The Declaration, Dying Warning, and Advice of Rebekah Chamblit

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

“The Declaration, Dying Warning and Advice of Rebekah Chamblit A Young Woman Aged near Twenty-seven Years, Executed September 27th. 1733. according to the Sentence pass’d upon her at the Superiour Cour holden there for the County of , in August last, being thn found Guilty of Felony, in concealing the Brth of her spurious Male Infant, of which she was Deliver’d when alone the Eighth Day of May last, and was afterwards ound Dead, will more fully appear by the following Declaration, which was carefully taken from her Mouth.

BEING under the awful Appehension of my Execution now in a few Hours; and being desirous to do all the Good I can, before I enter the Eternal Worl, I now in the fear of GOD, give this Declaration and Warning to the Living.

I Was very tenderly brought up, and well In|structd in my Father’s House, till I was Twelve Years of Age; but alass, my Child|hood off in vanity. However, as I grew in Years, my Youth was under very sensible Impressions from the SPIRIT of GOD; and I was awakened to seek and obtain Baptism, when I was about Sixteen Years of Age; and lived for some time with a strictness somewhat aswerable to the Obligations I was thereby brought under. But within two or three Years after this, I was led away i to the Sin of Un|cleannes, from which tie I think I may dte my Ruin for this World. After this▪ I became again more watchful, and for several Years kep my self from the like Pollution, until those which I am now to suffer.

And as it be necessary, so dobtless it will be expected of me, that I give the Wold particular account of that great Sin, with the aggravations of it, which has brought me to this Shameful Death: And accordingly in the fear of GOD, at whose awful Tribunal I am immediately to appear, I solemnly declare as follows▪

That on Saturday the Fifth Day of May last, being then something more than Eight Months gon with Child, as I was about my Houshold Business reaching some San from out of a large Cak, I received considerable hurt, which put me into great Pain, and so I conti|nued till the Tuesday following; in all which time I am not sensible I elt any Life or Motion in the Child within me; when, the Tuesday the Eighth Day of May, I was Dli|ver’d when aloe of a Male Infat; in whom I did not prceive Life; but ill uncertain of Life n t, I threw it into the Vault about two or three Minutes after it was born; , I say, whether it was a living or dead Child▪ tho, I confess probable there was Life in it, and some Circumances seem to it. I therefore own the Jutice of GOD and in my Condemnation, and take Shame to my self, as I have none but my self to Blame▪ and am sory for any rash Expressions I have at any time uttered since my Condemation; and I am verily peswaded there is no Place n the World, where there is a more stict egard to Justice than in this Province.

And now as a Sou going into Etern, I most earnestly and solemnly Warn all , particularly YOUNG PEOPLE, and more especially those of my own Sex, the Sins which their Age peculiarly them to; and as the Sin of Uncleanness has brought me nto these distressing Circumstances, I would with the greatest Importunity Ction and Warn against it, being prswaded of the of that Sin in this Town and Land. I thoht my self as secure, a little more than a Year ago, as many of you now do; but by woful Expe|rience I have found, that Lust when it has con|ceived brigeth forth Sin, and Sin when it is nished bringet forth Death; it exposes the Soul not only to Temporal, but to Eternal Death. And therefore as a Dying Person▪ let me call upon you to forsake the foolish and live: Do not accompany with those you know to be such▪ and if Sinners enice you do not consnt. I am sensible there are many Houses in this Town, that may be called Houses of Uncleanness, and Places of dreadful Temptations to this and all other Sins. O shun them, for they lead down to the Chambers of Death and Eternal Misery.

My mispce of as a heavy burden upon me; that when I might have gone to the House of GOD, I have been , and suffer’d a small matter to keep me from i▪ What would I now give, had I better improv’d the Lord’ Day! I tell you, vely, your Sabbath will sit heavy upon you, when you come into the near prospect of Death and Eternity.

The Sin of Lying I have to bewail, and wou’d earnestly caution against; not that I have took so great a pleasure in Lying; but I have often done so to conceal my Sin: Certainly you had beer suffer Shame and Disgrace, yea the great|est Punishment, than to hide and conceal your Sin, by Lying. How much better had it been for me, to have confess’d my Sin, than by hd|in of it to provoke a holy GOD, thus to suffer it to find me out. But I hope I heartily desire to bless GOD, that even in this way, He is th entring into Judgment with me; for I have often thought, had I been let alone to go on undiscovered in my Sins, I might have provok’d in to leave me to a of Rebellion, that would have me for a more sudden, and everlasting Destruction; and am fully convinc’d of this, that I should have had no solid ase or quiet in my mind, but the Guilt of this ndis|over’d Sin lying upon my Conscience, would have been a Rack unto me all my Days; where s ow I hope GOD has discover’d to me in some measure the evil of this, and all my othe enabled me to repent of them in and ▪ and made me earnetly desie and plead with for pardon and cleasing in the pecius Blood of the REDEEMER of lo and perishing : And think I can , I have had moe comfort and satfaction within the Wall of this Prison, than ever I ha in the was of Sin among my vain Com|paion, and think I woud not for a World, nay for ten Thousand Worlds have my liberty in Sin again, and be in the same Condition I was in before I came into this Place.

I had advantage of living in several reli|giou Famlies; but alass, I disregarded the In|structions and Warings I there had, which is now a bitterness to me; and so it will be to those of you who are thus faoured, but go on unmindful of GOD, and deaf to all the Re|proofs and Admonitions that are given you for the good of your Souls. And I would advise those of my own Sex especially, to chuse to go into religious Families, where the Worship and Fear of GOD is matained, and submit your selves to the Orde and Government of them.

In my younger Years I maintain’d a constant couse of Secret Pray for some time; but after|wards neglecting the ame, I found by experience, that upon my thus leaving GOD, He was provoked to me, and at length suffer’d me to fall into that great and Si that has brought me to thi Death: Mind me, I first lft GOD, and then He me: I therefore so|lmnly call upon YOUNG PEOPLE to cherish the Convictios of GOD’s Holy SPIRIT, and be sure keep up a constat course of fervent Se|cret Prayer.

And now I am just entring nto the Eternal World, I do in the fear of GOD, and before Witnesses, call upon our YOUNG PEOPLE in particular, to secure an Interest in the Lord JESUS CHRIST, and in those precio Bene|fits He has purchased for His People; for sure|ly the avour of GOD, thro’ CHRIST, is more worth than a whole World: And O what Com|ort will this yield you when you cme to that awful Day and Hour I am now arriving unto. I must tell you the World appears to me vain and empty, nothing like what it did in my pat Life, my Days of Sin and Vanity, and as doubt|less it appears now to you. Will you be per|swaded by me to that which will yield you the best Satisfaction ad Pleasure here, and which will prepare you for the more abundant Plea|sues of GOD’s Right Hand for evermore.

Sign’d and Acknowleg’d in the Presence of divers Witnesses, with a desire that it may be publish’d to the World, and read at the Place of Execution. Rebekah Chamblit.”

Boston Colony, New England – September 26th 1733