THE VVidow VVhiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KINGS SAFE RETURN With an Account of John Hall's Vision upon the first day of the Eleventh Month 1692 3. And also a Letter to a Friend concerning John Hall's Message with a Letter from Jamaica concerning the Earthquake that happen'd there a Warning to the Inhabitants of the Earth to fear GOD and give Glory to Him for the hour of His Judgments are come Say unto the KING and to the QVEEN humble your Selves sit down Jeremiah 13.18 The People of Neniveh believed GOD and proclaimed a Fast and put on Sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them For word came unto the King of Nineveh and he rose from his Throne and he laid his Robe from him and covered him with Sackcloth and sate in Ashes Jonah 3.5 6. Licensed D. P. April 18. London Printed by D. Edwards in Nevel 's Alley in Fetter-lane for J. B. 1694 THE Widow Whiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KING'S Safe RETURN ONCE more I am highly honoured with Mercy and Truth to return Thanks to the Most High for the Kings safe Return Oh what shall I say to the LORD for all his Mercies and boundless Favours for I am as one astonish'd at his Goodness How wonderful are his Works and his Ways past finding out therefore who shall not admire Thee Thou King of Righteousness who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth in thy Hands to bind the Kings of the Earth in Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron who rulest in the Heavens and makes bare the Arm of thy Glorious Power in the Earth to dash the Nations asunder and break in pieces the Potsherds of the Earth as a Potter's Vessel Oh Great LORD glorious in Power fearful in Praises doing wonders Thou LORD Jehovah art come and thy Power goes before Thee that shall rend the Rocks and cleave the Mountains in sunder The Everlasting GOD is come to throw down Mountains and Hills and to exalt the low Valleys he 'll awaken the Earth by his thundring Power and the sleepy Inhabitant thereof by his loud sounding Judgments For this know Oh King There 's neither Strength nor Policy shall stand Against what GOD's a bringing on this Land The Youth shall howl the Aged shall weep sore Yet there 's glad tidings for the Meek and Poor The Poor in Spirit I mean Matth. 5.3 who are Heirs of the Kingdom of Glory whom GOD will hide in the hollow of his Hand whilst his fierce Indignation passes over the Rebellious wherefore Oh that my Counsel might be acceptable to the King and that his ways might so please the LORD as that his days may be prolonged in this Land which the LORD for a time hath given him to do the will of GOD in all things with all his Might and with all his Strength that these heavy Judgments which the LORD hath pronounced may not be executed in the King's days For thus said the LORD to me in my deep humiliation before him viz. My Controversie is not with Man or Woman farther than they are found in the Transgression take away the Transgression and where 's my Controversie Is it so O Righteous LORD that thy Controversie is not with Man or VVoman farther than they are found in the transgression of thy Righteous Law and pure Commandments Oh then for thy Mercy sake and the advancement of thy Glorious Power and the praise of thy ever Blessed Name in these Nations and throughout all the Earth turn the King and Queens Hearts with all their Powers and Strengths to Thee as the Riveâ—s of VVaters are turned that with a powerful force of Thy Love and ardent Affection to thy Glory they may joyn unanimously together in Heart and Soul to humble themselves in the dust before Thee the Almighty GOD repenting with Niniveh's Repentance Jonah 3.7 8. For no less Repentance will put a stop to the hot and fiery Indignation of the LORD which is kindled against this Land but to turn every one from his Evil Way and from the wickedness that is in their hands therefore Oh noble Prince anâ— Princess for the LORD's sake who is the King of Eternal Glory the GOD of the Spirits of all Flesh the Everlasting Counsellor the Prince 〈◊〉 Peace the GOD that made the Heavens and Earth the Sea and all thaâ— therein is who hath delivered the King from all his Enemies and gavâ— him his Life for a Prey and for the LORD JESUS CHRIST's sake his Sufâ— fering Life and Bloody Passion who was nail'd to the Cross and gave uâ— his Life there for all Mankind and rose again for the Salvation and Redemption of the Faithful I pray again and again for His sake whâ— hath been with the King in six troubles and in the seventh by his outâ— stretch'd Arm hath deliver'd him Oh for His sake come down from your Thrones and humble your selves in the dust by Fastings and Prayers and deep Humiliation crying mightily to GOD the Father of all your Mercies that He would be with you in Counsel and direct your way in truth before Him to do His most acceptable will in all things that in his infinite compassions for his great and terrible name sake shew you what to do and which way to take for the suppressing and total destruction of this boundless flood of Ungodliness that overflows these Nations And dearest Prince and Princess I humbly beg and beseech you for the LORD and his Glory sake and for your own Lives and Liberty sake be not negligent in this great VVork prostrating your selves night and day before the Throne of his Grace crying mightily to him for his assisting Power Heavenly VVisdom and Holy Zeal which his Valiants had of Old Phinehas Numbers 25 7 8 11. Jehoshaphat Hezakiah and Josias these were clad with Zeal as with a Garment these were the Valiants of Israel that knew how to handle weapons of VVar being girt with the Sword of the Spirit and Helmet of Salvation Phinehas was honourable who by his holy Zeal stop'd the Plague from the Children of Israel then said the LORD unto Moses Phinehas the Son of Eleazar hath turned mine Anger away from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them therefore I have not consumed the Children of Israel in my Jclousie wherefore say unto him Behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him for Ever because he was zealous for his God and hath made him an attonement for the Children of Israel Oh what an influence had this upon the LORD and how this act of Holy Zeal pleas'd his Divine Majesty here we may see the difference between a holy Zeal for GOD and his Glory and a blind Zeal that hath any Interest in it to Self-honour either in Name or Fame or any other thing of this perishing VVorld The first hath power to prevail with GOD to stop the Judgment the latter suffers it to go
which signifies the Mount of Regeneration where the Soul is retired and shut up in GOD from all the hurrings and busiles of the World and the deeper its gets into this innermost Center the more dead it is not only to the World and the Concerns thereof but to it self in all things whether External or Internal it serves the very necessity of Nature with Grief thinking all time to much that is spent in any thing but in waiting upon GOD alone and this is its continual Exercise to enter into it self there to abide with GOD in perfect Unity and Resignation and being so disinterested and taken off from self that though it should fulfill all the Commands of CHRIST that concerns GOD and its Neighbour and should leave nothing undone of the Duty of a true Christian yet it makes no account of all this before His Divine Majesty nay tho' they being in such an Estate as to receive many wonderful Gifts and supernatural Graces yet they are not lifted up with vain conceit nor prides themselves in these rich Robes but are just as if they had received nothing being always humbled in the depth of their own unworthiness and ever kept in a holy Fear and inflaimed Love to GOD which shews that the Creature exhalted in Gifts is Lucifer But the Soul thus adorned with Heavenly Graces in the Humility is CHRIST JESUS come again in the Flesh therefore this is the Spirit that is to be uppermost whether in Prosperity or Adversity if you would have GOD to be your Teacher for the humble GOD will teach I mean the Humility of CHRIST who emptied Himself of all His Glory both Heavenly and Earthly and humbled himself to the death both in Body and Mind John 30. Luke 22. and 44. both in Soul and Body were his sufferings And if we are his Disciples we must tread in His steps we must first die to self before we can live to God the true Figure is a Corn of Wheat saith CHRIST John 12.24 and the more dead the Creature is in it self and to it self the more it shall know and please GOD but if it doth not mind this continual denying of self and internal Mortification it will never arrive at this state of perfection but through this Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost this inward Hearts-breaking Soul-suffering these Faithful Ones comes to wash there long-suffering Robes and makes them white in the Blood of the Lamb for these are redeemed from the Earth and all perishing and transitory Things and therefore have the Harps of GOD in their hands to sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb for from these internal Soul-sufferings comes the Eternal Heavenly Triumphant Joys therefore lift up your Heads ye tribulated Ones that are surrounded with Sorrows both within and without look up to the Rock whence ye are hewn but look not to Man for help whose Breath is in his Nostrils for then it will be just with the Highest to say to you as he did to them of Old Jer. 2.28 call upon your Gods let them deliver you but look unto me saith the Everlasting all ye ends of the Earth and be saved but look not at the Creature howsoever they may be suffered to try and prove you but keep your Eye to your Saviour's Beauty which is Patience Meekness and Long-suffering let these be ever in your Eye but cast not your Eye upon the Instrument who or whatsoever they may be for that will beget anger and wrath in your minds and then you will loose the end of your Sufferings for all these things are suffered to be to wean you off the Creatures to let you see the emptiness and nothingness of all things that hath a begining even to your selves and this is the way to make GOD all and the poor empty Creature nothing But whatsoever your Tryal is or with whomsoever be shure you keep in the Love that thinks no Evil no not to the greatest of all your Enemies and then you will be ready upon all Occasions to do them any Office of Love as the Power is in your hands and their Necessity requires and thus you will fulfill the Royal Law of CHRIST your Lord who said love your Enemies do Good for Evil overcome Evil with Good that you may be the Children of your Heavenly Father who causes His Glorious Sun to shine upon the Just and the Unjust and so your Prayer shall be heard when you say Lord forgive us our trespasses against thee as we forgive them there trespasses against us and thus will the Righteous Judge of the whole Earth take the Cause of the Innocent in His Hands and plead it with their Enemies for vengeance is mine saith the Lord and I will repay for it is as Dindimus said to Alexander the Great He is a Judge of all injuries and the Sighs of those that are injuriously treated become the pain of those that injure them But as was said before to you Servants of the LORD whom he hath counted worthy to be partakers with Him of His Internal and External Sufferings to be rejected of all denied condemned and tempted within and without in Fears and Dreads in Weakness in Watchings and Fastings with Tears of sorrow Night and Day led into the Wilderness and there tempted tried in the Night with great Temptations led in a Way you know not nor see no way out but as it were passing by the Gates of Hell and none pitty nor take your part Hear your Love to GOD will be prov'd to the uttermost whether you will follow your beloved LORD and holy JESUS in His suffering Life who trod the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with him who was compassed with Sorrows on every side He that was in such a Labyrinth of sorrows as never Man was he saw no comfort neither in Life nor Death above him nor below him from God or Men were our Condition as bad as his if it were possible that we were in the very midst of the heat and fire of Affliction when the flood of Temptation arises an hundred fold above your strongest hold yet here you may be at rest in your beloved LORD in an assured confidence that all things shall work together for your good that loves the LORD although you may cry out and say as I know a Soul that did Was ever any Sorrows like unto mine Did ever any go this Way before me The immediate Answer was Yes Moses and all the Prophets and JESUS the author and finisher thereof Therefore thou art compassed about with a cloud of Witnesses when upon an invisible sight I said O my God Must there be yet more fire then He said unto me In the Fire and in the Water I will be with thee and make thy way thorow all I believed the LORD and was strengthened and his powerful Word was my Salvation Therefore you that are brought into these fiery Trials have a care you murmur not neither
Trust to serve him and his Creation Will you say we hoarded iâ— up by us or will you say We gave it our Children for their Porâ—â—tions to live in Pride and Luxury Then will the LORD of the Creation say You â—ennogades durst you presume to run a Whoring afteâ— your Idols spending your precious time in hunting after the treasurâ— of my Earth though to the hazzarding my utter displeasure Because you went not in my Counsel nor waited in my Fear to know my Mind and Will in your gettings and when you should cease from the incumbrance of the World that when you had got sufficient for Food and Raiment you should therewithal have been contented For I have said I will never leave nor forsake them that walks in my Fear But if I had blessed you with over-plus then to have waited upon me forâ— Counsel how to order the rest to serve me in my Members making plentiful Provision not only for them of your own Judgment but for all sorts that the Widow Fatherless and Strangers may have no want that they may be the fitter to serve me their Creator in all Humility and Holy Reverence But I may say to you as the Apostle said You bastardly Generation of Christians who are Strangers to his Sowship How comes it that you must enjoy all the good things of God's Creation Did the wise Disposer of all things give you the precious things of his Creation for to spend them upon your Lusts Was it so in the Beginning O no. Yet GOD saw in the Beginning what would ensue 〈◊〉 Man that was without the Knowledge of GOD was left to himself he would be like the Beast that perisheth therefore the wise Creator in his Eternal Wisdom made a Law for a limit to his unbridled â—ust by several Precepts and Injunctions in the Law where he expressâ—y tied them by several distinct Precepts to very large Contributions and Communications of their Estates mounting in all it may be to more than a sixth part of their Yearly Incomes And was there such â—are taken then by that which was imperfect How much more now â—ught there to be by them that are come to the Law of Christ that fulfils all Righteousness which saith Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as â—hy self for Christ is the end of the Law in Him the Law is fulâ—illed likewise those that are come to Christ and put Him on who â—re regenerated and born again they are become new old things are â—ast away and all things are become new the old Covetous Earthly Spirit is taken away and a noble generous free Spirit in the room â—ike their LORD and Master who gives liberally and upbraids â—one but feeds and cloaths his Enemies richly and bountifully and who are Christians indeed are like him as witness when his Spirit was poured out from on high how they sold their Possessions and distriâ—uted to every one as they had need but the Covetous died the Death as Saphira and his Wife Acts 5.2 who dealt deceitfully with GOD and his People in keeping back the Lord 's due when he required it Consider this you that forgets God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you But you Worldlings of all sorts you have had a long time to consider these things from one Generation to another and though you have heard and seen your Brother Worldlings taken away before your Eyes suddenly without Repentance yet this will not stop you from your eagerly grasping up together with the Expence of your most precious Time which is worth a VVorld upon a dying Bed when Conscience is awakened and instead of giving up your Strength and Might to wait upon the LORD with all diligence crying mightily to Him for His Power and Strength to cresist all the Temptations of Sinful Flesh you give up your Strength Might and Care to grasp and heap up Riches as if all your happiness wholly consisted in the abundance of the things you enjoy in this Life so that here you deny Christ his Doctrine and Practice who said No Man can serve two Masters Ye cannot serve said he GOD and Riches therefore I say untoyou Be not careful for your Life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your Body what ye shall put on and then send you to the Fowls of Heaven and the Flowers of the Field to learn of them your Duty to him Oh! ye Worldlings of all sorts How far short are you of being obedient to these Heavenly Precepts and the fulfilling this precious Doctrine You Wealth-mongers who hurry you selves almost out of your Wits to get Money the love of which is the Root of all Evil laying Bag to Bag till it comes to Hundreds and Thousands But how much have you laid by to serve the Lord and your Fellow-Creatures Necessity it may be five ten twenty Shillings and in this you would be counted Liberal and by some poor Creatures that are in great Necessity you are so but in the Eyes of the Lord you are counted Vile and Churlish But Oh! ye Hard-hearted Professors and Cruel of all sorts that suffers your Fellow-Creatures that are made of the same Flesh Blood and Bones that you are made of some to Starve and others to want Food and Raiment and you have your Hundreds and Thousands But what is the Reason of these things Why the same Reason may be given that was to the Israel of old This People hath an unfaithful and rebellious Heart they are departed and gone for they say not in their Hearts Let us now fear the Lord our God that gives Rain both early and late in due Season he that reserveth to us the appointed Weeks of the Harvest Yet saith God your Iniquities have turned away these things and your Sins hath with-held good things from you For amongst my People are found wicked Persons that lay wait as he that setteth Snares they have made a Pit to catch Men as a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit Thereby they are become Great and waxen Rich they are waxen fat and shining they do overpass the Deeds of the Wicked they execute no Judgment no not the Judgment of the Widow and Fatherless yet they prosper though they Execute no Judgment for the Poor Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord or shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Oh London London how often hath this Scripture been brought to me for thee and for thy Inhabitance Oh! Land Jerem. chap. 5. Shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this And upon the like occasion in another place saith he Ye I will feed this People with Wormwood and give them the Waters of Gaul to drink Jerem. 9.15 And did he not avenge his righteous Cause upon Sicily and Jamaica and did he not give them Waters of Gaul to drink when he did destroyed them and their Pride Lusts Cruelty