Broadside entitled 'Interesting address'

Transcription

Copy of a very interesting ADDRESS to the prisoners in Jedburgh,
Greenlaw, and Berwick Jails, written, and delivered to a Friend a
few hours before his Death, by ROBERT SCOTT, who was Exe-
cuted on Wednesday 29t& October, 1823, on the Road between Earl-
ston and Greenlaw, for .the Murder of Two Men, and his body
given for Dissection.                                    

My Dear Fellow Prisoners,

ALTHOUGH I am unacquainted with you, yet such is my love
to your precious and immortal souls, and my desire to do
good since I came to some knowledge of -the truth, that my heart.
beams with the strongest love and desire for the salvation of your
immortal souls. You would hear of my very awful situation on
the-brink of eternity and condemned to an ignominous death. You
would, no doubt, think my case very distressing ; yes it is, it is very
distressing, but let me tell you, there is one thing of more import-
ance to you and me than temporal death, and its ignominy, viz.
that you and I have a great, just, and holy God to meet with soon,
before his awful bar, where our judges and we shall have an impar-
tial sentence.    Is it not awful to think, that the Lord will in nowise
clear the guilty who. have no faith in the atonement.    My dear
friends, you may think you are not so great sinners as I am, and
that therefore you do not deserve damnation as I do,because your
sins do not bring you to the gallows ! now, God forbid that I should
think your sins so aggravated as mine, but you will surely allow,
that, as every sin deserves hell, so you are guilty in the sight of
God ; and had it not been for his tender mercies, he would have
cut you off from the earth long before this time, and sunk you into
everlasting damnation; but O, what thanks to our God, that has
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but would rather he would
turn from his evil ways and live.   O the love that God has to poor
sinners !    God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have
everlasting life !    My dear friends, herein is the love of God to us,
not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be
a propitiation for our sins, and to die an ignominious death, that we
through his death might live.    Now, for the love of your own souls,
fly from the power of sin to that refuge which is set before you in
the Gospel.    O take warning by me, and pray to God night and
day for his grace and love; and if you are diligent in duty, and do
as you ought, rest assured you will never come into my condem-
nation.    I would also exhort yon to abstain from drinking and bad
company, sins that lead to every other, vice, such as whoring, steal-
ing and swearing.    It was drink that brought me into this dark
and gloomy prison ; it was drink that chained me to the ground.
with these iron fetters.    Drunkenness is the cause of much sorrow.
of mind, and if mercy prevents not will lead to eternal perdition.
This is often the consequence of drink, but mercy has been offered
to me for the last time, and I have accepted of it.    O what an in-
stance of grace in me, of sinners the chief, the vilest on earth.
Drunlcenness hath bound, me with these iron fetters, but I hope
diey are the best friends that ever went on me, for I think and do
believe they have been the means,of my everlasting salvation.

There is another thing I would advise you, to remember the
blessed Sabbath-day, and do not break it, but spend it in praying
arid glorifying God, for remember, that breaking the Sabbath is a
most heinous sin in the sight of God, and he will certainly punish
those with heavy vengeance than will dare to transgress this holy
commandment ; but I trust, you will take a consideration of your-
selves, and look upon, this and every sin with perfect abhorrence,
and come to a reconciled God in Christ, and implore him of his
in finite mercy, to grant unto you, an assured faith in his dear Son,
Jesus Christ, to believe that he is able and willing to save you
through his finished work alone.   If you do this, you may rest as-
s/?/red, that the Lord will in nowise cast you out ; for hear the words
of Jehovah to sinners, even the chief, " that there.is more joy in
heaven over one sinner that .repenteth, than over ninety and nine
just persons that think they need no repentance.    Come unto me
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will .give you rest."
NOw, my dear friends, look to the mercy of God even your God,
and believe in this, try, through grace, never to offend him wilfully
more; look to Jesus as just and good, and consider what he suffer-
ed for you.    O for God's sake, if you have any regard for your
precious souls, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be
saved,

I must now take a long and lasting farewell. I recommend you
to God, and the word of his grace, who is able to build you up,
and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified through
faith in his name. May wo all meet in that happy world, where all
who believes and love shall meet again, and part no more. I remain
your poor unfortunate friend, and sincere soul's well wisher. R. S.

Printed for James MacLean, Price one penny.

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