Corbet's Speech WE are now dying Men and upon dying ground we are now in the presence of the great God to whom we are now going Truly I desire to speak in His Fear touching that which we are here come to suffer for I will only say this Mr. Sheriff both the Levying of the War and that Act that we are now accused and condemned for if they had been done without Authority they had been abominable and to justifie that Authority I do not come here to do it The Parliament the Wisdom of the Nation that now is hath decryed it down and said 't is void and the Court of Justice where we have been in pursuance of their Judgement have given Judgement against us Truly so long as that Act of Parliament stands on foot Judges must give Judgement accordingly But there hath been many Appeals about that Authority and the Nation hath been governed by it and the Nations about us have owned it and we are now going to God who is the Righteous Judge and that Word is upon my heart Isa. 33.22 Truly Men may judge and they may make Laws and it is our duty to submit to the Laws of the Nation or leave it if we think them too hard But whatsoever Laws are made God is our Judge and he will Judge this Cause and God is our Law-giver It is a Scripture phrase God is our Law-giver and He is also our King and he will save us He will Judge the Cause of his People And I hope that the minds of sober Men will wait for that Judgment Truly Mr. Sheriff as concerning that common aspersion laid upon us that we should be against Magistrates and Ministers the Lord knows it is my Principle and I desire there may be a standing setled Government a godly Magistracy and likewise a godly Ministry in this Nation And I pray God grant that his People may be blessed under them and truly for the Magistrate that now is the hand of God hath brought him into the Throne while I have been in other Nations I have blessed God and desired the Lord that he may Rule for God and be a terror to evil doers and countenance the true Professors of the true Protestant Religion that he may defend both Religion it self and the Professors of it Truly there have been many as they call them Sects and Heresies that have sprung up in these later times but blessed be God there have been also great appearances of God and much Light is broken out more in this Nation than I could ever hear of or see in the Nations round about though they profess the same Religion I have been among many whom they call Reformed Protestants but of true Protestants such as hold out their Profession in their Lives there are more in this Nation than else-where and they are not to be compared for number blessed be God and the Lord increase them and multiply them daily For the glory of the Nation is not in a Multitude of People onely but of such as Fear the Lord and Worship God and lift up his Name and truly my desire and Prayer is That the Gospel the true and glorious Gospel of God the Gospel of Jesus Christ may have a free course in this Nation and may be glorified in the Lives of men as well as in their Words As for the particular Way of Worship that I am of I shall onely say that in my Judgment and Conscience I have and do understand that which is called the Congregational way to be nearest to the Word of God and I do freely bear my Testimony to the Confession of it that is extant which was made at the Savoy But with this that also of the Assembly of Divines that was made in the time of the Long Parliament and the Declaration they made concerning Religion saving only as to the discipline-part As to the other I do fully subscribe unto it for I think that the said Confessions are the most clear of any Protestant Confessions whereof I have seen divers that are extant And in Forreign parts they will confesse as much Mr. Sheriffs As to what I shall desire for the Nation for truly we are taking our leaves of it and we shall see your faces no more that which I upon the knees of my soul do beg for this Nation is That as they are Protestants in Name and take that upon them in Profession so their Lives may be answerable Truly nothing doth more dread my spirit and cause me to fear the Wrath of God to come upon this Nation then when I hear that amongst those which bear the Names of Protestants there is such Prophaneness Drunkenness Swearing and such Abominations that are not to be named no not among Moral men The Lord stop the course of them as also the growth of Popery and Superstition and that the Truth of God may break forth and that men may love it for truly the Gospel is worth the loving the Truths of God are worth loving And if we love them then truly God will love us and bless us Mr. Sheriffs For my own part if there were any here that I knew I had wronged I would ask them pardon and forgiveness if I knew them I must confess I have been in many publick actions I have been of all the Parliaments since the late King's Reign and in the beginning of this Parliament I must confess I being called to it did think it was my duty to act according to the ability God gave me and to deny my self I thank God for it I came with an Estate to the Parliament and I bless God for it I spent it while I sat in the Parliament And truly I thank God they cannot find any Estate that I have forfeited for I have none to forfeit This business that we are here for I was very far from being a Contriver of When the Bill came into the House I must confess I being a Member of the Parliament did somewhat wonder at it and I did speak against it but when it was past and I was named to be a Commissioner truly it being done by that that was then called the Authority of the Nation I did think I was bound to obey in that respect I will say no more I never sat but once in that they called the High Court of Justice but for that I 'le say no more I do not come to condemn that Authority and Power neither will I now because the Parliament and the Nation and the Spirits of Men are against it justifie it And being a little interrupted he said I will not speak to offend any man Truly I thank God I never got any thing either of Kings Lands nor Bishops nor Dean Chapters Lands I never knew what belonged to the Trade of Buying or Selling Lands I thought I was in a better way looking to that Station which God had called me to And as my Brother said let men hold to their
curse and wrath and death O Lord hath not He born our sins and so likewise our shame and carried our sorrows O Lord what shame was cast upon Him as thy poor Worms are at this day and at this time a shame in the eyes of many present O Lord he was despised and rejected of men O did not He suffer death did not that Righteous one that Holy one suffer death O he dyed for those sins of ours He was cut off from the Land of the Living He poured-out his Soul unto death Nay Lord blessed Father it pleased thee to put Him to grief and he hath born our sins and ô Lord the chastisements of our Peace was laid on Him he was made sin for us Blessed Lord we will lay all our sins upon the head of the scape Goat upon our Lord Jesus Christ Him thou hast given to be a Propitiation O dear Lord in him and through his Blood thou hast found out a way of Atonement for sin and by that one Oblation that he once offered he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto thee through him Lord we come in the blood of that Mediation we desire to lay hold on the Atonement and Propitiation that he hath offered up unto thee O he hath satisfied thy Justice He that knew no sin he was made sin and thou didst lay our sins upon him and thou hast accepted of that satisfaction that he hath made and thou hast raised him from the dead and set him at thy right hand and though he dyed but once yet by that one Oblation he hath satisfied for all our sins O here is the Blood of God the Lord Jesus Christ which was God and man O that Righteous one he loved us and dyed for us that we might live he bare thy Wrath that we might be reconciled that we might find mercy yea and through him thou art merciful Thou God of Mercy shew Mercy to our souls and to the souls of all those in this great Assembly that is met here and dear Father accept us in his Mediation O 't is our comfort though he dyed but once having satisfied thy Justice thereby he doth ever live to make Intercession for Sinners Lord here is Comfort for poor wretched Sinners the Great Mediator that is so pleasant in thy sight whom thou hearest alwayes O he doth continually live to make Intercession for us we pray thee in and through Him accept these poor Prayers of ours these poor Petitions and Requests of ours which we make known to thee O it is pardoning love we seek O Reconciliation with thee before we go hence and be seen no more O Lord we do believe that thou hast sealed our Pardon that thou art reconciled to us and that there is Peace betwixt thee and our poor souls through that great Peace-maker else it would go ill with us now we are going out of this world O come and sprinkle every one of our souls with that precious Blood O that we that are in our selves vile Wretches may yet stand righteous before thee in his Righteousness O the same Righteousness of Christ which thou hast appointed for thou hast made him to be Righteousness for us and Sanctification and Redemption and He is the Lord our Righteousness O put that Robe upon us that glorious Robe of his Righteousness that we may be presented now not having our own righteousness for that is like a vile filthy Rag a menstruous cloth but cloath us with that Righteousness that we may be presented before thee in and through him without spot and without wrinkle before thy presence through him with exceeding joy O thou hast made him our King O that he would now undertake our Cause the Cause of our poor souls Come Lord Jesus thou King of Saints come tread our Enemies under our feet especially that great Enemy O Lord he hath conquered Satan he hath born our sins and hath condemned sin O he took the likeness of sinful flesh and in his flesh condemned sin in the flesh O that now through his Righteousness we might fulfil thy holy Law He is our Righteousness his obedience we now fly to O dear Lord thou hast set before us as a Refuge to fly unto that blessed hope even those Glorious things the Gospel holds out O the hope of Eternal Life which thou that art the faithful God that canst not lye hast promised unto us O thou hast set this hope of perfect Justification and perfect Sanctification before us O thou hast held it forth this same hope of Righteousness thou hast set it before us and now we fly unto it in this day of our distress to lay hold upon it O thou art pleased Lord that we might have strong consolation thou art pleased to confirm this thy Covenant with an Oath That by two immutable things the Covenant of God and the Oath of God we might have strong Consolation Now we fly to this Covenant through Jesus Christ. O be a God in Covenant with us Father say to us every one that we are thine that thou art in Covenant with us and then say Fear not Worms Else ah Lord God now were we to encounter with Death that King of Terrors what would become of us but O Lord speak Peace to us speak Comfort to us thou God of Comfort O comfort our hearts O Lord it must be done by our dear Lord Jesus Christ himself Our Father hath given us Everlasting Consolation Come and comfort our hearts ô comfort us with thy Love ô Lord ô set thy Banner of Love over us Thou dost not despise the affliction of the afflicted blessed be thy Name We have found thee Lord we bear witness to thee before this great Assembly O thou hast not despised the affliction of the afflicted thou hast seen us in our low estate and been very good to us We have had a Banner of Love over us and we bless thy Name for this very Affliction that thou hast laid upon us O that we could bear witness to thee in the face of this great City and before this great Assembly of thy Goodness and Faithfulness and of thy Mercy which endures for ever O we have tasted of thy Love and it 's good to cleave unto thee Father thou art a Refuge to the Poor and Strength to the Poor and Needy Come and be a Refuge to us in this great Storm truly we are to go through a great Storm before we come unto thee ô that we may finde Death a sweet in-let and a passage into thy blessed Arms through Jesus Christ When our poor souls shall be coming to thee we pray thee give thy Angels charge over us and strengthen us against the fears and terrors of Death O let fresh strength come from Jesus Christ at this present It is not all the Graces we have had will now do us any good unless we have fresh supplies Our fresh springs are in thee Arise O Spring O
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
should make choice of such a poor Creature as I am to be employed in his Work I must further say that the Lord hath made crooked things straight and rough wayes plain and hard and difficult things easie to me through the Free and Rich Love of Christ Oh he hâ—th made death nothing unto me now but yet I have no strength of my own no my strength lies in my weaknesse and it is Christ alone that can renew my strength which he doth daily by setting upon my heart these following Scriptures which have been a constant relief to me The Lord is my Light and Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the Rock of my life of whom should I be afraid Psal. 28.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy Heart wait I say on the Lord. Psalm 33.11 The Counsel of the Lord stands for ever and the thoughts of his Heart to all Generations Blessed be the Soul that hath the Lord for its inheritance Psalm 138. vers 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me the Mercies of the Lord endureth for ever forsake not the works of thine own hands Prov. 16. vers 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps in the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul commit thy wayes to the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Prov. 28. vers 28. When the wicked arise men hide themselves but when they perish the Righteous increase But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel fear not I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Esaiah 63. vers 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Lam. 3. vers 24. and 2.5.2.6 37. vers 38. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the souls that seeketh him it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Who is he that saith it cometh to passe when the Lord commandeth it not out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good Psal. 34.9 Oh fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Psal. 11.22 Though hand joyne in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished but the seed of the Righteous shall be delivered Some Experimental Passages in Discourse with a Friend A Friend coming to him the week of his Tryal and Suffering did partake of many choice breathings from him some of them which he could call to mind are here faithfully collected We are to esteem Sufferings the better when they are in the Wayes of God and we must not esteem the Wayes of God the worse because they are accompanied with Sufferings in this world A Believing Souls Sufferings for Christ do confirm him the more in the wayes of Christ. A Principle of Faith finds three sorts of Promises in the Gospel First The Promise of Assistance Secondly The Promise of Acceptance Thirdly The Promise of Reward Then he proceeded in some further Spiritual Discourse Although I find I have no strength to encounter with those great Tryals I am to meet with yet I will labour to quit my heart through the Spirit of Faith from that Scripture Esa. 30.7 Your strength is to sit still and indeed I find it so Then one present did ask him if he thought the Cause in which he had been engaged would ever arise again He said The Cause lies in the Bosom of Christ and as sure as Christ arose the Cause will arise again and we die but to make way for it for when John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ he must be beheaded for it so we by our death do but make way for the next comming of Jesus Christ personally to raign a thousand years with his Saints And although we die the Cause will certainly live The Thursday before his Suffering he entertained some Friends who came to visit him with very sweet and Heavenly Discourse to this purpose That although God had given him a sight of his Eternal happines yet Satan would have brought all his sins before him yea the very sins of his youth as unpardoned yea sayes he I my self also would fain have set them before me but God out of his free love through his Son was stronger then them both and would not suffer it but gave me in a full assurance that all my sins were freely forgiven and blotted out and never to be remembred against me any more which caused such unspeakable Joyes that he was not able to utter nor was he to the best observation of Friends then present ever seen so chearful in the greatest of his prosperity At noon one desired him that he would eat he answered him that he was above that kind of meat for the Lord saith he hath fed me with the fat things of his own Spirit The night before he Suffered he was exercised with some fears least he should want strength to go through the great work he was now suddenly to engage in he took his Bible and opened it at an adventure and God gave him in such a word that was so sutable for him at the time that he rejoyced and said Blessed be his Name that never leaves me without a Word the Scripture which Providence then presented him with was Isa. 54.10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither the Covenant of my Peace be removed from thee saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Oh sayes he to his Friends and Relations then with him You are the Mountains and the Hills that must depart from me now and so took his leave of them all with much chearfulness saying Go seek the Lord for me for I cannot go one hairs breadth in my own strength At another time he thus spake to some near Friends and Relations who were with him Certainly saith he if I had known the comforts of this sweet communion with God in a Prison before I had run to a Prison long ago If I had suffered when my Brethren did suffer I had had little or no blood in my body to have spilt for Jesus Christ in this good Cause but God carried me into Germany and there made us to sow a good Seed which will never dye and now God hath brought me back again with more strength to suffer for his Name and Cause Indeed the Lord hath made me in some measure now fit to go through Sufferings for him and it is indeed He alone who hath done it Upon hearing the news of his Tryal which he knew was
dye to day who answered To dye I die to live quoting that Scripture He that believes in me shall never die The reason of his laughter being as himself said because he was exceedingly transported with joy in the evidence of Christ's love to his soul. And indeed nothing but Joy was daily seated in this dying-man's countenance as did evidently appear to all the Spectators The morning being far spent in discoursing with his Friends the Sleds about eight of the clock came into the Tower which making a great noise upon the stones he ran to the window with a smiling countenance to view them and said Oh our Chariots are now come A little while after the Sleds came the Gentleman-Porter or some other Officer in the Tower came to acquaint him with it desiring him to prepare for his Departure to which he rejoycingly answered That blessed be God it was not then to do and so with much chearfulness he committed his Wife into the hands of the Lord God Almighty resting upon his Promise That he will be a Father to the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widow A little before his Departure he desired his Wife to button on his Cloak which accordingly she did and presently the Gentleman-Jaylor and a File of Souldiers came by the Lieutenants Order and received him at which time he parted with his Wife and Relations as himself professed with as much joy as ever he received them Now being brought by the Jaylor to the Lieutenants Door that being the place appointed for the Sleds to receive them and although it was the place and house in which he lived in plenty and honour yet he had so much estranged himself unto it that he did not so much as cast his eye upon it and no wonder if his treasure were in Heaven that his heart was there also He was appointed the first that should enter the Sled and so to be drawn the foremost of the three through the City Having thus entred the Sled he sat down and looking about him with a chearful countenance and speaking comfortable words to such Friends as were near him after a while the Sleds were ordered to be drawn away which accordingly was performed and coming down the Church-hill opposit to his Prison alius his Palace his Wife with some other Friends standing at the window took her Handkercheif out of her Pocket and shook it at him which he perceiving took off his Hat and several times shaking it over his head cryed out with an astonishing chearfulness To Heaven to Heaven to Heaven my Love and leave you in the Storm Thus passing along he came to the Tower-Gate where some reviled him in words and carriages not only his Enemies but his former intimate Friends which he rather smiled than was troubled at Near Holborn there came a young woman to him being very earnest to speak to him which the Sheriffs Officers permitted all that she told him she had to say to him was this That whatsoever he did she begged of him to go on chearfully in so Glorious a Cause Several spake to him in the same manner And though he met with some Revilers in the way yet the number of his Frieâ—ds and of such as blessed him and the rest in the Name of the Lord far exceeded them As he passed along several times a Friend that accompanied him asked him how he did who told him he was never better in all his life and that he grew stronger and stronger every moment And going up Holborn being in discourse with the same Friend he with a smiling countenance told him That he evidently saw Jesus Christ coming down the Hill to receive and imbrace him and that this hours difficulty that he was now to go through was not to be mentioned with that Glory he was to enjoy When he came near the place of Execution the multitude of people increasing they could not bring the Sled near the Gallows so the Sheriff ordered that he should be brought on foot which accordingly was performed and a Cart standing ready under the Gallows he chearfully got into it before which some of his Friends took their leaves of him he leaving this word of Counsel with them To trust in that God that hath promised Never to leave nor forsake those that trust in him Being entred the Cart the Executioner tyed his hands with black Ribbons taking off his Perriwig and putting on his Cap the Sheriff told him that he would permit him to say any thing between God and himself but nothing in justification of the Act but he refused to say any thing till Col. Okey came which was immediatly after Several reviled him at the place of Execution among the rest the Lord bidding him in a scoffing way Good buoy Barkstead good buoy To which with a smile he returned this Answer Sir you are no Gentleman to triumph over a dying-man Another thing observable was That a Courtier by way of derision told him O Barkstead you have got the Comforter meaning a little Strongwater-bottle that he had in his hand to which he replied That blessed be God he had a better Comforter than that or else he should not be able to stand there so chearfully as he did To conclude all his carriages and actions were exceeding chearful going through those Difficulties he met with with an undaunted resolution to the admiration and astonishment of his Enemies and the great rejoycing of his Friends who had before earnestly besought the Lord to vouchsafe his comforting and assisting presence to him A Letter of Col. Barksteads sent when he was beyond the Seas to a near Friend of his in London My dear Friend YOurs of the last of April I received the twelfth of June The first sight of your hand-writing filled my eyes with such floods of tears that for some hours I could not recover my sight to reade it yet at last to reading I went but then every line yea every word called back my tears and so overwhelmed my affections that I could not get thorow it till between one and two of the clock that night though the refreshing Comforts I found therein and received thereby I trust will never get thorow my heart but have ever a place there while I have a being in this dying vain and miserable world to which I desire we may get our hearts mortified and dead and alive onely to our God in and thorow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now if we be mortified and dead to the World then nothing in this World con trouble us were all the Mountains in the World thrown on a dead man they would not trouble him because he feels none of their weight Christ's boxes were not broken on the Crosse because he was dead before but the bores of the two Thieves were So let afflictions and Troubles find us with mortified and dead hearts to the World and they will never break our bones No no the bones of those were broken which were
respect may resemble the Dove that Noah sent out of the Ark that could find no place to set the foal of her foot on thus hath it been for some moneths with me so that I could not with any conveniency because of those that bear an evil will to Zion write to you but my Dear Friend though I have been absent from you in the body yet I can say truly I have not been so in my Spirit the Lord knows how my Soul hath both night and day longed after you and all the rest of my Christian Friends in Christ Jesus and in all my approaches to the Throne of Grace I have made it my earnest request to the Lord Jesus Christ that the Father of all glory would give unto you more and more the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Christ And that you may walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing being fruitful in all good works increasing in the blessed knowledge of our God and that you may be filled with all the love of God to his glory and your everlasting comfort I know you are ignorant why I left my Native Country and all that was near and dear unto me in this world but which is most of all the pretious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of his people a losse of losses not to be made up but in Christ and in him alone and therefore my dear Friend though now you enjoy the light yet you do not know how soon it may be taken from you or you from it it is and shall be my continual prayers that it may not be for it is indeed the Judgement of all Judgements The Lord God pardon unto me in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that great neglect of it whereof I was guilty while I was with you that I did not improve it more to the comfort of my own soul. Oh my Dear Friend did you but see and hear that which I have seen and heard in my Travels especially among those that profess Popery it would make your hearts to tremble that blaspheming the Blessed Name of the Lord all manner of wickedness the horrid prophanation of the Lords day and other abominations and Oh that I could have said that I had not seen and heard too much of the same even among those that term themselves of the Reformed Religion Alas alas the best of what they enjoy here is but as the bran to the wheat in comparison to what the Lord hath bestowed on you and therefore I beseech you prize the Gospel more and more and those Godly Ministers that it hath pleased the Lord to send among you for the Lord hath not done for other people as he hath done for you I am verily perswaded it is one great cause among many others that the Lord hath dealt so severely with his own people as to give them up into the hands of his and their enemies hath been the slighting despising contemning and undervaluing the precious Gospel and the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ the Lord in great mercy pardon it not only to his own people but to the whole Nation if it be his blessed will that they may yet know the things that concerns the glory of God and their own everlasting â—â—st before they be hid from their eyes Oh the pretious Jewel of the Gospel to which all the other enjoyments even the quintessence of whatever this world can afford are not to be compared What is there in this base world but vanity of vanities what is there in great men or great things a sparkle of fire or a storm at Sea or a treacherous Friend brings all to nothing in a moment As we have seen by sad experience every day do witness the Truth of it Therefore saith the Apostle love not the World not the things of the World a little grace is worth ten thousand worlds It was a notable saying of that worthy Marquess that he was not worthy of Christ that would not give the whole World for one dayes Communion with him Oh it is a good thing to have a heart established in grace it is good in times of prosperity it is good in dayes of adversity Oh it is good in such a day as this when one wave comes on the neck of another yet the Lord even then remembers those whom he hath promised he will never leave nor forsake yea though their troubles be many yet the Lord will deliver them out of all in his blessed time for all things shall certainly work for the glory of God and the good of his own people And now my Dear Friend do I most humbly beg in the Name of the Lord Jesus the continuance of your Prayers to the Lord for me that he would be pleased to give me more and more of his Holy Spirit that while he is pleased to give a being in the Land of the living I may in some measure live answerable to the many unexpected mercies he hath bestowed on me his poor and unworthy Servant both in relation to my soul and body and that too since I came into a strange land and truly as I want a heart to be thankful to the Lord so I want expressions to let you know it I shall onely at present say it was good for me that I have been Afflicted and if the Lord gives me life I shall not fail to let you know the goodness of the Lord to me in this day of my greatest of troubles which have not been a few And as I humby desire your Prayers for me so do I also beg your thanks to the Lord for me who hath been so gracious to me every way And oh that now with a chearful heart I might honour the Lord in this day of very great troubles and that I might be very humble and thankful and be fitted to live or to dye as the Lord shall be pleased to call me forth That which lyeth with some waite on my Spirit is not so much the losse of these outward things for I praise the Lord he hath carried me in some measure above them but that I should sin against so blessed a God and loving a Father as I have done and that I should with many of his own People provoke the Lord to give up so many of his People so far into the hands of his and their enemies as he hath done at this day would an ordinary chastisement have prevailed certainly the common Enemy had not had their will over them the good Lord sanctifie his present hand of affliction to all his more and more and oh that now in this day of his East wind he would be pleased for his Name sake to stay his rough wind and that that may be the fruit to purge them from their sin and that his People may yet live to praise him in the great Congregation and there to declare the goodness of the Lord to them in the
Knife are I have often set them before me and have been often going up the Ladder to see if they would terrifie me but blessed be the Lord they have not hitherto given me the least disturbance no no in all that is past I could never yet suffer so much as such a wish to pass through my thoughts Oh that I had not been engaged in this thing or that I had before 1648 deserted this Cause no the Lord would not to this day suffer such a thought to pass through my thoughts much less through my heart no I have over and over gone through the Cause from first to last even from the Blood of Rochel to Irelands Massacres the Blood of Scotland and the Blood of both the Wars in England My dear Friend and reconciled Friends on the best account I must at present leave you earnestly begging the constant continuance of yours and the People of the Lord's Prayers with and for me that as he hath so would continue to support and bear up the spirit of his unworthy Creature and in those few dayes or hours he hath yet to remain on this side Eternity he may neither do nor speak any thing wherein or whereby he should in the least dishonour God grieve the Spirit of Jesus Christ or give the least trouble to any of the meanest of the Saints or desert that Glorious Cause that the Lord doth and will own and will raise up at his appointed time in despite of all the Devils in Hell and all the Kings Princes and Great-men of the Earth whose flesh must become meat to the fowls of the Air and their Carcasses dung to the Earth for the Kingdoms of the Earth or of this world are to become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever This from your truly reconciled Friend J. B. Praise and pray pray and praise and above all watch unto prayer pray alwayes and watch continually Several occasional Passages Speeches and Letters of Col. John Okey during the time of his Imprisonment in the Tower till the day of his Suffering ON Wednesday the 16th of April 1662. being the day that Col. Barkstead Col. Okey and Mr. Corbet had Sentence passed upon them at the Kings-Bench Bar after which a Friend went to visit Col. Okey and found him in a sweet and blessed frame of spirit and very chearful not in the least under any discouragement but acquainted the said Friend that they had been up at Westminster and that Sentence was given against them and declared he was not in the least disquieted at it but thankfully owned the Providence of God in bringing them from the place where they were beyond Sea to their present condition wherein he professed himself to be much satisfied and declared he had rather lay down his Life here than to have been buried in another Nation and expressed further that for what he was charged withal and condemned he had not the least trouble upon his spirit He also told this Friend that he desired to bless God for the Prayers of the Lord's People for he found the benefit and advantage of them in this time of his Tryal And with much chearfulness of spirit afterwards he did bless the Lord for his Goodness to him declaring he had got more benefit and advantage in the time of these his troubles than in many years before and one day especially since his coming into the Tower he said he was reading some verses in the 16th chapter of John and the Lord did so set home upon his spirit ver 26 27. especially that word The Father himself loveth you that he was so much refreshed in his soul that for an hour together he was as it were ravished with the Joy of the Lord the sight of which was much comfort to his dear Wife and did much refresh and chear her spirit And upon Friday the day before his Suffering several Friends went unto him about one of the clock and were with him some hours he several times spake to them saying Well Friends I shall now get to Heaven before you and shall go out of a sinful evil world into that place where I shall sin no more nor sorrow any more I bless the Lord he is good to me in all his dispensations and I could not have been without any of these afflictions Then he mentioned divers choice places of Scripture as 2 Cor. 4.8 9 and the 17 verse explaining the words to sweet advantage As for afflictions said he they are but slight and momentary and that they work to glory yea an exceeding yea a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And much strengthening himself with the Promises of God Isa. 43.1 2. upon which Scripture he did thus descant Though Jacob was but a worm and so trodden upon by every one yet the Lord would be with him and so with all his Saints and People in their sufferings He insisted also upon that Scripture Heb. 13.5 6. together with many others which were proper to his condition and the Lord was pleased to make every one of them a strengthening cordial to him The next day being the day of Execution several Friends went again to Col. Okey by six of the clock in the morning where they found him ready dressed and with a sweet chearful spirit bid them welcome They asked him how he did he said Never better in his life and had found the benefit of prayers and it had been a sweet night unto him being sweetly refreshed which also did much appear by his chearful and fresh countenance for it was observed that he never looked better in all his dayes He declared he had much quietness in his spirit and said As for the loss of his Estate it did not in the least trouble him Then a Friend hinted to him the parting with his Wife and Relations he answered she had been a very tender Wife to him and had exprest her abundant love and tenderness in this his distress but he was not in the least troubled at their parting being assured the Lord would be better to her than he could be And also said that though his Wife had lost much since she knew him as to outwards yet she had gained much as to the better concernments for so his Wife had declared unto him which doubtless well considered will out-weigh all other losses Some of these Friends spent some time in prayer with him also the Colonel himself went to prayer and the Lord appeared very much in carrying forth his spirit to own his hand and to see his goodness in all his dispensations and to implore further assistance and between the times of prayer they had much sweet conference with him in all which he manifested a very gracious and holy frame of spirit and often declared with great chearfulness that he was ready to be offered up He was heard often to ask whether his Chariot was yet come or no and some
Friends told him Well now the time draws nigh who answered I am ready I am ready Then came the Order for his going to the Sled upon which he went with all chearfulness and so went forward with undaunted courage to meet Death in the face like a Christian Souldier indeed who through the Lord's assistance presently obtained more than a Conquest over all his Enemies As he was in the Sled and drew near to the place of Execution a Friend came to him and said Sir I have a great desire to know how it is with you and how the Lord is pleased to manifest himself unto you in the condition you are now in The Colonel replyed Friend I thank you I bless the Lord I have great cause to praise and magnifie his great and glorious Name for his unspeakable goodness towards me especially in this present dispensation for I can truly say and that by experience that the Goodness of the Lord endures for ever and praised be God for this present tryal The same Friend further replyed and said I pray Sir are you not at all dejected in your spirits are you not cast down in your mind have you not hard thoughts of God for this his strange providence towards you The Colonel replyed Friend I shall endeavour to satisfie you as well as I can in this matter and I let you know that I have not the least trouble upon my heart nor the least burden upon my spirit upon the account of my Sufferings neither have I any hard thoughts of God but on the contrary can speak to the praise of his Grace that his Goodness hath carried me forth above the fear of all these things And my Friend let me tell you further That I have had more experience of God and more acquaintance with God within these three or four dayes than ever I had in all my life and at this present I am so far from being dejected or cast down in my spirits as that I am so much elevated and lifted up in my soul that I am not able to tell you how it is with me And when he was ready to rise out of the Sled another Friend came to him and asked him how he did To whom he answered I bless the Lord I am very well and do no more value what I am now going about than this straw taking up a piece of a straw in his hand I have sayes he made many a Charge in my time but now I have but one Charge more to make and then I shall be at rest Here followeth two Letters of his to two of his old faithful Friends eminent persons in the City of London A Letter from Col. John Okey directed to a Relation of his to be by him communicated to some Christian Friends of his acquaintance about the City of London SIR HAving a little time in this place before I am removed to Newgate where I am to go as I am informed I thought good to give you some account how it is with me concerning my better part I bless the Lord I never found so much spiritual joy some years before as I have in Prison it is according as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. And therefore let the People of God not fear a Prison or to suffer in the Cause of God I shall give you a touch but of three things viz. 1. How it is with me in my spiritual condition 2. I shall speak something of the Cause for which I suffer the loss of all things which are near and dear unto me in this evil world 3. In the last place What a Mercy it is when the Lord is pleased to call forth a creature to suffer for the Truths of our Lord Jesus Christ in such a day as this is I believe you have heard these from some other of the Servants of the Lord that have gone before in whole dishes but you are like to have them in a broken dish and but a few scraps in comparison to that great feast you have had before from them that are now with the Lord. Our Afflictions sanctified are good Cordials to the soul and therefore it is no marvel that David said It is good for me that I have been afflicted And as one observeth and saith well a Prison being the place where wanting other Books a man may there best study the Book of the knowledge of himself being separated from all business but praying and praising the Lord God in Christ by the Spirits assistance And since I have by the help of the Lord looked in some measure into my heart I could not have thought there had been so much ignorance and impatience pride inordinate affection to creature-comforts revenge difidence of God self-love and iniquity of all kinds in me as I now find there is and although the Lord in great mercy hath kept me by his mighty power and restraining grace from those Jayl-bird sins as Swearing Drunkenness Lying Uncleanness and hating of his People yet I find a mass of corruption in me and a multitude of transgressions so that my sins are as the hairs of my head which cannot be numbred for the multitude of them and all this darkness and filthiness of spirit is only discovered by the light of Christ By his lowliness in washing the Apostles feet I see the height of pride in my own spirit and want of condescention when I was in prosperity and my unfruitfulness under the means of Grace and little good I did when I had an opportunity thereunto and therefore I adore and acknowledge the Justice of God that he hath most righteously deprived me of my Liberty and Estate truly now I am thereby brought nearer to Christ whereby I find through Grace that Christ is become very precious to me And more to be desired than Gold yea 1 Pet 2.7 than fine Gold and sweeter than the Honey or the Honey-comb And this I can say through Mercy I do desire to love the good Word of the Lord before my appointed food I have begged of the Lord that he would enable me more and more that I may lay open before him all my sins known or unknown and to loath my self for them and that not only for the shame which sin bringeth but rather because I should sin against so good a God and loving Father in Christ Jesus as I have done and especially for my actual known sins committed against so much Love Light Promises and Covenants from a gracious God that will not destroy me for all my abominations blessed be his holy Name for ever and for ever I desire continually to go out of my self and to rely on the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ who only is the Fountain of Life and in his Light we shall see light Oh! what Mercy is it that the Lord should be pleased out of his great Love and Compassion to cast the mantle of his free Grace upon such a poor worm as I am and
that he had not left me to the wickedness of my own heart as he hath left thousands that do live in pleasure and vanity and so are dead while they live Now the good Lord grant that as he hath done for me more than he hath done for many thousands so I may love Him more than many thousands do that I may yet live and die for the Glory of his holy Name and that the few hours I have to live I may wholly spend to the praise of God I humbly desire to bless the Lord that hath made me willing to live or die as may be most for his Glory and the Good of his People for I can say through Christ that strengthens me I can do all things in some measure and have learned how to want and how to abound and can say to live is Christ and to die is gain praised be the Lord that hath made my heart fit in some good measure for the work which he hath called me unto and as I hear my departure is at hand so through the Lord 's rich Grace and free Mercy to me his poor unworthy Servant I am willing to be offered up and if I be offered upon the Sacrifice of your Faith I joy and much rejoyce therein I hope by the continual Prayers of you and the rest of the People of the Lord he that hath begun that good work in me will carry it on till the coming of the Lord Jesus When I look upon my self then I have cause to fear and tremble for my strength is as weak as water but when I look to the Lord Jesus then am I strong for he hath promised He will never leave nor forsake me nor all those that trust in Him And I know that through the Lord I shall do those things that may tend to the praise of his great Name in this evil day and I hope by his Grace to honour Him more by my Death than in all my Life before for indeed although I had a desire in the day of liberty to do that which was most for the glory of God and the good of his People and on that account I did not think my Life nor any thing I had near or dear to me and can say I do believe no man did more rejoycingly go to lay down his Life than I did yet I was accompanied with so many failings in my best doings that I have cause to be ashamed and humbled for the best of all my services that ever I have performed and praised be his holy Name although I have nothing in my self to glory in yet in Christ Jesus I can and will rejoyce giving thanks to the Father of our Lord Jesus who hath made me meet to be partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in light and for his unspeakable love to me in the Lord Jesus for being justified by Faith I have peace with our blessed God through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be praise and glory both now and for evermore And now a word concerning the Cause for which I am to suffer all that is near and dear unto me I shall as before the Lord who only knoweth the hearts and thoughts of all men tell you my Faith I do believe at long-run there is not a man that fears the Lord will have any reason to be sorrowful for engaging in that Good Old Cause which I am now to seal with my Blood again as I have many a time done I am satisfied in my soul that it is a most just and glorious Cause as hath been in many years asserted and although the Lord hath been pleased for the sins of his People and for a great judgment to the wicked of the three Nations to let it be in respect of the Cause as it were the Sun setting for a night yet it will certainly arise the next morning very gloriously though now it be never so much reproached by the wicked of this day And when I die I shall die in the Faith thereof And that most of the Reformed Churches in the world by report are all of that mind and I my self have heard the same from many among them where I have been abroad I bless the Lord I have no guilt upon me in reference to that Cause if I had I would let you know it And although many object against me that place 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer yet I cannot after much seeking the Lord be convinced that I am such a one And in case any did it out of base ends of their own I praise the Lord I had none but looking at the Glory of God and the Good of his poor People in what I did and I bless the Lord I find the comfort of it at this day And for the Cause I shall say no more of it than what the Parents said to the Pharisees when they asked them if that were their son they told them he was of age he should speak for himself So I say this Cause hath spoken in most parts of the Christian World and will speak more when we are dead when the Fowls have eaten of our vile Bodies that are to be set up on the Gates of the City I shall only add a word to the People of the Lord to comfort them against sufferings for the Cause of God for it is a most glorious thing and honourable and therefore saith the Apostle James Count it all joy when ye fall into divers Temptations And so the Apostle Paul Rom. 5 We glory in Tribulation Also the like in Phil. 1.28 29. To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake And so again the Apostle sayes Jam. 1â— 12. 2 Cor. 12.10 Act. 2 13. Blessed is the man that endureth Temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive a Crown of life So the Apostle Paul rejoyced in his Infirmities Reproaches Necessities in Persecutions in Distresses And he professes himself to be ready not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Further It is the duty of Saints to suffer as the Apostle speaks He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 We are also commanded not to fear their fears nor to be terrified by any thing that evil men can do against us but suffer as good Souldiers of Christ Jesus We are likewise to rejoyce in as much as we are partakers of Christs Sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed 1 Pet. 4.13 we may rejoyce with exceeding joy And as it brings peace to a man 's own soul so it rejoyceth the hearts of the Saints for saith the Apostle We live if ye stand fast in the Lord. And therefore dear Brethren fear none of these things for the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison and you shall have Tribulation for ten dayes
but be faithful to the death and you shall receive a Crown of life Oh my dear Friends it is better to fall with Christ than to stand with Caesar let us be willing to follow our Captain the Lord Jesus who is gone before as also the blessed Saints and Martyrs of Christ. We use to say He is not worthy the name of a Souldier that will not follow his Leader Let us then follow Christ the Captain of our Salvation who hath said to us Fear not him that can but kill the body and can do no more Oh let us I pray you fear the Lord and take heed of all sin for let me tell you there is more evil in the least sin than there is good in any thing this base world can afford And although here we may suffer and be condemned of men as evil-doers as our Lord Jesus and was called Beelzebub and the like yet this will be our comfort that although men do condemn us the Lord doth acquit us You know what Christ saith to his Disciples Blessed are ye when men speak all manner of evil of you for my Name sake and the Gospel then do ye rejoyce and be exceeding glad Thus I have given you to know in a few words my thoughts concerning those three things I spake of in the beginning of this Paper I had thought to have been more large but am strangely prevented by my Keeper and for want of time Only one word to let you know that blessed be the Lord for his great mercy towards me I am at present in a peaceable and comfortable condition although sometimes fainting fits do seem to seize upon me for when I look on my self then I have cause to mourn for my unworthy walking but when I look up to the Lord I have cause to rejoyce and to be glad and do desire to praise his holy Name Oh it is good to have our portion in the Lord who is our only Good for one smile of his Countenance is better than Life And therefore my dear Friends above all things labour to give your selves up to the Lord and appear for his Cause and Glory and for the Gospel and stand up for the Truth for all Truth and for the poor Saints at such a day as this is so that you may with the Apostle say experimentally I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Glory and not only for me but for all those also that love the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And now my dear Brethren in the Lord I bid you farewel and commit you and yours to Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy Now to the only wise God be glory for evermore Yours for ever in our Lord Jesus Christ. J. O. Post-script Oh my Brethren I have one request to you that is That you would beg of the Lord that the Saints may dwell more together in Love And although they be not of one form yet let them labour to be of one mind in the things of the Lord and love as Brethren and take heed of judging one another which hath been a great fault Give no offence to those that are within nor to those that are without as near as you can That those that are out of the way may be won by your holy conversation in Christ Jesus Another Letter of Col. John Okey's directed to an intimate Friend and old Acquaintance of his in London Hon. Friend I Do much rejoyce to hear of your good health with your dear Wife and that the Lord doth so much comfort and strengthen you in the day of your trouble it is a great honour that he hath put upon you in this backsliding time wherein iniquity doth so much abound and most men are making shipwrack of Faith a good Conscience in this day of Jacob's sorrows now that wickedness is established by a Law Now the worse the times are the Lord grant we may be the better Oh Sir suffering-times are very glorious when the Lord is pleased to come in by his holy Spirit into the heart of a poor worm there can be no restraint where the Spirit of the Lord is for there is liberty for the loving-kindness of the Lord is better than any thing that this base world can afford My dear Friend what a favour hath the Lord been pleased to cast upon you and me that we should be called forth to bear witness to and for the Old Cause the Lord himself hath so often owned by fighting our Battels and in destroying of the proud Enemies of God and his Saints so that the sound of it is gone through the whole World And now I shall trouble you with a word to let you know how it is with me at the present concerning the inner man I do humbly desire to speak to the glory of the Lord 's free Grace that although I am in trouble on every side yet not distressed something perplexed but not in dispair persecuted but not forsaken cast into Prison but not destroyed and therefore blessed be the Lord I faint not for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.16 We reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed Rom. 8.18 and therefore the Lord grant that we may watch and stand fast in the Faith quit our selves like men be strong in his strength and in the power of his might and as Joab said Be of good Courage let us behave ourselves valiantly for our People and for the Cities of our God and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight 1 Chron. 19.13 Sir I hear my time is short and I am in some measure through much mercy ready to be offered up and if I be offered up upon the sacrifice of the Faith of the Lords People I shall joy and much rejoyce Alas you know I am a poor worm and of my self can do nothing but in the strength of the Lord I shall be able to do what the Lord shall be pleased to call me to for he hath promised to lay no more upon me than he will enable me to bear and therefore I do humbly beg your prayers for me and the rest of my suffering Brethren that are in trouble with me here or elsewhere that the Lord would be pleased to stand by us so that we be not ashamed of the Cause of the Lord and his poor People it would have been better we had never made a profession of the Gospel than for to deny any of the Truths of the Lord or the Cause of his People What are our lives in comparison of the Glory of God better ten thousand of us should dye than the Gospel
should suffer and therefore I do again beg your prayers to the Lord night and day that the Lord would strengthen us with all might according to his rich and glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light who hath called us to suffer for the Truth and not to fear base man whose breath is in his nostrils and although they seem to be in honour yet in a few dayes they shall fall and perish and become as the dung of the Earth and men like themselves shall see them no more Oh we have no cause to be troubled when we see wicked men made great for when they die none of their pomp shall follow them for as they lived undesired so will they dye unlamented My dear Friend I am fain to break off for want of time and I hope you will cover my weak lines you have them from the heart that wisheth you as well as my own soul. Thus with my love to you and my prayers to the Lord for you and yours and to the rest that love the Lord Jesus and now for the present I leave you to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God be glory and power now and ever Your faithful Friend till death J. O. A Letter of Col. John Okey to his Daughter My dear Daughter I Salute you in the Lord wishing you all Grace here and Glory hereafter I am something troubled at the cruelty of wicked men that will not let me see you in such a day as this is But it 's not to be wondred at for you know what the Scripture saith The mercies of the ungodly are cruelty it self But blessed be our good God though they can keep our Relations from us they cannot keep us from coming to our heavenly Father within a few dayes we shall be out of their hands where they shall afflict us no more for there the Oppressed shall be free from the Oppressor and therefore be not troubled for these things I thank you for your love to me as much as if I had seen you and although we are kept one from another in the body yet we are not so in the spirit but do rejoyce in one another and be not much cast down for these outward troubles that we meet with in this evil world where we are pilgrims and strangers for it 's the lot and portion of the dearest of God's People to suffer here in this world but rather rejoyce that we are accounted worthy to suffer shame for his most holy Name and I beg that you would be earnest with the Lord that he would be pleased to keep my heart close to himself that I may not dishonour the Lord nor bring a reproach to the glorious Gospel of our Lord Christ and his Cause which the Lord hath from Heaven so gloriously owned by scattering of his Enemies so often as he hath done in the sight of the Sun in bringing many of them to Justice so that the sound of it is gone thorow the whole World that it is the talk of the most part of the World and this you may be confident of that the day is not far off when God will give a glorious Resurrection to this Good Cause that is so much scorned by the basest of men who as Daniel saith shall fall in a few dayes like their own dung and perish and be seen no more for God hath set them in slippery places and therefore be not troubled at their prosperity but wait on the Lord and he shall give you the desire of your soul. And therefore my dear Daughter I humbly desire you that you would more and more give your self up wholly to the Lord to walk in all his wayes and to delight in all his wayes for his wayes are all wayes of peace and paths of pleasantness to all them that fear and love him and although earthly fathers leave you he will never leave you nor forsake you but will bless you here and for evermore therefore rejoyce in the Lord and again I say rejoyce I am very sorry that I am not able to do that for you which I desire and did intend for you and yours which I should have delighted to have done but the Providence of the Lord hath been pleased to order things other wayes praised be his Name and I hope the good Lord will supply all your wants through the riches of his Mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ to whom I shall commit you and yours who hath promised to do you good both in soul and body for he hath said When father and mother forsake you he will keep you for ever And therefore my loving Daughter be comforted in the Lord for although I go before you I shall not be lost but we shall meet again in Glory through mercy where we shall part no more for ever where we shall sorrow no more nor sin no more but shall be for ever praising his holy Name to all Eternity I shall desire you to remember me kindly to your Husband if it please the Lord to bring him home and to your Brother and so to the rest of my Friends and let your Husband know that if it please the Lord to return to his People he or his shall have a Portion in the mean time the Lord will bless that little to you that shall do you and yours more good than the treasures of the wicked like to the widows oyl and the barrel of meal that wasted not until the Lord sent more You know what David said I have been young and now am old yet he never saw the Righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread and Paul said We brought nothing into this world and it 's certain we shall carry nothing out having food and raiment let us therewith be content I am forc'd to break off at present but I hope to see you once more before I go hence and be seen no more I shall desire you would have a great care of those little Children that the Lord hath given you to bring them up in the fear of the Lord whilst the Lord is pleased to let you be with them And do also desire as you would do any thing for me or mine that you would be kind and loving to my dear Wife when I am gone that is the last Request that I beg of you And thus with my hearty love to you and your dear Husband and to your Children and to the rest of my Friends and to John and desire him that he would beg of the Lord to give him an heart to love the Lord and to walk in his wayes and it shall be well with him here and for evermore Thus in haste I commit you to the Lord beseeching the Lord
to keep you in all his wayes and rest Your loving Father in bonds for the Cause of God and his People till death John Okey I bless the Lord I am at present well wanting nothing but an humble and thankful heart to praise his Name There was another Letter written by Col. Okey to his Son beyond the Seas to the same effect An History of the Life and Death of Mr. Miles Corbet being intended shortly to be made publick and so many things reserved till then in the mean time it is thought convenient that a taste be given of some of those occasional Passages which fell from him whilst he was a Prisoner in the Tower in the hearing of several Friends who have faithfully collected them to be carefully laid up and wisely improved by them that survive ABout ten dayes before his Execution an old Friend having obtained leave to come to him while yet a Close-Prisoner Mr. Corbet imbracing him and rejoycing greatly to see him asked how he durst be so bold as to adventure to give him a Visit at that time and in that place and in that condition His Friend answered he was afraid of being charged at the day of Judgment with cowardise or want of love to Christ in not visiting his Members in Prison To which Mr. Corbet smilingly replyed And let it be remembred to you at that day that you were one of the Visiters there meant by our dear Lord whose Servant I hope I am and desire to be But Sir said his Friend to him I was in hopes you had been safe enough or at least would have taken care to be so when once you were abroad and had escaped so long And truly I thought so too said Mr. Corbet but God would not have it so Alas who can be hid whom he shall please to discover It seems he hath other work for me to do and I bless his Name for it I am not dismaid at all When I was beyond Sea I did the best to secure my self and was careful not wilfully to run into danger it was a meer hand of God that I was seized on for having not sent a Letter saith he in eight months time to my Wife I went to the place where I was taken to consult how to convey one safely to her and being ready to go thence to my own Lodging I was surprized suddenly and though at first I was startled at it yet I saw there was an over-ruling Providence in it and so was quieted in my own thoughts after a little space and found a power enabling me to submit And now that the Lord hath brought me hither and upon such an account as I am here for His holy Will be done for through grace I can truly say with the Apostle Col. 1.9 that I am filled with the Will of God Had I continued abroad I might have died in obscurity and have been carried out into some hole in a dust basket where my death would have signified nothing but now God hath honoured me in calling me forth to fight for him with my blood and in my own native Country too and in that famous City where I have had my breeding and education for many years and where I have endeavoured to do my Master Christ the best service I could while opportunity was in my hand And this I can truly say in some measure through grace a word which he often used that I account it an high favour All my desire is that I may not faint nor any way dishonour the Cause that I am to suffer for by my weak and unworthy carriage which I confess I am afraid of and therefore earnestly desire the prayers of Friends on my behalf that God will be pleased to support me and carry me well through this so hard and difficult a task Being asked what his Age was He answered Sixty seven years the greatest part of which time saith he God hath been pleased to use me more or less in publick services having for thirty seven years been still a Member in the several Parliaments that have been called In all which time saith he I bless God I have not sought my self nor any worldly ends And when I was without any of my own seeking freely chosen to be a Member of the Long Parliament I saw my Call so full and clear that I durst not deny but that it was of God and though saith he the Trust and Work which I was to undertake were very great and like to prove dangerous to as many as would be faithful to Christ's Interest yet through grace saith he I was resolved to go through it and accordingly I have done so to the utmost of my ability even to the prejudice of my own Estate and nearest Relations as themselves can witness and do now find pointing to his Wife and one of his Sons there standing by Proceeding further upon this subject Now in my Age saith he when I have most need of all outward comforts they are and have been of late furthest off from me I have neither Estate nor Habitation nor wherewith to keep a Servant yet in all this saith he I am comforted because it is come upon me in the performance of my duty and the defence of my Master's Cause and do well know I shall be no loser at last by Him he having been alwayes found to be a good Pay-master to them that serve Him in truth as I have desired and endeavoured to do Nay saith he I can say He hath payed me already for though I have nothing of my own no not so much as to buy Bread for me and mine yet I want nothing Ah! how good is God! and how good is his Word how faithful and how true is He that hath promised He hath said Matth. 19.29 Every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Wife or Children or Lands for my Name sake shall receive an hundred fold and that even in this life besides the Inheritance of everlasting life hereafter I am sure saith he I have found it so I have had many houses in mine Exile as free as my own have found as much care and tenderness from strangers as from my own Wife and Children every body is kind to me every body shews their love and their bounty to me Ah! blessed be God saith he blessed be God! and so went on very largely in this melting and moving manner adding among many other sweet expressions a reflexion upon the Speech of good old Polycarpus for even as he said That Christ had been a good Master to him and never did him hurt for eighty six years so saith he may I say the like Christ hath been a good Master to me these threescore and seven years Another time discoursing of the frailty of humane life and the many maladies and accidents that it is liable unto he took occasion to speak of the manner of his own approaching Death Alas saith he I might have dyed long
traversed any Suit commenced against him And as for what he had done in this business that there he stood accused for he said he was engaged in it by the then Supream Publick Authority of the Nation the lawfulness of which Authority he said at that time was every-where acknowledged and reputed so to be and had he not this to plead for himself he should then have thought that what was done by himself and others had been very wicked and abominable But the Authority being since that time changed and new Laws made by which both the Fact and the Power it self too by vertue of which it was done are both said to have been invalid though the Law-makers at that time did not think so he had nothing further to adde but only to leave this one word with them from Isa. 33.22 The LORD is our Judge the LORD is our Law-maker the LORD is our King He will save us You mistake saith one it is not Law-maker but Law-giver in the Text. But in the Margent saith Mr. Corbet it is Law-maker This is a true Relation of this matter as near as possibly can be taken from his own mouth if any mistake be in a word ignorantly related or sentence misplaced the Reader is desired to pardon it This Mr. Corbet having been heretofore bred at Lincolns-Inn and known to be a good Lawyer and late Lord Chief Baron in Ireland and also much acquainted by long experience with Affairs of State as having been a Member in all the Parliaments that have sat since the beginning of the late King's Reign and being also further known to have been an antient and long-experienc'd sound Christian a man of a very tender Conscience and of an holy Life and Conversation and that as well in his greatest Prosperity as in his Adversity it was the earnest desire of many even of all parties that knew him fully and clearly to understand from his own mouth especially now in this time of his Affliction what inward peace quiet and satisfaction he had in his own Conscience touching that Act which he was condemned and very shortly to dye for and which passeth under so many dreadful names of the most horrid heinous wicked and unwarrantable Act that was ever done of the vilest Murder most execrable Regicide detestable and bloody Crime that men ever were guilty of and like unto which none hath been said to have been ever perpetrated in this world before except the putting of Christ himself to death His Answer to this Question was the more desired because he being taken for so good a Christian and so able experienced a Lawyer and Statesman as is before described his Opinion therein would be the more considerable and his words be of the greater weight which side soever they should fall whether to the Justification or the Condemnation of the Fact Now to this Question which he said he had long before examined thorowly and very well digested he said he would make this true faithful and ingenuous Answer and hoped he should stand to it and maintain it to his last breath And although he did find he said some near Relations were not of his mind in it yet for his own part he remained steady and unmoveable therein and before several Witnesses which he hath now left surviving that heard him declared as followeth First he said When he was named and appointed by the Parliament to be one of the Judges he was not present in the House nor did he at any time give his own personal consent thereto or approbation of it but rather fully resolved never to engage in that business Secondly When the Bill came into the House he spake against it and gave his Reasons nor could he be drawn by any Arguments to appear in the High Court of Justice or allow of their Proceedings Yet thirdly The state of Affairs being as then they were and the Consequence on both sides either of owning or not owning and joyning in that Act being with much prayer and consideration well weighed by him he at last came to a fixed settlement in his mind about these ensuing particulars 1. That the Supream Authority of the Nation as then it stood notwithstanding the Alterations made in it being generally accepted and submitted to at home and owned by forreign States abroad without any question made of it from the body and bulk of the People though here and there some scrupled it whose Interest lay contrary was lawful and sufficient to warrant all that was or should be done in reference to the late King 2 That the solemn Appeals made to God on both sides both by the King on his side and by the Parliament on their side all the time of the War and answered so distinctly and fully from Heaven on behalf of the Parliament as all men then seemed to judge did further confirm him in the warrantableness of their Undertakings and righteousness of the whole Cause 3. That the foresight of such miserable Changes as by return of the Hierarchy and the concommitants and effects thereof which he saw was aimed at and did believe was intended by the late King at least after some time did greatly induce him to look into and fully inform himself about the matter of the Charge against the said late King 4. That upon mature and long debates of Parliament and such as were authorized to search into the Charge aforesaid he found things fully proved and moreover said that the matters objected were of a very unusual and high nature but that which principally swayed him to do what he did was the Blood of Ireland and the levying War against the Parliament who were thereupon forced for their own defence and the safety of the People by whom they were trusted and whom they did represent to take up Arms and so against their wills to maintain a most costly dangerous and unnatural War 5. That though he was now fully satisfied in his own mind of the lawfulness of the Fact as well as of the Power by which it was done and that it was his duty no longer to stand out but to joyn with his Brethren as an Actor in it or else might become guilty of unfaithfulness to the Cause of God and his Country yet such was his base and timerous spirit that he kept back and would not appear in it the rather because he was much set upon by his Nephew Sir Thomas Corbet who then lived in the house with him not to meddle at all or have any hand in it Now this Sir Thomas Corbet having a very considerable Estate to which himself was next Heir and which in case he should go cross to his mind in this business he had power by cutting off the Entail to give away from him and his Children he was loth to displease for he saw apparantly which way his said Nephew was bent Yet 6. Notwithstanding this Conscience wrought much with him and would not suffer him he said to be
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
end of his Journey one came from a Friend to the Sled side to tell him that endeavours were used to get his Body for burial What care I saith he what becomes of my Body when I am dead let them do what they will with it I blesse God my Soul is safe Many other excellent Passages are yet behind scattered in the hands of several Friends which cannot be yet brought together but care is taken that they shall not be lost but are all preserved to a more large Account when the afore-mentioned History of his Life and Death comes out together with several choice Letters of his very worthy of Record All which will ask some time to prepare and put them into due order for the Presse The Several SPEECHES and PRAYERS of Col. John Okey Col. John Barkstead and Miles Corbet Esq at the place of Execution April 19. 1662. UPon April 19. 1662. being the day appointed for the Execution of Col. John Barkstead Col. John Okey and Miles Corbet Esq who were drawn on three several Hurdles from the Tower to Tyburn Col. Barkstead was first brought to the place of Execution and then Col. Okey and then Mr. M. Corbet who at a good distance of time one after another mounted a Cart which was prepared for them to stand in whilst they spake to the people Col. John Barkstead was the first that ascended the Cart And as soon as he was in he lifted up his eyes to Heaven and said Blessed be God and then immediatly one supposed to be of the Life-guard cryed out very loud He is almost dead if he be not quickly hanged he will be dead before therefore hang him hang him before he be quite dead See how he looks But being much spent he waved speaking to that And after he was tyed up finding the Rope very strait he would sit on the side of the Cart to rest himself but could not till the Rope was somewhat loosened After resting himself it was expected he would say something before the other Prisoners came which was at least half an hours distance The Sheriff therefore spake to him to this effect Sheriff You must not speak any thing in justification of such an horrid Offence for which you came hither to suffer To which Col. Barkstead replyed I cannot speak much Barkst by reason of the weakness of my body I desire to get as much refreshment as I can before I speak Then the Sheriff spake to Mr. Hastings Sheriff who was Under-Sheriff of the County of Middlesex Will not you dispatch one first of all To which the Under-Sheriff answered We use to hang all together Undersh Col. Barkstead then lifted up his eyes and hands to Heaven Then replyed the Sheriff Let it be according as it use to be Sheriff Execut. Then said the Executioner to Col. Barkstead You may be going on in your own prayers and lose no time Barkst I shall be but short and taking something out of a silver Box putting it into his mouth lifting up his eyes said I bless God I have a better Comforter than this Then being asked by some person of quality whether he were not sorry for what he had done He answered Sir I shall be sorry for whatever the Lord convinceth me to be a sin When the Lord sets home that upon my soul I shall express it unto God and man and truly that must be from him alone Mr. Th. Porter Then Mr. Thomas Porter spake to him I am sorry to see you there but you will be a happy man within this half hour Barkst I have I bless God an assurance through Jesus Christ that I shall be so but feeling the Cart stir under him as he did several times before and thereby the Rope pinched him he desired it might be eased Then Col. Okey was brought towards the Cart and when Col. Barkstead saw him he lifted up his eyes and hands Some of the Sheriffs Officers when Okey came to the Cart said of him That he was a lusty stout brave man as ever fought in England Sheriff Then said the Sheriff to Col. Okey I hope I need not give you this Caution that you make no justification of this horrid Offence not to justifie that Offence for which you are brought hither this day Okey To which Col. Okey made this reply Sir I must not lye for God much less for you I hope you will give me leave to speak what lies upon my conscience whether I am guilty or not guilty We will speak something of what lyes upon us Then Mr. Corbet being at the Cart ready to come up Col. Okey stooping down to help him up said Come brother Corbet how do you and clapping his hand upon his breast Okey said I thank God I have it here Then speaking to the Sheriff he said May I have my Hat on or stand bare Sheriff Which you please said the Sheriff you have your liberty for that Then Col. Okey addressed himself to speak to the People as followeth Colonel Okey's Speech GENTLEMEN THe Providence of God hath brought me to this place to pay that which every man oweth I shall not trouble you with what is superfluous which is to tell you of my Family which of all the Families in Israel was the least and I was the least of that Family It is not unknown to most here what troubles have been in this Nation and how eminently the hand of God did appear therein Among many others that were called forth to serve the King and Parliament as then the Cause was stated I was one which I did faithfully according to the best of my power and knowledge I here do bless God that I was called to that Work For I am perswaded in my heart that it was for the Glory of God and the good of his People however it was turned at last and if I had as many lives as I have hairs on my head I should have ventured them all in that Cause I have nothing upon me as to that and I thank God I am fully satisfied as to that Cause but I shall say no more to that but only this in general That as the Parents of him that was born blind being asked by the Pharisees how he came to his sight answered He is of Age let him speak for himself and so the Cause is sufficiently able to speak for it self But as to that vvhich I have been adjudged for and am come hither to give my Life for viz. the Death of the late King I shall only say thus much That I think most of you know that I vvas none of the Counsel within or without neither did I know any thing of the Tryal of the King or who vvere the Judges till I saw my Name inserted in a Paper and I did sit there but once or twice but for any malice to him I had no more than to my own soul but prayed for him to
the Fountain of Life now let it come flowing upon our poor souls that we may be presented before thee with exceeding Joy Lord let us hear that same joyful Sound Come ye blessed of my Father O though we be despised of men and some they reproach us ô but Lord forgive them and the Lord pardon them whosoever hath done us any wrong the Lord pardon them through Jesus Christ we beg it And blessed Father we pray thee let us hear this joyful sound Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you O there is a Crown of Life laid up for them that love the Lord. Thou knowest thy poor Worms desire to love thee ô dear Lord shed abroad thy Love in our hearts and though we be now dying yet we desire to love thy Name though thou art now correcting us yet we have cause to love thee and bless thee ô shed abroad thy Love in our poor souls O Lord we pray thee come and accept us and let our cry come and pierce the heavens ô Lord let us now be looking for and hastening to the glorious appearing of that blessed hope our Lord Jesus Christ. He that shall come will come and will not tarry Come quickly Lord. O that thy Servants could see thee as thy Servant Stephen in much-what such a condition as we are in he saw Jesus Christ standing at thy Right-hand Though we cannot look upon thee with our bodily eyes yet we desire to see thee with the eye of faith O we pray thee look down upon us and Lord strengthen our Faith and that our Faith may not fail O let us obtain the end of our Faith the salvation of our Souls And ô that thou wouldst strengthen us according to thy Glorious Power with all Patience in this hour O Lord though our hearts would faint and flesh faint ô Lord thou art the God of our strength come lay hold upon us lead us by thy Righteousness and let thy Everlasting Arms be under us O dear Lord let us taste of Love in this bitter Cup ô we pray thee let us see thee in Mercy do not correct us in thy Wrath. O we bow our knees to thee let not this Affliction be in thy Wrath We are under the wrath of men but Lord do thou forgive and let us be under thy Love and lay no more upon thy poor Worms than the strength that thou shalt now give us through Jesus Christ will enable us to bear and come and take us into those Mansions that our Lord Jesus Christ hath prepared Is it not thy promise to go and provide Mansions for us our fore-runner is gone to appear for us in Heaven now before the Throne of Grace O hear us now in him and dismiss us now with a blessing And the Lord blesse this Nation the Lord blesse the Government the Lord continue thy Truth keep the Gospel still in this Nation which hath been the glory of it O let thy poor People glorifie the Gospel in their lives 't is that we beg of thee for the Lord's sake and do thou prevent those heavy Judgements that hang over our heads Lord pardon those great Abominations that thine eyes do see that Prophanation of the Sabbath O the spirit of Prophaneness is broken out among us O we desire to be humbled and mourn for it Lord turn from thy Wrath and dear Father continue thy Gospel in the purity of it O the Lord forgive the sins of those that bear thy Name thy Wrath is kindled against us and therefore it is that thou dost rebuke us but we pray thee give thy People a Spirit of returning to thee and do thou heal our back-slidings and give us a Spirit of Love to Thee and to thy Truths and one to another and take away the Envy betwixt Ephraim and Judah Thou seest these bitter Contests we pray thee put a stop to them and let thy People be of one heart and one mind and let them minde the great things of Jesus Christ and those Truths that are after Godliness let those be more and more enquired after and imbraced by the People of these Nations and the Lord grant that those Superstitions and Idolatries that are a provocation in thy sight may not be brought into the Nation for thou art a jealous God and if we go that way thy Wrath will be kindled once more but Lord shew Mercy to England and do not take away the Gospel nor remove thy Golden Candlestick from the midst of us And the Lord bless the Government and the King thou hast set over us that which we beg of thee for him is That he may rule righteously and let him hate whom thou hatest and love those whom thou lovest And blesse the Ministers of the Word them that are faithful to thee Lord continue them in their Liberties and let not our Teachers be removed into corners blesse them that are faithful to thee and make them more faithful Being interrupted after a while he proceeded as followeth O Father we have many Suits to put up unto thee but we now commit our selves unto thee here we are Lord we will roul our souls upon thee and rest and wait for thy Salvation We pray thee accept of us forgive the sins of this duty O sprinkle the Blood of the Lord Jesus upon us and take us into thy Arms. Father of Mercy that comfortest us in all our Tribulations come and comfort us in this hour and do thou accept of us in Christ for through him we offer up ourselves our souls a sacrifice Father accept of us and our sacrifice c. The Conclusion was omitted because of a busling among the horses Then Col. Okey addressed himself to Prayer as followeth Colonel Okey's Prayer MOst Glorious most Holy Eternal and most blessed Lord God who art the glorious Creator and the blessed Maker of all things who art from Everlasting to Everlasting blessed for evermore Thou art worthy to be praised from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Thou art the mighty God that art cloathed with Glory and Honour and Majesty as with a garment and Thou art the Fountain of all that 's good and the Well-spring of Everlasting-life O Lord we are once more in thy glorious Presence the Lord hath been pleased to give us this opportunity that we may once more pour out our souls to thee in the Name of Jesus Christ before we go hence and be seen no more Now we pray Thee for the Lord Jesus sake as thou hast been pleased to put a price into our hands so O Lord we pray thee for Jesus Christs sake give us hearts to improve it O Lord we pray thee convince us in whose glorious presence we are and of the great work we are now about we are before Thee the Eternal and Unchangeable Lord who searchest the hearts and knowest our thoughts and Thou knowest with what intents we pour out our souls before Thee at this time
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 malâ—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 truâ—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