Hell Opened, Examination 15
The Examination of Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Webb of Plymouth, in the County of Devon. Marriner, had, and taken at Plymouth, by, and before the Worſhipful William Weeks, Gentleman, one of his Majeſties Juſtices of the Peace within the Burrough of Plymouth, on her Corporal Oath the Seventh day of April, Anno Domini 1676.
THe ſaid Examinant ſaith, That about a week before, Philip the Wife of Richard Cary of Plimouth was committed to Plimouth Priſon, on ſuſpition for the Poyſoning of Elizabeth Weeks, and Mary Pengelley; This Examinant, on a Saturday Evening, when the Candles were lighted being at the Houſe of John Vallacke Apothecary in Plymouth, there came into the ſaid Mr, Vallacks ſhop, a VVoman (who was a ſtranger unto this Examinant,) and deſired the ſaid Mr. Vallacks Boy to give her a Penny worth of Mercury, as ſhe called it, and ſaid ſhe was haſty: That accordingly the ſaid Boy, delivered unto the ſaid VVoman the ſaid Mercury, (as ſhe called it) in a white Paper.
And that about a week after, that the ſaid Philip Cary being committed unto the ſaid Priſon as afore ſaid, this Examinant went to the VVindow of the Priſon, and ſaw her, and ſhe believes that the ſaid Philip Cary was the ſame VVoman, which ſo fetched the ſaid Mercury as aforeſaid.
Signum dicta. E. VV. Elizabeth Webb.
Poſſibly you will ask, VVhy had not this VVoman given in her Evidence, being ſo material, before her death? I anſwer, She is of age, Let her ſpeak for her ſelf.
REader, by this time, I believe thou art wellwearied; Sure if thou be not, I am. However at parting, let me ask thee one Queſtion, VVhat art thou? A Maſter, or a Servant? A Parent, or a Child? In what Relation ſtandeſt thou? Inferior, or Superior.
I. If thou be a. Child, or Servant; Receive Wiſdom, receive Inſtruction.
1. BEware of little ſins, you generally make no reckoning of them. Your vain Thoughts, your idle Words, your envious and malicious Imaginations, your froward Replies and Anſwers again, your undutiful and diſobedient Carriages to Parents, to your Maſters, and Miſtreſſes, theſe are counted by you little ſins. But what and if God call them great ſins? VVhoſe opinion and judgment ſhall we take concerning the nature and evil of ſin. Yours, or Gods?
My dear Youth! Read, and Ponder that Text of Scripture, Whoſoever ſhall break one of theſe leaſt Commandments, and ſhall teach Men ſo, he ſhall be called the leaſt in the kingdom of Heaven. Math. 5.19.
I muſt tell you, and you ſhall find it by woful experience, that little ſins allowed, make way for great ſins. A little Thief creeping in at the VVindows, may open the Door to great Ones. A little Sin is as mortal, as damnable as a great one. A little Leak undiſcerned, may ſink Ship, Men, and Goods. A Ponyard ſhall ſtab a Man to death, as well as a Rapier. A Piſtol can kill, as well as a Cannon. Little ſins fill up the meaſure of your ſins; one very little ſin may do it. Cyphers in themſelves ſignifie nothing; but added unto figures, how do they raiſe the ſum? A Conſonant of it ſelf may be a Mute, make no ſound, but joyned with a Vowel may make a roaring noiſe.
Thoſe which you call little ſins may fill up the Sum, and ſeal up the Account, and make a roaring Noiſe againſt you in Heaven. Your thought-ſins never acted but intended, are juſt like a Grain caſt on a piece of Gold, or a light Feather upon an heap, they may turn the Scales, and bring down upon you Eternal Vengeance. The Sodomites had committed many ſins, and God had paſſed them by very graciouſly; at laſt they would have ſinned, and are puniſhed with Hell out of Heaven for the ſin of their Wills, a ſin intended by them, though never committed. Gen. 19.9.11.24.
2. My dear Youth, beware of wicked Company. Bleſſed is the Man that walketh not in the Counſel of the Ungodly, nor ſtandeth in the way of Sinners, nor ſitteth in the Seat of the Scornful. Pſal. 1.1. Look upon wicked Company as Plaguy Perſon, and ſhun them as you would thoſe who had the Plague of God upon them. VVhen Corah, and his rebellious Crue were ſwallowed up alive by the yawning Earth, and went down quick into Hell, All Iſrael that were round about them, fled at the cry of them; for they ſaid, leſt the Earth ſwallow us up alſo. Num. 33.34.
My Son, if Sinners intice thee, conſent thou not; if if they ſay come with us, let us lay wait for Blood, let us lurk privily for the Innocent without Cauſe; let us ſwallow them up alive as the Grave: We ſhall find all pretious ſubſtance, we ſhall fill our Houſes with ſpoil. Caſt in thy lot among us, let us all have one Purſe. My Son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy Foot from their path: For their Feet run to evil, they lay wait for their own Blood. You lurk privily for the deſtruction of your own lives. Companions in ſin, will be Companions in Hell. Prov. 1.10. to 19.
3. Flee the ſins of youth, vanity and ſelf-conceitedneſs, raſhneſs, pride, and oſtentation, hot blood, Fiery, and vindictive paſſions, noyſome, filthy, and fleſhly luſts, diſobedience and brutiſh obſtinacy, ſelf-love, lying, idleneſs and intemperance, neglect of your Souls, forgetfulneſs of God and of your latter end. Sins of youth, have been an Hell to Gods aged Saints. Thou writeſt bitter things againſt me, and remembereſt the iniquities of my Youth, Job 13.26. The ſins of your green years will be a ſtock of ſorrows for your Gray Hairs. Young Colts muſt be tamed and broken. A young Penitent is better than an aged Sinner. Holyneſs in youth will give you peace in death; 1 King 14.13. and 2 Chronicles 34.27.28.
4. Study diligently and practice conſcientiouſly the duty of thy place, calling and Relation. Art thou a Child? Learn and perform the duty of a Child. Art thou a Servant? Learn and perform the duty of a Servant, ſubmit to Catechizing, do not count it a thing beneath thee. Subjection to Gods Ordinances is thy dignity and Glory. Honor thy Father and Mother, thy Maſter and Miſtreſs is the Firſt Commandment with promiſe, if you do not, you are ſelf-Murderers, you cut your own Throats, and ſhorten the days of your life.
I have read of a Young man Hanged at Four and twenty years, whoſe Curled Black Locks upon the Gallows inſtantly turned white, many inquiring into the cauſe of ſuch a ſtrange event: A Grave Divine aſſigned this reaſon, had this young man been dutiful to his Parents, Obedient to his Superiors, he might have lived ſo long, till that in the courſe of nature, his Black Hairs had become White.
5. When tempted to any ſcandalous ſin, tending to the hurt of thy Neighbor, and the Temptation abideth on thee, diſcloſe it without any more ado to ſome Godly Miniſter. This daſheth the temptation to pieces, and will contribute as you ſhall find by experience, wonderfully unto your peace and ſafety.
Had this poor Girl, when firſt aſſaulted, detected the Devils Counſel, poſſibly ſhe had never been drawn out to Murder.
I knew one in the like Caſe, that after I had preached of the miſchievouſneſs of thoughts, and of the ready way to quell and ſubdue their violence and impetuoſity, by taking Ghoſtly Counſel from a Spiritual Guide, came and diſcovered unto me with a ſtood of Tears a long imended purpoſe of Murder, and by the bleſſing of God on a Religious uſe of Holy Counſels was afterward delivered from that Helliſh Temptation.
Beware dear Youth, of truſting to your own underſtanding, or going out in your own ſtrength to combat Hell. You are not all Davids of ſufficient force to Duel it with the Goliah of Hell.
6. Do not commit any ſin preſuming on ſecrecy or Impunity, not on ſecrecy. For there is nothing hid but ſhall be revealed. Conſcience that Bird of the Air ſhall publiſh upon the Houſe top before Men and Angels, what you have done in your Privy Chambers. Angels ſee you, good and bad, and they ſhall Witneſs againſt you. God ſeeth you at all times. Who can hide himſelf from God that is every where, and knoweth all things? Darkneſs and light are both alike to him. Pſalm 139.1. to 13. and Job 34.21.22.
Murderers have of all other ſinners preſumed moſt upon Secrecy, and yet how miraculouſly have they been detected? Dreams, Apparitions, and meer Circumſtances have detected and Convicted them.
And ſuppoſe you might eſcape Scot-free as to man, is it poſſible you can eſcape the Juſtice of God? The Barbarous Malteſes ſpake ſound Doctrine, though they were out in their Application, when they ſaid of Paul, no doubt this man is a Murderer, whom though he hath eſcaped the Sea, yet vengeance ſuffereth not to live. God may forgive the Eternal, but will not remit the temporal puniſhment.
If you eſcape a publick Execution, you ſhall never a private one. Kings may pardon what God will not. Some that have eſcaped the Gallows, could never eſcape the Scourges of their own Conſcience, which is Gods Vice-Gerent: Yea, though truly Penitent, yet have died either with grief of mind, or by the immediate ſtroke of Heaven. Plymouth can afford an example of the former many years ago; and Scotland ſhall of the Latter.
A Gentleman whoſe name was Waſtraw a moſt bloody man, and other ways notorious for prophaneneſs, but moſt in this; that it was his great work, and pleaſure to put difference betwixt men, and as it was at that time very eaſie to engage them in blood, whileſt he had thus ſtirred up a neighbor Gentleman to kill another in that place, finding him after ſore troubled in mind, there anent, he told him more of that practiſe would be the beſt Cure, for he himſelf had killed Six, and at the firſt time was much diſquieted, but the longer he did continue, it became the more eaſie.
But one day whileſt he was on ſuch an account, riding to a place where Two had tryſted to deſide a private Quarrel by Fighting, his Horſe ſtumbles on the ſide of a ſteep Rock, and he falls a great way down, his Sword falling out before him, yet without any hurt; and hereby ſuch a ſtrange piece of Providence tryſt and break in upon his Conſcience, ſo that he quits his Journey, turns home with great trouble and remorſe; a moſt kindly change following thereon, and for ſome years after witneſſed much tenderneſs and repentance by his afterwalk; ſpent much time alone, mourning before his death; and that day he died, having no viſible appearance thereof to thoſe who looked on, he was heard in his Chamber much Wreſtling in Prayer, and after long continuance thoſe of the Houſe were forced to break open the Door, getting no anſwer after their long knocking, and found him dead in the Room, but upon his knees in a Prayer poſture, and the whole blood of his body, which from every paſſage thereof had iſſued out, ſwimming about the Floor: It being viſible how all theſe paſſages were opened for that effect, a moſt aſtoniſhing inſtance declaring this to the world, though he pardon the iniquity of his people. Yet ſome ſins he will not let paſs without a viſible mark of his anger, but will take vengeance on their inventions. I have given you the Story in its own Scottiſh Dialect.
7. Carry this ever upon your hearts, keep it in your minds that you have a Father and Maſter in Heaven, and that dayly tributes of obedience and Thanksgiving muſt be yielded by you unto him.
That you are Gods Children, and Gods Servants, and you muſt Love, Honor, Reverence, and Obey the Lord, whoſe you are, and that you ought to ſerve him principally, in the firſt place, and continually to the very laſt.
Remember you have pretious, never dying Souls, and theſe muſt be ſaved. Do not for fear of any mans diſpleaſure diſpleaſe God, and Damn your Souls. If you once come to neglect God, to turn your backs upon your known duties, God will abandon you: And if God leave you, woe, woe unto you!
My dear Youth, acquaint your ſelves with the practice of ſecret Prayer. Be at leaſt once a day in private upon your knees before God. Bear the Yoke of Chriſts Commandments, it is a Golden Yoke, his Yoke is eaſie, his Burden light. You have ſeen very lately a vaſt difference between the Service of God and of ſin. When Souls drudge for ſin, like a curſed Tyrant, it makes them dig their untimely Graves.
Sin is neither profitable, nor honorable, nor comfortable. It puts you upon the baſeſt work, and pays the worſt wages. What fruit have ſinners had of ſin but ſhame? That Harveſt which they reap from the Seed of ſin, is nothing elſe but an heap of grief and deſperate ſorrows.
8. Receive warning and inſtruction from theſe dreadful providences. Do not boaſt nor glory over theſe wretches. You ſtand by Grace, be not high minded but fear, it is God withholds you from their ſins, and preſerves you from their Judgments.
Our bleſſed and Famous Martyr Maſter Bradford never ſaw any Malefactor leading to Execution, but he would ſmite upon his breaſt and ſay, Here! Within me is the root of that matter, for which this man ſuffers? You can all ſay the ſame.
Remember Lots Wiſe. If God erect A Pillar of Salt in Plymouth, if God Fire a Beacon upon Catdown, as God hath done in the Execution of theſe unfortunate Creatures, here is the uſe you muſt make of them, to hear, and fear, and do no more any ſuch wickedneſs.
They are become a Sign unto you. God hath made them your Examples, to the intent that you ſhould not luſt after evil things as they luſted.
They are a Warning-piece ſhot off in your Ears, a Light-houſe preſented to your Eyes, that you might be kept from the paths of the Deſtroyer. Theſe things are happened, and fallen out now in your days, for Examples that you might take admonition upon whom the ends, the laſt, and worſt days of the World are come.
The juſt Lord hath been in the midſt of us; he cannot do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his judgments to light, he faileth not. Oh! be not as the unjuſt that know no ſhame. When Gods judgments are come home, ſo near unto us, to our very Doors and Houſes, The Youth of Plymouth muſt learn righteouſneſs. If you will not be warned by others, God will make you a warning unto others.
Dear youth, remember, that all Poyſoners, all Dogs that Bark at Religion and Godly Perſons, all Whoremongers, and Murderers, all wicked and unnatural Children, all diſobedient, and undutiful Servants ſhall be driven out of Heaven, by this Token, by this Sign, that Two of Plymouth were lately by a very ſhameful and curſed death driven out of the Earth.
II. Art thou a Superior? A Maſter, or Parent, Friendly Reader? Then ſuffer the word of Exhortation.
1. STudy Chriſtian Oeconomicks, the Arts of well-ordering thy Family according to the Laws of Chriſt, and put them into practice. It was an excellent Order of our Church, full of religious Prudence, that thoſe who Married, ſhould on their wedding day receive the Sacrament: Teaching us this Leſſon, that none ſhould enter upon Family charges, before they did well underſtand the nature of Family duties. Ah! how much is this neglected? Perſons get into a married life, and yet them Families, Servants, and Children before they have any skill to govern themſelves, and neither skill nor will to govern s;uch as are under them.
This is the true Source of all our miſchiefs, the Seminary and Root of our abounding Prophaneneſs; and till there be a Reformation here in our reſpective Families, in Maſters, and Parents, I ſhall deſpair of ever meeting with it among Children, or Servants. If Children prove unnatural, and Servants ungovernable, Why did you not teach them better? If you are ignorant of your duties, do not complain that they neglect theirs. If Poyſon and Murder come into a Family, it was becauſe the fear of God was not there.
2. My dear Plimouthians, Give good Examples to thoſe that are under you. They are led more by Examples than Precepts. They do not write after the beſt Copies, but thoſe that are neareſt hand. Oh! walk before God, before your Children, and Servants in a perfect way. Read and Meditate upon the 101. Pſalm. There is a divine Platform of your whole duty. What Children learn from their Parents, Servants from their Maſters, that do they inſtil and teach alſo unto their Children and Servants.
The happineſs or wretchedneſs, the weal and woe of the next age depends upon the Education, and Examples of this. Make not poſterity miſerable, nor your own Fleſh and Blood, your deareſt parts, your chiefeſt Goods to curſe you when you are dead and gone, for your cockering and indulgence to them.
Live all the Sermons you hear, and be an Epiſtle of commendation of your Miniſters to your Children, Servants, Families, and the whole World. Let none under your roofs have occaſion to behold your miſcarriages. They are natural Apes, imitating what is had, not what is good. Keep your ſelves from all ſin, and keep the ſight of ſin from all that belong unto you. If Children and Servants inſtead of Praying, hear Swearing and Curſing, inſtead of the Bible and Catechiſms, bloody Oaths and Blaſpheming, inſtead of ſeeing Holineſs, and the ſhining beauties of Godlineſs, ſhall be the Spectators of their Parents wickedneſs and uncleanneſs, Atheiſm and Irreligion; Mark it, Sirs, Mark what I tell you, without Miracles of mercy, you, and your Children, and your Servants, and your Houſes ſhall be undone Eternally. The curſe of the Lord is it to the Houſe of the Wicked, but he bleſſeth the Habitation of the Juſt.
3. My dear Townſmen, Perform Family duties, let them not grow out of uſe and faſhion. Whatever others do, yet do you and your Families ſerve the Lord. Give God a Morning and Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and Thankſgiving. He hath throatned to pour out his wrath upon the Families that call not upon his Name. Jer. 10. ult. Prayerleſs Families, are Paganiſh Families, and Heathen Families are loathed by God.
Read the Scriptures daily in your Houſes, Catechize and Inſtruct in the doctrinals of Religion the Youth within your Gates. Repeat, and frequently diſcourſe with them about the Word of God read, and preached. Sanctifie the Lords day. Sing Pſalms, and the high-ſounding Praiſes of God in your dwellings. Examine the Proficiency of your Children, and Servants in the grace and knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. Give due and ſeaſonable reprehenſion and correction, and ſpare not the Rod, unleſs you will ſpoil the Child. Comfort and incourage them in well-doing▪ Preſs them to private duties, and give them time for Cloſet-prayer; and do you endeavor to bring them to the publick Worſhip and Ordinances, eſpecially to the Sacraments. Remember that they who ſerve God moſt, will ſerve you beſt; that a graceleſs Servant is a Devil in your Family, which will ruin himſelf, and you, and yours alſo.
4. Conſider with your ſelves that you have the charge of Souls, there is a great truſt committed from Heaven unto Governours of Families. The Lord Treaſurer of the Kingdom hath no ſuch Jewels, nor Treaſure in the Exchequer, as you have in your Houſes. God hath made you the Guardians and Truſtees of pretious Souls, and as ſure as you live, ſhall you be reſponſible for them unto God. Do your utmoſt that none miſcarry under your hands. Prefer the concerns of their Souls to thoſe of your Bodies, and be at as much care and pains that they may live in Heaven, as you and yours to live on Earth. You are their beſt and ſureſt Friends, if faſt and faithful Friends unto their Souls. To ruin a Soul is the Trick and Work of Devils, it is an irreparable loſs, an everlaſting evil. Loſt Goods may be recovered, but if a Soul be once damned, either by your ſins of omiſſion or commiſſion, it can never be recovered more. The Lord deliver you from the Guilt of Soul-Murder.
5. When you diſpoſe your Children abroad in the World, get them into Religious Families, that they may drive a thriving trade Heaven-ward, and obtain the Inheritance of Gods Saints, his pretious promiſes. It is not Riches, nor Honors, nor great dealings in the VVorld; but Godlineſs that hath the promiſes of this life, and of that which is to come.
6. Are your Relations and Inferiors, your Children and Servants wicked, and irreligi…us? do you become better. Let not their ſins be juſty charged on your Souls. Shortly, VVhen death is in your Pot, remember nothing but the Grace of God can preſerve you. Therefore value, and prize it. Did Servants do it? Conſider, that it is juſt with God, they ſhould be Inſtruments of your deſtruction, when your neglect of their Religious Education, is a real cauſe of their Trangreſſion. They muſt go to Heaven as well as you, and therefore ſhould injoy liberties, and opportunities for the ſolemn, and publick Worſhip of God as well as your ſelves.
The Gallows and Stake, the Fire and Halter preach unto Young and Old, High and Low, Parents and Children, Maſters and Servant this Doctrin, That unleſs you do Repent, you ſhall alſo periſh. Gods judgments upon others, are warnings unto us. It is an Oracle from Heaven, That ſuch who ſin as others, ſhall periſh as others: That if you do not repent, the wrath of God which lighted upon others, ſhall either here, or hereafter infallibly, and to all eternity light down upon you alſo.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Quick, Hell Opened (1676)