of which I am as innocent as Jeremiah was. So Paul, though he did but preach Jefus Chrift, yet his enemies would have put him to death, under pretence that he was a mover of fedition. Upon a civil account my life is pretended to be taken away; whereas, it is becaufe I purfue my covenant, and will net proftitute my principles and confcience to the am bition and luft of men. I had rather die a covenant keeper, than live a covenantbreaker. Behold I am this day making a double exchange: I am changing a pulpit for a fcaffold, and a fcaffold for a throne: And I might add a third, I am changing the prefence of this numerous multitude on Towerhill, for the innumerable company of faints and angels in heaven, the holy hill of Zion; and I am changing a guard of foldiers for a guard of angels, which will receive me, and carry me to Abraham's bofom. This fcaffold is the best pulpit that ever I preached in: In my church pulpit, God, through his grace, made me an inftrument to bring others to heaven; bat in this pulpit he will bring me to heaven." Afterwards he faid, "Though my blood be not the blood of nobles, yet it is Chriftian blood, minister's blood; yea more, it is allo innocent blood. I magnify the riches of God's mercy and grace toward's me, that I who was born in Wales, an obfcure country, and of obfcure parents, thould be fingled out to honourable fufferings. For the first fourteen years of my life, I never heard a fermon preached; yet, in the fifteenth year of my age, it pleafed God to convert me. Bleffed be God, who not only made me a Chriftian, but also a minifter, judging me faithful, and putting me into the miniftry, which is my glory. Thad rather be a preacher in a pulpit, than a prince upon a throne: I had rather be an inftrument to bring fouls to heaven, than that all nations fhould pay tribute to me. Formerly (faid he) I have been under a fpirit of bond. age; yea, fometimes I have had more fear in drawing out a tooth, than now I have for cutting off my head. When fear was upon me, death was not near; now, when death is near to me my fear is evanished. I am comforted in this, though men kill me, they cannot damn me; though they thrust me out of the world, yet VOL. I.

A a

the

they cannot fhut out of heaven. When I have thed my blood, I expect the full declaration of the remiffion of fins through the blood of Jefus Christ. I am going to my long home, and ye to your fhort homes; but I fhall be at my home, before you be at yours." He prayed, that, feeing "He was called to do the work which he never did, he might have the strength which he never had."

Dr WILD, in his ELEGY, hath thefe lines:

"Methinks I heard beheaded faints above

"Call to each other, Sirs, make room for LovÉ.

"Who, when he came to tread the fatal stage,

"(Which prov'd his glory, and his en'mies rage) "His blood ne'er ran to's heart; Chrift's blood was there

"Reviving it; his own was all to spare;

"Which, rifing in his cheeks, did feem to fay,

"Is this the blood you thirst for

Tak't, I pray.

Spectators in his looks fuch life did fee,

"That they appear'd more like to die than he.

Light'nings, which fill'd the air with blazing light, "Did ferve for torches at that difmal night; "In which, and all next day, for many hours, "Heav'n groan'd in thunder, and did weep in show'rs "Nor do I wonder that God thunder'd fo, "When BOANERGES, murder'd, lay below."

37. Mrs Joyce Lewis, being condemned to be burnt for the Protestant religion, in queen Mary's reign, when fhe heard that the writ for her execution was come, fhe faid to her friends, "As for death, I fear it not; for, when I behold the amiable countenance of Jefus Chrift my dear Saviour, the ugly face of death doth not much trouble me."

38. Bullinger of Zurich, in his ficknefs, faid to his friends, "If the Lord will make any farther use of me and my miniftry in his church, I will willingly obey

him; but if he please (as I much defire) to take me out of this miferable life, I fhall exceedingly rejoice that he pleaseth to take me out of this corrupt and wretched age to go to my Saviour Chrift. For (faid he) if Socrates was glad when his death approached, because (as) he thought) he should go to Homer, Hefiod, and other learned men, whom he expected to meet with in the other world; how much more do I joy, who am sure that I fhall See my Saviour Jefus Chrift, as also the Saints, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoftles, and all the holy men who have lived from the beginning of the world? Now when I am fure to fee them, and to partake of their joys, why thould I not willingly die to enjoy their perpetual fociety and glory?"

39. Mr Theodore Beza, a famous paftor in Geneva, when he apprehended the approach of death, revised his will, and fo, eafing himself of all worldly thoughts, wholly betook himself to expect the time of his departure, which he had much longed for. He often used the Apostle's faying, "We are his workmanship, created in Jefus Chrift unto good works." And that of Au guftine, Domine, quod cæpifli perfice, ne in portu naufragium accidat. "Lord perfect that which thou hast begun, that I fuffer not fhipwreck in the haven." And that faying of Bernard; Domine, fequemur te; per te, ad te. Te, quia veritas; Per te, quia via: Ad te, quia vita. "Lord, we will follow thee, by thee to thee. Thee, because thou art the truth; by thee, becaufe thou art the way to thee, because thou art the life."

40. Melancton of Wittemberg, (Luther's dear companion) faid, That he much longed to be diffolved, and that for two reafons: Firft, That he might enjoy the much defired prefence and fight of Chrift, and of the heavenly church: Secondly, That he might be freed from the cruel and implacable difcords of divines."

41. Mr John Bradford, a minifter and martyr in queen Mary's Reign, when the keeper told him that the next day he was to be burnt in Smithfield, he put of his cap, and, lifting up his eyes to heaven, faid, "I thank God for it, it comes not now to me on a fudden,

but as a thing waited for every day and hour; the Lord make me worthy thereof." One Creffwell offering to interpofe for him, and defiring to know what his requeft was; he faid, "I have no request to make; if the queen give me my life, I will thank her; if the will banith me, I will thank her; if the will burn me, I will thank her; if fhe will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment, I will thank her." The chancellor preffing him to do as others had done, in hopes of the queen's mercy; he faid, "My lord, I defire mercy with God's mercy; that is, without doing or saying any thing. against God and his truth. But mercy with God's wrath, God keep me from. God's mercy (added he) I defire, and alfo would be glad of the queen's favour, to live as a fubject without clog on confcience; but otherwife, the Lord's mercy is better to me than life. Life in his displeasure is worse than death, and death in his favour is true life."

In his letter to Dr Cranmer, Dr Ridley, and Dr Latimer, he had thefe words: "Our dear brother Rogers hath broken the ice valiantly. This day, or tomorrow at the utmost, hearty Hooper, fincere Saunders, and trusty Taylor, will end their course, and receive their crown. The next am I, who hourly look for the porter to open me the the gates after them to enter into the defired rest. God forgive me my unthankfulness for his exceeding great mercy. Though I fuffer justly (for I have been a great hypocrite, unthankful, &c. the Lord pardon me, yea, he hath done it, he hath done it indeed) yet, what evil hath he done? Christ, whom the prelates perfecute, his truth which they hate in me, hath done no evil, nor deferved death. O what am I, Lord, that thou shouldft thus magnify me? Is it thy will to fend for fuch a wretched hypocrite in a fiery chariot, as thou didst fend for Elias ?"

In one of his meditations, after confeffing of fin, he faid, "O what now may we do! defpair? No, for thou art God, and therefore good; thou art merciful, and therefore thou forgiveft fin: With thee there is mercy and propitiation, and therefore thou art worship

ed.

ped. When Adam finned, thou gaveft him mercy before he defired it; and wilt thou deny us mercy, who now defire the fame? Adam excufed his fault, and accused thee; but we accufe ourselves, and excufe thee: and, fhall we be fent empty away? How often in the wilderness didst thou fpare Ifrael, and defer the plague at the request of Mofes, when the people themselves made no petition to thee,? Now we do not only make our petition to thee, but alfo have a Mediator, far above Mofes, to appear for us, even Chrift Jefus thine own Son; and fhall we, dear Lord, depart afhamed? O merciful Lord, for thine own glory, fuffer not the enemy of thy Son Chrift, the Romith Anti-Chrift, thus wretchedly to delude and draw from thee our poor brethren, for whom thy dear Son once died, &c. Suffer him not to seduce the fimple fort with his fond opinion, that his falfe gods, his blind, mumbling, feigned religion, or his foolith fuperftition, doth give him fuch conquefts, fuch victories, and fuch triumphs over us. But, O Lord, this is thy righteous judgement to punish us with the tyrannical yoke of blindnefs, because we have caft away from us the fweet yoke of the wholefome word of thy Son our Saviour."

In his letter to Mrs Anne Warcup, he faid, " My staff standeth at the door. I look continually for the fheriff to come for me; and I bless God I am ready for him. Now I go to practise that which I have preached; now I am climbing up the hill; it will caufe me puff and blow before I come to the cliff. The hill is steep and high, my breath is thort, and my ftrength is feeble. Pray therefore to the Lord for me, that, as I have now, through his goodness, even almoft come to the top, I may, by his grace, be ftrengthened, not to rest until I come where I should be."

He was fingular for humility and felf-abafement, though a most eminent faint. He fubfcribed fome of his letters, The molt miferable, had-hearted unthankful finner, John Bradford. A very painted hypocrite, John Bradford. Miferimus peccator, John Bradford. The finful John Bradford.

42. Mr Edward Deering, a little before his death,

faid