Throughout history, countless godly women have shone as beacons of inspiration. One who particularly stands out in my reading—both for her Christian intelligence and piety—is Mary Love, the wife of the 17th-century Puritan preacher Christopher Love.
Christopher Love’s life ended at the age of 33 when he was executed by beheading in 1651, accused of conspiring against Oliver Cromwell, then Lord Protector of England. At the time of his death, Mary was eight months pregnant with their fifth child—their third surviving child.
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.”
A Farewell From a Faithful Heart
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 “A Love Beyond the Scaffold: Mary Love’s Faith and Courage” →
Reading a troubling news yesterday made this quotation poignant to me: