dreadful manner to future ages especially in this Countrey where the people are addicted to such like Villanies which Nature it self abhors any one may fully satisfie himself of the Truth of these prodigious Judgments from such as have Travelled in those places they being like that of Lots wife turned into a Pillar of Salt which some ancient Historians do affirm to have seen remaining in their days many Hundred years after Adventures of T. Sp. 238. To Conclude innumerable are the Examples in all Ages of Divine Vengeance against those crying sins of Cruelty Murder and Lust which if men would seriously consider it might cause them to fear the Lord because of the Judgments which he executeth upon those that continue in disobedience and Rebellion against his Holy Laws and Commandments CHAP VI. Admirable Deliverances from Eminent Dangers and deplorable Distresses both by Sea and Land NOtwithstanding all these Judgments upon notorious and impenitent Sinners yet it sufficiently appears that God is always good to Isreal even to those of an upright heart for as he executeth his severity upon the one so he defendeth those that call upon him in truth and put their whole Trust and Confidence in him of which we may find many wonderful Instances in all Ages and especially at Sea so that they have real experience of what the Psalmist saith They that go down to the Sea in Ships that do business in great waters these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep for he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof They mount to the Heavens they go down again to the depths their Soul is melted because of Trouble they reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them to their desired Haven Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of men Psam 107.23 c. And of the truth of this I shall collect some few remarkable Relations as I find them in History I. In the year 1640 Four Christian Slaves being in a Ship of an Algier Pirate resolved to make their escape in a Boat which one of them who was a Carpenter undertook to build the Carpenter set himself on work making wooden pins and other pieces necessary for the fastning of the Boards whereof the Boat was to consist Having appointed a time for the Execution of their Design they took off five Boards from the Room where the Provision was kept whereof they used two for the bottom two others for the sides and the third for the Prow or Poop and so made up somewhat that was more like a Trough than a Boat their quilt served them for Tow and having pitcht the Boat well they set it into the water but when they would have got into it they found that two men loaded it so that being in danger of sinking two of the four desisted from that Enterprise so that only two an English-man and a Dutch-man adventured in it all the tackling they had was two Oars and a little Sail all their provision a little Bread and fresh Water and so they put to Sea without either compass or Astrolabe The first day a Tempest at every wave filled their Boat and they were forced to go as the wind drove they were continually imployed in casting out the water the Sea had spoiled their bread and they were almost quite spent when they were cast upon the Coasts of Barbary There they found a little Wood wherewith they somewhat inlarged their Boat but narrowly escaping Death by the Moors they got to Sea again Thirst troubled them most for which they made some shift by the bloud of some Tortoises which they took at last after ten days floating up and down they arrived upon the Coast of Spain at the Cape of St. Martin betwixt Alicant and Valentia Those of the Countrey seeing them at a distance sent a Boat to meet them carried them Bread and Wine treated them very civilly and found them passage for England Mandeslo's Travels p. 202. II. Horrible was that Tragedie which the Western Indies beheld in the Persons of seven English-men the Relation of it take as followeth The forementioned seven being in St. Christophers Island had prepared themselves for a Voyage of one night and had taken with them Provisions for no longer a time but a Tempest intercepted their return and carried them so far off into the Sea that they could not return home in less than seventeen days in which time they were so sparing of their one nights provisions that they made it serve them to the fifth day that past they must wrestle with meer Famine which was so much the more grievous to them in regard the Sun was extream hot and that dryed up their parched Throats exhaling the saltness from the troubled Sea they had now little hope of retrieving themselves from destruction and were therefore forced by cruel necessity to cast Lots amongst themselves to see whose Flesh and Bloud should satisfie the hunger and thirst of the rest the lot fell upon him who first gave the Councel who was not only unafrighted at his hard hap but incouraged the rest who had a kind of horrour as to what they went about he told them that there was no possibility of escape unless they immediately stay'd their flying life by Humane Flesh that for his part he was well content and that be thought himself happy he could serve his Friends K Poland his wife children devoured by Rats pa 118 Seamen in great distress eat one another pa. 184 when he was dead with such words as these he so persuaded them that one drawn out by Lot also cut his Throat of whose Carcass I tremble to relate it each of them was so desirous of a piece that it could scarcely be divided quick enough They fell to the flesh with eager Teeth and sucked out the blood into their thirsty Stomachs One only was found amongst them who being nearly related to the dead person resolved to indure all things rather than to pollute himself with the blood of his Friend but the next day his famine drove him into such a madness that he threw himself overboard into the Sea His Associates would not suffer so delicate a repast as his Carcass to be so unseasonably snatched from them but his madness had already so vitiated his blood and the flesh all about the Veins that in the whole body there was scarce any thing fit to eat save onely his bowels At last it pleased God to shew them mercy in their wandring and distress and brought their small Ship to the Island of St. Martin in which they were kindly received by the Dutch
Great were the Dangers and Wonderful the Deliverances of William Okeley and his Company the Relation of which from his own Book saith Mr. Wanly I have thus contracted In the Year 1639. We took Ship at Gravesend in the Mary of London Mr. Boarder Master bound for the Isle of Providence in the West-Indies Five Weeks we lay in the Downs waiting for a wind and then we set Sail and came to Anchor near the Isle of Wight but by this time all the Beer in our Ship stunk and we vvere forced to throw it overboard and so take in Vinegar to mix vvith vvater for our Voyage The next Lords day vve set Sail again and comming betvveen the Island and the main Land vve stuck fast in the Sands but the Tide coming in heaved us off The Sixth day after our setting Sail from the Isle of Wight vve discovered Three Turks men of War vvho chased us and at break of day boarded and took us having kept us close Prisoners a Sea at the end of five or six Weeks they brought us to Algiers where I was sold for a Slave the first Market day to a Patron who told me I must allow him two Dollars a Month and live ashore where I would and get it where I could though I knew not where to levy the least Mite of it Wandring up and down I met with an Englishman in his little Shop who traded with Tobacco and a few other things I became his Partner with a little money I had reserved and a small Modicum my Patron had allowed me for my stock Here I got Money and hired a Cellar were I laid up some other of my Goods when weary of my Slavery I formed a design for my Liberty and communicated it to John Anthony Carpenter William Adams Brick-layer John Jephs Sea-man John a Carpenter and two others men of able Bodies and useful in the intended project which was to contrive the Model of a Boat which being formed in parcels and afterward put together might be the means of our escape They approved the Proposal and in my Cellar we began our work we provided first a piece of Timber of Twelve foot long to make the Keel but because it was impossible to convey it of that length out of the City but it must be seen and suspected we therefore cut it in two pieces and fitted it for jointing just at the middle and then we provided Ribs after which we made the Boat water-tite and because Boards would require much hammering and that noise was like to betray us we bought as much strong Canvas as would cover our Boat twice over upon the Convex of the Carine We provided also as much Pitch Tar and Tallow as would serve to make it a kind of Tarpawling Cerecloth to swaddle the Naked Body of our Infant Boat of two Pipestaves sawed at the Corners we made two things to serve for Oars and for our provision we had a little Bread and two Leather Bottles full of fresh-water we also remembred to buy as much Canwas was as would serve for a sail we carried out these in parts and parcels fitted them together in the Valley about half a mile from the Sea whither Four of our Company carried the Boat on their Shoulders and the rest followed them at the Sea-side we stript put our clothes into the Boat and carried it and them as far into the Sea as we could wade and then all seven got into the Boat but finding she was overladen two of the Sea-men were content to stay on shore Having bid them farewel we anched out June 30. 1644. The Bill of Lading was John Anthony William Adams John Jephs John the Carpenter and William Okeley Four of us wrought continually at the Oar the Fifth was to free the Boat of that water which by degrees leaked through our Canvas our bread was soon spoiled with soaking in the Salt-water our Fresh-water stunck of the Tanned Skins and Owze yet we complained not Three days with good Husbandry our bread lasted us but then pale famine stared us in the face water indeed we might have but it must be Salt out of the Sea or that which had been strain'd through our own Bodies and that we chose of the two but we must not have that after a while unless we would accept of the other first and the misery was that did not asswage our thirst but increase it The Wind too for sometime was full against us but God rebuked it and made it our Friend a second inconvenience was that our Labour was without intermission and a third the Extremity of the heat by day the season raging hot the beginning of July and we wanted Fresh-water to cool the heat our labour made it insupportable to our Bodies and our little hope made it as grievous to our Souls one help we had a poor one he that emptied the Boat threw the water on the Bodies of the other to cool them but our Bodies thus scorched and cooled rose up in Blisters all over Great pain we felt great dangers we were in great miseries we indured great wants we were under and had nothing but a little hope food and strength If any ask by what directions we steered our course to Mayorck whither we designed to go for the day a Pocket Dial did supply the place of a Compass by night the Stars when they appeared and when not we guessed our way by the Motions of the Clouds Four days and nights were we in this woful plight on the fifth all hope that we should be saved was perished so that we let off our Labour because we had no strenght left only we emptied the Boat of water But then God sent us some relief for as we lay hulling up and down we dicovered a Tortoise not far from us asleep in the Sea had Drake discovered the Spanish Fleet he could not have more rejoiced we took up our Oars silently rowed to our prey took it into the Boat with great Triumph we cut off her head and let her bleed into a pot we drank the Bloud eat the Liver and sucked the Flesh It wonderfully refreshed our Spirits and we picked up some crumbs of hope About Noon we thought we discovered Land it 's impossible to express the joy of our raised Souls at this apprehension we wrought hard and after further labour were fully satisfied that it was Land and proved to be Mayorck which we kept within sight of all day July 6. about 10 at night we came under the Island and crept as near the shore as we could and durst till we found a convenient place where we might thrust in our Weather-beaten Boat when we were come to Land we were not insensible of our deliverance but though we had escaped the Sea we might die at Land we had no food since we eat the Liver and drank the bloud of the Tortoise therefore John Anthony and my self were sent out to scout abroad for fresh-water because
done yet the Gate of Mercy is not quite shut heap not sin upon sin lest thou repentest when it is too late Now was Spira in a Maze not knowing which way to turn and when he came home he acquainted his Friends with what he had done at Venice and what he had promised to do there and how the terrours of God on the one side and the terrours of the World on the other did continually torment him they without more ado advised and by divers Arguments persuaded him to do what he had promised whereupon going to the Mayor he offered to do what was enjoyned him by the Legate but all that night the miserable Man was vexed with restless cares without a minute of sleep yet the next morning he gets up and desperately went into the publick Congregation and in the presence of the whole Assembly he recited his infamous abjuration of the Protestant Profession after which he was fined thirty pieces of Gold and so restored to his Dignities Goods Wife and Children As soon as he was departed he thought he heard this dreadful Sentence Thou wicked wretch thou hast denied me thou hast renounced the Covenant of thine Obedience thou hast broken thy Vow hence Apostate bear with thee the Sentence of thine Eternal Damnation Spira trembling and quaking afflicted in body and mind fell down in a swound and from that time forward he never found any ease or peace in his mind but professed That he was captivated under the revenging hand of the Almighty God that he continually heard the Sentence of Christ the just Judge against him when his Friends brought him able Physicians he said Alas poor men how far are you wide it is neither Plaister nor Drugs that can cure a wounded Soul cast down with the sense of Sin and the Wrath of God it 's Christ only that must be the Physician and the Gospel the sole Antidote he was about fifty years of Age his understanding active quick of apprehension witty in discourse above his ordinary manner he refused nourishment which his Friends forcing upon him he was very angry crying out You strive to make me tire out this misery I would fain be at an end O that I were gone from hence that some body would let out this weary Soul One asked what he conceived to be the cause of his disease upon which he brake out into a lamentable discourse of the passages formerly related and that with such passionate expressions as made many weep and most tremble his Friends minded him of several promises out of the Scripture and of many examples of Gods Mercy My Sins saith he are greater than the Mercy of God for I am one of those damned Reprobates whom God would not have to be saved since I willingly and against my knowledge denied Christ and I feel that he hardens me and will not suffer me to hope one time seeing a knife on the Table he snatched it up to have mischieved himself had not his Friends prevented it whereupon he said I would I were above God for I know that he will have no mercy upon me in this condition he lay about eight weeks in a continual burning neither desiring nor receiving any thing but by force and that without digestion was like an Anatomy vehemently raging for drink ever pining and yet fearful to live long dreadful of Hell yet coveting Death in a continual Torment yet his own Tormentor and thus consuming himself with Grief and Horrour Impatience and Despair like a living Man in Hell he represented an extraordinary example of Gods Justice and Power and thus he ended his miserable life Clarks Mirrour XXXI It is observable that most or all of those Roman Emperors who raised those ten horrid Persecutions against the Christians came to very untimely ends neither hath Divine Justice spared others since who have set themselves to destroy poor innocent Christians meerly upon the account of their Religion of which Histories give many remarkable instances and among the rest these that follow A Councillor of the Parliament of Provence in France was so furious against the poor Protestants that the sooner to dispatch them to the fire he usually staid in the Judgment Hall from morning till night causing his meat and drink to be brought him thither but whilst he was thus wickedly industrious in these Affairs there began a little sore to rise upon his Foot which at first was no more than if a Wasp had stung the place yet increased so extreamly the first day with redness and pain that his whole foot was inflamed therewith so that it was judged incurable unless he would cut off his foot and thereby save the rest of his Body which he not yielding to the next day his whole leg was infected the third day his thigh and the fourth his whole body was inflamed of which he presently died his Corps being all parched as if rosted by a Fire thus he that was so hot in burning poor Christians was himself by the secret flame of Gods Wrath burnt and consumed to death as if it had been by a fierce and tormenting fire Hist France lib. 2. XXXII John Mesnier Lord of Oppede was another chief instrument against the Protestants in France and led his murthering Army against them where they committed such horrid Cruelties and Barbarities as the most outragious Heathens in the world would have blushed at insomuch that abundance of complaints were made against him and he accordingly summoned to appear personally before the Parliament at Paris there to answer those Murders Extortions Robberies and other Villanies laid to his Charge but being Convicted and found Guilty thereof he was not only released but restored to his former Estate but though he escaped the hands of Men yet he was overtaken by the hand of God for when he was in the height of worldly prosperity and busier than ever in persecuting the distressed Protestants even then a flux of blood came through his privy parts which engendred a carnosity and thickness of flesh therein and thereby hindered his Urine so that with horrible outcries and raving speeches he gave up the Ghost feeling as it were a burning fire broyling his Intrails from his Navil upwards and an extream infection putrifying his lower parts and beginning to tast even in this life as it were that vengeance of Eternal Fire both in Soul and Body which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels Hist France XXXIII The Cardinal of Lorrain a Principal Pillar of the House of Guise in France and a crafty and cruel Persecutor of the Protestants as he was coming from Rome with a design to stir up the Kings of France and Poland utterly to root them out of their Dominions it pleased God for the deliverance of the Christians to strike him stark mad at Avignion by the way where he died in the flower of his youth at the instant of whose death there happened such an horrible Tempest that all the People