AN EDIFIEING WONDER, OF Two children dyeing 100 yeares old OR A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE LAST HOURES OF SUSANNA BICKES, (In the 14 yeare of her age) before her death. Septemb. 1. 1664. ALSO OF JACOB BICKES her Brother of 7. yeares old. Aug. 6. 1664.
The childe shall dye an hundred yeares old, bot the sinner being an hundreth yeares old shalbe accursed.
Have ye never read. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfyted praise.
And Jesus called the litle children to him, and said: Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdome of God. Verilie I say unto you: who so receiveth not the Kingdome of God as a litle childe he shall in nowise enter therein.
Printed in the Year 1666.
READER.
THis was done at first in another language And albeit I knowe that ther is soe much sobriety in the most able, who put pen to paper in those dayes, as maketh them to find some scarring upon their owne spirits: when they suppose, how many of those who look upon a new book, may happen to welcome it into the world, with a word of snuffing disdaine, Tush, the world is too full of books already. Yet I am some what above the feare of the hardest censure for this small and indirect accession to the adding of one poor sheet more; that I am rather confident that (Read who will these few pages) his conscience within him (such as it is) will extort so much from him, like a testimony to the wayes of God that he shall at least say, O that I may dye the death of the righteous, and that my latter end might be as his. And that the Reader, who is taught the feare of the Lord, wilbe farther enlightened and refreshed, and perswaded of the wayes of holines. And more particularly of these few things following. First, that ther is a Holy Ghost which dwelleth in, and shalbe with the saints for ever. And 2. that he is the comforter who alone can and should comfort the soule. And 3. that his consolations are not small; by which ther is singing for joy of heart and glorifieing God even in the fires, and by which beleivers are enabled to laugh at destruction and famine, and dearth and pestilence, and to lift up their heads, and be able to stand before the Sonne of God, though they should live to see the greatest distresses of nations, and the shakeings of heaven and earth: which [Page] make the hearts of the stoute to stoope, and faile. 4. That the pure ordinances of Christ are noe vayn things but ought to be much followed and cleaved unto, and that there Christ giveth his loves. 5. That the word is that sword of the Spirit, and ther is none like it against that Goliah, that red Dragon, that Leviathan, and the King of Terrors. How mighty was this young Damsell in the Scriptures, and the young one wanted not his own number of Scripture places: by which, through grace, they did quit themselves like men, and overcame: and, at their death, declared themselves, by the faith and consolation of the Scripturs, to have attained to the stature of perfect men. Christians, know what houre it is of your day, and what is your work. Be faithfull in the lesser or greater things of opportunity and means of working out your salvation. You do not know what evill may be upon the earth; albeit we know, that the Cup of trembling (go round as it will) from Nation to Nation, from Church to Church, from Citie to Citie, from Family to Family: yea, often, it beginneth at the house of God, and his own sanctuary. Ezek. 9. 2 Pet. 3. But yet a little while, and it shalbe taken out of the hand of the Lords people, and the dregs therof shalbe wrung out by all the wicked of the earth, and that most Signally, by Antichrist, apostates, seducers, persecuters, and others also, who have a forme of Godlinesse and deny the power therof.
THE LAST HOURES OF SUSANNA BICKES in the 14th yeare of her age.
SUSANNA BICKES borne in Leyden Ianuarij 24. 1650. was visited / from the hand of the Lord / with the Pestilence / upon the 30. of August 1664. being Saturnday / betuixt 7. of 8. at night. And after the beginning of her sicknesse / there were considerable presages of her death. And very speedily she betooke herself to the great Physician of soule and body. The first night / she exercised herself to earnest prayer / by herself alone (without many words / or speech to others) that God would furnish her with strength in her soule / to beare out that great conflict / which she did apprehend to be approaching with the waves of death: that she might by faith and patience / as becometh a dyeing Christian / pertake of the victorie / which Christ hath purchased over death / to all these / for whom he himselfe had tasted of death. And as God had blest the preaching of the word abundantly to her / and the exercises privat and publict / upon the Cathechisme: So / that she had acquired a mervellous measure of knowledge / and daily increasing [Page] in the same / from the very day that she was in any capacity to learne: So / what instruction she received in the grounds of Religion: it did soe take hold upon her / that not only she retayned the notions therof in her understanding: Bot the impressions of the trueth wer engraven upon her heart / of which she gave remarkable proofes at this tyme of her death. And that the word of God had dwelt plentifully in her: wherby she was enabled to speak unto herselfe / and to sing with grace in her heart / making sweet medoly to the Lord / while surrounded with the billowes of the King of Terrors / marching in battell array against her / with the terrible slaughter weapon of the Pestilence. As abundanly is evident by the ensueing words uttered by her / and faithfully collected; and / by the advyce and help of some iudicious and Religious persons / published / for the use of others both old and young. The accompt whereof might have been much larger then heer it is done; but that severall things did escape the memories of the bystanders / and of the Penman / being partlie through grief / and partlie through wonder / diverted from the exact noteing of the things which she uttered.
At the beginning of her sickness / she was heard / with much feeling and power / breaking foorth to God with these words of Psalm, 119. If thy law wer not my delyt I should perish in my affliction. Wherupon [Page] her Father said to her: be of good comfort my child / the Lord wilbe neer unto thee / and us / under this heavie and sore tryel / and will not forsake us; although now he chasten us. David / by these words / belike / meant of the Lords hand which had been heavie both upon his house and upon his person severall wayes. Wherof we read in the Scripture. Yea Father / said she / Our heavenlie Father doth chasten us for our profit that we may partake of his holinesse. As we read Hebr. 12. 10, 11. And albeit (as it is said there) no chastening for the present time seemeth to be joyeous bot greivous: neverthelesse, afterwards, it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them who are exercised by it. The Lord is now chastening me upon this sick-bed / and I hope he will blesse it soe / as to make it to yeeld unto me that same blessed fruit / according to the riches of his mercy and compassions which faile not: and then sighing to God with her eyes up to heaven / she said: be mercifull unto me / o Father / be mercifull unto me poore sinner according to thy word.
And looking upon her sorrowing parents who stood by her. Father said she / It is said in the 55. Psal. vers 23. Cast thy burden upon the Lord: and he shall sustaine thee: for he will never suffer the righteous to be moved. Therefore / dear Father and Mother / cast all your care and sorrow upon the Lord who shall make all things goe well that concerne you. Oh (said the Mother) my [Page] deare child / I have had noe small comfort from the Lord in thee / and the fruits of his grace in thee / wherby thow hast been so much exercised unto godlinesse in the word / and prayer / and religious and gracious discours unto thine owne and our comfort and edification. The Lord himselfe / who gave us thee / make up our loss of thee: If it be his pleasure that we must now parte one from another. D. Mother (said she) albeit I leave yow / yet God shall never forsake yow: for it is said Isai. 49. 15, 16. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her wombe: yea she may forget: yet I wil not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hand &c. Oh comfortable words both for mothers and children. Mark dear Mother / how fast the Lord keepeth and holdeth his people that he hath them (even) graven on the palmes of his hand. Therefore think with your self / that albeit I must parte with yow or ye with mee / yet the Lord shall never separat from you or me.
She being wearied through much speaking / desired to rest a little : and after a verie little tym she awaked. Her Father asked how it was with her / but she asked what day of the week it is now. Her Father told her / it was the Lords day. Well said she / have ye given up my name to be remembered in the publict prayers. Her Father told her he had done soe. I have learned / said she / that the effectuall fervent prayer [Page 9] of the Righteous doth availe much. The two worthie Ministers / who are aftermentioned / she wold have much desired they should have been by her / but from her love to them / being much tender and carefull of their safetie / she wold not have them desired to visite her: but rather satisfied herselfe to be cast upon the Lords owne hand / and to accept of / and improve the visits of others / whom the providence of God should send unto her: or those (who being judged by the Church sitt for the visiting of the sick in these caices of hazard) arewont to come with more freedom. Of whom their was one who used to come severall tymes to her / and who was through the Lords blessing usefull to her: to whom she gave heartie thanks for his visit. And one tym / after he was gone / she began to weep bitterlie / and her Father asked her the cause. Have I not matter for weeping / said she / for what I have heard / but just now / by the visiter: that Domine de Witte was to day taken sick in the pulpit / and went home so unwell. which is a sadd token for the people. For / when God is about to smyte a Land or a Citie / often times he smyteth and removeth their Pastores / and ought we not then to lay such a thing to heart. altho for my part / I know that I shall not long live to behold the evill which may come / and which I have helped to procure als well as others. And therefore I pray with David Psa. 25. Remember not, [Page 10] O Lord the sinnes of my youth, nor my trespasses, according to thy tender mercie, remember thou me for thy goodnes sake, O Lord. Oh how do I long; even as the Hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my thirstie soule after thee, O God. My soule thirsteth for God, the living God. Oh how doth my soule thirst all the day after thee, O God. Psa. 42. And farther / in the words of that 51. Psal. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to thy loving kindnesse; according to the multitud of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. And so forward to the 11. vers / which she much insisted upon / often repeating the same / especially the 5. vers / Behold I was shapen in iniquitie, and in sinne did my mother conceive me. Vpon which words she enlarged her meditation and speech / according as she had learned from the Scriptures and the Catechisme / and the books written thereupon for explication / concerning that subject of originall sinne. This is comed / said she from the disobedience and fall of our first parents in paradise / that our nature is soe corrupted; that we are all / & altogider conceived and borne in sinne: So we read also Gen. 5. 3. Thus / Adam (it is said) begat a sonn after his owne liknesse. Sinne is not of God / for he hath formed man upright in the begining; but he hath sought out many inventions. Eccl. 7. 29. Therefore, as by one man sinne entered into the world, and death by sinne, and soe death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: but death reigned from Adam to Moses; even over [Page 11] them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression. Rom. 5.
She spoke also many things verie judiciouslie of the old man / and the putting off the same: and of the new man / and of the putting on thereof: from Eph. 4. and then she fell again upon the 51. Psa. and these words / The sacrifices of God are a broken heart, a broken and a contrite Spirit, O Lord, thow wilt not despise? that brokennesse of heart / said she / which is built upon / and / floweth from faith: and that faith which is built upon Christ / who is the propper and alone true sacrifice for sinne. And heerupon she spoke of the offerings and sacrifices of Abel and of Cain. Hebr. 11. 4.
Thereafter she desired to rest and haveing slumbered a little / she said / ah dear F. and M. How weake doe I find my selfe. My dear child / said her Father / God shall in his tender mercy strengthen you in your weakenesse. Yea Father / said she / that is my confidence / for it is said Isai. 42. The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoaking flax he will not quench. Should I not then believe / read Hebr. 11. How Abraham being proved of God did by faith offer up Isaac in sacrifice. Oh what a stedfast & loyall faith was that of Abraham / which made him willing and readie to offer that his owne one sonne. Oh / what is faith? Faith is the substance of things hoped for, & the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11. 1. Also 2. Tim. 2. 19. the fundation of God standeth sure, haveing this seale, The Lord knoweth [Page 12] those who are his owne. Bot now dear F. and M. why weep ye soe over me / knoweing soe well / I hope / that if the Lord shalbe pleased to take me out of this lamentable wofull world / it shalbe well with me / and that therwith ye ought to be content. It is said Psal. 115. Our God is in the heavens and doth all what soever he pleaseth. Yea / we pray every day that his will may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Now Father / this is Gods will / that I ly upon this sick-bed of this diseas. Therefore we must be content that it be to us according to our prayer. Otherwis we then should murmure against God: without whose good pleasure / nothing comes to pas. Although I be thus stricken with so heavy and sadd a diseas: yet it is the will of God / and ther is my silence. Therfore I will pray that his will be done and not mijne. Therfore / Father / never doubt of Gods providence / for it is said Matth. 10. are not two sparrowes sold for a ferthing and that not one of them falleth to the earth without your Father, yea the haires of your head are also numbred. Therefore fear not: ye are better then many sparrowes. And Lam. 3. 38. There goeth not out of the mouth of the almightie good and evill. Adversity and prosperitie are both good. Some things may seem evill in our eyes / but the Lord turneth all to good. Amos 3. 6 Shall ther be evill in the city which the Lord doth not. Cometh not the Pestilence from God. What mean those people / who say that it [Page 13] cometh by the air? and is not the Lord the Creator and the Ruler of the air / and all the Elements. Or / if it come out of the earth: yet is it of the Lord. What talke they; that it came which a ship which was come from Africa. We have long agoe read together out of Lev. 26. 25. I shall bring a sword upon you to avenge the quarrel of my covenant, & where you are assembled in your cities, then shall I bring the pestilence in the midst of you.
After this / she sought some rest again: and having slumbred a little / she said / O now my dear Fat. and Mot. now is this day for the opening of the first quest. of the catechisme / and if we were there with others; we should heare / that whether in death / or life; we are the Lord I. Christs / our faithfull Saviour / who hath by his owne precious blood redeemed us from the power of the divel. And the following words / Rom. 14. 8. for none of us liveth to himself, & none of us dyeth to himself, for whether we live: we live unto the Lord, and whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord, whether then we live, or dye, we are the Lords. Then be comforted: for whether I dye / I shall dye to the Lord / or if I live I shall live to the Lord. The life which God at first gave me; I have as yet / and so long as the soule is in the body there is hope. wherfore then doe ye so much afflict yourselves. But what shall I say: with weeping I came into ye world, and with weeping must I goe out of it. Oh my deare parents / better is the day of death then the day of ones birth. Eccles. 7. 1. Ther is a [Page 14] time to be borne, and a time to dye. If my time to dye / be not comed, I shall then not dye. So then ye must comfort yourselves / and thinke that God shall make all well. Ah my d. F. and M. let us pray together / and pray the Lord with me; that he would vouchsafe upon me a quiet and peaceable passage through death. Her Father / after he had prayed. being full of fatherlie sympathie and care of such a childe; both in what concerned her soul and bodie / asked her / if he should once more bring the physician to her. Nay / said she / the Doctor shall doe me nothing / nor can he help me / but I hope abundantly that my heavenly Father shall help me. Well / said her Father / my child we shall use the ordinary meanes: and let the Lord blesse / as he sees good. Yea / said she / deare Father / the heavenly Physican is the true helper: he shall help / he can help both soul and body. It is said Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye who are weary, & heavie loaden and I will give you rest. See there / Father / there is the helper / even as Psa. 50. call upon me in the day of distress: I shall delyver / and thou shalt glorifie me. All who are in trouble / must call upon God alone / for when humain helpe is done: then beginneth Gods helpe for them who call upon him in trueth and in faith. Therfore let us once more pray. After her Father had prayed / the friend abovementioned came to visit her / and as the Lord had so opened and enlarged her heart that every word spoken to her from the [Page 15] Scriptur tooke hold upon her with refreshing impression / so was the visiter also much refreshed by her / wondering at the grace of God in her / and that she spake so pertinently and aftectionatly to her parents / for comforting them. And so after she had bid him thanks for his visit / he took his leave with tears: which were tears als much of joy as sorrow. When he was gone / she asked what day is it now / they told her / it was Monday. Then said she / to morrow is the catechising day in our quarter. Ther is one thing I will earnestly beg of you / Father / and that ye will promise it to me / and that is; that ye shall goe to Dom. de Witte and Ardinois, and thanke them for the learning and instruction which I reaped by their catechising / and tell them that these excellent and brave places of Scripture which they taught me upon the catechisme at the meetings in the Kirk / have been / and are blessed of God for my comfort / now upon my death bed / yea / are usefull unto me / for my salvation. Oh that sweet catechising: unto which I did alwis resort with gladnes / and waited upon it without wearieing / untill it was ended. I have seen and understood / that there is so little comfort and good / & so much vanity in the Kermis & holy idle dayes of play / that I have grieved / and been ashamed both for young and old people / to see them so glad and mad upon vanity. Also dear Father ye shall give thanks to my Schoolmaster / and [Page 16] Mistresse; who taught me the first beginnings of my reading / I intreat and hope that ye will doe so / and not forget my thanks to the Ministers / as ye have already promised. Yea / said her Father / I promise you I shall / if the Lord preserve my life and health (which accordingly he did / at convenient occasion / on her behalfe: which was refreshing / & acceptable to these worthie men / as if it had been a present of another nature / from some greater personage.
Being wearied and weakened with speaking / she sought some rest; and haveing turned her to the wall / she slumbered about a quarter of an houre / and being awake / her Father asked how she did / and exprest somewhat of the great satisfaction and contentment he had in her reading / and wryting / and her religious profiting. Yea Father / said she: in that ye hav been so carefull for me / to get me to read and learne / hath been better to me / then if ye had provyded ten thousand gilders of portion for me: for therby have I learned to comfort myselfe out of the word of God.
Her Father perceiving her groweing weake / said to her / my dear child / I think thou becomes very weake. Yea said she / I feel it so more and more / as also your grief for me / I see / doth increase / which is a piece of my affliction. be content I pray you / it is the Lord who doth all this. And let us (with David 2 Sam. 24. 14.) fall in the Lords hand; for his mercies are great. David, while his [Page 17] childe was sick / he fasted / and ate not: but when the childe was dead / and God had declared his purpose in it; then he did eat. Yea / why should I now fast / said he? can I bring him back from death: I shall goe to him, but he shall not returne to me. 2. Sam. 12. 23. so ought ye to comfort yourself also / after my death / and say / our childe is wel; for we know that they who trusted in God / are well. My dear Mother / who hath done so much for me / ye must promise to me / that after my death ye shall not sorrow so much: for I am afraid for you / when I consider your grief for me / and for my other sister / and brother / who are gone through death before me. And consider your neighbor / who hath lost her two sonnes / & hath no more children. Ye shall both of you promis me / that yee will comfort one another. Comfort yourselves with Job, who haveing lost all his children, said, the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord. Doe ye not think but it went very sadd with him. Ye know well that Christ said to the Apostles Joh. 16. 33. In the world ye shall have tribulation. But be of good comfort: in me ye shall have peace: I have overcome the world. And must the Apostles suffer so great tribulations? and shall not we endure some what. Yea / hath not Iesus Christ my only life and favior / in the garden of Bethsemane / swatt blood for my sake. was he not mocked / and spitted upon in Ierusalem: and / therafter / nailed unto the cross: and a speare thrust through his blessed [Page 18] side: and all this for my sake; for my stinking sinnes sake. Yea there he cried with a loud voice: my God, my God, wherefore hast thou forsaken me. Now thus hath he purchased his church with his own blood. Act. 20. 28. From the cross is that precious blood to be gotten / which alone can cleanse us from all sinne. 1. Joh. 4. 7. There did Iesus hang naked / who hath purchased to me the garment of salvation / and clothed me with the rob of righteousnes. Isai 6. 10. And salvation is in none other besides him. Yea there is no other name in heaven, or earth among men, by which to be saved. Act. 4. 12.
Oh deare F. and M. I waxe more and more feeble / and weake. oh / that I may quyetly fall asleep in his bosome: and till then / he may strengthen me / and take me in his armes / as he did the litle children / and said Mark. 10. 14. suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdome of God. And it is said vers 16. he took them in his armes, and laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. I lye heer as a childe. o Lord / I am a childe; receiv me into thy gratious armes. o Lord / grace / grace / and not justice / for if thou enter in judgement with me I can not stand. Yea no living shall in thy sight be justified. Psal. 143. 2. for there is none who sinneth not. 1. k. 8. 4. 6.
Thus with continued speaking she became very faint / and all her strength seemed quite gone; yet she forced a cry more / ah my dear mother / ah how faint and feeble. This did so pierce the heart of her mother; [Page 19] that she could say nothing / but ah my dear child. Then began she again to comfort her mother: so long as my life is in this body / there is hope / said she. If it should pleas the Lord to recover me to life and health: how carefull / and earnest would I be to pleas you / in my work / and learning / and what ye would require / and lay upon me. And here upon again being a litle more revived / the Lord renued her strength wonderfully / to speak as before / and to comfort herselfe / and her parents / out of the scriptures / sayeing with the Apostle Rom. 8. 28. we know that all things work together for good to those who love God; even to these who are the called of God, according to his purpose. O God / establish me with thy free spirit: that I never fall from thy love. Yea / its said there / who shall separat us from the love of Christ. I am perswaded that neither life, nor death, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor deepth, nor any other creature, shall separat us from the love of God; which is toward us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Also Joh. 10. 27, 28, 29. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternall life, and they shall never perish, and no man shall plucke them out of my hand. my Father, who gave them me, is greater then all, and none shall pull them out of my Fathers hand. But now let me rest a litle.
After some slumbering / she spake to her Father again / with much gladnes / and joy of heart. It is said / sayth she 1. Cor, 15. [Page 20] 54, 55, 56, 57. death is swallowed up of victorie: o death where is thy sting; o Hell? where is thy victorie, the sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinn is the law: but God be thanked who giveth us victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. There ey / see that my dear savior hath overcome death? and the sting of death? who then would not be earnestly content to dye. For we must all once dye. We are from the earth / and to the earth we must returne / the dust is mother of us all. Eccl. 12. 7. the dust shall turne to dust, from whence it is, and the spirit to God, who gave it. So that my spirit shall turne to God / who is the giver of all things. But oh / what is mans life upon earth. The dayes of man upon earth are as the grass, as the flowre of the field, so he floorisheth. The wind passeth over it, and it is no more. And his place knoweth him no more. Psal. 103. 15, 16. And if a man should live long; yet the longer he should live / he should the more have sinn. Psal. 90. 10. The dayes of our yeares are threescore and ten yeares. And if by strength, they be fourscore: yet is the strength therof labor and sorrow. Now the Lord shall free me from all that labor / and that sorrow. Suppose / and think with yourselves / that ye were both sick / and the Lord should come and take you from us / and leave us poore children behind you? How farr greater loss should that seem for us. Is it not better that the Lord remove us first / who would / belike / have so few freinds behind you. Bot we know not the thoughts of the Lord: yet we know / [Page 21] they are peace and good / and not evill / and to give an expected end / unto good. But oh? what shall I say; my life shall not continue long / I feel so much anxiety. Oh / Lord / look upon me graciously: have pitty upon my weake and distressed heart / my distressed soule: I am opprest / undertake for me / that I may stand fast and overcome. Heer again / a little reviving / she said.
It is said / Joh. 14. 16. I wil pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, who shall remain with you for ever, even the spirit of trueth. O Lord let him not leave me. O Lord continue with me / till my battell and work be finished. Without thee I can doe nothing. Ioh. 15. 5. I am, said Christ / the true vine, and my Father is the husband-man. ah / ah / my God let me be a branch of that living vine. Oh / what are we poor wormes / who can of ourselves do nothing. O dear Father / how lame / and halting goe we in the wayes of God and salvation. 1. Cor. 13. 9, 10. For we know but in part, and we prophecie but in part, but when that which is perfect is come: then shall that which is in part be done away. Oh that I had attayned to that. Now? but what are we of ourselves. Gen. 6. 5 see / not only / the weakenes / & nothingnes / but also the wickedness of man: that all the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart are evill, and only evill continually. and Eph. 2. We were by nature the children of wrath, and are conceived and borne in sinne, and unrighteousnes. Psal. 51. Oh / oh / this wretched and vile thing / sinn. [Page 22] But thanks be to God who hath redeemed me from it. Rom. 8. 15, 16, 17. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to feare: but ye have received the spirit of adoption, by which ye crie Abba, Father. It is the spirit which witnesseth with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then are we heirs; Heirs of God, and joint heires with Christ. Thence ye see / Father / that I shalbe a fellow heir with Christ / who hath said Joh. 14. 2, 3. In my Fathers house are many mansions, I goe to prepare a place for you. And if I goe to prepare a place for you, I will come againe, and take you to my selfe, that where I am, there ye may be also. O Lord take me to thy selfe. Behold / dear M. he hath prepared a place and dwelling for me. Yea / my dear child / said her Mother he shall strengthen you / with his holy spririt / untill he hath fitted you / and prepared you fully for that place / which he hath prepared for you. Yea Mother / it is said in Psal. 84. How lovlie are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hosts: my soule doth thirst, and longeth for the courts of the Lord: one day in thy courtes, is better then a thousand. Yea / said David / I had rather be a doorekeeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in tents of the wicked. Read that Psalm D. M. and therwith ye may comfort one another. As for me / I am more and more spent / and draw neer to my last houre. Pray with me. Pray that the Lord would vouchsafe unto me a soft death. And when they had prayed with her / she turned her to her Mother / and with much affection [Page 23] / she said / ah my dear and loving Mother / that which cometh from the heart / doth ordinarily goe to the heart. Once come and kiss me before I leave you / and also my dear father / and my sister. And / father / let my sister be trained up in the wayes of God / as I have been / I bewailed and weeped for my sister / thinking she should dye; and now she weepeth for me. Also / she took her young litle sister in her armes / a child of 6. monethes old / and she kissed it with much affection / as if her bowels had been moved: and spake with many heart-breaking words / both to the parents / and the children. Her father said to one standing by; Take from her that poore lambkin / from the hazard of that fierie sicknesse. Give her from you: for ye have too much already to beare. Well father / said she / did not God preserv the 3 children in the fierie furnace. Ye yourself learned me from Isai 43. 3. When thou passest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
After this / she had some litle rest / and being awaked / she said. We read 1. Cor. 15. 42, 43. The body is sown in corruption; but shalbe raised incorruptible. It is sown in dishonour, but shalbe raised in glory: it is sown in weakness, but shalbe raised in power. Behold thus it is / and thus it shalbe with my poore mortal flesh. Revel. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead who dye in ye Lord, becaus they doe rest from their [Page 24] labour, and their workes shall follow them: Isai. 57. 1, 2. The righteous perish, and no man layeth it to heart; and the upright are taken away, and no man regardeth it; that they are taken away before the evill which cometh. They shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, every one who have walked in their uprightnesse. Behold now father / I shall rest and sleep in that bed-chamber. Also Job saith / chap. 19. 25, 26, 27. I know that my Redeemet liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I shall see for my selfe, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reines be consumed within me. Behold now / father / this very skin which ye see / and this very flesh / which ye see / shalbe raised up again: and these very eyes / which now are so dim / shall on that day see and behold my dear and pretious Redeemer. Albeit the wormes shall eat up my flesh; yet with these eyes shall I behold God: even I myself and not another for me. Joh. 5. 28, 22. Mervell not for this: for the houre is coming, in the which all who are in the grave, shall heare, and come foorth: these who have done good, unto the resurrection of life. See / Father / I shall rise on that day / and then I shall behold my Redeemer; then shall she say / come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdome prepared fore you, before the beginning of the world. Behold / now I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now [Page 25] live in the flesh, is by the Faith of the Sonne of God, who loved me, and hath given him selfe for me. I am saved, and that of grace, through faith: and that not of my self: it is the gift of God. Not of workes: to the end that no man should boast. Eph. 2, 8 9, My dear Parents / now we must shortlie parte: my speech faileth me. pray the Lod for a quiet close to my combat. All our dear childe / how sad is that to us / that we must parte. Yea said she; I goe to heaven / and there shall we find one another. I goe to Iesus Christ / and to my Brother Iacob / who did so much crie to God / and call upon him / to the very last breathing: and to my litle sister / which was but three years of age / when it dyed: and when we asked it? if it would dye: yea / said it / if it be Gods will / I will goe to my litle brother if the Lord will. Or / I will also stay with my Mother / if it be his wil: but I know that I shall dye / and goe to heaven / to God. Oh / see how so small a babe / to which so much grace was given / as to have it self / every way / and in all things / so subjected / and submitted to the will of God: as if it had no will of it's own / it said alwise; If it be the will of God: if it pleas God: Nothing for it / but as it was the will of God? the pleasure of God, &c. And therefore / dear F. and M. give the Lord thanks for this his free / and rich grace: and then I shall the more gladlie be gone. Be gratious then O Lord unto me also / be gracious to me: wash me throughlie from [Page 26] my unrighteoushes, & cleanse me from my sinne. It is said Isa. 1. 18. Although your sinnes were as skarlet, they shalbe white as snow. Although they were red as crimson, yet they shalbe as wooll. Behold / God hath washen away my sinn. Oh how doe I long: for in this body, said the Apostle / we earnestlie sigh, and groan, longing for our house which is in heaven; that we may be therewith cloathed. 2. Cor. 5. 2. Now I also ly heer sighing / and longing for that dwelling / which is above. In the same sermon / which I heard / or shall ever heare / on earth; I heard of this / in the new Kirk: which is matter of great comfort now unto me.
Then she brought foorth severall notable scriptures / which were quoted in that sermon / especially. Revel. 22. And then she called for prayer. Pray with me / said she / that my sins may be forgiven me / and that I may have the more abundant faith / and assureance of it / and the comfort of that assureance / and the strength of that comfort / according to my necessity. She prayed herself / and continued a pretty space.
After prayer (in which she insisted principally / for pardon of sinne) she said / my [...] parents? have I angered / or grieved you / at any time: or done what became me not; forgive it me. O poor childe / say they / if all children caryed so to their parents / as thou hast done / there should be less grief and sorrow / upon all hands. And if any such thing had escaped thee / we [Page 27] would forgive it / with our wholl heart: you have done [...] a good childe.
The heart of her being quieted by her peace with God her Father in the heavens / and her peace with her parents on Earth / then she began to dispone her books / and other litle things: and as the grace of God had made her so wise unto salvation; so she did showe some proportion of christian prudence / almost in every thing / smaller / and greater. My dear mother / said she / ye shall keep my Catechise book / in remembrance of me. Ye shall keep Dom. de Witts Catechisation / so long as ye live: and let my litle sister have the other book / as my remembrance. In the mean while / she told that she found her heart exceedingly pained / and overwhelmed / and that she knew that her life should quicklie passe away. Her Father speaking a word / as he was able / hoping the Lord would be neer with his strength in this sad hour of her necessity. Yea / said she / The Lord is my shepherd: Although I pass through the shadow of the valley of death; I will not feare, for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me Psa. 23. And it is said / Rom. 8. the sufferings of this present life, are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shalbe revealed in us. Shall I not suffer and endure: seing my glorious Redeemer behoved to suffer so much. Oh how was he mocked / and spitted on / and crowned with thornes / that he might parchase a crowne [Page 28] of righteousness for us. And that is the crowne / of which Paul said / 2. Thes 4. 7, 8. I have foughten the good fight, I have finished my race, and keeped the faith. Henceforth, is laid up for me, a crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give unto me in that day: and not only to me, but to all who love his appearing. 1. Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorifie God in your soules and bodyes, which are his. Must I not then exalt / and bless him / while I have being / who hath bought / yea bought me with his blood. Isai 53. Surely he hath borne our griefes, & took our infirmities: & we esteemed him smitten and stricken of God. But he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our sin: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and through his stripes are we healed. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. Joh. 1. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sinn of the world. Behold / that Lamb is Iesus Christ; also / for my sinnes / he hath satisfied. So said Paul 1. Cor. 6. 11. Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and through the Spirit of our God. My end is now very neer. Now shall I put on white raiment / and be cloathed before the Lamb / that spotlesse Lamb / & with his spotlesse righteousnesse. Now are the Angels making ready to carrie my soule before the throne of God. Those are they who are come out of great tribulation, who have washed their robs, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revel. 7. [Page 29] She spoke this with a dying voice: but full of the Spirit / and of the power of faith. And this her lively assureance / and persuasion of her salvation / she further uttered with the words of Paul / 2. Cor. 5. 1, 2. For we know, that if this earthlie house of our tabernacle, be dissolved; we have one, which is built of God, a house not made with hands, but eternall in the heaven. For in this we sigh for our house, which is in heaven, that we may be cloathed therewith. There / Father / ye see that my body is this tabernacle / which now shall be broken downe. My soule shall now parte from it / and shall be taken up into heavenly Paradise / into that heavenly Ierusalem. There shali I dwell / and goe no more out; but sitt and sing / holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts, the Lord of sabbaoth. And her last words; O Lord God, into thy hands I commit my Spirit. O Lord be gracious / be mercifull unto me a poor sinner; and heerupon she fell asleep. Being the 1 of September in the evening betwxt 7 and 8: haveing obtained / very remarkablie / that which / so often / she intreated of the Lord: to wit / a soft and quiet departure / and the end of her faith / the salvation of her soule.
The last words of her Heer follow the last words of her BROTHER JACOB a childe of 7 yeares old.
THis litle childe was visited by the Lord with a very sore sicknes / upon the 6 of August: three or 4 weeks before his sister / of whose death we have given some account already. For most part he sleeped till neer his death. That which he spake ordinarlie / when he was awake; is / in these few words fowowing / communicated to the christian Reader. So often as he awaked / he gave himself to pray. Once / when his parents had prayed / they asked him? if they should not / once more / call for the physician. Nay said her, dear Fa. and Mo. I will not have the Doctor any more: The Lord shall help me. I know he shall take me to himself / and then he shall help all. Ah my dear child / said the Father / that maketh my heart sore. Well / said the childe / Father / let us pray; and the Lord shall be neer / for my helper. And as the parents had again prayed / he said / come now dear Fa. and Mo. and kiss me. I know now / that I shall dye. Adew dear Fa. and Mo. adew my dear sister: adew all. Now shall I goe to heaven unto God / and Iesus [Page 31] Christ / and the holy Angels. Father / know ye not what is said / by Jeremie chap. 17. Blessed is he who trusteth in the Lord. Now I shall trust in him / and he will bless me. And 1. Joh. 2. Litle children, love not the world; for the world passeth away. away then all that is the world: away with all my pleasant things in the world. away with my dager (which a Student had propined him) for where I goe / there is nothing to doe with dager / and sword. Men shall not fight there / but praise God. Away with all my books / for where I goe / there is nothing adoe with books: There I shall know and be learned / sufficiently / all things of true wisdom / and learning / without books. The Father being astonished with wonder / knew not well what to say; but / my dear childe / the Lord wilbe neer to thee / and uphold thee. Yea / Father / said he / the Apostle Peter saith. God resisteth the proud but he giveth grace unto the humble. I shall humble myself under the mightie hand of God; and he shall help / and lift me up. Ah my dear childe / said the Father / hast thou so strong a faith. God will strengthen thy saith. Yea said the childe / Father / God hath given me so strong a faith upon himself / through Iesus Christ; that the Divel himself shall flee from me: for it is said Joh. 3. He who beleiveth on the sonne, hath everlasting life, And hath overcome the wicked one. 1. Joh. 2. Now I believe in Iesus Christ my Redeemer [Page 32] / and he will not leave nor forsake me. but shall give unto me eternall life. Then shall I sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Sabaoth. And with the short word of prayer Lord be mercifull to me a poore sinner. He quietly breathed it out / and sleept in the Lord. August 8. 1664.
To conclude; we may see heer / by the mouth of these children (being, as it were, two or three of that blessed cloude of witnesses. Hebr. 12. 1.) That verified / which we read / Isa. 65. 20. THE CHILDE SHALL DIE AN HUNDRED YEARES OLD. Reader I have noe more to say to thee; but / as thou would wish to live for ever / stand in alw of that which followeth / immediatlie / in that same vers: BUT THE SINNER / though AN HUNDRED YEARES OLD, SHALL BE ACCURSED.