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my counsellors or comforters, I should not have been here this ⟨day⟩. I require none with me but this one man," (meaning the ⟨friend⟩ that was wailing upon him.)
He went from thence to the scaffold with great cheerfulness, ⟨as⟩ one in a transport of triumphant joy, and had the greatest ⟨crowd⟩ of spectators that has perhaps been seen at any execution, ⟨but⟩ little was heard, on account of the beating of the drums all ⟨the⟩ time without intermission, from his first ascending the scaffold until he was cast over. Yet from the friends and others ⟨permitted⟩ to attend him, there were some of his last words ⟨collected.⟩
Then he sang Psalm ciii. read Rev. xix.; then prayed, commending his soul to God through the Redeemer, and his cause ⟨to⟩ be vindicated in his own time; and appealed to the Lord, if ⟨this⟩ was not the most joyful day he ever saw in the world, a day ⟨that⟩ he had much longed for. He insisted much in blessing the Lord in honouring him with the crown of martyrdom, an honour which the angels were not privileged with, being incapable ⟨of⟩ laying down their lives for their princely Master. He complained of being disturbed in worshipping God, but, said he, "I shall soon be above these clouds; then shall I enjoy thee, ⟨and⟩ glorify thee, without interruption, or intermission, for ever" Prayer being ended, he spoke to the people much to the purpose of his written testimony, whereof somewhat was remembered, ⟨to⟩ this effect:
"Spectators, I am come here this day to lay down my life for ⟨adhering⟩ to the truths of Christ, for which I am neither afraid ⟨nor⟩ ashamed to suffer. Nay, I bless the Lord that ever be counted me worthy, or enabled me to suffer any thing for him; and I ⟨desire⟩ to praise his grace that he hath not only kept me from ⟨the⟩ gross pollutions of the time, but also from the many ordinary pollutions of children; and for such as I have been stained with, he hath washed and cleansed me from them in his own ⟨blood⟩. I am this day to lay down my life for these three things. 1. For disowning the usurpation and tyranny of James Duke of York. 2. For preaching that it was unlawful to pay the cess expressly exacted for bearing down the gospel. 3. for teaching, that it was lawful for people to carry arms for defending ⟨themselves⟩ in their meeting for the persecuted gospel ordinances. I think a testimony for these is worth many lives; and if ⟨I⟩ had ten thousand, I would think it little enough to lay them all down for the same.
"Dear friends, I die a Presbyterian Protestant; I own the word of God as the rule of faith and manners; I own the ⟨Confession⟩ of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Sum of Saving Knowledge, Directory for Public and Family Worship, Covenants National and Solemn League, Acts of General Assemblies, and all the faithful contending that have been for the covenanted reformation. I leave, my testimony approving the preaching in the fields, and defending the same by arms. I adjoin my testimony to all these truths that have been sealed by ⟨bloodshed⟩, either on scaffold, field, or seas, for the cause of Christ. I leave my testimony against Popery, Prelacy, Erastitism, &c., against all profanity and every thing contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godliness; particularly against
