Wretch storm and rage there at me for telling him of his sins Come come sinner if you spare not God I promise you I will not spare you and I tell thee what thou hearest is nothing to what thou shalt feel 7. The next youthful lust that I shall mention is Drunkenness Do not many I wish old ones were not here too guilty act as if their business in this World was to eat and drink and take their pleasures The Devil bids them read that Text Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young and they are easily perswaded to take his counsel and so they drink and roar and consider not what a reckoning will be brought at last neither do they stand till they have read the latter part of that verse but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment Not considering the meaning of that whole Scripture which is but this go young man lye at the Taverns and Ale-houses do drink and be drunk but remember this you shall be damn'd for 't and God will make you take off t' other Cup whether you will or no and that is a Cup spiced with wrath and fury But you see not neither do you yet feel it and therefore you do but laugh at all this you say with those in Matth. 24. 19 My Master delays his coming and therefore you eat and drink with the Drunkards you say Let him talk till his heart akes I will never leave my pleasure for you Why man wilt thou then be desperate Dare you say I 'le drink though there be Death in the Pot though Hell be at the bottom of the Cup or do you think that God will be worse than his word and that though he threaten high yet he means no such matter O sinner deceive not thy self and if thou forget the rest carry home but that one Text Deut. 29. 9 10. If any one hear the word of this course and yet bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine own heart and add drunkenness to thirst the Lord will not spare him c. Do you read on and read it again and think of that Scripture the next time that you sit down to your Cups Little do poor Creatures think how dreadful a sin drunkenness is and how many it bringeth with it I 'le tell you of one story of my own knowledge and then I shall leave this A certain Drunkard that I knew very well when he was in drink quarrelled with his Fellow-servant and after a few words knocked him down with his Flail and killed him at one blow Afterwards by Friends he made shift to escape the Halter and comes home again and swears and curses and drinks at as high a rate as ever but at last when he was in the same yard where he did this Murder he dropt down dead in a moment and I was one of the first that saw him 8. Another youthful sin is Vncleanness Is not England too near a kin to France Do not many of our young ones act as if they took pattern by Sodom and had learned of Gomorrah Jeremiah made sad complaint Jer. 5. 7. And are we less guilty Doth not the Scripture speak plain enough against this sin though the Pope count it a venial fault yet those that are guilty of it will find that his Pardon will give them little ease when they are cast into a Bed of flames Sure our hot young men seldom read the book of Proverbs but act as if that simple young man Prov. 7. 10. did run no great hazzard what was it that brought Thomas Savage to Theft and Murder What brought him to that shameful death O how bitterly did he take on that he should ever see the face of that vile woman O! had he but considered whether he was going and that most of her Guests go to Hell had he but thought seriously how bitter that sin would prove I believe he would have lain in flames as soon as with that abominable woman Did none of you hear what he said when he was upon the Cart did none of you see with what earnestness he spoke why this was one great thing that he begged of you young ones as his dying request That you would have a care of this sin 9. The next youthful sin that I shall mention is Theft Drunkenness and Vncleanness are two costly sins especially the latter and poor Creatures are usually so bewitched with that that Credit Purse Body Soul and all must go rather than that beastly sin should not be gratified How many Servants are there that wrong their Masters imbezil their Goods and secretly wast them by the fore-mentioned sin and I believe I need not tell you what a Tragical end Theft hath That Prodigy of her Sex and disgrace of women could not be satisfied with Wine and Good cheer her Purse must be fed as well as her stinking Carcase What do you come hither said she for without money Why where shall I have it said he What hath your Master none replied that Monster Yes said he but I never wronged him neither can I. Nay said she if you be thereabouts come no more here But alas the poor Creature is insnared so that he cannot but go to ask Councel of this Daughter of the Devil how he should manage his matters so as to get that money which his Master had She makes a ready reply and adviseth to Murther the Maid to bury the theft O that unfaithful Servants would think of these things and now and then read that Scripture Tit. 2. 10. and Luke 16. 6. I should here speak something of the bloody sin of Murder but the word of God The Laws of men the Power of Conscience and the signal Judgments of God against such puts me in some hope that I need not much insist upon that I shall add but one sin more 10. Another youthful sin is Incorrigibleness How resolutely do most young ones go on in their sins How hardly brought so much as to debate the business soberly with themselves or others How do they flye in the face of them which reprove
lusts are you in good earnest friends and will you promise as in the presence of God that you will do what you can possibly to discharge your duty and to follow those directions that I shall give you In hopes that some are resolved by the help of God to do what in them lies for the keeping all under their charge from everlasting burnings I shall advise you 1. Be good your selves and labour to be paterns of Holiness and to shew your Children and Servants by your conversation that you your selves believe that there is a God an immortal soul heaven hell and eternity let your language be savoury and speak you to be one that hath been with Jesus Let your actions be regulated by the Word and endeavour to let them know that you are not in jest when you speak of God and their Souls Psal 10. 1 2. 2. I charge you as in the presence of God as you will answer the neglect of it at the bar of that great Judge take an exact account of your Servants how they spend their time what company they keep what they do upon the Sabbath and if you would make any thing of Religion be as careful that the Sabbath be spent in Gods service as the week-days in yours I could tell you of a Servant that was wont many a time and oft to complain of his Master and say If my Master had ever examined me the Text on the Lords day or called me to account where I had been or what I had heard I am perswaded I should never have come to so sad an end as I am now like to do 3. Instruct them oft in the matters that concern their eternal welfare Sirs tell them I beseech you with all the earnestness that you can for your lives of the danger of sin give them wholesome advice tell them of the necessity of Conversion allow them a little time to pray and read and let them know that you take notice of any thing that is good in them 4. Pray for them cry to the Lord mightily and say O that Ishmael may live in thy sight Lord hast thou not a blessing O my Father for me and mine O pitty dear Lord my children and my Servants and let all under my roof be of the Houshould of Faith and of the Family of the Lord Jesus And now once more I beg you to be in earnest 't will be the trueâ—t evidence of the truth of your Grace to be faithful in this work 'T will be your joy upon a Death-bed 't will be your Crown in another world Vse 5. One word by way of advice to you young people brethren you saw yesterday what it was to fall into youthfull lusts and to day you have hâ—â—rd something of the danger of these things Methinks by this time you should be in a rage 〈…〉 methinks you should all say Well now I will never â—pâ—â—â— the Sabbath day as I have done I 'le never come near the company of vile women this I hope shall be a warning unto me as long as I live Are you in sober sadness of this mind Oh that the Lord would keep this always upon your hearts O that you now may not get out into the cold world and shake of the sense of these things But do I not see some weeping eyes and aking hearts and what dost thou say poor soul O Sir I am the man you mean but is it possible for me to escape Hell I have lived in almost all these sins for many a year what shall I do I shall answer this honest request and the God of Love and Power set it home 1. Labour to be acquainted with the Principles of Religion be much in reading of the Scriptures search and you will find never a word there to encourage sin but all against it they will make you wise to salvation consult the word and you will escape the wrath to come which shall surely fall upon all those that live and dye in their sins Psal 119. 9. 2. Labour to understand wherein your happiness lies it lies not in Riches Pleasures and Honours but in the Favour of God Psal 4. 6. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof set your affections on things that are above and not on things below 3. To be sure keep the Sabbath strictly and attend upon a powerful Ministery Then is the time to buy provisions to live upon for ever 4. Keep good Company Get out of wicked mens society Mark those that walk soberly and that mind their souls and make much of them and beg an interest in their prayers and take their advice If you once grow weary of good company I shall have but little hopes of you and it 's a sign God means good to poor souls when they are very desirous to be in with them that are dear to God A warm Christian-companion O Sirs you cannot value him too highly 2 Cor. 15. 33. 1 Pet. 4. 4 Heb. 6. 12. 5. Take heed of sinning against Conscience Let Davids Prayer be yours Psal 19. 13. Keep back thy servant from presumptious sins let them not have dominion over me 6. Take heed of putting of Repentance remember now your Creator now is the acceptable time O if you value your lives make haste and delay not an hour but go and fall upon on your knees and beg of God to give you Repentance unto life Give God no rest day nor night till he have changed your heart and made you to see your need of a Christ and to give up your self to Christ O cry out this night A Christ dear Lord a Christ for my poor Soul or I am lost for ever Eclesc 12. 2. Psal 119. 62. 7. Be much in consideration Commune now and then with your heart and think seriously whither you are going and ask your soul what a condition it is in and what it hath to bear up against the fear of death and what provisions are made for Eternity look into your purse what money hast thou that will go currant in another world spend much time in thinking I askt this poor boy how he spent his time in prison he answered In praying reading and consideration 8. Neglect not prayer ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you be frequent and serious in this duty forget not secret prayer and look after your Prayers and be not content except you here of them again 9. Be diligent in your Callings be not slothful in your worldly business idleness is the devil's shop Rom. 11. 12. 10. Hold out to the end remember what they shall have that conquer resolve for Christ and Heaven upon any terms Well Sirs now my work is done have I been beating the air What shall become of these two Sermons yesterday you heard one out of the Cart and from the Gibbet and to day from the pulpit and what are you resolved to do what shall the tears prayers and entreaties of that dying young man be so soon forgotten if they are can the commands of the living God be so easily contemned Is there nothing in all that I have been speaking what are you still of the same mind that you were or are you not I say again I must leave you and a thousand to one whether I shall ever see you or speak to you more once more I charge you as you love your own Soul as as you fear the wrath of God and the flames of Hell Flee youthful lusts FINIS