Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A63959
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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 : never before published.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing T3372A; Wing D2956_CANCELLED; ESTC R42261
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33,759
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40
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mercy but only in the Free Grace of God by the Application of the Blood of Jesus my dearest and only Saviour to my poor sinful Soul my Distresses have been exceeding great as to my eternal State but through the infinite Goodness of God tho I have many sins to answer for yet I hope and trust as to my particular that Christ came for this very end and purpose to relieve the Oppressed and to be a Physitian to the sick I come unto thee O blessed Jesus refuse me not but wash me in thine own Blood and then present me to thy Father as righteous What tho my sins be as Crimson and of a Scarlet dye yet thou canst make them as white as Snow I see nothing in my self but what must utterly ruine and condemn me I cannot answer for one action of my whole Life but I cast my self wholly upon thee who art the Fountain of Mercy in whom God is reconciling himself to the World the greatest of Sins and Sinners may find an All-sufficiency in thy Blood to cleanse them from all sin O dearest Father of Mercy look upon me as righteous in and through the imputed righteousness of thy Son he hath payed the debt by his own offering up himself for sin and in that thy Justice is satisfied and thy Mercy is magnified Grant me thy love O dearest Father assist me and stand by me in the needful hour of Death give thy Angels charge over my poor Soul that the Evil One may not touch nor hurt it Defend me from his power deliver me from his rage and receive me into thine Eternal Kingdom in and through the alone Merits of my dearest Redeemer for whom I praise thee To whom with thy self and Holy Spirit be ascribed all Glory Honour Power Might and Dominion for ever and for ever Amen Dear Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen R. Nelthrope Newgate October 29. 1685. Mrs. Gaunt's Speech written the day before her Sufferings NOT knowing whether I should be suffer'd or able because of weaknesses that are upon me through my hard and close Imprisonment to speak at the place of Execution I writ these few lines to signifie That I am well reconciled to the way of my God towards me though it be in ways I looked not for and by terrible things yet in righteousness having given me Life he ought to have the disposing of it when and how he pleases to call for it and I desire to offer up my All to him it being but my reasonable Service and also the first Terms that Jesus Christ offers that he that will be his Disciple must forsake all and follow him and therefore let none think hard or be discouraged at what hath happened unto me for he doth nothing without cause in all he hath done unto us he being holy in all his wayes and righteous in all his works and 't is but my lot in common with poor desolate Sion at this day Neither do I find in my heart the least regret for what I have done in the service of my Lord and Master Jesus Christ in succouring and securing and of his poor Sufferers that have shewed favour to his righteous Cause which Cause though now it be fallen and trampled upon as if it had not been annointed yet it shall revive and God will plead it at another rate than ever he hath done yet and reckon with all its opposers and malitious haters and therefore let all that love and fear him not omit the least Duty that comes to hand or lies before them knowing that now it hath need of them and expects they shall serve him And I desire to bless his holy Name that he hath made me useful in my generation to the comfort and relief of many desolate ones and the blessing of those that are ready to perish has come upon me and being helpt to make the Heart of the Widdow to sing And I bless his holy Name that in all this together with what I was Charged with I can approve my Heart to him that I have done his Will though it does cross Man's Will and the Scriptures that satisfie me are Isa. 16. 4. Hide the Outcasts bewray not him that wandereth And Obad. 13 14. Thou shouldst not have given up those of his that did escape in the day of his distress But Man says you shall give them up or you shall dye for it now who to Obey Judge ye So that I have cause to rejoyce and be exceeding glad in that I suffer for righteousness sake and that I am accounted worthy to suffer for well doing and that God has accepted any service from me which has been done in sincerity though mixed with manifold infirmities which he hath been pleased for Christ's sake to cover and forgive And now as concerning my Fact as it is called alas it was but a little one and might well become a Prince to forgive but he that shews no Mercy shall find none And I may say of it in the language of Jonathan I did but tast a little honey and lo I must dye for it I did but relieve an unworthy poor distressed Family and so I must dye for it Well I desire in the Lamb-like Gospel spirit to forgive all that are concerned and to say Lord lay it not to their Charge but I fear he will not nay I believe when he comes to make inquisition for Blood it will be found at the door of the furious Judge who because I could not remember things through my dauntedness at Burden's Wife and Daughters vileness and my ignorance took advantage thereat and would not hear me when I had called to mind that which I am sure would have invalidated their evidence though he granted something of the same kind to another at that time yet denyed it unto me My Blood will also be found at the door of the unrighteous Jury who found me guilty upon the single Oath of an Out-lawed Man for there was none but his Oath about the Money who is no legal Witness though he be Pardoned his Outlawry not being recalled and also the Law requires two Witnesses in point of Life And then about my going with him to the place mentioned 't was by his own words before he was Outlawed for 't was two Months after his absconding and though in a Proclamation yet not High Treason as I have heard so that I am clearly Murdered by you And also bloody Mr. A. who has so unsatiably hunted after my Life and though it is no Profit to him through the ill will he bore me left no stone unturn'd as I have ground to believe 'till he brought it to this and shewed favour to Burton who ought to have dyed for his own fault and not bought his Life with mine and Capt. R. who is cruel and severe to all under my Circumstances and did at that time without all Mercy or Pity hasten my Sentence and held up my hand that it might be given
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 and the most remarkable Circumstances that attended their EXECUTION Never before Published 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. To the Memory of those Worthy Protestants who Suffered in the West and elsewhere in the Year 1685. SInce that free Agent who conducts the World His Wheels of Providence has backward whirl'd And by the Turn men to their Senses brings To loath their Idol-Priests and Idol-Kings Finding a Popish promise proves all one From an Ignatian Chair and from a Thronâ— Since over Indulgent Heaven has been so kind To op'en our Eyes by Miracles we find All men admiring they 've so long been blind Surpriz'd they should so long their Friends oppose And with a credulous trust caress their foes Amidst the numerous Wonders of the time 'T is no small wonder not to say a Crime We reverence no more their memory Who for their Countrey 's welfare dar'd to dye Whose quarter'd Limbs imbru'd with Native gore Still cry for vengeance on the Western shore Why should we with ignoble triumph tread Vpon the silent Ashes of the dead And with insulting feet their dust profane Whose free-born Souls spurn'd at a slavish Chain Souls not so sensless so supine as ours That early saw the drift of Romish Powers Early disdain'd those yoaks with generous sâ—orn Which our more servile necks have tamely born That saw the hovering Storm approach from far Threat'ning a thousand mischiefs worse than warr And boldly rush'd upon th' impetuous Waves Rather to dye like men than live like Slaves To save their native Countrey bravely try'd Fail'd in th' attempt and then as bravely dy'd In vain would envious clouds their Fame obscure Which to eternal Ages must endure In vain do virulent Tongues attempt to stain The solid Glory noble Patriots gain If ill designs some to the Battel drew T is Impious to condemn all for a few If fawning Traytors in their Councils fate 'T is base to mock rather lament their fate Thô God for England's sins refus'd to bless Their brave designs with the desir'd success 'T is an unequal Brutish argument Always to judge the Cause by the Event Thus the unthinking giddy Multitude A suffering Jesus Criminal conclude Well 't is enough Heaven now crowns with Applause And gives protection to that righteous Cause Nay did ordain that Spot to be the Scene Where the Cause dy'd for't to revive again Great Nassau favour'd by the Powers above Their special care and their peculiar love An Atlas to our sinking State does prove Auspicious Stars on all his Councils smile That breathe vast Blessings on our joyful Isle And now methinks their Manes who of late Fell worthy Martyrs of our bleeding State Reproach us with Ingratitude and say Is nothing due unto our murther'd Clay Vnto our murther'd Names is nothing due Who sacrific'd both Lives and Names for you Does no Tongue daign to move in the defence Of wounded Honour and wrong'd Innocence If th' All-wise God tho Just do'nt yet see good With swift revenge t' appease our crying Blood Save us at least from Envy's darker Grave And let our Fame a Resurrection have Great Souls too great for our Inferiour Praise You for your selves the noblest Trophyes raise Your Dying Words your Monuments become More Bright more Lasting than a Marble Tomb To future Times your Fame shall freshly bloom And speak aloud till it strike Envy dumb THE Dying Speeches LETTERS and PRAYERS c. OF Those Eminent Protestants who Suffered in the West of England and elsewhere Some Passages of Henry Cornish Esq before his Sufferings COming into the Press-yard and seeing the Halter in the Officers hand he said Is this for me the Officer answered Yes he replyed Blessed be God and Kissed it and after said O blessed be God for Newgate I have enjoyed God ever since I came within these Walls and blessed be God who hath made me fit to dye I am now going to that God that will not bâ— mocked to that God that will not be imposed upon to that God that knows the Innocency of his poor Creature And a little after he said Never did any poor Creature come unto God with greater Confidence in his Mercy and Assurance of Acceptation with him through Jesus Christ than I do but it is through Jesus Christ for there is no other way of coming to God but by him to find acceptance with him there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we can be saved but the Name of Jesus Then speaking to the Officers he said Labour every one of you to be fit to dye for I tell you you are not fit to dye I was not fit to dye my self 'till I came in hither but O blessed be God he hath made me fit to dye and hath made me willing to dye In a few moments I shall have the fruition of the Blessed Jesus and that not for a day but for ever I am going to the Kingdom of God to the Kingdom of God where I shall enjoy the presence of God the Father and of God the Son and of God the Holy Spirit and of all the Holy Angels I am going to the general Assembly of the First-born and of the spirits of just Men made perfect O that God should ever do so much for me O that God should concern himself so much for the good of poor Creatures for their salvation blessed be his Name for this was the design of God from all Eternity to give his only Son to dye for poor miserable sinners Then the Officers going to tye his Hands he said What must I be tyed then well a brown Thred might have served the turn you need not tye me at all I shall not stir from you for I thank God I am not afraid to dye As he was going out he said Farewell Newgate Farewell all my fellow-prisoners here the Lord comfort you the Lord be with you all The Croud and Noise of People being so great that what was spoken at the Place of Execution could not be exactly taken it was not thought convenient to Publish it Mr. Richard Nelthrope's LETTER TO HIS Parents Brothers and Sister Dearest Parents and ever loving Brothers and tender hearted and beloved Sister THrough the Infinite Goodness of God the nearer I approach my end the more Joy and Comfort I find in my suffering Estate that I may so call it I can through Mercy say that I have found more true Delight and Content this Night than in all the Days and Nights of my whole life and I hope the Lord will continue it that his Name may