in imploring God for pardon.  To all those who visited him either from their knowledge of him in former circumstances, or, as too many do, from the curiosity of observing how he would behave under those melancholy circumstances in which he then was, he discoursed of nothing but death, eternity, and future judgment.  The gravity of his temper and the serious turn of his thoughts was never interrupted in any respect throughout the whole space of time in which he lay under condemnation; on the contrary, he every day appeared to have more and more improved from his meditations and almost continual devotions, appearing frequently when at chapel wrapped up as it were in ecstasy at the thoughts of heaven and future felicity, humbling himself, however, for the numberless sins he had committed, and omitting nothing which could serve to show the greatness of his sorrow and the sincerity of his contrition.

The day he was to die, the unfortunate old man his father, then upwards of seventy years of age, came to visit him, and saw him haltered as he went out to execution.  Words are too feeble to express that impetuosity of grief which overwhelmed both the miserable father and the dying son.  However, the old man, bedewing him with a flood of tears, exhorted him not to let go on his hopes in Christ, even in that miserable conjuncture; but that he should remember the mercy of God was over all his works, and in an especial manner was promised to those who were penitent for their sins, which Christ had especially confirmed in sealing the pardon of the repenting thief, even upon the cross.

At the place of execution he appeared scarce without any appearance of terror, much less of obstinacy or contempt of death.  Being asked what he did with the pocket-book which he took from Mr. Stinton, and which contained in it things of very great use to him, Young replied ingeniously that he had burnt it, for which he was heartily sorry, but that he did not look into or make himself acquainted with its contents.  Just before the cart drew away, he arose and spoke to the people, and said, The love of idleness, being too much addicted to company, and a too greedy love of strong liquors has brought me to this unhappy end.  The Law intends my death for an example unto others; let it be so, let my follies prevent others from falling into the like, and let the shame which you see me suffer, deter all of you from the commission of such sins as may bring you to the like fatal end.  My sentence is just, but pray, ye good people, for my soul, that though I die ignominiously here, I may not perish everlastingly.

He was executed the first of June, 1730, being at the time about thirty-nine years of age.

FOOTNOTES: 

  [101] This district, at the Dockhead end of Tooley Street, was
        at that time a sort of No Man’s Land, where horses were grazed
        and a few poverty-stricken wretches lived in sheds and holes in
        the ground.