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And thus she shatters with her Lips and her Words, being smoother than Oil and her Lips dropping as the Honeycomb.

 



Chapter III

A strange yet most true story, under which is couched that lion whose roaring shall make all the beasts of the field tremble, and all the kingdoms of the earth quake. Wherein also (in part) the subtlety of the well-favoured harlot is discovered, and her flesh burning with that fire which shall burn down all churches except that of the first born, &c.


1.

Follow me
who last Lord's day
Septem 30, 1649
met him in open field
a most strange deformed man
clad in patched clouts
who looking wishly on me
mine eye pitied him
and my heart
or the day of the Lord
which burned as an oven in me
set my tongue on flame to speak to him

as follows


2.

How now friend,
art thou poor?

he answered
yea master
very poor

whereupon my bowels trembled within me
and quivering fell upon the worm-eaten chest
(my corpse I mean)
that I could not hold a joint still

and my great love within me
(who is the great God within that chest or corpse)
was burning hot toward him
and made the lockhole of the chest
to wit
the mouth of the corpse
again to open
thus

art poor?

yea very poor
said he

whereupon the strange woman who flatters with her lips
and is subtle of heart
said unto me

it's a poor wretch
give him sixpence

but my 
EXCELLENCY and MAJESTY

(in me)

scorn'd her words
confounded her language
and kicked her out of his presence


3.

But immediately
the WELL-FAVOURED HARLOT

(whom I carried not upon my horse behind me)

but who rose up in me said

it's a poor wretch
give him 6d
and that's enough for a squire or night
to give to one poor body
besides

(saith the holy scripturian whore)

he's worse than an infidel
that provides not for his own family
true love begins at home
&c
thou and thy family are fed 
as the young ravens strangely
though thou hast been a constant preacher
yet thou hast abhorred both tithes and hire
and thou know not aforehand
who will give thee the worth of a penny

have a care of the main chance


4.

And thus she shatters with her lips and her words
being smoother than oil
and her lips dropping as the honeycomb

I was fired to hasten my hand into my pocket
and pulling out a shilling
said to the poor wretch
give me sixpence
here's a shilling for thee

he answered
I cannot
I have never a penny

whereupon I said
I would fain have given thee something
if thou could have changed my money

then saith he
God bless you

whereupon
with much reluctancy
with much love
and with amazement
(of the right stamp)
I turned my horse's head
from him
riding away

but a while after
I was turned back
(being advised by my demilance)
to wish him call for sixpence
which I would leave at the next town 
at one's house which I thought he might know
(Saphira-like)
keeping back part

but
(as God judged me)
I as she
was struck down dead

and behold
the plague of God 
fell into my pocket
and the rust of my silver
rose up in judgement against me
and consumed my flesh as with fire
so that I and my money perished with me
I being cast into that lake of fire and brimstone
and all the money I had about me to a penny

(though I thought 
through the instigation of my quondam mistress
to have reserved some
having rode about 8 miles
not eating one mouthful of bread that day
and had drunk but one small draught of drink
and had between 8 or 9 miles more to ride
ere I came to my journey's end
my horse being lame
the ways dirty
it raining all the way
and I not knowing what extraordinary occasion
I might have for money)

yet

(I say)

the rust of my silver 
did so rise up in judgement against me
and burnt my flesh like fire
and the 5 of James
thundered such an alarm 
in mine ears
that I was fain to cast all I had into the hands of him
whose visage was more marr'd
than any man's that ever I saw

this is a true story
most true in the history
it's true also in the mystery
and there are deep ones couched under it
for it's a shadow of various glorious
(though strange)
good things to come


7.

Well
to return

after I had thrown
my rusty canker'd money
into the poor man's hands
I rode away from him
being filled with trembling
joy and amazement
feeling the sparkles of a great glory
arising up from under these ashes

after this
I was made

(by that divine power
which dwells in this ark
or chest)

to turn my horse's head
whereupon I beheld
this poor deformed wretch
looking earnestly after me
and upon that
was made to put off my hat
and bow to him seven times
and was

(at that strange posture)

filled with trembling and amazement
some sparkles of glory
arising up also from under this
as also from under these ashes

yet I rode back once more
to the poor wretch
saying
because I am a king
I have done this
but you need not tell anyone

the day's our own

this was done on the last Lord's day
Septem 30
in the year 1649
which is the year of the Lord's recompenses
for Zion
and the day of his vengeance
the dreadful day of judgement
but I have done
(for the present)
with this story
for it is the later end of the year 1649




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