The Great Transaction

"She once of her own accord spake of her unsuccessfulness, in that she could not find God, or to that purpose. But on Thursday, the last day of July, about the middle of the day, the child being in the closet, where it used to retire, its mother heard it speaking aloud; which was unusual, and never had been observed before. And her voice seemed to be as of one exceedingly importunate and engaged; but her mother could distinctly hear only these words, spoken in a childish manner, but with extraordinary earnestness, and out of distress of soul, 'PRAY, BLESSED LORD, give me salvation! I PRAY, BEG, pardon all my sins!' When the child had done prayer, she came out of the closet, sat down by her mother, and cried out aloud. Her mother very earnestly asked her several times what the matter was, before she would make any answer; but she continued crying, and writhing her body to and fro, like one in anguish of spirit. Her mother then asked her, whether she was afraid that God would not give her salvation. She then answered, 'Yes, I am afraid I shall go to hell! Her mother then endeavoured to quiet her, and told her she would not have her cry, she must be a good girl, and pray every day, and she hoped God would give her salvation. But this did not quiet her at all; she continued thus earnestly crying, and taking on for some time, till at length she suddenly ceased crying, and began to smile, and presently said with a smiling countenance, 'Mother, the kingdom of heaven is come to me!' Her mother was surprised at the sudden alteration, and at the speech; and knew not what to make of it; but at first said nothing to her. The child presently spake again, and said, 'There is another come to me, and there is another, there is three'; and being asked what she meant, she answered, One is, 'Thy will be done; and there is another; Enjoy him for ever'; by which it seems, that when the child said, 'There is three come to me; she meant three passages of her catechism that came to her mind.

"After the child had said this, she retired again into her closet, and her mother went over to her brother's, who was next neighbour; and when she came back, the child, being come out of the closet, meets her mother with this cheerful speech; 'I can find God now!' referring to what she had before complained of, that she could not find God. Then the child spoke again and said, 'I love God!' Her mother asked her, how well she loved God, whether she loved God better than her father and mother. She said, 'Yes.' Then she asked her, whether she loved God better than her little sister Rachel. She answered, 'Yes, better than any thing!' Then her elder sister, referring to her saying she could find God now, asked her, where she could find God. She answered, 'In heaven.' 'Why,' said she, 'Have you been in heaven?' 'No,' said the child. By this it seems not to have been any imagination of any thing seen with bodily eyes, that she called God, when she said, 'I can find God now.' Her mother asked her, whether she was afraid of going to hell, and if that had made her cry. She answered, 'Yes, I was; but now I shan't.' Her mother asked her whether she thought God had given her salvation: she answered, 'Yes.' Her mother asked her, 'When?' She answered, 'Today.' She appeared all that afternoon exceedingly cheerful and joyful. One of the neighbours asked her how she felt herself. She answered, 'I feel better than I did.' The neighbour asked her what made her feel better. She answered, 'God makes me.' That evening, as she lay a-bed, she called one of her little cousins to her, who was present in the room, as having something to say to him; and when he came, she told him that Heaven was better than earth. The next day, her mother asked her what God made her for. She answered, 'To serve Him; and added, 'Everybody should serve God, and get an interest in Christ.'