in the ministry
twenty years. Then he desired his father to leave him, and go to his
chamber, and pray earnestly to the Lord to be with him on the scaffold;
for how to carry there is my care, even that I may be strengthened to
endure to the end.

About two o'clock afternoon he was brought to the scaffold (with other
five who suffered with him), where, to the conviction of all that
formerly knew him, he had a fairer and more stayed countenance than ever
they had before observed. Being come to the foot of the ladder, he
directed his speech to the multitude northward, saying, "That as his
years in the world had been but few, his words then should not be many;"
and then spoke to the people the speech and testimony which he had
before written and subscribed[145].

Having done speaking, he sung a part of the 31st psalm, and then prayed
with such power and fervency, as caused many to weep bitterly. Then he
gave his hat and cloke from him, and when he took hold of the ladder to
go up, he said, with an audible voice, "I care no more to go up this
ladder and over it, than if I were going home to my father's house."
Hearing a noise among the people, he called down to his
fellow-sufferers, saying, Friends and fellow-sufferers, be not afraid;
every step of this ladder is a degree nearer heaven: and then, having
seated himself thereon, he said, "I do partly believe that the noble
counsellors and rulers of this land would have used some mitigation of
this punishment, had they not been instigated by the prelates, so that
our blood lies principally at the prelates door; but this is my comfort
now, that I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c. And now I do willingly
lay down my life for the truth and cause of God, the covenants and work
of reformation, which were once counted the glory of this nation; and it
is for endeavouring to defend this, and to extirpate that bitter root of
prelacy, that I embrace this rope," (the executioner then putting the
rope about his neck). Then hearing the people weep, he said, "Your work
is not to weep, but to pray, that we may be honourably borne through,
and blessed be the Lord that supports me now; as I have been beholden to
the prayers, and kindness of many since my imprisonment and sentence, so
I hope, ye will not be wanting to me now in the last step of my journey,
that I may witness a good confession, and that ye may know what the
ground of my encouragement in this work is, I shall read to you in the
l