there is 〈◊〉 stumbling-block before their eyes Oh how happy a thing it is and joyfull for to see when a poor Christian is imbraced in those two armes of love that beloved One that beloved One those whom he hath chosen he will take them for his own for ever he will lock them in his Cabinet from all sin and sorrow and from the Devils assaults In the day when I make up my jewels they shall be mine saith the Lord. She concluded with much rejoycing but exprest no words September 26 I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every branch that bringeth not forth good fruit in me shall be hewen down and cast into the fire Those that I do not chastise they are not sonnes but bastards saith the Lord. Lord pull back Satan that roaring lion which would devour my poor soul but he cannot but he cannot my God will not suffer him Obey the Commmandments of God and do not dishonour him but honour him and do not abuse his Titles Words or Works labour to make a right use of them it is them that we must be overthrown or accepted by Take heed you live not in a known sin for if you live in a known sin it is a double sin and if in a double sin God will double his Judgements God will denounce against you the greatest Judgement amongst the Catalogue if you dishonour God he will make you smart for it Take heed of Satan that cunning Serpent beware of him beware of him for he is alwayes drawing and flattering us unto him and when he hath got us unto him hell-fire will be our end Let us labour to forsake sin and cleave unto Jesus Christ and let him be our safeguard if you give way to little sins it will bring on greater sins For which things sake the wrath of God commeth upon the children of disobedience if you give way to little sins it will bring on greater sins and then the greater will be your Judgement Lord sanctifie it unto us that it may take an impression in our hearts and work it in us that it may take a deep impression in our hearts Let us labour to be partakers with that thy beloved One that suffered death upon the Crosse to save us from hell-torments had not he suffered death upon the Crosse for our sins we had been howling in hell this day have we not cause to love him have we not cause to love him that suffered death upon the Crosse that cruell death by the Jews if we should suffer never so much we could never suffer so much for him as he did for us Oh have we not cause to love him let us lay down our lives for his sake that laid down his life for us What miserable creatures are we so that our souls be but saved we never think of Christs sufferings for us we alwayes forget that but we must remember it at the day of Judgement the Lord will call us to an account for all these things In the day when I make up my jewels they shall be mine saith the Lord Jehovah September 27. Lord as thou hast fed our bodies with tempor all food so feed our souls with spirituall food Lord work thy Word with faith in our hearts unlesse it be written with thy Spirit it is but a dead letter In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and all things were made by him Beware of Satan that Serpent that goeth about and stands in corners to watch to vanquish my soul but he cannot but he cannot touch it he cannot enter in labour to have the foundation of life that he may not touch it which foundation is an everlasting foundation it will stand it will never fail Let us labour for Christ for the stronger we are in Christ the weaker we are in this world the stronger we are in this world the weaker we are in Christ Let us labour to build our conversation upon the three-corner stones which is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Trust in the Lord Trust in the Lord Jehovah for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Lord satisfie our unsatisfied hearts for if a man have all the world he hath not enough but he hankers and hungers and thirsts more after the things of the world but when we have Christ Oh what can we desire more what would we have more Oh! what can a Christians heart desire more then that beloved One that Christ Jesus labour to have your foundation built upon that Holy one that Holy One. September 29. Take heed you lie not one to another seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Be wise in all your doings and be ye present be ye present before the eyes of the Lord ô fear the Lord ô fear the Lord though you fear not men See that you serve the Lord above with trembling and with fear see that with reverence you rejoyce in him in like manner ô let us fear the Lord that we may live in his fear and die in his favour Oh that we had hearts to observe the Commandments of God if we had but hearts to observe his Commandments we should never ruu upon our own souls destruction as we do Labour to spend your time well in this world of abomination and sin for it is but for a little moment and labour to repent before the day of death for after the day of death there is no repentance lest you run headlong into hell to your own destruction for ever and ever Beware of Satan that Serpent and give not vvay to his assaults but despise them and flie back from them Let us labour for Christ let us hunger thirst after him for one glimpse of Christ is better then a 1000 worlds for one glimpse of Christ will ravish a poor Christians heart for when a Christian is drooping and thinking that God hath forsaken him then God out of his favour sheweth him one glimpse and then goeth back again sheweth him but by glimpses and glimpses to make him stick closer unto him even as a star that lightens and darkens and lightens and darkens to make the light shine brighter She spake no more until the sixth of October Come my people enter into my Tabernacle Having spoken these words she fell into an exraordinary fit of laughing and tittering heartily six or seven several times as she used to do in her best health when she was over-joyed with any thing and soon after fell into a mourning and as it were wept in her brest and then she spake the words following Beware of Satan that Serpent lest he reign in your hearts for if he touch you he will creep in and in like a
be whole and she arose and was healed Oh vvhy should not vve be contented for his Arme is not shortened nor his Povver diminished therefore vvhy should noâ— vve be contented In this vvorld whilest we are in affliction we think it is miserable and grievous buâ— hereafter it will be sweetened while we aâ— in affliction we think it is miserable and grievous but the Lord will sweeten it with thâ— cup of mercy the Patient must taste of 〈◊〉 bitter potion before his stomack be cleared Oh let us labour to fear the Lord that we may live in his fear and die in his favour for as we do so we must look to be done by October the 20th Children obey your parents in all things knowing that it is well pleasing unto the Lord. Oh let us labour to have our wills melted into the will of that everliving and glorious God The secrets of God are hid from man and his wayes past finding out but the Lord will reveal them to his children in some part when his time appointed is come Lord humble these proud hearts of ours and endue us with the gift of Humiliation Oh let us labour to return thanks unto the Lord for all his mercies that he hath poured down upon us for the way of begetting more is to return thanks unto the Lord to give reverence unto him we reverence our earthly fathers our natural fathers Oh why should not we much more reverence our Heavenly Father Oh let us labour to forsake this world and all things that are therein for there is nothing that is desirable Oh let us labour to stick close unto that Holy One for when all things in the world fail he will never fail he will stick close to us when all things in this world decay and moscer away he will be an everlasting rock Lord open our blinde eyes that we may see clearly the weaknesse of our selves and the strength of Christ Oh let us labour to lead our lives and conversations well in this life for as we do so we must look to be done by if we sowe unto the flesh we shall reap corruption but if we sowe unto the Spirit we shall reap life everlasting October the 21th Let us labour to repent of all our sinnes which we have lived in formerly which lieth unrepented of for after the day of death there is no repentance as life leaveth us so Judgement findes us October the 22th Oh let us cast our care upon the Lord for he will care for us he hath promised to be a father to the fatherlesse and a husband to the widow Lord pull back Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to devour my poor soul but he cannot my Christ will tread him under foot that he can get no power over my poor soul Lord graft thy Word into our heads and not onely into our heads but into our hearts also We are poor Earth-wormes Lord breath into us the breath of life that we may become lively Saints of thine that we may become lively Saints of thine and that we may sing Hallelujahs with thee in the highest Heavens Take heed you lie not one to another for if you go in that way the Devill will take that occasion to pour in more corruption Lord mollifie these hard hearts of ours with thy graces that are so hardened with sin and corruption October the 24th Lord open the eyes of the blinde that â—ey may see clearly the purity that is in Christ and the corruption that is in themâ—ves they see and perceive not they hear â—nd understand not Lord enrich our souls with thy graces that â—e may be instruments to enrich the Kingâ—ome of Heaven Lord pull back Satan that lurking roarâ—g lion that goeth about to destroy my poor â—ul but he cannot my Christ will give him â—o power he will not let him touch it He â—oth what he can to get victory but he canâ—ot my Christ will not let him The Devil â—aliceth the children of God he is alwayes â—usiest about them and flattering them he 〈◊〉 alwayes thinking to make them fear him â—nd flattering them and thinking to overâ—ome them but those whom God hath â—hosen he will take them for his own the â—oor doubting Christian the Devil is always â—utting feares and doubts into them but when he thinks they are in the lowest conâ—â—ition they are in the highest and when a man thinketh he is in the highest condition he is in the lowest when a poor doubting Christian thinketh he falls he stands aâ— when a man thinketh he stands he falls Lord take away these hearts of stone aâ— renew us with hearts of flesh Lord humble these proud hearts of ourâ— that we may not be swallowed up with thâ— vanities of this world we are apt to 〈◊〉 drawn to the vanities of this world and 〈◊〉 flie back from Christ Oh what disobedieâ— children are we that follow not the commands of so loving a Father that which 〈◊〉 biddeth us to do that we do not and thâ— which he biddeth us not do that we do Oh let us labour for faith for he that 〈◊〉 faithfull untill death he shall enjoy the crowneâ— life October the 25th Come my people enter into thy chamber shâ— the door upon thee hide thy selfe for a little mâ—ment untill the indignation of the Lord be overpast He that doth not the will of my Father which is in heaven he is not worthy of me saith thâ— Lord. Take heed you sowe not good seed upon thorny ground lest the thorns spring up and choak it My Christ hath pulled back Satan that lurking roaring lion which goeth about to devour my poor soul he maliceth my poor soul and thinks to get the victory but he cannot Oh let us labour to be partakers with that Beloved one that immaculate lamb of God that spotlesse lambe that laid down his life to take away the sins of the whole world Oh let us labour for faith that rich grace of our God Lord pour it down upon us that is that rich grace of eternity that is the grace by which we must either live or die without we have that grace we shall never come to God we shall never come to Christ Oh let us labour for faith ô let us labour for faith no faith no Christ no Christ no salvation Lord as thou hast fed out bodies with temporall food so feed our souls with spirituall food that we may be able Instruments to enrich the Kingdome of Heaven Lord endue our spirits with the gift of Humiliation for the Spirit of God is a humble Spirit a meek Spirit a holy Spirit a full Spirit it acts powerfully and breaths where it listeth Trust in the Lord Jehovah for in the Lord Jehovah is our everlasting strength Come my people let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as wool though
be excluded that Gods Name might not be obseured God did all in this businesse and therefore it 's fit that he alone should be exalted Oh let 's give him that little all we have let 's strive to exalt him he may be higher in our hearts though not in himselfâ— and the rather because these Providencies have fruitfully administred varieties of advantages for the raising up of our spirits in the exaltation of Gods glorious Name May not the parents of this childe say with â—onderment God raised up one out of Davids House 2 Sam. 12. 11. who attempted to deprive him of his earthly Kingdome but God hath raised one out of our Family who may be instrumentall to further our enjoyment of an heavenly Kingdom They I know desire that others would help them in endeavouring to render according to the mercies received and how should they or others improve such dispensations but by labouring to act faith at a higher rate then we have done Faith hath two legs whereby it comes to Christ and it 's called a comming to Christ John 6. 35. submission and closing in such mixâ— providences as these where God checkers his dispensations working Checker-work there will be much use of a submitting frame of heart to submit our selves children and all to the Will of the Father of our spirits Heb. 12. 9. and we should improve this Providence in raising up this Childe by faith for the raising up of the Church from under all her Convulsions and prevailing diseases many other wayes we should improve such Works of God but I have already exceeded the bounds of an Epistle I shall onely urge you and my selfe to suck that sweet brest of the promise Psalm 50. 15. you have prayed God hath delivered and now he expects to be glorified and he promises you shall glorifie me Can then our unbelief our dead sluggish fickle unconstant and forgetfull heart hinder it if God say thou shalt who hath resisted his Will Oh then lie at the pool of this promise untill your unbelieving unthankfull hearts be healed Lie at this beautifull gate untill you receive an almes and a word Come that shall raise up your Spirits that you may walk and leap and praise the Lord. Let me entreat you to review this Childes Speeches but especially to eye God in all his providentiall actings towards her untill your hearts be raised to exalt the glorious Lord in all those Attributes which shine forth in this Scene of his Actings Eye them for the strengthening of your faith to trust God in all your straits to submit to God when he is pleased to presse you down with the left hand of afflictions whilest he writes a fairer copie of his Law in your hearts with the right hand of his holy Spirits powerfulâ— visitations eye them that you may learn to love Jesus Christ with more sincerity and to use the world more cautelously lest it use nay ride you as others with great cruelty eye them that so you may learn to sanctifie God in your hearts who hath diseases and cures at his command who gives the opening of the mouth and causes the tongue of the dumb to sing and the tongue of the stammerers to speak plainly and confirmes the feeble knees all which and more he hath done for this Childe eye them also that your hearts may be brought in love with and confirmed in your love to the precious and yet ô sad despised Ordinances and Institutions of Jesus Christ the King of his Church which God hath opened a Childs mouth to plead for And if you may gather such sweet fruits as these from off the Branches of these providentiall actings of our wise God I shall sit under the Tree rejoycing that God hath made me Instrumentall to call you forth to so good an employment and subjoyn my selfe Your's Through Grace James Fisher Sheffeild January 20. 1652 3. To the godly consciencious READER IT is thy priviledge for soul-advantage that thou livest amongst Sermons and it is a choice mercy in the Saints Count-book that now when so many bid Preaching depart and Ordinances depart and Duties depart yet still the Lord is not wanting to appear in some kinde or other owning his appointments Yea thou mayst observe Jesus Christ to be so desirous of thy Company that he leaves no means unattempted to win thy soul to God for the deare love of Jesus Christ seems to flow and break over the banks of ordinary means that so it may encompass thy heart and fetch thee wholly into the Father Now surely Christian thou wilt confess that it 's a barren soul indeed whom the over-flowings of Christs love will not make fruitful Believe it Gods unwonted layings out of Love are not answered with stinted and wonted layings out of obedience Great cost and little incomes is unprofitable trading When the Lord helpâ— us to receipts we had need beg hard that hâ— would help us with returns for questionlesâ— God expects those should be Commemoration-dayes whereon his Saints have their exceedings of Love 't is certain Christians when Jesus Christ steps out of his high-road he has some special businesse then with Sinners Now thou to whom this Book shall come the Lord thou seest hath stepped aside to speak with thee take heed how thou refusest to heare the voice that speaks from Heaven Christ sees that Word-preaching will not serve and therefore he sends thee both Word and Work-preaching and all that he may make thee Eternally blessed Oh do thou not still go about to frustrate Christs endeavours in his work of winning thy poore soul 't may be thou hast long stopped thine Eares to his Words but what wilt thou stop thine Eyes to his Works too Oh look to this young Divine to this Child-Preacher or rather to the Lord in this Childe-Preacher and if thou canst not spell Christs meaning by his words yet put together Words and Works and thou shalt soon see what they make if thou canst not know Christ by his ordinary appearings yet oh learn to know him by his Extraordinary for truly it is a brutish thing to bury Christ in his own works Look Christian Here thou mayest see a 〈◊〉 burning and yet not consumed yea a â—â—sh burning and yet blossoming Natural 〈◊〉 preserved when natural means of preserâ—â—tion were denied but indeed a few loaves â—â—ll feed five thousand when Christ has the â—â—oking of them God can make a little of 〈◊〉 crâ—eature go farre when he makes it up â—â—th a great deal of Christ for we see though 〈◊〉 Commons were shorter then Daniels yet 〈◊〉 finde her very well-liking think thereâ—ore at what Ordinary or rather Extraordinary â—ath she dieted surely she had food we â—new not off Well might she live who fed so â—lenteously on life it self and certainly that â—ife of hers was a happy life which dwelt so â—eer the life of happiness We did not know â—hy the life of nature should be continued except
feares but God who comforteth such as are cast down comforted them in this Infant-preacher much of whose discourse was an earnest pressing unto faith When her sorrowing parents and astonished friends were as it were at their wits end in relation to her sad condition even then she wished them frequently to roll upon upon God who would bring them to their desired haven to their expected end Oh let us labour for faith said she for He thâ—t is faithfull unto death shall receive the crown of life And in relation to their affliction she said Satan is always malicing perplexing the Children of God to make their journey uncomfortable thinking that if he get not victory then he shall never get victory but my Christ hath vanquished Satan This handmaid of the Lord Reader to give thee a taste of her was piously principled even from her Cradle the Spirit blossoming in her in the very Spring of her age Even while she spelled words and syllables she spel'd out Christ for if she met with a free promise or some good sentence holding out Gods love to man she would say Mother this is a sweet place and usually read it over again Yet though she thus grew in the inward her outward man was weakened and decayed till the twelfth year of her age the year of these wonderfull transactions betwixt God and her spirit as if that year Christ would again honour now in this member of his to confute such as would be thought some-body in these days as once in his own person he silenced those Doctors of the Jewish Synagogue In this eleventh year viz. Aprill 1652. her bodily disease increased so did her love to heavenly things also for even those toyes which that age delights in she desired not so much as â—o hear named by her sisters setting her thoughts upon and inuring her tongue to speak of those things above where shortly she expected to arrive At last the disease over-mastered her strength seized upon the Organes of her senses so that she could neither speak see nor hear to the apprehenâ—ion of any about her she could not move â—ut as she was born by others and much of this time her teeth was so closed that she was not capable of receiving food onely some liquid matter they dropped in at a broken tooth and this very little she putting it out so fast as it was given her thus lay she diverse moneths even untill December an object of sorrow to her parents and of astonishment to all others capable onely of their pity not of their help but a mirrour of the mighty power of God proving by this argument that Man liveth not by bread alone it is not the arm of flesh that is to be confided in but he that knoweth our infirmities is onely able both to help and heal them During this continued Paroxysme she had very frequently sometimes every day certain grand extasies whereby after that her body had been racked on the wheel of convulsion it became as stiffe and expanse as that bodie which is seized on by death and coldnesse In which extasies God did to astonishment appear For now flowed those streames of living waters those precious divine sentences contained in the ensuing pages which thou tasting with the Organes of the same Spirit they were delivered thou canst but admire Look on the person a childe going on twelve years and canst but confesse that out of the mouth of a babe and suckling God hath perfected praise Look at the condition wherein she uttered these in a deep â—ance and dost not see it fulfilled that the tongue of the dumbe shall sing Look at the things she spake are they not deep things of God is there heresie or errour intermingled Couldst thou discern the manner of her expressions the vivacity of spirit how the words drop from a touched experienced self-concerned heart thou wouldst say as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon The halfe was not told thee Look at the suitablenesse of the things spoken and thou 'st confesse they came not by the will of man but this holy one of God spake as she was moved borne supported and carried out by the holy Spirit Concerning this last cirâ—umstance when some rashly affirmed that â—e was acted by Satan they judging accorâ—â—ng to carnall reason at the next extasie which was the onely time of her speaking â—he uttered thus I am not in the hands of â—atan but in the hands of my God when â—ome pretenders to Revelations as these â—mes are full of such visited her at that veâ—y time she was carried out to say Take â—eed you sowe not tares for if you sowe tares you shall reap tares and afterwards fully witnessed gainst them thus Take heeâ— you deâ—ise not Gods Ordinances nor his Instruments that he hath sent to preach his Word God will let you go on with your delusions for a time but there will come a day of Judgement to try whether you be right or false and again Lord restrain those that go about to interrupt those Instruments which thou hast sent to preach out thy holy Word in thy Congregations it is requisite that offences should come but wo to them by whom they come November the ninth being purposed â—or a day of seeking God by fasting and prayer the night before she encouraged them that were about her with that of the Psalmist Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And the night after the work was done she admonished them thus Oh let us call to minde what the Lord hath done for us and not be like the natural man that looketh his face in a Glasse anâ— presently forgetteth what manner of man he was Thus God by this his handmaid opposed profane scoffers cautioned misled creatures and bare witnesse to the excellencie and necessity of the now sleighted Ordinances and Ministery Reader here thou mayest a while behold as it were a conflict in her godly parents betwixt joy and grief their teares issued not all from the same Fountain the one eye was swolne with drops of gladnesse the other of sorrow while they beheld the deep trials of God upon them their lips quivered rottennesse entred into their bones they trembled in themselves but when again they beheld how God laid their tossed and afflicted with fair colours checkered his work paved his steps with black and white marble then again they are comforted As that Popish Bishop when not able to determine whether Solomon were a childe of wrath or love caused his Effigies to be drawn half in heaven half in hell so they judge their affairs â—o resemble that Cloud which ushered the â—sraelites to the land of Promise it had a â—ark side as well as a bright Thus God â—olds them till the time came that he would command deliverances for them then
he put them on a way to attain this â—nd not by might nor by power not wisâ—ome of men nor outward meanes of Physick but that grace might be advanced â—o send for the Elders of the Church and â—et them pray over the afflicted which was done in the spirit of grace and supplication and after twice wrestling with God in fasting and prayer he was pleased to be intreated And as gloriously admirable was Gods hand in raising her up as in casting her down for in the close of the second dayes work that God might manifest himselfe to be a God hearing prayer and that creatures in their lowest condition might never more despond he shewed some glimmerings of his gracious favour and within a few dayes gave to her understanding senses speech the use of her legs and since a daily income of health and strength and which is better then life suffered not these high actings of his Spirit to be an occasion of puffing her up but kept her in a gracious humble depend inâ— frame of spirit for being inform'd whaâ— she had said she replied thus in her childisâ— speech Have I me cannot tell I can 〈◊〉 nothing of my self it was not me it was thâ— Spirit of God in me I am nothing but poor earth-worm and me hath nothing buâ— what my God giveth me for me is nothinâ— but dust and ashes Again some two 〈◊〉 three dayes before God gave her the use 〈◊〉 her legs her father desiring to neglect nâ— lawfull meanes wished one to signifie hiâ— pleasure to her that he had thoughts oâ— procuring a Physicians advice concerning her whereto she sweetly answered she would be disposed by her parents will buâ— her desire was to wait Gods end she could wish no Physician might partake of any glory with God for he alone had done the cure he alone deserved the praise Thus Reader hast thou a true Narrative of that which seems marvellous in our eyes the Lord remove from thy heart all selfe and prejudice make thee willing to give God the glory of his own workings slubber not over this passage of divine Providence with carelesse or profane thoughts eye God learn to live by faith and despise not Ordinances which God hath from heaven in this occasion borne witnesse to I have purposely avoided all frothie flourishes of the tongue lest the truth should be suspected for I would win thy heart not thy senses not words but things take wise men of whose number if thou would'st be thought one judge soberly and the end is obteined By The unworthiest yet a faithfull Wel-wisher to thy precicious Soul Wa. Barnard Church-Sandal January 28. 1652. THE NARRATIVE Wherein is related how this Child was visited and the manner of her Disease when she did utter those Heaven born Truths herewith published THis Child who hath been the subject of such wonders of Providence is the daughter of Master Anthony and Mistris Faith Hatfield of Leighton in the West-Riding of York-shire her name is Martha Hatfield she was compleat twelve years old the 27 day of September in the year of our Lord 1652. She hath been from her birth a childe of wonders being so litle when she was brought out of her mothers wombe that it waâ— thought she would speedily have returned 〈◊〉 the common wombe where all living muâ— ere long be laid up But God who quicknetâ— the dead who is the preserver of man contâ—tinued her life and she grew up very hopeâ—fully as a plant of Gods own planting yeâ— some years before this visitation she was observed to be of a sad spirit oft retiring into corners and weeping for a long time and could not then render any reason thereof but it evidently appeared afterward that she was much afflicted with the spleen-winde which encreased notwithstanding the use of means to greater extremity But before I proceed I must desire the Reader not to expect an exact Relation of her Disease in physical terms of art because it pleased the all-wise Disposer of all occurrences so to order the spirit of the childe and his own dealings towards her as you may see anon that no means could be used towards her recovery and so no Physicians did stay with her to observe the symptomes of her disease so that it 's but conjectural what it was it 's thought the rigid convulsions or rather that it was a complicated disease of many of those distempers which affect the brain but I shall give it you in our Countrey Dialect as those that were usually with â—er did apprehend it I shall observe this Method 1 I shall speak of her disease 2 Relate her speeches 3 The manner of her recovery 1 Her Disease The Spleen-winde after some time did â—row to that extremity that she could not â—igest her meat but vomited up all that she â—ook which yet was but a small quantity for 〈◊〉 long time after which she was taken all of one side beginning at her neck which â—aused her to hold her head awry and from â—hence it went into her arm and took away â—he use of it for many dayes and when her â—arm was better it fell into her leg on the same side and continued there until she fell quite down which was after this manner She had extraordinary fits of violent vomiting and after that Convulsions which occasioned extream torments especially in the night and so she continued sometimes better sometimes worse for many dayes sorely troubled with a stopping c. In which time she had the use of her understanding and could speak and with many sweet words was able to exhort her parents to trust in God Saying If we had but faith it would carry us thorough all the troâ—bles of this world Then about April the sixth 1652 〈◊〉 perceived such a change in her that 〈◊〉 thought she would die presently and she 〈◊〉 into a fit of extream pain in her side whicâ— took away her breath and her senses for 〈◊〉 houres and she was stricken all over stiff 〈◊〉 which time she lay as if dead hopelesse 〈◊〉 life in the judgements of those who beheâ—â— her Yet about the third houre she was enabled with great alacrity to express the joyâ— of Heaven and sweetly prayed for herselâ— and all her relations as she conceived theiâ— necessities required First for her father thy servaÌ„t the head of thâ— family Lord give him faith in Jesus Christ to lay hold upon thee and give him patiencâ— to be contented with thy will and for ouâ— mother who hath been so long weak Lord restore her and make her a comfort to us all and teach her to submit to thy will and for my Grand-mother that old stock that old stock that thou hast made such a comfort to us good Lord we thank thee for her and if I live I desire to be thankful for her And for our brother who is to be disposed of good Lord direct the heart of thy servant our father to dispose
eyes but with our spiritual eyes we shall Oh what a good God have we that never slumbers nor sleepeth but watcheth over his poor servants Come my Disciples take up your crosse and follow me and you shall be saved I will be your God and you shall be my people O Lord I desire to wait till my glass be run for I long to be in Heaven with thy holy Angels rejoycing Those that hunger and thirst after Jesus Christ let them come and drink of the water of life and they shall thirst no more and when Christ their life shall appear then they shal appear with him also in glory Come unto me in time of trouble and I will save and deliver you Come my people enter in at the gates of Heaven and I will guide you in it My soul O Lord watcheth and watcheth till the glass be run to be in Heaven rejoycing with the holy Angels for ever Labour for Jesus Christ what are we without Christ we are but as a lump of clay or lead full of corruption and without the Spirit of God Oh Good Lord work a thorough work in us that we may be like thy holy Angels in Heaven Now my Christ is come again oh that I could hold him fast and not let him slip from me Oh Lord give us thankful hearts to thee who hast given us Jesus Christ thy dear Son to take our sins upon him all our sufferings are nothing in comparison of Jesus Christs sufferings he suffered the death upon the Cross for us Lord take away these stony hearts of ours and give us new hearts and take away these thorns out of our hearts and give us thankful hearts that we may be ever thankful unto thee for all thy good gifts that thou hast bestowed upon us May the 24th Lord give us Jesus Christ for without Christ we are nothing but like lost sheep that are gone astray Take heed that the temptations of Satan overcome you not lest he cast you into hell Not into our eares Oh Lord but come into our hearts and take away these stony hearts of ours and give us new hearts How good is thy Word O God! how good is thy Word ground it not in our heads O Lord but in our hearts Pull back Satan that roaring lion which goeth about seeking whom he can devoure and to cast him into hell oh follow not his wayes nor steps for in them there is nothing but blasphemy and lying but follow Christs steps and there will be rejoycing for ever Before that Christ take you up into Heaven he will give you full assurance of himself and lock you up in his cabinet and keep you from that hunting roaring lion If he conquer me he will cast me into hel-fire but my Christ will not suffer him to touch me my Christ is stronger then he he will not let him prevail against me My body is but wormes meat in the grave but what care I for my body so that my soul be in Heaven with my God and his Angels Seek for Christ and you shall finde him hunt for him and he will be found of you Strait is the gate that leadeth to Heaven and few there be that finde it but wide is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go therein The afflictions of the body are nothing but the soul is a rare jewel when both body and soul are afflicted then there is cause of sorrow but pray to God that he may support your souls O take my soul into thy protection for if both body and soul should be gone then all is gone but when they are in thy hands then they are safe then there is no cause of sorrow but of rejoycing and singing Aalleluiah for ever Trust in God walk in Gods way the more you walk in Gods way the more he will give you kis assurance Get into Jesus Christ for in him there is joy and comfort and no cause of discomfort If we could but get one touch of the sweetness of Jesus Christ it would ravish our hearts so that we would strive to get nigher and nigher unto him Oh what a good God have we who would not trust in such a God let us but eye God and he will eye us and the more we look unto God the more will his power be exalted in us What if a man have not onely part but the whole World yet he can never be satisfied and a poor soul that onely hath a desire after Christ cannot be contented but when a poor soul hath gained all Christ then it is satisfied A poor soul will be alwayes hungring hungring hungring and thirsting till he have gotten all Christ then he will be satisfied and say he hath enough How loving and gracious is our God that doth all things in wisdome and mercy and for our good in pitty and compassion Oh how happy a thing it is and joyful for â—o see when a poor soul is going to Heaven and Christ sayes Come poor soul come â—ome and I will lock thee up in my Cabinet and keep thee from sin and Satan He is an everlasting God stick close to him and he will stick close to you As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent When we are in affliction Christ is all in all but some in their afflictions are apt to say that God hath forgotten them but whom God loveth he correcteth and afflictions are but to make us stick closer to God that it may be for our good and comfort Let us sing praise to our God and be thankful let us not turn back from him and he will not turn back from us Whom God loveth he correcteth in mercy Correction is good for poor souls it maketh them stick closer to Christ and that they may know him the more both for his own glory and their own good every way As the Father calleth his childe when he hath done amiss and asks why he doth so and gives him correction so God he gives his children correction but it is for their good and comfort God scourgeth and whippeth his children but he will not give them one whip nor one lash more then is for their good Just is God in all his dealings he neither slumbreth nor sleepeth but is diligent and carefull in watching over his poor children Let us give him praise for all his mercies lest he turn his blessings into cursings Labour for Jesus Christ stick close to Jesus Christ and he will stick close to you he will never forsake you till you have him you can never be satisfied Labonr to follow things according to Jesus Christ for if we gain Christ we gain all When all helps fail Christ will never fail you he will never forsake you Let us labour to get into Jesus Christ that we may be like the Angels in Heaven and let us bend our mindes to
of him that we should not be so carried away with the vanities of the world but we should give up our selves to â—hrist and make him our Habitation The same night about 12 a clock She had great extremity of pain and as conceived would gladly have spoken maâ—ing signes that her heart was in Heaven as was thought by those who were present with her for she pulled at her brest seveâ—all times and held up her hand as high as she could reach looking up with her â—yes and then after a short space she spake and said Me is not in the hand of mine enemy but â—n the hand of my loving Father he is an ever-living ever-loving and glorious Lord God he is a wise God and he will not give his children one lash more then he sees good for them After this she spake no more until the eighth day of December which was the day after the Lord had graciously given her the use of her Senses and of her Understanding To close up this second part of the Narrative I shall adde this that some of these Speeches she uttered though but few of them will need such Apologie in weaknesse as a childe under such strange distempers as did somwhat confuse and perturbe her intellectuals but other things she uttered thorow the strength of the Spirits assistance extraordinarily guiding her tongue to utter such things as now she cannot tell that ever she did speak them There be some things oft repeated yet because either they are uttered with some variety and were things that it seems her heart was much carried forth to mention therefore I have set them down and hope they will not be tedious but may raise up further thoughts of them when you read them over again and compare them with the Scriptures in the Margin and if you knew the state of the family and the condition of some that came occasionally to hear her you would say there was a Divine hand that guided her tongue and that God was with her mouth adapting her speeches to their necessities And I suppose her heart was more affected with some truths before this ill fit and of those things she makes the most frequent mention But whilest I am Apologizing â—or her Repetitions some may tax me for Omissions some have said that she prophesied and no such passages are here related to which I answer there is no ground for such a report there is one passage related in one of her Speeches October the 19th in the end of page 107 and beginning of page 108. about Raising of the Maid unlesse they fancie this to be a Prophetick foretelling of her Recovery I know not any thing uttered by her nor could upon enquiry hear of any thing that might give ground for such a report but the truth is such Reporters I hear do some of them expect to have the gift of Miracles and it may be of prophesying and seemed to be much taken with Gods dispensations to this Childe hoping it would have conduced something to the promoting of their cause but are disappointed for God hath opened the mouth of a dumb childe to confute their follies It may be they prophesied that she would prophesie and so have proved themselves to be false prophets My hearts desire and prayer to God shall be that these Speeches may take as deep impression upon the hearts of the Readers as they did upon her body who was the Speaker God was pleased to hold her upon the rack for so many weeks nay moneths in which she endured grievous torturings and yet to enable her to speak such things surely so extraordinary a Teacher requires more then ordinary attention When Jonah who had bin so close a student in the Whales belly Colledge came to preach to the Ninevitesâ— the strangenesse of the Relation concerning the Preacher might make his Sermons take more with them Shall not they rise in Judgement against the men of this Generation some it may be with Pharaohs South-sayers will acknowledge the finger of God is in this when his whole hand is visible but if men sleight such dispensations no wonder for if they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead God indulged to the Israelites its thought to enjoyne them Ceremonies of his devising to prevent their use of or hankering after such as were of mans devising God seems to indulge to the weaknesse of some in such extraordinary actings of his Providence in this Instance and a few others which might be mentioned but if the Father of the Family take all this care and yet men are not contented with his established Institutions but they are finding out new Inventions God will certainly correct this wantonizing humour It argues our stomacks are foul and crazy when we must have new dishes every meal and cannot â—eed upon the standing dishes of Gods Ordinances the King of Saints will nor be thus affronted but level and discharge the Ordnance of his power against those that disclaim the Ordinances of his Grace But I hope through the pourings out of the Spirit many shall be so wise as to observe these things and to profit by ordinary and extraordinary dispensations and surely They shall understand the loving kindenesse of the Lord. The third Part of the NARRATIVE Containing The wonderfull Recovery of this Childe of Wonders MAny dayes had been set apart in the Family to seek the face and favour of God on the behalfe of this afflicted Childe which Duties her parents as Obed-Edom the Ark were forward to entertain as at other times so now in this their afflicted condition They have had much experience that God was a God hearing prayer and therefore would not be beaten off from these now alas too much neglected meanes from which they had sucked much sweetnesse having found God sometimes marvellously helping of them till they were strong in the power of his might but alwayes helping them with a little help and bearing up their spirits under the trials though they did not obtain a full enlargement and when one told the father of this childe that the room was not able to bear so many as came to seek God in those duties he replied The more the better so that those who come can pray and believe But yet the Lord in wisdome seemed to us to be as one astonished as a mighty man that cannot save the Childes distempers of body growing more violent she having most terrible crying fits by reason of her extream pain which crying fits continued till she vomited blood and then she was quiet which were very grievous and afflictive to the spirits of all that heard her and the whole Family so continually under sadnesse and their sleep so broken that you might have seen Every one with their hands upon their loines as a woman in travell and all faces turned into palenesse Which dealings of the Lord with that family
did serve to awaken them to a more solemn way of seeking his face and it was judged that it was his purpose to have his providential dispensations in relation to this childe more publickly taken notice of that so they might not be hid in a corner but many might behold his glorious goings and bear witnesse thereof unto the world when he should finish his work upon her therefore her Parents did write and speak to severall Ministers of his Word two of which have prefixed Epistles to this Narrative and a Day was fixed to be set apart for Humiliation of which many precious servants of God had notice which was the ninth day of November In which Day the Company being met at Mr. Hatfeilds house and the work entered on but the childe was observed by such as did attend her to be somevvhat unquiet the reason vvhereof they knevv not onely a thought came in that if she were brought into the Room vvhere the Company vvas assembled that then she might possibly be quieter vvherefore her Maid brought her in her armes vvhere she continued quietly all the time vve vvere at the duty not once interrupting us and the eye did serve to affect the heart and to helpe them to vvrastle vvith God more affectionately this passage is the more vvonderful because so farre as could be rationally judged she did neither hear or see or knovv any body and so vve knovv not hovv she should understand that there vvas such a vvork in hand unlesse the Lord should hint it to her as he did many of her Speeches if not all and indeed some of her Speeches the night before and night after the Duty vvas concluded do import such a thing See her Speeches November the eighth vvhere she quotes that Psal 50. 15. and suitably to that she added after Oh let us cry aloud unto the Lord in the time of necessity and he hath promised to give ear to us vvhich vvord did strongly call upon us to cry mightily unto the Lord there are many other passages that night vvhich I refer the Reader to and vve took them as messages sent from Heaven to quicken our hearts in the duty there vvas one passage that night viz. her fourth speech about repentance and faith vvhereby she did direct us hovv to order our Humiliations as desiring they might be Evangelicall not legall the fruits of faith not of slavish feares she vvould have us look on Christ and then mourn believe and then repent and vvhen the duty vvas concluded November the ninth at her usuall time she uttered severall passages vvherein vve might observe God exceedingly ordering of her vvords as the first speech that night and the fourth and the seventh and especially the ninth vvhich was an admirable caution given in to us Novv to return that vvhich vvas in relation to the childe set upon our hearts particularly to ask of God vvas this that he vvould please to quiet her spirit ease her of her pain so that the eares of her dear relations might not be filled vvith such dolefull cries nor their hearts vvith those fears and amazements vvhereby they vvere much unfitted to act Faith or do any duty to God or man extram sadnesse and faintings oppressing and overvvhelming their spirits and in this the Lord vvas pleased graciously to ansvver the desires of his poor Servants through the Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ vvhich vve had notice of at our next meeting and did desire to improve it taking it as a pledge that God vvould do more for us and ovvn us in our Attendances upon him in his ovvn vvay At the end of that day of Humiliation a Motion vvas made that vve might continue once a moneth at least to seek God untill he should be pleased to come vvith healing under his wings Those that vvere engaged in that vvork living at a great distance from one another vve could not vvell meet oftener then once a moneth and vvith that resolution we parted waiting to see what the Lord would do for his Servants in that Family whose condition God did very much assist those who were engaged in that Duty to bear upon their hearts continually with much tendernesse The time appointed for the next day of Humiliation was as I remember the 9 day of December next ensuing But the Lord ordered things so that the childe grew exceeding weak not being able to speak from the 21 of November any more as was before noted so that her friends did think that God was comming to finish his work and her time of warfare here in the body Wherefore her father dispatcht messages to the Ministers and Christians to meet keep a day of Humiliation on Thursday the second of December a week sooner then we thought of and accordingly we met on that day and found her very weak so that she was not brought into the room where we performed the Duties of the day That which amongst other things as particularly relating to her was desired of God was that God would manifest his power in enabling her to speak again that so whilest she lived she might be usefull and instrumentall for his glory her Speeches having bin very powerful upon the hearrs of many we hope to the conversion at least conviction of some and the edification of most that heard them God was also very earnestly intreated with many arguments which his Spirit suggested to raise her up that he perfecting his work might have perfect praises and his work might be cleared to the conviction of slanderous tongues and the further comfort and satisfaction of the hearts of his people the day being finished we departed to our Homes desiring to submit and wait the Lords leasure and if she lived to continue seeking of him But behold God was better to us then we could think and when we had scarce faith to believe what he had in some measure set our hearts a work to ask upon the ninth of December the Day which formerly as I noted we had agreed together to have sought God for her but did perform the duty a week sooner I say upon that day we had as a reall Testimony of her Fathers thankfulnesse to God and reall respects to us the joyfull news of her marvellous Recovery transmitted to us which take as followeth Mr. Hatfield his faithfull Relation of the Lords Work in recovering Mrs. Martha Hatfield his daughter out of her great Afflictions which was by him sent unto the Ministers who had sought God for her upon the second of December 1652. MOre works of wonder from Heaven which may teach us and all that hear of it to depend upon the Lord in the Duty of Prayer and Fasting Since the second of December in which day many sweet Petitions were put up to the Lordon the behalf of this childe we have perceived some Symptomes that God was restoring her understanding as upon the fifth and sixth dayes of December she would have given notice and
so continued his good hand upon her and she encreased in strength daily so that upon the 28th of December the time appointed for the Thanks-giving when we met there she was able to come forth into the Hall to meet and welcome us and we did behold a Miracle it was wonderfull in our eyes so that our hearts did rejoyce with a kinde of trembling at the glory of the Lord which appeared in that Object and it did the more affect because it was more then many if not most of us heard of before we came into the house so that we see God had put still more matter of praise into our mouths when we came together to the duty she came and joyned with us most part of the day but the place where we met being very full of people she towards the close of the day grew somewhat faint and weary and so withdrew but was well presently and much affected was her heart with 〈◊〉 goodnesse of the Lord in the morning before we engaged our selves in the duty of that day she desired that we might sing a Psalme or two which she had made choice of viz. the 103 Psalme or the 118 Psalm which of them the Ministers pleased and in the close of the day the Assembly were desired to praise God in the words of David written in the 118th Psalme and some of the verses of that Psalme which did best suit with the occasion of the day were cull'd out as the six first verses and the 13th verse to the end of the 18th also the 21 and 23 24. and the two last verses In that day as we desired to exalt the Lord in our hearts who had so signally fulfilled divers promises and that in particular Psal 118. vers 15. which had been often urged formerly so were her Parents very solicitous lest they should not render unto the Lord according to his marvellous appearances for them and to them therefore was that promise urged Psal. 50. 15. Thou shalt glorifie me which as was declared to them is not onely demonstrative of their duty but operative to enable them to perform their duty and so we parted with our hearts full of joy and desires that we might be strengthened by the power of the Lords might to walk worthy of these glorious ownings of his poor worthlesse creatures Since this day of Thanks-giving the Lord hath in much mercy increased her strength every day she did not then go so strongly as since she hath done one observable passage there was she was sitting in a Chair and both she and the Chair fell and she hurt her leg but not long after she was observed to go with more strength and nimblenesse then before and God made that fall a means of her rising up to more strength and not onely are her outward parts through the goodnesse of God strengthened but her understanding memory and ripenesse of apprehension are much enlarged beyond what they vvere before her sicknesse which we vvere much afraid had been utterly and altogether destroyed in this sad visitation and as a further addition to make the mercy yet more compleat the Lord hath been pleased to work a great change in the frame and temper of her disposition which formerly by reason of the prevalencie of the Spleen vvhich she is novv vvholly freed from as from all other infirmities vvhich she had formerly vvas much inclined to sadnesse and fretfulnesse but novv she is of a vvondrous meek quiet and sedate temper and vvalks on vvith much cheerfulnesse and evennesse of spirit so that vve may discover much of God in her carriages she is also very diligent in reading and prayer and such other employments as her Mother sees fit to exercise her in so that she may be a pattern for many vvho far exceed her in years and God doth keep her in a wonderful humble frame she is not lifted up vvith her Receptions but desirous to vvalk up to her Mercies she hath not much ravishing joys but God hath made good that promise to her He hath brought her health and cure and hath revealed to her abundance both of peace and truth It hath pleased God since these passages of his Providence again to try that Family in removing from them that precious Gentlewoman Mrs. Fr. Westby Mother to Mrs. Hatfeild and Grandmother to this Childe an ancient Disciple of Christ vvho had gained a great addition to her stock of Graces and comforts by this Childes Afflictions and Restauration She vvas full of the joy of the Lord in the beholding of these vvonderfull vvorkings of God in that Family and is novv translated to Heaven where she is praising God for those many other Mercies in a higher strain then our untuned spirits can reach unto and when God had brought that affliction upon the Family this Childe perceiving her dear Mother to be much dejected vvith that dispensation did much labour to comfort her and amongst other passages this vvas one With tears she spake to her Mother thus Good Mother labour to submit to the Will of God ô labour to submit if vve do not submit vvillingly God can make us to submit I shall shut up the Narrative vvith this passage of this Childes dear Father in the Close of his Relation vvhich he sent to me viz. The povver of the Lord be made knovvn in all his Works vvith thankfulnesse to his glory for ever To which I will adde my AMEN The Conclusion of the NARRATIVE THat Caution which this sweet Childe hinted as was before noted that we should look to a good end in publishing her speeches took such Impression on my spirit that though I was strongly urged to it I durst not venter upon the presenting of these things to Publique view before I had first examined my ends in that undertaking and could through the free grace of God I hope in sone measure approve my Heart to him in that enterprize And since I have undertaken it I am sorry that I could not dispatch it sooner whilest the impressions were fresh upon the spirits of her Friends but my many diversions and interruptions in that populous place where God hath east my lot must be my Apology and I hope the publishing of these things now may serve through the supply of the Spirit of Christ to revive those thoughts and resolutions which I hope wil never be wholly oblitterated That which I shall onely adde is the ends and uses which I conceive our wise God might have and which we and others should make of such wonderfull works of his and I shall refer them to two Heads they are such as concern Either 1 Particularly that Family Or 2 Generally the Nation 1 Particularly that Family and there 1 God did foresee what his intentions were as to that Family in taking to himselfe that precious Gentlewoman Mrs Westby the Grandmother of this Childe she was one of the most affectionate Mothers that I have been acquainted with she had