the mercy of God But behold here the God of truth whose grace is sufficient to support under and deliver effectually from such soul-sinking considerations making Satan appear to be what indeed he is a Lier And seasonably succouring this dejected despairing soul who for a long time had the sentence of death in her self and was far from expecting that blessed issue that is fince brought forth in her soul by the mighty Power and naked Arm of the Lord who hath hereby helped her to see what little reason she had or hath to trust in her self and the sure ground he hath now given her to stay on him as the living God who raiseth the dead so that she is now made able yea willing to acknowledge His great gooddesse that hath delivered her from so great a death 2 Cor. 1.9 10. and doth deliver and is still helped to hope and trust that he will yet deliver and strengthen her Faith to quench all the flâ—y darts of the Devil Behold yet further the exceeding Riches of God's grace not a little illustrated by setting free this Prisoner sometimes even past hope in her own and some others apprehensions She that was for a long season sadly concluding with the distressed Church in Lament 3.18 That her strength and hope was perish'd from the Lord Is now saying with Saul in Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do And with the Psalmist thankfully inquiring What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me And in some measure inabled to resolve with him To take the Cup of Salvation and to call upon the name of the Lord as Psal 116.12 13 14. And she that was lately in her own esteem not so good as a Dog yea to use her own words worse then any Devil is now By the Father of mercies and God of all consolations made meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light The sad sentences she had oft past upon her self in the sense of her sins being now gratiously reversed by her Heavenly Father who hath set her feet in a large place so that now if sin Satan her own corruptions or any other spiritual Adversary comes to lay any thing to her Clarge she may be ready the Lord assisting to produce her pardon and able to say from blessed experience as in Rom. 8.33 34. It is God that justifâ—eth who is he that condemneth that it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us And I hope this eminent instance of his grace abounding above the abounding of sin added to other Examples of this kind recorded in his holy word will help to support and succour some poor souls under the like discouragement to hope in his mercy who waits to be gratious and surely he hath gratious ends in affording this and such like deliverances which greatly concernes all persons to labour to understand and improve aright First then let sinners of all sorts both in Zion and out of it from the insuing narrative take notice of the sad ensnaring and soul-destroying nature of sin and the wages of it which this poor soul as she feared had certainly found to be eternal death had not the God of grace whose loving kindnesse is better then life caused her to hear the joyful sound of the voice of the Son of God that her soul might live John 5.25 Secondly from the consideration of the mercy she hath obtained let poor sinners be incited and incouraged to come unto God through Christ for mercy who knows how to multiply pardon to the worst of sinners as in Isai 55.7 with Nehe. 9 17. Especially let such as are inquiring the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Though with trembling hands hearts and all that are planted in the house of the Lord be incouraged to wait upon God who will in no wise cast out those that come unto him Let the first of these labour to look to the Lord that they may be enlightened (a) Psalm 34.5 And let the other be confirm'd in the experience they have had of his great goodnesse that so God may have all the glory from both as a Fruit of this special favour afforded to this his hand-maid in so signal a return of many Prayers for which proportionable praises should wait for and be duly rendered unto our God in Zion who is a present help in the needful time of trouble I shall not adde but to intreat thee to read and consider well before thou censurest or seeme to despise the ensuing subject as the day of small things but labour rather to weigh the worth of this mercy in the Balance of the Sanctuary That so thou mayest understand the end and use of it and be help'd to improve it aright to the praise of the Author of every good and perfect gift and the profit of thine own soul that so thou mayest be able to say with the Prophet of old Micha 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage that retaineth not his anger for ever because he delightin mercy And from thence be incouraged to wait upon him for the fulfilling that faithful word Isai 40.29 30 31. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength c. Compared with Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the LORD ROB. DOYLY To all both small and great that have either tasted of the rich grace of God or desire to be made partakers thereof through Jesus Christ our Lord. Men and Brethren THough we were very much strangers both to the person and state of this gratious hand-maid of the Lord the subject of this ensuing treatise during the time of her sore bondage and captivity of Spirit and so had no share with those that in a solemn manner expresly on her account sympathized sighed and groaned to God in her behalf Yet having now through grace we trust we may say to the advantage of our souls heard out of her own mouth in the midst of the Congregation to which we belong to wit the Church of Christ at Dalwood in Dorset the wonderful deliverance which God hath wrought fâ—r her poor soul We cannot but in a special manner rejoyce with her and blesse the Most High for his unspeakable mercy That this work is of the Lord and soul-work indeed it speaks for it self to all the wise in heart That the Relation is very faithfully made We do hereby testify having as we said before heard out of her own mouth the substance of the whole who then in point of circumstance would have been more particular and large had not time and the earnest sollicitation of a near Relation of hers whom God had used in some good measure
11.15 not that he raised him onely which every sensual beholder would believe but that in future distresses in their greatest depths they might depend on him by that proof of his Power to save to the uttermost And no doubt Israel of old of whom it s said They soon forgot his works was so ravish'd with the red Sea wonder that they ever retained the Theory thereof and could all of them relate it to any that should ask them either in matter or manner concerning it but their not retaining the Teaching sence thereof for use in point of thankfulnesse for past deliverances and of Faith in their future straits in the way of following God left them to those fears through which they fell short of obeying God and entring Canaan Now therefore thou poor sinking despairing soul who sittest in darknesse and seest no light Learn thou assuredly this pattern of mercy and long suffering is to manifest to thee that the Lord's thoughts are higher then thine that so thy soul may be encouraged under the sentence of death by reason of sin through believing to have life and hope in him If thou sayest Is any sorrow like my sorrow Yea is any sin like my sin and truely considerest the sorrow of this soul and most desperate sin of a secret Devilish mind in this case related with her confident expectation of Hell thereupon on the one hand and the gratious pity and acceptance she found from Christ being embraced by him as in open Arms so soon as truely perswaded humbly to come unto him on the other hand I hope it will silence such suggestions distressing thee and seal to thy comfort the truth of that promise that is so richly confirmed to her John 6.37 Now if any accepted through grace should abate in their Faith because their present Feast seems not so full nor their entertainment so sensibly free as that whereat this soul now sits so fully refresh'd I trust if in their weaknesse supporting grace be surely afforded and they found waiting in their Fathers house and affaires that word shall suffice to balance them from fainting and fretting at such grace to others recorded Luke 15.31 32. And that her years of sorrow shall be by such considered according to Ps 90.15 Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us And oh that this might warn all of every sin and neglect which being bound on her soul have been found so long and so heavy a load but how shall I utter the evil and bitter effects thereof better then by asking the serious soul what debasing defiling and enslaving misery himself hath experienced as the effect of but eating the forbidden fruit at first and that by another Yea with design to be made more Spiritual neither have good mens good meanings excused the least transgression or error This treatise will tell you also what those poor souls lose who neglect or are slighty in family-endeavours in the word and Prayer in both which she found more benefit through grace then in more able publick Administrations under which some can scarcely profit through their horrid neglect herein and will have poor kindred Children and Servants one day complain of their loss by living under the shadow of such few of whom will shine as Stars in the Firmament according to the promise Dan. 12.3 if they persist in the neglect thereof and forget that exhortation Eph. 6.4 That I may not make an end of these poor hints towards the improving this mercy without remembring the Mourners in Dublin of another elect one I trust whose secret sins standing in the light of God's countenance humbly waited for his Salvation so many solemne dayes among them possessing Months and years of sorrow and they of tears for her poor soul who alas is not now found in the way of the true converts path Psal 116.17 18 19. And will surely as Jacob have her fears renewed for building short of Bethel when new troubles shall incompasse her and the Courts short of the Lord's prove unable to comfort Oh that this effectual experience of breaking the bands of Satan for another who was with lesse hope and expectation so oft joyned with her in your intercessions may renew your strength in supplication for her whose seeming weanednesse from the world and the weights of such vain Company as now beset her sometimes administred hopes that she would never be ashamed to chuse affliction with the people of God nor be otherwayes then as Hester in the Court of the miss-informed and enraged against them Oh! that by fervent wrestlings she might be raised again from every false rest and as being plucked by the Arm of the Almighty as a fire-brand out of the fire might be saved from all vain pomp infecting Company and customes the fury of the highest of men and from smoother temptations more near unto her promising her liberty in neglects and so beguiling her of her choisest good as the Tempter beguiled Eve yea working I fear with the stumbling-Block of the falls of some found in the wayes of God improved to the utmost in this evil day to prejudice souls with them so that many indeed are now offended in Christ and I much long that a Soverain love to his holy wayes might preserve her from that evil According to Psal 119.11 165. Yea let the kindnesse of Gideon be remembered to oblige us herein who unweariedly with unparalell'd uprightnesse shewed forth his labour of love to the Lord and to us in the Lord unto death resting much in the perswasion that his dearest relation and Children left behind him amongst us would never more be beset with the unexpected snares of that sort now encompassing but be in the constant special care of the most faithful of the Saints delighting herself with David in those that excel in vertue Me thinks this mercy improved aright without diversion may be extended also to Administer reviving to the poor Prisoners for righteousnesse sake who onely in a way of righteousnesse shall humbly wait for the Salvation of God notwithstanding the publicke reproach cast upon them by men of corrupt minds For behold the hand of the Lord who led Joseph through Imprisonment slanders and many difficulties and thereby fitted him for further special publick relief and benefit though his Brethren meant not so Gen. 50.20 is not yet shortened but here shewed gloriously in the ransome of this sometimes poor hopelesse Prisoner that distressed ones may have hope in him Who causeth light to arise out of darknesse leading his Prisoners forth in his set time and season who will say shortly to his Captives Shew your selves according to Isai 49.9 And surely this may help to succour also the whole Zion of God though she be ready to say My God hath forgotten me Oh that therefore that travel spoken of Isa 66.6 7 8. c. were now begun by all that have their hearts heavy loaden with their own and others Iniquities and that
consumed which was because he had made an everlasting Covenant on my behalf in Christ Jesus my Lord in all things well ordered and sure and that he was ever mindful of his Covenant Oh! this was sweet and this even this was the reason I was not cast off in my rebellions because he hath loved me with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse hath he drawn me and that for his own name sake he deferr'd his anger that he cut me not off nor did he retain his anger for ever because mercy pleased him he delighted to be gratious The coming in of these did even satisfie my soul as with Marrow in the thoughts of his infinite Eternal unchangeable love Which I saw indeed was the reason of my not being consumed because he is God and changeth not and in his protection and infinite love and mercy my soul did now rejoyce seeing its safety under the shadow of his Wings believing I should for ever be kept by him and he would uphold me with the right hand of his righteousnesse and would never fail nor forsake me but would rest in his love The sixth day I was kept up much in the sense of love peace and joy afforded me the night before from God my gratious Father my soul still trusting in his word with which he had refreshed and supported me And still I was inabled to believe to my great comfort That his word should endure for ever from which word last mentioned I have been inabled to plead with God in my conflicts after this manner Lord thou hast promised that they that come to thee thou wilt in no wise cast out and if so then canst thou not turn away from doing thy people good but wilt according to thy good word sprinkle them with clean water and from all their idols and Iniquities thou wilt cleanse them yea thou wilt take away the stony heart and give them hearts of Flesh with thy Laws writen in them and thy fear put so into their inward parts as they shall not depart from thee this Lord is thy word in which thou hast caused my soul to trust Thus have I been inabled to plead his new Covenant-mercy to my souls support and upholding in straits blessed be his name This night I had a good nights rest and was much refresh'd on the seventh day in the morning with thoughts much enlarged upon the great good laid up by the Lord for them that fear him and had many promises presented afresh to my soul for future encouragement so that I was inabled through his grace to admire his infinite love in Jesus Christ and to have my soul fully satisfied in that onely and to testifie my satisfaction therein by desiring and endeavouring for ever to be to the praise of his rich grace made known to me by being dedicated wholly to his service Whose workmanship I am being created in Christ Jesus to good works to the end we should walk in them Giving glory and honour to Christ Who alone is worthy to receive it from us having redeemed us out of all kindreds and tongues c. and having wash'd us in his own Blood and made us Kings and Priests unto God the Father and we shall Reign for evermore I also considered it was for this end that he gave himself to redeem us that we might be a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works And to this end I desired My soul might have Fellowship with him in his death sufferings and resurrection being made conformable to him in his death and raised up and brought forth by the power of his Spirit in the Fellowship of his resurrection Fifth Assault from Satan But this seventh day at night I was again assaulted with blasphemous thoughts and tempted to slighty and low thoughts af all his grace and love made known to me And was seized with much fear as I am usually in all these conflicts lest I should be overcome and dishonour God by hearkning consenting to the suggestions of his and my Enemy But the Lord this night also was not wanting to me but did uphold me in waiting upon him inabling me to seek to him rest upon him his word in which he had caused my soul to trust And in this way he came in to me manifesting himself exceeding gratious to my relief and helped me to vanquish those temptations giving me strength against them and inabling me to speak to his praise what he had done for my soul to the end it might be recorded yet when I came this night to speak of these things that so they might be recorded I was much afraid I should not be able being much straitened and shut up but the Lord opened my heart and my mouth spake through his assistance to his praise The seventh day at night I went to bed late and when I awaked in the morning the Lord made my Meditations of him to be sweet to me causing me much still to rejoyce in the love of God my Saviour My first Meditation being of his infinite love and wisdom in finding out a way for recovering and reconciling poor lost fallen man to himself and such a way wherein mercy and truth might meet together righteousnâ—sse and peace might kâ—sse each other And this Scripture was much on my heart g 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And that was sweet to see it was not onely mercy but faithfulnesse and justice to forgive sins unto poor penitent sinners for the sake of Christ The Mediator between God and man in whom God saw himself and Justice fully satisfied and the poor believer might see himself fully acquitted as if he had not sinned And all this I saw as the Fruit of Christs death and resurrection he having in our stead fully discharged our debts which we else could never have satiâ—fied by whom onely we receive the Atonement I had also a far more pretious and inlarged discovery of these things then I am now able to mention with many choice Scriptures brought to my mind as to this head Namely (h) Psalm 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high Thou hast led captivity captive Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them and that by Christ all hand-writings that were against us were taken out of the way and nailed to his Cross who hath spoiled principalities and Powers triumphing over them openly And that by him the sting of death and strength of the Law were taken away According to his good word (i) 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. Oh Death I will be thy death O Grave I will be thy destruction The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord â—esus Christ Oh! these Scriptures were FOOD AND STRENGTH to my soul At this time also
as an abominable evil in me and desired the Lord to look with an eye of Pardon and compassion upon me and not to suffer me to hearken to the Devil's suggestions to dishonour him but make me esteem highly of all his Commands desiring he would according to his promise put his fear into my heart that I might not depart from him and that seeing he is able to save to the utmost and had promised so to do as also to tread down Satan under foot and to work and none should let All which he having given me experience of his making them good to my soul formerly I now begg'd he would further strengthen my Faith concerning them as also in that good word of his in keeping me by his Almighty Power through Faith unto Salvation And now did I find the Lords gratious answer to my poor souls desire in many of these things as first in upholding and keeping me against the Tempters suggestion as I had desired that I was not overcome by them though when I awaked this night the Tempter met me again with his Assaults but I was helpt to strive against them crying to the Lord for help to stand strength to overcome and he did help and succour me against them and incouraged me to believe his word and to call to mind the depths of distresses he had by his out-stretched Arm and infinite love and pitty raised my soul out of and he minded me how he had supported me when I was ready to sink under the weight of my Iniquities and wrath due to them yet he then upheld me and delivered me and had said he would not forsake me These considerations did support and enable me still to trust in him that had wrought so wonderfully and appeared so eminently for my poor soul as he had done and I was now inabled to believe that good word (x) Isai 49.10 They shall not hunger nor thirst neither shall the heat of the Sun smite them for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them even by the springs of Waters shall he guide them As also that (y) John 7.38 He that believeth on me the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living waters These with many more promises were now given in fully answering to all my wants and removing my fears I was also inabled to judge him faithful that had promised and so to look upon his promises as so many love-tokens from him in the way of his free grace to my soul through Christ my Redeemer and seeing Baptism now upon all the considerations aforesaid my duty to which again was added afresh this Scripture (z) Rom. 6.4 5. Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death c. And my soul laid under the Power of the truth in it that as I did expect advantage by the Lord Christ his death and Resurrection to my poor soul so I ought by my visible obedience to this his Command to declare my putting him on and my being planted in the likenesse of his death being buried with him by Baptism into death and also my being raised with and by him and the Power of his Resurrection unto newnesse of life and my resolving in his strength to walk accordingly all which ends Baptism according to this Scripture I judged lively held forth I was upon the whole inabled to come to resolve through grace to yield obedience thereunto as unto a Command of Christ my Lord expecting his assistance and blessing therein According to his word (a) John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him As also that word (b) Isai 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes In the Faith of which promises and fear of the name of the Lord I intend through his gratious assistance to yeeld obedience accordingly in that and all his Commandments the love of Christ being of a constraining nature to my soul by which I have been caused to consider what he hath done for me in perfecting the work of my Redemption and also to think how little I am called to do or suffer for him who hath done so much for my sake (c) Isai 53.5 He being wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities the chastisements of our peace being on him by whose stripes we are healed (d) Philip. 2.7 Who being in the Forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet made he himself of no Reputation but humbled himself and became obedient to death even to the death of the Crosse for our sakes These considerations are of a Constraining nature to my soul to obey him in all things I also considered what I should have undergone to Eternity had it not been for what he hath done and suffered to deliver me from wrath to come I also thought how little all the suffering of this world are to those I should have under-gone had not he Redeemed me from those Eternal miseries which indeed makes all the afflictions of this present life seem little and light to me when I seriously think of them According to that (e) Rom. 8.18 For I reckon the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us and that (f) 2 Cor. 4.17 18. our light affliction that is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and Eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal and that (g) 2 Cor. 5.14 the love of Christ constrains us because we thus judge that if Christ died for all then were all dead that they which live should not live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again And that (h) 1 Cor. 6.20 for you are bought with a price therefore glorify God both in your souls and bodies which are his and ought to be offered up as a living sacrifice (i) Rom. 12.1 Holy and acceptable unto him which is but our reasonable service according to the will of him who hath of his own will begotten us unto a lively Faith in Christ Jesus unto whom be glory in the Churches by Christ Jesus thorowout all Ages World without end AMEN FINIS An abstract of the principal parts of the fore-going Narrative which the Reader will find to be in substance as followeth though by reason of the mixture and variety of the matter it cannot be so distinctly composed as otherwise it might be I. A Particular Relation of her distressed estate and condition for fourteen years time wherein she was exercised with various temptations concluding