had a Limb for every Town in Christendom Mr. Ansley's Last Letter SIR I Now send you my last Farewel being going to lay down my Life with Joy and assurance of Life Eternal for which Blessed be the Holy one of Israel who never leavs nor forsakes those that put their trust in Him I give you many Thanks for your Kindness to me the Lord make it up to you by pouring upon you a Dayly Portion of his most holy Spirit and Deliver you from your Bonds My Eenmies have done what they could to Afflict this Body but Blessed be the most High who has given me Strength Patience and Courage to Endure all they can lay upon me The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Fellowship of his Holy Spirit attend you which is the Prayer of your Dying Friend but Living Brother in Christ Jesus Abraham Ansley From Taunton-Castle Sept. 21. 1685. A HYMN made by Mr. Joseph Tyler a little before His Execution O Lord how Glorious is thy Grace How wondrous large thy Love At such a dreadful Time and Place To such as Faithful prove If thou wilt have thy Glory henee Tho shameful Deaths we Dye We Bless Thee for thy Provedence To all ETERNITâ— Let the Spectators see thy Grace In thy poor Servants Shine Whilst we by Faith behold thy Face In that blest Son of Thine The Men our Bodies may abuse Christ take our Souls to Rest Till Thou bringest forth that Joyful News You are my Fathers Blest Appear for those that plead thy Cause Preserve them in thy Way We own King Jesus and his Laws And dare not but Obey Great God confound thy Cruel Foes Let Babylon come down Let Englands King be one of those Shall Raze Her to the Ground Though Christ we yield our Souls to Thee Accept us on his score That where he is there we may be And Praise the evermore Mr. Sampson Lark's Letter to a Friend just before his Execution MY Dear Friend I am ready to be Offered and the time of my Departure is at hand I have through Grace fought a good Fight have finished my course have kept the Faih and am in hopes of the Crown of Righteousness prepared for me and all Gods Faithful ones The experiences I have had of the promises hath given me comfortable hopes that he will carry me to the full end of my Journey with his Name and that Truth of his wich I have made Profession of My great Crime is for my being a Preacher of the Gospel and here I am to be made a Sacrafice where I have mostly Preached Christs Gospel I think my Judges have devised this punishment for my hurt but I trust God will turn it to my good the great trouble I have is for those good Hearts that I must leave behind me But this is my comfort knowing that all such as fear God he will be a Father to them My Dear Wife is greatly troubled but through Mercy much supported and something quieted if any of you have opportunity to give her help I hope you will do it as for our confessing our selves Guilty it was expresly as to matter of Fact and not of Form and this I did with some freedom and the rather because all my worthy Brethren that went before me took that way and the many ways having been used to have a further Discovery yet nothing of that kind by any but onely by Captain Jones Since our Sentence some wretched-men hath been with us to draw from us a Confession of our being Rebels that we might have their Absolution I Bless God he has hitherto helped me to be Faithful and I hope he will not leave me in the most needfull time I must Conclude being ready to be called away my Dear Love to all my Christian Friends and especially those in the Goal the Lord be with you all Amen Your Dying Friend in hopes of Eternal Life through Jesus Christ Amen Sampson Larke From the House of my Blessed Bondage in Dorcester Sept. 7th 1685. The Last Speech of the Lady Alicia Lisle GEntlemen Friends and Neighbours it may be expected that I should say something at my Death and in order thereununto I shall acquaint you that my Birth and Education was both near this place and that my Parents Instructed me in the Fear of God and I now dye of the Reformed Protestant Religion that if ever Popery should return into this Nation it would be a very great and severe Judgment that I dye in expectation of the Pardon of all my Sins and of acceptance with God the Father by the imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ he being the End of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believes I thank God through Jesus Christ that I do depart under the Blood of Sprinkling which speaketh better things then that of Abel God having made this Castisement an Ordinance to my Soul I did once as little expect to come to this place on this occasion as any Person in this place or Nation therefore let all learn not to be high Minded but fear The Lord is a Soveraign and will take what way he sees best to Glorifie himself in and by his poor Creatures and I do humbly desire to submit to his Will Praying to him That I may possess my Soul in Patience The Crime that was laid to my Charge was for entertaining an Non-conformist-Minister and others in my House the said Minister being Sworn to have been in the late Duke of Monmouths Army but I have been told that if I had denyed them it would not at all have effected me I have no excuse but surprize and fear which I believe my Jury must make use of to excuse their Verdict to the World. I have been also told That the Court did use to be of Counsel for the Prisoner but instead of Advice I had Evidence against me from thence which though it were only by hear say might possibly affect my Jury my defence being but such as might be expected from a weak Woman but such as it was I did not hear it Repeated again to the Jury which as I have been informed is usual in such cases However I forgive all the World and therein all those that have done me wrong and in particular I forgive Colonel Penrudduck although he told me that he could have Taken these men before they came to my House and I do likewise forgive him who desired to be taken away from the Grand Jury to the Petty Jury that he might be the more nearly concerned in my Death as to what may be objected in reference to my Conviction that I gave it under my hand that I had Discoursed with Nelthrope that could be no Evidence against me being after my Conviction and Sentence I do acknowledge His Majesty's Favour in Revoking my Sentence I pray God to preserve him that he may long Raign in Mercy as well as Justice and that he may Raign in Peace and that the Protestant
The Second and Last COLLECTION OF THE Dying Speeches LETTERS and PRAYERS c. Of those EMINENT Protestants Who Suffered in the WEST of ENGLAND And Elsewhere UNDER THE CRUEL SENTENCE Of the late Lord Chancellour THEN Lord Chief Justice JEFFERYS WITH An Account of their Undaunted Courage at the Barr and afterwards with the most remarkable Circumstances that attended their EXECUTION WITH ALLOWANCE LONDON Printed for John Dunton at the Black Raven in the Poultrey over against the Compter and are to be Sold by R. Janeway in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noster-row 1689. The Second and Last COLLECTION OF THE Dying Speeches LETTERS and PRAYERS c. OF Those Eminent Protestants who Suffered in the West of England and elsewhere A short Recollection of some Passages of Mr. William Jenkins who Suffered at Taunton Septemb. 30. 1685. A Friend discoursing to him at Dorchester about his Pardon and telling him the doubtfulness of obtaining it he replyed Well Death is the worst they can do and I bless God that will not surprize me for I hope my great work is done At Taunton being advised to govern the Airiness of his Temper telling him it made People apt to Censure him as Inconsiderate of his Condition to which he Answered Truly this is so much my natural temper that I cannot tell how to alter it but I bless God I have and do think seriously of my eternal Concerns I do not allow my self to be vain but I find Cause to be chearful for my Peace is made with God through Jesus Christ my Lord this is my only ground of Comfort and Chearfulness the security of my Interest in Christ for I expect nothing but Death and without this I am sure Death would be most dreadful but having the good hope of this I cannot be melancholly When he heard of the Triumphant Death of those that suffered at Lyme he said This is is a good incouragement to depend upon God Then speaking about the mangling of their Bodies he said Well the Resurrection will restore all with great advantage the 15th Chap. of the first of Corinthians is Comfort enough for all Believers Discoursing much of the certainty and felicity of the Resurrection at another time he said I will as I think I ought use all lawful means for the saving of my Life and then if God please to forgive my sins I hope I shall as chearfully embrace Death Upon the Design of attempting an Escape he said We use this means for the preserving of our Lives but if God is not with us in it it will not effect it it is our business first to seek to him for Direction and Success if he sees good with resigning our Lives to him and then his Will be done After the Disappointments when there was no Prospect of any other Opportunity he spake much of the Admirableness of God's Providence in those things that seem most against us bringing the greatest good out of them for said he We can see but a little way God is only wise in all his Disposals of us if we were left to chuse for our selves we should chuse our own Misery Afterwards Discoursing of the Vanity and Unsatisfyingness of all things in this World he said It is so in the enjoying we never find our Expectations answered by any thing in it and when Death comes it puts an end to all things we have been pursuing here Learning and Knowledge which are the best things in this World will then avail nothing nothing but an Interest in Christ is then of any worth One reading to some of his Fellow-prisoners Jer. 42. 12. I will shew mercy unto you that he may have mercy upon you and cause you to return to your own Land he said Yes we shall but not in this World I am perswaded September the 29th at Night after he heard he must Dye the next Morning he was exceedingly Composed and Chearful expressing his satisfaction in the Will of God The next Morning he was still more spiritual and chearful discovering a very sweet serenity of Mind in all that he said and did Whilst he was waiting for the Sheriff reading the Scriptures Meditating and Conversing with those about him of Divine things amongst other things he said I have heard much of the Glory of Heaven but I am now going to behold it and to understand what it is Being desired to Disguise himself to attempt an Escape he said No I cannot tell how to disturb my self about it and methinks it is not my business now I have other things to take up my thoughts if God saw good to deliver me he would open some other door but seeing he has not it is more for the honour of his Name we should dye and so be it One saying to him that most of the Apostles dyed a violent Death he replyed Nay a greater than the Apostles our Lord himself dyed not only a shameful but a painful Death He further said This manner of Death hath been the most terrible thing in the World to my thoughts but I bless God now I am neither afraid nor ashamed to dye He said The parting with my Friends and their grief for me is my greatest difficulty but it will be but for a very short time and we shall meet again in endless Joys where my dear Father is already enter'd him shall I presently joyfully meet Then musing with himself a while he with an extraordinary seriousness sung these two Verses of one of Herbert's Poems Death is still working like a Mole Digging my Grave at each remove Let Grace work so on my Soul Drop from above Oh come for thou dost know the way Or if to me thou wilt not move Remove me where I need not say Drop from above He then read the 53d of Isaiah and said he had heard many blessed Sermons from that Chapter especially from the 16 th Verse All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way but the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all seeming to intimate some Impress made on his Soul from them but was interrupted then he said Christ is all When the Sheriff came he had the same chearfulness and serenity of Mind in taking leave of his Friends and in the Sledge which seemed to increase to the last as those present have affirmed joyning in Prayer and in singing a Psalm with great appearance of Comfort and Joy in his Countenance insomuch that some of his Enemies that had before Censured his chearfulness for unthoughtfulness of his Danger and therefore expected to see him much surprized now professed they were greatly Astonish'd to see such a Young Man leave the World and go through Death as he did The last Words of Coll. Richard Rumball with remarks of what past at his Tryal in Edinburgh Jan. 26. 1685. ABout Eleven of the Clock he was brought from the Castle to the Justices Court in a great Chair upon a Man's Back where at first
Religion may flourish under him I also return thanks to God and the Reverend Clergy that assisted me in my Imprisonment ALICIA LISLE A Letter Writ by Mr. John Hicks Oct. 5. the Day before his Death My Dear Nephew I Am yet in the Land of the Living though in the Mouth of Death I having been concern'd for you next to my own Children before I die I thought fit to write two or three Lines to you as a Manifestation of my great Love to you I earnestly desire the Welfare of you here and to Eternity hereafter next to my own Wife and Children you will want me when I am gone but I hope the Lord will take care of you make it your business to walk with him to serve him faithfully flee youthful Lusts and Remember your Creatour in the Days of your Youth be deeply concern'd to have your Heart and Nature chang'd and an interest in Christ secur'd unto you Death comes suddenly you know not when where nor how you shall die Let time therefore be most precious to you fill it up with Work and Duty Live by Faith more than by Sense and this will stand by you when you come to die Seek the things which are above and set your Affections upon them have your Conversation in Heaven whilst you are upon Earth When you see your Parents give my dear Love to them and their Children the Lord grant that we may meet in his Everlasting Kingdom When you see any of your Cousins give my dear Love to them and be not asham'd of my Sufferings I wrote last Saturday was a Seven-Night to my Brother George but whether he is at London or Worcester I know not I wrote to him to desire him to Petition the King that some Favour and Mercy might be shewed me if he thought fit Things that are made to aggravate my Crime I am clear from as that I perswaded the Duke of M. to assume the Title of King at Taunton when I was not there with him nor in 13 days after he came into England and that I rode too and fro in the West to perswade People to go into his Army when I was in the East and came from thence to him in the West but my Nonconformity cuts me and obstructs the Kings Mercy from being Extended to me as I am told but the Will of the Lord be done the Life to come is infinitely better than this Many more things are laid to my charge which I am no more guilty of than your self If your Uncle be in Town go speedily to him and give him my Dear Love I Pray for you who am Your most Affectionate Vncle J. H. Octob. 5. 1684. A Letter to his Wife Sept. 23. 1684. My Dearest Love I Hope you received a few Lines from me by the way of London once more I write to you by our faithful and trusty Friend W. D. who hath been at Exon. If there be need for it he knows many of my Dear and Faithful Friends there who wish you would come and live among them and if your Estate fail I think it very adviseable so to do I hope God will stand by you and defend you My Dear see me in God as I must you I must now bid adieu unto all Earthly and Worldly Comforts and all the Pleasant and Delightful Objects of Sence I bless God for all present Mercies and Comforts hitherto I have had what will be after this day I know not but the Will of the Lord be done My Dear be very cautious not to speak one Word least it be wrested to wrong Sence which may ruine you I have not writ what I would of this Nature take the Advice of Friends and of what I send by our Friend O let not the Everlasting Arms of God be with-drawn from you one Moment and let him strengthen you with all Might according to his Glorious Power and to all Patience and Long-Suffering with Joyfulness Pray hard for Victory over Passion and be much in private Closet-Prayer with God and often read the Holy Bible and other good Books the Lord continually guide direct and counsel you My dear I return you a thousand thanks for all the Love you have shew'd me and my Children and particularly for the high and great Demonstration you have given thereof in this day of my distress I hope my Daughters will be as dutiful to you and be as much concern'd for your comfort and welfare as if you had travelled with them and brought them into the World God bless my Dear Little-Ones and them together I shall dye their most Affectionate and Praying Father God I hope will uphold support and comfort me at the last hour and enable me to overcome the Temptations I shall violently be assaulted with before I Die God by his Infinite and freest Mercies in Christ Jesus Pardon all the neglect of Relative Duties which I have bitterly lamented and bewail'd before God with all the Sins I am guilty of for the sake of our Dearest Lord and Redeemer the Lord make you grow in all Grace more than ever and make this great Affliction so humbly Purifying and Spiritualizing to you as well as me that it may work for us both a far more Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory let him take your Soul into his most dearest Embraces and lodge it in the Bosom of his Love here and make us to meet in the full and Everlasting Fruition and Enjoyment of him hereafter though it is dangerous for you to vindicate that I die for yet be not too much cast down for it I will say no more as to that My hearty and affectionate Respects to all my Dear Friends I need not name them I hope to meet them with your self to inherit Eternal Life through the Merits of Christ's Death Farewel my Dear farewel in the Lord until we meet to be Marry'd to him for ever my Heart is as full of Love tâ—…e as it was the first day I Marry'd thee and if God sparâ—…ife it should have been as fully manifested until Death therefore I rest Your most Affectionate and Endeared Husband J. H. Sept. 23. 1684. Another Letter My Dearest Love I Received your Letter by Mr. Skinner I Bless God that you and my Babes are well the Lord continue their Lives to be a Blessing and Comfort to you and enable you to see them well Educated in the Fear of God and when God takes me away let him be a Husband to guide direct succour comfort and support you and to lodge your Soul in the Bosom of his Love and let him be a Father to them and their Portion for ever Monday last my Brother went to London to try what could be done for me what the success will be I know not I desire the Lord every day to prepare me for Death and carry me above the Fear of it by the discoveries of his everlasting love unto my Soul and clearing up my Right and Title to
everlasting Life and by Sealing up to me the Pardon of all my Sins through the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ Let us Pray hard and much for each other when I leave this World it shall be with Prayer for thee if God give me life how shall I study to be a comfort to thee and to live up to my Marriage as well as Baptismal Covenant to all my Friends Tender my most affectionate Respects I hope their Prayers will one way or other be heard for me let the Almighty be your Protector Supporter and Comforter There be two Books I do recommend to you to read when you are retir'd as well as in your family Pierces Preparation for Death and Foxes Redemption of Time Now let our Souls meet together in one most Blessed God in our Dearest Jesus and sweetest Saviour let them clasp and cling about him and be Sick for the love of him and that we may meet to enjoy him fully to Eternity and be satisfied with his Love for ever a thousand Loves if I had them I would send to thee next to my and 〈…〉 Jesus and the things that are Heavenly Spiritual and 〈…〉 I love thee what I can spare for thee is convey'd to thee and my Dear Children from Thy most Affectionate and Faithful Husband and their most loving Father J. H. Another Letter My most Dear Love I Hope you have received my last once more as a dead and living man through difficulty I write to you though I yet do not know when nor where I shall dye but expect Death every day when that Message is brought to me I hope through the Grace and Strength of Christ it will be no surprize to me that neither my Lips Flesh nor Heart will tremble when I hear it I know the cause for which I Suffer God hath and has singled me out from many of my Brethren which I never have been without some apprehensions of for above these 20 years to lay down my Life how far it is for his cause will be judged at the last day I bless God who hath kept me from all Temptations to Conformity though it has brought me to Ruine and Destruction in this World it will be no fit Season for you to Vindicate that for which I am call'd to suffer be silent and leave it to God I advise to all Prudence in this case have your own reserv'd thoughts and let them concerning me support and comfort you if there never happen a time for you to Glory in my Sufferings it will be hereafter do you but walk with God though through Prudence you must hold your Tongue and be not asham'd you had such a Husband I thank God that gave it me whose Courage and Publick Spirit for the Protestant Religion the Civil Liberties of his Country even true English Liberties hath in this Ignominious way brought me to the Conclusion and End of my time Mourn not my Dear as one without Hope let the World know you have something from me something from your self as a Christian but ten thousand times more from God to comfort and support you see Christ by an Eye of Faith infinitely more lovely and beautiful than my self let him be Married to your Soul let him be the chiefest of ten thousand and more dear and precious to you it is not long we shall be separated before we shall see one another in a Spiritual Enjoyment separated from all Fleshly Pleasures and Delights yet infinitely more sweet satisfying to Immortal Spirits as you and I us'd to see Streams from the Fountaint and the largest Streams in the Ocean so let us see one another in God the Ever-flowing and Over-flowing Fountain of all Good the fathomless and boundless Ocean of Good seek much the things which are above live with your Affections set upon them and have your Conversation in Heaven whilst you are upon Earth I continue yet to Pray for you as for my self and shall continue to do it until I dye in my last Prayers you shall be Interested with my Dear Babes whom I hope God will take into Covenant with him and number them among his Adopted Ones and of that Incorruptible Inheritance which is in Heaven I hope God will spare your Life to see them Educated and guide and assist you therein and theirs to be a Blessing and Comfort to you consider your Condition is not single and alone this Countrey affords a multitude of the like sad and deplorable Instances let this make you more to possess your Soul with Patience and Humility calmly and quietly to submit to the good Will of God I have left a Paper behind me for you to Read and our Friend can tell with what difficulty I Writ it therefore must have many Defects and Imperfections which must be over-look'd and mended preserve the two Bibles for my Dear James and Betty What shall I say more my Dearest I must break off with my Heart full of Love to thee and Subscribe my self Thy most Dear and Affectionate Husband till Death J. H. Octob. 3d. 1684. Mr. Josias Askew's Letter to his Father Honoured Father I Not having an Opportunity to make my Gratitude known to you for all your Endeavours for the saving a poor vain perishing and troublesome Life and seeing it is all in vain I would desire you both to acquiesce in the Will of God and rejoyce with me for this happy Day of my Departure from this State of Pilgrimage home to the Possession of those Heavenly Mansions which my God and Father hath provided for me in and thorough my Lord Jesus Christ It is in him alone I put my Trust and Confidence and therefore can boldly say Who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again and is set down at the Right Hand of God making Intercession for all those that have a well-grounded Confidence in him My time is but short and by reason of Company I am disturbed therefore I conclude with my last Breath beging of God that he would keep you constant in his Fear in this day of great Temptation and at last receive you to his Glory where we shall once more Unite in Praising without Interruption or Distraction World without End Amen Until which time the Grace of God the Father the Love of God the Son the comfortable Refreshings of God the Holy Ghost be with you all yours and the whole Israel of God both now and for ever Which is the Hearty Prayer of your Son Josias Askew Pray Remember me to all with Joy. Another Letter to his Friend MADAM YOU have been a Partaker with me in my Troubles I would also make you a Partaker with me in my Joys seeing my Wedding Day is come the Day of the Bridegroom is at Hand and I am this Day to be stript of my Rags of Corruption to be Cloathed upon with the White Robe of his Righteousness and Purity and to be Married to my Husband