Ministery from the annoynting that doth beare witness to the Lord Jesus and hath his holy Spirit That testimony I desire to beare and that testimony I desire to stand faithfull in with integrity to the Lord Jesus as King of Saints and King of Nations And therefore it is I say to have a Majestracy as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning men fearing God and hating covetousness And that Ministery as doth preach the everlasting Gospell Here Mr. Sheriffe interrupted him saying 't is desired that you spend the rest of your time in preparing your selfe Another said you spend your self Sir in this discourse Another said it raines Then Mr. Carew said I will pray Mr. Carew his Prayer O most holy and most glorious and blessed God the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of all Glory The God of the spirits of all Flesh unto thee unto thee doth my soule desire to come through the new and living way even through Christ my Righteousnesse And in him and through him to be offered up by the Eternall spirit a living and acceptable Sacrifice in which thy soul delighteth O Lord thou knowest my frame and thou knowest my life and what a passage this is and what a wonderfull thing it is to enter into Glory And what a wonderful thing it is to stand before thee and to stand in thy presence O Father father let my soul be filled with thy joy and with peace in Believing O Let my heart be in heaven while my body is here and O Let me be joyned unto the Lord through thine own spirit before this separation be O Lord thou only art able to take hold of my Heart and Spirit poor Creatures may speak words to thee but Oh! it is thine own power and it is thine own spirit that must take hold of the heart it is thine own spirit that must carry through all and it hath heen thy spirit Blessed be thy Name that hath carryed me through many Tryals and many Temptations and many Difficulties that thy poor Worme hath met with in this Pilgrimage for many Years O Blessed by thy Name for all the Goodnesse and for all thy Grace and for all thy presence that hath been with thy poor Creature far and neer Oh! Blessed be thy Name that thou hast kept me in any measure faithful to â—…to thee and made me willing to lay down my life for thy â—…ous Work and Cause Oh Blessed be thy Name that the Lord and Christ that is at thy right hand hath bought me with his own most precious bloud He hath Redeemed me indeed Therefore it is but my reasonable service that I should be offered up a sacrifice to him my joy is in him and my confidence is in him that I shall be presented by him to my heavenly father O father when thy servant is to be presented before thee let him know what it is to finde mercy Let him know what it is to have Jesus Christ an Advocate and what it is to be presented before thee by such a Redeemer O that Jesus Christ might bid me welcome into the presence and may say to my soule Well done good and faithfull servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. O blessed Father it is not that I doe expect any thing from thee upon any account below the account of the Lord Jesus and wherein soever thou hast been glorified by thy poor servant it hath been by thine own power and thine own working O nothing unto thy poore creature is due but unto thy holy name be praise and glory O holy father behold thy work in the Kingdomes and behold the cause and interest of all thy people O doe thou revive it in thine own appointed time O doe thou strengthen the starts of thy poor Saints O scatter all clouds speak comfortably to their soules that they may be able to stand under all storms faithfull into the death and receive a Crown of life and glory O blesse the poor Saints in the City and blesse thy Saints in the Country and blesse thy Saints in the West O blesse thy sonnes and thy daughters O blesse all the meetings of thy people let the blessing of the Lord appear unto them let the glory of the Lord make haste let the glory of the Lord be upon these Nations O remember thy promise to thy ancient people the Jewes O let thy people be taught of thee O let these drie bones live O let the Spirit of life breath upon them O dear father let the fulnesse of the Jewes and of the Gentiles be brought in Let multitudes be gathered out of every Kindred and Tongue and Nation unto the Kingdome of Jesus Christ O Father Father advance thy Sonne set him as King upon the mountaine of thy holinesse give him all glory and power and dominion over the whole Heavens that thou hast promised according to thy word and covenant to give unto him that he may raigne in thine own word and law through his own Spirit for ever and ever Lord lord I desire thou wouldst gather up my soul O gather up my soule O Lord make this passage sweet O make it comfortable Lord Jesus thou hast taken away the sting of death and born the burden of all this shame and of all this reproach And thou hast given thy poor servant something of thy presence through the riches of thy grace this day O Lord now receive O open thine everlasting armes O now let me enjoy thy presence O God which I have desired to behold and see and to behold thy face in Jesus Christ O and now let me enjoy what thou hast prepared for me and fill me with the joyes that are at thy right hand and those pleasures that are in thy presence for ever more O thou lamb of God lead me to the everlasting Fountain that living fountain that is able to supply all our wants O Lord blesse blesse thy poor people O comfort them in this day Poure out sevenfold of thy Spirit for what thou dost take away in any of thy servants for thy holy Names sake O let the cause and kingdome of Christ be deare and precious in thy sight and live alwaies Lord little doe these poor creatures know or these Nations know what a controversie thou hast with them O that thou wouldest be pleased gratiously to spare this people spare thy people however and let them that love Zion and favour thy righteous cause be glad for ever and ever O now Father be neer to me doe thou receive my spirit take me into thine own glory take me into thine own glory let me know it is my portion let me know there is a Crown in the hand of Christ prepared for my soul O blessed Lord thou hast honoured thy poore creature and brought him hitherto O reward all the labours of love in any to him in bonds or death and give them a double reward into their own bosomes Reward it
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
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
behold the Lord Jesus Christ in glory with comfort and fulnesse of joy Col. JONES his Prayer BLessed Lord God Thou art the great Opener open unto my soul the Lord Jesus Christ who will lead me into the wayes of truth and life O God save me make good all the pledges of thy love unto my soul Oh make all the Promises which I have believed all the days of my life make them now good unto my soul giving me the full enjoyment of thy self I desire to bless and praise thy Name for this hour that thou hast brought me to Oh what am I poor worm that thou shouldest give me this oportunity to suffer for thy Name and to acknowledg thy Mercies before so great a Congregation at this place Holy Father Holy Father Oh that thou wouldest now rain down Blessings from Heaven upon thy poor creatures that do hear and behold this Action this day Oh that thou wouldest sanctifie this thing to them and let poor England be a Land of truth and happiness O Lord let England flourish And oh that thou wouldest make thy Angel of Light to go before thy people Good God we pray thee keep off those great Judgments that hang over the heads of these Nations because they have sinned against thee Through thy Name sanctifie us let not thy Name be reproached Dear Father receive my soul I am ready to come unto thee Blessed Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit thou hast redeemed me blessed be thy Name in that thou hast opened the treasures of thy love unto my poor soul Thou hast given me this hope whereof I need not be ashamed Blessed be thy Name my Spirit is full of joy Oh Holy Father holy Father I pray thee let thy blessing come down upon thy poor people Look upon me Holy Father Stretch out thine armes to carries me over this brook I pray thee stand by me Dear Father I cast my self into thy hand I commit my soul unto thee Then speaking to the Sheriff said Mr. Sheriff I must needs return you many Thanks for your Civility Sher. Repl. I am glad to hear such an Ingenuous Confession and that you make such an end and that you have not gone into any reviling language as some others have done before After this he committed his soul to God and so departed Something as to Mr. Gregory Clements take as followeth PErhaps some may think it strange that there is so little said as to Mr. Gregory Clement who suffered with the rest Therefore this only is to be saâ—… more which is known to many That Mr. Clement was very silent both in the time of his Imprisonment at Newgate and at the time and place of his Execution at Charing-Cross only this it is said that he exprest his trouble to some Friends in the Prison for yeelding so far to the Importunity of his Relations as to plead guilty to the Indictment And though he spoke little at the place of Execution yet so far as could be judged by some descerning persons that was near him he departed this life in peace Some Additional Passages of Col. Scroopes Col. Jones and Mr. Cooks with his Letter to his Daughter Some more Passages of Col. Scroope COl Scroope when a Friend asked him at parting the same day how he did answered him Better and better I thank God every moment my life doubles upon me and multiplies He also heard him say when mention was made that there was some Endeavours for his Pardon That only would prove a snare to him but he was fully satisfied what to do and should not to save his Life do any thing to prejudice his Conscience He also heard him when one was discoursing to him the Happiness of Heaven and telling him it consisted in three Things viz. A perfect Communion with God A perfect Conformty to God And a perfect Enjoyment of God He made this reply Those three Things you mention are but one we are entring into it and can tell And that Friend asking him futher about it he said That God was but one pure Act and in whom there was no succession nor distinction of Acts and that Souls led forth in his Spirit were in a manner made like to him for their Injoying was their Conformity and Communion and one was all In which he seemed to be swallowed up and even then gat so far into Heaven that all seemed to be but one Act with him Some Friends being present heard both him and Col. Jones say You can say God is better than all the World and say it truly but you cannot say it with so much feeling and experience as we now can we find he is so indeed Some more Passages of Col. Joh. Jones in Prison COL Jones the night before he suffered told a Friend he had no other Temptation upon him but this Lest he should be too much transported and carryed out to neglect and slight his Life so greatly was he satisfied to die in that Cause The day he suffered he grasped a Friend in his arms and said to him with some expressions of Endearedness Farewel I could wish thee in the same condition with my self that thou mightest share with me in my joyes Some more Passages of Mr Cook MR Cook speaking to his Wife a little before his Death said My Lamb now I am going where I shall meet the Saints all of one mind which thou knowest was the desire of my heart to see At another time saith he Truly my Lamb if I might have my choice now I would not desire Life for I could not live where I might not enjoy the Liberty of my Conscience and when I can do nothing for God what should I live for O welcome sweet Death thy sting is out blessed be God I do imbrace thee with rejoycing thou art a good Potter that will suddenly open to me the Gates of Eternity O those Everlasting Gates will my Father set open to receive me O blessed be God for Jesus Christ the fountain of all Mercies Lord Jesus I come flying to thee upon the wings of Faith I come Lord full-sail to thee Lord Jesus receive me That which the world counts shame saith he I count it my Joy my Crown and my Glory A little before he parted with his Wife she laying her head in his bosom and wept whereat he said My dear Lamb let us not part in a shower God hath wiped away all tears from my eyes blessed be the Lord. Mr. Cook 's Letter to his Daughter Octob. 15. 1660. A little before his Death To my dear Child Free-love Cook These with my most Fatherly endeared Love My dear sweet Child LEt thy Name Free-love put thee in mind of the free Love of God in Christ in giving thee to me and thy dear Mother and know so soon as God gives thee any understanding That thou art the Child of one whom God counted worthy to suffer for his sake and to seal to the Truth of his
spirit In most Towns where he came the Generality of the people Reviling him with such words as these hang him Rogue pistol him said others hang him up said some at Salisbury at the next sign-post without any further trouble Look said others how he doth not alter his Countenance but we believe he wil tremble when he comes to the Ladder This is the Rogue will have no King but Jesus Indeed the rage of the people all the way was such that had he not been indued with strength from on High he could not have under-gone the wicked and Barbarous Deportment and Carriage of the Giddy multitude which he was subjected to After he came to London and had many opportunities of Escape if he had thought it meet before he was sent to the Tower yet he would not knowing how much the Name and Glory of God was concerned in his faithful witnesse to the cause of Christ for which he was in Bonds And the truth is his joy in the Lord was such that when many came drooping in spirit to him by reason of the Gloominesse of this present dispensation they went away refreshed and comforted by those many Gracious words that came out of his mouth When word was brought him that Maj. General Harrison was dead he said well my turn will be next and as we have gone a long in our Lives so must we be one in our Death The Lord God grant that I may have strength from himself to follow couragiously to the last breath and that I may much honour and glorifie God whom I have made profession of I can do nothing of my self but my strength is in the Lord of Hosts who hath helped me from my beginning to this day and will help me to the end The night before he suffered some of his Natural Relation came to take their leave of him and when they were parting they shed some tears but when he perceived it said O my friends if you did know and feel what joy I have and what a Glorious Crown I shall receive from the hand of Christ for this work you would not Mourn but Rejoice that I am counted worthy to be a witnesse to this Cause and said further The Lord preserve you all from the portion of this Generation for assuredly There is great wrath from the Lord that will reach them to their destruction When Mr. L. came to take his leave of him he asked this Question viz. how it was with him he Answered very well I bless my God as to my interest in him I have not the least doubt but do know assuredly that when my soul shall be separated from this body I shall be taken into his presence where is fullness of joy c. And by Jesus Christ be presented to my Father without spot and blame in his own compleat and perfect righteousnesse which is free and not for any of mine own works for I am a poor sinful and wretched creature and compassed about with many infirmities And when it was asked him if he had any thing of conviction upon him as to what he was to suffer for he answered no not in the least for said he Though man have Condemned yet the Lord hath and doth justifie he added the Lord had justifyed it in the Field once already in this Nation but that is now accounted as a thing of Nought but he will again do it with a Witnesse and prayed that the Lord would deliver him viz. Mr. L. from that Judgement that was at hand by which he would do it To this effect spake he also to many that did quere with him about this matter being told that his Nephew and some others were doing their utmost for his Reprieve he replyed that there is nothing to be done For the Sheriffe hath brought me word just now that I must Dye to morrow and that there was some that desired I might not be Quartered but it would not be granted But Death is nothing to me let them Quarter my body never so much God will bring all those pieces together again It was asked him if he had assurance of the love of God he said yea yea he had Fought a good Fight and had overcome and he was ready to suffer the will of God One asked him if he thought there would be a Resurrection of the Cause he Answered he Dyed in the Faith of that as much as he did that his body should rise again if he did not believe that he should not be so cheerfull at the Sentence of death he said also he had not the least regret or disturbance on his spirit about that for which he was to die for what he did was of the Lord if it were to be done again he wold do it And the way they took to suppresse and destroy those that did not think the Kings person Sacred their blood will make many hundreds more perswaded of the truth of it it was grievous to him to hear how at his Tryal they blasphemed God and his people but he was resolved he would own the Lord among them which they could not bear Therefore they were so violent against him he said the Gospell was going from London Popery and Superstition c. was coming in and it would be a rare thing to find a professor of religion in London shortly he incouraged those about him to keep close to the Lord in this evil day Oh! said he who would have thought some yeers since that Poper and Formality should have been let in again to these Nations he said they were so Barbacus they would not allow him some small time to take a little Rest before he was to suffer which was all he needed or desired of them For he was much tired with speaking to company which came continually in He desired to be remembred to some Friends and tell them That this was the last Beast and his Rage was great because his time was short Some more Expressions he uttered to this effect But in all his words and manner of speaking he manifested the highest Christian Magnanimity and holy Greatnesse of mind and such a spirit of joy and glory rested upon him even to astonishment It was asked if he apprehended his confidence would contniue to the death he said he was not strong in his own strength but in the Lord's strength which he still relied upon And he said to one by him will you not see how God will carry me through next day and desired prayers for him One asked him what he thought of this severe hand of God He said that which was hid secret in the bosome of the Father should be manifested in due time Oh! said he it grieves me to think how Popery is coming upon us like a flood in this poor Nation and the great judgement that will follow But the Lord will be a hiding place for his poor people untill the indignation be overpast let not our enemies think
his chosen ones to glory That he should take pleasure to send his own Sonne out of his bosome who was the delight of his soule and bruise him for our sinnes yet it pleased the Father to bruise him The most holy and righteous God that had but one Sonne one onely begotten Sonne that was the delight of his soule and should take pleasure to bruise him that we might be healed and laid stripes upon him that we might be healed oh the height and depth oh the length and bredth of the love of God in Christ Jesus unto poor souls Oh! this is that the Angels do desire to stoope down and looke into and to know more of this great mystery of the love of God in Christ and that God should take upon him the nature of man and put him into that glorious union with his own Sonne and that he should leave the Angels though Christ was made a little lower then they for suffering death for us yet now because the nature of man is united to the Godhead by vertue of that marriage and unâ—on we become the sonnes of God and heirs of glory Those that are adopted by Jesus Christ are brought neer to the Throne of glory are in a high and glorious communion and fellowship with the Father and Spirit owned of all the holy Angels And therefore they doe stand without the Throne as in severall places of the Revelations and round about the Elders and round about those that were given to the Lambe as in the fifth of the Revelations and many other Scriptures they stand without but there is another company within which is the 24 Elders and four living creatures they fall down and worship God they are neerer then the Angels Oh! who hath credited who hath believed this report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Oh! how many professors are there in this day in this Nation that call upon the name of Christ and that say they shall be saved by Christ and doe live and trust most in their awn works and righteousness and never come to the knowledge and understanding of this great mystery of the love of God in Christ who never received those teachings from the Anointing and according to the new covenant where it is promised that they shall be all taught of God all the children of God shall be taught of him and there is no one can teach these but the Father none can draw them to the Sonne but the Father and no man can come to the Father but through the Sonne and this great mysterie is both by the light and opperation of the holy Spirit who makes the new creature in the soule o that God would poure out of his holy Spirit that God would poure out the Spirit of the new Covenant and the spirit of the Gospel and the spirit that can declare the mystery of Gods word in the Spirit and that he hath made manifest through Jesus Christ oh there is much talking and speaking in the name of Christ and how many men spend little time in getting evidences in the power and demonstration of the Spirit and come to apprehend God in Christ that speake of him Oh! time are few of these the Lord knows O that the annoynting may be poured out more now according to this faith in the way of this grace and in this love of God even in the electing love of the Father and in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ according to the purchased possession that he hath obtained through his own righteousnesse wherein God hath been just also in justifying the ungoldy and among them such a poore simple piece of dust and ashes as I have been and have to this day little glorified my father and yet I can call him father through some measure of his spirit and father according to the spirit of adoption to and can say the Lord Jesus hath given himselfe for me and I take the Lord Jesus Christ as the great gift of the Father desiring to bear witnesse of that love and of that wonderfull grace and glory that he hath made me partaker of in and through him Oh! blessed be the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who hath called me to this hope and who hath made me partaker of this glory that the Saints an enlightned in And now I long to see the face of this father and of his Sonne though I have such a number of sinnes in me and though I have an interest in him and can call him Father at any time without doubt and in full assurance of faith in the holy Spirit yet if Jesus Christ were not there to present me faultlesse before the presence of God I should be afraid to appear e before him but he is able to doe it and therefore saith the Apostle Now unto him that is able to save you and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy c. I am a poore sinfull piece full of iniquity laden with many burdens that have a body of death that I carry about me and I am now about to lay it down and my soule shall enter into eternall life and be made perfect in a moment through the mighty power of God that hath wrought that glorious work of raising Christ from the dead Oh! all my strength and all my joy and all my life is in Christ and in him alone and I have a righteousnesse already of his working according to his owne grace and according to his own mighty power and according to his own mercy that he hath been pleased to worke in me and so hath been pleased to keep me in a very wicked and in a very evill day by the power of his grace And I desire to glorifie my father and many years have I been in that worke that hath been of late in this Nation few and evill have been the daies of my pilgrimage but I have desired to serve the Lord with faithfulnesse and in the integrity of my soule without prejudice against any creature and it hath been the desire of my soule to approue my selfe faithfull towards God and towards man and what I have done I have done it in obedience to the Lord that I had in my eye and in my heart There are many things laid upon many of those that professe the Kingdome and glorious appearane of Jesus Christ as if they were enemies to Magistracy and Ministery and as if so be we were for the destruction of the Lawes and properties of mankind therefore shall I speak a few words unto that And if indeed we were such we were fit to be turned out of the World as some now think they should doe God good service in sending such poore creatures quickly from hence There is no such thing I desire to beare witnesse to the true Majestracy that Majestracy that is in the Word of the Lord. And that true Ministery which Ministery is a
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
was not come saying why staieth the wheeles of his chariot why doe they drive so heavily I am ready blessed be God I have nothing to due but to die Word being brought that the Sheriffe was come he makes hast to be gone and his wife stepping after him tooke him by the arme whereupon he said O doe not hinder me from going to Jesus Christ And then with a chearfull countenance taking leave of his friends he went to the sledge that carried him whereon was also carried the head of Major Gen. Tho. Harrison with the face bare towards him and notwithstanding that dismall sight he passed rejoycingly through the streets as one born up by that Spirit which man could not cast down Being come to the place of execution when he was taken out of the sledge he said this is the easiest chariot that ever I rid in in all my life Being come upon the ladder and the rope put about his neck he rejoyced saying Blessed be the name of God that I am bound for the sake of Christ Then his work was to addresse himself to God and to that end said if you please I shall speak a few words to God in prayer Mr. Cookes prayer before his speech Most glorious Majesty this day is a representation of that great day when all thy poore people shall meet together multitudes multitudes in the valley of derision Thy poor poor servant is now come to pay the debt which he oweth to nature blessed be thy name that thou hast prepared him for it blessed be thy name sweet Jesus blessed be thy name O that all thy poor people that are here if possible may feel something of that divine power and assistance of God that thy poore servant now feels at this time blessed be thy name I am a poor creature a poor sinner and the Lord might justly withdraw from me and leave me to horrour and fearedness if he should deale with me in justice But this hath not been his method blessed be his name to leave and forsake his poor servant Lord let thy blessing be upon us at this time and let thy blessing be upon England and let thy blessing be upon all these Nations and let thy blessing be upon all that are here Assist O Lord by thy divine power give us to see much of thy power and let not this meeting be in vain but let every one here receive benefit thereby to the praise and glory of thy great name and the everlasting salvation of all our soules if it be thy blessed will through Jesus Christ our Lords Having ended his first prayer he applies himselfe to the Shieriffe and spectators in this following speech Mr. Shieriffe and Gentlemen The most glorious sight that ever was seen in the world was our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Crosse and the most glorious sight next to that is to see any poor creature suffer for him in his cause I desire to speake a few words briefly to let you understand what a glorious worke the Lord hath been pleased to accomplish upon my spirit I blesse the Lord I have ransacked into every corner of my heart and I have searched into all my sinnes actual and original secret and open known and unknown so farre as the Lord hath discovered them to me and I have confessed them all with a penitentiall bleeding heart and contrite spirit blessed be his name he hath been pleased to come in abundant manner and hath been pleased to shew me that the onely remedy is the blood of Christ and I have blessed be the Lord applied that precious blood to my poor soul and have laid hold upon a Christ by a true and lively faith and there is a sweet calme and serenity in my soul and conscience blessed be thy name I desire to glorifie God and to give him the glory of all and to take shame unto my selfe for any sinnes that I have ever committed that I know to be sinne and therefore I desire to rejoyce in the God of my salvation as Isai 61 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garment of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels Even so the Lord delighteth in me And as the earth bringeth forth her buds and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all Nations And Isaiah 43.9 10. Ye are my witnesses saith the Lord I doe desire to bear a testimony unto God and to Jesus Christ for justice and truth and righteousness and holinesse The Lord knows I have no malice upon my heart against any man or woman living upon the face of the earth neither against Jury that found me guilty nor Court that passed sentence I desire freely to forgive every one from the bottom of my heart And as concerning this great dispensation you may it may be desire to hear something of it Truly I say as to the Kings Majesty I have not any hard thoughts concerning him my prayer shall be for him that his Throne may be upheld by truth and by mercy for by mercy as Prov. 23. the Throne is upheld But I must needs say that poore we have been bought and sold by our brethren as Joseph was Brother hath betrayed brother to death and that Scripture is in a great measure fulfilled Matth. 10.21 The father against the sonne and the sonne against uhe father and brother shall deliver up brother to death I desire for my own part to kisse the rod and I doe desire if it may please the Kings Majesty that no more blood may be shed after miae it may be the Lord wil put it into his own breast Here is a poor brother comming I am afraid that he is not fit to die at this time I could wish that his Majesty might shew some mercy The Shieriffe interrupted in words to this effect let that alone for the Kings Majesty hath clemency enough for all but his fathers murtherers Mr. Cooke replied then I shall proceed to speak something concerning my profession and faith which I bless the Lord is founded upon the rock Christ Jesus I doe not expect salvation for any thing I have ever done but onely lay hold upon Christ as a naked Christ and there to bottome my soule I can say to the praise and glory of God that I have endeavored in my place and to my power to doe that which might be to Gods glory according to the best of my understanding I have stood for a Gospel Magistracy and Ministry and that many delays in the law might be removed and that thing I have much suffered for I say its good both for King and people that many delays in matter of justice should be removed and that publique justice
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
sweetly born up under his suffering and had a very comfortable assurance that God had pardoned and accepted him in the blood of Christ he had been a professor of Religion many years in the Presbyterian way and a great lover of godly Ministers a man of just and honest conversation amongst men and one that desired to walke blameless in the sight of God his fellow prisoner did say he did believe that Col. Hacker had an interest in Jesus Christ Col. Hacker declared to severall of his own friends a little before he suffered that the greatest trouble he had upon his spirit was that he had formerly born too great a prejudice in his heart towards the good people of God that differed from him in judgement And then broke forth into this admiration O what am I poore vile worme that God should count me worthy to suffer with such precious soules as these are against whom I have been formerly so much prejudiced And thus these two gracious persons having finished their course and the time of their departure being at hand were both brought forth of prison the sledge being ready for them they took their leave of some friends that stood at the door and Col. Axtell desired them to be at the place of execution and both entring the sledge they cast up their eyes toward that God to whom they were comming then with a chearfull countenance setting themselves down they were drawn to Tyburne the place of execution where a cart was set ready into which they both ascended their countenance not at all changed though now the King of terror stared them in the face the Ropes being then put about their necks and a burning fire kindled before their faces and being there ready to receive that sentence which nature would have sunk under if grace had not supported first Col. Axtel applies himself to the Sheriffe in these following words Col. Axtels speech at Tyburne Octob. 19. 1660. Mr. Shieriffe I am now as you see come to the place of execution according to my sentence I desire your leave that I may speak freely and without interruption first to this people and then to God for it is the last that I shall speak in this world and I hope it will redowne to your account Mr. Shieriffs reply Sir you know what the Court prohibited you to speak and what was spoken at the barre of the Court was there desided therefore t is needless to repeat it here I hope you will keep to the present businesse that concerns you and not goe out into impertinences and because you have but a little time spend it to your best advantage and the good of the people and then you shall not be interrupted Or to the same effect Col Axtel begins I say the very cause for which I have engaged is contained in this book of God having the Bible in his hand both in the civil and religious rights of it which I leave to you giving the book to Mr. Knowles You see a dead man living and yet I hope I shall live to all eternity through the mediation of Jesus Christ the Mediator of the covenant of free grace I must truly tell you that before 〈◊〉 late wars it pleased the Lord to call me by his grace through the work of the Ministery and afterwards keeping a day of humiliation in fasting and prayer with Mr. Simeon Ash Mr. Love Mr. Woodcocke and other Ministers in Laurence-lane they did so clearly state the cause of the Parliament that I was fully convinced in my own conscience of the justness of the warre and thereupon engaged in the Parliament service which as I did and doe believe was the cause of the Lord I ventured my life freely for it and now die for it Then Mr. Shieriffe said to this purpose Sir remember your selfe Col. Axtell proceeds And after the work of the Lord was done in England my lot cast me in the service of Ireland and I thank the Lord I was serviceable to the English Nation in that Country and have discharged my duty fully according to the trust committed to me there As for the Fact for which I now suffer it is for words onely for words and but for words and the sentence is already reversed in my own conscience and it will be reversed by Jesus Christ by and by I pray God from the very bottome of my soul to forgive all that have had any hand in my death both Witnesses and Jury and the Court that passed sentence for considering the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ as he hath laid it down Matth. 5.44 It hath been said of old time love your Neighbours and hate your Enemies But I say unto you love your Enemies and pray for them that hate and despitefully use you that you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven I desire according to this Doctrine from the bottome of my heart that God would give them true repentance and not lay their sin to their charge nor my blood which by Gods law and mans I think could not justly have been brought here to suffer But I blesse God I have some comfortable assurance that I shall be embraced in the Arms of Christ and have cause to hope that his spirit shall carry my soul into the Fathers hands And if the Glory of this Sunshine be so great the Sun then shining bright how much more is the glory of the Son of God who is the Son of righteousnessse I thinke it convenient to give you some Account of my Faith I believe all things written in the Old and New Testament as the principles and doctrine of a believers Faith I believe the blessed Ordinances of Christ that it is our duty to hear the word preached to seek unto God in prayer and to performe Family duties and to walk in the Communion of Saints and for my own part I am a Member of a Congregation which I judge to be the way of Christ and were it for that only I were to dye I could witnesse to it which is a company of men born again by his grace that walk in the ways of Christ blamelesse and harmlesse I believe Jesus Christ dyed for poor sinners of whom I am chief as the Apostle Paul saith this is a faithfully saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe And if the Apostle might say so much more may I. My friends and Countreymen I have reason to bewail my own unprofitable life having been very unfruitful unto the people of the Lord the Lord knows I have much fault upon my heart were it not for the blood of Christ that cleanseth and washeth me according to his promise saying I loved you and washed away your sins in own blood For there is no remission of sins without the blood of Christ I desire you all to loath and cast off sinne it were better to suffer then
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