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
of men but was she not a secret and hidden Reliever of Gods distressed ones Did she not refresh the bowels of many with her hid treasures Will you all learn to write after this Copy Of Midus it is Fabled That whatever he torched he tâ—rned into Golâ— 't is most sure That whatever the Hand of Charity toucheth it turneth it into Gold be it but a Cup of cold water nay Mat. 10.42 into Heaven it self cold water having not fuel to heat it cold water which costs not the charge of fire to warm it Salvian saith that Christ is Mendicorum maximus the greatest Beggar in the world as one that shareth in all his Saints necessities Heb. 6.10 and will never forget the charitable person the merciful person Cicero could say That to be rich is not to possess much but to use much And Seneca could rebuke them that so studied to increase their wealth that they forgot to use it I have read of one Euagrius a rich man that lying upon his Death-bed being importuned by Synesius a pious Bishop to give somthing to charitable uses he yielded at last to give three hundred Pounds but first took Bond of the Bishop that is should be repayed him in another world before he had been one day dead He is said to have appeared to the Bishop delivering in the Bond cancelled as thereby acknowledging what was promised was made good according to that promise Matth. 19.29 And every one that hath forsaken houses c. Fourthly imitate her in keeping off from the sins and pollutions of the day wherein you live was she not one of Gods mourning ones for the abominations of the time Ezek. 9.4 6. Jer. 9.1 2. 2 Pet. 2.7 8 Psal 119.53.136.158 did not mens abomination in worship and practice vex grieve and wound her poor soul was it not her great work to live by no Rule to walk by no Rule to worship God by no Rule but by that which she dared to die by and to stand by in the great day of our Lord Jesus she knew John 4.23 24. Phil 3.3 2. that worshipping of God in spirit and in truth was the great worship the only worship that God stood upon she did not she durst not worship God according to the Customes of the World or the Traditions of the Elders or the Examples of great men she knew that that Worship that is not according to the Word is 1. Worshipping of devils and not God Those that depart from the true Worship of God and set upon false worship forbidden by God do not serve God by it but the devil Reâ— 9.2 2 Chron. 11.15 Amos 5.25 26. 1 Cor. 10.20 1 Tim. 4.1 Ezek. 8.3 what boasting soever they make as you may evidently see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together She knew 2. That that worship that is not according to the Word is an Image of Idolatry which of all sins is most provoking to a holy jealous God The Devil saith Synesius is as glad to be worshipped in an Idol as he was by Israel in a Calf Exod. 32 4. there being nothing that provokes God to destroy poor sinners more then this The learned Jews have a saying That no punishment ever happened to them in which there was not an ounce of the golden Calf grounding it on Exod. 32.34 Nevertheless I will remember to visit this sin upon them The Egyptians worshipped a pide Bull and whereas some thought it strange that when one died they should have another of the same colour Austin thinks that the devil to keep them in idolatry might do with their Cowes as Jacob did with the Ewes present to them when they conceived the likeness of such a Bull. Certainly Satan will use all the Art he can to keep poor sinners in ways of false worship it being the most compendious way that can be to engage God to destroy them She knew 3. That that worship that is not according to the Word hath destroyed the most flourishing Churches and Nations witness the Church and Nation of the Jews See Hos 8.5 6.7 Rev. 9.20 Ezek. 10.2 2 Chron. 7.20 the seven Churches of Asia and the whole Eastern parts of the Empire She knew 4. That that worship that is not according to the Word is a cursed worship It is the observation of one well skill'd in the Jewish Learning that there is only one verse in the Prophecy of the Prophet Jeremy which is written in the Chaldee tongue all the rest being in Hebrew and that is Jer. 10.11 So shalt thou say Cursed be the gods who made neither Heaven nor Earth Weems Christ Synag and this so done by the Holy Ghost on purpose that the Jews when they were in captivity and solicited by the Chaldeans to worship false gods might be able to answer them in their own language Cursed be your gods we will not worship them for they made neither Heaven nor Earth That God that made Heaven and Earth is only to be worshipped according to his own Word for he will own no worship but what he will accept of no worship but that he will bless no worship but that nor he will reward no worship but that Your glorified Mother kept close to instituted worship when she had health and strength in this it will be your wisdom to write after her â—air Copy But Fifthly imitate her in justifying of the Lord under the sharpest bitterest and most afflictive Providences and â—ispensations how often have I heard her to justifie the Lord Joll 13.26 even whilst he has been a writing bitter things against her when Gall and Wormwood hath been put into her Cup hath she not said with Ezra Ezra 9.13 Neh 9.33 God hath punished us less then our iniquities deserve and with Nehemiah Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly and with ob Job 1.21 The Lord gives and the Lord takes and blessed be the Name of the Lord. And with Daniel Dan. 9.14 The Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth You know what afflictive Providences she has been under both in respect of her person and in the loss of her husband and in those variety of weaknesses that attended her body and in the great losses that some of you have met with in this world Besides several other exercises yet how has she commonly been taken up in blessing of God and in justifying of God and also in admiring the goodnesse of God that it has been no worse with her and here I am satisfied she would not have exchanged her gains by afflictions for all the gains of this world Stars shine brightest in the darkest night Torches are better for the beating Grapes come not to the proof till they come to the Press Spices smell sweetest when pounded Young Trees root the faster for shaking Vines are the better for bleeding
for another world and not according to their worldly Greatness or Grandeur Pro. 12.26 Pro. 28.6 Did she not preferr a holy Job upon the dunghil before a wicked Ahab upon the Throne Luke 16. did she not set a higher price upon a gracious Lazarus though cloathed with Rags and full of sores then upon a rich and wretched Dives though he were cloathed gloriously and fared sumptuously every day was not her love to the Saints universal to one Christian as well as another to all as well as any to poor Lazarus as well as to rich Abraham Phil. 1.21 1 Pet. 2.17 to a despised Job as well as to an admired David to an afflicted Joseph as well as to a raised Jacob to a despised disciple as well as to an exalted Apostle did she not love to see the Image and Picture of her heavenly Father though hung in never so poor a frame and in never so mean a cottage without peradventure he that loves one Saint for the Image of God that is stampt upon him he cannot but fall in love with every Saint that bears the lovely Image of the Father upon him And O that this might be all your mercy to write after this Copy that she has set before you But Eighthly imitate her in her constancy in the ways of God with a notwithstanding all the hazards stormes dangers and troubles that has attended those ways especially in these latter days of Apostacy wherein God had cast her lot She was not a Reed shaken with every wind she was unchangeable in changeable times whatever stormes beat upon the ways of God or the people of God she remained fixt Psal 44. Ps 119.112 firm and immoveable in the ways of the Lord and doubtless such souls as are truly good they will be good in the worst of times and in the worst of places and amongst the worst of persons Principles of grace and holiness 1 John 3.9 Hos 6.4 they are lasting yea everlasting they are not like the Morning-cloud nor the early dew Let times and places and persons be what they will a sincere Christian will not dishonour his God nor change his Master nor quit his ways nor blemish his Profession nor wound his conscience to sleep in a whole skin or to preserve his safety or to secure his liberty and was it not thus with her in the most trying times An upright man is a right man So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jashar is rendred by the Septuagint Judg. 17.6 Gen. 6.9 Rev. 14.4 Rev. 3.4 Job 17.9 He is one that won't be bowed or bent by the sinful customes or examples of the times and places where he lives Let the times be never so dangerous licentious superstitious idolatrous and erroneous yet a sincere plain-hearted Christian will keep his ground and hold on in his way as might be made evident by a cloud of witnesses Heb. 12.1 Ps 125.1 2. The Lawrel keeps its freshness and greenness in the Winter-season a sincere Christian is semper idem let the wind and the world and the times turn which way they will a sincere soul for the main wiâ—l still be the same He will be like Mount Sion which cannot be removed he will stand his ground and hold his own under all changes he is like the Philosophers good man Tetra-gones four-square cast him where you will like a Dye he falls always square and sure so â—â—st a plain-hearted Christian where you will into what company you will and into what condition you will yet still he will fall sure and square for God and godliness let the times be never so sad nor never so bad yet a plain-hearted Christian will still keep close to God and his ways and will rather let all go then let his God go or his Religion go or his Integrity go or Ordinances go Lapidaries tell us of the Chelydonian stone that it will retain its vertue and lustre no longer then it is enclosed in Gold a fit Emblem of an unsound heart who is only good while he is enclosed in golden prosperity safety and felicity An unsound Christian like green Timber shrinks when the Sun of Persecution shines hot upon him the heat of fiery trials cools the courage of unsound Christians but a sincere plain-hearted Christian is like a massie vessel of Gold that keeps its own shape and figure at all times in all places and in all companies when one of the Ancient Martyrs was greatly threatned by his Persecutors he replied There is nothing saith he of things visible nothing of things invisible that I fear I will stand to my Profession of the Name of Christ and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints come on 't what will in these evil days wherein multitudes have turned aside into crooked paths She kept close and constant to the ways of the Lord so long as her natural strength lasted And O that all you her children would make it your business in this as well as in other things to write after your Mothers Copy remembring that if you are not faithful unto death you shall never receive a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 And that if you do not continue to the end that is in well-doing you shall never be saved Matth. 24.13 But Ninthly Imitate her in her high valuations of Jesus Christ what low and little things were her own graces Phil. 3.8 9 10. Mat. 13.44 duties services and mercies when she cast her eye upon Christ when she fell into discourses of Christ Christ was her Summum bonum chiefest good What was all the world to a sight of Christ to a day yea to an houres communion with Christ They are no believers that don't value Jesus Christ above all the world 1 Pet. 2.7 and all things in the world for unto every one that believes he is precious most precious only precious and for ever precious They value him 1 Above their lusts Gal. 5.24 They can pluck out right eyes for Christ and cut off right hands for Christ 2. They value him above the world Witness David Psal 73.25 and Daniel Dan. 6. and the disciples Matth. 19.27 and Moses Heb. 11.25 26. and the primitive Christians and the Martyrs of a later date 3. They value him above their lives Rev. 12.11 They loved not their lives unto the death So Paul Acts 20.22 23 24. Acts 21.13 So the Martyrs 4. They value him above all their Relations If all the World were a lump of Gold said the Dutch Martyr and in my hands to dispose of I would give it to live all my days with my Wife and Children in a Prison but Christ and his Truth is dearer to me then all You have thousands of such instances upon record 5. They value him above their goods Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods So has many thousands since under sharp persecutions 6 They value him above all natural spiritual and acquired excellencies
nearest and dearest Relations might taste that the Lord is gracious that they might all be holy and happy gracious and glorious that they might all have changed hearts renewed natures and sanctified souls That they might all be born again adorned with grace filled with the spirit and fitted for Heaven You know that upon her dying bed she desired me that when she was asleep in Jesus that I would for the advantage of the living especially for your sakes â—ho lay nearest her heart preach on that Psal 34.8 O taste and see that the Lord is good 1 Thes 4.14 The three Sermons that I preached on Psal 37.8 I have been desired to Print but could not answer Friends expectations in that because I had not the Notes by me of what I said upon that Text. Which accordingly I did once and again Now what was her design in this but that every one of you might share with her in the same favour love spirit grace merit righteousness and goodness that her soul had long tasted of There is not a soul that ever have had any saving taste of the Lord and of his goodness but is mighty desirous that others should taste of the same grace and goodness O taste and see that the Lord is good As if David should have said I for my part have seen tasted and experienced much of God and his goodness and never more then in my greatest streights I am loth to eat these heavenly viands and soul-ravishing morsels of contentment alone Come hither all you that fear God Ps 66.16 the words are without a Copulative in the Hebrew venite audite Calv. Come Hearkâ—n Like that Gen. 19.14 It not only imports an Invitation but the affection also of him that speaks and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul Come O come poor souls taste and see with me how good the Lord is how comfortable the embraces of Christ are and how sweet communion with Heaven is We cannot advantage others more then by declaring and communicating unto them our soul-secrets our soâ—l-Experiments All the Saints own it as their duty to glorifie God in their Generation and wherein can they bring more glory to God then in helping souls to Heaven and how can they finde out a readier way to effect this great business then by telling them what God has done for their souls then by making a faithful Narrative of their own conditions by nature and by grace when and how the goodness of the Lord was made known unto them upon a saving account O tell poor wounded sinners what methods of mercy the Lord used to the healing up of your wounds and to the quieting of your consciences that so they may be encouraged to a serious use of all Gospel-means and to a hope of the same grace and goodness of the Lord towards them Heb. 12.14 See my Treatise on this Text. Acts 26.29 Lâ—ke 5.29 O labour more and more to convince others by your experiences that grace is the only way to glory and that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Paul had tasted that the Lord was good and he wish'd that both Agrippa and all that heard him were altogether such as be was except his bonds As soon as Matthew had tasted that the Lord was good he called together an huge multitude of Publicans and others to meet at his house As soon as Philip had tasted of the sweetness of communion with Christ John 1.45 46. he runs to Nathaniel to invite him to Christ saying Come and see No sooner had the Woman of Samaria tasted of Christs living waters but she leaves her water-pot John 4.28 and posts into the City to call out her friends and neighbours to see and taste how good dear Jesus was So those young Converts Zech. 8.21 And the inhabitants of one City shall go to another Vide Pemble in loc Isa 2.2 3 4. saying let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go alse Mic. 4.2 And many Nations shall come and say Come and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for the Law shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Hierusalem These blessed Converts would not come alone but draw others along in company with them to worship the Lord which is lively expressed in a Mimesis or imitation of the encouragements and invitations they should use one to another I will go also every one was as forward for himself as zealous for another O blessed frame of spirit O my friends it is the nature of true grace to be diffusive and communicative Grace can t be conceal'd they that have tasted of divine sweetness cannot chuse but speak of it to others their hearts like bottles of new wine would be ready to burst if they had not vent Grace is like fire in the bones they that have it cannot hide it All the faculties of the sâ—ul and all the members of the body will still be a telling of others that there is a treasure of grace in the soul The blind men that were cured were charged to be silent but they could not hold their peace So here Lilmor behammed We therefore learn that we may teach is a Proverb among the Rabbins And I do therefore lay in and lay up saith the Heathen that I may draw forth again and lay out for the good of many And shall not grace do as much as nature shall not grace do more then nature Well friends this I shall only say that the frequent counsels thaâ— your glorified Mother have given you to taste of divine goodness and the experiences that she has communicated to you of her taste of divine goodness both in her health and sickness both in her living and dying will certainly either be for you or else be a dreadful witness against you in the great day of our Lord Jesus O remember not only these experiences of hers that are now presented to your eyes but those other experiences of hers as to her inward man that has often sounded in your ears But Lastly labour to imitate her in her comfortable passage out of this world Those words were more worth then a world which she uttered a little before she fell asleep in the Lord viz. Lord take my aking head and lay it in thy bosome How often did she express her longings to be with Christ that she might sin nor sorrow no more her outward man was full of pain weakness and trouble yet how was her inward man refresh'd and quieted in a way of believing according to that blessed Word In all my visits of her my hardest task was still to work her into a willingness to stay in this world till all her doing and her suffering wâ—rk was over Isa 26.3 Thou
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