The next day I went to Cranswick, to Captain Pursloe's, who
accompanied me to Justice Hotham's. This Justice Hotham was a tender
man, one that had had some experience of God's workings in his heart.
After some discourse with him of the things of God, he took me into
his closet, where, sitting with me, he told me he had known that
principle[Q] these ten years, and was glad that the Lord did now
publish it abroad to the people. After a while there came a priest
to visit him, with whom also I had some discourse concerning the
Truth. But his mouth was quickly stopped, for he was nothing but a
notionist, and not in possession of what he talked of.
[Q] The light of Christ working on the heart.
While I was here, there came a great woman of Beverley to speak to
Justice Hotham about some business; and in discourse she told him
that the last Sabbath-day (as she called it) there came an angel or
spirit into the church at Beverley, and spoke the wonderful things
of God, to the astonishment of all that were there; and when it
had done, it passed away, and they did not know whence it came,
nor whither it went; but it astonished all,--priest, professors,
and magistrates of the town. This relation Justice Hotham gave me
afterwards, and then I gave him an account of how I had been that day
at Beverley steeple-house, and had declared truth to the priest and
people there.
I went to another steeple-house about three miles off, where preached
a great high-priest, called a doctor, one of them whom Justice Hotham
would have sent for to speak with me. I went into the steeple-house,
and stayed till the priest had done. The words which he took for
his text were these, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come,
buy wine and milk without money and without price."
Then was I moved of the Lord God to say unto him, "Come down, thou
deceiver; dost thou bid people come freely, and take of the water
of life freely, and yet thou takest three hundred pounds a year of
them for preaching the Scriptures to them. Mayest thou not blush for
shame? Did the prophet Isaiah, and Christ do so, who spoke the words,
and gave them forth freely? Did not Christ say to His ministers, whom
He sent to preach, 'Freely ye have received, freely give'?"
The priest, like a man amazed, hastened away. After he had left his
flock, I had as much time as I could desire to speak to the people;
and I directed them from the darkness to the Light, and to the grace
of God, that would teach them, and bring them salvation; to the
Spirit of God in their inward parts, which would be a free teacher
unto them.
Having cleared myself amongst the people, I returned to Justice
Hotham's house that night. When I came in he took me in his arms, and
said his house was my house; for he was exceedingly glad of the work
of the Lord, and that His power was revealed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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