The Trial of Henry Vane, Part 13
June 13. being Friday, the day before his Execution.
On this day, liberty being given to Friends to viſit him in the Tower, he received them with very great chearfulneſs, and with a compoſed frame of ſpirit, having wholly given up himſelf to the will of God. He did occaſionally let fall many gracious expreſſions, to the very great refreſhing, and ſtrengthning of the hearts of the hearers. To wit, That he had for any time theſe two years made Death familiar to him, and being ſhut up from the World, he ſaid, he had been ſhut up with God, and that he did know what was the mind of God to him in this great matter; but, that he had not the leaſt recoyl in his heart, as to matter or manner of what was done by him; And though he might have had an opportunity of eſcaping, or by policy might have avoided his Charge, yet he did not make uſe of it, nor could decline that which was come upon him.
It being told him by a Friend, that his Death would be a loſs to the People of God: He anſwered, that God would raiſe up other Inſtruments to ſerve him and his People. And being deſired to ſay ſomething, to take off that charge of Jeſuitiſm, that was caſt upon him; He ſaid, That he thought it not worth the taking notice of; for if it were ſo, he ſhould never have been brought to this. A Friend ſaid, Sir, the Lord hath ſaid, Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. The Lord enable you to be faithful. He replied, I bleſs the Lord, I have not had any diſcompoſure of ſpirit theſe two years, but I do wait upon the Lord, till he be pleaſed to put an end to theſe dayes of mine, knowing that I ſhall change for the better: For in Heaven there is an innumerable company of Angels, the Spirits of Juſt men made perfect, and JESUS the bleſſed Mediator of the New Covenant. There are holy and juſt Laws, a pure Government, bleſſed and good Company, every one doing their duty; herr we want all theſe. This is that City ſpoken of, Pſal. 48. 1, 2. That ſtrong City, that cannot be moved, Iſa. 26. Why therefore ſhould we be unwilling to leave this eſtate to go that? And although I be taken from hence, yet know aſſuredly, God will raiſe up unto you Inſtruments out of the duſt. Another ſaid to him; Sir, There is nothing will ſtand you in ſtead, but juſtifying Faith in the Blood of Jeſus. To which he ſaid, There are ſome, that through Faith in the Blood of Chriſt, do eſcape the pollutions of the world, yet afterwards are entangled therein again; others there be, that are carried through the greateſt ſufferings, by a more excellent, ſpiritual ſort of Faith in the Blood of Jeſus, and endure them with the greatest joy.
He further ſaid, We were lately preaching a Funeral Sermon to our ſelves, out of Heb. 11. 13, 16. where thoſe bleſſed Witneſſes do declare themſelves to be pilgrims and ſtrangers on the Earth, and do deſire a better Country, that is, a heavenly; Wherefore God is not aſhamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City. And if God (ſaid he) be not aſhamed to be called my God, I hope I ſhall not be aſhamed to endure his Croſs, and to bear his Reproach, even whatſoever it be that man can impoſe upon me, for his ſake. Yea, he will enable me not to be aſhamed. I have not the leaſt reluctancy or ſtrugling in my ſpirit againſt Death. I deſire not to live; but my will is reſigned up to God in all. Why are you troubled? I am not. You have need of Faith and Patience to follow the Lord's Call. This ought chiefly to be in our eye, the bringing Glory to our heavenly Father. Surely God hath a glorious Deſign to carry on in the world, even the building up of David's Throne to all Generations. For he is compleating all his precious Stones, making them Heavenproof, and then laying them together in the Heavenly Manſions, with the Spirits of the Juſt, till it be a compleat City. When the Topſtone thereof is laid, then will he come in all his Glory.
This day, is a day wherein Chriſt appears in the Clouds. Oh, that every one of our eyes may ſee him, and conſider how we-have pierced him in his Members, that we may mourn! Our Lord Jeſus ſaid, Father, I have finiſhed the work that thou gaveſt me to do, and now (Father) glorifie me with the ſame Glory I had with thee before the world was. Our Lord was capable of his Glory beforehand; and although we be not ſo capable as he, yet this we know, he wills the ſame to us, that where he is, we may be alſo, that we may behold his Glory. And he is our Head, in whom we are made capable, being choſen in him before the foundation of the world; and he hath ſet us in heavenly places in Chriſt Jeſus. The hope of this Glory ſweetens all our Sufferings.
I know, a day of deliverance for Sion will come. Some may think the manner of it may be, as before, with confuſed noiſe of the Warriour, and garments rolled in Blood; but I rathe think it will be with burning, and fewel of fire. The Lord will ſend a fire, that ſhall burn in the Conſciences of his Enemies, a worm that ſhall not die, and a fire that ſhall not go out. Men, they may fight againſt; but this they cannot fight againſt.
It being told him by a Friend, that he had delivered him up unto God as a Sacrifice, though (ſaid he) I have day and night prayed that this cup might paſs from you. He replied, That he bleſſed God, he had offered himſelf up firſt to God, and it was a rejoycing to him that others had given him up alſo. And why, ſaid he (ſpeaking before all the company) ſhould we be frighted with Death? I bleſs the Lord, I am ſo far from being affrighted with Death, that I find it rather ſhrink from me, than I from it.
His Children being then preſent, to take their leave of him, he ſaid, I bleſs God, by the eye of Faith I can ſee through all my Relations to Mount Sion, and there I ſhall need none of them. I have better Acquaintance in Heaven. Theſe Relations are nothing to thoſe I ſhall meet with there. Then kiſſing his Children, he ſaid, The Lord bleſs you, he will be a better Father to you: I muſt now forget that ever I knew you. I can willingly leave this place and outward enjoyments, for thoſe I ſhall meet with hereafter, in a better Country. I have made it my buſineſs, to acquaint my ſelf with the ſociety of Heaven. Be not you troubled, for I am going home to my Father.
I die in the certain faith and forefight, That this Cauſe ſhall have its Reſurrection in my Death. My Blood will be the Seed ſown, by which this glorious Cauſe will ſpring up which God will ſpeedily raiſe.
The laying down this earthly tabernacle is no more, but throwing down the mantle, by which a double portion of the Spirit will fall on the reſt of Gods People. And if by my being offered up, the Faith of many be confirmed, and others convinced and brought to the knowledge of the Truth, how can I deſire greater honour and matter of rejoycing?
As for that glorious Cauſe, which God hath owned in theſe Nations, and will own, in which ſo many Righteous ſouls have loſt their lives, and ſo many have been engaged by my countenance and encouragement, ſhall I now give it up, and ſo declare them all Rebels and Murderers? No, I will never do it: That precious Blood ſhall never lie at my door. As a Teſtimony and Seal to the Juſtneſs of that Quarrel, I leave now my Life upon it, as a Legacy to all the honeſt Intereſt in theſe three Nations. Ten thouſand Deaths, rather than defile my Conſcience, the chaſtity and purity of which I value beyond all this world; and God is not a little concern'd on my behalf. He will certainly judge my Caſe, wherein is the bowels of this good Cauſe, and in the bowels of that, the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt, which will ſpeedily be ſet on foot in theſe Nations. I would not for ten thouſand Lives, part-with this Peace and Satisfaction I have in my own heart, (both in holding to the Purity of my Principle, and to the Righteouſneſs of this good Cauſe) and the aſſurance I have that God is now fulfilling all theſe great and precious Promiſes, in order to what he is bringing forth. Although I ſee it not, yet I die in the faith and aſſured expectation of it, Hebr. 11. 13. And the eternal bleſſedneſs God hath prepared for me, and is ready now to receive me into, will abundantly make up all other things. Through the power and goodneſs of God, I have had in this Tryal of mine, ſuch a proof of the integrity of my own heart, as hath been no ſmall joy to me.
The expreſſions of grief from his Friends, he ſaid, were but ſo many lets and hindrances to him, in the view he had of that Glory he was going to poſſeſs, that heavenly City and Commonwealth, where he ſhould behold the face of God and of his Son, in a ſociety of Angels, and the Spirits of Juſt men made perfect.
Some few dayes before his Suffering, his thoughts were much fixed upon Pſal. 118. 27. where are theſe words; God is the Lord, which hath ſhewed us light; bind the Sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the Altar. From this, he ſaid, that God gives light, and is light to his People, under their darkeſt circumſtances and ſufferings; and when he calls them forth to ſuffer, he binds them as Sacrifices with cords, in three reſpects: Firſt, by the Cord of his Love to us, for he loved us firſt. Secondly, by the Cruelty of our Enemies. Thirdly, by our Reſignation-duty and love to him. Theſe three Cords have bound me ſo faſt, I cannot ſtir.
Upon Friends perſwading him, to make ſome ſubmiſſion to the King, and to endeavour the obtaining of his Life; he ſaid, If the King did not think himſelf more concern'd for his Honour and word, than he did for his Life, he was very willing they ſhould take it. Nay, I declare (ſaid he) that I value my Life leſs in a good Cauſe, than the King can do his Promiſe. And when ſome others were ſpeaking to him, of giving ſome thouſands of pounds for his Life; he ſaid, If a thouſand farthings would gain it, he would not give it: And if any ſhould attempt to make ſuch a bargain, he would ſpoil their market: For I think the King himſelf is ſo ſufficiently obliged to ſpare my Life, that it is fitter for him to do it, than my ſelf to ſeek it.
He rejoyced exceedingly, that God aſſiſted him ſo eminently in bearing his Teſtimony with faithfulneſs even unto Death; and that he as willingly laid down his Life, and with as much ſatisfaction, as ever he went to bed. For in a natural ſickneſs, Death ſeized on the body, without any conſent of the mind; but this was a free action of his mind, without any conſtraint upon his body.
Mention being made to him of the cruel proceedings againſt him; Alas (ſaid he) what ado they keep to make a poor creature like his Saviour! In diſcourſe he ſaid, If the ſhedding of my Blood, may prove an occaſion of gathering together in one, the diſperſed Intereſts and Remnant of the Adherers to this Cauſe (of whatever differing perſwaſions) I ſhould think ten thouſand Lives (if I had them) well ſpent in ſuch a ſervice.
He was much pleaſed in this conſideration, That he was haſtening to a place where God nor none of his, would be aſhamed to own and receive him. Here is nothing in this world (ſaith he) but reproaching and deſpiſing God's precious Saints; but in Heaven there is a good reception for them, where are Manſions prepared from the beginning of the world.
He ſaid, You will ſhortly ſee God coming forth with Vengeance upon the whole Earth, Vengeance upon the outward-man of his Saints, and Vengeance upon the inward-man of his and their Enemies; and that ſhall perform greater execution, than was heretofore.
After his Sentence, he ſaid to ſome Friends, God brought him upon on three ſtages, (to wit, before the Court) and was now leading him to the fourth (his Execution-place) which was far eaſier and pleaſanter to him than any of the other three.