musing on this matchless Saint I cry'd Thou being so wholly dreined from all Pride As one not fit here longer to abide Go to thy Bridegroom go thou true coelestial Bride Eighthly As after Conviction she was Mortify'd to all Pride so she did in a wonderful manner beyond any President I ever saw shine forth in the contrary Grace Humility She had learned of her Saviour to be meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 And so excellent well she learned that none tabernacled in a Body of Flesh could have a more Debasing thought of Self than she had She sate with Job in the Ashes and with Hezekiah counted all her Prayers and the best of her Performances but as the chattering of a Crane or Swallow Isa 38.14 The Vilest of Creatures was her constant Motto That no body was Worse that every body was better than she was the undissembled Thought of her Heart When she was most Lovely in the Eyes of others she was even then most Mean in her own she could not bear to be in the least praised nor endure that any should speak well of her though she was enabled to Sing the Lord's Song on the Borders of Canaan after her return from a long Captivity Indeed in her languishing Condition she was made Humble by God's Providence but when she was Healed she was kept Humble by his blessed Spirit This Saint beholding great Jehovah's Face Her self as low as Hell she did debase Hence 't was she flourish'd so and grew apace She was the humble one replenish'd with all Grace Ninthly After Conviction she was in a Gospel Frame wholly moulded into the Spirit of the Gospel These Two eminent Servants of the Lord Jesus Mr. Robins and Mr. Hammond led her into the Paths of Gospel Light and Truth in which she was extreamly delighted so that the extolled and muâ—h magnified Mountain of Man's Righteousness and Legal Performances became 〈◊〉 a Plain and by their Ministry the Heâ—â—â—â—stone the Lord Jesus Christ was presented to her and she was inabled by the Spirit 's Breathing in her to cry out Grace Grace unto it Zech. 4.7 Hence though Interest and Relation with some other Obligations had intangled her with another sort of Men yet after her Acquaintance with those ' foresaid great Gospel Luminaries they were very little in her Eye for She was convinced not Doing but Believing was the way of the Gospel and that not by any Works of Righteousness she had done or could do but by the Free Grace of God in Christ she was made what she was And therefore the breathing of her Soul was to be found in him not having her own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith That thereby she might know Christ and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his death Phil. 3.9.10 Oh! how her very Soul rejoyced in the glad Tidings of the Gospel This glorious Saint admiring Gospel Light Whose most corruscant Beams did shine so Bright Whereby her Darkness was expelled quite The Gospel brought a Day a Day that had no Night Tenthly After Conviction she was inflamed with Love to her dearest Jesus yea with the Spouse she was Sick of Love Cant. 5.8 As she had a Sense of the Forgiveness of Sins as Mary had she verily Loved much as Mary did Luke 7.47 She had a large Share of Gospel Grace as the choice Blessing of Heaven for she loved the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity Ephes 6.24 Tho she saw not Jesus with her Bodily Eyes yet she dearly Loved him and that Love has brought her to him so that now She sees Him and is Glorifyed with him Rejoycing with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory for she has now received the end of her Faith even the Salvation of her Soul 1 Pet. 1.8 9. What things were formerly her Gain those she counted Loss for Christ yea doubtless she counted all things but Loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus her Lord for whom she suffered the Loss of all things and did count them but Dung or Dog's-meat that she might win Christ. 3 Phil. 7.8 Oh Love was the ruling Star in the Firmament of her Soul Though Satan for a while did cast a Mist Over this Saint at length she saw the Christ And seeing lov'd him as her precious Priest Now with his glorious Mouth her precious Soul is Kist. Eleventhly As after Conviction she Loved Christ so she lov'd the Ways of Christ the Ordinances of Christ the Members of Christ the Ministers of Christ and that with a pure Heart fervently If our Saviour's Character of a true Disciple holds good John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another And if John's Evidence of the new Birth be any thing valid 1 Epist 3.14 We know that we are passed from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren She was as visible a Disciple as real a Regenerate Person and that to the apparent view of all as 't was possible for any Creature to be For I sincerely think never any especially in these last days possest more of the Grace of Love than she did Her very Soul was wrapt up in the Saints Society with them was her greatest yea her only Delight She had David's Spirit and therefore could say with him Psalm 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth I the least and most unworthy of Saints may say of her as David did of Jonathan Her love to me was wonderful passing the love of Women This Saint who Heaven ward so fast did move That She a Saint in every thing might prove As actuated from a Spirit above Most gloriously did shine within the Sphere of Love Twelfthly After her Conviction that she had tasted of the Love of Christ she was extraordinarily Solicitous even with a burning Zeal for the Conversion of Sinners especially of her own carnal Relations Her warm Discourses on this Subject put me in mind of our Lord's Charge to Peter Luke 22.32 When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren She was wholly of Paul's Spirit when he spoke so affectionately of the Jews Rom. 10.1 Brethren my Hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be Saved Her Soul pittied such as were running head-long to Hell her Bowels yearned towards those that had no Sense of their own Condition She could not speak of any of her near Acquaintance in an Unconverted State without Weeping for them as our Saviour did for Jerusalem and with the same Pathetical Wish Oh! that they did truly know in this their day the things that belong unto their peace The Night before She Dyed or rather Translated she express'd her self to a Godly Woman passionately Concern'd for the Soul of her only Surviving Sister with these and more
Knowledge in a dying Hour I was so long in opening those Two Heads that I had no time for Application only address'd my self to the Auditory which was then the most Numerous I ever before or since saw in Havant and I will because I can give you some brief Account of that for I took some Notes of it which are as followeth I shall instead of the several Uses that might be made of this Doctrine I have been discoursing of apply my self in a few Words 1st To Young Ones 2dly To the Relations of this deceased Person 3dly To this Society 4thly To all and every one of this great Congregation 1st To you that are Young You are come this Evening to the Funeral of a young Gentlewoman who was called away by Death in the Flower of her time She was fit to die and therefore she died to live But how is it with you I beseech you consider you may die even now in your youth as well as she Ay! But are you as well prepared for it as she was Oh! Dreadful dying without an Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ You had better never have been Born then die to go to Hell for ever which will most certainly be your Portion if you die in a Christless State Oh that you would take example by this blessed Virgin to Fly youthful Lusts To remember your Creatour in the days of your Youth And now Oh! now in the Morning of your Age to look Heaven-ward I may say of the deceased as Simeon said of the Lord Jesus in his Infant-state Luke 2.24 Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a Sign which shall he spoken against Oh! So verily this young Saint as a glorious Star was shining in this Horizon for the fall and rising of many that is both in Judgment and in Mercy to many in these parts In Judgment to be a greater and more Terrible Condemnation to those Obstinate young ones that will still keep on in their Lusts still continue in their Sins still slight and Contemn the Tenderness of Grace in the Gospel after so great and amazing an instance of the Riches of free Grace the fulness of divine Love extended unto her In Mercy to you who will be affected with what God did abundantly for her in a way of special Grace and therefore will be looking unto Christ as Believing there is the same Free-grace the same rich Love the same bottomless Ocean of Pardoning Healing and Soul-saving Mercy for you as she found as she tasted as she Ravishingly Experienc'd in the day of her Distress Oh! hear this dead Saint speaking to you in David's words Psal 66.16 17. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul I Cryed unto him with my Mouth and he was Extolled with my Tongue Oh! hear her thus speaking to every Soul of you You young Men and Maids that are yet in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity that are minding nothing but the satisfying your Lusts that have no sense of Heaven and Eternity or what will become of your Immortal Souls for ever I was once in the same condition and running on in the same excess of Riot I was once as dead as Carnal as Vain as Frothy as you are But God broke my heart and Melted my Soul with Trembling and Affrightning Shakings under the vvoful Apprehension of a lost Condition and a Flaming Hell that I look'd every Moment to be plung'd into And then he comforted and Reviv'd me with a Sensible Manifestation of redeeming Love then he made knovvn to me the Wonders of Soveraign Grace in fully Revealing and discovering Christ with the avail of his Pretensions Death and Sufferings to my Soul I Cryed to him in the day of Distress and he Graciously Vouchsaf'd his Ear He brought me up out of the Horrible Pit out of the Miry Clay and set my Feet upon a Rock even the Rock of Ages with whom I am now in Glory and shall be so for ever Oh! Therefore you my former Carnal Companions be intreated to seek the Lord whilst he may be found and to call upon him while he is yet near Do not let a Dalilah's Lap deprive you of an Abraham's Bosom Do not for the fading Pleasures of a Transitory Life Subject your precious Souls to eternal Ruin Oh! Let my Case the unexpressible Sorrows I have gone through for Sin and the true pleasures I have found in the ways of Grace and Holiness have a powerful convincing and perswading Effect upon you The good Lord help all you young ones to hear this dead Saint thus speaking to you 2dly My next word is to you that are the Relations of this blessed Person and 't is what our Saviour said to the Mourners about the Damsel we read of Matt. 9.24 The Maid is not dead but Sleepeth So your Daughter your Sister your Relation for vvhom you are in so much Bitterness and because of vvhom your hearts are ready to break vvith sorrovv Oh! She is not dead but Sleepeth Indeed as to you she is dead and you will see her no more with a mortal Eye but unto God she is alive and with him wâ—ll live for evermore Oh! Therefore Assuage your Grief dry up your Tears make no Bevvailing for her for she is better and in a far better State than you Oh! therefore turn your Lamentation for her into Imitation of her think not of her Immature death but of her holy and examplary Life and be ye followers of her who through the abundant increase of Faith and exercise of Patience was fitted for the Kingdom above and is now with the triumphant inheriting the Promises being in Possession of that Inheritance which is Incorruptible Vndefiled which fadeth not away And as to her outward Man she is but fallen asleep and will be awakened again at the joyful Morning of the Resurrection Though she be now with Job saying to Corruption thou art my Father and to the Worm thou art my Mother and my Sister though after her Skin Worms will destroy her Body yet in her Flesh shall she see God I will therefore commend the Apostle's Words to your serious Consideration which I hope may afford you some matter of Consolation at least be a rational Ground for the alleviation of your present Sorrow on this sad Occasion 1 Thes 4.13.14 But I would not have you to be Ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye Sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Again v. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first On which sweet Conclusion and most comfortable truth I would ground my pressing Exhortation
which as yet is none of the softest like the Babe in Elisabeth's Womb leap within me for Joy This indeed indeared you very much to me and set me a Longing to be partaker of your Heavenly Gift and though I had several Letters from several Persons that spake very largely of you and the wonderful Things God did by you and that at such a Rate if I had not known them to be Men of Sobriety Faithfulness and eminent Piety I should certainly have Judg'd they had flown in their Language above the Capacity of an Hyperbole to bring 'em safely off yet early at my Return when I went my self to Chichester and saw the unusual Seriousness of the vast Auditory and the extraordinary Going forth of your Spirit both in Prayer and Preaching I was strangely amazed and forc'd to say with the Queen of Sheba The half of your deserved Fame was not told me and made this Remark in my own Breast There was no such Sight to be seen any where in our Israel and therefore left others to consider of it and speak their Minds And if the Lord goes on as he has graciously and wonderfully begun Chichester will be the Place of Religion in the South of England and we may take in the rest of the Points of the Compass Verily you have or rather the Great Jehovah by you lighted such a Candle there that the Enemies of Free-Grace with all their Tricks and Artifices with all their Growling and Grumbling with all their Lying and Slandering with all their Noise and Clamour yea with all their Cunning and Priest-craft will never be able to put out for Magna est veritas prevalebit Dagon must and shall fall before the Ark of the Living God Dear Brother I am in a large Field whilst I have your noble Chichesterian Acts under review which will be for ever your Praise in the Gates of the Daughter of Zion and your Eternal Rejoycing in the day of the Lord Jesus and so very large is this Field that I despair of finding the way out and therefore must be forc'd to stand still breaking forth in the Apostle's Admiration O the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Judgments and how are his Ways past finding out Or taking up the Dictates of the Holy Spirit in the Mouth of Balaam According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel Ay and now of Chichester too what has God wrought And though you did good even beyond Conception very much good even beyond Parallel whilst these Parts were Blessed with your Presence yet really the Good by way of Emphasis and which will be the most Sparkling Jewel in the Crown wherewith your Master will crown you in the Day of his Appearing was your speaking Peace to this Blessed Saint whose Sad Life is the Subject of the following Tract You were chosen out by the Lord of the Harvest and preferr'd before any of his Labourers to bring a Message of Peace and Comfort to her drooping Soul great Pains were used and many Essays made to effect a Cure upon her but alas all in vain No Words were wanting no Labour was spared no Gospel ways untryed for the easing her distressed Mind but all to no purpose If Prayers and Tears if publick and private Wrestlings with God if setting a-part Solemn Days if the spending part of many Nights if communicating of Experiences if opening and inculcating of the Promises if frequent Visits and labouring all manner of ways with her What shall I say If imparting the very Secrets of my Soul and all the Mysteries and Wonders of Grace my Gracious God ever made known to me in his Christ had any thing availed she had not been in those Shades of Horrid Darkness you found her For I can say in all Sincerity as Paul to the Corinthians My Mouth was opened my Heart was enlarged towards her Oh! how often did my Soul Mourn in Secret because I could not help her How many Tears did I shed in private because no words I spoke could take hold on her I was too unworthy of such an Honour My Poor Labours through the Influence of a Divine Blessing awakened her out of a Natural State but Success was denied to my Endeavours how great soever to Administer any Ease or Comfort That was your alotted Task by him with whom is the Residue of the Spirit Oh! to this end were you Born and for this cause came you unto Chichester to bear Witness unto the Truth to Gospel-truth Light and special Grace for the lifting up this Dear Languishing Soul who would not see who could not believe there was any Love or Redeeming Mercy for her till it was confirmed to her from your Lips then she saw the Beauty of the Lord as the Morning and the Glory of Jehovah her Righteousness as the Noon-day There was indeed before a Wind a Gale of Gospel-Truths that continually blew upon her but the Lord was not in the Wind There was a Fire of Zeal kindled in the Breasts of Ministers and many others always flaming in her Bosom but the Lord was not in the Fire and therefore though there was Balm enough fetch'd from Gilead and applied to her Wounds yet this Sorrowful Daughter of Jerusalem was not Healed till you came and God came with you as a Welcome Messenger of Salvation Then Oh! then the Son of Righteousness arose with Healing in his Wings in the Horizon of her Soul Then did the day break and the Shadows began to fly away and then did her Beloved come leaping over the Mountains and skipping over the Hills unto her Oh! Happy was the time wherein you first saw her and Blessed was the day in which it was told her Behold there is a Watch-man of the Lord 's sending a Work-man of the Lord 's preparing go and hear what he has to say to you As the Lord's way of Judgment so his ways of Mercy are in the Deep and his Footsteps coming towards a Poor Creature for Good and Comfort are not known So far am I from the Mode of this Generation to envy you or repine that you should do that in a few days which I could not do in many Months that the Lord knows I Love Honour Prize and Value you the more for it and you are much dearer to me since than ever you were before To you therefore I dedicate this short History of her Life and Death as that which of right belongs to you You knew her and was well known to her You pittied her in her doleful Agonies and took a great deal of Pains with her to help her out of the Deep Pit into which she was so horribly sunk The Lord reward you yea he will abundantly reward you for all your great Labour of Love to her precious Soul You were very high in her Esteem and exceeding Dear she never spoke of you but with wonderful Respect heartily
Heart with Compunction in my bleeding Soul that she would compose her self and fix her mind to look up to the Lord and with her Eyes to have respect to the Holy one of Israel who would help her and that with the saving Aid of his right hand if she would believe in him who would comfort her and that with the ravishing Comforts of his blessed Spirit if she would cast her self upon him Minding her in way of Paraphrase what Moses said to Israel There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun who rideth upon the Heaven in thy help and in his Excellency on the Sky The Eternal God is thy refuse and underneath are the everlasting Arms and he shall thrust out the Enemy from before thee and shall say destroy them That Enemy said I who is now so exceeding rampant in you who is now so maliciously affrightning and terrifying you with the Sense of Hell and Wrath which yet will never be your Portion this very Enemy God will thrust out from you yea this envious Satan that does you now so much Mischief the God of Peace will most assuredly bruise under your Feet shortly and then you shall dwell in Safety alone the Enemy shall no more trouble you nor be perplexing of you And your Fountain shall be upon a Land of Corn and Wine Also his Heavens shall drop down Dew that is the Doctrine and Graces of the Gospel the Spirit of the Lord Jesus breathing therein shall drop down in a Soul-reviving Soul-refreshing yea in a Soul-ravishing manner upon you And then You shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth your Root as Lebanon your Branches shall spread and your Beauty shall be as the Olive-tree and your Smell as Lebanon And then thus dwelling under his Shadow you shall return you shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine and your Scent shall be as the Wine of Lebanon And then Oh then you will be an happy a thrice happy Virgin in our Israel And who will be like unto you though now a distressed Maid yet then Saved by the Lord. Who will awake for you as one awaketh out of sleep and as a mighty Man that shouteth by reason of Wine And will deliver you out of the hand of your present Tormentor who will be the Shield of your help and the Sword of your Excellency And the Enemy of your Salvation who is now Suggesting many uncomfortable and most false things to you whereby you are so lamentably disquieted in your Spirit even to Distraction will then be found as he is and as from the beginning he has been a Liar to you And you shall tread upon high places and so be infinitely above the reach of all his fiery Darts that not one of them shall sting or hurt you any more for ever But alas all that I spake or all that any could speak to this purpose was but like the weak Trajans casting their feeble Arrows at the Conquering Grecians wholly in vain I could not in the least allay her Grief or asswage the Torrent of her violent Passion which was at the greatest height I ever beheld in any Creature before I knew not how to leave her in the horrible Pit in the miry Clay of such Soul-tormenting Distress and yet I plainly discern'd it was to no purpose to stay with her so outragious was her Grief and so beyond all bounds of Moderation was her Sorrow Horror and most dreadful Despair had such a powerful Ascendant on her that her poor Heart was like to break yea she was even ready to dye for fear of Eternal dying Oh! how was this tender Lamb in Zion rufully afraid because of her Sins which were set in order before her and continually staring her in the Face How did amazing Fearfulness lamentably surprize her in the awful sense of dwelling with the devouring Fire that can never be put out and in the doleful Apprehension of rowling upon those Pillars of everlasting Flames that never will cease burning Verily had she seen with her Eyes the Sulphurous Torches had she heard with her Ears the dismal Groans of the Damned yea had she actually felt the very Torments those endure who are surrounded with horrid Mists of Darkness in the Eternal Shades below she could hardly express her self in a more dolorous in a more grievous manner than she did such Heart-melting such Soul-piercing Complaints such a mournful crying our of a lost State of a barren Mind of a Certainty of being Damned never sounded at least in my Ears before I had much ado to perswade her to a Composedness till I went to Prayer with her in which Duty I pleaded with the Lord according to the measure of the Spirit given me for her that the sounding of his Bowels of Pitty and Compassion might be moved towards her that he would Graciously hear this Dejected Creature as he did Ephraim bemoaning of her self in his very words I am ashamed yea even Confounded to bear the Reproach of my Youth And that he would say of her as he did of him Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him and I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord. When I concluded Prayer I took a very sorrowful leave of her being towards Morning 'T is said For the Divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart And again For the Divisions of Reuben there were great Searchings of heart I am sure for the Spiritual Troubles for the Despairing Sorrow of this young Gentlewoman there were great Thoughts and Searchings of Heart great Distress and Anxiety of Mind both by me and many others And truly we were and we could not but be between Hope and Fear about her We would fain hope the Lord design'd Love and Mercy to her precious Soul notwithstanding the many bitter and grievous things he wrote against her and the great and fearful Trials she was exercised with but then the strangeness the unparallell'dness of her Grief the intollerable Heaviness and Weight of that Burthen she groaned under the apparent Prevalency of the Tempter over her for she seemed to be wholly in his Clutches and above all the woful and most horrible uninterrupted Despairingness of her Language for I know not how long time together gave a little Check to those Hopes we were willing to retain and made too much room for Fear and Doubts in our Thoughts concerning her Indeed we were all at our Wits end and could not tell what to think or say of her For my part I can truly say her Case took up my whole time I could hardly mind any thing else Day and Night were my Thoughts busily imploy'd what course to take for her or what means to use that might be of avail to her And after many Wrestlings with Sighs and Groans unto God in her behalf and revolving many things in my perplexed
Heaven she should not be found naked Yet again V. 8. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee Behold thy time was the time of Love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness Yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Oh! verily Novv vvas the time of Love as to her Soul Novv vvas the Holy Jesus coming tovvards her his Face shining vvith the resplendent Beauty of gospel-Gospel-Grace and Love saying to her I am thy Saviour and thou art in the number of my Redeemed ones I vvill cover thee vvith the Glorious Robe of my Everlasting Righteousness and thou shalt appear therein without Spot or Wrinkle before my Father and before the Holy Angels Therefore cease thy Grief dry up thy Tears For though thou hast lien among the Pots yet now thou shalt be as the Wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold And novv thou shalt knovv that I have loved thee with an everlasting Love for with loving-kindness will I draw thee Mr. Robins as though he had been as I doubt not but he vvas specially directed from above preached that day from these vvords Luke 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Which he so managed through the assistance of God's Spirit and brought so many Gospel-Cordials and Comforts from it as gave abundant satisfaction to this languishing Mourner insomuch that her Sorrovvs like the Waters of the Flood apparently vvere abated and her long Captivity seem'd to be turning about as the Rivers of the South She vvas so sensible that this Holy Man vvas a Messenger sent of God to her an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto her the Ransom God has found and accepted for poor Sinners and for her in particular and to declare the glad Tidings of Salvation to her Soul resulting from therein that she immediately repaired to Chichester and attended upon the Word dropping from Mr. Robins his Lips during his stay there Mr. Robins after a little time planted a Church there such an amazing Change was wrought on many by the mighty Power of God accompanying his Ministerial Labours and this Plant God has since abundantly water'd with the Dew of his Blessing so that 't is now as the Garden of God the pleasant Field which the Lord of Hosts delights to bless Mrs. Mary Harrison after frequent Conferences with Mr. Robins and being enlightned by him in the Mystery of gospel-Gospel-Grace and Love joyn'd her self with the Church and sate down at the Table with them at their first Solemnity of breaking Bread yet on this Condition to be redismiss'd to the Church at Havant when they were Organically compleated and so in a Capacity to do it But before this could be effected she was translated to a better Church than either even To the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are in Possession of the Glorious Mansions of Heaven And to the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect among whom she is and ever will be with her God In whose presence there is fulness of Joy and at whose right-hand there are Pleasures for evermore Glad was I yea my very Soul rejoyced at my return from London to find such an amazing Change in her for now she could speak in the Language of Canaan now she could discourse in the Dialect of the new Jerusalem praising the Lord for his Redeeming Goodness Now she could tell her Lips being opened in a wonderful manner the delightful Stories of God's marvelous Dispensations towards her in a way of special Grace and Favour for now she saw in part and that part filled her with inexpressible Comfort The Good of God's Chosen Now in spite of all Satan's Suggestions and Hellish Machinations she could rejoyce in the Gladness of God's Nation And now notwithstanding the late Cloud that was upon her the late darkening Eclipse that quite overspread her she could Glory with God's Inheritance For now she heard the Voice of her Beloved speaking to her Cant. 2.10 11 12. Rise up my Love my fair one and come away For lo the Winter is past the Rain is over and gone The Flowers appear on the Earth the time of the singing of Birds is come and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land Oh! then Arise my Love my fair one and come away Again Verse 14. O my Dove that art in the Clefts of the Rock that is hid in the Eternal Electing Love of God in the secret places of the Stairs that is kept secretly from sinking though wofully tossed with the Waves and Billows of Temptation Let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely And therefore Now we that were mournfully bemoaning of her rejoyced with her yea with loud Peals of Joy blessed and praised God for her Yet she had her Ebbings as well as Flowings and Fears as well as Comforts after this And her Discourses were very often mixed with Mistrustings and Doubtings of her self She had now and then the dark side as well as the bright side of the Cloud to shew that she was not yet beyond the reach of Satan's Snarlings though above the force of his rampant Power Hence to her dying hour she serv'd the Lord with Fear and rejoyced before him with Trembling She always had a Dread upon her Spirit of miscarrying under which I laboured what I could to support her A little after Mr. Robins left Chichester came down that Sweet and most Spiritual Preacher Mr. Hammond to the new Meeting-house at which juncture of time I was confined to my Bed by a severe Fit of Sickness which I and so did others thought had been unto Death But my Gracious God in whose Hands our times are order'd it otherwise Now by reason I was wholly uncapable of Preaching most of my People that had Horses went to Chichester to hear Mr. Hammond among whom precious Mrs. Mary Harrison was none of the backwardest But Oh! with what wonderful Refreshing and enlivening in her Inward Man did she return She presently come to my Bed-side and told me what a rich Cordial she had that day which was so Comforting so Ravishing to her she was even ready to break forth into the Virgin Mary's Extasie My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For verily Jehovah regarded the low Estate of this Hand-maiden and he that is mighty did great things to her that day in putting such a Word of Comfort and Support in the Mouth of his dear Servant for her Oh! Holy is his Name Mr. Hammond was upon that Text Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying yea I have loved thee with an Everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee
to you that are now Mourning To you that are now Weeping To you that are now so full of Sadness for this great and irreparable loss and that in the words of the same Apostle in the same Chapter verse 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words 3dly To you also of this Society my Brethren and Sisters of this Church I would next address my self on this awful Occasion And it is to beg you to have a deep sense of the Lords hand upon us in diminishing our number in Housing our little Flock apace But the last night we were in this place Solemnizing the Funeral of a precious and beloved Sister and now we are here at the Funeral of this triumphant Damsel 'T is true she was not actually a Member of ours but virtually and intentionally she was she walk'd with us sate down vvith us and really design'd if the Lord had spared her life to be dismiss'd to us and so to be wholly ours She extreamly delighted in this Society and dearly loved every one of you But we have now left her with several others of emminent use and worth which calls for no small Lamentation and therefore I may here justly make use of the Prophets words by way of Exhortation to you Jerem. 9. v. 17 18. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider ye and call for the Mourning-women that they may come and send for Cunning Women that they may come And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us that our Eyes may run down with Tears and our Eye-lids gush out with Waters Why what 's the matter What is it that calls for so much Mourning verse 21. For death is come up into our Windows and is entred into our palaces to cut off the Children from without and the young Men in the Streets Oh! How many lovely Children of God have of late been cut off in this place and now this young Flourishing Branch is so suddenly and so unexpectedly cut down from amongst us and we shall never see her more Oh How then for this sad and irreparable loss should we lament with Tears how should our Eyes be gushing out with Water for the Immature fading of so sweet a Flower Oh! Therefore from the sense of Gods displeasure in taking such Unvaluable Jewels from us Be afflicted mourn and Weep let your Laughter be turned into Mourning and your Joy into heaviness Though as to this Saint her self there is no need of it death is to her an unspeakable Gain And therefore Christs words to the Bewailing Women are applicable unto you Ye daughters of Jerusalem Weep not for me but for your selves and the Miseries that are coming upon You. Oh Methinks I hear her speaking aloud to all and every one of us in Davids Language Psal 34. v. 2.3.4 My Soul shall make her Boast in the Lord The humble shall hear thereof and be glad O Magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my Fears But for our own sakes there 's cause enough of Mourning especially from this awful consideration Accession to us does not answer the decession from us 4thly and lastly A word to all of you in this Congregation the Inhabitants of this Town and the parts adjacent And I will Preface what I have to say to you in the Words of Jotham to the Men of Shechem Judg. 9.7 Hearken I beseech you unto me that God may hearken unto you Some of you have seen all of you have heard what this deceased young Gentlewoman underwent for Heaven What Oceans of Troubles she vvas plunged in and what Fires of Soul-tribulations she was a long time burning in Now as Christ said to his Disciples Math. 18.2.3 And Jesus called a little Child unto him and set him in the midst of them And said verily I say unto you except ye be Converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So say I to all and every one here Old and Young Rich and Poor High and Low except ye go thorough the Pangs of the New-birth as this young Damsel did I do not say in that same degree of Horror and Agony for that few do but except you be as really Converted Changed Renewed and Born again as she was you will not nay you cannot enter into the Joys of Heaven when you Die for they are our Lord 's own Words and spoke as plain as plain can be Joh. 3.3 Except a Man any Man every Man be Born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Now this deserves your most deep and serious Consideration for there is a Kingdom of God to be enjoyed and a kingdom of darkness to be avoided And believe it Sirs Heaven is no Feigned Elizium Hell and Eternty is no dream the worm that never dies is no fond Conceit And you will shortly know what the one or the other means You will er'e long be summon'd to spend the Ages of Eternity amongst the blessed or damned and that in a very little time And so I shall close the whole alluding to the words of my Lord and Master with an earnest Exhortation to and fervent Supplication for each and every Soul of you here present Oh! That you would therefore know even you in this your day the things that belong to your everlasting peace before even before they be hid from your eyes And that for ever Two Hymns composed for her Funeral the former of which was publickly sung at the close of her Funeral I Sought the Lord and him I found He did regard my Tears When I lay prostrate on the Ground He freed me from my fears I wept with Sorrow Grief and Woe 'T is God that Mercy gives God made me cry out Oh! I know That my Redeemer Lives And lives to comfort my poor Heart Who did my State condole As finding such an horrid smart Within my wounded Soul But now I 'm eas'd I feel no pain Oh! then rejoyce with me That have found Death so sweet a Gain My Saviour now I see When I through Weakness pin'd away And fetch'd my latest Groan Christ sent his Angels to convey My Soul unto his Throne Oh! Halelujah Lord I am Ravish'd with Joy and Love In Bosome of blest Abraham With all the Saints above The other A Person young late dwelt among Vs Militants below Oppress'd with Fears immerg'd in Tears Which from her Eyes did flow Her Spirit sad with Sable clad To think upon her Soul The Storm was great the Billows beat And Deeps did on her roul So fierce the Stroke her Heart was broke Her inward Man deprest Both Night and Day she pin'd away And had not any Rest. Till God did please t' afford her ease 'T is he that Comfort gives Then in her Woe she cry'd I know My dear Redeemer Lives With this sweet Breath in view of Death She did her Life resign Now wrapt in Love with those above She gloriously does shine Rest holy Saint where no complaint Shall vex thee any more Possess that Peace which ne'er will cease On Canaan's blessed shore Oh! Halelu-Jah he is true At length he 'll surely come He 'll come away without delay And take his Mourners home FINIS
she imparted the Secrets of her Soul more fully more freely than to any one in the World besides I say in this respect 't is true none can be more fit because none knew so much of her as I did but for the proper and methodical wording it and making it palatable for this nice Age we live in none is or can be more unfit For besides as at best I always was far from an Orator the many Troubles I have met with in the Series of my Life some of which are not unknown to you to whom I have been for many Years so well known have so blunted the edge of my Fancy that I am scarce capable of Writing in a common Stile However to let you see what power you have over me I will expose my Weakness and lay my Breast open to every carping Zoilus and there be more than a few of them in every Corner to give you what Satisfaction I can in what you so passionately desire I had it in my Thoughts at the time of her Expiring to do something of this kind as far as my Abilities would reach for Publick Good but a very Melancholy Affair happening in my Church of which I have given you an account so took up my Time and Thoughts and had such an Ascendant on my Genius as quite damp'd my Spirit for this or indeed any other Work so I laid it aside and should have meddled no more in it had not your pathetical Letter awakened me out of the deep Slumber of Indifferency and Laodicean Temper that Tragical Business had cast me into And no sooner was I awake as I instantly was upon reading your Serious Lines but I took Pen in Hand and hastily drew up what you will see in the subsequent Leaves in which as you will find no Flourishes of Wanton Rhetorick to make this Tract look fine and gawdy so I promise you you shall meet with no Additions or Luxuriant Excressencies that may justly subject it to the odious Name of Romantick You may depend on my word as a Christian as a Minister every Passage recorded in the following Narrative relating to this Heavenly Creature is really true and that to my own knowledge as I shall answer it at the Great Day And therefore I shall make bold to use the Apostle's words That which we have seen with our Eyes that which we have look'd upon that which we have both seen and heard declare we unto you I have this great Advantage amongst many Disadvantages and it is such an Encouragement without which I think I should not have dared to undertake the Task you enjoyn me Most of the People of God in these Parts very well knew the Person of whom I write and frequently discoursed with her and much admir'd the great Work of God in her To them I can and do chearfully appeal concerning my Faithfulness and Integrity in this Work and I dare say they will blame me for under not over-speaking and accuse me for being too low in the Character I give of her And that I fall short of what might honestly and with Truth be said on this subject And it is on this hand that I desire always to be found erring Many things have slip'd my Memory for I kept no Diary and some things that to many would appear incredible I have purposely omitted If therefore diminutive Truth without straining or indeed using an Hyperbole if naked Truth without any Ornamental Imbroidery will satisfie you I have no reason to despair your accepting my Performance notwithstanding it is accompanied and clogg'd with so much obvious Weakness As to the Person of Mrs. Mary Harrison which you seem in the first place inquisitive about she was one of an amiable Countenance though something pale very slender of a middle Stature neither too tall nor short curiously shap'd in the Proportion of her Body but Sickly and Weekly in her Constitution The Earthly Tabernacle her Soul so-journ'd in was very brittle and infirm and quickly with a little Fit of Sickness dissolv'd to her unspeakable gain for now she has a far better a much stronger Building of God an House not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens She was of a quick Understanding and had excellent Parts both Natural and Acquir'd fit almost for any Business proper to her Sex of a mild and sweet Nature exceeding Courteous and Obliging in her Carriage But for the Frame of her Spirit before Conversion which you also desire some account of I should in this wholly disobey you and draw a shadowing Curtain over it But for the magnifying of Free-Grace extended to so Poor a Creature I will tell you the Truth and the whole Truth of her without hiding any part of her dark side or extenuating that Deformity too obvious to all that knew her She was a meer lump of Pride and Vanity very Carnal and Ignorant as to any thing of Soul-concerns delighting in nothing more than to satisfie the Pride of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and to uphold the Pride of a Vain Life Hence she affected with too great an eagerness fine Cloaths and the newest Fashions and being Heiress of a competent Estate she never thought she was Gawdy enough in her Attire of which her Mother often and with great Sadness of Heart complained to me Her chiefest Diversion was to be in vain and frothy Company at Weddings and Merry-meetings or going to Feasts as young People use to do 'T is true she was a constant Hearer ever since I came to the Place but 't was only in a formal customary way or because her Parents came or to see who was finest or to be seen in her finery her self It could not be out of any love to the Word for alas she never relish'd it nor tasted the Savor of it nor for any regard to her poor Soul for alas she had no sense of its Worth and Preciousness nor for any desire to be brought unto Christ for alas she was wholly Ignorant of him and might say truly what Peter said falsly She knew not the Man She was in the Flesh and did mind the things of the Flesh and not at all the things of the Spirit She looked not at the things that are not seen but only at the things that are seen She knew no higher End than the pleasing a wanton Fancy nor desired any greater Good than the sinful Pleasures that a vain World affords In a word She walked as other Gentiles yea as all the Unconverted walk in the Vanity of their mind Having her Vnderstanding darkened being alienated from the Life of God through the Ignorance that was in her because of the Blindness of her Heart On this account she was a perfect Stranger to me for though I had liv'd in the Town many Years I had no manner of Knowledge of her or Acquaintance with her any farther than seeing her at Meeting or being sometimes accidentally in her company among others She never
according to their various Apprehensions and Inclinations the Vain and Carnal ones thought she was in Love and upon that Theam the Spicket of their Tongues were loosned to vent the Froth of their Hearts Indeed their thoughts about Love was not amiss only they were miserably mistaken both in the Nature and in the Object of it the Byass of her Affections ran towards an unseen Jesus whom the World never knew and as a Chaos of Darkness cannot comprehend Her deep Care and Concern was for her Immortal Soul which all that are in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bond of Iniquity and all of the World are so have no Thought or Anxiety about 'T is present not future Happiness that they are in the eager pursuit of But the People of God in these Parts who had passed through the Pangs of the New Birth themselves and therefore capable of judging her Condition very well knew the Nature of her Distemper and the unexpressibleness of her Woe according to Sol mon's Apothegm The Spirit of a Man may sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear These I say pittied her and heartily sympathized with her in her Spiritual Dolours and they arose every one from his own place like Job's Friends and came to bemoan her and to comfort her for they saw the Grief of her Soul was very great And indeed she had a very large room beyond whatever I knew of one under her Circumstances in the Hearts and Affections of the best Saints amongst us abundantly manifested in their frequent Visiting her and inviting her to their Houses taking no small Pains with her to strengthen her feeble Knees to support her fainting Spirits and to refresh her wearied Soul pined away almost to Death by communicating their Experiences of God's working upon their Hearts in the day of his first appearing to them when he opened their Eyes and turned them from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God and gave them a joyful Sense of the Forgiveness of their Sins and a comfortable Taste of the Inheritance which they shall for ever have among them that are Sanctified by Faith which is in Christ Jesus And what Refreshments after many sad and sore Conflicts they particularly found from the Presence of the Lord reflecting on them with the Rays of his Beauty and the Beams of his Glory and what Comfortable Dawnings yea Ravishing Shinings they very often had after a dark stormy night And this every one did according to the Measure of their Attainment and Experience They all as Fliphaz Bildad and Zophaz spake unto her by turns and then they all return'd to speak unto her but though in their reiterated speaking they said all this yea more than this yet it had little or no Effect upon her she remain'd notwithstanding all possible Endeavours used and unwearied Pains taken by many Precious Sons and Daughters of Zion in a very distressed and disconsolate State even Mourning as one without hope She seem'd in her mournful Gesture and doleful Behaviour to speak in the Sad and Melancholy Language of the Church Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Behold and see if there be any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce Anger From above hath he sent Fire into my Bones and it prevailed against them He hath spread a Net for my Feet he hath turned me back he hath made me Desolate and Faint all the day For these things I Weep mine Eye runneth down with Water because the Comforter that should relieve my Soul is far from me And again I am that Maid that hath seen Affliction by the Rod of his Wrath. He hath led me and brought me into Darkness but not into Light Surely against me is he turned he hath turned his Hand against me all the day My Flesh and my Skin hath he made old he hath broken my Bones He hath budded against me and compassed me with Gall and Travel He hath set me in dark places as they that be dead of old He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my Chain heavy Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my Prayer These Oh! these were the Hierogliphick Bemoanings of her Soul in every minute Circumstance of her Carriage Indeed her watry Eyes her pale Cheeks her ghastly Countenance her trembling Joynts the great Disorder and Confusion of her outward and inward Man mournfully spoke in a silent yet pathetical Dialect what Job spoke with his Lips Have pitty upon me O ye my Friends have pitty upon me for the Hand of God hath touched me Though this was the Language of her mournful Gesture to all that were near her yet was not her Mouth closed she articulately spoke many bitter and doleful things Truly it would have melted an Heart of Stone I am sure it did mine to have heard her daily Bemoanings and her nightly Lamentations And that in a Tone as I have sometimes verily thought scarcely Humane She had no delight in any thing no ease in her Spirit no Satisfaction in her Mind no Comfort alone or in Company Her Harp was turned into Mourning and her Organ into the Voice of them that Weep She was made to possess Months of Vanity and wearisome nights were appointed for her She was full of tossings to and fro to the dawning of the day Hence it was she could not refrain her Mouth but did grievously speak in the Anguish of her Spirit and lamentably complain in the Bitterness of her Soul How often would she cry out there was none in the World so bad as she my Heart is harder than any Body can conceive or possibly imagine I do not I cannot love Christ or have any desire after him I am as dry as a Stick as Sapless as a Stone I cannot believe I cannot repent I cannot Pray I have not one good thought and therefore it cannot otherwise be but I must Perish for ever In these dolorous Bemoanings she even wasted and pined away She was weary with her Groaning all the night she made her Bed to swim yea she water'd her Couch with her Tears Her Eye was consumed because of Grief it waxed old because of the Enemy of her Salvation who provoked her to Despondency and to a roaring out for Sorrow because the Lord had hid his Face from her and left her to struggle with those Temptations of Horror that like the Sons of Zerviah were too hard for her And though many excellent Saints and experienced Christians as the Sons and Daughters of Jacob upon Joseph's supposed Death arose to comfort her and left no means unessay'd in order thereunto yet she like Jacob refused to be comforted and seemed with him resolved to go to the Grave Mourning Thus he wept thus she mourn'd as one that had no hope and that continually Her Chamber was a perfect Rama where no
time of horrid and unheard of Temptation with poor Jonah Oh! what could he think and to be sure the Devil was not wanting to push him on to such Thoughts but that he was a Cast-away since God in his great Displeasure had imprison'd him in the bulky Walls of such an horrid Dungeon as never any Humane Creature was in before him Surely for this his Heart must needs be grieved for this he must needs be pricked in the Reins As Asaph said of himself Psalm 73.21 Yet notwithstanding this dreadful Temptation his Mouth was enlarged in Supplication for even then he prayed Thirdly This Then implies a time of some Glimpses of Gospel-Light For alas if he had not had some Rayes of Redeeming Love in that dark hideous hole he would not he could not with such Fervency have prayed unto God For in Death Ay and in despairing Darkness too there is no remembrance of God and in the Grave or in the horrible Pit of Despondency who can give him Thanks Psalm 6.5 So that Jonah in the Darksome Cavities of the Whales Belly through some little Cranny saw the dawning Light of Divine Favour Fourthly This Then also implies that Jonah had some Sense and Apprehension of his being safe in the main however dangerous his present State seem'd to be And 't is more than probable his being miraculously preserv'd so long a space of time as three days and three nights in such a gloomy Prison did not a little contribute to his so conceiving For he did not Pray as a Stranger but as one that knew God and had some dependence on his Mercy and therefore might breathe in David's Language Psalm 116.16 O Lord truly for all thou hast dealt so strangely with me I am thy Servant I am thy Servant and the Son of thy Handmaid thou wilt loose my Bonds Persons may be under very sad and dismal Circumstances and yet be safe in the main From the time I passed to the Act He prayed and shewed what he prayed for First He breathed after Freedom and Deliverance from his miserable Condition So Israel in their Anguish begged Moses to Pray to the Lord to take away the Serpents from them Numb 21.7 So Paul besought the Lord thrice that the Temptation might depart from him 2. Cor. 12.8 When any poor Soul is surrounded with Affliction either outward or inward it is his Interest as well as Duty to be Praying hard for Deliverance The Apostolical Rule is If any Man be afflicted let him Pray Secondly Jonah prayed for Strength to bear that Weight and Pressure of Grief under which he was then groaning Thus David prayed in the Bitterness of his Soul when under the Scorching of the Fiery Furnace Psalm 25.16 Turn thee unto me and have Mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted This turning includes God's coming towards him with help and assistance to inable him to bear what he was pleased to lay upon him Till God does deliver we should Pray for supporting Grace that we may not dishonour him in the Hour of Temptation Thirdly Jonah Prayed that is he humbly expostulated with his God concerning the present and unparallell'd Dispensation Thus we find Job often expostulating under his sore and severe Tryals So also Heman Psalm 77.7 Will the Lord cast off for ever Will he be favourable no more q. d. Thou lovest thy People with an everlasting Love and is there a Termination of this Love to me Oh! Clear up the meaning of this awful Providence of bringing my Soul into such Shades of hideous Darkness as to make me question the Continuance of thy Favour We may plead upon Gospel-Topicks we may expostu ate upon Gospel-grounds in an humble debased manner it is our Priviledge so to do when God's Hand is hard upon us Fourthly Jonah prayed for Faith for operative Faith in the Power and Goodness of God in this time and under this Dispensation Thus the Father of the Child prayed with Tears in his Eyes Lord I believe help thou my Vnbelief Oh! in time of Trouble we should Pray for the Faith the Leper had of whom we find it recorded Matt. 8.2 3. And behold there came a Leper and worshipped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him saying I will be thou clean and immediately his Leprosie was cleansed Ah! what Encouragement have we to Pray for Faith in God's Power for that there is no Leprous State but he can heal I next viewed the second Verse which runs thus And said I cryed by reason of mine Affliction unto the Lord and he heard me cut of the Belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardest my voice From whence I took notice of two words here which Jonah made use of to set forth his present State Affliction and Hell First Affliction I cryed by reason of mine Affliction On which I grounded the following Conclusions First God knows every thing and every Circumstance belonging to the Affliction of poor Creatures It had been in vain for Jonah to have cryed to the Lord in his Affliction if God had not known his Affliction yea all and every part of it Leah called the first Son she bare Jacob Reuben Gen. 29.32 which signifies the Vision of the Son or the Son of Vision For he the Lord saw and knew her Affliction in being less esteemed by her Husband than Rachel We also read Exod. 3.7 And the Lord said I have surely seen the Affliction of my People which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for I know their Sorrows Oh! what a mighty Encouragement is it to cry to that God in our Affliction who knows every thing of our Affliction Secondly God hears the groaning Cries and bemoaning Lamentations of poor Souls under the heavy weight and pressure of Affliction Jonah here acknowledges God heard his Cry so he heard Hagar's Sighing and Sobbing in the Sense of her great Affliction when she wholly disconsolate and full of Heart-perplexing Grief was wandering in the Wilderness Gen. 16.11 And observe what he says of bemoaning Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have Mercy upon him saith the Lord. Ah! this is Comfort indeed to the greatest Mourners upon what account soever they are in a mourning State that God knows their Sorrows Thirdly God has a gracious End and Design towards all that are his in their greatest
and cannot see any Rays of Divine Light Fourthly Oh! Then even in such a State God is with poor Creatures though they may not know it As he was with Jonah in the Whales Belly Joseph was in a sad Condition and without doubt not a little dejected in Spirit when he was put in Prison in a strange Land among a strange People far from his Father's House But the Lord was with Joseph Gen. 39.21 And so he is with all his Suffering ones He is with them to uphold them that they may not be wholly crush'd by Satan's Assaults and to help them to quench all the fiery Darts of the evil one which he will most certainly do in his own time We have his positive word for it Isa 41.14 Fear not thou Worm Jacob and ye Men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel Though you find no help at present yet God will help you if you look to him according to his Promise for he is with you Fifthly Then God can open a Door of Comfort even in such a State as he did to Jonah here in the Whales Belly For his looking toward the Holy Temple implies no less As it was said of Ezra Neh. 8.5 And Ezra opened the Book in the sight of all the People for he was above all the People and when he opened it all the People stood up So when the blessed God who is over all and above all shall open a Door of Hope and such a Door he will open to every Mourner in Zion all his dejected ones that are now groveling in the Dust shall stand up yea they shall lift up their languishing Eyes as knowing and plainly seeing their Redemption draweth nigh See Oh! see what an overflowing Fulness there is in the Promise as to this Hâ—s 2.14 15. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her And I will give her her Vineyards from thence and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope and she shall sing there as in the days of her Youth and as in the day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt You see what God has promised to do and he has promised no more than he can do than he has done than he will do to all that are in Bitterness of Soul and do with patience wait for him Sixthly Oh! Then such a State may be in order to the fitting us more for God more for his Will and Pleasure as Jonah's being in the Whales Belly was in order to a better fitting and disposing him to deliver that Message he at first declined We are told Psalm 5.5 The Foolish shall not stand in thy sight We are all Fools by Nature and we cannot stand in God's sight nor do him any Service till our Folly be purged out by the Fire of some Spiritual Tryal We have a famous Story in the Gospel of a Woman of Canaan Matt. 5.22 c. who was frown'd upon in her approach to Jesus called Dog put off a great while with many other Discouragements and kept in the dark without being taken notice of to the Wonder of the Disciples But 't was all the more to fit her for that Mercy our Lord Jesus design'd to bestow upon her Oh! that all in Spiritual Trouble would believe that God is in and by that Trouble the more preparing them for himself and the Reception of his special Grace and Favour Seventhly Then in such a State God may be working for us even whilst he is laying his heavy Hand upon us As God was working Deliverance for Jonah even then when he cast him into the Whales Belly God was with David whithersoever he went 2 Sam. 7.9 and was working for him in the lowest Ebb of his Affairs yea when he was crying out I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul So in like manner he was working for Jacob when the good old Man thought his Condition most deplorable Gen. 42.36 And Jocob their Father said unto them me have ye bereaved of my Children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin away Ad these things are against me Whereas the Event shews that every one of these things did wonderfully make for him Ah! How much would the Belief of this Truth lighten the Load of Spiritual Trouble how heavy soever it seems to be Eighthly and lastly Oh! Then such a State may be and yet no real Anger in God towards the Creature It was in Love not Anger that God put Jonah in the Whales Belly God was not angry with Abraham when he took away his Wife from him Gen. 23.4 No more is he with those many poor Souls under the Oppression of Spiritual Grief whom he wounds with the Wounds of an Enemy and with the Chastisements of a cruel one hedâ—ing up their way with Thorns and filling them for a time with Woe and Bitterness And he sufficiently manifests that he is not angry by the Conclusion of his Work upon all such which is excellently set forth in Zech. 13.9 And I will bring the third part through the Fire and will refine 〈◊〉 as Silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will heâ—r them I will say it is my People and they shall say the Lord is my God Tho' you are in the Fire if the Lord will as nothing more sure than that he will refine you by the Fire Though you are in Darkness and walk as in the Shadow of Death for the present And if the Lord will as most certainly he will e'er long say Thou art my Child And if God will make you as all that you now endure is in order to it e'er long say The Lord is my God yea The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my Song he also is become my Salvation Then there is no Anger in the present Dispensation how grievous and lamentable soever it may seem to be And this I verily believe and that upon good grounds even Scripture-grounds will be the Event Wait but a little have Patience for a while and you will joyfully find it so to be Amen and Amen Thus I have given you a brief Account of what was that day more largely insisted upon and more particularly applied to her for whose sake it was studied and to whom in a more especial manner it was delivered After all was over I had some private Discourse with her much longing to know how it was with her whither any thing had affected her And to my no little refreshing I found her in a more calm composed Frame than I had ever seen her before since the beginning of her Troubles And at that time or a very little after she told me with some Pleasingness of Aspect which I observ'd in her Countenance Sâ—e believ'd she should believe though she could not yet I do not remember she had any
To give him Satisfaction next time I preach'd on the Week-day several Members coming into my House after Sermon as also Mrs. Mary Harrison I then broke the business to them and desired them to give me their Thoughts upon it Every one spoke his Mind some were violent against it others more moderate on the foregoing Considerations but in short they went away without coming to any Result After they were gone precious Mrs. Mary I shall never forget it took me by the Hand and with Tears in her Eyes very earnestly spoke the following words Good Dear Sir beat off my Brother Betsworth from going to the Wedding and I will do what I can to make up his loss These were her very words but the manner of speaking them and the Agony of her Spirit in speaking them is above the power of a far better Pen than mine lively to set forth The other Story is In the days of her Vanity before God touch'd her Heart seeing the Key in her Father's Desk or Trunk she took thence some Money under twenty Shillings to buy her some fine things on which her Mind was wholly set with the greatest eagerness that could be But Oh! what an unspeakable Horror had she in her Conscience for this in the day of her Conviction she often complain'd or rather roar'd about it to me that she was a Thief and had stolen Money from her Father The Devil was not wanting to aggravate the matter for the farther perplexing her already too much disturbed Soul At last she told me she must tell her Father of it and ask him Forgiveness for it I confess I laboured to disswade her from it fearing he being her Father-in-Law it might be of bad Consequence Telling her that though it was very ill done yet being several Years since and she one of the Family I thought a thorough Sense of the Evil of it which 't was plain she had and seeking Pardon oâ— God in the Blood of Christ was sufficient for though Confession of Wrong done in other cases was necessary yet Prudence forbade it in this case under her Circumstances and the state of the Family Several knowing Christians to whom she communicated this Affair concur'd with my Judgment but this did not Satisfy her she still persisted in her Resolution of confessing it to her Father And one Night as I was with her late after Prayer being about to leave her she told me she would not nor could not keep this thing any longer from her Father's Knowledge she had such a Fire burning in her Conscience which was not to be quenched till she did it I reply'd If that was her absolute Determination I desir'd I might be by to back it not knowing how her Father might resent it To which she consenting we sent down for him but he was either Busie with Company or at Supper and I not being willing to stay longer it was defer'd till next day But after I was gone and the Family with her self also in Bed about Midnight so powerful and influential was her terrifying Conscience she rose up and as I think slipping on her Night-gown ran to her Father's Chamber and approaching his Bedside in a penitential heart-moving Tone confess'd her Guilt to him upon hearing of it He to his honour like a generous honest tender-hearted Man freely forgave her to her no small Comfort The next day after Dinner at the Hour appointed I went to her expecting the performance of what she had been so long harping upon but when she told me she had already done it and where and in what manner Oh! how was my Soul struck with Amazement I presently thought on Solomon's words Prov. 14.10 The heart knoweth his own Bitterness and a Stranger doth not intermeddle with his Joy O blessed God thought I how does this young Convert outstrip those of the highest Form in thy House I confess I had much higher thoughts of her and much lower thoughts of my self ever after that Day But stay I am call'd to Hearken and Oh! that you and all that read this Tract would Hearken with me to what John heard Rev. 14.17 And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Ah! this holy Virgin is One of the blessed Dead that do rest from her Labours of Sorrow and Anguish for Sin and her Works of Faith Repentance and Love do follow her This heavenly Lamb when she escap'd the Gin That Satan laid and after was let in Jehovah's Courts Oh! how she dreaded Sin Its Fear did pierce her Soul and made her Body thin Seventhly As after Conviction she had a dread of Sin of any Sin so more especially of her own Sin of her former beloved Sin Pride Certainly never was any Creature below a Glorify'd State more Mortify'd to that particular Sin than she was Oh with what Loathing Abhorrence and Disdain would She speak of it David accounted it an undeceivable mark of Sincerity that he was got above his darling Lust Psalm 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity What David's Iniquity was I may Guess but not Conclude but this I am sure Pride was hers And she through the mighty power of Grace kept her self from it It was her right Eye and she was enabled to pluck it out it was her right Hand and she had power from God to cut it off that she might be fit for the Kingdom of God Mat. 5.29 30. From the day of her Conviction when the terrors of the Almighty took hold of her off went her Top-Knots and all superfluous Finery and never put on more what was her Glory before was her Shame now Her adorning was no longer the outward adorning of plaiting the hair the wearing of Gold or putting on of Apparel but the hidden Man of the heart in that which is not Corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great Price Oh that all the young Ladies and Gentlewomen in England had seen her ghastly Looks and heard how dolefully she bemoan'd her self for her horrid Pride which was once so Rampant in her It could not I think but be an effectual Antidote against their staying so long at the Glass and being so curiously exact in decking and adorning the outside of their decaying Bodies Oh! if they had beheld as I and many others did how dear and costly this Sin was to this young Damsel they would sure be more afraid of it She was weeping and Crying and continually Lamenting the pride of her vain heart But as it is said of the Church she had the Moon that is the World under her feet so this precious Saint had at last the Sin of Pride under her feet and Oh! how did she trample upon it how did she contemn and despise it In
blessing God for you You had the Satisfaction to see her in her latest Hours the very night she died which was a great Comfort to her Friends and though she was under a Cloud at that Moment yet a little after you left her the Cloud was dispell'd and she was in a Transport of Glory and went to Heaven in a Chariot of Triumph She had Beauty for Ashes the Oil of Joy for Mourning the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness and she is now a Tree of Righteousness the Planting of the Lord that he may be for ever Glorified in the aboundant Riches of his Grace and Mercy towards her and with whom she is and ever will be glorified to all Eternity And now my Dear my very Dear Brother I hope your Candid Eye will overlook the many Imperfections of these Scribbling Lines and cover with the Mantle of Charity what you see amiss in the subsequent Tract And I hope also none will be so unjust to entitle you to the Weaknesses and Impertinencies appearing therein because your Name is inscribed to it The good Lord increase your eminent Gifts add to your Matchless Zeal inflame your ardent Love that you may Shine more and more in Doctrine and Conversation till you are call'd to Shine in the Celestial Constellation above and till after all your Pious Endeavours and Faithful Labours in your Lord's Vineyard you hear that Blessed Sound from your Lord's Lips whose Mouth is most comfortably Sweet in the day of Grace and will be ravishingly so in the day of Glory Well done Good and Faithful Servant thou hast been Faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into thy Master's Joy Go on as you have begun through the good Hand of your God upon you in the Power and Spirit of Elias to turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children that is to inflame the Hearts of Parents with a Desire and Longing after the Salvation of their Children And the Disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just that is Those who have stood out against Gospel-Light and Truth Now to see that closing with Christ in a Gospel-way and to seek to be made Righteous by an imputed Righteousness is the only Spiritual Wisdom And to make ready a People prepared for the Lord that is To Convince People that they are Lost and Undone in themselves and to perswade them without looking for any previous Qualifications to cast their naked Souls before the Lord Jesus to be cloathed upon with his Righteousness which only must be their Happiness if ever they are made Happy So committing you to the Protection of our Dear Redeemer in whom I desire to be esteemed as unfeignedly I am Your most Affectionate though unworthy Brother C. Nicholetts TO THE New-gather'd Church of Christ according to the Gospel-Order in Chichester Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Beloved Friends AS I with all the People of God in these Parts did Rejoyce in and heartily Congratulate your Associating together in the Bond and Fellowship of the Gospel so we fervently Pray this lively Beginning with such ardent Zeal Courage and Faithfulness to the Interest of your and our Lord and Master may have a Prosperous Progression in your building up in the way of Holiness and Righteousness that you may abound more and more in every Good Work and be to the Praise of his Grace who has called you out of Darkness into this marvelous Light It was very delightful to us to hear that you the Children of Judah did go in good earnest Weeping as you went to seek the Lord your God with your whole Heart and with your whole Soul and that you did ask the way to Zion with your Faces thither-ward and did unanimously say one to another Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten And accordingly did enter into a Solemn Covenant to live and walk together as Brethren in the Rule and Order of the Gospel and that under the strictest Obligation to obey all the Precepts and to rely upon all the Promises thereof You gave your selves first unto the Lord and then to one another by the Will of God which Coalition I think was of God Did I say I think so Pray give me that word back again and I will give you a better in the room of it I know and am well assured it was of God and have stronger Reasons to produce when called thereunto for my Confidence than the fiercest of your Opposers how Learned soever they may think themselves can answer One reason is this and it is such an one as all but Atheists will acknowledge to have weight in it God so far owning you and so signally honouring you in your first waiting upon the Lord at his Table in a Church-State as to shine down from between the Cherubims amongst you on this Precious I had almost said Peerless Saint this young Daughter of Abraham whose Life is under review who was one of you giving up her self to God in the same Covenant with you at the very time of which she saw that Light she never beheld before It was on your Shoar this fluttering Dove first found a place to rest the Sole of her Foot it was from the Mount of your Moriah this abject Daughter of Zion first pluck'd an Olive-branch of Peace and brought it in her Mouth She departed from us to you a Mara she came back from you to us a Naomi she went out empty but returned full and at her return she had Peace in the inward and Joy did shine in the Face of her outward Man whilst she was with us she was Sowing in Tears with you was her Harvest of Comfort and she returned with great Rejoycing bringing her Sheaves with her Now as Manoah's Wife argued in another Case If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a Burnt-offering and a Meat-offering at our Hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would as at this time have told us such things as these So I may argue in this If God was displeased with you or if you were out of God's way If the Fervor of your Zeal was mingled with the Leaven of Spleen and Prejudice if you were influenced to this Imbodying by Church-dividing Principles I say if any of these things much more if all these things were so as your Adversaries with more Spite than Reason with more Malice than shew of Truth do alledge against you Would God have so filled your first Assembling with the Glory of his Presence as to bruise Satan under the Feet of this dejected Damsel that had been so long Rampant in her and to speak effectual Peace to her down-cast Soul who since the hour of her first Conviction never knew what a Moments Peace was before Now he that can infer a wrong way or God's