MIRABILE PECCI: OR, THE Non-Such Wonder OF THE PEAK in Derbyshire. DISCOVERED In a full, though succinct and sober, Narrative of the more than ordinary Parts, Piety, and Preservation OF MARTHA TAYLOR, ONE Who hath been supported in time above a year in a way beyond the ordinary course of Nature, without the use of Meat or Drink.  
By H. A.  
LONDON, Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible on London-Bridg, and G. Calvert at the Golden-Ball in Ducklane.   
●. Jonst. de admirand. hominis ut seque in lib. 
Nutrimenti usus quamvis ad vitam sit necessarius; inventi tamen plurimi, qui, non obstante sat longa illius carentiâ, vixêre.  D. Sennert. Med. Pract. l. 3 sect. 2. c. 2. 
Experientia ipsa testatur vonnullos ultra septem dies sine cibo vixisse.  J. H. Alsted. Encyclopaed. l. 13. Phys. par. 5. reg. 12. 
Q. An corpora quaedam sine nutritione naturaliter possint ad annum, biennium, & ampliùs vivere?  
R. Plantae nonnullae, ut est Semperviva, sine nutrimento aliquam diu vivere possunt: contentae scilicet lentâ suâ succositate. Quaedam etiam bestiae, ut glires & serpentes, ob humorem viscosum intra corpus collectum, sine novo alimento, hyeme pinguescunt. Quidam denique homines, ex pituitâ dulci & lentâ undique in venas impactâ, ad aliquot annos nutriuntur: in quibus scilicet calor est exiguus, ita ut pituitam illam non facilè posset absumere. Ad hanc tamen causam naturalem accedere potest causa supernatulis; praesertim quando septennium & amplius durat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; cujus exempla vide apud Historicos & Medicos.  August. de Civit. Dei l. 24. c. 8. 
Sicut non fuit impossibile Deo quas voluit instituere, sic ei non est impossibile in quicquid voluerit, quas Instituit mutare naturas.  Secundum Mat. c. 4. v. 4. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Ad Corinth. c. 12. v. 9 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,   

For the ever Noble, truly Worthy, and much Honoured, M. L. R. L. P.  
Madam,  
THese Lines esteem it a great part of their Happiness, that they may but prostrate themselves to your service: I know your experience can overact an hear-say Testimonial to the Truth of Martha tailor's amazing Story. This poor Attempt of mine may contribute something to your Remembrance, though very little to your Information; for you have seen and searched into this wonderful Abstinent; you are well skilled in Nature, and in the puzzling Architecture of the Humane Body, as your judicious, prosperous, and charitable Applications do sufficiently and frequently demonstrate; and then, which is your greatest glory, you are well acquainted with the urgent Business, and profound Concerns of another World. Your more than ordinary Candour, free Entertainment and numerous Courtesies conferred upon (immeritorious) Me, when I did twice or thrice visit your Country to take a view of this wonderful, aerial, foodless Creature, hath begot this Presentment, or, may I call it, mean and barren, Remuneration, from him who is, and will be  
March 30. 1669. Your Admirer and Humble Servant, H. A.   

TO THE READER.  
Reader,  
MAny in their Histories of England give a large and true account of several Wonders of Nature in that Division of Derbyshire, which is usually called, The Peak; a Country, much noted for its uneven surface, being all over shattered into deep and fruitful Vales, shagged Hills, vast and barren Rocks, and Skie-invading Mountains: from which Mountains it got its name; for it signifies, To appear aloft. Camden in his Britannia relates its Commodities, its Ornaments, its Wonders. Speed also in his Maps of England, doth the same. But none so particular as Mr. Hobbs in his ingenuous and well-composed Poem, De Mirabilibus Pecci; out of whom take the following Distich.  
Alti censentur septem Miracula Pecci:  
Aedes, Mons, Barathrum, binus Fons, Antraque bina.  
Metaphrased into English, thus: 
The most, seven Wonders in the Peak account,  
Chatsworth, that stately-house: The maimed-Mount  
Main-top which climbs the Clouds: The strange Abyss  
Which men call Elden-Holl, like Hell it is.  
A double Spring, th'ebbing and slowing Well:  
And Buxton-Bath, of which some Wonders tell:  
Two Caves there are, the one (not modest called)  
The Devil's Arse, with wide mouth, strongly walled  
By Nature's skill, where Waters run: And then  
There is Pool's Hole, a strange long wand'ring Den.   
Here's a Catalogue of the Wonders of that Country; many Travellers, and others have journied a great number of miles to take a view of these: but all these laid together, may bow the head, and give place to this so great a Wonder of Providence; The total Fast of Martha Taylor. Concerning which I writ the ensuing sheets upon the irresistible Importunity of some Friends, who knew that I had seen and conversed with her several times; and with her Visiters, Gentlemen, Divines, Physicians, some of both the Watch that were set upon her, and with some of her most sober knowing Neighbours on purpose to get the Truth concerning her: for I was ready at the first to suspect everything that was reported of her; but, upon further Trial, I became convinced of the reality of what I have here given an account of. But though at present I be fully satisfied, yet I do submit these things to the further enquiry of Time and Judicious Ones. I never had any Obligments upon me from herself, Friends or Favourites; all I appear for, is the Truth, as far as I know it. In this Discourse I must confess I did swim against the stream of my own Inclinations, Time, Employment; Studies and Reading, skill in the criticism of Nature, or Anatomy, and the Mystical Structure of the House of Clay, is really exterraneous unto me. These Papers for any thing I know, may not only be crude and indigested, but also guilty of supervacaneous Repetitions, because of their haste Birth; and then I never saw them together, after the two first sheets, till they appeared in public view, being carried away as fast as they were writ by the unwearied Solicitations of an esteemed Friend. The Sections and Paragraphs are not so much for Method, as for convenient Pauses, or breathing Places, to the Reader. You may think that I have made Martha Taylor, as to her pious Attainments, an excellent Creature, and so she was to me, and hundreds of other Visiters; but if the Waters have not at all times run so high and clear, you must suppose this Life has no perfection in it, as long as we dwell in corrupted flesh, hedged round about with Sense and various ensnaring Objects.  
If Martha Taylor be yet in the Land of the Living, as it's supposed she is, I would desire these sheets may put her on forward to shine forth in an humble holy Profession, that she do not blemish her former self, nor disgrace that happy and fair Appearance which once she made; for if she do, here will be an abiding Monument set up against her. Let her consider the following Places, and beware. Mat. ●0. 22. Heb. 3.14. & 10.38. Psal. 125.5. Revel. 2.4, 5. 1 Cor. 10.12.  
Read, improve, and give God the Glory.  
Farewell.   


THE INTRODUCTION. PART I.  

SECT. I.  
THE Mind of Infinite Wisdom in the first making of the World, was that Humane Bodies should be supported by the use of Creatures; this was the reason that the great Architect did in such a copious manner provide all convenient necessaries for the supply of Adam in the State of Innocency; there was a full Table ready furnished for him, that he might upon his first approach into life, and his stately Dwelling, see the way how to maintain himself there. The first of Genesis is a very ample discovery of this: God tells him he had not only made the inferour Creatures for his Dominion, Solace, and Advantage, but also for meat to live upon, in the 29, and 30. Verses; nay, he gives him a command to use them for that end, Chap. 2. Verse 16. Yet, though it be thus according to the ordinary dispensation of Heaven, it cannot be denied, but that God is an unlimited Agent, he must not be always bound up to one Method in the Actings of his Providence, He only can do what he pleaseth, and which way he pleaseth: Many things seem impossible with Men, but with God all things are possible, Mat. 19.26. That our poor, frail, dying, Bodies, should be preserved alive for forty days together, without the ordinary use of creature props, seems to us an impossibility, yet with God 'tis possible. There are many vast Mysteries in the Operations of Divine Providence, that now and then make their appearance in this nether Region, concerning which the most knowing man are at a great loss, and far to seek; of which they may speak in the language of the Psalmist, That when they think to know these, they are too painful for them; or as the Margin reads it from the Hebrew, they are labour in their eyes, Hic labour, hoc opus est, Difficulties on every side, too hard for them to overcome.  
Now the most are ready to hiss every thing off the Stage of the World, which doth not fall within their own cognizance or experience: All things that are strange they reduce presently to their own ken, and try them by their own convictions and former knowledge, to which if these wonders do not bear a very fair correspondence, than away with them, they are presently thrown over board for Impostors. But if these men had weighed them in another, far truer Balance, the Almighty Power of a wonder-working God, than its likely they might have found a due weigh in this Coin, which would have put them upon a further and better search, as to see whose superscription was impressed upon it, and what was its innate truth and worth. I must confess, there is a miscarriage on both hands, I dare not commend an easy belief, nor an obstinate unbelief, in the concern of the stupendious productions of Nature, to believe every thing, and to believe nothing, as they are opposites, so they are equal extremes and absurdities; as the one degrades the greatest Truths, so the other advanceth the most irrational falsehoods: The one hath low thoughts of the most sacred Verity, because there are many things in it, which are higher than the reach of sense and carnal reason; the other hath a very great esteem for a mere Legend of lies, because it is full of seeming wonders. In things which fall within the limits of nature, there's no question but the most prudent rational way is to strike a middle stroke, between the two dangerous extremes of unadvised credulity, and senseless incredulity. There are several Magnalia or Wonderments of Art and Nature found out within these two or three last Centuries, which our most inquisitive Progenitors did not so much as dream on: Had some diving Headpieces but run the venture in those times to have whispered forth, by a probable conjecture, the hidden world in America, the amazing Nature of the Loadstone, the profitable Invention of Printing, or the like, those ingenious ones its very likely had got no more credence, than we use to give, though upon better grounds, to them who now tell us of a world in the Moon. The rational Bishop Virgilius was in the year of Christ 745. condemned by Pope Zachary for an Heretic, because he asserted, and stood to it, that there were Antipodes; which was a thing generally decried by the learning of that Age to be a fable, a fond, and a foolish thing; of this humour were Lactantius, Austin, and Lucretius, as Alstead tells you in his Geography c. 7. reg. 4. That gallant Seaman Magalanus, who had the happiness first to purpose to discover the vast Continent in the West Indies, might as soon have persuaded his Countrymen, the Genoves, to whom he first laid bare his mind, that there was an habitable earth in each Planet, as one in that unthought-at Coast. You see by this time, that 'tis not the wiseman's part to discredit every thing that my lie beyond the limits of his own present Apprehensions, but rather to do what he can to climb over the difficulty, and then he will see not only the probability and reality, but also the rarity of the thing: Thus do you in the ensuing Story, which I do not question hath as much of Truth, as Strangeness in it   

SECT. II. Martha tailor's Parentage, Place of Dwelling, the Time of her Birth, and her Childhood.  
1. HEr Father's name is William Taylor, one who is Originally, and as to his present state or degree, a plain Countryman, whose employment lies in the Led Mines: He hath no more easy way to advance a livelihood, then that which was of Divine determination, by the sweat of his Brow: A man of no larger Politics, then how to get an homely, honest maintenance for him and his; he has so much of Religion in him as to keep free from Lying, Looseness, or the Debauchery of the Age, and to have a good esteem for holy things. The Man is of good Credit amongst the better sort of Neighbours. His Wife was of something an higher Rank than himself, both as to Birth and Education; A person in her common carriage very careful, and cautious about her words and actions; I am ready to suppose, in the judgement of charity, upon some trial of her, that she hath a taste of those good things which refer to another world. This couple hath lived many years together, had several Children, and among the rest this Martha, which is the occasion of this Discourse.  
2. The Place of her Dwelling is Over-Haddon, so called as I conjecture from its being high, and looking over Haddon-hall, from which fair House of the Earl of Rutland, it is about a mile distant, as such from Bakewell a considerable Market-Town, in the High Peak in Derbyshire; The House they dwell in is but an ordinary Cottage, yet not so little but there is room enough for God to do great things in; Wonders have been brought forth in a Stable or a Manger before now; 'tis not the highness of the place that should make us turn our eyes towards it, but the greatness of the work that may be done there. But now to her that lies in it.  
3. Martha Taylor, the talk, the wonder of that Country, was born about the beginning of February in the year 1651. Her Childhood was not guilty (that ever I heard) of any extravi●ant Actions: The Buds which then appeared did not foresignify any distasteful fruits in a more blow ●age; Her early blossoms did not predict four grapes in an Autumn season. Some sober, prudent Observers have told me, That from her fi●st Confinement to her Couch, when growing Infirmities began to chain her to her weary Bed, that then Pi●u● Discoveries in a more considerable way began to display themselves; then rousing afflictions, the usual Prognostics of a dying state, made 〈…〉 to purpose begin to inquire after life. This 〈◊〉 her labour after the knowledge of the Word of Go●, and delight h●r self in turning over those 〈◊〉 P●g●s; where frequently she would be gathering Pearls to adorn herself and others with. Yet you must suppose it was but still morning here, you may expect greater things when you proceed nearer the Noon of Heavens Dispensations with her.   

SECT. III. The Beginning and Progress of her Afflictions, and what they were.  
1. I Am ready to suppose, that the Fountainhead of all her Afflictions was her lameness, which took its beginning in the year 1661. which is now about eight years ago, by the unhappy stroke of a Miller her next Neighbour, over the Hips or small of the Back: whether he did it in jest or earnest I cannot certainly determine, but I think the latter was affirmed to me; however the occasion was no offence given on her side, she was so happy as to be harmless, her Innocence in this case might be a good piece of a Pillar for her to lean herself upon, when wearied under that great weight of Afflictions, which was bound fast unto her. Poor Martha, upon this fatal stroke, was taken with a lameness in the lower parts, indisposing them for their proper use; which was followed at the heels with a general indisposition and incomposure of the whole inward and o tward frame; for her distempers did so crowd in upon her, that she was suddenly compelled to lay down the whole Body as an useless lump; to which condition she hath been confined ever since; only once or twice about April 1662. for some few days, she made a shift to go abroad: But upon the beginning of May in the said Year 1662. she bid farewell to the open, refreshing Air, and then entered close Prisoner to her tedious Bed. From which place, since that time, she hath never moved, without the help of other hands and feet besides her own; where I suppose she is like to lie till Death bring her an Habeas-Corpus, and make her free among the dead; in which estate only the weary be at rest, and oppressing Diseases cease from troubling.  
All along this tract of time, she hath been troubled with other infirmities besides lameness, as private bleeding, often sick, and seldom free from less or more of a Fever.  
2. But to make a nearer approach to the time of her constrained Fast; you must know that there were many Afflictions gathered together to bring about the thing; though she had for four or five years together by times lain under various Distempers, yet about the close of August, and beginning of the following Month, in the Year 1667. they combine together into a body, and add others to their number, that they might the more vigorously produce the strange ensuing Effects. For in the entrance of November, in the mentioned Year, did begin her strange and wonderful Bleedings at several external Parts, as at the Mouth, the Nose, the Ear, the Eye, from which last part did continually distil perfect Tears of blood, so that one would have thought Life would have Wept itself away out at the Eye. One very probable cause of this her admired Bleeding, might arise from her violent continued Vomiting, which broke open convenient Passages, through which the Blood might vent itself; 'tis an ordinary known case, that the over-straining of the Body does break the Veins, and so less or more produceth an Efflux of Blood from some or other parts. This extraordinary Vomiting continued all along November, so that she neither took in meat nor drink, but presently threw it up again, nothing could be persuaded to abide within her Stomach. This strong Vomiting did arise (as I conjecture) from those Corrupt Crudities, Nauseating Vapours, and Filthy Humours, begot by her long lying in Bed, and the want of convenient Exercise, which did weaken and vitiate the natural Attractive, Retentive, and Concoctive Faculties, and stir up the Stomach against every thing that was sent down into it. This preternatural Vomiting did further introduce a very strange Hiccough, audible many paces from the house, which would move her whole Body, and pluck down her Head with great torment: To which was adjoined a sort of Convulsions, or the often Distortion of her Joints by the Cramp: So that now Cramps, Convulsions, Strange sigh, and the Hiccough, (all of them the Genuine Offspring of a disordered Stomach, and continued violent Vomiting) were all in open War against the Ease and Life of this poor tormented Creature. These things had made her the real wonder of all Sober, Sympathising Spectators; to see a poor Fellow-creature almost constantly upon the Rack, under the most Exquisite Pains, Burn, Cramps, Vomitings, and the most strange Bleedings and Hiccoughs, that ever I read or heard of. Now these all laid together, by the beginning of the ensuing December, had near upon reduced the Microcosm into a Chaos, had almost wholly taken Nature off the hinges, and well near shattered into pieces, a poor, frail dying Body; so that for certain, her more Noble Immortal Part, had then bid farewell to its falling House of Clay, had not Divine Providence stepped in, and put under an everlasting Arm.  
Yet these Distempers prevail so far, as for a Fortnight together within December, they take away the use of Speech and Senses, so that she had very little to witness she was alive, excepting some remaining heat and breath.  
3. About the middle of this Month she revives a little, gets something of the exercise of Sense and Speech; but still hath that violent Hiccough, and frequent sick fits: As she had received neither meat nor drink for this fourteen days, so now being come to herself she finds an utter loathing of, and an inability to receive necessary Food for the support of Life: The ve●y approach of Meat or Drink was a great trouble to her, the very sight or smell of either, though at a remove, would beget her sorrow; yea, the very thoughts of either would make her sick before hand. She found now so much ease and satisfaction in the abstaining from the use or thoughts of any Food, that now she lays down the first fixed Determinations to have to do with neither come Life or Death. This makes her give herself over into the Hands of an Almighty Power, and there to rest satisfied, hoping and expecting to be upheld in some extraordinary way by immediate support, or else to be transported to that place where none of these things were necessary: Seeing the sensible streams would not run, she resolves to be contented without them, till she could ascend to the Fount in-head. No question but we may expect, hope, and pray to be enabled to live without the use of means, when the Great Lord of the Universe denies the enjoyment of it. That holy Man in our Queen Mary's days (of whom Mr. Fox speaks in his Acts and Monuments) who through the inhumanity of his barbarous Persecutors, was denied any thing at all to live upon, believes and prays, That God would either find Meat, or take away the Stomach, and enable him to live without it, was to a wonder answered in the latter of his Petitions, so that he subsisted to his Martyrdom with great de●ight, without the thoughts of Meat or Drink, or the sense of any need of either. As I hinted in the Introduction, so I say again, That Infinite Wisdom and Power hath done many stupendious Actions, without the use of means. That God which Created the World, without any pre-existent matter to work upon, can when it pleaseth him, support and underprop it, or any of its Inhabitants, without borrowing the aid of any Sublunary Means, Second Cause, or Creature Help.  
4. Yet, to come to my main business, I must tell you, That this poor afflicted Maid, being (as I told you) troubled with a Feavorish heat upon her, did sometimes desire a drop of Wine, or Milk, or Water, in which Prunes had been laid, or for the most part simple Water to cool her Lips withal; but then she received it with the greatest struggling, and self-countest that ever I saw in my life; as if so be it had been something which ha● come to have tormented her. The bringing near her a little Water in a Spoon would make her very sick, and awaken her violent Hiccough, so that she for the most part was forced to strive-long with herself before she could receive the Water to her Lips; which she made so small use of, that when the Spoon was brought away again, the most Critical Eye could perceive little or nothing wanting. I am persuaded, that the refreshing coolness which the Senses than made use of, did enjoy from the Water in the Spoon, were sufficient satisfaction without letting any of it down into the Stomach, for coolness and refreshing smells were very delightsome to her; as is abundantly evidenced by her living many Weeks together without touching any thing with her Lips, only she had Spring-water, or Green-herbs, or Fresh-flowers, held or laid at a distance from her, for nigh her she could not admit them, They being (as herself would language it) too strong for her Brain.  
5. At this rate she hath lived for about sixteen Months together: only once in the beginning she sucked some small quantity of a Baked Apple; and it may be, some very few times she hath taken an inconsiderable bit of Sugar, about the bigness of a small Pease; and since the close of the last Year, instead of a small drop or two of liquids, in the space sometimes of one, two, or more days, she hath delighted her taste by the sucking of a Raisin, Prune, or Fig, one of which will last her a long while together; and when when she has done with it, all the Pulp is left behind: Once, I confess, out of curiosity, or a desire to eat if possible, she did swallow down part of a Fig, but had like to have died for the space of twenty four hours after it, till by Vomiting she threw it up again. This might be, either because of the loss of the Concoctive Faculty, and the Offensive Humours in the Stomach, or because the common Passages by which Nature should convey such things through the body are removed and displaced. There hath long lain behind and before, something fallen out of the Body; which some noted Practitioners in Physic and Chirurgery, several judicious Women, and at least two approved, experienced Midwives, do really judge and assert to be the Bowels or Guts behind, and the Bladder and Matrix before. Now, 'tis no wonder that such great and continued weakness should bring down these, for it has often been known in the like case. These ejected or dilapsed inward Parts, did for a long time lie by her dry and consuming away, and put her to great unknown torments, before her modesty would permit her to make her case known; which afterward was something eased by anointing or bathing.  
6. Now you may stand and wonder here, at the way of the preservation of this poor Creature, how she should have been upheld thus long in time, under these multitudes of strange Distempers, though she could have made some competent use of Meats and Medicines, Physical Cordials or Spirits; but, then that she used none of these, and yet is preserved out of the jaws of Death: Here, here is the wonder!  
Thus I have showed you the whole of what Martha Taylor has had to live upon.  
7. Thus also I have given you an account of several of her Bodily Afflictions: Many others I suppose here were which I forgot, or never heard of; I shall Subjoin one or two more, to those mentioned above; as, her Want of Sleep, when she slept most, it was but very little, and not sound, but mere Slumber-like, the usual time of it was in the Morning, the continuance seldom above an Hour or Two. But the she did often live whole Weeks without any sleep at all, and sometimes many of these Weeks together; as the United Acknowledgement of several that Waked with her did sufficiently testify. Further, she was often much afflicted in the weakness or loss of the external Senses; as, sometimes Seeing was weak, sometimes Hearing was weak; these two more Noble Senses, which do contribute so much to the comfort and advantage of the Rational Creature, were often at a low ebb, little or nothing serviceable to our afflicted Martha: Her Smelling also was now and then quite gone: The Vomiting, and the strong Hiccough or Convulsions forementioned, were beyond all controversy the ground of this weakness, or deficiency of the Senses, blocking up or blemishing their Organs or Instruments, and their hidden, useful, natural humours or qualities. Thus much with brevity for her External Afflictions.  
8. I shall now proceed in a word or two to give you a glance at her more Inward Sorrows, which were much comprised under, and caused by two things; Reproach and Temptations. For the Reproach, it was her happiness they deserved that name, they might have been far greater ground of trouble if they had been just Accusations; but yet at the first, she was but too ready to lay these heavy to her heart, as you have it spoken of one eminently pious, Psal. 69.20. Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. Who is not so tender of a good Name, as that the least blemish and aspersion cast upon it, seemeth more wounding than the cutting of a Sword? Slander and Calumny looks but too insufferable, even to good and worthy natures. The constant reproach and scoffs of disbelievers did very often add bitterness to her wormwood. Divers sorts of Persons there were who employed themselves to vilify her, and cry her up for a Cheat, round about the Country: Though the best Arguments they enforced their unworthy Reports with, were only Suspicion, Conjecture, or Malice, what could they otherwise rise from, seeing they spoke without trial; they did, Audabatarum more pugnare, wink and fight against the Truth in her concern. Ignorance of the cause, possibility, or former experiences, concerning things truly admirable, is looked upon by some as reason good enough, not only to question them, but also to deny their reality. How rational these were in Martha's case, will be shown in third Part of this Treatise, to which I refer you. But as these were the cause of her inward Trouble, so also were her Temptations. The Devil, the grand Tempter, who constantly drives a great Trade this way, took all advantages to disturb her peace, to draw her over to his side, or at leastwise to draw her from her God; he shown his malice in doing his utmost to hinder her from a way of grace; he laid what Remoras his craft could invent to stop her in the way to JESUS CHRIST. He would either have her rest satisfied in a State of Nature, or contented in the bare external performances of Practical Duties; or else, bid farewell to Religion, to all Hopes of Help from Christ, and future Happiness in Heaven; or lastly, run herself upon one of the two destructive Rocks of Presumption or Dispair.  
With this Crafty and Unwearied Adversary Martha had about a year ago very sharp Contests; and afterward the like with some of his Instruments, Heretical Ones, who did their utmost to Proselyte her to their Whimsies and Conceits. Camden in his Britannia tells us, That the Peak had formerly in it noisome and hurtful Wolves, whence he saith Worme-hill had its Name from Wolf-haunt; though the care and industry of former times hath utterly destroyed those Brutes, yet there abide others which deserve their Name, and are of a more dangerous Nature. With these Martha, under her great distress, was put to many a tough Disspute, and large and troublesome Discourses.  
9 Her troubles of Body and Mind, were often much aggravated by her being at a remove from many necessary helps: External helps for the Body, such as should allay or mitigate the pains of the afflicted Members and Parts: Inward helps, about Soul concernments, by her solitariness, her own inquisitive thoughtfulness, about the urgent business of a dying state, and appearance in another world, her great distance from sound, serious, and pious Acquaintance. But in all these, she found some mitigation, yea, some considerable ease, by casting Anchor upon Divine goodness, and by seating down upon some or other Shelf of the Rock of Ages. Though she was in her greatest weakness, often at Ebbs and Tides, sometimes driven out by Storms upon the blustering Waves, sometimes again shored upon a convenient Lee-harbour.   

SECT. iv The frame of her Body all the time of this her being debarred Meat or Drink.  
1. HEr Upper Parts were the most fresh and flourishing. As, her Face, excepting that it was a little fallen in about the ends of the Mouth, was pretty plump or fleshy, considerably free from decay, and of a rud●y or lively colour. This pure Complexion of her Face, was the admiration of all intelligent Beholders, to see a frail, brittle Body, under those great Afflictions, and that continued Abstinence from outward Supplies, look so lovely, so beautiful, not reduced to Skin and Bone, not at all ghastly or terrifying, but rather a delightful Object, worth the looking on, and taking pleasure in. Thus she continued for three Quarters of a Year or more together; and for the following Month held the same quantity of Flesh, though I think not altogether so fair in the Face.  
Her Arms also all along this tract of time have been well covered over.  
Her Pulse pretty smooth, even, and lively in its motions; seldom diverted out of the usual course, but when she was under some immediate sorrow of Body or Mind.  
Her Eyes, though often very weak, were sometimes quick and durable in their beholding or dwelling upon objects, so that she would know that she looked upon at the first glance, and continue reading for an hour or more together.  
Her Lungs commonly showed themselves undecayed by the audibleness and continuation of her Discourse: She would, when freed from the troublesome Hiccough, talk pretty loud and long together.  
Now do but lie these Considerations in the Balance with her great sorrows, and no sustenance, and you will see they are ponderous; especially if you consider,  
2. That her lower Parts from top of the Ribs and downwards were a mere Sceleton, a dry Carcase covered over with Skin. You might have laid your Fingers betwixt the Ribs, and feel the Belly (thorough double Linen) fallen down from the Breast to the Backbone, where it lay as flat, as if Nature had never enjoyed any hollow place betwixt, or any proper Inhabitants in that Dwelling. When you had been satisfying your Curiosity by a strict search here, you would have supposed your Hand to have been examining an half-consumed Carcase within a Grave. Here also modest Inquisition might have stood amazed to behold that colour and flesh on the Face and Arms, and yet find that vast decay in the nether Parts.  
The late sober and searching Observation of some well-skilled in Anatomy hath told us, that the Vertebrae or Joints in the Back, are easily felt through the Belly by the touch of the Finger: And that her Body is devoid of Muscles or fleshly Membranes. It may have been long thus with her, but was not known before the close of the last year, for want of some knowing Ones to make the Trial.  
3. She hath since the beginning of the year 1668. avoided no Excrements by Stool or Urinal; neither hath she had any moisture in her Mouth or Nose. She did (I think) at the first sometimes sweat a little, and since had now and then some small Pimples or Out-breaks upon the Wrists of her Arms, which some suppose to be the result of those few drops of weak Liquids, which might sometimes pass down into her Stomach; and that the abiding Power of Nature, having no other way left, doth use that strong one, to Evacuate her Dregs. Others, again say, That as long as there is my remaining blood, which is in her like water in a standing Pool, it will corrupt, and that the corrupted part doth in that manner Vent itself by the Pores: We all know, as to our own Bodies, that Nature, with very small help, doth by these little insensible Holes in the Skin, send forth those Vapours and Humours which would endanger the Body, if they should take up their lodging within the same.  
4. The two Senses of Hearing and Smelling were once (that I say not oftener) so incomparably acute and quick, that she would apprehend and distinguish their several Objects at a vast remove. A considerable Ecclesiastic Person, who did many times visit her, told me, That for most of the time he had taken notice of her, he found she had all her Faculties and senses, excepting that of Seeing, in as great vigour, as he thought it possible to be in an unglorified Body.  
Our gross way of feeding doth very much dull and clog up the Senses in their exercise; we little know the great comfort we should enjoy in them, if we did not so much indulge to the irregular Appetite: Temperance or sobriety, both as to the quantity and quality of what we live upon, would abundantly quicken and put into right motion all the Senses. 'Tis undeniable, that many Brutes, who are compelled to satisfy themselves with a spare and thrifty way of feeding, do quite exceed us in Sense. But, I suppose, if you take them in their greatest excellency, our Martha did once outvie them, and that was in Smelling; not only that she could take pleasure in Smells, for in that it's very probable Man exceeds all other Animals; but she over-did them in the very thing, in which some say they surpass Man, which was the drawing nourishment out of Odours; for, as I told you in the preceding Section, thus she lived for many Weeks together.  
As concerning other things referring to the temper or frame of her Body under her Afflictions, you had them touched upon before.    

THE SECOND PART.  

SECTION I. Concerning her Parts and Piety.  
THough she may appear eminent in these, especially the latter, yet the rariety of them does not lie so much in their greatness, as the way of their Attainment: She was not Cultivated by Education at home or abroad; the Country where she was Born and Bred, is but too great a stranger to Accomplishments of either Nature. The Inhabitants are more taken up with a strict search about the hidden things of Nature among the Rock and Hills, than they are about those more enriching one's of Reason and Religion. Their Hands and Thoughts are so much employed about that dull and heavy Mineral, which is the standing Traffic of those Parts, that they cannot afford to wear time or pains upon the more refined or spiritual Ornament of Body or Mind. The very Breeding of that Country has been noted for something more than ordinary Rustic: The Religion of very many there is but few degrees beyond ignorance. Vulgar and pedantic conceptions look upon those more noble improvements to be requisites only becoming them who have great estates and leisure; of this barren and low-spirited humour were the most of Martha's Neighbourhood, and first acquaintance; so that she had in the beginning none to discipline or direct her, I mean very little Humane or Christian help; this may make what follows cast forth brighter beams.  
2. Her Parts or External Excellencies, which made her so taking to the Eyes and Ears of her unprejudiced Visitors, were her Deportment, Reading, Prayer, and Discourse. For,  
1. Her Deportment, which was very lovely, raising up her head in Bed, and bowing herself to all with a smiling grateful Countenance, continually giving suitable terms of Respect and Decency. Her Courtesy, her Candour, and Comely Carriage, quite overacted her original as to place and persons. She was in the●e things handsome without humour, and courteous without being conceited. None experienced the contrary carriage in her, but them who did openly declare themselves small Friends to her Person, true Religion, or her God.  
2 Her Reading; though she was pretty exact in her Mother's Tongue, yet the greatest observable was the way of her attaining it, which was by her own industry, having but little direction beyond the bare knowledge of the Alphabet. She did of herself pursue Letters into Words, Words into so●●●●es, and Sentences into her own Heart, 〈◊〉 were but spiritual. A desire of inform●● 〈◊〉 herself with her own Eyes out of the Book of Life, was the first motive to lay out her afflicted hours upon the learning to Read; which having fully and happily obtained, she laid out upon the holy Bible, or some, or other chosen Books: And here now she bestowed all her Breathing Seasons, all the Spare Minutes, which the Absence from Company, violent Pains of Body, or the Weakness of the Eyes would befriend her with.  
3. For Prayer; She was observed to be constant in it, either in Confessing Sin, Begging Mercy, or Praising God. She seemed to be made up of Prayer when most afflicted. The near approach of the Bystanders Ear might be satisfied in this, That her Voice, when at the weakest, would be spending itself upon her God, by fervent, pious Ejaculations, to hold up an heart-chearing Intercourse between Heaven and her hungering Soul. For an affectionate Joiner in this great Duty, when I Visited her, I must confess, I never found her Parallel: She seemed by a sensible, serious, struggling, melting frame of Spirit, to go (as it were) out of herself into an upper Region; so that when a rousing Prayer hath been ended, she would be puzzled to reduce herself, and compose the humane frame. Her own personal way of praying, which was much concealed, and to herself, was usually short and sententions, but very significant, comprehensive, humble, and powerful.  
4. Her Discourse; which, if you consider the Style of it, and compare it with the common Dialect of that Country, you will find it did for the most part very much excel. The Peak Country has a very course Language, very thick and homespun; but hers was of a finer, unaffected m●ke; usually pretty fluent and oratorical, but never dull and sordid. Some took much notice of this, as a thing rather strange then contemptible; no question, but 'tis a very lawful Art to advantage good discourse, and pious conference, with powerful taking Language. 'Tis, if I may so call it, a sacred Fraud, every way lawful to steal the Ears and Hearts of those with whom we converse to the considerate observation of the deep concernments of an Eternal and better State. The Sword of Rhetoric in a Wife Man's hand may wound the Champions of Irreligion, and win the Day for Heaven. The applauded wit of the Age, in which we live, doth but too much prostitute itself to the greatest Ribaldry. Our Martha had the happiness, to enjoy a considerable, clear, smooth Phrase, not guilty of bombast or boyish vanity; which for the most part she bestowed upon the best of things. I confess her ignorance of other Tongues then what she was born to, did sometimes in the beginning Months of her afflictions produce some small mistakes of Words and Terms, which afterwards were polished to a more acute and regular way of speaking.  
5. But the manner of her Speech was not worth the taking notice of, if you compare it with the matter of the same.  
Her ordinary say were very considerable; with which I question not but I by my own, or friends Collections, might have Stuffed more Sheets, then at this time I must have leave to Bestow▪ upon Her Story. Most of these were Scripture Dialects and of them I shall give you no account: I know others who have writ upon Young Maids, under some such like Visitations, have bestowed twenty, forty, or more Pages, upon the mere repetition of Scripture Passages: These I do not, I dare not reflect upon, though I shall not imitate.  
It was the good Assertion of one of her Judicious Visitors, That he never heard her speak any thing untheological; and that, though she pretended to nothing of Inspiration, nor any thing extraordinary, but what was the Effect of her Reading and Diligence; yet whatsoever Discourse did c●●urr, he never found her lost in it, but that she was clearly with good Language, and to purpose able to talk of it.  
The ordinary Subjects of her Discourse were upon the Blacks and Whites, the Storms and Sunshine of the Christians Life.  
She thought no time lost in which she could but say something against sin, and for Holiness; in which she could but cry up the Promises to lost returning sinners, and the Advantages of Affliction to them that belong to God; in which she could but sufficiently dilate upon the miseries of a besotted World, and the glorious enjoyments of the New Jerusalem.   

SECT. II.  
BUt I shall here give you a Copy of some of her ordinary say, as they were not much above a Month ago taken from her own Mouth, by the Hand of a Friend: They were short Answers to Questions proposed, but I shall take no notice of the Questions.  
I bless my God he hath wrought in me a desire exercise myself in all ways and duties of Holiness, so as he may receive glory, others edification, and I comfort in the Day of Jesus.  
I desire, I resolve for sincerity: I know that its God that works all in me and for me; of myself, as to pious actions, I can do just nothing; it's He, He, that is become all to me, and I am nothing but what I am in him; my motion, my being, is in Him, and of Him.  
The Reproaches of the World, which are many, and crowd in upon me, do not, cannot rob me of my Joy which I have in Christ Jesus, my Lord, my Portion, my Righteousness, my Life, my All.  
I in Christ, or rather in me, doth oppose Sin, Error, Deceit, yea, all manner of uncleanness both of Flesh and Spirit: and it is He that giveth me the Victory over all Enemies Visible and Invisible. So that to him belongs all the Praise, and be shall have it: I discaim any share in it, let him have all. I know by Nature wrath was my Portion, and that I was born in open Rebellion to God: Now if Christ through his unspeakable goodness and sorrow did redeem me to himself, I am sure I ought to be zealous of good works, and to glorify Him with my Soul and Body which are his.  
If I was able to feed upon all the good Creatures of God, where as n●w I cannot, yet they could none of them satisfy or solace my poor, weak, hungry Soul: It is the enjoyment of him, who is the Bread of Life, the Life of my Life, that is, my satisfaction, to whom be glory.  
2. Sin is the Serpent's fruit, and so it come● to be of that Poisonous Nature, that it infects th● World, sets God and Men at difference, wound● the soul, and begets the sting of Death.  
Holiness, as I shall speak of it, is a Believers serious Conversation which he lives in Christ, by which he is doing what he can to regain tha● Image of God he lost in Paradise, and to get himself ready for an happy estate in Heaven, where all Holiness dwells.  
Afflictions are the actings of Gods dear love towards Believers, for whom the Lord loveth he afflicteth; Afflictions are those strange seeds, which while they are taking root in the Believers heart do beget war, weeping, and sorrow, but yet at length they do bring forth the profitable, the pleasant, and peaceable fruits of righteousness.  
The promises, which are many, great, and precious, are the rich manifestations and assurances of Divine goodness; by which God designs to encourage the poor Believer, and bear up his heart under all his sorrows. The Reconciliation of the Promises and Providences of God, seems to be one of the greatest mysteries, and sweetest studies in the world: To see how sweetly these join themselves together at the journey's end, though they seem to thwart one the other all the way.  
The Word of God, I mean the Word of Reconciliation, is (as it were) God speaking forth himself to us in Jesus Christ. It is the rule and Guide to Holiness, to God, and Happiness.  
To speak of Heaven is a very great difficulty, for 'tis unspeakable kingdom of Glory; eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of those things which God hath there prepared for them that love him. How should I then tell what Heaven is, any further than thus, That there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore; and that which makes all these excellent, is that they are everlasting.  
Death is no evil Messenger to the Saint, for the Sting is taken away, and he gains by dying: Christ hath been the death of Death, and so Death is no death to the Saint: It is but, as it were his dissolver out of Flesh into Spirit, so that when Death comes the Saint may triumph, and bid it welcome.  
What I said of Heaven, I may speak just backward concerning Hell. The torments are unutterable, and for their extremity expressed by weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, these also are the more terrible because everlasting.  
As I am crucified to the world, and the world to me; and as I know the Devil is my Adversary, and God a present Help in time of trouble; so I look upon all the scandals that are cast upon me to be as Pearls in my Crown.  
I look upon my preservation without the use of creatures to be the manifestation of Infinite Power, for the benefit and advantage of them that fear God, to let them see how God can preserve life by and if himself, and for the hardening of the obsti●●●● and impenitent; for my own awakening, and ●●●●ging into a way of holiness,  
3. Thus I have given you a taste of her say, out of the Paper above mentioned; which I have compendized and put something into another order, inserting also some few short Sentences which I heard myself, or were communicated to me by worthy friends; doing what I could to keep to her very words. But I can assure you, that much of what she used to discourse was little inferior to these, for she is well versed in the Scripture, and of a quick apprehension.   

SECT. III.  
I Suppose it's now time to show you something of her Piety or Person.  
1. Of these you may have gathered something by what went before. They were introduced by a great work upon her Spirit: For you must know, that all November, and in the beginning of December in the year 1667. she were exceedingly puzzled to know what would become of her to all Eternity, having Sin and Death before her, she was put to her utmost shifts to obtain a Christ. There are many indeed that think men Mortality may land them in Heaven without a work or Grace, which we usually call Regeneration; upon which conceit (its very probable) that notable Ruler of the Jews, mentioned John 3.1. had built a very high Fabric of Hope; he comes in a secret manner to own Christ as a Teacher come from God because of his Miracles, vers. 2. but Christ takes little or no notice of what he says, but does upon the matter tell him all this will not serve thy turn, though thou be a Pharasee, one of the strictest Sect, yet thou must either be born again, or else thou cannot see the Kingdom of God, vers. 3. Nicodemus was here at a very great stand, he could not tell what to make of the words of Christ, vers. 4. But Christ affirms the same again with as great vehemency, and rather greater fullness, with the reason of what he says, verses 5, 6. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and will be flesh and corrupt, notwithstanding external Profession; nay, the outward washing of Baptism will not serve the turn alone without the Laver of Regeneration, not Works of Righteousness, which we have done, will do the business for us, but there must be the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3.5. There must be a transformation by the renewing of the mind, Rom. 12.2 This being born of the Holy Ghost, or being Baptised with it and fire, as Mat. 3.11. This being bathed and burnt, till the filth and dross of Nature was done away, was the grant difficulty with our afflicted Martha. She told me, That upon this account she was once in great darkness, and under sad distress; to allude to that ●f Paul, Rom. 7.9. Being without the Law she thought herself alive, in a condition good enough to carry her to Heaven; but when the Commandment came, when she understood her own and ●e condition by the Word of God; then sin revived, than she found it rouse up itself and discover life and strength, and then she died, she found herself dead under trespasses and sins: This kept her for a season upon the Waves, under Storms and Winds (as I said before) without sight of Sun or Star, but (as she told me) it was her happiness that before she was split upon the Rock of Despair, the Sun of Righteousness broke forth from behind the Clouds, with healing under his wings. She was often put to cry out, Phosphere red diem: But the glorious Daystar appearing, brought in hope and hearts-ease with it: So that (upon her own Confession) she has enjoyed much comfort, calm, and Halcyon days 〈◊〉.  
2. Now I have showed you a little of the beginning Work; here was the Foundation, as laid upon the great, elect, and precious Corner Stone. But to proceed, I shall a little show you the Superstructure in some few things, as her Knowledge, Gratitude, Patience, Hope, Zeal, Love, and Perseverance.   

SECT. iv  
1. HEr Knowledge; She was very large in this comprehending skill in all the most necessary Truths and Duties, notably read in the Bible, and several other good Books. She enjoyed but a short while to labour in, but had done abundance of work. She was able to discourse in all the ordinary known things within the Sphere of Religion. The strangeness of this appeared in her small helps at the first, all were ignorant about her, no knowing Heads to confer with, and then she was far from the Church, and the ordinary use of means; but of these something hath been said. Her Knowledge was not only Speculative and Notional, it was not Airy, and only dwelling in the Head, but Practical and Experimental. She had the happiness not only to know, but also to taste the Truth of the Gospel: She did not only know there was a God, but she tasted and saw how good this God was. This was a means to lead her up to God and Christ, to fill her heart with thoughts of them, and to breed strong and warm affections toward them. Her Knowledge did discover itself to be a gracious Illumination, by its foundness, humility, and self-applications; it did not only know God, but was ready to glorify him as God, it showed itself to be a good understanding in that it did the commandments of God. The strength of her Knowledge was made apparent by her discovering the Sophisms, and detecting the strange whimsies and wild practices of various Opinionists, who did every day assault her.  
2. Her Gratitude did stream forth both to God and Men: To Men, in being exceeding thankful for the least Courtesy imaginable, an humble rational reproof should have been received with cheerful thanks: I saw her once weep that she was not able to make any requital to those her Friends, who ●owa●d then came to visit her out of pure Love, and for Pious ends. It also appeared in her constant importuning Heavens Remuneration to be given into the Bosom of them, who did her but the meanest good turn. Her thankfulness to God was much of her business, she was not only happily employed in returning Praise to the Great Provider for those things which all serious Hearts would have made Arguments of Gratitude, but also (which was the wonder) she was usually thankful for the greatest afflictions which lay upon her. She forne● that before afflicted she went astray, and that miseries of Body made her inquire the more industrio fly for the good old way, the way of eas● and happiness.  
She would bless God for every thing; like good and holy Bradford the Martyr, in his Rep● to 〈◊〉, saith he, If the Queen will give me 〈◊〉, I will thank her; if she will Banish me, I will thank her: If she will burn me, I will thank her: If she will condemn me to perpetual Imprisonment, I will thank her. I never saw, nor heard, that Martha, under her greatest sorrow, did the least repine at the hand of God, but was ready always to vent her Groans with this Language, Blessed be God. She continually having a fixed eye upon the great undeserved mercy of God, would not so much as send forth one Sighs without improving that breath to the praise of God. Thus Servulus a primitive Saint, lying a long time under grievous afflictions, in such a condition as one could scarcely make a distinction between Life and Death, would often and ordinarily be breathing forth, God be thanked. The poor persecuted Members of Christ have been formerly known by the Name of, The praising People.  
3. Her Patience was so eminent when she was most exercised under sorrows, that one of her constant impartial Visitors, told me, That in her afflictions she had exercised as much patience as ever he read or heard of, excepting Christ himself. She would ordinarily witness her patience by her lying still and quiet under her greatest troubles: She would with a very composed countenance bear up head and heart under sickness and pains of body, and scoffs and reproaches upon her Name and Innocency; never complaining of the greatness or continuance of these. It is the glory of Patience to be silent and submissive under the greatest lashes of Providence, to receive the Rod with a smiling Face, to bear its own burden cheerfully without inordinate sorrow, or fretting discontent.  
The truly patiented Soul labours more to improve, then remove the Cross.  
This can (as it were) stand still upon the floating Waves, contemplating the Allseeing Eyes of Heaven. It can with Paul and Sil●● sing in the Stocks, and exalt and triumph though the Enemies gets the day. Thus the Followers of Jesus in the first days of the Gospel did take cheerfully the spoiling of their goods, they went away rejoicing that they were counted Worthy to suffer Affliction; they did joy, nay, they did glory in tribulation.  
I will not say, but Martha might be a little startled when affliction did at first make the onset, but she would presently reassume her forces, and stand out against the shock, or combined strength opposition. Patience is well-skilled in Chemistry, it an draw meat out of the eater, and fetch sweet out of the strong; it can exstract matter of serving and praising God out of the greatest penal evils that can fall upon it, while on this side the bounds of Eternity. One once ask Martha, Why she blessed God for the evil of sorrow, she replied to this purpose, That she tasted Honey at the end of the Rod.  
4. Her Hope, or if you will Faith, for I shall unite these together; they being pretty near akin, or at the least near Neighbours, usually living under one roof, and drawing breath together. She had an advantageous Art of casting Anchor upward, and of Hawking Expectation within the Veil; she would live very well upon a Promise; this was the ground of her stocking up such precious Treasures; yea, she would make a good shift to live upon things not seen. Because there was no use of these rare Graces in another world, therefore, I suppose, she determined to make her utmost advantage of them while she was in this. By these she stayed and supported her Soul upon the chief Cornerstone, under the greatest sorrows, difficulties, improbabilities, and contradictions of Sense and carnal Reason: She looked upon the engaged Power and Truth of an ever gracious God, to be sufficient for her to content herself, and bear up her heart withal. This was the ground of her solemn Resignation and sound Dependence; this made her give her All to God, and expect and look for All from God. She did not only roll herself on God, but acquiess and rest satisfied in him alone: She saw the barrenness, nay, the baseness, and universal emptiness of Self and the Creature, and this made her go beyond both to Christ, as one willing to close in with and stick to him upon any terms. She looked upon a Christ obtained by the greatest losses to be the greatest gain; this made her think her shipwreck very happy, because by it she was unexpectedly thrown upon the sho●●s of Eternity: She was ready to think ad say, That 〈…〉 had not perished and been miserable s; he should 〈◊〉 have been saved or ha●py. She so employed these two noble useful Grace●●●at she always lived either by Evidence, or 〈◊〉 Recumbence. She was often observed to make very fair for Assurance, though she delighted to language all her Discourse in thi● affair by those humble, sweet, and commendable words, Good Hope.  
5. Her Zeal was notably displayed in the warmth and fervour of her Love and Language for God and the Gospel: She would not hear the Holy Name of the one abused, but she would throw forth some prudent Reproof or R●m●r● into the way of the Profane: She would not hear the Duties or Dignities of the other set light by, or scoffed at, but she would with humble boldness attempt their vindication. Pious zeal, not only puts a lustre upon, but life into all the Affections of the Soul; it's that which makes us run and not be weary, and walk and not f●int; it makes us in a manner fly about the business of God. Where this is prudent, knowing, and sanctified, it puts valour into the heart of the ●hristian, and makes him do all that ever he can, keeping his proper sphere against Sin, and for a life of Holiness. When our Affections gro● du●l and heavy, its good to put life into them again, by fetching this Coal from the Altar, not from the common Hearth. The warmest Region is not too hot for the well-advised, sober Saint, yet indiscreet Zeal, which is the Torrid Zone, proves too hot for him to dwell in.  
6. Her Love was once so happy as to embrace every thing that came from God; by this Affection she would run and pursue after the desirables of another world. Her soul seemed to act freely and superlatively in this: It was her judgement, That the best way to Love God in a due measure, was to love him out of measure. Some have observed her weep and sigh for love to God. It's the good saying of an eminent Person of this Nation, speaking concerning Seraphic Love, That he alone loves Gods as much as he ought, that loving him as much as he can, strives to repair the deplored imperfection of that Love, with an extreme regret to find it no greater. Once a pious Suffolk Minister, weeping as he sat at Table, and being asked the reason of it, he answered, Because he could love Christ no more. True Evangelick Love knows no doubts, no dangers, no difficulties; this having God for its only object, can do as Jacob did, Endure the scorching heat by day, and the most bitter pinching cold by night: The words of the Spouse in that last of the Song of Solomon, are surpassing to this purpose, Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm, for Love is as strong as death, jealousy [or ardent burning love] is as cruel as the Grave; the Coals thereof are Coals of Fire, which have a most vehement Flame. Many Waters cannot quench Love, neither can the Floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his House for Love it would be utterly contemned.  
7. Her Perseverance did consist in her abiding Patient under sorrows; her continuing firm in the Faith, notwithstanding reproaches and frequent temptations to the contrary. It's an humane thing to err, but an hellish one to persevere in error. It's very good to enter into Heaven's way, but a thousand times better to go to the far end of it. Perseverance sets the Grown upon the Head of all the Virtues and Graces, which the Believer is the owner of. These considerations taught Martha how to distinguish between Sin and Duty, what was Ornament and what disgrace.  
Thus I have given you a brief Account of some of this Maids Inward Excellencies, as they discovered themselves in her Actions: You may call them by what Names you please, only I am sure they do very much adorn the true Believer, and may fitly enough be c●lled the Virtues or Graces of the truly Rational and Reformed Soul.  
You must do me the favour to take this as an account of her Actings or Behaviour only in the year 1668. which was her more afflicted season. I suppose she did never to purpose know what God or Sin was before. Few there are that do sufficiently discern the way to Heaven, till they come to Weeping-cross. Afflictions are like the Fuller's Teasles, which are very sharp and scratching in themselves, yet serve to make the Cloth pure and fine. The most excellent Water-springs are hottest in the coldest Winter-season. The more the Camomile is trodden with the Feet, the mope it spreads and grows. It has been an old observation, that some Virtues and Graces are like Stars that shine not in the day of Prosperity, but shine only in the night of Adversity: 'Tis probable we had never known Jobs eminent Patience, had we not known his extraordinary Afflictions. There is a very odoriferous water in the Damask-rose, but not to be obtained till extracted by fire. We may allude to Job 22.29. When men are cast down, than thou shalt say, there is lifting up. When an Holy Man was asked which we●● the most pleasant and comfortable days that ever he enjoyed, he answered, His Mourning days, these were his most joyful days, and therefore he cried out, O give me my Mourning Day, give me my Mourning Days, for they were the days of my greatest joy.  
Thus I know it was with Martha Taylor, she was most eminent when most under sorrow: If at any time she was guilty of humane failings, or did incline an ear to the charms of the Flesh or Seducers, it was when most at ease, and freed from afflictions.  
But for the year above named she seemed very famous in the foregoing Particulars: and was not dull or drowsy, but very lively in their exercise.  
There was one thing than appeared in her which is (for any thing I know) highly commendable, and that was, That she discovered a large love to Religion, only upon its own account, or upon the account of the ever-glorious God, to whom Religion tends: She seemed to be very much uninterested, not to close in with it upon the account, of breeding, party, opinion, conceit, or the like; but because of the great loveliness, and spiritual advantage which she saw in it. 'Tis beyond all question that some take up a strict way of Religion, that they may be looked upon as singular: But for this, you may take that of the ingenious and illustrious Author of Wisdom, Tri●os, p. 199. An affected singularity (saith he) and that in trifles, is but the adultery and pedantry of Morality: But if the thing be serious, and the singularity without affectation, 'tis so far from being a just shame, that it is indeed the true gallantry of virtue, that dares enjoy and own its single self, and stand fast, amidst the stream of the world's headiest current.    

PART III. The Probability or Possibility in point of Nature, and in her Concern.  

SECTION I.  
1. I Find this commonly asserted among the most famous Transmarine Physicians, though I confess many of our most noted Homebred ones, with whom I have conversed, have been ready at the first hearing to decry it as an impossibility. The thing does indeed very strangely thwart ordinary Experience, and vastly go against the grain of our common way of living. Which, I suppose, was the ground of Hypocrates conjecture, That it was impossible to live beyond the seventh Fastingday, in lib. ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pliny indeed goes something further, but does not ascend so high as to twice the number of days, lib. 11. cap. 24. This also was the ground of Harvets vigorous opposition against the Learned Joubert, who writ the Story of one of these foodless Creatures.  
2. The thing has appeared so far impossible, that it hath made some, who could not deny its reality as to matter of fact, run to refuge their Apprehensions in a Miracle, and think they vindicate themselves sufficiently in the three famous instances we meet withal in the Sacred History, concerning Moses, Elijah, and the ever Blessed Jesus.  
3. Others fly to the Aid of Angels, as if these good Spirits did in some hidden way sustain the humane fra●e by some unthought-at inward or outward Applications. But I think Sennertus reasons to the contrary are powerful enough to stop the mouth of these; He saith, The most of those that thus lived without the use of Meat or Drink, were Persons little or nothing acquainted with Religion, and some of them no better than Heathens. And it cannot be imagined that the All-glorious God should work a Miracle without a Cause, and that upon (or by) such in whom was found nothing singular or excellent, and for no proposed end. I never heard of any thing mentioned by these Prodigious, Absteminous Ones, concerning Doctrine, Discipline, or Providence; nor any thing referring to the Introduction, Illustration, Emendation, or Exaltation of these. I am sure many eminent Protestant Writers, both at home and abroad, do upon good grounds affirm that Miracles (as we understand them here in the stricter sense) are altogether ceased. 'Tis something to the thing in hand, if we consider, That those ever worthy Persons mentioned in the Scripture, were under no decays of body, notwithstanding their miraculous fasting; and that they were voluntary in it, whereas those of latter Ages were always constrained to this abstinence by some disease, tedious distempers, or defects of nature.  
4. But further, some have been ready to give up the day to the Devil, as if he either did move and act the body and its members, when the rational soul was stepped forth into another habitation; or else, that he did, in a clanculous and insensible manner, convey necessary food into the body, and in as strange a way carry the excrements out of the same: This cunning trick of the Devil may have been not only possible, but experienced; but yet it is altogether unlikely in the case of several of those who have been thus preserved, because some of them have returned again to eating and drinking, and others of them have married and brought forth children; and that which showed they were not possessed by any evil spirits, was the piety of some of them, their frequency in Prayers, Reading the Scriptures, and other Exercises of Devotion and Holiness, as may be seen in the Printed Relations concerning them.  
But of these you may see several more in the forenamed eminent Sennertus, Medicinae Pract. lib. 3. par. 1. sect. 2. chap. 2.   

SECT. II.  
I Shall now give you some few Considerations, which may make the thing probable: As,  
1. The Testimonials of some Learned Men, Men of Note and Credit. That pious Father of the Church St. Augustin, in an Epistle of his to Casulanus de jejunio, tells of one, Who in his time lived very many days without either meant or drink; in which relation he gives you a Testimonial of the probability of vast Abstinence. J. Jo●st●n of Poland, in his Thaum●tographia Naturalis, speaking De Inedia stupendia, saith to this purpose, Although the use of Nutriment be necessary for the preserving life, yet there have been very many found, who, notwithstanding the want of the same, have been kept alive. Zaculus Lucitanus in his History of the chiefest Physicians, lib. 6. Hist. 2. saith, That Authors, not at all to be undervalued, do tell us, that several have lived a very long while without meat and drink: And there he gives you his own assent to the thing, with a Catalogue of twelve noted Authors, and their Works, in which you may find the Persons Names, the Places where they lived, and the continuance of their Abstinence. Beyerlink also in his Theatrum Tom. 1. de Abstinen. & de cibo, gives you in an equal number of differing foregoing Author, assuming the same thing. But I shall close up this with the Testimony of our Doctor M. Causabon, in a late Treatise of his concerning Credulity and Incredulity, ●. 49. where he saith, I will say whom the credit of so many good Authors, and the particular relations of so many examples, delivered with so many circumstances, wherein no mistake or imposture can rationally be suspected, that I do believe i●, that divers men, and more women have lived several years, some to their lives end, without any bodily food ordinary or extraordinary, liquid or solid; yea, I believe it, as I believe that I myself, with ordinary food and God's blessing, have lived hitherto.  
2. This may further appear probable, if you consider that there are several inferior Animals, which live many Months together without feeding upon any thing at all. They do, I confess, live a strange, inert, drowsy, dead kind of life; but yet live they do, and that as really as when they are more lively and active: It's as certain there is fire in the spark, or in the unextinct embers, as in the burning flame.  
All the great searchers into the mysteries of the Creation, have given us many wonderful examples of this nature. The two great Beginners were Aristotle● and Pliny, upon the account cried up by after Ages; The Natural History of the one, and the History of Animals writ by the other, hath given you many true Relations referring this way, of which I shall give you some few hints▪  
The Bat and Swallow (both of them well known to us) do upon the first approach of Winter's bitter blasts, take their leave of the open Air, and betake themselves to Caves, Cliffs of Rocks, or Hollow-trees, where they lie hid for five or six Months together, without the reception of any created thing to live upon.  
Some Creatures, which seem contemptible to us, are worth the taking notice of upon this account, of which sort there is the Snail, the Fly, the Frog, and the Snake, or Adder, with many others; all which lie hid all along the Winter Months, in some secret holes or crannies, where they have no external thing to live upon; but do, as many Philosophic Wits have strongly conjectured, subsist by the aid of some unctuous matter or humour which is lodged within themselves.  
Some also say upon their own experience, that Bears and other furred Brutes, in the Northern frozen Parts of the world, do for certain live after the same manner, from the middle of September to the middle of April.  
Many Pious and Learned Men have wondered at the meanest Creatures, to see their strange Natures, and way of living. Austin could bestow serious thoughts upon the silly Fly, and for its life (thought, as Voss●us saith, not for its use or end) preferred it to the glorious Sun in the Firmament. The great Zarchy in his learned Tracture de ●peribus Dei, sits down, and wonders at, and contemplates the glorious Creator and Preserver of the World, even in his meanest Creatures.  
3. Another thing that shows the probability and reality of the sometimes foodless subsistence of the Rational Humane Creature, is, the frequent Trials that have been made by careful Magistrates and skilful Physicians, such as did their utmost not to be deceived: This I shall exemplify in two or three famous stories.  
The first is that writ, experienced, and vindicated by Franciscus Citesius, whose eminency advanced him to be Physician to Lewis the thirteenth King of France, and to Cardinal De Richelieu; he tells the Story at large in his Abstinens Consolentanea, Concerning a Maid whose name was Joanna Balam, her Father and Mother were but mean rustic people (which I acquaint you with to show you how much she was parallel to Martha Taylor) she begun in March 1599 and was first taken with a continued Fever, and then fell to sore Vomiting for twenty days together, and after that was made Speechless for a like number of days, after which she did utterly refuse all sort of Meat and Drink, her Belly also fell down to her Back, the Musculi Intestina, and Viscera, did all appear contracted and dried up; from the Ribs to the Thighs she was nothing but skin and bone, and yet her Breasts were full, her Arms and Thighs pretty well fleshed, her Face round, and her Lips somewhat red, she avoided no Excrements from any part, and thus she live● from twelve, till she was fourteen years of age. To this Relation the learned Magistrate D. N. Rapinus, bears a sufficient witness by his ingenious Verses, which runs before this Relation of Citesius, some few of which are, 
—— Ecce duos jam Virgo per annos,  
Vitam agitat; nullo freta vel usa cibe.  
Observata Magistratu, & vicinia ab omni,  
Qua fluit exiguo juncta Vigenna Goro.  
Jam jejuna famem tolerat sine fraude biennem  
Et jam praeclusis faucibus arcta gula est.  
Mireris nullum suspenso a pectore ventrem:  
Mireris nullas inde, vel inde vices, etc.   
The next I shall give you is of a Germane Girl, whose Father was a plain and Country-trades-man. She lived about seven years without Meat or Drink, the strange report of her total abstinence roused up the noted Prince John Casimire, than Count Palatine, to do his utmost to try the truth in her case, which he did twice over, first in November 1584. sending two knowing Physicians to try her, who give in their account, that the thing was real: She continuing on to live without food for some years more, he sends again two other deep-sighted Physicians to try her the second time, which they did by the utmost scrutiny, in April 1588. One of the first of these Doctors of Physic, viz. Henricus Smelius in the tenth Book of his Miscellanies, gives you this Relation, with some other strange passages concerning her.  
I might also have told you of that other Maid of Spire in Germany, whose memory Joubert hath made illustrious, and Langius mentions in his Epistles to have lived four years without meat, tried by Fardinand the Emperor, and other Magistrates in that Country. But the last I shall name, is that famous known story of Apolloniae Scheieriana (or Chrier, as I think Quere●tanus calls her) Who was born in the Town of Gates, within the jurisdictions of the celebrated City Berne in Switzerland; She first lost the Appetite to Meats, then to Drinks, and shortly after fell under an abhorrence of all Nutritives: Her fame flying abroad in the Senate of Berne, presently gives forth a strict Order, which brought her and her mother into an Hospital within their City, where she was committed to the through search and observation of many watchful Eyes; who all, after a competent time of trial, give in their Testimony to the Senate, that she did beyond dispute live without any Aliment at all. And thus from the year 1600. for several years on forward, she continued this h●r marvellous fast; all which time the whole Abdomen, or the Belly from the Ribs to the Pudendum Muliebre, was fallen down and hard, which was frequently viewed by her multitudinous Visitors. But you may find her whole History writ by the care and industry of the Learned Paulus Lentulus (who was then Professor of Physic at Berne) with a Collection of several other Remarkables of the like Nature; as also the united Testimonies and Eulogies of several of them, who were his Eminent, Noble, Contemporaries.  
I suppose these things makes a total Abstinence, appear something more probable and real, than many have been free to conjecture.  
I confess, many things of this nature may have been fabulous in all likelihood: As, the A●●om, a People in India, who are without Mouths, and live only by Odours and Air; the Luc m●ri●●s, who Inhabit the Northern Mountains, in the most Remote Parts of Muscovy, near to the F●●●●n S●a, where the stern Boreas ●●eps his Blustering Court, and hath his Imperial Throne Seated; There this People towards the close of N●vember every year, are glad to betake themselves to Dens and Caves, where they lie Frozen up till the grateful influence of the Vernal Sun awake them out of this cold Sleep; of these see Cit●s●us in his Abstin. Confol. ●●57, 103. etc. and Guva●ninus in Moscoviae Des●●● 〈◊〉 Lu●●mor. We have also great variety of stories of Eremitical Men, Superstitious Zealots, and Popish Votaries, who are reported to have banished themselves from humane Society, into some or other solitary Places or Departs, and there to have lived without Meat or Drink for many Months or Years; as is to be found in Sennertus, the abovenamed Citesius, and Gasp. Schottus in his Physica Curiofa, p. 408. etc.  
Further we read of seven Ephesian Boys, who under the persecution of Decius, being terrified by his cruelty upon the Professors of the Gospel, did fly away into a Cave, not far from the City Ephesus, where they were walled up, and are reported to have slept for the long Night of three hundred years' space, till the more pleasant days of Theodosius the Emperor, in whose time their Prison-doors were pulled down, and they were awaked out of their miraculous sleep. This you may find in the applauded Nic●phorus in his Ecclesiastical History, lib. 14. cap. 45.  
Now let any one judge how probable these are, though I know several of them are credited by some sober, prudent Men. Yet we have but small ground to believe the prodigious Stories of the more remote and darker Ages, and Places of the world, in which both Truth and Knowledge lay long buried under a palpable Cimmerian Darkness. But we have no ground to disbelieve those Things, which are within the Memory of those latter Days, and the Relations of inquisitive knowing Men, and the sharp Trials of impartial eminent Magistrates.   

SECT. III.  
HEre I shall show you the Possibility of it in point of Nature, according to the judgement of Citesius, as above, Joubert Sennertus, and Fortunous Licetus, with some others who have writ on this Sub●ect; whom I mention here once for all, that I may not interrupt you with too frequent Citations, which I know to be a great trouble, and little satisfaction to the ordinary Reader.  
1. I know very well, that History is copiously stored with the true Reports, of several dull and solitary melancholics, of many in the more warm parts of the world (which was frequent) and of some in the colder Climates, not at all troubled with crazy Heads; who have fasted for seventeen, and ●o on to twenty days without destruction, of my extraordinary decay to their weak and brittle our-sides. This hath been an inducement to stir up the former wits of the world to search for the distaining cause; but the far larger & more astonishing Abstinence of some in these latter days, hath awaked the coetaneous profound Headpieces of Neighbour Nations, to make a much more deep, and double inquiry into the way of Nature's Support: From these I shall give the following concise Account to evince a Possibility.  
The most learned, pristine, and modern Physician and Philosophers do say, That the great instrument of Life, in all Animate beings, is indwelling Natural heat, which (its possible) hath its seat in the Blood Now, as the Fire feeds upon the combustible matter which is adjoined to it; or as you see the lighted Match in the Lamp, or the burning Wick in the Candle, live upon the annexed Oil or Tallow; so doth this Innate-heat within the Body live upon a solid, a moist, and a spiritual substance; which the later and more experienced Physicians do comprise under the Humidity radical & pr●●●ge●●um: This one would think should presently be spent and consumed away, without new and fresh supplies from Meat and Drink. So then the wonder is, how this Fire should live without its ordinary and obvious Fuel: For where Natural heat is more abundant, as it is in Children and Young Men, there is the greatest desire, need, and use Meat and Drink.  
3. But this you must know, that in these foodless Cre●tures, this Natural-heat is reduced to a very slender proportion, and so can live upon very sma●l supplies. 〈◊〉 ●s I have seen a Candle, confined to a spare and thrifty way of burning, by the density, or humility, or other deficiency of the ambient Air, continue for some hours together, sending forth flame and light, without any visible or considerable waste of the Wax or Tallow. Which hath often made me think there might be some truth in those m●ny Stories which I have read in several credited Authors, concerning Lamps now and then found in Italy, and other places, in ancient Vaults or Urns, which have lasted for many years, that I say not Ages, without extinction, till put forth by the purer and stronger Air. I know one great cause of the duration of these Lights, is from the firm make, and lasting constitution of the Burning Materials. It is a thing also commonly known, that a few small pieces of Flaming-wood, buried under their own Ashes, will continue fired for a great number of hours, and yet not much consume away: Some say there is sound Outlandish-wood, that will thus endure for many Months. Now,  
4. Thus it is in these great Abstinents, that Natural heat seems (as it were) to be raked up under Embers, that it might spend itself, and its proper Pabulum or food, with the greater Parsimony. Nature doth greatly lavish, or thrust forth its own supports by Excrements, as, by Stool, Urinal, Sweat, Salivation, and the like; but in these admirable Fasters all these Passages are for the most part closely stopped up: And then the Native Fervour (as was said) is brought to such a small Degree, that it may not over-fast consume its Aliment. Thus many whose years are greatly numerous, can live upon a very small, because they have but little Heat, slender Evacuation, and ●old and dense Bodies, and so consequently spend the Radical Humours very sparingly.  
5. When the Cause ceaseth then the Effects must needs fall: Now, in these Abstenious Ones its usually so that the de●●re and necessity of Meat and Drink is taken away; as the Stomach (especially at the beginning) is distempered, stup●fi'd, and altogether mastered and overcome, by the abundant Influx of Pituitous, Crude, and Naughty Humours, so that 〈◊〉 can neither retain what it had, nor give entertainment to any fresh Sustenence; and all the Excrementitious Passages being stopped up, the Body cannot that way E● it or Evaporate any of its inbred Supplies; And it hath been the rational Conjecture of Delrius, quoted by Gast. Schottus, That the 'foresaid Phlegmatic abounding Humours, which first took away the Stomach, are afterward made a good use of by the Natura●-heat, in order to the underpropping Life. The Stomach, upon a small recruit, may be enabled to turn these to a sort of Chyle, and then the Liver falls to work, and draws them into itself, and presently transformeth them into Blood, which it sendeth by the Vena Porta into the Body, and all its Members. The knowing Ci●●sius speaking as I think) concerning the Chyle, says, Attract us ab h●●●t●, qui v●ntriculi fuit excrementum, 〈…〉 limentum. Abst. Cons. p. 89. For any thing ● know, the worst of humours may be turned by Nature's skill and aid to outrime●t, not noxious, but useful: 'Tis a known Report, that the grand Alith●idates did gradatim obtain such an Art in eating Poison, that his Body became invincible to its greatest power, as was afterward experienced when he should that way have lost his life. Of which Martial the neat Epigrammatist gives you an account in one of his Distiches, thus, 
Profecit poto Mithridates saepe veneno,  
Toxica ne possent saeva nocere sibi.   
This humour, which at first might be putrid, doth in a little time become so tenacious and compact, that it's made very durable to the gentle heat which lives upon it. This the applauded Sennertus thinks very probable in his first and second thoughts upon the thing in hand, as may be seen both in his Institutions and Practic Physic. And when it is once reduced to this solidity, and the Volatile Spirits (or Vapours) confined to a fixation, and made to tarry and to do their office, than it is that these Meatless C●eatures have their Lamps pretty well supplied with Oil, than they do with a greater composure subsist under their total Abstinence, without destruction, though not without decay.  
6. Usually the Bodies of these Foodless ones are inwardly in a dissolving, melting case, which dissolution or consumption may produce adapted nourishment, for Natural heat to live upon. The obstruction of all external vents, together with the coldness of their outsides, and the many humours that do naturally attend their very Sex, they being usually Women, doth befriend the indwelling Fire with proper Materials for it to live upon  
I think it is indubitable that some such like heat▪ by a like supply of humid Matter, is the cause why Herbs and Plants live and thrive. As, our Reason lifts us up above all other Animals, so our Sensation gives us what they have; and Vegetation (or the way of the nourishing the humane frame) communicated to us all the advantages which Plants enjoy; to these our Earthy Bodies do carry a great and real correspondence in the manner and matter of their growth, maintenance, and preservation. Doctor Harvet, who was learned Jouberts' Antagonist about the possibility in point of Nature, being reduced to a straight, concerning the Lucomori, forementioned, whose brumal Fasting he supposed was unquestionable, he granted, They did live, but it was only a Life of Vegetation. Cites. ubi sup. 151.  
7. The most excellent Zaculus Lucitanus hath affirmed, that, though there may be many causes why these are sustained alive, yet the in-being, or in-undation of phlegmatic humour was the main cause: His own words are, Etsi non negem a multis causis citra cibum diutissime homines posse vitam transigere; tamen frequention, & magis communis est causa, quae ex a●undantia humoris piluitosi elicitur. De Med. Prin● H●st. p. 914.  
The Foetus in the Mother's Womb doth live and thrive after a very strange m●nner, without either eating or drinking, and (for any thing I know) without emitting any Excrements at all. They live upon a Sanguinal Humour, transmitted to them though the Umbellick Veins.  
8. The continual inlet of the humid Air, into the Bodies of these by the Mouth and Nostrils, conveyed by certain secret Conduit-pipes into the Heart, and other parts of the Microcosm, may afford some supplement to the Animal Spirits and remaining Humours.  
The constant, now undenyed, Motion of the Blood and Heart, doth very much contribute to the being and life, the act and exercise of this innate Heat, and so doth conduce exceedingly to fermentation, and this ferment helps in the continuation of life.  
9 Thus I have given you a compendious Account of an appearing Possibility in Nature itself. The●e things its true are but barren fare for strong, actium, and full Bodies to live upon, but you know these, which have been the subject of our Discourse, are of weak, languished, and macerated outsides, poor meager, almost-dying Carcases; for if them who are of robust, cheerful, and active Bodies could thus live, I should no more question that Miracles were now in being, than I do that they were so in the Prophets and Apostles days.   

SECT IU.  
HEre I shall close up this part of the Discourse, by giving you some Arguments to prove the vast improbability of a Cheat in our Martha's case; for it has been, and yet is, the inconsiderate (that I ●ay not irrational) Assertion of many (some of them) not far remote from her, That she is an undoubted Cheat, either for the getting gain, or for the advancement of a Faction, or for both of these.  
The gre●t foundation upon which they built at first was the Cessation of Miracles, the improbability and impossibility in point Nature, and their own inacquaintance with what some Men of splendid and mighty Names had writ in the vindication of this total Abstinence.  
But that Martha is no Cheat in the mentioned Affair, will appear by the ensuing things.  
1. She doth willingly admit of all Visitors, be they under what rank or notion soever, a● the Great, the Learned, the Mean, the Orthodox, and the Erroneous; only you cannot blame her if she have a care of her Soul, wherein she used to make the Bible (her usual Companion) the Standard and Rule of her Faith and Actions, not the private Thoughts of Men of differing Apprehensions.  
2. The plainness, or, if you will, the simplicity of her Parents; they neither looked, discoursed, nor acted, like persons skilled in Politics. They d●d appear to me, and many others upon considerable trials to be among the common rank of Country headpieces, though they were sober, yet not subtle. They are not so poor, but they can make a very good shift to live without this craft. They did their utmost at the first to make their Daughter eat and drink.  
3. Martha's experience●, and approved sincerity. Tho●gh men of differing humours gave her frequent Visits, yet I never heard of any who know her well, that could accuse her of a falsehood. She used to tell of every drop of liquids which she took, and would be offended with them, who out of ignorance did diminish the quantity in their relations of her.  
4. The Charity, and strong Testimony of her most considerate Neighbours, among whom I could have given you twenty Names of Note and Observation, had I thought it prudent to have brought them upon the public Stage.  
5. The Dryness of her whole Body; her non-evacuation of Excrements, by the lower and larger passages, with the improbability of it, because the Intestines, the Matrix, or the like, were long since erected and dried together. These things have been often testified by a great number of Eyewitness.  
6. The continual Cleaving of her Belly to her B●●k, in such a lose manner, as if they grew together shows sufficiently there can be no interposing meat o● Drink.  
7. The Inspection, and Circumspection of Physicians, Surgeons, Midwives, and a double Watch that did attend her. The two Watche● did consist of forty or threescore Women, who did with strictness▪ observe her night and day by two ●t a time for several Weeks at differing seasons: The first was set by three Neighbour Towns, for their own and the Country's satisfaction; the other, by the means and appointment of the Right Honourable, and thrice Noble Earl of Devonshire, who did himself Visit her, and did very commendably lay out much care, cost, and industry, to try her to the uttermost. Now all these, with one common voice, have given their Vote on Martha's side.  
I suppose enough is said to satisfy the rational and it would not fall within the limits of wisdom to endeavour the satisfaction of the contrary sort of Men.  
The Wise usually think that Abstrusities in Nature, and the unfrequented and more obscure Methods in Providence, deserve the attendance of inquisition, but not of infidelity. There aught to be a suspension of the judgement in things that are dubious, but not a denial of those that are obvious.    

PART iv Containing Meditations raised from the foregoing Discourse for the spiritual advantage of the illiterate and ordinary Reader.  

THE PROEM.  
THE most Readers that are in the World may be ranked under four sorts; the Careless, the Curious, the Catching, and the Conscientious.  
1. The Careless reads only (as I may say) for the sake of reading, that they may be esteemed such as can, and does read: these men desire Letters more than Learning, Praise more than Practice, and the Advantage of Carnal Self, more than the Immortal Soul.  
2. The Curious, who adore the gold on the Frame, but cares not for the truth or goodness of the Glass; who respect the Colours (the Paint of Nature) more than the fragrant smell, or the healing use of the Flower: These value Rhetoric beyond Reason, and are more taken with the Garnish on the edges of the Dish, then with the Meat that lies upon it: They are more for Fancy then Faith, and labour at an higher rate to trim the Head with a few airy Notions, then to try or adorn the Heart with solid Matter.  
3. The Catching Reader bends his whole study, and lays out the all of that little wit he hath to find, or make faults in the Book he reads, that he may scoff the Author, be he never so judicious and sober. 'Tis the jejune and empty conjecture of some men that they cannot shine except all other lights be crowded into darkness; they know no better way to make their own Names great, then by diminishing the worth of others. But I shall leave these men to their own happiness, which only dwells within their own heads.  
None of all these share in the Design of my Labours.  
4. The Conscientious; this good M●n reads that he may live: He (like Nature's Chemist, the Honey-gathering Bee) desires to suck or extract Sweet from every Flower, yea, from the meanest Herb he comes near. He longs to gather something for God, and something for the good of his never-dying Soul, from every Line he reads. He condoles and laments over his want of skill, that he cannot so read as to edify himself either in knowledge or practice, by what he reads.  
This honest, serious heart may think, that he foregoing and first Parts of this small Treatise, are but dry and barren Lines, very little for Soul-advantage. I shall therefore attempt to help this humble Soul by the following Consectaries. I would not confine the prudent, skilful Reader, but only endeavour to assist the weak, to whom, if I can but contribute a few sparks of light, he may (its possible) make a new addition of his own, and blow them all up into a pleasant Heat, and refreshing Flame.   

CONSECTARY I. 'Tis hence very apparent, that the Providence and Care of God hath not done with the world.  
1. AS this sacred Providence looks backward towards eternity, a● the foreknowledge and Predetermination of Infinite Wisdom, concerning the future making or management of things in time, so I shall not speak of it; but only as it refer to the government, and conservation, o● preservation of all things or beings, that ●re in this neither Region, the visible World. This latter is usually called Actual Providence, and differs from the other, which is Eternal, as the Execution doth from the Decree, or the forehand-design, from the future acting.  
2. This Actual Providence of God, is displayed in the external Works o● the matchless Wisdom and ●ower of the e●●● blessed Jehovah, in the creating, ordering, provision, and underpropping of the World, and all its Inhabitants. This sits at the Stern of all sublunary affairs, and sometimes without ask leave of either W●●●l or Tide; nay, sometimes in spite of all their opposition it can, and doth conduct its own Barge (or Vessel, whatever) to the designed Port. This is Immediate Providence, when the Omnipotent, without Creature-Ministration, doth guide and uphold the Universe, and every thing in it; which shows that his using secondary means is not from any want of power, but the result of his own will and well-ordering Wisdom. This is not a common, but an extraordinary administration of Providence, which thus swims against the Stream, and runs up the steepest Hill, without any fainting at all; which thus works against, or besides, the course or usual order of nature or common actings. This employs itself only in miraculous Productions. So that I question not, but that the first making of the World was a very stupendious Miracle; to raise so vast a Being out of a former Nonentity to such an huge Lump of substantial matter, fit to make all other terrene Essences out of it. But I must not bestow time on this, because I do not look upon Martha Taylor's Case as a Miracle.  
3. Then there is the ordinary and usual Providence ●f God, which hath the Regiment, Disposal, and sustentation of the World in its own hands; and this is it of which I shall speak with brevity. This, this is the main Spring which moves the whole Wheels of the Creation: This is the weight which makes the Clock of all created concerns strike at a lower or higher rate.  
4. Consider the reality here of its being or exercise. Many have denied it, and more there are which take little notice of it, but refer all to Nature: These are very unworthy and base to him who gave them their first beings; the poor Ethnic World had better thoughts concerning God and Providence. Men that were mere Heathens could spell out Providence from the whispers of their own Conscience, the admirable Order, Tendency, Disposal, Constitution, Mutation, and (foresaid) preservation of all things, and all their actions. To this purpose Homer in his Poems written upon Ulysses, brings in that wise and valiant Grecian Prince, speaking concerning his many and long dangers, upon the rugged churlish Ocean, in this Language. 
(〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉)  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Which doth in the very letter of it signify, But in those things I did acquiess (or rest satisfied) which God had appointed in his own mind. And Plato as he is quoted by Aristotle, in his Tract. de Mundo, cap. 7. saith to this effect, That God doth hold (or manage) the beginning, middle, and end of all things. And the learned Stagyrite himself declares his mind very fully (de lib. c. 6.) That as all things are from God, so they do all subsist by God; and that if Divine Aid be absent, Nature is not at all sufficient to underprop itself: Which he illustrates by these apt Allusions, What the Master or Pilate is to the Ship, what the Driver is to the Cart (or Chariot) and what the Captain is to the Soldiers, etc. that God is to the World. They that are curious or troubled with that dangerous disease, Atheism, may satisfy themselves, if they will not put out the Eye of Nature, by an inquiry into Cicero lib. 2. de Nat. Deorum, and Seneca de Providentia ad Lucilium, and Galen lib. 3. de usu partium corporis humani.  
It's sad to think that there should be so many men, as there are in our seeing Times, who do either with their Lips or Lives refer all things, and their motions, operations, or miseries, only to blind Fortune; or rather to a Stoical Fate or Destiny, by which they bind over the ●reat Creator unto second Causes; and thus they make Him, if any thing, Nature's Servant, It hath been (I think) a thousand times over asserted, That there is a God, and therefore Providence; and it's almost as oft repeated, That to deny actual Providence is to deny God himself. And yet the foolish Epicurus granted that there was a Go●, but denied Providence; which the learned (Sophy's) of all Ages have detected as a base absurdity: One, who was otherways a friend to Epicurus, saith, that this was Ep●curi gravissimus laps●● Ca●send de vit. etc. Epicur.  
5. But I suppo●e I may let the●e men alone, till the awakening Hand of God make them of another mind. As it did once the bloody Caligula and cruel N●ro, when the terrifying Thunderclaps of Heaven made them hid their lofty heads, and (to use my Author's words) agnoso●re D●um re● humanas curare; they than were forced to sneak and acknowledge that God did exercise care and cognizance in reference to the things of the world. Horace tells you, by his own mouth, that it was this angry voice of Heaven, which made him own providence, and throw away the vain and irreligious Notions of Epicurus. Hor! l. 1. Od. 34.  
Thus I have endeavoured to satisfy the Men, who may be of the Heathen-humour, That infinite wisdom and power doth rule and uphold the world.  
6. This I know is more believed by the Conscientious Christian from the Testimony of one Line in H●ly Writ, then from a thousand in humane Authors, but yet the great Apostle useth the very same means to prove the same thing in that f●ll place for the proof of Actual Providence, Acts 17 speaking concerning the God that made the world, him who is Lord and Sovereign of heaven and earth, ver. 24. He saith in the following verse, He giveth to all life and breath, and all things: He determineth times, and bounds and habitations. And he is not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our beings; as certain also of your own Poets have said, etc. Here and twice more in his Epistles, Paul is pleased to make use of Heathen Poets (as Aratus, Menander, and Epimenedes) to carry on religious designs.  
Scripture is very clear in the setting forth the Providence and Care of God, and therefore he's said, To work all things, Ephes. 1.11. By him all things consist, Col. 1.17. He upholdeth all things, Heb. 1.3. And we are enjoined to east all our care on him for he careth for us, 1 Pet. 5 7. But I shall give you one incomparable place which may serve for all, viz. Psal. 104. the whole of it, which you may read in your Bibles, and there you cannot but see the powerful, wise, universal, and constant actings of Providence.  
7. Providence is seen by the serious eye in its most common and lowest acts, as the motion of the Clouds and Winds, the running of the liquid wand'ring Streams, the moving and livelihood of the wilder Animals, as in that 104. Psalm: Yea, the very Birds of the Air receive their food at the Hand of God; the beauty and lustre of the painted Lilies is from a Divine Art; the poor silly Sparrow stands or falls according to the order of the increated Essence; our ordinary Meat and Drink are from God; whose glorious Arithmetic hath taken observation, and an exact account, of every hair, long or short, which grows upon the Believers Head, Mat. 6.24. to 33. and 10.29, 30. Though many of these meaner things may seem never so fortuitous or contingent, yet the disposal of them is from the Lord, Prov. 16.33. God is every where present, and all things are done by the influence of his Power, so that the most minute things are by his steerage, nothing runs at random, nor is the product of chance. The Poet (and many others) thought, that Providence was only engaged in the Magnalia of the world, Non vacat exiguis rebus adesse Jovis. But we know that the meanest creatures, in all their actions, drive on the ends of an Infinite Majesty, who is wonderful in Counsel, and excellent in Working.  
8. The sound Believer, by intuition and contemplation, sees God in all things; he's the only man who does practically, and to his comfort, understand that old Verse, 
Praesentem monstrat quaelibet verba Deum.  
Something of God is writ on every grass,  
Which careless walkers tread down as they pass.   
He's ready to give God the Title to every thing, excepting Sin, for he knows, that he who is the summum Bonum, cannot be guilty of that which is the summum malum: He permits, orders, and determines the action, as it is an action, but he cannot possibly have any thing to do with the evil of sin, or the depravity of the Action.  
Now, there is few that act l●ke the Believer, to see the Hand of Providence in its common and smaller productions.  
Though I am sure some among the Heathen Moralists did collect excellent Divinity from this ordinary Manuscript: This was their Scripture, their Theology. The ordinary effects of Nature wrought more Admiration in them, than the most of Christ's Miracles did among the Jews.  
Many of them knew better how to conjoin the Mystical Letters of the Creation, than the heedless Professors of this Age, who trample under foot the most obvious and most significant Hieroglyphics, without drawing one conclusion from them, for Soul-advantage, or the honour of God. But,  
9 There are the more special and signal actings of this Providence, when it does display itself in some or other singular things; and this has the greatest observation bestowed upon it. The most illustrious Lamp of Heaven is as really in being when it is obscured by the darkest Cloud, as it when it sendeth forth its radiant and clea●est Beams; yet only then the beholder's eye gives it the most enlarged observance. So it is in the matter of Actual Providence, when it improves the meanest helps to great advantage, when it makes second causes in their lowest Ebb, bear up and carry forward very weighty actions; when it doth in a more hidden method draw straight Lines by crooked Rules, and in a Cryptick way, give sufficient support to humane Bodies, under great distempers by very small supplies, than its most taken notice of.  
Hitherto we may refer the most, if not all, the seeming Miracles of these lattes' Ages of the World. Which have been ●ctions not done altogether beyond the power of Nature, or in a total contradiction to natural causes, but Nature mightily improved, supported, or successed by the holy skill and Art of sacred Providence, and so they may deservedly be called wonders, though they have not been advanced so high as to be undoubted Miracles.  
Thus we are come to Martha Tailors case, which was beyond controversy a more than ordinary discovery of the Care and Providence of God; whence you may read the ground of my first thoughts, That the Care and Providence of God hath not done with the world. All that have seen her, or heard her story, have presently set the Crown upon the Head of Providence.  
10. I shall here close up this with a word of Apology, for the length of this Consectary, and an engagement to greater brevity in those that follow.  
Some father every thing upon Providence, others nothing, or the next to nothing. Some are ready to refuge themselves in it, as if it were a proper Asylum for their Enormities; others steal all away from it, and offer it up at the Shrine of Fate, the starry Influence, or any thing before they will come to the Door of God. As there is no need for us to look over, or deny second causes (especially) in natural actions, for this would be presumption and a tempting of God: So there is no need of tying God to give always attendance to second causes in the ordinary method, degree, or way of managing them; He is a most free, wise, and powerful Agent; whatsoever he useth (as was said before) is not upon the account of his own weakness, but upon the acount of his own will, which is sacred and not to be disputed.  
That I might something open these things was the aim of the antecedaneous Particulars, as also to lay a fair foundation for several of the following ones; and in the last place that I might demonstrate I had no design to derogate the glory of Heaven, or to eclipse the Beauty of Providence; for I am one that dare not disown my God, and bow the Head to the Name of Nature; which I had so often occasion to use in the first and second Parts. I dare not put Nature up into the Throne with God, as the smooth Poet seems to do, speaking concerning the rude and formeless Chaos, where the seeds of things seemed to the eye of sense to be jumbled up together in an undigested Lump or Embryo, where he saith (Metamorph. lib. 1. fab. 1.) Hanc Deus, & Melior litem Natura diremit.  
For I know nature to be God's servant, and that it carries on his designs, and is actuated by his Providence; this is it which directeth the operations of all individuals and single Essences.  
There are many Relations in Sacred History, not carried beyond the bounds of Providence in the use of means, that are so full of Labyrinths and various turn, that they were able to convert a Stoic. If you would have an instance, you may read over the stories of Joseph and Moses; where you may find many doublings, and redoublings; vast thwart, and improbabilities, which were not the effects of Chance; neither were they lose and straggling, as they seemed to be, but all of them had a real tendency, to their own and Israel's advancement.  
Let this suffice to demonstrate the exercise of the Care and Providence of God; which will be further opened by what ensues.   

CONSECT. II. That humane unlikelihoods, or supposed Improbabilities in the course of Nature, cannot hedge up the way against Omnipotency.  
1. I Shall not speak to this glorious Attribute of God, as it is considered Absolutely and in an Extraordinary way; for thus every act of it is a Miracle, thus it works without means, contrary to means, and above all means: This is altogether Independent and Unlimited, and therefore it is Infinite, and can do every thing which doth not imply a Contradiction or imperfection; for these are the result of Weakness, not of Power; nay, therefore it is Omnipotency, because it cannot (if I may use the word cannot) do these things which argue Impotency. But,  
2. That which I design in this Consectary, is the ordinary or actual power of God; and that as it doth sometimes manifest itself in the accomplishment of very great Actions, by weak and low Meanss. As in the combat between young David, and that mighty man of war G●liah; to see the unarmed David, in his blooming day, overcome and throw-down at his feet that moving Rock, the mighty Champion of the Philistines, hedged round about with brass or steel. This is the reason why five may chase an hundred, and the ●●tter number put a thousand unto flight; why the weak things of the world confound them that are mighty, and things which are not, bring to nought things that are.  
3. It is the same mighty Hand of God by which this lower and so●●d Globe is so firmly fixed in the middle of the moving yielding air. Is it not a very unlikely thing that such a vast heavy body as the Earth is (round by nature and so fitted for motion) should keep its Centre so many thousands of years without tumbling out of its place.  
Terra pilae similis, nullo fulciminie nixa,  
A●re sublimitam grave pendent onus.  
The World hath no other prop but the invisible hand of Heaven, Job 26.7. & 38.6.  
4. But to keep close to the thing in hand; this Almighty Power doth step over all the Improbabilities that stand in the way of it, when it doth uphold the human body, without the external Use of Creature-help. What a wonderful thing is it, to see a poor tattering Clay-house keep its foundation, and remain not beaten down, when strong and violent Storms drive against it! to see poor wormeaten Clay-Walls stand out against the stern Encounters of the strongest Winds, without any visible supports; nay, to see these abide unbattered down, when they have no foundation but the Dust, not the firm Earth, nor the Rock, but the lose and moving Dust, which every little Puff of Air blows away before it! Job 4.19. This must of necessity be ascribed to the curious and adored Art, of the Great Master-Builder of the World.  
5. There lay many Improbabilities in the way of Martha Taylor's Life; whole Troops of Distempers, for several of the beginning Months; did almost constantly scale the Walls, of the Souls crazy Habitation; and then she did altogether abstain from Meat, Drink, or Cordials; so that all that were round about her, expected her dying every day: How can we then but say, That underneath were everlasting Arms!  
6. What a strange thing it is, that the Body should live only upon Nature's cost and charges; and have no provision to subsist upon, but what it makes within its own Doors. How unlikely is it, that a little Phlegm, Rheum, moist Humours, and such like things, should be the real supply of Life; as far as it is upheld by second causes! for the Bodies of the most healthful and strong Men, which are best able to make a sufficient use of Meat and Drink, are not preserved alive only by these second causes; for it is in God we live, move, and have our beings, and by him all things consist, and he upholds all things by the word of his power.  
7. As Infinite Wisdom is the Eye, so this truly admirable Power of God is the Hand of that most vigilant Providence which conducts us safe through a thousand Dangers and Miseries which we are continually subject to between our Cradle, and our Graves. Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upwards, Job. 5.7 What a wonderful story is that of Paul concerning himself, 2 Cor. 11? I was— in prisons more frequent, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep In perils of robbers, in perils by my own Country m●n, in perils by the Heathen, in perils in the City, in perils in the Wilderness, in perils in the Waters, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watch often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and zakedness: And yet Paul lived through all these. Who (but an Atheist) would not stand here and admire, and adore the wonderful Power and Providence of God Scultetus speaking concerning himself, saith, Totum vitae meae curriculum plenum est mirandarum divinarum liberationum ex magnis 〈◊〉 periculis, calamitatibus; nullum elementum, est, à quonon infestatus sum. Praesat. ad curric. vitae.  
8. This Power of God is the Hindg upon which the whole course of Nature turneth; nay, it is the Hand that moves it. It's the saying of one, very pertinent in this case, That it is not with the work of God as with the Artificers Clock, which put into a Frame and hanged with weights, will go, though the Artificer be off from it; but though God set all the Creatures in frame, yet the motion of every wheel depends on God: There is not a drop of rain falls till God utter his voice, and cause the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, Jer. 10.13.  
The groaning Creation which travels in birth to be delivered of sin, (Rom. 8.22.) hide been long since up in Arms against the great Rebel, Man, who was the cause of all its Miseries, had not the interposition of an Infinite Arm, caused it lie down with quietness. The angry and churlish Ocean had many an Age ago broke over its weak and sandy Bounds, and had for certain entombed the Earth, and all Inhabitants within its own bosom, had not the Omnipotent confined it to the Womb of his Decree, wrapped it up within the swadling-bands of darkness, and stilled ● by rocking it in the Cradle of his Providence; as you may see Job 38.8, 9, 10, 11.   

SECT. III. Infinite Wisdom now and then chooseth forth some of the meanest things to do its mighty Works upon.  
1. I Have read of very many who have been brought under a total Abstinence, and continually lived for many Months or Years, together without either Meat or Drink; and all of these have been of ordinary, if not poor and low, Original. Some of the most curious Artists of them who have been most profoundly learned, who have shone in their differing Spheres as Stars of the first Magnitude, have taken their rise from the lowest ground, and have been only of vulgar Extraction.  
This Wisdom, at the Creation of the World, made choice of the meanest Dust as a convenient Material, out of which to make the most ennobled sublunary Creature: So that the most Rational and Magnanimous Men that are in the World, are (as to their outside) but moving lumps of Clay, mere walking heaps of congealed Atoms.  
2. As to Spirituals; very many of them who have been famous for Religion and Holiness, have sprung from the Blow and Distaff. The Image of God has often been very splendid when it has only hung in a plain and homely Frame. I could name you an hundred Martyrs and precious Saints, whose Revenues have not amounted to a Farthing by the yea●.  
Ruffinus in his Ecclesiastic History, tells of a poor Captive-Woman, who, by her exceeding holy lif●, and abstinence, as well as other means, was the occasion and instrument of converting the Nation inhabiting Iberia.  
The holy and blessed Apostles, who made the whole World ring with Wonders, were at the fir●● but ordinary Men, only illiterate Mechanics.  
This now is much for the advance of Infinit● Wisdom; for God hath (for this end) chosen the foolish, weak, and mean things of the World, to confound (or shame) the wise, the strong and noble. 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28, 29, 31. James. 2.5. Eccles. 9.15. Magnates non semper sapientes.   

SECT. iv That Spiritual Comforts may be enjoyed, and Serious Holiness exercised, under great and continued Bodily Afflictions.  
1. That Spiritual Comforts may be enjoyed under Bodily Afflictions, was evidenced in our Derbyshire Damsel, who was usually of a Serene Temper, as to her Mind; the Sun did usually shine, after the first Storms were over; I seldom or never heard of the gathering of Clouds again.  
This sweet Flower grows not in every Believer's Garden, especially in the Winter-season. To have Peace within Doors, when all is War without, is a very excellent and rare thing. Few Children use to rejoice when they are whipped, though it be by a Father's Hand, and that for their advantage; the most give Grief a free Dominion, and send forth Sighs and Sobs to bear witness how they are affected. But  
2. All are not of this Drooping, or Discontented Constitution; for, some there are, who can drown all external Sorrows, under the pleasant Streams of that Joy they have within: Thus you find Peter and his Fellows, after they had been imprisoned, threatened, whipped, and commanded, to speak no more in the Name of Jesus, departing from the presence of the Council, rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame, Act. 5.41. So the Apostle of the Gentiles saith, We glory in tribulations, Rom. 5.3. Many of those ever worthy and renowned Witnesses, who sealed the Gospel with their Blood who mounted Heaven in a Fiery Chariot, who afforded the Clay-lodgings of their Souls to the undeserved malice of their Adversaries, to make Bond-fires on, for the Glory of the Truth: Many (I say) of these Witnesses, did run to, and kiss the Stake, meet the Fire with kind Embraces, and sing and triumph in the Flames, whiles their Bodies were burning down to ashes.  
3. Se●ious Holiness may be exercised under great and continued corporal Distempers. Stars may, nay do, shine brightest in the darkest night: The Lily looks the more lovely, for growing among the Thorns. The real Saint usually makes misery amiable, by a lovely pious deportment. The true Believer having a right understanding of that of the ancient Worthy of the Church, Periissem, nisi periissem, can with comfort write for his Motto, Sat miser, qui miser esse potest, 2 Cor. 4.8.9. & 6.10. I am sure Martha Taylor was most eminent, when she was most under trouble, in the year, 1668. We had once, a rare English Matron, who lying under great Afflictions of Body, lamented the recovery out of them, because of that Heart-warming Communion, she enjoyed with God under them; and she was afraid, that the warmer and more parching Influences of the Sun of Prosperity would cause those tender Plants to whither, which the quickening Showers of Affliction, had but a little before made to spring and grow. Prosperity makes Weeds to grow in the exuberant Flesh, but adversity doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, beat or club down this body; that this slave may not rule over its lord, the Soul.   

SECT. V We gather how imprudent, yea, how much beneath a life of faith it is, to lay our expectations, hopes, or dependence upon the Creature.  
Either the ordinary streams of the Creature may be dried up, or, if they run so as to fill the Banks, we may be made incapable (as in Martha's case or otherways) to make any use of them at all. The wise and great Disposer of these Earthly Enjoyments, doth sometimes either withdraw the Table, or else wholly take away our Appetite, that we may see our happiness doth not lie in these things. To depend upon the Creature, is to lean upon a bruised Reed, to underprop Hopes and Expectation with a rotten Post, yea, to lay the Foundation upon the Sand, and raise an imaginary Castle in the air, where we may think to supply and save ourselves when wants and dangers are abroad. When the Creature is most full and overflows, yet it's but a fallible enjoyment. Meat and Drink, Houses and Lands, Honours and Pleasures, and Riches, and smiles of Grandees, are as poor empty Bubbles, mere impertinent Ciphers; set a thousand of these together, and they all signify nothing, without God stand by them. Sat not down in the dust: never desire a child's portion in this barren Land.   

SECT. VI This invites us to the boundless and unconfined Creator seeing the Creature is now and then so useless.  
Whether the World wax or wane, whether it ebb or flow, God is still the same to them that fear him. Come, Foundlings, come, and throw the world out of your Arms, and take up God. Do not say as that vile French Cardinal once did, That he would not exchange his part in Paris for his part in Paradise. Let not the Creature prevail over the brutish Appetite, but be so wise as to make an adventure for an Happiness not known to Sense. Psal. 73.25, 26, 27, 28. The Sun of Righteousness is completely able to make it day to the true Believer, though all the Stars of Creature-comforts should creep under a cloud, and disappear, Psal. 36.7, 9 & 44.6, 8. & 121.1, 2. Hab. 3.17, 18. Phil. 3.8. The Channels and visible Cisterns may be dry; make sure work then, you have the Key to the Fountain head. 'Tis no Paradox to say, That the man who enjoys God hath all things when he hath nothing. Qui habeth habentem omnia, habet omnia. The good Musculus, a man often poor enough, was many times compelled to fetch meat, drink, and clothing, out of the following double Meeter, 
Est Deus in coelis, qui providus omnia curate;  
Credentes nunquam deseruisse potest.  
God is in Heaven, who doth care for all,  
Let's but believe, and we shall never fall.   
When streams are lowest, and the Creature gone. Let's then be satisfied in God alone.    
FINIS.