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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 M . y 1 16. Narrativi Moon execu wick, Right , 1*790. i' :li# aftati*iaa>wwi#w«itiift 'in '. ;•: I ( NARRATIVE • 9 THS GRACIOUS DEALINGS OF GOD J H THE CONVERSION W. MOONEY FITZGERALD A KB , JOHN C L A R K, rwo MjSLEFArroRS, Who were Executed on Fridav, Dti, i8, 1789» j^ $J, John' Si New Brunfwid^ N^a Scotlay J^OR .BVRGLARY ; I N A L E f f E R ' 7 It O M. ' •* ■•' ne Reverend Mr, M J I TO N TO THB ItlCKT KOIfOtJllASI-X THE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF HtJNriNGDOm "fST LpN DON: ^RtNTsb 1^ Tilt Tf^R 17^% ill 4 16. Narrative op the Gracious Dealings of God in the converaion of W. Mooney Fitzgerald and John Clark, two malefactors, who were j executed on Friday, December 18th, 1789, at St. John's, New Bruns- | wick, N.S., for burglary, in a letter troni the Rev. Mr. Milton to the Right Honorable the Countess Dowager of Huntingdon. London : % 1790. T' I C' le n (,s ^^MfV — k- r- C 5 ] A N A R R A T I V E, &:c. city of St. John, New Brunfwick, North America.. Januiiy iSth, 1790. Honoured Madam^ IN my laft packet I tranfmitted, for your Lady- (hip's psrufaU the confeffion of William Mooacy FitZi^erald, and John Clark \ who were executed ia A 2 ^"'=5 * William Mooncy Fitzgerald was born in the city of Ximcrick. i« Ireland, in June 1763, ^Jhonell and credit- able parents. Ai the age of flxteen he joined the White Bovs, and became their Captain. After committing fe- veVal depredations and capital crimes, he was condemned at the age of 19 for a rape, but was pardoned. In the aad yeir of his agl. he and fix others broke open the hpufe of the Rev. Mr. Buckner of Crome, and carried oft fijteen tbmfand guineas, without being ever deteacd. In 1785, - he was again apprAended (under the White Boy ad), tried, an! fenteli^ed to fuffer death i but was reprieved on . condtion of being tranfported, as he then underftood, to Botany Bay, with 138 more : Yet the Captain fleered his courfe for Nova Sco?ia, in order to fell them as indented fervants, bound lor the payment of their paffage-moncy. But it being difcovered that they were convids, the Cap- tain was compelled to refund the money, and take them back again. He then carried them to Little River, m the , ftate of Maffachuflets, and put them on Ihore oppofite to the iOand of Grand Manan, in the Bay of Fundy. Fitz- gerald having committed two thefts in that ft«e, went to the city of St. John, Nova Scotia, where he found fcvcral of his fellow convias, encouraging each other m their wicked courfes. After committing fevcralthcfts, Fitzgerald A^3 -■ *^"* 1. 1 r 6 1 this city on the i8th of December, at noon, purfirant to their fentence, for burglary. Being then cir- cumfcribed to a few mi nutes, owing to the fhip being ready for failing, I could not defcend to par- ticulars, but gave your Lad){hip to ui)derftand, that they died in the faith of Chrift; and that I would, the fiift oppof tunity, fend the whole. It was on Friday, December 4, 1 789, that 1 krlt vifiied them. They had, on the 3d, been arraijjned, tried, and found guilty; and the judge informed them, was taken up for the burglary, for which he and CUrk •furwards fufFered. Having been remarkably undutitul tohis parents, Fitzgerald, llruck with remorfeof conlciencc, earrellly exhorted all young people to honour thcw pa- rents } and particularly cautioned young women how they 'irufted themfelves with men of depraved dilpolitions. Clark was alfo born in Ireland. He was about the fame age as f itzgerald. Having aaed unfaithfully to the trult rlpofed in him By hisfather,heenliftedhimfelf asafoldier. •He afterwards defeited, and committed fcveral theits. He again enliilcd himfelfinthe 38th regiment of foot, which foon after embarked for America, where he fcrvcd till J5te end of the war. Being then difcharged, he next enliftcd himfelf in the 57th regiment of foot j and after icvcral trials by Coorts Martial for thefts and other mi Ide- xneanors, he was difcharged. In 1786, he was, with two others, tried and fentenced to fuffer death for a burgariy at Halifax, in America; but was pardoned upon condition that he became the executioner of the other two, which he did by their confent. Afterwards, whilft in Nova Scotia, he was guilty of a variety of thefts. On the 1 8th of 0«o- ber laft he went to St. John's, and was prevailed on by one of the female convifts from Ireland, and another woman, to commit the burglary for which he afterwards fiiffered death. They once more earneftly exhorted all people, and more particularly theyoting,to take warning by them, and their unhappy fate ; and to let it be a ^.^"vincing proof to them, that iniquity is as a two-edged (word, the wound whereof cannot be healed, but by that precious blood which cleanfcth from all fin, even the blood of Jehovah Tcfus. *' who gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem u$ '•from all iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a peculiar ** Pfioplcj zealou* of good wprks.** •ST —. - . ♦ ► t ' ^ .!>efn.tha<(^ntenceofdeirth would bepaffcd on the* ^the 4thofpecen,ber ^ ^o„demned cell, a . When the jailor opened tne co ■horrid gloom covered m, mmd =>nd my r ^^^^ ^^,^ ^ith.n me. I ^"PP^^ *^^\''" .hou-ht-" Alas! before IcoylA proceed i,andm. thou ".^ to what an abyfs of m.ftry h^ man ta i ^^^^^ once was the nobleft '^"f °!,„^°5^^ ^1 reaitude. the dominion of fin '^^fJ^T^^ J^^^^,,, be fou,«i in this cell? Not H"\ "%"tre depraved (Ute.- louder than words ot man s ennrc v Behold, O my f-l'-):,lrt'p7orded to theer.- Sem. Itftruck me as a ||v«]y;;P'*'^;";„,. ^ ,.. damped in hell prior to "j^^^y ."'^Ven T^orte and ,,.,s nothing to be^obferv«J_ bu^ keen «m^ blactedefipa.^wuhAea^.lAetJo^Y^3^, „her them. i, , -A,*.! me to converfe with 1 a&ed them .f '^^V t^f,J,ra,tend to what I themi and *heth" they wouW atuna ^ ine. • , ,„ «,.„ t^jem the fituation I then endeavoured to Ihew t^'"»^ ^ ;„ ^ fl,ort v^hich their fouls were .n 5 hat tb^y -^ ^^^, f^^ time ftand before Jehovah stubui,al, to 111 their fins, fecrec as ^f^^^^ of the blood of if they died without «n application 05 ^^^.^ V #» t 8 ]. Chrift to their fouls, by the Spirit of God, they would peri(h. I then informed them, that Chrift came to fave the chief of tinners, i Tim. i. •i5, and that it was the work of the Spirit of (^od to convince the world of fin. As the time drew nigh ior them to receive fentence, I went to prayer with them, and came away. « They at this time were as hard as an adaman^, and entirely ignorant of the fpirituality of God's law ; which made me afk them if I ihould attend them after their condemnation ? They anfwered in the affirmative, and exprefled great thankfulnefs for my vifit 3 and particularly for having prayed witb them. At iialf after twelve o'clock, I heard the Honour*- ablc Judge Upham pronounce fcntencc of death on them. It was to me an awful fcene. It led me to admire the goodnefsof God indifpenfing reftraining grace to my foul, by which I have been prevented From running 0,,to brace how great a debtor DaHyFrn conftrainM to be? Let that Grace now, like a fettery Bind my wandering heart to thee, ' I find, as well as preach it to othcirs, that It is bjr the grace of God we are what we iare. May we, by our walk and converfation, put to filence all our oppbnents ! This, of late, I fee, is more and morh needful for young mi nifters to attend to; and that for tvi^ reafons — 'firft, the danger which we are ill from^applaufe; fecondly, from calumny. The one too often deftroys us with fpiritual pride j whilft the other does it by occafianing a fear and diftruft of God. Now, the only remedy \^hich I can find, is to live near my divine Lord and Matter Jefus. This enables meto caft the applaufe and the calumny of the ii : ' .world f C 9 ] world in the balance of the fanauary, and foon to fmd that they are both lighter than vanity. When the prifoners came out of Court, .n order M return to jail till the ,8th of December, I de hvered to then^ a Bible. At half after three o'clocic I agajn Itfted them. I found myfetf quue compofed .n foirit. and was enabled to converfe with them. 1 Sfo med thl, I had heard that it was the determi- nation of the governor and judge not to p«don^ -them: they faiJthey did not "pe^ it. I defined them to attend ; and great attention they gave whilftl endeavoured to explain "J**"' P"";'; dve inteirrity, Ecclef. vii. ag. and h.s fall from that ftate into that of fm and mifery : after which they nformed me, that they would do great things Finding them ignorant of man's inability, I endea- voured^to ^hew^hem the utter '"^bihty of n«an to recover himfelf, either by coming up to the demands of the law, Rom. v. 6. or evea to "mply with the invitation of the Gofpel, Johnvi. 44- T-hey were aftonilhed. I produced a number of P-ffage» of Scripture to confirm what I "dvanced. I then n- formed them, that their fouls were in the fame fitu- ation as their bodies, viz. dead in the eyes of Gt^^s Jaw ; and that the law purfued them as the avenger if blood purfued the manflay^fv^umb, xxxiv. and Jolhuaxx. who was liable to be deftroyed by thp ivenger of blood, if overtaken, before he got w.thm the citv of refuge ; but was fafe when there. 1 id te that tU had deftroyed their fouls by finj that the juftice of God puriued them; and that Cbrift was the only refuge for their fouls.Heb. v.. 8. J then pointed out the way to this city; and m- formed themr that if they died without entering into thU citv thev were loft fouls for ever. ■ P^r^ F tzgerald wept much. He informed .ne ,h^te could^not read ; and that he had b«en brought • :a ^^r^\A Clark told me that he was a up a Ugid papjft. *-UrK TOW m ^^^^^^^^^. ^1 . - .im'tk»iimim»mim- m» [ to ] churchman; and that he would read to his fellbvr fuftorer. 1 obfervcd to him, that his heart at this time appeared to be as hard as SauFs when going to Damafcus j and exhorted him to read fcveral chapr- ters, which I turned down for him. I then lung a hymn, and went to prayer with them. I cannot help obfcrving that, although they were fo hardened,, yet I had fome fecret hope of their faivation from the great liberty which I found for them at the thronff of grace. ad Day, Dec. 5. Vifited them at five o'clock. They informed me that they had been meditating on what I ad- vanced the preceding night j and that they were more compofed, and ^\ere very defirous of hearing more of thofe things which were able to make them wife unto falvaiion. I was very happy to find them fo teachable. Fitzgerald then defired me to ^cajw his confeffion. He obferved, that he had confefled a number of crimes to the king's printer-, but there were fome which he chofe to confefs to me only. My reafons for taking it were thefe-This being an^ infant Settlement, 1 thought that the confeffion of thefe men might be ufeful to the community in de- tcding others, and ckaring innocent perfons who mieht be charged with their crimes; which has fince proved to be ufeful in thofe refpcds. By Fitz=- gcraW's defire, I gave this confeffion to the king'ft printer to publifli, and which, no doubt, your lady*- ihip has read. I am a young man, it rs true; but never did I hear fuch a horrid confeffion from any man before. 1 took Clark's down alfo. I informed them, that it was only the great High Prieft of the church of God who could give them abfolution. I did this for fear they fhould rely too much on aa arm of Hefb* By the time 1 had written the con- "* feffioB* .1. • -. [ "J ftfflon, U was ne«r eight o-clock. A^ ''"J 'j"'' 'J it froze very hard ; yea, to fuch a degree, that my handrwere'^ilmoftfroit. bitten. After bc.ng let out for a (hort time, I was ngair. loclced up >n the cell with them, and explained the P""!' ^1^'"" f ."/, Lazarus, Luke xvi. ig. to the end; alfo feveral other parts of holy vvrit. 1 fung a hymn, and went to prayer; and, commencing them to.thc Loid, Icit them. 3d Day, Dec 6. This being the Lord's day, by the deftfc of the prifoner.s, I put up publick prayers for them ui he chapel. After the fervice, 1 vlf.ted ocm at hree o'clock. I found Fitzgerald a hule more humbled ; and that more for his numerousfinsagainlt God than man. Clark alio appeared more dcl.rous of knowing his true ftate; wh.ch 1 emieavoured to ftew them%oth. This 1 did from the fp,r>tuaUty of God's law. As Fitzgerald could not read, I ex- plained the fame things four O'' ^^V^T 'Afr'this Uich he then appeared very thankful After h.s I explained th'e p.erforrn it; and that God knevir that man, in his fallen ftate, could never keep the law. To make this more clear, Idrew feveral fimilitudes, rcprefenting God as the great creditor, Luke vu. 41. and man as a poor infolvent debtor, who was m- trufted with ftrength, but had now by fin loit all ability. Yet God had not loft his authority to de- mind obedience of man. If he forgave him, it muit proceed from an aa of grace ; which ad of grace had been paffed in the Great Council of Peace be- tween the Father and the Son, and revealed in the Gofpel by the Holy Ghoft, for the benefit of return- ing finners. Then, for fear they fliould deceive thcmfelves, I endeavoured to (hew them the vaft dif- ference between an Elau repentance and that which is the gift of God, from the 2 Gor. vn. lO. To all which they gave the greatett attention, and exprelled a fear that they bad it not ; but cried earncltly lo God for it. Satan now became their accufer, 3s before he had been their tempter : or. which ac- count I fung the 51ft Ffalm (L. M. Dr Watts), and went to prayer with them ; after which the word appeared to give them peace. I had alfo a long converfation with them, and found great p-^ ace in my own foul in thi» vifit ; which, I truft, was not very unlike that which thofe experienced jour- neying to Emmaus, Luke xxiv. 13. then 1 left to God in Chrift the fouls gf thcfe men. li * L J C 14 ] i 1 I. '' 6^h Day, Dec, g, Vifited them this day. Found them very, calm, and very much refigned to their fate; thirft- U12 after the waters of the I'anauary. In many things relative to the Gofpel I found Clarkjud'ciousv Fitzgerald not To much fo. Clark informed me that he had been converfmg wiih his fellow fufferer troncerning popery, and relative to addreffing the Virgin Mary. Fitzgerald did not take it kind of him ; but faid he would leave it for me to explain for him. I endeavoured to convince Fitzgerald of his cjrors in as mild a manner as I could. I informed him that Chrift was the only mediator with the Father ; and that we muft addrefs the Father through Chrift; and deHred him never to addrefs the Virgin Mary a'ny more. I told him, if he was a new creature m Chrift Jefus, aU thefe old thrngs would be done away, and all things would become new ; and if this did not take place, he would be a} loft foul, and I fliould have to hold up my hand as a witncfs againft him ; I faid the fame alfo to the other. 1 alio ob- fcrvedythat I expe^ed to anfwer for fuch doon. Poor Fitzgerald, in greatfimplicty, obferved, |th« he felt his heart opened, and the weight and buroen of his fins removed; that his repentance did _ not proceed from a fear of hell, but f«"n » fenfe of tte goodnefs of God in revealing Chrift to his foul ; and that he was very happy. Clark ^^V^^^^ l^^^?^~ fident of his interefl m Chnft, which enabled him to rejoice. As he had 1,een under fentence of d ath before, I a(ked him if he then experienced what he now expreffed to experience in bis foul f He an- frred^No : and that if he had been then executed •h" fhould have been damned for ever. I alfo afked them if thev would part with what they then pro- feflTd to know of the%lood of Chrift, for a pardo« from his Excellency Lieutenant Governor Carleton ? To which they anfwered thus-" As men they Md be v.ry Lppy to be pardoned. |f J^/ "^^^ be fure to follow the Lord Jefus Chrift we relt ot their days ; but on no other Conditions would they defire to be pardoned j for they had i^^Jjong 4 ' ■MM Enough in firv." I then fliewed, fiom Colof. i. i — 4. wiiat it was to walk with God ; that Chrift was the way to walk in ; and that the end of it was eternal glory. I endeavoured to (hew them the need of increafmg in the knowledge of God j and that they muft expe<£l Satan would increafe his tenTipta- tions ; on which account, and from the indwelling' of fin, they would find it needful to apply to Chrift for ilrength to fight againft all their fins, a." long as Jife fhould laft. Certainly then it required great thankfulnefs to God, who hgd delivered them fiom the power ofdarknefs, and tranflated them into the kingdom of his dear Sop. After having fung a hymn, and went to prayer with, I left them to a covenant-keeping God. 8th Day, Dec nth. Vifited them at four o'clock. Found them looking to God, in and through Chrift, for mercy* They informed me, that Dr. B- Ics had been with them, defiling that he might preach to them. But they told him, that the minifter who attended them was to preach to, and attend theqi to the place of exccutioii. This made him angry j and he gave out that I had turned them mad. 1 pointed them to the 2d Thef. ii. 3. " Let no man deceive you by **.any means ;" and the 2d John,x. v. and defired them to be guarded againft thofe w^ho oppofed the doctrines of grace : after which I explained the four firft verfes of the 3d Zechariah. I endeavoured to ibew how Satan ftands at our right hand to refift us when we are turning to God 5 and then pointed cut the goodnefs of God in rebuking Satan j and applied the whole to them. 1 then fung a hymn, and left tbenok to the Lord our righteoufnefs. 9th i f Y \ » 1 \ c i I t t 1 ■ * •• t «7 1 9th Day, Dec» 12. Vifited them this night. They both apF- ^ea ^d very happy in the knowledge which they ha attained relative to the gofpel. They declared beforfe God, that they knew from the heant, what it was to experience the meaning of i John v. lO, viz. " He that believeth, hath the witnefs in him- « fclf." 1 then opened fuch paffages of holy writ as appeared pertinent to their ftate. Like new born babes, they appeared defirous of the fmcere milk of the word, that they might grow thereby. 1 after- wards fung a hymn, went to prayer with and left them. V lOthDay, Dec. 13. After having preached this morning, I went, according to the notice given to the public, to preaearcd verji much refrefhed. ou ' 13th Day, Dec, i6, ' Vifited them at eleven.* Clark appeared ripening for the inheritance of the faints in light. By this time he had got acq^iainted with the doc- trines of the gofpel. He would often (liew Fitai.- gerald, from fcripture, tlie willingnefs of God to receive fmners, through. Chrift, which gave me great comfort. At five o'clock I was again locked up in the cell "with them. This afternoon the death warrant was read to them by order of the juuge ; affer which, by their own defirc, their cofiins were fent into the «oll. To fee them lying in their coffins was a fight which no feeling mind could behold without being affedled. C »9 3 ,ff,A«J I endea»oured to comfort them with thofc •nd finging 1 left them. 14th Day, Dec 17. . _ Vifued them at eleven this morning. " appeared hat Satan was let loofe on them : yea m fuch a fituation were they, that I found it need u. "can hem inftantly to prayer ; »[<" ^'^-J^f^"" i" ,vith them every hou^- / ^o^^^ ^ ^^ ,^^ the hours tied, lo tney ^^^^ , nJ