Toaklys Son Languished and Died calling and crying out upon her that she was the cause of his Death She also declared that about eight days before Susan Cock Margaret Landish and Joyce Boanes brought to her House three Imps which Joyce taking her Imp too carried them all four to Robert Turners to Torment his Servant because her refused to give them some Chips his Master being a Carpenter and that he forthwith fell Sick and oft barkt like a Dog and she believed those four Imps were the cause of his Death Rose Hallybread was for this Wickedness Condemned to be Hanged but Died in Chelmsford Goal May 9. 1645. Ibid. p. 16. Susan Lock was another of the Society concerning whom see more in the Chap. of Satans Permission to hurt the Innocent in their Estates 6. Much about the same time in Huntingtonshire Elizabeth Weed of great Catworth being Examined before Robert Bernard and Nicholas Pedley Esq Justices of the Peace March 31. 1646. Said that about Twenty one years before as she was one Night going to Bed there appeared to her three Spirits one like a young Man and the other two in the shape of Puppies one white and the other black He that was in the form of a youth spoke to her and Demanded Whether she would deny God and Christ which she agreed to The Devil then offered her to do what mischief she would require of him provided she would Covenant he should have her Soul after Twenty one years which she granted She confest further that about a week after at Ten a Clock at Night he came to her with a Paper asking whether she were willing to Seal the Covenant she said she was then he told her it must be done with her Blood and so prickt her under the left Arm till it bled with which she scribled and immediately a great lump of Flesh rise on her Arm in the same place which increased ever since After which he came to Bed and had Carnal Knowledge of her then and many times afterwards The other two Spirits came into the Bed likewise and suckt upon other parts of her Body where she had Teats and that the Name of one was Lilly and the other Priscil One of which was to hurt Man Woman or Child and the other to destroy what Cattel she desired and the young Man was to lye with her as he did often And saith that Lilly according to the Covenant did kill the Child of Mr. Henry Bedel of Catworth as she required him to do when she was angry tho she does not now remember for what and that about two or three days before she sent him to kill Mr. Bedel himself who returned and said he had no Power and that another time she sent the same Spirit to hurt Edward Musgrove of Catworth who likewise returned saying He was not able And that she sent her Spirit Priscill to kill two Horses and two Cows of Mr. Musgroves and Thomas Thorps in that Town which was done accordingly And being askt when the one and twenty years would be out she said To the best of my Remembrance about low Sunday next Being further demanded why she did so constantly resort to Church and to hear the Sermons of Mr. Pool the Minister she said She was well pleased with his Preaching and had a desire to be rid of that unhappy Burthen which was upon her VVitches of Huntington p. 2. 7. About the year of our Lord 1632. As near as I can Remember having lost my Notes and the Copy of the Letter to Serjeant Hutton but I am sure that I do most perfectly remember the substance of the Story near unto Chester in the street there lived one VValker a young Man of Good Estate and a Widower who had a young Woman to his Kinswoman that kept his House who was by the Neighbours suspected to be with Child and was towards the Dark of the Evening one Night sent away with one Mark Sharp who was a Collier or one that digged Coals under Ground and one that had been born in Blakeburn-Hundred in Lancashire And so she was not heard of for a long time and no Noise or little was made about it In the Winter time after one James Graham or Grime for so in that Countrey they call them being a Miller and living about two Miles from the place where Walker lived was one Night alone very late in the Mill grinding Corn and as about twelve or one a Clock at Night he came down the Stairs from having been putting Corn in the Hopper the Mill doors being shut there stood a Woman upon the midst of the Floor with her hair about her head hanging down and all Bloody with five large Wounds on her head He being much affrighted and amazed began to Bless him and at last asked her who she was and what she wanted To which she said I am the Spirit of such a Woman who lived with Walker and being got with Child by him he promised to send me to a private place where I should be well lookt to until I was brought to Bed and well again and then I should come again and keep his House And accordingly said the Apparition I was one Night late sent away with one Mark Sharp who upon a Moor Naming a place that the Miller knâ—w slew me with a Pike such as Men dig Coals withal and gave me these five Wounds and after threw my Body into a Coal-Pit hard by and hid the Pike under a Bank And his Shoes and Stockings being Bloody he endeavoured to wash but seeing the Blood would not wash forth he hid them there And the Apparition further told the Miller that he must be the Man to reveal it or else that she must still appear and haunt him The Miller returned home very sad and heavy but spoke not one word of what he had seen but eschewed as much as he could to stay in the Mill within Night without Company thinking thereby to escape the seeing again of that frightful Apparition But notwithstanding one Night when it began to be dark the Apparition met him again and seemed very fierce and cruel and threatned him that if he did not reveal the Murder she would continually pursue and haunt him Yet for all this he still concealed it until St. Thomas's Eve before Christmas when being soon after Sun-set walking in his Garden she appeared again and then so threatned him and affrighted him that he faithfully promised to reveal it the next Morning In the Morning he went to a Magistrate and made the whole matter known with all Circumstances and diligent search being made the Body was found in a Coal-Pit with five Wounds in the Head and the Pike and Shoes and Stockings yet Bloody in every Circumstance as the Apparition had related unto the Miller Whereupon Walker and Mark Sharp were both apprehended but would confess nothing At the Assizes following I think it was at Durham they were Arraigned and found guilty
how Happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake send me Life and Death I suspect some Mistake in recording these last Words perhaps Life or Death that I may truly serve thee O my Lord God! bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy People of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and thy People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake His last Words were I am faint Lord have mercy and take my Spirit He died aged 17. 108. The Lady Jane Grey by King Edward's Will proclaimed Queen of England the Night before she was beheaded sent her Sister her Greek Testament in the end whereof she wrote as may be seen under the Head of Love of the Holy Scriptures She spoke on the Scaffold thus GOod People I am come hither to Die and by a Law I am condemned to the same My Offence against the Queen's Majesty was only in consenting to the Device of others which now is deemed Treason yet it was never of my seeking but by Counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of those things than I who knew little of the Law and much less of Titles to the Crown But touching the Procurement thereof by me or on my behalf I do here wash my Hands in Innocency before God and the Face of you all this Day and therewith she wrung her Hands wherein she had her Book I pray you all good Christian People to bear me Witness that I die a true Christian Woman and that I look to be saved by no other means but only by the Mercy of God in the Blood of his only Son Jesus Christ And I do confess That when I knew the Word of God I neglected the same and loved my self and the World and therefore this Plague and Punishment is justly befallen me for my Sins And I yet thank God of his Goodness that he hath been pleased to give me Respite to Repent in And now good People while I am alive I pray assist me with your Prayers She died 1554. aged 16. Tu quibus ista legas incertum est Lector ocellis Ipsa equidem siccis scribere non potui Fox 's Martyrol 109. Queen Elizabeth is reported upon her Death-bed but by what Author I confess I do not presently remember to complain of the want of Time Time Time a World of Wealth for an Inch of Time yet finished her Course with that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good Fight c. 110. The young Lord Harrington professed in his Sickness That he feared not Death in what shape soever it came declaring about two Hours before his Death that he still felt the assured Comforts and Joys of his Salvation by Jesus Christ And when Death approached he breathed forth these longing Expressions Oh that Joy Oh my God! when shall I be with thee And so sweetly resigned up his Spirit unto God An. 1613. aged 22. See in his Life in the Young Man's Calling and my Christian 's Companion 111. Henry Prince of Wales eldest Son to King James in his Sickness had these Words to one that waited on him Ah Tom I in vain wish for that time I lost with thee and others in vain Recreations Which puts me in mind of what Mr. Smith relates in the Funeral Solemnity of Mr. Moor Fellow of Gaius College and Keeper of the University Library viz. That he often lamented the Misery of our English Gentry who are commonly brought up to nothing but Hawks and Hounds and know not how to bestow their Time in a Rainy Day and in the midst of all their Plenty are in want of Friends necessary Reproof and most loving Admonition 112. The Earl of Strafford made this Speech on the Scaffold May 12. 1641. MY Lord Primate of Ireland and my Lords and the rest of the Gentlemen it is a very great Comfort to me to have your Lordship by me this Day in regard I have been known to you a long time I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few Words but I doubt I shall not My Lord I come hither by the Good Will and Pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last Debt I owe to Sin which is Death and by the Blessing of God to rise again through the Merits of Christ Jesus to Eternal Glory I wish I had been private that I might have been heard My Lord if I might be so much beholden to you that I might use a few Words I should take it for a very great Courtesie My Lord I come hither to submit to that Judgment which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented Mind I do freely forgive all the World a Forgiveness that is not spoken from the Teeth outward as they say but from the Heart I speak it in the Presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not in me so much as a displeasing Thought to any Creature I thank God I may say truly and my Conscience bears me witness that in all my Service since I have had the Honour to serve His Majesty in any Employment I never had any thing in my Heart but the joynt and individual Prosperity of the King and People If it hath been my Hap to be misconstrued it is the common Portion of us all while we are in this Life the Righteous Judgment is hereafter here we are subject to Error and apt to be misjudged one of another There is one thing I desire to clear my self of and I am very confident I speak it with so much clearness that I hope I shall have your Christian Charity in the belief of it I did always ever think the Parliaments of England were the happiest Constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and under God the happiest Means of making King and People happy so far have I been from being against Parliaments For my Death I here acquit all the World and pray God heartily to forgive them and in particular my Lord Primate I am very glad that His Majesty is pleased to conceive me not meriting so severe and heavy a Punishment as the utmost execution of this Sentence I am very glad and infinitely rejoyce in this Mercy of his and beseech God to turn it to him that he may find Mercy when he hath most need of it I wish this Kingdom all the Prosperity and Happiness in the World I did it living and now dying it is my Wish I do now profess it from my Heart and do most humbly recommend it to every Mâ—n here and wish every Man to lay his Hand upon his Heart and consider seriously whether the beginning of the Happiness of a People should be written in Letters of Blood I fear you are in a wrong way and I desire Almighty God that no one drop of my Blood may
then requested they might sing a Psalm the Sheriff told him It must be with the Ropes about their Necks which they chearfully accepted and sung with such Heavenly Joy and Sweetness that many present saiâ—â— It both broke and rejoyc'd their hearts Thus in the experience of the delightfulness of Praising God on Earth he willingly closed his Eyes on a vain World to pass to that Eternal Employment Sept. 30. 1685. All present of all sorts were exceedingly affected and amazed Some Officers that had before insultingly said Surely these Persons have no thoughts of Death but will find themselves surprized by it after said That they now saw he and they had something extraordinary within that carried them through with such Joy Others of them said That they were so convinced of their Happiness that they would be glad to change Conditions with them All the Soldiers in general and all others lamenting exceedingly saying That it was so sad a thing to see them cut off they scarce knew how to bear it Some of the most malicious in the Place from whom nothing but Railing was expected said as they were carried to their Grave in Taunton Church voluntarily accompanied by most of the Town That these Persons had left a sufficient Evidence that they were now glorified Saints in Heaven A great Officer in the King's Army has been often heard to say That if you would learn to die go to the Young Men of Taunton Much more was uttered by them which shewed the Blessed and Glorious frames of their hearts to the Glory of Divine Grace but this is what occurs to Memory Mr. Benjamin Hewling about two hours before his Death writ this following Letter which shewed the great composure of his Mind Mr. Hewling's last Letter a little before his Execution Taunton Sept. 30. 1685. Honoured Mother THat News which I know you have a great while feared and we expected I must now acquaint you with That notwithstanding the Hopes you gave in your two last Letters Warrants are come down for my Execution and within these few hours I expect it to be performed Blessed be the Almighty God that gives comfort and support in such a day how ought we to magnifie his holy Name for all his Mercies that when we were running on in a course of sin he should stop us in our full Career and shew us that Christ whom we had pierced and out of his Free Grace enable us to look upon him with an Eye of Faith believing him able to save to the utmost all such as come to him Oh admirable long-suffering and Patience of God! that when we were dishonouring his Name he did not take that time to bring honour to himself by our destruction But he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but had rather he should turn to him and live And he has many ways of bringing his own to himself Blessed be his Holy Name that through Affliction he has taught my heart in some measure to be conformable to his Will which worketh Patience and Patience worketh Experience and Experience Hope which maketh not ashamed I bless God I am not ashamed of the Cause for which I lay down my Life and as I have engaged in it and fought for it so now I am going to Seal it with my Blood The Lord still carry on the same Cause which hath been long on foot and tho' we die in it and for it I question not but in his own good time he will raise up other Instruments more worthy to carry it on to the Glory of his Name and the Advancement of his Church and People Honoured Mother I know there has been nothing left undone by you or my Friends for the saving of my Life for which I return my hearty Acknowledgments to your self and them all and it 's my dying Request to you and them to Pardon all undutifulness 〈◊〉 unkindness in every Relation Pray give my Duty to my Grandfather and Grandmother Service to my Uncles and Aunts and my dear Love to all my Sisters to every Relation and Friend a particular Recommendation Pray tell 'em all how Precious an Interest in Christ is when we come to die and advise them never to rest in a Christless Estate For if we are his 't is no matter what the World do to us they can but kill the Body and blessed be God the Soul is out of their reach for I question not but their Malice wishes the Damnation of that as well as the Destruction of the Body which has too evidently appeared by their deceitful and â—â—tering Promises I commit you all to the Care and Protection of God who has promised to be a Father to the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widow and to supply the want of every Relation The Lord God of Heaven be your Comfort under these Sorrows and your Refuge from those Miseries we may easily fore-see coming upon poor England and the poor distâ—eâ—â—ed People of God in it The Lord carry you through this Vale of Tears with a resigning submissive Spirit and at last bring you to himself in Glory where I question not but you will meet your dying Son Ben. Hewling Their CHARACTERS THey were both of very sweet and obliging Tempers as has appeared in their History it being a very hard matter for their worst Enemies when they once knew 'em well not to Honour and Love ' em Mr. Benjamin the Elder reconciled the Lamb and the Lion exactly In the Field he seem'd made only for War and any where else for nothing but Love He without Flattery deserv'd to be call'd a very fine Man of a lovely Proportion extreamly well made as handsome a Meen and good an Air as perhaps few in England exceeded him His Picture is pretty like him The Younger Mr. William somewhat taller and more slender his Face fresh and lively as his Spirit being Master of an extraordinary vivacity and briskness of Temper Both of 'em Vertuous Pious and Courageous far above their Years and indeed seem'd to be Men too soon one of 'em not being Twenty the Eldest but Two and twenty when they dy'd verifying that common Observation That whatever is perfect sooner than ordinary has generally a shorter Period prefix'd it than what 's more base and ignoble 2. Mr. CHRISTOPHER BATTISCOMB HE was another young Gentleman of a good Family and very great Hopes and of a fair Estate which lay in Dorsetshire somewhere between Dorchester and Lyme He had studied some time at the Temple and having Occasions in the Country about the Time of my Lord Russel's Business he was there seiz'd on Suspicion of being concern'd in 't and clapt into the County Gaol at Dorchester where he behaved himself with that Prudence and winning Sweetness and shew'd so much Wit and innocent pleasantry of Temper as extreamly obliged both all his Keepers and Fellow-Prisoners and even Persons of the best Quality in that Town They knew how to value such a Gentleman
if those Princes were truly such as the Historians represented them they had well deserved that Treatment And others who tread their Steps might look for the same For Truth would be told at last and that with the more Acrimony of Style for being so long restrained It was a gentle suffering to be exposed to the World in their true Colours much below what others had suffered at their Hands She thought that all Sovereigns ought to read such Histories as Procopius for how much soever he may have aggravated Matters and how unbecomingly soever he may have writ yet by such Books they might see what would be probably said of themselves when all Terrors and Restraints should fall off with their Lives Ibid. 20. She did hearken carefully after every thing that seemed to give some hope that the next Generation should be better than the present with a particular Attention She heard of a Spirit of Devotion and Piety that was spreading itself among the Youth of this great City with a true Satisfaction She enquired often and much about it and was glad to hear it went on and prevailed She lamented that whereas the Devotions of the Church of Rome were all Shew and made up of Pomp and Pageantry that we were too bare and naked And practised not enough to entertain a serious Temper or a warm and an affectionate Heart We might have Light enough to direct but we wanted Flame to raise an exalted Devotion Ibid. 21. She was â—o part of the Cause of the War yet she would willingly have sacrificed her own Life to have preserved either of Those that seemed to be in Danger at the Boyne She spake of that Matter two Days after the News came with so tender a Sense of the Goodness of God to her in it that it drew Tears from her and then she freely confessed That her Heart had trembled not so much from the Apprehension of the Danger that she herself was in as from the Scene that was then in Action at the Boyne God had heard her Prayers and she blessed him for it with as sensible a Joy as for any thing that had ever happened to her Ibid. 22. The Reflections that she made on the Reduction of Ireland looked the same way that all her Thoughts did Our Forces elsewhere both at Sea and Land were thought to be considerable and so promising that we were in great Hopes of somewhat that might be decisive Only Ireland was apprehended to be too weakly furnished for a concluding Campaign Yet so different are the Methods of Providence from Humane Expectations that nothing memorable happened any where but only in Ireland where little or nothing was expected Ibid. 23. When sad Accidents came from the immediate Hand of Heaven particularly on the occasion of a great Loss at Sea she said Tho' there was no occasion for Complaint or Anger upon these yet there was a juster Cause of Grief since God's Hand was to be seen so particularly in them Sometimes she feared there might be some secret Sins that might lie at the Root and blast all But she went soon off from that and said Where so much was visible there was no need of Divination concerning that which might be hidden Ibid. 24. She was sorry that the State of War made it necessary to restrain another Prince from Barbarities by making himself feel the Effects of them and therefore she said She hoped that such Practices should become so odious in all that should begin them and by their doing so force others to retaliate that for the future they should be for ever laid aside Ibid. 25. She apprehended she felt once or twice such Indispositions upon her that she concluded Nature was working towards some great Sickness so she set herself to take full and broad Views of Death that from thence she might judge how she should be able to encounter it But she felt so quiet an Indifference upon that Prospect leaning rather towards the desire of a Dissolution that she said Tho' she did not pray for Death yet she could neither wish nor pray against it She left that before God and referred herself entirely to the disposal of Providence If she did not wish for Death yet she did not fear it Ibid. 26. We prayed for our selves more than for her when we cried to God for her Life and Recovery both Priest and People Rich and Poor all Ranks and Sorts joyned in this Litany A universal Groan was Ecchoed to those Prayers through our Churches and Streets Ibid. 27. But how severely soever God intended to visit us she was gently handled she felt no inward depression nor sinking of Nature She then declared That she felt in her Mind the Joys of a good Conscience and the Powers of Religion giving her Supports which even the last Agonies could not shake Thus far Bishop Burnet 28. In the Publick Worship of God she was a bright Example of solemn and unaffected Devotion She prayed with humble Reverence heard the Word with respectful Silence and with serious Application of Spirit as duly considering the infinite Interval between the Supremacy of Heaven and Princes on Earth That their Greatness in its Lustre is but a faint and vanishing Reflection of the Divine Majesty One Instance I shall specifie in this kind When her Residence was at the Hague a Lady of Noble Quality coming to the Court to wait on her on a Saturday in the Afternoon was told she was retired from all Company and kept a Fast in Preparation for the receiving the Sacrament the next Day The Lady staying 'till Five a Clock the Princess came out and contented herself with a very slender Supper it being incongruous to conclude a Fast with a Feast Thus solemnly she prepared herself for Spiritual Communion with her Saviour Dr. Bates 's Sermon upon the Death of the Queen 29. She had a sincere Zeal for the healing our unhappy Divisions in Religious Things and declared her Resolution upon the first Address of some Ministers that she would use all Means for that Blessed End She was so wise as to understand the Difference between Matters Doctrinals and Rituals and so good as to allow a just Liberty for Dissenters in things of small moment She was not fetter'd with superstitious Scruples but her clear and free Spirit was for the Union of Christians in Things essential to Christianity Ibid. 30. In her Relation to the King she was the best Pattern of Conjugal Love and Obsequiousness How happy was her Society redoubling his Comforts and dividing his Cares Her Deportment was becoming the Dignity and Dearness of the Relation Of this we have the most convincing Proof from the Testimony and Tears of the King since her Death Solomon adds to many Commendations of a vertuous Woman as a Coronis That her Husband praises her The King 's declaring that in all her Conversation he discovered no Fault and his unfeigned and deep Sorrow for his Loss are the Queen 's
dreggy Body and outward gross material Part And what must he be then but a Spirit himself 2. 'T is impossible he should be made up of Matter and material Parts when he is the Creatour of the whole World For how should a Body be able to stand and fix his Presence to a particular Place when he must be present at the making of every particular Piece and Member of the Creation and that in a short time if not in an Instant A Body we know must be circumscribed limited to a Space so far it may take up and no further here it may be and not there or there and not here at the same time But God at the make of the World must stretch his Presence to a wide if not immense Capacity â—â—e must be able to climb the Sun and fathom the Depths to walk about the Spheres and pierce the thicker Bodies he must search those Beings he makes within and without must see the outward shape and the inward form And what can this be but a Spirit 3. He searcheth the Hearts and knows the Thoughts afar off Those outward Cases we wear those thick Covers of our Bodies do not hide us from his Knowledge Jer. 17.10 His Eye walks to and fro upon the Earth scanning the Actions of Thoussands with a Glance in a Moment turning over the whole Book of the Creation which his own Hand wrote and folded up and reading any Page and Line with a single Cast of his Omniscience And what is this but a Spirit 4. He is invisible Exod. 33.20 He said Thou canst not see my Face Job 1.18 God may please sometimes to pourtray himself and shadow out his Excellency to us with a visible Form may appear in a Flame or mask his Glory with a Cloud but never come in his own proper and genuine Dress If he speaks to us 't is but a borrowed Lisping from our own Faculties if he be seen by us 't is but in a Coat borrowed from some of his Creatures Job 5.37 No God himself as he is in his own Nature pure and sparkling Essence is not obvious to our Senses never was caught by the Hand Eye of Ear of living Men and therefore is a Spirit and to be worshipped in Spirit and Truth According to our Apprehensions of God's Nature so are commonly our Devotions to him and indeed this is founded upon a sound Maxime sc That as God is in his own Nature so he requireth a suitable Worship a Worship correspondent to those Properties he hath he is good and therefore would have us do and be good And so in whatever Attributes are given to him if they are communicable to the Creature he is to be imitated by us Be ye Followers of God as dear Children like your heavenly Father And therefore as God is a Spirit so he requires such a Worship God's Motto in this respect is the same with Solomon's My Son give me thy Heart A pure Aim after God's Glory a sincere Compliance with our Duty an upright pursuance of Holiness and Piety are the Whole or the Mâ—rrow of our Religion We should not only bring our Lips our Hands our Knees our Ears or Our Bodies to our Devotions but as the Psalmist My Soul follows hard after thee And Psal 62.1 Truly my Soul waiteth upon God Reader 't is certain when we have to do with God a Spirit an immaterial Substance we have not to do with a Man like our selves but a Quick-eyed Being Omnisciency itself a God all Sight that seeth within as well as without us Methinks such a Thought should strike us with an awful Reverence of his Majesty Such a Meditation as the Psalmist takes up Psal 139.1 might seize us with a filial Dread and possess our Hearts with Trembling in our daily Comportment before him it might awaken our Affections to go hand in hand and move joyntly with our ordinary Duty Inward Religion is the only acceptable Devotion to the Father of Spirits and therefore no running now to Mount Guizem no matter now for travelling to the Old Jerusalem no matter for running to the Stalls for a Kid or Hetfer to the Altar with an Offering or Sacrifice No matter now for these Ceremonies Washings Cleansings c. used by the ancient Jews Touch not taste not handle not and all the pompous Trade of a Ceremonious Worship once enjoyn'd to the Old Church and now imposed by the Antichristian is now an illegitimate a base-born Service usurp'd by Sacrilegious People who make it no Crime to steal from Christ's Prerogative and put themselves instead of him Head of the Church 'T is true we may and must Worship yet with Hand and Knee we may yet attend upon a Font and wash in Water and wait upon a Sacramental Table we may eat Bread and drink Wine as Signs and Seals of spiritual and abstruse Mysteries But these are derived to us by a Divine Institution they come with a Mandamus from God himself and we have so few Ceremonies besides except those which are natural and serve lively to express the inward Motions of our Hearts and so much inward spiritual Devotion is required with them That our Religion may deservedly pass under the Title of Spirit and Truth Learn we then to put an evenness of proportion between our outward and inner Man To compose not only our Shape and Visage but our Heart and Soul to the Knowledge and Presence of an All-seeing God Learn we to call upon our Spirits and summon our Affections when we address our selves to the Father of Spirits Think what a thin pure subtile spacious Nature the Sun and Light are of how they pierce through the Air dart their Beams through the Clouds pierce the Windows and shine into our Houses Chambers the Corners of our Habitations and think God Almighty is a purer a finer a more spiritual Substance and therefore can see through us scan our Thoughts and try our Reins afar off Heb. 4.12 13. II. Meditations on the Works of Creation and Providence 'T IS the Prerogative of Human Nature that we have not only a lofty Figure and Visage but Intellectuals too far superiour to all the Bruitish kind And this Endowment bestowed upon us by him that made us for very wise and good Ends Not to be more ingenâ—ously wicked and dishonest to immerge our selves deeper in the Concerns and Pleasures of a Material and Sensual World but to live above it My Design then in these Meditations having already proved the Being of a God is to climb a Jacob's Ladder to satisfie a little the Curiosity of my Nature to inform myself first of all and then my Fellows so far as soberly and modestly I may with all the Phenomena of the Aetherial Region To acquaint myself and others with the outward Face of Heaven first of all and all the visible Furniture of the outward Court those glorious Spangles of Stars and Planets those fiery Meteors and other strange Exhalations and Vapours
the bravery of the Temple by the Excellency of the outward Court If the Walls of Babylon are so great what is the City But if the very Suburbs of the New Jerusalem yea the Neighbour-Villages and Country round about at so vast a distance be so rich so plentiful what shall we think of the place itself If the Sun shines to us so glorious so far off what is it if you were near to it I desire not Readers to impose upon your Faith tell me you that admire this World for so delicate an Eden do not you think the God that made it and gave it to the Children of Men most of which care but little for him hath he not a far better for himself and his own Children Psal 8.1 3 c. 2. The Reports of them that have been there or had some sight of the place I shall name St. Paul for one 2 Cor. 12.2 4. Will ye believe such a Man See what he saith 2 Cor. 4.17 18 2 Tim. 4.8 and in several other places I mention St. John the Apostle for another entertained with extraordinary Visions in the Isle of Patmos Rev. 21.2 c. Will ye believe the Son of God that came down from Heaven to visit the Children of Men And came on purpose to court us and prepare our way thither he hath told you of those Rewards in several places Mat. 8.11 Mat. 13.43 Mat. 22.30 Luke 12.32 Luke 20.36 John 10.28 Neither have they only told us these Stories but seal'd their Reports with Miracles and Sufferings And others have believ'd them as wise as we and we believe others in Things as strange and incredible that are not so worthy of Credit as this And why do we stumble here But verily Canaan was a Type of Heaven and the Reports of that a Figure of these and the Unbelief of the Israelites in that Case a Shadow of ours in this They would not believe then nor we now but the Aggravation is on our part Caleb only of them that were sent to search the Land encourag'd them We have a Cloud of Witnesses to encourage us and yet we will not believe Well many of them fell short God not being pleased with them let us take care lest we fall also the same Example of Vnbelief 4. The Inhabitants that dwell there and are like to be our Companions for ever Here we sojourn in Meshech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar we cohabit with a People of unclean Lips and an uncircumcised Heart In Hell the Company is worse nothing there but damned cursed blaspheming Spirits In Heaven is pure Society without any mixture of Evil or Unkindness The Apostle tells you who they are and I suppose you know Heb. 12.22 23 c. 1. God himself Blessed for Evermore The Lord is in his holy Temple the Lord's Throne is in Heaven Psal 11.4 The Lord of Hosts wonderful in Counsel and excellent in Working A King Eternal Immortal Invisible who dwells in the Light which no meer Mortal Man can approach unto The Strength of Israel glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises gracious and merciful slow to anger of great kindness abundant in Goodness and Truth The Father of Lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning The Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come the same God for ever and ever The humble holy and compassionate Jesus who died for us who trod the Wine-press of his Father's Wrath alone for us and came from Heaven to Earth from Earth to Hell from Earth to Heaven again to prepare the Way and provide Mansions of Bliss and Crowns of Glory for us The Blessed Spirit the Second Advocate our tender Guide Solliciter and Comforter the Three-One God blessed for evermore 2. The holy Angels glorious Creatures as far superiour to the Excellency of Man as Man is to the Beasts that perish We may guess their Excellency 1. From their Priority of Creation Indeed Moses or whoever was the Author of Genesis gives us no Historical Account of their Creation because it concern'd not us But we may probably conjecture that they were made before us not only because of their Excellency but because likewise they are said to be present Witnesses of the Creation of Man and sung together Job 38.7 When the Foundations of the World were fasten'd and the Corner-stone laid And besides no sooner scarce was Man in Paradise but Satan was there ready one of the fallen Angels to lay a Temptation for him 2. Their Nature having neither the Clogs of Flesh Bones or Blood as we have but free nimble intellectual Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principalities and Powers endow'd with an extraordinary Measure of Knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eyes before and behind of a quick Sight and Conception and a quicker Expedition in the Dispatch of Sacred Duty Love hath given Wings of an ardent Zeal and a flaming Affection thence called Seraphim in a word immaterial and immortal 3. Their Number You will not expect that we should count the Stars of Heaven Rev. 12.4 Some of the Heathens thought them innumerable so Max. Tyr. and Pythagoras thought all the Air was full of them Thales omnia Deorum sunt plena Orpheus counted 365 Hesiod Three Myriads the Holy Scripture Thousands and Ten thousand times Ten thousand c. Dan. 7.10 Whatever they are they are many and glorious Creatures insomuch that the very appearance of them in this lower World would dazle and affright us We have frequent mention made in the Old Testament of their appearing to some Persons of greater Favour and Eminency in the Church and yet even then it was an astonishing Wonder and even good Men look'd upon it as a Presage of Death Judg. 13.6 19 22. and it would be so now We are dash'd in the Presence of a Man that is extraordinarily famous and eminent for Wisdom Goodness or Greatness How many have we read or heard of Men of a competent Spirit Presence and Courage have been struck mute in the Company of some Great Sir How should we veil our Faces now to Angels as they to God in Heaven The Rags of our Mortality Sin and Baseness is enough to make us blush in such pure glorious heavenly Company That which I drive at in all this is to shew That if the Inhabitants be so rich so brave the Country is a Paradise If the Courtiers are so gorgeously apparelled and arrayed with so high a Glory the Court is more glorious These are the Natives of the place And do not you think the place where they live is mighty pleasant They must needs fare well that go to such good Company 4. But besides all this we shall have the Society of the Spirits of Just Men made perfect Fan the World and sift it so clean that all the Chaff may be driven away and nothing left but pure Grain Good Men Men that love God and work Righteousness and cleave to that which is good Run over all
the Countries all the several Ages and Generations of the World and set the scabbed lame blind and blemish'd out of the Flock and keep none there but the Male Firstling Fat and such as are pure and without spot blemish wrinkle and every such thing wash'd clean in the Blood of the immaculate Lamb and put these in Heaven with the blessed God the holy Angels and none but these and think what a lovely loving pleasant Society this will make An excellent Abraham a holy Isaac a plain Jacob a chast Joseph a meek Moses a devout David a patient Job a righteous Lot the holy Prophets the blessed Evangelists the humble Apostles the heavenly Martyrs and Confessors the learned and pious Fathers of the Church in all Ages Ignatius and Polycarp Cyprian and Nazianzen Augustin and Chrysostom all the good Men and good Women of all Countries of all Ages from Adam till the End of the World met together in a sacred sweet and indissolvable Knot of Communion All the best of the World pickt out of the common Lump of Mankind and taken off the common Stage and set fast in Heaven there to enjoy an Eternal Paradise together under the immediate Influence of the Great Jehova To put on their White Robes of Glory and enter upon their everlasting Inheritance and Reign all of them as Kings and Princes for ever and ever This must needs suppose an excellent State To have God Angels and good Men and those good Men washed from all their Enormities and Imperfections too none there but those that are perfectly good this must needs make an accession to the Happiness of the place Heb. 12. And to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect 5. The Sufferings of good Men for it There is nothing in the World within the reach and knowledge of Man that all Men so universally especially the wise and good have consented in a zealous Prosecution of as in the Joys of the other World Were it a particular Sect or one single Nation one Age only or the worst the wildest and most imprudent and vicious of Men only that agreed in this Article of Religion or did they believe it doubtfully and prosecute it coldly and indifferently there were some room for doubt But all Sects of Religion generally Pagans and Mahometans Jews and Christians of all Parts of all Ages especially the more solid wise and vertuous Men defecated from the Mud Debauchery and Vanity of Earth have still believ'd that there was something extraordinary of Happiness in the other World which was worth a warm and eager Contention and they have been willing to take their Hand pretty well off the present Pleasures of Sin and make Lust and Nature stoop low in Self-denial to the Dictates of Religion and do and suffer many Things hard to Flesh and Blood that they might at last be though worthy at least fit to be made Partakers with the Saints in that Glory I need not rip up the Bowels of History or the Martyrologies of the Church to tell you what Hardships Men have endured upon this Score Heb. 11. gives you a good Taste of that Notion v. 34. c. And of late Ages and in our own and Neighbour-Countries what Alms Prayers Fastings Mortifications Labours and Sufferings have Men undergone in prospect of the Reward before them Hear St. Paul give an Account of his own Travels in this kind 2 Cor. 11.23 with the Reasons for it ch 12.2 To read the extraordinary Patience of a Job the Travels of a Paul the indefatigable Pains of an Origen of an Austin St. James praying 'till his Knees were as hard as Camels Luther spending Three Hours every Day in his Devotions some giving almost all they had to the Uses of Piety and Charity others sacrificing their Lives for the sake of their Religion And to find that in Cases of Competition the best of Men are generally willing to throw all over-board for the Purchase of the heavenly Inheritance This must of necessity argue that they take Heaven to be a good Bargain at any rate 'T is the Saying of one That if there were no other way of coming to the Possession of that Blessedness he would be content not only to swim through a Sea of outward Troubles but he would wade through the Lake of Fire and Brimstone to be possess'd of God himself Rutherf Certain Men here and they wise too have lived and suffered at such a Rate upon the Score of Religion that we cannot in Reason but imagine they had somewhat extraordinary in their Eye And I am of Opinion that there is something of Truth in that Saying of Luther Homo perfecta credens si esse haeredes filium Dei omnium diu superstes manere sed statim immodico gaudio absorberetur Set but Canaan in the Eye and give the Man the Perspective of Faith in his Hand and let him see clearly the Landskip of that New Jerusalem and neither the Red Sea nor the Wilderness of Zin nor the Waters of Marah or Meribah nor the River Jordan nor the Moabites nor the Amorites shall fright him thence 6. The Author and Design of this State of Glory 1. The Great God who made the World who spake the Word and it was done who weigheth the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Ballance who governs all Things and hath all the Hosts of Heaven and Earth at his Command and can do his Pleasure and saith to one Angel Go and he goes and to another Come c. who maketh Angels of Spirits and Ministers of Flames of Fire Whose Power and Will nothing can resist but the very Pillars of the World stoop under him A God infinite in all Perfections of Wisdom as well as Power of Goodness as well as Wisdom and wants neither Skill nor Will nor Materials for the Work The Builder and Maker is God and therefore the Work like him 2. The Design of it to shew the Riches of his Glory Eph. 1.3 4-10 14 18. and ver 19. That ye may know what is the exceeding Greatness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God hath shew'd all Men universally somewhat of what he can do He hath made a World and made them and an infinite Number of Creatures besides hath and daily doth such Wonders in the World that he must be blind and stupid that doth not admire them The Heavens declare the Glory of God c. Job 36.24 But all this is but ordinary Work his Master-piece is yet behind and he intends in the other World to unlook the Treasury of his Attributes and shew the Riches of his House and to his Elect Children his chosen Friends communicate his Glory in a more full free and immediate manner than ever he did to the Sons of Men in this World You shall see then as many of you as shall be found worthy the exceeding Riches of his Wisdom Truth Justice Power Goodness Greatness Blessedness and all his excellent Perfections You shall see
and Visions p 47 Chap. 9. Of Prediction by Impulses c. p. 54 Chap. 10. Of Divination Southsaying Witchcraft p. 56 Chap. 11. Of Astrology p. 60 Chap. 12. Of Oracles p. 62 Chap. 13. Of Prophets p. 64 Chap. 14. Of Urim and Thummim Teraphim c. p. 67 Chap. 15. Premonitions of general Changes or Revolutions p. 69 Chap. 16. Premonitions of particular Changes or Accidents of Life containing great variety of late Instances p. 71. Chap. 17. Promises fulfill'd p. 81 Chap. 18. Strange Convictions or Conversions with many late Instances of that nature p. 83 Chap. 19. Strange ways of Restraining Persons from Sin in several remarkable Instances of it p. 94 Chap. 20. Strange ways of promoting Salvation p. 95 Chap. 21. Wants strangely supplied p. 97. Chap. 22. Strange Instances of Consolation and Protection in dangers containing 1. Personal deliverances and comforts 2. Sea-dangers and deliverances 3. Princes and Magistrates delivered from Plots p. 99 to 120 Cha. 23. The Innocent strangely cleared p. 120 Chap. 24. Doubts strangely resolved and the weak confirmed p. 123. Chap. 25. The Modest and Humble strangely advanced p. 125 Chap. 26. Persons strangely admonished of sins or dangers p. 126. Chap. 27. Remarkable instances of Faith p. 128. Chap. 28. Remarkable courage and boldness p. 129. Chap. 29. Remarkable Patience p. 130. Chap. 30. Remarkable Prudence p. 132. Chap. 31. Remarkable Justice p. 133. Chap. 32. Remarkable Temperance in â—eats p. 135. Chap. 33. Remarkable Temperance in Drinks p. 136. Chap. 34. Remarkable Frugality and Humility in Cloaths Houshold-stuff c. p. 137 Chap. 35. Remarkable Humility in Behaviour p. 139 Chap. 36. Remarkable Veracity and Love of Truth p. 1 2d Alphabet Chap. 37. Remarkable Friendship p. 2. 2d Al. Chap. 38. Remarkable Hospitality p. 3. 2d Al. Chap. 39. Remarkable charity and liberality in Giving p. 6. 2d Alph. Chap. 40. Remarkable charity in judging â—nd forgiving p. 10. 2d Alph. Chap. 41. Remarkable Instances of Munificence p. 11. 2d Alph. Chap. 42. Remarkable chastity p. 16. 2d Alph. Chap. 43. Remarkable meekness quietness and peaceableness p. 17. 2d Alph. Chap. 44. Remark moderation and zeal for reconciling church differences p. 18. 2d Alph. Chap. 45. Retractations of censorious Protestants p. 20 2d Alph. Chap. 46. Good People extreamly afflicted and mightily comforted with several late instances of Persons troubled in mind p. 21 2d Alph. Chap. 47. Remarkable Gratitude p. 26 2d Alph. Chap 48. Remarkable diligence laboriousness and studiousness p. 27 2d Alph. Chap. 49. Remarkable instances of contempt of wealth p. 29 2d Alph. Chap. 50. Remarkable silence or reservedness of Men c. as also of retirement p. 30 2d Alph. Chap. 51. Good Wives remarkable Chap. 52. Good Husbands remarkable p. 41 2d Alph. Chap. 53. Good Children remarkable p. 42 2d Alph. Chap. 54. An account of the conversions of little Children being about 50 in number and most of this present age p. 43 2d Alph. Chap. 55. Good Parents remarkable p. 52. 2d Alph. Chap. 56. Good Servants remarkable p. 53 2d Alph. Chap. 57. Good Masters and Mistresses remarkable p. 54 2d Alph. Chap. 58. Good Pastors Bishops and Ministers p. 55 2d Alph. Chap. 59. Reverence to learned or good Men p. 55 2d Alph. Chap. 60. People loving and kind to their Ministers p. 58 2d Alph. Chap. 61. Remarkable Zeal and Devotion to this Chap. is added Mr. Albin's Evidences for Heaven subscrib'd as sufficient grounds of assurance by Mr. Calamy and other Divines which Evidences were never Printed before p. 59 2d Alph. Chap. 62. Remarkable zeal and charity in propogating Religion by Mr. Boil and oothers in several parts of the World p. 72 2d Alph. Chap. 63. Remarkable devotion in singing Psalms and Hymns of Praise p. 76 2d Alph. Chap. 64. Persons remarkable for good Discourse p. 78 2d Alph. Chap. 65. Remarkable devotion on the Lords Day p. 79. 2d Alph. Chap. 66. Remarkable love of the Holy Scripture p. 81 2d Alph. Chap. 67. Present retribution to the Faithful p. 86 2d Alph. Chap. 68. Present retribution to Plain and faithful reprovers p. 86 2d Alph. Chap. 69. Present retribution to the humble and modest p. 87 2d Alph. Chap. 70. Present retribution to the Just p. 88 2d Alph. Chap. 71. Present retribution to the Temperate p. 89 2d Alph. Chap. 72. Present retribution to the Devout and Praying or Prayers answered in kind in several late Instances p. 90. 2d Alph. Chap. 73. Present retribution to the charitable p. 93 3d Alph. beginning with a single Letter Chap. 74. Present retribution to the observers of Sabbaths p. 97 3d Alph. Chap. 75. Present retribution to them that have been Obedient to Parents p. 98. 3d Alph. Chap. 76. Present retribution to the peaceable and quiet p. 99 3d Alph. Chap. 77. Present retribution to the merciful p. 100 3d Alph. Chap. 78. Earnest of a future retribution p. 101 3d Alph. Chap. 79. Protection of the good in danger p. 105 3d Alph. Chap. 80. Guidance of the good through difficulties p. 107 3d Alph. Chap. 81. Persons strangely fitted for great Employments p. 108. 3d Alph. Chap. 82. Miraculous cures of diseases in this present age p. 109. 3d Alph. Chap. 83. Satan and evil Spirits permitted to hurt the good in their names p. 120. 3d. Alph. Chap. 84. Satan permitted to hurt the good in their health of Body p. 121 3d Al. Chap. 85. Satan permitted to hurt the good in their Estates p. 127. 3d Alph. Chap. 86. Satan permitted to hurt the good in their Souls p. 128. 3d Alph. Chap. 87. Satan permitted to disturb the quiet and peace of persons or families c. p. 132. 3d. Alph. Chap. 88. Satan hurting by charms spells amulets c. p. 134. 3d Alph. Chap. 89. Satan hurting by interposing with melancholy diseases p. 135. 3d Al. Chap. 90. Satan hurting by temptations injections c. p. 136. 3d Al. Chap. 91. Satan hurting by dreams p. 137. 3d Al. Cha. 92. Satan hurting by witchcraft p. 138. 3d. Al. Chap. 93. Satan restrained in hurting the good p. 151. concluding the 3d Al. of the single Letter Chap. 94. Satan hurting by obsessions possessions c. p. 1. beginning another 3d Alph. with a double Letter Chap. 95. Satan hurting by storms p. 2. 3d Al. Chap. 96. Satan hurting by Apparitions p. 4. 3d Al. Chap. 97. Satan hurting by false Promises or Threatnings p. 5. 3d Al. Chap. 98. Divine Judgments by way of retaliation p. 6. 3d Al. Chap. 99. Divine Judgments upon superstition p. 8. 3d Al. Chap. 100. Divine judgments upon blasphemy and profaneness p. 9. 3d Al. Chap. 101. Divine judgments on scoffers at other Men's imperfections or such as counterfeited to have them when they had them not p. 12. 3d Al. Ch. 102. Divine judgments on Atheism p. 13. 3d Al. Ch. 103. Divine Judgments on cursing p. 14. 3d Al. Chap. 104. Divine judgments upon swearing c. p. 16. 3d Al. Chap. 105. Divine judgments upon sabbath-breakers p. 18. 3d
of Lot Gen. 19. of Jacob Gen. 31. of Moses Exod. 3. of Balaam Gideon Manoah Elijah c. in the Old Testament And in the Case of the Baptist's and our Saviour's Birth in the New Testament they appeared to the Two Maries Zechariah and the Shepherds Act. 10.3 Cornelius is said to have seen a Vision evidently viz. An Angel of God coming to him More may be observed by Men of Leisure and Ingenuity that will take the pains to examine their Concordance and turn over a few leaves of the Bible The greatest difficulty is with Men of an Infidel Nature not only of the Sadducean humour who Account Angels no more then Divine Praises or of the Familist's Principle who say they are meer Phantasms created for the present occasion and then presently when their Business is over manumitted into Old Vanity and Nothing but Hobbists and Scepticks and Atheists The first of which Symbolizes much with the Old Sadduces the Sceptick doubts and the Atheist flatly denies them To all which I have no more to say it being not my business now to engage in the Lists of Disputation which would swell my Book into a Volume too big for the Purses of the present Age but to submit fairly the aforesaid Texts and the following stories to the Sober and Mature consideration of the Reader Only be pleased to take this distinction along with you that Angels may appeaâ— visibly to the Eye of the mind as well as to the Eye of sense And now let us lay aside our Bible a while to humour the Infirmity of this Unbelieving Club who could be well enough content there might be Good Angels concerned for us so there were no Bad ones against us Bodinus who had it from the Mouth of the Man whom it concerned a Holy and Pious Man and an Acquaintance of Bodinus's tells us that he had a certain Spirit that did perpetually accompany him which he was then first aware of when he was about Thirty Seven years of Age but conceived that the said Spirit had been with him all his Life time as he gathered from certain Monitory Dreams and Visions whereby he was forewarned as well of several Dangers as Vices That this Spirit discovered himself to him after he had for a whole year together earnestly prayed to God to send a Good Angel to him to be the Guide and Governour of his Life and Actions adding also that before and after Prayer he used to spend two or three hours in Meditation and Reading the Scriptures diligently enquiring with himself what Religion might be the Best beseeching God that he would be pleased to direct him to it And that he did not allow of their way that at all adventures pray for Confirmation of them in that Opinion they are in whether right or wrong That whilst he was thus busy in matters of Religion he light on a passage in Philo Judeus de Srcrificiis where he Writes That a Good and Holy Man can offer no greater nor more acceptable Sacrifice to God then the oblation of himself And therefore following Philo's Counsel that he offered his Soul to God And after that amongst many other Divine Dreams and Visions he once in his sleep seemed to hear the Voice of God saying to him I will save thy Soul I am he that appeared unto thee Afterwards the Spirit would every day knock at the Door about three or four a Clock in the Morning tho he rising and opening the Door could see no body This Trouble and Boysterousness made him begin to conceit that it was some ill Spirit that thus haunted him and therefore he daily Prayed earnestly to the Lord that he would be pleased to send his Good Angel to him and often also Sung Psalms having most of them by heart Wherefore the Spirit afterwards knocked more gently at the Door and One day discovered himself to him Waking which was the first time that he was assured by his senses that it was He for he often touched and stirred a Drinking-Glass that stood in his Chamber which did not a little amaze him Two days after when he entertained a Friend of his Secretary to the King his Friend was much abashed while he heard the Spirit thumping on the Bench hard by him and was strucken with fear but he bid him be of good courage there was no hurt towards him and the better to assure him of it told him the truth of the whole matter From that time saith Bodinus he did affirm that this Spirit was always with him and by some sensible Sign did ever advertise him of things as by striking his Right Ear if he did any thing amiss if otherwise his left If any body came to Circumvent him his right Ear was struck but his left if a good Man and to good Ends accosted him If he was about to Eat or Drink any thing that would hurt him or intended to do any ill Action he was inhibited by a Sign and if he delayed to follow his Business he was quickened by a Sign given him When he began to Praise God in Psalms and to declare him Marvellous Acts he was presently raised and strengthened by a Supernatural Power He daily begg'd of God that he would teach him his Will and set one day of the Week a part for meditation and Reading the Scripture and Singing of Psalms and did not stir out of his House all that day But in his ordinary Conversation he was sufficiently merry and of a cheerful mind for which he cited that saying Vidi facies sanctorum letas But in his conversing with others if he had talked Vainly and Indiscreetly or had some days together neglected his Devotions he was forthwith Admonished thereof by a Dream He was also Admonished to rise betime every Morning about four a Clock with a Voice coming to him while he was asleep saying Who gets up first to Pray He was often Admonish'd likewise to give Alms and observed the more Charity he bestowed the more Prosperous he was On a time when his Enemies sought after his Life knowing he was to go by Water his Father in a Dream brought two Horses to him the one white the other Bay and thereupon he bid his Man hire him two Horses and tho he said nothing of the Colours his Man brought him a White Horse and a Bay one In all Difficulties Journeyings c. He us'd to ask Counsel of God and one Night when he had begg'd his Blessing while he slept he saw a Vision wherein his Father seemed to Bless him At another time when in great danger and was newly gone to Bed he said the Spirit would not let him alone till he had raised him again whereupon he watched and prayed all that Night the day after he escap'd the hands of his Persecutors in a wonderful manner which done in his next sleep he heard a Voice saying Now Sing Qui sedet in latibulo altissimi c. He once attempting to speak to this
my Soul into the Kingdom of Heaven See her Life 23. I Remember says Mr. Increase Mather in his Disc of Angels that once in Discourse with the Learned Doctor Spencer in Cambridge concerning his Book of Prodigies he said to me that his Judgment was That the Evil Angels had Prenotions of many Future Things and did accordingly give strange Premonitions of them No doubt it is often so and yet as Lavater Schottus and others have noted there are sometimes Things signified by Angels which it is not easie to determine of what sort those Genii are VVhat shall be thought of the Phantom which appeared to General Vesselini assuring him that he might take the City of Muran by the Assistance of a Widow which Lived in that City which strangely came to pass accordingly in the Year 1644. There comes to my mind a very Unaccountable Thing which happened at London above Thirty Years ago It was this One Mr. Cutty an honest Citizen passing between Milk-street and Wood-street in Cheap-side on March 2d 1664 took up a Letter Sealed The Superscription whereof was these VVords following From Geneva to a Friend VVithin the Letter these VVords were written This is to give both timely and speedy Notice that in the Year 1665 in the latter end of May shall begin a Plague and hold very hot till the latter end of December and then cease but not quite and then go on till the latter end of the Spring the next Year And in 1665 and 66 putting both together shall not only happen a Plague but great Sea Fights such as the like was scarce ever heard of and this shall not be all but in the Year 1666 on the Second of September shall happen a Fire that shall burn down one of the Eminentest Cities in the World Mr. Cutty carried the Letter to the then Lord Mayor A Reverend Divine in London who was of his Acquaintance had a Copy of it before the sad Things here Predicted came to pass and at my last being at London was pleased to favour me with it as 't is here Related This Account being certainly true and very surprizing I thought it not unworthy the Publication 24. There are sometimes very unaccountable Motions and Impressions on the Spirits of good men which are wrought in them by the ministry of Holy Angels whose work it is to prevent and disappoint the Designs of Satan and of his evil Angels I remember one relates a remarkable Passage of a good man that when he was reading in his House he could not rest in his Spirit but he must step out of Doors which he had no sooner done but he saw a Child in a Pond of VVater ready to perish which would have been gone past recovery had not he gone out of his Doors just at that moment This Impression must needs be from a good Angel And an other like Passage is related in the Life of that Holy Man Mr. Dod One Evening though he had other work to attend he could not but he must got to such a Neighbour's House when he came to him he told him he knew not what he was come for but he could not rest in his Spirit until he had visited him The poor man was astonished for he had in the Violence of a Temptation put a Rope into his Pocket with an intent to have destroyed himself had not Mr. Dod's thus coming prevented it Surely an Angel of the Lord was in this Providence Bishop Hall speaks of one whom he knew that having been for Sixteen Years a Cripple had these monitions in his Sleep that he should go and wash in St. Matherns Well in Cornwell which he did and was suddenly recovered This he thinks was from Angelical Suggestion Marcus Aurelius Antoninus did in a Dream receive the Prescript of a Remedy for his Disease which the Physitians could not cure A Physitian of Vratislavium followed the Counsel he had given him in a Dream concerning the cure of a Disease which was to him incurable and he recovered the Patient It added to the wonder that a few Years after he met with that Receipt in a Book then newly Printed Histories report that the like to this happened to Philip and to Galen If Angels may Suggest things beneficial unto the minds of Men who are Strangers to God much more unto them that fear him Thus far Mr. Mather Converse with Angels and Spirits Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubery Esq 25 Dr. Richard Nepier was a Person of great Abstinence Innocence and Piety He spent every Day Two Hours in Family Prayer When a Patient or Querent came to him he presently went to his Closet to Pray and told to admiration the Recovery or Death of the Patient It appears by his Papers that he did converse with the Angel Raphael who gave him the Responses 26. Elias Ashmole Esq had all his Papers where is contained all his Practice for about Fifty Years which he Mr. Ashmole carefully bound up according to the year of our Lord in Volumes in Folio which are now reposited in the Library of the Museum in Oxford Before the Responses stands this Mark viz. R â„ž is which Mr. Ashmole said was Responsum Raphaelis The Angel told him if the Patient were curable or incurable There are also severalâ— other Queries to the Angel as to Religion Transubstantiation c. which I have forgot I remember one is Whether the Good Spirits or the Bad be most in Number R â„ž is The Good It is to be found there that he told John Prideaux D. D. Anno 1621 that Twenty Years hence 1641 he would be a Bishop and he was so sc Bishop of Worcester R â„ž is did resolve him That Mr. Booth of in Cheshire should have a Son that should inherit Three Years hence sc Sir George Booth the first Lord Delamere viz. from 1619. Sir George Booth aforesaid was born Decemb. 18th Anno 1622. This I extracted out of Dr. Nepier's Original Diary then in the possession of Mr. Ashmole It is impossible that the Prediction of Sir George Booth's Birth could be found any other way but by Angelical Revelation This Dr. Richard Nepier was Rector of Lynford in Bucks and did practise Physickâ— but gave most to the Poor that he got by it 'T is certain he foretold his own Death to a Day and Hour he died Praying upon his Knees being of a very great Age 1634. April the First One says why should one think the Intellectual World less Peopled than the Material Pliny in his Natural History tells us that in Africa do sometimes appear Multitudes of Aerial Shapes which suddenly Vanish Mr. Richard Baxter in his certainty of the World of Spirits hath a Discourse of Angels and wonders they are so little taken notice of he hath counted in Newman's Concordance of the Bible the word Angel in above 300 places Thus far Mr. Aubery CHAP. III. Concerning the Appearance of bad Angels or Daemons HEre I have a great Task and
Arguments relating also to the Witch as that when the maid had not for many days and nights together taken any rest and being then under most grievous hurryings and tortures of the Body the Witch being brought into the Room where she lay the Design unknown to her and the time of her entring yet so soon as the Witch had set one Foot into the Room she gave a most hideous glance with her Eyes and shut them presently after falling asleep in a moment and slept about Three Hours so fast that when they would have wakened her they could not by any art or violence whatever as by stopping her Breath putting things up her Nostrils holding her upright striking of her and the like The Witch also declared her unwillingness that she should be wakened crying out O pray you by no means awake the maid for if she should awake I should be torn in pieces and the Devil would fetch me away bodily And a further Evidence that this sleep of the maid did some way depend upon the Witch is that so soon as the Witch had gone from under the Roof where she was the maid wakened of her self and so soon as the maid awakened and was at ease the Devil as she said having gone out of her Stomach but doing her no violence only making her body tremble a little the Witch began to roar and cry out The Devil will tear me in pieces These things you may read more fully and particularly in the Narration of Edmond Bower who was an Eye-witness of them Fourthly and Lastly her Behaviour at the Assizes when she gave Evidence against the Witch was so earnest and serious with that strength of mind and free and confident Appeals to the Witch her self that as I was informed of those that were Spectators of that Transaction it had been Argument enough to the unprejudiced that she swore nothing but what she was assured was true And those Floods of Tears and her bitter Weepings after Sentence was passed on the Witch and her bewailing of her own wickedness and madness and professing her willingness notwithstanding if it might be done without sin that the VVitch might be reprieved may further wash away all suspicion of either fraud or malice Nor can the Witches denying even to her Dying Day what the maid swore to enâ—â—vate her Testimony For the maid tells the whole truth as it was even to the hazard of her own Life which the Witch indeed denies but for the saving of hers And it is no wonder that one that would bid a Pox on the Hangman when he desired her to forgive him at her Death should lye and impudently deny any thing to save her own Life I think it might be evidently evinced that she was a Witch from what she undoubtedly both did and spake As for Example from her shewing of the Maid in a Glass the shapes of sundry Persons and their Actions and Postures in several Rooms in her Master's House whither when she had returned from the Witch she told them punctually what they had been doing in her Absence which made Elizabeth Rosewell one of the Family profess that she thought Mrs. Bodenham was either a Witch or a woman of God Besides what happened to her in reference to the Fits of the Maid which has been already insisted upon are shrewd Suspicions of her being a VVitch As also what she boasted of to Mr. Tucker's Clark concerning a Purse that hung about her Neck in a green String that she could do many Feats with it and that if he would give her half a Dozen of Ale she would make a Toad spring out of it Her Confession to Mr. Langely of Sarum that she lived with Dr. Lamb and learnt the art of raising Spirits from him which she confessed also to Edmond Bower to whom also she acknowledged her skill of curing Diseases by Charms and Spells that she could discover stoâ—en Goods and shew any one the Thief in a Glass and being asked by him for the Red Book half wrote over with Blood being a Catalogue of those that had sealed to the Devil she denied not the knowledge of the Book but said it was with one in Hampshire She also professed that she used many good Prayers and said the Creed backwards and forwards and that she prayed to the Planet Jupiter for the curing of Diseases She also acknowledged she had a Book whereby she raised Spirits calling it a Book of Charms and said it was worth Thousands of other Books and that there was a particular Charm in it for the finding of a Treasure hid by the old Earl of Pembroke in the North part of Wilton Garden To another Party she being ask'd by him whether there were any Spirits she made this Reply that she was sure there were and confirmed it to him by several Passages of late and particularly by that of one forced to walk about all Night with a bundle of Pales on his Back in a Pond of Water which is mentioned at the end of the Fourth Conjuration above recited She did also highly magnifie her own Art to him venturing at Astrological Terms and Phrases and did much scorn and blame the ignorance of the People averring to him with all earnestness and confidence that there was no hurt in these Spirits but that they would do a man all good Offices attending upon him and guarding him from evil all his Life long But certainly her ragged Boys were no such who discharged the maid from keeping the Commandments of God and told her they would teach her a better way as she also confessed to the same Party Add unto all this that this Ann Bodenham was searched both at the Goal and before the Judges at the Assizes and there was found on her Shoulder a certain Mark or Teat about the length and bigness of the Nipple of a VVoman's Breast and hollow and soft as a Nipple with an hole on the top of it Dr. Moor's Antid against Atheism l. 3. c. 7. 3. In 1645 there was a notable Discovery of several VVitches in Essex and among others one Elizabeth Clark was one of whom because we have occasion to speak elsewhere we shall therefore pass her over here in silence Anne Leach of Misley in Essex was another concerning whom see the Story in short in the Chapter of Satan's Permission to hurt the Good in their Estates Also Hellen the VVife of Thomas Clark was another and Daughter to Ann Leach This Hellen was accused at the same time Richard Glascock's VVife of Mannintree deposed that there happening some difference between Edward Parsley's VVife and this Hellen she heard Hellen say as she passed by their Door that Mary their eldest Daughter should rue for it whereupon the maid instantly fell sick and died six VVeeks after Edward Parsley her Father confirmed the same and said he did verily believe Hellen Clark was the cause of her Death who being her self examined confest that about Six Weeks before the
and out of the Town and heard a mighty noise like the Discharging of Canons Two years after which General Wallestein Assaulted this Town with Souldiers and great Guns but was so stoutly entertained by those within that after the loss of a great many of the Imperialists he was forced tho he had besieged it above Twenty Months to break up his siege and depart Surprizing Mirac of Nature p. 108. 2. In King Henry the VIII's Days there was one Mr. Gresham a Merchant of London setting Sail homewards from Palermo where dwelt at that time one Antonio called the Rich who had at one time two Kingdoms Mortgaged to him by the King of Spain and being Crossed by contrary Winds Mr. Gresham was constrained to Anchor under the Lee of the Island off from Bulo where was a Burning Mountain Now about the Midday when for a certain space the Mountain forbore to send forth Flames Mr. Gresham with eight of the Sailors ascended the Mountain approaching as near the Vent as they durst where amengst other Noises they heard a Voice cry aloud Dispatch dispatch the Rich Autonio is a coming Terrified herewith they hasted their return and the Mountain presently broke out in a Flame But from so dismal a place they made all the haste they could and desiring to know more of this matter the Winds still thwarting their course they returned to Palermo and forthwith enquiring for Antonio they found that he was Dead about the very Instant so near as they could guess when that Voice was heard by them Mr. Gresham at his return to London reported this to the King and the Mariners being called before him confirmed the same upon Mr. Gresham this wrought so deep an Impression that he gave over all his Merchandizing distributed his Estate partly to his Kinsfolk and partly to good uses retaining only a Competency for himself and so spent the rest of his days in Solitary Devotion Sands Relat. 248. 3. Knocking 's Extracted from the Miscellanies of John Aubrey Esq Mr. Baxter's Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits A Gentleman formerly seeming Pious of late Years hath fallen into the Sin of Drunkenness and when he has been Drunk and slept himself Sober something Knocks at his Beds-head as if one knock'd on a Wainscot when they remove the Bed it follows him besides loud Noises on other parts where he is that all the House heareth It poseth me to think what Kind of Spirit this is that hath such a care of this Man's Soul which makes me hope he will recover Do good Spirits dwell so near us Or are they sent on such Messages Or is it his Guardian Angel Or is it the Soul of some Dead Friend that suffereth and yet retaining Love to him as Dives did to his Brethren would have him Saved God keepeth yet such things from us in the Dark Three or four Days before my Father died as I was in my Bed about Nine a Clock in the Morning perfectly awake I did hear three distinct Knocks on the Beds-head as if it had been with a Ruler or Ferula Mr. Hierome Banks as he lay on his Death Bed in Bell-yard said Three Days before he died that Mr. Jennings of the Inner-Temple his great Acquaintance Dead a Year or two before gave Three Knocks looked in and said Come away He was as far from believing such things as any man 4. Mr. Brograve near Puckridge in Hertford-shire when he was a young man riding in a Lane in that Contrey had a Blow given him on his Cheek or Head He look'd back and saw that no body was near behind him anon he had such another Blow I have forgot if a Third He turn'd back and fell to the Study of the Law and was afterwards a Judge This Account I had from Sir John Penrudock of Compton-Chamberlain our Neighbour whose Lady was Judge Brograve's Neice 5. Newark has Knocking 's before Death And there is a House near Covent-Garden that has Warnings 6. At Berlin when one shall Die out of the Electoral House of Brandenburgh a Woman Drest in white Linnen appears always to several without speaking or doing any harm for several Weeks before This from Jasper Belshazer Cranmer a Saxon Gentleman Thus far I am beholding to Mr. Aubrey's Collect. CHAP. VII Discovery of Things Secret or Future by Prodigies Comets Lights Stars c. HERE I propound only to shew how God Almighty when he is doing or going to do any thing extraordinary in the World to put Nature out of its usual Course and make some greater and more remarkable Steps in his Providence He often hangs out some Flag makes some Flame of Fire his messenger or so Ruffles the Elements of the Visible World in such an unusual manner as is enough to startle Men not out of but into their Wits and make them serious and inquisitive into the Counsels of Heaven and their own Merits and Behaviour towards God and so to Humble them into Sorrow and Penitence when they see the Hand of God thus lifted up or concern'd for them 1. Before the Destruction of Jerusalem there was often seen in the Air Armies of men in Battle-array seeming to be ready to charge each other the Brazen Gate open'd of it self without being touched by any Body Joseph de Bell. Jud. l. 7. Gaffarella Part 2. c. 3. 2. A little before the time that Xerxes cover'd the Earth with his million of men there appear'd horrible and dreadful Meteors as Presages of the Evils that afterwards happened as there did likewise in the time of Attila who was call'd Flagellum Dei God's Scourge Gaffarrel unheard of Curios Part 2. Ch 3. 3. When Ambrose was a Child a Swarm of Bees settled on his Face in the Cradle and flew away without hurting of him whereupon his Father said Si vixerit infantulus ille aliquid magni erit viz. If this Child live he will be some great man Clark's Mart. of Eccl. Hist 4. In the time of Gregory the Great A. C. 600 c. The River Tsber swell'd to such an unmeasurable height that it ran over the Walls of Rome and drowned a great part of the City and brake into many great Houses overthrew divers antient monuments and Gravaries belonging to the Church carrying away many thousand measures of Wheat Presently after which Innundation came down the River an innumerable Company of Serpents with one monstrous great one as big as a Beam which when they had swam into the Sea were there choaked and their Carcasses being all cast upon the Shoar there rotted which caused such an Infection of the Air that presently a great Plague followed at Rome so that many thousands died of it Yea Arrows were visibly seen to be shot from Heaven and whosoever was stricken with them presently died amongst whom Pelagius was one then Bishop of Rome Ibid. p. 97. What the consequences of those Prodigies were I leave to the Consideration of the ingenious Reader who may easily find in Church-History
Augustine's Table was engraven Quisquis amat dictis absentem rodere amicum Hanc Mensam indictam noverit esse sibi He that doth love an absent Friend to jeer May hence depart no room is for him here Which Rule one of his Fellow-Bishops upon a time forgetting St. Augustine sharply rebuk'd him for it and told him That he must either blot those Verses out of his Table or arise from his Dinner and go to his Chamber Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Crispin a Donatist Bishop being fined in two Pounds of Gold by the Proconsul for abusing one of Augustine's Society the Catholick Bishops and especially Augustine so prevailed with the Emperour that the Rigour of the Sentence was taken off from him which Piety and Charity of theirs much conduced to the increase of the Church Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 3. It was Mr. Palmer's saying the Martyr None are to be counted valiant but such as contemn Injuries Fox 4. It 's reported of St. Katherine that she suckt the invenom'd Wounds of a Villain who had wronged her most impudently Dr. Taylor 5. Anthony the Great was wont in his Exhortations to the People to wish them to keep in mind that of the Apostle Let not the Sun go down upon thy Wrath. Drexel upon Eternity 6. John Patriarch of Alexandria in a Controversy with one Nicolas a chief Man of the City to be tryed by Law John being for the Poor Nicolas for his Money after a private Meeting for Peace-sake and much Contention and Choler used till night and they were parted the Good Bishop weighing with himself and arguing to this purpose Can I think God will be pleased with his Stubbornness c. could not rest till he had sent Messengers to Nicolas charging them to say no more to him but only this The Sun is going down On the hearing of which there was such a sudden Alteration wrought in Nicelas that his high Stomach came presently down he began to melt and his Eyes stood with Tears and he had much ado to keep them in out of doors he ran presently after the Messengers and making haste to speak with the Patriarch he came to him and saluted him thus Holy Father I am willing to be ruled by thee in this or in any other matter So they embraced lovingly and became good Friends Idem 7. A Suit of Law is of it self lawful But certainly he had need be an Angel that manageth a Suit innocently and he that hath so excellent a Spirit as with Innocence to run through the infinite Temptations of a Law-Suit in all probability hath so much Holiness as to suffer the Injury and so much Prudence as to avoid the Danger Idem 8. I will rather suffer a 1000 Wrongs than offer one I will rather suffer a 100 than return one I will suffer many e're I complain of one and endeavour to right my self by contending I have ever found that no Content with my Superiours is furious with my Equals doubtful with my Inferiours sordid and base Dr. Hall 9. Deschartes is said to be no Detractor nor injurious to any Person never committing Injuries to Memory but to Oblivion See his Life by Borellus p. 23. 10. There was one who did Sir Matthew Hale a great Injury which it is not necessary to mention who coming afterwards to him for his Advice in the Settlement of his Estate he gave it very frankly to him but would accept of no Fee for it and thereby shewed both that he could forgive as a Christian and that he had the Soul of a Gentleman in him not to take Money of one that had wronged him so hainously And when he was asked by one How he could use a Man so kindly that had wronged him so much His Answer was He thanked God he had learned to forget Injuries See his Life written by Dr. Burnet p. 93. CHAP. XLI Remarkable Instances of Munificence WE are to do Good and to distribure according to our Power and the number of those Talents which God hath bestowed upon us He that hath little ought to give of that little but to whom much is given of him much is required A pair of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons was a pretty reasonable Offering from those who had but little for the support of their own Families's the poor Widow's Mite in the Gospel was accepted kindly and interpreted favourably by our Saviour But if those who have large Estates and heavy Purses and no great Necessities near home do not build Synagogues or Schools or Hospitals or mend High-ways or disburse with a greater Freedom and more Generosity than others however their Estates may be great their Souls are but little and their Spirits narrow and their Accounts will not be easily made up hereafter For though Men may be deceived at the present and their poor fellow-Creatures may be put off with weak Pretensions there is a God in Heaven that will not be mocked but will give them a Harvest in the other World according to their Seedness in this and They that sow sparingly shall reap sparingly But every Body is not so stingy and close-fisted there are those in the Church of God who are not willing to stand to the adventure and hazard of a cheap Seedness but give plentifully with an open Breast full of Charity and a Hand full of Good-works and Alms-deeds As for Instances 1. In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and in the Year 1596. Ralph Rokeby one of Her Majesty's Masters of Request then dying gave by his Will to Christ's Hospital in London One hundred Pounds to the Colledge of the Poor of Queen Elizabeth One hundred Pounds to the poor Scholars in Cambridge One hundred Pounds to the poor Scholars in Oxford One hundred Pounds to the Prisoners in the two Compters in London One hundred Pounds to the Prisoners in the Fleet One hundred Pounds to the Prisoners in Ludgate One hundred Pounds to the Prisoners in Newgate One hundred Pounds to the Prisoners in the King's-Bench One hundred Pounds to the Prisoners of the Marshalsea One hundred Pounds to the Prisoners in the White-Lion Twenty Pounds A liberal and pious Legacy and not worthy to be forgotten 2. Richard Sutton Esq born of Gentile Parentage at Knaith in Lincolnshire sole Founder of the Charter-House Hospital which he called the Hospital of King James for the Maintenance thereof he settled these Mannors in several Counties 1. Dasham-Mannor in Cambridgeshire 2. Bastuogthorp-Mannor in Lincolnshire 3. Black grove-Mannor in Wiltshire 4. Broadhinton-Land in Wiltshire 5. Castlecamps-Mannor in Cambridgeshire 6. Chilton-Mannor in Wiltshire 7. Dunby-Mannor in Lincolnshire 8. Elcomb-Mannor and Park in Wiltshire 9. Hackney-Land in Middlesex 10. Hallinburg Bouchiers-Mannor in Essex 11. Missanden-Mannor in Wiltshire 12. Much Stanbridge-Mannor in Essex 13. Norton-Mannor in Essex 14. Salthrope-Mannor in Wiltshire 15. Southminster-Manner in Essex 16. Tottenham-Land in Middlesex 17. Vfford-Mannor in Wiltshire 18 Watalescote-Mannor in Wiltshire 19. Westcot-Mannor in Wiltshire
suitable to his Capacity the Child prevented him saying I think it is thus God knows all things he knows which of those Children had they lived would have served him them he takes to Heaven and he knows which would not have served him them he casts into Hell I set not this down as a true Answer to the Question but it argued more than ordinary consideration in a Child For his Affections 1. Some years since his Mother found him crying His Mother taking him into her Lap ask'd him why he cried he answered with many Tears he feared he should go to Hell yet he served God as well as he could 2. Another time being found weeping upon a Lord's-day his Mother asked him why he cried he said Because he remembred no more of the Sermon 3. Other times he had wept lest he should not go to Heaven For his Practices I bless God his Practices were not unequal to his Affections and Knowledge he was often found in Corners at Prayer When my Wife sent him upon an Errand she would ask him why he staid he would answer with much ado that he thought there was no great haste so he stayed a little at Prayers he spent a quarter of an hour daily in secret Prayer he got his Brother to keep a Diary but he bid that we should not know of it till his Death-bed wherein he set down many of his Sins but none of his Duties for them he said were so few that he could easily remember them Some of which Sins were these 1st He whetted his Knife upon a Lord's-day 2d He did not reprove one that he heard swear 3d. He once omitted Prayer to go to play 4th He found his Heart dead and therefore omitted Prayer He one day hearing the Bell toll said He would not have any Rings given at his Burial but a good Book that may do them good 2. There was a little Child which frequented that excellent Duty of Secret Prayer and would ask the Mother strange Questions concerning Heaven and God and the Mother thought the Child had heard some discoursing of those Questions and so had taken them from their Conferences He once ran to his Mother and said O Mother I must go to God will you go with me His Mother said I must go when it pleaseth God but my Child how knowest thou that thou must go to God The Child answered God told me so for I love God and God loves me and after that cared no more to play but about a month after fell sick and died always saying in his Sickness that he must go to God and asking his Mother whether she would go with him 3. I know also a Minister who told me That one of his Children when but four years old said to him that he had seen God and his Angels and that he must go to them 4. This fourth History I have out of the Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. John Langham eldest Son to Mr. James Langham being but five years and a half old and it 's thus This sweet Child had arrived to that in five years and a little more that some which are here I am afraid have not arrived to in ten times that space He was a very dutiful Child to his Parents and would exceedingly rejoyce when he had done any thing or had carried himself so as to please them He was taken with the Book called the Practice of Piety and delighted to be reading in it His Father speaking to him one day about the Devil and Hell and things of that Nature he asked him if he were not afraid to be alone he answered No for God would defend him His Father asked him why he thought so he replied that he loved God and that he hoped God loved him The day before he died he desired me to pray for him I told him if he would have me to pray for him he must tell me what I should pray for and what he would have God to do for him He answered To pardon my Sins Oft upon his Sick-bed he would be repeating to himself the fifty fifth Chapter of Isaiah and other pieces of Scripture which in the time of his Health he had learned by heart 5. I shall next set down several Passages in a Letter written by one that went to School a rare Example for Children of that Age to follow I find he was to get time from his Sleep to write I shall not set down the whole Letter but leave out things of business and that are introductory The Letter BRother pray let me intreat you to fit and prepare your self for Death for it knocks at the door of young ones as well as the old there are as many young Souls in Golgotha as old the Sythe of Mortality mows down Lillies as well as Grass One thing I beg of you and I hope you will not deny me which is this seeing you have Knowledge Will Mind take heed you be not drawn away by hypocritical Deceivers for the Scripture saith That in the latter days many false Prophets shall arise who would deceive the very Elect themselves if it were possible but it is not possible for God will reserve some for himself Thus far Mr. White 6. Mrs. Sarah Howley at eight years old gave her self much to attending upon the Word preached and still continued very tender under it greatly savouring what she heard She was much in Secret Prayer as might easily be perceived by those who listened at the Chamber-door and was usually very importunate full of tears She was exceeding dutiful to her Parents very loath to grieve them in the least and if she had at any time which was very rare offended them she would weep bitterly She abhorred Lying and allowed her self in no known Sin The Lord's-day before that in which she died a Kinsman of hers came to see her and asking of her Whether she knew him she answered Yes I know you and I desire you would learn to know Christ you are young but you know not how soon you may die Now and then she dropt these words How long sweet Jesus Finish thy work sweet Jesus come away sweet Jesus come quickly sweet Lord help come away now now dear Jesus come quickly Good Lord give patience to me to wait thy appointed time Lord Jesus help me help me She oft commended her Spirit into the Lord's Hands and the last words which she was heard to speak were these Lord help Lord Jesus help Dear Jesus Blessed Jesus And thus upon the Lord's Day between Nine and Ten of the Clock in the Forenoon she slept sweetly in Jesus and began an everlasting Sabbath February 19. 1670. 7. Of a Child that was admirably affected with the Things of God when he was between Two and Three Years old A certain little Child whose Mother had Dedicated him to the Lord in her Womb when he could not speak plain would be crying after God and was greatly desirous to be taught good
the Vicaridge of Torcester Ibid. 12. The late Earl of Rochester upon his Death-bed acknowledged how unworthily he had treated the Clergy reproaching them that they were proud and prophesied only for Rewards but now he had learned how to value them that he esteemed them as the Servants of the most High God who were to shew Men the Way to everlasting Life Mr. Parsons in his Funeral Sermon 13. Mr. Whitaker was much beloved his House frequented with many and friendly Visits his Sickness laid to heart and many Prayers publick and private put up for him some Fasts also kept with a special Reference to his Afflictions and his Funeral attended with many weeping Eyes See his Life Mr. Fairclough's Ministry was thought to bring a Temporal Blessing to the Parish 14. I think my candid Reader will easily pardon me if for Gratitude's sake I take an occasion here for the Glory of God and the Commendation of the People to make mention of the Respects Love and Kindnesses much beyond my Desert which I received as from the Inhabitants of Arundel and Shipley in Sussex so especially from the Parishioners of Preston Gubbals and Broughton in Shropshire together with the adjacent Neighbourhood which were so freely and plentifully shewed me whilst I was their Minister that I may testify of them they were kind to me even beyond their power some of them and I hope God would return it into their Bosoms and remember them in the day of their Distress for I speak this to their Praise I never met with a more loving People in my Life 15. Mons du Plessis on his Death-bed gave Thanks to the Minister that had assisted him prayed the Lord to prosper the Word in his Mouth prayed for M. Boucherean Minister of the Church in Saumur and said he Let it not trouble him to be patient he hath to do with a troublesome People the Lord impute not their Sins unto them Clark 's Examp. Vol. 2. c. 27. 16. Mrs. Drake on her Death-bed advised her Father to keep a Minister in his House and returned most affectionate Thanks to a Friend I suppose her Minister begging earnestly Forgiveness of him and would needs have his Hand and Promise for it Mrs. Drake revived 17. John Blacknal of Abington Esq by his last Will bequeathed certain Sums of Money to several Ministers for Duties omitted by him in his Life A. 1625. CHAP. LXI Remarkable Zeal and Devotion ZEal is a Composition of all the Passions the Affections warmed and heated into a lively Vigour and Activeness and this is so far from being a Fault that if it be made regular with Prudence and a Christian Discretion 't is good and commendable always in a good Matter And certainly if ever it be seasonable for us to kindle a fire upon the Altar 't is so when we are about to do sacrifice to God Almighty 1. Polycarp going with S. John to a Bath at Ephesus and espying Ceriathus the Heretick in it said ' Let us depart speedily for fear lest the Bath where the Lord's Adversary is do fall upon us Dr. Cave Prim Christ and Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist 2. Origen when a Boy had an eager desire of Martyrdom So had Cyprian and Gregory Nazianzen Ibid. Dr. Cave Prim. Christ c. 3. The Venerable Bede was so devoutly affected in Reading the Scriptures that he would often shed Tears and after he had ended reading conclude with Prayers Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 100. 4. Tertullian used to pray thrice a day at the 3 6 9 hours Clark 5. Peter Chrysologus before he penned any thing would with great Ardency humbly betake to Prayer and seek unto God for Direction therein Clark 's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 88. 6. Luther advised George Spalatinus always to begin his Studies with Prayer For saith he there is no Master that can instruct us in Divine Matters but the Author of them Ibid. p. 195. And Melancthon testifies of Luther That he hath heard him so loud and earnest at his Prayers as if some Person were in company discoursing with him Much the same Advice doth Ludovicus Grotius give to all Students in Divinity To pray often And Thomas Aquinas is reported to use that Rule himself always to pray for the Resolution of any difficult and knotty Question and commends to others that Motto Bene orasse est bene studuisse 7. When Erasmus halted between two Opinions Capito continually called upon him to put off that Nicodemus-like Temper Clark 's Eccl. Hist p. 193. 8. Cardinal Wolsey when advanced to great Preferments in both Church and State having all State-business at his disposal and most Church-preferments in his power the Deanry of Lincoln the King's Almonership a House near Bridewel Durham Winchester Bath Worcester Hereford Tourney Lincoln S. Albans and York in his Possession and all other Promotions in his Gift was so devout that he neglected not one Collect of his Prayers for all the Cumbrances of his Place wherein he deceived many of the People who thought he had no time for his Business and his Servants who wondred how he could gain time for his Business from his Devotion Lloyd 's State-Worthies p. 8. 9. Luther was zealous in the Cause of the Reformation that he preached wrote and disputed publickly for it and when discouraged from going to Wormes whither he had been invited by the Emperour with a Promise of safe Conduct lest he should be served as John Husse at the Council of Constance he made Answer If there were as many Devils in the City as Tiles on the Houses to shake the Kingdom of Satan he would go thither And so fervent was he in Prayer that Vitus Theodorus saith of him that no Day passed wherein he spent not at least Three Hours in Prayer Once it fell out saith he that I heard him Good God! what a Spirit what a Confidence was in his very Expression with such a Reverence he sueth for any thing as one begging of God and yet with such Hope and Assurance as if he spake with a Loving Father or Friend Clark's Marr. of Eccl. Hist p. 141. 10. Sir Thomas Moor was so devour that the Duke of Norfolk coming on a time to Chelsey to Dine with him happened to find him in the Church singing in the Quire with a Surplice on his Back to whom after Service as they went homeward hand in hand together the Duke said God's Body my Lord Chancellor what a Parish-Clark a Parish-Clark you dishonour the King and his Office Nay said Sir Thomas smiling upon the Duke Your Grace may not think your Master and mine will be offended with me for serving of God his Master or thereby count his Office dishonoured England's Worthies by Will. Winstanley p. 201. When the King sent for him once at Mass he answered That when he had done with God he would wait on His Majesty Lloyd's Worthies p. 43. The same Answer Bishop Vsher return'd to Charles the Second Vid.
forsake all my Sins I am willing to give Glory to God in taking Shame unto myself I acknowledge myself a guilty Malefactor and judge myself worthy of the just Condemnation of the Righteous Judge of all the Earth XV. I hope I am one whom God hath taken into Covenant with himself because he hath bestowed upon me the Fruits of the Covenant because he hath circumcised my Heart to love him and hath put his Fear into me and hath wrought an universal change in me and hath given me a new Heart and a new Spirit XVI As for my Affliction that lieth upon me though it be in itself very heavy I much more desire the sanctification of it than the removal I earnestly labour to learn all those Lessons which God teacheth me by Affliction XVII Faith is the Condition of Salvation Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved And this is his commandment that we should believe in his Son Jesus Christ. Now I find nothing so hard to me as to believe aright Yet I must and will give Glory to God and say Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Thus I have according to the Apostle's Exhortation endeavoured to give a Reason of the Hope that is in me Thus far Mr. Edm. Calamy 18. Mr. Albyn's Evidences for Heaven which take in his own Words viz. Some Observations upon my own Heart which I humbly hope are true Evidences of a Work of saving Grace and that my Soul has a real Interest in Jesus Christ and I desire to deal plainly sincerely and truly as in the presence of the Heart searching God in this great and weighty Work of Self-Examination humbly and heartily imploring the Grace and Assistance of God's most Holy Spirit therein 1. I desire every day to attain unto a most clear and distinct Knowledge of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost with all their Properties and Attributes and to have more high and reverend Thoughts of him and to be more enlarged in Thankfulness in Heart and Life for my Creation and Preservation but especially for my Redemption 2. I desire a true sanctified Knowledge of the whole Will of God and the full Latitude of every Commandment 3. I heartily desire and endeavour to yield constant and chearful Obedience to every one of his Commandments and particularly I endeavour to consecrate the Sabbath Day in the Service of God only and I embrace all opportunities besides that I conveniently may to hear the Word of God Preached and to Read and Meditate on it in private and I would not willingly omit any opportunity for coming to the Table of the Lord nor neglect Praying in my Family or alone in private in and by all which Ordinances 't is the unfeigned Desire of my Soul to enjoy true Spiritual Communion with God through Jesus Christ and that every Grace of God may by them be strengthened in me and evdry Sin and Lust mortified and though I do most miserably and sinfully miscarry in the Performance of every Holy Duty being continually haunted with many sinful Wandrings and Indispositions of Heart for which I unfeignedly humble my self 'twixt God and my own Soul confessing the same and Judging and Condemning my self for them in his Presence yet through the infinite Mercy and Bounty of my gracious God through Jesus Christ I feel and experimentally find some sensible Abatements of the one and a comfortable Addition to the Strength of the other 4. I do desire and in some poor Measure endeavour constantly to watch and observe the Actings and Motions of my own Heart and would not allow of any sinful Project or Design whatsoever to be contrived and harboured therein and am more careful to keep my Heart from contemplative Iniquity then to order my outward Actions to the Liking and Approbation of Men. 5. I desire to know the Duties of every one of my Relations and conscientiously to walk in all of them to Magistrates Ministers Parents Wife Children Servarts and all others and in reference to the present Distractions of our Land I humbly desire that the Lord would be pleased to set up such a Magistracy as I may with a good Conscience yield chearful Obedience to all its Lawful Commands and such under whom Religion may flourish the Power of Godliness be countenanced and the Government of Jesus Christ be erected and submitted unto for the Effecting whereof I pray that God would cast out the Spirit of Errour Prophaneness and Divisions that is almongst us 6. For the Duties of my particular Calling I desire faithfully to discharge the same and pray that God would give me such a Measure of Grace and true Heavenly Wisdom as that I may not be carryed away with Covetousness Ambition or Deceitfulness on the one hand nor with Pride Idleness or Presumption on the other but that I may conscientiously Labour diligently in my Calling so as to provide for my Family and that I may have to give to him that needeth Praying that I may be kept from all those Sins and Temptations that do attend my Calling at any time 7. I do often tho' with much Frailty and Weakness reflect on my own ways acknowledging before God and bewailing my own Miscarriages and beg Pardon for them and all my secret unknown Sins through the Merits of Jesus Christ and still desire the Lord to keep me from the Deceits of my own Heart and from all the Temptations I do or may meet with in reference to the Sins of the present evil Times And in my Judgment and Affections so far as I know my own Heart I would rather loose all my outward Comforts and Accommodations then sin against my God by a sinful Submission to any unlawful Injunctions for the Preservation thereof and pray thatas the Lord hath hitherto I hope in some good measure kept me so he would still preserve me upright in Heart before him and unspotted in Life before Men and that if I should be called thereunto he would give me Grace and Strength to make publick Profession of my Resolution to persevere in well doing and to keep close to my Duty whatsoever Sufferings I meet withal and that the carnal Reasoning of my corrupt Flesh and Blood which I find to be exceeding strong and often assaulting of me may never prevail over me to make me sin against my God on whose Promises I desire above all other things Grace to rest and commit my self to his gracious Providence to take care for me and mine rather then to use and sinful means to secure or provide for my self or them 8. In all Streights and Difficulties I meet with in my Calling and in all Hazards in my Estate by Sea or otherwise I first of all make my Addresses to the Throne of Grace for Strength and Courage to trust and relie upon the faithful Promises and gracious Providence of God and for Direction and Assistance for the conscientious using of all lawful Means for the managing of my
and made savoury with Grace to the edification of others and 't is certain that out Tongues are but the Signs and Indications of our Thoughts and therefore as the Heart thinketh the Tongue speaketh commonly A pure Fountain doth not send out dirty Streams nor a good Tree bring forth evil Fruit. Besides our Language doth not only expose our selves but hath a great Influence in disposing of others either to Good or Evil to Truth or Error and therefore we had need be cautious and use a sober Prudence and Piety in the Government of that little Member And wise and good People are so sparing and discreet in their Words 1. Bembo a Primitive Christian coming to a Friend to learn a Psalm he began to him the 39th I said I will take heed to my ways that I offend not in my tongue Upon hearing of which Words he stop his Tutor saying This is enough if I learn it as I ought And being after Six Months rebuked for not coming again replied That he had not learnt his first Lesson Nay after Fifteen Years he professed That in that time he had scarce learned to fulfil that one Line Anonym 2. Dr. Potter when Fellow of Queen's College Oxon observing the Fellows after Dinner according to their usual manner talking together of many trivial things said nothing but carefully remarked what they said and when they had done talking he thus bespake them Now my Masters will you hear all your extravagant Discourses for I have strictly observed and marked what you said and thereupon gave them a perfect Rehersal of all their Discourses which they admired and wondred at See his Life by Mr. Clark p. 155. Much the like Story is reported of Mr. J. Janeway in his Life 3. The Essaeans are towards God very Religious for before the Sun rise they speak of nothing but Holy Things and then they make certain Prayers and Vows after the manner of their Country c. Joseph de Bell. Jud. l. 2. c. 7. 4. The Council of Trent because Bishops must be blameless exhorts that to prevent idle Discourses which might arise at the Table of Bishop's themselves the Holy Scriptures be read Conc. Trid. Decret 1. Sess 5. John Picus Earl of Mirandula usually discoursed amongst his Friends of the Vanity and Uncertainty of all Earthly Things and of the Stability of Heavenly Things and therefore he would often call upon them to love the Lord above all c. Clark in his Life 6. One of Bishop Latimer's Injunctions to the Prior and Convent of St. Mary's House in Worcester 1537 was thus Item That the Prior have at his Dinner or Supper every Day a Chapter read and to have edifying Communication of the same History of the Reformation by Dr. Burnet 7. Cardinal Pool in the Platform of his Reformation requires Bishops to have at their Table the Scriptures or other good Books read mixt with pious Discourses Ibid. 8. The Conferences of Mr. John Eliot were like those which Tertullian affirms to have been common among the Saints in his Days Vt qui sciret Dominum audire as knowing that the Ear of God was open to them all and he managed his Rudder so as to manifest that he was bound Heaven-ward in his whole Communication He had a particular Art at Spiritualizing of Earthly Objects and raising of high Thoughts from very mean Things As once going with some feebleness up the Hill to Church he said unto the Person that led him This is very like the way to Heaven 't is up Hill the Lord by his Grace fetch us up And instantly spying a Bush near him he as nimbly added And truly there are Briars and Thorns in the way too As a Friend of the famous Vrsin could say That he never went unto him without coming away Aut doctior aut melior either the wiser or better from him So 't is an Animadversion which more than One Friend of our Eliot's hath made concerning him I was never with him but I got or might have got some good from him Cott. Mather in the Life of Mr. J. Eliot p. 19. 9. Oh! saith Dr. Bolton that worthless Subjects should so often take up our Tongues and Thoughts And Christ so full so sweet so delightful and so profitable a Subject which shall be Matter for our Soul's Discourse to all Eternity shall be thrown aside as not worth taking up In Vit. ejus 10. Mr. Giles Firmin speaking of Mr. Daniel Rogers saith He was a Man of great Parts great Grace and great Infirmities My Father Ward would often say of him My Brother Roger hath Grace enough for Two Men and not half enough for himself a most woful Temper or rather Distemper in his Constitution which hindred much the Lustre of that Grace which was in him By one passage we may judge of his Grace he Dined One Day at a Knight's Table what Company was there I know not but he had not that liberty to be a seasoning his Meat with Savoury and Spiritual Discourse as he was wont to do to sit at Meals and not one Word for God was to him strange the next Day he comes to my House the Man was sadly dejected in such a manner that those who fall into gross Sins scarce know so much Sorrow What is the matter said I. This was the Reason that he was a Man of such a base dastardly Spirit that he could not speak for God I told him Your Father would say in such Companies If you cannot sowe any Good you do well if you can keep out evil Much ado I had to get up his Spirit Firmin's Real Christian Preface to the Reader 11. The late Countess of Warwick would perfume the Company with good Discourse to prevent idle or worse Communication not abruptly upbraidingly or importunely which is very nauseous and fulsome and spoils a good Game by bad Playing but she was like Spiritual Stove you should feel the Heat and not see the Fire and find yourself in other Company among the same Persons and rather wonder than perceive how you came there for she would drop a wise Sentence or moral holy Apothegm with which she was admirably furnish'd that suited with at least not far remote from what was talk'd of and commending or improving it that she 'd wind about the whole Discourse without offence yea with pleasure Dr. Walker in her Life 12. The Discourses which daily fell from Bishop Vsher at his Table in clearing Difficulties in the Scripture and other Subjects especially when learned Men came to visit him tended exceedingly to the Edification of the Heaters so that it might well be said of him as the Queen of Sheba said to Solomon Happy are these thy Servants that stand continually about thee and hear thy Wisdom See his Life 13. Mr. Samuel Fairclough made such a Reform in his Parish that divers Persons who had lived many Years in the place said That in the whole time they never heard an Oath sworn nor
flown away in this Rapture from them all Then lying down quietly in her Bed she thus spake Why are you all silent Where is my Minister Sir what did you think of me when I was in this late strange posture Did not you imagine me to be mad No said he but it was very strange to us c. So surely it was said she it was very strange But will you know how it surprized me At this Morning before you came to pray with me being alone I prayed to God That he would not absent himself for ever but that once before my Death he would reveal Christ unto me and give me some sence and feeling of his Love and that he would open the Brasen-Gates of this hard Heart of mine that the King of Glory might enter in Presently after even as soon as you had ended your Prayer this sudden Fit of unsupportable Joy and Feeling surprized me and with great violence did rush upon me so that I could not contain myself but made that sudden Outcry among you all But I must confess to you that I knew not neither do remember what I said Only I beseech you to make use of it hereafter to all that shall be in my Case After me never despair of any how desperately miserable soever their Case be which at worst cannot exceed mine but use and apply the means unto them and that will prevaile at length I sought for that in the Law which was to be found only in the Gospel c. O pray pray pray O give Thanks for now you have it you have it you have it About four a Clock in the Afternoon she suddenly fell into such another Rapture of Joy unspeakable professing that her frail Flesh was overcome with it Next Morning her Mother finding her dressed in a strange and unusual manner all in White she told her as also Mr. Dod and Dr. Preston she desired to be buried so After Prayers and Praises and divers suitable Instructions to the Family and her Father and Thanks to the Minister c. whilst at Prayer her Hands falling and Lips moving she sunk down in Bed and resigned up her Spirit to God Dr. Preston preach'd her Funeral Sermon See her Life called Mrs. Drake revived also Clark's Lives 11. Mrs. Katherine Stubs having made a most heavenly Confession of her Faith at large with a sweet lively aimiable Countenance red as the Rose and most beautiful to behold she had no sooner made an end but Satan was ready to bid her the Combat upon which on a sudden she bent her Brows she frowned and looking as it were with an angry stern and austere Countenance as though she saw some filthy some ugly displeasing thing the burst forth into these speeches following How now Satan what mak'st thou here Art thou come to tempt the Lord's Servant I tell thee thou Hell-hound thou hast no part nor portion in me nor by the grace of God ever shalt have I was now am and ever shall be the Lords yea Satan I was chosen an Elect of God to everlasting Salvation before the foundation of the World was laid and therefore thou must get thee packing thou damned Dog and go shake thy Ears for in me thou hast nought But what doest thou lay to my charge thou foul Fiend Ah! that I am a Sinner and therefore shall be Damned I confess indeed that I am a Sinner and a grievous Sinner both by original Sin and actual Sin and that I may thank thee for and therefore Satan I bequeath my sin unto thee from whence it first came and appeal to the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus Christ came to save Sinners as he himself saith and not Righteous Behold the Lamb of God saith John that taketh away the Sins of the World And in another place he crieth out The Blood of Jesus Christ doth cleanse us from all Sins c. Objection O but God is a just God thou sayest and therefore in Justice must needs condemn me Answer I grant Satan that he is a just God and therefore he cannot in Justice punish me for my Sins which he hath punished already in his own Son It is against the Law of Justice to punish any Fault twice I was and am a great Debtor unto God the Father but Jesus Christ hath paid that Debt for me and therefore it stands not with the Justice of God to require it again and therefore avoid Satan avoid thou Fire-brand of Hell avoid thou damned Dog and tempt me no more for he that is with me is mightier then thou even the mighty and victorious Lion of the Tribe of Juda who hath bruised thy Head and hath promised to be with his Children to the End of the World Avoid therefore thou Dastard avoid thou cowardly Soldier remove thy Siege and yield the Field won and get thee packing or else I will call upon my Grand Captain Christ Jesus the Valiant Michael who beat thee in Heaven and threw thee down into Hellwith all thy hellish Train and devilish Crew She had scarcely pronounced these last Words but she fell suddenly into a sweet smiling Laughter saying Now he is gone now he is gone do you not see him run like a Coward and run away like a beaten Cock He has lost the Field and I have won the Vistory even the Garland and Crown of everlasting Life and that not by my own Power and Strength but by the Power and Might of Jesus Christ who hath sent his holy Angels to keep me And speaking to them that were by she said O would to God you saw what I see for behold I see infinite Millions of most glorious Angels stand about me with fiery chariots ready to defend me as they did the good Prophet Elias These holy Angels these ministring Spirits are appointed of God to carry my Soul into the Kingdom of Heaven where I shall behold the Lord face to face c. Now I am happy and blessed for ever for I have fought the good Fight and by the might of Christ have won the Victory Come sweet Chrict come my Lord Jesus c. then singing a Psalm most sweetly and desiring the 133th Psalm might be sung before her to Church and desiring her Husband not to mourn for her on a sudden she seemed as it were greatly to rejoyce and looked chearfully as though she had seen some glorious Sight and lifting up her whole Body and stretching forth her Arms as though she would embrace some glorious and pleasant thing said I thank my God through Jesus Christ he is come he is come my good Goaler is come to let my Soul out of Prison O sweet Death thou art welcome welcome sweet Death never was there any Guest so welcome unto me as thou art welcome the Meslenger of everlasting Life welcome the Door and Entrance into everlasting Glory welcome I say and thrice welcome my good Goalor do thy Office quickly and set my Soul at liberty strike sweet
Second Son the Lord Francis was likewise miserably tortured by their wicked Contrivances and his Daughter the Lady Catherine was oft in great danger of her Life by their barbarous Dealings with strange Fits c. The Honourable Parents bore all these Afflictions with Christian Magnanimity little suspecting they proceeded from Witchcraft 'till it pleased God to discover the Villanous Practices of these Women whom the Devil now left to fall into the Hands of Justice for Murdering the Innocent and to remain notorious Examples of God's Judgment to future Ages They were apprehended about Christmas in 1618. and after Examination before divers Justices of Peace who wondred at their audacious Wickedness were all Three ordered to be carried to Lincoln-Jail Joan Flower the Mother it is said called for Bread and Butter by the way and wished it might never go through her if she were guilty of that which was charged upon her and so mumbling it in her Mouth she never spake a word more but fell down and died with horrible Torture both of Soul and Body before she got to the Jail The two Daughters were Examined before Sir William Pelbam and Mr. Butler Justices of Peace Feb. 4. 1618 where Philip the youngest made the following Confession That her Mother and Sister were very malicious against the Earl of Rutland his Countess and their Children because Margaret was turned out of the Lady's Service whereupon her Sister by her Mother's Order brought from the Castle the Right-hand Glove of the Lord Henry Ross who presently rubbed it on the Back of her Spirit called Rutterkin and then put it into boyling Water after which she prickt it very often and then buried it in the Yard wishing the Lord Ross might never thrive And so her Sister Margaret continued with her Mother and she often saw her Imp Rutterkin leap on her Shoulder and suck her Neck She confest also That she often heard her Mother curse the Earl and his Lady and would thereupon boyl Blood and Feathers together using many Devilish Speeches and strange Gestures She likewise acknowledg'd That she herself had a Spirit sucking her Left-breast in the form of a White Rat which it had done for three or four Years past and that when it came first to her she gave her Soul to it who promised to do her good and to force Tho. Symson to love her if she would suffer it to suck her which she agreed to and that it had suckt her two Nights before Margaret her Sister being Examined agreed in the Confession that Philip had made of their Malice to the Earl and about the young Lord's Glove which for other Circumstances for brevity's sake I here omit 12. About the same time Joan Wilmot of Goadby a Witch was Examined by Sir Henry Hastings and Dr. Fleming Justices in Leicester-shire about the Murther of Henry Lord Ross who declared That Joan Flower told her the Earl of Rutland had dealt badly by her and had put away her Daughter and though she could not have her Will of my Lord himself yet she had sped my Lord's Son and had stricken him to the Heart c. 13. Another Witch called Ellen Green of Stathorn in Leicester-shire was Examined about that time by the same Justices who confessed That Joan Wilmot above-named came to her about six Years since and perswaded her to forsake God and betake herself to the Devil to which she consented who then called two Spirits one like a young Cat which she named Puss and the other in the shape of a Mole which she called Hiff Hiff who instantly came and Wilmot going away left them with her after which they leapt on her Shoulder the Kitling sucking her Neck under her Right-ear and the Mole under her Left in the same place after which she sent the Kitling to a Baker in the Town who had called her Witch and struck her bidding it go and Bewitch him to Death And the Mole she sent to Anne Daws of the same Town upon the same Errand because she had called her Witch Whore and Jade and within a Fortnight after they both died After which she sent them to destroy two Husbandmen named Willison and Williman who died both in ten Days these four she murâ—hered while she dwelt at Waltham When she removed to Stathorn where she now dwelt upon a Difference between her and one Patchet's Wife a Yeoman there Joan Wilmot called her to go and touch Patchet's Wife and Child which she did touching the Woman in Bed and the Child in the Midwife's Arms and then sent her Spirits to Bewitch them to Death the Woman languished a Month before she died but the Child lived only 'till next Day after she had touched it adding that Joan Wilmot had a Spirit sucking on her like a little White Dog which she saw and that she gave her Soul to the Devil to have these Spirits at Command for any mischievous purpose and suffered them to suck her constantly about the Change and Full-Moon 14. One Anne Baker a Witch was likewise Apprehâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and Examined about the same time who confessed before Sir George Mannors and Dr. Fleming 〈◊〉 of Peace That she had a Spirit like a White Dog which she called a good Spirit and that one Peak and one Dennis's Wife of Belvoir told her That the young Lord Henry was dead and that his Glove was buried in the Ground which as it wasted and rotted in like manner did the Lord's Liver rot and waste likewise 15. Margaret and Philip Flower were arraigned at the Assizes at Lincoln before Sir Henry Hobart and Sir Edward Bromley Judges whereupon their confessing themselves Actors in the Destruction of Henry Lord Ross with other damnable Practices they were Condemned and Executed at Lincoln March 11. And the rest questionless suffered according to their Deserts History of Daemons p. 140 141 c. Discov of Witchcraft c. 16. Anno Dom. 1645. There was a notable Discovery of several Witches in Essex and among others one Elizabeth Clark was accused of this horrid Crime and Informations taken against her before Sir Harbottle Grimstone and Sir Thomas Bowes Justices of Peace for that Country John Rivet of Mannintree deposed That about Christmass his Wife was taken sick and lame with such violent Fits that he verily believed her Distemper was more than natural who thereupon went to one Hovey at Hadly in Suffolk who was reckoned a cunning Woman she told him That his Wife was Cursed or Bewitcht by two Women who were her near Neighbours and that she believed she was Bewitcht by Elizabeth Clark alias Bedingfield who lived near their House and that her Mother and some of her Kindred had formerly suffered as Witches and Murtherers At the same time Matthew Hopkins of Mannintree declared upon Oath That this suspected Witch being ordered by the Justices to be watched several Nights for Discovering her wicked Practices he coming into the Room where she was with one Mr. Sterne intending not to
the Day at which time it left him The two next Nights it gave him the same Molestation saying It must be with him as it was with David Who gave no Sleep to his Eyes nor Slumber unto his Eye-lids until he found a place for the Lord and Habitation for the God of Jacob. Upon a Wednesday at Night he was very peremptory in his resisting of it When it began to sollicite him he replied That he saw it was a Spirit of Delusion which he would not obey Upon which the Spirit denounced a Curse against him in these words Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire And so left with a very great heat in his Body After this he was in his own apprehension in a very comfortable Condition and while he was considering what had happened a Voice within him spake to him saying That the Spirit which was before upon him was a Spirit of Delusion but now the true Spirit of God was come into him It acquainted him that the Doctrine of the Trinity was true and that God had an Elect People and that those whom the Father Elected the Son hath redeemed and whom Christ redeemed the Holy Ghost sanctifieth and told him than the Minister of the Town would further instruct him about the Truth of these Things Upon Thursday Morning about Break-of-Day it set him upon his Knees as he was in Bed and bid him Farewel The same Day it came upon him in the Field as he was going to and coming from the Market and pressed upon him to believe that it was the good Spirit which he was acted with which he still doubted of One Night that Week amongst many Arguments which it used to that purpose it told him If he would not believe without a Sign he might have what Sign he would Upon that Robert Church-man desired if it was a good Spirit that a Wyer Candlestick which stood upon the Cup-board might be turned into Brass which the Spirit said he would do Presently there was a very unsavoury Smell in the Room like that of the Snuff of a Candle newly put out but nothing else was done towards the fulfilling that Promise Upon the Lord's-Day following he being at Church it came upon him When the Chapters were named he turned to them in his Bible but was not able to read When the Psalm was sung he could to pronounce a Syllable Upon Monday Morning his Speech was wholly taken from him When I came to him and asked him how it was with him he moved his Head towards me but was not able to speak I waited an Hour or two in the Room hoping that his Speech might have returned unto him and that I might have gained from him some Account of his Condition but finding no alteration I desired those who were present to joyn with me in Prayer As we were praying his Body with much violence was thrown out of Bed and then with great vehemency he called to me to hold my Tongue When Prayer was done his Tongue was bound as before 'till at last he broke our into these words Thine is the Kingdom Thine is the Kingdom which he repeated I believe above an Hundred times Sometimes he was forced into extream Laughter sometimes into Singing his Hands were usually employed in beating his Breast all of us who stood by could discern unusual Heavings in his Body This Distemper did continue towards the Morning of the next Day and the Voice within him signified to him that it would leave him bidding him to get upon his Knees in order to that end which he did and then presently he had a perfect Command of himself When I came to him he gave me a sober Account of all the Passages of the Day before having a distinct Remembrance of what the Spirit forced him to do and what was spoken to him by those who stood by In particular he told me he was compelled to give me that Disturbance in Prayer which I before mentioned the Spirit using his Limbs and Tongue as it pleased contrary to the Inclination of his own Mind Upon the Thursday following the Spirit began to rage after its former manner as I was at Prayer with him it was very discernable how it wrought upon his Body forced him to grate his Teeth and draw his Mouth awry He told me after I had done that it hid him to denounce Woe against me It pleased God upon continuance in Prayer with him at last to release him of all his Trouble and so far to make it advantagious to him and his Wife and some others which were too much byassed with the Principles of the Quakers that now they have a perfect dislike of that way and do diligently attend upon the publick Service of God in the Parochial Church Sit you may be confident of the Truth of what is here related by Balsham Jan. 1. 1681. Your assured Friend J. T. 1. In the Year 1653 in Kendal in Westmoreland there was one John Gilpin who was very desirous to associate himself with the Quakers at their Meetings and speaking with one of them about it he much encouraged him to hold on his purpose and accordingly he went to them when one Ch. Atkinson was Speaker whose drift was to deny all ministerial Teaching and Ordinances together with all notional Knowledge gained by the use of such means and to become as if they had never learned any thing and now be taught of God within themselves by waiting upon an inward Light which saith he lies low hidden under the Earth viz. The Old Man which is of the Earth earthly 2. Gilpin was immediately taken with this new Doctrine that he resolved to close with them was afraid to read any good Books to hear any preaching Minister or to call to remembrance any thing which he had formerly learned concerning God Christ his own Estate or any other Subject contained in the Scriptures for they told him that all such Knowledge was but Notional Carnal and hanging upon the Tree of Knowledge adding cursed is every one that hang on this Tree One or them told him that Christ was a Man had his Failings distrusted God c. 3. At this next Meeting the Speaker urged him to take up the Cross daily saying Carry the Cross all Day and it will keep thee at Night He urged him to hearken to a Voice within him speak much of a Light within them which Gilpin not yet finding was much troubled desiring that he might fall into Quaking thinking that thereby he should attain to the immediate discoveries of God to him And accordingly shortly after as he was walking in his Chamber he began to quake so extreamly that he could not stand but fell upon his Bed where he howled and cryed in a terrible and hideous manner as others of them used to do yet he was not afraid but looked upon it ad the Pains of the New birth after half an Hour by degrees he ceased from howling and rejoyced that now he could
take up a Pin he appeared to her and told her that Follet was the cause of all her Troubles and so left her Hitherto I have given you as exact an Account as I could get from them as to the time That which follows I set down without observing the Circumstances of Time or Order of Action because I can learn no certainty of it from them but the Matter of Fact is truth Often when they were gone to Bed the inner Doors were flung open as also the Doors of a Cupboard which stood in the Hall and this with a great deal of Violence and Noise And one Night the Chairs which when they went to Bed stood all in the Chimney-corner were all removed and placed in the middle of the Room in very good order and a Meal-sieve hung upon one cut full of Holes and a Key of an inner Door upon another And in the Day-time as they sate in the House spinning they could see the Barn-doors often flung open but not by whom Once as Alice sate spinning the Rock or Distaff leapt several times out of the Wheel into the middle of the Room upon which she said she thought Follet was in it She had no sooner said the Words but she saw Follet ride by to Sir William York's House about some business with him relating to him as a Justice with much more such ridiculous stuff as this is which would be tedious to relate See the whole Story in Mr. Glanvil's Saducis Triumph p. 499. 2. The Story of the Devil of Mascon is notorious who a long time disturbed the Quiet of Mr. Perrheaud and his Family by tumbling about the Chairs throwing down his Brass and Pewter drawing the Curtains of his Bed walking about the Chambers whistling singing talking familiarly to them sadling the Horse in the Stable with the Crupper towards the Horses Head sometimes disturbing them at their Devotions answering Questions put to them and telling them things far off with many ludicrous Fits and disputing with a Papist Officer of the City and whirling him oft about and at last cast him on the Ground and sending him home distracted with the Wages of his Curiosity is sufficiently attested by the Honourable Mr. Robert Boyle who prefixt an Epistle to it owning it a an undoubted Truth being acquainted with the Author Mr. â—errheand as was also his Brother the Earl of Orkny and Dr. Peter Durmouling Prebend of Canterbury all which have believed it and attested the truth of it Besides could it be counterfited and never contradicted since the first Publication of it in a City where many of both Religions had leave to croud in at certain Houses where they were certain Witnesses what was spoken and acted by their sporting Devil Historian Discourse of Apparitions and Witches p. 16. 3. The Story of the haunting of Mr. Mompesson's House in Wiltshire is famons and Printed in part by Mr. Joseph Glanvil Mr. Mompesson is yet living no melancholy nor conceited Man the truth not doubted of by his Neighbours within this Month I spake with one of them an Attorney who said that the Noises heard the visible moving about of the Boards before their Faces and such like were all undoubtedly true and the thing unquestioned by Mr. Mompesson who to his great Cost and Trouble was long molested by it and his Neighbours and those that purposely went thither to see it Notwithstanding that when some unbelievers went from London to be satisfied nothing was done when they were there for as God oweth not such Remedies to Unbelievers so Satan hath no desire to cure them Ibid. p. 41. 4. In May 1679. Sir William York being from home there was a great Noise made by the lifting up of the Latch of the outmost Door which continued with great Quickness and Noise for the space of two or three Hours 'till betwixt ten and eleven it Clock in the Night his Lady then being at home with few Servants apprehended it to be Thieves and thereupon they went to the Door and spake to them and afterwards winded a Horn and raised the Town and upon the coming in of the Town the Noise ceased and they heard no more of it 'till May following And then Sir William being at London the same Noise was made at the Door as before for two or three Nights together and then they began to believe it to be occasioned by some extraordinary means This was heard alike by twenty several Persons then in the Family who looking out at the Windows over the Door heard the Noise but saw nothing About a Month after when Sir William had returned from London he being in Bed and his Lady ready to go in he heard the same Noise again which held about half a quarter of an Hour and then ceased and began again several times that Night the same Persons being then in the House also and taking the same care to discover it At the end of this knocking there was as if it were a thrusting with a Knee only more violent These Noises continued with some variation to the great disturbance of the whole Family 'till such time as they thought of removing from the House and Sir William's Attendance was required at the Parliament in October following But from that time they were never heard more Glanvil's Saducis Triumph p. 509. CHAP. LXXXVIII Satan Hurting by Charms Spells Amulets c. I Do not mean here that the Devil hath always his desired Success upon the Souls of Men in these things but through the Permission of Almighty God he is able and oftentimes doth strange and wonderful Actions upon the Vse or Application of Charms Amulets Spells c. on purpose to amuse the World and tempt Mankind to leave the ordinary natural lawful or scriptural Methods and address to him in a way of superstitious or foolish Devotion And I desire the Reader to consider soberly with himself in cases of this nature what Cause within the Cope of meer Nature or within the Bounds of that which is lawful just and good such Effects as I shall mention hereafter can be attributed to Lei him Read and Pause and tell me seriously whether the Effects following are to be fathered upon the Cause in sight or whether there be not something behind the Curtain latent to our Senses that is the Author and if so Whether a good or evil Spirit at least a Spirit and then let him proceed to draw Inferences accordingly which any Man of Sense and unbiassed in Judgment may easily do 1. Bodinus relates how himself and several others at Paris saw a young Man with a Charm in French move a Sieve up and down More 's Antid against Atheism p. 164. 2. And that ordinary way of Divination which they call Coskinomancy or finding who stole this or spoiled that by the Sieve and Sheers Pictorius Vigillanus professeth he made use of thrice and it was with success Ibid. 3. A Friend of mine saith Mr. H. Moor told me
out of Breath as if they had been dragg'd up and down through Thorns and Mirey Places but when they had well ey'd them they were gone in a moment out of their sight they knew not how nor whither These Herdsmen talked of the business but the certainty of it came out not long after For the free Confessions of those two Men they then saw being so exactly agreeing with what the Herdsmen had related made the whole matter clear and undoubted 5. The other Story is of the same Persons known afterwards by their Names viz. Amantius and his Partner Rotarius who having coursed it aloft again in the Air and being cast headlong out of a Cloud upon an House the latter of them being but a Novice and unexperienced in those supernatural Exploits was much astonished and afraid at the strangeness of the matter but Amantius being used to those Feats from him Youth his Parents having devoted him from his Childhood to the Devil made but a sport of it and laughing at his Friend called him Fool for his fear and bad him be of good Courage for their Master in whose Power they were would safely carry them through greater dangers than those And no sooner had he said these words but a Whirlwind took them and set them both safe upon the ground but the House they were carried from so shook as if it would have been overturned from the very Foundations This both those Men Examined apart confessed in the same words not varying in their Story at all whose Confessions exactly agreed in all Circumstances with what was observed by the Common People concerning the time and the manner of the Tempest and shaking of the House ibid. pag. 172 173. 6. Remigius out of whom Mr. More cites these Relations hath some others of the like nature and at last concludes What is more common in our Times than both the frequent and daily Assertions of Witches concerning this very thing and the Testimonies of Men agreeing thereto who have stedfastly affirmed not only in ordinary Conversation but Solemnly upon their Oaths That they have seen not in their Dreams or with their Senses drawn aside by the Arts of Magick but with waking Eyes these kind of Women shaken out of the Clouds and hang upon the Tops of Trees or the Roofs of Houses c. 12. l. 3. 7. Martin Delrio who quotes the very same Stories out of the same Author concludes thus Have not the like things happen'd in Italy in the Case of Lucrece In Switzerland at Schiltacâ— in case of the Witch mentioned by Erasmus in his Epistles In Holland concerning that unwary curious young Man of Rousey Why tell me I beseech you Might not that which hath happen'd in Italy Switzerland Holland c. happen likewise in France Delrius in Mag. Disq Sect. 3. l. 5. 8. There was a Witch of Constance who being vexed that all her Neighbours in the Village where she lived were invited to the Wedding and so were drinking and dancing and making merry and she solitary and neglected got the Devil to transport her through the Air in the midst of the Day to a Hill hard by the Village where she digging a Hole and putting Urine into it raised a great Tempest of Hail and directed it so that it fell only upon the Village and pelted them that were dancing with that Violence that they were forced to leave off their Sport When she had done her Epxloit she returned to the Village and being spied was suspected to have rais'd the Tempest which the Shepherds in the Field that saw her riding in the Air knew well before who bringing in their Witness against her she confessed the Fact More 's Antid against Ath. c. 4. l. 3. Mr. Baxter speaking of Lightnings and Thunderbolts falling more upon Churches than upon other Buildings hath these Words 9. The Church that my Grandmother was born near had a Ball of Fire by Lightning came in at the Belfry-Window and turned up the Grave-stones and went out at the Chancel-Window 10. The Church that I Baptised in High Ercall close to London Newport's-House had in such a Storm the Leads rolled up and cast on the back-side of the Church and in the War was levelled with the Ground 11. The Church of Anthony in Cornwal near Plymouth was torn by Lightning at the time of Worship on Whitsunday 1640. and some People hurt and the Brains of one struck up to a Pillar It is in Print 12. ' So was used much like the Church of Withicomb in Devonshire at the same time 13. The Church where the Earl of Dorset and Middlesex his Ancestors Monuments were was torn by Lightning that came in at the Steeple melted the Bells and went up to the Chancel and there tore the Monuments in pieces I saw pieces of the Monuments that had some of the golden Letters which a truly worthy Lady brought home that went from Tunbridge Waters to see the Church Many and many Churches have been thus torn proportionably so much beyond all other Buildings especially of Stone that I cannot but think there is some knowing Agent that maketh she Choice though I know not who nor why 14. Except a few Hayricks I remember not that till this Seventy sixth Year of my Age I have known Lightnings to have had hurting Power on any Buildings but Churches save very rarely and small as this last Year at Istington it entred a House and killed a Woman and Child Nor to have torn any Wood but Oak which in Trees and Buildings I have seen torn where I dwelt But divers Persons have been killed and scorched by it And an eminent Knight that I knew is commonly said to have been struck dead by it in his Garden Hist Discourse of Appar and Witches p. 165. 15. Though Porphyry and Procus and Jamblicus tells us That bad Daemons will oft speak for Good Actions and against Bad in Pride and Subtilty to be thought Good yet it is hard to think that it is not rather a good Spirit that speaks for some notable Good Work where no By-end is discernable As that mentioned by Mr. Glanvil and Dr. More of Dr. Britton's Wife whose Likeness appeared after Death to her Servant-Maid and shewed her a parcel of Land that was as part of her Brother's and told her it belonged to the Poor and was unjustly alienated from them and bid her tell the Possessor That he must Restore it and gave her a Secret to tell him if he refused And upon the angry Refusal when he heard the Secret he yielded and restored the Land to the Poor who now possess it Ibid. 16. An. 1553. Two Witches were taken which went about by Tempest Hail and Frost to destroy all the Corn in the Country These Women stole away a little Infant of one of their Neighbours and cutting it in pieces put it into a Cauldron to be boiled but by God's Providence the Mother of the Child came in the mean while and found the Members
upon a time at dalliance with his Women one of them plucked a Hair from his Breast which being fast rooted plucked off a little of the Skin that the Blood appeared This small Scar festred and gangreened incurably so that in few Days he despaired of life and being accompanied with his Friends and divers Courtiers he brake out into these excellent Words Which of you would not have thought that I being a Man of War should have died by the stroke of a Sword Spear or Bow But now I am enforced to confess the Power of that Great God whom I have so long despised that he needs no other Lance than a little hair to kill so Blasphemous a wretch and contemner of his Majesty as I have been Dr. Burthogge out of Purchas in his Essay upon Human Reason p. 177. Mr. Greenham in his Works which I have not now by me and therefore cannot quote the particular Place and Page as I should do tells us That a certain Man not well grounded in his Religion took view of the Papists Life but not finding it so glorious as they pretended it was joyned with the Familists in whom he so stayed that he grew into Familiarity with them the first Principle that there was no God boyl'd so much in him that he began to draw Conclusions viz. If there be a God he is not so Just and Merciful as they say if there be no God then there is neither Heaven nor Hell or if any the Joys and Pains not so Eternal as some have taught why then do I sell my Pleasures in this World for uncertain Pleasures in another World So this Devilish Illusion prevail'd on him to steal a Horse for which he was Apprehended and at last condemned But by the Providence of God meeting and conferring with a Godly Minister was Reprieved till the next Assize in hope of his Conversion He confessed himself an Atheist but could not be brought any thing from his Atheism The Assize following drew near when he was to be executed and the Place assigned And at the Place of Execution when he should be turned off the Ladder cryed out directly For Christ's sake stay my Life whereupon he spoke these or the like words Well let the World say what they will doubtless there is a God and the same God is Just for ever to his Enemies and everlastingly keeps his Mercies with his Children Now turn me over And so he made an end of his Speech and of his Days This Story I took down in Writing out of Mr. Greenham's Works Five or Six and Twenty Years ago but not having the Book at present I must deliver it with a Latitude without particular Quotations And 't is the more credible because Mr. Greenham if my Memory fail me not extreamly is character'd by Bishop Joseph Hall for a Saint 5. Mr. Mather speaking of the Obstacles which Mr. Eliot met with in Preaching the Gospel to the Indians in New-England tells us That Elliot made a tender of the Gospel to King Philip Ring-leader of the most calamitous War that ever the Pagan Indians made upon them but Philip entertained it with Contempt and Anger and after the Indian Mode he took hold of a Button upon Mr. Eliot's Coat adding That he cared for his Gospel just as much as he cared for that Button The World hath heard saith my Author what a terrible Ruine soon came upon that woful Creature and upon all his People It was not saith he long before the Hand which now writes upon a certain occasion took off the Jaw from the Blasphemous exposed Skull of that Leviathan and the renowned Samuel Lee is now Pastor to an English Congregation sounding and shewing the Praises of Heaven upon that very spot of Ground where Philip and his Indians were lately worshipping the Devil Cotton Mather in Mr. Eliot's Life pag. 114. 6. Pope Leo the Tenth was so Impudent as to make the Promises and Threats contained in the Word of God things to be laughed at mocking the simplicity of those that believe them And when Cardinal Bembus quoted upon ocasion a place out of the Gospel The Pope Answered Quantum nobis profuit fabula haec de Christo O what Profit hath this Fable of Christ brought unto us The Pope having by his Pardons and Indulgences scrap'd together vast Sums of Money to maintain his Courtezans and Whores and to enrich his Bastards As he was one day at Meat News was brought to him of the Overthrow of the French in Lombardy which he much rejoyced at and doubled his Good Chear but before he arose from the Table God's Hand struck him with a grievous Sickness whereof he died within three days Clark's Mar. Chap. 9. p. 40. 7. Pope Julius the Third another Atheist a despiser of God and his Word on a time missing a cold Peacock which he had commanded to be kept for him raged and blasphemed God exceedingly whereupon a Cardinal that was present intreated him not to be so angry for such a Trifle What saith he if God was so angry for eating of an Apple as to thrust Adam and Eve out of Paradise should not I who am his Vicar be angry for a Peacock which is of far more worth than an Apple 8. Francis Ribelius was so Profane that he made a mock at all Religion counting it a thing to be laugh'd at But the Lord struck him with Madness so that he died mocking at all those that talked of God or made any mention of God's Mercy to him CHAP. CIV Divine Judgments upon Cursing RAshness is a fault in any Humane Action but in no cases more dangerous than in meddling with edg'd Tools but above all in the Imprecation of Divine Judgments Men had need to be deliberate and well-advised before they Appeal to Heaven for Vengeance for God is not to be played with And oftentimes it seems good to the Almighty to hear the Prayers of these rash People beyond their Expectation on purpose to strike them with a more dreadful awe of the Divine Majesty and let every one beware by the Examples which follow how they play with the Thunder-bolts of Heaven lest they are checked as the Apostles Luke 9.54 55. 1. In France a Man of good Parts and well instructed in Religion yet in his Passion Cursing and bidding the Devil take one of his Children the Child was immediately possessed with an Evil Spirit From which though by the fervent and continual Prayers of the Church he was at length released yet ere he fully recovered his Health he died Beza 2. Anno Christi 1557. at Forchenum in the Bishoprick of Bamberg a Priest Preaching about the Sacrament used these and such-like blasphemous Speeches O Paul Paul if thy Doctrine touching the Receiving of the Sacrament in both kinds be true and if it be a wicked thing to Receive it otherwise then let the Devil take me And if the Pope's Doctrine concerning this Point be false then am I the Devil's Bond-slave
his End drew near being often ask'd how he did answered In no great pain I praise God only weary of my unuseful Life If God have no more Service for me to do here I could be gladly in Heaven where I shall serve him better free from Sin and Destractions I pass from one Death to another yet I fear none I praise God I can live yet dare die If God have more Work for me to do here I am willing to do it altho' my infirm Body be very weary Desiring one to pray That God would hasten the Work it was ask'd whether Pain put him upon that Desire he replied No But I do now no Good I hinder others which might be better imployed if I were not Why should any desire to live but to do God Service Now I cease from that I do not live The Violence of his Distempers and Advice of Physicians forbidding his Speech he called upon his Attendants to read the Scriptures and his Son to Pray with him and whilst Life and Language lasted he concluded all Prayers with a loud Amen Once upon his awaking finding himself exceeding ill he called for his Son and taking him by the hand said Pray with me it is the last time in all likelihood that ever I shall joyn with you And complaining to him of his weariness his Son answered There remains a Rest To whom he replyed My Sabbath is not far off and yours is at hand ere that I shall be rid of all my Trouble and you shall be eased of some At last his ruinous Fort which had held out beyond all expectation came to be yielded up About Saturday Evening he began to set himself to die forbids all Cordials to be administred gives his Dying Blessing to his Son who only of all his Children was with him and upon his Request enjoyns him to signifie in that Country where he was longest known that he lived and died in the Faith which he had Preached and Printed and now he found the Comfort of it And afterwards spake no more only commanded Rom. 8. to be read to him dying into his perpetual Rest betwixt Twelve and One of the Clock on Saturday Night December 11. 1658. aged 80 and more W. D. in the Life and Death of Dr. Harris p. 58 59 c. In all his Wills this Legacy was always renewed Item I bequeath to all my Children and their Children's Children to each of them a Bible with this Inscription None but Christ Ibid. I may not here forget to Remark an Answer which he made to one that told him Sir You may take much comfort in your Labours you have done much good c. All said he was nothing without a Saviour my best Works would Condenmn me O I am ashamed of them being mixed with so much Sin Oh! I am an unprofitable Servant I have not done any thing for God as I ought Loss of Time sits heavy upon my Spirits Work work apace assure your self nothing will more trouble you when you come to die than that you have done no more for God who hath done so much for you At another time I never in all my Life saw the worth of a Christ nor tasted the sweetness of God's Love in that measure as now I do And to two Reverend Doctors his chief Friends I praise God he supports me and keeps off Satan Beg that I may hold out I am now in a good way home even quite spent I am now at the Shore I leave you tossing on the Sea O it is a good time to die in Ibid. p. 57. 58. 66. Mr. John Machin made the following Will. I commit my Soul to God my God and my Saviour that created and redeemed it even into the Bosom of the Father of Spirits my Body to my Father Corruption and to the Worms my Mother and Sister Job 17.14 In hopes he will make good to me who with them some time have endeavoured to serve him his Promise of Eternal Life Rom. 2.7 As for my dear beloved Wife I freely return and I pray it may be with Advantage to him that hath lent her to whom I leave John 17.24 Rev. 21. last Jude 24. Psal 84.10 11 hoping that I leave them Heirs together with me or rather with Jesus Christ of a Kingdom that cannot be removed If the Lord should graciously give me Issue I pray it may be of his Heritage and prepared for a Room in Heaven to it I would leave 1 Chron. 28.9 and I pray God see it executed according to my Will And it is my Will concerning my Heir if the Lord give one that he may be a Samuel lent to the Lord and his Service in the Ministry for I can say he is an asking of the Lord as was Samuel And that he may have my Inheritance performing his Father's and my Will concerning my Lecture As for my Personal Substance c. ending thus Praying whoever Rules here may keep open house for God and his and all I leave may be his to whom I would in Faith say Psal 31.5 hereunto subscribing with my Heart and Hand _____ J. M. And in a Schedule dated herewith as followeth Some Particulars concerning the thing that hath long been in my heart to do for God written as my last Will as an occasion of some standing Service when I am not Motives God's Glory Christ's Kingdoms increase and poor Souls Salvation an expression of my Thankfulness for what he hath done for our Family and for me the least and last of it And the rather because I am here in my own apprehension so little serviceable in speaking doing and suffering for him and nothing at all advantageous in writing as others have been and I could have desired Those Motives together with that blessed Experience I have had of its Advantage already through God's sealing work with it makes me to think my self favoured the more of God if I may do this for him and I doubt not but he can and will if need be give me and mine much more than this as is said 2 Chron. 25.9 and if I could say as David 1 Chron. 29.23 I would think it little betwixt him and me who hath said That whosoever shall give you a Cup of cold Water to drinkin my Name because ye belong to Christ verily I say unto you he shall not lose his Reward and my Prayer is that those that come after me whose it might have been think it's better bestowed than the rest The Thing A double Lecture viz. of two Sermons once a Month chiefly intending Souls Conversion The Ministers The most Orthodox Able and Powerful that can be procured for love to Jesus Christ and his Service or the Will of the Dead chosen by my Trustees successively The Trustees Four Ministers and four Lay-men The Ministers I leave in Trust and question not their Faithfulness herein for Christ's sake are my dearest fellow-labourers in our Lord's Work Mr. N. Mr. S. Mr. B. and Mr.
to carry my Soul to the Bosom of Jesus and I shall be for ever with the Lord in Glory And who can chuse but rejoyce in all this And now my dear Mother Brethren and Sisters Farewel I leave you for a while and I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are sanctified And now dear Lord my Work is done I have finished my course I have fought the good Fight and henceforth there remaineth for me a Crown of Righteousness Now come dear Lord Jesus come quickly Then a Godly Minister came to give him his last Visit and to do the Office of an inferiour Angel to help to convey his blessed Soul to Glory who was now even upon Mount Pisgah and had a full sight of that goodly Land at a little distance When this Minister spake to him his heart was in a mighty flame of Love and Joy which drew Tears of Joy from that precious Minister being almost amazed to hear a Man just a dying talk as if he had been with Jesus He died June 1657. Aged between 23 and 24 and was buried in Kelshall-Church in Hartfordshire For a larger Account of this Extraordinaay Person see his Life written by his Brother Mr. James Janeway 102. Mrs. Allein in the History of the Life and Death of Mr. Joseph Allein writes thus concerning his Death viz. About Three in the Afternoon he had as we perceived some Conflict with Satan for he uttered these words Away thou foul Fiend thou Enemy of all Mankind thou subtil Sophister art thou come now to molest me Now I am just going Now I am so weak and Death upon me Trouble me not for I am none of thine I am the Lord 's Christ is mine and I am his His by Covenant I have sworn my self to be the Lord's and his I will be Therefore be gone These last words he repeated often which I took much notice of That his Covenanting with God was the means he used to expel the Devil and all his Temptations The time we were in Bath I had very few hours alone with him by reason of his constant using the Bath and Visits of Friends from all Parts thereabouts and sometimes from Taunton and when they were gone he would be either retiring to GOD or to his Rest But what time I had with him he always spent in Heavenly and Profitable Discourse speaking much of the Place he was going to and his Desires to be gone One Morning as I was Dressing him he looked up to Heaven and smiled and I urging him to know why he answered me thus Ah my Love I was thinking of my Marriage-Day it will be shortly O what a joyful Day will that be Will it not thinkest thou my dear heart Another time bringing him some Broth he said Blessed be the Lord for these Refreshments in the way home but O how sweet will Heaven be Another time I hope to be shortly where I shall need no Meat nor Drink nor Cloaths When he looked on his weak consumed hands he would say These shall be changed This vile Body shall be made like to Christ's Glorious Body O what a Glorious Day will the Day of the Resurrection be Methinks I see it by Faith How will the Saints lift up their heads and rejoyce and how sadly will the wicked World look then O come let us make haste our Lord will come shortly let us prepare If we long to be in Heaven let us hasten with our Work for when that is done away we shall be fetch'd O this vain foolish dirty World I wonder how reasonable Creatures can so dote upon it What is in it worth the looking after I care not to be in it longer than while my Master hath either doing or suffering Work for me were that done farewel to Earth Thus far Mrs. Allein 103. Dr. Peter du Moulin Professor of Divinity at Sedan at his last Hour pronounced these Words I shall be satisfied when I awake c. and twice or thrice Come Lord Jesus come Come Lord Jesus come and the last time that Text which he loved so much He that believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life and a little after Lord Jesu receive my Spirit It being said to him You shall see your Redeemer with your eyes laying his Hand on his Heart he answered with an Effort I believe it and so departed 1658. aged 90. Out of the French Copy of his Death 104. Arminius in his Sickness was so far from doubting any whit of that Confession he had publish'd that he stedfastly judged it to agree in all things with the Holy Scriptures and therefore he did persist therein That he was ready at that very moment to appear with that same Belief before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ the Son of God the Judge of the Quick and Dead He died of a Disease in the Bowels which caused Fevers Cough Extension of the Hypochondria Atrophy Gout Iliack Passion Obstruction of the Left Optick Nerve Dimness of the same Eye c. which gave occasion to some Censures He died Oct. 19. In his Life by an unknown Hand 105. Simon Episcopius An. 1643. falling sick of an Ischuria for Eleven Days not being able to make a drop of Water continued ill two Months or more and at last for some Weeks was deprived of his Sight which Loss had been more grievous to him had not his deep and almost continual Sleeping lessened the same For he complained of it to his Friends that he should not be able to serve the Church of Christ any more He died April 4 at Eight of the Clock in the Morning the Moon being then eclipsed saith the Author of his Life p. 26. 106. Gustavus Ericson King of Sweden having lived 70 Years and reigned 38. gave in Charge to his Children to endeavour the Peace and maintain the Liberties of their Country but especially to preserve the Purity of Religion without the Mixture of Human Inventions and to live in Unity as Brethren among themselves and so sealing up his Will he resigned his Spirit to God An. 1562. Clark's Martyrol p. 370. 107. Edward the Sixth King of England in the Time of his Sickness hearing Bishop Ridley preach upon Charity gave him many Thanks for it and thereupon ordered Gray-Friars Church to be a House for Orphans St. Bartholomew's to be an Hospital and his own House at Bridewel to be a Place of Correction And when he had set his Hand to that Work he thank'd God that he had prolong'd his Life till he had finished that good Design About three Hours before his Death having his Eyes clos'd and thinking none near him he prayed thus with himself Lord God deliver me out of this miserable and wretched Life and take me among thy Chosen howbeit not my Will but thine be done Lord I commend my Spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest
that unhappy Accident which threatned the putting a Stop to it for I ever esteemed Platonick-Love to be the most Noble and thought it might be allowed by all but some wise Persons are afraid least the Sex should creep in for a share Here was no Danger for tho' Nature and Art have done their utmost to make Cl s Charming to all her Wit c. being beyond most of her Sex yet P t having for many Years given such Testimonies of a Conjugal Affection even to excess if such a thing can be that I fanned their Friendship might have been honourably continued to the End of Time I hope what Difficulties they meet with at their first setting out will heighten their Friendship and make it more strong and lasting So wishes August 27. 1695. Your Humble Servant E This Letter was occasioned by a Misconstruction put on the Correspondence then carried on 'tween P t and the aforesaid Lady but E being universally Religious by consequence is universally Charitable and therefore as she knew no Harm thinks none but encourages the Correspondence Mr. Richard Mays was a Man of sincere Godliness A (r) Mr. Singleton worthy Person sufficiently known in this City for his great Skill and Pains in training up of Youth was the Happy Instrument which Providence made use of for the first awakening and enclining him to look out after God I have often heard him speak with great thankfulness both to God and him of that Mixture of Love and Prudence whereby he gained upon him Throughout the Whole of his Sickness of Six Weeks continuance all was clear between God and him 2 Sam. 23.4 His End was like the Light of the Evening when the Sun setteth an Evening without any Clouds He said to my self when I enquired of him concerning that Matter I have not indeed those Raptures of Joy which some have felt tho' yet he added blessed be God I have sometimes tasted of them too but I have a comfortable well-grounded Hope of Eternal Life Another time I have had my Infirmities and Failings but my Heart hath been right with God as to the main and I look for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to Eternal Life Again another time I know that I have passed from Death to Life And again Blessed be God for our Lord Jesus Christ who hath delivered me from the Wrath to come In the Presence of others that stood by him when the sudden Blast was so strong as almost to puff out the Lamp of Life expecting to die in a very few Moments he said in the Words of the Psalmist Into thy Hands I commit my Spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth and this was uttered by him with a more than ordinary Chearfulness visibly spread on his Face He would often say in his Sickness If God hath any Pleasure in me and any more Work for me to do he will raise me up but if not lo here am I let him do with his Servant what seemeth him good In short I could neither observe my self nor learn from those that were constantly about him who must know this Matter better than any others and would not Lye for God himself that he had the least Darkness upon his Spirit as to his present and future State from the beginning of his Sickness till he gave up the Ghost which he did the last Lord's-Day about Five in the Morning the time when he was wont to arise and prepare himself for his Sacred Work Mr. Nathaniel Taylor in his Sermon at Mr. Mayo 's Funeral Dr. Samuel Annesley was reconciled to Death yea so desirous of it as hardly induced him to have his Life prayed for But hearing some Ministers had been fervently praying for his Life he replied I 'm then more reconciled to Life than ever for I 'm confident God will not give a Life so eminently in answer of Prayer as mine must be if he would not use it to greater purposes than ever before Yet some little time before his Change his Desires of Death appear'd strong and his Soul filled with the fore-tasts of Glory oft saying Come my dearest Jesus the nearer the more precious the more welcome Another time his Joy was so great that in an Ecstasie he cried out I cannot contain it What manner of Love is this to a poor Worm I can't express the thousandth part of what Praise is due to thee We know not what we do when we offer at praising God for his Mercies It 's but little I can give but Lord help me to give thee my All. I 'll die praising thee and rejoyce that there 's others can praise thee better I shall be satisfied with thy likeness satisfied satisfied Oh my dearest Jesus I come See a larger Account in Dr. Annesley's Funeral Sermon preach'd by Mr. Daniel Williams The Death of Old Mr. Eliot of New-England While he was making his Retreat out of this Evil World his Discourses from time to time ran upon The Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ It was the Theme which he still had recourse unto and we were sure to have something of this whatever other Subject he were upon On this he talk'd of this he pray'd for this he long'd and especially when any bad News arriv'd his usual Reflection thereon would be Behold some of the Clouds in which we must look for the Coming of the Son of Man At last his Lord for whom he had been long wishing Lord come I have been a great while ready for thy Coming At last I say his Lord came and fetched him away into the Joy of his Lord. He fell into some Languishments attended with a Fever which in a few Days brought him into the Pangs may I say or Joys of Death And while he lay in these Mr. Walter coming to him he said unto him Brother Thou art welcome to my very Soul Pray retire to my Study for me and give me leave to be gone meaning that he should not by Petitions to Heaven for his Life detain him here It was in these Languishments that speaking about the Work of the Gospel among the Indians he did after this Heavenly manner express himself There is a Cloud said he a dark Cloud upon the Work of the Gospel among the poor Indians The Lord revive and prâ—â—â—er that Work and grant it may live when I am dead It is a Work which I have been doing much and long about But what was the Word I spoke last I recall that Word My Doings Alas they have been poor and small and lean Doings and I 'll be the Man that shall throw the first Stone at them all Mr. Cotton Mather tells us of Mr. Elias That the Last of his ever setting Pen to Paper in the World was upon this Occasion I shall transcribe a short Letter which was written by the shaking Hand that had heretofore by Writing deserved so well from the Church of God but was now taking its leave of Writing for
the Comforts which God gave them in Times past or that from the great Number of Copies of his Sermons Letters and Prayers which he took care to disperse amongst them during his Sickness and which had been read by Persons of Quality and other wealthy Ones who 'till that time would not frequent the Religious Assemblies the Zeal of the most Cold and the Courage of the most Fearful had been influenced and raised up it matters not to determine but Persons of Quality and others who 'till then had testified less Zeal for the Truth came now to give Glory to God in the Holy Assemblies in the midst of all the People insomuch that afterwards it was one of Brousson's greatest care to prevent the Assemblies becoming too numerous to the end they might not make too much Noise and that the People might not be exposed to too great Evils however these Assemblies made so much Noise in the Kingdom that the People of other parts where those who preach'd in Cevennes and Lower Languedoc could not go were edified and strengthned Brousson also sent as far as possibly he could Copies of his Sermons Letters and Prayers to give part of those Instructions and Consolations to them afar off which God by his Ministry bestowed upon the People of Cevennes and Lower Languedoc He was seconded in the same good Work by Papus of whom you have heard somewhat before and who was saved by Divine Providence when Vivens was killed for he had been gone but a Minute out of the Cave where Vivens was invested on him God had bestowed the Spirit of Prayer in a great degree he had before the Death of Vivens begun to labour for the Consolation of the People by excellent Prayers and this he continued after his Death and went from place to place to keep small Meetings where he read the Holy Scriptures and some of the Sermons afore-mentioned and of which he had desired Copies besides whom there was another young Man whose Name was Vzes about twenty Years old who having got together ten or a dozen of the same Sermons got them by Heart and went also to repeat them from place to place and to comfort the People by Praying amongst them But what is more surprising than any thing hitherto related is that God was pleased to raise up the young Maidens for to labour for the Salvation and Comfort of that distressed People one whereof was called Isabel Redostiere about eighteen Years old the Daughter of a Country-man that lived at the foot of the Mountain Liron and the other Pintarde about sixteen or seventeen the Daughter of another Peasant near St. Hipolite They did not take upon them to administer the Sacraments but they went asunder from Place to Place and Desart to Desart to keep Meetings where they exhorted the People out of the Word of God to be converted sanctified be zealous for God come out of impure Babylon to give Glory to God and serve him in purity of Heart according to his Commandments and to be faithful to him unto Death and at the same time edisying comforting and strengthning the People by ardent and excellent Prayers Redostiere coming to know that Broussin with some other faithful Friends that accompanied him were upon an high Mountain she came thither to see them with another faithful Maiden that was elder than herself and who usually kept her Company in whom Brousson and his Friends observed such a Character of Modesty Humility Simplicity and Piety that ravished them with admiration When she happened to be in the same part of the Country where Brousson was she would often come to see and to confer with him about Religious Matters and especially she came frequently to those Assemblies where he administred the Lord's Supper and Brousson hath always testified that she was filled with the Grace of God After this same Maiden had for about two Years laboured for the Salvation and Support of the People she was taken and carried before the Intendant who said unto her So are you one of those Maidens who concern themselves in Preaching I have replied she given some Exhortations to my Brethren and have pray'd to God with them when occasion hat served if you call that Preaching I have Preached But do not you know said the Intendant that the King hath forbidden it I know it well said she again my Lord but the King of Kings the God of Heaven and Earth hath commanded it and I am obliged to obey him rather than Men. Then the Intendant proceeded and told her She deserved Death and that she ought not to expect any other Treatment than that which others had already suffered who had been so adventurous as to preach against the King's Orders But she made him answer She was not disinay'd at that and that she was fully resolved to suffer Death for the Glory and Service of God After many such Discourses the Intendant seeing this young Maiden dispos'd to suffer Martyrdom did not think fit to put her to Death for fear without doubt least the Constancy of this young Maiden should produce a quite contrary Effect to his Intentions he therefore contented himself to sentence her to a perpetual Imprisonment where she is still in the Tower of Constance in Aâ—guemortes with several other Women and faithful Maidens The other Maiden whote Name we told you was Pintarde laboured 〈◊〉 on her part in the Work of the Lord. Brousson had several times an opportunity to confer also 〈◊〉 her and to joyn with her in many an excellent Prayer she made to God that she for the most part drew out of the Psalms and those Old Prophets which agreed exactly to the then State of the Church of God in France and which she delivered with very great fervency One Night as Brousson drew nigh to a place where he had appointed a Meeting to be in the Neighbourhood of St. Hipolite he heard her make a Controversial Sermon or Discourse with great strenuousness She oftentimes kept Meetings where she prenched the Word of God and where she made excellent Prayers and this she continued two Years or better But at last this good Maiden fell into the Hands of her Enemies also with whom the Intendant had much the same Discourse as that already mentioned with the other Maiden but finding she was also very ready to go and suffer Martyrdom he contented himself to condemn her to perpetual Prison where she is still in the Castle of Sommieres These two holy Maidens had not been long Imprisoned but that God was pleased to raise up in Low Cevennes three other Maidens who also edified the People much by their excellent Prayers One of them among the rest and whom perhaps it 's not fit I should name did many times Extempore pray for Half an Hour and Three Quarters of an Hour wherein she very pathetically brought in and applied several Texts of Scripture insomuch that at the very same time she spake to God and
Nat. Hist p. 210. c. 10. True Nitre is now little known which was anciently made of the Water of the River Nilus Albertus Magnus saith that in Goselaria was a Mountain that contained a very Rich Mine of Copper and that the Water that issued out at the bottom of it being dried became Nitre we know little also of Aphronitrum which is as it were the Froth of Nitre It is bitterer then Salt but less Salt Ibid. The Egyptians strowed their Rhadishes with Nitre as we with Salt 11. Salt-Peter is the means between them two and consists of very dry ad subtle parts it grows on the Walls of Old Houses and in Stables Cow-houses and Pidgeon-houses it will grow again in the same Earth it was taken out of if that Earth be thrown into Earth and not stirred and taken care of the use of it is well known in making Gun-powder Aqua Fortis it is used also in melting Mettle Ibid. It is disputed variously whether the Nitre of the Ancients be of the same Species with our Salt-Peter Ibid. 12. Alom is either Congeal'd or Liquid the Congeal'd is of many Figures that which is called Scissum is the Flower of Alom in Clods and is prest together like Plank or it flourishes severally like Gray-hairs round Alom like Bubbles or is like a Sponge by reason of the holes in it the Liquid Alom send out of it self such a Vapour that smells like Fire as Sones when rubb'd together to cause Fire when burnt it swells into bubbles and loseth something of its substance Johnston's Nat. Hist Clas 4 c. 5. 13. Amber has been reputed by some a Gum by others the Sperm or Dung of Whales hardned by the Sea but Dr. Heylin affirms it to be the juice of a Stone growing like a Coral in Poland in a Mountain of the North-Sea clean covered with Water and rent thence in the Winter and so cast into the Neighbouring Havens hardening like Coral when taken out of the Water burning like Pitch attracting Straws and Iron good for stopping the Blood Agues c. Tavernier saith that 't is a certain Congelation found only upon the Coast of Prussia in the Baltick Sea Farm'd out by the Elector of Brandenbourg for 20000 Crowns a Year or more Hevelius in a Letter to Mr. Oldenbourg from Dantzick July 5. 1670 saith he had received a piece of Amber so soft that he had Printed his Seal on it yellowish transparent and burning as other Amber but of a stronger seent yet had been cast up from the Baltick the year before In China their great Lords at their Feasts throw a vast quantity of Amber into persuming Pots set upon the Table burning it partly for the scent and partly because they adore the Fire there are several sorts of Amber pale black spotted c. The Shops know only the white which is best and the yellow Sir Tho Pope Blunts Nat. Hist p. 13. 24. Jet Gagates Obsidianus is a black Bitumen hardned in the Sea which the Floods use to cast upon the Shores of the Estyii with Amber Earthen Vessels that are glased with it are not defaced lin l. 36. c. 19. When burnt it smells like Brimstone it kindles with Water but is extinguished with Oyl it is found great and of a pale colour at the Town of Ganges in Licia Strabo saith creeping things flie from the scent of it it is called Earthy Bitumen otherwise burning Stone because it will flame it is called Ampelitis because it kills little Worms called Enipaes it is dug up in Scotland and in the Jurisdictions of Leids they make Chaplets of it to say their Prayers upon In Collaum a Province of Peru there is a place all bare not Tree nor Plant upon it the Earth being Bituminous out of which the Indians extract a Liquor good for many Diseases the way this they cut the Ground into Turss lay it upon Rods or great Reeds putting Vessels under it to receive it the Sun Melts this Bitumen and the dry Turfs are fit to make Fires 15. Coal or Sea-Cole so called because carryed by Sea from several places as Wales and New-Castle to other Parts for Fewel is dug out of Pits or Mines where it is found in manner of a continued Black-Rock or hard Bitumen well known in England there being no less then 50000000 Chaldrons yearly gotten in the Nation the greatest remarkable concerning them is that there is a Species of it in Cheshire and some other Parts of a more Fat and Unctuous substance called Cannal-Coal which gives a pleasant flaming Light in the Burning like a Lamp or Câ—ndle But there are often found in these subterrauean Vaults such Stagnations of Vapours that for want of a due Ventilation produce very strange and dangerous Damps of which we shall speak more hereafter 't is called Carbo petrae Lithanthaeax or New-Castle Coal the chief Fewel in England and Germany the Chymical Spirit or Oyl is no ways inferior to that of Amber healing Wounds softning Tumours c. 16. Sulphur or Brimstone is dug up in an Island by the Mountain Hecla and that without Fire It is yellow that is digged out of the Plain of Brimstone which is called in Campania Virgin-Brimstone because Women Paint their Faces with it It is so Friendly to Fire that pieces of it laid about the Wood will draw the Fire to it put into Fire it will by the Scent discover the Falling-Sickness Johnston's Nat. Hist Clas 4. c. 13. Mr. Salmon makes 5 kinds of Mineral Sulphures Brimstone Arsnick or Orpiment Amber-Grease Amber and Bitumen Sulphur Vive is a Resinous Fatness of the Earth full of a Vitriolick Acidity being Gray or Greenish inflamable with a Blue and Suffocating Fume An Artificial is made of Sulphur Vive being Porous and Yellow or boyled out of Sulphurous Water the Foeces of either of which is the Sulphur Cabaline or Horse-Brimstone besides which there are other Artificial Brimstones drawn out of Copper Cinnaber and Vitriol which as it is rarer so it is better For in Chimneys where Vitriol is commonly boyled you may find Flower of Sulphur elevated all Sulphur of Brimstone is hot and dry Aperitive Cutting Discussive c. 17. Arsnick is a Mineral coagulated Juice or Fat made of Combustible Sulphur and corrosive Salts being Natural or Artificial the Natural is either yellow or red the yellow is called Orpiment the red is called Risgalum Real-gal and Sandaracha the Artificial is white and is made of the yellow sublimed with Salt of each equal quantities and this is that which is properly called Arsnick which being pure hard heavy and white like Milk or Chrystal is good Unprepated it is one of the greatest Poysons and a perfect Enemy to the Balsom of Life causing Heat Thirst Torment Corrosion Vomitting Palpitation Cold Sweats Intollerable burning Pains Convulsions and Death Outwardly it is used in Amulets and Cauteries with good Success it eats away proud and dead Flesh takes off Hair Salmon Disp p. 400. Spirit and
are able to discourse with her in that way will communicate any Matter much more speedily and as full as can be by Speech and she to them her Children Sign from the Breast and learn to speak by their Eyes and Fingers sooner than by their Tongues She was from her Childhood naturally sober and susceptible of good civil Education but had no knowledge of a Deity or of any thing that doth concern another Life and World Yet God hath of his infinite Mercy reveal'd himself his Son and the great Mysteries of Salvation unto her by an extraordinary and wonderful working of his Spirit as 't is believed in a Saving Work of Conversion An Account of her Experiences was taken from her in writing by her Husband upon which she was examined by the Elders of the Church they imploying her Husband and two of her Sisters intelligent Persons and notably skill'd in her Artificial Language by whose help they attain'd good Satisfaction that she understandeth all the Principles of Religion Those of the Unity of the Divine Essence Trinity of Persons the Personal Union the Mystical Union they made most diligent Enquiry about and were satisfied that her Knowledge and Experience was distinct and sound and they hoped saving She was under great exercise of Spirit and most affectionately concern'd for and about her Soul her Spiritual and Eternal Estate She imparted her self to her Friends and expressed her desire of Help She made use of the Bible and other good Books and remarked such Places and Passages as suited her Condition and that with Tears She did once in her Exercise write with a Pin upon a Trencher three times over Ah poor Soul and therewithal burst out into Tears before divers of her Friends She hath been wont to enquire after the Text and when it hath been shewed to her to look and muse upon it She knoweth most if not all Persons Names that she hath Acquaintance with If Scripture Names will readily turn and point to them in the Bible It may be conceived that although she understands neither Words Letter nor Language yet she understands things Hieroglyphically The Letters and Words are unto her but signs of the things and as it were Hieroglyphicks She was very desirous of Church Communion in all Ordinances and was admitted with general and good satisfaction and hath approved her self to the best Observation a grave and gracious VVoman They both attend publick VVorship with much Reverence and Constancy and are very inoffensive and in divers respects exemplary in their Conversation Thus far is that Narrative written June 27. 1683. I suppose no one that rightly considers the Circumstances of this Relation will make a Scruple about the Lawfulness of admitting such Persons to participate in the Holy Mysteries of Christ's Kingdom All judicious Casuists determine that those who are either born or by any accident made Deaf and Dumb if their Conversation be blameless and they able by signs which are Analogous to Verbal Expressions to declare their Knowledge and Faith may as freely be received to the Lords Supper as any that shall orally make the like Profession Of this Judgment was Luther and Melancthon Gerhard Balduinus in his Cases of Conscience Lib. 2. Chap. 12. does confirm this by producing several Instances of Dumb Persons addmitted to the Communion It 's certain that some such have been made to understand the Mysteries of the Gospel so as to suffer Martyrdom on that account 4. In the Year 1620. One that was Deaf and Dumb being solicited by the Papists to be present at Mass chose rather to suffer Death It is a thing known that Men are able by Signs to discourse and to communicate their Sentiments one to another There are about thirty Mutes kept in the Ottoman Court for the Grand Seignior to sport with Concerning whom Mr. Ricaut reports pag 62. that they are able by Signs not only to signifie their Sence in familiar Questions but to recount Stories and understand the Fables of the Turkish Religion the Laws and Precepts of the Alcoran the Name of Mahomet and what else may be capable of being expressed by the Tongue This Language of the Mutes is so much in fashion in the Ottoman Court that almost every one can deliver his Sense in it And that Deaf Persons have been sometimes able to write and to understand what others say to them by the very motion of their Lips is most certain 5. Cammerarius tells us of a Young Man and a Maid then living in Noremburg who tho' Deaf and Dumb could Read and VVrite and Cypher and by the motion of a Mans Lips knew his meaning 6. Platerius speaketh of one Deaf and Dumb Born that yet could express his mind in a Table-Book and understand what others wrote therein and was wont to attend upon the Ministry of Oecolampadius understanding many things by the motion of the Lips of the Preacher 7. Mr. Clark in his Examples vol. 1. chap. 33. saith That there was a VVoman in Edenburge in Scotland her Name was Ceanet Lowes who being naturally Deaf and Dumb could understand what People said meerly by the moving of their Lips It is famously known that Mr. Crisp of London could do the like 8. Borellus giveth an Account of one that lost his Hearing by a violent Disease when he was five Years old yet if they did but whisper to him he could by their Lips perceive what they said 9. There is one now living or not many Years since was so in Silesia in whom that Disease of the Small-Pox caused a total Deafness who nevertheless by exact observing the motion of Mens Lips can understand what they say and if they do but whisper he perceives what they say better than if they Vociferate never so loudly He attends upon publick Sermons being able to give an Account of what is delivered provided that he may but see the Preacher speaking tho' he cannot hear a word It is consistent with Reason that Mutes should understand what others say by the motion of their Lips since it is evident that the Lips are of great use in framing Speech Hence Joh calls his Speech the moving of his Lips Chap. 16. ver 5. and we know that Tongueless Persons by the help of their Lips and other Organs of Speech have been able to Speak 10 Ecclesiastical Story informs us of several Confessors of the Truth who after their Tongues were cut out by bloody Persecutors could still bear witness to the Truth 11. Honorichius that cruel King of the Vandals caused the Tongues of many to be violently pluckt out of their Mouths who after that could speak as formerly only two of them when they became guilty of the Sin of Uncleanness were able to speak no more this has been Attested by three credible Witnesses who knew the Persons See Mr. Baxters Church History p. 130. 12. There is lately Published in Latin a very strange Relation of a Child in France his Name was Peter Durand who
his Creation nor attend his Master's Will nor pursue diligently his own Happiness Tho' our Feet are upon the Earth our Heads reach above the Clouds and we are near a-kin to the other World and have very great Concernments beyond the Stars and yet that we should let our Affections sink into the Earth and our Souls incline so strongly towards Hell For shame Sirs let us set forth the Glory of God a little better in our Generations than commonly we do Let us vie here upon the Earth by the Excellency of our Conversations with those twinkling Lamps that shine over our Heads let it never be said to our Disgrace that these sensless Creatures glorifie God better in their place than we Let our Faces our Graces outshine the Sun Let Men look on the Humility Honesty Sobriety Charity Piety and Patience of our Lives and give Glory to Him that hath given such Graces unto Men. And let these Graces never be darkned with any unworthy uncristian Practices let us appear glorious to the World and no Hypocrisie or Apostacy ever pull down our Professions or lay our Glory in the Dust It 's possible we may meet with strong with close Temptations O let not our shining Stars fall from Heaven nor Let our Moon be turned into Blood and then we shall be shortly removed from Grace to Glory and shortly shine like Stars in the highest Heavens yea as the Sun in the Firmament for ever 1 Cor. 15.41 As we shine in Grace now so in Glory hereafter 6. Of the Continuation of the Heavenly Bodies DAY unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge q. d. one Day informeth another and one Night gives in fresh evidence to another to prove the truth of it Not a Day nor a Night passeth over our Heads but the Heavens preach this Sermon to us We have a continual Rehearsal of this Doctrine from Age to Age from One Year to another from the beginning of the World to this present time This Preacher is never silent this Exercise never over All that I can think necessary to be said upon this particular may be referred to two Heads I. The Wonderfulness of this Continuation II. The Practical Lessons we should learn from it I. Wherein the Wonder of it lies 1. In the multitude of the Bodies concerned We observe of Mechanical Instruments made by the Hands of Men that an Engine consisting of very many Wheels or very many Motions or other Parts are the most difficult to be kept in order An Orchard with many Trees or Gardens with may Herbs and Flowers require more Culture and Dressing or some will decay A Society of many Members is apt to disorder 'T is a harder Task to manage a Nation than a Family The Hosts of Heaven are Thousands and the Appurtenances relating to them more and yet all keep still their appointed Courses We have lost none of the Stars out of their Orbs since their first coming there Some People tell us of some new ones as that in Cassiopea which was first discovered in the Heavens about the beginning of the Reformation what Salvo to give for that I know not it may be it was there before but not discovered But however 't was a Case extraordinary and no prejudice to the Order of the rest we have lost none of our Seasons Day and Night Summer and Winter have kept their times the Sun its Revolutions the Moon its due Changes the Stars their proper Periods and exact Motions the standing still of the Sun in Joshua's time and the going back of it on Ahaz Dial are miraculous Instances and not to be parallel'd other Ages 2. The Greatness of them Small Bodies are easily managed and apt to motion but great ones move slowly according to the course of sublunary Nature But they in the Aetherial Orbs are of so vast a bigness that that Consideration doth mightily accumulate and greaten the Wonder That the Sun Moon and Stars all of them so big should move continually without disorder or period is an Accent upon the Miracle 3. The various Qualities they are of and the different Motions they make do yet raise the Wonder to a higher strain to keep all one Motion especially if all of one Nature were not so very much But to move from East to West from West to East from North to South from south to North again as some of them do and this continually is an augmentation of the Wonder 4. Without Period Flowers wither Trees rot Stones decay Man dies the very Face of Things below will shortly cease to be and another succeed The Day dies and so doth the Year and Stones and Castles here decay every thing here is weary of Motion The Apostle tells us The whole Creation groans But here is groans and dies only what is a-kin more nearly to Heaven and borders upon that Court is of a more lasting Constitution or a more constant Motion of a more perpetual Duration Since the Fathers fell asleep all things of that kind relating to the upper Regions continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation 2 Pet. 3.4 7. For the Heavens are by the same Word of God by which they were created kept in store reserved unto Fire against the Day of Judgment 5. Without Interruption No faulter in their Courses no breach of Continuity in this long space of time Nothing hath been able to stop these great Bodies in the progress of their Motion or intermit the Exercise of their Vertues and Operation 6. Without Error or Mistake or Deviation Tho' great and many and various in their Qualities and incredibly swift in their Motions yet have they committed no remarkable Fault in all this Tract of Years and Revolutions They have all kept close to the Path chalk'd out for them by their Creator and have never leapt out of their Orbs. Nothing hath been able to tempt them from the faithful Execution of their Offices and Employments Who hath ever beckâ—n'd the Sun out of the Firmament or pusht the Moon out of its place Or made the Stars wander into strange Courses Or amidst all their divers Motions mingled them into Confusion or Disorder When was ever Day and Night jumbled together or the Seasons of the Year reversed or the Order of the Coelestial Bodies turn'd backward Illic justo foedere rerum verterem servant sidera pacem II. Practical Inferences Learn we then 1. To hold on from Day to Day from Night to Night in the excellent Offices of a Christian Life let Day to Day utter Speech and Night to Night shew Knowledge of our continual Goodness Mankind is born with his Eyes higher set than all the rest of the Creation besides his Looks are by Nature more sublime and lofty Let us look up earnestly towards those lucid Spangles those sparkling Globes over our Heads and use our Eyes to some good purpose Let us make thence some Practial Deductions for our Imitation at least Emulation and scorn
to Truant and Loiter here at that rare as usually we do Let no Temptation soften our Spirits into an unnecessary Repose nothing provoke us unduly to depart our Orbs to run back or start aside Let us never be weary of well-doing Particularly 1. Let us never be weary of the Duty of Prayer 'T is an excellent Exercise and such as we ought continually to be intent upon Our Saviour spoke a Parable Luke 18.1 2. unto his Disciples That Men ought always to pray and not to faint And the Apostle Col. 4.2 Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving c. And 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing And let this amongst many others be one Argument to perswade us to assiduity in this kind of Devotion viz. That God Almighty is continually from Day to Day from Night to Night serving and supplying our Necessities by the Ministry of the lower Heavens all the Hosts of the Etherial Regions are in continual employment for our Good why then should we disdain to bestow some few Minutes upon warm and serious Addresses to the God of Heaven Let neither the Day or Night go away without a Testimony of or Devotion Let not God hereafter ever cite the Sun Moon or Stars for to bear Witness to our Ingratitude You know the Story of Daniel recorded to the Honour of his Memory ' That three times every Day he open'd his Windows and set his Face towards Jerusalem and prayed to the God of Heaven Even then when pinch'd with the close Temptations of the Court under a Heathen Emperour Let us at least twice a Day do Obeisance to Heaven Offer as God appointed to the Jews a Morning and Evening Sacrifice continually Let our Altars burn with Incense at least so often and this shall not only perfume our Days and Nights and make our Conversations smell sweeter to our selves and Neighbours but a fragrant Odour in the Nostrils of the Almighty And please the Lord better than a Bullock c. Job 1.5 2. Let us praise God continually as long as we live let us praise the Lord yea let us sing praises to him whilst we have any being Psal 34.1 His Praises continue in my Mouth Psal 36.9 3. Let us be continually employed in doing Good to others And let us remember this that our God causeth his Sun to shine and Rain to descend on the just and unjust Let us try what we can to be like him like our Heavenly Father diffusing our Rays to as wide a Circuit as possibly we can not limiting our Goodness to a few individual Persons or a single Party or a narrow bound but as our Faculties will extend to the Church Catholick and the wide World in general This is to be in truth like the God of Heaven And let our Charity never be discouraged never tired To do good and to distribute forget not c. To make it plainer yet God hath given us a Copy of his Infinite Goodness in general to the whole World in the Face of the outward Heavens as of his special Goodness to the Church in the Revelation of the Gospel If we contemplate seriously the Structure and Properties and several Vertues of the Heavenly Bodies we may read there in legible Characters not only the Greatnes and Glory but the infinite Goodness also of him that made them and that to the whole Race of Mankind and that not for a Spurt a short Fit of two or three Ages but of continual Duration his Patience is indefatigable and his Beneficence reacheth to the end of Time Let us then if we will aim at Perfection and try to tread in our Father's Steps Do good unto all Men without weariness and communicate the Light of our Graces to a whole Nation a whole World if possible and never grudge to lend our Candles to the assistance of those that are about us And as for those narrow Souls that confine their Goodness to a Canton or whose Light is like that of a flaming Meteor or an Ignis Fatuâ—s or a falling Star they deserve to lie down in Darkness and never more to rise up again to Light or Glory Levit. 24.2 Cause the Lamps to burn continually 2. Let us consider a little the Employment of the Saints and Angels in Heaven 'T is pretty hard to conceive with our present Apprehensions the Business of Eternity and reconcile the Notion of a Compleat Happiness to the Exercise of a continual Devotion and yet this is handsomely represented to us in the Scheme of the heavenly Bodies the Sun Moon and Stars are never weary never decay never wander out of their place but still are exercised in a continual Motion and keep still their Brightness and Glory and yet they are inanimate sensless Creatures Why should we think it strange or absurd that the belssed Spirits in the other World should be still employed in the Offices of Devotion and yet still possess'd of Ease and Bliss And which I drive at why should we not strike up and mend our Pace at present Why do we often mutter and complain as if it were a weariness to serve the Lord And cry out When will the Sabbath be over that may return to our worldly Cares and Pleasures again Is there so much Difference indeed between Grace and Glory between the Apprentice-ship and the Profession between the Church here and hereafter Or is it possible think ye to make so quick a return from one Extream to another To be all Earth and Flesh and Sin here and Heaven and Spirit and Holiness there Or must we not a little at least be Heaven'd in our Minds now and be in a continual Motion to the End of our Happiness Having these things always in remembrance 2 Pet. 1.15 Or as Psal 119.112 Inclined to perform the Statutes of the Lord always Or Psal 1.2 Exercising our selves in his Law Day and Night And when we can do this and do it with delight we are upon the Brink of a blessed Eternity upon the Skirts of the Holy Land Upon the Borders of Heaven When our Light shines without Darkness thô it do twinkle now and then and shines continually when our Devotion doth not die with the Day but glimmers through the darkest Night then and not 'till then we are in a fair way to the Life of Angels and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect 3. Learn we hence to look for that which is lasting In this World we have no continuing City nothing durable no lasting Motion unless it be that of Changes and Vicissitudes Summer and Winter Day and Night Peace and War Health and Sickness Life and Death even the Earth changes its Face according to the Seasons and the Seas thô they flow continually they are supplied from the Clouds above and both Earth and Sea and every thing here depend upon the heavenly Bodies for that Motion and Continuance which they have In Heaven only is to be found the perpetual Motion everlasting Life
Death strike my Heart I fear not thy Stroke Now it is Father into thy blessed Hand I commend my Spirit sweet Jesus into thy Hands I commend my Spirit blessed Spirit of God I commit my Soul into thy Hands O most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three Persons and one true and everlasting God into thy blessed Hand I commit my Soul and Body At which Words her Breath stayed and so moving neither Hand nor Foot she slept sweetly in the Lord. See her Life CHAP. LXXIX Protection of the Good in Dangers THE Divine Providence is exercised over all the Creation but more especially upon Man then other Creatures that are made subject to him For God causeth his sun to shine and his Clouds to distil with Rain upon the just and unjust But more remarkably upon those that fear God and keep close to him in the way of Duty and a close and cordial Devotion then any others For the Truth whereof I appeal to History and the Experiences of Private and good Men. 1. By Vertue of a Bull issued out by Pope Gregory against John Wickleif and signed by Twenty three Cardinals declaring his Writings to be Heretical and this Bull sent to Oxford together with letters to the King Arch-bishop Sudbury and Courtney then Bishop of London requiring them to Apprehend and Imprison the said Wickleif and they resolving to proceed against him in a Provincial Synod laying aside all Fear and Favour and going to work roundly with him in spite of all Entreaties Threatnings or Rewards god by a small matter overthrew and confounded their Devices for the day of Examination being come in came a Courtier name Lewis Clifford a Man of no great Birth and commanded them That they should not proceed to any definitive Sentence against the said Wickleif wherewith the Bishops were so amazed and crest-fallen that they became as mute Men not having a Word to answer And one that writes this Story saith further that whilst the Bishops were sitting at the Chappel at Lambeth upon John Wickleif not only the Citizens but the vise Objects of the City were so bold as to entreat for him and to stop them in their Proceedings Clark's Mar. of Eccl. Hist p. 112. 2. John Husse being condemned and excommunicated by the Pope and Cardinals for an Heretick opposed by some of the Barons of Bohemia and banished by King Winceslaus yet was entertained in the Country and protected by the Lord of the Soil at Hussinets and Preached there still 'till afterwards the Pope dying a Schism happened in the new Election at the Council of Constance whither Husse was commanded to come and make his Appearance which proved so fatal to him notwithstanding the safe conduct granted him by the Emperour for his Journey and Return Idem p. 117. 3. Henry Alting when Heidelberg was taken by Storm prepared for Death and being at the same time in his Study bolted his Door and betook to Prayer looking every Moment when the bloody Soldiers would break in to make a Sacrifice of him But the great Arbiter of Life and Death took care for his safety for Monsieur Behusius Rector of the School and his dear Friend hiring two Soldiers called him forth and conveyed him through a Back-door into the Lord Chancellors House which Tilly had commanded to be preserved from Plundering because of the publick Monuments of the Common-wealth that were kept there This House was commanded to be Guarded by a Lieutenant Colonel that was under the Count of Hoheuzollem a Man greedy of Prey who lest he should lose his Share in the Booty by his Attendance upon that place sent forth his Soldiers as it were a hunting commanding them That if they met with any Citizens of Note that under pretence of Safeguarding them they should bring them to him purposing by their Ransom to enrich himself To this Man Alting was brought who with his naked Sword reeking with Blood said to him This Day with this Hand have I slain ten Men to whom Dr. Alting shall be added as the eleventh if I knew where to find him But who art thou Such a Countenance and such a Speech by such a Man at such a time might have affrighted the most constant Mind but our Alting by a witty Answer neither denying himself to be Alting nor unseasonably discovering himself Answered as sometime Athanasius in the like case I was saith he a Schoolmaster in the College of Wisdom Hereupon the Lieutenant Colonel promised him safety who if he had known him to have been Alting would certainly have slain him But what a sad time had be that Night hearing the continual Shrieks and Groans which filled the Air of Women ravished Virgins deflowred Men some haled to Torments others immediately slain himself retiring into a Cockloft lest he should be discovered by some of those many which fled thither for Refuge At last the Colonel being remanded away thence the House was resigned to the Jesuits and so he was in fresh Danger but by a special Providence the Kitchin being reserved for Tilly's own Use he was close fed by one of the Palatine Cooks who at last hired three Bavarian Soldires to guard him to his own House Idem p. 493. The following Letter was sent me Novemb. the 8th 1696. by a Gentleman now living in London with whom I am well acquainted viz. SIR THere were three strange Accidents that befel my Son John during his abode at Chesham in Bucke some Years since which perhaps may be worth your taking notice of in your History of Remarkable Providences 1. The first was the great Danger he was once in of Drowning which hapned to him by venturing too fat upon the Groundsil just by a large Pond for a little Whisk where his Foot slipt and down he plunged and being but about eight Years of Age was not able to swim but by a wonderful Providence one Mr. John Reading his first Cosen was then at work in a Stable near the Pond who coming to see what it was made such a Plunge into the Pond found it to be my Son John strugling and sprawling for Life and almost at his last Gasp The Providence of God was signally remarkable in this my Son's Deliverance from Drowning for when his Cosen first heard the noise in the Pond he took it to be some Stone flung into the Pond and was a while resolved not to see after it as believing no harm had befallen any one But at last of a sudden it came into his Mind that the great noise which the Plunge made could not be made by a Stone he therefore now leaves his Work and runs to satisfie his dubious Thoughts and finds my Son almost Drowned when this Person with the hazard of his Life got my Son out of the Pond he could not be brought to speak the muddy and dirty Water had so swell'd him for about nine Hours time but then he came something to recollect his Senses he gave the Account of his falling