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T H F 
 
 CAPTIVE 
 
 Taken from, the 
 STRONG: 
 
 O R, 
 
 A true Relation of the gratious releafe of 
 Mittritfe Deborah Huljh (by the Arm of the 
 Almighty ) from under the Power of the 
 Tempter, by whole firy Conflicts fhe had been 
 forely vexed for about fourteen years; as it 
 was Faithfully written from her own mouth > 
 
 B Y 
 
 WILLIAM A L L E 1ST y 
 
 Late Adjutant-General in Ireland. 
 
 He brought me up alfo out of an horrible Pit 3 out 
 of the miry Clay > and fet my feet upon a Rocl^, 
 and efiabllfhed my goings* And he hath put a 
 new So^g In my mouth ; even pralfe unto, our 
 God : Many jhall fee lt> and fear , andfball trust 
 In the Lord. Pfal. 40. 2, 3. 
 
 / mil never forget thy precepts 5 for with them 
 thou, hast quickened me, Pfal. 1 19. 9 3. 
 
 London y Printed for Llvevod Chapman, at the 
 Crown in Popes-head- Alley. 1653. 
 

 
 
 •-•■ 
 
TotheChriftian 
 
 READER- 
 
 READER 3 
 
 T7/e# /;<*/? fe^ 4 true Narra- 
 tive of the various and won- 
 derful dealings of the Lord 
 with this his poor Hand~maid y now 
 made rich in Faith 5 ( through grace) 
 after fourteen years exercife D undrr 
 great horrour^ and foul- difmaying d - 
 (ireffe > as it was take n\rom her own 
 'mouthy at fever al times ) by my fetf^ 
 fince the Lord by his grace in Urged 
 her hearty caufmg her thus to fpeak to 
 bispraife. 
 
 The matter herein contained needs 
 not Epijtks of commendation y at leajt 
 from one fo weak and unworthy as my 
 felfi who to my grief and fhame may 
 fay y have not yet attained to the le a ji 
 part of this rich portion the Lord hash 
 blef id her foul with. And indeed^ the 
 whole is an Epifle that may kefeen 
 A 2 and 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 and read by all difcerning*Chriftian$> 
 to have been, written on \)er heart 3 by 
 the Sprit of the living God $ which I 
 hope will more commend it to every 
 graciowfoul) then an) thingfrom man 
 can do : though when I call to mind 
 the deep diftrejjes of foul I have known 
 her in^ for fome years yafsd^ with the 
 gratiom deliverance the Lord hath 
 now wrought for her> agreeable to that 
 pray' d for in Pfal. 12^.4. O Turn 
 again our captivity 3 O Lord , as 
 the ftrcams in the fouth; and fulfil- 
 ling that pretiom promife in the 5 . 
 and rf.verfes of that Pfal. They that 
 fow in tears, (hall reap in joy, &c. 
 I may truely fay , / am in my own 
 thoughts {as to the gratiom fur prizing 
 nature of this fpecial mercy ) even as 
 one that dreams. 
 
 Reader , be not offended at the 
 homely dreffe this comes forth in 3 ei- 
 ther as to often repetitions of the fame 
 things ■> with little variation 3 the want 
 ef Orator)' ? eloquer.ee ^ or what el fe the 
 wifedomcj this world calls ornament : 
 
 this 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 this being intended chiefly for the ufe 
 ofthofe that little mind fuch things 5 
 it was judged^iis own natural fimple 
 Attire would be ft become it. Be fides y 
 this gratiow foul , fmce her refcue out 
 of Satans power ^ hath been under very 
 frequent and renewed aff.aults from 
 him y who hath fet upon her often with 
 the fame temptation-^ and the Lord 
 hath taught her to ufe the fame Wea- 
 pon§hegave her at the fir jl, with great: 
 fuccejfej to oppofe him at thofe fever al 
 times $ which were thought nee efjary 
 tabe fet down accordingly .{as appears 
 more particularly in the infuing Nar- 
 rative) That fo the Devil's reft- 
 leffe malice to difturbe and de- 
 ftroy^ andche Lord's continued 
 faithfulneffe to fuccour and deli- 
 ver might the better , be obferveA: 
 But if it be fubftance thou feekefl 
 (and that will fatisfie) I dare be 
 bold tofay-y thou wilt here find it ^ yea 
 rich treafure (though in a poor earthen 
 Veffel^ (which will render the 
 praife of this prerious mercy more 
 A 3 pn> 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 properly due to Godyunto whom 
 alone it belongs. ) She was 3 when 
 fhe declared thefe things, much in that 
 frame of Spirit, mentioned in I Cor, 
 2. 3. In weakneffe, in fear, and in 
 much trembling. And her fpeech 
 ( though plain and mean ) thou mlt 
 jindinfome meafure, anfwering that 
 in the fourth verfe of that fecond 
 Chapteryu/£ a in the demonftrati- 
 on of the Spirit, and of Power. 
 
 And of whom I may further fay 5 
 fhe delights not te make a fair fhew in 
 theflejb 3 hut rather to be found glo- 
 rying oftely in thecrofs of Chrift 
 Jefus, by which the world is cru^- 
 cified unto her, and (lie much Cru- 
 cified unto the world 
 
 The ends of P Mining this Nar- 
 rative (next to giving the glory of 
 this mercy to the Lord,, to whom 
 alone it is due) are^frft, to warn 
 finncrs ( efpecial/y fuch as make a 
 mock at fin , as in Prov. 14. 9 . ) to 
 take heed, how they make light of that 
 which the Lord can ( and frequently 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 doth)makefo weighty 3 when he binds 
 it on the confeience of the finncr 
 ( as in the induing Narrative more at 
 large appears 5 which I defire fuch 
 way with fear and trembling read;, 
 andconfider well.) 
 
 If God did fo deal with this 
 green Tree 3 what then may be ex- 
 pected he will do to the drie ones? 
 that fojfpofiible^fuch might be flopped 
 in their Carreer in wayesof fin and 
 Ruine ,and caused to return by this 
 poor fouls fad experience, who having 
 indeed known the terrours of the 
 Lord 5 doth declare them, to that 
 end that fhe may perfwade men. 
 ButfeconcHy^ and more efpecially, that 
 poor, drooptngjdifeonfolate, dif- 
 eouraged fouls, who are 3 or may 
 be ready to faint under the weight 
 of their Iniquities , and juft dif- 
 pleafure of the Lord discovered 
 againftthemj who by reason there- 
 of may be ready to fay, as in Lament, 
 3 .18. That their ftrength and hope 
 is perifhed from the Lord : and as 
 A 4 in- 
 
To the Reidcr, 
 
 in Ifai. 49. 14. That the Lord 
 hath forfa ken them) might here- 
 by be fuccored, fupported, and in- 
 couraged , to look towards the Lord, 
 *W the ftrength and length of 
 thofe everlafting Amies , menti- 
 oned in Dcut. 33.27. wbicb^may 
 he underneath 1 when not decerned, 
 as in this poor fouls cafe; they were en- 
 comparing and upholding ( though 
 not comforting ) her, when fhe ex* 
 peftednothingbut the ft retching them 
 out to her eternal ruine. Inher four- 
 teen years danger em Voyage through 
 juch a tewpeftuow troubled Sea, when 
 all that time (as it were) neither Sun, 
 Moon, nor Stars appeared, and her 
 foul with continual Billows going over 
 it, was forely aflMed,tofTed with 
 tempeft., and not comforted -, yet 
 he ( whofe way is in the waters, 
 and his iootftcps in the great 
 deeps., was then with her, aun Ifai. 
 43- 2 - Q when thou pafleft tho- 
 lovv the waters , I will be. with 
 «fefe 3 Cfc. Checkihg the proud 
 
 f A waves 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 Waves , and as isfaid^ Job 3 8 : .u.8. 
 Hitherto {halt thou come , but no 
 further 5 and here fhall thy proud 
 waves be ftaid : ) and his thoughts 
 towards her , even all this time , as 
 injer.29.11. Thoughts of peace, 
 and not of evil, &c . and douMeflc 
 fhall alfo in due time appear to be the 
 fame , towards all his poor toffed 
 troubled ones ( who for the pre- 
 fent may walk in darkneffe, and 
 fee no light , as in Ifai. 50. 10. ) 
 and jet (he that hath promised to bring 
 the blind by a way that they 
 knownot3asinlia.42.16.) is lea- 
 ding them in the return , in that path 
 mentioned, Jer. 3 1.9. They {hall 
 come with weeping,and with Tup- 
 plications will I lead them, &c. 
 And Jure ly fuch fhall have eaufe in 
 the end ( with this late redeemed 
 captive, and other pretiow ones ) to 
 admire the Riches of God's infinite 
 grace j and fay as in Rom. 11.33. 
 G the depth of the Riches , both 
 of the wifedom and knowledge of 
 
 <5od, 
 
To tht Reader. 
 
 God! how unfearchable are his 
 judgements , and his wayes paft 
 finding out ! And in the meantime 
 may hereby be helped to put J ome check 
 to their own troubled th oughts y at leafl 
 fo far as not to make them (as is too u- 
 fualyhe Rule and meafure of thofe in- 
 finite transcendent thoughts andwayes 
 of God towards them. 
 
 And truely the bringing forth of 
 fuch a glorious work as this, out of 
 fuch a barren Womb of apprehended 
 impoffibilities (when even Faith , 
 hopes, and hearty of the ftrong- 
 eft failed concerning it ) I cannot 
 hut think was given in at fuch a fea- 
 fon y to raife our Faith and hope in 
 the Lord, by hoking upon this fi- 
 gnal mercy > as a pledge and f otter n of 
 what Godwittyeldo^not onelyfor poor 
 difconfohte fouls in like conditi- 
 ons ^but alfo for the recovery and 
 raifing his publicke works , fofar 
 gbrie back in thefe Nations^ in this fad 
 declining day , as coufeth many of 
 lions friends to fpeak fadly and 
 
 doubt* 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 doubtfully of them, as they of Chrift) 
 Luke 34. 20,21322, 2$.vvhowere 
 fad in the fenfe of his being taken 
 from them (as in V. 17.) and to be 
 mourning as Mary, in John 20 . 1 3 . 
 Andfome of them are ready to faint 
 with crying^ Lordjoow long I and, 
 Help Lord, as/inPfal.i2 % i.wb/"fe 
 their Energies irifult-> as in Lament. 
 2.16. Saying, Certainly, this is 
 the day that we looked for , 'And 
 as in Pfa. 3 5. 2o,2i.are devifing de- 
 ceitful matters againft them rngt 
 are quiet in the Land t, and yet 
 are Wbjed to fiy, as in Jef. foi 7. 
 The^ offend not, &c. Tea fofne of 
 Zions pretended lovers raifed and 
 lifted up (it's to be feared too highly) 
 by her^ are dealing unkindly with her') 
 and that under highefi pretences of 
 real affection to the name and caufe of 
 God) and inter eft of his people (as in 
 Ifai. 66. 5. Saying, Let the Lord 
 be glorified, &c. all fo much invoU 
 vedinour late publicke tranfa&i- 
 ons , but now almoji all given up in- 
 to 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 to the hands of thofe that hate, re- 
 proach, and fcorn them $ which is 
 afadcaufe of lamentation $ andO, 
 that it may lie with due fenfe upon the 
 hearts of all Zions mourners Jo [pre ad 
 before the Lord as a lamentation j 
 and more efpecial/y the caufes of it , 
 (fome of which are. mention d ( as I 
 judge) Lament. 1. 8, 9. Jerufalem 
 hath grievoufly finn'd, &c .) That 
 fo we may he led thereby to the cure 
 (which! fear we much want) as tbty 
 ofold,]er.8. 6. They fpake not 2l- 
 rightV no man repented him of 
 his wickednefs, faying. What 
 have I done ! Ah I the Lord ha$h yet 
 a work to do on Mount Zion , before 
 the rod can will be removed, as in Ifo, 
 10. 12. Wherefore it fhall come to 
 paffe that when the Lord hath 
 performed his whole work upon 
 Mount Zion, and on Jerufalem, 
 &c> : And were that done, judgement 
 would foon return to Righteoufnefje , 
 and all the upright in heart Jfauld fol- 
 low it. 
 
 But 
 
To the Reader, 
 
 But alluding to the A£ts 26. 8. t 
 would yet fay. Why fhould it be 
 thought a thing; incredible that 
 God fhould raiie the dead ? confi- 
 dering what he hath done in this late 
 captives cafe ; and what U Prophe- 
 sied and promt fed be will do more pub- 
 licize!] in the mo ft needful feafon,lhi. 
 5.9 .from the firft to the iixteenth, 
 much our cafe ( as thou male ft read 
 at leaf ure)and 'jet his cure reacheth it, 
 indention din v.17. compare alfolfa. 
 5 t. 3 . where he hath promifed to 
 comfort Zion with all her wafte 
 places, &c.andinv. 22, 23. Thus 
 faith thy Lord, the Lord and thy 
 God,that pleadeth the caufe of his 
 people j Behold, I have taken out 
 of thine hand the cup of trem- 
 bling, even the dregs of the cup of 
 myfury,thou (halt no moredrink 
 it again, but I will put it into the 
 hand of them that atHicl thee,e-rY. 
 And many other preiiom words' of the 
 like import, which I fhall not mention 
 here , being well confide red, doth af- 
 
 fcrd 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 W» Qnthie vally of Achor) a door of 
 nope. 
 
 But that 1 may not let tin thee from 
 this Featl of fat things , the fort of which 
 is loft ( according to Chrifts old Method) 
 John a. i o. Ifhatthafte to a clofejn the 
 words of the Tfalmift, Pfal. 107.43. 
 Whofo is wife, and will obferve thefe 
 things, even they (hall under ftand the 
 loving kindnefle of the Lord : Which 
 that my foul with thine may be taught to 
 do y and improve accordingly ; 1 beg thy 
 earnest fupplications for me at the throne 
 of grace , who am the moft unworthy to 
 m<*kj mention of the name of the Lord) {or 
 any concerns of his ) yet defireto be found 
 in this evil day, bearing my part with his 
 poor Mourners ; having much caufe, 
 under the fence of my own , and fight of V 
 ther abominations abounding in this day, 
 calling to that duty : Tet cannot but 
 rejoyce in this great deliverance wrought 
 for this poor foul ; hoping and longing for 
 the remaining deliverances , purchased 
 for (and prornifed to) whole Zion: 
 which the Lord haftenin his tirne:even 
 fo, sAMETi. 
 
 W. ALLEN. 
 
 Sand in Drum the fecond day 
 ofihefirft Monetk 3 i6$7. 
 
 To- 
 
To every true Mourner over his orvn y 
 and Zion # * fins avdferro* specially 
 to fuch in the Churches of (thrift in 
 Ireland, to wh$m the foul-finhjngfor* 
 tows oftMiftriffe Deborah Haifa, 
 the Subjett of the enfuingtreatife, was 
 well known: John Vernon, their Bra* 
 ther in Chrift, and Companion in Hea- 
 vinejfe, for Zioos fake jwifheth grace 
 forftrength in weaknejfe y to waitftitt, in 
 weeping^andfupplication until the times 
 ofrefrejhment fhallceme from the pre* 
 fence of the Lord^ Amen, Even fa 
 came LordJefw % eeme quicty, Amen. 
 
 BEio vcd,y oa have herewith brought 
 onto you an Olive-branch, fhew- 
 Ing forth the floods abatement , and 
 the reft and fafety of the foul that is 
 entered into the Ark of God; the 
 ranfome of a poor Prifoner out of the 
 Pit indeed, in which there was no wa* 
 tcr : which will be, I know, the more 
 welcome to fome of you (I hope only 
 to the praife and glory of God on high) 
 becaufe you Co long wepc before his 
 Heavenly Throne , and made your 
 humble Amplication to him almoft un- 
 to fainting for her , who was bound 
 of Satan fo many years : yet that the 
 
 height 
 
height and depth, length and breadth 
 of the love of God in Chrift Jefus oar 
 Lord, ™igat be the more admired of 
 all, and magnified herein ; And this 
 Monument of mercy may remain in 
 the Churches, throughout all ages, to- 
 wards the fupport of fuch as fit in dark- 
 neffe, and tee no light : lam willing, 
 (though moft unworthy) to addemy 
 mite towards the compleating this ac- 
 count of the grace of God , extended 
 to my poor (latediftfeffed) Sifter Mi- 
 ftriffe Deborah Hm(h ; who is now 
 made rich in Faith, through grace ,and 
 the wife Virgin-fubje& of this enfuing 
 Relation: to the truth of which, as de- 
 livered by her with much fear and joy, 
 with trembling received, and faithful- 
 ly written from her lips , by my dear 
 Brother AlUn y I can do no leffe then 
 bear my teftimony, that (to thofe who 
 judge us faithful) it may out of the 
 mouth of two or three witneffes be 
 eflabliftied. 
 
 Yet becaufe many may be i"ubjcc>, 
 with Thomas^ called Dydtmiu^ to que - 
 ftion what their eyes fee not , and 
 their fingers feel not; Thefefhali ad- 
 vertife any who do efteem foul-con- 
 cernments of the grc-ueft confequence, 
 
 and 
 
and dcnre to be informed more per- 
 fectly in fbme part of the truth hereof, 
 for the help of their own fouls, or (as 
 natnrai members of the body of Chritt) 
 to adminitier fomc affiftance unto their 
 fiftcr, the fubje& of this enfuing trea- 
 tifc, towards her continued walking 
 uprightly and humbly with her God ; 
 That (he is the third Daughter of 
 James Htafh Efquire of Sidbttry, in the 
 County ©f Devon ; To whom God Al- 
 mighty tofavc, hath already granted 
 an hopeful place in his houfc, to the 
 joy of the faithful Churches in Cbrift 
 Jefus, who have more diligently then 
 fomc in our dayes , weighed the truth 
 of their high and heavenly calling, in 
 the Balance of the fan£tuary,and inqui» 
 red into their foveraigne love toChrift, 
 and futable converfation to the word 
 of God,before they gave the right hand 
 of Feilowfhip unco them : One of t he 
 three now is not,bur having witneffed 
 uato death a good confeflion before 
 many witneffes (and running beft at 
 la(?,evenin theic word dayes ofde- 
 ciining,wherein Snn-fhine and world- 
 ly ProfefTors are fo puzzled , and put 
 to their (Lifts > how to get with cre- 
 dit agsin into their wider place, out 
 a of 
 
of the faithful Churches) is fallen a- 
 fleep in Jefus , whom God will bring 
 with him at his coming, and her works 
 fliall follow her. In her ftcad hath 
 God feafonably raifed this her Sifter 
 to fupply the breach made in the via- 
 ble body of Chrift, and in the Spirit of 
 maoy faithful members, who (having 
 forcly lamented their too little im- 
 provement of hcr,and fomc other dear 
 Friends , lately taken from the evil to 
 ccmc ( of whom this world , yea the 
 Churches ( or many araonglt them ) 
 yet in too much Fellowfhip with the 
 world , I fear, were not worthy) will 
 learn wiiedome (I truft) to know their 
 day , for treafuring the Gold granted 
 us , though through Earthen VYflels ; 
 and better improve the fmall remnant 
 ofGodsElecl:, amaogf* the great bo- 
 dies of out ward Ifraely who remain yet 
 amongft them. 
 
 This bli ffed workmanfhip in C brill 
 Je r u? , v»Ms through his good provi- 
 dence (as her Sifter) from a Child in- 
 firu&ed in the hblv Scriptures,by their 
 ■traciy vercucus Mo;her : which edu- 
 caiion the Lord SaoSified , to make 
 her very ferious in her infancy , re- 
 ftrai&ing her from cemmon foclifh sr d 
 
 vain 
 
vain communication. She was at a- 
 bcuc iburceen years old , fird fendbly 
 tflaulccd by ihc tempter , and that fu- 
 rioufly> as vou will perceive by the Se- 
 quel : And from thenceforward you 
 have her own Relation, to which I 
 frnll refer the ferious Reader : but muft 
 remind many of the poor mourning 
 Saints in Ireland , what they have of- 
 ten heard rrom her; which may per- 
 haps prove helpful to them, and other 
 dejected fouls , according to my ear- 
 ned wifh> to whofe ufeherred and 
 ,{helter (through rich grace , after a 
 fourteen years fad ftormy Voyage, and 
 bewildered wandering) is now Dedi- 
 cated, For I judge her deep carting 
 down, and powerful railing up, was 
 not onely for her fake , and private 
 life?; but as a Pillar (houid be erected 
 for common caution againft unbelief, 
 and every (in which cod her fo dear , 
 and for encouragement out of fuch dif- 
 mildeep?,to look vet unio God's ho- 
 ly Temple,andtoflec for hope and re- 
 fuge alwayes, onely to ouronedrong- 
 hold. And whofo is wife , and willob* 
 ferve thefe things ; even they (b -Render ■- 
 flared the lov'trg hindneffe of the Lord* 
 Pfal. iqj. 4 j. Let us rem-: tube r then 
 a 2- what 
 
what a meeting in , of almoft all the 
 complaints of the deferred, darkened, 
 aod difconfoiate ones on Scripture re- 
 cord, have rcfted on her poor foul, to 
 the fore affliftingalfo of fome of yours, 
 before the Throne of God , who did 
 defer , but not deny , to anfwer your 
 poor Prayers on her behalf: but at laft 
 hath heard, after you have heard her 
 bemoaning herfelf, as Hcman the £*» 
 rahite, Pfalm 88.6. Thou haft layed me 
 /« the hweft Tit 9 in darkneffe j m the 
 deep ; thy wrath lieth hard upon me ; And 
 then haft afflttted me with all thy Waves : 
 I am afflitted and ready to die frcm my 
 youth up) while I fuffer thy terrours I am 
 dfjf ratted^, verfe i ?.witb Job 7.354. So 
 am I made to peffeffe months of Vanity) 
 and weary fome nights are appointed to me: 
 when I lie down^ I fay^WhenjhaU I arife > 
 and the night be gone f I am full of t offings 
 to and fro , unto the dawning of the day^ 
 mourning withcut the Sun.. &C. Chapter 
 30. 28. wiih He z,ckiah) reckoning till 
 morning, that as a Lion fa would he breaks 
 all my bones , from day even till night wilt 
 thou make an end of me* If*i» 38. I 3, 
 And he hath bcthfpsken to me^ and him- 
 felf hath dor. e it : i (hall go (oft ly all my 
 jars in the biturneffe of my foul : Yea, 
 
 w u h 
 
with 'David ftie might have faid , I my 
 tellaUm) b nes Pfal. 2 2.1 7. and ag in, 
 my heart is [mitten and withered tdbe 
 grajftjfo that I forget to eat my bread : by 
 reason of the voice of my groaning^ my 
 bones cleave to my *k&*' A n d Pia . I o 2 , 
 4, 5. and again, When f kept ftlexce, my 
 bones waxed old , through my roaring all 
 the day long ', for day and night thy hand 
 was heavy upon me : ?n* moifiure z>> turn- 
 ed into the drought of 'Summer . PfVi, 3 2 . 
 2,4.and with the Church, Lsm. 3. 1 8. 
 My ftrength and my hope is perifhed from 
 the Lord: nay, with the defperate hath 
 (he not laid , in the hearing of many , 
 There is no hope? Ter.i 8.1 2. And wuh 
 Cain 3 (JUy pu*i(hment is greater then 1 
 can bear : Or^my Iniquity it greater then 
 that it may be forgiven. I havefinn'd 
 unpardonably ; you fin in praying for 
 me : I am undone and rejected; I 
 know the very time when it was fcaled 
 to me ; I know it , I am furc I am 
 damned for ever, &c. Oh! how have 
 we been terrified together in our af- 
 fe.nblings on her behalf,who have feen 
 her forrow, and difability to fpeak,un- 
 lefle fometimes in fuch like Language 
 againfthcr foul, and our feeking her 
 Salvation;who was as a very fearful fpc- 
 a 1 £tec!c, 
 
claclc pining away (even like to in 
 Anatomy ) before us : and bow many 
 ofu5yikethe Friends of J^cameax 
 firft ro mourn , and comfort her ; buc 
 fainted* left off, relinquifhcd her, con- 
 cluding hopeieflely ! how hath a whole 
 Church flagged in their Faith herein, 
 ( who refolved to fall and pray for her 
 until deliverance) fainted and left eff, 
 yea drop'd away as weary,or aQvrned ? 
 how have fame holy wemen (skilfull 
 in mourning) affimblcd? what private 
 indeavours by ferns obtaining her to 
 their hcufes,have been £{Tayed?bur all 
 as water fpilt upon the groi3nd,in their 
 e(\eemes:Yes,to the glory of the grace 
 of God alone herein, (who then loves 
 to approve himfeif mo(? favorable to 
 his cfcofen,wbcn they are moftfriend- 
 lefs,helplefs,deftitute^& moillland in 
 need of fuccour frcmhim,) let me adde 
 further this obfervation toy-curs, that 
 a fpe cial Friend , whofe affe^ion led 
 him further, and longer at a certainty 
 then mine, or any I obferved to weep 
 for her , and to reprove others for fain- 
 ting , and neglects of her bf fore him, 
 yet lately wrote frem Ireland to me 
 his defpahingr alfo concerning her ; at 
 the very interim God our God, who 
 
 corn- 
 
comforteth thofe that arc aft down, 
 was iurely fuccoring her, and incoura- 
 ging his poor mourning fainting fol- 
 lowers, whofe Spirits were willing, 
 though the Flefli was weak, as he will 
 further do in chcirfighc , unto publick 
 admiration , for thofe who in this evil 
 time (hall go forth weeping bearing 
 pretious feed,according to his promife, 
 ■ Pfal. 126.5, 6. and their Prayers in 
 the fourth verfe:Yea,when there h but 
 little Faith in the Earth ; foralas,how 
 have we, even we thai were nearefi re- 
 lated alfo , left off our hope for this 
 poor foul ? Yea, how have I, to my 
 fhamc, that had the charge of her/ail- 
 ed moft herein ! I muftfay indced,to 
 my abatement, the weights and fear of 
 her untimely end* the cares of keeping 
 her from any Inftrument to accomplifh 
 it 5 and the dread of divers kinds that 
 fo long encompafled me concerning 
 her,with the trouble we had to get her 
 eat her bread,and to gaining her under 
 hearing the word of God ( which is 
 more neceflary) with the difcouraging 
 influence ©f living under the dayly 
 droppings of thofc many difmal predi- 
 ctions (he uttered of her iuddain and 
 certain ruine & deftru&ion, after more 
 a 4 then 
 
then three years care of the kind a- 
 forefaid, and fo many attempts and 
 faintings : Alas , I aimed now at no 
 more in my own mind, then to get her 
 fa r e again delivered into her dear Pa- 
 rents hands, that my face might not be 
 covered wiih flume, according to my 
 fear of her nntimely end , at luch di- 
 ftance from them: which being accom- 
 plished by the good hand of God, ( in 
 our fafe Voyage through his fpecial 
 grace , who led us and our little ones 
 through his ftornty deep , and after 
 fome hazzards landed us in fafety ; 
 which I wifli we may not let flip) alas, 
 (he almoft fell out of my memory, and 
 was fcldom in my Prayer; the Lord 
 grant me the mercy ofhereameft Ap- 
 plications ; for which Jobs Friends 
 were made humbly to apply to him 
 through like frailty towards him in 
 his forrcw, as I have reafon to impute 
 to my felf towards her herein. 
 
 Tbus hath the Lord our God ftain* 
 ed the pride of all glory, as he fhall 
 yet more publickely do unto his praife ; 
 and give grace to the humble, that 
 they who glory, might onely glory in 
 him , as the great end of his works of 
 wonder 3 his great Salvations , and the 
 
 ope* 
 
operations of the Almighty in the 
 Earth ; that the faint,who relie on the 
 Lord, may be revived ; that youths, 
 and every confident one may fainr, 
 and be humbled before him. Where- 
 fore Bcloved,I beg the bell cffe&s in 
 every heart,ofthisunfpeakable mercy* 
 and to the glory of God in the higheft, 
 which I truft is the onely end, why my 
 poor Brother and Companion in 
 mourning for our own fins, and fhort- 
 neffe* and for yonrs alfo , which have 
 the greateft hacd in hiding good 
 thing?, yea the expected publicke Sal- 
 vations alio from us , have agreed by 
 the Advice of divers, who are alfo in 
 the duft for Zion } in this dark declining 
 day, to recommend this token of good 
 from God our Father and yours , unto 
 you, towards the fupport of your fink- 
 ing fouls, in his clcudy, gloomy home, 
 with our poor Epitile?,full of aflfe&ion 
 to ycur prctious fouls , affixed to this 
 gratious earncft of releafing, drooping, 
 dying Captives ; who (hall draw nigh 
 to, and alone depend on God : And 
 thefe I trail (hall come to every hand, 
 with fome cffeS of our earneft Prayer, 
 that the Lord God (Almighty to fave) 
 would accompany ir, and greatly blefs 
 
 this 
 
this grain of Muftard feed , to mike it 
 grow and multiply unto the Faith and 
 refrefhment of many , the abafemene 
 of ali , and the glorious exaltation of 
 our King, who fitceth at the right hand 
 of the Father for us , and fends the 
 Comforter to fuccourhis feeble ones* 
 in earned of his care of thofc who caft 
 their care upon him , whoonely hath 
 the healing Medicines, and will furely 
 ( right foon ) therewith vifit fach in 
 every Nation \ When all the froud^ (how 
 high lbcver) and the) whoftilldo wicked- 
 ly 3 (hall be m ft utile before him* Mai. 4. 
 1,2. 2 Sam. 22.28. Oh that this prt- 
 tious anfwer to your fupplications (in 
 the beft feafoa) might be now impro- 
 ved, as a prop to uphold your hands, 
 with the Rod of God therein , in this 
 doubtful day , that Amalek, tmy nor 
 prevail : Oh ! wreftle fervently in the 
 unfpeakable priviledgc of Faich ; and 
 (with Chrift inycurArmes) prefent 
 your wcepings,and fpread your fuppli- 
 cations before the Father in other di- 
 ftrefled cafes ftill before you , by this 
 incouragement ; yea, let us improve 
 it to publicke as well as private bene- 
 fit ; for furely patterns of mercy ftaould 
 be fo made ufe of, sGr.i.io, And 
 
 call 
 
call for Faith in the path of them , as 
 the mofi natural improvement, i Tim. 
 l.io". Heb. i 3. 5. is well as to dread 
 thcexpe&ation or a contrary portion, 
 in the contrary paih. ^Pfiil. 125. 5, 
 And as theDechra: nn of Judgement^, 
 withthe cauleaffigncd, or the way in- 
 to them, warneth ali,and fpeaks inccu- 
 ragement to nene 5 fb the rmnifelhti- 
 od of ^race, and the path thereof, is an 
 incoura^ement to all in the fame path, 
 and Spirit ; which was eminently ieen 
 of old, in God's fpeciai prefenccwith 
 Jfrael) ir> driving back Jordan by his 
 mighty Power for their prelent deli- 
 verance (and their adverfaries defini- 
 tion ) for which they cre&ed Pillars 
 of praife, to encowage the future Faith 
 and hope of faithful ones that fhculd 
 follow God fully , «s his Servant Jo- 
 (hua did : Yec could not I frae/ then 
 have the leaii ground to expe£t the dri- 
 ving back of Jordan again, or remo- 
 ving other difficukies,to have incoura- 
 o^S their retreat, or furthered any hu- 
 mane defign,to which they were fome- 
 times fubjeS through unbelief : Nei- 
 ther in our dayes have any perfons 
 ground to fnpncfe (much lefle to con- 
 clude ) that the Lords eminent pre- 
 tence 
 
fence in the high places of the field , 
 fell, Naasfy and o:her parts with his 
 people, while they faithfully followed 
 him,can now yeeld any in:ouragemenc 
 to expeS the like prefence of God , 
 while they are turning back , and de- 
 clining from him. 
 
 N-verthelc{le>new appearances of 
 the like glorious prefence with the 
 trucly humble followers of the Lord, 
 ( as the matter fhould require ) might 
 again be fafely expe&ed rrom the Ma- 
 jeiiy on high ; who by the former no 
 doubi manifeiied his right-hand Pow- 
 er, for the ftrc^thentng of the Faith 
 and hope of all upright followers of 
 him, according to *Pfal 33. 8,9, 10, 
 1 1 . and T[d> 3 6. 6 } 7, 8, 9. and kMic % 
 6.*$. 
 
 And the very end of the Lords de- 
 ferring to relieve Learns , whom he 
 loved until he was dead , and laid in 
 the Grave,and fo no vifible hopes lefc 
 unto his Difciples touching his pre- 
 fent refurrection , wm to the intent they 
 might believe, Joh, 1 1. 1 5. not that 
 he railed him onely 5 which every fen- 
 fual beholder would believe: but that 
 in future diftrcflfes , in their greateft 
 depths, they might depend on him by 
 
 thac 
 
that proof of his Power to fave to the 
 uttermeft. 
 
 And no doubt 7/r^/ofold^of whom 
 its faid 9 They foen forgot his workj 5 
 was fo raviftvd whh the red Sea won- 
 dcr^thatthey ever retained theTheory 
 thcreofyand could ail of them relate ic 
 to any that flaouid ask them , either in 
 matter or manner concerning it : bo: 
 their not retaining the Teaching fence 
 thereof for ufe, in point of thankful- 
 neffe for paft deliverances , and of 
 Faith in their future ftraits, in the way 
 of following God; left them tothofe 
 fears, through which they fell ftiort of 
 obeying God, and entring Canaan. 
 Now therefore, thou poor finking de- 
 fpairingfoul , whofitteft in darkneffe, 
 and feed no light • Learn thou aflured- 
 ly, this pattern of mercy and long fuf- 
 fering is to manifelt to thee , that the 
 Lord's thoughts are higher tbenthinei 
 that fothy foul may be encouraged, 
 under the fentence of death, by reafon 
 of fin 3 through believing , to have life 
 and hops in him : If thcu fayeft,Is any 
 forrow like my forrow ? Yea , is any 
 fin like my fin ? and trucly confidereft 
 the forrow of this fcul , and molt de- 
 fpcrate fin of a ferret Dcvilxfh mind, 
 
 in 
 
in this cafe related, with her confident 
 expiation of Hell thereupon, en the 
 ©rse hand \ and the gracious pity and 
 acceptance fae found from Chrift , he- 
 ing embraced by him asinoptn Arms, 
 fofoon astruely periwaded humbly to 
 come unto him, on the other hand : I 
 hope it will filence fuch luggeftiom di- 
 ftrefling thee , and (eal to thy comfort 
 the truch of that promifc , that is io 
 richly confirmed to her, John 6. 3 7. 
 Now if any accepted through grace* 
 fhould abate in their Faith, becaufc 
 their prefent Fcaft feems not io foil, 
 nor their entertainment fo fenfibly 
 free, as that whereat this foul now fits 
 fo fully refrefh'd; Itruft, if (in their 
 wcakneffe) fupporting grace be furely 
 afforded, and they fousd waiting in 
 their Fathers houfe and affaires, that 
 word fhall fuffice to balance them 
 from fainting and fretting at fuch grace 
 to other?, recorded, Lufy 1 5. 3 1, 32. 
 And thtt her years of ibrrow (hall be 
 by fuch can/idertdi according to Pfgo. 
 I $.UWake m g'.alyaccrrdiKg to the dales 
 wherein thou haft *jflttted m. And 
 oh ! that this mio'm warn all of ever/ 
 fin, and negle£fc,which being bound on 
 her foul > hive been found (o long and 
 
 io 
 
to heavy a load : but how fhall I utter 
 the evil and bitter effe&s thereof, 
 better then by asking the lerious foul, 
 what debating, defiling , and enfUving 
 mifery himfelf hath experienced, *s the 
 effect of but eating the forbidden fruic 
 at firh\and that by another ? Yea, wnh 
 defi^nto be made more Spiritual [ nei- 
 ther have good mens good meanings 
 excufed the lealt tranfgreffion or er- 
 ror : This treatife will tell you alfo 
 what thole poor fouls lofe , who ne- 
 glect , or are flighty in family-endea- 
 vour s ',in the word and Prayer ; in both 
 which (he found more benefit (through 
 grace ) then in more able publick Ad- 
 ministrations, under which fome can 
 icarcely profit, through their horrid ne- 
 glect herein ; and will have poor kind- 
 red, Children, and Servants , one day 
 complain of their lols, by living under 
 the fhadow of fuch, few of whom will 
 (hine as Stars in the Firmament , ac- 
 cording to the prcmife, Dm. 1 2. 3 . if 
 they perfiu in the neglect thereof, and 
 forget that exhortation, Eph. 6. 4, 
 
 That I may not make an end cf ihcfe 
 poor hints, towards the improving 
 this mercy , without remembring the 
 Mourners in Dublin, of another (elc£ 
 
 one 
 
one I truft ) whofc fecret fas, ftanding 
 in the ligh: of God's countenance, 
 humbly waited for his Salvation, (o 
 many folcmne dayes among them , 
 poffcdiag Months and years offorrow, 
 and they of tears for her poor foul, 
 who alas is not now found in the way 
 of the true converts path, Pfal. n6 t 
 17, 1 8, \g. Andwillfurely^sjk^, 
 have her fears renewed , for building 
 ftiort of Bethel , when new troubles 
 (hall incompafle her , and the Courts 
 ( (hort of the Lord's ) prove unable to 
 comfort: Ob that this effetfual expe- 
 rience of breaking the bands of Sa- 
 tan for another (who was with iefle 
 hope and cxpeclation fo oft joyned 
 with her in your intcrccflions) may re- 
 new your ttrcngth in fupplication for 
 her ; whofe iceming wcanedneffe 
 from the world , and the weights of 
 /iich vain Company as now befet her, 
 fomctxmes admin iftred hopes, that fhe 
 would never be aftumed to chufe *(fli- 
 dion with the people of God , nor be 
 otherwayes then as Hefter in the 
 Court of the mifs- informed and enra- 
 ged againft them. Oh 1 that by fer- 
 vent wreftlings (he mtght be raifed a- 
 gain from every falfe reft ; and as being 
 
 plucked 
 
plucked by the Arm of the Almighty, 
 as a fire-brand out of the fire, might be 
 laved from all vain pomp , infe&ing 
 Company, and cuilomes ; the fury of 
 the higheft of men, and from (moot her 
 temptations more near unco her, pro- 
 mising her liberty in negle&s ; and fo 
 beguiling her of her choifctt good , as 
 the Tempter beguiled Eve : yea, work- 
 ing I fear with the ftumbling-Blockof 
 the falls of i'ome, (found in the waves 
 of God) improved to the wmoft in this 
 evil day, to prejudice fouls with thcm ; 
 fo that many indeed arc now offended 
 in Chriti, and I much long that a Sovc- 
 rain love to his holy wayes,might pre* 
 fcrve her from that evil : According to 
 Tfal. 119.11,165. Yca,let the kind- 
 neflc of Gideon be remembered , to 
 oblige us herein ; who unweariedly 
 withunparalcU'd uprigbtneffe, (hew* 
 ed forth his labour of love to the Lord, 
 and to us in the Lord unto death, re- 
 ining much in the perfwafion > that his 
 dearelt relation (and Children left be- 
 hind him amongft us) would never 
 more be befet with the unexpected 
 fnares of that fort now encompaflmg ; 
 but be in the conftant fpecial care of 
 r hemoft faithful of the Saint * i delight- 
 b ing 
 
fog her r elf with David , in thofe that 
 eacelin vcirtucl 
 
 Me thinks this mercy improved a • 
 rikihc ( without diverfion) may be ex- 
 tended alfo , to Admini"er reviving to 
 the poor 'Prisoners tor rightecufnefle 
 fake (who (onely in a way of righteouf- 
 neffe) fhall humbly waif for the Salva- 
 tion of Gcd) notwithstanding the pub* 
 licks reproach caft upon them, by men 
 of corrupt minds : For behold , the 
 hand of the Lord • who led Jofcph 
 through "mprifohnicnc, flmder*, and 
 many difficulties , and thereby fitted 
 him for further fpscial pubiick relief 
 snd benefit; (though his Brethren 
 meant not fo, 6V». 5 o. 20 ) is not vet 
 frr-rtened \ but here (hewed glorioufly 
 in the ranfomeof this femetitnes poor 
 hope! fle Prifoner,thar diftr-ffed ones 
 Jtthy have hope io him • Who caufetb 
 light to arife out of dark*tjje ; leading 
 hi Prliofl'e*rK fftftbinnis ict time and 
 feaffen ; who will fav fhortly to his 
 Gapnvcs , Shew jour fefoes, according 
 ro 'far. 4.9*9. Ana 1 tureiy this may 
 hefj^to Ui.conr laifotile whole Zw* of 
 God r-thdugh (he be ready to fay, CMj 
 God h*:h for gift to w»?.O.h that therefore 
 thai travel ip«fcb ef Ifa.66 m 6 y y ; 8.&c 
 
 were: 
 
Were now begun by all that have their 
 hearts heavy leaden , with their own 
 (and othen) Iniquities * and thai iuch 
 might never hold their peace, nor give 
 the Lord reft : but in the iircngth of 
 Jacob, by weeping and fupplication , 
 wrcrtle with the Mighty one of Jaech^ 
 till he return in pitty unto Zhn , to 
 their own fouls, and to all the diftrel- 
 fed who wait upon him ; and to the. 
 flopping the mouth of all Iniquity in 
 the Nations ( lb lately refcued by his 
 hand) even till the dry bones live, and 
 the heart of thofe that weep now, 
 greatly rejoyce , and flourish like an 
 herb ; and the hand of the Lord be 
 known towards his Servants , and his 
 indignation towards his Enemies; yea, 
 to that effect in J fat. 66. 1 2. For thus 
 faith the Lord, Behold, I will extend 
 peace to her as a River,&c. and ]er t 3 o« 
 2 1 And their Nobles ftiall be of them- 
 felves,&c. That the glory of it Lord 
 may be redeemed in the Land, 
 
 Let uiftillwaic on the Arm of the 
 Lord, whocaufed e^bafitertu to be 
 reftlefs in the ni°ht,tillhc had read the 
 records of the Chronicles of the good 
 fervice of ^Mordtcai, to the changing 
 his heart from his wicked decree , and 
 b 2 turn* 
 
turning it againft bis treaeherom Flat* 
 terers} and who hive taught us to re- 
 member his hand upon the haughty of 
 old, and to plead it in future didrcfle, 
 as in /fat. 51.9. Awakf) awake: put on 
 ftrcngth , Oh Arm of the Lord I awaie, 
 at in the antient dayes^ &C, For hereby 
 hath he gratioufly given us a frefh proof 
 of his Power, to performc whatever 
 may make to our relief and comfort in 
 every condition, whether we be in- 
 compared with publicke , or private 
 dittreffes : wherefore I have fomewhat 
 enlarged upon this opportunity of 
 Printing on this occafion, which otber- 
 wayes \ love not, thus varioufly to im- 
 prove this inftancc (though feme men 
 mayefteem them unneceflary divcrfi- 
 ons) for the begetting of Faith in God 
 by this Example of dread , and incou- 
 ragemem ; which can onely inableto 
 meet him acceptably in humiliation , 
 and before the decree be gone forth,as 
 againft ShiUe of old > and Judah y who 
 perilhcd wiibthe figncs of God's pre- 
 fence in their hand, through their not 
 obferving aright, to San&ifie his name, 
 who had made chemfoihong andiuc* 
 a ffeful againft their Adverfaries. And 
 feeing the Lord alone car. heal our fick- 
 
 c<uY, 
 
neffe, and our wound, and the breach 
 upon us, which is wide as the Sea ; let 
 every (rue Mourner humbly approach 
 before him,on the behalf of our felves, 
 and whole Zim> the Prophets, Rulers, 
 Judges, Laws, Cuftomcs oft hefe Nati- 
 ons^ on the behalf of the affli&ed,de- 
 ferted, unbelieving,divided,and there- 
 by liable to be destroyed people ; and 
 to turn the heart of thole that are en- 
 raged , and ready to do evil , becauie 
 it is in the Power of their hands to do 
 it : for now all men almoft fee our (kk- 
 neffe, and our wound, how foolifh ma- 
 ny Phyfitians and our falfc refuges have 
 proved. 
 
 Let us therefore now ceafe not tm- 
 \yhomB*bjh»)£gypt>A(bi4r\ Horfcs, 
 Armies fenced Cities, &c. But ajfo 
 from tbofe other fair ftSews in the flefh, 
 to which feme fearful Friends would 
 compel us to conform, which have too 
 oft deceived us: Neither let as humour 
 the lafts of men and muLtitudcs,Bor be 
 found in the indirect path of fretting 
 proud wrath, envying and grudging 
 one tgaintt another; oorinrafh inga- 
 ging,fubmitting to traditions, tempo- 
 rizing, &c. But in deep humiliation, 
 and brokenncflc of foul , let us be as 
 b 3 Doves 
 
Doves of the Valley , every one -.mourning 
 -over his iniquities, which Is the moft hopeful 
 
 path of r\ freihmont from his pr. fence , who 
 hath hereby mewed us his right hand ; which 
 will certainly relieve, and" that right foon. 
 thofe that truely (owe in teares ; for according 
 to his faiphful word, Vfil. \z6. ^6. He thxt 
 goeth forth einiweep.-th , bearing prcUo'ts feed, 
 fhall doitbtkjfi return again with refoycing , 
 "bringing bisjhexves with him: When the B!of- 
 foine of pride {hall wither , and the bands of 
 mockers will be nude ftrong : Let my foul and 
 yours be imbarked with thofe th.it weep this 
 day before the Lord, chufing affliction with his 
 people , rather then with thofe who rcjoyce 
 now, and are not fenfible of the afflictions of fo- 
 feph •, but make merry with die nakednclle of 
 Noah : and that the Counfel given us ior fup- 
 port , in Ifai. i((.io,m. may be accompa- 
 nied with the refidue of the Spirit tor our gui- 
 dance and fcccour , as being given us to be a 
 word of gratious Counfel for fuch a day as 
 this : And that though Satan be feen yet fur- 
 ther to fall j as lightening from Heaven ; We 
 may chiefly rejoyce,in that our names are writ- 
 ten in the Book of Life. And now to be {till 
 freely admitted with this precious foul,to that 
 Feaft that fadcth not for evermore; is the 
 humble and earned deiire (on the behalf of 
 himfdf, and all Saints) of 
 
 fh: uworthirst of thofe tvl § yet 
 fl.zndhy faith, throng]) the ih~ 
 holding grace ofGoi, 
 
 JOHN VERNON. 
 
 to 
 
TO THE 
 
 READER. 
 
 READER , 
 TTHoti haft here prefentcd to thy view , and 
 feriousconiid .ration; an eminent pattern 
 of Go ii faithfulneile , in fulfilling that good 
 word, /Matth. i : . 10 A bruifed reed jball be not 
 byea}?, and J moatyng F.'iixfhill be not qn.nch, till 
 be fend fortb Judgcm.m unto Victory. Which 
 may help toconfirmc thee in that great truth, 
 that there is nothing too hard for him. Gc'fi. i3. 
 i^. compared with Job .<\z.i. Who can, and 
 will work when he pleafeth, and non-: lriall let 
 it, Efri. jj . 1 1 . Neither the height of Satan's 
 malice, nor the depth of finners mifery,can 
 hinder t e free Communication of his lr.ercy 
 to fuch as look for Salvation from h an, (to 
 which all are freely invited) E/lil 45. ti* 
 
 i.ni dlt'ioLigh I judge, t.vo fuch refthnqnSts 
 as are annex d* to this treatife, fume' en: to ia - 
 tisfie fuch as know them, of the truth of what 
 they afleit : Yet I having been ( by the provi- 
 dence of God) for fome years paft, an eye and 
 eir-witnefs in the Family. to the fa i and deplo- 
 rable condition of this cor foul , no.v inrich- 
 ed from above, (who is the fur>je& 1 f the infu - 
 ling Narrative ) 1 have thought meet to adde 
 my mite , and thereby fignlfie my confent to 
 the truth of what is contained in the two fore- 
 going Epiftles , concerning the late diftrefTe.* 
 ftate of that Daughter of ^bra'iamjtiow loo^ 
 led by the loving kindneffe of the Lord. She 
 hath been indeed for a long ieafon in the depth 
 tf mifery (as to her inward man) being bound 
 in afrlichon, andiron, by the Tempter, who 
 b a was 
 
To the Reader. 
 was fuftered to afl'ault, and buffet her poor foul 
 even to defpair of all help or hope -> and ma- 
 king her often to conclude , that her fins were 
 greater then could be forgiven : but that God, 
 who is rich in mercy , hath appeared gratioufly 
 (in his own time) to hear,and anf.ver the Pray- 
 ers of his people in her behalf, in relieving her 
 poor foul, and making her to fee, and acknow- 
 ledge to his praife, that the former fuggeftions 
 concerning nim (and her fouls irrecoverable 
 efhte) was from the Fatherof lies ; whofe work 
 itis, tointice and tempt fouls unto fin , and 
 then wound them in the fence of it, endeavou- 
 ring by all means to perfwade fuch j that they 
 have out-finn 5 dthe mercy ot God. 
 
 But behold here the God of truth , whofe 
 grace is fufficient to fupport under, and deliver 
 effectually from fuch foul-finking confiderati- 
 ons, making Satan appear to be ( what indeed 
 he is ) a Lier. And fcafombly fdecouring tttis 
 dejected defpairing foul, who for a long time 
 had the feme nee of death in her felf , and was 
 far from expecting that bleflcd iflue that is 
 finct bi ougb- fortn in her foul (by the mighty 
 Power, and naked Arm of the Lord ) whonath 
 hereby helped her to fee what little reafon the 
 had, or hath, to truft inhei fclf ; andthefuie 
 ground he hath now given her , to ftay on rum 
 as the living God ,• who raifeth i he dead j fo 
 that me is now made able ( vm -willing ) to ac- 
 knowledge , His great goodnc (]} that hath deli- 
 
 i Cor, i .9, tiered herfmmfo great a death, and dcih deliver; 
 
 io. ani is fall helped to hope and truft that he will yet 
 
 dclivc', a>id ftnnrthen. her Tahk, t§ q'tertch 'all the 
 firy dirts of the Devil. 
 
 Behold yet further the exceeding Ri«hes 
 
 c( 
 
to the 'J^jadcr. 
 .-I: God's grace not a little illufhatcd by let 
 ting free this Prifoner , fometimes even paft 
 hope inher own (andfome others) apprchen- 
 {ions : She that was for a long feafon fadly con- 
 cluding with the diftrerTcd Church,in Lament. 
 3. 18." That her ftrcn&tti and hope was ferifb'd 
 from the Lord , Is now faying with Saul,m Acls 
 $.6. Lord) what wilt thou have me to do ? And 
 withthc rptlmijl thankfully inquiring, what 
 phi!l 1 reader uMo the Lord for all his benefits to- 
 wards me ? And in fome meafure inabled to 
 relolve with him , To ta^e the Cup of Salvation, 
 and to call upon the name of the Lord, as Pfal.i 1 6. 
 i:, 13, 14. And ili:', that was lately ( in her 
 own cfteem ) not fo good as a Dog i yea (to 
 ufe her own words J worfc then any Devil, is 
 now, ( By the Father of mercies , ajid God of all 
 cnnfolaiions) made meet to be partaker of the inhe- 
 ritance of the Saints in light : The fad fentences 
 {he had oft paft upon her felf ( in the fcnfe®f 
 her (ins) being now gratioully reveifed by her 
 Heavenly Father, who hath fet her feet in a 
 large place : fothat now, if fin, Satan,her own 
 ; or r upturns, or any other fpiritual Adverfary, 
 comes to lay any thing to her Clarge , (he 
 may be ready (the Lord afTiiKng) to produce 
 her pardon ; and able to fay from blefled expe- 
 rience, as in Tyom. 8 . 33,34. It is God that ju- 
 (lificth 5 who is he that condemntth ? that it it 
 Chrifithat dicd,yw rather that is rifena%a'in,wh* 
 is even at the fPfhc band of God, who alfo ma\eth 
 intcrcefflonforiis 
 
 And I hope this eminent inftancc of his 
 grace abounding above the abounding of (in, 
 ( added to other Examples of this kind recorded 
 in his holy word) will help to fupport and fuc- 
 
 cour 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 cour fome poor fouls under the. like difcou- 
 ragement to hope in his mercy, v\ho waits 
 to be gratious j and furely he hath gracious 
 ends in affording this (and fuch like ) delive- 
 rances , which greatly concernes all per fens to 
 labour to underftand, and improve bright. 
 
 Firft then,lct finners of all forcs(both :n Zlo'i 
 and out of it ) from the infuing narrate -, take 
 nonce of the fad, enfmring, and foul-deft-, oy- 
 ing nature of fin, and the wages of it, which this 
 poor foul ( as the feared) hid certainly found 
 to be eternal death , had not th: Go < ef 'grace, 
 (wbofe loving tyndneffi isbtUer then I if e ) can- 
 fed her to hear thz }oyfnl fovid of fe v.rce 
 of the Son. of Cod } mat her foul might Uv , Jo m 
 J. 2?. ■ 
 
 Secondly , from the confideration of the 
 
 mercy (he hath obtained , let poor finners be 
 
 incited and incouraged , to come unto God 
 
 through ChriP: for mercy , who knows ho v to 
 
 r>udt)y\y pardon to the woril of finners, as in lf.il. 
 
 $ f. 7 .with Nche.$ 1 7 . lEfpccially let fuch as are 
 
 inquiring the way to Z'10,4, with their faces thi- 
 
 thzrw axi,Thovgh with trembling hands & heart ^ 
 
 and all that are planted in the houfe of the 
 
 Lord,be incouraged to wait uponGod,who will 
 
 in no wife c aft out thofe that come unto him. 
 
 Let the firft of thefe labour to loo\ to the Lord, 
 
 fa) Tfalm that they m ty be enhghened,:(a) And let the other 
 
 34. y. be coniirm'd , in the experience they have 
 
 had of his great goodnelVe , that fo God may 
 
 have all the glory from both , as a Fruit of this 
 
 fpecial favour afforded to this his hand-maid, 
 
 in fo fignal a return of many Prayers j for 
 
 which proportionable praifes mould wait for, 
 
 (arid be duly rendered unto ) our God in Z101, 
 
 / 
 
To the Reader, 
 
 who is a pref.nt help in the needful time c£ 
 tiouble. 1 ihallnot add:, but to intrcatthee to 
 read, and confider well, before thou cenfureft, 
 (or fecmc to defpife) the enfuing fub jecl , as 
 the day of fmall things^ but labour rather, to 
 weigh the worth of this mercy in the Balance of 
 the Sinttimy; 
 
 Tha; fo thou mayefi: underhand die end and 
 ufe of it, andbeh^lp'd to improve it aright, 
 to the praifj of the Author of every good and 
 perfect giftjand th-' profit of thine own iouljthat 
 I'd thou rnaysit be able to fay with the Prophet 
 of old, Mlcba 7 . i R . v/ho is a God U\e unto thee, 
 that par dondh Iniquity , and pajfetb by the tranf- 
 greifions of the remnant of bis heritage ! that rc~ 
 tameth not Ins anger for ever, becaufe he d. light- 
 in mercy: And from thence be incouraged to 
 waif upon him for the fulfilling that faithful 
 word, Ifai.\o. s 9, * 0,3 1 . He giveth power to the 
 faint , and tit them that have no might, he increa- 
 feth ftrcngth, &c. Compared with Pfa'. z 7 ta. 
 v.'ait on the Lord, and be of good courage , and he 
 frail (Ircngtkat thins huart : re ait, 1 fay , on the 
 
 lord; 
 
 rob. doyly. 
 
 To 
 
To all, bothfrmll and great, that 
 have either carted of the rich grace 
 of God , or dzfce to be rmde par- 
 takers thereof, through Jefas Chiilt 
 our Lord, 
 
 Men, and Brethren, 
 
 T He ugh we were very much (Ird*- 
 ?-rs , both to the perfon and flats 
 of thus gratiom hand-matd of the Lord 
 ( the fubjett of this enfuing treat ife , du- 
 ring the t$me oj her fore bondage , and 
 c-spttvrfy of Spirit j and fa had no [hare 
 wiih'thofe that in a foiemn manner (.##- 
 [pre fly on her account) fym-pathiz,ed>fighed) 
 and groaned to (fod in her' behalf: Vet ha- 
 vwg now through grace ( we trufi , we 
 may fay) to the advantage of our fonts, 
 heard out of her own mouthy inthemidfi 
 of the Congregation to which we belong > 
 {to wt^the Church ofChrift at Daiwood 
 in Dor/et ) the wondcrlul deliverance 
 which God hath wrought fr her poor foul: 
 We cannot, but in a fecial manner re Joyce 
 with her, and bleffe the Moll High for his 
 m(pe-<kable mercy. 
 
 That this worl^ii of the L rd,and feul- 
 ivor \ indeed ; it fpeakj for it felj to all the 
 wife in heart. That the Relation is very 
 faithfully made j We do hereby tejtify, ha- 
 ving 
 
ving (as we (aid befire) heard en t of her 
 own mouth the fubftance of the whole ; 
 who then {in point of circumftar.ee) would, 
 have been more particular and farge^ had 
 not time, and the earneft follicitoaion of a 
 near Relation of her? (whom Cod had ft fed 
 in fome good meafure, as anlr.ftrument of 
 her enlargement) concurred to previ r,t her* 
 7 wo or three of our ob(ervatiot)s. while 
 jhe related this Unto us ^ ws cannot but 
 mind the Reader of. 
 
 1 . That having lay en fo long ( at the 
 Narrative mentioneth} under fuch terror 
 of foul; And having now newly received 
 her enlargement , jhe was fo fiSed with 
 admiration at the exceeding Riches of the 
 grace of God in her deliverance > as that 
 it many times ft opt her Spirit , for a con ft* 
 derable feafon ; audfhe could in all ap pea- 
 raxes ) have dwelt long between fentenco 
 and fentenccjn afecret, inward ft lent lif* 
 ling up of her fotilto Cod in thanks- giving. 
 
 2. We obferved very much faithfu/nefs 
 and tender neffe of foul in btr faithfulmffei 
 in thatfhe dwelt a* long upon, andjp#fy as 
 largely to , the darkeft phages of her 
 blafpheming God, and maligning his people 
 (though doubt lejfe the r emen.br ing of fuch 
 things was with grief of foul to her) as in 
 freaking to the hi^heft mawftftattons of 
 
 the 
 
the grace ofCjod^ in her prefent enjoyments 
 cf her fou I , expr 'effing her felf to the fame 
 effett with the dpofttejkom. 5. lo.Where 
 fin abounded , grace did much more 
 abound* 
 
 Tenderneffe , In that with very much 
 circumjpellwn (he endeavoured to keep 
 even to a ttttle^both to the matter and Me- 
 thod ofGd s dealing with her : -And if at 
 any time (he {or any elfe^ who knr* her in 
 herafflitted eft are y and endeavoured to 
 help her mtmory^ fiptfhe would pre fently 
 correU both her felf and xhem % and ft ate 
 the mn er aright , and in its place, before 
 (he would let ft pajfe. 
 
 3. That her rejoycing was mixed with 
 much holy fear and trembling; ftillefieem- 
 ing her [elf 04 a poorVPorm before the Migh- 
 ty God of ffrael , though exalted to m*ny 
 glorious Priviledges thrcugh his rich 
 grace. 
 
 We might ft e*\{ further, what we ob- 
 ferved of the crafty wiles o* Satan*, in the 
 manner of his worj^no with her poor foul ; 
 firft training her on from fin to fin , and 
 fram degree to degree 9 fitS forefialling 
 her with aperfwafiov that (he was already 
 loth in the fin > find in the degree whidh 
 he wo'- Id train her in y o : And when by • 
 tha t flight he had got her further en> then 
 
 per* ■ 
 
per [wading hcf) that {he had out finned 
 all grace ; fo endeavouring to defir.y aft 
 hope* And indeed this is our common 
 obfervation §f the working of Satan, {to 
 wit) Thattopeffons that are tn a wret- 
 chedftate^attd ir.fenfble thereof \ he leffs- 
 -neth fin y andwideneth grace^that they may 
 run the more greedily . » their evil wayes; 
 m?\ing out to them, as if the gate of 
 grace , opening to life^wtre w.de enough 
 for allperfms to paffe in at , with all their 
 fins. But to tb fe per [cm that are brought 
 to the fight of thetr fins f and 'heir wret- 
 chedneffe thereby , he widenethfin , and 
 narrow eth grace * maki, g out u them, as 
 though their fins ( though not figatrft the 
 Holy Ghofl) are greater then can beforgi* 
 ven : in both which^ he it a grtevom de~ 
 ceiver, 
 
 Alfo wc might here more largely fh. w the %ea- 
 der, what fabt'e flights Satan ttfed with this ' er- 
 vam of the Lord , to h'md'ir her obedience to the 
 Cmmandm.nts of 'Chris! , and particularly to that 
 ofBaptifin? j prefemlng it as a poor low thm^dtc. 
 But as to that,wejhall in this place onely give thee 
 not cc , that whenfliz was in th? hlghcsf revthti- 
 o;«, arid had the moil f "eating Tcjiimoncs oftb» 
 grace of Cod to her foul , She was then led fortk 
 most aptl'ionately to own the Lod fefm in that 
 dejp'ift'd dln.an.ee and abpo'&.mcn' of his 5 as 
 m ty m fe'th mr-e at I irgc hi the fflarr i*'ivt it felfi 
 [unable to that wordgiira. id Paul/for his great 
 
 rcvela-* 
 
revelations of grace, A&. 12. i,<. where It was 
 f aid unto him by the Spirit, And now why iarrieU 
 thou? arifc , a fid be B.wt'r\cd , and waft away 
 thy fins, calling on the nami of the Lord. 
 
 What we Jball further [ay in this matter, fhall be 
 onely to figmfie, that upon the whole (foe definng to 
 give up her f elf 10 the Lord, to wali^ in all ha Com- 
 mandments bUmeleffe'y , add to have fellowjhip 
 and communion with \us people , in tbeexerctfe of 
 all the GojjJel-Priv'dedgvs itfkuied by Chnsl their ' 
 }\ing and Read , for his Body the Church ; and 
 particularly with this Congregation, to watch (and 
 be watched over by them) She was with univeyj.u 
 fat is faction accepted, and accordingly Bapti-^dy 
 and received. Matty fierce Affaults hath the E<hmy 
 of her peace mide against her, face the chain of her 
 bondage was broken : but againft a(l,thc Lordhate 
 rriade very gracious provifion through the vjord ; 
 bnnnnghome ( through im Power of his Sprat) 
 many fullpromifes U berfoxl, and zllabiijhing h. r 
 through them. 
 
 To the God of Peacejvho (through his own R } rh 
 andfi-ee love, after many years honour of foul ) U 
 become her Peace ; do we define to commit all his 
 chofenVtffels to honour, for hk calling in his fea- 
 fon unto, and for his e(lahlijh'ng and growth ofthofe 
 that are called in the truth, as it is injefus: which 
 $efus we dtfvre to own as our Isjng _, cur Crown, 
 and hope of glory -, and to whofe appearing ivith 
 that glorious Kingdom, we difire to be dayly bt 
 prepared : That at bis coming we may have the 
 ha'iour U be of that bleffed -number that flj.ill wai* 
 Vponhim with Hallelujahs , fmging forth praife, 
 gUry and honour to the Father and to the Lamb, for 
 iuer and ever , Amen. 
 
 Your Friends and Brethren in the 
 hope of the Gofyel , 
 
 Hcn.?ajfm. J$.Qwen. jw. Hill. i6<>8. 
 
The Captive taken from the prong, or 
 a true Relation of the gl'&iow Re- 
 leaf e of Mtfrifs DEBORAH 
 HUISH 3 ( by the Ame of the 
 Almighty ) jrom under the power 
 cf the Tempter? hy whcfe firyCon- 
 fltfts [he had been forely vexed for 
 about fourteen yea/ $$a$ it was faith* 
 fully written from her own Mouthy 
 
 Bout fourteen years a- 
 go I was cad into 
 deepifefpair , by rea. 
 Ton of blafphernous 
 thoughts ca(i into my 
 mind, when I was ap- 
 plying my felf to the reading the word 
 of the Lord; which thoughts were 
 defpifing , flighting , and contemning 
 God, his word, works, and wayess 
 with which being frequently aflanhed, 
 I came t© gather ConcluRrns , that 
 B God 
 
The Captive taken 
 
 God had part an irrecoverable decree 
 agaiatt me for my final condemnation- 
 and though \ had relu&ancy in my 
 heart againft fuch thoughts, yet many 
 times I did give my confeot to them , 
 and approved of them ; and from 
 thence came to have great horrour 
 feize upon me , for many dayes and 
 nights after. Caufing me to conclude 
 thefe to be but the forc-runaers of 
 that great definition from the Lord , 
 which I judged was prepared for tne : 
 and fuch thoughts as thefe at firft were 
 ( continually almoft ) born in with 
 great weight upon my foul: about 
 which time my Sifter Anne Vernon 
 (then Hfs.jh) obferving mydeje&ed 
 frame, defired to knew the caufe; I 
 told her then that God had rcje&cd 
 me for my blaTphemous thoughts I 
 had conceived againtr him, worfe then 
 any Devil ; but my Siller indeatorcd 
 to perfwade me , thefe thoughts were 
 Eot mine , but the Devil's : this gave 
 me fome refpit for a little time, but I 
 wasfuddenly aflauked again, and have 
 continued under fuch aflauks everfince, 
 more or lefs 5 till the time hereafter fpe- 
 cificd 5 when the Lord of his free Mer- 
 
from the ftror.g. 
 
 cy began to make way for my efcape. 
 
 I do alio remember that I had not 
 onely defpifing, flighting thoughts of 
 God, but alfo of his people, calling 
 them in my thoughts (though not with 
 my lips)lyars. 
 
 But when I did think I confented 
 to fuch thoughts, then honour would 
 fcize upon me, even to overwhelme 
 me: and in this condition I remained 
 till my going into IreUni^ which was 
 about J##* 1654. 
 
 After my coming there, the Lord vi- 
 fitcd me with the Small-pox . and in 
 that time of ficknefle I th©ught I had 
 feme refrethment from the Lord , by 
 confulting his word » but was fudden- 
 ly after affaulted with more and worfe 
 blafphemous thoughts then ever be- 
 fore, and then did verily believe I was 
 poflcflcd with the Devil, and did think 
 I talked with him > and heard him fay, 
 that God loved t© torment and bring 
 mifery upon hh Creatures • which 
 thoughts were fopreflingupon me,that 
 1 was ready to wifti the deftru&ion of 
 the Almighty ; and did to my think- 
 ing hate him ; crying out (in the hear- 
 ing ef many ) I am undone to Ecernt- 
 B 2 ty 
 
The Cap live taken 
 
 ty ; and foremaincth till lately : And 
 to dreadful were thefe'laft mentioned) 
 thoughts to my foul , that from that 
 time I concluded,! had committed the 
 (in againi* ihe holy Ghoft , which be- 
 fore I did onely think I had, but now 
 was confirmed in it, and began to 
 think I had really trampled under fooc 
 the blood of Jefus Chrift , and had 
 done defpice to the Spirit of grace;and 
 thence concluded that nothing now re- 
 mained, but a fearful looking for of 
 vengeance,tbat(hould devour the Ad- 
 verfary:and this put me into unexprel- 
 fibie torments night and day, thinking 
 the Devil would come and fetch me 
 away , and I believed I was certain of 
 it : and when any went to pray for me, 
 I thought that h aliened my deftru&i- 
 on , and therefore I hated them for it, 
 and had in my mind many fad withes 
 as to thofe that prayed for me , count- 
 ing Hell my portion, and that I (hould 
 by fuch means be fooncr cut off, and 
 that they fin'd in praying : 1 having 
 iin'd agaiaft the holy Ghoft, thought 
 thty ought to hate me, but not pray 
 for me s I did aifo think I alwayes 
 heard a fearful found in my ear?, cfyc- 
 
 cially 
 
from the firo/ig. 5 
 
 cially when it was windy or rainy 
 weather, and then thcu^LK I fhould be 
 caft into Hell prefently : which made 
 an tinexpreflable torment of mine to 
 think of ic;and yet under all the means 
 ufed to feck God for me, I found no 
 benefir. 
 
 But at Dublin , when dayes were 
 fet apart , to fcek God for me, I 
 dreaded thofe dayes , above all o- 
 ther, thinking verily that God was 
 ingaged in honour , to come out 
 againft me in fierce indignaiion , as 
 alfo againft fuch as fought him on m/ 
 behalf : and I did many times think 
 the Lord in a way of judgement would 
 turn me into tome filthy hateful Mon- 
 fter or other , as a Memorial of his juft 
 difpleafure againft me; and all the time 
 that prayers were put up for me(which 
 was very frequent in Dublin , as alfo 
 difcourfes very often with me) I could 
 not perceive that any ever took the 
 leaft hold on my heart, but (nil I had 
 that Scripture oft on my thoughts: 
 (a) By terrible things inrighteou\neJfe wilt (*) vfd. 
 thou anfwer them : which I undcrftood <*>. *. 
 to be feme anfwer in a way of judge- 
 ment as to ok:I had alfo that Scripture 
 B 3 much 
 
12 
 
 £ The Captive taken 
 
 (h) Matth. much on my heart ; (b) He that fins a- 
 3 l >l z 'gainftthe holy Ghoft y [hall never be for- 
 given in this world nor in thai which is 
 to come. 
 
 And as to reading the Scriptures , 
 my heart was much averfc to it ; oneiy 
 fometimes out of companion to others 
 I did read , and fometimes did mind 
 them what the cafting off the Scrip- 
 tures had coil me, who is now rcjc&ed 
 for even wifliing them to take heed of 
 the like: but it was very feldorae that I 
 did tbis,and long ere I could bring my 
 heart to it. 
 
 I do alfo remember when I lived at 
 flantarfc in Ire/and , and ufed to go to 
 Dublin fometimes, to hear tke word ; 
 I have often thought , when I went, J 
 fliould be defiroyed ere I came back 
 again ; and when I did hear , I ftrove 
 a4i I could to forget what I heard , or 
 read, having my expectations of Hell fo 
 heightened by ail fuch means , thtt I 
 could not endure it ; & would have gi- 
 ven any thing I might never have gone 
 to have heard, os prayed more, it did 
 fo incrcafe the torments of my foul. 
 And when I came intothe place where 
 T tiled to hear , 1 8.11 expected to hear 
 
 fosse 
 
from the ftrong f 
 fomefadden voice from Heaven , de- 
 claring my dettruSion ; and did think 
 many times that the wiad aroie juft as 
 I came to that place to hear* and did 
 believe the Lord mult needs appear in 
 judgement a^ainlt me for coming , and 
 fitting as one of his people among 
 them, whom I in my heart hated: and 
 would long that the dudes might be 
 ended, that I might be free from thole 
 feares that were upon me while there. 
 I do alio remember that almofte- 
 very thing did afright me;either a clou- 
 dy day,the Sun or Moon Eclipfed , or 
 the Suns rifing red in a morning, or 
 the wind blowing high : All thefe I 
 thought were figaes of my deftru&ion, 
 that I did believe the Lord would ex- 
 ecute upon me for my hatred againft 
 him and his wayes. And indeed fuch 
 an inveterate hate I had againfthim, 
 that I judged , I loathed and abhorred 
 the doing good to any, faying in my 
 felf , that the Lord would damn and 
 deftroy me ; and why fhould I do any 
 good ? I alfe wifhed many times,I had 
 never been born , or had never had 
 eyes to fee, or ears to hear, or elfe had 
 bscn made the moft contemptible 
 B 4 Cre4- 
 
The Captive taken 
 
 Creature in the world , becaufe When 
 they die there is an end of them ; bar, 
 when I die , my mifery then begins. 
 Ialfo wifhed,Imight never heir any 
 one fpcak more from the Scriptures to 
 me, for I reckoned all that had fpoken 
 to me, either in ficknerTe or in health, 
 would be witneffes againft me 5 and fo 
 aggravate my fin and mifery , becaufe 
 I had fuch warnings>and had not Dark- 
 ened to them, but to the Devil ; and 
 efpecially Mr. PAtientf. Minifter of the 
 word in Dublin , coming to me in the 
 time of my fickneflc , and fpeaking of 
 the great danger of an impenitent ftate 
 if the Lord (hould cut the thrid of life, 
 that fuch perfons would drop imme- 
 diately into Hell, the which he endea* 
 voured to demonftrate to me, that I 
 thought he would be the principal 
 witnefte againft me , of all that had 
 fpokewith me: fo that I now fawmy 
 felf without bope,and the mercy of the 
 Lord utterly taken from me, not as it 
 was from &i#/,but far wcrfc ; I having 
 finned again'* far greater light , and 
 more warning?, and after fuch tafts and 
 enli^htnings to fall away, it was im- 
 poflible to renew me again unto re- 
 pent a see.. 
 
from the fi/ong. 
 
 pentancc, but concluded I fhould fud- 
 dainly be destroyed, and that without 
 remedy. 
 
 This being my cafe> I remember,af- 
 ter my ficknefs in Dublin aforemention- 
 ed, what fretful hateful thoughts I had 
 of God,faying in my tnind,I wil do this 
 or that in deipigbt of God, and I cculd 
 not think other wife ; and fuch a hate- 
 ful bent of fpirit I had againft the Lord, 
 that I was oft ready to fay in my hem, 
 I will curfe C^od and die ; and at lift 
 through the Mrength of temptation I 
 was fo far prevailed upon, as I did 
 in my thoughts curfe God and all I 
 could think of' that belonged to him„ 
 and then concluded my felf damned 
 indeed , and that I was fare of it: and 
 then faid to my felf , I am now lure I 
 have committed the fin agaiaft the ho- 
 ly Ghoft, which is unpardonable, and 
 fhould now to Eternity be tormented 
 with the Devil and his Angels:snd this 
 forely ^ffli&ed and overwhelmed me, 
 in fo much that I wis once tempted to 
 caftmy felf down cut of a window to 
 kill my felf, onely the dread of Hell I 
 thought deterred me from it : I didal- 
 fo ftwc to put horrour out ef my mind 
 
 all 
 
io The Cdp'ive iaktn 
 
 all I could,by enjoying outward com- 
 forts, but alas thefe were all irnbitcer- 
 cd to me, when I faw the eod of fucb 
 comforts : I did alfo fometimes endea- 
 vour to divert thefe thoughts by bufi- 
 neflTe I fct my felf about ; but being 
 fometimes hot at work, I flaould have 
 the heat of Hett-fire thereby brought 
 to my mind , and the tcrribknefle of 
 that rcprefentcd to me. But the grea- 
 ter! eafe I had in thefe dift rafting ter- 
 rours, was byfettingmy feifupon bdi- 
 nefle, but found my ielf fo continually 
 harrafed with thoughts of Hell, that 
 my heart grew hard, and ftupid, fo thac 
 though I knew that was my portion, 
 yet I was unfenfible of it , unlefle at 
 fometimes* when horrour would vio- 
 lently break in upon me, efpeciallyat 
 ftsch times as I was forced to go to 
 hear* when I ftiil zxpc£tcd God to 
 witnefle againft me by fome fore judge- 
 ment from Heaven^ which (upon eve- 
 ry dark and ftormy day cfpecially ) I 
 expe&cd,asddidoft times judge I faw 
 flafhes of fire come upon my face, jaut- 
 ting me in mind of chat horrible pit of 
 darkneffe I (hould one day fall into 2 
 And many times when I went to bed^l 
 
 haye 
 
from the ftr&ng. 1 1 
 
 have been afraid t© fleep, left I fhould 
 be caft iDio Hell ere I waked again : to 
 prevent which,! have oft refolvcd nor 
 to fleep , onely fometimes through a 
 ftupid fenfleffe frame I (hould lye 
 down and fleep , not thinking of my 
 danger : but when I waked,I wonder- 
 ed I was not in Hell; yet could not be 
 thankful for it, but Itiil thought I 
 {hould be there ihortly ; and though 
 I lived never fo long , yet to be 
 there at laft would fwallow up all this 
 time, as if it had not been 5 and all the 
 comforts 1 now enjoyed , would but 
 aggravate my forrow and mifery then, 
 when I (hall be deprived of all, and 
 fuffer for what I now enjoy: upon 
 which accounts all my comforts were 
 bitter tQ me 5 and when I tailed any 
 thing,I dill thought what I (hould tall 
 ere long in Hell,which made me hard- 
 ly able to eat my meat , for I (hould 
 thus rcafon : Why fhould I cat and 
 drink,when I am in dayly expectation 
 of being caft into Hell ? and then was 
 that Scripture brought to m\od/c)The ( C ) Efa. 
 wicked are like the troubled Sea that 17.10*11* 
 cannot reft , whtfe waters caft up mire 
 and dirt \ there is no peace to the wicked >• 
 
 And 
 
12 The Captive taken 
 
 And mauy times when I have been tr 
 work,faddain flafhes of Hell have been 
 as it were darted into my foul ; ib that 
 I have run one of the room where I 
 was, and would have run out of the 
 Lords prefence alfo, if I could : but a- 
 las , my foul had no refuge to flyeto 
 from him , nor can I remember that I 
 Jiad a heart fo much as to leek for mer- 
 cy ,onely in fome great di ireffes fome- 
 tiaics 1 think Ihaveufcd the words, 
 Lord Have Mercy Upon 
 M e > but without any hope or expe- 
 ctation of obtaining what I prayed 
 for ; but concluded God would not 
 faveme, unkfle he would deny him- 
 felf , and his word : and though an 
 Angel from Heaven fhould have told 
 me of mcrcy,I could not have believed 
 it, being fo confident of the contrary ; 
 and therefore I would tell thofe that 
 endeavoured to fatten counfel & com- 
 fort upon merit was but a caftingPearls 
 before Swine,and holy things to Dogs, 
 which God forbids. And when fevc- 
 ral good women in Dublin did meet,to 
 feek the Lord on my behalf; I thought 
 fometimes ( efpscially once in Miftrifs 
 Patients houfc ) I fmell'd Brimftone 
 
 burning 
 
from We (Irong. 13 
 
 buming,and expe&ed nothing but oV 
 ftru&ion ; in the fence of which I did 
 tremble exceedingly, out of that deep 
 honour that was co my foul : but ftill 
 I got no fenfiblcgood in any of thefe 
 meetings: and when I have feen the 
 mift afcend fometirttcs,that minded me 
 of that Scripture where 'tis Uid 9 (d)Tke (<*) R cv - 
 fmoak^ of their torment afcendeth up for l *- 11, 
 ever : And I have ofr,as I have judged, 
 feen UWickaels meeting-hcu'e in Dh* 
 bltn, where we met to hear, full of 
 fmoak: all which I judged fsaled and 
 confirmed my deftru&ion. 
 
 I do alio remember when my dear 
 Sifter Men died at Dublin in Ireland^ 
 I had little or no fence of that with o- 
 ther like heavy flroaks of the Lord a* 
 bout that timc,upon divers other prc- 
 tious oaes ; but did believe they were 
 taken away for my fake, becauic they 
 prayed f©r me , and that I was onely 
 left to fill up the meafure of my Ini- 
 quity, and therefore the Lord flopped 
 mtuy of their mouths by death, that 
 they mi°ht not pray any more for me, 
 but that I might be left to heap up 
 wrath, and aggravate my mifery. 
 
 I do likewife rerntmber one morn- 
 
V 
 
 14 JTfe C/ipliti taken 
 
 ing particularly at Dnblin^ when (I be- 
 ing in bed s aod called co rife)*I did be- 
 lieve verily I (aw grievous fiafhes of 
 lightning flie in my face, which put me 
 intfrange horrottr : And alfo another 
 morning feeing the Sun rife in a mifty 
 frofly morning very red 5 I had that 
 
 . Scripture come into my mind , (e) of 
 / Jj oil t f ie g Hni y s > m g tHY neil into blood, before 
 the great and notable d*y of the Lord ; 
 which F believed was then near,to my 
 deftru&ion. 
 
 Another time being at a Chriftiaa 
 Friends (Miftrifs Roe's houfc in Dublin) 
 in the ni >ht feafon I heard a voice ( as 
 I judged) over my head • a great voice, 
 to which I hearkened, and was there- 
 by put into great horrour , thinking it 
 to be the Devil, come to fetch mca- 
 way ; and at laft through anguifh of 
 foul was pat into great trembling and 
 fweat • by reafon of which, I fpake to 
 Miftrifs Roe , who told me it was the 
 people that lay over my head, that tal- 
 ked : But I did not believe her , bat 
 ftill thought it was the Devil; aiid to- 
 wards morning I heard a ratling of 
 Chains (as I thought) which I judged 
 to be the Devils having to fetch me a- 
 
 way. 
 
from the firong. • 1 5 
 
 way,witb great rcjoycingthat they had 
 got me; then I asked Mirtrii's Ret 
 what that noife was 5 who told me, ic 
 was onely people opening Shop-win- 
 dows : butthatfatisficdnotme, but 
 I remained ftill in an inexpreffiblc 
 horrour. 
 
 I likewife remember the caufeof 
 my going to lie at Miftrifs Roe'syv&s t© 
 get out of the room I lay in at my Bro- 
 thersjwhere I was fenfibic I had fo fin- 
 ned by wicked thoughts againft God>as 
 aforefeid ; from whofe preiencc alfo,as 
 well as from that room , I would if I 
 could have fled , it was fo dreadful to 
 me : Bat alas ! my fears were not at ail 
 abated,but bxxeafedby going thither; 
 it being the houfe where the Church 
 mcr, and where was frequent fpeaking 
 and prayiug. At which I ftill thought 
 the Lord would come out , and wit- 
 aefle againft me , making me an exam- 
 ple of his juftice its the fight of all his 
 people ; whofe often fpeaking to me, 
 and praying for ms , I did believe, 
 would aggravate ray cor.demr.ation 
 greatly : And when any of them fptkfe 
 of the premies to me, it was a gnat 
 terrour to my feu 1 , to fee them c&(\ fuch 
 
 Peails 
 
1 6 The Captive taken 
 
 Pearls before Swine, to whom they 
 did not belong • by all which thing?, 
 fpoken to me, I was kept in a more 
 certain looking for a fearful firy indig- 
 nation from the Lord, to deftroy me ; 
 and my heart was the more enraged 
 with an invetente hatred ( as I judg- 
 ed) againrt God and his people, by all 
 the means ufed about me. 
 
 And after ail thefe things coming to 
 Watcrford with my Brother Vetnom Fa* 
 mily, and remaining there, I had not 
 the like terrour as before ; but was 
 ftupid, and more fcncelefle, being (as 
 I judged ) given up to a feared confei- 
 ence and heart, yet many times forely 
 terrified with the like thoughts as a- 
 ferefaid: But was exceeding gladfome- 
 times , that I was forgotten in Prayer 
 as I thought , and then did believe, it 
 was revealed to them that prayed ; fo 
 that they, knowing what I was,prayed 
 not for me ? for I had a great dread on 
 my heart ftill, about being prayed for, 
 judging it haftened my deftru&ion,and 
 that I fhould by that means be made 
 a fearful example of vengeance,to fhew 
 toothers what I wis; and thus it con- 
 tinued all the time I was at vWerford . 
 
 no 
 
from the flroxg. 1 7 
 
 no words fpoken to me,or to the Lord 
 for me,doing mc any good as I could 
 perceive ; fo that I (till concluded 
 God could not lie, nor repent, there- 
 fore I tauft be damned ; and that it 
 was but in vain to attempt the con- 
 trary. 
 
 I alfo do remember when we came 
 t© Sea, to come for England, we were 
 inaftorm : but I was in a fencelefle, 
 ftupid condition, little minding my 
 danger all the time. 
 
 And after my Brother and Sifter 
 Vernon landed at LMilford, and the 
 reft of our Family with my felf and 
 Brother Allen were come to Sea again, 
 to go for Utfinhead, in a night and a 
 day we had a very gracious paffagc 
 given us , bringing us iafc into the Bay 
 of UWinhead 1 And when there coming 
 from the Ship-fide , being all in the 
 Boat, we had alfo an eminent delive- 
 rance ; the Boat being in grsat dan- 
 ger to be turn'd over by a Rope that 
 was catched about the top of the Boats 
 Maft, juft as we put off from the Ship, 
 which,haditnot been fuddenly loo *d, 
 had puil'd the Boat over, pnd buried 
 us in the Sea 1 1 was yet undsr all thefc 
 C mercies 
 
1 8 The Captive taken 
 
 mercies with t fenfeleffe frame of Spi- 
 rit ; onely I had feme few thoughts 
 of the infinite power of God in op- 
 holding all thing?, and believed I was 
 preferved for the fake of them I came 
 with in the Ship : But coming into the 
 Town of LMmhe4d t ttid finding a hand 
 of visitation in that place, I concluded 
 that was for my fake, and that I was 
 now come i»to the mouth of deftru- 
 &ion ; yet I was fomething grieved 
 to fee the prophanenefTe of the place 
 and houfe where we were , which was 
 as to fin worfe then Ireland , whence 
 we came ; and then I thought of the 
 terrible Judgements of God , againft 
 Cm 9 andfinners, that lived under fuch 
 rich means of °race , as they here in 
 England did. But leaving Minhead, 
 and coming towards my Fathers houfe 
 in Devon (hire* I did not now doubt, 
 (though I had fpoken confidently be- 
 fore,that the Lord would never let me 
 fee Sn&land) nor my Friends at home ) 
 but the Lord would bring us iafc thi- 
 nner ; yet remember cot any thankfull 
 fenfe I had of the mercy received : but 
 was thinking mott parr of the way as I 
 came home, what a grief I (hould be to 
 
 my 
 
from the firot g. 19 
 
 my Friends and relations again * yet 
 fomciimcs a little fenfe Teemed to be 
 on my heart ,of the mercies aforefaid,as 
 I remember,and I did fpeak of them to 
 fome in the Family after I came home : 
 But fbon after, I was in a dead ilnpid 
 pofture as before , perceiving no good 
 tome, either by fpeakings or prayer , 
 though ufed by fome Friends then in 
 the Family frequently; nor could I,nor 
 durft I pray ; believing my Prayer was 
 abominable : and therefore when my 
 Sifter Vernons hour of Child-bearing 
 drew near, I could not feek God f r 
 her, but was unfenfiSle of her danger 
 approaching : and after her delivery I 
 was then in greater terror then before, 
 thinking then that God would bring 
 fvvift dcftru&ion upon me , as upon a 
 Woman in travel , and I fhsuld not 
 efcape. 
 
 Now as to the Lords manner of work- 
 ing on my heart of late : It 
 here followetb. 
 
 ON the tenth day of the eleventh ^ ^^3 
 Moneth 1657. hearing a Ser- 
 mon upon Col, 3.3. (/) about per- 
 C * fons 
 
2© The Captive taken 
 
 Tons in a natural eftatc, being dead, ic 
 was of an afrightning confideration to 
 me, co chink chat Death and Hell was 
 their Portion, and chat Worms (as in 
 the ditcoarfe was mentioned ) {hquld 
 feed on fuch , Even that Worm of con- 
 fcience that (hould gnaw continually 5 
 withal confidering(as was then hinted) 
 how loathfomc a dead Creature is,fit 
 onely to be fed on by all other de- 
 -vourtrs : which I Taw. alfo to \>z my 
 date, and faw my loathfomneffe in all 
 my Anions, as alio that without Faith 
 it is impoflible to plcafe God $ which 
 was iet home upon my heart ., and alfo 
 that I was a fubje&-o£ his wrath , 
 which did abide upon me, &fo (hould 
 do to Eternity* Yet all this did not put 
 me upon the uie of any means to get 
 out iji my condicion,in which I (till re- 
 maie'd , defpiiricg of any way for my 
 efcap^, 
 
 A er thh,'on the four and tw^n- 
 ti day of the eleventh Monet h , I 
 heard again frcm another Tub j eft, 
 (%) Tfal. (£) Pfalm* 50. 23. about Gods falva- 
 $0.13. dons being_ .(hewed to thofe that or- 
 der their conventions aright : Ihad 
 frcm this difcour'e msny feirs on my 
 
 heart, 
 
from the flrong. 2 1 
 
 heart, efpecially from that oft repeated 
 Scripture, (h) Salvation is far from the (h) rfat. 
 wicked , keemfe they keep not thy Law .- 1 19- 1 5 5'- 
 Which was very terrible to me 5 and 
 considering how abominable I was in 
 God's fight,by cafting bis Laws behind 
 my back ; that Scripture was much on 
 my heart, (i)fVbat hi ft then to do to take (\) pf a i. 
 my Words into thy month Jeeing thon hat eft 50. i*« 
 to be Reformed*. Which made me believe 
 he would deal with me,as is mention- 
 ed in verf 22. of that Pfalm , even 
 tear me in pieces^ and nonejhottld deliver '• 
 And becaufe I had reje&cd him as I 
 had done , I (hould fuddenly be dew 
 ftroyed , and that without remedy : 
 And heariag that paffage mentioned 
 out of Hannah's Song, (/) The Enemies ,. 
 of the Lord ft) all be broken to pieces • out % lo 
 of Heaven will he thunder tfpon them : 
 And I being (as I judged) one of hisr 
 Enemies, it did forely terrify me. 
 
 After this, on the fix and twentieth 
 day of the eleventh Moneth, in the 
 night lcafon^my foul was much took up 
 with thoughts about my fad eftate ; 
 and I was hrought to conclude I was 
 a Subject of the Lords difpleafure,and 
 (hould lie under the weight of his 
 C 3 wnth 
 
2 2 The Captive taken 
 
 wrath to Eternity : And this forely 
 terrified me , to think what a fid thing 
 it was to be caft out of Gods fight ,and 
 that for ever, and tormented with the 
 Devil and his Angels,and this for ever, 
 without any hopes of releafc, or dram 
 of comfort. This I thought to be a pit 
 indeed , in which was no water , not 
 the 1c aft refreshment ; but unfupport- 
 able miferics , and that to Eternity ; 
 and it feemed flrangeto me that 1 was 
 out of Hell fo long, considering what I 
 had been, and done againft the Lord 5 
 and alfo confidering his infinite power, 
 who could in a moment caft me there, 
 who had fo provoked him as I had 
 done, 
 
 I came then to fuppofe this with my 
 fclf; were I now in Hell, and had but 
 a poffibility of efcape , what means 
 would I ufe to efcape that horrible Pit? 
 I alfo considered again , being once 
 there, there was was no Redemption 
 for even & coBfoiering what great dan- 
 ger I was in dayly, of being caft there, 
 were the thrid of my lifecut , which 
 might fuddenly be , and fo I drop into 
 Heli,paft recovery. 
 
 I being not yet there, and believing 
 
 no. 
 
from the [trong. 23 
 
 no Redemption from thence, when 
 thcrcjl came then to think,if yet there 
 were toy poflibility of ufing means for 
 my efcape , I would try : for if I lie 
 Hill, 1 Chill certainly perifli ; and if I 
 attempt the ufe of means , and rniffe 
 obtaining what I feek for> I can but pe* 
 riihr and many very great tinners have 
 efcaped through mercy ; therefore I 
 would try ( and the Lord encouraged 
 me from thofe words of Eflher, (m) / ( m j E /iy t 
 will go in n the King; if Iperifh^ ! ptrtfh : 4- * *• 
 As alfotherefolntion of the Lepers, 
 (») In the Siege of ^ Samaria) to ufe fnj 1 zing. 
 the means, though without hope of 2 '*- 
 fuccefle. I being in fuch a deplorable 
 condition, was preft to up and be 
 doing, feeing the danger of lying fiill ; 
 at laft I came to refolve to go hear at 
 a Meeting in Sydburyi but I could not 
 pray for a blefline, believing my Pray- 
 er was abominable to the Lord; and 
 I had alfo (after ! had refolved) much 
 ado to go , considering I was but sn 
 Hypocrite 9 and fuch a one fhouldnot 
 fiand before God ; alfo confidering 
 what my thoughts agaitfft God were* 
 and had been : I went with great fears 
 on my hearc , thinking ( as formerly ) 
 C 4 the 
 
24 The Captive taken 
 
 the Lord would meet me in a way of 
 rebukc,wune(Tmo againft me: but then 
 I thought alfo I could but perifti ; and 
 I bad had fuch thoughts of the Lords 
 witnefling againrt me formerly, which 
 I had been miftakenin, and fo might 
 be in thefe ; and ftill urged this to my 
 heart , To abide in a way of unrighte- 
 cufneffe is nothing but death : onely 
 in a way of righteoufncfle is life « fo 
 that I had great fears each way, of go« 
 ing or flaying : But confidcring my 
 nights refolution,I fear'd if I went not 
 I fhould be found a Mocker of Gcd ; 
 and fo I went : but when I came there, 
 my fears were renewed again , as to 
 the Lords witneffing againft me : but 
 I drove againft them , by calling to 
 mind former miftakes of this kind, and 
 endeavoured to hear attentively ; and 
 after a while the Lord abated my fears 
 aforefaid , and afterwards almeft clean 
 removed them': The Subje& fpoken of 
 at that time was (loth ; which having 
 been fo much my fouls difeafe, I was 
 very forely reproved by it, efpecially 
 afterward, when I ferioufly Meditated 
 upon it : but yet I refolved to wait in 
 the ufe of means , blefling God ( as I 
 
 W« 
 
from the prong. 
 
 was able ) for what I heard this day ; 
 but yet remained in a very hclpleffc 
 condition, having little or no hope of 
 deliverance. This night afterwards, 
 at prayers in the Family , I had my 
 heart arTc&ed with fome expreflions 
 ufed in Prayer about the drcadfulnefle 
 of Chrifts appearing to his Adverfa- 
 ries,for their rejecting hirn ia his ten- 
 ders to them. 
 
 On the feven and twentieth day ac 
 night , I had many fears on my heart, 
 in fo much that I was afraid to ftay in 
 any room; and would, if I could, have 
 fled from theprefence of God, it was 
 fo terrible to me. And about twelve of 
 the Clock at night I came into my Si- 
 tter Vernons Chamber ; but horrour fo 
 feized on me in all places , as I was 
 forced once this night to go and cry to 
 the Lord for mercy : but whiift I was 
 in my Sifters Chamber, I heard one 
 walking in another room near, which 
 made me afraid to go back again , be- 
 lieving it was the DcviL ; but after un- 
 demanding it to be one of the Maids 
 that was up, I returned again then into 
 the Chamber Ibmcwhat freed fromaiy 
 fears; and went ro bed ; but having got 
 
 cold 
 
2 6 The Captive taken 
 
 cold with being up , I found my felf 
 noBch diftempered , both in my body 
 and head. 
 
 And kept my Bed the next day till 
 night : Then I got up for refrefhmenc 
 for a while, but remember not any re- 
 markable paflage farther this night ; 
 but had many fad grieving thoughts for 
 my rejecting Chrift, which were often 
 on my heart this day ; and alfo I had a 
 little view of the excellency of Chrift, 
 and fpaketo forae in the Family of it 
 in thefe words, His Fruit u better then 
 Life ; which I thought aggravated my 
 Iniquity in rejecting him , befides 
 whom there is not another that can 
 fave ; and that I fhould reject him, it 
 forely iffli&edme i But I hadfome- 
 times that day thefe words, He waits to 
 be gratiom • which fomewhat incoura- 
 ged , and revived me to wait : And it 
 grieved me exceedingly for my reje- 
 cting him, his. word and counfel ,who 
 fhalL be the defire of Nations • yea that 
 Tree of Life, whofe Leaves are for the 
 healing of ^{ations^ with whom is Riches 
 and, Honour - yea dure ab\e Riches and 
 Righteoufneffe : All thefe representati- 
 ons of Chrift to mejhci^ruened my fin, 
 
 and 
 
from the firtmg. 2 j 
 
 and grief for my rejecting hitn : And 
 even broke nay hem in the fence of it 
 moiipart of this day. 
 
 On the eight and twentieth dayfol- 
 lowingj I heard again in the Family 
 from the 28. Chapter of the Proverbs ; 
 the firft Vcrfc of which Chapter took 
 hold on me, as fuch a one as there is 
 Mentioned , fleeing from the Lord as 
 from my purfuer, which f have many 
 a time done : but in that difcourfe ic 
 was (hewn, that defpair is the High- 
 way to Hell ; which much dwell'd 
 with mt in the night feafon:and a- 
 wakening in the night , and hearing 
 the wind blow hard.it forely terrifyed 
 me ; being the voice (as I thought) of 
 God my terrible judge, considering 
 him as a confumiog fire againrt all Im- 
 penitent Rejectors of him , of which 
 number I was one j and looking on 
 him as a God of infinite pew enable to 
 caft me into Hell in a moment : and I 
 remaining a Subje&of bis wrath, in a 
 ftate of unbelief , it made me fear ex* 
 ctedingly : bnt withal confidering, that 
 fl ill to remain in this condition 9 no- 
 thing but detf toftion could be expe- 
 cted 5 as al r o that there was no flying 
 
 from 
 
28 The Captive taken 
 
 from his prefence , before whom all 
 places, perfons , and things are open 
 and bare , and from whom nothing 
 can be hid • Hell and deftru&ion be- 
 ing open, and known to him, how 
 much more the hearts of the Sons of 
 Men ? I hence concluded my condi- 
 tion to be exceeding lad • and then 
 confidering what a Rebel I had been, 
 fetting at ncught his counfels , and ca- 
 tting his Laws behind my back ^ yea 
 defpifing, hating, and contemning him, 
 it made me afraid to go to him : But 
 feeing no way to go from him, and my 
 fclf in this defperate condition, I muft 
 needs be ruin'd by him , if I came not 
 unto him. He at iaft led me to this re- 
 folution of flying to him,begging mer- 
 cy at his hands, for the fake of Chrift, 
 as one who faw my fclf in the High- 
 way to Hell • and knowicg that his 
 right hand would esiily find out all his 
 Adverfarics that had hated and oppo- 
 fed him. 
 
 So that there would be no escaping, 
 but by flying to Chrift > there being 
 NO Of HER N A ME UNDER 
 BEAVER GIVEN FOR SAL- 
 VAT ION , UKTO POOR 
 
 SIN- 
 
from the flrong. 29 
 
 SINNERS, BUT THIS ONELY. 
 And fo out of this great depth I was 
 inabled to look towards his holy Tem- 
 ple, crying to him for mercy 5 without 
 which! faw I was updone for ever ; 
 fo I continued crying to him, and thri- 
 ving with my own foul , to hope that 
 the Lord would for thrifts fake (hew 
 mercy to me , becaufe he had (hewed 
 mercy to very vile finnersj though I 
 knew nenefo vile as I, being the-chief 
 of tinners* having long defpifed and re- 
 jected that rmrcy that then I fought 3 
 yet feeing what a.woefull condition I 
 (hould for ever be in without it 3 I cry e<J 
 to him for ic $ and ihcnhad fomt Me- 
 ditations given in, of the way of God's 
 ftiewisg mercy , con(idering hovv he 
 had 'found out a way tor mercy, sod 
 truth.ro meet together i.i Chrift-,- for 
 the Salvation cf poor fiz ners , yea rhe 
 chief of finners : and the Lord brought 
 at that time fctn s to my > 
 
 memlnnce, that 1 had heard about 
 'the City 61 refuge,f^oyjded in the dme 
 of the Law ; which was then minded 
 typed cu~ Chrift, as th : City qf refiigc 
 prepared ot God for poor pu :\ r„.d din- 
 ners to Hie usto from thu wrath that 
 
 all 
 
jo The Captive taken 
 
 ill would be elfe concluded under to 
 Eternity : And the Lord alio was gra- 
 tioufly pleafed to enable me , to have 
 recowfe to Chrift, as the onely refuge 
 lefc for my poor foul j begging hard 
 for me,rcy upon his accouat,and the ac- 
 count ©f what he had done and differ- 
 ed for fuch poor tinners as 1 was; 
 and I was heipr alio to confider the 
 large extent of his mercy tothevileft 
 of Tinners ; and fuddenly after, I was 
 gratioufly hcipt to hope in his mercy, 
 and fupported and incotiraged from 
 f pj John that good word ( then brought with 
 3.7. power upon my foul) (p) He that co- 
 
 tneth to mcjvfillin no wife cafi */#;Which 
 did greatly fupport me in good hopes 
 of mercy from him ; and after that,t his 
 (q) uch. 7. other good word was brought in with 
 * 5 • great power upon my hearc,^) Where- 
 
 fore he is ahle+to fave to the uttermofij all 
 that come unto God by him^ feeing he ever 
 lives to m^intercejfion for them* 
 
 This alfo added much to the ground 
 of my hope in his mercy,that though I 
 had been fuch a Rebel,and great tranf- 
 greflbr,*s I had beenjyet h; having faid 
 he would in no wife caft out any that 
 came to him, & was able to fave to the 
 
 utter- 
 
from the flrong. 3 I 
 
 jtntcrmoft ; ic much upheld and com- 
 forted my foul in looking towards him. 
 Another Scripture brought ia at the 
 fame time to my heart? was, (r) / am (t)Efal^ 
 (jol , and befides me there is no Savior ; 1 1 3 1 3 . 
 / wilt nor ^ and none frail let it % whence 
 I was inabled to believe that he was a« 
 ble to do all things by the word of his 
 power, and to break through all oppo- 
 sitions that ftand in his way . that he 
 was able to break down every iirong 
 hold , and fubj:& every high thought 
 to his obedience. I then had Medi- 
 tations of the heights , and depths j 
 lengths , and bredths 3 of that infinite 
 mercy that was in Je us Cnriihand the 
 Lord by fuch Mediations on his ho- 
 ly word, did greatly incourege, Oreng<= 
 then^ and raifc up m t poor, weak, un- 
 worthy foul , very often (and power- 
 fully) repeating thefe Scriptures , laft 
 mentioned, over and over to my poor 
 foul : and now was my foul greatly re- 
 frefhad in hopes of his mercy to me ; 
 but a little after,the fame night , / was Ui jL$ f % 
 forely a(f united again, to call in que/Hon all ,/!?'?" 
 ttoe hopes I hai 0} mere) from the Lord ; received. 
 in the fenfe of which, I was made to 
 cry , yea roar out in bitter diftrefs to 
 
 the 
 
32 The Captive taken 
 
 thcLord,ftriving not to let go my hold* 
 but to call to miod what he had be- 
 fore fpoken ; Namely , That thofefhat * 
 come to htm 9 he will in no wife cafi out ; 
 together with the reft cf the Scrip- 
 tures before mentioned , given in at 
 firft for my incouragemect : and the 
 Lord again,in this fore confliS,brought 
 in all thofe Scriptures afrefti upon my 
 hearr v and fo relieved me gratioufly at 
 this time alfo. 
 H<Y feemd But yet the tempter continued his 
 Ajjault. a {r au i ts . tempting me yet to cafi off 
 my confidence in the Lord , as alfo to bla- 
 fpheme God : But the Lord upheld me, 
 by putting and keeping under his 
 . cverlatting Armes • By which I was 
 ftayed upon him , crafting in him , 
 and was not left to the will of mine 
 Enemy : but was inabled ftill to hope 
 in his mercy,and hang upon that word. 
 of his promife 9 He that cometh to me % I 
 wiUinno wife cafi out: & then the Lord 
 wa^kafed eminently to proclaim his 
 mmz un O my foul : The Lord? the Lord 
 God j pardoning iniquity ', tranjgreffio'n^and 
 Ji#. And thus I was inabled (through 
 his infinite mercy, and by his Almighty 
 Power) to iky my fclf upon him , by 
 
 ho- 
 
from the ftrong. 33 
 
 hoping ftill in his mercy, for ever blef- 
 fed, be his name. And the fame Scrip- 
 tures were kept on my heart all the 
 firft day of the week following, with 
 great life and power, fuccouring me a- 
 gainft Satans temptations , that this 
 day alfo I was aflaalted with , fomc- 
 times to caft away my confidence as a- 
 forefaid , from thoughts of what I had 
 been, and done againtt Chrift : but the 
 Lord inabled me to witbftand that 
 temptation alfo by his good word, in 
 which he had caufed me to trurt: 
 namely,H* that comes to me,f will in no 
 wife caft ouvks alfo that he •would, wor^ 
 and none jhould let : So that I went to 
 God (through Chrift)defiring he would 
 inable my foul to follow hard after 
 him : begging in order thereto,that he 
 would uphold me , caufing my foul to 
 experience the truth of his word, that 
 it doth and (hall indure for ever: that 
 I might be able from experience to 
 witnefs to ir, as fo enduring* by his ne- 
 ver failing* nor forfalzing me. But that 
 I might know him at a God that keefs 
 Covenant and mercy for ever with hupeo~ 
 pie : which laft word? were this day 
 made fwect to my Meditation, 
 
 D Alfo 
 
34 The Captive taken 
 
 Alfo this day hearing in the Family 
 from Pfalm6$. 8. CM/ foul followeth 
 hard after thee , thy right hank upholds 
 we ; I was able to fay, I had experien^ 
 ced right hand upholding: : and my (oui 
 was now taught to beg earneftly for a 
 heart inabled to follow hard after him, 
 that hath fo upheld,that I might follow 
 him refoluteiy, patiently, expc&ingly, 
 and conftantly»as was then minded in 
 that Sermon . I alfo begged I might 
 b% kept low in my own eyes, under t he 
 receipt of mercy, looking on the Lord 
 Jefus , assise Spring and Fountain of 
 all in me, and to me, owning the free- 
 neffe of his grace to me. 
 
 Efpecially confidering what a Rebel 
 I had been againft him , and bow juft- 
 ly he might have caft me off for ever, 
 • had it not plea r ed him to advance rich- 
 es of grace to me , a poor vile undone 
 Creature, who defires his name alone 
 may have all the glory ; and fince he 
 hath iliewed this mercy to me, my 
 fouls great fears are, left Iftiould fa- 
 crifice tomyfelf : But I defire I may 
 for ever be kept in the fence of my 
 own urtworthineffc of rhelcaft mercy 
 from him,upon any other account then 
 
 the 
 
from the firohg. 35 
 
 the* good pleafure of his own will ., 
 matfe known in and by Chrift, to poor 
 finnsrs. Tei'this- night I was ajfaulted Her third 
 agdin with ■ many 'A/afpbemotu thoughts AjJ'ault. 
 darted into my foul , againft God y by the 
 tempter 1 caufyng fears fwdfatmings feme* 
 times: Yet I ft rove againft them, crying 
 to the Lord for help, to refiti the De? 
 vil, defiring he would aifo work fuch a 
 holy fear in my heart, as I might never 
 m©re dishonour him , who had To gra? 
 tioufly helpt me out of fuch depths, to 
 look towards him , and to hop? in his 
 imrcy, who was pleafed this night a- 
 gain very gratioufly to fapport me 
 with the fame promifes _*t firft given 
 in , and now again afrefh , as it were 
 repeated, and confirrri ? d further to my 
 foul. And by thefehe nowalfo upheld 
 me againft departing from him • & after 
 great ftrivirig and ftrugling to keep my 
 hold on the promUes, I bad alfo a pre- 
 vious view of the love of God given in- 
 to my fool, though the frHeft of (inners, 
 which did greatly refresh me, enabling 
 me (more faHy ) to believe in him : and 
 this Scriptare(x)was much fet upon my ^ . a Co .. 
 heart, Thmhe hath madehimto be fin for j, XIl 
 Hfjwho knew m fivjtkat we might be made 
 D 2 ths 
 
2 6 The Captive taken 
 
 the Righeoufnejfe of God in him : As alfa 
 that, (*) He u wade unto m of (jed % 
 fVifdome* Righteoufnejfe , San&ificAttoH, 
 and Redemption : So that I wis inabled 
 now to fee my felf juftified , and ac- 
 quit in the fight of God , through 
 Cbrift,fromall my iniquity,which wis 
 now bid , tnd covered ; and God in 
 Chrift well plcafed with me , upon the 
 account of his right eoufneffe onely ; 
 fo that I was ( being thus refreshed ) 
 inabled to admire his grace to fuch a 
 poor worthlefle Creature as I was; and 
 I had my foul then much enlarged in 
 defircs after him, that I might be kept 
 in time to come , from difhonouring 
 him by unbeiief,or any other way^ho 
 bad been fo gratieus, ycirich in mercy 
 to one fo unworthy ; yea even unto 
 me, who had been fuch a bitter Enemy 
 unto him. Oh , this did much com- 
 mend his love to my foul , caufingme 
 th? more to admire it,by refie&ing up- 
 on what I had been , and what 1 had 
 done againlt him. 
 
 On the fecondday of the week I 
 Was aifo carried on for the mo3 part,in 
 a holv Admiration of his kindnefle to 
 me : Dtfiring , I might ft ill be inabled 
 
 to 
 
from the flrong. 37 
 
 to depend en him , and his grace ma- 
 nifefted through Chrit Jcfus to me ; 
 and might be inabled Will to prefs hard 
 after him, from the taanifeftation of 
 his love through Chrift to my foul : as 
 alfothat I might be inabled to give 
 glory to God by believing ; and that I 
 might never more by an evil heart of 
 unbelief, depart, or fly from the Lord, 
 or dishonour him by hcarkning to the 
 voice of the tempter ; but might hear 
 and know his voice , and follow him* 
 and no more the voice of (.'rangers, 
 but onely him, who had been fo abun- 
 dantly gratious to fuch an unworthy 
 Great ure,who never defcrved the leaft 
 dram of his grace or mercy , but the 
 greateft of his Wrath and fury to be 
 poured out upon me : And that fuch a 
 fence of my undone condition, and his 
 right-hand-help extended to me in it, 
 might teach me for ever to afcribe grace 
 & glery to his name ? & that only; ic alfo 
 was now my fouls Rcqaeft that I might 
 be inbled to return thanks in truth 
 to him by my unfeigned obedience to 
 all his command s,alfo by fcarching af- 
 ter the more clear knowledge of his 
 will, in any thing wherein I might yec 
 D 3 be 
 
38 The Captive taker* 
 
 be dark , or ignorant ; defiriag that I 
 might neither defpife, ncgle&, or con- 
 temn any of his Commands, though 
 reckoned (mail or contemptible in the 
 eye of the world : but that, what ever 
 his mind is, I (hould do ; I might be 
 inablcdto honour him therein , freely 
 and fincerely, though never fo weakly, 
 and might never willingly neglect any 
 Command of his : but might with full 
 pufpofe of heart cleave to him, and his 
 waye?, no more finfully to depart from 
 them,whatever I may be cxpofed to, & 
 that the truth and integrity of my heart 
 might even appear to the glory of God, 
 in my being found a follower efthofe y who 
 through faith and patience inherit the 
 promrfes. 
 
 The fecond day of the week at night, 
 I had a more large view of the Lords 
 love, and more refreshings then I had 
 before. And I was now inablcd to fee 
 that all forts of good was laid up for 
 meinChrill , both for foul and body, 
 
 (cl J -from that Scripture, (*#) For itpleafed 
 the Father that in him fhetild all fulmffe 
 dwell : And this fulnciTe I law was laid 
 up in him for all believers : and I was 
 made t© fee that all that good contain- 
 ed 
 
from the flrong. 3 a 
 
 cd in any of the promifes, it was in him 
 and by him given out to believers* 
 through the promifes ; and that ic 
 ftiould be enjoyed by believers in him 3 
 with unfpeakable fafety and certain- 
 ty, he never failing any that truft in 
 him: for he hath faid, None that trufi 
 in him (ball be deflate , nor (hould any be 
 able topluck^them out of hid handy nor oHt 
 of his fathers hand , who is greater then 
 he. Thefc with many other pretious 
 promifes did then flow in abundantly 
 to my foul , carrying me out of my felf 
 by faith to him, fothatl wasinablcd 
 torciignup my felf, and commit the 
 keeping of my foul, and all that 1 have, 
 and am,to him whom I had found thus 
 faithful* ( and aifo able) to keep what 
 was committed to him , and to prefenc 
 me before his Father, without fpot,and 
 blamcieffe,at that great day of his ap- 
 pearing: And I was now made willing 
 to be at his difpofe, and to be govern- 
 ed by him ; defiring that he onely 
 might have Dominion in my foul; and 
 1 be inabled by him to follow him 
 whkherfoevcr he goes, and into what 
 condition foe ver he would carry me* 
 according to that Character given of 
 D 4 his 
 
40 Tl)e Captive taken 
 
 (vi) Rev. his redeemed ones, (w) Thefe are they 
 
 i4«4« which follow the Lamb, whither foever he 
 
 goeth : Which Scripture was at that 
 
 time born in, with great weight on my 
 
 foul, making me earneftly beg, That I 
 
 might be inabled to deny my felf,and 
 
 take up his CrofTc , and follow him ; 
 
 depending on him for whatever I 
 
 might ftand in need of, being inabled 
 
 (throngh grace) to believe, that all the 
 
 promifes are in him yet, and Amen : 
 
 Yea the good of every of them laid up 
 
 in him, more fully then in them. And 
 
 afterwards I was inabled to refign up 
 
 my felf to him , as before exprefled • 
 
 and then did the promifes plentifully 
 
 flow into my foul. 
 
 (*) Jfa.tf. As firft, That I fhould (#) be faved 
 
 1 7 • with an everlafting Salvation^ and fhould 
 
 not be afhamed world without end 5 and 
 
 that nonefhould be able to plucky An) be- 
 
 lievcr out of Chnft's hand : So that I 
 
 (y) ifa 45. was inabled to fay, (y ) In him have I 
 
 M> * 5- righeoufnejfe > andfirength : And in him 
 
 (ball all the Seed of ifrael be juftified, and 
 
 (%) Tjalm '(hallg/ory:hnd that promife alfo,(*)//* 
 
 8 4j 1 1. w jji be a Sun 1 and afield 5 yea grace and 
 
 glory will he give , and no good thing will 
 
 he withhold^ &c. And I was inabled to 
 
 believe > 
 
from the firong. 41 
 
 bdkve j That I jhonld be kept by\the 
 mighty *Power ofGod, through Faith un- 
 to^alvation. Thcfc, with many more 
 precious promifes, with the comforts 
 of them, in 1 far larger meaiure then I 
 can now relate , were given in to me. 
 I had alfo particular promifes for gui- 
 dance and leading given in to my foul : 
 as that, (*) If any man wiHdo my wiU y he (1) John 7. 
 fh all know of the Dottrine , whether it be *7» 
 of Cody or not : And (£) 1 will guide them (h) Pfalm 
 with mine eye\ and (c) Then [hall ye know, \ *■ Jj 
 if Joh follow on to know the Lord : And y *' ' 
 that alfo(<i) / lead in the way ofrighte- (d)7r»v, 
 eufnejfe in the mid ft of the paths ofjudg- 8. zo. 
 menu 
 
 And I had many prcmifes alio, as to 
 provifion, as (e) 7 htyjhallbe abundant- (e) Vfalm 
 ly fatisfied with the fatneffs of thy houje ; $ 6 - 8 * 
 and fh^H drink, of the Rivers of thy plea- 
 fures: And alfo that (/") In this tjttoun* (i) ifm.if* 
 tain will the Lord n:ake a Featt of fat ti- 
 thing* ; a Feaft of Wine on the lees well 
 refined. And I was inabled now tobc- 
 Wcxc^My life was hid with Chrijl in God : 
 and that becattfe he lived*. Ifhotdd live al- 
 fo ; and that he was come, that we might 
 have life , and might have tt more abun- 
 dantly, as alfo that he ever Uveth to make 
 
 intr' 
 
42 The Captive taken 
 
 in'ercejfionfor us : and that he was come 
 into the world , that wbofoever believes in 
 him , [hould not abide in darknefje : and 
 that he would be a Sun as well as a (hie Id ; 
 yea he would givegrace^ and glory sand no 
 good thing will he withhold^ &C. And in 
 contemplation on thefe promifes, and 
 the grace contained in them,& the dun* 
 blentffe of them, {.which I was allured 
 (hould not fail in one tictlc to be made 
 good ) 1 was kept up the third day 
 of the week , in a holy Admiration of 
 my foul j enjoying fweet refrefhment 
 for the moft parr, from the confiderati* 
 on of the infinite goodneffeof God,fet 
 off, and exceedingly heightened to 
 my foul, by the consideration of that 
 abounding evil in me, to whom all this 
 rich mercy had been (hewed : And in 
 this frame for the moft pirt, both the 
 fourth day of the week, and the night 
 alfo, and iikewife on the fifth day of the 
 week,k was much the fame with me. 
 But on the fifth day at night again, 
 He? fourth 1 ^ Enemy ajfaulted, and confii&ed 
 Mjjmli very fore with me , To wake me lool^ on 
 from S.uan. all the grace received , as a poor and low 
 thing : And I wss alio tempted to//- 
 thy and blasphemous thoughts againft God: 
 
 Thi* 
 
from the ftrong. 43 
 
 This was before I went to lie down to 
 cake my reft; which ftoim caufedme 
 to fly to my refuge, the Lord Jefus,for 
 help in this needful rime : Saying unto 
 him in my foul, Becaufc thou haft been 
 my refuge, therefore order the fhadow 
 of thy Wings will I put my truft. I 
 then alfo pleaded the Lord's good 
 word, in which he had caufed me to 
 hope :Nimely, That thofethat came un- 
 to him, he would in no wife cafi out • and 
 that he had [aid > he would never leave, 
 norforfake meaner would turn awaj from 
 me, or let my foul depart from him : All 
 which I pleaded with him ; earncftly 
 begging from him ftrengtb , to refift 
 the Enemies temptations, that I might 
 nor dishonour the Lord by bearkning 
 or contenting to any of bis temptati- 
 on's or fuggeftions. I % alfo pleaded 
 with him his good word , of treading 
 down Satan under foot fhortly • and 
 his making good that word, that the 
 Gates of Hell (hall not prevail againfi his 
 Saints : This being his word which 
 he hath faid fticuld endure for ever, in 
 which.my foul hath truftcd : Yet dill 
 theie A ff units were continued , to caufe Ajfaults 
 me to caft effmy hope : but the Lord continued. 
 
 fuc- 
 
44 The Cap:rje taken 
 
 fucccurcd and upheld me , tod at iafi 
 through mercy vanquished my Ene- 
 mies for me;alfo giving me fuch a wreft- 
 ling frame of Spirir,during the confli& 3 
 that I could not let him go, till he had 
 blefs'd me, by making good the word 
 I pleaded with him , in many rcfpe&s 
 to my poor foul. 
 
 Forever bleffed be his Name , for 
 fuch Riches of grace as he came in to 
 my foul with. In this confli& aifo, 
 making me wknetTe co the truth of his 
 word , that he is indeed a God that 
 keeps covenant and mercy, and that 
 for ever f with fuch as fear him. And 
 after I had been thus confli&ing, I was 
 enabled to read in his word comfort- 
 ably , without molcftation any more 
 this night ; and had my heart much 
 refrefh'djin beholding the Lord's faith- 
 fulneffe to me in my hour of tryal; 
 which made my feul more firmly reft 
 upon him,&tru3 in him,fceing he had 
 not ftffired his faithfalnefie tofail,nor 
 altered the thing gone out of his 
 mouth, nof removed , nor took away 
 his loving kindneffe from me. And (a 
 I lay down co reft , having been thus 
 ccninemly refrefh'd, and fupported by 
 
 the 
 
from the [IrQ'ng. 45 
 
 the Lord : I had alfo my fleep made 
 fwcct to me ; and when I awoke in the 
 night feafon 3 it was with this Scripture, 
 ( g ) He will reft in his love , he wiH re- (%) Zc pk, 
 Joyce over thee withfinging : As alfo this 317. 
 Scriptnre , He will never leave tbee> nor 
 for fake thee : Then alfo had I a weft pre* 
 tiomviewofthe eternal love of God to my 
 foul , letting me fee the reafon, why I 
 was not (long fince) confumed ; which 
 was, becaufe he had made An ever lading 
 Covenant on my behalf in fort ft Jcfus my 
 Lord, in all things well ordered and fure % 
 And that he was ever mindful of his Cove- 
 nant, Oh 1 , this was fweer,and this(cven 
 this ) was the reafon I was not caft off 
 in my rebellions 5 becaufe he hath loved 
 me with an everlafting love pheref ore with 
 loving kixdnejfe hath he drawn me , and 
 that for hu own name [ake he deferr*d his 
 anger : that he cm me not ojf y nor did he 
 retain his *nger forever , be* mfc mercy 
 f leafed him,& he delighted to begratious. 
 The coming in of ihcie did evenfatis- 
 fie my fcul , as with Marrow, in the 
 thoughts of his infinite , Sternal^ un- 
 changeable love : Which I faw indeed 
 was the reafon of my not being con- 
 fumed } becaufe he is God t andchangeth 
 
 not: 
 
4 6 The Captive taken 
 
 not .arid in his protection, tnd infinite 
 love, and mercy , my foul did now t& 
 Joyce, feeing its fafety ander the (ha- 
 dow of his Wings , believing I fliould 
 forever be kepi: by him, and be -would 
 Uphold 'me with the right hand of his 
 righteoufneffe , and would never fail, nor 
 forfat*e we ; but wouldreft in hie love. 
 
 The fixth day I was kept ap much 
 in the fen fe of love , peace, and joy af- 
 forded nae the night before from God 
 my gratious Father ; my foul ftill truft- 
 ing in his word, with which he had rc- 
 frefhed andfupported me: And ftill I 
 was inabied to believe, to my great 
 comfort, That his wordfhould endure for 
 ever: from which word? laft mention- 
 ed/ I have been inabied to plead with 
 Godwin my confli&s,after this manner. 
 
 Lord , thou haft promised , that they 
 that some to thee, thou wilt in m wife c aft 
 oat ; and if fo>, thmvanfl thou not turn 
 away from doing thy people good\ but wilt 
 according to thy' good word, fpr inkle them 
 with clean wtter^ and from all their idols 
 and Iniquities thou wilt cleanfe them\ye* 
 thou wilt take away the ft ovy heart r and 
 give them hearts ofFlefh , with thy Laws 
 writen tn them > and thy fear put fo into 
 
 their 
 
from the ftrong. 4 7 
 
 their inward parts, as t hey fh all not depart 
 from thee : this Lord is thy word, in which 
 thou haficaufed my foul u truft. ^ Thus 
 have I been inabled to plead his new 
 Covenant-mercy to my fculs fupport, 
 and upholding in ftraits ; blcfled be 
 his name. 
 
 This night I had a good nights reft, 
 and was much refre(h'd>on the feventh 
 day in the morning , with thoughts 
 much enlarged upon iht great good laid 
 up by the Lord , f$r them that fear him : 
 and had many promifes presented a- 
 frefli to my foul, for future encourage- 
 ment ; fo that I was inabled (through 
 his grace) to admire his infinite love in 
 jefus Chrifti and to have my foul fully 
 fatisfied in that oncly , and to teftifie 
 my fatisfa&ioo therein,by defiring and 
 endeavouring for ever to be» to the 
 praife of his rich grace made known to 
 me , by being dedicated wholly to his 
 fervice 5 Whofe workmanship I am , being 
 created in Chrifi Jefe& to good works 5 to 
 the end we fkould wallow them : Giving 
 glory and honour to Chrift > Who alone 
 is worthy to receive it from m, having re* 
 deemed us out of all kindreds and tongues, 
 &c* and having wa[h*d us in his own 
 
 Blood, 
 
4 3 The Captive taken 
 
 Blooded made us Kings and Triefts un- 
 to Gid the Fathers avd we [hall Reign 
 for evermore. I ilfo confidcrcd it was 
 for chis end, that he gave himfclf to re- 
 deem us , that we mi<:ht be a peculiar 
 people to himfclf , zealous of good 
 works : And to this end I defired, My 
 foul might have Fellowship with him in his 
 death, fufferixgs, and refurreciion^being 
 made conformable to him in his death ^and 
 ratfed up, and brought forth by the power 
 oj his Spirit) in the Fellowship of his re fur ' 
 rettton. 
 
 But this feventh day at night I was 
 again ajfaulted with blafphemout thought /, 
 and tempted to flighty and lew thoughts 
 af all his grace and love made known to 
 me: And was feized with much fear (as 
 I am uiually in all thefe confii&s ) left 
 Ifhould be overcome, and difhonour 
 God by hearkning, & conferring to the 
 fuggeftions of his and my Enemy s But 
 the Lord this night alio was not want- 
 ing to me, but did uphold me in wait- 
 ingnpon him ; inabling me to feek to 
 him & reft upon him,his word in which 
 he had caufed my foul to truft. And 
 in this way he came in to me s manifeft- 
 inghimfelt exceeding grations to my 
 
 relief, 
 
from the flrong. v q.p 
 
 relief, and helped me to vanquifhehofe 
 temptations 5 giving me ftrcngth againft 
 thcttb and inabling me to ipeak to bis 
 praife , what he had done for my foul, 
 to the end it might be recorded : yec 
 when I came this. night to fpeak of 
 thefc things , that To they might be re- 
 corded, I was much afraid I fhould noc 
 be able f being much firaitcned , and 
 fhut up : but the Lord opened my 
 heart , and my msuth fpake (through 
 his affithnce) to his praife. 
 
 The feventh day at night I went to 
 bed late ; and when I awaked in the 
 morning 5 the Lord made my Medita- 
 tions of him to be fweet to me, caufing 
 me much ftill to rejoyce in the love of 
 God my Saviour. My firft Meditation 
 being of his infinite love and wii'dom, 
 in finding out a way for recovering and 
 reconciling poor^ left , fallen man to him' 
 felf; and fuck away wherein mercy and 
 truth might meet together , righteoufneffe 
 and peace might k : jfe each other. And 
 this Scripture was much on my heart, 
 (g) If we confejfc our fins, he is faithful % i Job. i. 
 and juft to forgive m our fins. And ?• 
 that was fweer,to fee it was not onely 
 mercy, but faithfulncffe, and juflice, to 
 E for- 
 
jo The Captive taken 
 
 forgive fins unto poor penitent tinners 
 for the fake or Chrift , The Mediator 
 between God and man, in whom God 
 fawhimfclf and Juflice fully fatisfled ; 
 and the poor believer might fee him- 
 felf folly acquitted, as it he had not fin- 
 ned: And all this I law as the Fruit of 
 Chrifts death and refurrc&ion, he ha. 
 \ing in our ft cad fully difcharged our 
 debts, which we elfc could never have 
 fati*fied ; by whom onely we receive 
 the Atonemeju. I had alfo a far more 
 pretious and inlarged difcovery of 
 thefe things , then I am now able to 
 mention, with many choice Scriptures 
 brought to my mind , as to this head : 
 (h) vfalm Namely,(£) Thon haft afcended on high: 
 08.18. Thott haft led captivity captive : Thou 
 haft received gifts for men,yea for the re- 
 bellions alfo ,f hat the Lord God might dwell 
 among them: and that by Chrift all hand' 
 writings that were againft *#, were taken 
 out o\ the way^and nailed to his Crofs t who 
 hath fpoiled principalities and Powers^ 
 triumphing over them openly : And that 
 by him thefting of deaths andftrength of 
 the Law were taken away : According to 
 CO * c <> r - his good word : it) Oh 'Deaths will be 
 '£ Wyky death: O Grave,! will be thy deftrtt- 
 
 ftien. 
 
from the flrohg. c i 
 
 tiionl The fling of death is fin ; And 
 theftrength of fir. is (he Law: But thanks 
 he to God y who giveth us the Victory 
 through our Lord efas thrift. Oh! 
 thefe -criprures were FOOD AHp 
 STRENGTH to my foul : At this 
 lime alio that Scripture wis given in, 
 ik' csfftefthe kJndvejfe and love of Cod ^ i Yitm 
 ourSavionr towards man appeared % not 3,4. 
 by works of righteoufnejfs^ which we have 
 done : but according to his mercy he fa* 
 ved US) by the wafting o^regeneration^nd 
 renewing of the holy Ghofty which he (hed 
 on us abundantly through fefus Chrift our 
 Saviour: So that I faw our Sanftificati- 
 on was the Fruit of his purchase for us, 
 and Free-gift to us • it toeing one greas 
 end in his laying down his life, that 
 he mi»ht redeem & purine to himfelf a 
 peculiar people^zealous of good works. 
 I had many Medications alio, (/) about n , r . 
 the Lords psfling by us , when wc lay 16. 6>&c. 
 polluted in our blood, and cart out to 
 the loathing of our perfons, in the dzy 
 we were born, that then he fliould fay 
 to us, Live; and that this fhould be 
 the time of love, arid fpreading his 
 skirt over us : as alfo to confide^ that ^ m . Gin ± 
 the promiie of Chrift , (m) {Jnd I will % u 
 E 2 put 
 
<r 2 The Captive taken 
 
 put enmity between thee and the woman 9 
 and between thy feed and her feed : It 
 frail bruife thy heady and thou (halt bruife 
 his heel) was given to fallen man, in 
 that nick of time of the grcateft mife- 
 ry , which he had brought on himfelf 
 and pofterity. 
 
 I had then aifo many Meditations 
 
 of God's power,by which he is able to 
 
 \eep Hi through faith unto Salvation ; 
 
 with many prcmifes given in to that 
 
 (n; Pfalm purpofe, as, that (») none thattruft in 
 
 34- zl - him fh all be defolate : As alfo that was 
 
 (&) ifai. ma ^ e ^ wect to m Y ^ GUi: W namely, H/ j 
 
 53- i*> 17. place of defence fhall be the munition of 
 
 Rockj ' bread (hall be given him, and hit 
 
 Waters (hall be fure ; and thine eyes (hall 
 
 fee the King in r his Beauty^ and behold 
 
 the Land that is vtry far off* Thefe 
 
 were MEAT TO ME INDEED 
 
 at that time , Thus to corfider the 
 
 fafety of believers as founded upen tbe 
 
 Rock of age?. 
 
 And alio that Scripture, (/>} Lord 
 (p) if a}, thou wilt or&zin peace for ta^for thou al\o 
 - 6 Ix - haft wrought all our workj in us : and 
 (q)Frov. Tikewilethat,^) the Lord will not fujfer 
 1 0.3 ♦ the foul of the righteow to famt(h >• but he 
 
 cafts away the fubftance o( the wicked : 
 
 And 
 
from the flrong. 5 3 
 
 And (r) the way of the Lord is flrength* &ov. 10. 
 to the upright ; but deftruftionfhallbe to 19, 
 the workers of Iniquity : And char, 
 (s) Teace I leave with yon » my peace /s John 1 4. 
 give unte you > rot 04 the world giveth ?* 
 give I unto you : Let not your heart be 
 troubled , neither let it be afraid : And 
 (t) because I lively oufhall live alfo: And. c John 14. 
 (u) he fh all deliver thee infix trouble s^yea\ r 3. 
 injeven, there fhallno evil touch thee.knd u 3° b f «*** 
 (w) their fouls fk all be 4U a watered (far-^ ij a \ % 5 g. 
 den } that God hath biefed : And f x) I then. 
 Lord do keep it ; / will water it every mo- Y *M.*7. 
 me nt y lefi any hurt it : I will keep it night ? ' 
 and day. With thcfe promiies was my 
 foul rcfrefh'd greatly this nighc; and 
 from hence was I led to medicate on 
 the great care, love, and tender pity of 
 the Lord, towards his poor peoptain 
 miking fo many pretious promises for 
 fupport and fuccour for his poor Saints: 
 which made me even (with Aftonifh- 
 nunc ) admire his grace herein : and 
 then was that good word brought in 
 fweetly refrefhin^me, (7) When thel '/'Mi* 
 poor and needy feek^ water ^ and there is 7 * 
 none > and their tongue faileth for thirft, 
 I the Lord will hear them ; / the God of 
 Jfrael will not for fake them. I then cal- 
 E 3 led 
 
5 4 Tty. Captive taken 
 
 led to mind hew largely cay foul had 
 cxperienc'dthe truth of thatword,that 
 even when I was ready to fail and fink, 
 &my foul eveo fcorcht up with the heat 
 of the wrath of the Lord) without any re- 
 frefhment, yea without a heart to feek 
 it ; he made good this to me : For ever 
 blejfsd br his name , and the Riches of his 
 grace, made h^mwn in Chrift to my foul. 
 
 And now did the Lord bring my 
 foul to this VPe&ofconfolationy and made 
 me drinks abundantly of the River of his 
 pleafures fir earning out in thefe prcmifes ? 
 and gave me Fruit indeed from the 
 Tree of Life • feeding me from that 
 (%) ifai. Word alfc (V) / wtUmakeaneverlafling 
 5 ?♦ 3 • Covenant with you , even the fare mtrcies 
 of David : Which I faw were Jure in- 
 deed^, s laid up in Chrift for believer?. 
 Even in him whom G*d hath exalted m a 
 Prince and a Saviour \to give repentance 
 H%i9 {frael^ for remiffion of fms:who I im- 
 felfwoi tempted^ that he might be able to 
 fuccour thefe that are temped » Whom 
 God huh railed fom ihe dead , that 
 our lie and hope mi^ht he in hitu,wbo 
 ba v called poor and weary fowls to 
 comedo Hm for reft; and hath made 
 Has amongft other* largely experience 
 
 the 
 
from the flrong. c 5 
 
 the truth of that word , in cauGng my 
 foul to find reft enely in him^ktt a long 
 and fore travail, and weary fomc jour- 
 ney. Yet again, this firft day of the 
 week I was affaulted in hearing the 
 word Preached , with many filthy fugge- K Jff 
 fttons caft in , tocaufeme to undervalue from Satan. 
 the grace of God made known : And this 
 was both forenoon , and afternoon : 
 but yet \ wu grarionfly helpt to ftrive 
 againft them; and to cry out to the 
 Lord for help and affittance,to rcfift the 
 wicked one- begging,Tbe Lord would 
 not luffer me to difhenour his holy 
 name, by confentiog to the temptors 
 fuggeftions : and then I cali'd to mind 
 that word, wherein he had caufed me 
 to truft : Namely, {a) That he would (&) tab. 
 never leave me, nor for fake me : but i$- ?• 
 would put his fear fo in my heart, as I 
 jhould not depart from him ; neither fhould 
 I he Gates of Hell prevail againft me: And 
 thus by flying to him as my Sanctuary, 
 I was inablcd to refit* , and overcome 
 my Enemies , who elfe had been too 
 hard for me, 
 
 I had alfo this day .while I was hear- Herfe- 
 ing, fomefad considerations about fat- y^oAf- 
 ling away, after grace received \ which ^tm 
 E 4 made 
 
<j£ The Captive taken 
 
 made my foul to tremble in the 
 thoughts of it,to think how dishonour- 
 able that would be to the name of 
 God:but I had Tome hopes in his word, 
 which fupported and ftrenghthened 
 me againit thefe fears : Namely, That 
 (he Lord would fyep me bj hit Power 
 through faith unto Salvation ; and 
 would alfo according to his Covenant 
 fut his fear in my hearty that I Should not 
 (at letfi utter l))depart from htm: but yet 
 had miny fears, that if hefhould but 
 edipfe his love to my foul, that rnight 
 . alfo be to the difhonour of his name , 
 and an occafion of Rumbling to others; 
 wHich alo made my foul full of fears 
 in the thoughts of it. But this fomc- 
 what tfay'd me, that he, who hath be- 
 gun a good wotkjwillfinifh it,and will 
 be careful of his own glory , which in 
 my fouls upholding is fo much con- 
 cerned. 
 she is help- * was a ^ cer tne ^ e convertings with the 
 ed to co>ifi- Lord,and fweet Communion with hitn, 
 der T»hni j cc | toconfider what all this calls for 
 
 tl°dfor all to tefline my love to Jefus Chriif , in 
 bit mery waves cf obedience to all his Com- 
 mand?, who had fo plentifully manife- 
 
 fted 
 
from the ftrong. 5 7 
 
 fted his love to my foul : and at laft 
 was led to Tome Meditations about 
 Baptifm , looking upon it as a duty in- 
 cumbent upon all believers , whereby 
 they did evidence their love to Chrift, 
 in obedience to his Commands. But 
 withal, I had fome fears on my heart, 
 abouc my being carried on in that du- 
 ty? which I fee to be fo contemn'd and 
 defpifed ; but did judge? rhefe were but 
 the tempters fuggciiions • and there- 
 fore did earneftly defire of the Lord, 
 that he would in able me to evidence 
 my (incerity to him , by following him 
 in his mod defpifed paths ; and that I 
 might not dare to neglect any duty he 
 calls for at my hands : then alio was I 
 brought to mind thac Scripture, (fi) To b nil. 1. 
 yon ifs given not onely to believe , but *l- * 9- 
 foto faffer for his fak? : And that he 
 onely could give this gift, which was a 
 great honour to be conferr'd upon his 
 poor Saints, to be counted worthy to 
 furfer for his name ; and I begg'd, It 
 might ever be fo accounted bv me : 
 that Scripture alfo I had on my mind, 
 (jp) He that loveth Father or ^Mother c &iattb, 
 more then me , is not worthy of me : As IO - 37- 
 like wife (d) JSTo man that hath left houfe \ Ma ™°* 
 
 or 9 ' 
 
58 The Captive taken 
 
 or Brethren^ or Sifiers> or Father^ or Mo- 
 thers Wife^or Children. or Land s for my 
 fake> **d th? Cjofpels^ but he fhalt receive 
 an hundred fold now in this time^houfes^ 
 and Brethren^ andSifiersj and Mother $ % 
 and Children) and Lands jtviih fetjecmion^ 
 and in the world to comejifc Eternal* 
 
 Now by a hundred fold in this life, 
 ! un dcrftood to be in peace of confer- 
 ence, that would be more then all the 
 comforts I could forfakefor it • Befides 
 in the world to come life everlafting : 
 And thtt Scripture alfo i had, (<?) For 
 our Light afflittions , which are but for a 
 ^momentydo work for ns a far mare exceed' 
 ing and Eternal weight of glory whileft we 
 look not at the things which are feen , but 
 at thofe things that are not feen: for the 
 things that are feen, are temporal j but 
 thofe that are notfeen^ are Eternal : i alfo 
 vnmdcd. Kjiiofes his eying the recom- 
 penee cf tew£rd,made him defpife the 
 r!? * urc* of Pharaoh's Court; and like- 
 wife what rhe Saints mentioned, 
 (/) bad pnehued by eying the glory fee 
 before them and looking to that 
 City that Lid f etwdations , whofe builder 
 4ndv% ' "-' ' Ged>; And upon thefc and 
 fucn iikc cocfiderations my foul was 
 
 in- 
 
from the firong. 59 
 
 incouraged to follow Chrift 5 rcfolving 
 in his rtrcngth, I would do fo in every 
 of his Commands > he fhould make 
 known to me to be my duiy to walk 
 in ; although by fo doing I were a re- 
 proach and fcorn ; mindiog "David's 
 words, (g) I am a wonder unto men: hut ^ *p{alm 
 thou art myfirong refuge. And t hence 71.7. 
 I reafoned, iffeod were my refuge I 
 did not care , though I were a wonder 
 unto men,'tn purfuit of my duty : & up- 
 on fome further conlid era t ions, I few 
 Baptiime more clear to be my duty ; 
 I bung commanded, (&) To follow thofe (h) Hcb.6. 
 who through Fiiith and pattevce inherit ?*• 
 the promtfes : And this patti of Bsptifm 
 I find Chrift and all his Diicipies 
 waik'din^nd therefore is tbw I judg- 
 ed I wa 3 to follow ; being commanded 
 to be a follower of them : I alio con- 
 fidered, (i) Then they that gladly recei- (I) ^L&s %. 
 vedthe word were Baptized, &C. 1 like- 4*- 
 wife cor-fidered Chriits Commiffion, 
 (£) Go teach all Nations, Baptizing them, (V) Matth. 
 &C. Teaching them to objerve all things a$.i 9 •• 
 that I (fommmd you \ Of which I find 
 Biptim^tobc 00c : this Hill cleared 
 itupiomy foul further a* a duty; I 
 alfo confidered ihat the L»ws of a King 
 
 were 
 
6o The Captive taken 
 
 were to be obeyed by ill his Subje&s ; 
 and this I judged one of the Laws of 
 Chrift, and therefore to be obeyed by 
 all his Subje&s : I alio weighed feveral 
 other Scriptures about the nature, ufe, 
 and ends of Baptifme , particularly 
 ] Ram.e. 00 which did manifeft to me, that Ba« 
 4,.). ptifmc was a duty inpyncd to all be- 
 
 lievers -they thereby manifesting their 
 conformity to Chrift in his death , in 
 order to their being raifed up by him 
 again,and brought forth in the Fellow- 
 Ctiip of his Refurre&ion unto newncflc 
 of life; all which I found much in- 
 couraging and ingaging my heart to 
 that duty. 
 
 This night alfo my deep was made 
 very fweet to me, through the Lord's 
 goodneffe : I waked often , and flept 
 a^ain , and ftill found Tweet refrefh- 
 ings in my foul, feeing my felf very fafe 
 under the prote&ion ©f Chrift: I then 
 endeavoured to fUep again , minding 
 what had Seen told me , that I ought 
 i to have cotapaffion on my body ; and 
 my fleeowas comfortable tome '.Eve- 
 ry uair. I aw iked , having thefe words 
 m zip.% . given (m) to me, He will reft in his love t 
 mud 4 And thefe* (») lamGody Uhangejaou 
 
 AflA 
 
from the firong. 61 
 
 and I will never leave thee , nor for fake 
 thee : So that I was fwcetly competed, 
 and inablcd to rejoyce,under the pro- 
 te#ion of Chriir, having thofc words 
 aifo brought to my mind, (o) 7 he Lord f [ 
 hath (hewed me his marvelous loving kind- , , # zt 
 neffein a ftrong City> and hath laid he/p ' 
 upon ene that u mighty : And that Scri- 
 pture, (p) Trufl in the Lord for ever, for p ifaiif. 
 in the Lord Jehovah is everlafting 3- 
 Jfrength; in which my foul rejoyccS 
 greatly ; as alfo in that word, (q) He<\ //"«4o. 
 fh a 11 gather the Lambs in his Arms , and 1 1 ■ 
 carry them in his boforr.e^ and gently lead 
 thofe that are with yeng: From which the 
 Lord gave me faith in my foul, that he 
 was able to keep me,foas none fhould 
 be able to pluclc me out of his hand ; 
 fothat I was made to re Joyce in that 
 unlpetkable fafety that I had under his 
 Protection. Another prctious pro- 
 mife tome was, (r) A bruifed Reed 
 (hall he not breaks nor fmoaktng Flax fhall r " M -* z ' 
 he not quench , till he bring forth judge- 3 
 ment to viciory : He (hall not fail , nor be 
 difcouraged till he have fet judgement in 
 the Earthy and the Jfesfhall wait for his 
 Law: And hence I considered, that he 
 was my Counfcllcr as well as my Pro- 
 
 teSor : 
 
6z The Caput e taken 
 
 teftor; and what a wonderful Coun 
 feller he is ! which I confidcred at large 
 (s) jfai. 9. from (j) Hxto us a Child is bom, and un* 
 *• torn a Son is given \ the Government (hail 
 
 he upon his {boulders: and his nameftoallbe 
 calk d the wonderful Counfelter> the ever * 
 laftmg Father, the Trincc of peaces And of 
 hit Government and Kingdom there ft all 
 be no end : As like wife thofe words 
 (t) ^5. came to my mind, (t) A Trofhet [haH 
 f* § the Lord your God r nfe up unto ym , of 
 
 your Brethren*, like un me him jhallyou 
 hear in all things that hefhalljpe*k • then 
 was my heart iifred up , blefJlng the 
 Lord for that plentious redemption, 
 which he had let me fee inChrift , sc- 
 (u) 7>fdlm cording to that word, (#)bkffinghim 
 i©3. with whom there is fuch plentiful re- 
 demption, to redeem Ifrael frcmall 
 his iniquities, who Crowneth us with 
 loving kindnefle, &c. and who bath 
 bleft'duswith all Spiritual bleffiftgs in 
 Chrift ; having raifedu?, and made us 
 fit together in Heavenly pUces in 
 Chritt , that in the ages to ceme he 
 might (hew, what is the exceeding 
 Riches of his srace, in his kindneflfe to- 
 wards as in Chnft .who hath delivered 
 us from the Kingdom of darknefle>and 
 
 bath 
 
from the ftrong. 63 
 
 hath tranflited us into the Kingdom of 
 his dear Son. 
 
 I had alfo fome pretious Meditati- 
 ons upon that great deliverance I had 
 by Jefus Chrift, from the dominion of 
 fin, Satan, and that greateft bondage of 
 all,to be in a natural condition ; and 
 that Chrift had purchafed perfect li- 
 berty and freedom: fo that I was now 
 made free indeed , and made a parta- 
 ker of the inheritance of the Saints in 
 light. Yet after all this, I was again Her eighth 
 forcly affaulted, and tempted, to have 4P*fc 
 low undervaluing thou°bts of the 
 grace of God , as if it were but a poor 
 low thing; as alfo to blafpheme againft 
 God : but the Lord did gratioufly make 
 me to cry to him for his affilhrce , to 
 caufe my foul to rcfi'* the Devil , and 
 loath and abominate his filthy fugge- 
 ftions , that fo I might not didicnour 
 him by hearkning or confenting there- 
 to,feeing he had promKed , He would 
 never leave wf, nor for fake me : That he 
 would now make good his word , in 
 which he had caufed me to truft • and 
 by thefe (and many other prcmifes) he 
 inabled me to plead with him , who 
 had faid , Ke would fave to the ut- 
 
 moft) 
 
^4 The Captive taken 
 
 «w/£,and would tread down Satan under 
 foot jhortly ; and that the Gates of Hell 
 (hot* Id ntt prevail againfi me : All which 
 I pleaded carneftly with hisn , that he 
 would ftiil caufc me to experience the 
 truth of this his word, in which he had 
 made my foul to hope : and at length 
 (through his rich grace) I was inabled 
 to fay to his praife,That he was indeed 
 t God that did never leave nor for- 
 fake them that trufted in him ■ but did 
 keep Covenant and mercy for every in 
 that he had vanquifhed the Devil, and 
 caufed me to relie on himfelf , by gi- 
 ving me Faith in that pretious promifc, 
 That he would not breakjhe bruifed reed) 
 till he had brought forth Judgement unto 
 Vittory: So that in the fenie of his ne- 
 ver failing nor forfaking me „ my foul 
 was made now greatly to re Joyce. 
 Further The fecond day at evening ? I had 
 Alfaults many fir y darts , and filthy fulge § ions of 
 fom Satan. s ataxf cafl into me : Which were excee- 
 ding terrible unto me , and were born 
 inwithiuch violence, as though the 
 Devil ft/rove with all his might to caufe 
 metocan g# my hopes that I had in 
 God ; urging me to blafphewe God, and 
 to think meanly and lowly o] the grace of 
 
 God 5 
 
from the firong. 6^ 
 
 God ; Which caufed in mc great fears : 
 but the Lord of his grace did not fo 
 leave me, as tofuffermetocartoffmy 
 confidence : But great wai my fears, 
 left I fhould be lcrt to dishonour him 
 by unbelief, after I had profefs'd fuch 
 hope in him ; and thereby alfofhould 
 wound the peace of my own foul. I 
 alfo confidered, that if I fhould conti- 
 nue in this condition,my life would be 
 a burden to me , and I fhould have 
 caufe to repent of the ProfefTton I had 
 made of my hope in God ; thinking 
 what a great difhonour this would be 
 tohisNameandGofpel, and caufe of 
 (tumbling to them who had heard me 
 profeffe my hope, caufing them to dif- 
 honour him alfo. 
 
 But the Lord did help me(through his 
 grace) to flie to him as my flrong re- 
 fuge,with fecrct breathings in my foul, 
 that be would not deliver mc up to the 
 will of my Enemies: but he would now 
 remember his good word, in which he 
 had caufed me ro hope , that thofe that 
 came to him^ he would in no wife cafi out , 
 butfave to the utmofl^ treading down Sw 
 tan under the feet of fuch : And I begg'd 
 that he would open and inlarge rriy 
 F ftra/t 
 
66 The Captive taken 
 
 ftrak heart> that my tnomh might fpcak 
 of his goodncflc, to the prail'eofhis 
 name. And the Lord did caufe my 
 foul again to experience his faithful- 
 ne{Te,ihat he is a God that kctps Co- 
 venant and mercy for ever ; and he did 
 gmioufly caufc the Devil to flie , and 
 gave great inlargement to my foul,con- 
 fidcring how greatly it was firaitened; 
 ' and made me able to fpeak to his 
 
 pratfe ; and did { by his good Spirit ) 
 bring thefe things to my remembrance, 
 which I was not able to think of be- 
 fore, and was again inabled to believe 
 ( through his g^ace ) that he is a god 
 that will keep truth for ever , and that no 
 foul^that trafts inhimifhoftld be de folate : 
 So that my ibul was now made to fay, 
 (w) Pfalm M B/eJfed is the man that hath the God 
 1 46. 5. of Jacob Jor his help 1 whofe hope is in the 
 Lord his G&d^ which made the Heavens> 
 the Sarthy the Seas^and all that is in them 3 
 and who keepeth truth for ever with them 
 that fear him. Bkffed be his name. 
 I have been (iocs pondering further the 
 duty efBapiifmesforefaio% and had at 
 feme times much clcarneffe in it as a 
 rimy 2 yet doubts and queftions have 
 been call imo my miad about it ; and 
 
 thus 
 
\rom the firor.g, 6"] 
 
 thus I remained,dcbanng it in my own 
 thoughts , and confulting Scriptures a- 
 bout ic, until the twentieth day of this 
 eleventh Moncth at night ; ac which 
 time I was fee upon with terrible faggtf- 
 ftions about the lownclTe andmean- 
 ioefie of it, being much tempted to de- 
 fpifc and flight it ; which, when I had 
 confidered, caufed great fears and fain- 
 ting in me , left I (hould in my hearc 
 confenr to thofe fuggeftions,and there- 
 by hinder my obedience to the Lord, 
 as aforefaid i And 1 was enabled to 
 lift up my foul to the Lord for help at 
 this time, againft thefe ftsggefticm and 
 temptations, that I might refit* them . 
 and the Lord inabled me now to con« 
 fider,that no Command of Chrift was 
 tobe accounted low,erfmall Conside- 
 ring alfo I owed all fervice and obedi. 
 ence to the Lord , both as I was his 
 Creature , but mare efpecullv a? I 
 Was redeemed by him fo marveileufly 
 as I have been, and with fo great a 
 price as the Blood of Jefu*. I alfo 
 thought, what a fad condition Jtdam 
 brought all his Pofierity into , by dis- 
 obedience at firft, in but eating an Ap- 
 ple, which was forbidden ; as alfo 
 F i what 
 
63 The Captive taken 
 
 what a poor Creature man was ; and 
 how unfit, unworthy, and unbecoming 
 it was for him, to be difputing with 
 his Creator ; whomight do with all of 
 us, as the Poiter with his Clay, make 
 or marre us at his pleafure ; and whac 
 a proud prefumptuous Creature I was, 
 to lifter fuch a thing to enter into my 
 thought?, that any of his Commands 
 fhould be difpuccd, or thought by me 
 to be low, or contemptible , which I 
 looked on as an abominable evil in 
 me ; and defired the Lord to look 
 with an eye of Pardon and companion 
 upon me; and not to foffer me to 
 hearken to the Devil's fuc>gefiions , to 
 dishonour him , but make me efteetn 
 highly of all his Commands ; defiring 
 he would (according to his promife ) 
 put hi> fear into my heart, that I might 
 not: depart from him ; and that feeing 
 he is able to fave to the utmeft . and had 
 prcmifed (o to do, as alfo to tread down 
 Satan under foot, and towork^i and none 
 fhould Ut : All which he having given 
 me experience of his making them good 
 to my foul formerly , 1 now begg'd he 
 would further ftrengthen my Faith 
 cencercirg them , as alfo in that good 
 
 word. 
 
from the firotig. gp 
 
 Word of his f in keeping me by his jfl- 
 mighty Power through Faith unto Salva- 
 tion : And now did I find the Lords / 
 gracious anfwer to my poor fouls de- 
 fire 5 in many of thefe things t as &r% 
 in upholding and keeping me againft 
 the Tempters fuggcftion, as I had 
 defired , that I was not overcome by 
 them ; though when I awaked this 
 night, the Tempter met me again with 
 .his Affaulcs : but I was helpt to tf rive 
 againft them , crying to the Lord for 
 help to fland, & tirength to overcome - 
 and he did help and foccour me a- 
 gainft them, and incouraged me to be- 
 lieve bis word , and to all to mind 
 the depths of dftlreffcs he had by his 
 oM-flrnched tArm^ and infinite love 
 and piny raifed my foul out of: and he 
 minded me,how he had /upported me, 
 when I was ready to fink under the 
 weight of my Iniquities, and wrath 
 due to them; yet he then upheld me, 
 and delivered me, and had faid he 
 would not forfake me. 
 
 Thefc confederations did fupport and 
 
 enable me fiill to truft in him,tha: had 
 
 wrought fo wonderfully,and appeared 
 
 (o eminently for my poor foul , as he 
 
 F 3 had 
 
7o The Captive taken 
 
 had done; and I was now inablcd to 
 believe that good word, (#) Theyjh*H 
 not hanger nor thtrft , neither (hall the 
 heat of the Sunfmite them: for he that hath 
 mercy on them (hall lead them , even by 
 the firings of Waters fh all he guide them: 
 As alfathac, {y)Hethatbelieveth onme y 
 the Scripture hath f aid , out of hid belly 
 jhallflow Rivers of living waters : Thefe 
 (whh many more promifes) were now 
 given in, fully anlwering to all my 
 wants, and removing my fears : I was 
 alfo inahled to judge htm faithful that 
 had promifed , and fo to look upon his 
 promifes as iomany love-tokens from 
 him, in the way of his free grace to my 
 foul,thrcugh Chrift my Redccmcnand 
 feeing Baptifm now (upon all the con- 
 federations aforefaid)my duty, to which 
 again was added afrcfh this Scripture, 
 (*») Therefore we are buried with him by 
 Baptifm into deathjkc*hnd my foul laid 
 under the Power of the truth in it, that 
 as I did expect advantage by the Lord 
 Chri t bis death and Refurre&ion to 
 my poor foul 3 fo I ought by my vifible 
 obedience to this his Command, to 
 declare my putting him on , and my 
 being planted in the HkenefTe of his 
 
 death, 
 
from the ftrvhg. 71 
 
 death , being buried with him by Ba- 
 ptifm into death • and alio my being 
 raifed withandby him,and the Power 
 of his Refnrre^ion , unto newneffe of 
 life • and my refolving (in his ftrength) 
 to walk accordingly : all which ends 
 Baptifm, (according to this Scripture) 
 I judged lively held forth 5 I was upon 
 the whole inabled to come to refoive, 
 (through grace) to yield obedience 
 thereunto , as unto a Command of 
 Chrirt my Lord^expe&ing his affirtance 
 and bleffing therein : According to his 00 John, 
 Word, (a) He that hath my Command* * 4- " • 
 mentS) and keepeth them t he it is that to* 
 veth me ; and he that loveth metyaU be lo- 
 ved of my Father ; and I will love him, 
 and wtS manifefl my [elf nnto him : As /j,) j^ 
 alfo that word , (b) Thou meetefi him 64. 5. 
 that rejojeethand worketh Righteoufne[s % 
 th»Je that remember thee in thy wayes. 
 In the Faith of which promifes , and 
 fear of the name of the Lord, I intend 
 (through his gratious afliftance) to 
 yeeld obedience accordingly in that 
 and all his Commandments ; the love 
 of Chrift being of a containing nature 
 to my foul , by which I have been cau- 
 fed to confidcr what he hath done for 
 F 4 me, 
 
72 The Captive taken 
 
 rne, in pcrfe&ing the work of my Re- 
 demption, and alio to think how little 
 I am called to do or fuffcr for him , 
 (c)ifai. who hath done fo much for my fake, 
 53 . 5« (c) He being wounded for our tranfgref- 
 jionsy and brmfed for our Iniquities , the 
 (d) Philip, ch a Jl i f em ents of our peace being on him 9 
 by whoje ftripes we are healed: (d) Who 
 being in the Forme of God, thought it no 
 robbery to be equal with God , yet made 
 he himfelfof no Reputation , but humbled 
 him f elf ^ and became obedient to death) 
 even to the death of the Croffe for our 
 fakes: Thefe considerations are of a 
 Conftraining nature to my foul , to 
 obey him in all things. 
 
 I alio confidered what I (houid have 
 undergone to Eternity, had it not 
 been for what he hath done and fuffcr > 
 ed, to deliver me from wrath to come; 
 I alfo thought how little all the fuffer- 
 ing of this world are to thofe I fhouid 
 have under-gone, had not he Redeem- 
 ed me from tbo'e Eternal miferics, 
 which indeed makes all the affli&ions 
 of this prefent life iecm little and 
 (e) Rom. light co mc * when I ferioufly think of 
 8; i,3. them : According to tbat,(<f) For Irec- 
 kjntbe fujferings of this prefent timearenot 
 
from the flroxg. n^ 
 
 •worthy to be compared with the glory that ( f ) i cor. 
 [hall be revealed in us; and chat? ( /) our 4- 1 7 > 1 8. 
 light fifflt&iott that is bttt for a moment, 
 workgthfor us ajar more exceeding, And 
 Eternal weight of glory, while we looknot 
 at the things which are feen, but at the 
 things which are not feen : for the thtngs 
 -which are feen are temporal , but the 
 things which are not feen are Eternal • (g) z Cor. 
 and that,(£) the love ofChrift cenftrains f • x 4« 
 us, becaufe we thm judge , tkaiifChriSt 
 died for ad, then were all dead, that they 
 which livefhould not tee unto themselves, 
 but unto him which died for them, and (h) i Qm\ 
 rofe again : And that, (h) for you are 6. zo. 
 bought with a priceaherejore glorify Cjed, 
 both in your fouls and bodies, which are his; 
 and ought to be offered up as a living fa- (i) Rom. 
 crificey (/') Holy and acceptable unto him, 1 2 • l • 
 which is but our reasonable fervice , ac- 
 cording to the will of him who hath of his 
 own wiU begotten us unto a lively Faith 
 in Christ Jefus, unto whom be glory in the 
 Churches ( by Christ fefus ) thorowout 
 all Ages , World without end, tAMENf* 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 ,„_ m "J r 
 
 An 
 
An abftradfc of the prin- 
 cipal parts of the fore- go» 
 
 ing Narrative/vvhich the Rea- 
 der will find to be in fubftance 
 as followeth ^ though by rea- 
 fon of the mixture and variety 
 of the matter 3 it cannot be fo 
 diftin&ly compofed> as other- 
 wife it might be. 
 
 I. A Particular Relation of her 
 JTjL dijirejfed eft ate and conditi- 
 on 3 for fourteen years time 3 wherein 
 ff;e was exercised with various tempt a- 
 tionSy concluding berfelf guilty of the 
 unpardonable fin 5 and Co a fubjeft of 
 the wrath of God$ Whch ihe day- 
 ly expected to be poured down 
 upon her 5 and was hopeleffe of any 
 deliverance^ notwithftanding the 
 frequent means ufed by many for 
 her relief, both by fervent Prayers 
 for her y and Faithful endeavours 
 by Chriftian advice and counfel 
 to her j fromP^. i. to Fag. 19. 
 1 1. A Particular dif cover] of the 
 
 Lords. 
 
Lords manner of working on her heart 
 by his word and Spirit 3 convincing 
 her ofher finfulfiate> and helping her 
 tG look unto thrift alone for Salvati- 
 on ^ notwithstanding many fears mix- 
 ed with her hopes : From Pag. 19. to 
 Pag. 31. 
 
 1 1 1. A df cover) of fever al Af- 
 f auks from the Tempter , andgratiou-s 
 f up plies offtrength from the Lord s by 
 which fhe was helped to refift them , 
 and to fiie unto him for refuge : From 
 Pag, 2, i.toPag.^o, 
 
 I V. Several pretiom promifes , 
 and feafonable words 3 brought in 
 p:wer fully to her foul 3 for her fupport 
 and fuccour under fever al A /faults : 
 From Pag. 40. to Pag. $6. 
 
 V. She is helped to confiderwhat 
 fhe foall render unto the Lord for all 
 his benefits and f pecial deliverances 
 he hath wrought for her^ and is helped 
 to refolve in his fxrength 3 to give up 
 herfelfas a living and acceptable fa- 
 crifice unto his fervice : From P#g. 
 56. to the ■end. 
 
vf TAKLE, 
 
 Containing [enteral Texts 
 
 of Scripture ihat were varioufly ap- 
 plied 3 according to her fi ate and 
 condition 5 as the Reader may 
 percehe^y comparing them 
 with thefeverdl places 
 to which this Talk 
 direHs. 
 I. 
 Scriptures made ufe of to increafe 
 terror in her diftreffed eftatc. 
 
 HEb.lo. 27, 29. Pag. 4 
 
 Pfalm6%.%. Pag.f 
 
 Matth. 12. 31. Tag. 6 
 
 Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6. fag. 8 
 
 If**. 57.20,21. Pag. 11 
 
 Matth. 1 5. 26. Pag. 1 2 
 
 Rev, 14. 11.) Pag. 13 
 
 Joel 2.7,1. Tag^i ^ 
 
 I I. 
 
 Scriptures made ufeof to convince 
 
 her of her finful and fad eftate. 
 
 01. 3.3. Pag 19 
 
 Pfalmfo.lJ. Pag. 20 
 
 Tfalm 
 
TABLE. 
 
 c PfalmH9 155. ?*ff*2l 
 
 Tfai'm 50. 16. Pag. idem. 
 
 1 SrfW. 2. IC. Prfg. /*fc*W* 
 
 I I I. 
 
 Scriptures made ufe of to incou- 
 
 rage her to wait upon the Lord 
 
 in the ufe of means , to truft 
 
 in him, and to follow 
 
 him fully. 
 
 HEfter^i6. P*£**3 
 
 2 Kings 7. 4. Tag. Idem. 
 
 Jobn6.: 7 . Pag. go 
 
 Heb.-J 25. Pag. Idem. 
 
 7/*/. 43.1?. Pag 31 
 
 Pfalm6i.8. 'Pag. 34 
 
 2 Or. 5.21. ^35 
 I Cor. 1.30. ^£.36 
 Col. 1. 1 9. Tag-l* 
 £#*/. 14*4. ^1-4° 
 
 I V. 
 
 Several choice promifes, and pre- 
 tious words brought powerful- 
 ly to her foul, for her fup- 
 pcrt & engaging to duty. 
 
 P/*/wS4.II. Pag. Idem. 
 
 John 7. 1 7. /><*£. 41 
 
TABLE. 
 
 Pf*tm&.9. Pag.ldem. 
 
 ■^•'J- Pag. Idem. 
 
 /W. 8. 20. Tag, Idem. 
 
 Pj*tmi6.$ t Pag. Idem. 
 
 Jfi>'- 2 5-6- Pag. Idem. 
 
 Zepf.S'lJ* P*g-45 
 
 Heb.llti. Pag. Idem. 
 
 *J'»»*'9- P*g-49. 
 
 Pfaim62.i$< p^ # j 
 1 Or. 1 5.55,5^,57. Pag. Idem. 
 
 THm 3.4,5. Pag. 51 
 
 Ez,ekieli6.6. Pag. Idem. 
 
 rate 34.22. /v. 52 
 
 /M 33. l<5, 17. Tag.ldem. 
 
 Ifai. 26. 12. Pag. Idem. 
 
 Prov. 10. 30. flfc.Afew. 
 
 £w. IO. 29. p^j. 
 
 |^ni4, 27. Pag.ldem. 
 
 Mm 1 4. 1 9 . Pag.ldem. 
 Job 5. 1 p. ^ 
 />;. 58.11. r 
 
 //"• 2 7- 3- C " ^' 7 '*' 
 
 I fat. 41. 17, ^ 
 
 /jpWi 5 5^3. <?*£. 54 
 
 Malach. 3. 6. p^. £ 
 
 Pfalm 11. 11. Pfatm6t 
 
 Ifai. 2 6. 3. p 4 £ 7^ w . 
 
 //4/.40. 11. p r ^ /^. 
 
T A B JL E. 
 
 
 lf*i. 42. 3,4. 
 
 
 
 Pag* Idem. 
 
 tfai. 9. 6. 
 
 
 
 Pag. 62 
 
 Atts 3. 22. 
 
 
 
 Pag. Idem. 
 
 Tfalm 103* 3. 
 
 
 
 Pag. idem. 
 
 //*£. IJ-J. 
 
 
 
 P*&15 
 
 &w*. 1 2. 1. 
 
 
 
 <P*g.qi 
 
 I Cor. <5.2 o # 
 
 
 
 Pag, Idem* 
 
 v . 
 
 Scriptures convincing and confir- 
 
 ming her in 
 
 the 
 
 duty 
 
 of Bap- 
 
 tifin 3 and 
 
 even 
 
 con 
 
 ftrai- 
 
 ning her thereunto. 
 
 TTEk 6. 12. 
 Jil. Jets 2.41 
 
 • 
 
 
 Pag. Idem, 
 
 Mattb.zZ. \g. 
 
 
 
 Tag. Idem. 
 
 Rom. 6.4,5. 
 
 
 
 <T>ag. 60 
 
 John 14. 21. 
 
 
 
 Pag.yi 
 
 Ifai.64 5. 
 
 
 
 Pag. Idem. 
 
 ^'•53.5. 
 
 
 
 Pag. 7 2 
 
 Pto.2.7,8. 
 
 
 
 Pag. Idem. 
 
 V I. 
 
 Scriptures fupporting her in the 
 thoughts of fufrcrings. 
 
 PHil 1.29. Fag. 57 
 
 Mattb. 10.37. Pag. Idem. 
 
 Markt 1 o. 29. Pag. Idem. 
 
 2 Cor* 
 
H 
 
 T A B L E. 
 2 Cor. 4. 17,18. Pag. 58 
 
 Heb. 1 1 . Pag, idem. 
 
 Pfalmji*j. P*£*%9 
 
 VII. * ' 
 
 Scriptures by which me was relieved againft: 
 
 her fears, under feveral Aflaults: And had 
 
 her hopes of frefh fupplies from the 
 
 Lordincreafed. 
 
 ££.13.5- ^.5? 
 
 £00*. 1 6. 20. «P^. 6 5 
 
 John <5. 9 7. -P*£«3° 
 
 .£/<?£♦ 7.2?. P*g. 7^w. 
 
 Pfa/m 1 46. y. P*g. 6 6 
 
 /fat. 49. 10. Pd£. 7© 
 
 J<?/w 7.38. Prf£. Idem. 
 
 The Reader is defircd to take notice , that 
 fome of the Texts in this Table are not 
 mentioned in the Margent ; onely the words 
 cxpreffed in the Page, which being but fhort, 
 may foon be difcerned. 
 
 ~~e~rr a t~a. ~~~ 
 
 READER , 
 QEveral Faults having efcpedtbe Preffe ; 1 have 
 pointed out the Chief, which thou art defired te 
 ta\e notice of, viz. 
 
 hi thefirft Epiftle, Page 1 1 . Line 9. read Ifai. %<$. 
 in the Boo\, p.z.Li.for irrecoverable re.incvo- 
 cable.p^./.i.r.rcmaincd.p.f./. V'.rnade it. and 
 l.4..re.mmd.p 7 .l.iueMztvcd.p.zi .Margent/e. 
 i Kings 7.4. pag. 30. Margem y read John 6.3 7* 
 

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