the Faith that we may have this Testimony in our own Consciences that all our Ways and Paths are well-pleasing to the Lord our great Soveraign that we may so even so run as to obtain an immortal Crown at last though the Righteous shall scarcely be saved and that we might be found upon Mount Sion with the Lamb among the Sealed ones of God is the earnest and daily Prayer of Your loving Sister Lydia Carter Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Brother Jeremiah Carter Loving Brother Jeremiah YOU are a young Man and you read of the young Man in the Gospel concerning whom it is said Christ looking upon him loved him I think that was but a common Love because of some hopefulness of more good or of less discovery of more evil in him than in many others The Lord knows that I do most tenderly love you as a Brother in the Flesh but oh how much more should I love you as a Brother in Christ Now that you may have a share in the Soul-saving Love of Christ that you may be more intimately acquainted with the deep Mystery of the Gospel that you may consecrate the Flower of your Youth to God that you may fly all Sins incident to your present State that you may be sensible of continued Mercies that you may improve all Opportunities and Abilities which you have received from God for God that you may earnestly contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints that you may follow the Lord fully in your Generation and that you and I with all our Relations may one Day sit down in heavenly places together with Jesus Christ is the uncessant Prayer of Your very Loving Sister Lydia Carter August 10. 1655. Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Sister Child Loving Sister Child YOU are a Mother 't is a Blessing yet but an earthly Blessing Children are certain Cares uncertain Comforts Now that you may bear Christ in your Spirit as you have born Children in your Body that you may have further Experience of the preserving Love of God which passeth the Tenderness of Maternal Affection Isai 49.14 15. that you may always enjoy the Light of God's Countenance that you may be strengthned with all Might according to the glorious Power of God in your inward Man unto all Patience and Long-suffering with Joyfulness that you may by your heavenly Conversation adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you may be counselled and comforted by the sweet Influences of the Spirit of Grace and that you may be one of those who shall be caught up in the Clouds together with all the Saints to meet the Lord in the Air and befor ever with him is the fervent Prayer of Your very Loving Sister Lydia Carter Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Aunt Child Most endeared Aunt WHom I love in the Truth and not I only but also all they that have known the Truth Grace be with you Mercy and Peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in Health even as your Soul prospereth I have no greater Joy than to hear that all the Lord's People walk in the Power of Godliness shewing forth the Praises of him who hath called us out of Darkness into his marvelous Light It is true I have need to be more fully instructed of those who have attained unto a full Age and by reason of use have their Senses exercised to discern both Good and Evil yet as one who hath obtained this Grace of the Lord as to be faithful in a few things I shall not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things tho' you know them and are established in the present Truth That which the Lord expects at our Hands is that we should walk worthy of him who hath called us unto a Kingdom that we should live unto the praise of his rich Grace who hath so freely poured out his Soul unto Death for us Dying Love justly merits an humble holy thankful and fruitful Conversation Truly we live in a crooked and perverse Generation Satan hath his Seat in every place great is the subtilty of Sin the deceitfulness of our own Hearts the power and malice of our Spiritual Adversary it nearly concerns us therefore to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure before we go away from hence and be no more Aunt My continual and fervent Desire is That we may be every Day more and more enlightned into the Depths of Special and Distinguishing Love and that I may be helped forward in my Faith and Joy in the Holy Ghost by your Experiences is the Prayer of Your Affectionate Cousin Lydia Carter My Love unto all my Cousins praying that they may be blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in the common Saviour Mrs. Lydia Carter's Letter to her Sister Desborrow Loving Sister Desborrow THat we should exhort one another daily consider one another and provoke one another unto Love and Good Works is the Exhortation of the Scripture and such Counsel as I desire might be written upon your Heart and mine Sister You are now entred into the World with me but that an abundant entrance may be administred into the Kingdom of God unto us both that we may with Mary choose the better part which shall never be taken from us that we may grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ that we may not be weary of Well-doing that we may approve our Hearts unto God in all manner of Holiness that we may be filled with Spiritual Graces suitable to our Relations and Conditions that we may persevere unto the End that we may have the Sence of God's Love kept alive and warm upon our Hearts that we may bring forth much Fruit proportionable to the precious Enjoyments of Divine Mercy that we may make it our Business to praise exalt and glorifie him who hath abundantly loved us in his Son that we may have a continual Eye upon him who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith that we may earnestly strive to attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead and that we may learn Christ love Christ and live Christ is the restless Desire of Your very Loving Sister Lydia Carter Your Husband and you shall not be forgotten by me in my Pleadings at the Throne of Grace Farewel These Letters were all sent me by her own Son who received 'em from his Father a little before his Death He also sent him the following Letter and Directions for the Management of his whole Life which being full of pious Instructions may properly come under this Head His Letter was this following My dear Child THY Master's Letter to me last Week gives me great Encouragement to think that if please God I live I shall receive a great deal of Comfort from thee he writes so fully that I profess I never read more written concerning any one in my Life of thy
by Heart and as it were made them his own He testifies likewise of Paula that she had most of the Bible by Heart and of Nepotian that with daily reading and meditating he had made his Heart Bibliothecani Christi The Library of Christ Clark's Examp. 16. Constantine the Great used to shew so much Reverence and Attention to the Word of God preached that many times he would stand up all the Sermon-time and when some of his Courtiers told him That it would tend to his Disparagement he answered That it was in the Service of the Great God who is no Respecter of Persons Clark in his Life 17. Charles the Great used to set his Crown upon the Bible as our Canutus sometime put his Crown upon the Rood both of them to intimate their Reverence c. Clark's Exam. Vol. 1. C. 119. 18. King Edward the Sixth was a diligent Attender upon Sermons heard them with great Reverence and penned them with his own Hand and studied them diligently afterwards Ibid. 19. The greatest delight of Queen Elizabeth was often to read the Bible and hear Sermons Ibid. 20. The young Lord Harrington was mighty attentive in hearing the Word of God preach'd or read Ibid. 21. Bugenhagius a Dutch Divine was so joyful when Luther and he and some others had finished the Translation of the Bible into Dutch that on that Day whereon they finished their Work he ever after invited his Friends to a Feast which he called A Feast of the Translation of the Bible Ibid. 22. Chrysostome preaching to his People used this Expression Get you Bibles by all means whatever they cost you you may better want Bread Light than the Knowledge of the Scriptures Ibid. ex Trapp 23. I can speak it by Experience saith Erasmus that there is little good to be got by the Scripture if a Man read it cursorily and carelesly but if he exercise himself therein constantly and conscionably he shall find such an efficacy in it as is not to be found in any other Book whatsoever Ibid. 24. Robert King of Sicily was so wonderfully affected with the Scriptures that speaking to Franc. Petrarcha he thus said of them I swear to you Petrarch that my Learning is more dear to me than my Kingdom and if I must want the one or the other I had much rather want my Diadem than my Learning Idem ex Cornel. de Lapide 25. I know saith Peter Martyr there are many that will never believe what we say of the Power of God's Word hidden in the Heart and not a few that will jeer us and think that we are mad for saying so But oh that they would be pleased but to make Trial Malè mihi sit ita enim in tantâ causâ juvare ausim nisi tandem capiantur Let it never go well with me for I am bold to swear in so weighty a Business if they find not themselves strangely taken and transformed into the same Image if they pass not into the Likeness of this Heavenly Pattern So Ephes 1.13 1 Thes 1.5 8. Ibid. 26. In all the Bible says the Reverend Mr. Burgesse in his Sermon in the Coll. Morn Exercise though it be an History of more than 4000 Years we read of but of One that was converted just before his Death And we do believe that he also did convert at his first Convincing Call Rarely do any savingly convert who do not upon their first Convictions convert St. Austin's stifled Convictions cost him dear You that will make so bold with Conscience as Spira did should expect to roar for it here as he did or hereafter to fare worse than many hope him to do They are considerable Divines who are not hopeless of his Salvation Thus far Mr. Burgesse 27. John an Egyptian Confessor whom Eusebius saw and heard tho' his Eyes were out and his Body mangled could repeat any passages out of the Old or New Testament whom I supposed saith he to be reading in a Book 'till coming near I was struck with great admiration Dr. Cave ' s Primitive Christian 28. Nazianzen professeth that he had willingly relinquished all other things for the sake of this Book Ibid. 29. Luther said He would not live in Paradise without the Word but with it he could live well enough in Hell Mr. Calamy 's Godly Man's Ark. 30. Gildas hath scarce one Paragraph in his Epistle unstored with Scripture and one of his chief Lamentations in Dioclesian's Persecution is for their Bibles being burnt in the Publick Markets Tho. Jones Sovereign of the Heart 31. Mr. Bradford to Willerton Bishop Bonner's Chaplain when he told him The People must learn all at the Priests not meddling with the Scriptures answered Then I see you would bring the People to hang up Christ and let Barabbas go as the Priests perswaded the People to do At which words Willerton was so offended that he had no lust to talk with him any more Fox Martyr 32. The Christians at the beginning of the Reformation were so in love with the Bible and studied it so diligently and used it in their Discourses and Disputations so frequently and boldly that Darbyshire Principal of Broadgates told Mr. Hawkes in Bishop Bonner's House You will have nothing but your little pretty God's Book Ibid. 33. Blesilla a devout Widow weak and sickly was never found without a Bible in her Hands S. Hierom. 34. Olympia Fulvia Morata born at Ferrara in a Letter to the young Princess of that place after getting out of the Idolatry of that Country saith It may seem incredible to you what a change the Lord then made upon my Spirit that former aversion I had to read the Scripture was then turned to have it as the greatest delight and pleasure in the World Anonym 35. One Captain Knox being a Prisoner in Ceilon in the East-Indies for near Twenty Years was extreamly pleased when he found there an English Bible which he purchased at a Rate and professeth That he never found Prayer so sweet to him as it was then See his Description of Ceilon 36. The Lady Jane Grey the Night before her Execution sent her Sister the Lady Catherine the Greek Testament in the end of which she wrote thus I Have here sent you Good Sister Catherine a Book which altho' it be not outwardly Printed with Gold yet inwardly it is more worth than precious Stones It is the Book dear Sister of the Law of the Lord it is his Testament and Last Will which he bequeathed to us Wretches which shall lead you to the Path of Eternal Joy and if you with a good Mind read it and with an earnest Heart purpose to follow it it shall bring you to an immortal and everlasting Life it shall teach you to live and learn you to die it shall win you more than you would have gained by the possession of your woful Father's Lands which if God had prospered you you should have inherited so that if you apply diligently this Book
he said Pray remember my dear Love to my Brother and Sister and tell them I desire they would comfort themselves that I am gone to Christ and we shall quickly meet in the Glorious Mount Sion above Afterwards he prayed for about three quarters of an hour with the greatest fervency exceedingly blessing God for Jesus Christ adoring the Riches of his Grace in him in all the Glorious Fruits of it towards him Praying for the Peace of the Church of God and of these Nations in particular all with such eminent Assistance of the Spirit of God as convinced astonished and melted into Pity the Hearts of all present even the most malicious Adversaries forcing Tears and Expressions from them some saying They knew not what would become of them after Death but it was evident he was going to great Happiness When he was just going out of the World with a joyful Countenance he said Oh! now my Joy and Comfort is that I have a Christ to go to and so sweetly resign'd his Spirit to Christ the 12th of September 1685. An Officer who had shewed so malicious a Spirit as to call the Prisoners Devils when he was Guarding them down was now so convinced that he after told a Person of Quality That he was never so affected as by his chearful Carriage and fervent Prayer such as he believed was never heard especially from one so young and said I believe had the Lord Chief Justice been there he could not have let him die The Sheriff having given his Body to be buried although it was brought from the Place of Execution without any notice given yet very many of the Town to the Number of about 200 came to accompany him and several Young Women of the best of the Town laid him in his Grave in Lyme Church-yard the 13th of September 1685. After which his Sister writ this following Letter to her Mother ALthough I have nothing to acquaint my Dear Mother withal but what is most afflictive to Sense both as to the Determination of God's Will and as to my present Apprehension concerning my Brother Benjamin yet remaining yet there is such abundant Consolation mixt in both that I only wanted an Opportunity to pay this Duty God having wrought so Glorious a Work on both their Souls revealing Christ in them that Death is become their Friend My Brother William having already with the greatest Joy declared to those that were with him to the last That he would not change Conditions with any that were to remain in this World and he desired that his Relations would comfort themselves that he is gone to Christ My Brother Benjamin expects not long to continue in this World and is exceeding willing to leave it when God shall call being fully satisfied that God will choose that which is best for him and us all by these things God doth greatly support me and I hope you also my dear Mother which was and is my Brothers great desire there is still room for Prayer for one and God having so answered though not in kind we have Encouragement still to wait on him Honoured Mother Your Dutiful Daughter Hannah Hewling When I came to Taunton to Mr. Benjamin Hewling he had received the News of his Brother's being gone to die with so much comfort and joy and afterwards of the continued goodness of God increasing it to the end He expressed to this effect We have no cause to fear Death if the Presence of God be with us there is no evil in it the sting being taken away it 's nothing but our Ignorance of the Glory that the Saints pass into by Death which makes it appear dark for our selves or Relations if in Christ What is this World that we should desire an abode in it It 's all vain and unsatisfying full of sin and misery Intimating also his own chearful expectations soon to follow discovering then and all along great seriousness and sense of Spiritual and Eternal things complaining of nothing in his present Circumstances but want of place of Retirement to converse more uninterruptedly with God and his own Soul saying That this lonely time in Newgate was the sweetest in his whole Life He said God having some time before struck his Heart when he thought of the hazard of his Life to some serious Sense of his past Life and the great consequences of Death and Eternity shewing him that they were the only happy Persons that had secured their Eternal states The folly and madness of the ways of sin and his own Thraldom therein with his utter inability to deliver himself also the necessity of Christ for Salvation He said it was not without Terror and Amazement for some time the sight of unpardon'd sin with Eternity before him But God wonderfully opened to him the Riches of his Free-Grace in Christ Jesus for poor Sinners to flee to enabling to look alone to a crucified Christ for Salvation He said this blessed Work was in some measure carried on upon his Soul under all his business and hurries in the Army but never sprung forth so fully and sweetly till his close Confinement in Newgate There he saw Christ and all Spiritual Objects more clearly and embraced them more strongly there he experienced the blessedness of a reconciled State the Excellency of the ways of Holiness the delightfulness of Communion with God which remained with very deep and apparent impressions on his Soul which he frequently express'd with Admiration of the Grace of God towards him He said Perhaps my Friends may think this Summer the saddest time of my Life but I bless God it hath been the sweetest and most happy of it all nay there is nothing else worth the name of happiness I have in vain sought satisfaction from the things of this World but I never found it but now I have found Rest for my Soul in God alone O how great is our Blindness by Nature till God open our Eyes that we can see no Excellency in Spiritual things but spend our Precious Time in pursuing Shadows and are deaf to all the Invitations of Grace and Glorious Offers of the Gospel How just is God in depriving us of that we so much slighted and abused Oh! his Infinite Patience and Goodness that after all he should yet sanctifie any Methods to bring a poor sinner to himself Oh! Electing Love distinguishing Grace what great cause have I to admire and adore it He said What an amazing Consideration is the Suffering of Christ for sin to bring us to God his Suffering from wicked Men was exceeding great but alas what was that to the Dolours of his Soul under the infinite Wrath of God This Mystery of Grace and Love is enough to swallow up our thoughts to all Eternity As to his own Death he would often say He saw no reason to expect any other I know God is infinitely able to deliver and I am sure will do it if it be for his Glory and my Good in
himself under this Representation as 1 Kings 19.11 12. to Elijah in a still small Voice Qu. only the whistling Noise of a calm Air But Acts 2 2. to the apprehension in the sound of a rushing mighty Wind. I have one thing more to remark upon this Meteor as tending very much to set forth the Glory of God and that is its divers Uses and Effects 'T is a wonder that such a thin tenuious invisible Body as that is should serve for such divers and excellent Purposes Consider them and wonder It carries all the Fowls of the Air which would be no more able to fly without it than the Fishes of the Sea to swim without Water it bears up the heavy Clouds and fans purges and transports them from place to place so that we say truly as Psal 18.10 That the Divine Glory doth ride upon the Cherubs and flies upon the Wings of the Wind It is a faithful Messenger in the Hand of the Almighty to bring Tokens of Kindness or Judgments to a People One while Flies and Caterpillars innumerable Frogs and Lice Plagues and Pestilential Infections another while Quails and Manna Flesh and feather'd Fowl Rain Plenty and Prosperity In short it fans our Lungs and walks to and fro through our Nostrils every moment and we are not able no breath without it And yet this so useful so necessary so common a Creature we cannot see we cannot comprehend In God we live move and have our Being he is within us and without us and we know him not And no Absurdity in all this 4 I might add to these Storms and Tempests not as specifically different from them but yet such as may require a Consideration by themselves I mean those more violent Irruptions of Wind and Vapours or other watry Exhalations commixed as either by their suddeness or violence or surprizing and contrary Motion seem prodigious or prove hurtful to us These are sometimes so dreadful that they overturn Trees Houses Cities over-run whole Countries with a Deluge of Waters drowning or swallowing up the Inhabitants rending sometimes Rocks asunder and carrying them into the midst of the Sea sometimes dividing parcels of Land from the Continent and carrying them into the Ocean for Islands of which Histories are full of Examples All that I shall remark upon this Particular is that as the Storms are of God's sending so they are subject to his Government Nah. 1.3 4. The Lord hath his way in the Whirlwind c. vide Psal 107.25 26 27 29. And Psal 148.8 The stormy Wind fulfilling his Word You know the Story Mat. 8.23 24 25 26. 27. But that which I drive at in these Quotations is this That he who rules the raging of the Sea and stiâ—leth the violent Storms of the Wind and Waters is able also to appease the Madness of a People to bush the Noise and Tumult of the World into a deep Silence to turn our Spears into Pruning-hooks and our Swords into Plough-shares to give us instead of a Storm a Calm in our own Breasts in our Houses and Families in our Churches and Nations Had not we best then in such Cases arise from ouâ— sleep every one and call upon his God as Jonah 1.4 5 6. And if our Lord seem to sleep too let us go and awaken him in good earnest and say Lord save us or we perish And then he that keepeth Israel and never slumbers nor sleeps will arise and scatter our Enemies and shew himself mighty in our Salvation upon the Ungodly he will rain down Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest This shall be the Portion of their Cup. Psal 11.6 For the righteous Lord loveth Righteousness his Countenance doth behold the upright 5. Hail Rain Snow and Frosts c. I will not stay now to shew the particular Usefulness of all these in their Kind Order and Seasons not if I cared to spend time upon it have I Skill to do it perfectly Something might be said which perhaps every one is not well sensible of concerning the Wisdom as well as the Power and Goodness of God in using such a diverse Method in Manuring of the Earth and Nursing of Sublunary Bodies I shall conclude this with only that emphatical Exhortation of the Psalmist 147.12 ad finem Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion For he hath strengthned the Bars of thy Gates He hath blessed thy Children within thee He maketh Peace in thy Borders And filleth thee with the finest of the Wheat He sendeth forth his Commandment upon Earth His Word runneth very swiftly He giveth Snow like Wool he scattereth the Hoar-frost like Ashes He casteth forth his Ice like Morsels Who can stand before his Cold He sendeth out his Word and melteth them He causeth his Wind to blow and the Waters to flow He sheweth his Word unto Jacob His Statutes and Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation And as for his Judgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. 6. To pass over Eclipses Conjunctions and Rain-bows c. I shall instance only in Extraordinary Signs and Apparitions as that of Angels appearing to Arbaham to Lot to Jacob to Manaoh to David to divers others the extraordinary Chasms of Light in the Heavens at our Saviour's Baptism his Transfiguration his Ascension the Cloud and Pillar of Fire to the Israelites the Darkness at our Saviour's Passion the Holy Ghost in the Likeness of a Dove the Apparition exhibited to Saul to St. Stephen the Revelations of St. John the Prodigies before the Destruction of Jerusalem Armies conflicting in the Air with a Thousand more such Wonders which I list not to relate particularly I confess they are often mixed with false incredible Relations yet not therefore all to be rejected Our Saviour hath given us warning to expect some such Mat. 24. and Acts. 2.19 20. and every Age almost is Witness of some Miracle or other of this Nature thô not so many as many would believe Even Heathen and Mahometan History as well as Christian give Suffrage to this From the whole we have this Lesson intimated to us viz. If the outward insensate Heavens that are neither endued with Sense nor Reason but are of a bruitish Nature declare to the World the Glory of God what would be expected from us Men to whom all these Creatures are given but as Servants If these mute sensless Things preach so expresly the Glory of him that made them what should not Man do who tho' he lives in place below them yet is endowed with an Excellency far above them God himself sometimes appeals to them for Testimony against us to upbraid our Disobedience Hear O Heavens and give Ear c. All the Host of the Inferiour Heavens keep their place and observe the Laws of their Creation the very Clouds and Winds obey him only Man is an unruly undutiful disingenuous obstinate Thing that will neither keep his Orb nor serve the Ends of
my Soul into the Kingdom of Heaven See her Life 23. I Remember says Mr. Increase Mather in his Disc of Angels that once in Discourse with the Learned Doctor Spencer in Cambridge concerning his Book of Prodigies he said to me that his Judgment was That the Evil Angels had Prenotions of many Future Things and did accordingly give strange Premonitions of them No doubt it is often so and yet as Lavater Schottus and others have noted there are sometimes Things signified by Angels which it is not easie to determine of what sort those Genii are VVhat shall be thought of the Phantom which appeared to General Vesselini assuring him that he might take the City of Muran by the Assistance of a Widow which Lived in that City which strangely came to pass accordingly in the Year 1644. There comes to my mind a very Unaccountable Thing which happened at London above Thirty Years ago It was this One Mr. Cutty an honest Citizen passing between Milk-street and Wood-street in Cheap-side on March 2d 1664 took up a Letter Sealed The Superscription whereof was these VVords following From Geneva to a Friend VVithin the Letter these VVords were written This is to give both timely and speedy Notice that in the Year 1665 in the latter end of May shall begin a Plague and hold very hot till the latter end of December and then cease but not quite and then go on till the latter end of the Spring the next Year And in 1665 and 66 putting both together shall not only happen a Plague but great Sea Fights such as the like was scarce ever heard of and this shall not be all but in the Year 1666 on the Second of September shall happen a Fire that shall burn down one of the Eminentest Cities in the World Mr. Cutty carried the Letter to the then Lord Mayor A Reverend Divine in London who was of his Acquaintance had a Copy of it before the sad Things here Predicted came to pass and at my last being at London was pleased to favour me with it as 't is here Related This Account being certainly true and very surprizing I thought it not unworthy the Publication 24. There are sometimes very unaccountable Motions and Impressions on the Spirits of good men which are wrought in them by the ministry of Holy Angels whose work it is to prevent and disappoint the Designs of Satan and of his evil Angels I remember one relates a remarkable Passage of a good man that when he was reading in his House he could not rest in his Spirit but he must step out of Doors which he had no sooner done but he saw a Child in a Pond of VVater ready to perish which would have been gone past recovery had not he gone out of his Doors just at that moment This Impression must needs be from a good Angel And an other like Passage is related in the Life of that Holy Man Mr. Dod One Evening though he had other work to attend he could not but he must got to such a Neighbour's House when he came to him he told him he knew not what he was come for but he could not rest in his Spirit until he had visited him The poor man was astonished for he had in the Violence of a Temptation put a Rope into his Pocket with an intent to have destroyed himself had not Mr. Dod's thus coming prevented it Surely an Angel of the Lord was in this Providence Bishop Hall speaks of one whom he knew that having been for Sixteen Years a Cripple had these monitions in his Sleep that he should go and wash in St. Matherns Well in Cornwell which he did and was suddenly recovered This he thinks was from Angelical Suggestion Marcus Aurelius Antoninus did in a Dream receive the Prescript of a Remedy for his Disease which the Physitians could not cure A Physitian of Vratislavium followed the Counsel he had given him in a Dream concerning the cure of a Disease which was to him incurable and he recovered the Patient It added to the wonder that a few Years after he met with that Receipt in a Book then newly Printed Histories report that the like to this happened to Philip and to Galen If Angels may Suggest things beneficial unto the minds of Men who are Strangers to God much more unto them that fear him Thus far Mr. Mather Converse with Angels and Spirits Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubery Esq 25 Dr. Richard Nepier was a Person of great Abstinence Innocence and Piety He spent every Day Two Hours in Family Prayer When a Patient or Querent came to him he presently went to his Closet to Pray and told to admiration the Recovery or Death of the Patient It appears by his Papers that he did converse with the Angel Raphael who gave him the Responses 26. Elias Ashmole Esq had all his Papers where is contained all his Practice for about Fifty Years which he Mr. Ashmole carefully bound up according to the year of our Lord in Volumes in Folio which are now reposited in the Library of the Museum in Oxford Before the Responses stands this Mark viz. R â„ž is which Mr. Ashmole said was Responsum Raphaelis The Angel told him if the Patient were curable or incurable There are also severalâ— other Queries to the Angel as to Religion Transubstantiation c. which I have forgot I remember one is Whether the Good Spirits or the Bad be most in Number R â„ž is The Good It is to be found there that he told John Prideaux D. D. Anno 1621 that Twenty Years hence 1641 he would be a Bishop and he was so sc Bishop of Worcester R â„ž is did resolve him That Mr. Booth of in Cheshire should have a Son that should inherit Three Years hence sc Sir George Booth the first Lord Delamere viz. from 1619. Sir George Booth aforesaid was born Decemb. 18th Anno 1622. This I extracted out of Dr. Nepier's Original Diary then in the possession of Mr. Ashmole It is impossible that the Prediction of Sir George Booth's Birth could be found any other way but by Angelical Revelation This Dr. Richard Nepier was Rector of Lynford in Bucks and did practise Physickâ— but gave most to the Poor that he got by it 'T is certain he foretold his own Death to a Day and Hour he died Praying upon his Knees being of a very great Age 1634. April the First One says why should one think the Intellectual World less Peopled than the Material Pliny in his Natural History tells us that in Africa do sometimes appear Multitudes of Aerial Shapes which suddenly Vanish Mr. Richard Baxter in his certainty of the World of Spirits hath a Discourse of Angels and wonders they are so little taken notice of he hath counted in Newman's Concordance of the Bible the word Angel in above 300 places Thus far Mr. Aubery CHAP. III. Concerning the Appearance of bad Angels or Daemons HEre I have a great Task and
Toaklys Son Languished and Died calling and crying out upon her that she was the cause of his Death She also declared that about eight days before Susan Cock Margaret Landish and Joyce Boanes brought to her House three Imps which Joyce taking her Imp too carried them all four to Robert Turners to Torment his Servant because her refused to give them some Chips his Master being a Carpenter and that he forthwith fell Sick and oft barkt like a Dog and she believed those four Imps were the cause of his Death Rose Hallybread was for this Wickedness Condemned to be Hanged but Died in Chelmsford Goal May 9. 1645. Ibid. p. 16. Susan Lock was another of the Society concerning whom see more in the Chap. of Satans Permission to hurt the Innocent in their Estates 6. Much about the same time in Huntingtonshire Elizabeth Weed of great Catworth being Examined before Robert Bernard and Nicholas Pedley Esq Justices of the Peace March 31. 1646. Said that about Twenty one years before as she was one Night going to Bed there appeared to her three Spirits one like a young Man and the other two in the shape of Puppies one white and the other black He that was in the form of a youth spoke to her and Demanded Whether she would deny God and Christ which she agreed to The Devil then offered her to do what mischief she would require of him provided she would Covenant he should have her Soul after Twenty one years which she granted She confest further that about a week after at Ten a Clock at Night he came to her with a Paper asking whether she were willing to Seal the Covenant she said she was then he told her it must be done with her Blood and so prickt her under the left Arm till it bled with which she scribled and immediately a great lump of Flesh rise on her Arm in the same place which increased ever since After which he came to Bed and had Carnal Knowledge of her then and many times afterwards The other two Spirits came into the Bed likewise and suckt upon other parts of her Body where she had Teats and that the Name of one was Lilly and the other Priscil One of which was to hurt Man Woman or Child and the other to destroy what Cattel she desired and the young Man was to lye with her as he did often And saith that Lilly according to the Covenant did kill the Child of Mr. Henry Bedel of Catworth as she required him to do when she was angry tho she does not now remember for what and that about two or three days before she sent him to kill Mr. Bedel himself who returned and said he had no Power and that another time she sent the same Spirit to hurt Edward Musgrove of Catworth who likewise returned saying He was not able And that she sent her Spirit Priscill to kill two Horses and two Cows of Mr. Musgroves and Thomas Thorps in that Town which was done accordingly And being askt when the one and twenty years would be out she said To the best of my Remembrance about low Sunday next Being further demanded why she did so constantly resort to Church and to hear the Sermons of Mr. Pool the Minister she said She was well pleased with his Preaching and had a desire to be rid of that unhappy Burthen which was upon her VVitches of Huntington p. 2. 7. About the year of our Lord 1632. As near as I can Remember having lost my Notes and the Copy of the Letter to Serjeant Hutton but I am sure that I do most perfectly remember the substance of the Story near unto Chester in the street there lived one VValker a young Man of Good Estate and a Widower who had a young Woman to his Kinswoman that kept his House who was by the Neighbours suspected to be with Child and was towards the Dark of the Evening one Night sent away with one Mark Sharp who was a Collier or one that digged Coals under Ground and one that had been born in Blakeburn-Hundred in Lancashire And so she was not heard of for a long time and no Noise or little was made about it In the Winter time after one James Graham or Grime for so in that Countrey they call them being a Miller and living about two Miles from the place where Walker lived was one Night alone very late in the Mill grinding Corn and as about twelve or one a Clock at Night he came down the Stairs from having been putting Corn in the Hopper the Mill doors being shut there stood a Woman upon the midst of the Floor with her hair about her head hanging down and all Bloody with five large Wounds on her head He being much affrighted and amazed began to Bless him and at last asked her who she was and what she wanted To which she said I am the Spirit of such a Woman who lived with Walker and being got with Child by him he promised to send me to a private place where I should be well lookt to until I was brought to Bed and well again and then I should come again and keep his House And accordingly said the Apparition I was one Night late sent away with one Mark Sharp who upon a Moor Naming a place that the Miller knâ—w slew me with a Pike such as Men dig Coals withal and gave me these five Wounds and after threw my Body into a Coal-Pit hard by and hid the Pike under a Bank And his Shoes and Stockings being Bloody he endeavoured to wash but seeing the Blood would not wash forth he hid them there And the Apparition further told the Miller that he must be the Man to reveal it or else that she must still appear and haunt him The Miller returned home very sad and heavy but spoke not one word of what he had seen but eschewed as much as he could to stay in the Mill within Night without Company thinking thereby to escape the seeing again of that frightful Apparition But notwithstanding one Night when it began to be dark the Apparition met him again and seemed very fierce and cruel and threatned him that if he did not reveal the Murder she would continually pursue and haunt him Yet for all this he still concealed it until St. Thomas's Eve before Christmas when being soon after Sun-set walking in his Garden she appeared again and then so threatned him and affrighted him that he faithfully promised to reveal it the next Morning In the Morning he went to a Magistrate and made the whole matter known with all Circumstances and diligent search being made the Body was found in a Coal-Pit with five Wounds in the Head and the Pike and Shoes and Stockings yet Bloody in every Circumstance as the Apparition had related unto the Miller Whereupon Walker and Mark Sharp were both apprehended but would confess nothing At the Assizes following I think it was at Durham they were Arraigned and found guilty
was proved that Julian Cox came for an Alms to the house where this Maid was a Servant and that the Maid told her she should have none and gave her a cross Answer that displeased Julian VVhereupon Julian was angry and told the Maid she should repent it before Night and so she did For before Night she was taken with a Convulsion Fit and after that left her she saw Julian Cox following her and cried out to the People in the house to save her from Julian But none saw Julian but the Maid and all did impute it to her imagination only And in the Night she cried out of Julian Cox and the black Man that they came upon her bed and tempted her to drink something they offered her But she cried out she desired not the Devil's Drenches This also they imputed to her imagination and bad her be quiet because they in the same Chamber with her did not see or hear any thing and they thought it had been her Conceit only The Maid the next Night expecting the same Conflict she had the Night before brought up with her a Knife and laid it at her bed's head About the same time of the Night as before Julian and the black Man came again upon the Maid's bed and tempted her to drink that which they brought but she refused crying in the audience of the rest of the Family that she defied the Devil's Drenches and took the Knife and stabbed Julian and as she said she wounded her in Leg and was importunate with the Witness to ride to Julian Cox's House presently to see if it were not so The Witness went and took the Knife with him Julian Cox would not let him in but he forced the Door open and found a fresh wound in Julian's Leg as the Maid had said which did suit with the Knife and Julian had been just dressing it when the Witness came There was Blood also found upon the Maid's Bed The next Morning the Maid continued her out-cries that Julian Cox appeared to her in the House wall and offered her great Pins which she was forced to swallow And all the Day the Maid was observed to convey her Hands to the House wall and from the VVall to her Mouth and she seemed by the motion of her Mouth as if she did eat something But none saw any thing but the Maid and therefore thought still it might be her Fancy and did not much mind it But towards Night this Maid began to be very ill and complained that the Pins that Julian forced her to eat-out of the VVall did torment her in all parts of the Maids Body several great Swellings appeared and out of the heads of the Swellings several great Pins points appeared which the Witnesses took out and upon the Tryal there were about Thirty great Pins produced in Court which I my self handled all which were sworn by several Witnesses that they were taken out of the Maid's Body in manner as is aforesaid Judge Archer who tried the Prisoner told the Jury that he had heard that a Witch could not repeat that Petition in the Lord's Prayer viz. And lead us not into Temptation And having this occasion he would try the Experiment and told the Jury that where she could or could not they were not in the least measure to guide their Verdict according to it because it was not legal Evidence but that they must be guided in their Verdict by the former Evidence given in upon Oath only The Prisoner was called for up to the next Bar to the Court and demanded if she could say the Lord's Prayer She said she could and went over the Prayer readily till she came to that Petition Then she said And lead us into no Temptation but could not say And lead us not into Temptation though she was directed to say it after one that repeated it to her distinctly But she could not repeat it otherwise than is expressed already though tried to do it near half a score times in open Court. After all which the Jury found her guilty and Judgment having been given within Three or Four Days she was executed without any Confession of the Fact 14. In the Town of Beckington by Froome in Somersetshire liveth Mary Hill a Maid of about Eighteen Years of Age who having lived very much in the neglect of her Duty to God was some time before Michaelmas last past was Twelve Month taken very ill and being seized with violent Fits began to Vomit up Two Hundred crooked Pins This so stupendous an Accident drew a numerous Concourse of People to see her To whom when in her Fits she did constantly affirm that she saw against the VVall of the Room wherein she lay an old VVoman named Elizabeth Carrier who thereupon being apprehended by a VVarrant from a Justice of Peace and Convicted by the Oaths of Two Persons was committed to the County Goal About a Fortnight after she began to Vomit up Nails pieces of Nails pieces of Brass Handles of Spoons and so continued to do for the space of Six Months and upwards And in her Fits she said there did appear to her an Old Woman named Margery Coombes and one Anne Moor who also by a Warrant from Two Justices of tho Peace were apprehended and brought to the Sessions held at Brewton for the County and by the Bench committed to the County Goal The former of these died as soon as she came into the Prison the other Two were tried at Taunton Assizes by my Lord Chief Justice Holt and for want of Evidence were acquitted by the Jury The Persons bound over to give Evidence were Susanna Belton and Ann Holland who upon their Oaths deposited that they book'd out of the Navel of the said Mary Hill as she lay in a dead Fit crooked Pins small Nails and small Pieces of Brass which were produced in Court before the Judge and from him handed to the Jury to look upon them VVhereupon Mr. Francis Jesse and Mr. Christopher Brewer declared that they had seen the said Maâ—y Hill to Vomit up at several times crooked Pins Nails and Pieces of Brass which they also produced in open Court and to that end they might be ascertained it was no Imposture they declared they had searched her Mouth with their Fingers before she did Vomit Upon which the Court thought fit to call for me who am the Minister of the Parish to testify the knowledge of the matter which I did to this Effect that I had seen her at several times after having given her a little Small Beer Vomit up crooked Pins Nails and pieces of Brass That to prevent the supposition of a Cheat I had cause her to be brought to a Window and having lookt into her Mouth I searcht it with my Finger as I did the Beer before she drank it This I did that I might not be wanting in circumstantial Answers to what my Lord and Court might propose I well remember a Gentleman on a
Bodys swollen with bruises This was attested by Colonel Rogers the Governour of Hereford by a Letter to Mr. Baxter Dated August 23. 1656. As likewise by Mr. Sam. Jones's of Cocdreken Mr. Maur. Bedwell's of Swansy Mr. Daniel Higs and Captain Samuel Foley's both of Clonmell 16. In the year of our Lord 1652. Mary the Daughter of Edward Ellins of the Burrough of Evesham in the County of Worcester Gardiner then about nine or ten years old went in the Fields on a Saturday with some other children to gather Cowslips and finding in a Ditch by the way side at the said Town 's End one Catherine Huxley a single Woman Aged then about Forty years as is supposed easing Nature the children called her Witch and took up Stones to throw at her the said Mary also called her Witch and took up a Stone but was so affrighted that she could not throw it at her then they all run away from her and the said Mary being hindmost this Huxley said to her Ellins you shall have Stones enough in your Whereupon Mary fell that day very ill and continued so Weak and Languishing that her Friends feared she would not recover but a Month after she began to void Stones by the urinary Passages and some little Urine came away from her also when she voided any Stone the Stone she voided was heard by those that were by her to drop into the Pot or Bason and she had most grievous Pains in her Back and Reins like the pricking of Pins the Number of the Stones she voided was about eighty some plain Pebbles some plain Flints some very small and some about an Ounce Weight this she did for some space a Month or two or thereabouts until upon some strong Suspicions of Witchcraft the forenamed Huxley was apprehended examined and searched at whose Beds-head there was found several Stones such as the said Mary voided and was sent to Worcester where at the Summer Assizes in the said Year 1652. then at hand she was upon the Prosecution of the Friends of the said Mary Condemned and Executed Hist Disc of Apparitions and Witches p. 44. 17. Mr. Samuel Clark hath published the Apparition to Mr. White of Dorchester assessor to the Westminister assembly at Lambeth that the Devil in a light Night stood by his Bed-side She looked a while whether he would say or do any thing and then said If thou hast nothing else to do I have and turned himself to sleep Many say it from Mr. White himself Hist Disc of Apparitions and Witches p. 63. 18. Conveyances through the Air c. by Invisible Powers Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubery Esq In a Letter from the Reverend Mr. Paschal Rector of Chedzay in Somersetshire to Mr. Aurbery are these words Viz. The most Remarkable of all happen'd in that Day that I passed by the Door in my return hither which was Easter-Eve when Fry returning from Work that little he can do he was caught by the Woman Spectre by the Skirts of his Doublet and carried into the Air he was quickly mist by his Master and the Workmen and great enquiry was made for Fran. Fry but no hearing of him but about half an Hour after Fry was heard Whistling and Singing in a kind of a Quagmire He was now affected as he was wont to be in his Fits so that none regarded what he said but coming to Himself an Hour after he solemnly protested That the Daemon carried him so high that he saw his Master's House underneath him no bigger than an Hay-cock that he was in perfect Sense and prayed God not to suffer the Devil to destroy him That he was suddenly set down in that Quagmire The Workmen found one Shooe on one side of the House and the other Shooe on the other side his Periwig was espied next Morning hanging on the Top of a tall Tree It was soon observ'd that Fry's part of his Body that had laid in the Mud was much benum'd and therefore the next Saturday which was the Eve of Low-Sunday they carried him to Crediton to be let Blood which being done and the Company having left him for a little while returning they found him in a Fit with his Fore-head all bruised and swoln to a great bigness none being able to guess how it came till he recover'd himself and then he told them That a Bird flew in at the Window with a great force and with a Stone in its Mouth flew directly against his Fore-head The People looked for it and found on the Ground just under where he sate not a Stone but a weight of Brass or Copper which the People were breaking and parting it among themselves He was so very ill that he could not ride but one Mile or little more that Nighr since which time I have not heard of him save that he was ill handled the next Day being Sunday Indeed Sir you may wonder that I have not Visited that House and the poor afflicted People especially since I was so near and passed by the very Door I am very well assured of the Truth of what I have Written and as more appears you shall hear from me again 19. A Copy of a Letter from a Learned Friend of mine in Scotland Dated March 25. 1695. Honoured Sir I received yours Dated May 24 1694. In which you desire me to send you some Instances and Examples of Transportation by an Invisible Power The true cause of my delaying so long to reply to that Letter was not want of Kindness but of sit Materials for such a Reply As soon as I read your Letter of May 24. I called to mind a Story which I heard long ago concerning one of the Lord Duffus in the Shire of Murray his Predecessors of whom it is reported That upon a time when he was walking abroad in the Fields near to his own House he was suddenly carried away and â—ound the next day at Paris in the French King's Cellar with a Silver Cup in his Hand that being brought into the King's Presence and Question'd by him Who he was And how he came thither He told his Name his Countrey and the place of his Residence and that on such a Day of the Month which proved to be the Day immediately preceeding being in the Fields he heard the noise of a Whirl-wind and of Voices crying Horse and Hattock this is the World which the Fairies are said to use when they remove from any place whereupon he cried Horse and Hattock also and was immediately caught up and Transported through the Air by the Fairies to that place where after he had Drunk heartily he fell asleep and before he awoke the rest of the Company were gone and had left him in the posture wherein he was found It 's said the King gave him the Cup which was found in his Hand and dismiss'd him This Story if it could be sufficiently attested would be a Neble Instance for your purpose for which cause I
their own condition and with what difficulty they were rescued from so great a danger And for the most part great Penitents are more free from Pride and Contempt of others the consideration of what themselves once were being enough to keep them humble all their days So that Penitents are many times more throughly and perfectly good and after their recovery do in several respects out-strip and excel those who were never engaged in a vicious course of Life As a broken Bone that is well sett is sometimes stronger than it was before Thus far Arch-Bishop Tillotson I now proceed to give Instances of several strange Convictions and Conversions 1. Upon St. Paul's Sermon Preached upon occasion of the Altar inscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at Athens Dionysius the Areopagite with Damaris his Wife was converted 2. Justin Martyr was converted by beholding the Constancy Courage and Patience of the Christians in their Torments and Persecutions and the Instructions of an Old grave Man that met casually with him afterwards and advised him to quit the Philosophers and Study the Prophets Which he presently did tho he had been formerly under the Tutorage of Stoic Peripatetic Pythagorean and Platonist successively Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist. 3. Tertullian was converted by Reading the Scriptures and Writings of other Learned and Holy Men Quicquid agitur saith he speaking of Scripture Prenunciabatur Ibid. 4. Ambrose was converted by Origen Cyprian by the Ministry of Cecilius Presbyter of Carthage whose Name he afterward bore upon occasion of a Sermon he Preached on the History of the Prophet Jonas Ibid. 5. S. Augustine was converted by occasion of a Story related by Pontitian a Lawyer about the Retirement and Devotion of S. Antony the Hermit which so moved his Passions that he presently with-drew into the Garden broke forth into Tears and Cried out to his Dear Companion Alipius who followed him close at the Heels What is this What do we hear Vnlearned People rise and take Heaven by Violence whilst we with all our Learning wallow in Flesh and Blood Is it because we are ashamed to follow them Rather should we not be ashamed that they go before us And with this throwing himself upon the ground at a convenient distance from Alipius he seemed to hear a Voice as of some little child crying Tolle Lege Take up and Read concluding it to be a Voice from Heaven he opens the Book of St. Paul's Epistles which he had with him and hitting immediately upon that Text Rom. 13.12 13 14. Not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness c. He concluded it to be a very proper Lesson to spend his thoughts at that time upon Shewed it to Alipius who reading forward concluded the subsequent Verse to be as proper for him Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 7.9 S. Augustine on a time forgetting the Argument he was upon made a digression to a point of Difference between the Orthodox and Manichees at which time one Firmus a Rich Merchant and a Manichee being present was so convinced that he came to him afterwards with Tears and on his Knees confessed his Errors and promised reformation Also one Felix a Manichee coming to Hippo to spread his Heresy in a Disputation with Augustine after the third time was so convinced that he recanted his Errors and was joyned to the Church Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist Here it may not be impertinent to remember that Austine going one time out of Curiosity to hear S. Ambrose was so lectured by an occasional Argument delivered in the Assembly by that Holy Man which touch'd his copy-hold that he thought verily Ambrose design'd it for a particular reproof Tho himself tells us in his Book of Confessions that he did afterwards believe S. Ambrose had no such purpose 6. Fulgentius being made the King's Collector and obliged to a Rigorous Exaction of Taxes and Impositions at last was wearied with the Burden and Variety of secular cares and dissatisfied with the vain felicity of the VVorld and in his Affections aspired after a more Spiritual Life and so began to pray and read the Scriptures and often resorted to the Monasteries where tho he perceived they had no VVorldly Solace yet neither had they any weariness in their present condition whereupon he brake out in these words with himself Why Travel I in the World It can yeild me no future or durable Reward answerable to my Pains Tho it be better to VVeep well then Rejoyce ill yet if to rejoyce be our desire how much more excellent is their Joy who have a good Conscience before God who dread nothing but Sin Study to do nothing but to accomplish the Precepts of Christ Now therefore let me change my Trade and as before I endeavour'd amongst my Noble Friends to prove more Noble so now let my Care and Imployment be amongst the Humble and Poor Servants of the Highest to become more Poor and Humble then they and like S. Matthew let me turn from a Publican to a Disciple Upon this he broke off his Old Acquaintance and Conversation and by degrees addicted himself to Fasting and Retirement Reading and Prayer and reading S. Augustine upon p. 36. without any further delay he put himself into a Monastery under Faustus where he became one of his Disciples Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist. p. 90 91. 7. Luther at the Age of One and Twenty was so affrighted at the violent Death of a Dear and Faithful Companion of his whom he mightily Loved that he betook himself into the Augustine Monks College at Erford and Writ to his Parents the occasion of his thus changing his course of Life and this was a good step to a serious Disposition and Religious Temper of Mind Afterwards by Sickness reading of S. Augustin's Works and observing how at Rome they said Masse in such a careless detestable manner that at the Communion-Table he heard the Curtezans laugh and boast of their Wickedness c. others say Bread thou art and Bread thou shalt remain c. And at last being startled with the profuseness of Indulgences sent from the Pope by John Tecelius into Germany with so large a Commission that tho a Man had defloured the Blessed Virgin yet for Money he could pardon his Sin Luther's Zeal took fire and set up for the Reformation Hear him giving an Account of himself Speaking of his own Works he thus Writes Above all things I now request the Pious Reader and beseech him for the Lord Jesus Christs fake that he reads my Books with Judgment yea with much pity and let him remember that I was sometime a Friaer and a Mad Papist and when I first undertcok this cause so Drunken and Drowned in Popish Doctrines that I was ready if I could to have killed all Men or to have assisted others in doing of it who withdrew their obedience from the Pope but in one Syllable Such a Soul was I as there are many at this day neither was I
preparing that we may be ready to die Therefore oh my God I humbly pray receive my Soul by thy free Mercy in Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer for Christ hath died for me and for all my Sins in this World committed My great God hath given me long Life and therefore I am now willing to die Oh Jesus Christ help my Soul and save my Soul I believe that my Sickness doth not arise out of the Dust nor cometh at peradventure but God sendeth it Job 5.6 7. By this Sickness God calleth me to repent of all my Sins and to believe in Christ now I confess my self a great Sinner Oh pardon me and help me for Christ his sake Lord thou callest me with a double Calling sometimes by Prosperity and Mercy sometimes by Affliction And now thou callest me by Sickness but let me not forget thee O my God For those that forget thy Name thou wilt forsake them As Psalm 9.17 All that forget God shall be cast into Hell therefore let me not forget thee Oh my God I give my Soul to thee Oh my Redeemer Jesus Christ pardon all my Sins and deliver me from Hell Oh do thoa help me against Death and then I am willing to die and when I die 〈◊〉 help me and receive me In so saying he died 39. Plaâ—bohon He was the second Man next Waban what received the Gospel he brought with him to the second Meeting at Wabay's House many when we formed them into Government he was chosen Ruler of Ten when the Church at Hassenamessit was gather'd he was called to be a Ruler then in that Church when that was scatter'd by the War they came back to Natick Church so many as survived and at Natick he died His Speech as followeth I rejoyce and am content and willing to take up my Sorrows and Sickness many are the Years of my Life long have I lived therefore now I look to die But I desire to prepare my self to die well I believe God's Promise that he will for ever save all that believe in Jesus Christ. Oh Lord Jesus help me deliver me and save my Soul from Hell by thine own Blood which thou hast shed for me when thou didest die for me and for all my Sins Now help me sincerely to confess all my Sins Oh pardon all my Sins I now beg in the Name of Jesus Christ a Pardon for all my Sins for thou O Christ art my Redeemer and Deliverer Now I hear God's Word and I do rejoyce in what I hear tho' I do not see yet I hear and rejoyce that God hath confirmed for us a Minister in this Church of Natick he is our VVatchman And all you People deal well with him both Men VVomen and Children hear him every Sabbath Day and make strong your praying to God and all you of Hassaunemesue restore your Church and Praying to God there Oh Lord help me to make ready to die and then receive my Soul I hope I shall die well by the help of Jesus Christ Oh Jesus Christ deliver and save my Soul in everlasting Life in Heaven for I do hope thou art my Saviour Oh Jesus Christ. So he died 40. Old Jacob He was among the first that pray'd to God he had so good a Memory that he could rehearse the whole Catechize both Questions and Answers when he gave thanks at Meat he would sometimes only pray the Lord's Prayer his Speech is as followeth My Brethren now hear me a few Words stand fast all you People in your praying to God according to that Word o God 1 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit you like Men and be strong in the Lord. Especially you that are Rulers and Teachers Fear not the Face of Man when you Judge in a Court together help one another agree together Be not divided one against another remember the Parable of ten Brethren that held together they could not be broken nor overcome but when they divided one against another then they were easily overcome and all you that are Rulers judge right Judgment for you do not judge for Man but for God in your Courts 2 Chron. 19.6 7. Therefore judge in the fear of God Again You that are Judges see that ye have not only Humane Wisdom for Mans Wisdom is in many things contrary to the Wisdom of God counting it to be foolishness Do not judge that right which only seemeth to be right and consider Matth. 7.1 2. Judge right and God will be with you when you so do Again I say to you all the People make strong your Praying to God and be constant in it 1 Thess 5.17 Pray continually Again lastly I say to you Daniel our Minister be strong in your Work As Mat. 5.14 16. You must bring Light into the World and make it to shine that all may see your good Work and glorifie your Heavenly Father Every Preacher that maketh strong his Work doth bring precious Pearls As Matth. 13.52 And thou shalt have Everlasting Life in so doing I am near to Death I have lived long enough I am about 90 Years old I now desire to die in the presence of Christ Oh Lord I commit my Soul to thee 41. Antony He was among the first that prayed to God he was studious to read the Scriptures and the Catechism so that he learned to be a Teacher but after the Wars he became a Lover of strong Drink was often admonished and finally cast out from being a Teacher His Dying Speeches follow I am a Sinner I do now confess it I have long prayed to God but it hath been like an Hypocrite tho' I was a confessing Church-Member yet like an Hypocrite tho' I was a Teacher yet like a Backsliding Hypocrite I was often drunk Love of strong Drink is a lust I could not overcome tho' the Church did often admonish me and I confessed and they â—orgave me yet I fell again to the same Sin tho' Major Gookins and Mr. Eliot often admonished me I confessed they were willing to forgive me yet I fell again Now Death calls for me and I desire to prepare to die well I say to you Daniel beware that you love not strong Drink as I did and was thereby undone Strengthen your Teaching in and by the word of God take heed that you defile not your work as I did for I defiled my Teaching by Drunkenness Again I say to you my Children forsake not praying to God go not to strange places where they pray not to God but strongly pray to God as long as you live both you and your Children Now I desire to die well tho' I have been a Sinner I remember that word that saith That tho' your Sins be many and great yet God will pardon the Penitent by Jesus Christ our Redeemer Oh Lord save and deliver me by Jesus Christ in whom I believe send thy Angels when I die to bring my poor Soul to thee and save my poor sinful
the Odiousness of the Fact and to impute the Treason to the discontented Puritans Fawkes coming into Flanders found Owen unto whom after the Oath he declared the Plot which he very well approved of but Sir William Stanley being now in Spain Owen said that he would hardly be drawn into the Business having Suits now in England at the Court Yet he promised to engage him all that he could and to send into England with the first so soon as the Plot had taken Effect Upon this Fawkes to avoid further Suspicion kept still in Flanders all the beginning of September and then returning receiv'd the Keys of the Cellar and laid more Powder Billets and Faggots which done he retired into the Country and there kept till the end of October In the mean time Catesby and Peircy meeting at the Bath it was there concluded that because their numbec was but few Catesby himself should have power to call in whom he would to assist their design by which Authority he took in Sir Everard Digby of Rutlandshire and Francis Tresham Esq of Northamptonshire both of them of sufficient State and Wealth For Sir Everard offer'd Fifteen Hundred Pounds to forward the Action and Tresham Two Thousand But Peircy disdaining that any should out-run him in Evil promised Four Thousand Pounds out of the Earl of Northumberland's Rents and ten swift Horses to be used when the Blow was past Against which time to provide Ammunition Catesby also took in Ambrose Rookwood and John Grant two Recusant Gentlemen and without doubt others were acquainted also with it had these two grand Electors been apprehended alive whose own Tongues only could have given an Account of it The business being thus forwarded abroad by their Complices they at home were no less active For Peircy Winter and Fawkes had stored the Cellar with thirty fix Barrels of Gunpowder and instead of Shot has said upon them Bars of Iron Logs of Timber Massie stones Iron Crows Pickaxes and all their working Tools and to cover all great Store of Billets and Faggots so that nothing was wanting against that great and terrible day Neither were the Priests and Jesuits slack on their parts who usually concluded their Masses with Prayers for the good Success of their expected Hopes Upon Thursday in the Evening ten Days before the Parliament was to begin a Letter directed to the Lord Monteagle was deliver'd by an unknown Person to his Footman in the Street with a strict Charge to give it into his Lords own Hands which accordingly he did The Letter had neither Date nor Subscription and was somewhat unlegible This Letter was imparted to the Earl of Salisbury then Principal Secretary and they both presently acquainted the Lord Chamberlain next to the Earl of Worcester and Northampton and last to the King as followeth My Lord Out of the Love I bear to some of your Friends I have a care of your Preservation Therefore I would advise you as you tender your Life to devise some Excuse to shift off your Attendance at this Parliament For God and Man have concurr'd to punish the Wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this Advertisement but retire your self into your Country where you may expect the Event in safety For though there be no Appearance of any Stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible Blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them This Counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm For the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the Letter and I hope God will give you the Grace to make a good use of it to whose holy Protection I commend you His Majesty after reading this Letter pausing a while and then reading it again deliver'd his Judgment that the Stile of it was too quick and pithy to be a Libel proceeding from the Superfluities of an idle Brain and by these Words That they should receive a terrible Blow at this Parliament and yet should not see who hurt them he presently apprehended that a sudden Danger by a Blast of Gunpowder was intended by some base Villain in a Corner though no Insurrection Rebellion or desperate Attempt appear'd And therefore wished that the Rooms under the Parliament-House should be thoroughly searched before himself or Peers should sit therein Hereupon it was concluded that the Lord-Chamberlain according to his Office should view all Rooms above and below but yet to prevent idle Rumours and to let things ripen further it was resolved that this Search should be deferr'd till Monday the day before the Parliament met and that then it should be done with a seeming slight Eye to avoid Suspect According to this Conclusion the Earl of Suffolk Lord-Chamberlain upon Monday in the Afternoon accompanied with the Lord Monteagle repair'd into these Under-Rooms and finding the Cellar so fully stored with Wood and Coals demanded of Fawkes the counteffeit Johnson who stood there attending as a Servant of small Repute who owned the place He answer'd that the Lodgings belong'd to Master Thomas Peircy and the Cellar also to lay in his Winter-Provision himself being the Keeper of it and Master Thomas Peircy's Servant whereunto the Earl as void of any Suspicion told him That his Master was well provided for Winter Blasts But when they were come forth the Lord Monteagle told him That he did much suspect Peircy to be the Inditer of the Letter knowing his Affection in Religion and the Friendship betwixt them professed so that his Heart gave him as he said when heard Peircy named that his Hand was in act The Lord-Chamberlain returning related to the King and Council what he had seen and the Suspition that the Lord Monteagle had of Peircy and himself of Johnson his Man all which increased His Majesties Jealousie so that he insisted contrary to the Opinion of some that a harrow Search should be made and the Billets and Coals turn'd up to the bottom and accordingly the Search was concluded to be made but under colour of searching for certain Hangings belonging to the House which were missing and conveyed away Sir Thomas Knevet a Gentleman of His Majesties Privy-Chamber was employ'd herein who about Midnight before the Parliament was to begin went to the place with a small but trusty number of Persons And at the Cellar Door entring in finding one who was Guy Fawkes at so unseasonable an Hour cloaked and booted he apprehended him and ransacking the Billets he found the Serpent's Nest stored with Thirty six Barrels of Powder and then searching the Villain he found a Dark-Lanthorn about him three Matches and other Instruments for blowing up the Powder And being no whit daunted he instantly confessed his Guiltiness vowing that if he had been within the House he would have blown up House and self and all and before the Council lamented nothing so much as that the Deed was not done saying The Devil and not God was the Discoverer
him he was to acquaint him with it that he might the better understand it when it should come to be heard in Court Upon which the Lord Chief Baron interrupted him and said He did not deal fairly to come to his Chamber about such Affairs for he never received any Information of Causes but in open Court where both Parties were to be heard alike so he would not suffer him to go on Whereupon his Grace for he was a Duke went away not a little dissatisfied and complain'd of it to the King as a Rudeness that was not to be endured But his Majesty bid him content himself that he was no worse used and said He verily believed he would have used himself no better if he had gone to sollicite him in any of his own Causes Another passage fell out in one of his Circuits which was somewhat censured as an Affection of an unreasonable Strictness but it flowed from his Exactness to the Rules he had set himself A Gentleman had sent him a Buck for his Table that had a Tryal at the Assizes so when he heard his Name he asked if he was not the same Person that had sent him Venison And finding he was the same he told him he could not suffer the Tryal to go on till he had paid him for his Buck To which the Gentleman answer'd That he never sold his Venison and that he had done nothing to him which he did not do to every Judge that had gone that Circuit which was confirmed by several Gentlemen then present but all would not do for the Lord Chief Baron had learned from Solomon that a Gift perverteth the ways of Judgment and therefore he would not suffer the Tryal to go on till he had paid for the present upon which the Gentleman withdrew the Record And at Salisbury the Dean nnd Chapter having according to the Custom presented him with six Sugar-Loaves in his Circuit he made his Servants pay for the Sugar before he would try their Cause Dr. Burnet in his Life CHAP. XXXII Remarkable Temperance in Meats THE Vse of a sober and moderate Diet is none of the least Virtues commended to us by our Religion The ancient Hebrews summ'd up their Victuals in that short Bill of Fare Bread and Water Flesh and Milk Wine and Oyl were extraordinary Daniel fed upon Pulse and so did the three Children and did well and appear'd plump and in good liking with such Food Solomon adviseth us when we were set down at the Table of Great Men and see Dainties before us to direct our Knife not to the Trencher but to our Throat especially if we have not got a Habit of Temperance but are Persons of a greedy Appetite and our Saviour bids us beware of Surfeiting and some Christians we may find not unskilful this way 1. Ambrose was very Abstinent full of Watchings and Prayer never dining but on the Sabbaths Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist. 2. Chrysostom seldom went to Feasts when invited Ibid. Luther grudged at the Expence of his time upon the same Score Fuller 3. S. Augustine's Diet was usually Broth and Roots using to say that he feared not the Vncleanness of Meat so much as the Vncleanness of Appetite for for his Guests and Kinsfolk he had better His Dishes for his Meat were of Earth Wood or Marble his Table was more for Disputation than rich Banquetting Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 4. Gregory the Great was very abstenious in his Diet frequent in Fasting and Prayer and so studious of the Sacred Scriptures that he could scarce find leisure to eat his Food till necessity urged him thereunto and indeed his Abstinence was so great that he much impair'd his Health thereby yet would he not give over his Employments of Praying Reading Writing or Dictating to others Ibid. 5. Philippus Nerius at Nineteen Years of Age made it a Law to himself that he should refresh his Body but once a day and that only with Bread and Water and sometimes he would abstain even from these cold Delights unto the third Day Being made Priest his manner was to eat some small thing in the Morning and then abstain till Supper which never consisted of more than two poched Eggs or instead of these some Pulse or Herbs He would not suffer more Dishes than one to be set upon his Table he seldom eat of Flesh or Fish and of white Meats he never tasted his Wine was little and that much diluted with Water and which is most wonderful he seemed never to be delighted with one Dish more than another Drexel Oper. tom 2. de Jejun Abstin Part. 1. Chap. 11. Sect. 8. P. 796. 6. Cardinal Carolus Borromoeus was of that Abstinence that he kept a daily Fast with Bread and Water Sundays and Holydays only excepted and this manner of Life he continued till his Death He kept even Festivals with that Frugality that he usually fed upon Pulse Apples or Herbs Pope Gregory the Thirteenth sent to him not only to advise but to command him to moderate these Rigours But the Cardinal wrote back to him that he was most ready to obey but that withal he had learned by Experience that his spare-eating was conducing to Health and that it was subservient to the drying up the Flegm and Humours wherewith his Body did abound Whereupon the Pope left him to his Pleasure He persisted therein therefore with so rigid a Constancy that even in the heat of Summer and when he had drawn out his Labours beyond his accustomed time he would not indulge himself so far as to taste of a little Wine nor allow his Thirst so much as a drop of Water Ibid. 7. The Meat upon which Mr. Eliot lived was a Cibus Simplex an homely but a wholesome Diet rich Varities costly Viands and Poinant Sawces came not upon his own Table and when he found them upon other Men's he rarely tasted of them One Dish and a plain one was his Dinner and when invited to a Feast I have seen him sit magnifying of God for the Plenty which his People in this Wilderness were within a few Years risen to but not more than a Bit or two of all the Dainties did he take into his own Mouth all the while And for a Supper he had learned of his Loved and Blessed Patron old Mr. Cotton either wholly to omit it or make but a small Sup or two the utmost of it Cotton Mather in the Life of Mr. Eliot p. 32 33. 8. Fulgentius tho he had been tenderly and delicately brought up in his Youth yet after he entred into a Monastery he wholly abstained from Wine and Oyl and was so rigorous in Fasting that it much debilitated and weakned his Body and brought some Diseases upon him But his Heart being wholly set upon the working forth his Salvation with Fear and Trembling he committed himself to God's Providence saying The daintiest Feeders cannot prevent Sickness and having a while habituated himself to this course of
were very brave Minded and valiant Men. As for her Daughters over and besides their Happiness to marry with wise and worthy Knights so were they well Educated in Houshold-Discipline by their excellent Breeding and famous Houses of generous Nourishing Treasury of Ancient and Modern Times C. 8. p. 761. 14. Madam Margaret de Savoy Wife to the Deceased Anne de Montmorency Constable of France who had Five Children all worthily Educated and evermore most lovingly affected unto the Crown of France as being very remarkable for their Fidelity as also well provided of Honourable Estates When News was brought her That one of her Sons was dead named Mombrum whom she most dearly affected above all the rest and was slain in the Battel at Dreux fought against the French Protestants in the Year 1562 and also That her Husband being wounded was there surprized she said blessed be God as well for the bad as the good and gave him hearty Thanks not only because her Son was slain but that her Husband remained wounded and a Prisoner for the Service of the King c. Ibid. 15. Madam Katherine du Salaignat Wife to Messiere Geffrey de Saillet a brave and hardy Knight in his Life-time she sending her Sons in their very young Years to Paris for Instruction was advised by some familiar Friend to keep them as yet at home because they were but young and tender She made Answer That her Children resembled Vessels wholly new wherein if good Liquor were put at the first they would savour thereof so long as Nature lasted In like manner if Children embrace good Doctrines in their Young Age they will relish always after thereof even to Old Age. Which they cannot do being kept under the Mother's Wing as we term it where neither are like Masters or commodious Means as it is in such places where all Vertues are taught to such as will seek for them For this good Lady added That she desired rather to be without Children than that they should not be vertuous And indeed such did her Sons prove to be and good Servitors to their King notwithstanding all the partiality in France Ibid. p. 763. 16. Under this Head of Good Wives may very fitly be inserted a short Narrative of the Life of Mrs. E with whom I was well acquainted her Love to her Husband proved to be that Non-such Love which she was prest too in her Wedding-Sermon such an unpresidented Love and Tenderness she had for him that there has not been a greater Instance of Conjugal Affection on her part neither cou'd it be known which of the two were most obliging and therefore it was that once upon a very remarkable occasion she told a young Lady That he lov'd her even to an excess if such a thing cou'd be between Man or Wife This is certain if there was any Contest between 'em 't was only which of the two loved most or which of 'em was most happy in their Married State Before their Marriage there was a Day of Prayer kept in order to it and one of the Divines that prayed had this Expression Let 'em never give Ear to those that may go about even in the least thing to divide ' em Which they both promised when the Day was concluded and subscribed their Hands to a formal Agreement as to this matter to shew their hearty Consent to it This incomparable Person was Descended from very Honourable Parents and had an extraordinary Education and I may sincercly say of her as Dr. Walker did of the Countess of Warwick That there many Daughters yea all their Daughters did vertuously but she I shall therefore Draw her tho' but in little who had nothing little nothing mean but a little esteem of her own Perfections and being mean in her own Eyes She was a Person of that great Piety that when the was but in the 34th Year of her Age I sound she had kept a Diary of her Soul-concerns for above Sixteen Years Her Honoured Father has given this Character of her That of all his Children she was the only one that had never once disobeyed him in her whole Life And her Husband lately told me for he 's still living and has enjoyn'd me to conceal her Name it being contrary to her Inclinations to have any thing she ever said or writ publish'd to the World for the whole time he was married to her which was many Years she never once omitted Secret Prayer twice a Day and was for all that time as constant in Reading the Scriptures in private besides what they read in the Family Her Husband by going to Bed before her has been often wak'd out of his Sleep by the extraordinary Goings-forth of her Soul in private Devotion And as to Publick Worship she never omitted going to the Sacrament and hearing two Sermons every Lord's Day from the Sixteenth Year of her Age to the time of her Sickness 'T will be of no small use to the Reader to insert here what I find in one of her Diaries it being the Rules she walked by in the management of her whole Life and I shall first insert Her Resolutions about Marriage which I found in the Journal of her Life written with her own Hand Her own Words were these viz. What I intend to do if it please God to bring me into a marry'd State For the Choice of a Husband his Person shall be such as I can entirely love and delight in His Humour as near as I can judge suitable to mine so that we may delight in each others Company I would not have him Hasty nor Passionate no not to others A Competency of Estate so that we may live and not be beholding to Friends is all I desire For I do not nor never did reckon that the Comforts of ones Life will or doth consist in having abundance of the World I would chiefly and above all have one that doth truly fear God not only a Professor but one that is seriously Godly and whose chief Delight is as near as I can judge and learn by others in the things of God I will if I can possibly have my Judgment go before my Affection in the Choice of a Husband If it please God my Parents live to see me married I will not entertain any Discourse with any that I intend to marry without their consent and liking If I am able too keep Servants they shall be as near as I can discover and by enquiring know of others those that truly sear God at least they shall be Civilized As for Men-Servants if I should marry a Citizen I shall think it my Duty to let my Husband alone with them but if he doth neglect his Duty to them by not calling them to an Account for the Sermons they hear Reading c. If I can't perswade him to it I shall then think I may and must take some care of their Souls As for Maids I 'll before ever I hire them tell them
thy sight be justified After a little Rest and Slumber she spake to her Father with much Joy and Gladness 1 Cor. 15.54 c. Death is swallowed up of Victory c. She commanded afterwards Psal 84. to her Mother saying Read that Psalm Dear Mother and therewith ye may comfort one another As for me I am more and more spent and draw near unto my last Hour Pray with me pray that the Lord would vouchsafe me a soft Death And when they had prayed with her she turned to her Mother and with much Affection said Ah my Dear Loving Mother that which comes from the Heart doth ordinarily go to the Heart Once come and kiss me before I leave you and also my Dear Father and my Sister and Father let my Sister be trained up in the Ways of God as I have been I bewailed and wept for my Sister thinking she would die and now she weeps for me Also she took her young little Sister in her Ams a Child of Six Months old and kissed it with much Affection as if her Bowels had been moved speaking with many Heart-breaking Words both to her Parents and the Children 'till her Father said to one standing by Take away that young poor Lambkin from the hazard of that fiery Sickness Give her away for ye have too much already to bear Well Father said she did not God preserve the Three Children in the fiery Furnace Citing also Isa 43.3 After a little Rest awaking again she rehersed 1 Cor. 15.42 43. Isa 57.1 2. Job 19.25 26 27. John 5.28 c. Eph. 2.8 9. and descanted pathetically upon them adding My Dear Parents now we must shortly part my Speech faileth me pray the Lord for a quiet Close to my Combat I go to Heaven and there we shall find one another I go to Jesus Christ and to my Brother Jacob who did cry so much to God and call upon him to the very last Breath and to my little Sister which was but Three Years of Age when it died c. At last after she had prayed a pretty space by herself she asked her Parents If she had angred or grieved them at any time or done any thing that became her not Craving Forgiveness of them Then she began to dispose her Books and other little things with some proportion of Prudence and after a short Discant on the following Scriptures Psal 23. Rom. 8. 2 Tim. 4.7 8. 1 Cor. 6.20 Isa 53 Joh. 1. 1. Cor. 6.11 Rev. 7. 2 Cor. 5.1 2. she concluded with these Words My Soul shall now part from this Body and shall be taken up into the Heavenly Paradise there shall I dwell and go no more out but sit and sing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts c. O Lord God into thy Hands I commend my Spirit O Lord be gracious be merciful to me a poor Sinner And hereupon she fell a sleep Sept. 1. between Seven and Eight in the Evening having obtained according to her Prayers a quiet and soft Departure 26. Jacob Bickes above-mentioned Brother to the aforesaid Susanna was visited Three or Four Weeks before his Sister and slept most of his time 'till near his Death but so often as he awaked he gave himself to pray Upon motion made to send for the Physician he said Dear Father and Mother I will not have the Doctor any more The Lord shall help me I know he shall take me to himself and then he shall help all After Prayer Come now Dear Father and Mother said he and kiss me I know now that I shall die Adieu Dear Father and Mother Adieu my Dear Sister Adieu all Now shall I go to Heaven unto God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Angels Father know ye not what is said by Jer. 17. Blessed is he who trusteth in the Lord. Now I shall trust in him and he shall bless me And 1 John 2. Little children love not the world for the world passeth away Away then all that is in the World away with all my pleasant Things in the World Away with my Dagger which a Student had given him for where I go there 's nothing to do with Dagger and Sword Men shall not fight there but praise God Away with all my Books for where I go there 's nothing to be done with Books there I shall know and be learned sufficiently all things of true Wisdom and Learning without Books The Father telling him God would be near to him and help him Yea Father the Apostle Peter saith God resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble I shall humble myself under the mighty Hand of God and he shall help and lift me up God hath given me so strong a Faith upon himself through Jesus Christ that the Devil himself shall flee from me for it is said John 3. He who believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and hath overcome the wicked one 1 John 2. Now I believe in Jesus Christ my Redeemer and he will not leave nor forsake me but shall give unto me Eternal Life then shall I sing Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Sabath And with this short Word of Prayer Lord be merciful to me a poor Sinner he quietly breathed out his Soul and slept in the Lord aged Seven Years August 8. 1664. Extracted out of a Pamphlet called An Edifying Wonder of Two Children Printed at London for Richard Tomlins 1667. 27. The Reverend Mr. Clark in his Works quotes a Child of Two Years old that looked towards Heaven And credible History acquaints us with a Martyr of Seven Years old that was whipped almost to Death and never shed one Tear nor complained and at last had his Head struck off 28. Of Mary Warren born in May 1651 aged Ten Years in May 1661. When this Child was about Five or Six Years old she had a new plain Tammy Coat and when she was made ready was to be carried with other Children into Morefields but having looked upon her Coat how fine she was she presently went to her Chair sate down her Tears running down her Eyes she wept seriously by herself her Mother seeing it said to her How now Are you not well What 's the matter that you weep The Child answered Yes I am well but I would I had not been made ready for I am afraid my fine Cloaths will cast me down to Hell Her Mother said It 's not our Cloaths but wicked Hearts that hurt us She answered Aye Mother fine Cloaths make our Hearts proud What next follows was written by her Father on Friday Night Octob. 4. 1661. Her Mother asked her If she were willing to die she answered ' Aye very willing for then I shall sin no more for I know Christ's Blood hath made Satisfaction for my Sins October the Fifth her Mother going softly to the Chamber-door she heard her speaking alone and she listned and heard her say thus Come Lord Jesus come quickly and receive thy poor Creature out of all my Pains
suitable to his Capacity the Child prevented him saying I think it is thus God knows all things he knows which of those Children had they lived would have served him them he takes to Heaven and he knows which would not have served him them he casts into Hell I set not this down as a true Answer to the Question but it argued more than ordinary consideration in a Child For his Affections 1. Some years since his Mother found him crying His Mother taking him into her Lap ask'd him why he cried he answered with many Tears he feared he should go to Hell yet he served God as well as he could 2. Another time being found weeping upon a Lord's-day his Mother asked him why he cried he said Because he remembred no more of the Sermon 3. Other times he had wept lest he should not go to Heaven For his Practices I bless God his Practices were not unequal to his Affections and Knowledge he was often found in Corners at Prayer When my Wife sent him upon an Errand she would ask him why he staid he would answer with much ado that he thought there was no great haste so he stayed a little at Prayers he spent a quarter of an hour daily in secret Prayer he got his Brother to keep a Diary but he bid that we should not know of it till his Death-bed wherein he set down many of his Sins but none of his Duties for them he said were so few that he could easily remember them Some of which Sins were these 1st He whetted his Knife upon a Lord's-day 2d He did not reprove one that he heard swear 3d. He once omitted Prayer to go to play 4th He found his Heart dead and therefore omitted Prayer He one day hearing the Bell toll said He would not have any Rings given at his Burial but a good Book that may do them good 2. There was a little Child which frequented that excellent Duty of Secret Prayer and would ask the Mother strange Questions concerning Heaven and God and the Mother thought the Child had heard some discoursing of those Questions and so had taken them from their Conferences He once ran to his Mother and said O Mother I must go to God will you go with me His Mother said I must go when it pleaseth God but my Child how knowest thou that thou must go to God The Child answered God told me so for I love God and God loves me and after that cared no more to play but about a month after fell sick and died always saying in his Sickness that he must go to God and asking his Mother whether she would go with him 3. I know also a Minister who told me That one of his Children when but four years old said to him that he had seen God and his Angels and that he must go to them 4. This fourth History I have out of the Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. John Langham eldest Son to Mr. James Langham being but five years and a half old and it 's thus This sweet Child had arrived to that in five years and a little more that some which are here I am afraid have not arrived to in ten times that space He was a very dutiful Child to his Parents and would exceedingly rejoyce when he had done any thing or had carried himself so as to please them He was taken with the Book called the Practice of Piety and delighted to be reading in it His Father speaking to him one day about the Devil and Hell and things of that Nature he asked him if he were not afraid to be alone he answered No for God would defend him His Father asked him why he thought so he replied that he loved God and that he hoped God loved him The day before he died he desired me to pray for him I told him if he would have me to pray for him he must tell me what I should pray for and what he would have God to do for him He answered To pardon my Sins Oft upon his Sick-bed he would be repeating to himself the fifty fifth Chapter of Isaiah and other pieces of Scripture which in the time of his Health he had learned by heart 5. I shall next set down several Passages in a Letter written by one that went to School a rare Example for Children of that Age to follow I find he was to get time from his Sleep to write I shall not set down the whole Letter but leave out things of business and that are introductory The Letter BRother pray let me intreat you to fit and prepare your self for Death for it knocks at the door of young ones as well as the old there are as many young Souls in Golgotha as old the Sythe of Mortality mows down Lillies as well as Grass One thing I beg of you and I hope you will not deny me which is this seeing you have Knowledge Will Mind take heed you be not drawn away by hypocritical Deceivers for the Scripture saith That in the latter days many false Prophets shall arise who would deceive the very Elect themselves if it were possible but it is not possible for God will reserve some for himself Thus far Mr. White 6. Mrs. Sarah Howley at eight years old gave her self much to attending upon the Word preached and still continued very tender under it greatly savouring what she heard She was much in Secret Prayer as might easily be perceived by those who listened at the Chamber-door and was usually very importunate full of tears She was exceeding dutiful to her Parents very loath to grieve them in the least and if she had at any time which was very rare offended them she would weep bitterly She abhorred Lying and allowed her self in no known Sin The Lord's-day before that in which she died a Kinsman of hers came to see her and asking of her Whether she knew him she answered Yes I know you and I desire you would learn to know Christ you are young but you know not how soon you may die Now and then she dropt these words How long sweet Jesus Finish thy work sweet Jesus come away sweet Jesus come quickly sweet Lord help come away now now dear Jesus come quickly Good Lord give patience to me to wait thy appointed time Lord Jesus help me help me She oft commended her Spirit into the Lord's Hands and the last words which she was heard to speak were these Lord help Lord Jesus help Dear Jesus Blessed Jesus And thus upon the Lord's Day between Nine and Ten of the Clock in the Forenoon she slept sweetly in Jesus and began an everlasting Sabbath February 19. 1670. 7. Of a Child that was admirably affected with the Things of God when he was between Two and Three Years old A certain little Child whose Mother had Dedicated him to the Lord in her Womb when he could not speak plain would be crying after God and was greatly desirous to be taught good
a very strong Faith in the Doctrine of the Resurrection and did greatly solace her Soul with excellent Scriptures which do speak the happy state of Believers as soon as their Souls are separated from their Bodies and what she quoted out of the Scripture she did excellently and sutably apply to her own use incomparably above the common reach of her Sex and Age. That in 1 Cor. 15.42 was a good support to her The Body is sown in Corruption but it should be raised incorruptible it is sown in dishonour it shall be raised in glory it is sown in weakness but it shall be raised in power And then she sweetly applies it and takes in this Cordial Behold thus it is and thus it shall be with my poor mortal Flesh Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord because they rest from their labours and their works do follow them The righteous perish and no Man layeth it to heart and the upright are taken away and no Man regardeth it that they are taken away from the evil to come they shall enter into peace they shall rest in their Beds every one who walked in their uprightness Behold now Father I shall rest and sleep in that Bed-chamber Then she quoted Job 19.25 25 26 27. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter end upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my Flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Behold now Father this very Skin which you see and this very Flesh which you see shall be raised up again and these very Eyes which now are so dim shall on that day see and behold my dear and precious Redeemer albeit the Worms eat up my Flesh yet with these Eyes shall I behold God even I my self and not another for me Hear last words were these O Lord God into thy hands I commit my Spirit O Lord be gracious be merciful to me a poor Sinner And here she fell asleep She died the first of September 1664. betwixt seven and eight in the Evening in the fourteenth year of her Age. 18. Jacob Bicks the Brother of Susanna Bicks was born in Leyden in the year 1657. and had Religious Education under his Godly Parents the which the Lord was pleased to sanctify to his Conversion and by it lay in excellent Provisions to live upon in an hour of distress This sweet little Child was visited of the Lord of a very sore Sickness upon the sixth of August 1664. Once when his Parents had prayed with him they asked him if they should once more send for the Physician No said he I will have the Doctor no more the Lord will help me I know he will take me to himself and then he shall help all When his Parents had prayed with him again he said Come now dear Father and Mother and kiss me I know that I shall die Farewel dear Father and Mother Farewel dear Sister farewel all Now shall I go to Heaven unto God and Jesus Christ and the holy Angels Then with a short word of Prayer Lord be merciful to me a poor Sinner he quietly breathed out his Soul and sweetly slept in Jesus when he was about seven years old He died August 8. 1664. 19. John Harvey was born in London in the year 1654. His Father was a Dutch Merchant he was piously Educated under his vertuous Mother and soon began to suck in Divine Things with no small delight The first thing very observable in him was that when he was two years and eight months old he could speak as well as other Children do usually at five years old It was his Practice to be much by himself in secret Prayer and he was careful to manage that work so as that it might be as secret as possible it might be but his Frequency and Constancy made it to be so easily observed upon which one time one having a great mind to know what this sweet Babe prayed for got into a place near him and heard him very earnestly praying for the Church of God desiring that the Kingdom of the Gospel might be spread over the whole World and that the Kingdom of Grace might more and more come into the Hearts of God's People and that the Kingdom of Glory might be hastened He was wont to continue half an hour sometimes an hour upon his Knees together He would have a savoury word to say to every one that he conversed with to put them in mind of the Worth of Christ and their Souls and their nearness to Eternity He was next to the Bible most taken with reading of Reverend Mr. Baxter's Works especially his Saints Everlasting Rest and truly the Thoughts of that Rest and Eternity seemed to swallow up all other Thoughts and he lived in a constant Preparation for it and looked more like one that was ripe for Glory than an Inhabitant of this lower World His Mother asked him whether he were willing to die and leave her he answered Yes I am willing to leave you and go to my Heavenly Father His Mother answered Child if thou hadst but an assurance of God's Love I should not be so much troubled He answered and said to his Mother I am assured dear Mother that my Sins are forgiven and that I shall go to Heaven For said he here stood an Angel by me that told me I should quickly be in Glory At this his Mother burst forth into tears O Mother said he did you but know what Joy I feel you would not weep but rejoyce I tell you I am so full of Comfort that I can't tell you how I am O Mother I shall presently have my Head in my Father's Bosom and shall be there where the Four and twently Elders cast down their Crowns and sing Halleujah Glory and Praise to him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever CHAP. LV. Good Parents Remarkable PArents are not only obliged to provide a temporal Livelihood a Purse and Wife and calling for their Children but especially to see that they be brought up in the Fear of God and set out in a fair way to Heaven and the Salvation of their Souls and they that do the one and not the other had better never have been the Instruments or Means of conveying them into the World for certainly 't is better for us not to be at all than be miserable for ever 1. Eusebius the Father of Hierom was very careful of the Education of his Son and his Mother was a religious Woman and therefore from his Infancy he was trained up like another Timothy in the Knowledge of Christ and the sacred Scriptures Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Mariana the Mother of Fulgentius after the Death of her Husband was very careful to train her Son up in Learning causing him to be instructed in the Greek
forsake all my Sins I am willing to give Glory to God in taking Shame unto myself I acknowledge myself a guilty Malefactor and judge myself worthy of the just Condemnation of the Righteous Judge of all the Earth XV. I hope I am one whom God hath taken into Covenant with himself because he hath bestowed upon me the Fruits of the Covenant because he hath circumcised my Heart to love him and hath put his Fear into me and hath wrought an universal change in me and hath given me a new Heart and a new Spirit XVI As for my Affliction that lieth upon me though it be in itself very heavy I much more desire the sanctification of it than the removal I earnestly labour to learn all those Lessons which God teacheth me by Affliction XVII Faith is the Condition of Salvation Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And this is his commandment that we should believe in his Son Jesus Christ. Now I find nothing so hard to me as to believe aright Yet I must and will give Glory to God and say Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Thus I have according to the Apostle's Exhortation endeavoured to give a Reason of the Hope that is in me Thus far Mr. Edm. Calamy 18. Mr. Albyn's Evidences for Heaven which take in his own Words viz. Some Observations upon my own Heart which I humbly hope are true Evidences of a Work of saving Grace and that my Soul has a real Interest in Jesus Christ and I desire to deal plainly sincerely and truly as in the presence of the Heart searching God in this great and weighty Work of Self-Examination humbly and heartily imploring the Grace and Assistance of God's most Holy Spirit therein 1. I desire every day to attain unto a most clear and distinct Knowledge of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost with all their Properties and Attributes and to have more high and reverend Thoughts of him and to be more enlarged in Thankfulness in Heart and Life for my Creation and Preservation but especially for my Redemption 2. I desire a true sanctified Knowledge of the whole Will of God and the full Latitude of every Commandment 3. I heartily desire and endeavour to yield constant and chearful Obedience to every one of his Commandments and particularly I endeavour to consecrate the Sabbath Day in the Service of God only and I embrace all opportunities besides that I conveniently may to hear the Word of God Preached and to Read and Meditate on it in private and I would not willingly omit any opportunity for coming to the Table of the Lord nor neglect Praying in my Family or alone in private in and by all which Ordinances 't is the unfeigned Desire of my Soul to enjoy true Spiritual Communion with God through Jesus Christ and that every Grace of God may by them be strengthened in me and evdry Sin and Lust mortified and though I do most miserably and sinfully miscarry in the Performance of every Holy Duty being continually haunted with many sinful Wandrings and Indispositions of Heart for which I unfeignedly humble my self 'twixt God and my own Soul confessing the same and Judging and Condemning my self for them in his Presence yet through the infinite Mercy and Bounty of my gracious God through Jesus Christ I feel and experimentally find some sensible Abatements of the one and a comfortable Addition to the Strength of the other 4. I do desire and in some poor Measure endeavour constantly to watch and observe the Actings and Motions of my own Heart and would not allow of any sinful Project or Design whatsoever to be contrived and harboured therein and am more careful to keep my Heart from contemplative Iniquity then to order my outward Actions to the Liking and Approbation of Men. 5. I desire to know the Duties of every one of my Relations and conscientiously to walk in all of them to Magistrates Ministers Parents Wife Children Servarts and all others and in reference to the present Distractions of our Land I humbly desire that the Lord would be pleased to set up such a Magistracy as I may with a good Conscience yield chearful Obedience to all its Lawful Commands and such under whom Religion may flourish the Power of Godliness be countenanced and the Government of Jesus Christ be erected and submitted unto for the Effecting whereof I pray that God would cast out the Spirit of Errour Prophaneness and Divisions that is almongst us 6. For the Duties of my particular Calling I desire faithfully to discharge the same and pray that God would give me such a Measure of Grace and true Heavenly Wisdom as that I may not be carryed away with Covetousness Ambition or Deceitfulness on the one hand nor with Pride Idleness or Presumption on the other but that I may conscientiously Labour diligently in my Calling so as to provide for my Family and that I may have to give to him that needeth Praying that I may be kept from all those Sins and Temptations that do attend my Calling at any time 7. I do often tho' with much Frailty and Weakness reflect on my own ways acknowledging before God and bewailing my own Miscarriages and beg Pardon for them and all my secret unknown Sins through the Merits of Jesus Christ and still desire the Lord to keep me from the Deceits of my own Heart and from all the Temptations I do or may meet with in reference to the Sins of the present evil Times And in my Judgment and Affections so far as I know my own Heart I would rather loose all my outward Comforts and Accommodations then sin against my God by a sinful Submission to any unlawful Injunctions for the Preservation thereof and pray thatas the Lord hath hitherto I hope in some good measure kept me so he would still preserve me upright in Heart before him and unspotted in Life before Men and that if I should be called thereunto he would give me Grace and Strength to make publick Profession of my Resolution to persevere in well doing and to keep close to my Duty whatsoever Sufferings I meet withal and that the carnal Reasoning of my corrupt Flesh and Blood which I find to be exceeding strong and often assaulting of me may never prevail over me to make me sin against my God on whose Promises I desire above all other things Grace to rest and commit my self to his gracious Providence to take care for me and mine rather then to use and sinful means to secure or provide for my self or them 8. In all Streights and Difficulties I meet with in my Calling and in all Hazards in my Estate by Sea or otherwise I first of all make my Addresses to the Throne of Grace for Strength and Courage to trust and relie upon the faithful Promises and gracious Providence of God and for Direction and Assistance for the conscientious using of all lawful Means for the managing of my
sick the King carefully enquiring of him every day at last his Physician told him there was no hope of his Life being given over by him for a dead Man No said the King he will not die at this time for this Morning I begged his Life from God in my Prayers and obtained it Which accordingly came to pass and he soon after contrary to all expectation wonderfully recovered This saith Dr. Fuller was attested by the old Earl of Huntington bred up in his Childhood with King Edward to Sir Thomas Cheeke who was alive Anno 1654 and Eighty Years of Age. Lloyd's State-Worthies p. 194. 11. Mrs. Savage Wife of Mr. Savage a Schoolmastet and Minister living in Horse-shooe-lane who having had a very troublesome Lameness in her Hand from a Child her Fingers being so contracted that her Hand was become almost wholly useless to her And in December 1693 having had withal some ilness and weakness of Body and having used some other means for the Cure but without Effect at last by Fasting and Prayer found real amendment and after they Duty ended fitting by the Fire-side the Story of the French Girle came into mind and her Husband having heard of it only by two Persons did not presently give present and full Assent to it but blessed God if it were true at length a strong Impression came into his Mind that his Wife's hand might be cured by that same means as the Girle 's Foot Thereupon he takes the Bible reads St. Matth. 8th chap. and at those Words Lord if thou wilt thou can'st make me clean with an extraordinary Emotion of Spirit he took hold of his Wife's Hand ask'd her If she had Faith adding That his Faith was as much as the Leaper's for though he did absolutely believe the Power of Christ yet he put an If to the Will of Christ. To which she Replyed That she had Faith in the Power of Christ that he was able now he is in Heaven to cure her as he was when upon Earth but whether it was his Pleasure or whether be saw it good for her she could not tell but if he thought fit for her she doubted not but he would heal her or to that purpose Her Husband proceeded Reading till the came to the Faith of the Centurion about his Servant when on a sudden she felt a Pain in her Knuckles and Fingers and pulling off her Glove her Hand instantly stretched out straight and became like the other and she was immediately cured of what was judged by all incurable Her Hand likewise received strength as well as streightness and whereas it used to be extreamly cold it is now as warm as the other And whereas formerly she was not able to go a Mile through weakness of Body she is now able to walk three or four For confirmation enquire at their House afore-mentioned See also the Appendix to the General History of Earthquakes p. 173 174. Take here another Relation as it came in a Letter from Hitchin in Hartford-shire as followeth Hitchin June the 6th 1693. Dear SIR 12. YOurs I received the last Night as to the Person you enquire after and the Lord's Work upon him take it in short as follows His Name is David Wright about twenty seven or twenty eight Years of Age he lived two or three Miles hence for some Years in the capacity of a Shepheard his distemper of Body by the Evil rendring him uncapable of hard Work At Michaelmas 1693 he desired a Religious Woman to take him into her Service which she was not willing to do because he was a profane Wretch and much given to Swearing and other Vices but upon his promising a Reformation and that he would go to hear the Word preached she hired him yet he afterwards went on his evil Courses and would not go to hear But Novmeber 29th last past having Notice that there was a Sermon to be Preached by one Mr. Edward Coles a worthy Minister his mind was so much fixed to go and hear him that notwithstanding the same day he had a Brother came for him with a Horse to go some Miles another way about urgent Business of his own yet he could by no means be prevail'd with to go with him of which Resolution he saith he can give no reason to himself he came to hear and the Word made such deep Impression upon his Mind that his Soul was converted and his Body healed at the same time He declares that while the Minister was Preaching his hard Heart was softened and the Eyes of his Mind enlightened whereby he had Faith in his blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that at the same time he found his Body cured of the Evil under which he had long languished and is fully perswaded he shall never have it again But however God may please to do as to that this is certain that he hath been very well from the 29th of November to this very day But the Change upon his Soul is more remarkable then the Cure of his Body to see such a poor grosly ignorant Wretch so suddenly changed and to hear him blessing and praising of God and admiring his Grace and Love to him that he who knew nothing one Hour before should now speak so sensibly of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Things This is to the Astonishment and Admiration of all that knew him As to his bodily Distemper he had the King 's Evil for about fifteen or sixteen Years past and was formerly touched by King Charles the Second At first he was forced to keep his Bed for several Weeks together with great Pains and divers running Sores upon him but for about twelve Years past he hath been in Service for the most part yet never in Health all the while but had running Sores which were sometimes skined over and swelled and then he was at the worst and felt most Pain till they broke and run again He hath had these Sores in many parts of his Body of which the Scars are visible and two continued in the same place in the Small of his Back a long while and at the time when he came to hear the Sermon aforementioned they were skined over and swelled so that he was in very great Pain and cound not keep pace with his Company But while he was hearing the Swelling of his Sores sunk insensibly and he was well on a sudden and all his Pain was gone so that as they returned home he went before them leaping rejoycing and praising God for his great Mercy and loving Kindness to him all the way he went After he came home he continued to admire the exceeding Grace of God to so vile and ignorant a Sinner as he was and spent most part of the Night in this heavenly Exercise and still remains in this admirable frame of Heart Much more might be mentioned but this may suffice at present from Yours c. We whose Names are hereunto Subscribed do hereby attest and declare That
living in the same Family with David Wright we were Eye and Ear-witnesses of the Truth of the foregoing Particulars concerning him and in confirmation of the Verity thereof we have hereto put our Hands both Sons to Wright 's Mistress Slape Drever Thomas Drever Thomas Child Joseph Morgan Ibid. See more in the Chapters of The Existence of Good Angels and Present Retribution to the Devout and Praying c. 13. We have this Account from a credible Hand viz. That about two Years ago the Apprentice of Mr. Welby in East-Smithfield was taken Dumb but recovered by the help of a neighbouring Doctor After a few days he lost his Speech again but by the direction of a second Doctor recovered it once more but falling into a third Relapse the Physicians could give him no help About two Months the young Man had a Vision in his Dream of a Man that advised him to take the Fat of a Lamb and anoint himself therewith and apply the Heart hot to his Throat he had the same Apparition a second time upon which Physicians and Divines were consulted who thought it a Delusion of the Devil and disswaded him from it The Apparition coming the third time told him 'T was no Delusion and as a Token that it was not he should lose the Vse of his left Arm which fell out accordingly and he advised him to use the Remedy upon the â—4th of August and to take the Air for a Month or it would be worse for him Upon which he went to High-Gate and applying the Remedy recovered his Speech next day and had the Use of his Arm restored Postscript to the Flying-Post Aug. 22. 1696. 14. Sozomen tells us That the Queen of Iberia being taken with an incurable Disease was miraculously restored to perfect Health by a Christian Woman at the Invocation of the Name of Christ I shall give my Reader the Story at length out of Socrates Scholasticus There was saith he a certain Godly and Devout Woman taken Captive of the Iberians a People dwelling nigh the Euxine Sea this Woman being a Captive and having her Conversation with Barbarians gave herself wholly to Godliness for she exercised very much the Discipline of Continency using a severe kind of Abstinence and applying herself wholly to fervent Prayer which when the Barbarians perceived they wondered at the strangeness of the Act. It fell out that the King's Son of very tender Years fell into a dangerous Disease the Queen after that Countrey-manner sent the Child to other Women for Physick to try if Experience had taught them any Medicine that might Cure that Malady But when the Nurse had carried the Child about to every Woman I suppose he means every neighbouring Woman that made any Profession of Skill that way and could procure Remedy of none at length he is brought to this Captive Woman who in the presence of many more Women who without the Application of any other Salve or Medicine took the Child laid her Sack-cloth upon him and said only these Words Christ which healed many will also heal this Infant When she had uttered these Words and prayed unto God for his Aid and Assistance the Child forthwith recovered and from that time enjoyed perfect Health The fame of this Act was bruted abroad among all the Barbarian Wives and at length came to the Queen's Ear so that the Captive Woman was much talked of A while after the Queen herself fell sick and this simple Woman was sent for she refused to go lest peradventure some Violence contrary to the Modesty of her Nature should be offered to her the Queen then was conveyed to her she practised the like as she had done before unto the Child the Queen is rid of her Disease thanks the Woman for the Cure but the Woman answered 'T is not my doing but Christ's the Son of God and Maker of Heaven and Earth She exhorts the Queen to call upon him and acknowledge him for the True God The King marveling at this strange Cure commanded that the Woman should be bountifully rewarded Who made Answer That she wanted no Riches but esteemed Godliness a great Treasure and that the King should receive a precious Jewel if he would acknowledge that God whom she professed with these Words she returned back the Rewards The King laid up all these sayings in his Breast the next day as the King went a Hunting the Hills and Forest where his Game lay were over-cast with dark Clouds and a thick Mist the Game was uncertain and doubtful the way stop'd and intricate the King being at his Wits end not knowing what was best to do calls upon the Gods whom he accustomed to serve but they stood him in no stead it came to his mind to think upon the God of the Captive Woman unto him he turns and cries for Help as soon as he had Prayed unto him the Cloud was dissolved and the Mist scattered and the King wondring returns home to his Wife and told what had happened Immediately he fends for the Captive Woman and after some Instructions from her turns Christian erects a House of Prayer and makes a Proclamation to his People to receive the same Faith Sozom. l. 2. c. 6. Socrat. Schol. l. 5. c. 16. Ruffin l. 1. c. 10. Theodorat l. 1. c. 23. Centur. Magd. cent 4. c. 13. Ruffinus saith The King of the Iberian 's Name was Bacurius In the Preface of a French Treatise Entituled Harmonie des Propheties anciennes avec les Modernes which was Printed at Cologn in the Year 1687 I find this very wonderful Passage which I choose to mention in this place as contributing to the Explication of them that are to follow Madam Mingot the Widow of a Chyrurgion of the City of Caen in Normandy had several unaccountable Revelations made unto her that she kept wholly secret but there was one which by a Miracle that accompanied it was put beyond the possibility of Secrecy She was afflicted with a Palsey eight or ten Years together in her Limbs which rendred her altogether Impotent and her Impotency was not the less for her being fourscore Years of Age. But one Day when she was at Prayer before the God of Heaven for the Deliverance of his Church from the Confusions then upon it in the heat and heighth of the French Persecution it was audibly said unto her Thy Prayers are heard the afflicted Church shall be speedily and gloriously delivered but it has yet something more to suffer She was commanded herewithal to make this Revelation known unto her Brethren and that they might give credit unto her Words it was added The Lord has restored thy Health and Strength unto thee She was immediately and miraculously Healed of her Malady and she walked her self and carried unto her Pastors the Account of this Revelation They wondered at the Miracle and would fain have concealed the Prophecy but the Prophecy could not possibly be hid because of the famous Miracle that attended it
Chancellor Bacon saith That Imagination is next Kin to Miracle-working Faith 25. When King Charles the First was Prisoner at Carisbrook-Castle there was a Woman Touched by him who had the King's-Evil in her Eye and had not seen in a Fortnight before her Eye-lids being glued together as they were at Prayers after the Touching the Womans Eyes opened Mr. Seymer Bowman with many others were Eye-witnesses of this 26. William Bakhouse of Swallowfield in Berk-shire Esq had an ugly Scab that grew on the middle of his Forehead which had been there for some Years and he could not be cured In his Journey to Peterborough he dreamt there That he was in a Church and saw a Hearse and that one did bid him wet his Scab with the Drops of the Marble The next Day he went to Morning-Service and afterwards going about the Church saw the very Hearse which was of Black Say for Queen Catherine Wife to King Henry the Eighth and the Marble Grave-stone by He found Drops on the Marble and there were some Cavities wherein he clip'd his Finger and wetted the Scab In Seven Days it was perfectly cured 27. Arise Evans had a fungous Nose and said It was reveal'd to him that the King's Hand would cure him and at the first coming of King Charles the Second into St. James's-Park he kiss'd the King's Hand and rubb'd his Nose with it which disturb'd the King but cured him Mr. Ashmole told me 28. There is extant a true Relation of the wonderful Cure of Mary Maillard Lame almost ever since she was born on Sunday the 26th of November 1693. With the Affidavits and Certificates of the Girl and several other credible and worthy Persons who knew her both before and since her being cured To which is added A Letter from Dr. Wellwood to the Right Honourable the Lady Mayoress upon that Subject London Printed for R. Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-lane 1664. 29. The following Letter I receiv'd from Mr. Moses Pitt with the Relation of Anne Jefferies Decemb. 3. 96. Reverend Sir I Have here sent you what I have Published of Anne Jefferies which you may if you please Reprint in your Collections only with these Additions which accrued not to my Memory or Information 'till after I had Published the same viz. That these Fairies are distinguished into Males and Females and than they are about the bigness of Children of Three or Four Years of Age. I also desire you to insert this Letter to me from my Kinsman Mr. Will. Tom who was the Person which Dined with the Lord Bishop of Gloucester when I told him this of Anne Jefferies and is a Merchant of as much Note as most in Devon or Cornwall and has been Mayor of Plimouth who knows Anne Jefferies who is still living as well as my self he sent me the Letter on my sending him one of the Books by Post I have the Original by me Plimouth May 12. 1696. Cous Pitt I Have yours with the inclosed Prints and do know and have heard that all in it is very true which with my Duty to my Lord Bishop of Gloucester you may acquaint his Lordship it 's needless for me to write to him I am Your Affectionate Kinsman and Servant William Tom. This is all I think needful to acquaint you with on this Subject I am Your True and Faithful Servant Moses Pitt 30. An Account of one Anne Jefferies now living in the County of Cornwall who was fed for Six Months by a small sort of Airy People called Faiâ—ies And of the strange and wonderful Cures she performed with Salves and Medicines she received from them for which she never took one Penny of her Patients In a Letter from Moses Pitt to the Right Reverend Father in God Dr. Edward Fowler Lord Bishop of Gloucester My LORD WHen about Christmass last I waited on you with my Printed Letter to the Author of a Book entituled Some Discourses upon Dr. Burnet now Lord Bishop of Salisbury and Dr. Tillotson late Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury occasioned by the late Funeral Sermon of the former upon the latter After I had paid my Duty and Service to your Lordship you were pleased to mind me of my having told you a wonderful Story about Seventeen or Eighteen Years since in the Company of a Kinsman of mine a Tradesman of Plimouth who also confirmed part of it from his own Knowledge and the following Narrative you will sâ—â—d to contain the Substance of what you then heard And I doubt not but I could bring several other Persons now living to justifie the Truth of what I here write Nay the Person concerned who is at this time living in Cornwall must own it and a great deal more if she could be prevailed with to speak out My Lord I thought I could if any Person alive have prevail'd with her she being the Servant that attended me in my Childhood but your Lordship may see that I cannot and therefore your Lordship must be content with what I here publish I am satisfied I was not nor could be imposed on in this Affair the Particulars having made sâ— great an Impression on me from my Youth hitherto I know my Lord that the great part of the World will not believe the passages here related by reason of the strangeness of them but I cannot help their Vnbelief Your Lordship knows the Record where it 's mentioned That the great God did marvellous things in the sight of our Forefathers but for all that they sinned yet more and believed not his wondrous Works And therefore Vnbelief is no new Sin crept into the World And moreover my Lord if Men would give themselves time to think they cannot but remember that the great God has done as great and marvellous Works in our Age both in Judgment and in Mercy as be did in the Days of old by which the greatest Atheist may be convinc'd not only of the Being of a God but also that his Power and his Goodness are as manifest now as of old and therefore it 's the Duty of all that do by personal Knowledge know any extraordinary Works or Providences of God which are uncommon to publish them to the World that the great God may be glorified and Mankind edified which is purely and truly the Design of Publishing the following Narrative ANne Jefferies for that was her Maiden Name of whom the following strange things are related was born in the Parish of St. Teath in the County of Cornwall in December 1626. and she is still living 1696. being now in the Seventieth Year of her Age she is married to one William Warden formerly Hind a Hind is one that looks after the rest of the Servants the Grounds Cattel Corn c. of his Master to the late eminent Physician Dr. Richard Lower deceased and now lives as Hind to Sir Andrew Slanning of Devon Bar. I must acquaint you Sir that I have made it my Business but could not prevail to get
wherein he had formerly lived fearing nothing so much as to strike sail and to submit to the Inconveniences of a poor and private Life fell into many Errors especially Swearing and Robbing was at last condemn'd to the Gallows where he made a serious Confession begging earnestly of God for Mercy and desiring for his Comfort the Doctor to read to him those Verses of the Second of the Hebrews being the 14 15 16 17 and 18th Verses Next did he give Forty Shillings to the Minister to be given to the Poor of that Parish and Eighteen Shillings and Six Pence more for his Wife to be delivered to his young Son's School master See the Relation p. 25. 2. Sigismund King of Hungary having raised a mighty great Army against the Turks and hearing that his Enemies approached in great Pride said to his Soldiers What need we fear the Turks who need not fear the falling of the Heavens who with our Spears and Halberds are able to hold them up if they should fall But thus relying upon the Arm of Flesh his great Army was presently routed and himself hardly escaped in a little Boat over the Danube leaving most of his Army to the Slaughter and Captivity of the Turks Clark's Mirrour p. 180. 3. Dr. Pendleton in Queen Mary's Reign discoursing with Mr. Sanders about the Persecution threatened whom he found fearful What Man said the Doctor I have much more reason to fear than you as having a fat and big Body yet will I see the utmost drop of this Grease of mine melted away and the last Gobbet of this Flesh consumed to Ashes before I will forsake Jesus Christ and his Truth Yet Sanders suffered and proud Pendleton turned Papist Act. and Monum 4. Cardinal Wolsey born at Ipswich of a very men Parentage but an ambitious and aspiring Mind Batchelor of Arts of Magdalen-College at Fifteen afterwards School-master to the Marquis of Dorset's Family then Secretary to Bishop Fox Chaplain and Deputy to the old Treasurer of Callis Embassador to Maximilian the Emperor advanc'd to all State-Businels and most Church-Preferments the Dearny of Lincoln the King's Almonership a House near Bridewel Durham Winchester Bath Worcester Hereford Tourney Lincoln St. Albans and York being in his Possession and all other Promotions in his Gift at length Archbishop of Canterbury Legate-de-latere to the Pope and Chancellor to the King employed in two Embassies of State to Charles the V. in Flanders Kept in this Capacity 500 Servants 9 or 10 of them Lords 15 Knights and 40 Esquires and wanted nothing now to accomplish his Honours but to be elected Pope for the Attainment whereof whilst he was with great Industry and Policy striving to make his Interest he tumbled down from the top of this huge Precipice to his own great Amazement breathing out his Soul in Words to this purpose when he was Arrested by the King's Order in his way to London If I had served the God of Heaven as faithfully as I did my Master on Earth he had not forsaken me in my old Age. Lloy 's Worthies p. 17 18 19. 5. Simon Thurway born in Cornwal bred in our English Universities until he went over to Paris where he became so Eminent a Logician that all his Auditors were his Admirers most firm his Memory most fluent his Expression and he was knowing in all things save himself for he profanely advanced Aristotle above Moses and himself above both But his Pride had a great and sudden Fall losing at the same instant both Language and Memory he became compleatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Reason and Speech both Polydor Virgil saith of him Juvene nihil acutius sene nihil obtusius Others add that he made an inarticulate sound like unto lowing This great Judgment befell him about the Year of our Lord 1201. Pol. Virg. Hist Ang. l. 15. p. 284. Delrius Disq Mag. p. 245. Baker's Chron. p. 110. Fuller c. 6. The Duke of Buckingham that great Favourite sent a Noble Gentleman to Bacon then Attorney-General with this Message That he knew him to be a Man of excellent Parts and as the Times were fit to serve his Master in the Keeper's Place but he also knew him to be a Man of a base ungrateful Disposition and an arrant Knave apt in his Prosperity to ruine any that had raised him from Adversity Yet for all this he did so much study his Master's Service that he had obtained the Seals for him but with this Assurance Should he ever Requite him as he had done some others he would cast him down as much below Scorn as he had now raised him high above any Honour he could ever have expected Bacon patiently heard and replied I am glad my noble Lord deals so friendly and freely with me But saith he can my Lord know these Abilities in me and can he think when I have attained the highest Preferment my Profession is capable of I shall so much fail in my judgment as to lose those Abilities and by my Miscarriage to so noble a Patron cast my self headlong to the very bottom of Contempt and Scorn Surely my Lord cannot think so meanly of me Now Bacon was invested in his Office and within ten Days after the King goes into Scotland Bacon begins instantly to believe himself to be King lies in the King's lodgings gives Audience in the great Banqueting-house makes all other Counsellor attend his Motions with the same state the King used to come out with to give Audience to Foreign Embassadors when any other Counsellors sate with him about the King's Affairs he would if they sate near him bid them know their distance Upon which Secretary Winhood went away and would never sit more but dispatched one to the King to desire him to make hast back for his Seat was already usurped If Buckingham had sent him any Letter he would not open or read it in publick tho' it was said it required speedy Dispatch nor would vouchsafe him any Answer In this Posture he lived until he heard the King was returning and began to believe the Play was almost at an end and then he re-invested himself in his old Rags of Baseness which were so tattered and poor at the King 's coming to Windsor that he attended two Days at Buckingham's Chamber being not admitted to any better place than the Room where Trencher-scrapers and Lacqueys attended there sitting on an old Wooden Chest with his Purse and Seal lying by him on that Chest After two Days he had Admittance and at fiest entrance he fell down flat on his Face at the Duke's Foot kissing it and vowing never to rise till he had his Pardon Upon which he was reconciled yet so as from that time to be so very a Slave to the Duke and his Family that he durst not deny the Command of the least meanest of the Kindred nor oppose any thing Court of King James by A. W. p. 131. 132. 7. Pride of Hair was punished saith Dr.
the King's Absence these Penalties were inflicted upon the chief Officer whose manifest Corruptions the Hatred of the People to Men of that Profession who are apt to abuse their Science and Authority procured in Parliament to be thus punished Sir Ralph Hengham Chief Justice of the King's-Bench was Fined 7000 Marks Sir John Loveton Justice of the Lower Bench 3000 Sir William Brompton Justice 6000 Sir Solomon Rochester 4000 All Itenerant Justices Sir Richard Boyland 4000 All Itenerant Justices Sir Tho. Sadington 2000 All Itenerant Justices Sir Walter Hopton 2000 All Itenerant Justices Sir W. Sakam 3000 Robert Lithbury Master of the Rolls 1000 Roger Leicester 1000 Henry Bray Escheator and Judge for the Jews 1000 Sir Adam Stratton Chief Baron of the Exchequer was Fined 34000 Marks See the Relation of that memorable Parliament begun An. Regni 10. Richard II. p. 36 37. 2. Sir Francis Bacon Baron Verulam and Viscount St. Albans that Atlas of Learning suffer'd for but his Connivance at the Bribery and Corruption of his Servants and was by the Parliament put out of the Office of Lord Chancellor Ibid. 3. Judge Morgan who gave the Sentence of Death upon the Lady Jane Grey presently after fell and and in all his distracted Fits cried out continually Take away the Lady Jane Take away the Lady Jane from me and in this extream Distemper ended his Life Fox's Martyrol 4. June 24. 1678. Mr. Daniel Bachelor Minister told me of a Citizen of London to whom he was sent for in his Sickness whâ—n God had let loose Conscience upon him The Man repeated over all the Commandments and confessed the Sins be was guilty of against each Command such as Incest and Adultery lived in many Years The Chastity of his Servant he sollicited but was repulsed But his Master-Sin was Perjury taking false Oaths and hiring Met Knights of the Post as they are called frequently to do so The Devil led him into that Sin first as he said thus He wanted Proof for a Debt that was a just Debt and hired one of those who procured his Debt that was just in this unjust way By this he contracted Hardness of Heart and plunged himself in Villainies of that nature There were above an Hundred Actions against him when he died He fell sick on a Friday lay about ten Days under the horrid gnawings of the Worm that dieth not upon his Bed not in Distraction but Desperation crying out once in his presence I am damned for ever and added most fearful to hear Amen Amen Amen and had an Expression so blasphemous of the Holy and Ever-blessed God that for Horror I shall draw a Veil over it Yet some have Robb'd hard by the Gallows And this poor Wretch thus hung up in Chains by the Lord did not awaken sufficiently one of his Knights of the Post that came to see him while the Minister my Friend was present O take heed said he by my Example now I smart for what I have done and put you upon doing The Man in Health told him he was melancholick and was not moved He had a Charge to relate this woful Death of his to his Sister with whom he had been incestuously Wicked She gave a seemingly courteous Reception to him and seemed sensible of it The Minister my Friend when he had done his Errand coming down from her Chamber at the Door of which he had left his Galosho's missing them went up again and over-heard her say to a Companion of hers there The Fool thought I had been in earnest The Man though he had unjustly ravish'd Thousands out of Men died miserably poor This Relation was sent me by the Reverend Mr. Singleton now living in Hoxdon-Square near the City of London and is printed in the same Words I received it 5. It may not be altogether impertinent to take notice here what King Charles the I. applied to himself on the Scaffold that for one unjust Sentence which he had suffer'd to pass meaning the Earl of Strafford God had suffered the like unjust Judgment to be passed on him â—ee his Speech on the Scaffold 6. Sir P. P. in Letter to the Bishop of Lincoln saith That in the famous Marriage-Cause between Mrs. Isabella Jones and Sir Robert Carr in the Arches where Sir Robert Carr was claimed by her for her Husband though for want of full Proof of the Marriage Sir Giles Sweit the Dean of the Arches pronounced Sentence against the Marriage yet condemning Sir Robert Carr in 1500 Pound Costs to Mrs. Jones Which the Judge did because he was in Conscience convinced that Sir Robert Carr and Mrs. Jones were really married To this Sir Peter Pett in the aforesaid Letter adds I can saith he at any time acquaint you with the Circumstances of that Cause and give you an Account of the Remarkable Judgments of God inflicted on the Persons who tampered with the Witness in that Cause whereby the Marriage failed of Sentence Remains of Dr. Barlow Bishop of Lincoln p. 368. 7. The Emperor of Muscovy sent for a Judge who had taken a Bribe viz. a Goose with its Belly full of Gold commanded him and the other Judges to appear before him not discovering the least Displeasure They all appeared chearful he commanded the Hangman to be brought in and ask'd him if he knew how to cut up a Goose Answer being made very well Then said the Emperor take away that Judge and cut him up after the same manner which was forthwith done accordingly Smythy's Treatise of Restitution p. 19. who says he had the Relation from a Minister whose Brother was an Eye-witness CHAP. CXXXV Divine Judgments upon Lying and Slandering OVR Tongues are the Indexes of our Mind to signifie the Thoughts and Meanings thereof to the World if the one agree not to the other the Motions are false and the Wheels out of order What is a Clâ—â—k good for if it doth not tell the true Hour of the Day Lyars are shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven and deserve but little Favour upon Earth and some times meet with just Punishments Prov. 19.5 1. Alexander the Great having read a History out of Aristobulus wherein the Author had intermingled certain counterfeit Praises flung the Book into the River saying the said Writer deserved to be flung there himself Coguet's Polit. Disc p. 130. 2. The Emperor Trajan sirnamed the Good Prince took away from the Son of Cabalus the Kingdom of Dacia that is Transilvania and Valachia only because he caught him in a Lye and told him That Rome the Mother of Truth could not permit a Lyar to possess a Kingdom Ibid. 3. Cyrus told the King of Armenia That a Lye was not capable of Pardon Ibid. 4. Monstrelet writes That Popiel King of Poland who had ever in his Mouth these Words If it be not true I would the Rats might cat me that he was so assailed by Rats in a Banquet that neither his Guards nor Fire nor Water could preserve him from them Ibid.
cast his Child into the Fire and the Child afterwards sicken'd and died The Leper cleansed p. 17. For this Act he was suspended again Ibid. 37. James Naylor a Blasphemous Quaker was burnt in the Tongue at Bristol 38. Jo. Collins and Tho. Reeve Ranters for calling a Cup of Ale the Blood of Christ and saying They could go into the House of Office and make a God every Morning c. were in the Old-Bailey Fined and Sentenced to Six Months Imprisonment Tho. Kendal in Drury-Lane affirming there was no God or Hell fell down dead See the Tryals Printed by B. Alsop 1651. Muggleton was condemned to the Pillory and â—ined 500 l. 1676. CHAP. CXXXIX Divine Judgments upon Wizards Witches and Charmers c. IT is worthy of a very serious Consideration That those very People who leave the God of Israel and think to better themselves by Idols or Corrivals and a superstitious Adbesion to them either the World or the Devil or any other Pretender never got any thing by such Methods but to be deluded in their Hopes and sink under the Vanity of their foolish and wicked Curiosity When did we ever see a Wizard Rich Or a Curioso Prosperous I mean a Curioso in the worst sense Or an Atheist make a Comfortable Exit out of the World I grant sometimes by the Leave of him that Rules the World and the Industry of Satan present Advantages may possibly accrew and do too often to be Worshippers of Mammon but generally when the Blot is great and the Criminal notorious God looks upon it as conducive to his Honour and necessary in point of Justice and Wisdom to strike openly and leave a Mark of Ignominy upon such gross Delinquents Read what follows and ye will agree with me in judgment 1. Concerning John Faustus Dr. d ee and Edward Kelley c. See the Chapter of Divine Judgments upon Curiosity 2. A. C. 1553. Two Women were taken who with a Tempest Hail and Frost design'd to destroy all the Corn in the Country but being found cutting a Neighbour's Child in pieces to boil in a Cauldron in order to the making of a Magical Ointment for the purpose were put to Death Beard 's Theatr. p. 419. 3. At Ihena in Germany or near it An. 1558. a Magician that had used to cure Diseases by the Composition of Herbs was for poisoning of a Carpenter whom he had a Quarrel with a little before examined before the Senate confessed the Murder and was burnt at a Stake Ibid. 4. Cleomandes a Conjurer in Rome for practising Death upon many little Children was sought for by the Parents but having shut himself up close in a Coffer and they breaking it open the Devil carried him away Plutarch 5. Piso being accused by Tiberius for bewitching Germanicus to Death cut his own Throat Tacit. Ann. 6. One Otto a Dane who by his Devilish Art used to raise Storms was at last by one more Expert drowned in the Seas himself 7. A Conjurer in Saltzburg attempting to draw all the Serpents in the Country into a Ditch and feed them there was by the old Serpent the Devil drawn in amongst them and perished miserably Clarks Exampl Vol. I. c. 8. 8. The Governour of Mascon a great Magician as he was at Dinner with some Company was snatched away by the Devil hoisted up into the Air and carried three times about the Town to the great Astonishment of the Inhabitants to whom he cried for help but all in vain Ibid. Ex Hug. de Clun An. 1437. Sir Giles Britaine Hight-Constable of France having murdered above 160 Infants and Women great with Child and wrote Conjuring-Books with their Blood which was proved against him was adjudged to be hanged and burnt to Death Ibid. p. 37. 10. Picus Mirandula writes That in his time a great Conjurer promised a certain Prince that he would present to him the Siege of Troy with Hercules and Achilles fighting together as when alive but being at his Conjurations the Devil carried him away that he was never heard of after Ibid. 11. The Lord of Orve in Lorrain used to feast Noblemen splendidly but fraudulently with all sorts of Dainties so that at parting they found their Stomachs empty having eat nothing was often seen scourged by a Monkey sometimes lying along upon his Table and begging of the Monkey Let me alone Wilt thou always torment me at this rate At last in great Misery and Beggary he was forc'd to get into an Hospital in Paris where he ended his wretched Life Ibid. 12. An. 1530. A Popish Priest digging for a Treasure in a hollow Pit of the City which the Devil had directed him to found at last a Coffer with a black Dog lying by it which whilst he was looking upon the Earth fell upon him and rushed him to death Wierus 13. Cornelius Agrippa a great Necromancer always attended with a familiar Spirit like a black Dog his End approaching he takes off the inchanted Collar from the Dog's Neck saying Be gone thou cursed Beast thou hast utterly undone me After which the Dog vanish'd and he died miserably Clark ex Paul Jovio 14. An. 1578. Simon Pembroke of St. George's Parish in London being suspected for a Conjurer and one that used to erect Figures being questioned for it as he was before the Judge he fell down and died having some Conjuring-Books found about him Clark Ibid. 15. A Sicilian called Lyodor for using Charms and Spells transforming Men into Beasts and other Shapes doing Mischief to the People of Catania charming himself out of the Hangman's Hands being carried in the Air to Constantinople and back again c. was at last by Leo Bishop of Catania seized before all the People who admired him and burnt alive in a hot Furnace Schot Phil. Curios c. 16. Ann. Bodenham of Fisherton-Anger near Salisbury a Witch for predicting things to come helping People to stolen Goods c. was executed at Salisbury 1653. Edm. Bowyer 's Narrative 17. An. 1642. One Mother Jackson for bewitching one Mary Glover in Thames-street a Merchant's Daughter was arraigned and condemned at Newgate 18. John Contius an Alderman of Pentich in Silesia near 60 Years of Age being invited to the Mayor's Supper after the ending of a certain Controversie between some Waggoners and a Merchant gets leave first to go home to order some Concerns leaving this Sentence behind him It 's good to be Merry whilst we may For Mischiefs grow fast enough e'ry Day Going home and looking upon the Hoof of one of his Geldings he was so struck that he complained he was all on fire fell sick complained loudly and despairingly of his Sins but would have no Divine to come to him The Night he died a Black Cat opened the Casement with her Nails scratched his Face and Bolster and so vanishing away he breathed his last A violent Storm of Wind arose a Spirit in the shape of Contius appeared in the Town that would have ravish d a
sometime seen the Courage and Constancy of the Laird of Grang. See this Passage under the Head of Discovery of Things secret or future by Impulses The next Day Knox gave Order for the making of his Coffin continuing all the Day in fervent Prayer crying Come Lord Jesus sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being ask'd whether his Pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a Pain which would be to him the end of all Troubles and the beginning of Eternal Joys Oft after some deep Meditation he used to say Oh! serve the Lord in Fear and Death shall not be troublesome to you Blessed is the Death of those that have part in the Death of Jesus The Night before his Death he slept some Hours with great unquietness often sighing and groaning And being ask'd why he mourned so heavily he answered In my Life-time I have been assaulted with Temptations from Satan and he hath oft cast my Sins into my Teeth to drive me to Despair yet God gave me Strength to overcome all his Temptations But now the subtil Serpent takes another course seeking to perswade me that all my Labours in the Ministry and the Fidelity that I have shewed in that Service hath not merited Heaven and Immortality But blessed be God that brought to my Mind these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received And Not I but the Grace of God in me With which he is gone away ashamed and shall no more return And now I am sure that my Battle is at an end and that without pain of Body or trouble of Spirit I shall shortly change this Mortal and miserable Life with that Happy and Immortal Life that shall never have end After which one Praying by his Bed asked him after he had done If he heard the Prayer Yea said he and would to God all present had heard it with such an Ear and Heart as I. Adding Lord Jesus receive my Spirit With which words without any motion of Hands or Feet he fell asleep aged 62. A. C. 1572. The Earl of Murray when the Corpse was put into the Ground saying Here lies the Body of him who in his Life-time never feared the face of any Man Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 323 324. 41. Henry Bullinger in his last Sickness endured the sharpest Pains for four Months with an admirable Patience caused the Pastors and Professors of the City to come to him unto whom he delivered a large Oration wherein he thanked them for their Love opened to them his Faith freely forgave all his Enemies exhorted them to Constancy and Unity commended the Care of the Church and Publick School in Writing to the Senate desired that Rodolphus Gualterus might be his Successor c. And so in the midst of his Extremities sometimes repeating the 16 sometimes the 42 and sometimes the 51 Psalms sometimes the Lord's Prayer sometimes other Prayers at the last as one going to sleep he quietly yielded his Soul into the hands of God Sept. 18. 1575. aged 71. Ibid. p. 339. 42. Mr. Edw. Deering to his Friends on his Death-bed upon occasion of the Sun shining said There is but one Sun in the World nor but one Righteousness one Communion of Saints if I were the most Excellent of all Creatures in the World equal in Righteousness to Abraham Isaac and Jacob yet had I reason to confess my self to be a sinner and to expect Salvation only in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ for we all stand in need of the Grace of God As for my Death I bless God I feel so much inward Joy and Comfort that if put 〈◊〉 my choice whether to die or live I would a Thousand times rather chuse Death if it so stand with the Holy Will of God Ibid. p. 342. 43. Boquine in the Year 1582. on a Lord's-day preached twice and in the Evening heard another Sermon then supped chearfully and after Supper refreshed himself by walking abroad then went to visit a sick Friend and whilst he was comforting of him he found his own Spirits begin to sink and running to his Servant he said unto him Pray adding Lord receive my Soul and so departed in the Lord. Fuller Abel Rediv. p. 349. 44. Mr. Gilpin finding Death to approach him commanded the Poor to be called together unto whom he made a Speech and took his leave of them he did so likewise by others made many Exhortations to the Scholars and to divers others and so at last fell asleep in the Lord Anno 1583. aged 66. Ibid. p. 360. 45. Olevian in his Sickness made his Will and by Pious Meditations prepared for Death declared that he had learned by that Sickness to know the greatness of Sin and the greatness of God's Majesty more than ever he had done before To John Piscator coming to visit him he said that the day before for four hours together he had been filled with ineffable Joy for said he I thought I was in a most pleasant Meadow in which as I walked up and down I was besprinkled with a Heavenly Dew and that not sparingly but plentifully where both my Body and Soul were filled with unspeakable Joy To whom Piscator made answer That good Shepherd Jesus Christ lead thee into fresh Pastures yea said Olevian to the Springs of Living Waters Afterwards having repeated some Sentences full of Comfort out of Psal 42. Isa 9. and Mat. 11. he often said I would not have my Journey to God any longer deferred I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And so bidding Farewel to his Colleagues and Friends in the Agony of Death Alsted asking if he were sure of his Salvation in Christ He answered Most sure and so gave up the Ghost Anno 1587. aged 51. Ibid. p. 376. 47. George Sohnius of Fribourg in Wetteraw bore his last Sickness with much Patience and with fervent Prayer often repeating O Christ thou art my Redeemer and I know that thou hast redeemed me I wholly depend upon thy Providence and Mercy from the very bottom of my Heart I commend my Spirit into thy Hands And so he slept in the Lord Anno Christi 1589. aged 38 Ibid. p. 385. 48. James Andreas born in Waibling at Wittenberg falling sick sent for James Herbrand saying I expect that after my Death many Adversaries will rise up to asperse me and therefore I sent for thee to hear the Confession of my Faith that so thou mayest witness for me when I am dead and gone that I died in the True Faith The same Confession he made also before the Pastors and Deacons of Tubing The Night before his Death he slept partly upon his Bed and partly in his Chair When the Clock struck Six in the Morning he said My â—our draws near He gave Thanks to God for bestowing Christ for revealing his Will in his Word for giving him Faith and the like Benefits And when ready to depart he said Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit
He hath done it already Brother And to one that had been helpful to him in his Sickness The God that made you and bought you with a great Price Redeem your Body and Soul unto himself Which were his last words Decemb. 23. 1652. aged 68. Ibid. p. 229. 94. Dr. Will. Gouge after three days illness complained Alas I have lost three days And to a Friend visiting him I am willing to die having I bless God nothing to do but to die And to his Sister being afraid to leave him alone Why Sister said he I shall I am sure be with Christ when I die Which he did Decemb. 12. 1653. aged 79. Ibid. p. 246. 95. Mr. Tho. Gataker gave this his last Charge to his Relations Sister Son Daughter c. My heart fails and my strength fails but God is my Fortress and the strong Rock of my Salvation into thy hands therefore I commend my Soul for thou hast redeemed me O God of Truth Son you have a great Charge look to it Instruct your Wife and Family in the fear of God and discharge your Ministry conscientiously To his Sister two Years older than himself he said Sister I thought you might have gone before me but God calls for me first I hope we shall meet in Heaven I pray God to bless you He admonished his Daughter to mind the World less and God more for that all things without Piety and the true fear of God are nothing worth Advising his Son Draper to Entertain some Pious Minister in his House to teach his Children and instruct his Family exhorting them all to Love and Unity And then commanded them all to withdraw He died July 27. 1654. aged near 80. Ibid. p. 259. 96. Mr. Bolton dying told his Children That none of them should dare think to meet him at God's Tribunal in an unregenerate Estate And when some of his Parish desired him to express what he felt in his Soul of the exceeding Comforts that are in Christ answered I am by the wonderful Mercy of God as full of Comfort as my heart can hold and feel nothing in my Soul but Christ with whom I heartily desire to be And looking upon some that were weeping said Oh what a deal of do there is ere one can die Chetwind's Collections 97. Mr. Whitaker Do not complain but bless God for me and entreat him to open the Prison-door He died 1654. aged 55. Ibid. p. 272. 98. Mr. Rich. Capel Sept. 21. 1656. preached twice taking his leave of the World by pressing Faith in God That Evening he repeated both his Sermons in his Family read his Chapter went to Prayer and so to Bed and died immediately Sept. 21. 1656. He often said That if God saw fit one had better die of a quick than lingring Death Ibid. p. 313. 99. Mr. Jessey the last Night he lived cried out Oh the unspeakable Love of God! Oh the vilest Oh the vilest that he should reach me when I could not reach him And then rehearsing over and over Blessed be that ever ever ever Blessed and Glorious Majesty And when a Cordial appointed for him was brought Trouble me not upon your own Peril trouble me not Then shewing his care for the Poor Widows and Fatherless and desiring Prayers and afterwards repeating Acts 2.27 and calling for more Julip more Julip meaning more Scriptures by and by he sang this Hymn Jerusalem my heart's Delight I come I come to thee Then shall my sorrows have an end When I thy Joys shall see Then often repeating those words Praises for ever Amen Amen Praises to the Amen for ever and ever Amen After a while he fell asleep Sept. 4. 1663. aged 63. Mr. Collier in his Life and Death p. 94. 100. Mr. Brand thus Oh! my God my God what is sinful Man Worm-man what manner of Love is this Love indeed O I cannot express it Oh! let me be with thee with thee O my God! Oh! I long for Heaven Oh! welcome Death Oh! happy Death that will put an end to all my Troubles and Afflictions one Moment in Abraham's Bosom will make amends for all turn Sorrow to Joy What a dreadful Appearance will there be at the Great Day what a sad thing to be disappointed and come short of Heaven O my Redeemer liveth I have served a good Master I would not desire Life for a Moment unless to promote the Interest of Christ If God would give me my choice what I would ask I would not ask Life Nay I have prayed to God that I might die Why so said a by-stander That I may be said he with God! O my God I would come to thee Let me live with Thee As he was going to Bed with much concernedness of Mind he said There will be a Cry at Midnight Prepare Prepare Which came to pass accordingly for after going to Bed he was taken with a Vomiting of Blood and after that died Dr. Annesly in his Life 101. Mr. John Janeway for the latter part of his Life he lived like a Man that was quite weary of the World and that looked upon himself as a stranger here and that lived in the constant sight of a better World He plainly declared himself but a Pilgrim that looked for a better Country a City that had Foundations whose builder and maker was God His Habit his Language his Deportment all spoke him one of another World His Meditations were so intense long and frequent that they ripened him apace for Heaven but somewhat weakned his Body Few Christians attain to such a holy contempt of the World and to such clear believing joyful constant Apprehensions of the transcendent Glories of the unseen World On his Death-bed he thus express'd himself O help me to Praise God I have now nothing else to do I have done with Prayer and all other Ordinances I have almost done conversing with Mortals I shall presently be beholding Christ himself that died for me and loved me and washed me in his Blood I shall before a few hours are over be in Eternity singing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb. I shall presently stand upon Mount Zion with an innumerable company of Angels and the Spirits of the Just made perfect and Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant I shall hear the voice of much People and be one amongst them which shall say Hallelujah Salvation Glory Honour and Power unto the Lord our God and again we shall say Hallelujah And yet a very little while and I shall sing unto the Lamb a Song of Praise saying Worthy art thou to receive Praise who wert slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall Reign with thee for ever and ever Methinks I stand as it were with one Foot in Heaven and the other upon Earth methinks I hear the Melody of Heaven and by Faith I see the Angels waiting
how Happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Death I suspect some Mistake in recording these last Words perhaps Life or Death that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God! bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and thy People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake His last Words were I am faint Lord have mercy and take my Spirit He died aged 17. 108. The Lady Jane Grey by King Edward's Will proclaimed Queen of England the Night before she was beheaded sent her Sister her Greek Testament in the end whereof she wrote as may be seen under the Head of Love of the Holy Scriptures She spoke on the Scaffold thus GOod People I am come hither to Die and by a Law I am condemned to the same My Offence against the Queen's Majesty was only in consenting to the Device of others which now is deemed Treason yet it was never of my seeking but by Counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of those things than I who knew little of the Law and much less of Titles to the Crown But touching the Procurement thereof by me or on my behalf I do here wash my Hands in Innocency before God and the Face of you all this Day and therewith she wrung her Hands wherein she had her Book I pray you all good Christian People to bear me Witness that I die a true Christian Woman and that I look to be saved by no other means but only by the Mercy of God in the Blood of his only Son Jesus Christ And I do confess That when I knew the Word of God I neglected the same and loved my self and the World and therefore this Plague and Punishment is justly befallen me for my Sins And I yet thank God of his Goodness that he hath been pleased to give me Respite to Repent in And now good People while I am alive I pray assist me with your Prayers She died 1554. aged 16. Tu quibus ista legas incertum est Lector ocellis Ipsa equidem siccis scribere non potui Fox 's Martyrol 109. Queen Elizabeth is reported upon her Death-bed but by what Author I confess I do not presently remember to complain of the want of Time Time Time a World of Wealth for an Inch of Time yet finished her Course with that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good Fight c. 110. The young Lord Harrington professed in his Sickness That he feared not Death in what shape soever it came declaring about two Hours before his Death that he still felt the assured Comforts and Joys of his Salvation by Jesus Christ And when Death approached he breathed forth these longing Expressions Oh that Joy Oh my God! when shall I be with thee And so sweetly resigned up his Spirit unto God An. 1613. aged 22. See in his Life in the Young Man's Calling and my Christian 's Companion 111. Henry Prince of Wales eldest Son to King James in his Sickness had these Words to one that waited on him Ah Tom I in vain wish for that time I lost with thee and others in vain Recreations Which puts me in mind of what Mr. Smith relates in the Funeral Solemnity of Mr. Moor Fellow of Gaius College and Keeper of the University Library viz. That he often lamented the Misery of our English Gentry who are commonly brought up to nothing but Hawks and Hounds and know not how to bestow their Time in a Rainy Day and in the midst of all their Plenty are in want of Friends necessary Reproof and most loving Admonition 112. The Earl of Strafford made this Speech on the Scaffold May 12. 1641. MY Lord Primate of Ireland and my Lords and the rest of the Gentlemen it is a very great Comfort to me to have your Lordship by me this Day in regard I have been known to you a long time I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few Words but I doubt I shall not My Lord I come hither by the Good Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last Debt I owe to Sin which is Death and by the Blessing of God to rise again through the Merits of Christ Jesus to Eternal Glory I wish I had been private that I might have been heard My Lord if I might be so much beholden to you that I might use a few Words I should take it for a very great Courtesie My Lord I come hither to submit to that Judgment which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented Mind I do freely forgive all the World a Forgiveness that is not spoken from the Teeth outward as they say but from the Heart I speak it in the Presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not in me so much as a displeasing Thought to any Creature I thank God I may say truly and my Conscience bears me witness that in all my Service since I have had the Honour to serve His Majesty in any Employment I never had any thing in my Heart but the joynt and individual Prosperity of the King and People If it hath been my Hap to be misconstrued it is the common Portion of us all while we are in this Life the Righteous Judgment is hereafter here we are subject to Error and apt to be misjudged one of another There is one thing I desire to clear my self of and I am very confident I speak it with so much clearness that I hope I shall have your Christian Charity in the belief of it I did always ever think the Parliaments of England were the happiest Constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and under God the happiest Means of making King and People happy so far have I been from being against Parliaments For my Death I here acquit all the World and pray God heartily to forgive them and in particular my Lord Primate I am very glad that His Majesty is pleased to conceive me not meriting so severe and heavy a Punishment as the utmost execution of this Sentence I am very glad and infinitely rejoyce in this Mercy of his and beseech God to turn it to him that he may find Mercy when he hath most need of it I wish this Kingdom all the Prosperity and Happiness in the World I did it living and now dying it is my Wish I do now profess it from my Heart and do most humbly recommend it to every Mâ—n here and wish every Man to lay his Hand upon his Heart and consider seriously whether the beginning of the Happiness of a People should be written in Letters of Blood I fear you are in a wrong way and I desire Almighty God that no one drop of my Blood may
in Ireland without a Foe By their own barbarous Hands the Mad-men die And Massacre themselves they know not why Whilst the kind Irish howl to see the Gore And pious Catholicks their Fate deplore If you refuse to trust Erroneous Fame Royal Mac-Ninny will confirm the same We have lost more in injur'd Capel's Heir Than the poor Bankrupt Age can e're repair Nature indulg'd him so that there we saw All the choice strokes her steady hand cou'd draw He the Old English Glory did revive In him we had Plantagenets alive Grandeur and Fortune and a vast Renown Fit to support the lustre of a Crown All these in him were potently conjoyn'd But all was too ignoble for his Mind Wisdom and Vertue Properties Divine Those God-like ESSEX were entirely thine In his great Name he 's still preserv'd alive And will to all succeeding Times survive With just Progression as the constant Sun Doth move and through its bright Ecliptick run For whilst his Dust does undistinguish'd lie And his blest Soul is soar'd above the Sky Fame shall below his parted Breath supply 4. WILLIAM Lord RVSSEL THE next who fell under their Cruelty and to whose Death Essex's was but the Prologue was my Lord Russel without all Dispute one of the finest Gentlemen that ever England bred and whose Pious Life and Vertue was as much Treason against the Court by affronting them with what was so much hated there as any thing else that was sworn against him The Last Speech and Carriage of the Lord Russel upon the Scaffold c. ON Saturday July the 21st 1683. about Nine in the Morning the Sheriffs went to Newgate to see if the Lord Russel was ready and in a little time his Lordship came out and went into his Coach taking his Farewel of his Lady the Lord Cavendish and several other of his Friends at Newgate In the Coach were Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet who accompanied him to the Scaffold built in Lincoln's Inn-Fields which was covered all over with Mourning Being come upon the Scaffold his Lordship bowed to the Persons present and turning to the Sheriff made this following Speech Mr. Sheriff I expected the Noise would be such that I should not be much heard I was never fond of much speaking much less now therefore I have set down in Paper all that I think fit to leave behind me God knows how far I was always from Designs against the King's Person or of altering the Government And I still pray for the Preservation of Both and of the Protestant Religion Mr. Sheriff I am told that Captain Walcot Yesterday siad something concerning my Knowledge of the Plot I know not whether the Report be true or not Mr. Sheriff I did not hear him name your Lordship Writer No my Lord your Lordship was not named by any of them Lord Russel I hope it is not for to my knowledge I never saw him nor spake with him in my whole Life and in the Words of a dying Man I profess I know of no Plot either against the King's Life or the Government But I have now done with this World and am going to a better I forgive all the World heartily and I thank God I die in Charity with all Men and I wish all sincere Protestants may love one another and not make way for Popery by their Animosities I pray God forgive them and continue the Protestant Religion amongst them that it may flourish so long as the Sun and Moon endures I am now more satisfied to die than ever I have been Then kneeling down his Lordship prayed to himself after which Dr. Tillotson kneeled down and prayed with him which being done his Lordship kneeled down and prayed a second time to himself then pull'd off his Whig put on his Cap took off his Crevat and Coat and bidding the Executioner after he had lain down a small moment do his Office without a Sign He gave him some Gold Then embracing Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet he laid him down with his Neck upon the Block The Executioner missing at his first stroke though with that he took away his Life at two more severed the Head from the Body The Executioner held up the Head to the People as is usual in cases of Treason c. Which being done Mr. Sheriff ordered his Lordship's Friends or Servants to take the Body and dispose of it as they pleased being given them by His Majesty's Favour and Bounty His Body was convey'd to Cheneys in Buckinghamshire where 't was buried among his Ancestors There was a great Storm and many loud Claps of Thunder the day of his Martyrdom An Elegy was made on him immediately after his Death which seems by what we have of it to be writ with some Spirit and a great deal of Truth and Good-will only this Fragment on 't could be retriev'd which yet may not be unwelcome to the Reader 'T is done he 's crown'd and one bright Martyr more Black Rome is charg'd on thy too bulky score All like himself he mov'd so calm so free A generall Whisper question'd Which is he Deckt like a Lover tho' pale Death 's his Bride He carne and saw and overcame and dy'd Earth wept and all the vainly pitying Croud But Heaven his Death in Thunder groan'd aloud His CHARACTER For his Character if we 'll believe the best Men and those who knew him best 't is one of the most advantageous the Age or indeed our Nation has yielded Those are great words which Mr. Leviston Gower speaks of him on his Tryal but yet not a Syllable too big for his Merit tho' they are very expressive of it That he was one of the best Sons the best Fathers the best Husbands the best Masters the best Friends and the best Christians By other That he was a most Vertuous Prudent and Pious Gentleman A Man of that Vertue that none who knew him could think him guilty of such a Conspiracy A Man of great Honour and too Prudent to be concern'd in so vile and desperate a Design A Person of great Vertue and integrity One whom those he had long convers'd with never heard utter so much as a word of Indecency against the King And others of the highest Quality who had been often in his Company say That they had never heard any thing from him but what was Honourable Just and Loyal His Person was tall and proper his Temper even and aggreable and such as rendred his Vertues even more lovely than they did him His Piety and Devotion as unaffected and yet as remarkable as his Love to the Church of England The True Church of England as he himself calls it not those Tumours and Wens that grow upon it and pretended to be not only part but all of it in our late bad Times to whose Heighths and Extravagancies he thinks it no shame in his Speech to confess he could never rise He was of a Noble Courage which he did not express by
read a Paper in which was a good rational Confession of his Faith then comes to the Occasion of his Death for which he says He neither blames the Judges Jury nor Council but only some Men that in reality were deeper concern'd than he who combin'd together to swear him out of his LIfe to save their own and that they might do it effectually contriv'd an Untruth c. He forgives the World and the Witnesses gives his Friends Advice to be more Prudent than he had been prays that his may be the last Blood spilt on the Account wishes the King wou'd be merciful to others says he knew nothing of Ireland and concludes with praying God to have Mercy upon him He had then some Discourse with Cartwright wherein he tells him That he was not for contriving the Death of the King nor to have had a Hand in 't and being urg'd with some Matters of Controversie tells him He did not come thither to dispute about Religion but to die Religiously 7. Mr. ROVSE ROuse comes next gives an Account of his Faith professing to die of the Church of England tells his former Employment and Manner of Life acknowledges he heard of Clubs and Designs but was never at 'em and a perfect Stranger to any thing of that Nature Gives a Relation of what past between him and his Majesty on his Apprehension Talks somewhat of Sir Thomas Player the Earl of Shaftsbury and accommodating the King's Son as he calls it tho' not while the King reign'd Then falls upon Lee and the Discourse they had together who as he says swore against him on the Trial those very Words he himself had used in pressing him to undertake the Design Speaks of a Silver Ball which he proposed to be thrown up on Black-Heath and after some Discourse with the Ordinary gives the Spectators some good Counsel They they all Three singly prayed and then the Sentence was executed upon them 8. ALGERNOON SIDNEY Esq THe next Victim to Popish Cruelty and Malice was Colonel Algernoon Sidney of the ancient and noble Name and Family of the Sidneys deservedly famous to the utmost Bounds of Europe who as the ingenious Mr. Hawles observes was meerly talk'd to Death under the Notion of a Commonwealth's Man and found Guilty by a Jury who were not much more proper Judges of the Case than they wou'd have been had he writ in Greek or Arabick He was arraign'd for a Brnach of this Plot at Westminster the 17th of November 1683. where tho' it cannot be said the Grand Jury knew not what they did when they found the Bill against him since no doubt they were well instructed what to do yet it must that they found it almost before they knew what 't was being so well resolv'd on the Case and agreed on their Verdict that had he been Indicted for Breaking-up an House or Robbing on the High-way 't was doom'd to have been Billa vera as much as 't was now An Abstract of the Paper delivered to the Sheriffs on the Scaffold on Tower-Hill December 7. 1683. by Algernoon Sidney Esquire before his Execution FIrst having excused his not speaking as well because it was an Age that made Truth pass for Treason for the Proof of which he instances his Trial and Condemnation and that the Ears of some present were too tender to hear it as because of the Rigour of the Season and his Infirmities c. Then after a short Reflection upon the little said against him by other Witnesses and the little Value that was to be put on the Lord Howard's Testimony whom he charges with an infamous Life and many palpable Perjuries and to have been byassed only by the Promise of Pardon c. and makes even tho' he had been liable to no Exceptions to have been but a single Witness He proceeds to answer the Charge against him from the Writings found in his Closet by the King's Officers which were pretended but not Lawfully evidenced to be his and pretends to prove that had they been his they contained no condemnable matter but principles more safe both to Princes and People too than the pretended high-flown Plea for Absolute Monarchy composed by Filmer against which they seemed to be levelled and which he says all intelligent Men thought were founded on wicked Principles and such as were destructive both to Magistrates and People too Which he attempts to make out after this manner First says he if Filmer might publish to the World That Men were born under a necessary indispensible Subjection to an Absolute King who could be restrained by no Oath c. whether be came to it by Creation Inheritance c. nay or even by Usurpation why might he not publish his Opinion to the contrary without the breach of any known Law Which Opinion he professes consisted in the following Particulars 1. That God had left Nations at the liberty of Modelling their own Governments 2. That Magistrates were instituted for Nations and not E contra 3. That the Right and Power of Magistrates was fixed by the standing Laws of each Country 4. That those Laws sworn to on both sides were the matter of a Contract between the Magistrate and People and could not be broken without the Danger of dissolving the whole Government 5. The Vsurpation could give no Right and that King had no greater Enemies than those who asserted that or were for stretching their Power beyond its Limits 6. That such Vsurpations commonly effecting the Slaughter of the Reigning Person c. the worst of Crimes was thereby most gloriously Rewarded 7. That such Doctrines are more proper to stir up Men to destroy Princes than all the Passions that ever yet swayed the worst of them and that no Prince could be safe if his Murderers may hope such Rewards and that few Men would be so gentle as to spare the best Kings if by their Destruction a wild Vsurper could become God's Anointed which he says was the scope of that whole Treatise and asserts to be the Doctrine of the best Authors of all Nations Times and Religions and of the Scripture and so owned by the best and wisest Princes and particuarly by Lewis XIV of France in his Declaration against Spain Anno 1667. and by King James of England in his Speech to the Parliament 1603. and adds that if the Writer had been mistaken he should have been fairly refuted but that no Man was ever otherwise punished for such Matters or any such things referred to a Jury c. That the Book was never finished c. nor ever seen by them whom he was charged to have endeavoured by it to draw into a Conspiracy That nothing in it was particularly or maliciously applied to Time Place or Person but distorted to such a sense by Innuendo's as the Discourses of the Expulsion of Tarquin c. and particularly of the Translation made of the Crown of France from one Race to another had been applied by the then Lawyers
now about One or Two and twenty He and several young Gentlemen rode down from London a little before the Duke landed and were taken on Suspicion and laid up in Ilchester Gaol till the Duke himself came and relieved them He continued in his Army till the Rout when if I mistake not he got to Sea and was forc'd back again with the Hewlings or some others He was condemned at the bloody Assizes in Dorchester A Friend discoursing to him at Dorchester about his Pardon and telling him the doubtfulness of obtaining it he replied Well Death is the worst they can do and I bless God that will not surprize me for I hope my great Work is done At Taunton being advised to govern the Airyness of his Temper telling him it made People apt to censure him as inconsiderate of his Condition to which he answered Truly this is so much my natural Temper that I cannot tell how to alter it but I bless God I have and do think seriously of my eternal Concerns I do not allow my self to be vain but I find cause to be chearful for my Peace is made with God through Jesus Christ my Lord. This is my only ground of Comfort and Cheerfulness the Security of my Interest in Christ for I expect nothing but Death and without this I am sure Death would be most dreadful but having the good Hope of this I cannot be melancholy When he heard of the triumphant Death of those that suffered at Lyme he said This is a good Encouragement to depend upon God Then speaking about the mangling of their Bodies he said Well the Resurrection will restore all with great Advantage the 15th Chapter of the First of Corinthians is Comfort enough for all Believers Discoursing much of the Certainty and Felicity of the Resurrection at another time he said I will as I think I ought use all lawful Means for the saving of my Life and then if God please to forgive me my Sins I hope I shall as chearfully embrace Death Upon the Design of Attempting an Escape he said We use this means for the preserving our Lives but if God is not with us it will not effect it It 〈◊〉 Business first to seek to him for Direction and Success if he sees good with resigning our Lives to him and then his Will be done After the Disappointments when there was no prospect of any other Opportunity he spake much of the Admirableness of God's Providence in those things that seem most against us bringing the greatest Good out of them For said he we can see but a little way God is only wise in all his Disposals of us If we were left to chuse for our selves we should chuse our own Misery Afterwards discoursing of the Vanity and unsatisfyingness of all things in this World he said It is so in the enjoying we never 〈◊〉 our Expectations answer'd by any thing in it and when Death comes it puts an end to all things we have been pursuing here Learning and Knowledge which are the best Things in this World will then avail nothing nothing but an Interest in Christ is then of any worth One reading to some of his Fellow-Prisoners Jer. 42.12 I will shew mercy unto you that he may have mercy upon you and cause you to return to your own Land he said Yes we shall but not in this World I am perswaded September the 29th at Night after he heard he must die the next Morning he was exceedingly composed and chearful expressing his Satisfaction in the Will of God The next Morning he was still more spiritual and chearful discovering a very sweet Serenity of Mind in all that he said and did Whilst he was waiting for the Sheriff reading the Scriptures Meditating and conversing with those about him of Divine Things amongst other things said be I have heard much of the Glory of Heaven but I am now going to behold it and understand what it is Being desir'd to disguise himself to attempt an Escape he said No I cannot tell how to disturb my self about it and methinks it is not my Business now I have other things take up my Thoughts If God saw good to deliver me he would open some other Door but seeing he has not it is more for the Honour of his Name we should die And so be it One saying to him that most of the Apostles died a violent Death he replied Nay a greater than the Apostles our Lord himself died not only a shameful but a painful Death He further said This manner of Death hath been the most terrible thing in the World to my Thoughts but I bless God now am I neither afraid nor ashamed to die He said The parting with my Friends and their Grief for me is my greatest Difficulty but it will be but for a very short time and we shall meet again in endless Joys where my dear Father is already enter'd him shall I presently joyfully meet Then musing with himself a while he with an extraordinary seriousness sung these two Verses of one of Herbert's Poems Death is still working like a Mole Digging my Grave at each remove Let Grace work so on my Soul Drop from above Oh come for thou dost know the way Or if to me thou wilt not move Remove me where I need not say Drop from above He then read the 53d of Isaiah and said He had heard many blessed Sermons from that Chapter especially from the 16th Verse All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way but the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquities of us all Seeming to intimate some Impress made on his Soul from them but was interrupted Then he said Christ is all When the Sheriff came he had the same chearfulness and serenity of Mind in taking Leave of his Friends and in the Sledge which seemed to encrease to the last as those present have affirmed joyning in Prayer and in singing a Psalm with great appearance of Comfort and Joy in his Countenance insomuch that some of his Enemies that had before censured his Chearfulness for unthoughtfulness of his Danger and therefore expected to see him much surprized now professed they were greatly astonished to see such a young Man leave the World and go through Death as he did His CHARACTER He was a very promising and ingenious young Gentleman He had a great deal of ready Wit and an extraordinary Briskness and Gaity He was a very good Scholar had run through a course of Philosophy but his particular Inclination was to the Mechanical part of it wherein he had a very happy Genius and performed many pretty things He wrote very good clean Latin He was indifferent tall pretty thin a fair Complexion his Nose a little inclining to one side being hurt in his Infancy He led a sober vertuous Life and dy'd a happy Death at Taunton September the 30th 1685. 4. Lady LISLE HAD those Persons who suffer'd about Monmouth's Business
Limb for every Town in Christendom ☞ Thus Reader having given thee a Faithful Account of the Behaviour and Dying Speeches of the most Eminent Persons who suffered in Scotland I shall return again for London where the last Person of Quality that suffered was the Duke of Monmouth whose Expedition Sufferings and Dying Speech next follows 9. JAMES Duke of MONMOVTH THE last Person with whom we shall conclude this Mournful Tragedy and the greatest in it is the late James Duke of Monmouth one indeed who if he had been a little less might have been at this time one of the greatest Men both in England and the World By reason of some Passages in his Life not so defensible 't was thought at first better to draw a Veil before that unfortunate Prince and say nothing at all of him But what Allowances are made for Custom and Education God only knows I remember a shrewd Answer given to an Objection of this Nature Where said one should he learn any better But however where there has been any time to think soberly of past Actions or none of that Nature reiterated Charity is obliged to judge favourably And besides the good West-Country-men would be very angry if they should not find their Master that they loved so well and suffered so much for among the rest of these Noble Hero's None can deny but he was a great General a Man of Courage and Conduct and great Personal Valour having signaliz'd himself both at Mons and Maestricht so as to gain an high and just Reputation He was all along true and firm to the Protestant Interest in and out of Parliament tho' abhorring any base way of promoting it as well as his Friend my Lord Russel This is intended as a Character rather or very short Compendium than any History of his Life He was all along the Peoples Darling whose hearts were entirely his by his Courtesie and Affability as other Persons lost them by their sourness and haughty Pride After Russel's Death he went into Flanders whence had he prosecuted his Design and gone as 't is said he intended into the Emperor's Service how many Lawrels might he have won and how many more would now have been growing for him But his Fate was otherwise He came over into England After the defeat of his Army at Sedgemoor he fled with the Lord Gray who was first taken and he himself a little after brought up to London and on his Attainder in Parliament beheaded on Tower-Hill 'T is said a certain brave Old Officer who then came over with him and since with the Prince offered with a small Party of Horse to have ventured through all the Guards and took him off the Scaffold But they could not be got together his time was come Providence had designed other things that our Deliverance should be more Just and Peaceable and Wonderful and that the Glory thereof should be reserved for His Sacred Majesty King William Whom God grant long to Reign The Last Speech and Carriage of the Duke of Monmouth upon the Scaffold THE late Duke of Monmouth came from the Tower to the Scaffold attended by the Bishop of Ely the Bishop of Bath and Wells Dr. Tenison and Dr. Hooper which four the King sent him as his Assistants to prepare him for Death The Duke himself entreated all four of them to accompany him to the Place of Execution and to continue with him to the last The two Bishops going in the Lieutenant's Coach with him to the Bars made Seasonable and Devout Applications to him all the way and one of them desired him not to be surprized if they to the very last upon the Scaffold renewed those Exhortations to a particular Repentance which they had so often repeated before At his first coming upon the Scaffold he looked for the Executioner and seeing him said Is this the Man to do the Business Do the Work well Then the Duke of Monmouth began to speak some one or other of the Assistants during the whole time applying themselves to him Monmouth I shall say but very little I come to die I die a Protestant of the Church of England Assistants My Lord if you be of the Church of England you must acknowledge the Doctrine of Non-resistance to be true Mon. If I acknowledge the Doctrine of the Church of England in general that includes all Assist Sir it is fit to own that Doctrine particularly which respects your Case Here he was much urged about that Doctrine of Non-resistance but he repeated in effect his first Answer Then he began as if he was about to make a premeditated Speech in this manner Mon. I have had a Scandal raised upon me about a Woman a Lady of Vertue and Honour I will name her the Lady Henrietta Wentworth I declare That she is a very Vertuous and Godly Woman I have committed no sin with her and that which hath passed betwixt us was very Honest and Innocent in the sight of God Assist In your Opinion perhaps Sir as you have been often told i. e. in the Tower but this is not fit Discourse in this Place Mr. Sheriff Gostlin Sir were you ever married to her Mon. This is not a time to Answer that Question Sher. Gostlin Sir I hoped to have heard of your Repentance for the Treason and Bloodshed which hath been committed Mon. I die very Penitent Assist My Lord it is fit to be particular and considering the Publick Evil you have done you ought to do as much Good now as possibly you can by a Publick Acknowledgment Mon. What I have thought fit to say of Publick Affairs is in a Paper which I have signed I referr to my Paper Assist My Lord there is nothing in that Paper about Resistance and you ought to be particular in your Repentance and to have it well grounded God give you True Repentance Mon. I die very Penitent and die with great Chearfulness for I know I shall go to God Assist My Lord you must go to God in his own way Sir be sure you be truly Penitent and ask Forgiveness of God for the many you have wronged Mon. I am sorry for every one I have wronged I forgive every Body I have had many Enemies I forgive them all Assist Sir your Acknowledgment ought to be particular Mon. I am to die pray my Lord I referr to my Paper Assist They are but a few words that we desire We only desire an Answer to this Point Mon. I can bless God that he hath given me so much Grace that for these two Years last past I have led a Life unlike to my former course and in which I have been happy Assist Sir was there no Ill in these two Years In these Years these great Evils have happened and the giving Publick Satisfaction is a necessary part of Repentance be pleased to own a Detestation of your REBELLION Mon. I beg your Lordship that you would stick to my Paper Assist My Lord as I
Cruelties to sweep the Country before him and Young and Old were hang'd by Clusters as if the Lord Chief Justice had designed to raise the Price of Halters After Ages will read with Astonishment the Barbarous Usage of those poor People of which among many Instances this one may seem sufficient whereby to take the Dimensions of all the rest That when the Sister of the two Hewlings hung upon the Chief Justice's Coach imploring Mercy on the behalf of her Brothers the merciless Judge to make her let go caused his Coachman to cut her hands and fingers with the Lash of his Whip Nor would he allow the Respite of the Execution but for two days tho' the Sister with Tears in her Eyes offered a Hundred Pounds for so small a Favour And whoever shelter'd any of those forlorn Creatures were hurried to the Slaughter-House with the same inexecrable Outrage without any consideration either of Age or Sex witness the Execution of the Lady Lisle at Winchester As for Argile and the Duke tho' they might die pitied yet in regard they had declared open Hostility it was no more than they were to expect upon ill Success The Christian Behaviour and Dying Speeches of some that were Condemned and Executed in the West I Shall next proceed to give an Account of the Christian Behaviour and Dying Speeches of some that were Condemned and Executed in the West And I shall begin with 1. The Dying Speech and Behaviour of Mr. Matth. Bragg MR. Matthew Bragg was a Gentleman descended from an Ancient and good Family he was bred an Attorney in which he practised the Law His Case being this He happened to be upon the Road Riding home to his House being come from a Gentleman's House for whom he kept Courts He as before being met with by a Party of Horse belonging to the Duke of Monmouth who were going to search the House of a Roman Catholick for Arms who lived two or three Miles from the Place they met him they required him to go with them and shew them the way he knowing the Country better than they did he desired to be excused telling them It was none of his Business and besides had no Arms. But his Excuses signified nothing they forced him amongst them where they went Being Arraigned and Pleading Not Guilty he put himself on the Tryal of God and his Country which found him and 28 more of 30 Guilty the Lord Chief Justice often saying If any Lawyer or Parson came under his Inspection they should not escape The Evidence against him was a Roman Catholick and a Woman of ill Fame to whom the Lord Chief Justice was wonderfully kind But his Evidence which were more than Twenty to prove his Innocence signified nothing the Jury being well instructed by my Lord Chief Justice Being thus found Guilty Sentence as presently pronounced and Execution awarded notwithstanding all the Interest that was made for him Thus being Condemned on Saturday and ordered to be Executed on Monday he spent the residue of his little time very devoutly and much becoming a good Christian and a true Protestant of the Church of England all which availed nothing with this Protestant Judge He was frequently visited by a worthy Divine of the Church of England who spent much time with him and received great Satisfaction from him The said Divine â—old me That his Deportment Behaviour and Converse was so much like an extraordinary Christian that he could not in the least doubt but this violent Passage would put him into the fruition of Happiness He wish'd and desir'd a little longer time out of no other Design but throughly to repent him of his Sins and make himself more sensible of and fit for to receive the Inheritance that is prepared for those that continue in Well-doing to the end When he came to the Place of Execution with great Courage and Resolution being as he said prepared for Death he behaved himself very gravely and devoutly Being asked when he was on the Ladder whether he was not sorry for his being concerned in the Rebellion He replied That he knew of none that he was Guilty of and prayed them not to trouble him adding He was not the first that was martyr'd He was so much a Christian as to forgive his Enemies And after some private Devotions he suddenly was Translated as we have all Hopes to believe from Earth to Heaven The only Favour of this Protestant Judge was to give his Body to his Friends in order to its Interment amongst his Ancestors 2. The Behaviour of Mr. Smith Constable of Chardstock ANother eminent Person that suffered with him at the same time and place was one Mr. Smith who was Constable of Chardstock who having some Monies in his Hands that belonged to the Militia which came to the knowledge of some of the Duke's Friends they obliged him to deliver it to them which he was forced to deliver and for this was Indicted for High Treason in assisting the Duke of Monmouth To which he pleaded Not Guilty The Evidence against him were the same with those that had been against Mr. Bragg The said Mr. Smith informed the Court and the Jury what little Credit ought to be given to the Evidence The Lord Chief Justice thundred at him saying Thou Villain methinks I see thee already with a Halter about thy Neck thou impudent Rebel to challenge these Evidences that are for the King To which the Prisoner reply'd very boldly My Lord I now see which way I am going and right or wrong I must die but this I comfort my self with That your Lordship can only destroy my Body it is out of your power to touch my Soul God forgive your Rashness Pray my Lord know it is not a small matter you are about the Blood of a Man is more precious than the whole World And then was stopped from saying any more The Evidences being heard a strict Charge was given the Jury about him To be short the Jury brought him in Guilty so that he with the rest received the Sentence of Death all together and were Executed on Monday but by particular Order from my Lord he was ordered to be first Executed The Day being come for Execution being Monday he with a Courage undaunted was brought to the Place where with Christian Exhortations to his Brethren that suffered with him he was ordered to prepare being the first to be Executed where he spake as followeth CHristian Friends I am now as you see launching into Eternity so that it may be expected I should speak something before I leave this miserable World and pass through those Sufferings which are dreadful to Flesh and Blood which indeed shall be but little because I long to be before a just Judge where I must give an Account not only for the Occasion of my Sufferings now but for Sins long unrepented of which indeed hath brought me to this dismal Place and shameful Death And truly dear Country-men having ransacked
and all the World 2. Colonel HOLMES THe next Place was Lime where many of Note died particularly Colonel Holmes who was the first of those there executed near the same Place where they landed when they came ashore with the Duke of Monmouth Being brought to the Place after some difficulty for the Horses that were first put into the Sledge would not stir which obliged those concerned to get others which they did from the Coachman who had that Morning brought them to Town When they were put into the Sledge they broke it in pieces which caused the Prisoners to go on foot to the Place of Execution Where being come as I told you before the Colonel began thus at the foot of the Ladder He sate down with an Aspect altogether void of Fear but on the contrary with a kind of smiling Countenance so began to speak to the Spectators to this purpoe That he would give them an Account of his first Undertaking in the Design which was long before in London for there he agreed to stand by and assist the Duke of Monmouth when Opportunity offer'd in order to which he went to Holland with him and there continued until this Expedition in which God had thought fit to frustrate his and other Good Mens Expectations He believed the Protestant Religion was bleeding and in a step towards Extirpation and therefore he with these his Brethren that were to suffer with him and Thousands more had adventured their Lives and their All to save it but God Almighty had not appointed 'em to be the Instruments in so glorious a Work Yet notwithstanding he did verily believe and doubted not but that God would make use of others that should meet with better success tho the way or means was not yet visible but of this he did not doubt He also was satisfied of the Duke's Title so that matter did not afflict him on account of his engaging on his Score And going on further with a Discourse of this nature he was asked by a Person why he did not pray for the King He with a smiling Countenance answered I am sorry you do not yet understand the Difference between Speaking and Praying And having ended his Discourse he then prepared himself by Prayer for his Dissolution which was very devout and pious for half an Hour which was as follows Colonel Holme's Last Prayer MOst Glorious most Great and most Merciful God! there is none in Heaven or in Earth that is like unto Thee Heaven is thy Throne and the Earth is thy Footstool Who shall say unto thee What doest thou Here we are poor deplorable Creatures come to offer up our last Prayers and Services unto thee We beseech thy favourable Ear to our Prayers and the Comfort of thy Holy Spirit at this time We praise and magnifie thy Name for all the Dispensations of thy Providence towards us especially for this thy Providence in bringing us to this Place and at this time to suffer Shame for thy Name Help and assist all of us to submit to thy Will patiently Pardon all our Sins remove them out of thy Presence as far as the East is from the West and accept of us in the Merits of thy Son Jesus Christ Thou who art the Searcher of Hearts and Tryer of Reins let there not at the moment of Death be the least spark of Sin in-dwelling in us nor the Strivings of Flesh and Blood that may hinder us from a joyful Passage unto thee Give us Patience also under these Sufferings and a Deliverance to all others from undergoing them and in thy good time work a Deliverance for poor England let thy Gospel yet flourish among them Hasten the Downfall of antichrist we trust the time is come Prevent O Lord this Effusion of Christian Blood and if it be thy Will let this be the last Lord bless this Town let them from the highest to the lowest set the Fear of God before their Eyes Bless all sorts and conditions of Men in all Ranks and Qualities pardon all their Sins give them all true Repentance and the Grace of thy Holy Spirit Fit and prepare us for the chearful fulfilling of thy Holy Will Let the Comforter be still with us Be Merciful to all our Friends and Relations and Acquaintance Forgive our Enemies Accept of our Thankfulness for all the Mercies and Favours afforded us and hear and graciously answer us in these our Requests and what else thou knowest needful and expedient for us and all for our Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ his sake who died for us that we might reign with him for ever and ever To whom with Thee and thy Blessed Spirit of Grace be ascribed as is most due all Honour Glory and Praise both now and for ever After having ended his Prayer he took occasion to speak to his suffering Brethren taking a solemn Leave of them encouraging them to hold out to the end and not to waver observing that this being a glorious Sun-shining Day I doubt not though our Breakfast be sharp and bitter it will prepare us and make us meet for a comfortable Supper with our God and Saviour where all Sin and Sorrow shall be wiped away So embracing each of 'em and kissing of them told the Sheriff You see I am imperfect only one arm I shall want assistance to help me upon this Tragical Stage Which was presently done and Execution suddenly followed 3. The Execution of Mr. SAMPSON LARKE MR. Sampson Larke who was a very Eminent Pious Minister and had lived in that Town but a little before Many Years he was there well acquainted and all People that knew him had a Value for him behaving himself with that Humility and Circumspection as no body could have any other Occasion but to value him He design'd to have spoken somewhat on a Portion of Scripture and was beginning having mentioned the Place he intended to speak upon but was interrupted and told the Work of the Day being great they should want time So then he stopp'd and reply'd He could make Application where he should not meet with Interruption and so apply'd himself to Prayer which he performed with great Devotion and Zeal for a quarter of an Hour to the great Satisfaction of the Auditors And so taking leave of his suffering Brethren he mounted the Stage which was to be the last Act he made in this World Being on the Ladder he saw some of his Friends and Neighbours weeping and mourning for him to whom he spake Pray weep not for me I am going to a Place of Bliss and Happiness Wherefore pray repair to your Houses and e're you get thither I doubt not but I shall be happy with my God and Saviour where all Tears shall be wiped away and nothing shall remain but Hallelujahs to all Eternity Leaving this Place we proceed to other Parts of the Country where with the like Butchery were only five Executed amongst whom was one 4. Mr. TYLER MR. Tyler of Bristol
Practice of the Independant Church and in that Faith I die depending on the Merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ for my Eternal Salvation His Blessing be with you all Farewel to thee poor England Farewel 16. Mr. Josias Askew's Letter to his Father Honoured Father I Not having an Opportunity to make my Gratitude known to you for all your Endeavours for the saving a poor vain perishing and troublesome Life and seeing it is all in vain I would desire you both to acquiesce in the Will of God and rejoyce with me for this happy Day of my departure from this State of Pilgrimage home to the Possession of those Heavenly Mansions which my God and Father hath provided for me in and through my Lord Jesus Christ It is in him alone I put my Trust and Confidence and therefore can boldly say Who is he that Condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again and is set down at the Right Hand of God making Intercession for all those that have a well-grounded Confidence in him My Time is but short and by reason of Company I am disturbed Therefore I conclude with my last Breath begging of God that he would keep you constant in his Fear in this Day of great Temptation and at last receive you to his Glory where we shall once more unite in praising without interruption or distraction World without end Amen Until which time the Grace of God the Father the Love of God the Son the comfortable Refreshing of God the holy Ghost be with you all yours and the whole Israel of God both now and for ever Which is the hearty Prayer of your Son JOSIAS ASKEW Pray remember me to all with Joy The Account his Friend gives of him TO prevent your further Trouble in suing for a Pardon I think it convenient to let you know I do not question but my dear Cousin hath had his Pardon sealed by the King of Kings and is in everlasting Blessedness singing Hallelujahs Salvation Glory and Honour to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever For God did so carry him through to drink that bitter Cup with so much Courage and Chearfulness to the last as was to the Admiration of all Spectators notwithstanding the terrible Sight he saw at the Place of Suffering and so vehemently as he was tried by the Adversary yet it did not in the least discompose him or alter his Countenance for he continued with a smiling Countenance to the last and was transported above measure I want Words to express it he was like one wrapp'd up in Heaven with his Heart there and his Eyes fixed thereon I could wish you had been there it would have driven away all cause of Sorrow from your Heart to see his Deportment and hear the Gracious Words that proceeded out of his Mouth He remembreth his Duty to you both and left Paul's Blessing with you Grace Mercy and Peace his Love to his dear Sister He desires her not to be troubled for him for he hath made his Peace with God and was assured he should go to eternal Happiness He would have written more to you and to his Sister but that he had so short a time after Sentence that he wanted Opportunity When he went out of Prison he said Gentlemen Now I am going and it is the Time I much longed for I would not change with him that passeth Sentence upon me for a World I was with him to the last and seeing his Courage it did very much encourage me though I never saw such a sight with my Eyes 17. The Behaviour of JOHN HOLWAY before and at the Place of Execution at Warham in the County of Dorset HE lived in Lime where the Duke landed and appeared in Arms at that time until his Captain left him then took up Arms under the Duke of Monmouth and went with him until the King's Proclamation came forth That all that would lay down their Arms before some Justice of the Peace in Four Days after and take a Certificate for their so doing they should be acquitted and have his Majesty's Pardon which this Person did though one Day too late He received his Sentence with much Courage and Resolution and by the means of one Mr. Tiller who was to suffer with him was brought to that settled frame of Spirit as is fit for one in that Condition As he was riding in the Cart toward the Place of Execution the Troopers being just behind the Cart he told them They shewed like brave Fellows But said he if I were to have my Life for fighting the best Five of you I would not question it At the Place of Execution he said not much But that he thought his and other Mens Blood would be revenged one time or another and said Forgive me have Mercy on my poor Soul pardon all my Sins and the like and so the Executioner did his Office 18. The Last Speech and Prayer of Mr. Matthews at the Place of Execution HE was much concerned the Morning before he died to see his Wife weep and to be in such a Passion for him which drew Tears from his Eyes and taking her in his Arms said My Dear Prithee do not disturb me at this time but endeavour to submit to the Will of God and although thy Husband is going from thee yet I trust God will be All in All to thee Sure my Dear you will make my Passage into Eternity more troublesome than otherwise if you thus lament and take on for me I am very sensible of thy tender Love towards me but would have you consider that this Separation will be so much for my Advantage as your Loss cannot parallel I thank God I am willing to die and to be with my Jesus Be satisfied the Will of God must be done Thy Will be done O God in Earth as it is in Heaven So embracing her he took his Last Farewel of her and prepared to go to the Place of Execution where being come he with a very modest sober composed frame of Spirit stood while he saw several Executed before him His Turn being come he thus spake Dear Countrymen I Suppose we are all of one Kingdom and Nation and I hope Protestants O I wonder we should be so Cruel and Blood-thirsty one towards another I have heard it said heretofore that England could never be ruin'd but by her self which now I frear is a doing Lord have Mercy on poor England Turn the Hearts of the Inhabitants thereof cause them to love one another and to forget one anothers Infirmities Have Mercy O Lord on me Give me Strength and Patience to fulfil thy Will Comfort my dear and sorrowful Wife be a Husband unto her stand by her in the greatest Trouble and Affliction Let her depend upon thy Providence Be merciful to all Men. Preserve this Nation from Popery Find out a way for its Deliverance if it be thy good Will and give all Men
of Christ It is not all I can do that will or can save me Were I to live my Days over again and spend them in nothing but Prayers and Tears that could not Save me no it is nothing but the Mercy of God in Christ that must save me and upon this will I trust I am resolved that at the last I will lay my self wholly at the Feet of God's Mercy in Jesus Christ and there I will die This he uttered with raised and enlarged Affections They have brought my Coffin and I am not afraid to see it proceeded he I thank God I can freely lie down in it These Shackles about my Legs are as if they were not I do not regard them My Heart is so cheared with the consideration of the Precious Promises God hath made to poor perishing Sinners and why not to me And why not to thee indeed said I She loved much to whom much was forgiven Ah reply'd he it is much must be forgiven me Much indeed More to this purpose passed between us Several other Ministers were with him that Day and prayed with him as he told me what Discourse they had with him I know not A little before Execution enquiring of him what Confession he thought to make he said he was not inclined to speak much publickly in that respect for this reason That he judged it useless and at most would only gratifie some who came for nothing else but to hear him tell a long Story of a Vicious Life which was more likely to discompose his own Minds than tend to their Edification Moreover he said I cannot affect the Guilty and for others some may believe me some may not The Guilty know themselves I will therefore leave them to God and their own Consciences wishing them true Repentance that they may never come to this miserable End He did not think fit to go out of the World accusing others whom he could no more than accuse and neither bring them to deserved Punishment for what they had done hor prevent thereby their proceeding in the same course of Wickedness No for said he God must convince them and change their hearts which he did and would Pray earnestly for to his last He was desirous to employ all his little space in seeking God and giving up himself to Jesus Christ in humble Prayer now and then saying Oh! my Time is short within a few hours yea moments I shall be in Eternity O vain World Requesting me oft not to leave him till Death separated us I accompanied him to the Place of Execution where I prayed with him committing his Soul to God he joyned with me with great Ardency Then was sung the latter part of the 39th Psalm by his Appointment in singing whereof he seemed elevated in Heart and Voice above most present At last turning about and looking round on the Multitude he took his Farewel in these words or words to the like effect Gentle Spectators You are come to see a sinful miserable Wretch suffer this Ignominious Death I thank God it is not terrible to me for I trust that I shall find Mercy with God for my poor Soul through the precious Blood of my sweet Jesus You may see here what Sin will bring you to Oh take warning by me take heed of Sin shun Temptationsâ— flee Ezsil Company beware of Sabbath-breaking for by this Sin the Devil begins with many to draw them to all manner of Wickedness so he did with me Oh forsake all your Evil Wars turn to the Lord he is a gracious God Oh vile Wretch that I have so sinned against a holy just and merciful God I have been a Prodigal indeed but I hope now a Returning one Oh that they that have been my Companions in Mischief may Repent before it be too late I beg of them to fear God and mind their Souls There may be some of them that hear me at this time the Lord touch their hearts Oh do not still go on you are known to God who will call you to Account for all one day Think of it I beseech you the Lord give you true Repentance and Pardon your Sins that you may not come to this miserable End you see me come to With more to the like purpose Then Resigning himself to God and begging Acceptance with him for the Merits of a Dear and All-sufficient Redeemer he ended this Temporal and Miserable Life Thus far Mr. Burroughs CHAP. CXLV The Last Wills of Persons Remarkable for their Oddness and Singularity HAving had occasion to mention before several Wills with a particular Respect to Charities bestowed and some which were Remarkably Serious and Devout here I shall present the Reader with a few that I thought not very suitable to either of those Heads having something of Oddness or Levity or Brevity in them extraordinary 1. I have already spoken of Endamidas the Corinthian who dying Poor left his Aged Mother to Aretaeus and his Young Daughter to Charixenus two Rich Friends of his the one to be maintained till she died and the other till she married She the Chapter of Remarkable Friendship 2. Hilarion is reported at Eighty Years Old to have made this Will All my Wealth that is the Gospel and one Hair Vest my Coat and little Cloak I leave to my most loving Friend Hesychius Mourning Ring 3. Antonius the Great this As for the Place of my Burial let none know but your own Love my Felt and old Cloak give it to Athanasius which he gave me when it was new Let Serapion take the other which is somewhat better Do you take my Hair Garment And so Farewel my Bowels for Antony is going Ibid. 4. I Acathius Victor have been running to Eternity from A.C. 1581. and have Eternity in my Mind Now I commend my Spirit to God my Body to the Earth and Worms But as for Estate nothing now is mine but Good-Will which I carry with me to the Tribunal of God Ibid. 5. S. Hierom Martyr left his Estate to his Mother and Sister but to Rusticius the Chief Magistrate of Ancyra his Right-hand already cut off Ibid. 6. Zisca bequeath'd his Skin to make a Drum and his Flesh to the Fowls of the Air and Wild Beasts Ibid. 7. A Woman left her Cat 500 Crowns to maintain her with Food so long as she lived 8. I have mentioned already an Old Witch that on her Death-bed bequeathed her Imp the Devil to her Daughter 9. Luther was more serious and wise when he in his Last Will bequeath'd his Wife to God who gave her 10. Cardinal Bellarmine as I have noted before makes a long sputter in his Last Will about his Disposal of a few Cloaths and fine Pictures c. 11. I have been credibly informed that a certain School-Master in Shropshire making his Will his Wife who had always the Whip-hand over him standing by took occasion frequently to Advise the Clerk that wrote for him or rather to Correct and altar what
because of his grievous Provocations till he had brought him home to himself that in his former Visitations he had not that blessed Effect he was now sensible of He had formerly some loose Thoughts and slight Resolutions of Reforming and designed to be better because even the present Consequences of Sin were still pestering him and were so troublesome and inconvenient to him but now he had other Sentiments of Things and acted upon other Principles He was willing to die if it pleased God resigning himself always to the Divine Disposal but if God should spare him yet a longer time here he hoped to bring Glory to the Name of God in the whole course of his Life and particularly by his Endeavours to convince others and to assure them of the Danger of their Condition if they continued Impenitent and how graciously God had dealt with him The Time of his Sickness and Repentance was just Nine Weeks in all which time 30 Hours about the middle of it excepted wherein he was delirous he was so much Master of his Reason and had so clear an understanding that he never dictated or spake more composed in his Life Three or Four Days before his Death he had comfortable Perswasions of God's accepting him to his Mercy saying I shall Die but Oh what unspeakable Glories do I see What Joys beyond Thought or Expression am I sensible of I am assured of God's Mercy to me through Jesus Christ O how I long to die and to be with my Saviour His Dying REMONSTRANCE FOR the Benefit of all those whom I may have drawn into Sin by my Example and Encouragement I leave to the World this my Last Declaration which I deliver in the presence of the great God who knows the Secrets of all Hearts and before whom I am now appearing to be Judged That from the bottom of my Soul I detest and abhor the whole Course of my former wicked Life that I think I can never sufficiently admire the Goodness of God who has given me a lively sense of my pernicious Opinions and vile Practices by which I have hitherto liv'd without Hope and without God in the World have been an open Enemy to Jesus Christ doing the utmost despite to the holy Spirit of Grace and that the greatest Testimony of my Charity to such is to warn them in the Name of God and as they regard the Welfare of their Immortal Souls no more to deny his Being or his Providence or despise his Goodness no more to make a Mock of Sin or Contemn the pure and excellent Religion of my ever-blessed Redeemer thro' whose Merits alone I one of the Greatest of Sinners do yet hope for Mercy and Forgiveness Amen J. ROCHESTER Declared in the presence of Anne Rochester Rob. Parsons 5. Sir Duncomb Colchester who died May 25. 1694. in his Return from London towards Gloucestershire wrote this Penitential Letter Sir Duncomb Colchester's Penitential Letter Gentlemen and Friends SInce it hath pleased Almighty God of his great and undeserved Mercy and Goodness to bring me one of the chiefest of Sinners by a long and sharp Visitation to a sense of my Sins for which with all Humility of Soul I adore and praise him it is a Duty I know incumbent on me as ever I hope for his Pardon and Forgiveness to do what in me lies to bring Honour to his Holy Name to make Reparation for the Mischief I have done by my former vitious Life and antidote as far as I can the Poison which my Example has shed round about me In order whereunto I do hereby Declare That I am heartily sorry for all the Sins of my past Life the remembrance whereof however pleasant they formerly seemed to be is now Grief and Bitterness to my Soul More particularly that I may take shame to my self I do with the deepest Sorrow lament my Bioting and Drunkenness my Chambering and Wantonness those daring and presumptuous Sins which had so long dominion over me I do also most heartily lament that great Sin which I was so frequently guilty of of encouraging and drawing others to Excess which has made me partaker O sad Thought of other Mens Sins and liable to answer for more than mine own I am sensible that as it hath been my Practice so it is still of too many Gentlemen and that they as I did reckon excessive Drinking so far from a Fault as to be rather one of the best Indications of a hearty Respect and true Affection to the Persons they entertain But O false Love O treacherous Friendship to receive their Friends Men and send them out of their Houses Beasts I wish from the bottom of my Soul that any thing I could say would make all those whose Consciences accuse them of Guilt in this particular to loath and abhor this wicked Practice as I do And I do also heartily lament my great Neglect of putting the Laws in execution against common Drunkards Swearers and such-like scandalous Sinners and do earnestly beseech all such as are in Authority and whose Business it is to see the Laws executed if any such come to hear this Paper read that they will be more careful in that particular and consider that as their Power is a Talent entrusted in them whereof they must give a strict Account to their Heavenly Lord so by their being duly conscientious in the Discharge of their Duty herein we may hope for a Reformation amongst us and then with confidence expect God's Blessing to rest upon us And as I abhor my self for my Neglect in this Particular now mentioned and all my great Sins and Provocations against an infinite Majesty so I do farther hereby declare my full Purpose and Resolution if it shall please Almighty God with whom all things are possible to restore me to Health or prolong my Days by his special Grace and Assistance without which I shall be able to do nothing to lead a new Life in all Holy Obedience to his Will and Commands and desire that this Declaration of mine if I fail to do so may be produced as a Testimony against me to my Shame and Reproach But since my Recovery is very uncertain and what I have the least Reason in the World to hope for being heartily desirous to do what good I can in the Circumstances I am in I do hereby earnestly warn and beseech all Sinners especially those whom my Example has at any time encouraged the Remembrance whereof still fills me with Shame and Sorrow to repent of all thier Sins and Provocations least God's Vengeance overtake them in their Security and there be no Remedy And I beseech them farther to take notice that if this Warning be slighted the wilful Neglect and Refusal thereof will at last be charged upon them as a heinous Aggravation of all their Sins they shall hereafter commit will encrease their Condemnation and make their Doom more dreadful and terrible But that it may have a contrary Effect and be a means
Night to cover him to lie upon nor to wrap about his Legs Next Day as he found himself benumb'd with Wet and Cold he told a faithful Friend that kept him Company That he must go to the Neighbouring Village to dry and warm himself a little But when they were got our of their Den and had gone forward about thirty or forty Paces they observed on one side of them in the thick Wood a Detachment of a Dozen Soldiers with a Sergeant advancing towards them and not above a Pistol-shot from them so that they had scarce time enough to go back again and to hide themselves in a Bush In a little while after they heard a great Number of Enemies who by the same Path marched also very near to them by Defiling they reckoned in all One hundred and four when they gave over Reckoning because they found them halt near them They were four Companies of such as searched for Brbusson and the Officers stopped them to consult together whether they should make any further Search Brousson was not above a Stone's-throw from them and the place where he was was very dangerous by reason there were there some Rocks which might serve for an Hiding-place and so be more liable to be searched and that there were in these four Companies a great many People who knew the Country very well and who had also Dogs to find out Brousson in the Woods In the mean time Brousson would not remove further for fear of being discovered whereupon he fell upon his Knees to pray and God was pleased to strike his Enemies with Blindness and so they went no further that way but divided into several Companies and went to surround and search all the adjacent Villages and Barns and particularly the Village where Brousson was minded to go It may be easily judged that during all the time he was in France to labour for the Salvation and Comfort of his Brethren and which was for four Years and five Months that he saw himself often in such Dangers as this now mentioned and even sometimes in greater but to give an exact Relation of the Miseries Fatigues and Dangers he has been exposed to during that time would be too tedious but the principal Design herein has been to make known the great Wonders which God hath done and does still do in Cevennes and Lower Languedoc to give his People such Instructions and Comforts as were needful in the deplorable State they were in Every body may well think that a Servant of God against whom the Enemies of the Truth were so enraged hath been continually in fearful Dangers and that his Preservation amidst the Flames of this horrible Persecution hath been a continual Succession of Miracles he passed like a Lamb through the midst of a Troop of ravenous Wolfs he held frequent Meetings in the midst of an Army of cruel and furious Enemies who searched for him Night and Day and never found him thô their Search had been a thousand times God having always brought their Designs to Confusion He many times lay in such Houses where the Soldiers went from time to time to search but God never suffered them to go thither while he was in the place thô they went about continually and laid Snares for him every-where Thanks be to God no ill did betide him he held some Hundreds of Meetings great and small but blessed be God none of them was ever surprized many of them have been at times discovered And God who governeth all things by his Wisdom permitted it for divers ends but after all none of those Assemblies have been surprized by the Enemy He hath always experienced what the Holy Ghosts says in the Prophecy of Isaiah chap. 4. v. 5 6. And the Lord will create upon every Dwelling-place of Mount Sion and upon her Assemblies a Cloud and Smoak by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night for upon all shall be a Defence And there shall be a Tabernacle for a Shadow in the Day-time from the Heat and for a Place of Refuge and for a Covert from Storm and from Rain Lastly The Fury of his Enemies coming to increase more and more insomuch that at length he had no liberty almost left him to labour for the Salvation of the People and considering on the other side that almost all the Places of his Retreat were discovered that in the mean time they had resolved to bring four Regiments more into that Country for the entire Suppression of the Meetings that having divers times endeavoured to go into another Country he could not execute his Design because his Picture being dispersed up and down every-where he could not travel but by Night and that he must have a place of Retreat every two or three Leagues for to rest himself upon the approach of Day which he could not propose to have without that Country where God had for a long time honoured him with Preaching the Gospel that his Health was also so impaired that from thence forward he could do but little for the Instruction of the People Viva voce that besides his Family whom he had left in Switzerland now for a considerable time and wanting his assistance were reduced to great Misery that his only Son who was yet young was also deprived for a long time of the Education he stood in need of that on the other hand he had in his possession some Religious and Pious Works which he hoped to get Published and which he thought with the Lord's assistance might contribute to the Edification of good Souls and to the Advancement of the Kingdom of God that in the mean time there were still in Cevennes and the Lower Languedoc divers Servants of God whom he had raised up extraordinarily and who laboured for the Salvation of the People that he left behind a great many Copies of his Sermons and other Writings which might serve for the instructing and strengthning of that poor People and that when he should get out of France if God were pleased to honour him so far he might still labour other ways for their Consolation as in effect he quickly begun and continued He was at last constrained to make Choice of this last And therefore he left the Kingdom of France in December 1693 and the Seventeenth of that Month arrived at Lausanne from whence he had departed July 22. in the Year 1689. And thô his Picture was sent up and down to all places God who conducted him safe into France lead him out again to the end the might tell his great Wonders in Sion I shall give some few Instances more of French Cruelty from a Book Entituled Martyrs in Flames Printed for Mr. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry And so conclude this dismal Scene of Sorrow 3. THE Dragoons that Quartered with Monsieur Solignac at Montauban says the fore-said Author made his Dining-Room a Stable for their Horses thô the Furniture thereof was valued at a Thousand Livres and
to carry my Soul to the Bosom of Jesus and I shall be for ever with the Lord in Glory And who can chuse but rejoyce in all this And now my dear Mother Brethren and Sisters Farewel I leave you for a while and I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are sanctified And now dear Lord my Work is done I have finished my course I have fought the good Fight and henceforth there remaineth for me a Crown of Righteousness Now come dear Lord Jesus come quickly Then a Godly Minister came to give him his last Visit and to do the Office of an inferiour Angel to help to convey his blessed Soul to Glory who was now even upon Mount Pisgah and had a full sight of that goodly Land at a little distance When this Minister spake to him his heart was in a mighty flame of Love and Joy which drew Tears of Joy from that precious Minister being almost amazed to hear a Man just a dying talk as if he had been with Jesus He died June 1657. Aged between 23 and 24 and was buried in Kelshall-Church in Hartfordshire For a larger Account of this Extraordinaay Person see his Life written by his Brother Mr. James Janeway 102. Mrs. Allein in the History of the Life and Death of Mr. Joseph Allein writes thus concerning his Death viz. About Three in the Afternoon he had as we perceived some Conflict with Satan for he uttered these words Away thou foul Fiend thou Enemy of all Mankind thou subtil Sophister art thou come now to molest me Now I am just going Now I am so weak and Death upon me Trouble me not for I am none of thine I am the Lord 's Christ is mine and I am his His by Covenant I have sworn my self to be the Lord's and his I will be Therefore be gone These last words he repeated often which I took much notice of That his Covenanting with God was the means he used to expel the Devil and all his Temptations The time we were in Bath I had very few hours alone with him by reason of his constant using the Bath and Visits of Friends from all Parts thereabouts and sometimes from Taunton and when they were gone he would be either retiring to GOD or to his Rest But what time I had with him he always spent in Heavenly and Profitable Discourse speaking much of the Place he was going to and his Desires to be gone One Morning as I was Dressing him he looked up to Heaven and smiled and I urging him to know why he answered me thus Ah my Love I was thinking of my Marriage-Day it will be shortly O what a joyful Day will that be Will it not thinkest thou my dear heart Another time bringing him some Broth he said Blessed be the Lord for these Refreshments in the way home but O how sweet will Heaven be Another time I hope to be shortly where I shall need no Meat nor Drink nor Cloaths When he looked on his weak consumed hands he would say These shall be changed This vile Body shall be made like to Christ's Glorious Body O what a Glorious Day will the Day of the Resurrection be Methinks I see it by Faith How will the Saints lift up their heads and rejoyce and how sadly will the wicked World look then O come let us make haste our Lord will come shortly let us prepare If we long to be in Heaven let us hasten with our Work for when that is done away we shall be fetch'd O this vain foolish dirty World I wonder how reasonable Creatures can so dote upon it What is in it worth the looking after I care not to be in it longer than while my Master hath either doing or suffering Work for me were that done farewel to Earth Thus far Mrs. Allein 103. Dr. Peter du Moulin Professor of Divinity at Sedan at his last Hour pronounced these Words I shall be satisfied when I awake c. and twice or thrice Come Lord Jesus come Come Lord Jesus come and the last time that Text which he loved so much He that believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life and a little after Lord Jesu receive my Spirit It being said to him You shall see your Redeemer with your eyes laying his Hand on his Heart he answered with an Effort I believe it and so departed 1658. aged 90. Out of the French Copy of his Death 104. Arminius in his Sickness was so far from doubting any whit of that Confession he had publish'd that he stedfastly judged it to agree in all things with the Holy Scriptures and therefore he did persist therein That he was ready at that very moment to appear with that same Belief before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ the Son of God the Judge of the Quick and Dead He died of a Disease in the Bowels which caused Fevers Cough Extension of the Hypochondria Atrophy Gout Iliack Passion Obstruction of the Left Optick Nerve Dimness of the same Eye c. which gave occasion to some Censures He died Oct. 19. In his Life by an unknown Hand 105. Simon Episcopius An. 1643. falling sick of an Ischuria for Eleven Days not being able to make a drop of Water continued ill two Months or more and at last for some Weeks was deprived of his Sight which Loss had been more grievous to him had not his deep and almost continual Sleeping lessened the same For he complained of it to his Friends that he should not be able to serve the Church of Christ any more He died April 4 at Eight of the Clock in the Morning the Moon being then eclipsed saith the Author of his Life p. 26. 106. Gustavus Ericson King of Sweden having lived 70 Years and reigned 38. gave in Charge to his Children to endeavour the Peace and maintain the Liberties of their Country but especially to preserve the Purity of Religion without the Mixture of Human Inventions and to live in Unity as Brethren among themselves and so sealing up his Will he resigned his Spirit to God An. 1562. Clark's Martyrol p. 370. 107. Edward the Sixth King of England in the Time of his Sickness hearing Bishop Ridley preach upon Charity gave him many Thanks for it and thereupon ordered Gray-Friars Church to be a House for Orphans St. Bartholomew's to be an Hospital and his own House at Bridewel to be a Place of Correction And when he had set his Hand to that Work he thank'd God that he had prolong'd his Life till he had finished that good Design About three Hours before his Death having his Eyes clos'd and thinking none near him he prayed thus with himself Lord God deliver me out of this miserable and wretched Life and take me among thy Chosen howbeit not my Will but thine be done Lord I commend my Spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest