pure and undefiled Love Mine eye mine eye did so affect my heart so that I awaked in the same in the morning of a clear day and I looked and behold the Sun was arisen above the Horizon of the Earth and Waters and my Life abundantly blessed and magnified the living Lord my King and my God the Rock of my strength and saving-health of his Anointed And behold I had seen a Vision of God in the morning-light and the sweet Solution of the same was given me to treasure up within my very heart till an appointed time and season The Children of the Morning-light may right-well read the same as they sit together in their several places that 's over and above the earth and be comforted and refreshed at the joyful Sound of the same Voice that brings the glad-tyding of the good things yea and my Spirit with you the blessed of the Lord shall bless his Name who is the mighty God in the midst of us Even so Amen Ha-le-lu-jah PRaise ye the Lord Salvation to his Name Ye Saints in Life Free from all strife Your voice sound forth the same My Life shall sing To Sion's King His Love in peace and glory Who hath so free Begotten me Into his Life that 's holy Among his Saints and Messengers his Fame my heart shall sound Because their life Is free from strife In Love that doth abound My prayers in the Life that 's clean shall from the same ascend Unto the God of Love and Peace that he may you defend To perfect Love and Unity that it may more abound For so your fame In his pure Name Doth give a certain sound Unto the Nations round about your Fame aloud shall sing To call them all Both great and small To bow to Sion's King Your Gates alwayes Of perfect praise Full wide shall open stand That all may come I' th free-born Son Th' Light to dwell in your Land Of rest and peace In righteousness I' th living Way that 's holy So you shall sing And fruit shall spring Within the City holy The Vine that 's true Shall compass you That sit under his shade With great delight In his clear sight None shall make you afraid Within the perfect Love there is no fear So in the Father's sight ye are right dear My bowels and my soul my very heart To you ye living Saints extends Much could I write In the true Light But ye can read my Friends Without a Book of words Which finally may end My mind that 's clean Come read the same Behold I am your Eriend In Jacob's Land Where he did stand I' th place that 's blest Where he did rest Who like a Prince prevail'd with the true Lord of Might Who also blessed him even in the Morning-light Selah And seeing that it hapned so that the Copies of the Letters of the Lord's Prisoners were left in the hands of their Enemies in a strange Land it is seen meet to insert them among thâ— rest of their Writings for the good of many of their own Nation of England who may right-well savour the tender love and vertue of true and pure natural Affection not only to their Kindred and Fathers House but also to their own Country all of which they were truly called to forsake as was good old Abraham our Father who in obedience to the good Word Commandment of the Almighty God went forth not knowing whither he went even as these poor Women and many more who are deemed by the Wise of this world foolish things not well considering how that the Lord hath chosen the Poor of this world and made them Rich in Faith and also chuseth base things and weak things and foolish things to confound the things that are mighty and to bring to nought things that are to the end that no Flesh should glory in his presence who with his mighty hand and out-stretched arm of Dignity and excellent Power is defacing and staining the Pride of all Glory and bringing into contempt all the Honourable of the earth that 's out of order and bringing down the haughtiness loftiness of Man who shall know that it is the everlasting and terrible God of Eternity when he ariseth to shake terribly the Earth that presseth down and oppresseth the Seed of his Bowels and trampleth on the principal Wheat that came out of the good Husbandmans right hand for which the God of Heaven is visiting the Nations as in the ancient dayes Albâ—it he hath long time held his peace in the habitation of his Holiness where his Honour dwelleth but behold behold he is arising in the Greatness of his strengâ—h even as a Lyon over his Prey or as a Lyonness bereaved of her Young for out of Sion hath he uttered his Voice and thundered forth the Majesty of his powerful Word of Salvation through the Gate of his beloved City Jerusalem from on high free-born which hath ecchoed into the ears and hearts of the Hypocrites and surprized the double-minded with fear on every hand for he hath cryed and yet will in the Spirit of his Prophesie through his Sons and Daughters in whom He which is holy dwelleth to make waste Mountains and Hills and to devour at once as in the ancient dayes And my Spirit saith Even so the Lord hasten it Amen for his Elects sake Katherine Evans to her Husband and Children For the hand of JOHN EVANS my right dear and precious Husband with my tender-hearted Children who are more dear and precious unto me than the Apple of mine eye MOst dear and faithful Husband Friend and Brother begotten of my Eternal Father of the immortal Seed of the Covenant of Light Life and Blessedness I have unity and fellowship with thee day and night to my great Refreshment and continual Comfort Praises Praises be given to our God for evermore who hath joyned us together in that which neither Sea nor Land can separate or divide My dear heart my Soul doth dearly salute thee with my dear and precious Children which are dear and precious in the Light of the Lord to thy endless joy and my everlasting comfort glory be to our Lord God eternally who hath called you with a holy Calling and hath caused his Beauty to shine upon you in this the day of his Power wherein he is making up of his Jewels and binding up of his faithful Ones in the Bond of everlasting Love and Salvation among whom he hath numbred you of his own free Grace in whâ—ch I beseech you dear hearts in the fear of the Lord to abide in your measures according to the manifestation of the Revelation of the Son of God in you keep a diligent watch over every Thought Word and Action and let your minds be staid continually in the Light where you will find out the snares and baits of Satan and be preserved out of his Traps Nets and Pits that you may not be captivated by him at his will Oh my dear Husband and
can separate In which Light and Life do I salute thee my dear Husband with my Children wishing you to embrace Gods love in making his Truth so clearly manifest amongst you whereof I am a Witness even of the everlasting Fountain that hath been opened by the Messengers of Christ who preach to you the Word of God in season and out of season directing you where you may find your â—aviour to purge and cleanse you from your sins and to reconcile you to his Father and to have unity with him and all the Saints in the Light that ye may be fellow Citizens in the Kingdom of Glory Rest and Peace which Christ hath purchased for them that love him and obey him What profit is there for to gain the whole World and lose your own Souls Seek first the Kingdom of God the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to you Godliness is great gain having the promise of this life that now is and that which is to come which is fulfilled to me who have tasted of the Lord 's endless Love and Mercies to my soul and from a moving of the same love and life do I breath to thee my dear Husband with my Children my dear Love salutes you all my Prayers to my God are for you all that your minds may be joyned to the Lighâ— wherewith you are lightned that I may enjoy you in that which is Eternal and have community with you in the Spirit He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit one heart one mind one soul to serve the Lord with one consent I cannot by Pen or Paper set forth the large Love of God in fulfilling his gracious Promises to me in the Wilderness being put into Prison for God's Truth there to remain all dayes of my life being searched tryed examined upon pain of death among the Enemies of God and his Truth standing in jeopardy for my life until the Lord had subdued and brought them under by his mighty Power and made them to feed us and would have given us money or clothes but the Lord did deck our Table richly in the Wilderness The Day of the Lord is appeariâ—â— wherein he will discover every Deed of darkness let it be done never so secret the Ligâ—â— of Christ Jesus will make it manifest in every Conscience the Lord will rip up all coveringâ— that is not of his own Spirit The God â—f Peace be with you all Amen Written in the Inquisition-Prison by the hand of Sarah Cheevers for the hand of Henry Cheevers my dear Husband give this fail not I do not well remember that this was one of the surprized Letters A Letter to a Kinswoman of S. C. S. P. MY dear Kinswoman I dearly salute thee with thy Husband and thy tender Babes I am not unmindful of thee nor of thy Love that thou shewed'st to me I know thou shalt not lose thy reward thou hast found refreshment in it for it was of the Lord My Burthen was weighty for the Lord I â—ould have fled the Cross but praises be to â—he Lord that kept me to it that I might â—ot lose the Crown I was straitned in it till I gave up to it Praised be the Name of our God for ever Amen Stand fast in the Lord â—et none take thy Crown The God of Power preserve and keep thee low and single in his fear pressing forward to the price of an interruptible Crown of Glory Peace and Rest â—ut of all strife Keep to the pure Life watch the Enemy keep thy mind staid in the measure of God's Grace that is able to make thee wise unto salvation and to give thee an inheâ—itance with the rest of the Children of Light My tender lamb fear and dread the living God keep in his presence go not out to let in the Enemy to break thy peace and to darken thy understanding and to vail over the pure from beholding thy Saviour Incline thine ear to him give up to a daily Cross to thy own will Stand single empty wait upon the Lord to be fill'd with his Fulness let him be all thy treasure ask of him he giveth liberally Believe and thou shalt receive his Promise is large I have found it so Having nothing yet enjoying all things I have â—asted handled and felt of his everlasting Love and indurable Riches my life is rapt up in it I have found Him whom my sâ—â—â— loveth Oh! what might I do to set hiâ— forth He is the choicest of ten thousands therefore doth my soul love him My life is given up for him his Truth for to declare Lord guide me in thy path and keep me in thy fear Amen My dear Aunt My dear love and life is with thee and I do embrace thee in the Arms and Bosom of my Eternal Fathers love with thy dear Husband and little Ones Another in the same Paper to Friends MY dearly beloved Sisters Friends of Truth I dearly salute you in the Light Life and Love of our God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost wherein I do rejoyce and have union with you My Life is given up to serve the Lord. Oh how my soul travels for the Seed of God's Kingdom to be sown throughout all Nations for the gathering in of Christ's scattered Flock and for the destruction of sin and Satan For our God is weighing the Mountains in Scales and the Dust in an equal Ballance He is pulling down the mighty and raising the meek humble lowly he is feeding the poor and hungry with good things but the rich he sends empty away My dear Babes and Lambs feed of the sincere Milk of the Word of Life that you may grow up in it and wax strong in spirit to praise the Lord and to glorifie him who is worthy Be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might seek him earnestly call upon him continually let your whole Meditations be staid in him alway Seek him earnestly deny your own thoughts and words give heed to the Light bring all your deeds to it give up all that is contrary to be slain stand single empty naked before the Lord that you may be filled with the Streams of his everlasting Love Oh my dear hearts our God is full of love stand not back press forward let nothing hinder you the Lord calls for you My Son give me thy heart The Promise of our God is as large to you as to any if you can believe your straitness is in your selves For God is a full Fountain abundance of love runs forth to them that can trust him I can witness it in the barren Wilderness he caused streams of living Water to break forth I cannot express it it is so large therefore doth my soul thirst after you my dear Ones the love of God is to you My dear Sisters I have you in my remembrance and do pray to my God and your God that you may be enlarged in your measures
to ask her Husband at home But what if she have a disorderly drunken husband and not Christ the Man the true Husband the true Lord how can he teach her seeing the Woman is to learn of her Husband in silence and to be under obedience and not to usurp Authority over the Man as also saith the Law which hath dominion over all that are under it in the transgression but the Spirit of Grace and Truth that 's poured upon Sons and Daughters teacheth us to deny the sin and guideth from the same and so maketh free from its Condemnation and from under the Law to be under the Grace and Truth that is in the one Seed Christ in the Male Christ in the Female the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven And those who are led and guided by this are not under the Law which saith the woman is not to usurp authority over the man as also saith the able Minister of the Mystery of the glory and riches of Eternity which is Christ the fulness in his Saints their hope of Life and Glory But the Woman is to be under obedience as also saith the Law yea but they that are led by the Spirit are not under the Law so are the Sons of God manifest yet under the Grace covered the same Grace with which the Man-Child the holy Child Jesus was covered and filled with the same and no other but that which did and doth save the Saints from sin and so from under the Law and its condemnation and not only so but also the same Grace which bringeth Salvation and appeareth to all men it teacheth them not onely to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts but also to live soberly and righteously in this present world And verily this Grace is in them which saves and justifieth them and it 's not of themselves it is the gift of God And such are the Servants of the living and true God that have their fruits and possess the same unto Holiness and not only so but the end of the same which is the pure manifestation of the Eternal Substance to wit Everlasting Life pâ—re clean Power which is the excellent Treasure in the Earthen Vessels as saith the holy Scripture 2 Cor. 4. But O ye Congregations of the dead ye gathered Churches of so many Names and Heads to you sounds my Voice saying What have ye done Oh! how guilty do ye appear before mine eye that 's single in the Lord's Light of despising Prophecying and quenching the tender Spirit of Glory which resteth at this day in and upon many Sons and Daughters and behold if ye can see how they â—o and have prophesied in the Name of the Lord and have fore-warned you of that which is justly come to pass upon you whilst many of you despised and wondred in the dayes of haughtiness and its prosperity among you But O my soul how hast thou been wounded in me whilst I have travelled and mourned over you And so you have been found despising that and quenching that Spirit of Grace which teacheth the Saints in Light and reproves for sin and testifieth against the World and its deeds because they are evil And this same Spirit strived long with you and in you and would have arisen up in its Authority Power and great Glory from on high had ye not preferred and exalted the spirit of this World in its proper place in you above the Just and Long-suffering which is but one and the same in male and female Oh! what have you done Can any of you yet smite upon your thigh and say so yet if ye can enquire enquire ye the Watchman's voice is the same it was and not otherwise viz. Return come yea return and come to the tender Spirit of holiness and of the gentleness of Christ and his yoke of Self-denial and the daily Cross they are the two great Ordinances which ye have left behind and so the Vail and the Darkness hath covered you but the true Israelites have Light in their dwellings and their habitations are in the best of the Land of the living Wherefore my spirit saith Return come and hearken to the Lamb's Voice and now see whether ye can follow Him or a stranger wheresoever he goeth that 's the true Prophet raised up like unto Moses and obey his Voice which savoureth not of this World for so his Kingdom and Servants are not Therefore beware lest your souls be cut off from the Land of the Living and ye perish in the outward observations by which the Kingdom cometh not among the Congregations of the dead where ye are yet seeking the living But I as a Brother even Joseph tel you yet again He is not there but is arisen from the dead from death to life who is the quickning Spirit the Lord from Heaven over the Earth over all the Land Aegypt over the Land of Darkness the same Lord the same Spirit which hath done excellent things is exalted in the new Heaven and in the new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and let the Virgin-Daughter of Sion publish the same even from hence forth to all generations yea and my spirit is ready to say Amen There was one that saw a little Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands and he well retained his sight so long until in the Light of the living he saw the same which was so little wax so great that it became an exceeding great Mountain Verily the beloved City is manifest set upon a holy Hill it cannot be bid from them that see the Glory of God doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof and his Light is like unto a Stone most precious clear as Chrystal The Fountain is opened free come down from on high and thou shalt see if thou dost thirst for Springs of Life To the Light submit thy mind and cease from strife in the same to behold the Bride the Lamb's Wife from the false Church Dan. Baker A SALUTATION and INFORMATION to the whole Body of the Elect of God whether gathered or scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth O Ye Eternal and blessed Ones whose dwelling is on high in the fulness of all Beauty and Brightness Glory and everlasting Joy Happiness and Peace for evermore We who are poor Sufferers for the Seed of God in the Covenant of Light Life and Truth do dearly salute and imbrace you all according to our measures Blessing and Honour and Glory be given to our Lord God for ever of all who know him who hath counted us worthy and hath chosen us among his faithful Ones to bear his Name and to witness forth his Truth before the High and Mighty men of the Earth and to fight the Lord's Battel with his spiritual Weapons to the breaking down of strong holds high lofty looks and vain imaginations and spiritual wickedness in high places The Lord did give us a prosperous Journey hither and when we came to Legorn we were refreshed with
gain-say they were so tormented that they did run to the Hills and to the Mountains to cover them from the Presence of the Lord and from the Wrath of the Lamb which sits upon the Throne to judge them righteously and to condemn them for all their wicked deeds which they so ungodlily had committed against him Oh! the goodness of the Lord and his long-suffering and forbearance vvhich would lead them to Repentance but they would not hearken to his Counsel but turned his Laws behind their backs and hated to be instructed by them therefore the Lord did laugh at their destruction and did mock when their fear came Their wickedness was so great and my burthen so heavy to bear it that I cryed to the Lord and said It is better for me to die than to live and would gladly have given up my life in testimony against them all I was as 't were compelled to declare against all their Wayes Works and Worships insomuch that they ran to the Inquisitor to have me chained or punish'd some other way but the Power of the Lord chained them that they could not diminish a hair of my head the Lord was my safety praises be to his Name for ever Now some as they passed to their Worship-houses would sigh and some pray and some did throw stones at my Window they did work night and day about the Prison as though they would have broke through to slay me but the Lord was with me and did fight for me and did scatter his Enemies as the dust before the Wind Glory be to his Name for evermore I cannot express the large Love of our God how he did preserve us from so many Deaths and Threatnings as they did come to me with falling down upon their knees saying Mass and would have me to say after them but in the Name of the Lord I denyed them They would howl like Dogs because they could not beguile the Innocent and slay my righteous life but praises be to the Lord our God who did preserve me from the Wolf and the Devourers denying them their Sacrifices And when they saw they could not prevail to betray us from the Truth then they said they would give us to the Devil to be tormented and deliver us over to their bad Catholicks to do by us as they pleased for they would use us badly and so they did seek to do Oh the cursed noises and cryes the Sodomites did make crying Quake quake running about the Prison raging and some singing and crouding round the Prison night and day as if they would have broke through to slay me and the sons of Belial did run to bear false witness so that I looked every hour when they would fetch me out and slay me The Enemy did so work to perswade that they had prest my dear yoke fellow with stones which was a great trouble to me because I I could not suffer death with her I did yeeld she had been slain And afrerwards this great tribulation being ended then they said my dear and faithful yoke-fellow should be sent to Rome and I should tarry at Malta which did so encrease my sorrow and wrought upon my spirit to try and examine wherefore the Lord should deal so hardly with me as to leave me behind or whether he did not count me worthy to go and give in my Testimony with her to Rome and offer up my Life for the Testimony of Jesus than to have my liberty to return to England with her and I cryed day and night to the Lord and would not give my soul rest nor my eyes sleep till the Lord did answer me glory and praises be to his Name for ever But we saw Jacob must part with all Benjamin must go too So we were willing to give up in obedience to the Lord our tryals were unspeakable Oh the unclean spirits they would speak to us at noon-day but the Lord did give us power over them that we did not fear the wild Boars out of the Wood nor the wild Beasts out of the Field Then there was one came and said that Katherine and I must be both sent to Rome Which did rejoyce my soul and renewed my strength because the Lord did count me worthy to go and give in my Testimony for his Truth the Word of his Prophesie before the great and mighty ones of the Earth The Lord said I should not be afraid and he shewed me in the Light how he had bowed them down before us and I saw them in the Light of Christ how the Pope the Friars and Sorcerers stood in ranks bowing down before us So we saw our Dominion in Spirit They did work to send us to Rome but the Lord did blast it and fought against them that they could not send us Now our Testimony was as largely given in at Rome as at Malta The Friars came to me and shewed me Mary and her Babe pictured against a Wall and would have me look upon it I stampt with my foot and said Cursed be all Images and Image-makers and all that fall down to worship them Christ Jesus is the express Image of his Fathers Brightness which is Light and Life who doth reveal the Mystery of Iniquity the cunning working of Satan to draw out the mind to follow him from the pure Life and to vail over the Just One from beholding the Presence of the Lord. But glory be to the Lord who hath made him manifest in thousands of his in this Day of his Power When we were separated we spake one and the same thing being guided by one Spirit They would go from me to Katherine and they would bid her speak as Sarah did and so she did to their condemnation Praises to the Lord Amen A PAPER sent from them to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor in Malta For the Lord Inquisitor and his Council c. MEns persons I cannot admire they that do admire and respect any man's person do it because of advantage and such are transgressors the Apostles James and Jude say In obedience to the Lord in love to your souls from the Fountain of Love and Springs of Life that stream forth to the refreshment of the whole City of God am I constrained to visit you with these few Lines and I beseech you to reade it with the Spirit of Moderation and Meekness and see that nothing arise in you against it for it is God's Truth Christ Jesus who is the Light of the world that hath enl ghtned every one that comes into the world saith This is Life eternal to know thee the only true God Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Now the knowledge of God is Life eternal and there is no other way to come to this knowledge but to have the mind turned from darkness to the Light out of the visible to that which is invisible viz. the Light in the Conscience which convinceth of sin and iniquity when no mortal eye can see you And as
to praise the Lord and to be kept in a sensible feeling of his Power daily and that you may encrease in wisdom strength and power over God's Enemies The Blessing of the Lord God Almighty be with you and preserve you by his mighty Power unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Salute me to my Sister S. R. there is a tender Plant in her I do feel it to my comfort praises be to the Lord. I am in health I praise the Lord and do want nothing the Lord is my portion I cannot want he hath deckt my Table richly he hath anointed my head with Balm it runneth down the skirts of my cloathing Written in the Inquisition-Prison at the Isle of Malta by a sufferer for the Seeds sake Farewel at this time Amen Your dear Sister in the Lord Sa. Cheevers Another from K. E. to her Husband and Children with somewhat from both the Lord's Prisoners to Friends the which was taken with the rest of the Letters in the Inquisition and copied out for their Lord Inquisitor DEar Husband with my dear Children I beseech you together to wait in the patience having your minds alwayes staid upon the Lord Keep out of incumbrances for that is the Enemies opportunity to step in when the mind is gone forth to vail the pure and darken the understanding and so hinder you of the pure enjoyment of beholding the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Take no more upon you than you are able to perform in the Spirit of moderation and meekness for that is in the sight of God of great price See the Lord going before you in all your occasions that you may be prosperous in all your undertakings wait diligently upon the Lord to be seasoned with his Grace that you may come to a pure understanding of the mâ—â—ons of his Eternal Spirit and a true knoâ—ledge of the operation of his hands you will be able with all Saints to comprehend what is the heigth and deptâ— and length and breadth of the riches â— his Grace and Love towards mankind â— Christ Jesus our Lord Amen saith my spirit This is the Counsel of the Lord unto yoâ— I do often remember M. H. I do desire she may be brought up in the fear oâ— God and want for nothing that is convenient for her salute me to her dearly I have been very sensible dear Husband of thine and our Children and many dear friends more of your sorrowful souls mourning hearts grieved spirits troubled minds for us as being Members of one Body Christ Jesus being our Head we must needs suffer together that we may rejoyce together a true sorrow begets a true joy a true Cross a true Crown We do beleive it is our heavenly Fathers will and purpose to bring us back as safe to England as ever he brought us thence for his own glory though we are some of the least of Christ's Flock yet we do belong to the true Fold and our Shepherd hath had as great a care of us as he could have for any of his Lambs and hath brought us through great affliction praises be given to his glorious Name of us and you and all that know him for ever Though we are absent in body in the will of God from you yet we are present in spirit in the will of God with you and do receive the benefit of all your prayers daily and do feel the Springs of Life that do stream from all the faithful hearted to our great refreshment and strengthening After our money was gone the Lord Inquisitor with the rest in Authority put a great allowance in one of their servants hands for our maintenance because we could take no money our selves the Lord of Heaven did forbid us to meddle with any and he did send to know whether we did want any clothes he would send it to the Prison to us This was the large love of our God to us and we were made contented with that we had till the Lord God who is rich in mercy and full of all Grace and is never unmindful of any which trust in his Name of his everlasting love did send his faithful Messenger whose feet are beautiful and face is comely cloathed with a bright shining Garment from the Crown of the head to the soal of the foot and came in great power and strength indeed armed with the wholâ— Armour of Light and drest in the Majesty of the Most High and being commissioneâ— of the Higher Power went to the Lorâ— Inquisitor to demand our lawful liberty which would not be granted except we could get some English Merchants of Legorn or Messaena to engage 4000 Dollerâ— that we should never come into those parts again The Lord who alone is ouâ— Life and Redeemer moved our dear Brother to offer his own body to redeem ours but it would not be received then he offered to lay down his own dear and preciouâ— life for our liberty Greater love can nâ— man have than to lay down his life for hiâ— Friend the Lord will restore it into his bosom double his service can never be blotted out his Name is called Daniel Baker his outward being is near London a right dear and precious heart he is The blessing strength and power of the Almighty be upon him and his and overshadow them for ever Amen Greater comfort could never be administred to us in our conditions Glory honor and praise to our God for evermore Amen This is a dear and sweet salutation in that which never changeth fadeth away nor waxeth old from us whom the Lord hath counted worthy to bear his Name and suffer for his sake to all our Christian Friends Fathers and Elders Pillars of Gods spiritual House Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ O my dear Husband with our dear and precious Children Lambs of God and Babes of Christ begotten of the Immortal Seed of Light Life and Truth with us and all the whole Family of everlasting blessedness Pray for us believingly all things are possible with our God So my Darlings in the Arms of everlasting Love do I take my leave of you the blessing and peace of the Most High be upon you ever Amen Amen Oh my dear Husband praise the Lord that ever thou hadst a Wife that was found worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord inasmuch as I can understand the moving of the Spirit of God My dear and faithful Yoke-fellow Sister and Friend is worthy to be embraced of all friends for ever the deeper the sorrow the greater the joy the heavier the Cross the weightier the Crown This was written in the Inquisition at Malta of us Katherine Evans Sarah Cheevers Malta 11th Month of the year 1661. From K. E. for two Friends DEarly beloved Brother in the everlasting Covenant of Light and Life do I dearly salute and embrace thee with thy dear Wife my beloved Sister and thy dear Children whom I dearly love in that which
so but also a sensible feeling not only of the tryals sufferings in part of these innocent Lambs but also of the Consolations of each other as fellow-Members of the infinite Body of which Christ Jesus the Lord is both King and Head in whom be endless dominion and pure glory and eternal salvation Amen And so I being as it were constrained to publish the acceptable Words that sound and savor of pure innocency and clear truth for the Elect's sake in the same Love and Life I am the more free hereunto even as a Child that differs but little from a servant as I am in the Fathers Love Power and Grace of Life fitted to serve the undefiled Life of the least in the Kingdom of Blessedness and to administer comfort or what else I have received from the Eternal Fountain or Fulness for the use or service of either body mind soul or spirit of my own flesh or family seeing no man ever hated his own Flesh and he is worse than an Infidel that provideth not for his own Family especially them of his own House This is a sweet Salutation to Gods Elect Church in England and Ireland RIght dear precious and Heavenly Ones whose Beauty shineth bright and at whose Name the hearts of the Heathen do tremble We who through the everlasting Mercies of our God are Members of the same Body and are held in strait Captivity and hard Bondage for witnessing forth the same Testimony and Covenant of pure Light Life and Truth of our God with you dear and faithful Ones indeed We here in the same Covenant of pure Love and bowels of tenderness do dearly salute and imbrace you all glorifying and praising our eternal Father for you all who hath counted us worthy to partake of the fellowship and sufferings for the Bodies sake with you in tribulations fiery tryals manifold temptations fastings watchings heats and colds and cruel threatning and persecutions perils by Sea and perils by Land standing in jeopardy of our lives year after year and looking every hour day and night for many Weeks together when we should be brought out to Execution but though Proclamation was made and they came up to the very Gate with a Drum and Musquets to fetch us out to destroy us yet the Lord God of everlasting strength who in the deepest of all dangers and greatest extremity when all hopes were past did but blow upon them with the breath of his nostrils and they did fly as dust before the Wind for which we do intreat all Friends to glorifie our God on our behalf for never did the Lord our God work greater Deliverance for any than he hath done for us from time to time who are the least and weakest for what we know that ever the Lord our God sent forth in so great and weighty a work but all things are possible with him who made and created all things It is he alone which carrieth on his own Work by his own mighty Power and the glory shall be his own for evermore Amen Oh our dearly beloved Friends did you know but the third part of the Afflictions the Lord our God hath carried us through you would say The Lord hath wrought as great a Miracle in our preservation as ever he did in raising Lazarus out of the Grave And in the greatest of our afflictions we could not say in our hearts Father would thou hadst not brought us hither but cryed mightily to our God for Power to carry us through whatsoever should be inflicted upon us that the Truth of our God might not suffer through our weakness And the Lord did hear us and answered us in righteousness and carried us on with all boldness and made our fore-heads as Flint our brows as Brass in the faces of our Enemies that whensoever we were brought forth upon tryal all fear was taken away that we stood as Iron-Gates and Castle-Walls in the faces of our Enemies so that they said we would fain be burned but we answered No we would not willingly be burned but if our heavenly Father doth call us to suffer in that kind for his Name sake he will give us power to go through it and we have great cause to believe it for our Lord God never called us to do any service for him but he gave us power and made way for his own Work glory and praise be to his holy Name for ever Dearly beloved Friends marvel not why Israel is not gathered in all this time it is not for want of labour nor travel nor grief nor pain fasting nor mourning nor weeping nor love to their souls but it is because of the great Oppression For here are a willing people but they dare not until the Lord make way for them Truly Friends we have not been idle since we saw your faces nor have we had much ease to the flesh but do travel night and day for Sion's prosperity and perfect joy and for the reparation of Jerusalem and her pure praise though our sorrows are deep and our afflictions grievous yet we do wait with patience to reap the peaceable fruits of righteousness and enjoy the benefit of our uprightness Praises be to our God for ever he hath kept us by his power and holiness that our Enemies have not one jot or tittle against us but for the Truth of our God and that we could not joyn with them so they would not suffer us to have one line of refreshment but stript us out of all so that we could not expect one drop of mercy favour nor affection but what our heavenly Father did distil upon us from his living presence and work for us by the operation of his own Arm of strength and power But dear Friends though a long Winter and many sharp and terrible Storms have past over our heads so that we cannot express our Sorrows so likewise we cannot declare our Joys Oh! in the midst of all our afflictions our God did draw nigh unto us and did speak comfortably unto us with many sweet and precious Promises and did never suffer his faithfulness to fail us nor was he wanting unto us in Visions and Revelations Oh! how doth he appear in his Glory Beauty and Brightness so that our souls are ravished and wrapped up with his living presence and glory many times so that we do not dare to look out at our long-sufferings nor tryals but do press forwards towards the fulness of Joy and Blessedness which our eternal Father hath prepared for all them that love him and walk in obedience to him and we know the deeper our sorrow is the greater our Joy shall be and the heavier our Cross the weightier our Crown as we abide faithful And we do believe that neither principalities nor powers nor sufferings nor imprisonment nor persecution nor life nor death shall be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour Amen Dearly beloved Friends though our
bodies are bolted up in the Rocks Caves of the Earth yet our spirits you know none can limit nor confine to any place And we do behold your order and stedfastness of your Faith and Labour of love and are daily refreshed in all the faithful-hearted Oh dear hearts the remembrance of the least of you is precious Oh! the Rivers of tears that have distilled from our eyes whilst we do think upon you for joy because of your growth and flourishing in the Truth Oh! you are Virgins indeed who have Oyl in your Vessels and your Lamps burning and are clothed with the long white Robes of Righteousness and are adorned with the Ornaments of pure beauty and glorious brightness abundance of you to our joy and comfort and we do pray night and day That every Babe of our Heavenly Father's begetting may prosper even as we desire our own souls should prosper and that every one may be kept out of incumbrances and use the World as if they used it not but every one's mind spirit heart and soul may be exercised in the Eternal by the Power of God out of the earthly and out of the visible out of the carnal and perishing things of this life so as to trust in it into the heavenly into the spiritual into the invisible into that which never changeth fadeth nor waxeth old where every one may dwell in the enjoyment of the presence of the Lord for in the presence of the Lord is fulness of joy and at his right hand is pleasure for evermore Oh that every one may be emptied of your selves and unbottomed of your selves that you may build wholly upon the sure foundation and anchored so fast upon the Rock of Ages that neither the swelling Seas nor the foaming Waves nor stormy Winds though they beat vehemently may ever be able to remove you Oh dear Brethren in the life and power you may feel the issues of Love and Life which stream as a River to every soul of you from the hearts of us that are wholly joyned to the Fountain Glory and everlasting Praises be given to his holy Name Our whole souls spirits hearts and minds are given up to serve the Lord in whatsoever he requireth of us as he shall make it manifest unto us And we do blesse his Name for ever that he hath found us worthy of so high a calling as to bind Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of Iron Our prayers are continually for the advancement of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus throughout the whole Earth for the gathering of the Seed of the Elect of God and for the raising of it up over the Seed of the Serpent in power and great glory to bear rule and to have dominion over the whole World that the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdoms of our Lord Jesus that he may rule in his Princely Power and reign in his Kingly Majesty whose Right it is that the knowledge of the Lord may cover the Earth as the Water covereth the Sea that all the Children of the Lord may be taught of the Lord and be established in Righteousness that so the Mourners in Sion may rejoyce and the heavy-hearted in Jerusalem may be right glad The Lord God of Power hasten it for his own Name 's sake and for his Elects sake that lye in captivity under the hands of the dark powers of the Earth either spiritual or temporal Amen Amen saith our spirits Dear and precious Friends and Brethren pray for us that we may finish our Testimony to the glory of God and to the praise of his holy Name and to the comfort of all that love his appearing and to our own eternal salvation and to the shame and confusion of all that hate the Lord Jesus and persecute his Truth So in the pure Unity of the Covenant of Light Life Peace Love and everlasting Righteousness do we take our leaves of you all at this time hoping and believing we shall see your faces once again before we go hence and be no more seen Dear Friends pray for us Though we were in many straits and hardships by reason of the oppression yet whilst our minds were staid upon the Fountain we saw no want but our tender Father whose heavenly eye was ever over us saw our necessities sent his right dear and precious Servant and just and faithful Steward Daniel Baker to administer to our Necessities both spiritual and temporal he came not in his own time will nor strength but in the Will and Time Strength and Power of the Almighty God at whose presence the Mountains were removed the tall Cedars were made to bow the strong Oaks to stoop Oh wonderful He went to the Lord Inquisitor the Popes Deputy to demand our lawful Liberty which would not be granted unless he and we would write to Messaena or Legorn to some English Merchant to be engaged for four thousand Dollers Which Proposition being out of the Covenant of Light we durst not stoop to it but our dear Brother in Christ Jesus offered his body for our Liberty but it would not be granted nothing would serve but one to engage for four thousand Dollers to be paid if ever we come into these parts again Then in obedience to the Lord he offered up his Life for our Freedom but all would not serve the Will of our God be done Oh dear Friends greater Love was never heard of than for a man to lay down his Life for his Friend Oh! it is worthy to be recorded in remembrance of him for ever here he came up and down to administer to us with his Life in his hand time after time So the Lord God of Power reward him double into his bosome for ever Oh! how did he refresh our souls spirits minds and bodies through great trials which is never to be forgotten Written in the Inquisition at Malta in the 11th Month of the year 1661. By us Ka. Evans S. Cheevers Who have suffered for the living Testimony of Jesus and his pure Innocency in Bonds Tryals and Tribulations more than three years to this day A short Relation of some more of their exceeding great Tryals and Temptations NOw in short time after we were taken Prisoners we were stung with Flyes called Muskatoes in our faces our heads as we lay in our Beds that were swollen as if we had the small-Pox so that all people were afraid of us save the English Consul they thought we had been unclean persons so that a Friar told Sarah he saw an evil Spirit in her face which was a great tryal they could not sleep in their beds in the house they were so tormented and we were told that they had seen them that did pray and preach every day were burnt for Witches in a short time and they would keep us to see our lives conversations and so they have And glory be to our God they cannot lay guilt to our charge but are made to confess
the Truth In a few dayes after we were there in a Vision in the night the Lord appeared to me and shewed me that round about us and above and beneath us there were many Magicians of Aegypt and the Lord smote me and said unto me The Devil hath desired to winnow you as Wheat but pray that your Faith fail not And the sight was very dreadful and terrible and the Voice of the Lord did awake me with much trembling and amazement and a great War for the space of twelve hours before I could get the victory and we did witness but little ease to the flesh night nor day We went in obedience to the Lord to one of their Tower-Houses in time of their Worship and stood trembling in the midst of them and I was made to turn my back to the high Altar and kneel down and lift up my voice in prayer unto the Lord and he that was saying Service drew off his Surplice and kneeled a little beside us till I had done and he reacht forth his hand to us to come to him and offered me a token and the Lord shewed me it was the Mark of the Beast and I refused it and he put it into Sarah's hand and she gave it him again and shewed him her Purse that she had to give if any had need And he asked if we were Calvinists or Lutherans And we said Nay And he asked if we would go to Rome to the Pope But we denied And he asked if we were Catholicks And we told him We were true Chirstians the Servants of the living God And many of them were amazed and came round about us we having but little of their Tongue gave our Testimony for the Lord in words and signs as well as we could and they were made subject to the Power at that present praises be given to our God and we departed in peace And since that the Lord laid such a heavy burthen upon us that we did question what he would do with us before we knew the mind of God in it And upon a set-day they had a great Meeting to take their holy Sacrament as they call it in a high place but we knew nothing of it nor where it was but what the Lord revealed to us And we were made to go in and stand in the midst and there were many lights in divers places many Christs as they call them and much costliness and abominations of the Earth they had so many sorts of holy Garments as they call them of so many colours that it would make one wonder how the Devil did invent it And there we were made to stand in the midst for the space of three parts of an hour as near as I can judge in great power trembling and quaking and bitter mourning so that they were all amazed and some removed further for fear but knew not what to do for I never did witness such an Earthquake In the end one came soberly and spake to us to go forth and we went in the Lord's time and sate at the door trembling and mourning to the astonishment of them and being so overcome with their Abominations we went along the street reeling to and fro and staggering like drunken men so that we were a wound to all that saw us It was the wonderful Power of God that made way for us to go forth to them and kept us They have used all the Craft they have day and night to inchant us as the Lord hath made it known unto us Glory and praises be to his everlasting Name for evermore We know that there is no Inchantment against Jacob nor divination against Israel Dearly beloved Friends We dearly salute you all in the invisible Life of our God who is our life our peace our stay and strength under whose Shadow we are refreshed praises glory and honor be given unto his powerful Name of all his for ever Truly Friends we are not able to declare the large Mercies of our God vouchsafed unto us from time to time his Horn is our Strength and his Name our strong Tower in all our troubles temptations tryals and sufferings he is a God at hand and not afar off and doth make us sensible before-hand by Visions and Revelations what is coming upon us and doth arm us with his own Armour and makes us as bold as Lyons for we fear not the face of man because we know we shall not suffer any thing but what shall make for the glory of our God But truly we had fainted long ago had not the Lord upheld us by his free Spirit but we know the Lord taketh care of the least of them that trust him Praises be unto him for ever Dear Friends though we be absent in body yet we are present in spirit and do feel you in that which cannot be separated as we abide faithful and are much refreshed in you and the remembrance of you is precious unto us Oh that all our Friends could prize the company and the sight of each others faces We do not want the company of Friars Jesuites and Magistrates nor great women Here are some that have breathings after Life but they dare not shew it for the same thing that was is they will not enter in themselves nor suffer them that would The Lord Inquisitor sent to us That if we would being we are good women we should go into the Nunnery amongst the holy women and be maintained as long as we live in regard we have denied the world and all that we have And the Friar told us if we would come to their Masse-house and receive their holy Sacrament we should be the most eminent Catholicks in all Malta But we denied them in the Name of the Lord and all their dead foppery which they have invented Here we are kept under the Inquisition as they say till they have Orders from the Pope of Rome what they should do with us We beseech you all faithful Friends pray for us for great are our tryals Did you but know the Abominations that the Devil hath invented here you would think it were tryal enough But here we have cruel mockings and the same contradictions tryals and temptations that ever the Servants of the Lord had and Christ himself It is the wonderful Power of God that we are preserved till this time for all the whole Island are Papists and given up to Idolatry We are despised of all People and abhorred of all Nations and because they cannot have any just thing against us they do invent lies against us but the Lord is on our side for else the Enemy would soon destroy us for great is their rage and we have continual war with them night and day we feel behold their threatnings and cruelty is more than our tongues can express Great is the love of our God for he doth refresh us with the sweet drops of his mercy and doth water us every moment with the everlasting springs
of his Love or else we had fainted long ago Oh! let all who know the Lord praise and glorifie his holy Name for ever and ever Amen Dear Friends farewel in the Lord. From us who are in outward bonds in the City of Malta for the Testimony of JESUS Glory be to his Name for ever who hath counted us worthy We are in health at present blessed be God Ka. Evans Sa. Chevers Several other Writings to D. B. whilst he was in MALTA OH thou tender-hearted one whom our God and our eternal Father hath sent to relieve us his poor innocent Lambs in hard bondage and deep captivity which thou art an eye-witness of none can receive or discern it but those that do see it But our heavenly Father who hath respect to the rest of them that believe in his Name hath sent thee to be an eye-witness in some measure of what we have undergone Oh my dear precious and endeared one thou meek Lamb thou innocent Dove who dost bear the likeness beauty and brightness of that unspotted One that is come in the Volumn of the Book to do the Will of God We can give in our Testimony for thee that thou camest here in the Power Authority of the Most High to which the tall Cedars were made to bow and the strong Oaks to bend praises praises be given to our everlasting God for evermore Oh my dearly beloved Brother thy beauty shineth indeed thou art all glorious within and without thy Garments are perfumed with all delightsom scents We smell the sweet Odours thereof and do feel the fulness of Love and Life which runs from thy tender heart day and night to us and in the same Unity of Love do our hearts stream forth to thee as thou knowest full well Oh how have our hearts and bowels been melted for thee our heads and eyes have run with tears and our souls have been poured forth to our heavenly Father for thy preservation and we did truly labour to see thy face before thou camest Glory and praises be given to our Eternal Lord God Amen saith our spirits that he doth vouchsafe us so great a mercy as to behold the face of so precious a Friend We do beseech God to moderate us with his Eternal Spirit that we may alwayes be mindful of his mercies and never to let his benefits slip out of our minds We have been near death many times when we had none to come near us but those that preached death and destruction to us I have lain twelve dayes or more in a fast in strong travel night and day that my dearly beloved Yoke-mate would have been glad if the Lord would have taken me out of the body because of my great affliction Then the English Friar which was here came up and down to us and would say to my Friend She is ready to depart send for me and take notice what tormentt she will be in a thousand Devils will be about her to fetch her soul to Hell because she will not be a Catholick And after we were parted we were called to fast so that my Friend was so weak that she put on such linnen upon her head as she thought to lie in in her Grave We did eat but little in a month together when our money was almost done till we did know the mind of the Lord what to do Then thy did run to and fro like mad men and the Friars did come and say The Inquisitor sent them to tell us we might have any thing we would eat and they did say it was not possible that ever creatures could live with so little meat for so long a time together They did bring us meat and say the English Consul did send it It was a glorious Fast indeed the Lord did appear wonderfully in it praises be given to him for ever Amen We were very weak because the power did work so strongly I had no manner of food in my body five or six days together We did lie in our clothes because we had no strength to put them off nor one to make our bed Then we did speak to the Friar that we might come together but he said they had no such order if we would have a Physician we might And there we lay none knowing from morning to morning whether we were dead or alive We were kept quiet and still till the Lord's time was come they brought many things for us to eat Then the Lord said Thou mayest take as freely as if thou hadst laboured for it with thy hands I will sanctifie it to thee through the Cross And he said unto Sarah she should eat of the fruit of her hands and be blessed And we did eat and were refreshed and glorified the Lord We did cry mightily unto the Lord night and day that we might not eat nor drink to offend him we would rather dye The Lord was well pleased with our Sacrifice and did increase our strength and administred comfort to us honor and glory be to his blessed Name for ever In the lowest of all our conditions we were kept a top of all the mountains so that they could not make us shrink or bow one jot or tittle to any of their Precepts or Commands Yet the Friars have commanded us in the name of their god to kneel with them in prayer The time is too little for me to disclose the twentieth part of the terrible tryals but whensoever we were brought upon any tryal the Lord did take away all fear from us and multiplied our strength and gave us power and boldness to plead for the Truth of the Lord Jesus and wisdom of words to stop the mouthes of the gainsayers that they would be made to say We spake Truth they could never say otherwise But they would say We had not the true Faith but we had all Virtues Oh dear heart if it be our Eternal Fathers good pleasure to carry thee away without us we do beseech our heavenly Father to bless and give thee a prosperous return and to feed thee with the fulness of the blessing of the powerful Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen And we do believe we shall not want thy prayers nor the prayers of all the Faithful that we may keep faithful to the end so that our God may be glorified his Church and People may be refreshed and rejoyced and we may receive our Reward with the rest of the Lord's Lambs Our Life is with the for oh thou art full of Love thou tender-hearted one who hast offered up thy sanctified body and purified life in obedience to the Lord for us poor afflicted Lambs with thee and companions in tribulations trials and persecutions and in perils at Sea and perils by Land Oh thou precious Lamb of God great is thy reward in Heaven great will be the Well-spring of joy that will arise in thee in thy Journey Oh thou happy one indeed whom the Lord our God hath made choice
the Pope he will not hurt thée where he stood in the room as one forsaken of God and man this was at the English Consuls when there was some fear upon me concerning him Now here is a Roman in the Prison which came hither upon some account he is a Doctor of Law and differs from them in many things but they are all of one spirit He doth constantly affirm that the Pope hath sent an Order to set us free and he saith they are liars and false blasphemers if they do say the Pope sent any such Order as they speak of They do meet every day concerning us we do feel them some would have it one way and some another and so they cannot agree because they do act contrary to the Will of God the Lord sets it all on fire and hath burned all that they have done these three years concerning us Now where they will look a Reward of their charges we do not know the wise are taken in their own craftiness and the subtile in their own snare There have twelve of them sate in Judgement upon us three years and some have struck hard at our lives so that we have been even at deaths door I have lain very weak three weeks at a time There are many for us as far as they do dare The Lord sayes there were two with the Inquisitor for us and did plead much with him I did see it in a Night-Vision The English Consul which is dead was with us two several times after we were in the Inquisition he said he would lend us five pounds when we did want but when our Money was near done we were made to rejoyce greatly and could not take any of any one We did not know the mind of the Lord in it but had we had Money we had not known the mighty Power of God Now we are able to trust the Lord where-ever he shall carry us without money We do question the Money in the Consul's hand it will be hard for him to part with it Our life is with thee A few Lines to D. B. OH our dear and faithfull Friend and Brother begotten of our heavenly Father right dear and precious in his sight and beautiful before his presence Dear Heart we do glorifie our God in our hearts souls and spirits who hath called chosen and elected thee to come up to the help of him against the Mighty and hath carried thee along in so weighty a work and hath prospered thee therein praises be given to his blessed Name for ever who hath inclosed thee in his Bosom and Chamber of his Everlasting Love and hath hid thee in his private Pavillion where them that would hurt thee cannot find thee because of the shadow of his Almightiness under whose defence thou art kept safe and he doth carry thee upon the Wings of his Power so that the Mountains do become plain before thee which we do clearly see in the Light Eternal Honour and Glory be to his Name for ever who is called Wondeâ—ful Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace in whom we have fellowship and unity one with another and none can hinder Dear heart we do dearly embrace thy sweet Exhortations thou being sensible of the instigations of Satan who hath winnowed us with every bait winding and twining sleights that he hath Praises be to our God for ever who hath perserved us and prevented him The Enemies being busie with their Temptations to have us enter into their Covenant thereupon I was moved to write these following words which I communicated to their hands with the former Paper viz. BEhold the Word of Life arose in me saying this morning Keep to Yea and Nay I will confirm my Covenant unto thée These Words were spoken to the true Seed that shall inherit the Kingdom the same you know is but one in Male and Female And so the blessing of my Life rest upon you and be with you in the same even in that which hath no end neither fadeth away yea and my Spirit saith Amen Dear Lambs read within be refreshed and the God of Life Peace encrease the same multiply your strength abundantly Amen Malta 10th d. 11th m. 61. D. B. Another Paper from them to my hand DEar and precious heart in the Eternal Covenant of Light and Life of our God do we salute thee and dearly embrace thee Oh! what hath the Lord made thee unto us far more precious than we are able to express and great will be thy Reward for thy faithfulness to the Lord and thy dear and tender Love to us and thy diligent care of us Oh! thou art the Messenger we have cried long for to our Heavenly Father saying How long O Lord How long will it be before thou wilt send thy Messenger whose feet are beautiful coming upon the Mountains bringing glad-tydings of great joy to us thy poor Captives Now hath the Lord our God answered us at large Praises Praises be to his Name for evermore Oh! how are our souls refreshed and our spirits supported and our hearts comforted our minds rejoyced and our bodies strengthned thou canst never do greater service to the Lord our God than to come into such a place as this is to offer up thy dear Life in ransoming us Great was the Power that brought thee and great is the Power that doth uphold thee and mighty is the Strength which doth preserve thee and great will be thy Reward Thy labour of Love we do bear Testimony cannot be forgotten nor thy Faith unfeigned put out of remembrance it is written in the Book of Life for ever and it will be registred and read in the House of Israel eternally The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and he will perform it Farewel in the Lord. By us Katherine Evans Sarah Cheevers OH our dearly Beloved precious Friend and Brother right honourable indeed for ever We dare not look out at thy departure because we stand in the will of our Maker The blessing of the Almighty be upon thee for ever and make thee flourish in all thy endeavours Thou art called by the Name of Daniel Baker in the midst of thine Enemies thou art in the hand of thy Maker And this the Lord hath spoken where-ever thou dost come thy Glass shall not be broken until thy Sand be run Oh! this day is this Prophesie fulfilled in our sight When they have done dealing treacherously they shall be dealt treacherously withal the Lord doth steal in upon them Praises be to his Name Dear heart salute us dearly to thy dear and precious Wife with all dear Friends in the Covenant of Grace Peace Dear heart farewel farewel K. E. S. C. Another Letter from Sarah Cheevers to Friends in Ireland to be read among the Assemblies of Saints in Light OH all ye righteous Ones whose dwellings are on high in the Fulness of beauty holiness and glory whose Name and Fame reacheth
them for when we did fast in obedience to the Lord they were greatly troubled so the Keeper asked me whether we would not eat meat to morrow yea or nay I was smote that I durst not say but what the Lord will we shall do When the morning came there was a great Triumph amongst them and there sounded a Trumpet near us in reference to the Lord Inquisitor Immediatly the Word of the Lord came unto us saying We must not eat Bread nor drink VVater in thrée dayes nor I K. must not speak word in that time but be silent and sit upon the ground in the Inquisition with very little clothes on nothing upon our heads but ashes no stoken nor shoe on and the last day Sarah had nothing at all but one petticoat on and they kept much ado and said we would mort and go to the Devil because the wind blew very cold So in the end the Lord opened Sarah's mouth in Prophesie against their Superstition Idolatry and unclean conversation they came wondring and look'd upon us but could not tell what to say for we were very dreadful to them So the time being expired of our Fast the Lord opened my mouth in praises and with singing these Verseâ— following All praise to him that hath not put nor cast me out of mind Nor yet his mercy from me shut as I could ever find Infinite Glory Laud and Praise be given to his Name Who hath made known in these our dayes his strength and noble fame Oh none is like unto the Lamb whose beauty shineth bright O glorifie his holy Name his Majesty and Might My soul praise thou the only God a Fountain pure and clear Whose Chrystal streams spreads all abroad and cleanseth far and near The Well-springs of Eternity which are so pure and sweet And do arise continually my Bridegroom for to meet My sweet and dear beloved one whose Voice is more to me Than all the Glory of the Earth or Treasures I can see He is the glory of my life my joy and my delight Within the bosome of his Love he clos'd me day and night He doth preserve me clean and pure within his Pavill'on Where I with him should be secure and saved from all wrong My soul praise thou the Lord I say praise him with joy and peace My sp'rit and mind both night and day praise him and never cease O magnifie his Maâ—estie his Fame and his Renown Whose dwelling is in Sion hie the glory of his Crown O praises praises to our God sing praises to our King O teach the People all abroad his praises for to sing A Sion Song of Glory bright that doth shine out so clear O manifest it in the sight of Nations far and near That God may have his Glory due his Honour and his Fame And all his Saints may sing anew the praises of his Name And after I had sung the Lord commanded me to go to the Well in the Court and drink Water the first thing I took So in obedience to our tender Father and God of health and power we went and drank much Water in the sight of the Prisoners we were very dry and they cried out in their language saying We would kill our selves and go to the Devil S. washed her head in cold water and we never had so much as the snuff in our noses After that they did admire and said It was the Lord that did command us and preserve us if they should have done so they should have died So the Lord was glorified and we were comforted And many a time were we made a dreadful sign and wonder to them that it can never be forgotten Praises praises to our God who wrought it in our hearts K. E. For the hands of our right worthily beloved Friends RIght dear and precious Friends in the Eternal Truth and Covenant of Life and Immortality yea Right Honourable indeed who are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Peace Love and Salvation with whom my soul is refreshed nourished and cherished day by day and my spirit is supported and my heart is comforted with the well-springs of Eternal Life that stream from the Fountain and Rock of Salvation for which my soul doth truly magnifie the God of Life that giveth Life with you my Eternal Friends according to my measure in which I dearly salute and imbrace you in the heavenly unity of divine vertue Praises praises to our pure holy and wise God and Father of the Eternal Fulness of all Blessedness who doth give me of the same richly to enjoy so that I do mount up with wings as an Eagle and do run and am not weary and walk and am not faint because I do see of the travel of my soul and am satisfied the Glory is the Lord's whose mighty Power doth the work yea everlasting praises laud honour and dominion to the Lord of lords King of kings over all Scepters Thrones Tongues and Languages for ever to rule and reign world without end Amen and Amen O precious and wel-beloved Brethren Fathers and Elders the Pillars of God's spiritual Building whom my soâ—l right dearly loveth yea verily the Lord our God hath not raised renowned honoured nor exalted you higher in the heart mind spirit and soul in any one member in all his whole Body than he hath in me according to my measure the God of my Life and sweet Salvation doth know that you have been and are in my thoughts of right dear remembrance so that my life hath not neither doth it seem dear to me to save you harmless ever since I first saw your faces God Almighty bless and preserve you out of the hands of unreasonable men and encrease and multiply his whole Church and People in strength life and power and add unto you daily such as shall be saved and number in his Israelites indeed in whose mouths there is no guile out of every Kindred Tongue and Nation both Jew and Gentile bond and free so many as are appointed Heirs of Eternal Salvation Amen Amen saith my spirit And the Lord keep you all in the Power Dominion and Authority over the Heathen and all the dark Powers that do corrupt the Earth for ever Amen Oh dear and worthy Friends I can do no less than put you in remembrance of our gracious Deliverance out of the Inquisition in our eternal Father 's own time and way and according to his own will none wrought it but himself that he alone may have the Glory Honour and Renown of his own mighty Work in the hearts of you and all the faithful-hearted and from Sea to Sea and from Island to Island yea verily the Voice is gone forth to the ends of the Earth to the praise honour and glory of the strength of our powerful Lord God and here is our joy and here is our Glory and here is our Crown that our pure holy perfect and wise God is magnified And is not our
Worship or Mosco and I being entered thereinto many people gathered together therein also the Priests of Mahomet before whom I was called and caused to sit down And then it was demanded of me Whether I would turn unto the Turks Religion I answered I could not turn unto them but they pressed me very much and said they would give me great things and I should not need fear what the Christians could do unto me Nevertheless I answered I could not turn unto them for all the World yet mightily did many strive with me with an ardent affection and would have had me hold up one finger as a sign of owning them and one bid me say Christ is bad I answered I knew him to be good and I was his Servant Then some of the chief of them were displeased very much and said If I would not turn to their Religion I should die I answered I should rather die than turn unto them It was answered I should then die So they gave order to the Executioner for as I understand they execute presently after Sentence who haled me away to the place where it was expected I should have been burnt to death with Camels dung and so sate me down upon the ground where the Lord preserved me over the fear of men though I was as a Sheep prepared for the slaughter And thus it came to pass whilst some appeared very violent the Lord raised up some others amongst them whom he made instrumental in his hand for the preservation of my life And there came an antient tender man a Turk and of great reputation unto me and said Whether I would turn from my Religion or not I should not die Then they brought me before them again who asked me Will you turn I answered Nay They then recorded it in a Book that I was no Roman Catholick but of another Religion for I had denied the Roman Catholicks unto them yet owned I was a Christian After this they were much broken down in their spirits as men whose strength failed and then the aforesaid Antient man took me and ordered his servants to conduct me to his house where he friendly entertained me but within about four or five dayes time there came a Guard of Horsemen which I understood the Friars had hired to bring me before the Bashaw of Gaza for as it was told me the Friars in Jerusalem had pre-informed the said Bashaw against me whom they looked upon to be their chiefest friend in all these parts who desired me to be brought before him and swore he would kill me in his own person and with the aforesaid Guard of armed men I was brought in two dayes unto Gaza where Sampson formerly dwelt where I remained about five days in which time it was said I should go before the Bashaw but it came not so to pass for he being informed by some Turks of the wicked proceedings of the Friars towards me whereupon he gave order that the Friars should pay an hundred Dollers unto those men which had informed him of their bad dealings towards me and further those men which brought me to Gaza he ordered they should convey me back and from thence the Friars should cause me to be brought to Jerusalem who were the great opposers of my coming thither In this said City I was in a friendly manner both visited and received by many both Turks Greeks and Armenians The Greeks and Armenians being professed Christians were raised unto much love to me they understanding I owned my self a Christian and chused rather to die than to turn from my Religion And the Turks were raised to a loving moderate enquiry being I suffered and went through great things yet differed from all others The Jews in them parts were moderate towards me likewise According to the afore-mentioned Order I was brought to Jerusalem but being come thither the Friars laid wait for me and by their appointment I was taken and brought to their Convent where at first they seemingly shewed love unto me and one confessed there was now an evident sign that I was a good Christian for I was come through Persecution and Sufferings and those things which had been spoken of me to the contrary were manifest to be untrue I answered It was he and his brethren which had persecuted and caused me to suffer and withstood my coming to Jerusalem He said The English a Friar like himself had informed them by writing against me which caused them to do what they had done unto me and desired I would now pass those things by seeing I was come in such a miraculous manner for it was the Lord's work said he to carry me through and I might praise God I was preserved The next morning there came a Friar unto me and asked me If I would become an obedient child and go to visit the Holy Places as he called them according to their customs I answered Nay I should not visit them He said Whereas others give great sums of money to see them I should see them for nothing I answered Nay I should not visit them in their manner for in so doing I should sin against God He said they would honour me as much as ever they honoured any English-man that ever came thither if I would conform unto them I said Nay I should not conform and as for their honor I mattered not for it Then he became wrath and said They would make me an example to all English-men that should come thither I said I chose rather their dishonour than their honour He then seeing he could not prevail over me with his temptations he in anger passed from me and in a short time came again and called me to divers of his Brethren the chief among them asked me If I would visit their Church and the holy Sepulchre and Bethlehem and the rest of the holy places as other Pilgrims did I said at the present I had no business to visit them and in their manner I should not visit them at all that is to say worship them Then one of them said How could I be a Servant of God and would not go to visit the places where the holy men of God dwelt I answered That they under pretence of doing service to God in visiting the places where the holy men dwelt they did oppose that Way and resist that Life which the holy men of God lived and walked in One of them said What did I preach unto them I said I would have them turn from those evil practices they lived in else the Wrath of the Almighty would break forth upon them or words to that effect They further said If I would not go to visit the places before-mentioned would I give the 25. Dollers as is the manner of those that visited them for said they the Turks must be paid whether I would visit them or not but if I would visit them then they would pay it for me I said I would not have them to pay it for me but if the Turks had a Law to compel me to pay 25. Dollers when I visited not the places as those did pay that did visit them I said that Law was unequal and I should chuse rather to suffer the penalty of the same in breaking it than to give 25. Dollers to fulfil it After this the Popish Friars brought me before a Turk in Authority in that place who asked me divers Questions and soberly received Answers therunto and soberly discoursed with me about the Worship of the Christians and also asked me the ground of my coming to Jerusalem I answered him The Lord God of Heaven and Earth had appeared unto me and commanded me to come thither and in obedience unto him I was come and further in the power of the Lord I declared the great and tender love of God in visiting them and his great and compassionate mercies that he would gather them in this the Day of his gathering And this was that which lay upon me from the Lord to declare unto them whether they would hear or forbear And thus my dear Friends I cleared my Conscience whether they would hear or forbear wherin I found great peace with the Lord who in my many tryals was not wanting unto me but magnified his glorious Name in going along with me and preserving me to whom is all the glory due for evermore Amen Geo. Robinson THE END
live without spiritual food than our temporal bodies can without temporal food He said That we did never hear Mass We said we did hear the voice of Christ he only had the words of eternal Life and that was sufficient for us He said We were Hereticks and Heathens We said they were Hereticks that lived in sin and wickedness and such were Heathenâ— that knew not God He asked about our Meetings in England And we told them the truth to their amazement And they asked Who was the Head of our Church We said Christ And they asked What George Fox is And we said He is a Minister of Christ They asked Whether he sent us We said No The Lord did move us to come The Friar said We were deceived and had not the faith but we have all virtues We said that faith was the ground from whence virtues do proceed They said If we would take their holy Sacrament we might have our liberty or else the Pope would not leave us for millions of Gold but we should lose our souls and our bodies too We said the Lord had provided for our souls and our bodies were freely given up to serve the Lord. They askt us If we did not believe Marriage was a Sacrament We said it was an Ordinance of God They askt us If we did believe men could forgive sins We said none could forgive sins but God onely They brought us that Scripture Whose sins ye remit in earth shall be remitted in heaven We said all Power was Gods he could give it to whom he would that were born of the eternal Spirit and guided by the same such have power to do the Fathers Will as I answered a Friar also in the City of Naples and they were silent the Power greatly working We asked them wherein we had wronged them that we should be kept Prisoners all days of our lives and said Our innocent blood would be required at their hands The Friar said He would take our blood upon him and our journey into Turky too We told him the time would come he would find he had enough upon him without it They said The Pope was Christ's Vicar and we were of his Church and what he did was for the good of our Souls We answered The Lord had not committed the charge of our souls to the Pope nor to them for he had taken them into his own possession glory was to his Name for ever They said We must be obedient We said we were obedient to the government of Christs Spirit The Friar said None had the true Light but the Catholicks the Light that we had was the spirit of the Devil We said Wo to him that calleth Jesus accursed Can the Devil give power over sin and iniquity then he would destroy his own kingdom He said We were laught at and mockt at â—f every one We said What did become of the mockers It was no matter He said We did run about to preach and had not the true Faith We said the true Faith is held in a pure Conscience void of offence towards God and man and we had the true Faith And he said There was but one Faith either theirs or ours and ask'd us which it was We said Every one had the true Faith that did believe in God and in Jesus whom he had sent but they that say they do believe and do not keep his Commandments are lyars and the truth is not in them He said it was true but he did thirst daily for our blood because we would not turn and urged us much about our Faith and Sacrament to bring us under their Law but the Lord preserved us They said It was impossible we could live long in that hot room So the next week-day they sate in Council but Oh how the swelling Sea did rage and the proud waves did foam even unto the clouds of Heaven and Proclamation was made at the Prison-Gate we did not know the words but the fire of the Lord flamed against it K. my life was smitten and I was in a very great agony so that sweat was as drops of blood and the Righteous One was laid into a Sepulcher and a great stone was roll'd to the door but the Prophecy was that he should rise again the third day which was fulfilled But the next day they came to sit upon Judgement again but I say in the true Judgment they sate not but upon it they got up unjustly above the Righteous and upon the same they sate a Child of Wisdom may understand and they brought many Propositions written in a Paper but the Friar would suffer the Magistrate to propound but few to us for fear the Light would break forth But they ask'd how many Friends of ours were gone forth in the Ministry and into what parts We told them what we did know They said All that came where the Pope had any thing to do should never go back again We said the Lord was as sufficient for us as he was for the Children in the fiery Furnace and our trust was in God They said we were but few and had been but a little while but they were many Countries and had stood many hundred years and wrought many Miracles and we had none We said we had thousands at our Meetings but none of us dare speak a word but as they are eternally moved of the Lord and we had Miracles The Blind receive their sight the Deaf do hear and the Dumb dâ— speak the Poor do receive the Gospel the Lame do walk and the Dead are raised He asked Why I look'd so whether my Spirit was weak I said Nay my body was weak because I eat no meat it was in their Lent He offered me a Licence to eat flesh I said I could not eat any thing at all the terrors of death were strongly upon me But three nights after the Lord said unto me about the eleventh hour Arise and put on your clothes I said When wilt thou come Lord He said VVhether at midnight or at Cock-crow do thou watch My Friend and I arose and the Lord said Go stand at the Door And we stood at the door in the Power of the Lord I did scarce know whether I was in the body or out of the body And about the twelfth hour there came many to the Prison-Gate We heard the Keyes and looked when they would come in They ran to and fro till the fourth hour and the Lord said he had smote them with blindness they could not find the way And we went to bed where I lay night and day for twelve dayes together fasting and sweating that my bed was wet and great was our affliction The tenth day of my fast there came two Fryars the Chancellor the man with the black Rod and a Physician and the Keeper and the Friar commanded my dear Friend to go out of the room and he came and pull'd my hand out of the bed and said Is the Devil so
little for three or four Weeks and then the Lord called us to fasting for eleven dayes together but it vvas so little that the Friars came and said That it was impossible that Creatures could live with so little meat as they did see vve did for so long time together and asked what we would do And said their Lord Inquisitor said We might have any thing we would We said we must vvait to know the mind of God vvhat he vvould have us to do We did not fast in our own wills but in obedience to the Lord. They were much troubled and sent us meat and said The English Connsul sent it We could not take any thing till the Lord's time was come We vvere vveak so that Sarah did dress her head as she would lye in her Grave poor Lamb I lay looking for the Lord to put an end to the sad Tryal which way it seemed good in his sight Then I heard a voice saying Ye shall not dye I believed the Lord and his glory did appear much in our fast he was very gracious to us and did refresh us with his living Presence continually and we did behold his beauty to our great joy and comfort and he was large to us in his Promises so that we were keept quiet and still the sting of Death being taken away our souls hearts and minds were at peace with the Lord so that they could not tell whether we were dead or alive but as they did call to us once a day till the time the Lord had appointed we should eat and they were made to bring many good things and laid them down by us so that Scripture we witnessed fulfilled Our Enemies treated us kindly in a strange Land said I. But we were afraid to eat and cryed to the Lord and said We had rather dye than eat any thing that is polluted and unclean The Lord said unto me Thou mayest as freely eat as if thou hadst wrought for it with thy hands I will sanctifie it to thee through the Cross And he said to Sarah Thou shalt eat the Fruit of thy hands and be blessed We did eat and were refreshed to the praise and glory of our God for ever We did eat but little in two Months and they did bring us what ever we did speak for for eight or ten dayes and afterward we were so straitned for want of Food it did us more hurt than our Fast Yet the Lord did work as great a Miracle by our preservation as he did by raising Lazarus out of the Grave The Friars did say The Lord did keep us alive by his mighty Power because we should be Catholicks We said the Lord would make it manifest to us then they should know the Lord had another end in it one day But still they said There was no Redemption for us We said with the Lord there was Mercy and plenteous Redemption We bid them Take heed ye be not found fighters against God They said We were foolish Women We said we were the Lords Fools and the Lord's Foolâ— were right dear and precious in his sight and wo to them that do offend them He said They were the Lord's Fools and shewed us their deceitful Gowns and their shaven Crowns and said They did wear it for God's sake to be laught at by the World We said they did not wear it for God's sake unless they were moved of the holy Spirit of God to wear it He said It was no matter they did wear it because of their Superiours Mark and before it was for God's sake as he said He thought to bring us under him for our food and did make us suffer a while though the Inquisitor and the Magistrates had taken a course we should want for nothing But the Lord did torment him and all the rest till they did bring us such things as were fitting Then he did work all that he could to send me to Rome and was coming two or three times for what I know to fetch me forth but the Lord would not suffer them and when they saw they could not prevail that way they said we should go both but the Friar should go first because he was not well he got leave to go he was so weary of comming to us that he did beseech the Lord Inquisitor he might come no more to us He told Sarah I was a Witch and that I knew what was done at London and he would come to me no more he said because when he did tell me a company of lyes I said I had a Witness for God in me which was faithful and true and I did believe God's Witness The Diviners did wax mad and did run as at their wits end from Mountain to Hill and from Hill to Mountain to cover them They ran to the Inquisitor writ to the Pope and went to him their King did not hide them at all some of them did gnash with their teeth and even gnaw their tongues for pain Yet the rest would not repent of their blasphemy sorcery nor enchantments but did post on to fill up their measures Oh! the Lord reward them according to their works A little before the Fryar went to Rome he came to the Inquisition Chamber with a Scribe to write concerning us to carry it with him I saw him as God would have it the Lord said There is thy deadly foe They were writing part of three days and when they had ended it the Lord would not let me eat till the Scribe did come where I was that I might pronounce wo against it and defie it which I did do in the Name of the Lord and it did wither with all the rest After it was gone the English Consul came to us with a Scribe and he brought us a Doller from a Master of a ship that came from Plymouth I told him I did receive my Country-mans Love but could not receive his Money He askt me What I would do if I would take no money I said the Lord was my portion and I could not lack any good thing I said to him We were in thy house near 15. Weeks didst thou see any cause of Death or Bonds in us He said No. I askt him how he would dispence with his Conscience for telling us He would have us before the Inquisitor when he knew that Room was provided for us and had not we been kept alive by the mighty Power of God we might have been dead long since He said How could I help it I said we are the Servants of the living God and were brought here by permission and in the spirit of Meekness gave in our Testimony for the Lord in faithfulness and told you the Truth as it is in Jesus and called you all to Repentance and forewarned you in love to your souls of the evil the Lord is bringing upon you if you do not repent He said How ever it be it will go well with you Mark that I told him he
God we might The Captain spake to us with tears in his eyes and told us what they had done for us but could not prevail It is this Inquisitor said he the rest were made free you have preached among these people he said We told him we were called upon the Testimony of our Conscience and the Truth that we have witnessed forth among them we should stand to maintain with our blood He said If they could get us off he would freely give us our passage and provide for us and the Vessel was his own We told him his love was as well accepted of the Lord as if he did carry us He offered us money he saw the Lord would not suffer us to take any He took our Names We told them they took us out of our way and put us into the Inquisition and bid us change our minds and we could not the Lord had changed us into that which changed not if they would burn us to ashes or chop us as Herbs to the Pot. The Friar said We did not work which was false we had Work of our own and did work as we were able We told him our Work and Maintenance was in England And they said It was true He said We would not accept of the Inquisitors Diet. We did not know who did prepare for us we did receive our meat as we had freedom in the Lord. Then he said We had suffered long enough and too long but we should have our freedom in few days and that they would send to the Pope for an Order And there were many English Ships that way but the Captain saw it was a very hard thing so that it grieved him to the heart He prayed God to comfort us and he went away and we do beseech God to bless and preserve him unto everlasting Life and never to let him nor his go without a blessing from him for his love he did venture himself exceedingly in that place But after he was gone they arose up against us with one accord The Inquisitor came up into a Tower and lookt down upon us as if he would have eaten us and they did try us for our lives again and did shut up our doors many Weeks we could not tell for what at length the Inquisitor came into the Tower again and Sarah was moved to call to him to have the door opened for us to go down into the Court to wash our clothes Then he gave command for the door to be opened once a week and in a little while 't was open ever day But great was our affliction indeed and she told him if we were the Popes Prisoners we would appeal to the Pope and he should send us to him But them in the Prison with us especially the Friar were mortal Enemies to us but yet they would have fed us with the choicest of their meat and would gladly give us whole Bottels of wine if we would receive it and were greatly troubled because we did refuse to eat and drink with them and did persecute us exceedingly but the Lord did visit them with his dreadful Judgements the Friar was tormented night and day his body did perish the Doctors and Chyrurgeons did follow him a long time And there were two or three English Ships there came into harbour and Sarah saw the coming of them in a Vision of the night and there was great pleading for us that we saw but she heard a Voice saying We could not go now So we were mad willing to wait the Lords time Then they sent for us forth when the Ships were gone and askt us If we would be Catholicks And we said we were true Christians and had received the Spirit of Christ and he that had not the Spirit of Christ was none of his The English Consul told us of the Ships and said They would not let us go unless we would be Catholicks and that we must suffer more imprisonment yet and said he did what he could for us One of the Magistrates shewed us the Cross We told them and said We did take up the Cross of Christ daily which is the great Power of God to crucifie sin and iniquity so we told them that one of their Fathers did promise us our liberty We did think that Friar was too tender-hearted to stay among them he did take a great deal of pains for us the Captain said We told him he would never have cause to repent it the blessing of God would be upon him for any thing he should do for us for we were the Servants of the living God and he promised us our freedoms in a little time This following I D. B. received from them in other Papers to Friends O Dearly beloved Friends Fathers and Elders and Pillars of Gods Spirituall House and Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ in the measure of Love and Life of our God do we salute you all and do embrace you in that which is Eternal and we do greatly rejoyce and glorify the Name of our Heavenly Father that he hath counted us worthy to be partakers of the death and sufferings of his blessed Son with you though we be the least of God's Flock yet we are of the true Fold whereof Christ Jesus is shepherd and he hath had as tender a care over us as he hath had of any of his Lambs which he hath called forth in this the day of his Power and hath carried us through and over as great afflictions as most of our Brethren and sufferers for his Name both in mockings scoffings scornings reproaches stripes contradictions perils at Land and perils at Sea fiery tryals cruel threatnings grief of heart sorrow of soul heats and colds fastings and watchings fears within and frightings without terrible temptations and persecutions and dreadful imprisonments and buffettings of Satan yet in all these our tryals the Lord was very gracious unto us and not absent himself from us neither suffered his faithfulness to fail us but did bear us up and keep us from fainting in the midst of our extremity we had not another to make our moan to but the Lord alone neither could we expect a drop of mercy favour or refreshment but what he did distil from his living Presence and work by his own strength for we sat one in one room and the other in the another near a year as Owls in deserts and as People forsaken in solitary places then did we enjoy the presence of the Lord and did behold the brightness of his glory and we did see you our dear Friends in the Light of Jesus and did behold your order and stedfastness of your Faith and Love to all Saints and were refreshed in all the faithful hearted and felt the issues of Love and Life which did stream from the hearts of those that were wholly joyned to the Fountain and were made sensible of the benefit of your Prayers O the sorrows the mournings the tears but those that
part according to our measures and we do press forward towards that which is perfect He then said We were good Women but yet there was no redemption for us except we would be Cathlicks Now the Lord said Fear not Daughters of Sion I will carry you forth as Gold tryed in the fire And many precious Promiâ—es did the Lord refresh us with in our greatest extremity and would appear in his Glory that our souls would be ravished in his presence I had the Spirit of Prayer upon me but was afraid to speak to the Lord for fear I should speak one word that would not please him And the Lord said Fear not Daughter of Sion ask what thou wilt and I will grant it thée whatsoever thy heart can with I desired nothing of the Lord but what would make for his Glory whether it were my liberty or bondage life or death wherein I was highly accepted of the Lord. The Room wherein I was separated was near the Chancery where all the Bishops Courtiers did resort and would come into the Inquisition Courts and I had work amongst them daily they would come on purpose to their condemnation some would be smitten and run as if they hunted and some would be set on fire and cry Caldere caldere and fuoco fuoco and many would pitty us because we were not Catholicks the Friars would say We might be Catholicks and keep our own Religion too and we should not be known we were Catholicks except we were brought before a Justice of Peace We askt if we should profess a Christ we should be asham'd of But as for the poor Workmen they were willing to do any thing for us and were diligent to hear us the Witness of God in them did answer to the Truth There were many eyes over them had it not been for the great opposition there were hundreds would have flown to the Truth And because I said I did talk with G.F. he the Friar asked Whether G. F. did bring me money to maintain me in prison I said No but though I was abâ—ent in body yet I was present in spirit and was refreshed in him and in hundreds more besides They said I had seen Revelations and had talk'd with G. F. and he was God's Revelation Sarah said Christ was God's Revelation He said she came under the Haltar for saying Christ was God's Revelation She answered Paul said As soon as it pleased God to reveal his Son in me I did not consult with flesh and blood but immediately I went and preached him and is not Christ God's Revelation then He said Who denied that What they would have done to Sarah if they had taken her forth we know not but the Lord did work so wonderfully that night for the preservation of her poor soul out of their net that he is worthy to be glorified for ever The next time he came to me he came in Sheeps clothing but he had a Wolf under his Gown he gave me words as soft as Butter and as smooth as Oyl when he had a Sword in his heart and a Spear in his hand when they speak most fairest then beware of them He desired us we would not think so hardly of him as if he were the Author of all our wrongs and troubles he was not he said but would do any good he could for us were it with his blood But we thought he had been the chiefest that cast the poor man in Prison but he was the man that hope him out without any punishment at all though the Inquisitor did say he should be severely punished I told him he did well he would have peace in it and would never have cause to repent it He did entreat us he might not bear all the burthen We told him of many wicked things he did act against us and of his lying and cruel words He bid us take no notice what he did speak But we did feel his spirit that what he spake he would do if he had not been chained I did use to tell him My conscience was not seared with a hot iron I was not past feeling At last he was so weary of coming to us he did entreat the Inquisitor he might not come to us any more the Judgment of the Lord did follow him so it was like to kill him When we were partted the Lord did work mightily for us and we were kept by the Power of the Lord over our Enemies and were bold for God's Truth and did make war with them in Righteousness so they could not gain-say us in the Truth So that Scripture was fulfilled The wicked mouthes must be stopped and they were put to silence praises be to our God and were made to confess or say Of a truth God was in us our God was a consuming fire to them they were not able to stand in his presence but they would howl and make a noise like dogs and cry Jesu Maria and flie as people driven by a mighty rushing wind the Power of the Lord did pursue after them like a sword that Scripture was fulfilled which saith Christ came not to send peace on earth but a sword to cut down his Enemies the Lord was on our side and did take our part and did fight for us and did tread down our Enemies under our feet that they could not hurt us Mighty was the Work of God daily our tongues cannot express it they did work day and night with their Inchantments and Divinations Sorceries unclean spirits crying and foaming insomuch that we could take little rest day or night sometimes but the Lord was with us and did work mightily by his Power and kept us over them in the Life of the Son of God My Pâ—ison was nigh to the Palace and to their Worship that I could be heard of both and it was laid upon me of the Lord to call them to Repentance and to turn to the Light wherewith they were enlightned vvhich vvould lead them out of all their wicked Wayes Works and Worships to serve the true and living God in Spirit and in Truth the Power did raise the Witness in many and troubled them they did sigh and groan and some did stay to hear me so long as they durst for there were many did watch and it was upon pain of death or at least to be imprisoned As was the poor English-man that did come and speak to me whom they hall'd down violently and put him in prison but the Lord delivered him for his Love And we were parted One Year but great was the Work of the Lord and great was the Power to carry it on He was not wanting to us glory be to his Name but did give us Words Wisdom according to our Work So that Scripture was fulfilled which saith on this vvise Ye need not premeditate afore-hand what to speak or what to say for it shall be given you of my heavenly Father what ye ought to speak that the Enemies shall not
Saint Then as I was crying to the Lord in Prayer because of our long-suffering and our strong travel and labour and no fruit as did appear the Lord said unto me Be not grieved though Israel be not gathered the seed of Malta shall be as the stars of the sky for multitude That which ye have sown shall not dye but live Glory be to the Name of the Lord for ever A Copy of a Writing from their hands sent in pursuit after the Friar MALACHY THou saidst thou wouldst try whether we had the true Spirit yea or nay and thou hast tryed day and night but thou never tryedst the right way the Seed of God is not tried with deceit lying hypocrisie nor cruelty But if thou hadst turned in with thy mind to the Light of God in thy Conscience thou wouldst soon have known us or had the Love of Christ been shed abroad in thy heart thou mightst have comprehended us or hadst thou found the Ballance of the Sanctuary of the true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not man thou mightst have weighed us or hadst thou laid Judgement to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet thou mightst have fathomed us or couldst thou have opened the Book of Life thou mightst have read us 〈◊〉 hadst thou gone into the House of Israel thou mightest have had fellowship with us c. Contrary to our wills were we cast in amongst you and have given our Testimony for the Lord and called you all to Repentance and have forewarned you of the evil the Lord â—s bringing upon you but you have slighted the day of your Visitation and have done despite to the Spirit of Grace and have cast many hard speeches and false aspersions upon the Truth and the Messengers thereof and the Lord will visit for these things and you have blinded your eyes that you will not see and stopped your ears that you might not hear and hardened your hearts that you might not understand lest you should see with your eyes and hear with your ears and understand with your hearts and turn to the Lord and be converted and he should heal you Oh that you had known in this your day what had belonged to your peace but now it is hid from your eyes The desire of our souls is That every one may repent that can find a place and what ever you have done to us we desire it may not be laid to your charge for we count our selves happy that we were found worthy to suffer for tâ—â— Name of the Lord. Written in the Inquisition-Prison in the Isle of Malta Katherine Evans Sarah Cheevers Behold victorious Hymns and Songs and Praises all in Verse The same sprung from the Seed of life its perfect Righteousness OH Lord my Life is given up thy Truth for to declare O Lord keep thou me in thine Arms and guide me in thy Fear Thy Bow is bent thy Sword is drawn thine enemies to deface Thy fire 's kindled against all those that will not Truth imbrace Thine Arrows which are sharp and keen upon their heads shall fall Thy double-edged Sword also to cut them down withal So plague the Heathen and correct the People in thy Wrath That they may fear and dread thy Name and come to know thy Truth Throughout the World so large and wide thy Truth thou dost declare Thy saving health for to enjoy by thy Light doth appear Thou dost send forth thy Messengers glad-tydings to proclaim To call the hungry forth to feed on thy Lamb being slain Feasts of fat things thou dost prepare the hungry for to feed And cloath the nak'd with garments fair that want and stand in need Heaven's Glory is appearing its Brightness shineth forth Over all Nations it's clearing the Lord's Eternal Truth Every one that 's in darkness under its shadow lye May come forth into the Brightness out of obscurity O Lord teach me thy perfect Wayes that I may walk therein And lead me in the Path of Life and cleanse me from all sin How gracious is the Lord our God and kind to Israel With us he doth make his abode his Presence doth us fill So that we are not desolate nor yet distrest with woes Because the Lord doth take our part and doth confound our foes Every one that is opprest and cast in danger deep If that in God they put their trust he will them safely keep Right dear and precious to the Lord are all his little ones That suffer for his holy Name he will avenge their wrongs And in his Wrath he will destroy his Enemies so stout And suddenly will make a way and lead his Servants out And he himself will them restore to Joy and Comfort both And will preserve them evermore because they do him love But as for men of corrupt minds whose wayes defiled are The Lord will visit with all kinds of Judgments and not spare He will pursue them with his Sword and cut them to the ground That do reject his holy Word his Plagues shall them confound Because that they do not obey his Mercies and his Grace Which he so free to them doth give if they would them imbrace But as their Fathers did so they requite the Lord with wrong And persecute thy Messengers and make them suffer long Because that they the Truth declare as Scripture telleth plain That Christ himself the Lord 's own Heir is come and he will reign Both Lord and Prince and King also throughout the World that 's wide And Antichrist will overthrow and Babel in her pride It 's not their golden Candlesticks nor Lamps that be so many That can shine through the Clouds so thick to give a Light to any To lead to a true resting-place where they may still behold The Beauty of God's glorious Face more bright than fined Gold Thou seest O Lord what man hath done for to exalt himself Against the Lord thy blessed Son who is our saving health They have changed his glorious Form and Image that 's so bright And fashion'd it like sinful man corrupted in thy sight Arise O Lord arise in haste and punish for these things These men that have sought thy disgrace that they might reign as Kings Over thine own Inheritance contrary to thy Will To keep them still in ignorance without knowledge or skill But now the God of Pow'r is come to raise up Sion bright And to build up Jerusalem in all the Heathens sight The Gates of Hell shall not prevail though they be wide and strong Against the gathering in of all that to the Lord belong All Glory Honour Laud and Praise be to the Lord of Might Who hath made known in these our days his Way his Truth his Light Concerning the Cross of Christ which is not a visible sign or a piece of Wood but the invisible and immortal Power of the Lord God and his Wisdom unto Salvation to and in all them that believe is the same Christ the Power of God and the
Wisdom of God But the same Cross is to the outward Jew or Christian a stumbling-block and to the wise Greek that 's exalted and puft up in the knowledge above and over the Meek Life foolishness as saith the Scripture 1 Cor. 1.18 19. THe Cross of Christ I do imbrace Which gives an entrance into Grace Both Sin and Death it doth deface And makes me run a glorious race A Crown of Life I do obtain And Sin and Death is daily slain And Christ himself alone to reign Thorow the Cross I do obtain The Cross of Christ is more to me Than all the treasures I can see It brings me to my resting-place For to behold God's lovely Face The Cross of Christ is Power indeed Against the Serpent and his seed And Salvation it doth bring To all that do believe therein The Cross of Christ is my delight It doth uphold me day and night It keeps me from the power of sin Through Christ who is my heav'nly King Without the Cross I cannot be From Sin and Death at all set free The Cross alone doth crucifie Transgression Sin Iniquity It doth break down the Middle-wall And slayes the Enmity withal And makes of twain one perfect man So renews Christ for me again The Cross of Christ it doth destroy That nature that doth disobey In those that do themselves deny And take it up most willingly And daily bear it after him Who is our Lord our Prince and King And not at all to let it down Till they come to enjoy the Crown The Cross of Christ is Power and Life It doth destroy all mortal strife It keepeth from the power of Sin All those that love to walk therein All that do own Christ Jesus Cross Through self-denial they must pass For to be purged from their sin And no longer live therein The Cross of Christ doth operate Through every vein and vital part The heart and reins to cleanse from sin Of them that 's exercis'd therein All they that live in wickedness Are enemies to Christ Jesus Cross For ev'ry sin and uncleanness Doth pierce the Life of Christ Jesus Perfect Love and breathings of undefiled Life to the Seed of God greeting THe streams of Beauty pure bright That springeth up both day and night My love to Truth doth me constrain In Prison ever to remain If it in truth be so that I Cannot be set at liberty My dear Redeemers face so bright Doth shine upon me day and night His Countenance doth exceed all Captivity and Bondage thrall My pure and undefiled Love Which cometh from a harmless Dove Within whose brests doth still remain God's perfect praises to maintain I have not time nor place to show The Love which from my heart doth flow The blessing of th' Almighty be On Jacobs Seed eternally And let it make its sure abode Upon the Heritage of God Amen K. E. THese Writings following are Copies of divers Letters which they had written to their Friends and near Relations in the time of my visitation of them But it came so to pass that as they were handing the same through the Grate of the Prison by the hand of another man to be communicated to my hand being then present in the Room also that the said Letters were intercepted and in the first place communicated to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor and he forthwith sent for the Consul and charged him to get the same truly copied forth Then the Consul was wrath with me that he should be exercised with so much trouble But in the Light and Counsel of my God I seeing and knowing that there was nothing in them but what came from a good ground of Innocency and Truth and pure natural Affection I was moved in bowels of tender Love lest the said Letters should be finally miscarried or shut up in obscurity therefore I propounded to the Consul If that were such a trouble to him if he would let me have the Letters I should copy them out truly And after some time he consented and gave them into my hand and laid it upon my Conscience to perform as I had said which I did with gladness of heart not in submission to his Will but in obedience to the God of Love and Peace which guided me in the same and so after I had finished them I gave the fair Copies into the Consul's hands for his Lord Inquisitor And so in the wisdom of the Lord which is wiser than the Serpents I obtained the very desire of my heart for his Truth and Peoples sake and retained the Original Copies and in the endless Love and Power of the Lord Almighty which was and is with me and accompanied me blessed and magnified be the Power of his excellent Majesty and Glory Amen over the heads of the lofty Mountains and barren Hills I brought the Treasures of a blessed and good ground away with this body in which I am so that they were not only in my hands but also the precious substance and vertue of the same that accomâ—anied them even in my heart within my â—osome and the Words of wisdoms Life did I wear as a Chain of precious Stones and Diamonds about my neck as Bracelets and Ornaments of a comely and delicate chaste Bride about my hands and loins and behold the Almighty Lord and King of Eternal Life that had so mightly preserved me in the shadow of his haâ—â— of Almightiness which stopt the moutâ— of devouring Lyons and chained and limitted the ravening and devouring wiâ—â— Beasts of the Forrest even he the King 〈◊〉 blessedness and endless Glory filled mâ— heart with his spotless and unexpressiblâ— Love And as I lay upon the deck of thâ— Vessel in which I was a Passenger and 〈◊〉 stranger among Men of many and diveâ—â— Nations in the morning of the day I feâ—â— and beheld the exceeding Glory of thâ— Lord under the secret shadow of his Almightiness in a Vision of God and in thâ— same I beheld the Bride the Lamb's Wife prepared for the Bridegroom 's coming and why should not I declare somewhat oâ— the felicity that mine eye in the Eternaâ— Life of blessedness saw albeit the Reâ—â— is unutterable which I felt and know how to be silent in the Father's Presence where every Babe knoweth my voice which iâ— to give a sound in their ears to whom I write and not to spread Pearls before Swine that will defile and trample oâ— them That mine eye mine eye hath seen and perfectly beheld the Free-born from above coming out of the Wilderness covered with goodly and comely Raiment white and clean as the light of the Sun or as a Stone most precious clear as Chrystal and mine eye beheld a Crown which was embraced in the Arms of the Bridegroom and the Crown was well adorned with many Stars which did excel each other in Glory and mine eye beheld the Sun as a Bridegroom rejoycing over the Virgin-Bride of his Espousal so that I was even sick with
of amongst his faithful Flock and endued with so much power to come into such a place as this not the like in all Europe by their own report and all others and to stop the mouths of Lyons and to trample upon the heads of Serpents Scorpions and Vipers of the Earth and they could not hurt thee their stings are taken out of their heads and out of their tails Glory Honour and everlasting Praises be given to our God for evermore of all that know him for he is worthy And the Lord bless thee and thine for ever Amen and encrease thy strength and multiply thee abundantly in every good Gift and Grace and prosper all thy undertakings that thou mayest be approved for ever before the King of Saints in the General Assembly of the Most High and stand before the Throne of his Majesty with joy unspeakable and full of glory Amen Amen saith our spirits Dearly beloved pray for us that we fall not nor fail whereby our Enemies may have any advantage to rejoyce and say We served a God that could not save us and called upon a God that could not deliver us as if we were like them to call upon stocks stones pictures and painted walls and dead things that cannot see hear nor speak through their throats We do beseech thee to tell all our dear Friends Fathers and Elders the Pillars of the spiritual Building with all the rest of our Christian Brethren that we do desire their Prayers for we have need of them HOw strong and pow'rful is our KING To all that do believe in him He doth preserve them from the Snare And Teeth of those that would them tear We that are sufferers for the Seed Our hearts are wounded and do bleed To see th' Oppression Cruelty Of men that do thy Truth deny In Prisons strong and Dungeons deep To God alone we cry and weep Our sorrows none can learn nor reade But those that in our path do tread But He whose Beauty shineth bright Who turneth darkness into Light Makes Cedars bow and Oaks to bend To him that 's sent to the same end He is a Fountain pure and clear His Chrystal Streams run far and near To cleanse all those that come to him For to be healed of their sin All them that patiently abide And never swerve nor go aside The Lord will free them out of all Captivity Bondage and Thrall LEt E. C. know that his Exhortations I do dearly imbrace and do witness it to be an eternal Truth I have had large experience of it the Lord hath carried me on in much difficult service so that many times the way hath been stopt up that to the eye of Reason I could not have a way made either by Sea or Land Oh! if thou didst but know what experience I had of the mighty hand of the Lord in making a way thou wouldst wonder Once my way was stopt and my persecution was so hot that I sate in a Field all night to wait upon the Lord to make way for me to do the work he laid upon me I could not get lodging for money in the Town nor City it was at Salisbury where I was whipt in the Market And the next morning I went through the City by the Watchmen and they took no notice of me Wheresoever the Lord did send me into what Land or City or place soever if they did put me out never so oft he would make me go till I got victory save in the Isle of Man there was a Souldier came to my Bed side with a naked Sword and took me by the Arm and hall'd me out of the Bed at the tenth hour of the night and carried me on Ship-board When I put on my clothes I did not dare to rise That place lies upon me yet and I have motions to Edinburgh in Scotland I was never there The Lord did make me to do him service to almost all the mighty men in England and Ireland insomuch that I cryed oft to my God saying Lord what wilt thou do with me that am so foolish to go to such wise men If I were wise I did not care if thou didst carry me to the end of the Earth The Lord said The foolish things must confound the wise and he would carry me before the mightiest men in all the earth to bear his Name before them and I should have victory wheresoever I went And I do believe the Lord and we both are made willing to wait the Lord's time which is a time of peace and joy safety and happiness And we do bless laud praise and magnifie his holy Name that he sent so heavenly a Messenger to relieve strengthen comfort and refresh us in our great necessity which is a mercy beyond expression all Friends that do understand it will say so Glory and everlasting praises honour power and dominion be given to our eternal Lord God for evermore of us and all that know him Amen Amen saith our Spirit Oh true and Faithful Brother into the Arms of everlasting Power and Holiness Strength and Mightiness Purity Righteousness do we commit thee to be kept and preserved and prosperously carried on in thy Journey The powerful blessing peace joy and happiness of the Majesty of the Most High God go along with thee to preserve and protect thee for ever Amen Amen Pray for us dear Heart that we may recive strength to overcome that we may sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb and the Redeemed of the Lord Amen Dear Heart it is hard for us to part with thee thou wilt feel it The Will of our eternal Father be done In the pure Unity of the blessed Spirit of Light Life Joy Peace and everlasting Glory do we here take our leave of thee at this time hoping to see thy face again with joy in our Lord's time O dear Heart our hearts souls spirits and our whole lives go along with thee The pure Peace of our God rest upon thee Amen Dearly salute us to all Friends for they are dear and precious to us indeed Farewel farewel dear Heart farewel Dear Heart THou hast cleared thy Conscience towards us in the sight of God and man if here had been many Friends what could have been done more concerning us than thou hast done Thou hast stood in great jeopardy ever since and thy life hath been sought for much We have felt it and cryed night and day to our heavenly Father to preserve thee and safely deliver thee Whatsoever we do suffer we desire the Will of our heavenly Father to be done in all things If the Lord doth stir up the Earth to help the Woman it is his own free love and upon that account we shall receive it and not upon any other This they spake concerning the Money I left with them and for their necessities And the Lord did appear unto me in a Vision of the night and smote me on the arm and said Look there is
to the ends of the Earth to the astonishment of the Heathen and the amazement of the Ungodly to the preparation of all Nations to appear before the dreadful Presence of our Lord God Almighty to be stript of all false coverings and to be left without excuse Glory and Praises be to our God for ever Amen who hath made us eye-witnesses of his mighty Work and helpers together with you according to our measures to the chaining down of the Powers of darkness and to the defacing of that painted Harlot Mystery Babylon with all her Lovers to the utter overthrow of Antichrist with all his wicked Kingdom Amen The day is dawning the Sun of Righteousness is arising over all Nations for to make a clear separation to gather in his own Flock and to scatter the proud in the imaginations of their own hearts to feed the hungry to heal the sick and to bind up the broken hearted to cloath the naked to visit the spirits in prison and comfort the Mourners in Sion to cause the heavy-hearted in Jerusalem to rejoyce Oh my dear Friends who are precious in the sight of our Heavenly Father partakers of his Divine Nature living Stones and holy Assemblies wherein dwelleth the fulness of God Almightie's Power and Strength Riches Glory Wisdom Counsel Knowledge and Understanding he is the Rock of Ages the sure Foundation the Ark of the Covenant of the Promise of everlasting Blessedness Amen My dear and precious Ones whom my soul loveth my heart delighteth in you and my spirit rejoyceth greatly because of the excellency of God's Almightiness amongst you so that you are a dread to the Nations Kings Princes and mighty Men of the Earth shall bow before the Power of Almighty God by whom we stand and all shall be brought under the Foot-stool of Christ his Government and he alone shall reign in Righteousness and rule the Nations in Judgement then shall the cry of the Poor be heard and the sighing of the Needy be eased and the yoke of Wickedness be broken and the Oppressed shall be set free the Image of Christ restored and the Image of that subtile Serpent defaced destroyed and utterly cast down for ever Amen so saith my spirit Glory honour laud and praise be given to our Lord God Almighty for ever Amen A sweet Salutation is this from the breathing forth of my pure Life to the same Life in my Spirit joyning in my measure a sufferer for the Seeds sake Glory to the Lord who hath counted me worthy Farewel farewel my dear hearts My dear Yoke-mate K. E. dearly salutes all Friends Oh ye holy Assemblies whose hearts are wholly joyned to the Lord I with you in the Life and Power of the Almighty God do travel for the raising of the Seed and the gathering in of the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Oh! blessed be the Day wherein the Lord called me and counted me worthy to suffer for the Seeds sake Praise praise the Lord for me ye blessed of the Lord in whom the living Praises are found in the living Fountain of God Almighty the Fulness that filleth every empty soul in the Streams of Love Life Light Strength Riches Immortality and Eternal Glory So Truth Joy Peace and everlasting Blessedness remain with you all for ever Amen My Life is given up for the Service of the Lord Bonds Chains Bolts Irons Double-doors Death it self is too little for the Testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God so the Seed be gathered it is but a reasonable Sacrifice Bonds and Afflictions betide the Gospel of Christ He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution it is an evident token My dear Friends my Light my Life my Love hath perfect Union in the Eternal Spirit of the living God and remains with you all for ever Fathers Elders Pillars Nursing-Mothers in Israel true Israelites indeed in whom is no guile My dear Salutation and breathing forth of my Eternal Father's Love is to all the breathing Seed begotten of the Heavenly Father Peace Mercy and Truth be multiplied among you all for ever Amen Pray for us that we may have boldness over our Enemies to fulfil the righteous Will of our heavenly Father and be kept faithful in his Will for ever Amen Streams of Love and Life flow from a living Fountain to you all my dear Friends Our Love remaineth ever with you all Amen Present this to the hand of L. C. L C. Thou Nursing-Mother in Israel peace be to thee for ever Amen Thy dear Brother Daniel Baker in the Covenant of Life in obedience to the Lord hath visited us to the amazement of our Enemies Glory be to the Lord for ever Amen He hath been a faithful Steward indeed worthy to be had in remembrance in the Book of Israel for ever Amen Whatsoever for the Truth we suffer our Reward is with us and our innocent Life will clear us Amen Written by me Sarah Cheevers a Prisoner in the Inquisition for the clear Testimony of the Lord Jesus This 11th Month of the year 1661. NOw after I had received these Papers though not through little straits and difficulty with jeopardy of my precious Life which my God sweetly through all preserved Glory to his Name my heart was as it were overcome with the loving-kindness and salvation of the living Lord and in his savory Life my mouth was filled with thanksgiving and praises to my God and I said in my heart on this wise Who am I O Lord or what was my Father's House or what is the Land of my Nativity that I a poor afflicted and despised Worm should be raised up to see and perceive what mine eye mine eye in thy Eternal Power and pure Life beholds Oh my God! thou hast known the innocent travel of my Soul which I right-well know the same is not hid from thee even from the day of my birth unto this moment through no small trials and tribulations and through the exercise of manifold temptations yet behold my Life is preserved at this time And Oh my heart my mind my soul my spirit in thy pure undefiled Life and Vertue blesseth thy Name thy pure Name which thy Virgins love and live in and in the same they glorifie thy Beloved and the Wings of thy Majesty overshadoweth them and their delight is under the secret shadow of thy Almightiness blessed be thy Glory blessed be thy undefiled Power blessed and magnified be thy pure Wisdom and let the same be so even in the Tabernacles of the Just for ever Thou Lamb of Immortality the Thrones the Kingdoms and Eternal Dominions are thine and over all thy Throne is and shall be exalted and thy Lambs behold thy Glory and thy Majesty in this the day of thy terrible and glorious â—ppearance Wisdom Riches Glory Power Might and Dominion everlasting with Eternal Salvation over all to thy Name Amen saith my spirit in the Life which is was and for ever shall be the same
which liveth and abideth for ever and fadeth not away In the same I commend thy dear tender Lambs to be preserved according to the unsearchable Wisdom and Counsel of thine own heart to thy everlasting Renown and Glory and their Eternal comfort and joy and felicity with thy Saints and Angels in the Light of thy Countenance and in everlasting remembrance in the powerful and Eternal Kingdom of Immortality if I be no more in this World when this body is gone to its place according to thy Eternal Purpose and Decree in thy Eternal Counsel so be it saith my spirit yea and Amen saith my soul which blesseth and magnifieth thy Eternal Name inasmuch as thou hast so far fulfilled thy living Word of Prophesie and not only so but much more also in the desire of my heart in the behalf of thy dear tender suffering and long-suffering Seed of thine own Bowels for which be innumerable Praises Wisdom Salvation Glory and Dominion to thy holy Name Amen Amen MY right dearly well-beloved Friends of Eternal Life of the Church of the first-born of the living God which is the Pillar and ground of Truth of which Christ Jesus our Lord is the alone and only Head Peace be unto you in him who is arisen in his pure immortal Life and hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Word of his Power and his Eternal Gospel of Peace which is not hid from us but it 's clearly manifest in us by his coming who ariseth with healing in his wings Glory Dominion living endless Praises Immortal to his Name now and for evermore and let all the upright in heart with my precious life say Even so Amen Dear suffering and long-suffering Lambs ye know that as I came in the eternal Love and Peace of Immanuel God's Lamb to visit and serve you and minister to your necessities the which in the same Life and Peace and in the integrity and uprightness of heart and in its pure innocency my God knoweth and behold I call your Life that 's manifest in you in which is our perfect Unity as Members of one Body to bear me record That I have endeavoured in the good will of my God to perform the same and verily the hand and blessing of Almighty God is with me and hath blessed me and so my reward is with me and my work hath been manifest before me even in the Light of his Countenance that liveth for ever and this Scripture is fulfilled in me also The Father worketh hitherto and I work So my dear Friends I have honestly and nakedly before the Lord cleared my Conscience so far concerning you on your behalf which is my reasonable service and so I leave the same to the liviâ—g Testimony of the Lord Jesus which you hold and for which I am satisfied and in the behalf of the whole body of God's Elect you have so long suffered So the Eternal God of Power Dominion and Glory of Heaven and Earth consolate support and strengthen you to the end that your Testimony may be finished with joy to his everlasting praise to whom only it belongs and so my Spirit in the Light and Life Immortal saith Even so Amen Farewel dear Lambs I am your true Brother D. B. Joseph was not made known to his Brethren the first time though his Bowels yearned towards and over them till at last he could no longer forbear crying out with tears saying I am Joseph your Brother and little Benjamin the youngest he dearly loved you know This 5th day of the Week and the 30th of the 11th Month 1661. So farewel and feel the Well-spring of Life When my face you do not see Wait in the Eternal Life and then remember me This and many other Papers was communicated to each others hands which are seen meet not to be added hereunto with the jeopardy of my life and what else did attend us but magnified and for ever blessed be the living Lord and his Goodness Wisdom and Salvation who prospered his Work and Workers in his own Life of lasting Righteousness through and over self over all that which must dye and go to its place Amen DANIEL Here followeth somewhat relating to the Travel and Service of D. B. which he hath freedom to give forth for the Truth 's sake and Friends satisfaction THE intent of the Spirit of the Lord within my heart and mind stirring me up to write somewhat concerning my travel from my Native Country Kindred and Father's House being freely given up to serve the Lord his Truth and People in the Power and Gospel of God I having no imposition or necessity at all laid upon my Conscience as from any mortal man but certainly it was a pure necessity from the living God of Heaven Earth many of his faithful Servants Messengers Sons and Daughters that were and are as dear and precious to me as my own life may bear me record on the Lord's behalf unto the truth of what I write on this wise and surely in the Counsel everlasting the thing was hid from me then whether ever I should return to my Native Country or not However in the love and favour of God and in his fear set up within my heart was I given up with my body also offered as a living Sacrifice which was but my reasonable sacrifice to give a sound to the Nations afar off of the mighty Day of our God and his blessed Truth the Light of Jesus manifest in every Conscience in which Light we have most assuredly believed unto salvation And verily the Power and pure Presence of his Eternal Strength was with me through many hardships trials and tribulations the right-hand of the hiding of his Power did sweetly guide strengthen support me even as it did and doth his Lambs whom he so sends forth as among Wolves in his Dove-like Innocency harmlesness and wisdom which are as wise or rather wiser than the Serpents And this Scripture have I well witnessed fulfilled whilst travelling from one Nation to another People as my Father did in the ancient dayes And on this wise with three more Brethren so freely given up with one consent in the behalf of the Gospel everlasting that is now preaching again to the Nations Tongues and Kindreds We set forward the 16th of the third Month and we sweetly parted with our right dearly beloved Friends Brethren Fathers and near Relations that were flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and from all our outward Acquaintance and Native Country in the Will Love and Spirit of our God in the same day from Gravesend we set forth and at the end of forty four dayes we arrived at Legorn in Italy where we gave a certain sound of our innocent Service and Message of Salvation and of its Life and Blessedness coming upon the Nations as a weight either to condemnation or justification as the same is received or rejected among them And thus as we had opportunity among
Long-suffering dwels in such and verily their sacrifice is acceptable in his bosom that liveth for ever and I am a living Witneâ—s that the sweet Testimony innocent Sufferings of these his long-suffering Lambs is right dear and precious in his eye which is the Light of his Countenance and so it is not otherwise but the same in oneness with his people concerning them And so in the endless mercy blessing and peace of our God we parted and I came away with the love and peace of my God within my heart having the answer and living testimony of a good Conscience and in the wisdom of God brought away these their Words and Writings which testifieth somewhat of their Sufferings and Faithfulness unto the Lord his Truth People which I right-well know cannot be shut out of the Record of Life eternal unto which I bear Record again that they have been and are a sweet savour unto the Lord God of Faithfulness and so their Reward which attends the same is not only with them but with all the Sons and Daughters of truth and innocency that are so travelling in their Long-sufferings which are but light and momentary in competition to the eternal weight of Glory which afterward is to be revealed in the same that suffered in all generations even from righteous Abel unto this day of our God to whom be Wisdom Glory Salvation and everlasting Thansgivings aâ—d Dominion for ever Amen saith my soul and spirit even so Amen And it came to pass in the third Month of the year 1662. also after my God had well preserved me in my passage and in his work and service from Malta to divers places in Italy till I came to the Straits mouth of the Mediterranean Sea at the place called Gibralter it was the pleasure of the Lord God to suffer the Wind and Weather to continue contrary well nigh about thirty dayes in which season I suffered many Trials and Tribulations in spirit having little or no Rest in the same because of the Vision and Words of the Everlasting which sounded often up to my understanding even as the roaring of a Lyon which mine eye saw and mine ear heard also in the year 61. when I was a Prisoner for the pure Word and Testimony of God and his Truth in Worcester City Jayl before I departed England and the place was the high Mountain of Gibralter that stands within the King of Spains Dominion which was the subject of the Vision and often as I cast mine eye upon the scituation of the place the pure Life and Power of God's eternal Presence did arise up in me in the word of life so that I saw clearly that some great exceeding weighty service for his Name and eternal Truths sake was to be done by me which was so terrible and dreadful to me when as I entred into reasoning so that I was brought down even to the jaws of death in dust and ashes and as Jonah turned his back upon Nineveh the same temptation attended me also to my wounding before I could give up for I fled often from the place to escape with my life from among such an unreasonable and bloody generation and the Lord would not be intreated to let such a bitter Cup pass unfulfilled but behold with the sound and stroak of his eternal Word his Spirit of Life became awakened quickned and mightily revived in me in his Wisdom over all fear of the Nations of men and the same brake through the snares and bonds of death and over destruction and the true Seed that mourned cried Not my Will but thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven and so it was a hard thing to part with little Isaac which is received again in the Covenant of promise of Life and that was offered up which fled so often but at last was caught in a thicket When the Ships of divers Nations attempted to pass through but the God of heaven whom the wind and sea obeyeth suffered them not but they knew not what the matter was which was revealed within my heart as the displeasure of God was against them to humble them also as I told them often by words and writings to clear my Conscience albeit they strove being perplexed in their minds and attempted often to wit seven or eight times in about twenty one dayes and could not pass but about two or three Leagues and on this wise it happened it would either prove calm and then the currant would drive them back into the Straits again sometimes and otherwhile Storms and Tempests would scatter them as a figure of Pharoah and his Hoste of Egyptian darkness so that the Chariot-wheels mine eye saw struck off so that they drove but heavily within and without and at last I gave out among them that God had service for me to do at that place and my Life was given up to do his Will if I never saw my Native Country Kindred or Fathers house at all any more and therefore the pleasure of the Lord in his mighty Power had made me willing also gave me dominion through and over the Bonds and Snares of Death and Destruction as it were to lay down my precious Life that I may take it again together with the body which through his righteous judgements he had prepared to perform the good pleasure of his Almightiness for his Truth and Names sake Now the heavenly Voice was often sounded within my heart on this wise saying O Jerusalem cut off thine hair and furthermore to gird sackcloth on my loins as to the Prophet Jer. 7.29 and so I became obedient in the singleness and innocency of my heart unto the God of Heaven and of my Life as a dreadful Sign against the whorish Church of Rome and against all her Heads Horns throughout the world And I then signified to the Master of the Ship in which I was a passenger how that I did believe that God would soon give opportunity for the Fleet of Ships to pass away after this service of God was performed and after I had used many perswasions to the end that he might suffer my body on that wise to be cast among the wicked idolaters lyars and murtherers Isa 57.20 which are like the troubled Sea So the Ship-master let my Body be on this wise cast over board from the Ship God having provided a Whale to swallow up that which fled from his presence so often and so it happened that it was upon one of their called Holy-dayes or Saints dayes namely the day called Holy-Thursday So I being cast on dry land passed through their streets directly until I came into the Mass-House or Idolaters Temple among the Idolaters where I found the Frier or Priest at the High Altar down upon his knees in his white Surplice adoring of the Host which is a Chalice or a piece of Bread which they called the real Substance of the body of Christ after their unclean spirit of
Joy your Joy and our Crown your Crown yea really I know it cannot be otherwise For if one of the members of the body do faint or fail or break or start aside it causeth a breach or defect in the whole body So likewise if one member do prosper in his measure be it never so small I know the whole body is strengthened refreshed and comforted and we know you all delight in us and rejoyce over us even as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the â—ride I do behold it in the Light of Righteousness and receive the benefit of it in the bright shining Countenance of our everlasting Father's Love and our souls do magnifie the Lord of Life and Glory and our spirits do sing for joy that ever we were found worthy of so high and honourable a Calling to bear the Name of our pure perfect Redeemer before the High and Mighty of the Earth and to suffer so long time under them for our pure living Testimony of the pure holy Life of Innocency Oh! praises praises to our God everlastingly world without end Amen Amen In a short time after our gracious Deliverance out of the Inquisition the Lord committed great Judgement to me to pronounce against the City saying That I must prophesie yet once more in his Name and give it out in writing The Cross seemed very heavy but I did not dare to look at it but was obedient to the heavenly Voice and writ the Prophecy O All ye Heads and Rulers Princes and Governours of Malta hearken to the Voice of the Lord. The 25th day of the sixth month called August the year 1662. near the tenth hour of the day the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Thou must prophesie yet once more in my Name to the Heads and Rulers Princes and Governours of Malta the aforesaid City and prophesie saying Thus saith the Lord God of power who made Heaven and Earth the Seas and all things that are therein and is the Preserver of all mankind especially of them that do believe in his Name My wrath is kindled against you and my Judgment is set up amongst you because of your hard-heartedness and unbelief I the Lord God who desire the death of no man but that all should return unto me and live in tenderness and love to your souls I cast in my Servants yet amongst you contrary to their wills and out of their own knowledge to go and forewarn you of the evil that I was bringing upon you with line upon line and precept upon precept of my undenyable Testimonies and unfailable Truths of the glorious and powerful Appearing of my blessed Son the Lord Jesus Christ the Light of the World in thousands of my Saints and People in this the great and mighty Day of my Power for the destruction of Sin and Satan and all the works of darkness all manner of iniquity and uncleanness in this Nation and in all Nations and Counâ—ries throughout the whole Earth for all the Wicked shall be brought to Judgement that that which is pure may arise to rule in the hearts of people and I will overturn overturn in all places till I have restored Judges as at the first and Counsellours as at the beginning men of perfect hearts and upright spirits fearing my Name doing the works of Equity and Justice to every one without respect of persons like unto faithful Moses and righteous Samuel and will establish my beloved Son upon his Throne and he shall rule in his Princely Power and reign in his Kingly Majesty whose right it is over all and his own Spiritual Government shall be set up in all places Righteous Rulership and pure Worship in Spirit and in Truth and there is nothing that can prevent the Lord who saith If ye will not hear my Servant which speakeâ—h my Word whom you have proved almost these four years whose life hath been harmless and spotless in pure Innocency amongst you then will I bring Wo upon Wo and Judgment upon Judgment upon you till the living shall not be able to bury the dead my mouth hath spoken it and my zeal will perform it and every man's hands shall be upon his loins for pain for the day of Recompence is come But if you will hear my Servant which speaketh unto you in my Name and return in your minds to the Light in your Consciences which convinceth of all sin and wait upon me in pure silence holy fear dread and awe and deny all evil thoughts words and actions then will I pour out of my Spirit upon you and will make my wayes known unto you and will soon cure you of your diseases and heal you of your pain This have I written in obedience to the God of all Power whom I truly serve in spirit and in truth according to my measure O dear and noble Prince and People receive it from the Lord and not from me and prove the Prophecy in the Spirit of meekness as you are wise and sober-minded men without rashness or hastiness in the fear of the Lord God that gave you life and see whether I have prophesied in mine own name or in the Name of the Lord if in mine own name the things I have prophesied of will not come to pass but if in the Name of the Lord then they will come to pass daily one after another This have we prophesied ever since the time you call Christ's Resurrection as we have been moved of the Spirit of the Lord and delivered it to the Consul to take it to the Grand Master with the rest of the Heads and Governors The Consul threatened me with the Prison again The Lord said Fear not I am thy God And in a few dayes after the Lord uttered his Voice and manifested his mighty Power in great Thunder and Lightning so that it set on fire one of their Powder-houses being near a mile out of the City It was in the eighth month the eighth day of the month in the night according to their account and the wind of the Powder blew down another Powder-house a quarter of a mile from it but the Powder was preserved and it did great execution in the City as they say it blowed down five Houses and broke most of the Glass Windows of both Palaces and all the Merchants Windows in the City and the Magazine where the Merchants Goods were the Doors were blown out of the hooks and the Walls shaken and torn and the whole City was terribly shaken and the doors of the houses drew up so that great fear fell upon them all and we heard a great shreem in the City it was at midnight and they rung out their Bells and there was a great Glass Window in the Chamber where we lay over right our Beds-feet it was very thick Glass and much of it was broken to pieces and beat in on each side of our bed but the Lord did not suffer any harm to us the glory is his own The
bitter against us for Righteousness sake in-so-much that we stood in great hazard of our lives many a time we did feel their slaying Instruments drawn so that we had even the sentence of death in our selves but the Lord prevented them and preserved us and great was our travel of soul night and day the glory is the Lord's whose mighty Power did the work everlasting praises honour and dominion over all to our pure holy and perfect Lord God world without end Amen Now for the satisfaction of all Friends concerning our deliverance out of â—he Inquisition this is a true and brief Relation Three quarters of a year before Daniel Baker came to Malta the Consul for the English came to us and said the Inquisitor sent him to know if we would be Catholicks yea or nay We answered we were true Christians He said if we would be Catholicks we might dwell at Melita or go to England We said we were the Servants of the true and living God One of the Magistrates said we were not Christians neither had we the Cross of Christ We answered we were Christians and had received the Spirit of Christ which made a Christian and he that had not the Spirit of Christ was no Christian and we had the Cross of Christ without the Cross there was no Salvation the Cross of Christ is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth He said If we would not be Catholicks we must suffer long Imprisonment by the Popes Order That was not true I had an Answer in my Conscience against it And in a little time after they told us if we would kiss the Cross we should be freed out of Prison and go to the Consul 's till a convenient passage did present to carry us for England for the Pope had sent word they should take it into their consideration and set us free for England without doing any violencce as we heard and we did believe it because we had a more sure word of Prophecy than did use to proceed out of their mouthes we told them we could not kiss the Cross to get our liberty neither did we desire our freedom on any such terms but we looked every day when they would call us forth to kiss the Cross and we did pray and cry mightily to our Eternal Father to prevent them in it and to preserve us out of it for the Tempter was very strong within and without so that I took little rest for many dayes and nights seeing the great danger it would plunge us into for I saw the painted walls and the Crosses set before me but the gracious God of power who did appear in our Afflictions and revealed his Will to me in a Night-Vision saying Touch not taste not handle not but wait diligently upon me you have two things yet to work over before you can be set at liberty We knew the Cross was one but we knew not what the other was The next time the Consul came he told us that the Inquisitor said If any one would engage for three or four thousand Dollers to be paid if ever we came thither again we should be set at liberty but he said no more of the Cross but the Obligation was the second thing that we were to work over but I could never see nor dare desire any man to be engaged for us because I do know all Decrees Laws Tyes Bonds and Chains and Precepts of men must be broken through the righteous Decree of our mighty Lord God and upon the same consideration we were made willing to wait till the Lord should break this Chain also that no other dear Friend or Lamb of God might suffer for the same thing no God forbid Then it pleased the Lord to send Daniel Baker who in obedience to the God of Heaven did offer up body for body yea life all for our liberty but could not be heard but the Inquisitor said If any would engage for the payment of three or four thousand Dollers to be paid if ever we came there again we should have our liberty but otherwise we must die in the Prison for that was the Pope's Law but we knew it was left to his consideration so we told them we could not engage nor desire any to engage for us because it was out of the Covenant of God and our yea was yea and our nay was nay and we did not believe that ever it was the mind of God that we should return thither again So Daniel departed in the Love of God and they sent to England to Friends and to other Islands to the English Merchants for some to engage for us that we might have our liberty but the Merchants sent word they were not willing to answer their unreasonable demands for the payment of so many thousand Dollers if in case we returned thither again There were many that did seek for our liberty that were not of us because they knew our cruel and strait bondage and terrible afflictions and were willing to engage what was reason but because our just and wise God would make his Power known for his own honour he would not suffer any thing to prevail for our Deliverance insomuch as we could understand but what he wrought by his invisible Power in the hearts of our Enemies It was given into my heart half a year after Daniel came thence that if I could speak with the Inquisitor he would grant us our liberty and in a little time he came to the Inquisition-Court-Chamber and we heard of it and desired to speak with him which he granted us and we told him we had wronged none we had defrauded none neither was guile found in our mouthes but we had suffered innocently almost four years for Conscience-sake and we knew they had no peace in our sufferings So the Inquisitor was very courteous to us and promised our liberty in a few dayes and he said he would send for the Consul and get him to engage for five hundred Dollers to be paid for us if ever we came again in case the Consul did deny it he would send to Rome to the Pope for an Order to set us at liberty without an Obligation So we were contented to wait the Lord's time who had often promised us That we should have our liberty in a day when we thought not of and at an hour when we were not aware and good was the Word of the Lord and faithful in all his Promises About two weeks after the Inquisitor came to the Inquisition with his Lieutenant and other of the Magistrates and a Consul for the English and he sent the Proctor of the Court to call us forth before them and when we came he told us the Consul would engage for the payment of five hundred Dollers if ever we returned thither again We not knowing at present whether it was the mind of our heavenly Father that the Earth should help the Woman yea or nay yet waiting
in the Feâ—r of God it was brought to my remembrance that the Lord had said we had two things to work over before we could be set at liberty So they used many words but we eying the Lord yet answered them in the Spirit of meekness They called for half a sheet of paper and the Chancellour asked what he should write but the Lord stood up for his own glory so that they had not power to write one Letter The Lieutenant said they would talk of it another time and they did ask us whether we would not return back again to our Husbands and Children if it were the will of God We answered It was our intent in the will of God so to do The Lord Inquisitor took his leave very courteously of us and desired our prosperous return into our Country and likewise the Magistrates with the inferiour Officers not requiring penny or penny-worths for any Fees or Attendance that we had among them in that time but as we saw our freedom in the Lord we gave the Keeper and some poor men something for Conscience sake So we departed in peace according to the compleat example of the holy men of God kneeling down and desiring our heavenly Father never to lay to their charge what they did unto us because they knew us not so this Scripture was fulfilled that he made our enemies our footstool and they that hate us without a cause to be at peace with us So we were delivered in Power and great glory out of the Inquisition into the Consul's hand to be sent for England as opportunity did present The Consul said that he did engage for us after we were out of the Inquisition but we could never find that it was true So we were kept eleven weeks at the Consul's house before they could have a passage to carry us out of their Coast and the Cross was so heavy and the travel of souls so great that as to the visible all hopes were past that I could live in the body but all things are possible with God who by his mighty Power hath removed Mountains and subdued the Earth and broke through the double-doors locks and bolts and Iron bars and all the chains of wickedness every unrighteous Decree and by his high mighty Hand and strong outstretched Arm hath returned our Captivity that Jacob may rejoyce and Israel may be glad magnified be the Name of our Eternal Father for ever yea Honour and Glory Power and Dominion over all to him who ruleth on high world without end Amen And when we had been at the Consul's house eleven weeks there came one of the King's Frigats called the Saphire the Captain 's name was Samuel Titswel The Grand-Master sent to the Captain of the Saphire to entreat him to stay the Ship all night to take up almost forty Passengers The Captain made himself unwilling because he had no product but lay out in the Road a league from the City The Grand-Master writ to him he knew his brother at England would not deny him such a courtesie to take in twenty four Knights Cavalliers and their servants and two Quakers and so he staid till the next day it was for his great advantage Upon pain of death the Cavaliers must not see us heretofore but our heavenly Father doth know how to bring his own purposes to pass and none can hinder him Oh! that we should be put on board with so many of them and one was the Inquisitors own brother as he said and was as like him as if the same man as I told the Captain before I knew who he was he spake to the Captain often that we might not want any thing that was in the Ship and he told us if we were at Malta again we should not be persecuted so for as soon as he saw our faces he said he would not differ with us he and some other of them laid to the Captain If we went to Heaven one way and they another yet we should all meet together at the last But we held out Christ Jesus the Light of the World to be the alone way to the Father And great was our labour from day to day But our own Country-men were much worse than most of them so that they bid us go back to Malta again and said the English would use us worse than the Maltezes So when we came to Legorn the Ship could get no product and if we would go a-shoar there we might go into the Lazaretta for forty dayes And so the King's Agent desired the Captain to carry us as far as he could till he met the General and then he would provide a passage for us if that Ship was commanded back again for if he should have left us there in Lazaretta the Agent must take order for us he said according to the King's Order The Merchants shewed us no small kindness and treated us with much love and sent us Wine and Bread and a great many good things for our refreshment the Sea was high so that they could not conveniently come to us but they told the Captain they would come and if we would have money or any thing else whatsoever we would write for they would send it to us We had but little money but being we were coming for our Country we saw but little freedom to take up money And the Captain promised as we should not want any money nor any thing else till we came to England so he should not have taken any money for our passage because it was the King's Ship but he received several Dollers which victualled the Ship So he hasted thence and came to Tarloone and there he could get no product but all the Malta Knights were set a-shoar into Lazaretta so we came to Malago and there the Captain had product but he did not dare to make any long stay there for fear the Fleet should be before him at Tangeer He was sent before the Fleet out of Turkie with Letters to Malta and to Legorn and other places and we had some service for the Lord in every Harbour So we came to Tangeer above two weeks before the Fleet came The Captain said it was above an hundred pound out of his way because he made so much haste The Lord did hasten him for his Work 's sake as it was clearly manifested to us all along The Captain said we must not go a-shoar till he had spoke with the Governour 's Excellency So we went a-shoar as we were moved of the Lord and great was our Work for the Seeds sake Oh! oh great are the Abominations of the wicked in that place none worse than English-men for swearing lying pride drunkenness whoredoms and such like so that our righteous souls were vexed day and night with their unclean conversation and the pure Spirit of the Lorâ— was grieved and the Seed of God was pressed even as a Cart is pressed with sheaves So we declared boldly against
them all in the Name of the Lord and they came flocking about us high and low great and small into the house where we were lodged or where-ever we went of all sorts In a few days we were moved to go to the Governour and to lay their Abominations before him the just Judgments due unto them from the Lord for their great and grievous Wickedness and laid it upon him from the Lord to suppress it in so much as lay in him to do lest the just and holy Lord God Almighty did suddenly deliver them into the hands of their Enemies to be destroyed after the rest of them were slain in the Wrath and Anger of the Almighty and we told him they had not greater enemies without than they had within and if they did repent and truly fear the Lord their Enemies would be subdued within and they would know when to go out against their Enemies and prosper and the Lord would make their Enemies to be at peace with them So the Governour said he did lovingly receive our good Instructions and Admonitions and promised to follow our Counsel and would have given us money and desired us to eat and drink in his house We did freely imbrace his love without meat drink or money And he was very courteous to us and tender over us so that he gave Commandment to all the Garison That none should abuse us in word nor action upon pain of severe punishment There are many Portugals Jews and Irish which could as freely have burnt us as they could have burnt wood but our pure holy wise strong and powerful Lord God protected us in the midst of them and took away all slavish fear from us so that we were as bold as Lions for God's Truth against all their Idolatry and Wickedness The Lord is worthy to have the glory for evermore Amen And in a few dayes after it was laid upon us of the Lord to go forth to meet the Moors their Enemies which laid siege against them and they were such a bloody savage people that it seemed a very hard thing to us but the Lord said unto me Go forth fear not they shall not harm thée or you Behold the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon is with you And so we believed and were made willing to adventure life and all in obedience And so we went to the Governour to desire we might be let out of the Gate declaring the mind of God in it but the Governor told us we must expect nothing but cruel death or bonds for ever telling us what terrible weapons they had and entreated us to go again to our lodging and wait upon the Lord and pray as our manner was he said and then if we could not have peace we might come to him again And in two or three dayes after he came to us and asked us concerning the thing We told him we were made willing to bear and to wait upon the Lord to perswade his heart to let us go and said we did believe the Lord would preserve us in the midst of them and deliver us from them and we should be returned as safe as we went forth yet however our bodies were but a reasonable sacrifice to offer for him that gave them us So he left us at that time After that we went to his house again and he did seem to be somewhat willing then to let us go Then his Secretary stept to him and desired him that he would not let us go declaring to him that if he did let us go that it could not possibly be expected that ever we should return into the City again or see any of our Relations or Country except the Lord did work a wonderful Miracle by delivering us out of their hands And then the Governour told us in pitty and tenderness towards us he believing we were innocent harmless women and did truly fear God he could not let us go forth the English would speak very hardly of him and say he forced us forth to be destroyed by them So in a day or two after the Moors did shew forth their Flag to parley for Peace and came near to treat with them and till then our souls hearts and spirits were exercised in such strong travel and labour night and day we could not hide it from the people of the house where we lay but we do believe if we had gone forth among them before they came to treat with them the Lord our God who liveth for ever would have preserved us and we should have been returned to the conviction of many and to the astonishment of all the whole Garison for his own glory but if we should have gone forth to them when they came to parley for Peace then our Country-men would have said that that was the reason we were preserved and God would not have had the glory The Lord said our Sacrifice was accepted because he knew the uprightness of our hearts We went to take our leaves of the Governour having finished our Testimonies in that place acknowledging the love we received from him and he proffered us whatever we wanted for the Ship and his kindness extended so far that he would send it to the Vessel We received his love but took nothing of him and so we departed the City and went aboard the Ship that brought us thither and that Ship was commanded back into the Straits so that we were destitute of a passage So Sarah being moved of the Lord went unto the General and made him acquainted therewith and he very lovingly sent us aboard in another Ship and bade us take care for nothing he would give Order we should not want any thing till we came to England When we were ready to set sail there came a mighty Scool of Fish dancing round the Ship and leaping above water with great joy as I am a witness of and as I waited on the Lord considering what it might signifie the Lord answered me It signified the multitudes of his Saints and Servants in England or elsewhere that will rejoyce at the return of our Captivity and glorifie his Name which caused great joy and refreshment to our souls The Lord made it manifest we should have a safe passage to England and caused us to declare it so that many desired to return with us in that Ship on that account yet I told them we might meet with storms and hardships by the way and so it came to pass and great tryals we had by reason of storms and tempestuous weather that we were in great danger and peril so that many were wounded and bruised with the tossing of the Vessel and the Master of the Ship cast over-board when the Sea was so high as Mountains yet the Lord wrought wonderfully for his deliverance and he was brought into the Ship safe again and we all came safe to Land The Captain was a very civil man and we were very civilly used in that Ship We were