<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-05-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch Z100410.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A29491">
<STC T="W">B4661</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99827049</BIBNO>
<VID>31461</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE LIVING WORDS OF A DYING CHILD. BEING A TRUE RELATION Of &s;ome part of the Words that came forth, and were &s;poken by <HI>JOSEPH BRIGGINS</HI> On his Death-bed.</P>
<P>Being on the 26th day of the 4th Moneth called <HI>June,</HI>
1675. Aged 11 Years, Five Moneths, and 15. Dayes.</P>
<Q>Out of the Mouth of Babes and Sucklings ha&s;t thou ordained &s;trength,
<BIBL><HI>P&s;al. 8.2.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P>Printed in the Year, 1677.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE READERS WHETHER Children or others.</HEAD>
<P>THis Youth was a very duti|ful Child to his Parents, and patient, and ready to receive In&s;tructions; never was known to re&s;i&s;t his Father or Mo|thers Advice and Coun&s;el, but al|ways ready to obey their Commands, and minded good things, being very ba&s;hful, and ready to put him&s;elf forward to do any bu&s;ine&s;s to plea&s;e his Parents or Relations; never <PB REF="3">&s;ullen nor dogged; and what he did it was with all his might faithfully in Obedience to a meek and quiet &s;pi|rit, to the la&s;t minute. In the Time of his Health for Three Years last past, he u&s;ed to go to hear at the Meetings of the People called <HI>Qua|kers,</HI> and no where el&s;e, and was by rude Boyes &s;coffed at, and called a <HI>Quaker.</HI> He was a very manly, meek and &s;ober Child, not given to quarrel with any. What we have here related, that he &s;poke of the great Love of the Lord, both to his own &s;oul, and to his people, is far &s;hort of what he declared. His Depar|ture hence was on the Third Day of the Fifth Moneth, <HI>1675.</HI> at 7 in the morning, the 13th Day of his &s;ick|ne&s;s; in great stilne&s;s and patience he en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ered into Everla&s;ting Life.</P>
<PB REF="3">
<P>And We who were Eye and Ear Witne&s;&s;es of this following Relation, do te&s;tifie, that his Words were &s;o in Ver&s;e, and in &s;uch a great Power they were expre&s;&s;ed, indeed greater then We can declare.</P>
<P>We who&s;e Names are &s;ub&s;cribed are Witne&s;&s;es for the Lord in this matter, be&s;ides &s;everal others then pre&s;ent.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><LIST>
<ITEM><HI>William Briggins,</HI> his Father and Mother living in <HI>Bartholomew-Clo&s;e,</HI> in <HI>London.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>He&s;ter Briggins.</HI> his Father and Mother living in <HI>Bartholomew-Clo&s;e,</HI> in <HI>London.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>John Good&s;on,</HI> Chirurgeon, at the Chirurgeons Arms in <HI>Bartholo|mew Clo&s;e,</HI> next neighbour.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Margaret Adams</HI> the Nur&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Elizabeth Harford</HI> the Maid.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mary</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth Meux</HI> Lodgers in the Hou&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST> </SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sayings">
<PB REF="4">
<PB N="35" REF="4">
<HEAD>The VVonderful Sayings &s;poken by <HI>Jo&s;eph Brig|gins,</HI> worthy to be min|ded.</HEAD>
<P><HI>ON the 26th day of the fourth moneth, a|bout the &s;eventh hour in the Evening being (as we thought) very near death, after he had layen &s;ilent for about an hour, he began to appear full of exceeding great joy &amp; plea|&s;antne&s;s, and his mouth was opened and he &s;aid,</HI> I &s;hall prai&s;e the Lord; for he is only to be prai&s;ed: <HI>So he went on in Heavenly words in Prayer, to the admiration of the Nur&s;e &amp; Maid that heard him; of all which they only could rememeber that he &s;aid in admiration.</HI></P>
<P>Oh! I have never heard of any other God but thee, O my Holy One.</P>
<P><HI>And the Nur&s;e offering him &s;ome Cordial to drink.</HI></P>
<PB N="2" REF="5">
<P>Nay, &s;aid he, I &s;hall not eat nor drink-until I have &s;een my Heaven<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">y Father's Face in Glory-</P>
<P><HI>And more and more he was changed, and filled with exceeding great Joy and Plea|&s;antne&s;s, and &s;aid;</HI></P>
<P>I have heard of thee, but now I &s;ee thee in Glory.</P>
<P><HI>And many Heavenly &s;ayings and expre&s;|&s;ions came from him; the Maid and Nur&s;e did think he had been near going away: He hearing them &s;peak &s;o, He earne&s;tly &s;aid,</HI> Pray call up my Father and Mother, for I have &s;omething to &s;ay to them concern|ing what I have &s;een of my Heavenly Fa|ther's Glory.</P>
<P><HI>So he went on uttering many Heavenly Sayings and Exhortations in &s;ound Judg|ment; his Mother was called up, and &s;eeing him &s;o greatly changed in &s;o &s;hort a time, &s;he wept, and ran down &s;tairs and called his Fa|ther, and &s;everal People that were there at that time, and when he heard them come up, he joyfully called out,</HI></P>
<P>Father, Father, Oh Father; <HI>and held out his Hand, and &s;hook his Father by the Hand, and &s;aid.</HI></P>
<PB N="3" REF="5">
<P>Oh! pure and glorious is my Saviour which hath appeared to me, and hath ta|ken me into his Kingdom: Oh! mine eye hath &s;een his Glory.</P>
<P><HI>His Words were expre&s;&s;ed in &s;o great Wi&s;|dom and Power, that we were all amazed at them, being al&s;o in Meeter for the &s;pace of a|bout one hour and a half prai&s;ing God, and admiring him, and his glorious Power, and Holy Order of glorified Saints and Holy Angels, and of the Glorious Day of God revealed, &s;aid he. Some of which many Words he gave forth to us are as followeth, viz.</HI></P>
<P>O mo&s;t Glorious God, great and won|derful things are brought to pa&s;s by thy own pure holy Power, by which thou ha&s;t revealed thy Son unto us thy Mini&s;ters, O my King, O let all People fear and &s;tand in awe of thy Power, by which thou ha&s;t gathered many out of their &s;inful wayes, into pure Obedience to thee: Oh, thou ha&s;t given us a living Knowledge of thee, O pu e, glorious, holy God, let thy Life reach unto all my dear Friends, and keep them that know thee firm and &s;ted|fa&s;t <PB N="4" REF="6">upon thy Holy Foundation Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us my King, who&s;e appearance is very glorious at this day, and of his Govern|ment no end is to be; but Thou&s;ands of Thou&s;ands, Millions of Thou&s;ands &s;hall come to &s;ee, and be made with me, par|takers of his glorious bright &s;hining-day.</P>
<P><HI>Of which many Words more he &s;pake which cannot be remembred.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Again he &s;aid,</HI> O Glory, Glory, Everla|&s;ting Prai&s;es be given to thee by me, and all we that know thee; O I have much to &s;ay for thee.</P>
<P><HI>He was asked if he knew what he had &s;aid? his an&s;wer was,</HI> I have preached the Go&s;pel to you.</P>
<P><HI>His Father de&s;ired all pre&s;ent to hearken and mind what he &s;aid, and &s;pake &s;ome of his words to them, but he was grieved, and &s;aid:</HI></P>
<P>O be &s;ilent all fle&s;h and &s;tand by, for we that have &s;een thy pure mighty Glory can preach this Go&s;pel which is thy power, and the day comes on apace, that all that undertakes to &s;peak of thee, and obeyes not thy Power, by this Power they &s;hall <PB N="5" REF="6">be brought to Silence: There are many Ways and Bapti&s;ms in the world; but Oh thou Pure, Holy, Holy one, we thy Mi|ni&s;ters have known thy Spiritual Bapti&s;m into Chri&s;t Ie&s;us my Lord, by which the living water have we known and felt. Oh it is indeed exceeding pure, by which we have been wa&s;hed from all our Sins. Oh my King thou wa&s;t &s;lain, and by the virtue of thy pure Blood, we have this gain. Oh that all may wait continually upon thee, that they may be kept from all the deceiveable wayes of this world. Oh mind and &s;erve the Lord in your day; for his Holy Truth revealed in you is the Way in which you mu&s;t Wait and Obey. Oh! Glorious are the Beams of the Sun that hath &s;hined into my Heart, in which I have &s;een the Glory of his Day, although in the grave &s;hortly this Body is to lie. But Oh Glo|ry, Glory, and Halelujahs my Soul doth &s;ing to thee O my King, for the Redemp|tion of my Soul, that &s;hall never dye; but in Prai&s;es pure for ever &s;hall endure; a li|ving ta&s;te thou ha&s;t given to me mo&s;t &s;ure. O my Father and Mother; all my Friends <PB N="6" REF="7">which to me are dear; yet a Glory I have &s;een mo&s;t bright; in which I &s;hortly mu&s;t appear; He is my King and Leader which is my Saviour mo&s;t dear; O exceeding glorious is this Holy Place where Saints and Angels in bright &s;hining Glory behold his pure Face: Oh All obey his pure Truth in your day.</P>
<Q><L>That you may feel the Virtue of his Grace;</L>
<L>For mortal man is but to run his Race.</L></Q>
<P>And woe to them that &s;hall not Obey his Grace; for &s;uch do not feel his Virtue, nor ever &s;hall &s;ee his Face.</P>
<P><HI>Some were whi&s;pering together towards the further end of the room, at which he &s;ee|med to be grieved, and &s;aid the&s;e Words, pointing with his Finger.</HI></P>
<P>Here is a Spirit &s;peaks in this room that is not of God.</P>
<P><HI>He was &s;o much &s;pent, he could hardly &s;peak, and bid the People that &s;tood by &s;tand further that he might have a little Aire; he was offered &s;omething to drink, he &s;aid, he <PB N="7" REF="7">would not receive it; a little after he was
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">re&s;&s;ed again to receive it,</HI></P>
<P>No, <HI>&s;aid he,</HI> If I &s;hould I &s;hould tell a
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ye, and gave a Sign to put it away, <HI>and &s;aid,</HI></P>
<P>Oh the Sons of God have better refre&s;h|ment then a Cup of cold water. <HI>And &s;o lay &s;ilent a while, but again &s;pake as follow|eth:</HI> The Lord hath taken me into his Kingdom, He hath di&s;covered the fre&s;h Springs of his Love to my Soul. O all that know the Lord, be obedient to his Po|wer, and he will di&s;cover him&s;elf more to you, and you &s;hall know more; Thou&s;ands, Thou&s;ands, Millons will the Lord call. O that my Kindred after the Fle&s;h might come to know the Lord.</P>
<P><HI>Again after &s;ome time of Silence he &s;aid,</HI></P>
<P>O that my Fellows, my Companions might know the Lord; they &s;hall know the Lord, they &s;hall follow me: Here be &s;ome &s;tand by me that do not know the Lord.</P>
<P><HI>Which he repeated again, and again, and then &s;aid,</HI></P>
<PB N="8" REF="8">
<P>What wait you to hear? What do you all &s;tand here to hear?</P>
<P><HI>His Father an&s;wered him, they &s;tand to hear what the Lord will &s;peak by thee.</HI></P>
<P>He &s;aid, No, all that are here do not wait to hear the Lord &s;peak; you do not all know the Lord, you think you know him; but you know him but in the Notion, but when you come to dye, you &s;hall know, that you did not know the Lord.</P>
<P><HI>When &s;ome &s;pake of his being light headed, and as though he &s;hould &s;peak he knew not what, he &s;eemed grieved, and earne&s;tly &s;aid,</HI></P>
<P>I had rather be torn alive by Dogs, then that an Impure or Unholy Word &s;hould come out of my Mouth.</P>
<P><HI>Some that knew him very well wondred to hear him &s;peak as he did, and &s;aid, they had never heard &s;uch words come from him be|fore; he &s;aid,</HI></P>
<P>The Lord hath fully made that known to my Soul, which I had &s;ome feeling of before.</P>
<P><HI>On the next day about the Seventh Hour in the morning; he was very earne&s;t in Prayer &s;oftly to him&s;elf; but &s;ome words were heard, viz.</HI></P>
<PB N="9" REF="8">
<P>O let all that know not thy pure Truth come and receive it &s;aith my Soul.</P>
<P>And &s;ung of the Olive Tree, and the Ftuit thereof, which he had fed on, and of his Refre&s;hment he had thereby.</P>
<P><HI>He was asked what he meant by the Olive Tree? He &s;aid,</HI> The Tree of Life.</P>
<P><HI>And many more Heavenly Sayings he ut|tered before he departed to his Everla&s;ting Re&s;t.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
