1.    Thomas and Ann Camm The admirable and glorious appearance of the eternal God, in his glorious power, in and through a child of the age of betwixt eight and nine years, upon her dying bed ... (1684).

Thomas and Ann Camm The Admirable and Glorious Appearance of the Eternal God, in his Glorious Power, in and through a CHILD, of the Age of betwixt Eight and Nine Years, upon her dying Bed, opening her Mouth to speak forth his Praise, and Extol his Reverent Holy Name and Power: A short Relation whereof, together with her Exercise throughout her Sickness, is hereafter collected, or so much thereof as was by us certainly Remembred.

Upon the 13th day of the 7th month, 1682. did the Lord Visit Sarah the Daughter of Thomas and Ann Camme of Camsgill with Sickness, the which for about two days was but gentle upon her, but afterwards grew more hot and extream, increasing almost continually, till she was in Mercy taken to rest with the Lord.

Many sweet and comfortable Expressions passed from her all along in her Sickness, when she was sencible, being satisfied she should be taken away, often signifying the same to us; saying also, That she was neither afraid nor unwilling to Dye, but freely given up thereto in the will of her God; desiring us many times to be Content; and if at any time she saw us her Parents or Sister so concerned as to weep, she would cry, Oh! do not so, do not so; and take us in her Arms, tenderly Kissing and Imbracing us

About an hour and a half before her departure, the Lord in tender Mercy was pleased to give her a time of ease, and perfect sense; and also, in a wonderful and more especial manner, in opening her mouth to speak forth and declare[e] his high Praises, who out of the Mouth of Babes and Sucklings can perfect the same, and verily did [page (2)] at that time through this tender Child, to the admiration [astonishment] of all that were about her, and unspeakable Joy of her Parents and Relations; part of those Memorable and Weighty sayings, that through the Operation of the Power and Spirit of Jesus, through her were uttered, were presently [instantly] written down, as spoken, and the rest added thereto, as brought to our Remembrance, for that end chiefly, that God may have the glory of his own Work, who is worthy forever.

The abovesaid 13th day, being the 4th day of the Week; and the day following, her Sickness was not so Extream, as afterwards it grew to be, but more mild and gentle, as beforesaid; but upon the 6th day of the Week, being the 15th day of the Month, her Distemper increased to a great height of Extremity, so that her Pain and Exercise was great; yet notwithstanding she was very patient under the same, only many Deep Sighs, and Heart-afflicting Groans, proceeded from her; wherefore her Father asked her, If she could not breath and pray to the Lord for Help and Assistance?  Her answer was, She could and did; and further said, It was her Belief, that the Lord, the great God of Heaven and Earth, he would keep her and preserve her Soul, whatever might become of her Body; and often she sweetly supplicated the Lord for his Assistance and Help, & also blessed & praised his Holy Name,

And thus she continued in exceeding great Pain and Exercise, yet very patient under it, and sensible, till about the middle of the first day of the Week following, not having slept above a quarter of an Hour, all those several days of her Sickness   so that through want of Sleep, and the violence of the Distemper, her head grew light, and she was at several times not so sensible in her Expressions, yet very Harmless and Innocent; for she still retained so much sense as to know all that were about her, earnestly desireing and begging to be helped home to her own Bed; saying, That she could not Rest nor Sleep till she came there, and the like, and thus she lay till about the middle of the morrow, being [page (3)] the second day of the week, and the 18th day of the month, only weakened and spent very much; and then as we were helping her a little up upon the Bed, she on a sudden (as we thought) fainted, her head bowing down into her bosom, whereupon we lifted it up, but perceiving that she did not faint, but lay still in her Fathers arms, we waited by her a little while, her Father being sensible, and signifying the same to the Family that was standing by, that there was a more then ordinary Exercise upon her Mind and Spirit, notwithstandi[n]g she lay so quiet and still, yea, more then she had done for four days before, for her Extremity had been so great, that she turned every way, and removed her Head, Hands, and Feet often from place to place, before that time; but after a little space, through the power of an endless Life, she was revived both in Body and Spirit, and bore up her head, and sate upright in the Bed, as if she had been well, looking upon her Parents, Brother and Sister, with several others about her, with an exceeding Cheerful and Beautified Countenance, being overshaddowed with the Glory of the Eternal God, and his living precious Power filling her Soul, by the Operation whereof her Mouth was wonderfully opened in many weighty and living Expressions, many of which, as to the Substance and sense, as near as we could remember, are inserted as followeth, viz.

M[y] Sins are forgiven me, and I shall have a Resting-place in Heaven. Then looking upon her Mother, she held out her Arms to her, and tenderly Embraced and Kissed her, saying, Oh! my Dear Mother! there’s also a place prepared for thee in Heaven, and thou shalt as certainly enjoy it as any here: I do not, said she, desire my Mothers death, or to be removed from you; yet we shall meet in Heaven (whether she said in a short time, or in Gods time, we could not certainly understand; for her Voice after a while speaking grew low and weak, and then she would pause a little, and lye still, till the Lords Power again revived and gave her Utterance, in the time of her Stilness) seeing her Mother and most about her weep, [page (4)]she said, Oh! do not weep; do not so; you should not do so; I am well, I am well; never better since I had a day; and kissed most about her one by one, saying, Do not cry, but be content in the will of God, for I am so.

Her Father perceiving that ’twas an Exercise to her, to see those about her to sorrow, desired all besides himself, who were on the Bed with her, to withdraw for a while; but quickly she called them in again, and began to speak on this wise: Shall I go down to the horrible Pit? nay; the Lord hath redeemed my Soul to praise his Name on High forever: Oh! Praises, Praises to the Lord; Bless his Holy Name, O my Soul; and so went on in many sweet Expressions of Praise, and sweet melodious Sounds, for a pretty time; then she called her Brother unto her, and said, Ah! John, What hath it profitted thee, that thou hast so grieved thy Dear Mother, that hath so tenderly brought thee up?   with more words to that effect, together with tender advice, not to do so any more, which we could not exactly take from her, because her voice grew low; so paused a little, after which she called for her Sister, and Embraced and Kissed her often very tenderly with great Affection, and a very Amiable Cheerful Countenance, beyond Expression, and bad her Sisterbe content; for it is and will be well with me, she said, and I must go to a more fine place then ever mine eyes beheld, it will be well with me, and all that fear the Lord; for we shall have everlasting joy in Heaven, when the Wicked shall be tormented in Hell; and seeing her Sister full of Sorrow and Weeping by her, she pulled her unto her, and Embraced her, saying, Do not so, Dear Mary, do not cry, lest thou grieve the Lord; be subject to the Lord, will all things, and love and be faithful to the Truth; and do not forsake the Religion, whatever thou may suffer for it; though thou should[est] be burned, thy Flesh fryed, or be cast into the Sea; If thou dost, said she, it will not be so well: Then she spoke to the Maid Seruant, and bade her also be Faithful, and not forsake the Truth, and her Riligion, when tryed; for they will try thee, said she, [page (5)] (but whom she meant, when she said, they will try thee, we understood not.)

Further she said, I am satisfied in the Truth, and with my Religion; I would not forsake it, though I should be fed with the Bread of Adversity, and the Water of Affliction; Oh! Praises, Praises, to my God, my Father, and Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hollowed be thy Name, &c.• to the end of that Prayer twice over, with a low voice, yet might be heard; and then the third time begun it with a more audible Voice, and went on to that Sentence, [Thy will be done in Earth, as it’s done in Heaven.] which she spoke very weightily and deliberately; and then signifying unto us, that we were all to mind that; for I am freely given up, said she, to his blessed Will in all things; Praises, Praises, to ,my God; bless his Name, Oh! my Soul; and so paused a little, being in her Fathers Arms, and in a little time looked cheerfully upon him, and kissed him often, saying, Oh! my dear Father, thou hast been very tender and carefull over me, and hast taken great pains with me in my Sickness, but it availeth not, there's no help nor succour for me in the Earth; it's the Lord that's my help and Physician, and he will give me ease and rest Everlasting.

About two days before we had sent for a Doctor, who came twice to her two several days; the first time she asked, Whether he was a Friend? if so, she would take what he prescribed; otherwise she would not willingly: at his second coming, one came and told her, Her Doctor was come; My Doctor! said she, he is not my Doctor, he can do me no good; its not he, nor any thing in the Earth that can help me.

But to return to what was further declared by her; she called to all the Family to come unto her, and they came, and some others also that were come into the House; and then she Kissed her Father and Mother, Brother and Sister, Grandmother and others, and took leave of every one in particuler; saying Farewell, Farewell, with an exceeding pleasant and cheerful Counte[page (6)]nance, as if she had been overcome with joy and gladness, her Brother being gone out of her sight to write down part of her words above written, she call’d him by name, & kissed him again, & spoke several words to him, but her voice was so low, that we could not take them exactly; but tended to Advice, to Fear God, Love Truth, and Obe[y] his Mother; and then paused a little, and lay still; after a little time she reached to us again, and kissed us one by one with great Affection and Cheerfulness, and biding every particuler of us Farewell, Farewell, then looking round about upon all that were about her, she said, Farewell unto you all, only Farewell, Amen, Amen; signifying thereby that she had no more to say to us, but to bid us Farewel; so went on sweetly Lauding and Praising the Lord, saying, Oh! Praises, Praises, to the Lord, O my Soul, Bless and Praise thou his Holy Name for Ever, and for Evermore; and spoke few or no more words, but continued a pretty time in a sweet & harmonious Sounding forth Praises, making Melody in her Heart to the Lord, very comfortable and refreshing, tendering all that were about her into Tears, being as cheerful in her Countenance as ever, nay, far beyond what it was in her perfect Health; the glory of God overshaddowing and resting upon her, the sense whereof glad[d]ed our Hearts abundantly, and the Remembrance thereof is sweet to us beyond all Expressions, being thereby raised in a great measure over the sense of sorrow for the loss of her, and we acknowledge it to be an especial Kindness which our God in mercy blessed us with, not only in restoring her to perfect sense over the violence of her Malignant Distemper, which had for some time, as aforesaid, made her unsensible in her Expressions; but also in his Wonderful Appearance, in giving Mouth and Wisdom to this tender Child, to speak forth such weighty and admirable things, his favour herein we hope shall by us never be forgotten; but he shall by us have the Praise and the Glory of his own Work, who is Worthy, God Blessed for Ever.

In the end of that Melodious Sounding, which continued near [page (7)] half an hour, she seemed to faint; so that we supposed she would presently depart; yet notwithstanding continued half an Hour longer, and passed through several sharp Pangs; but in the end finished very sweetly, and our Spirits were sensible of her Ascending into endless Glory; and there she rests with God the Father of Spirits in Joy Everlasting, being taken from the Evil to come, and freed from all Sorrow and Pain, and Tears forever wiped from her Eyes, Amen, Amen.

emotive, sensitive] Letters, written in Verse by Robert Smith, Martyr, to his Wife, Brother and Children, as they are inserted in the Book of Martyrs.

Great Pity she had to Poor People, that came to seek Relief, especially Children, that she would not only have fed them, but many times would have brought them on their way, and sitten down with them in the Fields; and often when she had seen plenty of Victuals, Oh! would she say, that such a Poor Child had this, or that; how glad would it make them?

In fine, She was one in whom we her Parents had great Delight and Comfort; [a]lso tender and obedient was she at all times, [page (8)] that her Father had never occasion given to use the Rod.   The Loss of so good and hopeful a Child, in whom we might have expected so great Comfort, often comes near us; yet with true Submission to the Will of God, where we find Peace and Rest, knowing that our Loss, in her being removed from us, is her Everlasting Gain.

Her Distemper was supposed to be the Small-Pox, and a Fevour accompanying them, although there was but little appearance of the Pox; for they came little out, only some small ones about her Face and Hands. She Dyed in the Ninth Year of her Age, wanting about Eleven Dayes of Nine Years, being the 18th day of the 7th moneth, in the year 1682.

And inasmuch as we have a hope in the Lord, that there may be a service (in publishing in print what is above written) to many, especially such as are young in years; and also that it may tend to the Glory of the living, eternal, powerful, wise God, who is wonderful in his Works o[?] Praise, we were made willing in the discharge of our Duty, to publish the same in print, being also much prest thereto by many Friends, who have heard and seen the same; and now leave the Issue to the Lord, who is worthy of all the Praise, Glory and Renown, World without End, Amen.

Thomas and Ann Camm The admirable and glorious appearance of the eternal God, in his glorious power, in and through
a child of the age of betwixt eight and nine years, upon her dying bed … is hereafter collected,
or so much thereof as was by us certainly remembred (London: John Bringhurst, 1684).

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