A RELATION OF THE Miraculous Cure OF SƲSANNAH ARCH, OF A Leprosy and Ptysick, Wherewith for some Years past she had been sorely afflicted.
—For that thy Name is near, thy wondrous Works declare.
LONDON, Printed by J. D. and sold by R. Baldwin in Warwick-lane. MDCXCV.
THE PREFACE.
THE Works of God call for serious Observation from all who are Spectators of them, and are very instructive to the Children of Men. By these God may be said to speak Once, yea Twice, yet Man perceives it not. We are with the utmost Diligence to apply our selves to the right understanding of the Voice of God in them, Psal. 111. 2. The Works of the Lord are great, particularly the Works of Creation, which do always speak with a loud Voice to the Inhabitants of the Earth, Psal. 19. 1, 2, 3. The Heavens declare the [Page iv] Glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth his Handy-work. Day unto Day uttereth Speech, &c. The visible Heavens, so vast and spacious, richly adorned with Sun, Moon, and Stars, which are admirable in their Course, and powerful in their Influence; these are a legible Book, wherein we may read what a glorious Being God is, who is the Maker and Former of these glorious Creatures: and from the Consideration thereof reflect on Man as a vile contemptible Creature; Psal. 8. 3, 4. When I consider thy Heavens, the Work of thy Fingers, the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained, what is Man that thou art mindful of him? &c.
And as the Works of Creation are great, so the Works of Providence (whereby he governs, preserves, orders and disposes of all things in the World) [Page v] are great also, especially in and for his Church and People; the Infinite Power, Wisdom and Goodness of God being abundantly manifested in them. These Works of God are to be narrowly inspected, found out, and searched into by all those that take Pleasure therein: And it is a God-provoking Sin not to regard the Works of the Lord, and the Operations of his Hands. For this Sin God threatens to destroy a People, and not build them up, Psal. 28. 5. Sometimes God goes out of his usual Course of Providence, and works miraculously (an eminent Instance whereof we have in this Narrative). This he doth sometimes immediately, Mark 6. 52. Joh. 2. 11. sometimes mediately, Mark 9. 38, 39. Acts 4. 16, 22.
Here might be considered what the glorious Design of God is in his miraculous Works.
[Page vi] As, 1. To convince an Atheistical Generation of Men, that there is a God that acts above the Power of Nature or natural Causes, 2 Kings 5. 15.
2. That those who contemn and under value the Lord Jesus Christ (through Faith in whose Name Lepers were cleansed, the Blind received their Sight, a Bloody Issue stopped, &c.) might be convinced that he was the true Messiah, yea God as well as Man.
Though Christ came in the Form of a Servant, yet the Glory of his Deity sparkled forth in divers Ways, and on divers Occasions, particularly in his miraculous Works, which none but a God could do, Joh. 9. 3. & 2 11. Christ turns Water into Wine, and thereby shewed forth his Glory, even the Glory of the only begotten of the Father.
The Disciples of Christ wrought Miracles; but this they did in the Name [Page vii] of Christ, Acts 3. Whereas Christ wrought his by his own Divine Power, which may justly strike a Damp upon those who of late have been so unhappy as to deny the Divinity of our Lord Jesus.
3. Christ's miraculous Works are designed to strengthen the Faith of his People; John 2. 11. When Christ had wrought that Miracle of turning Water into Wine, it's said, his Disciples believed on him. They believed before, but now they were confirmed in their Faith.
And if so, then Christ's curing the Leprosy and other Distempers in our day, which in the Judgment of the ablest Physicians were incurable, is not slightly to be passed over.
That divers miraculous Cures have been wrought of late, immediately by the Divine Power of Christ without humane Means, is not to be denied by any [Page viii] but such as are hardning themselves against Christ and his Works, as the unbelieving Jews did, who though Christ had done many mighty Works amongst them, yet they believed not on him, John 12. 37.
Amongst other wonderful Cures which the Lord Jesus hath lately wrought, this seems not to be the least which he hath wrought on the Body of Susannah Arch; of which this Narrative gives an impartial Account.
She is known to be a Woman of an holy Conversation, enjoys much Communion with God, and is a Member of a Congregation, meeting in Devonshire-Square in London. She lives at Battle-Bridg in Southwark, where any that desire it may receive further Satisfaction.
A NARRATIVE of the Miraculous Cure of Susannah Arch, of a Leprosy and Ptysick, wherewith for some Years past she had been sorely afflicted.
I Susannah Arch do solemnly declare, in the Fear of God, that my Distemper began about four Years ago with an extraordinary Itching and Scurf on my Head, and afterwards it spread over my Body. This continued about three Years before I advised with any Physician to know what it was; and then my Husband died, whose Death was attended with many aggravating Circumstances, occasioning much Sorrow and Grief; all which conduced to increase my Distemper. Under my great Distress of Body and Mind I was lamenting my self, saying, What, a poor distressed Widow! a poor afflicted Widow! Then the Lord was pleased to give me in that [Page 10] Scripture, Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? This I took as a Bond from the Lord, wherein he was pleased graciously to bind himself to supply all my Necessities, which was much to my Support at that time. Immediately after my Husband's Burial, being left in a poor and desolate Condition, that Scripture came to my Mind, Job 1. 21. Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb, and naked shall I return again. The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the Name of the Lord. Under these sad Exercises I was help'd to consider, that my outward Condition was not worse than my Lords and Master's; of whom it is said, Matth. 8. 20. The Foxes have Holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests, but the Son of Man hath not wh [...]e to lay his Head. Then was I help'd to say, I have lost all, and yet have all; and to plead with God in the Words of Jacob, Gen. 32. 12. Thou saidst, I will do thee good. These and many other precious Words were powerfully impressed on my Soul for my Support and Comfort.
After these Troubles my Distemper much increased, and then I advised with Mr. Forty an Apothecary, who told me my Distemper was a Leprosy. I asked him whether it was curable: He told me, it was not curable. Then was I advised by his Wife to go to one [Page 11] Mrs. Griffin, who is skilful in curing Scald Heads, and she perswaded me to go to the Hospital, but I found a Reluctancy in my self thereto, having a Perswasion in my Mind from the time that Mr. Forty told me it was incurable, that Jesus Christ would cure it. Nevertheless considering that Passage of the Woman that had the Bloody Issue, though she spent all on Physicians, yet this did not hinder her being cured by Christ when she came to him: So I concluded my going to the Hospital might not hinder Christ's curing me: Thereupon I was satisfied in my self to go; and when I presented my self to the Physician and Chirurgeons, they told me it was a Leprosy, and asked me what I desired of them. I desired to be an Out-patient, and they prescribed me some things, but I had no Faith in the Success of them, and so took but one Dose, and threw the rest away, looking to an higher Hand for my Cure. However I went a second time, and then they who gave out the Medicines, seeing my Distemper, told me, it was in vain to spend my time in attending any further on them, for it was a Leprosy, and could not be cured. Not long after this I was sent by a Friend of mine, on her own Account, to Dr. Bourne, and I took that Opportunity to shew him my Distemper: And when he saw it, he lift up his Hands, saying, Good Lord have Mercy upon thee! [Page 12] it is a Leprosy. He likewise told me, there might be something given to curb it (but not to cure it) if I had wherewithal to defray the Charge. I told him I was a poor Widow, and so concerned my self no more with him. I went away from him full of Comfort, having this Perswasion, that Jesus Christ would be my Physician, and would cure me.
After this I was sent by the same Friend, and on her own Account, to Dr. Clarke, and took that Opportunity to discover my Case to him, who knowing me, sympathized with me, saying, Alas, poor Woman, it is a Leprosy! I asked him whether it could be cured: He told me, that something might be given to check it, but not to cure it; and that if I would go to Mr. Humes an Apothecary, he would give Directions to him, and would do what he could for me. But having no Hopes of Cure from any humane Means, I concerned my self no further with him in this Matter. One Reason why I had no Expectation of Cure from Man was, the occurring of that Scripture frequently to my Mind, Mat. 8. 2. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. This I was enabled to plead before him with some Degree of Confidence that at last I should prevail.
After this another Friend and Neighbour of mine being sick, desired me to go for her [Page 13] to Dr. Nicholls; and when I had discoursed with him concerning my Friend, I asked him what he thought of my Distemper? who answered, Alas! poor Woman, how came you by this Surfeit? I asked him what the Distemper was? and he likewise told me, as the others had done before, that it was a Leprosy, and incurable.
This I can truly say, that all along my Faith was fix'd on the Lord Jesus Christ: It was on him I did and was resolved to rely, who in the Days of his Flesh, when on Earth, cured all Diseases and Sicknesses among the People; and I was confident, that he had the same Power now he was glorified in Heaven, as he had in the Days of his Humiliation.
There is one thing I think good to remark, viz. when I considered that I was a poor polluted unclean Leper, I was under some doubt (though afterwards I concluded it was from Satan) whether I might and ought to come to the Congregation of the Lord's People to whom I belong, to partake of that Blessed Ordinance of the Lord's Supper amongst them. Labouring under strong Conflicts about this Matter, as I was going to the Congregation, that Text came with Power on my Soul, Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not intangled again with the Yoke of Bondage. By this Text I understood that [Page 14] the Law of the Leper, being part of the Ceremonial Law, is done away; and so that Doubt was removed.
Upon the last Day of May, 1694. at Night, when I was asleep in my Bed, I was pleading with God in those Words of the Psalmist, Psal. 57. 2. I will cry unto God most High, unto him that performeth all things for me: And then I thought I saw a Man standing by me, and laying his Hand on me, saying, I will be thou clean. I answered, Lord, if thou sayest the Word, it is done. To which I received this Reply, All things are possible to him that believeth. I answered, Lord, I believe, help thou my Ʋnbelief. To which it was answered, He that believes, needs not to say, but is whole every whit, (the Hand being all the while upon my Hand) and thereupon I awaked, and perceived that it was a Dream. From that time (though I grew worse and worse) I was strongly perswaded that I should be made whole.
The next Morning a Christian Friend of mine came to see me, and brought a Woman with her, telling me, that she had brought one that could cure the Leprosy. I then said to the Woman, Can you cure the Leprosy? She said, Yes. But said I, You shall not cure me, for I have thrown my self on the Physician of Value, and he will cure me: And though you, or all the [Page 15] greatest Doctors or Chirurgions in London, would give me a great Sum of Money, you should none of you take me in hand.
After this I had divers Conflicts and Temptations to weaken my Confidence; but God was pleased to give in divers seasonable Words for my Relief, and for the strengthning of my Faith: As at one time that Text came with Power on my Soul, Mark 11. 22. Have Faith in God. And at another time that Text, John 11. 40. Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the Glory of God?
And at another time that Text, Heb. 10. 35. Cast not away your Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward.
And whereas I had been afflicted with a Ptysick for many Years, wherewith I was laid vp every Winter; in November last it pleased the Lord to remove that Distemper, without the Use of any humane Means. And this was to me a Token for Good, that God would likewise cure me of my Leprosy. Soon after this, being at Mr. Beverley's Meeting, and hearing the People talk of a miraculous Cure of one that was lame, I asked one that sat by me concerning it: and she told me, that a Maid that had been lame 17 Years was miraculously cured on a sudden. Then I told her, I was waiting at the Pool, believing that I should be made whole. From that time my Heart was drawn out to [Page 16] wrestle more earnestly with God for Cure, crying out, Lord! why not I? why not I, a poor Leper?
In December my Distemper growing worse and worse, both on my Head and Body, I met with some inward Struglings, but was help'd to say, in the Words of Job, I know, O Lord, that thou canst do every thing. I was likewise help'd to say, from that of the three Worthies, Dan. 3. 17. My God whom I serve is able to deliver me: However I am resolved to trust in him.
And now to give a true and faithful Account how I was healed.
On the 26th of December at Night I went to Bed, as bad as ever I was; and in the Night I had grievous and sore Temptations from my Adversary, who told me I had no Faith; and that if I had Faith I might be healed; those Words being cast into my Mind, O ye of little Faith: and I was tempted to think I had no Faith, and that God did not love me, but I perceived this was to beat me off from my Confidence in God. Then was I help'd to look back to former Experience, and remembred that about 30 Years ago, when I was under great Distress about the State of my Soul, being under a deep Sense of my Sin. I was help'd to cast my Soul on the Lord Jesus Christ. And from that Consideration many times since, [Page 17] when I have been in great Distress, with respect to my outward Condition, I have been enabled to cast my bodily Concerns upon him; and then I cried out, Lord, I have cast my Soul upon thee, and my Body upon thee, and now I am resolved to cast all my Diseases upon thee. Then was I help'd to plead with God, saying, Lord, if I have true Faith, if thou lovest me, if I have an Interest in Christ, take away this Distemper before I die. Then Satan suggested to me, that I had sinned with a witness in that I had limited God. But I was help'd to renew the same Petitions to the Lord, knowing I had not limited the Lord, only that he would cure me before I die. Then that Scripture was brought to my Mind, Jam. 4. 7. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from thee. From which I was encouraged to resist him, knowing that he was a conquered Enemy. Then I lay quiet and with a composed Mind till Morning. Next Day I found a marvellous Alteration, being much better and more chearful, which was discerned by a Friend of mine, who told me, that she did perceive that I was much better.
The next Night after this, which was Thursday Night, as I was in my Bed, I put my Hand to my Head, first on one side, and then on the other, and felt Skin on both Sides of it, which at first was surprizing and amazing to me. Then I said, Lord Jesus! [Page 18] hast thou begun? thou wilt carry it on. When I arose in the Morning, and had taken off my Head-clothes, I found the Scurf was gone from off my Head, only there remained like a little Cap on the Crown of my Head, which was easily taken off with a Comb, which I made use of for that end: And then appeared firm Skin all over my Head. At the same time my Distemper, which was spread over my whole Body from Head to Foot, even to my very Toes, was likewise taken away. And whereas I had neither Skin nor Hair on my Head before, my Hair is now grown to the Admiration of them that behold it. And to this Day, through the Lord's Goodness, I remain free both from Leprosy and Ptysick.
SOME of us whose Names are subscribed have had certain Knowledg of Susannah Arch's Distempers, and also of her Cure: And we are all fully satisfied in the Truth of what is contained in this Narrative.
- William Kiffin,
- William Collins,
- Robert Stead,
- Richard Adams,
- Edward Man,
- John Piggott,
- Benjamin Dennis,
- William Draycot,
- Robert Bartlett.
The Certificate of Charles Nicholls Doctor of Physick.
ON the 29th of September last, Susannah Arch coming to me on the behalf of another Woman, desired me to tell her what her own Distemper was? I gave it, as my Opinion, that it was a Leprosy, and could not perfectly be cured, but something might be given to check it, or keep it under. Furthermore, I coming this Day into Southwark, I saw this Woman cur'd of her sad Distemper; and by what I have heard her say, and is related in the foregoing Narrative, I do verily believe that it was done by the immediate Hand of God, as the Fruit and Effect of her Faith. I must say that I stand in Admiration in beholding this Woman cured.
The Certificate of Mr. Thomas Forty, Apothecary.
I Ʋnderstand I was the first Person that Susannah Arch came to enquire of about her Distemper, as she declared; and I do testify, in the Fear of God, that I did and do believe she had a Leprosy, as is inserted in this Narrative; and I have seen her several times since she was cured: and by my conferring with her and others, I do declare, that I verily believe she is perfectly cured; and that it was not done by any humane Means, but by the immediate Hand and Power of Jesus Christ, as the Effect of her Faith.
The Testimony of Mr. Robert Hume, Apothecary.
I Robert Hume do declare, in the fear of the All-seeing, Heart-searching God, concerning Susannah Arch, whom I have known for several Years, as followeth, viz.
1. She was, to my Knowledg, grievously afflicted with an Asthma, commonly called a Ptysick; yea I have seen her scarce able to go along the Street so fast as a Child of two Years old. When her Husband was ill of the Sickness whereof he died, if she went but cross the Chamber, she would pant like one almost expiring, insomuch that I thought she was more like to die than he: and so she commonly was in the Winter, especially in such Weather as increases that Distemper.
2. One Day she came to me, which I think was about July last, and showed me her Head, saying, Sir, Can you tell me what [Page 22] I have got here? I answered, It is a Leprosy (for so I think it was indeed, according to the Description of the best Authors): Ay, says she, so every Body tells me, for I have been at the Hospital, and they all say so of it, and tell me there is no Cure for it. I advised her to go to Doctor Clark, to hear what he would say of it. In a little time after she came and told we, she had showed it to Dr. Clark, and that he was of the same Opinion with the rest, however desired to speak with me about it: I went to him, but do not punctually remember what he said, but this I remember, that he look'd upon it to be a very sad difficult Case; so that I all along took it for granted that he look'd upon it to be a Leprosy, and that there was no Hope of Cure, for he ordered nothing for her.
Now as to these Matters I do further declare;
1st. As to her Asthma: I could not but admire when I was with her a little after she was cured of the Leprosy, and saw how she went a pretty way along the Street, and up a pair of Stairs, and that [Page 23] in frosty Weather, without puffing and blowing, as she was used to do. I did take particular Notice how she could speak without fetching her Breath longer than a great many that never were afflicted with any such Indisposition.
2dly. As for the Leprosy: It was no less Wonder to me, that when I came to look upon that which formerly was in my Judgment Leprous as Snow, I found now was become as the Flesh of a young Child. I do verily believe she is wholly cured of it, there being all Symptoms of Soundness, and the Hair does grow apace. Let any doubtful, make what Search they will, I am not afraid of being found in a Mistake in this Matter.