Heart with Compunction in my bleeding Soul that she would compose her self and fix her mind to look up to the Lord and with her Eyes to have respect to the Holy one of Israel who would help her and that with the saving Aid of his right hand if she would believe in him who would comfort her and that with the ravishing Comforts of his blessed Spirit if she would cast her self upon him Minding her in way of Paraphrase what Moses said to Israel There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun who rideth upon the Heaven in thy help and in his Excellency on the Sky The Eternal God is thy refuse and underneath are the everlasting Arms and he shall thrust out the Enemy from before thee and shall say destroy them That Enemy said I who is now so exceeding rampant in you who is now so maliciously affrightning and terrifying you with the Sense of Hell and Wrath which yet will never be your Portion this very Enemy God will thrust out from you yea this envious Satan that does you now so much Mischief the God of Peace will most assuredly bruise under your Feet shortly and then you shall dwell in Safety alone the Enemy shall no more trouble you nor be perplexing of you And your Fountain shall be upon a Land of Corn and Wine Also his Heavens shall drop down Dew that is the Doctrine and Graces of the Gospel the Spirit of the Lord Jesus breathing therein shall drop down in a Soul-reviving Soul-refreshing yea in a Soul-ravishing manner upon you And then You shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth your Root as Lebanon your Branches shall spread and your Beauty shall be as the Olive-tree and your Smell as Lebanon And then thus dwelling under his Shadow you shall return you shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine and your Scent shall be as the Wine of Lebanon And then Oh then you will be an happy a thrice happy Virgin in our Israel And who will be like unto you though now a distressed Maid yet then Saved by the Lord. Who will awake for you as one awaketh out of sleep and as a mighty Man that shouteth by reason of Wine And will deliver you out of the hand of your present Tormentor who will be the Shield of your help and the Sword of your Excellency And the Enemy of your Salvation who is now Suggesting many uncomfortable and most false things to you whereby you are so lamentably disquieted in your Spirit even to Distraction will then be found as he is and as from the beginning he has been a Liar to you And you shall tread upon high places and so be infinitely above the reach of all his fiery Darts that not one of them shall sting or hurt you any more for ever But alas all that I spake or all that any could speak to this purpose was but like the weak Trajans casting their feeble Arrows at the Conquering Grecians wholly in vain I could not in the least allay her Grief or asswage the Torrent of her violent Passion which was at the greatest height I ever beheld in any Creature before I knew not how to leave her in the horrible Pit in the miry Clay of such Soul-tormenting Distress and yet I plainly discern'd it was to no purpose to stay with her so outragious was her Grief and so beyond all bounds of Moderation was her Sorrow Horror and most dreadful Despair had such a powerful Ascendant on her that her poor Heart was like to break yea she was even ready to dye for fear of Eternal dying Oh! how was this tender Lamb in Zion rufully afraid because of her Sins which were set in order before her and continually staring her in the Face How did amazing Fearfulness lamentably surprize her in the awful sense of dwelling with the devouring Fire that can never be put out and in the doleful Apprehension of rowling upon those Pillars of everlasting Flames that never will cease burning Verily had she seen with her Eyes the Sulphurous Torches had she heard with her Ears the dismal Groans of the Damned yea had she actually felt the very Torments those endure who are surrounded with horrid Mists of Darkness in the Eternal Shades below she could hardly express her self in a more dolorous in a more grievous manner than she did such Heart-melting such Soul-piercing Complaints such a mournful crying our of a lost State of a barren Mind of a Certainty of being Damned never sounded at least in my Ears before I had much ado to perswade her to a Composedness till I went to Prayer with her in which Duty I pleaded with the Lord according to the measure of the Spirit given me for her that the sounding of his Bowels of Pitty and Compassion might be moved towards her that he would Graciously hear this Dejected Creature as he did Ephraim bemoaning of her self in his very words I am ashamed yea even Confounded to bear the Reproach of my Youth And that he would say of her as he did of him Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him and I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord. When I concluded Prayer I took a very sorrowful leave of her being towards Morning 'T is said For the Divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart And again For the Divisions of Reuben there were great Searchings of heart I am sure for the Spiritual Troubles for the Despairing Sorrow of this young Gentlewoman there were great Thoughts and Searchings of Heart great Distress and Anxiety of Mind both by me and many others And truly we were and we could not but be between Hope and Fear about her We would fain hope the Lord design'd Love and Mercy to her precious Soul notwithstanding the many bitter and grievous things he wrote against her and the great and fearful Trials she was exercised with but then the strangeness the unparallell'dness of her Grief the intollerable Heaviness and Weight of that Burthen she groaned under the apparent Prevalency of the Tempter over her for she seemed to be wholly in his Clutches and above all the woful and most horrible uninterrupted Despairingness of her Language for I know not how long time together gave a little Check to those Hopes we were willing to retain and made too much room for Fear and Doubts in our Thoughts concerning her Indeed we were all at our Wits end and could not tell what to think or say of her For my part I can truly say her Case took up my whole time I could hardly mind any thing else Day and Night were my Thoughts busily imploy'd what course to take for her or what means to use that might be of avail to her And after many Wrestlings with Sighs and Groans unto God in her behalf and revolving many things in my perplexed
musing on this matchless Saint I cry'd Thou being so wholly dreined from all Pride As one not fit here longer to abide Go to thy Bridegroom go thou true coelestial Bride Eighthly As after Conviction she was Mortify'd to all Pride so she did in a wonderful manner beyond any President I ever saw shine forth in the contrary Grace Humility She had learned of her Saviour to be meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 And so excellent well she learned that none tabernacled in a Body of Flesh could have a more Debasing thought of Self than she had She sate with Job in the Ashes and with Hezekiah counted all her Prayers and the best of her Performances but as the chattering of a Crane or Swallow Isa 38.14 The Vilest of Creatures was her constant Motto That no body was Worse that every body was better than she was the undissembled Thought of her Heart When she was most Lovely in the Eyes of others she was even then most Mean in her own she could not bear to be in the least praised nor endure that any should speak well of her though she was enabled to Sing the Lord's Song on the Borders of Canaan after her return from a long Captivity Indeed in her languishing Condition she was made Humble by God's Providence but when she was Healed she was kept Humble by his blessed Spirit This Saint beholding great Jehovah's Face Her self as low as Hell she did debase Hence 't was she flourish'd so and grew apace She was the humble one replenish'd with all Grace Ninthly After Conviction she was in a Gospel Frame wholly moulded into the Spirit of the Gospel These Two eminent Servants of the Lord Jesus Mr. Robins and Mr. Hammond led her into the Paths of Gospel Light and Truth in which she was extreamly delighted so that the extolled and muâ—h magnified Mountain of Man's Righteousness and Legal Performances became 〈◊〉 a Plain and by their Ministry the Heâ—â—â—â—stone the Lord Jesus Christ was presented to her and she was inabled by the Spirit 's Breathing in her to cry out Grace Grace unto it Zech. 4.7 Hence though Interest and Relation with some other Obligations had intangled her with another sort of Men yet after her Acquaintance with those ' foresaid great Gospel Luminaries they were very little in her Eye for She was convinced not Doing but Believing was the way of the Gospel and that not by any Works of Righteousness she had done or could do but by the Free Grace of God in Christ she was made what she was And therefore the breathing of her Soul was to be found in him not having her own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith That thereby she might know Christ and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his death Phil. 3.9.10 Oh! how her very Soul rejoyced in the glad Tidings of the Gospel This glorious Saint admiring Gospel Light Whose most corruscant Beams did shine so Bright Whereby her Darkness was expelled quite The Gospel brought a Day a Day that had no Night Tenthly After Conviction she was inflamed with Love to her dearest Jesus yea with the Spouse she was Sick of Love Cant. 5.8 As she had a Sense of the Forgiveness of Sins as Mary had she verily Loved much as Mary did Luke 7.47 She had a large Share of Gospel Grace as the choice Blessing of Heaven for she loved the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity Ephes 6.24 Tho she saw not Jesus with her Bodily Eyes yet she dearly Loved him and that Love has brought her to him so that now She sees Him and is Glorifyed with him Rejoycing with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory for she has now received the end of her Faith even the Salvation of her Soul 1 Pet. 1.8 9. What things were formerly her Gain those she counted Loss for Christ yea doubtless she counted all things but Loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus her Lord for whom she suffered the Loss of all things and did count them but Dung or Dog's-meat that she might win Christ. 3 Phil. 7.8 Oh Love was the ruling Star in the Firmament of her Soul Though Satan for a while did cast a Mist Over this Saint at length she saw the Christ And seeing lov'd him as her precious Priest Now with his glorious Mouth her precious Soul is Kist. Eleventhly As after Conviction she Loved Christ so she lov'd the Ways of Christ the Ordinances of Christ the Members of Christ the Ministers of Christ and that with a pure Heart fervently If our Saviour's Character of a true Disciple holds good John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another And if John's Evidence of the new Birth be any thing valid 1 Epist 3.14 We know that we are passed from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren She was as visible a Disciple as real a Regenerate Person and that to the apparent view of all as 't was possible for any Creature to be For I sincerely think never any especially in these last days possest more of the Grace of Love than she did Her very Soul was wrapt up in the Saints Society with them was her greatest yea her only Delight She had David's Spirit and therefore could say with him Psalm 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth I the least and most unworthy of Saints may say of her as David did of Jonathan Her love to me was wonderful passing the love of Women This Saint who Heaven ward so fast did move That She a Saint in every thing might prove As actuated from a Spirit above Most gloriously did shine within the Sphere of Love Twelfthly After her Conviction that she had tasted of the Love of Christ she was extraordinarily Solicitous even with a burning Zeal for the Conversion of Sinners especially of her own carnal Relations Her warm Discourses on this Subject put me in mind of our Lord's Charge to Peter Luke 22.32 When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren She was wholly of Paul's Spirit when he spoke so affectionately of the Jews Rom. 10.1 Brethren my Hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be Saved Her Soul pittied such as were running head-long to Hell her Bowels yearned towards those that had no Sense of their own Condition She could not speak of any of her near Acquaintance in an Unconverted State without Weeping for them as our Saviour did for Jerusalem and with the same Pathetical Wish Oh! that they did truly know in this their day the things that belong unto their peace The Night before She Dyed or rather Translated she express'd her self to a Godly Woman passionately Concern'd for the Soul of her only Surviving Sister with these and more
A Burning yet Unconsumed Bush Exemplified IN THE Dolorous Life and Glorious Death Of that Young Convert And Most Excellent SAINT Mrs. MARY HARRISON Who Departed this Life June the 21st in the 23d Year of her Age. OR A Brief and Faithful Narrative Of the Effectualness of her Conviction The Painfulness of her Conversion The Dreadfulness of her Temptation The Deplorableness of her Condition And the Triumphant Joyfulness of her Dissolution Together with the Author's Speech to the Inhabitants of Havant at the close of her Funeral Sermon Published in General for Common Good but particularly at the Request of some of the New gather'd Church at Chichester of which she was a Member And especially to satisfie a Worthy Friend far off who by Letters importun'd the Author thereunto By C. NICHOLETTS Minister of the Gospel in HAVANT LONDON Printed and Sold by B. Harris at the Golden Boars-Head in Grace-Church-street 1700. To the Reverend Mr. Richard Robins Pastor of a Congregation in London My very Dear and much Esteemed Brother WHEN I Reflect on the blessed Providence that opened so wide a Door for the Occupation of your Talent the last Winter at Chichester and the strange and amazing Success that attended your Labours there I cannot but hope the Glorious Day which Zion's Converts have so long Mourned Prayed and Waited for is nigh at Hand even a plentiful Effusion of the Spirit upon all the Followers of the Lamb of which more than a Taste was given in the mighty Portion that rested upon you whilst you were delivering your Masters Errand in that Place Your Face like Moses did eminently Shine during your Commemoration on that Mount of Vision to the Observation and Admiration of all the Beholders none but your self was ignorant of it so that the Multitude was ready to Hosanna you as they did your Master before you and in the same Language too Never Man spake like this Man And so strange a Consternation was there in the Minds of all and so wonderful a Conviction in the Hearts of many as quite confounded the Opposers of Gospel Light and Truth and made them even gnash their Teeth for Madness Oh! how did the Dukes of Palestina tremble and the Inhabitants of Canaan melt away How did the Formal and Legal Rabbies Vex and Fume that a Nehemiah so suddenly so unexpectedly stood on the Wall with undaunted Courage and they could not pluck him down That there appear'd a Man whom with all their Machinations they could not hinder to seek in good Earnest the Welfare of Immortal Souls by Preaching the Truth fully and clearly as it is in Jesus so that the People which before sat in Darkness saw great Light and to those who were and a long time had been in the Regions of the Shadow of Death Light sprung up But though the Enemies of Free-Grace were grieved exceedingly by your so powerful and spiritual Preaching the Children of the Bride-Chamber were as much Comforted Enlivened Refreshed and many poor Dead Sinners Awakened Convinced and Perswaded to Embrace the Everlasting Gospel which was Sounded in their Ears in such a Strain that many though Old Hearers to my Knowledge did Profess they never heard the Gospel before And Oh! What an Astonishing Change was visibly Observ'd in the Faces of the Inhabitants of Chichester Such Crowding and Thronging to hear the Word dropping as sweet smelling Myrrh from your Lips the Oldest Man Alive never saw the like The Walls of the Meeting-house though in the coldest Season of the Winter Sweated with Heat a true Emblem of the Warmth many Frozen Hearth felt by the reflective Rays of Zion's Glory and the Spirits of the most Ignorant were strangely Reviv'd with the fragrant odoriferous Savor of Aaron's sweet Perfume so Plentifully and in a Theop-must Manner disfus'd amongst them Concerning this Perfume which I take to be an eminent Type of the Riches of Free-Grace there was a Law Enacted in the Court of Heaven Whoever made any Thing like it should be put to Death If that Statute was still in Force few Preachers in our Day would be in danger of its Penalty Alas they don't come near it their Preaching is far enough wide from it They are either bellowing Bulls of Sinai thundering out the Terrors of the Law and belching forth the Flames of Hell to affrighten and distract poor Creatures and make them run Mad or else they are for putting them to Earn their expected Happiness as Adam was doom'd to Eat his Bread with the Sweat of their Brow This they must do and that they must do to get an Interest in Christ And then we have a Learned Receipt so many Pints of Repentance that must be extracted from the Limbeck of their moist Brains so many Pounds of Duties that must be weighed at the Beam of their own Intellects to make them capable of God's Acceptance and they must be sure to come full Loaded with a Bundle of Qualifications at their Backs if they would have Christ to be their Saviour Oh! What pitiful Trash is this how far from that Gospel which the Lord Jesus sends his Ambassadors whom he anoints with the Unction of the Holy One to Preach and Hold forth to poor Sinners That sounds forth a free Offer and Tender of Mercy to all that Look to and Believe in a Crucify'd Jesus of which Ambassadors Sir you apparently and beyond Contradiction manifested your self to be One and a chief One too when you first lifted up your Voice as a Trumpet in the Audience of the Inhabitants of Chichester Oh! how Beautiful were your Feet shod with the Preparation of the Glorious Gospel for that you brought good Tidings to them that were ready to Perish you Published Peace even that Peace which the World cannot give and which the Devil cannot take away you brought good Tidings of Good the Goodness of Free-Grace the Immense Ocean of Divine Love You Published Salvation and that with a Gospel Spirit and in a Gospel Dialect as it was Published by the Lord Jesus himself and all his Apostles You said unto Zion thy God Reigneth on the Throne of Mercy dispencing Grace and Favour to the worst of Sinners For this were your Labours Accepted for this was your Person Honoured for this was your Ministry in very high Esteem among all sorts of Persons How many will have cause to Bless God to all Eternity they ever saw your Face Oh! How many visible Seals of your Apostleship did you leave behind you when you left the Place You never Preached a Sermon there in Vain but many Eyes were Opened many Hearts Affected and deeply Touched many Consciences Awakened whenever you opened your Mouth which made a worthy Person well Vers'd in Gospel Affairs Write me Word then at London he verily Believ'd you did more Good Two or Three Sabbath-days in Chichester than any Minister yea than all the Ministers in Sussex had done Seven Years before This was very refreshing News to my Soul it made my Heart
And so I came to the words of the Text Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy Holy Temple Which after I had open'd by shewing in what Sense Jonah was cast out of God's â—ight and what was the meaning of his looking again toward the holy Temple I â—hewed what may befal many that God may yet be working Grace in and have designs of eminent Good unto First They may be in a State of Blindness and Darkness yea thick and gross Darkness may be a great while upon them We read in the Gospel of a Man that was stark Blind that was born so and liv'd so all his days yet by the Povver of Jesus he immediately receiv'd his sight Mark 10.51 52. Ah! present Darkness is no ground of Despair you may see vvhat God in his Word says to such Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that â—eyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh 〈◊〉 Darkness and hath no light Let him â—ust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon â—…s God Here is a certain Remedy for nose that are in Darkness to stay upon their God and here is a Duty that God requires even in a dark State to trust in his Name Secondly They may be as to their own Apprehension in a very hopeless and helpless Condition but yet even then there is both Hope and Help for them by looking toward the holy Temple that is by looking to Christ and believing what he is and what he says Oh! hear that sweet word flowing from his Lips Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to preach Deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the Blind to set at liberty them that are bruised Oh! What can be more fully and plainly expressed What can Christ speak more comfortably and more encouragingly to poor wounded Souls to look unto him Thus the Church by Faith look'd to God in a sad State Lam. 3.55 I called upon thy Name O Lord out of the low Dungeon And did she call or believe in vain Oh! No. Pray mark the next words Verse 56 57 58. Thou hast heard my voice hide not thine Ear at my breathing at my Cry Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee Thou saidst Fear not O Lord thou hast pleaded the cause of my Soul thou hast Redeemed my Life And what the Church did here experience all afflicted ones in like manner shall experience to their unspeakable Joy if they take the same course of looking to the Lord in the day of Trouble Thirdly They may have no Sense of God's Work in their Hearts which yet for all that may be really carrying on We read of the Peoples smiting their Breasts upon the doleful sight of Christ's Agony on the Cross Luke 23.48 But many poor Souls are smiting their Breasts with Sorrow because they can find no effect of Christ's Death in their Hearts They have not yet Taâ—ed that the Lord is Gracious 1 Pet. 2.8 And therefore they are breaking forth into hideous Lamentations and giving up themselves as lost Creatures Oh! but this is through a great Mistake there may be a blessed Work a glorious Work begun and yet you not at present sensible of it Fourthly They may be in their own Thoughts without the inâ—â—…ential Motion of God's Spirit And hence they are day and night â—ourning though still preserved and not consumed as the built was Exod. 3.3 Oh! how many do look upon themselves in no better a Condition than those dry Bones which God shewed the Prophet and ask'd him whether they could live Ezek. 37.3 4. But as these Bones the forsaken Jews will live when the Spirit of the Lord blows upon them so those Creatures that are at present dry and vvithout Sap and therefore are mourning in secret and crying out bitterly because of their desolate State shall most certainly if they look toward the holy Temple as Jonah here did find and feel after a little time the vivifying Influences of God's Spirit to their exceeding Joy and Comfort I then drew some Inferences from all this which I will make a brief Rehearsal of and so proceed First Then even in such a State we are not really out of God's sight Jonah was obvious to God when he was shut up in the Whales Belly and so is every Mourning Soul though under the blackest Circumstances Hear the Apostle as to this Heb. 4.13 Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do Not a Tear flows from our Eyes not a Sigh or Sob comes from our Hearts though in never so secret a manner in never so retired a place but is naked and open unto God Christ told Nathaniel John 1.48 When thou wast under the Fig-tree I saw thee Ah! When any poor Creature is Weeping Lamenting and Bemoaning himself in Holes and Corners even then and there God sees him Secondly Oh! Then this State is the Will of God which must be submitted to Is there any Evil in the City and the Lord has not done it Jonah being in the Whales Belly was the Act of God God put him there So whatever Mourning State thou art in it is the Lord 's doing As Christ speaking of God's Gracious Revelation of Gospel-Light and Knowledge rather to Babes than to the Wise and Learned resolves it into God's Free-Will and distinguishing Goodness as the only moving cause thereof Matt. 11.26 Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight So should every poor Creature under the pressure of Temptation under Spiritual Conflict and Soul-trouble say Even so Father it is thy Will it should be so It hath seemed good unto thee thus to lay thy hand upon me and therefore come to this â—â—sult under such a Dispensation with 〈◊〉 dear Redeemer John 18.11 The Cap which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it So this stroak that my Father has laid upon me shall I not bear it Thirdly Then such a State is very dreadful to poor Creatures To be under the hiding of God's Face and left to the Hurries of the Tempter is sadly terrifying and affrightning The Spirit of a Man may sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear If it was a grievous thing to Abraham to send away his Son and the Bond-woman out of his House Gen. 21.11 12. Oh! How much more grievous is it to poor Creatures when their Rest is gone Peace is gone and all Quietness is gone from them In such a Perplexity was Jonah here in the Whales Belly And thus David mournfully complain'd Psalm 30.7 Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled 'T is not a small but a very sore great tormenting Trouble when a Soul is left in the Dark
more such extream Fits of Agony after this day or that she broke forth into such direful Exclamations and Lamentations as she did before Which made me heartily bless God both publickly and privately for the beginning of his Appearance though it was but in a restraining way that though she had not that solid Comfort and inward Peace which I did unfeignedly wish her and sincerely without ceasing begg'd for her yet she had much greater ease with respect to her Burthen under which she had so long a time groaned and was not tortured with those griping and Soul-tormenting Pangs as frequently in days and months past she had been In this middle State as I may say which as to her was neither clear nor dark neither day nor night but something between both she remain'd several Weeks in which time I frequently went to her as my other occasions would admit but she very often came to me earnestly desiring me to pitty her and pray for her but would never go away till I had pray'd with her Her Discourse was grave and moderate yet always in a complaining Strain Lamenting 〈◊〉 absence of God and bitterly crying out of her hard deceitful Heart As Winter came on she grew more and more Melancholy yet the Fire of her Sorrow was confin'd to and pent up in the Hearth of her own Breast and burned inwardly to the great decaying both of her outward and inward Man and manifested it self only by the Sparkles of some woful Sighs and Sobs arising from her Heart that could not possibly be kept down Oh! With what languishing and pitty-bespeaking Eyes did she look upon me How mournfully and in a low still Voice would she say to me Ah! Sir you know not how it is with me I am a great deal worse and in a much sadder Condition than you can imagine This doubled my Concernedness for her and put my Spirit upon the Rack in musing for her What thought I come into the Harbor ready to drop Anchor and yet forced again to Sea upon the main Ocean to be tossed with these impetuous Waves I spoke as the Lord inabled me whatever words he put in my Mouth unto â—er I pray'd again and again from time to time with her I Wept and made Supplication to my God for her but no Alteration for the better could I see in her for the Comforter was not yet come Therefore was she again Weeping and her Eyes running down with Tears therefore was she crying in the Morning and bemoaning her self in the Evening because he that alone could relieve her Soul was far from her and because the things that belong'd to her Peace were as yet hid from her Eyes Two things I confess in this interim run in my mind that were a great Support to me under my unfeigned Trouble and Anxiety for her The one was that the Holy God who is above the reach of Angels in his doings who giveth no account to Creatures in Heaven or Earth of any of his Matters for Reasons and Ends best known to himself would convey Comfort to her from some other hand I was not to be the Person The other was That this might be the last Effort of the Tempter and that he was come down in the greater Wrath because he knew he had but a short time to be Disquieting and Perplexing the Soul of this tender Lamb. And I was not deceived in either of them as the sequel will shew For my Occasions calling me about that time to London where as soon as I came meeting with that truly eminent and excellent Servant of the Lord Jesus Mr. Richard Robins he told me he had received a pressing Invitation to begin the Work of God in the new Erected Meeting-house at Chichester and was accordingly preparing for his Journey and earnestly importun'd me to supply his place in his absence I yielded on this Condition that he would go one Sabbath to Havant that so my own dear People might not be wholly destitute during my stay at London which I foresaw would be two or three Weeks to which he consenting on these terms we parted And after he had been one Lord's-day at Chichester he according to his Promise went the next to Havant and a blessed going it was for now no longer poor but rich Mrs. Mary Harrison For then by his Ministry through the Gracious Concurrence of the Spirit of God what was said of old to Israel was abundantly made good to her in full measure yea running over Ezek. 16.6 And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own Blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood Live Yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood Live God now so saw her as to pitty her and so pittied her as to speak yea he spake loud and home by his Servant to her and by the Power of that Word not only sounding in her Ears but through the mighty Efficacy of it reaching her Heart and piercing into her very Soul he made her Live He at that time For the time to favour this Captive Daughter of Zion yea the set time was come breath'd into her that Life which in the Inchoation of it was Spiritual and in the Perfection of it is now Eternal So again v. 7. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the Field and thou hast increased and waxen great and thou art come to excellent Ornaments thy Breasts are fashioned and thy Hair is grown whereas thou wast naked and bare Oh! verily she that was as a dry Plant as a withered and dead Tree began now to bring forth Fruit as A Tree planted by the Rivers of Waters even the Tree that is full of Sap one of those Cedars of Lebanon which God hath planted She that was so little so nothing in her own Eyes received now thorough the Golden Pipes of Grace emptying themselves into her Soul some Life and Strength and began to increase in that Strength She that before could not in the least taste or savor any word that one and another of the Servants of the living God was continually speaking to her had now her Breasts fashioned to receive and let in the sincere Milk of the Word which now was precious to her and more esteemed by her than her necessary food She whose Thoughts before were desperate being of nothing but Destruction and Perdition and of being miserable for ever could now joyfully think of the Love of God in Christ and apply it to her self Thus through the infinite Riches of Free Grace to her her Hair began to grovv she vvho before savv and could see nothing else and therefore deeply bevvail'd her self as naked and bare novv began the Scales falling from her Eyes to apprehend the Righteousness of a Mediator and to have a comfortable Sense thereof as most excellent Ornaments for her reviving Soul And novv she savv and seeing believed that being Cloathed upon with that House which is from
blessing God for you You had the Satisfaction to see her in her latest Hours the very night she died which was a great Comfort to her Friends and though she was under a Cloud at that Moment yet a little after you left her the Cloud was dispell'd and she was in a Transport of Glory and went to Heaven in a Chariot of Triumph She had Beauty for Ashes the Oil of Joy for Mourning the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness and she is now a Tree of Righteousness the Planting of the Lord that he may be for ever Glorified in the aboundant Riches of his Grace and Mercy towards her and with whom she is and ever will be glorified to all Eternity And now my Dear my very Dear Brother I hope your Candid Eye will overlook the many Imperfections of these Scribbling Lines and cover with the Mantle of Charity what you see amiss in the subsequent Tract And I hope also none will be so unjust to entitle you to the Weaknesses and Impertinencies appearing therein because your Name is inscribed to it The good Lord increase your eminent Gifts add to your Matchless Zeal inflame your ardent Love that you may Shine more and more in Doctrine and Conversation till you are call'd to Shine in the Celestial Constellation above and till after all your Pious Endeavours and Faithful Labours in your Lord's Vineyard you hear that Blessed Sound from your Lord's Lips whose Mouth is most comfortably Sweet in the day of Grace and will be ravishingly so in the day of Glory Well done Good and Faithful Servant thou hast been Faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into thy Master's Joy Go on as you have begun through the good Hand of your God upon you in the Power and Spirit of Elias to turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children that is to inflame the Hearts of Parents with a Desire and Longing after the Salvation of their Children And the Disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just that is Those who have stood out against Gospel-Light and Truth Now to see that closing with Christ in a Gospel-way and to seek to be made Righteous by an imputed Righteousness is the only Spiritual Wisdom And to make ready a People prepared for the Lord that is To Convince People that they are Lost and Undone in themselves and to perswade them without looking for any previous Qualifications to cast their naked Souls before the Lord Jesus to be cloathed upon with his Righteousness which only must be their Happiness if ever they are made Happy So committing you to the Protection of our Dear Redeemer in whom I desire to be esteemed as unfeignedly I am Your most Affectionate though unworthy Brother C. Nicholetts TO THE New-gather'd Church of Christ according to the Gospel-Order in Chichester Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Beloved Friends AS I with all the People of God in these Parts did Rejoyce in and heartily Congratulate your Associating together in the Bond and Fellowship of the Gospel so we fervently Pray this lively Beginning with such ardent Zeal Courage and Faithfulness to the Interest of your and our Lord and Master may have a Prosperous Progression in your building up in the way of Holiness and Righteousness that you may abound more and more in every Good Work and be to the Praise of his Grace who has called you out of Darkness into this marvelous Light It was very delightful to us to hear that you the Children of Judah did go in good earnest Weeping as you went to seek the Lord your God with your whole Heart and with your whole Soul and that you did ask the way to Zion with your Faces thither-ward and did unanimously say one to another Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten And accordingly did enter into a Solemn Covenant to live and walk together as Brethren in the Rule and Order of the Gospel and that under the strictest Obligation to obey all the Precepts and to rely upon all the Promises thereof You gave your selves first unto the Lord and then to one another by the Will of God which Coalition I think was of God Did I say I think so Pray give me that word back again and I will give you a better in the room of it I know and am well assured it was of God and have stronger Reasons to produce when called thereunto for my Confidence than the fiercest of your Opposers how Learned soever they may think themselves can answer One reason is this and it is such an one as all but Atheists will acknowledge to have weight in it God so far owning you and so signally honouring you in your first waiting upon the Lord at his Table in a Church-State as to shine down from between the Cherubims amongst you on this Precious I had almost said Peerless Saint this young Daughter of Abraham whose Life is under review who was one of you giving up her self to God in the same Covenant with you at the very time of which she saw that Light she never beheld before It was on your Shoar this fluttering Dove first found a place to rest the Sole of her Foot it was from the Mount of your Moriah this abject Daughter of Zion first pluck'd an Olive-branch of Peace and brought it in her Mouth She departed from us to you a Mara she came back from you to us a Naomi she went out empty but returned full and at her return she had Peace in the inward and Joy did shine in the Face of her outward Man whilst she was with us she was Sowing in Tears with you was her Harvest of Comfort and she returned with great Rejoycing bringing her Sheaves with her Now as Manoah's Wife argued in another Case If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a Burnt-offering and a Meat-offering at our Hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would as at this time have told us such things as these So I may argue in this If God was displeased with you or if you were out of God's way If the Fervor of your Zeal was mingled with the Leaven of Spleen and Prejudice if you were influenced to this Imbodying by Church-dividing Principles I say if any of these things much more if all these things were so as your Adversaries with more Spite than Reason with more Malice than shew of Truth do alledge against you Would God have so filled your first Assembling with the Glory of his Presence as to bruise Satan under the Feet of this dejected Damsel that had been so long Rampant in her and to speak effectual Peace to her down-cast Soul who since the hour of her first Conviction never knew what a Moments Peace was before Now he that can infer a wrong way or God's
being displeased with that way from such an unusual Manifestation of his special Grace and Favour has an Art beyond what I desire to be acquainted with Oh! that every Congregation in England that call themselves a Church had so full and clear a Testimony from Heaven of God's owning them and his reflecting so on them with the Rays of his Beauty and the Beams of his Glory our Land would be in a far better State as to Religion than now it is To you also my dear Friends do I therefore Dedicate the following Narrative Of the Life and Death of this sweet Lamb who was of your Fold When she first heard of the Breathings amongst you and the Spirit of Judgment and of Burning with the Lord of Hosts had poured forth upon you she could not be satisfied till she went to see you and seeing you she lik'd and liking you she joyned with you and joyning with you she met with the Comfort which before in vain she sought after The time to Favour her yea the set time was come when she entred her self a Member of your Society and became as one of your Infant Congregation Oh! then she found the overflowing Fulness to her of those Words spoke about Temple-work That God will not despise the Day of small Things in which there is a Meiosis that is something more Intended than Expressed God will not despise the Day of small Things No he will eminently appear in and Gloriously Honour the Day of small Things when those Things have a Tendency to his Glory 'T was a Day of small Things with you when this then Militant now Triumphant Saint became acquainted with you but as mean as you were in outward Appearances as despisable as you were in the Eyes of the World you were Precious in God's Sight who put this great Honorarium upon you in casting this unvaluable Jewel into your Bosome whom I am more than Confident the most Famous Church in the Nation would have been Glad of and Thankful for as a more than common Blessing Certainly you would not be more Honoured in a State of Mortality than to have such a Darling of Heaven take her last Step in the Borders of your Sanctuary immediately before her Translation unto Glory And now my dear Friends having this Opportunity of speaking to you from the Press which I may never have again I will make bold as a real Lover of you and the Cause you are ingaged in to commend a few Words of serious Advice which I pray take as the result of my Dying Thoughts for I am not like to trouble the World long and I hope they may have some Impression on you First Be much affected with the Footsteps of God towards you and his wonderful Appearance for you in your Church State We are told The Works of the Lord are Great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His Work is Honourable and Glorious and his Righteousness endureth for ever If ever People had cause to â—ook back with Admiration upon the Works of the Lord and to take Pleasure therein surely you have who have so abundantly experienced the Truth of what Bildad told Job Though thy beginning be but small thy latter-end shall greatly Increase Your beginning was but small and you are not yet come to your latter-end yet your Progression and the Accession to you is already very Great so that you are apparently in the most thriving Way of any Church I know or hear of And should you not remember even to Admiration the Divine Wisdom that has led you and the Divine Power that has help'd you though the many Briars and Thorns that â—ay in your Way Give me leave therefore though very briefly to make a Rehearsal and that ab initio of the many Difficulties you have met with and yet have been borne up as upon Eagle's Wings above them and how you have been carried on in your or rather God's Way in spight of them so that you may now say with David By thee we have run thorough a Troop and by your God we have leap'd over a Wall When the House where you now meet to Worship God was begun what Flouts and Jeers were there at it how did the Sanballats Mock and Scoff with a What do these feeble Jews some cry'd where will they have Money others cry'd where will they have Company And indeed they took what Course they could to prevent any Company by Ingaging all they had any Interest in from hearing a Sermon in that place What Lies and Shams did they make to Discourage poor People from attending on the Word there I know some of you Breathed unto God in the Words of Nehemiah Hear O our God for we are Despised and turn their Reproach upon their own Head which Prayer in an astonishing and terrible Manner you know what I mean has been already answered and that so visibly as was I am confident as much beyond your Expectation as Desire But the Sheet Anchor of your Adversaries Hope for a Blasâ— on your Undertaking was want of Money It seems they took Measure of the Spirit of God by their own Genius and so thoughts he would not nor could not Work without Money and where Money was necessary 't was above his Power to provide it But in this they found themselves wofully Mistaken for the Place was Finish'd and made Commodious to meet in and no complaint of the Workmen heard that they lack'd their Pay Ay But though there was Money procur'd for the Place how should you do for Money to maintain a Minister This was another Refuge they sled to as a comfortable Hope of the Works miscarrying But in this they have been as Successless as the former for that God whose is the Earth and the Fulness thereof has prevented even to Astonishment their Hopes and your Fears by opening such an effectual Door through the Key of his special Providence that there is though in a secret and unknown Way not only a comfortable but a plentiful and honourable Maintenance secur'd to your present worthy Minister And will you not now look up and admire will you not now look up and adore the interposing Goodness of God! who has a Wheel within the Wheel who can do who does do and who for you has done Great Things and unsearchable marvellous Things without Number I have so much Charity for the worst of your Opposers as to Believe that if they realy did know how strangely the Lord appear'd with respect to Supply they would have so much Christianity as to confess with that Cavelier Captain in the Civil Wars between the King and Parliament God does not stand Neuter But I must put you farther in Mind of God's exerting his Power for you not only in setting you as he has done above the Scoffs of your Enemies but in Reviving the Work after a fatal Damp had almost been put upon it by your Friends for though you cry'd to the great
other Voice but that of Wo Lamentation and bitter Bewailing was day and night to be heard Insomuch that she was an Heart-breaking Grief to her Friends a Burthen to her self and an amazing Spectacle of Astonishment to all that look'd upon her The Lord Pardon the Hardness of my Heart that having these things under review I am no more affected Never did I see such a Mournful Sight never did I hear such a doleful Sound and I think never was there a Creature more exactly like in Sorrow to her Redeemer in the day of his Humiliation when he said of himself My Soul is exceeding Sorrowful and heavy unto Death I had great Thoughts and Akeings of Heart about her what the Issue of these things would be my very Soul travelled in Birth till Christ was formed in her till she was made through the up-lifting of the Spirit to arise and shine as seeing Light to be come and the Glory of the Lord to be risen upon her I pray'd for her I pray'd with her I cry'd day and night to the mighty God of Jacob in her behalf I wept I sigh'd I sobb'd my Heart was ready to break my Soul mourn'd in secret places because the Chariot-wheels of Deliverance drove so heavily on I chose suitable Subjects as I thought for her Condition to Preach upon in publick and did many times apply what I delivered particularly to her She sate just against me in the next Pew to the Pulpit Her Eyes were continually fixed on me but with so ghastly and pittiful a look which had such an Impression on me that I could scarce refrain Tears whenever I cast my Eyes upon her She always repair'd after Evening Sermon to the Repetition Lecture in the middle of the Town carried on by a Godly Zealous Brother of our Church who never failed to pour out his Soul in Prayer to God for her and that in a most affectionate melting manner I was many times as oft as my Weakness would permit there my self and when all was over I used to take her by the Hand and smilingly ask her Come Dear Mrs. Mary how is it with you has God spoken any thing to your Soul to day Have you relish'd and savor'd any thing you have heard Her answer I very well remember was always the same No my Heart is too hard I have not been in the least sensible of any thing you have deliver'd this day you had as good have Preach'd to a Stone as to me And then pulling her Hood over her Eyes to hide her Tears would pensively go away for she could never bear to be long in any Company This Oh! this filled my Heart with unexpressible Sadness that no word how suitable soever would fasten that no Truth how Pertinent soever would take hold on her that one Sabbath came successively after another but she never the better her Soul was not at all refresh'd by any Waters flowing from the Sanctuary I want words to tell you how my wounded Spirit was upon the Rack how my disturbed Mind was in a Flame for this young disconsolate Gentlewoman who was so miserably walking in Darkness that she could see no Light who was so wofully under the Gripings of Satan that she could by no means be perswaded to trust in the Name of the Lord or stay her self upon her God In this deplorable State lying among the Pots she continued many Weeks without any sensible Alteration unless for the worse That she was in a lost undone Condition having an hard unbelieving Heart without any Interest in Christ or like to have any was the Versus intercularis or the Burthen of the Song in her continued uninterrupted dolorous Complaint At last in the midst of some serious Discourse she desired me to keep a day with her to seek the Lord for her to which I willingly consented as very glad of the Motion she desired some other Minister might be also assistant in the Work to which I freely gave way She then ask'd me what Minister would be most acceptable to me I answered I was very indifferent and desired her to please her self and she would not nor could not displease me She propounded Mr. Earl of Gospert who I think was some Relation to her I told her with all my Heart Accordingly we met at a Private House in the Town with several Christian Friends Mr. Earl began with Prayer and I with Preaching from these words Psal 43.5 Why art thou cast down O my Soul And why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet Praise him who is the Health of my Countenance and my God I directed my Discourse wholly to her and spake all as far as God help'd me that I could judge proper for her to hear under the Circumstances she at that time was she sate at the Table just against me fixing her Eyes constantly on me with a doleful and pitty-commanding look But nothing I said as I could by after-discourse perceive made any Impression on her After I concluded with Prayer Mr. Earl then Preach'd his Text was John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you She was in appearance a great deal worse after this day than she was before Her Temptations were more rampant her Breakings-out in bitter and dismal Complaints were more violent and her Sorrow great enough before did every way more abundantly increase which made my Soul mourn in secret breathing forth the sad words of the Church O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the Prayer of thy People Thou feedest this poor Creature with the Bread of Tears and givest her Tears to drink in great measure One night very late I cannot forget it I was sent for in all haste to her when I came I found her in the most dreadful Agonies under the most horrible Consternation of Spirit as 't was possible for any of the Children of Men on this side the Lake of Burning to be possessed with She cry'd she roar'd out in a most terrible manner even beyond an humane Accent as if she had been at the brink of Hell ready to be swallowed up in the bottomless Gulf The Sorows of Death compassed her and the Pains of Hell took hold upon her yea she found Trouble and to the Amazement and Sorrow even to the Astonishment of all that were in the Chamber with her I was at my Wits end what to do to speak any thing I too evidently saw was but in vain and yet I could not I dar'd not be silent She took no notice of any words upon what Topick soever enforced nor in the least minded the Sluces of Consolation how Sweet and Pleasant soever that were opened to her I pray'd and intreated her I begg'd and beseeched her I spoke to her in the most moving and melting Language I was capable to utter and that with Tears in my Eyes with Contrition in my
and severest Affliction And it is more than imply'd that Jonah apprehended this when he thus cried to him The Israelites were to eat no Leavened Bread with the Sacrifice of their Passover but the unleavened Bread of Affliction Deut. 16.3 That they might remember what they were once in Egypt and the gracious Design God had towards them even in that Bondage State Oh! a Belief of this glorious Truth would allay the tempestuous Sea of Sorrow when our Souls are bowed down with Anguish Fourthly God will appear as answering of Prayer in the greatest Affliction When Jonah was crying he heard by an Ear of Faith God answering And so we find Israel acknowledging Deut. 26.7 And when we cryed unto the Lord God of our Fathers the Lord heard our voice and looked on our Affliction and our Labour and our Oppression He is a Prayer-hearing God and then especially when Prayer comes from the Anguish and Bitterness of the Soul And we have not only the Experience of his afflicted People in all Ages to witness this Truth but his own express word for it Psalm 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Oh! who would not beg hard for a Praying Heart and a Crying Tongue when the blessed God has such an hearing Ear. Secondly The other word that Jonah here sets forth the Misery of his Condition by is Hell Out of the belly of Hell cryed I From whence I remark'd these Observations First Poor Creatures and yet Elect Vessels may be in very dreadful Torments their Souls may be in very doleful Agonies Hell is a place of Torment 't is said of the rich Man Luke 16.23 In Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torments Hence great and grievous Soul-troubles are Metaphorically called Hell David speaks in the same Language Psalm 18.5 The Sorrows of Hell compassed me about Now then when Jonah said here Out of the belly of Helâ— cryed I It is as if he had said In the midst of dreadful Torments and anguish of Soul I cryed to my God Secondly Poor Creatures may be surrounded with Sorrows every way from above from below from without from within thus David speaks of his case Psalm 116.3 The Sorrows of Death compassed me and the Pains of Hell gat hold upon me I found Trouble and Sorrow That is he was compassed about every way with Woe and Misery As Job's Messengers came from every Corner sinking his Spirits with ill News and piercing his Soul with the Darts of disconsolate Tidings Job 1.16 So many chosen Vessels of the Lord may be beset with Troubles and Sorrows of every kind which may make them roar and cry out as those without hope Thirdly Poor Creatures may be worried and hurried by the Temptations of the Devil which is a Species of Hells Torture As the Tongue is said to be set on Fire of Hell James 3.6 So the Spirits of tempted ones may be and too often are borne down and kept under the Hatches by the Tyranny of Hells Monarch We find Paul complaining of a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan buffeting him 2 Cor. 12.7 Oh! it is an Hell upon Earth to be in the Claws of Hells roaring Lyon Fourthly Poor Creatures may be for a time conquered and overcome by Hells Sorrows though The Gates of Hell shall not absolutely prevail Matt. 16.18 yet they may a great while and in a great measure prevail over many precious Children of Zion though God's chosen ones shall not be left to remain always in Hell as David personating Christ spake with respect to the Grave Psalm 16.10 Yet they may be left a long time under the power of Hell to be crying out as though they were for ever lost Then I took notice of the Dolefulness of Jonah's Complaint as we have it in the third Verse For thou hadst cast me into the Deep in the midst of the Seas and the Floods compassed me about all thy Billows and thy Waves passed over me Wherein there is Metaphorically set forth First The Sense he had of Sin as the deserving Cause of what he now so lamentably groaned under Thou hadst cast me into the Deep and that deservedly for my horrid and crying Sin of Disobedience of which mention is made Chap. 1.1 2 3. Now the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah the Son of Amittai saying Arise go to Nineveh that great City and cry against it for their Wickedness is come up before me But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Here we find him shamefully turning his Back upon the Commands of his God and now in the Deep he is sadly sensible of it and broken in Heart for it So in like manner we find the Church acknowledging and that in a Soul-humbled and debased way Lam. 5.15 16. The Joy of our Heart is ceased our Dance is turned into Mourning The Crown is fallen from our head Woe unto us that we have sinned Ah! happy if under the weight of Grief we have a Sense of the Evil of Sin Secondly He was under Terrors of Conscience and miserable Confusion in his Spirit this is imply'd in the vvord Seas In the midst of the Seas That he vvas literally cast into the Seas vve read Chap. 1.15 So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the Sea But besides this he vvas in a mystical Sense in the Sea that is under the Rackings of a vvounded Spirit under the Bitings of a stinging Conscience So that he vvas as the Prophet told Pashur he should be Jer. 20.3 Magor Missabib even a Terror to himself Oh! Terrors of Conscience are the vvorst of Sea-storms Thirdly He was over-whelmed with Sorrow and this is imply'd in the word Floods And the Floods compassed me about So that his Spirit as well as his Body sunk as Lead in the mighty Waters As it was said of Pharaoh and his Host when they were drowned in the Red Sea Exod. 15.10 Our Saviour thus expresses the Misery that shall come upon all incorrigible Sinners Matt. 18.6 It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Oh! who can be sensible of the Troubles and Miseries wherewith poor Jonah was overwhelmed when he was in the Sea Fourthly He was closely confined not only as to his Body but narrowly pent up as to his Spirit This is included in the word Billows All thy Billows and thy Waves passed over me We read indeed of his being in the Whales Belly Chap. 1.17 And as that miserably confin'd his Body so his Spirit was worse restrain'd through the awful Sense of Divine Displeasure As David's once was Psalm 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy Water-spouts All thy Waves and thy Billows are gone over me Ah! how sad 't is when the Soul is depressed groveling in the Dust and cannot look up for want of Strength and Faith
and cannot see any Rays of Divine Light Fourthly Oh! Then even in such a State God is with poor Creatures though they may not know it As he was with Jonah in the Whales Belly Joseph was in a sad Condition and without doubt not a little dejected in Spirit when he was put in Prison in a strange Land among a strange People far from his Father's House But the Lord was with Joseph Gen. 39.21 And so he is with all his Suffering ones He is with them to uphold them that they may not be wholly crush'd by Satan's Assaults and to help them to quench all the fiery Darts of the evil one which he will most certainly do in his own time We have his positive word for it Isa 41.14 Fear not thou Worm Jacob and ye Men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel Though you find no help at present yet God will help you if you look to him according to his Promise for he is with you Fifthly Then God can open a Door of Comfort even in such a State as he did to Jonah here in the Whales Belly For his looking toward the Holy Temple implies no less As it was said of Ezra Neh. 8.5 And Ezra opened the Book in the sight of all the People for he was above all the People and when he opened it all the People stood up So when the blessed God who is over all and above all shall open a Door of Hope and such a Door he will open to every Mourner in Zion all his dejected ones that are now groveling in the Dust shall stand up yea they shall lift up their languishing Eyes as knowing and plainly seeing their Redemption draweth nigh See Oh! see what an overflowing Fulness there is in the Promise as to this Hâ—s 2.14 15. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her And I will give her her Vineyards from thence and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope and she shall sing there as in the days of her Youth and as in the day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt You see what God has promised to do and he has promised no more than he can do than he has done than he will do to all that are in Bitterness of Soul and do with patience wait for him Sixthly Oh! Then such a State may be in order to the fitting us more for God more for his Will and Pleasure as Jonah's being in the Whales Belly was in order to a better fitting and disposing him to deliver that Message he at first declined We are told Psalm 5.5 The Foolish shall not stand in thy sight We are all Fools by Nature and we cannot stand in God's sight nor do him any Service till our Folly be purged out by the Fire of some Spiritual Tryal We have a famous Story in the Gospel of a Woman of Canaan Matt. 5.22 c. who was frown'd upon in her approach to Jesus called Dog put off a great while with many other Discouragements and kept in the dark without being taken notice of to the Wonder of the Disciples But 't was all the more to fit her for that Mercy our Lord Jesus design'd to bestow upon her Oh! that all in Spiritual Trouble would believe that God is in and by that Trouble the more preparing them for himself and the Reception of his special Grace and Favour Seventhly Then in such a State God may be working for us even whilst he is laying his heavy Hand upon us As God was working Deliverance for Jonah even then when he cast him into the Whales Belly God was with David whithersoever he went 2 Sam. 7.9 and was working for him in the lowest Ebb of his Affairs yea when he was crying out I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul So in like manner he was working for Jacob when the good old Man thought his Condition most deplorable Gen. 42.36 And Jocob their Father said unto them me have ye bereaved of my Children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin away Ad these things are against me Whereas the Event shews that every one of these things did wonderfully make for him Ah! How much would the Belief of this Truth lighten the Load of Spiritual Trouble how heavy soever it seems to be Eighthly and lastly Oh! Then such a State may be and yet no real Anger in God towards the Creature It was in Love not Anger that God put Jonah in the Whales Belly God was not angry with Abraham when he took away his Wife from him Gen. 23.4 No more is he with those many poor Souls under the Oppression of Spiritual Grief whom he wounds with the Wounds of an Enemy and with the Chastisements of a cruel one hedâ—ing up their way with Thorns and filling them for a time with Woe and Bitterness And he sufficiently manifests that he is not angry by the Conclusion of his Work upon all such which is excellently set forth in Zech. 13.9 And I will bring the third part through the Fire and will refine 〈◊〉 as Silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will heâ—r them I will say it is my People and they shall say the Lord is my God Tho' you are in the Fire if the Lord will as nothing more sure than that he will refine you by the Fire Though you are in Darkness and walk as in the Shadow of Death for the present And if the Lord will as most certainly he will e'er long say Thou art my Child And if God will make you as all that you now endure is in order to it e'er long say The Lord is my God yea The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my Song he also is become my Salvation Then there is no Anger in the present Dispensation how grievous and lamentable soever it may seem to be And this I verily believe and that upon good grounds even Scripture-grounds will be the Event Wait but a little have Patience for a while and you will joyfully find it so to be Amen and Amen Thus I have given you a brief Account of what was that day more largely insisted upon and more particularly applied to her for whose sake it was studied and to whom in a more especial manner it was delivered After all was over I had some private Discourse with her much longing to know how it was with her whither any thing had affected her And to my no little refreshing I found her in a more calm composed Frame than I had ever seen her before since the beginning of her Troubles And at that time or a very little after she told me with some Pleasingness of Aspect which I observ'd in her Countenance Sâ—e believ'd she should believe though she could not yet I do not remember she had any
To give him Satisfaction next time I preach'd on the Week-day several Members coming into my House after Sermon as also Mrs. Mary Harrison I then broke the business to them and desired them to give me their Thoughts upon it Every one spoke his Mind some were violent against it others more moderate on the foregoing Considerations but in short they went away without coming to any Result After they were gone precious Mrs. Mary I shall never forget it took me by the Hand and with Tears in her Eyes very earnestly spoke the following words Good Dear Sir beat off my Brother Betsworth from going to the Wedding and I will do what I can to make up his loss These were her very words but the manner of speaking them and the Agony of her Spirit in speaking them is above the power of a far better Pen than mine lively to set forth The other Story is In the days of her Vanity before God touch'd her Heart seeing the Key in her Father's Desk or Trunk she took thence some Money under twenty Shillings to buy her some fine things on which her Mind was wholly set with the greatest eagerness that could be But Oh! what an unspeakable Horror had she in her Conscience for this in the day of her Conviction she often complain'd or rather roar'd about it to me that she was a Thief and had stolen Money from her Father The Devil was not wanting to aggravate the matter for the farther perplexing her already too much disturbed Soul At last she told me she must tell her Father of it and ask him Forgiveness for it I confess I laboured to disswade her from it fearing he being her Father-in-Law it might be of bad Consequence Telling her that though it was very ill done yet being several Years since and she one of the Family I thought a thorough Sense of the Evil of it which 't was plain she had and seeking Pardon oâ— God in the Blood of Christ was sufficient for though Confession of Wrong done in other cases was necessary yet Prudence forbade it in this case under her Circumstances and the state of the Family Several knowing Christians to whom she communicated this Affair concur'd with my Judgment but this did not Satisfy her she still persisted in her Resolution of confessing it to her Father And one Night as I was with her late after Prayer being about to leave her she told me she would not nor could not keep this thing any longer from her Father's Knowledge she had such a Fire burning in her Conscience which was not to be quenched till she did it I reply'd If that was her absolute Determination I desir'd I might be by to back it not knowing how her Father might resent it To which she consenting we sent down for him but he was either Busie with Company or at Supper and I not being willing to stay longer it was defer'd till next day But after I was gone and the Family with her self also in Bed about Midnight so powerful and influential was her terrifying Conscience she rose up and as I think slipping on her Night-gown ran to her Father's Chamber and approaching his Bedside in a penitential heart-moving Tone confess'd her Guilt to him upon hearing of it He to his honour like a generous honest tender-hearted Man freely forgave her to her no small Comfort The next day after Dinner at the Hour appointed I went to her expecting the performance of what she had been so long harping upon but when she told me she had already done it and where and in what manner Oh! how was my Soul struck with Amazement I presently thought on Solomon's words Prov. 14.10 The heart knoweth his own Bitterness and a Stranger doth not intermeddle with his Joy O blessed God thought I how does this young Convert outstrip those of the highest Form in thy House I confess I had much higher thoughts of her and much lower thoughts of my self ever after that Day But stay I am call'd to Hearken and Oh! that you and all that read this Tract would Hearken with me to what John heard Rev. 14.17 And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Ah! this holy Virgin is One of the blessed Dead that do rest from her Labours of Sorrow and Anguish for Sin and her Works of Faith Repentance and Love do follow her This heavenly Lamb when she escap'd the Gin That Satan laid and after was let in Jehovah's Courts Oh! how she dreaded Sin Its Fear did pierce her Soul and made her Body thin Seventhly As after Conviction she had a dread of Sin of any Sin so more especially of her own Sin of her former beloved Sin Pride Certainly never was any Creature below a Glorify'd State more Mortify'd to that particular Sin than she was Oh with what Loathing Abhorrence and Disdain would She speak of it David accounted it an undeceivable mark of Sincerity that he was got above his darling Lust Psalm 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity What David's Iniquity was I may Guess but not Conclude but this I am sure Pride was hers And she through the mighty power of Grace kept her self from it It was her right Eye and she was enabled to pluck it out it was her right Hand and she had power from God to cut it off that she might be fit for the Kingdom of God Mat. 5.29 30. From the day of her Conviction when the terrors of the Almighty took hold of her off went her Top-Knots and all superfluous Finery and never put on more what was her Glory before was her Shame now Her adorning was no longer the outward adorning of plaiting the hair the wearing of Gold or putting on of Apparel but the hidden Man of the heart in that which is not Corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great Price Oh that all the young Ladies and Gentlewomen in England had seen her ghastly Looks and heard how dolefully she bemoan'd her self for her horrid Pride which was once so Rampant in her It could not I think but be an effectual Antidote against their staying so long at the Glass and being so curiously exact in decking and adorning the outside of their decaying Bodies Oh! if they had beheld as I and many others did how dear and costly this Sin was to this young Damsel they would sure be more afraid of it She was weeping and Crying and continually Lamenting the pride of her vain heart But as it is said of the Church she had the Moon that is the World under her feet so this precious Saint had at last the Sin of Pride under her feet and Oh! how did she trample upon it how did she contemn and despise it In
to you that are now Mourning To you that are now Weeping To you that are now so full of Sadness for this great and irreparable loss and that in the words of the same Apostle in the same Chapter verse 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words 3dly To you also of this Society my Brethren and Sisters of this Church I would next address my self on this awful Occasion And it is to beg you to have a deep sense of the Lords hand upon us in diminishing our number in Housing our little Flock apace But the last night we were in this place Solemnizing the Funeral of a precious and beloved Sister and now we are here at the Funeral of this triumphant Damsel 'T is true she was not actually a Member of ours but virtually and intentionally she was she walk'd with us sate down vvith us and really design'd if the Lord had spared her life to be dismiss'd to us and so to be wholly ours She extreamly delighted in this Society and dearly loved every one of you But we have now left her with several others of emminent use and worth which calls for no small Lamentation and therefore I may here justly make use of the Prophets words by way of Exhortation to you Jerem. 9. v. 17 18. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider ye and call for the Mourning-women that they may come and send for Cunning Women that they may come And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us that our Eyes may run down with Tears and our Eye-lids gush out with Waters Why what 's the matter What is it that calls for so much Mourning verse 21. For death is come up into our Windows and is entred into our palaces to cut off the Children from without and the young Men in the Streets Oh! How many lovely Children of God have of late been cut off in this place and now this young Flourishing Branch is so suddenly and so unexpectedly cut down from amongst us and we shall never see her more Oh How then for this sad and irreparable loss should we lament with Tears how should our Eyes be gushing out with Water for the Immature fading of so sweet a Flower Oh! Therefore from the sense of Gods displeasure in taking such Unvaluable Jewels from us Be afflicted mourn and Weep let your Laughter be turned into Mourning and your Joy into heaviness Though as to this Saint her self there is no need of it death is to her an unspeakable Gain And therefore Christs words to the Bewailing Women are applicable unto you Ye daughters of Jerusalem Weep not for me but for your selves and the Miseries that are coming upon You. Oh Methinks I hear her speaking aloud to all and every one of us in Davids Language Psal 34. v. 2.3.4 My Soul shall make her Boast in the Lord The humble shall hear thereof and be glad O Magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my Fears But for our own sakes there 's cause enough of Mourning especially from this awful consideration Accession to us does not answer the decession from us 4thly and lastly A word to all of you in this Congregation the Inhabitants of this Town and the parts adjacent And I will Preface what I have to say to you in the Words of Jotham to the Men of Shechem Judg. 9.7 Hearken I beseech you unto me that God may hearken unto you Some of you have seen all of you have heard what this deceased young Gentlewoman underwent for Heaven What Oceans of Troubles she vvas plunged in and what Fires of Soul-tribulations she was a long time burning in Now as Christ said to his Disciples Math. 18.2.3 And Jesus called a little Child unto him and set him in the midst of them And said verily I say unto you except ye be Converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So say I to all and every one here Old and Young Rich and Poor High and Low except ye go thorough the Pangs of the New-birth as this young Damsel did I do not say in that same degree of Horror and Agony for that few do but except you be as really Converted Changed Renewed and Born again as she was you will not nay you cannot enter into the Joys of Heaven when you Die for they are our Lord 's own Words and spoke as plain as plain can be Joh. 3.3 Except a Man any Man every Man be Born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Now this deserves your most deep and serious Consideration for there is a Kingdom of God to be enjoyed and a kingdom of darkness to be avoided And believe it Sirs Heaven is no Feigned Elizium Hell and Eternty is no dream the worm that never dies is no fond Conceit And you will shortly know what the one or the other means You will er'e long be summon'd to spend the Ages of Eternity amongst the blessed or damned and that in a very little time And so I shall close the whole alluding to the words of my Lord and Master with an earnest Exhortation to and fervent Supplication for each and every Soul of you here present Oh! That you would therefore know even you in this your day the things that belong to your everlasting peace before even before they be hid from your eyes And that for ever Two Hymns composed for her Funeral the former of which was publickly sung at the close of her Funeral I Sought the Lord and him I found He did regard my Tears When I lay prostrate on the Ground He freed me from my fears I wept with Sorrow Grief and Woe 'T is God that Mercy gives God made me cry out Oh! I know That my Redeemer Lives And lives to comfort my poor Heart Who did my State condole As finding such an horrid smart Within my wounded Soul But now I 'm eas'd I feel no pain Oh! then rejoyce with me That have found Death so sweet a Gain My Saviour now I see When I through Weakness pin'd away And fetch'd my latest Groan Christ sent his Angels to convey My Soul unto his Throne Oh! Halelujah Lord I am Ravish'd with Joy and Love In Bosome of blest Abraham With all the Saints above The other A Person young late dwelt among Vs Militants below Oppress'd with Fears immerg'd in Tears Which from her Eyes did flow Her Spirit sad with Sable clad To think upon her Soul The Storm was great the Billows beat And Deeps did on her roul So fierce the Stroke her Heart was broke Her inward Man deprest Both Night and Day she pin'd away And had not any Rest. Till God did please t' afford her ease 'T is he that Comfort gives Then in her Woe she cry'd I know My dear Redeemer Lives With this sweet Breath in view of Death She did her Life resign Now wrapt in Love with those above She gloriously does shine Rest holy Saint where no complaint Shall vex thee any more Possess that Peace which ne'er will cease On Canaan's blessed shore Oh! Halelu-Jah he is true At length he 'll surely come He 'll come away without delay And take his Mourners home FINIS