ruin. For though I am of a mean parentage, my blood is the blood of a christian, of a minister, of an innocent man, and of a martyr; and this I speak without vanity. Had Í renounced my covenant, debauched my conscience, and endangered my soul, I might have escaped this place; but, blessed be God, I have made the best choice: I have chosen affliction rather than sin. And, therefore, welcome scaffold, welcome axe, welcome block, welcome death, welcome all, because they will send me to my Father's house.

"I bless God, and without vanity it is spoken, that I have formerly had more fear in the drawing of a tooth than I have now in the cutting off my head. Thus I commit myself to God, and to receive the fatal blow. I am comforted in this, that though men kill me, they cannot damn me: and though they thrust me out of the world, they cannot thrust me out of heaven. I am going to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the innumerable company of angels, to Jesus Christ, 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 fulness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore. I conclude in the words of the apostle, I am now ready to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness; and not for me only, but for all them who love the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ:' through whose blood I expect salvation and the remission of sins. And so the Lord bless you all."

Having finished his speech, he turned to Tichburn the sheriff, and said, "May I pray?" "Yes," said the sheriff; but consider the time." Then, turning to the people, he said, "Beloved, I will only pray a little while with you, to commend my soul to God, and I have done.” He then prayed with a loud voice, saying:

"Most glorious and eternal majesty, thou art righteous and holy in all thou doest 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 cuttest 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, he is not blotted out

* Love's Trial, p. 121-128.-Love's Case, p. 14-27.

of the book of life. Father, my hour is come. Thy poor creature can say, without vanity and falsehood, he hath desired to glorify thee on earth; glorify thou him now in heaven. He hath desired to bring the souls of other men. to heaven; let now 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 in his drawing nigh to thee. Now that he is in the valley of the shadow of death, Lord, be thou life unto him. Smile thou upon him, while men frown upon him. Lord, thou hast settled the persuasion in his heart, that, as soon as 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 these 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, who is a companion with me in tribulation; and who is this day to lose his life as well as myself. 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 may live in thy sight! O that London may be to thee a faithful city! and that righteousness may be among the people; that so peace and plenty may 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 Philistines. O that men of the protestant religion, engaged in the same cause and covenant, may not delight to spill each other's blood, but engage against the common adver- . sary of religion and liberty! God shew mercy to all who fear him. Lord, think upon our covenant-keeping brethren of the kingdom of Scotland. Keep them faithful to thee; and let not those who have invaded them overspread their land. Prevent the shedding of more christian blood, if it seem good in thine eyes. God, shew mercy to thy poor servant, who is 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 the posses

His fellow-sufferer, who was beheaded the same day, for being concerned in the same plot, was Mr. Gibbons.

sion of heaven. Hear the prayers of all thy people that have been offered up for thy servant. And though thou hast denied prayer concerning my life, let the fruit of prayer be seen, by bearing up my heart against the fear of death. O God, shew mercy to all that fear thee, and to all who have engaged for the life of thy servant: Let them have mercy in the day of their appearing before Jesus Christ. Preserve thou a godly ministry in this nation, and restore a godly magistracy, and cause good days to be the heritage of thy people, for the Lord's sake. Now, Lord, into thy hands I commit my spirit. And though thy servant may not, with Stephen, see the heavens open; yet, let him have the heavens open: and though he may not see upon a scaffold the Son of God standing on the right hand of God; yet, let him come to the glorious presence 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 thy dying servant, who in his life hath endeavoured to stand by thee. Lord, hear and pardon all his infirmities; wash away his iniquity by the blood of Christ; wipe off reproaches; 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."

Mr. Love having ended his prayer, turned to the sheriff, and said, "I thank you, sir, for your kindness: You have expressed a great deal of kindness to me." He then asked for the executioner, who coming forwards, he said, “Art thou the officer?" and being answered in the affirmative, he said, with his eyes lifted up to heaven, "O blessed Jesus! who hast kept me from the hurt of death, and from the fear of death: O blessed be God blessed be God!" Then, taking his leave of the ministers and his other friends, he said, "the Lord be with you all." He then kneeled down and made a short prayer; and, rising up, he said, "Blessed be God, I am full of joy and peace in believing. I lie down with a world of comfort, as if I were to lie down in my bed. I shall rest in Abraham's bosom, and in the embraces of the Lord Jesus." As he was preparing to lay bis head on the block, Mr. Ashe said, "Dear brother, how dost thou find thy heart?" Mr. Love replied, "I bless God, sir, I am as full of joy and comfort as ever my heart can hold. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ." He then laid himself down upon the scaffold, with his head over the block; and, stretching forth his hands, the executioner

severed his head from his body at one blow. His mortal remains were afterwards interred, with great lamentation, in the chancel of the church of St. Lawrence-Jewry.

Mr. Love was a zealous presbyterian, a most popular preacher, and highly beloved among his brethren. But his memory has greatly suffered by the reproaches of highchurch historians, and by none more than Clarendon, who says, "He was guilty of as much treason as the pulpit could contain. And, therefore, when he appeared upon the scaffold, he seemed so much delighted with what he had done, that he could not even then forbear speaking with bitterness and animosity against both the king and the bishops. And in a raving fit, he laid his head upon the block, without so much as praying for the king, any further than he propagated the covenant."+

These are, indeed, most heavy charges. But if Mr. Love was really guilty of so much treason,' it was in behalf of the king, and with a view to promote the royal cause; therefore, according to the noble historian's own principles, the charge is null and void. But if the historian refer to his preaching at Uxbridge, or on any other occasion, the charge is asserted in like manner, without the smallest evidence, and, from all that I have been able to collect, appears equally groundless and contrary to truth. With respect to Mr. Love's speaking with bitterness and animosity against both the king and the bishops,' when he was on the scaffold, the charge is altogether without foundation, and stands diametrically opposed to matter of fact; as appears from Love's speech at length, now before me. And as to his laying his head upon the block, in a raving fit,' we are at a loss to understand his lordship's meaning, unless he undesignedly insinuates, that Mr. Love died in the enjoyment of the most happy and exquisite religious feelings. Dr. Calamy assures us, "That he died neither timorously

* Love's Trial, p. 128, 129.

+ Clarendon's Hist. vol. iii. p. 338.-Dr. Grey informs us, that he had met with the following manuscript note, upon the margin of Nalson's Introduction, relative to Mr. Love's character and death" It might be "observed, (says the note,) as a circumstance contributing to make his "death appear the more judicial, that when Archbishop Laud was be"headed, this Mr. Love, in a most inhuman triumph, flourished his hand"kerchief dipt in the blood of that great and venerable prelate; which," the doctor immediately adds, "will fully justify Lord Clarendon's character of Mr. Love." Every reader, however, will easily perceive the fallacy of the doctor's argument.-Grey's Examination of Neal, vol. iii. p. 128.

Love's Trial, p. 121–128.-Love's Case, p. 14-27.

nor proudly, but with great alacrity and cheerfulness, as if he had been going to bed." Dr. Manton, who attended Mr. Love upon the scaffold, who preached his funeral sermon, and who knew him much better than the historians who have aspersed his character, says, "He was a man eminent in grace, of a singular life and conversation, and a pattern of piety most worthy of imitation."+ Another writer, who was intimately acquainted with him, gives an excellent account of his christian character and his ministerial qualifications and usefulness; and adds:-" In all his relations, as a minister, a christian, a subject, a husband, a friend, and a father, he served his generation on the earth, and made a swift progress in his way to heaven. He lived too much in heaven to live long out of heaven; and sure I am that he lived a life of heaven upon earth. His fellowship was with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."+

His WORKS.-1. The Debauched Cavalier, 1642.-2. England's Distemper, 1645. This is the Sermon preached at Uxbridge.3. Short and plain Animadversions on some Passages in Mr. Dell's Sermon before the House of Commons, 1646.-4. Answer to an Unlicensed Pamphlet, 1647.-5. A Vindication of England's Distemper, 1651.-6. Love's Case, 1651.-7. Love's Trial, 1651.8. Love's Advocate, 1651.-9. A Full Narration of the late Dangerous Design against the State, 1651.-10. His Speech and Prayer upon the Scaffold on Tower-hill, 1651.-11. The Truth, and Growth, and different Degrees of Grace, 1652.-12. A Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. B., 1652. This was the last sermon he preached.—13. Heaven's Glory Hell's Terror, 1653.-14. The Soul's Cordial, 1653.-15. A Treatise of Election and Effectual Calling, 1653.-16. Scripture-rules to be observed in Buying and Selling, 1653.-17. The true Doctrine of Mortification and Sincerity, in Opposition to Hypocrisy, 1654.—— 18. Combat between the Flesh and Spirit, 1654.-19. The Sum or Substance of Practical Divinity, 1654.-20. The Christian's Directory, 1654.-21. The Dejected Soul's Cure, 1657.-22. The Ministry of the Angels to the Heirs of Salvation, 1657.—23. The Omnipresence of God, 1657.-24. The Sinner's Legacy to his Posterity, 1657.25. The Penitent Pardoned, 1657.-26. A Discourse of Christ's Ascension and Coming to Judgment, 1657.-27. The natural Man's Case stated, 1658.—Many of the above articles were published after the author's death; and some of them came forth with the high commendations of his brethren.

* Clarendon and Whitlocke Compared, p. 303.

+ Manton's Funeral Sermon for Mr. Love.-This sermon is entitled, "The Saint's Triumph over Death." The government, understanding that Dr. Manton intended to preach Mr. Love's funeral sermon, expressed some displeasure, and the soldiers threatened to shoot him. However, he was not to be terrified by such dangers, but preached it at Mr. Love's church in Lawrence-Jewry, to a numerous congregation.-Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. i. p. 427. + Sloane's MSS. No. 3945.