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at such a time; began to look with a different aspect; and quite 

another shape; than they did before。  The greatest and best 

things; the views of felicity; the joy; the griefs of life; were 

quite other things; and I had nothing in my thoughts but what 

was so infinitely superior to what I had known in life; that it 

appeared to me to be the greatest stupidity in nature to lay 

any weight upon anything; though the most valuable in this 

world。



The word eternity represented itself with all its incomprehensible 

additions; and I had such extended notions of it; that I know 

not how to express them。  Among the rest; how vile; how gross; 

how absurd did every pleasant thing look!I mean; that we 

had counted pleasant beforeespecially when I reflected that 

these sordid trifles were the things for which we forfeited 

eternal felicity。



With these reflections came; of mere course; severe reproaches 

of my own mind for my wretched behaviour in my past life; 

that I had forfeited all hope of any happiness in the eternity 

that I was just going to enter into; and on the contrary was 

entitled to all that was miserable; or had been conceived of 

misery; and all this with the frightful addition of its being 

also eternal。



I am not capable of reading lectures of instruction to anybody; 

but I relate this in the very manner in which things then 

appeared to me; as far as I am able; but infinitely short of the 

lively impressions which they made on my soul at that time; 

indeed; those impressions are not to be explained by words; 

or if they are; I am not mistress of words enough to express 

them。  It must be the work of every sober reader to make just 

reflections on them; as their own circumstances may direct; 

and; without question; this is what every one at some time or 

other may feel something of; I mean; a clearer sight into things 

to come than they had here; and a dark view of their own 

concern in them。



But I go back to my own case。  The minister pressed me to 

tell him; as far as I though convenient; in what state I found 

myself as to the sight I had of things beyond life。  He told me 

he did not come as ordinary of the place; whose business it 

is to extort confessions from prisoners; for private ends; or 

for the further detecting of other offenders; that his business 

was to move me to such freedom of discourse as might serve 

to disburthen my own mind; and furnish him to administer 

comfort to me as far as was in his power; and assured me; 

that whatever I said to him should remain with him; and be 

as much a secret as if it was known only to God and myself; 

and that he desired to know nothing of me; but as above to 

qualify him to apply proper advice and assistance to me; and 

to pray to God for me。



This honest; friendly way of treating me unlocked all the 

sluices of my passions。  He broke into my very soul by it; and 

I unravelled all the wickedness of my life to him。 In a word; I 

gave him an abridgment of this whole history; I gave him a 

picture of my conduct for fifty years in miniature。



I hid nothing from him; and he in return exhorted me to sincere 

repentance; explained to me what he meant by repentance; and 

then drew out such a scheme of infinite mercy; proclaimed 

from heaven to sinners of the greatest magnitude; that he left 

me nothing to say; that looked like despair; or doubting of 

being accepted; and in this condition he left me the first night。



He visited me again the next morning; and went on with his 

method of explaining the terms of divine mercy; which 

according to him consisted of nothing more; or more difficult; 

than that of being sincerely desirous of it; and willing to accept 

it; only a sincere regret for; and hatred of; those things I had 

done; which rendered me so just an object of divine vengeance。  

I am not able to repeat the excellent discourses of this 

extraordinary man; 'tis all that I am able to do; to say that he 

revived my heart; and brought me into such a condition that 

I never knew anything of in my life before。  I was covered 

with shame and tears for things past; and yet had at the same 

time a secret surprising joy at the prospect of being a true 

penitent; and obtaining the comfort of a penitentI mean; the 

hope of being forgiven; and so swift did thoughts circulate; 

and so high did the impressions they had made upon me run; 

that I thought I could freely have gone out that minute to 

execution; without any uneasiness at all; casting my soul 

entirely into the arms of infinite mercy as a penitent。



The good gentleman was so moved also in my behalf with a 

view of the influence which he saw these things had on me; 

that he blessed God he had come to visit me; and resolved not 

to leave me till the last moment; that is; not to leave visiting me。



It was no less than twelve days after our receiving sentence 

before any were ordered for execution; and then upon a 

Wednesday the dead warrant; as they call it; came down; and 

I found my name was among them。  A terrible blow this was 

to my new resolutions; indeed my heart sank within me; and 

I swooned away twice; one after another; but spoke not a word。  

The good minister was sorely afflicted for me; and did what he 

could to comfort me with the same arguments; and the same 

moving eloquence that he did before; and left me not that 

evening so long as the prisonkeepers would suffer him to stay 

in the prison; unless he would be locked up with me all night; 

which he was not willing to be。



I wondered much that I did not see him all the next day; it 

being the day before the time appointed for execution; and I 

was greatly discouraged; and dejected in my mind; and indeed 

almost sank for want of the comfort which he had so often; 

and with such success; yielded me on his former visits。  I 

waited with great impatience; and under the greatest oppressions 

of spirits imaginable; till about four o'clock he came to my 

apartment; for I had obtained the favour; by the help of money; 

nothing being to be done in that place without it; not to be 

kept in the condemned hole; as they call it; among the rest of 

the prisoners who were to die; but to have a little dirty 

chamber to myself。



My heart leaped within me for joy when I heard his voice at 

the door; even before I saw him; but let any one judge what 

kind of motion I found in my soul; when after having made a 

short excuse for his not coming; he showed me that his time 

had been employed on my account; that he had obtained a 

favourable report from the Recorder to the Secretary of State 

in my particular case; and; in short; that he had brought me 

a reprieve。



He used all the caution that he was able in letting me know 

a thing which it would have been a double cruelty to have 

concealed; and yet it was too much for me; for as grief had 

overset me before; so did joy overset me now; and I fell into

a much more dangerous swooning than I did at first; and it 

was not without a great difficulty that I was recovered at all。



The good man having made a very Christian exhortation to 

me; not to let the joy of my reprieve put the remembrance of 

my past sorrow out of my mind; and having told me that he 

must leave me; to go and enter the reprieve in the books; and 

show it to the sheriffs; stood up just before his going away; 

and in a very earnest manner prayed to God for me; that my 

repentance might be made unfeigned and sincere; and that 

my coming back; as it were; into life again; might not be a 

returning to the follies of life which I had made such solemn 

resolutions to forsake; and to repent of them。  I joined heartily 

in the petition; and must needs say I had deeper impressions 

upon my mind all that night; of the mercy of God in sparing 

my life; and a greater detestation of my past sins; from a sense 

of the goodness which I had tasted in thi

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