Victuals any more for ever At another time Mr. Wincop came to see him he asked him If he thought he should be saved and he said he could not tell He asked him if he did not think Christ died for Sinners he answered Yes and he asked him if he did not think all were Sinners he told him Yes and he was a Sinner but God had made him a good Sinner 10. At a time beginning to eat his Victuals forgetting to crave a Blessing upon it he said What a desperate Wretch am I God might have suffered the Food to choak me 11. Being one day in the Garden and seeing a Pear dropping off the Tree which the Birds had pecked I wonder saith he wherefore these Birds were made after standing a little while O saith he what a desperate Wretch am I God made all things and all that God made was good 12. About a Year and a half before he died one Morning as he lay in his Bed very ill his Mother coming up he called Mother and said I am thinking how my Soul shall get to Heaven when I die my Legs cannot carry it the Worms shall eat them No said his Mother God will send his Angels and they shall carry it to Heaven O said he the Angels shall carry it to Christ and Christ shall carry it to God! Now Mother go down I will lie still 13. One time his Mother going to the Oven and seeing a great Fire flaming out of the Oven here is saith he a great and grievous Fire little do wicked Men think what God is he hath a worse Fire to burn wicked Men in 14. One coming into the House he called him by his Name and said You will be glad to go to Heaven when you die but you will never come there if you leave not your Swearing and keep God's Commandments 15. At another time in the Night being restless his Mother said Joseph Why dost thou not lie still He answered That he dreamed such desperate things as did affright him and said If God please I would be glad to die before my Father and you for if I live longer I am afraid I should swear and be as wicked as such a one and naming the Person 16. At another time his Father being very ill and Mr. Wincop praying with him he stood by the Bed-side and wept and said When my Father and such and such die they shall get into Christ's Bosom but if I might get to his Feet I care not 17. At another time he was enquiring concerning the three Persons God the Father God the Son and God the Holy-Ghost and said I know God is Christ's Father and Christ is God's Son but who is the Holy-Ghost 18. Hearing the 9th Chapter of John read how the Pharisees cast out the blind Man and Christ took him in It was well said he for that poor Man that when the Pharisees cast him out Christ stood ready to take him in 19. A little before his End he pondered much upon that Whether God was willing to save all the World if they were willing his Father said they were not willing to which he replied Wicked Men are so proud that they will not be beholden to God to save them 20. At another time in the Night his Thoughts were very much upon the Woman of Canaan and said to his Mother There was a poor Woman came to Christ and she would not go away till she had that which she came for tho Christ called her Dog no more will I. 21. His Thoughts were much taken up with the Yoke of Christ and said Christ that put his Righteousness upon his never put a Yoke upon any of his to hurt them and lifted up himself This was the Night before he died 22. That Morning before he died he said Father do you think that God would save all the World if they would be saved his Father said Aye he replied to his Father I would willingly be saved and desired his Father and his Mother to pray for him saying I am so sick that I cannot pray for my self He was several Years before his Death found praying by himself alone 23. When his dying Fits were upon him and the Sweat dropped from his Hair he said three times Such hard Work such hard Work such hard Work fixing his Eyes on two young Men-Servants in the House and he was asked What was hard Work he answered To die to die the Lord help me And he said to the two Young Men-Servants O Sirs look to prepare to go to Heaven when you die He revived a little and his Mother asked him Wherefore Christ died he answered To save Sinners She said Dost thou think he will save thee He made a little stay and said I hope so He gave his Mother leave to go from him but she was soon called again and she took up his Fingers that were half dead and said These Fingers will not be long here he replied No Mother I thought they would have been gone before now She asked him Whither he should go he answered to God and to Christ She asked him again if he thought he should go to God he answered To my God and to my Christ and smiled and slept in the the Lord. FINIS
inheriting of the Blessing which the Lord requires and expects from the Parents with a Trust and Confidence in them that they will so do I know Abraham saith the Lord whatsoever others do that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him On this account of the Covenant the Lord calls them his Children and doth in a Sense spiritually give Charge to the Parents concerning them as Pharaoh's Daughter said to the Mother of Moses Take this Child and nurse it for me our Lord himself saith concerning little Children Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven and for that Reason commands them to be brought to him and he blesseth them All that Parents do in a way of Duty is but to bring them unto Christ and being come to bring them up in him The Lord declares in his Word concerning the Infant-Children of Believers They are holy that is to be esteemed really so as Dr. Goodwin interprets it in the Judgment of Faith joyned with Charity that is a Faith of Waiting and Expectation grounded on what God indefinitely promiseth and declares about them till he reveal the contrary and in the mean time to be judged as Saints so as to bind the Consciences of Parents unto a Discharge of all Duties towards them as Saints until the contrary appear 2. These Children in their Infancy received the Sign and Seal of the Covenant were baptized in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost therein given up and solemnly engaged to be the Lords whence the Parents must needs be obliged and ought to be encouraged as to be much in Prayer for them so diligently to teach them as they are capable the Covenant and to lay hold thereof to know the Lord and excite them to seek him to love his Name and be his Servants Like as we read David did exhort Solomon his Son 1 Chron. 28. 9. and as the Son of the Stranger is encouraged to do Isa 56. 6 7. much more the Children of the Promise 3. Young Children are capable of Divine Impressions It is rational to suppose them capable Subjects of Grace as they are of Sin and of the Operations of the Spirit if he please to work tho we know not the manner how as they are of the Motions of Sin And as they are receptive of gracious Dispositions so these is will shew themselves as the Powers of the Soul and Organs of the Body attain meetness for Action which alone were sufficient ground to encourage Parents to be early dropping Words of Instruction and Reproof for as much as the Seed of the Kingdom springs up we know not how and oftentimes before we are aware We see the Fruit of the Spirit sometimes in little Children before the use of Means or while little could be done by Man for such a Production Experience doth sufficiently confirm the Truth hereof by a number of Instances I question not in every Age there hath been not a few remarkable Instances of late Years in our own Nation some of which are noted by worthy Mr. Janeway The design of this small Tract is to present the Reader with an Account of what was very lately observed in one Child soon after it was four Years old before it could read until near seven Years of Age having lived all that time in Affliction by a Consumption whereof it died And although I suppose the one half of what was said and done in that time is not told Yet that which is reported I think is beyond any thing yet written of those Years the Truth whereof is confirmed by many Witnesses It is written that all may magnify his Work which they behold giving God the Glory that Parents may be encouraged in their Duty and Children be invited to seek the Lord while they are young and fear him from their Childhood And as for such as deny and despise the Work of the Spirit in Regeneration and effectual Grace if they be no hereby convinced they may bâ— constrained to acknowledg likâ— as the Jews said in the Apostles Time that indeed a notable Miracle hath been done is manifest to all and we cannot deny it Yet further to evidence the Credibility of this thing I am desired to second it with a brief Narrative of what was observed in another much younger who was not full two Years and an half old when she died and that which I shall relate concerning it is of my own Knowledg It was a Child much prayed for while it was in the Womb that it might be sanctified and after it was born solemnly offered up to the Lord by the Parents as the First-Fruits of their Increase It had the Advantage of speaking very early and intelligent beyond its Years which rendr'd it the more capable of the Mothers Instructions from whom she learned many good Sentences which she would often repeat to others and sometimes to her self with seeming Pleasure She was first seized with the Rickets and afterwards languished of a Consumption being confined six Months to the Cradle chastened with much Pain and Weakness all the time notwithstanding all Means possible used for Relief which a most indulgent Mother could provide for it During the time of her Affliction she all along manifested a more than ordinary Affection to the Ordinances that is to the Word and Prayer so as she would not be satisfied if denied that Liberty to be present Insomuch as she was often carried in her Cradle into another Room for that purpose And notwithstanding her great Weakness and and Pain she would keep in her Groans and compose her self in her Cradle for some hours together at special times of Prayer attending without any seeming Weariness Yea tho her great Illness made Diversion necessary she would not permit her Maid to rock but very softly nor sing her which at other times she would by no means have forborn and the Play-things wherewith she much pleased her self for Diversion at other times she would in time of Prayer of her own accord throw from her to the end of the Cradle with dislike as if they were a Trouble to her Sometime she would be turned in the Cradle or taken up in the Arms asking to see such a Minister whom she would name Pray for Miss as she always call'd her self from hearing others so call her and when Prayer was ended she would speak in Commendation of him that prayed Such a one is a good Man and call to be taken in his Arms and kiss him many times before she ceased When any did commend her she would say Naught naught she was so earnestly desirous to be present at Family-Prayer that they could not satisfy her tho in other things it was seldom but the giving her a Reason would do it But once in a day the Family came up to prayer in her Chamber which was done with that Pleasure and Satisfaction as if she had been much older and when the Occasions of the Family would not admit it
believed stedfastly and without wavering It was a long and sore Trial above two Years and very great to her dear Mother who was continually with her for she was unwilling to have her from her But the Grace of God appearing so eminently in her Child the sweet Words which she uttered and the well-grounded Hopes of her Future Happiness did support her in her most sinking times And indeed they were both upheld by the Mighty Power of God She would comfort her Mother and say to her Do not mourn for me for you shall come to me and we shall be in Heaven together I shall want nothing when I come there I love you but I love Christ better It was asked her how she could love Christ who did so afflict her she quickly answered Because he hath loved me She told a Friend that came to see her without any previous Discourse There are two things I dare not do Commend my self nor murmur against God She was very thankful for every Kindness shewed her she did often make mention of the Kindness of a worthy Gentlewoman Mrs. Tyrrell of Mendham and would say how kind she had been to her who sent many sutable Restoratives for her weak Body and when she came to visit her she would desire her to pray for her She told a Neighbour that came to see her a little before her Death that she was now hasting to Heaven apace now the joyful time was near at hand which she longed for as the wearied Traveller for the refreshing Shade and the labourious Husbandman for the Night of Rest after the scorching Day And so her time was come to enter into the Joy of her Lord and died in Peace She had her Infirmities and Fits of Passion for which she would be grieved and very sorry but it was no wonder considering her violent Pain and long Affliction But she held fast her Integrity and loved Christ more and more O what a Feast had they that often conversed with her Had you but beheld a little poor pined Body and heard such great things declared by her it would have been far more wonderful than to read these things O the sight of Glory that she had The Conquest of Death and the daily longing to be with Christ Her Life was continued as a great Example to others and it will be well if she never may be forgotten She is now dead yet speaketh And may this small Account which is but the Fragments of what might have been gathered be for the Glory of God'â— rich Grace and to extol the Teachings of his Spirit and to declare the Excellency of an Immortal Soul and what it is capable of then we shall answer so great a Work of God which was so publick and not done in a Corner She might have been as a stupid poor ignorant and insensible Creature but by the Spirit of God quickning and enlivening of her was like the Box of Ointment poured out upon Christ which caused a sweet Savour throughout the whole House O may this never be forgotten by her Father nor Mother Brother nor Sister nor any of her Visiters Glory to God in the highest She died about the tenth of April A. D. 1683. Some memorable Passages of Joseph the Son of Joseph and Margaret Scolding of Middleton in the County of Suffolk aged about six Years and an half died the 4th of June 1678. 1. ABout a Year and an half before he died being very ill so as he could not sleep his Father asked him if he could not sleep he answered his Father that he could not sleep but said he I shall sleep a long Sleep How long saith his Father he replied Till Christ shall come to awake you and me and all the World His Father asked him how he knew that How saith he do you not believe that the Word of God is true At the Resurrection then shall Christ awake every one 2. At another time he had a little Potion of Physick to take which he was very unwilling to do but saith his Father If you love me take it Well Father saith he to satisfy you I will take it and when he had taken it saith he I pray God bless it to me And saith he The Angel gave John a little Book to eat which was sweet in his Mouth but bitter in his Belly This saith he is bitter in my Mouth but if God please he can make it sweet in my Belly 3. His Mother had often begged of God that if there were any means further to be used he would direct to it There came a bad Man to the House pretending Skill and was to take him in hand and had begun The Child 's usual way was continually to seek to God for a Blessing upon whatever he took but then he refused having these Expressions I care not whether he do or not Do you think God will bless such a wicked Man's Physick 4. He having heard Mr. Wincop preach did repeat some of the Sermon wherein was expressed how a Christian should examine himself concerning three things 1. Whose am I 2. Where am I 3. Whither am I going If I be in the narrow way to Heaven well and good but if in the broad way to Ruine and Destruction then I am undone for ever The Child would speak it in the House and privately to himself with much Affection and sometimes with many Tears Whose am I Where am I Whither am I going And also would speak it to his Fellows Whither are you going To be sure you are in the broad way to Ruin 5. If at any time he saw any thing amiss among the Servants or Children he would say If you will not keep God's Commandments you shall never come to Heaven and if they loved God they would keep his Commandments When they would reply We do but as others he would answer If you sin with the Multitude ye must perish with the Multitude It were better to go to Heaven alone than to Hell with Company 6. His extraordinary care concerning the Lord's-Day was such that he would watch over the the whole Family and would say You should not do so and so but spend the Day in Prayer Reading and other Religious Exercises He did make Conscience of praying by himself three or four times in the day 7. He would often be enquiring what Souls should do in Heaven his Father would tell him There is nothing but praising of God He would then reply Then they shall also leave sinning O it is a rare thing to be in Heaven 8. At another time he said If I were sure I should go to Heaven I should be glad to die at this present Age at the present His Mother replied And wouldst thou leave thy Father and me to which he answered I have a good Father and Mother but God is a better Father you make me eat and drink but if I get to Heaven I shall need no Light of the Sun nor Candle nor