persons who came to visit us,
among others with a woman who had undergone, several years ago, some
remarkable experiences; of a light shining upon her while she was
reading in the New Testament about the sufferings of the Lord Jesus,
which frightened her very much. It did not continue long but soon
passed off; yet it left, nevertheless, such a joy and testimony in her
heart as she could not describe. She kept it to herself, without
making it known to any one except only one woman. Some years
afterwards, while lying abed in the morning, she heard a voice which
said to her, she must make this glory known, which she did do to
Domine Nieuwenhuise, who told her he did not know what to say. She had
also mentioned it to others, and to one man who played the part of a
wise man, but who was not a good man. He said to her, "You must not go
any more to church, for you are wise enough, and will become still
wiser. You must not go to the Lord's Supper, for the Lord has said,
'do that until I come,'" and many other such things, in order to
frighten the poor woman. He once came to her house and asked her very
harshly and roughly, why she continued to do so, and in whose hands
she would rather fall, into the hands of God, or the hands of men? She
said, poor woman, in the words of David, "Rather in God's hands." "And
I not," said he; "I would rather fall in the hands of men," and then
went away. This has so sorely disturbed this poor woman that for a
long time she has not known what to do; for not to go to church, and
to leave the Lord's Supper, she could not in her heart consent. We
told her that as regards what had happened to her, many things had
occurred to us, and further, what was serviceable therein, without
however condemning them in her; but that the person who had so spoken
to her was a false teacher, and she must be cautious of him; that for
herself in all these and the like matters she must seek for true
grace, for a new heart and power unto true repentance of life, and for
true humility of soul and renunciation of herself and the world. And
thereupon she left. Her name was Marie. She was a Frenchwoman; and her
husband, a Frenchman, who had also been to us twice. He was the son of
Pierre Jardinier of whom we have before spoken.[374] He had a book
with the title of _Le Grand Heraut_, etc., which he highly esteemed;
but he was a real reformed, of France, as they said. The other person,
who played the wise man, was also a French