much joy and great alacrity Bells as 't were ringing most harmoniously As if the Lord would hereby let us see His gracious love at last to set us free From all our fore-felt feares and terrors great To crown us with a conquest most complete Shown in this figure Tragi-comicall Heav'n say Amen to this So pray we all Now this Tragi-Comicall Warning-piece for so methinkes I may fitly call it which we have here described and set forth as well as a figure and expression of that nature might be beginning so terribly and concluding so sweetly did far transcend in prognosticating comfort in the issue all the fore-mentioned marvellous prodigies and predictions either in Jerusalem Germany or elsewhere among us and may therefore surely serve as a soveraigne antidote against our too much fainting and affrighting feares The Lord our good God seeming hereby to foreshew us as blessed Mr. Brightman also that famous Divine and faithfull servant of the Lord in his most bright and learned revelation of the Revelations of Saint Iohn hath even prophetically written that Englands terrible storme of woes and warres now begun in it by Papists Atheists and profane Malignants whom God hath stirred up to disturb its abused peace and plenty and as a just punishment of Englands great sins and enormities though for a while it may seeme sharp yet shall be short and prove sweet in the issue fanning away the chaffe and burning up the drosse thereof and making way for a glorious peace and perfect reformation and for the setting up of Christs Throne and advancing of his Scepter in the power and purity of holy ordinances in the issue and conclusion It is our part therefore in faith patience and prayer to possesse our souls and to wait on the Lord for the happy performance of the same in his due time and by that way which is best pleasing to his most wise providence And the Lord in mercy perfect our expectation thereof in his appointed season Amen and Amen I have made no mention all the while of the many strange fearfull and unaccustomed Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone which have been seen from yeare to yeare both in other parts and also in our owne English Horizon which also by the judgement of the best Astrologers and Mathematicians have and doe prognosticate and declare unto us many notable changes and overtures of States and Kingdoms as also that late and memorable conjunction of Saturne and Iupiter among us in February last 1643. which hath been written of long before it fell out and which with all the rest doth prognosticate and demonstrate unto us as so many Warning-pieces the great alteration and vicissitude of Kingdoms Countreyes times and things in Church and State especially I say this late and great conjunction of those two celestiall Planets as Mr. Booker in his Prognostication for this instant yeare 1643. doth most notably declare and manifest unto us But of these and some other such like strange apparitions in the aire I shall desire with wise King Solomon all my Christian brethren and friends to take holy and wholsome counsell which the Spirit of God prompts the children of wisedome to embrace and follow viz. A prudent man fore-sees the evill or approaching storme and hideth himself from it And what better nay what so safe a hiding-place as the clifts and holes of the Rocks even the wounds of the Lord Jesus Christ that immoveable and everlasting Rock of our Salvation and under the holy and heavenly wings of the Sunne of Righteousnesse where onely as the Prophet sayes is true and infallible Soule-healing comfort indeed to all truly penitent and conscience-wounded sinners who with godly sorrow and unfained repentance and reformation by faith in prayer seeke and sue unto him which the Lord give us all wisedome and grace so to doe Amen FINIS Tamberlaine the Scourge of the Turk A white-flag A Red-flag Dan. 3.26 and 6.26.27 Gods White-flag of mercy Gods Red-flag of wrath and confusion Heb. 12.29 Esay 33.14 2 Sorts of Gods White-flagges 1. The word preached 2. Signes and wonders and Apparitions Psal. 7 12.13 A Jove omne principium Heb. 12 2. Mat. 10 34.35 The admirable Star in the East seen at Christs birth A white Flag Joh. 3 16. A red Flag Heb. 2 2 3. Jerusalem 1. Blindnesse of minde 2. A Comet like a sword 3. A Cow which brought forth a Lamb 4. The Brass gate of the temple opened of it selfe 5. Armed men and chariots in the aire 6. A voice in the Temple Germany Germany the Eden of Europe Mat. 11.23 England like Capernaum Amos 6.6 England left without Excuse 1. Ministers to admonish us Luk. 1.33 2. Prodigies to fear fright us An Introduction to the first Embleme or Apparition 1 Kings 4.23 A Comet or blazing Star The effects of the said Comet or blazing Star Death of great ones A remarkable note on the rising of the blazing starre Esay 5.1 2 3 c. Luke 13.7 Esay 28.21 1 Sam. 3.12 â— A monstrous birth a man-child born with two heads 2 hearts two arms and 2 stump Shewn to King Charles and the Queen An Object Answer Psal. 139.24 Joh. 19.3 A particular application of this strange birth to our strange times A most prodigious and monstrous birth also in New-England Thunder and lightning Churches mightily defaâ—ed and destroyâ—d by thunder and lightning Withcomb in Devonshire a mighty faire Church October 21. 1638. being the Lords day In the winter season The storm begun The fearfull effects of it The steeple torne The north side wall broken The pulpit strangely defaced A fearfull flash of lightning The Ministers wives case A Gentlewoman also sitting with her A woman running out of the Church A Gentleman slaine Sir Richard Reynolds his Warriners most fearfull death Another man by him A third man most grievously slaine A Dogge kild A strange preservation Eight Boyes at the rails of the Altar thrown on heaps on each other A beam fell down but hurt none A foundation stone torn up Stones but of the Tower throwne downe thick A pinacle tumbled down A great stone thrown an hundred yards off A Bowling alley and a Tavern neere the Church defaced Briefe notes on the premisses The Jews Temple under the Law most sumptuous and why Ob. One Swallow makes noâ— a summer Answ. Prelaticall Church-government â—er 10.7 Janu. 14. 1639. 3. Churches in Kent defaced with thunder and lightning And Saint Anthonies in Cornwall 1640 More full observations on all these Church-ruines Whether they were naturally occasional or otherwise Gal. 4.9 Col. 2.20 Joh. 4.23 Admirable sweet musicke heard plainly after all that terrible noise
â—RODIGIES Apparitions or Englands Warning Pieces â—eing a Seasonable Description â—y lively figures apt illustration â—â— many remarkable prodigious fore-runers apparent Predictions of Gods Wrath against England if not timely prevented by true Repentance Written by J. V. Are to be sould by Tho Bates in ould Bâ—â—â— by Ralphe Markland neere the 〈◊〉 PRODIGIES and APPARITIONS OR ENGLANDS Warning-Pieces HIstories doe report and make mention of Tamberlane that famous Warriour and great scourge of the Turke as he was termed that in his battels especially in his intended siege and assault of a City or Towne his custome was first to hang out a white flag or banner in the sight of the Besieged thereby intimating to them his tender of mercy and favourable-quarter to them if they would instantly yeeld and submit to his mercy But if that would not serve but that they resolved to stand it out against him and put it to the hazard of warre then hee hung out a red flag in token that now there was nothing but death and destruction to be expected upon their refusall of his profered favor and mercy to them Even so Almighty God the great and supreme Sovereigne of all Nations and Kingdomes and the most terrible heart-tamer and wonder-working-wonder-working-King of all Kings who with the word of his mouth and breath of his nostrils is able to subdue the mightiest Kings Kingdoms and people and to cast down al strong holds and mightiest mountaines before him as those Heathen Kings Nebuchadnezar and King Darius freely confessed Yet I say though he be so mighty and terrible a God when hee is provoked to wrath by the sinnes and transgressions of a nation or people he never punisheth but he first admonisheth and heerin like this foresaid Tamberlane before hee intends the ruine of a Nation or a Kingdome he first holds out the white flag of his profered grace and mercy on their true repentance and hearty reformation from their evill courses and conversation but if this will not worke kindly on them but they wil obstinately and stubbornly stand out and refuse his mercy and proffered grace and favour then at last he hangs out his red-flag of wrath and confusion and sodainly consumes his proud and rebellious opposers all insolent and incorrigible sinners who have thus made themselves uncapable of mercy and compassion and are so become as combustible stubble in the presence of a terrible and angry God who as a consuming fire devoures them as in a moment For as the Prophet sayes who is able to stand before or to dwell with everlasting burnings Now this mercifull course of our mercifull God in thus hanging out first this white-flag of favour and mercifull premonitions which is the thing mainly intended to be described in these following figures and ocular-Emblemes of prodigious portentious and apparitions before he inflicteth severe punishments on his sinning Servants The Lord useth to manifest unto them divers waies but most especially and most remarkably these two waies Either by his Prophets and faithfull Preachers declaring his word and will to his people as Ionas in Ninevie and all the Prophets else to the people of Israel in their constant proclaiming mercy to Penitents but judgement and wrath to obstinate sinners and refractorie transgressours Or else by sending prodigious signes and wonders among them either by fearfull apparitions in the ayre monstrous births heart-frighting-voyces and exclamations oftimes unknowne from whence or by whome uttered and such like And this last course the Lord hath also frequently taken with a provoking and impenitent people in all ages and times And this is the thing which in this little Treatise is mainly intended to be declared and insisted upon Namely to shew that even of late also in these our modern times as well as in former and ancient ages we being by our sins and transgressions a greatly provoking people incensing and exasperating the high indignation and wrath of the Lord against us yet he hath among us also shewn himself to bee God that changeth not full of compassion and slow to wrath bending his bow whetting his sword holding up his arm ready to let it down yet loath to strike that so by these preparations to the blow before it falls heavie upon us we might see and shun and avoid it by our true and cordiall repentance Now in the first place I shall very briefly give you a taste and sight of what God hath done in this nature and kinde in former ages and times and so passe on succinctly to our owne times which I say is here mainly intended And first to begin with him who is the beginning and end of all things even the Lord Jesus Christ our most pretious and deare Saviour the authour and finisher of our faith that glorious Lord of life and Prince of peace who being born into the world in the dayes of an Emperour of peace Augustus Caesar then Emperour of Rome yet bringing into the world not onely peace but a sword also peace to penitent and broken-hearted beleevers and a sword of variance and revenge to proud and impenitent sinners Therefore at his birth what a most admirable and unparalel'd Starre was seen in the East so great and so miraculous a Starre as hath puzled and posed the greatest and most learned Astronomers and Mathematicians of the world A white Flag of mercy indeed yea of everlasting redemption from Sin Death and Hell if graciously accepted with firm faith and found universall obedience But a red Flag of wrath and confusion yea of horror and perdition if obstinately rejected or lazily neglected by sin and ignorance and infidelity Again a little before the destruction of that great and most magnificent Metropolis of the whole world Jerusalem I mean what fearfull and prodigious fore-warnings were sent to that Citie to foreshew them the wrath to come As first a fearfull blindnesse and stupidity of minde or hardnesse of heart the most fearfull fore-runner of wrath toward them of all the rest not to see or beleeve those wonderfull fore-warnings which God then sent among them Secondly a Comet like a sword and a bright shining light in their Temple round about their Altar in the midst of the night Thirdly a Cow which should have then been sacrificed that brought forth a Lamb in the midst of the Temple Fourthly the great and massie brasen gate of the Temple which opened of it self Fiftly fearfull and hideous sights and apparitions in the aire of mighty companies of Chariots and armed men in an hostile manner Sixtly and lastly a voyce was heard in the Temple crying out Let us goe hence With other such like mentioned by Iosephus in his famous history of the Jewes page 738. But to come neerer to our own times Are not the fearfull apparitions and signes in the heavens and prodigies on the earth
often seen in Germany by the inhabitants thereof in many places notable fore-runners and predictions of Germanies succeeding miserie still fresh in the memory of many yet living who have been both eye and eare witnesses of the manifold and most lamentable distresses and destructions which have befallen and even to this day lye still very heavy on that once most famous and flourishing Eden of the whole Christian world now made a desolate defart and bare and barren wildernesse But all this while that we have only heard that our neighbours houses have been so fearfully on fire what use have we of England made thereof How have we endeavoured to keep the flame off from our own houses and habitations Certainly wee have not made that holy and humbling use thereof as we might and ought to have done considering our meanes of grace and reconciliation wherewith we have been even lifted up like Capernaum to heaven far beyond our neighbours round about us We have not been wise by other mens harmes as meer humane and worldly wisedome might have taught us to be But have contrariwise drunk wine in bowles as the Prophet complaines and stretched our selves on our beds of Ivory none of us hardly being grieved for the afflictions of Ioseph in the aforesaid Germany and now also of late and lamentably bleeding Ireland Wherefore the Lord hath and that most justly come neerer home to our owne doores and begunne to make us who were only supine spectators of others miseries now unhappy spectacles to others of imbred and homebred devouring destructions Nor yet I say in all these our selfe-procured sorrowes can we justly taxe the Lord in the least measure with any more harsh or hasty proceedings heerein with us then with any of his other servants in by-past times but have been every-way wholy left without excuse For hath not the Lord for these many yeares together both called upon us by by his faithfull and painfull Preachers of the word fore-warned us to flie from the wrath to come Have they not frequently and servently cried out and told us that except we repent we also should perish Yea when this one great and maine meanes of reclaming us his people from our sinnes would not serve hath not the Lord used that other more terrible and heart-frighting course heer mainly intended in this treatise of Prodigies Signes and Apparitions in the ayre and other most degenerating unnaturall and wonder-striking contingents amongst us here at home As now I intend more exactly and particularly to set forth and shew to the Reader whereby wee shall easily discerne and discover to our owne hearts if we will not bee too wilfully blind which as I shewed before was the first and worst signe of smart and sorrow in Jerusalem and more then marble-hearted most apparent prints and even visible footsteps and impressions of Gods highly conceived indignation and provoked patience turned into enforced furie by our constant and unconscionable sinning against him and now resolved to execute the utmost severitie of his wrath upon us if now at last wee hasten not most heartily to prevent and divert it by true and timely repentance and reformation And now I say that we may no longer looke abroad into forreigne parts nor many yeeres past for examples of this sort I shall desire the Reader to remember what yet may be fresh in memory among us That in the Reigne of King Iames that so peacefull a Prince who so much delighted in the name and worke of Peace both at home and abroad that hee had this Motto given to him Beati Pacifici Blessed are the Peace-makers And so successefully had he prosecuted his affections therin that as heere you may see in this Embleme or following Figure Every man fate under his owne Vine and under his owne figge tree even from Dan to Beersheba all the dayes of the sayd King Iames our so peacefull King as it Every man Sitting vnder his vine vnder his owne fig gtree enjoying all good things in the days of King James But on the 18th of November 1618 A great Blazing-starr with 7 long streames appeared much damping mens hearts HEre every one sits under his owne Vine All under their-own Figtrees sup and dine In Pleasures Treasures and all joyes encrease In pleasant Plentie amiable Peace But whiles this Peace and Plentie brings forth Pride Luxurie Loosnes and all sinnes besides Gods wrath is kindled Heav'n therwith offended Lets England see his judgements sore intended By a strange Blazing-starre which every day Betimes ith'morning did bright beames display Which as a Warning piece the Lord thus sent To rouze-up England timely to repent And to prevent his judgements thus foreshown Lest still secure England be overthrown See here th' indulgence of a gratious God Who ere he strikes first shewes and shakes his Rod was said of King Salomon also that Prince of Peace But this peace being but a meer externall and sensuall peace and so the mother of Luxury Libertinisme and prophanenesse whereof the whole Kingdome did then and so all along to this very day too risely and rankly abound together with all kind of sinfulnesse Piety being then turned into Court-Policy and sincerity into outside and Diabolicall hypocrisie The Lord therefore even about the yeere 1618. November 18 sent a visible demonstration of his just wrath and displeasure namely a great Comet or Blazing Star as there also you have it in the Embleme with seven streames which continued to the 16. of Decemb. following rising every morning about three or foure of the clocke and so continued shining most cleerly and bright till day light appeared the streames of it blazing upwards Now what this Comet or Blazing Star might portend and prognosticate hath been evidently seene and known amongst us by reall and sensible experience ever since not only over all Christendome in general as in Germany Rochel in France and still fresh bleeding and lamentably dilacerated and forlorne Ireland but even within our owne bosomes in England also as in the death of Queene Anne and of King Iames also himselfe not long after yea and many most eminent Peeres and Nobles of this Land suddenly taken away but by what stroke is not yet fully discovered though greatly suspected as the Marquesse of Hamilton the Duke of Richmond and the Lord Belfast c. all eminent Common wealths men fierce and furious warres also and rumours of warres Nation against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome And as I toucht before wee now see our too secure Kingdom must also share in these common calamities now fallen upon the earth England having sinned and done very foolishly England must also come under the lash of Gods justice and greatly incensed indignation against it as well as Germany Rochell and Ireland Before I can leave the blazoning of this Blazing-star I must give the Reader one more remarkable note and observation on it Namely that at