Spiritual Experiences of Sundry Believers, Title page 1 – Part 1
SPIRITUALL EXPERIENCES, Of sundry BELEEVERS. Held forth by them at severall solemne meetings, and Conferences to that end.
With the recommendation of the sound, spiritual, and savoury worth of them, to the sober and spirituall Reader, By Vavasor Powel, Minister of the Gospel.
The second Impression, enlarged with the Experiences of forty two Beleevers, wherein is wonderfully declared Gods severall workings in the various conditions of his chosen ones.
To which is added: The manner of the discipline, and practise of the gathered Churches, &c.
London, Printed for Robert Ibbitson, 1653.
To the sober and spirituall Readers of this Booke.
THe special, and unspeakable love, and care of our good Lord, and great Master, Jesus Christ, hath so manifestly appeared to his people (especially of late yeares) that out of his fulnesse he hath communicated so bountifully, that many of them, (like good Scribes) out of their Treasuries have been able to bring things new and old, for the refreshing, comforting, and supplying of many poore souls, which otherwise had been in extreame want and distresse.
Also amongst the various wayes of Gods teaching, Experience is one of the chiefest; for that is the inward sense and feeling, of what is outwardly read and heard; and the spirituall and powerfull enjoyment of what is beleeved.
Experience is a Copy written by the Spirit of God upon the hearts of beleevers. It is one of Faiths handmaids, and attendants, and Hopes usher, Rom. 5.3.
And when Christ is with-drawne within the vaile, and the wings of faith clipped, and the flouds of temptation over-flow, and overwhelme the poore distressed, doubting, despairing, and drowning soule: this barke keepes, and holds up the soules-head above water, till the Arke returne.
That Christian beleeves strongest, that hath Experience to backe his faith, and that Saint speakes sweetest and homest, that speakes experimentally; for that which cometh from one spirituall heart, reacheth another spirituall heart.
Experience is like steel to an edged …ol, or like salt to fresh meat, it seasons brain-knowledge, and settles a shaking unsetled soule.
What hath been Printed of this nature, hath both been acceptable and profitable, to many precious Christians.
I hope that this is published for that end, and it will finde the same acceptance, and produce the same effects with others of that nature; for herein you may see not only your owne hearts, but many hearts, and heart-knowledge, is both necessary and precious to sincere soules.
I recommend this little Booke to you, judging it (as farre as I read) to be sound, spirituall, and savoury, and worth your buying, reading, and perusing.
So committing you and it to the Lord and his blessing, I remaine, the truths, and all the Saints friend and servant,
Va. Powel.
A Table of the Conversions of the severall Persons expressed in this Booke.
T. A. Converted after three yeares terrour upon his Conscience, and then rowling himselfe on Christ, Pag. 1
T. P. The terrours of Hell laid hold on him, for offering wrong against the people of God, that he cryed out he was damned many yeares, p. 5
M. W. By a Sermon at Liverpooll and after great afflictions, with a peice of a Bible in a barne, p. 8
I. I. By waiting upon the ordinances, p. 18
E. C. After seven yeares temptation to kill her selfe, for neglecting to come to the ordinances, she threw her selfe upon Christ, p. 25
D. M. By a young infant, when she went to a Pond to drown her self, p. 33
AE. L. By being driven through afflictions to goe to the meetings of godly people, p. 43
I. B. By a Son, a little childe of six yeares of age, p. 51
A. I. By waiting on the ordinances after losse of a precious Husband, and that in affliction of spirit for neare a yeares time, p. 60
A. A. In the losse of Children, and great buffetings for sinne, by waiting upon God by prayer, p. 68
E. C. By repulsing the Devill when he appeared to her, and tempted her, p. 77.
A. O. By a quarter of a yeares despaire, fearing that a Lye told knowingly had been the sin against the Holy Ghost, p. 87
M. M. By fearing Hell, and applying every crosse to be a judgement of God for sinne, p. 93
H. W. By much prayer night and day against a dead heart, and that God would give him grace to live in a sincere conversation, p. 103
D. R. In feare of reprobation, seeing an emptinesse in her selfe, and casting her selfe upon God, as his workmanship, to doe what seemed good to him, p. 111
A. O. In two yeares temptations to despaire, by seeking God by prayer, and waiting upon his ordinances, p. 134
M. W. When Satan tempted her, that she had committed the sinne against the Holy Ghost, she protested before the Lord, though she should see nothing but Hell before her, yet she would trust in God, and stay her selfe upon him, and exalting free grace, and pleading Gods Promises, continued much in prayer, p. 140
H. C. By being perswaded she was an Hypocrite, p. 153
M. K. By a dreame of weapons to revenge by murder, and severall other things that followed, p. 160
M. H. By consideration that some slips he fell into, being a Professor, brought dishonour to God, and scandall to the Gospel, p. 217
L. P. By thoughts touching a childe in her wombe, when Satan tempted her to destroy her selfe, p. 229
F. P. By a dreame of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, p. 234
C. M. By trouble about some miscarriages towards her children, p. 241
T. H. From consideration that every one of his sins offended the Lord, & deserved his eternall curse, p. 244
E. B. By laying to heart that she had not served God as she ought to doe, p. 247
G. D. From trouble of spirit, that Satan was very busie with her, p. 258
A. B. From consideration in temptations, and of that destruction which would befall her, if she forsake her God, p. 254
W. C. Being satisfied with nothing in his soul but the Lord Christ, p. 258
A. C. By seeing her self undone without Christ, p. 261
N. B. A Papist, by his being perswaded to come into Protestant meetings, p. 264
A. H. By terrour of Conscience, and fear that the Devill would fetch her, was converted from Popery, p. 272
D. C. From thoughts for offending so good a God, p. 276
A. H. By falling into a sin she feared, p. 278
F. D. By longing for Jesus Christ, p. 284
H. W. By his trouble for deadnesse of heart, p. 284
M W. By earnest prayer in trouble of spirit, p 290
I. H. By being throwne downe so low, that he thought it almost impossible for God to save him, p. 298
H. N. From his hearing of Pauls words, That all might be damned who beleeved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousnes, p. 297.
W. T. From consideration of his sinfull condition he wrastled with God by prayer, and would not let him go untill he found comfort, p. 300.
T. G. By solemne ingagement to God, as he loved God, his word, or his own soul, to leave his sins, p. 308
E. D. By being much troubled, that she could not serve God as she should, p. 316.
W. W. From the considerations of Gods gracious dealings towards him, and many deliverances, p. 320
A. F. By discovery of some particular sins when God took away severall near relations, p. 324
G. R. By being brought neare to despaire for some things that touched her conscience, p. 327.
J. G. By being troubled at that place of Scripture, The wages of sin is death, which made him for a quarter of a yeare, meet with temptations by Satan to despaire, but proved his conversion, p. 329
A. G. By Gods smiting the Conscience from her sense of sin, p. 333
A. T. By so great sorrow as made his heart ready to breake, from the consideration of the hardnesse of his heart, p. 335
S. P. By a Sermon at Norwich, p. 339
E. L. By following the hearing of the Word, though with a dead heart, untill God quickned her, p. 343
I. F. From the sense of her naturall condition, and her sins, and offending God, laying it to heart, p. 346
S. P. From his experience of Gods deliverance to him from his enemies, against which he had engaged in the field, p. 348
P. P. By outward streights, & afflictions, and inward temptations of Satan, p. 352
M. T. By coming to heare with a gathered Church, p. 355
E. R. By a dreame of Christ as a Childe, carrying her over Hell, when she lay under despaire for telling a lye, and was tempted of Satan to murder her selfe, p. 357
T. M. By a dreame of Christ like a Childe, and a Dragon, and other Beasts, p. 369
I. H. By hearing the Word, and his conference with a Minister, p. 376
I. H. By hearing Doctor Gouge, and prayer, &c: p. 382
T. R. By severall experiences of Gods deliverances to him, p. 385
I. S. By sense of a dead heart, p. 394
E. P. By outward crosses, p. 401
G. S. By coming to a private meeting, p. 404