A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder preached…

Behold Jesus Christ is for thy sake come into this place this day, this Sabbath, this thy last Sabbath, which should therefore be a great Day to thee, and here He stands, & cries to thee, that •f thy guilty soul be heated & scorched by God's Anger and made thirsty after Righteousness which may put out that flame, & allay that heat, and in which thou mayst be found in that day, Lo, here it is for thee; Open thy mouth wide, and He will abundantly satisfy thee. Hear Christ saying to thee, Thou condemned Malefactor, I pity thy ⟨p. 103⟩case, my bowels do yearn over thee, and that dye thou must by a violent death, as to the taking away thy bodily life, yet I profess I have no delight in thy destruction, I have no pleasure in thy death, and […] thou dye Temporally, I would have thee live Eternally. Again, hear the same Lord Jesus asking thee & expostulating the case about thy soul, What doest thou mean to do with thy soul? Whither▪ shall it go, when it leaves thy body? what care hast▪ thou taken about it? I'm afraid but little hitherto. Hast thou provided a place of rest for it? Why if thou be at a loss (and it is a good step to thy being found if thou dost feel thy self lost) if thou art afraid lest the devil should get it at last, whose slave thou hast too much bin all thy days and art willing to be effectually eased of that fear, why then, (faith Christ) Give it me, while it is yet thy own soul and thou art possessor of it, let me have it alienated unto Me; it is indeed a silly, sorry, guilty, bloody soul, but be it as it is, give it me, I know how to take & wash & cleanse & keep & save it. Don't deny me, I have often asked thy heart & soul of thee, and could never yet get a grant of thee I ask it once more, and it is one of the last times that I shall ask it, and I came this day into this Ordinance on purpose to be sp•ke thy soul that I may have it for my self, and save it for thee. Why thus is Christ urging, entreating, pleading with thee, & even forcing himself upon thee by His Importunity. How canst thou send Him away ⟨p. 104⟩grieved for want of His Errand! Especially consider that if thou do not voluntarily & freely (Oh pray hard that in this day of power He will make thy soul a willing soul) give thy soul to Christ presently, the Devil will have it quickly whether thou wilt or no.