Religion may flourish under him I also return thanks to God and the Reverend Clergy that assisted me in my Imprisonment ALICIA LISLE A Letter Writ by Mr. John Hicks Oct. 5. the Day before his Death My Dear Nephew I Am yet in the Land of the Living though in the Mouth of Death I having been concern'd for you next to my own Children before I die I thought fit to write two or three Lines to you as a Manifestation of my great Love to you I earnestly desire the Welfare of you here and to Eternity hereafter next to my own Wife and Children you will want me when I am gone but I hope the Lord will take care of you make it your business to walk with him to serve him faithfully flee youthful Lusts and Remember your Creatour in the Days of your Youth be deeply concern'd to have your Heart and Nature chang'd and an interest in Christ secur'd unto you Death comes suddenly you know not when where nor how you shall die Let time therefore be most precious to you fill it up with Work and Duty Live by Faith more than by Sense and this will stand by you when you come to die Seek the things which are above and set your Affections upon them have your Conversation in Heaven whilst you are upon Earth When you see your Parents give my dear Love to them and their Children the Lord grant that we may meet in his Everlasting Kingdom When you see any of your Cousins give my dear Love to them and be not asham'd of my Sufferings I wrote last Saturday was a Seven-Night to my Brother George but whether he is at London or Worcester I know not I wrote to him to desire him to Petition the King that some Favour and Mercy might be shewed me if he thought fit Things that are made to aggravate my Crime I am clear from as that I perswaded the Duke of M. to assume the Title of King at Taunton when I was not there with him nor in 13 days after he came into England and that I rode too and fro in the West to perswade People to go into his Army when I was in the East and came from thence to him in the West but my Nonconformity cuts me and obstructs the Kings Mercy from being Extended to me as I am told but the Will of the Lord be done the Life to come is infinitely better than this Many more things are laid to my charge which I am no more guilty of than your self If your Uncle be in Town go speedily to him and give him my Dear Love I Pray for you who am Your most Affectionate Vncle J. H. Octob. 5. 1684. A Letter to his Wife Sept. 23. 1684. My Dearest Love I Hope you received a few Lines from me by the way of London once more I write to you by our faithful and trusty Friend W. D. who hath been at Exon. If there be need for it he knows many of my Dear and Faithful Friends there who wish you would come and live among them and if your Estate fail I think it very adviseable so to do I hope God will stand by you and defend you My Dear see me in God as I must you I must now bid adieu unto all Earthly and Worldly Comforts and all the Pleasant and Delightful Objects of Sence I bless God for all present Mercies and Comforts hitherto I have had what will be after this day I know not but the Will of the Lord be done My Dear be very cautious not to speak one Word least it be wrested to wrong Sence which may ruine you I have not writ what I would of this Nature take the Advice of Friends and of what I send by our Friend O let not the Everlasting Arms of God be with-drawn from you one Moment and let him strengthen you with all Might according to his Glorious Power and to all Patience and Long-Suffering with Joyfulness Pray hard for Victory over Passion and be much in private Closet-Prayer with God and often read the Holy Bible and other good Books the Lord continually guide direct and counsel you My dear I return you a thousand thanks for all the Love you have shew'd me and my Children and particularly for the high and great Demonstration you have given thereof in this day of my distress I hope my Daughters will be as dutiful to you and be as much concern'd for your comfort and welfare as if you had travelled with them and brought them into the World God bless my Dear Little-Ones and them together I shall dye their most Affectionate and Praying Father God I hope will uphold support and comfort me at the last hour and enable me to overcome the Temptations I shall violently be assaulted with before I Die God by his Infinite and freest Mercies in Christ Jesus Pardon all the neglect of Relative Duties which I have bitterly lamented and bewail'd before God with all the Sins I am guilty of for the sake of our Dearest Lord and Redeemer the Lord make you grow in all Grace more than ever and make this great Affliction so humbly Purifying and Spiritualizing to you as well as me that it may work for us both a far more Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory let him take your Soul into his most dearest Embraces and lodge it in the Bosom of his Love here and make us to meet in the full and Everlasting Fruition and Enjoyment of him hereafter though it is dangerous for you to vindicate that I die for yet be not too much cast down for it I will say no more as to that My hearty and affectionate Respects to all my Dear Friends I need not name them I hope to meet them with your self to inherit Eternal Life through the Merits of Christ's Death Farewel my Dear farewel in the Lord until we meet to be Marry'd to him for ever my Heart is as full of Love tâ—…e as it was the first day I Marry'd thee and if God sparâ—…ife it should have been as fully manifested until Death therefore I rest Your most Affectionate and Endeared Husband J. H. Sept. 23. 1684. Another Letter My Dearest Love I Received your Letter by Mr. Skinner I Bless God that you and my Babes are well the Lord continue their Lives to be a Blessing and Comfort to you and enable you to see them well Educated in the Fear of God and when God takes me away let him be a Husband to guide direct succour comfort and support you and to lodge your Soul in the Bosom of his Love and let him be a Father to them and their Portion for ever Monday last my Brother went to London to try what could be done for me what the success will be I know not I desire the Lord every day to prepare me for Death and carry me above the Fear of it by the discoveries of his everlasting love unto my Soul and clearing up my Right and Title to
The Second and Last COLLECTION OF THE Dying Speeches LETTERS and PRAYERS c. Of those EMINENT Protestants Who Suffered in the WEST of ENGLAND And Elsewhere UNDER THE CRUEL SENTENCE Of the late Lord Chancellour THEN Lord Chief Justice JEFFERYS WITH An Account of their Undaunted Courage at the Barr and afterwards with the most remarkable Circumstances that attended their EXECUTION WITH ALLOWANCE LONDON Printed for John Dunton at the Black Raven in the Poultrey over against the Compter and are to be Sold by R. Janeway in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noster-row 1689. The Second and Last COLLECTION OF THE Dying Speeches LETTERS and PRAYERS c. OF Those Eminent Protestants who Suffered in the West of England and elsewhere A short Recollection of some Passages of Mr. William Jenkins who Suffered at Taunton Septemb. 30. 1685. A Friend discoursing to him at Dorchester about his Pardon and telling him the doubtfulness of obtaining it he replyed Well Death is the worst they can do and I bless God that will not surprize me for I hope my great work is done At Taunton being advised to govern the Airiness of his Temper telling him it made People apt to Censure him as Inconsiderate of his Condition to which he Answered Truly this is so much my natural temper that I cannot tell how to alter it but I bless God I have and do think seriously of my eternal Concerns I do not allow my self to be vain but I find Cause to be chearful for my Peace is made with God through Jesus Christ my Lord this is my only ground of Comfort and Chearfulness the security of my Interest in Christ for I expect nothing but Death and without this I am sure Death would be most dreadful but having the good hope of this I cannot be melancholly When he heard of the Triumphant Death of those that suffered at Lyme he said This is is a good incouragement to depend upon God Then speaking about the mangling of their Bodies he said Well the Resurrection will restore all with great advantage the 15th Chap. of the first of Corinthians is Comfort enough for all Believers Discoursing much of the certainty and felicity of the Resurrection at another time he said I will as I think I ought use all lawful means for the saving of my Life and then if God please to forgive my sins I hope I shall as chearfully embrace Death Upon the Design of attempting an Escape he said We use this means for the preserving of our Lives but if God is not with us in it it will not effect it it is our business first to seek to him for Direction and Success if he sees good with resigning our Lives to him and then his Will be done After the Disappointments when there was no Prospect of any other Opportunity he spake much of the Admirableness of God's Providence in those things that seem most against us bringing the greatest good out of them for said he We can see but a little way God is only wise in all his Disposals of us if we were left to chuse for our selves we should chuse our own Misery Afterwards Discoursing of the Vanity and Unsatisfyingness of all things in this World he said It is so in the enjoying we never find our Expectations answered by any thing in it and when Death comes it puts an end to all things we have been pursuing here Learning and Knowledge which are the best things in this World will then avail nothing nothing but an Interest in Christ is then of any worth One reading to some of his Fellow-prisoners Jer. 42. 12. I will shew mercy unto you that he may have mercy upon you and cause you to return to your own Land he said Yes we shall but not in this World I am perswaded September the 29th at Night after he heard he must Dye the next Morning he was exceedingly Composed and Chearful expressing his satisfaction in the Will of God The next Morning he was still more spiritual and chearful discovering a very sweet serenity of Mind in all that he said and did Whilst he was waiting for the Sheriff reading the Scriptures Meditating and Conversing with those about him of Divine things amongst other things he said I have heard much of the Glory of Heaven but I am now going to behold it and to understand what it is Being desired to Disguise himself to attempt an Escape he said No I cannot tell how to disturb my self about it and methinks it is not my business now I have other things to take up my thoughts if God saw good to deliver me he would open some other door but seeing he has not it is more for the honour of his Name we should dye and so be it One saying to him that most of the Apostles dyed a violent Death he replyed Nay a greater than the Apostles our Lord himself dyed not only a shameful but a painful Death He further said This manner of Death hath been the most terrible thing in the World to my thoughts but I bless God now I am neither afraid nor ashamed to dye He said The parting with my Friends and their grief for me is my greatest difficulty but it will be but for a very short time and we shall meet again in endless Joys where my dear Father is already enter'd him shall I presently joyfully meet Then musing with himself a while he with an extraordinary seriousness sung these two Verses of one of Herbert's Poems Death is still working like a Mole Digging my Grave at each remove Let Grace work so on my Soul Drop from above Oh come for thou dost know the way Or if to me thou wilt not move Remove me where I need not say Drop from above He then read the 53d of Isaiah and said he had heard many blessed Sermons from that Chapter especially from the 16 th Verse All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way but the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all seeming to intimate some Impress made on his Soul from them but was interrupted then he said Christ is all When the Sheriff came he had the same chearfulness and serenity of Mind in taking leave of his Friends and in the Sledge which seemed to increase to the last as those present have affirmed joyning in Prayer and in singing a Psalm with great appearance of Comfort and Joy in his Countenance insomuch that some of his Enemies that had before Censured his chearfulness for unthoughtfulness of his Danger and therefore expected to see him much surprized now professed they were greatly Astonish'd to see such a Young Man leave the World and go through Death as he did The last Words of Coll. Richard Rumball with remarks of what past at his Tryal in Edinburgh Jan. 26. 1685. ABout Eleven of the Clock he was brought from the Castle to the Justices Court in a great Chair upon a Man's Back where at first
and to be given to the Embraces of my Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever Learn not to repine at the Holy Determination of an Infinite Wise God but rest satisfied in his Will knowing that he doth all things for the best to them that fear him Weep not for me who am only changing this World of Temptation of Troubles and Affliction it hath pleased God to call me a little before you but you must soon follow after keep therefore the Fear of God before your Eyes and then you will have cause to rejoyce and not to mourn when at the time of Departure you may have cause to say with me I have run my Race I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Glory which fadeth not away which that you may be able to say is the Hearty Prayer of Your Friend and Servant Josias Askew The Account his Friend gives of him TO prevent your further Trouble in suing for a Pardon I think it convenient to let you know I do not question but my Dear Cousin hath had his Pardon Sealed by the King of Kings and is in Everlasting Blessedness Singing Hallelujahs Salvation Glory and Honour to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever For God did so carry him through to drink that bitter Cup with so much Courage and Chearfulness to the last as was to the Admiration of all Spectators notwithstanding the terrible Sight he saw at the place of Suffering and so vehemently as he was tried by the Adversary yet it did not in the least dis-compose him or alter his Countenance for he continued with a smiling Countenance to the last and was transported above Measure I want Words to express it he was like one wrapt up in Heaven with his Heart there and his Eyes fixed thereon I could wish you had been there it would have driven away all cause of Sorrow from your Heart and to see his Deportment and hear the Gracious Words that proceeded out of his Mouth He remembreth his Duty to you both and left Pauls Blessing with you Grace Mercy and Peace his Love to his Dear Sister he desires her not to be troubled for him for he hath made his Peace with God and was assured he should go to Eternal Happiness he would have Written more to you and to his Sister but that he had so short a time after Sentence that he wanted Opportunity when he went out of Prison he said Gentlemen Now I am going and it is the time I much longed for I would not change with him that passed Sentence upon me for a World. I was with him to the last and seeing his Courage did very much encourage me though I never saw such a Sight with my Eyes Next followes many Excellent Hymns made by several Worthy Persons that were Prisoners for the sake of Christ TRiumphing Songs with glorious Tongues Let 's offer unto him That loved so to undergo The product of our Sin. Leaving his Throne from Heaven came down Sinners for to Redeem From Hell and Wrath and second death Christ underwent great pain His side was gor'd his hands was bor'd His feet was nailed down And all was for the Redemption Of sinful wicked Man. O how straitned prest and pained Was Christ to be Baptized And in Affliction to be plunged His Body Sacrificed Let God be blest for Jesus Christ Who is our splendid King Hallelujahs sweet with spirit meet High praises to him sing For Blood for Wounds for Love whose bounds Extended unto all For scoffs and smites for jeers for flouts Which upon Christ did fall Now Christ haste unto us again Thy Scepter for to sway Thy Kingdom come thy will be done Come Jesus come away With glorious bands and shining trance Of Angels in the Skye Which forth shall sing Triumphing Songs With sweet Hallelujah Set up thy standard and prepare War against Babylon For her destruction draweth near As here we read her doom Lord blow the Trumpet and awake The Nations round about Stir up the spirit of the Meeds Which did old Babel rout For Babel must drink of that Cup Which Sion deep did wound Jerusalem did first begin And so the Cup goes round But Babel must drink up the dregs Of Wrath which do remain With which no mixture she shall have To mitigate her pain For 't is the vengeance of our God And of his Temple too The vials that fill up his Wrath The three last Trumpets wo. When Jacob as a battel AX In great Jehovah's hand Shall break down all those Mountains tall That in his way do stand O then let us Rejoyce because The time appointed is That Babel shall be seen to fall And Sion shine in Bliss Our Lord draws near as doth appear By Signs by him fore-told Then Virgins come meet your Bridegroom His Wonderous Works behold The Night grows dark be still and hark What is the Bridegrooms Voice That when the Cry comes swiftly by It may your Hearts rejoyce Your Light grows dim arise and trim Your Lamps from all their Soyl And see your Light shines clear and bright Supply'd with Gospel-Oyl Some Virgins now do Sleepy grow And don't their Vessels fill Nor fear a want when Oyl grows scant And none be found to sell And at Mid-night all in a Fright Oyl-shops they cannot find And none will spare out of his share And so they are left behind Thus Foolish sleep in dangers deep And think their Lord delays But his own Bride hath surely spide Some of his Glorious Rayes And will not sleep unless she keep Her Watch-lights burning still With Oyl in store layd up therefore Let him come when he will. And though her Garments had some rents And spots not perfect white Yet they 'll be cleans'd or quickly chang'd For Rayments of Delight With her Bridegroom she will find room In Chambers of his Love When the Unwise he will despise And them from him remove THE Earl of Argyle's LAST SPEECH June the 30th 1685. JOB tells us Man that is born of a Woman is of few Dayes and full of Trouble and I am a clear Instance of it I shall not now say any thing of my Sentence or Escape about three Years and a half agoe nor of my Return lest I may thereby give Offence or be tedious Only being to end my dayes in your Presence I shall as some of my last Words assert the Truth of the matter of Fact and the Sincerity of my Intentions and Professions that are Published That which I intend mainly now to say is To express my humble and I thank God chearful Submission to his Divine Will and my willingness to Forgive all men even my Enemies and I am heartily well satisfied there is no more Blood spilt and I shall wish the Stream thereof may stop at me And that if it please God to say as to Zerubbabel Zech. 4. 6. Not by might nor by Power