<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2011-09-25</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Taryn Hakala</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed text and corrected markup.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A93394">
<STC T="W">S4163</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99896843</BIBNO>
<VID>137080</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Satans Temptation, AND Gods Pre&s;ervation: OR SATANS POLICY AND Gods Mercy,
<LIST>
<ITEM>Mo&s;t Lively and Amply &s;et forth in the Di&s;covery of the &s;everal Temptations, De|&s;ertions, Troubles, and Afflictions, that have accompanied the Life of <HI>Robert Smith</HI> of <HI>Lud&s;helf,</HI> alias <HI>Litchfield,</HI> in the County of <HI>Southampton,</HI> Gent.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Wherein is Di&s;covered the Method that Sa|tan took in the &s;everal Gradations thereof. With an Accompt of the Life of the Author.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Publi&s;hed for the Benefit, Comfort, and Sup|port, of any of Gods Servants, that now are, or &s;hall be, ca&s;t into &s;uch a Deplorable Condition.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Veritas Stat in aperto Campo, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by <HI>William Downing</HI> for the Author, <HI>Anno Dom.</HI> 1685.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Honourable Colonel <HI>John Dean</HI> of <HI>Oxenwood,</HI> one of His Maje&s;ties Deputy Lievtenants for the County of <HI>Southamp|ton;</HI> and <HI>Robert Oxen|bregge</HI> of <HI>Piddle Trent|hide,</HI> <ABBR>E&s;q</ABBR> one of the Ju&s;tices of the Peace for the County of <HI>Dor&s;et.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Honoured Gentlemen,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I Here Pre&s;ent you with a Review in Particular of that which in General
<PB REF="3">your &s;elves were no &s;tran|gers to.</P>
<P>The Rea&s;ons that indu|ced me to this Publication, were,</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="I"> The Advice of &s;ome grave Divines and others, upon the Con&s;ideration of the Good that many a weak and di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Member of the Church of God might receive thereby; to which magnificent Structure, if I could but add one Stone, I &s;hould think my &s;elf happy in &s;o doing, for <HI>Afflictis
<PB REF="3">opitulari munificum e&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="II"> That I might not omit to make &s;ome grateful re|turn of Prai&s;e and Thanks-giving, in an eminent and publick manner, to the God of all Mercies, which in a way and mea&s;ure &s;o ex|traordinary and marvel|lous, did &s;hew his goodne&s;s towards me, hath con&s;i|dered my Trouble, and known my Soul in Adver|&s;ities. If for the lea&s;t of Gods favours we owe to
<PB REF="4">Him an Hymn of Thanks-giving, then &s;urely we ought to &s;peak abroad of all his wonderous works.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="III"> That by this publication of things in particular, I might more particularly expre&s;s my thankful ac|knowledgment of all your &s;ingular favours mo&s;t un|de&s;ervedly confer'd upon me in this time of my Con|flict, (as well as at other times) &s;ince I have had the honour of a long acquain|tance with you.</P>
<PB REF="4">
<P> The rea&s;on (mo&s;t worthy Friends) that I have de|fer'd the <HI>Publication</HI> thereof this many Years, was, That I might have &s;ome Probation of my &s;elf, whereby I might fully ex|perience the &s;ound Con&s;ti|tution of my Body and Mind; and although &s;ome for who&s;e &s;ake this is in|tended (and I hope they by my Conflict, as I by others, may receive &s;ome benefit) may think it long e're I made this Publick; yet the
<PB REF="5">great Enemy of Mankind may think it too &s;oon, be|cau&s;e mo&s;t of his Serpen|tine Wiles and Artifices, his fal&s;e and deceitful Arguings, are here expo|&s;ed and Confuted. And although I publi&s;h this not for any O&s;tentation of mine own,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.7.</NOTE> (for what have we that we have not received) but to the Prai&s;e and Glory of my Creator and Redeemer, and the good of his Church, into who&s;e Trea&s;ury, if I can ca&s;t but
<PB REF="5">in one Mite,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark. 12.44.</NOTE> I &s;hould think my &s;elf happy. And be|cau&s;e the Subject thereof is again&s;t him that is <HI>Ab|baddon</HI> and <HI>Apollion,</HI> a De&s;troyer, as being a Deceiver, I &s;hall take care that he &s;hall be able to ob|ject nothing of that nature again&s;t me, by repre&s;enting all things in this Di&s;|cour&s;e with the greate&s;t Veracity, as being mo&s;t re|pugnant to his Nature,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 8.44.</NOTE> who was a Lyar from the beginning.</P>
<PB REF="6">
<P> But whereas it may be doubted, how I &s;hould re|member the &s;everal &s;teps and gradations thereof in particular after &s;o long a time: For Satisfaction herein, be plea&s;ed to know, That although I dur&s;t not adventure the recapitula|tion of things too &s;oon, yet I was not too remi&s;s in per|petuating a Memorial of &s;o remarkable a pa&s;sage of my Life, by a Collection of the heads thereof in Wri|ting, which hath enabled
<PB REF="6">me in this undertaking. As to the truth of things here related, next to the te&s;timony of a good Con&s;ci|ence, I have for my &s;upport your Atte&s;tation, who&s;e known Ju&s;tice is &s;uch, that as it will not Patronize any thing that is fal&s;e, &s;o your Clemency is &s;o great, as will not be wanting to Coun|tenance any thing that is True: And if in any thing I &s;eem to make too much digre&s;sion, by in&s;erting too much of the particulars of
<PB REF="7">my Birth and Life; I know you have Candor enough to overlook the &s;ame, for con|&s;idering that many per&s;ons have taken the liberty to Write the Lives of others, I hope the like freedome may not be denied me to Write my Own, no per&s;on knowing the &s;everal pa&s;&s;a|ges thereof more then my Self: And &s;eeing I have Selected tho&s;e things that Sub&s;tract, as well as add to my Reputation, the one to be matter of Humilia|tion,
<PB REF="7">the other to be mat|ter of Prai&s;e and Thanks-giving: I hope I may not be &s;u&s;pected for partia|lity, and the rather, be|cau&s;e it is for the &s;ati&s;|faction of my Reader, who mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily enquire in|to the forepa&s;t Life, which had &s;uch &s;ub&s;equent dire|ful Effects; for although I cannot excu&s;e my Self from many Faults and Er|rors of my Life,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 6.36.</NOTE> <HI>For who Liveth that Sinneth not?</HI> Yet I know not any
<PB REF="8">Capital Fact that might more particularly occa&s;ion this my &s;ad dejection.</P>
<P>Therefore (to avoid pro|lixity) let no man that hath, is, or &s;hall be, ca&s;t into &s;uch a deplorable E&s;tate of de|&s;ertion and Melancholy, think that his Condition is &s;ingular; for although the Method that <HI>Satan</HI> u&s;eth may be different, yet there may be &s;omething in one, that may Simpathize with another, which may afford matter of comfort and con|&s;olation:
<PB REF="8">and however, let no per&s;on what&s;oever de|&s;pair of Cure, Peace, and Re&s;tauration, who hath me hitherto for an Example, who am, and de&s;ire to ap|prove my &s;elf to God Al|mighty, a living and lively Monument of his Grace and Mercy.</P>
<P>Thus, good Sirs, craving your Pardon for this Pre|&s;umptuous Dedication, I commit you to the Protecti|on of the Almighty, that hath wonderfully pre&s;erv'd
<PB REF="9">and Ble&s;&s;ed you hitherto, de&s;iring him to return your many kindne&s;&s;es &amp; favours towards me &s;evenfold, giv|ing you a long opportunity of doing good in this world, and at length Crowning you with everla&s;ting Glory, which is, and always &s;hall be, the hearty and fervent Prayer of him, who is,</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Mo&s;t Worthy Gentlemen,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your much Devoted, Obliged, and mo&s;t humble Orator and Servant, ROBERT SMITH.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="9">
<HEAD>Satans Temptation, AND Gods Pre&s;ervation: OR, Satans Policy, AND Gods Mercy.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Di&s;covered in the following Relation, with Ob&s;ervations and Remarks thereupon.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian, Courteous, and Candid Reader.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I HERE offer to thy View, not only things I have Read and Heard of, but Felt, my Per&s;on being the Stage on which this Tragedy was Acted; but by the Mercy
<PB N="2" REF="10">of God I became the Victor: And now &s;ince Experimental Knowledge is by all agreed to be mo&s;t Authentick; I there|fore thought this &s;ub&s;equent Relation might not be alto|gether unu&s;eful.</P>
<P>The place where fir&s;t I drew my Natural Breath, was <HI>Titcombe,</HI> in the County of <HI>Wilts;</HI> The time of my Birth, <HI>December</HI> the Thirteenth, One Thou&s;and Six Hundred and Thirty; One of, if not the &s;horte&s;t Day and longe&s;t Night of the Year; It may be Pre|&s;aging a long Night of Afflicti|on that was to follow. I was the Seventh Son of my Parents, they having Nine Children, two Daughters fir&s;t, and Seven
<PB N="3" REF="10">Sons after, my &s;elf being the la&s;t, an <HI>Omen</HI> al&s;o it may be of &s;omething &mdash; Remarkable. My Father was Mini&s;ter of that place, a Man of no mean Birth, my Grand-Father being a Mem|ber of the Common-Council of the City of <HI>London,</HI> and Alderman of his Ward: But my Father was Cheated of his E&s;tate by his after Father-in-Law:
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Lord</HI> Danvers <HI>of</HI> Glimp|ton <HI>in the County of</HI> Oxon.</NOTE> My Grand-Mother de|&s;cended of an Honourable Fa|mily. My Fathers Preferment, as Vicar of <HI>Titcombe,</HI> was but Mean, but his Parts not &s;o, having given Probation there|of in his Eighth Sermon at St. <HI>Maries</HI> in <HI>Oxon</HI> before Bi&s;hop <HI>&V;&s;her</HI> and Dr. <HI>Prideaux,</HI> who both gave him their commen|datory
<PB N="4" REF="11">Thanks: His Degree Ma&s;ter of Arts, <HI>Quotemporary,</HI> and Chamber-Fellow with Dr. <HI>Featly</HI> in <HI>Corpus Chri&s;ti Colledge</HI> in <HI>Oxon.</HI> His Knowledge was not little in the Tongues, e&s;pe|cially in the <HI>Greek,</HI> which gave encouragement to &s;everal Ho|nourable Families to commit the Tuition of their Sons to his Boarding In&s;truction:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hunger|fords <HI>and</HI> Pyles.</NOTE> By which Augmentation of main|tenance he was enabled to breed two of his Sons to and at the Univer&s;ity,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lud&s;helf <HI>in the County of</HI> South|hampton</NOTE> the one Rector of this place; my &s;elf, as a third, intended by him for the &s;ame, who, by his In&s;truction, had made &s;ome good Progre&s;s thereunto, and whom he (as him&s;elf &s;aid) intended for
<PB N="5" REF="11">the Study of Phy&s;ick, [being a <HI>Seventh Son,</HI> and &s;o having &s;ome affinity to that Worthy Profe&s;&s;ion.] And in regard my Fathers Means and Fortune was but &s;hort and narrow, though at that time po&s;&s;e&s;t of a good Par&s;onage of 120 pound,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Bang|hur&s;t <HI>in the Coun|ty of</HI> South|hampton</NOTE> or 140 pound <HI>per an|num,</HI> which by rea&s;on of Age, and Inability of Body and Mind, he thought fit to re&s;ign to my Brother to Officiate, re&s;erving but little to him&s;elf. I was at fir&s;t Inforc'd (though Young) to the Teaching of a Private School for &s;ome &s;hort time; and the hopes of my Fathers intended De&s;ign was now at a period: Arguments were by my Brother (to ea&s;e
<PB N="6" REF="12">him&s;elf of charge) propound|ed, <HI>viz. That Learning, as times then &s;tood, would become of little Credit, much le&s;s Pre|ferment: That a Trade would be better, more certain, and du|rable;</HI> by which, I was per|&s;waded to Steer my cour&s;e for <HI>London,</HI> where Lying in a Taylors Hou&s;e, which al&s;o (in tho&s;e times) was a Solicitor, a Man of &s;trong Natural Parts, and having a great Faculty in Sueing of Attorneys and others upon Indirect practices: But lying &s;ometime without Im|ployment, and Money grow|ing &s;hort, his Wife taking no|tice thereof, and of my Youth, &s;educed me to a Living with her Husband, which I did, to
<PB N="7" REF="12">avoid a wor&s;e condition, for about the &s;pace of one Year, not two, not &s;o much as a Servant, as a Companion; my little u&s;e of a Pen conducing much to his advantage, being an Illiterate Man: But this way began to be unea&s;ie, as not &s;uitable to my Humour and Education, &s;o paying of him Ten pound (which Friends had Lent me) I acquitted my &s;elf of that condition, and en|deavoured to find out another, and at la&s;t, a Friend of mine intending the change of his own Imployment, recommen|ded me to &s;ucceed him in the attendance of a Per&s;on of Qua|lity,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nath. Stephens <HI>of</HI> Ea&s;ton <HI>in County</HI> Glouce&s;t. <HI>E&s;q;</HI></NOTE> one of the Knights of the Shire for the County of <HI>Glou|ce&s;ter,</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="13">who under&s;tanding me to be the Son of a Divine, u&s;ed me with more Re&s;pect: A Barre&s;ter at Law he was, one of his Sons, and Son in Law, being Eminent Practicers, the one at the <HI>Exchequer-Bar,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Serjeant</HI> Stephens <HI>Sir</HI> John Stowel.</NOTE> the o|ther in his Chamber; for whom I did &s;ome bu&s;ine&s;s in the way of <HI>Clerk-&s;hip;</HI> wherein I took &s;uch delight, that I endeavour|ed an Improvement thereof in the &s;everal Hands, both Long and Short, Reading Books of Pre&s;idents, ob&s;erving the Practice of the &s;everal Courts in <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter-Hall,</HI> Living near thereunto, and having much lea&s;ure time; I &s;pent much of the &s;ame (I wi&s;h more) in Reading and Study
<PB N="9" REF="13">for the &s;pace of Four years: but having as all men by Nature have, the Seeds of Pride and Ambition, I changed my Sta|tion, not my Condition, tho&s;e &s;hort liv'd <HI>Juncto's</HI> in the <HI>Oli|verian</HI> times fru&s;trating my hoped for Atcheivements. At length by the recommendation of a Gentleman of Quality,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sir</HI> Rich. Knightly <HI>of</HI> Faw&s;ly <HI>in the County of</HI> North|hampton</NOTE> I was preferred to the &s;ervice of an honourable and prudent Gentleman, and of a great E|&s;tate, a Barre&s;ter al&s;o at Law, and one who&s;e Abilities in di|vers Parliaments (not <HI>Olive|rian</HI>) and Council of State, (not Safety) was to mo&s;t known Men &s;ufficiently known throughout the Kingdom, with whom I lived about Six years,
<PB N="10" REF="14">who, after &s;ome continuance with him, intru&s;ted me with matters of no &s;mall weight; and who&s;e confidence of my Fidelity was &s;o great, that tho I &s;everal times importun'd him with all imaginable earne&s;t|ne&s;s to take my Accompts, would not be prevailed with to do the &s;ame, which after his Death proved to me no little Grief, as then wanting his Ratification and Atte&s;tation, who was onely Privy to the Tran&s;action. He being Dead, all the hopes of my Preferment was Buried with him, of which I could not, if he had Lived, but promi&s;e my &s;elf probable hopes, he being by the Lord Cancellor <HI>Hide</HI> and Vi&s;count
<PB N="11" REF="14"><HI>Herefords</HI> means, introduced in|to his late Maje&s;ties favour, who declared his Kindne&s;s to him: And I might be the more encouraged to cherri&s;h the&s;e hopes, becau&s;e my immediate Predece&s;&s;or but one had in three Years time not gained le&s;s then 1500 pounds in being Clerk to that Committee of which he was Chairman for Exchange of Pri&s;oners. The life of Man being thus uncertain, as <HI>Hodie Rex Cras Cadaver,</HI> all depen|dencies thereon are vain, which makes men of low degree Va|nity, and men of high degree a Lye;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 62.9.</NOTE> and it is in vain to put confidence in Princes, or in the Sons of Men. This Honour|able Gentleman, and my Be|loved
<PB N="12" REF="15">Ma&s;ter, being Dead, I had (among&s;t others) commit|ted to me the care of his Em|balming, in order to his Inter|ment in the Country; and be|ing willing to &s;atisfie my Curi|o&s;ity in the opening of his Bo|dy, from whence (as I conceiv|ed) &s;ome Vapours affected my Head. And altho I continued with my Lady &s;ome Months after, yet my condition was full of dolour and uncomfortable, tho carried off with as much &s;trength as Nature could afford. My Ladies de&s;ired &s;tay being at an end, I withdrew my &s;elf to a Friends hou&s;e in St. <HI>Martins</HI> Lane, near <HI>Covent-Garden,</HI> where being in a di&s;compo&s;ed Sleep, I heard a fluttering noi&s;e
<PB N="13" REF="15">as if it were in the Chimney, and a voice (as by me under&s;tood) &s;aying, <HI>Where is your Doctor</HI> Manton <HI>now?</HI> A Man by me held in great Veneration for his Learning, publick Abilities, and good Life, though it may be not without Errors, from which no Man can pretend an exemption. My Di&s;temper growing higher by my too much Mu&s;ing on my Condition, I imparted the &s;ame to &s;everal worthy Friends, both Divines and others, who&s;e Prayers and Tears were not wanting in condoling my Con|dition, and Praying for my Recovery.</P>
<P>My Ca&s;e being thus, I thought it be&s;t, having an on|ly Brother in the Country a Di|vine,
<PB N="14" REF="16">who&s;e hou&s;e I made choice of for the place of my Retirement, and unto who&s;e Care and Coun&s;el I committed my &s;elf, who was not wanting in procuring all help by Phi&s;i|tians to my Body, and by Re|verend Divines, to afford all good Coun&s;el to my Soul, as Fa&s;ting and Prayer, for the re|covery of my inward Man, who was then fallen into &s;o &s;ad dejection, both of Body and Mind, that I was &s;o di&s;quieted, that I had not I think one hour of quiet re&s;t from the Month of <HI>May,</HI> till the Month of <HI>Fe|bruary</HI> following: But loe here the Power and Mercy of the Almighty was &s;een, That altho a <HI>Fontinel</HI> was made by a hot
<PB N="15" REF="16">Iron in my Head, yet tho &s;en|&s;ible thereof, di&s;turbed me not, though the benefit of Nature was wanting for a fortnight or three weeks together, though Phy&s;ick of the &s;tronge&s;t Nature never wrought, tho re&s;t cea&s;ed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ez. 9.15.</NOTE> yet God pre&s;erved me alive as at this day.</P>
<P>In this mine Agony and Con|flict, Satan was not wanting in his Temptations, who&s;e Me|thod in order I &s;hall di&s;cover in the&s;e following Sugge&s;tions.</P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>I. Sugge&s;tion.</HEAD>
<P>That certainly I did not be|long to God, becau&s;e &s;uch dread|ful Afflictions had befallen me.</P>
<P>And here I think it will not be ami&s;s for Illu&s;tration &s;ake,
<PB N="16" REF="17">by way of Dialogue between <HI>Satan</HI> and the <HI>Sinner,</HI> to &s;et forth <HI>Satans</HI> A&s;&s;aults, and the <HI>Sinners</HI> Repul&s;es, for tho I dare not &s;ay that all the&s;e In|&s;inuations, and the Re&s;pon&s;es thereof were <HI>Modo &amp; forma,</HI> dilated upon in my late Con|flict, yet the Heads and Mat|ter thereof were: And me|thinks I remember him begin|ing (as to our fir&s;t Parents) his Parley and Speaking to my Fancy, to this effect, in this Dialect.</P>
<P><HI>Man,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan.</NOTE> Thy Condition is La|mentable, wor&s;e then the wor&s;t of Mens; Surely, Thy Spiritual E&s;tate is not &s;ound, God doth &s;eldome let &s;uch dreadful effects of his Indignation fall upon
<PB N="17" REF="17">any Man, but for &s;ome deep dy'd Sins, that mu&s;t be of &s;o beynous a Nature, beyond the name of humane Frailties, or common In|firmities; &s;urely thy Profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity hath been but di&s;|gui&s;ed Hypocri&s;ie; thou art but one in Ma&s;querade;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 3.1.</NOTE> thou ha&s;t a Name to live, but art dead; &s;ure|ly did&s;t thou belong to God, and wert one of his, he is a God of Mercy, and would not leave thee or for&s;ake thee in this &s;o &s;ad and deplorable a Condition.</HI></P>
<P>It's true, my Ca&s;e is bad,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinner.</NOTE> to be Lamented even with Tears of Blood, and my Spiritual E&s;tate needs a &s;erious con&s;ide|ration; &s;oundne&s;s in Chri&s;tia|nity needs an exact Scrutiny; Life and Death depend upon it;
<PB N="18" REF="18">for if <HI>Aarons</HI> Sons offer &s;trange fire,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Levit. 11.14.</NOTE> Fire &s;hall devour them; Jealou&s;ie is hotte&s;t about the Sanctuary,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Read</HI> Ezek. 8.</NOTE> and who can dwell with Everla&s;ting Burnings? Great Sins de&s;erve great Puni&s;h|ments;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 33.14</NOTE> I need therefore to look into mine own heart, and &s;earch what particular Sins I have been guilty of before God, and to &s;pread and bewail them be|fore him, which through the Divine a&s;&s;i&s;tance I have done, and if God be graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to acquit,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> who can condemn.</P>
<P>But doth not God often &s;ore|ly Afflict them that belong to him? &s;urely Satan, thou art in nothing el&s;e more a Lyar than in this;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 88.14, 15.</NOTE> what made godly <HI>Heman</HI> &s;o bitterly to complain,
<PB N="19" REF="18">good <HI>Hezekiah</HI> to chatter like a <HI>Crane,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 38.8. P&s;al. 38.8.</NOTE> upright <HI>David</HI> to roar through the di&s;quietne&s;s of his heart, and the ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us to cry out in his Agony, <HI>My God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 27.46.</NOTE> my God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken me?</HI> [And in our late days, how &s;harp and violent hath thy Temptations been: In thy A&s;&s;aults upon Mrs. <HI>Katharine Stubbs,</HI> and Mrs. <HI>Sarah White,</HI> and many others, to whom God hath given Evidence of their &s;incerity, by their Con|que&s;ts over him, and of their inward Con&s;olation] And as in re&s;pect of inward De&s;erti|ons, &s;o of outward Afflictions; Witne&s;s St. <HI>Paul, Job,</HI> and ma|ny of the Worthies of Old,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11.37.</NOTE> which were De&s;tituted, Afflict|ed,
<PB N="20" REF="19">Tormented: And in our late times, &s;o much the Wicked were &s;uffered to pro&s;per, that even the Anoynted of the Lord was taken in their Nets,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 4.20.</NOTE> and the Royal Diadem of Maje&s;ty made &s;ubject to a Fatal Stroke; and &s;ome of the &s;hining Stars of Nobility ob&s;cured, and their Honours laid in the Du&s;t; with &s;everal Martyrs, Confe&s;&s;ors, and others, who have given Signal demon&s;trations of their Since|rity, and belonging to God.</P>
<P>But what if I &s;hew thee, oh <HI>Satan!</HI> &s;ome Marks and E|vidences of Sincerity, former|ly by me Collected; Wilt thou &s;ay, that the&s;e are Tokens of Hypocri&s;ie? or can'&s;t thou not but confe&s;s the contrary?</P>
<PB N="21" REF="19">
<P><MILESTONE N="I"> I have ob&s;erved in the cour&s;e of Gods Providence, that God hath had a regard to me in all conditions; but e&s;pecially in Af|flictions and Di&s;tre&s;s, God hath given me Comfort and Relief.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="II"> That tho God hath given me Afflictions to Humble me, yet he hath given me &s;ome Comforts to &s;upport and up|hold my Heart from Sinking.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="III"> I ever had (&s;ince any work of God vi&s;ibly upon me) a &s;en&s;e of Gods Authority, and my Duty: That at any time, I was unfit for any bu&s;ine&s;s of Moment, unle&s;s I had fir&s;t commited my &s;elf to God by Prayer.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="IV"> I have often de&s;ired of God that he would grant me &s;uch a
<PB N="22" REF="20">way to Live in the World, that I might with comfort and free|dome &s;erve him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="V"> I have always had a Love to tho&s;e that were truly Godly, tho differing in Judgment in the circum&s;tantials of Chri&s;tian Religion: And have had more a de&s;ire of the Conver&s;ion of Enemies, then their Confu&s;ion.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="VI"> I have pre&s;&s;ed and de&s;ired after more Holine&s;s, and more Humblene&s;s and Repentance, then I could ever &s;en&s;ibly find in my &s;elf.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="VII"> I have many times found the pre&s;ence of God in his Word and Sacraments, warming and enflaming my Love.</P>
<P>Now, What &s;ay'&s;t thou Oh Enemy of Mankind? Are
<PB N="23" REF="20">the&s;e &s;igns of Hypocri&s;ie, or Sincerity? 'Tis true, &s;ome of them may be lyable to thy ca|vil and exception, but others of them, are beyond thy So|phi&s;try or Eva&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>But what is this to thy Con|dition?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan.</NOTE></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>II. Sugge&s;tion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Thy day is pa&s;t, the door of Grace is &s;hut: Had'&s;t Thou look'd to it &s;ooner,</HI> and made Thy Calling and Election &s;ure,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 3.10.</NOTE> <HI>when Thou wa&s;t in Thy Youth and Strength, it had been well for Thee; but Thou ha&s;t Lived many Years in the World, and Gods Calls by Sickne&s;s and o|therwi&s;e, hath been frequent; The Golden Scepter of Grace
<PB N="24" REF="21">and Mercy hath been held forth, and Thou ha&s;t Refus'd to come in and Submit; but now Divine Vengeance hath Pur&s;ued and Overtaken Thee, and the door of Grace is &s;hut; 'Tis now too late; What can&s;t Thou do?</HI></P>
<P>The con&s;ideration of my no &s;ooner turning to God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinner.</NOTE> and &s;etting my Face Heaven|wards, is matter of Sorrow and Humiliation: The Calls of God to Repentance, and my Omi&s;&s;ion, needs deep Re|pentance indeed; and that the time afforded for Repenting, &s;hould be employed in Sining, makes me cry out with the <HI>Publican,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 18.13.</NOTE> God be Merciful to me a Sinner:</HI> And if in Truth the door of Grace were &s;hut, my
<PB N="25" REF="21">Condition were irreparable. But how came&s;t thou, oh <HI>Sa|tan,</HI> into Gods Privy Council? How came&s;t thou to know that mine (or any Mans) day of Grace is pa&s;t? doth not God Call at the Sixth Hour, and Ninth Hour? 'Tis true, late Repentance is &s;eldome True; but if True, God ac|cepts it, though it be late: Is the Promi&s;e of Chri&s;t <HI>(That who&s;oever comes to the Father,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 6.37.</NOTE> by him, he will in no wi&s;e ca&s;t out)</HI> prefixt to &s;uch a day of the Month, or Year, in Mans Life? Did not he that came la&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 20.9.</NOTE> re|ceive a penny, as well as he that came fir&s;t? Hath not thy old Delu&s;ion been long enough known to the World, in telling
<PB N="26" REF="22">Sinners that 'tis time enough to Repent; and when God hath by &s;ome extraordinary Judg|ment, or otherwi&s;e, called up|on them to do it, then it was too late? And is not every Mans day of Grace a Secret known only to him that is the Antient of days?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7.9.</NOTE> And doth not &s;ecret things belong to God?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>III. Sugge&s;tion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>But Man,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan.</NOTE> Talk what Thou wilt, Eternal Mi&s;ery is Thy Portion: Thou maye&s;t cherri&s;h up vain hopes, and Thy Friends may give Thee many and great Cordials of Comfort; But Thy Sun is Set, Thy day of Grace is pa&s;t, irrever&s;ible Judgment is
<PB N="27" REF="22">pronounced, and what remains but Execution; and this is Thy Doom; trouble Thy &s;elf no fur|ther; this is Thy Condition.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e are dreadful Tydings,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinner.</NOTE> oh <HI>Satan!</HI> indeed, (if true) enough to make the Heart of the &s;toute&s;t Sinner to quake and tremble, and to cry out and weep bitterly, when the Ar|rows of the Almighty &s;tick &s;o fa&s;t in him,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 6.4.</NOTE> and his Hand pre&s;|&s;eth him &s;o &s;ore.</P>
<P>But <HI>Satan,</HI> Methinks this is like the Language of <HI>Jobs</HI> Wife (by thee In&s;tructed) <HI>Cur&s;e God and Dye:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 2.9.</NOTE> 'Tis not to be de|nied, that Execution naturally followeth Judgment;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Romans 6.24.</NOTE> <HI>The Wa|ges of Sin is Death.</HI></P>
<PB N="28" REF="23">
<P> But is there no hope in all this? Are not all tho&s;e exceed|ing great and pretious Promi&s;es that God hath made in his word of u&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 1.4.</NOTE> and to be u&s;ed in &s;uch a ca&s;e? Mu&s;t a Mans final Portion be concluded by his pre&s;ent condition? Mu&s;t all the dealings of God with his Church in general, and Per|&s;ons in particular, be Rejected? &s;urely, <HI>No.</HI> The Promi&s;es of God are Wells of Salvation to Refre&s;h, and Brea&s;ts of Con|&s;olation to Nouri&s;h the People of God, and every Gracious Soul: And do not they &s;peak in this manner; <HI>In my Wrath I hid my Face,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 54.8, 11.</NOTE> for a Moment, but with Everla&s;ting Mercy will I gather thee. Oh thou Afflicted,
<PB N="29" REF="23">to&s;&s;ed with Tempe&s;t, and not Comforted, behold, I will lay thy Foundations with Saphirs,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that Mourn, for they &s;hall be Comforted;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5.4.</NOTE> And they that Sow in Tears &s;hall Reap in Joy.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 126.5.</NOTE> Is not here a hiding of Gods Face, a to&s;&s;ing with Tempe&s;t, a Mourning, a Sowing in Tears, before Ga|thering with Everla&s;ting Mer|cy, a laying with <HI>Saphirs,</HI> a Reaping with Joy, and being Comforted? Did not the Son of God endure a painful Life, and &s;uffer a &s;hameful Death? and did it not behoove him &s;o to do, and then enter into his Glory? Nay,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 17.13.</NOTE> let us &s;ee whe|ther a Promi&s;e of God will not &s;tay the Soul, and rai&s;e
<PB N="30" REF="24">&s;ome hopes, even when the mo&s;t dreadful Judgments have befallen any Man. When <HI>A|dam</HI> had Sinned, he could &s;ee nothing but Guilt; all the Creatures were Cur&s;ed for his &s;ake, and him&s;elf ca&s;t out of Paradice: What great &s;adne&s;s mu&s;t this needs be? Why, God comforts him with this Promi&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3.15.</NOTE> <HI>That the Seed of the Woman &s;hould break the Serpents Head. Solomons</HI> &s;upplication for the People, was at the Dedication of the Temple, and &s;etting of the Ark of God therein, that when the &s;everal Calamities (by him particularly enume|rated) were befallen them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 6.38, 39.</NOTE> yet if they turned to him with all their Heart, that God would
<PB N="31" REF="24">hear in Heaven, and be Mer|ciful unto them; And his Pray|er met with Gods approbation and acceptance.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 7.1.</NOTE> And when <HI>Jonah</HI> had made him&s;elf a Fu|gitive, and by it had brought him&s;elf into deep Horror; and when his Soul fainted within him, even then he remembred God, and his Prayer came in unto him into his holy Temple.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jona. 2.7.</NOTE></P>
<P>But mu&s;t I not, Oh thou Prince of Darkne&s;s, trouble my &s;elf no further? Mu&s;t my pre&s;ent condition be always &s;uch as it is now? Shall I quit the Conflict, and proclaim thee Victor? far be it from me &s;o to do; &s;eeing that he that is in me,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 5.4.</NOTE> is greater then he that is in the World. <HI>This Lyon of the
<PB N="32" REF="25">Tribe of</HI> Judah,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 5.5.</NOTE> <HI>is gone forth Conquering and to Conquer;</HI> he it is that hath the Keys of <HI>Hell</HI> and <HI>Death,</HI> and openeth and no Man &s;hutteth, and &s;hutteth and no Man openeth;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 21.8</NOTE> <HI>He that was Tempted, and therefore able to &s;uccour tho&s;e that are Tempted;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 7.27</NOTE> And able to Save to the utmo&s;t;</HI> he whom the Father hath Com|mi&s;&s;ioned, and given Authori|ty over even Principalities and Powers;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2.9.</NOTE> <HI>And given a Name above every Name;</HI> he who hath Manfully Triumphed over <HI>Sin</HI> and <HI>Satan, Hell</HI> and the <HI>Grave,</HI> in his Crucifixion, Re|&s;urrection and A&s;&s;ention to Glory. Shall I then be afraid to Fight under his Banner, whom I have &s;o &s;olemnly
<PB N="33" REF="25">owned in my Bapti&s;mal Vow? And for thy Coun&s;el of trou|bling my &s;elf no further, I &s;hall not take it, &s;eeing thou art a Deceiver, and by this al&s;o in|tende&s;t to deceive; for not ea|&s;ily to trouble my &s;elf now, is to beget immen&s;ity of trou|ble hereafter; 'Tis time then, and not till then, to cea&s;e re&s;i&s;t|ing, when thou cea&s;e&s;t Tempt|ing.</P>
<P>We cannot perform Holy Duties, but <HI>Satan</HI> interpo&s;eth. <HI>If</HI> Jo&s;hua <HI>the High Prie&s;t &s;tand Mini&s;tring before the Lord,</HI> Satan <HI>&s;tands at his Right Hand;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zach. 3.1</NOTE> Therefore our Lord hath bid us <HI>Watch and Pray,</HI> and in his Prayer, hath bid us &s;ay, <HI>And lead us not into Temptation;</HI>
<PB N="34" REF="26">and we are bid, <HI>Abrenuntia Satanae qui circuit ut devoret:</HI> And can we be &s;afe from trou|ble, that are &s;ubject to the Prey of a Roaring Lyon? But be not afraid, oh my Soul! he that is Guardian of the Saints, <HI>The Keeper of</HI> I&s;rael <HI>never &s;lum|bereth nor &s;leepeth;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 121.4.</NOTE> and hold out and endure to the end, <HI>Let no Man take thy Crown;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 3.11.17.14</NOTE> And thou &s;halt overcome by the Power of the Lamb.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Well,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan.</NOTE> go on as Victoriou&s;ly as thou can&s;t, and deceive thy &s;elf as thou wilt.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>IV. Sugge&s;tion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Thou &s;halt &s;uddainly be &s;ur|pri&s;ed by me, Thou art in Cap|tivity
<PB N="35" REF="26">to me, and I have Po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion of Thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I told Thee before what Thy Doom was, and yet Thou Nou|ri&s;hed'&s;t up Thy &s;elf with hopes, and made Scriptural Arguments Thy Refuge: But even in that Thou art al&s;o deceived; For, what hope hath the Hypocrite?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 27.8.</NOTE> Thou charge&s;t me with delu&s;ions, but no one a greater deluder then Thy &s;elf, and that to Thy &s;elf; but now Thou art under my do|mination, 'twill not be long be|fore I make Thee know, that all Thy preten&s;ions are but vain.</HI></P>
<P>I mu&s;t confe&s;s (Oh &s;ubtle Serpent) thy Darts are Fierce and Fiery,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinner.</NOTE> and were not my Soul and Body (through Di|vine
<PB N="36" REF="27">protection) Impregnable, I might &s;it down in horror and amazement: But &s;urely things are not as thou make&s;t them; What God may permit thee to do hereafter, is as well unknown to thee as me; and had'&s;t thou any power of me, thou art not &s;o great a Friend to Mankind, but thy Rage would be by me and many o|thers &s;ufficiently known. I mu&s;t confe&s;s, thou pur&s;ue&s;t me with Vi&s;ions of the Night, and I am &s;o troubled I cannot Sleep,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 20.8.</NOTE> and in my unquiet Slumbers, Sugge&s;ts &s;trange things to my Fancy, &s;ometimes by Elevati|ons, as tho I wanted nothing but wings to Fly; &s;ometimes by Depre&s;&s;ions, as though my
<PB N="37" REF="27">Body was the Ba&s;is and Foun|dation, upon which &s;ome pon|derous Super&s;tructure &s;tood; &s;ometimes, as tho &s;omething lay as heavy upon my Brea&s;t, of no le&s;s weight then Ledd, and by its &s;uddain departure, Sugge&s;ting as though I had been Companion with &s;ome ugly <HI>Vulture;</HI> and by many various mi&s;repre&s;entations to my Sen&s;e in Slumber, (though I ble&s;s God not to my &s;ight, any ways to affright me) thou ha&s;t acco&s;ted me; not by Words to be demon&s;trated, but as Truth to be believed. Be|&s;ides, tho&s;e ridiculous Fancies, not by words decently to be Expre&s;&s;ed, and not without ab|horrence to be Remembred.
<PB N="38" REF="28">How much of this may be im|puted to a Natural, and by this Conflict acquired Melan|choly, I leave to the Learned to decide: But &s;urely, a great deal of it was not from Natu|ral Indi&s;po&s;ition, but from Satannical Delu&s;ion; And it may be my Memory and un|der&s;tanding being continued to me, by Gods Pre&s;ervation, was in order to make it known, for the &s;upport of others, by Pub|lication. But is not this boa&s;t|ing of my Captivity, and fal&s;e Sugge&s;tion of thy having po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion of me, the effects of thy Pride, oh fallen Angel? Could'&s;t thou of old not enter into the Carca&s;s of a Swine,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 5.12.</NOTE> without the leave of our Ble&s;|&s;ed
<PB N="39" REF="28">Lord; and ha&s;t thou Pow|er of thy &s;elf to enter into my Body, which is the Temple of the Holy Gho&s;t?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Corrin. 6.19.</NOTE> Shall that Body which ought to be pre|&s;ented a Living Sacrifice to God, by Dedication, become a place for thy Reception? Shall that Body which ought only to bow to God in Divine Wor&s;hip, by Pro&s;tration and Adoration, be &s;ubject to thy Devotion, when thou wilt, for a Habitation? Shall that Bo|dy, whom by the Merits of the Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, at the Re&s;urrecti|on, hopes to meet with Glori|fication, be the &s;ubject of thy deba&s;ed Vilification? &s;urely, <HI>No;</HI> And doubtle&s;s, had&s;t thou &s;uch an uncontrouled Power
<PB N="40" REF="29">as thou ha&s;t by preten&s;ion, the direful effects thereof, not only to my Body, but the whole World, would be known by its De&s;truction; thou being not unfitly termed (as of old) a <HI>De&s;troyer.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 9.11</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>But what talke&s;t Thou &s;o much,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan.</NOTE> oh Sinner, of thy Body?</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>V. Sugge&s;tion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Thou art unworthy of any Creature Comforts, and therefore Sinful to Eat Thy Bread, or to u&s;e any outward means for Thy Recovery.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Thou thinke&s;t and hope&s;t Man that this is but Melancholy, and Thy Friends &s;eek Thy Cure, and tell Thee Thou mu&s;t be chear|ful,
<PB N="41" REF="29">and u&s;e &s;uch means as God hath ordained; but Thy Sins have been &s;uch, that the lea&s;t Mercy doth not belong to Thee: Ha&s;t Thou the Face to con&s;ume Gods benefits, and to &s;peak of Recovery? If God had ordain|ed it, it would have been long e're this, u&s;ing &s;uch means as Thou ha&s;t done.</HI></P>
<P>I mu&s;t confe&s;s, Oh <HI>Satan!</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinner.</NOTE> thou art in words not a Lyar in this, whatever thou art in intention;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32.10.</NOTE> for I may &s;ay with <HI>Jacob, I am not worthy of the lea&s;t of all thy Mercies:</HI> We are not worthy of a Crumb that falls from thy Table, oh Lord! If Worthine&s;s of Receipt, is to be judged according to the
<PB N="42" REF="30">Worthine&s;s of Merit, there is none but one that is Worthy; even the Lamb, Slain from the Foundation of the World.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 5.4.</NOTE> If our Receipts of Mercy depen|ded upon our Merit, we might &s;tarve in the mid&s;t of all that plentiful Provi&s;ion that God hath provided for the Souls and Bodies of his Sanctified ones. Hath not he that is the great Hou&s;e-Keeper of Heaven and Earth, &s;aid, <HI>Go Eat thy Bread with Joy, and Drink thy Wine with a Merry Heart?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 9.7.</NOTE> Did not the Primitive Chri&s;tians <HI>Eat their Bread with gladne&s;s and &s;inglene&s;s of Heart,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 2.4.7.</NOTE> Prai&s;ing God?</HI> Doth Chri&s;tianity ex|clude all Earthly Felicity? Doth it become the Servants of the
<PB N="43" REF="30">mo&s;t high, to have always their Countenances &s;ad? Is not their Work good, and their Wages proportionable? Are not they bidden to <HI>Rejoyce always, and again I &s;ay Rejoyce;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4.4, 5.</NOTE> but &s;o as to let their moderation be known to all Men?</HI> Is not this thy old wont, if thou can&s;t not Tempt Men to be Luxurious, then to be too Parcimonious, and be|tween the&s;e two Rocks to make <HI>Shipwrack of their Faith?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 1.19.</NOTE> Was it not a Wi&s;e Reque&s;t, made by a Wi&s;e Man back't with &s;trong Rea&s;on, <HI>Give me neither Poverty nor Riches?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Proverbs 30.8, 9.</NOTE> Is not there a Golden mediocrity in the&s;e things, free from thy exception, &s;urely <HI>Yes?</HI></P>
<PB N="44" REF="31">
<P> But are not outward means to be &s;ought for Recovery? Hath God made that Profe&s;&s;ion of no u&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 38.1. Col. 4.14</NOTE> to which he hath affixed the Title of Honour, and Beloved? 'Tis true, <HI>A&s;a</HI> is branded with <HI>&s;eeking to the Phy&s;itians,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 16.12.</NOTE> and not unto the Lord;</HI> but if he had &s;ought unto the Lord, by the Phy&s;iti|ans, would any Man thought him blame-worthy? Was not <HI>Hezekiah</HI> bid to take a Lump of Figgs,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 36.21.</NOTE> when Di&s;ea&s;ed, and apply to his Sore? 'Tis true, the &s;ence of my condition makes me forget to Eat my Bread; and I have &s;o great an apprehen&s;ion of my unwor|thine&s;s and demerits, that my Friends cannot per&s;wade me to
<PB N="45" REF="31">take my appointed Food with|out force;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 23.12.</NOTE> but &s;hall the great|ne&s;s of my Sins and unwor|thine&s;s, or the long u&s;e of in|effectual means, make me give over? Mu&s;t not I wait all the days of my Life <HI>until my change come?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 14.14.</NOTE> Shall not tho&s;e that wait on the Lord, renew their &s;trength? And are not they proclaimed Ble&s;&s;ed that wait for him?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 40.31</NOTE> <HI>The Vi&s;ion is for an appointed time,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 2.3.</NOTE> but in the end it will Speak.</HI> Shall I that am but Du&s;t and A&s;hes, Limit him that is Controuler and Gover|nour of the whole World? Doth not the time of my Re|covery depend upon him who is the Lord of time? And doth not Times and Sea&s;ons belong
<PB N="46" REF="32">unto the Father?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mar. 13.32</NOTE> Was not mur|muring <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of old taxed with this fault, <HI>They Limited the Holy one of</HI> I&s;rael?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 78.41.</NOTE> Is it not then better in patience to po&s;|&s;e&s;s ones Soul, and with De|vout Heart as well as Tongue, to Pray, <HI>Thy will be done, Oh Lord!</HI> and to <HI>Wait for the Lord, as they that watch for the Morning;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 130.6.7.</NOTE> for with the Lord is Mercy and plenteous Redempti|on;</HI> And to lay hold on the Covenant of Grace; which al|though it be not with me as it &s;hould, <HI>Yet</HI> (I may &s;ay as <HI>David</HI> did in another ca&s;e) <HI>he hath made an Everla&s;ting Cove|nant with me,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 23.5.</NOTE> ordered in all things and &s;ure.</HI></P>
<PB N="47" REF="32">
<P> <HI>I mu&s;t confe&s;s, Oh Sinner!
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan.</NOTE> Thy method is good, and if any way is left for Thy Salvation, it is by laying hold of his Cove|nant of Grace: But,</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>VI. Sugge&s;tion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Thou wante&s;t Faith and Re|pentance, the nece&s;&s;ary qualifica|tions of the Covenant; and therefore that doth not belong to Thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Thou &s;peake&s;t much of Gods Covenant, which indeed to them to whom it doth belong, is full of Grace and Mercy;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 25.10.</NOTE> but it is to them that keep his Covenants. Thou ha&s;t broken Covenant with him, and Thou wante&s;t Repen|tance to Repent Thee truly of the breach thereof, and Faith
<PB N="48" REF="33">to believe, that upon that Re|pentance which Thou ha&s;t made, that God hath forgiven Thee,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jeremiah 31.34.</NOTE> and according to his Covenant will remember Thy Sins no more. Thou that can'&s;t not tru&s;t God for daily &s;upplies, do'&s;t Thou think that Thou hast Faith? And what if God hath made &s;uch ene&s;timable Promi&s;es, and made &s;uch a Feast of Fat things,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 25.6.</NOTE> if Thou wantest a Hand to reach them unto Thee, what art Thou the better?</HI></P>
<P>Thou &s;aye&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinner.</NOTE> Oh mine E|nemy! that I want Faith, and indeed &s;o I do, for every Man may &s;ay with the Ble&s;&s;ed Di|&s;ciples, <HI>Lord encrea&s;e our Faith.</HI> And altho thou grante&s;t the
<PB N="49" REF="33">Premi&s;es, yet thou denie&s;t the conclu&s;ion; but I hope I can &s;ay, through Grace, <HI>Lord I do believe, help thou mine unbelief.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 9.38.</NOTE> There are &s;ome Divine Cha|racters that are &s;tampt upon true Faith; It works by Love, and it breaths by Hope; It works by Love, to <HI>God,</HI> to <HI>Man.</HI></P>
<P>If I find in my &s;elf &s;uch an enflamed Love, that if my Sa|viour would accept me to Grace and Mercy, I could be content to endure tho&s;e Flames that were repre&s;ented vi&s;ibly by the Flames of an Oven to my Bo|dily Eye, for the &s;ake of my Ble&s;&s;ed Lord; And al&s;o if I find in my &s;elf an hearty Love to Man, by which the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI>
<PB N="50" REF="34">&s;aith,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 3.14.</NOTE> <HI>We may know our Tran|&s;ition from Death to Life, be|cau&s;e we Love the Brethren:</HI> And if good works be an Evi|dence of true Faith, what bet|ter work can there be then to Love our Brother? And this was the &s;ignal badge of being Di&s;ciples of the Ble&s;&s;ed Je&s;us, <HI>Even Love to one another.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 13.35.</NOTE> If I Love tho&s;e that are of a diffe|rent Judgment, for the good that is in them, can'&s;t thou, Oh <HI>Satan!</HI> deny this to be true Faith? This is one of the Wea|pons by which thou art made to fly, and by it, <HI>Thou and the World art overcome.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 5.4.</NOTE> 'Tis by this Faith, Chri&s;t is brought in|to the Soul, and in him all tho&s;e God-Covenanting Promi&s;es
<PB N="51" REF="34">which he hath made, of being our God, of puting his Fear in our Hearts, of taking away the Heart of Stone, and giving Hearts of Fle&s;h, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The&s;e are links of that Golden Chain of Love, wherewith God hath bound him&s;elf to his People, and left it upon Record for their Comfort. <HI>This is the River,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 46.4.</NOTE> the Streams whereof &s;hall make glad the City of our God.</HI></P>
<P>But thou &s;aye&s;t, Oh mine Enemy! I want al&s;o Repen|tance, 'tis true; be&s;ide our ge|neral Repentance, we need daily Repentance for daily Sin; he who&s;e Body was wa&s;hed by the Water of Repentance, for former Sins,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo. 13.10.</NOTE> <HI>had need to wa&s;h his feet for continued Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions,
<PB N="52" REF="35">even in that Fountain opened to the Hou&s;e of</HI> David,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zac. 13.1</NOTE> <HI>and to the Inhabitants of</HI> Jeru&s;alem.</P>
<P>But how knowe&s;t thou, oh <HI>Satan!</HI> that I want that Re|pentance which God will ac|cept? 'tis not &s;uch a degree of any Grace that is required, &s;o there is &s;o much to make it true and &s;aving. If Confe&s;&s;ion, if Contrition and Compunction of Soul, accompanied with a &s;incere for&s;aking of Sin in Re|&s;olution, may be judged Badg|es of the Divine Order of Pe|nitents, I hope with all Hu|mility to pretend to be a little Member of that Heavenly So|ciety. And &s;urely, if all the forementioned Ingredients are nece&s;&s;ary to make this Holy
<PB N="53" REF="35">Oyntment of Repentance; my condition hath afforded me much opportunity of joyning in making the Compo&s;ition. But if I wanted Faith and Re|pentance, to whom &s;hould I go, but to the giver of both?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1.29</NOTE> <HI>To you it is given to believe; And to them God granted Re|pentance unto Life.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 11.18.</NOTE> Oh my Soul, wait upon Thy God, for from him, and him alone, cometh Thy help, and Thy Salvation.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 43.5.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>I cannot blame Thee,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan.</NOTE> Oh Sin|ner! to be careful of Thy Sal|vation; Eternal Weal or Woe depends upon it; and therefore if Thou wilt hearken to me, I will tell Thee a way how to do it.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="part">
<PB N="54" REF="36">
<HEAD>VII. Sugge&s;tion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The way to &s;ave Thy Soul, is to de&s;troy Thy Life.</HI></P>
<P><HI>This is the only way that is left, and if Thou wilt do it, I will &s;hew Thee a way how Thou maye&s;t accompli&s;h Thy de&s;ired End.</HI></P>
<P>This is &s;trange,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinner.</NOTE> Oh &s;ubtle Serpent! that a thing of &s;uch contrariety and incon&s;i&s;tency, &s;hould concur in Harmony, and my de&s;igned Felicity. Mu&s;t I break the Divine Law of the Supream Legi&s;lator, and be|come a <HI>Felo de &s;e, &amp;c.</HI> and pro|mi&s;e my &s;elf impunity, nay, benefit thereby. Certainly, if ever thou wert Transfor|med
<PB N="55" REF="36"><HI>into an Angel of Light,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 11.14.</NOTE> 'tis now. At this time we may truly &s;ay, <HI>Satanas inter filios Dei;</HI> for thou to pretend my Salvation in &s;uch a man|ner, as intends my Souls De|&s;truction, and then to &s;ugge&s;t to me &s;uch a way &s;o ridiculous and fanta&s;tical, in a thing not to be named without Laugh|ter and Dete&s;tation. Mu&s;t my Mother be an in&s;trument of my Con&s;umption and Anihila|tion, that was a means of my Conception and Production. <HI>Can a Man enter into his Mo|thers Womb, and be Born again?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 3.4.</NOTE> Had not thy Ridicularity been to others formerly known, and now to my &s;elf, it would &s;carcely have been believed,
<PB N="56" REF="37">as having no affinity with thy pretended Sagacity. It mu&s;t confe&s;s, my long denied Re&s;t, and continued Conflict, hath &s;o weakened my under&s;tand|ings, that I am not fully Ma&s;ter of my own Rea&s;on, and there|fore a fit &s;ubject for thy delu|&s;ion; and I am &s;o &s;trongly and violently A&s;&s;aulted with thy re&s;tle&s;s Temptation, forcing me (as it were) again&s;t my will, to my Bodies de&s;truction; that had tho&s;e ways at another time been by me u&s;ed, it certainly had attained its final accom|pli&s;hment: But, loe here! the goodne&s;s of God was &s;een in my Pre&s;ervation, who is able to keep us all by his Al|mighty Power,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 15.</NOTE> <HI>Through Faith
<PB N="57" REF="37">unto Salvation;</HI> and will not &s;uffer us to be Tempted above mea&s;ure,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Comin. 10.13.</NOTE> <HI>But will with the Temptation make a way for our e&s;cape.</HI></P>
<P>But will not thou, oh <HI>Satan!</HI> for all this be quiet? Ha&s;t thou been all this while rai&s;ing thy Batteries, and keeping me thine Enemy waking, with the Roaring Canons of Terrors and amazement, and art thou now re&s;olved upon the Storming of my weakned Gar|ri&s;on? Well, come on, and if by the Power of the Almighty I hold out now,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.37.</NOTE> I &s;hall be more then Conquerour. If I have him for my Captain, whom thy audacity was &s;o great as to Tempt to the ca&s;ting him&s;elf
<PB N="58" REF="38">from the Pinacle of the Tem|ple:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 4.5, 6. Hebrews 2.18.</NOTE> <HI>He is able to &s;uccour them that are Tempted;</HI> and tho in my &s;elf as weak as <HI>David,</HI> yet being &s;trengthned <HI>by him who is all &s;trength, and Mighty to Save;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 63.1.</NOTE> I &s;hall be able to En|counter and overcome thee, that art the <HI>Goliah</HI> of my Soul; And though thy la&s;t Darts are terrible, and thou a cunning Archer, and ha&s;t wounded me &s;ore; <HI>Yet my Bow hath abode in &s;trength,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gene&s;is 49.13.</NOTE> being made &s;trong by the Mighty God of</HI> Jacob.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the Christian reader">
<PB N="59" REF="38">
<HEAD>Chri&s;tian Reader.</HEAD>
<P>I Have, by the&s;e imperfect Delineaments, given thee a Survey of my Pilgrimage, into the Wilderne&s;s and Red Sea of Affliction: Give me leave now to give thee (with as much brevity as may be) my approaches to the Land of <HI>Canaan.</HI></P>
<P>About the end of <HI>February,</HI> towards the beginning of the Spring, began the Spring of my Comfort: Being tired with the too frequented Pri&s;on of my Chamber, from <HI>May</HI> preceeding. I had a de&s;ire to go to the Fire in the Kitchen of my Brothers Hou&s;e, and
<PB N="60" REF="39">&s;eeing the Ble&s;&s;ed Bible (which were it the <HI>Talmud</HI> among the <HI>Jews,</HI> and <HI>Alcoran</HI> among&s;t the <HI>Turks,</HI> would be u&s;ed with more Veneration) I Read therein; and tho&s;e things in my fore-pa&s;t Conflict and De&s;ertion, which were full of Ob&s;curity and Darkne&s;s, now began to afford Comfort and Support Therefore let not the <HI>Athei&s;t</HI> and <HI>Anti&s;criptu|ri&s;t</HI> doubt of its verity by my experiment; Nor the <HI>Di&s;|con&s;olate</HI> fear of its affording matter of Con&s;olation, in the time of the greate&s;t Agonies.</P>
<P>And continuing &s;o for &s;ome time, and Reading over tho&s;e Scriptural Councels that I had formerly peru&s;ed, and
<PB N="61" REF="39">remembring tho&s;e Grave Ad|vices given me by &s;undry E|minent Divines and Friends; the beams of Divine Light and Love began to &s;hine, <HI>And the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s to appear with healing in his Wings.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 4.2.</NOTE> And as my inward Man began to be Revived, my outward Man began to be Refre&s;hed; and u&s;ing tho&s;e things which are by Sacred appointment, ordained for Comfort and Refre&s;hment, by me formerly rejected, I arrived to that degree of Com|fort, that hath by the Mercy of God, chearfully &s;upported me above this Twenty Years; Totally freed from the dregs of that bitter Cup: And
<PB N="62" REF="40">through the goodne&s;s of my Ble&s;&s;ed Pre&s;erver, I hope for the continuance of the Peace, and Tranquility which I at this pre&s;ent enjoy, both in Soul and Body; For, although I cannot but acknowledge my multiplied Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, and that which is great matter of Humiliation, <HI>That I have not rendred according to the Mercy received:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 32.25.</NOTE> Yet this is matter of Rejoycing to have a Con&s;cience void of Offence,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 24.16.</NOTE> to|wards God and Man:</HI> And therefore Prai&s;e the Lord, oh my Soul! and forget not all his benefits; who hath, doth, and will I hope, <HI>Deliver me from the Power of Sin and Sa|tan,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1.13</NOTE> and pre&s;erve me &s;afe unto
<PB N="63" REF="40">the Everla&s;ting Kingdom of his dear Son;</HI> And therefore, <HI>Al|lelujah, Salvation, Dominion, and Power be given to him that &s;its upon the Throne,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 5.13</NOTE> and to the Lamb for evermore.</HI></P>
<P>And now, <HI>Christian Reader,</HI> having given thee a true and Impartial account, of this my doleful Conflict, and of my Birth and cour&s;e of Life, pre|cedent thereunto. Give me leave, for a conclu&s;ion, (that God may have the Glory of all) to give thee a &s;hort Narrative of my Life &s;ub&s;equent, and of my E&s;tate and Condition, to this pre&s;ent day.</P>
<P>Being, by the Providence of Almighty God, re&s;tored to
<PB N="64" REF="41">my Health and Under&s;tanding, I rea&s;&s;umed the Study of tho&s;e things, wherein I formerly took delight, both in Law, Equity, and Clerk&s;hip, for altho <HI>Doctrina &s;tultis &s;perni|tur,</HI> and the practi&s;e of Law hath little Reputation of Ho|ne&s;ty among&s;t the Vulgar; yet I doubt not but that the true Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel may be accompanied with the u&s;e of our Common Law; It being de&s;igned to &s;trengthren Religion, and not to weaken or undermine it; And although &s;ome ill Men are not by ju&s;t Men to be ju&s;tified; yet, the Piety, Ju&s;tice, and Ingenuity of many others are not to be denied, but rather by all
<PB N="65" REF="41">good Men to be immitated and commended.</P>
<P>After &s;ome u&s;e of Country bu&s;ine&s;s, in drawing things of the lowe&s;t Nature; and as my knowledge of Things and Per&s;ons, and theirs of me in|crea&s;ed, I came to the draw|ing of things of a Superiour account, as Lea&s;es, Mortgages, Deeds, Conveyances, Settle|ments, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and of any, or mo&s;t In&s;truments, that are now in u&s;e; And al&s;o in man|aging of Cau&s;es, both in Law or Equity, wherein I have had as good &s;ucce&s;s, as any Man proportionable to that ob&s;cure place, and little Im|ployment I had undertaken:
<PB N="66" REF="42">my Humour not leading me much that way, and now my declen&s;ion of Years not per|miting much Travel; and my Condition de&s;iring rather a Home conveying Employ, though not a total rejection of any other.</P>
<P>When I had &s;pent about Six Years in practi&s;ing as a Solicitor in the Court of <HI>Com|mon Pleas</HI> (as in others) and having made proof thereof, by a Certificate from an In|genious Gentleman, and an Attorney of that Court, I was by him recommended for my fitne&s;s, to the chief <HI>Prothonotary,</HI> to be Sworn Attorney of the &s;aid Court;
<PB N="67" REF="42">who having a Knowledge of one of tho&s;e Worthy Gentle|men, and of his Family under whom I was bred; and hav|ing Examined me in his Office, by the Rules of Practi&s;e, and by Reading one of the Re|cords of the Court, and by enquiring into my Education and Breeding; he told me, that if my &s;elf, and the Gen|tleman that Certified for me, came in our Formalities to the Trea&s;ury next Morning, he would recommend me to the Judges of that Court for Approbation; which Judges then were Lord chief Ju&s;tice <HI>Vaughan,</HI> Ju&s;tice <HI>Windham,</HI> Ju&s;tice <HI>Archer,</HI> and Ju&s;tice
<PB N="68" REF="43"><HI>Wild,</HI> which being come, Mr. <HI>Robin&s;on</HI> (after made Sir <HI>Thomas Robin&s;on</HI>) the <HI>Protho|notary</HI> moved them in my concern; and Mr. Ju&s;tice <HI>Wild</HI> withdrew, and Exami|ned me, Read my Certificate, Written with my own Hand, in the Hand of the Court, who approving of me, order|ed my being Sworn, which was accordingly done in the &s;aid Court in <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter-Hall,</HI> and afterwards Enrolled: And having performed all things Requi&s;ite and u&s;ual, I have ever &s;ince, more or le&s;s, con|tinued in the &s;aid Imployment, having not mi&s;&s;ed (before and &s;ince my being Sworn) above
<PB N="69" REF="43">&s;ix or &s;even Terms this Two or Three and Twenty Years, be&s;ides Ten Years Service and Study previous to the &s;ame. So that I ble&s;s Almighty God, that he hath &s;o infinitely, be|yond my De&s;erts, dealt &s;o Lovingly with me, by rai&s;ing me out of the great depth of Adver&s;ity, and affording me &s;o many happy Years &s;ince: I ble&s;s God that I have Imploy|ed tho&s;e opportunities to the benefit of others, and my &s;elf. But as to the Ability I have &s;hewn, in what bu&s;ine&s;s hath been committed to my Care, and what &s;ucce&s;s I have had therein, Mode&s;ty &s;uffers me not to Relate; Yet my Re|flections
<PB N="70" REF="44">thereon, affords mat|ter of Comfort to my &s;elf, and Prai&s;e to the God of all Grace and Mercy. There|fore I leave the&s;e things to the Judgment and Ob&s;erva|tion of tho&s;e &s;everal Worthy Gentlemen of the Laiety and Clergy, Ladies, and others, who have received benefit thereby.</P>
<P>What Integrity, Care, and Indu&s;try I have u&s;ed out of my way, in the Superviewing of any E&s;tate in the cour&s;e of Husbandry; Or, in the man|agement of the &s;everal Tru&s;ts, and care of Mens Families and Fortunes, repo&s;ed in me, I leave to tho&s;e that for many
<PB N="71" REF="44">Years have had the Experi|ence thereof, to declare; de|&s;iring in general no Man to do more for me and mine, then I have done for them and theirs: But, <HI>Soli Dei Gloriae,</HI> I de&s;ire that to God may the Glory of all be refer|ed, becau&s;e the Power and Glory is from him &s;olely de|rived.</P>
<P>And now, <HI>Courteous Rea|der,</HI> having (according to my Promi&s;e) given thee a &s;hort and true Narrative of my Life, after my late Conflict; Give me leave to Speak a few words to the &s;everal Per&s;ons into who&s;e hands the&s;e Lines may come.</P>
<PB N="72" REF="45">
<P><MILESTONE N="I"> Some there are, who out of a lofty high Spirit, and a prophane Mind, may con|temn the Subject matter thereof, becau&s;e written in a common Scriptural Dialect, which may be thought incon|&s;i&s;tent with a Man of my Preten&s;ions. The&s;e are to be an&s;wered:</P>
<P>And to &s;uch I &s;ay, That for want of being conver&s;ant in the Book of God, many Per&s;onages of Noble Extract, have extreamly wanted &s;uch helps at the time of their Deaths; then plain Scripture Truths and Expre&s;&s;ions being of mo&s;t U&s;e and Comfort.</P>
<PB N="73" REF="45">
<P> And likewi&s;e many of the greate&s;t Sages of the Law, both Common and Civil, have Gloried to Write in the Stile of the Divine Law-giver; And can we be Wi&s;er then he that is Wi&s;dom it &s;elf? Can we hope to find better Weapons, then tho&s;e by which our Lord hath overcome?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 4.4.</NOTE> And &s;hall tho&s;e that are Tra|velling unto that Heavenly Country of <HI>Canaan,</HI> de&s;pi&s;e the Language thereof?</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="II"> There are others that Scof|fingly by their Words, or Snearingly by the Language of their Eyes, one upon another, abounding only in their own Sen&s;e, and the common Sen&s;e
<PB N="74" REF="46">of the World, will be apt to contemn, and think meanly of the Author, for thus expo|&s;ing his own Imperfections.</P>
<P>The&s;e are to be pittied;</P>
<P>That their Humours are &s;o conformed to the Simili|tude of this World; For they may as well Ridicule the Ble&s;|&s;ed Apo&s;tles for Recording their Failings and Mi&s;carriages; but I ble&s;s God I am arrived to St. <HI>Pauls</HI> Temper, <HI>To Glo|ry in the things which concern mine Infirmities.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Corrin. 11.30.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="III"> There are others that are frequently buffeted with <HI>Satan,</HI> and are under dolorous Temp|tations.</P>
<PB N="75" REF="46">
<P> The&s;e are to be comforted;</P>
<P>Good Chri&s;tians, Read, Stu|dy, and con&s;ider all tho&s;e innu|merable Star-like Promi&s;es, which the Heavenly Book of God is be&s;pangled withal: Con&s;ider what multitudes of Examples and Deliverances God hath given to his Church and People, in all Ages; to me the mo&s;t unworthy of all his Servants, among&s;t the re&s;t. Ponder well the foregoing ex|periences, and a Divine ble&s;|&s;ing accompany your Medita|tions: <HI>Be &s;trong in the Lord,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 6.10</NOTE> and in the Power of his Might; for God &s;hall &s;hortly tread down Satan under your Feet;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Romans 16.20.</NOTE> hold out therefore to the end,
<PB N="76" REF="47"><HI>And be Faithful to Chri&s;t to Death, and he will give you the Crown of Life.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 2.10</NOTE></P>
<P>But to ha&s;ten to an end, having by the Mercy and goodne&s;s of Almighty God, pa&s;&s;ed through this Fire of Af|fliction, and through this Sea of Trouble, and Arrived at the Haven of a long experi|enced Recovery; and having, through Divine Providence, changed my condition with a Per&s;on of Vertue, and of a good Family, by whom God, as an Emblem and Pledge of his Love, hath given me one Child, I Lived in happy Peace and Tranquility.</P>
<P>Now (as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith)
<PB N="77" REF="47"><HI>Fighting the good Fight of Faith, that I may fini&s;h my Cour&s;e with Joy, Seeing that from henceforth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 4.7, 8.</NOTE> is laid up for me the Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which God the Righteous Judge &s;hall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all that Love his appearing.</HI> And therefore with Angels, and Arch-angels, and all the Heavenly Ho&s;t, for this Glo|rious Deliverance; I Ble&s;s and Magnifie thy Name, Oh Lord! <HI>World without End,</HI> Amen.</P>
<CLOSER>Glory to God in the highe&s;t, On Earth Peace, Good will towards Men.</CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
