A true and exact Copy of Mr Love ' s Speech and Prayer, immediately before his Death, on the Scaffold at Tower-Hill, Aug. 22. 1651.  
Beloved Christians,  
I Am made this day a spectacle unto God, Angels and Men: and among Men I am made a grief to the Godly, a laughingstock to the wicked, and a gazingstock to all; yet blessed be my God, not a terror to myself. Although there be but little between me and death, yet this bears up my heart, there is but little between me and Heaven. It comforted Dr Tailor the Martyr, when he was going to Execution, that there were but two styles between him and his Father's House; There is a lesser way between me and my Father's House, but two steps between me and Glory; it is but lying down upon the Block, and I shall ascend upon a Throne. I am this day sailing towards the Ocean of Eternity, through a rough passage to my Haven of Rest; through a Red Sea to the Promised Land. Methinks I hear God say to me as he did to Moses, Go up to Mount Nebo and die there: So to me, Go up to Tower-Hill, and die there. Isaac said of himself, that he was old, and yet he knew not the day of his death; but I cannot say so, I am young, and yet I know the day of my death, and I know the kind of my death, and the place of my death also. I am put to such a kind of death as two famous Preachers of the Gospel were put to before me, John the Baptist, and Paul the Apostle, they were both beheaded; you have mention of the one in Scripture-story, and of the other in Ecclesiastical History. And I read in Rev. 20.4. the Saints were beheaded for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus: But herein is the disadvantage which I lie under in the thoughts of many; they judge that I suffer not for the Word of God, or for Conscience, but for meddling with State-matters. To this I shall briefly say, That it is an old guise of the devil, to impute the Cause of God's people's sufferings, to be contrivements against the State, when in truth it is their Religion and Conscience they are persecuted for: The Rulers of Israel would have put Jeremy to death upon a Civil Account, though indeed it was only the truth of his Prophecy that made the Rulers angry with him; and yet upon a Civil Account they pretend he must die, because he fell away to the Caldcans, and would have brought in foreign Forces to invade them: The same thing is laid to my charge, of which I am as innocent as Jeremy was. Yea I find other instances in Scripture, wherein the cause of the Saints sufferings were still imputed to their meddling with State matters: Paul who did but preach Jesus Christ, yet he must die, if the people might have their will, under pretence that he was a mover of sedition. Upon a Civil Account my life is pretended to be taken away, whereas indeed it is, because I pursue my Covenant, and will not prostitute my Principles and Conscience to the Ambition and lusts of men. Beloved, I am this day making a double exchange, I am changing a Pulpit for a Scaffold, and a Scaffold for a Throne; and I might add a third, I am changing this numerous multitude, the presence of this numerous multitude on Tower-Hill, for the innumerable company of Saints and Angels in Heaven the holy hill of Zion; and I am changing a Guard of Soldiers for a Guard of Angels, which will receive me, and carry me into Abraham's bosom. This Scaffold it is the best Pulpit that ever I preached in; in my Church-Pulpit, God through his grace made me an Instrument to bring others to Heaven; but in this Pulpit he will bring me to Heaven, These are the last words that I shall speak in this world, and it may be I shall bring more glory to God by this one Speech on a Scaffold, than I have done by many Sermons in a Pulpit.  
Before I lay down my Neck upon the Block I shall lay open my Cause unto the People that hear me this day, that I might not die under all that obloquy and reproach that is cast upon me; and in doing it I shall avoid all rancour, all bitterness of spirit, animosity and revenge; God is my Record, whom I serve in the spirit, I speak the truth and lie not; I do not bring a revengeful Heart unto the Scaffold. This day, before I came here, upon my bended knees I have begged mercy for them that denied mercy to me, and I have prayed God to forgive them who would not forgive me, I have forgiven from my Heart the worst enemy I have in all the world; and this is the worst that I wish to my Accusers and prosecutors who have pursued my blood, that I might meet their Souls in Heaven.  
I shall divide my Speech into three parts: I shall speak something concerning my Charge, and a word concerning my Accusers and touching my Judges, without any Animosity at all; and than something concerning myself for my own Vindication; and then a word of Exhortation, and so I shall commit my Soul to God.  
Concerning my Charge, it is black and hideous, many things falsely suggested, hardly a line of it true, and nothing Capital sufficiently proved against me by any one Act that I am conscious to myself I did. The Charge is high and full, but the Proof empty and low; though there were eight Witnesses that came in against me, yet none of them did prove that ever I writ any Letter, or directed any man to write a Letter into Scotland, or into foreign parts; No man did prove that. I sent away any Letter, that I received any Letter, that I collected, or gave, or lent any Money to assist or promote the Scottish War: This is all that is sworn against me, that I was present where Letters were read, and that I made a motion for Money to give to Massey; so that (beloved) my presence at, and concealment of Letters that were received and sent from foreign parts, is that for which I must die.  
As concerning my Accusers I shall not say much; I do forgive them with all my heart, and I pray God forgive them also. Yet what the Evangelist said concerning Christ's Accusers, I may, without vanity or falsehood say of mine, That they did not agree amongst themselves: One Witness swears one thing, and another the quite contrary: Yea not only did they contradict one another, but sometimes a single Witness contradicted himself. And though their Testimony did condemn my Person, yet I have condemned their Testimony. And truly there are many remarkable circumstances that I might take notice of, either in, or before, or since the Trial that might be worthy observation, but I will not insist upon it; only in the general (for I shall name none of my Accusers) some of them have sent to me, to pray me to forgive them the wrong they have done me: And one of them hath written to me under his own hand, to pray me to forgive him the wrong that he hath done me; and told me withal, that that day I should die a violent death, his life would be no comfort to him, because he was an Instrument in taking away of mine. Others of the Witnesses were, some terrified before they would testify; some were hired, some fined before they would bear Witness against me. But I will be off of this. As concerning my Judges, I will not judge them, and yet I will not justify them: I will say but this of them, I believe that what moved Herod to cut off John Baptist's Head, that moved them to cut off mine; and that was for his Oaths sake: Herod to avoid Perjury would commit Murder; whereas if John's Head had been upon his Shoulders, he would have been guilty of neither.  
I have something in the second place to speak concerning myself, and then I shall come briefly to a conclusion. Concerning myself, I have gone through various reports; there are many sons of Slander whose mouths are as open Sepulchers, in which they would bury my Name, before my Friends can bury my Body; but my comfort is, there will be a Resurrection of Names as well as Bodies at the last day: God will not only wipe off all tears from my eyes this day, but he will also wipe off all blots and reproaches from my Name before many days be over; and though my body will soon rot under ground, yet my hope is, my Name will not rot above it. I am not ignorant what Calumnies are cast upon me, and more likely to be after I am dead and gone. The very night before my intended Execution the last Month, there was an insulting Letter written to me, to tell me, that after my death there should be something published against me to my shame. I hope you will have so much charity, as not to believe reproaches cast upon a dead man, who will be silent in the grave, and not able to speak a word in his own Justification. I am aspersed both as to my Practice, and as to my Principles. I shall begin with the first. There are five aspersions as to my Practice that are laid upon me, That I am a Liar, That I am an Extortioner, That I am an Adulterer, That I am a Murderer, and That I am a Turbulent Person: Crimes scandalous in any man, but much more abominable in a Minister. Now I hope you will believe a dying man, who dares not look God in the face with a lie in his mouth: I am accused of lying, that what I denied before the High Court of Justice, that afterwards I should confess, or else was proved against me. Now in the presence of God I tell you, as I would confess nothing that was Criminal, so I did deny nothing that was true; and that I may seal it to you with my blood, the same Protestations I made before the High Court, I shall make briefly now: 1. That I never writ Letter to the King, Queen, Church or State of Scotland, or to any particular person of the Scottish Nation since the Wars began to this day. 2. That I never received any Letter writ to me, either from the King, or from the Queen, or from the Church or State of Scotland, or from any particular person of the Scottish Nation, since the Wars began to this day. 3. That I never collected, gave or lent one Penny of money, either to the King, Queen, Church or State of Scotland, or to any particular person to send into Scotland to any person of the Scottish Nation to this day. It is true, I did confess, though it was not proved (and haply upon that ground the mistake might arise) I did give Money to Massey, and I did also write a Letter to him, but he is of the English not of the Scottish Nation. That for which I come here is only for moving for Money for him, and that not upon a Military account, but merely to relieve his Personal necessities, and for being present where Letters were read from him and others. And although Man hath condemned me, yet I am so far from thinking that either God or my own Conscience condemns me, as Sinning in what I am condemned for, that both God and my own Conscience doth Acquit me: And what I said at the Bar when I received my Sentence, that I shall say upon the Scaffold, That for those things for which I am condemned, neither God nor my own Conscience condemns me.  
Again, I am accused to be an Extortioner; and this is in the mouths— I am loath to name them, because I will avoid all rancour: But I am charged as if I should be a grievous Extortioner to receive Thirty pounds for the Loan of Three hundred pounds, Besides Eight pounds per centum for Interest; which in the presence of God and of you all I do declare to you is a most notorious and abominable falsehood.  
I am accused likewise to be an Adulterer, and this report is not in the mouths of mean men, but in the mouths of those that sit at the Stern: As if I were a debauched Person, and were guilty of Uncleanness. Now I tell you, as Luther said of himself in another case, That he was not tempted to covetousness; so through the grace of God I can say, I have not been tempted in all my life to Uncleanness. It doth not much grieve me though these Slanders be cast upon me: I know my betters have been worse accused before me: Athanasius was accused by two Harlots that he had committed Folly with them, and yet the man was  and innocent. Beza was charged, not only with Drunkenness, but with Lasciviousness also, and many others have been accused with the same, if not with worse Slanders than I have been.  
But (that which goeth nearest my heart) I am accused to be a Murderer also; and this is a Charge high indeed: I am charged with the guilt of all the Blood of Scotland; whereas did I lie under the guilt of one drop of Blood, I could not look upon God with so Cheerful a Countenance, and I could not be filled with so Peaceable a Heart and Conscience as I have at this day. I bless my God I am free from the Blood of all men: Those who lay this to my Charge, they do to me as Nero did to the Christians, He set Rome on fire and then charged the Christians with it: So they put England and Scotland into a Flame, and yet Charge me with the guilt of that Blood, who have poured forth Tears to God night and day, to quench the Burning which these men's Ambitions and Lusts have kindled: And I would fain know of any man, what Act is it that I have done? or what is it that was proved in the High Court against me, that makes me guilty of Scotland's Blood? Did I ever invite the Scots to invade England? What man doth lay that to my Charge? Did I ever encourage the English Army to invade Scotland? What Action is it that I have done that makes me guilty of that Blood? Indeed this I have done, and this I have and this I do stand to; I have as a private man prayed unto God many a day, and kept many a Fast, wherein I have sought God that there might be an Agreement between the King and the Scots, upon the Interest of Religion and Terms of the Covenant: Now, by what consequence can this be strained, to Charge me with Scotland's Blood? For my part, I was but only at one Meeting where the question was proposed (Fasts only excepted) What should be thought fit to be done to promote the Agreement between the King and the cots? and that was moved in my House: And to that end when there were some things there proposed, which they called A Commission or Instructions to send to Holland, as soon as ever I heard them, I did declare against them. I did declare that it was an Act of high Presumption for private persons to Commissionate; and an Act of notorious Falsehood to say it was in the name of the Presbyterian Party, when none knew of it (that I know of) but only those few then present. Now this is only a political Engine to make the Presbyterian Party odious, who are the best friends to a wellordered Government, of any sort of people in the world.  
I am accused likewise to be a man of a Turbulent spirit, to be an enemy to the peace and quiet of the Nation. Now, as to this, let my Congregation and my Domestical relations judge for me, whether I am not a man that would fain have lived quiet in the Land: I am as Jeremy was, Born a man of contention; not Actively, I contend, I strive with none: But Passively, many strive and contend with me. God is my Witness, My Judgement hath put me upon endeavouring after all Honourable and Just ways for Peace and Love among the Godly. The grief of my heart hath been for the Divisions, and the desire of my Soul for an Union among God's People. When I speak of an Union I would not be misunderstood, I do not mean a State-union, to Engage to the present power, that is against my Principles; That is to say A Confederacy with them that say A Confederacy: That is rather a Combination then a Gospel-union: O join not with them lest ye be consumed in their sins; They who get Power into their hands by Policy, and use it with Cruelty, will lose it with Ignominy. It was said of Pope Boniface, He did enter into the Popedom like a Fox, reigned like a Lion, but died like a Dog. Beloved, the Union for which I plead is a Church-union; to wit, Love among the Godly, for this the desires of my Soul have ever been, That those that fear God might walk hand in hand in the Fellowship of the Gospel, both in Truth and Love: If this Union be not, I am afraid, through our Divisions, a company of lose Libertines will arise, who will endeavour, not only to overthrow the Doctrine of Faith, and the power of Godliness, but even Good manners also. I remember an Observation of holy Greenham's, Giving his judgement upon the state of England, he said, There is great fear that Popery is coming into England, and I fear it too; but (says he) I fear more the coming of Atheism into England, than the coming in of Popery; and truly that is my fear also. Thus as to my Practice: A word now as to my Principles.  
I am accused to be an Apostate, to be a Turncoat, to be this, to be that, to be any thing but what I am: In the general I will tell you, I bless my God, A High Court, a Long Sword, a Bloody Scaffold hath not made me, in the least, to alter my Principles, or to wrong my Conscience: And that I might discover to you my Principles, I hope I shall do it with Freedom; I will irritate and provoke none, what I shall say shall not be an irritation or provocation of others, at least not intended by me; but only as a genuine and clear manifestation of my own Principles, how they stand.  
First then, My Principles as to Civil and Religious Affairs, I do declare that I die with my judgement set against Malignity, I do hate both name and thing; I still retain as vehement a detestation of a Malignant Interest as ever I did; yet I would not be misunderstood: I do not understand nor count the Godly Party, our Covenanting Brethren in Scotland to be a Malignant Party; nor the Scots defending their Nation and Title of their King, to be a Malignant Interest, but an honest and justifiable Cause.  
Secondly, Though I am against Malignity, yet I am not against but for a regulated Monarchy, A mixed Monarchy, such as ours is I judge to be the best Government in the world: I did, its true, in my Place and Calling oppose the Forces of the late King, but I was never against the Office; I am not only against Court Parasites, who would screw up Monarchy into Tyranny, but against those who pull down Monarchy to bring in Anarchy.  
Thirdly, I was never for putting the King to death, whose Person I did promise in my Covenant to preserve: It is true, I did in my Place and Calling oppose his Forces, but I did never endeavour to destroy his Person. There is a scandal raised of me, that in a Sermon at Windsor I should have these words; that It would never be well with England till the King were let blood in the Neck-vein; which speech I utterly detest, Professing, as a dying man, in the presence of God and of you all, I never spoke such words, as relating to him: Though my judgement was for bringing Malignants, who did seduce him and draw him from his Parliament, to condign punishment; yet I deemed it an ill way to cure the Body Politic, by cutting off the Political Head.  
Fourthly, I die with my judgement absolutely set against the Engagement; I pray God forgive them that impose and subscribe it, and preserve those that refuse it.  
Fifthly, I would not in the next place be looked upon, now I am a dying man, as a man owning this present Government; I die with my Judgement against it: It is true, in a case of Life I did Petition the present Power, and did give them the Titles they take to themselves, and that others give them; but herein I did not wrong nor thwart my Principles. There are many instances in Scripture to justify this: Hushai did give the Title of King to Absolom, though Absolom had no right to that Title, for David was the lawful King: And David himself gave him that Title as well as Hushai. And Calvin he gave the Title to the French King, calling him the most Christian King, yet we know he was a Papist: And we give a Title to King Henry the eighth, and call him the Defender of the Faith, and yet he had no right to that Title, for he was an Opposer not a Defender of the Faith; that Title was given him upon an evil ground, because he opposed the Faith; he opposed the doctrine of Luther, therefore the Pope gave him that Title, The Defender of the Faith: and yet none did scruple to give him that Title that was then commonly given him.  
Sixthly, In the next place I discover my judgement (I provoke none, only tell you what my own thoughts are, that so after I am dead and gone I might not be belied, for I dare not now belie my Principtes) My judgement is against the Invasion of the Scottish Nation by the English Army. They, who gave us a friendly assistance, who are joined with us in the same Covenant, who drew a sword with us in the same Quarrel; should I live a Thousand years, I should never draw sword against them; But the English Army have forgot the Brotherly Covenant: So that Scotland may say as Edom, The men of my Confederacy, who were at peace with me, have risen up and prevailed against me; Because Scotland will not be a Commonwealth they shall not be a people; because they will not break Covenant, some men would have them broken; because they will not lay their Consciences waste, their Land must be laid waste.  
Lastly, (and so I have done, only with a word of Exhortation,) I die cleaving to all those Oaths, Vows, Covenants and Protestations that were imposed by the two Houses of Parliament, as owning them, and dying with my Judgement for them; To the Protestation, the Vow and Covenant, the Solemn League and Covenant. And this I tell you all, I had rather die a Covenant-keeper, then live a Covenant-breaker.  
I am now come to the third and last part of my Speech, and so I shall have done, and commit my soul to God who gave it. My Exhortation first shall be to this great City, Unto the godly Ministry of it; and unto my own Congregation, from whom death parts me, which nothing else could.  
To the City I wish an Affluence and Confluence of all blessings upon it; and yet I fear grey hairs, as the sad symptoms of a declension, are here and there upon London, and yet she knows it not. O London, London, God is staining the pride of all thy Glory. Thy Glory is flying away like a Bird; Contempt of the Ministry, opposition against Reformation, General Apostasy, Covenant-breaking hath brought London low, and I fear will yet bring it lower; I tremble to think what evils are coming upon it: This City it is the receptacle of all Errors; that as your Commodities are vented and spread from hence into every corner of the Land, so have Heresies and Blasphemies had their first rise from this great and populous City, and from hence are spread into all Countries.  
To the Inhabitants of this City I commend but these few particulars. First, Let me beg you to love your Painful and your Godly Ministers: If they be taken away you are like to have worse come in their rooms. I know the Presbyterian Ministers are the great eyesore, who have formerly been counted the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel: But I will say of London (as was said of Leyden, That after Junius an Orthodox Minister was taken away, Arminius that pestilent Heretic came in his room.) If your Godly Ministers (and there have been ten already at one blow taken from you) if they be taken away, Arminians, Anabaptists, nay Jesuits are likely to supply their rooms, if God in mercy prevent not.  
Secondly, Submit yourselves to Church-Government, that would lay a curb and restraint upon your lusts; it is a Golden and an Easy yoke, to which if you do not submit, God may lay a Heavy and an Iron yoke upon your necks.  
Thirdly, Take heed of those Doctrines that come under the notion of New-light; those doctrines you ought to suspect, whether true, which the broachers of them say are New; for truth is as old as the Bible: A remarkable passage I would suggest unto you, in the 32 of Deuteronomy and the 17. it is said there, they chose them New Gods that were Newly come up, and what were these New Gods? the next words tell you, they were old devils; for they sacrificed to devils and not to God; now their sacrificing to old devils, it is called a sacrificing (to deceive the people) to new Gods, that were newly come up; yet their new Gods were but old devils; Why, so I say, though many things go under the notion of New-light, yet they are but old darkness, old Heresies raked out of the dunghill, and which were buried in former ages of the Church, with contempt and reproach many hundred years ago.  
Fourthly, Bewail your great loss which you have in the taking away of so many Ministers out of your City; there are ten Ministers (if I mistake not) that have been taken away and removed at one blow, who were burning and shining lights in their several Candlesticks, and bright Stars in their several Orbs; Though I am not worthy of the world, and therefore am taken out of it, yet as for my suffering Brethren, who are now in bonds and banishment, the world is not worthy of them.  
Fifthly, Again in the next place, Take heed of engaging in a War against your Brethren of the Scottish Nation, for my part I have opposed the Tyranny of a King, but I never opposed the Title— Take heed what you do—  
I have something in the next place to speak to the Godly Ministry of this City: Were it not that I am a dying man, I would not speak to such Reverend and Grave men, I would say as Elihu did (being but a young man,) Multitude of years should teach wisdom, and I would hold my tongue; but the words of a dying man take, whether they be discreet or no, or so well ordered or managed or no; as to them, I would first desire God to show them mercy, who have begged mercy for me; now at the day of my death I would beg but this of them; that, as they have not been ashamed of my Chain, so they would now wax confident by my Bonds and by my Blood; I know they are maligned and threatened, yet my prayer for them is that in the 4th Act. 29. And now O Lord behold their threaten, and grant that thy Servants may preach thy Word with all boldness; Though I am but young, yet I will offer my young experience to my Grave Fathers and Brethren, and that is this; Now I am to die, I have abundance of peace in my own Conscience, that I have set myself against the Sins and Apostasies of this present Age. It is true, my faithfulness hath procured me ill-will from men, but it hath purchased me peace with God; I have lived in peace, and I shall die in peace: That which I have to beseech of the Ministers is this, to beg them to keep up Church-Government; whatever God doth with the Governments of the world, turning Kingdoms upside down, yet the Government of the Church shall stand; and of all Governments, I die with this persuasion, that the Presbyterial Government makes most for purity and for unity throughout the Churches of the Saints. I would beg them therefore to keep up Church-Government, that they would not let their Elderships' fall, that they would take heed of too general Admissions to the Lords Supper, that they be not too prodigal of the blood of Christ, by too general admissions of men to the Supper of the Lord, that sealing Ordinance: And now I am speaking to them, I shall speak a word of them, and so I have done: I have heard many clamours since I came to prison, as if all the City-Ministers were engaged in the Plot (as it's called) that I am condemned for: now as a dying man, I tell you, that all the Ministers that were present at the meetings, and had a hand in the business, for which I am to be put to death, are either in prison, or they are discovered already; and therefore I do here upon my death, free the Ministers of the City, who are not yet in trouble, nor discovered to the Committee of Examinations, none of them had a hand in the business in which I was engaged, in which my Conscience tells me I have not sinned. I have done immediately, for I would fain be at my Father's House.  
I have but a word to speak to my own Congregation; I return praises unto God and thankfulness unto them for the love I have had from them; I found them a solid, judicious, and many of them a religious people: the Ministry of that Learned man Mr Anthony Burgess did much good amongst them, though I have cause to be humbled that my weak Ministry did but little; They afforded me a great deal of love, and a liberal maintenance; And this is all I desire of them, that they would choose a Godly, Learned, and Orthodox Minister to succeed, such an one as may keep up and carry on Church-Government: It would be a great comfort to me before I go to Heaven, if I had but this persuasion, that a Learned, Orthodox, Godly man should fill that Pulpit: and for encouragement to any godly Minister, whose lot may be to succeed me, I will say this, that he will have as comfortable a Livelihood, and as loving a people as are any people in London, a few only excepted: I had as much satisfaction among them as ever I had in any condition in all my life, and should never have parted from them, had not death now parted us, to which I do submit with all Christian meekness and cheerfulness. I am now drawing to an end of my Speech, and to an end of my life together: But before I do expire my last breath, I shall desire to justify God and to condemn myself in all that is brought upon me; Here I come to that which you call an untimely end, and a shameful death, but (blessed be God) it is my glory, and it is my comfort: I shall justify God, he is righteous, because I have sinned; he is righteous, though he cut me off in the midst of my days, and in the midst of my Ministry: I cannot complain that Complaint in Psal. 44.12. Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price: My blood it shall not be spilt for nought, I may do more good by my death then by my life, and glorify God more in dying upon a Scaffold, then if I had died of a disease upon my bed: I bless my God I have not the least trouble upon my spirit; but I do with as much quietness of mind lie down (I hope I shall) upon the Block, as if I were going to lie down upon my Bed to take my rest; I see men hunger after my flesh, and thirst after my Blood, let them have it, it will hasten my happiness, and their ruin, and greaten their guiltiness: though I am a man of an obscure Family, of mean Parentage, so that my blood is not as the blood of Nobles, yet I will say, it is a Christians blood, a Minister's blood, yea, it is innocent blood also: My body, my dead body, it will be a morsel, which I believe will hardly be digested, and my blood it will be bad food for this Infant-Commonwealth (as M. Prideaux called it) to suck upon: Mine is not Malignant blood, though here I am brought as a grievous and notorious offender. Now beloved, I shall not only justify God (as I do,) without a compliment, for he were very just, if my Prison had been Hell, and this Scaffold the bottomless pit, I have deserved both; so that I do not only justify God, but I desire this day to magnify God, to magnify the riches of his glorious grace, that such an one as I, born in an obscure Country (in Wales.) of obscure Parents, that God should look upon me, and single me out from amongst all my kindred to be an object of his everlasting love: that whenas 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 speak it without vanity, (for what should a dying man be proud of?) though I am accused of many scandalous evils, yet (I speak to the praise and glory of my God) for these twenty years God hath kept me, that I have not fallen into any scandalous sin: I have laboured to keep a good conscience from my youth up, I magnify his grace, that he hath not only made me a Christian, but a Minister, and judged me faithful to put me into the Ministry: And though the Office be trodden upon and disgraced, yet it is my glory that I die a despised Minister; I had rather be a Preacher in a Pulpit, than a Prince upon a Throne; I had rather be an Instrument to bring souls to Heaven, then to have all the Nations bring in Tribute to me: I am not only a Christian and a Preacher, but whatever men judge, I am a Martyr too, I speak it without vanity; would I have renounced my Covenant, and debauched my Conscience, and ventured my soul, there might have been hopes of saving my life, that I should not have come to this place; but blessed be my God I have made the best choice, I have chosen affliction rather than sin, and therefore welcome Scaffold, and welcome Axe, and welcome Block, and welcome Death, and welcome All, because it will send me to my Father's House: I have great cause to magnify God's grace, that he hath stood by me, during mine imprisonment, it hath been a time of no little temptation to me, yet (blessed be his grace;) He hath stood by me, and strengthened me; I magnify his grace, that though now I come to die a violent death, yet that death is not a terror to me; through the blood of sprinkling 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 bless 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 some: 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 so makes the grave a bed of rest to me, and makes Death (the last enemy) to be a friend, though he be a grim friend. Further, I bless my God, that though men have judged me to be cast out of the world, yet that God hath not cast me out of the hearts and prayers of his people; I had rather be cast out of the world, than cast out of the hearts of godly men. Some think me (it is true) not worthy to live, and yet others judge I do not deserve to die, but God will judge all, I will judge no man.  
I have now done, I have no more to say, but to desire 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 that I am now about; that as I am to do a work I never did, so I may have a strength I never had: That I may put off this body with as much quietness and comfort of mind, as ever I put off my clothes 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, Though men kill me, they cannot damn me, and though they thrust me out of the world, yet they cannot shut me out of heaven. I am now going to my long home, and you are going to your short homes, but I will tell you, I shall be at home before you, I shall be at heaven my Father's House, before you will be at your own houses: I am now going to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the innumerable company of Angels, to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to God the Judge of all, In whose presence there is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore: I conclude with the Speech of the Apostle, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7. I am now to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have finished my course, I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, Henceforth there is a Crown of righteousness laid up for me, and not for me only, but for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whose blood (when my blood is shed) I expect remission of sins and eternal salvation: And so the Lord bless you all.  
Beloved, I will but pray a little while with you to commend my soul to God, and I have done.   

MOst glorious and eternal Majesty, thou art righteous and holy in all thou dost to the Sons of men, though thou hast suffered men to condemn thy Servant, thy Servant will not condemn thee. He justifies thee though thou cut'st him off in the midst of his days, and in the midst of his Ministry, blessing thy glorious Name that though he be taken away from the Land of the Living, yet he is not blotted out of the Book of the Living: Father, my hour is come, thy poor Creature can say without vanity and falsehood, He hath desired to glorify thee on Earth, glorify thou now him in Heaven; He hath desired to bring the souls of other men to Heaven, let his soul be brought to Heaven. O thou blessed God, whom thy Creature hath served, who hath made thee his hope, and his confidence from his youth: Forsake him not now he is drawing nigh to thee: Now he is in the valley of the shadow of death, Lord, be thou life to him: Smile thou upon him whilst men frown upon him: Lord, thou hast settled this persuasion in his heart, that as soon as ever the blow is given to divide his head from his body, he shall be united to his Head in Heaven; blessed be God that thy Servant dies in those hopes; blessed be God that thou hast filled the soul of thy Servant with joy and peace in believing. O Lord, think upon that poor Brother of mine, that is a Companion in tribulation with me, who is this day to lose his life as well as I; O fill him full of the joys of the holy Ghost, when he is to give up the ghost. Lord, strengthen our hearts that we may give up the ghost with joy and not with grief. We entreat thee, O Lord, think upon thy poor Churches; O that England might live in thy sight! and O that London might be a faithful City to thee! that righteousness might be among them! that so peace and plenty might be within their walls, and prosperity within their habitations: Lord, heal the breaches of these Nations, make England and Scotland as one staff in the Lord's hand, that Ephraim may not envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim, but that both may fly upon the shoulders of the Philistims: Oh that men of the Protestant Religion, engaged in the same cause and Covenant, might not delight to spill each others blood, but might engage against the common Adversaries of our Religion and Liberty! God show mercy to all that fear him; the Lord think upon our Covenant-keeping Brethren of the Kingdom of Scotland, keep them faithful to thee, and let not them that have invaded them, overspread their whole Land: Prevent the shedding of more Christian blood, if it seem good in thine eyes. God show mercy to thy poor Servant who is here now giving up the ghost: O blessed Jesus, apply thy blood, not only for my Justification unto life, but also for my comfort for the quieting of my soul, that so I may be in the joys of Heaven, before I come to a possession of Heaven. Hear the prayers of all thy people that have been made for thy Servant; and though thou hast denied prayer as to that particular request concerning my life, yet let herein the fruit of prayer be seen, that thou wilt bear up my heart against the fear of death. God show mercy to all that fear him, and show mercy to all who have engaged for the life of thy Servant; Let them have mercy at the day of their appearing before Jesus Christ. Preserve thou a Godly Ministry in this Nation, and restore a Godly Magistracy, and cause yet good days to be the heritage of thy people for the Lords sake. Now Lord, into thy hands thy Servant commits his Spirit, and though he may not with Stephen see the Heaven's open, yet let him have the Heaven's open; and though he may not see upon a Scaffold the Son of God standing at the right hand of God, yet let him come to the glorious body of Jesus Christ, and this hour have an intellectual sight of the glorious body of his Saviour. Lord Jesus receive my Spirit, and Lord Jesus stand by me thy dying Servant, who hath endeavoured in his life time to stand for thee: Lord hear, pardon all infirmities, wash away his iniquity by the blood of Christ, wipe off reproaches from his Name, wipe off guilt from his Person, and receive him pure, and spotless, and blameless before thee in love. And all this we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen.  
The last words that he was heard to speak were, Blessed be God for Jesus Christ.   

Published for the use of Mr Love's special friends.