I Considering that being now summoned to a speedy ap­pearance before the impartial and most dreadful tribunal of the just and Righteous Judge of all the Earth, there to answer for those many and heinous sins visible in my vicious and ill lead Life: [Page 22]I hold my self obliged to enter into a narrow search, and a very close Inspection of my heart, and all my ways; indeed are great and many, so great that they justly bring my body to shame and ruine, and my Soul, (if God have not mercy upon it) to endless misery.

These general Considerations have almost distracted my thoughts; yet I cannot find any rest, till I have made a more diligent search, a more distinct and particular discovery of all that wickedness that has been dam'd up in my heart. My sins have now found me out, and Gods Justice has overtaken and arrested me. So that now be­ing to be made a spectacle of shame to the world, I leave these [Page 23]as a warning behind me, that all who hear, or read them may fear to do wickedly.

Let the consideration of my unhappy condition, add weight to my words.

Dying men surely will not dissem­ble, and put the World off with shams and lyes; I will speak the Truth to God's Glory and my own shame.

I confess then that the Hand of Heaven has been exceeding Bountiful to me; he has given me all things richly to enjoy. I had no reason to murmur, as if my Portion had been sparing, either in Spiritual or Temporal things.

For, First, I came of very Ho­nest and Godly Parents, who took great care to bring up their Children to know their Duty toward God and Men. But I, the worst of all (after my good Father and Mother had instilled what Goodness they could into me) would not thank­fully receive the Grace of God tendered to me, to Cultivate and Rectify my Rude Nature, nor be subject to their wholsome in­structions, but followed the No­tions of my corrupt Heart, sel­dom served God, but often doing the Devils drudgery, sometimes diverting my self by excessive Drinking, sometimes Gameing, and other Immoral Exercises, till I became a Monster in Sin, and an Hero in Iniquity. Now Nature which blushed at a Sin, [Page 25]and at first made modest Refu­sals, is become impudent, and bare faced, and sticks not at the Vilest Perpetration. Now Con­science, which was tender and sensible, is, by my repeated im­prudences, become Callous, and past seeling.

Little did I think of after­olaps, that there was so much bitterness in the seemingly de­licious Draughts of Sin; I was not aware of these furious [...]up­tions, and violent Thunderings of an injured mind.

But this was my course of Life, while a single Man.

When I was about Eighteen or Nineteen Years Old, I began to think of Marriage, and at length got me a Wife, descended from Honest Parents, who was well inclined, and frequently impor­tuned me to be so too; often so­liciting me to go to Church, and spend the Lord's Day in his Ser­vice, but I was altogether deaf to her Pious Councels, and fol­lowed my own heady Humour, and finding by my Extravigant Courses, that my Substance wast­ed, and I began to be in penury and want, I betook my self to the last shift, which usually loose Livers do, namely, To List my self for a Soldier; I was not long in that imploy, but I began to think of getting a Discharge, which I did; but when returned [Page 27]Home, I could not settle to any business, whereby to get an honest lively-hood; but alienating my Affections from my Wife, (per­fideous wretch that I was!) I soon contracted with another Woman, who, in a little time, discovered my Villany, and with too much reason feared her Life would be miserable with me; for that if I could violate my Sacred Vows in Matrimony, it was her just suspicion I should prove false to her, and so I did; for I took no care to provide for her, nor for the Issue of her Body, but run into daily Extravigancies.

All therefore that I can do, by way of Reparation for the Inju­ries I have done to these miserable Women is, heartily to beg their Pardon, to beseech God to bless [Page 28]and keep them from such base and inhuman usage for the fu­ture.

You that know not the depths of Satan, and make light of some sins, especially the to too fashion­able sin of uncleanness; beware in time, as you love your Souls. Delude not your selves with these vain Thoughts and Arguments, I will only commit such and such a sin, and stop at such a state in wickedness, and proceed no fur­ther. By these Decoys I have plunged my Soul into this great Thraldome. Therefore do not thus provoke God as I have done. For when once Men arrive to such a height of imprudence, as to cast off all awful Apprehensions of God, they are readily prepared to commit all manner of Wicked­ness, and insensibly plunge them­selves [Page 29]into manifold Mischeifs. Let my down-fall then scare you into a Reverential fear of God; or otherwise; if my Fate be not yours, yet hell will be your after-reward, from which, I hope the good God, for Christ Jesus sake will deliver me.

As I am a Monument of shame, an object of Scorn, and redicule of Mankind, so I am the subject of my own sorrows, I weep, la­ment, and bewail the Fruits of my Folly; but let none so rejoice at my misery, as to forget themselves, and run into mischiefs forbidden. Believe it, a wounded Conscience in this Life, is an insupportable Burden, but will prove a never Dying Worm in the World to Come, it will be gnawing and griping to eternal Ages. If you [Page 30]were but sensible of the bitter Agonies and strong Convulsions which have seized and over­whelmed me, as the just effects of a vicious Life, you would be afraid of sin, and dread every incentive to it. Pray credit my experience; to be summoned be­fore an earthly Judg, to be Ar­reigned and Tried for Life, to be pronounced by the Virdict of the Jury, guilty of Death, to be Tyed up, and sentence past ac­cordingly; these are affrighting, and amasing considerations, which cease the Spirits, and put the Powers into confusion; but I am able to give you assurance, that these are by vast degrees inferiour to that Consternation which arrests my trembling and guilty Soul, at the consideration of its sudden appearance before the Judgment [Page 31]Seat of Christ, upon whom I entirely depend, and hope will shew Mercy upon me, as he has promised he will upon all Penitent and Believing Sinners.

That therefore you may avoid the Shame, Reproach, and Ig­nominy, which I endure; be prevailed with to Keep Holy the Sabbath Day, which I too much Neglected, and which was an Inlet to all the Sins I am guilty of. Let not one Sin get the Ascendant over you, for one attracts another, a second, a third, and so on, even to an infinite number.

When once a Man gives way to the insinuations, and fair pretences of any one Vice, he is in­sensibly wrought upon by ano­ther, and at length becomes sub­servient to those sins he had the [Page 32]least thoughts of, and most aver­sion from. I shall instance in my Self.

When first I entered upon a Sinful Course, I thought no wrong to any one, I was only injurious to my self, pestering my Body with Diseases by ex­cessive Drinking, wasting my Substance by immoderate Ga­ming; but being reduced to Po­verty thereby, I was tempted to supply my Extravigances by Pilfering and Stealing from others, and, at length, to be instrumen­tal in the Murthering of a Man, for which I now stand justly Condemned to Dye.

Though I did not actually Murder him, nor knew nothing of his Death, till I came down Stairs from Rifling; yet I hold [Page 33]my Self equally Guilty with those who did.

And I beseech God to Pardon this presumptuous, inhumane Act, Deliver me from Blood-guil­tiness, and accept of my late Re­pentance for all the Sins commit­ted in my Life. Amen.

Sinners remember the Expressi­ons of a Dying Man, let them sink deep, and be perpetual warnings to you. Here ends the Confession of Robert Maynard.

It may reasonably be presumed, that if men are not void of Natural Modesty, and bidden adieu to all seriousness, these lines will affect them, and Spirit them with resolu­tion against the sins which were the ruin and entire overthrow of this poor Creature; who was willing to expose his indigested Papers, to publick view, that they might timely prevent wicked men from falling into endless misery; and certainly if such Pathetick Argu­ings of a Dying Man, be not pow­erful and influential; it is much to be feared, that men are hardned against reproof, and impregnable to good advice. Dying men, who are seized with a quick and peirc­ing sense of their sins, speak with most feeling, and least affectation. They tell us plainly, that sin is plea­sant but for a very little time, that it puts Conscience into strong Con­vulsions, [Page 42]and Creates a very Hell within a Man's self; that it har­dens him against serious Exhortati­ons, makes him forget God and his Soul; and without infinite Mercy will crush him into the Regions below, where do dwell Devils and Damned Fiends. Who can be better judges of this than they who experience the woful effects of sin? And who more obdurate than they who securely live in sin, notwith­standing such affectionate warn­ings? I shall therefore make use of this opportunity.

First, To perswade Parents that they take care to bring up their Children in the fear of God; that they instil the Principles of the Christian Religion into their Chil­dren betimes, while they are ten­der and flexible, and subjective to the Admonishments of their Friends. It is a sad consideration [Page 43]that Fathers and Mothers are so generally negligent of this most Christian Duty; and suffer their Children to grow up with no bet­ter an Education than corrupt Na­ture gives them. How often do we hear little Creatures, whose tongues are scarce strong enough to pro­nounce their Mother Language, take God's Name in vain? Tho they are not sensible of the evil of such Profane Expressions, yet their Parents should Correct them, and they by a constant observation of their severity, would soon learn to avoid the taking of God's Name into their Mouths, at every turn, tho not out of a sense of their duty to God; yet out of fear of Punish­ment, Train up a Child, says the Wise Man, in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it; that is, initiate, or instruct him; First, according to his Ca­pacity: [Page 44]Or rather, Secondly, in that course and manner of Life which thou wouldst have him to chuse and follow, or as some render it, in the beginning of his way, i. e. in his tender years, as soon as he is capable of Instructi­on; and when grown to Maturi­ty, he will not easily deviate from his early Institution; the impres­sions made in Childish years will remain; not but that he may fall off, and become a Reprobate; but for the most part, a timely and Pious Education, produces a future Religious Deportment. And to encourage Parents to this duty of well Educating their Children, let them consider, that this is an immediate way to procure God's Blessings upon their Families; to make their Children, when grown up, to do good in their Generation; to be serviceable and useful to them [Page 45]when Aged, or reduced to Pover­ty: But above all, this Christian care will be matter of great com­fort when they come to Dye.

2. Let Masters also be watch­ful over their Servants, pressing them by their Religious Examples to an holy Life. Masters are as answerable to God for their Ser­vants, as Parents are for their Children. And this considered, they should keep them in a Reli­gious awe, learn them to be so­ber and modest, Exhort them to whatsoever things are Just, Honest and of good Report. Call upon them to joyn in Family-Devotion, to frequent the Church; restrain them from the looser sort, oblige them to be meek and Courteous. Were Masters of Families thus Consciencious, Servants would be more Faithful in their Posts; it is [Page 46]thus expressed in the Whole Duty of Man, pag. 314. 'Masters are to Admonish and Reprove their Servants in case of faults, and that not only in faults against them, wherein few masters are backward; but also, and more especially in faults against God, whereas every master ought to be more troubled than at those which tend only to his own loss, or inconvenience; the dishon­our of God, and the hazard of the meanest mans Soul, being infinitely more worthy our dis­quiet, than any thing of the other kind can be. And therefore when masters are presently on fire for any little negligence or fault of a Servant towards themselves, and yet can without trouble see them run into the greatest sins against God, 'tis a sign they con­sider their own concernments too [Page 31]much, and God's Glory, and their Servants Souls too little. Such Masters forget that they must one day give an Account how they have governed their Fami­lies.

Religion was never at a lower Ebb than now, which speaks that Men were never more in­sensible of their miserable State. But Methinks this should be a Paradox, since our City abounds with Learned and able Divines, who are daily ringing Men in the Ears with the danger of sin, and the necessity of a speedy and time­ly Conversion. But such is the absurd folly of men, they are, as it were, glutted with Divinity, and think they are too much im­portuned to be happy. But can cautions in matters Spiritual be too often Published? Does not the [Page 32]Souls of Men call for Admoniti­ons and Perswasions, and the ut­most diligence that can be used, to prepare them for the Embraces of the Father of Spirits? Is any thing of that worth, as the Soul? For this Christ did Sweat and Groan, and Bleed and Die.

Sirs, consider, that to lose the Soul, is to lose all and no redeem­ing it, after the fatal Sentence is past upon it. Confider what a terrible thing it will be to be doomed to eternal Misery, to be shut up with Devils and damned Fiends in the unhappy Residen­ses of endless Torments. Who can dwell with everlasting burn­ings? Who can endure to be Rackt, and Stung, and Griped for ever, without Redemption? Be therefore perswaded to for­sake your Sins, whilst you have strength to commit them; do [Page 33]not procrastinate, and shift off your Repentance to hereafter, lest before that time come, you be unexpectedly Arrested, stript into naked Spirits, and set a shore upon the other invisible World. It is strange that men must be Courted to be Happy! They are industrious enough to get Tem­poral Riches, eager of Worldly Honour, or any thing which may render their Lives Comfortable, Easy, and Desirable; and yet very backward in laying up Treasure in Heaven: This is a Work so unsuitable with the hu­mour of the Age, so vastly differ­ent from those acquisitions which the greatest part of the World study for and seek after, that it is lookt upon a very stupid, me­lancholly, lifeless imployment. Time enough, say they, to think of another Life, when we have [Page 35]nothing else to do; when our senses decay, and cannot relish outward Delights, when our Bo­dies are bound down to a state of inactivity by the Violence of Kill­ing Diseases; when the Physician gives over Prescribing, and there is no apparent hopes of Recovery. But what a pernicious suggestion is this; who can assure himself of Grace to Repent at such a time? For besides the Prevalency of vi­cious Habits, which are great ob­structions to Repentance, it is but just with God to deny his Grace at the last gasp to those who have obstinately refused the merciful repeated tenders of it all their life time. With all the manifest impru­dense of Delays, is it reasonable to suppose that God will accept of our lame, imperfect Services, a faint, Lord have mercy upon me, a few extorted Prayers, and hasty resolu­tions, [Page 34]after Satan has quaffed our Youthful Blood, and has imploy­ed us in his drudgery in our Health and Strength?

You therefore that put the evil day afar off, and reckon upon Re­pentance when you come to Dye; consider, that tho God has revealed to men that they shall certainly Dye once, yet he has not acquaint­ed them at what time; it may be sooner or later; nor yet after what manner, it may be a Lethargy may seize thee, and so all thy Powers and descerning Faculties stupified, and thou insensible of thy depar­ture. Or it may be a violent Fea­ver may affect thy Brain, and thou not name the name of God, but in Oaths and Curses, and thus leave the World. So that, since the time of our Departure hence is uncertain, since the manner and circumstances of our Exit, is kept [Page 36]as a secret from us, it is the greatest folly in the world to put off the business of our Souls to hereafter. The time present is that alone we can properly call our own, to mor­row, next week, or month, are uncertainties; before this, we may be stript, and sent into the other World. Work therefore whilst it is called day, for the night comes wherein no man can work.

I hope this short application may have its designed effect upon all that read it, to the Glory of God, the well-governing of their Lives, and the Eternal Comfort of their Souls.