"and immediately the swine ran violently down a steep place and perished in the waters." So when the Lord gives a sinner up, the devil takes possession of him, and the wicked is driven away in his wickedness till he comes to the bottomless pit. In the 16th verse, the Lord tells us of another way in which he punishes those who are determined to go on in sin-" Israel slideth back, as a backsliding heifer; now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place." Now, if I see a number of sheep in a large and good pasture, I say, "those are the sheep fast preparing for the butcher's knife." So the Lord acts; he says:- They shall be like a lamb in a fat pasture, in a large place; they shall have every opportunity of going on in their iniquity,” “treasuring up wrath against the great day of wrath," "the prosperity of fools shall destroy them." Now, in the 19th verse, we hear the same truth set forth in a different manner“The wind hath bound her up in her wings"-like a bird that attempts to fly, but hath not the power to spread her wings. The Lord saith-Let Ephraim alone, let their sins have such power over them, that, like a bird in a storm that cannot fly, they may be carried away as with a whirlwind suddenly―violently and irresistibly.

We have thus seen the punishment of Ephraim; now let us see how similar was the punishment of this poor murderer. There was a time when this wretched man seemed to have religious impressions, when he seemed to enjoy ordinances, when his conscience was not seared as with a hot iron, and when God's Spirit did strive with him; but he resisted that Spirit, he provoked that Spirit, he quenched that Spirit; and then he experienced that awful truth, “ Woe to them when I depart from them:" Hos. ix, 12. In the 24th verse of the first chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, we read thus of some who were determined to go on in their wickedness, in spite of all that God said or did, "Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts." God saw that their heart was determined to indulge in its lust, and therefore he said, I will restrain them no more. And does not this account for all the horrid crimes this unhappy man was led to commit? God had given him up; he had rebelled against the Spirit and grace of God, and God therefore declared-" My Spirit shall no longer strive with that man." Another expression clearly shews this truth in the 22nd verse of the fifth chapter of Proverbs; God

says, speaking of such a man, "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins." That poor man, on his way to the scaffold, had his arms bound with cords, so that it was impossible for him to escape; but these cords were only an emblem of the manner in which he was "holden by the cords of his sins." He so loved and delighted in iniquity, and was so given up to the power of it, that it kept him in bondage, and he was led on from one thing to another working all uncleanness with greediness, till he committed his last great crime. Let me direct your attention to another passage of God's word—“I will give them up to a strong delusion, that they shall believe a lie." That is another way in which God punishes sinners; now this was remarkably the case with this miserable man, for before his condemnation he had a constant feeling that when his trial came, he should be acquitted; and by his letters to his family he so persuaded them of this that they not only looked for his return with joy, but even made preparations for it. And more than one letter did he address to the Queen on the subject, requesting her personally to investigate the statements of his accusers. Satan was allowed thus to delude him with vain hopes and useless endeavours for the purpose of keeping him calm and quiet in his sin. He was at all times desirous of knowing the opinion of the world respecting him; deluding himself with the idea that he was generally regarded as innocent. For my own part I had no doubt of his guilt, and I told him so; in reply to which, he remarked, "I feel much grieved to think that you are satisfied that I am guilty." I said, "My poor friend, place yourself in my position, and ask yourself whether you could think otherwise." He replied, "Well, 'tis a mercy God is to be my judge and not man.” But the most awful part of this delusion I have to tell you. Whilst urging him to seek repentance from the exalted Saviour, he replied, "No person but myself knows what I have found since I have been here; I have sought and obtained mercy of God, through the atoning blood of Christ; bless God what comfort I enjoy." This led me to intimate there was such a thing as a false peace; when he quickly replied, "Yes, but 'tis the Holy Spirit has brought this peace to my soul." He had a clear knowledge of the way of salvation, yet he mistook the insensibility of his adamant heart for the peace of God that passeth all understanding. And how do you account for this? "I will

give them up," saith God, "to a strong delusion, that they shall believe a lie ;" thus it is easily accounted for. I said to him on one occasion, "Now, my poor friend, we are going to bend our knees together before God, what would you like that I should ask Him for?" I thought he would say, "That the Lord may have mercy upon my soul, visit me with his favour, and take me to his glory." Now, mark his answer, "Pray," said he, "that this peace which I have may never leave me!" Thus he cried "peace, peace,” to his soul, when destruction was upon him. And how, I again ask, do you account for this? The answer must be, "I will send them a strong delusion, that they shall believe a lie; I will let them alone to punish them for their idolatry." Do you inquire, did this peace last? I am sorry to say it did even to the end. I perceived, that as his execution drew nigh, instead of being softened by what was said, he seemed more and more hardened. The Governor, whose anxiety for his prisoner seemed daily to increase, very kindly allowed me to enter the chapel on the morning of his execution. The condemned criminal was there; I watched him during the whole service, which lasted above an hour. He manifested the greatest composure, not a tear dropped from his eye or a cloud passed over his brow. When he took his bible for reading the lessons, I looked to see if his hand trembled, but nothing of the kind; he knelt down, he repeated the responses, but seemed by no means moved. At the conclusion, I requested to see him once more, and he came to the side of the reading desk and looked at me with a cool determination of countenance. I then begged of him earnestly to confess the crime of which he had been found guilty, and for which he was about to suffer. His reply was, "Are you sure I am guilty; have you read my defence?"-My answer was, "If I had never read anything else but that, it would have convinced me that you were the guilty man." I spoke every word through a flood of tears, adding, “Now do, do think, before it is too late, as the time is at hand;" I told him of the conversation which had passed between myself and his children on the day when at their request I met them in Norwich to accompany them to the castle, and his words were-"Ah, you prejudiced my poor dear children against me." Whilst again urging him to confess, he laid his hands on the rails of the reading desk and raising his eyes to heaven, exclaimed, “The Lord, who is to be my judge, knows that I am innocent." I was too much overwhelmed to

reply. At this moment, the Governor announced that the time had expired, and that the criminal was wanted. I seized him by the hand, and said, "Good bye, 'tis for ever;" when stedfastly gazing on me, he replied, "No! not for ever." I rejoined, "Yes! it is for ever, and for ever;" and these were the last words my lips uttered to that deluded man. I should not have spoken as I have now done before his condemnation; that would have been unjust and improper; but now that the laws of his country have passed, what we believe to be, a just sentence upon him, it is not wrong to say he died a guilty and impenitent man.

Much of his conduct, after his condemnation, shewed that he was a man of whom God had said, "Let him alone." He used to speak to me of his end with the greatest indifference. On one occasion, wishing to lead his mind indirectly to the necessity of confession, I expounded a part of Leviticus xvi, and directed his attention to four points; 1st, the deep sense of sin; 2nd, necessity of confession; 3rd, its transfer; and 4th, the exercise of faith to receive the full and free pardon. Whilst expounding this subject the bell of the castle began to ring. I stopped and said, "Oh! that bell, it makes me shudder; it reminds me of another bell you must soon hear; the bell tolling for your execution." You would suppose that this must have affected him. But no! looking at me with a smile, he said, Why should it disturb you? Bless God, it does not disturb me. I can hear it with quietness; I know what is awaiting me, and I can look forward with calmness." My dear people, how do you account for this? "Let him alone," said God, "conscience be thou quiet; Providences do not trouble; my Spirit cease thou to strive." This was towards the latter part of his time, when God's Spirit seemed to have withdrawn, and taken his everlasting flight. You would suppose that the prospect

of a disgraceful death would trouble a man; but it did not affect him; and the words of the prophet, when speaking of those hardened transgressors of old, might be applied to him "Were they ashamed? nay they were not at all ashamed; neither could they blush."

Some I know are ready to say, that public executions are not only disgraceful, but unbecoming a Christian nation, and therefore are making efforts to repeal the law of capital punishment, even for murder. I am sure of this, that were it not for one thing, I should be among the first to lift up my voice against

them. I think they do a great deal of harm, that they may harden many in sin, and brutalize the mind; but there is one thing which keeps me from daring for a moment to say that they are wrong, and that is the word of my God. It is written, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." But some will tell us, God spake this to the Jews. No, my friends, this law was given before there was such a man as a Jew in the world. God has written it as a law to the whole human race, so that if a murderer were to undergo any minor punishment, God's law would be dishonoured. But you may say, "We are living in Gospel times." True; but where in the New Testament do we find the Jewish law against murder repealed? and there was no need for repealing it. That passage, "The magistrate beareth not the sword in vain," is explained by Doddridge as referring to punishment with death; and indeed the very term sword implies not a weapon for beating or bruising, but slaying. And again, we find St. Paul admitting the justice of this law, when he said, “If I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die?" But on this point I would say but one word more. Let us take heed, lest by denying the doctrine of blood for blood, we should shake the faith of some in the sufficiency of the one sacrifice of Him who died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. But I would now lead your thoughts to the moment of his departure from this world. I did not intend to follow him to the place of execution, but a look from him, whilst passing the window near which I was sitting, recalled to my mind the promise he had extracted from me, that I would be with him to the last. I rose and followed at some distance, till seeing the awful moment at hand, I withdrew; but the remembrance of those who had been engaged in constant prayer for him, encouraged me to hope to the very last, that the Saviour might manifest himself, to pluck him as a brand from the burning; but alas! without any signs of repentance he ascended the scaffold, and in a short time was-where! where! I cannot tell you my feelings, dear friends, when I thought that at one minute, as it were, that poor man was conversing with me, and almost in the next was for ever a sacrifice to divine justice. Do you say I ought not to speak thus? It is not pleasure that leads me to say so; but I see a large assembly before me, and if I were to intimate a hope to the contrary, it might tend to lead some