particular interest in these general promises she was told that the Almighty who was mercifull as she had proued and faithfull as she confessed intended all these mercies to as many as he did call and make promise to And that hee called her she must néeds confesse both because that then she not only her selfe read but heard others reade those blessed words of God vnto her and also for that in former times she had bin touched with the loue of God and that his truth and had well profited in the detestation of sinne and imitation of her Sauiour in a holy life And for the proofe thereof she was wished to remember in former times her Baptisine her frequenting of Sermons often receiuing the most comfortable repast of the holy Communion her daily and almost continual exercise of reading meditating and praying c. Also he assured her that neither the present agony she was in nor the spéeches then in that distresse tending to the signification of despaire extorted from her were any iust causes why either she or any that heard her should iudge fearefullie of her because all might see the fault was not in her will as appeares by her prayers confessions plaints sighs teares and grones to God for mercy and full assurance in the blood of Christ but in her iudgement not able at that time to discerne the waies of the Almightie And therein he told her she was made cōformable not only to many the holy Saints of God Iob Ieremy Dauid Iob 3.1 c. Ier. 20.14 Iob 6.4.8.9 Iob 16.9 Lament 3. c. others more but also to her head our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus of whom we reade that some haue cursed the day of their birth and called for their end and darkenes to couer them They haue been as men without hope and swallowed vp in despaire They haue cried how the wrath of God hath torne them Psal 6.3 and the terrors of the Almighty haue fought against them They haue had no peace in their soules nor comfort in their consciences their prayers haue bin shut from God their sinnes haue been terrible vnto them crying that their iniquities had gone ouer their heads Psal 38.4 c. Psalm 71.7 Psalm 77.1.7 c. Psalm 51.5 Psalm 102.3 c. Rom. 7.24 and were a burthen too heauie for them to beare And they haue thought themselues spectacles of shame and reproch and as monsters vnto men They were grieued for the sinnes of their parents and complained that they were desolate forsaken and most miserable and wretched in the world yet for all this were they still the deare children of God as you are this day Nay saith hée I pray you consider what torments God inflicted vpon his deare Son vpon the Crosse did he not crie out Matth. 27 46. Matth. 26.38 Heb. 5.7 May 26. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He complained that his soule was heauie vnto death yet was hee heard in that which he feared and God deliuered him After this he read vnto her the 22. Psalme wherein Dauid complained partly of his owne but principally of the most bitter anguish which our Sauiour Christ endured and suffered in body and soule putting her in mind that her case was not so bad as Dauids nor much vnlike our Sauiours who endured all that and more for her and therefore she had no cause to feare séeing Christ had obtained victorie and would vndoubtedly bee with her deliuer her and eternally glorifie her with himselfe for euermore and so continually hee propounded to her such comfortable places of Scripture as might meet with her infirmities This greatly refreshed her and gaue her occasion many times to call vpon God for encrease of grace and deliuerance from her grieuous tentations the which God of his accustomed goodnes vouchsafed on Tuesday about thrée a clocke in the afternoone what time shée felt her selfe in very good measure deliuered from all her former feares and afflictions But on Saturday next after which was the day before her death she was wholly released and filled with such inward comfort that it greatly affected vs that saw it This is the summe of that tentation which shee had wherein what can any man sée that might giue iust occasion to report our religion comfortles or the Gentle woman died despairing This we are sure of that to be without tentation is the greatest tentation as also that nothing befell her which hath not befallen the holiest of the children of God And she that considered her owne corruption which how great it is in the best of Gods Saints I need not say and be thought her selfe of the punishment due therto if God in iustice should reward her no maruel if she brake out sometime into heauy complaints I make no question it was the worke of God in her to suffer Satan to accuse her and afflict her for her sinnes that so shée might the better see them and consider the hainousnes of them and before her departure repent her of them and betake her wholly to Christ for the sauing of her soule And if it pleased God thus to make her possesse her sins before she died let those which neuer yet knew the waight of their sinnes be wise in time and remember that he shall neuer haue his sinne forgiuen which first or last doth not vndergoe a holy despaire for it and acknowledge nothing to remaine in himselfe but matter of iudgement and condemnation and comfort and eternall life to flow alone from Iesus Christ And as for those which haue learned to scoffe at the terrors of Gods children and to censure such as are at sometimes cast downe with feeling the anger of God against sinne let them consider the blessed issue that God gaue to the troubles of this Gentle woman and let them acknowledge his worke in her And if they will not doe this but proceed to traduce the dead Fox Acts and Mon. pag. 1904.61 pag. 1908. then let them call to mind those of the Popish crue and persons of greater note among them then this Gentlewoman was which haue died most fearefully indeed Cardinall Sadelot Iacobus Latomus the Diuinitie Reader at Louaine Hofmester the Frier Guarlacus Bomelius Crescentius the Cardinall Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and diuers the bloodie persecutors in Queene Maries time and some of the Popes themselues as namely n = * Francis the Monke one of the ten popish persons conuerted in France Anno Dom. 1601. See Hasen Mill. historia Iesuirica who sets downe certaine examples of the Iesuites to this purpose Pope Sixtus Quintus of late yeeres all which died most fearefullie and miserablie and shewed manifest signes at their death that their popish superstition was the condenmation of their soules And if they will iudge of my religion by my death let them acknowledge their religion is the doctrine of desperation and that the truth and faith which was able to fill the heart
O praise the Lord for his mercies for hee hath brought me out of darkenes Esa 27.1 Psalm 103.1.2.3.4 and the shadow of death hee hath deliuered my soule from the snare of the hunter and hath taken me out of the den of Lions euen from the iawes of Leuiathan that piercing and crooked serpent and hath set me in a place of rest and sweete refreshing Oh praise the Lord O my soule all that is within me praise his holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities which hath redeemed thy life from the graue and crowneth thee with mercie and compassion This she often repeated And then againe remembring the 21. and 22. verses of the 17. of Iohn shee said O my sweete Sauiour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father And wilt thou glorifie mee with that glorie which thou haddest with the father before the world was And dost thou so loue mee which am but dust and ashes to make me partaker of glorie with Christ What am I poore wretch that thou art so mindfull of me Psal 144.3 Psal 8.4 Oh how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull is thy loue Oh thy loue is vnspeakeable that hast dealt so gratiouslie with me Oh I feele thy mercies and oh that my tongue and heart were able to sound forth thy praises as I ought and as I willingly would doe Oh that you all would helpe me to praise the holie one of Israel the God of all consolations And thus for the space of fiue houres together at the least shée continued praising and lauding the Lord with such a gladsome and heauenly countenance testifying such inward ioy from a comfortable feeling of the mercies of God in her soule and vsing such swéete sentences and sugred phrases of perfect and holy eloquence as the truth thereof if it could haue been taken were admirable continuing so many houres together some part whereof was this Oh my Lord oh my God blessed bee thy name for euermore which hast shewed me the path of life Esa 54.8 Thou didst O Lord hide thy face from me for a little season but with euerlasting mercie thou hast had compassion on me And now blessed Lord thy comfortable presence is come yea Lord thou hast had respect vnto thy handmaid and art come with fulnes of ioy and abundance of consolations O blessed be thy name O Lord my God Then shée repeated part of the 16. Psalme saying The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance wherefore my heart is glad Psal 16.59.11 and my tongue reioyceth Thou wilt shew me the path of life In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Oh that I could therefore praise the Lord as hee is worthie to be praised I will sing to the Lord I will sing to the praise of the God of Israel come come saith she and helpe me Iudges 5.3 O helpe me to praise the Lord. And with that she began to sing the third Psalme and continued to the end of the Psalme as perfectly and with as sweete a voice as euer she had before in her health and concluded with the 49. verse of the 106. Psalme The Lord the God of Israel be blest for euermore Let all the people say Amen praise ye the Lord therefore And after this she said O praise the Lord for hee hath filled me with ioy and gladnes of heart and brought me from the gates of hell and of death repeating that of the 16. Psalme Psal 16.6 My line is fallen vnto me in a pleasant place yea I haue a faire heritage for the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance The place where I now am is sweete and pleasant Oh how pleasant is the sweete perfume of the place where I lie Exod. 30.23 It is sweeter then Aarons composed perfume of principall spices how comfortable is the sweetnes I feele Reuel 8.4 It is like that odour that proceeds from the golden censor that delights my soule The taste is precious doe you not feele it Oh so sweete it is yea sweeter then myrrhe the hony or the hony combe Let me therefore sing againe and againe vnto my Lord and my God Then she did sing the nineteenth Psalme beginning at the seuenth verse How perfect is the law of God c. and so on to the end of the same And after that spirituall reioycing in singing of Psalmes she then prayed vnto God faithfully and praised the Lord againe ioyfully And being still full of these and such like heauenly consolacions she did sing againe most hearthly vnto the praise of God the 136. Psalme Praise yee the Lord for hee is good for his mercie endureth for euer c. In which Psalme for his mercie endureth for euer is 26. times repeated A Christian friend comming in at the same time Master William Fox which was about sixe of the clocke in the euening maruelling to see her exceeding ioyes and heauenly harmonie wherein she continued with such words and phrases that were so spirituall prayed for the continuance of the same vnto the end William Brettâ—â—gh William Fox William Woodward whereupon shee then hurst out relating further of her ioyes saying Oh the ioyes the ioyes the ioyes that I feele in my soule oh they be wonderfull they bee wonderfull they bee wonderfull And after that shee prayed for increase of faith and that God would strengthen her against tentations with continuall crauing of cemission of sins euer meditating of heauenly matters as by her sudden and often breaking out into heauenly speeches and praises did appeare for the same euening she lying still and silent for a while William Fox one prayed her to remember the Lord Iesus and that shee would in her heart pray for constancie in her ioyfull course whereupon shee answered with a delightsome and cheerefull countenance and comfortable voyce Psal 27.1.3 Oh said she so I doe for the Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare Though an host pitch against me yet my heart shall not bee afraid for the Lord hath said Deut. 4.31 I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Indeed I should vtterly haue fainted Psal 27.13 Psal 108.1 but that I beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing And now my heart is readie my heart is readie and prepared yea it panteth after thee O God as the Hart brayeth after the riuers of water Psal 42.1.2 so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When Lord William Brettergh when shall I come and appeare before thy presence c. Saying then further Lord sith it hath pleased thee to prepare my heart whether to life or death thy will bee done dispose of me to thine owne glorie I am thine Lord work
thy blessed pleasure and good will vpon me And after this she fell into a short slumber and awaking said as the spouse said vnto Christ in the Canticles Oh come kisse me with the kisse of thy mouth Cant. 1.1 for thy loue is better then wine Oh how sweete the kisses of my Sauiour bee Then one said vnto her William Fox alluding to that place of S. Iohn Reuel 3.8 and praying that the Lord would anoint her with the eye-salue of his grace that shee might see and behold his glorie To whom she answered Mine eyes are opened mine eyes are opened though for a while they were closed vp and shut yet now I thanke my God mine eyes are opened and I doe feele and see the euerliuing mercies of my Christ saying then further as it is in the 27. Psalme Thou saidst seeke my face my heart answered to thee O Lord I will seek thy face Psal 27.8.9 O hide not therfore thy face from me nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure thou hast been my succour leaue me not nor forsake me O God of my saluation And being willed to commit her soule into the hands of Christ she said O Lord Iesus thou hast redeemed me William Brettergh Psal 31.5 William Woodward Matth. 11.25 pleade thou my cause for into thy hands alone doe I commit my spirit O thou God of truth And then feeling more ioy to abound one praising God with her for his mercies shewed toward her shee further said I giue thee thanks O father Lord of heauen earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto me thy poore handmaid which am but dust and ashes O how merciful and maruellous gratious art thou vnto me yea Lord I feele thy mercy William Fox I am assured of thy loue so certaine am I therof as thou art the God of truth euen so sure do I know my selfe to be thine O Lord my God Psal 139.10 and this my soule knoweth right wel and this my soule knoweth right wel which spéech of her assurance she oftē repeated Presently after this William Brettergh Iob 19.25.26.27 sitting vp in her chaire she sung the fourth Psalme and then being laid downe againe in her bed shee confidently spake these words I am sure that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see him at the last day whom I shall see and mine eye shal behold and though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh with these eyes and none other Master William Harrison William Brettergh William Fox Iohn Brettergh William Woodward Then came in to see her toward euening Master William Harrison the Preacher praising God for her continuance in that her ioyfull and most happie course and perswading her to an helie perseuerance in the same she thanked him and desired him to reioyce in Christ with her and to praise God for his mercies to her and said Oh Master Harrison my soule hath been compassed about with terrors of death feare within feare without the sorrowes of hell were vpon me knots and knorres were vpon my soule which twice or thrice she repeated and a roring wildernes of woe was within me but blessed blessed blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me comfortlesse but like a good shepheard Psal 23.2.3 hath hee brought mee into a place of rest euen no the sweete running waters of life that flow out of the sanctuarie of God and hee hath led me into the greene pastures where I am fed and exceedingly comforted yea he hath restored my soule and lead me into the plaine and easie paths of righteousnes The way that now I goe in is a sweet and easie way strowed with flowers and as a fine sandie way Psal 147.14 yea it is more easie and soft then the sand for I goe and tread vpon wheate euen vpon the finest flower of wheat Oh blessed be the Lord Oh blessed be the Lord that hath thus comforted mee and hath brought mee now to a place more sweete vnto me then the Garden of Eden Oh the ioy the ioy the delightsome ioy that I feele Oh how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull is this ioy O praise the Lord for his mercies and for this ioy which my soule feeleth full well praise his name for euermore And these praises of God she sounded foorth William Brettergh William Woodward like Dauids harmonie being indued with Dauids spirit to the praise of the eternall and mercifull God continuing al night in such like prayers and praises to God except some smal time that shée was silent and quiet Master Harrison prayed twice with her that euening as also in the morning being Whitsunday After he had prayed once with her going then toward his publike charge she sent for him to pray once more with her before hee went which hee did to the ioy and gladnesse of heart both of her and al that were present and so he tooke leaue of her and departed Another faithfull man or two came presentlie in that morning and diuers others well affected M. Edward Aspinwall William Fox William Brettergh Iohn Brettergh William Woodward Mistris Maud Brettergh Mistris Scholastica Fox Elizabeth Challoner and diuers moe Psal 30.10.11.12 who were with her at the time of her death and often prayed with her that forenoone shée still abounding in spiritual comforts and consolations somtimes as one awaking out of sleepe shée would say the Lord was her keeper and deliuerer Againe one saying vnto her the Lord blesse you Yea saith shée and the Lord Iesus blesse vs all And so seeming to sleepe a little while and awaking againe she said Lord I trust in thee haue mercy vpon me giue me strēgth to praise thee defend and preserue me in the houre of tentation and lay no more vpon me then thou wilt inable me to beare Afterwards being asked if she would haue thē ioyne in praier together again with her O yes said she for Christs sake I desire it saying thus to her selfe Heare O Lord and haue mercie vpon me Lord bee thou my helper Thou hast loosed my sacke and girded me with gladnesse therfore will I praise thee O Lord my God I will giue thankes to thee for euermore With that all that were present did ioyne in prayer with her and in conclusion vsing the Lords prayer which she said with them to thine is the kingdome her strength then being gone her tongue failed her and so shee lay silent for a while euery one iudging her then to bee neere death her strength and speech failing her yet after a while lifting vp her eyes with a sweete countenance and still voyce said Esa 40.2 Psal 73.25.26 My warrefare is accomplished and my iniquities are pardoned Lord whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue none in earth but thee my flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer He that preserueth Iacob and defendeth his Israel hee is my God and will guide me vnto death guide me O Lord my God and suffer me not to faint but keepe my soule in safetie And with that she presently fell asleepe in the Lord passing away in peace without any motion of bodie at all and so yeelded vp the Ghost a sweete Sabbaths sacrifice about foure of the clocke in the afternoone of Whitsunday being the last of May 1601. This was the death of that vertuous Gentlewoman happilie dying in the Lord and reaping the benefit of a holie profession Wherein wee cannot but acknowledge and reuerence the mercie of God who in our greatest infirmity makes his grace to shine most cléerely A sure testimonie of the truth of our profession seruing to incourage vs therein and to moue vs to a godlie life It must néedes bee a diuine Religion and a true comming from God that thus can fill the heart and mouth of a weake woman at the time of death with such admirable comfort And a wretched conceite and meere Antichristian is that religion which so hateth and persecuteth this faith which is thus able to leade the true-hearted professors thereof with such vnspeakeable peace vnto their graues Her Funerall was accomplished at Childwall Church on Wednesday following being the third of Iune And now for conclusion seeing this blessed Gentlewoman is taken from among vs and receiued into the holy habitations of the heauenly Ierusalem there to remaine in ioy glorie and blessednes for euermore let vs lament for our lesse but reioice for her gaine and let vs pray that in heart we could as willingly wish to be with her as she is now vnwilling to be with vs. Solomon saith The memorie of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prou. 10.7 FINIS
was this First M. William Brettergh M. William Fox M. Edward Aspinwall M. Iohn Brettergh Mistris Maud Brettergh Mistris Scholastica Fox William Woodward Elizabeth Challoner the seueritie of Gods iustice and the greatnes of her sins began to come into her mind which much afflicted her and shée would often speake of it Then she accused her selfe of pride that shée had delighted too much in her selfe and her beautie Afterwards she thought shee had no faith but was full of hypocrisie and had not imbraced Religion so earnestlie nor glorified God so worthilie especially with her tongue which oft shée repeated nor loued him so sincerely as shée ought to haue done Sometime she would cast her Bible from her and say It was indeed the booke of life but she had read the same vnprofitablie and therefore feared it was become to her the booke of death Sometimes she would say her sinnes had made her a pray to Satan a spectacle to the world a disgrace to religion and a shame to her husband kinred and all true Christians and here shee would weepe bitterly Sometime the originall corruption wherein she was borne troubled her and the sinnes of her parents and the common parents of all the eaters of the forbidden fruit as if that had made her vnworthie of God and were then laid to her charge Many times shee accused her selfe of impatience be wailing the want of feeling Gods spirit and making doubt of her election and such like infirmities She wished that she had neuer béen borne or that she had been made any other creature rather then a woman She cried out oftentimes Woe woe woe c. a weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman and such like pitifull complaints against her selfe with teares continually trickling from her eies Shée complained of grieuous thirst such as all the water in the sea could not quench and yet when drinke was giuen her sometimes refused it sometimes tooke a very little of it sweate burst out vpon her excéedingly and sometimes her body borned extreamely So it seemed the sorrowes of death hemmed her in and the griefes of hell laid hold vpon her Sometimes 〈◊〉 very 〈…〉 prayer and once when she should haue said Deade vs not into tentation she made a stop saying I may not pray I may not pray being interrupted as she said by Satan and so shewed much discomfort howbeit she was not left till she could both pray ane make confession of her faith with speciall application to her selfe Besides these fierie darts of Satan shee was once or twice troubled with vaine speeches as of her child the killing of her husbands cattell that she thought she saw a fire by her c. But euery one saw that these things proceeded of weakenesse emptinesse of her head and want of sleepe which her disease would not affoord her These fits though they were for the time grieuous to her selfe and discomfortable to her friends yet were they neither long nor continual but in the very middest of them would she oftentimes giue testimonie of her faith striuing and fighting against her tentations Many times when the standers by iudged her afflictions at the sharpest would she call vpon God lifting vp her eies and hands to heauen and desire him to giue her strength against her tentations Many times with a chearefull countenance she would defire those that were by not to faint nor giue her ouer but constantly to pray and helpe her against the tempter Once in the middest of her tentation being demanded by Master William Foxe William Fox whether she did beleeue the promises of God or no and whether she could pray she answered O that I could I would willingly Marke 9.24 but he will not let me Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe which she pronounced with a still low voice And when he replied that if she had a desire to pray and beleeue shée did pray and beleeue and that so effectuallie that hell gates should not ouercome her according to that of the Apostle God accepteth it according to that a man hath 2. Cor. 8.12 not according to that a man hath not she was much comforted thereby Once after a great conflict with Satan she said Satan reaso not with me William Brettergh I am but a weake woman if thou haue any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my aduocate my strength and my redeemer and he shall pleade for me Sometimes when she was afflicted with the accusation of her sins and want of féeling Gods mercy shee would with many a pitifull sob and much wéeping pray to the Lord Iesus Christ to help and comfort her Iohn Brettergh a poore wofull distressed woman Edward Aspinwall and request others to pray for hâ—â— And when she was moued to make confession of her faith she would do it oftentimes saying the Apostles Creed and concluding the same with words of application to her selfe I beléeue the remission of my sins the resurrection of my body and eternall life to me Amen And hauing done she would pray God to confirme her in that faith euer concluding with the Lords Prayer as deuoutly and reuerontly as any that were present A Christian friend who by his daily attendance on her discharged the duty of a faithfull Christian William Woodward standing by told her that no tentation had befallen her but that which appertained to the child of God and that God is faithfull and true and had promised to giue an issue with the tentation whereat she expressed great comfort Master Edward Aspinwal a faithful professor of the truth and a true Israelite was much with her in the time of her sicknes and ministred much heauenly instruction vnto her and comforted her at all times with apt places of Scripture méeting with her tentations and so put the sword of the spirit into her hand He propounded to her the most plentifull comforts of God vnto his Church in the 40.41.42 and 43. Chapters of Isaiah vttered in such spéeches and phrases Esa 40.1.2.28.29.30.31 as might most fitlie answere her discomforts Also he directed her to consider the Passion and Práyer of our Sauiour Christ for all his Esa 41.8.9.10.13.14.17.18 Isa 42.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.13.14 15.16 Esa 43.1.2.5.25 Matth. 11.28 Iohn 17. Matth. 26. Luk. 22.23 But specially did he often inculcate that swéete inuitation of our Sauiour Come vnto me all you that trauell and be heauie laden I will ease you But the difficultie she had sometimes to apply these generals vnto her own soule in particular made the case more ful of anguish to her self and feareful and lamentable to the standers by Albeit she acknowledged Gods Maiesty mercy faithfulnesse and truth yet still complained she of her owne weaknes and vnworthines and could hardly appropriate each thing to her selfe To help her some what herein for properly otherwise it is the peculiar work of the holy spirit of God to perswade the hart and soule of her