A wonderful Prophesie declared by Christian James, a Maid of twenty two years of age, (late Daughter to Dan. James) who was born and bred near unto the Town which is called Padstow, in the County of Cornwal, who departed this life upon the 8. of Mar. With the true Relation of her behaviour, both in her life time, and at the hour of her death, worthy to be had in memory,
The tune is, in Summer time
THe mighty Lord that rules in heaven,
strange wonders doth to England send
And many warnings hath us given,
'cause we our sinful lives may mend:
But like the misbeléeving Jews,
so hard of heart our people be,
They think that nothing can be true
but that which their own eyes do sée.
Wherefore good people mark it well,
i'le here lay open to your view,
A Song most wonderful and strange,
and can approve it to be true;
A Damosel did near Padstow dwell,
within the County of Cornwal fair,
Whose Parents had no childe but her,
she was her Fathers only Heir.
To whom came many a brave young man
intending to make her a Wife,
But never tempting tongue could make
this Maid to change her maiden life:
And though her Parents riches had,
and costly garments her allow'd,
In comely habit she would go,
and alwaies hated to be proud.
She ne're was heard to curse or swear,
nor any word of anger give,
But courteous was in every thing,
to them that did about her live:
If she heard any one to swear,
or take Gods sacred Name in vain,
She told him that they crucifi'd,
our Saviour Jesus Christ again.
She often did frequent the Church,
and also did relieve the poor,
The Widdow and the Fatherlesse
she every day fed at the door:
Upon a time this Damosel she
fell sick, and in a deadly swound,
She lay for twenty hours space,
no life in her could then be found.
Her aged Father did lament,
her Mother she shed many a tear,
She wept, she wail'd, she wrung her hands,
for losse of this her Daughter dear:
Alas, alas, my childe she said,
how dearly have I tendred thée?
And wilt thou now forsake the world,
and leave me in this misery?
I w [...]uld thy birth had béen my death,
then never had I séen this day,
This grievous moan the Mother made
by her dear Daughter as she lay:
At last she did strong waters fetch,
and rubs her Temples and each Vein,
Till at the last th [...] Damosel had
recovered life and sense again.
And being come unto her spéech,
with voice most shrill aloud she cry'd,
O Mother you have done me wrong,
this cannot be by you deny'd:
For I was in the way to Heaven,
two glorious Angels did me guide,
Who gently took me by the hand,
and held me up on every side,
SInging of Psalms and spiritual Songs,
so long as we past on the way,
Till one that had a golden Crown;
met us, and caused me to stay;
Return, said he, from whence thou cam'st,
thy Mother for thée makes great moan,
And tell these things which I declare,
unto thy neighbours every one.
Speak, this (quoth he) unto them all,
how that the Lord e're long will send
A grievous punishment to them
that daily do his will offend:
This is the last age of the world,
even the very sink of sin,
The puddle of iniquitie,
which you long time have wallowed in.
The Men and Wives live in discord,
the Father envies his own Son,
The rich, the poor, the old, the young,
do hourlie into mischief run:
Extortions and Idolatrie,
and hateful pride is now in use,
Blasphemous Oaths and Curses vile,
the people count as no abuse.
Gods Ministers are set at naught,
the Sabbath is prophan'd also,
The poor lies starving in the stréet,
opprest with sorrow grief and woe:
The loathsome sin of Drunkennesse.
and Whordome doth too much excéed,
He that can do his Neighbor wrong,
doth think he doth a godly déed.
Now ponder therefore what I say,
Dooms dreadful day is near at hand,
Wilde-fire and Brimstone shall destroie,
the Heaven, the Earth, the Sea, and Land,
And every Soul before the Lord
a just account he then shall give,
His Conscience shall a witnesse be.
in what condition he did live.
Then he that hath done well, shall passe
forthwith to everlasting rest,
And live among those glorious Saints,
which Jesus Christ our Lord hath blest?
Where Martyrs, Prophets, & Patriarchs,
do Halelujahs ever sing,
Glory and honour be to God,
and unto Christ our heavenlie King.
Then wo to them that have done ill,
when they shall hear the Sentence past,
Depart ye cursed into Hell,
whose fire for evermore shall last;
The sorrows that are here foretold,
will come on you er'e it be long,
Except repentance trulie dwell,
in hearts of all both Old and Young,
Repentance and true watery eyes,
will help to quench the burning flame,
Which God hath kindled to consume,
this wicked worlds most rotten frame?
Let not your buildings all so brave
be burnt and wasted with Gods ire,
Nor let your souls for whom Christ dy'd,
be burnt in Hells eternal Fire.
Here endeth the Prophesie.
These Spéeches spoke, the Maiden dy'd,
and came no more to life again,
Her Seul no doubt is gone to Heaven,
with glorious Angels to remain;
At her decease an harmony
of musick there was heard to sound,
which ravisht all the standers by,
it did with swéetnesse so abound.
It pierc'd the Earth, the Air also,
yet no man knew from whence it came,
But each one said it came from Heaven,
and presently upon the same,
The Magistrates of that fame Parish,
which heard and saw this wonder strange,
Desir'd to have it put in Print,
'cause wicked Men their waies might change,
The Names of the Masters of the Parish that saw the Maid on her death-bed and heard the words of the Prophesie which she delivered, were as followeth. W. Wats Curate T. Davis, Head Cunstable, R. Wilkins, and C. Tanner, Church-wardens; who By the consent of divers others in the same Parish, which were in presence at the Damo [...]els Decease; caused a Letter to be written and sent from thence to London, on purpose to have it Printed, whereby to avoid all scandal.
March 8,
London, Printed for J. Wright, at the Globe in Little-Brittain.