A New Martyrology, Introduction 2 · Interpolated account of aforementioned execution
Some further Passages relating to Mr. Sampson Larke with his Prayer at the same time and Place when Executed.
IMme…iately after Colonel Holmes was Executed, this g…od Man was ordered to prepare to follow; accordingly going to d…liver some few words to the People, some whereof were formerly of his Congregation, but being told he could not expec… much time, because it was so late, and so many to be Executed afte… him; so he suddenly concluded and said, I will now speak a few Words to him, whic… I am sure will hear me: And so began his Praye… as followeth:
Blessed Lord God, we thine unworthy Creatur… now here before thee, cannot but acknowledge from th… bottom of our hearts our own unworthiness; we mu… confess we have been grievous sinners, and have broug… forth the evil Fruit of it in our Lives, to the gre… dishonour of thy Name, for which we have deserved thy heavy wrath and indignation to be poured forth upon us, not only in this life, but in that which is to come.
O let us bless God for our Sufferings and Afflictions; as for our Mercies, we bless thee in particular for this; O sanctifie it to us; let us be effectually convinced of the vanity of the World, and of our own sinfulness by Nature and Practice, and to see that to be sin which we never saw before; O Lord, make us sensible of the absolute necessity of the Righteousness of Christ to justifie us, and let him be now made much more dear and precious to our Souls than ever, that so we may be wrought into a more heavenly Frame, and raised to a higher degree of Spirituality, and so made more meek and humble; and let us judge charitably of others, that differ from us in Opinion and Judgment. And now, O Lord, though by thy most righteous Judgment we most justly deserve these Sufferings, and such an ignominious Death, for our Sins against thee, not for Treasons against the Kingdom, let us be in a preparedness for it. Pardon all our Sins, help us quietly to submit to thy holy Will; speak peace to all our Souls. Look in mercy, O Lord, on this poor Nation, especially on this Town, and every particular Person in it, let them all mind those things which concern their peace, before they are hid from their eyes. Comfort my dear and distressed Wife, be a Husband unto her, deliver her out of the Paw of the Lyon, and the Paws of the Bear. Look upon all thy poor afflicted ones, all Prisoners and Captives, work deliverance for them if thou seest it good; but thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. And now Lord, with humble meekness and submission I submit to thy Will, depending upon on the Merits of my Saviour, to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be ascribed all Honour and Praise both now and for ever. Amen.
Then mounting the Ladder, he called to some of the Town who weeped for him, but were at some distance, Go home to your own Houses, pray do not weep for me, and before you get up yonder Hill, I shall be with my heavenly Father in fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore. And so advising those before him to leave off those cruel Sentiments they had taken of him, besides some heavenly Discourses with some of his Friends, he was turned off, to the great grief of the good People of the Town, especially those of his own Congregation. To give him nothing but his due, he was a man mighty charitable, relieving and visiting the poor and needy, Preached in season and out of season, and made it his business to go about doing good, and to put poor Souls in a way for Eternal Life; he was an old Christian, as well as aged in years; he was a general loss, especially to his dear and tender Wife: But all our losses are nothing to be compared to that Glory that he now enjoys.
Mr. Sampson Larke's Letter to a Friend just before his Execution.
MY dear Friend, I am ready to be offered, and the time of my Departure is at hand; I have through Grace fought a good fight, have finished my course, have kept the Faith, and am in hopes of the Crown of Righteousness prepared for me, and all God's faithful Ones: The experiences I have had of the Promises, hath given me comfortable hopes that he will carry me to the full end of my Journey, with his Name, and that Truth of his, which I have made Profession of. My great Crime is for my being a Preach…r of the Gospel, and here I am to be made a Sacrifice, where I have mostly preached Christ's Gospel. I think my Judges have devised this punishment for my hurt, but I trust God will turn it to my good; the great trouble I have, is for those good Hearts that I must leave behind me: But this is my comfort, knowing that all such as fear God, he will be a Father to them. My dear Wife is greatly troubled, but through Mercy much supported, and something quieted; if any of you have opportunity to give her help, I hope you will do it. As for our confessing our selves Guilty, it was expresly as to matter of Fact, and not of Form; and this I did with some freedom, and the rather, because all my worthy Brethren that went before me took that way, and the many ways having been used to have a further Discovery, yet nothing of that kind by any but only by Captain Jones. Since our Sentence, some wretched men have been with us to draw from us a Confession of our being Rebels, that we might have their Absolution. I bless God, he has hitherto helped me to be faithful, and I hope he will not leave me in …he most needful time. I must conclude, being ready to be called away; my dear Love to all my Christian Friends, and especially those in the Goal. The Lord be with you all, Amen. Your dying Friend, in hopes of Eternal Life, through Jesus Christ Amen.
SAMPSON LARKE. From the House of my blessed Bondage in Dorchester, Sept. 7. 1685.