THE DEALINGS OF GOD WITH MRS. MARY CHURCHMAN

Mary Churchman lived in the days of Charles II, when the prevailing party in the Church and State were, like the Ritualists of our day, seeking to carry the Church back to its Romish bondage, rather than to carry on the work of purification so happily begun by the reformers in the days of Henry VIII and Edward VI. These High Church tendencies led to the passing the Act of Uniformity, which drove from the Establishment large numbers of the noble band of Puritan divines who, like the godly men now in the Church, were seeking to maintain and further within it the progress of purity of doctrine and worship.

Mary Churchman’s parents were worldlings, belonged to the High Church and persecuting party. She fully sympathized with their bitter feelings towards evangelical Christians. She says of herself, “I had as great inclination to persecute them as Paul had.”

When I was about eighteen years of age, it pleased the Lord to lay on me a languishing fit of sickness, which raised in me some promises of a new life; and, when recovered, at the persuasion of a neighbor, who had been very useful to me in my illness, I went with her to heart that great man of God, Mr. Holcroft. He preached powerfully of hell and judgment, which made me tremble, and secretly wish I had never come there. Every time he named the name of Christ it was terrible as the thunder and lightning upon Mount Sinai. I wished myself covered with the mountains, and looked upon Christ as my terrible Judge and enemy. This trouble I vented in floods of tears, and many wishes that I had never been born, and that I never had come there, for now, thought I, they will think me one of themselves, which I at that time was fully resolved against. I seemed now to like their persons worse than ever. Satan also suggested, what would my relations say? They must never know that I had been at a meeting, and the like.

Thus, in great hurry and confusion, I sat till service was ended. After the sermon, staying for my neighbor, the minister came to me, and asked where I lived, who I was, and whether I knew anything of the Lord Jesus Christ, etc. But such was my ignorance, and such the hurry and confusion of my mind, that dark was my answer. I told him I believed the world was at an end. Home I came, and not one word did J speak to my neighbor, but was very angry in my mind that she should ever ask me to come amongst the dissenters. I grew worse and worse, insomuch that my mother sent for a doctor, fearing that I should be melancholy, which indeed greatly increased upon me. This was in the reign of King Charles II, at which time they were bringing in Popery at a great pace.

The next opportunity which presented I had an inclination to go to the meeting again, which I did, but very privately. My mother began to mistrust me, and repeated her charge, warning me not to go among such sort of creatures as fanatics, “for I believe,” said she, “they bewitch people into their persuasions.” However, I went on a weekday, and the same minister preached from these words, “My Beloved is mine, and I am His: He feedeth among the lilies” (Sol. Song 2:16).

He was a good Samaritan to me that day. The Spirit of the Lord shone round about me. Oh, then I saw the Lord Jesus and He became my Husband! He was to me as a hidingplace from the storm and tempests to which I saw my guilty and polluted nature had exposed me. Oh, happy day indeed! I found Him, Who a little time before appeared as a terrible Judge, was now become “my Beloved,” and I knew that I was His. Oh, inexpressible joy! He was as a bundle of myrrh to my soul. I had not only here a little and there a little, but I had everywhere much. I had everything I wanted to my decayed spirits. I well knew I should meet with hard things from my relations, but could now pray, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

As soon as my father and mother knew that I went to the meeting, Satan was in a great rage. My father was then high constable, and had an order from the justices to return all the names of them who frequented the meetings. This made it a hard thing for his own daughter to be a fanatic. which was what he could not bear. And this also increased my difflculty in getting out on the Lord’f Day, which, notwithstanding, I sometimes did, and have walked eight, ten, yea, twelve miles to a meeting. If my father at any time understood where I was gone, he spent the day in nothing but oaths and curses and resolves to murder me. My mother, though an enemy to fanatics, would frequently send a servant to meet me before f could reach home, to tell me not to appear till my father was gone to bed; and I often hid myself in a wood stack, where I have seen him pass by, with a naked knife in his hand, declaring he would kill me before he slept.

In this bondage I lived for one year, but the Lord carried on His work with much power, and enabled me to declare in Zion what He had done for my soul, which I did on a Lord’s Day as the manner then was. I had some fear indeed, lest my parents should hear of it, which they did, within a fortnight after, by means of a basket-woman, who asked my mother if she had not a daughter. She answered, “Yes.” “Oh,” said the woman, “I heard her preach such a sermon at Mildred as raised the admiration of all who heard her.” This my mother obliged her to attest before my father and me, who no sooner heard of it, but immediately turned me out of doors, not suffering me to carry anything with me, except the clothes on my back.

I went to a godly gentleman’s about four miles distant from my father’s, who had often told me I should be welcome to his house, where my employ should be to be the governess to his seven children. But there the Lord was pleased to try me greatly at my first setting out. My mistress, though a good woman, soon became uneasy, thinking her husband showed me too much favor. She was suffered to carry it very cruelly towards me, ordering my lodging with the meanest of servants and my diet likewise as coarse as theirs.

I lived in this place with difficulty three years, but in all that time never knew what it was to have one barren Sabbath.

The year following, Providence placed me twenty miles another way, where I obtained a Joseph’s character, and a Joseph’s promotion, being greatly valued by many noble families, and especially the lady M. …, who told me she loved me years before she was personally acquainted with me. She gave me of her liberality, and maintained Christian communion with me.

Persecution now came apace; the dissenters could have no meetings but in woods and corners. I myself have seen our companies often alarmed with drums and soldiers; every one was fined five pounds ($25.) a month for being in their company.

While I was in this family the commissioners came and searched for ministers. Mr. B— (the gentleman of the house) and Mr. Holcroft were asleep in a private arbor (a bower formed by trees, shrubs or vines often on a latticework). I ran with some difficulty and awoke them, and they made their escape through the hedges; but, as I returned, the officers surprised me. They went and found some slips of their clothes on the hedges, which made them roar like blood-hounds; after which they came and seized a whole house of goods. These men were Major T— and Colonel C—.

But, oh! the great trial now came on; they found and seized my beloved pastor, Mr. Holcroft, and carried him to Cambridge Castle. But even there God appeared wonderfully for him; he preached, and many souls were converted in that place.

Mr. B—, with whom I lived, had a call to Holland; and, as the persecution was very threatening in England, he thought it his duty to accept the call. He gave me an invitation to go with him, assuring me that all things should be in common. I sought the Lord time after time on this account, and it seemed as if He was providing for me in another land. Grace taught me my duty to my parents, though they were enemies to the cross of Christ. Accordingly I acquainted them with this invitation, and that I should comply with it unless their commands were to the contrary. I begged they would consider of it, and let me know in eight days’ time, for all things were ready to embark in a fortnight.

Not hearing from them in the time I set, I took their silence for a consent, and so prepared all things ready for my journey, and set out with my kind friends. Just before we reached Harwich, where we were to take shipping, a messenger from my father overtook me with a letter, the contents of which were as follows: That, if I would come home, I should have my liberty to worship God in my own way; but, as to my leaving the land, this was what they could not bear; therefore, without fail, I must come back with the messenger; which I did. Great was the sorrow of parting with my friends, but my duty to my parents surmounted all.

I no sooner entered my father’s house but my mother in receiving me fainted away. My father, also, though a man of great spirits, offered to fall on his knees to ask my pardon for his former cruelty. Oh, amazing work of sovereign gracet When our ways please the Lord, He makes even our enemies to be at peace with us. My father immediately told me I should have my liberty in matters relating to my God. I then humbly offered my obedience to them both on my knees. At supper there was not a mouthful eaten but with tears. I well knew my God had appeared to my father on my behalf, as He did to Laban of old, and applied Jacob’s promise to myself, “Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good” (Gen. 32:12).

There now appeared a great reformation in the whole family. My father feared to sin, for fear of grieving his daughter, and in a little time left off drinking, which was the forerunner of all his other evils. Now I thought I could give my body to be burned for the souls of dear relations. The Lord granted my request on their behalf. In a few years I had not only the pleasure of seeing the conversion of my three brothers, but of seeing them also eminently useful. I found my God reserved His greatest mercies for my greatest trials, for at the death of my dear sister I had not only the comfort of seeing her conversion, but the great satisfaction of seeing my dear father and mother also converted to the faith of Jesus, though at the eleventh hour. Yea, such was the power and goodness of God that He left not so much as a hoof behind in the whole family.

Surely now I may say that nothing but goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life. When we had free liberty under our great deliverer from popery and slavery, King William, many were the favors which I enjoyed. God gave me the best and tenderest of husbands; a prophet of the Lord indeed, whose good instructions abide with my children to this day. In short, the Lord has sanctified every trial to me, and followed me with great pleasure and comfort in my old age.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”

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