be excluded that Gods Name might not be obseured God did all in this businesse and therefore it 's fit that he alone should be exalted Oh let 's give him that little all we have let 's strive to exalt him he may be higher in our hearts though not in himselfâ— and the rather because these Providencies have fruitfully administred varieties of advantages for the raising up of our spirits in the exaltation of Gods glorious Name May not the parents of this childe say with â—onderment God raised up one out of Davids House 2 Sam. 12. 11. who attempted to deprive him of his earthly Kingdome but God hath raised one out of our Family who may be instrumentall to further our enjoyment of an heavenly Kingdom They I know desire that others would help them in endeavouring to render according to the mercies received and how should they or others improve such dispensations but by labouring to act faith at a higher rate then we have done Faith hath two legs whereby it comes to Christ and it 's called a comming to Christ John 6. 35. submission and closing in such mixâ— providences as these where God checkers his dispensations working Checker-work there will be much use of a submitting frame of heart to submit our selves children and all to the Will of the Father of our spirits Heb. 12. 9. and we should improve this Providence in raising up this Childe by faith for the raising up of the Church from under all her Convulsions and prevailing diseases many other wayes we should improve such Works of God but I have already exceeded the bounds of an Epistle I shall onely urge you and my selfe to suck that sweet brest of the promise Psalm 50. 15. you have prayed God hath delivered and now he expects to be glorified and he promises you shall glorifie me Can then our unbelief our dead sluggish fickle unconstant and forgetfull heart hinder it if God say thou shalt who hath resisted his Will Oh then lie at the pool of this promise untill your unbelieving unthankfull hearts be healed Lie at this beautifull gate untill you receive an almes and a word Come that shall raise up your Spirits that you may walk and leap and praise the Lord. Let me entreat you to review this Childes Speeches but especially to eye God in all his providentiall actings towards her untill your hearts be raised to exalt the glorious Lord in all those Attributes which shine forth in this Scene of his Actings Eye them for the strengthening of your faith to trust God in all your straits to submit to God when he is pleased to presse you down with the left hand of afflictions whilest he writes a fairer copie of his Law in your hearts with the right hand of his holy Spirits powerfulâ— visitations eye them that you may learn to love Jesus Christ with more sincerity and to use the world more cautelously lest it use nay ride you as others with great cruelty eye them that so you may learn to sanctifie God in your hearts who hath diseases and cures at his command who gives the opening of the mouth and causes the tongue of the dumb to sing and the tongue of the stammerers to speak plainly and confirmes the feeble knees all which and more he hath done for this Childe eye them also that your hearts may be brought in love with and confirmed in your love to the precious and yet ô sad despised Ordinances and Institutions of Jesus Christ the King of his Church which God hath opened a Childs mouth to plead for And if you may gather such sweet fruits as these from off the Branches of these providentiall actings of our wise God I shall sit under the Tree rejoycing that God hath made me Instrumentall to call you forth to so good an employment and subjoyn my selfe Your's Through Grace James Fisher Sheffeild January 20. 1652 3. To the godly consciencious READER IT is thy priviledge for soul-advantage that thou livest amongst Sermons and it is a choice mercy in the Saints Count-book that now when so many bid Preaching depart and Ordinances depart and Duties depart yet still the Lord is not wanting to appear in some kinde or other owning his appointments Yea thou mayst observe Jesus Christ to be so desirous of thy Company that he leaves no means unattempted to win thy soul to God for the deare love of Jesus Christ seems to flow and break over the banks of ordinary means that so it may encompass thy heart and fetch thee wholly into the Father Now surely Christian thou wilt confess that it 's a barren soul indeed whom the over-flowings of Christs love will not make fruitful Believe it Gods unwonted layings out of Love are not answered with stinted and wonted layings out of obedience Great cost and little incomes is unprofitable trading When the Lord helpâ— us to receipts we had need beg hard that hâ— would help us with returns for questionlesâ— God expects those should be Commemoration-dayes whereon his Saints have their exceedings of Love 't is certain Christians when Jesus Christ steps out of his high-road he has some special businesse then with Sinners Now thou to whom this Book shall come the Lord thou seest hath stepped aside to speak with thee take heed how thou refusest to heare the voice that speaks from Heaven Christ sees that Word-preaching will not serve and therefore he sends thee both Word and Work-preaching and all that he may make thee Eternally blessed Oh do thou not still go about to frustrate Christs endeavours in his work of winning thy poore soul 't may be thou hast long stopped thine Eares to his Words but what wilt thou stop thine Eyes to his Works too Oh look to this young Divine to this Child-Preacher or rather to the Lord in this Childe-Preacher and if thou canst not spell Christs meaning by his words yet put together Words and Works and thou shalt soon see what they make if thou canst not know Christ by his ordinary appearings yet oh learn to know him by his Extraordinary for truly it is a brutish thing to bury Christ in his own works Look Christian Here thou mayest see a 〈◊〉 burning and yet not consumed yea a â—â—sh burning and yet blossoming Natural 〈◊〉 preserved when natural means of preserâ—â—tion were denied but indeed a few loaves â—â—ll feed five thousand when Christ has the â—â—oking of them God can make a little of 〈◊〉 crâ—eature go farre when he makes it up â—â—th a great deal of Christ for we see though 〈◊〉 Commons were shorter then Daniels yet 〈◊〉 finde her very well-liking think thereâ—ore at what Ordinary or rather Extraordinary â—ath she dieted surely she had food we â—new not off Well might she live who fed so â—lenteously on life it self and certainly that â—ife of hers was a happy life which dwelt so â—eer the life of happiness We did not know â—hy the life of nature should be continued except
Jesus Christ for his mercies are greater to us then we can desire May the 25. Come poor soul come poor soul see how God stretcheth forth his hand to an afflicted soul thou hast been afflicted but now I will take thee up into Heaven God will take a poor afflicted soul into Herven Good is thy Word O Lord to be esteemed â—ot onely in our heads but in our hearts take â—way these stony hearts O Lord that thy Word may work a thorough work in us Oh take my soul O Lord into thy protection and lock it up in thy cabinet for I am assured Lord that I shall be in happiness with thee and thy holy Angels in Heaven Labour to get faith in Jesus Christ and it will keep you out of the deep pit Trust in Jesus Christ and be mindful of his wayes and he will be mindful of you He waketh and neither slumbereth nor sleepeth who would but follow his steps and not Satans Lord open thou our hearts and our eyes that we run not headlong into that bottomless pit of hell and destruction Come my Disciple and take up thy cross and walk and thou shalt be saved Pray for fixed hearts and souls in Jesus Christ that they be not cast into hell-fire God give us fixed and zealous hearts for Jesus Christ and fixed for Heaven The Lord will not turn back from us if we do not turn back from him he will carry us up to Heaven where there is no change but joy and rejoycing for evermore Trust in Jesus Christ and he vvill rebuke your spiritual enemy Satan is the greatesâ—â— enemy to your souls if he get them he vviâ—â— cast them into hell-fire Come my people into my Tabernacle and I will embrace you with my arms and there shall be cause of joy and rejoycing with God and his holy Angels for ever If you can but rise with Christ and seeâ— those things that are above he will take you up into Heaven and lock you up in his Cabinet if you can but rise with him there will be cause of joy and rejoycing for ever with my God and his holy Angels for ever If we can but rise so high as Heaven there will be cause of joy and comfort and no cause of discomfort if we be but raised so high as to seek those things that are above then we are happy Come let us sing a new Sang let the praises of God be alwayes in our mouthes and let them never depart out of our mouthes Come and let us reioyce and be glad with our heavenly Father where there is cause of comfort and no cause of discomfort Let us labour to draw nigh home for we are not at home whilest we are here let us therefore hunger and thirst after better places we are but as pilgrims and strangers here but we must labour to wait with patience till our glass be run We are but as Travellers that travel to and fro let us labour to come to an abiding place where there is no change then there is comfort then we come to that place that our souls thirst after What a gracious Father have we let us be thankful unto him for our manifold mercies and blessings what cause have we to give him praise for them let us never be unmindful of giving him praise and he wil never be unmindful of us What a Christ have we that doth all things in wisdome Oh what he hath done for us we can never suffer so much for him as he hath for us he suffered the death upon the cross for us Good is thy Word O God and to be esteemed of us let us not be ignorant of it let us have a token of thankfulness in our hearts let us acknowledge it that we may give God the glory of it again teach us the way that we may acknowledge and be thankful Come my people do not thirst but come and drink of the waters of life freely and you shall never thirst again I suppose she meant do not rest in your thirsting but come and drink Come my people follow me into that pleasant place of Heaven and there you shall have joy everlastingly Put thy Spirit into our hearts and take away these stony hearts that we may become new Christians Come my people enter in at the gate Strait is the gate but I will lead you and open the gate of that comfortable place the gate of Heaven Oh trust in God and labour to be true believers and he will free you from sin and Satan that roaring lion that seeks whom he may devour put your trust in the Lord and then you will have cause of joy and rejoying for ever Oh God thou art merciful unto thy children and the more we hunger and thirst after thee the more merciful art thou Lord we thank thee for thy mercies that thou hast bestowed upon us God is gracious in all his wayes and actions Let us trust still in God if we do but trust in God we shall never faint although I be in a suffering condition here I shall be in a comfortable condition hereafter How sweet is Christ in his dealings and â—ispensations he will not let Satan that cunâ—ing roaring Lion do me any hurt Oh ground faith in our hearts O Lord â—pon thy Son Jesus Christ oh ground our â—earts aright upon him and he will provide for us and take us up into his Kingdome where there is no cause of mourning but all â—oy and comfort for ever We are but as pilgrims here and stay a time till our glass be run and then Jesus Christ will be our protector and guider where we shall rejoyce for ever I will keep your souls in my protection I will rebuke Satan that roaring lion for your sakes Note that oftentimes she would have uttered words but could not and then her lips would move so that I conceive some of her speeches were spoken in relation to something that she had in her minde and could not utter and so in the last speech which is set down and this may help the Reader to understand some other of her Speeches May the 26th Seek the things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God our Father if we can but rise so high there we should have cause of comfort and none of discomfort for ever and ever Happy shall we be when we are raised so high as to sit at the right hand of God our Father God my Father hath chained up Satan that roaring lion that he cannot enter into my soul God doth sometimes suffer Satan to afflict us that we may be drawn neerer to him God lets us lie in afflictions that we may get good by them and himself glory Let us praise God for all his mercies and he will showre them down upon us the more The more we seek to give God glory for all his mercies the more will God seek to poure down good upon us
Though God do take away the comfort of this world yet he will give us comfort in another world Gracious is God and pittiful to poor souls when they shall call to him for help and saith Lord I am helpless of my self my help is upon thee and I trust in thee then he gives him help comfort by faith in Jesus Christ Who would but trust in such a God that give us Christ that we may joy and rejoyce Oh how good a God have we that doth rebuke the Tempter and will not let him have us though he strive to catch us he would make our going to Heaven uncomfortable and pull away our souls but God will not suffer him for those that God hath chosen they shall receive comfort How gracious is God in all his wayes and worthy to be esteemed of if we do not esteem of him he will not esteem of us he is angry with his people it is but for a while but with those that he is ever angry he will say Go ye cursed into hell-fire and what a pittiful case is that God will stretch out his hand to a poor soul and say Come poor soul come thou hast been long in affliction but I will lay thee up in Heaven there thou shalt be happy and rejoyce for ever Our Father gives us his Son Jesus Christ to save our souls or we had been burning in hell-fire before this time but our God is gracious to us Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Lord open our eyes that we may see Jesus Christ coming into our souls with white robes we cannot see him with our mortal eyes but Lord make us to see him with ouâ— spiritual eyes this would be the joyfullesâ— sight that ever we did see in all our lives What disobedient children are we that do not go when our Father comands us to go If you be risen with Christ seek those thingâ— which are above where Christ himself sits at the right hand of God Let us have our eyes lift up to Heaven that we may see Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God and let us be thankful for all his mercies for if we be unmindful of him he will be unmindful of us Lord our hearts are empty fill them with thy Spirit and take away the corruption that is within us Why are our hearts set upon the World there is nothing but pride and corruption in the World and we poor sinful creatures are subject to run head-long into the World Lord wean our hearts from the World Good Lord give us grace and the eye of Faith that we may see Jesus Christ coming though afar off and that we may come nigh and stick close to him Lord give us faith that we may trust thee and believe in thee and make us true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ for we have nothing of our selves but corruption to trust on and that will flie from us How good God is and merciful to all his â—hildren in delivering them from all the â—emptations of their spiritual enemy which â—aily seeketh to destroy them Oh come my people into my Tabernace â—nd I will take you up into my throne and â—here you shall rejoyce with me and my Angels for ever and ever Labour for Jesus Christ and when you have obtained him embrace him and he will embrace you cleave fast to him and he will cleave fast to you Acknowledge Jesus Christ who is our Saviour and when all things in the World fail he will not fail he will stick close to you and not forsake you Let us be thankful for all mercies though they be but little ones for when we are thankful for little ones he will poure more upon us and if we be not thankful for the least mercy he will poure down great curses upon us Look into the actions of God and the more you look into his works the more power of God you shall finde in them all that he doth he doth it for the good of his poor Children and those that fear him May the 27th Lord purge our bodies and purifie ouâ— corrupt hearts that thy Word may work thorow work in us cast back cast back thaâ— tempting roaring lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour What disobedient children are we for that which God commandeth we will not do but that which he forbiddeth that we do and run on headlong to our own destruction If the Spirit of God once work in our hearts then we shall be happy and shall sound out the praise and glory of our God for he is wonderfull in our eyes Lord open thou our mouth and let our lips shew forth thy praise our God make speed to save us ô teach us to know Jesus Christ for how will that ravish our poor soules to know our Saviour and then we shall draw nigher to heaven and rejoyce with our Father Come my people come enter into my Tabernacle and I will have mercy upon you Help help Lord for Christs sake that I may obtain that happy place for there is comfort without discomfort and joy without sorrow May the 28th What disobedient children are we for doâ—g those things which we ought not to do â—nd in leaving undone those things which â—e ought to have done Come my people enter into my Tabernaâ—le and I will gather you under my wings as a â—en gathereth her chickens and I will assure you of your salvation and you shall rejoyce with my holy Angels for ever and ever Let us labour to get faith in Jesus Christ who will gather us from our enemies when a poor soul thinks he is cast down into hell then Christ comes and raiseth it up then that soul will rejoyce with Christ and he will keep it from falling into that deep pit he will not let it fall again who would but trust in such a God as this that will give his children hearts to believe and fear him Labour to get Jesus Christ for we cannot get him without pains if we mean to be one with him O how ought we to take pains and labour to know and acknowledge Jesus we must struggle and strive for him or else we can never obtain him May the 29th How good is our God that takes pity upon a poor afflicted soul for when a poor soul is going to hell and seeth no help but in Jesus Christ then it cries Help help help Lord and then Jesus Christ delivereth that poor soul out of hell Labour for Jesus Christ and seek for him he is not gained easily we must seek for him and take pains for him or we shall never obtain him unlesse we take pains we shall never sinde him Lord give us hearts that we may seek after Jesus Christ and that we may relie upon him by faith that we may be made true believers in thy Word Lord open thou our mouths that our lips may shew forth thy
that they be not led aâ—ay by sin and Satan and he will give them 〈◊〉 light eye Lord fill our hearts with the fulnesse of â—esus Christ that we do not sink into the â—ottomlesse pit Come and knock at the gate of righteousnesse and wait till Jesus Christ come and open the gates Lord pull back that roaring lion that serpent that goeth about seeking to devour our poor souls God will but suffer him to step in that we may stick closer to Jesus Christ Lord rebuke that roaring lion and chain him up that he may have no power over our poor souls Lord prepare our unprepared hearts 〈◊〉 â—gainst thou call Oh God prepare our hearts 〈◊〉 may come before thee with thankfâ—◠〈…〉 for every mercy that thou hast 〈…〉 on us Lord give us faith for without faith we cannot come to thee June the 14th Good Lord enrich our poor souls that we may enrich the Kingdome of Heaven We have but drie and ignorant hearts Lord quicken them that we may sit at the right hand of God with Jesus Christ rejoycing with him for ever Iune the 15th Good Lord what shall we do to inherit the Kingdome of Heaven Iune the 18th The Lord be with you for I am going to change and after shall never change I pray you pray that my soul may be precious in the sight of God God is going now to finish his work My God hath laid up treasures for me in heâ—â—n Iune the 19th 〈…〉 I see the fine sights of Heaven 〈…〉 â—mbracing me in his armes and 〈…〉 the light of Heaven Then she spake no more till June 21th The Lord of Heaven be with you all though we part here I hope we must meet in Heaâ—en my Christ is shewing me the way to Heaven Pray pray pray for some help from God and pray that your prayers may be accepted of God These valedictory expressions of hers I conceive might arise from that change which now should be in the manner of her disease for now she had no more the liberty of speech given to her untill the 29th day of Iuly and then Iuly the 29th About eight of the clock at night as that was the ordinary time that she began at and so continued some two hours with intervals to speak she being in a stiffe fit spake these words with a smiling countenance My Christ is come again I have obtained Christ I have my desire I have now a crucified Christ Then she spake not again untill August 11th about 10 of the clock at night Now my Father hath given me Jesus Christ again I hope to save my soul Now I have obteined Christ again a crâ—cified Christ Let us put off the rags of sin and put oâ— the robes of righteousnesse August the 15 about 7 of the clock she lying in the same posture spake as followeth My Saviour is come again that suffereâ— death upon the Crosse to save my soul I was in darknesse but now I am in light My Christ hath vanquished Satan thaâ— goeth about to destroy my soul Then she spake not again untill August the 17. When she had the extreamest convulsionâ— fit that ever she was drawn with her face turned behinde her and one eye looking up and the other shut and in that fit she spake as followeth I will be with my God and my God will be with me I hope my soul is precious in the fight of my God I am not in the hands of the Devil but in the hands of my God Which words much refreshed the spirits of her friends who stood weeping by her to see her so sadly handled then she proceeded My Gods Angels have pitched their Tents about me and will carry my soul into heaven I will never forsake my God and my God will never forsake me Take heed of slighting Gods mercies for if we slight his mercies he will slight us if we slight his mercies he will pour his wrath upon us August 20. Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will relieve you Ask and ye shall have knock and it shall be opened unto you Ask and you shall have life everlasting Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Devil and all his Angels Let us wait upon the Lord untill his time appointed and he will ease us for our time is of the Lord we cannot have it when we would but when the Lord pleaseth August 23 at 8 a clock at night Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear and deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Lord humble our haughty and proud hearts that they be not led away with this world for we are apt to follow the steps of Satan rather then the steps of God First he prepareth our hearts that they may be capable of faith and then he worketh faith in them Lord purge our rusty hearts that they may be clean that we may become pure Virgins of thine for if thou do not purge them they will be like rusty iron that lieth long My Christ will tread Satan under foot which goeth about like à roaring lion hunting to destroy my poor soul but he can go no further then my God giveth him leave he hath a malice unto my poor soul Those that belong to God Satan is alwayes in perplexing and troubling them but God doth but let him step in to make them stick closer unto God if Satan get but one step in and get in his head he will strive to get in his whole body the least opporrunity he can get he will seek it and will not lose it Let us cast off the rags of sin and put on the robes of righteousnesse and then we shall obtain Jesus Christ Let us suck sweetnesse from Jesus Christ even as the Bee sucketh honey from the flower August the 30th Let us draw comfort from Jesus Christ â—s the childe milk from the mothers brest â—he harder we draw the more we shall get Take heed you slight not Gods mercies for if you slight his mercies it is just with God to slight you August 31. at 10 a clock in the morning Lord cast out our stony hearts and make them new that we may be new creatures Lord purge the drosse out of our hearts and purifie them Let us stand at the gate of righteousnesse and wait untill Jesus Christ see time to open the door of faith Lord rebuke that crooked Serpent that would destroy my poor soul but my Father will not suffer him he hath a malice to my poor soul but God will but let him step in and get a look in but it is to make me stick closer to Jesus Christ Let us fear the Lord that we may live in his fear and die in his favour Let us take heed that we slight not Gods mercies lest he turn his back off us if we do not fear him and
could utter any words at last she exprest her self as followeth Take heed you do not despise Gods Ordinances and his Word which he spake out of his own mouth for if you despise Gods Ordinances and his Word God will despise you and cast you of his left hand and say Go you cursed into hell-fire prepared for you Let us labour to be followers of Jesus Christ and defie the fiery darts of the Devill Let us labour to build our conversation upon the Lord. Take heed of the Devill for he is alwayes â—erplexing and terrifying the servants of God but take heed for it is more dangerâ—us when he commeth in white then when â—e commeth in black for he will but flatter â—ou and make you believe that he will save â—ou shevv you fine things but take heed â—e vvill but flatter you and deceive you that â—e may cast you into hell September the 23th This night and the other nights follovving till the 19 of October she spake constantly about 8 a clock at night Lord build up our hearts upon the High corner-stones vvhich high-corner stones are the Father Son and Holy Ghost Lord pardon all our sins vvhether they â—e Scarlet-sins or Crimson-sins or sins of a double die or sins of ignorance or sins of vvilfulnesse Lord pardon them and vvash them avvay in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ It is our sins that is the cause of the sufferings of that thy Beloved One thy Son Jesus Christ No man can come to Christ except the Father draw him Let us struggle and strive to have our conversation in Heaven and let us press forward to have our conversation there for without we have our conversation in heaven there will be howling and torment in hell-fire for ever and ever but in Heaven there will be life everlasting Prepare prepare against the day of death for when the day of death commeth then after commeth the day of Judgement and then cometh death to the wicked and life to the righteous Take heed that Satan that roaring lion do not reign in your hearts for it is more dangerous when he cometh in white like an Angel of light then when he cometh in black like a Blackmoore Lord purge and purifie our drossy ignorant and corrupt hearts that we may be followers of thee and wash us and cleanse us in the blood of thy beloved One thy Son Christ Jesus Take heed that Satan get not power over your souls for if he get in his head he will strive to get in his whole body Then she laughed and closed her Arms and said Joy joy joy everlasting joy September the 24th Lord take away these stony thorny and corruptible hearts and purge them purifie and refine them even as silver and gold is refined Let the Word of God be written in your hearts in letters of gold Take heed you sowe not good seed on thorny ground for the thornes will spring up and choke it My Christ will tread Satan under foot he hath promised to do it and he will fulfill his promise he will do it he will not fail he is to be trusted One glimpse of Christ is worth all the world Lord pull back Satan that roaring lion that goeth about to devour my poor soul but he cannot but he cannot touch it Lord establish our hearts upon thee and set them stedfast upon thee and fix them upon thee and change our hearts and make them new vessels Lord wash us and cleanse us in the blood of thy beloved One and make us without spot and blemish even as thy spotlesse lamb My Christ hath vanquished Satan that lurking roaring lion which goeth about to destroy my poor soul but he cannot enter in my Christ is stronger then he he is an help to my soul in the time of trouble in the time of extremity When a poor soul is going a journey to heaven then Satan is alwayes in troubling him for he thinketh if he cannot get power then he can never get power then he is busiest he sheweth his strength he putteth out all his strength Abstain abstain from all vices in this world that are so strong in us as drunkennesse lasciviousnesse blasphemy and drawing into evill company and all other vices lying and thieving for if we anger God it will be just with God to pour his wrath down upon us September 25. Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but thou wouldst not Thy destruction is of thy self Let us wean our hearts from this world for if it once get into us it is hard to get out again we toil and moil for our bodies but which of us taketh that pains for our souls we are sooner fill'd with the trash of this world then with our God we are apt to seek into this world but which of us looks into our hearts and examines our hearts whether they be for God or not and whether we follow the commands of God if we do not follow his commands he will not hear us The heart of man is false and hollow a hollow-hearted man will shine on the out-side but he is rotten within he sheweth it so to this world but God knoweth the heart of man Seeing we have put off the old man with his deeds let us put on the new man which is renewed with knowledge Take heed you put not new wine into old bottles lest the bottles break and scatter the wine Let us labour to lay hold upon Christ and stick close to him and follow his Commandments aud not be like the man that looks his face in a glasse and presently forgetteth what manner of man he was Let us labour for Christ and get faith the greater faith the greater joy Faith is a gift to win Christ by Christ will not be won without faith Many there be that will not believe there is a God but it is the littlenesse of their faith the weaknesse of faith they are fools and do not understand that think so for the fool hath said in his heart There is no God There are many that say they have Christ and they are Christ but there is no more Christs but one Many there be that say that they have Christ and they Christ but they do but make a shew to the world and flatter the world when God knowes they know not what Christ is They make a shew to the world and say Christ iâ— within them and Christ is within them when alas they do not know what he is 〈◊〉 they flatter the world and they think to flatter God too but alas alas the day of judgment the day of judgement alas alas they are blinde and cannot see there is a misâ— before their eyes they run but they cannot tell whither they stumble
there is 〈◊〉 stumbling-block before their eyes Oh how happy a thing it is and joyfull for to see when a poor Christian is imbraced in those two armes of love that beloved One that beloved One those whom he hath chosen he will take them for his own for ever he will lock them in his Cabinet from all sin and sorrow and from the Devils assaults In the day when I make up my jewels they shall be mine saith the Lord. She concluded with much rejoycing but exprest no words September 26 I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every branch that bringeth not forth good fruit in me shall be hewen down and cast into the fire Those that I do not chastise they are not sonnes but bastards saith the Lord. Lord pull back Satan that roaring lion which would devour my poor soul but he cannot but he cannot my God will not suffer him Obey the Commmandments of God and do not dishonour him but honour him and do not abuse his Titles Words or Works labour to make a right use of them it is them that we must be overthrown or accepted by Take heed you live not in a known sin for if you live in a known sin it is a double sin and if in a double sin God will double his Judgements God will denounce against you the greatest Judgement amongst the Catalogue if you dishonour God he will make you smart for it Take heed of Satan that cunning Serpent beware of him beware of him for he is alwayes drawing and flattering us unto him and when he hath got us unto him hell-fire will be our end Let us labour to forsake sin and cleave unto Jesus Christ and let him be our safeguard if you give way to little sins it will bring on greater sins For which things sake the wrath of God commeth upon the children of disobedience if you give way to little sins it will bring on greater sins and then the greater will be your Judgement Lord sanctifie it unto us that it may take an impression in our hearts and work it in us that it may take a deep impression in our hearts Let us labour to be partakers with that thy beloved One that suffered death upon the Crosse to save us from hell-torments had not he suffered death upon the Crosse for our sins we had been howling in hell this day have we not cause to love him have we not cause to love him that suffered death upon the Crosse that cruell death by the Jews if we should suffer never so much we could never suffer so much for him as he did for us Oh have we not cause to love him let us lay down our lives for his sake that laid down his life for us What miserable creatures are we so that our souls be but saved we never think of Christs sufferings for us we alwayes forget that but we must remember it at the day of Judgement the Lord will call us to an account for all these things In the day when I make up my jewels they shall be mine saith the Lord Jehovah September 27. Lord as thou hast fed our bodies with tempor all food so feed our souls with spirituall food Lord work thy Word with faith in our hearts unlesse it be written with thy Spirit it is but a dead letter In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and all things were made by him Beware of Satan that Serpent that goeth about and stands in corners to watch to vanquish my soul but he cannot but he cannot touch it he cannot enter in labour to have the foundation of life that he may not touch it which foundation is an everlasting foundation it will stand it will never fail Let us labour for Christ for the stronger we are in Christ the weaker we are in this world the stronger we are in this world the weaker we are in Christ Let us labour to build our conversation upon the three-corner stones which is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Trust in the Lord Trust in the Lord Jehovah for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Lord satisfie our unsatisfied hearts for if a man have all the world he hath not enough but he hankers and hungers and thirsts more after the things of the world but when we have Christ Oh what can we desire more what would we have more Oh! what can a Christians heart desire more then that beloved One that Christ Jesus labour to have your foundation built upon that Holy one that Holy One. September 29. Take heed you lie not one to another seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Be wise in all your doings and be ye present be ye present before the eyes of the Lord ô fear the Lord ô fear the Lord though you fear not men See that you serve the Lord above with trembling and with fear see that with reverence you rejoyce in him in like manner ô let us fear the Lord that we may live in his fear and die in his favour Oh that we had hearts to observe the Commandments of God if we had but hearts to observe his Commandments we should never ruu upon our own souls destruction as we do Labour to spend your time well in this world of abomination and sin for it is but for a little moment and labour to repent before the day of death for after the day of death there is no repentance lest you run headlong into hell to your own destruction for ever and ever Beware of Satan that Serpent and give not vvay to his assaults but despise them and flie back from them Let us labour for Christ let us hunger thirst after him for one glimpse of Christ is better then a 1000 worlds for one glimpse of Christ will ravish a poor Christians heart for when a Christian is drooping and thinking that God hath forsaken him then God out of his favour sheweth him one glimpse and then goeth back again sheweth him but by glimpses and glimpses to make him stick closer unto him even as a star that lightens and darkens and lightens and darkens to make the light shine brighter She spake no more until the sixth of October Come my people enter into my Tabernacle Having spoken these words she fell into an exraordinary fit of laughing and tittering heartily six or seven several times as she used to do in her best health when she was over-joyed with any thing and soon after fell into a mourning and as it were wept in her brest and then she spake the words following Beware of Satan that Serpent lest he reign in your hearts for if he touch you he will creep in and in like a
be whole and she arose and was healed Oh vvhy should not vve be contented for his Arme is not shortened nor his Povver diminished therefore vvhy should noâ— vve be contented In this vvorld whilest we are in affliction we think it is miserable and grievous buâ— hereafter it will be sweetened while we aâ— in affliction we think it is miserable and grievous but the Lord will sweeten it with thâ— cup of mercy the Patient must taste of 〈◊〉 bitter potion before his stomack be cleared Oh let us labour to fear the Lord that we may live in his fear and die in his favour for as we do so we must look to be done by October the 20th Children obey your parents in all things knowing that it is well pleasing unto the Lord. Oh let us labour to have our wills melted into the will of that everliving and glorious God The secrets of God are hid from man and his wayes past finding out but the Lord will reveal them to his children in some part when his time appointed is come Lord humble these proud hearts of ours and endue us with the gift of Humiliation Oh let us labour to return thanks unto the Lord for all his mercies that he hath poured down upon us for the way of begetting more is to return thanks unto the Lord to give reverence unto him we reverence our earthly fathers our natural fathers Oh why should not we much more reverence our Heavenly Father Oh let us labour to forsake this world and all things that are therein for there is nothing that is desirable Oh let us labour to stick close unto that Holy One for when all things in the world fail he will never fail he will stick close to us when all things in this world decay and moscer away he will be an everlasting rock Lord open our blinde eyes that we may see clearly the weaknesse of our selves and the strength of Christ Oh let us labour to lead our lives and conversations well in this life for as we do so we must look to be done by if we sowe unto the flesh we shall reap corruption but if we sowe unto the Spirit we shall reap life everlasting October the 21th Let us labour to repent of all our sinnes which we have lived in formerly which lieth unrepented of for after the day of death there is no repentance as life leaveth us so Judgement findes us October the 22th Oh let us cast our care upon the Lord for he will care for us he hath promised to be a father to the fatherlesse and a husband to the widow Lord pull back Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to devour my poor soul but he cannot my Christ will tread him under foot that he can get no power over my poor soul Lord graft thy Word into our heads and not onely into our heads but into our hearts also We are poor Earth-wormes Lord breath into us the breath of life that we may become lively Saints of thine that we may become lively Saints of thine and that we may sing Hallelujahs with thee in the highest Heavens Take heed you lie not one to another for if you go in that way the Devill will take that occasion to pour in more corruption Lord mollifie these hard hearts of ours with thy graces that are so hardened with sin and corruption October the 24th Lord open the eyes of the blinde that â—ey may see clearly the purity that is in Christ and the corruption that is in themâ—ves they see and perceive not they hear â—nd understand not Lord enrich our souls with thy graces that â—e may be instruments to enrich the Kingâ—ome of Heaven Lord pull back Satan that lurking roarâ—g lion that goeth about to destroy my poor â—ul but he cannot my Christ will give him â—o power he will not let him touch it He â—oth what he can to get victory but he canâ—ot my Christ will not let him The Devil â—aliceth the children of God he is alwayes â—usiest about them and flattering them he 〈◊〉 alwayes thinking to make them fear him â—nd flattering them and thinking to overâ—ome them but those whom God hath â—hosen he will take them for his own the â—oor doubting Christian the Devil is always â—utting feares and doubts into them but when he thinks they are in the lowest conâ—â—ition they are in the highest and when a man thinketh he is in the highest condition he is in the lowest when a poor doubting Christian thinketh he falls he stands aâ— when a man thinketh he stands he falls Lord take away these hearts of stone aâ— renew us with hearts of flesh Lord humble these proud hearts of ourâ— that we may not be swallowed up with thâ— vanities of this world we are apt to 〈◊〉 drawn to the vanities of this world and 〈◊〉 flie back from Christ Oh what disobedieâ— children are we that follow not the commands of so loving a Father that which 〈◊〉 biddeth us to do that we do not and thâ— which he biddeth us not do that we do Oh let us labour for faith for he that 〈◊〉 faithfull untill death he shall enjoy the crowneâ— life October the 25th Come my people enter into thy chamber shâ— the door upon thee hide thy selfe for a little mâ—ment untill the indignation of the Lord be overpast He that doth not the will of my Father which is in heaven he is not worthy of me saith thâ— Lord. Take heed you sowe not good seed upon thorny ground lest the thorns spring up and choak it My Christ hath pulled back Satan that lurking roaring lion which goeth about to devour my poor soul he maliceth my poor soul and thinks to get the victory but he cannot Oh let us labour to be partakers with that Beloved one that immaculate lamb of God that spotlesse lambe that laid down his life to take away the sins of the whole world Oh let us labour for faith that rich grace of our God Lord pour it down upon us that is that rich grace of eternity that is the grace by which we must either live or die without we have that grace we shall never come to God we shall never come to Christ Oh let us labour for faith ô let us labour for faith no faith no Christ no Christ no salvation Lord as thou hast fed out bodies with temporall food so feed our souls with spirituall food that we may be able Instruments to enrich the Kingdome of Heaven Lord endue our spirits with the gift of Humiliation for the Spirit of God is a humble Spirit a meek Spirit a holy Spirit a full Spirit it acts powerfully and breaths where it listeth Trust in the Lord Jehovah for in the Lord Jehovah is our everlasting strength Come my people let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as wool though
he put them on a way to attain this â—nd not by might nor by power not wisâ—ome of men nor outward meanes of Physick but that grace might be advanced â—o send for the Elders of the Church and â—et them pray over the afflicted which was done in the spirit of grace and supplication and after twice wrestling with God in fasting and prayer he was pleased to be intreated And as gloriously admirable was Gods hand in raising her up as in casting her down for in the close of the second dayes work that God might manifest himselfe to be a God hearing prayer and that creatures in their lowest condition might never more despond he shewed some glimmerings of his gracious favour and within a few dayes gave to her understanding senses speech the use of her legs and since a daily income of health and strength and which is better then life suffered not these high actings of his Spirit to be an occasion of puffing her up but kept her in a gracious humble depend inâ— frame of spirit for being inform'd whaâ— she had said she replied thus in her childisâ— speech Have I me cannot tell I can 〈◊〉 nothing of my self it was not me it was thâ— Spirit of God in me I am nothing but poor earth-worm and me hath nothing buâ— what my God giveth me for me is nothinâ— but dust and ashes Again some two 〈◊〉 three dayes before God gave her the use 〈◊〉 her legs her father desiring to neglect nâ— lawfull meanes wished one to signifie hiâ— pleasure to her that he had thoughts oâ— procuring a Physicians advice concerning her whereto she sweetly answered she would be disposed by her parents will buâ— her desire was to wait Gods end she could wish no Physician might partake of any glory with God for he alone had done the cure he alone deserved the praise Thus Reader hast thou a true Narrative of that which seems marvellous in our eyes the Lord remove from thy heart all selfe and prejudice make thee willing to give God the glory of his own workings slubber not over this passage of divine Providence with carelesse or profane thoughts eye God learn to live by faith and despise not Ordinances which God hath from heaven in this occasion borne witnesse to I have purposely avoided all frothie flourishes of the tongue lest the truth should be suspected for I would win thy heart not thy senses not words but things take wise men of whose number if thou would'st be thought one judge soberly and the end is obteined By The unworthiest yet a faithfull Wel-wisher to thy precicious Soul Wa. Barnard Church-Sandal January 28. 1652. THE NARRATIVE Wherein is related how this Child was visited and the manner of her Disease when she did utter those Heaven born Truths herewith published THis Child who hath been the subject of such wonders of Providence is the daughter of Master Anthony and Mistris Faith Hatfield of Leighton in the West-Riding of York-shire her name is Martha Hatfield she was compleat twelve years old the 27 day of September in the year of our Lord 1652. She hath been from her birth a childe of wonders being so litle when she was brought out of her mothers wombe that it waâ— thought she would speedily have returned 〈◊〉 the common wombe where all living muâ— ere long be laid up But God who quicknetâ— the dead who is the preserver of man contâ—tinued her life and she grew up very hopeâ—fully as a plant of Gods own planting yeâ— some years before this visitation she was observed to be of a sad spirit oft retiring into corners and weeping for a long time and could not then render any reason thereof but it evidently appeared afterward that she was much afflicted with the spleen-winde which encreased notwithstanding the use of means to greater extremity But before I proceed I must desire the Reader not to expect an exact Relation of her Disease in physical terms of art because it pleased the all-wise Disposer of all occurrences so to order the spirit of the childe and his own dealings towards her as you may see anon that no means could be used towards her recovery and so no Physicians did stay with her to observe the symptomes of her disease so that it 's but conjectural what it was it 's thought the rigid convulsions or rather that it was a complicated disease of many of those distempers which affect the brain but I shall give it you in our Countrey Dialect as those that were usually with â—er did apprehend it I shall observe this Method 1 I shall speak of her disease 2 Relate her speeches 3 The manner of her recovery 1 Her Disease The Spleen-winde after some time did â—row to that extremity that she could not â—igest her meat but vomited up all that she â—ook which yet was but a small quantity for 〈◊〉 long time after which she was taken all of one side beginning at her neck which â—aused her to hold her head awry and from â—hence it went into her arm and took away â—he use of it for many dayes and when her â—arm was better it fell into her leg on the same side and continued there until she fell quite down which was after this manner She had extraordinary fits of violent vomiting and after that Convulsions which occasioned extream torments especially in the night and so she continued sometimes better sometimes worse for many dayes sorely troubled with a stopping c. In which time she had the use of her understanding and could speak and with many sweet words was able to exhort her parents to trust in God Saying If we had but faith it would carry us thorough all the troâ—bles of this world Then about April the sixth 1652 〈◊〉 perceived such a change in her that 〈◊〉 thought she would die presently and she 〈◊〉 into a fit of extream pain in her side whicâ— took away her breath and her senses for 〈◊〉 houres and she was stricken all over stiff 〈◊〉 which time she lay as if dead hopelesse 〈◊〉 life in the judgements of those who beheâ—â— her Yet about the third houre she was enabled with great alacrity to express the joyâ— of Heaven and sweetly prayed for herselâ— and all her relations as she conceived theiâ— necessities required First for her father thy servaÌ„t the head of thâ— family Lord give him faith in Jesus Christ to lay hold upon thee and give him patiencâ— to be contented with thy will and for ouâ— mother who hath been so long weak Lord restore her and make her a comfort to us all and teach her to submit to thy will and for my Grand-mother that old stock that old stock that thou hast made such a comfort to us good Lord we thank thee for her and if I live I desire to be thankful for her And for our brother who is to be disposed of good Lord direct the heart of thy servant our father to dispose
Christ will not fly away from those that trust in him All the World is vanity there is nothing to take pleasure in but all is vanity and vexaâ—ion of spirit but they that know the pleasure and sweetness of Christ they will stick close to him Oh labour to get him by faith Struggle Oh struggle let him not go he is an everlasting good to those that depend upon him I desire to depend upon him Joy is in Heaven without sorrow and comfort without discomfort where Christ will wipe away all tears from the eyes of those that desire to depend upon him Learn to know the sweetness of Christ for they that love him he will never forsake them and those that do trust in him and live to him he will never forsake them Labour for Christ trust in him Oh serve him and get faith in him Labour to trust in Christ and believe in him those that know the sweetness of Christ will embrace him and never let him go and he will embrace them and never let them go Labour for Christ that ye may have the joyes of Heaven with my sweet Father and his Angels for ever My Christ is come again taking me up in his arms to Heaven Oh how sweet Christ is embracing me in his arms carrying me in Noahs Ark to Heaven Oh what a sweet Father have I that doth all things in wisdom for the good of my poor soul My God will stick fast to me he will never forsake me Labour to lay up Christ embrace him in your arms and when you feel sweetness from Christ hold him fast Oh what a sweet God have I to relie upon now that I have obteined Christ I will stick close to him My God doth all things in wisdome he knowes what is good for me Now my God hath pull'd back Satan that roaring Lion and hath cast him behind me Oh what a sweet God have I Oh how sweet is my Christ he hath laid up treasures in Heaven for this my soul May the 21th Whom I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Why did God create his Children for his glory And why doth God afflict his children for their good Come to me all my children I will gather you as the Hen gathereth her Chickens you shall sing Hallelujahs with the holy Angels for ever Why should we desire to die when we are in affliction seeing the grave praiseth him not Happy are they that appear with Jesus Christ here for they shall appear with him in glory Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest Oh come to me saith my God and drink of my drink and thou shalt never thirst Oh labour for Christ All things I count but dung in comparison of Christ Get faith in Jesus Christ and that will draw you nigh to God and not draw you back from him Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear you What a sweet Father have I to give me Jesus Christ who can be thankful Can I be thankful enough Pardon and forgive me all my sins oh let not that roaring Lion get power over me pluck him back Cleave to Jesus Christ trust in Jesus Christ and he will never forsake you stick fast to Jesus Christ relie upon him when all comforts fail in this World he will never fail therefore stick close to him Get grounded in Grace and pray to Jesus Christ never forsake him and he will never forsake you Labour for Jesus Christ and if you get him what is all the whole World if ye be poore in this World ye are rich in Jesus Christ If we could but get into Heaven there is comfort without discomfort joy without sorrow where God will wipe away all tears Oh how happy are they that enjoy Christ to them that enjoy him he vvill make vvay for them therefore labour to get Jesus Christ and serve him and he will save you both from the dangers in this World and in that which is to come May the 22. Labour for Jesus Christ and to get faith in him and for the life of faith in Cbrist Lord give us the light of Heaven that we may see Jesus Christ with our spiritual eyes for we cannot behold him with our mortal eyes Labour for the life of Grace that vve may behold the glorious God of Heaven when all the light of our mortal eyes is gone still there is light in Jesus Christ Come unto me poor soul and follow me take up my cross and I will be thy Saviour Take heed of despising God for fear that his wrath be poured out upon you If once we have obtain'd Christ there will be no cause of mourning but of singing and rejoycing we shall then have no cause of mourning Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you Oh what a sweet God is this Oh save me and defend me from that roring lion that goes about seeking to destroy my soul When Christ which is our life shall appear in his glory then shall we have light Pull back Satan cast him behind me Oh Lord thou knowest my whole heart dependeth upon thee May the 23. Labour for Jesus Christ get faith in Jesus Christ and he will lock up your souls in his Cabinet and keep you from that roaring lion which goeth about seeking whom he may devoure Stick fast to Jesus Christ and Satan can have no power over you Ah that we should be led away with Satans temptations unto lies to follow our corruptions Satan labours to get a poore soul and when he hath got it he will cast it into hell Ah is it not better to be with my Father in Heaven where we shall sing Hallelujahs with holy Angels for ever Follow not Satans steps but follow Jesus Christs steps and he will lead you up to Heaven Sing praises sing praises to our God for all his mercies that he bestoweth upon us and be not ignorant of them and forget them not for if we forget them he will be forgetful of us Take heed of Satan that roaring lion take heed that he get not into you for if he do he will sink deeper and deeper into you Labour for Jesus Christ for when all the helps in the World are gone there is help in Jesus Christ Lord give us repenting hearts that we may repent truly and come we to Christ that we may repent truly that thy wrath be not poured out upon us Seek for Christ look for Christ till you finde him never give over till you have found him when you have found him stick close to him and he will stick close to you Get faith in Jesus Christ believe in him believe him in his mighty power believe him in his glory Lord give us the true light of Heaven for we cannot see with our mortal
praise Lord pour out thy Spirit upon our souls and it will make us draw nigher and nigher unto thee Many are they Lord that cannot obtain Jesus Christ it is because they do not take pains but let us arise and be doing for without pains we can get nothing we must take pains and struggle for Jesus Christ else we can never obtain him Lord fill our hearts with Jesus Christ for they are empty fill them full of Jesus Christ that we may be able to live by faith upon him Lord fill our hearts with the knowledge of Jesus Christ for our hearts are empty and with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Lord enrich our souls that we may enrich the Kingdome of God Let us be thankfull to God for all his mercies and blessings which he is pleased to bestow upon us for the more thankfull we are the more will he poure down his mercies and blessings upon us How gracious is our God that doth all things in wisdome and mercy to his poor servants he doth nothing to them but that which is for their good in mercy and in righteousnesse O Lord give us true faith in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ that we may relie upon him for our Salvation What a sweet thing it is to enjoy Jesus Christ happy is that soul that doth enjoy such a gift from our Father If we should be thankfull all our dayes we can never be thankful enough for he suffered the death upon the crosse for our sins Lord pardon and forgive us all our sins and wash them away in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and then shall we be purified and become pure Christians Let us give praise unto our God for all his mercies and blessings that he hath bestowed upon us let us alwayes be praising our God and be thankfull and ever thankfull May the 30th Lord humble our hearts and open our eyes that we be not led away with Satan and run headlong to our destruction We have enemies too many to draw us back from Jesus Christ but there are very few that will draw us to Jesus Christ Lord take our souls into thy protection and keeping for when they are with thee they are safe Let us sing praise to our God for his mercy endureth for ever Lord take away our unbelief and fasten us to Jesus Christ that we may become new Christians Lord wash away all our sins in the blood of thy Son Jesus and purifie our affections that vve may become pure Virgins in Jesus Christ Come let us drink of the water of life and then we shall never thirst again Oh hovv happy are they that can but obtain Jesus Christ for if vve be never so poor in this vvorld if vve can but obtain Jesus Christ vve shall have riches enough for then vve shall be rich in glory May 31. The Lord give us faith for without faith we cannot get Jesus Christ The Lord give us knowledge for without knowledge we cannot attain faith and without faith we cannot attain to salvation If we can attain to the height of faith we shall attain to the height of Jesus Christ and if we attain to the height of Jesus Christ we shall attain to the height of glory Lord humble us under our burthen of sin That when Christ who is our life shall appear we may also appear with him in glory Come my people Call upen me in time of trouble and I will heare you and answer you Oh wash us and cleanse us that neither spot nor stain be upon us wash us clean in the bloud of Christ that we may become new Virgins pure Virgins Let us bless God and be thankful for all those mercies that he is pleased to poure down upon us let us be thankful yea very thankful for the more we thank him the more will he poure down his mercies upon us June 1 1652. Lord pardon and forgive us all our sins and give us hearts earnestly to beg pardon for them if thou hadst not been a merciful Father we had all been burning in hell-fire we had all been burning and howling in hell-fire before this but thou hast given thy So Jesus Christ to die for our sins for his sake we beg pardon for them Lord give us thankful hearts we have cause to be thankful if we had a thousand hearts we could never be thankful enough to thee for all thy mercies that thou hast bestowed and showred down upon us Lord give us thy Word and ground it in our hearts Lord give us thy Spirit into our hearts for without thy Spirit the Word iâ— but a dead letter I will be your God and ye shall be my people Lord give us faith in Jesus Christ for without faith in him we can never acknowledge Jesus Christ to be our alone Saviour and Redeemer She spake not again until June the fourth Oh my God I give unto thee my soule my body and my heart and all hoping that I now am going unto that happy place which I have desired so long June the 5th If a poor man which hath not a bit of bread nor a broom to sweep his house withall yet if he have but Christ he is richer then that man which hath all the riches of this World Who would but trust in such a God that will save and defend us from all evil Who would but trust in such a Christ that will defend us from Satan and all our enemies both bodily and spirituall Who would but trust in such a Christ that will preserve us as he did Jonah three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly Lord humble humble our stony hearts that they be not puft up with pride and vanity How often would I have gathered you together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not but were stubborn and rebellious June the 6th Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens and you would not Let not your hearts be drawn after the vanities of this world nor after the steps of Satan which goeth lurking lurking watching and waiting like a Serpent but follow Christs steps for if Satan get you he will fling you into hell-fire Long is the way to heaven and much a-do we have to get thither but short is the way that leadeth to hell What disobedient children are we that will not follow Gods commands that which is evil he forbids us and that we do and that which is good he commands us and that we we do not Lord wean our hearts from this world let us not be led by sin nor Satan let not Satan get any power over our souls if he get power over our souls he will cast them into the bottom of hell for ever and ever This world is nothing but fading comforts nothing but drosse losse and dung in
comparison of Christ What are we better when we are in our pomp in this world when we do nothing but pine in our souls and our souls to be cast into hell where there will be howling for ever and ever Lord pardon our proud worldly hearts for we are alwayes hungring after this sinful world where there is nothing but that which will lead us into hell Oh let us not hunger after this world but hunger after Christ O what a loving Father have we that when a poor soul is thrown down as low as hell and is in great afflictions then he sends Jesus Christ and takes pitty of that poor soul and lifts it up to heaven Christ will look upon a poor soul with the eyes of compassion then that poor soul is happy and he will carry it to heaven where it shall rejoyce with God his holy Angels Tet us hunger for Jesus Christ and when we have him let us hold him fast and let us stick close to him and he wil stick close to us he will be our keeper and Saviour both of bodies and souls Good is thy Word and to be esteemed drive it into our hearts and not onely into our heads but into our hearts that it may work a thorow work in us Come let us flie up to heaven as a bird in the air if we could get up as high as heaven we should be happy Joy joy joy everlasting joy Come let us sing praises unto our God with mirth and joy for we shall sing with our Father and his holy Angels for ever and ever Lord vanquish Satan that roaring lion and tread him under foot that he may not overcome our souls by his evil wayes watching every opportunity June the 7th This night came one of those commonly called Quakers and all that came to her did judge that then she knew none neither could she heare or did ever minde what was said to her or in her company and this man and her Uncle Capt. Hatfield being in discourse she uttered the words following at that time which are very observeable viz. Take heed take heed that you sowe not Tares lest you reap Tares Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire Lord give us faith in Christ for without faith and knowledge we cannot come unto Christ Come let us flie unto the Throne of grace as a bird doth into the aire Lord give us zealous hearts for Jesus Christ for there is help in him but there is no help upon the earth Lord resist Satan that roaring Lion that goes about seeking whom be may devoure let us cleave to Jesus Christ when Satan draws neere and he will deliver us from that roaring lion June the 8th Lord quicken our dead and ignorant hearts which are stubborn and rebellious but before we be quickened we must lie at the feet of Jesus Christ for without we be quickened we are like an ignorant man that travels up and down and knows not whither Lord humble these proud hearts of ours and take that burthen from us for Christ saith Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest If we be dead-hearted we must lie down at the feet of Jesus Christ till he be pleased to quicken us Take heed of despising God and his Ordinances for if we despise them God will despise us Set your affections on things above and not on things below for your life is hid with Christ in God Labour for Jesus Christ and he will cast out that spirituall enemy that would cast you out Trust in Jesus Christ for he is a trusty God to trust in Let us put on the whole Armour of God O let us labour for Jesus Christ and he will be our Shepherd and we shall be his Sheep he will lock us up in his cabinet and keepe us from sin and Satan Lord strengthen our unbelieving hearts Let us labour to be strong in faith and we shall be strong in Jesus Christ Let us labour to be rich in Jesus Christ though we be poor in the world I have obtained Jesus Christ When you have obtained Jesus Christ you have obtained a jewell of all jewels Let us be partakers of the Word of God and we shall be partakers of Jesus Christ if we do not know the Word of God nor be partakers of it we shall never know Jesus Christ When we are but weak in body and are true Christians we shall be strong in Jesus Christ If we be weak in body our body loseth by it but our souls gain by it Let us labour to get true possession of Jesus Christ and then Satan that roaring lion can get no possession of us Lord give us the life of grace to spring up in our hearts that we may be drawn to thee Iune the 9th Lord give us the light of heaven that vve may be holy as thou art holy If once grace be but kindled in our hearts then happy shall vve be and blessed Let us trust in Jesus Christ and he vvill conquer our spirituall enemy and purifie our double hearts Let us be thankfull and ever thankfull for all his mercies lest he turn his blessings into curses and poure dovvn his vvrath upon us Lord give us true repenting hearts for our sins lest vve run headlong to hell for vvant of repentance Come my Disciples take up your cross and follow me and I vvill be your God joy joy joy Learn the lesson of faith or you shall never knovv Christ but Lord let us learn this lesson of faith that vve thy unvvorthy servants may be delivered both from our bodily and spiritual enemies We are poor dry creatures but Lord breath thy Spirit into us that vve may be Saints in Heaven Good Lord enrich our souls that we may enrich the Kingdome of Heaven Come my people enter into my Tabernacle and you shall rest in joyes for ever We must labour to have hearts for Jesuâ— Christ or we shall never attain to him we must labour for him he is not easily gained but we must take pains and seek him Let us put off the rags of sin and put on the robes of righteousness Let us struggle for Jesus Christ and labour for him lay hold of him and when we have obtained him let him not slip from us Let us give God the glory of all things and he will poure down all things upon us that are good for us Lord pardon our sins and give us hearts to beg pardon of thee for them Lord give us thankful hearts to acknowledge thy goodness and to be thankful for every little mercy Lord fit and prepare our unprepared hearts that we may be prepared at the sound of the trumpet Let us labour to be married to Jesus Christ and
serve him he vvill fliâ— avvay from us and then vvhen vve comâ— unto him again vvhen he calleth us not hâ— vvill say unto us Go ye cursed into hell-fire foâ— ever and vvil not accept of us but cast us oâ— September the 1. Many there be that cannot attain to thâ— height of Gods Word but if they labouâ— for it he will give it them The Word of God is but a dead letter without his Spirit be with it September 2. at 4 a clock in the afternoon The snare is broken and I am escaped even as a bird from the foul-catcher God will not make the Cup so bitter but he will mix it with comfort he will mix it with sugar he will mix it with comfort as well as with discomfort September 3. Prepare against the Grave open and the Trumpet sound that we may be in hopes to obtein a joyfull resurrection September the 4th Let us labour to believe in God and trust â—n him for he afflicts us to make us stick closer unto him he whips us with one rod if that will not do he takes a second and if that will not do he takes a third and if that will not do he takes the fourth that he might bring our hearts home to him and that we might say It is good for us that we have been afflicted Prepare prepare against the mouth of the Grave open and the Trumpet sound that we may be in hopes to obtein a joyfull resurrection September the 5. at 2 a clock in the afternoon Let us labour for faith the greatest faith the greatest joy Let us labour to believe in Jesus Christ no faith no Christ no faith no Christ Let us labour to trust in Jesus Christ all things are fading and transitory in respect of Christ All things are but dross and dung in comparison of Christ Set your affections on things above and not on things of the earth for we are dead and our lives are hid with Christ in God Let us labour to trust in Jesus Christ if alâ— things in the world fail he will never fail Lord establish establish our hearts upon thee and let us pray for faith and grace and all other good things and make us thankfull to thee for ever and ever Lord give us faith to build upon thee Lord give us faith to build upon thee for without faith we can do nothing no faith no Christ no Christ no Salvation Let us flie let us flie unto the throne of Grace as the bird doth into the air hoping that we shall shine before the face of the Lord as a star in the firmament Lord cast down Satan that Serpent and tread him under foot that seeks to devour my soul but he cannot he hath a malice to my poor soul but chain him up Lord for he is always troubling and perplexing the Servants of God but those that he hath overcome he lets them alone untill he cast them into hell where they shall lie howling for ever and ever where there is no end Lord establish our hearts upon thee and give us grace to pray for faith and all other good gifts and make us truly thankfull to thee as a Christian ought to be September 6. at 4 a clock in the afternoon Lord purge our hearts that are stubborn â—d rebellious against thee Lord purifie our hearts as the honey from â—e drosse Again the same day at 6 a clock My Christ is come again and he will neâ—er forsake me I will stick close to him and â—e will never flie back from me Let us stick close unto the Lord and trust 〈◊〉 him and he will save us from all dangers 〈◊〉 this world for with him in the World to â—ome there is no danger September the 7th Lord grant that as we grow in dayes and years we may grow in grace and holiness September the 8th This day a Physician came to visit her being sent for by her parents they desiring to use what means could be procured for her and it pleased God whilest the Physician was there with her to shut up her mouth her teeth being set in her head so as theâ— could not open them her upper teeth werâ— drawn somewhat over her nether teeth anâ— so they continued save onely that the workings of the Convulsions opened them sometimes drew her tongue out of her mouth I say so they continued until the seventh 〈◊〉 December following all which time she liveâ— with the least quantity of food that could be for they put milk into her lips and how anâ— should go into her stomack we know not except some of it passed at each side of heâ— mouth where one tooth was wanting and yet in this time she grew very fat and heâ— flesh very firm and solid and she did look very fair and fresh Whereas you might rather apprehend that she was a lean dried and withered Anatomy and yet we conceiv'd she did take down something though before the setting of her teeth we could not perceive that she took any thing down but spurted it out presently onely by the effects we gathered that she did receive some nourishment because she had the benefit of nature but her stools were such as all that behold them admire they are round of the quantity of a Nutmeg very hard and like a piece of earth rolled in lime and they have no smell Yet in this condition when her teeth were thus set she spake in her stiff fits for several dayes as followeth September the 8th When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Let us labour for Christ if a poor man have but Christ and have nothing else he is richer then the richest man in the world Christ hath pulled back Satan that roaring lurking lion that would destroy my poor soul but my Christ is stronger then he and will not let him Let us strive for Christ happy happy happy happy are they that have Christ Lord help us to build up a new building of thy grace build them upon our hearts and establish our hearts upon thee She intermitted speaking till September 20. and then she said Lord lay a new ground-work in our hearts of faith and make it stedfast if thou graft it it will take root My God hath vanquished Satan that hath such a malice to my poor soul he would get in he cannot he cannot my God doth buâ— suffer him to step in to make me stick close unto him and deter me from this devilliâ—â— wicked world Lord wean our hearts from the trash 〈◊〉 this world and give us Christ to be our portion and he will be an everlasting portion Lord Lord work a new ground-work iâ— our hearts for if thou work it it will stand and if thou work it not it will fall to thâ— ground September the 22th Her lips did move long before she
will stand for ever October 10. Lord renew us vvith thy grace that vve may be fit to come to the School of Christ to learn the lesson of faith Lord cast out the old man that he may not take root that vve may become nevv livers and vvhen that old man is cast out labour to dravv neerer and neerer unto Christ Take heed you live not in a known sin for if you live in a known sin and wallow in sins even as a sow doth wallow in the mire it is dangerous Lord Lord that which I know not teach thou me and I will learn Let us search the secrets of our hearts lest there be any weeds scattered amongst them Wait and be patient whatsoever the Lord pleaseth to lay upon you as patient Job in all his afflictions he was patient When one came and told him that all his Children vvent to feast at their elder Brothers house and the house fell upon them he said It is the will of the Lord why should not I be contented The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the Name of the Lord and his wife came to him and bade him curse God and die then he said Oh thou foolish woman shall we receive good at the hands of God and shall we not receive evill then there came another to him and told him that his goods were all gone and devoured yet Job was of the same minde that he was before and said The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the Name of the Lord and Job was patient in all his afflictions and was confirmed that his soul was precious in the sight of the Lord. Lord cast down Satan that Serpent and chain him up that he may get no power over my poor soul Lord humble these proud hearts of ours that are so blowne up with the pride and vanities of this world if we did but look into and examine our hearts we should not please the flesh so as we do but whil'st we are in the flesh we are apt to follow the lusts of the flesh Oh let us labour for that Holy One that Holy One that Jewel that precious Jewel that Jewel of our Heavenly Father that Jewel of all Jewels Oh what can a Christian heart desite more then a Christ then a crucified Christ Oh if we can but gain Christ we have all we have all Oh that we had but hearts to conceive the preciousnesse the sweetnesse and holinesse of that Beloved that Christ Oh that we could but have Christ set upon our hearts aright Oh let us glorifie him in all things all honour and glory be given to him to whom it belongeth October the 11th Lord pull back that subtile Serpent he is so subtile that he is alwayes seeking in corners to devour my poor soul but he cannot my Christ is stronger then he and when he seeth that he cannot get power over the childe of God then he goeth away murmuring and repining Faith hope and charity and the chiefest of these is charity charity is love is love in Christ faith is a gift of Christ and hope is hope to gain Christ Oh let us pray for faith and all other good graces that are necessary for us and let us pray earnestly unto Christ that he may pray for us in Heaven and if he pray for us we shall be sure to be heard Let us cast our care upon the Lord in all caâ—amities for he hath bid us cast our care upon him and he will care for us October the 12th Come all you that are a thirst and drink freely of the Spring-well-water of life and you shall never thirst again My Christ hath pull'd back Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to destroy my poor soul but if God bid him be gone he must be gone my God will pull him off me I hope if you watch not to him as well as he watcheth to you he will flatter and deceive you as he wou'd have done our Saviour Christ if he had had that power but he had not that power when he set him upon the Pinnacle of the Temple and shewed him all the Kingdomes of the World and the glory thereof and said All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me if we do not look unto his corners he will get and command power over us as he thought to have done over our Saviour Christ when he said unto him If thou be the Son of God cause these stones to be made bread Lord open the eyes of the blinde that they may see clearly into the errours of sin Depend upon the Lord in all your extremities and calamities and when his appointed time is come he will release you Cast your selves into those armes of love and he will be your Saviour October the 14th She rejoyced very much and then had an exceeding great and long conflict and then she rejoyced again and said My Christ hath vanquished Satan that lurking roaring lion that goeth about to devour my poor soul but he cannot but he cannot come neer it My Christ is stronger then he My God doth but let him step in to make me relie more upon him Lord humble these proud ignorant and carnall hearts of ours that we be not led away with this world and the vanities in it and let us not taste of them for if we taste of them they will enter into us more and more if we could but taste of the sweetnesse of Christ we shall be tied unto him more and more and flie back from the world and desire him more and more Then she had another great rejoycing fit and stretched out her armes and said Let us stick close to that Holy One and he will stick close to us but if we sit loose from him he will sit loose from us Take heed of living in a known sin for if you live in a known sin it is dangerous for if you live in a sin you know you are guilty of it is dangerous ô look back unto your selves and labour truly to repent lest your sins be hardened and God turn his back of you for if they once be hardened it is hard to get them off again Take heed you live not in knovvn sins as drunkennesse lasciviousnesse blasphemy and keeping of evill company and all other vices labour to repent of them and say Lord that which I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do so no more October the 15th Let us hunger and thirst after that Holy One and not follovv the vanities of this vvorld as we do the vanities of this world of abomination and sin Let us labour to forsake sin and this vvorld and all things that are therein and stick close unto Jesus Christ that Holy One and not be like the svvine that regard acorns more then pearls
Lord make them of a fit temper Oh let us labour for Christ that love that Dove that undefiled one that laid dowâ— his life to pardon the sinnes of all the elect November the 10th Lord forgive and pardon all our sinnes whether they be sins originall or actuall sins of weaknesse or wilfulnesse sins of omission or commission sins of ignorance or of knowledge scarlet sins or crimson sins or sins of a double diet or what sort of sins soever they be Lord wash them and cleanse us in the blood of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ in whom alone thou art well pleased Oh let us labour for Christ that habitation in whom we live move and have our being Ask and you shall have knock and it shall be opened to you and the door that leadeth to everlasting life shall be opened unto you Faith hope and charity the greatest of these three is charity Charity is love and the love of Christ faith is a gift given of Christ and hope is a hoping to enjoy Christ Now Lord of thy merciful promise let thy poor doubting Christian feel some dram of assurance to this poor soul let a poor sinner feel one dram of the assurance of thy love to his poor doubting soul Oh let us suck sweetnes from Jesus Christ as the childe sucks milk from the mothers brest the harder we draw the more we shall get the childe wrangles and wrangles till the mother give it the pap in the mouth and then it 's quiet and satisfied so and there she staied a good space going oft over with the word so before she could get any more words at last she said so a poor soul seeks and knows not what it wants and wrangles and wrangles till it get Christ all the world will not satisfie it but and then she lifted up her selfe and strook with her hand upon her thighs with much fervour of spirit when it gets Christ then it is satisfied and then using the same actions again said when it gets Christ then it 's abundantly satisfied all the world will not satisfie him but Christ will give him full satisfaction November the 11th Be ye holy even as Christ is holy Be yâ— holy as I am holy saith the Lord. Trust in the Lord trust in the Lord trust the Lord with all that you have for he hath promised that he will provide for them that trust in him and keep you from evil Lord renew us with that rich grace of faith 〈◊〉 will carry us above it will carry us from the lowest earth to the highest heaven we are not in the lowest earth here we are but in the middle earth but faith will carry us from the lowest earth to the highest heaven Lord teach us to walk in thy paths and teach us the way that leadeth to everlasting life November the 12th No man can come to Christ unlesse the Father â—raw him Take heed you lie not one to another for if â—ou give way to that sin the Devil will take â—hat occasion to poure in more corruption Oh let us labour for Christ that holy One want him and want all and have him and have all November the 14th Take heed you lie not one to another for the Lord saith They are my children such as will not lie and I will be their Saviour Trust the Lord trust in the Lord for he â—s a trusty one he is to be trusted trust the Lord with your selfe and all yours and he will watch over you for good and keep you from evil for he hath promised that those that trust in him shall be as Mount Zion which shall never be moved November the 15th He that knoweth the will of his Father which is in heaven and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Oh let us not be forgetfull of those meâ—cies which the Lord hath been pleased â— pour down upon us but be thankfull fâ— them and prize them highly for if we haâ— a thousand hearts and a thousand hearts wâ— could never be sufficiently thankfull thâ— mercies of God are to be esteemed and highly esteemed of there is many a poor Christian many a poor creature which woulâ— be glad to have those mercies which we daily and hourly enjoy they are so common that we do not esteem of them but alas alas the greater is our Judgement November the 16th Lord humble these proud hearts of ours lest we betake our selves to this vain world and so run headlong into hell to our own souls destruction Let us labour and take pains for that immaculate Lamb of God for he will never see the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread Oh let us labour for Christ that holy One for when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Lord open our blinde eyes that we may see clearly the purity that is in Christ and â—â—e corruption that is in our selves November the 19th Lord purge and purifie these drossy hearts â—f ours and refine them even as silver and â—old is refined that we may become pure â—irgins of thine Oh let us labour and take pains to inherit â—he Kingdome of Heaven where there is â—othing but mirth and melody joy and reâ—oycing joy without sorrow comfort without discomfort where all tears are wiped away and botled up November the 20th Oh let us labour for Christ that holy One he is all in all perfect without imperfection have him and have all want him and want all all things are but drosse and dung in comparison of him Oh let us labour to have the Name of Christ set aright upon our hearts that it might make a deep impression that it might take effect to work effectually Oh let us labour to have our conversation built upon that substantiall rock stedfastly for if it be built upon sandy ground it will fall but if it be built upon that substantia rock it will stand for ever November the 21th Trust the Lord for he is a trusty one hâ— is to be trusted he hath promised that thoâ— that trust in him shall stand as Mount Zion thâ— shall never be removed but abideth for ever Oh let us wait and be patient untill the appointed time of the Lord for his time is the best time For he that shall come will come and will not tarry Take heed that yon sowe not good seed on thorny ground lest the thorns spring up and choke it Lord humble these proud hearts of ours lest we be blown up with this world and the vanities thereof if we could but feel one dram of the sweetnesse of Christ we should not give way to the vanities of the world as we do but while we are in the flesh we are apt to follow the lusts of the flesh if we could be so sensible of the sweetnesse of Christ and apprehend it aright we should be taken up so with Christ and with the sweetnesse
MARTHA HATFIELD THE WISE VIRGIN OR A wonderfull Narration of the hand of God wherein his severity and goodnesse hath appeared in afflicting a Childe of eleven years of age when stricken dumb deaf and blinde through the prevalencie of her disease yet upon her wonderfull recovery was heard at severall times to utter many glorious Truths concerning Christ Faith and other subiects To the wonderment of many that came far and neer to see and hear her The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Psal 111. 2. All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee Psal 145. 10. Natura in minimis maximè mirabilis By James Fisher a Servant of CHRIST LONDON Printed for John Rothwell at the Fountain and Bear in Cheap-side MDCLIII To All those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and especially my much endeared Friends the Parents of this Childe of Wonders Grace and Peace be multiplied through the Knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. THe Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord in the whole dispensation thereof seems to be nothing else but a Composition of wonders every thing therein being matter both of wonderment and document And as in other respects so particularly in the manner of the propagation thereof and in the way whereby our wise good God hath brought it home and setled the precious truths thereof upon the hearts of his chosen ones Though God useth a generall Uniformity yet is there also a particular variety of Dispensation God sometimes stepping out of the ordinary course of instituted means to meet with the darknesse unbelief and other weaknesses of poor souls especially in these last Ages of the World wherein there are some rarities of Providence whereby God seemes to speak unto us that he is intending to do some new and strange thing in the Earth And if you look narrowly what these means are which God hath chosen out you shall plainly discover that of the Apostle to be verified all along that they are the foolish the weak the base and the despised things of the World He hath not chosen armes or armes of the Mighty ones nor the mouth of the Sword but the Sword of the mouth for out of the mouthes of Babes and Sucklings he hath ordeined strength whereby he effecteth wonderfull things for the advancement of his Kingdome here in the World That which comes out of the mouths of these Babes shall accomplish his Royall Will Thus it was with the Head and Captain Generall of this Infantry the Lord Jesus he was at first a Babe and a Suckling and the Apostles were such in their originall and such are all those who are their Successours But this Scripture seems to receive a further completion even in the Letter of it in this instance and example of which I shall now make Relation Out of her mouth the Lord hath ordained such things should be uttered as may I hope through his blessing prove instrumentall for the promoting of some part at least of that glorious Gospel-Designe of Love towards lapsed Creatures which you will finde recorded in the subsequent Relation and that both in the time of her extream weaknesse as also since her Restauration and Recovery and because God hath raised up one so extraordinarily to declare so much of his Will unto us surely God expects that we should more then ordinarily improve these his dispensations and the rather because such Mirabilia Dei are usuall presages of great mutations in the Countreys where they are acted and if men answer not God in such Providences he usually gives them up to spiritual evils and after that to temporal Desolations May not Germany Scotland Ireland acknowledge this with teares in their eyes that they have not walkt worthy of the glorious appearances of God amongst them and may not England subscribe the same confession in letters written as Draco's Lawes were with their own Blood Hath not God shewed signes and wonders in all these Nations And are not spirituall Judgements as gray haires visibly here and there upon us and is it not observable that the Jewes before their being given up to utter Desolation enjoyed the highest dispensations that ever when a people are lifted up to Heaven as Capernaum was with Gospel-priviledges and yet have much of hell in their practices the next news we hear of them will be that they are brought down to Hell by Gods Judiciall Providences The extraordinary works of Gods mercies being abused make way for extraordinary Judgements But I wish hope that others but especially you my dear Friends relations who have been eye and ear-witnesses of these rare actings of Providence and whose hearts have been so much affectd therewith will wisely consider the Lords doings and lay them upon your hearts until your hearts be warmed therewith and your lives conformed accordingly This Childe being acquainted with some intentions of some of her Friends to print her Speeches answered I wish they may aime at a right end a most seasonable Item and if we do not endeavour to have them first printed in our hearts and to publish them in our lives we shall give but a poor account of the publication of them to the world If the World must know as we do judge that fit that such a light should not be set under a bushell what God hath done for us I beseech you let 's carry it so as the World may know to our joy and not grief what we do for God Oh let 's take heed to our spirits that we do not with these sweet flowers of mercies as children with their Nosegayes smell at them and delight in them for a short time and then cast them away God hath done wonderfull things for us Oh that it might appear he hath wrought wonderfull things in us His wonderful works do declare his Name is neer to us let our works declare that his Name his Service Word Worship and all his Institutions and Commands are dear to us If God walk in the middest of us then we should be exactly careful that no unclean thing be found in us It did much aggravat◠Solomons defections from the Lord that they were acted after God had appeared to him twice God hath not appeared once or twice but many times and in sundry manners and particularly in this Providence much of God appearing in her every time she spake how great will our sin be if after God had given us such a deliverance nay so many mercies in the womb of this we should again break his Commands grow loose and mindlesse of God and forsake his Ordinances and wayes as many do Gods Works in this instance declare his Name to be neer and that exclusively by way of exclusion of all other names and David might mean so much in that phrase that his Name and the names of all his gallant and Heroick Commanders were to
it were that the life of grace might be prolonged but this we found that the continuance of her life was a continued Sermon and did preach forth the wonderful power and love of Jesus Christ as if she had learnt a new and holy Art of living poor souls to God or as if Faith were to come by seeing Gracious Childe who for her age might be a Learner and yet is made so learned a Teacher who so sweetly takes Christ for her text truth for her Doctrine and Holiness for her Vse Surely 't was he who at 12 years old was found in the Temple sitting amongst the Doctors hearing of them and asking of them Questions 't was he I say who hath ranked this Twelve years-old Childe amongst the Doctors of our Israel 'T was he that made her Sermons she onely did but preach them For her Speech bewrayed she had been with Jesus Oh what gracious words she uttered nothing but honey dropt from her mouth and that such honey as tasted much of the spirituall Canaan And indeed Christian none can speak so heavenlily none so healingly none so sweetly none so feelingly as those that have much of God speaking in them The Sentences she uttered are in this Book recorded And now canst thou read and not wonder wonder and not desire to read And yet the manner of her speaking added Emphasis to the things she spake Her eyes were fixed as if she saw Christ her countenance cheerfull as if she imbraced Christ her lips smiling as if she kissed Christ yea her armes sometimes sweetly clasping as if with Simeon she had got an arm-ful of Christ What think you meant her soul whilest her body used such an action Oh what happinesse for a poor soul to lose it selfe in the All-fulnesse of Christ truly these things made us all cry out What manner of Childe shall this be But oh see the wonderfull workings of our God He has let her come down into this lower room againe God seemed to take her out of the crowd into his Chambers up above where he sweetly whispered his minde unto her and now he hath sent her back again that she may live over her own Sermons And yet so was God taken with her company that he would not let her come down again till his Children had petitioned again again for her And then the more to endear his mercy to us he sends her down in the Armes of Prayer So that now we finde this truth in our own experiences That a Christian reacheth highest when he is on his knees I might speak much more of her but I had rather commend grace theâ— gracious persons Oh let this I beseech thee with the other soul-helps Christ affordeth thee prevail with thee to be good in good earnest it 's not leaves or bloomes that Christ looks for now but fruit I confesse indeed the Winter of Religion seems to be past wherein both bloomes and fruit Profession and Practice was nipped and suppressed and now is the Spring wherein most men are fair in bloom which gives me hopes that the Lord is bringing about a time when holy lips and holy lives heavenly Communication and heavenly Conversation shall meet together so that flourishing Professours will prove fruitful Practicers Oh! be not thou one who shalt keep off such hoped-for times as these think how thou wilt answer all Gods costs about thee And if thou be he that must be called in to give an account for every word thou speakest ô then what account wilt thou give for every word that God speaks to thee Thou that hast such heavenly Doctrine ô take heed of earthly Use heart-warning exhortations and heart-cooling conversations are fearfull and incongruous sights I confesse if I did not in some measure know the Unteachablenesse of a corrupt heart I should conclude that Non-profiting by such wonders as these is the greatest wonder of all Well Christian thou hast a Providence here thrown into thy lap ô improve it and be not befooled with fleshly wisdome but ô minde thy work drive on thy souls trade And if thou hast an Interest in God know thus much that this Childe hath an interest in thee when therefore thou â—oest to improve thy interest at the Throne forget not Her nor Him who is Finningley Jan. 25. 1652. Joyfull in this and all other thy Soul-helps John Firth To the READER Grace here Glory hereafter THe voice of Providence Christian friend for such I suppose thee and unprejudiced I wish thee is never to be neglected especially when it is understood according to the Analogie of faith Indeed providentiall administrations are not to be forced as it seemes to me over-bold if not an impious act to judge alwayes according to the outward face of dispensations to make providences point out what we effect as * he judged of the Scriptures even to speak our prejudiced and partiall thoughts â— Psal 107 43. so it is over-Atheist-like to let the righteous God be every day in the City and yet none to read any thing The Workes of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Whoso is wise will observe these things and he shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. There are a sort of men in these last and worst of dayes that will believe nothing but what themselves behold and sleight all Thomas-like that themselves have not a finger in To get these above life of sense is not in my capacity though it may be in my aime I do acknowledge my obscure testimony far below such atchievments The sword of the Lord and Gideon undertake them Yet why may not a broken pitcher give some light and that sudden light disperse the Amalekites though I can finde nothing in my selfe my witness is in heaven why I should be in publick for bene vixit qui bene latuit yet I dare not resist that voice that calls me to bear witness to Gods workings who hath so signally owned his now despised Ministry and sleighted Ordinances speaking withall peace to a tossed and afflicted family That never misled spirit that shall peruse the ensuing wonders may any more despise or drooping poor soul that shall hear how God remembred such an one in her low estate and heard the prayers of such nothing creatures may any more despair The Subject of the ensuing wonder is Mrs. Martha Hatfeild a branch of a Family of good Note in the West of Yorkeshire as to externals having wherein they might glory But which is their glory their great prerogative is not here not in this World that they are bene nati is an emptie bubble in respect of being bene renati this is their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their priviledge that they are sons and daughters of God This Family as God useth to deal with them he loveth the wise God was pleased to keep in a low and dark condition without were fightings within were
of him as may be most 〈◊〉 thy glory and for the good of his soul â—d body Good Lord bless our sister who hath taâ—n so great pains with my mother and me â—d our other little brother Lord make him â—ine and guide him in all his wayes in his â—ung-yeers that his soul may be precious in â—y sight and my other sister the Lord â—ve her grace And that other little sister â—ood Lord take away that infirmity from her â—ye if it be thy will And for that sister whom â—hou hast disposed of in marriage the Lord â—less that family and give them more and more of thy Spirit to guide them in thy wayes and Lord give him a Spirit of prayer â—ut let us not make haste for thy time is the best And for that little branch Lord as it grows in days years grant that it may grow in grace and walk in thy way And for that godly sweet servant of thine * that prayed so heartily for me the last night the Lord bless him and Lord bless thy servant who is gone to use means for her health and bless the means for without thy bessing nothing can profit and Lord if it be for thy glory bring them together and if not make them contented to yield to thy will Good Lord bless all our Family and make them thine and teach all our friends to walk in thy wayes When she began this prayer all about her were so amazed with the suddenness of it that they could not for the joy and astonishment wherewith their spirits were filled observe each passage so exactly as is desired they had done so that many of her expressions are lost but these things set down are as neer as they that were present could recall to their thoughts related and written down in her own very words After this prayer her head fell and she was as in a trance and as she past into it she said The Lord be with you all I am now going to Heaven where I hope one day you will come to me And when she was come forth of that trance in which they thought she would have died she was exceedingly rapt up with joy which perhaps was the Heaven she spake of that she was going to laughing and spreading her arms and clasping them close to her that they could not be opened but presently she opened them and exprest herself in these words I have found my Christ ô I have found my Christ how sweet is he to me After this fit of joy she fell into a sore conflict with Satan and opening her arms which were clasped with hugging her sweet Christ unto her she struck so vehemently as 〈◊〉 she had more then ordinary strength and â—prest her self in these words Away away away Satan with a stern â—untenance which was a great change in her â—â—ce which was so amiable before in her reâ—oycing of it and so she continued for some â—â—me and then the Lord was pleased to give â—er comfort again And then she laughed and rejoyced much more then before and spread her arms and â—lasped them close again and said O my Christ is come again my Christ is come again 〈◊〉 shall vanquish Satan and cast him behinde me Then she fell again into another conflict with striking as before but never spake in a conflict but the conflict being over she spake and laught and behaved her self in the like manner as before O now my sweet Christ is come again he is come again and hath destroyed my spirituall enemy who would have destroyed my soul O labour for Christ and that the Name of Christ may be written upon all your hearts with letters of gold Thus one time with comforts and at other times with conflicts she continued the greatest part of one night which they that were present thought was about the several times that night but they were all so astonisheâ— both with the matter and manner that the could not certainly relate how many of thoâ— conflicts and comfortable fits she had neâ—â—ther indeed as they acknowledge are theâ— able to relate the manner thereof as it waâ— made known unto them After this about 17 dayes she lay stiff and never spake all that time and it pleased thâ— Lord so to order her disease that she came to her self twice a day viz. at twelve a clock aâ— noon-day and six at night and then she did understand herself but could not speak and to these times she kept constantly for about 17 dayes and then she would make signes to wash her mouth with small beer or water they not knowing what she would have but she could manifest dislike of what was offered if it was not that which she desired she took no food all this time but onely washt her mouth as was said twice a day About this time coming to herself she fell into great extremity of vomiting for two dayes and that which she vomited was like gall or soot and bloud and by times continued in that extremity for seven or eight dayes and was carried about in the arms of one or other or sate on their knees having little rest save some short Dormes she spake â—uch and uttered many sweet expressions Many times being desired to take some â—od she answered I would take food if God would give me leave but I cannot I â—annot and when they would do any thing â—bout her if it might be to give her some â—ase she would say Alas here 's no ease â—ere O that you will not suffer a poor creaâ—ure to have some ease there 's no comfort â—o be had here but there 's ease in Heaven At another time she said O Lord some â—ase for a poor distressed creature Lord for â—hy Son Christ his sake Again Where 's my father and my mother that they may pray for me I had a father and a mother and brethren and sisters Again she was much troubled and said What a naughty naughty Lass was I to be so impatient but now I have more pain and the Lord hath given me more patience now I can say with David It is good for me that I have been afflicted Good It is good indeed for my father hath got good and my mother hath got good and I have got good and God hath got glory I would not have been without this affliction for any thing this is a good affliction indeed Her sister Hannah speaking to her Must these little pretty hands go into the grave and rot in the dust I said she what should they do else poor sinful corrupt flesh Her father asking her Childe art not hungry thou hast eaten nothing of a long time She said I hunger for nothing but Christ I am very hungry after him I would very fainâ— have him Then he asked her if she would drink she said I am very thirsty for Christ They were speaking to her of a Physician but she said My comfort is in Christ
that is better then all the marriages in the world it is an everlasting marriage he is the richest above all he is an everâ—â—sting portion he that feeds bodies with naâ—ural food will also feed the souls of all those â—â—at believe and put their trust in him with â—piritual food June the 10th Knock at the gates of righteousness and Christ will open the door of faith Trust in Jesus Christ and he will comfort you with that word Come poor souls Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to fight against the Devil and Hell Lord fill our hearts with the fulness of Jesus Christ that no corruption remain in Lord satisfie our hearts for without thee we cannot be satisfied Lord give us faith in Jesus Christ that we may rest believing in him for our hearts are full of unbelief Lord take our hearts off from this worldly trash for this world is nothing else but trash Lord humble these proud hearts that we may cleave and stick more close to Jesus Christ Lord take these base and ignorant hearts of ours cleanse and purge them Let us not be forgetful of Gods mercies lest he be forgetful of God O how good my God is that hath giveâ— me Jesus Christ Lord fill me full of Iesuâ— Christ that I may dwell with him Lord pardon and forgive us all our sinâ— and wash them away in the bloud of Iesuâ— Christ Lord purifie our hearts as the honey iâ— purified from the dross Lord give us faith to believe in Iesuâ— Christ for without faith we can never attain to Iesus Christ Let us lie at the feet of Iesus Christ that we may be raised to the height of glory Let us be thankful for every good mercy for if we be not thankfâ—l God will hide his face from us Lord keep back that roaring lion and tread him under foot he did lay his snare for me but thou hast broken it and I am escaped as the bird from the fowler Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear you and deliver you from all dangers in this world and that which is to come Let us labour to attain to the height of righteousness that we may attain to the height of faith for if we do not attain to the height of righteousness we can never attain to the height of faith and if we do not attain to the height of faith we shall never attain to the height of Iesus Christ Trust in Iesus Christ and he will conquer that enemy that would conquer your poore souls but God hath conquered him in me Come poore people let us rejoyce together Come let us sing a new song for all his mercies that he is pleased to bestow upon us How great is the mercy of God to us in keeping of us from sinking down into that bottomless pit Let us take heed of displeasing God lest God displease us and be angry with us Iune the 11th Call upon me in time of trouble and I will hear and deliver you So then all they that put their trust in God and call upon him shall be happy and blest Cast dovvn that roaring lion that goeth about to conquer my poor soul if I do but put my trust in Jesus Christ he will conquer him Lord give us righteousnesse for without righteousnesse we cannot get faith and without faith we cannot get Christ Lord give us true repenting hearts for all our sins for without true repenting hearts we can never get assurance of our salvation Lord ravish our hearts with the joy of Heaven that we may labour and take pains for Jesus Christ for without pains he will never be found Joy joy joy everlasting joy Lord humble our self-willed hearts that we may be thankfnll for all thy mercies which thou hast been pleased to bestow upon us Thou hast been a loving and a mercifull Father but we havâ— been stubborn and rebellious children if thou hadst not been a gracious Father we had all been burning in hell-fire before this Come let us sowe the seed of faith that we may reap gladnesse When we are in affliction we must cry to Jesus Christ for help and he will help us June the 12th Let us trust in Jesus Christ and labour for faith struggle and strive for it then our Father will give us his dear Son Jesus Christ We can never do so much for Jesus Christ as he hath done for us he hath laid down his life to save us Joy joy joy everlasting joy Gods World and this world are not both alike those that are of this world they love the world and such if they do not suffer in this world they must suffer in another world hell-torments in brimstone and fire for ever and ever We pray thee good God look upon thy poor unworthy people and deliver us from all dangers Lord quicken us in thy Son Iesus Christ till we come to that joyfull place where there is no change Lord fill our hearts with the fulnesse of Iesus Christ that we may dwell with thee and thy holy Angels for ever Lord keep our hearts close unto thee and pull us forth of the snare of Satan that roaring lion and make us to escape as the bird escapes out of the net of the fowler What a good God and mercifull Father have we if he had not been mercifull to us we had been all burning in hell before this Lord ripen us for the sooner we are ripe the sooner shall we have assurance of Jesus Christ Lord satisfie our unsatisfied hearts iâ— we had all this world we should never be satisfied but if we had Jesus Christ we should be satisfied We are here like poor captives withouâ— grace in our hearts Without thy Spirit Lord we are but as drie creatures drie bones moscer'd away without thou breath the spirit of life into us Lord purge our unclean hearts that we may be purified in Jesus Christ Good Lord look down upon thy unworthy servants and give us thankfull hearts for all those mercies that thou hast bestowed upon us lest all our mercies be turned into curses June the 13th Come let us suck sweetnesse from Jesus Christ as the Bee sucks sweetnesse out of the flower Come let us call upon the Lord in time of trouble and what afflictions soever we are in he will hear us and deliver us Come let us search these false hearts of ours there is deceit in every corner of them but we must desire of God to help us to search them lest our searching prove all in vain Let us labour to get the truth of Iesus â—hrist if we can but get the truth of Iesus â—hrist it will ravish our hearts first he â—epares our hearts for the work of faith â—en he works faith in them Those that God hath chosen he will pluck â—ut the blinde eye
wonders in that Family and we agreed to keep the 28th day of December as a day of Thanks-giving for what God had done but the Lord knowing our dulnesse and weaknes before the day came did cast in further mercies that so we might be quickened to make his praise more glorious as you will see in the subsequent Relation which I received from Mr. Hatfield whose fidelity and consciencious walking is well knowne in the Countrey and therefore his Testimony the more worthy credence The ninth of December the Childe lying in a Trundle-bed at her Mothers bed-feet her Mother when she awaked asked her what a night she had she replied a very good night I praise God I never awaked till now which was about seven a clock Her Mother said Mattee God hath done great and wonderfull things for thee in manifesting so much of his power upon thee and to us in thee the Lord set these things aright upon our hearts Then Mattee replied with a sigh Oh when the Lord is pleased 〈◊〉 do great things for us he expects and looks for great things from us even as the Husbandman that sowes a great deal of seed he looks for a great crop if he have a great seed-time he looks to reap a great Harvest So the Lord when he is pleased to do great things for his people he expects great things from them Then her Mother spake again to her saying The Lord hath set thy condition upon the hearts of his people and thou art a Childe of prayer by which I hope the Lord will have much glory for there have been many dayes set apart to seek the Lord on thy behalfe Then she said Oh is not that a great mercy those dayes were dayes of love to my poor soul We do not discern mercies to be mercies we are so full of corruption and sin because the strong man armed had taken possession in our hearts but there is a stronger then he that will dispossesse him Her Mother said there are many Ministers who have wrestled with God for thee both in publique and in private She said I would be glad to see them that I may give them thanks for their pains and love to my soul Her Mother further said We are comfortably incouraged to depend upon the Lord in the duty of prayer for we have had apparent and immediate Answers from Him Oh said she that is a sweet mercy The seed of Jacob shall not seek the face of God in vain That morning she very freely and cheerfully expressed her selfe in any thing which concerned her spirituall condition and she was so free and her spirit was so enlarged to speak that her Mother disswaded her from speaking so much for fear of spending her little stock of spirits she being but weak Oh no no said she my spirits can never be spent with speaking of my God if any would feed me with speaking of my God I could live upon it The same day being the ninth of December her Uncle Hatfeild a Captain in the Army a godly man came to her and did ask her if she knew him She said Me have forgotten you but I hope God will give me my memory in due time that I may know you then he asked her how she did she said Me is pretty well I praise God but within an hour and a halfe after he came to her again and did ask her if she did know him and after a little time earnestly viewing of him her eyes being yet weak she said Oh my Uncle John my good Uncle my dear Uncle John then said he You have been a long time afflicted but I hope you have found the love of God towards you in this Affliction for those whom he doth love he doth chastize She said I hope so They are bastards and not sons whom the Lord correcteth not Then he asked her If she had not a dimnesse before her eyes Yes said she but I hope that if God please to lend me life he will give me the comforts of life to make my life comfortable and that he will raise me up and give me my senses by little and little then said he You have spoken much of God and have been an Instrument of much good to people that came to hear you She replied My soul will rejoyce in that it was not me it was the Spirit of God in me I am but a poor Earth-worm and can do nothing of my self Then he said You have spoken very much there be two Books written of what you did speak Is there so said she I wish they may look at a good end He did ask her whether she did remember what she had said No said she I have forgot but I hope God will give me my memory that I may tell to others what God hath done to my soul I pray Uncle pray to God for my Memory Being asked severall questions of such things as she had uttered in her stiffe fits she answered to the same sense and in most of the same words It was asked her whether faith or repentance was the first work in conversion she said You must first lay the ground-work of faith and then repent and turn home to the Lord you are not at home here you are but pilgrims and strangers It was asked her what was the Corner-stone in the spiritual building of the Church she said Christ but the stone is three-cornered the Father Son and Holy Ghost It was asked her what was faith hope and charity She said Faith is a gift of God to believe in Christ hope is a hoping to enjoy Christ and charity is the love of Christ It was asked how we may do to get the door of faith opened She said Walk in the paths of Righteousnesse Here by the way you may note that the Spirit of God did sometimes help her to speak things that yet she did not fully understand she had in one or two of her stiffe fits uttered these words Knock at the gate of Righteousnesse and God shall open unto you the door of Faith in reference to that speech this Question was asked her but God had not at that time revealed it to her I believe more of the marrow of the Gospel could scarcely have been uttered in so few words It 's the great question with poor souls they say If we could believe then we might have any thing but how shall we get faith here many puzzle themselves as if God had put them to shift for themselves as a poor man works and gets money and that will buy him all things no though we must ordinarily get faith in Hearing c. yet not by our Hearing the Answer is here Stand and knock at the gate of Righteousnes that Righteousnes which justifies us when we believe doth purchase faith for us that we may believe Pardon this digression It was asked
two sonnes Mr. Thomas Westby and Mr. George Westby and two daughters Mrs. Hatfeild and Mrs. Spencer Wife of Lieutenant Colonel Spencer and she had much comfort in them as in her Grandchildren all of them that are growne up giving good hopes of Grace wrought in them These were planted neer together and amongst them she spent her time strength some of them being much visited with bodily weaknesses and manifold Temptations in all which she was a singular help of their faith and comforts I have heard of many dutifull Children who have been very serviceable to their Mothers but have not heard of a Mother so officious shall I say serviceable to her Children so that their affections could not but be much let out to her and therefore the parting with her would be the more difficult wherefore I think God did act these wonders in that Family to strengthen their faith to arm them for such a triall as this that they who had seen so much of God might be taught in any triall more willingly to submit to God He that raised so great comfort to them out of such an affliction they might now stay upon that he would give an abundant supply to them whatever comforts he should take from them He did therefore give them those Cordials to carry with them when they should be put to Sea again and meet with new Stormes and Tempests and I wish they may and hope they will improve those experiences to these ends and uses 2 That Family vvhereof this Childe is a member hath been much afflicted more then other Families and it hath been a praying Family and many vvere ready to say What are they better for their Fasting and Praying they are alvvayes under affliction I conceive therefore God hath ovvned them that as their afflictions have abounded so their comforts much more God hath made them eminent in respect of his wonderfull workings for them as they were before by reason of his afflictings of them and I hope that when they lay their afflictions and consolations in the Balance they will experience that afflicted godlinesse is better then successefull wickednesse and that if the sauce had not been so tart their stomacks had not been so quick and that if they had not sunk into the waters of afflictions they had never learnt to swim in the Rivers of true pleasures I desire they may yet more and more and hope they do finde out many medicinal vertues in the great Herball of the Scriptures which they had never discovered had they not been exercised with new maladies they would not so have learnt to live the life of faith if they had not been sometimes under the sentence of Death in their own sense they would never have so powerfully discovered Gods power and faithfulnesse if they had not seen manifestly their own weaknesse Truly I finde the most of God in those who are most afflicted by God 2 Generally to the Inhabitants of this Nation I conceive Gods ends are 1 To convince them by his Works who will not be won by his Word the wonderfull way of manifesting these precious Truths by this Childe doth cry aloud to us to practise them God hath raised up a Childe to reprove the men of this generation for their oppositions against that Holy Childe Jesus and to exhort them to seek more for Christwho are so much in seeking great things for themselves she speaks much of slighting the world to those that are so much slighting the Word and ô that this use were made of it that there were more seeking faith and Christ and lesse seeking of selfe and creatures that there were more practice of reall holinesse and lesse breaking forth of open prophanenesse and that under the notion ô dreadful of perfection and that we may not be like as was said of the Schoolmen who turned all Religion in utrum non in usum for as Luther elegantly God loves Curristas not Quaeristas practicers not praters walkers not talkers of Religion 2 God hath in these glorious actings most eminently and evidently carried on this great designe of love to confirm the hearts of people that his presence is with his Ministers and such sober-hearted Christians who have not defiled themselves with women h. e. I conceive with others with false worships and to bear witnesse against those who slight the Institutions appointments of Jesus Christ and obtruding upon miserably seduced souls things of their own devising which never came into his heart to appoint who instead of following the lamb where ever he goeth do follow the wolf in a lambs skin where-ever he goeth who slight the written word and so strike at the Crown and Scepter of Jesus Christ the King of Saints God hath opened the mouth of the Dumbe to confute the madnesse of those that oppose his holy Institutions and in that he hath so miraculously raised her up at the entreaties of his poor Ministers and Servants when some of those above-Ordinances-people scorned at our Fastings and Prayings he hath evidently owned shall I say us alas who are we we desire to be willing to decrease so that Christ may increase but he hath owned his own Ordinances and Officers and those despised duties of Fasting and Prayer and ô that they who slight these appointments of Christ would consider those Prophecies Isa 66. 24. with 23. and Zachar. 14. from 16 to 19 vers which I conceive are prophecies calculated for Gospel-times and will in the Minatory part thereof fall heavy upon the new Gospellers of our times and wo to them against whom the sweet-mouth'd promises shall spit fire and brimstone the coales of sweet Juniper they say are the hottest It may be some whose principles and practices are loose enough will say God hath owned them in their seekings of him To such I shall onely say this that as when men comply vvith Antichrist though indirectly God hath opposed their enterprizesthough he may love some of their persons so those that oppose Antichrist though it may be indirectly too yet he may and hath owned and prospered their undertakings and yet be angry with their personal errours and miscarriages and it was their happinesse that they had a good cause and though he heard prayers that were sent up for them as they did his vvork yet not as they intended their ovvn vvork But ô that poor mis-led soules would hear the voice of these providentiall actings of God in this example and would now with others of Gods people gather together and appoint themselves one Head Jesus Christ owning him and his Institutions till they be as clearly abolished as they were evidently instituted by his unquestionable Authority that Great might be the day of Jezreel even of our English Israel And if this Narrative may have any such effect upon the hearts of my Dear Countreymen in this Nation for whom I have had sorrow in my heart I shall turn my mournings into rejoycings and