❧The wonderfull worke of God shewed vpon a chylde, whose name is William Withers, being in the towne of Walsam, within the Countie of Suf­folke: who being eleuen yeeres of age, laye in a Traunce the space of tenne dayes, without taking any manner of sustenaunce, and at this present lyeth, and neuer speaketh, but once in twelue, or foure and twentie houres, and when he commeth to himselfe, he declareth most straunge and rare thinges, which are to come, and hath con­tinued the space of three weeks.

PSALM. 50. 1. The Lorde, euen the most mightie God hath spoken▪ and called the world from the rising vp of the sunne, vnto the going downe thereof.

¶Imprinted at London, by Robert Waldegraue, dwelling in the Strond, neere vnto Sommer­sette house.

¶To the right worshipful and vertuou [...] gentleman▪ M. Edvvard Dennye Esq [...]ire. Iohn Phillip, [...] humble well willer in the Lorde, wisheth the feare of God, peace and prosperitie i [...] our Lorde and mercifull Sau [...]o [...]r Christ▪ Iesus.

THinges that bee called new things namely be­ing of great importance and certaine true, ought not to be reiected, con­temned, nor despised, but s [...]oul [...] with great reuerence be este [...]med, set by, and regarded of euery Christian: and chieflye when they concerne suche thinges as may rouze vs vp in these dan­gerous dayes, from the secure carelesnes of our condition and calling, to the dili­gent worshipping and zealous honouring [Page] of our God: from sinne to puritie, fro [...] hell to h [...]auen, from destruction of [...] and soule in the bottomlesse lake of euer­lasting tormentes, to saluation and bles­sed [...]esse through fayth in Christ Iesus, in his kingdome of euerlasting righteous­nesse. But (alas) right worshipfull, for the most part of vs, wee seeme though we be called by the preaching of the Gospel. to bee partakers of those ceaselesse ioyes prepared by the bloodie death and passion of the innocent Lambe Christ, prophaners of his religion, faynt [...]earted souldiers, & readier to yeelde lyke cowardes, then to resist or endure the skirmish again [...] our daungerous enemies: namely, the world, fles be and sathan, who glorie in our per­dition. If this be not true, the time [...] and experience openly voucheth it: How pride flourisheth in all estates, euen from the hyest to the lowest it is too euident, [...]ow harlots are haunted, who beholdeth it not, howe drunke [...]nes is esteemed, who see it not▪ howe the glorious name of our God is generally blasphemed amongst vs, who beareth it not? how vsurie the spoil [Page] of common weale is enter tayned for pri­ [...]ate commoditie in all places? who fee­leth it not? how couetousnesse hath buri­ed good conscience, who perceiueth it not? how charitie is conuinced by cruel­tie, who tasteth it not? [...]ow neighbourly loue is vanquished by dissimulation, who findeth it not? how hypocritic all flattery defaceth true and farthfull friendship? who seeth not how plaine dealing is de­faced, and iuste dealing pluckt vp by the rootes amongst vs: and in fine, howe for the most part all goodnes is quenched in a nūber of counterfetted Christians, eue­ry man may plainly as it were in a glasse, bebolde, it▪ how readie Dathan, Coran, and Abiram, is to rebell against God & his A­noynted, who beareth not? howe Baals priests are redy to stand vp againct Elias, the Prophets, Patriarks, and Christ him­selfe it is euident. God like a louing fa­ther▪ though he haue bent his [...]ow of dis­pleasure against vs, fethered the consu­ming arrowes of our destruction, whet his sword, and set in the fulnes of his furie a dull edge on the same, to cut and crop vs [Page] downe that are wilde Oliues, fruitles [...]ig­trees, very stubble, and no good corne. Let vs humbly with Peter that haue with him in our deeds denyed our master, turne back againe with teares, and lo [...]ke fayth­fully v [...]on Christ, and he will bring vs to the blessed foulde of his sheepe, feede vs with the foode of lyfe in the g [...]adsome pasture of his grace: ye [...], and by this pre­sent example, not far [...]ence, but within the borders of Suffolke, giuen by a childe of x [...] ▪ yeres of age, who with great vehe­mencie cry [...]th, that the end of al things is at ba [...]d, threatning our d [...]stru [...]tiō, ex­cept wee speedely repent, the which God graunt for his sonnes sake. Thus cea [...]ing further to trouble your worsh [...]p, I cōmit you to the safe preseruation of the Al­mightie, b [...]seeching him of his infinite goodnes to prosper you in al your affaires, to send you long life, health, and great in­ [...]rease of worship in this life, and in the world to come, life euerlasting.

Your worships most humble and faithfull welwiller in the Lorde. IOHN PHILLIP.

The wonderfull worke of God, shewed on a childe in Walsam.

I Know not, neither yet can coniecture with my self, wher­vnto many of our nation are wedded: but well I w [...]t, the [...]ridegrom to whose heauenly banquet we are [...]idden, is vt­terly forgotten, the fatte kidde is con­temned, the delicate dishes of endlesse ioy and euer induring glory are nothing esteemed, selfeloue triu [...]pheth, pride vaun [...]es her selfe in her [...] is so set to sale, that the poore common [...] are deuour [...]d vp aliu [...], whoredome now fla [...]nteth, her minions are giuen to [...] [...]ile and vicious l [...]st, aua [...]ice hath vtter [...]ly vanquished good conscience, [...] [Page] beastly epicure delighteth in his dar­ling gluttonie, Diues is not forgotten, his rules are obserued, cloath of Bisse and gaye garmentes of purple collour, are euery where, and in all places fre­quented, but pore and miserable Laza­rus can skantly be so much fauoured as to catch the crummes that fall from the borde of a number of Diues neere kins­men▪ and whence springeth the effecte hereof, verely from selfeloue, which ra­ther for pleasures sake wil feed a kennel of dogges, then comfort their needie brethren, which for want of foode are oft times readie to perish in the streets. Pittie is made an outcast, conscience is drowned, compassion is buried in the grounde of forgetfulnesse, and verily for the most part (though Christians by name) yet not in deede, great braggers, maru [...]ilous boasters, and yet in tryall founde to be most feeble, fainte hearted, and impudent cowards, not who calleth Christ a Sauiour, but who armeth him selfe with fruitfull fayth, by the vertue whereof hee may enioye the benefite of [Page] Saluation. Who is he nowe that will not [...]aun [...]e of [...] newe regeneration and bege [...]ting againe to God in Christ: bu [...] w [...]o is he that consi [...]ereth the pro­mi [...] he hath made Christ in baptisme: verely to be briefe and to speake plaine, we forsake C [...]rist, couple our s [...]lues t [...] the worl [...]e, [...] our selues to sinne, and of f [...]ee [...] [...]o make our selues bond­men to the deuill, whi [...]h to consider is most lamentable: howe carefully the labourers of the haruest in this [...] season, seeke by the preaching of the gosp [...]l to [...] the profitable grai [...] of the trueth, con [...]irmed in the bloodie death of Christ [...]esus amongst vs, we [...], but how [...] the greatest number of vs bring foorth in [...] [...] where seene and made [...] euident, in steade of good graine which [...] is required, me bring forth [...] [...], and most [...] the great long [...] and patience of the almightie, [...]n forbearing to punishe vs according to the [...] [Page] contemned, wee ma [...]e on as shame­lesse in the pathes of all in impuritie, wee stretch foorth our neckes with the stub­berne Iewes and stand stil in our owne, conceites, wee rainge from vertue to vice, wee hate Christ, and loue B [...]liall we abhorre the heauenly Manna, and lust vehemently after quailes, we [...] wearie of the lande that floweth with milke and honie, and haue an inordinate desire to be banqueted with the filthie fleshpots of Pharaoh, thus most misera­ble is our estate and condition for ney­ther the great mercies of God giuen vs freely by his vndeserued grace can reclayme vs home to the sheepefolde of our sheephearde, neyther yet his terri­ble threates and com [...]tions pro­nounced against vs for the continuall ex [...]rcise of sinne by the watchmen of the house of Israel, can cause vs to imbrace heartie repentaunce, our heartes that shoulde be as soft as [...], and mollifi­ed by the comfortable oyle of his mer­cie and grace, are made farre harder then the Adamant, stiffer then steele, [Page] and stronger then is brasse or yron, ney­ther signes nor tok [...]ns in the firma­ment, as comets, blasing starres, armes of warlike wighees, scarce and terrible lightnings, this late [...] Starre which appeareth at this present [...] Gods heauie iudgements against us for the use of sinne, can cause vs to crye out with Dauid, and to confesse we haue sinned, straunge tokens are no­thing regarded, Cart! quakes are made none account off, great foods [...] in­nundations of waters are accounted tri­fles, alas what shall I say, if euer peo­ple desirued the fulnes of Gods indig­nation. Let us enter into our conscie [...] ­ces that liue past all feare, and we shall both saye and howe if there be any re­morce at all in vs, we are worthie to [...]n­ioye all the plagues that God in his iu­stice may vse against vs. But alas, I feare me, that securitie hath so blinded vs with the vale of forgetfulnesse, that scarcely one among a thousand hath the good feeliug or motion of Gods holy spirite [...] childe, to cry [Page] out bitterly, and weepe heartily for their iniquities. Nay who is it that will say he hath sinned, and is not worthie to lift vp his eyes to heauen, who is it that will say he is not worthie to be called a sonne by adoption and grace, and yet scarcely may bee thought fitte to haue the name of a hyred seruant. Iniquitie hath gottē the primasie in such sort, that repent aunce and amendment of lyfe is neuer thought vpon: all which conside­red, might prouoke God to powre his plagues vpon vs: to take from vs the bright shining beames of the Gospel, to giue vs a pray to our enemies to scour [...] vs throughly with famine, sworde▪ and fire, yet he spareth vs, as most sorie to punish vs, if case that we woulde con­uert, for it is written, he hath no plea­sure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he might liue, and turne from his wickednesse and be saued in the day of destruction, though wee hate him, and abhorre to walke in the way of his com­mandements: yet our mediatour. Christ Iesus prayeth for vs, and for his sake [Page] he yeeldeth foorth vnto vs wretches, the si [...]uered scepter of his mercie & grace, to see if in this time of our last calling, we wil humble our selues before the throne of his maiesty, & be humbly sory for our sinnes, wherunto to bring vs like a gra­cious god, he hath raised vp a second Da­niel, a yo [...]g childe of the age of xi. yeres, borne in the Towne of Walsam in the countie of Suffolke, whose name is Wil­liam Withers, his parents liuing, being of good name and fame, which childe is an instrument giuen to vs by the proui­dence of God, if it may be to waken vs out of the perilous s [...]umber of our si [...]ne. This childe about the 24. day of De­cember lay in a trance the space of t [...]nne dayes, to the great admira [...]ion of the beholders, and the greefe of his parentes the space of tenne dayes without taking any sustenance, and then according to the good will and pleasu [...]e of our God, came to him selfe againe, and declared to the comforte of the standers by, the glorie of God, who in the fulnesse of his mercie [...]ad diuers & sundrie wayes cal­led [Page] vs home from the perill of sinnes, & my [...]ie soyle of our filthi [...]esse, but all i [...] vaine, for the rypenesse of our sinnes was such and so great that without spe­die repentance the day of our destructi­on was at hand, brotherly loue he pro­nounced was strangled, the vowels of compassion and pitie were shut up one towardes another, neighborly affection was changed to flattery, the widowes were robbed of their dowrie, the father­lesse dispossessed of their patrimonies, and inheritances, pride of heart was e­uery where bewra [...]ed by too too strange disguisings of our bodies, m [...]u were be­come monsters, and women shamelesse wantons in vsing the ornaments of men farre vnseemely, if modesty might rule or gouerne them, the threateninges of God he publisheth by the authoritie of the scriptures in such sorte as though he were a learned Diuine, & when he spea­keth his voyce seemeth to bee of such power that all the bedde shaketh, to the astonishment of the hearers, and this v­ [...]ally doeth once in twelue, or foure [Page] and twentie houres. To beholde this rare token of Gods singular loue and seuere iustice set forth in this childe for the reforma [...]ion of our liues, there resor­ted Maister Gatton, a learned preacher, rema [...]ning at Berrie, with diuers wor­shipful Gentlemen, with w [...]ich childe hee reasoned, and founde him perfect in the Scriptures, to whom in the hearing of all that were present he inueyghed sharply against pride, and the peoples infidelitie, y • neither would beleeue, nor yet learne by signes and tokens to im­mitate Christ, to flie from sinne, and to bring forth the fruits that belong to re­pentance, which of you all saith he, that remembreth the late Earthquake, when the Lord passed by you, as it were, but with one touche of his finger, the effects whereof as yet hath not taken th [...]ir be­ginning, but assure your selues of far greater plagues thē euer you possessed: and if I should tell you of a farre grea­ter Earthquake, which you shall feele & taste of shortly, vnlesse you repent: your harts are so stony, & your eares so deaf▪ [Page] that you will neither conceaue heare nor beleeue the same, no not if it should presently shake the houses on your heades, or make the earth openly to re­ceiue and swallow you vp aliue, This the great handie worke of God shewed vnto vs, in and by this childe may terri­fie our guiltie consciences, rouze vs vp from our sinnes, and inforce vs if there be any hope of saluation in vs, to subdue the olde Adam, to stand at defiance with the world and manfully vnder the stan­derd of Christ Iesus, to resist the proude prince of darkenes, with all his damna­ble ministers, but I feare me that our heartes are so drowned in uncleannes that in steede of repentance, infidelitie shall so abound in vs, and sinne be so bol­stered in our rebellious minds, that God in his iustice shall vtterly in the imagi­nations of our heartes vanquish vs, the [...] of these strange newes being dis­pearsed abroade. Thither came Master Ashly Esquire, a Gentleman of greate credite and worship, with certaine of his men to heare and behold the childe, who [Page] speaking as before, and perceiuing one Smith his man, that had bene there with his Maister two times, whome he had sharpely taunted for his great and mon­strous ruffes, spake vnto him very vehe­mently, and tolde him that it were bet­ter for him to put on sackcloth & mourn for his sinnes, then in such abhominable pride to pranke vp himselfe like the di­uels darling, the very father of pride and lying, who sought by the exercise of that damnable sinne to make himselfe a pray to euerlasting tormentes in hell fire, whereuppon at the seconde time as one prickt in conscience, he sorrowed & wept for his offence, rent the bande from his neck, tooke a knife and cut it in peeces, and vowed neuer to weare the like a­gaine. God for his great mercies sake by the example of this Seruing man, make all the rest to folowe his example, make them humble and meeke hearted, that this horrible sinne of theirs and all others that maske lyke monsters, and stage players, which are more regarded in these dayes, then predication is reue­renced [Page] to amende their liues. With this Childe there hath beene (as it is credi­bly reported) the right worshipfull and vertuous knights: Sir William Spring, and Sir Robert [...]armine, men of great zeale to God, louers of religion, and loy­all subiects to her Maiestie: for whose prosperitie let vs not cease to praye to God, who continewe her health to his gra [...]ious pleasure, and the comfort of all true hearted Subiects, who powre vpon her the sweete smelling deawes of his mercie and grace, confounde and o­uerthrowe all her enemies, forraine and domesticall, and make vs all both high and lowe, riche and pore, in time whilest time dothe laste to take time and happy happy time, to turne from our sinnes, for as he telleth vs, the ende of al things is at hande: so let vs assure our selues that gods iudgement for the vse of our [...]innes and iniquities, hangeth ouer our heades, and his wrath standeth at the gates of Cities readie to enter, if we de­ferre from day to day and delight in our vncleannes. God for his mercies sake [Page] touche our [...]artes with the finger of his grace that with the true repentaun [...] Niniui [...]es, we maye faste from sinne, pu [...] on sackcloth, and weepe bitterly for our iniquities, & in so doing, God wil be our God, and we shall be his people, he will purge vs from all the spots of our defor­mitie, in the blood of the lambe, pardon & freely forgiue vs al that is past, & con­tinue the bright shining beames of thy glorious face towards vs: which graunt good Lord and deare father, for the loue of thy Christ our king Anointed: to whom with thee and the holy Ghost, be all praise and honor, for euer and euer. Ame [...].

FINIS.

A godly and most fruit­ful Prayer, to be sayd of euery fa [...]thfull Christian, to obtaine pardon and remission of sinnes in the [...]lood of the Lambe Iesus Christ, and to appease his heauie indignation, which threatneth our destruction for the vse of our impietie.

O Heauenly God, and most gratious father, we knowe and confesse, that wilfully and of a sette purpose, wee all ingenerally euen from the hyest to the lowest, haue most grieuously off [...]nded thy glorious maiestie, and haue by our disobedience prouoked thee to displea­sure, in such sort that the coales of thy wrath are kindled vp against vs, like vnto hot consuming fire, wherein we for our deserts might worthily in thy eter­nall Iustice bee ouerthrowen and con­founded, but yet such and so aboundaunt is the loue of thy sonne our Sauiour [Page] Iesus Christ that hee prayeth to thee without ceasing, earnestly intreating thee to forget his anger, iustly concei­ued against vs, and to beholde with the fatherly eyes of thy compassion, those bloodie and painfull woundes which he suffered on the crosse for our redemp [...]i­on, the which when thou beholdest, thy furie is changed to loue, and thou in thy me [...]cie layest aside the heauie scourges of thine indignation, wherewith all wee might most worthily haue bin through­ly chastised and corrected, yet still stand we sturdie and stiffe in our owne con­ceites, and like a most frowarde people, peruerse aud st [...]bber [...]e generation, for all thy great and riche graces bestowed vpon vs, enter into contempt of thy gra­ces, and lye wallowing like [...]ilthy [...]wine in the myrie puddell of our corruption & vncleannesse: we, I say, most wretc [...]ed & miserable creatures, wander wilfully from the pathwayes of thy testimonies, despise and vtterly forget the couenaunt that thou hast made with vs, neglect the benefite of our redemption, and vtterly [Page] beginne to l [...]aue the Lorde of health, al­together delighting in the practize of sinne: the vse whereof both in body and sou [...]e wound [...]th vs to distruction, which is end [...]es in the dungeon of hell. But a­las (good Lorde) who is it that in this age con [...]idereth how oft, and how many times he in one ho [...]re offen [...]eth thee: (a­las Lord) all haue decli [...]ed a [...]d gone a­way from the sh [...]epefolde of thy grace, euen from the hiest to the lowest, and there is no goodnesse on the face of the earth, yet who prepareth to humble him selfe befo [...]e the Lorde, and to aske mercy for his offences, we know we are al wounded, & wretched Samaritanes, and are throughly spoiled of thy grace, wherewith we were cloathed as a [...]e­sture, by our ceasselesse enimies, namely the worlde, flesh, & that olde Leuiathan, the auncient enemie of mans felicitie & happines, yet good Lord, passe thou not by vs, for neither the oblation of the priest nor the Leuite can preuaile vs, if thou leaue vs, that art no fuller wounded with sinne, what shall become of vs (a­las) [Page] the daungerous darte of o [...]r trans­gression hath taken a deepe enterance into our heartes, wherein it cleaueth so fast that it can not without their aide be remoued, our soules which thou hast in the fulnesse of thy diuine wisedome fra­med to thine owne similitude and like­nesse are become so leperous that if thou poure forth the wine of thy eternal iu­stice we shall be sure to smart eternally for our offences, and become miserable slaues and bondemen to the prince of darkenesse which hath robbed vs of our felicities in them, our consciences cor­rupted with the canker of our corrup­ [...]ion that are made moste deformed tho­rough vncleannes, and shewe in thy sight, ful of all spots of impietie, fest [...]red [...]ores, oug [...]e vlcers, bo [...]ches, blaines, and vyles, cau neuer be cured without the re­freshing oile of thy mercie sweet Christ, that art the heauenly Samaritane, thou art the Lambe of God, that takest away the sinnes of the worlde, thou art the sweete physicion that ministrest vnto vs the delightsome Nectar of thy grace, [Page] returne now vnto vs that haue forsaken thee, we repent, we come vnto thee cry­ing out bitterly for our manifolde ini­quities: thinke vpon vs, heare vs, conti­nue thy plea to thy father, whose eares will attentiuely listen vnto thee, pray thou for vs & we sha [...]l be sure to be pre­serued from those plagues that we haue constrained thy iustice for our disobedi­ence to heape vp against vs. Thou art the pitifull Chirurgian, poure into our monstrous consciences ouerladen with all kindes of sinnes: as pri [...]e, auarice, Iuxury, fornication, &c. The precious balme of thy bountiful fauour, distil into our leperous soules, the sweete smelling drops of thy innocent bloud, [...]or if thou of thy goodnes vouchsafe to wash & purge vs therein we shal be made safe, yea we shal be purified and as thy deare begot­ten, by grace he made strong & mighty, & be able to crie with thee Aba, Aba▪ O Father forsake vs not, but be mercifull vnto vs. For if thou refuse vs nowe whose destruc [...]ion by thy worde: si [...]nes and tokens in the heauen, vnkinde [Page] and most monstrous concep [...]ion among reasonable and brui [...] creatures, is by thy iustice presaged, we can not choose but perish for euer: giue vs grace therefore now in this season the end of all thinges being at hand, sith the preachers of thy worde which plentifully breake foorth vnto vs the breade of life, can not pre­uaile to bring vs home like sorrowfull sinners and hear [...]ie repentaunt sonnes to the folde, neither by thy inestimable Leuite, nor yet by thy threatenings, and heauye comminations pronounced a­gainst vs for our Zodomi [...]rie and filthi­nesse, in time to conuerte vnto thee, and sithe all warninges hitherto haue beene insufficient to pearce our ston [...]e stub­berne & flintie hearts, how louing or ter­rible soeuer they haue beene now in this last time, wherein to our shame thou hast opened the mouth of a childe to fore shewe vnto vs the fulnesse of thy furie, to reclayme vs home vnto thee, giue vs grace to be warned from our ill doing, & perfourme in vs a good work through the fulnesse of thy fauour, that we may [Page] learne in time, which time [...] but a smal while to bring forth the frui [...]s of re­pentance and to [...]scape those most [...]ise­rable plagues which a [...]e threatened to come [...]pon [...]s, and that [...]pee [...]ily, for his wrath hangeth ouer our heades, as it were by a twine threade, the burthen whereof will be so intollerable [...]or vs to abide, that wit [...]out speedy amen [...]ment of our liues, which God graunt, we shall perish in our wickednes. L [...]t vs there­fore, from the hyghest to the lowest, of what degree or calling soeuer: we whi­lest gods vndeser [...]ed grace profereth vs for our deserued [...], a space of repen­tance, deplore our sinnes, weep & sorrow for our sinnes, and then sha [...]l we be pre­serued and deliuered from the b [...]rt [...]en of our sinnes, and be made of the vessels of wrath, the vessels of honour, and en­ter with him, as the glorious members of his misticall bodie, to endles rest and glory eue [...]lasting, the which grant good Lord we beseech thee.

FINIS.

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