MAny will expect, that I will speak of many things, and according to their several Opinions and Dispositions, so will bee their expectations from mee, and constructions of mee, but I re­solve to disappoint many, for I came not either to justifie my self, but the Lord, who is holy in all his waies, and righ­teous in all his works, holy and blessed is his Name; neither[?] come I to condemn others; I know many will expect that I should speak against the hardness of the Sentence pronounced against mee, but I will say nothing to it, I bless the Lord, I pardon all men, as I desire to be pardoned of the Lord my self; Let the will of the Lord bee done, that is all that I desire. I hope that you will have more Charity to mee now, than yee would have had at another time, since I speak before the Lord[?], to whom I must give account shortly. I know very well that my words have had but lit­tle weight with many, and that many have mistaken my words; many have thought me a great enemy to those great works that have of late been brought to pass [...] But do not [Page 2] mistake mee people, I speak it in the presence of the Lord. I entred not upon the Work of Reformation with any design of advantage for my self, or prejudice to the King, or his Government, as my Will (which was written in the year 1655▪ and then delivered to a friend in whose hands it still remains) can show. As for those Calumnies which have gone abroad of mee, I bless God I know them to bee no more, and as I go to make a reckoning to my God, I am free as to any of them concerning the Kings Person or Go­vernment. I was real and cordial in my desires to bring the King home, and in my indeavours for him, when hee was at home, and I had no correspondence with his Adversa­ries Army, or any of them, the time His Majesty was in Scotland, nor had I any accession to His late Majesties Mur­der, by Counsel, or Knowledge of it, or any other manner of way: This is a truth, as I shall answer to my Iudge; And all the time H [...]s Majesty was in Scotland, I was still indea­vouring his advantage, my conscience beareth mee witness in it; That is for that; At this hee turned about, and said, I hope Gentlemen yee will all remember this.

I confess many looks on my Condition as a suffering-Con­dition, but I bless the Lord that hee that hath gone before mee hath trod the Winepress of the Fathers wrath, by whose suffe­rings I hope that my sufferings shall not bee eternal. I bless him that hath taken away the sting of my sufferings. I may say my Charter was sealed this day; for the Lord hath said to mee, Son bee of good chear, thy sins bee forgiven thee: And so I hope my sufferings shall bee easie; and yee know the Scripture saith▪ That the Captain of our Sal­vation was made perfect through sufferings. I shall not speak much to those things that I am condemned for, lest I seem to condemn others; it is well known it is onely for [Page 3] Compliance, which is the Epidemical Fault of this Nation, I wish the Lord may pardon them, I say no more. There was an expression in my Submission presented to the Par­liament of the Contagion of the times, which may bee mis-construed, as if I had intended thereby to lay Impu­tation upon the work of Reformation; but I declare I in­tended no such thing, but it was onely in relation to the Corruptions and Failings of men, occasioned by the pre­valency of the usurping Power.

Now Gentlemen, I think there are three sorts of people that take up much of the world, and this Nation: There are 1. The openly prophane; and truly I may say though I have been a prisoner, yet I have not had mine ears shut: I hear assuredly that swearing, drinking and whoring were never more common, and never more countenanced than now; and truly if Magistrates[?] were here, I would say to them if they lay forth their power for the glor [...]fying of God by the restra [...]ning of this they would fare the better, if they continue in not restraining of it, they will fare the worse; I say no more, but let either people shun prophanity, or Magistrates restrain it, or assuredly the wrath of God will follow on it.

2. Others, they are not openly prophane, every one will not allow that, but yet they are Gallioes in these matters, if things go well as to their private interests, they care not whether Religion, and the Chu [...]ch of God sink or swim: But what ever they think, God hath laid Engagements up­on Scotland, we are tyed by Covenant to Religion and Refor­mation, those that were then unborn are ingaged [...]o it, and in our Baptisme we are ingaged to it; and it passes the power of any under heaven to absolve a man from the Oath of God, they deceive themselves, and it may be will deceive others [Page 4] that think other wayes. But I would caveat this; people would be ready to take this as a kinde of instigation to Re­belion, but they are very far in the wrong that think so and tha [...] Religion and Loyalty are not consistent; if any man se­perate them, Religion is not to be blamed, but they: It is the duty of every Christian to be Loyal, yet I think the order of things is to be observed as well as their na [...]ure; [...]he order of Religion as well as the nature of it, Religion must not bee the Cogboat but the Ship, God must have what is his as well as Cesar what is his. And those are the best Subjects that are the best Christians. And that I am looked on as a friend to Reformation is my glory.

3. There are another sort that are truly godly, and to those I must say, what I fear, and every one hath reason to fear (it's good to fear evil) it is true that the Lord may prevent it, but if hee do not, these times are like to bee very sinning times, or very suffering times; and let Christians make choice; there is a sad Dilemma in the bu­sinesse, sin or suffer, and truly hee that will chuse the better part, will chuse to suffer, others that will chuse to sin, shall not escape suffering, they shall suffer, but it may be not as I do here (turning him to the Maiden when hee spake it) but worse, mine is but Temporal, theirs shall be Eternal, when I shall bee singing, they shall be howling; bewa [...]e therefore of sin, what ever yee beware of, espe­cially in such times. Yet I cannot say of my own condi­tion, but the Lord in this providence hath[?] minded mercy to mee, even in this world▪ for if I had been more fa­vourably dealt with, I fear I might have been overcome with tentations, as many others are, and I fear many more will bee, and so should have gone out of the world, with a more polluted Conscience, than through the Mercy [Page 5] God now I have; and hence my Condition is such now, as when I am gone, will bee seen not to have been such as many imagined. It is fit God take mee away before I fall in those Tentations, that I see others are fallen in­to, and I fear many others will fall, I wish the Lord may prevent it. Yet blessed bee his Name that I am kept both from present evils, and evils to come.

Some will expect that I will Regrate my own Con­dition; but truly I neither grudge nor repine, nor desire I any Revenge. And I declare I do not repent my going to London, for I had alwaies rather have suffered any thing, than lye under such Reproaches as I did. I desire not that the Lord should Iudge any man, nor do I Iudge any but my self; I wish that as the Lord hath pardoned[?] mee, so may hee pardon them for this and other things, and that what they have done to mee may never meet them in their Accompts. I have no more to say, but to beg the Lord that since I go away, hee may bless them that stay behinde.

His last words immediately before he laid his head upon the Block were the vindication of his Innocency from that horrid Crime of the Kings Murder in these words:

I desire you Gentlemen, and all that hear me again to take notice, and remember that now when I am en­tering on Eternity, and am to appear before my Iudge, and as I desire salvation, and expect eternal happi­ness [Page 6] from him, I am free from any accession by knowledge, contriving, counsel, or any other way to his late Majesties death. And I pray the Lord to preserve our present King his Majesty, and to poure his best blessings upon his Person and Government: And the Lord give him good and faithful Counsellors.