Death to him taking and looking into his Bible God was pleased to set home that Scripture with his own Spirit upon his soul 2 Tim. 4.6 For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand and sayes he I can truly say in the strength of the Lord I am now ready to offer up my body to the Lord all things being very clear to me in my own Conscience He earnestly desired some Friends to seek to the Lord for him that he might have a better heart than that which he had to burn but blessed be the Lord saith he I have in a good sense a heart and a heart though still my strength is in my weakness He was wont frequently during the whole time of his Imprisonment to utter very sweet expressions to this purpose That the wayes of God are very pleasant wayes and that his sufferings were as nothing Prisons Chains Manacles with Buffetings c. were not to be accounted sufferings and that had he known before what it had been to be in Bonds for Christ and to have the Presence of God in such a condition he would never have gone beyond Sea and that he had enjoyed more of God in that Palace for so he called his close Prison than ever he did in his life before He often said likewise especially the day before his Execution to an eminent Minister That it was his great burden at this time that ever he lifted up a finger against any of the People of God that were heretofore of another Perswasion different from his and exhorted all his Friends that were present to love the Image of Christ where-ever they see it A Minister being with Col. Barkstead the day before he suffered and having heard that whilst he was Lieutenant of the Tower he had been somewhat severe and harsh to certain godly persons called Fifth-Monarchy-men then in his custody asked him this Question Sir Had not you some good men in your custody once when you were in power and intended further to have said and were you not then somewhat harsh and severe to them But Col. Barkstead anticipating his meaning prevented him with this affectionate Reply Oh Sir that very thing hath cost me many a tear when I was some hundreds of miles from this place and before I came into this condition indeed they held forth an opinion concerning the Fifth Monarchy or Kingdom of Christ upon Earth which I was then much prejudiced against and so prejudiced that I was not willing to hear or reade any thing in favour of it but now I am so far perswaded of the truth of it that I could freely lay down my life for it Oh Sir saith he many hours would not suffice to tell you all my Experience as touching this particular it was since I came into Prison that the Lord hath led me into the light and knowledge of this Truth and when I many times opened my Bible such places of Scripture presented themselves to me as preached this Doctrine which I several times out of prejudice waved and would not look into but notwithstanding the Lord did so overcome my heart to the faith and love of this Truth and Doctrine of Christ's visible Kingdom here on Earth or the Fifth Monarchy that now I could as I said before freely lay down my life for it and I hope the Lord will help me to speak something to this particular to morrow but if through weakness I should not then speak so fully to it I have left a Testimony behind me to that glorious Truth When he saw his Friends at any time sad about him he would often say to them Be sad for nothing but Sin fear nothing but Sin There is more evil in the least Sin than in the greatest Sufferings this was as he said his own experience The Sheriff's man bringing him word of his Execution and telling him he was sorry to bring him the ill news he smiled and very chearfully returned him this answer Blessed be the Lord I am ready and therefore it is no ill news to me After which time until Execution he behaved himself with much Joy and Chearfulness so that many that came to see him with tears in their eyes went away rejoycing for that of God they saw in him At another time to a Friend speaking to him of the greatness of his Afflictions he returned this Answer My greatest Affliction sayes he hath been my Opposition to those of the People of God who were contrary-minded to me And said further that he was much comforted and helped by the Prayers of the Saints yea of those Saints said he which considering my dealings with them had more cause to curse me than to bless me when I heard that such prayed for me I believed they would prevail and that God would answer his own Spirit in his People for me He also desired a Friend to use his interest to reconcile him to those Saints whom he had offended and dealt hardly with viz. those who are in a proper Scripture-sense for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ a Truth which he confessed he so much opposed together with the Professors of it which Opposition saith he I have often felt in my very bones in regard of the sorrow it cost me But now sayes he I rejoyce that the Lord hath enlightned me in it though much without humane means only by the Bible in the time of my Sufferings The day before his Execution he dined and supped with his Friends as heartily and chearfully as ever they saw him and slept as well that night as he had done these many years being still much refreshed and kept up with that Scripture He that believes in me shall never dye In the morning he arose early and the Gentleman-Jaylor bringing him word that the Sheriff was come desired him to be ready He answered Blessed be the Lord I am ready but he staying a little longer than was expected he was as one in haste to be gone and often looked out at the windows still wishing for the coming of his Chariot for so he called the Sled and when the Jaylor came for him he went with that readiness and chearfulness as was to admiration These following Scriptures he left written upon the walls of his Prison-Chamber in the Tower viz. Exod. 32.14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his People Numb 14.19 20. Pardon I beseech thee the Iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy Mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word Psal. 73.25 26 27 28. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever For lo they that are far from Thee shall perish Thou hast destroyed all them that go a
the Fountain of Life now let it come flowing upon our poor souls that we may be presented before thee with exceeding Joy Lord let us hear that same joyful Sound Come ye blessed of my Father O though we be despised of men and some they reproach us ô but Lord forgive them and the Lord pardon them whosoever hath done us any wrong the Lord pardon them through Jesus Christ we beg it And blessed Father we pray thee let us hear this joyful sound Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you O there is a Crown of Life laid up for them that love the Lord. Thou knowest thy poor Worms desire to love thee ô dear Lord shed abroad thy Love in our hearts and though we be now dying yet we desire to love thy Name though thou art now correcting us yet we have cause to love thee and bless thee ô shed abroad thy Love in our poor souls O Lord we pray thee come and accept us and let our cry come and pierce the heavens ô Lord let us now be looking for and hastening to the glorious appearing of that blessed hope our Lord Jesus Christ. He that shall come will come and will not tarry Come quickly Lord. O that thy Servants could see thee as thy Servant Stephen in much-what such a condition as we are in he saw Jesus Christ standing at thy Right-hand Though we cannot look upon thee with our bodily eyes yet we desire to see thee with the eye of faith O we pray thee look down upon us and Lord strengthen our Faith and that our Faith may not fail O let us obtain the end of our Faith the salvation of our Souls And ô that thou wouldst strengthen us according to thy Glorious Power with all Patience in this hour O Lord though our hearts would faint and flesh faint ô Lord thou art the God of our strength come lay hold upon us lead us by thy Righteousness and let thy Everlasting Arms be under us O dear Lord let us taste of Love in this bitter Cup ô we pray thee let us see thee in Mercy do not correct us in thy Wrath. O we bow our knees to thee let not this Affliction be in thy Wrath We are under the wrath of men but Lord do thou forgive and let us be under thy Love and lay no more upon thy poor Worms than the strength that thou shalt now give us through Jesus Christ will enable us to bear and come and take us into those Mansions that our Lord Jesus Christ hath prepared Is it not thy promise to go and provide Mansions for us our fore-runner is gone to appear for us in Heaven now before the Throne of Grace O hear us now in him and dismiss us now with a blessing And the Lord blesse this Nation the Lord blesse the Government the Lord continue thy Truth keep the Gospel still in this Nation which hath been the glory of it O let thy poor People glorifie the Gospel in their lives 't is that we beg of thee for the Lord's sake and do thou prevent those heavy Judgements that hang over our heads Lord pardon those great Abominations that thine eyes do see that Prophanation of the Sabbath O the spirit of Prophaneness is broken out among us O we desire to be humbled and mourn for it Lord turn from thy Wrath and dear Father continue thy Gospel in the purity of it O the Lord forgive the sins of those that bear thy Name thy Wrath is kindled against us and therefore it is that thou dost rebuke us but we pray thee give thy People a Spirit of returning to thee and do thou heal our back-slidings and give us a Spirit of Love to Thee and to thy Truths and one to another and take away the Envy betwixt Ephraim and Judah Thou seest these bitter Contests we pray thee put a stop to them and let thy People be of one heart and one mind and let them minde the great things of Jesus Christ and those Truths that are after Godliness let those be more and more enquired after and imbraced by the People of these Nations and the Lord grant that those Superstitions and Idolatries that are a provocation in thy sight may not be brought into the Nation for thou art a jealous God and if we go that way thy Wrath will be kindled once more but Lord shew Mercy to England and do not take away the Gospel nor remove thy Golden Candlestick from the midst of us And the Lord bless the Government and the King thou hast set over us that which we beg of thee for him is That he may rule righteously and let him hate whom thou hatest and love those whom thou lovest And blesse the Ministers of the Word them that are faithful to thee Lord continue them in their Liberties and let not our Teachers be removed into corners blesse them that are faithful to thee and make them more faithful Being interrupted after a while he proceeded as followeth O Father we have many Suits to put up unto thee but we now commit our selves unto thee here we are Lord we will roul our souls upon thee and rest and wait for thy Salvation We pray thee accept of us forgive the sins of this duty O sprinkle the Blood of the Lord Jesus upon us and take us into thy Arms. Father of Mercy that comfortest us in all our Tribulations come and comfort us in this hour and do thou accept of us in Christ for through him we offer up ourselves our souls a sacrifice Father accept of us and our sacrifice c. The Conclusion was omitted because of a busling among the horses Then Col. Okey addressed himself to Prayer as followeth Colonel Okey's Prayer MOst Glorious most Holy Eternal and most blessed Lord God who art the glorious Creator and the blessed Maker of all things who art from Everlasting to Everlasting blessed for evermore Thou art worthy to be praised from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Thou art the mighty God that art cloathed with Glory and Honour and Majesty as with a garment and Thou art the Fountain of all that 's good and the Well-spring of Everlasting-life O Lord we are once more in thy glorious Presence the Lord hath been pleased to give us this opportunity that we may once more pour out our souls to thee in the Name of Jesus Christ before we go hence and be seen no more Now we pray Thee for the Lord Jesus sake as thou hast been pleased to put a price into our hands so O Lord we pray thee for Jesus Christs sake give us hearts to improve it O Lord we pray thee convince us in whose glorious presence we are and of the great work we are now about we are before Thee the Eternal and Unchangeable Lord who searchest the hearts and knowest our thoughts and Thou knowest with what intents we pour out our souls before Thee at this time
should make choice of such a poor Creature as I am to be employed in his Work I must further say that the Lord hath made crooked things straight and rough wayes plain and hard and difficult things easie to me through the Free and Rich Love of Christ Oh he hâ—th made death nothing unto me now but yet I have no strength of my own no my strength lies in my weaknesse and it is Christ alone that can renew my strength which he doth daily by setting upon my heart these following Scriptures which have been a constant relief to me The Lord is my Light and Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the Rock of my life of whom should I be afraid Psal. 28.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy Heart wait I say on the Lord. Psalm 33.11 The Counsel of the Lord stands for ever and the thoughts of his Heart to all Generations Blessed be the Soul that hath the Lord for its inheritance Psalm 138. vers 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me the Mercies of the Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Prov. 16. vers 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps in the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul commit thy wayes to the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Prov. 28. vers 28. When the wicked arise men hide themselves but when they perish the Righteous increase But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel fear not I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Esaiah 63. vers 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Lam. 3. vers 24. and 2.5.2.6 37. vers 38. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the souls that seeketh him it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Who is he that saith it cometh to passe when the Lord commandeth it not out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good Psal. 34.9 Oh fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Psal. 11.22 Though hand joyne in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished but the seed of the Righteous shall be delivered Some Experimental Passages in Discourse with a Friend A Friend coming to him the week of his Tryal and Suffering did partake of many choice breathings from him some of them which he could call to mind are here faithfully collected We are to esteem Sufferings the better when they are in the Wayes of God and we must not esteem the Wayes of God the worse because they are accompanied with Sufferings in this world A Believing Souls Sufferings for Christ do confirm him the more in the wayes of Christ. A Principle of Faith finds three sorts of Promises in the Gospel First The Promise of Assistance Secondly The Promise of Acceptance Thirdly The Promise of Reward Then he proceeded in some further Spiritual Discourse Although I find I have no strength to encounter with those great Tryals I am to meet with yet I will labour to quit my heart through the Spirit of Faith from that Scripture Esa. 30.7 Your strength is to sit still and indeed I find it so Then one present did ask him if he thought the Cause in which he had been engaged would ever arise again He said The Cause lies in the Bosom of Christ and as sure as Christ arose the Cause will arise again and we die but to make way for it for when John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ he must be beheaded for it so we by our death do but make way for the next comming of Jesus Christ personally to raign a thousand years with his Saints And although we die the Cause will certainly live The Thursday before his Suffering he entertained some Friends who came to visit him with very sweet and Heavenly Discourse to this purpose That although God had given him a sight of his Eternal happines yet Satan would have brought all his sins before him yea the very sins of his youth as unpardoned yea sayes he I my self also would fain have set them before me but God out of his free love through his Son was stronger then them both and would not suffer it but gave me in a full assurance that all my sins were freely forgiven and blotted out and never to be remembred against me any more which caused such unspeakable Joyes that he was not able to utter nor was he to the best observation of Friends then present ever seen so chearful in the greatest of his prosperity At noon one desired him that he would eat he answered him that he was above that kind of meat for the Lord saith he hath fed me with the fat things of his own Spirit The night before he Suffered he was exercised with some fears least he should want strength to go through the great work he was now suddenly to engage in he took his Bible and opened it at an adventure and God gave him in such a word that was so sutable for him at the time that he rejoyced and said Blessed be his Name that never leaves me without a Word the Scripture which Providence then presented him with was Isa. 54.10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither the Covenant of my Peace be removed from thee saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Oh sayes he to his Friends and Relations then with him You are the Mountains and the Hills that must depart from me now and so took his leave of them all with much chearfulness saying Go seek the Lord for me for I cannot go one hairs breadth in my own strength At another time he thus spake to some near Friends and Relations who were with him Certainly saith he if I had known the comforts of this sweet communion with God in a Prison before I had run to a Prison long ago If I had suffered when my Brethren did suffer I had had little or no blood in my body to have spilt for Jesus Christ in this good Cause but God carried me into Germany and there made us to sow a good Seed which will never dye and now God hath brought me back again with more strength to suffer for his Name and Cause Indeed the Lord hath made me in some measure now fit to go through Sufferings for him and it is indeed He alone who hath done it Upon hearing the news of his Tryal which he knew was
alive Our desires wil be hankring after the World but surely our businesse is to labour after Poverty of Spirit and as the Lord hath by his Wise and Over-ruling Providence emptied us of the Creature and so of those empty comforts we may labour to get our hearts filled with the fulnâ—sse of him in whose fulness there is joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for ever more one drop of whose fulness is worth ten thousand Worlds Ah alas alas content doth not alwayes go cloâ—thed in silk neither is it the company of rich men and women No no they and they alone are the contented rich men and women in this World whose desires are satisfied I mean whose desires are satiâ—fied in God or whose desires God satisfies such a poor Soul looks on its present condition best because God sees it best I cannot here but cast a weeping eye and a bleeding heart back on those our many dayes and years of mercy the Lord was pleased to entrust me with both in relation to my Soul and Body but I did not honour the God of my mercies He gave me health but I abused it and therefore the Lord brought and continued sickness I neglected those precious Ordinances I did or might have enjoyed behold the Lord hath cast me into a Wildernesse where no water no bread is I neglected the communion of the Saints and have been I had almost said shut out from the society of men but more of that when I see you I neglected the society of the living and have been and am shut up as among the dead under these and many other considerations of the like nature hath the Lord been at work with my poor Soul in this my Wildernesse condition the particulars of which would be too large a volume for a letter under all which he who is who was who is to come who is the chosen faithful and true he even he hath said I will never never never leave thee nor forsake the and he that hath said it is faithful and will not lye he cannot lye Now if I can truly say the Lord is mine and I am his what care I if all the Wâ—rld forsake me If the Lord takes away the World and the things of the World and friends of the World and gives me himself I have enough It was an excellent note in yours to me God loves to the end and there is no end of that love the World and the men of the World cannot do so No no they are a lye they are empty dying vanities they are not while they seem to be nor what they seem to be Man a buble a vapour a shadow all nothing then for riches they are as uncertain riches take to themselves wings and fly away Now if man riches be thus uncertain nothings what must their dependents be but less then nothing as honour pleasure great things yea great men all a shaddow that makes no stay put passâ—s away and immediately they are not O is it not then below a rational Creature to lay out himself his precious time his strength his all upon such pittiful poor nothings but for a Christian a child of God an heir of Heaven to engage his Soul in such pittiful underling vanities O let it not be Hath the Lord broken our estates let us beg of him to break our hearts too for a broken estate and a whole and a hard heart will never agree together and there can be no content But on the contrary a broken estate and a broken heart doth very often bring much more content then the full enjoyment of the Creature I blesse the Lord I can thorow mercy seal to this truth in the Wilderness Ah my Friend my Friend a naked dying Christ is above and beyond all the honours profits and pleasures of this World An evennesse and Proportion between our hearts and our conditions brings content hath God made our estates low let not us lift up our head above our condition for this will bring bitterness in the end it is thorow the wise and over-ruling Providence of Almighty that our condition is for the present changed now if we in our present condition desire to serve the Counsel of God in our condâ—tion it will certainly exceedingly tend to our advantage See what the Spirit of the Lord sayes the 54. of Isaiah 17. When thou passest thorow the fire and thorow the water I will be with thee and so on Now if God be ours and we his he will be with us and then what will harm us what will or can our losse be or rather what will not our advantage be that it is a gallant thriving time with the People of God with you I much rejoyce and with you desire to bless the Lord for that to me is an assured sign that the Lord is at work with them and for them and when he hath fitted his people for mercies he will come and will not tarry where he gives a returning heart he is not far from healing that heart see the 3. Jer. 22. Return you back-sliding Children the very next words and I will heal your back-slidings and where the Lord comes to heal see how ready the Soul is to close with the Lord. For the following words we come to whom to thee why so For saith they thou art the Lord our God our businesse is to get an assurance that the Lord is our God and Salvation and deliverance is certainly near or at least a sutable spirit to our present condition which is all one My Friend I doubt not before this you understand the reason of my not writing I am not angry I shall never have more to do with anger as formerly No the Lord hath made me thorow mercy sensible of that evil yea of my great evil and sin therein and therefore I trust that I shall never be angry more but with sin which is and ought to be the onely object of our anger No no it is a meek and quiet Spirit that is most sutable for a Christian at all times but especially at such a time as this See Mat. 11 19. Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek and lowly Meekness signifies humility or sweetness it is the bridle of anger it is the glory of a Christian it graces his calling it keeps the soul in a continual peace it makes all other graces shine it is a grace that a Christian hath constant use of and so is of continual use in all places and on all occasions but of exceeding use in this our day for that to a humble heart all crosses are small because it admires your least mercy looking on it self as unworthy of it it is a convincing grace a grace on which the Lord sets a very high price it brings rest to the Soul and so makes 〈◊〉 life comfortable it keeps our heads and hearts lower then our conditiâ—â—â— and so frees the Soul from being destitute in the world it
time of their affliction and to say it was good for them they were afflicted And oh my dear Friend I do again beg your prayers for I am very sensible I am at present but as a brand pul'd out of the fire and am very confident it is for the sakes of the Lords People that I am alive at this day The Lord grant that while I live I may live to the glory of his most holy Name I hope you will excuse me for being so tedious to you I shall therefore no further trouble you but only present my due respects to you and all the rest of my Christian Friends wishing you from my soul all good here and glory hereafter in that World which is to come And now the God of all praise that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of his Sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work and work in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. I am your loving friend in the Gospel of our Lord Christ J. B. Another Letter written by Col. Barkstead to a dear Friend INdeared and endearing Friend Thine of the fourth instant came to my hands which I blesse the Lord was as seasonable as welcom and as welcom as seasonable it was to me as Apples of Gold in Pâ—ctures of Silver very Pleasant and Beautiful Dear Friend I being now a close Prisoner in the Tower in one of the as they conceive meanest and securest Prison lodgings in which when it rains I have no place to fit dry but in a high window being attended with a Life-guard of two Warders and two Souldiers day and night and denied the use of Pen Ink and Paper so that what I write is so by stealth and that so by bits that I am sore't sometimes before I have writ two lines to tear what I have written and with much trouble to secure my Paper ink and pen but yet I have adventured on a line or two to you to let you know that I received your welcom Letter every line of which was being filled with that spirit in by which my soul hath been through free mercy born up by to this very moment far beyond and above what I am here able to express Oh the infinit and Eternal Riches of the free Grace of our good God in and through the Lord Jesus Christ to poor unworthy creatures it is he and he alone that hath and doth make hard things easie soft and pleasant bitter things sweet crooked rough ways plain and pleasant this hath through mercy been his way towards me unworthy man since I became mans bond-man He even he alone out of the free riches of his never-failing Mercie in Jesus Christ hath made me his free-man He hath set my feet in large and fresh pastures He hath not only taken out the blots and blurs that my sins have made in my old Evidences since the old Record and Assurance I had many years of his Eternal and Everlasting Love to my poor soul in Jesus Christ but he even since I came within this my Palace for so I can truly and chearfully call it I say through the free Grace He hath not onely cleared up my old Assurance but hath also given me fair new Copies together with such Inlargements that are unutterable In the Deeps I cryed when and where none could hear but He and He alone who heard and answered blessed be his Name When my heart and my strength failed He then heard so that as a return of prayer yea of yours and the People of the Lord together with the breathing of his own Spirit in the hearts of his People here He hath made such gracious and full returns that I through mercy can say from the first of my being in bonds notwithstanding the weakness of my body and present want of health through extream Colds yet the Dungeon Chains Bolts and Manacles have not had the least of hardness in them no I must say it again through free Grace the Lord hath not only made them easie but pleasant yea kickings and buffetings when in Irons by some of Downing's men yet the Lord strengthened me Pray mistake me not I do not write this as having here any thing to boast of from my self or from any strength of mine no no I have not been without my buffetings though in them the Lord hath been wonderful gracious to me and he hath made me a very great gainer by them Three times since I came into this Room or Palace Satan who may be truly said to go about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour waiting his opportunity I having been for a very very little space drawn off my Out-Sentinels and begining to hold a Parly with Sence and reason with flesh and blood to look backward and forward on the right and left hand in which work I do not remember I exceeded above half an hour but I perceived a general discomposure and unsettlement in all my former settlements and immediately found Satan with a full Body ready to surprize my Main-guards but the Lord was merciful and made good his Promise to me He in the instant of time came in and shewed me where my weakness lay and where my strength I cryed out to Him as a ravished Damosel He heard and strengthened me with strength in my soul blessed O blessed be for ever his most great and glorious Name My dear Friend I hint these things only to let you know how seasonable through mercy the Lord hath made me and doth keep me off my own weakness and nothingness and unworthiness indeed I dare not be off the Watch or from going the Rounds to see if all the Sentinels be watchful every moment I do now very well understand that Command Pray alwayes Pray continually watch and pray pray and watch are and must be a Christians constant and continual and unseparable Companions at all times and in all places Now that the Lord hath thus far answered the prayers of his People what I shall be able to undergo the next hour I know not I therefore do heartily again and again beg that you would with me continually be blessing and praising the Lord for those blessed Returns he hath hitherto made to your former Prayers and lay them before you as encouragements and spread them before the Lord as Arguments for his hearing your Prayers for the future for what is yet to come for though I can say the Dungeon Bolts Chains and Manacles with kickings and buffetings have been nothing and therefore can comfortably and confidently desire the People of the Lord not to fear any of them but to fear sin only for that the least sin hath more terror in it than the greatest evil or trouble that can befall a Child of God here therefore fear O fear sin I say I do not know what a Sled a Gibbet a Halter Ax or
Friends told him Well now the time draws nigh who answered I am ready I am ready Then came the Order for his going to the Sled upon which he went with all chearfulness and so went forward with undaunted courage to meet Death in the face like a Christian Souldier indeed who through the Lord's assistance presently obtained more than a Conquest over all his Enemies As he was in the Sled and drew near to the place of Execution a Friend came to him and said Sir I have a great desire to know how it is with you and how the Lord is pleased to manifest himself unto you in the condition you are now in The Colonel replyed Friend I thank you I bless the Lord I have great cause to praise and magnifie his great and glorious Name for his unspeakable goodness towards me especially in this present dispensation for I can truly say and that by experience that the Goodness of the Lord endures for ever and praised be God for this present tryal The same Friend further replyed and said I pray Sir are you not at all dejected in your spirits are you not cast down in your mind have you not hard thoughts of God for this his strange providence towards you The Colonel replyed Friend I shall endeavour to satisfie you as well as I can in this matter and I let you know that I have not the least trouble upon my heart nor the least burden upon my spirit upon the account of my Sufferings neither have I any hard thoughts of God but on the contrary can speak to the praise of his Grace that his Goodness hath carried me forth above the fear of all these things And my Friend let me tell you further That I have had more experience of God and more acquaintance with God within these three or four dayes than ever I had in all my life and at this present I am so far from being dejected or cast down in my spirits as that I am so much elevated and lifted up in my soul that I am not able to tell you how it is with me And when he was ready to rise out of the Sled another Friend came to him and asked him how he did To whom he answered I bless the Lord I am very well and do no more value what I am now going about than this straw taking up a piece of a straw in his hand I have sayes he made many a Charge in my time but now I have but one Charge more to make and then I shall be at rest Here followeth two Letters of his to two of his old faithful Friends eminent persons in the City of London A Letter from Col. John Okey directed to a Relation of his to be by him communicated to some Christian Friends of his acquaintance about the City of London SIR HAving a little time in this place before I am removed to Newgate where I am to go as I am informed I thought good to give you some account how it is with me concerning my better part I bless the Lord I never found so much spiritual joy some years before as I have in Prison it is according as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. And therefore let the People of God not fear a Prison or to suffer in the Cause of God I shall give you a touch but of three things viz. 1. How it is with me in my spiritual condition 2. I shall speak something of the Cause for which I suffer the loss of all things which are near and dear unto me in this evil world 3. In the last place What a Mercy it is when the Lord is pleased to call forth a creature to suffer for the Truths of our Lord Jesus Christ in such a day as this is I believe you have heard these from some other of the Servants of the Lord that have gone before in whole dishes but you are like to have them in a broken dish and but a few scraps in comparison to that great feast you have had before from them that are now with the Lord. Our Afflictions sanctified are good Cordials to the soul and therefore it is no marvel that David said It is good for me that I have been afflicted And as one observeth and saith well a Prison being the place where wanting other Books a man may there best study the Book of the knowledge of himself being separated from all business but praying and praising the Lord God in Christ by the Spirits assistance And since I have by the help of the Lord looked in some measure into my heart I could not have thought there had been so much ignorance and impatience pride inordinate affection to creature-comforts revenge difidence of God self-love and iniquity of all kinds in me as I now find there is and although the Lord in great mercy hath kept me by his mighty power and restraining grace from those Jayl-bird sins as Swearing Drunkenness Lying Uncleanness and hating of his People yet I find a mass of corruption in me and a multitude of transgressions so that my sins are as the hairs of my head which cannot be numbred for the multitude of them and all this darkness and filthiness of spirit is only discovered by the light of Christ By his lowliness in washing the Apostles feet I see the height of pride in my own spirit and want of condescention when I was in prosperity and my unfruitfulness under the means of Grace and little good I did when I had an opportunity thereunto and therefore I adore and acknowledge the Justice of God that he hath most righteously deprived me of my Liberty and Estate truly now I am thereby brought nearer to Christ whereby I find through Grace that Christ is become very precious to me And more to be desired than Gold yea 1 Pet 2.7 than fine Gold and sweeter than the Honey or the Honey-comb And this I can say through Mercy I do desire to love the good Word of the Lord before my appointed food I have begged of the Lord that he would enable me more and more that I may lay open before him all my sins known or unknown and to loath my self for them and that not only for the shame which sin bringeth but rather because I should sin against so good a God and loving Father in Christ Jesus as I have done and especially for my actual known sins committed against so much Love Light Promises and Covenants from a gracious God that will not destroy me for all my abominations blessed be his holy Name for ever and for ever I desire continually to go out of my self and to rely on the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ who only is the Fountain of Life and in his Light we shall see light Oh! what Mercy is it that the Lord should be pleased out of his great Love and Compassion to cast the mantle of his free Grace upon such a poor worm as I am and
that he had not left me to the wickedness of my own heart as he hath left thousands that do live in pleasure and vanity and so are dead while they live Now the good Lord grant that as he hath done for me more than he hath done for many thousands so I may love Him more than many thousands do that I may yet live and die for the Glory of his holy Name and that the few hours I have to live I may wholly spend to the praise of God I humbly desire to bless the Lord that hath made me willing to live or die as may be most for his Glory and the Good of his People for I can say through Christ that strengthens me I can do all things in some measure and have learned how to want and how to abound and can say to live is Christ and to die is gain praised be the Lord that hath made my heart fit in some good measure for the work which he hath called me unto and as I hear my departure is at hand so through the Lord 's rich Grace and free Mercy to me his poor unworthy Servant I am willing to be offered up and if I be offered upon the Sacrifice of your Faith I joy and much rejoyce therein I hope by the continual Prayers of you and the rest of the People of the Lord he that hath begun that good work in me will carry it on till the coming of the Lord Jesus When I look upon my self then I have cause to fear and tremble for my strength is as weak as water but when I look to the Lord Jesus then am I strong for he hath promised He will never leave nor forsake me nor all those that trust in Him And I know that through the Lord I shall do those things that may tend to the praise of his great Name in this evil day and I hope by his Grace to honour Him more by my Death than in all my Life before for indeed although I had a desire in the day of liberty to do that which was most for the glory of God and the good of his People and on that account I did not think my Life nor any thing I had near or dear to me and can say I do believe no man did more rejoycingly go to lay down his Life than I did yet I was accompanied with so many failings in my best doings that I have cause to be ashamed and humbled for the best of all my services that ever I have performed and praised be his holy Name although I have nothing in my self to glory in yet in Christ Jesus I can and will rejoyce giving thanks to the Father of our Lord Jesus who hath made me meet to be partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in light and for his unspeakable love to me in the Lord Jesus for being justified by Faith I have peace with our blessed God through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be praise and glory both now and for evermore And now a word concerning the Cause for which I am to suffer all that is near and dear unto me I shall as before the Lord who only knoweth the hearts and thoughts of all men tell you my Faith I do believe at long-run there is not a man that fears the Lord will have any reason to be sorrowful for engaging in that Good Old Cause which I am now to seal with my Blood again as I have many a time done I am satisfied in my soul that it is a most just and glorious Cause as hath been in many years asserted and although the Lord hath been pleased for the sins of his People and for a great judgment to the wicked of the three Nations to let it be in respect of the Cause as it were the Sun setting for a night yet it will certainly arise the next morning very gloriously though now it be never so much reproached by the wicked of this day And when I die I shall die in the Faith thereof And that most of the Reformed Churches in the world by report are all of that mind and I my self have heard the same from many among them where I have been abroad I bless the Lord I have no guilt upon me in reference to that Cause if I had I would let you know it And although many object against me that place 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer yet I cannot after much seeking the Lord be convinced that I am such a one And in case any did it out of base ends of their own I praise the Lord I had none but looking at the Glory of God and the Good of his poor People in what I did and I bless the Lord I find the comfort of it at this day And for the Cause I shall say no more of it than what the Parents said to the Pharisees when they asked them if that were their son they told them he was of age he should speak for himself So I say this Cause hath spoken in most parts of the Christian World and will speak more when we are dead when the Fowls have eaten of our vile Bodies that are to be set up on the Gates of the City I shall only add a word to the People of the Lord to comfort them against sufferings for the Cause of God for it is a most glorious thing and honourable and therefore saith the Apostle James Count it all joy when ye fall into divers Temptations And so the Apostle Paul Rom. 5 We glory in Tribulation Also the like in Phil. 1.28 29. To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake And so again the Apostle sayes Jam. 1â— 12. 2 Cor. 12.10 Act. 2 13. Blessed is the man that endureth Temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive a Crown of life So the Apostle Paul rejoyced in his Infirmities Reproaches Necessities in Persecutions in Distresses And he professes himself to be ready not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Further It is the duty of Saints to suffer as the Apostle speaks He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 We are also commanded not to fear their fears nor to be terrified by any thing that evil men can do against us but suffer as good Souldiers of Christ Jesus We are likewise to rejoyce in as much as we are partakers of Christs Sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed 1 Pet. 4.13 we may rejoyce with exceeding joy And as it brings peace to a man 's own soul so it rejoyceth the hearts of the Saints for saith the Apostle We live if ye stand fast in the Lord. And therefore dear Brethren fear none of these things for the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison and you shall have Tribulation for ten dayes
O blessed Father we beseech Thee for Christs sake draw nigh to us that we may draw nigh to Thee our God O that Thou wouldst pour down Thy holy Spirit that we may pour out our souls before Thee O Lord we pray Thee for Christ's sake give us the Spirit of Wisdom and the Spirit of Understanding and the Spirit of Knowledge and the Spirit whereby we may cry Abba Father We are not now come to tell long stories of our Iniquities time and strength would fail us they are as the hairs of our heads and as the sands of the Sea-shore but O Lord we are before Thee in the Name of Jesus Christ humbly to intreat and beseech Thee O for the Lord's sake to look upon us there was never any more unworthy of Mercy than we are yet never any poor Wretches stood in more need of Mercy than we do We humbly pray thee for the Lord's sake extend Mercy to us O Lord do not remember against us what we have done but remember what the Lord Jesus Christ hath suffered and when Thou hast look'd upon thy dear Son then look upon thy poor Worms O Lord we humbly pray Thee for Jesus sake forgive whatever is past cover us with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ let none of our nakedness appear we beg for the Lord's sake O that the Lord would be pleased to speak Peace now to our souls Blessed Father we have in some measure blessed be thy Name the assurance of thy Love sealed to our Souls by thy glorious Spirit we humbly pray Thee O Lord we beseech Thee for Christ's sake look upon us and come and pour down thy glorious and holy Spirit upon us and let us we beseech thee have yet more Assurance that our Sins are pardoned that Thou hast found out a Ransom for us that our Names are written in the Book of Life and that we shall not die but live for evermore because we are washed with the Blood of Christ even with the Blood of thy dear Son who hath loved us and died for us and washed us with his own Blood O that the Lord would be pleased now to come and warm our souls with thy Love that they may never be cold more O Lord we beseech thee receive us into the Everlasting Arms of thy Mercy O Lord we beseech Thee for Christs sake that Thou wouldst now let us see as Stephen once did by the eye of Faith even Heaven opened and the Lord upon the Throne and Jesus Christ at his Right-hand and the glorious Angels receiving our souls into thy everlasting Mercy Blessed Father we beseech thee for the Lord sake that Thou wouldst be with us and bless us and the Lord shew us Mercy onely upon the account of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray Thee bless us and with us all Thine all the World over Remember thy Churches from the rising of he Sun to the going down of the same Think upon this Nation wherein we live we humbly beg for the Lord's sake that England Scotland and Ireland might live in thy Glorious Presence and that England may be a quiet Habitation for thy People to dwell in O for the Lord's sake as Thou hast given them a Name and a Gospel above any other Nations that we have heard of or seen So pour down abundance of thy Spirit and give them Grace and hearts that they may walk answerable to the Gospel and be a Nation for thy Glory more zealous than any other Nation And Lord we humbly pray Thee continue the Mercies they yet enjoy and remove and divert any Judgements that they feel or fear And for the Lord's sake bless him that Thou hast been pleased to set over us let the King live in Thy sight we humbly beg that he may reign so here that he may reign in Glory for ever that he may be a nursing father to thy Israel and that he may be a Friend to those that are thy Friends and an Enemy to those that are thy Enemies and Enemies to thy Gospel let him remember that he is but a Steward and he must ere long give an account and the Lord grant that he may do it with much joy and not with grief and bless the Council do thou pour down thy Spirit upon them and guide and direct them to do the things that may be for thy Glory and for the Comfort of their own souls And bless the Faithful Ministers of the Gospel O that the Lord would double his Spirit upon them and that the Lord would be pleased abundantly to encrease the number of them let not that Judgment come upon the Nation that the Godly Faithful and Holy Ministers should be removed from us that their eyes should not behold their Teachers Lord let us not have a famine of thy Word for the Lord's sake but that the Gospel may continue in more splendor and glory than ever it hath done heretofore O that the Lord would be pleased to keep Idolatry out of this Nation O let not that Judgement befall this poor Nation for the Lord's sake And we humbly beg for thy Name sake that the Lord would be pleased to look upon this great City Thou hast made them famous for Religion and for owning the Gospel but Lord grant that they may not decline but that they may abundantly improve their gifts and graces and that they may walk humbly and thankfully and O that the Lord would be pleased to bless the City and the Nation from one end to another and that he would give them the blessings of the right hand and the blessings of the left that they may have the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth and that they may provoke and stir up one another to praise thy holy Name and to live in Love Unity and Peace O Lord we pray thee for Jesus sake look upon us in thy presence and shew Mercy to us and look in love and mercy upon any that are near unto us we leave them with Thee we commit them into thy hands we beg for the Lord's sake shew Mercy to us and be with thy poor Servants and Lord we pray thee accept of us and our services in Jesus Christ and pardon our deadness and pardon our weakness our wanderings and all our sins even for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake since we came into Thy glorious presence and we pray Thee to accept of us and do us good and receive us to Mercy and Glory and all only for the glory of thy Name and for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us and rose again and lives for ever at Thy right hand to whom be all Honour and Glory and Praise for evermore Then Col. Barkstead addressed himself to Prayer having first spoken to the Sheriffs these few words following Mr. Sheriff I do see your time is spent and we are drawn up into a very narrow compass And I hope you will take my word now as before I
end of his Journey one came from a Friend to the Sled side to tell him that endeavours were used to get his Body for burial What care I saith he what becomes of my Body when I am dead let them do what they will with it I blesse God my Soul is safe Many other excellent Passages are yet behind scattered in the hands of several Friends which cannot be yet brought together but care is taken that they shall not be lost but are all preserved to a more large Account when the afore-mentioned History of his Life and Death comes out together with several choice Letters of his very worthy of Record All which will ask some time to prepare and put them into due order for the Presse The Several SPEECHES and PRAYERS of Col. John Okey Col. John Barkstead and Miles Corbet Esq at the place of Execution April 19. 1662. UPon April 19. 1662. being the day appointed for the Execution of Col. John Barkstead Col. John Okey and Miles Corbet Esq who were drawn on three several Hurdles from the Tower to Tyburn Col. Barkstead was first brought to the place of Execution and then Col. Okey and then Mr. M. Corbet who at a good distance of time one after another mounted a Cart which was prepared for them to stand in whilst they spake to the people Col. John Barkstead was the first that ascended the Cart And as soon as he was in he lifted up his eyes to Heaven and said Blessed be God and then immediatly one supposed to be of the Life-guard cryed out very loud He is almost dead if he be not quickly hanged he will be dead before therefore hang him hang him before he be quite dead See how he looks But being much spent he waved speaking to that And after he was tyed up finding the Rope very strait he would sit on the side of the Cart to rest himself but could not till the Rope was somewhat loosened After resting himself it was expected he would say something before the other Prisoners came which was at least half an hours distance The Sheriff therefore spake to him to this effect Sheriff You must not speak any thing in justification of such an horrid Offence for which you came hither to suffer To which Col. Barkstead replyed I cannot speak much Barkst by reason of the weakness of my body I desire to get as much refreshment as I can before I speak Then the Sheriff spake to Mr. Hastings Sheriff who was Under-Sheriff of the County of Middlesex Will not you dispatch one first of all To which the Under-Sheriff answered We use to hang all together Undersh Col. Barkstead then lifted up his eyes and hands to Heaven Then replyed the Sheriff Let it be according as it use to be Sheriff Execut. Then said the Executioner to Col. Barkstead You may be going on in your own prayers and lose no time Barkst I shall be but short and taking something out of a silver Box putting it into his mouth lifting up his eyes said I bless God I have a better Comforter than this Then being asked by some person of quality whether he were not sorry for what he had done He answered Sir I shall be sorry for whatever the Lord convinceth me to be a sin When the Lord sets home that upon my soul I shall express it unto God and man and truly that must be from him alone Mr. Th. Porter Then Mr. Thomas Porter spake to him I am sorry to see you there but you will be a happy man within this half hour Barkst I have I bless God an assurance through Jesus Christ that I shall be so but feeling the Cart stir under him as he did several times before and thereby the Rope pinched him he desired it might be eased Then Col. Okey was brought towards the Cart and when Col. Barkstead saw him he lifted up his eyes and hands Some of the Sheriffs Officers when Okey came to the Cart said of him That he was a lusty stout brave man as ever fought in England Sheriff Then said the Sheriff to Col. Okey I hope I need not give you this Caution that you make no justification of this horrid Offence not to justifie that Offence for which you are brought hither this day Okey To which Col. Okey made this reply Sir I must not lye for God much less for you I hope you will give me leave to speak what lies upon my conscience whether I am guilty or not guilty We will speak something of what lyes upon us Then Mr. Corbet being at the Cart ready to come up Col. Okey stooping down to help him up said Come brother Corbet how do you and clapping his hand upon his breast Okey said I thank God I have it here Then speaking to the Sheriff he said May I have my Hat on or stand bare Sheriff Which you please said the Sheriff you have your liberty for that Then Col. Okey addressed himself to speak to the People as followeth Colonel Okey's Speech GENTLEMEN THe Providence of God hath brought me to this place to pay that which every man oweth I shall not trouble you with what is superfluous which is to tell you of my Family which of all the Families in Israel was the least and I was the least of that Family It is not unknown to most here what troubles have been in this Nation and how eminently the hand of God did appear therein Among many others that were called forth to serve the King and Parliament as then the Cause was stated I was one which I did faithfully according to the best of my power and knowledge I here do bless God that I was called to that Work For I am perswaded in my heart that it was for the Glory of God and the good of his People however it was turned at last and if I had as many lives as I have hairs on my head I should have ventured them all in that Cause I have nothing upon me as to that and I thank God I am fully satisfied as to that Cause but I shall say no more to that but only this in general That as the Parents of him that was born blind being asked by the Pharisees how he came to his sight answered He is of Age let him speak for himself and so the Cause is sufficiently able to speak for it self But as to that vvhich I have been adjudged for and am come hither to give my Life for viz. the Death of the late King I shall only say thus much That I think most of you know that I vvas none of the Counsel within or without neither did I know any thing of the Tryal of the King or who vvere the Judges till I saw my Name inserted in a Paper and I did sit there but once or twice but for any malice to him I had no more than to my own soul but prayed for him to