THe minde of man deſtitute of Gods Grace, doth (like untilled ground) luxuriate into wickedneſſe and vanitie, being very prone to cloſe with the ſuggeſtions of the grand adverſarie of his ſoule; yea, though he hath had ſome taſte of the things that are excellent, yet ſuch is his courtefie, that he will be ſeeking after novelties. Old truths (like the Manna to the Iſraelites after a conſtant and continued falling of it) become nauſeous: the truth hereof hath beene found in all ages by lamentable experience, but eſpecially in theſe our dayes, which have been as fruitfull of new opinions in matters of Religion, as Africa it ſelfe of Monſters.

Some (though few in compariſon) God is pleaſed to recall, who have gone aſtray in this kinde, and to bring them to a cleare ſight of their folly, of which number I (by Gods Grace towards me) am one; I deſire to acknowledge him in it, and to give him the praiſe of it, and think my ſelf bound in conſcience, as a teſtimonie of my thankfulneſſe to God for my deliverance, to declare it to the world, that ſo others may heare and feare, and take warning by my example. They who have been lately in the Northerne parts of England, cannot be ignorant how prevalent the impoſture of Quaking hath been for theſe nine or ten Moneths laſt paſt, in which ſnare I my ſelfe (among many poore deluded ſoules) was taken in May laſt 1653. though by Gods goodneſſe towards me the ſnare is broaken, and I am eſcaped; a true account whereof take as followeth.

I being deſirous to aſſociate my ſelf with this Faction at their Meeting, and to heare ſome of them ſpeake (to uſe their owne expreſſion) acquainted one of their owne with it, viz. George Bayley of Kendale, who gave me great incouragement herein from his owne experience of much advantage received by him in that way: Whereupon I went ſoone after to their Meeting at Richard Newby's houſe, where I ſtaid about two houres (viz. from eight till ten at night) where Christopher Atkinſon was Speaker, whoſe driſt was to deny all Miniſterial teaching and Ordinances, together with all notionall knowledge formerly gained by uſe of ſuch meanes, to become as though wee had never learned any thing thereby ſavingly, and to lay a new ground worke, viz. to be taught of God within our ſelves by waiting upon an inward light, which (as they aſſert) lies low hidden under the earth, viz. the old man which is of the earth, earthly. Hereupon I reſolved to cloſe with them, after which time I was afraid to read any good Books, or heare any preaching Miniſter, or call to remembrance any thing which I had formerly learned out of Gods Word concerning God or Chriſt, or mine owne eſtate, or any other ſubject contained in Scripture; for I was perſwaded by their teaching, that whatſoever I had learned out of Gods Word by hearing, reading, catechizing, &c. was but notionall carnall, and hanging upon the Tree of Knowledge; in which condition whilſt I abode, they affirmed me to be under the Curſe, applying this expreſſion though very impertinently▪ Curſed is every one that hangeth on the Tree.

After this, going a ſecond time to one of their Meetings at Edmond Newby's, I had ſome conference by the way with ſome of themſelves which went with me; amongſt other blaſphemies one Robert Colliſon affirmed, that Chriſt was as man, had his failings, for he diſtruſted God (quoth he) upon the Croſſe, when he cryed out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? to whom I anſwered, that then he ſuffered as an evill doer, and ſo could not purchaſe Redemption for us; after this comming home, he who then was Speaker, urged us to take up the Croſſe daily, and to abide under it: ſaying, Carry the Croſſe all day, and it will keepe thee at night; that this would keep us low and humble, and kill and make alive: further he endeavoured to perſwade his Auditors to hearken to a voice within them, teaching that Gods voice was a ſtill voice; after which I reſolved in my thoughts to waite for the manifeſtation of theſe things within my ſelf.

After a while, going a third time to their Meeting, as I went I was ſomewhat troubled in my thoughts at the remembrance of that hideous blaſphemy uttered by the partie before named, whereupon I ſpake publickly to them at their Meeting concerning it, telling them that I would not any further joyne with them if they were all of that mind, to which ſome of them (after much whiſpering) anſwered negatively, wiſhing me not to let it trouble me; for he which ſpake ſo to me was not rightly called; with which anſwer I was at preſent ſatisfied, and did adhere to my former reſolution. Not long after I went to another Meeting upon a Lords Day at Robert Colliſons houſe in Kendale, where the aforeſaid Atkinſon was Speaker, who beginning about nine a clock in the forenoone, continued till three in the afternoone, in which time he ſpake much (according to his uſuall manner) of the great experience which he had of God from the light within him, which light I not finding to be in my ſelfe was very much troubled, apprehending my condition to be verie bad, finding nothing but blindneſſe and hardneſſe, yet I ſtill expected the appearance of that light within me, and earneſtly deſired that I might fall into quaking and trembling, apprehending that I ſhould thereby attaine to the immediate diſcoveries of God unto me. Upon my departure from thence, I peruſed a Pamphlet ſet forth by ſome of the ſame Faction being in York. Caſtle, the maine ſcope of it was againſt the Miniſtry; immediately after walking in my Bed-chamber, I began (as I have formerly deſired) to tremble and quake ſo extreamly, that I could dot ſtand upon my feet, but was conſtrained to fall down upon my Bed, where I howled and cryed (as it is uſuall with them) in a terrible & hideous manner, to the great aſtoniſhment of my family: Nevertheleſſe I my ſelf was not at all affected with feare, becauſe it was a ſatisfaction to my former deſires, and I looked upon it as the beginning of the pangs of the new birth, and expected that the iſſue of it would be good; when I had continued about halfe an houre in that condition, I ceaſed from howling and crying gradually; after which I aroſe up againſt beginning to rejoyce, thinking with my ſelfe that now I could beare witneſſe againſt the Miniſters of England as falſe Prophets and Prieſts of Baal, becauſe I never found ſuch effects and operations upon me by ſo long continuance under their Miniſterie; After this going to bed, I was much troubled all that night following in my ſleep with dreames concerning my condition, and had a diſcoverie of my ſinnes in particular, eſpecially of Covetuouſneſſe, the Devill working ſtrongly upon my imagination; I apprehended that all ſinne. was about to be hewed downe, and rooted up in me, and (to my apprehenſion) the ſinne of Covetuouſneſſe had great long rootes which did viſibly appeare to me when it was rooted up: Afterwards lying awake, and thinking upon the dreames and viſions I had formerly been troubled with, I ſenſibly perceived ſomething (as I imagined) lighting upon my neck, giving me a great ſtroke which cauſed much paine to me, and after that another which was leſſe then the firſt, and ſo a third and fourth, each ſtroke being leſſe then the former, and each ſtroke deſcending lower down, till it came to the middle of my back, and then I thought ſomething entered into my body, which I perſwaded my ſelfe (from Satans inſtigation) to be the Spirit of God deſcending upon me like a Dove and entring into me, whereupon I heard (in my conceit) a voice within me ſaying, It is day; whereupon looking up and perceiving it to be light, I anſwered Yes; the voice replyed twice over to me, and ſaid, as certaine as it is light, ſo certainly ſhall Chriſt give thee light.

After this I continued two or three daies waiting for further diſcoveries of light within me, being rapt up into an extaſie of exceſſive joy, and ſometimes againe exceedingly dejected with feares and doubts of my condition, whether it were really good, or I were under Satans deluſions; yet ſtill I waited for further manifeſtations, and walking into the Garden, lying down upon the ground with my face towards the earth, my right hand began extreamly to ſhake, ſo as I could not hold it ſtill, the meaning whereof whilſt I was wondering what it ſhould be, and apprehending my ſelfe as being ſhaken by the hand, I was brought into another rapture of great joy, imagining it to be a figure of my ſpirituall Marriage and Union with Chriſt. Then preſently I was by the power within me raiſed, and ſet upon my feet, and by the ſame power turned and laid upon my back, with my face cowards the skie; at which time all my ſinnes particularly were againſt brought into my memorie, and at the remembrance of everie ſin, my hand was carried round about with giving a little pat upon the ground, and then I imagined I heard a voice ſaying, now ſuch a ſinne is mortified; after which I being perſwaded by it, that all my ſinnes were mortified by it one by one; the power that I was then acted by, permitted me to ariſe up againe of my ſelfe, ſaying unto me, Aske whatſoever thou wilt of the Father in my name, and he will give it thee: I replied, I know not what to aske, and therefore deſired that power to teach me what I ſhould aske; he anſwered me againe, and bid me aske Wiſdome in the firſt place; whereupon I deſired alſo that God would give me ſuch things as were moſt for his glorie and the good of others; whereunto the power anſwered, that my request was granted, and that I ſhould alſo be indewed with the gift of Prophecy and ſinging praiſes to God; wherewith being ſatisfied, I went to another Meeting within an houre after, at William Doddings houſe in Kendale, which was the fifth and laſt Meeting that I was at with them, where Chriſtopher Atkinſon being Speaker, I was much more affected with what he ſpake then formerly, as being able more inwardly to witnes in part to what he ſpoke. After he had done, and a little pauſe had, the companie roſe up, as if they had been readie to depart; I my ſelfe was readie to go away with the firſt, but the Wife of the houſe (Iſa: Dodding) tooke me by the hand, and wringing it very hard, bade me ſit downe againe, which I did, and preſently after one John A • dland ſtood up, and began to ſpeake, ſaying, cannot you watch one houre? and ſo proceeded after the uſuall manner. In the time of his ſpeaking I was by the power within me drawne from the chaire upon which I ſat, and throwne upon the ground in the middeſt of the companie, where I lay all night; all which time my bodie and all the members of it were ſtill in motion, I being turned from my back to my belly, and ſo back againe ſeverall times, and making croſſes continually with my legges one over the other; my hands alſo were carried to and fro upon the ground by a compulſive power, as if I had been writing upon the ground; in all which actions and motions, I acted not in the leaſt meaſure by a naturall power of mine owne, neither did I reſiſt or could I reſiſt that power which acted me, but was altogether paſſive, I was perſwaded that it was the immediate power of Chriſt, and heard to my thinking a voice ſpeaking to me and ſaying, that that writing with my hand upon the ground did ſignifie the writing of the Law within my heart. Having laine all night upon the ground in the manner aforeſaid, the power (as before in other actions) moved my hands to my head, and laid them upon the top thereof faſt cloſed together, whereupon I heard a voice ſaying, Chriſt in God, and God in Christ, and Chriſt in thee; which words I was compelled to ſing forth before the companie in a ſtrange manner, and with ſuch a voice as was not naturally mine owne: I ſung alſo divers phraſes of Scripture, which were given into me; after which I was raiſed from the ground, and ſet upon my feet by the power within me, which bade me be humble, and brought me downe againe upon my knees, and with a whiſpering voice ſaid to me, ſtoope low, low; and having ſtooped neere the ground with my face, it ſaid to me, take up thy Croſſe and follow me; whereupon ariſing I was led out of the houſe (by the back doore) downe to the River, and back againe from thence into the Towne another way, where I was ſenſibly drawn down the ſtreet, and cauſed ſuddenly to turne aſide to a doore of an houſe (my ſelfe not knowing who lived in it) two of the ſaid companie following me all the time, (viz.) William Dodding and Jehn Awdland, and ſeeing me to go to that doore ſaid, whether wilt thou go? this is the fidlers houſe; I anſwered, whoſe houſe ſoever it be Chriſt leades me hither, and hither I must go, whereupon my hand was carried to knock at the doore, and commanded by a voice to ſay, Behold, Chriſt ſtands at the doore and knockes; after a while the Fidler opened, and I was led into the houſe not ſpeaking any thing unto him; where my hand was carried to a Bace-violl hanging up in the houſe; I tooke it downe and began to plaie upon it with my fingers, and was immediately compelled to fall a dancing, which I ſeldome or never in all my life did before; hereupon I queſtioned what power it ſhould be that carried me forth to ſuch actions, to which the voice within me replied; This is not becauſe I love muſick, for I hate it, but to ſignifie unto thee what joy there is in heaven at thy converſion; as alſo what ſpirituall melodie thou ſhalt have hereafter: then I was led out of the houſe into the ſtreet, and ſo carried along through the Towne, being moved to proclame as I went, I am the way, the truth, and the life, with other expreſſiōs to like purpoſe; after which I was brought to mine owne houſe, the aforeſaid William Dodding going along with me, acknowledged that he had no power to leave me all this time; being come home, the ſame power would not ſuffer me to reſt, but caſt me upon the ground, and cauſed me to make circles round about the houſe with my hand, with many the like actions, telling me, that I was putting off the oldman; my hand alſo was carried to take up a ſtone which lay upon the floore (which in my apprehenſion was in the forme of a mans heart) the voice within me telling me, that Christ had taken that ſtone out of my heart, and given me an heart of fleſh, and my hand was moved to hold it forth to the ſpectators, and my tongue to utter this ſentence, except you ſee ſignes and wonders you will not beleeve; and throwing the aforeſaid ſtone amongſt them I ſaid, Loe, here is my heart of ſtone; afterwards being caſt upon the ground upon my back, the voice ſpake to me, ſaying, thou ſhalt have two angels to keep thee, whereupon imediatly two Swallows deſcended downe the Chimney, and ſat upon a ſhelfe over againſt the place where I lay: this others in the houſe beſides my ſelfe beheld, and I cried to them, my angels, my angels, being perſwaded that they were angels from heaven, and that it was a fulfilling the promiſe; I held out my hand towards them expecting they ſhould have come to me, but they did not, but aſcended up the Chimney, though both the doore and the window were open.

I was alſo by the ſame power carried out of doores upon my hands and knees into the ſtreet, which my Wife and others ſeeing endeavoured to hinder me, but I told them I would not be hindred, but leave Wife, Children, and all to follow Chriſt: in this manner I went up the ſtreet, thinking that I bore a Croſſe upon my neck, and continued in this motion till ſome pulled me out of the mire and durt, and by force carried me into the houſe againe; whereupon I was moved to point to one of them which brought me in, and to ſay to her, Cbriſt points at thee, th •• art a wicked woman, and haſt hindred the worke of the Lord; then the voice asked me where my Croſſe was, telling me I had ſcattered it, whereupon I was moved to make a Croſſe with my finger upon the floore, and forced to ſet my head upon it, playing topſie turvie, or bull necks, thinking then I had retaken up my Croſſe: in theſe actions I was kept a long while, having many Scripture expreſſions given in, to the admiration of all that heard me; ſometimes I was forced to leap and dance, this expreſſion being given in to me, now I have finiſhed the worke which thou gaveſt me to d • e, thinking my Redemption then fully accompliſhed; but my joy continued not, for I was caſt downe againe, and the voice told me, I had offended God in attributing that to my ſelfe which was proper to Chriſt; whereupon I was caſt upon the ground, and lying upon my belly, I was forced to lick the duſt, and my hand carried to ſtrike extraordinarily upon my head, having a voice given me, that no ſinne muſt go unpuniſhed; ſo creeping up and downe the houſe, I heard a voice ſaying, where is thy Croſs? upon which looking aſide, I thought I ſaw a viſible Croſſe hanging in a thread, which with my hand I put behind my neck; I was kept in theſe poſtures all that day till evening, when many Quakers came in to me, who ſpake nothing but thus, Be lowly, mind thy condition, and hearken to the voice within; not giving any words of comfort or reproofe, or putting up any Petition at all for me, but departed, leaving me in this condition; my ſtrength being almoſt ſpent, and my bodie much conſumed by continuall reſtleſſeneſſe: Two of them offered to watch with me that night, but I refuſed, telling them I was well, whereupon they departed. After this my Wife and Family being gone to bed, I being alone in the houſe, began to •• collect my ſelfe, and to queſtion whether that power by which I had been ſo ſtrangly acted, were Divine or Diabolicall? whereupon I was immediately ſtruck with a pannick feare, and my hand was carried to take up a Knife which lay upon the Table, which being done, my hand was carried with it towards my throat, and the voice ſaid to me, open a hole there, and I will give thee the words of eternall life; whereupon I anſwered, what, with a Knife? and ſo threw the Knife away, being conſident it was a temptation, from which I deſire God to deliver me: My Wife being in bed in the next roome, and hearing me ſpeake when none was with me, came out, and deſired me to go to bed, which I did at her entreatie: all the night following I was fully reſolved that it was the Devils power that had acted me all along formerly, and was perſwaded that I was really poſſeſt with a Devil, which muſt be ejected; & in the morning I verily thought that a Devill went out of me, at which inſtant I roared very hideouſly, crying, now is the Devill gone out of me, at which inſtant I and my family heard it thunder, (though none in the Towne beſides heard it) which made me thinke it was the Devill, he being the Prince of the power of the aire; ſoone after the ſame power came under another notion and told me, that it was Satan that had poſſeſt and led me heretofore, but now Chriſt was come, and be by his power had east out Satan, and convinced me, that what ever I had done the day before was in obedience to Satan, and that as I had ſerved the Devill all the day before in my clothes, ſo that day I muſt undo all that I had formerly done, onely in my ſhirt in Obedience to Chriſt; which immediately I endeavoured, riſing out of my bed, and going into the ſtreet with my ſhirt onely; but my wife and others ſoone laid hold upon me, and ſtopt me; whereupon the power within me told me, that I muſt be carried into the houſe with foure women, as I had been the day before, or elſe I ſhould perpetually ſtand there like a pillar of Salt, as Lots Wife did: So I was borne in by foure women, who carried me againe into my bed, which being done, I told them, I had been doing the Devils worke the day before, but to day I must doe the work of Chriſt, and pointing at a woman whom I had pointed at the day before, ſaid theſe words, the devill told me yeſterday that you were a wicked woman, but now Chriſi tels me that you are Gods Servant; the Woman being departed, I fell to acting in my ſhirt onely, upon the bed, as I had done formerly upon the houſe floore, playing topſie survie from one bed to another, whereby I might have undone my ſelfe; but the power which acted me, bid me not feare, for I will give thee ſtrength. After this the power told me; that the devill had the other day commanded me to beare my Croſs, but now Christ commands thee to lay aſide thy Croſs, for Chriſt takes no pleaſure in Croſſes, nor will he have me worſhip them as yeſterday I had done: Further the power ſaid to me, the devill made thee yeſterday to lye all day upon the ground, but now I bave provided a bed for thee, giving in this Scripture to me, My yoke is eaſie; promiſing alſo, to give me bread of life to eat, and water of life to drinke, and that out of my belly ſhould flew Rivers of living water; whereupon my teeth were cauſed to move, as if I had been eating; and I thought I felt in my belly, a flowing up and downe as of waters, I was alſo perſwaded that yeſterday the Devils Angells had waited on me, but now Chriſts Angels ſhould guard me; whereupon I ſaw two Butter flies in the window, to which my hand was carried, and having taken one of them in my hand, I was moved by the power within me to put it into my mouth, and did ſwallow it down into my bodie, which having done, I tooke the other in my hand and was moved to put it to my throat, the power telling me, it ſhould enter in there, ſaying, nothing is impoſſible to them that beleeve. After this I was cauſed to make circles upon the bed, as I had done formerly upon the ground; whereupon I began to thinke that this was not of God, and ſo began to reſiſt the power by which I was acted, and thereupon fell into great feare and doubting, crying out, Lord what wilt thou have me to doe? but the power told me, that it was too late to cry unto God, for ſentence was already pronounced againſt me; whereupon I lay downe in my bed nuch deſpairing, and was then convict, that it was the devill which had againe deluded me; in which condition having laine a ſhort ſpace, I was againe aſſaulted by a power the third time, which told me, that it was a white devill that bad deceived me the latter time, but new Chriſt was come ind • ed, and he would caſt him out, whereupon I apprehended that Devill alſo to be ejected; after which, as I lay in my bed, all the members of my bodie fell a working as if the pangs of death had been upon me, the power telling me, that it was the pangs of the new birth, and that Chriſt was new borne in me, with which I was ſomewhat ſatisfied, lying in that condition a whole day; in which time the power perſwaded me that I ſhould worke wonders, and caſt out devils in his name: ſoon after two Quakers came to me, viz. Geo. Bayley & J. Braban, whom I told that I had had two devils caſt out of me, but now Chriſt was in me for a truth; then the power (pretending to be Chriſt) ſaid theſe words, I was crowned with a crown of thornes, but I will crown thee with a crown of glory, and bad me (as a figure thereof) to ſet my fiſt upon my head and it ſhould appeare to the ſtanders by as a glorious crown, though I ſaw nothing my ſelfe; which having done, I ſpake to the ſtanders by, ſaying, what do you ſee? whereunto they gave me no anſwer (being Quakers) but turned their eies another way, the power telling me, that they ſaw the crown upon my head; but were ſo ſtrucken with admiration, that they could not expreſſe what they ſaw; immediately the power bad me tell one of the Quakers then preſent, that he had a devil in him, and that I ſhould have power to cast him out; whereupon I ſaid to him, G. thou haſt a Devill in thee, the power told me he ſhould quake and tremble, which immediately he did; the power bade me ſpeake to him to fall flat upon the ground, which he did, and after a little ſpace roſe againe, and I asked him whether the devil were gone out of him (having been before perſwaded by the power that I ſhould caſt him out) to which he gave me no anſwer, but the power told me that the Devill warejected. I was told alſo by the ſame power who (of thoſe that came to ſee me) bad devills, and who not; and that my wife and my mother bad devills in them, but I had power given me to caſt them out. After this, beginning againe to queſtion whether this were Chriſt or not, I fell into great feare and doubting, as formerly; whereupon the devil diſcovered himſelf to be the devil, and told me, that all this while I had been ſerving him, and blaſpheming God, and that it was now too late to repent, whereupon I was brought into deſpaire for a time, thinking every thing which I either heard or ſaw, to be the Devil come to fetch me away: one while I thought that I ſhould be taken away in a flame of fire, or elſe that the earth would ſwallow me up quick; whereupon I called my wife, and deſired her to bring up my children in the feare of God, for the devill would fetch me away, my ſelfe ſtill thinking that he was drawing me out of the bed; thus I apprehended my ſelfe wholly under the power of the devil, and had no power to recover my ſelfe out of that ſad condition. At laſt I began (having been ſo long deluded) to deſiſt from hearkning to the voice within me, and apply my ſelf unto God, in & through Chriſt, for deliverance from the power of Satan, knowing that God was able to deliver me, though I were ſo farre involved in the ſnare of the devill; thereupon my faith was in ſome meaſure raiſed to beleeve that God would deliver me; whereupon I was preſently in a great agonie, and did ſweat extreamly, in which condition I continued all night, but was ſomewhat more chearfull in the morning, eſteeming my ſelfe in ſome meaſure reſcued from the povver of the devill: yet having not reſolved, as yet finally to deſert that vvay, I vvas ſoone againe aſſaulted by the ſame povver, telling me, that now the devil was finally caſt out of me, and that the roome within me muſt not be left empty, but that Chriſt must come and have the whole, & ſole poſſeſſion, or elſe Satan would return and re-enter with ſeven other Devils worſe then himſelfe, telling me vvithall, that he was Christ, and ſolliciting me to entertaine and imbrace him as he had done formerly: I reſiſted the ſuggeſtions of this power for a time, having bin ſo often deluded; whereupon as a motive to perſwade me to entertain it, he repreſented to my memorie all, or moſt of the remarkable paſſages of my life, both in England and Scotland, told me how long I ſhould live, viz. ten yeares, and where I ſhould die, viz at London, and that I had a weake bodie, but he would ſtrengthen it, and thereupon cauſed me to rub my bodie all over with my hands, at which inſtant I conceived my bodie to receive ſtrength, and the members thereof to be more in ſubſtance then before; with divers other paſſages, promiſing me proſperitie in the world, and ſpeaking theſe words to me. John 4. 29. Behold, a man that hath told thee all things that ever thou didſt, is not this Chriſt? whereupon I was at laſt perſwaded to imbrace this power, thinking that it was Chriſt indeed; whereupon I was preſently ſenſible of a working throughout my whole bodie, which ſoone ceaſed, and then I thought that my condition was good, and Chriſt to be really in me: afterwards this power told me, that I had highly offended God in all my former paſſages in giving way to Satan, and that I was guiltie of all ſins except that againſt the holy Ghoſt, but told me, that I did it ignorantly, and therefore he had pitty on me; I was further perſwaded by the ſame power, that I ſhould lie (ſeemingly) dead, which I did, not daring to ſtirre, til the power moved me. Lying thus a while, the power began firſt to move one of my legs, and then the other; after that my hands, and then my head, and at laſt my whole bodie; cauſing me to ſit up in my bed; and telling me, that thus ſhould my body be quickened and raiſed up again at the laſt day: then the power told me, that I muſt pull off my ſhirt, and my cap, and the napkin which I had about my neck, ſaying, that whatſoever was about me was polluted, and that he hated the garments ſpotted with the fleſh; whereupon I pull'd them off, & threw them on the ground, uttering theſe ſame words, that I hated the garments ſpotted with the fleſh: the power alſo told me, that all my bonds were broken, and my cords looſened, and that Chriſt had ſet me free; vvhereupon calling for a clean ſhirt, & other linnen, I aroſe, concluding my ſelf to be in a good condition; yet finding my ſelf being up no better, nor my bodie more ſtrengthened, but rathet vveakened, I began to ſee that I had been deluded in this laſt buſineſſe as formerly; vvhereupon I was ſtrucken with fear, & walking into the Garden, I thought one while tbat the Devill would pull me into the earth, and another while that he would pull me into the aire, ſo that I was afraid to continue abroad, and came againe into the houſe, and ſuſpected every thing that I heard to be the Devil waiting to fetch me away; being in this perplexitie of ſoule, I began to conſider hovv grievouſly I had offended God in rejecting the uſe of all externall means; as reading, hearing, prayer, &c. in the uſe whereof God hath commanded us to vvait upon him, and therefore that it vvas moſt juſt vvith him to leave me to my ſelfe, and to give me over to ſtrong deluſion, that I ſhould beleeve lies, vvhich vvas my condition for a time, by the juſt judgement of God upon me, as for other provocations, ſo eſpecially for rejecting the revealed vvill of God in his Word, & hearkning only to a voice vvithin me; becauſe vvhat vvas ſpoken by it, vvas ſeconded by lying Wonders, of vvhich God hath given notice in his Word that ſo his people might not give credit to them, nor be deluded by them. I hope the Reader vvill ſo farre give heed to vvhat I have related concerning my ſelfe, as to learn thereby to take heed of being impoſed upon by the devil, though he doth transforme himſelfe into an angell of light; vvhich advantage if any reape by it, I have my end: it hath been no ſmall burthen to my conſcience (ſince Gods gracious deliverance of me from this ſnare) that I ſhould ſo farre gratifie the grand Adverſarie, as not onely to liſten to his ſuggeſtions, and embrace his voice for the voice of Chriſt, but alſo wholly to neglect thoſe meanes, in the conſtant and conſcientious uſe whereof God hath promiſed to reveale himſelf unto his people, and to give in comfort to them, which becauſe I found not (though through my owne default) I did in effect ſay, why ſhould I waite for the Lord any longer? and ſo turned unto lying vanities. Oh, that all who affect novelties, would ſeriouſly conſider of it, and take warning by it; for, Turpius eiicitur quam non admittitur. It is eaſier to withſtand the devill at his firſt aſſault, then to expell him being once admitted: Many beſides my ſelf, have bin, and are in the like condition, but few or none to whom the Lord hath manifeſted his Grace in ſuch a manner as to my ſelfe: I had before this made this known to the world, had J had tranquillitie of conſcience, and compoſure of ſpirit, which bleſſing the Lord having in his grace reſtored to me, J deſire the Chriſtian Reader to joyne with me in returning praiſes unto the Lord for his goodneſs towards me; J reſt fully perſwaded, and J think it doth evidently appear (by what is mentioned in this Relation) to perſons unprejudiced, that my quaking & trembling was of the devill, that J was acted wholly and ſolely by him whilſt in this condition, & I doe really beleeve that others in the like condition which J was then in, would be of the ſame mind with me upon ſerious tryall of their condition by the principles of Chriſtian Religion, and ſanctified Reaſon; leaſt the ſtrangeneſſe of ſome paſſages in this Rela • ion, ſhould put the faith of any one upon the racke, or make them queſtion the truth thereof; J have not onely given teſtimonie my ſelfe of it, by ſubſcribing my name, but alſo procured ſeverall perſons of known fidelity living in, or neere Kendale, (whoſe names are under-written) to teſtifie the probabilitie (if not the certaintie) of the truth of it, by what they have ſeen and heard.