[Satan’s Invisible World Contents]
THis is a true Narrative of what happened to her one Night, while some persons were attending her. For what Past other nights I cannot relate, since I want Information. They say, that the Gentleman her Uncle, in the Parish of Gallashiells, came one Sunday after Sermon to the Minister there, Master Wilkie, and told him, that the Devil was at his House, for, said he, there is an odd knocking about the bed where my Niece lyes. Whereupon the Minister went along with him and found it so. She rising from her bed sat down to Supper, and from below, there was such a knocking up, as bred fear to all that were present. This knocking was just under her Chair, where it was not possible for any Mortal to knock up. Supper being ended, they went all to Prayer, and she rising from her place, went and kneeled down in another place, and there also a knocking was heard below her, even during the time of Prayer. When she was put to bed, many Persons attending, she fell into a deep sleep. Then her body was so lifted up, that many strong men were not able to keep it down. Sometimes her body would have made such a motion in the Bed, as if something had been gripping her by the feet, and pulling her up and down. In the mean while, they heard a loud noise scratching upon the Feather-Bed, as with long Nails. And likewise the Minister affirms, that he heard a loud risping at her heart, such as risping Irons make upon Wood or Timber. When she awaked, she told him of many things the Devil had been speaking to her, offering her Gifts and Presents. She was hardly perswaded to pray; nay could not, when even the words were put into her mouth. The Minister desired her to enter into a Personal Covenant with GOD, which he drew up, but finding one composed already to his hand, in that little Treatise, called the Christians Great Interest, he made her subscrive it. When she had done this the Devil perswaded her with many Arguments to break it. This was the Method, the Devil observed ordinarly every Night, during her long trouble.
That same Night about twelve a Clock, the Minister took her Uncle out to his own Garden, to take a turn or two, and began to bear in upon him, the sense of this sore affliction which was upon the Family, and exhorted him to reflect upon his wayes, and consider, if he had done any thing that had provoked the Lord against him, and particularly he charged him with one thing, whereof there was a loud report. He solemnly protested, and that with dreadful imprecations, he was innocent of that particular, which was said of him, and absolutely denyed it. She confest, that she had seen the Devil a in mans likeness, but especially once going to Church, when he forbad her to go and hear Sermon. After much trouble of this kind, and much noise and talking, the young Woman, being but twelve or thirteen years of age, came to Edinburgh, and tarried with a friend there, and from thence she went to Leith, where she served a Mistriss. At last she went to Easter-Didiston (it seems) and married there a Husband with whom she lived some years at the Magdalen-Pans, where she died. I do not hear that ever she was molested after. If all the particulars of this business were truely collected, they would amount, to a far longer Relation, than I have set down.
