Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	sin_n	sinner_n	3,110	5	7.5131	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28412	The Bloody murtherer, or, The unnatural son his just condemnation at the assizes held at Monmouth, March 8, 1671/2 with the suffering of his sister and servant, for the murther of his mother, Mrs. Grace Jones, for which the said son was prest to death, his sister burnt, and his boy hang'd : with a true accompt of their trials, penitent behaviour, prayers, speeches, and circumstances thereunto relating : with letters of several worthy divines.		1672 (1672)	Wing B3259; ESTC R18868	28,377	74

the purity of his hands propitiate for the filthiness of mine let his Blood spilt upon the Cross expiate for that which I have spilt upon the ground O! my heart bleeds within me I could endure a thousand torments but a wounded Conscience who can bear so wofull and so eternally miserable is my condition without the assistance of the Almighty thou art my succour and my terror but I fly from thee unto the from the Tribunal of thy Justice to the bosom of thy Mercy though the Wages of sin is death yet I beseech thee for thy Mercy sake free me though not from Temporal death yet from that which is Eternal that my Execution here may be my passing to Glory O! thou who willest not the death of a Sinner save my Soul though my sins be like Manasses numberless as the Sand like Davids Red as the Scarlet yet thou canst make me whiter than Snow wash me with Hyssop give me a sincere compunction and a perfect abhorrence of my wicked self that I may lay fast hold upon Christ through lively faith and repentance and then welcome torments and death it self then though I die I shall live to this end and purpose to enlighten my mind and dark understanding with those graces that are requisite for a dying man let thy preventing Graces keep me from the Devil my former confederate and now my adversary O! give me Grace not to yield any more to his suggestions Let him not betray my Soul but that I may stand upon my guard and baffle all his assaults that as he overcame me here I may live to conquer him and at my death triumph over him and all his Strategies Lord thou knowest the retirement of my Breast the secrets of my bosom pity my wofull Condition and lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me in order to the removal of this Clog upon my Conscience that I rightly understanding what I have committed may not deceive my self with the show of Repentance and finally through thy Grace and Mercy inherit the Kingdom which my Saviour purchased for me to whom be ascribed all Honour and Glory c. Of Contrition O Holy Lord God who art a Mercifull imbracer of true Penitents but yet a consuming fire to obstinate and perverse sinners shall I approach thee who have so many provoking sins to inflame thy wrath and so little sincere Repentance to incline thy Mercy O be thou pleased to soften and melt this hard and obdurate heart of mine that I may water my Couch with Tears that I may heartily bewail the Iniquities of my life and mourn for my Scarlet sins and blush for my hainous crime strike this Rock O Lord that the Waters may flow out even floods of Tears to wash my polluted Conscience my drowsy Soul hath too long slept securely in sin my life hitherto has been but a sinful dream Lord awake my Soul though it be with Thunder and let me rather feel thy terrors than not feel my sins thou hast sent thy son to heal the broken hearted but Lord what will that avail me if my heart be whole O break it that it may be capable of his healing virtue and grant I beseech thee that having once tasted the bitterness of my sin I may fly from it as from the face of a Serpent and take my Sanctuary in the Arms of my Saviour that I by the showers of thy Grace may bring forth the fruits of a sincere Repentance in the speedy amendment of my life to the praise of thy Name the Comfort of my Friends and the Eternal welfare of my Immortal Soul for Jesus Christ his sake Our Father c. For Patience O Lord God of our Salvation which art the God of Patience and Mercy and givest Comfort and consolation to those that are in misery and distress stay the unbridled Nature of my dear Wife who is now over-whelmed with misery sorrow and distress give her Patience and strengthen her feeble Nature in all discontentedness of mind doubts fears murmurings rage and furious actions in this life let no prophaness enter into her heart but grant her a stayed mind a grave sober and quiet disposition O! thou that so patiently peaceably mildly meekly truly and willingly didst suffer affliction persecution and many hainous and heavy sorrows for us I beseech thee let thy Patience discharge and rule her Impatience and let thine infirmities strengthen her weakness informe her Ignorance comfort her in sadness and affliction kindle her love and discharge and abandon her fear moderate her anger and passion O Lord grant her true Patience to bear thy Holy Will in all things O Lord her Heart bleeds within her she is brought very low even to the Gates of death though she be reviled reproached bespitted scoffed and abused let her bear it patiently and give her thy Grace and patience to take all in good part whatsoever shall befall her and let her heart acknowledge it to be thy doings and to come from thy Providence and our base unruly minds quiet her Soul in the many disquieting changes and chances in this world and open her Eyes now in her discomfort necessi and need that she may see hope and comfort in thee prosper her in all her endeavours and Actions and grant I beseech thee that she may obtain her hearty desire Make me O Lord a joyfull Mother and speak comfortably to her Soul and tell her that the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World will have Mercy upon her O Lord Jesus it is the Joy of her Heart to hear that thou hast taken and born all our infirmity I humbly mind thee for thy promises for the performance of them all that we may be partakers Prevent her from all evil that may befall her and tearm all things to the best for her good in thee and grant her Patience and thy will be done for Jesus Christ his sake who is the Son of thy Love and our only Saviour Jesus Christ in whose name I further call upon thee saying Our Father c. Besides he had with his own hand noted the most comfortable Promises and places fit for his Condition in the Bible writing down the words at large which since it may possibly be useful to some sin-sick Soul we have here also inserted them in the words of his own Paper as follows Psal 15.14 Deliver we from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation and my Tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness Let Tears run down like a River day and night give thy self no rest let not the Apple of thine eye cease Lam. 2 18 19. Arise cry out in the night in the beginning of the Watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord. Hos 13.9 Thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help Job 14.13 14. O that thou wouldst hide me in the Grave that thou wouldst keep me secret untill thy wrath be past If a

blood of Iesus and that he was going to take possession of Ioys unspeakable and endless ravish'd with the apprehension thereof he could not only go through but welcom the greatest pains that in this World could be inflicted George Bridges his unhappy servant stood his trial was found guilty of the Murther and condemned to be hang'd which was accordingly ex●cuted on Saturday March 16. last past He seemed very sorrowful and penitent and confessed he did cut his Mystriss's Throat after she was shot The Prayer used at his death was as follows A Prayer at the Execution of George Bridges O Eternal God and Father of mercies in much pity and compassion behold this weak and rrembling Malefactor who in all Humility begs the remission of his sins and follies who with shame and sorrow casts himself down at thy feet and confesses his manifold and insufferable wickednesses his ignorance of thy Law and contempt of holy duties his falshoods and lies dissimulations and hypocrisies cruelties and blood-guiltiness He confesses O God that he has deserved the heaviest of thy wrath to beseparated from the comforts of thy Presence and the Glories of thy Kingdom But blessed be thy Name that thou invitest sinners to thy ●elf and offerest them Pardon upon repentance that thou hast sent thy only Son into the World to die for such and ●ast promised salvation upon their true Confession and deep Humiliat on O holy God who art full of long-suffering ●nd patience have mercy upon this fearful miserable sinner ●nd pardon him his ignorance and anger and all the errors of his life and hear his earnest groans now in the time of his affliction and trouble O what shall we say to thee thou Preserver of men thou takest no pleasure in seeing the blood of thy children thou wouldst not have any to die in his transgressions O God of mercies pity and pardon this timorous dying person and clense his guilty soul in the blood of the immaculate Lamb which speaketh better things then that of Ahel Return O Lord deliver his soul O save him for thy mercies sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the Grave who shall give thee thanks Blessed God thou hast said thou wilt hear the prayer of two or three Will thou not attend unto the cries an● tears of a Multitude who are at thy Throne of grace in behalf of this poor wretch who by the Seductions of the devi● and his own hearts lusts was drawn to commit a black an● horrid wickedness to plot and contrive the de●th of hi● Mistriss and to lie in wait for her fall For thy Name-sak● O Lord pardon his iniquity for it is great The trouble of his heart are enlarged O bring thou him out of his d●stresses O most Gracious Father let not this sad and timerou● Sinner sink under the burden of his transgressions and cal●mities To thee alone he makes his complaint and Prayer And he trembles at thy judgements let not the evil Spiri● and his feares prevaile in the time of his trouble and sorrow and dissolution O God we beseech thee give thy afflicted servant a pe●fect and sound repentance and assurance of thy favour tell him that thou hast seal'd his Pardon to him with t●● blood of Jesus that thou hast accepted his Confession a●● hast heard his g●oans and that he shall quickly be tak●● from a miserable and sinful world to a Celestial Mansion 〈◊〉 dearest Lord take from thy poor and sinful servant all ino●dinate fear of death and give him earnest desires after C●lestial pleasures and when his soul shall take a farewel● this world let thy holy Angels carry it into the Regions eternal joy peace and felicities for Christ Jesus sake o● dearest Lord. In whose Name and words we further pra● Our Father c. As for Mary Jones though she from first to last protested her innocency yet it being proved Not only that she stay'd up for her brother that fatal Night the Murther was committed but that very Night washed his bloody Clothes beat the Chil●ren for enquiring after their Mother and since ●ndeavoring to flie for it all which was testified with several other circumstances by two credible Witnesses she also was hereupon found guilty as consenting to the Fact and condemned to be burnt Which Sentence was executed the same day that the Boy suffered viz. Mar. 16. she being drawn along with him on a Sledd and burned at a Stake nigh the Gallows She to the last insisted on her Innocence and gave Certificates thereof to several Persons under her own hand with most solemn Protestations and begged of the Lord on the day she was to die That he would please to shew some sign or token to clear her to the world which some will have to be Answered by the stubborn Horses refusal to go on with the Sledd when she came against the Church going to the place of suffering the falling down of part of the Church-wall then a strange Meteor and Storm with I know not how many other Prodigies but wiser men judge all these to be but raised stories or at best forced observations of some melancholy and credulous Heads 'T is certain her sex youth and vehement denial of being privy to the Fact were very powerful Advocates to plead for pity in the spectators breasts whose tears at her death seem'd almost enough to quench the flames she was exposed to she said not much at the stake but what ten●ed to declare her innocency in the particular fa● charged though having bin a grand sinner she a●knowledged she had otherwise duely deserved t● worst she could suffer And concluding her discour●● with a Protestation that she freely and heartily di● forgive all the world The Prayers following were put up for her as she sto●● at the Place of Execution a numerous throng acco●panying each word with sighs and tears A Prayer at the Execution of Mary Jones O Eternal and most merciful God who hast made the way 〈◊〉 troubles and afflictions the way to Jerusalem and everlasti●● pleasures Look in abundant mercy upon a sorrowful sin 〈◊〉 soul upon a wretched and vile sinner who hath none to he●● and deliver her O pardon and forgive her all her secret sin lusts and passions her averseness to religion and vertue and h●● want of love to Prayer and holy Offices to the Word of G●● and pious Christians her easie yieldings to the assaults of S●tan and violent resistings of the motions of thy Spirit H●● slavish fears and distrust of thy Providence her greediness of t●● world and neglect of the things above the omissions and lu●● warmness of her Prayers and whatsoever has provok'd the● lay this great punishment upon her O God we beseech thee 〈◊〉 ●●e be guiltie of the charged crime of taking away the lif● 〈◊〉 her Mother let a River of tears run down her cheeks and w●●● her clean in the blood of the Holy Jesus If she was not c●●scious to that fearful

me unhallow thy day and despise Religion the promises of God and Eternal felicities it was my filthy base and sordid covetousness which drew me to disobedience and blood guiltiness which cuts me off in the midst of my days O that I should be such a Son of Belial as to die my hands in the blood of my Parent that bore me upon her Knees and laid me in her bosom that I should be such a wretch as to side with the Devil and the unrighteous Mammon in taking away her life who groaned for me O the fulness of this deed of darkness which fills me with grief horror and astonishment but is there no Balm in Gilead no Physician there to heal a wounded spirit to support a sinking sinner O Father of Mercy though my goods and life is forfeited by this Hellish deed let not my hopes of Heaven be left and my precious Soul Thou O God of truth hast said it John 1.9 If we confess our sins thou art faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness And how unrighteous was I to send her out of the world who rejoyced greatly when I came into it I speak it Lord in the bitterness of my heart I am the vilest Son the bloodyest Villain that ever breathed in the Air. Never was Turk or Moor guilty of such horrid wickedness but thou seest my prost●ation and thou hast heard my groans put my Tears into thy Bottle are they not in the Books O searcher of Hearts thou knowst it is not life but unfaigned sorrow and Mercy that I implore Burn this my flesh wound and destroy it so that my Soul lie in the Arms of Jesus O wash me clean in that purple River which flowed from his side and let all my lusts be drowned in my sorrows Jer. 1.9 O that my head were Waters and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears that I might weep day and night O God of Patience and consolation look not upon the blackness of my crime but upon the wounds of thy Son who is mighty to save Isa 63.1 for his sake let my Prayer come before thee for my soul is full of troubles and my life draweth near unto the Grave Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy Glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of the bowels and of thy mercy towards me are they restrained O holy Jesus offer up my suit to thy Father and plead for a Soul who begs compunction of Spirit and thy loving kindness and the addition of a few days to my life that I may give testimony to my friends and the world that I am a penitent Murderer as David and Manasses and many more who now are in the City of God O most Gracious and Merciful Father who art unwilling that any should perish speak Peace to my troubled and guilty Soul and heal the gaping wounds which I have made in my Conscience and knock off my Chains of flesh and take me to thy self though I become least in the Kingdom of Heaven Ever blessed Jesus I humbly beseech thee to save the Soul of my servant whom I have drawn to the gates of death and misery by engaging him to joyn with me in spilling the blood of the Innocent for the horridness of which I cannot weep enough if my Tears would make a River and rise above its Banks and drown the Fields where I sinned O thou Prince of Peace look with a favourable Eye upon thy Servants who are bound in affliction and Iron may thy wounds satisfie for those which we have given and thy blood for that which we spilt and deliver us from the Eternal Prison the crime I confess was hainous and desperate but it was I O Lord it was I that did it lay not my sin to my Servants charge but pity and pardon him for thy name sake and deliver him from the spirits of darkness and eternal damnation O my dear Saviour though we suffer here an ignominious death and become objects of scorn and derision spectacles to men and Angels do thou hear and help and forgive us that we may shortly dwell in the blessed Regions where we shall never sin nor sorrow more Do it for thy everlasting Mercy sake most Merciful Saviour Jesus in whose name and words we further pray Our Father c. O Lord I know not what to pray for as I ought let thy Spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer a Spiritual Sacrifice unto thee by Jesus Christ O Most Gracious and Glorious Lord God the Saviour of the world who art infinitely holy and happy and it is from thee I must expect the possibility of being either the vilest of thy Creatures or the unworthiest among such as own a God I do humbly prostrate my self before thee confessing from the bottom of my heart that I have transgressed my duty towards thee my Neighbour and my self and that by neglecting to do those things that thou hast expresly forbidden and this not through ignorance and frailty but knowingly and willingly against the motions of thy Spirit and the checks of my own Conscience to the contrary and to my shame I confess that I have lifted up violent hands against her that bore me being the Instrument to take away that life whence I derived my own such is the terror of my sin the stain of my polluted Conscience that nothing but the blood of my Redeemer can wash it I am troubled for my sins and my thoughts are disquieted within me I pant for mine heaviness and all the day long I groan for my offences Psal 15.14 Deliver me from guiltiness O God and in mercy save my Soul And since my life hath hitherto been a president for the height of pride and cruelty my actions to this remainder of my life did loudly say there is no God since the Devil h●● tempted me to destroy my body O give me Grace to beguile him of my Soul let me henceforth be the more diligent and careful as I have been hitherto remises and wilfull my misery is unspeakable O let me not loose my Relations and Soul too but grant me I implore thy goodness a sincere Contrition a hearty confession and Repentance which thou hast promised Mercy and Pardon I have sinned with Peter and David O! give me their heart-melting sorrow and Salvation make me a great Penitent as I have made my self a great sinner let my Tears not only confess but my heart change from a brutish to a Christian temper that I out of due sense of my horrid Impiety and a serious apprehension of my guilt which lies before me may with all earnestness of Spirit with all vigour and resolution beg and at last obtain Mercy for Christ his sake who dyed upon the Cross to save sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1.15 O! heal my Soul by his wounds let his Innocence attend for my guilt

man die shall he live again All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my Change come Psal 88.2 3 9 10 12. Let my Prayer com● before thee incline thine ear unto my cry For my Soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the Grave Mine Eye mournet● by reason of affliction Lord I have called dail● upon thee I have stretched out mine hands unt● thee Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall the Dead arise and praise thee shall thy wonders be known in the dark and thy Righteousness in the Land of forgetfulness Psal 6.1 4 5. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure Return O Lord deliver my Soul O save me for thy Mercy sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the Grave there is no giving thanks unto thee Psal 15.5 Behold I was born in sin and in Iniquity did my Mother conceive me Psal 25.11 Against thee O Lord have I sinned against thee even thee O Lord have I sinned and done wickedly and Lord pardon mine Iniquity for it is exceeding great John 6.37 And he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 2 Sam. 12.9 13. David said to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan said to David the Lord also hath put away thy sin Isa 45.18 19. I said not to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will abundantly pardon Ezek. 18.23 30 32. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord and not that he should turn from his ways and live Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so Iniquity shall not be your ruine for I have no pleasure in him that dyeth wherefore turn your selves and live Mica 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardonest Iniquity and passeth by transgression that retainest not thy anger for ever and delightest in Mercy Mat. 18.11 the Son of man is come to save that which was lost 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous his Imaginations and return to the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he is ready to forgive Isa 57.10 I have seen his ways and will hear him I will lead him and restore comfort unto him and to those that lament Psal 103.13 As a Father hath compassion on his Children so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him Psal 144.3 Lord what is man that thou takest Knowledge of him or the Son of man that thou makest account of him Job 16.21 22. O that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleaded for his Neighbour When a few days are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return In this manner this penitent Malefactor passed the time in a very sorrowfull and Religious frame of Spirit for about half a year in Prison untill the last assizes for Monmouth the seventh of March last past at which time being brought to his Tryal out of consideration as 't is believed to save his Estate for his VVife and Child whereof she was there ready to be delivered he would not plead to the Indictment but stood mute and thereupon had Judgment to be pressed to death a Sentence that carryes with it so much of terrour that we think it not improper to set it down with the Reason thereof as one published by that grand Piller of your Law the learned Lord Cook in the second Book of his Institutes in his Comment on Prim. Westm Cvp. 12. The Judgement or Sentence in case of standing mute called Pain Fort Dure THat the Prisoner shall be remanded to the Prison and laid there in some low and dark house where he shall lie naked on the bare Earth without any Litter Rush or other Cloathing and without any Garment about him but something to cover his Privities and that he shall lye upon his back his head uncovered and his feet and one Arm shall be drawn to one quarter of the house and the other Arm to another quarter and in the same manner shall be done with his Legs and there shall be laid upon his Body Iron and Stone as much as he can bear and more and the next day following he shall have three Morsels of Barley without any Drink and the second day he shall drink thrice of the water that is next to the house of the Prison except running water without any Bread and this shall be his diet untill he be dead Thus we see they are to die three manner of ways viz. Onere Fame Frigore by weight famine and cold and therefore if executed according to the severity of the Law 't is a punishment of all others the most grievous and fearful the reason of this terrible Judgment is there rendred because he refused to stand to the common Law of the Land that is Lawful and due Tryal according to Law and thereupon his punishment for this contumacy is more severe lasting and grievous then it should have been for the crime it self if he had been Convicted of it which he cannot be without Answer THis Action of Mr. Jones standing mute administred occasion to some to dispute its lawfulness and theteupon a very Judicious Casuist drew up the ensuing Case of Conscience CASE OF CONSCIENCE Whether a guilty Malefactor ought to Answer to the lawful Demands of his Judge Affirmatur Because 1. He cannot deny a Truth whereof he is himself Convicted without Lying nor can he deny or any way detract from his Duty of Answering being demanded by a superiour and lawful Power without being likewise guilty of Contumacy and sad Inobedience 2. A Malefactor who is condemned already in foro Conscientiae cannot without remorse deny nor indeed wave or conceal his Confession when he is Juridice demanded without giving offence to the glory of God as it was in the Case of Achan Josh 7.19 3 The publick Good which is intended by the lawful demands of the Judge ought not to be frustrated Give me leave to speak conscienciously by the private evasions of the Criminal 4. The Person guilty not pleading may be supposed to die for his Crime of Contumacy not the Fact which requires satisfaction in this life 5. All humane Policy when repugnant to the manifestation of Justice legal Procedure and the Convictions of a tender though doubtful Conscience is altogether unallowable But to proceed in our Narrative The same way that was appointed for putting the before-recited terrible Sentence in Execution March 11 last he writ to his Wife as followeth Henry Jones his last Letter to his wife Dearest Deare AFter my hearty prayers to the

escapes lest thereby they provoke the Justice of God to give them to commit some great and monstrous wickedness as he had done and thereby brought himself to this untimely and infamous death Finally he desired all that were present to be earnest with God in his behalf for mercy and acceptance in Christ Iesus Taat he might be patient in the pangs of his sufferings and receive everlasting tonsolation whereupon a godly Divine there present made this ensuing Prayer The Prayer said at Henry Jones his Execution O Almightie God Lord if Heaven and Earth Judge of Angels and men give leave to a vile wretched and dejected soul to come into thy Presence who deserves nothing but plagues and tormentts fire and brimstone Permit a trembling Malefactor to look towards thy Mercie-Seat and for the Holy Jesus sake attend unto his Cry and hear the voice of his tears O eternal Goodness if thou for sakest him the vast weight of his sins will sink him into desperation His state is most sad and deplorable and there is none to deliver him let thy tender mercies speedity prevent him for he is brought very low He is astonished at the sight of his iniquities which are great and numberless O L rd support him with thy blessed Arms or he will fall into a S●a of miserie and never rise again Fears and terrors surround him and the evil spirits watch for his ruine may he not a gr●e●ous sinner beg one drop of comfort wh● is readie to perish may he not pray to th●● in the time of his distress and calamity when thy fierce wa●es are coming over his fainting troubled soul He is afflicted and readie to die Oh wilt thou ●e angr●e with him fo●●ver wilt thou draw out thine anger unto all generations Most gracious God give him leave to lie at thy sacred feet and bewail himself a little before he desc●nd into his graue wh re there is no repenting give him leave to confess his iniquity and beg thy favour that he may not go down into the Regions ●f darkness and dwell with devils for thou willest no● the d●ath of sinners thou takest no pleasure in their torments O 〈◊〉 W●ll-spring of life and saluation who hast promised Pa●don to the Penitent let the fighing of the Prisoner come before thee whose heart is melted in the midst of his bowels He confesses O Lord his pride and prophaneness and contempt of thy G●sp●l that he has been greedie of the world and distrusted thy Pr●v●dence that he has made haste to be rich and ruin●d himself that it was his base and sordid covetousness which drew him into disobedience and blood-guiltinesse which 〈◊〉 him off in th● midst of his days 〈…〉 O that he should be such a son of Belial as to die his hands in the blood of his Parent that bore him upon her Knees and laid him in her Bosome thdt he should be such a Wretch as to side with the devil and the unrighteous Mammon in taking away her life who brought him into the World O the foulness of this deed of darkness which fills him with grief horrour and astonishment But is there no Balm in Gilead no Physician there to heal a wounded spirit to support a sinking sinner O Father of mercies though his life is forfeited by this Hellish Act let not his H●pes of Heaven be lost and his precious soul Thou O God of Truth sayst If we confess our sins thou art faithful and just to forgive them And he acknowledges O Lord in the bitterness of his soul that he is the vilest bloudiest Villain that ever breath'd in thy Air that no Turk or Moor has been guilty of more horrid Wickedness but thou seest his Prostration thou hast heard his g●●ans O put his tears into thy bottle are they not in thy Book O Searcher of all hearts thou knowest 't is not life but mercy which he implores Do what thou pleasest with his vile body but let his soul we beseech thee lie in the Arms of Jesus O wash him clean in that purple stream which flowed from his side and let all the sins of this po●r M l●factor be drowned in a flood of sorrow O that h●s Head was waters and his Eyes a Fountain of tears O God of patience and consolation look not upon the blackness of his crime but upon the wounds of thy Son who is mighty to save O that he may have a share in his death and intercession For Iesus sake let his Prayer come before thee for his soul is full of troubles and his life draweth nigh unto the Grave Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory O Holy Iesus offer up our suit to thy Father and plead for a soul who begs Compunction of spirit and thy loving-kindness which is better then life that he may declare he is a Penitent Murderer as David Manasses and many others now in thy Kingdom O most gracious Lord who art unwilling that ●●y should perish speak Peace to this troubled guil y soul and heal the gaping wounds which he has in his heart knock off his chains of flesh and take him unto thee though he be the least in thy Kingdom Ever-blessed Iesus we humbly beseech thee also save the soul of his poor ignorant servant whom he hath drawn to the Gates of death by engaging him to joine with him in spilling the blood of the innocent for the h rridness of which Fact they cannot weep enough if their tears could make a River and rise above its banks and drown the Field where they sinned O thou Prince of Peace look with an eye of mercie upon these Wretches who are bound in affliction and iron may thy wounds satisfie for those which they have given and thy blood for that which they have spilt and save them from the eternal Prison Pity and pardon them and deliver them from the spirits of darkness and everlasting damnation O our dearest Saviour though this poor vile and dejected Sinner suffers an ignominious death and becomes an object of scorn and derision to many a Spectacle to men and Angels do thou bear help and save his immortal soul for thy everlasting mercies sake most merciful Saviour Iesus in whose Name and words we further pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. This Prayer ended the Prisoner kneeled down and prayed near a quarter of an houre softly by himself and then was put into the Press which whether it were not made convenienr for that purpose or whether for the detestableness of his Crime it was intended he should suffer the rigour of the Law I know not but certain it is That he lay therein almost two days and nights before he was dead and yet endured it with that courage and patience as became one that was sensible his sins deserved infinitely more grievous torments or rather one that had the assurance of faith that his sins were washed away in the