acquainted with Griefs and after he came into the World in the Holy History of his Life of temptations and miseries he saith I am the Way the Truth and the Life none can come to the Father but by Me and he that climbs up another way is a Thief and a Robber Another Way O Queen Then through his bitter Sufferings a Way indeed that at the first Entrance his Visage seems black and his Form to be without Comliness yet is he the Beloved of our Souls and the Chiefest among Thousands to them that have followed Him through the many Tribulations and have washed their long-suffering Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb These shall walk with me saith He in White for they are worthy for because you have suffered with me therefore shall you Reign with me for evermore saith he that is Holy and True But at the first you know the Learning of any Language or lawful Art it cannot be attained but with great Industry and hard Labour so this inward Exercise of the Soul at the first saith the Prophet She meanng Wisdom will walk with him by crooked ways and bring him into fear and dread and torment him with her Discripline until she have tryed his Soul and hath proved him by her Judgments Then will she return the strait way unto him and comsort him and shew him her secrets and heap upon him the Treasures of Wisdom and the Vnderstanding of Righteousness Oh! This was an experienced Man in the Work of GOD on the Soul this I bear Record is the way of the LORD which He takes to redeem Mankind to Himself out of his fallen State But saith the Prophet if he goes wrong she will forsake him and give him over to his Destruction Therefore O Queen live for ever in the holy and self-denying Life of Christ for be it known to the Queen when I heard of the vain Pastimes and sinful Pleasures with the Excess of Finery in Richness of Apparel that was at the Court on the Kings Birth Day which was Reported by one of the Ladies at Court to a Lady a near Relation of hers which told me that there was never seen such costly Apparel at the Court. After I heard this and that the Queen went to Plays Oh how was my Soul bowed down before the LORD crying bitterly to the LORD that He would be pleased to forgive the Queens Transgression as hoping it was not in the Queens Inclination but overcome by the Perswasions of others Oh Queen Is this to return Thanks to the most High GOD according to the great Benefits she hath received Is this to Answer the end of her Creation and the King 's safe Return from Ireland Must all the Goodness of GOD and his manifold Favours end here in the Excess of Vanities the Abominations of England as Plays and Dancings the Two grand In-lets to all other Abominations I knew it once to my Sorrow as I could give a large Account thereof the Influence those cursed Vanities as Pride Plays Dancing and Singing had upon me when I was young but in my Youth the LORD had Mercy on me and called me to himself out of all those sinful Pleasures into the Pleasure of Waiting and Attending upon Him who is alone Worthy to have all our precious Time Love and Delights whose Right it is and for that end it was given us to return it with that Increase of Grace that shall never have an end For O Queen Wherein should Youth take pleasure But in seeking a Measure Of Wisdoms saving Treasure And saith Christ seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you But this know O Queen it must be a Heart-breaking seeking that must find the LORD an inward seeking yea more inward than our most inward Parts We must often retire alone as Christ did from the Multitude and inwardly into our own Souls to the Spirit of GOD in us waiting upon the Spirit to receive Power to do the Will of GOD in all things constantly watching against the Out goings of the Mind to any thing but to GOD alone This is waiting at Jerusalem to receive the Promise of the FATHER And in my seeking I have found this to be the Way in which GOD will be found in Here I have found and do sind the Spirit of Prayer and Supplications poured into my Soul here I find my Heart and Mind taken off from all Visibles and set upon GOD alone here I find my heart united to the LORD here I find the height and depth of His Love that hath so fastned me to Him as a Nail is fastned in the sure place so that height nor depth things present or to come shall ever be able to separate me from the Love of GOD which I have received in Christ my LORD who hath given me the Victory over Death Hell and the Grave so that here I can do as my Saviour hath commanded me Love my Enemies and Pray for them that hate me and so not to be overcome with Evil but to overcome the Evil with the Good Glory for ever be given to Thee my Soveraign LORD and to Thy Glorious Power from a Heart rended to pieces before Thee in the sence of Thy Gracious Goodness and boundless Favours Oh! When shall it be that my Tongue shall never cease praising Thee And this was the Way that all the People of the LORD ever sound him in as the Queen may be pleased to search the Scriptures and she shall find what that Holy Prophet Isaiah saith With my Soul have I desired Thee in the night and with my Spirit within me will I seek Thee in the Morning O LORD we have waited for Thee in the Way of thy Judgments The Desires of our Souls is to Thee and unto thy Name Like as a Woman with Child that draweth near to the Time of her Travail is in sorrow and cryeth in her Pains so have we been in thy sight O LORD And David saith The sorrows of Hell hath compassed me about I eat Ashes as my Bread and mingled my Drink with my Tears Besides Time would fail to Mention all the Travels of the Souls of the Righteous But Queen Hesther that Honourable Queen who was worthy of the Dignity she was brought to for that very Act of deep Humiliation who with a holy Zeal and couragious Spirit Commanded Mordecai saying Go and assemble all the Jews in Shushan and fast ye for me and eat not nor drink in three days day nor night I and my Maids will do the same and so will I go to the King which is not according to the Law and if I perish I perish Now see the Effect of this holy Act for it prevailed both with GOD and Man It had Power to change King Ahashuerus's heart from a Lyon's to a Lambs For this kind saith Christ to his Disciples can come out no other way but by Fasting and Prayer And thus shall it be with
TO Queen Mary THE Humble Salutation AND FAITHFUL GREETING OF THE Widow Whitrowe WITH A WARNING TO THE RULERS of the Earth BEFORE The Day of the LORD breaks forth that shall burn as an Oven and all the Wicked and all the Ungodly shall be as Stubble The Mouth of the LORD hath spoken it Printed in the Year 1690. TO Queen MARY THE Humble Salutation AND FAITHFUL GREETING OF THE Widow Whitrowe c. LET QVEEN MARY Live for ever which is the desire of my Soul to GOD for Thee That the Crown of Righteousness Thou mayst Wear and be Adorned with the rich Jewels of Eternal Life which are the Heavenly Vertues of GOD in Christ and in Order thereunto my Humble Request to the Queen is That She may live in the Fear of the LORD that She may be Rich in Good Works that She may take the Apostles Advice to the Primitive Christians after they were called from their Heathenish Ways into that Honourable Proâ—ession of the Christian Life Not fashioning your selves saith he as you did in the former Vanities in the days of your Ignorance but as He that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of your Life and Conversation as it is written Be ye holy for I am holy And take the holy Women in former Ages for your Example Whose Adorning was not that of costly Jewels or rich Attire but the Hidden Man of the Heart that is Christ in you the Hope of Glory And surther saith the Apostle Paul Tim. Chap. 2. Let Men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting Likewise also the Women that they array themselves in comely Apparel with shame-fac'dness and Modesty not with broidred Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Apparel but as becometh Women that professes the Fear of GOD with Good Works This is more O Queen than a pretended out-side Holiness of Bodily Worship and voluntary Humility and those that come no further than to follow the Precepts and Commandments of Men may be vainly puft up in Pride and high-mindedness and then in that Spirit they are no more but as the Apostle saith Silly Women ever learning but never come to the Knowledge of the Truth and this is but the out-ward Court where the worst of Men and Women may come as that Pious Man Bishop Vsher Charged saying Look you be not found in the Out-ward Court but a Worshipper within the Temple before the Altar for saith he Christ will measure all those that profess his Name and call themselves his People and the out-ward Worshippers He will leave out The Out-ward Court saith he is the formal Christian whose Religion lyes in performing the out-side Duty of Christianity c. Let the Queen be pleased to hear this Good Mans humble Confession which he made a little before his Death tho' a Preacher 40 Years before the Rebellion in Ireland to one of his Friends that challeng'd a Promise made by him He Replyed That he had not writ and yet could not charge himself with any Breach of Promise for said he I did begin to write but when I came to write of Sanctification that is of the New Creature which GOD formeth by his Spirit in every Soul which He doth truly regenerate I found so little of it wrought in my self that I could speak of it only as Parrots by Rote and without the Knowledge and Understanding of what I might have express'd and therefore I durst not presume to proceed any further upon it And Added I must tell you we do not well understand what Sanctification and the New Creature is it is no less than for a Man to be brought to an intire Resignation of his Will to the Will of GOD and to live in the Offering up of his Soul continually in the Flames of Love as a whole burnt Offering to Christ And how little says he are many of those who profess Christianity experimentally acquainted with this Work in their Souls A Man worthy of Honour I question not but HE that gave him that sight brought him into a good Measure of the Life thereof before he departed this Life and I heartily wish yea with all my Heart and with all my Soul that the Church of England together with all the rest of the Churches of what sort soever that bears the Name of Christians were in the Life of what this humble Man had the sight of then shall Wars cease when HE comes to Reign whose Right it is GOD over all Blessed for ever Amen Therefore O Queen Live for ever in this Life which this Humble Man had the sight of that is the New Creature born again not of that which is corruptible but of the incorruptible Life of Jesus who said to Nichodemus A Man must be born again before he can enter into the Kingdom of GOD. But this was a Mystery to him For said he How can this be Can a Man enter again into his Mothers Womb So ignorant was he of the Heavenly Life tho' a Ruler in Israel And I wish too too many that are wise in their own eyes be not covered with this Cloud of Ignorance and Errour that whilst they Govern and Teach others they themselves have need to be taught But O Queen live thou for ever in the holy humble and self-denying Life of Christ that a holy Pattern thou mayst be that thy Light may so shine that all may see thy good Works and give Glory to GOD that ever the Queen came into this Nation In Order to this I humbly intreat the Queen That She believe not every Spirit that shall come to her and say It belongs to the Queens Dignity to take State upon her and to go in Rich and Gorgious Attire Know this O Queen That there can be no more said to the Ignorant Heathen that knows not GOD But I hope the Queen will have more of the Wisdom of GOD than to suffer her innocent Spirit to be betrayed or captivated into such Trumpery and foolish Fopperies for She being a Christian Christ is to be her Teacher and Christ to be her Pattern And where was His State and His Gorgious Apparel He wore a plain Garment without a Seam It 's true whilst they were a Crucifying Him they put on a purple Garment to scoff and deride His humble self-denying Life And doth not the Christians of our Times do the same And where was His State for He often sate on the Ground and who His Companions Poor Fisher men who left all and followed Him the Lame and the Blind poor Publicans which were heavy laden their Sins being a Burden too heavy for them to bear and so were glad of a Physitian to Cure them of their Maladies but indeed the proud high-minded Pharisees were offended with Him for this humility But the Queen keeping in the humility of Christ She will place her Affections upon more high and sublime things for the Spirit of the LORD is a noble Spirit High
and Mighty above all transitory Things The Queen being of His Spirit will be the same She 'll scorn the Pomps and Pleasures of a poor dirty perishing World She 'll place her Delights upon more high and excellent things than the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World wherein the worst of Heathens takes delight but for the best of them they mind more Divine and Heavenly things As Socrates that Divine Philosopher Fine and rich Cloaths saith he are only fit for Commedians and being demanded from what things Men and Women ought to refrain From Pleasures said he temperate Persons become the most Excellent they eat that which neither hurts the Body nor Mind and that which is easy to be got The only and best way saith he to Worship GOD is to mind and obey whatsoever He Commands that the Souls of Men and Women may pertake of the Divine Nature that GOD is seen of the Vertuous Mind that by waiting upon Him they are United unto Him in an accessible place of Purity and Happiness GOD hath asserted them always to be near unto Him These are they that were worthy of the Name of Christians because they imitate Him in their Lives who were Plain Humble and Self-denying like Christ their LORD who said Learn of me Learn of me saith he that was GOD over all Blessed for ever yet humbled himself to the Death yea the Death of the Cross before whom let all Kings Queens and Potentates of the Earth lick the Dust before Him who is LORD and Governor of all things from whom the greatest Monarch in the Earth hath his Breath and He can take it away at his pleasure therefore who shall not sear Him the Everlasting before whom all Nations are as a drop of a Bucket Yea let the Heavens and Earth tremble before Him who shall lay all Flesh in the Dust and then Where shall its Glory be Therefore O Queen live for ever in this plain innocent and humble Life of Jesus who made Himself of no reputation and said He to his Disciples when they were striving for the Mastership one over the other The Gentiles which bear Rule exercise Lordship one over the other but with you it must not be so but he that is chiefest among you let him be Servant to all And this did He in Practice as well as Doctrine when He washed His Disciples feet and so left them and all His followers an Example to follow His Steps He did not say follow this Man or that Man no nor the footsteps of the Flock no for He knew that all Men might Err therefore he charged and commanded saying Learn of me for I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest for your Souls Oh! the Treasure of Treasures the Pearl of great Price that whosoever hath it will Sell all for it all their perishing Glories with all their fading Delights and count it all but dung and dross for the Excellency of this Life in Christ Therefore hear O Princesses and give Ear ye Ladies of the perishing Honours of this World Did Christ Jesus the LORD and only Saviour the Immaculate Lamb of GOD that takes away the Sins of the World Consecrate a Way for you through His Agonies of Sorrows and Griefs bitter Death and bloody Passion for you to live a Life of Vanities and Pleasures the Pomps and Pride of Life the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eye Was all his strong Cries Groans Sighs and Sobs Watchings and Fastings cruel Mockings and Scourgings exposing Himself to all the Malice that Men or Devils could Invent Was all these Miseries to End here Or was this to be the End of all to fasten you to your cursed Plays with your whole Life of sinful Pleasures Ye careless Daughters ye Women that are at Ease be astonished pluck off your Gorgious Attire put on Sackcloth and cover your Heads with Ashes and sit on the Ground and from thence take up a deep and heavy Lamentation for the miseries that are coming upon you when your Songs shall be turned into Howlings your Joys into Heaviness and bitter Lamentations which shall be the Reward of all your vain and wicked Pastimes that hath been spent in vain and wicked Recreations of which precious time the least moment thereof upon a dying Bed is more than the Gold of Ophir Then shall you call said the LORD but I will not answer You shall seek Me early but you shall not find Me. And why Because you hated Knowledge and did not chuse the Fear of the LORD You would have none of my Counsel but despised all my Corrections therefore shall you Eat of the Fruit of your own ways and be filled with your own Devices For Ease slayeth the foolish and the Prosperity of Fools destroyeth them but they that obey Me saith the LORD shall dwell safely and be quiet from the fear of Evil Prov. 1. Chap. Therefore consider these things all you that forget GOD least I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you saith the LORD But O Queen live for ever The way for the Queen to obtain this Everlasting and Eternal Life is to watch against the Evil of her own Heart for so the LORD commands saying Watch Watch Watch which He fulfill'd before He gave it out to others when He was led into the Wilderness and there thrice tempted as the Apostle said He was in all things tempted as we are yet without sin that He might be able to succour us that are tempted For this know O Queen it is no sin to be tempted but the sin is to yield to the temptation as saith the Prophet When sinners inticeth thee consent not thou unto them therefore the LORD commanded to make the Defence strong double your VVatch yea treble your VVatch and saith the Prophet A threefold Cord cannot easily be broken O how good is the LORD to give us these Heavenly Precepts and not only so but to be our Strength in weakness Thou hast covered our Heads in the Day of Battle when the Enemy hath come in like a Flood Thou hast lifted up Thy Standard against him Glory he unto Thee for ever Thus hath the LORD stood by them that fear him in all Ages to be their Preserver from the Snares and Temptations of the Devil but then they must be found in His VVay otherwise He is not engaged to preserve them The VVay of Christ is His daily CROSS You cannot be my Disciples siath He Except you deny your selves and take up My Cross and follow Me VVhether must we follow Him Through all the Travels of his Soul as Isaiah the Prophet prophesied of him saying He shall see of the Travel of his Soul His righteous Soul shall be satisfied and in vain is all your Preaching Hearing Praying and Praising out of his Holy Pure and Incorruptible Life And further of his Life you may read in Isaiah's Prophesy of Him how He was a Man of Sorrows and was well
Queen Mary if She follows Christ her Pattern In the first place her Dominion will be great within bearing Rule over her own Will Ways and Works Words and Thoughts not giving her self the least Liberty to any thing that shall bring the least Dishonour to the holy Name of the LORD In the next place She shall have the Wisdom of GOD to Govern her People beginning first at the Court Ruling in the Fear of GOD keeping all in Subjection by her pious Life and heavenly Instructions encouraging Vertue and suppressing all Vice and great Necessity there is for the Reformation to begin there For by lamentable Experience we have seen that as it hath been at the Court so it hath been for the most part throughout the Nation Therefore O Noble Princes for the Glory of GOD and the Everlasting welfare of thy Immortal Soul and the Good of all these Nations be not negligent in this great Work and this know O Queen there is more required of you that is of KINGS QUEENS and POTENTATES of the Earth than of others for you stand in the place of GOD to the People Therefore the blood of all must lie at your Doors if you do not quit your selves by your saithfulness to GOD and Man for saith Wisdom Mighty Men shall be mightily punished Therefore Hear O ye Kings and Queens and Judges of the Earth Give Ear ye that Rule the Multitudes and Glory in the multitude of People for the Rule is given you of the LORD and Power from the Most High which will try your Works and search out your Inventions for if you that are Officers of His Kingdom judge not right and keep not His Commandments to walk after the will of GOD horribly and suddenly will He appear unto you and give you the reward of your Works for He that is LORD over all will spare no Mans Person neither shall He stand in awe of any Mans Greatness For He will take His Jealousy for his Armour and shall Arm the Creatures to be revenged of his Enemies as might be seen in that astonishing amazing great and wonderful never to be forgotten Thunders which were lately in these parts of the World and those horrible Earthquakes beyond the Seas for as by the greatness of His Eternal Power He made all things and upholds all things by the same so by the Word of his Power can He consume us all and turn all things into nothing and yet in this Work will He put on Righteousness for a Breast-plate and take true Judgment instead of an Helmet He will take Holiness for an invincible Shield He will sharpen his fierce Wrath for a Sword and and his Angels who are his Ministring Spirits in Flames of Fire shall sight with him against the unwise Therefore be wise O ye KINGS and understand learn ye Judges of the Earth serve the LORD in fear and rejoyce in trembling kiss the Son least he be angry and you perish in your ways for when His wrath shall suddenly burn O then blessed for ever will they be that put their whole trust in Him and that the latter may be your Portion is the desire of my Soul to GOD for you all Your faithful Friend and the LORD's Servant Joan Whitrowe AND further to the Queen my desire to GOD for her is That GOD would give her another Heart a heart to walk in all the ways of the LORD and that the LORD would pour out his Holy Spirit upon her as He did upon all His Anointed Ones and that she may be an Instrument in His Hand to convert many to Righteousness then shall the Prophesy of Daniel be fulfilled on her which saith Those that convert many to righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever more And O that GOD would touch the Hearts of them that follow the Queen as He touched the heart of those that followed Saul after he was Anointed King over Israel and that the Spirit of the LORD would come upon the King and Queen and all that belongs to them as it came upon David after the LORD had Anointed him in the midst of his Brethren that by the Power of his Holy Spirit they may follow the LORD fully as Joshua and Caleb did that they may be possessors of the good and holy Land of everlasting Peace and Rest for evermore This is the Land that flows with Milk and Honey but not a Land for outward pleasures but the inward ravishments of the Soul which is the reward of the faithful who follow their LORD through the strait and narrow Way which is the way to Eternal Rest as their LORD said Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leads to life and few there be that finds it Ah! but broad is the Way and wide is the Gate that leads to destruction and many there be that goes therein Indeed to Flesh and Blood the Way to Life and Glory seems strait and narrow at the first entrance until the Soul is accustomed to bear the Yoke but afterwards it is Eternally true as Christ said My Yoke is easy and my Burthen light Yea for ever I am a Witness That in all His Ways are Pleasantness and in all His Paths are Peace And this I declare in the Power and Spirit of the LORD there is no Tongue can speak Heart conceive nor Pen can write the sweet Reposes and Heavenly Enjoyments in the Ravishments of His Love which that Soul is a possessor of that keeps upon its Watch-Tower whose Meditation is in the Law of the LORD Day and Night it enjoys Heaven whilst it is on Earth Well might David say A day in Thy Courts O LORD is more than a Thousand elsewhere I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of the LORD than to dwell in the Tents of the wicked and to this Wisdom answers saying Blessed are those that heareth me watching daily at my Gates and giving attendance at the Posts of my Doors for he that findeth me findeth life and obtaineth favour of the LORD And the Apostle Paul in a holy Extasy cries out O the height and depth of the love of GOD neither can it enter into the Heart of man the things that GOD hath prepared for them that love Him No certainly not the men of this World who have their Portions in this Life which David desired to be delivered from But it entred into the Heart of Mary when she sat so attentively at Jesus Feet to hear the precious Words that dropt from His Gracious Lips where she received the sweet in-comes of His Eternal Love whilest the Martha's of this World are hurried incumbred and distracted in their covetous earthly Spirit caring how to add House to House Land to Land and one Thousand to another and the other sort how to consume what they have upon their lusts in vain wicked recreations and both these dispossesses the LORD of Life of his Right and robs him of his Glory And Farther I am to