upon him my nature that he might become my Lord and King Saviour and Redeemer who brake the doors of Brass rescued me from the Rape of Hellish furies cast them out delivered my darling soul from the power of the Dog and barred the Gate that he could enter no more to stuff my thoughts with his detestable injections although he attempted a return Thou hast thrust fore at me oh mine enemy that I might fall but the Lord helped me many a time may I now say have these things afflicted me from my youth many a time have they afflicted me from my youth yet they have not prevailed against me The Plowers plowed upon my back they made long their furrows but the righteous Lord he hath cut asunder the cords of the weeked one I was brought low and the Lord helped me He hath delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Oh Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever CHAP. V. Concluding the whole experiment with an account of the unconceivable sweetness of divine consolations the usual consequent of long and sort temptations a more then abundant reason to abide Gods leisure under the heavy load of dâ—sertions Of the cause of writing ANd now at last when the Lord my Lord of whom the Father said sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy foot-stoolâ— had set my soul at freedom by his mighty power he sent his blessed spirit the holy Ghost that most glorious self evidencing and sweet comforter whose sweetness no heart can conceive but he who hath tasted how good he is who shewed me from the Father and his blessed Son that all the miseries afore mentioned pressing me down were the delusions of Satan and whereas he intended to have made me a shame and reproach to all that should know or hear of my overthrow that now my God hath taken advantage of the greatness of my sins thereby to magnifie his mercy in pardoning thereof according to my cry in the day of my distress and that now I was of Abrahams Family numbred among the spiritual Children of Abraham a priviledge which I often especially under my troubles prized highly and desired earnestly to be partaker off The blessed spirit bearing witness of these things wrought in my soul such unconceiveable joy that in the words of Thomas I cryed out my Lord and my God so ravishing were the kisses of those divine lips of love that my heart was silled with joy unspeakable and glorious my mouth with laughter my body much weakened by the anguish and horror of my soul so that I kept my Chamber for many dayes together was now revived and my youth renewed as the Eagle that casteth her Beak so that I became as lightsome as if I had not known sorrow to the great admiration of my Friends who had known my long confinement to my Chamber by reason of sorrow and heavyness My heart my sorrowful heart of which I was wont to cry out None so fad none so disquieted as thou was now through the joy of the Lord quite altered The spirit of my God now covering me with the glorious robes of his Sons righteousness turned my mourning into dancing put off my Sackcloath and girded me with gladness gave me a garment of praise for the spirit of heavyness so that then and since being upheld by the same hand I could say I carry about me a chearful heart and a much more healthy body notwithstanding the great disappointments I in my worldly condition then met with and still lye under Being now enabled by faith to apprehend my self justified through the righteousness of God even the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputeth to poor sinners the guilt the obligation of my sins to punishment being taken away I can now through the tender mercy of God whereby the day spring from on high hath visited me comfortably give a challenge to Death and the Grave Oh Death where is thy sting oh Grave where is thy victory my dear Lord having ransomed me from the power and fear of the grave and helping me in despight of him that hath the power of death that is the Devil to look upon my self as one of those whom God the Father hath given to the Son as part of the travaile of his soul so that the Lord Christ delights in me as the gift of his Father and the purchase of his own bloud And my God loveth me with the same love wherewith he loveth his Son and all the promises of grace made to sinners in the holy word through Jesus Christ I have an interest in and expect to have fulfilled to me as far as it shall tend to his glory and my good He that gave me his Son will freely also give me all good things Well may I therefore take up the words of the Prophet Oh Lord I will praise thee for though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortedst me For the iniquity of my soul thou wast wroth with me and smotâ—st me but now thou hast healed me and restored comforts to me the Lord Jehovah is my strength and song he also is become my salâ—ation I waited patiently for the Lord and he encâ—â—ned his ear to me and heard my cry he drew my feet out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and hath set me upon a Rock and established my goings What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits I will call upon him as long as I live I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people When the Lord Jesus is pleased to go away to withdraw the comfortable warm beams of his love and presence from the sight and sence of his poor people Joh. 16.6 like the Apostles their hearts are filled with heavyness they think every day a week and every week a month and every month a year the time seemeth tedious till he return till he lifteth up the light of his countenance till he restores comforts to them like the mother of Sisera they are putting forth their heads crying why are his Chariot wheels so long in coming But oh that such would remember what I now find that it is expedient for them that he should sometimes go away from them withholding his consolations for the holy Ghost the Comforter shall one time or other come to such as wait for it with such joy and peace that passeth all understanding of eye ear and heart of man And then long time spent in waiting shall seem but a little moment Is 40 2. and they shall receive double pay for all the punishments of their iniquities The Children of this world in this are wiser in their generation then the Children of light no discouragement of wind or rain can make them forbear their seasons of sowing in hope nor can the interposition of many perillous months delay work a dissolution of the hope that
why say you my way is hidden from the Lord and my judgement passed over of my God know you not or have you not heard that the everlasting God the Lords of the ends of the Earth is neither weary nor fainteth but giveth strength to him that fainteth the young men shall faint and be weary but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and lift up their wings as the Eagle they shall run and not faint In that day when the Mountains of the Lords house shall be established above the Mountains of the Earth for which glorious day I shall not cease to pray for O thou eternal being of beings whose name is Jehovah the Lord of Hosts who hast made the Heavens the earth the great sea and all the Creatures therein for the manifesting of thy blessed self in thine excellency that so by the displaying of thy glorious attributes we might know thy power wisdom and goodness and fear thy great and glorious name and truly Lord thou hadst done a most sweet work in the day wherein thou beheldst the works of thy hands and said they were very good O the great engagements of love and obedience thou hast laid upon us in that day when thou hadst advanced us and made us not only Lords of the works of thine hands and for our use putting all things in subjection under our feet but making us after thine own Image in righteousness and holiness whereby thou didst enable us to the performance of worship and obedience thou requirest at our hands But O the great dishonour and Rebellion we acted against thee our Creator in breaking thy holy Law which thou gavest us to keep as the Tryal of our obedience and by giving more credit unto Sathan in believing him and what he said then the threatnings of thee our God and therefore O Lord how righteous wast thou in thy judgements upon them and us their posterity in delivering us into the hands of Satan so that we who came from their loins came so deformed with that cursed Image of Satan that we are born thine enemies children of wrath and heirs of vengeance and bringing upon our selves a woful necessity of sinning against thee O Lord how justly mightest thou laid upon our first Parents and we their posterity to have born thy righteous punishments for ever without Redemption But blessed Lord thou didst in judgement remember mercy in condescending to treat with our Parents letting out that gratious promise That the seed of the woman should break the serpents head revealing mercy by a second Adam to come and so entring into a new covenant not of works but of grace that believing in him we should have eternal Life O gratious Father how didst thou magnifie thy mercy over the works of thine hands and didst do a work more wonderful then the Creation in giving the eternal word the brightness of thy glory the express Image of thy self thine only begotten Son by an eternal generation to take upon him the nature of man and to be born of the blessed Virgin that so he might by an Hupostatical union joy the humanity to the diety that so he might be enabled to undergo the work of mans Redemption a work so wonderful that all the Angels could not have devised and into which they pry into with admiration that thereby he might make such an attonement that might satisfie for the sins of man to the utmost and that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Eternal Life And now dear Father thou hast given us the word of reconciliation the witness of thy truth wherein thou hast made known to us that thou hast given us eternal Life by Jesus Christ that immaculate Lamb of God who hath laid down his Life upon the Cross to answer thy justice and by his sufferings merits and Righteousness Resurrection from Death to Life hath cancelled the Law of condemnation taking down the wall of partition and making admission for sinners to come to the Throne of Grace with boldness And now hast given us pretious promises that what we ask in the name of thy son shall be done for us And now dear Father of Heaven what was I or my Fathers family but a sinful generation of men That thou shouldst choose me to salvation before the world was and in due time to call me to the knowledge of this mistery of mans Redemption and by the witness of thy word and blessed spirit should seal unto me the pardon of sin in the day when thou deliveredst me out of the hands of that roaring Lyon And after my seeking thy face for many years with doubtings and fears under many desertions and dreadful temptations and many various dispensations which thou most blessed God hast turned all to my advantage breaking into my Soul with so much love that I know not whom of the sons of men did ever receive a greater mercy And now Lord of thy goodness hast called me from the ways of the world to be of the number of those whom thou hast chosen to eternal Life and therefore having tasted so abundantly of thy strange Love a Love to admiration a Love we are not able to apprehend in the acknowledgement whereof and that I might declare what a God thou art according to mine engagement and that I might exalt thy glorious name and declare thy loving kindness to me to the ends of the earth have made bold to present these lines to the publick view for the magnifying of thy mercies to me the worst of the sons of men and the greatest of sinners if thou shouldest charge my sins upon me and be thou pleased to accept of what I have written in good part and let thy blessing so go along with it that the delusions methods devices and temptationt of Sathan that old cunning Serpent may be so discovered to poor souls that lye under his cruelty may receive advantage thereby When they shall read this small discourse of thy gratious actings with me O let thy blessing be upon iâ— that they may receive comfort thereby that thy goodness may be magnâ—fied which thou knowest Lord to be the only cause I have given it to the publick view who never thought my namâ— should have appeared in such a way And now dear Father I humbly beseech thee manifest thy glorious Gospel of thy Son to the ends of the Earth that all Nations may know thou art a God through Jesus Christ forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and to that end I humbly beseech thee fulfill thy word in pouring out thy indignation upon that whore of Babylon who hath dyed her garments red in the blood of the Saints that we may say Babylon Babylon is fallen and upon all the powers that oppose the righteous Scepter of thy Son the Gospel whom thou hast made King of Kings and Lord of Lords and hast given him the Heathen for his inheritance and the utmost ends of the earth for his possession who
GODS Wonderful MERCY IN THE MOUNT of woful EXTREMITY OR The Recovered Captive BEING A plain Relation of Gods unspeakable goodness in rescuing one of the meanest of his flock from the paw of the roaring Lyon and pangs of unconceivable horror through long and strong temptations and spiritual desertions Published 1. For the encouragement of poor distressed consciences worried with temptations and almost quite wearied with waiting 2. For a caution to secure sinners lest they also come into such or sorer torment 3. For a call of all in whose hearts are the ways of God to bear a part in the high praises of him whose wonders are in the deep By Charles Langford I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever Ps 89.1.17 Knowing the terrours of the Lord we perswade men 1 Cor. 5.11 Thou hast turnea for me Ps 30.11.12 London Printed for Anna Brewster at the Golden bellows in Fore-street at Moor-lanâ—â—end 1672. To the Reader THe ensuing Narrative is intended for the good of all and therefore may well expect freedom from the scornfull censures of any But 't is primarily published for the benefit of such who are apt to think feeling the weight of their own sin as of an heavy burden Psal â—8 4 or the wounds of their own Spirit made by the Arrows of the Almighty sent â—rom the Devils bow and poysoned so that â—hey become fiery darts drinking up the â—pirit Job 6.4 that never any man was in â—uch a case as they none ever went so far â—nto the Valley of the shadow of death and â—eturned alive as they are gone for the â—roken in Spirit those whom the terrours â—f God have to use Hemans words distracâ—d and cut off Ps 88.15.16 for the good of these are the ensuing pages penned and therefore from these may they expect the choâ—â—est entertainment 't is no small favour Heaven shews that besides those fixed monuments of mercy erected in the word oâ— truth such as David Job Heâ—â—an yea and the blessed Jesus all which as they were plunged in the depths of Terrors so were they delivered from their fears every agâ— of the Church should have some living test monies of deep calling unto deep and that as Sathans malice so Gods mercy enduâ—eth for ever that some have deep gashes made upon their peace and those unhealed so long till hope seemeth to be cut off and tâ—e cuâ—ed at the last I am sure will be thy meâ—cy O thou afflicted tossed with Tempest and not comforted however others look upon it Examples in this as in other cases make the deepest impression the understanding here being ever annoyed by the loud and hasty clamours of a misgiving conscience may not be able to make so long a stand as to hear all that the tongue of the Learned have to say for the relief of their weary Souls the judgement must needs be weak when passions are strong Now for such a one to hear that others hunted by the terrors of the Almighty set in array against them to the very brink of desperation and hope even just ready to quit the field have yet through the mercy of the Most High put Sathan to flight won the day recovered their peace and lived in the sweet possession of the Spirit of a sound mind and all this after many a doubtful combate and in a time they looked not for it I say to hear of this exemplefyed in the case of others will at least do thus much service for tottering spirits as to perswade not to make too much hast to run away to hide themselves and that yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing If in every circumstance of the following Narrative thou find not thy self concerned yet thou wilt in many if thou be one that hast had any experience of the Spirit of Bondage yea and in the main of all thou art troubled in Spirit thy everlasting welfare fare stands bleeding thy hope is giving up the Ghost blasphemous injections the very spirit and humour of hopeless damned Souls haunt and affrighten thy wracked mind thy flesh trembleth for fear of Gods wrathful Judgements all his waves and his billowes pass over thee thou art weary of thy life and yet tormented at the thoughts of death this was the case of the Authour of these following lines 't is hard to conceive a more dangerous condition or that the God of his Salvation should suffer his Faithfulness to thee to fail Wait on the Lord be of good courage Let Satans suggâ—stions be what they will hold this for a certain truth established in the very heavens and irreversible by the gates of Hell Blessed are all they that wait for him Isaiah 30.18 That any should look upon discourses of this kind as matter of scorn and reproachful contempt is matter of sorrow and lamentation that the common enemy to the Race of Adam should find so much Friendship and Folly in the hearts of men yet such there are men that side with their greatest Foe accounting all experiences of this sort as meer Fictions and the issue of a melancholly brain But poor Souls the hour of trembling will come to you at last when you have slept out your sleep upon the lap of lust the Philistines will be upon you and your pleasant dreams of security shall bring you to the King of Terrors let the ensuing narrative be your preservative happy they can discern the vileness of sin and devices of Satan in the clear glass of another Mans Soul confounding terrours one main end of this is thy warning if unhappily thou shalt despise it and thy Faithful Monitor seem to thee as one that mocketh it is no new thing thus it was in the days of Lot Gen. 19.14 even those whose Office should oblige them to better things have been sometimes ignorant in the case of Gods withdrawings Cant. 5.2 smiting and wounding and taking away the Vail have been their work when sympathizing hath been their duty However to be of the Family of Abraham to inherite the blessing is more then sufficient Armour against the persecuting scoffs of Ishmael As for such as truly fear God 't is hoped they will not be offended to see that done by any which is incumbent upon all to declare the works of God with rejoycing and to tell what great things he hath done for our Souls Mark 5.14 is a Law shall stand in Force when the Heavens and Earth shall reel into a change nor will they stumble at the plainness of delivery all have not alike abilities to express themselves Exod. 18.5 gaudy paints of eloquence may sometimes be taken for Ornaments but they are best put off when we have so nearly to do with God Goats Hair and Badgers Skins Exod. 25.45 where there are no better are a good offering for the Sanctuary And to speak truly 't is not in well set words and sentences but in clear experiences true learning doth consist To say any thing
of the Authour is needless read him a man he is of long standing in profession a Follower of God both up-hill and down-hill for many years one who hath not liv'd so ill as to have all men speak well of him nor common frailties excepted as to deserve the contrary If his zeal for God hath expos'd him to the reproach of some well may he bear it He desires to let the World see nothing in him but his infirmities the rest is God's and not his A man whom long diseases of Soul and many Paroxcisms or heights of distemper have annoyed but not left by the great Physitian How he came at first to any sence of Religion in truth and with how much difficulty through the strong temptations of Sathan he attained to a comfortable hope of the love of God what was the course taken by him for his relief how Faith in the promises and submission to all Gods dealings were and are to be exercised are the cheif things here spoken of The Lord make it as profitable to thee in reading as he testifies they were to him in the experiencing who after many weak fits of Faith and Faithfulness in weakness rejoyceth in hope of the glory of God That thou maist be bettered by this publication is the Authours design and the hearty prayer of To the Saints of the Most High God especially the afflicted in Conscience lying under sad desertions and groaning for deliverance Grace Peace and Victory be given to you from the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour HAving received so glorious a mercy as to be delivered from many delusions and temptations of Sathan under which I lay for many years I look upon it as my great duty to manifest Gods gratious dealings with me to the Sons and Daughters of Men and so much the rather do I thus judge because the wayes of God to me have not been common or ordinary wayes they are but a few of Gods Children as the Authour of the book entituled Dr. Tho. Goodwin A Child of Light walking in darkness witnesseth whom their Father casts into the belly of Hell deep Waters where they feel no bottom letting out Sathan upon them and the manifestation of his glorious grace in saving such to the utmost is the main end one of them he aimeth at in dealing thus with any 't is no wonder Satan should have an access to and converse with the spirits of men and many times when they know it not for he is a Spirit or that with so much vigour and terrour his temptations in times of desertion should be accompanyed for by the evidence of Gods word ana his own ways 't is certain that his work and business is to drink up and devour his nature is not only that of a Roaring Lyon for power and terrour but also of a subtle Serpent for pollicy and poison his season and opportunity is when we are weakest and at the worst and night and day doth he keep watch and ward for taking all the advantage that may be if God for needful ends turns but his back upon his child hides his face from him forsakes him but for a little moment the enemy waiteth at the door to break in as a mighty flood If by Feavor Melancholly or other bodily distempers the natural spirits which are the â—ursitors between the body and the Soul are made uncapable of performing their Office aright then is he sure to be up and doing every affiction is an hour of temptation the dark is his delight now is the time for him to lay his delusions upon the fantasie and to charge sin upon the Soul when he findeth it most unable to resist and ready to embrace and believe it To bring the Soul in to inextricable troubles is his design to accomplish with more then conceiveable pollicy cruelty and mallice are set at work for he is the red Dragon who hath all along traded in persecution of the woman and her seed Christ and his Church For the space of fourty years or thereabouts hath it pleased the hand that took me out of my Mothers Womb to train me up and lead me along in this uncomfortable Wilderness of temptation though I cannot say that in all these years he hath left me to the violence of spiritual conflicts for then the burthen had been too heavy for flesh to stand under so long yet must I needs say my clearest day all that time was but dark and however I seemed to others in point of comfort outwardly sure I am my soul enjoyed not her rest nor could I ever say I was all that while any more then a Prisoner of hope still subject unto bondage and not discharged of the debt nor delivered from my fears 'T was but an hard shift I made to hold up my head when I was at best my worst cannot be expressed until now at last that God for whom I wâ—ited in the way of his Judgements and from whom were my expectations in the use of appointed means all this while came and was found of me when I looked not for him delivered me from my strong Enemy set my Feet upon a Rock and established my goings The same God that was my stay in the day of calamity is now my Glory and the lifter up of my head he is my strength and song and is now become my Salvation Upon the whole I may truly say as once Job said I have heard of God by the hearing of the Ear but now mine Eye hath seen him now hath he made known himself to me by his sweet Spirit and by the manifestation and operation of his glorious power in giving me deliverance And I can say by experience more then ever that now I know there is a God so also now I know there is a Devill such have been the delusions cursed injections of blasphemous thoughts and dreadful temptations wherewith he hath endeavoured to fill my Soul till the day the Lord by his great power delivered me out of his hands that I have cause to know him and to make him known as far as I am able to the World which is the endeavour of this ensuing Relation Every Child of God I am perswaded is somewhat acquainted with the wounds of conscience but God who best knows the frame of his people and what they can bear and for what work they are intended measures not to all alike Some are made to sip onely of the Cup of Trembling while others are made to drink down larger draughts every Soul hath his tast To much as will serve to make an experiment of the evil and bitter nature of sin but some have more then others and though every man is apt to magnifie his own miseries into a Non such because the heart knows his own bitterness and a wounded Conscience who can bear yet without breach of modesty I think I may bolaly affirm that few of the Sons of Men have been in greater danger or more beholden
saith blessed Mr. Bradford it must be such a trust as may be called a Dwelling Here you must stay here you must abide not suffering your Souls to be outed by violence of temptation nor voluntary giving up the possesion â— is a wonder I say again that when the wind of temptation blows high and strong Psal 62.9 Poor Man lighter then a feather lighter then vanity should be any note found Or that grace should ever be able to shew its head when fiery scorching heats of temptation smite the heart Yet so it is The secret of the most high is a place above all destructive storms the shadow of the Almighty is no Jonahs Gourd but a thick a safe shelter from the scorching beams of temptation the fiery darts of the Devil Wait on the Lord oh my Soul hope in his mercy here stay here wait here dwell in waiting let no force nor fraud of Hell perswade thee to depart hence and thou art safe for ever I have shewed already how Satan missed of his design which he had upon me in his first delusion He would have had me being greatly afrighted at the thoughts of Hell to give up my hopes of Heaven and as a means to effect that did to my apprehension present to my view the Lord Christ departing from me This he did whiles I was under bodily weakness from which God mercifully set me free But as I said before and find since by long and lamentable experience his malicious purpose in that delusion did not end when the terror of it was abated His practice upon me so filled my thoughts for many years after that it wonderfully hindred me from receiving my Lord Christ in that faithfulness as I should have done He departed from me so as that the violence of his temptations were nothing so great as in the time when he first was let loose upon me but so much of them still stuck and staid behind as did make me drive on but heavily in the wayes of God filling me with many slavish fears and doubts and thereby making my closure with Jesus Christ upon the offer of the Gospel the more difficult and his own entrance at another season more possible and easy The Lord indeed gave me a gratious deliverance but Satans war with poor souls is not ended after the first battle His hopes are that that fort which is not won at first onset may be conquered at last He was not out of hope of finding a fitter season to renew his temptations against Christ the head though he found he had enough of him in the first Combate Luke 4.13 The text saith when the Devil had ended all the temptations he departed from him for a season How little doth the thoughts of this affect our hearts we are apt to fall asleep as soon as the fit of trouble is over as if our enemy were afraid to shew himself any more or as if his second attempts would be no worse then the first or we our selves in a better posture for resistance Whereas there is nothing more true then the contrary nor any thing more unbeseeming a Christian then to forget his past dangers or remit his dilligeâ—ne and slacken his hand in services of his God and his pretious soul To grow careless negligent and secure after such deliverances or indeed at any time Is 1. Sinful 1 Thes 5.6 Let others sleep as they will Jesus Christ will not have his people do so Math. 26.41 To watch is a duty then which none more frequently enjoyned A duty that carryeth much mercy in the bowels of it A watchful frame will beget and maintain a praying frame wherever it is And both together will be a good means if not to keep off yet at least to keep up the soul under the heavy load of temptation our blessed Lord who himself hath suffered being tempted and is able to succour us who are tempted Heb. 3.18 Hath yet thought it fit to employ poor souls this way during their lucid intervals and quiet hours Encouraging us thereunto by this It may be a preservative from entring into temptations Watch and pray and pray least ye enter into c. Math. 26.41 2. A careless behaviour after deliverance is not only sinful but foolish The folly of it appeareth in these considerations 1. The Devil himself is not at quiet he is rallying up his forces after every Conquest he is renewing his war again with greater fury What he doth in this matter he knoweth he shall gain nothing by but the fulfilling of his malicious and revengeful pleasure in the downfall of our immortal souls And shall he be thus active in a matter of so small advantage to himself and we remain stupid when the gain is an immortal matchless gain and that our own gain too oh how unbeseeming how foolish a thing is this we may well collect how Satan takes his ejectments out of the souls and bodies of Men by the account that the Disciples brought back to their great Master touching the success of their ministry Luke 10.17 Lord say they even the Devils are subject to us through thy name This was the return they made and the text saith 't was with joy Christ allows it to be matter of rejoycing because hardly effected v. 18. And he said unto them I beheld Satan as lightening fall from Heaven To be permitted to rule in man is the Devils Heaven To be cast out thence is a torment next to Hell It is not more contrary to the nature of flame to move downward then to that evil spirit to be removed out of his place in man meer force mighty force must fetch him thence his fall is as the fall of lightening 2. It animates and armes our enemy for a sooner and sorer onset Satan needeth not stay long to find advantages against a sleepy soul The bed of sloathful security will aford room enough for him but none for Jesus Christ And the onset is like to be more sore as well as more soon Old sores not healed every touch goes to the heart Cant. 3.1 24. Ch. 5.2 c. The spouse had more a do to get â—id of her second disertion then of the first although victorious in both Security and unwary walking in a time of peace when there is liberty and leisure to fortify our selves is but a sorry posture for such especially whose enemies are upon the march Of all enemies none carry greater dread or greater danger then those that come on the sudden Gen. 49.17 As Dan that Serpent in the way and Adder in the path dealt with the men of Laish who dwelt careless quiet and secure Judg. 18.7.10.27 So the Devil that old Serpent the fiery red Dragon abours to do with souls negligent to secure â—heir spiritual peace In a word an heart so stupid after deliverance as not to be deeply and durably affected with its past danger and future duty of love to Jesus Christ and pressing after a more distinct
is conceived Jam. 5.7 And yet the ground they go upon affords no such footing for hope and trust as doth that of a Christian Mic. 1.6 how of have they sown much and brought in little whereas a Christian under all the improbabillities of outward sensible appearance hath sufficient cause to be confident of a plentiful harvest Under the furrows of dark providences lie the seed of faithful patient endeavours which shall spring up into light and joy Psal 126.5 And doubtless they that sow in a wâ—t weeping season shall meet with a welcome harvest The smallest seeds of faith and patience shall stretch into certain Sheaves of joy When the earth over-wet with showers is become a standing pool who would adventure to bestow his seed Pains and patience had aâ— such a time the Plowman calls imprudence Be it what it will sure I am he never lyed who hath pronounced Is 32.20 Blessed are ye that sow the seeds of pious endeavours beside all waters of deep and drowning afflictions that send forth thither the feet of the Ox and the Ass Venture then to hold on your way keep hope and trust a going in the paths of duty Deep mire shall one day prove a fruitful soil to thee and the joy of the harvest which is a shouting joy shall so fill thy soul that many years of wearisome waiting shall seem no longer then the shortest night This calling to mind those engagements which I had made unto the Lord in my low estate viz. that if the Lord would deliver me I would declare it to the Sons of men and and whereas the wicked enemy had suggested to me that I should be a shame to my friends and a reproach to religion if the Lord would redeem my soul out of his hands then would I declare abroad the glorious and renowned works and wonders of the lifter up of my head and what a great impostor deceiver destroying and lying Spirit the Devil this enemy to mankind is Hereupon having had help from God I have adventured these few pages into the world may the Lord inherit the praises of his people hereby I â—rall not value the reproaches of his enemies May poor dropping souls understanding how Satan hath dealt come to the sight of the net which he hath laid for them and be perswaded to an holy constancy in resistance I shall be much rejoyced in the success Let the Lord do with me and it as seemeth good in his sight I have enough My true Joseph is yet alive I hope shortly I shall goe up to see him here I shall leave this Pillar of remembrance in the land of the living it is mine Eben Ezer Hitherto hath the Lord helped me A Post-script BEfore I withdraw my hand my earnest desire to promote the welfare of all men in generall but espeacially of such who having given up their names to Jesus Christ lye under the furious assaults of the Devil that common enemy doth mightily ingage me to speak a few words more by way of humble and hearty request That man who hath obtained mercy and cannot shew pitty to others in misery is such a monster that hath no mention in the holy Scriptures nor other reason then to call in question whether his seeming deliverances be not real delusions I would gladly leave a testimony of my dearest love to my Redeemer by laying out my once-doleful now-joyful experience of inexpressible horror of mind for the benefit of three sorts of Christians espeacially 1. First such as at present lye groaning under the heavy burden of a wounded Spirit â—onging for deliverance 2. Secondly such as have once had experience of that sad condition but are now mercifully delivered 3. Such as God hath dealt more gently with not suffering them to fall into those horrible depths of disertion and temptation Into the hands of some or all of these 't is possible these lines may come and then my first and main request which I earnestly beg is this that they would offer up at least one freewill offering of thanksgiving to the mighty God of Jacob the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble when they shall read what great things he hath done for me poor sinner My poor stock will never reach to furnish the Alter with sufficient Sacrifices of praise oh help me by glorifying God on my behalf As his mercy hath been abundant towards me so oh that it might be abundant to the glory of him by the thanksgiving of many This being the generall request I shall make a few more particular ones to those three sorts of Professors briefly in order 1. To the poor doubting distressed and almost distracted Conscience Pretious Soul my dear fellow and companion in spiritual tribulation the purchase of the precious bloud of the Son of God! conformist to Jesus Christ in his sore agonies of temptation whom the Devil envyeth hateth and seeketh to destroy I know there is no condition under the Sun hath more need of pity and supplyes of comfort then this of thine and yet I know no condition more rarely pityed or more hardly comforted thy heart knows its own bitterness Thou thinkest so much of this that thou canst relish no sweetness in and therefore wilfully refusest the Cup of sweetest and divine consolation Oh poor soul what weary some hours thou art made to possess how tediously thy dismal nights of terrors pass over thee and thou in them reduced to such confounding streights that whither to fly from or how to stand in the face of Gods conceived displeasure the Devils furious representations or thy own fearful apprehensions thou knowest not These things having been mine old acquaintance I hope with freedome I may be permitted to beg two or three things at your hands 1. That thou wouldest not let this mercyful dealing of God with my soul pass without some thankful acknowledgement of thine Lay aside thy sable weed a little and cloath thy self with the Garment of praise Praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of men Conclude not henceforth thy sores to be incurable nor Gods long stay to be a sign that he will never come Consider what he hath done for me and let that put a little heart in thee to conclude that 't is good to continue yet in a waiting posture for surely he can and will at last do so for all such as wait for him I know how apt such a soul as this will be to varie the case tempted souls shall never want arguments against themselves nor skill to manage them while the Devil hath any Thou wilt be ready to say the case is not the same with thee as 't was with me Either the sin thou art troubled for or the manner of thy troubles seizing and the Devils handling thee under temptation is not the same with mine Something or other will be still found as matter of objection against thy self To run over