of the Gospell for this solemnity But my text doth not draw mee to a new argument My former argument as yee may remember was concerning the signes of the time And here yee may behold signes of the time in the frontispice of my text There shall bee signes in the sunne and in the moone c. Vpon the earth and in the waters that is in every part of this great and visible booke of the creature But of what or of what times were these signes here foretold To the former part of this question our Evangelist hath made a full answer v. 27 These were signes of the sonne of man's comming to judgement with power and great glory By the sonne of man yee know is meant our Lord and Saviour Christ and his comming was expected by this people one and other Iohn Baptist knew this to be the title of the Messias and out of this Notion or description of his person and office hee being in prison sent two of his disciples unto him with this Embassage Luk 7. v. 19. Art thou hee that should come or are wee to looke for another And from this Embassage of Iohn the next Dominicall or Lords day takes its denomination or right to be enrolled amongst the Dominicalls consecrated to the memory of his comming The Pharisees likewise knew this title of him that was to come to belong unto Christ or unto the great Prophet which God had promised to raise up unto them like to Moses And out of this notion they propound this interrogatory unto Iohn Iohn 1. 21. Art thou Elias art thou that Prophet and againe v. 25. Why baptizest thou then if thou be not that Christ nor Elias neither that Prophet And from Iohn's answer to these interrogatories v. 26. 27. I baptize with water but there standeth one among you whom yee know not hee it is who comming after mee is preferred before me The fourth and last Dominicall takes its denomination or right to bee enrolled amongst the dayes consecrated to the memory of his comming The Dominicall or Lords day last past takes its denomination from the Gospell appointed for that day Behold o Sion thy King commeth c. So doth this present day or second sunday in Advent take this title from that clause of the Gospell v. 27. And then they shall see the sonne of man comming in a cloud Now the comming of Christ the sonne of man and the sonne of God admits in the generall two degrees The first his comming in humility to visit and redeeme the world The second his comming in power and glory to judge the world The Gospells appointed by the Church for the three other Dominicalls or Lords dayes in Advent referre to the first manner of his comming to wit in humility to visit and redeeme his people The Gospell appointed for this present day points at his comming in power and glory to judge the world The question then is whether this prophecy hath beene in any sort already fulfil'd or in what sort it shall bee hereafter fulfil'd or accomplished or if this prophecy were twice to be fulfil'd the question is whether these signes here mentioned in my text doe concerne as well the last fulfilling of it as the first That this prophecy hath been already litterally fulfil'd is cleere from the 21. and 32. verses of this Chapter Verily I say unto you this generation shall not passe till all be fulfil'd All what All that he had said concerning the signes of the time so S. Matthew expresseth our Saviour's meaning more fully then S. Luke doth Math. 24. v. 34. Verily I say unto you this generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled that is till the terrors of those times wherof he speakes untill the signes of these times in the sunne in the moone and in the starres should bee exhibited For by this generation hee comprehends that present age or compasse of an hundred yeares taking their beginning either from the time wherein hee uttered this prophecy or from the birth of these his Auditors the greater part whereof were betwixt twenty and fifty yeares and but a few of them to live above fifty yeares after this forewarning so that this age or generation whereof hee speakes was to determine with the life 's of these Auditors though many of them did not yet some of them did and more might have outliv'd these signes here foretold For these signes were to bee exhibited unto the Nations not long after the desolation of Ierusalem as S. Marke tels us Chap. 15. v. 24. But in those dayes after that tribulation the sunne shall bee darkned and the moone shall not give her light and the starres of heaven shall fall and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken Or least any man should except that the sun might bee darkned after the dayes of Ierusalem's tribulation and sorrow and yet not bee so darkned till the last day S. Matthew hath put in a caveat against this exception Mat. 24. 29. Immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes shall the sunne be darkned the moone shall not give her light So that if we can point out the time wherein all that our Saviour said concerning the tribulation of Ierusalem and Iury were fulfilled wee may easily finde out the appointed time wherein the signes in my text were to bee exhibited That which must direct us in the right search of the tribulations precedent to his comming here litterally meant is our Saviour's censure upon his Disciples admiration at the goodly buildings of the Temple As he went out saith S. Matthew 24. 1. and departed from the Temple his Disciples came to him to shew him the buildings of the Temple S. Marke tels us Chap. 13. 1. that one of his Disciples saith unto him master see what manner of stones and what buildings are here And because this one Disciple is not named S. Matthew indefinitely saith his Disciples came unto him A strange humour in them were they one or more for how could they imagine that hee had not observed the goodlinesse of these buildings before But upon what occasion soever they or he one or more of them did move him to view the buildings his reply unto this motion was unexpected For hee saith unto them see you not all these things Verily I say unto you there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not bee throwne downe Mat. 24. 2. Mark 13. 2. Luk. 21. 6. And thus much he had told them with weeping eyes before Luk. 19. 44. But it seemes they were at better leasure to hearken unto this second prediction of the Temples destruction than they were before when their eares were filled with the joyfull shouts of Hosanna blessed bee hee that cometh in the name of the Lord. And hence as he sate upon the mount of Olives over against the Temple Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew asked him privately tell us when shall these things bee and
if it had beene already gotten A victory or defeate of the enemy without the active endeavours of men fully parallell to this we have in the 2. of Kings c. 19. v. 15. to wit the great discomfiture of Senacheribs army which had for a long time besieged Hierusalem Such was the successe of Hezekiahs prayers which were conceived in that forme which Solomon here prescribes and uttered in this house which he now consecrates And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said O Lord God of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubins thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth Lord bow downe thine eare and heare Open Lord thine eyes and see and heare the words of Senacherib which hath sent him to reproach the living God v. 15. 16 To this petition he receives this answere v. 32. Thus saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria he shall not come into this city nor shoot an Arrow there nor come before it with shield nor cast a banke against it By the way that he came the same shall he returne and shall not come into this city saith the Lord. For I will defend this city to save it for mine owne sake and for my servant Davids sake The like joyfull deliverance was obtained by the prayers of Elisha in that streight siege of Samaria and the famine wherewith the city was so grievously pinched was suddainly turned into such plenty that whereas an Asses head had beene fold one day for 40 peeces of silver the morrow after two measures of Barley and a measure of wheate flowre was sold for a shekell 2. Kings 6. 25. 7. 18. Heaven we reade was shut up for three yeares in Elisas's time the earth was chapped and the land of Israel wounded with famine for want of raine Heaven is opened againe by Elias his prayer and the land refreshed 1. Kings 17. 1. 18. 45. So that there is not one branch of Solomons petition which the Lord did not really accomplish when this people prayed unto him as Solomon prescribes them Through want of such prayers as Solomon here makes or at least for want of that faith by which the prayers of Iehosaphat Hezekias and the Prophets were conceived Iehoiakim Zedekiah c. found no such successe or deliverance in their distresse as these two godly Princes had done But some men the better they believe these sacred stories concerning the infallible successe of the Kings of Iudah's godly prayers The more prone they will be to question in what cases how farre or whether at all the undoubted grant of Solomons petition may any way concerne us or the times wherein we live The question may seeme more pertinent or rather the second generall point proposed by us may seeme more questionable or more then questionable altogether impertinent because most of these victories or deliverances which Iudah or Israel obtained by prayers were miraculous such as farre exceed the force of naturall causes or meanes ordinary and which are without the reach or contrivance of policy And what assurance then can wee have that our prayers shall bee answered with like successe unlesse we may believe or hope that even our prayers or supplications may procure true miracles but miracles have altogether or for the most part ceased for these later times in which for this reason that song of the Psalmist might be more fitly taken up than the practise of Solomon or the Kings of Iudah We have heard with our eares our fathers have declared unto us the noble workes which thou didst in their daies in the old time before thē Thus to complaine of the times wherein wee live in respect of former all of us are by nature too prone and this pronenesse is one speciall meanes by which the fervency of better spirits devotion is so much dampned yet Solomon hath told us that we are but foolish inquisitors And if but foolish inquisitors then certainly no competent judges in this case To say that these times are not more corrupt then former were to flatter them enough to convince us of being time-servers yet to complaine of them or to lament them as men doe which have no hope or assurance in Gods promises were to accuse God a spice of infidelity Certainly there is no fault in the times or in the places wherein we live but such as we our selves respectively infuse into them some by wickednesse of life others by impious or ungodly opinions Let us then so use our freedome in speaking the truth of the times wherein we live that we doe not slander the eternall dispenser of times and seasons that we cast no aspersions upon his fatherly care and providence God hath not forgotten to be as good and gracious unto our times as he hath beene unto former ages but we have forgotten to bee thankfull unto him we either are distrustfull of our selves or for the most part teach others to distrust the extent of his goodnesse whose certaine beliefe must bee the roote of prayers as well for blessings spirituall as temporall There is no speedier way or shorter cut unto Gods curse or vengeance then by distrusting his goodnesse towards our selves or by denying the fruites of it unto others But to the Quaere proposed How farre the grant of Solomons petition may concerne our selves or the times wherein we live the answere is ready Our present interest in that grant our assurance in Gods promises for blessings temporall to that people may be as great our deliverance from dangers imminent and unavoidable to the apprehension of man may be as certaine and infallible as theirs was albeit God doth not in particular promise succour or worke our safety by the same and like meanes as he did theirs Admit then it were an Article of our Creed as it is not that miracles in these later times haue ceased may not upon any exigence be expected that to seeke after such signes and wonders as were given then were a tempting of God as intruth it is no better yet all this ought not to weaken our assurance that the issue of our prayers so they be as faithfull as theirs were shal be as ioyfull to our selves as beneficiall to the state and kingdome as Iehosaphats and Hezekiahs prayers were Gods goodnesse towards us his providence over us is still the same and our beleife of this his goodnesse if in us it be true and sound 't is the same it was in them so will the issue be the same either in kinde or by equivalency Whether the like issue or successe be wrought by meanes ordinary or extraordinary is meerly accidentall to the certaine of it Not to embrace the workes of his wisdome with as thankfull hearts as Israel did the workes of his power would be childish and pettish Hopes of successe whether by meanes ordinary or miraculous must in all ages be grounded upon the same article of faith but not at all times upon
what shall bee the signes when these things shall bee fulfilled Marke 13. v. 34. All of his Disciples at least all of them which moved this question did agree in this prenotion that all these things should bee fulfilled at his comming and that at his comming to judgement the world should have an end Hence S. Mat. 24. 3. relates the question thus Tell us when shall these things bee and what shall bee the signe of thy comming and of the end of the world But this question though not so intended by them was fallacia ad plures interrogationes a question consisting of two parts one so different from the other that one and the same answer could not befit both and therefore hee makes answer distinguendo or respectively to both parts Concerning the signes of his first comming to declare himselfe to be the judge of the world or the signes precedent to the destruction of the Temple he gives them a plaine peremptory answer Mat. 24. from v. 4. to the 36. And so againe Mark 13. from v. the 5. to v. 32. And in this Chapter from v. 10. to v. 32. But concerning the other part of the question when the world should end or the signes that should preceede that he conceales or rather exhorts them not to enquire after it But of that day and houre that is the day of finall judgement or the end of the world knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaven but my father only Mat. 24. 36. And Mark 13. 32. But of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heaven neither the Son but the Father That this answere concernes only the second part of the former question to wit the time wherein the world shall end is hence evident for that the Angels yea and such as understood the Prophets at least our Saviour Christ as man did know the time appointed for the destruction of the Temple and the desolation of the holy Citie and land for thus much was punctually and litterally foretold by Daniel Chap. 9. 24. Seaventy weekes are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse c. No question but Daniel himselfe and the Angel which instructed him did know the precise point of time when these seaventy weekes did commence although Chronologers at this day varie a little upon this point he that knew the time when they begun might easily collect at what time they were to end For these seaventy weekes or seaventy seavens of yeares make vp the iust summe of foure hundred and ninetie yeares and so long did Ierusalem continue after it was restored againe by Cyrus and his successors in the Persian Empire And albeit our Saviours Desciples did not at that time perhaps clearely vnderstand the Prophecie of Daniel yet they might cleerly forsee the time of Ierusalem's destruction by the signes which our Saviour gives them in this Chap. and in the 24. of S. Matthew The signes were specially three first earthquaks and strange commotion of warres in severall nations as specially betweene the Iewes and other Nations subject to the Roman empire Secondly the generall hatred wherewith all Nations did persecute Christ's Disciples which were then no Nation but the fewest of any sect or profession For unto the time betweene our Saviours death and the death of the Emperour Nero that saying of our Saviour yee shall bee hated of all men for my name's sake hath speciall reference And it was most remarkably fulfilled whilst the Iewish Nation did flourish or was in strength For that Nation did beare more deadly hatred to such as professed themselves to bee Christs Disciples then they did unto the Heathen And the Heathens againe specially the Romans did hate and persecute the Christians as the worst sort amongst the Iewes of whom they tooke Christ's little flocke to be a stemme or branch because the governours of it Christs Apostles were Iewes by progeny So that the Lawes which were ennacted in Rome against the Iewes were most severely executed upon the Christians besides many lawlesse and barbarous cruelties which were practised upon many of them in the time of Nero without any check or impeachment This was a second signe precedent to the desolation of Ierusalem The third was the abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel and expounded by our Saviour Mat. 24. 15. For the overspreading of abominations saith Daniel Chap. 9. v. 27. Hee shall make it desolate even unto the consummation and that determined shall be powred upon the desolate It is termed by our Saviour the abomination of desolation because it was an abomination which did portend the utter desolation of the city and of the Temple wherein this abomination was practised by the seditious or that faction which was called the zealous And this abomination became most remarkable from that time that the seditious begun first to depose the high Priests and afterwards to murher them in the Temple For then they turned the house of God not into a denne of theeves but into a den of murtherers even a slaughter house The fulfilling of this part of our Saviours prophecy you may read at your leasure in Iosephus in his sixth booke of the Iewish warre Chap. 1. O miserable city saith he what didst thou suffer at the Romans hands to bee compared unto this although they entred with fire to purge thee from thy iniquity For now thou wast no longer the house of God neither could'st thou endure being made a Sepulcher of thine inhabitants and having by thy civill warres made the Temple a grave of dead bodyes It was the abomination which this desperate and gracelessely Iewish people did commit in the holy place that is in the Temple and in the courts of it which brought that miserable desolation upon the Temple upon the city Nation The Romans were but executioners of Gods wrath vengeance against them And those interpreters of the Gospell who by the abomination of desolation understand the Roman forces though many theybe yet the more they be or shall be the more they multiply a strange errour or grosse incogitancy But after the practice of such abominations as Iosephus relates in the holy place the doome pronounced by our Saviour against the Temple against the city and Nation became so inevitable and was to bee executed with so much speed as every one that in those times feared God might see the just occasion and necessity of our Saviours admonition Mat. 24. 16. c. Then let them which are in Iudea flee unto the mountaines let him which is on the house top not come downe to take any thing out of his house neither let him which is in the field returne backe to fetch his clothes c. Then shall be great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time nor ever shall
beware of them or unlesse hee had instructed them that the victory which God had promised to give his people at this time over their enemies was not to bee purchased by strength of sword but by patient possessing of their owne soules in time of warres and persecutions And of these times wherein false Prophets or false Christs did so prevaile with this people was that saying of our Saviour Iohn 5. 43. remarkably fulfilled I am come in my fathers name and yee receive me not If another shall come in his owne name him you will receiue The wisest amongst the Romans and amongst the rest Tacitus that great states-man or polititian observing the Iewes to have failed so fouly in their hopes of becoming Lords over the Nations by their expected King or Messias turn'd greater fooles than the Iewes had beene for having acknowledged the truth of the former prophecy which was so famous and so constantly received throughout the East He would have it fufilled in Vespatian in that hee was called out of Iudea unto the empire of Rome that is as they interpretit to be Lord of the whole world And which is most strange Iosephus himselfe a Iew by birth and education and therefore acquainted with the prophecies or prenotions concerning their Messias was either the Author of this foolish interpretation or the first Author now extant that did publish it Tacitus addes some credit to Iosephus his report of the constant fame throughout the East that Iudea should at that time bring forth the Lord of the whole world but hee makes no addition to Iosephus his folly in misapplying that which the Prophets had said and the esterne Nation had received concerning the King that was to arise out of Iudea unto Vespatian making him and his sonnes of true and lawfull Emperours false Christs Now to a-awake the Romans out of this proud fantastique dreame the true Christ the Lord of heaven and earth and judge of quicke and dead did exhibit these signes here mentioned in my text before the Romans had fully digested their triumphant feast and joy for the victory which they had gotten over the Iewish Nation Italy and Rome it selfe became the stage whereon these fearefull spectacles were acted and the whole Roman Empire were more then spectators if no Actors yet patients in this dolefull tragedy Besides the destruction of the old world by water and of Sodome and other foure cities by fire and brimstone no history of the world doth mention any such strange calamities as issued from the burning of the mount Vesuevius in Campania which first hapened in the first or second yeare of Titus although it hath oftentimes since procured great annoyance to neighbour provinces But that it begun first to burne in the dayes of Titus is cleere from the untimely death of Plyny the elder that great Naturalist Who out of curiosity going to search the cause of it was choaked to death with the smoake I have often put you in mind heretofore that many historians which either never read the sacred prophecies or did not minde them when they wrotte their histories are usually the best interpreters as well of the prophecies in the old as new testament Nor is the fulfilling of any prophecy in the old testament more litterally or more punctually related either in the old or new testament then the fulfilling of this prophecy in my text is by Dio Cassius a most judicious and ingenious heathen writer in the raigne of Titus The suddaine earthquakes were so grievous that all that valley was sultring hot and the tops of the mountaines sunke downe under the grouud were noyses like thunder answered with like bellowings above the searoared and the heavens resounded like noyse huge and great crashings were heard as if the mountaines had fallen together great stones leaped out of their places as high as tops of hils and after them issued abundance of fire and smoake in so much that it darkned the ayre and obscured the sunne as if it had beene ecclipsed so that night was turned into day and day into night many were perswaded that the Gyants had raised some civill broyles amongst themselves because they did see their shapes in smoak and heard a noyse of trumpets others thought the world should bee resolved into old Caos or consumed with fire some ranne out of their houses into the streets others from the streets or high-wayes into their houses otherer from sea to land some againe from the land to the sea Dio Cassius inhistoria Titi. Besides the large extent of this calamity through Aegypt Syria and Greece and great part of Africa related by this Author and toucht upon in the first booke of Comments upon the Creed page 49. c. The latine reader may finde many other circumstances in other good writers as in Procopius Zonaras c. faithfully collected by Maiolus tractatu de montibus pag. 520. 521. Though Cedrenus were a Christian yet I thinke when he wrote the history of Phocas he had as little minde or thought of the fulfilling of S. Iohn's prophecy Revelation the 8. Chap. v. 8. c. As Dio Cassius had of the accomplishment of our Saviour in my text And the second Angell sounded and as it were a great mountaine burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became bloud And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third part of the ships were destroyed Cednenus after a breife character of Phocas his ill favoured body and conditions in which latter his consort did too well agree with him tels us that in his time there was an inundation of all manner of mischiefes upon mankind an infinite number of men and beasts died and the earth denying her increase the famine and grievous pestilences arose and the winters were so sharpe and cruell that the sea freez'd and the fishes in it perished These were strange signes of the time and did portend the greatest alteration that ever befell Christian Churches by the erection of the two grand antichristian tyrannies the one in the East the other in the west Cedrenus in compendio historiae pag. 332. All that I have for this present to adde unto my former observations concerning the burning of Vesuvius is the admirable disposition of Gods providence in that he would not have the fulfilling of this prophecy in my text to be recorded by any Evangelist or other sacred writers but by this heathen historian A bright ray or beame of divine providence you may observe in so disposing the testimonies of these times as that the Evangelist S. Iohn who usually relates our Saviour's speeches more distinctly and more at large then the other three Evangelists doth not so much as mention our Saviour's prophecies either concerning the signes preceeding the destruction of Ierusalem or these signes in my text which were signes of his comming to judge the Nations The reason I
take it was because S. Iohn of all the foure Evangelists did out-live both sorts of the signes for hee was alive in the dayes of Trajan the emperour betwixt whose raigne and the raigne of Titus in whose dayes these signes in my text were exhibited Domitian and Cocceius Nerva did successively raigne over the Romans And it may be S. Iohn did purposely omit the Relation of our Saviours prophecies concerning these signes or prognosticks whether of Ierusalem's destruction or of Christ's comming to judge the Nations because he knew when hee wrote his Ghospell hee was to out-live them and for this reason his relation of them would have beene more lyable to suspition or to the exceptions of the Iewes or heathen than the relations of S. Matthew Marke or Luke were seeing they all dyed before the destruction of Ierusalem But did S. John know or what presumptions have we to thinke he did know that hee was to continue his pilgrimage here on earth untill this prophecy of my text were fulfilled that is untill Christ's comming to give all the Nations of the world as well as Ierusalem a solemne warning of of his power and purpose to judge the world This S. Iohn might know or this he could not but know from our Saviour's speeches to him and S. Peter related by him Iohn 21. v. 18. to the 23. Our Saviour had signified or intimated to S. Peter by what manner of death hee should glorifie God and bid him follow him the meaning is that he should be crucified as our Saviour had beene But Peter not content to know the manner of his own death turned about and seeing S. Iohn saith to Iesus Lord what shall this man doe And Iesus said unto him if I will that he tarry till I come what is that unto thee The rest of the brethren that is of Christ's disciples made a false descant upon this sure ground for they hence collected that S. Iohn should not dye at all but this misconstruction of our Saviour's words S. Iohn himselfe v. 23. of that Chap. plainly refuses Iesus said not unto him he shall not dye but if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Yet this his annotation or comment upon our Saviour's words did better refute errors past then prevent the errors or misconstructions of times ensuing For surely they erre which interpret our Saviours words as a meere put-off to Peters curious question or as if they contained no such prediction or prophecy concerning Iohn as the former did concerning Peter And there is a medium betweene the construction which the Disciples then made of our Saviours words and that construction which others have made since The Disciples hence collected that Iohn should not dye at all others collect that our Saviours speech was meerely hypotheticall or conditionall yet being proposed by way of interrogation it is equivalent to this assertory or affirmative It is my will that hee should tarry till I come doe not thou grudge at this but follow me Now as you have heard before there is a two fold comming of Christ the one typicall or representative which is the comming here mentioned in my text and meant by our Saviour in his answer to Peter Iohn 21 v. 22. the other reall or consummative to wit his last comming to Iudgement The Disciples did erre only in this that they understood our Saviours words unto S. Peter of his last comming to judgement And if Iohn had beene to tarry on earth till that time the consequence had beene true hee should not have dyed but as S. Paul speakes he should have beene changed But our Saviour speakes of his comming here mentioned in my text of which comming S. Iohn and others then living were to bee witnesses and spectators And of this comming the destruction of Ierusalem was a signe by which his Disciples then alive might prognosticate or expect it before they dyed But of his last comming to judgement at least of the time of the worlds end our Saviour in my text gave no signe but rather inhibited his Disciples to enquire after it seeing it was then reserved to his father only And if any bee disposed to seeke after the signes of that day these he must learne of S. Iohn in his revelation who saw his first comming to judgement in such a sence and manner as he had seene the Kingdome of heaven come with power and glory at his transfiguration upon the mount But though the time of Christs comming to judgement bee uncertaine though wee may not expect that hee should come unto us in such visible manner as hee did to this generation yet hee dayly comes to us in a more reall manner if wee will prepare our hearts to entertaine him For so hee comes to us in his word and in the sacraments and this his comming shall bee unto judgement unlesse wee examine and judge our selves But if wee will judge our selves we shall not bee judged of the Lord yea hee comes unto us in mercy and loving kindnesse One way or other hee comes to all Behold saith hee I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Revel 3. 20. Yet he which thus knocketh that we may open hath commanded us to knocke that it may be opened to us And indeed the only way by which wee can open the doore to him is by continuall knocking at the gate of mercy that he would open that unto us that hee would come unto us by his grace by the sweet influence of his owne everlasting sacrifice Lord heare us when we call upon thee and open unto us and so come unto us yea so come quickly A briefe appendix to the former treatise of the signes of the time or divine forewarnings OF omnious presagements or abodings good or bad whether given taken or affected and of prodigies or portendments which are for the most part publique signes of the times wherein they are exhibited I had in my younger and better dayes written a large treatise which hitherto I have not had the opportunity or leasure to publish out of which I have borrowed two or three instances in the former treatise But amongst all the forewarning signes given to this land as so many summons to repentance none which have beene given within my memory did make so durable impression upon my heart and thoughts as that late mighty winde which having begun his terrible visitation from the utmost point of the South-west did continue it in one night unto the North-east corner of this Southerne province This was more then a signe of the time Tempus ipsum admonebat the very time it selfe wherein it hapened being the vigils of that great anniversary Novemb. 5. was a signe to my apprehension most significant and doth interpret the meaning of this terrible messengers inarticulate voice much better then any linguist living this day as well as the Prophets were any such now alive could doe Both the messenger and the time wherein he delivered his message doe teach us that truth which hath beene often mentioned in these former meditations more punctually and more pithily than I could then or can yet expresse it Thus much of his meaning the serious reader may understand that albeit wee of this Kingdome were in firme league with all Nations of the earth with whom we have had any time commerce although our greatest enemies should become our greatest freinds yet it is still in the Lord almighty his power and as wee may feare in his purpose to plague this Kingdome more grievously by his owne immediate hand or by this invisible but most audible messenger or by other like stormes and tempests then at any time he hath done by the famine by the sword or by the plague of pestilence to bury more living soules as well of superior as of inferior ranke in the ruines of their stately houses or meaner cottages then the powder-plotters did intend to doe or the powder-plot it selfe had it taken effect could have done God grant every member of this Church and Kingdome grace to looke into his owne heart and purposes and to all in authority whether superior or inferior from the highest to the lowest to looke not only unto their owne but unto others waies of whom they have the care or oversight that these may runne parallel with the waies of God which if we shall continue to crosse or fall foule upon them or his most sacred lawes it is not any parliamentary law not any act of state or decrees of Courts of Iustice that can breake the stroake of his outstretched punishing arme and hand or fend off his dreadful Iudgements threatned from falling more heavy upon us then at any time hitherto his name bee praised they have done Finally although our publique fasts or solemne deprecations for averting his judgements from this land 〈◊〉 or the time being ceased by the same authority by which they were begun yet no authority no act of state doth prohibite any private man to fast upon the daies appointed by the Church whose Canons injoyne though not whole families yet of every family some one or other to resort unto the house of the Lord to offer up prayers and supplications appointed by our Church upon two other speciall dayes in the weeke besides the Lords day Nor are any prohibited upon these dayes to offer up besides their supplications for averting his judgementt the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving for our many deliverances past unto him to whom all praise power dominion and thanksgiving are due FINIS Lib. 4. num 107. Vid. plura apud Claudianum initio belli Gildonici Rupertus Angelomus Amongst other writers of those times see that noble French Historian Martin Fumèe Lord of Genillè Histor. Hungar lib. 1. pag. 32. Silus Italicus Valerius Maximus The extraordinary blessings which our Saviour prayed for were the visible endowments of the Holy Ghost and that admirable union of soule and mind and community of goods and possessions c. mentioned Act. 2. 3. 4. c. All which gifts were peculiar to these primitive times Iam. 4. v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 1. comment in Symbolum Apostolicum