AT the late Seſſions of Gaol-Delivery, Held in the Old-Bayly, the 10th 11th 12th and 13th. Days of December. Amongſt 18 others that recieved ſentence of Death: One of the Perſons of whom we now give a more particular Account is John Hutchins, who was Indicted for the Murder of John Sparks, a Waterman in Fleet-ſtreet, on the 3d. of December. It appeared on his Tryal that Sparks with two of his Companions coming from a place where they had been about Buſineſs, met with the ſaid Hutchins, who was in Company with two Women, one of whom Sparks in way of jeſt ſtroaked on the Belly, at which Hutchins was ſo far Enraged, that he run the Deceaſed party through the Thigh, of which Wound he inſtantly Died: Upon which the ſame being proved againſt him, he was found Guilty.

After his Condemnation the ſaid John Hutchins, On Monday the 15th. of this Inſtant December, 1684. Confeſſed freely of himſelf, he had been a great Sinner in many Reſpects, But that he was not Guilty of the Murder for which he ſtands Condemned. The Ordinary replied, that he did not believe his Denyal of the Crime to be True, • ecauſe it was proved upon him by ſeveral Witneſſes, who being upon their Oath, Credit is to be given to them; in as much as Perjury is ſo Heinous and Soul hardning a Sin, that Repentance for it is very Difficult, and therefore it Hazards the Eternal Happineſs of the Soul. Hutchins replied, that tho he could not be Credited in his purging of himſelf as to the Murder, yet he had many ways greatly provoked Gods Anger againſt him. Upon this free inclination to a Confeſſion in the General, the Ordinary aſſured him that he added a deeper Malignity to all his other Sins, if he ſtood out in the denial of the Murder, and yet was conſcious in the leaſt of it. Yet he ſtill denied it, tho he was urged to deal Ingenuouſly and ſincerely, as a Dying Man, whoſe Repentance would be much hindred and queſtioned as to the Truth of it, if he proceeded to Extenuate, much more to deny the Fact. So when the Ordinary for that preſent could not prevail to bring him to an Acknowledgement in that Reſpect, he proceeded to enquire into his Education, Trade, and manner of his former Converſation. He ſaid that he was Born in a place called Abbot-Sally, ſix Miles from Taunton in Sommerſet-ſhire, Deſcended of Parents who lived in Reputation, and of a plentiful Eſtate; that he was the Eldeſt Son, but being Extravagant in his Converſation, he much Diminiſhed that Eſtate which was left him; that he was ſo Profuſe, that having waſted moſt or all of it, he was forced to betake himſelf to the condition of a Souldier; That he Liſted himſelf under Sir George Booth, when he appeared in Publick Service, for the Aſſerting of his Loyalty to the King; That afterward he betook himſelf to ſome other Imployment, but ſoon quitted it; And then falling into bad Acquaintance, he grew negligent of his Duty to God, and by degrees very Intemperate: That he alſo was addicted to Lying and Swearing; that he ſeldom Prayed to be kept free from the Temptations of Satan, and the Luſts of his own Heart; that he had often Prophaned the Sabbath Day, and by his Exceſs had deeply run himſelf into Debt, upon this he was caſt a Priſoner into the Marſhalſea, where he continued for a long time, and was relieved by the Charity of ſeveral Worthy Perſons, yet miſpent that which was given to him; that he had a great fit of Sickneſs, out of which if he Recovered, he Vowed to God that he would Reform his Looſe Converſation: Yet contrary to his Reſolution, he continued very Vain and Regardleſs of anſwering the Goodneſs of God, in reſtoring him to his Health. This he ſaid lay as an heavy Burthen on his Conſcience, by calling to mind that Counſel and Charge of our Bleſſed Saviour to the impotent Man, who had lain at the Pool of Betheſda 38 Years Jo. 5.14. Behold thou art made Whole, Sin no more, leaſt a worſe thing come unto thee.

He alſo ſaid, that he Believed that for ſinning againſt the clear and ſtrong Convictions of his Conſcience, God left him to run into further Wickedneſs; and that the Sentence of Death juſtly overtook him, becauſe within a few Days before he was Apprehended for the Murder, he lay under this horrid Imprecation on himſelf, that the Vengeance of God might light upon him, if he did not forbear to go into the Company of a Perſon with whom he was at Variance. Yet he did Aſſociate after with that very Perſon

On Tueſday, the 16th of this Inſtant Mr. Ordinary, took the ſaid Hutchins apart from the reſt of the Condemned Priſoners and after Counſel and Prayer almoſt Two hours with him; He then Inquired into the frame of Hutchins's Heart, how he ſtood prepared for his Execution on the morrow, being Wedneſday and what hope he had of a future Happy State. He anſwered only in Generalities and looſe uncertain hopes. The Ordinary told him, that It was no wonder he was doubtful of his Salvation, whereas he did not perform the conditional requiſite preparations for it: For God in ſacred Scripture affirms, that he who endeavours to hide extenuate or deny any Sin ſhall not proſper, but rather draw the ſeverity of Divine Juſtice on himſelf. The Ordinary entreated him to be open and free in the confeſſion of all his Sins, but eſpecially of the Murder he is Condemned for; he ſtill after many urgent arguments, to move him to do it ſtood out in the denyal of it; the Ordinary layd before him the clear Evidence of his Guiltyneſs as it was Traverſed at his publick Tryal yet he denied the Crime. The Ordinary Prayed for him in Particular that the Lord the Omniſcient Searcher of every Heart would Incline him, no longer to Dally with God, nor to preſume to deceive ſuch, who deal with him about his Eternal State. After time ſpent with him to no purpoſe, as to Confeſſing his Crime, and yet deſiring credit to be given to his denyal of it, the Ordinary acquainted of him two very ſad and dangerous Inſtances, in one Gowre and one Kirk who ſeveral times with an Horrid Imprecation, denyed the Murder of their Wives. Nay Gowre after an houre and an halfe abſolutely denyed the Murder of his Wife tho much perſwaſion and Prayers were uſed to move him to an Ingenuous Confeſſion, yet ſtill he denied it, till the Ordinary went out of the Cart and then being on the brink of Eternity, he durſt not venture into the other World with a flat Falſity in his mouth. So, calling for the Ordinary back again, Gower at laſt Confeſſed that he Killed his Wife with his own hand. This Horrid Inſtance of a diſſembling and hardned Heart at the very approach of death, the Ordinary ſpread before Hutchins, to Convince him of the Diabolical artifices of Sinners to palliate the Crimes with a Soul ruinating denyal of them. yet Hutchins perſiſted as before in denying, that he was Guilty of the Murder of the Waterman.

Upon this, God by a very ſenſonable providence moved the Heart of the Reverend D. Stillingfleet Dean of St. Pauls, to take very great paynes in perſwading Hutchins to Confeſs the whole truth Concerning his Crime. The Ordinary is obliged to the Dean for his great pathetical Aſſiſtance, yet could he not prevail with Hutchins to Confeſs the Crime. So he left him, and in a pious Compaſſion of his Stubbornneſs, deſired the Ordinary, to put it home to him at the publick Execution, Which; was this preſent Wendeſday the 17th of December, upon a Gibbet ſet up on purpoſe for him at the end of Ram Allley juſt againſt the Sign of the Three Kings in Fleetſtreet: Whether, about the Hour of 10 in the Morning he was brought in a Cart from Newgate.

Upon ſight of the place of Execution; the Criminal continued his obſtinate denial of the Fact, nor was he obſerved to change Countenance. The Ordinary Prayed with him twice, and he likewiſe very Affectionately for himſelf. In the firſt of Mr. Ordinarys Prayers, he humbly entreated the Almighty, that he would ſo encline the Heart of the poor Condemned Priſoner, that before he went out of the World he might confeſs and own his Crime: Notwithſtanding which, he ſtill denied the ſame, laying his Salvation upon it that he was not Guilty, and begg'd of the Ordinary that he would Publiſh the ſame to the whole World: Tho he confeſſed he had often provoked God, and that he juſtly deſerved this ſevere Judgment,. No more could be got out of him, but an obſtinate denial of the Fact, which he ſtood in till he was turn'd off the Ladder, about the hour of Eleven, and hung till it was full Twelve.