The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-28 00:00:00

SERMON TO THE CONDEMNED.

Yesterday morning, at the customary hour, the following un-
happy convicts were ushered into the Chapel of Newgate to pay
their last public act of devotion in the sanctuary of Ood ; viz. John
Ferguson. aged 25; William Thompson, alias Lintott, =; Wm.
Walker, 19 ; Roger Adams, 19 ; and James Dovey, 19.
Owing to the recent regulation of the present Sheriffs, the public
were excluded, but from the crowded state of the prison, their place
was occupied by the unfortunate inmates.
The Rev. Mr. Cotton, the Ordinary. recd the Ritual of the
Church, after the slornirg Hymn bad been sung in a solemn
manner.

The unhappy men joined in the service with fervour. and ap-
peared to sustain their severe trial with uncommon fortitude and
resignation.

The introducrory senicc having termiiiated, the Rev. Ordirary
delivered a discourse on the melancholy occasion from the 17th verse
of the 51st Psalm—" The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : a
broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise.' From
which, after a suitable exordium, the Rev. Divine painted out
wherein contrition of spirit existed, end described the scriptural
inciting of a broken heart—it wu not merely a 1101113 y for sin
because of its consequences, via. degradation, and sometimes an
ignominious death, but rather a iintrow arising from the recollection
of having offended that beneficent Heine. whose wholesome
laws have been violated with iinpnity. The Rev. Gentlemen
then noticed the incentive to repentance—the justice of God did
not preclude the exercise of his mercy to the most sinful, but
sorrowful ; hence it was recorded of Him, that He would not de-
spise a broken and contrite heart.
. .

The discourse was extremely appropriate to the occasion, and
seemed to produce the desired effect, not only on those to whom it
was more particularly directed, but also on all those who are shortly
to appear before an earthly tribunal.
At the close of the aery ice u most affecting scene took place.
Walker, one of the unhappy youths doomed to suffer, arose from
his seat, and respectfully begged the indulgence of making a few
observations.
Ile proceeded with eloquence beyond his years, and with a
serenity of mind almost unexampled under circumstances so ap-
paling, to address his fellow-prisoners, not those especially
who, with him, are doomed to die in a few boom but more espe-
cially those who await their trial. He pathetically exhorted them
to attend to the discourne they had beard (a great part of which he
recited and commented upon), for, perhaps, it would shortly he
their untortunate lot to he placed in a similar situation with himself.
The effect produced by this address was wonderful. Th.
Bbetiffi, who were both present, could not refrain from tears, and
the prisoners and other inmates appeared to feel the full force of
his observation,.
At the doss at the affecting scene the five unhappy men were
conducted their cells, accompanied by Mr. Baker, who has hap-
pily recovered his health. "Upon entering the press-yard they, as
tf by mutual consent, proceeded to its extremity, and simulta-
neously fell on their knees, and remained in tie net of mental
devotion for a considerable time. In the afternoon the unhappy
men were visited by their relatives and friends, the major part of
whout are persona of respectability.

ADIERTISIMENT.I—The beautiful process of Silk
Weaving, which now forms so important a branch of our na-
tional manufacture, has hitherto been almost wholly unknown
amongst persons in the higher ranks of life, owing to the distant
and obscure situation of SpitaMelds. It therefore gives us plea-
sure to hem that Norma. Brown and Hubbard have erected one of
their hanesomest Looms in the New Silk Establishment, 234,
Regent-street, where every facility is affaded to their Customers
of viewing the operatinas of the wearer.