Now, Beloved, I fhall not only justify God (as I do without a Complement; for he were very juft, if my Prifon had been Hell, and this Scaffold the bottomless Pit; I have deferved both; fo that I do not only justify God) but I defire this day to magnify God, to magnify the Riches of his glorious Grace, that fuch an one as I, born in an obfcure Country (in Wales) of obfcure Parents, that God fhould look upon me, and fingle me out from amongst all my Kindred, to be an Objec of his everlasting Love; that when as the first Fourteen Years of my Life I never heard a Sermon, yet in the Fifteenth Year of my Life God (through his Grace) did convert me. And here I fpeak it without Vanity (for what should a dying Man be proud of?) tho' I am accus'd of many fcandalous Evils, yet (I fpeak to the Praise and Glory of my God) for thefe Twenty Years God hath kept me, that I have not fallen into any fcandalous Sin; I have labour'd to keep a good Confcience from my Youth up, and I magnify his Grace, that he hath not only made me a Chriftian, but a Minifter, and judg'd me faithful to put me into the Miniftry: And tho' the Office be trodden upon and difgraced, yet it is my Glory that I die a defpifed Minifter; I had rather be a Preacher in a Pulpit, than a Prince upon a Throne; I had rather be an Inftrument to bring Souls to Heaven, than to have all the Nations bring in Tribute to me I am not only a Chriftian and a Preacher, but whatever Men judge, I am a Martyr too, I fpeak it without Vanity; would I have renounc'd my Covenant, and debauch'd my Confcience, and ventur'd my Soul, my Life, there might have been hopes of f that I fhould not have come to this place; but bleffed be my God, I have made the beft Choice, I have chofen Affliction rather than Sin, and therefore therefore welcome Scaffold, and welcome Ax and welcome Block, and welcome Death, and welcome All, because it will fend me to my Fa ther's Houfe: I have great caufe to magnify God's Grace, that he hath ftood by me during mine Imprisonment; it hath been a time of no little Temptation to me, yet (bleffed be his Grace) he hath ftood by me and strengthned me; I magnify his Grace, that tho' now I come to die a violent Death, yet that Death is not a Terror to me; through the Blood of fprinkling, the Fear of Death is taken out of my Heart; God is not a Terror to me, therefore Death is not dreadful to me; I blefs my God, I speak it without Vanity, I have formerly had more Fear in the drawing of a Tooth, than now I have at the cutting off my Head: I was for fome Five or Six Years under a Spirit of Bondage, and did fear Death exceedingly; but when the Fear of Death was upon me, Death was not near me; but now Death is near me, the Fear of it is far from me: And blessed be my Saviour, that hath the Sting of Death in his own Sides, and fo makes the Grave a Bed of Reft to me, and makes Death (the laft Enemy) to be a Friend, tho' he be a grim Friend. Further, I bless my God, that tho' Men have judg'd me to be caft out of the World, yet that God hath not caft me out of the Hearts and Prayers of his People; I had rather be caft. out of the World, than caft out of the Hearts of godly Men. Some think me (it is true) nor worthy to live; and yet others judge I do not deferve to die: But God will judge all, I will judge no Man. I have now done, I have no more to fay, but to defire the Help of all your Prayers, that God would give me the Continuance and Supply of divine Grace to carry me through this great Work O 2 that that I am now about: That as I am to do a Work I never did, fo I may have a Strength I never had: That I may put off this Body with as much Quietnefs and Comfort of Mind, as ever I put off my Cloaths to go to Bed: And now I am to commend my Soul to God, and to receive my fatal Blow, I am comforted in this, Tho' Men kill me, they cannot damn me; and tho' they thrust me out of the World, yet they cannot but me out of Hea ven. I am now going to my long Home, and you are going to your fhort Homes; but I will tell you, I fhall be at Home before you; I fhall be at my Father's Houfe, before you will be at your own Houses: I am now going to the Heavenly Jerufalem, to the innumerable Company of Angels, to Jefus the Mediator of the new Covenant, to the Spirits of juft Men made perfect, and to God the Judge of all, In whofe Prefence there is Fulness of Joy, and at whofe Right Hand are Plea fures for evermore. I conclude with the Speech of the Apoftle, 2 Tim, iv. 6, 7. I am now to be offer'd up, and the Time of my Departure is at hand; I have finifb'd my courfe, I have fought the good Fight, I have kept the Faith, henceforth there is a Crown of Righteouf ness laid up for me; and not for me only, but for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jefus Chrift, through whofe Blood, when my Blood is fhed, I expect Remiffion of Sins and eternal Salvation. And fo the Lord bless you all. Then turning to the Sheriff, he faid, May I pray? |: Sh. Titchburn. Yes, but confider the Time. Mr. Love. I have done, Sir. Then turning to the People, he faid, Beloved, I will but pray a little while with you, to commend my Soul to God, and I have done. His Prayers being ended, he fubmitted to the Mr. LOVE'S CHARACTER. As to Mr. Love's Character, it may be gather'd in some measure from the Account he gives of himself at his Tryal, (Vol. 1. p. 690. fol. Edit. and P. 603. 8° Ed.) viz. I do folemnly proteft I am no Malignant, or ever had a malignant Defign, or carried on a malignant Interest: I engaged many in the Parliament's Quarrel against the King; and tho' Igave but little, yet I gave all I had in the World (Books and Cloaths excepted) When I was Master of Arts at Oxon, I was the first that refus'd figning the Canons concerning the Prelates and Common-Prayer, for which I was expell'd the Congregation-house. About 1640, or 41, I was imprifon'd at Newcastle, for fpeaking against the Errors of the Service-book; and was the firft Minifter, after the Wars began between the King and Parliament, that was apprehended for preaching Treafon; and was afterwards complain'd of by the King's Commiffioners for a Sermon 1 preach'd at Uxbridge: And now this great Trouble is fallen on me, 'tis not the Fear of Death that concerns me; but that I fhould receive it from thofe Hands for whom I have done and fuffer'd fo much; with whom I have been engaged in the fame Quarrel, and joined in the fame Covenant: This exceedingly touches me. My Lord Clarendon informs us, that at the Treaty of Uxbridge Mr. Love attended the Commiffioners for the Parliament thither (I fuppofe in Quality of a Chaplain;) and the first Day of the Commiffioners meeting being on a Market-day, when there ufually was a Sermon, according to the Cuftom of those Times, Mr. Love preach'd, and told his Audience, which confifted of the People of the Town, and thofe who came to Market, the Church be 0 3 ing ing very full, "That they were not to expect any "Good from the Treaty, for that they came from Oxford with Hearts full of Blood, and that there was as great a Distance between this Treaty and Peace, as between Heaven and Hell, and that "they intended only to amufe the People with Ex"pectation of Peace, till they were able to do "fome notable Mischief to them. "And enveigh'd fo feditiously against all Cavaliers, that is, against all who follow'd the King, and against the Perfons of the King's Commiffioners, that he could be understood to intend nothing elfe but to ftir up the People to mutiny, and in it to do fome Act of Violence upon the Commiffioners. The King's Commiffioners complaining of this Ufage, and demanding publick Juftice; the Parliament's Commiffioners feem'd troubled at it, and promis'd to examine the Matter, and caufe fome fevere Punishment to be inflicted on the Man: But afterwards they faid they had no Authority to punifh him, but that they had caufed him to be fharply reprehended, and to be fent out of the Town. (Clar. Hift. Vol. II. p. 579.) My Lord Clarendon tells us further, that Cromwell having discover'd Love to be in the Plot with the Scots, for bringing in the King, notwithstanding all the Oppofition the Presbyterians could make, who appear'd publickly with their utmost Power in his Behalf, He procur'd him to be condemn'd and executed. And it is wonderful (fays that noble Hiftorian) what Operation this Pres byterian-Spirit had upon the Minds of thofe who were poffefs'd by it. This poor Man, Love, who had been guilty of as much Treason against the King, from the beginning of the Rebellion, as the Pulpit cou'd contain, was fo much without Remorfe for any Wickedness of that kind that he had committed, that he was jealous of nothing fo much |