A declaration of the bountifull loving-kindness of the Lord manifested to His hand-maid Mary Harris, who stood idle in the market-place till the eleventh hour, yet then received her penny ... as also a few words of encouragement from experience to any who knows the name of the Lord in the least measure, to fear the Lord, and trust in His mercies.

A Declaration of the bountifull Loving-kindness of the Lord, manifested to one who stood idle in the Market-place till the eleventh hour, yet then received her Penny. This is that none might dispair.

Also, a discovery of her Sufferings, throrow her disobedience and rebellion against Gods precious Truth; that none might presume or harden their hearts in the day of Gods Visitation.

A Maid, young and beautifull, that often went with her Re∣lations to the Meetings of the People of God, called Quakers; and had a love raised in her heart to the most precious Truth, and also to them who indeed held it in a pure Conscience; yet did not give up to the obedience of faith, but still lived in the Customs and Fashions of this Evil World, to the wounding and stifling of the precious Life of Jesus Christ in her, but the same Love of the Lord that had begotten a tenderness in her, and raised up a love to Truth, followed her, and would not suffer her to sit down in the World without trouble; for although she was much taken notice of by them who loved vanity, and de∣lighted in beauty more then vertue, and she by this became further off from faithfulness yet here she must not take up her rest, for the Lord visited her with great weakness, and she grew ill, and decli∣ned, and fell into a consumption, and lived in a consuming state about three years, outward means and medicines were used for her

recovery; yet from first to last, not any thing that was done to her, or for her, did her any good, as she often declared, but she still grew weaker and weaker, and besides this, she had such a soreness all over her poor bones, as hath not been known in such weakness, which being taken notice of by a Friend which was near∣ly related to her, she said; surely, this is more then ordinary, this is more immediately the hand of the Lord upon thee, then is usual, this is the Judgment of the Lord upon thee for thy disobedience; and she being in a low condition, considered the matter, and the Lord set it upon her heart, and she cried unto the Lord for mercy, (as she said, mightily) and it was shewed her one night, that if she did not speedily repent, and submit to Gods precious Truth, she should be smitten with lameness from head to foot; then did she apply her heart unto the Lord, and his faithfull Messengers, (whose feet are beautifull upon the Mountain of holiness, bringing the glad tydings of Salvation, unto the weary and heavy laden) saying, I have hardened my heart at many a precious Metting when the Lord hath smitten me, and I have seen plainly the Lord would have ga∣thered me; but I said in my heart, if I receive this, if I give up to it, I must be a Quaker, and I cannot be a Quaker; then (said she) would I take my heart from attending upon the ministration of Truth, and then my heart became more hard; What shall I do (said she) that now I may receive the faithfull sayings of the Servants of the Lord? Ah that my heart were open, but it is shut and hard; when shall I find mercy in this state! She remained for some time, and grew weaker and weaker in body; and on the first day she took her bed, she was much under the righteous Judgments of the Lord, and felt his Word in her heart as a fire; but the Lord in Judgment remembred Mercy, and having brought her very low, he shewed her the childs state, which she with great de∣light desired; and indeed she became as a little child, fit for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then did the Lord rend the vail, and shewed her his Glory, and the preciousness of his pure everlasting Truth, and the Light shined out of Darkness, and in it she saw Light, and received the Knowledge of God (whom to know is Life Eternal) and her heart was filled with Joy, and her mouth with Praises, and she lay for many hours without the sence of pain or weakness, sound∣ing

forth the Praises of the Lord, resusing to take any Cordials, or ought else to support the natural spirits; saying, I am well, I feel no pain, I am full, my Cup runs over; I am filled us with marrow and fatness, I have seen his Glory, and tasted of his most precious Truth, and it is sweet unto my taste; Ah, how precious, how pure, is Gods everlasting Truth, nothing so pure, and they who indeed re∣celve it, are made pure by it, praised be the Lord who hath made me partaker of it, and placed me amongst his poople: Ah, Blessed God, who hath given me cause to sing aloud of thy praise; then some about her, seeing her very week, thought it might wear her too much, told her, she might praise the Lord in her heart, and bid her try if she could sleep; but she said, she was well, and needed no sleep, neither is my mouth dry, said she, not I faint; but she was perswaded to take something, and so lay still; but after some time, she said, Surely, I should not have been stopt, but I will now try if I can sleep, which she did sweetly; and in the morning said, Although I have slept, yet my heart hath been exercised in the praises of the Lord; and that day lay very preciously, speaking to several persons as came to visit her, to their several conditions, shew∣ing to some, who lived in pleasure, her hands, saying, See here, the Lord hath made these bones bare for my rebellion, because I would not submit to his most precious Truth; he hath brought me to the dust, and I must lay down this body as a Sacrifice; Oh, do not you stand out, it will cost you dear, it ever you find mercy, (and such like) then would she sing praises to the Lord, and declare much con∣cerning the purity of Truth, exhorting all, who were not made partakers of it, speedily to embrace it; and much more she said which will be to much to relate.

On the next day, being very weak, and it was thought she might have departed, she called for some young persons that were related to her, and set before them their conditions, clearly, in the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ, warning and exhorting them, praying for them, blessed them in the Spirit of discerning, which the Lord gave her in the day of his Power; and when some Friends came to her that was in the fashion of the World, she would say, What, Friends who know Gods precious Truth, put on their Hoods so, that is like me in my other life; Friends, who have received Gods precious Truth need no other adorning; and having

spoken long in this wise, she laid her self in silence, waiting for her dissolution, having said, I shall shut mine eyes and sleep; but she lay several weeks in great weakness after this, having her heart exercised on this wise.

And if she had spoken an unadvised word, then would she cry to the Lord, to wash her throughout, and say, Judge me, Lord, judge me, with thy great Judgments; let nothing remain in me, or be spoken by me, but what is pure; search me throughly: Ah, cursed be that na∣ture, and that disposition; this at first kept me from receiving Gods pure Truth, cursed be that disposition; and lying longer then one would have thought one so weak could have layn, taking very little of any outward sustenance; some would say to her, it may be thou mayst recover; No, no, would she say, I must lay down this body for my rebellion; in my other life, if any had said, I should recover, it would for a little time seem to refresh me; and if they had said, surely, I could not live long, (or so) it would cast me down; but now I long for death, I must lay down this body; for, said she, when I received Gods precious Truth, I received the sentence of death; And this she was very posi∣tive in all along, and when she was perswaded to be passive in this matter; she said, I have indeed cause enough to desire life now, for the Lord hath made me partaker of his blessed Truth, and if I live I know I shall, bear a Testimony, a faithfull Testimony for the Lord, and he hath placed me amongst his People; and I shall have their company, this is desirable; but I must lay down this body: great was her love to the Lord and his People; and when the Servants of the Lord came to her, it was such a reviving, that she had not the sence of her weakness, her heart being overcome with the Love of the Lord, in his Servants, she lay a rejoycing. Often was she assaulted by the Enemy, sometimes to desire life, sometimes with worldly things, but she would say (even in Gods Authority) Away, Satan, away, I defie thee in the Name of the Lord, touch not that which is pure: and one time, when she was under this temptation, a precious Servant of the Lord coming to visit her; Ah, (said she to him) now the Temp∣ter flees, he cannot stand before thee; then after she had been thus ••••yed, she was usually filled with joy in God, through whom she had obtained victory; then would she sound forth the praises of the Lord. And grew still more weak, and sometimes would say, I am weak, and full of pain, but it is below me to complain; and with

much patience, and comly behaviour she lay; and in the morning before her departure, she called for several things to drink, and gasped for breath, but said, I shall not go so. And afterwards did, as it were, lay her self forth in silence, waiting for her dissolution; but at the coming in of a good Friend she revived, and lived till Evening, and about half an hour before her departure she was taken with a very great trembling, and seemed to be somewhat troubled, It was said by one near her; what's the matter, what ailest thou? I fear, said she, whether it be a true Spirit, or a Temptation; it was said to her, what meanest thou? art thou in any doubt as concerning the Truth of which thou art made partaker? No, no, said the, that's Gods pure and Everlasting Truth, the Truth which the People of God, called Quakers, are made partakers of, and for which they suffer that is everlasting, that is the true Spirit, and their God is my God; and although I see it not now as I have seen it, yet I bring in my testimony that's the Truth that shall abide for ever; that's pure, and nothing that is desiled must be sheltred under it; that's the Truth which enligh∣tens every man that cometh into the World: The little Seed in me is be∣come great, great, great; Blessed be God who hath placed me among his People, and I possess what they possess; and when the Faithfull lie as I lie, my Portion well be their Portion; and my Cup is full, it runs over, over, over: Then she breathed a little thicker about the space of one quarter of an hour, and without groan of sigh, or the least mo∣tion, she shut her eyes and slept. Glory be to God for ever.