the sweetness the fulness the freeness the riches and the faiâ—hfulness of his Promises and with the riches of his mercy in Christ to her soul To draw to a close it is observable that even the holy Apostles in their Canonical Epistles have spent some good part of their holy lines in the ample Commendations of those eminent Saints to to whom they wrote as Paul in hâ— to Philemon and John in that of 〈◊〉 to an Honourable Lady and thâ— other to a meaner person viz. Gaiâ—â— and that they went not behind thâ— door as we say to whisper but 〈◊〉 on the House-top did proclaim tâ—â— Religious and pious practices of thoâ— more choice Christians to the â—miâ—atiâ—on of others And further when consider that which the Apostle speaketh of Demetrius a rare and noâ— ordinary Testimony 3 Ep. of John 12. Demetriâ—s haâ—â— a good report of all men and of tâ—â— Truth it self and we also bear Record and we know that our Record 〈◊〉 true And yet further when I consider what is Recorded of Hezekiaâ— Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Jâ—dah 1 Chro. 31.20 21. and wrought what was good anâ— right and true before his God Anâ— in every work that he began in thâ— service of the House of God anâ— in the Law and Commandments hâ— did it with all his heart and proâ—â—pered And when I consider whâ—â— high commendations the Apostle bâ—stows upon the Churches of Maâ—â—donia 2 Cor. 8.1 to the eleven verse And upon the Church of Thesâ—alonia 1 Thessal 1.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. And also 2 Thessal 1. â— 4 5 And when I consider that â—t was the Holy Ghost who writ â—â—eâ—â—adâ—â— Epitaph 2 Chron. 24.16 They buried him â—n the City of â—avid among the Kings â—ecause he had done good in Israel â—â—oth towarâ—s God and towards his hoâ—se It is said also of â—osiah in â—his Commendations by the same Spirit Like unto him there was no King 2 King 23.25 Moses and Mordâ—â—aâ— Sarah Deboâ—rah Esther Eâ—â— abeth and others after their deaths have had their due praises When I consider of these things I am very well satisfied in what I have said concerning this deceased Sister and friend I do no ways doubt but that we may vâ—ry safely say good of such when dead whose ordinary course and practice it was to do good while they lived but in this censorious Age No sooner is dâ—st cast upon some Christians head but there are those that will do what they can to throw dirt in their faces Aâ—gustine doth very fitly compare these to Dives his dogâ— they lay licking and sucking Lazarus his sores but his sounder parts they never medled with To trample upon the Reputation and stain the glory of them that die in the Lord argues such Persons to be a kin to Fleas who bite most when men are asleep It was one of Solons Laws that none should dare to speak evil of the dead And Plutarch tells us that that was highly commended and duly observed But is it so now This I am sure that it well becomes Christians not to dare to speak evil if they could of those who for the main have lived holily and died graciously as this deceased friend hath done Let this satisfie us that she is above the Praises and envies of men 'T is the good the profit the advantage of all your souls and theirs into whose hands this little Piece may fall that has drawn me out to write so large an Epistle If I had had only the dead in my eye a few lines should have serv'd the turn I doubt not but that you will kindly accept of my endeavours to be serviceable to your immortal souls and who can tell what fruit may grow upon this Tree I shall improve all the interest I have in Heaven that both the Epistle and your glorified Mothers Experiences may be blest to the furtherance of the internal and eternal welfare of all your souls The good-will of him that dwelt in the Bush rest upon you and yours So I Rest Honoured friends Your Souls Servant THO BROOKS A TRUE RELATION OF Some of the EXPERIENCES of Mrs. SUSANNA BELL taken from her own Mouth by a near Relation of hers a little before her death Left as a LEGACY to her Mourning Children IT pleased the Lord to order it so that in my young days I was cast into a Family that feared the Lord. And going to hear Mr. White preaching from those words Prov. 15.15 But he that is of a merry heart hath a continual Feast From thâ—se words he did shew how happy a thing a good conscience was and what a sad thing it was with Judas to have a bad conscience and what a blessed thing it was to have a good conscience From that of Hezekiah Isa 38.3 And he said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which iâ— good in thy sight This Sermon God made useful to me and after this it pleased the Lord to order it so that I changed my condition and the Lord provided for me a good Husband one that feared him And some troubles being here many of the people of God went for New England and among them my Husband desired to go but I and my friends were very a verse unto it I having one childe and being big with another thought it to be very difficult to cross the Seas with two small children some of my Neighbors advising me to the contrary living so well as I did But I told them that what the Lord would have me to do that I would willingly do and then it pleased the Lord to bring that Scripture to my mind Eph. 5.22 Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord. And then my heart was brought off to a quiet submission But after this I being well delivered and the Child well It pleased the Lord soon after to take my Child to himself Now upon this so far as it pleased the Lord to help a poor wretch I begged earnestly of him to know why he took away my Child and it was given in to me that it was because I would not go to New England Upon this the Lord took away all fears from my â—pirit and then I told my Husband I was willing to go with him For the Lord had made my way clear to me against any that should oppose And then my husband went presently upon the work to fit to go And the Lord was plâ—ased to carry us as upon Eagles wings according to that Deut. 32 10 11. We were eight weeks in our passage and saw nothing but the Heavens and Waters I knew that the Lord was a great God upon the shore But when I was upon the Sea I did then see more of his glorious power then ever I had done before according to that of the Psalmist Psal 107.23 24. And when the Lord was pleased
free indeed John 8.36 And blessed is that people that knows the joyful found they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance I finde the Lord â—esus very free in the tenders of his love to poor sinners And that love hath in a great measure been manifestâ—d to my poor soul After this it pleased the Lord to visit one of my Daughters with a great sickness upon which my heart was drawn out to sâ—ek the Lord on her behalf then that Scripture was brought to my mind Iohn 11.21 Then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died But I know that now whatever thou wilt ask of God God will give it to thee Jesus saith unto her thy Brother shall rise again Martha saith unto him I know that he shall rise again at the last day Jesus saith unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life and he that believes in me shall never die And it pleased the Lord to give me her life as an Answer of Prayer It pleased the Lord after this to visit this Land with the Pestilence a severe stroak of his that swept away many thousands and under that sad Providence of his the Lord did help me to rely alone upon himself from that Scripture Psal 91.7 A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy rght hand but it shall not come nigh thee And according to my saith it pleased the Lord to preserve both my self and all my Relations from that sad stroke though some of them were often in the midst of danger blessed be his Name The next year after rhe Lord did again for our sins visit us and that by a dreadful fire which reduced to ashes many thousand houses and yet his love was then manifested to me in the preservation of my habitation when many better than my self were burnt out Therefore unto my God shall I who am less then the least of all his mercies render that praise which is due unto his Name Since that whilst I was upon a languishing bed and Death even knocking at the door it pleased the Lord once again to alarme me in that weak condition by a dreadful fire which brake out very near us and at that time it pleased my good God to support and strengthen my spirit with that Scripture Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee And that Scripture Isa 54.5 For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel the God of the whole Earth shall he be called And this second time also the Lord was gratiously pleased to preserve me and my House from that amazing stroke which did so much threaten us And O that all these new and old Experiences might be high obligations upon me and mine to holiness and fruitfulness all our days Whilst I remained in New-England there hapned a great Earthquake which did shake all in the house and my son being by me asked me what it was I told him our Neighbours were all amazed at it and knew not but that the world might then be at an end and did run up and down very much affrighted at it but I sate still and did think with my self what a Christ was worth to my poor soul at that time And then God made these Scriptures sweet refreshings supporting and quieting my soul Psal 18.46 The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock and let the God of my Salvation be exalted Heb. 11.13 These all died in faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswadâ—d of them and embraced them and confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth Rev. 7.9 After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindred and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palmes in their hands ver 14. And he said to me these are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. FINIS Bridges Remains being Eight Sermons viz 1 Of Mans Blessednesse c. By Mr. Bridges Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth A Discourse of Christs Coming By Theophilus Cale The Nature and Principles of Love as the End of the Commandment declar'd in some of the last Sermons of Mr. Joseph Caryl with an Epistle of Dr. Owen D.D. All to be sold by John Hancock Sen. and Jun. at the Three Bibles in Cornhill
to bring us in safety on shore his people gave us the best entertainment they could and then I thought I could never be thankful enough to the Lord for his goodness in preserving us upon the Sea I being big with Childe and my Husband-sick almost all the Voyage After this my Husband would have gone by water hiâ—her into the Countrey But I told him the Lord having been so good in bringing us safâ— ashore amongst his people I was not willing to go again to Sea And it was a good Providence of God we did not for most of them that went were undone by â—t The first Sermon that I heard after I came ashore was out of Ier. 2.13 For my people have committed two evils They have forsaken me the Fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Now the Minister did shew that whatever we did build on short of Christ would prove but a broken Cistern and by that Sermon the Lord was pleased to shake my foundation but I being a poor ignorant creature thought if I could but get into the fellowship of the People of God that that would quiet my spirit and answer all my Objections And I did accordingly attempt to joyn with the Church but they were very faithful to the Lord and my soul and asked me what Promise the Lord had made home in Power upon me And I answered them Jer. 31.3 Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness I have drawn thee But they told me that that was a general Promise that I must look to get some particular Promise made home in Power upon me and perswaded me to wait a little longer ro see what God would further do for my poor soul which accordingly I did And going to hear Mr. Cotton who did preach out of Rev. 2.28 To him that over cometh I will give the Morning-star from which words he did observe that that Star was Christ And this he came to shew how a soul might know whether it had an interest in Christ or no and that was by the Lords giving out such precious Promises as these to the poor soul viz. That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 and that John 16 2â— And your joy shall no man take from you And Isa 54.22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins and that Isa 43. â—5 which Promises afterwards God made sweet to my soul After this I went to hear Mr. Shepherd and he was preaching out of the Parable of the ten Virgins Matth. 25.1 13 In his discourse he shewed that all were Professors but the foolish had nothing but Lamps without oyle a Profession without grace in their hearts but that the wise had got grace in their hearts and so were ready prepared to meet the Bridegroom when he came Now by that discourse of his the Lord was pleased to convince me that I was a foolish Virgin and that I made a Profession but wanted the oyle of grace in my heart and by this means I was brought into a very sad condition For I did not experimentally know what it was to have oyle in my Lamp grace in my heart nor what it was to have union with Christ that being a mystery to me And then I did think my self guilty of breaking all the Commandments of God except the sixth For I thought I had neither desired wished or endeavoured any mans death But then the Lord shewed me that if I were saved by Christ my sins had murdered him according to that Acts 3.15 chap. 4. â—0 And thâ—◠〈◊〉 greatly aggravate my sin the more unto mâ— Now one of my Neighbors observing that I was in a distressed condition told me that she had been a hearing and that the Ministeâ— she heard was a shewâ—ng that the Lord had more glory in the salvation then in the damnation of sinners For in their salvation his Mercy and his Justice were both glorified but in their destruction only his Justice was glorified Hearing of this the Lord was pleased to draw out my heart to plead with him That if he might receive more glory in my salvation then in my destruction that then his Mercy might be manifested to me For I thought although I had many worldly comforts yet I had no interest in Christ and that if I should die presently Hell would be my portion and in this sad and sore distress the Lord was pleased to imprint that Scripture upon my mind Job 10.2 I will say unto God do not condemn me shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Job 40.2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it and that word of the Apostle Rom. 9. â—0 21 Nâ—y but thou O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour After this it pleased God that Mr. Elliott and some other of the people of God seeing me in this sad condition toâ—d me the Church would have me come in to be a Member with them but I did reply that all Church-fellowship would do me no good Then Mr. Elliott asked me What would do me good and I told him Nothing but an interest in Christ His Answer was That I was already in the pangs of the Nâ—w Birth and he did believe it would not be long before the Lord spoke peace to my poor soul After that reading a book of Dr. Prestons where he did shew that when the Lord joyned himself to a believer he did first comprehend the soul and then enabling the soul by faith to apprehend him Which double Act of faith I then knew not About fourteen days after considering what a distressed condition I was in I was bemoaning my self before the Lord and the Lord was pleased to bring that Scripture to my remembrance in John 16. I will give you that joy that no man taketh from you And then I thought with my self that it was Christ that I did want and not joy But the Lord brought that Scripture to me that Christ was tidings of great joy Luke 2.10 11. And I thought how could this be to such a poor wretch as I was and the Lord was pleased to bring that Scripture to my mind That he looked not as man looked 1 Sam. 16 7. And that he was God and not man Hos 11.9 And by this means he took awâ—y all my fears And then the Lord did help me to discern that this was a mystery indeed and did so quiet my heart that all the World seemed as nothing unto me For I never heard such a voice before blessed be his Name And then the people of God would have me come into fellowship with them And soon
after I was admitted a Babe in Christ among them Afterwards being to hear Mr. Cotton on 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby And from thence he shewed that if it were a living Babe it would cry out for nourishment and that that soul that did once really taste of Christ was never satisfied but would still be crying out for more and more of Christ when such a soul came to any Ordinance as Hearing Prayer the Lords Supper and did get nothing of Christ they were all as lost Ordinances to it It so fell out that the next Lords day was the day of sitting down at the Lords Table And the Lord did put it into my thoughts that if we received nothing but a piece of bread and a sip of wine it would be but a poor empty thing and so the Lord did help me to beg that if what he had been pleased to speak to my soul before were a true manifâ—station of himself that he would be pleased to speak again unto my soul For a threefold cord is not easily broken Eccles 4.12 Being at the Ordinance the bread and wine coming about I was thus sighing unto the Lord what shall I have nothing but a bit of bread and a sip of wine this day And the Lord was pleased to bring that Scripture to my minde John 6.55 For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed And so the Lord was pleased to give something more of himself to my poor soul at that time After this a sad Providence attended one of my Neighbors I was full of fears that her condition might be mine But the Lord brought that Scripture to my mind Jer. 29.11 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of Peace and not of evil to give you an expected end And thereby the Lâ—rd stayd my heart in trusting upon himself and giving me a safe delivery And being up again I went to hear Mr. Cotton and he was shewing what Assurancâ— was and how happy that soul was that coulâ— say as Job did Job 19 25. And with David Psal â—â—9 For ever Lord thy Word is setled in the Heavens and so the Lord was pâ—â—ased to shew me what a mercy I had that had Assurance Then I went to speak to Mr. Cotton to ask him what he thought of thâ— work of God upon my poor soul And 〈◊〉 â—old me that he was satisfied that it was 〈◊〉 real work of God And he did councel me to walk humbly and thankfully and to take heed of grieving that Spirit of God by which I was sealed up to the day of Redemption and to walk humbly towards those that God had not revealed so much of himself to as he had to me And then the Lord was pleased by his Providence to call my Husband to come for England and he did tell me that he should so order business that I should have less of the world to trouble me I was glad to hear it from him and desired him to go And then the Lord was pleased to help me to consider whether I had not got a better Husband and the Lord did quiet my heart in himself my soul being espoused to him 2 Cor. 11.2 After he was gone from me we did hear of a War broke forth in England and friends told me my Husband would be in danger of his life if taken I told thâ—m the best I knew and the worst I knew and that if God should take my Husband out of the world I should have a Husband in Heaven which was best of all And Mr. John Elliott did visit me in his 〈◊〉 fence and asked me how the Lord did bâ—â— up my heart in my Husbands absence And I did tell him that the Lord was as well able to bring him to me in safety as he did to carry him out And he answered me I believe the Lord will say unto thee as he did to the Canaanitish woman Matth. 15.28 Be it unto thee according to thy saith And the Lord was pleased to keep me and all that I had and to preserve him and to bring him home in safety unto me And then in stead of having less of the world which I desired the Lord did cast in more of it After this my Husband told me That he must go again to England and I was very unwilling to it but he told me if he did not the Name of God would suffer To prevent which I consented and it pleased God to bring him home in safety to me And in a few years after he brought me over to England and God shewed much of his goodness to me At my coming ashore he brought that Scripture to my Remembrance Deut. 33. 26 27. There is none like unto thee O God of Jeshurun who rideth upon the Heaven in thy Help and in his Excellency on the Sky the Eternal God is thy Refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes After it had pleased God to bring me back to my Native Countrey I was much troubled that there was no better observation of the Lords day it being our Practice in New-England to begin it at Sunne-set the Evening before as it is Recorded in Genesis That the Evening and the Morning was the first day and that Scripture was brought to my Memory Prov. 14.10 The heart knows its own bitternesse but no man intermeddles with its joy Many trials the Lord hath been pleased to exercise me with but in the midst of all God hath made that Word sweet to my soul Isa 54.10 For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee It pleased the Lord after a year or two to exercise me with much weakness but then he made that Word sweet unto me Isa 50.8 He is near that justifies me who will coâ—tend with me And that word Job 15.11 Are the consolations of God small unto thee After these things when I was in a very great strait upon the apprehension of some publick dangers that seem'd to threaten us the Lord was pleased to bring to my mind that Scripture Zach. 9.12 Turn to your strong Holds you Prisoners of Hope And since in the midst of my many bodily infirmities God hath made that word sweet to my soul Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And that word Psal 23.4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art wâ—th me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me I still remain as a prisonâ—r of hope waiting for a fruition of that happiness which the Lord Jesus Christ hath prepared for me For I know he that hath the Son hath life 1 Iohn 5.12 And if the Son make us free then are we