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
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
Though God do take away the comfort of this world yet he will give us comfort in another world Gracious is God and pittiful to poor souls when they shall call to him for help and saith Lord I am helpless of my self my help is upon thee and I trust in thee then he gives him help comfort by faith in Jesus Christ Who would but trust in such a God that give us Christ that we may joy and rejoyce Oh how good a God have we that doth rebuke the Tempter and will not let him have us though he strive to catch us he would make our going to Heaven uncomfortable and pull away our souls but God will not suffer him for those that God hath chosen they shall receive comfort How gracious is God in all his wayes and worthy to be esteemed of if we do not esteem of him he will not esteem of us he is angry with his people it is but for a while but with those that he is ever angry he will say Go ye cursed into hell-fire and what a pittiful case is that God will stretch out his hand to a poor soul and say Come poor soul come thou hast been long in affliction but I will lay thee up in Heaven there thou shalt be happy and rejoyce for ever Our Father gives us his Son Jesus Christ to save our souls or we had been burning in hell-fire before this time but our God is gracious to us Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Lord open our eyes that we may see Jesus Christ coming into our souls with white robes we cannot see him with our mortal eyes but Lord make us to see him with ouâ— spiritual eyes this would be the joyfullesâ— sight that ever we did see in all our lives What disobedient children are we that do not go when our Father comands us to go If you be risen with Christ seek those thingâ— which are above where Christ himself sits at the right hand of God Let us have our eyes lift up to Heaven that we may see Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God and let us be thankful for all his mercies for if we be unmindful of him he will be unmindful of us Lord our hearts are empty fill them with thy Spirit and take away the corruption that is within us Why are our hearts set upon the World there is nothing but pride and corruption in the World and we poor sinful creatures are subject to run head-long into the World Lord wean our hearts from the World Good Lord give us grace and the eye of Faith that we may see Jesus Christ coming though afar off and that we may come nigh and stick close to him Lord give us faith that we may trust thee and believe in thee and make us true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ for we have nothing of our selves but corruption to trust on and that will flie from us How good God is and merciful to all his â—hildren in delivering them from all the â—emptations of their spiritual enemy which â—aily seeketh to destroy them Oh come my people into my Tabernace â—nd I will take you up into my throne and â—here you shall rejoyce with me and my Angels for ever and ever Labour for Jesus Christ and when you have obtained him embrace him and he will embrace you cleave fast to him and he will cleave fast to you Acknowledge Jesus Christ who is our Saviour and when all things in the World fail he will not fail he will stick close to you and not forsake you Let us be thankful for all mercies though they be but little ones for when we are thankful for little ones he will poure more upon us and if we be not thankful for the least mercy he will poure down great curses upon us Look into the actions of God and the more you look into his works the more power of God you shall finde in them all that he doth he doth it for the good of his poor Children and those that fear him May the 27th Lord purge our bodies and purifie ouâ— corrupt hearts that thy Word may work thorow work in us cast back cast back thaâ— tempting roaring lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour What disobedient children are we for that which God commandeth we will not do but that which he forbiddeth that we do and run on headlong to our own destruction If the Spirit of God once work in our hearts then we shall be happy and shall sound out the praise and glory of our God for he is wonderfull in our eyes Lord open thou our mouth and let our lips shew forth thy praise our God make speed to save us ô teach us to know Jesus Christ for how will that ravish our poor soules to know our Saviour and then we shall draw nigher to heaven and rejoyce with our Father Come my people come enter into my Tabernacle and I will have mercy upon you Help help Lord for Christs sake that I may obtain that happy place for there is comfort without discomfort and joy without sorrow May the 28th What disobedient children are we for doâ—g those things which we ought not to do â—nd in leaving undone those things which â—e ought to have done Come my people enter into my Tabernaâ—le and I will gather you under my wings as a â—en gathereth her chickens and I will assure you of your salvation and you shall rejoyce with my holy Angels for ever and ever Let us labour to get faith in Jesus Christ who will gather us from our enemies when a poor soul thinks he is cast down into hell then Christ comes and raiseth it up then that soul will rejoyce with Christ and he will keep it from falling into that deep pit he will not let it fall again who would but trust in such a God as this that will give his children hearts to believe and fear him Labour to get Jesus Christ for we cannot get him without pains if we mean to be one with him O how ought we to take pains and labour to know and acknowledge Jesus we must struggle and strive for him or else we can never obtain him May the 29th How good is our God that takes pity upon a poor afflicted soul for when a poor soul is going to hell and seeth no help but in Jesus Christ then it cries Help help help Lord and then Jesus Christ delivereth that poor soul out of hell Labour for Jesus Christ and seek for him he is not gained easily we must seek for him and take pains for him or we shall never obtain him unlesse we take pains we shall never sinde him Lord give us hearts that we may seek after Jesus Christ and that we may relie upon him by faith that we may be made true believers in thy Word Lord open thou our mouths that our lips may shew forth thy
praise Lord pour out thy Spirit upon our souls and it will make us draw nigher and nigher unto thee Many are they Lord that cannot obtain Jesus Christ it is because they do not take pains but let us arise and be doing for without pains we can get nothing we must take pains and struggle for Jesus Christ else we can never obtain him Lord fill our hearts with Jesus Christ for they are empty fill them full of Jesus Christ that we may be able to live by faith upon him Lord fill our hearts with the knowledge of Jesus Christ for our hearts are empty and with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Lord enrich our souls that we may enrich the Kingdome of God Let us be thankfull to God for all his mercies and blessings which he is pleased to bestow upon us for the more thankfull we are the more will he poure down his mercies and blessings upon us How gracious is our God that doth all things in wisdome and mercy to his poor servants he doth nothing to them but that which is for their good in mercy and in righteousnesse O Lord give us true faith in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ that we may relie upon him for our Salvation What a sweet thing it is to enjoy Jesus Christ happy is that soul that doth enjoy such a gift from our Father If we should be thankfull all our dayes we can never be thankful enough for he suffered the death upon the crosse for our sins Lord pardon and forgive us all our sins and wash them away in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and then shall we be purified and become pure Christians Let us give praise unto our God for all his mercies and blessings that he hath bestowed upon us let us alwayes be praising our God and be thankfull and ever thankfull May the 30th Lord humble our hearts and open our eyes that we be not led away with Satan and run headlong to our destruction We have enemies too many to draw us back from Jesus Christ but there are very few that will draw us to Jesus Christ Lord take our souls into thy protection and keeping for when they are with thee they are safe Let us sing praise to our God for his mercy endureth for ever Lord take away our unbelief and fasten us to Jesus Christ that we may become new Christians Lord wash away all our sins in the blood of thy Son Jesus and purifie our affections that vve may become pure Virgins in Jesus Christ Come let us drink of the water of life and then we shall never thirst again Oh hovv happy are they that can but obtain Jesus Christ for if vve be never so poor in this vvorld if vve can but obtain Jesus Christ vve shall have riches enough for then vve shall be rich in glory May 31. The Lord give us faith for without faith we cannot get Jesus Christ The Lord give us knowledge for without knowledge we cannot attain faith and without faith we cannot attain to salvation If we can attain to the height of faith we shall attain to the height of Jesus Christ and if we attain to the height of Jesus Christ we shall attain to the height of glory Lord humble us under our burthen of sin That when Christ who is our life shall appear we may also appear with him in glory Come my people Call upen me in time of trouble and I will heare you and answer you Oh wash us and cleanse us that neither spot nor stain be upon us wash us clean in the bloud of Christ that we may become new Virgins pure Virgins Let us bless God and be thankful for all those mercies that he is pleased to poure down upon us let us be thankful yea very thankful for the more we thank him the more will he poure down his mercies upon us June 1 1652. Lord pardon and forgive us all our sins and give us hearts earnestly to beg pardon for them if thou hadst not been a merciful Father we had all been burning in hell-fire we had all been burning and howling in hell-fire before this but thou hast given thy So Jesus Christ to die for our sins for his sake we beg pardon for them Lord give us thankful hearts we have cause to be thankful if we had a thousand hearts we could never be thankful enough to thee for all thy mercies that thou hast bestowed and showred down upon us Lord give us thy Word and ground it in our hearts Lord give us thy Spirit into our hearts for without thy Spirit the Word iâ— but a dead letter I will be your God and ye shall be my people Lord give us faith in Jesus Christ for without faith in him we can never acknowledge Jesus Christ to be our alone Saviour and Redeemer She spake not again until June the fourth Oh my God I give unto thee my soule my body and my heart and all hoping that I now am going unto that happy place which I have desired so long June the 5th If a poor man which hath not a bit of bread nor a broom to sweep his house withall yet if he have but Christ he is richer then that man which hath all the riches of this World Who would but trust in such a God that will save and defend us from all evil Who would but trust in such a Christ that will defend us from Satan and all our enemies both bodily and spirituall Who would but trust in such a Christ that will preserve us as he did Jonah three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly Lord humble humble our stony hearts that they be not puft up with pride and vanity How often would I have gathered you together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not but were stubborn and rebellious June the 6th Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens and you would not Let not your hearts be drawn after the vanities of this world nor after the steps of Satan which goeth lurking lurking watching and waiting like a Serpent but follow Christs steps for if Satan get you he will fling you into hell-fire Long is the way to heaven and much a-do we have to get thither but short is the way that leadeth to hell What disobedient children are we that will not follow Gods commands that which is evil he forbids us and that we do and that which is good he commands us and that we we do not Lord wean our hearts from this world let us not be led by sin nor Satan let not Satan get any power over our souls if he get power over our souls he will cast them into the bottom of hell for ever and ever This world is nothing but fading comforts nothing but drosse losse and dung in
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
lambe of God be pleased to open to us the door of faith November the 1. Lord purifie these drossy hearts of ours that we may become pure Virgins of thine and leave them without dross or sin remaining in them 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 be to them by whom they come Oh let us labour to gain the Kingdome of Heaven and struggle and strive for it for it is not gained with a little ado but Heaven is won by violence and the violent take it by force Lord enrich these poor fainting souls of ours with thy graces that we may become able instruments to inherit the Kingdome of Heaven November the 3. Lord endue us with thy rich graces as faith which is the richest grace of all but our hearts are so stony that we cannot apprehend them aright to make a right use of them but make them of a fit temper that we may have our wills melted into that Will of that everlasting everliving and glorious Lord our God that we may lie at the feet of that immaculate lamb of thine untill those two arms of Love be pleased to take us up into the throne of Heaven Put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against all the wiles of the Devill Oh labour to take notice of that everliving and glorious Lord our good God and of all his mercies that he hath been pleased to pour down upon us for if we take notice of him he will take notice of us both of all our needs and necessities and necessary things both temporall and spirituall for if we sit loose from him he will sit loose from us November the 4th Oh let us labour to repent of all our sins which we have lived in formerly and call to minde what the Lord hath done for us in distresse When we were in the hands of our enemies he hath preserved us from the hands of our enemies for if we were as we should be we should be thankfull every hour of a day but God knoweth we are far short Good Lord refine us even as silver and gold is refined and make us without spot or blemish even as thy spotlesse lamb and cloath us with the righteousnes of him November the 5th He that knoweth the will of his Father that is in heaven and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Lord renew these stony hearts of ours and give us hearts of flesh Lord open our blinde eyes that we may see clâ—erly the errour of sin and the purity that is in Christ and the corruption that is in our selves We poor miserable and wretched creatures Lord pardon and forgive us all our sins that we have committed against thee and wash them away in the blood of that thy beloved One and leave us without spot or stain remaining in us November the 6th The Works of God are wonderfull and his wayes past finding out Servants obey the will and command of your Masters which are upon the earth knowing that you have a Master in heaven Oh let us call upon the Lord in the time of extremity and calamity and he hath promised to give ear unto us November the 8th Call upon me in the day of trouble aâ—d I will hear you and you shall glorifie me Oh Lord endue us with thy graces that we may be fit to come to the School of Christ to learn the lesson of faith Oh let us labour for that beloved One for if we have him we have all if we want him we want all he will stand unto us when all will fall down all things are but drosse and dung in comparison of him Oh labour to repent of all your sins but you must first lay the ground-work of faith and then truly repent and return home unto the Lord. Oh let us cry aloud unto the Lord in the time of necessity and he hath promised to give ear unto us Cast your care upon the Lord for he careth for you in the time of extremity and calamity when all helpers in the world fail he will be your greatest help of all he must do it or none Oh let us labour to fear the Lord that we may live in his fear and die in his favour Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest Oh what a sweet promise is this if we had but hearts to apprehend it aright but our hearts are so stony and so full of corruption that it can take no effect but Lord mollifie them November the 9th 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 and presently forgetteth what manner of man he was Oh let us labour and take pains for that well-beloved One and labour to sâ—ick close unto him for if we lose him we lose all and if we gain him we gain all Oh let us labour to set our affections on the things that are above and not on the world wherein there is nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit Oh let us labour to wait and be patient untill his appointed time for his time is the best time My Christ hath vanquished Satan that luâ—king roaring lion that goeth about to devour my poor soul but I hope he hath nothing to do with me I hope my God will own me for his own he is alwayes malicing and perplexing the children of God to make their journey uncomfortable and thinketh that if he get not victory then he shall never get victory Come all ye that are a thirst and drink freely of the Spring-well-water of life and you shall never thirst again Lord Lord endue us with thy graces that we may become lively branches in thy Vineyard prune it dresse it and water it and look to it that nothing hurt it nor harme it Oh let us labour for faith for they that are faithfull until death shall receive a Crowne of life Lord satisfie these unsatisfied hearts of ours for if a man have all the world he thinketh that he hath not enough but when he hath Christ then he is fully satisfied Ah what can a Christian heart desire more then a crucified Christ then a naked Christ what can a Christian heart desire more he is the jewell of all jewels he is the upright One Labour to deal faithfully in all things for as you do so you must look to be done by if you sowe to the flesh you shall reap corruption but if you sowe to the Spirit you shall reap life everlasting Lord endue us with thy graces and set them aright upon our hearts but they are so benummed luke-warm and key-cold that we cannot apprehend them to make a right use of them but
of him as may be most 〈◊〉 thy glory and for the good of his soul â—d body Good Lord bless our sister who hath taâ—n so great pains with my mother and me â—d our other little brother Lord make him â—ine and guide him in all his wayes in his â—ung-yeers that his soul may be precious in â—y sight and my other sister the Lord â—ve her grace And that other little sister â—ood Lord take away that infirmity from her â—ye if it be thy will And for that sister whom â—hou hast disposed of in marriage the Lord â—less that family and give them more and more of thy Spirit to guide them in thy wayes and Lord give him a Spirit of prayer â—ut let us not make haste for thy time is the best And for that little branch Lord as it grows in days years grant that it may grow in grace and walk in thy way And for that godly sweet servant of thine * that prayed so heartily for me the last night the Lord bless him and Lord bless thy servant who is gone to use means for her health and bless the means for without thy bessing nothing can profit and Lord if it be for thy glory bring them together and if not make them contented to yield to thy will Good Lord bless all our Family and make them thine and teach all our friends to walk in thy wayes When she began this prayer all about her were so amazed with the suddenness of it that they could not for the joy and astonishment wherewith their spirits were filled observe each passage so exactly as is desired they had done so that many of her expressions are lost but these things set down are as neer as they that were present could recall to their thoughts related and written down in her own very words After this prayer her head fell and she was as in a trance and as she past into it she said The Lord be with you all I am now going to Heaven where I hope one day you will come to me And when she was come forth of that trance in which they thought she would have died she was exceedingly rapt up with joy which perhaps was the Heaven she spake of that she was going to laughing and spreading her arms and clasping them close to her that they could not be opened but presently she opened them and exprest herself in these words I have found my Christ ô I have found my Christ how sweet is he to me After this fit of joy she fell into a sore conflict with Satan and opening her arms which were clasped with hugging her sweet Christ unto her she struck so vehemently as 〈◊〉 she had more then ordinary strength and â—prest her self in these words Away away away Satan with a stern â—untenance which was a great change in her â—â—ce which was so amiable before in her reâ—oycing of it and so she continued for some â—â—me and then the Lord was pleased to give â—er comfort again And then she laughed and rejoyced much more then before and spread her arms and â—lasped them close again and said O my Christ is come again my Christ is come again 〈◊〉 shall vanquish Satan and cast him behinde me Then she fell again into another conflict with striking as before but never spake in a conflict but the conflict being over she spake and laught and behaved her self in the like manner as before O now my sweet Christ is come again he is come again and hath destroyed my spirituall enemy who would have destroyed my soul O labour for Christ and that the Name of Christ may be written upon all your hearts with letters of gold Thus one time with comforts and at other times with conflicts she continued the greatest part of one night which they that were present thought was about the several times that night but they were all so astonisheâ— both with the matter and manner that the could not certainly relate how many of thoâ— conflicts and comfortable fits she had neâ—â—ther indeed as they acknowledge are theâ— able to relate the manner thereof as it waâ— made known unto them After this about 17 dayes she lay stiff and never spake all that time and it pleased thâ— Lord so to order her disease that she came to her self twice a day viz. at twelve a clock aâ— noon-day and six at night and then she did understand herself but could not speak and to these times she kept constantly for about 17 dayes and then she would make signes to wash her mouth with small beer or water they not knowing what she would have but she could manifest dislike of what was offered if it was not that which she desired she took no food all this time but onely washt her mouth as was said twice a day About this time coming to herself she fell into great extremity of vomiting for two dayes and that which she vomited was like gall or soot and bloud and by times continued in that extremity for seven or eight dayes and was carried about in the arms of one or other or sate on their knees having little rest save some short Dormes she spake â—uch and uttered many sweet expressions Many times being desired to take some â—od she answered I would take food if God would give me leave but I cannot I â—annot and when they would do any thing â—bout her if it might be to give her some â—ase she would say Alas here 's no ease â—ere O that you will not suffer a poor creaâ—ure to have some ease there 's no comfort â—o be had here but there 's ease in Heaven At another time she said O Lord some â—ase for a poor distressed creature Lord for â—hy Son Christ his sake Again Where 's my father and my mother that they may pray for me I had a father and a mother and brethren and sisters Again she was much troubled and said What a naughty naughty Lass was I to be so impatient but now I have more pain and the Lord hath given me more patience now I can say with David It is good for me that I have been afflicted Good It is good indeed for my father hath got good and my mother hath got good and I have got good and God hath got glory I would not have been without this affliction for any thing this is a good affliction indeed Her sister Hannah speaking to her Must these little pretty hands go into the grave and rot in the dust I said she what should they do else poor sinful corrupt flesh Her father asking her Childe art not hungry thou hast eaten nothing of a long time She said I hunger for nothing but Christ I am very hungry after him I would very fainâ— have him Then he asked her if she would drink she said I am very thirsty for Christ They were speaking to her of a Physician but she said My comfort is in Christ
sometimes more audible alwayes with that vigour vivacity and earnestness of spirit that it did much affect the hearts of them who heard her and sometimes she was so weake that her chaps only moved but no words could be heard further it was observed that she did alwayes speak very good sense and when she mistooke she would go over with the matter again and make it good sensebefore she left off 4 Observe that when her times of speaking came there was one who wrote her words all helping to remember the very words as she uttered them and after they were written down in the space between her speakings they were read over and every one desired to manifest their assent if they judged the words to be truly related and there were usually many present many strangers comming daily to hear her when her speaking times were known and I do believe and know and many will witnesse that there was great care taken that her own words might be set down 5 From this time untill a little before the Lord was pleased to restore her it was thought that she neither did see or hear or know any body and that she never minded what was said to her nor answered to any thing that was spoken to her 6 These wonderfull providentiall allurances some have sinisterously interpreted surmizing nay some speaking that she was bewitched possessed c. and that Satan did speak in her and that it was not her voice but a voice in her to whom God shall give an answer from Heaven in his late dealings and gracious dispensations towards her It was the judgement of a very judicious Physician who was sometimes with her that her disease was natural her speech supernatural It 's true we read in the Scriptures of God that Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light and hath spoken sometimes divine matters and quoted Scriptures but corruptly often Satan herein as Lavater observes imitates Gamesters who suffer young heires to win to make them more eager of the game and so engages them till they have wonne all Satan will comply with the tempers and dispositions of such as he sees strongly enclined to gracious actings rowing with the tide of their inclinations but he notes also out of Ambrose and Chrysostome that he doth this bâ—t to insinuate into them and to draw them by these artifices by these delightful baits to swallow the hook of evil suggestions and temptations but this childe never spake of her temptations or uttered any of Satans language in those her times of speaking but all her speeches were sweet and gracious much of Christ and Faith and against Satan and against many Errours of the present times both in judgement and practice but nothing that might tend to promote Satans Kingdome and I cannot think that Satan would have bin a mid-wife to help to the birth so many masculine sentences and high-born truths as this childe hath uttered such Divisions would much tend to the destruction of his Kingdom he would have mingled some of his dross amongst this pure gold if he had prevailed so far as to gain any interest in and power over this childe 7 In this long time of her silence viz. seventeen dayes her friends began to be much perplexed fearing God had left her and many Prayers were sent up that he would please to open her mouth again and upon the nineteenth of May God having much stirr'd up her mothers heart to seek that mercy from him she comming into the room where the childe lay could scarcely take her seat there before the Childe began to speak and the first words which she uttered and that with much vivacity of spirit were these viz. I was in darkness but now I am in light Which vvords her dear mother vvith others vvho had mourned under the vvant of that mercy did take as a most seasonable ansvver to their Prayers and satisfaction to the doubts vvhich pressed their spirits and they vvere much revived vvith the appearances of God in this svveet change in the childe vvho proceeded on to utter those precious sayings vvhich novv I shall set dovvn in the order as they vvere spoken and taken from her mouth Here followeth the Childes Speeches Which I shall set dovvn and place over against them such Scriptures as her vvords seem to relate to though I cannot think that she ever had in her thoughts or ever read many of those Scripture-phrases vvhich she uttered but God did specially help and guide her in her expressions to the praise of his glorious grace in a poor vveak unlikely instrument vvhich may justifie our practice in publishing these things vve not daring to put such a light under a bushel and if you consider that these things vvere spoken by a childe not yet tvvelve years of age and that vvhen she vvas under such prevailing distempers vvhich took avvay her senses and knovvledge of any friend and her speech at all other times but vvhilest she uttered these things I hope it vvill render the meanest of her speeches no contemptible things The Childes Speeches May the 19th 1652. I Was in darkness but now I am in light Labour for Christ Christ is crept in again claspe him in your arms hold him fast â—ovv you have obtained Christ hold him fast Avvay vvith that roaring lion chain him up my God chain him up Christ is come again hovv svveet my Christ is hovv good my God hath been to me to give me Jesus Christ when you get Jesus Christ hold him fast do not let him go My God hath spoken a word of comfort Seek and ye shall finde ask and ye shall have knock and it shall be opened unto you he bids me knock and he will open How sweet is Jesus Christ sweeter then gold and money if you have him hold him fast now we have him we will not let him go how sweet my God is Oh how sweet my God is May the 20th Oh what a God have we that hath given Jesus Christ to die for us My God hath cast me down with his left hand he upholdeth me with his right hand but he will raise me up with both My Christ is heavier then all this world weigh all the world and Christ and he will weigh all down Oh what a glorious God have I to give me his Christ to save my soul who would but trust him oh trust in him when all things in the World fail he will not fail he will stick fast to you trust him oh trust in him Pluck Satan away pluck him away my God let him not touch me let him not enter into my soul My Christ is come again ô how sweet my Christ is Oh how sweet he is those that feel the sweetness of Christ they will trust in him Strait is the way to heaven but my Christ is gone before me and hath opened the gates he hath laid up treasures for me in Heaven My
Christ will not fly away from those that trust in him All the World is vanity there is nothing to take pleasure in but all is vanity and vexaâ—ion of spirit but they that know the pleasure and sweetness of Christ they will stick close to him Oh labour to get him by faith Struggle Oh struggle let him not go he is an everlasting good to those that depend upon him I desire to depend upon him Joy is in Heaven without sorrow and comfort without discomfort where Christ will wipe away all tears from the eyes of those that desire to depend upon him Learn to know the sweetness of Christ for they that love him he will never forsake them and those that do trust in him and live to him he will never forsake them Labour for Christ trust in him Oh serve him and get faith in him Labour to trust in Christ and believe in him those that know the sweetness of Christ will embrace him and never let him go and he will embrace them and never let them go Labour for Christ that ye may have the joyes of Heaven with my sweet Father and his Angels for ever My Christ is come again taking me up in his arms to Heaven Oh how sweet Christ is embracing me in his arms carrying me in Noahs Ark to Heaven Oh what a sweet Father have I that doth all things in wisdom for the good of my poor soul My God will stick fast to me he will never forsake me Labour to lay up Christ embrace him in your arms and when you feel sweetness from Christ hold him fast Oh what a sweet God have I to relie upon now that I have obteined Christ I will stick close to him My God doth all things in wisdome he knowes what is good for me Now my God hath pull'd back Satan that roaring Lion and hath cast him behind me Oh what a sweet God have I Oh how sweet is my Christ he hath laid up treasures in Heaven for this my soul May the 21th Whom I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Why did God create his Children for his glory And why doth God afflict his children for their good Come to me all my children I will gather you as the Hen gathereth her Chickens you shall sing Hallelujahs with the holy Angels for ever Why should we desire to die when we are in affliction seeing the grave praiseth him not Happy are they that appear with Jesus Christ here for they shall appear with him in glory Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest Oh come to me saith my God and drink of my drink and thou shalt never thirst Oh labour for Christ All things I count but dung in comparison of Christ Get faith in Jesus Christ and that will draw you nigh to God and not draw you back from him Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear you What a sweet Father have I to give me Jesus Christ who can be thankful Can I be thankful enough Pardon and forgive me all my sins oh let not that roaring Lion get power over me pluck him back Cleave to Jesus Christ trust in Jesus Christ and he will never forsake you stick fast to Jesus Christ relie upon him when all comforts fail in this World he will never fail therefore stick close to him Get grounded in Grace and pray to Jesus Christ never forsake him and he will never forsake you Labour for Jesus Christ and if you get him what is all the whole World if ye be poore in this World ye are rich in Jesus Christ If we could but get into Heaven there is comfort without discomfort joy without sorrow where God will wipe away all tears Oh how happy are they that enjoy Christ to them that enjoy him he vvill make vvay for them therefore labour to get Jesus Christ and serve him and he will save you both from the dangers in this World and in that which is to come May the 22. Labour for Jesus Christ and to get faith in him and for the life of faith in Cbrist Lord give us the light of Heaven that we may see Jesus Christ with our spiritual eyes for we cannot behold him with our mortal eyes Labour for the life of Grace that vve may behold the glorious God of Heaven when all the light of our mortal eyes is gone still there is light in Jesus Christ Come unto me poor soul and follow me take up my cross and I will be thy Saviour Take heed of despising God for fear that his wrath be poured out upon you If once we have obtain'd Christ there will be no cause of mourning but of singing and rejoycing we shall then have no cause of mourning Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you Oh what a sweet God is this Oh save me and defend me from that roring lion that goes about seeking to destroy my soul When Christ which is our life shall appear in his glory then shall we have light Pull back Satan cast him behind me Oh Lord thou knowest my whole heart dependeth upon thee May the 23. Labour for Jesus Christ get faith in Jesus Christ and he will lock up your souls in his Cabinet and keep you from that roaring lion which goeth about seeking whom he may devoure Stick fast to Jesus Christ and Satan can have no power over you Ah that we should be led away with Satans temptations unto lies to follow our corruptions Satan labours to get a poore soul and when he hath got it he will cast it into hell Ah is it not better to be with my Father in Heaven where we shall sing Hallelujahs with holy Angels for ever Follow not Satans steps but follow Jesus Christs steps and he will lead you up to Heaven Sing praises sing praises to our God for all his mercies that he bestoweth upon us and be not ignorant of them and forget them not for if we forget them he will be forgetful of us Take heed of Satan that roaring lion take heed that he get not into you for if he do he will sink deeper and deeper into you Labour for Jesus Christ for when all the helps in the World are gone there is help in Jesus Christ Lord give us repenting hearts that we may repent truly and come we to Christ that we may repent truly that thy wrath be not poured out upon us Seek for Christ look for Christ till you finde him never give over till you have found him when you have found him stick close to him and he will stick close to you Get faith in Jesus Christ believe in him believe him in his mighty power believe him in his glory Lord give us the true light of Heaven for we cannot see with our mortal
that is better then all the marriages in the world it is an everlasting marriage he is the richest above all he is an everâ—â—sting portion he that feeds bodies with naâ—ural food will also feed the souls of all those â—â—at believe and put their trust in him with â—piritual food June the 10th Knock at the gates of righteousness and Christ will open the door of faith Trust in Jesus Christ and he will comfort you with that word Come poor souls Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to fight against the Devil and Hell Lord fill our hearts with the fulness of Jesus Christ that no corruption remain in Lord satisfie our hearts for without thee we cannot be satisfied Lord give us faith in Jesus Christ that we may rest believing in him for our hearts are full of unbelief Lord take our hearts off from this worldly trash for this world is nothing else but trash Lord humble these proud hearts that we may cleave and stick more close to Jesus Christ Lord take these base and ignorant hearts of ours cleanse and purge them Let us not be forgetful of Gods mercies lest he be forgetful of God O how good my God is that hath giveâ— me Jesus Christ Lord fill me full of Iesuâ— Christ that I may dwell with him Lord pardon and forgive us all our sinâ— and wash them away in the bloud of Iesuâ— Christ Lord purifie our hearts as the honey iâ— purified from the dross Lord give us faith to believe in Iesuâ— Christ for without faith we can never attain to Iesus Christ Let us lie at the feet of Iesus Christ that we may be raised to the height of glory Let us be thankful for every good mercy for if we be not thankfâ—l God will hide his face from us Lord keep back that roaring lion and tread him under foot he did lay his snare for me but thou hast broken it and I am escaped as the bird from the fowler Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear you and deliver you from all dangers in this world and that which is to come Let us labour to attain to the height of righteousness that we may attain to the height of faith for if we do not attain to the height of righteousness we can never attain to the height of faith and if we do not attain to the height of faith we shall never attain to the height of Iesus Christ Trust in Iesus Christ and he will conquer that enemy that would conquer your poore souls but God hath conquered him in me Come poore people let us rejoyce together Come let us sing a new song for all his mercies that he is pleased to bestow upon us How great is the mercy of God to us in keeping of us from sinking down into that bottomless pit Let us take heed of displeasing God lest God displease us and be angry with us Iune the 11th Call upon me in time of trouble and I will hear and deliver you So then all they that put their trust in God and call upon him shall be happy and blest Cast dovvn that roaring lion that goeth about to conquer my poor soul if I do but put my trust in Jesus Christ he will conquer him Lord give us righteousnesse for without righteousnesse we cannot get faith and without faith we cannot get Christ Lord give us true repenting hearts for all our sins for without true repenting hearts we can never get assurance of our salvation Lord ravish our hearts with the joy of Heaven that we may labour and take pains for Jesus Christ for without pains he will never be found Joy joy joy everlasting joy Lord humble our self-willed hearts that we may be thankfnll for all thy mercies which thou hast been pleased to bestow upon us Thou hast been a loving and a mercifull Father but we havâ— been stubborn and rebellious children if thou hadst not been a gracious Father we had all been burning in hell-fire before this Come let us sowe the seed of faith that we may reap gladnesse When we are in affliction we must cry to Jesus Christ for help and he will help us June the 12th Let us trust in Jesus Christ and labour for faith struggle and strive for it then our Father will give us his dear Son Jesus Christ We can never do so much for Jesus Christ as he hath done for us he hath laid down his life to save us Joy joy joy everlasting joy Gods World and this world are not both alike those that are of this world they love the world and such if they do not suffer in this world they must suffer in another world hell-torments in brimstone and fire for ever and ever We pray thee good God look upon thy poor unworthy people and deliver us from all dangers Lord quicken us in thy Son Iesus Christ till we come to that joyfull place where there is no change Lord fill our hearts with the fulnesse of Iesus Christ that we may dwell with thee and thy holy Angels for ever Lord keep our hearts close unto thee and pull us forth of the snare of Satan that roaring lion and make us to escape as the bird escapes out of the net of the fowler What a good God and mercifull Father have we if he had not been mercifull to us we had been all burning in hell before this Lord ripen us for the sooner we are ripe the sooner shall we have assurance of Jesus Christ Lord satisfie our unsatisfied hearts iâ— we had all this world we should never be satisfied but if we had Jesus Christ we should be satisfied We are here like poor captives withouâ— grace in our hearts Without thy Spirit Lord we are but as drie creatures drie bones moscer'd away without thou breath the spirit of life into us Lord purge our unclean hearts that we may be purified in Jesus Christ Good Lord look down upon thy unworthy servants and give us thankfull hearts for all those mercies that thou hast bestowed upon us lest all our mercies be turned into curses June the 13th Come let us suck sweetnesse from Jesus Christ as the Bee sucks sweetnesse out of the flower Come let us call upon the Lord in time of trouble and what afflictions soever we are in he will hear us and deliver us Come let us search these false hearts of ours there is deceit in every corner of them but we must desire of God to help us to search them lest our searching prove all in vain Let us labour to get the truth of Iesus â—hrist if we can but get the truth of Iesus â—hrist it will ravish our hearts first he â—epares our hearts for the work of faith â—en he works faith in them Those that God hath chosen he will pluck â—ut the blinde eye
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
snail and if he get hold he will not be got out unless Christ pull him off Let us labour to follow the Commandements and Rules of our heavenly Father Oh that we could but observe and follow them we should never have our hearts tied to this world of abomination and sin as we have Come all you that are thirsty and drink of the water of life freely and you shall never thirst again saith the Lord. Let us labour to repent of all our sins before the day of death for after death there is no repentance As life leaveth us so judgement findeth us Let us labour to have our hearts tied to that Beloved One if we could but have our hearts tied unto him we should never run astray like lost sheep as we do Twice she rejoyced and laughed very high and then she said My Christ my Christ shineth before me oh have we not cause to rejoyce in him that shineth so gloriously before us in white robes Oh trust in him Oh trust in him Oh that glorious sight the Son of my sweet Father Oh let us labour to get faith and let us never be without faith that we may rejoyce in him for ever and ever Lord pull back Satan that subtile Serpent and chain him up Lord and let him get no power over my poor soul he always maliceth and troublerh and perplexeth the childe of God but he can get no power over me I do believe he cannot I trust in thee I trust in thee for thou hast promised that thou wilt help me in time of trouble and in time of extremity thou dost but suffer him to look in to look in to make me stick closer unto thee and to deter me from this vain wicked transitory world and from his assaults Lord wash us and cleanse us in the bloud of thy onely begotten Son that we may become pure Virgins of thine Lord help us to examine our hearts and look into them and search them to the bottom and seek to the bottom to see if there be no dross left in them neither dross nor sin remain in them Let us not think too well of our selves for when a man thinketh he is in the highest condition then he is in the lowest and when a poor doubting Christian thinketh he is in the lowest condition he is in the highest Lord humble our proud haughty ignorant and rebellious hearts that are not worthy to taste of the least mercy of thine ô let us be thankful for the least mercy that the Lord hath poured down upon us and you shall see that he will poure down greater Then she laughed very much and clasped her arms several times and said Oh let us hunger and thirst after that holy One let us never be affrighted with Satans temptations Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as wooll and though they be like Crimson they shall be like Snow if you consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the Land but if you be stubborn and rebellious you shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it October the 8th Lord pull back Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to destroy my poor soul he watcheth and waiteth for every opportunity to get in but he cannot My Christ will tread him under foot that he can get no power of my poor soul There be many that say Lo here is Christ and lo there is Christ but there is no more crucified Christs but one alone Oh let us rejoyce Oh let us sing and rejoyce for the snare is broken and we are escaped as a bird from the fowler We are poor dry bones Lord breath a Spirit of life into us that we may become lively Saints of thine for if thou breathest not the Spirit of life upon us we are but like dry bones that moscer away Lord pardon and forgive us all our sins whether they be sins of Omission or Commission or sins of ignorance or sins of knowledge or sins of weakness or sins of wilfulness or what sort of sins soever they be Lord wash us cleanse us in the bloud of thy Beloved One thy Son Jesus Christ there is not one day that goeth over our heads but we sin every day more and more We poor nothing creatures that are not worthy to taste of the least mercy of thine if thou hadst not been a merciful and a pittiful God we had been all howling in hell-fire before this day but thou shewedst pitty and compassion upon us or else we had all been sunk into that endless pit but thou gavest us thy Beloved Son to redeem us out of that endless pit of torment Let us draw comfort from Jesus Christ even as the Bee sucks honey from the flower if the Bee finde sweetnesse in one flower she will not flie away to another even so if we could finde sweetnesse from Jesus Christ we should not flie away from him as we do but we must labour for it before we can get it for how should the Bee get honey from the flower unlesse it labour and suck for it so how should we get sweetnesse and comfort from Jesus Christ unlesse we labour for it The Birds of the air have nests and the Foxes have holes but the Son of man hath not where to put his head October 9. Take heed you lie not one to another for the Lord saith They are my children such as will not lie Take heed you despise not Gods Ordinances nor his Instruments that he hath sent to preach his Word God will but let you go on with your own delusions for a time but there vvill come a day of Judgement to try vvhether you be right or false he is the Judge of all Judges he is a true Judge that vvill try vvhether you be right or false These stony hearts of ours Lord renevv them vvith the knovvledge and righteousnesse of Christ thy onely begotten Son in whom thou art well pleased Lord quicken these thorny dead ignorant and carnall hearts of ours that are so set upon the vvorld vvherein there is nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit for what is a man better if he have all the world and have not Christ for he is alwayes hungring after more for how can a round thing fill a three cornered so this world cannot fill our hearts nor give us satisfaction why should we be so in love with this world when we depart we cannot take it with us we must leave it behinde us we must change either for a better life or a worse either for a life of torment or a life of joy Let us labour to forsake sin and live unto righteousnesse that we may have our conversation built upon the Lord substantially if it be built on soft ground it will fall but if it be built upon that substantiall rock it
Let us labour to have our conversation built upon the Lord stedfastly let us labour to have our foundation of life built upon that substantiall rock stedfastly for if it be built upon sandy ground it vvill fall but if it be built upon that stedfast rock it vvill stand for ever and ever Lord pull back Satan that Serpent thaâ— goeth about to devour my poor soul but he cannot he cannot he cannot enter in my Christ will give him no power Let us labour to forsake sin and live unto righteousnesse and truly repent of our former sins which we have sinned which we have committed formerly let us truly repent of them Oh let us cry aloud unto the Lord in the time of extremity and calamity and he hath promised that he will give ear unto us October the 16th Oh let us trust in the Lord for he is a trusty one he is to be trusted let us cast both our bodies and souls into the hands of that everliving and glorious God for he hath bid us to cast our care upon him and he will care for us If we should trust a carnall man that hath no care of his salvation but of the trash of this world he is so greedy of it and hungers and thirsts after it that he thinks that that will make him but the neerer we are to the trash of this world the farther are we off of God if we could but hunger and thirst after the riches of Christ vve should not hunger after the riches of this vvorld as vve do Oh that vve had but hearts to conceive the riches of Christ from the riches of this vvorld for vve think that the riches of this vvorld vvill be the making of us but alas alas they vvill be the undoing of us The wisdome of man is foolishnesse but the wisdome of God is righteousnesse October the 17th Lord Lord vvash us and cleanse us in the purity of thy onely begotten Son in vvhom thon art vvell pleased that vve may become pure Virgins of thine for vvithout vve be in some part holy as thou art holy and in some part perfect as thou art perfect vve can never enter into the Kingdome of God into the Kingdome of Heaven Resist the Devill and he will flie back from you he vvill go avvay murmuring and repining at you take heed he enter not into your hearts for if he do he vvill leave corruption behinde him even as the snail leaveth slime behinde it so he leaveth the corruption of sin behinde him The corruption of the Devil vvill shevv it selfe and the holy righteousnesse of God vvill shevv it selfe but there is a great deal of difference for where the corruptiou of Satan remainerh there is nothing but lasciviousnesse blasphemy lying threatening and keeping of evill company but where the purity of Christ remaineth there is upright dealing righteousnesse and true holinesse Lord fill us with thy Spirit Lord endue us with the Spirit of Christ for where the Spirit of Christ remaineth there can no corruption enter in Oh let us labour for the riches of Christ for if a poor man that is never so poor hath but the riches of Christ he is accepted of God for with the Lord there is no respect of persons October the 18th Trust in the Lord Jehovah for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Let us labour for faith the greater faith the greater joy faith is the beginning of wisdome it is the first thing that doth belong to a Christian Oh if we could but get faith it would carry us above all it would carry us from the lowest earth to the highest heaven Oh let us labour for Christ that holy One by whom we live move and have our being Lord sanctifie our unsanctified hearts and keep us from dissembling for if we dissemble with man we shall not dissemble with God there are many false hearts in this world but God knowes them God knowes their comming in and their going out though hypocrisie be hid from man it cannot be hid from God God knows our thoughts words works actions The heart of man is deceitfull but God can finde it out God knows every work we do every word we speak every thought we think and we must answer for them one day the Lord will call us to an account at the day of judgement he is a righteous Judge he will judge righteously if we deal not uprightly with man we shall not deal uprightly with God Lord soften these stony ignorant hard and carnall hearts of ours Lord mollifie them with thy graces with all thy gracious gifts as faith that we may be fit to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Oh let us be patient untill the appointed time of the Lord he waits on us but we cannot be contented to wait upon him we could be contented to be all our lives without afflictions but if we should not know affliction we should not know comfort We should be so taken and blown up with comfort that we should not know our selves if we should not have discomfort mixt with comfort we should value it so much that we should value the creature more then the Creator October 19. about 4 a clock in the afternoon Let us labour to be followers of that Beloved One he that doth not the will of my Father vvhich is in Heaven he is not vvorthy of the Lord. Oh let us put off the rags of sin and put on the robes of righteousnesse that we may be fit to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Again the same day about eight of clock she spake and she did keep to that hour untill November 21. Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it but wide is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go therein Oh let us labour for Christ that Love that Dove that undefiled One he is the Door-keeper he will lead us from the gates of hell unto everlasting life Lord pull dovvn those that have a minde to pull down thee and raise up those that have a desire to raise up thee Lord give us patience to vvait upon thy time appointed vve vvould be all our lives vvithout affliction but it is for our good not for our hurt but for our good thou doest not chastise us for our hurt but for our good for the Lord hath said they are not my children but bastards whom I do not chastise not Oh vvhy should not vve vvait upon him that vvaiteth alvvayes upon us vvhy should not vve be patient but vve are so naughty and full of corrupt nature that vve cannot be contented to vvait upon him till our Glass be run he vvaiteth and vvatcheth over us every hour and minute vuhen the time appointed cometh he can raise any of us up even as he did the Maid vvhen he said Arise and
they be like crimson they shall be as white as snow if you consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land but if you be stubborn and rebellious you shall be de voured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it October the 26th Come all you that are thirsty and drink freely of the spring-well-water of life and you shall never thirst again Oh let us labour to have our hearts tied to that immaculate Lamb that we do not run away like a lost sheep into this world as we do wherein there is nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit My Christ hath vanquished Satan that lurking roaring lion that labours to eclipse my comfort but he cannot but he cannot he can get no power he maliceth the good of my poor soul but he is never the neerer for that as much as he seeks to discomfort me so much the more there is one above that comforts me The Works of God are wonderfull and his wayes past finding out the wisdome of man is foolishnesse but the wisdome of God is righteousnesse Lord humble these proud hearts of ours that they be not blown up with the vanities of this world for we are apt to become back-sliders from that which is good and to be followers of that which is evill Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest saith the Lord. In the day when I make up my jewels they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hoasts October the 27th As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Oh let us call upon the Lord in time of trouble and he hath promised that he will hear us ô let us charge the Lord with his promises for he loveth to be charged with his promises of his children and he will give more attentive ear unto them ô let us wrestle with him as Jacob did when he said I will not let thee go until thou blesse me he would not have a deniall of God First he prepareth our hearts that they may be capable of faith then he worketh faith in them October the 28th Ask and you shall have seek and you shall finde knock and the door of Righteousnesse shall be opened unto you They that do the Will of my Father they are my Mother Sister and Brother saith our Saviour Christ We poor drie bones that moscer away for want of one drop of the dew of righteousnesse we moscer away we are so deeply drowned in sin in the corruption of sin that we cannot of our selves attain to the power to enjoy that sweet enjoyment of Eternity Lord pull back Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to eclipse the spirituall comfort of my poor soul but he cannot but he cannot my Christ hath made a wall and he cannot enter the wall he cannot cast it down Oh let us labour for Christ that Love that Dove thatVndefiled One that Holy One by whom we live move and have our being he is All in All perfect without imperfection Oh let us labour for the sweet enjoyment of Eternity where there is comfort without discomfort joy without sorrow and where all tears are wiped away from our eyes and botled up Oh let us labour to attain to that eternall weight of glory where there is nothing but joy and rejoycing mirth and melodie and singing Hallelujahs with the Lord in the highest Heavens Children obey your parents in all things knowing that it is well-pleasing unto the Lord for the wrath of God commeth upon the children of disobedience October the 29th No man can come to Christ except the Father draw him Lord endue us with those rich graces of thine as faith which is the richest of all we are so benummed with sin lukewarme and key-cold that we cannot apprehend them to make a right use of them Oh let us labour for Christ for when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory We poor miserable and wretched creatures that have sinned against thee every day more and more if thou hadst not bin a pitifull and mercifull God we had before this been sunk into the endlesse pit of torment but thou hast shewed pity and compassion upon us in giving us thy onely begotten Son to redeem us from that endlesse pit of torment Mâ—rtifie therefore your members which are upon the earth as fornication adultery blasphemy and covetousnesse which is Idolatry My Christ hath cast down Satan that lurking roaring lion that thinks to get the upper hand over my poor soul but I hope nay I am sure that there is one above that will defend me from him he hath promised that he will tread him under foot The godly have their torments here but the wicked shall have their torments for ever hereafter Take heed of Satan for he is very subtle for there is more danger when he commeth in white like an Angel of light then when he commeth in black like a Blackmoore Oh let us labour for Christ that Holy One for he will never suffer the righteous to be forsaken nor their seed to beg their bread October the 30th There be many that say Lo hereis Christ and lo there is Christ but there is no more crucified Christs then one alone Lord pardon and forgive us all our sins which we have sinned against thee of what sort soever they be Lord wash us and cleanse us in the blood of thy onely begotten One ô what disobedient children are we that are so rebellious against thee Good Lord pardon us that we should be so disobedient to so loving a Father that hath alwayes an eye over us and watcheth over us every day and night and continually that which thou biddest us to do that we do not and that which thou biddest us not to do that we do but alas alas the greater is our Judgement October the 31th Cast your care upon the Lord for he careth for you and let not your care be upon the world it will be never the better for you but a great deal worse for What are we better if we gain the whole world and lose our own souls and be cast into hell for ever Oh let us labour to be partakers of the immaculate Lambe ô what a sweet thing it is to be partakers of that immaculate Lamb Oh! it would ravish a poor Christians soul ô let us labour for him if we lose him we lose all Lord humble these proud and ignoranâ— hearts of ours that they be not puff't up and blowne up with the pride of this world for God knoweth there is many of them but Lord teach them to know themselves that they may live to please thee and not to live in thy displeasure Oh let us knock at the door of Righteousnesse untill Christ Jesus that immaculate
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
Lord make them of a fit temper Oh let us labour for Christ that love that Dove that undefiled one that laid dowâ— his life to pardon the sinnes of all the elect November the 10th Lord forgive and pardon all our sinnes whether they be sins originall or actuall sins of weaknesse or wilfulnesse sins of omission or commission sins of ignorance or of knowledge scarlet sins or crimson sins or sins of a double diet or what sort of sins soever they be Lord wash them and cleanse us in the blood of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ in whom alone thou art well pleased Oh let us labour for Christ that habitation in whom we live move and have our being Ask and you shall have knock and it shall be opened to you and the door that leadeth to everlasting life shall be opened unto you Faith hope and charity the greatest of these three is charity Charity is love and the love of Christ faith is a gift given of Christ and hope is a hoping to enjoy Christ Now Lord of thy merciful promise let thy poor doubting Christian feel some dram of assurance to this poor soul let a poor sinner feel one dram of the assurance of thy love to his poor doubting soul Oh let us suck sweetnes from Jesus Christ as the childe sucks milk from the mothers brest the harder we draw the more we shall get the childe wrangles and wrangles till the mother give it the pap in the mouth and then it 's quiet and satisfied so and there she staied a good space going oft over with the word so before she could get any more words at last she said so a poor soul seeks and knows not what it wants and wrangles and wrangles till it get Christ all the world will not satisfie it but and then she lifted up her selfe and strook with her hand upon her thighs with much fervour of spirit when it gets Christ then it is satisfied and then using the same actions again said when it gets Christ then it 's abundantly satisfied all the world will not satisfie him but Christ will give him full satisfaction November the 11th Be ye holy even as Christ is holy Be yâ— holy as I am holy saith the Lord. Trust in the Lord trust in the Lord trust the Lord with all that you have for he hath promised that he will provide for them that trust in him and keep you from evil Lord renew us with that rich grace of faith 〈◊〉 will carry us above it will carry us from the lowest earth to the highest heaven we are not in the lowest earth here we are but in the middle earth but faith will carry us from the lowest earth to the highest heaven Lord teach us to walk in thy paths and teach us the way that leadeth to everlasting life November the 12th No man can come to Christ unlesse the Father â—raw him Take heed you lie not one to another for if â—ou give way to that sin the Devil will take â—hat occasion to poure in more corruption Oh let us labour for Christ that holy One want him and want all and have him and have all November the 14th Take heed you lie not one to another for the Lord saith They are my children such as will not lie and I will be their Saviour Trust the Lord trust in the Lord for he â—s a trusty one he is to be trusted trust the Lord with your selfe and all yours and he will watch over you for good and keep you from evil for he hath promised that those that trust in him shall be as Mount Zion which shall never be moved November the 15th He that knoweth the will of his Father which is in heaven and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Oh let us not be forgetfull of those meâ—cies which the Lord hath been pleased â— pour down upon us but be thankfull fâ— them and prize them highly for if we haâ— a thousand hearts and a thousand hearts wâ— could never be sufficiently thankfull thâ— mercies of God are to be esteemed and highly esteemed of there is many a poor Christian many a poor creature which woulâ— be glad to have those mercies which we daily and hourly enjoy they are so common that we do not esteem of them but alas alas the greater is our Judgement November the 16th Lord humble these proud hearts of ours lest we betake our selves to this vain world and so run headlong into hell to our own souls destruction Let us labour and take pains for that immaculate Lamb of God for he will never see the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread Oh let us labour for Christ that holy One for when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Lord open our blinde eyes that we may see clearly the purity that is in Christ and â—â—e corruption that is in our selves November the 19th Lord purge and purifie these drossy hearts â—f ours and refine them even as silver and â—old is refined that we may become pure â—irgins of thine Oh let us labour and take pains to inherit â—he Kingdome of Heaven where there is â—othing but mirth and melody joy and reâ—oycing joy without sorrow comfort without discomfort where all tears are wiped away and botled up November the 20th Oh let us labour for Christ that holy One he is all in all perfect without imperfection have him and have all want him and want all all things are but drosse and dung in comparison of him Oh let us labour to have the Name of Christ set aright upon our hearts that it might make a deep impression that it might take effect to work effectually Oh let us labour to have our conversation built upon that substantiall rock stedfastly for if it be built upon sandy ground it will fall but if it be built upon that substantia rock it will stand for ever November the 21th Trust the Lord for he is a trusty one hâ— is to be trusted he hath promised that thoâ— that trust in him shall stand as Mount Zion thâ— shall never be removed but abideth for ever Oh let us wait and be patient untill the appointed time of the Lord for his time is the best time For he that shall come will come and will not tarry Take heed that yon sowe not good seed on thorny ground lest the thorns spring up and choke it Lord humble these proud hearts of ours lest we be blown up with this world and the vanities thereof if we could but feel one dram of the sweetnesse of Christ we should not give way to the vanities of the world as we do but while we are in the flesh we are apt to follow the lusts of the flesh if we could be so sensible of the sweetnesse of Christ and apprehend it aright we should be taken up so with Christ and with the sweetnesse