ICtbrarg
KINGSTON. ONTARIO
src r^^^s
rTheSIGNSoftheTIMES: |
i OR. _ ^
'Wonderful Sisns^
I
^ OF &
I Wonderful times. !
^ BEING* ^
•^ ?«
I A Faithful Golledion and Impartial Relation^.
I offeveral SIGNS and WONDERS, call'd I
I properly P R O D I G I ES, (together with|
^ feme Philofofhical and Theological Defcantsl^
I upon them ) which have' been feen in the^
g H Eu4 FE NS, on the S^MTf/, and on the ^'^ yi T £ i? ^ , as'§|
§ they have been Teflifyed by very CredibJeHaflds. All which J:^-
g have hapned within the compafs of this laft Year 1680. ^
^ which may well be called another u^nnus Aiirahilisfix IVonderffil Tear^ wherein ^
g the Lard hath given us loud Warnir^s to Repent of. our Sins and f^etuinto^
S ' hitn^ that he may have Mercy upon us. ^
• i ^^
j ^iVoe to thm that B^gard not tbefyorl^ of the Lord^ neither Confidsr the Operation cf liis}^
i5 Hands, Ifa. 5* li> I^jij* ^9
1 1 -^ I
By C K:,
L O N D O N, Printed for the KmhoT. And PubliHied by §
Lariglq Cnrtijs, on Ltid^atc- Hill. 1 6 8 1 . >
1
TO
T'be WorjhiffnlYxdincis Warner^ Efq},
Mongft all my fmall Acquaintance, I have n3t had ih^- Hippjnefs
to know perfonallyany perlon of Quality (though undottbtediy,
^Dtne fuch th^re be out of my reachj Jo much convcrlant and lo
exquifitely vers'd'm prophetic k^Myttcucs like your relf.and confi.
deringThztProdigtei (which ihis poriable pocket-book treat-
^^^^ _ eth upon) are a kind of mure (yet fpeakirig) Prophecies^ 1 made
bold toOidtcafe ir (^uale ^uale efi)to your Worlhip, being experimenrally Aflu-
red.That you are a lover ofLearning>and a candid Patron to all Abftrufe Eflays,
well knowing that in magnis vAuiJJ'e fit eil^^ DifficiUum,facitis eft venU. Sir,ydur
Candour, rprefume, will incline you to pardon me in the whole, in as much as I
have been conftrained throughout this whole Work to tread ail in untrcddcn
paths, finding none walking in the fame way and Method before me : You wiU
find the Labour(ruch as ir is) the more elaborate, in finding but Saered (which are
leaft obvious to Exceptions) as well as rivil Paralleh nafrefent Prodigies j and in
making (ucfi(rhope; Innocent Defcancs upon them, as the Matter doihrequirt*
Sir, I look upon you as one above many for Dilcourfing about theSrgnj of the tnnei :
boththeSigns of Z);T/flf ^w^^'^and ofD/i/i»ffF4t>ci«r. Signum ^ Striatum jlmt
cyrrelata. Every Sign muft have the t king pgni fie d^no Sign is to dimh^bm it rpeak$
famething which only the spije da underHand^ Hbf. 14. p. 'Twis Daniel only and
not the South'f4yeri,Thzt could Read the Handirriting upon the Wall.^nd give a
Right Interpretation of it, Dan.s. 8,11. 12, i^, 16. Such as feek to Sorct^rersj
deferve no better than a Difappointment, the lowelt fruit oftheir fublime Follv,
Noncofthofe Wizards of the world (though they might have Deep Reaches in
Humane Affiirts) could give theSenfe of that Divine Orach, that work was reler-
ved for a better man than they: Stultorum flena fur.t omnia. Store of fuch
Tools (no better than Dufi heaps) are found in every Corner, who either ks-oiv not
the mind ofGod'in myftical matters.orSraw/'/ff 4f />. There be too many /ithctUs
who do extenuate and Mndervalue all Proi/^/'f/, Heathenifltlyafcribine them to'
Dame Nuttre onVi whereby they do dangeroufly Darken the Power and Provi-
dence of the Almighty God. but there are not mAny tvife^ t^ife.hearted, and ivif; lu.-r
f) Silvation. They aie few that Underftand the Sfgis of the Tiir.es. "Tis Oi] Eled
Prodigies are common Thinf^s. therefore cannot be /;»fc/4/ Pre Pages offunireE-
vents, or of the End approaching, I Anf. (ij'Tis veryobfervable that the Palmo-
ci Hamadabbator Pr;«cf o/Prfdc/jer/ preached upon Prodigies thofe ficnsand
wonders which did prefage the Deftrudion o{JernJa!em,zn] of his laft Comniinp
occafioned by his Difciples asking [JVhen/^all tbtje things be, and Jl'i^at fign vnU
there be v hen thefe thirgs /haU come to paf^Xvike 21.7. Mat. 24 2. cMVlar.ij 4 {^0
Nofoonerhad Chrift prepared them with due Camions concerning themfVlvcs
but he declared what was fatisfadory to their curious queftion.(2. j Jhc vi-ry firS
Text that C/>rif?J ^p^ftles pteach'd upon (after Cbriil WdS gon- from them,atid the
So;r//c^OTf upon them) was concermng Prodigies which the P/ophet ?W foretold
God would Ihew in theworld,c/».2.z;rr.3o,C5'c and the Apoftle Peter handled thu
Text fo powerfully as to prevail with 3000 Converts at one Sermon, Adl^s; rr
ip.4i.ShewinR how Neir Tritament times do iinvjil and Accompiifh the tuj/j
Prophecies of the Old. fi ) lis the concurrent Opinion of our beft Prcrrftant
Authors,that there be Pome Special J»^/jjo///j'T/wf/ fcali'd Sacramemii & Kf>'
racultfcognatanezT a Kin to Sacraments and Miracles) which are more- th>n Na-
tt^ral, even of a Divme Ordination, declaring how the Great C,d ftands a^cavd
towards poor min, in rcfpcAofhis Favrurot Ar^er : See PolojiiSyntJPtTtJ '/ 6- ca.
48,{Sf S9 & many CU/I;ck Auth-ntick Divines. (4 ) Tislikewifc asconcuniPP n
Sennmmt o^Grnt ^/j/?;r;<f«'{bjih Ancient rt;r^Modcrn;:h;t y.odtgi^, d^mof.iy
fortcrsd the Futuridon'oFfome extraordinary E\'em&,ii%,Herodo:tu,&:c.sni\Li/catt,
1. 1, tclleih, how the (ad calamities ofi^flme were prefagcd by mariy ftrange fro-
(ifgtcs m Heaven^ Burtb 3ii\d Ssj^ fingingor faying,Thjs
■ ^tipenqtie Minaces
Prodigiis terrof implerttnt tAthern poyitum
Tgnota ob/curaviddrunt Sydera Noiles,
/irdentcmquetolumflammtSf ceeloque yoUntes,
Chit ijti its fcrlnatie Faces y&i.c.
All uhichdofignify, ihatthe whole Fabrick of the Univerfe had put upon it fby
\he /In'ijyG'.d} a moft frightful Face and Afped;, and Heaven, Earth and Sea did
confpire together to cha'tizet the Pride and Luxury ofi^oweat vhat Time, and
claudian faith/Fhat after f^/irj Vi*5toiy over Pow/^e^jnotcnly theHeavens drop"d
tlrody but alfo pits and pools flowed with blood, as a prasfage of Captrs Stablfinj^,
cum multis aliis,e>c. (y)?liny,l.z. csS. faith, The Heathens werettartled at the
Vrodigys of his rime, in fomuch that they had their folemn Sacrifices for Diver-
ting'theEvils portended by them; And will not thofeDicftatcsof the<//wj light o£
Dime Nature in thcfe blind Heathens rife up in Judgment againft our Atbei^s^
\vho feoff at all thofe -wonderful f>g is fo terrifying in themlelves^ and fo teftifying
God's wrarh for Man's fin ? Alas, they had nor God's Heifer to plow withall
(which we have) yet could they Unriddle thofe Myfteries (call'd to. (/.iya^nx xj
■ri miv'yfjLATv. rS S^^, God's prodigious preachments) better than many of us:
their very natural Religion was a dark Imitation of the true Divine Devotion,
though the Devii(God's Ape) did impofe upon them therein muchSuperftition»
If againft this, it be alledged what is faid, Jer, lo. 2,5. Learn tut the Xfiy of the
Heathen, and be not Dijrmyed at the Si^ns of Heaven, at they arty for thtir Ctijloms
Are vain. I Anfwer (i.) God Cautions his people there^ fgoing Captives into
Chalde.t then) that they learn not the vain Attrology and Idolatry of theCW-
deans in their Country. (2.) That Aftrology which precendeth to read Fates
and Fortunes in the Heavens, afcribing all to Scars and not to God, is Idulatrjf,
condemn'd there by Jeremy and by Ifaiah ch 47: 12,13, £j'c. ( jj Jeremy fpeaks of
Natural and ordinary Sij^wj of Heaven which the blind Heathens were difmay'd
ii ?/}';r^ God while they Dfi/zV^ them) as if the Iflues of their Affairs depen-
'> n them: Wherefore Gods people y^^jw/i/ n^t be fo -. If there were no
Rcafon but that only, Matth: <S. \%. but there be other Extraordinary
o:fe..o , dreadful Apparitions, whereby God warns his people of fomeenfuing
"Wrath, as appeareth from ya?/, ChrtH and Ptffer,&c . (as above) God doth not
forbid us to mind them and to be affected with them. Efpeciaily confidering
this is Gods laft way of fpeaking to us, as it was to Phjraohy when God had faid
fnfcly to him at firft, Lee my People gOy (^c. he hardned his heart, then God
fpake more fever ely to \\\rx\hy Stgr.s and iponders: So now,our B4r«<i^<«rshatk
been re jefted, God fends his Bi/^wrr^ej's and preacheth to us by Prodigies ^ and
fuch as are more than Ordinary without a Parallell for this 800 year, and fo
attended with fuch concu/Tions of Kingdoms/e'nPopidione againft another,G?f)
w hich feem to put an Accent on them and though there have been frequent
Vrodigies , yet may they be Signs of the laft times, as a Difeafc is a fign of
Mortality, though a Man recover fometimes,yet ceafeth he not to be mortal but
dyeth atlaft; So thofe figns ^though oft feen) do not cealetobe Signs of the
Approaching End r and former Prodigies, might have other Prazfages and figni-
.fications , as thofe in<5o,&c; what barh befaln ever fince, fuch as, Plagne,
Fnp,5cc. I fpeak to a wife man (skilful in Myfteries) who will judg candidly what
15 favd by, cu<y/-^ /.// .;<.<5Ck.
Frotn int Study tf^il ' * 1 t n r
1 3/ Mav, T <5 s r , Tours t:i the bcjt Bonds ^
I'he Signs of the Times:
O R ,
Wonderful Signs
O F
Won
OU R Lord and Saviour hath faid , Except mtn fe^
SIGNS And WONDERS^ tky rv'ill not Be-
lieve, ^ohn 4. 48. There is a natural Itch in-
bred in the nature of all Mankind to fee fome
figns and Wonders ; Hcnce it is , That fuch an
univerfal Aptnefs is found in all the Sons and Daughters of
Men to behold Rare Shows and {Irange Sights,Thus the Peo-
ple R^n firth our of all the Region round about to get a Sight of
John the Baptifl, a^ of a burning andfhining Light : Matth. 5.5. &
1 1.7. Luke ;.7. & ^oh. 5.35. Seeing they had not any one Pro-
phet born to them from the Building of the SecondTemple un-
til His Birth: Then was [Cathimaih Chazoyi'] a Sealing up of Pro-
phefy, Dan. 1 2.4. 9. Ko Prophet 'twixt Malachy and ^ohn Bsl^-
tifl-,i\/4/.4. 5. Mat. 1 1 . 14. with 1 7. 1 o.Hence that Captivity Ffalm,
JP/;j/.74.complains, verfe 9. that there was no Prophet amongil
them. Hence it is alfo, that we read lo oft in Scripture of ma-
ny men (Good as rvcU as Ba^) asking aitcr a Sight of Signs:
Indeed {i) It is an evil and Adulter oti-s G e ncr a' ten' 2s:CQidmg to
Chrill's Charader) that mod /ffi-f//;^// ^ry?f;7/, Matt, 218,30.
that is, fo earneftly, if that were not Doncjthey wt?re Un Jonc^ :
(I.) Thofe carnal Scribes and Pharifecs could call for a Sign
after fo many SIgns.They had been perfon^i Ey-witneifcs How
Mighty Chrift was both in W^^/-^ and Deed (in Dccftrine and
^Vix'3iz\cs) before God an ^ all the Per fie, Luke 14 19. which wore
B A
Wonderful Signs
fomany hifalUbk Proofs, Ad. i. 3. that he was the Me/Tiah :
yet thefe were but SIGNS on Earth, they would not believe
in him, unlefs he could ihew them a SIGlSi from Heaven, and
Doe as Mofes, S^irmel at:d tlij,ih had done : for .vofes cali'd for
Manna, Samuel for Rain, ana eI jah for Fire, All from Heav'n,
&f. Joh}t^.l^. & 6.50, Chrift (hew'd them many 5/7«j, Jo.
'20.30. and wrought many Wonden (which no power but that
which is Divine could work, J^ohn 9. 31. ; '5 ) both beyond
the Courfc of Nature , and above the Power of Art, yet (as
the Saying is) they could not fee Wood for Trees. No,thcy
muil havefuch Signs as were Ihownand fcen upon Mount Si-
nai^Exod. 19.16,19. Such Thunders and Lightnings though they
had their Bath-Kol , the Daughter of a Voice (which was,
as they fay, the only Oracle abiding with the Second Tem-
ple) and fuch a Voice of God (as Thunder is called, pfal. 29 5,
to 10) they had from Heaven, fohff la. 19, 30. Therefore
Chrift checks and chides them for requiring fuch Signs as
would rather affright thefe Hypocrites than i^firu^t them.
They (hould have been contented with his Dodrine and Mi-
racks which did fufficiently demonftate a Divine Power , and
though the Thunder-Ciaps at the Giving of the Law upon
Mount SwAi were molt fuitable to the Rigour of that Difpen-
fation,yet his Miracles of A4er€^ .{cow^rmin^his Do&ine) were
more fuitable to SI ON, and to the Grace of the Gofpel.
Therefore irent chrifi ahout Doin<r Good to many by his Mira-
cles, ^^.10.38. but never (which is very remarkable) Do-
ing Hurt to Any by them. As mod other Wonder- Workers
Did, for his Name was JESUS a Saviour, not Abaddon) [A
bad one] or ^poI/yon, a Deflroyer. In all this thofe wicked
Hypocrites were wittingly, willingly and wilfully blind, and
who fo blind as they that will not fee.
(II, )Anothcr Time Came the Supcrltitious Pharifcesileaving
behind them the Supercilious Scnbes) and confpir'd with the
Irreligious S adduces to tempt Chrift by a^ktng a S I G iV, Matt.
i6, I, &c. Thofe two Seds were dea'dly Enemies each to the
other
Of pyonJerfitl Times , 3
other , yet can they here combine as loving Friends for con-
fronting of CHRIST. The two Good Sticks (Ifracl and Juda)
became one in the hand of God, Ezeck. 37.19 but rhofe tw©
Bad Sticks (the Phartfees and Sadduces^ became one in the hand
of the Devil, notonely as Herod ^n^ PiUte did, Luk. 2;. 12.
but ahb as the Fopifli I'riefts and Jefuites, the Monks and Fry-.
ars (AJl which be at deadly Diiference amongfl themfelves iti
as much as they do notorioufiy difparage and befpatter one
another) yet as titrod and PtUte co\i\<i joyn hands againll
CHRIST,fo thofe Miicreants can allconfpire againft Vroteftants:
Thus Dogs though they be fighting never fo hercely and tear-
ing one another, yet if an Hare run by, they can give over,
and all run after her, Accordingly thofe two forts, though
of Heterogeneous Principles, could be enough Homogeneous
toAfTauItChrift with their cavelling Interrogatories, wherein
their putid Hypocrify(courting him at thefirll,and calling him
Mafier, whom before they had branded with that black name
of Selzebub) appeared, defiring him to [hew them a SIGN. Th^m
by all means, as more worfliipful men than the Multitude, e'n
fuch as might well feem to merit fuch a fignal and fingular Fa-
vour. They mult by all means be the only Men to whom the
McflTiah muft fhew a Sign from Heaven ^ fuch as .^cfuah (hewed
in commanding the Sun to flandflill; fuch s.s ifai^ih iliew'd in
caufing the Sun to run Retrogade ten Degrees, or fuch as
Samuel {hewcdin calhng forThunder and Rain in Harveft,&c.
or rather fuchas Mofcs fliew'd in Commanding the Corn of Hea-
ven to come down for daily bread to Ifrael, John 6.9 1.5 2. and
if the MefTiah would do fo much for them, none, they pre-
tended^ ihould be more willing to own him : yet, all this
while, thty intended Malice and Mifchiefagainflhim, contem-
ning his Miracles on Earth as if done by Magick Art, &c.
HI. Herod alfo was of no better Bran than thofe, who Dc fired
to fee Jeftfsfor along tim% that he mi^htfhetv hi?n fome fign^ Luke
25.8. Such as would recreate his Eyes and his Mind in behold-
ing, for helook'd apon our Jord iis no better than a Com-
B 2 men
4 Wonderful Sign^:
mon Juggler, that would undoubtedly (to ingratiate himfcff
with the King) (liew to him the very beft Trick in his Budget.
Thus that Fox would gladly have been.gratiiied, but he was
Hotorioufly deceived;, inafmuch as Chrill was not fo profufe
of his Divine power as to put it for til at the plcafure of bad
raeji, mearly tofarisfie their vain Curiofity.
But (Il.)vve do not. only find (upon Scripture Record jwicked
men.Defirous.to fee Signs,, but even Godly men alfo, as (i.)
Mofes^E^od.^. I.. who had Experience of his Brethrens rejc- >
d:ing him, and thruflinghim from them, Exod. a. 14. A6t. 7.
a7. and fo they might Do again, It he had not fomething to
ihew what might well warrant his Extraordinary Cail : there-
fore, lie faith. They will not believe me^ &c. that is^ I dare not
Vfenture upon a bare Divine Call and CommilTion, unlefs fome
Divine figns be flievv'd me for my farther Confirmation : Here-
upon God condefcends. to gratify him wjtii the Two firll: mi-
raculous Signs ;, Thus., in thefirft Sign 'tis obfcrvable, That
the turning ofMoJes Rod into a Serpent, was- a manifeft Difclai-
ming of any Power borrowed from the Devil,in all thofe won-
ders which he was-to work with that Rod, for that Sign did
demonftrare Mofes power over the Devil or Se, pin\(his exprefs
Type) and exercis'd againil him in handling him (though
not without fame Fear at firft) through a- ftrengthned Faith
at hisPleafure:. jWofes, indeed^ took this Serpent or Crocodile
by the Tail only, 'Tw^s the Work of the MESSIAH to break
the Serpents Head : In. this firll Miraculous fign, the ROD
/Iiew'dthe flourifliing State of Ifrael while foffpb was- Lord of
the Land of iEgypt, and fo held the Rod or Scepter for their
Comfort, but its Turning into a Serpent (or Dragon) did plain-
ly portend the AfflidcdEflate of that Church, when I'haraoh
that Z)r^^c;; , Ezek. 29. 3. ) with the Subtlety of the Old
Serpent mofl grievoufly opprelTed Ifrael; and yet this Serpent
rnull be turn'd back again into a /?o^, to Agnify that the arili»5l-
cd Eflate of the Church fliould be turn'd into a fiourilhing E-
ilate ugain by the Minillry ofMofcs (more glorious than that of
OflVonderpil Times'. 5
^ofeph) who was cailed /a>^ in Jcfurum, Deut. 33'.), (a Title
above that of ^^/^/>/^) and who was commanded to taksths
Serper/t by the Taii\ Exod.4. 4. which was ciircadial to be donc^
becaufe of the Innate Antipathy and probable Danger of the
Sting, yet Faith fortifies Mo fa's Heart againft his J'car of this
formidable Creature, and carricshim tlirough the Difficulty of
this Duty ; he doth as God bids him, and had no Dammage
thereby, but the Serpent was turnd into a Rod again :
Moreover (2.) for Humbling.iV/^/(f;f and helping him to know
That this miraculous Sign was not wrought by the Power of
his own hand, therefore was his hand .made a Leprous one;
to Jhew, That fuch great Wonders could not be wrought by fo
unclean a Hand, without the Helpof a better and greater Hand
than his own : and yet the AccomplifliLment of this Second
Sign was a f:rthcr Confirmation ofMofes's Faith,th?it Leprous
hand of his {as white as Smw) oiuft be return d to its Katural
ruddy Complexion again, Mcfcs found the Lcprofy in his Eo-
fom, and there aifo he imm-cdiately left it : This was to ffgni-
fy to him, That the fore Eftate of the Church ihould prcfent-
iy be curedj the Time.of Her Healing now was at Hand, tho
ihc hiid Uifi long, amorjf tie Pots {2,t\d {6 were not only as poor dc-
fpis'd Lepers covered ovci with a white Lcprofy, but -all blak-
ned and befmutch'd in the Bofom of ^gypt their Houfc of
Bondage)' yet God would reftore her agani to a Sound Eilate
and ^tve her Wn^fs (f Sdvsr^ :ix\d Feathers of Telhtv GoL/, Pfal.\
68. 15- Thus the moft high God doth vouchfafc to (loop fo
low to the meannefs of Man, as to gixc Mofm fign upon fign,
as he had done bcibrc to him, Exo ;,:?. m. Giving him then
a Double Coufirmation (j.) That of the n."r:iif?^ b-'-IJ), for tli*?
prefcnt : (i.) That o£SnvJ^^ Go J at Horth for tlic future. Tiic
like Favour the Lord likewife vouchfafeth to us by giving us-
a frec^uent AdminiHration of the Lords Supper,' whereby lie
doth Seal and Seal again the Confirmation of our faith in the
(Xiecdir}g g;-.- cat and prtcio.w^ Promi(ts cf ChrtP, 2 Pct. i, 4. God
ftid to, Mofts, Such as will };oi'H:ar th; rist:: cf the ^-'^ "^i^f?
I;
^ Wonder fid Signs
tky rvill hdkvc t^e Voice cf (he Litter fig}\ Exod. 4. ?. Lehol
HAOih^ the voice of the Sign, plainly impoiteth That every of
God's Signs hath a Voice, and therefore the Pfalniifl faith,
That they have not only a Voice, but Words alfo. [^Dibre oth-
ethiiu ] he lliew'd the Words of his Signs, So 'tis in the Hebr.
Pfal. 105. 17. They fpeak not to oiir Eyes only, but to our
Ears alfo. Thus doth Sacramental Signs, Tliey have a Voice,
SiS AbcCs Blood is faid to have, Gen. j^. 10. Hebr. 11.^. which
yet fped'eth^ How much more the Blood of Chrift, which ffeak-^
€th better things th.in the Blood of .^^f/,Hebr. 12. 14. The fign
Iiath a Voice in it (as Exod. 4. 10. Ezek. 1.18. c^Job, 4. 16.
God Annexing his Word with his Sign that it may be the bet-
ter heard and undcrflood) becaufe it (as it were) fpeaketh that
to the Eye, which words do to the Eear ; and on the contra-
ry that which is plainly declared to the Ear, is fometimes re-
prefented as if It were aded, and exhibited to the Eye, GaL
5.1. Thus the Adminillratiom of the Lords Supper is a lively
. Refembiance of Chrift crucified upon the Crofs ; and thus the
flung Ifraelites were heald by looking upon the Brazen Serpent
advanced upon the Pole, Num. ii.S. Twasbut Look and live
then, and, ushiii Look and live no^^ John 5. 16. Astheythat
look'd upon their Sores, and not upon the Sign, Dyed for it.
So, they that fix their Eyes upon their Sins, and not upon
' their Saviour, do Defpair, and Dye : and, as they that look'd
upon the Sign though but with one Eye, though but with a
fquint Eye, or but with half an Eye, they were prefently hea-
led. So, thofe tlmt look up to Chrift, though WeAk in Faith^
^ yet Faithful in Weaknef^ are fure to be faved, Ifa. 45.11. Look
Mnto me Alt the Bads of the Far th^ and be Saved., as the Moon
when flie looks mofl fully in a dired line upon the Sun, then
is fhe in the Full,and moil fully inlightned : This is the great
Duty Required, to lo.k vpcft a Crttctfied Saviour^ Zcch. ii. 10.
and Salvation (in the Extent of it) is in the former Scripture
propounded as the Grand Wages of that work and Duty and
that Uuiverfally to all Right lopkcrs both Jews and Gen-
tiles. The
Of Wonderful Timer. j
The fccond Jnftance of a godly man (defirous to fee Signs ) is
Gideon; as Mo(ts was the firji\ both of them reckoned among
God^ Renowned Worthies. Hch. 1 1. zo. 31. This Gideon though
but weak in Faith, yet was faithful in weaknefs, and therefore is
he dignified with a Room in that Court-Roll, of the moft radi-
ant Starrs in Scripture Horizon, yet his Faith though true, be-
ing weak, required fome Supporters, hence he faith [ then flnw
me a S gri [ Judg. 6. 1 7. This Sign Gideon fought not, as that
Adulterous and Evil Generation (the Pharifes, &c.) did, out of
Curiofity and Incredulity,but (as ^foJes before him, &c.) for far-
ther Confirmation of his Faith, concerning his call to fo great a
Work, whereby hemightbefatisfied that it was God (and not
man or Devil) that called him : A good Caufe, a good Call, and
a good Confcience, will make a good Courage, and all are nc- i^
cellary to a Captain or Soldier. Efpecially ihe Lord looked upon
to, as well liking his fpeech. -y, 14. vouchfafes him aSign^
V. II. fignifving, that the MidiiVniies fiiould be Deflroyed with-
out mans labour, feeing Fire came out of the Rock (as before
Water had done, £.v^/. 17. 7, ) without any humane help to
confume the Sacrifice ; therefore did Oidton cvtdi an Altar to-
the Lord, who had thus conf rmcd him (not only by theft
Signs, I'. 17. but by two other Signs, ^'. 56. ;7.) and thus com-
forted him againft his dcfpondencics, and called the name of
his k\i2Lr[^'pebo'Vjh ShaLm'] the Lord of Peace, v. 2;. 24. Othat
this Infcription were upon all our Hearts, as a. Jheif. ^. iG.
The Lord of Peace give us Vea.ce alivays iyall means^ this would
anfwcr all Doubts, and advance Faith above Fbar, The fig ii
of the Fleece, Gideon defircd to be doubled, not outof //;tT^^/v-
lity to tempt God,but out of Hnmilit) to be fupported under the
fence of his own weaknefs and unfuirablcnefs to fo great an lin-
dertaking,again{l which he found marvelous Relief,inthe dou-
ble Wonder oitliQ. Fleece, which intimated two things to Iiim.
I. Concerning ifraei i.Concerning Midi.tv. (i.) As xo ijrael', that
was reprcfented by theFleeqe, being fometimes wet with the
Dewof Heaven, and fometimes dry., (i.) As to Midiar, tliey
had
8 Wonderful Signs
had Fleeced Ifrael of all their good things, and puU'd all the
Wooll from off their backs, as the Shearer {m that Fleece) had
don to the poor Shecp,turning him naked out of doors into the
open Fields; but now Grdior.{mx.h. the Lords help) fliould fleece
Midim : the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon ihould do as
much for them, as they had done' for j(rAe!, pay them home in
their own Coyn, and requite them to the full, after tlie Law of
-retaliation : hereby Gideons Faith, weak at firil, did gradually
grow flrong by thofc confirming Signs ; fo comes he in as a
Candidate in that Apoflolical Catalogue, ne^ 11.51. Araongft
the higheft Favourites in the Court of Heaven : Befides thofc
two Godly Men ( Mojes and Gideon , that defireJi confirming
Signs) there be many others, to whom God vouchfafed Signs,
though unde fired : as, the Tree of Life to ^^dam^ Gen. j. ai.
The Hre of God to AbrAhxm^ Gen. 15. 17. The budding of the
Rod to Airon^ Num. 17. 5. The Sun ftanding flill to ^ojhfta^^
Jo/h. 10. I ;. And its running back to Hez,diah. a. Kings. 10.
^, 9. Fiery Tongues to the A po files. Ads a. 5, 4- A Draught
of Fifh to Peter, John, z 1. 6. A Star to the three Wife men,Mat.
3.. a. 9. Dumbnefs 10 ZecharUh, Luke i. 10. and many other
Signs to Behevers, Mark 16. 1 7, 1 8 , 10.
Yet fometimes we find God forcing Signs, even upon wick«
cd men, as upon that branded one Ahaz, Ifai. 7. 10. 11. 11.
14. &c. Though thiif fvoj King jhaz, wicked with an accent,
even he fhall fee, that while he was under the power of a ma-
licious Devil, yet hath he to do with a moft gracious God, who
"by a wonderful condefecnfion will needs give him a Sign ,• 'tis
sn unheard of vouchfafcmcnttovouchfafe a Sign to fuch a no-
torious Unbeliever, this is more than Chrift would do to the
PhdrifeeF, whom he calls a baftardly Brood, for defiring a Sign,
as before. M4tt. i a. 39. \^Ask a Sign either in the Depth, &c.] F^erei
Was a fair oi?cr to a moft foul Sinner, he might have had a fight;
of Heaven or of Hell for a Sign, yet inftead of an humble and
thankful asking, he fordidlyanfwered(tantamont) lie ask no
askings, I.'ic try no Signs, I Know a trick worth two of that, I'lc
fend
Of IVondciful Times. q
fend to the^Aifyriafts fo help my fejf, God may keep hi\ Signs
to himfelf, I crave no fuchcourtefy at his hands, &c. "JDid e-
ver any branded Behahi]; or black-mouthed Bedlam fpeak NXorfe
to God than he in all this : no wonder if Gcd fet a black bnnd
upon him, faying, t/.'/sjs t'^nt Ahaz, i. C^nn. 28. zi. Yet ni\t- ^
withdandingali this ingratit-ude and prGvocation,God (of hinV
fclf) 'Tfive jjrael a S/gr^Jfs.. •] 14. A /Inguirir Sign,a Signboth
irom above and from beneath, inafmuch as this Imm.mud, hon\
of a Virgin, did joynpure Heaven and bafe Earth together, i\\
bis two Natures. Again, thofc Signs which the Scripture men-
tions are manifold ; as, i. Such as be meerly Natural,6'(';«.i.i4.
a. Prscternatural, befide the power of Nature in her ordinary
produdion, fuch are Prodigies in Heaven and Monflcrs on
Earth, (!^r. 5. Supernatural, which are either Divine (fuch as
were the Miracles God wrought by the Prophets and Apofllcs)
ot Diabolic dl^'aiSiht Lf:ng Wonders. Deut. 15. 2.3. 2. TheiT
7.9. and Rev. 13. i;. As there be Natural Signs, fo there
bclnflituted Signs,to \^ it,the Sacraments which are czWdSi'^ns p
and 5f*i/jof the Covenant, Rem. 4. 11. Moreover the Signs God '
frjcws to men, are either ordinary or extraordinary , commnma
aut Ifjfolita Stgna: Except we fee (not common, but) nmlual fi,^n?,
ry>€ will not bd.eve. John. 4. 48. We have a frequent fight of Na-
tural Signs, and of Artificial Signs, the former hanging in the
Heavens, cxpofed to open view, the latter hanging over every
Houfc(almoll)in this greatCity,yea and fuch figns as be fignifi-
cant, indeed fome Signs are /ignihcant, ex primAria intentione in- ,
/?>/.Y^;j/;.f, purpofely and primarily Inflitutcd to fignify fdme-'
thing,, whether the Inflitutor be God or Man. . God \% the on-
ly Inftitutorof allfignificant flgns in Sacred things,' as hclnflp''
tuted the two Sacraments under the Law, and the two Sacra-
ments under the Gofpcl; other /Ignificani: Signs or Ceremoni-
es, which arc only mans Infiitution r^/y^'^ffirr c.'meimothe mi-id'}
if God, Jer. 7. 31." Nor oni of the M^ulffof Ced, Dear. 4. i;'2?>','
ought juftly to be exploded All Divine Worfhif muft have /)V- •^'
vine Warrant, and Divine InP.itinions may not be mingled with'
C ' Htt-
I o Wonderful Sigrrs
Humane Inventions: This is to Plow in Gods Field, with an
Ox md an Afs,and to fow therein mingled Seeds (even Tares as
weVas wheats) and to woriliip the Lord in a Linfy-Woolfy Gar-
ment, Beut. ai. 9. 10. 1 1. There be alfo flgnificant figns in C/-
1/7 and common things (as well as ^^frf^^) whofe proper and
primary end in the purpolc of their Inftitutor (man) is to /ignify
fomething, as the Signs at every Boor in the City^ and at every
Inn in the Country^ and the Efcucheons at Great mens Houfes:
And there be other 5';^;??, which be fignificant only by confe-
quenceand fecondarily, not eflentialJy and from xht pnmvj
purpofe of their Inftitiitors, Thus Steeples and Pods &c. may
iignify by their iiiadows what time of the day it is, which is
not the proper and peculiar purpofe for which they are made,
or ufe of rhem, as is of Clocks! and Dials, 'tis a fecrtfi^ary ufe
only.
But toinfifl only upon extraordinary Sgns and Wonders (cal^
l^dfigna in(olfta unufuai Marvels) according to my prefent De-
fign : confider, that as their Erds fo their Kindt are various^
I. Their Ends are from their Author and Original) manifold ;
as, I. They are intentionally defigned, by the great and fole
Wonder-working God, for the confirming of that Truth, once
delivered to the Saints,^ Jude 5. Mark 16. 17. 18. io. and
Hebr. 1. 4. Thofe extraordinary Signs, are well called, the
Swadling-bands of the Infant Church, therefore was ihc princi-
pally Viv^nx^z^ and Fortified with Miracles, always and only
while and when fhe was young, tender, and needed fome corro-
boration :, Tis true, there were fome fprinklings of Miracles
upon, other emergent occafions, &c. But the main body of themi
were wrought firil by Mo^es and 'Jojlmah ; Mojes was thtfirft and
n<vo gtver of the Laiv^ then the church in the Wilder nefs (fo called
^/?. 7. ^S-") was but a weak Infant, fo needed thofe Si^ns and
Wonder t^ which Mojes wrought, both in tAL^yf^t A^.y. ;6. and in
Vhe Wildcrnefs, pf. 105.39. 4^ 4^- ^^^^ ^"7- to 58 Yet none
were wrought after ihe got into Canaan, though jo(l>Hah did in
conveying them thithei;, a. By lUiah and F lijha ^who were the
two
Of W onderfui Times. ft
two new Riflorers of the Ldw , (which amounts almoflto a Giver
of it, fo tantamont a Law-girer) then the Church was newly
Born again, and fo llood m need of a fecond fwadhng^by many
more Miracles, after her Recovery from her worfe Kelaps m
AhAsXm^.^C. ;. By Chytf and his /Ifoflle^, who were both
new Givers and Rcftorers of the Gofpel inafmuch as the Gof-
pel was preached in Paradice, (7f;j. ^ 15.) Then did the Eo-
d:rine of the Goff el by diverfe Miracles, as by the Wings of
the Wind, fly abroad and was divulged at firfl all the World
over; and 'tis very remarkable, though fahn Baptifl camein
thcfpirit and powerof fZ/yM-^, yet did this Tjpe do no Miracles^
as the Ami type did, f,k/> lo. 41. lead he fliould be miflaken"
for the Meffiah, Luke 3 .1 5. who was to do many^ John 7. 51.-
and 1 1 . 47. Yet '^john was a hnrning and a fhlning L'lghn , John 5,
55. burning in himfelf andy7;.'«>;«' to others, he Thundrcd in his
Dodrine, and Lightned in bis Life without Miracles, there-
fore was he fo much admired, as agreat Reformer in a moft De-
formed Age. Chrift and his Apoltlcs were all Wonder- work-
fecured by it while it is tender, and 'tis oft watered, but
crs , which was as an Hedge to a young Plant, that is
when once growji up, the Hedge is removed, and the watering
left off. Hence we fay to the Romanifts,That all the Miracles
of the New Teflament, arc ours of the Reformed Religion, in-
afmuch as they all did Demonflrate the fame Dodrine, which
we do defend, We need no new Miracle, to conform an old
Truth that hath been before fo confirmed : He that now rcqui-
reth a Miracle, is therefore himfelf a Miracle. The Eilablilh-
mcnt of our prefent Reformation is and will be that great Mira-
cle, which we are in thefe times to look for : 'tis that wonder-
ful Work which -former Ages did dcfpair of, iheprcfcnt Admiretli,
and the /«///r^ will fland ania2ed at : concerning the f-yi^^p^ Wen-
ders the Rom ilh Church fo much boalls oi, I have difcovcred
the fallacy of them at large, in my Difeovtj.y'.cf the per (on and pe-
■riedofAntichriH from pAo^e^%.xo 5>. to whicli I refer thcReader,
•^ The Second End of Extraordinary Signs ard Wonders is for
C a Awakg*
1-2 Wonderful Signs
Awakning a clroufy, fiuggiih and fecure World, which will not
know the Signs of the Tiines, Matt 1 6. ;. yea, and for Roufing
up the Slumbring Virgins of the Church, both the Wife and
the Foolifh, As the Midnight Cry did. Matt. 15. 2, 5. 6. This
is certainly the great End why the great Wonder work-ng God
worketh Wonders and ilieweth fignsfach as are Extraordinary
and Univerfally aftonilhihg, to Alarm,as with thcfe Trumpets,
both Saints and Sinners, that none might be furprized , He
therefore doth molt gracioudy found his Trumpet in and by
them, . that his Judgments may not come as a Thief in the
IsJight upon ,us, asjie'hath oft foretold us, Matth. 24. 44.
iThefT. 5.5. Revel.^.';." and 16.' 15. The Thief gives no
Warning, but comes unexpedlcdly : So doth not a Gracious
God who giveth Warning, for which Charles the Great bleileth"
God £br Rebuking his Sluggiihnefs out of his Tender Mercy by
thqfc his Signs, as a Blazing Star, &c. As I lliew in my little
Book of this late. Comet, pag. 22. 'Tis undoubtedly moftdear
£>tv/rfe Clmenci to give timely Warnings of Approaching Judg-
ments, for, Humane Calamity lYiQiworc [udder/ ^ the more^i^/t-
i-^?/^; it is, as (i.)Tt.«w.'/es/orDaunts,)and Ex.mmMes a man,
aa^ the fudden ^torm doth the Marriner, and as the Devil de-
fign'd/tf^'s MefTengcrs fliould do him, in coming, one at the
Heels of another, fo unexpectedly upon him. 2. It furprifes
him at unawares, he ftands not upoji liis Guard, fo can no;
niO"re prevent it, than unwcildly Eglon^ could Ehud's deadly
vlirciift.
As -'igns and Wonders are Various, 1 • In their £»^/, ^Q, 2. In
\\\Q\t Kinds ;as, i, There are MirJCuU ^TMirandj. Many things
aice^/^^/>^f«/4, much marvelled at^, as exceeding, the common
Courfe ofprovidcnce which yet are not. Ex naiura Rei, Mird-
(hU, ofthe proper Nature of Miracles. The Jatter exceed etli'.
the Pov/er of all created Agents, but the former doth not fo,
A trae and proper Miracle is the Stopping orAltering the com-
31^011 Courfe- of Nature, and 'tis a produciiig of fome fuch ^f-
R£^s ^s do iraiiXcend Natures Law, Power, an^ Capacity ; 'tis
MX-
OflVoJidcrfid Tijnef. i :^
indeed, an Extraordinary operation cf the AJniighty Creator
in Kature, either without the Interpodtion and Concurrence
of Second Caui'es, or Above tHeir natural Capacity: In a word,
'tis the prcdudtion of Something out of Nothing, ether as to
Matter 01 as 10 Manner oi produdion , fo that the Almighty
can only work true Miracles either in himfelf or in his Ser-
vants impour'd by him.2. There are w/>^ ecu /w/r^/W/, marvelous
Works and Wonders, i. of God's Working, and i of the De-
vil's, who is Gods Ape hcreSn, and who by his Impreflion,,
which, through his Angelical Nature, he is able to ni;ike up-
on matter , can do wonderful things to cheat the blind worlds
as he did PhavAoh and the ^Egyptians by his Vailals the
Sorcerers. But he cannot work fuch a Wonder as is a Miracle.
The Lending Power will never accomniodate the Borrowing .
party with fuch a Power as maybe prejiidicial to ins own ho-
ly and glorious Berign. The only wife Creator will never gra-
tify his Creatures, nay the worfr of his Creauires,- fuch are all
Sorcerers) for any fuch end as either to obf.radt his WOilK,
or to cheat the World Hereupon duHin^ de Unit ate Fcc.'tf.cap.iG.
faith excellently , That the pretended- Miracles of his time
were cilh^z fiomcnta mtndac;um Honnnnir^ ant '^ ortcntJL jalUcium
SfiYUunm^ either the Forgeries of lying Men, or the. Portents ;
of Deceitful Devils : for a true Miracle is the work of an In-
finite Power, whether primarily or Sccoiuiarily performed -•
and hence Davd faith, That God Ohl-j doth wo;7dr,»s 'ihim^s^ \\.
1%, I 8. Indeed God (bnu lines ufeth men as moral Indruments.,
but never as natural Caufes in working Wonders, which fur-
pafs the Power of Nature. Hence alfo N.huch.idnez.z,!ir^ wIkii
God drove him from men by his owa Courtiers and fub;eds,and
fo had tam'd him, and taken him a loop or link lovver, by ma-
king' him graze among the Beads, himfelf becomes a Catho-
lick Preacher to the VVorld ; publickly proclaiming the Great
God to be the only KviiYxOz oi Si^ns and Wonders \ Ti « the
Lord only that Ihaveih them, And they are ail His, with an Em-
phufls, and n©t only So, but they are [Rab Kabbinl c>eAt^
MAT*y^
14 yyondcrpd Siguf
Manj, zwd. Mjgfjff(;€»t^ as the wordfignincs, Dm. 4. 2, 3. n,
34,37. Mark how he cnlargeth upon this point again and
again, and he calls Code's great Ads towards iiim, (in his Ex-
puhlon from his Throne ) i. SIGNS, as they did fignify Gods
Wifdom, Power and Juflice to him; and 1. VVONDE^IS,
as worthy to be Wondred at by him, when yet in the Kigh-
cft Ruffe of his Pride and Profperity, iliould havs both a Vifi-
on and Execution of his Downial from the Higheft Pinacle of
Jiis Arch Triumphant : Mark, Nebuchjiin. hereupon celebrates
God's Kingdom only, had Dlivii handled this, he had added
(as in his Htllcd Gadol, or great Gratulatory Pfalm, the i ;6.)
He doth often, His Mercy C'.dureth for ev:r^ which is the foot
and burthen of the whole Song, not as an idle tautbiogie, or
vain 'RepUitiof\ but as a mofl notable intimation of the Saints
mnfatisfiablenefs in praifmg GOD, for his never- failing mercy,
his Covenant-mercy, his fpecial mercy m CHRIST (who was
the mofl fignal Sign, ija. 7. 14.) in and by whom God only
worketh wondrous things. Pj. "Ji- 17. 18. Where David blef-
feth God, for all the forementioned Benefits by the Lord Chrift,
of whom his Son SoL msn was but a Type : hereof NebnchAd-
nczAr was Ignorant, However 'tis admirable, he could go thus
far, as to acknowledge the Lord Jehovah to be the true and
wonder-working-God, whereby he tellified his Repentance in
his admiring (as in a Rapture) the mighty and matchlcfs pow-
er of God, he was conflrained to give God the Glory of all his
wonderous Works , hence fonie think he was truly and
throughly Converted here, feeing he falls {q kindly under the
mighty hand of God, whereby (as he penitently acknowlcdg-
cthj thofegreat'^/^//j and i^'W^r/, were wrought concerning
him, that fuch a mighty Monarch (as he was) (hould be chafed
from his Kingdom, yea and from among men, and live among
brute Beafls, feeding upon Grafs as they fed (who had former-
ly fed on the choiccft fare, the chicfeft Gates and Dclicatcs x^
the World) and that for 7 long years, yea deprived of his Hu-
mane Undcrdanding all this time (oh that the proudeft Poten-
tates
Of Wonderful Times. l^
tates of tJie World, would well ponder this wondo^ful Work)
and yet after ail this,be reflored to his right J ntelU finals^ and to
his Rojal Di^mijf. How well doth he flile them Go^s great Stgm:
a:dWondirs for ]vho but God can look ufo>7 th:pyo:id ,ind bring th-.ni
low. Job 40. II, II, 13, God did abate his rridc,and abafe his
Power, to bring him to Repentance 'i ,« etoi'iiu^AA'-oyiJ.c' God hath
a mofl powerful Eye, both f©r Everfion as here, and for Convcr-
(ion as Litk. tz. 61. and here (probably) alfo. The Avhole work
being a fupernatural change (both forward and backward, out-
ward and inward) and every circumfiance (occafion, manner,
degree and time, &c.) fecming no lefs then a new Creation.
Again ;ly. The Wonders of Gods Working are cidicr Or-
dinarjot ExtrAordjyjary. a. Ordinjiry, God of ten lliews himfelF
maximum in minimis, the greateft Aruft in ih^fmalejl matters,nou
only in thxit miraculous plague oiLice (made of the Dud) upon,
the Land of JE^ypt, which fo fainted under thefc poor Vermin,
(armed with thcpower of God) tliat they were forced to cry
out. This ij the ^cry Fmzer of GOD, Exod. 5. 17, 18, 19. where-
in 'tis very Admirable to obferve how this Ad: of Omnipotent
tency in fuch bafe and vile Creatures, as are Dud ana Lice,
confounded the Impoflure and Power cf Jannes and Jambrcs,.
a Tim. 5, 8, 9. yea, and of the Devil their MaflcrJ yet the
Great God. was highly honored thereby, for, 'tis £;id> blithe
duf oft^eLiind was made Lice by Afcfes, ver. 17. then the Magi-
cians had no matter left them to try their Diabolical Arf-t upon,,
unlcfs they could create Duff, and fuppofe they had fome Duft
left them for an Experiment , yet, though they flretch'd out
their hands v.ith Rods, and did their utmoll Endeavours, They
ceuld not, verf. 1.8. 'i hey could neither Create Duft where there
was none , nor, where there was feme, convert it into Lice;
Kcither could thcfe Magicians fave their own Skins, &c.
Thus it plainly Appeareth, That the power and Providence
of God extcndeth even to the lowed and vileft things in the
Creation, and that God can, after a Miraculou? manner, foil
the Greateft power cither of Men or Devils therewith at his
Plcafure
i6
Wo7ihrfiil Signs
ricalure. And this is Gods {licwinghimfclfthc grcatell Ope-
i-ator in the lead of his Operations, and not only, I fay, in ex-
traordinary, but alfo even in ordinary Cafes : Indeed the
'-> r.iwrc;' , (he eternA Power and God he. d i's manifeft and know-
able in the whole Creation, yea in the Dccimo-Sexto's as well
as in the Great I o'io's thereof: Every Creature hath Aiqind
Dei dqne ^w alqmd N:hib\ Something of God in it as well as
fomething of Kothing; otherwife it could not be faid to be
created out of Nothing by theCrcator, and many times we Ad-
mire that there fliould be more of Art and Ad:ivity4in aDwarf,
Bee or Ant, than in a Giant, or Elephant, moft great Souls arc
Sometimes couch'd in mofl little Bodies. Amd the truth is,Truc
^md real Wonders arc God's daily work (upon which Account
they may be called Ordinary) as I (hew i\\ my Crown of a Chri-
itian, upon that Book with Three leaves(the Creation of God)
"Viz. Heaven , Earth OT Se<i, Pfal. 155.6. There be Wonders
without mmber in all thofe Three, Job 9.10. Siieh as the Wifefl
may well wonder at, and more obfcrvable than cither the moll
are aware of, or affeded with : 'Tis manifeft. That 'Jehovah
is the true and only Thaumaturgus, the great and ordinary
Wonder-worker : To omit the Wonders oi the Creation (for
which fee Pfalm 136, 4, 5,6, 7. and my little Book aforefaid
upon Meditation, pag. 1 15. to 145. and give but a Specimen,
or fmall Scantling of them : (i.) 'Tis a Wonder to be won-
dired at. How the B^nes^^row in her thxt is with chiLd.Ecclcf.ii.'),
Solomon himfclf, who was Natures Secretary, wonders at this ?
.and fo did David before him, Pfalm. 159.14. 2. The double
Motion of the Lungs, call'd Syftole and Diafiole, A\Hlof the
^(pulfc in mans Body,is a Wonder which that Famous Phy/lcian
[calen, tho an Heathen, was fo amazed with, that he would
needs offer Sacrifices to that God whom he knew not, who yet
as he fuppofed jnuft be the Original of that Wonder, 5 . The
Strength of the Nether Chap is a Wonder, whereof no man
.could ever give a Sufficient. Natural Reafon. Nor 4. of
the Heat jin the Stomach for Digcflion , of all Meats in Stic-
cum-
Of Wonderpil limes. 1 7 ^
curn & Sanguinem. into juice and Blood in a little time. Kor,
5. Of the various Colours in the Rain- bow: Nor, ^. of the
ilux and R6flux of the Se-j : Nor, 7. of the Magnctick Vir-
^tues of the Lod^J florae; to let pafs many others, that are Wotidirs
all, though ordinary : No nor 8 of this common cafe, that
C/75/ihould befor<7/^, as to keep Sr.ow (hid within it) from
melting and yet fo warm as to hallen the Ripning of Apples
which are cover d with it. Gods rvonders are rvithoiit Numbn^ But
2. Inflances more. The 9th wonder is, God's iumin^ ivater
into Wine , as his Daily V/orK 'Tis true, this is called, The
Beginning of chnp M.raclei, Joh. 1. 11. and 'twas a mighty
Miracle, yea better than that of JW<?/V.<, for, the Giver of the
Law turnd Water into S.'ocd, but the Giver of the Gofpel tum'd
Water tr.to Wr/jc ; the former could not be drank without
danger of dying, the latter was delightful to Drink, and
Jileart-Reviving: yet this Wonder of turning water intoVVinc,
'fs'~a daily work with God, as /iuguftin excellently obferveth,
^nafmuch as the Rain mater which falls upon the Root of the
Vine and nouridieth the Tree, Doth in time turn into the
Grape, The Juice, Blood or Wine is originally Water. In
the loth and lad place, Augujlin excellently alfo makcth Gods
multiplying a grain of Or;;, fown in the Earth, to 50, 60, or
100 Corns, a more miraculous wonder than Chrifts multiply-
ing the few Loves to feed 5000 pcrfons: his words are,w r-i///-
cr efl Grant in Terra multipltcatio^quiim lUa qumque farmm ^ Trad.
24. in Joh. 6. 9, 10, II. yet was that miracle of the 5 Joaves^^
exceeding marvelous, Tnafmuch as the Loaves, by a llrange
kind of Ajithmetick, were Multiplied by Divjfion, as they were
diflributed among the Multitude, and an Addition to them
was made by Suhjlra^ion: As each perfon had his piece fub-
traded from the Loaves, yet were they augmented thereby ♦.
Notwithftanding all this That Reverend Hther prefers the
common Experience of every Husband-man,thc multiplying of
one grain, as a greater wonder :
Thus, fomcthing ?nay be known of God in the whole Greati-
. on, Rom. 1. 19, and much more in Divine Providence, God
D never
1 8 Wonderful Signs
ncYttleavej ljim[clf without Wit nefs^ A[ls 14.17. ycc, Udveshe
sUmen without excufi^^,:f^^,^.:,r'r^. without any Apology, Kom^
1 . 10. for though natural light is not available to bring faJn<
Man into the Favour of God, yet it is fufficient to convince
him of Moral wickcdnefs both againft God and Man : oh then
what pity it is, that Chrift (liould flill fay , Te will not btlteve^
except je fee Signs and Wonders^ whereas men live in the very
midft of many fuch like Signs and wonders (as are the afore-
faid : d^r. yet, they come not up to fo much as amounts to an
Old Teflament Faith , of Believing tn GOD . (though a New
Teftament Faith is requifitc alfo, as Chrift faith, Te believe m
Cjcd^ ydieve alfo in Me , John 14 i. ) but are Intoxicated with
Atheifm, and live according to their Luds, as if they were all
become Drfi^z/s lools, which fay in their Hearty There is no Cod^
though they Daily fee God fufEciently fealing up his General
Goodncfs to Man, in doing him Good ^ro vilfu & amiifu^ be-
llowing upon him Daily Bread and Daily Cloathing,
a. Belides thofc Ordinary, God hath alfc his Exunaordina-
ry Wonders: The 7* /^'j«/«a n >.« ^ the very great a«d- Won^
derful Works of GOD, A^ i. 11. for,, though the Great
GOD doth limit Nature to her Common. Produds^ yet wilL
he never limit himfelf, hniW II Do whatever plenfeth him, Pfal.
IH. %- without either the Help or the Hindi-ancc of any.
^yhether it be ^'firaclfi or Marvels, or Ordtnanarj occurrences ;
As to the iirft of thofe, Ihavefpokc io largely already, and:
ihall only add, that there were never any Miracles (otrtVeight,.
MfAjure a/idNumbef (forGodds faid to do all things a"'"-^^'*^ men-
fur a & Nurnrr^) oqual to thofe in the time of theGofpcl : none
of thofc either ^r/tr^ or under the Law^ can be parraleFd with
thofe undcrthc Gofpcl,. upon; allthofe three accounts, they
are not like them for weight,, meafurc and.numkr , It may eafily
be Demonftrated how far Law-Miracles come fticrt of Goffcl
vJ<</>dr/e/, in all thefe refpecfis, Tolnftance only in tliat. one,
aforenamed iMoics indeed turned Water into Blo'jd. but the MeJJt-
mtgf,ted.:rarer:}7it^JVm,^nd,hoyv^.muchihc latter exceeds and
ex-
u/ Av onderpil Timeir. t^
txcels the former, is obvious to ercry ordinary undcrAandirig,
inafmuch as the former was made fefttfertus tht latter falutf/e- <
rous Drink : therefore the captious and carnal Jews were excee-
dingly irrationaI,in r^jedingthofc Miracles the Mfffldh wrought
amongfl: them, and requeuing feme fuch as Mofes h^d wrought
for their Forefathers (as giving them Mannd from Heaven, crc.)
Seeing thofe of the Mtffiah did far furmount thofe of M0[es both
in quuLtj and qudntitj and in fonder ofiij^ Inafmuch as that Marine
Mofcs gave their Forefathers melted, Dutrified, bred Worms,
and perifhedinthcuflng, but the MtfJiM gave himfelfthe true
Bread from Heaven, to feed them up to Everlafting Life, his
<y^n Flejh for them to eat, and hit own Bleodiot them to Drink,
a Meat and Drink that muft laft (without putrifying) fo long
as the World doth laft, Mann a was but the 7jfe , which is al-
ways the UJfer^ Chrift is the Arttityf(^ which is always the great-
er and better; If our Saviour fay of himfclf, that hcis gredter
/A/;» Solomon, MdUh. i%. 41. Wc may likewrfe fay of him,
he is^redter and hetter thdn Manna. Moreover, that which more
aggravated the Jews Contempt oichrifis perfon and his Mira-
cles, is^ that their knowledge of ^<3/<ri*s Miracles they had
upon Credit only,thcy received it by Tradition from their Fore-
fathers : But as to the Miracles of our Bleifed Meffldh^ they re-
ceived them not by Hear-fay , but were pcrfonal Eye- witnelTes
of them, therefore doth the Apoftlc Pefer, make his Solemn
Appeal to their own Knowledge and Confciences. t^^. i. 12.
So that he leaves them no liberty of doubting, for C H R IS T
was by fo many manifeft Demo nftrat ions /^/'/r<?'y^<i <?/ G O D (to
be his grand Embaflador to the World) and fliould therefore
be alfo dffrevedcfmin, efpecially ofthofe men who could fay
[Hifce oculu ejus miracuU Vidimus] we have feen with our very
Eyes, the wonderful Works which he wrought, and which ne-
ver any Man before him did Work, ^ohn 9. ; i. No not Afofes
whom they called their Maftcr, fo that even the very Stran-
gers in ferufalem did know thdt chnfl xvds mij^hty in V^'erd and Deed
(as wclldfMoks lCf.'j,M.)hth bef$rt God and before all thePeof/e^in,
D a whofr
1Q Wonderful Signs
whofe very prefence Chrifl wrought his Miracles. Luke 14. 1 8 .
19. for he did nothing tn a corner^ as Ai^. i6. i6. but before mul-
titudes of Spedators and Eye-witnelTes thereof. As to the
third, to wit , Ord/nary Occnrrenccj which Cometh to pafs
commonly and ufually by the forver of Nature ( and often
by the dexterity of Art is not my defigned Sub edin this ihorc
Difcourfe, though there be whole bundles of Wonders, even ia
the common courfeof i\r4f«r4/(if not Artificial) produdiions, as
I have hiflanced in ten particulars aforementioned, which at
this time may be fuffi ient. As to the [econd^ to wit. Marvels
(which are certain middle things, betwixt Miracles s^ndord m-
n Occurrences) ihoCe Sire the principal matter intended to be
Difcuded in this litrle Treatife (which though it belittle in its
Bulk) yet Treatethupon tlic^reat thi/j^s ofGOD. 'Tis aTheo-
logical Maxim, th^idnMncreated liberty is an Attribute of the
Divine EfTence, and this being I^fHite, (as well as Incrcated)
cannot be limitted by any of its objeds, but Ads freely and
out of his meer good pleafure, and not out of any nece/Tity of
Nature. Pf iiS- 3- Dan. j^.. 25. ^er. i^. 5.andxS. ^. &c.
Hereupon the Great God , being 2i Free Agent m^y fometimcs
ftep out of his common Road, and ordinary courfc of Provi-
dence, and io work beyond the reach o{ Nature, and above the
skill of Art, to the producing of not only A'firacles as above)
but alfo Marvels or Wonders. Thus God is Defcribed to be
one thai doth ^"fat things andunfea^chable^jea rriArvelous th.vp with^
out mimher. Job 5.9. Thus Eliphaz here fpake the Truth, con-
cerning the wonderful IV/fdom and Almighty Pomr o{ God, ^nd
Job himfelf doth readily fet his Seal to that great Truth , Joh
9-. 10. He is a God Glonous in Holtnef^ , fearful m Vrafcs, and
aoing Wonders, Exod. 15. 11. 'Tis amoft (lately Defcription of
God, cryingwho is like thee, and David crycs 2i\[o il'h'>, is a Cod
like cur [rre^t Go^, a God that dtth Wonders. Pf. -]!. i ?. 14- Sua
mirabilia fant omnimodo memorabilia, F/e m.ikah his rnarvc-
/t.vr Works, jll ivorthy to he rememhred. Pf. iii 4
In Sacred Scripture, we f^nd M.raclcs and /rarvtls or Won-
ders
Of Wonderful Timef.
2 1
ders, arc promifcuoufly taken for each other, yet are they not
convertible Terms : Ali MtracUs are indeed Marvels, but \y cz
uer\a ] on the other hand all Marvels are not Miraeles '. there is
this difference [Ex f^rte Ret ] betwixt them^ Miracles do exceed
the power of Created Agents, but Marvels do not fo, yet are
they extraordinary Produd:ions of Divine Providence, over-
ruhng Natural Agents : God isfaid to work three ways : i/.
•^ jvw according to Nature : 2/y. -^l^- ^^^^v befides Na-
ture : 3/y uV.f ;ii^f' above Nature ; but never Casfome fay) .'ir?
z^nv diredly againft Nature : The ordinary products of Pro-
vidence, ^nQ according to Nature: Extraordinary Miracles are
above Nature : and extraordinary Marvels are only kfide Nj.
lure; but fliould the Great God put forth his power againft
Nature, Nature would be deftroyed, and the Dedrudion of
Nature would be the Dcflrudion of the World, for it is as a"
round chain confiding of many links all linked one to another")
and if one of thofe links be loofed, the whole chain falls in pie-
ces and becomes ufelefs : As to thofe Marvels or Wcndfrs, which
are befide Nature ( the prefent Subjed of my Difcourfe.) A
right underflanding may be had hereof, in this manner ,• We
muftfuppofe the God of Nature is above Nature, fo can over-
rule it at his pleafure : No N.iiural Agents can poflibly A6t
without the leave o{ Supernatural Providence. The Fire cannot
burn (as in the Cafe of the 5///^, Exod. 5, i. and of the three
Nobles of ^^^y/^;?, Dan. 3. iS.) nor can the [^/z/^r drown (as
in the Cafe of the Red-Sea and o£j:ordcir.) without (as Philofo-
phy phrafcth it) a Divine concur je : God is the pr/mt/s rnotir^
and his Providence is the primum mobile of all Created thincrs'
and have their Dependency upon their Creator (both as to'^ -
tng and as to cotton and as to all things^ hCt i-. 1^. ^ s.- and
no created being can make any morion, mere thnn the Iq Jcr
Wheels can move m a Cioik ct '"f'&tch^ wirljoat rl^e JmpvJilon of
the greater Wheels thcjcof: yet f'iU wcn-i-Lifl Know, when tliis
Great Creator workerii any Atarvcls Cycn or Mirac'cs)' j-c {.ill
ho'dcth Nature ar a ^e:^ LrFerch^in lusi-.aruf cdv.l draws his
L
S
own
^^ '^yyonderpl bigns
own Models or Platforms (cither Ordinary or E^ictmrdUdry) ac-
cording to his own pleafiirc, yea *tis all one with GOD whc-
ur^^^ ^'*^^ ''^ ^^ without it, by a power that is Almghty.
Allfufficient (of it felf ) and infinitely Superior to it, for he is
under no obliging hece/Tity of being confined to ufc mture as
his Pen or Pern;!, Though this general Difcourfe hath (beyond
my expcdation) fwoln much upon my Hand, yet have I all
along )udged it neccflary to fay all that 1 have fiid, for a fuller
^xpLcaiion of my prefent Subjcd (which ought to be diftiniftly
dilcourfed) before any .^ppltcdthn can be made thereof: there-
fore to avoid any farther prolixity, I ihall (for brevity fake)
confine my felf to three Heads, ift. The Sorts. 1.7. The
Sce/te;. ^Ij. The Si'^mficittons of thofe marvelous Si^ns znd
t^ondtrs. Sec. 1. Of the Sorts or Kinds of them : u Philofo-
phy telleth us of tliree forts of St^ns : 1 ft. Such as are memora-
tive (called i^^^uiju^ ) which rccalleth fomething that is///? ,
to prefent remembrance, as the Rsin- sow is a ftanding Sign and
Monument of the pad Flood, and as that flatcly and lofty Pil>
lar. lately Ere<5lcd m^hZoadon-BridgeM a Monument (fo called)
of the late dreadful burning of London, ily. Such Si^ns as
^Q Demtnfirattve (cAlkdyy'^eArfi*) which do fhcw fomething
thai is prefent, as Smoak doth Demonftratc fomc Fire to be
V prefent. and the Bufh, that Wine is then and there to be fold,
and fuch like, as are Ordmaj ; and fo thofe Signs Extraordinury^
which accompanied the primitive Believers : Mark 16. 17. 10.
did all fignify Gods prefence co-working with them, working
wonderful Works, both in Preachers and Hearers, &c. ^ly.
Such Sifns as are PrediBive (call'd ^esyy^^'^^^ ) which prcfa-
gcth orforellieweth fomething that is Fttture, and will come to
pafs. as rednefs of the Sky, at the Evening, betokens a fair day
approaching ,♦ but in the morning the fame is a Si^n of Rain or
Wind, JU/at. i6, 3. This is proved and approved, by Univcr-
fal Experience, the probable Reafon whereof in the courfc of
Nature, may be this, the Setting-Sun carries ofF thofe red
Clouds all along with it, 4)Ut of our Horizon, into the other
He-
:i!a
Of Wonderful Times. rj
Hcmifpherc, and there difperfcth them, either to a Coofumpti-
on or to a Rainy day unto our Antipodes , but the Rifing Sun,
carries the Red Clouds up aloft along with it, in'o our Meridi-
an, and then diflblvcs them into Wind or Rain ; not unlike to
this, is that PrognoftickMonaftick of the Poet, horn the vari-
ous colour of the Firmament.
Curuleus fluvids, JDenuntM Ignttu lures. A watery Sky fore-
telleth Rain, and a red fiery Sky forcfignifics high, boiltcrous
and tempeftuous Winds. Thcfe (and fuch like) are call'd na-
tural and ordinary Prognofticks, and not at all unlawful in thcix
own nature, for CHRIST did .not reprove the Phanfcs and Sad-
duces (in Matt. i6. 5. 4.) for t'eir being wcathcr-wifc (though
it belonged not to their Profcflion) and for their difcerning the
Fkce of the Sky, concerning fair and foul Seafons, to the more
aptly ordering their fecuIar»OecafiGns, he did not blame them
for this diffolutely h\xt comparatively only ^hccpitcthcy could be
fo skilful in the Book oi Nitnre^ yet were fo unskilful in the
hook oi ScnptkTc ;. faying, certainly, you Leaders of the Peo-
ple cannot be igflorant- what the Scripture teftiiies, that the
MfJlpah ihall make the Deaf to Hear, the Dumb to Speak, tht
Dead to Livc,.^f . Such [ ftgrtd infignta ] Wonders hath been
wrought by me, as never were fcen or heard of, and ye your
felvcs cannot but acknowledg it, Johnii,j^-j. Bcfides, the
Teftimonicsi. ofAngels. 1. Of the Star. 3. Of the Dove,
4. Of my Father^ 5. Offohn Bdpfift, 6. Of the very De-
vils. Yea Tly. Of the Multitude, yet cannot ycc Difcem the
Si^ns of the rimes. Yee muft all therefore be (faith our Lord)
cither a fort of fordid forry Sots, or deep Diflemblers and Hy-
perbolical Hypocrites, or both, in feemingfo critifall to enquire
after the /iy#j/;, fo cunous to f«arch after the Truth, which:
yee arc neither C4r<'/«/ /<> i'wflw , not confctencieus to obey, \ct\
there be other Signs, which arc) b cfides thofc :Na turd and Or -
dinarj^ cycnpreternstuAal ^nd extraordinary, wliich are progno-
flicks alfo of future thiiigs. Neither is it Unlawful, tonafs a;
Gcacral Judgment, tho a Particular wfthout a Special GHu
may^
^ 4 Pf'onderful Signs
nwhs) upon them, as will be made more Diflindly manifeft
in the ^iptylicanan of the whole. Again, Thofe prognoftick or
prefciging SIGISS are Reduc'd to Three Heads, They are ei-
tJicr I. O'r.ens , or i. Mor^ficrs, or ;. Prodigies. As to the
I. to Omit all the On:ens obfcrved by the Superflitious in a
way of Divination, as, Sneezings, Valentines, Humbling upon
the Threihold in the Morning at firfl: going our, ftepping over
the Thrciliold with the left leg firft, or knocking the Knees or
Lcggs one againft another, even to a Fall, &c. The Su-
perilition whereof I hare Demonflrated inmyAntidote againd
Popcry, pag, 14, loj 8. , However pr:eams appear to be om-
n us either for, Good or for Evil, or for both, not only out of
the Plaronick, Stoick and Pythagorean Philofophers, but ajfo
out of the Scriptures as in 7'/^^/rW/s, young Si'muel.^ Daniels ^
^nd J^ofepb's Dreams, there was an C;??^;? in them all : now.
They are dthe^ !.LiNJ4^vr<i/,and fuchare very Deceitful,EccIef.
5. 7. So not to be Ivegarded unlcfs, for fuch and fuch Ends, as
Fhavq mentioned in my ■X^'eacfj-ry of the Heart\ pag. 91. i. Dia^
b'dical fuch as (fome fup'pofes ) Pilate's Wives was, whereby
the Devil might endeavour to hinder the Wcfk of our Redem-
ption 5, Divine Dreams, which fometimc be doubled, and fo do
jiiakea deep impre/Ilon,as^hat of Fharaoh,&c. Gen.^i.i,^.&c.
Thus 'tis faid, God came to ^^jhjmelech in a Drean?, Gen. 10. 5.
This was frequent under all the Old Teflament, and at the
beginning of the New : but now fince God has fpoke his Will,
in his Word, to us by his Son, Hebr. i, i. 1. We mufl not now
expect any fscw Kcvelatibn about, any DivineTruth from God
\n Dreams: yet polhbly God niay communicate fome Infor-
mation about Humane Events to his Godly Servants by Breams :
Jnflance Mohica's Dream concerning her Son Au^ujim while he
Wis a Mamcke, That her Son ilipuy return to the true Faith
of his Mother, . which i]ie conllrucd^as' a good Omen , and ac--
cordingly the Lord heard her Prayers and Tears for him, and
caufed him to return : There be fundry others in Ec-clefiafli-
cai Hiilory which I pafs-by,and pitch only upon blefTcd Parens .
Dream, J,
Of IVonderfulTimes. 25
Dream, related by his Son rkilip writing his Fathers Life, as a
Preface to his Comments. Saying this, / dreamed w the year
1618. (The very year of a great Comets appearing,") that J (au>
all Hildebcrg in a thick Smoak^ bttt the Princes Paliacc all on a light
fire : Hereupon I Prdjed, oh tvoJI merciful GOD ! divert f rem us this
moll fad Omrn, andfave thy Sarepta from th^fe DefaUtions by the E-
nemy^ hoth mthm and without. Thus the Good man dreamM,and
thus he pray*d, but the Decree was gon forth, and Hiortly af-
ter executed acccording to his Dream. Yet this is a moil
certain Truth, That all Dreams are not fignificant, much lefs
have any thing Divine in them : Therefore 'tis not only Fol-
ly but iniquity alfo to put fuch an Univerfal Strefs upon them,
as if God al way es warn us in and by them concerning future
Events : This is not only Vain Curiofity.to fearch^into Secrets,
but alfo a Sjnful Superftition.
The Second Predictive Sign are Monjlers, fo called a monftrdK-
ho^ becaufe they do premonftrate fome future Events, though
it be not every ones part to aflign them in particular ; as be-
fore the Dcftrudion of Jerufa.'cm, a Cow did bring forth a
Lamb ; the Deflrudion of the City was prefagM by it,crf. Phi-
lofophcrs telleth us, That there are no Moi^flcrs properly
among i lants, but only among Animals, and among them,
'Tis not barely Excefs, as in Gyants, or Defed of Quantity, as
in Pygmeci) that make a Monfier : but when the Animal doth
fo much vary from the Right Difpofition of its own Kind, as
to make it either Horrible or Mifcrablc , then 'tis a Monfier.
Thofe Animals arc Monflers,that have two Heads and but one
Heart, which is the Fountain of Life : this makes but one
Animal, yet Monflrous ; but. If there be two hearts as well
as Two Heads, This make 2 Monllrous Animals, for iw fuch
'tis obferved, when the one fleeps, the other can wake, when
the one laughs, the other can weep, when the one Dyeth, the
other may over- live, 2iS Buchanan cMtiytih^ Rcr. Scot- lib.;.
Some, indeed, do make thofe excefTes and Defeds of Nature
Cmcntioaed, Lev. 11. 17, to 13.) monflrous marks of Difgrace,
E as
q6^ Wonderful Signr
^s ifNamre had Set her black Brand 02"" Difgrace upon them ,
and as if thofe monllrous Deformities of c>he uody did Demon-
llrate the likeDefe(3:s and Deformities in the Sotd: 'Tis true,
concerning thofe that are crook'd-back'd(\vhich is one of thofe
brands of ISamre mentioned in Lcvit. ai.) Hmarch faith, They
do [Nemcp/f proprtam parurt'] carry upon their Backs tJjeir owa
Deflinies , and lo, indeed , our crook-back'd Richard did, &c.
But the Tendcrnefs of God in the LeviticaJ Law, towards fuch^
is very obfervable, that tho none fuch muft be admitted to of^
fcr up fire- offerings to the Lord, led 'hc^ IhonU pol/ute Go^s San^
<^-*<;rv,. both as they were to be Types of a Comely Chrifl, Pf7
45.5 and Cant. 5.10. &c. and**as they lliould be better than
their Sacrifices, which were to have no bjemilh, Levir. ii.
ao. The Offerer muft be no moie blemilhed than
the Offering, yet might thc^ edt the Bread of their G^^. Lcvir,
2-2. 22.. which lliews us. That our inv itntary weaknefJes' fhall
notDebarr us of the Seals and Benefits ofChrift: Bat the
other Priefls for Voluntary Uncleanncfs w/?re Dcpriv'd of tlia«
Priviledgc which the Deformed ones (wherein they were nor
biamabJe) had AdmifTion unto, Levit, 22. 3. yea further, Thd
Scripture teiJeth uSy Tliat Halting facoh was true heartcd,tluc
Blear eyed Z^/^^ was both fruitful and faithful, Stammering
Mofes was the meekeft man upon Earth, and MephihofJ^^th tho
^jhc was/.jwf, yet was he loyal, &c. as if the God. of Nature
Uid commonly compenfate awd Rccompence all the Defeds of
n{\Q Bodj^ with a better and more bleffed SurplulTage in the
ShL : But to pafs-by all the Defed:s in Nature, and Speak
only of the Ext;(f, .which Philofophy phancyeth caniK)tmake
a Manfler, Seeing 'tis no more than the Highcft Vigour of Na-
ture, wherein fhe cxertcth licr utmoft iirength for producing;
of Gfa»ts^ yet thofe prodigious mighty men , tlic Scripture
mentions, Gen; 6. 4. Numb.i 5. 28, 9;. Deut. i 18. and ^f. u,
Amos- 2.9,. &c. were probably Mdnfiers , being both monllrous
in their Manners, and in their Mightinefs : Some as tall asi .
Oaks and Cedars, Amos 2. 9 and one of thsm, I'iz. o^^ was fo
foa/Ty, that a Bed of wood was not flrong enough to bear the 1
_. yaaJ
OfV/onderful Timef. ^
Vafl Weight of Lis overgrown Body in turning himfelf upoti
it, but he muft have a Bed-flead of Iron, and that too, that it
might be a^ a juft Proportion to his Bulky Body, mult be fif-
teen foot, that is, five yards eight Inches Jong and fevcn foot
broad, D^ut. ;. ii. yea fo great fome of them were, that the
Greatnefs of the great -God himfelf is afcribcd to them, com-
pare Numb, i;. 55. with Ifai 40. ii. where other men were
faidto ^^ as Grafl?opppers, poor,Jow, contemptibJe things in com-
parifon of thofe Morftrous Gyantj^ as well .is in comparifon
of the Mtrhfy God,
So that Theology (more noble than Philofophy) doubteth
not to call that Race of Rephaims Monftcrs , fuch as ^reat Goli-
4ih^ who could not only bear and wear Weapons which (at the
leafl) weighed above two hundred pounds weight, and walk
" with them, but he was able to weild them and 10 War with
them. r. Sam. 17. 4, 5, 6, 7. Oh what a prodigious Mnnfier
was this W4;7, Arm'd Cap-a-pee, and/;?/;^/;?^ in the Field like a
whole wa/kh^ Armory. However that Gyant (call'd [i/h midda^"]
a man of mighty meafore) having twenty j cur Fingers andTces.
2. Sam. 21. 20. i.Chron. 10. 25. may well enough be dee-
med a MonHer among men, yet notwithftanding thofe two
mighty Monflers aforenamed went into the Field like Thunder
and Lightning (defying the God of l^rul) they went off (both
of them) like footy fmoak, and ftinking Snufl' : Now the God
of Nature never fent any of thcfe mighty Monfiers into the
World, in thofe ancient times, but it was to pnnwKftrate that
much Rapine, Violence, Arbitrary OpprefTion and Tyranny
fliould be perpetrated by them amongfl: men, as Nimrod ^ that
mt^hty ane or Gyant (according to the Greek) th^t^f apt: fire, or
Grand Rebel (asHebr. ^mrrd figniRcs) and that firft Babcl-
builder, was a crafty and cruel Hunter (not fo much of Bcafls
as) of mcn,whom he facrificed to hisLuftsJie was the firft whu
(after theHood)fet up anArbitrary and Violent Domination o-
verMcn (purfuing thofe that would not fubmit to his Tyran-
niCiilYoakj with r.o more pitty than Hunters llic-iV to Bcaiis,
El which
28 Wonderful Sigtu
which they Hunt for their Pot or Spit : Hereupon Tyranny-
is in Scripture alluded to Hunting. y^er.i€. 1 6. Lam. ^. i8
Mariners in magnitude prove moitly Monflers in manners too,
this Ntmrod who \y^s a Rebel to God his Superior (as his name
flgnifies) was alfo a Tjrmt to Men that were his Inferiour.f^
havcing a Beffith/e not a Genuine greatnefs : and though our
prefent Times doth not produce iiich litter al Monshrs^ as the
ancient Times did, yet (God knows) we have too many myfli-
^-.i/and moral MoKJiers^ both Infer ionrs who become Monjlers m
/ni(]uity^ (none [nch Sinmrs and matchlefs among men) and Supe-
rhur sv^ho become Men flers w Tyranny^ grinding the Faces of
thcif poor people,both thofe forts of Monllers do premonflrate
the Judgments of God againft them, they arc link't together :
but above all, the greateft Monfter^ that this day affbrdcth is
that Behemoth, that Beaft of Beafls, the /,nttchrft who may
wellbecall'da i^rc;?/?'^ (according to the I hilofophers definiti-
on of it ) A Monfier (faith he) ejt fece^tum nasune, &c. A Tranf-
greffion of Is ature, wherein flrange Members in the Body, and
Strange qualities in the Mind, are produced and expofecl to o-
pen view: how well this doth [^.juadrare] and accordeth with the
Komifli Bead, appearethby confidering two Scriptures. Dart. 7.
7. and Revel. 1%. ^. &c.) 1 ''. Daniels 4th. Beaft (which was the
Roman Power (is not likened to any certain Beaft (as the other
th ree aforementioned are) becaufe no particular Beaft (amongft
the moft favage the World bringeth forth) can be named fo
cruel and fo monftrous as to exprefs the Cruelty and Mon-
ilroufnefs of that fourth Monarchy, no not, although it were
/ff^?«ji A m ui 07- <£•« A «4<«i'7«Aji> Q ; / aj ^s H. W(r faith,a Lion before,
a Dragon behind, and in the midft a Chimera : *tis therefore a
rjameltfs Mor/fier^ made up of all the curfed properties of the
forcnamcd Beaft s: This i^fw/Hs faid to be diver je from all the
Beafls, not only for its monflrous*cjHalities jn tie mind (having all
and more of all the other Beaft s) but alfo for its monfirous ^wtm-
bers in the Bodj\ Defcribed by D/iniel^ and aly. by john. Revel.
I ; . 1 . 2.11. Having 7 Heads (to Pkt with) and i o ffcrm (tota
pa
Of Wonderfhl Times. 1 9
fujh with) the Feet of a Bear, and the ^'fcuth cf a Ljon, Himjdf
like a Lecpard^ ^Vid.l}iQ Br agon giving hm Power ^ as ii all Mon-
Urous Immanity were met together in him ; This is the W4^ of
Sw, and the mighty Monflir of prefent times,which dcth plain-
ly premonfi rate, nothing can be exped^ed but Barbarous and
Savage Out-rages, until chnjt (our true Hercules) ccme to cut
off all the Hfads of this Ler^ean Monfler, and his Carpenters
com? to favv oiTallhis Horns. This is that A'v'Z, ^. Chron, 2?,
12. This is that Nimrod (or Rebel againfl Chrifl, even Ant;-
chnff) of our Day, zhztwighty Hrtmer (even of the Lives and
Souls of men) before the Lord, who dare Hunt thus , in fpight
of an All-feeing God, who beholdeth all his bold, boiflerous
and brutilh Huntings, Ezod. 3. 7. This is that myfiiry of /w-
^ttity, and mother of Ha? lots, that has made fo many Kings of the
Earth drunk, with the Intoxicating Cup, of her (b th of cor-
poral and fpiritual) Fornications. I have fometimes wondrcd
why Sir tdx9<rdCook (thatlkenous Lawyer and Lord judge)
ufed to call Royal "Prerogative, a mighty Mor>fler, and I cannot
tell how to put a founder fcnfe ^n it, than by Interpreting his
Words thus; Th^ii Popery in all Kings and Kingdoms brings
forth Tyranny^ ^^ yJ-<<" x-'of^y-i yj. ^p &> ■■ Evil Bird, Evil Egg, as is the
Mother fo is the Daughter ; This Monflrous B".^(i brings forth
moft Monllrous Bhths : no doubt but there is a juft Prerogative
Cwell butted and bounded) belonging to Kings, yet may it be
faid of it, as Katuralifls fay of the Dragon [ ferpen^ ferpentes iq.
randofi Drart ] as when an overgrown Serpent hath devoured
other Serpents, that are lefler and below him, thereby he be-
corns a Dragon. So when Royal Prerogative hath fwallowcd
both Priv;led7e of Parliaments and Liberty or Property of Suhjecis^
then doth it Degenerate into a yr Anntc.il Monjler^ and this is
evident in ■ opilh Kingdoms, where the King is called a Km- of
A([es, their Subjcds being as fo many Vaffals, Peafants, and fil-
ly AfTes, t arntly con chi-g down u^ider every fytirdcn that an unlimi-
ted Prerogative Impofcth on them : As that Crea-ure is com-
monly Reputed a //^(^/fr wherein the common Rules of ISa-
tute
2 Wonderful Signs
ture (which never intendethanymonftrous thing) arc prevari-
cated : fo this Prerogatinjc ( that Sage Judge ib Styleth ) may
".veil be accounted a /Uionfltr^ when there is any notorious pre-
varication from tJie known Fundamental Laws of the Land
there y, when all Law becomes fwaliowed up with an Abfo-
•Jute and Arbitrary Domination, and when no rule is obferved
therein, but Stc VqIo fie fuheo.fi. it pro rat tone voiurfta<. And quod
libct ^ licet which are the Propofals of Popifli Farafites to PopiQi
Frinces, Thus one xio^fiet begets and brings forth another in
its owii Monllrous likenefs. The beaftly ReHgion of that
Monllroas Bcall of ySd:?»^ , both begets and brings forth Mon-
llrous Tyranny, changing Dne^rero-rative into a true Aionfier.
God Almighty blefs this poor Land from all fuch Prerogativc-
MonOers, which have fo long infcfled E'lrcfe : Though Ajfrici
Ijath been ahvays accounted famous for affording mo^*M.cn-
ficrr^ according to that old Adage [ Africa [empsr diqutd nov't feu
C^ronfiya -^ffert] and I find this Story in Record, That in .ifrica
near Nilus were found a few Mice, only one half made up. Na-
ture was there taken in the very Kick; ho^w ihe was prevented
from perfecting her Work 1 know not, yet this (faith my Au-
thor) I know, ilie had wrought Life in the foreparts thereof
(Head and Brcaft' but the hinder parts flill remainedunform'd,
unquickncd,llill abiding in \he faihion of a little lump otEarth,
and fo ilie kit them ,• but by the Prcmifes it appeareth that
Europe as Well as Africa aboundeth with Monflers , and net fo
much with monfirous ^iiceivhich marr the La>^d,^s i. Sam. 6.5,
Or as / ///n writes, with fuch Mice which drove out the Inha-
bitants out of TroM and th^ Illand Gy^rt^^. Pliny lib. 8. caf, aS.
and 10. and 10. cap,6$.6S. "Nor with fuch Mfce as Speed in
£ffex mentioncth in the year 1 5 8 1 . (juft an hundred years ago)
which came in a great Army and over- ran the Marlhes of Z)e^-
^y Hundred, near unto .^fl«r/; Minfler^ iliearing the Grafe to the
very roots, and fo tainted the fame with their venomous Teeth
that a great Murrain fell upon their Cattel that gra7cd there-
on. Alas EHroi>e is now Infellcd not only with Land Marring
Mice
-.ua
Of Wonder fnl Times. gi
Ji'/iui? (which threatneth both a Famine cf Bf^dJ^^nd a Famine of
the Wcrdwo^ Amos. 8. 1 1.) bur alfo with monfirous and Land-
marring Bealls, fnch as are butting puihing Rams and fiinking
n'3iV\iiy Gouts ^ Ezek. 34. 17. 18. 19, io. to wit, the Popifli
Clergy, vvho eat up the Beit, and beat down the refl, with their
foul ircct, and for wholefom, obtrude Bra ki ill water upon men,
to quench theirThiril:,muzling and milleading fome filly Souls,
to ieed upon Traditions, lying Legends, cheating Indulgences,
vowed I ilgrimages, hard Fennances, &€. They are glad to eat
fuch as they can catch, but other more enlightned Souls as-
cannot truch^ tafl wot hand e with them, thej ih uft rvith the fidc^ .
and with the Ihonl 'Cr^ v. ii. atod pujl) them with thsir Horns of Ex-
communications and Perfecutions, unttl thej have fi Altered them
ahro.id. They force them out of the FoU^ F'o.k, and Pafiure oii
Gods Ordinances, adminiflred in power and purity : in fuch a
cafe :vhat can the rughtents do f Pf. 18.3. They are not able to
abide the pulliings of thofc MonftrouS Z?^/^/^, they muft either
Fi) or Dy^ they have not a Third for their choice, oh ptay,
thatChrift (tJic good Shepard) may come and \ave his Flock
from being n P/ey to thofe Monilefs, and to Judfc between Cattle
ank Cattle, and to CAufe thofe unclean Btajts to ceafe out of this Land,
and other La^ds in Europe -v,%:i to a^. The Lion N^ro, and
other Slaughter-Slaves of Ssltaft, airuredly ihall not worry
Gods Flock for ever. Tis Gods promife / will caufe the unclean
S^trtt (of the monilrous Bcaft) to pufs vut of the Land, Zcch. i ;.
a. But what a deadly Bite,t1;iis deadly Beafl: may give at . paf-^
fing and parting we'know not,w(7r///j Befli^ mor't'-'nndAfintmaxi"
mc mortifert^ the good L©rd give Us a" good Delivbrancc from •
the laft J3ite. The third Predid:ive Sign or Wonder, is froit^^i-
es frodigum, ^mo, Etyraologizeth (\na^ pedtcinrn^ bccaufe 'tiS*
predi^ivc and prognofticatiiig : others c[mfi fano ai^endufn-'.
[mofe-and further: to do] as a tfodigy poncnds.God h^th fome .
m&re and furtbcr.gt'.ea W»rk to do in the World : in Greek ^tiS€aI> ■
Jed 7i^y< ;\ 7?i« terrer; becaufc a Prodigy is an. affrightful pro-
fped. In. Hebrew 'tis called [Mophcth] a f-aftph Sfendrntjulftt^^.
5 2 Wonderful Signs
J I laxity becaufc Prodigies (efpecially thofe in the Heavens) have
a fhining fpcndour, which do dane the Eyes of beholders, and
oft Afloiiiiheth their Minds with their fparkling and Hiiniug
Luftre. The word [Mopheth] Djut.i^.i. IsTranflated po^-
te.ttum(ij'da Indicat quid porro tendatur, bccaufe it portends feme
further tendency of Providence) though there it be ufed forfal-
Jacious Wonders, which the Devil (by ^-anrjes and Jambres)
wrought, through Gods permiirion,for the further hardning of
Ph,iroih\ Heart. True Portents, Prodigies, or Wonders Cthac
do exceed the common courfe of Nature) are always Gods
Seals, which he never fcts on for confirming an untruth : they
have (in the general) a perfwading power to believe, and
prompting us to awake out of our lazy flumbers; hence one
wittily compares Prodipcs expofed to View, unto a Mufitians
firft flrokes upon his Inflrument, to try in what tunc it is : and
then he puts forth his moil excellent dexterity in playing over
fundry choice LeiTons, with moll melodious and Ravifhing Mu-
fick : Thus when the great God doth expofc his wonderful
*Prodt7ki unto Publick view, and the knowledge of Mankind, it
plainly portends that he therein is tuning his Inflrument, (as
he is the chief Muritian,according to DivtAs Dedication to ma-
ny of his Plalms) andth.it he is about to play over fomc emi-
nent A(5ls of Providence (which he will mannage throughout
with moil excellent skill) upon the Stage of the World, even
fuch curious LeiTons , (though confiding of Difcords) which
may prove fad cordoliunis to the Wicked, yet fweet Cordials
to the Godly. ' :.:. v >'- 1 •
The fecond particular in this General Difcourfe, istfie Scent
whereon the great God fhcws his marvelous Signs ^ndlVoftdcrSy
and where they have their extraordinary fcituation : whereof
we cannot have a better account from any better Hand, than
from the fweet fmger of Ifracl P(i ^5-6. Where after he had
declared, i. Gods Goodne[s,v. 3. Then ^. Gods Greatr?e[s, v. 5.
Yea grtiLtfr than all Gods- either Deputed (as Magiflrates, Pf. 8 a.
1. 6.) Orifr/'«;r^asId©lsPr n5 4- x.Cor. 8.4. He comes
to
Of Wonderful Times. 5 3
to declare what a raoft free Agent, this gocd zv^dgrent Cod is. v.
6. Dcino^ nhatever pleafeth h.m, whereby he confuteth three
forts of the Truths Adverfaries : i/?. The ^toicks that bind
Gods Almighty Hands, under a Fatal necc/rity,as if God could
do nothing biit as fecond Caufes do move and oblige him :
a. The Epfcur(a'Js, who dotingly Dream, that God (called
Ac^tts punfftmis) is altogether Idlc,{!tting in Heaven at his own
eafc, and altogether unconcerned with the Affairs of this low-
er World which (they fay are m:inaged by chance and fortune ',
5. The Ethmcks, who confefs God to be concerned in the great-
cfl matters of this lowcrmofi World, but not with the kaft of
^cm, fr*ying, ""
Ncn vacat exiguis Rebus Adc^e ^ov'i.
^ove is not at leifure to be prcfent at fmall matters.
Djvid here doth Demonflrate the groffncfs of all thofe three
miftakcs ; faying,God is always at work, as John 5.17. and he
works freely what he pleafeth.P/.i i f .^.and under no Co.^ftramt
or Rejlraint^ no fecond caufe can either help him or Uhder him,e-
ven the feeming Impediments he ovcr-ruleth,and making them
ferviccable to his own irrefiftible Will ; as vhaorah's Daughter
is made to freferve Mofes, who was to Defrcy Pharouh's King-
dom, 'Cf'r. And la(ily,he nameth the three grand Stages or Thea-
ters whereon God wcrketh what he n-tileth , both his Ordinary
and extraordinary works, to wii, Heaven Earth and Sea,x.hc great
God is concern'd in all things that come to pafs in all thele 5
parts of the vifible World : This leads me from ihc Ger.era to
a /<jr//V»/4r Difcourfe of thofe mighty ^;^;?/, Wen Jen and /'ro-
af/^/Vj, which ths great God hath very'latcly fliewn to the
. World, upon all thofe three Scenti or S a^es. And £rll in the
Heavens^ this Mighty God ( ' ehbvah not "^ove or Jupier) is de-
clared to be the uaker cfail Meieors Jcrcm. ic. i ;. IT. i ;5^."9.
whether they be Fiery, Airy, or Watery, and u j;cther they I e
Ordina)) or Extraordiriary. i. Grdir'ar'\ 'tis lie threat Gi d
that caiffcth V>^^o rs to fifccr^dficm the ends ij ths Earth. FT. 135.
F 7. and
^^ Wonderful Signs'
7. And Jcretn. 10. I^ Thofe Vapours the Sun, Moon and
Stars exhaleth out of the Eanh and Sea (^by the Ordinance of
the Creator) whereon thofe ufual Meteors (as clouds either
with Rain or without. Thunders and: the Rainbo^v &c ) are made.
as on their proper matter : This may be exempHiied in the ///-
lie World {Man) in whom Vapours are experienced to /^/cf*^ up .
firom below unto the Brain, and from thence again do Defeend
inaDefluxion of Rheum down upon the Lungs, &c\ Thus it-
ism.th&GrcAt World, p-S to the firfl common Meteor, to wit.
Clouds, which are moid Vapours dra ' n up (as is aforefaid) in-
to the middle Region, where being, by the coldnefs thereof,
condenfed and congealed, .they fo continue there, until by the
warmth of the Sun they come to be diffolved. and turn'd into
Rain. Zanch.deOpr.^Dit. lib. -i,. caf. 6. f.ig. %%i. Hereupon
they are called, c*^/ (7 W^;r-/'e/ for watering Plants, where-
with he duly watcreth, the wide Garden of the World. Now
thiSi though Common, is one of Gods mighty Sig^.s OLXidWox-^
ders, that he fhould ^/«^ up fuch a vaft Keighi of water m bis^
Cloud<, which are nothing but Vapours knir together , and fo
are VelfeJs much thinner than the Liquor: contained in them,
'tis a mighty ^ ondct\ thatike Cloudi are not rent under tkm. Job.
16. 8 . And fo to caufe a Cataclyfme (or water Spouts, as Mat? -
riners call them) to drown not-only Ships at: Sea, but alfo the
whole Ghhe of the Earth. This wonderful work of God , (that .
fiiich a MafTy weight oi VV^ater, fliould be confin'd to a thin
Cloud, as if a ftrong man Ihould be conjur'd into afiender Cot»-
web, and there be kept Nolens Fde-s) If well weighed,
would be fufficient to convince the greatefl Atheift in the
World, of an Omnipotent Deity : no meer man can fpread a-
ioft the thinned Curtain [ ahfqm fttlcns ] without fome folid^
thing to uphold it. Yet the great God /jfrf^^^r//; thofe thia-
Curtains f the Clouds) over the whole Face of the Firmament,
9''^'^. a 5 . 9.- %6. 29. fach as haive great Hoods ^(?«^^/r^, fome-
times//* thep3^ as in a Garment, Prov. ;o. 4. Yet have they no-
ihing tuvthe.ftuid Air tg fqHajn ihcm- there be.dfo clouds
mish*'
Of Wonderful Times. 5^
n^i hf)ut water (as well as b>//^) which feetn to carry the Je/s
V Vonder in them : yet if we Confidcr, that all Ciouds arc
Goas ^f utiles (as Zxnchj, that Divine Philofophcr calleth them)
whi hare in tiaie filled with the waters that arc above the
Firmament, and the true reafon, why fome Clouds do Rain up-
on the Earth, and others doe not, is, becaufe God doth not
fqueeze all thofe Spunges with his mighty Hand ; and thus
God faith,I will command thcClouds toRainnoRain upon this
or that place. 7/^.5. 7. Thofe are Clouds without Eain.?roy.i$. 14.
For God preffeth them not, and thofe which God fqueezeth (as
man doth a Spunge,) he doth it not with all his might, but
gently, that they may moderately drop upon the Earth to re-
/relh it, but not to Rntne it, as was done to the Old World,
when God opened the Catarad^S of Heaven and wrung thofe
Spunges hard upon them : the Confideration hereof ihould
hritig man to the knowledge of the Potver^ Wifdom and Gojdnefs
of Cod, Rom. I. 19. J^ob. ;«. :?7. Jer. 5. ai. The fecdnd
common Meteot is Thunder^ &c. This is alfo Wonderful^ that Fjre
and Water ^ (liould mingle in one Cloud, and that Hard Steams ''ac-
cording to the vulgar Opinion) fliould come out of themidft of
thin Fitpours. Thefe are iVonderj in Nature far beyond Humane
Apprchenfion, that one and the fame clond lliould one while be
an Aer-i Se,i^ to powr down a whole Tide of Water, and ano*
rhcr while, (even immediately) be as fome Aer-^ Furnace, which
fcattercth abroad flaflics of Fire, into all parts of the Eartlx,
adonifhing tlie World with the dreadful noife of tliat Erupti-
on, and that God fhould fetch Firi out of the midfl of Water ^
and hard Thunderbolts out of the niidil of fuch a foft Exhalati-
on as a Cloud is: H^c funt fa^je Trem ndt, atque adm r,\r)da,\\o icfs
to be Dreaded than Admired : The tl:iird common Wonder in Na-
ture i-s the Rain-Eoiv, fixed upon a watery Cloud, by the Refic-
d:ion of the Sun upon it. This is fuch a wonderful work of
God, that the very Heathens feigned it to be the Daught-
er ot Jhaumar/itas which fignifics Wonderment. This is a
Work top-full of WoiidcjTS, witnefs 1,/?. Th-e beautiful Fo'tn
i 1 >i)iiid
^6 Wonderful Signs-
and FA^:m of it, -a Scmi-Circle,the ends whereof were never fecn
by any Mortal, but as 'tis terminated; by the Horjfon. ily. The
Tarious CoLursiiC2itncth. exceeding the fplendour and lively-
nefs of the deeped Dye in the World) which have (asfome con-
ceive) their various Significations, as the two grand Deftrucfli-
onscf the Old IVorU^ and of this Nc-n^ by Wuitr and by Ftre^
the watery colour of the RjihBow fignif^j ing the former, and its
fiery colour the latter. 5 /y. The fevcral Prognofiicks of it, ac^
ccraing tO'6'rd/^e-,faYing,a morning Rdin-Uu portends Rain,bLit
an.evening one, fair weather. 4. The 5^j^f of it, being that
of a Biw (therefore called the R at ?.-hiv) which yet never ihoot-
cth any man, unlefs itbewith .iclmjrauo/i. Dea^h!,&cc. 5. The.
p€jlur( of it, the Bc/:t oftheEowis from xhcEayih and towards-
Heavrr?, as if n An VvXre ihooting at God^ and not God at tn^m
This Bow with both ends downwards and its back to Heaven,
mufl needs be \_ri!.n:ii^ fje^rtsir lerenuatu^ 2in Emblem of
leace, and a mclTengerof Mercy to mankind, for hethat (lioot-
cth holdeth the hack of his Bow always from him, and this*
may be the Signif cation of its third (to wit Green) colour,
that is, the meicifui prefcrvation of the World, becvYixt thole-
two grand Defirudiions- of it, fignihed by its watery and fiery
colours aforefaid. 6 y. l^hQunreo-dt -efs of it, -^s to any Execu^
tion of Divine Difplcafurc, DavJ faith, ^oi hdth h.m his Bon\
andmadc his Mrrow Te^d\ IT. 7 11. I ;. But here, though the
Bow feem bent, yet we fee no String, neither do vvc either read
of (as .^m^m/^ well cbferveth) or behold any ^rr^iri^ ordained
for thiS Bow : If he doth fo at any time, 'tis, '■ as the pfdlmtft
i\\tit tells us) ag: infl Ferfecntcrs^ and not agajnft his-. ^'eople i
The time would fail me. to fpeak of the Wmd, both Tempeliu-^
ous and Whirlwinds (whereof I have fpokefomcthing of it
i2>4ny Cruvn of a ch'^iflir-r:^ in Chapter of Meditation) and of- o-
diier /i^f^f^//, in the^lirmamcnt, that are ordinary proda6ts of'
]^atur'\ytt A^fdrveloHS WorJns m !^ature , as tO' mans Capacity
and Apprehenfions ; It fliall fufficc to fay only this in G</itral
ajtithis time, which is no lefs aiignal and fingular iVondcr, that-
out
Of JJ o?iderfm Times. 5-7
outof one and the fame equal matter 'to vvir, out of thofe fame
Favour s^ which are exhaled out of the Earth and iVater) fo ma-
ny feveral and differing A-ie'eors (hould be engendrcd by the Al-
mighty Power, and unfearchable VVifdomofGod.
Come w^e now to thofe that are ExtrA(rdtnary, and confine
our felves to this paltycar (i6So.) only which God hath made
^;?;?;.w ^t/.rw^/Z.fc?, a wonderful ) ear, as he did that pad year
(1660) aifo. How thofe two famous years run in Paralel
lines, and yet how thztCfr^grmiy hath alfo its D:fpjrjtv^ is made
manifeflin the Apphcation ; The ifL Sign from Heaven or tro-
Mil in the Heavens that this Wonder-working God Ihewed to
the World, was according (to my now modeJl'd method that
prodigious Ccmer, or B]a2mg-iiar, feen all over Eurofp ^ upon
which I have Publifbed, (for publick good) a little fiitcht Book
of three Hicctss Entitukd, A 1 hilofophical and Divine
D.jcourje Blazoning upon this BLiz,^m-siar ^ unto which,,
I mud here refer the Reader, for a difiindt difcerning of
the Pro:/ uSf'^ Form^ CvUur^ .Motion. Scnw.tio^^ and Si(^n,fcat;on or
PrcbahU Pro^noflicks, &C-. Thereunto Ucte adding this little
fupplement, at this time : This laft Comet (in theyear loSo.)
was {o prodigious, that the }il<^e hath' not been Icen (forJength
and breadth ofits Train) this 8 co years I have confulted o-
/;/«r/^f;''s-Epicemc of the Centuries, who indeed) m^ntioneih a .
Comet of an unufual magnitude, a]ittlc before the DeathofCc^r-
(Im'int x.\\e€rcAt^ which (he faith) was cxpofcu to publick view,
['4»f/ tnr.cipis < bifum I)cftr/iaf\i'] as a Prognflojck .of the period
of fo great and ^o good a ] rincc, Cor. 4. . / /A. r. Cuf. i). /w.
214. And the fame Author tells of rinorhcr^Cr^y^^', of "a prodi-
gious greatnefs, {hooting his DreadiuPRa^s above the City
ConfUnt.rioplc^ and reaching almoit (as he faith) ii"0iii Heaven -
to that City, which was (as he addcth) to give warning
of Gajan \\\t Scy.hiun and Arriaii'5 Dcfign to fa.thsr' gfcau
City on Hre, yet through the goodncfs of God (at ,thb pay';..
ers of iiis-l eople in it, that Heihih Mot (Jis he.fayrh)\\'as lli'oli^
gracioully prevented) and that by an- ^./^;.7. //,-,,, ,.- ,:,>.//,■•''/ ..;'
3 5 yyonder^nl brgns
•^ngch, which terri/ied this Curfed Arian, from his burning
projed:. See Cm. 5. Z;^. i. Cap ic). Pag. ^c^. I would to
^God the fame mercy may be flic wn to Lo}7Jo»^ for the prayers of
many in it (7^;;. 18. p. /^^ 65. g. The fame Author al-
io telleth of another Comet, in the 6th. Century, which did por-
tend the Overthrow of the Metropolis of cihcia by an Earth-
quake, and much more mifchief done in the Eaft. Cent. C. Lib,
T. Cap. 34. and of a nether Horrible one of an unufual Longi'
tude in 5f?////W^?? the Emperors time, which fore-ran that hor-
rible Butchery the Hnmn made over moft of Europe. Cent. 6
Ltb %, cap.<). in the year 5 57. after Ghrift. But I do not
find (in ray Reading^ any fuch prodigious Comet {^is to itsTrain)
lave only that one which was the fore-runner of the Turkifh
Monarchy in the 6th. Century, and who knows, but this para-
lei Blaze may likevvife prefage the Approach of the fifth Mo-
narchy of our Dear Redeemer, who will (fooner or later) take
to himjelf his great poivsr and Reigr?, Rev. 11.17. He will certain-
ly i)/z//Vf /^^//;^/7nv>/j //;<?/r<7;?f, Ifa. Jv II. He will not al-
ways be an underling in the World, but will put m for his part
which his Father gave him. P/ 2. 8. in defpight of a ftrong
'Turk, flrong Pope, and llrong Totemates, and a ftrong Dc"i//7,(who
is the Mailer of them all) for his Father will make all his Sons
Foes his Footllool. 'I'f.iio. i. and c^r^f//;. n. 44. He will
put down all power that is oppofite to the power of this T'rtme
ofclofj. I. Cor. 15. 14. and put them (who now Creft it high
againft Chrifl) into the fitteft place for them, to -^'iz, under
Chrtfts Feet. Tis beyond douht, that this prefent Ctf/wt:/, put
Rome into a flrange Conflernation ; oh pray, pray, pray, that
the Influence of it may confume all the dreggs of the
iloman Church , m all that B afis Dominions , as A7;-
lerus foretold long ago , ihould be the effefi: of that
Conjundion o{ Saturn and Jupiter, in Les, a fign of the Fiery
Trigon. And the reafon why fuch an Effed wjs cxpcded,may
be this; The various Returns of thole eminent Trigons, fall
out very rarely in the World. Acute Tjcbohrahc, thusrcckons
ihcnj.
Of Wonderful Times. ^g
t£cm. The firitwa sunder H;?<?cA. The fecond under Nm^.
The third under Mofes, The fourth under SoUwon. The fifth-
wndtt Chrift, Jdcrracljng m Flijh, Then the Roman Empire
was in its Zenith or highefl Advance : The fixth under Charles
the Great, when the A'<y/« J ;^ was turned into the German Em»
pixe, and the feventh draweth nigh, which is fuppofed to have
aSabbatiim (as the Sabbath ofReH, follbwed the 6 Days la-
bour at the Creation) in its Womb. Our Bleffcd [^^f : iTfuMpQ-
or] Maflcr of the Marriage Feaft, referveth his belt Wine for
this lafl time : Although (that Univerfal Schollar) Alfled make
a little variation of thofe 6 aforefaid Gonjundions and Revo-
lutions, yet he fully agrecth with T-yr^z/^r^/?^ in this, thatthc
feventh great Revolution of the fuperior Planets, falleth upon>
our laft times, and doth certainly portend fonie great and uni-
verfal mutation (as all the other fix hath formerly done (cfpe-
cially conddering that thofe Planets in their feventh Return,
hath perfedily compleated their circular Motion, and then are
in the fame pointand pollure that they were placed in at the
Creation of the World. Alfleds Encupl. Uranofc. Lib: ii,
Pag. 115.
Thatwhich flartled the grcaxtnen of /?tf»»f fo much, at xhc
Blazing out of this CoT^er, was, the Mathematicians there ob-
ferved it to be in the Train of itj fix times longer than that
which did portend the lafl Pope Alexartdn the VII. Exit out of
theWorld: ThisDifcovery put the prcfentPope into fueh a cold
paroxyfm, that.nothing but a Dutch Stove could keep him^
warm : I doubt not but that cold Sweat which hath feized now
upon all the Limbs- of Antichrifl, will (in due time i carry off,
not only him, but fuch as (bould fuccced him, by the Breath of
ChnJisMeuth^zxidihy the briffhmef of his coming. 2. Thef i 8.
K prodigious comtt^ and ^CUmcMenal CajDJnmJiort (AflrologerS'
fay) are a double Seal of the great God, to afcertain this great
Truth.
In that leHer Co/ijunCiion of the two fuperior 'p/<i;ff/r, in the
ycari664. Thc-Ow^feilowcd the Conjundi^inalsa.Vf^/, for
Con-
40 Wonderful Signs'
Confintiadon that dreadful EffecSts were portended thereby,
which not only this Land (in rir.% PJague and Pbts, &c.) but
alfomoilof Europe (in moil Dci'ohting Wars) fmarted -under,
but as to the Total, Greateft, or Clymadcrical Co^/junciion2i^-
•preaching (which Cometh to pafs only every 800. year; this
:hath (asitsSeal) 2iDreadf til Comet as its [ ^-6?=^d9^v] or Har-
binger going before it, and Ihewing it felfhril to awaken and
amaze the j3row2y Secure World, d"r. However we (welJ e-
nough / may call it a Divine Preacher (or Preco) fent from God,
•to point out fome facred Truth out of Heaven^ to the Inhabi-
tants upon £4^/^; \\S2.north(>Aox^ and Authenttck Preacher,
backed with fuch infuperable Authority, as neither the proud
pj/W of Rome^ nor any of his popilb I'reLtes, can fuffend from
its Office, or put to silence, until it hath delivered its meflage,
and done its Work, that itsCreatour gave it to do : It cannot
be obfcured [i^ its alloniiliing light and lullrc) or dwindle a-
way by any created Hands, but only by the hands- of its own
Maker. And now when it is gone off the Stage, Oh that the
loud Sermom it hath preached, may ftill Sound in our Ears, and
Sink dorvtn into our Hearts, taking deep Impre/Tions there,
though it be a good while after, as did thofc Sermons loudly
and luflily cryed out by Chrifts Cr)er^ or Fore-runner ( ^ehn the
£aptifi) who didli ft ffp his P^oice l.ke a Trumpet, Ifa. ^8. i. and
;thofe facred Truth, he had preached long he/ore, had their blef-
fed and faving £/<f(^, long 4/>^r, as John 10. 41. The Word
preached fometime ^f/£?r^,fometimes Works, (aiid that confi-
derable) 4/}fr.Yca,may we not fay of this late Cometshii it was
fome /'r///rf--/Vr4t/:f/',having fuch Attendants before it and after
It) all, as fomany Curat ( under it, God himfclf (fpeaking to ^oh
out of the Whirlwind, 5^.)^ 38. i.) doth magnify ^/-^w/m; that
Star of the firll magnitude, and that always Mjcth upon the
. lof/j. of March ex3.d\y when the v^^;? Setteth) by defcribing
how Stately he is attended withliis Sons fthc little Stars) that
wait upon him. foh 58. 31. In like manner the great God,
hathfoOxdered, that this late Blazing-Star (of a prodigious
Mag-
Of Wonderful T tines. 41
Magnitude in its Train/iliould have other Apparitions attend-
ing it (as fmall Cur.its to that IJitiflrious Preacher the Comet)
efpeciaily that Fiery Dart which followed its cxtindion, within
a few weeks after : This is thefecond Ph&norn non or A^parhion,
which the great God fliewed to poor man as a Srgn from Bed-
I'er}, feeing none fhewn on Earth will convince us, it being with
us as it was with thofe Chrtfi-Tcmftirs in the Gofpel. Luke 1 1.
16. They mull have a Sirrn from Heaven^ over and above all
thofe mighty and matchlefs Miracles that Chriit wrought a-
mongft them upon Earth ; They mufl have the MeHiah to
Thunder from Heaven upon them, as Samuel had done upon
their Forefathers- i. Sam. iz. 16. 17. to convince them of
their Sin (in asking 4 King) and to bring them to Repentance : for
as fohn Baptift, was Chrilts Fore-runner into the WorU^ fo Re- ^
fentance mull: be his Fore-runner into Mens Hedrts, Hoitfcs^ Cities
and Countries, &c. Therefore to bring men to it, when
they will not comply with the Council of Mortal Minillers up-
on Earth (as thofe would not with that of Samtel) God fends
fome Signs Extraordinary from Heaven^ feeing [ (I'^na de Cdo
f'wt Formi^anda ] fuch Signs as God fends from Heaven are
moft formidable: Samuel bids that people fi^fl /land and Hear^
v. 7. that is, Buflle not, Briflle ror, but fuffer a word of Exhor-
tation, Hch.i^y 21. When this would not do (the good old
man being contemned by them, both in his perfon, preaching
and power) he fet GOD at work to fpeak to them by signs ■
and Wonders^ and then Sarmielhixh, Secondly Stand 9.nd fee, ^\i6.
that fo thofe two Learned Se^^fes (as Ariflotle calls fleann^r and
6'ff/»^) being both ^jff^(r^, might be alfo Infirucicd: fo God
faith Jikcwife Hear ye Deaf, look ye Blind, Ifa. 41. i 8 . Thus the
Lord faith to us in our Day, fo gives us not only the yi^crd to
Hear, but alfo Signs to fee, and that one Sign upon another, that
they which will not Hear the Foice cf the firfr Sign, mi^ht be moved to
hear the Voice of the feconJ, Exod. 4. 8 . Therefore did God {end
a [ccoyidfi^n (the Bolts of Fiery Dart) immediately after the fi-^fr,
(to wit, the O//?."/) as a Seal annexed to it, in its direful /'ro-
G ■ (Pea
4 2 yyonaerjul ^tgns
fpe^ s 2i\\di progncft'icks : *Tis true I cannot fay of this latter, as
I can of the former, that [ hi[cc Ocul/s Vtdi ] I faw it with my
own Eyes, but fundry fpedators of it doth alTure me, that it was
a loyig fheam of Firc^ pointing down towards the Earth, and ap-
pearing but two or th ree nights, which was the caufe of my not
beholding it ,• Letters alfo irom the Hague and from Cvfe/.hagcn
give a dark account of this Blaze, about the ivth. of Fcb/uary :
This Fiery Lance or Dart, Philofophers calleth BoUs^ .icd^.Kco ?a-
fio, to Cait, as if it were Gods JaveHn which he calleth at finful
men, as Saul did his againfl D-injid. i. Sam. i 8. ii. The He-
brew word [chanith] fignifies alfo a very long Spear to thruft
through at diftance, yet no mortal man is armed with fo long a
killing Spear, as the creat God is, no not great Goliah (himfelf)
whofe [chanith] or Spear was of a prodigious length and thick-
nefs. I. Sam. 1 7. 7. It was 16 foot in length ^ and like a Wea-
vers Beam for /^.cj^'^^f/}, befides its hsad^ which according to the
Hebrew [iahab] f limed, and which weighed twenty five pound;
yet this long Haming Spear is nothing to Gods Glittering Spear ,
Habb, 3. Ii, Which he draweth OHt^ to flop the u^ay of his peo-
ples Perfecutor-, Pf 55. 5. Where the word [chanith] is ufed.
And although the great God is able to cut off the Create ft men
with a bare ncdd of his Head or frown of his Face^ Pf 8 o. 16. Yea
to blow them away as fo many fmall Duft-Heaps, Job 4. 19.
Yet the Holy Gholt here atributeth to him, Armour both De-
fer, five and ofe/ifive, that his appearing for his people might
appear fufficient, Pf 55. ^,3. Kotwithftanding God needs no
bigger a [chanith or] La-.ice tv kill an ^thcijl ivith than an Hair, as
the dying Noble-man once acknowledged upon this occafion:
He fitting in the Great Moguls Court, dallying with one of his
MilTes, ihe pluck't an Hair out of his Breafl, this little VVound,
(made by that fmall means) prefently Feftered, and turning in-
to, an incurable Cainker foon killed hin:^ : yea,fuppofe,7»rf/? be as
great as the Great P ope, -yci Adrian the IV. (anEnglilli man) can
tell them by woful Experience, that though his name (before
lie was Lope) wsLSBr^ak-fi^ear, yet could he not hcakQods Spear,
though
Ojyyonderpillimer. 45
though it be no flronger then an lUr or Fh (in Gods Hands)
wherewith he was Choaked ; The word [^^aTJ" J<jr«/«w, A
Dart, is ufed Heb. 1 2. 10. Yet it alfo fignifies that Plummet
of Lead which Marriners cafi down with a long Line to plum
the depth of theWaters, Leaft theShiD run upon the fliallow and
there be lliut up in the Sands and be broken ; or which Carpen-
ters ufc, to mcafure and mark out that part which they intend
to Hew off or Plain. If we take it (in the firft Sence) as a fiery
Dart, Philofophy faith, it fignifies Drouglir, and portends War.
^//?f^ Encyclop. Lib. 7. Cap. 9. Pag. 469. If (in the fecond)
as iy?.The Maftners Plummet, then it may fignify God is found-
ing the Depth of Religion in our Land, Oh that the Ship (the
Chur(h) may not be found upon the (hUcrvs. running allReligi-
on into a F<?r«^ only, denying the P^ryrr of it. z. Tim. 3. 5.
Alas then the Quick Sands will fwallow us up, or we fliall run
upon fome fplitting Rock. z'y. As the C^ffer/ters Vlummei^
then God Blefsusfromthe dreadful Divine Threatning menti-
oned i. Kjf7. II. 1;. That God jv/ff not our Jerufalem (or
Lor?duri) as one tw/'^f^ a Difli when tis dirty, and turn tt up fide
down. This he will do, if he lay 'judz^^e 4 to the Line and ^ufiicc
to the fJummet. Ifa a8. 17. This flaould make wicked metis
(who fhall certainly have their Due) Ears tingle,a.nd their He urts
tremble^ through Terror, Horror and Dolor, for God will not
give over wiping untill all the Dirt be done away ; yet loveth he
to fore-fignify it, thus threatning that he may not flrike, as
o^;5»7^rt/(? cbfcrverh, God giveth us many warnings hereof. If
God fay to us as he did to Amoi ch. 7. 9. Wh.u ftcjl thou ? The
fightof this fecond Apparition was, as Gods Line and Plummet ^
to meafurc rut how much is to be cut off, yet the Square Tim-
her or, Stone ^^W be fparcd : Chrift (that Skilful Carpenter,
Nark. 6. 3 ) will not cut an Hair-breadth beyond his Mark or
Meafurc, when he gives the wicked their Due, it may be done
without damage to the Godly. May we but fee the Line or
Plummet once mihe I Lirids tf our Zrubbdhds ^ aS Zcch. 4. 10.'
The Perpendicular put once into Pnrlinm.cntary Hands, ,the
G 1 wick-
iM*^^^0r-
A A Wonderful Signs
wicked may l3e pulled down, and the Godly built up. Bat if
not, and God Jet his m^rk ufon oir Iniquity. Pf. i ;o. 9 , We can
expedt nothing but the Line of conjufion, and the pm's (or
flumm:ts)oi Emi>tin'[-. Ifa. 54 n.
The tkira Dreadful [>:,; ,6 .-'.•,] or ^/'/>-7'/V/<7;2 inthe Air, was.
on Dec I-]. 1 6 So. at Otter j nigh Exeter, near 5 at night,then ap-
peared two great Aimies, the one out of xhc North, whofc
Leader had a Coronet on his Head) the other out of the huih,
feeming furioufly to loyn Battle, and a little Retrading, charg-
ed again moil vigorouiiy, this continued about an hour, till at
laft there came a Referve and joyning with the Souther r^^ beats
back the Northern in great Diforder, many were Terrified at it,
and 'tis'as true as it was terrible, cjc This Account came from
a Reverend Minifter /who (with many others) was an Eye-
witnefs of it, while viewing the Amaz^ing Com:t, as pubhiliecL,
in Print.
And the like before had appeared on %eft. 1 1. Though the
Relation and Confirmation thereof, came not to Hand till Jm.
i^.3Lhcr.lhQi^2LmeyQ2Lrn.e2ir Portfnef, m Monmouth-fJjire, as the
Schef?fe and Letter Teflimonial of a judicious Miniflcr of that
place, doth abundantly Teftify : The Narrative is as follows.
The firft things that appeared were a Grove of Trees ^ a Honfs
on a Mountain, and a church on its South-fide. Next we faw a
Hill on the North fide,with a Grove and Houfes therein. Then
we noted ^%xQQri fquare Meadow, between the two Hills, then
void of men. We faw many great Rocks towards the bottom
of thGSouthHill,and a great GoldenGlobe, glittering gloriou/ly
on the top of the Spire of the Chunh, and a red Fane upon it.
Then a great River broader on the North than on the South, in
which were Ships Sayling,from North to South imder the Moun-
tain with the Tide, where one of the Ships which was hinder-
moft tacked about, and Sailed through the Fleet,and got before
«he refl. Then we obfcrved the other Fleet Sayling with the
Wind and againft the Tide, from the South Point of the South
Hill, and then meeting the other Fleet under the Grove, then
the
OflVo7idcrful Times. 45'
the great Ship in the North Fleet, firfl {hot, and the reft in or
dcr ,• then the South Ships flio^at them, "the Fire and Smoak
we clearly difcerned, and we heard the noife of Guns, after
this we oi3ferved the Army marching under the foot of the
Hill along the Cliff, by the Sea-fide ; confifting both of Horfc
and Foot, from the South-point of the South-hill, towards the
Square Meadow, then the Korth Army over the top of the
Hill on the North-fide, towards the fquare Meadow, where
the Armys met, and after a ihout, fought: the Swords and
Pikes we cleerly difccrned. We noted more Ships in the Nortli
Fleet, and moft men in the South Army, when we drew to the
upper end of the Field, and after the.Land Battle, wc heard o-
ver pur Heads three lamentable and fad Groans, Oh, Oh, Oh,
at which we were much aifrighted.
Now this Apfarition of Armys (yea and ex abundanti of iV4-
•^ies too) was doubled as Was Pharaoh's Dr£&m\ Gen. 41. 33,.
Oil a three fold account, 1/. To fliew the certainty of its Prog' •
noflicks accomplilhment. ^ly. The celerity^ or fpeedinefs of
thefe things coming to pafs. "^ty. To ftrike the greater Terj^r
and A^ortijhmentm right thinking minds, which ]o(tph the la-
terpretor of the 2 Dreams) prudently concealed from that In-
fidel Pharoah^ yet though the Vifions or Apparittom (in the Roy-
al Dreams) were two, the ugnification was but one. v. 1^. Im-
porting one and the fame matter ; Thus it may be in this Ae^y
jpparuton (which was doubled as it is thus alfo in many Bi-
<uir)e Revelatioyis^ whereof we find in Scripture fome frequent Re-
petition, which yet have their fingular ufe, to wit, a making
more deep ImprclTion upon the minds of Men, and importing
both Afjurance and ExfcdUion of the matters foretold therein :
Alas we need Line t/pon Liar, and Precept upon Precep>t^ Here a little
and there a little, Ifa. a.?. 1 5. and all little enough to pra:pon-
derate the duJnefs of our Hearing,2i^<ixhQdeadijefs of our Hearts'-
to ivrite the fame things to the I'hilippians, though \\V2iSgrievoHS
to the Apople, yet was it fafe and advantagious to the People.
Phil. 5.1. Tvvas not a vain Repetition or an idle Tautology,but
fcr-
46 y yonder Jul btgns
ferved to fet forth the NeceJJiiy^ Difficulty and Excellency of the
matter fo reinforced. NttriquAmf^tis Dicitur, quod Nunqtt-am fji-
tis Difciiur^ Truth is never enough faid, till it be enough
jearnt. And bccaufe mens Breads are Brawny, and their
Heart-firings Horny, therefore are the ^pparjtmis of Armys in
the Air Doubled upon us, the more and better to beat upon, in-
culcate and imprint thofe Divine warnings in the minds of men :
Upon my diligent Search for Scriptural Paralells, and exempli-
fication of Apparitions of Armys, I do find three efpecially ;
The fir fl of them is very Tcrnhle^ yet fuch as might have been
prevented by a timely and true Repentance : the otlicr are very
comfort able : The ^rjt is that oifoel the Prophet, who had fuch
a Prophetical Vifion or y^fparition of iht Bah Ionian Armys, that
fliould fo fvvarm in upon judxa, as to make that very Day a Day
cf Darknejs^ and of Gloominefj.^ Dny of Clouds and of thick Darknefs,
Joel 1. 1. As if it had been (no hght matter as they made it,
but) a light-lefs Day, and (as it were) a doleful Dooms-da'i,
Their numerous Armys fhould come in great Swarms, which,
as the Cloud of Loculls would Darken the Air, fo as to turn
Dfey into Night, and fpread far and near all the Country over,
and that fo fuddenly,as the moaning fpread over the tops of the
Mottf.tmis : and in this ^pp^rition foelhcheld Flames and Flalli-
ts o£ lire, burning up all befc'rc t hew. v. 3, Thofe Lccufis^ihould
io confume the Country, as they go along with their vafl Armys
(as if all had been burnt up by Hre) turning the Garden of Eden
mo a BarrenWildernefs.^c.v. 4,5,6,7,8,9,10. wherein the Baby
Imans arcDefcribed. i/?. In their perfons to be //r^ »^, »«»2^r(?«.<-,
frviff^ terrible^ skilful^ orderly^ couragtcus and Inr^umeri^ble. rly. In
their Actions^ to wit, Depopulating the Land {which occafioned
Famine,) Deflroying their fir ong forts, zxid filling alUboth Church
and State) with Confiifion.
The Lord God Almighty preferve this Land from fuch Per-
fons and fuch Actions . Oh pray, pray, That God may not ^ifs
for the Fly of zAlzjf^y and for the Bee of Babylon. \h, 7. 18. for
thofe Fljs would Bite us, to diHurbus in cur I'c^ic, but thofe Bees
would
Of yVonderjHl Jimes. 47
would fling us to deprive us of our Lives. God Bkfs us from
thofe Romiili Locufls Cfo called ReveLc). ; ) to wit, the popi/h
PrieflSj Monks, Fryars and Jefuites, being (all) both numerous
znAvoractGus Creatures Oh that lueh Peflilent Vermin may
never have CommifTion from God to M.irr our Land : As the
Prophet propofed Repentance as a Remedy (before the Decree
brought forth) to them. v. ii. 15. 14. faying, now, though
it be Z^;^, yet not too /^/f, Kunquam fero fi ferio. Though
fome Lccush be already come,as Kimchy fenfeth it. So your Rc-
fentin^f<r Stn^ be but proportionable to your P.ebelltri^ <^S^^^'fi
GOD, So fweet is his Nature, ^o gracious^ fo merciful, fo floiv to
^nger, &c. He will R'j^cnt of the Evil, and who knonycth, if he
rviU not leave a Blefflng behind hint. Yea he will certainly turn to
thofe that turn- to htm. Zach i. ^. Oh that En^U'id knew fuch
things as belonged to her Peace. Luke 19. 41. Before the Gate be
fhut, fhe draw-bridge taken up, and the Taper of Mercy be
quite burnt out, &c. Then God would fend out his Mardamus :
Pf. 44. 4. and come with his A^i?;; 0^/4«/f, Pf 106. 8. and Ifa.
57. 15. Yea and////-;? things to the contrary, as in Hamans
Day. £//. ^. i.
The fee on d Inflance of a Scripture ^/'/>jri//(j;7, is that of jacoL
Gen. 51. I. Which was not Tfm^/f, b'Ut C(?»?/^r/4^/d' to him, for
it was not a vifible A^pirition of Armys of men fighting one a-
gainit another, but' twas an ^-rmy of angels : neither muft we
think vwith the Hebrews and fotuG others) that one Troop or
Company of thofe Angels (which appeared as armed Soldiers)
were for /acoi? and the other againfl him, or yet that thofe two
Armys appeared under the command of two diflincSt Generals,
the one under the Prcfident Angel of the Country of Mefopotx-
w/4(from whence /^icob was coming) and the other under the _
Prefidcnt Angel of the Country of C^;?//^;^. whither faccb was
• now returning : this is a prefumptuous fancy, and as falfe as
prefumptuous, for this would have rather afirighted than com-
forted fac^b^ as to the IlTue, but we find that /"^iff^ without any
icar, faid upon the hril fight of it [Th/s is Gcds jioft] v. 2. A a-
h\vi(i:m
^8 Wonderful Signs'
hdfiAim^ Hebr. or two Armys : The Hebrew Rabbies fay w cU
in rhis, that facob in this third Apparition knew them to be the
fame ^:naels whom he had feen (in his Apparition) Afcending
andD^^^A/^-^^upontheloftyLadder. C7fw.a8. II. The Scope
of this Apparition of Armys to facob was to (Irengthen
his FAith in the way of his obedience : Jacob was now going
whether God had commanded him to go. Gen. 51. 3. Lahans
lowrine look, makes fnccb look homeward (Oh that the Frowns
of the World had this blelTed effed on us ) Z.^^^ purfues him,
which put Ucob^o a fright. ^'. 15. But God had whifpered a
word in ubans'E^r. v. i^. So was better to him than his own
Pears. God had fpoke for him (and {o he can for us) in the
Heart of his EnCmys. Now, 'twas not true that Ldan faid
\n u m the power of mj mnJ, &G.1 v. 9. ^^ccb was now as one
that Fled kom^iLyon^Labav had fome fliamefacednefs) and a
Bear (that had none) to wit, Efa>^ met him, fatth a Rabby ,' This
Apparition of an Hoflof^ngehc2imQ^oioxii{y his Faith,againlt
his next and word Fear; that he fhould now hope the fame
power which had proteded him from the L^ n laban, would
alfo preferve him from the Bear Efm , though he had
fworn his Brothers Death, and came armed with 400 <-u^-
Throats (at his Heels) againft him. ■ , ^ j j
9acob (who in his excellent Wraftlings) had power with God and
prevailed. Gen;i. i6. &c, could not want power to fre^a^l
mthmen. Hof ii. 4- Let Perfons, yea P.ir//.^^^/igo but that
way God bids them as faoob did, and they fliall not want a M.-
/,..Lv, or Heavenly Hoft to. (^T^r^; them through a boilterous
Sea where the Winds are ^p;7fnr;y. Math. 14. H- and to con-
dud them through a waylefs Wildernefs, through never fonia-
nvProphanc E(auX with Hundreds and Thoufands of Cut-
Throats do way-lay them : Jacob was back-fet by Lor,rtnz La^
^.;.,andforc-fetby^/..^y£^'/, yet this Hoil of Angels carry
him through both and all.
The third Scripture hiHancc of ^pparttHions of Armys, vyas
that ill ^. Kings 6. 17. which was ^icemfomble^ppArnio^ aUo,
^.
Of Wonderful Times. 49
being an Armj o£ 4 f^gels too, nox of Men. Ber^ha^ad fafycO:c<i
his Coancellor of Treachery : Seine Courtier (tliat had been
with Naawan ch. ^ ) tells him, it was £////m that ciifc'cfcd h'S
Secrets, and fo frullrated them by his Prophctick Spirit ; there-
fore the King fends Horlies and Chariots to fetch hrni. v. i z.
i;. 14. as loon his Spys brought him Word, iic was come to
that httic Town iJ(?.7;^/; ; the Town is prcfently begirt with
the SjrtAn Arn^iy. ' Gihaz.i's SuccefTor (being yet but a little ac-
quainted with his Matters Miracles) could fee the"Dj?7^fr (io
cry s^ alas my M^ftcr^ whatjh.dhvedo. 1/. 15.) but could not fce
xht D dive ranee ^ E//^j.i was no more concerned than to have his
Servants Eyes opened, (that his Fmth alfo might be above his
Fear) God opened them, and then he faw better Horfes and
better Chariots ior their Defence ; Their Kemcdy would over-
match their MaUdy^ v. 17. The fame fforfessLnd chariots that
had carried up Elijah,wcrc now come to proted: £///7M,from tJie
Horfes and Charriots of Benhadad : Horfes and chariots of Fire^
mull needs be too hard for the Syrians cf Flefb.: Elijha thus
guarded, goeth out to his Adverfarjes, and as he prayed open
his Servants Eyes, he prayed his Enemies Eyes into blindnefs.
1/. 18. fo led them thence to. Samaria^ where he entrapped
them, that thought verily they had entrapped him in Do^har.,
noti2.r£i^m Samaria, v. 19. lo. &c. While rhe Prophet flaid
in Sam art a (\\\s^\2iCt ofchiefeft Rcfidence and the chief City of
the Kingdom) he was f cure from the Syrians Ailaulting him,
but if he be Removed to Dothan (to a place of defection, as tlie
Hebrew word fignifies) a lefler Town of leller flrength, there
and thither may the Syrian Hoft better AfTemble, but they caa-
not AiTault, the P. is fafe there alfo, having mere for than agaiy>fi^
"v. 16. They that he rvith uf are more than they be with them. z. ,
Chron 51. 7. more Friends than Ad verfaries.-
Thcre is yet a fourth Scripture apparition of Army s, which,
according to the Sentiments offomc, is an ^rmy of Men, but o^
others an Army cf ^^ngels^ioiccmsd. mixt-ure of both, to wit,
Zech. 6' from v. i . to 9. ijf. Some fence that Apparition of 4.
H Ci;a-
^o Wonderful Signs
Charriots, to fignify the four. Empires [ in or dine &d Bcckftant ]
all ordered from their Rife to their.Ruin (in each of them)* by
the Decrees of God, which lay hid as it were ia Mountains of
Brafs, and ran like a River under ground, till they broke forth,
and ihewed themfelves in their.due execution, with refped (all.
along ; to the Church of God. And if we admit of this Inter-
pretation, then this -Apparition was an Army of Mey/^ yea of four
feveral forts of Men, The .4/fyr/4;?, The Perpan, Th^ Grecian
A^diYiQ Roman. Thus the four 'Empires {cohesively taken)
muft be underftood : But the jecond Senfe is, that it was an
^f^.rition of four Squdaron oi Angels, and this is more probable,
as more agreeable to the Interpretation which tho l-rophctS-
Tpitor (rather than Tutelar Angel) gives of it, v. 5. calling them
the Spiri's of Heaven*8>cc. And though the word [Ruachoth]
Signify fVinds, by y^hich Dame I prefigures the four Monarchys,
Daf7. ji- i.Yet more emphatically, Angels are called Spirits.
Hak I. 7; 14. And the Spirits of l^eaven^Mzih. 1^. 56. and
Galv I. 8. who 2iS Mini ft ring S'^itits doe St and he fore the Lord
of the whole Earth. Mat. 18. 10. To ferve his Providence and
to be fent out (ashis Agents and Inftruments) upon various Er-
. rants,, at his pleafurc : and therefore are they Defcribed here
\ Gods Chartots, as Pf. 68 . ji 7, and of diverfe colours, i . Blaci\ .
; when their Errands ztQ Sorrowful, i. White, .when joyful . ^ly,
.Red, when Bloody. 4. Grizled, when mixt of both : fcyful and :
Sorrowful, as to contrary Subjeds. 'Tis very Remarkable here.
iv That Divine Decrees are unfearchable, infuperabic, unavoi-
dable, unremoveable, they Hand [ike Maintains oi Brafs, which,
can never be removed : ^iy. All Humane Events are ordered in .
the World by Dtvine Decrees : Therefore tis our. patt to put^ut
^menio Gods ^men ; and to fay in the Language of the pri-
mitive Chriftians {the mUofthe Lord he done) Ad:. ai..i4. 5. An-
gels are Gods Agents for moveing the wheel of Providence, in
All Events, The Spirit of the living Creatures is in the Wheels.
Ezech.i. ao. and 10, 9. 11. 15. 'Tis a Comfort to /^. /y
.?./?», that all Occurrences arc managed by the Holy Angels,
4. The
Ofyvonderjul Times. <\
.4. The Work God Employs -angels to work in the World, is
4?^rious work, -tis BUck work and White ^ox^. Red work and
JldinvUa work. 5. Their Black work is upon Dal/yl,w^ and their
Wh/te work is upon i"/^^ : The B/ack Horfes were fent to deflroy
^.;^^/tf;?,that lay North oijudea^ and the vih.te Horfes were fent
^fter them into the fame Northern Country to dehver Si^n,
which then in a great part lay among the Pots in Bdylon,
6. Their gri2led or mingled work, was upon ^A-gipt and aya-
hia^ which lay South from ]uded^ the Punilhmeqt whereof was
fomewhat mixed and mitigated, they fhould be ifl fome better
cafe than Babylon^ yet not fogood as to retain the Jews there
from their own Country. 7. Their Black work done upon Bu-
hyUn is faid 10 quiet Gods Spirit . v. 8. To e^je him of hts Adver-
saries^ Ifa. 1 . 24. to pacify his Anger and to give God full con-
tent. S. TheErrandof the i?<f^ Charriot, is wholy omitted,
probably becaufe 'tis a work rcferved for the lall times, as the
filack Charret did deflroy Bah)lo^ Literal^fo the red Charet(not
mentioned as to its going out here) may be Referved to deltroy
Babylon Myflical, and to give her Blood to Drink, fgr Hie is
worthy. Eevel. 16. 6. 9. After all this is done, comes in the
Kingdom of the Branch, v.. 1 1. Thus the Fr^phetjicrc concurrs
With Daniel, who after he had mentioned the downfal of the
four Monarchys brings in the Kingdom of ^e StonrX^^LW. i. (the
Kingdom of Chrifl our dear Redeemer) Darnel had (uch ^ppa/i^
tions of miglity things, a? Zuchary had.
The fourth fearful P/^cc^tf^w^;/^;? was that Eery flying Bullet,
falling from the \ irmament,wher€of this Account from Rcftock
in SiWcta is given,^ that in fan. laft, the Heavens feemed to be
Ruffled up like a (beet of Paper, at which time a white glitt&?r
ring Bullet appeared, which feemed to yeild fome drops of wa-
ter, being attended with two great flames of Lightning ; The
Bullet was feen (by many ipe(5tators) to fall down, but none of
them could tell where it fell, only in ithis all do unanimouf-
ly agree, that the faid5'-;//f", in its faling, gave a greater light in-
to their Houfcs than the greatcft lights they burned for three
H ^ or
C2 Wonderful Signs
or four Miles round the place. I know not how to Exempl/fy
this y^/>^4r/f/^w with a more fiiitable Paralel, out of Scripture
Record, than with ^^^f/^^n'si^/^/;?^^?^?^' : Chap. 5. i. a. &c.
This Roll is called a Volumn, or a Scroll of Paper or Parch-
ment, relied up (as the Heavens Teemed to be in this Vrodigj)
yet Tl-^'ing and fleeting fwiftiy all a long as a Bird of Prey in a
ready pollute to feize on liis Prey. VoUns Velocifjtmum ultioms
incur fum ^lenotat. This very pofture of Flying doth demonflrate
.fomefuddenlncurfion of Divine Vengeance, {2iiih chryfffiomr,
but God only\nows where it will fall : Nemo fcelm gerit in ft-
if ore ^ qui non idem Nemcfin mfergo. No man can* carry any ^i-
vellilh wickednefs in his Breafl:, but the fami? man mufl bear
Kemefm (fo was the Goddefs of Revenge called) or Divine
Vengeance upon his Back. This the blind Heathens could
fay, by the light of "Nature, into whofe //f4r// xh^ Rtmarks
how the Holy God Revengeth himfelf upon wicked men; cafl
a greater light, than could this Flying Bullet, into the fJoi^fes o£
thofe Villages which wercenlightned with it. Hereupon they
called "Vengeance A/es^H^ which fignifics undvoidahle^ becaufe
no Oifendercan tither Avert or /^i/^/V the Revenging hand of
God; there i& no cfcaping its coming, nor abiding it when it
cometh ; This Flying Roll isdefcribed by the Prophet to be
ten yarjs long and fiv^braad.
This Remarkable Meafure of the Flying Roll is i/. Cora-
menfurate to the Porch efihe Temple, which is exa(ftly defcribed
to be of the fame Breadth a.nd Length. i^Kin^ 6. 3. And as it
bore a proportion in meafure to ihc Porch, fo it may be fuppo-
fed to come out from thence, ^s'Si Voice from tL Temple, lh.66.
6. And unfolding as it came thence, ic appeared in the Air in a
Flying poflure, hailning and ' hovering ov«r the Heads of
wicked Perfons. a/y. It bears likewife a proportion to th('
Land of thcfews, which Geographers Defcribe to be twice ai
long, as it was ^road, and now it being covered all over with th\
Gift a and lilth oi Mens Sins, it was ready to be covered all ovei
mth the [erne And /[mart of Gods ^udgmems. 3 (v. Tis commen-
furat^
Oj I Vomer Jul I tmeT. 5^
furate alfo to the whole World cf CertUs^ the length whereof,
(take it from E^/? icsWefl) much exceeded the breadth of it from
North toi'<?«//^,asGeography obferveth,and thus it fignified,that
as all the Habitable Lands had///V^ themfelves with all kind of
Sins, fo God would nowhil them with all kind of funifjymems :
'Twas every way large enough to plague all.forts ofSins,and to ■
puniili all forts oi Sinners^ wnether in every corner of T^/z^^-r, or
in the utmoft parts of theHabitabfeWorld. Thus the PlyingRbll
is faid 10 (TO forth ^ yea Hy (more fwiftly than the Eagle, the' Ar-
row, ora Fladi of Lightning) over the FACe ofthir whole Earth, . v.
a, 5. hwdtihtCurje cfGod (contained in the Roll within and
without) is as tjie Fierj Bullet, that burns on all fides , b^ng
like Eztkiels Book, filled with fuch contents as Lamentation and
Nourning, and Woe, Ezek. 2. 9. i o. This Curfc of God when it
falleth upon the People of G'^?^/ C«r/r, Ifa, 34. 5; hsth a more
mighty and mortal fall than the bulkieft Bullet in the World,
far beyond the Burthen of that mountanious Bullet, which (Hi-
Hory telleth us) was Hiot out of that motiflrous murdering-
piece, called Grand Diabolof or the great Divel : Inafmuch as
the mighty Hands of the Almighty and All-Creating God i»
Heaven, can give a greater and more fatal Blow, than can the
created Hands of the greatefl DHclin Heili This is the Fiery
BuUei th^t Droppeth t\iQ bitter Water rvh.'eh cnufcth the Curfe.lSum.
5.18 .. and which will make the Thigh to Rot, and the Be/Iy to
Srve/I.v. 21 .. 25. Neither let any man fay,that' the C/zr/ifj writ-
ten in Gods Book, are but Bug-bears, and th^t words are but jv/w^,
as they faid, Jer; 5. 15. for the words written in that Book (or
Hebrew Scro//) fliould caufe the waters thus to work, which (in
themfelves) had neither any difcerniifg Virtue,nor any deflroy- •
ing Vigour, yet the Divine Inflitution made *the fame potion,
either Poyfon or Medicine, according to the cleanefs or un-<
cleanefs of the party : Thus alfo Gods Word which Seoficrs
call but- wifjd, yet may have Dreadful Effeds, for even iVjnJ,
when gotten into the Bomls of the Earth, may caufe an E^rth-
quake, fo this WprS of the Curfc, when gotten into the ^Bo;vels
Ot
of a mans mind, may make an Heart-quake. 'Befides, that very
i^V^ which thofe Mocker sm2,^t\\^x.o^ as Wrad^ ihould be-
come Fire^ and themfelves Fuit to feed it. Jer. 5 . 13 . 14. And
as Fre flyeth upon /"//f/tliat is fully dryed, ajid confumeth jt
inaninftant, Nah. i. 10. So Gods Jrljinip-RvH will Jick up
wicked Livers, as that Fir e.kom Hea^vc^ did the Sacrifice^ the
JVood^ the StoneSn and the £)///?, with all the Water in x.\iQTr€Kch^
I. Kin. 18. 58. P/iz/A/ff 7/'rf4m;7^i, in Gods Flying-Roll, are
(as ErafrrtM faith of Ez,ek. 5 . 18.) Fulmina. pot/us qriam Fetha. Hot
Thunderbolts, rather than fuch Words as be hw Wind) The fame
God that hath denounced it, will certainly do it, he will fee
his own Law Executed. Zach. 5. 4. and will (himfelf) £a-^-
cttte the fudi^icnt written in thh Roll: Ff i49,*9 Yea and more
than ts written: Deut. 18. Gi. Upon the Head of the Thief
(great as well as fmall, as xht Pj^atetold Alexander') under
which is comprifed all other Sinners againft thefecon'H Table ;
and upon the Head of the Swearer (comprehending all againft
the firfl) God hath Sworn that Swearers lliall not ent^r into his
Reft. We live in the Dreggs (the laft and worft) of Times,
wherein Blafphemous Oaths, are belched out of Black Helliih
Mouths, both ordinary and openly, yea fome Oaths are be-
come Rhetorical Inrcrjcd:ions of Speech to the Vulgar fort,
and other fome meer Phrafes of Gallantry to the Damnrc-Gal-
lants : but mirk the end. The direful Curfe comes flying with
a Divine Commiffion breaks into theHoufes of thofe Thieves
and Swearers) which they caJl their Cajlles. wherein they think
themfelves out of the reach of Gods Rod) there it remains as a
rroublefome Inmate in defpight of them, they cannot rid or
remove this curfmgRoll,<mtill it hath not only fauced their Meat
and fficed their Drink^ with ihcWrathcf God, as ^^6i> lo. 13. but
until alfo the fire thereof hath kindled the Brim/lone that lay (cat^
tered upon their Habitations, Job 1 8. -14. 15. This pu&6 their, All
into a light Flarfie,con(uming both Timber and Stones^ their p^-
fons and their Eftates^ which they have raked together by Ra-
pine, Sacrilcdg, Perjury, and other wieked^ways : Such Balls
of
Of Wonderful Times. 5 5
of Fire (RcfembJing this Flying Roll, &c.) have been fccn fal-
ing out of Heaven ^ Gods Temple) upon Woods, Ground^, yea
lirults here in Engltnd, The bigncfs of which Fire Balls, have
feemed toSpedators as large as the greatell Chaldrons, thefe
muft be predifHve Signs tp us, SiSj^eremy's Boy ling-Pot was to
the few, Jer. i, i%, and as Ezektels was, Ezek; 14. 5. 4. i ;.
Reprefenting Jerufalfm which then had a w/^^^y Scitm in her^
but the Fire ofGoSs Wrath fet the Pot on boyhng (by the
ChddcAns) until it had boyled out all the Bones 3Lnd the Fie /h
(the Stout ejl and Richefi)2X which they had Scoffed. Ezek. 11.
;. 7. But when they go r(? /^^ P<7', and boylluftily there, their
Scoffs are forced back down their own Throat s,and thcirHearts
might then befpeak them, as the F^eart of the Tyrant Afollodc-
rus (who dreamed he was taken and flead by the Scythians, and
boyled in a great Chaldron) did, cry out of the Kettle or Chal-
dron to him b'" cvi'k^^v hfiici 'tis I that am the Caufe of all;
this thy Mifery. JS^o lefs a 5/^;; was Ezekiels Iron Pan, to the
Hard-FIearted ./^jvj. Ezek. 4. 3. both which Hieroglyphicks -
and Emblems did not only fignify, their City ihould be hardly
Bcfieged, but alfo that God would fofeeth them in a Pot, and fo ^
fry thernin a Pan, as that they fhomld fine away in their Imquitys. '
L'cvit. '26. ;9. The good Lord P/i/^r/ this fore Judgment |
from London, and Dire^ it to Rome or myflic^l Babylon, for ilie is i
worthy. Revel. 166.
The fifth rvonderful Signs in the Fleavens, is, xht Several Suns
ti>at have been feen in the Firmament, at fome due diflance one
from another, as hath been Teftifycd to me : but I (hall not •
Infift upon this, (as I have upon the former) not only becaufe
my Book begins to fwell beyond my Expe(5lation, but alfo be-
caufe I have refolvcd to enlarge upon nothing, no nor infert
here any thing upon (lender Evidence, without evident and
fufficient Tcftimony : It fhall therefore fuffice to fay but little
to this, fave only, that fuch an Apparition need the lefs to be ^
doubted of, feeing natural Phylofophy mentioneth it, as one of
Nature? Frodu^I^s, though not ordinarily, calling them farelta
or i
5 6 " Wonderful Signs
or Mock-Suns : yei that Divine Philofopher Zanchf^ doth not
only (in concurrence with Heathen Philofopers) fuppofe fuch
Apparitions to prognoflicate abundance of wet weather, but
alio (as he faith. further) various Judgnients,as Faminc,Sword,
&c. Zanch. de oper. Dei. Pag. 348. Yfa our own Engli(b Chro-
nicles tell us, "that fuch an Apparition was fcen in the Heavens
m the beginning of Queen Mdnes Reign as^there liad been the
iike before, to preface the Death , of that infolcntly proud
Prelate, Thom.ts Becket Arch-Bilhop o{ Canterbury.
In a word, both time and room (and it may be Credit too)
would fail me, Ihould I infert the other Apparitions in the Air
(we hear off if not fee) as the Dreadful Thunders and Light-
nings, the Impetuous Wind and Whirlwinds, and manyflrange
Meteors which I defignedly omit, until I get better prooff,
(which I truly defire from all good Hands) well knowing my
Brethren that went before me, in this Work 10 years ago ,
ibme'clo blame for credulity : Alter lus per ditto jnea^t emtio. The
Cenfure pafl«d upon my Predeceflbrs (in the like work) for \iz^
in^oY^r Credulous., hath been cogent to make me a little the
more Cantelous : Therefore I pafs on to the fecond Sce;7e or
Theatre, whereon God ihc^s his Wonderful- S ;gnf or Prodigies,,
to wiuon theBarth (as well as the lirfl: in theHcavens orAir)And
firfl of thcProdigious Hdil-ftorjes, which God cafl: out of the Air,
down totlic Fanh, which cannot be called Apparitions in the
Air (and {o belong to the firft Scene) feeing their prodigious
bulkinefs could not be diftin(5lly difcerned, until they appeared
' (fain, taken up, and meafured) upon Earth. This fame Prodigy
or Wcndtrful^ign., happened upon the i%ih. oi May, 1680.
which became fo mifchicvous to all the Sky-Lhghts, all over
London, &c. and knockt down many Rooks, by their vail
weight, and bignefs, fome of them (being meafured) were
found fcven Inches about, &c. This Sign alfo may be exempli-
fied both out of Sacred and Civil HiAory. ifl. Sacred and- i//.
The Plague of Hail (lones upon zy^gypt, Exod. 9.18. to 17. Such
jis that Land never (aw or felt before^ for this fcventh Plague was :
• ill. .More
Of Wonderful limes, 57
id. More General than any, being over the whole Land at once,
aly. None ever was fo Tem^ef''d with fire nhich tan ainrig ihe
Grouna. V, i;. Though lire and Hail be of two contrary Tem-
pers, yet in this thiey made a Peace betwixt themfelves, that
they might obey the Will of their Creatour. This was a ftrangc
mixture, and a Miracle within a Ahracle, faith Rai; Solomon :
fuch Kail-rtones and Coals of Hre mingled together are menti-
oned: rf. 1 8. 15. 14. I), and 7/4. ;o. ;o. 91. as here and
p/". 7S. 47. 48. and /'/.105. 52 53. ;ly. Kone ever fo pundu-
2.\ly PredM Jed znd 2iS punctually Performed, according to the
Prediction. 1^. 18. 25. 24. 25. 4ly. None ever fo X>e//r«c7iT'f
to Man, Benftsind Trees, v, 25. Pf. 66. 46. 47. 48. and lof.
; ;. 5ly. Kone ever (o Distin^ttiHun^ though it was over all the
Land of ^gift, yet the Land ofGojhen { a part of it) was exemp-
ted- v. 2 5. Such an Exemption (was that Torrent of Fire
which ran down from Mount ^Aitna,) vouchfafed to thofe Religi-
ous Children, which ventured to Refcue their Aged Parents,
from thofe fearful Flames, made /^r//?<?^/f fay,[k3r4 t. -^^ X'o=e^J/ . 6-
/*.<eriny.Hcr^T3 A-wooc/oj. ] It extottcd from him an acknowledgement
of Gods good Providence for the Godly here on Earth, when
he faw the Flames of Fire, dividing themfelves and making a
Lane for thofe Godly Refcuers of their Flelplefs Parents. The
fccondfacrcdinilance of Prodigious ^j//-S (j^/^/. Jofli.io.ii.Ob-
fervcd the like exemption or diflindion(as that in Excd.c) 26.)
'tis faid [the Lord call down great Stones from F^caven] ex-
plained there \^beebeni H.ibucd, Hagfdtloth'\ fuch huge Hail-
llones as brained the Cannaniies, but hurt not the Ihadaes that
were not only at their Heels, but alfo mingled amongfi them ?s
they flew them in their Flight and dreadful Thunder and Light-
ning came along with thofe Na l-Jlones alfo, as not only Jofe-
fhits faith, but ^liibACcuck likcwife Hahkic 5. 11. Where
God fliot olThis fliiniiig ^rrjws, and darted from him his Glit-
tenn^ Spears, yea he IcvePd them (whether Huge Had {io^/es,
or Hot ■'rhundirbo'ts) v/ith fo even an Fland to tlicir fcvcral
marks, that he /»/.' the cne and //.'jjjed the cth.r, even when they
I were
it)i yronderjul btgm
were intermingled together : this wsi^DigitHS Dei, ily. Civil
Hifiory mentions flrange Hai!-J}o^;es, both Ethnick s, as Ltvy De-
cdd. I. Lib. I. andDecad. ^. Lib. lo. OlauMaK , 8cc. And Ec-
clcfialticL\^s Eufth/mUh. 5. TenulliAu C^^. 5. Apolog. And
D16 in the Life of hUrcm Antenins (the PJiilcfopher fo called)
who fought againfl the Ouahs ,Q.XiAhy xhc prayers^of xhQ Thun-
dring Let:>n{^% in iAurclws the^ Emperors time they were cal-
led) of Chriftians, /;«^(r;?/ Gr ando compluri-:qHe fulminA in Hofies Cp-
C'Jerunf, &c. Such huge Haii-ftones, and hot Thunderbolts
falleth upon the Enemy doth that Heathen Hiftorian fay, as ii
h^ had been an Ecclefiaftick Writer) and Fire and Water did
fall down from Heaven, ih.Q chnfiians and their Party drank of
the water and were Refrefhed, but the £lmde$ (their Enemies)
were Burnt by xh^Fire and Periihed, while it feJJ not at all up-
on the other, or if it did, it was prefently quenched. Neither
did the Waters Relieve the ^uAd€<, but Inflame them,as if it had
bfeea Oyl, fo that they called for Water to cool them, when
the water fell upon them, yea and wounded their own Bodies,
toj quench their burnings with their own Blood: many more
fiich ftra nge Stories have we in xho^Ma^i^ehur^^ Cemunjis and in
Oftanders Epitom (too long to Relate) I add only that out of P<r-
rerius (the Jefuite) who tells us of a moft grievous f/a/l ihower
ia.Erance- in the Reign of Lewis Son to cW/f^ theGrcat,which
was fo prodigious in the weight and bulk of the Stones, that
it'ilcw both Mar, and Beaff, and at that time a peice-of /^^ of la
footiong, fell with the Hail out of the Air, &c. If there be
lUch Wonders in a Hail-ihowcr, 'tis thelefs Wonder that God
propofeth this great Wonder to y<y^,' asking him, [fiaft iho»fecn
tde Treasures vf the Hail, which I have Referued again ji the t.mc cf
Tfcuhle, as the Day cf Battel and War.] Job; 8. a a; a;. Shewing
tljat the Infpedbion and Adminiftration of all thefe marvelous
Meteors ^ do only belong to the Great. (7 ^, , he hath vaft
Treafun sodhcm.m^ny Arrows laid up in his Quiver (which
can never be emptied, as the Poet faith o£joves) againft the ap-
pointcdtime for Punilhing his Advcrlarics.thcn he brings forth
his
Of y/ onderjHl Timer. 5^
his tmer^Lnd krver Troops (as the Rdbbins ^ht2i(c it) ready preft
for his Serviec, and this he will do againfl ^^^y/^/^jagaintt which
God hsth a moll Dreadful Shower of Hatl-flonts^ Revel. iG.
17. 18. ^l. where the feventh Plague upon ^yEqyft is compa-
red to the feventh Plague upon Hahhn^ yet this latter far
worfe, as more wxighty than the former, every HaiI-flon«
weighed a Talent, far bigger than thofe that Drain'd the C.mix-
rn^ttjh Kings. J^o\h. lo. Stc my Church- fliji or y pdig. 507. When
oar fofhttj or blelTed fefi^s fliall come forth Conquering and to
Conquer the World (as that Typical fofhua did Canaan) he hath
a worfe Shower of Hail-ftones wherewith to knock down not
only all the Romijh Rooks (that would Rook us of our Refor-
med Religion) but alfo to Brain all the Grandees of the Earth,
that lend their Power to uphold the tottering Whore of Baby-
lon ; thofe prodigious Had-ftones fliall drop down out of ^^^4-
'L'^;^ and defcend upon the E4r/^. Revel, lo. 9 as if both con-
fpired to deftroy Chtifts Enemies, as they had done D^j-z^/^j be-
fore. Pf. 18. i^. 14. 15. and the cWr^e/ Ifa. 50. 30. 51.
Such as never were feen upen £anh. RcveL i6. 1 8.
The fccond Wonderful Sign upon Earthy is that ftrangc ui^
t^riuon to the MAtd at H At field.
Elizabeth Freemans 7?f/4//5;;, taken before 5/r Jofeph Jordan Kt,
and Richard Lee D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majeflj, and
Re^or c/ Hatfield, t>« Jan. 51. 80.
I. CHE faith, That jf^;?. 14. Sitting by the Fire fide about 5
^ iw the Evening (which was its conftant time of appearing)
ihe heard a voice behind her, mildly faying. Sweet-heart !
She turningback, faw the appearance of a Woman (as fiie
thought, all in white, with a white Vail, fo that fiie faw no
Face, but a very white Hand was laid on the back of her Chair)
which faid to Her ; The 1 5 th. of Ma^ is appomted for the Roy-
al Blood to be Poyfoned, and further faid, be not afiaid, for I
am fcnt to tell thee. II. That on Jan. 1 5 . coming home, it ap-
peared in White and Vaifd; as before, faying,*Do you remcm-
I 1 ber
6o Wonderful Signs'
bcr what Ifaid ? {he Anfwcre-1, yes. She farther faid, /« t^e
Name of the Father Son and Holf Ghof^, n^af art thou r* It immedi-
ately appeared in a very glorious (hapc, with a very Beautiful
Face, and with a Crown on its Head : and harflily faid, Tell K.
(h.irles from me, not to remove his Parliament, and (land to his
Council, and charging her to obey its Command, to which Ihc
anfwered, yes, rjTr. III. On 40. 26 It came again, llie being
at home, and her Mother perceiving her troubled, faid Daugh-
ter feeft thou any thing? ilienot being able to fpeak, nodded
her Head and waving her Hand : the Mother faid, fhall I go
out ? ilie being enabled to fpeak, and the Apparition nodding
to her, ihe faid, yes. The Mother going out, the Apparition
bid her do her MeiTage : iheanfwcred, I will, fo foon as God
jhall enable me, it faid be not afraid, and fo Vanilhed. IV. It
appeared Jan. 27. at a Neighbours Houfe, but fpakc not. V. It
appeared again at home, as formerly, /4;?. 18. her Mother and
two Neighbours being prefent, feeing her begin to be troubled)
they ail kneeled down to Prayer, it commanded her to do her
MeiTage, faying, the Lord will go with you, but the perfons by
did neither hear nor fee it. VI. Jan, 19. It appeared as (he was
praying, hut faid nothing. VII. Again the ^o^h. it appeared',!
hux. faid noth-ng. VIII. fa'ti. ; i. It appeared to her again at her
Brother-in-Lavv's Hoafe, being in a very glorious fliape, as on
the 7//f/^^>' before, and faid, God hathfent me to bid you do as
he hath commanded you.&c. IX. It appeared onrF^^. i. again, in
white, hut faid noihinr. . X. Fe^. 2. The day (1 e came to Lo».
don, it appeared again, and commanded her to bid K. ch.i^les
keep to his Nobles, and them he takes to be his Enemies, and
keep the Parliament in the City. XI. F<b. 5 She being at
M^hjtehal^ could not be admitted to fpeak to the King: as (lie was
coming back. faw the Apparition in white, but it fud nothing.
XII. Oil the fame day it appeared again, and faid, Youi have
done your endeavour to the utmoft that God hath commanded
you, you (hall be troubled no more.
Fth 9th. This Maid, accompanied with Sir fcfe^h ^rdar^ Dr.
Uj yyonderjiil 1 imes, 6t
Li', Mr. Wiliinfon,htz}s\oxhQT and others, attended the King
and Council, where his Majefty asked her many Quefiions, and
heard her Relation patiently,aftcr which bidding her Go home
and fer ve God, and ihe (Inould fee no more fuch Vifions ; or to
that effed:, and fo llie wasdifmidcd. Yet about the middle of
^pnl 8 1 . She Relates, that the Viiion hath appeared again to
her, and hath commanded. her once more to prefent her felf to
his Majefly.
The £rft grand Enquiry, is whether this ApfArition were
a good or an £vil Anzel. Anfwcr, i In general A fift-.
hie ^pparjion of Invifible Sprits , is preternatural, and
therefore a Prodigy, whether the Spirit that appears be
good or -bad : ily. Learned men give this Character of
DiIlind:ion betwixt the Apparition of a good and of an f^'//
Angel. That xhcgood always appear in the fliape of heaut'ffl
Perfofjs or Clear/ Creatures j as, of a Lamb to Clement^ of an // rt
to Eujiace^ and of a Dove to Gitmmarus, &c. But the £1^// Angels
A'^^c^zt 2S Deformed mniOX2iS Filthy Be-afis. Thus the Devil
appeared to an AfTembly of Witches in the Shape of a Sttttkmg
Coat, and of a filthy Hog, in thefe Churches of A^a-^^a, propha-
ned by Arrians. Thus Satan (foon after his Fall) took the
likencfsof a Scrfer>t,2.t\6. is call'd fo, yea a Btagon, and thus,
he is faid to appear in the ugly Hiape of all loathfomc Grea-
ture»to H^lhry, Anthonj, &c. As 4thamfius and Hicrcm:^ in their
fuppofititious Relations have Reported . yea, fome do further
fay, Hoc eft admcdum mirahii; r.urtquam Vifos ejje D^mones utrccjue
f:de Hiimanoullhi ^ffaruiffe, &c. Saith Fornerus De Angelis
Serm. 9. 'Lisa very Wonderful thing faith he, that Devils
never are fecn appearing any where in mans iliape, with both
Feet alike, but either with one Foot cloven, or with a whole
club Foot. All this feems not an infalibly diilinguilhing Ciia-
radter : for, 'tis true, the groat God can put fuch difcriminating
Brands upon fuch deceitful Apparitions, of Evil Spirits, and
poffibly doth often mark them fu : yet this will not hold Uni-
vcrfally true, for thatDrw/ who caa (as the Scripture of
truth
6 2 Wonderful Signs
Truth faith) 'ur» htmfelffHto an Angtl ef Li^ht. a. Cor. 1 1. 14-
may ajfo Tranform himfelf into the ihape of feme comely Man^
OTiovel) Seafi : 3. That which the Apoftle there affirmeth, was
i/je/i taken for granted among the Learned (fuch as Pauls oppo-
fers deemed themfclvcs) and this was acknowledged by Porphy-
?r, ^^amhltchtis, §cc. That the Devil (the Prince of Darknefs)
could Transform himfclf into an Angel of Light ^ either by aiTu-
: mingto himfeif a lightfome, comely and glorious Body, as if he
were an An^el of Heaven, or by fuggefting fomething that fce-
meth to favour of Piety and Zeal for God, as if it came from
ifonie blelfed Angel, whereas his fuggeftions (as he fuggefteth
them) do indeed tend to Gods D jhonour ziiduhe Sauls R'^irie.
4 The Character that even Porphyry giveth Sataf9 (calling him
-7i>.y?opofuoy}y-;:ri}vlf^7nv') onc of many Forms and Fafhions, doth
Evidence, that it was the Opinion of the Ancients, how he
doth not always appear in one and the fame Form, but hath
as many feveral Ihapes as Proteus had among the poits : This
is made more manifeft in the Hiftory of the tA^s of. the Apnftlcs^
as, firft at Ljftra he appeared as a Comedian, as if a Scene of
FUutus were to be A6ted upon the Stage, A^. 14. 11. ii. &c.
Secondly, at Amiochhe appeared like g. fefuite with Traditions
inhis Mouth, v. ^6.zndAct. 15. i. Thirdly at Athens, hcM^
lyes OMZ like A Philofoper^ A6t. 17. 18. Fourthly, at £/>^f/«j
lie takes the likcnefs of a ^\2i^tt- Artificer. A6t. i<^. 24.
And fifthly, ot Corinth^ he tranforms himfeif into an An^elof
j^ight. a. Cor. 11. 14. v/izh Acf, 18. 6..&C. In all thofe pla-
ces the Devil A(5led the parts of all the aforefaid, though he
did not vifibly aflume their ihapes. 5/;. As to the latter Times
touching vifible Apparitions ; Scverus Sulpitius in the Life of
Mdrtinw, chap. 15. gives this Account, that Satan appeared in
the form of a good Angel, among other Apparitions to Amiho-
Itus a young Monk, &c. He telleth how the Devil appeared
toSt Af4rr/«(focalled) as he was praying in his Monaftick
Cell, the apparition feemed very glorious, fparkling with a
dazeling light, having upon it Royal Robes, upon its Head a
Gol-
Uf yyonaerjHl I imef. 61
Golden Crown befpangled with Jewels, upon its Feet gilded ■
Shoes, c-trid%ith a benign Afped: out of a comely mouth fpakc
as followeth \_/h H o y M.2iiur\^ ack novledg me rvhom4hoH bcholdethj
&m Chnljt ccmmg donm to the Earthy and I n^ouU firji m-iyiff(fi my felf
to thee, 'Sec,"] and the Apparition oft Repeati^ginthofe Words,
the ti\2in{Mjirtin) Anfvvered, thatc^^// had no where foretold,
be would come again in p ^litterinf And glorious a pofture (upon '
Earth) before tht UH day. I will not beliere that it is chnfi ( wiio •
is come now to me) unlefs he appear in the {2Lmc Fcrm and tidbit
whereinhe/'<j/f^rf^, and having his five Wounis wherewith he
VfSLS fitgrnatiz,ed upon the Crofs ; upon this Anfwer tlie Devil va-
mihedoutof/ight, leaving an horrible flink behind him, as
faith the Author. See him offundry other Stories of the like
Delufions : and Johdn.Wierus de pr^tfljcijs DemoKum Lib. ii.
Gap. i6, 6. There is another Character whereby the Dif-
courfe of an Ev I ^ngel to #5 may be difcerned from that of a
(rood one, which reterThjreus Lib. 4. of Apparitions, Chap. 16.
Numb. 17. mentioneth, faying [The Difcourfe of a ^W -^ngcl
doth at the beginning aifright a perfon, but afterwards leaves
that mind qmcted Sivid comforted, h\xx. on the contrary, when an
Evil Angel appeareth and difcourlcth them, 'tis pleafing and
infmuatingat the firfl,butit ever leaves themind difturbed and
in little cafe at the end. The fame Sign doth Pirfedu give, in his
Notes upon fch, ^, t. 16 Thisalfo is no Infalible Note, but
afaiacious Sign alfo, for the Apparition of a good Angel i/.To
Sarf»pfons Mother was no way ailrightful to her, but rather com-
fortable, encouraging her to run to her Husband, to acquaint
him with the glad Tidings, /r/^^. 13. 3. G. Neither was her
Husband terrified with this Apparition, fpeaking boldly to it
[^art thgu heuhich jpakc to the ^^ oman'] V. 11. Though after his
departure, a Trembling Seiz'd upon ///w, through want of
Faith V. 11. not upon her, whofe Faith was ftrong v.i^: and
1^. The Apparition of an tvd ^ingel (or i)fi///)to .S"^///(asthe
^ocd Angel was Chnfl to Sumpfofjs Parents, Jud i ;. ai. 50. cal'd
^£rMm and Jehovah) did drive the King into a Swoon, i. Sar?t.
18:
Wonclerfiil Signs:
"a8, lb preaching to him his Funeral Sermon, yetjitthe chfg
he had Tome Imall cowf art from the Witches fatted Calf, not fo
much to rcfreni him, as to get him fafe out of her Houfe, and
leart his qualr^of fear Ihould drive him quite o.T from the
Devil. Both tr#*fe two Inftances are point-blank contradicto-
ry to Th:rei4s and /'/.^f^/.^f dilUnguifliing Charad:er. 7 'y. Nei-
ther is that Sign f which fome fay is diftinguilhing) any better
than the former, to wit, It mufi he aguod yingd tha,c fm^gt{l good
things^ whereas the Devil ca.[\^[yo good Coh?.//^ and put upon
good Duties, but always for evil Ends, as B Jims obferveth m
jLib,%'}f.^eI>Amor}omAmdCAj}.G and 5^w«<^/ (himfelf ) could not
have fpoken more gravely and feverely than Satan did i.Sam.
28. 16. I have read a Story of a good man, who was very
weak, and after his Solemn calling upon God, on his Knees by
his Bed-fide, he betakes himfelf to Jlis Bed for Reft, but being
about to fleep, an y^ppnntiurj {^c^iks to him, faying, rife up to
Prayer ; The poor Tempted Soul bravely anfwered the Temp-
ter, Tie pray at God^hidaing not at the Divels, &c. And 'tis a
known cafe' Satan fuggefts to his Vaftals (Witches and Wiz-
zards ; to frequent places of Gods Woriliip but all in Hypocri-
fy) leaft they Hiould feem to be fo bad as they are indeed : yea
fomctimes to receive the Eucharift, but to referve it for fome of
their Magick and Diabolical Charms. So that 'tis beft judg-
ing Ox^Tuch Suggeftions from the f/3^propofed, The Devils e-
vil £';7^in prompting the Sick man to the Good .^^ion of Prayer
was to diicompofehim from fleep and to dcftroy him thereby.
8. But much lefs may an Evil fpirit be diftinguiJhed from a|
good one by iho pUce where the Afp^irition is appearing; for "
the Devil fometimes can thruft himfelf in among the Sons of
Godor fleiJAfjgel'-, Job i. 6. and when Satan thus makcth
himfelfonc. among the Holy Angels, 'tis by Divine perm ilfion,
and not without the over-ruling power of God : The good An-
gels came into Gods prefence for ^o^V to /(?^, but this evil o ne
for iv.^l to him, to wit, for a CommifFion to hurt him, yet even
this God over ruled for good : Jam. 5. n. though the begtyi-'^
nwgl
OfWo7iclerfultimes. 57
ipg was the Devils^ yet tj^e ^nd was the Lords, So Zech. ; . i : .
\ ea and long before that, that S'vil hnrd was got into lUrAaicr
the bell pUcc that was then in thcWorld,^'ea,and long after that
he could not only accompany, but even carry Chrill himfelf to
the Holi remple, when he placed him upon a Pinaclc of it, thus
it appearethfromScripture-Record,that ci/z/Spirits maysppear,
even in ^ocd places, as well as bad ones : to. this Drextlus Vifion
gives a farther confirmation/aying,//^ fatv tenDcvils at a Scr»-or,
and but one ai a Market ; the Ke'afon whereof he givcth, is, that
ataSerr?forj^mci\{\.2ind in Awe of Gods presence there, A6t. lo.
5 ;. and therefoic ten Devils Satan thinks few enough to tempt
them, that they m^v mt ferve the Lord without Diftiaaiur/.
1 . Cor, 7.^5. But at a Market tlie Tempter*nceds not fo many
tempting Tools,for there one man vvill(faft enough )Tcrnpt ano-
ther, The Buyer the SeEer, and the Seller the Lycr. The fecond
great Enquiry is. Whether God ufeththe A'iimflr) of '^oodiy^ngels
to his Servants now under the Gofpel \ Anfwer i//. without ilf
controverfyhedoth, yet in an infcnfible and in an invifible
manner, that God might draw up our Hearts Heaven ward.and
have our GorJi'erfatwn in Heaven, while our Commoration is on
Earth. f/W. 5. 10. 2)<fW^ are not more ready 10 tempt and^r-
"vcur us, than the ^figels are to [uccotir and deliver us : As Evii
•Angels do'fuggcll Evil Motions^ fo do good Angels good ones^
and as outgcod endeavours are oft hwdred by the Evil Spirit :
I. Thef. 1. I S. So arc our evil undertakings oft by the good
Angels, otherwile our Protedion were not equal to our Dan-
ger. The Devil moved ^'aUam to go and curfe Jfrae!^ a good
Angel refills him, and fpeaks in the mouth of his Afs to con-
vince him, (jrr. HereBiiliop ^/f//notethwell, in his contempla-
tion on that Scripture, If an Heavenly fpirit ftands in the way
ofa SorccrcrSins, how muck more arc all thofc Cstlcdial pow-
ers ready to flop the mifcarriages of Gods deareft Children;
how oft (yet more) had we fallen, had not thefe BlciTcd Guar-
dians upheld us in their Arms. Pf. 9 1. 11. whether by rcmo -
vingtheoccafions and opportunities of Evil, or l-y mxfliiig.
K con-
58 Wonderful Signs
contrary infiinds and motions to Good. As MV^^f / oppofed
Satan -showi the Bodi of A^ofes, fo do the good Angels about
the Bodies and Souls o^the Saints while thej live and carry their
550uls immediately into ^br^hams Bofom when they Dye : there-
fore Hiould we blefs God for Angels Miniflry, as a part of
Chriils Purchafe. Heb.i. 6. 7. 14. who haVe their C^ww/j^/^;?
from him (to keep the Saints in their Way) as well as their
Co/ifirmat.on by himan their own Everlafting go dnefs : Jicnce
he is their /^f4^, Col. a. 10. and that 5^4;^^; Z^^i^r on which
they Afccnd with i\4 ens Defires, and Difccnd wixh. Gods An-
fwer. Gen. a8. ii. much more I might add, but I avoid pro-
^ iixity. 4
The Secnd Answer. It muft be granted that in the times of
the Old and New Tedament, God did ufe the Vifiblc Miniftry
of good Angels, as in the Old to Abrah^m^ Gen. 18. 17. to
Z<7', Gci. 19. 15. to 6'/Vfo;7, Judg 6. 12. 14. and to Manoah^
Judg. 15. 5. arc. and in the New Teftament, to fofeph^MsiZt,
1. 20. to Z<3chary^ Luke i. i 3. and to the BlefTed Virgin, Luke
1 . 16. &c. Then did God fpeak to his Servants at Simdiy times
And in d'Verfe wanner s., that is, in Breams and Fifto^ s by his An^e \\
hut now he haxh [poke tc f/s by his Son, Heb. i. i. 2, and therc-
> fore all Fi(ibie /ippariti^.n are ceafed but not their Invtfible Cfcra-
lions: They Hill Ad for Gods Church and Children, though
invifibly, therefore their Hands arc reprcfented to be under
their Wings, E::iek. i. 8. bccaufe their Adions arc for the
mofl part infenfible and invifible : For God now (Soverns his
.Church in a fpiritual manner, without the vifible Apparitions
of Anrels, though they be prcfent with the Church in an in-
vifible way: £(c'(( $. 6. and i.Ccr. 11. 10. 'Tis true,
the Retired Saint <c( the primitive Times (as well as the Holy
Afanyn) fince the NewTeftamcnt Times, had fomctimcs good
Angels appeared to them, for their confolations in ihcir fori cd
[ohtudes and [uffcrr>.gs as the bcil Ecclefiallick Hill cry s Record,
conccrnigg the fh'y F.rrin., ihcr.ph^fa^ A^nes, Luei.i^ducilia^zw^
others, toprotcd them in their Chafliry, whi!ft driven into
Uj yy onaerjHi itmcf. 5^
Defarts by Ferfecution ,• as alfo concerning Thec^oms ''who had
an Angel wiping oif Jiis Sweat, with afoft Handkerchief, while
he was under h rd Torments by his Toraicntors) and many
others : but the Elder the Church grew, tlie more rare became
thofe Apparitions; as of other miraculous Signs, not becaufc
Gods ^^nn WAS jhortK'e,^, 3cc. but becaufe his Church was
(through his gracious Providence) now fetled in an ordinary
way : Thus it was with the Infant Cliurch in the Wildcrncft,
there fhe had the Pc<?^r/o^/.'f^/jrain'd down daily upon her,
but when come into Cj/'/'^.i/y that Ceafed, and then Ifrael muft
purvey fort hemfelves : fo now we mult not expert either the
Jr'iodox: the y^pparit:on oi Angel'.
The Third Anfvver, Goubrtitis in his Colledions of the memo-
rable Hiflories of later (than thofe primitive) Times, makes
his Reports of fevcral fuch Apparitions, yea Mdanzion in his
Coment upon Daniel, tells us of his own knowledge, how holy
Ctyyjxus was delivered from a bloody Popifli Priefls intention to
Murder him (for reproving him of falfe Dodbrine) by an A»gch
appearing to MeUhclon (like a grave goodly old man)and warn-
ing him to bid Gryn&us haflen out ot Spjres quickly, who no
fooner had got a Boat upon the Khme^ but he w^as immediate-
ly and eagerly fought for at his Lodging, by his very name,
which (it feems) the good man had told the Priefl, upon his dif-
femblingly defiring fome farther Conference with him.
Anfwer the Fourth, The belt Cafuifts (1 can confult with) do
fay, that it is ndther pious nor profitable now for men to af-
fcift cither the ^'pp^r it ion or Confire-.ce with ^Ulj A.^i^ds : in-
deed the carnal Jows did of Old, attribute much to this, 'M;3
li. 19. thinking that Bath-kol, or Daughter of a voice from
Heaven, was the Voice of fome Angel, not only becaufc the
^ Decdoq^uc (which Godhimfelfis faid to fpca-l<. j was afcribed by
them tobefpoke by ^^j'^f/j, A(ft 7. ^S. andHcbr. i. a. but
affo becaufe they did not think God \vould fpcak to Chr'ifl in
his own pcrfon, beiug they looked upon Mo[es, as greater than
Chrjjl, :\nd Eiifcl?iHS Hifi. Lib. 5. Cap. 15, Tells us, ho. v the
K 1 1:0.'
to Wonderful Signs
Mofjta^ifs (25 \vc\\2iS J-cws) were great pretenders to ^fig( Is-
^JpfArinon.', from whom they ventured to Ibretel fundry things
which came not to pafs, lb event proved them Lyars, &c. Yea
24a'^',mci (that Grand Cheat) pretended he received his Hodg-
yPodg A Charon from G^-ibritl the Angel, and the Romanills
\boait (even out- vying Mahomet^ of a mighty power over AngeJs,
(Infomuch that they pretend to fliew a PKime of Feathers, that
|WciS pluckt out ef Gubriels (that Arch-Angels) Wings : poidibly
jit might be got when Angels (as common Fowls) do Movvt anH
cafl their Feathers : yea Popery (at this day) afcribeth much to
the Apparition of Spirits, from whom they underftand the
' Hate or their friends in Purgatory : Thus are they (for re)ed:ing
the Truth) judicially given up of God to believe Lyes, as Ex-
perience (the School Miflrifs of Fools ) do fuffieiently TeacJr,
1. Thejf. 2. 12. This is a part of the Romi\l) ^fojlaci^ to give
heed to jeducwg Spirits, and to Dci^rine of Divcls. i . Tim. 4. i .
A nfwcr the f //}/;, To receive any new Dot'^rine from an Af?-
gel is now abominable, Gaf. 1.8. For Angels have no Divine
Inftitution to be Teachers of Men in the Church, they have no
Sacred M/jffio» or Furj^ion thcTtto, Rom. 10. 15. i. Cor. ii.
1 8 . Eph. 4. 1 1 . God hath Inftituted the Minifirjoi Man (not of
^wcls ) to Build up his Church, this Honour God gives to
Man, and the Word Preached by Man is called the Word of God.
I. Their. 2. i;. and they that Hear Man (according to the
Gofpel; are faid to ^^^r (7i?^. Luke 10. 16. yea 'tis fa f;ar the
fcwir of Gcd, as to pull down the power of the Divel, therefore
let n6/;e bcb gniUa into a vohtntary VVorfhip of Jnge/s^Co). 1. 18.
Anfwcr the .9;a-;A. The very light of Nature among the Hea-
thens, did lead them to fpeak of both L^res^ or good Angels,
thcGuardiansof r7(?<?.i'Af^;?,and of Ifw«r<'/,roevilAngcls,the/'wr-
/f/c; s and v:sxers of FtH M.ev, thus a Devil entred into Jndas and
in Evil Spirit oft Vexed ^.j«/. i. Sam. 16." 14. &c. Yea, *tis
not fcarce yet out of the Memory of fome men, how frequent
were the -^pparrtions of Evil Spirits, Phayrie , Hcbgiblins, and
many frightful Spcdriims, wherewith many places were fre-
quently
Uj vVonderjm I imes. 6i
quently Haunted, and many pcrfons horribly diilradled in
TimGSof Pcpery and grofs Supcrfliticn ; and the rsrenefs of
fuch fearing Vifions, in thefe Jatter times of Reformation, is
fiifficient to difcovcr the difference (as Biftiop Hail excellently
faith)bet^vixt the (late of Ignorant (PopifliJ Supernition, and
the clear Light of the Gofpel. Biihop H^/i ot Evil Angels,
tfar, <^^ 3 . And Camerarius (with others) tell us, how ufual tliofc
Strai>ge Ap/iri^.tons were in times of Darknefs, although r/ov
(blefTed be God) the Relation thereof is terrible to us. Camit-
rariits his Hiiiory obfn. L h, 4. Caf. 15. fAg. 1S8. Thcure of
Cyods judgments ^zg. 5;i. to 457. Mr. 5.rxrf/K Red, Edi. 2.
p^. IT I. LavAter de jpecfris fcr totitm, &: c *T\vas frequent then
before the Reformation in £«;-^/'d' (where the Gofpcl hath not
come to Dethrone the Devil) The Ignorant Indians fee and
hea^ ftrailge Spedrrums and- Spirits in bodily lliape, Kight and
Day, whereas in New £;?7/4W (by the Light of the Gofpel)
is much dehvered from tliat Prince of Darknefs : Sozomc/i
writes o£ one Ape/ks (a f^movLS ty€gyptia» Smith) who was
tempted to uncleannefs, by a Dive! in the Ihape of a Woman,
in which fhape (faith Tnmethha) never any good ^fjgel Appea-
red ; hereby we may make fome guefs at Dr. Dees GduAh the
i\/4/^, one of his Spirits, which after appeared as a Mati. Dr.
Bee^ pag. 11. 16. and at his Friend E. Ketl] , who could not a-
bide his own Wife, but abhorr'd her. f^^.^o. and at his Unci (a-
nother of his Spirits; that oft fwore [marry] pA^. 411. yea and
himfclf who condemns Cdvin^ Luihcr^Slc. and denys the Pope
to be Antkhrij}, &c. Joh. Bromijir. Sumpradi^. 'v.fi^pe/tia. Tells
a famous Story of an -^rj^e/^ and an Mermite walking together,^
there laid in their way fome linking Carrion, at this the Her-
miteftops his Nofe, turns away his Head and hafts out of that
offenfive Smeli, but the Angel heU on his way, without an.y
flie'vV of diflike : flraightway they met with a very proud,
pragmatical man, gayly adorned, deeply perfumed, looking
loftiv, and (Irutting along in a moil ftatcly pofturc, the tinmiu
gave tliis man great reverence and r.d.iiirarion, but the ^ih^L-l
ilop'i
P.op't his KoarilIs,t-irn'd away his Head, &c. Rcndring tljis
Kcafon, that the flench ofrridewas more loathfome to go<^
and his ,Anvels, thai: that {linking Carcafs couid be to him :
Here was a better Character of the Apparition of a good .^k^
^A. than of thcfc S^.rt:<, that Dr. Dee mentioneth : I might add
much more, &c.
Anfsver the yezern'j : Suppofe an -^yp^iritioK of Evl St)ir^ts Ca-
fuifb concki Je it unfafe to c::}jf.r with them ; our Grandmother
-Eve got a fall by holding Chat with the Divcl in Paradice. That
Fort or Calile whfch yields to a Parley, is accounted half lofl]
they are too wily for us, having much advantage over us*
funding upon higher ground to us, &c. Biihop Ha/i's Cafes
©fCa/;;t/c';5tY, pag. i6i. dc. Saying he admired at the Jefuitc
C(5//^;?y confidence, who provided many CK^eftions to propound
to a D(morj!.ick, (bme whereof were matters of State, concerning
the then French King, and the King of England, pag. 165. and
Cotton being; queflioned for this, anfwered he had Licence
from Rome for his fo doing, ibid, and much more of Romes trafli.
As to this ^ippAntion in particular, though at hrft /Ight, it fee- *
med to me drefledup hke the Divels Oracle at Delphos, in am-
biguous Expre/Tions, yet upon fecond thoughts (which fliould
always be the befl, as being moft dehberate) I (hall not take
upon me to Determine, either its o;oodnefs or Lid»efs, as to ki/jd
or thing, but ihall refer my Reader to a ferious comparing it
with the Circumftances of the aforegoing general Anfwers, fub-
joyning only, that it is Gods declared Will, we iliould Live iy
Faith, and not M'aik by Senile or fight of fuch Apparitions^ where-
in there may be much D.?ceptio Fifus. Hiliory (indeed ) tell us,
that i{\ fome extraordinary cafe, God hath given out fome y^p-
jaritions for the difcovery of fome fecret heinous Murder, &c.
and this he may do by Devils, who are reputed ready to make
fuch Difcoveries, that their Prey may come fooncr into their
Hands, by the ftrokc of JuHice. As to the Predrdtions of fu-
ture Events, which ^ppantions do pronounce ; fome few things
(for Brevity fake) only, Hiall be faid here. As firfl, 'tis God
and God alone (who is Omnifcient) that himfclf can forctel ///-
mm
Of Wonderful Times. 6j
iuH Events, Ifa 41. ^^. a;. The Prophet conviiiceth the
Heathen of the Vanity of tlicirGods (or Idols, faying. That
all certain Fredidions of future Providences (which yet
have no afTurcd natural Ca'tfe or figniHcant ^igri) bciongcth on-
ly to the true God. Thus the Prophet Argues, ch. 44. 7. and
45. 10. II. and46. 10. and 48. 14. Idols cannot declare
things to come. Secondly. The Devil (though a moft Intelli-
gent Spirit, can know nothing of what fliall befal for the future,
fave only thofe things he feeth in their Caufs, or in the light
o£ par tic. p. u 10)7 : The Devil can better Difcover what is pa ft ?.nd
done, by his own Infligation, as that Murder committed on a
Stranger, at an Inn in Exeter, 30 years before the Difcovery was
made by an y^fp^ntion : as was likewife the Fraud of an Fs?-
cutror converting a Gent!emans Edate from his Children to his
owi^ufe, who was aifriglited by an /ipptirjio i unto a Rellituti-
cn to the right Heirs, both hapned lately, and feem to be well
attefled by Godly Miniflers. Tis certain that future Contin-
gents are not within the compafs of the Devils Cogni2ance a-
ny other way, feeing they are wholy at Gods difpoHng : yet
^4;.i;z in fome Cafes, and at fome times, can foretell things to
come, as i//. He being a A/zV^/v NatHrdif, able (by his Angeli-
cal fagacity) to dive into the deepell CA'i^es and /^rri'/.j of Nature
which men cannot do) and fo accordingly to frame his Prcdit,
dions, fach as feem fupernatural.to us, he is alfo an Ex.xci y r-
iift, attained (bcth by his acute Obicrvations, and almofl 6cco
ycarsExpericnce) to an acquaintance of all natural, moral, and
political caufes of things, as the P^rw///f;, hence may he give
ihrewd gueflcs (though he know nothing Infalibly > and gather
fach cdnfequences, as may probably come to pafs, if the great
God be notplcafed to interrupt this Cluiin of Caufes, as lie
fumetimcs doth, by his over-ruling Power. Tliough S.%i,in be
a PrinceofDarknefs, yet may he have fccondly f.icJi a /u. -
t:cipai!on of fomc li^[ht by Divine 'not ovAy p.tmjji /?, but) Corn'
m'ffion^ when God makes him tlie Executioner of his Judg-
ment?, and in facli a ;:rifc 'lis ca.^' for l'i:T» to forctc! future
thin^^i
64 Wonderful Signs'
things, as in the Cafe of ^oh^ he could prcdid: (without d^-
HcLihy) thatfuch and fuch Evils would ihortly bcfal that good
man, when he had got a CommiHion from God for them, and
wanted no tools to work, them : and as in the Cafe of the4Co
faife Prophets of ^hah^ in whofe Mouth he had a Commiffi-
on from God to be a L^mg Sfirit^ and delude them. i. Kin. ii,
6 21, which Ihews A'/>(^ ^/;4^*s Death, was revealed to the
Devil, and then he could Reveal it to whom he pleafed. The
Devil Deceived thofe Deceivers the falfe Prophets, and they
Deceived Ahal^, and draws him (as the Moujc) into the Trap,
where he Perifhed, not only for his Crtielti to A'dot.h^ but by his
Credid'iN to thofe many curfed Sycophants : yea, and in the
Cafe of ^^«/ (which is yet highen he only could have foretold
the Fall of King Ah.ib {nt p'pra) but he a(itua!ly did foretel the
Death of King Saul. i. Sam. i8. 19. Naming the time, though
in ambiguous Words, as [to morrow] is indefinitely ufed, Exod.
r;. 14, ^nd Mdtt. 6. 54. Thus the Devil Equivocates in all
his Oracles (as in this and in that of ^hab) The Lord (l^alidelfvtr
into th: Hands of the Ki-ag) I. Kin, ^. 16. where the Particle [/t]
is not in the Origmal : The word [thee] may as well be fup-
plycd : and this Lying Spirit names not which of the
Kings he meant, whether ^hah or Benhadad., yea his quibling O-
racle (as the D^//'''/Vi: Devil had many) might be conilrued in a
quite contrary Senfe: either i/. The Lord will deliver {thee]
«s^/'/iHnto the. hands of Benhadad^ or "i/>. [It] to wit, Ramoth
GUfai into the hand of ^hd : thus the deceitful Devil will fave
his Credit, what ever hapned, and yet aS bad as this Abaddon
is, he flicws more ingenuity here than doth the J°-cfujts, for he
ingenioudy acknowledgeth hi-s Eqitivocaang Oracle, to bcrto bet-
ter than a Bafe Lyc^ faying / will^o and be a Lfmi Spirit., in the
Mouth of all ^habs Pa- afyt/cal Prophets. o'.m.Howevcr Satan (that
mock' Sa7?iv el) feems more pofitive and peremptory in his Pre-j
didtions of Saids Dorv fai (as above) yet this was no more thatij
what a prudently-thinking man might have con;e6tured from
the concurrence of fccundary Caufes. ho^ much more mii^hi
ai
uj yyonaerjui i tmes. 05
an acutely- obferving Devil make up a flircwd Guefs (by com-
paring things with things) of Sauls approaching Ruine : He
could not be ignorant both of ^d///j Rqccfior, and of i).:i//rfx E~
UBion^xhc Courage and Cor.f deuce of the rhitijltnes Army, the
JOeffondencies and Dfidmce o£Saul and his SouUters (both which
had been formerly Valorous) were not unknown to him, or pof-
fibly he might peep into thofe Prophetick Predidions concern-
ing Saul and Ddvid^ in ch. 15. and. 16. of the hrft o)iSam. Yea
he well knew, what himfelf defigned to do in the day of Battle
(with Gods Permiflion) againft i^/// who had forfeited:
Gods Proteffion, The third Confideration I fliall conclude
with is, that the Dcvd hath his Inflruments or VaiTals amongft
Mankind, to whom he imparts his Predidions, that they may
impart them to others ; and thofe are mollly Women ( of the
Devils choice^ more than Men, becaufe they are Weaker F'dels,
whofe credulity is fooner impofed upon,and eafilyer abufed and
deluded by the Devil :we have two famous Inllanccs one in the
Old the other in theNewTeflament) the i/I hereof is i. Sam. 28.
7.where5^«/faid,/(ffi: me out AWomAn thit hjth a f amJlijr Spirit ^not
a Mart but a Woman^ he had put downWitchcs beforc,yet hoped
hcfome might be remaining (though not oiMen^yct) oiWvwc?},
which are wont to be lighter and proner to Superftition, not
only becaufe of weaker Wits and apcer to be Deceived, but, fee-
ing they cannot, compafs any Fame or Glory by Koblc Ex-
ploits (as men can) they therefore would become Famous by
Magick Art : hence this Woman became a Dame to a familiar
Spirit, and thither ^4/// comes, who rather than fail would crave
help from Hell, Oc And the fecond Inflance is not unlike
this firft, y/^. 16. 16. The Dm/? /;7^Damorcl, who probably
foretold many things that came to pafs , othcrwife Ihc could
never have brought [0 much Cairt to htr Mjfters, as that Scripture
faith : ihe might make unhappy Hits fometimes, from the fa-
gacityof(her grand Mafler) Satan ; yet mifs too at oilier time;*; '
for if the Divel himfelf cannot foretcl all future Events, nor
any thing Infaiibly himfelf, but cither as it is Revealed to h\n
L by
eo vronaerjm drgnr
by God f&s^iSLAha!*s¥a\\^t RamohGileAd) or as he forefeeth them in
rhc Cnnfes^ Si^ns or Prophecies o( HAy Scripture, wherein he is not a Jitcic
skii'djund out of which he fomecimes Iteaicth a parcel. Far be it from nie
tj apply our prcfenr yipparitionio either of thcfe aforementioned, cfpecial-
jy upon thcfe Grounds, \fi. We do not find that this apparition required
zn'^ Adoration 'f when S-iw/ bowed himfelf to Satan (xhat Mock- Samuel)
I. Sam. 28. 14. That ^<^or<«/xtf« was the main thing that the Devil chiefly
aimed at : 2//. Wc do not find (in our Cafe) any feeking to this apparition
for that is fTantamount) a Worjhipptn^, though there be no bowiDg, and
howiar amounts /;<?/«/; «^ Conference mth Apparitions (fee above^ but yet it
Teems an higher ftep to obej their Commands, efpecially fuch as arc dillonant
to the Law ot Nature' 01 Nations, or Scripture, which is not ourGafe, nei-
ther doth this comport with the latter Inftance, though here's a Divinin?
Damfel, yet not fuch an one as the Septuagints ufually call «>-j<4S-e;f*v'dBf
becaufe the Devil fpake out cf their Bellysj for which caufe alfo the He-
brew s call them Ohoth or Bottles, becaufe the Bellys of thofe Women (thus
made ufe of by the Devil) fwelled as big as Bottles, wlien they began to Pro-
phefy.2/)'. Neither do we hear of any gain eithet to her felf or to hcrMafters
here, as appeareth r/?(rrtf. 5/7. Neither do we find any Difturbance given to
Gods Worfliip under fpecious pretences here^ as is found there. They that
dcfire to know more of thofe Divining Intrigues, let them confult BaUwint
Cafes ofConfcicnce . Lib, 3. Pag. j^^.to 610. &c, too Jong here (fomuch
as to abridge in this fmall Trcatife) and other Cafttifls j I add this on-
ly, \ft. If the Death of any be foretold by the Devil we ought not to believe
it, as from him (the Z,/4rj God can Crofs if, ilj. IfGod permit it, 'th 10
harden the fuperftitious Obfervcrs of it: ^tj^ 'tis enough Gods Word fore-
tels that all (hall fall out for the beft to them that love God, Rom^, S.iS.So
all's welcome: fo far as Gods Word guidcth us, we walk fafely, but if we ftcp
farther into a By-way 'twill lead us down into the Chambers of Death.
I Omit the ftrange Apparitiors ztPons Town in Tipper Arj in Ireland, at-
teftedby 16 pcrfonsEye Witneffes, and Print«d, The Jaft and Jateft of
Lind-Prodigies (omitting many others thai ccme not yet well proved to my
Hsnd (i%l)^^'Death of 3 Tower- Lyons j called Old Char Is, Q^een and Duke
which is the moreRemarkable,becaufe we do not find(fcarce in a wholeAge)
anyRecord of thcDeathoffo mnch as one of thofeKoyalLong-LivedCreatures
(^the Keeper whereof is fo much obliged both by Loyalty and Advantage to
prcferve thcm)much lefs of fo many and that within few days^as if they had
confp'red to march off together, the more to amufc and amaze this
Tripple Realm, for every Kingdom one : to Exemplify it in our ^'w^*
l,Jh [hronicL s, though fgraethirg like it is faid to happen in King JH-
(Jbard,
Uj y/onaerjm i imer. u/
charis Relcn, yet I canr.ot find a fit P^ralclunto this ftrangc Prodigy *i^»»
Record, fave only in i/e«r; the fixths Reign, Whereof Sir Rschard Ba^er
?who is generally owned as an Impartial Chronicler of former T>mes; ^ivttH
usthis Account. That In the i 8ch. year of Henrjr the fixth all the Ljon-s
in the Tower DjeL Bakers Chron. pag. 1 99. This Kings Reign was at-
tended with many raifchiefs betwixt him and the then Dnkf of ror{. Henry
the Fifth after he had Conquered France, and kept his Court with incompa-
rable Magnificence for fomc time, then he Returns with his Qa^cen into E«^-^
land, who^vas delivered of a Son at {ri*«^y"(»/-,cailcd thcrctorc H^nrj the 6. ot
^/W/(7r (upon whom at his Birth his Father fpake L>ropheucaily [/ Her,r)o^
Monmouth have gairAi much and ihall remain but afhort time: but Nenrj
oifVmdfor fhall Reign long and loofeali] and acordingto ihh Paternal Pro ^
phefy the Son firft loft Ws All in France^ and after, liy. His All in Eh^-
iand. In this Henrj the fixths time, France, Normandy, Aqfutdm, were ail
loft from the Englifo, and in Sngland fuch were the bloody Contentions be-
tween the two Hoults of r^r^^ and Lancafler, that ten feveral fierce Batt-els
were fiercely fought between the two Fadions, whereof j were fought ia
Henrj the fixths time. T\\c firft at St. Alhans in which Torks prevailed : the
JecondAt Black^Heath, in which the Confederate Lords rvere Qonquerors :
tha third at Northampton^ in which Henrj the fixth was again overthrown :
the fourth at Waks field, in which the King was Vi<aorious : the fixth at Tow-
ton, in which the new Du^e of Tork, carried it, who became thereby King
Edward thclV, In whofc time alfo five more feveral fet Battels were
fought upon the fame Quarrel : zs firft, ihat at Exham : ficondlj ^rhat at Ban-
bttr) : thirdly, the Bittcl oiLbofe-Coats : fourthly, that in Barnet Fields :
and fifthly zhzt At Tew xhrj. Thus even the fVhite Rofc was Dyed Kedi^
over and over again, with the blood of many brave men, and a Period was
never put to this Contention twixt the White and Red Rofe^ until that conclu-
ding Battel at Bofworth Fields, in which theT lantagincts expired, and both
the Houfet were after united in Henry the VII. ^o^^'sHiftory of the
World, />4^. /54. &c. and Dr.Trideaux^s Hiflorj of Succefions in our
own Land, ^^^. 35;. Who tells a memorable Story of thofe fuch Catch-
ing Times (as he calls thtm) of one Burdet a Mercer in (^heap-fide, who jo-
cularly faid to his Son, if he would ply his Book, he ftiould be Heir to the
Crown (meaning his own Houfe, which had the Crown for Its Sign, and had
IK) Relation to the Crown of the Kingdom) for this Jeft.thc Man loft his Life :
zi{\iTcd\y zn Honeft fury would not have given him (\ich h^rd Meafure :
God blefs us from fuch Contentious and (nahcatching Times ^^hich were pre-
faged not only by the Death of the Tower Lyons, zs above,, but alfo by feve-
ral other Prodigies, as si'Slaung Star, Monftrous'Btrthf, a proi'g'ous
L 1 C>c^
to yyonaerjui :^tgnf
Cock^Qiii of the Sea at PortUnd, crowing three times,and turning his Head to
the South, North and fVesf, and Pauls Steeple was fired with Lightning :
See RtQes Ilifiory cfthelVortd, pag. 5-34. And S'w Richard Bakers Chnno-
logy of the fame time, all thcfe Prodigies were Prefages of fad future Cala-
mities. Enquiry, Whjfmuft the Death of Lyons be made a '^rgdl^y, feeing
thej are M--rtal as other Be^fis, and Dye only in the common cottrfc of Na-
tnre ? AnAver ihefirfi, Confider in the general, A Lyon ifi. For his Ma-
j(fiy, that fits enthroned in his looks, zly. For his Magnanimity ^ as difdain-
ing to go out of his (lately pace, though Danger purfiie him, Prov. 3 o. t/. ; o.
3//. For his Formidablenefsj infomuch that when tb^ Ljon Roareth, all the
Beafts Tremble, Aw, j. 8. and have not power to fly from him, though
they can cut- run him ; hence he is the HjerogljphicJ^ oi Dominien^ and vcor-
thtly as weli as vulgarly is called the Kmg of^eafls. Hereupon the Fall of
a Lyon is as the Fall oiAbner^lht Fall ef a Trince^ 2.Sam. ;,. 38. 'Tis look-
ed on as a Fatal Fall, the Death of a Lyon was the prefage oi Julians death,
faith AmmianusMarcelli}:uf,An[\\er the/^C(?«^,more fpeciaUy as the living
Xre» Kcfembleth Majefly'Dsmineering (according to «^/£?;';Apologuejover
rh^tAJs and thei="tf;c in fliaringthePrey they had joyntly caught in Hunting :
So the Dead Lyon leprefenteth Majefi-yDeceafed (according to Alciats Em-
fclem and the GiCek Epigram 'ojAo] vik^x! Q5(xa.\io/j& e^i/Ce^^w hctyufu
Though the Z//o» while living be the Nobleft of Beafts, T*rov, 30. 30. yet
when Dead, this N'obleBeaftis expofed to the Scorn of themoft weak and
timorous //"/jr^-,;. Hence arofe the Hebrew Proverb, thsiiz living Ddi^(with
them the bafefi of Creatures) was better than a Dead Lyon (both as to Ufe
and as to Effence) Scclef. 9. 4. Importing that the meane^ man Livings is
better than the greatefi man Dead. Anfwer the third. The Death of a Tow
tr L)on is more portentous than the Death of many Lyons in the Wilds of
Lybia^ whereof no notice would be taken, h\xi 2iTovcer Lyon is the Darling
as wen as Emblem of Trinces^ and the Delight as well as ivonder of the Peo-
ple that have been admitted to behold them j and feeing they naturally live
longer than the oldeft of Men, fcarceanyone Age brings Tidings of the
Death of a Tow^r L^on (as before) fo carefully attended, e^^. This occafions '
the general Opinion, that fuch an Occurrence is a Fore-rnnner of Come FaL
taltty. AnCwcT the fourth. How much more the Death of 3 Torver Lyons
at once, as if a Lyon Peftileme f that ro 0hov or Divine Thing had been fent
to kill three Lyons at' one blow, this hardly finds a ParalelinHiftory,tbey?;'tf«^
ToVfcr (i^ (e\i) with all its high Walls, deep Trenches, brafj Guns, great
Guards, and warded Gates, could not be a Tower of Defence to them or to
any one them, and if Tria had been Omnia here (as it is in Philofophy) the
Fover had been left a Lyon-lefs Tower, Sacred Story fpeaks of one Prodi-
gy
Of Wonderful Timer. 6<^
gy, ftot altogether diflbnant to this, to wit, Santfon tmnedafide to fee the Car-
cafs of the Lyon, and heboid there was a Swarm of Bees and Honey in the
Carcafe^ Judg. 14. 8. prodijricffiM efi (faith Lavater) qued Mellificarunt
u4pes in Cadavere, &c. 'Twas no \zk than a Vrodigj^ that Bees fhould Breed
andmakc Honey fofoon infuch a place, feeing thej are naturally driven
away by an ill Smell, as abhorring all ftink'n|; things, fuch as this Carcafc
muft needs be upon its Putrefadion j herein Tliny, Columella.tyEUan^ Var-
roy and all Naturalifts do unanimoufly concurr : Indeed fome fas ytr^U O-
vid^Scc.) do fay. Bees may breed in theCarcafe of a Bullock r^iturallj,
butnever in the Carcafe of a Lyon, which hath a more fcetid flt{h and a
more ftinking fnsell ; however, not in fo (hort a time as was between Sam-
fons Contrad and the folemnizing of his Marriage. It therefore only came
to pafs,by the fpecial Providence of God producing ihis Prodigy^ not, only
by z preternatural, bat alfo by a Supematttral power. Now that the 7o\v~ '
er Lyons be de^d ^though we had no hand in their Death, as Sarr.f.n had \x\ •,
his; let us turn afidc (^ little) to view thefe Carcafes, as Samfon did thfsjand
behold both the Congruitj and Difparitj of them : As ifi. God Blefs us, that
no Swarms of thofe BcesoCBaify/on (Ifa. 7. 18.; may breed out of thcip
Carc^es, nor out of them whofe names they bore, to Sting us with their Fa-
tal Stings: And God blefs us not only from thofe Honey-lefs Wafps and
Dronifh Robbers, but alfo that the right Honey may^ be bred in the bodyt of
lh%{xi^txv[\\ugL^onfi3\\*dCharles the Il.and in him whofe name he beareth:
3/;.Though we find no Honey in any of thofe 3 Carcafes,as Samfon did in his
one,yct may wefind fuch a Riddle in them which may puzzle and Non-Plus
aUtheuncircumcifed7'^/7//?>>;j,Judg.i4, .11. 14. O tit of thofe Eaters may
came forth Meat and out oftheftrongfweetnefs. This Problem (as many of
Gods Trtfz//^r«f«) is -made up of contraries, yet the arnigmatical Sentence
Icems to fignify^that it (hould come to pafs, the fhilidms which ruled with
rigour over the //r^fZ/Vfj at that time, fhould be fabdued and eaten up by
the IfraeUtes, and when they were moft ftrong, they fhould not damnify but
accommodate the //f^r^iv/: The good Lord grant the fame Priviledges to
the Pyotejiants over the Papip, who have eaten us up as their Daily Bread,
wirh the hke voracity as the Hungry devour ^r^rf^, Pf. 14. 4, Yea, thofe
cruel Cannibals makes Flefh as well as 'Breadof poor Proteflants, and do as
barbaroufly and brutifhly worry them with open Mouth, as the bloody Lyo^s
dc the helplefs Sheep, Pf. 27. 2, O that they may now ftumble and fall in
attemptmg it, and both they and their Leviathan (the Pope) with his broken
Head, may be given as meat to the people Inhabiting the mldernefs, Pf. 74
13. 14- Then would God unriddle, how p«? of the grand £. iter coma h
Me at J and out of thefir9ng comtth Smctnefs.
This
"JO Wonderful Signs
This L?a(Is me to the third and hfi Scene or Theatre, wherccn Gcd
ihewshls H^onderffil Signs y to \vit,(asin i/Mt/f»and on ihcSarth, Co) upcn
the iVaters: As I do defignedly omit maqy marvelous things, mentlcned
in For reign .and Domeftick Letters, fuchas the Earth, qHake at MaUgo^
which overturnM their Religious Houfes, and put all Sp^n into a Fr:ght,0'f.'
And fuchas have lately hapned alfo in our Lanlis) becaufe they come not
well Atteftedto make them enough A-uthentick, in rhe foregoing. Stage or
Theatre : fo I muft do inthislalt,oroittirgmany Stories, and pitch firft up-
on that which hath unqueftionablc Teftimony of the Truth thereof, to wic,
the Drying up of the River Jr^r in Pr<»/a, between Radnorjhirc and Breek^-
nocl^.Jhire ("where *tis near as broad as Thames at Bradford) about a ftones
caft over, asd of a fierce Current, yet on the a j-th. of /'^w/r^r; laft at LewjS"
fordy it itop'c its ccuife and parted it felf, and became dry, (b that feverai
perfons walked over Dry- fhodjfome gathered up Fifhcs'for feverai Milis,
this cortinued for feverai Hcurs : This is Attefted for Truth, by Mr. Frobnt
HighSherriiTof ^4^«cr/fexrr, and Mrs. fones* (whofe letter hereof I had to
afl'ure mej both Eye-Witneffes, and it wasalfo obferved that the t\To Rivers
{Ithon and Trvon) which fall into that River Wye^ were at the fame rime Hke-i
wife fuddenly dry : but after a few hours flowed-with more Violence, and
higher than ufutl : and Casmy Letter addeth) no natural Reafon could be
rend red hereof: Now to exemplify this Pr«^i^/ by Paralel Inftances, from
Sacred and Qvil Hiftory : \fl. SarredSzoYj faith, that when Godbrak,e the
Heads of the Dragon (Satans fworn Sword-raen and Pharoahs chief Cap-
tains) and the //^4<^ of the grand LeviathAU or Tharotkh bimfelf, then did
God alfo Divide the Sea^and clave alfo the Fountains and the Fioed^ Pf. 74.
i;, 14. 15. Drying up mighty Rivers, as fordan, Euphrates and the Red
5ff/i, which (in refped of the Alain Ocean) was but a mighty River, This
tbe 'uingel of God Dividedand drjedup, for fix hundred Thoafand to pafs
ever in Rank and File. Exodi^. 11. 22. P/. 136. 13. andiotf. 9. Godi
Rebuke was upcn the Waters, clove them in twain, and bound them up with
his Swadling Band (as e«fily as a Nm fe doth her Infant) Job ; S. 9. fo that
rhey could neither wave, nor fwell, nor flow, but became as a firm Wall (fr««
zcn into hard Ice^ on both fides ofIfrael^?C. 78,1 i. Thus the fluid Waters^,
were fixed and became as Stone Walls, on each hand ofthem, while they paf-
fed through with eafe and fafety. This the Pfalmift Wonders at, and asks
the yji/iiteTS,VVhat ailed iheefi thou Sea, Sic, VC. 114. y. and thence he paf-
iethtojordafij (more Paralel to our Cafe) asking what was the matter with
you hath, that the one Fled and the other was Driven backji can ther^e any
natural Reafon given ? or was't the powerful prefencc of God that afuightw
you into this Retrograde Run or Motion, v. 7. This Inftancc (hewcth we roaj
Of yVonderpil J imes. 7 1
many times ask Queftfons, and yet neither douht of the matter^ nor be »V«<?-
raat of the Canfe : This more Parald Cafe of th^ drying up Jordan, Jc(h. ;.
1 3 . The Waters of that River were cut off, that is, the Waters that came from
above were cut off fo as toftand ftili as on a H-ap, and the watei s that were
below ('accordirgto their ordinary courfe) ran away into the Dead Sea, fo
the Channel was left Dry, having no waters coming down from above to teed
and fill it. This was a wonderful Work of God, and much admired by the
Pfalmift in his Pf. 1 14. Now thisfordan was acomp«und of two Rivers (/or
and Dan) as our Welfli River was, yet the Courfe of both the ftreams were
ftop'tfor fome Hours, fo the Channel was dry, though ('tis true) the Camp.
ofZ/r-^r/ was not there with the Ark to pa fs over into (^anaan : The Chaldee
Paraphrafe Addeth the drying up of ^rfjon and fabbol^^ whereof fee Num.
11. 14. and D^»f. 2. 37. zs Revel. 16, it. mentions the drying up of £«-
fhratei for the Kings of the Eafl topafs over^ Sic. but leaving Sacred, come
we to Ot/i/ Story : Our famous Camhden Reports of another River in
Merionith Jhlre in Wales, the River Dee that runneth throuch TimbU-
Meer ot L^i/^f, it mingles not her Streams with the Waters of the Lil<e,
though this be a great Marvel, and hath alfo a good Amoral (to wit, that
we (houldnot mingle the /?r^rfw/ oionr j^jfe^ ions with the puddle Water of
(^orrHpt Ccmpanjtf when carried headlong at unawares among them) yet it is
far fliort of our pi^cnx. Prodigy, and the fame Cambden-TelsLtQs^ how
the River Oftfe near Bedford (in the laft year of King Richard the II.) flood
ftill, and ceafed his Courfe, fo as the Channel remained dry for the fpace of
three miles together, ^ambdtrt Brit, pug, 399. which was then adjudged to
fignify the Revoltings of the Subjefts from their Prince. 'Bakers Chron, pag.
154. 167, He being miflead by his Favorite Michael de -la-pool and other
SjcophantSf did incurr the hatred of his People, Prideaux Introda^ioyj, pag.
324. Inhistimcwas the marvelous ?<«r//<«wf«r-, and that which wrought
Wondc rs. See Baker of his Reign. Alfo in the Reign oi Henry the VI. The
fameR;i;^r Onfe (on New-Years Day) fuddcnly flood ftill and divided it
fclf, which (as was conceived) did portend the prodigious Broyls between the
Houfes of r<?r^ an d L<««r^)?fr, {^q Bakers Chron. ^mor\^iht Cafuaities (as
he calls them j of his Reign. The like hapned in the year 1660. to the
River Derwent near Darhj/^ which was dryed up upon Nov.rht 29. for many,
miles and fome hours, fo that the Mills flood, the Boats were on ground^ the
F.fhes taken up upon the Sand by Children, and men walked over dry (hod.
This was the ^r^^i/^ryro^/^/, not cnlybecaufe 'tis a broad River and runs
with a fierce and full Stream (as Cambden Britt. pag. y 54. relateth) but alfo
^becaufc the Waters of the San^aar) were dryed up foon after, by the Silen-
jcing of fome tfaoufandsofOrthoJoxM'nifters.As thofcRivcrsrcturnedfallof
them
7i Wonderful Signs'
^.hem) to their courfe again, fo the good Lord k»ow us in our WiUernefs and
'»the Land of gre/tt Drought ^\io£^ 15. 5. and make us again as a Wdtered
(jarden^whofe Waters fail not : Ifa* y8. 11. That our FleecCyas Gideons
may not Jiili h 1>ry. Judg. 6. 39. but the Lord be as fpr tugs of Water to
us ^ioT all our frejh fprings aretn him,?C. 87. 7, an everfi.QVfing and over"
flowing Fountain of Grace and Comfort.
Were not my Book already fwoln too bulky, I might inflft alfo upon the
prodigious Whale, which was found lately in the River iyrv«^r,within 6 miles
of Colc^ejlerjjo foot in length,and 28 in thickne{s,vvbo broke off his own Tail
with ftrugiing, andturn'dthe River into Blood with his Blood : an undoubted
Trodigy^iot the Whale never breaks forth out of her beloved Ocean Cwhich is
her peculiar Dominion) intonarrovv Riyers,but it prefages Storms,wherefuch
a thing bapneth : AiTuredly fonah'*$ was the greateft of Prodigies, who (hip'd
him to the fliore,and in the mean time afforded him ^lu Oratory a place to •
pray in. Four Prodigious Wonders were concurring therein faith Mercer ^ ifi".
That the Heat of the Whales Stomach did notConfume fonah as it did other
Food. 2/f. That in fo clofe a Prifon he could both breath and live, without
the common ufe of y^/r and /i^Ar. ;/>-. That be was not choaked with the
Stench of fo filthy a Jakes as the Whales Belly. 4//. That he had his Senfes
('as well as Life) there, to />c«r o»^fuch an excellent Trayer and T*raife to
God. fonah was the true uirion (the Poets mention j out of u'hofe Hifiory
Chrift gathers the My fiery of his own Death y Burial,znA RefurreBion, Jon.
a. 17. and 2. lo. with Matt. 12. 40. This great Sea-Monlter (that never
ufeth to come near the Shore, but Sports himfeif in the deep Waters Pf. 1 04.
2, 6.) yet when the Great God (the chief Centurion) commands him thitherj
he mufl go and Vomit up fonah upon dry Land. He breaks the Head) as
well as TWj of this W[oiii\to\x% Leviathayt, and gives him to he Meat to the
Teople inhabiting the fVildernefs Pf74.j4. Though no Mortal man ean
Rincrhim likcan Hog, or Rule him like a Bear, Job.4i.i. &c. yet the /w-
mortalGodcanai\ddidfo^to Senacherib that crooked Leviathan, lfa.27.1. &
37, 29. and doth fo, both to the (jreat Tnrk^y who would Devour Surope^
and to the Great Pope, who would deitroythe Reformed Countrys : Troco-
piM tells of a great Whale in hisTime, that much Infefted the Coafts of
Confiantinople, and did much Mifchief for fifty years together, but atlaft,
was taken and tamed (b'^ ^3iM^x.Qr) though 50 Cubits long and ten broad J
Thus Jehovah will Take and Tame both !B(fAr»»orA, the Ti«r/;^ who Eats up
men like Grafs upon the Mjuntains. J0b.4o.1y. (^c. and Leviathan the |
Pope who Sports himfeif in his See to devour "Trotefiants ^God will pullthofe
z Kings of the (^htldren o/PnWff out of their Seats (though they have Infe-
iled the Church many fifty years, and both Saddle and Bridle them Jub.
41. 13. 34. In due Time God wtH make this latter {Leviathan) tohreak,his
Of Py onderful Times, j^l;
^WfpTail, 'arid let out kis own Bloody as f hat Cokhejior whale aid,, and God
-mil hreukjois Headi and give him to be meat to his People : There be many^
more Signs- and Wonders! omit (though mentioned in publick IntcnfgencesJi
bcc^afe not (to mc zTio\j°)\ ^uthenticall] ty4ttefled^ I would alTo rab)o}n
here the many marvelous and prodigious Providences_,nQt only Reported^hut
iikewife Recorded in cur own Land of late (were it not toavoio prolixity^,
fuch as the Wonderfnl Difcovcry of fufiice Codfrep D^ath ; The fVonderful.
delivery, of Jnflice Arnolds Ufe. Th^ Wonderful difappoiLtmcnt {hitherto)
of all tlie Popilh Plots (ooth ShAm and i^f^/ againft King and Kingdom. The
Wonder[til Death of- three grand Enemies (to an hone ft Alderman ^ ill .
Hull) who all dyed in three Weeks time, inthehcat andbeuhc of their Per-
fecutions againft him : with many more (lich maryelous Occurrcvic.es, befil-
lin-^ fever al Per fecutors and Prophane Scoffers (as him whoie. Eyes dropi;
*>at of his Head, immediately afceir his Scoiimg at^the./^j^;^(7^»i«ef j;xict yet c
pjenarily proved. - ■ - -^ .....
The n^pplicatjon'm fliort fafter a long Explication general and particu-
lar, yet Applicatorily Explained all along) is twofold, ifi. General, ilv.
PartictiUr,ihc latter ofthofeto be poffirive and pci^'''''P^9''y hi (without a
peculiar Gift,whichwe preter.d not to) isby thebeit Cafuifts caiied Ncfns-^
and no better than prefunription to pry too curioufly into the ^^^of Divine
Secrets, for which fiftjf Tho ft fan d Bethjhemites tvere Jl'^tny ii.Saxu. 6. 19. ^r-
cana^fi fuHt jirca Dei, v/c m^ynozfearch inta CJods Secrets. Deut. 29..
a^, Afirari Qportet^rimari. non Uce:^, 'tis as unmannerly to pi jimo our Neigh-
bpurs Houfe, as 'tis to/>rf/}into if, C^id Xatocrates : hqw- much more' may
raen be paid for peeping into, Gods Houfe, as the mtn .ai BefJ:fr:e.mcfi were,'
contrary to. Gods Command. Num. 4. 20, Soramque fcirs ne.c Datur n<c.
fas eB, Dttia eft ignorantia , ifliHsfctentiA u^ppetentia efi t.vffnia fpccies^
(Hth A nfiin: Tis a learned Ignorance not to Know what wc ought not to
know, and 'tis a ^ind of madnefs to del^re it,: /•'/*ic.(;;//jfings well, faying,
Tftfuge feu peflem rbj^i Trj.v^re^.-yiMauuhjA h nd i'^ter giv-eth charge again/t t h is
Impious ^^r/(5yj7 asagainlt 77)^/r and AI fir drr, i. Pet. 4. ij. 'tis a I eing
too l;Mify with Gods matters. Baldwin therefore concludes this point, frxfrat
^rgo, dec, 'tis better topafs oyer prodigies in filence, and leave the particular
be Wffe, unto S'Miety, fteing Events in ail Afcs do e\idcrcc, il at l]ia}.i'l]e^
do portend (in the general) a Fu^uriticn or Approacli' of fen-. c ihif j^s '(|'ig|l
yet e^iiflcnt) and fuch as bear f' me proport'cn in cuan'ty ro the Vridic]\s
themfc! vcs : ^s Armit s per tcjid Wars, &c, Tni-s is ac kn..w:c JpC-d i^y ikro -
, • " ' M ^ ' dutiii
8 2 Wonderful Signs
^etitsini Machiavel^ that no extraordinary Calamiries befal Nations cf
Cities, but Ms fore fhewn by forie Extrdordinary Signs and fVonders, as the
Reverend Dr. facl^fon (in his Sermen preached before King Charles the !♦}
quoreth them. pag. 9. 10. Yea,our Saviour himfelf did Inftitute Signs and
Wonders tZ% immediate forerunners of that final Deftrudion of Jernfalem,^Q
forely tbreatned and fo feverely executed by Titus f^efpajian, Matth. 7^.
Mark^ 1 3 . and Lul^ 1 1 . and Jofephpu hath a good Note upon it, hh, 4. cap,
J 1. of the Wars of the fews, that it was Gjds Clemency to Mankind to forc-
fhew by thofe extraordinary ,9(^«/ and Wonders, what wilting Defolations
were approaching, that his people hid^^ fore warned might be forearmed alfo
and take the be(t Courfe for their owafafety. The General application of
Prodigies, (which are unqueftionafelej be principally two, according to Cor-
tteliMs a Lapides Notion, on J eel. 2, ; o. Prodigia funt Credentibus benefica,
incredalis vero Malefica 64 Horribilia.- ift. The) do portend much mi f chief
to that part of the World ^ which -wallows in Wickjdnefs without Repentance:
The Signs and ^VondersGo^^tv^^A. to Pharoah ^tiQV\:>i%h\^ Meffengers^
but even Harbingers of bis and his Peoples De/lruftion, fo was the Hand^
wnV/V;^ upon the IKrf// a Prodigy portending Belfhaz,z,ars Downfai for his
Drunken and Debauched Quaffings, Dan. ly. 22. a;. So were the Prodi'.:
gies in Heaven, Earth and Sea ("as Luke ranks them Lu\e 21. 2j.) Infallible
portents and prefages of the final fail of the fews and their Jerufalem, for
Perfecating Ghrift and his Apoftlcs, &c. Thus it was of latter times in ^tr-
man], as their wickednefs and Debauchery increafcd, fo did their Prodigies^
Signs and TVonders, Hift. Iron- Age, pag. 65. Yea and in our Land Sir Rich*
"Baker hath worthily Recorded, How the many Mifchiefs fthat have befallen
thisNationJ trere all fcrcfliewed by many foregoing Signs and Wonders
f which he calleth Cafualties) in every Reign, whereof I have extrafted an
Epitome, and thought to have inferted it here, were not my Book too bulky
already. 2/y. They do Prognoftkate Relief and Remedy to the Religious
part of the World. ty£gypts Orerthrow was Ifraels Deliverance, and fo was
^ndimWh^BAhylonsioSion. Therefore Ghrift encourageth his Servants
at the fight of fuch Signs, to lift up their Heads for their Redemption draweth
nigh, Luke 2 i. 2/. 28. AU men ought therefore to Regard the Works of
the Lord and to confider the Operations of his Hand's^ltaSi by negleft tlacre-
of they provoke a Jealous God to T>e^roy them and not httild them up' Pf.
28. f. How oft doth God call on 'L'^charj, lift up thine Eyes and behold,c^c.
and what feefi thou ? Sic. God {hews his Signs and Wonders, rot that men
fhould cs&fcmrilous Scoffs ^i them, fwhoknoweth whether fuch have a mi-
Kute betwixt his lafl /^Z? in this World, and his Everlafting Sarnefl in a
worfe World) bat to mTikt feriofis Ontemphtions on them: what curious
y
Of Wonderful Times. ^ b j
Artift can endure (when he expofcs fome fpecial peice to publick ViewJ to
Cetfottifh msn take no notice of it, or filljfpe^ at or s fthat cannot underiland
its Admirable Art) Deride it, God is Certainly Tnmng his Ir.ftrument
fas I fay inpag. 32. ) and will (hortly play fome choice Tune, though made
up of Difcords. The good Lord help us to Dance after his Tipe, and to
weefhim in the wajf of bis Jfidgmems^ or in the vaj of his Mercies, Ifa. 26.
8. Otherwife the (jreat Turk^ (who ('tis faidj is fo allarm'd with tho{e Pro-
digies that he hath proclaimed a Faft to be kept throughout all his Domini-
ons) will rife up in Judgment againft all Scoffers, as the Queen of ShebamW
againll the Jews, ilZ/f*/?;. 11.42. T^Q Heavens, thofe Catholick Preachers :
TJ. 19. I. The fpangledCurtainsoftheBridegroomes Chamber, hath Read
fuch a Divinity-Ledureto us in Sig^ns and Wonders, and fo hath the Earth
and the Sea, all terrifying and tefti^) ing Gods Anger againll Mans Sin, yea
in his own people, in whom he will pardon, but not patronize Evil : and fliall
we look on xhok Signs of the t.mes, to htlnaniaTerricHUmenta^w^d^ux^c^nt
Scar-crows, which the Sorcerers of ^^gypt (were they here to fee them;
would acknowledge to be the Finger of god. Asferufalem (that Slaughter -
houfe of Saints') hadherS/^«i of Deftrudion. So i?(w^ (the like Slaught-
er- houfe) had (at the Rife of Luther) fnch a Storm upon her chief Church,
asftruck tlie Keys out of P^^fr^ Hands, while the PtJ/?^ was creating Cardi-
nals in it : ever fince a cold Sweat hath ftuck upon all the Limbs of Anti-
chrift, as Sellarmine (his greatChampion) confeffeth, a ffaredly the pouring
out oi the feaven Vials (mentioned ReveL 1 6.) will produce fuch a prodigi-
ous Storm upon Rome, as will not only blow down her Kejs, but her ImaT^es
alfo, yea blow away all the Trafli and Trumpery of that Scarlet ivhore, and
the Whore her felf with all her proud helpers j ali Oirifts Foes fliall then be
made his Joot-ltool (the fitteft place for them) in all Lands ; yet before the
accopiplifhment hereof, fad Calamities, (if not the Slaughter of the'Witnef-
fes') maybe fecn,yea fuch Tribulation ^s hath not heretofore. Afmtt. 24. 21.
The very Time may fecm nothing elfe but AffitBlon it felf. Mark^ 13. i^
So befel it to the Jews that fhad not God cut fliort thofe Days Matth. 14.
22. No Flejk had been Saved ) no Jewish Flefh had been left alive. What
Woes may befal the Gentile World, after fuch prodigious prefages, we know
not. *Tis good for us to get into ^ugnflns^s pofture, (who once fitting
'twixt Ttrgi! (a frequent figher) and Horace (that had watery Eyes) pleafant-
ly faid, he fat inter Sufpiria & Lachrjmas, betwixt Sighs and Tears : fare I
am. Our Day calls upcn us, not only to fay jo, but alfo to fitfo, wiwhaWferi-
cufnefs : Chrilts Council to the Jcvfs was {prayye"] Matth, 14. 20. 'Tis no
lefs the Duty ifi us Gentiles, Pra/cr is the beft Ordinance and Artillery,
wherewith to Batter Heaven, f/<tif/V^r IratHsFoceRoganie Dens: Wher.G <i
fccms
c34., Wonieiful Signs
Ceeiiis pn ^fl bitterly' tent, yet willbe yield foraeching to prayer, v :ch is the
bcft Icvcr at ade^dlifc,^tovided icbe the)'?v7fr of.FAith,i^T asGndsiBer-
cyisthe Mothtr^ fo rhejChurebes'F<«ii^^ is the Mifcife. u£ Deiivefance^
Hereupon J^o// infecting down the Dreadful Signs of direTal Days (teait a-
i>y fliould defpondifjgly tay, as ^/*j? /^ l o. 26. Who then^itn be favedytftx*
cliidcth)y|tH this comfortable Corollary, M-hoever callsth oW.the N^me of the
LordJhAll be fayed. Jjelz. ;i. 32. ThAtfacbmay beReterved as^t^em-
nant ''or Royal Uie being4«<;co/<«ffrii worthy to efcai^ethofe liiings that a. .••
yet come topafs : L/jI^c 21, ^6* Is the H;-arty prayer of C.xV,
F I N
T/^Reaiev is re-cju^edto corrsB'thcfefolhivmg\Fmlt:s.thuthavceJc^^^ ,
rlj'e-Frefs:, j
Eirata. . *^ -l
PAg. r; lifitf sK>. r^ad Math. 12. p. X5. \- i4-J^. Ear p. 11. reat^I««e 20.. be/ore line J
19. F.iS.I. 2r..'for.So.jc,TO. p.ji.;l:i-^. foriS. r.ii. p.?7-"l-. -F-^-.f/^'^lfif^i
p. 40 .1. ^4. r. Truths, p. 4S.I. ip,'; for through r. though, p.- 49. l.i. for Cotin-
ceio'rt. CounceL'^.Si.\.i6.x:'kya:^r S7-\}' thcUtter r, 6^,66,6/, 0c. to;7i, in'
pi whfch Ihould be p(S.l. 1 1, r.'tjricr /?«/iPer .(^is M<#tf"^?ri only, not-ls Mf^ii*? w-Jr, _
according to the PopiftiDodkrine, and 1. 2 i. after are r.moftly : and 1. 34, for"
Virj^tn t.^rgins. p. 6p. l.ao.for Trimethius r. Tm/7r»iiHj.theShcet{Z, )rhouk1 begia
witk 73-andib on. p.7<5..falfly paged <5|.).1..2o.r.Aa^#J<;/. v.
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