An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

Several nights after, the same trouble returned upon him. His Wife was tortured with extraordinary pains; the Children ⟨p. 351⟩which lay in the room, complained that their Mo•thes were stopped with Wool as they were in Bed. The disturbance was so great, that he had thoughts of leaving his House for a time, and made it his desire to be at Dr. Templars; who prevailed with him not to be so sudden in his removal, but to make some further Trial. It pleased God upon a continuation with him in Prayer every day in the house, that he was at last perfectly free from all molestation. The Quakers hearing of his condition, gave it out, that the power of God would come upon him again, and that the Wound was but skinned over by the Priest. Which made Dr. Templar the more importunate with him to keep […] to the Public Worship of God, and to have nothing to do with them or their Writings. Which direction he followed till November 1661. and then perusing one of their Books, a little after upon the tenth day of that Month his troubles returned. A voice within him began to speak to him after the former manner. The first Sentence which it uttered was, Cease thou from Man, whose breath is in his Nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted. The design which he discerned it did aim at, was to take him off from coming to the Church (where he had been that ⟨p. 352⟩day) and from hearing the Word of God. It suggested several other Scriptures in order to the persuading of him to a compliance with the Quakers, and told him, that it would strive with him as the Angel did with Jacob, until the breaking of the Day, at which time it left him. The two next nights it gave him the same molestation, saying, it must be with him as it was with David, who gave no sleep to his eyes, nor slumber to his eye-lids, until he found a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Upon Wednesday at night he was very peremptory in his resisting of it. When it began to solicit him, he replied, that he saw it was a Spirit of delusion, which he would not obey. Upon which the Spirit denounced a Curse against him in these words, Go ye Cursed into everlasting fire, and so left him with a very great heat in his Body.

Several nights after, the same trouble returned upon him. His Wife was tortured with extraordinary pains; the Children ⟨p. 351⟩