A New Martyrology, Introduction 2 · Life 3
Mr. William Jenkyns.
HIS Father was sufficiently known, and his Circumstances hard enough, being seized only for his Opinion, and clapt up close in Newgate; where the inconvenience of the place, and want of the Exercise he formerly enjoy'd, quickly kill'd him, as he used to say before his Confinement, 'twould certainly do if ever it happen'd. Thus was he requited by that very person for whom with Mr. Love, he ventured his Life so deeply, and so hardly escaped with it. 'Twas his inhuman Treatment which edg'd and animated his Son; and the revenge of his Fathers Blood may be presum'd to have gone very far in pushing him on to engage his Life and Fortune in this undertaking, he having given Funeral Rings for his Father with this Posie, VVilliam Jenkyns, murder'd in Newgate. He was his Fathers only Son, who had taken care to have him educated suitable to his ingenuous Birth and Inclinations he improved …fficiently in all useful Learning, and was now about one or two and twenty. He and several Young Gentlemen rode down from London a little before the Duke landed, and were taken on suspition, and laid up in Ilchester Goal, till the Duke himself came and relieved them. He continued in his Army till the Rout, when, if I mistake not, he got to Sea and was forc'd back again with the H…wlings, or some others. He was condemned at the Bloody Assizes in Dorchester.
A Friend discoursing to him at Dorchester about his Pardon, and telling him the doubtfulness of obtaining it, he replyed, Well, Death is the worst they can do, and I bless God, that will not surprize me, for I hope my g…eat work is done. At Taunton being advised to govern the Airiness of his Temper, telling him, it made People apt to censure him, as inconsiderate of his Condition; to which he answer'd; Truly, this is so much my natural Temper, that I cannot tell how to alter it; but I bless God I have, and do think seriously of my eternal Conce…ns; I do not allow my self to be vain, but I find cause to …e chearful, for my Peace is made with God, through Jesus Christ my Lord; this is my only ground of Comfort and Cheerfulness, the security of my Interest in Christ; for I expect nothing but Death, and without this I am sure Death would be most dreadful; but having the good hope of thi…, I cannot be melancholy. When he heard of the triumphant Death of those that suffered at Lyme, he said, This is a good Encouragement to depend upon God. Then speaking about the mangling of their Bodies, he said; Well, the Resurrection will restore all with great advantage; the 15th. Chapter of the first of Corinthians is Comfort enough for all Believers. Discoursing much of the certainty and felicity of the resurrection at another time, he said, I will (as I think I ought) use all lawful means for the saving of my Life, and then if God please to forgive my sins, I hope I shall as chearfully embrace Death. Upon the design of attempting an escape, he said, VVe use this means for the preserving our Lives, but if God is not with us, it will not effect it; it is our business first to to seek to him for Direction and Success, if he sees good, with resigning our Lives to him, and then his VVill be done. After the Disappointments, when there was no prospect of any other Opportunity, he spake much of the admirableness of God's Providence in those things that seem most against us, bringing the greatest good out of them; for, said he, VVe can see but a little way, God is only wise in all his Disposals of us; if we were left to chuse for our selves, we should choose our own Misery. Afterwards discoursing of the Vanity and unsatisfyingness of all things in this World, he said, It is so in the enjoying, we never find our Expectations answer'd by any thing in it, and when Death comes it puts an end to all things we have been pursuing here: Learning and Knowledge (which are the best things in thi… world) will then avail nothing; nothing but an interest in Christ is then of any worth. One reading to some of his Fellow-Prisoners, Jer. 42.12. I will shew mercy unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own Land; he said, Yes, we shall, but not in this World, I am perswaded. September the 29th. at Night, after he heard he must die the next morning, he was exceedingly composed and chearful, expressing his Satisfaction in the will of God: The next morning he was still more spiritual and chearful, discovering a very sweet Serenity of Mind in all that he said and did: Whilst he was waiting for the Sheriff, reading the Scriptures, meditating and conversing with those about him of Divine things, amongst other things, said he, I have heard much of the Glory of Heaven, but I am now going to behold it, and understand what it is. Being desir'd to disguise himself to attempt an escape, he said, No, I cannot tell how to disturb my self about it, and methinks it is not my business, now I have other things take up my thoughts; if God saw good to deliver me, he would open some other Door; but seeing he has not, it is more for the honour of his Name we should die, and so be it. One saying to him that most of the Apostles died a violent Death, he replyed, Nay, a greater than the Apostles our Lord himself died, not only a shameful, but a painful Death: He further said, This manner of Death hath been the most terrible thing in the World to my thoughts, but I bless God, now am I neither afraid nor ashamed to die. He said, The parting with my Friends, and their grief for me, is my greatest difficulty; but it will be but for a very short time, and we shall meet again in endless Joys, where my dear Father is already enter'd, him shall I presently joyfully meet. Then musing with himself a while, he with an extraordinary seriousness sung these two Verses of one of Herbert's Poems:
Death is still working like a Mo…e,
Digging my Grave at each remove,
Let Grace work so on my Soul,
Drop from above.
Oh come! for thou dost know the way,
Or if to me thou wilt not move,
Remove me where I need not say,
Drop from above.
He then read the 53d of Isaiah, and said, He had heard many Blessed Sermons from that Chapter, especially from the 16th Verse, All we like Sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, but the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all; seeming to intimate some impress made on his Soul from them, but was interrupted; then he said, Christ is all; When the Sheriff came, he had the same chearfulness and serenity of mind in taking leave of his Friends, and in the Sledge, which seemed to increase to the last, (as those present have affirmed) joyning in Prayer, and in singing a Psalm with great appearance of Comfort and Joy in his Countenance, insomuch that some of his Enemies (that had before censured his chearfulness for unthoughtfulness of his Danger, and therefore expected to see him much surprized) now professed they were greatly astonished, to see such a Young Man leave the World, and go through Death as he did.
Mr. Jenkyn's Letter to Mrs. Scot on the 26th of September, 1685.
Dear Sister,
THE News which came in my Brothers Letter of the 22d Instant to Mr. Dewy did not at all surprize me, for indeed I expected no other; and seeing all hopes of saving my Life are blasted, I thought my self bound to write a Line or two to so near a Relation as your self, wherein I might take my leave of you, and bid you farewel, till we shall meet again in Glory, and never be separated more: As for my own part, tho such a sort of Death as I am like to suffer, be that which I always dreaded when at a distance, I have sometimes thought of it, yet I …hank my God now it draws near, even but a few hours off, I find my self supported under the thoughts of it, and hope by his strength, who will never forsake his own, I shall be enabled chearfully to undergo it with Glory to his Name, and comfort to my own, and the Souls of others that are more nearly concerned for me; and as I have made it my own endeavour to submit to the Will of God in this sad Dispensation without murmuring or repining, I hope you have been sensible of your Duty in the same respect, which is, Patiently to submit to his Will, and eye his Hand in this severe stroke: And though God has been pleased to deny success to your endeavours for the saving of my Life, yet I am satisfied nothing has been wanting on your parts; and for all the trouble you have been at on my account, tho I do not live to shew my Gratitude, yet I render you my dying thanks, and beg your Prayers for my support in the last moments of my Life. If you receive this before my Death, the certain time of which I have not notice of, pray remember my Love to My Brother, and Thanks for all Kindnesses; and as for my young Relations, my Prayer for them shall be, That they may see more happy days than I have done, and die a more peaceable, I can't say more happy Death. And now, Dear Sister, I take my leave of you, and commi… you to the protection of that God, who hath made every thing beautiful in his time, and will shew you the meaning of this Providence which now we do not understand, to whom, I trust I am now going, and into the enjoyment of whose Presence I doubt not but ere long you will meet, Dear Sister,
Your affectionate Brother, WILLIAM JENKYN.
Mr. Jenkyn's Letter to his Mother on the 29th of September, at 12 at Night, Taunton.
Dear and Honoured Mother,
I Have even now received the News of Execution to morrow, which, tho I have so short notice of, yet I hope I am prepared for it, and by God's strength enabling me, I shall joyfully be carryed through it: The kindness you have been pleased to shew in your great Concern for me since I have been under this trouble, as well as the Duty I owe to so near a Relation as your self, engages me to acquaint you with my present condition for your satisfaction, which truly is such, that I must beg you to accept this present Letter for my last Farewel: And tho this sad Providence cannot but be grievous to so near and affectionate a Relation as your self, yet I hope it already has, and still does; yield the peaceable fruits of Righteousness to your self and me, who have been severely exercised with it: As for my own part, I hope I can truly say, that God has by this Providence weaned m… from the World, and made me willing to leave, an… to be dissolved, that I may be with Christ, which i… far better: And now I am come to die; I hope I ca… truly say, I have nothing else to do but to die; an… having fought a good Fight, and finished my Cours… I am now in expectation of that Crown of Rewar… which God the righteous Judge of the whole Earth, h… promised to all those that love his appearing; and … it is my great work to be now every moment fitting … self for my great and last change; so 'tis the … which belongs to you, and the rest of my dear Relation… to resign me up into the hands of that God, whose … am, and to whom I am going, and not repine at … righteous Will, which we ought quietly to submit … I bless God I die with a clear Conscience, and thou… I have deserved much worse at the hands of God … my past sins than I am like to undergo, yet I coun… with respect to Man, I die a Martyr for the Prot… stant Religion, and meerly for doing my duty in opp… sing of that flood of Popery which seem'd to be just ove… whelming the Church and Interest of Christ in the… Nations; and I wish that the Prudentialists of ou… Age, that have withdrawn their helping hand fro… so glorious a Design, do not within a few days … the smart they have deserved by this their basenes… But being now just leaving the World, it's grievous to look back on these things; wherefore dear and honoured Mother, I take leave of you also, hoping that I shall again meet with you in that place of happiness, where all Tears shall be wiped away from our Eyes, and we shall sorrow no more. I have nothing more to say, but to return you my dying Thanks for all the Trouble and Care you have been at for the saving my Life, which though God has not thought fit to make successful, yet my thankfulness is equally due to you for your endeavours, as if he had; therefore I shall end with the subscribing my self,
Dear and Honoured Mother, Your thankful and dutiful Son, WILLIAM JENKYN.
Mr. Jenkyn's Letter to Mrs. Gourden on the 30th of September, 1685. at 4 Morning, Taunton.
Dear Sister,
THO you are at a great distance from mine Eye, yet you are very near my Heart, so that to leave the World before I have wrote a Line or two to bid you farewel, and comfort you under this sad Providence, would be uncomfortable to me: I hope you have by this time learnt how to welcom evil as well as good tydings, and submit to the wise disposer of all things, who knows what is good for us, better than we do for our selves: Tho I question not but the new… of my Death, especially in such a violent manner, a… within a few hours I am to suffer, it will be afflictive to you; yet I would beg you to consider the Happiness which I am gone to, but a few years sooner taken out of a wicked and troublesome World unto the quire of Triumphant Martyrs in Glory, which place of Happiness, though I have not deserved by any thing of my own Merits, yet for the Merits of my Mediator and Saviour, who has purchased more for me, than can enter into my Heart to conceive, I doubt not but I have a Mansion prepared for me in that place, where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. And now, Dear Sister, I have nothing more to do in this World, but to be preparing and fitting my self for this place of rest, which within a few hours I am going to. I therefore leave you and yours to the protection and blessing of God, who is able to keep and Support you under this and all other his afflictive Providences, and bring a good issue out of them; and who will in his own good time conduct you safe to that place of happiness, where you will meet alone for Christ sake,
Dear, Dear Sister, Your loving and affectionate Brother, WILLIAM JENKYN.
Pray remember my Love and Respects to my Brother, and all that enquire after me.
His Character.
HE was a very promising and ingenious young Gentleman; he had a great deal of ready Wit, and an extraordinary briskness and gaity. He was a very good Scholar, had run …hrough a Course of Philosophy; but his p…rticular Inclination was to the Mechanical part of it, wherein he had a very happy Genius, and performed many pretty things. He wrote …ery good clean Latin. He was indifferent tall, …retty thin, a fair Complexion, his Nose a …ittle inclining to one side, being hurt in his In…ancy. He led a sober, vertuous Life, and dy'd … happy Death at Taunton, September 30. 1685.