to haue made them her dayly meditation For the things of this world shee was moderate and sober and by her Christian life and death shee might teach many Gentlewomen how vaine the pleasures and fashions of this World are and how farre vnable to bring that peace to a distressed heart that the embracing of true Religion can Shee used not to gaâ— abroad with wandring Diâ—ah to â—â—ncing grâ—enes markets or publike assemblies but rather with Hannah did chuse to tread vpon the dust of the Sanctuary and walke in the waies of Sion yea with Dauid rather to be a doore-keeper in the house of God than to haue society with the wicked or to dwell in the tents and tabernacles of the vngodly The Sabbath day was alwaies deere and welcome to her what time shee would not be without the Word preached though many times she went farre for it Her delight was still to consecrate it glorious to the Lord. And as it is said of Iosiah his heart melted when hee heard the Law so may it be said of her her heart was so tender and full of compassion that oftentimes she was scene to heare Sermons reade pray and meditate with teares Shee made conscience of all slaue yea of the least sinne such as worldlings count no sinne shee neuer vsed to sweare oath great nor small nor yet to abuse her tongue with vaine or vnseemely speeches no not so much as a iest-lye or immodest word neither durst shee name the Name of GOD or take his titles in her mouth without great reuerence In priuate speech where shee might speake with profit shee did it so well that her speeches might haue beene deliuered by a stronger vessell then her selfe her words being so well seasoned and proceeding from such a sanctified heart did alwaies minister grace to the hearers To reade to pray to sing to meditate was her dayly exercise and her chiefest delight was in the holy society of the Saints vpon earth which I say not for any cause but only to shew the fountaine from whence her godly end flowed and that the World may see some there be which chuse rather to bee ioyned with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and these I doubt not haue chosen the better part Finally the precepts of the Lord were precious vnto her for from her childehood she feared God and walked before him both knowledge and sanctification did ioyne in her the fruites and effects whereof did appeare in her life and was seene at her death to the glory of God and comfort of all beholders She was not like the simple Popish women of our dayes which are euer learning and neuerable to come to the knowledge of the truth but rather like the Noble men and women of Berea which receiued the Word of God with readinesse and were able to discerne of Paul and Silas preaching But why doe I speake of Popish women whose vnderstandings are darker than the darkenesse of Egypt Let vs come and examine many other which seeme to detest Poperie and aske them a reason of their faith they can tell you a tale of their ruffes and their pride and their vanity but for Religion it is the least thing they regard or seeke to know which I speake not so much to solace my selfe in the sinnes and simplicitie of others as earnestly desiring all Gentlewomen that either knew this holy Saint of God or hereafter shall heare of her in stead of your glasses at home wherein you pricke and prune and pinne your selues to looke into this glasse before your eyes that so her life and death may bee an example for you to follow When she was about twenty yeeres old by the consent of her selfe and her friends she was married to a young Lancashire Gentleman Master William Brettergh of Bretterghoult neere Liuerpoole one that likewise embraced Religion sincerely and for the same indured many grieuances at the hands of Papists Two yeeres and more she liued after she was married and had issue onely one daughter during which time this couple liued together in such mutuall ioy and comfort as well beseemed the children of God which make profession of his truth And although this Gentlewomen came from the inhabitants of Abraham to dwell in Sodome amidst the tents of Kedar that is to say among inhumane hands of bruâ—ish Papists induring many temporall grieuances from them yet her knowledge patience milde inclination and constancie for the truth was such as that her husband was farther builded vp in Religion by her meanes and his face dayly more and more hardened against thâ— deuill and all his plaguie agents the Popish Recusants Church Papists prophane Atheists and carnall Protestants which swarmed together like â—ornets in those parts It is not vnknowne to Lancashire what Horses and Cattell of her husbands were killed vpon his grounds in the night most barbarouslie at two seuerall times by Sâ—miâ—ary Priests no question and Recusants that lurked thereabouts And what a lâ—sse and hinderance it was vnto him being all the stocke hee had on his grounds to any purpose This fell out not long after shee was married to him yet this was so farre from dismaying her or working such passions in her as are common to her sex that shee rather rejoyced then sorrowed turning it into matter of praising God and submitting her selfe to his good prouidence Oft shee would haue said It is good that such things bee but woe bee to them that doe them It is good in God thereby to chasten his children and preuent some sinne which he saw vs like to fall into It is good in respect of Gods Church that the weake may be confirmed in the truth and that Papistry may bee disgraced when the World shall see such wickednesse flow from it It is good in GOD that so the wicked may bee without excuse at the day of iudgement when their conscience shall tell them that howsoeuer GOD suffers them to doe such villanie for some iust cause knowne to himselfe yet they commit it only of malice and reuenge Oftentimes also in these vexations shee would haue said the mercies of God are infinite who doth not onely by his Word but also by his Justice make vs fit for his Kingdome Little doe our enemies know what good by these things they doe vnto vs and what wracke they bring to their owne Kingdome while they seâ— forth the wickednesse thereof Many times shee would pray that God would forgiue them which had done them this hurt and send them repentance and shee would call vpon her husband that hee would doe the like and blesse them that cursed him And for feare lest her husband should faile in that point through infirmity and weakenesse as it is said of Iob who offered sacrifice for his sonnes lest peraduenture they should sinne and blaspheme God in their hearts so shee neuer failed but dayly prayed vnto the
so you dishonour God and destroy your owne soule Againe shee said Let my little Childe bee brought vp among the Children of God and in the true feare and knowledge of his Maiesty so shall I meete her in heauen whom now I must leaue behinde me on earth Againe sometime she would pray with a low voyce to her selfe and that saying of Paul Wee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare any more but the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba father was much in her mouth and the last words Abba father she would double oftentimes ouer She would sing to her selfe the last verse of the 13. Psalme I will giue thankes vnto the Lord and praises to him sing Because he hath heard my request and granted my wishing Finally in these and such like exercises and meditations did she spend the whole time of her sicknesse after the Lord had once enlarged her heart from the tentations of Satan But vpon Saturday about eleuen of the clocke in the morning the Lord disclosed himselfe in mercy to her more plentifully than euer before and as I may say hee dealt familiarly with his handmaid for from that time to her very death which ensued the next day the feeling of Satans tentations seemed quite to be banished from her so that she made no shew of them her thoughts were not occupied with the world husband childe or any thing else to our thinking neither was her sickenesse troublesome to her as before it had beene but as one raised from death to life or rauished in spirit so seemed shee to vs that stood by her countenance ioyfull her tongue flowing with the praises of God and her voyce as most heauenly musicke and melody of peace sounding praise and honour and glory to God in a wonderfull manner as followeth About eleuen of the clocke shee began to tremble and quake a little and withall shee asked her husband if he would helpe her with prayer to God against the tempter saying will yee neither pray with me nor bring some godly man that may put holy things into my minde whereby I may bee able to resist Satan hauing thus said shee vttered these words O Lord God of my saluation helpe my weaknesse plead thou my cause O God of truth for in thee doe I trust After this they prayed together and shee answered Amen to euery petition Then after this shee required him to reade some part of the Scripture whereupon hee read vnto her the 8. to the Romans the 91. Psalme and the 17. of Iohn the which as he read and came to the fourth verse I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe and now glorifie me She desired him to pause a while and then said Blessed be thy name O blessed Sauiour perfect the worke I humbly beseech thee which thou hast begun in me Then as he read the 9. verse I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast giuen me for they are thine she interrupted him againe saying O Lord Iesu dost thou pray for me O blessed and sweet Sauiour How wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull are thy mercies Reade on said shee the blessedst reading that I euer heard the comfort whereof doth sweeten my soule Then reading verse the 22. And the glorie which thou gauest me I haue giuen them that they may be one as we are one With maruellous ioy she vttered the words of Dauid many times ouer I confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men for hee hath satisfied my soule and filled my hungry soule with goodnesse When he came to the 24. verse Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen mee Stay said shee and let mee meditate on the goodnesse of the Lord for this is the sweetest saying that euer came to my soule for now I perceiue and feele the countenance of Christ my redeemer is turned towards me and the bright-shining beames of his mercy is spread ouer me Oh happie am I that euer I was borne to see this blessed day Praise O praise the Lord for his mercies for hee hath brought mee out of darkenesse and the shadow of death he hath deliuered my soule from the snare of the hunter aâ—â— hath taken me out of the denne of Lions euen from the iawes of Leuiathan that piercing and crooked serpent and hath set me in a place of rest and sweet refreshing Oh praise the Lord O my soule all that is within mee praise his holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities which hath redeemed thy life from the graue and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion This shee often repented And then againe remembring the 21. and 22. verses of the 17. of Iohn shee said O my sweet Sauiour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father And wilt thou glorifie mee with that glory which thou haddest with the Father before the world was And doest thou so loue me which am but dust and ashes to make me partaker of glory with Christ What am I poore wretch that thou art so mindefull of me Oh how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull is thy loue Oh thy loue is vnspeakable that hast dealt so graciously with mee oh I feele thy mercies and oh that my tongue and heart were able to sound forth thy praises as I ought and as I willingly would doe oh that you all would helpe me to praise the holy one of Israel the God of all consolations And thus for the space of fiue houres together at the least she continued praising and lauding the Lord with such a gladsome and heauenly countenance testifying such inward ioy from a comfortable feeling of the mercies of God in her soule and vsing such sweet sentences and sugred phrases of perfect and holy eloquence as the truth thereof if it could haue beene taken were admirable continuing so many houres together some part whereof was this O my Lord oh my God blessed bee thy name for euermore which hast shewed me the path of life Thou didst O Lord hide thy face from me for a little season but with euerlasting mercy thou hast had compassion on me And now blessed Lord thy comfortable presence is come yea Lord thou hast had respect vnto thy handmaid and art come with fulnesse of ioy and abundance of consolations O blessed be thy name O Lord my God Then shee repeated part of the 16. Psalme saying The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth Thou wilt shew mee the path of life In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Oh that I could therefore praise the Lord as he is worthy to be
Lord to sanctifie her husbands thoughts and direct his heart aright onely to seeke Gods glory without either desire of reuenge or satisfying his owne affections So humble was her spirit so carefull to auoide and preuent sinne both in her selfe and others and so milde of nature that as Iacob with his mildenesse softned the malicious heart of Esau his brother and Dauid by his kindenesse in the caue changed the fury of Saul into weeping and confession that Dauid was more righteous than hee so shee by her meekenesse humility and vnspotted carriage in the World forced some of the aduersaries to religion to speake well of her For her life shee was well reported of all that knew her Pitifull and bountifull was shee to the poore and slacked no opportunity to doe good wherein she could but constantly held her course and kept her times of praying reading and meditating wherein shee had plentifull gifts and contiuuasly used the same at such times as were fitting for her estate sex and calling At the exercises of Religion as prayer and instruction in her family she would not be wanting besides priuate prayer and meditation which she omitted not but vsed dayly both in her chamber as also abroad secretly and solitarily in the Orchard Garden or Fields as Isacks manner was In reading the Scriptures shee vsed euermore to taske her selfe eight Chapters a day at the least and for the time which shee saw euill or idlely spent without doing some good shee vsed to call the time of tentation Many times also she would read some godly writer or expositor of Scripture or in the booke of Martyrs and was seene to weepe most bitterly when either she had read of that which touched her affections neere or of the cruell Martyrdome which the deere Children of God were put vnto by the cruell and wicked tyrants of former dayes For Popery she saw it so grosse and foolish that she would not once name it except it were to argue against it but neuer for it so zealous was shee of Gods glory and loued the truth so entirely that shee would not once open her mouth to plead for Baal Sinne aboue all things was hatefull vnto her for thereat shee would haue grieued as well when shee had seene it in others as in her selfe One or two examples I cannot omit wherein shee bewrayed a worthy spirit sanctified by the Spirit of God and prepared for all the assaults of Satan On a time as her husband and shee were riding toward the Church he was angry with his man Alas husband quoth shee I feare your heart is not right towards God that can be thus angry for a trifle And weeping shee said further you must pray against this your affection and alwayes bee sure your anger bee of God for else how dare you appeare this day before his Minister And offer vp your prayers in the publike congregregation of the saints of God Another time a Tenant of her husbands being behinde with his rent shee desired him to beare yet with him a quarter of a yeere which he did and when the man brought his mony with teares she said to her husband I feare you doe not well to take it of him though it be your right for I doubt he is not well able to pay it and then you oppresse the poore So great a compassion had shee of other mens wants that all things being duely considered and rightly weighed methinks I may say of her as Paul said of Timothie I know none like minded Thus after she was married shee continued in the things shee had learned and held her profession with much sincerity that the common enemies to our religion the very Papists had nothing to say against her but confessed her life was vnreprooueable And as for the godly that knew her they alwayes acknowledged that modesty and vertuous carriage in her ioyned with knowledge and practise of all the duties of religion that they had lust cause to report of her as of a sound and faithfull professor of the Gospell Two yeeres and something more shee liued with her husband till about 〈◊〉 it pleased God to send her that sicknesse whereof on Whitsonday 1601. she died Her sickenesse tooke her in the manner of a hot burning Ague which made her according to the nature of such diseases now and then to talke somewhat idely and through the tempters subtilty which abused the infirmity of her body to that end as hee oftentimes useth to doe in many from idle words to descend into a heauie conflict with the infirmity of her owne spirit from the which yet the Lord presently and wonderfully deliuered her giuing so ioyfull an issue to the tentation that shee might well vse the words of the Prophet as afterwards she did For a moment O Lord thou diddest hide thy face from mee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy thou hadst compassion on me On Saturday seuen-night before Whitsonday what time she sickened she began to feele some little infirmity and weakenesse of faith more than shee had wont to shew but shee soone ouercame it On Munday night it encreased vpon her and the assault of the enemie began to be sharpe and so continued till the next day at afternoone what time God deliuered her and sent her peace and comfort of conscience and so encreased the same in her continually till shee died The manner of her affliction was this First the seuerity of Gods iustice and the greatnesse of her sinnes began to come into her minde which much afflicted her and shee would often speake of it Then shee accused her selfe of pride that shee had delighted to much in her selfe and her beauty Afterwards she thought she had no faith but was full of hypocrisie and had not embraced religion so earnestly nor glorified God so worthily especially with her tongue which oft she repeated nor loued him so sincerely as she ought to haue done Sometime she would cast her Bible from her and say It was indeed the booke of life but shee read the same vnprofitably and therefore feared it was become to her the booke of death Sometimes she would say her sinnes had made her a prey to Satan a spectacle to the world a disgrace to religion and a shame to her husband kindred and all true Christians and here she would weepe bitterly Sometime the originall corruption wherein she was borne troubled her and the sinnes of her parents and the common parents of all the eaters of the forbidden fruit as if that had made her vnworthy of God and were then laid to her charge Many times shee accused her selfe of impatience bewailing the want of feeling Gods Spirit and making doubt of her election and such like infirmities She wisâ—â—d that she had neuer been borne or that shee had been made any other creature rather than a woman She cried out oftentimes Woe woe woe c. a weake a wofull 〈◊〉
them and the terrors of the almighty have fought against them They haue had no peace in their soules nor comfort in their consciences their prayers have beene shut from God their sinnes haue beene terrible vnto them crying that their iniquities had gone ouer their heads and were a burden too heavy for them to beare And they have thought themselues spectacles of shame and reproch and as monsters vnto men They were grieved for the sinnes of their parents and complained that they were desolate forsaken and most miserable and wretched in the world yet for all this were they still the deare children of God as you are this day Nay saith hee I pray you consider what corments God inflicted vpon his deare Sonne on the Crosse did hee not cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He complained that his soule was heavie vnto death yet was he heard in that which he feared and God deliuered him After this hee read vnto her the 22. Psalme wherein Dauid complained partly of his owne but principally of the most bitter anguish which our Sauiour Christ endured and suffered in body and soule putting her in minde that her case was not so bad as Davids not much vnlike our Sauiours who endured all that and more for her and therefore she had no cause to feare seeing Christ had obtained victory and would vndoubtedly bee with her deliuer her and eternally glorifie her with himselfe for euermore and so continually hee propounded to her such comfortable places of Scripture as might meete with her infirmities This greatly refreshed her and gaue her occasion many times to call vpon God for increase of grace and deliuerance from her grieuous temptations The which God of his accustomed goodnesse vouchsafed on Tuesday about three a clocke in the afternoone what time shee felt her selfe in very good measure deliuered from all her former feares and afflictions But on Saturday next after which was the day before her death shee was wholly released and filled with such inward comfort that it greatly affected vs that saw it This is the summe of that temptation which she had wherein what can any man see that might giue iust occasion to report our religion comfortlesse or the Gentlewoman died despairing This we are sure of that to be without temptation is the greatest temptation as also that nothing â—esell her which hath not befallen the holiest of the children of God And shee that considered her owne corruption which how great it is in the best of Gods Saints I need not say and bethought her selfe of the punishment due thereunto if God in iustice should reward her no maruell if she brake out sometime into heauie complaints I make no question it was the worke of God in her to suffer Satan to accuse her and afflict her for her sinnes that so shee might the better see them and consider the haâ—nousnesse of them and before her departure repent her of them and betake her wholly to Christ for the sauing of her soule And if it pleased God thus to make her possesse her sins before she died let those which neuer yet knew the weight of their sinnes 〈…〉 e wise in time and remember that hee shall neuer haue his sinne forgiuen which first or last doth not vndergoe a holy despaire for it and acknowledge nothing to remaine in himselfe but matter of iudgement and condemnation and comfort and eternall life to flow alone from Iesus Christ. And as for those which haue learned to scoffe at the terrors of Gods children and to censure such as are at sometimes cast downe with feeling the anger of God against sinne let them consider the blessed issue that God gaue to the troubles of this Gentlewoman and let them acknowledge his worke in her And if they will not doe this but proceed to traduce the dead then let them call to minde those of the Popish crue and persons of greater note among them than this Gentlewoman was which haue died most fearefully indeed Cardinall Sadelot Iacobus Latomus the Diuinity Reader at Louaine Hoâ—mester the Frier Guarlacus Bomâ—lius Crescentius the Cardinall Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and diuers the bloudy persecutors in Queene Maries time and some of the Popes themselues as namely Pope Sixâ—us Quintus of late yeeres all which died most fearefully and miserably and shewed manifest signes at their death that their popish superstition was the condemnation of their soules And if they will iudge of my religion by my death let them acknowledge their religion is the doctrine of desperation and that the truth and faith which was able to fill the heart and toâ—â—ue of this blessed Gentlewoman at her death with such heauenly comforts is the doctrine of Christ reuealed from heauen that wee might liue and dye in it From Tuesday till Whitson euen her comfort still increased and temptations banished away Shee would thâ—â— very chearefully ioyne with the company in prayer and singing Psalmes as occasion offered and performed all such duties as was meet foâ— her in that estate One day her brother Master Iohn Breuen of Breuenstapleford came from his house in Cheshire to visit her and after some kinde salutation passed betweene them hee said vnto her Sister be not dismaied at your troubles but remember what the Apostle saith that iudgement must begin at the house of God To whom shee answered as one that was also very readie in the Scriptures with the very next words following True it is and if it begin at us and the righteous shall scarce be saued where shall the sinners and vngodly appeare After that she prayed with him and sung a Psalme with him as one that receiued great comfort by him and acknowledged in him a heart set to seeke the things belonging to the Kingdome of Christ. During this time in the night with such as waked with her shee would pray and rehearse for her comfort many texts of Scripture and namely the 8. to the Romans many times concluding and closing vp that she read or repeated with prayer and most comfortable bles and applications thereof to her selfe with shew of such ioy and comfort that the hearers reioyced at it When she receiued any meate shee prayed God not onely to sanctifie those creatures for her bodily sustenance but also to fill her soule with the waters of life often repeating that of the Reuelation To him that thirsteth will I giue of the waters of life freely One time she tooke her Bible in her hand and ioyfully kissing it and looking vp toward Heauen she said that of the Psalme O Lord it is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes The law of thy mouth is better to mee than thousands of gold and siluer Another time shee called her husband to her and said O Husband beware of Papistry keepe your selfe holy before the Lord Yeeld not to the abomination of the wicked lest they reioyce and
praised I will sing to the Lord I will sing to the praise of the God of Israel come come saith she and helpe me O helpe me to praise the Lord. And with that shee began to sing the third Psalme and continued to the end of the Psalme as perfectly and with as sweet a voyce as euer she had before in her health and concluded with the 49. verse of the 106. Psalme The Lord the God of Israel be blest for euermore Let all the people say Amen praise ye the Lord therefore And after this she said O praise the Lord for he hath filled mee with ioy and gladnesse of heart and brought me from the gates of hell and of death repeating that of the 16. Psalme My line is fallen vnto me in a pleasant place yea I haue a faire heritage for the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance The place where I now am is sweet and pleasant oh how pleasant is the sweet perfume of the place where I lye It is sweeter than Aâ—rons composed perfume of principall spices how comfortable is the sweetnesse I feele it is like that odour that proceeds from the golden censer that delights my soule The taste is precious doe you not feele it Oh so sweet it is yea sweeter than myâ—â—h the hony or the hony combe Let me therefore sing againe and againe vnto my Lord and my God Then she did sing the 19. Psalme beginning at the 7. verse How perâ—ect is the Law of God c. and so on to the end of the same And after that spirituall reioycing in singing of Psalmes shee then prayed vnto God faithfully and praysed the Lord againe ioyfully And being still full of these and such like heauenly consolations she did sing againe most hartily vnto the praise of God the 136. Psalme Praise ye the Lord for he is good for his mercy indureth for euer c. In which Psalme for his mercy endureth for euer is 26. times repeated A Christian friend comming in at the same time which was about six of the clocke in the euening maruelling to see her exceeding ioyes and heauenly harmonie wherein she continued with such words and phrases that were so spirituall prayed for the continuance of the same vnto the end whereupon she then burst out relating further of her ioyes saying Oh the ioyes the ioyes the ioyes that I feele in my soule oh they be wonderfull they be wonderfull they be wonderfull And after that shee prayed for increase of faith and that God would strenghthen her against tentations with continuall crauing of remission of sinnes euer meditating of heauenly matters as by her sudden and often breaking out into heauenly speeches and phraises did appeare for the same euening shee lying still and silent for a while One prayed her to remember the Lord Jesus and that shee would in her heart pray for constancy in her ioyfull course whereupon shee answered with a delightsome and cheerefull countenance and comfortable voyce Oh said shee so I doe for the Lord is my light and my salvation whom then shall I feare Though an host pitch against me yet my heart shall not be afraid for the Lord hath said I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Indeed I should verily haue fainted but that I beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing And now my heart is ready my heart is ready and prepared yea it panteth after thee O God as the Hart braieth after the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When Lord when shall I come and appeare before thy presence c. Saying then further Lord sith it hath pleased thee to prepare my heart whether to life or death thy will be done dispose of me to thine owne glory I am thine Lord worke thy blessed pleasure and good will vpon me And after this shee fell into a short slumber and awaking said as the Spouse said vnto Christ in the Canticles Oh come kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth for thy loue is better than wine Oh how sweet the kisses of my Sauiour be Then one said vnto her alluding to that place of S. Iohn Reuel 3. 8. and praying that the Lord would annoint her with the eye-salue of his grace that shee might see and behold his glory To whom she answered Mine eyes are opened mine eyes are opened though for a while thy were closed vp and shut yet now I thanke my God mine eyes are opened and I doe feele and see the euerliuing mercies of my Christ saying then further as it is in the 27. Psalme Thou saidst seeke my face my heart answered to thee O Lord I will seeke thy face O hide not therefore thy face from me nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure thou hast beene my succour leaue me not nor for sake me O God of my saluation And being wiâ—led to commit her soule into the hands of Christ she said O Lord Iesus thou hast redeemed me pleade thou my cause for into thy hands alone doe I commit my spirit O thou God of truth And then feeling more ioy to abound one praising God with her for his great mercies shewed toward her shee further said I giue thee thanks O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto me thy poore handmaid which am but dust and ashes O how mercifull and merueilous gratious art thou vnto me yea Lord I feele thy mercy and I am assured of thy loue and so certaine am I thereof as thou art the God of truth euen so sure doe I know my selfe to bee thine O Lord my God and this my soule knoweth right well and this my soule knoweth right well which speech of her assurance she often repeated Presently after this sitting vp in her chaire she sung the fourth Psalme and then being laid downe againe in her bed shee confidently spâ—ke these words I am sure that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see him at the last day whom I shall see and mine eye shall behold and though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh with these Eyes and none other Then came into see her toward euening Master William Harrison the Preacher praysing God for her continuance in that her ioyfull and most happy course and perswading her to an holy perseuerance in the same shee thanked him and desired him to reioyce in Christ with her and to praise God for his mercies to her and said O Master Harrison my soule hath been compassed about with terrors of death feare within and feare without the sorrowes of hell were vpon me knots and knorres were vpon my soule which twice or thrice she repeated and a roaring wildernesse of woe was within