Throughout history, countless godly women have stood as beacons of inspiration.  One figure that particularly stands out in my readings is Mary Love, the wife of 17th-century Puritan preacher Christopher Love.  Her Christian intelligence and piety are inspiring; I can’t help but wish I could have known her personally and learn from her wisdom firsthand.

Christopher Love’s life ended at the age of 33 when he was executed by beheading in 1651 for allegedly conspiring against Oliver Cromwell, the then Lord Protector of England.  His wife was eight months pregnant with their fifth child, their third surviving child, when he was executed.

On the day of his execution, Christopher Love used the scaffold as his final pulpit, delivering his last sermon and praying for his accusers.  Among his last words were these: “There are but two steps between me and glory.  It is but lying down upon the block that I shall ascend upon a throne. … I am changing a pulpit for a scaffold and a scaffold for a throne. … I am changing a guard of soldiers for a guard of angels which will receive and carry me into Abraham’s bosom.”

In the weeks leading up to his execution, Mary’s steadfast faith in God shone through, especially in a farewell letter she wrote to her husband while he was in prison on July 14, 1651.  Reading her letter tugs at the heartstrings: Continue reading →