Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	prayer_n	read_v	word_n	2,960	5	4.5557	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31092	The Lord's arm stretched ovt in an answer of prayer, or, A true relation of the wonderful deliverance of James Barrow, the son of John Barrow of Olaves Southwark, who was possessed with evil spirits near two years the diversity of means used, with the way in which he was delivered / published by me, John Barrow.	Barrow, John, 17th cent.	1664 (1664)	Wing B965; ESTC R30215	17,813	22

THE LORD'S ARM STRETCHED OVT IN AN Answer of Prayer OR A true Relation of the wonderful Deliverance of JAMES BARROW the Son of Iohn Barrow of Olaves Southwark who was possessed with Evil Spirits near two years The diversity of Means used with the Way in which he was delivered Published by me Iohn Barrow O Thou that hearest Prayer unto thee shall all flesh come Psal. 65. 2. He will regard the Prayer of the Destitute and will not despise their Prayer Psal. 102. 17. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive Mat. 21. 22. LONDON Printed in the Year 1664. THE PREFACE to the READER Christian Reader MAny may be ready to judge that this wonderful and merciful manifestation of God's Power and Goodness in the delivering my Child from so great an Evil doth arise rather from ostentation than from any real cause I had to publish the same for I know that it was in all Ages the design of Satan to put an odium upon the best of works that have been done in the world Hence it was said of Christ that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils that by that means the Iews might hide from the eyes of the People the Goodness and Power of God which was plainly seen in what Christ did Things of this nature will not pass without censure Such is the reigning power of Satan in the hearts of many at this day also that a work of this kind will by them be stigmatized and the persons also that God made use of as instruments in his hand to do it I therefore thought it meet to give the Reader to understand that my end in the publishing of what God hath done for me in taking my Child out of the hands of Satan is not the lifting up of my self nor those men that wrestled with the Lord for me God who knows the secrets of all hearts knows it but that he alone might have the glory and praise of so great a mercy to whom I desire to give it and to no other but him alone which is the main reason why I make the world acquainted with it for should I conceal so great a Mercy it would be ingratitude in me Another reason that hath induced me to publish what hath been the Lords doings is that others might be stirred up to praise the Lord with me who is a God hearing prayer of whom we may say as once Moses did Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods who is like unto thee glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises doing Wonders Exod. 15. 11. for surely it would not only be ingratitude in me to the Lord to conceal a thing of such weight but it would accuse me of want of love to other Christians who may thereby be not only occasioned to praise the Lord but encouraged to seek the Lord in all their straits forsaking those vain if not wicked proceedings of some who by Charms think to deliver from the power of the Devil as will appear in the following Discourse for I my self indeed being no otherwise nor no better informed endeavoured the help of my Child by such means as I have now cause to repent that ere I made use of them but the Lord was pleased at length to let me see my folly therein after I had spent and wasted that little estate I had as is well known to many therefore what ends I should have in what I do may be easily discerned by the Wise. I know there are some tongues that will not be wanting to sander me and my Child with dissimulation though it is well-known by many it was no such matter neither can it be in reason so judged seeing there was no profit made thereby but as I said it was to the impoverishing of me and mine Whatever is said by any shall not I hope trouble me I having a good Conscience I bless the Lord my Child is now well and hath continued so ever since the Lord was sought to Blessed be the Lord let all his Saints bless him with me John Barrow The Lord's Arm stretched out in an Answer of Prayer c. IN Iuly 1661. was the beginning of the lamentable and deplorable trouble of my poor Child who was then taken ill after this manner following His Mother my Wife bad him read his Book which he did and after he had read a Chapter he was taken with a violent burning so great that we thought it would cost him his life In this condition he continued about a week at the end whereof being on his Legs again he would walk up and down the room throwing his hat from his head laying his hands under his belly and screeking out lamentably forty times in a day or more this lasting some eight or ten dayes he was afterwards taken in another manner as he walked about the Chamber there was heard a croaking in his throat very strange to them that heard it which continued eight or ten dayes or thereabouts Suddenly after this there appeared Rats to him and Cats with Rats in their clawes dancing them sometimes coming as he said with glasses of Sack in their clawes and Pasties offering them to the Child but he refused to receive them and threw things at them then they would demand his Soul bidding him give it to the Devil but he refused to condescend to them They told him when his Father and Mother was gone forth they would come and dine with him at the long Table after which time he could neither eat nor drink except he did first go behind the door and sing with his hat off otherwise what he eat or drank would not go down but endanger the choaking of him Suddenly after this he was taken above thirty times in a day both lame dumb and blind continuing so for a time After this I no sooner went out about my imployment which lay abroad but he would be cast upon the ground with a great force insomuch that I could not otherwise conclude but it must be done by the malice and power of the Devil When he was upon the ground he would strike himself upon the face with all his force to the great amazement of the spectators which were several Friends of mine that came to see my Child hearing what condition he was in by reason of whose coming as we supposed he was changed into divers and several actions for the more they came to see him the more his fits came upon him which we perceiving desired them to forbear coming they did so and then his fits abated After this he was confined to a certain stool that was in the house insomuch that if any one else did sit down on that stool he would be thrown flat on the ground as it were dead and not arise as long as any one else did sit on the aforesaid stool At a certain time going to a Neighbours house he carried this stool with him because he could

enraged for he would double his fist and seem by his looks to threaten him that prayed endeavouring to get nearer and nearer to him till God or Christ was named at which words he would start back as though he was frighted using endeavours to get out of the Chamber and had but that two of them held the door and would not let him which when he perceived he crept to the farthest corner of the room crying out Legat go to the Devil Legat will not you go to the Devil Legat Go to the Devil Legat go to the Devil Legat. It was observed that though he often repeated these words yet his mouth was open but his lips moved not at which time he used many strange and absurd actions They offered him a Bible which he would not look into but seemed to be much tormented they then offered him another Book at which he was not at all troubled Thus they continued till about noon and then he fell asleep and slep a pretty while and when he awoke he was like a natural fool and could not speak a word saying Legat go to the Devil as aforesaid from whence it appears that it was not he that spake but the Evil Spirit in him making Crosses wetting them with spittle playing with and spitting on the Andirons that stood in the Chimney and when they were taken from him he cryed like a Child after this they shewed him a Bible again at which he was not troubled but seemed to rejoyce In this condition he continued till towards night and then he fell into a very strange fit of raging and roaring calling Legat many times While this fit was on him one went down stairs and staid a little and then came up again against whom the Boy was so enraged that he spit at him and would have struck him but that he was held by two others After this the evening came on and they commended him and their work to the Lord who was able to do more for him than they were able to ask The answer of this day was the restoring of his speech in such a measure that one might understand him The 14th of September 1663. was the second day that they set apart to seek the Lord in behalf of my Child at which time there were only three exercised in the duty of Prayer to wit Iohn Clayton Rich. Webb and Rich. Aylmore except some women who were spectators my self and my wife When they were met they applied themselves to the Lord in prayer as they did the day before in which duty they had spent the greatest part of the day and the Boy seemed not to be troubled until it grew towards night and then he fell into a very great Agony roaring and crying Legat Legat many times and was so outragious that he was held by two of them but a little before night this fit left him and then they committed him themselves and their work into the hands of God who disposeth all things according to the Counsel of his own will The answer of this dayes work was that whereas before he cold not hold a Cup in his hand to drink but took it in his teeth before they parted he took a pot in his hand and drunk as orderly as I or any one could and the next day he read a Chapter without trouble And so they were led to the third dayes work being September 21. 1663. The persons that met this day were Rich. Webb Tho. Mildman Rich. Pilgrim Rich. Aylmore Iohn Smith Iohn Borchit Iohn Clayton with some others both strangers and acquaintance this day they endeavoured to be there as soon as they could but neither my self nor my wife nor Boy were come to the place appointed two friends came to meet us and found us in the way coming but had been troubled with the Child by reason of strong temptations of the Devil namely to cut his throat or drown himself or knock out his brains against a post His mother asked him if he would go to Hell Yea said he with all my heart But at the last he came to the place where the aforesaid friends were and went laughing up the stairs like a fool and when he was come in looked earnestly about him and seemed to count them that were there by pointing at them Then after some discourse about the work of the day as in relation to Christ's Promises upon our agreeing together we found our selves in an oneness of spirit believing the Lords Presence and then one went to prayer The first that prayed concluded his prayer without any material observation from the Boy except some inward fretting which did appear by his looks and snatching with his hand at his face and head The second that prayed with an holy boldness asked of God a sign whether the work should be finished that day the sign was That if God would do it that day That the Spirit should be roused up immediately and so it pleased the Lord to answer that at that very time the Spirit did roar in the Boy with an hideous noise after a manner that we could not tell what to compare it to but something like the noise a dog makes when he howls and toar open his clothes throwing his Hankercher that was about his neck on the floor treading on it with his feet and spitting at him that was at prayer crying out You cannot do the work Our friend replied Satan thou art a Lyar for through the strength of the Lord we are able to do it or words to that purpose further replying Thou damned fiend thou enemy to mankind who wert a Lyar from the beginning I adjure thee in the Name of Iesus of Nazereth come forth at which he roared and beat himself crying out What three dayes two dayes was enough looking wishly on all as we stood about him saying What nothing but pray what all pray all mad will you kill your selves with praying three dayes is too much in conscience Then one said if three dayes would not be enough we would have three and three too and then he was very much troubled and beat himself again and howled as before And then he endeavoured to perswade us that there was a dinner below we might go down to that and eat it But answer was made that we had set our selves to fasting and prayer to plead with God against him and would not eat till the Sun went down and then he would perswade us that it was night and dark and time to go home Answer was made Thou art a lyar as from the beginning for then it was about eleven or twelve of the clock Again he told there was a bed we might go to bed And when none of these lies and deceits would do he began with other stratagems and told us that we had got for every day one could not we be contented Answer was made that we would not give over while any did remain And then he fixed his eyes on