THE VVidow VVhiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KINGS SAFE RETURN With an Account of John Hall's Vision upon the first day of the Eleventh Month 1692 3. And also a Letter to a Friend concerning John Hall's Message with a Letter from Jamaica concerning the Earthquake that happen'd there a Warning to the Inhabitants of the Earth to fear GOD and give Glory to Him for the hour of His Judgments are come Say unto the KING and to the QVEEN humble your Selves sit down Jeremiah 13.18 The People of Neniveh believed GOD and proclaimed a Fast and put on Sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them For word came unto the King of Nineveh and he rose from his Throne and he laid his Robe from him and covered him with Sackcloth and sate in Ashes Jonah 3.5 6. Licensed D. P. April 18. London Printed by D. Edwards in Nevel 's Alley in Fetter-lane for J. B. 1694 THE Widow Whiterows HUMBLE THANKSGIVING FOR THE KING'S Safe RETURN ONCE more I am highly honoured with Mercy and Truth to return Thanks to the Most High for the Kings safe Return Oh what shall I say to the LORD for all his Mercies and boundless Favours for I am as one astonish'd at his Goodness How wonderful are his Works and his Ways past finding out therefore who shall not admire Thee Thou King of Righteousness who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth in thy Hands to bind the Kings of the Earth in Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron who rulest in the Heavens and makes bare the Arm of thy Glorious Power in the Earth to dash the Nations asunder and break in pieces the Potsherds of the Earth as a Potter's Vessel Oh Great LORD glorious in Power fearful in Praises doing wonders Thou LORD Jehovah art come and thy Power goes before Thee that shall rend the Rocks and cleave the Mountains in sunder The Everlasting GOD is come to throw down Mountains and Hills and to exalt the low Valleys he 'll awaken the Earth by his thundring Power and the sleepy Inhabitant thereof by his loud sounding Judgments For this know Oh King There 's neither Strength nor Policy shall stand Against what GOD's a bringing on this Land The Youth shall howl the Aged shall weep sore Yet there 's glad tidings for the Meek and Poor The Poor in Spirit I mean Matth. 5.3 who are Heirs of the Kingdom of Glory whom GOD will hide in the hollow of his Hand whilst his fierce Indignation passes over the Rebellious wherefore Oh that my Counsel might be acceptable to the King and that his ways might so please the LORD as that his days may be prolonged in this Land which the LORD for a time hath given him to do the will of GOD in all things with all his Might and with all his Strength that these heavy Judgments which the LORD hath pronounced may not be executed in the King's days For thus said the LORD to me in my deep humiliation before him viz. My Controversie is not with Man or Woman farther than they are found in the Transgression take away the Transgression and where 's my Controversie Is it so O Righteous LORD that thy Controversie is not with Man or VVoman farther than they are found in the transgression of thy Righteous Law and pure Commandments Oh then for thy Mercy sake and the advancement of thy Glorious Power and the praise of thy ever Blessed Name in these Nations and throughout all the Earth turn the King and Queens Hearts with all their Powers and Strengths to Thee as the Riveâ—s of VVaters are turned that with a powerful force of Thy Love and ardent Affection to thy Glory they may joyn unanimously together in Heart and Soul to humble themselves in the dust before Thee the Almighty GOD repenting with Niniveh's Repentance Jonah 3.7 8. For no less Repentance will put a stop to the hot and fiery Indignation of the LORD which is kindled against this Land but to turn every one from his Evil Way and from the wickedness that is in their hands therefore Oh noble Prince anâ— Princess for the LORD's sake who is the King of Eternal Glory the GOD of the Spirits of all Flesh the Everlasting Counsellor the Prince 〈◊〉 Peace the GOD that made the Heavens and Earth the Sea and all thaâ— therein is who hath delivered the King from all his Enemies and gavâ— him his Life for a Prey and for the LORD JESUS CHRIST's sake his Sufâ— fering Life and Bloody Passion who was nail'd to the Cross and gave uâ— his Life there for all Mankind and rose again for the Salvation and Redemption of the Faithful I pray again and again for His sake whâ— hath been with the King in six troubles and in the seventh by his outâ— stretch'd Arm hath deliver'd him Oh for His sake come down from your Thrones and humble your selves in the dust by Fastings and Prayers and deep Humiliation crying mightily to GOD the Father of all your Mercies that He would be with you in Counsel and direct your way in truth before Him to do His most acceptable will in all things that in his infinite compassions for his great and terrible name sake shew you what to do and which way to take for the suppressing and total destruction of this boundless flood of Ungodliness that overflows these Nations And dearest Prince and Princess I humbly beg and beseech you for the LORD and his Glory sake and for your own Lives and Liberty sake be not negligent in this great VVork prostrating your selves night and day before the Throne of his Grace crying mightily to him for his assisting Power Heavenly VVisdom and Holy Zeal which his Valiants had of Old Phinehas Numbers 25 7 8 11. Jehoshaphat Hezakiah and Josias these were clad with Zeal as with a Garment these were the Valiants of Israel that knew how to handle weapons of VVar being girt with the Sword of the Spirit and Helmet of Salvation Phinehas was honourable who by his holy Zeal stop'd the Plague from the Children of Israel then said the LORD unto Moses Phinehas the Son of Eleazar hath turned mine Anger away from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them therefore I have not consumed the Children of Israel in my Jclousie wherefore say unto him Behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him for Ever because he was zealous for his God and hath made him an attonement for the Children of Israel Oh what an influence had this upon the LORD and how this act of Holy Zeal pleas'd his Divine Majesty here we may see the difference between a holy Zeal for GOD and his Glory and a blind Zeal that hath any Interest in it to Self-honour either in Name or Fame or any other thing of this perishing VVorld The first hath power to prevail with GOD to stop the Judgment the latter suffers it to go
on to their own destruction But wo and alass where are these holy Zeaâ—ots now in our age that lies prostrating themselves before the LORD â—ight and day And though they see the Sword of the LORD drawn over these Nations as David and the Elders of Israel 1 Chron. 21.16 17. which were cloathed in Sackcloth falling upon their Faces crying out most bitterly before the LORD with rended hearts saying Is it not I â—hat have sinned and have committed Evil in thy Sight Is it not I That have loved Covetousness which is Idolatry Is it not I that have gone a whoring from thee after my Lusts and Pleasures my Silver and Gold Pride and Profits of a perishing World so long till I have provoked the Eyes of thy Glory to say as thou didst to Israel of old For â—hree Transgressions and for four I will not pass by the Iniquities thereof And now Oh LORD GOD let thy hand be upon me and my Fathers House to bring me to a true and unfeigned Repentance offering unto Thee Body Soul and Spirit a Sacrifice of Righteousness to love and serve Thee all the days of my appointed time until my Change com And thus in judging and condemning your selves and bearing the Indignation of the LORD the Altar is set up in the Threshing-Floor of Orman the Jebusite where true Penitents sacrifice their Lusts vile Affections and their own wills ways and works this is the Valley of Jehosha â—hat where Mohab shall be threshed to pieces Isa 5.10 as Straw is thrashed in Madmenah therefore saith GOD Let the Heathen be awakened and â—ome up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to Judge all the Heaâ—hen round about Therefore Oh Multitude Multitude come into the Valley of Threshing for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of Threshing here will God plead with all Flesh here will he Judge between the Precious and the Vile and when you have born the indignation of the LORD for Sin and Iniquity so long till Judgment turns to Victory then will he arise and plead your Cause The word Jehoshaphat signifies Pleading or Judgment and that which is call'd the valley of Jehoshaphat was before called the valley of Berachah 2 Chron. 20.26 which signifies Blessing or Thanksgiving and from hence proceeds the true and acceptable Praise from the valley of Judgment where GOD destroys the Iniquity and so it comes to pass that whatsoever is done in the History must be done again in the Mystery therefore whosoever will have Life and Salvation must come into the Valley of Judgment â—udge your selves hate and abhor your selves believe your selves from the bottom of your Souls to be the vilest and unworthiest of all the Creatures of GOD in respect to your disobedience and rebellion against Him and his Holy Laws and this must be your Work in the best state you have yet attained to yea if you were come to such a Statâ— as Paul was come to when he said 1 Cor. 4.4 Though I know noâ— thing by my self yet herein am I not justified but he that justifies me is thâ— LORD Therefore how much more ought it to be the daily and hourlâ— work of those that call themselves Christians of this Generation whâ— are so loaded with Sin that the Spirit of God both within and withouâ— them is oppressed as a Cart is oppressed under the Sheaves but lest any should think I mean a bare Historical Judging or Pharasaical crying out LORD have Mercy upon us miserable Sinners Here you may cry out long and loud as Jezebels Prophets did and never be heard or answered no no I mean a going down into the valley of Judgment the valley of Jehoshaphat where God himself will sit to Judge the Heathen that knows not him nor his Righteous Judgments and yet are crying out LORD have Mercy upon them miserable Sinners who never knew this River of Jordanâ— 2 Kings 5.14 or Judgment to cleanse them of their Leprosie their going down into the deep where they behold his Wonders this valley of Tears where Luke 10.39 Mary sate to hear the precious words that came from his gracious Lips which are not to be heard but by leaving all the hurryings and turmoiling Incumbrances of a perishing World to sit attentively at his Feet seeking loving admiring nothing but Him no not its own life but for his sake that it may serve him therewith and this was the pleasure and treasure of all the regenerated Christians that were born again both under the Law and Gospel and this way in which they attain'd this Resurrection and holy life was through Judgmentâ— I will saith David sing of Mercy and Judgment to thee Oh my Strength will I sing Blessed are they that keep Judgment and do Righteousness at all times I will praise thee with an upright heart When I have learned thy Righteous Judgment my Flesh trembleth for fear of Thee and I am afraid of Thy Judgments The Fear of the LORD is clean saith he and endures for everâ— The Judgments of the LORD are Truth and Righteous altogether more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter than the Honey and the Honey-Comb Moreover by them is thy Servant warned or made Circumspect and in keeping of them there is great Reward And in the Law Exod. 28.13 the Vrim and the Thummim which signifies light and perfection or Knowledge and Holiness GOD commanded iâ— to be put into the Breast-plate of Judgment which was to be upon Aaron's Heart continually when he went in before the LORD And now Christ our Pattern and High-Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisadeck fulfilled that Heavenly Institution in his Earthly Body who bore the Judgment of GOD upon his Heart in his suffering life which he hath in his merciful loving Kindness as it were left us a legaâ—y or Portion to be like unto him in all things to fill up that which is â—ehind of his Sufferings in our Flesh for it is not only given us to beâ—ieve but to suffer for his sake but I would not have you mistaken I do not confine all true Christians to those external Sufferings of Christ as Mockings Scourgings and nailing to the Cross for it may be some may not be called to suffer on that wise but the Sufferings I now treat of are the Internal sufferings of the Soul which the Apostle Paul spake of when he said I bear in my Body the Dyings of the LORD JESVS and said our Blessed Saviour If ye suffer with me ye shall Reign with me mark that with Him That is a Heart-breaking Suffering an inward Suffering to be grieved in the very bottom of your Souls if you do the â—east thing that grieves the Spirit of GOD in you keeping so intent to your Watch that you may see the Tempter before he comes and then your Weapons are to be the Sword of GODs Spirit your Prayers and Supplications with strong Cries even as a Woman in â—raâ—ail to the
grow from Grace to Grace till we come to the perfect stature of the fulness of GOD in Christ Ephesians 4.13.14 15. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive But speaking the Truth in Love may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ Oh Praises to GOD for ever for this means this is the means if you make use thereof that shall make you wise unto Salvation not the wisdom of this World nor the Princes thereof that comes to nought which is humane and diabolical the wisdom of the Serpent the forbidden Tree of which GOD said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die die to the life of Innocency but live to Man's own Will Wisdom and Skill which the Apostle Paul calls Death it self and the Apostle James 3.15.13 calls it Earthly humane and devilish Wisdom and it may well be called so for it doth the Devils work it lifts Men up above all that is called GOD to admire themselves to kiss their own hand Idolizing their own Gifts Wisdom and Parts Reason Honesty Knowledge and Art And where 's the Man that adores not himself here And can there be greater Idolatry than this for a Man to pride himself Pharisee-like in his own attainments This was Nebuchadnezzar's Sin which provoked the Highest to throw him to the Beasts of the Field Dan 4.20 28 29. till he knew that the Most High rul'd in the Kingdoms of Men and this is the crying Sin of Mankind now to think well of themselves their own Righteousness and Holiness and to follow their own wills conceits and opinion of good which indeed is false as to know much learn much to discern many Sciences and in some to aim to become Gods as might be spoke more fully to had I time yet at the same time all their humane Wisdom and Knowledge doth not shew them that this was Adam's Fall the biting of the Apple and his bitter death Therefore said GOD I think to Tyrus Thy Wisdom hath blinded thine Eyes Therefore Oh Man that wherein thou judgest Adam thou condemnest thy self thou art the Man that eats of this forbidden Tree while thou art following thy own Will and Wisdom which is the head of the Serpent that must be bruised by the Power of Christ before thou canst come to that Estate which Christ spake of by which we must enter Matth. 18.3 the Kingdom of GOD to wit As a little Child Oh my GOD Is this the station we must all come to to be Converted and become as a little Child before we can enter thy Eternal Kingdom of Everlasting Joy Peace and Rest Then how far LORD must the Wise and Prudent of this World travel back to undo all that ever they have done by the Serpents cunning Wit and sensual Wisdom To be stript of all their Glories in natural Parts Gifts and Arts both of Flesh and Spirit To stand as naked in themselves before Thee the pure God as Adam when he transgressed before they can be cloathed with thy Innocency and Humility for if we consider the state of a young Infant it knows nothing but to lye at the Breast and suck the Milk that nourishes and causes it to grow it hath no cunning contrivance of will or wit to preserve it self from danger you may do what you will with it it cannot help it self but if any thing ails it that it suffers it cries for the Breast Just so it is with the Regenerated Man the New-born Man that Christ our Saviour spake to Nicodemus of But did this wise Man tho' a Ruler in Israel understand what Christ meant No no more than the Teachers and Rulers of this Generation But as Bishop Vsher said As Parrots by rote Nor would these give themselves the trouble of that but for their Self-Interest in one kind or other some for yearly maintenance others for Name and Fame or to be highly esteem'd of for their Gifts and Parts therefore all of this sort comes short of the Life of Inocency therefore what can be expected when the Priests and Rulers of Nations or Kingdoms are so corrupted with By-ends and Self-respects But that the People should be infected with the same pestilential Disease of Poyson and Sedition both against God and Man and corrupted with all manner of gross Impieties both publick and private Sins which calls aloud for Vengeance when the Iniquity thereof is fully ripe But to the aforesaid Rabbies Doctors and great Scholars these were the Men that crucified Christ in the Days of his Flesh and are not these the Men in our days that crucify the Lord of Life afresh and puts him to an open shame by their wicked and impious Lives by which the whole World is fill'd with Atheistical Spirits that denies God and Christ Are not these the Anti-christs that preaches Christ in words but in works denies both the Father and the Son yet these are the Men that carries the World before them that pretends to know all things as to resolve any point in Divinity and give the Interpretation of any place of Scripture and so fill the World with their Expositions But what fruit to God hath all this Blustring brought forth For the Tree is known by its Fruit saith Christ Have they set up their Lights that the VVorld may see their Holy and Righteous Lives Are their Conversations in Heaven and so transformed and made new Creatures Do they live the inward and spiritual Life of the VVord they preach Are they dead to the VVorld and the VVorld to them Doth the Life of Christ shine in them and by them so that they live no longer to themselves but to Christ and so fetch'd off their own Bottoms that they are ingrafted into Christ the LORD of Life and Glory But wo and alas is it not quite contrary to all this Are not these the Men that follows the World most wallowing in the Pleasures Profits Honours and Humour thereof having Mens Persons in admiration because of their advantage seeking greeting in publick Places causing Men to fall upon their Knees adoring them as Gods and loving the uppermost Seats at Feasts making long Prayers to get the praise of Men being mightily desirous of Vain-glory and the Wealth of the World but if these fail they are dead and heartless therefore all these things discovers where they are below in the World and not above with GOD but if you be the true Ministers of Christ and Christians indeed shew your Humility and Self-denial let the life of Christ appear in the fruits thereof for you know Christ in all his Doctrine calls for fruits and what he called upon others for he shewed forth himself in Life and Practice For said he A good Tree cannot bring forth evil-Fruit and you know the Tree that did not bring forth Fruit was Curs'd Therefore
GOD the substance of all Goodness which this excellent spirited Man bears Record to who if we may believe the ancient Writers this Holy Man lived some hundreds of Years before Moses's time as is made out in the Epistle to the Reader the description of this great Treasure is said to be found engravened upon a Smaragdine Table in the Valley Ebron after the Flood If GOD ever appeared in any Man saith the Epistle to the Reader he appeared in him that a Man who had not benefit of his Ancâ—â—ors knowledge being the first Inventer of the Art of communicating knowledge to Posterity by Writing or Engraving should be so deep a Philosopher and high a Divine seems to be a thing more of GOD than of Men therefore it was the opinion of some that he came from Heaven not born upon Earth The Original saith the Epistle so far as is known to us is Arabec and several Translations thereof have been published as Greek Latin French and Dutch but never English before by the famous Doctor Everard so far the Epistle to the Reader Behold how the LORD visited the Children of Men before the Flood and by this blessed Man's Writing how the Spirit of God wrestled and strove sending his Messengers as it were from Heaven to reform and reclaim them from their evil ways but they grieved his holy Spirit and scorned his Messengers till they had provoked him to say Gen. 6.3.12 My Spirit shall not always strive with Man but the Breath shall cease from before me which I have made And then their destruction came as a Whirl-wind And hath it not been the same in all Ages But now the beginning hath near found an end of all 〈◊〉 for the Day of the LORD is come wherein he will do his Wonders of Old and the Mighty GOD is risen in the Power of his Might to plead with all Flesh and to destroy those from off the Earth that will not be gathered to him in this the day of his Patience and long Suffering and for this end hath he sent Messenger upon Messenger Embassador after Embassador to declare His Mind and Will and not only so but his Judgments are now begun in the Earth yet the Inhabitants thereof doth not learn Righteousness therefore the destroying Angel hath received his Commission and of this you have been often warned I am a witness for the LORD he is clear of your Blood Also a few Months ago by a Servant of the LORD's who came two hundred Miles to deliver this Message and the thing is come and coming to pass which he Prophesied of therefore Oh King and Queen for the LORD's sake and for His endless mercy sake Take the Censer Numb 16.46 and put Fire of the Altar and Incense therein and hasten with all your Might to make an Attonement for the People for there is Wrath gone out from the LORD the Plague is begun both in City and Country I am a Witness of what my Eyes have seen and Ears heard therefore Oh let not the King who is the Magistrate of the Highest bear the Sword of the LORD in vain but let him be Valiant for the Truth upon Earth and take the courage of Joshua the zeal of Phinehas and the humility of Jehoshaphat to go forth in the Strength of the LORD to make War with the Enemies of GOD that keeps his Divine Majesty from His Right to rule in the Souls of the Children of Men and this shall be your present and future Happiness to stop the prophane and boundless flood of Ungodliness that overflows these Kingdoms of the King and Queens Dominions together with that accursed Idolatrous thing Covetousness Hatred Malice Deceit Double-dealing Lying Slandring Cheating Treachery betraying Trusts and Innocence into the hands of Murderers besides all the Sins of Sodom and Jerusalem when it was destroyed these things brought the Wrath and Vengeance of GOD upon them and these Sins cries aloud yea louder and louder in the Ears of the LORD GOD for Plagues Woes and Vengeance upon this Land and good reason for it For you have I known saith the LORD above all the Families of the Earth therefore will I punish you you have I loaded with my Mercies and Benefits you have I opened the Windows of Heaven to and showred down Blessings upon that there hath not been room enough to receive them you have I brought to a Land that flows with Milk and Honey and yet this hath been a small thing with me saith the LORD But I have given you the Gifts and Graces of my Holy Spirit by which you have been made rich with the Knowledge of my Will but you have deck'd your selves with my Jewels Ezek. 16. and bestowed my Gifts upon your Lovers and gone a whoring from me saith the LORD after your own Inventions therefore thus saith the LORD Because you have rewarded me Evils for all my Goodness therfore will I visit you and take away my Corn my Oil my Wine my Milk and my Honey because you would not serve me in the injoyments of all these Mercies you shall serve your Enemies in the want of all these except you speedily repent O England England What lamentable Lamentation shall I take up for Thee if ever there was a Day to call for the Mourning Women Now it 's come therefore you that are well skill'd in Mourning Jeremiah 9.17 20. Come away and do not stay let nothing hinder you to join with me in this Work with rended Hearts and bowed down Souls teach your Daughters to mourn and every one your Neighbour to lament that our Eyes cast out Teers and Eye-lids gush out VVater let us cloath our selves in Sackcloth and roul our selves in the Dust in Fasting and Prayers night and day crying vehemently and incessantly to the Lord that we may be ready to enter into the Ark before the Flood comes to drown all Earthly Habitations with their Foundations For all Flesh hath corrupted its way therefore the End of all flesh is come up before the Lord and by Fire and Sword will God plead with all Flesh and the Carkesses of men shall be as Dung upon the face of the Earth They shall die of Sickness and Diseases I will spend mine Arrows on them and my Sword shall devour yea Flesh of Kings Captives and Potentates of the Earth Thus will the Maker of all Things ease Himself of His Enemies and avenge Him of His Adversaries for because His Mercy and long Suffering will not humble Sinners his Righteous Judgements will Therefore Oh England England Repent repent repent otherwise what lamentation shall be taken up for thee Oh that my Head were full of water and my Eyes a Fountain of Teers that I might weep day and night for the Destruction that comes as a VVhirlwind upon Thee O Land where the Sins of Sodom are found where the â—ins of Jerusalem are found where the Sins of Jamaica and Cicilia are found In Thee Oh Land is found the Blood of
Hard heartedness Covetous Earthly mindedness and altogether and do you think to escape the righteous Judgments of God that knows all these things and yet live in the same Sins to provoke the Eyes of his Glory No you shall surely drink of the same Cap except you speedily repent the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and your outward Services your outside Profession of God and Godliness your Religious Duties your Holy Orders From the Throne to the Dunghill in Profession out of the Life of Jesus shall not be able to deliver you from the Plagues and Judgments that is to come and coming speedily upon this Land without a sincere Repentence for the Earth groans to be deliver'd of such Hipocrites such useless Branches that brings forth no Fruit neither to God nor Man But again to the former Christ said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy Soul with all thy Strength withall thy Might and thy Neighbour as thy self for upon these two hang the Law and the Prophets So then here is the very stint of Religion now how far this goes must be examined into And God said Thou shalt have no other Gods but me now if it had not been for this Command the Flesh might have said These are thy Gods Oh Israel that brought thee out of Egypt thy Silver Gold and precious Stones hath wrought all thy wonderful and unheard-of Deliverances for you know they made a Calf of their Treasures and danc'd about it whilst Moses was with God in the Mount receiving a Law against all such Abominations And now the Lord of the whole Earth is come again to search out the Iniquity of our Times and are not you found in the same Steps of your Fore-fathers serving your Gods of Silver and Gold and all worshiping the Works of our own hands admiring your selves ways and works Adoring them as Gods although the LORD hath commanded saying Thou shalt have no other Gods but me So here is the Breach of this Command and also of the other two for Christ said we cannot serve GOD and Mamon therefore if you give your Love to any of these GOD cannot have All Then how much less hath he when all your hearts all your Souls all your Strengths all your Mights all your Loves and Delights is given up to serve your Idols of Silver and Gold your Pride Self-Interrsts Glories and Honours these have your Hearts these have your Loves and Delights and whilst these your perishing Gods have all the Everlasting GOD your Creator and Maker must have none And thus you 〈◊〉 God of his Right and turns his Glory into shame and again Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Pray consider how far this Command extends for Christ brings it into an equal Competition do you suffer your selves to want any Food or Raiment or other Necessaries that is fitting for your outward Body to serve its Necessities the same care you should take for your Neighbour that their Bodies and Minds might be the fitter to serve their Maker with all humble Thanks-giving and Christ said Whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you do ye that unto them I humbly gave the Queen in writing how the aforesaid might be accomplish'd but if your are wanting in this your Duty to your Neighbour how will you perform the weighty Matters of the Law for this is as it were but the External Service the outside Duty of Christianity yet no Christians nor no Exceptance with Christ without it which Christ calls the Unrighteous Mamon Wherein saith he if you are unfaithful who shall commit to you the true Riches so that when you have performed all the Will of God in this point and made your Neighbour equal so far as I have treated of Nay if you shall give all your Goods to the Poor as some have done that have not had that knowledge of God that you have which shames you and will be a swift Witness against you in the Day of Account yet hear as I said before you must not rest for this is but one part of your Duty of Christianity the neglect of which hath been the cause of so many Thieves and Robbers in the Land This is the outward Service that is not to be left undone But there is further Service an inward Service wherein you must give your selves all up to GOD for him to work in you all his good pleasure whereby he may transform thee into himself to be made like unto him in all things But for the carrying on of this Great Work thou must wait upon GOD in silence in the silence of all flesh and suffer him to speak pray work and do all in thee for hear the LORD will disrobe thee of all thy Gifts and Parts and strip thee stark naked as ever thou was born For naked thou cam'st into the World and naked must thou return Stript not only of thy filthy Garments spotted by the Flesh but all the Riches of thy Spirit before thou art clothed with change of Raiment the rich Robes of Eternal Life for it is the poor in Spirit that receives the Kingdom Hear the Soul stands naked having nothing of its own neither Words nor Works to present it self before the LORD nothing but its Poverty its Nothingness its Insufficiency bringing all its little Ones before the Eyes of his Glory to move His Excellency to cast His Eye of Mercy and tender Compassion and spread the Skirt of His Eternal Love over it Here 's the place where GOD will work Wonders hear he will arise in the Power of His Might and make bare His Glorious Arm for the Soul's deliverance Hear the highest makes a Covenant with His Jehoshuas His chosen Ones saying If you will walk in my ways and keep my watch then thou shalt Judge mine House and shalt also keep my Courts and I will give thee a place among them that stand Zacharia chap. 3. Here 's the Reward of all your Travels of all your Warfare of all Wrestlings of all your Holy Violence to take the Kingdom of Heaven by force Here 's the Reward of self-denial and self-abhorrence for the Soul that would be united to Christ must be conformable to Him following him in the ways of His internal Sufferings that purifies the Soul from the pollutions both of Flesh and Spirit and hear it arrives at the Mystical silence where he speaks to it alone in the most secret and hidden parts of the Heart where He teaches it the most perfect and exhalted Wisdom therefore thou art to keep thy self in this Mystical silence if thou wilt hear this secret and heavenly Voice for the perfection of the Soul consists not in speaking much of GOD but in Obedience and in loving Him so much as belongs to Him and you know how much CHRIST saith that is But your silent sublime Meditation is that Elias was in when he heard the still soft Voice in Horch the Mount of GOD
but otherways my Hands writ them and can produce many Witnesse that saw me write them and I had no help but the help of the LORD neither hath there been any hand with me but the hand of the LORD which was strong upon me till I had finished them And why should it be thought incredible for a Woman to write truth any more than a Man Is the Spirit of the LORD straightned that it cannot operate in a Woman as well as in a Man Is not he able to open the Mouth of an Ass Yes to reprove the madness of the Prophets that trains the People up in such blindness and gross Ignorance Dare you presume to limmit the Maker of all things to any thing that had a beginning Was not his first appearance to Women after his Resurrection who sent Mary Magdalen and the other Mary with the glad Tidings thereof to his Disciples And did he not open the heart of Lidia And did not the Apostle Paul say Help those Women that are Fellow-labourers with me in the Gospel of Christ Philippians 4.3 And Deborah the Prophetess judged Israel and they came to her for Judgment and she bid Barak go to War with Jabin the King of Hasor but Barak though a Man was timerous and fearful and would not go without Deborah went with him and she sung Praise for the great Deliverance But the Honour of the Battel was given Jael the Wife of Hebor Judges 4. And did not King Josiah after he had heard the Law read rent his Cloths and wept therefore the King commanded Hilkiah the Priest and Ahikam the Son of Shaphan and Achbor the Son of Michaiah and Shaphan the Chancellor and Afaiah the King's servant saying Go ye and enquire of the LORD for me and for the People c. So Helkia the Priest and Shaphan the Chancellor with the rest of the Nobles went unto Huldah the Prophetess the Wife of Shallum who dwelt in Jerusalem in the College and they communed with her 2 Kings chap. 22. Hear you may see the LORD made use of Women as well as Men and will make use of them yet more now he is coming to pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh Joel From one that is in Unity and Fellowship with all that fears GOD and keeps his Commandements throughout the Universe Jane Whitrow John Hall 's Vision upon the first Day of the Eleventh Month 1692 3. AS I went to accompany a publick Friend John Cooper to a Meeting I was me-thoughts as it were spiritually in a Glorious place where I stood before the Lord where was also William Warin who had there received an Errand and as it were vanished out of my sight on a sudden and was gone to deliver it but I was left behind And me-thought I saw him that sent William bring forth a very great golden Trumpet of a large size and deliver'd it unto me and bid me Proclaim And immediately after to an Angel that stood by he deliver'd a Sword and bid him smite and me-thoughts the sound of the Trumpet caused such an Allarm that it awakened the very-Dead and as the Sound waxed louder and louder and the Cry great I thought I saw Hipocrites and Back-sliders the sinners in Sion hang down their Heads nay and after sometime quit the room as not being able to abide it the Power of the LORD did wonderfully break in And this by the Command of the LORD I commit to Writing as a Testimony for him which the LORD in his own due time will bring to pass Written at my Habitation at Monkhelsden by a Servant of the Lord whose outward Name is The 27th of the 1st Month. John Hall Upon the 22d of the last Month being the 12th Month my Sister Grace Hall being at a Meeting at Raly with Jane Vickers the Word of the LORD came unto her saying Write and continued as an Exercise upon her On the Night her Sleep went from her after she arose she withdrew into a Chamber and the following Words word by word were given her she not knowing the next Word as she writ whereof she innocently gave me an Account Thus saith the LORD I Have a great Work to do in the Earth and terrible shall it be to the Wicked but say unto mine Elect on this wise Ye shall be kept in safety if ye obey my Word I will be with the Righteous wheresoever they are if they will but separate the Wicked from among them but if they will not put away the Wicked from among them then shall my Hand be heavier upon the Righteous for the Wicked's sake And say unto the Wicked on this manner There is yet a little space for you if ye will repent of your Wickedness and Turn unto me saith the Lord You may read how it was in the Days of Old it shall be no less in this the Day of my Wrath saith the Lord for though Noah Daniel and Job were righteous and although there be some such non-a-days yet they shall save neither Son nor Daughter they shall save only their own Souls Written by Grace Hall being 16 Years 3 Months and 8 Days old A Letter to a Friend from Jamaca Spanish-Town the 19th of June 1692. Loving Brother This is to give thee a true and satisfactory Account of our Misfortune There hapned on the 7th Instant about half an hour after 11 at Noon a terrible Earth-quake thoughout the whole Island of Jamaca it hath not left a House standing in the whole place that was built of either Stone or Brick nor any thing that was built with the same Meterials but what it hath made insufficient for tho' some of these stand they are not fit to live in neither dare we hardly come near them because of the frequent shakes we still have All those that it hath pleased the Almighty to save in giving them their Lives for a Prey do now think a Negro's house that is walled and daubed witâ— Morter and Thatched the Eves hanging down almost to the ground a pleasant House Hear you may see Colonels and great Men bowing their Bodies to creep into this little Hutch who before had Houses fit not only to receive but to feast in an extraordinary manner a Prince or King as great as England's Monarch upon ocasion and now by this sad Disaster have hardly Bread to eat and never a House to be in The Ground opened at Port Royal where I dwell with a shake and swallowed whole Houses nay the Street I dwell in was in less than 3 Hours after 4 Fathom under Water and nothing of my House to be seen nor any other only one Timber-house which George Philips lived in The shake opened the Earth the Water flew up and carried the People in quick I lost my Wife my Son a Prentice a white Maid and 6 Slaves and all that ever I had in the World my Land where I was ready to raise five Houses and had room to raise ten more is all