O praise the Lord for his mercies for hee hath brought me out of darkenes Esa 27.1 Psalm 103.1.2.3.4 and the shadow of death hee hath deliuered my soule from the snare of the hunter and hath taken me out of the den of Lions euen from the iawes of Leuiathan that piercing and crooked serpent and hath set me in a place of rest and sweete refreshing Oh praise the Lord O my soule all that is within me 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 mercie and compassion This she often repeated And then againe remembring the 21. and 22. verses of the 17. of Iohn shee said O my sweete Sauiour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father And wilt thou glorifie mee with that glorie which thou haddest with the father before the world was And dost thou so loue mee which am but dust and ashes to make me partaker of glorie with Christ What am I poore wretch that thou art so mindfull of me Psal 144.3 Psal 8.4 Oh how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull is thy loue Oh thy loue is vnspeakeable that hast dealt so gratiouslie with me 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 holie one of Israel the God of all consolations And thus for the space of fiue houres together at the least shée 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 swéete sentences and sugred phrases of perfect and holy eloquence as the truth thereof if it could haue been taken were admirable continuing so many houres together some part whereof was this Oh my Lord oh my God blessed bee thy name for euermore which hast shewed me the path of life Esa 54.8 Thou didst O Lord hide thy face from me for a little season but with euerlasting mercie 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 fulnes of ioy and abundance of consolations O blessed be thy name O Lord my God Then shée repeated part of the 16. Psalme saying The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance wherefore my heart is glad Psal 16.59.11 and my tongue reioyceth Thou wilt shew me the path of life In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Oh that I could therefore praise the Lord as hee is worthie to be 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 Iudges 5.3 O helpe me to praise the Lord. And with that she began to sing the third Psalme and continued to the end of the Psalme as perfectly and with as sweete a voice 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 hee hath filled me with ioy and gladnes of heart and brought me from the gates of hell and of death repeating that of the 16. Psalme Psal 16.6 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 sweete and pleasant Oh how pleasant is the sweete perfume of the place where I lie Exod. 30.23 It is sweeter then Aarons composed perfume of principall spices how comfortable is the sweetnes I feele Reuel 8.4 It is like that odour that proceeds from the golden censor that delights my soule The taste is precious doe you not feele it Oh so sweete it is yea sweeter then myrrhe the hony or the hony combe Let me therefore sing againe and againe vnto my Lord and my God Then she did sing the nineteenth Psalme beginning at the seuenth verse How perfect is the law of God c. and so on to the end of the same And after that spirituall reioycing in singing of Psalmes she then prayed vnto God faithfully and praised the Lord againe ioyfully And being still full of these and such like heauenly consolacions she did sing againe most hearthly vnto the praise of God the 136. Psalme Praise yee the Lord for hee is good for his mercie endureth for euer c. In which Psalme for his mercie endureth for euer is 26. times repeated A Christian friend comming in at the same time Master William Fox which was about sixe 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 William Brettâ—â—gh William Fox William Woodward whereupon shee then hurst 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 bee wonderfull they bee wonderfull And after that shee prayed for increase of faith and that God would strengthen her against tentations with continuall crauing of cemission of sins euer meditating of heauenly matters as by her sudden and often breaking out into heauenly speeches and praises did appeare for the same euening she lying still and silent for a while William Fox one prayed her to remember the Lord Iesus and that shee would in her heart pray for constancie in her ioyfull course whereupon shee answered with a delightsome and cheerefull countenance and comfortable voyce Psal 27.1.3 Oh said she so I doe for the Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare Though an host pitch against me yet my heart shall not bee afraid for the Lord hath said Deut. 4.31 I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Indeed I should vtterly haue fainted Psal 27.13 Psal 108.1 but that I beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing And now my heart is readie my heart is readie and prepared yea it panteth after thee O God as the Hart brayeth after the riuers of water Psal 42.1.2 so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When Lord William Brettergh 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 bee done dispose of me to thine owne glorie I am thine Lord work
thy blessed pleasure and good will vpon me And after this she fell into a short slumber and awaking said as the spouse said vnto Christ in the Canticles Oh come kisse me with the kisse of thy mouth Cant. 1.1 for thy loue is better then wine Oh how sweete the kisses of my Sauiour bee Then one said vnto her William Fox alluding to that place of S. Iohn Reuel 3.8 and praying that the Lord would anoint her with the eye-salue of his grace that shee might see and behold his glorie To whom she answered Mine eyes are opened mine eyes are opened though for a while they 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 seek thy face Psal 27.8.9 O hide not therfore thy face from me nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure thou hast been my succour leaue me not nor forsake me O God of my saluation And being willed to commit her soule into the hands of Christ she said O Lord Iesus thou hast redeemed me William Brettergh Psal 31.5 William Woodward Matth. 11.25 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 mercies shewed toward her shee further said I giue thee thanks O father Lord of heauen 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 merciful and maruellous gratious art thou vnto me yea Lord I feele thy mercy William Fox I am assured of thy loue so certaine am I therof as thou art the God of truth euen so sure do I know my selfe to be thine O Lord my God Psal 139.10 and this my soule knoweth right wel and this my soule knoweth right wel which spéech of her assurance she oftē repeated Presently after this William Brettergh Iob 19.25.26.27 sitting vp in her chaire she sung the fourth Psalme and then being laid downe againe in her bed shee confidently spake 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 shal behold and though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh with these eyes and none other Master William Harrison William Brettergh William Fox Iohn Brettergh William Woodward Then came in to see her toward euening Master William Harrison the Preacher praising God for her continuance in that her ioyfull and most happie course and perswading her to an helie perseuerance in the same she thanked him and desired him to reioyce in Christ with her and to praise God for his mercies to her and said Oh Master Harrison my soule hath been compassed about with terrors of death feare within feare without the sorrowes of hell were vpon me knots and knorres were vpon my soule which twice or thrice she repeated and a roring wildernes of woe was within me but blessed blessed blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me comfortlesse but like a good shepheard Psal 23.2.3 hath hee brought mee into a place of rest euen no the sweete running waters of life that flow out of the sanctuarie of God and hee hath led me into the greene pastures where I am fed and exceedingly comforted yea he hath restored my soule and lead me into the plaine and easie paths of righteousnes The way that now I goe in is a sweet and easie way strowed with flowers and as a fine sandie way Psal 147.14 yea it is more easie and soft then the sand for I goe and tread vpon wheate euen vpon the finest flower of wheat Oh blessed be the Lord Oh blessed be the Lord that hath thus comforted mee and hath brought mee now to a place more sweete vnto me then the Garden of Eden Oh the ioy the ioy the delightsome ioy that I feele Oh how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull is this ioy O praise the Lord for his mercies and for this ioy which my soule feeleth full well praise his name for euermore And these praises of God she sounded foorth William Brettergh William Woodward like Dauids harmonie being indued with Dauids spirit to the praise of the eternall and mercifull God continuing al night in such like prayers and praises to God except some smal time that shée was silent and quiet Master Harrison prayed twice with her that euening as also in the morning being Whitsunday After he had prayed once with her going then toward his publike charge she sent for him to pray once more with her before hee went which hee did to the ioy and gladnesse of heart both of her and al that were present and so he tooke leaue of her and departed Another faithfull man or two came presentlie in that morning and diuers others well affected M. Edward Aspinwall William Fox William Brettergh Iohn Brettergh William Woodward Mistris Maud Brettergh Mistris Scholastica Fox Elizabeth Challoner and diuers moe Psal 30.10.11.12 who were with her at the time of her death and often prayed with her that forenoone shée still abounding in spiritual comforts and consolations somtimes as one awaking out of sleepe shée would say the Lord was her keeper and deliuerer Againe one saying vnto her the Lord blesse you Yea saith shée and the Lord Iesus blesse vs all And so seeming to sleepe a little while and awaking againe she said Lord I trust in thee haue mercy vpon me giue me strēgth to praise thee defend and preserue me in the houre of tentation and lay no more vpon me then thou wilt inable me to beare Afterwards being asked if she would haue thē ioyne in praier together again with her O yes said she for Christs sake I desire it saying thus to her selfe Heare O Lord and haue mercie vpon me Lord bee thou my helper Thou hast loosed my sacke and girded me with gladnesse therfore will I praise thee O Lord my God I will giue thankes to thee for euermore With that all that were present did ioyne in prayer with her and in conclusion vsing the Lords prayer which she said with them to thine is the kingdome her strength then being gone her tongue failed her and so shee lay silent for a while euery one iudging her then to bee neere death her strength and speech failing her yet after a while lifting vp her eyes with a sweete countenance and still voyce said Esa 40.2 Psal 73.25.26 My warrefare is accomplished and my iniquities are pardoned Lord whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue none in earth but thee my flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer He that preserueth Iacob and defendeth his Israel hee is my God and will guide me vnto death guide me O Lord my God and suffer me not to faint but keepe my soule in safetie And with that she presently fell asleepe in the Lord passing away in peace without any motion of bodie at all and so yeelded vp the Ghost a sweete Sabbaths sacrifice about foure of the clocke in the afternoone of Whitsunday being the last of May 1601. This was the death of that vertuous Gentlewoman happilie dying in the Lord and reaping the benefit of a holie profession Wherein wee cannot but acknowledge and reuerence the mercie of God who in our greatest infirmity makes his grace to shine most cléerely A sure testimonie of the truth of our profession seruing to incourage vs therein and to moue vs to a godlie life It must néedes bee a diuine Religion and a true comming from God that thus can fill the heart and mouth of a weake woman at the time of death with such admirable comfort And a wretched conceite and meere Antichristian is that religion which so hateth and persecuteth this faith which is thus able to leade the true-hearted professors thereof with such vnspeakeable peace vnto their graues Her Funerall was accomplished at Childwall Church on Wednesday following being the third of Iune And now for conclusion seeing this blessed Gentlewoman is taken from among vs and receiued into the holy habitations of the heauenly Ierusalem there to remaine in ioy glorie and blessednes for euermore let vs lament for our lesse but reioice for her gaine and let vs pray that in heart we could as willingly wish to be with her as she is now vnwilling to be with vs. Solomon saith The memorie of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prou. 10.7 FINIS
and tongue of this blessed Gentle woman at her death with such heauenly comforts is the doctrine of Christ reuealed from heauen that wee might liue and die in it From Tuesday Pl till Whitian-eeuen her comfort still incereased and tentations vanished away She would then very chearefully ioyne with the company in prayer and singing Psalmes as occasion offered Iohn Bruen Esquire William Brettergh William Fox Iohn Brettergh William Woodward Iohn Holland Maud Brettergh Scholastica Fox 1. Pet. 4.17.18 Iohn Holland William Brettergh William Woodward and performed all such duties as were méet for her in that estate One day her brother M. Iohn Bruen of Bruenstapleford came from his house in Cheshire to visit her and 〈…〉 some kind salutation passed betwéene them he 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 she answered as one that was also very ready in the Scriptures with the very next words following True it is and if it begin at vs and the righteous shall scarce be saued where shal 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 hart set to séek the things belonging to the kingdam of Christ During this time in the night with such as waked with her she would pray and rehearse for her comfort many texts of Scripture and namely the 8. to the Romanes many times concluding and closing vp that shée read or repeated with prayer and most comfortable vses and applications thereof to her selfe with shew of such ioy and comfort that the hearers reioyced at it When n = * Richar Orme Iohn Holland William Brettergh William Woodward William Fox Reuel 21.6 William Brettergh William Fox Psal 119.71.72 William Brettergh shée receiued any meat shee prayed God not onely to sanctifie those creatures for her bodilie 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 freelie 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 me that I haue bin afflicted that I may learne thy statutes The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer Another time she called her husband to her and said O husband beware of Papistrie keepe your selfe holy before the Lord Yeeld not to the abominations of the wicked lest they reioyce and so you dishonour God and destroy your owne soule Againe she said Let my little child be brought vp among the children of God Maud Brettergh and in the true feare and knowledge of his Maiestie so shall I meet her in heauen whom now I must leaue behind me on earth Again William Brettergh Rom. 8.15 William Fox sometime shée would pray with a low voice to her selfe and that saying of Paul We haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare any more but the spirit of adoption whereby we crie 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 shée spend the whole time of her sickenes after the Lord had once enlarged her heart from the tentations of Satan But vpon Saturday about eleuen of the clocke in the morning May 30. the Lord disclosed himselfe in mercy to her more plentifully then euer before and as I may say he dealt famlliarly with his handmaid for from that time to her very death which ensued the next day the féeling of Satans tentations séemed quite to be banished from her so that she made no shew of them her thoughts were not occupied with the world husband child or any thing else to our thinking neither was her sickenes trouble some to her as before it had been but as one raised from death to life or rauished in spirit so séemed shée to vs that stood by her countenance ioyfull her tongue flowing with the praises of God and her voice as most heauenly musicke and melodie of peace sounding praise and honour and glorie to God in a wonderfull manuer as followeth About eleuen of the clocke shée began to tremble and quake a little William Brettergh Maud Brettergh Elizabeth Challoner and withall shée asked her husband it hée would helpe her with prayer to God against the tempter saying Will ye neither pray with mée nor bring some godlie man that may put holy things into my mind whereby I may bée able to resist Satan Hauing thus said shee vttered these words O Lord God of my saluation helpe my weaknesse pleade thou my cause O God of truth for in thee do I trust After this they prayed together and she answered Amen to euery petition Then after this she required him to reade some part of the Scripture whereupon hee read vnto her the 8. to the Romanes the 91. Psalme and the 17. of Iohn the which as he read and came to the 4. verse I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to do and now glorifie me she desired him to pause a while then said Blessed be thy name O blessed Sauiour perfect the worke I humblie 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 doest thou pray for me O blessed and sweet Sauiour how wonderfull how wonderfull how wonderfull are thy mercies Read on said she the blessedst reading that euer I heard the comfort whereof doth sweeten my soule Then reading verse the 22. And the glorie which thou gauest mee I haue giuen them that they may bee one as we are one with maruellous ioy she vttered the words of Dauid many times ouer Psal 107.8.9 I confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes and his wonderful works before the sonnes of men for he hath satisfied my soule and filled my hungry soule with goodnes 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 glorie which thou hast giuen me Stay said she and let me meditate on the goodnes of the Lord for this is the swéetest 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 mercie is spread ouer me Oh happie am I that euer I was borne to see this blessed day Praise praise