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A30965	The speeches, discourses, and prayers, of Col. John Barkstead, Col. John Okey, and Mr. Miles Corbet, upon the 19th of April being the day of their suffering at Tyburn : together with an account of the occasion and manner of their taking in Holland : as also of their several occasional speeches, discourses, and letters, both before, and in the time of their late imprisonment : faithfully and impartially collected for a general satisfaction.; Selections. 1662	Barkstead, John, d. 1662.; Okey, John, d. 1662. Selections. 1662.; Corbet, Miles, d. 1662. Selections. 1662.	1662 (1662)	Wing B817; ESTC R22773	95,595	102

THE SPEECHES DISCOURSES AND PRAYERS OF Col. JOHN BARKSTEAD Col. JOHN OKEY and Mr. MILES CORBET Upon the 19 th of April being the Day of their Suffering at TYBURN Together with an Account of the Occasion and Manner of their Taking in Holland As also of their several Occasional Speeches Discourses and Letters both before and in the time of their late Imprisonment Faithfully and Impartially Collected for a general Satisfaction Prov. 29.26 Every Man's Judgement cometh from the Lord. Heb. 11.13 These all dyed in Faith Printed in the Year 1662. To the READER READER THou art here presented with a most famous and pregnant Instance of the weakness and incapacity of Death yea of the worst of Deaths to disturb or in the least to discompose the Spirits of Saints who through the Faith of the Gospel have entred into Rest. Death is indeed a King of Terrors to the children of this world Col. 3.15 but it is neither King nor terrible to him in whose heart the Peace of God rules and reigns Christ hath said Oh Death I will be thy death how can it then have any Terror in it when there is no life in it it is now no more to a Believer than a dead or painted Lion which because of the want of life can upon no other account be reckoned terrible We have seen Death conquered before our faces and a company of poor frail men subject to like passions with our selves enabled by the Lord to bid defiance to that the fear of which makes the highest and greatest of men all their life-time subject to Bondage Certainly these men did familiarize Death to themselves by those many qualified and easie Notions of it which do so frequently occur in Scripture Job calls it a going to bed and a lying down to rest and sleep Job 14.1 13 14. a hiding in the Grave till the Indignation be overpast a great and signal change infinitely for our advantage yea he looks upon it as that which is in a near relation to him calling it his Father Mother and Sister Job 17.1 Old Simeon calls it but a Discharge from our Imprisonment And the Apostle looks upon it as a way to bring unto Jesus Christ Luk. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is best of all Surely these men had no other apprehensions of Death than what did comport with all the fore-going Scriptural Representations of it whereof we have a most plain and clear Evidence in that they did without the least fear play on the hole of this Asp Isaiah 11.8 and with so much courage put their hand on the den of this Cockatrice and so often with Agag though in a more elevated sense and upon far better grounds express with so great and open confidence 1 Sam. 15.32 that the bitterness of Death was past And surely upon a serious and impartial reflexion upon the several Passages contained in the ensuing Narrative relating to the Lives and Deaths of these men the best grounded and the most critical Charity notwithstanding the Obliquity and Odium that lies upon the Fact for which they suffered will command us to hope and believe that they were wonderfully supported and strengthened by the Lord to drink of that bitter Cup which their Father had given them Joh. 18.11 Heb. 12 1 2. We cannot but believe that while they did run with such patience the Race which was set before them they did look to JESUS their fore-runner the Author and Finisher of their Faith and so for the Joy that was set before them endured the Cross and despised the Shame and having overcome are now set down with CHRIST upon his Throne Rev. 3 21. even as He overcame and is set down with his Father on his Throne What remains then but that we should be continually above the fear of Death which looks most gashly at a distance but when we approach it and begin to converse with it we finde that it hath neither strength nor sting and though before we came near to it we suspected it to be an Enemy yet now we perceive it is a Friend and comes to us onely upon this errand to let us know that the Bridegroom stayes for us and would have us partake of his Joy by a present entrance with Him into the Bride-Chamber Yea though thy Death comes in great Pomp and Solemnity in its Fiery Chariot yet do thou the rather for this smile upon it and give it a chearful welcome For if Believers are capable of any honour in this world it is that they are accounted worthy to suffer for the Name and Cause of their Lord and Master JESUS CHRIST This was that which gave the Church at Philippi the preheminence Phil. 1.29 that unto them it was given in the behalf of CHRIST not only to believe on him but also to Suffer for his sake Oh if the Servants of God did but believe this there would be as much crouding at the Court of Heaven for this Preferment as there is at the Courts of earthly Princes for Promotion and Advancement in their Church and State How did the primitive Christians long for Martyrdom seeking and pursuing after it publickly and boldly to the very Teeth of the Tyrants and Persecutors proclaiming their Christianity and therewith their zeal and readiness to water it with their Bloud If we are not attained to this yet let us with much courage and chearfulness conflict with it when it first sets upon us let the Gibbet and the Stake be the most pleasant and delightful prospects to us when the Providence of GOD for Christ's Cause and Interest brings us to them being assured of this that if the LORD vouchsafe so much of his comforting and supporting Presence to his People who declaredly suffer for Him in a Cause that is at least very doubtful to many good and holy men then He will much more stand by those who lay down their Lives in behalf of that which is clear and certain to all Hebr. 12.1 and concerning the truth of which we are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses Let not therefore the Worm Jacob be discouraged seeing the LORD hath promised to be with him to strengthen him to help him and to uphold him with the right hand of his Righteousness Onely look well to the setling of your Spiritual state else your hearts will not be quiet and setled when you come to dye Get an Interest in JESUS CHRIST who alone hath abolished Death and brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 If thou art in CHRIST then though thou dyest the Covenant is still alive the Relation of GOD to Abraham was as firme and strong when he had been a long time dead as when he was alive therefore sayes he I AM the God of Abraham Matth. 22.32 c. And to conclude Get your hearts loosened from this present evil World be ye first crucified to

Friends told him Well now the time draws nigh who answered I am ready I am ready Then came the Order for his going to the Sled upon which he went with all chearfulness and so went forward with undaunted courage to meet Death in the face like a Christian Souldier indeed who through the Lord's assistance presently obtained more than a Conquest over all his Enemies As he was in the Sled and drew near to the place of Execution a Friend came to him and said Sir I have a great desire to know how it is with you and how the Lord is pleased to manifest himself unto you in the condition you are now in The Colonel replyed Friend I thank you I bless the Lord I have great cause to praise and magnifie his great and glorious Name for his unspeakable goodness towards me especially in this present dispensation for I can truly say and that by experience that the Goodness of the Lord endures for ever and praised be God for this present tryal The same Friend further replyed and said I pray Sir are you not at all dejected in your spirits are you not cast down in your mind have you not hard thoughts of God for this his strange providence towards you The Colonel replyed Friend I shall endeavour to satisfie you as well as I can in this matter and I let you know that I have not the least trouble upon my heart nor the least burden upon my spirit upon the account of my Sufferings neither have I any hard thoughts of God but on the contrary can speak to the praise of his Grace that his Goodness hath carried me forth above the fear of all these things And my Friend let me tell you further That I have had more experience of God and more acquaintance with God within these three or four dayes than ever I had in all my life and at this present I am so far from being dejected or cast down in my spirits as that I am so much elevated and lifted up in my soul that I am not able to tell you how it is with me And when he was ready to rise out of the Sled another Friend came to him and asked him how he did To whom he answered I bless the Lord I am very well and do no more value what I am now going about than this straw taking up a piece of a straw in his hand I have sayes he made many a Charge in my time but now I have but one Charge more to make and then I shall be at rest Here followeth two Letters of his to two of his old faithful Friends eminent persons in the City of London A Letter from Col. John Okey directed to a Relation of his to be by him communicated to some Christian Friends of his acquaintance about the City of London SIR HAving a little time in this place before I am removed to Newgate where I am to go as I am informed I thought good to give you some account how it is with me concerning my better part I bless the Lord I never found so much spiritual joy some years before as I have in Prison it is according as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. And therefore let the People of God not fear a Prison or to suffer in the Cause of God I shall give you a touch but of three things viz. 1. How it is with me in my spiritual condition 2. I shall speak something of the Cause for which I suffer the loss of all things which are near and dear unto me in this evil world 3. In the last place What a Mercy it is when the Lord is pleased to call forth a creature to suffer for the Truths of our Lord Jesus Christ in such a day as this is I believe you have heard these from some other of the Servants of the Lord that have gone before in whole dishes but you are like to have them in a broken dish and but a few scraps in comparison to that great feast you have had before from them that are now with the Lord. Our Afflictions sanctified are good Cordials to the soul and therefore it is no marvel that David said It is good for me that I have been afflicted And as one observeth and saith well a Prison being the place where wanting other Books a man may there best study the Book of the knowledge of himself being separated from all business but praying and praising the Lord God in Christ by the Spirits assistance And since I have by the help of the Lord looked in some measure into my heart I could not have thought there had been so much ignorance and impatience pride inordinate affection to creature-comforts revenge difidence of God self-love and iniquity of all kinds in me as I now find there is and although the Lord in great mercy hath kept me by his mighty power and restraining grace from those Jayl-bird sins as Swearing Drunkenness Lying Uncleanness and hating of his People yet I find a mass of corruption in me and a multitude of transgressions so that my sins are as the hairs of my head which cannot be numbred for the multitude of them and all this darkness and filthiness of spirit is only discovered by the light of Christ By his lowliness in washing the Apostles feet I see the height of pride in my own spirit and want of condescention when I was in prosperity and my unfruitfulness under the means of Grace and little good I did when I had an opportunity thereunto and therefore I adore and acknowledge the Justice of God that he hath most righteously deprived me of my Liberty and Estate truly now I am thereby brought nearer to Christ whereby I find through Grace that Christ is become very precious to me And more to be desired than Gold yea 1 Pet 2.7 than fine Gold and sweeter than the Honey or the Honey-comb And this I can say through Mercy I do desire to love the good Word of the Lord before my appointed food I have begged of the Lord that he would enable me more and more that I may lay open before him all my sins known or unknown and to loath my self for them and that not only for the shame which sin bringeth but rather because I should sin against so good a God and loving Father in Christ Jesus as I have done and especially for my actual known sins committed against so much Love Light Promises and Covenants from a gracious God that will not destroy me for all my abominations blessed be his holy Name for ever and for ever I desire continually to go out of my self and to rely on the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ who only is the Fountain of Life and in his Light we shall see light Oh! what Mercy is it that the Lord should be pleased out of his great Love and Compassion to cast the mantle of his free Grace upon such a poor worm as I am and

What Roaring and Ranting What uncontrolable wickedness rageth every where through the Land Even as if the men of these times had been delivered on purpose to do all these abominations Jerem. 7.10 may not ruful England as much now as ever sit down in tears and even weep her eyes out for grief Dr. Gauden himself being Judge It is true indeed there are many that cry up the blessednesse of these times and the happy changes we are now under that do in a manner conclude that it is impossible any thing can be now done which may admit of amendment that nothing ought now to be accounted grievous or oppressive no not though Princes themselves become companions of theeves Esay 1.23 though open Robberies Assaults and Murthers be done by them upon the very high wayes The Poor Commons of England travelling about their lawful occasions may be now slain and their innocent blood bought and sold if they be great men or great mens Sons that do it They may Kill and Murther and do what they please and yet shall find a deliverance Oh! how are witnesses even in the case of blood now tampered with silenced ' or over-awed by Bribes or Threats What Corrupt and Vnrighteous Juryes have we How is Judgement turned into wormwood Murther into man-slaughter and man-slaughter into murther as the case lyes for or against a Phanatique as they call him or a poor Commoner But may not such as bring the price or guilt of innocent blood upon their own Families as well as pollute the Nation with it chance to have the innocent blood of themselves or some of theirs be enquired after by the next Jury whilest thus they encourage the hands of murtherers against their Brethren As for those that blesse themselves with such times times as these what are they for the most part at least but men of most filthy and dissolute lives such as were described before Haters of God and godlinesse such as cannot indure holinesse of Life or soundnesse of Doctrine but are even mad against a convincing Ministry in the Nation and the pious Examples of such neighbours as walk most close with God least their own wickednesse should be reproved or shamed and what ever their pretended devotion may be yet are they not such generally as care no more for one Religion then for another any further then it suits with the full swing and dominion of their lusts and is it not for this very reason that they contend so much for present things even with a zeal as hot as hell For our parts we account it no priviledge to live to behold what is already come in part upon us and is farther coming upon these Nations therefore are the lesse sollicitous about our death And however at present we may be judged to suffer as mal●factors yet who can tell but that our blood may prove as fattening and sructifying towards the Common Cause as the bloud of the Martyrs did in the Church and then it will be no soliscisme to say Sanguis Martyrum semen est ut Ecclesiae sic Reipublicae Some Occasional Passages Discourses and Letters of Col. John Barksteads as they were taken from his own mouth or left behind him in writing under his own hand AFter Liberty was granted to some of his Relations and Friends to visit him in his imprisonment very many of them did at several times repair to him Those who first came to him were so affected with those choice Expressions which dropt from him that like the Woman of Samaria they made it their work to invite and encourage others to partake of the same Mercy with themselves upon which many had the opportunity to hear him speak and amongst them several sober and descreet Persons did commit to writing the things that were most remarkable which fell from him And here we begin with what he spake to several Friends who came to visit him during the time of his imprisonment Having been saith he but a very little while off of my Watch in that time giving way to a Parley with Flesh and Bloud Sathan who is never idle was not now wanting but put me for some hours to it endeavouring to present to me the greatnesse of the Sufferings I was yet to go through and my own weaknesse to go thorow them I saw indeed my own weaknesse and inability and taking the Bible to look for a word from whence I might get strength and encouragement the Lord brought to me that place of Isaiah 26.3 4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he tru●teth in thee And so v. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength And so v. 8. Yea in the way of thy Judgement O Lord have we waited for thee the desires of our souls is to thy Name and to the Remembrance of thee The Lord helped him by this word to conquer all his fears which did arise from the sense of his own weaknesse and utter insufficiency to conflict with those difficulties and deaths which did now encounter him neither was the Lord wanting in renewing his strength from other portions of his good Word which upon the opening of his Bible his eye by Providence was still directed to whereof hear him give his following account When I was sayes he locked up in my lodging in the Tower alone I began to consider what my present condition called for from me and taking my Bible my joy I first pitched on this Scripture Psalm 4. vers 4. Stand in aw and sin not commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be still and vers 5. Offer the Sacrifice of Righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord. After some hours spent in Reading and Meditating upon these words and finding not one syllable in which there was not an overflowing fulness as to me At this time of my Affliction I was lead forth in my Spirit abundantly to add more the goodnesse of the Lord to me that I should so providentially pitch upon this Scripture And now my heart being filled with ravishing Joys and Rejoycings I looked a little further and reading vers 7. Thou hast put gladnesse in my Heart more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine encreased I found that Scripture aboundantly made good to me and can truly seal to this that in all my full enjoyments of the Creature I never had such Joy and Gladnesse in my heart as now and that all the Afflictions Cares and Torments I have met with are nothing to those sweet enjoyments that God hath given in through Christ No no there is more affliction in the least sin then in the greatest of Sufferings and that I can truly say there hath not one private thought past through me that I was sorry or wish I had not been so far engaged in this Glorious Cause but I have rather admired the great love of Christ to me that he

should make choice of such a poor Creature as I am to be employed in his Work I must further say that the Lord hath made crooked things straight and rough wayes plain and hard and difficult things easie to me through the Free and Rich Love of Christ Oh he h●th made death nothing unto me now but yet I have no strength of my own no my strength lies in my weaknesse and it is Christ alone that can renew my strength which he doth daily by setting upon my heart these following Scriptures which have been a constant relief to me The Lord is my Light and Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the Rock of my life of whom should I be afraid Psal. 28.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy Heart wait I say on the Lord. Psalm 33.11 The Counsel of the Lord stands for ever and the thoughts of his Heart to all Generations Blessed be the Soul that hath the Lord for its inheritance Psalm 138. vers 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me the Mercies of the Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Prov. 16. vers 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps in the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul commit thy wayes to the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Prov. 28. vers 28. When the wicked arise men hide themselves but when they perish the Righteous increase But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel fear not I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Esaiah 63. vers 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Lam. 3. vers 24. and 2.5.2.6 37. vers 38. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the souls that seeketh him it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Who is he that saith it cometh to passe when the Lord commandeth it not out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good Psal. 34.9 Oh fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Psal. 11.22 Though hand joyne in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished but the seed of the Righteous shall be delivered Some Experimental Passages in Discourse with a Friend A Friend coming to him the week of his Tryal and Suffering did partake of many choice breathings from him some of them which he could call to mind are here faithfully collected We are to esteem Sufferings the better when they are in the Wayes of God and we must not esteem the Wayes of God the worse because they are accompanied with Sufferings in this world A Believing Souls Sufferings for Christ do confirm him the more in the wayes of Christ. A Principle of Faith finds three sorts of Promises in the Gospel First The Promise of Assistance Secondly The Promise of Acceptance Thirdly The Promise of Reward Then he proceeded in some further Spiritual Discourse Although I find I have no strength to encounter with those great Tryals I am to meet with yet I will labour to quit my heart through the Spirit of Faith from that Scripture Esa. 30.7 Your strength is to sit still and indeed I find it so Then one present did ask him if he thought the Cause in which he had been engaged would ever arise again He said The Cause lies in the Bosom of Christ and as sure as Christ arose the Cause will arise again and we die but to make way for it for when John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ he must be beheaded for it so we by our death do but make way for the next comming of Jesus Christ personally to raign a thousand years with his Saints And although we die the Cause will certainly live The Thursday before his Suffering he entertained some Friends who came to visit him with very sweet and Heavenly Discourse to this purpose That although God had given him a sight of his Eternal happines yet Satan would have brought all his sins before him yea the very sins of his youth as unpardoned yea sayes he I my self also would fain have set them before me but God out of his free love through his Son was stronger then them both and would not suffer it but gave me in a full assurance that all my sins were freely forgiven and blotted out and never to be remembred against me any more which caused such unspeakable Joyes that he was not able to utter nor was he to the best observation of Friends then present ever seen so chearful in the greatest of his prosperity At noon one desired him that he would eat he answered him that he was above that kind of meat for the Lord saith he hath fed me with the fat things of his own Spirit The night before he Suffered he was exercised with some fears least he should want strength to go through the great work he was now suddenly to engage in he took his Bible and opened it at an adventure and God gave him in such a word that was so sutable for him at the time that he rejoyced and said Blessed be his Name that never leaves me without a Word the Scripture which Providence then presented him with was Isa. 54.10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither the Covenant of my Peace be removed from thee saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Oh sayes he to his Friends and Relations then with him You are the Mountains and the Hills that must depart from me now and so took his leave of them all with much chearfulness saying Go seek the Lord for me for I cannot go one hairs breadth in my own strength At another time he thus spake to some near Friends and Relations who were with him Certainly saith he if I had known the comforts of this sweet communion with God in a Prison before I had run to a Prison long ago If I had suffered when my Brethren did suffer I had had little or no blood in my body to have spilt for Jesus Christ in this good Cause but God carried me into Germany and there made us to sow a good Seed which will never dye and now God hath brought me back again with more strength to suffer for his Name and Cause Indeed the Lord hath made me in some measure now fit to go through Sufferings for him and it is indeed He alone who hath done it Upon hearing the news of his Tryal which he knew was

thus ended Mr. Corbet himself gave thanks praying to and praising God with such melting language such readiness of speech such a composed frame of heart and such holy well-digested matter that it much affected some that joyned with him to hear an old Disciple of Jesus Christ so nigh his Death and such a Death as he was within a few hours to undergo to have a mind so sweetly setled without any the least seeming disturbance at all Among other passages in that his heavenly Prayer these were some viz. That as God had been his Guide unto Death so now he prayed that he would be his Support in Death that he would make Death a safe and speedy passage unto Glory That God would enable him to make a good Confession of Him before men and carry him well through that new kind of terrible work which he was now about to undertake in His Name and Strength and in Witness to His Cause That he might joyfully go hence as from the use of creatures which he had been now refreshed with so most of all from Sin and the snares of it With divers other like expressions fitted to his present case Time growing short now I stand saith he upon dying-ground and every inch is precious I had need therefore improve it to the utmost and so called to such as were present to joyn in Prayer with him and for him and accordingly they did so the Lord assisting him that was the mouth of the Company with Petitions very sweet and pertinent to the occasion The Prayer ended he fell to discourse again and speaking of Sufferings Truly saith he it is not an ordinary common spirit that will fit men for such Work and when I think of that froward and bitter carriage which still I find and now leave among the People of God I wonder what God will do upon it and fear the consequence if it be not repented of and removed And then again he renewed his aforesaid dying Requests which he had mentioned the night before further entreating that every one would make it their business to perswade all parties of God's People how differing soever in their Opinions to give no further advantage to the Common Enemy by their still continued unbrotherly distances and divisions but that they would rather exhort and admonish each other and set upon a personal and friendly Converse together which he said is one of the best means to unite and strengthen And for this he again propounded Dr. Preston's Counsel and Example one of whom saith he I may truly say that he was a man of the most excellent parts the sweetest Friend and the most savory Christian that ever I was acquainted with A Friend coming in that he had not seen before but wished for made haste to one of the other Prisoners who expected him and so took leave of him then he taking the said Friend by the hand desired him to remember him very kindly to his Brethren and Fellow-Sufferers and tell them saith he that I pray for them as I am able and desire them to do the like for me That God may appear for us and with us and be magnified by our Death Then speaking afterwards of his ten Brethren that first suffered in this Cause Those saith he that went first had the greatest Honour and usually they that have the first Honour in Sufferings have an answerable Assistance and Presence of God with them but we that follow them may haply miss of such eminent Appearances as they had with them Nay saith a Friend but why do you say so were not their Assistances for the encouragement of others and hath not God been very much with you and do you not even at this present find it so why therefore should you now doubt To which he answered It is true indeed you speak well I must confess I can say Eben-ezer Hitherto God hath helped me and I hope saith he he will still do it and enable me from former experiences to trust Him to the last only this I find that all my Comfort and Support comes in by a present Faith I remember saith he that speech of the Psalmist Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy Power and truly it must be a supernatural Power that must make flesh and blood willing and Oh that I may be willing I desire to be so for God doth not love an unwilling sacrifice that must be pulled and haled like a Dog in a string No the excellency of our services is from the freeness and readiness of our performance when in sincerity and in truth Blessed be God saith one I am comforted to hear you speak thus If God saith he will be with me I shall both speak and do too Ah saith he when I think of Stephen the Proto-martyr how the Heavens opened upon him and what a sight they gave him of the Son of God whilst the stones were about his ears it much encourageth me Some think saith he it was the intensness of Stephen's natural eye at that time raised and strengthened on purpose to behold that most comfortable and glorious object but if God will please to give me an eye of Faith to behold him at the Throne of his Father interceding for me and ready to receive me when I am giving up the ghost and pouring out my blood for him it will do as well Ah! the Righteousness of Jesus Christ saith he his compleat and most unspotted Righteousness the Righteousness of the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Ah! how glorious is it to appear before God in that Robe Oh! that I may be found not having mine own righteousness but the Righteousness of this Son of God upon me Then a Friend telling him that so long as he held there he would have good hope indeed and a solid and sound peace for it is that Righteousness that we must all trust to if ever we get to Heaven Yea saith he and through Grace I have trusted to it and the more I think of it the more I cleave to it and see the need of it me-thinks it grows upon me I am greatly raised with my expectations from it else I am sure I should have sunk long ere this time but still I can say Eben-ezer an expression much used by him hitherto God hath helped me About an hour before the Sleds came he was speaking of the Providence of God in freeing his mind from cares and distractions about matters of this world Had I had an Estate saith he to leave behind with my Relations I should have been troubled about the dividing and disposing of it one would have been asking this of me another would have been asking that but now I am eased of all that trouble what Estate I had I spent it all in the Parliament service and now must leave my poor Wife and Children to the good Providence of God and the love of such Friends as he shall please to stir up to

pity them and then spake to such as were present that they would shew what Kindness they could to his desolate Wife there standing by him at which when she fell a weeping he turning to her said Ah my Dear shall we part in a shower may I not say saith he as our Saviour did to the daughters of Jerusalem Weep not for me but weep for your selves and the Calamities that are coming upon you for verily saith he you are entring into great Sufferings and such as I am perswaded saith he will shortly send some of you after us up into our Country lifting up his eyes towards Heaven Not long after the noise of the Horses and Sleds were heard as they came in at the Tower-Gates which one telling him of and saying that the Sleds were come he turning quick about Call you them Sleds saith he they are the Chariots which are sent to fetch us to Heaven adding presently thereupon I shall now go from the Tower to my Coronation which words he uttered again before he went that morning As the Discourse went on for he was alwayes dropping some excellent speech or other when it was his turn to speak he affectionatly touched upon that place in Rom. 8.19 to 24. where mention is made of the earnest expectation of the Creature to be delivered from bondage the word saith he signifies such an expectation as one hath that puts his head out at a window to see whether the party looked for be coming and within sight Even so saith he it is with me now moving his head towards the window Me-thinks I look for the Bridegroom me-thinks he is nigh yea very nigh even at the door there pointing that way with his hand His Opinion being asked what he thought of the Cause of God that now seems to lye in so forlorn a condition and to have miscarried so much besides the hopes and expectations of them that fear and love the Lord Truly saith he how justly it is come upon us I need not relate and by what means too it is visible enough God's own People have done foolishly yea have sinned greatly How worldly did they grow how high and stiff against each other How solicitous and busie was every one to set up his own Party and Interest when power was in his hand without minding the general and common welfare of their Brethren The truth is saith he all Parties have been blame-worthy and every one more or less hath contributed to the common heap of Guilt and may look to share in the Punishment yet saith he could we see an humble self-denying self-judging and reforming Spirit among all parties of good men and an hearty readiness and endeavour in every one to unite heal and close up breaches between God and themselves much might be hoped but without this how weak and feeble must our hopes needs be so that though I doubt not saith he but God will revive his Cause again and in due time not only give it a new life but make it flourish more than ever yet not till his People have repented and gotten their Pardon sealed I remember saith he that Text in Psal. 79.8 Remember not against us former Iniquities or saith he as the Dutch Notes hath it the Iniquities of them which have been before And sure then said he if former Iniquities and the Iniquities of them that have been before must be prayed against till they be forgiven and forgotten ere better times can be expected then present Iniquities must be done away also The People of God had need look about them and see what it is that hinders Mercy that keeps good things from them and remove it as fast as they can else in vain will their hopes be Indeed we are apt saith he to be quick in our expectations for good but slow in our amendments I remember a passage saith he in the Dutch Anotations upon the words of Eve Gen. 4.1 when Cain was born I have gotten a man said she from the Lord understanding thereby the promised Seed which should break the Serpents head as if Cain had been that promised Seed when as it proved quite otherwise God having another channel for that precious Seed to be conveyed through not so soon by far in the time of it as Eve dreamed of Even so said he we are apt to conclude upon promised Mercies to be accomplished about such or such a time and by such or such Instruments but we may be deceived and yet God will not be worse than his Word or let the Faith and Prayers of his People go away ashamed As for his Enemies they sometimes seem to carry all before them and think to remove every person and thing that crosseth their design but they consider not that God is able to finde or make new Instruments for his own Service and Glory when the old ones are gone but the worst that they do or can do even then when their Power and Rage is greatest is more Gods work than their own For what is it can come to pass without his fore-ordination and appointment or can possibly happen contrary to his wise Decree Our Adversaries think now by this their severity towards us to advantage their own cause whereas who can tell but that God may get himself more honour and we may do him more service by our Deaths how sharp and ignominious so ever they be than ever we did in all the time of our Lives His Wife weeping as she often did at his heavenly discourse saying Oh! what a precious Husband shall I lose he said to her Ah! my dear heart why dost thou weep thus may I not say unto thee as Paul did to his Friends at Cesaria Act. 21.13 What mean you to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but to dye for Christ. He died for me and gave his Life for me and what greater honour can befall me than to die for him and taking his Wife by the hand said Truly Mol thou wilt greatly engage my heart to thee if thou wilt now willingly yeeld me up to God Time hastening the Warders desired the Company to depart and left only two or three Friends in the Room with him besides his Wife and Son Now saith he as ere-while I took leave of the Creatures let me take leave of Duties too at least in this place and with you my Friends and dear Relations for I may now say Farewel Faith and farewel Hope but welcome Love for that shall remain still even for ever since I may truly say with my old Friend Dr. Preston I shall only change my place but not my Company words uttered by him when with a sudden death he went to Heaven Then he prayed briefly but with most pithy words full of life and power some of which were as followeth Oh holy and dear God and Father the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and my Father look down upon thy poor Worm with