ICtbrarg

KINGSTON. ONTARIO

m^i.

■ h

f

■the IMES: I

R,

fful

•5

ful limes.

&

^

E I N G

1 and Im)artial R elation 1

andWOl^DERS.call'dl 3 I GIES,( together with|i /and T'^^f^^g/W Dcfcants^^ lich have' ben feen in the I

^y^RTH, and or \\^ W AT E R S , as % M by very Credib Hafids. Ail which ?' jc compafs of this ft Year 1 6 8 o/ • ^;

itAnnmMWabilnfii 'oyidcrfnlYear, wherein^' ^armr^s to Repenc oiour l»iiis and I^emrnto!^^ /upon us. ^^

W,rt ./ r/»*L*r^, ncitbcLoy^fidsr the Operation of hist

'^

r

^'

'\'k1 Pubililied by I

\

src r^^^s

rTheSIGNSoftheTIMES: |

i OR. _ ^

'Wonderful Sisns^

I

^ OF &

I Wonderful times. !

^ BEING* ^

•^ ?«

I A Faithful Golledion and Impartial Relation^. I offeveral SIGNS and WONDERS, call'd I I properly P R O D I G I ES, (together with| ^ feme Philofofhical and Theological Defcantsl^ I upon them ) which have' been feen in the^

g H Eu4 FE NS, on the S^MTf/, and on the ^'^ yi T £ i? ^ , as'§| § they have been Teflifyed by very CredibJeHaflds. All which J:^- g have hapned within the compafs of this laft Year 1680. ^

^ which may well be called another u^nnus Aiirahilisfix IVonderffil Tear^ wherein ^ g the Lard hath given us loud Warnir^s to Repent of. our Sins and f^etuinto^ S ' hitn^ that he may have Mercy upon us. ^

• i ^^

j ^iVoe to thm that B^gard not tbefyorl^ of the Lord^ neither Confidsr the Operation cf liis}^ i5 Hands, Ifa. 5* li> I^jij* ^9

1 1 -^ I

By C K:,

L O N D O N, Printed for the KmhoT. And PubliHied by § Lariglq Cnrtijs, on Ltid^atc- Hill. 1 6 8 1 . >

1

TO

T'be WorjhiffnlYxdincis Warner^ Efq},

Mongft all my fmall Acquaintance, I have n3t had ih^- Hippjnefs to know perfonallyany perlon of Quality (though undottbtediy, ^Dtne fuch th^re be out of my reachj Jo much convcrlant and lo exquifitely vers'd'm prophetic k^Myttcucs like your relf.and confi. deringThztProdigtei (which ihis poriable pocket-book treat- ^^^^ _ eth upon) are a kind of mure (yet fpeakirig) Prophecies^ 1 made

bold toOidtcafe ir (^uale ^uale efi)to your Worlhip, being experimenrally Aflu- red.That you are a lover ofLearning>and a candid Patron to all Abftrufe Eflays, well knowing that in magnis vAuiJJ'e fit eil^^ DifficiUum,facitis eft venU. Sir,ydur Candour, rprefume, will incline you to pardon me in the whole, in as much as I have been conftrained throughout this whole Work to tread ail in untrcddcn paths, finding none walking in the fame way and Method before me : You wiU find the Labour(ruch as ir is) the more elaborate, in finding but Saered (which are leaft obvious to Exceptions) as well as rivil Paralleh nafrefent Prodigies j and in making (ucfi(rhope; Innocent Defcancs upon them, as the Matter doihrequirt* Sir, I look upon you as one above many for Dilcourfing about theSrgnj of the tnnei : boththeSigns of Z);T/flf ^w^^'^and ofD/i/i»ffF4t>ci«r. Signum ^ Striatum jlmt cyrrelata. Every Sign muft have the t king pgni fie d^no Sign is to dimh^bm it rpeak$ famething which only the spije da underHand^ Hbf. 14. p. 'Twis Daniel only and not the South'f4yeri,Thzt could Read the Handirriting upon the Wall.^nd give a Right Interpretation of it, Dan.s. 8,11. 12, i^, 16. Such as feek to Sorct^rersj deferve no better than a Difappointment, the lowelt fruit oftheir fublime Follv, Noncofthofe Wizards of the world (though they might have Deep Reaches in Humane Affiirts) could give theSenfe of that Divine Orach, that work was reler- ved for a better man than they: Stultorum flena fur.t omnia. Store of fuch Tools (no better than Dufi heaps) are found in every Corner, who either ks-oiv not the mind ofGod'in myftical matters.orSraw/'/ff 4f />. There be too many /ithctUs who do extenuate and Mndervalue all Proi/^/'f/, Heathenifltlyafcribine them to' Dame Nuttre onVi whereby they do dangeroufly Darken the Power and Provi- dence of the Almighty God. but there are not mAny tvife^ t^ife.hearted, and ivif; lu.-r f) Silvation. They aie few that Underftand the Sfgis of the Tiir.es. "Tis Oi] Eled Prodigies are common Thinf^s. therefore cannot be /;»fc/4/ Pre Pages offunireE- vents, or of the End approaching, I Anf. (ij'Tis veryobfervable that the Palmo- ci Hamadabbator Pr;«cf o/Prfdc/jer/ preached upon Prodigies thofe ficnsand wonders which did prefage the Deftrudion o{JernJa!em,zn] of his laft Comniinp occafioned by his Difciples asking [JVhen/^all tbtje things be, and Jl'i^at fign vnU there be v hen thefe thirgs /haU come to paf^Xvike 21.7. Mat. 24 2. cMVlar.ij 4 {^0 Nofoonerhad Chrift prepared them with due Camions concerning themfVlvcs but he declared what was fatisfadory to their curious queftion.(2. j Jhc vi-ry firS Text that C/>rif?J ^p^ftles pteach'd upon (after Cbriil WdS gon- from them,atid the So;r//c^OTf upon them) was concermng Prodigies which the P/ophet ?W foretold God would Ihew in theworld,c/».2.z;rr.3o,C5'c and the Apoftle Peter handled thu Text fo powerfully as to prevail with 3000 Converts at one Sermon, Adl^s; rr ip.4i.ShewinR how Neir Tritament times do iinvjil and Accompiifh the tuj/j Prophecies of the Old. fi ) lis the concurrent Opinion of our beft Prcrrftant Authors,that there be Pome Special J»^/jjo///j'T/wf/ fcali'd Sacramemii & Kf>' racultfcognatanezT a Kin to Sacraments and Miracles) which are more- th>n Na- tt^ral, even of a Divme Ordination, declaring how the Great C,d ftands a^cavd towards poor min, in rcfpcAofhis Favrurot Ar^er : See PolojiiSyntJPtTtJ '/ 6- ca. 48,{Sf S9 & many CU/I;ck Auth-ntick Divines. (4 ) Tislikewifc asconcuniPP n Sennmmt o^Grnt ^/j/?;r;<f«'{bjih Ancient rt;r^Modcrn;:h;t y.odtgi^, d^mof.iy

partcnd the Fucurkionof fome extraordinary Evcf\x&,i%,Heroi{o:tij,&:c.sr\f\Lricait, /- 1, tclleth, how the fad calamities oi'I^nme were prefagcd by many ftrange Prom dfgtci in Heaven^ Earth 3ind Ssa^ fingingor faying.Thjs ■ ■ ■■ I i'uperiqne hUnaces

Pfodigiis terrai implertint tAthcrapoyitum

Jgnoti oh/curavidhura Sydera NoHes,

^rdentemqitetolum flammtSf calojue l^olanteSt

Cbliquas ptr Inane FaceSf 8<:c. AU uhich clofignify, that the whole Fabrick of the Unirerfe had put upon it (by i \he ^wfryGrd) a moft frightful Face and Afped;, and Heavsn, Earth and Sea did aLj confpire together to chaltize the Pride and Luxury ofI(nme at that Time, ani tPI Claudian faithjThat after ftf/irj Vi<5loiy over Pow3/?fy,notonly thcHeavensdrop'd ' tl'.'od, but alio pits and pools flowed with blood, as a prasfage of Capers Siabyinj^^ cum multis aVus,&c. (5.) PJiny, Ai. c.sS, faith, The Heathens were (tartled at the ' Vrodigys of his rime, in fomuch that they had their folemn Sacrifices for Diver. ring'theEvils portended by them; And will not thofeDidatcsof the</;>w //^^6/of Dime Nature in thcfe blind Heathens rife np in Judgment againft our Aa^et^s^ who feoff at all thofe tvonderful (igns fo terrtf)ir,g in themfelves, and fo teftifying God's wrath for Man's fin ? Alas, they had not God's Heifer to plow withail (which we have) yet could they Unriddle thofe Myfteries (call'd tw ^jnyahtix xj •nt mx^rfyyiATv. rS ^z^, Goci's prodigious preachments) better than many of us: I their very natural Religion was a dark Imitation of the true Divine Devotion, j though the Devi!(God's Ape) did impofe upon them therein much Superftition, | If againft this, it be alledged what is faid, Jer, 10. 2,3. Learn rut the vfjy of the Heathen, and be not Dijmiyed at the Siji^ns of Heaven, as they ere^ for thiir Cujicmt are vain. 1 Anfwer (i.) God CaULions his people t/^erf, fgoing Captives into Chalie.t then) that they learn not the vain Aftrology and Idolatry of the CW- i deans in their Country. (2.) That Aftrology which pretendeth to read Fates and Fortunes in the Heavens, afcnbing all to Scars and not to God, is Idolatry^ condemn'd there by Jemny and by Ifatih ch 47: 12.13, ^c. ( 3J J'-remy fpeaks of Natural and ordinary S'j^wj of Heaven which the blind Heathens weredifmay'd ut . ;/)';r^ God while they Df»/9'e/^ them) as if the Iffues of their Affairs depen- ded on them: Wherefore Gods people y^jw/i not be fo : If there were no rvth-'^ Rcafon but that only, Matth: 6. \t. but there be other Extraordinary oigr.o .dreadful Apparitions, whereby God warns his people of fomeenfuing "Wrath, as appeareth from Joel, ChnR and Pfrer,&c . (as above) God doth not forbid us to mind them and to be affecfled with them. Efpecially confidering this is Gods laft way of fpeaking to us, as it was to Phjraohy when God had faid ffiftly to him at firfl, Let myPecp.'e gOy ^c. he hardned his heart, then God fpake n\ore fever ely 10 \\\mhy Stg*is and wonders'. So now,our B4rn(ii'dr5hatli been re jefted, God fends his Bt/infr^?i's and preacheth tons by Prodigies ^ and fuch as are more than Ordinary without a Parallell for this Soo year, and {o attended with fuch concu/Iions ofKingdoms (e'ttPopifhone againft another,C^O which feem to put an Accent on them and though there have been frequent Vrodigies , yet may they be Signs of the laft times, as a Difeafe is a fignof Mortality ,though a Man recover fometimes,yet ceafeth he not to be mortal but riyeth at laft; So thofe figns ^though oft feen) do ruDt ceale to be Signs of the Approaching End r and former Prodigies, might have other Prasfages and figni- ;fications , as thofe in6o,&c; what harh befaln ever fince, fuch as, Phgne, F/rc,5cc.I fpeak to a wife man (skilful in Myfteries) who will judg candidly what is favd by, t;tw^^ /. // c-^'t^c^^

Frew >/Jv Study thj\ • 1 T n 1

1 0 t>/ Mav, T <3 S r , Tours $:j the bejt BOfids^

••'

11' on

ll'nn

U

f

-Mm

. 1^

iT/^^ Signs of the Times:

OR,

Wonderful Signs

O F

Wonderful Times.

Oil R Lord and Saviour hath faid , Except men fee SIGNS And WONDERS^ they vptli not Be- lieve, J'ohn 4. 48. There is a natural Itch in- bred in the nature of all Mankind to fee fome figns and Wonders ; Hence it is , That fuch an univerfal Aptnefs is found in all the Sons and Daughters of Men to behold Rare Shows and llrange Sights,Thus the Peo- ple K^n firth out of all the Region round About CO get a Sight of '^ohn the Baptifl, 04 of a burning andjhtning Light : Matth. 5. 5. & 1 1.7. Luke ^.-^.^^ch, 5. 35. Seeing they had not any one Pro- phet born to them from the Building of the SecondTemple un- til His Birth: Then was [Cathtmaih ChAZ^ori] a Sealing up of Pro- phefy. Van. 1 2.4. 9. No Prophet 'twixt Malachy and J^ohn Bap- ti(l,3/4/.4.5. Mat. 11. 14. with 17. lo.Hencethat Captivity Tfalm^ /'/4/.74.complains, verfe 9. that there was no Prophet amongil them. Hence it is alfo, that we read fo oft in Scripture of ma- ny men (Good as rvtil as Bad) asking alter a Sight of Signs:

Indeed {i) It k an evil and Adultcrom G e Kera:icn[z.i:cQvdmg to Chriil's Charader) that moll:/ff^<r^/;/i/>^ry/^;7/. Matt. 118,30. that is, fo earneflly, if that were not Donejthey were Undone^ : (I.) Thofe carnal Scribes and Pharifees could call for a Sign after fo many Signs.They had been perfonal Ey-witneifes Hew Mighty Chrift was both m Wo^d and Deed (in Docftrjiie and Miracles) before God and all the Ferple^ Luke 14 19. which were

B <--

fortcrsd the Futuridon'oFfome extraordinary E\'em&,ii%,Herodo:tu,&:c.sni\Li/catt, 1. 1, tclleih, how the (ad calamities ofi^flme were prefagcd by mariy ftrange fro- (ifgtcs m Heaven^ Burtb 3ii\d Ssj^ fingingor faying,Thjs ■ ^tipenqtie Minaces

Prodigiis terrof implerttnt tAthern poyitum

Tgnota ob/curaviddrunt Sydera Noiles,

/irdentcmquetolumflammtSf ceeloque yoUntes,

Chit ijti its fcrlnatie Faces y&i.c. All uhichdofignify, ihatthe whole Fabrick of the Univerfe had put upon it fby \he /In'ijyG'.d} a moft frightful Face and Afped;, and Heaven, Earth and Sea did confpire together to cha'tizet the Pride and Luxury ofi^oweat vhat Time, and claudian faith/Fhat after f^/irj Vi*5toiy over Pow/^e^jnotcnly theHeavens drop"d tlrody but alfo pits and pools flowed with blood, as a prasfage of Captrs Stablfinj^, cum multis aliis,e>c. (y)?liny,l.z. csS. faith, The Heathens werettartled at the Vrodigys of his rime, in fomuch that they had their folemn Sacrifices for Diver- ting'theEvils portended by them; And will not thofeDicftatcsof the<//wj light o£ Dime Nature in thcfe blind Heathens rife up in Judgment againft our Atbei^s^ \vho feoff at all thofe -wonderful f>g is fo terrifying in themlelves^ and fo teftifying God's wrarh for Man's fin ? Alas, they had nor God's Heifer to plow withall (which we have) yet could they Unriddle thofe Myfteries (call'd to. (/.iya^nx xj ■ri miv'yfjLATv. rS S^^, God's prodigious preachments) better than many of us: their very natural Religion was a dark Imitation of the true Divine Devotion, though the Devii(God's Ape) did impofe upon them therein muchSuperftition» If againft this, it be alledged what is faid, Jer, lo. 2,5. Learn tut the Xfiy of the Heathen, and be not Dijrmyed at the Si^ns of Heaven, at they arty for thtir Ctijloms Are vain. I Anfwer (i.) God Cautions his people there^ fgoing Captives into Chalde.t then) that they learn not the vain Attrology and Idolatry of theCW- deans in their Country. (2.) That Aftrology which precendeth to read Fates and Fortunes in the Heavens, afcribing all to Scars and not to God, is Idulatrjf, condemn'd there by Jeremy and by Ifaiah ch 47: 12,13, £j'c. ( jj Jeremy fpeaks of Natural and ordinary Sij^wj of Heaven which the blind Heathens were difmay'd ii ?/}';r^ God while they Dfi/zV^ them) as if the Iflues of their Affairs depen- '> n them: Wherefore Gods people y^^jw/i/ n^t be fo -. If there were no Rcafon but that only, Matth: <S. \%. but there be other Extraordinary o:fe..o , dreadful Apparitions, whereby God warns his people of fomeenfuing "Wrath, as appeareth from ya?/, ChrtH and Ptffer,&c . (as above) God doth not forbid us to mind them and to be affected with them. Efpeciaily confidering this is Gods laft way of fpeaking to us, as it was to Phjraohy when God had faid fnfcly to him at firft, Lee my People gOy (^c. he hardned his heart, then God fpake more fever ely to \\\rx\hy Stgr.s and iponders: So now,our B4r«<i^<«rshatk been re jefted, God fends his Bi/^wrr^ej's and preacheth to us by Prodigies ^ and fuch as are more than Ordinary without a Parallell for this 800 year, and fo attended with fuch concu/Tions of Kingdoms/e'nPopidione againft another,G?f) w hich feem to put an Accent on them and though there have been frequent Vrodigies , yet may they be Signs of the laft times, as a Difeafc is a fign of Mortality, though a Man recover fometimes,yet ceafeth he not to be mortal but dyeth atlaft; So thofe figns ^though oft feen) do not cealetobe Signs of the Approaching End r and former Prodigies, might have other Prazfages and figni- .fications , as thofe in<5o,&c; what barh befaln ever fince, fuch as, Plagne, Fnp,5cc. I fpeak to a wife man (skilful in Myfteries) who will judg candidly what 15 favd by, cu<y/-^ /.// .;<.<5Ck.

Frotn int Study tf^il ' * 1 t n r

1 0 3/ Mav, T <5 s r , Tours t:i the bcjt Bonds ^

I'he Signs of the Times:

O R ,

Wonderful Signs

O F

Won

OU R Lord and Saviour hath faid , Except mtn fe^ SIGNS And WONDERS^ tky rv'ill not Be- lieve, ^ohn 4. 48. There is a natural Itch in- bred in the nature of all Mankind to fee fome figns and Wonders ; Hcnce it is , That fuch an univerfal Aptnefs is found in all the Sons and Daughters of Men to behold Rare Shows and {Irange Sights,Thus the Peo- ple R^n firth our of all the Region round about to get a Sight of John the Baptifl, a^ of a burning andfhining Light : Matth. 5.5. & 1 1.7. Luke ;.7. & ^oh. 5.35. Seeing they had not any one Pro- phet born to them from the Building of the SecondTemple un- til His Birth: Then was [Cathimaih Chazoyi'] a Sealing up of Pro- phefy, Dan. 1 2.4. 9. Ko Prophet 'twixt Malachy and ^ohn Bsl^- tifl-,i\/4/.4. 5. Mat. 1 1 . 14. with 1 7. 1 o.Hence that Captivity Ffalm, JP/;j/.74.complains, verfe 9. that there was no Prophet amongil them. Hence it is alfo, that we read lo oft in Scripture of ma- ny men (Good as rvcU as Ba^) asking aitcr a Sight of Signs:

Indeed {i) It is an evil and Adulter oti-s G e ncr a' ten' 2s:CQidmg to Chrill's Charader) that mod /ffi-f//;^// ^ry?f;7/, Matt, 218,30. that is, fo earneftly, if that were not Doncjthey wt?re Un Jonc^ : (I.) Thofe carnal Scribes and Pharifecs could call for a Sign after fo many SIgns.They had been perfon^i Ey-witneifcs How Mighty Chrift was both in W^^/-^ and Deed (in Dccftrine and ^Vix'3iz\cs) before God an ^ all the Per fie, Luke 14 19. which wore B A

Wonderful Signs

fomany hifalUbk Proofs, Ad. i. 3. that he was the Me/Tiah : yet thefe were but SIGNS on Earth, they would not believe in him, unlefs he could ihew them a SIGlSi from Heaven, and Doe as Mofes, S^irmel at:d tlij,ih had done : for .vofes cali'd for Manna, Samuel for Rain, ana eI jah for Fire, All from Heav'n, &f. Joh}t^.l^. & 6.50, Chrift (hew'd them many 5/7«j, Jo. '20.30. and wrought many Wonden (which no power but that which is Divine could work, J^ohn 9. 31. ; '5 ) both beyond the Courfc of Nature , and above the Power of Art, yet (as the Saying is) they could not fee Wood for Trees. No,thcy muil havefuch Signs as were Ihownand fcen upon Mount Si- nai^Exod. 19.16,19. Such Thunders and Lightnings though they had their Bath-Kol , the Daughter of a Voice (which was, as they fay, the only Oracle abiding with the Second Tem- ple) and fuch a Voice of God (as Thunder is called, pfal. 29 5, to 10) they had from Heaven, fohff la. 19, 30. Therefore Chrift checks and chides them for requiring fuch Signs as would rather affright thefe Hypocrites than i^firu^t them. They (hould have been contented with his Dodrine and Mi- racks which did fufficiently demonftate a Divine Power , and though the Thunder-Ciaps at the Giving of the Law upon Mount SwAi were molt fuitable to the Rigour of that Difpen- fation,yet his Miracles of A4er€^ .{cow^rmin^his Do&ine) were more fuitable to SI ON, and to the Grace of the Gofpel. Therefore irent chrifi ahout Doin<r Good to many by his Mira- cles, ^^.10.38. but never (which is very remarkable) Do- ing Hurt to Any by them. As mod other Wonder- Workers Did, for his Name was JESUS a Saviour, not Abaddon) [A bad one] or ^poI/yon, a Deflroyer. In all this thofe wicked Hypocrites were wittingly, willingly and wilfully blind, and who fo blind as they that will not fee.

(II, )Anothcr Time Came the Supcrltitious Pharifcesileaving behind them the Supercilious Scnbes) and confpir'd with the Irreligious S adduces to tempt Chrift by a^ktng a S I G iV, Matt. i6, I, &c. Thofe two Seds were dea'dly Enemies each to the

other

Of pyonJerfitl Times , 3

other , yet can they here combine as loving Friends for con- fronting of CHRIST. The two Good Sticks (Ifracl and Juda) became one in the hand of God, Ezeck. 37.19 but rhofe tw© Bad Sticks (the Phartfees and Sadduces^ became one in the hand of the Devil, notonely as Herod ^n^ PiUte did, Luk. 2;. 12. but ahb as the Fopifli I'riefts and Jefuites, the Monks and Fry-. ars (AJl which be at deadly Diiference amongfl themfelves iti as much as they do notorioufiy difparage and befpatter one another) yet as titrod and PtUte co\i\<i joyn hands againll CHRIST,fo thofe Miicreants can allconfpire againft Vroteftants: Thus Dogs though they be fighting never fo hercely and tear- ing one another, yet if an Hare run by, they can give over, and all run after her, Accordingly thofe two forts, though of Heterogeneous Principles, could be enough Homogeneous toAfTauItChrift with their cavelling Interrogatories, wherein their putid Hypocrify(courting him at thefirll,and calling him Mafier, whom before they had branded with that black name of Selzebub) appeared, defiring him to [hew them a SIGN. Th^m by all means, as more worfliipful men than the Multitude, e'n fuch as might well feem to merit fuch a fignal and fingular Fa- vour. They mult by all means be the only Men to whom the McflTiah muft fhew a Sign from Heaven ^ fuch as .^cfuah (hewed in commanding the Sun to flandflill; fuch s.s ifai^ih iliew'd in caufing the Sun to run Retrogade ten Degrees, or fuch as Samuel {hewcdin calhng forThunder and Rain in Harveft,&c. or rather fuchas Mofcs fliew'd in Commanding the Corn of Hea- ven to come down for daily bread to Ifrael, John 6.9 1.5 2. and if the MefTiah would do fo much for them, none, they pre- tended^ ihould be more willing to own him : yet, all this while, thty intended Malice and Mifchiefagainflhim, contem- ning his Miracles on Earth as if done by Magick Art, &c.

HI. Herod alfo was of no better Bran than thofe, who Dc fired to fee Jeftfsfor along tim% that he mi^htfhetv hi?n fome fign^ Luke 25.8. Such as would recreate his Eyes and his Mind in behold- ing, for helook'd apon our Jord iis no better than a Com-

B 2 men

4 Wonderful Sign^:

mon Juggler, that would undoubtedly (to ingratiate himfcff with the King) (liew to him the very beft Trick in his Budget. Thus that Fox would gladly have been.gratiiied, but he was Hotorioufly deceived;, inafmuch as Chrill was not fo profufe of his Divine power as to put it for til at the plcafure of bad raeji, mearly tofarisfie their vain Curiofity.

But (Il.)vve do not. only find (upon Scripture Record jwicked men.Defirous.to fee Signs,, but even Godly men alfo, as (i.) Mofes^E^od.^. I.. who had Experience of his Brethrens rejc- > d:ing him, and thruflinghim from them, Exod. a. 14. A6t. 7. a7. and fo they might Do again, It he had not fomething to ihew what might well warrant his Extraordinary Cail : there- fore, lie faith. They will not believe me^ &c. that is^ I dare not Vfenture upon a bare Divine Call and CommilTion, unlefs fome Divine figns be flievv'd me for my farther Confirmation : Here- upon God condefcends. to gratify him wjtii the Two firll: mi- raculous Signs ;, Thus., in thefirft Sign 'tis obfcrvable, That the turning ofMoJes Rod into a Serpent, was- a manifeft Difclai- ming of any Power borrowed from the Devil,in all thofe won- ders which he was-to work with that Rod, for that Sign did demonftrare Mofes power over the Devil or Se, pin\(his exprefs Type) and exercis'd againil him in handling him (though not without fame Fear at firft) through a- ftrengthned Faith at hisPleafure:. jWofes, indeed^ took this Serpent or Crocodile by the Tail only, 'Tw^s the Work of the MESSIAH to break the Serpents Head : In. this firll Miraculous fign, the ROD /Iiew'dthe flourifliing State of Ifrael while foffpb was- Lord of the Land of iEgypt, and fo held the Rod or Scepter for their Comfort, but its Turning into a Serpent (or Dragon) did plain- ly portend the AfflidcdEflate of that Church, when I'haraoh that Z)r^^c;; , Ezek. 29. 3. ) with the Subtlety of the Old Serpent mofl grievoufly opprelTed Ifrael; and yet this Serpent rnull be turn'd back again into a /?o^, to Agnify that the arili»5l- cd Eflate of the Church fliould be turn'd into a fiourilhing E- ilate ugain by the Minillry ofMofcs (more glorious than that of

OflVonderpil Times'. 5

^ofeph) who was cailed /a>^ in Jcfurum, Deut. 33'.), (a Title above that of ^^/^/>/^) and who was commanded to taksths Serper/t by the Taii\ Exod.4. 4. which was ciircadial to be donc^ becaufe of the Innate Antipathy and probable Danger of the Sting, yet Faith fortifies Mo fa's Heart againft his J'car of this formidable Creature, and carricshim tlirough the Difficulty of this Duty ; he doth as God bids him, and had no Dammage thereby, but the Serpent was turnd into a Rod again :

Moreover (2.) for Humbling.iV/^/(f;f and helping him to know That this miraculous Sign was not wrought by the Power of his own hand, therefore was his hand .made a Leprous one; to Jhew, That fuch great Wonders could not be wrought by fo unclean a Hand, without the Helpof a better and greater Hand than his own : and yet the AccomplifliLment of this Second Sign was a f:rthcr Confirmation ofMofes's Faith,th?it Leprous hand of his {as white as Smw) oiuft be return d to its Katural ruddy Complexion again, Mcfcs found the Lcprofy in his Eo- fom, and there aifo he imm-cdiately left it : This was to ffgni- fy to him, That the fore Eftate of the Church ihould prcfent- iy be curedj the Time.of Her Healing now was at Hand, tho ihc hiid Uifi long, amorjf tie Pots {2,t\d {6 were not only as poor dc- fpis'd Lepers covered ovci with a white Lcprofy, but -all blak- ned and befmutch'd in the Bofom of ^gypt their Houfc of Bondage)' yet God would reftore her agani to a Sound Eilate and ^tve her Wn^fs (f Sdvsr^ :ix\d Feathers of Telhtv GoL/, Pfal.\ 68. 15- Thus the moft high God doth vouchfafc to (loop fo low to the meannefs of Man, as to gixc Mofm fign upon fign, as he had done bcibrc to him, Exo ;,:?. m. Giving him then a Double Coufirmation (j.) That of the n."r:iif?^ b-'-IJ), for tli*? prefcnt : (i.) That o£SnvJ^^ Go J at Horth for tlic future. Tiic like Favour the Lord likewife vouchfafeth to us by giving us- a frec^uent AdminiHration of the Lords Supper,' whereby lie doth Seal and Seal again the Confirmation of our faith in the (Xiecdir}g g;-.- cat and prtcio.w^ Promi(ts cf ChrtP, 2 Pct. i, 4. God ftid to, Mofts, Such as will };oi'H:ar th; rist:: cf the ^-'^ "^i^f?

I;

^ Wonder fid Signs

tky rvill hdkvc t^e Voice cf (he Litter fig}\ Exod. 4. ?. Lehol HAOih^ the voice of the Sign, plainly impoiteth That every of God's Signs hath a Voice, and therefore the Pfalniifl faith, That they have not only a Voice, but Words alfo. [^Dibre oth- ethiiu ] he lliew'd the Words of his Signs, So 'tis in the Hebr. Pfal. 105. 17. They fpeak not to oiir Eyes only, but to our Ears alfo. Thus doth Sacramental Signs, Tliey have a Voice, SiS AbcCs Blood is faid to have, Gen. j^. 10. Hebr. 11.^. which yet fped'eth^ How much more the Blood of Chrift, which ffeak-^ €th better things th.in the Blood of .^^f/,Hebr. 12. 14. The fign Iiath a Voice in it (as Exod. 4. 10. Ezek. 1.18. c^Job, 4. 16. God Annexing his Word with his Sign that it may be the bet- ter heard and undcrflood) becaufe it (as it were) fpeaketh that to the Eye, which words do to the Eear ; and on the contra- ry that which is plainly declared to the Ear, is fometimes re- prefented as if It were aded, and exhibited to the Eye, GaL 5.1. Thus the Adminillratiom of the Lords Supper is a lively

. Refembiance of Chrift crucified upon the Crofs ; and thus the flung Ifraelites were heald by looking upon the Brazen Serpent advanced upon the Pole, Num. ii.S. Twasbut Look and live then, and, ushiii Look and live no^^ John 5. 16. Astheythat look'd upon their Sores, and not upon the Sign, Dyed for it. So, they that fix their Eyes upon their Sins, and not upon

' their Saviour, do Defpair, and Dye : and, as they that look'd upon the Sign though but with one Eye, though but with a fquint Eye, or but with half an Eye, they were prefently hea- led. So, thofe tlmt look up to Chrift, though WeAk in Faith^

^ yet Faithful in Weaknef^ are fure to be faved, Ifa. 45.11. Look Mnto me Alt the Bads of the Far th^ and be Saved., as the Moon when flie looks mofl fully in a dired line upon the Sun, then is fhe in the Full,and moil fully inlightned : This is the great Duty Required, to lo.k vpcft a Crttctfied Saviour^ Zcch. ii. 10. and Salvation (in the Extent of it) is in the former Scripture propounded as the Grand Wages of that work and Duty and that Uuiverfally to all Right lopkcrs both Jews and Gen- tiles. The

Of Wonderful Timer. j

The fccond Jnftance of a godly man (defirous to fee Signs ) is Gideon; as Mo(ts was the firji\ both of them reckoned among God^ Renowned Worthies. Hch. 1 1. zo. 31. This Gideon though but weak in Faith, yet was faithful in weaknefs, and therefore is he dignified with a Room in that Court-Roll, of the moft radi- ant Starrs in Scripture Horizon, yet his Faith though true, be- ing weak, required fome Supporters, hence he faith [ then flnw me a S gri [ Judg. 6. 1 7. This Sign Gideon fought not, as that Adulterous and Evil Generation (the Pharifes, &c.) did, out of Curiofity and Incredulity,but (as ^foJes before him, &c.) for far- ther Confirmation of his Faith, concerning his call to fo great a Work, whereby hemightbefatisfied that it was God (and not man or Devil) that called him : A good Caufe, a good Call, and a good Confcience, will make a good Courage, and all are nc- i^ cellary to a Captain or Soldier. Efpecially ihe Lord looked upon to, as well liking his fpeech. -y, 14. vouchfafes him aSign^ V. II. fignifving, that the MidiiVniies fiiould be Deflroyed with- out mans labour, feeing Fire came out of the Rock (as before Water had done, £.v^/. 17. 7, ) without any humane help to confume the Sacrifice ; therefore did Oidton cvtdi an Altar to- the Lord, who had thus conf rmcd him (not only by theft Signs, I'. 17. but by two other Signs, ^'. 56. ;7.) and thus com- forted him againft his dcfpondencics, and called the name of his k\i2Lr[^'pebo'Vjh ShaLm'] the Lord of Peace, v. 2;. 24. Othat this Infcription were upon all our Hearts, as a. Jheif. ^. iG. The Lord of Peace give us Vea.ce alivays iyall means^ this would anfwcr all Doubts, and advance Faith above Fbar, The fig ii of the Fleece, Gideon defircd to be doubled, not outof //;tT^^/v- lity to tempt God,but out of Hnmilit) to be fupported under the fence of his own weaknefs and unfuirablcnefs to fo great an lin- dertaking,again{l which he found marvelous Relief,inthe dou- ble Wonder oitliQ. Fleece, which intimated two things to Iiim. I. Concerning ifraei i.Concerning Midi.tv. (i.) As xo ijrael', that was reprcfented by theFleeqe, being fometimes wet with the Dewof Heaven, and fometimes dry., (i.) As to Midiar, tliey

had

8 Wonderful Signs

had Fleeced Ifrael of all their good things, and puU'd all the Wooll from off their backs, as the Shearer {m that Fleece) had don to the poor Shecp,turning him naked out of doors into the open Fields; but now Grdior.{mx.h. the Lords help) fliould fleece Midim : the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon ihould do as much for them, as they had done' for j(rAe!, pay them home in their own Coyn, and requite them to the full, after tlie Law of -retaliation : hereby Gideons Faith, weak at firil, did gradually grow flrong by thofc confirming Signs ; fo comes he in as a Candidate in that Apoflolical Catalogue, ne^ 11.51. Araongft the higheft Favourites in the Court of Heaven : Befides thofc two Godly Men ( Mojes and Gideon , that defireJi confirming Signs) there be many others, to whom God vouchfafed Signs, though unde fired : as, the Tree of Life to ^^dam^ Gen. j. ai. The Hre of God to AbrAhxm^ Gen. 15. 17. The budding of the Rod to Airon^ Num. 17. 5. The Sun ftanding flill to ^ojhfta^^ Jo/h. 10. I ;. And its running back to Hez,diah. a. Kings. 10. ^, 9. Fiery Tongues to the A po files. Ads a. 5, 4- A Draught of Fifh to Peter, John, z 1. 6. A Star to the three Wife men,Mat. 3.. a. 9. Dumbnefs 10 ZecharUh, Luke i. 10. and many other Signs to Behevers, Mark 16. 1 7, 1 8 , 10.

Yet fometimes we find God forcing Signs, even upon wick« cd men, as upon that branded one Ahaz, Ifai. 7. 10. 11. 11. 14. &c. Though thiif fvoj King jhaz, wicked with an accent, even he fhall fee, that while he was under the power of a ma- licious Devil, yet hath he to do with a moft gracious God, who "by a wonderful condefecnfion will needs give him a Sign ,• 'tis sn unheard of vouchfafcmcnttovouchfafe a Sign to fuch a no- torious Unbeliever, this is more than Chrift would do to the PhdrifeeF, whom he calls a baftardly Brood, for defiring a Sign, as before. M4tt. i a. 39. \^Ask a Sign either in the Depth, &c.] F^erei Was a fair oi?cr to a moft foul Sinner, he might have had a fight; of Heaven or of Hell for a Sign, yet inftead of an humble and thankful asking, he fordidlyanfwered(tantamont) lie ask no

askings, I.'ic try no Signs, I Know a trick worth two of that, I'lc

fend

Of IVondciful Times. q

fend to the^Aifyriafts fo help my fejf, God may keep hi\ Signs to himfelf, I crave no fuchcourtefy at his hands, &c. "JDid e- ver any branded Behahi]; or black-mouthed Bedlam fpeak NXorfe to God than he in all this : no wonder if Gcd fet a black bnnd upon him, faying, t/.'/sjs t'^nt Ahaz, i. C^nn. 28. zi. Yet ni\t- ^ withdandingali this ingratit-ude and prGvocation,God (of hinV fclf) 'Tfive jjrael a S/gr^Jfs.. •] 14. A /Inguirir Sign,a Signboth irom above and from beneath, inafmuch as this Imm.mud, hon\ of a Virgin, did joynpure Heaven and bafe Earth together, i\\ bis two Natures. Again, thofc Signs which the Scripture men- tions are manifold ; as, i. Such as be meerly Natural,6'(';«.i.i4. a. Prscternatural, befide the power of Nature in her ordinary produdion, fuch are Prodigies in Heaven and Monflcrs on Earth, (!^r. 5. Supernatural, which are either Divine (fuch as were the Miracles God wrought by the Prophets and Apofllcs) ot Diabolic dl^'aiSiht Lf:ng Wonders. Deut. 15. 2.3. 2. TheiT 7.9. and Rev. 13. i;. As there be Natural Signs, fo there bclnflituted Signs,to \^ it,the Sacraments which are czWdSi'^ns p and 5f*i/jof the Covenant, Rem. 4. 11. Moreover the Signs God ' frjcws to men, are either ordinary or extraordinary , commnma aut Ifjfolita Stgna: Except we fee (not common, but) nmlual fi,^n?, ry>€ will not bd.eve. John. 4. 48. We have a frequent fight of Na- tural Signs, and of Artificial Signs, the former hanging in the Heavens, cxpofed to open view, the latter hanging over every Houfc(almoll)in this greatCity,yea and fuch figns as be fignifi- cant, indeed fome Signs are /ignihcant, ex primAria intentione in- , /?>/.Y^;j/;.f, purpofely and primarily Inflitutcd to fignify fdme-' thing,, whether the Inflitutor be God or Man. . God \% the on- ly Inftitutorof allfignificant flgns in Sacred things,' as hclnflp'' tuted the two Sacraments under the Law, and the two Sacra- ments under the Gofpcl; other /Ignificani: Signs or Ceremoni- es, which arc only mans Infiitution r^/y^'^ffirr c.'meimothe mi-id'} if God, Jer. 7. 31." Nor oni of the M^ulffof Ced, Dear. 4. i;'2?>',' ought juftly to be exploded All Divine Worfhif muft have /)V- •^' vine Warrant, and Divine InP.itinions may not be mingled with'

C ' Htt-

I o Wonderful Sigrrs

Humane Inventions: This is to Plow in Gods Field, with an Ox md an Afs,and to fow therein mingled Seeds (even Tares as weVas wheats) and to woriliip the Lord in a Linfy-Woolfy Gar- ment, Beut. ai. 9. 10. 1 1. There be alfo flgnificant figns in C/- 1/7 and common things (as well as ^^frf^^) whofe proper and primary end in the purpolc of their Inftitutor (man) is to /ignify fomething, as the Signs at every Boor in the City^ and at every Inn in the Country^ and the Efcucheons at Great mens Houfes: And there be other 5';^;??, which be fignificant only by confe- quenceand fecondarily, not eflentialJy and from xht pnmvj purpofe of their Inftitiitors, Thus Steeples and Pods &c. may iignify by their iiiadows what time of the day it is, which is not the proper and peculiar purpofe for which they are made, or ufe of rhem, as is of Clocks! and Dials, 'tis a fecrtfi^ary ufe only.

But toinfifl only upon extraordinary Sgns and Wonders (cal^ l^dfigna in(olfta unufuai Marvels) according to my prefent De- fign : confider, that as their Erds fo their Kindt are various^ I. Their Ends are from their Author and Original) manifold ; as, I. They are intentionally defigned, by the great and fole Wonder-working God, for the confirming of that Truth, once delivered to the Saints,^ Jude 5. Mark 16. 17. 18. io. and Hebr. 1. 4. Thofe extraordinary Signs, are well called, the Swadling-bands of the Infant Church, therefore was ihc princi- pally Viv^nx^z^ and Fortified with Miracles, always and only while and when fhe was young, tender, and needed fome corro- boration :, Tis true, there were fome fprinklings of Miracles upon, other emergent occafions, &c. But the main body of themi were wrought firil by Mo^es and 'Jojlmah ; Mojes was thtfirft and n<vo gtver of the Laiv^ then the church in the Wilder nefs (fo called ^/?. 7. ^S-") was but a weak Infant, fo needed thofe Si^ns and Wonder t^ which Mojes wrought, both in tAL^yf^t A^.y. ;6. and in Vhe Wildcrnefs, pf. 105.39. 4^ 4^- ^^^^ ^"7- to 58 Yet none were wrought after ihe got into Canaan, though jo(l>Hah did in conveying them thithei;, a. By lUiah and F lijha ^who were the

two

Of W onderfui Times. ft

two new Riflorers of the Ldw , (which amounts almoflto a Giver of it, fo tantamont a Law-girer) then the Church was newly Born again, and fo llood m need of a fecond fwadhng^by many more Miracles, after her Recovery from her worfe Kelaps m AhAsXm^.^C. ;. By Chytf and his /Ifoflle^, who were both new Givers and Rcftorers of the Gofpel inafmuch as the Gof- pel was preached in Paradice, (7f;j. ^ 15.) Then did the Eo- d:rine of the Goff el by diverfe Miracles, as by the Wings of the Wind, fly abroad and was divulged at firfl all the World over; and 'tis very remarkable, though fahn Baptifl camein thcfpirit and powerof fZ/yM-^, yet did this Tjpe do no Miracles^ as the Ami type did, f,k/> lo. 41. lead he fliould be miflaken" for the Meffiah, Luke 3 .1 5. who was to do many^ John 7. 51.- and 1 1 . 47. Yet '^john was a hnrning and a fhlning L'lghn , John 5, 55. burning in himfelf andy7;.'«>;«' to others, he Thundrcd in his Dodrine, and Lightned in bis Life without Miracles, there- fore was he fo much admired, as agreat Reformer in a moft De- formed Age. Chrift and his Apoltlcs were all Wonder- work- fecured by it while it is tender, and 'tis oft watered, but crs , which was as an Hedge to a young Plant, that is when once growji up, the Hedge is removed, and the watering left off. Hence we fay to the Romanifts,That all the Miracles of the New Teflament, arc ours of the Reformed Religion, in- afmuch as they all did Demonflrate the fame Dodrine, which we do defend, We need no new Miracle, to conform an old Truth that hath been before fo confirmed : He that now rcqui- reth a Miracle, is therefore himfelf a Miracle. The Eilablilh- mcnt of our prefent Reformation is and will be that great Mira- cle, which we are in thefe times to look for : 'tis that wonder- ful Work which -former Ages did dcfpair of, iheprcfcnt Admiretli, and the /«///r^ will fland ania2ed at : concerning the f-yi^^p^ Wen- ders the Rom ilh Church fo much boalls oi, I have difcovcred the fallacy of them at large, in my Difeovtj.y'.cf the per (on and pe- ■riedofAntichriH from pAo^e^%.xo 5>. to whicli I refer thcReader, •^ The Second End of Extraordinary Signs ard Wonders is for

C a Awakg*

1-2 Wonderful Signs

Awakning a clroufy, fiuggiih and fecure World, which will not know the Signs of the Tiines, Matt 1 6. ;. yea, and for Roufing up the Slumbring Virgins of the Church, both the Wife and the Foolifh, As the Midnight Cry did. Matt. 15. 2, 5. 6. This is certainly the great End why the great Wonder work-ng God worketh Wonders and ilieweth fignsfach as are Extraordinary and Univerfally aftonilhihg, to Alarm,as with thcfe Trumpets, both Saints and Sinners, that none might be furprized , He therefore doth molt gracioudy found his Trumpet in and by them, . that his Judgments may not come as a Thief in the IsJight upon ,us, asjie'hath oft foretold us, Matth. 24. 44. iThefT. 5.5. Revel.^.';." and 16.' 15. The Thief gives no Warning, but comes unexpedlcdly : So doth not a Gracious God who giveth Warning, for which Charles the Great bleileth" God £br Rebuking his Sluggiihnefs out of his Tender Mercy by thqfc his Signs, as a Blazing Star, &c. As I lliew in my little Book of this late. Comet, pag. 22. 'Tis undoubtedly moftdear £>tv/rfe Clmenci to give timely Warnings of Approaching Judg- ments, for, Humane Calamity lYiQiworc [udder/ ^ the more^i^/t- i-^?/^; it is, as (i.)Tt.«w.'/es/orDaunts,)and Ex.mmMes a man, aa^ the fudden ^torm doth the Marriner, and as the Devil de- fign'd/tf^'s MefTengcrs fliould do him, in coming, one at the Heels of another, fo unexpectedly upon him. 2. It furprifes him at unawares, he ftands not upoji liis Guard, fo can no; niO"re prevent it, than unwcildly Eglon^ could Ehud's deadly vlirciift.

As -'igns and Wonders are Various, 1 • In their £»^/, ^Q, 2. In \\\Q\t Kinds ;as, i, There are MirJCuU ^TMirandj. Many things aice^/^^/>^f«/4, much marvelled at^, as exceeding, the common Courfe ofprovidcnce which yet are not. Ex naiura Rei, Mird- (hU, ofthe proper Nature of Miracles. The Jatter exceed etli'. the Pov/er of all created Agents, but the former doth not fo, A trae and proper Miracle is the Stopping orAltering the com- 31^011 Courfe- of Nature, and 'tis a produciiig of fome fuch ^f- R£^s ^s do iraiiXcend Natures Law, Power, an^ Capacity ; 'tis

MX-

OflVoJidcrfid Tijnef. i :^

indeed, an Extraordinary operation cf the AJniighty Creator in Kature, either without the Interpodtion and Concurrence of Second Caui'es, or Above tHeir natural Capacity: In a word, 'tis the prcdudtion of Something out of Nothing, ether as to Matter 01 as 10 Manner oi produdion , fo that the Almighty can only work true Miracles either in himfelf or in his Ser- vants impour'd by him.2. There are w/>^ ecu /w/r^/W/, marvelous Works and Wonders, i. of God's Working, and i of the De- vil's, who is Gods Ape hcreSn, and who by his Impreflion,, which, through his Angelical Nature, he is able to ni;ike up- on matter , can do wonderful things to cheat the blind worlds as he did PhavAoh and the ^Egyptians by his Vailals the Sorcerers. But he cannot work fuch a Wonder as is a Miracle. The Lending Power will never accomniodate the Borrowing . party with fuch a Power as maybe prejiidicial to ins own ho- ly and glorious Berign. The only wife Creator will never gra- tify his Creatures, nay the worfr of his Creauires,- fuch are all Sorcerers) for any fuch end as either to obf.radt his WOilK, or to cheat the World Hereupon duHin^ de Unit ate Fcc.'tf.cap.iG. faith excellently , That the pretended- Miracles of his time were cilh^z fiomcnta mtndac;um Honnnnir^ ant '^ ortcntJL jalUcium SfiYUunm^ either the Forgeries of lying Men, or the. Portents ; of Deceitful Devils : for a true Miracle is the work of an In- finite Power, whether primarily or Sccoiuiarily performed -• and hence Davd faith, That God Ohl-j doth wo;7dr,»s 'ihim^s^ \\. 1%, I 8. Indeed God (bnu lines ufeth men as moral Indruments., but never as natural Caufes in working Wonders, which fur- pafs the Power of Nature. Hence alfo N.huch.idnez.z,!ir^ wIkii God drove him from men by his owa Courtiers and fub;eds,and fo had tam'd him, and taken him a loop or link lovver, by ma- king'him graze among the Beads, himfelf becomes a Catho- lick Preacher to the VVorld ; publickly proclaiming the Great God to be the only KviiYxOz oi Si^ns and Wonders \ Ti « the Lord only that Ihaveih them, And they are ail His, with an Em- phufls, and n©t only So, but they are [Rab Kabbinl c>eAt^

MAT*y^

14 yyondcrpd Siguf

Manj, zwd. Mjgfjff(;€»t^ as the wordfignincs, Dm. 4. 2, 3. n, 34,37. Mark how he cnlargeth upon this point again and again, and he calls Code's great Ads towards iiim, (in his Ex- puhlon from his Throne ) i. SIGNS, as they did fignify Gods Wifdom, Power and Juflice to him; and 1. VVONDE^IS, as worthy to be Wondred at by him, when yet in the Kigh- cft Ruffe of his Pride and Profperity, iliould havs both a Vifi- on and Execution of his Downial from the Higheft Pinacle of Jiis Arch Triumphant : Mark, Nebuchjiin. hereupon celebrates God's Kingdom only, had Dlivii handled this, he had added (as in his Htllcd Gadol, or great Gratulatory Pfalm, the i ;6.) He doth often, His Mercy C'.dureth for ev:r^ which is the foot and burthen of the whole Song, not as an idle tautbiogie, or vain 'RepUitiof\ but as a mofl notable intimation of the Saints mnfatisfiablenefs in praifmg GOD, for his never- failing mercy, his Covenant-mercy, his fpecial mercy m CHRIST (who was the mofl fignal Sign, ija. 7. 14.) in and by whom God only worketh wondrous things. Pj. "Ji- 17. 18. Where David blef- feth God, for all the forementioned Benefits by the Lord Chrift, of whom his Son SoL msn was but a Type : hereof NebnchAd- nczAr was Ignorant, However 'tis admirable, he could go thus far, as to acknowledge the Lord Jehovah to be the true and wonder-working-God, whereby he tellified his Repentance in his admiring (as in a Rapture) the mighty and matchlcfs pow- er of God, he was conflrained to give God the Glory of all his wonderous Works , hence fonie think he was truly and throughly Converted here, feeing he falls {q kindly under the mighty hand of God, whereby (as he penitently acknowlcdg- cthj thofegreat'^/^//j and i^'W^r/, were wrought concerning him, that fuch a mighty Monarch (as he was) (hould be chafed from his Kingdom, yea and from among men, and live among brute Beafls, feeding upon Grafs as they fed (who had former- ly fed on the choiccft fare, the chicfeft Gates and Dclicatcs x^ the World) and that for 7 long years, yea deprived of his Hu- mane Undcrdanding all this time (oh that the proudeft Poten- tates

Of Wonderful Times. l^

tates of tJie World, would well ponder this wondo^ful Work) and yet after ail this,be reflored to his right J ntelU finals^ and to his Rojal Di^mijf. How well doth he flile them Go^s great Stgm: a:dWondirs for ]vho but God can look ufo>7 th:pyo:id ,ind bring th-.ni low. Job 40. II, II, 13, God did abate his rridc,and abafe his Power, to bring him to Repentance 'i ,« etoi'iiu^AA'-oyiJ.c' God hath a mofl powerful Eye, both f©r Everfion as here, and for Convcr- (ion as Litk. tz. 61. and here (probably) alfo. The Avhole work being a fupernatural change (both forward and backward, out- ward and inward) and every circumfiance (occafion, manner, degree and time, &c.) fecming no lefs then a new Creation.

Again ;ly. The Wonders of Gods Working are cidicr Or- dinarjot ExtrAordjyjary. a. Ordinjiry, God of ten lliews himfelF maximum in minimis, the greateft Aruft in ih^fmalejl matters,nou only in thxit miraculous plague oiLice (made of the Dud) upon, the Land of JE^ypt, which fo fainted under thefc poor Vermin, (armed with thcpower of God) tliat they were forced to cry out. This ij the ^cry Fmzer of GOD, Exod. 5. 17, 18, 19. where- in 'tis very Admirable to obferve how this Ad: of Omnipotent tency in fuch bafe and vile Creatures, as are Dud ana Lice, confounded the Impoflure and Power cf Jannes and Jambrcs,. a Tim. 5, 8, 9. yea, and of the Devil their MaflcrJ yet the Great God. was highly honored thereby, for, 'tis £;id> blithe duf oft^eLiind was made Lice by Afcfes, ver. 17. then the Magi- cians had no matter left them to try their Diabolical Arf-t upon,, unlcfs they could create Duff, and fuppofe they had fome Duft left them for an Experiment , yet, though they flretch'd out their hands v.ith Rods, and did their utmoll Endeavours, They ceuld not, verf. 1.8. 'i hey could neither Create Duft where there was none , nor, where there was feme, convert it into Lice; Kcither could thcfe Magicians fave their own Skins, &c.

Thus it plainly Appeareth, That the power and Providence of God extcndeth even to the lowed and vileft things in the Creation, and that God can, after a Miraculou? manner, foil the Greateft power cither of Men or Devils therewith at his

Plcafure

i6

Wo7ihrfiil Signs

ricalure. And this is Gods {licwinghimfclfthc grcatell Ope- i-ator in the lead of his Operations, and not only, I fay, in ex- traordinary, but alfo even in ordinary Cafes : Indeed the '-> r.iwrc;' , (he eternA Power and God he. d i's manifeft and know- able in the whole Creation, yea in the Dccimo-Sexto's as well as in the Great I o'io's thereof: Every Creature hath Aiqind Dei dqne ^w alqmd N:hib\ Something of God in it as well as fomething of Kothing; otherwife it could not be faid to be created out of Nothing by theCrcator, and many times we Ad- mire that there fliould be more of Art and Ad:ivity4in aDwarf, Bee or Ant, than in a Giant, or Elephant, moft great Souls arc Sometimes couch'd in mofl little Bodies. Amd the truth is,Truc ^md real Wonders arc God's daily work (upon which Account they may be called Ordinary) as I (hew i\\ my Crown of a Chri- itian, upon that Book with Three leaves(the Creation of God) "Viz. Heaven , Earth OT Se<i, Pfal. 155.6. There be Wonders without mmber in all thofe Three, Job 9.10. Siieh as the Wifefl may well wonder at, and more obfcrvable than cither the moll are aware of, or affeded with : 'Tis manifeft. That 'Jehovah is the true and only Thaumaturgus, the great and ordinary Wonder-worker : To omit the Wonders oi the Creation (for which fee Pfalm 136, 4, 5,6, 7. and my little Book aforefaid upon Meditation, pag. 1 15. to 145. and give but a Specimen, or fmall Scantling of them : (i.) 'Tis a Wonder to be won- dired at. How the B^nes^^row in her thxt is with chiLd.Ecclcf.ii.'), Solomon himfclf, who was Natures Secretary, wonders at this ? .and fo did David before him, Pfalm. 159.14. 2. The double Motion of the Lungs, call'd Syftole and Diafiole, A\Hlof the ^(pulfc in mans Body,is a Wonder which that Famous Phy/lcian [calen, tho an Heathen, was fo amazed with, that he would needs offer Sacrifices to that God whom he knew not, who yet as he fuppofed jnuft be the Original of that Wonder, 5 . The Strength of the Nether Chap is a Wonder, whereof no man .could ever give a Sufficient. Natural Reafon. Nor 4. of the Heat jin the Stomach for Digcflion , of all Meats in Stic-

cum-

Of Wonderpil limes. 1 7 ^

curn & Sanguinem. into juice and Blood in a little time. Kor, 5. Of the various Colours in the Rain- bow: Nor, ^. of the ilux and R6flux of the Se-j : Nor, 7. of the Magnctick Vir- ^tues of the Lod^J florae; to let pafs many others, that are Wotidirs all, though ordinary : No nor 8 of this common cafe, that C/75/ihould befor<7/^, as to keep Sr.ow (hid within it) from melting and yet fo warm as to hallen the Ripning of Apples which are cover d with it. Gods rvonders are rvithoiit Numbn^ But 2. Inflances more. The 9th wonder is, God's iumin^ ivater into Wine , as his Daily V/orK 'Tis true, this is called, The Beginning of chnp M.raclei, Joh. 1. 11. and 'twas a mighty Miracle, yea better than that of JW<?/V.<, for, the Giver of the Law turnd Water into S.'ocd, but the Giver of the Gofpel tum'd Water tr.to Wr/jc ; the former could not be drank without danger of dying, the latter was delightful to Drink, and Jileart-Reviving: yet this Wonder of turning water intoVVinc, 'fs'~a daily work with God, as /iuguftin excellently obferveth, ^nafmuch as the Rain mater which falls upon the Root of the Vine and nouridieth the Tree, Doth in time turn into the Grape, The Juice, Blood or Wine is originally Water. In the loth and lad place, Augujlin excellently alfo makcth Gods multiplying a grain of Or;;, fown in the Earth, to 50, 60, or 100 Corns, a more miraculous wonder than Chrifts multiply- ing the few Loves to feed 5000 pcrfons: his words are,w r-i///- cr efl Grant in Terra multipltcatio^quiim lUa qumque farmm ^ Trad. 24. in Joh. 6. 9, 10, II. yet was that miracle of the 5 Joaves^^ exceeding marvelous, Tnafmuch as the Loaves, by a llrange kind of Ajithmetick, were Multiplied by Divjfion, as they were diflributed among the Multitude, and an Addition to them was made by Suhjlra^ion: As each perfon had his piece fub- traded from the Loaves, yet were they augmented thereby ♦. Notwithftanding all this That Reverend Hther prefers the common Experience of every Husband-man,thc multiplying of one grain, as a greater wonder :

Thus, fomcthing ?nay be known of God in the whole Greati- . on, Rom. 1. 19, and much more in Divine Providence, God

D never

1 8 Wonderful Signs

ncYttleavej ljim[clf without Wit nefs^ A[ls 14.17. ycc, Udveshe sUmen without excufi^^,:f^^,^.:,r'r^. without any Apology, Kom^ 1 . 10. for though natural light is not available to bring faJn< Man into the Favour of God, yet it is fufficient to convince him of Moral wickcdnefs both againft God and Man : oh then what pity it is, that Chrift (liould flill fay , Te will not btlteve^ except je fee Signs and Wonders^ whereas men live in the very midft of many fuch like Signs and wonders (as are the afore- faid : d^r. yet, they come not up to fo much as amounts to an Old Teflament Faith , of Believing tn GOD . (though a New Teftament Faith is requifitc alfo, as Chrift faith, Te believe m Cjcd^ ydieve alfo in Me , John 14 i. ) but are Intoxicated with Atheifm, and live according to their Luds, as if they were all become Drfi^z/s lools, which fay in their Hearty There is no Cod^ though they Daily fee God fufEciently fealing up his General Goodncfs to Man, in doing him Good ^ro vilfu & amiifu^ be- llowing upon him Daily Bread and Daily Cloathing,

a. Belides thofc Ordinary, God hath alfc his Exunaordina- ry Wonders: The 7* /^'j«/«a n >.« ^ the very great a«d- Won^ derful Works of GOD, A^ i. 11. for,, though the Great GOD doth limit Nature to her Common. Produds^ yet wilL he never limit himfelf, hniW II Do whatever plenfeth him, Pfal. IH. %- without either the Help or the Hindi-ancc of any. ^yhether it be ^'firaclfi or Marvels, or Ordtnanarj occurrences ; As to the iirft of thofe, Ihavefpokc io largely already, and: ihall only add, that there were never any Miracles (otrtVeight,. MfAjure a/idNumbef (forGodds faid to do all things a"'"-^^'*^ men- fur a & Nurnrr^) oqual to thofe in the time of theGofpcl : none of thofc either ^r/tr^ or under the Law^ can be parraleFd with thofe undcrthc Gofpcl,. upon; allthofe three accounts, they are not like them for weight,, meafurc and.numkr , It may eafily be Demonftrated how far Law-Miracles come fticrt of Goffcl vJ<</>dr/e/, in all thefe refpecfis, Tolnftance only in tliat. one, aforenamed iMoics indeed turned Water into Blo'jd. but the MeJJt- mtgf,ted.:rarer:}7it^JVm,^nd,hoyv^.muchihc latter exceeds and

ex-

u/ Av onderpil Timeir. t^

txcels the former, is obvious to ercry ordinary undcrAandirig, inafmuch as the former was made fefttfertus tht latter falutf/e- < rous Drink : therefore the captious and carnal Jews were excee- dingly irrationaI,in r^jedingthofc Miracles the Mfffldh wrought amongfl: them, and requeuing feme fuch as Mofes h^d wrought for their Forefathers (as giving them Mannd from Heaven, crc.) Seeing thofe of the Mtffiah did far furmount thofe of M0[es both in quuLtj and qudntitj and in fonder ofiij^ Inafmuch as that Marine Mofcs gave their Forefathers melted, Dutrified, bred Worms, and perifhedinthcuflng, but the MtfJiM gave himfelfthe true Bread from Heaven, to feed them up to Everlafting Life, his <y^n Flejh for them to eat, and hit own Bleodiot them to Drink, a Meat and Drink that muft laft (without putrifying) fo long as the World doth laft, Mann a was but the 7jfe , which is al- ways the UJfer^ Chrift is the Arttityf(^ which is always the great- er and better; If our Saviour fay of himfclf, that hcis gredter /A/;» Solomon, MdUh. i%. 41. Wc may likewrfe fay of him, he is^redter and hetter thdn Manna. Moreover, that which more aggravated the Jews Contempt oichrifis perfon and his Mira- cles, is^ that their knowledge of ^<3/<ri*s Miracles they had upon Credit only,thcy received it by Tradition from their Fore- fathers : But as to the Miracles of our Bleifed Meffldh^ they re- ceived them not by Hear-fay , but were pcrfonal Eye- witnelTes of them, therefore doth the Apoftlc Pefer, make his Solemn Appeal to their own Knowledge and Confciences. t^^. i. 12. So that he leaves them no liberty of doubting, for C H R IS T was by fo many manifeft Demo nftrat ions /^/'/r<?'y^<i <?/ G O D (to be his grand Embaflador to the World) and fliould therefore be alfo dffrevedcfmin, efpecially ofthofe men who could fay [Hifce oculu ejus miracuU Vidimus] we have feen with our very Eyes, the wonderful Works which he wrought, and which ne- ver any Man before him did Work, ^ohn 9. ; i. No not Afofes whom they called their Maftcr, fo that even the very Stran- gers in ferufalem did know thdt chnfl xvds mij^hty in V^'erd and Deed (as wclldfMoks lCf.'j,M.)hth bef$rt God and before all thePeof/e^in,

D a whofr

1Q Wonderful Signs

whofe very prefence Chrifl wrought his Miracles. Luke 14. 1 8 . 19. for he did nothing tn a corner^ as Ai^. i6. i6. but before mul- titudes of Spedators and Eye-witnelTes thereof. As to the third, to wit , Ord/nary Occnrrenccj which Cometh to pafs commonly and ufually by the forver of Nature ( and often by the dexterity of Art is not my defigned Sub edin this ihorc Difcourfe, though there be whole bundles of Wonders, even ia the common courfeof i\r4f«r4/(if not Artificial) produdiions, as I have hiflanced in ten particulars aforementioned, which at this time may be fuffi ient. As to the [econd^ to wit. Marvels (which are certain middle things, betwixt Miracles s^ndord m- n Occurrences) ihoCe Sire the principal matter intended to be Difcuded in this litrle Treatife (which though it belittle in its Bulk) yet Treatethupon tlic^reat thi/j^s ofGOD. 'Tis aTheo- logical Maxim, th^idnMncreated liberty is an Attribute of the Divine EfTence, and this being I^fHite, (as well as Incrcated) cannot be limitted by any of its objeds, but Ads freely and out of his meer good pleafure, and not out of any nece/Tity of Nature. Pf iiS- 3- Dan. j^.. 25. ^er. i^. 5.andxS. ^. &c. Hereupon the Great God , being 2i Free Agent m^y fometimcs ftep out of his common Road, and ordinary courfc of Provi- dence, and io work beyond the reach o{ Nature, and above the skill of Art, to the producing of not only A'firacles as above) but alfo Marvels or Wonders. Thus God is Defcribed to be one thai doth ^"fat things andunfea^chable^jea rriArvelous th.vp with^ out mimher. Job 5.9. Thus Eliphaz here fpake the Truth, con- cerning the wonderful IV/fdom and Almighty Pomr o{ God, ^nd Job himfelf doth readily fet his Seal to that great Truth , Joh 9-. 10. He is a God Glonous in Holtnef^ , fearful m Vrafcs, and aoing Wonders, Exod. 15. 11. 'Tis amoft (lately Defcription of God, cryingwho is like thee, and David crycs 2i\[o il'h'>, is a Cod like cur [rre^t Go^, a God that dtth Wonders. Pf. -]!. i ?. 14- Sua mirabilia fant omnimodo memorabilia, F/e m.ikah his rnarvc- /t.vr Works, jll ivorthy to he rememhred. Pf. iii 4

In Sacred Scripture, we f^nd M.raclcs and /rarvtls or Won- ders

Of Wonderful Timef.

2 1

ders, arc promifcuoufly taken for each other, yet are they not convertible Terms : Ali MtracUs are indeed Marvels, but \y cz uer\a ] on the other hand all Marvels are not Miraeles '. there is this difference [Ex f^rte Ret ] betwixt them^ Miracles do exceed the power of Created Agents, but Marvels do not fo, yet are they extraordinary Produd:ions of Divine Providence, over- ruhng Natural Agents : God isfaid to work three ways : i/. •^ jvw according to Nature : 2/y. -^l^- ^^^^v befides Na- ture : 3/y uV.f ;ii^f' above Nature ; but never Casfome fay) .'ir? z^nv diredly againft Nature : The ordinary products of Pro- vidence, ^nQ according to Nature: Extraordinary Miracles are above Nature : and extraordinary Marvels are only kfide Nj. lure; but fliould the Great God put forth his power againft Nature, Nature would be deftroyed, and the Dedrudion of Nature would be the Dcflrudion of the World, for it is as a" round chain confiding of many links all linked one to another") and if one of thofe links be loofed, the whole chain falls in pie- ces and becomes ufelefs : As to thofe Marvels or Wcndfrs, which are befide Nature ( the prefent Subjed of my Difcourfe.) A right underflanding may be had hereof, in this manner ,• We muftfuppofe the God of Nature is above Nature, fo can over- rule it at his pleafure : No N.iiural Agents can poflibly A6t without the leave o{ Supernatural Providence. The Fire cannot burn (as in the Cafe of the 5///^, Exod. 5, i. and of the three Nobles of ^^^y/^;?, Dan. 3. iS.) nor can the [^/z/^r drown (as in the Cafe of the Red-Sea and o£j:ordcir.) without (as Philofo- phy phrafcth it) a Divine concur je : God is the pr/mt/s rnotir^ and his Providence is the primum mobile of all Created thincrs' and have their Dependency upon their Creator (both as to'^ - tng and as to cotton and as to all things^ hCt i-. 1^. ^ s.- and no created being can make any morion, mere thnn the Iq Jcr Wheels can move m a Cioik ct '"f'&tch^ wirljoat rl^e JmpvJilon of the greater Wheels thcjcof: yet f'iU wcn-i-Lifl Know, when tliis Great Creator workerii any Atarvcls Cycn or Mirac'cs)' j-c {.ill ho'dcth Nature ar a ^e:^ LrFerch^in lusi-.aruf cdv.l draws his

L S

own

^^ '^yyonderpl bigns

own Models or Platforms (cither Ordinary or E^ictmrdUdry) ac- cording to his own pleafiirc, yea *tis all one with GOD whc- ur^^^ ^'*^^ ''^ ^^ without it, by a power that is Almghty. Allfufficient (of it felf ) and infinitely Superior to it, for he is under no obliging hece/Tity of being confined to ufc mture as his Pen or Pern;!, Though this general Difcourfe hath (beyond my expcdation) fwoln much upon my Hand, yet have I all along )udged it neccflary to fay all that 1 have fiid, for a fuller ^xpLcaiion of my prefent Subjcd (which ought to be diftiniftly dilcourfed) before any .^ppltcdthn can be made thereof: there- fore to avoid any farther prolixity, I ihall (for brevity fake) confine my felf to three Heads, ift. The Sorts. 1.7. The Sce/te;. ^Ij. The Si'^mficittons of thofe marvelous Si^ns znd t^ondtrs. Sec. 1. Of the Sorts or Kinds of them : u Philofo- phy telleth us of tliree forts of St^ns : 1 ft. Such as are memora- tive (called i^^^uiju^ ) which rccalleth fomething that is///? , to prefent remembrance, as the Rsin- sow is a ftanding Sign and Monument of the pad Flood, and as that flatcly and lofty Pil> lar. lately Ere<5lcd m^hZoadon-BridgeM a Monument (fo called) of the late dreadful burning of London, ily. Such Si^ns as ^Q Demtnfirattve (cAlkdyy'^eArfi*) which do fhcw fomething thai is prefent, as Smoak doth Demonftratc fomc Fire to be V prefent. and the Bufh, that Wine is then and there to be fold, and fuch like, as are Ordmaj ; and fo thofe Signs Extraordinury^ which accompanied the primitive Believers : Mark 16. 17. 10. did all fignify Gods prefence co-working with them, working wonderful Works, both in Preachers and Hearers, &c. ^ly. Such Sifns as are PrediBive (call'd ^esyy^^'^^^ ) which prcfa- gcth orforellieweth fomething that is Fttture, and will come to pafs. as rednefs of the Sky, at the Evening, betokens a fair day approaching ,♦ but in the morning the fame is a Si^n of Rain or Wind, JU/at. i6, 3. This is proved and approved, by Univcr- fal Experience, the probable Reafon whereof in the courfc of Nature, may be this, the Setting-Sun carries ofF thofe red Clouds all along with it, 4)Ut of our Horizon, into the other

He-

:i!a

Of Wonderful Times. rj

Hcmifpherc, and there difperfcth them, either to a Coofumpti- on or to a Rainy day unto our Antipodes , but the Rifing Sun, carries the Red Clouds up aloft along with it, in'o our Meridi- an, and then diflblvcs them into Wind or Rain ; not unlike to this, is that PrognoftickMonaftick of the Poet, horn the vari- ous colour of the Firmament.

Curuleus fluvids, JDenuntM Ignttu lures. A watery Sky fore- telleth Rain, and a red fiery Sky forcfignifics high, boiltcrous and tempeftuous Winds. Thcfe (and fuch like) are call'd na- tural and ordinary Prognofticks, and not at all unlawful in thcix own nature, for CHRIST did .not reprove the Phanfcs and Sad- duces (in Matt. i6. 5. 4.) for t'eir being wcathcr-wifc (though it belonged not to their Profcflion) and for their difcerning the Fkce of the Sky, concerning fair and foul Seafons, to the more aptly ordering their fecuIar»OecafiGns, he did not blame them for this diffolutely h\xt comparatively only ^hccpitcthcy could be fo skilful in the Book oi Nitnre^ yet were fo unskilful in the hook oi ScnptkTc ;. faying, certainly, you Leaders of the Peo- ple cannot be igflorant- what the Scripture teftiiies, that the MfJlpah ihall make the Deaf to Hear, the Dumb to Speak, tht Dead to Livc,.^f . Such [ ftgrtd infignta ] Wonders hath been wrought by me, as never were fcen or heard of, and ye your felvcs cannot but acknowledg it, Johnii,j^-j. Bcfides, the Teftimonicsi. ofAngels. 1. Of the Star. 3. Of the Dove, 4. Of my Father^ 5. Offohn Bdpfift, 6. Of the very De- vils. Yea Tly. Of the Multitude, yet cannot ycc Difcem the Si^ns of the rimes. Yee muft all therefore be (faith our Lord) cither a fort of fordid forry Sots, or deep Diflemblers and Hy- perbolical Hypocrites, or both, in feemingfo critifall to enquire after the /iy#j/;, fo cunous to f«arch after the Truth, which: yee arc neither C4r<'/«/ /<> i'wflw , not confctencieus to obey, \ct\ there be other Signs, which arc) b cfides thofc :Na turd and Or - dinarj^ cycnpreternstuAal ^nd extraordinary, wliich are progno- flicks alfo of future thiiigs. Neither is it Unlawful, tonafs a; Gcacral Judgment, tho a Particular wfthout a Special GHu

may^

^ 4 Pf'onderful Signs

nwhs) upon them, as will be made more Diflindly manifeft in the ^iptylicanan of the whole. Again, Thofe prognoftick or prefciging SIGISS are Reduc'd to Three Heads, They are ei- tJicr I. O'r.ens , or i. Mor^ficrs, or ;. Prodigies. As to the I. to Omit all the On:ens obfcrved by the Superflitious in a way of Divination, as, Sneezings, Valentines, Humbling upon the Threihold in the Morning at firfl: going our, ftepping over the Thrciliold with the left leg firft, or knocking the Knees or Lcggs one againft another, even to a Fall, &c. The Su- perilition whereof I hare Demonflrated inmyAntidote againd Popcry, pag, 14, loj 8. , However pr:eams appear to be om- n us either for, Good or for Evil, or for both, not only out of the Plaronick, Stoick and Pythagorean Philofophers, but ajfo out of the Scriptures as in 7'/^^/rW/s, young Si'muel.^ Daniels ^ ^nd J^ofepb's Dreams, there was an C;??^;? in them all : now. They are dthe^ !.LiNJ4^vr<i/,and fuchare very Deceitful,EccIef. 5. 7. So not to be Ivegarded unlcfs, for fuch and fuch Ends, as Fhavq mentioned in my ■X^'eacfj-ry of the Heart\ pag. 91. i. Dia^ b'dical fuch as (fome fup'pofes ) Pilate's Wives was, whereby the Devil might endeavour to hinder the Wcfk of our Redem- ption 5, Divine Dreams, which fometimc be doubled, and fo do jiiakea deep impre/Ilon,as^hat of Fharaoh,&c. Gen.^i.i,^.&c. Thus 'tis faid, God came to ^^jhjmelech in a Drean?, Gen. 10. 5. This was frequent under all the Old Teflament, and at the beginning of the New : but now fince God has fpoke his Will, in his Word, to us by his Son, Hebr. i, i. 1. We mufl not now expect any fscw Kcvelatibn about, any DivineTruth from God \n Dreams: yet polhbly God niay communicate fome Infor- mation about Humane Events to his Godly Servants by Breams : Jnflance Mohica's Dream concerning her Son Au^ujim while he Wis a Mamcke, That her Son ilipuy return to the true Faith of his Mother, . which i]ie conllrucd^as' a good Omen , and ac-- cordingly the Lord heard her Prayers and Tears for him, and caufed him to return : There be fundry others in Ec-clefiafli- cai Hiilory which I pafs-by,and pitch only upon blefTcd Parens .

Dream, J,

Of IVonderfulTimes. 25

Dream, related by his Son rkilip writing his Fathers Life, as a Preface to his Comments. Saying this, / dreamed w the year 1618. (The very year of a great Comets appearing,") that J (au> all Hildebcrg in a thick Smoak^ bttt the Princes Paliacc all on a light fire : Hereupon I Prdjed, oh tvoJI merciful GOD ! divert f rem us this moll fad Omrn, andfave thy Sarepta from th^fe DefaUtions by the E- nemy^ hoth mthm and without. Thus the Good man dreamM,and thus he pray*d, but the Decree was gon forth, and Hiortly af- ter executed acccording to his Dream. Yet this is a moil certain Truth, That all Dreams are not fignificant, much lefs have any thing Divine in them : Therefore 'tis not only Fol- ly but iniquity alfo to put fuch an Univerfal Strefs upon them, as if God al way es warn us in and by them concerning future Events : This is not only Vain Curiofity.to fearch^into Secrets, but alfo a Sjnful Superftition.

The Second Predictive Sign are Monjlers, fo called a monftrdK- ho^ becaufe they do premonftrate fome future Events, though it be not every ones part to aflign them in particular ; as be- fore the Dcftrudion of Jerufa.'cm, a Cow did bring forth a Lamb ; the Deflrudion of the City was prefagM by it,crf. Phi- lofophcrs telleth us, That there are no Moi^flcrs properly among i lants, but only among Animals, and among them, 'Tis not barely Excefs, as in Gyants, or Defed of Quantity, as in Pygmeci) that make a Monfier : but when the Animal doth fo much vary from the Right Difpofition of its own Kind, as to make it either Horrible or Mifcrablc , then 'tis a Monfier. Thofe Animals arc Monflers,that have two Heads and but one Heart, which is the Fountain of Life : this makes but one Animal, yet Monflrous ; but. If there be two hearts as well as Two Heads, This make 2 Monllrous Animals, for iw fuch 'tis obferved, when the one fleeps, the other can wake, when the one laughs, the other can weep, when the one Dyeth, the other may over- live, 2iS Buchanan cMtiytih^ Rcr. Scot- lib.;. Some, indeed, do make thofe excefTes and Defeds of Nature Cmcntioaed, Lev. 11. 17, to 13.) monflrous marks of Difgrace,

E as

q6^ Wonderful Signr

^s ifNamre had Set her black Brand 02"" Difgrace upon them , and as if thofe monllrous Deformities of c>he uody did Demon- llrate the likeDefe(3:s and Deformities in the Sotd: 'Tis true, concerning thofe that are crook'd-back'd(\vhich is one of thofe brands of ISamre mentioned in Lcvit. ai.) Hmarch faith, They do [Nemcp/f proprtam parurt'] carry upon their Backs tJjeir owa Deflinies , and lo, indeed , our crook-back'd Richard did, &c. But the Tendcrnefs of God in the LeviticaJ Law, towards fuch^ is very obfervable, that tho none fuch muft be admitted to of^ fcr up fire- offerings to the Lord, led 'hc^ IhonU pol/ute Go^s San^ <^-*<;rv,. both as they were to be Types of a Comely Chrifl, Pf7 45.5 and Cant. 5.10. &c. and**as they lliould be better than their Sacrifices, which were to have no bjemilh, Levir. ii. ao. The Offerer muft be no moie blemilhed than the Offering, yet might thc^ edt the Bread of their G^^. Lcvir, 2-2. 22.. which lliews us. That our inv itntary weaknefJes' fhall notDebarr us of the Seals and Benefits ofChrift: Bat the other Priefls for Voluntary Uncleanncfs w/?re Dcpriv'd of tlia« Priviledgc which the Deformed ones (wherein they were nor biamabJe) had AdmifTion unto, Levit, 22. 3. yea further, Thd Scripture teiJeth uSy Tliat Halting facoh was true heartcd,tluc Blear eyed Z^/^^ was both fruitful and faithful, Stammering Mofes was the meekeft man upon Earth, and MephihofJ^^th tho

^jhc was/.jwf, yet was he loyal, &c. as if the God. of Nature Uid commonly compenfate awd Rccompence all the Defeds of

n{\Q Bodj^ with a better and more bleffed SurplulTage in the ShL : But to pafs-by all the Defed:s in Nature, and Speak only of the Ext;(f, .which Philofophy phancyeth caniK)tmake a Manfler, Seeing 'tis no more than the Highcft Vigour of Na- ture, wherein fhe cxertcth licr utmoft iirength for producing; of Gfa»ts^ yet thofe prodigious mighty men , tlic Scripture mentions, Gen; 6. 4. Numb.i 5. 28, 9;. Deut. i 18. and ^f. u, Amos- 2.9,. &c. were probably Mdnfiers , being both monllrous in their Manners, and in their Mightinefs : Some as tall asi . Oaks and Cedars, Amos 2. 9 and one of thsm, I'iz. o^^ was fo

foa/Ty, that a Bed of wood was not flrong enough to bear the 1

_. yaaJ

OfV/onderful Timef. ^

Vafl Weight of Lis overgrown Body in turning himfelf upoti it, but he muft have a Bed-flead of Iron, and that too, that it might be a^ a juft Proportion to his Bulky Body, mult be fif- teen foot, that is, five yards eight Inches Jong and fevcn foot broad, D^ut. ;. ii. yea fo great fome of them were, that the Greatnefs of the great -God himfelf is afcribcd to them, com- pare Numb, i;. 55. with Ifai 40. ii. where other men were faidto ^^ as Grafl?opppers, poor,Jow, contemptibJe things in com- parifon of thofe Morftrous Gyantj^ as well .is in comparifon of the Mtrhfy God,

So that Theology (more noble than Philofophy) doubteth not to call that Race of Rephaims Monftcrs , fuch as ^reat Goli- 4ih^ who could not only bear and wear Weapons which (at the leafl) weighed above two hundred pounds weight, and walk " with them, but he was able to weild them and 10 War with them. r. Sam. 17. 4, 5, 6, 7. Oh what a prodigious Mnnfier was this W4;7, Arm'd Cap-a-pee, and/;?/;^/;?^ in the Field like a whole wa/kh^ Armory. However that Gyant (call'd [i/h midda^"] a man of mighty meafore) having twenty j cur Fingers andTces. 2. Sam. 21. 20. i.Chron. 10. 25. may well enough be dee- med a MonHer among men, yet notwithftanding thofe two mighty Monflers aforenamed went into the Field like Thunder and Lightning (defying the God of l^rul) they went off (both of them) like footy fmoak, and ftinking Snufl' : Now the God of Nature never fent any of thcfe mighty Monfiers into the World, in thofe ancient times, but it was to pnnwKftrate that much Rapine, Violence, Arbitrary OpprefTion and Tyranny fliould be perpetrated by them amongfl: men, as Nimrod ^ that mt^hty ane or Gyant (according to the Greek) th^t^f apt: fire, or Grand Rebel (asHebr. ^mrrd figniRcs) and that firft Babcl- builder, was a crafty and cruel Hunter (not fo much of Bcafls as) of mcn,whom he facrificed to hisLuftsJie was the firft whu (after theHood)fet up anArbitrary and Violent Domination o- verMcn (purfuing thofe that would not fubmit to his Tyran- niCiilYoakj with r.o more pitty than Hunters llic-iV to Bcaiis,

El which

f

3s ifNanirc and asil I

ilr .r. .1..

r braiuls <

£),.. ... i^ ....

»svcryi

'*'*-''•, both as 45.; '■•'' riKfr

riic C)

Of.

Vafl Weight of bis OTCTtro*- ir but iicrouft haTciHc:

teenibot, thativnvc} '- broad, Dc«t.;.n. yci i Greatncfs of the great OoJ^

parclslumb. i;. ;v with ^ •

parifono/ thofc A/*''/'; of the A/i>-^'» ^#'^.

So that Theology {amx iiof recall tbatKacc of Rcftai- 4^, whocoulil DOC only K-l .v kail) weighed aboTcnrofcrx--- with them, bu'-'^ -m4||^ them ' <'' ^

f

and^r^rf/ Godis. vi. confuteth tlirec itoicks that bind

cv,as if God could and oblige him :

that God (called eaven at his own ffairs of this Jow-

hafice and fortune :

erncd in the great- with the leaft of

rmall matters.

Ill's ofall thofc three

x'fohn 5. 17. and he

[ndmder no Conftramt

Ip im or/./>.<^frhim,e-

ulet,and making them

as 'jjorjh's Daughter

Pharoah's King-

^ ^x iu Stages or Thca-

VrA both his Ordinary

d Sea^the great

28 Wonderful Sigtu

which they Hunt for their Pot or Spit : Hereupon Tyranny- is in Scripture alluded to Hunting. y^er.i€. 1 6. Lam. ^. i8 Mariners in magnitude prove moitly Monflers in manners too, this Ntmrod who \y^s a Rebel to God his Superior (as his name flgnifies) was alfo a Tjrmt to Men that were his Inferiour.f^ havcing a Beffith/e not a Genuine greatnefs : and though our prefent Times doth not produce iiich litter al Monshrs^ as the ancient Times did, yet (God knows) we have too many myfli- ^-.i/and moral MoKJiers^ both Infer ionrs who become Monjlers m /ni(]uity^ (none [nch Sinmrs and matchlefs among men) and Supe- rhur sv^ho become Men flers w Tyranny^ grinding the Faces of thcif poor people,both thofe forts of Monllers do premonflrate the Judgments of God againft them, they arc link't together : but above all, the greateft Monfter^ that this day affbrdcth is that Behemoth, that Beaft of Beafls, the /,nttchrft who may wellbecall'da i^rc;?/?'^ (according to the I hilofophers definiti- on of it ) A Monfier (faith he) ejt fece^tum nasune, &c. A Tranf- greffion of Is ature, wherein flrange Members in the Body, and Strange qualities in the Mind, are produced and expofecl to o- pen view: how well this doth [^.juadrare] and accordeth with the Komifli Bead, appearethby confidering two Scriptures. Dart. 7. 7. and Revel. 1%. ^. &c.) 1 ''. Daniels 4th. Beaft (which was the Roman Power (is not likened to any certain Beaft (as the other th ree aforementioned are) becaufe no particular Beaft (amongft the moft favage the World bringeth forth) can be named fo cruel and fo monftrous as to exprefs the Cruelty and Mon- ilroufnefs of that fourth Monarchy, no not, although it were /ff^?«ji A m ui 07- <£•« A «4<«i'7«Aji> Q ; / aj ^s H. W(r faith,a Lion before, a Dragon behind, and in the midft a Chimera : *tis therefore a rjameltfs Mor/fier^ made up of all the curfed properties of the forcnamcd Beaft s: This i^fw/Hs faid to be diver je from all the Beafls, not only for its monflrous*cjHalities jn tie mind (having all and more of all the other Beaft s) but alfo for its monfirous ^wtm- bers in the Bodj\ Defcribed by D/iniel^ and aly. by john. Revel. I ; . 1 . 2.11. Having 7 Heads (to Pkt with) and i o ffcrm (tota

pa

Of Wonderfhl Times. 1 9

fujh with) the Feet of a Bear, and the ^'fcuth cf a Ljon, Himjdf like a Lecpard^ ^Vid.l}iQ Br agon giving hm Power ^ as ii all Mon- Urous Immanity were met together in him ; This is the W4^ of Sw, and the mighty Monflir of prefent times,which dcth plain- ly premonfi rate, nothing can be exped^ed but Barbarous and Savage Out-rages, until chnjt (our true Hercules) ccme to cut off all the Hfads of this Ler^ean Monfler, and his Carpenters com? to favv oiTallhis Horns. This is that A'v'Z, ^. Chron, 2?, 12. This is that Nimrod (or Rebel againfl Chrifl, even Ant;- chnff) of our Day, zhztwighty Hrtmer (even of the Lives and Souls of men) before the Lord, who dare Hunt thus , in fpight of an All-feeing God, who beholdeth all his bold, boiflerous and brutilh Huntings, Ezod. 3. 7. This is that myfiiry of /w- ^ttity, and mother of Ha? lots, that has made fo many Kings of the Earth drunk, with the Intoxicating Cup, of her (b th of cor- poral and fpiritual) Fornications. I have fometimes wondrcd why Sir tdx9<rdCook (thatlkenous Lawyer and Lord judge) ufed to call Royal "Prerogative, a mighty Mor>fler, and I cannot tell how to put a founder fcnfe ^n it, than by Interpreting his Words thus; Th^ii Popery in all Kings and Kingdoms brings forth Tyranny^ ^^ yJ-<<" x-'of^y-i yj. ^p &> ■■ Evil Bird, Evil Egg, as is the Mother fo is the Daughter ; This Monflrous B".^(i brings forth moft Monllrous Bhths : no doubt but there is a juft Prerogative Cwell butted and bounded) belonging to Kings, yet may it be faid of it, as Katuralifls fay of the Dragon [ ferpen^ ferpentes iq. randofi Drart ] as when an overgrown Serpent hath devoured other Serpents, that are lefler and below him, thereby he be- corns a Dragon. So when Royal Prerogative hath fwallowcd both Priv;led7e of Parliaments and Liberty or Property of Suhjecis^ then doth it Degenerate into a yr Anntc.il Monjler^ and this is evident in ■ opilh Kingdoms, where the King is called a Km- of A([es, their Subjcds being as fo many Vaffals, Peafants, and fil- ly AfTes, t arntly con chi-g down u^ider every fytirdcn that an unlimi- ted Prerogative Impofcth on them : As that Crea-ure is com- monly Reputed a //^(^/fr wherein the common Rules of ISa-

tute

2 0 Wonderful Signs

ture (which never intendethanymonftrous thing) arc prevari- cated : fo this Prerogatinjc ( that Sage Judge ib Styleth ) may ".veil be accounted a /Uionfltr^ when there is any notorious pre- varication from tJie known Fundamental Laws of the Land there y, when all Law becomes fwaliowed up with an Abfo- •Jute and Arbitrary Domination, and when no rule is obferved therein, but Stc VqIo fie fuheo.fi. it pro rat tone voiurfta<. And quod libct ^ licet which are the Propofals of Popifli Farafites to PopiQi Frinces, Thus one xio^fiet begets and brings forth another in its owii Monllrous likenefs. The beaftly ReHgion of that Monllroas Bcall of ySd:?»^ , both begets and brings forth Mon- llrous Tyranny, changing Dne^rero-rative into a true Aionfier. God Almighty blefs this poor Land from all fuch Prerogativc- MonOers, which have fo long infcfled E'lrcfe : Though Ajfrici Ijath been ahvays accounted famous for affording mo^*M.cn- ficrr^ according to that old Adage [ Africa [empsr diqutd nov't feu C^ronfiya -^ffert] and I find this Story in Record, That in .ifrica near Nilus were found a few Mice, only one half made up. Na- ture was there taken in the very Kick; ho^w ihe was prevented from perfecting her Work 1 know not, yet this (faith my Au- thor) I know, ilie had wrought Life in the foreparts thereof (Head and Brcaft' but the hinder parts flill remainedunform'd, unquickncd,llill abiding in \he faihion of a little lump otEarth, and fo ilie kit them ,• but by the Prcmifes it appeareth that Europe as Well as Africa aboundeth with Monflers , and net fo much with monfirous ^iiceivhich marr the La>^d,^s i. Sam. 6.5, Or as / ///n writes, with fuch Mice which drove out the Inha- bitants out of TroM and th^ Illand Gy^rt^^. Pliny lib. 8. caf, aS. and 10. and 10. cap,6$.6S. "Nor with fuch Mfce as Speed in £ffex mentioncth in the year 1 5 8 1 . (juft an hundred years ago) which came in a great Army and over- ran the Marlhes of Z)e^- ^y Hundred, near unto .^fl«r/; Minfler^ iliearing the Grafe to the very roots, and fo tainted the fame with their venomous Teeth that a great Murrain fell upon their Cattel that gra7cd there- on. Alas EHroi>e is now Infellcd not only with Land Marring

Mice

-.ua

Of Wonder fnl Times. gi

Ji'/iui? (which threatneth both a Famine cf Bf^dJ^^nd a Famine of the Wcrdwo^ Amos. 8. 1 1.) bur alfo with monfirous and Land- marring Bealls, fnch as are butting puihing Rams and fiinking n'3iV\iiy Gouts ^ Ezek. 34. 17. 18. 19, io. to wit, the Popifli Clergy, vvho eat up the Beit, and beat down the refl, with their foul ircct, and for wholefom, obtrude Bra ki ill water upon men, to quench theirThiril:,muzling and milleading fome filly Souls, to ieed upon Traditions, lying Legends, cheating Indulgences, vowed I ilgrimages, hard Fennances, &€. They are glad to eat fuch as they can catch, but other more enlightned Souls as- cannot truch^ tafl wot hand e with them, thej ih uft rvith the fidc^ . and with the Ihonl 'Cr^ v. ii. atod pujl) them with thsir Horns of Ex- communications and Perfecutions, unttl thej have fi Altered them ahro.id. They force them out of the FoU^ F'o.k, and Pafiure oii Gods Ordinances, adminiflred in power and purity : in fuch a cafe :vhat can the rughtents do f Pf. 18.3. They are not able to abide the pulliings of thofc MonftrouS Z?^/^/^, they muft either Fi) or Dy^ they have not a Third for their choice, oh ptay, thatChrift (tJic good Shepard) may come and \ave his Flock from being n P/ey to thofe Monilefs, and to Judfc between Cattle ank Cattle, and to CAufe thofe unclean Btajts to ceafe out of this Land, and other La^ds in Europe -v,%:i to a^. The Lion N^ro, and other Slaughter-Slaves of Ssltaft, airuredly ihall not worry Gods Flock for ever. Tis Gods promife / will caufe the unclean S^trtt (of the monilrous Bcaft) to pufs vut of the Land, Zcch. i ;. a. But what a deadly Bite,t1;iis deadly Beafl: may give at . paf-^ fing and parting we'know not,w(7r///j Befli^ mor't'-'nndAfintmaxi" mc mortifert^ the good L©rd give Us a" good Delivbrancc from • the laft J3ite. The third Predid:ive Sign or Wonder, is froit^^i- es frodigum, ^mo, Etyraologizeth (\na^ pedtcinrn^ bccaufe 'tiS* predi^ivc and prognofticatiiig : others c[mfi fano ai^endufn-'. [mofe-and further: to do] as a tfodigy poncnds.God h^th fome . m&re and furtbcr.gt'.ea W»rk to do in the World : in Greek ^tiS€aI> ■ Jed 7i^y< ;\ 7?i« terrer; becaufc a Prodigy is an. affrightful pro- fped. In. Hebrew 'tis called [Mophcth] a f-aftph Sfendrntjulftt^^.

5 2 Wonderful Signs

J I laxity becaufc Prodigies (efpecially thofe in the Heavens) have a fhining fpcndour, which do dane the Eyes of beholders, and oft Afloiiiiheth their Minds with their fparkling and Hiiniug Luftre. The word [Mopheth] Djut.i^.i. IsTranflated po^- te.ttum(ij'da Indicat quid porro tendatur, bccaufe it portends feme further tendency of Providence) though there it be ufed forfal- Jacious Wonders, which the Devil (by ^-anrjes and Jambres) wrought, through Gods permiirion,for the further hardning of Ph,iroih\ Heart. True Portents, Prodigies, or Wonders Cthac do exceed the common courfe of Nature) are always Gods Seals, which he never fcts on for confirming an untruth : they have (in the general) a perfwading power to believe, and prompting us to awake out of our lazy flumbers; hence one wittily compares Prodipcs expofed to View, unto a Mufitians firft flrokes upon his Inflrument, to try in what tunc it is : and then he puts forth his moil excellent dexterity in playing over fundry choice LeiTons, with moll melodious and Ravifhing Mu- fick : Thus when the great God doth expofc his wonderful *Prodt7ki unto Publick view, and the knowledge of Mankind, it plainly portends that he therein is tuning his Inflrument, (as he is the chief Muritian,according to DivtAs Dedication to ma- ny of his Plalms) andth.it he is about to play over fomc emi- nent A(5ls of Providence (which he will mannage throughout with moil excellent skill) upon the Stage of the World, even fuch curious LeiTons , (though confiding of Difcords) which may prove fad cordoliunis to the Wicked, yet fweet Cordials to the Godly. ' :.:. v >'- 1 •

The fecond particular in this General Difcourfe, istfie Scent whereon the great God fhcws his marvelous Signs ^ndlVoftdcrSy and where they have their extraordinary fcituation : whereof we cannot have a better account from any better Hand, than from the fweet fmger of Ifracl P(i ^5-6. Where after he had declared, i. Gods Goodne[s,v. 3. Then ^. Gods Greatr?e[s, v. 5. Yea grtiLtfr than all Gods- either Deputed (as Magiflrates, Pf. 8 a. 1. 6.) Orifr/'«;r^asId©lsPr n5 4- x.Cor. 8.4. He comes

to

Of Wonderful Times. 5 3

to declare what a raoft free Agent, this gocd zv^dgrent Cod is. v. 6. Dcino^ nhatever pleafeth h.m, whereby he confuteth three forts of the Truths Adverfaries : i/?. The ^toicks that bind Gods Almighty Hands, under a Fatal necc/rity,as if God could do nothing biit as fecond Caufes do move and oblige him : a. The Epfcur(a'Js, who dotingly Dream, that God (called Ac^tts punfftmis) is altogether Idlc,{!tting in Heaven at his own eafc, and altogether unconcerned with the Affairs of this low- er World which (they fay are m:inaged by chance and fortune ', 5. The Ethmcks, who confefs God to be concerned in the great- cfl matters of this lowcrmofi World, but not with the kaft of ^cm, fr*ying, ""

Ncn vacat exiguis Rebus Adc^e ^ov'i. ^ove is not at leifure to be prcfent at fmall matters.

Djvid here doth Demonflrate the groffncfs of all thofe three miftakcs ; faying,God is always at work, as John 5.17. and he works freely what he pleafeth.P/.i i f .^.and under no Co.^ftramt or Rejlraint^ no fecond caufe can either help him or Uhder him,e- ven the feeming Impediments he ovcr-ruleth,and making them ferviccable to his own irrefiftible Will ; as vhaorah's Daughter is made to freferve Mofes, who was to Defrcy Pharouh's King- dom,'Cf'r. And la(ily,he nameth the three grand Stages or Thea- ters whereon God wcrketh what he n-tileth , both his Ordinary and extraordinary works, to wii, Heaven Earth and Sea,x.hc great God is concern'd in all things that come to pafs in all thele 5 parts of the vifible World : This leads me from ihc Ger.era to a /<jr//V»/4r Difcourfe of thofe mighty ^;^;?/, Wen Jen and /'ro- af/^/Vj, which ths great God hath very'latcly fliewn to the . World, upon all thofe three Scenti or S a^es. And £rll in the Heavens^ this Mighty God ( ' ehbvah not "^ove or Jupier) is de- clared to be the uaker cfail Meieors Jcrcm. ic. i ;. IT. i ;5^."9. whether they be Fiery, Airy, or Watery, and u j;cther they I e Ordina)) or Extraordiriary. i. Grdir'ar'\ 'tis lie threat Gi d that caiffcth V>^^o rs to fifccr^dficm the ends ij ths Earth. FT. 135.

F 7. and

^^ Wonderful Signs'

7. And Jcretn. 10. I^ Thofe Vapours the Sun, Moon and Stars exhaleth out of the Eanh and Sea (^by the Ordinance of the Creator) whereon thofe ufual Meteors (as clouds either with Rain or without. Thunders and: the Rainbo^v &c ) are made. as on their proper matter : This may be exempHiied in the ///- lie World {Man) in whom Vapours are experienced to /^/cf*^ up . firom below unto the Brain, and from thence again do Defeend inaDefluxion of Rheum down upon the Lungs, &c\ Thus it- ism.th&GrcAt World, p-S to the firfl common Meteor, to wit. Clouds, which are moid Vapours dra ' n up (as is aforefaid) in- to the middle Region, where being, by the coldnefs thereof, condenfed and congealed, .they fo continue there, until by the warmth of the Sun they come to be diffolved. and turn'd into Rain. Zanch.deOpr.^Dit. lib. -i,. caf. 6. f.ig. %%i. Hereupon they are called, c*^/ (7 W^;r-/'e/ for watering Plants, where- with he duly watcreth, the wide Garden of the World. Now thiSi though Common, is one of Gods mighty Sig^.s OLXidWox-^ ders, that he fhould ^/«^ up fuch a vaft Keighi of water m bis^ Cloud<, which are nothing but Vapours knir together , and fo are VelfeJs much thinner than the Liquor: contained in them, 'tis a mighty ^ ondct\ thatike Cloudi are not rent under tkm. Job. 16. 8 . And fo to caufe a Cataclyfme (or water Spouts, as Mat? - riners call them) to drown not-only Ships at: Sea, but alfo the whole Ghhe of the Earth. This wonderful work of God , (that . fiiich a MafTy weight oi VV^ater, fliould be confin'd to a thin Cloud, as if a ftrong man Ihould be conjur'd into afiender Cot»- web, and there be kept Nolens Fde-s) If well weighed, would be fufficient to convince the greatefl Atheift in the World, of an Omnipotent Deity : no meer man can fpread a- ioft the thinned Curtain [ ahfqm fttlcns ] without fome folid^ thing to uphold it. Yet the great God /jfrf^^^r//; thofe thia- Curtains f the Clouds) over the whole Face of the Firmament, 9''^'^. a 5 . 9.- %6. 29. fach as haive great Hoods ^(?«^^/r^, fome- times//* thep3^ as in a Garment, Prov. ;o. 4. Yet have they no- ihing tuvthe.ftuid Air tg fqHajn ihcm- there be.dfo clouds

mish*'

Of Wonderful Times. 5^

n^i hf)ut water (as well as b>//^) which feetn to carry the Je/s V Vonder in them : yet if we Confidcr, that all Ciouds arc Goas ^f utiles (as Zxnchj, that Divine Philofophcr calleth them) whi hare in tiaie filled with the waters that arc above the Firmament, and the true reafon, why fome Clouds do Rain up- on the Earth, and others doe not, is, becaufe God doth not fqueeze all thofe Spunges with his mighty Hand ; and thus God faith,I will command thcClouds toRainnoRain upon this or that place. 7/^.5. 7. Thofe are Clouds without Eain.?roy.i$. 14. For God preffeth them not, and thofe which God fqueezeth (as man doth a Spunge,) he doth it not with all his might, but gently, that they may moderately drop upon the Earth to re- /relh it, but not to Rntne it, as was done to the Old World, when God opened the Catarad^S of Heaven and wrung thofe Spunges hard upon them : the Confideration hereof ihould hritig man to the knowledge of the Potver^ Wifdom and Gojdnefs of Cod, Rom. I. 19. J^ob. ;«. :?7. Jer. 5. ai. The fecdnd common Meteot is Thunder^ &c. This is alfo Wonderful^ that Fjre and Water ^ (liould mingle in one Cloud, and that Hard Steams ''ac- cording to the vulgar Opinion) fliould come out of themidft of thin Fitpours. Thefe are iVonderj in Nature far beyond Humane Apprchenfion, that one and the fame clond lliould one while be an Aer-i Se,i^ to powr down a whole Tide of Water, and ano* rhcr while, (even immediately) be as fome Aer-^ Furnace, which fcattercth abroad flaflics of Fire, into all parts of the Eartlx, adonifhing tlie World with the dreadful noife of tliat Erupti- on, and that God fhould fetch Firi out of the midfl of Water ^ and hard Thunderbolts out of the niidil of fuch a foft Exhalati- on as a Cloud is: H^c funt fa^je Trem ndt, atque adm r,\r)da,\\o icfs to be Dreaded than Admired : The tl:iird common Wonder in Na- ture i-s the Rain-Eoiv, fixed upon a watery Cloud, by the Refic- d:ion of the Sun upon it. This is fuch a wonderful work of God, that the very Heathens feigned it to be the Daught- er ot Jhaumar/itas which fignifics Wonderment. This is a Work top-full of WoiidcjTS, witnefs 1,/?. Th-e beautiful Fo'tn

i 1 >i)iiid

^6 Wonderful Signs-

and FA^:m of it, -a Scmi-Circle,the ends whereof were never fecn by any Mortal, but as 'tis terminated; by the Horjfon. ily. The Tarious CoLursiiC2itncth. exceeding the fplendour and lively- nefs of the deeped Dye in the World) which have (asfome con- ceive) their various Significations, as the two grand Deftrucfli- onscf the Old IVorU^ and of this Nc-n^ by Wuitr and by Ftre^ the watery colour of the RjihBow fignif^j ing the former, and its fiery colour the latter. 5 /y. The fevcral Prognofiicks of it, ac^ ccraing tO'6'rd/^e-,faYing,a morning Rdin-Uu portends Rain,bLit an.evening one, fair weather. 4. The 5^j^f of it, being that of a Biw (therefore called the R at ?.-hiv) which yet never ihoot- cth any man, unlefs itbewith .iclmjrauo/i. Dea^h!,&cc. 5. The. p€jlur( of it, the Bc/:t oftheEowis from xhcEayih and towards- Heavrr?, as if n An VvXre ihooting at God^ and not God at tn^m This Bow with both ends downwards and its back to Heaven, mufl needs be \_ri!.n:ii^ fje^rtsir lerenuatu^ 2in Emblem of leace, and a mclTengerof Mercy to mankind, for hethat (lioot- cth holdeth the hack of his Bow always from him, and this* may be the Signif cation of its third (to wit Green) colour, that is, the meicifui prefcrvation of the World, becvYixt thole- two grand Defirudiions- of it, fignihed by its watery and fiery colours aforefaid. 6 y. l^hQunreo-dt -efs of it, -^s to any Execu^ tion of Divine Difplcafurc, DavJ faith, ^oi hdth h.m his Bon\ andmadc his Mrrow Te^d\ IT. 7 11. I ;. But here, though the Bow feem bent, yet we fee no String, neither do vvc either read of (as .^m^m/^ well cbferveth) or behold any ^rr^iri^ ordained for thiS Bow : If he doth fo at any time, 'tis, '■ as the pfdlmtft i\\tit tells us) ag: infl Ferfecntcrs^ and not agajnft his-. ^'eople i The time would fail me. to fpeak of the Wmd, both Tempeliu-^ ous and Whirlwinds (whereof I have fpokefomcthing of it i2>4ny Cruvn of a ch'^iflir-r:^ in Chapter of Meditation) and of- o- diier /i^f^f^//, in the^lirmamcnt, that are ordinary proda6ts of' ]^atur'\ytt A^fdrveloHS WorJns m !^ature , as tO' mans Capacity and Apprehenfions ; It fliall fufficc to fay only this in G</itral ajtithis time, which is no lefs aiignal and fingular iVondcr, that-

out

Of JJ o?iderfm Times. 5-7

outof one and the fame equal matter 'to vvir, out of thofe fame Favour s^ which are exhaled out of the Earth and iVater) fo ma- ny feveral and differing A-ie'eors (hould be engendrcd by the Al- mighty Power, and unfearchable VVifdomofGod.

Come w^e now to thofe that are ExtrA(rdtnary, and confine our felves to this paltycar (i6So.) only which God hath made ^;?;?;.w ^t/.rw^/Z.fc?, a wonderful ) ear, as he did that pad year (1660) aifo. How thofe two famous years run in Paralel lines, and yet how thztCfr^grmiy hath alfo its D:fpjrjtv^ is made manifeflin the Apphcation ; The ifL Sign from Heaven or tro- Mil in the Heavens that this Wonder-working God Ihewed to the World, was according (to my now modeJl'd method that prodigious Ccmer, or B]a2mg-iiar, feen all over Eurofp ^ upon which I have Publifbed, (for publick good) a little fiitcht Book of three Hicctss Entitukd, A 1 hilofophical and Divine D.jcourje Blazoning upon this BLiz,^m-siar ^ unto which,, I mud here refer the Reader, for a difiindt difcerning of the Pro:/ uSf'^ Form^ CvUur^ .Motion. Scnw.tio^^ and Si(^n,fcat;on or PrcbahU Pro^noflicks, &C-. Thereunto Ucte adding this little fupplement, at this time : This laft Comet (in theyear loSo.) was {o prodigious, that the }il<^e hath' not been Icen (forJength and breadth ofits Train) this 8 co years I have confulted o- /;/«r/^f;''s-Epicemc of the Centuries, who indeed) m^ntioneih a . Comet of an unufual magnitude, a]ittlc before the DeathofCc^r- (Im'int x.\\e€rcAt^ which (he faith) was cxpofcu to publick view, ['4»f/ tnr.cipis < bifum I)cftr/iaf\i'] as a Prognflojck .of the period of fo great and ^o good a ] rincc, Cor. 4. . / /A. r. Cuf. i). /w. 214. And the fame Author tells of rinorhcr^Cr^y^^', of "a prodi- gious greatnefs, {hooting his DreadiuPRa^s above the City ConfUnt.rioplc^ and reaching almoit (as he faith) ii"0iii Heaven - to that City, which was (as he addcth) to give warning of Gajan \\\t Scy.hiun and Arriaii'5 Dcfign to fa.thsr' gfcau City on Hre, yet through the goodncfs of God (at ,thb pay';.. ers of iiis-l eople in it, that Heihih Mot (Jis he.fayrh)\\'as lli'oli^ gracioully prevented) and that by an- ^./^;.7. //,-,,, ,.- ,:,>.//,■•''/ ..;'

tgns

n^^n^df, which terrified this Curled Aria??, from his burning proved. S^ccera, 5. Lih. i. C,p 19. Fa^. S9. I would to vjod the lame mercy may be flicwn to Lo!7jo», for the prayers of mmymit Gc.. iS. 5a. y,.; 65. 8. The fame Author al- io telleth of another Comet, m the 6th. Century, which did por- tend the Overdirow of the Metropolis of ciluu by an Earth- quake, and much more mifchief done in the Eaft. Cent. 6. Lih I. Cjp. ;4. and of another Horrible one of an unufual Longi- tude m 3P.v///,;/;r« the Emperors time, which fore-ran that hor- rible Butchery the Hur^ns made over mod of Europe. Cent 6 Ltb r Cjp.<j. in the year 5 57- after Chrilt. But I do not nnd (in ray Reading' any fuch prodigious Comet (as to itsTrain) lave only that one which was the fore-runner of the Turkifh Monarchy in the 6th. Century, and who knows, but this para- lei Blaze may hkewife nrefage the Approach of the fifth Mo- narchy of our Dear Redeemer, who will (fooner or later) take to himjelf his great poivsr and Reigv. Rev. 11.17. He will c^ix.'SavI' iy Divide the fpoit with the ft rong, Ifa. 5;. ii. He will not al- ways be an underling in the World, but will put in for his part which his Father gave him. Ff. i. 8. in dcfpight of a (trong Tttrk, flrong Pope, and flrong TotentAtcs, and a ilrong Devil (vjho istheMaflcrofthemall) forhisFather will make all his Sons Foes his Footilool. '/'/! no. a. znd c^utth. 11. 44. He will put down all power that is oppofitc to the power of this TtiKce ofGlo)j. I. Cor. 15. 14. and put them (who now Crefl it high againft CliriH) into the fitteft place for them, to -xii, under ChnftsFect. Tis beyond doubt, that this prefcnt Ctf;w/, put Rome into a flrange Confternation ; oh prav, pray, pray, that the Influence of it may confume all the dreggs of the Homan Church, ia all that 5 ^/?.f Dominions , as Kep- lertis foretold long ago , ihould be the dTefl of that Conjundion o{ Saturn and Jupiter, in Lco^ a (\<^\\ of the Fiery Trigon. And the reafon why fuch an Etled was cxpeded,may be this; The various Returns q{ thole eminent Trigons, fail out very rarely in the World. Acute TjchobrAhc, thusrcckons

them.

nflfl'

an;- ..

C.' A.'

Of Wonderful Time:

vhcm> The fitk^^i under EKtch. The fecond under Ne^k The tkird under M^fss. The fcunii under SohTson. The f:ftli under Ckrifi^ jAtcrreclirz m J^ujh, Then the Roman Empire was in its Xcnkh or highefl Advance : The fixth under C:jrles the Great, when the K^.mj. i was turned into the G',rmin Em* pire, and the feventh draweth nigh, which is^ fuppofed to haxe a Sabbatilm (as the Sabbath of Rdl, followed the 6 Days la- bour at the Creation) m its Womb. Our Bleffcd \_^* irfxiajrO- or] Mailer of the Marriage Feaft, rsferveth his belt Wine for this lafl time : Although (that Univerfal Schoilat) Aiifed make a linlc variation of thofe 6 aforefaid Gorijuadiions and Rero- lucions, yet he fully agreeth With TVi&i^^^r in this, that the feventh great Revolation of the fuperior Planets, talleth upon our lall tiroes, and doth certainly portend fome great and uni- ▼erfiil muratioa (as all the ociier fix hath f ormerK- done CcCpc- cialiycofi^ering that thofe Planets in their feventh Return, hath perie<^{y complcated their circular Motion, and then arc in the fame point and poflure that they were placed in at the CrtAttuB of the World, AUhtU Encupl. Urancfc. Lib. ii, Pag, itf.

Tiiar which fl^rtled the gtcainnen oi Rsmi {oraxidx. at the Blazing out of this C«7*/r, was, the Mathematicians there ob- ferved it to be in the Train of it, fix tinaes longer thin that which did ponend the laft Pope Altxindtr the Vll. Ext: out of the World; ThisDifcovery put the prcfencPopc into i^^c3.^co\^ paroxylki, that nothing bur a Dutch Stove could keep him^ warm : I doubt not but that cold Sweat which hnrh feiz^ now upon all the Limbsof Andchrifl, wiii (in d.ie time carry c^, not ooly him, but fuch as the aid fuccced him, by the ErtAth t^ Cijnfts M»uth, and by the htahtiufi pf on camMf. .1^ Tbc£ 1 t. Kf^ul'hrimi ccmt:^ and a ClrouBrml Cst:nMcJj0s "( AJlroiogers lay arc a double Seal of the great God, to aiccrtaiii this great Truth.

In that le Jer C^/r^t^Mi^r, of the two fuperior -p/At^'. in the yean 664. Thc-C#7^f feiiowcd the Con:uja2jonasa^^i/, iat

3 5 yyonder^nl brgns

•^ngch, which terri/ied this Curfed Arian, from his burning projed:. See Cm. 5. Z;^. i. Cap ic). Pag. ^c^. I would to ^God the fame mercy may be flic wn to Lo}7Jo»^ for the prayers of many in it (7^;;. 18. p. /^^ 65. g. The fame Author al- io telleth of another Comet, in the 6th. Century, which did por- tend the Overthrow of the Metropolis of cihcia by an Earth- quake, and much more mifchief done in the Eaft. Cent. C. Lib, T. Cap. 34. and of a nether Horrible one of an unufual Longi' tude in 5f?////W^?? the Emperors time, which fore-ran that hor- rible Butchery the Hnmn made over moft of Europe. Cent. 6 Ltb %, cap.<). in the year 5 57. after Ghrift. But I do not find (in ray Reading^ any fuch prodigious Comet {^is to itsTrain) lave only that one which was the fore-runner of the Turkifh Monarchy in the 6th. Century, and who knows, but this para- lei Blaze may likevvife prefage the Approach of the fifth Mo- narchy of our Dear Redeemer, who will (fooner or later) take to himjelf his great poivsr and Reigr?, Rev. 11.17. He will certain- ly i)/z//Vf /^^//;^/7nv>/j //;<?/r<7;?f, Ifa. Jv II. He will not al- ways be an underling in the World, but will put m for his part which his Father gave him. P/ 2. 8. in defpight of a ftrong 'Turk, flrong Pope, and llrong Totemates, and a ftrong Dc"i//7,(who is the Mailer of them all) for his Father will make all his Sons Foes his Footllool. 'I'f.iio. i. and c^r^f//;. n. 44. He will put down all power that is oppofite to the power of this T'rtme ofclofj. I. Cor. 15. 14. and put them (who now Creft it high againft Chrifl) into the fitteft place for them, to -^'iz, under Chrtfts Feet. Tis beyond douht, that this prefent Ctf/wt:/, put Rome into a flrange Conflernation ; oh pray, pray, pray, that the Influence of it may confume all the dreggs of the iloman Church , m all that B afis Dominions , as A7;- lerus foretold long ago , ihould be the effefi: of that Conjundion o{ Saturn and Jupiter, in Les, a fign of the Fiery Trigon. And the reafon why fuch an Effed wjs cxpcded,may be this; The various Returns of thole eminent Trigons, fall out very rarely in the World. Acute Tjcbohrahc, thusrcckons

ihcnj.

Of Wonderful Times. ^g

t£cm. The firitwa sunder H;?<?cA. The fecond under Nm^. The third under Mofes, The fourth under SoUwon. The fifth- wndtt Chrift, Jdcrracljng m Flijh, Then the Roman Empire was in its Zenith or highefl Advance : The fixth under Charles the Great, when the A'<y/« J ;^ was turned into the German Em» pixe, and the feventh draweth nigh, which is fuppofed to have aSabbatiim (as the Sabbath ofReH, follbwed the 6 Days la- bour at the Creation) in its Womb. Our Bleffcd [^^f : iTfuMpQ- or] Maflcr of the Marriage Feaft, referveth his belt Wine for this lafl time : Although (that Univerfal Schollar) Alfled make a little variation of thofe 6 aforefaid Gonjundions and Revo- lutions, yet he fully agrecth with T-yr^z/^r^/?^ in this, thatthc feventh great Revolution of the fuperior Planets, falleth upon> our laft times, and doth certainly portend fonie great and uni- verfal mutation (as all the other fix hath formerly done (cfpe- cially conddering that thofe Planets in their feventh Return, hath perfedily compleated their circular Motion, and then are in the fame pointand pollure that they were placed in at the Creation of the World. Alfleds Encupl. Uranofc. Lib: ii, Pag. 115.

Thatwhich flartled the grcaxtnen of /?tf»»f fo much, at xhc Blazing out of this CoT^er, was, the Mathematicians there ob- ferved it to be in the Train of itj fix times longer than that which did portend the lafl Pope Alexartdn the VII. Exit out of theWorld: ThisDifcovery put the prcfentPope into fueh a cold paroxyfm, that.nothing but a Dutch Stove could keep him^ warm : I doubt not but that cold Sweat which hath feized now upon all the Limbs- of Antichrifl, will (in due time i carry off, not only him, but fuch as (bould fuccced him, by the Breath of ChnJisMeuth^zxidihy the briffhmef of his coming. 2. Thef i 8. K prodigious comtt^ and ^CUmcMenal CajDJnmJiort (AflrologerS' fay) are a double Seal of the great God, to afcertain this great Truth.

In that leHer Co/ijunCiion of the two fuperior 'p/<i;ff/r, in the ycari664. Thc-Ow^feilowcd the Conjundi^inalsa.Vf^/, for

Con-

40 Wonderful Signs'

Confintiadon that dreadful EffecSts were portended thereby, which not only this Land (in rir.% PJague and Pbts, &c.) but alfomoilof Europe (in moil Dci'ohting Wars) fmarted -under, but as to the Total, Greateft, or Clymadcrical Co^/junciion2i^- •preaching (which Cometh to pafs only every 800. year; this :hath (asitsSeal) 2iDreadf til Comet as its [ ^-6?=^d9^v] or Har- binger going before it, and Ihewing it felfhril to awaken and amaze the j3row2y Secure World, d"r. However we (welJ e- nough / may call it a Divine Preacher (or Preco) fent from God, •to point out fome facred Truth out of Heaven^ to the Inhabi- tants upon £4^/^; \\S2.north(>Aox^ and Authenttck Preacher, backed with fuch infuperable Authority, as neither the proud pj/W of Rome^ nor any of his popilb I'reLtes, can fuffend from its Office, or put to silence, until it hath delivered its meflage, and done its Work, that itsCreatour gave it to do : It cannot be obfcured [i^ its alloniiliing light and lullrc) or dwindle a- way by any created Hands, but only by the hands- of its own Maker. And now when it is gone off the Stage, Oh that the loud Sermom it hath preached, may ftill Sound in our Ears, and Sink dorvtn into our Hearts, taking deep Impre/Tions there, though it be a good while after, as did thofc Sermons loudly and luflily cryed out by Chrifts Cr)er^ or Fore-runner ( ^ehn the £aptifi) who didli ft ffp his P^oice l.ke a Trumpet, Ifa. ^8. i. and ;thofe facred Truth, he had preached long he/ore, had their blef- fed and faving £/<f(^, long 4/>^r, as John 10. 41. The Word preached fometime ^f/£?r^,fometimes Works, (aiid that confi- derable) 4/}fr.Yca,may we not fay of this late Cometshii it was fome /'r///rf--/Vr4t/:f/',having fuch Attendants before it and after It) all, as fomany Curat ( under it, God himfclf (fpeaking to ^oh out of the Whirlwind, 5^.)^ 38. i.) doth magnify ^/-^w/m; that Star of the firll magnitude, and that always Mjcth upon the . lof/j. of March ex3.d\y when the v^^;? Setteth) by defcribing how Stately he is attended withliis Sons fthc little Stars) that wait upon him. foh 58. 31. In like manner the great God, hathfoOxdered, that this late Blazing-Star (of a prodigious

Mag-

Of Wonderful T tines. 41

Magnitude in its Train/iliould have other Apparitions attend- ing it (as fmall Cur.its to that IJitiflrious Preacher the Comet) efpeciaily that Fiery Dart which followed its cxtindion, within a few weeks after : This is thefecond Ph&norn non or A^parhion, which the great God fliewed to poor man as a Srgn from Bed- I'er}, feeing none fhewn on Earth will convince us, it being with us as it was with thofe Chrtfi-Tcmftirs in the Gofpel. Luke 1 1. 16. They mull have a Sirrn from Heaven^ over and above all thofe mighty and matchlefs Miracles that Chriit wrought a- mongft them upon Earth ; They mufl have the MeHiah to Thunder from Heaven upon them, as Samuel had done upon their Forefathers- i. Sam. iz. 16. 17. to convince them of their Sin (in asking 4 King) and to bring them to Repentance : for as fohn Baptift, was Chrilts Fore-runner into the WorU^ fo Re- ^ fentance mull: be his Fore-runner into Mens Hedrts, Hoitfcs^ Cities and Countries, &c. Therefore to bring men to it, when they will not comply with the Council of Mortal Minillers up- on Earth (as thofe would not with that of Samtel) God fends fome Signs Extraordinary from Heaven^ feeing [ (I'^na de Cdo f'wt Formi^anda ] fuch Signs as God fends from Heaven are moft formidable: Samuel bids that people fi^fl /land and Hear^ v. 7. that is, Buflle not, Briflle ror, but fuffer a word of Exhor- tation, Hch.i^y 21. When this would not do (the good old man being contemned by them, both in his perfon, preaching and power) he fet GOD at work to fpeak to them by signs ■ and Wonders^ and then Sarmielhixh, Secondly Stand 9.nd fee, ^\i6. that fo thofe two Learned Se^^fes (as Ariflotle calls fleann^r and 6'ff/»^) being both ^jff^(r^, might be alfo Infirucicd: fo God faith Jikcwife Hear ye Deaf, look ye Blind, Ifa. 41. i 8 . Thus the Lord faith to us in our Day, fo gives us not only the yi^crd to Hear, but alfo Signs to fee, and that one Sign upon another, that they which will not Hear the Foice cf the firfr Sign, mi^ht be moved to hear the Voice of the feconJ, Exod. 4. 8 . Therefore did God {end a [ccoyidfi^n (the Bolts of Fiery Dart) immediately after the fi-^fr, (to wit, the O//?."/) as a Seal annexed to it, in its direful /'ro-

G ■ (Pea

4 2 yyonaerjul ^tgns

fpe^ s 2i\\di progncft'icks : *Tis true I cannot fay of this latter, as I can of the former, that [ hi[cc Ocul/s Vtdi ] I faw it with my own Eyes, but fundry fpedators of it doth alTure me, that it was a loyig fheam of Firc^ pointing down towards the Earth, and ap- pearing but two or th ree nights, which was the caufe of my not beholding it ,• Letters alfo irom the Hague and from Cvfe/.hagcn give a dark account of this Blaze, about the ivth. of Fcb/uary : This Fiery Lance or Dart, Philofophers calleth BoUs^ .icd^.Kco ?a- fio, to Cait, as if it were Gods JaveHn which he calleth at finful men, as Saul did his againfl D-injid. i. Sam. i 8. ii. The He- brew word [chanith] fignifies alfo a very long Spear to thruft through at diftance, yet no mortal man is armed with fo long a killing Spear, as the creat God is, no not great Goliah (himfelf) whofe [chanith] or Spear was of a prodigious length and thick- nefs. I. Sam. 1 7. 7. It was 16 foot in length ^ and like a Wea- vers Beam for /^.cj^'^^f/}, befides its hsad^ which according to the Hebrew [iahab] f limed, and which weighed twenty five pound; yet this long Haming Spear is nothing to Gods Glittering Spear , Habb, 3. Ii, Which he draweth OHt^ to flop the u^ay of his peo- ples Perfecutor-, Pf 55. 5. Where the word [chanith] is ufed. And although the great God is able to cut off the Create ft men with a bare ncdd of his Head or frown of his Face^ Pf 8 o. 16. Yea to blow them away as fo many fmall Duft-Heaps, Job 4. 19. Yet the Holy Gholt here atributeth to him, Armour both De- fer, five and ofe/ifive, that his appearing for his people might appear fufficient, Pf 55. ^,3. Kotwithftanding God needs no bigger a [chanith or] La-.ice tv kill an ^thcijl ivith than an Hair, as the dying Noble-man once acknowledged upon this occafion: He fitting in the Great Moguls Court, dallying with one of his MilTes, ihe pluck't an Hair out of his Breafl, this little VVound, (made by that fmall means) prefently Feftered, and turning in- to, an incurable Cainker foon killed hin:^ : yea,fuppofe,7»rf/? be as great as the Great P ope, -yci Adrian the IV. (anEnglilli man) can tell them by woful Experience, that though his name (before lie was Lope) wsLSBr^ak-fi^ear, yet could he not hcakQods Spear,

though

Ojyyonderpillimer. 45

though it be no flronger then an lUr or Fh (in Gods Hands) wherewith he was Choaked ; The word [^^aTJ" J<jr«/«w, A Dart, is ufed Heb. 1 2. 10. Yet it alfo fignifies that Plummet of Lead which Marriners cafi down with a long Line to plum the depth of theWaters, Leaft theShiD run upon the fliallow and there be lliut up in the Sands and be broken ; or which Carpen- ters ufc, to mcafure and mark out that part which they intend to Hew off or Plain. If we take it (in the firft Sence) as a fiery Dart, Philofophy faith, it fignifies Drouglir, and portends War. ^//?f^ Encyclop. Lib. 7. Cap. 9. Pag. 469. If (in the fecond) as iy?.The Maftners Plummet, then it may fignify God is found- ing the Depth of Religion in our Land, Oh that the Ship (the Chur(h) may not be found upon the (hUcrvs. running allReligi- on into a F<?r«^ only, denying the P^ryrr of it. z. Tim. 3. 5. Alas then the Quick Sands will fwallow us up, or we fliall run upon fome fplitting Rock. z'y. As the C^ffer/ters Vlummei^ then God Blefsusfromthe dreadful Divine Threatning menti- oned i. Kjf7. II. 1;. That God jv/ff not our Jerufalem (or Lor?duri) as one tw/'^f^ a Difli when tis dirty, and turn tt up fide down. This he will do, if he lay 'judz^^e 4 to the Line and ^ufiicc to the fJummet. Ifa a8. 17. This flaould make wicked metis (who fhall certainly have their Due) Ears tingle,a.nd their He urts tremble^ through Terror, Horror and Dolor, for God will not give over wiping untill all the Dirt be done away ; yet loveth he to fore-fignify it, thus threatning that he may not flrike, as o^;5»7^rt/(? cbfcrverh, God giveth us many warnings hereof. If God fay to us as he did to Amoi ch. 7. 9. Wh.u ftcjl thou ? The fightof this fecond Apparition was, as Gods Line and Plummet ^ to meafurc rut how much is to be cut off, yet the Square Tim- her or, Stone ^^W be fparcd : Chrift (that Skilful Carpenter, Nark. 6. 3 ) will not cut an Hair-breadth beyond his Mark or Meafurc, when he gives the wicked their Due, it may be done without damage to the Godly. May we but fee the Line or Plummet once mihe I Lirids tf our Zrubbdhds ^ aS Zcch. 4. 10.' The Perpendicular put once into Pnrlinm.cntary Hands, ,the

G 1 wick-

iM*^^^0r-

A A Wonderful Signs

wicked may l3e pulled down, and the Godly built up. Bat if not, and God Jet his m^rk ufon oir Iniquity. Pf. i ;o. 9 , We can expedt nothing but the Line of conjufion, and the pm's (or flumm:ts)oi Emi>tin'[-. Ifa. 54 n.

The tkira Dreadful [>:,; ,6 .-'.•,] or ^/'/>-7'/V/<7;2 inthe Air, was. on Dec I-]. 1 6 So. at Otter j nigh Exeter, near 5 at night,then ap- peared two great Aimies, the one out of xhc North, whofc Leader had a Coronet on his Head) the other out of the huih, feeming furioufly to loyn Battle, and a little Retrading, charg- ed again moil vigorouiiy, this continued about an hour, till at laft there came a Referve and joyning with the Souther r^^ beats back the Northern in great Diforder, many were Terrified at it, and 'tis'as true as it was terrible, cjc This Account came from a Reverend Minifter /who (with many others) was an Eye- witnefs of it, while viewing the Amaz^ing Com:t, as pubhiliecL,

in Print.

And the like before had appeared on %eft. 1 1. Though the Relation and Confirmation thereof, came not to Hand till Jm. i^.3Lhcr.lhQi^2LmeyQ2Lrn.e2ir Portfnef, m Monmouth-fJjire, as the Schef?fe and Letter Teflimonial of a judicious Miniflcr of that place, doth abundantly Teftify : The Narrative is as follows.

The firft things that appeared were a Grove of Trees ^ a Honfs on a Mountain, and a church on its South-fide. Next we faw a Hill on the North fide,with a Grove and Houfes therein. Then we noted ^%xQQri fquare Meadow, between the two Hills, then void of men. We faw many great Rocks towards the bottom of thGSouthHill,and a great GoldenGlobe, glittering gloriou/ly on the top of the Spire of the Chunh, and a red Fane upon it. Then a great River broader on the North than on the South, in which were Ships Sayling,from North to South imder the Moun- tain with the Tide, where one of the Ships which was hinder- moft tacked about, and Sailed through the Fleet,and got before «he refl. Then we obfcrved the other Fleet Sayling with the Wind and againft the Tide, from the South Point of the South Hill, and then meeting the other Fleet under the Grove, then

the

OflVo7idcrful Times. 45'

the great Ship in the North Fleet, firfl {hot, and the reft in or dcr ,• then the South Ships flio^at them, "the Fire and Smoak we clearly difcerned, and we heard the noife of Guns, after this we oi3ferved the Army marching under the foot of the Hill along the Cliff, by the Sea-fide ; confifting both of Horfc and Foot, from the South-point of the South-hill, towards the Square Meadow, then the Korth Army over the top of the Hill on the North-fide, towards the fquare Meadow, where the Armys met, and after a ihout, fought: the Swords and Pikes we cleerly difccrned. We noted more Ships in the Nortli Fleet, and moft men in the South Army, when we drew to the upper end of the Field, and after the.Land Battle, wc heard o- ver pur Heads three lamentable and fad Groans, Oh, Oh, Oh, at which we were much aifrighted.

Now this Apfarition of Armys (yea and ex abundanti of iV4- •^ies too) was doubled as Was Pharaoh's Dr£&m\ Gen. 41. 33,. Oil a three fold account, 1/. To fliew the certainty of its Prog' • noflicks accomplilhment. ^ly. The celerity^ or fpeedinefs of thefe things coming to pafs. "^ty. To ftrike the greater Terj^r and A^ortijhmentm right thinking minds, which ]o(tph the la- terpretor of the 2 Dreams) prudently concealed from that In- fidel Pharoah^ yet though the Vifions or Apparittom (in the Roy- al Dreams) were two, the ugnification was but one. v. 1^. Im- porting one and the fame matter ; Thus it may be in this Ae^y jpparuton (which was doubled as it is thus alfo in many Bi- <uir)e Revelatioyis^ whereof we find in Scripture fome frequent Re- petition, which yet have their fingular ufe, to wit, a making more deep ImprclTion upon the minds of Men, and importing both Afjurance and ExfcdUion of the matters foretold therein : Alas we need Line t/pon Liar, and Precept upon Precep>t^ Here a little and there a little, Ifa. a.?. 1 5. and all little enough to pra:pon- derate the duJnefs of our Hearing,2i^<ixhQdeadijefs of our Hearts'- to ivrite the fame things to the I'hilippians, though \\V2iSgrievoHS to the Apople, yet was it fafe and advantagious to the People. Phil. 5.1. Tvvas not a vain Repetition or an idle Tautology,but

fcr-

46 y yonder Jul btgns

ferved to fet forth the NeceJJiiy^ Difficulty and Excellency of the matter fo reinforced. NttriquAmf^tis Dicitur, quod Nunqtt-am fji- tis Difciiur^ Truth is never enough faid, till it be enough jearnt. And bccaufe mens Breads are Brawny, and their Heart-firings Horny, therefore are the ^pparjtmis of Armys in the Air Doubled upon us, the more and better to beat upon, in- culcate and imprint thofe Divine warnings in the minds of men : Upon my diligent Search for Scriptural Paralells, and exempli- fication of Apparitions of Armys, I do find three efpecially ; The fir fl of them is very Tcrnhle^ yet fuch as might have been prevented by a timely and true Repentance : the otlicr are very comfort able : The ^rjt is that oifoel the Prophet, who had fuch a Prophetical Vifion or y^fparition of iht Bah Ionian Armys, that fliould fo fvvarm in upon judxa, as to make that very Day a Day cf Darknejs^ and of Gloominefj.^ Dny of Clouds and of thick Darknefs, Joel 1. 1. As if it had been (no hght matter as they made it, but) a light-lefs Day, and (as it were) a doleful Dooms-da'i, Their numerous Armys fhould come in great Swarms, which, as the Cloud of Loculls would Darken the Air, fo as to turn Dfey into Night, and fpread far and near all the Country over, and that fo fuddenly,as the moaning fpread over the tops of the Mottf.tmis : and in this ^pp^rition foelhcheld Flames and Flalli- ts o£ lire, burning up all befc'rc t hew. v. 3, Thofe Lccufis^ihould io confume the Country, as they go along with their vafl Armys (as if all had been burnt up by Hre) turning the Garden of Eden mo a BarrenWildernefs.^c.v. 4,5,6,7,8,9,10. wherein the Baby Imans arcDefcribed. i/?. In their perfons to be //r^ »^, »«»2^r(?«.<-, frviff^ terrible^ skilful^ orderly^ couragtcus and Inr^umeri^ble. rly. In their Actions^ to wit, Depopulating the Land {which occafioned Famine,) Deflroying their fir ong forts, zxid filling alUboth Church and State) with Confiifion.

The Lord God Almighty preferve this Land from fuch Per- fons and fuch Actions . Oh pray, pray, That God may not ^ifs for the Fly of zAlzjf^y and for the Bee of Babylon. \h, 7. 18. for thofe Fljs would Bite us, to diHurbus in cur I'c^ic, but thofe Bees

would

Of yVonderjHl Jimes. 47

would fling us to deprive us of our Lives. God Bkfs us from thofe Romiili Locufls Cfo called ReveLc). ; ) to wit, the popi/h PrieflSj Monks, Fryars and Jefuites, being (all) both numerous znAvoractGus Creatures Oh that lueh Peflilent Vermin may never have CommifTion from God to M.irr our Land : As the Prophet propofed Repentance as a Remedy (before the Decree brought forth) to them. v. ii. 15. 14. faying, now, though it be Z^;^, yet not too /^/f, Kunquam fero fi ferio. Though fome Lccush be already come,as Kimchy fenfeth it. So your Rc- fentin^f<r Stn^ be but proportionable to your P.ebelltri^ <^S^^^'fi GOD, So fweet is his Nature, ^o gracious^ fo merciful, fo floiv to ^nger, &c. He will R'j^cnt of the Evil, and who knonycth, if he rviU not leave a Blefflng behind hint. Yea he will certainly turn to thofe that turn- to htm. Zach i. ^. Oh that En^U'id knew fuch things as belonged to her Peace. Luke 19. 41. Before the Gate be fhut, fhe draw-bridge taken up, and the Taper of Mercy be quite burnt out, &c. Then God would fend out his Mardamus : Pf. 44. 4. and come with his A^i?;; 0^/4«/f, Pf 106. 8. and Ifa. 57. 15. Yea and////-;? things to the contrary, as in Hamans Day. £//. ^. i.

The fee on d Inflance of a Scripture ^/'/>jri//(j;7, is that of jacoL Gen. 51. I. Which was not Tfm^/f, b'Ut C(?»?/^r/4^/d' to him, for it was not a vifible A^pirition of Armys of men fighting one a- gainit another, but' twas an ^-rmy of angels : neither muft we think vwith the Hebrews and fotuG others) that one Troop or Company of thofe Angels (which appeared as armed Soldiers) were for /acoi? and the other againfl him, or yet that thofe two Armys appeared under the command of two diflincSt Generals, the one under the Prcfident Angel of the Country of Mefopotx- w/4(from whence /^icob was coming) and the other under the _ Prefidcnt Angel of the Country of C^;?//^;^. whither faccb was • now returning : this is a prefumptuous fancy, and as falfe as prefumptuous, for this would have rather afirighted than com- forted fac^b^ as to the IlTue, but we find that /"^iff^ without any icar, faid upon the hril fight of it [Th/s is Gcds jioft] v. 2. A a-

h\vi(i:m

^8 Wonderful Signs'

hdfiAim^ Hebr. or two Armys : The Hebrew Rabbies fay w cU in rhis, that facob in this third Apparition knew them to be the fame ^:naels whom he had feen (in his Apparition) Afcending andD^^^A/^-^^upontheloftyLadder. C7fw.a8. II. The Scope of this Apparition of Armys to facob was to (Irengthen his FAith in the way of his obedience : Jacob was now going whether God had commanded him to go. Gen. 51. 3. Lahans lowrine look, makes fnccb look homeward (Oh that the Frowns of the World had this blelTed effed on us ) Z.^^^ purfues him, which put Ucob^o a fright. ^'. 15. But God had whifpered a word in ubans'E^r. v. i^. So was better to him than his own Pears. God had fpoke for him (and {o he can for us) in the Heart of his EnCmys. Now, 'twas not true that Ldan faid \n u m the power of mj mnJ, &G.1 v. 9. ^^ccb was now as one that Fled kom^iLyon^Labav had fome fliamefacednefs) and a Bear (that had none) to wit, Efa>^ met him, fatth a Rabby ,' This Apparition of an Hoflof^ngehc2imQ^oioxii{y his Faith,againlt his next and word Fear; that he fhould now hope the fame power which had proteded him from the L^ n laban, would alfo preferve him from the Bear Efm , though he had fworn his Brothers Death, and came armed with 400 <-u^- Throats (at his Heels) againft him. ■ , ^ j j

9acob (who in his excellent Wraftlings) had power with God and prevailed. Gen;i. i6. &c, could not want power to fre^a^l mthmen. Hof ii. 4- Let Perfons, yea P.ir//.^^^/igo but that way God bids them as faoob did, and they fliall not want a M.- /,..Lv, or Heavenly Hoft to. (^T^r^; them through a boilterous Sea where the Winds are ^p;7fnr;y. Math. 14. H- and to con- dud them through a waylefs Wildernefs, through never fonia- nvProphanc E(auX with Hundreds and Thoufands of Cut- Throats do way-lay them : Jacob was back-fet by Lor,rtnz La^ ^.;.,andforc-fetby^/..^y£^'/, yet this Hoil of Angels carry him through both and all.

The third Scripture hiHancc of ^pparttHions of Armys, vyas that ill ^. Kings 6. 17. which was ^icemfomble^ppArnio^ aUo,

^.

Of Wonderful Times. 49

being an Armj o£ 4 f^gels too, nox of Men. Ber^ha^ad fafycO:c<i his Coancellor of Treachery : Seine Courtier (tliat had been with Naawan ch. ^ ) tells him, it was £////m that ciifc'cfcd h'S Secrets, and fo frullrated them by his Prophctick Spirit ; there- fore the King fends Horlies and Chariots to fetch hrni. v. i z. i;. 14. as loon his Spys brought him Word, iic was come to that httic Town iJ(?.7;^/; ; the Town is prcfently begirt with the SjrtAn Arn^iy. ' Gihaz.i's SuccefTor (being yet but a little ac- quainted with his Matters Miracles) could fee the"Dj?7^fr (io cry s^ alas my M^ftcr^ whatjh.dhvedo. 1/. 15.) but could not fce xht D dive ranee ^ E//^j.i was no more concerned than to have his Servants Eyes opened, (that his Fmth alfo might be above his Fear) God opened them, and then he faw better Horfes and better Chariots ior their Defence ; Their Kemcdy would over- match their MaUdy^ v. 17. The fame fforfessLnd chariots that had carried up Elijah,wcrc now come to proted: £///7M,from tJie Horfes and Charriots of Benhadad : Horfes and chariots of Fire^ mull needs be too hard for the Syrians cf Flefb.: Elijha thus guarded, goeth out to his Adverfarjes, and as he prayed open his Servants Eyes, he prayed his Enemies Eyes into blindnefs. 1/. 18. fo led them thence to. Samaria^ where he entrapped them, that thought verily they had entrapped him in Do^har., noti2.r£i^m Samaria, v. 19. lo. &c. While rhe Prophet flaid in Sam art a (\\\s^\2iCt ofchiefeft Rcfidence and the chief City of the Kingdom) he was f cure from the Syrians Ailaulting him, but if he be Removed to Dothan (to a place of defection, as tlie Hebrew word fignifies) a lefler Town of leller flrength, there and thither may the Syrian Hoft better AfTemble, but they caa- not AiTault, the P. is fafe there alfo, having mere for than agaiy>fi^ "v. 16. They that he rvith uf are more than they be with them. z. , Chron 51. 7. more Friends than Ad verfaries.-

Thcre is yet a fourth Scripture apparition of Army s, which, according to the Sentiments offomc, is an ^rmy of Men, but o^ others an Army cf ^^ngels^ioiccmsd. mixt-ure of both, to wit, Zech. 6' from v. i . to 9. ijf. Some fence that Apparition of 4.

H Ci;a-

^o Wonderful Signs

Charriots, to fignify the four. Empires [ in or dine &d Bcckftant ] all ordered from their Rife to their.Ruin (in each of them)* by the Decrees of God, which lay hid as it were ia Mountains of Brafs, and ran like a River under ground, till they broke forth, and ihewed themfelves in their.due execution, with refped (all. along ; to the Church of God. And if we admit of this Inter- pretation, then this -Apparition was an Army of Mey/^ yea of four feveral forts of Men, The .4/fyr/4;?, The Perpan, Th^ Grecian A^diYiQ Roman. Thus the four 'Empires {cohesively taken) muft be underftood : But the jecond Senfe is, that it was an ^f^.rition of four Squdaron oi Angels, and this is more probable, as more agreeable to the Interpretation which tho l-rophctS- Tpitor (rather than Tutelar Angel) gives of it, v. 5. calling them the Spiri's of Heaven*8>cc. And though the word [Ruachoth] Signify fVinds, by y^hich Dame I prefigures the four Monarchys, Daf7. ji- i.Yet more emphatically, Angels are called Spirits. Hak I. 7; 14. And the Spirits of l^eaven^Mzih. 1^. 56. and Galv I. 8. who 2iS Mini ft ring S'^itits doe St and he fore the Lord of the whole Earth. Mat. 18. 10. To ferve his Providence and to be fent out (ashis Agents and Inftruments) upon various Er- . rants,, at his pleafurc : and therefore are they Defcribed here \ Gods Chartots, as Pf. 68 . ji 7, and of diverfe colours, i . Blaci\ . ; when their Errands ztQ Sorrowful, i. White, .when joyful . ^ly, .Red, when Bloody. 4. Grizled, when mixt of both : fcyful and : Sorrowful, as to contrary Subjeds. 'Tis very Remarkable here. iv That Divine Decrees are unfearchable, infuperabic, unavoi- dable, unremoveable, they Hand [ike Maintains oi Brafs, which, can never be removed : ^iy. All Humane Events are ordered in . the World by Dtvine Decrees : Therefore tis our. patt to put^ut ^menio Gods ^men ; and to fay in the Language of the pri- mitive Chriftians {the mUofthe Lord he done) Ad:. ai..i4. 5. An- gels are Gods Agents for moveing the wheel of Providence, in All Events, The Spirit of the living Creatures is in the Wheels. Ezech.i. ao. and 10, 9. 11. 15. 'Tis a Comfort to /^. /y .?./?», that all Occurrences arc managed by the Holy Angels,

4. The

Ofyvonderjul Times. <\

.4. The Work God Employs -angels to work in the World, is 4?^rious work, -tis BUck work and White ^ox^. Red work and JldinvUa work. 5. Their Black work is upon Dal/yl,w^ and their Wh/te work is upon i"/^^ : The B/ack Horfes were fent to deflroy ^.;^^/tf;?,that lay North oijudea^ and the vih.te Horfes were fent ^fter them into the fame Northern Country to dehver Si^n, which then in a great part lay among the Pots in Bdylon, 6. Their gri2led or mingled work, was upon ^A-gipt and aya- hia^ which lay South from ]uded^ the Punilhmeqt whereof was fomewhat mixed and mitigated, they fhould be ifl fome better cafe than Babylon^ yet not fogood as to retain the Jews there from their own Country. 7. Their Black work done upon Bu- hyUn is faid 10 quiet Gods Spirit . v. 8. To e^je him of hts Adver- saries^ Ifa. 1 . 24. to pacify his Anger and to give God full con- tent. S. TheErrandof the i?<f^ Charriot, is wholy omitted, probably becaufe 'tis a work rcferved for the lall times, as the filack Charret did deflroy Bah)lo^ Literal^fo the red Charet(not mentioned as to its going out here) may be Referved to deltroy Babylon Myflical, and to give her Blood to Drink, fgr Hie is worthy. Eevel. 16. 6. 9. After all this is done, comes in the Kingdom of the Branch, v.. 1 1. Thus the Fr^phetjicrc concurrs With Daniel, who after he had mentioned the downfal of the four Monarchys brings in the Kingdom of ^e StonrX^^LW. i. (the Kingdom of Chrifl our dear Redeemer) Darnel had (uch ^ppa/i^ tions of miglity things, a? Zuchary had.

The fourth fearful P/^cc^tf^w^;/^;? was that Eery flying Bullet, falling from the \ irmament,wher€of this Account from Rcftock in SiWcta is given,^ that in fan. laft, the Heavens feemed to be Ruffled up like a (beet of Paper, at which time a white glitt&?r ring Bullet appeared, which feemed to yeild fome drops of wa- ter, being attended with two great flames of Lightning ; The Bullet was feen (by many ipe(5tators) to fall down, but none of them could tell where it fell, only in ithis all do unanimouf- ly agree, that the faid5'-;//f", in its faling, gave a greater light in- to their Houfcs than the greatcft lights they burned for three

H ^ or

C2 Wonderful Signs

or four Miles round the place. I know not how to Exempl/fy this y^/>^4r/f/^w with a more fiiitable Paralel, out of Scripture Record, than with ^^^f/^^n'si^/^/;?^^?^?^' : Chap. 5. i. a. &c. This Roll is called a Volumn, or a Scroll of Paper or Parch- ment, relied up (as the Heavens Teemed to be in this Vrodigj) yet Tl-^'ing and fleeting fwiftiy all a long as a Bird of Prey in a ready pollute to feize on liis Prey. VoUns Velocifjtmum ultioms incur fum ^lenotat. This very pofture of Flying doth demonflrate .fomefuddenlncurfion of Divine Vengeance, {2iiih chryfffiomr, but God only\nows where it will fall : Nemo fcelm gerit in ft- if ore ^ qui non idem Nemcfin mfergo. No man can* carry any ^i- vellilh wickednefs in his Breafl:, but the fami? man mufl bear Kemefm (fo was the Goddefs of Revenge called) or Divine Vengeance upon his Back. This the blind Heathens could fay, by the light of "Nature, into whofe //f4r// xh^ Rtmarks how the Holy God Revengeth himfelf upon wicked men; cafl a greater light, than could this Flying Bullet, into the fJoi^fes o£ thofe Villages which wercenlightned with it. Hereupon they called "Vengeance A/es^H^ which fignifics undvoidahle^ becaufe no Oifendercan tither Avert or /^i/^/V the Revenging hand of God; there i& no cfcaping its coming, nor abiding it when it cometh ; This Flying Roll isdefcribed by the Prophet to be ten yarjs long and fiv^braad.

This Remarkable Meafure of the Flying Roll is i/. Cora- menfurate to the Porch efihe Temple, which is exa(ftly defcribed to be of the fame Breadth a.nd Length. i^Kin^ 6. 3. And as it bore a proportion in meafure to ihc Porch, fo it may be fuppo- fed to come out from thence, ^s'Si Voice from tL Temple, lh.66. 6. And unfolding as it came thence, ic appeared in the Air in a Flying poflure, hailning and ' hovering ov«r the Heads of wicked Perfons. a/y. It bears likewife a proportion to th(' Land of thcfews, which Geographers Defcribe to be twice ai long, as it was ^road, and now it being covered all over with th\ Gift a and lilth oi Mens Sins, it was ready to be covered all ovei mth the [erne And /[mart of Gods ^udgmems. 3 (v. Tis commen-

furat^

Oj I Vomer Jul I tmeT. 5^

furate alfo to the whole World cf CertUs^ the length whereof, (take it from E^/? icsWefl) much exceeded the breadth of it from North toi'<?«//^,asGeography obferveth,and thus it fignified,that as all the Habitable Lands had///V^ themfelves with all kind of Sins, fo God would nowhil them with all kind of funifjymems : 'Twas every way large enough to plague all.forts ofSins,and to ■ puniili all forts oi Sinners^ wnether in every corner of T^/z^^-r, or in the utmoft parts of theHabitabfeWorld. Thus the PlyingRbll is faid 10 (TO forth ^ yea Hy (more fwiftly than the Eagle, the' Ar- row, ora Fladi of Lightning) over the FACe ofthir whole Earth, . v. a, 5. hwdtihtCurje cfGod (contained in the Roll within and without) is as tjie Fierj Bullet, that burns on all fides , b^ng like Eztkiels Book, filled with fuch contents as Lamentation and Nourning, and Woe, Ezek. 2. 9. i o. This Curfc of God when it falleth upon the People of G'^?^/ C«r/r, Ifa, 34. 5; hsth a more mighty and mortal fall than the bulkieft Bullet in the World, far beyond the Burthen of that mountanious Bullet, which (Hi- Hory telleth us) was Hiot out of that motiflrous murdering- piece, called Grand Diabolof or the great Divel : Inafmuch as the mighty Hands of the Almighty and All-Creating God i» Heaven, can give a greater and more fatal Blow, than can the created Hands of the greatefl DHclin Heili This is the Fiery BuUei th^t Droppeth t\iQ bitter Water rvh.'eh cnufcth the Curfe.lSum. 5.18 .. and which will make the Thigh to Rot, and the Be/Iy to Srve/I.v. 21 .. 25. Neither let any man fay,that' the C/zr/ifj writ- ten in Gods Book, are but Bug-bears, and th^t words are but jv/w^, as they faid, Jer; 5. 15. for the words written in that Book (or Hebrew Scro//) fliould caufe the waters thus to work, which (in themfelves) had neither any difcerniifg Virtue,nor any deflroy- • ing Vigour, yet the Divine Inflitution made *the fame potion, either Poyfon or Medicine, according to the cleanefs or un-< cleanefs of the party : Thus alfo Gods Word which Seoficrs call but- wifjd, yet may have Dreadful Effeds, for even iVjnJ, when gotten into the Bomls of the Earth, may caufe an E^rth- quake, fo this WprS of the Curfc, when gotten into the ^Bo;vels

Ot

of a mans mind, may make an Heart-quake. 'Befides, that very i^V^ which thofe Mocker sm2,^t\\^x.o^ as Wrad^ ihould be- come Fire^ and themfelves Fuit to feed it. Jer. 5 . 13 . 14. And as Fre flyeth upon /"//f/tliat is fully dryed, ajid confumeth jt inaninftant, Nah. i. 10. So Gods Jrljinip-RvH will Jick up wicked Livers, as that Fir e.kom Hea^vc^ did the Sacrifice^ the JVood^ the StoneSn and the £)///?, with all the Water in x.\iQTr€Kch^ I. Kin. 18. 58. P/iz/A/ff 7/'rf4m;7^i, in Gods Flying-Roll, are (as ErafrrtM faith of Ez,ek. 5 . 18.) Fulmina. pot/us qriam Fetha. Hot Thunderbolts, rather than fuch Words as be hw Wind) The fame God that hath denounced it, will certainly do it, he will fee his own Law Executed. Zach. 5. 4. and will (himfelf) £a-^- cttte the fudi^icnt written in thh Roll: Ff i49,*9 Yea and more than ts written: Deut. 18. Gi. Upon the Head of the Thief (great as well as fmall, as xht Pj^atetold Alexander') under which is comprifed all other Sinners againft thefecon'H Table ; and upon the Head of the Swearer (comprehending all againft the firfl) God hath Sworn that Swearers lliall not ent^r into his Reft. We live in the Dreggs (the laft and worft) of Times, wherein Blafphemous Oaths, are belched out of Black Helliih Mouths, both ordinary and openly, yea fome Oaths are be- come Rhetorical Inrcrjcd:ions of Speech to the Vulgar fort, and other fome meer Phrafes of Gallantry to the Damnrc-Gal- lants : but mirk the end. The direful Curfe comes flying with a Divine Commiffion breaks into theHoufes of thofe Thieves and Swearers) which they caJl their Cajlles. wherein they think themfelves out of the reach of Gods Rod) there it remains as a rroublefome Inmate in defpight of them, they cannot rid or remove this curfmgRoll,<mtill it hath not only fauced their Meat and fficed their Drink^ with ihcWrathcf God, as ^^6i> lo. 13. but until alfo the fire thereof hath kindled the Brim/lone that lay (cat^ tered upon their Habitations, Job 1 8. -14. 15. This pu&6 their, All into a light Flarfie,con(uming both Timber and Stones^ their p^- fons and their Eftates^ which they have raked together by Ra- pine, Sacrilcdg, Perjury, and other wieked^ways : Such Balls

of

Of Wonderful Times. 5 5

of Fire (RcfembJing this Flying Roll, &c.) have been fccn fal- ing out of Heaven ^ Gods Temple) upon Woods, Ground^, yea lirults here in Engltnd, The bigncfs of which Fire Balls, have feemed toSpedators as large as the greatell Chaldrons, thefe muft be predifHve Signs tp us, SiSj^eremy's Boy ling-Pot was to the few, Jer. i, i%, and as Ezektels was, Ezek; 14. 5. 4. i ;. Reprefenting Jerufalfm which then had a w/^^^y Scitm in her^ but the Fire ofGoSs Wrath fet the Pot on boyhng (by the ChddcAns) until it had boyled out all the Bones 3Lnd the Fie /h (the Stout ejl and Richefi)2X which they had Scoffed. Ezek. 11. ;. 7. But when they go r(? /^^ P<7', and boylluftily there, their Scoffs are forced back down their own Throat s,and thcirHearts might then befpeak them, as the F^eart of the Tyrant Afollodc- rus (who dreamed he was taken and flead by the Scythians, and boyled in a great Chaldron) did, cry out of the Kettle or Chal- dron to him b'" cvi'k^^v hfiici 'tis I that am the Caufe of all; this thy Mifery. JS^o lefs a 5/^;; was Ezekiels Iron Pan, to the Hard-FIearted ./^jvj. Ezek. 4. 3. both which Hieroglyphicks - and Emblems did not only fignify, their City ihould be hardly Bcfieged, but alfo that God would fofeeth them in a Pot, and fo ^ fry thernin a Pan, as that they fhomld fine away in their Imquitys. ' L'cvit. '26. ;9. The good Lord P/i/^r/ this fore Judgment | from London, and Dire^ it to Rome or myflic^l Babylon, for ilie is i worthy. Revel. 166.

The fifth rvonderful Signs in the Fleavens, is, xht Several Suns ti>at have been feen in the Firmament, at fome due diflance one from another, as hath been Teftifycd to me : but I (hall not • Infift upon this, (as I have upon the former) not only becaufe my Book begins to fwell beyond my Expe(5lation, but alfo be- caufe I have refolvcd to enlarge upon nothing, no nor infert here any thing upon (lender Evidence, without evident and fufficient Tcftimony : It fhall therefore fuffice to fay but little to this, fave only, that fuch an Apparition need the lefs to be ^ doubted of, feeing natural Phylofophy mentioneth it, as one of Nature? Frodu^I^s, though not ordinarily, calling them farelta

or i

5 6 " Wonderful Signs

or Mock-Suns : yei that Divine Philofopher Zanchf^ doth not only (in concurrence with Heathen Philofopers) fuppofe fuch Apparitions to prognoflicate abundance of wet weather, but alio (as he faith. further) various Judgnients,as Faminc,Sword, &c. Zanch. de oper. Dei. Pag. 348. Yfa our own Engli(b Chro- nicles tell us, "that fuch an Apparition was fcen in the Heavens m the beginning of Queen Mdnes Reign as^there liad been the iike before, to preface the Death , of that infolcntly proud Prelate, Thom.ts Becket Arch-Bilhop o{ Canterbury.

In a word, both time and room (and it may be Credit too) would fail me, Ihould I infert the other Apparitions in the Air (we hear off if not fee) as the Dreadful Thunders and Light- nings, the Impetuous Wind and Whirlwinds, and manyflrange Meteors which I defignedly omit, until I get better prooff, (which I truly defire from all good Hands) well knowing my Brethren that went before me, in this Work 10 years ago , ibme'clo blame for credulity : Alter lus per ditto jnea^t emtio. The Cenfure pafl«d upon my Predeceflbrs (in the like work) for \iz^ in^oY^r Credulous., hath been cogent to make me a little the more Cantelous : Therefore I pafs on to the fecond Sce;7e or Theatre, whereon God ihc^s his Wonderful- S ;gnf or Prodigies,, to wiuon theBarth (as well as the lirfl: in theHcavens orAir)And firfl of thcProdigious Hdil-ftorjes, which God cafl: out of the Air, down totlic Fanh, which cannot be called Apparitions in the Air (and {o belong to the firft Scene) feeing their prodigious bulkinefs could not be diftin(5lly difcerned, until they appeared ' (fain, taken up, and meafured) upon Earth. This fame Prodigy or Wcndtrful^ign., happened upon the i%ih. oi May, 1680. which became fo mifchicvous to all the Sky-Lhghts, all over London, &c. and knockt down many Rooks, by their vail weight, and bignefs, fome of them (being meafured) were found fcven Inches about, &c. This Sign alfo may be exempli- fied both out of Sacred and Civil HiAory. ifl. Sacred and- i//. The Plague of Hail (lones upon zy^gypt, Exod. 9.18. to 17. Such jis that Land never (aw or felt before^ for this fcventh Plague was :

• ill. .More

Of Wonderful limes, 57

id. More General than any, being over the whole Land at once, aly. None ever was fo Tem^ef''d with fire nhich tan ainrig ihe Grouna. V, i;. Though lire and Hail be of two contrary Tem- pers, yet in this thiey made a Peace betwixt themfelves, that they might obey the Will of their Creatour. This was a ftrangc mixture, and a Miracle within a Ahracle, faith Rai; Solomon : fuch Kail-rtones and Coals of Hre mingled together are menti- oned: rf. 1 8. 15. 14. I), and 7/4. ;o. ;o. 91. as here and p/". 7S. 47. 48. and /'/.105. 52 53. ;ly. Kone ever fo pundu- 2.\ly PredM Jed znd 2iS punctually Performed, according to the Prediction. 1^. 18. 25. 24. 25. 4ly. None ever fo X>e//r«c7iT'f to Man, Benftsind Trees, v, 25. Pf. 66. 46. 47. 48. and lof. ; ;. 5ly. Kone ever (o Distin^ttiHun^ though it was over all the Land of ^gift, yet the Land ofGojhen { a part of it) was exemp- ted- v. 2 5. Such an Exemption (was that Torrent of Fire which ran down from Mount ^Aitna,) vouchfafed to thofe Religi- ous Children, which ventured to Refcue their Aged Parents, from thofe fearful Flames, made /^r//?<?^/f fay,[k3r4 t. -^^ X'o=e^J/ . 6- /*.<eriny.Hcr^T3 A-wooc/oj. ] It extottcd from him an acknowledgement of Gods good Providence for the Godly here on Earth, when he faw the Flames of Fire, dividing themfelves and making a Lane for thofe Godly Refcuers of their Flelplefs Parents. The fccondfacrcdinilance of Prodigious ^j//-S (j^/^/. Jofli.io.ii.Ob- fervcd the like exemption or diflindion(as that in Excd.c) 26.) 'tis faid [the Lord call down great Stones from F^caven] ex- plained there \^beebeni H.ibucd, Hagfdtloth'\ fuch huge Hail- llones as brained the Cannaniies, but hurt not the Ihadaes that were not only at their Heels, but alfo mingled amongfi them ?s they flew them in their Flight and dreadful Thunder and Light- ning came along with thofe Na l-Jlones alfo, as not only Jofe- fhits faith, but ^liibACcuck likcwife Hahkic 5. 11. Where God fliot olThis fliiniiig ^rrjws, and darted from him his Glit- tenn^ Spears, yea he IcvePd them (whether Huge Had {io^/es, or Hot ■'rhundirbo'ts) v/ith fo even an Fland to tlicir fcvcral marks, that he /»/.' the cne and //.'jjjed the cth.r, even when they

I were

it)i yronderjul btgm

were intermingled together : this wsi^DigitHS Dei, ily. Civil Hifiory mentions flrange Hai!-J}o^;es, both Ethnick s, as Ltvy De- cdd. I. Lib. I. andDecad. ^. Lib. lo. OlauMaK , 8cc. And Ec- clcfialticL\^s Eufth/mUh. 5. TenulliAu C^^. 5. Apolog. And D16 in the Life of hUrcm Antenins (the PJiilcfopher fo called) who fought againfl the Ouahs ,Q.XiAhy xhc prayers^of xhQ Thun- dring Let:>n{^% in iAurclws the^ Emperors time they were cal- led) of Chriftians, /;«^(r;?/ Gr ando compluri-:qHe fulminA in Hofies Cp- C'Jerunf, &c. Such huge Haii-ftones, and hot Thunderbolts falleth upon the Enemy doth that Heathen Hiftorian fay, as ii h^ had been an Ecclefiaftick Writer) and Fire and Water did fall down from Heaven, ih.Q chnfiians and their Party drank of the water and were Refrefhed, but the £lmde$ (their Enemies) were Burnt by xh^Fire and Periihed, while it feJJ not at all up- on the other, or if it did, it was prefently quenched. Neither did the Waters Relieve the ^uAd€<, but Inflame them,as if it had bfeea Oyl, fo that they called for Water to cool them, when the water fell upon them, yea and wounded their own Bodies, toj quench their burnings with their own Blood: many more fiich ftra nge Stories have we in xho^Ma^i^ehur^^ Cemunjis and in Oftanders Epitom (too long to Relate) I add only that out of P<r- rerius (the Jefuite) who tells us of a moft grievous f/a/l ihower ia.Erance- in the Reign of Lewis Son to cW/f^ theGrcat,which was fo prodigious in the weight and bulk of the Stones, that it'ilcw both Mar, and Beaff, and at that time a peice-of /^^ of la footiong, fell with the Hail out of the Air, &c. If there be lUch Wonders in a Hail-ihowcr, 'tis thelefs Wonder that God propofeth this great Wonder to y<y^,' asking him, [fiaft iho»fecn tde Treasures vf the Hail, which I have Referued again ji the t.mc cf Tfcuhle, as the Day cf Battel and War.] Job; 8. a a; a;. Shewing tljat the Infpedbion and Adminiftration of all thefe marvelous Meteors ^ do only belong to the Great. (7 ^, , he hath vaft Treafun sodhcm.m^ny Arrows laid up in his Quiver (which can never be emptied, as the Poet faith o£joves) againft the ap- pointcdtime for Punilhing his Advcrlarics.thcn he brings forth

his

Of y/ onderjHl Timer. 5^

his tmer^Lnd krver Troops (as the Rdbbins ^ht2i(c it) ready preft for his Serviec, and this he will do againfl ^^^y/^/^jagaintt which God hsth a moll Dreadful Shower of Hatl-flonts^ Revel. iG. 17. 18. ^l. where the feventh Plague upon ^yEqyft is compa- red to the feventh Plague upon Hahhn^ yet this latter far worfe, as more wxighty than the former, every HaiI-flon« weighed a Talent, far bigger than thofe that Drain'd the C.mix- rn^ttjh Kings. J^o\h. lo. Stc my Church- fliji or y pdig. 507. When oar fofhttj or blelTed fefi^s fliall come forth Conquering and to Conquer the World (as that Typical fofhua did Canaan) he hath a worfe Shower of Hail-ftones wherewith to knock down not only all the Romijh Rooks (that would Rook us of our Refor- med Religion) but alfo to Brain all the Grandees of the Earth, that lend their Power to uphold the tottering Whore of Baby- lon ; thofe prodigious Had-ftones fliall drop down out of ^^^4- 'L'^;^ and defcend upon the E4r/^. Revel, lo. 9 as if both con- fpired to deftroy Chtifts Enemies, as they had done D^j-z^/^j be- fore. Pf. 18. i^. 14. 15. and the cWr^e/ Ifa. 50. 30. 51. Such as never were feen upen £anh. RcveL i6. 1 8.

The fccond Wonderful Sign upon Earthy is that ftrangc ui^ t^riuon to the MAtd at H At field.

Elizabeth Freemans 7?f/4//5;;, taken before 5/r Jofeph Jordan Kt, and Richard Lee D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majeflj, and Re^or c/ Hatfield, t>« Jan. 51. 80.

I. CHE faith, That jf^;?. 14. Sitting by the Fire fide about 5 ^ iw the Evening (which was its conftant time of appearing) ihe heard a voice behind her, mildly faying. Sweet-heart ! She turningback, faw the appearance of a Woman (as fiie thought, all in white, with a white Vail, fo that fiie faw no Face, but a very white Hand was laid on the back of her Chair) which faid to Her ; The 1 5 th. of Ma^ is appomted for the Roy- al Blood to be Poyfoned, and further faid, be not afiaid, for I am fcnt to tell thee. II. That on Jan. 1 5 . coming home, it ap- peared in White and Vaifd; as before, faying,*Do you remcm-

I 1 ber

6o Wonderful Signs'

bcr what Ifaid ? {he Anfwcre-1, yes. She farther faid, /« t^e Name of the Father Son and Holf Ghof^, n^af art thou r* It immedi- ately appeared in a very glorious (hapc, with a very Beautiful Face, and with a Crown on its Head : and harflily faid, Tell K. (h.irles from me, not to remove his Parliament, and (land to his Council, and charging her to obey its Command, to which Ihc anfwered, yes, rjTr. III. On 40. 26 It came again, llie being at home, and her Mother perceiving her troubled, faid Daugh- ter feeft thou any thing? ilienot being able to fpeak, nodded her Head and waving her Hand : the Mother faid, fhall I go out ? ilie being enabled to fpeak, and the Apparition nodding to her, ihe faid, yes. The Mother going out, the Apparition bid her do her MeiTage : iheanfwcred, I will, fo foon as God jhall enable me, it faid be not afraid, and fo Vanilhed. IV. It appeared Jan. 27. at a Neighbours Houfe, but fpakc not. V. It appeared again at home, as formerly, /4;?. 18. her Mother and two Neighbours being prefent, feeing her begin to be troubled) they ail kneeled down to Prayer, it commanded her to do her MeiTage, faying, the Lord will go with you, but the perfons by did neither hear nor fee it. VI. Jan, 19. It appeared as (he was praying, hut faid nothing. VII. Again the ^o^h. it appeared',! hux. faid noth-ng. VIII. fa'ti. ; i. It appeared to her again at her Brother-in-Lavv's Hoafe, being in a very glorious fliape, as on the 7//f/^^>' before, and faid, God hathfent me to bid you do as he hath commanded you.&c. IX. It appeared onrF^^. i. again, in white, hut faid noihinr. . X. Fe^. 2. The day (1 e came to Lo». don, it appeared again, and commanded her to bid K. ch.i^les keep to his Nobles, and them he takes to be his Enemies, and keep the Parliament in the City. XI. F<b. 5 She being at M^hjtehal^ could not be admitted to fpeak to the King: as (lie was coming back. faw the Apparition in white, but it fud nothing. XII. Oil the fame day it appeared again, and faid, Youi have done your endeavour to the utmoft that God hath commanded you, you (hall be troubled no more.

Fth 9th. This Maid, accompanied with Sir fcfe^h ^rdar^ Dr.

Uj yyonderjiil 1 imes, 6t

Li', Mr. Wiliinfon,htz}s\oxhQT and others, attended the King and Council, where his Majefty asked her many Quefiions, and heard her Relation patiently,aftcr which bidding her Go home and fer ve God, and ihe (Inould fee no more fuch Vifions ; or to that effed:, and fo llie wasdifmidcd. Yet about the middle of ^pnl 8 1 . She Relates, that the Viiion hath appeared again to her, and hath commanded. her once more to prefent her felf to his Majefly.

The £rft grand Enquiry, is whether this ApfArition were a good or an £vil Anzel. Anfwcr, i In general A fift-. hie ^pparjion of Invifible Sprits , is preternatural, and therefore a Prodigy, whether the Spirit that appears be good or -bad : ily. Learned men give this Character of DiIlind:ion betwixt the Apparition of a good and of an f^'// Angel. That xhcgood always appear in the fliape of heaut'ffl Perfofjs or Clear/ Creatures j as, of a Lamb to Clement^ of an // rt to Eujiace^ and of a Dove to Gitmmarus, &c. But the £1^// Angels A'^^c^zt 2S Deformed mniOX2iS Filthy Be-afis. Thus the Devil appeared to an AfTembly of Witches in the Shape of a Sttttkmg Coat, and of a filthy Hog, in thefe Churches of A^a-^^a, propha- ned by Arrians. Thus Satan (foon after his Fall) took the likencfsof a Scrfer>t,2.t\6. is call'd fo, yea a Btagon, and thus, he is faid to appear in the ugly Hiape of all loathfomc Grea- ture»to H^lhry, Anthonj, &c. As 4thamfius and Hicrcm:^ in their fuppofititious Relations have Reported . yea, fome do further fay, Hoc eft admcdum mirahii; r.urtquam Vifos ejje D^mones utrccjue f:de Hiimanoullhi ^ffaruiffe, &c. Saith Fornerus De Angelis Serm. 9. 'Lisa very Wonderful thing faith he, that Devils never are fecn appearing any where in mans iliape, with both Feet alike, but either with one Foot cloven, or with a whole club Foot. All this feems not an infalibly diilinguilhing Ciia- radter : for, 'tis true, the groat God can put fuch difcriminating Brands upon fuch deceitful Apparitions, of Evil Spirits, and poffibly doth often mark them fu : yet this will not hold Uni- vcrfally true, for thatDrw/ who caa (as the Scripture of

truth

6 2 Wonderful Signs

Truth faith) 'ur» htmfelffHto an Angtl ef Li^ht. a. Cor. 1 1. 14- may ajfo Tranform himfelf into the ihape of feme comely Man^ OTiovel) Seafi : 3. That which the Apoftle there affirmeth, was i/je/i taken for granted among the Learned (fuch as Pauls oppo- fers deemed themfclvcs) and this was acknowledged by Porphy- ?r, ^^amhltchtis, §cc. That the Devil (the Prince of Darknefs) could Transform himfclf into an Angel of Light ^ either by aiTu- : mingto himfeif a lightfome, comely and glorious Body, as if he were an An^el of Heaven, or by fuggefting fomething that fce- meth to favour of Piety and Zeal for God, as if it came from ifonie blelfed Angel, whereas his fuggeftions (as he fuggefteth them) do indeed tend to Gods D jhonour ziiduhe Sauls R'^irie. 4 The Character that even Porphyry giveth Sataf9 (calling him -7i>.y?opofuoy}y-;:ri}vlf^7nv') onc of many Forms and Fafhions, doth Evidence, that it was the Opinion of the Ancients, how he doth not always appear in one and the fame Form, but hath as many feveral Ihapes as Proteus had among the poits : This is made more manifeft in the Hiftory of the tA^s of. the Apnftlcs^ as, firft at Ljftra he appeared as a Comedian, as if a Scene of FUutus were to be A6ted upon the Stage, A^. 14. 11. ii. &c. Secondly, at Amiochhe appeared like g. fefuite with Traditions inhis Mouth, v. ^6.zndAct. 15. i. Thirdly at Athens, hcM^ lyes OMZ like A Philofoper^ A6t. 17. 18. Fourthly, at £/>^f/«j lie takes the likcnefs of a ^\2i^tt- Artificer. A6t. i<^. 24. And fifthly, ot Corinth^ he tranforms himfeif into an An^elof j^ight. a. Cor. 11. 14. v/izh Acf, 18. 6..&C. In all thofe pla- ces the Devil A(5led the parts of all the aforefaid, though he did not vifibly aflume their ihapes. 5/;. As to the latter Times touching vifible Apparitions ; Scverus Sulpitius in the Life of Mdrtinw, chap. 15. gives this Account, that Satan appeared in the form of a good Angel, among other Apparitions to Amiho- Itus a young Monk, &c. He telleth how the Devil appeared toSt Af4rr/«(focalled) as he was praying in his Monaftick Cell, the apparition feemed very glorious, fparkling with a dazeling light, having upon it Royal Robes, upon its Head a

Gol-

Uf yyonaerjHl I imef. 61

Golden Crown befpangled with Jewels, upon its Feet gilded ■ Shoes, c-trid%ith a benign Afped: out of a comely mouth fpakc as followeth \_/h H o y M.2iiur\^ ack novledg me rvhom4hoH bcholdethj &m Chnljt ccmmg donm to the Earthy and I n^ouU firji m-iyiff(fi my felf to thee, 'Sec,"] and the Apparition oft Repeati^ginthofe Words, the ti\2in{Mjirtin) Anfvvered, thatc^^// had no where foretold, be would come again in p ^litterinf And glorious a pofture (upon ' Earth) before tht UH day. I will not beliere that it is chnfi ( wiio • is come now to me) unlefs he appear in the {2Lmc Fcrm and tidbit whereinhe/'<j/f^rf^, and having his five Wounis wherewith he VfSLS fitgrnatiz,ed upon the Crofs ; upon this Anfwer tlie Devil va- mihedoutof/ight, leaving an horrible flink behind him, as faith the Author. See him offundry other Stories of the like Delufions : and Johdn.Wierus de pr^tfljcijs DemoKum Lib. ii. Gap. i6, 6. There is another Character whereby the Dif- courfe of an Ev I ^ngel to #5 may be difcerned from that of a (rood one, which reterThjreus Lib. 4. of Apparitions, Chap. 16. Numb. 17. mentioneth, faying [The Difcourfe of a ^W -^ngcl doth at the beginning aifright a perfon, but afterwards leaves that mind qmcted Sivid comforted, h\xx. on the contrary, when an Evil Angel appeareth and difcourlcth them, 'tis pleafing and infmuatingat the firfl,butit ever leaves themind difturbed and in little cafe at the end. The fame Sign doth Pirfedu give, in his Notes upon fch, ^, t. 16 Thisalfo is no Infalible Note, but afaiacious Sign alfo, for the Apparition of a good Angel i/.To Sarf»pfons Mother was no way ailrightful to her, but rather com- fortable, encouraging her to run to her Husband, to acquaint him with the glad Tidings, /r/^^. 13. 3. G. Neither was her Husband terrified with this Apparition, fpeaking boldly to it [^art thgu heuhich jpakc to the ^^ oman'] V. 11. Though after his departure, a Trembling Seiz'd upon ///w, through want of Faith V. 11. not upon her, whofe Faith was ftrong v.i^: and 1^. The Apparition of an tvd ^ingel (or i)fi///)to .S"^///(asthe ^ocd Angel was Chnfl to Sumpfofjs Parents, Jud i ;. ai. 50. cal'd ^£rMm and Jehovah) did drive the King into a Swoon, i. Sar?t.

18:

Wonclerfiil Signs:

"a8, lb preaching to him his Funeral Sermon, yetjitthe chfg he had Tome Imall cowf art from the Witches fatted Calf, not fo much to rcfreni him, as to get him fafe out of her Houfe, and leart his qualr^of fear Ihould drive him quite o.T from the Devil. Both tr#*fe two Inftances are point-blank contradicto- ry to Th:rei4s and /'/.^f^/.^f dilUnguifliing Charad:er. 7 'y. Nei- ther is that Sign f which fome fay is diftinguilhing) any better than the former, to wit, It mufi he aguod yingd tha,c fm^gt{l good things^ whereas the Devil ca.[\^[yo good Coh?.//^ and put upon good Duties, but always for evil Ends, as B Jims obferveth m jLib,%'}f.^eI>Amor}omAmdCAj}.G and 5^w«<^/ (himfelf ) could not have fpoken more gravely and feverely than Satan did i.Sam. 28. 16. I have read a Story of a good man, who was very weak, and after his Solemn calling upon God, on his Knees by his Bed-fide, he betakes himfelf to Jlis Bed for Reft, but being about to fleep, an y^ppnntiurj {^c^iks to him, faying, rife up to Prayer ; The poor Tempted Soul bravely anfwered the Temp- ter, Tie pray at God^hidaing not at the Divels, &c. And 'tis a known cafe' Satan fuggefts to his Vaftals (Witches and Wiz- zards ; to frequent places of Gods Woriliip but all in Hypocri- fy) leaft they Hiould feem to be fo bad as they are indeed : yea fomctimes to receive the Eucharift, but to referve it for fome of their Magick and Diabolical Charms. So that 'tis beft judg- ing Ox^Tuch Suggeftions from the f/3^propofed, The Devils e- vil £';7^in prompting the Sick man to the Good .^^ion of Prayer was to diicompofehim from fleep and to dcftroy him thereby. 8. But much lefs may an Evil fpirit be diftinguiJhed from a| good one by iho pUce where the Afp^irition is appearing; for " the Devil fometimes can thruft himfelf in among the Sons of Godor fleiJAfjgel'-, Job i. 6. and when Satan thus makcth himfelfonc. among the Holy Angels, 'tis by Divine perm ilfion, and not without the over-ruling power of God : The good An- gels came into Gods prefence for ^o^V to /(?^, but this evil o ne for iv.^l to him, to wit, for a CommifFion to hurt him, yet even this God over ruled for good : Jam. 5. n. though the begtyi-'^

nwgl

OfWo7iclerfultimes. 57

ipg was the Devils^ yet tj^e ^nd was the Lords, So Zech. ; . i : . \ ea and long before that, that S'vil hnrd was got into lUrAaicr the bell pUcc that was then in thcWorld,^'ea,and long after that he could not only accompany, but even carry Chrill himfelf to the Holi remple, when he placed him upon a Pinaclc of it, thus it appearethfromScripture-Record,that ci/z/Spirits maysppear, even in ^ocd places, as well as bad ones : to. this Drextlus Vifion gives a farther confirmation/aying,//^ fatv tenDcvils at a Scr»-or, and but one ai a Market ; the Ke'afon whereof he givcth, is, that ataSerr?forj^mci\{\.2ind in Awe of Gods presence there, A6t. lo. 5 ;. and therefoic ten Devils Satan thinks few enough to tempt them, that they m^v mt ferve the Lord without Diftiaaiur/. 1 . Cor, 7.^5. But at a Market tlie Tempter*nceds not fo many tempting Tools,for there one man vvill(faft enough )Tcrnpt ano- ther, The Buyer the SeEer, and the Seller the Lycr. The fecond great Enquiry is. Whether God ufeththe A'iimflr) of '^oodiy^ngels to his Servants now under the Gofpel \ Anfwer i//. without ilf controverfyhedoth, yet in an infcnfible and in an invifible manner, that God might draw up our Hearts Heaven ward.and have our GorJi'erfatwn in Heaven, while our Commoration is on Earth. f/W. 5. 10. 2)<fW^ are not more ready 10 tempt and^r- "vcur us, than the ^figels are to [uccotir and deliver us : As Evii •Angels do'fuggcll Evil Motions^ fo do good Angels good ones^ and as outgcod endeavours are oft hwdred by the Evil Spirit : I. Thef. 1. I S. So arc our evil undertakings oft by the good Angels, otherwile our Protedion were not equal to our Dan- ger. The Devil moved ^'aUam to go and curfe Jfrae!^ a good Angel refills him, and fpeaks in the mouth of his Afs to con- vince him, (jrr. HereBiiliop ^/f//notethwell, in his contempla- tion on that Scripture, If an Heavenly fpirit ftands in the way ofa SorccrcrSins, how muck more arc all thofc Cstlcdial pow- ers ready to flop the mifcarriages of Gods deareft Children; how oft (yet more) had we fallen, had not thefe BlciTcd Guar- dians upheld us in their Arms. Pf. 9 1. 11. whether by rcmo - vingtheoccafions and opportunities of Evil, or l-y mxfliiig.

K con-

58 Wonderful Signs

contrary infiinds and motions to Good. As MV^^f / oppofed Satan -showi the Bodi of A^ofes, fo do the good Angels about the Bodies and Souls o^the Saints while thej live and carry their 550uls immediately into ^br^hams Bofom when they Dye : there- fore Hiould we blefs God for Angels Miniflry, as a part of Chriils Purchafe. Heb.i. 6. 7. 14. who haVe their C^ww/j^/^;? from him (to keep the Saints in their Way) as well as their Co/ifirmat.on by himan their own Everlafting go dnefs : Jicnce he is their /^f4^, Col. a. 10. and that 5^4;^^; Z^^i^r on which they Afccnd with i\4 ens Defires, and Difccnd wixh. Gods An- fwer. Gen. a8. ii. much more I might add, but I avoid pro-

^ iixity. 4

The Secnd Answer. It muft be granted that in the times of the Old and New Tedament, God did ufe the Vifiblc Miniftry of good Angels, as in the Old to Abrah^m^ Gen. 18. 17. to Z<7', Gci. 19. 15. to 6'/Vfo;7, Judg 6. 12. 14. and to Manoah^ Judg. 15. 5. arc. and in the New Teftament, to fofeph^MsiZt, 1. 20. to Z<3chary^ Luke i. i 3. and to the BlefTed Virgin, Luke 1 . 16. &c. Then did God fpeak to his Servants at Simdiy times And in d'Verfe wanner s., that is, in Breams and Fifto^ s by his An^e \\ hut now he haxh [poke tc f/s by his Son, Heb. i. i. 2, and therc-

> fore all Fi(ibie /ippariti^.n are ceafed but not their Invtfible Cfcra- lions: They Hill Ad for Gods Church and Children, though invifibly, therefore their Hands arc reprcfented to be under their Wings, E::iek. i. 8. bccaufe their Adions arc for the mofl part infenfible and invifible : For God now (Soverns his

.Church in a fpiritual manner, without the vifible Apparitions of Anrels, though they be prcfent with the Church in an in- vifible way: £(c'(( $. 6. and i.Ccr. 11. 10. 'Tis true, the Retired Saint <c( the primitive Times (as well as the Holy Afanyn) fince the NewTeftamcnt Times, had fomctimcs good Angels appeared to them, for their confolations in ihcir fori cd [ohtudes and [uffcrr>.gs as the bcil Ecclefiallick Hill cry s Record,

conccrnigg the fh'y F.rrin., ihcr.ph^fa^ A^nes, Luei.i^ducilia^zw^

others, toprotcd them in their Chafliry, whi!ft driven into

Uj yy onaerjHi itmcf. 5^

Defarts by Ferfecution ,• as alfo concerning Thec^oms ''who had an Angel wiping oif Jiis Sweat, with afoft Handkerchief, while he was under h rd Torments by his Toraicntors) and many others : but the Elder the Church grew, tlie more rare became thofe Apparitions; as of other miraculous Signs, not becaufc Gods ^^nn WAS jhortK'e,^, 3cc. but becaufe his Church was (through his gracious Providence) now fetled in an ordinary way : Thus it was with the Infant Cliurch in the Wildcrncft, there fhe had the Pc<?^r/o^/.'f^/jrain'd down daily upon her, but when come into Cj/'/'^.i/y that Ceafed, and then Ifrael muft purvey fort hemfelves : fo now we mult not expert either the Jr'iodox: the y^pparit:on oi Angel'.

The Third Anfvver, Goubrtitis in his Colledions of the memo- rable Hiflories of later (than thofe primitive) Times, makes his Reports of fevcral fuch Apparitions, yea Mdanzion in his Coment upon Daniel, tells us of his own knowledge, how holy Ctyyjxus was delivered from a bloody Popifli Priefls intention to Murder him (for reproving him of falfe Dodbrine) by an A»gch appearing to MeUhclon (like a grave goodly old man)and warn- ing him to bid Gryn&us haflen out ot Spjres quickly, who no fooner had got a Boat upon the Khme^ but he w^as immediate- ly and eagerly fought for at his Lodging, by his very name, which (it feems) the good man had told the Priefl, upon his dif- femblingly defiring fome farther Conference with him.

Anfwer the Fourth, The belt Cafuifts (1 can confult with) do fay, that it is ndther pious nor profitable now for men to af- fcift cither the ^'pp^r it ion or Confire-.ce with ^Ulj A.^i^ds : in- deed the carnal Jows did of Old, attribute much to this, 'M;3 li. 19. thinking that Bath-kol, or Daughter of a voice from Heaven, was the Voice of fome Angel, not only becaufc the ^ Decdoq^uc (which Godhimfelfis faid to fpca-l<. j was afcribed by them tobefpoke by ^^j'^f/j, A(ft 7. ^S. andHcbr. i. a. but affo becaufe they did not think God \vould fpcak to Chr'ifl in his own pcrfon, beiug they looked upon Mo[es, as greater than Chrjjl, :\nd Eiifcl?iHS Hifi. Lib. 5. Cap. 15, Tells us, ho. v the

K 1 1:0.'

to Wonderful Signs

Mofjta^ifs (25 \vc\\2iS J-cws) were great pretenders to ^fig( Is- ^JpfArinon.', from whom they ventured to Ibretel fundry things which came not to pafs, lb event proved them Lyars, &c. Yea 24a'^',mci (that Grand Cheat) pretended he received his Hodg- yPodg A Charon from G^-ibritl the Angel, and the Romanills \boait (even out- vying Mahomet^ of a mighty power over AngeJs, (Infomuch that they pretend to fliew a PKime of Feathers, that |WciS pluckt out ef Gubriels (that Arch-Angels) Wings : poidibly jit might be got when Angels (as common Fowls) do Movvt anH cafl their Feathers : yea Popery (at this day) afcribeth much to the Apparition of Spirits, from whom they underftand the ' Hate or their friends in Purgatory : Thus are they (for re)ed:ing the Truth) judicially given up of God to believe Lyes, as Ex- perience (the School Miflrifs of Fools ) do fuffieiently TeacJr, 1. Thejf. 2. 12. This is a part of the Romi\l) ^fojlaci^ to give heed to jeducwg Spirits, and to Dci^rine of Divcls. i . Tim. 4. i .

A nfwcr the f //}/;, To receive any new Dot'^rine from an Af?- gel is now abominable, Gaf. 1.8. For Angels have no Divine Inftitution to be Teachers of Men in the Church, they have no Sacred M/jffio» or Furj^ion thcTtto, Rom. 10. 15. i. Cor. ii. 1 8 . Eph. 4. 1 1 . God hath Inftituted the Minifirjoi Man (not of ^wcls ) to Build up his Church, this Honour God gives to Man, and the Word Preached by Man is called the Word of God. I. Their. 2. i;. and they that Hear Man (according to the Gofpel; are faid to ^^^r (7i?^. Luke 10. 16. yea 'tis fa f;ar the fcwir of Gcd, as to pull down the power of the Divel, therefore let n6/;e bcb gniUa into a vohtntary VVorfhip of Jnge/s^Co). 1. 18.

Anfwcr the .9;a-;A. The very light of Nature among the Hea- thens, did lead them to fpeak of both L^res^ or good Angels, thcGuardiansof r7(?<?.i'Af^;?,and of Ifw«r<'/,roevilAngcls,the/'wr- /f/c; s and v:sxers of FtH M.ev, thus a Devil entred into Jndas and in Evil Spirit oft Vexed ^.j«/. i. Sam. 16." 14. &c. Yea, *tis not fcarce yet out of the Memory of fome men, how frequent were the -^pparrtions of Evil Spirits, Phayrie , Hcbgiblins, and many frightful Spcdriims, wherewith many places were fre- quently

Uj vVonderjm I imes. 6i

quently Haunted, and many pcrfons horribly diilradled in TimGSof Pcpery and grofs Supcrfliticn ; and the rsrenefs of fuch fearing Vifions, in thefe Jatter times of Reformation, is fiifficient to difcovcr the difference (as Biftiop Hail excellently faith)bet^vixt the (late of Ignorant (PopifliJ Supernition, and the clear Light of the Gofpel. Biihop H^/i ot Evil Angels, tfar, <^^ 3 . And Camerarius (with others) tell us, how ufual tliofc Strai>ge Ap/iri^.tons were in times of Darknefs, although r/ov (blefTed be God) the Relation thereof is terrible to us. Camit- rariits his Hiiiory obfn. L h, 4. Caf. 15. fAg. 1S8. Thcure of Cyods judgments ^zg. 5;i. to 457. Mr. 5.rxrf/K Red, Edi. 2. p^. IT I. LavAter de jpecfris fcr totitm, &: c *T\vas frequent then before the Reformation in £«;-^/'d' (where the Gofpcl hath not come to Dethrone the Devil) The Ignorant Indians fee and hea^ ftrailge Spedrrums and- Spirits in bodily lliape, Kight and Day, whereas in New £;?7/4W (by the Light of the Gofpel) is much dehvered from tliat Prince of Darknefs : Sozomc/i writes o£ one Ape/ks (a f^movLS ty€gyptia» Smith) who was tempted to uncleannefs, by a Dive! in the Ihape of a Woman, in which fhape (faith Tnmethha) never any good ^fjgel Appea- red ; hereby we may make fome guefs at Dr. Dees GduAh the i\/4/^, one of his Spirits, which after appeared as a Mati. Dr. Bee^ pag. 11. 16. and at his Friend E. Ketl] , who could not a- bide his own Wife, but abhorr'd her. f^^.^o. and at his Unci (a- nother of his Spirits; that oft fwore [marry] pA^. 411. yea and himfclf who condemns Cdvin^ Luihcr^Slc. and denys the Pope to be Antkhrij}, &c. Joh. Bromijir. Sumpradi^. 'v.fi^pe/tia. Tells a famous Story of an -^rj^e/^ and an Mermite walking together,^ there laid in their way fome linking Carrion, at this the Her- miteftops his Nofe, turns away his Head and hafts out of that offenfive Smeli, but the Angel heU on his way, without an.y flie'vV of diflike : flraightway they met with a very proud, pragmatical man, gayly adorned, deeply perfumed, looking loftiv, and (Irutting along in a moil ftatcly pofturc, the tinmiu gave tliis man great reverence and r.d.iiirarion, but the ^ih^L-l

ilop'i

P.op't his KoarilIs,t-irn'd away his Head, &c. Rcndring tljis Kcafon, that the flench ofrridewas more loathfome to go<^ and his ,Anvels, thai: that {linking Carcafs couid be to him : Here was a better Character of the Apparition of a good .^k^ ^A. than of thcfc S^.rt:<, that Dr. Dee mentioneth : I might add much more, &c.

Anfsver the yezern'j : Suppofe an -^yp^iritioK of Evl St)ir^ts Ca- fuifb concki Je it unfafe to c::}jf.r with them ; our Grandmother -Eve got a fall by holding Chat with the Divcl in Paradice. That Fort or Calile whfch yields to a Parley, is accounted half lofl] they are too wily for us, having much advantage over us* funding upon higher ground to us, &c. Biihop Ha/i's Cafes ©fCa/;;t/c';5tY, pag. i6i. dc. Saying he admired at the Jefuitc C(5//^;?y confidence, who provided many CK^eftions to propound to a D(morj!.ick, (bme whereof were matters of State, concerning the then French King, and the King of England, pag. 165. and Cotton being; queflioned for this, anfwered he had Licence from Rome for his fo doing, ibid, and much more of Romes trafli. As to this ^ippAntion in particular, though at hrft /Ight, it fee- * med to me drefledup hke the Divels Oracle at Delphos, in am- biguous Expre/Tions, yet upon fecond thoughts (which fliould always be the befl, as being moft dehberate) I (hall not take upon me to Determine, either its o;oodnefs or Lid»efs, as to ki/jd or thing, but ihall refer my Reader to a ferious comparing it with the Circumftances of the aforegoing general Anfwers, fub- joyning only, that it is Gods declared Will, we iliould Live iy Faith, and not M'aik by Senile or fight of fuch Apparitions^ where- in there may be much D.?ceptio Fifus. Hiliory (indeed ) tell us, that i{\ fome extraordinary cafe, God hath given out fome y^p- jaritions for the difcovery of fome fecret heinous Murder, &c. and this he may do by Devils, who are reputed ready to make fuch Difcoveries, that their Prey may come fooncr into their Hands, by the ftrokc of JuHice. As to the Predrdtions of fu- ture Events, which ^ppantions do pronounce ; fome few things (for Brevity fake) only, Hiall be faid here. As firfl, 'tis God and God alone (who is Omnifcient) that himfclf can forctel ///-

mm

Of Wonderful Times. 6j

iuH Events, Ifa 41. ^^. a;. The Prophet conviiiceth the Heathen of the Vanity of tlicirGods (or Idols, faying. That all certain Fredidions of future Providences (which yet have no afTurcd natural Ca'tfe or figniHcant ^igri) bciongcth on- ly to the true God. Thus the Prophet Argues, ch. 44. 7. and 45. 10. II. and46. 10. and 48. 14. Idols cannot declare things to come. Secondly. The Devil (though a moft Intelli- gent Spirit, can know nothing of what fliall befal for the future, fave only thofe things he feeth in their Caufs, or in the light o£ par tic. p. u 10)7 : The Devil can better Difcover what is pa ft ?.nd done, by his own Infligation, as that Murder committed on a Stranger, at an Inn in Exeter, 30 years before the Difcovery was made by an y^fp^ntion : as was likewife the Fraud of an Fs?- cutror converting a Gent!emans Edate from his Children to his owi^ufe, who was aifriglited by an /ipptirjio i unto a Rellituti- cn to the right Heirs, both hapned lately, and feem to be well attefled by Godly Miniflers. Tis certain that future Contin- gents are not within the compafs of the Devils Cogni2ance a- ny other way, feeing they are wholy at Gods difpoHng : yet ^4;.i;z in fome Cafes, and at fome times, can foretell things to come, as i//. He being a A/zV^/v NatHrdif, able (by his Angeli- cal fagacity) to dive into the deepell CA'i^es and /^rri'/.j of Nature which men cannot do) and fo accordingly to frame his Prcdit, dions, fach as feem fupernatural.to us, he is alfo an Ex.xci y r- iift, attained (bcth by his acute Obicrvations, and almofl 6cco ycarsExpericnce) to an acquaintance of all natural, moral, and political caufes of things, as the P^rw///f;, hence may he give ihrewd gueflcs (though he know nothing Infalibly > and gather fach cdnfequences, as may probably come to pafs, if the great God be notplcafed to interrupt this Cluiin of Caufes, as lie fumetimcs doth, by his over-ruling Power. Tliough S.%i,in be a PrinceofDarknefs, yet may he have fccondly f.icJi a /u. - t:cipai!on of fomc li^[ht by Divine 'not ovAy p.tmjji /?, but) Corn' m'ffion^ when God makes him tlie Executioner of his Judg- ment?, and in facli a ;:rifc 'lis ca.^' for l'i:T» to forctc! future

thin^^i

64 Wonderful Signs'

things, as in the Cafe of ^oh^ he could prcdid: (without d^- HcLihy) thatfuch and fuch Evils would ihortly bcfal that good man, when he had got a CommiHion from God for them, and wanted no tools to work, them : and as in the Cafe of the4Co faife Prophets of ^hah^ in whofe Mouth he had a Commiffi- on from God to be a L^mg Sfirit^ and delude them. i. Kin. ii, 6 21, which Ihews A'/>(^ ^/;4^*s Death, was revealed to the Devil, and then he could Reveal it to whom he pleafed. The Devil Deceived thofe Deceivers the falfe Prophets, and they Deceived Ahal^, and draws him (as the Moujc) into the Trap, where he Perifhed, not only for his Crtielti to A'dot.h^ but by his Credid'iN to thofe many curfed Sycophants : yea, and in the Cafe of ^^«/ (which is yet highen he only could have foretold the Fall of King Ah.ib {nt p'pra) but he a(itua!ly did foretel the Death of King Saul. i. Sam. i8. 19. Naming the time, though in ambiguous Words, as [to morrow] is indefinitely ufed, Exod. r;. 14, ^nd Mdtt. 6. 54. Thus the Devil Equivocates in all his Oracles (as in this and in that of ^hab) The Lord (l^alidelfvtr into th: Hands of the Ki-ag) I. Kin, ^. 16. where the Particle [/t] is not in the Origmal : The word [thee] may as well be fup- plycd : and this Lying Spirit names not which of the Kings he meant, whether ^hah or Benhadad., yea his quibling O- racle (as the D^//'''/Vi: Devil had many) might be conilrued in a quite contrary Senfe: either i/. The Lord will deliver {thee] «s^/'/iHnto the. hands of Benhadad^ or "i/>. [It] to wit, Ramoth GUfai into the hand of ^hd : thus the deceitful Devil will fave his Credit, what ever hapned, and yet aS bad as this Abaddon is, he flicws more ingenuity here than doth the J°-cfujts, for he ingenioudy acknowledgeth hi-s Eqitivocaang Oracle, to bcrto bet- ter than a Bafe Lyc^ faying / will^o and be a Lfmi Spirit., in the Mouth of all ^habs Pa- afyt/cal Prophets. o'.m.Howevcr Satan (that mock' Sa7?iv el) feems more pofitive and peremptory in his Pre-j didtions of Saids Dorv fai (as above) yet this was no more thatij what a prudently-thinking man might have con;e6tured from the concurrence of fccundary Caufes. ho^ much more mii^hi

ai

uj yyonaerjui i tmes. 05

an acutely- obferving Devil make up a flircwd Guefs (by com- paring things with things) of Sauls approaching Ruine : He could not be ignorant both of ^d///j Rqccfior, and of i).:i//rfx E~ UBion^xhc Courage and Cor.f deuce of the rhitijltnes Army, the JOeffondencies and Dfidmce o£Saul and his SouUters (both which had been formerly Valorous) were not unknown to him, or pof- fibly he might peep into thofe Prophetick Predidions concern- ing Saul and Ddvid^ in ch. 15. and. 16. of the hrft o)iSam. Yea he well knew, what himfelf defigned to do in the day of Battle (with Gods Permiflion) againft i^/// who had forfeited: Gods Proteffion, The third Confideration I fliall conclude with is, that the Dcvd hath his Inflruments or VaiTals amongft Mankind, to whom he imparts his Predidions, that they may impart them to others ; and thofe are mollly Women ( of the Devils choice^ more than Men, becaufe they are Weaker F'dels, whofe credulity is fooner impofed upon,and eafilyer abufed and deluded by the Devil :we have two famous Inllanccs one in the Old the other in theNewTeflament) the i/I hereof is i. Sam. 28. 7.where5^«/faid,/(ffi: me out AWomAn thit hjth a f amJlijr Spirit ^not a Mart but a Woman^ he had put downWitchcs beforc,yet hoped hcfome might be remaining (though not oiMen^yct) oiWvwc?}, which are wont to be lighter and proner to Superftition, not only becaufe of weaker Wits and apcer to be Deceived, but, fee- ing they cannot, compafs any Fame or Glory by Koblc Ex- ploits (as men can) they therefore would become Famous by Magick Art : hence this Woman became a Dame to a familiar Spirit, and thither ^4/// comes, who rather than fail would crave help from Hell, Oc And the fecond Inflance is not unlike this firft, y/^. 16. 16. The Dm/? /;7^Damorcl, who probably foretold many things that came to pafs , othcrwife Ihc could never have brought [0 much Cairt to htr Mjfters, as that Scripture faith : ihe might make unhappy Hits fometimes, from the fa- gacityof(her grand Mafler) Satan ; yet mifs too at oilier time;*; ' for if the Divel himfelf cannot foretcl all future Events, nor any thing Infaiibly himfelf, but cither as it is Revealed to h\n

L by

eo vronaerjm drgnr

by God f&s^iSLAha!*s¥a\\^t RamohGileAd) or as he forefeeth them in rhc Cnnfes^ Si^ns or Prophecies o( HAy Scripture, wherein he is not a Jitcic skii'djund out of which he fomecimes Iteaicth a parcel. Far be it from nie tj apply our prcfenr yipparitionio either of thcfe aforementioned, cfpecial- jy upon thcfe Grounds, \fi. We do not find that this apparition required zn'^ Adoration 'f when S-iw/ bowed himfelf to Satan (xhat Mock- Samuel) I. Sam. 28. 14. That ^<^or<«/xtf« was the main thing that the Devil chiefly aimed at : 2//. Wc do not find (in our Cafe) any feeking to this apparition for that is fTantamount) a Worjhipptn^, though there be no bowiDg, and howiar amounts /;<?/«/; «^ Conference mth Apparitions (fee above^ but yet it Teems an higher ftep to obej their Commands, efpecially fuch as arc dillonant to the Law ot Nature' 01 Nations, or Scripture, which is not ourGafe, nei- ther doth this comport with the latter Inftance, though here's a Divinin? Damfel, yet not fuch an one as the Septuagints ufually call «>-j<4S-e;f*v'dBf becaufe the Devil fpake out cf their Bellysj for which caufe alfo the He- brew s call them Ohoth or Bottles, becaufe the Bellys of thofe Women (thus made ufe of by the Devil) fwelled as big as Bottles, wlien they began to Pro- phefy.2/)'. Neither do we hear of any gain eithet to her felf or to hcrMafters here, as appeareth r/?(rrtf. 5/7. Neither do we find any Difturbance given to Gods Worfliip under fpecious pretences here^ as is found there. They that dcfire to know more of thofe Divining Intrigues, let them confult BaUwint Cafes ofConfcicnce . Lib, 3. Pag. j^^.to 610. &c, too Jong here (fomuch as to abridge in this fmall Trcatife) and other Cafttifls j I add this on- ly, \ft. If the Death of any be foretold by the Devil we ought not to believe it, as from him (the Z,/4rj God can Crofs if, ilj. IfGod permit it, 'th 10 harden the fuperftitious Obfervcrs of it: ^tj^ 'tis enough Gods Word fore- tels that all (hall fall out for the beft to them that love God, Rom^, S.iS.So all's welcome: fo far as Gods Word guidcth us, we walk fafely, but if we ftcp farther into a By-way 'twill lead us down into the Chambers of Death.

I Omit the ftrange Apparitiors ztPons Town in Tipper Arj in Ireland, at- teftedby 16 pcrfonsEye Witneffes, and Print«d, The Jaft and Jateft of Lind-Prodigies (omitting many others thai ccme not yet well proved to my Hsnd (i%l)^^'Death of 3 Tower- Lyons j called Old Char Is, Q^een and Duke which is the moreRemarkable,becaufe we do not find(fcarce in a wholeAge) anyRecord of thcDeathoffo mnch as one of thofeKoyalLong-LivedCreatures (^the Keeper whereof is fo much obliged both by Loyalty and Advantage to prcferve thcm)much lefs of fo many and that within few days^as if they had confp'red to march off together, the more to amufc and amaze this Tripple Realm, for every Kingdom one : to Exemplify it in our ^'w^* l,Jh [hronicL s, though fgraethirg like it is faid to happen in King JH-

(Jbard,

Uj y/onaerjm i imer. u/

charis Relcn, yet I canr.ot find a fit P^ralclunto this ftrangc Prodigy *i^»» Record, fave only in i/e«r; the fixths Reign, Whereof Sir Rschard Ba^er ?who is generally owned as an Impartial Chronicler of former T>mes; ^ivttH usthis Account. That In the i 8ch. year of Henrjr the fixth all the Ljon-s in the Tower DjeL Bakers Chron. pag. 1 99. This Kings Reign was at- tended with many raifchiefs betwixt him and the then Dnkf of ror{. Henry the Fifth after he had Conquered France, and kept his Court with incompa- rable Magnificence for fomc time, then he Returns with his Qa^cen into E«^-^ land, who^vas delivered of a Son at {ri*«^y"(»/-,cailcd thcrctorc H^nrj the 6. ot ^/W/(7r (upon whom at his Birth his Father fpake L>ropheucaily [/ Her,r)o^ Monmouth have gairAi much and ihall remain but afhort time: but Nenrj oifVmdfor fhall Reign long and loofeali] and acordingto ihh Paternal Pro ^ phefy the Son firft loft Ws All in France^ and after, liy. His All in Eh^- iand. In this Henrj the fixths time, France, Normandy, Aqfutdm, were ail loft from the Englifo, and in Sngland fuch were the bloody Contentions be- tween the two Hoults of r^r^^ and Lancafler, that ten feveral fierce Batt-els were fiercely fought between the two Fadions, whereof j were fought ia Henrj the fixths time. T\\c firft at St. Alhans in which Torks prevailed : the JecondAt Black^Heath, in which the Confederate Lords rvere Qonquerors : tha third at Northampton^ in which Henrj the fixth was again overthrown : the fourth at Waks field, in which the King was Vi<aorious : the fixth at Tow- ton, in which the new Du^e of Tork, carried it, who became thereby King Edward thclV, In whofc time alfo five more feveral fet Battels were fought upon the fame Quarrel : zs firft, ihat at Exham : ficondlj ^rhat at Ban- bttr) : thirdly, the Bittcl oiLbofe-Coats : fourthly, that in Barnet Fields : and fifthly zhzt At Tew xhrj. Thus even the fVhite Rofc was Dyed Kedi^ over and over again, with the blood of many brave men, and a Period was never put to this Contention twixt the White and Red Rofe^ until that conclu- ding Battel at Bofworth Fields, in which theT lantagincts expired, and both the Houfet were after united in Henry the VII. ^o^^'sHiftory of the World, />4^. /54. &c. and Dr.Trideaux^s Hiflorj of Succefions in our own Land, ^^^. 35;. Who tells a memorable Story of thofe fuch Catch- ing Times (as he calls thtm) of one Burdet a Mercer in (^heap-fide, who jo- cularly faid to his Son, if he would ply his Book, he ftiould be Heir to the Crown (meaning his own Houfe, which had the Crown for Its Sign, and had IK) Relation to the Crown of the Kingdom) for this Jeft.thc Man loft his Life : zi{\iTcd\y zn Honeft fury would not have given him (\ich h^rd Meafure : God blefs us from fuch Contentious and (nahcatching Times ^^hich were pre- faged not only by the Death of the Tower Lyons, zs above,, but alfo by feve- ral other Prodigies, as si'Slaung Star, Monftrous'Btrthf, a proi'g'ous

L 1 C>c^

to yyonaerjui :^tgnf

Cock^Qiii of the Sea at PortUnd, crowing three times,and turning his Head to the South, North and fVesf, and Pauls Steeple was fired with Lightning : See RtQes Ilifiory cfthelVortd, pag. 5-34. And S'w Richard Bakers Chnno- logy of the fame time, all thcfe Prodigies were Prefages of fad future Cala- mities. Enquiry, Whjfmuft the Death of Lyons be made a '^rgdl^y, feeing thej are M--rtal as other Be^fis, and Dye only in the common cottrfc of Na- tnre ? AnAver ihefirfi, Confider in the general, A Lyon ifi. For his Ma- j(fiy, that fits enthroned in his looks, zly. For his Magnanimity ^ as difdain- ing to go out of his (lately pace, though Danger purfiie him, Prov. 3 o. t/. ; o. 3//. For his Formidablenefsj infomuch that when tb^ Ljon Roareth, all the Beafts Tremble, Aw, j. 8. and have not power to fly from him, though they can cut- run him ; hence he is the HjerogljphicJ^ oi Dominien^ and vcor- thtly as weli as vulgarly is called the Kmg of^eafls. Hereupon the Fall of a Lyon is as the Fall oiAbner^lht Fall ef a Trince^ 2.Sam. ;,. 38. 'Tis look- ed on as a Fatal Fall, the Death of a Lyon was the prefage oi Julians death, faith AmmianusMarcelli}:uf,An[\\er the/^C(?«^,more fpeciaUy as the living Xre» Kcfembleth Majefly'Dsmineering (according to «^/£?;';Apologuejover rh^tAJs and thei="tf;c in fliaringthePrey they had joyntly caught in Hunting : So the Dead Lyon leprefenteth Majefi-yDeceafed (according to Alciats Em- fclem and the GiCek Epigram 'ojAo] vik^x! Q5(xa.\io/j& e^i/Ce^^w hctyufu

Though the Z//o» while living be the Nobleft of Beafts, T*rov, 30. 30. yet when Dead, this N'obleBeaftis expofed to the Scorn of themoft weak and timorous //"/jr^-,;. Hence arofe the Hebrew Proverb, thsiiz living Ddi^(with them the bafefi of Creatures) was better than a Dead Lyon (both as to Ufe and as to Effence) Scclef. 9. 4. Importing that the meane^ man Livings is better than the greatefi man Dead. Anfwer the third. The Death of a Tow tr L)on is more portentous than the Death of many Lyons in the Wilds of Lybia^ whereof no notice would be taken, h\xi 2iTovcer Lyon is the Darling as wen as Emblem of Trinces^ and the Delight as well as ivonder of the Peo- ple that have been admitted to behold them j and feeing they naturally live longer than the oldeft of Men, fcarceanyone Age brings Tidings of the Death of a Tow^r L^on (as before) fo carefully attended, e^^. This occafions ' the general Opinion, that fuch an Occurrence is a Fore-rnnner of Come FaL taltty. AnCwcT the fourth. How much more the Death of 3 Torver Lyons at once, as if a Lyon Peftileme f that ro 0hov or Divine Thing had been fent to kill three Lyons at' one blow, this hardly finds a ParalelinHiftory,tbey?;'tf«^ ToVfcr (i^ (e\i) with all its high Walls, deep Trenches, brafj Guns, great Guards, and warded Gates, could not be a Tower of Defence to them or to any one them, and if Tria had been Omnia here (as it is in Philofophy) the Fover had been left a Lyon-lefs Tower, Sacred Story fpeaks of one Prodi- gy

Of Wonderful Timer. 6<^

gy, ftot altogether diflbnant to this, to wit, Santfon tmnedafide to fee the Car- cafs of the Lyon, and heboid there was a Swarm of Bees and Honey in the Carcafe^ Judg. 14. 8. prodijricffiM efi (faith Lavater) qued Mellificarunt u4pes in Cadavere, &c. 'Twas no \zk than a Vrodigj^ that Bees fhould Breed andmakc Honey fofoon infuch a place, feeing thej are naturally driven away by an ill Smell, as abhorring all ftink'n|; things, fuch as this Carcafc muft needs be upon its Putrefadion j herein Tliny, Columella.tyEUan^ Var- roy and all Naturalifts do unanimoufly concurr : Indeed fome fas ytr^U O- vid^Scc.) do fay. Bees may breed in theCarcafe of a Bullock r^iturallj, butnever in the Carcafe of a Lyon, which hath a more fcetid flt{h and a more ftinking fnsell ; however, not in fo (hort a time as was between Sam- fons Contrad and the folemnizing of his Marriage. It therefore only came to pafs,by the fpecial Providence of God producing ihis Prodigy^ not, only by z preternatural, bat alfo by a Supematttral power. Now that the 7o\v~ ' er Lyons be de^d ^though we had no hand in their Death, as Sarr.f.n had \x\ •, his; let us turn afidc (^ little) to view thefe Carcafes, as Samfon did thfsjand behold both the Congruitj and Difparitj of them : As ifi. God Blefs us, that no Swarms of thofe BcesoCBaify/on (Ifa. 7. 18.; may breed out of thcip Carc^es, nor out of them whofe names they bore, to Sting us with their Fa- tal Stings: And God blefs us not only from thofe Honey-lefs Wafps and Dronifh Robbers, but alfo that the right Honey may^ be bred in the bodyt of lh%{xi^txv[\\ugL^onfi3\\*dCharles the Il.and in him whofe name he beareth: 3/;.Though we find no Honey in any of thofe 3 Carcafes,as Samfon did in his one,yct may wefind fuch a Riddle in them which may puzzle and Non-Plus aUtheuncircumcifed7'^/7//?>>;j,Judg.i4, .11. 14. O tit of thofe Eaters may came forth Meat and out oftheftrongfweetnefs. This Problem (as many of Gods Trtfz//^r«f«) is -made up of contraries, yet the arnigmatical Sentence Icems to fignify^that it (hould come to pafs, the fhilidms which ruled with rigour over the //r^fZ/Vfj at that time, fhould be fabdued and eaten up by the IfraeUtes, and when they were moft ftrong, they fhould not damnify but accommodate the //f^r^iv/: The good Lord grant the fame Priviledges to the Pyotejiants over the Papip, who have eaten us up as their Daily Bread, wirh the hke voracity as the Hungry devour ^r^rf^, Pf. 14. 4, Yea, thofe cruel Cannibals makes Flefh as well as 'Breadof poor Proteflants, and do as barbaroufly and brutifhly worry them with open Mouth, as the bloody Lyo^s dc the helplefs Sheep, Pf. 27. 2, O that they may now ftumble and fall in attemptmg it, and both they and their Leviathan (the Pope) with his broken Head, may be given as meat to the people Inhabiting the mldernefs, Pf. 74 13. 14- Then would God unriddle, how p«? of the grand £. iter coma h Me at J and out of thefir9ng comtth Smctnefs.

This

"JO Wonderful Signs

This L?a(Is me to the third and hfi Scene or Theatre, wherccn Gcd ihewshls H^onderffil Signs y to \vit,(asin i/Mt/f»and on ihcSarth, Co) upcn the iVaters: As I do defignedly omit maqy marvelous things, mentlcned in For reign .and Domeftick Letters, fuchas the Earth, qHake at MaUgo^ which overturnM their Religious Houfes, and put all Sp^n into a Fr:ght,0'f.' And fuchas have lately hapned alfo in our Lanlis) becaufe they come not well Atteftedto make them enough A-uthentick, in rhe foregoing. Stage or Theatre : fo I muft do inthislalt,oroittirgmany Stories, and pitch firft up- on that which hath unqueftionablc Teftimony of the Truth thereof, to wic, the Drying up of the River Jr^r in Pr<»/a, between Radnorjhirc and Breek^- nocl^.Jhire ("where *tis near as broad as Thames at Bradford) about a ftones caft over, asd of a fierce Current, yet on the a j-th. of /'^w/r^r; laft at LewjS" fordy it itop'c its ccuife and parted it felf, and became dry, (b that feverai perfons walked over Dry- fhodjfome gathered up Fifhcs'for feverai Milis, this cortinued for feverai Hcurs : This is Attefted for Truth, by Mr. Frobnt HighSherriiTof ^4^«cr/fexrr, and Mrs. fones* (whofe letter hereof I had to afl'ure mej both Eye-Witneffes, and it wasalfo obferved that the t\To Rivers {Ithon and Trvon) which fall into that River Wye^ were at the fame rime Hke-i wife fuddenly dry : but after a few hours flowed-with more Violence, and higher than ufutl : and Casmy Letter addeth) no natural Reafon could be rend red hereof: Now to exemplify this Pr«^i^/ by Paralel Inftances, from Sacred and Qvil Hiftory : \fl. SarredSzoYj faith, that when Godbrak,e the Heads of the Dragon (Satans fworn Sword-raen and Pharoahs chief Cap- tains) and the //^4<^ of the grand LeviathAU or Tharotkh bimfelf, then did God alfo Divide the Sea^and clave alfo the Fountains and the Fioed^ Pf. 74. i;, 14. 15. Drying up mighty Rivers, as fordan, Euphrates and the Red 5ff/i, which (in refped of the Alain Ocean) was but a mighty River, This tbe 'uingel of God Dividedand drjedup, for fix hundred Thoafand to pafs ever in Rank and File. Exodi^. 11. 22. P/. 136. 13. andiotf. 9. Godi Rebuke was upcn the Waters, clove them in twain, and bound them up with his Swadling Band (as e«fily as a Nm fe doth her Infant) Job ; S. 9. fo that rhey could neither wave, nor fwell, nor flow, but became as a firm Wall (fr«« zcn into hard Ice^ on both fides ofIfrael^?C. 78,1 i. Thus the fluid Waters^, were fixed and became as Stone Walls, on each hand ofthem, while they paf- fed through with eafe and fafety. This the Pfalmift Wonders at, and asks the yji/iiteTS,VVhat ailed iheefi thou Sea, Sic, VC. 114. y. and thence he paf- iethtojordafij (more Paralel to our Cafe) asking what was the matter with you hath, that the one Fled and the other was Driven backji can ther^e any natural Reafon given ? or was't the powerful prefencc of God that afuightw you into this Retrograde Run or Motion, v. 7. This Inftancc (hewcth we roaj

Of Wonderful Timef.

lap.

lb Li^ (cveii

I Milt: M

kk ^d

iffCJ!

(litoji

lidr-

ncek;

DQJtW

71

many times ask Qoefttons, and yet neither tlouh efthe matter^ not be *>»<?-

rant of the Cauje : This more Paralel Cafe of the drying up Jordan, Jc{h. 5 .

I 3 . 77;ff Waters of that River were cut off, that is, the Waters that came from

above were cut off fo as toftand ftili as on a Hsap, and the waters that were

below ('accordirgto their ordinary coarfe) ran away into the Dead Sea, fo

:he Channel was left Dry, having no waters coming down from above to feed

indfilUr. This was a wonderful Work of God, and much admired by the

?falmift in his Ff. 1 14. Now x\ii% Jordan was a compound of two Rivers (/or

ind Dan) as our Welfti River was, yet the Courfeof both the ftreams were

top'tfor fome Hours, fo the Channel was dry, though ('tis true) the Camp.

»f//7'4*/ was not there with the Ark to pa fs over into fanaan: The Chaldee

*araphrafe Addeih the drying upof w^r^^'W and Jabhok^^ whereof fee Num,

1. 14. and 2)^«f, 2. 57. as Revel. 16, it. mentions the drying up of £//-

hrates for the Kings of the £aft topafs over^ &c. but leaving Sacred, come

;e to Cm/ Story : Our Famous Camhden Reports of another River in

Vferionith Jhire in Wales, the River Dee that runneth throuch TimbU-

\4eerot L^i^^, it mingles not her Streams with the Waters of the Like,

lough this be a great Marvel^ and hath alfo a good Moral (to wit, that

c (houldnot mingle the _/?r#/iw/ ofonr ^fe^ ions with the puddle Water of

orrupt Company, when carried headlong at unawares among them) yet it is

irlhortofour prefent Tro^/*^^ : and the fame C<i«;^</f»;'relateSj how

ic River Oftfe near Bedford (In the laft year of King Richard the II.) flood

11> and ceafed his Courfe, fo as the Channel remained dry for the fpac€ of

ree miles together, ^ambden Brit. pag. 399. which was then adjudged to

;oify the RevoltingS of the Subjeds from their Prince. 'Bakers Chron, pag.

(4. 167. He being mtilcad by his Favorite Michael de -la-pool and other

cophants, did incurr the hatred of his People, Prideaux Introdff^ion, pag.

i4. Inhistimewas the marvelous P«?r//<««;f«r, and that which wrought

ondc rs. See Baker of his Reign. Alfo in the Reign of Henry the VI. The

Tie River Ottfe (on New- Years Day) fuddcnly ftood ftill and divided it

f, which (as was conceived) did portend the prodigious Broyls between the

jufesof Tor^^and Lancajier, fee Bakers Chron. among the Cafualties (as

calls them^ of his Reign. The like hapned in the year 1660. to the

i^er Derwent near Darby, which was drycd up upon Nov.the 29. for many.

Iles and fame hours, fo that the Mills ftood, the Boats were on ground_, the hes taken up upon the Sand by Children, and men walked over dry fliod. iswasthc^rf^r^rTrc?^;^;', not cnly becaufe 'tis a broad River and runs h a fierce andfntl Stream (as Cambden Br itt. pag. 5-5-4. relateth) but alfo aufc the Waters of the San^uary weredryed up foon after, by the Silen- ; of fome thoufandsofOrthoJoxMinifters.As thofcRiversrcturnedfallof

them

Wonderful Signs

I

ibovfi

tk(k

dDi

nftoCivi lilftroti

70

This L?ads me to the third and hfl Scene or Theatre, wherccn Gci

(hews his H^onderfnl Signs ^ to wit, (as in Heaven and on the £arth, £0) upci

the ir^r^ri: As I do defignedly omk mar^y marvelous things, raenticnec

iii Forreign. and Domeftick Letters, fuchas the Earth. quake at Malagc

uhich overturnM their Religious Houfcs, and put all Spain into a Fr;ght,C^r

And fuchas have lately hapned alfo in our Lanlis) becaufe they come nc'

well Atteftedto make them enough Authcntick, in the foregoing Stage c

Theatre : fo I muft dointhisUlt,oroittirgmany Stories, and pitch firft upi

on that which hath unqueftionablc Teftimony of the Truth thereof, to wii |

the Drying up of the River jr^ff in pr<«/a, between Radnorjhire and Breek,

nock:Jh're ('where *tis near as broad as Thames at Bradford) about a ftonc

caft over, aHd of a fierce Current, yet on the ijth. of /'^i'j^^?-; lad at Lew^.

fordy if itop'c its ccuife and parted it felf, and became dry, fo that fever; }

perfons walked over D ry- (hod, fome gathered up Fifhcs-for feveral Mile

this cortinued for feveral Hcurs : This is Attefted for Truth, by Mr. Froh^

High SherniJ o^ RadnorJJoire, and Mrs. fones, Cwhofe letter hereof I had 1

afl'ure me) both Eye-WitnefTes, and it wasalfo obferved that the t\To Rive

(Ithon and Trvon) which fall into that River Wye^ were at the fame time lik

wife fuddcnly dry : but after a few hours flowed-with more Violence, ai

higher than ufual : and (zs my Letter addeth) no natural Reafon could I

rend red hereof: Now to exemplify this Prtdigjh^ Paralel Inftances, fro f

Sacred and Qvil Hiftory : ifl. Satred Story faith, that when Codhrak^e 1 1

Heads of the Dragon (Satans fworn Sword-men and Fharoahs chief Ca

tains) and the //^4^ of the grand Leviathan or Tharoah himfclf, then d

God alfo Divide the Sea, and clave alfo the F'tuntains and the Flood^ Pf. ;

i;, 14. 15. Drying up mighty Rivers i as fordan, Euphrates and the li

5ff4, which (in refpe£l of the A/ain Ocean) was but a mighty River, T

the \Angel of God Dividedand drjedup, for fix hundred Thoufand to p

ever in Rank and File. Exodi^. ii. 22. P/. 196. 13. and x 06. 9. Gi

Rebuke was upcn the Waters, clove them in twain, and bound them up w

his Svpadling Band (as eafily as a Nur fe doth her Infant) Joh 5 S. 9. fo t

they could neither wave, nor fwell, nor flow, but became as a firm Wall (1

zcn into hard Ice^ on both fides of Ifrael^ Pf. 78. i 2. Thus the fluid Wat<

were 6xed and became as Stone WalJs,on each band ofthem, while they p

fed through with eafe and fafety. This the Pfalmift Wonders at, and j

the Waters,iy/'4t ailed theefi thou Sea, Sec, Pf. 114. j. and thence he \

ieth to Jordan J (more Paralel to cur Cafe) asking what was the matter \

you both, that the one Fled and the other was Driven hack^\ can there be iy ■'^■ijien

natural Reafon given ? or was't the powerful prefencc of God that affrigl fd ^4t^

you into this Retrograde Run or Motion, v. 7. This Inftance fheweth we j ly ^i^

"It

limn

'M' ink:

iS 2iie<i.v

Of yVonderpil J imes. 7 1

many times ask Queftfons, and yet neither douht of the matter^ nor be »V«<?- raat of the Canfe : This more Parald Cafe of th^ drying up Jordan, Jc(h. ;. 1 3 . The Waters of that River were cut off, that is, the Waters that came from above were cut off fo as toftand ftili as on a H-ap, and the watei s that were below ('accordirgto their ordinary courfe) ran away into the Dead Sea, fo the Channel was left Dry, having no waters coming down from above to teed and fill it. This was a wonderful Work of God, and much admired by the Pfalmift in his Pf. 1 14. Now thisfordan was acomp«und of two Rivers (/or and Dan) as our Welfli River was, yet the Courfe of both the ftreams were ftop'tfor fome Hours, fo the Channel was dry, though ('tis true) the Camp. ofZ/r-^r/ was not there with the Ark to pa fs over into (^anaan : The Chaldee Paraphrafe Addeth the drying up of ^rfjon and fabbol^^ whereof fee Num. 11. 14. and D^»f. 2. 37. zs Revel. 16, it. mentions the drying up of £«- fhratei for the Kings of the Eafl topafs over^ Sic. but leaving Sacred, come we to Ot/i/ Story : Our famous Camhden Reports of another River in Merionith Jhlre in Wales, the River Dee that runneth throuch TimbU- Meer ot L^i/^f, it mingles not her Streams with the Waters of the Lil<e, though this be a great Marvel, and hath alfo a good Amoral (to wit, that we (houldnot mingle the /?r^rfw/ oionr j^jfe^ ions with the puddle Water of (^orrHpt Ccmpanjtf when carried headlong at unawares among them) yet it is far fliort of our pi^cnx. Prodigy, and the fame Cambden-TelsLtQs^ how the River Oftfe near Bedford (in the laft year of King Richard the II.) flood ftill, and ceafed his Courfe, fo as the Channel remained dry for the fpace of three miles together, ^ambdtrt Brit, pug, 399. which was then adjudged to fignify the Revoltings of the Subjefts from their Prince. 'Bakers Chron, pag. 154. 167, He being miflead by his Favorite Michael de -la-pool and other SjcophantSf did incurr the hatred of his People, Prideaux Introda^ioyj, pag. 324. Inhistimcwas the marvelous ?<«r//<«wf«r-, and that which wrought Wondc rs. See Baker of his Reign. Alfo in the Reign oi Henry the VI. The fameR;i;^r Onfe (on New-Years Day) fuddcnly flood ftill and divided it fclf, which (as was conceived) did portend the prodigious Broyls between the Houfes of r<?r^ an d L<««r^)?fr, {^q Bakers Chron. ^mor\^iht Cafuaities (as he calls them j of his Reign. The like hapned in the year 1660. to the River Derwent near Darhj/^ which was dryed up upon Nov.rht 29. for many, miles and fome hours, fo that the Mills flood, the Boats were on ground^ the F.fhes taken up upon the Sand by Children, and men walked over dry (hod. This was the ^r^^i/^ryro^/^/, not cnlybecaufe 'tis a broad River and runs with a fierce and full Stream (as Cambden Britt. pag. y 54. relateth) but alfo ^becaufc the Waters of the San^aar) were dryed up foon after, by the Silen- jcing of fome tfaoufandsofOrthoJoxM'nifters.As thofcRivcrsrcturnedfallof

them

7i Wonderful Signs'

^.hem) to their courfe again, fo the good Lord k»ow us in our WiUernefs and '»the Land of gre/tt Drought ^\io£^ 15. 5. and make us again as a Wdtered (jarden^whofe Waters fail not : Ifa* y8. 11. That our FleecCyas Gideons may not Jiili h 1>ry. Judg. 6. 39. but the Lord be as fpr tugs of Water to us ^ioT all our frejh fprings aretn him,?C. 87. 7, an everfi.QVfing and over" flowing Fountain of Grace and Comfort.

Were not my Book already fwoln too bulky, I might inflft alfo upon the prodigious Whale, which was found lately in the River iyrv«^r,within 6 miles of Colc^ejlerjjo foot in length,and 28 in thickne{s,vvbo broke off his own Tail with ftrugiing, andturn'dthe River into Blood with his Blood : an undoubted Trodigy^iot the Whale never breaks forth out of her beloved Ocean Cwhich is her peculiar Dominion) intonarrovv Riyers,but it prefages Storms,wherefuch a thing bapneth : AiTuredly fonah'*$ was the greateft of Prodigies, who (hip'd him to the fliore,and in the mean time afforded him ^lu Oratory a place to • pray in. Four Prodigious Wonders were concurring therein faith Mercer ^ ifi". That the Heat of the Whales Stomach did notConfume fonah as it did other Food. 2/f. That in fo clofe a Prifon he could both breath and live, without the common ufe of y^/r and /i^Ar. ;/>-. That be was not choaked with the Stench of fo filthy a Jakes as the Whales Belly. 4//. That he had his Senfes ('as well as Life) there, to />c«r o»^fuch an excellent Trayer and T*raife to God. fonah was the true uirion (the Poets mention j out of u'hofe Hifiory Chrift gathers the My fiery of his own Death y Burial,znA RefurreBion, Jon. a. 17. and 2. lo. with Matt. 12. 40. This great Sea-Monlter (that never ufeth to come near the Shore, but Sports himfeif in the deep Waters Pf. 1 04. 2, 6.) yet when the Great God (the chief Centurion) commands him thitherj he mufl go and Vomit up fonah upon dry Land. He breaks the Head) as well as TWj of this W[oiii\to\x% Leviathayt, and gives him to he Meat to the Teople inhabiting the fVildernefs Pf74.j4. Though no Mortal man ean Rincrhim likcan Hog, or Rule him like a Bear, Job.4i.i. &c. yet the /w- mortalGodcanai\ddidfo^to Senacherib that crooked Leviathan, lfa.27.1. & 37, 29. and doth fo, both to the (jreat Tnrk^y who would Devour Surope^ and to the Great Pope, who would deitroythe Reformed Countrys : Troco- piM tells of a great Whale in hisTime, that much Infefted the Coafts of Confiantinople, and did much Mifchief for fifty years together, but atlaft, was taken and tamed (b'^ ^3iM^x.Qr) though 50 Cubits long and ten broad J Thus Jehovah will Take and Tame both !B(fAr»»orA, the Ti«r/;^ who Eats up men like Grafs upon the Mjuntains. J0b.4o.1y. (^c. and Leviathan the | Pope who Sports himfeif in his See to devour "Trotefiants ^God will pullthofe z Kings of the (^htldren o/PnWff out of their Seats (though they have Infe- iled the Church many fifty years, and both Saddle and Bridle them Jub. 41. 13. 34. In due Time God wtH make this latter {Leviathan) tohreak,his

Of Py onderful Times, j^l;

^WfpTail, 'arid let out kis own Bloody as f hat Cokhejior whale aid,, and God -mil hreukjois Headi and give him to be meat to his People : There be many^ more Signs- and Wonders! omit (though mentioned in publick IntcnfgencesJi bcc^afe not (to mc zTio\j°)\ ^uthenticall] ty4ttefled^ I would alTo rab)o}n here the many marvelous and prodigious Providences_,nQt only Reported^hut iikewife Recorded in cur own Land of late (were it not toavoio prolixity^, fuch as the Wonderfnl Difcovcry of fufiice Codfrep D^ath ; The fVonderful. delivery, of Jnflice Arnolds Ufe. Th^ Wonderful difappoiLtmcnt {hitherto) of all tlie Popilh Plots (ooth ShAm and i^f^/ againft King and Kingdom. The Wonder[til Death of- three grand Enemies (to an hone ft Alderman ^ ill . Hull) who all dyed in three Weeks time, inthehcat andbeuhc of their Per- fecutions againft him : with many more (lich maryelous Occurrcvic.es, befil- lin-^ fever al Per fecutors and Prophane Scoffers (as him whoie. Eyes dropi; *>at of his Head, immediately afceir his Scoiimg at^the./^j^;^(7^»i«ef j;xict yet c pjenarily proved. - ■ - -^ .....

The n^pplicatjon'm fliort fafter a long Explication general and particu- lar, yet Applicatorily Explained all along) is twofold, ifi. General, ilv. PartictiUr,ihc latter ofthofeto be poffirive and pci^'''''P^9''y hi (without a peculiar Gift,whichwe preter.d not to) isby thebeit Cafuifts caiied Ncfns-^ and no better than prefunription to pry too curioufly into the ^^^of Divine Secrets, for which fiftjf Tho ft fan d Bethjhemites tvere Jl'^tny ii.Saxu. 6. 19. ^r- cana^fi fuHt jirca Dei, v/c m^ynozfearch inta CJods Secrets. Deut. 29.. a^, Afirari Qportet^rimari. non Uce:^, 'tis as unmannerly to pi jimo our Neigh- bpurs Houfe, as 'tis to/>rf/}into if, C^id Xatocrates : hqw- much more' may raen be paid for peeping into, Gods Houfe, as the mtn .ai BefJ:fr:e.mcfi were,' contrary to. Gods Command. Num. 4. 20, Soramque fcirs ne.c Datur n<c. fas eB, Dttia eft ignorantia , ifliHsfctentiA u^ppetentia efi t.vffnia fpccies^ (Hth A nfiin: Tis a learned Ignorance not to Know what wc ought not to know, and 'tis a ^ind of madnefs to del^re it,: /•'/*ic.(;;//jfings well, faying, Tftfuge feu peflem rbj^i Trj.v^re^.-yiMauuhjA h nd i'^ter giv-eth charge again/t t h is Impious ^^r/(5yj7 asagainlt 77)^/r and AI fir drr, i. Pet. 4. ij. 'tis a I eing too l;Mify with Gods matters. Baldwin therefore concludes this point, frxfrat ^rgo, dec, 'tis better topafs oyer prodigies in filence, and leave the particular

be Wffe, unto S'Miety, fteing Events in ail Afcs do e\idcrcc, il at l]ia}.i'l]e^ do portend (in the general) a Fu^uriticn or Approacli' of fen-. c ihif j^s '(|'ig|l yet e^iiflcnt) and fuch as bear f' me proport'cn in cuan'ty ro the Vridic]\s themfc! vcs : ^s Armit s per tcjid Wars, &c, Tni-s is ac kn..w:c JpC-d i^y ikro -

, • " ' M ^ ' dutiii

8 2 Wonderful Signs

^etitsini Machiavel^ that no extraordinary Calamiries befal Nations cf Cities, but Ms fore fhewn by forie Extrdordinary Signs and fVonders, as the Reverend Dr. facl^fon (in his Sermen preached before King Charles the !♦} quoreth them. pag. 9. 10. Yea,our Saviour himfelf did Inftitute Signs and Wonders tZ% immediate forerunners of that final Deftrudion of Jernfalem,^Q forely tbreatned and fo feverely executed by Titus f^efpajian, Matth. 7^. Mark^ 1 3 . and Lul^ 1 1 . and Jofephpu hath a good Note upon it, hh, 4. cap, J 1. of the Wars of the fews, that it was Gjds Clemency to Mankind to forc- fhew by thofe extraordinary ,9(^«/ and Wonders, what wilting Defolations were approaching, that his people hid^^ fore warned might be forearmed alfo and take the be(t Courfe for their owafafety. The General application of Prodigies, (which are unqueftionafelej be principally two, according to Cor- tteliMs a Lapides Notion, on J eel. 2, ; o. Prodigia funt Credentibus benefica, incredalis vero Malefica 64 Horribilia.- ift. The) do portend much mi f chief to that part of the World ^ which -wallows in Wickjdnefs without Repentance: The Signs and ^VondersGo^^tv^^A. to Pharoah ^tiQV\:>i%h\^ Meffengers^ but even Harbingers of bis and his Peoples De/lruftion, fo was the Hand^ wnV/V;^ upon the IKrf// a Prodigy portending Belfhaz,z,ars Downfai for his Drunken and Debauched Quaffings, Dan. ly. 22. a;. So were the Prodi'.: gies in Heaven, Earth and Sea ("as Luke ranks them Lu\e 21. 2j.) Infallible portents and prefages of the final fail of the fews and their Jerufalem, for Perfecating Ghrift and his Apoftlcs, &c. Thus it was of latter times in ^tr- man], as their wickednefs and Debauchery increafcd, fo did their Prodigies^ Signs and TVonders, Hift. Iron- Age, pag. 65. Yea and in our Land Sir Rich* "Baker hath worthily Recorded, How the many Mifchiefs fthat have befallen thisNationJ trere all fcrcfliewed by many foregoing Signs and Wonders f which he calleth Cafualties) in every Reign, whereof I have extrafted an Epitome, and thought to have inferted it here, were not my Book too bulky already. 2/y. They do Prognoftkate Relief and Remedy to the Religious part of the World. ty£gypts Orerthrow was Ifraels Deliverance, and fo was ^ndimWh^BAhylonsioSion. Therefore Ghrift encourageth his Servants at the fight of fuch Signs, to lift up their Heads for their Redemption draweth nigh, Luke 2 i. 2/. 28. AU men ought therefore to Regard the Works of the Lord and to confider the Operations of his Hand's^ltaSi by negleft tlacre- of they provoke a Jealous God to T>e^roy them and not httild them up' Pf. 28. f. How oft doth God call on 'L'^charj, lift up thine Eyes and behold,c^c. and what feefi thou ? Sic. God {hews his Signs and Wonders, rot that men fhould cs&fcmrilous Scoffs ^i them, fwhoknoweth whether fuch have a mi- Kute betwixt his lafl /^Z? in this World, and his Everlafting Sarnefl in a worfe World) bat to mTikt feriofis Ontemphtions on them: what curious

y

Of Wonderful Times. ^ b j

Artift can endure (when he expofcs fome fpecial peice to publick ViewJ to Cetfottifh msn take no notice of it, or filljfpe^ at or s fthat cannot underiland its Admirable Art) Deride it, God is Certainly Tnmng his Ir.ftrument fas I fay inpag. 32. ) and will (hortly play fome choice Tune, though made up of Difcords. The good Lord help us to Dance after his Tipe, and to weefhim in the wajf of bis Jfidgmems^ or in the vaj of his Mercies, Ifa. 26. 8. Otherwife the (jreat Turk^ (who ('tis faidj is fo allarm'd with tho{e Pro- digies that he hath proclaimed a Faft to be kept throughout all his Domini- ons) will rife up in Judgment againft all Scoffers, as the Queen of ShebamW againll the Jews, ilZ/f*/?;. 11.42. T^Q Heavens, thofe Catholick Preachers : TJ. 19. I. The fpangledCurtainsoftheBridegroomes Chamber, hath Read fuch a Divinity-Ledureto us in Sig^ns and Wonders, and fo hath the Earth and the Sea, all terrifying and tefti^) ing Gods Anger againll Mans Sin, yea in his own people, in whom he will pardon, but not patronize Evil : and fliall we look on xhok Signs of the t.mes, to htlnaniaTerricHUmenta^w^d^ux^c^nt Scar-crows, which the Sorcerers of ^^gypt (were they here to fee them; would acknowledge to be the Finger of god. Asferufalem (that Slaughter - houfe of Saints') hadherS/^«i of Deftrudion. So i?(w^ (the like Slaught- er-houfe) had (at the Rife of Luther) fnch a Storm upon her chief Church, asftruck tlie Keys out of P^^fr^ Hands, while the PtJ/?^ was creating Cardi- nals in it : ever fince a cold Sweat hath ftuck upon all the Limbs of Anti- chrift, as Sellarmine (his greatChampion) confeffeth, a ffaredly the pouring out oi the feaven Vials (mentioned ReveL 1 6.) will produce fuch a prodigi- ous Storm upon Rome, as will not only blow down her Kejs, but her ImaT^es alfo, yea blow away all the Trafli and Trumpery of that Scarlet ivhore, and the Whore her felf with all her proud helpers j ali Oirifts Foes fliall then be made his Joot-ltool (the fitteft place for them) in all Lands ; yet before the accopiplifhment hereof, fad Calamities, (if not the Slaughter of the'Witnef- fes') maybe fecn,yea fuch Tribulation ^s hath not heretofore. Afmtt. 24. 21. The very Time may fecm nothing elfe but AffitBlon it felf. Mark^ 13. i^ So befel it to the Jews that fhad not God cut fliort thofe Days Matth. 14. 22. No Flejk had been Saved ) no Jewish Flefh had been left alive. What Woes may befal the Gentile World, after fuch prodigious prefages, we know not. *Tis good for us to get into ^ugnflns^s pofture, (who once fitting 'twixt Ttrgi! (a frequent figher) and Horace (that had watery Eyes) pleafant- ly faid, he fat inter Sufpiria & Lachrjmas, betwixt Sighs and Tears : fare I am. Our Day calls upcn us, not only to fay jo, but alfo to fitfo, wiwhaWferi- cufnefs : Chrilts Council to the Jcvfs was {prayye"] Matth, 14. 20. 'Tis no lefs the Duty ifi us Gentiles, Pra/cr is the beft Ordinance and Artillery, wherewith to Batter Heaven, f/<tif/V^r IratHsFoceRoganie Dens: Wher.G <i

fccms

c34., Wonieiful Signs

Ceeiiis pn ^fl bitterly' tent, yet willbe yield foraeching to prayer, v :ch is the bcft Icvcr at ade^dlifc,^tovided icbe the)'?v7fr of.FAith,i^T asGndsiBer- cyisthe Mothtr^ fo rhejChurebes'F<«ii^^ is the Mifcife. u£ Deiivefance^ Hereupon J^o// infecting down the Dreadful Signs of direTal Days (teait a- i>y fliould defpondifjgly tay, as ^/*j? /^ l o. 26. Who then^itn be favedytftx* cliidcth)y|tH this comfortable Corollary, M-hoever callsth oW.the N^me of the LordJhAll be fayed. Jjelz. ;i. 32. ThAtfacbmay beReterved as^t^em- nant ''or Royal Uie being4«<;co/<«ffrii worthy to efcai^ethofe liiings that a. .•• yet come topafs : L/jI^c 21, ^6* Is the H;-arty prayer of C.xV,

F I N

T/^Reaiev is re-cju^edto corrsB'thcfefolhivmg\Fmlt:s.thuthavceJc^^^ , rlj'e-Frefs:, j

Eirata. . *^ -l

PAg. r; lifitf sK>. r^ad Math. 12. p. X5. \- i4-J^. Ear p. 11. reat^I««e 20.. be/ore line J 19. F.iS.I. 2r..'for.So.jc,TO. p.ji.;l:i-^. foriS. r.ii. p.?7-"l-. -F-^-.f/^'^lfif^i p. 40 .1. ^4. r. Truths, p. 4S.I. ip,'; for through r. though, p.- 49. l.i. for Cotin- ceio'rt. CounceL'^.Si.\.i6.x:'kya:^r S7-\}' thcUtter r, 6^,66,6/, 0c. to;7i, in' pi whfch Ihould be p(S.l. 1 1, r.'tjricr /?«/iPer .(^is M<#tf"^?ri only, not-ls Mf^ii*? w-Jr, _ according to the PopiftiDodkrine, and 1. 2 i. after are r.moftly : and 1. 34, for" Virj^tn t.^rgins. p. 6p. l.ao.for Trimethius r. Tm/7r»iiHj.theShcet{Z, )rhouk1 begia witk 73-andib on. p.7<5..falfly paged <5|.).1..2o.r.Aa^#J<;/. v.

i

SIGN BOOK CARD

AND LEAVE AT

CHARGING DESK

IF BOOK IS TO BE USED

OUT OF THE

LIBRARY BUILDING