22. The Thursday before he Dyed, he asked a very Godly Friend of mine, wha• he thought of his condition, and whether his Soul was now going? For he said, he could not still but fear, lest he should deceive himself with false hopes, at which my Friend spoke to him thus: Child, for all that I have endeavoured to hold forth the Grace of God in Christ to thy Soul, and given you a warrant from the Word of God, that Christ is as freely offered to you, as to any sinner in the world; if thou […] but willing to accept of Him, thou ⟨p. 52⟩mayest have Christ and all that thou dost want, with Him; and yet thou givest way to these thy doubtings and fears, as though I told you nothing but lies. Thou sayest thou fearest that Christ will not accept of thee; I fear thou art not heartily willing to accept of Him. The Child answered, Indeed I am; Why then, Child, if thou art unfeignedly willing to have Christ; I tell thee, He is a thousand times more willing to have thee, & wash thee, & save thee, than thou art to desire it. And now at this time Christ offers Himself to thee again; therefore receive Him humbly by Faith freely into thy heart, & bid Him welcome, for He deserveth it. Upon which words the Lord discovered His love to the Child, and he gave a kind of a leap in his bed, and snapped his fingers and thumb together with abundance of joy, as much as to say, Well, yea all is well, the Match is made, Christ is willing, and I am willing too; and now Christ is mine, and I am His forever. And from that time forward, in full Joy & assurance of God's love, he continued earnestly praising God, with desiring to dye, and […] with Christ. And on Friday-morning he ⟨p. 53⟩sweetly went to rest, using that very expression, Into thy hands, Lord I commit my Spirit. He Died punctually at that time which he had spoke of, and in which he expected those Angels to come to him; he was not much above Nine years old when he Died.
22. The Thursday before he Dyed, he asked a very Godly Friend of mine, wha• he thought of his condition, and whether his Soul was now going? For he said, he could not still but fear, lest he should deceive himself with false hopes, at which my Friend spoke to him thus: Child, for all that I have endeavoured to hold forth the Grace of God in Christ to thy Soul, and given you a warrant from the Word of God, that Christ is as freely offered to you, as to any sinner in the world; if thou 〈…〉 but willing to accept of Him, thou ⟨p. 52⟩mayest have Christ and all that thou dost want, with Him; and yet thou givest way to these thy doubtings and fears, as though I told you nothing but lies. Thou sayes• thou fearest that Christ will not accept of thee; I fear thou art not heartily willing to accept of Him. The Child answered, Indeed I am; Why then, Child, if thou art unfeignedly willing to have Christ; I tell the, He is a thousand times more willing to have thee, & wash thee, & save thee, than thou art to desire it. And now at this time Christ offers Himself to thee again; therefore receive Him humbly by Faith freely into thy heart, & bid Him welcome, for He deserveth it. Upon which words the Lord discovered His love to the Child, and he gave a kind of a leap in his bed, and snapt his fingers and thumb together with abundance of joy, as much as to say, Well, yea all is well, the Match is made, Christ is willing, and I am willing too; and now Christ is mine, and I am His forever. And from that time forward, in full Joy & assurance of God's love, he continued earnestly praising God, with desiring to dye, and 〈…〉 with Christ. And on Fryday-morning he ⟨p. 53⟩sweetly went to rest, using that very expression, Into thy hands, Lord I commit my Spirit. He Died punctually at that time which he had spoke of, and in which he expected those Angels to come to him; he was not much above Nine years old when he Died.
