I desire the Lord to blesse you all, and I desire all your prayers to Heaven fo [...] me. I desire to speak to you all in generall. I am here justly brought to this place, for mine offence, by seeking to betray a Garrison under the Parliaments com­mand: In that Act I was made an Instrument, betwixt two Commanders; of which Treachery, I was not ig­norant: And for that fact, I confesse, That I deserve this death; and desire all Spectators to take notice of it. I for my own part, have been bred up under a powerfull Ministery, and have had good education, and have been a great Professor; but the Lord knows my heart, I have been a dissembling Hypocrit, And now I here do heartily confesse the offence; and the Lord blesse you all, and [Page 4]give every one grace to take notice thereof, and to be warned thereby: And the Lord blesse this great City; and the Lord blesse the Countrey likewise; and the Lord make every man faithfull. I have been a great Pro­fessor, but I have not done my Masters will. I have been a great sinner, and I now call to minde a Text in the first of the Romans, from the 27. verse to the end, of 17 or 18 sins which I am gui [...]ty of all: therefore I suffer justly. I desire all men to take notice of my saying; and I de­sire, that if any Magistrates, or Parliament men be here, or if not, those that have most relation to them, would take notice of it, 1. That great offenders may be brought to condign punishment, as well as lesser: For my part, I desire to justifie that good Councell of War, and the Lord blesse them, for they have dealt justly with me; and there be still many Achans in the Camp. The Lord blesse the Parliament, and keep them from Treachery; and the Lord blesse the King; and I desire every honest man to honour Him, as He doth honour God: I desire the Lord to bring Him home to His Parliament, and to re­move far from Him, evill Councellours; and the Lord blesse His Friends, and Well-willers: I am perswaded, that the Kings heart is honest, but onely misled; and I hope he will return to His Parliament: That though I am now a dying man, yet you that hear me this day, may enjoy a happy Peace. And now you that hear me, and are to celebrate a Sabboth to morrow, I beseech you all to prepare your selves for it; and labour to rise early to fit you for the Lords Work: If any of you be to go to a Countrey Market, though in the depth of Winter, yet you will be up before day to go to it; therefore I be­seech you to make use of the time, for the Market of your [Page 5]souls: Labour to hearken to this Word of God, and labour to carry it home with you, and to practise it. I have lived in a Countrey where few powerfull Ministers are; and you that have slighted the Word of God for­merly, take heed of it: I have been a great offender in this particular, and I have played the Hypocrite exceed­ingly; I have been very zealous outwardly, and I have kept many Fast dayes very strictly, both publike and pri­vate; I have enjoyed the company of the best Ministers, and I have associated my self with most religious people, and yet have played the Hypocrite exceedingly: The Lord forgive me, and good people pray for me; and now lift up all your hearts to God for me: I have known much, and done little, I pray God give you all grace to labour to know much, and to practise it.

Now concerning my being in Garrison in Russell-Hall in Staffordshire, being urged by Master Smart, Minister of Gods Word, to deliver my opinion concerning them. For their profession, they do all professe God; but I ne­ver heard nor saw, so much swearing, and drunkennesse, and other prophanations, as was in that place: For the Martiall of that place, he would swear and domineer, and was so discontented, as if he would cause the stones to flie out of the Walls. Now the Lord amend that and other places, under the Parliaments Command; and good people pray for me, and help me in remembring me to utter what I have to speak: The Gentleman that imployed me about this Treachery, was the Governour of Dudley Castle, his name is Luson, he is my Landlord, and I hold a Farm of him for my life which this day I must surrender: he sent to me to come to him, and askt me what I did so often at Russell-Hall, I told him I had [Page 6]severall occasions, sometimes to receive money, and sometimes to pay money; he told me, he desired me to do one message for him to the Governour, that was to bay that Garrison of him, and he would give him eleven hundred pounds for it; I told him of it, and he sent me with Letters back, and so I carried messages from one to the other: but Captain Tuckhill did not de [...]iver it up; yet offered me, if I could make the match, he would give me one hundred pounds of it; yet I never askt him for any money, neither had any, but one fourty shillings which he gave me without demand: And I thank God, that the d [...]livery up of that Castle, is hid from my eyes. Luson did give me no money, but he promised to be as good to me, as seven yeers Rent. I desire you that write it, to take notice thereof, that it may be published, that all the world may take warning of such false hearted­nesse. I confesse my offence as great, and far greater then others, because that I have been a great Professour, and have stood for this Cause now in hand, and have al­wayes held it to be just and right; and all my Friends, and Children, have stood for this Cause; and we do verily beleeve it to be the Cause of God: but it is for my sins, and the sins of other Hypocrites, that Gods Cause hath been so much dishonoured and beaten down. I desire you all, that Religion may not be stained by my suffering, nor good men slighted, nor Gods Cause fair the worse for my Hypocrisie. I never read, but there was some wicked amongst the most godly: There is some Chaff amongst the finish Wheat, and one Judas amongst the twelve Apostles: there was one in Gods Camp, and therefore, I beseech you all judge not ill of the Cause of Christ for my offence. One thing I desire to speak again [Page 7]to you that are Magistrates, and intimate with them, I desire you to speak these last words of mine to them; I mean to the Lord Mayor, and this Honourable Coun­cell of War; and tell them, that I beseech them, That great offenders may be brought to tryall, as well as lesser. Now for you that are imployed in Gods Cause, and are called forth to fight his battle, go courageously, and know, that you are never without God for your Cap­tain, as you may read, 2 Chron. 14.8, 9, 10, 11. and Judges 5.23. For the Earl of Denbigh I hear, is going out for Staffordshire; the Lord blesse and prosper him. I hear and hope he is an honest man, I pray God increase it, and blesse him: I could wish he were now with his For­ces there; for that Countrey is in great want of them: And I could wish that he would take with him, some good and faithfull Ministers, to plant in that barren Countrey.

And you Master Smart, I beseech you be an Instru­ment of helping faithfull Ministers amongst your Coun­treymen.

And now good people, I beseech you all pray for me, and hear me once more: I wish I could be heard of all, [...]at are to enjoy a Sabbath the next day; Labour to pre­pare your selves for Gods Service, and to hearken dili­gently to Gods Word; Labour to renue your Covenant, that of late you have made with God: Let these last words of a dying man prevail with you, To stick close to God and his Cause. I confesse, I heard of the Cove­nant, but I never took it: you that have taken it, be carefull to renew it and keep it. And so the Lord blesse you all, King, Parliament, Citie, Countrey, and all.