to pray absolutely against sudden Death Some Holy Men have with submission to the Will of the most High desired and prayed for such a Death So did Mr. Capel and God gave him his desire for on September 21. 1656. having Preached twice that Day and performed Religious Duties with his Family he went to Bed and Died immediately The like is reported by Dr. Euller in his Church History concerning that Angelical Man Mr. Brightman who would often pray if God saw fit that he might die rather a sudden than a lingring Death and so it came to pass For as he was Travelling in the Coach with Sr. Iohn Osborne and reading of a Book for he would lose no time he was taken with a Fainting Fit and though instantly taken out in the Arms of one there present and all means possible used for his Recovery he there Died August 24. 1607. The Learned Pious Wolfius not the Divine who has written Commentaries on several parts of the Scriptures but he that published Lectionum Memorabilium Reconditarum Centenarios On May 23. 1600. being in usual Health was after he had Dined surprised with a sudden illness whereof he Died within a few hours That Holy Man Iacobus Faber who did and suffered great things for the Name of Christ went suddenly into the silent Grave On a Day when some Friends came to visit him after he had courteously entertained them he laid himself down upon his Bed to take some Repose and no sooner shut his Eyes but his Heaven-born Soul took its flight into the World of Souls The Man who being in Christ shall alwayes be doing something for God may bid Death welcome when ever it shall come be it never so soon never so suddenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ERRATA PAge 91. Line 17. for Lat. 48. read Lat. 38. p. 105. l. 5. r. his psudo doxa p. 168. l. 15. for those r. these p. 172. l. 15. for so r. see p. 173 l. ult r. Horstius p. 200. l. 22. dele were p. 204 l. ult r. goodly p. 254. l. ult for any r. away p. 263. l. 8. r. Serrarius p. 269. l. ult before if add 5 p. 273. l. 9. r. Stephen p. 276. l. 35. for that it r. is that p. 289. l. 7. after Instance should have been a full point p. 298. l. 24. r. Dactylogy p. 299. l. 20. for butter r. bitter p. 324. l. 13. for proceed r. precede p. 341. l. 3. r. Thomas THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. OF Remarkable Sea-Deliverances Mr. Anthony Thacher's Relation concerning his and his Wives being marvelously preserved alive when all the Ships Company perished The wonderful preservation of Major Gibbons and his Company Several other Remarkable Sea-deliverances mentioned by Mr. Janeway wherein New-England Men were concerned Mr. Grafton's preservation A Vessel lately coming from Bristol for New-England saved out of great distress at Sea Some providentially met with by a New-England Vessel in an open Boat many Leagues off from any shoar strangely preserved An account of a Remarkable Sea-deliverance which hapned this year Another like unto it above twenty years ago Page 1. CHAP. II. A further Account of some other Remarkable Preservations Of a Child that had part of her Brains struck out and yet lived and did well Remarkable Deliverances which some in Windsor had experience of Several in the late Indian War The Relation of a Captive Skipper How 's memorable Preservation Several Examples somewhat parallel wherein others in other parts of the World were concerned Page 32. CHAP. III. Of Remarkables about Thunder and Lightning One at Salisbury in New-England struck dead thereby Several at Marshfield One at North-Hampton The Captain of the Castle in Boston Some Remarkables about Lightning in Roxborough Wenham Marble-head Cambridge Hampton And in several Vessels at Sea Some late parallel Instances Of several in the last Century Scripture Examples of Men slain by Lightning Page 72. CHAP. IV. Some Philosophical Meditations Concerning Antipathies and Sympathies Of the Load-stone Of the nature and wonderful effects of Lightning That Thunder-storms are often caused by Satan and sometimes by good Angles Thunder is the voice of God and therefore to be dreaded All places in the habitable World are subject to it more or less No Amulets can preserve Men from being hurt thereby The miserable estate of wicked Men upon this account and the happiness of the Righteous who may be above all disquieting fears with respect unto such terrible Accidents P. 99. CHAP. V. Concerning things Praeternatural which have hapned in New-England A Remarkable Relation about Ann Cole of Hartford Concerning several Witches in that Colony Of the Possessed Maid at Groton An account of the House in Newbery lately troubled with a Daemon A parallel Story of an House at Tedworth in England Concerning another in Hartford and of one in Portsmouth in New-England lately disquieted by Evils Spirits An account of the Woman at Kitry molested with Apparitions and sometimes tormented by invisible Agents Page 135. CHAP. VI. That there are Daemons And possessed persons Signs of such Some Maniacks are Daemoniacks Notwithstanding many fabulous Stories about Witchcrafts that there are Witches proved by three Arguments That Houses are sometimes troubled by Evil Spirits Witchcraft often the cause of it Sometimes by the Devil without Witchcraft ordered by providence as a punishment for sin The disturbance in Walton's house further considered with a parallel Story That the things related in the preceding Chapter were undoubtedly preter-natural and Diabolical Page 168. CHAP. VII Concerning Apparitions That they are not so frequent in places where the Gospel prevaileth as in the dark corners of the Earth That good Angels do sometimes visibly appear Confirmed by several Histories That Cacodaemons oftentimes pretend to be good Angels That Satan may appear in the likeness of Holy men proved by notable Instances Concerning the appearance of persons deceased The procuring cause thereof is usually some sin committed Some late Remarkable Examples Of Mens covenanting to appear after their Death It is an heavy Iudgment when places are infested with such doleful Spectres Page 202. CHAP. VIII Several Cases of Conscience considered That it is not lawful to make use of Herbs or Plants to drive away Evil Spirits Nor of Words or Characters An Objection answered Whether it be lawful for Persons Bewitched to burn things or to nail Horse-shoes before their doors or to stop Vrin in Bottles or the like ' in order to the recovery of Health The negative proved by several Arguments Whether it be lawful to try Witches by casting them into the Water Several reasons evincing the vanity of that way of probation Some other Superstitions witnessed against Page 248. CHAP. IX A strange Relation of a Woman in Wey-mouth in New-England that hath been Dumb and Deaf ever since she was three years old who nevertheless hath a competent understanding in the mysteries of Religion and is admitted to partake of the Sacrament Some parallel Instances Of wayes to teach Deaf persons to speak Of a Man in Hull in New-England under whose Tongue a Stone bred Concerning that petrification which Humane Bodies are subject to That divers sorts of Animals have sometimes been formed in the Bodies of Men. Page 289. CHAP. X. Concerning some Remarkable Tempests in New-England A Remark upon the Hurricane Anno. 1635. An observable Accident by a sudden freezing of Rain in the Year 1659. A strange Whirl-wind in Cambridge A. D. 1680. Another at New-Haven the last year An Hail-storm at Springfield Some parallel Instances Of Earth-quakes in this Countrey Land wonderfully removed Parallel Stories Of remarkable Floods this year not only in New-England but in other parts of the World An account of a prodigious Flood in France five years ago with conjectures concerning the natural reason of it P. 311. CHAP. XI Concerning some Remarkable Judgments Quakers judicially plagued with Spiritual Iudgements Of several sad Instances in Long-Island And in Plimouth Colony That some of the Quakers are really possessed with Infernal Spirits Proved by a late wonderful and astonishing Example of one in Balsham in Cambridge-shire Of several that have◠imprecated Vengeance upon themselves The woful end of Drunkards And of those that have designed evil against the Churches of Christ in New-England Page 358. CHAP. XII An Account of some Remarkables at Norwich in New-England Special Answers of Prayer made in that place That People marvelously preserved The scandalous miscarriage of one so over-ruled by providence as to become an occasion of the Conversion of several A further Account of some personal Deliverances in Norwich Concerning sudden Deaths which have hapned in New-England Page 363. FINIS Advertisement SOme Sermons concerning the Works of Divine Providence and on several other Subjects preached by the Author of this Book about Remarkable Providences are designed to be shortly Published
the North Star which they suppose to be very magnetical There is reason to believe that the Earth is the great Magnet Hence as Mr. Seller observes when a Bar of Iron has stood long in a Window that end of it which is next to the Earth will have the same vertue which the Load-stone it self has Some place the first Meridian at the Azores because there the Needle varies not but the like is to be said of some other parts of the World yea under the very same Meridian in divers Latitudes there is a great variation as to the pointing of the Needle It is affirmed that between the shore of Ireland France Spain Guiny and the Azores the North point varies towards the East as some part of the Azores it deflecteth not On the other side of the Azores and this side of the Aequator the North point of the Needle wheeleth to the West so that in the Lat. 36. near the shore the variation is about 11 gr but on the other side of the Aequator it is quite otherwise for in Brasilia the South point varies 12 gr unto the West but Elongating from the Coast of Brasilia toward the Shore of Africa it varies Eastward and arriving at the Cape Dâ—las Aquilas it rests in the Meridian and looketh neither way Dr. Brown in he Psudodoxia Epidemica P. 63. does rationally suppose that the cause of this variation may be the inequality of the Earth variously disposed and indifferently mixed with the Sea The Needle driveth that way where the greater and most powerful part of the Earth is placed For whereas on this side the Isles of Azores the Needle varies Eastward it may be occasioned by that vast Tract viz. Europe Asia and Africa seated towards the East and disposing the Needle that way Sailing further it veers its lilly to the West and regards that quarter wherein the Land is nearer or greater and in the same Latitude as it approacheth the shore augmenteth its variation Hence at Rome there is a less variation viz. but five degrees than at London for on the west side of Rome are seated the great Continents of France Spain Germany but unto England there is almost no Earth West but the whole extent of Europe and Asia lies Eastward and therefore at London the variation is 11 Degrees Thus also by reason of the great Continent of Brasilia the Needle deflects towards the Land 12 Degrees but at the Straits of Magellan where the Land is narrowed and the Sea on the other side it varies but 5 or 6. So because the Cape of De las Agullas hath Sea on both sides near it and other Land remote and as it were aequidistant from it the Needle conforms to the Meridian In certain Creeks and Vallies it proveth irregular the reason whereof may be some vigorous part of the Earth not far distant Thus D. Brown whose arguings seem rational Some have truly observed of Crocus Martis or Steel corroded with Vineger Sulphur or otherwise and after reverberated by Fire that the Load-stone will not at all attract it nor will it adhere but ly therein like Sand. It is likewise certain that the fire will cause the Load-stone to lose its vertue inasmuch as its Bituminous Spirits are thereby evaporated Porta Lib. 7. Cap. 7. saith that he did to his great admiration see a Sulphurous flame brake out of the Load-stone which being dissipated the Stone lost it 's attractive vertue Moreover the Load-stone by being put into the fire may be caused quite to change its polarity The truly Noble and Honourable Robert Boyle Esq many of whose excellent Observations and experiments have been advantagious not only to the English Nation but to the Learned World in his Book of the Usefulness of Experimental Natural Philosophy Page 15. hath these words Taking an Oblong Load-stone and heating it red hot I found the attractive faculty in not many minutes either altogether abolishâ— or at least so impaired and weakened that I was scarce if at all able to discern it But this 〈◊〉 been observed though not so faithfully reâ—ated by more than one wherefore I shall add That by Refrigerating this red hot Load-stone either North or South I found that I could give its extreamâ— a Polarity if I may so speak which they would readily display upon an 〈◊〉 Needle freely placed in aequilibrium And not only so but I could by refrigerating the â—â—me end sometimes North and sometimes South in a very short time change the Poles of the Load-stone aâ— pleasure making that which was a qâ—arter of 〈◊〉 hour before the North Pole becomeâ— the South and on the contrary the formerly southern Pole become the northern And this change was wrought on the Load-stone not only by cooling it directly North and South but by cooling it perpendicularly that end of it which was contiguous to the Ground growing the Northern Pole and so according to the Laws Magnetical drawing to it the South end and that which was remotest from the contrary one As â—f indeed the Terrestial Globe were as some Magnetic Philosophers have supposed it but a great Magnes since its effluvium's are able in some cases to impart a magnetic faculty to the Load-stone it self Thus far Mr. Boyle Also D. Brown shews that if we erect a red hot Wire until it cool then hang it up with Wax and untwisted Silk where the lower end and that which cooled next the Earth does rest that is the Northern point And if a Wire be heated only at one end according as the end is cooled upwards or downwards it respectively requires a verticity He also observes if a Load-stone be made red hot in the fire it amits the magnetical vigor it had before and acquireth another from the Earth in its refrigeration for that part which cooleth next the Earth will acquire the respect of the North the experiment whereof he made in a Load-stone of parallelogram or long square figure wherein only inverting the extreams as it came out of the fire he altered the Poles or faces thereof at pleasure Unto some such reason as this must the wonderful change occasioned by the Lightning in the Compasses of Mr. Lad's Vessel be ascribed probably the heat of the Lightning caused the Needle to lose its vertue and the Compass in the Bidikle might stand pointed to the South and that unhung in the Locker to the West when they grew cold again and accordingly continue pointing so ever after There is also that which is very mysterious and beyond humane Capacity to comprehend in Thunder and Lightning The Thunder of his Power who can understand Also Can any understand the spreadings of the Clouds or the noise of his Tabernacle Hence Elihu said some Interpreters think there was a Thunder-storm at the very instant when those words were spoken in Iob 37. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He Thundreth marveils It is indeed manifest that these wonderful Meteors are generated out of a Nitrous and Sulphurous
of people that came far and near to see and hear of the Business Hereupon I sent to some neighbouring Ministers to joyn with us in keeping a Fast on November 15. and four spent the time in Prayer and Preaching The Sermons were upon these Texts Iob 11. 13. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him if Iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacles For then shalt thou lift up thy Face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not be afraid c. Amos 3. 6. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the People not be afraid shall there be evil in a City and the LORD hath not done it Luk. 13. 2 3. c. Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you nay But except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish or those eighteen c. Isai. 33. 14 15 16. The Sinners in Sien are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of Oppression that shaketh his hand from holding Bribes that stoppeth his Ears from hearing of blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing of evil He shall dwell on high His place of desire shall be the munitions of Rocks Bread shall be given him his Water shall be sure The distressed persons attended diligently and a great Congregation was assembled These providential dispensations were not ordinary yet there was a seeming blur cast though not on the whole yet upon some part of it for their Servant Girl was at last found throwing some things and she afterwards confessed that an old Woman came to her November 7. a little before these things come to pass and told her that her Master and Dame were bewitched and that they should hear a great fluttering about their house for the space of two dayes she said also that the old Woman told her that she must hurl things at her Master and Dame and withal bad her not to tell for if she did the Devil would have her and she confessed that she hurled the Fire-brand an Hammer and an iron Tack and said that she did it because the old Woman bad her and said to her that if she hurled things about the House it would be the better But besides the throwing of the things about there were other passages of providence very observable an remarkable One House was at several times strangely fired and notwithstanding the warning they had at last quite burned down and another house to whom they removed greatly molested and at length fired Besides the efficacy of Prayer is most observable for the encouragement of the Duty and God's Omniscient and Omnipotent providence wonderfully magnified thus to discover the Hypocrisie and Theft of the Man and yet withall graciously and mercifully delivering them For though they were not wholly delivered when the Fast was first appointed yet after the Fast they were fully freed and not at all any more troubled in that manner Thus far is Mr. Bennets Relation That the things which have been related in the Chapter immediately praeceding came not to pass without the operation of Daemons is so manifest as that I shall not spend many words concerning it Though whether the afflicted persons were only possessed or bewitched or both may be disputed As for the Maid at Groton she was then thought to be under bodily possession Her uttering many things some of which were Diabolical Railings without using the Organs of speech and being able sometimes to act above humane strength argued an extraordinary Satanical operation Concerning the Woman in Berwick Evil Spirits without being set on work by Instruments have sometimes caused the like Molestation but commonly such things are occasioned by Witchcraft Dr. Balthasar Han who was chief Physitian to the Prince Elector of Saxony relates concerning one of his Patients that in November 1634. She was to the amazement of all Spectators pricked and miserably beaten by an invisible hand so as that her body from head to foot was wounded as if she had been whipped with Thorns Sometimes a perfect sign of the Cross was imprinted on her skin Sometimes the usual configurations whereby Astronomers denote the Caelestial Bodies such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their Conjunctions and oppositions by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Characters used by Chymists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in which Sciences though that be not usual for those of her Sex she was versed These Characters would remain for several Weeks after the invisible hand had violently impressed them on her body also a Needle was thrust into her foot which caused it to bleed Once she took the Needle put it into the fire then an Old Woman to whom she had given some of her wearing Linnen appeared to her with a staff in her hand striking her with a cruel blow saying Give me my Needle At last the miserable Patient by constant attendance to prayer and other Religious Exercises was delivered from her affliction Many Instances of an alike nature to this are to be seen in the Writings of those that Treat upon Subjects of this kind Sometimes as Voetius and others observe bodily possessions by evil Spirits are an effect of Witch-craft Examples confirming this are mentioned by Hierom in the life of Hilarion Theodoret in his History of the Fathers and by Anastasius And there are more Instances in Sprenger and in Tyraeus de Daemoniacis It may be Ann Cole of Hartford might be subject to both of these miseries at the same time Though she be and then was esteemed a truly pious Christian such amazing Afflictions may befall the Righteous as well as the Wicked in this World The holy Body of Iob that so his patience might be tried was sorely handled by Satan We read in the Gospel of a Daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound for eighteen years Luk. 13. 16. Mary Magdalen and several others who had been molested and possessed by Evil Spirits yet belonged to God and are now in Heaven So might Ann Cole be a true Christian and yet be for a time under Satan's power as hath been related And that her Malady was not a meer natural Disease is past all doubt inasmuch as in those strange Paroxysmes wherewith she was at times surprized the tone of her Discourse would sometimes be after a Language unknown to her Lemnius indeed supposeth that Melancholly Humors may cause persons not only to divine but to speak with strange Tongues And Forestus Lib. 10. observat 19. does not contradict his Opinion But the unreasonableness of that Phansie has been sufficiently evinced by sundry Learned Men. Vide Iohnston Thaumatograph Sect. 10. Chap. 7. Art 1. La Torr Disp. 27. How shall that be in the Mouth which never