the transgressions of the remnant of thy people for thine own names sake Lord it is thy covenant that thou wilt put thy spirit into our hearts and erect thy law in our inward parts and our sins and transgressions thou wilt remember no more Blessed be the Lord for the Lord Jesus Christ for had it not been for a Christ we were undone forever Blessed be our Lord that hath written our names in heaven and given us a portion in Christ in whom we have believed and trusted We humbly beg of thee the pardon of all our personal and family guilt the sins of our publique imployments which thou knowest we have not willingly committed though it may be through infirmity and temptation and the sins of our nature Lord we humbly pray thee let us see our selves justified in the blood of our Lord Jesus that we may say with the Apostle Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth us it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again for our justification He is risen that he might be our advocate intercessor and mediator He is filled with all the fulness of the Godhead to distribute to us according to our need Thou hast promised by the Apostle that God shall supply all our wants according to the riches of his own grace Lord thou wilt have the passover eaten with sowre hearbs and Lord we are contented but Lord thou hast provided sweet Wine for us and hast thou not kept the best Wine and the best of thy divine comforts until now til now to carry us over this bridge and passage from earth to heaven sanctifie this our passage for it is best to have the crosse with the crown they goe together and are inseparable therefore saith our Lord they that wil suffer with me shal also raign with me Deare Lord we pray thee give us a full experience and let thy holy Spirit witness to our souls that we are the children of God and reconciled to thee in the covenant and that we shal through thy Son be glorified with thee Strengthen our faith that we may be purged washed and cleansed and for our justification sanctification and acceptation with the Father Glorious lord we desire to leave our requests with thee on the behalfe of this poor people as the last request we have to beg of thee on this side heaven if there be any here not belonging to Christ and not friends to him Lord convert them and shew them their own undone and miserable estate and give them the pardon of a dying Saviour thy poor servants would not part with a Christ for ten thousand lives Lord make Christ precious to their immortal souls Lord convince them of the evil of their sins and the evil of their own ways and break them off from them and cause them to close with Jesus Christ Thou hast promised that those that come unto him thou wilt not cast off Remember all thy people and help them to persevere in thy grace and love and make them able to hold fast the truth till thou come and to quit themselves like men to stand fast in the faith Blessed Lord we humbly pray thee to have mercy upon that great City the place from whence we came When thou resolvedst to destroy Sodom thy servant Abraham expostulated with thee and thou saidst if there were but ten righteous thou wouldst save it but Lord there are many tens of righteous ones in that City It hath been a place where thou hast been glorified and where many godly Ministers have been encouraged O Lord let it goe wel therefore with that great City and let thy Gospel have free passage in the publique worship of it Bless the government and governours thereof and make them instruments to thy glorious praise We pray thee have respect to the chief Magistrates that are come here by command to see execution done Oh Lord we beg mercy for their soules O that Christ would evidence himself more to their soules and that we might meet in Heaven together and be imbraced in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ And him that shal be the Executioner must now wash his hands in our blood doe thou wash his soul in the blood of Jesus Christ O lord we pray thee that thou wouldest have pitty upon his soul and let him know what it is to be washed in the blood of Christ that fountain set open for him and for uncleanness Blessed Lord help us thy poor creatures with strength for we have no strength of our own Thy word saith that death is the King of terrours but blessed be thy Name thou hast taken the sting out of it and the poyson from it and therefore as faith the Apostle Oh death then where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victory Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ that hath given us the victory Thou hast said by the Apostle We have the sentence of death in our selves and therefore should not trust in our selves but believe in Christ that raiseth the dead Lord we will not trust in our selves but in the living God Oh my God that art the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob strengthen and support our poor souls Stephen when he was stoned to death saw the Heavens opened and the glory of the Father and of his throne Shall we but see the Face of Jesus Christ bearing up our hearts under all and we shall go through Thou hast promised that thou wilt never never never leave us nor forsake us Thou hast said Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Come life come death or what can separate a believer from Jesus Christ let thy Angels come downe we are perswaded that the Angels are ready to receive our soules and to carry them into thy bosome and into the company of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and of the blessed Apostles and Martyrs and witnesses of Jesus and just men made perfect in thy Kingdome Blessed lord thou art our support and comfort support us with the cordials of thy love Blessed lord before we make an end of praying O thou father of mercies and God of all consolation we beg one request for the chief Magistrate of this Nation That thou wouldest give him a glorious Christ into his poor soul and magnifie thy grace towards him that he may become a friend unto Christ and a friend to the people of Christ and raigne in righteousnesse and may be a terrour to evill doers and a praise to them that doe wel that he may cast away iniquity with his eye rule for God before whom he and all others must render an account in the day of judgement Lord hear us for him And blessed lord doe the like for all that had any uncharitableness towards us we would have none towards them but we beg their souls might live in thy presence make them to see their sins and let them receive
to sinne it is beter to die then to sinne nothing could grive our Saviour but sinne and therefore have a care of that you and I must meet one day at the bar of Christ the Son of God shal be our Judge for God hath committed all judgement to the Son that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father This day is a resemblance of that day therefore be serious beg as much good to your immortal souls as I expect to enjoy by and by I beseech you beg of God that he would save your soules and omit no opportunity through the strength of the Lord to believe and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ be sure to labour after assurance of your interest in him or else you wil be of all men most miserable for I of all men were most miserable if I had not believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Blessed be the Lord that brings me into this state let the way or means be what it wil it is Gods soveraignty who made these creatures so to dispose of them how he pleaseth and God hath ordeined this death for me from all eternity The Lord Christ often prayed thy will be done this is the Lords wil. He hath numbred my daies and my times are in his hand Many seek the Rulers favor but every on s judgement is from the Lord. When Pilat said unto Christ Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee Christ answered him thou couldest have no power against me except it were given thee from aboue Therefore I acknowledge the righteous hand of God he is righteous but I am sinful Therefore will I beare Gods indignation because I have sinned against him It is said of Jesus Christ that for the joy set before him he endured the cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of God where I hope to see him by and by in glory and Majesty and to see his Angels and believers worshipping of him and therefore I despise the shame Our Saviour died upon the cross without sinne I am a sinful creature a wretched sinner and shall I expect better then he that was my master he who was holy and never had a sinful thought in all his life and died not for himselfe but for us that we might live through his death that through his poverty we might to made rich And Christ having done this for his people it should not be in their eyes thought a despicable thing that we should suffer for him having been engaged in the work of God But Christ must prevail in righteousness and he wil prevaile Now Mr. Sheriffe I thank you for your civillity and for this leave After this Col. Hacker spoke something privately to him whereupon Col. Axtel said Mr. Shieriffe must we both die together Mr. Shieriffe answered Yes Then Col. Hacker read a paper which he had in his hand a coppy whereof followeth FRiends Country-men all that have known me in my best estate have not known me to have been a man of Oratory and that God hath not given me the gift of utterance as to others therefore I have onely this briefly to say unto you that are spectators As the Parliament stated the war I did out of judgment and conscience joyn with them in the common cause and have through grace been faithfull to it according to my measure And as for that which now I am condemned for I do freely forgive both Judges Jury and Witnesses and all others And I thank the Lord to whom I am now going at whose tribunall I must render an account I have nothing lies upon my conseience as guilt whereof I am now condemned and doe not doubt but to have the sentence reverst I doe now apply my selfe unto God by prayer and doe desire the hearty prayers of all that fear God that I may have a sweet passage from this mortall life to that immortal life which God hath prepared for all that are in Christ Jesus Francis Hacker After the reading of this he desired that Col. Axtell would be both their mouths to God in prayer And then Col. Axtell said I desire all that fear the Lord to hear me with patience and to lift up their hearts to seek the Lord with me that we may have his strength and the presence of his spirit from this world to everlasting life And with a wonderful composed frame of spirit and with an audible voice entred upon the following duty wherein the Lord helped him with excellent expressions suitable to both their conditions The prayer followeth OH blessed Lord the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who art the great God of heaven and earth heaven is thy throne and the earth thy foolstool thou upholdest all things with and by the word of thy power The issues of life and death are in thy hand oh God Blessed Lord we pray thee let us have communion with thy selfe and the glory of thy face let the shining rayes of Christ shine continually upon our souls Lord let there be no interruption between the brightness of thy glory and our souls til we come into the fulness of the possession of it Blessed Lord we desire to take shame before thee and this multitude for all our iniquities and transgressions we were born and came great sinners into the world the root of bitterness was in us that flowed from that bitter fountain Adam but thou O Lord hast been pleased to send the second Adam that as by the sinne of one man death entred into the world so by the obedience and righteousness of one Jesus Christ many should be made righteous Blessed Lord thou knowest all our original guilt all upon our hearts and upon our consciences all our personal defilements and transgressions we pray thee Lord wash them all away in the blood of Jesus Christ Lord we have nothing of our own to rely upon but a Christ for all our goodness and righteousness is but as polluted rags and menstruous cloaths Therefore O Lord thou hast said by the workes of the Law no man shall be justified but by the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus Therefore oh Lord hold out the covenant of grace to poor believers and make Jesus Christ the Mediator of the covenant to perform Gods part to us and our part towards God Oh lord in thee are all our spring thou art the fountain of all grace let us have mercy and pardon from thee Lord it is by grace that any here are saved Thou shouldst be a righteous God if thou shouldest not only suffer us to lye under the condemnation of man but to exclude us from heaven and glory for ever But Lord if thou shouldst be strict to mark iniquity who should stand in thy presence but there is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared Lord thou hast said Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity and passing by
notice that God gives me power to receive this with thanksgiving and he helped the Sarjeant to put on the rope Then a friend came weeping to him to take her leave of him he said hinder me not for I am going about a work for my master Then looking about him said Sirs It s easie to follow God when he makes a hedge about us and makes liberall provision for us but its hard for most to follow him in such a dispensation as this and yet my Lord and Master is as sweet and glorious to me now as he was in the time of my greatest prosperity He also said this I can say for my self That according to the light that God hath given me I have served him and my Countrey with integrity and uprightnesse of heart not willingly nor wittingly wronging any But this have I done with much infirmity and weaknesse One telling him that he did not know how to understand the mind of God in such a dispensation as this He said wait upon the Lord for you know not what the Lord is leading to and what the end of the Lord will be After this addressing himself to a Gentleman he said I dare not nor cannot be a pleaser of men a friend answered it appeared so by your declining Cromwell's Interest which words he assented to and further said the manner of my speaking before the Court may seem strange to some but my Design was not to approve my self before Men but God and what I said was according to my conscience And as the Rope was tying on he repeated Isaac's words to Abraham Father here is the wood but where is the Sacrifice and also said if the Lord see good he can provide another sacrifice he can deliver those that are appointed to die but his will be done Death is not terrible to me yea it is no more to me then a Rush I have learnt to die long ago And was often heard to say concerning the Lord's dispensation to him and his people Shall not the Lord do with his own what it pleaseth him And so parting with his Friend went down stairs to the Sledge and askt which my must I sit for I am not acquainted with this Good is the Lord in all his waies Then he was carried away in the Sledge having a sweet smiling Countenance with his eyes and hands lifted up to Heaven his countenance never changing in all the way as he went to he place of Execution but was mighty cheerful to the astonishment of many He called several times in the way and spoke aloud I go to suffer upon the account of the most glorious Cause that ever was in the world As he was going to suffer one in a Derision called to him and said Where is your Good Old Cause He with a cheerful smile clapt his hand on his Brest and said Here it is and I am going to seal it with my bloud And when he came to the sight of the Gallows he was transported with joy and his servant askt him how he did he answered never better in my life his servant told him Sir there is a Crown of glory ready prepared for you Oh yes said he I see it when he was taken off the Sledge the Hangman desired him to forgive him I doe forgive thee said he with all my Heart as it is a sin against me and told him he wish't him all happinesse And further said alas poor man thou dost it ignorantly the Lord grant that this sin may not be laid to thy charge and putting his hand into his pocket gave him all the money he had and so parting with his Servant hugging of him in his arms and went up the Ladder with an undaunted countenance M. Gen. Harrison's Speech upon the Ladder Gentlemen I did not expect to have spoken a word to you at this time but seeing there is silence commanded I will speak something of the work God had in hand in our dayes Many of you have bean Witnesses of the Finger of God that hath been seen amongst us of late years in the deliverance of his people from their Oppressors and in bringing to Judgement those that were guilty of the precious bloud of the dear servants of the Lord And how God did witness thereto by many wonderful and evident testimonies as it were immediatly from Heaven insomuch that many of our Enemies who were persons of no mean quality were forc'd to confess That God was with us And if God did but stand newter they should not value us And therefore seeing the Finger of God hath been pleading this Cause I shall not need to speak much to it In which work I with others were engaged for the which I do from my soul blesse the name of God who out of the exceeding riches of his grace accounted me worthy to be instrumentall in so glorious a work and though I am wrongfully charged with murder and bloudshed yet I must tell you I have kept a good conscience both towards God and towards man I never had malice against any man neither did I act malitiously towards any person but as I Judged them to be Enemies to God and his people And the Lord is my witnesse that I have done what I did out of the sincerity of my heart to the Lord I blesse God I have no Guilt upon my conscience but the spirit of God beareth witnesse that my Actions are acceptable to the Lord through Jesus Christ though I have been compassed about with manifold Infirmities Failings and Imperfections in my Holiest duties but in this I have comfort and consolation that I have pace with God and do see all my sins wash't away in the blood of my dear Saviour And I doe declare as before the Lord that I would not be guilty wittingly nor willingly of the blood of the meanest son no not for ten thousand Worlds much lesse of the blood of such as I am charged with I have again and again besought the Lord with Tears to make known his will and mind unto we concerning it and to this day he hath rather confirmed me in the justice of it and therefore I leave it to him and to him I commit my wayes but some that were eminent in the work did wickedly turn aside themselves and to set up their Nests on High which caused great dishonour to the name of God and the profession they had made And the Lord knows I could have suffered more then this rather then have fallen in with them in that iniquity though I was offered what I would if I would have joyned with them my Aime in all my proceedings was the glory of God and the good of his people and the wellfare of the whole Commonwealth The people observing him to tremble in his hands and leggs he taking notice of it said Gentlemen By reason of some scoffing that I do hear I Judge that some do think I am afraid to dye by the shaking I have in
my hands and knees I tell you no but it is by reason of much blood I have loâ—t in the Wars and many wounds I have recceived in my body which caused this shaking and weaknesse in my Nerves I have had it this twelve year I speak this to the praise and glory of God he hath carryed me above the fear of death and I value not my life because I go to my Father and am assured I shall take it up again Gentlemen Take notice that for being instrumentall in that cause and interest of the son of God which hath been pleaded amongst us and which God hath witnessed to by Appeals and VVonderfull Victories I am brought to this place to suffer death this day and if I had ten thousand lives I could freely and cheerfully lay them down all to witnesse to this matter Oh what am I poor worm that I should be accounted worthy to suffer any thing for the sake of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I have gone joyfully and willingly many a time to lay down my life upon the account of Christ but never with so much joy and freedome as at this time I do not lay down my life by constraint but willingly for if I had been minded to have run away I might have had many opportunities but being so clear in the thing I durst not turn my back nor step a foot out of the way by reason I had been engaged in the service of so glorious and great a God however men presume to call it by hard Names Yet I believe ere it be long the Lord will make it known from Heaven that there was more of God in it then men are now aware of All the Gods of the Nations are but Idols they have Eyes but see not and Mouths but speak not and cannot save those that trust in them But my God is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords before whom all you here and all Nations are but as a drop of a Bucket And he will never leave those that truly trust in him unto whose Glory I shall surely go and shall sit on the right hand of Christ in Heaven it may be to Judge those that have Unjustly Judged me Matth. 25.33 34. 1 Cor. 6.2 The Sheriffe minding him of the shortnesse of time it he had any thing to say to the people he might He said I do desire as from my own soul that they and every one may fear the Lord that they may consider their latter end and so it may be well with them and even for the worst of those that have been most malitious againâ—t me from my soul I would forgive them all so far as any thing concerns me and so far as it concerns the cause and glory of God I leave it for him to plead and as for the cause of God I am willing to justifie it by my sufferings according to the good pleasure of his will I have been this morning before I came hither so hurried up and down Stairs the meaning whereof I knew not that my spirits are almost spent therefore you may not expect much from me Oh the greatnesse of the love of God to such a poor vile and nothing creature as I am what am I that Jesus Christ should shed his hearts Bloud for me that I might be happy to all Eternity that I might be made a son of God and an heir of Heaven Oh that Christ should undergo so great sufferings and reproaches for me and should not I be willing to lay down my life and suffer reproaches for him that hath so loved me Blessed be the Name of God that I have a life to lose upon so glorious and so honourable an account then praying to himself with tears and having ended the Hang-man pull'd down his Cap but he thrust it up again saying I have one word more to the Lords people that desire to serue him with an upright heart Let them not think hardly of any of the good wayes of God for all this for I have been near this seven years a suffering person and have found the way of God to be a perfect way his Word a tried Word a Buckler to them that trust in him and will make known his glorious Arm in the sight of all Nations And though we may suffer hard things yet he hath a gracious end and will make for his own glory and the good end of his people therefore be cheerfull in the Lord your God hold fast that which you have and be not afraid of suffering for God will make hard and bitter things sweet and easie to all those that trust in him keep close to the good Confession you have made of Jesus Christ and look to the recompence of reward be not discouraged by reason of the cloud that now is upon you for the Son will shine and God will give a testimony unto what he hath been a doing in a short time And now I desire to commit my Concernments into the hands of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he that hath delivered himself for the chief of sinners he that came into the world was made flesh and was crucified that hath loved me and washed me from my sins in his own bloud and is risen again sitting at the right Hand of God making intercession for me And as for me Oh who am I poor base vile worm that God should deal thus by me for this will make me come the sooner into his glory and to inherit the Kingdome and that Crown prepared for me Oh I have served a good Lord and Master which hath helped me from my beginning to this day and hath carried me through many difficulties trialls straits and temptations and hath alwayes been a very present help in time of trouble he hath covered my head many times in the day of Battle By God I have leaped over a Wall by God I have run'd through a Troop and by my God I will go through this death and he will make it easie to me Now into thy Hands O Lord Jesus I commit my spirit Some Occasionall Speeches and Memorable passages before Execution of Mr. John Carew WHen the first tidings of the Adversaries intentions to seize and apprehend him being then in Cornwall came to his knowledge he uttered these words or to this effect That he had committed both his life and estate to the Lord to save or destroy as he thought meet and therefore he would not by any means go out of the way though provoked thereunto by several Friends After he was seized upon in the Countrey and coming up to London he had a gratious presence of the Lord with him sweetly supporting him in the sense of the love of Christ to his soul and being perswaded that the cause of his suffering from man was such as he had no cause to be ashamed of otherwise the many reproaches and hard usage in the way to London had been sufficient to have troubled his
so to them and theirs Blessed be thy name that thou hast brought thy poor own hither to suffer in thy cause And O Lord let thy spirit be powred forth upon the Nations until the whole Earth be filled with the knowledge of thy Glory And that Christ Jesus may have all the Honour and Praise and Glory and Dominion for Ever and Ever Amen I am so exceeding Dry that my Tongue is ready to stick to my Mouth But I would fain speak a little more Oh blessed be God! oh how many are the Refreshments I have had from the presence of my God and Father sweet and secret Communion betw'xt him and my soul to day And for that my soul hath seen of his Riches and Kindnesse O that I might be more like Christ for I have been very unlike to Jesus Christ very unlike to my Father But I shall leave all that is unlike Christ behind And all his own Work manship he will purifie and perfect through this passage into Glory O my Dear Father receive my soul O! make this passage sweet for now I am coming to thee Lord Help Lord Spirit me fill me with thy Spirit let me be ever with thee let me know what it is to have thee at my Right Hand that I may not be moved that in my soul going out of the Flesh I may be let into the presence of God and into the Arm of Jesus Christ Oh! That my soul may be breathed forth into the Arms of God into the Bosome of Jesus Christ through the Anointing of the Spirit A Friend that stood by said it is expected you should speak something to the matter of your suffering The under Sheriff said 't is not to be suffered What are you that you put on men to speak What are you Sir Mr. Carew said Farewell my dear Friends Farewell the Lord keep you faithfull The Friend said we part with you with much Joy in our Souls Mr. Carew said to the Executioner stay a while I will speak one word and then said very solemnly and with a loud voyce Lord Jesus receive my Soul Lord Jesus into thy Armes I Commend my Spirit And so fell a Asleep Some occasionall Speeches and Memorable passages of Mr. Justice Cooke during his Imprisonment in the Tower and Newgate With his Speeches and prayer upon the Ladder HIS Wife coming to visit him in the Tower of London but not having Admittance to him he saw her forth of his Window and said to home to thy Friends my Dear Lamb I am well Blessed be God they cannot keep the Comforter from me His wife asking the Gentleman Jaylor to see him another time He answered she might see him suddenly in Newgate her Husband hearing of this said If the way to the new Jerusalem be thorough Newgate blessed be God for Newgate the King of Glory will set open his Everlasting Gates to receive me shortly and then I shall for ever be with the Lord. A Note sent by him from the Tower My D. L. chear-up Heaven will make amends for all blessed be God I am full of spiritual Joy and do must God to make what bargain for me he pleaseth for he knoweth the appointed time of my Composition and Dissolution let us look to Jesus Heb. 12. After Mr. Cooke was brought to Newgate discoursing with some Friends there he said I am now going to my Tryal wherein the Lord strengthen me If I be attainted yet my Estate in Ireland is not thereby Forfeited without an Act of Parliament to that purpose and indeed it is much set upon my heart that if my small Estate be taken away from my poor Wife and Child it will prove as poyson to those that enjoy it and Consumptive to the rest of their great Estates for I blesse God I never Acted Malitiously or Covetously but in a spirit of Simplicity and Integrity however the good will of the Lord be done I commit and commend my Dear Loving and Faithful Wife and Child to their blessed Husband and Father with three scriptures especially for their portion The Widdows cruse and barrel of meal 1 King 17. Isa 54. ver 5. to 10. Jer 49.11 Earnestly desiring that my Child may be Religioussy Educated in the fear of the Lord. Thus if God hath appointed it I shall go from the Cross to the Crown Speaking to some in prison for the clearing of himself from false Aspertions said whereas some say I have done them wrong they do much wrong me in so saying I have relieved many so far as by law I could knowing that the worst of men ought to have Justice I blesse God I durst not wrong any man for I know that I shall meet them at the last day before the Bar of Christs Judgement where I can with boldnesse look all men in the Face as to matter of Justice for which I have great cause to blesse the Lord Holy be his Name Some in the prison speaking of the Differences in Religion Mr. Peters said pray talk not of controversies now we have but a little time to live and cannot spend it in such discourses Whereupon Mr. Cooke said Blessed be God brother Peters we are going to Heaven where the Saints are all of one mind which my soul hath long desired to see it rejoyceth my heart to think what a perfect happinesse I shall have there the best condition here is but mixed but in Heaven there is no sorrow nor trouble neither have I one drame of trouble upon my spirit at this time blessed be God he hath wiped away all tears and I could with Paul and Silas sing in prison for Joy Blessed be the Comforter Discoursing after he came into the Dungion he said when a poor Creature comes about so Solemne a work as to Dye what a blessed thing is it to have a Helper and what can help but the holy spirit blessed be the Comforter for I am full of spiritual Consolation if one of you was to have a Thousand pounds a year after the death of an Old man Consumptive that would not live three dayes how would you rejoyce this is my Condition through Grace I must in a little time put off the Old man and enter into the possession of Heavenly Glory Let no good people fear a prison for it is the only place wanting other books to study the book of self A Friend going about to comfort Mr. Cooke from the consideration of the brevity and uncertainty of mans life using some expressions of love c. Mr. Cooke replyes what dost thou speak thus for if I were sick of a Feavour this might be a sutable discourse but we must talk at a higher rate then this now were I to chuse I would rather chuse this death then to Dye of a Feavour for there is much pains and sometimes distractions but here a man is well when he goes upon the Ladder and out of all pains in a quarter of an hour And speaking to a Friend said I
am now going to Heaven and shall leave you in the storm Mr. Cook to some Friends in prison Friends I beseech you rejoyce with me O let us blesse the Lord that he counts us worthy to be sacrifices to follow his steps was not the Captain of our Salvation made perfect through sufferings and shall not I Oh I long to be at home out of the body with the Lord though I go through a sea of Bloud to him truly I think every Hour Ten little doe my Enemies think what a Friendly part they do me to hasten me to my Fathers Kingdom to my Crown and Glory I had rather go to my Dear Jesus with my Chain and Crosse then to sit down with an Earthly King on his Throne and wear a Crown of Gold Some disaffected to him being present said the Jesuits suffered chearfully and confidently Mr. Cooke replyes I blesse God my justification is not built upon the merits of Works but alone upon Grace in the bloud of Christ The said person compared him and his fellow prisoners to Corah Darhan and Abiram Well friends said he it matters not who condemnes when God justifies Mr. Cooke said they do not justifie your self but confess your sins your haynous crime against the Lord and his Anointed and Resent Mr. Cooke replyes I must needs tell you that if Repentance was now to doe I was in a sad condition but I blesse my God he hath inabled me to confesse my sin and hath sealed my pardon in the bloud of his Dear Son and given such peace as none can give or take away I have no Guilt nor Trouble upon my spirit touching what is done but such sweet peace in God as I cannot expresse and I shall leave all with God who judgeth righteously who will decide all things Mr. Cooke to Mr. Peters in the Dungion said Brother Peters we shall be in Heaven to morrow in blisse and Glory what a blessed thing is that my very heart leaps within me for joy I am now just as I was in the * See his Relation of his passage by Sea to Ireland and his dream storm almost in sight of Heaven read me the Isa 43.9.10 Isa 61.10.11 Hos 13.14 Then looking upon his bed said that shall be my last Pillow I will lay me down and sleep awhile and he slept about an hour and half and then awoke saying now farewel sleep no more sleep in this World and farewel Darknesse and Night I am going where there shall be no Night there neither need of a Candle nor of the Sun for the Lord will give us light yea the Lord will be our Everlasting light and our God will be our Glory And welcome every thing that gives notice the hour is at hand welcome the Cock that crowes welcome sweet death my good Friend that will bring me so near Eternity O blessed be God blessed be his Name Oh this Christ is a blessed Christ he answereth all things and within few hours we shall be crowned with Glory and Victory blessed be our Lord Jesus that hath given us the Victory over Sin and Death Welcome Mr. Loman my keeper welcome Angels that will within few hours take the Office and Guard me into Eternity At midnight he prayed very fervently and the common prisoners heard him and seemed very sorrowful by their expressions saying Sir the Lord be with you O that our souls might go where your soul goes About the Morning speaking to Mris. Cooke said Lamb do not dishonour my last Wedding day by any trouble for me For if all my Judges did but know what Glory I shall be in before Twelve of the Clock they would desire to be with me And let the Executioner make what hast he can I shall be before hand with him for before he can say here is the Head of a Traytor I shall be in Heaven Come Lord Jesus come quickly my soul longeth for thee and I wait to hear thy voyce saying come up hither and immediately I shall be in the Sprit and then shall I for ever be with the Lord. At and midnight there was a cry heard the Bridegroome cometh and they that were ready went into the Marriage This day I shall enter into the joy of my Lord. Come brother Peters let us knook at Heaven Gates this morning God will open the dores of Eternity to us before Twelve of the Clock and let us in to that innumerable company of Saints and Angels and to the souls of just men made perfect and then we shall never part more but be with the Lord for Ever and Ever Singing praises Singing praises to our Lord and Everlasting King to all Eternity he said further O what a good master have I served that stands by me now and supports me with his Everlasting Arme he bears me up then said come away my beloved make hast and be thou like unto a young Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountaines of Spices Behold I come Lord Jesus I come full sayle to thee I come upon the wing of Faith Lord Jesus receive me and going to lye down upon his bed he said it is no more to go to dye to morrow then it is to go to sleep to night I bless the Lord I am free from trouble and my poor heart is as full of spiritual eomfort as ever it can hold And this joy can no man take from me The dores of the prison being opened in the morning he spent that little time he had left in prayer and heavenly discourse with Friends that came to visit him preparing himself for his suffering with such a cheerfulnesse as was an Astonishment to the spectators Then speaking to his Wife said farewel my Dear Lamb I am now going to the soules under the Alter That cry how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not Judge and Avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the Earth and when I am gone my bloud wil cry and doe them more hurt then if I had lived But I am now going to eternity blessed be God be not troubled for me but rejoyce because I goe to my father and your father to my God and your God And after some time spent in prayer he desired his wife not to withhold him by an unwillingness to part with him now when God called for him to be offered up as a sacrifice for his name and cause After a little pause she freely gave him up to the Lord to which he replied Now all the work is done and said I resign thee up to Jesus Christ to be thy husband to whom also I am going to be married in glory this day His wife shedding tears he said Why weepest thou let them weep who part and shall never meet again but I am confident we shall have a glorious meet in heaven here our comforts have been mixt with chequer work of troubles but in heaven all tears shall be wiped from our eyes He asked severall times if the Sheriffe
his most precious blood and had not by that blood gone to heaven our Salvation had not been Lord let it be well with England the Lord hear me for my poor Friends and Relations for my poor Wife and Child unto thee Lord I commend the cause of God and of Jesus Christ And remember poor Ireland wherein I had a lot and interest the Lord remember them all and help thy poor Children to continue Faithfull unto Death that so we may receive a Crown of life for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and so I come Lord Jesus Oh receive my soul Send down a Guard of Angells to convey my soul into Abrahams Bosome Receive my soul O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit And I desire to appeal to thee O lord thou art the great God of Heaven and Earth before whom all controversies must come I believe there is not a man in the world what ever he be but hath some reverentiall feare of death but for any sinfull vitious fear I bless the Lord I have not the hundredth part of a dram upon my conscience if it were my wedding day I could not more rejoyce in the Lord because it is a consummation of that blessed marriage that my Lord Jesus hath made up with me Blessed be thy name me thinks I doe see with Stephen even by the eye of faith Heaven open and the Lord Jesus ready to receive my poor soule And oh that I may with Ezekiel see the glory of God and see with Isaiah the Lord sitting on his Throne of glory And oh that the love of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Spirit may warme my heart and carry me up from the beginning of this passage to the end and close of it Lord Jesus come and receive my spirit and sweeten this cup and let me say The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink of it And I leave all into the hands of the Lord that if it be the Lords will every one that belongs to the election of grace my meet with comfort at the great day and that we may shake hands together where no office of love shall be unrewarded nor any unkindness shewed to the people of God But within a few hours I shall be in the harbour I am just now entring into it I would not goe backe againe for all the world Blessed be the Lord I despise the shame and am willing to endure the crosse for Christs sake because the Lord Jesus who is the author and finisher of my salvation did it for me The Lord pitty those that follow and bear up their hearts The Lord helpe his poore people that finde any thing upon their soul that they should stand fast unto the truths of Jesus Alas we shall be but a few daies here and Heaven will make amends for all and we shall glorifie God in eternity where we shall enter into a sinlesse timelesse and temptationless estate and never meet with sorrow or troubles any more but the Lord will receive us to himselfe and then the innocency of thy poor servants shall be vindicated and we shall be ever with the Lord blessing and praising his holy name When Elijah was taken away the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha who stood up in his stead And when John the Baptist was cut off the Lord had his Apostles to supply that office The Lord will have profit in the Death of his Children I believe that an Army of Martyrs would willingly come from Heaven to suffer in such a cause at this that I come here to suffer for I desire to bewaile that I have not had so much love to the Glory of God therein as I ought But as to the thing I come to suffer for I have not had any thing or act come to my mind with lesse regret and greater comfort then this And as for those that brought me hither I do forgive them I have not one hard thought concerning them the blessing of the Father Son and Spirit be with them Oh that the Lord would grant that no more might suffer and so Dear and Blessed Father I come into the bosome of thy love and desire to enter into that Glory which is Endlesse and Boundlesse through Jesus Christ A Letter written from the Tower to a Christian friend by Mr. Justice Cooke Sir NOw in answer to your loving inquiry how it fares with my better part I blesse God I never found so much internall spirituall solice and unmixt joy and comfort as I have experimented in these five moneths indurance 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5. Let never any Christian fear a prison it being the onely place where wanting other books a man may best studdy the book of the knowledge of himselfe having a long vacation from all business but praying unto and praising God in Christ by the spirits assistance I cannot take Marthas part for none must come to me nor Marys part to wait upon the ordinances which my soul thirsts after therefore my chamber is like the sanctum sanctorum where wittingly none may enter but the high Priest of our profession the Lord Jesus I did not think that there had been so much ignorance impotence impatience ingratitude pride inordinate affection to creature comforts revenge diffidence of God self-love and iniquity of all sorts in me as I finde there is who am not onely a poor sinner but sin it selfe a very masse of sin I find it very hard to rely nakedly on Gods goodness not to feel the heat of persecution nor to be carefull when all is taken away Jer. 7.17 Lo so this darkness and filthiness of spirit is onely discovered by the light of Christ by whose lowliness in washing the Apostles feet I see my loftiness and want of condescention when I had power by his patience my many passions and heart-risings against instruments by his obedience to the death my reluctancies by his faithfulness my former backslidings by his fruitfulness and doing good Act. 10.38 my barrenness the little good I did when I had opportunity and by his liberality my penuriousness whereby I adore and acknowledge his justice that he hath most righteously deprived me of my liberty estate all which drives me neerer to Christ and makes me take faster hold of his righteousness I now understand through grace how precious he is 1 Pet. 2.7 if it were not for Christ what a miserable condition were I now in that might suddenly be sent to contend with the wrath of God in everlasting burnings and this makes me love Christ the more having forgiven me more then others and having had ten thousand talents forgiven me I would forgive any wrong doers and this keeps me humble and from censoriousness I bless God I have ransackt into every corner of my soule I have with David Job Esay and Paul bewailed my hereditary disease and heart-corruption I feel it is as a rotten tooth that akes would fain be
have some trouble upon me concerning the losse of my temporal estate especially for my poor tender loving wife and child I was a purchaser and had a stock of cattel being wrongfully made prisoner two moneths before any speech of a King I was surprized and could save nothing nor get 20 l of my estate since Michaelmas last They promised to beare my charges to London but at Chester I was forced to borrow money or must have come a foot therefore pray be earnest with the Lord that we may take the spoyling of our goods more joyfully knowing that we have in heaven better and an enduring substance Heb. 10 34. and that we may not faint at these momentany afflictions which work so wel for us wherein riches and honours are not so according to that passage 2 Cor. 4 3 last verses and be affected with eternal joyes It is said that I shall be put down into the hole for non-payment of great Fees my comfort is that God will be with me there they cannot shut out Gods spirit from me which is an everlasting spring and Jubile nor will that be so bad as Jeremiah's Dungeon nor as Joseph's Irons which entered into his soule though indeed we are sold by our brethren as Joseph was that the scripture may be fulfilled The brother shall deliver up the brother to Death Matthew 10.21 I know not how to conclude not knowing when I may have another opportunity to converse with you I am overjoyed to think they cannot reach my soule and that our cause is invincible and it will be a happinesse if God see it good that none might suffer death but such whose souls are out of danger but being upon the account of civil liberties as well as spiritual our onely wise Father will order all for his own Glory and this onely silences all murmurings and master save thy selfe that what he pleases must needs be least for us he being Infinite Wisdome Love Power and Goodnesse Had the King made his way by the Sword we might expect his sorest strokes but for the men of Keilah to deliver us up for the Parliament to sacrifice us these men that sit by a Commonwealth Writ for whose priviledges we adventured our all and who cannot condemne us but must give up the Cause and give Judgement against themselves and all the good people in the Nation let the Indians judge of it if any of the Elect think hardly of us that we do not cry peccavi make our recantations it will not last long and it is no matter what others say for they must receive their Judgement at the Bar of Christ and we shall Judge our Judges therefore let us not entertaine damps of dispondencies My rejoycing is in a good God a good Cause a good Conscience I have the Justice of Heaven on my side and Gods loving kindnesse which is better then life if we find injustice and cruelty here mens Law at Westminster will be adjudged Treason in Heaven it will not be long before all tears shall be wiped from our Eyes and if our innocencies be not vindicated and cleared up in this life as Jobs Mordecas Josephs and Daniels and Susannas were yet at the revelation of the righteous judgement of God it will appeare before men and Angels that we are not Traytors nor Murtherers nor Phanatiques but true Christians and good Commonwealths men fixt and constant to the principles of sanctity truth justice and mercy which the Parliament and Army declared and engaged for and to that Noble principle of preferring the Universality before Particularity that we sought the publique good and would have infranchised the people and secured the welfare of the whole groaning Creation if the Nation had not more delighted in servitude then in freedom And if we now suffer a martyrdom of body we shal be some of the souls under the Altar crying How long O Lord holy true and though we can patiently digest their Tortures and leave all vengance to whom it belongs yet who knows but that our blood may be their poyson but then after all unjust sentences of men how sweet and honourable will the Judgement of Christ be Matth. 25. Euge bone serve of entring into our master joy when the Kings of the Earth and the chief Captaines and Dukes of Edom shall wish the Mountaines and Rocks to fall upon them Rev. 5.16 I blesse God my poor Wife 〈◊〉 much encourage me to be faithful to the Death and she is a 〈…〉 who helps her Husband so to Heaven as in a Fiery Charoit she is one who bears an unfeigned love to Christ and all the Saints I intreat your tender care of her and my Child providebit Deus Ier. 49.11 I shal leave her that Scripture and Esa 54.5 to 8. while they cannot take away by confiscation when we were in the storm we took our leaves each of the other * See the relation of his passage by sea from Wexsoâ—d to Kingsale and though we have not paid our Vowes at Pethell yet I trust as was then promised we shal be willing to go to Christ if he call through a Sea of bloud But O the infinite wisdome and love of God and the unsearchable riches of his Grace that if I had been drowned the Malignants would have said though he escaped by Land yet Divine Vengance over took him at 〈…〉 ow he should vouchsafe me poor me as Gideon said 〈…〉 15. one of the meanest Lawyers in Wesminster-Hall 〈…〉 of bonds and an affectual if not effectual Martyrdome for being an Advocate for my blessed Advocate and the good people of England I have been the larger not knowing what use this may be of if my mouth should be stop't if you hear any report of me contrary hereunto believe it not so you have my heart and I had rather be buried alive then my Tongue or Hand should differ from it O pray much for me and pray again and mend your prayer as I have great need to doe if you know what pittiful poor short and confused prayers I make in a day yet Father into thy hands I commend my spirit is a prayer no period better then prayer therefore now unto him that is able to keep you and me from falling and to present you and me faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for Ever Amen Your for ever in our Dear Redeemer John Cooke A Letter written by Mr. Justice Cooke from the Tower to his Wife MY deare lamb blessed be God for Jesus Christ and for a prison where I finde much of his comforting presence tell sister Jones that she keeps but two or three Sabbaths in a weeke but in prison every day is a Christian Sabbath not onely to cease from sinne but to praise God singing Hosannaes and Hallalujahs I can but smile to think that they cannot hinder me
enter into us we must enter into it Next I consider wherein the substance and essence of heavenly joyes does properly consist by 1 Cor. 13.12 it seems much to be in sight and knowledge 1 For sight to see God face to face to see the beautifull person of our deare Lord Jesus to see all the blessed saints and Angels and to be one of them how joyfull is the thought of it for if the damned between whom and the saints there is a great gulph fixed Luk. 16.26 shall see Abraham and the prophets in the Kingdome of God Luke 13.28 when themselves are thrust out poor saint-haters that now persecute the heirs of glory scorn their companies would then fein crowd into heaven with them much more the Elect themselves but the difficulty is how we can see spirits with bodily eyes and bodies with spiritual eyes I rather think that Job 19.25 27. is to be understood of Jesus Christ whom Job shall see with the Eyes of his hody and by the Eyes of our soules we shall see God the Father and the blessed spirits and our comfort is that we shall for ever be with the Lord. But here the Scripture has no Tongue to speak we must not too curiously inquire for knowledge it is a wonderful expression we shall know even as we are known God knows us perfectly and what shall be our last thoughts Psal 139.1 2. All the saints upon Earth do not know so much as one saint in Heaven where faith is turned into Vision and hope into Fruition then shall we know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge here below Eph. 3.19 how all the love that ever God vouchsafed to the world is but as a spark to the Oven red hot in comparison of giving Christ but I believe we shal never know God comprehensively but apprehensively that is so much of his glory as we shall never know more for there will he new springs and fresh discoveries of his infinite Grace Glory Goodnesse and perfections streaming forth continually to us that will be as everlasting fountaines of joy and glorious rejoycing to our soules and bodies as one at sea sees a great way but not to the end or bottome of the sea for we shall know as much of God as our heads can hold and love God as much as our hearts can containe and no doubt but there are different degrees of Glory in Heaven as the Saints know more or less of God here as when Vessels of several sizes are cast into the sea they are all full but some hold more then others 2 Cor. 5.4 God works upon our Hearts as ingravers upon Gold or Marble and the more of his image he stamps upon us in this life the liker shall we be to him in Glory but every saint shall have his own fulnesse of knowledge 3. I think that heavenly joy does much consist in the will in the transformation of our wills into the will of God for as we heard an excellent sermon from 1 Cor. 6.17 at Northampton he that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit for I believe that mistical onenesse which our dear Lord so sweetly prayed for Joh. 17.11 21 22. is meant of onenesse in will and affections when the soul shall have all that it can desire and nothing but what it does desire and shall will nothing but what God wills and not onely to be satisfyed with the wil of God but but to taste a sweet complecency and delight in it that it is infinitely best to be there 4. This transforming of the will proceeds from the apprehension of divine love where the soul finds that God has loved it from all Eternity that his eye and his heart are perpetually upon it for good and knows that it is a free pure unchangeable and eternal love this causes an eternity of joy a love is the sweetest grace in the heart the very sugar of the soul that makes a Heaven upon Earth where it is without dissimulation and spiritual so heavenly joy will consist much in love which must needs flow from sight and knowledge for as Paul saies 1 Cor. 2.8 it is onely ignorance of God that makes so many to oppose the way of truth and holiness so the sight of divine glorious beauty and the knowledge of infinite wisdome power love and goodness in Christ causes the soul to love God and Christ and the Spirit much better then it self for if the Spouse be sick of love here Cant. 5.8 and if the fire of love constrain militant Saints not to live to themselves 2 Cor. 5.14 ingenuity being the great principle of the Gospell not to work for life but from life and to doe all from a spirit of love much more the Saints triumphant but the more I think of this blessed state of glorification the more I am at a losse in it Psal 16.11 in Gods presence there is fullnesse of joy and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore and David saies Psal 123. that they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and as the Stars for ever and ever but one Star differeth from another in glory and Matth. 13.43 the righteous shall shine as the Son in the Kingdome of their Father And our Lord saies in my Fathers House are many mansions and Paul calls it a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 and a building of God a House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens where we shall be so soon as the soul parts from the body 2 Cor. 5.1 8. and that it is an inheritance in light all light and no darknesse 1 Coloss 12. and that the Saints shall judge the world and when Christ shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 the New Jerusalem there shall be no sorrow no crying no pain Rev. 21.4 and the gates of the City are pearls and the street is pure gold ver 21 the glory of God lightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof v. 22. in it there is a pure river of water of life and a tree of life which bears fruit every month Rev. 22.1 2. and there shall be no Curses there and there shall be no night and we shall reign for ever and ever ver 5. All these are soul ravishing considerations and I have suckt much comfort from Psal 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse and 1 Thess 5.10 who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him therefore let us comfort our selves and edifie one another with these words and Mr. Burton's Text Heb. 12.22 23. it is sweet also to consider of the glory of the body 1 Cor. 15.42 43. it shall be an incorruptible glorious powerfull spiritual body there will be charity agility penetrability impossibility no hunger no cold it shall be fashioned like unto Christs glorious Body Phil.
3.20 What a comfort is it to thee as me that have such crazy bodies ulcerous Lazarus shall be as sound as a Fish and we shall have an everlasting spring of health and strength which shall never decay Use Let this teach us more to mind eternity to study the joyes of Heaven that we may receive a full reward 2 Ephes to 8. as Mr. Whitfield once exhorted Oliver in every thing to mind and eye eternity for they are the brave men and women that will be so at that day the pleasures of this world are so far from satisfying the understanding and will which are capable of God that they cannot satisfie any one sence never any Musick so sweet but a man will desire to hear better no object so beautiful no meat so pleasant but a man will covet to see that which is more lovely and tasts sweeter Eccles 1.8 study that Book and Canticles well that the spirit may convince us of the vanity and vexation of all creature-delights and of the fullnesse and excellency that is in Jesus Christ the best condition in this life is but a bitter-sweeting all our comforts are impure mixt with Wormwood no Rose without thorn and the bitter is more then the sweet but in Heaven all our delights are pure and unmixed there is perfect joy without any grief sollid comforts and no afflictive misery no Envy no Emulation which abounds here for every Saint has what his heart can desire it is a Sinlesse Sorrowlesse Temptationlesse Oppressionlesse Sicklesse Timelesse and Endlesse estate where being once Arrived we shall never fear parting any more therefore my dear sweeting let us wait patiently and chearfully for that blessed translation from Earth to Heaven we must begin our Heaven here the more prepared to dye the fitter we are to live so let us live so let us dye that we way live Eternally If thee likest such poor breathings broken Meditations thee may'st command more of them I leave thee and me and my dear child and our Christian relations with thee in his Armes who is in Heaven at the right hand of the Father therefore we need not fear what man can do unto us Esa 51.12 To him I am thine for ever Thy loving Husband during this Life John Cooke Another Letter from Mr. Cooke to a Friend after Condemnation DEar Brother beloved in the Lord condemnatus sum ad vitam and this is my Cordial Farewel to you and all Saints from my Jeremiahs prison to morrow I shall be in eternal glory in the bosom of Christ where our father Abraham is and a guard of Angels wil convey my soul thither Never let Gods people fear a prison any more for the Lords supporting or comforting spirit hath not been absent from me since my indictment I writ a letter to you formerly acquainting you with my spiritual condition to which I refer you and fearing lest wrong may be done to the cause when I am in heaven I think fit to leave a few words with my dearest love to all Christian friends 1. Upon my triall it came to this that the Judges said that all have been treason since 1642 so that the Lords and Commons are not to meddle with the King I said that I acted obedientially by order from the house of Commons and the Commons being the representatives of the people cannot commit treason for there can be no trial of all the people And as for any force upon the House in 1648. they were the onely judges of it and no inferiour Court can judge of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of their acts or orders But they said all our Acts and Orders are treason So that now it is brought to that it was in 1642. 2. I intend by Gods assistance upon the Ladder to beare my testimony for Jesus Christ to all his Offices and for a Gospel Magistracy and Ministry and to speak something so farre as God shall enable and wil be permitted for the good Old cause or righteousness and holiness I can at present onely leave my dear love and respects for you and my dear sister beseeching God and not doubting but that we shall shortly meet in eternal glory Company so spends me that I can write no more I shall suddenly enter into the joy of the Lord O blessed be his name blessed be the Comforter my soul is full of consolation Farewel farewel Renede in Paradiso Yours forever John Cooke For my dear brother F. Some Notes taken of a Sermon Preached by Mr. Hugh Peters the 14 th of October 1660. after his Condemnation in the prison of Newgate wherein he was much interrupted by the coming in and going forth of strangers that came to see him and the other prisoners in the Room with him and so was constrained to break off the sooner And though they are but briefe Heads yet it 's thought convenient here to insert them for the better satisfaction of any touching the frame of Mr. Hugh Peters at that time The discourse was from PSAL. 42. ver 11. Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God AFter Analysing the Psalme he Observed this Doctrine Doctrine That the best of Gods people are apt to be disponding This was the Mans case in the whole 88 Psal Also Davids case when he complained of the breaking of his Bones c. This was Christs case himselfe when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Reasons why the best of Gods people are apt to dispondencies are First When something falls out from God more then ordinary when God put 's weight in Sorrow and Affliction that makes it sinking Although that Afflictions are heavy of themselves many times yet it 's the weight that God puts in Sorrow that makes it sink us 2ly Over-valuing our comforts puting too much upon Wife Children Estate or Life it self a man is apt to be cast down when he thinks of parting with them Thirdly Our unpreparednesse for sufferings and afflictions that makes us dispond Alas I thought not of it say some it 's come unexpectedly upon me Fourthly We are apt to dispond when our Afflictions are many when they are multitudes when all is struck at together Name Estate Relations and Life it self Fifthly VVhen Afflictions are of long continuance a man can bear that Burthen a while that he cannot stand under long Sixthly VVhen afflictions fall upon the noblest part of man which is his soule then are dispondencies apt to come in Seventhly VVhen we have more Sense then Faith Now it should not be so Gods people ought not to dispond 1. Because it discovers impatiency 2. Because it discovers want of Faith they leane not upon the Rock that will not faile them 3. It discovers want of Wisdome c. 4. VVe should not be thus because it gratifies the Enemy who in such a
in three or four hours his Wife Children and many other friends returned When we came we found them praying Assoon as Col. Scroop had ended Mr. Scot turned about and opening his arms he imbraced his Wife and one of his Daughters Ah said he my dear ones God is good he is come he is come I am full I am full O blesse the Lord for me and with me O my soul and all that is within me magnifie the Lord. By and by he went to prayer himself and one would have thought he had been as it were in Heaven his soul was so enlarged in blessing praising and magnifying the God of his Salvation O! said he to his Wife I would not change this dark Room for the best Star-Chamber under Heaven He desired his Friends and Relations would not be solicitous for his Body but let them do what they pleased and exercise what Cruelty they would saying it was meet it should be so And that the dead Bodies of the Witnesses must be unburied that the Scriptures might be fulfilled Some part of his prayer was to blesse the Lord That as the Psalmist said though he came in there weeping and fearing that he had not yet been bearing precious feed yet now they were returning rejoycing and triumphing and carrying their sheaves with them Call us not said he Marahs as she once said but call us Naomies for we came in hither some of us empty but we are going out full The Lord hath not writ bitter things but good of us for this is glorious Grace That We are counted worthy to suffer for GOD and His CAVSE Oh! what shall we render to the Lord Wee will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Oh our souls blesse the Lord And we do with our souls blesse Thee that we have an Eternity to blesse Thee in for no lesse will satisfie our souls And now O blessed and glorious God shall we be among thy Worthies Meaning N. G. H. Mr. Carew and Mr. Cook if Possible let us attain to the first Three but if we attain not to so glorious a Testimony as that yet O Lord let us be among thy Worthies We desire to glorifie thy great and blessed Name that Thou hast in any measure enabled us to encourage our hearts in the Lord our God at such a time as this when Eighty is as it were in the flames and the people speak of worse than stoning us When some spake of the Reproaches of the people he said he accounted that his honour Mr. Scot's Speech upon the Ladder GENTLEMEN I stand here a Spectacle to GOD to Angels and Men To GOD and Angels to whom I hope I am shortly a going And now to you I owe it to God and the Nation and my self to say something concerning each For my self I think it may become me to tell you how and why I came hither and something in the general concerning my capacity In the beginning of these Troubles I was as many others were unsatisfied I saw Liberties and Religion in the Nation in great danger to my best apprehension I saw the approaches of Popery in a great measure coming in upon us I saw Upon which the Sheriff interrupted him in these words If you will betake your self to prayers you may Mr. Scot replied I shall not speak to reproach any The Sheriff interrupted him again saying You have but a little time Mr. Scot Therefore betake that little time to prayer Mr. Scot replied I shall speak The Sheriff interrupted him again saying I beseech you Sir betake your self to prayer Mr. Scot said It may become me to give account of my self because The Sheriff interrupted him again saying It doth not become you to speak any such thing here Therefore I beseech you betake your self to prayer it is but a little time you have to live you know Mr. Scot that is the most needful thing Mr. Scot replied 'T is so The Sheriff interrupts again saying Sir But when you came upon the Stage you deprived your self very much Then said Mr. Scot I thought to tell you how I came hither Here the Sheriff interrupted again or else some one besides the Sheriff and spake to this effect Every body knows that Mr. Scot said Sir 't is hard that an English man hath not liberty to speak The Sheriff interrupted again saying I cannot suffer you to speak any such thing Mr. Scot said I shall say no more but this That it is a very mean and bad Cause that will nor bear the words of a dying-man it is not ordinarily denied to people in this condition The Sheriff interrupted again saying Sir you had a fair Tryal and you were found guilty Mr. Scot replied 'T is according to my mind to speak what may be said Hear the Under-Sheriff interrupted saying It hath been denyed unto your Predecessors and will be denyed unto you Then he Prayed as followeth HOly Lord God the great and glorious God of Heaven and Earth King of Nations and King of Saints in both which capacities thy poor and unworthy Creature comes now to bear his Witness in this great spectacle before Thee Angels and Men. O Lord were it not for Sin none of these things had befallen this Nation nor my unworthy self We have all transgressed and gone astray from thee by a perpetual back-sliding even all of a sorts conditions ranks and orders of men And among them none none more than thy poor unworthy Creature who acknowledgeth the same here before Thee in the face of Heaven and in Thy Presence to which he is very shortly a going That glorious Grace which thou hast been pleased to afford unto his soul in it Thou art gone to the highest extent of mercy that ever was shewed to any of the sons of men Thy poor servant doth acknowledge himself to be the greatest of transgressors And thy glorious Grace is magnified above all thy Name in what Thou hast done for thy poor Creature But Lord so it is because such is thy good pleasure such was thy design from Eternity through or in the great Transactions that was between Thee and Christ thy blessed Son and our blessed Saviour that Thou shouldest in thy dispensation in the governing of thy Church in the World That thou shouldest glorifie thy Free-grace in pardoning of the Sins and in the Salvation of some of lost Man-kind which was the great Master-piece of thy Love that thou shouldest chuse out of poor lost Man-kind one or other it is of admirable and incomprehensible mercy And that thou shouldest chuse thy poor Creature as one in the number is matter of Adoration Admiration is matter of Eternal Extasie and is matter of Thanksgiving for ever And this is the comfort of his poor soul that he shall have an Eternity with thy self Thou hast so assured him that he shall be blessing honouring and magnifying of Thee among a company of Saints and Angels and the souls of just
men made perfect O blessed Lord thou hast called him forth as a publick Spectacle to some in a condition of Shame and Reproach to others of Comfort and to thy Blessed Self as one that is a Witness for Thee that hath served Thee with all faithfulness in his trust and publick capacity and imployment O Lord thy Dispensation to thy poor Creature hath been wonderful gracious and merciful and he must say to the praise of thy Free-grace Here the Hangman stooping down to take Drink which was reached up to him upon the Ladder interrupted him Upon which Mr. Scot said prethee let me alone I have not done and then proceeded in Prayer as followeth That this very Condition to which he is now brought he acknowledgeth is the answer of his Prayer before his going out of England Thou knowest Lord he did many times in prayers and tears seek thy blessed Majesty for Counsel and for Advice whether it were his duty to stay and suffer or to shelter himself abroad And if it were thy will to take more honour to thy self by his Suffering than his Living thou wouldest be pleased to Remand him back again and bring him hither And he hath observed thy Providence checking of his way and in preserving him all along until he came to this O blessed Lord thy poor Creature doth acknowledge that thy ways to his poor Soul have been of wonderful grace and mercy It was a great mercy to him that having had by reason of many sinful temptations and many incumbrances and many incessant Businesses in the World whereof he hath been a perpetual drudge many years past and he hath not had the conveniency though his duty The Lord knowes he had not the conveniency nor the heart so to improve and keep his own vineyard while he had been looking after or keeping others vineyard Thou didst therefore all along while he was abroad give sweet opportunities and precious seasons while he was abroad of seeking thy face and studying his Souls good concerning Eternity and the Eternnal pleasure of thy holy will And he blesseth thy name that thou hast been pleased to open to him both the Scripture and his understanding and so to answer the one by the other as that he is through the grace of God comfortably perswaded that his eternal estate is out of hazard But O Lord thou hast been pleased all the while that his condition hath been doubtful to make his Comforts to his poor soul doubtful also sometimes fear and sometimes hope have been mixed Again and again wanting those Consolations that might support his soul to such an issue But blessed be thy glorious Name the great God of Heaven and Earth he hath been pleased to bear him witness to himself to Angels and to all that hear me this day this very day thy poor Servant that now stands to suffer had joy and much Consolation from God and from his Cause more than ever he had before I say again to the praise of the Free-Grace of God I bless his Name he hath engaged me in a Cause not to be repented of I say in a Cause not to be repented of Here the Sheriff interrupted him saying Is this your Prayers Mr. Scot desiring him to forbear those kind of Expressions Others also told him that he contradicted himself and spoke Blasphemy Then Mr. Scot said I shall say no more but this The Lord I do acknowledge that this very morning in the Dark Chamber I had very much of the presence of God and from thence I take Consolation to my self that his Spirit is with me and that he hath sealed unto my soul the Decrees of Heaven at least perswaded my soul that it will be well with me and that I am out of all danger as to my Eternal Condition and that I shall live and reign with him there where all sin shall be done away which is the growing glory of my soul and all tears wipt away also In the mean time I pray thee O Lord that thou wouldest remember England and remember thy Cause in England and remember me with the joyes of thy Salvation in the instant of my departure O Lord it is an narrow entrance it is a strait passage it is an entrance into Eternity O Lord thou hast once to day shewed me something beyond it something of the glory of God I pray thee forsake me not while I am here and sensible or afterwards in the passage of my soul to thee I leave it and to thy Providence and do acknowledge thy goodness to my soul in fitting me to receive that good which thou in thy infinite pleasure dost think fit for me And therefore O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit Lord I desire to have some more testimony of thy Love if it be thy blessed will It is enough that I live upon what I had to day but if it be agreeable to thy holy will I would honour and eternally bless thee if thou wouldst be pleased to shine upon me with some more particular immediate discoveries of thy presence but not my will but thy will be done The Lord be pleased to settle the Nation in peace and in the power and purity of Religion and thy Ordinances in purity And Lord for thy Son that is the darling of thy Soul Be thou pleased to give him a glorious entertainment in the world and let the Kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of Jesus Christ Lord thou hast a Cause in the world dear unto thee I pray thee own it though it may not be owned in all places and by all persons yet Religion is the Interest of them all O Lord Remember the price of Blood that hath been shed for the purchasing of the Civil and Christian Liberties And remember thy Enemies that are not incorrigible Enemies to thy Truth and Holiness and give them understanding to see their Error and to turn to thee a heart broken and with humiliation that they may seek God with their whole heart that they may be a Holy or Immanuel Nation A Chosen Generation A peculiar People zealous of good Works careful to shew forth the virtue of him that hath Called them from Death to Life The Lord call in all that belong to the Election of Grace speedily into that Number Let no Weapon formed against thy Church prosper But Lord Remember Zion if it be thy good pleasure and repair the Walls of thy Jerusalem O Lord thy CAUSE lies near the hearts of thy People And I bear thee Witness that I have this Income from thee as the Return of their Prayers And that we are Supported to bear Witness for thee very chearfully and with satisfaction I desire to be found of thee in Jesus Christ I do now abhor all my sins and renounce my Services and do account them all as dung Lord thou knowest I have desired to live that I might serve thee better and love thee more but that I may be with thy self
Law and Gospel with his Blood which will be a great Honour to thee in the judgment of all that truly love and fear God I leave thee to the Lord who I know will take care of thee and be thy Portion so thou shalt never want Learn with all speed to reade the Scriptures and to understand them and have a great care to serve God and study to love Jesus Christ and be obedient to thy dear Mother and good Grandmother and thy loving Uncle and Aunt Massey I pray thee never learn any Pride but be humble and meek and courteous and wait upon Gods Ordinances love the Word more than thy appointed food When the Lord shall please to alter thy Condition be sure to marry one that is gracious and a man that feareth God be sure to prefer Grace before Wealth and Parts for a little with the fear of God is better than great Riches with an Ungodly man The Lord make thee Religious for Beauty is Vanity and Favour is deceitful but a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised If the Lord give thee Children be sure to bring them up vertuously and religiously in the Nurture Admonition and Fear of the Lord. I charge thee never to marry without the Consent of thy dear Mother if she be then living In all thy Actions have an eye to Eternity and never do any thing against the Light of thy own Conscience Know that thy dear Father is gone to Heaven to thy dear Brother and be sure so to live that by Gods Grace thou mayest follow after If God give the ability I charge thee to do good to thy Friends and to all Gods People And if my last Will may be of force do not violate it in the least So I leave Gods Blessing with thee praying for thy Temporal and Eternal Happiness and rest Thy dear loving Father JOHN COOK Octob. 15 1660. Some occasionall Speeches and Memorable passages of Col. Axtell and Col. Hacker during their Imprisonment and at their Execution BEing asked by some Friends how he found himself sitted to Encounter with Death He Answered I can say nothing until I come to dye I dare not boast till I put of my Armour but desire your prayers until there be no more need of them Returning from his Tryal at the Court to his Prison with a chearful countenance and his Wife coming to him full of Trouble he said not a Tear Wife what hurt have they done me to send me sooner to Heaven And I blesse the Lord I could have freely gone from the Bar to the Gibbet They had nothing against me neither by Gods law nor their own low to condemne me was it ever known that a man should dye for such Words and further said though men had Judged yet God had not Condemned Some taking notice of his course lodging he said what matter is it to have a little durty way when we have a fair House to come into Then looking upon Friends about him said if the sight of so few of Gods people be so comfortable what will it be to enjoy all the Saints in Heaven together Towards the close of that Evening he went to prayer divers being present who admired the blessed frame of spirit that he was in admiring God in all his appearances for his poor people he laid all his comfort in the blood of a crucifyed Christ and upon the Covenant of Free Grace he did heartily desire pardon for all his Judges Jury and those witnesses that had sworn falsely against him Returning again from the Court when he had received his sentence he came into the prison very chearfully with a Bible in his hand saying I shall have the use of this book two dayes more and then injoy the fulnesse of the Gospel to all Etetnity His Daughter coming in to him he said where hast thou been all this while I thought thou hadst been ashamed of my Chains but they that will not bear the Crosse shall not weare the Crown A Gentleman coming to visit him said shall I petition for your life Col. Axtel replyed Sir you offer me to my losse The Gentleman told him he was going for Ireland Col. Axtell said Sir pray remember my love to all Christian friends there tell them said he shaking of his Chains rejoycingly that you saw me in my chains I recon all these links as so many Pearls to Adorn me and am sure they are so in Christs account and tell them that for that Good Old Cause which we were ingaged in under the Parliament I am now going to be their Martyr And as for the King I wish him as well as my own soule But they have meerly murthered me and they might as well have done it at the Tower as have brought me hither to make this bussle I wish my bloud do not cry to the third and fourth Generation But I shall do them more hurt in my death then I could do in my life They had nothing in Gods law nor their own to condemne me the Court condoled me but it was enough my name was Axtell I wish that I may see them all in Heaven A Friend going into Gloucestershire said to him Sir what message will you now send to the good people in the Country Col. Axtell Answered Remember my dear love to them all and tell them that their prayers are Answered Bid them keep close to Christ and let them not touch with Surplis or Common prayer book and bid them what ever they doe love the image of Christ where ever they see it in Presbyterian Independent Baptised or other And take heed of striking in with any thing that will strike out any of the Offices of Jesus Christ Four of his fellow prisoners passed by his Chamber dore as they were going forth to Execution and being denyed sight of them he called them by their Names and with a mighty fervent spirit said the Lord go with you the Angell of his presence stand by you and then turning about to his Friends said Oh they are gone to Heaven before me but we will give them up to the Lord and so went to prayer and presently after he went to prayer againe saying God hath said that he will make us joyfull in the house of Prayer and many observed that he did perform the duty of prayer Five times that day himselfe wherein he laid himself very low before the Lord acknowledging himself the worst of all the prisoners and that he should have the least to say for God and would say to his Friends say nothing of me tell you see me on the upermost round of the Ladder His Daughter coming in he told her that he had left Jesus Christ an Executor in trust for her Having given an Account to some persons for their satisfaction about his proceedings against the Rebels in Ireland said I can say in Humility that God did use me as an instrument in my place for the suppressing of that
their pardon that we might embrace one another through the grace of God in Jesus Christ one day in Heaven Dear Father we pray thee for them as we would beg for our selves We now desire to resign up our selves into thy bosome as it is thy Command thou hast said Ye are bought with a price not with silver or gold but with the precious bloud of Jesus Christ and we offer up our bodies and souls unto Christ which is but a reasonable service that thou shouldest have all when thou callest for them our estates and lives themselves The Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof and we are all his works It is God's soveraignty to command whatsoever he pleaseth Blessed Lord we desire with our Lord Jesus when he offered up himself upon the Crosse he said unto thee O Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and with Stephen when he was put to death Lord Jesus receive my spirit So say we Lord Jesus receive our spirits pity us love us and accept us in thy Son upon whom we rest for life and salvation Lord let us know that death is a passage into Glory it is appointed for all men once to dye and after death to Judgement This is a decree and statute law of Heaven that all must dye and this is some comfort in our death that from this time forward we shall sinne no more grieve Christ no more dishonour God no more nor offend any else no more set thy love upon our soules and let our prayers be dissolved into praises where we may embrace thee and thou embrace us We humbly intreate thee do more abundantly for us and all them we have prayed for then we are able to ask or think in the name and for the sake of our Lord Jesus who is the intercessour with the Father who hath promised that he will pray the Father for us he is the Mediator of the new Covenant betwixt God and us our fulnesse our strength our comfort and our support our all in his name we ask all our requests to whom with thy self and thy holy spirit we desire to give all Honour and Glory and Praise for ever more Amen After he had ended his prayer he gave the Sheriffe thanks again for his civility and then turning to Col. Hacker they saluted and embraced each other in their Armes and said the lord sweeten our passage and give us a happy meeting with himself in Glory Then pulling his Cap over his Eyes expecting as is supposed that the Cart should be drawn away with his hands lifted up he uttered these words with a loud and Audible voyce Lord Jesus receive my spirit but the Cart staying a little longer he lift up his hands the second time and with the like audible and loud voyce said into thy hands Oh Father I commend my spirit and yet in regard there was no man found to put forward the horse to draw away the Cart until the common Hang-man came down out of the Cart himself to do it The Carman as many witnesses affirm saying he would loase his Cart and Horse before he would have a hand in hanging such a man by this means he had opportunity to lift up his hands and utter the like words the third time also One thing more is very remarkable that when Col. Axtell and Col. Hacker were taken out of the sledge into the cart the spectators being in great numbers there behaved themselves very civilly only two persons among them as soon as the Ropes were put about their Necks cryed out very earnestly hang them hang them Rogues Traytors Murtherers Hang-man draw away the cart whereupon a man that stood by them desired them to be civil and said Gentlemen this is not civil for the Sheriff knoweth what he hath to doe and thereupon they were silent and gave attention to Col. Axtell's speech and prayer but before he had done those very persons were so affected that they could not refrain from pouring out many Tears upon the place and went aside to a place a little more retired to weep and that man that before desired them to be civil went after them and beheld them to his great admiration as himself hath Narrated FINIS Reader In regard that the Presse could not conveniently be attended there are many faults committed in this Impression some Sentences left out and others misplaced which doth much alter the sence therefore thou art earnestly desired before the reading of this book to take thy Pen and Correct these following Errours and for others which are lesse considerable it 's hoped thy ingenuity will help thee to Correct them ERRATA PAge 14. Line 11. for but the enemy read but for the enemy P. 15. l. 19 Allured us p. 21. l. 22. by r. be p. 23. l 28. own r. one p. 26. l. 28. love r. Job p. 28. l. 21. take the r. take your p. 33. l. 9. and all r. for all p. 33. l. 18. therein I have done r. I have done therein p. 33. l. 26. Galliasses r. Gallislaves p. 33. l. 35. the faith r. your faith p. 36. l. 9. and if r. but if p. 37. l. 22. they should r. they may p. 38. l. 26. wittingly r. willingly P. 39. l. 20. any r. my p. 41. l. 15. teahes thence r. netles them p. 41. l. 34. in mercy r. through mercy p. 43. l. 31. our r. one p 44. l. 5. most r. must p. 44. l. 9. Father r. Author p. 45. l. 13 dulcimum r. dulcissimum p. 45. l. 32. them r. theirs p. 47. l. 7. in r to p 47. l. 21. Heronian r. Neronian P. 48. l. 23. least r. best p. 49. l. 28. while r. which p. 50. l. 8. Know r. Knew p. 52. l. 37. solid zeal r. solid comfort p. 58. l. 23. the Mans r. Hemans p. 62. l 6. dele the same p. 62. l. 7. that glorious r. that that glorious p. 62. l. 10. in it Thou r. in it thou without the full point p 62. l. 15. through or that must be left out p. 64. l. 5. the Lord r. O Lord. p. 71. l. 8. truth of r. truth guilty of p. 85. l. 8. redoune r. redound p. 89. l 6. much faith r. much filth p. 89 l. 8. I loved r. I have loved p. 89. l. 15. honour the Father r. honour the Son as they honour the Father p. 89. l. 26. these r. his p 89. l. 27. leave out so p. 90. l. 9. their r. your p. 91. l. 17. interruption r. interposition p. 92. l. 9. erect r. write p. 92. l 35. experience r. evidence p. 92. l. 38. that we may r. that we may lay hold upon a naked Christ that by his blood we may c. p. 93. l. 34. upon his soul r. upon his soul and remember him in his low estate p. 93. l. 36. for him r. for sinne p. 94. l. 16. come life come r. can life can death p. 94. l. 23. of thy love r. of thy love O thou Father of mercy and God of all consolation And leave that sentence out in the next line
might be speedily and cheaply administred And as for my profession I am of the Congregational way I desire to own it and am for liberty of conscience and all that walk humbly and holily before the Lord and desire to walk in the fear of the Lord and I believe it is a truth and there can be nothing said against it I doe confess I am not convinced of any thing I have done amisse as to that I have been charged with I am not indeed neither did I understand the plea of the Court that if the Lords and Commons had brought the King to the Bar and set him over them again their bringing him to the barr had been treason I desire never to repent of any thing therein I have done but I desire to own the cause of God and of Christ and am here to beare witness to it and so far as I know any thing of my selfe I can freely confess it Here the Sheriffe interrupted him again desiring him to forbeare any such expressions Mr. Cooke replied it hath not been the manner of English men to insult over a dying man nor in other countries among Turks or Galliasses The Lord bless every one of us and help us that we may look more to the honour and glory of God then the concernments of our own lives for alass what is a poor miserable life to us but that therein we might give honour and glory to the God of all our mercies And if there be any here of that Congregation to which I was related in the time that I lived here I would commend to them that Scripture Phil. 2.17 18. Yea and if I be offered up upon the sacrifice and service of the faith I joy and rejoyce with you all for the same cause also doe ye joy and rejoyce with me And Deut. 18.11 The Lord God of your Fathers make you a thousand times more then you are and blesse you as be hath promised The Lord be pleased to speake comfort to them and to all them that feare the Lord. The Lord keepe England from popery and from superstition and keep it from prophaneness and that there may not be an inundation of Antichrist in the land And that is all the harm I wish unto it The Lord hath forgiven me many thousand talents and therefore I may wel forgive those few pence that are owing unto me I bless the lord I have nothing lying upon my conscience but I can unbosome my selfe to every one and to the throne of free grace in the simplicity of my spirit I have endeavoured to doe nothing but with a good conscience and through the integrity of my heart though accompanied with many frailties I desire to blesse the Lord my lot was rather in Ireland then here here I have been more known where I have given the Offence The Sheriffe again interrupted him Mr. Cooke replyes Sir I pray take notice of it I think I am the first man that ever was Hanged for demanding of Justice therefore I hope you will not interrupt me I suppose yon were there and doe bear me witnesse in your conscience that there was not any thing then that I did not communicate to the Court that I now speak upon the Ladder If you will believe the words of a dying man I say as I must give an account I have nothing lyeth upon my conscience We must all meet together at the great day of the Lord to give an account of all our Actions and then it will appear the Lord grant we may meet with Joy and Comfort I have a poor Wife and Child and some Friends left I desire you that came along with me to commend to them Esa 54.4.5 and 10. ver I hope the King and Parliament will consider our poor Friends as to their Estates you know that those Lords that formerly suffered under the Parliament did not loose all their Estates I hope there will be some consideration as to Justice least that our small Estates prove a poyson amongst their great deal and my poor Wife and Relations suffer The Lord grant that mercy may be shewed that mercy and righteousnesse may magnifie and exalt it self above Justice I shall not hold you long I shall desire in the fear of the Lord to give my self as in the 12 Rom. 1. A living Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable unto God which is but a reasonable service And so doe intreat that I may have a little time to call upon the Lord unlesse there be any thing more desired or any one to would ask me a question Truly I forgive all from my heart I have nothing upon my heart to accuse any of them withal I blesse the Lord I have a cleare Conscience I say it in the integrity and simplicity of my heart I doe now appeale to the great God to whom I must give an account of what I have done knowing that all my Guilt is washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ and before him I hope to appear and have nothing else to plead any thing at all for me And so I hope that I have declared my self with simplicity and integrity in a few words that you may understand my mind I shall speak a few words to the lord in prayer and shall not trouble you further Mr. Cookes Prayer MOst Glorious Majesty I beseech thee so to warm my Heart and fill it so full of the love of Jesus Christ that it may never be cool any more Oh that the Lord would now appear Graciously to shew himself a wonder working God in bearing up the Heart and Spirit of thy poor creature it is no matter how bitter the Cup is if the Lord give strength to drink it and no matter how heavy the Burden be if the Lord be at one End and uphold the other and bear the burden himself or lay no more upon his poor Children then they are able to bear the Lord give strength to all that are to bear this burden the Lord be with all that are yet to suffer in this cause and double and treble seven-fold of thy Spirit upon us let us not stand it out against our Reasons and Judgements and Consciences If any did pursue power and interest and did not look after the good of Gods poor People and the good of the Nations the Lord forgive them The Lord knows the Simplicity of the Hearts of his poor Servants that are gone before and of those that are to come after I desire that all thine may have hearts willing to suffer for thee to make confession of Faith in Christ Jesus I know is nothing I know it is not enough onely to confesse in Words to confesse in Doctrinall Evangelicall Truths and to confesse by a holy life and conversation and if the Lord call any of his poor Children to seale the truth with their blood yea their precious blood it is their duty also if the Lord Jesus had come down from the Crosse and had not shed
Oh it is infinitely better and to confirm that Testimony that is concerning thy glorious Will And thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven by me and all thine from henceforth and for evermore Amen Some Memorable Passages of Col. Adrian Scroope after his Condemnation and in his Imprisonment at Newgate which though they are but few may discover the excellent christian frame of his heart and how he was born up under so great Sufferings AFter his Condemnation one of his Children hanging upon him and weeping over him he said Peace Child peace be still not a word thou hast a blessed Portion Who would be troubled to dye for can any one have greater honour than to have his Soul carried up to Heaven upon the wings of the Prayers of so many Saints When the Jaylor called him and Mr. Scot Mr. Jones and Mr. Clement to go to the Dungeon saying Gentlemen you must got to the Room where Mr. Harrison was Sayes Colonel Scroop Must we all go He repleyed Yes At which laying his hand on his breast and elevating his eyes with a serious countenance said Blessed be God that we are not parted As he sate at Dinner he spoke to a Minister that was with them saying I would speak it for glory of God's Free-grace and and comfort of you all That my sins are all pardoned not one and in the strength of this will I go to Heaven Speaking to some Friends that came to visit him said I desire all the People of God to look at the Lords hand in this Dispensation and own his Soveraignity speak well of him what-ever he doth lie at his feet with their mouthes in the dust and live more in love and unity one with another A tall Gentleman coming into the Dungeon to see Col. Scroop the night before he dyed said to him Uncle I am sorry to see you in this condition and would desire you to repent of the Fact for which you are brought hither and stand to the Kings mercy and more words so the same effect Whereupon Col. Scroop put forth his hand and thrust him from him using these words AVOID SATAN When the time approached for his Execution Mr. Scot and Mr. Clement were first carried away in the Sleds and the same Sleds was afterwards to come and carry Col. Scroop and Col. Jones during that time sayes Col. Scroop Well Brother Jones do you spend your time as the Lord shall direct you I intend to take a little steep for I slept not well the last night and my Countenance is not so fresh as I would have it Thereupon he laid him down and slept so soundly that he snored very loud and so continued until the Sled came for him whereupon being awakened he riseth up and a Friend taking him in his Arms asked him how he did he answers Very well I thank God never better in all my life And now saith he will I wash mine hands in Innocency So will I compasse thine Altar O Lord And so with great chearfulness went to Execution Colonel Adrian Scroop and Colonel John Jones two comely ancient Gentlemen were both drawn upon that Sled which carried Mr. Scot and being come to Charing-Crosse the place of Execution Col. Scroop was first brought up to the Ladder where he spake as followeth Col. Scroop's Speech at Execution Octob. 17. 1660. YOu see an Object here that hath been in a better place but howsoever the Lord Jesus Christ hath sent me to this place that in this place I should die I have no Animosity nor Malice against any man nor ever had I neither have I any evil will to those that brought me hither nor to the Jury that found me guilty nor Judges that passed Sentence nor to him through whose means I was brought here to suffer I say once more the Lord forgive him I shall not name him for I come not hither to reflect upon any mans person I will not tell you what my Breeding hath been because it is not good for any man especially at such a time as this to boast of his Linage or Breeding But this I shall say that I was born and bred a Gentleman As for my Carriage it may be some that looks upon me here knows what it hath been Howsoever the Lord knows all and the Lord God is Judge of all and he will judge I shall submit my self to his Judgment which is a Righteous Judgment The judgement of men may go wrong but Gods Judgement is right I shall submit to his way The Lord he is the Rock of Ages and my Support under this great Weight that is now upon me I look up to him alone the Lord Jesus Christ is my Saviour and my Redeemer I am going into his Arms blessed be his Name I follow him he is gone before me the same way Therefore it is no reproach or shame to follow the Lord Jesus Christ to die in his Cause for that is it which I judge I am now going to do That which I do desire of you here are a great many Spectators both on the right hand and on the left is That this day may represent to you the general Day of the Judgement of Christ where you must appear and there every man must receive according to their works And at that time it will be known I say at that time it will be known and seen whose works are righteous and whose are not Therefore I would wish you and desire you to judge charitably of me Col. Scroop having given a brief account of himself to the People his last work was to give up himself to God in Prayer as follovveth O Lord thou art my Father a present help in trouble Thou art my Father I believe in Thee I come unto thee Lord Jesus that went unto thy Father and my Father thy God and my God and this is that which doth support my spirit and enable me to undergo this Death with chearfulness and readiness Lord thou knowest my heart and affections and my desires Oh deal not with me according to my sins I am a miserable wretched sinner If thou enter into Judgment who is able to stand before thee but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared O Lord let it be known and seen that there hath not been any heart in me to do any thing with Malice or Revenge or that might shew any Revenge If there be any Revenge on the other side the Lord lay it not to their charge The Lord blesse those in Authority the Lord blesse his Majesty that he may reign prosperously and that he may receive a blessing from the hand of the Lord. O Lord thou seest my failings my infirmities and weaknesses O Lord I beseech thee that thou wouldst bear with me thou art a tender-hearted Father Thou art my strength When my heart and my strength faileth then thou art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever O Lord be with me in