glory ! Be not troubled when thou shalt see a guard of sol-
diers triumphing with their trumpets about thee ; but lift up
thy head, and thou shalt behold God wath a guard of holy
angels triumphing to receive thee to glory! Be not dis-
mayed at the scoffs and reproaches thou mayest meet with
in thy short way to heaven ; for, be assured, God will not
• Rennet's Hist, of Enj. Tol. iii. p. 185.— Echard's Hist, of Eng. Tol. ii.
p. 706.
VOL, III. K
150 LIVES OF THE PURITANS.
only gloiify Ihy body and soul ia heaven, but lie uill also
make the mcmorij of thee to be ghmous on earth I
" O, let not one troubled iliougbt for thy wife and babes
rise within tlice! thy God will be our God and our portion.
He will be a husband to thy widow, and a father to thy
childresi : the grace of thy God will be sutircient for us.
" Now, my dear, I desire \villingly and cheerfully to resign
my right in thee to thy Father and my Father, who hath the
greatest interest in thee : and confident I am, though men
iiave separated us for a time, yet God will ere long bring us
together again, where we shall eternally enjoy one another,
never to part more !
" O, let me hear how God bears up thy heart, and let
me taste of those comforts which support thee, that they
may be as pillars of marble to bear up my sinking spirit !
I can write no more. Farewell, farewell, my dear, till we
meet where we shall never bid farewell more ; till which
time I leave thee in the bosom of a loving, tender-hearted
Father ; and so I rest,
" Till I shall for ever rest in heaven,
"Mary Love."
This excellent letter discovers the same triumph over the
world in Mrs. Love, which her husband so happily ex-
perienced. Siie was not only surrounded by their three
children, but with child of a fourth ; yet she passed over
this circumstance in silence ; and though formerly weak in
grace, yd she now enjoyed strong confidence and great
comfort, and animated her Imsband by the most encourag-
ing considerations. Thus, " by faith, out of weakness, she
was made strong," The next morning, being the day on
which he suffered, xMr. Love returned her the following
farewell epistle :
" My most gracious beloved,
" I am now going from a prison to a palace. I
have finished my work ; I am now to receive my wages.
I am going to heaven, where there are two of my children ;
and leaving thee on earth, where there are three of my babes :
those two above need not any care ; but the three below need
thine. It comforts me to think two of my children are in
the bosom of Abraham, and three of them will be in the
arms and care of so tender and godly a mother ! I know
thou art a woman of a sorrowful spirit, yet be comforted.
Though thy sorrows be great for thy husband's going out
of the'' world, yet thy pains shall be the less in bringing
LOVE. 131
<hy child into the world : Ihou shall be a joyful mother,
though thou art a sad v/idow ! God hath many mercies
ill store for thee : the prayers of a dying hus})and will not be
lost. To my shame I speak it, I never prayed so much for
thee at liberty, as I have done in prison. I cannot write
more ; but I have a few practical counsels to leave with thee,
viz.
" 1. Keep under a sound, orthodox, and soul-searching
ministry. Oh, there are many deceivers gone out into the
world ; but Christ's sheep know his voice, and a stranger
will they not follow. Attend on that ministry w hich teaches
the way of God in truth, and follow Solomon's advice :
Cease to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the wot/
of knoxcledge.
" 2. Bring up thy children in the knowledge and ad-
monition of the Lord. The mother ought to be the teacher
in the father's absence. The zcords which his mother taught
him. Timothy was instructed by his grandmother Lois, and
his mother Eunice.
" 3. Pray in thy family daily, that thy dwelling may be
in the number of (he families that do call upon God.
*' 4. Labour for a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the
sight of God of great price.
" 5. Pore not on the comforts thou wantest; but on the
mercies thou hast.
" 6. Look rather to God's end in afflicting, than at the
measure and degree of thy afflictions.
" 7. Labour to clear up thy evidences for heaven, when
God takes from thee the comforts of earth, that, as thy
sufferings do abound, so thy consolations in Christ may
much more abound.
" 8. Though it is good to maintain a holy jealousy of the
deceitfulnrss of thy heart, yet it is evil for thee to cherish
fears and doubts about the truth of thy graces. If ever I
had confidence touching the graces of another, I have con-
fidence of grace in thee. I can say of thee, as Peter did
of Sylvanus, / am persuaded that this is the grace of God
wherein thou standest. Oh, my dear soul, wherefore dost
thou doubt, whose heart hath been upright, whose walkings
have been holy ! I could venture ray soul in thy soul's
stead. Such confidence have I in thee !
" 9. When thou findest thy heart secure, presumptuous
and proud, then pore upon corruption more than upon
grace : but when thou findest thy heart doubting and
unbelieving, then look on thy graces, not on thy infirmities.
132 LIVES OF THE PURITANS.
*' 10. Study the covenant of grace and merits of Christ,
and then be troubled if thou canst. Thou art interested in
such a covenant that accepts purposes for perforfnances,
desires for deeds, sincerity for perfection, the righteousness
of another, viz. that of Jesus Christ, as if it were our
own. Oh, my love, rest, rest then in the love of God, in
the bosom of Christ !
"11. Swallow up thy will in the will of God. It is a
bitter cup we are to drink, but it is the cup our Father hath
put into our hands. When Paul was to go to suffer at
Jerusalem, the christians could say, The will of the Lord
he done. O say thou, when I go to Tower-hill, The will of
the Lord he done.
" 12. Rejoice in my joy. To mourn for me inordinatelyj
argues that either thou enviest or suspectest my happiness.
The joy of the Lord is my strength. O, let it be tliine also !
Dear wife, farewell! I will call thee wife no more : I shall
see thy face no more ; yet I am not much troubled ; for
now I am going to meet the bridegroom, the Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom I shall be eternally married !
" Thy dying,
" Yet most aflectionate friend till death,
" Christopher Love."
From the Tower of London,
August 22, 1651,
The day of my glorification.*
On this fatal day, at two o'clock in the afternoon, Mr.
Love mounted the scaffold with great intrepidity and reso-
lution. The ministers who accompanied him were Mr.
Simeon Ashe, Mr. Edmund Calamy, and Dr. Thomas
Manton. Upon the scaflbld, Mr. Love, taking off his hat
twice before the people, made a long speech to them,
addressing them as follows :
" Beloved christians, I am this day made a spectacle
unto God, to angels, and to men. I am made a grief to the
godly, a laughing-stock to the wicked, and a gazing-stock
to all ; yet, blessed be God, I am not a terror to myself:
though there is but a little between me and death, there is
but a little between me and heaven. There are only two
steps between me and glory : my head must lie down upon
the block, and I shall ascend the throne. I am exchanging
a pulpit for a scaffold, and a scaflbld for a throne. I am
• Lovo'i Sermons on Grace, Appen. p. 211—215. Edit. I81#.
LOVE. 133
exclianging a guard of soldiers for a guard of angels, to
carry me into Abraham's bosom.
*' I speak the truth, and lie not. I do not bring a
revengeful lieart upon this scaffold. Before I came to this
place, and upon my bended knees, I begged mercy for
them who denied mercy to me ; and I have prayed God to
forgive them who •would not forgive me ; and I have from
my heart forgiven the worst enemy I have in the world.
Now, in the presence of God, I tell you, that as I would
in my trial confess nothing that was criminal, so I denied
nothing that was true, that I may seal it with my blood.
What 1 then denied and protested before the high court of
justice, I now deny and protest before you.
" I am for a regulated mixed monarchy, which I judge
to be one of the best governments in the world. I opposed,
in my place, the forces of the late king ; because I am against
screwing up monarchy into tyranny, as much as against
those who would pull it down to anarchy. I was always
against putting the king to death, whose person I promised
in my covenant to preserve ; and I judge it an ill way of
curing the body politic, to cut off the political head. I
die with my judgment against the engagement : I pray
God to forgive them who impose, and them who take it,
and preserve them wlio refuse it. Neitlier would I be
looked upon as owning t!ie present government : I die with
my judgment against it. And I die cleaving to all those
oaths, vows, covenants, and protestations, which were im-
posed by the two houses of parliament. I have abundant
peace in my own mind, that I have set myself against the
sins and apostacies of the time. Although my faithfulness
hath procured me the ill-will of men, it hatJi secured me
peace with God : I have lived in peace, and I shall die in
peace.
" But, before I draw my last breath, I desire to justify God
and condemn myself. Though I come to a shameful and
nntimely death, God is righteous. And though he cut me
off in the midst of my days, and in the midst of mj
ministry, because 1 have sinned, he is righteous, blessed be
his name. My blood shall not be spilt for nought. I may
do more good, and bring more glory to God, by dying
upon a scaffold, than if I had died upon my bed. 1 bless
God, I have not the least trouble on my spirit ; but I die
with as much quietness of mind as if I were going to lie
down upon my bed to rest. I see men thirst after my
blood, which will only hasten my happiness and their
134 LIVES OF THE PURITANS.
ruin. For tliough 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 I
renounced ray covenant, debauched my conscience, and
endangered my soul, I might have escaped this place ; but,
blessed be God, I have made the best choice : 1 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 com-
forted in this, that though men kill me, they cannot danui
me : and tliough 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 fiiith : henceforth there is laid
up for me the crown of righti^ousness ; and not for me o-ily,
but for all them who love tlie appearance of our Lord
Jesus Christ:' through whose blood I expect salvation
and thj 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 Hie time." Then, turning to the
people, he said, " Beloved, i wdl 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 m.en 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— 198.— Lore's Case, p. 14—27.
LOVE. 155
of the book of life. Falher, 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 olher men
to heaven ; let now his soul be brought to heaven. O thou
blessed God! wliom thy creature hath served, who hath
made thee his hope and his confidence from his youth ;
Ibrsake him not now in liis 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
Lead 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 Avith joy and not
with grief. AVe 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 righteous-
ness 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 tlie 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 tliem overspread their
land. Prevent the shedding of more cliristian 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 lite, 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-
â– * His fellow-sufTerer, who was beheaded the same ilay, for being coh-
cerned in tha sam« plut, was Mr. Gibbons.
336 LIVES OF THE PURITANS.
sion of heaven. Hear the prayers of all Vay people tliat
have been offered np for thy servant. And though tiiou
hast denied prayer concerning my life, let the Iruit of
prayer be seen, by bearing np 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 tiicm
have mercy in the day of their aj^'pcaring bef(ne 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 1 commit ray spirit. And though thy s; rvant
may not, with Stephen, see the heavens open; yet, let him
have the heavens open : and though lie 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 tiiis 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 tJien 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 .lesus." As he was preparing to lay
his head on the block, Mr. Ashe said, " Dear brother, how
dost thou find thy heart ?" Mr. Love replied, " / bless God,
sir, J am as full of joiy and comfort as ever my heart can
hold. Blessed he 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
LOVE. 137
severed his head from his body at one blow.* His mortal
remains were ailervvards interred, with great lamentation,
in the chancel of the claircli ol St. Lawrencc-.Iewry.
Mr. Love was a zealous presbyterian, a most popular
preacher, and highly beloved among his bretliren. But his
njemory has greatly suffered by the reproaches of high-
church liistorians, and by none more than Clarendoii, who
says, " lie 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
biilerness and animositi/ against both the hiv^ and the
bishops. And in a raving fit, he laid his head upon the
block, v/ithout so much as praying for the king, any turthcr
than he propagated the covenant. "+
These are, indeed, most heavy charges. But if Mr. Love
â– was really guilty of so ' much treason,' it was in behalf of
the king, and with a view to promote the royal cause : there-
fore, 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 evi-
dence, 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.^ riwA as to his
laying his head upon the block, ' in a raving fit,' \\c arc at
a loss to understand his lordshi])'s meaning, unless he
undesignedly insinuates, that Mr. Love died in the enjoy-
ment 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 n?, 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 migiit be
*' observed, (sajs 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 friumph, 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 cha-
racter of Mr. Love." Every reader, however, will easily perceive the
fallacy of the doctor's argument. — Grey's Ej:amination of Nsal, vol. iii.
p. 128.
J Love's Trial, p. 121— 128.— Love's Case, p. H— 27.
loS LIVES OF THE PURITANS.
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
«ermon, and who knew him much better than the historians
wlio 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 minis-
terial 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 Avith the Father and with his Son Jesus
Christ."t
. His Works. — 1. Tlie Debauched Cavalier, 1642. — 2, England's
Distemper, 1645. Tins is <Iic Sermon preached at Uxbritig:e. —
3. Short and j)Iain Animadversions on some Passages in Mr. Dell's
Sermon before the House of Commons, 1646. — 4. Answer to an
Uniicensed Pamphlet, 1647. — 5. A A^indication of England's Dis-
temper, 1651.— 6. Love's Case, 1651. — 7. Love's Trial, 1651. —
8. Love's Advocate, 1651. — 9. A Pull Narration of the late Dan-
gerous Desig-n against the State, 1651. — 10. His Speech and Prayer
upon the Scaffold on Tower-hill, 1651.-11. The Truth, and Growth,
i^nd different Degrees of Grace, 1652. — 12. A Sermon at the Juncral
of Mrs. B., 1652. 'J'his was the last sermon he preached. — 13. Heaven's
Glory Hclis Terror, 1653.-14. The Soul's Cordial, 1653.— 15. A
Treatise of Election and Effectual Calling, 1653. — 16. Scripturc-riilos
to be observed in Buying and Selling, 1653. — 17, 'Phe true Doctrine
of Mortification and Sincerity, in Opposition to Hypocrisy, 1654. —
18. Combat between the Plcsh and Spirit, 1654. — 19. The Sum or
Substance of Practical Divinity. 1654. — 20. The Christian's Directory,
1664.— 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. 1*^57. —
2.5. The Peuilent Pardoned, 1657.— 26. A Discourse of Ciinst'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 samd of them came forth witii the high
tommendations of his brethren.
* Clarendon and Whitlocke Compared, p. 303.
+ Manton's Fnneral Sermon for Mr. Love. — This sermon is rntiiled,
" The Saint's Triumph over Deaih." The fjovenmient, uiiiir-rslanding that
Dr. Manton intended to preach Mr. Love's funeral sermon, expressed some
displeasure, and tli'i soldiers threatened to shoot him. However, he wai
not to be terrified by sach dangers, but preached it at Mr. Love's church in
Lawrence- Jewry, to a. numerous congregation. — Palmer's Noncon. MerH.
irol. i. p. 427. t Sloan€'s MSS. No. 3945.
SAXTON. 139
Peter Saxton, A. M. — This venerable divine was bora
at or near Bramley, in the parish of Leeds, in Yorkshire,
and educated in the university of Cambridge, where he
took his degrees in arts. He was admitted preacher, first
by Archbishop Hutton, then by Archbishop Matthews, both
of the province of York, lie obiaincd the king's presen-
tation as well as that of Sir Edward Stanhope, to the rectory
of Edlington in his native county, as appears from the
book of admissions in the register's office at York; where,
December 1, 1614, he made the usual subscription v/illingly
et ex animo. He afterwards saw cause to change his
opinion ; and lie became so alienated from the discipline
and ceremonies of the church, that he is said to have called
tlie surplice the whore^s smock.*
Having espoused the sentiments of the puritans, and not
being ashamed to avow his opinions, he could find no rest
in his native country. The horrors of cruel persecution
having overspread the nation, he retired from the storm, and
sought an asylum in New England, where, to his great
comfort, he arrived in the year 1640. There we find his
name, as minister of Scituate, in the first classes of those
who enlightened the dark regions of America by their