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
Jesus Christ for his mercies are greater to us then we can desire May the 25. Come poor soul come poor soul see how God stretcheth forth his hand to an afflicted soul thou hast been afflicted but now I will take thee up into Heaven God will take a poor afflicted soul into Herven Good is thy Word O Lord to be esteemed â—ot onely in our heads but in our hearts take â—way these stony hearts O Lord that thy Word may work a thorough work in us Oh take my soul O Lord into thy protection and lock it up in thy cabinet for I am assured Lord that I shall be in happiness with thee and thy holy Angels in Heaven Labour to get faith in Jesus Christ and it will keep you out of the deep pit Trust in Jesus Christ and be mindful of his wayes and he will be mindful of you He waketh and neither slumbereth nor sleepeth who would but follow his steps and not Satans Lord open thou our hearts and our eyes that we run not headlong into that bottomless pit of hell and destruction Come my Disciple and take up thy cross and walk and thou shalt be saved Pray for fixed hearts and souls in Jesus Christ that they be not cast into hell-fire God give us fixed and zealous hearts for Jesus Christ and fixed for Heaven The Lord will not turn back from us if we do not turn back from him he will carry us up to Heaven where there is no change but joy and rejoycing for evermore Trust in Jesus Christ and he vvill rebuke your spiritual enemy Satan is the greatesâ—â— enemy to your souls if he get them he vviâ—â— cast them into hell-fire Come my people into my Tabernacle and I will embrace you with my arms and there shall be cause of joy and rejoycing with God and his holy Angels for ever If you can but rise with Christ and seeâ— those things that are above he will take you up into Heaven and lock you up in his Cabinet if you can but rise with him there will be cause of joy and rejoycing for ever with my God and his holy Angels for ever If we can but rise so high as Heaven there will be cause of joy and comfort and no cause of discomfort if we be but raised so high as to seek those things that are above then we are happy Come let us sing a new Sang let the praises of God be alwayes in our mouthes and let them never depart out of our mouthes Come and let us reioyce and be glad with our heavenly Father where there is cause of comfort and no cause of discomfort Let us labour to draw nigh home for we are not at home whilest we are here let us therefore hunger and thirst after better places we are but as pilgrims and strangers here but we must labour to wait with patience till our glass be run We are but as Travellers that travel to and fro let us labour to come to an abiding place where there is no change then there is comfort then we come to that place that our souls thirst after What a gracious Father have we let us be thankful unto him for our manifold mercies and blessings what cause have we to give him praise for them let us never be unmindful of giving him praise and he wil never be unmindful of us What a Christ have we that doth all things in wisdome Oh what he hath done for us we can never suffer so much for him as he hath for us he suffered the death upon the cross for us Good is thy Word O God and to be esteemed of us let us not be ignorant of it let us have a token of thankfulness in our hearts let us acknowledge it that we may give God the glory of it again teach us the way that we may acknowledge and be thankful Come my people do not thirst but come and drink of the waters of life freely and you shall never thirst again I suppose she meant do not rest in your thirsting but come and drink Come my people follow me into that pleasant place of Heaven and there you shall have joy everlastingly Put thy Spirit into our hearts and take away these stony hearts that we may become new Christians Come my people enter in at the gate Strait is the gate but I will lead you and open the gate of that comfortable place the gate of Heaven Oh trust in God and labour to be true believers and he will free you from sin and Satan that roaring lion that seeks whom he may devour put your trust in the Lord and then you will have cause of joy and rejoying for ever Oh God thou art merciful unto thy children and the more we hunger and thirst after thee the more merciful art thou Lord we thank thee for thy mercies that thou hast bestowed upon us God is gracious in all his wayes and actions Let us trust still in God if we do but trust in God we shall never faint although I be in a suffering condition here I shall be in a comfortable condition hereafter How sweet is Christ in his dealings and â—ispensations he will not let Satan that cunâ—ing roaring Lion do me any hurt Oh ground faith in our hearts O Lord â—pon thy Son Jesus Christ oh ground our â—earts aright upon him and he will provide for us and take us up into his Kingdome where there is no cause of mourning but all â—oy and comfort for ever We are but as pilgrims here and stay a time till our glass be run and then Jesus Christ will be our protector and guider where we shall rejoyce for ever I will keep your souls in my protection I will rebuke Satan that roaring lion for your sakes Note that oftentimes she would have uttered words but could not and then her lips would move so that I conceive some of her speeches were spoken in relation to something that she had in her minde and could not utter and so in the last speech which is set down and this may help the Reader to understand some other of her Speeches May the 26th Seek the things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God our Father if we can but rise so high there we should have cause of comfort and none of discomfort for ever and ever Happy shall we be when we are raised so high as to sit at the right hand of God our Father God my Father hath chained up Satan that roaring lion that he cannot enter into my soul God doth sometimes suffer Satan to afflict us that we may be drawn neerer to him God lets us lie in afflictions that we may get good by them and himself glory Let us praise God for all his mercies and he will showre them down upon us the more The more we seek to give God glory for all his mercies the more will God seek to poure down good upon us
that they be not led aâ—ay by sin and Satan and he will give them 〈◊〉 light eye Lord fill our hearts with the fulnesse of â—esus Christ that we do not sink into the â—ottomlesse pit Come and knock at the gate of righteousnesse and wait till Jesus Christ come and open the gates Lord pull back that roaring lion that serpent that goeth about seeking to devour our poor souls God will but suffer him to step in that we may stick closer to Jesus Christ Lord rebuke that roaring lion and chain him up that he may have no power over our poor souls Lord prepare our unprepared hearts 〈◊〉 â—gainst thou call Oh God prepare our hearts 〈◊〉 may come before thee with thankfâ—◠〈…〉 for every mercy that thou hast 〈…〉 on us Lord give us faith for without faith we cannot come to thee June the 14th Good Lord enrich our poor souls that we may enrich the Kingdome of Heaven We have but drie and ignorant hearts Lord quicken them that we may sit at the right hand of God with Jesus Christ rejoycing with him for ever Iune the 15th Good Lord what shall we do to inherit the Kingdome of Heaven Iune the 18th The Lord be with you for I am going to change and after shall never change I pray you pray that my soul may be precious in the sight of God God is going now to finish his work My God hath laid up treasures for me in heâ—â—n Iune the 19th 〈…〉 I see the fine sights of Heaven 〈…〉 â—mbracing me in his armes and 〈…〉 the light of Heaven Then she spake no more till June 21th The Lord of Heaven be with you all though we part here I hope we must meet in Heaâ—en my Christ is shewing me the way to Heaven Pray pray pray for some help from God and pray that your prayers may be accepted of God These valedictory expressions of hers I conceive might arise from that change which now should be in the manner of her disease for now she had no more the liberty of speech given to her untill the 29th day of Iuly and then Iuly the 29th About eight of the clock at night as that was the ordinary time that she began at and so continued some two hours with intervals to speak she being in a stiffe fit spake these words with a smiling countenance My Christ is come again I have obtained Christ I have my desire I have now a crucified Christ Then she spake not again untill August 11th about 10 of the clock at night Now my Father hath given me Jesus Christ again I hope to save my soul Now I have obteined Christ again a crâ—cified Christ Let us put off the rags of sin and put oâ— the robes of righteousnesse August the 15 about 7 of the clock she lying in the same posture spake as followeth My Saviour is come again that suffereâ— death upon the Crosse to save my soul I was in darknesse but now I am in light My Christ hath vanquished Satan thaâ— goeth about to destroy my soul Then she spake not again untill August the 17. When she had the extreamest convulsionâ— fit that ever she was drawn with her face turned behinde her and one eye looking up and the other shut and in that fit she spake as followeth I will be with my God and my God will be with me I hope my soul is precious in the fight of my God I am not in the hands of the Devil but in the hands of my God Which words much refreshed the spirits of her friends who stood weeping by her to see her so sadly handled then she proceeded My Gods Angels have pitched their Tents about me and will carry my soul into heaven I will never forsake my God and my God will never forsake me Take heed of slighting Gods mercies for if we slight his mercies he will slight us if we slight his mercies he will pour his wrath upon us August 20. Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will relieve you Ask and ye shall have knock and it shall be opened unto you Ask and you shall have life everlasting Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Devil and all his Angels Let us wait upon the Lord untill his time appointed and he will ease us for our time is of the Lord we cannot have it when we would but when the Lord pleaseth August 23 at 8 a clock at night Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear and deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Lord humble our haughty and proud hearts that they be not led away with this world for we are apt to follow the steps of Satan rather then the steps of God First he prepareth our hearts that they may be capable of faith and then he worketh faith in them Lord purge our rusty hearts that they may be clean that we may become pure Virgins of thine for if thou do not purge them they will be like rusty iron that lieth long My Christ will tread Satan under foot which goeth about like à roaring lion hunting to destroy my poor soul but he can go no further then my God giveth him leave he hath a malice unto my poor soul Those that belong to God Satan is alwayes in perplexing and troubling them but God doth but let him step in to make them stick closer unto God if Satan get but one step in and get in his head he will strive to get in his whole body the least opporrunity he can get he will seek it and will not lose it Let us cast off the rags of sin and put on the robes of righteousnesse and then we shall obtain Jesus Christ Let us suck sweetnesse from Jesus Christ even as the Bee sucketh honey from the flower August the 30th Let us draw comfort from Jesus Christ â—s the childe milk from the mothers brest â—he harder we draw the more we shall get Take heed you slight not Gods mercies for if you slight his mercies it is just with God to slight you August 31. at 10 a clock in the morning Lord cast out our stony hearts and make them new that we may be new creatures Lord purge the drosse out of our hearts and purifie them Let us stand at the gate of righteousnesse and wait untill Jesus Christ see time to open the door of faith Lord rebuke that crooked Serpent that would destroy my poor soul but my Father will not suffer him he hath a malice to my poor soul but God will but let him step in and get a look in but it is to make me stick closer to Jesus Christ Let us fear the Lord that we may live in his fear and die in his favour Let us take heed that we slight not Gods mercies lest he turn his back off us if we do not fear him and
he put them on a way to attain this â—nd not by might nor by power not wisâ—ome of men nor outward meanes of Physick but that grace might be advanced â—o send for the Elders of the Church and â—et them pray over the afflicted which was done in the spirit of grace and supplication and after twice wrestling with God in fasting and prayer he was pleased to be intreated And as gloriously admirable was Gods hand in raising her up as in casting her down for in the close of the second dayes work that God might manifest himselfe to be a God hearing prayer and that creatures in their lowest condition might never more despond he shewed some glimmerings of his gracious favour and within a few dayes gave to her understanding senses speech the use of her legs and since a daily income of health and strength and which is better then life suffered not these high actings of his Spirit to be an occasion of puffing her up but kept her in a gracious humble depend inâ— frame of spirit for being inform'd whaâ— she had said she replied thus in her childisâ— speech Have I me cannot tell I can 〈◊〉 nothing of my self it was not me it was thâ— Spirit of God in me I am nothing but poor earth-worm and me hath nothing buâ— what my God giveth me for me is nothinâ— but dust and ashes Again some two 〈◊〉 three dayes before God gave her the use 〈◊〉 her legs her father desiring to neglect nâ— lawfull meanes wished one to signifie hiâ— pleasure to her that he had thoughts oâ— procuring a Physicians advice concerning her whereto she sweetly answered she would be disposed by her parents will buâ— her desire was to wait Gods end she could wish no Physician might partake of any glory with God for he alone had done the cure he alone deserved the praise Thus Reader hast thou a true Narrative of that which seems marvellous in our eyes the Lord remove from thy heart all selfe and prejudice make thee willing to give God the glory of his own workings slubber not over this passage of divine Providence with carelesse or profane thoughts eye God learn to live by faith and despise not Ordinances which God hath from heaven in this occasion borne witnesse to I have purposely avoided all frothie flourishes of the tongue lest the truth should be suspected for I would win thy heart not thy senses not words but things take wise men of whose number if thou would'st be thought one judge soberly and the end is obteined By The unworthiest yet a faithfull Wel-wisher to thy precicious Soul Wa. Barnard Church-Sandal January 28. 1652. THE NARRATIVE Wherein is related how this Child was visited and the manner of her Disease when she did utter those Heaven born Truths herewith published THis Child who hath been the subject of such wonders of Providence is the daughter of Master Anthony and Mistris Faith Hatfield of Leighton in the West-Riding of York-shire her name is Martha Hatfield she was compleat twelve years old the 27 day of September in the year of our Lord 1652. She hath been from her birth a childe of wonders being so litle when she was brought out of her mothers wombe that it waâ— thought she would speedily have returned 〈◊〉 the common wombe where all living muâ— ere long be laid up But God who quicknetâ— the dead who is the preserver of man contâ—tinued her life and she grew up very hopeâ—fully as a plant of Gods own planting yeâ— some years before this visitation she was observed to be of a sad spirit oft retiring into corners and weeping for a long time and could not then render any reason thereof but it evidently appeared afterward that she was much afflicted with the spleen-winde which encreased notwithstanding the use of means to greater extremity But before I proceed I must desire the Reader not to expect an exact Relation of her Disease in physical terms of art because it pleased the all-wise Disposer of all occurrences so to order the spirit of the childe and his own dealings towards her as you may see anon that no means could be used towards her recovery and so no Physicians did stay with her to observe the symptomes of her disease so that it 's but conjectural what it was it 's thought the rigid convulsions or rather that it was a complicated disease of many of those distempers which affect the brain but I shall give it you in our Countrey Dialect as those that were usually with â—er did apprehend it I shall observe this Method 1 I shall speak of her disease 2 Relate her speeches 3 The manner of her recovery 1 Her Disease The Spleen-winde after some time did â—row to that extremity that she could not â—igest her meat but vomited up all that she â—ook which yet was but a small quantity for 〈◊〉 long time after which she was taken all of one side beginning at her neck which â—aused her to hold her head awry and from â—hence it went into her arm and took away â—he use of it for many dayes and when her â—arm was better it fell into her leg on the same side and continued there until she fell quite down which was after this manner She had extraordinary fits of violent vomiting and after that Convulsions which occasioned extream torments especially in the night and so she continued sometimes better sometimes worse for many dayes sorely troubled with a stopping c. In which time she had the use of her understanding and could speak and with many sweet words was able to exhort her parents to trust in God Saying If we had but faith it would carry us thorough all the troâ—bles of this world Then about April the sixth 1652 〈◊〉 perceived such a change in her that 〈◊〉 thought she would die presently and she 〈◊〉 into a fit of extream pain in her side whicâ— took away her breath and her senses for 〈◊〉 houres and she was stricken all over stiff 〈◊〉 which time she lay as if dead hopelesse 〈◊〉 life in the judgements of those who beheâ—â— her Yet about the third houre she was enabled with great alacrity to express the joyâ— of Heaven and sweetly prayed for herselâ— and all her relations as she conceived theiâ— necessities required First for her father thy servaÌ„t the head of thâ— family Lord give him faith in Jesus Christ to lay hold upon thee and give him patiencâ— to be contented with thy will and for ouâ— mother who hath been so long weak Lord restore her and make her a comfort to us all and teach her to submit to thy will and for my Grand-mother that old stock that old stock that thou hast made such a comfort to us good Lord we thank thee for her and if I live I desire to be thankful for her And for our brother who is to be disposed of good Lord direct the heart of thy servant our father to dispose
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
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
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
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
comparison of Christ What are we better when we are in our pomp in this world when we do nothing but pine in our souls and our souls to be cast into hell where there will be howling for ever and ever Lord pardon our proud worldly hearts for we are alwayes hungring after this sinful world where there is nothing but that which will lead us into hell Oh let us not hunger after this world but hunger after Christ O what a loving Father have we that when a poor soul is thrown down as low as hell and is in great afflictions then he sends Jesus Christ and takes pitty of that poor soul and lifts it up to heaven Christ will look upon a poor soul with the eyes of compassion then that poor soul is happy and he will carry it to heaven where it shall rejoyce with God his holy Angels Tet us hunger for Jesus Christ and when we have him let us hold him fast and let us stick close to him and he wil stick close to us he will be our keeper and Saviour both of bodies and souls Good is thy Word and to be esteemed drive it into our hearts and not onely into our heads but into our hearts that it may work a thorow work in us Come let us flie up to heaven as a bird in the air if we could get up as high as heaven we should be happy Joy joy joy everlasting joy Come let us sing praises unto our God with mirth and joy for we shall sing with our Father and his holy Angels for ever and ever Lord vanquish Satan that roaring lion and tread him under foot that he may not overcome our souls by his evil wayes watching every opportunity June the 7th This night came one of those commonly called Quakers and all that came to her did judge that then she knew none neither could she heare or did ever minde what was said to her or in her company and this man and her Uncle Capt. Hatfield being in discourse she uttered the words following at that time which are very observeable viz. Take heed take heed that you sowe not Tares lest you reap Tares Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire Lord give us faith in Christ for without faith and knowledge we cannot come unto Christ Come let us flie unto the Throne of grace as a bird doth into the aire Lord give us zealous hearts for Jesus Christ for there is help in him but there is no help upon the earth Lord resist Satan that roaring Lion that goes about seeking whom be may devoure let us cleave to Jesus Christ when Satan draws neere and he will deliver us from that roaring lion June the 8th Lord quicken our dead and ignorant hearts which are stubborn and rebellious but before we be quickened we must lie at the feet of Jesus Christ for without we be quickened we are like an ignorant man that travels up and down and knows not whither Lord humble these proud hearts of ours and take that burthen from us for Christ saith Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest If we be dead-hearted we must lie down at the feet of Jesus Christ till he be pleased to quicken us Take heed of despising God and his Ordinances for if we despise them God will despise us Set your affections on things above and not on things below for your life is hid with Christ in God Labour for Jesus Christ and he will cast out that spirituall enemy that would cast you out Trust in Jesus Christ for he is a trusty God to trust in Let us put on the whole Armour of God O let us labour for Jesus Christ and he will be our Shepherd and we shall be his Sheep he will lock us up in his cabinet and keepe us from sin and Satan Lord strengthen our unbelieving hearts Let us labour to be strong in faith and we shall be strong in Jesus Christ Let us labour to be rich in Jesus Christ though we be poor in the world I have obtained Jesus Christ When you have obtained Jesus Christ you have obtained a jewell of all jewels Let us be partakers of the Word of God and we shall be partakers of Jesus Christ if we do not know the Word of God nor be partakers of it we shall never know Jesus Christ When we are but weak in body and are true Christians we shall be strong in Jesus Christ If we be weak in body our body loseth by it but our souls gain by it Let us labour to get true possession of Jesus Christ and then Satan that roaring lion can get no possession of us Lord give us the life of grace to spring up in our hearts that we may be drawn to thee Iune the 9th Lord give us the light of heaven that vve may be holy as thou art holy If once grace be but kindled in our hearts then happy shall vve be and blessed Let us trust in Jesus Christ and he vvill conquer our spirituall enemy and purifie our double hearts Let us be thankfull and ever thankfull for all his mercies lest he turn his blessings into curses and poure dovvn his vvrath upon us Lord give us true repenting hearts for our sins lest vve run headlong to hell for vvant of repentance Come my Disciples take up your cross and follow me and I vvill be your God joy joy joy Learn the lesson of faith or you shall never knovv Christ but Lord let us learn this lesson of faith that vve thy unvvorthy servants may be delivered both from our bodily and spiritual enemies We are poor dry creatures but Lord breath thy Spirit into us that vve may be Saints in Heaven Good Lord enrich our souls that we may enrich the Kingdome of Heaven Come my people enter into my Tabernacle and you shall rest in joyes for ever We must labour to have hearts for Jesuâ— Christ or we shall never attain to him we must labour for him he is not easily gained but we must take pains and seek him Let us put off the rags of sin and put on the robes of righteousness Let us struggle for Jesus Christ and labour for him lay hold of him and when we have obtained him let him not slip from us Let us give God the glory of all things and he will poure down all things upon us that are good for us Lord pardon our sins and give us hearts to beg pardon of thee for them Lord give us thankful hearts to acknowledge thy goodness and to be thankful for every little mercy Lord fit and prepare our unprepared hearts that we may be prepared at the sound of the trumpet Let us labour to be married to Jesus Christ and
will stand for ever October 10. Lord renew us vvith thy grace that vve may be fit to come to the School of Christ to learn the lesson of faith Lord cast out the old man that he may not take root that vve may become nevv livers and vvhen that old man is cast out labour to dravv neerer and neerer unto Christ Take heed you live not in a known sin for if you live in a known sin and wallow in sins even as a sow doth wallow in the mire it is dangerous Lord Lord that which I know not teach thou me and I will learn Let us search the secrets of our hearts lest there be any weeds scattered amongst them Wait and be patient whatsoever the Lord pleaseth to lay upon you as patient Job in all his afflictions he was patient When one came and told him that all his Children vvent to feast at their elder Brothers house and the house fell upon them he said It is the will of the Lord why should not I be contented The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the Name of the Lord and his wife came to him and bade him curse God and die then he said Oh thou foolish woman shall we receive good at the hands of God and shall we not receive evill then there came another to him and told him that his goods were all gone and devoured yet Job was of the same minde that he was before and said The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the Name of the Lord and Job was patient in all his afflictions and was confirmed that his soul was precious in the sight of the Lord. Lord cast down Satan that Serpent and chain him up that he may get no power over my poor soul Lord humble these proud hearts of ours that are so blowne up with the pride and vanities of this world if we did but look into and examine our hearts we should not please the flesh so as we do but whil'st we are in the flesh we are apt to follow the lusts of the flesh Oh let us labour for that Holy One that Holy One that Jewel that precious Jewel that Jewel of our Heavenly Father that Jewel of all Jewels Oh what can a Christian heart desite more then a Christ then a crucified Christ Oh if we can but gain Christ we have all we have all Oh that we had but hearts to conceive the preciousnesse the sweetnesse and holinesse of that Beloved that Christ Oh that we could but have Christ set upon our hearts aright Oh let us glorifie him in all things all honour and glory be given to him to whom it belongeth October the 11th Lord pull back that subtile Serpent he is so subtile that he is alwayes seeking in corners to devour my poor soul but he cannot my Christ is stronger then he and when he seeth that he cannot get power over the childe of God then he goeth away murmuring and repining Faith hope and charity and the chiefest of these is charity charity is love is love in Christ faith is a gift of Christ and hope is hope to gain Christ Oh let us pray for faith and all other good graces that are necessary for us and let us pray earnestly unto Christ that he may pray for us in Heaven and if he pray for us we shall be sure to be heard Let us cast our care upon the Lord in all caâ—amities for he hath bid us cast our care upon him and he will care for us October the 12th Come all you that are a thirst and drink freely of the Spring-well-water of life and you shall never thirst again My Christ hath pull'd back Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to destroy my poor soul but if God bid him be gone he must be gone my God will pull him off me I hope if you watch not to him as well as he watcheth to you he will flatter and deceive you as he wou'd have done our Saviour Christ if he had had that power but he had not that power when he set him upon the Pinnacle of the Temple and shewed him all the Kingdomes of the World and the glory thereof and said All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me if we do not look unto his corners he will get and command power over us as he thought to have done over our Saviour Christ when he said unto him If thou be the Son of God cause these stones to be made bread Lord open the eyes of the blinde that they may see clearly into the errours of sin Depend upon the Lord in all your extremities and calamities and when his appointed time is come he will release you Cast your selves into those armes of love and he will be your Saviour October the 14th She rejoyced very much and then had an exceeding great and long conflict and then she rejoyced again and said My Christ hath vanquished Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to devour my poor soul but he cannot but he cannot come neer it My Christ is stronger then he My God doth but let him step in to make me relie more upon him Lord humble these proud ignorant and carnall hearts of ours that we be not led away with this world and the vanities in it and let us not taste of them for if we taste of them they will enter into us more and more if we could but taste of the sweetnesse of Christ we shall be tied unto him more and more and flie back from the world and desire him more and more Then she had another great rejoycing fit and stretched out her armes and said Let us stick close to that Holy One and he will stick close to us but if we sit loose from him he will sit loose from us Take heed of living in a known sin for if you live in a known sin it is dangerous for if you live in a sin you know you are guilty of it is dangerous ô look back unto your selves and labour truly to repent lest your sins be hardened and God turn his back of you for if they once be hardened it is hard to get them off again Take heed you live not in knovvn sins as drunkennesse lasciviousnesse blasphemy and keeping of evill company and all other vices labour to repent of them and say Lord that which I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do so no more October the 15th Let us hunger and thirst after that Holy One and not follovv the vanities of this vvorld as we do the vanities of this world of abomination and sin Let us labour to forsake sin and this vvorld and all things that are therein and stick close unto Jesus Christ that Holy One and not be like the svvine that regard acorns more then pearls
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
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
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
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
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
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