to sinne it is beter to die then to sinne nothing could grive our Saviour but sinne and therefore have a care of that you and I must meet one day at the bar of Christ the Son of God shal be our Judge for God hath committed all judgement to the Son that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father This day is a resemblance of that day therefore be serious beg as much good to your immortal souls as I expect to enjoy by and by I beseech you beg of God that he would save your soules and omit no opportunity through the strength of the Lord to believe and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ be sure to labour after assurance of your interest in him or else you wil be of all men most miserable for I of all men were most miserable if I had not believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Blessed be the Lord that brings me into this state let the way or means be what it wil it is Gods soveraignty who made these creatures so to dispose of them how he pleaseth and God hath ordeined this death for me from all eternity The Lord Christ often prayed thy will be done this is the Lords wil. He hath numbred my daies and my times are in his hand Many seek the Rulers favor but every on s judgement is from the Lord. When Pilat said unto Christ Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee Christ answered him thou couldest have no power against me except it were given thee from aboue Therefore I acknowledge the righteous hand of God he is righteous but I am sinful Therefore will I beare Gods indignation because I have sinned against him It is said of Jesus Christ that for the joy set before him he endured the cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of God where I hope to see him by and by in glory and Majesty and to see his Angels and believers worshipping of him and therefore I despise the shame Our Saviour died upon the cross without sinne I am a sinful creature a wretched sinner and shall I expect better then he that was my master he who was holy and never had a sinful thought in all his life and died not for himselfe but for us that we might live through his death that through his poverty we might to made rich And Christ having done this for his people it should not be in their eyes thought a despicable thing that we should suffer for him having been engaged in the work of God But Christ must prevail in righteousness and he wil prevaile Now Mr. Sheriffe I thank you for your civillity and for this leave After this Col. Hacker spoke something privately to him whereupon Col. Axtel said Mr. Shieriffe must we both die together Mr. Shieriffe answered Yes Then Col. Hacker read a paper which he had in his hand a coppy whereof followeth FRiends Country-men all that have known me in my best estate have not known me to have been a man of Oratory and that God hath not given me the gift of utterance as to others therefore I have onely this briefly to say unto you that are spectators As the Parliament stated the war I did out of judgment and conscience joyn with them in the common cause and have through grace been faithfull to it according to my measure And as for that which now I am condemned for I do freely forgive both Judges Jury and Witnesses and all others And I thank the Lord to whom I am now going at whose tribunall I must render an account I have nothing lies upon my conseience as guilt whereof I am now condemned and doe not doubt but to have the sentence reverst I doe now apply my selfe unto God by prayer and doe desire the hearty prayers of all that fear God that I may have a sweet passage from this mortall life to that immortal life which God hath prepared for all that are in Christ Jesus Francis Hacker After the reading of this he desired that Col. Axtell would be both their mouths to God in prayer And then Col. Axtell said I desire all that fear the Lord to hear me with patience and to lift up their hearts to seek the Lord with me that we may have his strength and the presence of his spirit from this world to everlasting life And with a wonderful composed frame of spirit and with an audible voice entred upon the following duty wherein the Lord helped him with excellent expressions suitable to both their conditions The prayer followeth OH blessed Lord the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who art the great God of heaven and earth heaven is thy throne and the earth thy foolstool thou upholdest all things with and by the word of thy power The issues of life and death are in thy hand oh God Blessed Lord we pray thee let us have communion with thy selfe and the glory of thy face let the shining rayes of Christ shine continually upon our souls Lord let there be no interruption between the brightness of thy glory and our souls til we come into the fulness of the possession of it Blessed Lord we desire to take shame before thee and this multitude for all our iniquities and transgressions we were born and came great sinners into the world the root of bitterness was in us that flowed from that bitter fountain Adam but thou O Lord hast been pleased to send the second Adam that as by the sinne of one man death entred into the world so by the obedience and righteousness of one Jesus Christ many should be made righteous Blessed Lord thou knowest all our original guilt all upon our hearts and upon our consciences all our personal defilements and transgressions we pray thee Lord wash them all away in the blood of Jesus Christ Lord we have nothing of our own to rely upon but a Christ for all our goodness and righteousness is but as polluted rags and menstruous cloaths Therefore O Lord thou hast said by the workes of the Law no man shall be justified but by the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus Therefore oh Lord hold out the covenant of grace to poor believers and make Jesus Christ the Mediator of the covenant to perform Gods part to us and our part towards God Oh lord in thee are all our spring thou art the fountain of all grace let us have mercy and pardon from thee Lord it is by grace that any here are saved Thou shouldst be a righteous God if thou shouldest not only suffer us to lye under the condemnation of man but to exclude us from heaven and glory for ever But Lord if thou shouldst be strict to mark iniquity who should stand in thy presence but there is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared Lord thou hast said Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity and passing by
his most precious blood and had not by that blood gone to heaven our Salvation had not been Lord let it be well with England the Lord hear me for my poor Friends and Relations for my poor Wife and Child unto thee Lord I commend the cause of God and of Jesus Christ And remember poor Ireland wherein I had a lot and interest the Lord remember them all and help thy poor Children to continue Faithfull unto Death that so we may receive a Crown of life for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and so I come Lord Jesus Oh receive my soul Send down a Guard of Angells to convey my soul into Abrahams Bosome Receive my soul O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit And I desire to appeal to thee O lord thou art the great God of Heaven and Earth before whom all controversies must come I believe there is not a man in the world what ever he be but hath some reverentiall feare of death but for any sinfull vitious fear I bless the Lord I have not the hundredth part of a dram upon my conscience if it were my wedding day I could not more rejoyce in the Lord because it is a consummation of that blessed marriage that my Lord Jesus hath made up with me Blessed be thy name me thinks I doe see with Stephen even by the eye of faith Heaven open and the Lord Jesus ready to receive my poor soule And oh that I may with Ezekiel see the glory of God and see with Isaiah the Lord sitting on his Throne of glory And oh that the love of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Spirit may warme my heart and carry me up from the beginning of this passage to the end and close of it Lord Jesus come and receive my spirit and sweeten this cup and let me say The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink of it And I leave all into the hands of the Lord that if it be the Lords will every one that belongs to the election of grace my meet with comfort at the great day and that we may shake hands together where no office of love shall be unrewarded nor any unkindness shewed to the people of God But within a few hours I shall be in the harbour I am just now entring into it I would not goe backe againe for all the world Blessed be the Lord I despise the shame and am willing to endure the crosse for Christs sake because the Lord Jesus who is the author and finisher of my salvation did it for me The Lord pitty those that follow and bear up their hearts The Lord helpe his poore people that finde any thing upon their soul that they should stand fast unto the truths of Jesus Alas we shall be but a few daies here and Heaven will make amends for all and we shall glorifie God in eternity where we shall enter into a sinlesse timelesse and temptationless estate and never meet with sorrow or troubles any more but the Lord will receive us to himselfe and then the innocency of thy poor servants shall be vindicated and we shall be ever with the Lord blessing and praising his holy name When Elijah was taken away the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha who stood up in his stead And when John the Baptist was cut off the Lord had his Apostles to supply that office The Lord will have profit in the Death of his Children I believe that an Army of Martyrs would willingly come from Heaven to suffer in such a cause at this that I come here to suffer for I desire to bewaile that I have not had so much love to the Glory of God therein as I ought But as to the thing I come to suffer for I have not had any thing or act come to my mind with lesse regret and greater comfort then this And as for those that brought me hither I do forgive them I have not one hard thought concerning them the blessing of the Father Son and Spirit be with them Oh that the Lord would grant that no more might suffer and so Dear and Blessed Father I come into the bosome of thy love and desire to enter into that Glory which is Endlesse and Boundlesse through Jesus Christ A Letter written from the Tower to a Christian friend by Mr. Justice Cooke Sir NOw in answer to your loving inquiry how it fares with my better part I blesse God I never found so much internall spirituall solice and unmixt joy and comfort as I have experimented in these five moneths indurance 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. Let never any Christian fear a prison it being the onely place where wanting other books a man may best studdy the book of the knowledge of himselfe having a long vacation from all business but praying unto and praising God in Christ by the spirits assistance I cannot take Marthas part for none must come to me nor Marys part to wait upon the ordinances which my soul thirsts after therefore my chamber is like the sanctum sanctorum where wittingly none may enter but the high Priest of our profession the Lord Jesus I did not think that there had been so much ignorance impotence impatience ingratitude pride inordinate affection to creature comforts revenge diffidence of God self-love and iniquity of all sorts in me as I finde there is who am not onely a poor sinner but sin it selfe a very masse of sin I find it very hard to rely nakedly on Gods goodness not to feel the heat of persecution nor to be carefull when all is taken away Jer. 7.17 Lo so this darkness and filthiness of spirit is onely discovered by the light of Christ by whose lowliness in washing the Apostles feet I see my loftiness and want of condescention when I had power by his patience my many passions and heart-risings against instruments by his obedience to the death my reluctancies by his faithfulness my former backslidings by his fruitfulness and doing good Act. 10.38 my barrenness the little good I did when I had opportunity and by his liberality my penuriousness whereby I adore and acknowledge his justice that he hath most righteously deprived me of my liberty estate all which drives me neerer to Christ and makes me take faster hold of his righteousness I now understand through grace how precious he is 1 Pet. 2.7 if it were not for Christ what a miserable condition were I now in that might suddenly be sent to contend with the wrath of God in everlasting burnings and this makes me love Christ the more having forgiven me more then others and having had ten thousand talents forgiven me I would forgive any wrong doers and this keeps me humble and from censoriousness I bless God I have ransackt into every corner of my soule I have with David Job Esay and Paul bewailed my hereditary disease and heart-corruption I feel it is as a rotten tooth that akes would fain be
invested with a better possession a heavenly Countrey Heb. 11.16 if there be such glorious times to be expected upon earth as you and I have discoursed of I am sure there is no less joy in heaven and we that are there shal have no cause to envy our millitant brethren besides as for my self I can expect to doe little for God I am three parts dead 70 being divided into four the shadows of the evening are upon me and aches and paines are inseparable companions if now Christ should graciously accept of my poore crazy body bring me to an honourable and an easie death for him blessed be his name forever 1 Chro. 29.10 to 16. The heathen could say Dulce est pro patria mori pro Christo mori dulcimum How did the Romans glory to die for their liberties and after for the glory of their Cesars and how glad are the poor Spaniards and Muscovites that they have a life a wise or a sonne for their King and how glad are the City that their feastings will be received A Popish Friar told me lately that if he were of my opinion for assurance of salvation he would not willingly live an houre longer for all Ireland yet Saints too much feare this grim porter death though when executed we goe from the crosse to the Crown Jam. 1.12 indeed it is below the profession that we have made to be now troubled in prosperity I would be a worm but now the Lord makes us bold as Lyons that being called to suffer after so blessed an example we may think it an honour to pledge our master in his own cup and commit the keeping of our soules to him in wel doing as unto a faithful creator 1 Pet 2.21 and 4.19 for he wil never leave nor forsake us but wil give us shoulders to bear what he laies upon us 1 Cor. 10.13 let us therefore who are the children of Zion be joyful in our King as others who one day wil appeare to be fanatiques indeed rejoyce in them for these present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with our future glory Rom. 8.18 Sir I bless God I have an invincible peace and a secret joy surpassing my expression and I press towards the marke Phil. 3.14 yet divine cordials are not constant but often some fainting fits and dispondencies the spirit bloweth where it listeth where it is not comforting it is supporting Esay 40.29 41.10 if I were not very feeble how could Gods power appear in my weakness I bless his name that his arrows are not within me nor doe the terrors of death take hold upon me as Job 6.4 for I never was better as to the frame and temper of mind and body then since my restraint and blessed be the comforter I am not long without him My cousin Harrison is very full of spiritual comfort as the Gentleman Jaylor tels me and bids me cheere up and indeed it wil be a mercy if those who are called forth to testifie for Christ prove couragious as Jos 1.9 but truly as for my part in does not lie on that side I fear least I may be too much exalted with the honour of it though I know the Lord can soon withdraw we live by faith and not by sight our happiness is in our union rather then in communion and sensible gusts and I rather fear a lingring death with severity some for banishment Ezek 7.16 c. but let the Lord doe with me as he pleaseth as Joab siad 1 Chro. 19.13 Omnia cooperatur in bonam Rom. 8.28 So having unbosomed my heart unto you that you and such whom you judge faithful and secret may the better spread my condition before the Lord I would intreat you to beg for me more particularly 1. That God would set home upon my heart and fulfil in me with power your sweet Scripture for which I heartily thank you 2 Tim. 1.7 8 9 12. that I may not be afraid of their terrors nor troubled but may sanctifie the Lord at that time and be able to answer all opposers that they may be ashamed when we suffer for wel doing 1 Pet. 3.14 to 18. 2. That I and the rest of our brethren and companions in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ for the word of God and his testimony may be strengthned with all might according to Christs glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness as Paul prayed for the Collossians Col. 1.9 to 14. being filled with knowledge wisdome and spiritual understanding and feeling those grounds of joy as an inheritance of light and deliverance from the power of darkness that we may be testes and contestes to agree in our testimonies and not disparage so good a cause 3. That we may be ready not onely to be bound but to die for Christ and the vindication and justification of his Evangelical doctrine we have made high profession and confession of the everlasting Gospel and it is a blessed thing to believe with the heart and confess with our mouths and in our lives and by active martyrdom as Brooke Ireton Hampden Pickering and others have worthily done who are safely arrived expecting us and we are yet upon the waves but the most excellent honourable rich and fruitful confession of Christ whereby we can make the most efficacious demonstration of our election and faith in Christ and love in his glorious person with most supream illustration of Gods glory is to lay down our lives as the martyrs did to seal and confirm the truth of our professions with our blood for the cause of Christ and safety of our brethren Rom. 16.4 1 John 3.16 as our blessed master after he had confessed and preached the glory of God and our salvation confirmed and approved all by miracles and his most holy life made a good confession under Pontius pilat 1 Tim. 6.13 without which all had been ineffectual So I have often thought for the discovery of hypocrites cementing of the Saints in more concording affections trial of faith exercising of patience and love to Christ and for many other glorious ends God would call for some of his childrens blood which wil be the greater favour to them whom he shal count worthy of it because I think this wil rather be a Julian then a Heronian persecution alwaies provided that we be found in the doctrine of the covenant of grace that God does not love us because we live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and are willing to forsake all and loose our lives for him But because he loves us and has singled us out from the world therefore he enables us so to live and to doe singular things for his honour and glory and willingly to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Revel 14.4 for the love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5.14 O that we had more enlarged hearts for our King Jesus 4. That you may fully hit my condition I
in three or four hours his Wife Children and many other friends returned When we came we found them praying Assoon as Col. Scroop had ended Mr. Scot turned about and opening his arms he imbraced his Wife and one of his Daughters Ah said he my dear ones God is good he is come he is come I am full I am full O blesse the Lord for me and with me O my soul and all that is within me magnifie the Lord. By and by he went to prayer himself and one would have thought he had been as it were in Heaven his soul was so enlarged in blessing praising and magnifying the God of his Salvation O! said he to his Wife I would not change this dark Room for the best Star-Chamber under Heaven He desired his Friends and Relations would not be solicitous for his Body but let them do what they pleased and exercise what Cruelty they would saying it was meet it should be so And that the dead Bodies of the Witnesses must be unburied that the Scriptures might be fulfilled Some part of his prayer was to blesse the Lord That as the Psalmist said though he came in there weeping and fearing that he had not yet been bearing precious feed yet now they were returning rejoycing and triumphing and carrying their sheaves with them Call us not said he Marahs as she once said but call us Naomies for we came in hither some of us empty but we are going out full The Lord hath not writ bitter things but good of us for this is glorious Grace That We are counted worthy to suffer for GOD and His CAVSE Oh! what shall we render to the Lord Wee will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Oh our souls blesse the Lord And we do with our souls blesse Thee that we have an Eternity to blesse Thee in for no lesse will satisfie our souls And now O blessed and glorious God shall we be among thy Worthies Meaning N. G. H. Mr. Carew and Mr. Cook if Possible let us attain to the first Three but if we attain not to so glorious a Testimony as that yet O Lord let us be among thy Worthies We desire to glorifie thy great and blessed Name that Thou hast in any measure enabled us to encourage our hearts in the Lord our God at such a time as this when Eighty is as it were in the flames and the people speak of worse than stoning us When some spake of the Reproaches of the people he said he accounted that his honour Mr. Scot's Speech upon the Ladder GENTLEMEN I stand here a Spectacle to GOD to Angels and Men To GOD and Angels to whom I hope I am shortly a going And now to you I owe it to God and the Nation and my self to say something concerning each For my self I think it may become me to tell you how and why I came hither and something in the general concerning my capacity In the beginning of these Troubles I was as many others were unsatisfied I saw Liberties and Religion in the Nation in great danger to my best apprehension I saw the approaches of Popery in a great measure coming in upon us I saw Upon which the Sheriff interrupted him in these words If you will betake your self to prayers you may Mr. Scot replied I shall not speak to reproach any The Sheriff interrupted him again saying You have but a little time Mr. Scot Therefore betake that little time to prayer Mr. Scot replied I shall speak The Sheriff interrupted him again saying I beseech you Sir betake your self to prayer Mr. Scot said It may become me to give account of my self because The Sheriff interrupted him again saying It doth not become you to speak any such thing here Therefore I beseech you betake your self to prayer it is but a little time you have to live you know Mr. Scot that is the most needful thing Mr. Scot replied 'T is so The Sheriff interrupts again saying Sir But when you came upon the Stage you deprived your self very much Then said Mr. Scot I thought to tell you how I came hither Here the Sheriff interrupted again or else some one besides the Sheriff and spake to this effect Every body knows that Mr. Scot said Sir 't is hard that an English man hath not liberty to speak The Sheriff interrupted again saying I cannot suffer you to speak any such thing Mr. Scot said I shall say no more but this That it is a very mean and bad Cause that will nor bear the words of a dying-man it is not ordinarily denied to people in this condition The Sheriff interrupted again saying Sir you had a fair Tryal and you were found guilty Mr. Scot replied 'T is according to my mind to speak what may be said Hear the Under-Sheriff interrupted saying It hath been denyed unto your Predecessors and will be denyed unto you Then he Prayed as followeth HOly Lord God the great and glorious God of Heaven and Earth King of Nations and King of Saints in both which capacities thy poor and unworthy Creature comes now to bear his Witness in this great spectacle before Thee Angels and Men. O Lord were it not for Sin none of these things had befallen this Nation nor my unworthy self We have all transgressed and gone astray from thee by a perpetual back-sliding even all of a sorts conditions ranks and orders of men And among them none none more than thy poor unworthy Creature who acknowledgeth the same here before Thee in the face of Heaven and in Thy Presence to which he is very shortly a going That glorious Grace which thou hast been pleased to afford unto his soul in it Thou art gone to the highest extent of mercy that ever was shewed to any of the sons of men Thy poor servant doth acknowledge himself to be the greatest of transgressors And thy glorious Grace is magnified above all thy Name in what Thou hast done for thy poor Creature But Lord so it is because such is thy good pleasure such was thy design from Eternity through or in the great Transactions that was between Thee and Christ thy blessed Son and our blessed Saviour that Thou shouldest in thy dispensation in the governing of thy Church in the World That thou shouldest glorifie thy Free-grace in pardoning of the Sins and in the Salvation of some of lost Man-kind which was the great Master-piece of thy Love that thou shouldest chuse out of poor lost Man-kind one or other it is of admirable and incomprehensible mercy And that thou shouldest chuse thy poor Creature as one in the number is matter of Adoration Admiration is matter of Eternal Extasie and is matter of Thanksgiving for ever And this is the comfort of his poor soul that he shall have an Eternity with thy self Thou hast so assured him that he shall be blessing honouring and magnifying of Thee among a company of Saints and Angels and the souls of just
men made perfect O blessed Lord thou hast called him forth as a publick Spectacle to some in a condition of Shame and Reproach to others of Comfort and to thy Blessed Self as one that is a Witness for Thee that hath served Thee with all faithfulness in his trust and publick capacity and imployment O Lord thy Dispensation to thy poor Creature hath been wonderful gracious and merciful and he must say to the praise of thy Free-grace Here the Hangman stooping down to take Drink which was reached up to him upon the Ladder interrupted him Upon which Mr. Scot said prethee let me alone I have not done and then proceeded in Prayer as followeth That this very Condition to which he is now brought he acknowledgeth is the answer of his Prayer before his going out of England Thou knowest Lord he did many times in prayers and tears seek thy blessed Majesty for Counsel and for Advice whether it were his duty to stay and suffer or to shelter himself abroad And if it were thy will to take more honour to thy self by his Suffering than his Living thou wouldest be pleased to Remand him back again and bring him hither And he hath observed thy Providence checking of his way and in preserving him all along until he came to this O blessed Lord thy poor Creature doth acknowledge that thy ways to his poor Soul have been of wonderful grace and mercy It was a great mercy to him that having had by reason of many sinful temptations and many incumbrances and many incessant Businesses in the World whereof he hath been a perpetual drudge many years past and he hath not had the conveniency though his duty The Lord knowes he had not the conveniency nor the heart so to improve and keep his own vineyard while he had been looking after or keeping others vineyard Thou didst therefore all along while he was abroad give sweet opportunities and precious seasons while he was abroad of seeking thy face and studying his Souls good concerning Eternity and the Eternnal pleasure of thy holy will And he blesseth thy name that thou hast been pleased to open to him both the Scripture and his understanding and so to answer the one by the other as that he is through the grace of God comfortably perswaded that his eternal estate is out of hazard But O Lord thou hast been pleased all the while that his condition hath been doubtful to make his Comforts to his poor soul doubtful also sometimes fear and sometimes hope have been mixed Again and again wanting those Consolations that might support his soul to such an issue But blessed be thy glorious Name the great God of Heaven and Earth he hath been pleased to bear him witness to himself to Angels and to all that hear me this day this very day thy poor Servant that now stands to suffer had joy and much Consolation from God and from his Cause more than ever he had before I say again to the praise of the Free-Grace of God I bless his Name he hath engaged me in a Cause not to be repented of I say in a Cause not to be repented of Here the Sheriff interrupted him saying Is this your Prayers Mr. Scot desiring him to forbear those kind of Expressions Others also told him that he contradicted himself and spoke Blasphemy Then Mr. Scot said I shall say no more but this The Lord I do acknowledge that this very morning in the Dark Chamber I had very much of the presence of God and from thence I take Consolation to my self that his Spirit is with me and that he hath sealed unto my soul the Decrees of Heaven at least perswaded my soul that it will be well with me and that I am out of all danger as to my Eternal Condition and that I shall live and reign with him there where all sin shall be done away which is the growing glory of my soul and all tears wipt away also In the mean time I pray thee O Lord that thou wouldest remember England and remember thy Cause in England and remember me with the joyes of thy Salvation in the instant of my departure O Lord it is an narrow entrance it is a strait passage it is an entrance into Eternity O Lord thou hast once to day shewed me something beyond it something of the glory of God I pray thee forsake me not while I am here and sensible or afterwards in the passage of my soul to thee I leave it and to thy Providence and do acknowledge thy goodness to my soul in fitting me to receive that good which thou in thy infinite pleasure dost think fit for me And therefore O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit Lord I desire to have some more testimony of thy Love if it be thy blessed will It is enough that I live upon what I had to day but if it be agreeable to thy holy will I would honour and eternally bless thee if thou wouldst be pleased to shine upon me with some more particular immediate discoveries of thy presence but not my will but thy will be done The Lord be pleased to settle the Nation in peace and in the power and purity of Religion and thy Ordinances in purity And Lord for thy Son that is the darling of thy Soul Be thou pleased to give him a glorious entertainment in the world and let the Kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of Jesus Christ Lord thou hast a Cause in the world dear unto thee I pray thee own it though it may not be owned in all places and by all persons yet Religion is the Interest of them all O Lord Remember the price of Blood that hath been shed for the purchasing of the Civil and Christian Liberties And remember thy Enemies that are not incorrigible Enemies to thy Truth and Holiness and give them understanding to see their Error and to turn to thee a heart broken and with humiliation that they may seek God with their whole heart that they may be a Holy or Immanuel Nation A Chosen Generation A peculiar People zealous of good Works careful to shew forth the virtue of him that hath Called them from Death to Life The Lord call in all that belong to the Election of Grace speedily into that Number Let no Weapon formed against thy Church prosper But Lord Remember Zion if it be thy good pleasure and repair the Walls of thy Jerusalem O Lord thy CAUSE lies near the hearts of thy People And I bear thee Witness that I have this Income from thee as the Return of their Prayers And that we are Supported to bear Witness for thee very chearfully and with satisfaction I desire to be found of thee in Jesus Christ I do now abhor all my sins and renounce my Services and do account them all as dung Lord thou knowest I have desired to live that I might serve thee better and love thee more but that I may be with thy self
desirable things which were expected and longed for by the Lords people and apprehending that God had done his work by them and that he had some more worthy persons to come upon the stage the Lord is my witnesse that I had no self-end in that Action but it was out of the Integrity of my heart as to the Lord. Afterwards when Cromwell and his party did set up themselves in their room I abhorred them and their wayes and suffered imprisonment by reason I would not joyne with them in that iniquity and go against my conscience there is nothing of this also that lyes as Guilt upon me Fourthly Concerning Family-duties and the Observation of the Lord's Day there stands my Servant let him speak to it for he hath lived with me about this Eight years The Servant answered That those reports were very false for his Master was a man in a manner wholly devoted to religious Exercises very frequent in prayer and diligent in expounding the Scriptures to the great comfort and consolation of his whole Family and that he was very zealous in observing the Lord's day Fifthly He said that the Lord's Spirit did witnesse with his spirit That all his sins were done away by Jesus Christ and that he had peace with God and was assured that this was not come upon him for his iniquity They discoursed of many other things but these were the chiefest so far as one then present could afterwards remember He parted very sweetly and lovingly with the said Ministers and they told him that they came then by the desire of the Sheriffe But that they would willingly come again upon a Christian account Many Friends came to visit him whilst he was in that place and found him full of the joy of the Lord so that some apprehended he was cloathed with the Spirit of the Lord. The Sheriff came that morning that he was to die and told him that in half an hour he must be gone He answered that he was ready and would not have him stay at all on his account But the Sheriff left him to stay a little longer and in the mean time he was longing for the Sheriffs coming and as his Friends judged he was in hast to be gone and said he was going about a great work for the Lord that day and that his support was that his sufferings was upon the account of Jehovah the Lord of Hosts he said he looked upon this as a clear answer of his prayers for many a time said he have I begged of the Lord That if he had any hard thing any reproachfull work or contemptible service to be done by his people That I should be imployed in it And now blessed be the Name of God who accounteth me worthy to be put upon this service for my Lord Christ Oh this is nothing to what Christ hath suffered for me He parted with his wife and friends with great joy and chearfulnesse as he did use to doe when going some journey or about some service for the Lord He told his wife he had nothing to leave her but his Bible but that he was assured that God would make up all her losses in due time and desired that those that did love him should manifest their love in being loving and tender to his dear wife Some passages at the Dungeon dore as he came forth The Sheriffe commanding the Keeper to acquaint Mr. Harrison he must go to suffer the Keeper came forth and returned answer that he was ready when he pleased Then the Sheriff commanded the Keeper to fetch him forth so he came forth immediately sooner then was expected running down the Stairs with a smiling countenance by reason of his sudden coming the doore that he was to go up a pair of Stairs at was not opened which occasioned his stay in the Hall till the Keeper could be found and there one Mrs. M. took him by the hand and said with a loud voice Blessed be the great God of Hosts that hath enabled you and called you forth to bear your testimony the God of all grace and peace be with you and keep you faithfull to the death That you may receive a crown of life With that one of the Officers pulled the woman away by the shoulder saying Away with this woman she stands prating here But the Maj. General replied Be not offended with her she speaks Scripture-language So they thrust her away from him and would not permit any to speak more to him in that place Then he spake saying I blesse the Lord that hath called me forth and hath inabled we in the power of his strength to offer my life with satisfaction and cheerfulness in obedience to the will of God I bless the Lord I am full of the manifestation of his love in the Lord Jesus It 's a day of joy to my soul I say God hath enabled me to whom all the powers of the world are but as the drop of a bucket said he I do find so much of the joy of the Lord coming in that he was carried far above the fear of death being going to receive that glorious and incorruptible crown which Christ hath prepared for him Then he was carried into a Room where the common Prisoners were and told them what a sad thing it was to be condemned to die and to want the love and favour of God But it 's not so with me for though I die yet I know I shall live with Christ to all eternity and this is out of the exceeding riches of the grace of God for he it is that maketh the difference For as I am in my self I am a base vile and nothing-creature but compleat in him who is the Head of all Principalities and Powers Poor men I wish you all as well as I doe my own Soul Oh that you did but know Christ his bowells earns towards the greatest of sinners his bloud is sufficient to doe away the deepest iniquity he waiteth to be gracious and is willing to receive all that come unto him Oh therefore labour to come to Christ your time in this world is short and uncertain you are walking upon the brink of eternity and are ready to drop in every moment if you die without the fear of our God you will be miserable for ever ever but if you come to know Christ to be yours it will be your joy and happiness world without end He then put his hands into his pocket and gave them some money and wished them to take heed of sinning against the Lord. And from thence was carried upon the Leads on the top of New gate so that he could see the greatest part of the City he then said The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and there is nothing hid from his eyes From thence he was carried down two paire of staires where he was tied about the back breast and shoulders he took the rope in his hand and said friends take
notice that God gives me power to receive this with thanksgiving and he helped the Sarjeant to put on the rope Then a friend came weeping to him to take her leave of him he said hinder me not for I am going about a work for my master Then looking about him said Sirs It s easie to follow God when he makes a hedge about us and makes liberall provision for us but its hard for most to follow him in such a dispensation as this and yet my Lord and Master is as sweet and glorious to me now as he was in the time of my greatest prosperity He also said this I can say for my self That according to the light that God hath given me I have served him and my Countrey with integrity and uprightnesse of heart not willingly nor wittingly wronging any But this have I done with much infirmity and weaknesse One telling him that he did not know how to understand the mind of God in such a dispensation as this He said wait upon the Lord for you know not what the Lord is leading to and what the end of the Lord will be After this addressing himself to a Gentleman he said I dare not nor cannot be a pleaser of men a friend answered it appeared so by your declining Cromwell's Interest which words he assented to and further said the manner of my speaking before the Court may seem strange to some but my Design was not to approve my self before Men but God and what I said was according to my conscience And as the Rope was tying on he repeated Isaac's words to Abraham Father here is the wood but where is the Sacrifice and also said if the Lord see good he can provide another sacrifice he can deliver those that are appointed to die but his will be done Death is not terrible to me yea it is no more to me then a Rush I have learnt to die long ago And was often heard to say concerning the Lord's dispensation to him and his people Shall not the Lord do with his own what it pleaseth him And so parting with his Friend went down stairs to the Sledge and askt which my must I sit for I am not acquainted with this Good is the Lord in all his waies Then he was carried away in the Sledge having a sweet smiling Countenance with his eyes and hands lifted up to Heaven his countenance never changing in all the way as he went to he place of Execution but was mighty cheerful to the astonishment of many He called several times in the way and spoke aloud I go to suffer upon the account of the most glorious Cause that ever was in the world As he was going to suffer one in a Derision called to him and said Where is your Good Old Cause He with a cheerful smile clapt his hand on his Brest and said Here it is and I am going to seal it with my bloud And when he came to the sight of the Gallows he was transported with joy and his servant askt him how he did he answered never better in my life his servant told him Sir there is a Crown of glory ready prepared for you Oh yes said he I see it when he was taken off the Sledge the Hangman desired him to forgive him I doe forgive thee said he with all my Heart as it is a sin against me and told him he wish't him all happinesse And further said alas poor man thou dost it ignorantly the Lord grant that this sin may not be laid to thy charge and putting his hand into his pocket gave him all the money he had and so parting with his Servant hugging of him in his arms and went up the Ladder with an undaunted countenance M. Gen. Harrison's Speech upon the Ladder Gentlemen I did not expect to have spoken a word to you at this time but seeing there is silence commanded I will speak something of the work God had in hand in our dayes Many of you have bean Witnesses of the Finger of God that hath been seen amongst us of late years in the deliverance of his people from their Oppressors and in bringing to Judgement those that were guilty of the precious bloud of the dear servants of the Lord And how God did witness thereto by many wonderful and evident testimonies as it were immediatly from Heaven insomuch that many of our Enemies who were persons of no mean quality were forc'd to confess That God was with us And if God did but stand newter they should not value us And therefore seeing the Finger of God hath been pleading this Cause I shall not need to speak much to it In which work I with others were engaged for the which I do from my soul blesse the name of God who out of the exceeding riches of his grace accounted me worthy to be instrumentall in so glorious a work and though I am wrongfully charged with murder and bloudshed yet I must tell you I have kept a good conscience both towards God and towards man I never had malice against any man neither did I act malitiously towards any person but as I Judged them to be Enemies to God and his people And the Lord is my witnesse that I have done what I did out of the sincerity of my heart to the Lord I blesse God I have no Guilt upon my conscience but the spirit of God beareth witnesse that my Actions are acceptable to the Lord through Jesus Christ though I have been compassed about with manifold Infirmities Failings and Imperfections in my Holiest duties but in this I have comfort and consolation that I have pace with God and do see all my sins wash't away in the blood of my dear Saviour And I doe declare as before the Lord that I would not be guilty wittingly nor willingly of the blood of the meanest son no not for ten thousand Worlds much lesse of the blood of such as I am charged with I have again and again besought the Lord with Tears to make known his will and mind unto we concerning it and to this day he hath rather confirmed me in the justice of it and therefore I leave it to him and to him I commit my wayes but some that were eminent in the work did wickedly turn aside themselves and to set up their Nests on High which caused great dishonour to the name of God and the profession they had made And the Lord knows I could have suffered more then this rather then have fallen in with them in that iniquity though I was offered what I would if I would have joyned with them my Aime in all my proceedings was the glory of God and the good of his people and the wellfare of the whole Commonwealth The people observing him to tremble in his hands and leggs he taking notice of it said Gentlemen By reason of some scoffing that I do hear I Judge that some do think I am afraid to dye by the shaking I have in
Ministery from the annoynting that doth beare witness to the Lord Jesus and hath his holy Spirit That testimony I desire to beare and that testimony I desire to stand faithfull in with integrity to the Lord Jesus as King of Saints and King of Nations And therefore it is I say to have a Majestracy as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning men fearing God and hating covetousness And that Ministery as doth preach the everlasting Gospell Here Mr. Sheriffe interrupted him saying 't is desired that you spend the rest of your time in preparing your selfe Another said you spend your self Sir in this discourse Another said it raines Then Mr. Carew said I will pray Mr. Carew his Prayer O most holy and most glorious and blessed God the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of all Glory The God of the spirits of all Flesh unto thee unto thee doth my soule desire to come through the new and living way even through Christ my Righteousnesse And in him and through him to be offered up by the Eternall spirit a living and acceptable Sacrifice in which thy soul delighteth O Lord thou knowest my frame and thou knowest my life and what a passage this is and what a wonderfull thing it is to enter into Glory And what a wonderful thing it is to stand before thee and to stand in thy presence O Father father let my soul be filled with thy joy and with peace in Believing O Let my heart be in heaven while my body is here and O Let me be joyned unto the Lord through thine own spirit before this separation be O Lord thou only art able to take hold of my Heart and Spirit poor Creatures may speak words to thee but Oh! it is thine own power and it is thine own spirit that must take hold of the heart it is thine own spirit that must carry through all and it hath heen thy spirit Blessed be thy Name that hath carryed me through many Tryals and many Temptations and many Difficulties that thy poor Worme hath met with in this Pilgrimage for many Years O Blessed by thy Name for all the Goodnesse and for all thy Grace and for all thy presence that hath been with thy poor Creature far and neer Oh! Blessed be thy Name that thou hast kept me in any measure faithful to â—…to thee and made me willing to lay down my life for thy â—…ous Work and Cause Oh Blessed be thy Name that the Lord and Christ that is at thy right hand hath bought me with his own most precious bloud He hath Redeemed me indeed Therefore it is but my reasonable service that I should be offered up a sacrifice to him my joy is in him and my confidence is in him that I shall be presented by him to my heavenly father O father when thy servant is to be presented before thee let him know what it is to finde mercy Let him know what it is to have Jesus Christ an Advocate and what it is to be presented before thee by such a Redeemer O that Jesus Christ might bid me welcome into the presence and may say to my soule Well done good and faithfull servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. O blessed Father it is not that I doe expect any thing from thee upon any account below the account of the Lord Jesus and wherein soever thou hast been glorified by thy poor servant it hath been by thine own power and thine own working O nothing unto thy poore creature is due but unto thy holy name be praise and glory O holy father behold thy work in the Kingdomes and behold the cause and interest of all thy people O doe thou revive it in thine own appointed time O doe thou strengthen the starts of thy poor Saints O scatter all clouds speak comfortably to their soules that they may be able to stand under all storms faithfull into the death and receive a Crown of life and glory O blesse the poor Saints in the City and blesse thy Saints in the Country and blesse thy Saints in the West O blesse thy sonnes and thy daughters O blesse all the meetings of thy people let the blessing of the Lord appear unto them let the glory of the Lord make haste let the glory of the Lord be upon these Nations O remember thy promise to thy ancient people the Jewes O let thy people be taught of thee O let these drie bones live O let the Spirit of life breath upon them O dear father let the fulnesse of the Jewes and of the Gentiles be brought in Let multitudes be gathered out of every Kindred and Tongue and Nation unto the Kingdome of Jesus Christ O Father Father advance thy Sonne set him as King upon the mountaine of thy holinesse give him all glory and power and dominion over the whole Heavens that thou hast promised according to thy word and covenant to give unto him that he may raigne in thine own word and law through his own Spirit for ever and ever Lord lord I desire thou wouldst gather up my soul O gather up my soule O Lord make this passage sweet O make it comfortable Lord Jesus thou hast taken away the sting of death and born the burden of all this shame and of all this reproach And thou hast given thy poor servant something of thy presence through the riches of thy grace this day O Lord now receive O open thine everlasting armes O now let me enjoy thy presence O God which I have desired to behold and see and to behold thy face in Jesus Christ O and now let me enjoy what thou hast prepared for me and fill me with the joyes that are at thy right hand and those pleasures that are in thy presence for ever more O thou lamb of God lead me to the everlasting Fountain that living fountain that is able to supply all our wants O Lord blesse blesse thy poor people O comfort them in this day Poure out sevenfold of thy Spirit for what thou dost take away in any of thy servants for thy holy Names sake O let the cause and kingdome of Christ be deare and precious in thy sight and live alwaies Lord little doe these poor creatures know or these Nations know what a controversie thou hast with them O that thou wouldest be pleased gratiously to spare this people spare thy people however and let them that love Zion and favour thy righteous cause be glad for ever and ever O now Father be neer to me doe thou receive my spirit take me into thine own glory take me into thine own glory let me know it is my portion let me know there is a Crown in the hand of Christ prepared for my soul O blessed Lord thou hast honoured thy poore creature and brought him hitherto O reward all the labours of love in any to him in bonds or death and give them a double reward into their own bosomes Reward it
so to them and theirs Blessed be thy name that thou hast brought thy poor own hither to suffer in thy cause And O Lord let thy spirit be powred forth upon the Nations until the whole Earth be filled with the knowledge of thy Glory And that Christ Jesus may have all the Honour and Praise and Glory and Dominion for Ever and Ever Amen I am so exceeding Dry that my Tongue is ready to stick to my Mouth But I would fain speak a little more Oh blessed be God! oh how many are the Refreshments I have had from the presence of my God and Father sweet and secret Communion betw'xt him and my soul to day And for that my soul hath seen of his Riches and Kindnesse O that I might be more like Christ for I have been very unlike to Jesus Christ very unlike to my Father But I shall leave all that is unlike Christ behind And all his own Work manship he will purifie and perfect through this passage into Glory O my Dear Father receive my soul O! make this passage sweet for now I am coming to thee Lord Help Lord Spirit me fill me with thy Spirit let me be ever with thee let me know what it is to have thee at my Right Hand that I may not be moved that in my soul going out of the Flesh I may be let into the presence of God and into the Arm of Jesus Christ Oh! That my soul may be breathed forth into the Arms of God into the Bosome of Jesus Christ through the Anointing of the Spirit A Friend that stood by said it is expected you should speak something to the matter of your suffering The under Sheriff said 't is not to be suffered What are you that you put on men to speak What are you Sir Mr. Carew said Farewell my dear Friends Farewell the Lord keep you faithfull The Friend said we part with you with much Joy in our Souls Mr. Carew said to the Executioner stay a while I will speak one word and then said very solemnly and with a loud voyce Lord Jesus receive my Soul Lord Jesus into thy Armes I Commend my Spirit And so fell a Asleep Some occasionall Speeches and Memorable passages of Mr. Justice Cooke during his Imprisonment in the Tower and Newgate With his Speeches and prayer upon the Ladder HIS Wife coming to visit him in the Tower of London but not having Admittance to him he saw her forth of his Window and said to home to thy Friends my Dear Lamb I am well Blessed be God they cannot keep the Comforter from me His wife asking the Gentleman Jaylor to see him another time He answered she might see him suddenly in Newgate her Husband hearing of this said If the way to the new Jerusalem be thorough Newgate blessed be God for Newgate the King of Glory will set open his Everlasting Gates to receive me shortly and then I shall for ever be with the Lord. A Note sent by him from the Tower My D. L. chear-up Heaven will make amends for all blessed be God I am full of spiritual Joy and do must God to make what bargain for me he pleaseth for he knoweth the appointed time of my Composition and Dissolution let us look to Jesus Heb. 12. After Mr. Cooke was brought to Newgate discoursing with some Friends there he said I am now going to my Tryal wherein the Lord strengthen me If I be attainted yet my Estate in Ireland is not thereby Forfeited without an Act of Parliament to that purpose and indeed it is much set upon my heart that if my small Estate be taken away from my poor Wife and Child it will prove as poyson to those that enjoy it and Consumptive to the rest of their great Estates for I blesse God I never Acted Malitiously or Covetously but in a spirit of Simplicity and Integrity however the good will of the Lord be done I commit and commend my Dear Loving and Faithful Wife and Child to their blessed Husband and Father with three scriptures especially for their portion The Widdows cruse and barrel of meal 1 King 17. Isa 54. ver 5. to 10. Jer 49.11 Earnestly desiring that my Child may be Religioussy Educated in the fear of the Lord. Thus if God hath appointed it I shall go from the Cross to the Crown Speaking to some in prison for the clearing of himself from false Aspertions said whereas some say I have done them wrong they do much wrong me in so saying I have relieved many so far as by law I could knowing that the worst of men ought to have Justice I blesse God I durst not wrong any man for I know that I shall meet them at the last day before the Bar of Christs Judgement where I can with boldnesse look all men in the Face as to matter of Justice for which I have great cause to blesse the Lord Holy be his Name Some in the prison speaking of the Differences in Religion Mr. Peters said pray talk not of controversies now we have but a little time to live and cannot spend it in such discourses Whereupon Mr. Cooke said Blessed be God brother Peters we are going to Heaven where the Saints are all of one mind which my soul hath long desired to see it rejoyceth my heart to think what a perfect happinesse I shall have there the best condition here is but mixed but in Heaven there is no sorrow nor trouble neither have I one drame of trouble upon my spirit at this time blessed be God he hath wiped away all tears and I could with Paul and Silas sing in prison for Joy Blessed be the Comforter Discoursing after he came into the Dungion he said when a poor Creature comes about so Solemne a work as to Dye what a blessed thing is it to have a Helper and what can help but the holy spirit blessed be the Comforter for I am full of spiritual Consolation if one of you was to have a Thousand pounds a year after the death of an Old man Consumptive that would not live three dayes how would you rejoyce this is my Condition through Grace I must in a little time put off the Old man and enter into the possession of Heavenly Glory Let no good people fear a prison for it is the only place wanting other books to study the book of self A Friend going about to comfort Mr. Cooke from the consideration of the brevity and uncertainty of mans life using some expressions of love c. Mr. Cooke replyes what dost thou speak thus for if I were sick of a Feavour this might be a sutable discourse but we must talk at a higher rate then this now were I to chuse I would rather chuse this death then to Dye of a Feavour for there is much pains and sometimes distractions but here a man is well when he goes upon the Ladder and out of all pains in a quarter of an hour And speaking to a Friend said I
am now going to Heaven and shall leave you in the storm Mr. Cook to some Friends in prison Friends I beseech you rejoyce with me O let us blesse the Lord that he counts us worthy to be sacrifices to follow his steps was not the Captain of our Salvation made perfect through sufferings and shall not I Oh I long to be at home out of the body with the Lord though I go through a sea of Bloud to him truly I think every Hour Ten little doe my Enemies think what a Friendly part they do me to hasten me to my Fathers Kingdom to my Crown and Glory I had rather go to my Dear Jesus with my Chain and Crosse then to sit down with an Earthly King on his Throne and wear a Crown of Gold Some disaffected to him being present said the Jesuits suffered chearfully and confidently Mr. Cooke replyes I blesse God my justification is not built upon the merits of Works but alone upon Grace in the bloud of Christ The said person compared him and his fellow prisoners to Corah Darhan and Abiram Well friends said he it matters not who condemnes when God justifies Mr. Cooke said they do not justifie your self but confess your sins your haynous crime against the Lord and his Anointed and Resent Mr. Cooke replyes I must needs tell you that if Repentance was now to doe I was in a sad condition but I blesse my God he hath inabled me to confesse my sin and hath sealed my pardon in the bloud of his Dear Son and given such peace as none can give or take away I have no Guilt nor Trouble upon my spirit touching what is done but such sweet peace in God as I cannot expresse and I shall leave all with God who judgeth righteously who will decide all things Mr. Cooke to Mr. Peters in the Dungion said Brother Peters we shall be in Heaven to morrow in blisse and Glory what a blessed thing is that my very heart leaps within me for joy I am now just as I was in the * See his Relation of his passage by Sea to Ireland and his dream storm almost in sight of Heaven read me the Isa 43.9.10 Isa 61.10.11 Hos 13.14 Then looking upon his bed said that shall be my last Pillow I will lay me down and sleep awhile and he slept about an hour and half and then awoke saying now farewel sleep no more sleep in this World and farewel Darknesse and Night I am going where there shall be no Night there neither need of a Candle nor of the Sun for the Lord will give us light yea the Lord will be our Everlasting light and our God will be our Glory And welcome every thing that gives notice the hour is at hand welcome the Cock that crowes welcome sweet death my good Friend that will bring me so near Eternity O blessed be God blessed be his Name Oh this Christ is a blessed Christ he answereth all things and within few hours we shall be crowned with Glory and Victory blessed be our Lord Jesus that hath given us the Victory over Sin and Death Welcome Mr. Loman my keeper welcome Angels that will within few hours take the Office and Guard me into Eternity At midnight he prayed very fervently and the common prisoners heard him and seemed very sorrowful by their expressions saying Sir the Lord be with you O that our souls might go where your soul goes About the Morning speaking to Mris. Cooke said Lamb do not dishonour my last Wedding day by any trouble for me For if all my Judges did but know what Glory I shall be in before Twelve of the Clock they would desire to be with me And let the Executioner make what hast he can I shall be before hand with him for before he can say here is the Head of a Traytor I shall be in Heaven Come Lord Jesus come quickly my soul longeth for thee and I wait to hear thy voyce saying come up hither and immediately I shall be in the Sprit and then shall I for ever be with the Lord. At and midnight there was a cry heard the Bridegroome cometh and they that were ready went into the Marriage This day I shall enter into the joy of my Lord. Come brother Peters let us knook at Heaven Gates this morning God will open the dores of Eternity to us before Twelve of the Clock and let us in to that innumerable company of Saints and Angels and to the souls of just men made perfect and then we shall never part more but be with the Lord for Ever and Ever Singing praises Singing praises to our Lord and Everlasting King to all Eternity he said further O what a good master have I served that stands by me now and supports me with his Everlasting Arme he bears me up then said come away my beloved make hast and be thou like unto a young Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountaines of Spices Behold I come Lord Jesus I come full sayle to thee I come upon the wing of Faith Lord Jesus receive me and going to lye down upon his bed he said it is no more to go to dye to morrow then it is to go to sleep to night I bless the Lord I am free from trouble and my poor heart is as full of spiritual eomfort as ever it can hold And this joy can no man take from me The dores of the prison being opened in the morning he spent that little time he had left in prayer and heavenly discourse with Friends that came to visit him preparing himself for his suffering with such a cheerfulnesse as was an Astonishment to the spectators Then speaking to his Wife said farewel my Dear Lamb I am now going to the soules under the Alter That cry how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not Judge and Avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the Earth and when I am gone my bloud wil cry and doe them more hurt then if I had lived But I am now going to eternity blessed be God be not troubled for me but rejoyce because I goe to my father and your father to my God and your God And after some time spent in prayer he desired his wife not to withhold him by an unwillingness to part with him now when God called for him to be offered up as a sacrifice for his name and cause After a little pause she freely gave him up to the Lord to which he replied Now all the work is done and said I resign thee up to Jesus Christ to be thy husband to whom also I am going to be married in glory this day His wife shedding tears he said Why weepest thou let them weep who part and shall never meet again but I am confident we shall have a glorious meet in heaven here our comforts have been mixt with chequer work of troubles but in heaven all tears shall be wiped from our eyes He asked severall times if the Sheriffe
was not come saying why staieth the wheeles of his chariot why doe they drive so heavily I am ready blessed be God I have nothing to due but to die Word being brought that the Sheriffe was come he makes hast to be gone and his wife stepping after him tooke him by the arme whereupon he said O doe not hinder me from going to Jesus Christ And then with a chearfull countenance taking leave of his friends he went to the sledge that carried him whereon was also carried the head of Major Gen. Tho. Harrison with the face bare towards him and notwithstanding that dismall sight he passed rejoycingly through the streets as one born up by that Spirit which man could not cast down Being come to the place of execution when he was taken out of the sledge he said this is the easiest chariot that ever I rid in in all my life Being come upon the ladder and the rope put about his neck he rejoyced saying Blessed be the name of God that I am bound for the sake of Christ Then his work was to addresse himself to God and to that end said if you please I shall speak a few words to God in prayer Mr. Cookes prayer before his speech Most glorious Majesty this day is a representation of that great day when all thy poore people shall meet together multitudes multitudes in the valley of derision Thy poor poor servant is now come to pay the debt which he oweth to nature blessed be thy name that thou hast prepared him for it blessed be thy name sweet Jesus blessed be thy name O that all thy poor people that are here if possible may feel something of that divine power and assistance of God that thy poore servant now feels at this time blessed be thy name I am a poor creature a poor sinner and the Lord might justly withdraw from me and leave me to horrour and fearedness if he should deale with me in justice But this hath not been his method blessed be his name to leave and forsake his poor servant Lord let thy blessing be upon us at this time and let thy blessing be upon England and let thy blessing be upon all these Nations and let thy blessing be upon all that are here Assist O Lord by thy divine power give us to see much of thy power and let not this meeting be in vain but let every one here receive benefit thereby to the praise and glory of thy great name and the everlasting salvation of all our soules if it be thy blessed will through Jesus Christ our Lords Having ended his first prayer he applies himselfe to the Shieriffe and spectators in this following speech Mr. Shieriffe and Gentlemen The most glorious sight that ever was seen in the world was our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Crosse and the most glorious sight next to that is to see any poor creature suffer for him in his cause I desire to speake a few words briefly to let you understand what a glorious worke the Lord hath been pleased to accomplish upon my spirit I blesse the Lord I have ransacked into every corner of my heart and I have searched into all my sinnes actual and original secret and open known and unknown so farre as the Lord hath discovered them to me and I have confessed them all with a penitentiall bleeding heart and contrite spirit blessed be his name he hath been pleased to come in abundant manner and hath been pleased to shew me that the onely remedy is the blood of Christ and I have blessed be the Lord applied that precious blood to my poor soul and have laid hold upon a Christ by a true and lively faith and there is a sweet calme and serenity in my soul and conscience blessed be thy name I desire to glorifie God and to give him the glory of all and to take shame unto my selfe for any sinnes that I have ever committed that I know to be sinne and therefore I desire to rejoyce in the God of my salvation as Isai 61 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garment of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels Even so the Lord delighteth in me And as the earth bringeth forth her buds and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all Nations And Isaiah 43.9 10. Ye are my witnesses saith the Lord I doe desire to bear a testimony unto God and to Jesus Christ for justice and truth and righteousness and holinesse The Lord knows I have no malice upon my heart against any man or woman living upon the face of the earth neither against Jury that found me guilty nor Court that passed sentence I desire freely to forgive every one from the bottom of my heart And as concerning this great dispensation you may it may be desire to hear something of it Truly I say as to the Kings Majesty I have not any hard thoughts concerning him my prayer shall be for him that his Throne may be upheld by truth and by mercy for by mercy as Prov. 23. the Throne is upheld But I must needs say that poore we have been bought and sold by our brethren as Joseph was Brother hath betrayed brother to death and that Scripture is in a great measure fulfilled Matth. 10.21 The father against the sonne and the sonne against uhe father and brother shall deliver up brother to death I desire for my own part to kisse the rod and I doe desire if it may please the Kings Majesty that no more blood may be shed after miae it may be the Lord wil put it into his own breast Here is a poor brother comming I am afraid that he is not fit to die at this time I could wish that his Majesty might shew some mercy The Shieriffe interrupted in words to this effect let that alone for the Kings Majesty hath clemency enough for all but his fathers murtherers Mr. Cooke replied then I shall proceed to speak something concerning my profession and faith which I bless the Lord is founded upon the rock Christ Jesus I doe not expect salvation for any thing I have ever done but onely lay hold upon Christ as a naked Christ and there to bottome my soule I can say to the praise and glory of God that I have endeavored in my place and to my power to doe that which might be to Gods glory according to the best of my understanding I have stood for a Gospel Magistracy and Ministry and that many delays in the law might be removed and that thing I have much suffered for I say its good both for King and people that many delays in matter of justice should be removed and that publique justice
might be speedily and cheaply administred And as for my profession I am of the Congregational way I desire to own it and am for liberty of conscience and all that walk humbly and holily before the Lord and desire to walk in the fear of the Lord and I believe it is a truth and there can be nothing said against it I doe confess I am not convinced of any thing I have done amisse as to that I have been charged with I am not indeed neither did I understand the plea of the Court that if the Lords and Commons had brought the King to the Bar and set him over them again their bringing him to the barr had been treason I desire never to repent of any thing therein I have done but I desire to own the cause of God and of Christ and am here to beare witness to it and so far as I know any thing of my selfe I can freely confess it Here the Sheriffe interrupted him again desiring him to forbeare any such expressions Mr. Cooke replied it hath not been the manner of English men to insult over a dying man nor in other countries among Turks or Galliasses The Lord bless every one of us and help us that we may look more to the honour and glory of God then the concernments of our own lives for alass what is a poor miserable life to us but that therein we might give honour and glory to the God of all our mercies And if there be any here of that Congregation to which I was related in the time that I lived here I would commend to them that Scripture Phil. 2.17 18. Yea and if I be offered up upon the sacrifice and service of the faith I joy and rejoyce with you all for the same cause also doe ye joy and rejoyce with me And Deut. 18.11 The Lord God of your Fathers make you a thousand times more then you are and blesse you as be hath promised The Lord be pleased to speake comfort to them and to all them that feare the Lord. The Lord keepe England from popery and from superstition and keep it from prophaneness and that there may not be an inundation of Antichrist in the land And that is all the harm I wish unto it The Lord hath forgiven me many thousand talents and therefore I may wel forgive those few pence that are owing unto me I bless the lord I have nothing lying upon my conscience but I can unbosome my selfe to every one and to the throne of free grace in the simplicity of my spirit I have endeavoured to doe nothing but with a good conscience and through the integrity of my heart though accompanied with many frailties I desire to blesse the Lord my lot was rather in Ireland then here here I have been more known where I have given the Offence The Sheriffe again interrupted him Mr. Cooke replyes Sir I pray take notice of it I think I am the first man that ever was Hanged for demanding of Justice therefore I hope you will not interrupt me I suppose yon were there and doe bear me witnesse in your conscience that there was not any thing then that I did not communicate to the Court that I now speak upon the Ladder If you will believe the words of a dying man I say as I must give an account I have nothing lyeth upon my conscience We must all meet together at the great day of the Lord to give an account of all our Actions and then it will appear the Lord grant we may meet with Joy and Comfort I have a poor Wife and Child and some Friends left I desire you that came along with me to commend to them Esa 54.4.5 and 10. ver I hope the King and Parliament will consider our poor Friends as to their Estates you know that those Lords that formerly suffered under the Parliament did not loose all their Estates I hope there will be some consideration as to Justice least that our small Estates prove a poyson amongst their great deal and my poor Wife and Relations suffer The Lord grant that mercy may be shewed that mercy and righteousnesse may magnifie and exalt it self above Justice I shall not hold you long I shall desire in the fear of the Lord to give my self as in the 12 Rom. 1. A living Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable unto God which is but a reasonable service And so doe intreat that I may have a little time to call upon the Lord unlesse there be any thing more desired or any one to would ask me a question Truly I forgive all from my heart I have nothing upon my heart to accuse any of them withal I blesse the Lord I have a cleare Conscience I say it in the integrity and simplicity of my heart I doe now appeale to the great God to whom I must give an account of what I have done knowing that all my Guilt is washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ and before him I hope to appear and have nothing else to plead any thing at all for me And so I hope that I have declared my self with simplicity and integrity in a few words that you may understand my mind I shall speak a few words to the lord in prayer and shall not trouble you further Mr. Cookes Prayer MOst Glorious Majesty I beseech thee so to warm my Heart and fill it so full of the love of Jesus Christ that it may never be cool any more Oh that the Lord would now appear Graciously to shew himself a wonder working God in bearing up the Heart and Spirit of thy poor creature it is no matter how bitter the Cup is if the Lord give strength to drink it and no matter how heavy the Burden be if the Lord be at one End and uphold the other and bear the burden himself or lay no more upon his poor Children then they are able to bear the Lord give strength to all that are to bear this burden the Lord be with all that are yet to suffer in this cause and double and treble seven-fold of thy Spirit upon us let us not stand it out against our Reasons and Judgements and Consciences If any did pursue power and interest and did not look after the good of Gods poor People and the good of the Nations the Lord forgive them The Lord knows the Simplicity of the Hearts of his poor Servants that are gone before and of those that are to come after I desire that all thine may have hearts willing to suffer for thee to make confession of Faith in Christ Jesus I know is nothing I know it is not enough onely to confesse in Words to confesse in Doctrinall Evangelicall Truths and to confesse by a holy life and conversation and if the Lord call any of his poor Children to seale the truth with their blood yea their precious blood it is their duty also if the Lord Jesus had come down from the Crosse and had not shed
rid of it have condemned my selfe for it cried out aginst it as the ravished damsel Deut. 22.26 The like for sins done in my inclination which by preventing grace are secret and onely known to God and I haue mourned over my secret sinnes onely known to God and my selfe over the sinnes of my youth which were committed faster then can be named for those which I did not know to be sin and those that I have forgotten and especially for my actually known sins committed against love and light promises and covenants I have confest them all with a heavy bleeding broken and contrite spirit and O that I had all sin as sin in a greater execration my griefe is for having offended so gracious a father that wil not damn me for it if there were no hell nor judge I would rather dye then willingly offend him any more and I cannot satisfie divine justice for one vain thought therefore I flie to Christ and close with him upon a free promise as a poor penitent sinner no merits but the merits of my Saviour I take in whole Christ and not one drop of my pudled water shall be mingled with the ocean of his pure and perfect righteousness I give up my self wholly to him as by a deed of gift to be at his dispose and I know he hath received me I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine and all is mine 1 Cor. 3.22 death it selfe I have a sweet certificate from Heaven of the pardon of sin justification reconciliation and adoption I know Gods heart and his eyes are upon me perpetually 2 Chro. 2.15 that no tender father or mother can have so special a care of any sick imprisoned child as he hath of me I believe that God who hath given a property to the needle to keep fixt though the ship overturn wil keep me faithful to the death and that I shal receive the crown of life and stand with as much confidence at the great day as if had never sinned and herein I am confirmed by the testimony of the spirt and Scripture evidences Blessed be God I doe love the Saints every one that suffers in this cause is at deare to me as my own soule my sighs have been many and my heart faint since I came hither not for my own condition for it is happy but for the afflictions of Joseph scarce a poor Saint permitted to breathe in Irish ayre those that wil not sweare and be drunke or have prayer in their families are counted Fanaticks Esay 50.15 I have a dear respect to all Gods commandements spiritual joy is no stranger to me I love the Word and Ordinances more then my appointed food I desire that all my thoughts words and actions may please God and that all that he does may please me and I doe freely forgive my adversaries the Lord herein encrease my faith Luke 17.5 and I bless God I have a quiet conscience as to the world and which is good also for being justified by Christ apprehended by faith I have peace with God Rom. 5.1 and so I descend to the cause for which I am in bonds which is as good as ever it was and I believe there is not a Saint that hath engaged with us but wil wish at the last day that he had sealed to the truth of it with his blood if thereunto called for I am satisfied that it is the most noble and glorious cause that has been agitated for God and Christ since the Apostolical times being for truth holiness and righteousness for our liberties as men and as Christians for removing of all yokes and oppressions for a gospel Magistracy and Ministery and not onely for the Priestly and Prophetical offices of Christ Jesus but for his Kingly also the peculiar light and worke of this generation being to discover and oppose the Civil and Ecclesiastical tyrannies intended upon the Nations by the Popes Leger demain to exalt Christ as Lord and King over mens consciences to magnifie and make the law of God honourable and authentique every where and to give justice and mercy the upper hand As I hear nothing what they intend to doe with me so I am not much sollicitous about it I doe freely trust God to make what bargain for me he pleases I believe they are as angry with me as any man in the nations because litera scripta manet but their cause requires rather silence then eloquence as for that against Monarchy unaccountable they will be ashamed to oppose it that which nettles them is the stating the Case for which I had Vouchers and Warrants for every word but now they plow with our Heffer yet great is the truth and that will prevail as for Petitioning there is not any I cannot confesse any guilt it is such a Cause that the Martyrs would gladly come again from Heaven to suffer for if they might though too many object against me 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murtherer I look upon it as the most noble and high Act of justice that our Story can parallel and so far as I had a hand in it never any one action in all my life comes to my mind with lesse regret or trouble of conscience then that does for the bloud must lie upon Him or the Parliament and I am sure I had no more malice in my heart then when I was in my Cradle all that I can be sorry for is that I had not such pure and unbyast Aims at the glory of God exaltation of Christ therin as I should have had I neither said nor did any thing dubitante or reluctante conscientiae I was so far from a rainsaying conscience in any thing I acted that I never scrupled in the least and the generality of the people have since owned it I was in mercy a poor Advocate for Christ and the people of England and if by my bloud their cause may be watered I say as Phil. 2.17 18. to you and the rest of the Church of Christ if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith let us rejoyce together it has been counted shamefull for Souldiers to run from their Colours or desert their Masters and Principles but it is more odidus for a Councellor to prevaricate and betray his Clients Cause I am perswaded that all those that have had a chief hand and are now giving Judgement against themselves and all good people in all those points which they formerly contended for against the King as the lawfulnesse of the War which was granted both here and at Edenburgh The Militia Negative Voyce power to dissolve Parliaments conferring great Offices as King James said so long as I make Bishops and Judges I will have what Religion and Laws I please As they are most abominable prevaricators of the honest interest for they will wish at the last day that they had been Jewes Turks or Indians for the greater light the greater is their
have some trouble upon me concerning the losse of my temporal estate especially for my poor tender loving wife and child I was a purchaser and had a stock of cattel being wrongfully made prisoner two moneths before any speech of a King I was surprized and could save nothing nor get 20 l of my estate since Michaelmas last They promised to beare my charges to London but at Chester I was forced to borrow money or must have come a foot therefore pray be earnest with the Lord that we may take the spoyling of our goods more joyfully knowing that we have in heaven better and an enduring substance Heb. 10 34. and that we may not faint at these momentany afflictions which work so wel for us wherein riches and honours are not so according to that passage 2 Cor. 4 3 last verses and be affected with eternal joyes It is said that I shall be put down into the hole for non-payment of great Fees my comfort is that God will be with me there they cannot shut out Gods spirit from me which is an everlasting spring and Jubile nor will that be so bad as Jeremiah's Dungeon nor as Joseph's Irons which entered into his soule though indeed we are sold by our brethren as Joseph was that the scripture may be fulfilled The brother shall deliver up the brother to Death Matthew 10.21 I know not how to conclude not knowing when I may have another opportunity to converse with you I am overjoyed to think they cannot reach my soule and that our cause is invincible and it will be a happinesse if God see it good that none might suffer death but such whose souls are out of danger but being upon the account of civil liberties as well as spiritual our onely wise Father will order all for his own Glory and this onely silences all murmurings and master save thy selfe that what he pleases must needs be least for us he being Infinite Wisdome Love Power and Goodnesse Had the King made his way by the Sword we might expect his sorest strokes but for the men of Keilah to deliver us up for the Parliament to sacrifice us these men that sit by a Commonwealth Writ for whose priviledges we adventured our all and who cannot condemne us but must give up the Cause and give Judgement against themselves and all the good people in the Nation let the Indians judge of it if any of the Elect think hardly of us that we do not cry peccavi make our recantations it will not last long and it is no matter what others say for they must receive their Judgement at the Bar of Christ and we shall Judge our Judges therefore let us not entertaine damps of dispondencies My rejoycing is in a good God a good Cause a good Conscience I have the Justice of Heaven on my side and Gods loving kindnesse which is better then life if we find injustice and cruelty here mens Law at Westminster will be adjudged Treason in Heaven it will not be long before all tears shall be wiped from our Eyes and if our innocencies be not vindicated and cleared up in this life as Jobs Mordecas Josephs and Daniels and Susannas were yet at the revelation of the righteous judgement of God it will appeare before men and Angels that we are not Traytors nor Murtherers nor Phanatiques but true Christians and good Commonwealths men fixt and constant to the principles of sanctity truth justice and mercy which the Parliament and Army declared and engaged for and to that Noble principle of preferring the Universality before Particularity that we sought the publique good and would have infranchised the people and secured the welfare of the whole groaning Creation if the Nation had not more delighted in servitude then in freedom And if we now suffer a martyrdom of body we shal be some of the souls under the Altar crying How long O Lord holy true and though we can patiently digest their Tortures and leave all vengance to whom it belongs yet who knows but that our blood may be their poyson but then after all unjust sentences of men how sweet and honourable will the Judgement of Christ be Matth. 25. Euge bone serve of entring into our master joy when the Kings of the Earth and the chief Captaines and Dukes of Edom shall wish the Mountaines and Rocks to fall upon them Rev. 5.16 I blesse God my poor Wife 〈◊〉 much encourage me to be faithful to the Death and she is a 〈…〉 who helps her Husband so to Heaven as in a Fiery Charoit she is one who bears an unfeigned love to Christ and all the Saints I intreat your tender care of her and my Child providebit Deus Ier. 49.11 I shal leave her that Scripture and Esa 54.5 to 8. while they cannot take away by confiscation when we were in the storm we took our leaves each of the other * See the relation of his passage by sea from Wexsoâ—d to Kingsale and though we have not paid our Vowes at Pethell yet I trust as was then promised we shal be willing to go to Christ if he call through a Sea of bloud But O the infinite wisdome and love of God and the unsearchable riches of his Grace that if I had been drowned the Malignants would have said though he escaped by Land yet Divine Vengance over took him at 〈…〉 ow he should vouchsafe me poor me as Gideon said 〈…〉 15. one of the meanest Lawyers in Wesminster-Hall 〈…〉 of bonds and an affectual if not effectual Martyrdome for being an Advocate for my blessed Advocate and the good people of England I have been the larger not knowing what use this may be of if my mouth should be stop't if you hear any report of me contrary hereunto believe it not so you have my heart and I had rather be buried alive then my Tongue or Hand should differ from it O pray much for me and pray again and mend your prayer as I have great need to doe if you know what pittiful poor short and confused prayers I make in a day yet Father into thy hands I commend my spirit is a prayer no period better then prayer therefore now unto him that is able to keep you and me from falling and to present you and me faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for Ever Amen Your for ever in our Dear Redeemer John Cooke A Letter written by Mr. Justice Cooke from the Tower to his Wife MY deare lamb blessed be God for Jesus Christ and for a prison where I finde much of his comforting presence tell sister Jones that she keeps but two or three Sabbaths in a weeke but in prison every day is a Christian Sabbath not onely to cease from sinne but to praise God singing Hosannaes and Hallalujahs I can but smile to think that they cannot hinder me
from preaching for I preach twice every day to my selfe and yesterday blessed be the Comforter my heart was brimfull of joy and consolation from Psal 73.25 26. wherein I observed three points or doctrinall conclusions 1. That a Saint should love and esteem nothing but God and for God all discourse is vain but what aims and tends to Gods glory 1 Cor. 10.31 a husband wife child friends and all creature comforts are to be loved so far as we see God in them as the creatures doe not serve us but God susteines us in them and by them so our affections and desires must not be fixed upon them but terminate in God as the waters in the river never rest till they return to the Sea so our loves must onely passe by the creatures and settle in God and the more wel see the image of God in any one there our love is to be most in the Lord and for his sake this love is the greatest weight of our soules and transforms into the nature of the thing beloved let us endeavour to put out more acts of love to God in Christ Cant. 1.16 2. From those words my flesh and my heart faileth me but God is the strength of my heart the chiefe residence of the soul being in the heart I observe That there is something more dear to a Saint then his own soule which is the soule of his soule and the life of his life and that is Jesus Christ who dwelleth in our soules by his spirit Rom. 8 10 11. for as the body is dead when the soul leaves it so the soule is dead without Christ which may teach us two lessons 1. To love Christ more then our own lives or relations because he is the soul of our soules this did Moses Exod. 32.32 and Paul Rom. 9.3 they preferred the glory of God in the salvation of their brethren before their own soules if it could have been which is a Christian duty though very hard and if divine justice should say to us at the great day the soul that sins must die we may say why then did God punish our Lord Jesus who is the soule of our soules more dear to us then our souls and if God had seen it good we had rather have suffered in our own persons to have saved him but we not being able to undergoe the wrath of God that innocent and immaculate lambe was put to death who is the heart of our hearts the soule of our soules and the spirit of our spirits for justice is more then abundantly satisfied much more then if our wils soules and bodies had suffered and the debt was all paid together which had alwaies been paying if we had gone to hell for as to Christ our salvation is all pure strict justice who felt nothing but extremity the father would not spare him Rom. 8.32 but as to us it is all mercy that his satisfaction should be accepted for us and that thee and me and deare Daâ—tâ—… and sweet love I trust should be vessels of that mercy and free grace O blessed be his glorious name for ever 3. My meditations were principally carried out from the joyes of heaven and from those words Whom have I in heaven but thee and thou art my portion forever I was ravished with this consideration that the joyes of Heaven are eternal or thus The Saints pleasures have a beginning but no ending No doubt but this is infinite matter of joy to Abraham and all the Saints in heaven to think that they shall continue in their joy and glory not 100. or 10000 millions of years onely but for ever that when they have been there 100000 millions of millions of years as to what remaines it wil not be a minuit but then we begin our felicity therfore Christ cals it a life eternal Matth. 25 〈◊〉 Therefore if a man could live here 1000000 millions of years and enjoy his hearts desire and all the variety of pleasures which 〈◊〉 world can afford and afterwards be deprived of Paradise 〈◊〉 damned what a sad bargain would that be for the Sâ—…its 〈…〉 that while in heaven and shall be there for ever and 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 might 〈◊〉 its â—ounger and live here for ever if such a 〈…〉 possibl 〈…〉 not that content him because he is capaâ—… of go 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 to the choice of an illuminate Christiâ—… whether to 〈…〉 â—000 years in health wealth and all the 〈…〉 to be in heaven but one day he ought to choose the lat 〈…〉 40. so one minuits being in heaven is to be preferred before a perpetuity of all worldly pleasures for to be absent from the Lord is more grievous then all humane delights can be comfortable if it were but a pretty good condition if men were sure alwaies so to continue it would be comfortable therefore to think of an everlasting crown of Glory is a soul-melting consideration If then this life be not a minuit in comparison of the perpetual life of the blessed soules in heaven how greatly are they to be blamed that for a little vain honour flattering pleasure or the momentany sinfull delights of this evil world squander away their precious soules 2 As the joyes of Heaven are eternal so they are exceeding great If the men of the world which have their portion here Psa 17.14 have such stately horses and pleasant palaces and delights shall we not think that God hath provided inestimable treasures and pleasures in the world to come for his children for whom doe earthly parents treasure up but for their children but if we could hut apprehend what they are they are not the joyes of Heaven for no heart can conceive what God has prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 29. the eye hath seen much and the eare heard more and the heart may conceive much more but eternal pleasures are inconceivable yet the spiritual eye hath some glamps of it a poor Saint findes more solid and zeal joy in a crucified Christ poore and naked and despised in the world then all the Dukes of Edome in their rich and glorious pomp and magnificence but all the Saints living here have not so much joy and splendour as the least Saint hath in heaven The Scripture mentions three heavens where the Fowles are the starry Heaven and the Heaven of heavens 1 Kings 8.27 the sun is conceived to be 300 times bigger then the Earth and every starre bigger then this lower world and that all the earth it but as mote and not so big as a flee in comparison of the Emperiall coelestiall Heavens where the souls of the Saints are with God and Christ and by the largeness of the place we may guess at the greatness of the joys pleasures that the Elect are but few in comparison of those who shal be turned into hell Psa 9.17 as it were thrust into a hole together Matth. 25.23 our Lords joy can be no little joy and it is too big to
it first and desired him to goe to the place where his daughter lodged and to carry that to her as a token from him and to let her know that his heart was as full of comfort as it could he and that before that piece should come to her hands he should be with God in glory Being upon the Ladder he spake to the Shieriffe saying Sir you have here slain one of the servants of God before mine eyes and have made me to behold it on purpose to terrifie and discourage me But God hath made it an Ordinance to me for my strengthning and encouragement When he was going to die he said What flesh art thou unwilling to go to God through the fire and jawes of death Oh said he this is a good day he is come that I have long looked for and I shall be with him in glory and so smiled when he went away What Mr. Peters said further at his Execution either in his Speech or Prayer it could not be taken in regard his voyce was low at that time and the people uncivill Some Passages and occasional Speeches of Mr. Scot's before he came to Execution VVHen he was in the Tower a Relation sent to know how he did To which he returned this answer That he had been very ill all night and had some Apprehensions that it might be unto death But said he I was not at all displeased for if it be the Will of God that I may not live his Servant I would dye his Sacrifice The first day that he came to New-gate some friends came to see him and asked him how it was with him he told them he was well but he waited and much longed for a word of Peace from God But said he I Bless God though it is somewhat dark with me at present and I know I have a very naughty heart yet I have not one Temptation to desert that good Cause which God hath so signally many a time owned The next day which was the day Maj. Gen. Harrison was Condemned some of his Relations came to him and told him They supposed he had heard what dismal Sentence was passed on him And O Sir said one of them my heart fails me to think how you will bear it Why said he flesh and blood will recoil But blessed be God I am not troubled at that A fit of an Ague would cost a man more I believe The day after he was Condemned himself his Wife and other Relations and Friends came to him O Sir said some how is it now Why said he Blessed O blessed Chains I would not be without these Chains Indeed it was a very dark dismal cloudy morning I was brought to be content to perish Truly I thought I could not plead at all my soul was so sad because God hid his face But I was resolved said he if I could have said no more to tell the Court That the Cause was the Lords and the fault was not in the Lord but my great personal unworthiness that I could not assert it And that though I did sink into the Bottomless Pit immediatly yet I durst not no not for a World but own that Cause which God had often honoured But said he the Lord for your sakes did help me to say somewhat but truly it was but pitiful I thought if I might have been suffered although I have not slept to speak of these two nights I could have spoken three or four hours longer And now said he as dark as it was in the morning 't is so bright so quiet and calm that truly I think if I were to be executed to morrow I could sleep all night as well as ever But lifting up his eyes Lord said he I would not be too confident O pardon thy servant But being in a very chearful frame his Friends and Relations left him at that time and because of ilness could not visit him next day But on the next first-day of the week being with him he told them he found an increased strength That day about noon the Warrant for Execution was signed at which time he was desirous to have a Repreeve gained if possible not said he that I expect Life but methinks my Wedding Garment is not quite ready a little more time that I may as a Bride be ready trimmed That evening it was told him that Sir O. B. would speak with him the next morning and some told him it may be that would prove an hour of Temptation Truly said he I blesse God I am at a point I cannot no I cannot desert the CAUSE The next morning they two were together the matter of their discourse I know not but I remember when his Wife desired to go to O. B. that evening to see if he would be her dear Husbands or rather her Mediator to his Majesty for his Life It may be said he Sir O. B. may say That I should confess guilt and do the King some service Prethee tell him I would engage to live quietly but for owning Guilt that I cannot do For to this day I am not convinced of any as to the Death of the King and that I went but too far in asking the benefit of the Proclamation and I cannot go any further no not to save a Thousand Lives That evening came in two Ministers one or both of them after they had talked with him a good while I heard them ask Whether he did acknowledge his Guilt for they believed his owning of that would be the most likely if not a most certain means to prolong his Life To which he answered That although he had often and that with many tears and he thought with some brokenness of heart sought the Lord to convince him of it if he had any Guilt in him as to that particular Action for which he was then in Chains and under Condemnation for said he I would not for a World die with one Sin unrepented of But said he Really to this day I have no such Conviction But said the Doctor Sir If any such do come in will you tell us Yes said he I profess I will if it come in at the last moment even at the Gibbet I will tell the World of it And it is observable that some of his last words were That God had engaged him in a CAVSE not to be Repented of I say Not to be Repented of The night before Execution when he was in the Dungeon he was as he had been that day some sadder than at other times And one asked him if any particular thing lay on him He said No But the Lord was pleased to suspend his Comforting presence but said he with an humble boldness I would speak it The Lord shall not put me off with any thing besides Himself After having spent some hours in Prayer as at other times about midnight we left him and his Fellows that they might get a little rest for the support of their natural spirits and
Oh it is infinitely better and to confirm that Testimony that is concerning thy glorious Will And thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven by me and all thine from henceforth and for evermore Amen Some Memorable Passages of Col. Adrian Scroope after his Condemnation and in his Imprisonment at Newgate which though they are but few may discover the excellent christian frame of his heart and how he was born up under so great Sufferings AFter his Condemnation one of his Children hanging upon him and weeping over him he said Peace Child peace be still not a word thou hast a blessed Portion Who would be troubled to dye for can any one have greater honour than to have his Soul carried up to Heaven upon the wings of the Prayers of so many Saints When the Jaylor called him and Mr. Scot Mr. Jones and Mr. Clement to go to the Dungeon saying Gentlemen you must got to the Room where Mr. Harrison was Sayes Colonel Scroop Must we all go He repleyed Yes At which laying his hand on his breast and elevating his eyes with a serious countenance said Blessed be God that we are not parted As he sate at Dinner he spoke to a Minister that was with them saying I would speak it for glory of God's Free-grace and and comfort of you all That my sins are all pardoned not one and in the strength of this will I go to Heaven Speaking to some Friends that came to visit him said I desire all the People of God to look at the Lords hand in this Dispensation and own his Soveraignity speak well of him what-ever he doth lie at his feet with their mouthes in the dust and live more in love and unity one with another A tall Gentleman coming into the Dungeon to see Col. Scroop the night before he dyed said to him Uncle I am sorry to see you in this condition and would desire you to repent of the Fact for which you are brought hither and stand to the Kings mercy and more words so the same effect Whereupon Col. Scroop put forth his hand and thrust him from him using these words AVOID SATAN When the time approached for his Execution Mr. Scot and Mr. Clement were first carried away in the Sleds and the same Sleds was afterwards to come and carry Col. Scroop and Col. Jones during that time sayes Col. Scroop Well Brother Jones do you spend your time as the Lord shall direct you I intend to take a little steep for I slept not well the last night and my Countenance is not so fresh as I would have it Thereupon he laid him down and slept so soundly that he snored very loud and so continued until the Sled came for him whereupon being awakened he riseth up and a Friend taking him in his Arms asked him how he did he answers Very well I thank God never better in all my life And now saith he will I wash mine hands in Innocency So will I compasse thine Altar O Lord And so with great chearfulness went to Execution Colonel Adrian Scroop and Colonel John Jones two comely ancient Gentlemen were both drawn upon that Sled which carried Mr. Scot and being come to Charing-Crosse the place of Execution Col. Scroop was first brought up to the Ladder where he spake as followeth Col. Scroop's Speech at Execution Octob. 17. 1660. YOu see an Object here that hath been in a better place but howsoever the Lord Jesus Christ hath sent me to this place that in this place I should die I have no Animosity nor Malice against any man nor ever had I neither have I any evil will to those that brought me hither nor to the Jury that found me guilty nor Judges that passed Sentence nor to him through whose means I was brought here to suffer I say once more the Lord forgive him I shall not name him for I come not hither to reflect upon any mans person I will not tell you what my Breeding hath been because it is not good for any man especially at such a time as this to boast of his Linage or Breeding But this I shall say that I was born and bred a Gentleman As for my Carriage it may be some that looks upon me here knows what it hath been Howsoever the Lord knows all and the Lord God is Judge of all and he will judge I shall submit my self to his Judgment which is a Righteous Judgment The judgement of men may go wrong but Gods Judgement is right I shall submit to his way The Lord he is the Rock of Ages and my Support under this great Weight that is now upon me I look up to him alone the Lord Jesus Christ is my Saviour and my Redeemer I am going into his Arms blessed be his Name I follow him he is gone before me the same way Therefore it is no reproach or shame to follow the Lord Jesus Christ to die in his Cause for that is it which I judge I am now going to do That which I do desire of you here are a great many Spectators both on the right hand and on the left is That this day may represent to you the general Day of the Judgement of Christ where you must appear and there every man must receive according to their works And at that time it will be known I say at that time it will be known and seen whose works are righteous and whose are not Therefore I would wish you and desire you to judge charitably of me Col. Scroop having given a brief account of himself to the People his last work was to give up himself to God in Prayer as follovveth O Lord thou art my Father a present help in trouble Thou art my Father I believe in Thee I come unto thee Lord Jesus that went unto thy Father and my Father thy God and my God and this is that which doth support my spirit and enable me to undergo this Death with chearfulness and readiness Lord thou knowest my heart and affections and my desires Oh deal not with me according to my sins I am a miserable wretched sinner If thou enter into Judgment who is able to stand before thee but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared O Lord let it be known and seen that there hath not been any heart in me to do any thing with Malice or Revenge or that might shew any Revenge If there be any Revenge on the other side the Lord lay it not to their charge The Lord blesse those in Authority the Lord blesse his Majesty that he may reign prosperously and that he may receive a blessing from the hand of the Lord. O Lord thou seest my failings my infirmities and weaknesses O Lord I beseech thee that thou wouldst bear with me thou art a tender-hearted Father Thou art my strength When my heart and my strength faileth then thou art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever O Lord be with me in
this hour of Temptation and carry me through it for thou art my God and my Father into whose hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me The Copy of a Letter sent from Col. John Jones when Prisoner in the Tovver of London to a Relation I Am very much grieved to find by the Note I received from you such dark and sad Apprehensions upon your Spirit concerning me VVe are in the hands of the Lord and what he hath appointed for us will be our portion and no man can frustrate his holy purpose concerning us which I question not will be found to be in love what ever appearance it may have to men My Advice is to you and all that love me That in case I be removed from you you do not neither in reallity nor outward garb mourn for me but rather rejoyce that my Portion is in Heaven and that my Dissolution or Removal out of this earthly Tabernacle is but in order to my Cloathing with Immortality and possessing my Eternal Mansion and to my being for ever with Christ to behold his glory And therefore that you do not behave your self as those that have no hopes but of this life Secondly That you take off your mind from me and fix it unmovably upon your eternal Relation the Lord Jesus Christ in whose glorious and blessed presence we shall meet ere long to our Eternal Rejoycing It is the goodness of the Lord to us to remove all Creature Comforts from us that our Souls might have no resting-place to delight in or to promise them safety until we return to the Ark of his Testimony the bosome of his love manifested and exhibited for us in our blessed Lord Jesus Christ I write in hast therefore excuse my abruptness Thine in Sincere Love JOHN JONES Tower Sept. 19. 1660. Let the First and last Verses of Psalm 27. be constantly fixed upon thy mind Ver. 1. The Lord is my light my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Vers 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Some few living Sentences that fell from a Dying Man Col. Joh. Jones when he was in his Chains in Newgate OBserving one of Col. Scroopes children weeping he takes her by the hand saying to her You are weeping for your Father but suppose your Father were to morrow to be King of France and you were to tarry a little behind would you weep so why he is going to reign with the King of Kings in everlasting Glory Speaking to a Friend that was to have accompanied him into Ireland Ah! dear heart sayes he thee and I were in that storm together going to Ireland and if we had gone this journey then we had been in Heauen to have welcomed honest Harrison and Carew but we will be content to go after them we will go after Speaking of those that were gone beyond the Seas O dear hearts sayes he in what a sad condition are our dear Friends beyond Sea where they may be hunted from place to place and never be in safety nor hear the voice of the Turtle how much have we gotten the start of them for we are at a point and are now going to Heaven Speaking of the Sled in which he was to be carryed to Execution it is said he like Elija's Fiery Charriot only it goes through Fleetstreet The time of his departure being come this Aged Gentleman was drawn in one Sled with his Aged Companion Col. Scroop whose grave and graceful Countenances accompanied with courage and chearfulness caused great Admiration and Compassion in the Spectators as they passed along the Streets to Charing-Crosse the place of their Execution And after the Executioner had done his part upon three others that day he was so drunk with Blood that like one surfeited he grew sick at stomack and not being able himself he set his Boy to finish the Tragedy upon Col. Jones who coming up the Ladder with the like chearfulness that his Brethren did before him and being placed fit for Execution he proceeds to speak as followeth Col. Joh. Jones his Speech upon the Ladder Oct. 17. 1660. THere is two things that are necessary now I am going through this narrow gate or passage to the Eternal Majesty I say two things are necessary as to the occasion of my coming hither to receive my Fathers good pleasure First Peace with God Secondly Peace with Man I shall speak something to each of these and in the first place speak something of the Court wherein I received the Sentence It hath been reported as I was told that I confessed this Fact and confessed that I were guilty of Murther as under those several expressions that are in the Indictment Viz. I desire to clear my self before the Lord and before the world in that particular for should I grant that I was guilty in reallity and truth of Murther and Malice Viz. I should belie my own Conscience and draw upon me a greater weight than I could bear But this far I do confesse I was willing to make the work as short as I could And because I would not stand so long I told them I would take the first Jury that came And when a Jury was called then I did confess so much as I was convinced of as to the matter of Fact I desire you will judge charitably of this that I speak at this time as in the presence of the Lord that it is not so really viz. that I acknowledged my self guilty of Murder I had no such thing in my heart I must confess I very freely quit his Majesty considering what he doth in this case is the part of a loving Son to a Father especially the Judges telling him that it is the Law and I conceive that the Court did nothing but what they to their best understandings judged right as to Law Therefore I freely acquit the Court though there was not enough said to satisfie such a poor Creature as I am in so great and deep a point as that was As for all others I do not know any man on the Earth to whom I do bear any Malice but I am in perfect charity with all men and I hope the Lord is in charity with me And therefore as I desire to have forgiveness my self from all those that I have offended even so I do freely forgive all those that have in any measure offended me The next thing is towards God and it is that which should be last upon my heart It is not expected that I should give an Account here of my state and condition for that is betwixt God and my own soul And I do through the Grace and Goodness of God firmly believe that my Redemption is wrought and my Pardon is sealed and that I shall be immediately in my Fathers armes and that I shall be translated and brought to
boudy Enemy and when I considered their bloudy cruelty in murthering so many thousands of protestants and innocent souls that word was much upon my heart give her bloud to drink for she is worthy and sometimes we neither gave nor took Quarter though self preservation would have said give that which you may expect to have One coming in told him that his fellow prisoners dyed Nobly and Chearfully well said he but how doe they stand Answer was made upon a Ladder Blessed be God said he it is a Jacobs Ladder The Sun shining into the room he said if it be so glorious to behold the Sun what will it be to behold the Son of Glory Laying his hand upon his fellow prisoner Col. Hacker he said come brother be not so sad by this time to morrow we shall be with our Father in Glory and what hurt will they do us to bring us through the Crosse to the Crown Well our God is the God of Newgate Then the Officer coming to carry them down into the Dungeon he took his leave of many of his Friends then present saying love the Lord Jesus love the Lord and weep not for me for God hath wiped away all tears And coming to the dore of the Dungeon said I am now going to my bed of Roses my last bed Many Friends being with him there was an Eminent Godly Minister of the Presbyterian way and Col. Axtell taking him by the hand said I have one word to speak to you it is much upon my heart that one great cause why the Lord contends thus with his people is for want of their love towards them that were not of their minds to which the Minister replyed truly Sir I think so too the Lord help us that wherein we see we have done amisse we may do so no more Then said Col. Axtell I blesse God I have not much to charge my selfe with in this matter Col. Hacker then said but I have much to complaine of in that matter Col. Axtell Afterwards sitting on his bed side clapping his hands said if I had a thousand lives I could lay them all down for the Cause Whereupon another godly Minister then present asked him what he meant by the cause Col. Axtell replyed Sir I tell you I mean that cause which we were encouraged to and ingaged in under the Parliament which was for common Right and Freedome and against the Surplis and Common prayer book and I tell you that Surplis and Common prayer book shall not stand long in England for it is not of God And afterwards thinking that he should not dye that day desired some retirement but news coming that he must dye within an hour though it was not so he quickly made himself ready to go and looking upon his Gloves said these are my wedding Gloves my mortal must marry immortality Some Friends going to see him the night before he was Executed found him at supper very chearful and many being present he said take heed of temporizing c. for that hath been the occasion of great Evil. Then speaking to an Officer there present that had continued tell of late in the Army said Brother thou hast been greatly Guilty herein the Lord forgive thee thou hast a great hand in this To which the person replyed I confesse I have been so too much Col. Axtell answered there is yet mercy for thee if the Lord give thee repentance Moreover said the Lord forgive that poor wretch Lieut. C. N. for he hath sworn falsely in his Evidence and now is that word made good that brother shall betray brother to death And speaking of Col. T. said Ah he hath appeared Five pound lighter in Twenty then I thought him to be And for Col. H. he was the uncivillest of all about the late King and yet he comes in a witnesse against Hacker and me That Evening many Friends being with him he prayed with them and in that duty the Lord by his spirit filled him with Excellent Expressions to the great refreshing of those about him And bewailing the great Divisions amongst Gods people he said Lord if they will not live together in love thou wilt make them lye together in sufferings Then minding their present condition said Lord Death is the King of Terrors to Nature but it is a believers choice Friend it is thy high way to lead us into Glory After prayer taking notice of his Daughter he said to her get an interest in Christ and keep close to him he will be a better Father to thee then I and so took his leave of her The day of their Execution being come several godly Ministers spent some time with them in prayer Viz. with Col. Axtell and Col. Hacker and many friends coming in to pay their last respects Col. Axtell seeing one of his Familiar Friends and companions said my Dear brother thou art better then I am and yet I must go to heaven before thee for all that He very chearfully said to divers then with him dear Friends Rejoyce I am going where ye shall be also yea where we shall be for ever with the Lord and never part and be without any more change I beseech you follow the Lamb wherever he goeth though he may lead you in a harsh dismal and difficult way yet at last he will bring you into a pleasant path and cause you to lye down in green pastures in the land of rest Oh be faithful unto the death and he will give you a Crown of life as he hath given to your suffering Brethren Oh! all that we have or doe suffer is but to make Christ and heaven more sweet deare and Glorious to us all the sad steps we shall tread on this Ladder is but to mount us to heaven for at the top are Angels ready to receive us as was on Jacobs ladder All the things I meet with move me not I blesse my God for I am sure to Fight a good Fight and finish my course with joy Afterwards taking his leave of his Son imbracing him in his Arms he said my dear son fare thee well I must leave thee get an interest in Christ and love him nothing else will stand thee in stead but an interest in him Then calling for his Bible he hugged it saying this hath the whole Cause in it and I may carry this without offence And calling to a Friend he desired him to remember his love to the Congregation where he was a Member and after took his leave of all his Friends exhorting them with much chearfulnesse to love the Lord Jesus Christ and keep close to him and so with great joy addressed himself to go to his next work It will be convenient in this place to give you a brief account of Col. Francis Hacker in regard that Col. Axtell and he were fellow prisoners and sufferers together He was a man of few words and had not the gift of oratory to deliver himselfe as others could yet was very
the transgressions of the remnant of thy people for thine own names sake Lord it is thy covenant that thou wilt put thy spirit into our hearts and erect thy law in our inward parts and our sins and transgressions thou wilt remember no more Blessed be the Lord for the Lord Jesus Christ for had it not been for a Christ we were undone forever Blessed be our Lord that hath written our names in heaven and given us a portion in Christ in whom we have believed and trusted We humbly beg of thee the pardon of all our personal and family guilt the sins of our publique imployments which thou knowest we have not willingly committed though it may be through infirmity and temptation and the sins of our nature Lord we humbly pray thee let us see our selves justified in the blood of our Lord Jesus that we may say with the Apostle Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth us it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again for our justification He is risen that he might be our advocate intercessor and mediator He is filled with all the fulness of the Godhead to distribute to us according to our need Thou hast promised by the Apostle that God shall supply all our wants according to the riches of his own grace Lord thou wilt have the passover eaten with sowre hearbs and Lord we are contented but Lord thou hast provided sweet Wine for us and hast thou not kept the best Wine and the best of thy divine comforts until now til now to carry us over this bridge and passage from earth to heaven sanctifie this our passage for it is best to have the crosse with the crown they goe together and are inseparable therefore saith our Lord they that wil suffer with me shal also raign with me Deare Lord we pray thee give us a full experience and let thy holy Spirit witness to our souls that we are the children of God and reconciled to thee in the covenant and that we shal through thy Son be glorified with thee Strengthen our faith that we may be purged washed and cleansed and for our justification sanctification and acceptation with the Father Glorious lord we desire to leave our requests with thee on the behalfe of this poor people as the last request we have to beg of thee on this side heaven if there be any here not belonging to Christ and not friends to him Lord convert them and shew them their own undone and miserable estate and give them the pardon of a dying Saviour thy poor servants would not part with a Christ for ten thousand lives Lord make Christ precious to their immortal souls Lord convince them of the evil of their sins and the evil of their own ways and break them off from them and cause them to close with Jesus Christ Thou hast promised that those that come unto him thou wilt not cast off Remember all thy people and help them to persevere in thy grace and love and make them able to hold fast the truth till thou come and to quit themselves like men to stand fast in the faith Blessed Lord we humbly pray thee to have mercy upon that great City the place from whence we came When thou resolvedst to destroy Sodom thy servant Abraham expostulated with thee and thou saidst if there were but ten righteous thou wouldst save it but Lord there are many tens of righteous ones in that City It hath been a place where thou hast been glorified and where many godly Ministers have been encouraged O Lord let it goe wel therefore with that great City and let thy Gospel have free passage in the publique worship of it Bless the government and governours thereof and make them instruments to thy glorious praise We pray thee have respect to the chief Magistrates that are come here by command to see execution done Oh Lord we beg mercy for their soules O that Christ would evidence himself more to their soules and that we might meet in Heaven together and be imbraced in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ And him that shal be the Executioner must now wash his hands in our blood doe thou wash his soul in the blood of Jesus Christ O lord we pray thee that thou wouldest have pitty upon his soul and let him know what it is to be washed in the blood of Christ that fountain set open for him and for uncleanness Blessed Lord help us thy poor creatures with strength for we have no strength of our own Thy word saith that death is the King of terrours but blessed be thy Name thou hast taken the sting out of it and the poyson from it and therefore as faith the Apostle Oh death then where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victory Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ that hath given us the victory Thou hast said by the Apostle We have the sentence of death in our selves and therefore should not trust in our selves but believe in Christ that raiseth the dead Lord we will not trust in our selves but in the living God Oh my God that art the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob strengthen and support our poor souls Stephen when he was stoned to death saw the Heavens opened and the glory of the Father and of his throne Shall we but see the Face of Jesus Christ bearing up our hearts under all and we shall go through Thou hast promised that thou wilt never never never leave us nor forsake us Thou hast said Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Come life come death or what can separate a believer from Jesus Christ let thy Angels come downe we are perswaded that the Angels are ready to receive our soules and to carry them into thy bosome and into the company of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and of the blessed Apostles and Martyrs and witnesses of Jesus and just men made perfect in thy Kingdome Blessed lord thou art our support and comfort support us with the cordials of thy love Blessed lord before we make an end of praying O thou father of mercies and God of all consolation we beg one request for the chief Magistrate of this Nation That thou wouldest give him a glorious Christ into his poor soul and magnifie thy grace towards him that he may become a friend unto Christ and a friend to the people of Christ and raigne in righteousnesse and may be a terrour to evill doers and a praise to them that doe wel that he may cast away iniquity with his eye rule for God before whom he and all others must render an account in the day of judgement Lord hear us for him And blessed lord doe the like for all that had any uncharitableness towards us we would have none towards them but we beg their souls might live in thy presence make them to see their sins and let them receive