Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
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A08755
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Looke vp and see vvonders A miraculous apparition in the ayre, lately seene in Barke-shire at Bawlkin Greene neere Hatford. April. 9th. 1628.
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Dekker, Thomas, ca. 1572-1632.
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1628
(1628)
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STC 1904; ESTC S101623
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6,335
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24
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LOOKE Vp and see Wonders A miraculous Apparition in the Ayre lately seene in Barke-shire at Bawlkin Greene neere Hatford April 9 th 1628. Imprinted at London for Roger Miâ—â—â—â—â— 16â—8 To the Reader AS thou doest Reade so practise to Vnderstand and make vse of thy Labour Let not this Knowledge vanish away like a Dreame but keepe it as a Monument ingrauen in Brasse or Marble This is a strange Chronicle written by a strong hand The best Antiquary in the World hath set it downe for God himselfe puts his owne Name to it A few leaues of his Filling are an ample Volume Euery small Epitome Written by him is a Booke in Folio Here thou shalt finde no great number of Lines but much more Matter comprehended in them then the Words seeme to carry This is but a Picture of a Battaile fought in the Aire A naked Description of a terrible Fight fearefull no doubt to the Standers by but it may be Comfortable to thee if heereby thou getst thy selfe Arm'd to Combate with thy sinnes for questionlesse vppon some such occasions grew this Quarrell which may easily be taken vp if thou and euery one of vs submit our selues confesse wherein wee are faulty and so plead for Attonement Nothing is here presented to thine eyes to fright thee but to fill thee with Ioy that this Storme fell so farre off and not vppon thine owne Head Yet beware for the same Hand holds a Rod to strike euery one that deserues punishment Pray to Heauen to free Thee from it and so wishing thee the strong heart of a true Christian to beare with Patience what thy Selfe shalt feele and to pitty others I bid thee farewell Looke Vp And See Wonders SO Benummed wee are in our Sences that albeit God himselfe Holla in our Eares wee by our wills are loath to heare him His dreadfull Pursiuants of Thunder and Lightning terrifie vs so long as they haue vs in their fingers but beeing off wee dance and sing in the midst of our Follies So blinde are wee in the vnderstanding of Heauenly matters that wee cannot see our way to Goodnesse but runne head-long into the Pathes of our owne euerlasting vndoing Dangers haue not the skill to fright vs Death onely is the Man that can doe good vpon vs And yet though Death knockes at our very Doores nay albeit wee see him sit at our Bed-side yet the hope of Life playes her idle vayne and wanton Musicke vnder our Windowes Into what a miserable Sea of calamities does a man then throw himselfe when in this his earthly Nauigation hee sayles he cares not how nor knowes where to finde a safe Landing-place Wee had neede therefore to make much of vnderstanding wise and skilfull Pilots for the best of vs all is an ignorant Marriner Apt enough we are to run vpon Rockes and quick-sands but an excellent Sea-man is hee that in all weathers can beare vp Sayle and by the vertue of his good Compasse is able to auoyde such mortall Dangers The foure Elements haue beene Preachers to vs yet wee get or at least shew little amendment by the Doctrin they haue Read vnto vs. The Earth once fruitfull hath of late yeares felt the curse of Barrennesse Her wombe hath beene the deuourer of many thousands of her owne Children shee has not playd the part of a Mother but a Step-dame for insteed of strong wines shee hath bin drunke with bloud How hath the other Element of water beene troubled What Monsters hath the Sea brought forth The sonnes of Murder Rapine Fury and Pyracy As for Fire it hath denied of late to warme vs but at vnreasonable rates and extreame hard conditions But what talke I of this earthy nourishment of fire how haue the Fires of Heauen some few yeares past gone beyond their bounds and appeared in the shapes of Comets and Blazing Starres The Aire hath bin infected and millions haue dropd into Graues by sucking in her mortall poyson The Aire is the shop of Thunder and Lightning In that hath of late bin held a Muster of terrible enemies and threatners of Vengeance which the great Generall of the Field who Conducts and Commands all such Armies God Almighty I meane auert from our Kingdome and shoote the arrowes of his indignation some other way vpon the bosomes of those that would confound his Gospell Now albeit that these foure great quarter-masters of the World the foure Elements haue in former times and in this of our owne bin in ciuill Warres one against another and bent their Forces at the Heart of this Kingdome yet how happy are we to eate our bread in Peace and to drinke our wholesome and sweete Waters No Nation beneath the Sunne hath more cause to sing Prayses to God and send vp Thankes to Heauen then ours The Drum beates here but the Battailes are abroad The Barbed Horse tramples not downe our Corne-fieldes The earth is not manurde with mans Bloud as it was in the Warres of the Barons and those of the two Royall contending Families of Yorke and Lancaster Here we presse Souldiers but other Countries beare the burthen of their Armies Heere they kindle their Match but the fire is not giuen till they come into Forraigne Kingdomes This Security yet must not bee suffered to rocke vs fast asleepe and so with Sampson to haue our strength cut from vs by the Strumpet of our carelesnes For albeit our Gates haue no Canons planted agaynst them Nor no scaling-ladders seâ— to the Walls of our Cities yet there are Whole Ambushes of enemies lurking in our priuate Bosomes And those are our sinnes which daily lay traynes of powder to blow vs vp and confound vs. For these there is an Eye open which day and night doth ouer looke our actions and if milde and gentle chidings cannot call vs home let vs thanke our selues and the stubbornnesse of our hearts if wee groane vnder the stripes of correction Let vs turne to God and God will not turne his Face from vs Say thy sinnes were as blacke as Hell yet Repentance shall make them like the Winges of a Doue couer'd as the Kingly Prophet sings with siluer the Wings bearing the colour of yellow Gold Repentance is able to make the soule as white as the snow in Zalmon and Gods mercy like the mountaine of Bashan Repentance is a golden Key which opens Heauen and lookes vp to Gods anger Repentance wins him to smile vpon vs and to say thus If thou still art climing vp this Hill of Repentance Blessed shalt thou be in the City and Blessed in the Field Blessed shall be the fruite of thy Body and the Fruite of thy ground and the fruite of thy Cattle The increase of thy Kine and the Flockes of thy Sheepe Blessed shall be thy Basket and thy Dough Blessed shalt thou bee when thou commest in and blessed also when thou goest out Thy Land-Souldiers O England shall not stand in feare of any Italian Spinâ—laes nor thy Nauy Royall of any