's more strictly visit him it's charity to visit the sick I take him to be no man God indeed made him one but that stamp and superscription of God set upon him to distinguish him from other creatures is so defaced that if all other of Gods creatures had done the like who could have traced in the search of the knowledge oâ— God in his creatures If then he be nâ— man he is no beast for in this sence they are sober content with the liberty of Natures choyce if neither Man nor Beast then sure God never made him his soul is drowned so nâ— man his sence is lost so no beast If we grant he have a rational being it is like those Idols mentioned that have eyes and see not eares and hear not neither do they perceive any thing the man is turned out of possession here lies the Cabinet the jewel's lost He is Antipode to all other creatures nay to God himself if you will have him a Beast he must be a beast of Prey whose belly is the very Sepulcher of Gods Creatures as if his life were but potestas vivendi ut velis Like him that mourned because his sences were not incorporated into that one of tasting which pleasure he wished had been spread over all his body whereby he might have ranged over all the sweets of nature with a prolonged delight Hannah gives the fittest name to him in her Answer to Eli Count not thine handmaid a daughter of BELIAL In a word he is a poor dead creature a Lazarus whom God in mercy raise to life again that out of this Chaos of insensible bestiality God would please to speak a word of power another Fiat even a voyce saying Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ will give thee light Let 's now see how much this sinne contributes to the breach of Natures Lawes and how much condemned and rooted out by Heathens Temperance and Sobriety those just Stewards are dismantled of their Authority whilst this sin with Schollars shut the door against their Master when they rebell it forces Nature to run the Gant-lope which without violence would best provide for her self if she could but spread her own table Go to the Crib you that are given up to Ebriety who cares for no more than what justly relieves the urgency of Nature I am too much afraid that it may justly be said of us as it was once of Philosophy That it was taught at Athens but practised in Sparta Temperance and sobriety is taught in England but practised in Turkie Alphonsus King of Aragon alwayes tempered his wine with water least it should flie above his understanding and betray his reason It was a Christian reply of Alcamen to his frugal reprovers saying That Gods blessings should prompt us to live up unto reason and moderation not of â—ust by turning Gods mercies to a wanton liberty of excesse The wicked man sayes Plutarch liveth to eat and drink but the good man eateth and drinketh to live And Salust said Nothing can be more abject and hurtful than to be a slave to thy mouth and belly Gorgius being demanded how he came to live in health to so great an Age Answered By forbearing to eat or drink through pleasure There is a breach of this temperance A power to drink to a greater excesse in measure and abuse of Gods creatures than many a weaker constitution can endure without being drunk with the fourth part of other's riot to drown and force Nature beyond her due proportion is a drunkennesse before God though thou beest never overtaken with the power of it to the sight of the Law If a Heathen could say It becomes not a King to extinguish that by excesse of drink which suports the name of an Emperour How much ought a Christian to value his profession at a higher rate How sweet and comely a thing is it for men to live soberly wisely and temperately by mixing our enjoyments with an equal proportion and measure of sobriety The opposite was that which stained the glory of Great Alexander The Lawes of Heathens and former Nations condemn our impunity and cheapnesse of this sin we do as it were sell drunkennesse for where forfeitures bite not above the pleasure of it men will be content to pay for it The Ancient Romans banished all Epicures out of their Cities accounting them the plagues of youth Romulus made a Law to punish drunkennesse in women with death Minos King of Creet suffered none to drink one to another unto drunkennesse without the censure of the Law Severer Lawes are not in the World against this sin than in Turkie A story whereof I remember of one that at a Festival time had been too liberal with his cups and being carried before the Grand Vizier had lead poured into his mouth and eares and so died not that one act needed such severity so much as to suppresse the growth and progresse of sin The Law rather intends Reformation than Punishment if the one might be without the other for Lex non Irascitur Let 's see the spiritual evils of this sin A Drunkard wounds his own soul his heart is like mare mortuum where no grace can live he drowns the voice of Nature and Conscience the two great lights which God sets up in every man He sells himself with Ahab to work wickednesse Tell him of God he replies as the Cyclops in the Tragedy to Vlysses I know no other God but my belly Or like that Monk mentioned who upon the news that all Abbies were voted down and yet his maintenance continued for life stroaked his belly with these words Modo hic sit bene his care was past so long as his camp was victualled with Solomons fool Come let 's drinks for to morrow we shall die but Remember Post mortem nulla voluptas Is it not a sad thing to see men drown body and soul together men may play with their eternal estates and dance about the flames and never see their danger till irrecoverable How many like Amnon die drunk carry their own condemnation with them That as Sir Gervise Elloway said His own hand which he took such a pride in appeared to his condemnation when nothing else could have wrought it and such judgements are heavy seeming as if the execution were alike intended against the soul as well as the body They spend their dayes in Mirth and suddenly they go down to Hell Job 31.13 What art thou guilty of that occasions this sin which is accompanied with so great tokens of Gods sore displeasure thou that in company forcest down drink or takest pleasure in thy sad profit by suffering them in thy house read the Prophet Wo to him that giveth his neighbour drink that putteth the bottle to him and maketh him drunken also It swells greater yet as its the fountain of other sins As Nero wished the people of Rome had but one neck that with one stroke
Belshazar and used very much of long-suffering and patience to Pharaoh whose heart at last not taking warning he â—ardened what are examples of Gods Judgements upon others for if not to keep us from being the examples our selves And though Precepts inâ—eed are very binding yet they never shine so much as when set in examples We are all acquainted how little hold reproofs admonitions and exhortations from the Pulpit take of men therefore it is that I have great hopes that these examples may do good for as one in another case sayes A Verse may find him whom a Sermon flyes And turn delight into a Sacrifice So such as come not to heaâ— their sins ript open in a Soulâ— searching Sermon may by reading or hearing these examples be frightened at the voyce of Gods Judgements To consider the severity of God to those that fell may well make us think with our selves shall I that am guilty as much as others be yet in the land of the living will not the Patience Goodnesse and Long-suffering of God lead us to repentance I say examples are of more force to move nay to instruct then the Arguments and proofs of Reason or their precise Precepts for they shew things not onely â—n the Theory but in the practice and execution It 's reported of one Waldus in France that at the sight of Gods Judgement upon onâ— that was suddenly struck dead went home and admonished his friends to repent and turne from their evill wayes and waâ— himself a famous Christianâ— from whom also sprang the name of the Waldenses Examples mix so with the Apprehensions as they force the mind to a deeper understanding and search of the ends and causes of them What I have collected are not of common examples which daily present themselves before our eyeâ— but such as are the most notorious and remarkable and I question not but authentick those of modern and more late experience I have taken from such Authours as are living and who from their own knowledge have given testimony to the truth of them Now what am I that should undertake to direct others in that wherein I am to seek my self by walking below the strictnesse of what I prescribe to others and short of my own duty having it may be that found upon my trencher which I disswade others from as pernicious yet I consider the advantages of the undertaking and it may be this may be one to my self that these strict limits to others will girt me more straitly within the compasse of my own duty and though this hath been strugling for a Birth a long time yet now the truth and integrity of my intentions have prevailed to launch into a Sea of censures and if I aim at the good of others in the reformation of their minds and manners I am sure it cannot be any hurt to them or my self and this is the Rock on which I hope to stand against the proud assaults of envy or detraction for if any thing in the ayme or intention be good it 's made of more value by the diffusive Quality of it in disaffecting that humour of Aspendius who delighted to play on his Harp so that none should heare but himselfe I shall conclude in the words of the Apostle and pray That the love of God which hath appeared unto all men may teach us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world W. L. THE CONTENTS of the whole THe Character of Drunkards Page 1.2.3 Drunkennesse a sin against the lawes of Temperance and Sobriety and the practice of Heathens against it 4.5 The strict lawes of Heathens against Drunnkennesse 6. The spiritual evils of Drunkennesse 7. Drunkennesse the fountain of other sins 8.9 The outward evils which accompany this sin of Drunkennesse consumption of estate ruine of relations losse of health a shame to friends scorn to servants derision to boyes losse of sences c. 10.11.12 c. A friendly exhortation to such Gentlemen as are tempted to this sin especially to the most learned and ingenuous persons 16.17 c. Gods threatnings aginst Drunkennesse 21.22 Gods righteous and terrible Judgements upon such as take not warning in a collection of the most choyce examples such only as bear the strongest remark of Gods displeasure 23.24 to 45. Some few disswasives from this sin of drunkennesse 46.47 Of profane taking the Lords name in vain by cursed oathes c. 51. The several aggravations of this sin of cursing and swearing 52. Swearing a sinne directly against God himself ibid. It 's a sin of high ingratitude 53 The sin of the Devils in Hell 54 No profit by it ibid Heathens detest it 55 Dissuasives from it 56.57 The severity of former lawes and time against wicked swearing 57. Gods threatnings against it 58. Gods severity in his just Judgements upon such as practised it in a few sad and doleful examples 59 60. to 59. The sin of profaningg the Sabbath day a great sin 83.84 The strict command of God himselfe to observe it 85. Gods own practice for our example to keep one day in seven from labour c. 84. Gods end in commanding us to observe it is for our own good 88. The reasonablenesse of Gods command for one in seven 89. The breach of this day a great sin by many high aggravations of it c. 90. A sin against Gods daily blessings and mercy to us 91. A word to such as sit idly at home on the Lords day 92. A word to such as profane it by playing drinking c. 91. Perswasions to hear the Word and attend Ordinances as the greatest advantages to our soules 93.94 Objections answered 95. Gods threatenings against Sabbath-breakers 96.97 Gods severe examples of Judgement and Justice upon the profaners of the Sabbath day 98.99 to 125. Conclusion 125.126.127.128 OF DRUNKENNESSE AND GODS JUDGEMENTS UPON DRUNKARDS THe sin of Drunkenesse being the womb of all others I chuse first to speak of by shewing What a loathsome creature a Drunkard is how it 's condemned by the lawes of Nature as well as Nations the sad consequences of it to soul to body by setting a full point to his life when nature hath not yet made a Comma Ruining his family and relations leaving himself at last a prey to necessity and scorne to fooles The Aggravation of this sin to the Gentry who by their Birth Estates Parts c. are seated above the reach of such vulgar rudenesse and therefore should soare so high with a Noble mind as to scorne to prey upon such garbage as is only fit to feed swine with The threatnings of God against this sin with his Judgements for it First then A Drunkard may be called a Monster such as entred not into the Ark unlesse you account Noah one who fell through temptation he made no practice of it yet smarted for his pregnant curiosity to make an assay upon the unruly spirit of wine but let
know that what is lawful on other dayes are sins on this day and such of you as need not by Gods blessings in a full estate toil all the week whereby you cannot plead a wearinesse to waite on God upon his own day you turn his blessings into a curse if you prophane it you play all the six dayes it s a sin with a witnesse if you play away the seventh also You that cannot close this Holy Day without an evening sacrifice to Bacchus instead of prayers to the Lord that made Heaven and Earth Gods Judgements sleep not you are preparing your selves as fuell for the fire of Gods vengeance and displeasure Nextly to you that sit idly at home never dreaming how to escape that wrath to come methinks I read your sad conditions in your conversations That never think of God all the week you cannot for your callings you will not for your pleasures on the Lords Day if there be any difference betwixt you and Heathens it is that you know your condemnation before it come you will be at the Great Day witnesses for God against your selves To see so many idly sit at home and never mind to hear the Word methinks I am amongst the Indians It s a very heavy thing to consider in some places half the Parish at home in idlenesse or walking abroad in Sermon-time nay I have heard it credibly affirmed from the mouth of a Minister in this County that of some thousands in a Parish there hath not been sometimes a hundred at a Sermon nay not fifty nay not twenty shall I say not ten Is not this a sad case to be in a Christian Common-wealth Nay it s the sad experience of this place where I live and I may speak it to my own knowledge that three quarters of the people able to come of this populous place do idly stay at home or walk abroad not a family of ten but the most of them are at home in idlenesse if not at play or drinking Upon this account I would conclude with one word Good people let me perswade you to serve God rather than gratifie the Devil with your own damnation Is your labour lesse to sit at home than in the Congregation Do you think you have no souls to save nor to lose you had better be working than idle for that is a sin in it self and is made greater on this day You live more like the brute beasts that are fed by the senses onely How can you be saved if you will not come unto him that you may have life Are you Christians or Infidels Do you professe to worship God or Mahomet How shall you believe on him of whom you have not heard how can you hear without a Preacher not to hear that Blessed Gospel which Christ hath sent into our Coasts our Houses is to do as the Gadereans did drive Christ from our Habitations Such as followed Christ and his Apostles were converted I read of few else and such onely as lay at the Pool were healed To see people flocking to hear the Word like Doves to the windows it is a blessed sight But instead hereof we have some that entertain Quakers meetings in their houses on the Lords Day They have a sad account to give I hear some excusing their staying at home sometimes by their going other times these are common excuses But thou knowest not but that day thou stayest from the Ministery of the Word God may have intended thy eternal salvation and that with Zacheus God might have said This day salvation is come into thy house But I read good books That thou mayest do when thou canst not hear good Sermons and though it be good to read yet here its a sin and a temptation because thou neglect'sta greater good The Word stirs the soul under it and commonly cometh with power and demonstration of the Spirit and I know ther 's great difference between hearing and reading and the later is no lesse an evil thus used than the ejection of different thoughts in prayer from the subject and nature of the duty is an evil by consequence But I do no body hurt I am not playing nor drinking nor swearing so that I need not fear Gods judgements What judgement dost thou think a hard heart is which commonly is the fruit of the neglect of Gods Ordinances is it not the worst of judgements for thou mayst be destroyed with bodily punishment as Eli and others were and yet thy soul be saved but thou canst not have a judicial hardnesse of heart upon thee and be saved therefore take heed of this sin and fear lest a worse judgement befal thee than an outward destruction for how canst thou escape if thou neglect so great salvation My design is not to direct others to the keeping this day so much as to keep from prophaning it yet if any be perswaded to look to the keeping of it by way of sanctifying it I refer them to such Learned Divines as have spent their labour in it To those that are not moved by reason nor perswaded by their own advantages from polluting this Holy day by their wickednesse debauchednesse idlenesse or playing at Cards c. Read Gods threatnings that his judgements may appear to be more just by his forewarning us from the sin as well as the punishment If you will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath then will I kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem and it shall devour the Palaces thereof and shall not be quenched Fire in the Palace sayes a Divine is ment fire in the seats of Justice and the ornaments of a City fire in the Palace no going in fire in the Gates no going out because Justice was not executed upon Sabbath-breakes therefore the place of Justice shall be destroyed those gates that suffered any co come in to profane the Lords day must be now on fire that none shall escape his Judgements If we should see our Towns flaming with the wrath of God and the fire of his indignation taking hold of our habitations it is then in vain to offer to quench it it hath been thus in our Nation as in the examples following If such a judgment be threatned against such as keep not this day what must be the fearful looking for of Judgment by the profaners of it Did not God bring all this upon us in this City yet bring you more wrath upon Judah by profaning the Sabbath sayes the Prophet Ezekiel mentions the sin of the Sabbath and therefore have I powred my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath and in the 23. Chapter is threatned Plagues and Judgements and v. 18. the Reason for they have profaned my Sabbaths If these serve not the end intended take a prospect of Gods terrible examples which stand as Beacons to warn us from the like sins The poor man that did but gather sticks on the Sabbath day may
stand as a monument of Gods severity A Noble-man that used to hunt on the Lords day had a child born unto him with a head like a Dog with eares and mouth crying like a Hound which was a very remarkable judgement of God Reports of an Husband-man that went to plough on the Lords day and cleansing his plough with an Iron it stuck so fast in his hand for two years that he carried it about with him as a signal tostimony of the Lords just displeasure against him Another that gathered corn into his barn upon the Lords day had it all with fire from heaven consumed together with the house At Kimstat in France 1559. there lived a woman that neither would go nor suffer others of her family to go to Church on the Lords day as she was drying flax fire issued out of itâ— but burnt it not she taking no notice next Sabbath day as she was busie with it miraculously again fire proceeds out of it and burnt it but was put out this poor creature was â— blind as not to see or take warning by these foot-steps of Gods mercifull providences but the third Sabbath day when she was busied about her flax as before it fires of it self and could not be quenched till she and two of her children were burnt to death And in the year 1126. One grinding corn upon the Lords days it took fire and gave him timely warning not to break the Sabbath day by the works of his calling In Helvetia nigh Belessina three men were playing at Dice on the Lords day one called Vlrick Schraeterus having hopes of a good cast because being crost to the losse of much money before he now expected fortune or rather the Devill to favour his desire and therefore he uttered these horrid words If fortune do dececeive me now I will thrust my dagger into the Body of God as farre as I can O the cursed frames of our naturall tempers if once God cast the reins into our own wills the Dice favours him not and presently he drawes his dagger and with a powerful force throws it up towards heaven which never was seen more and immediately five drops of blood falls before them all upon the Table and as suddenly comes the Devill amongst them carries away this vile wretch with such a terrible and hideous noyse as the whole City was astonished at it Those two remaining alive endevoured to wipe off the blood but to so little purpose that the more they rub'd the more the drops of blood were perspicuous Report carries it all over the City multitudes flock to see this wonder who found only the Sabbath profaners rubbing the blood to get it out these two by decree of the Senate of the City were bound in Chains and as they were led to the prison one of them was suddenly struck dead from out of whose body a wonderful number of wormes and vermin was seen to crawle The City thus terrified with Gods judgements and to the intent that God might be glorified and a future vengeance averted from the place caused the third to be forthwith put to death And the Table with the drops of blood on it preserved as a monument of Gods wrath upon this sin not only of Sabbath-breaking but swearing and wicked gameing O the depth of the knowledge of God How unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out January 13. 1583. At the Bear-garden in Southwark on a Sabbath day afternoon many people pressing on the Scaffolds to see the sport forced it suddenly down with which fall eight were killed and many spoyled in their bodies who lived not long after Much like to it was that at Risley in Bedfordshire 1607. where many people rather then resort to hear the the word of the Lord by the mouth of his Minister came in great numbers to see a Stage-play on the Lords day the Chamber floor fell down and as a judgment of God upon this sad wilful sin many were killed and wounded thus we see when the works of piety and mercy are neglected to prosecute sinne and wickednesse Gods judgements are swift to overtake us thereby endeavouring to hedg up our way with thornes which examples may push us back from the like impiety and vengeance of an angry God A sad example of Gods severity in â—is hot and sore displeasure against â—abbath-breakers is recorded of Feverton in Devonshire which place saith he , was frequently admonished of the profanation of the Lords day by a Market kept the day following which without reformation would inevitably pluck down divine vengeance A little after the Ministers death upon the third of April 1598. A sudden fire from heaven consumeth the whole Town in lesse than half an hour excepting only the Church Court-house and Almes-house where was consumed in this fire of Gods wrath four hundred dwelling houses and fifty soules destroyed Who will not say this was a sad and immediate hand of the Lord but alas what will not poor creatures do that follow sin with greedinesse The same Town fourteen years after on the fifth of August 1612. for the same sin was wholly consumed except some thirty poor peoples houses School-house Almes-houses these Judgements are not recorded for Historical Perusall but to consider of and remember those on whom the Tower of Shilo fell At Alcester in Warwick-shire where the Authour lived there were of his own knowledge four remarkable Judgements of God One that upon the publishing of the Declaration for sports and pastimes upon the Lords day A young woman on this day comes to the Green and sayes She would dance as long as she could stand and dancing in the midst of her sin God struck her with such a violent disease that in two or three dayes she died in misery as an example to all that delight more in serving their own pleasures and sinfull desires then to wait upon God and delight in his wayes The other of a young man of the same place and not long after the other who on the Lords day immediately after the evening exercise was finished brings into the street a pair of Cudgells layes them down nigh unto the Ministers house and invited divers to play with him who refusing at length comes one and taking up the Cudgels sayes Though I never played in my life yet I will play one bout now A little after sporting with a young woman he takes up a Birding-piece charged saying Have at thee the piece goes off and murders her immdiately for which as a deserved judgement he suffered the Law Another of a Miller at Wootton in the same County who going forth to a Wake and coming home at night found his House Mill and all that he had burnt down to the ground A fourth upon Mr. Clarks own knowledge is of many wicked and prophane persons at Woolston in the same County who on the Lords day met at a Whitsun-Ale in a
Smiths Barn and though it grieved the holy man of God who was Minister of the place as the Sodomites did Lot yet he could not help it but in their profanenesse they proceeded not long after a fire kindles in the place of this impiety and burnes down not onely his House Shop and Barn but rages so vehemently as it reaches many other houses with ruin all being chief actors in this horrid profanenesse In the year 1634. upon a Lords day when the River Trent was frozen over fourteen young men were at foot-ball upon the Ice near Gainsborough and meeting all in a cluster together the wrath of God met with them and suddenly the Ice broke and they were immediately drowned Oh the justice of the Lord upon the prophaners of his Holy day The same painful and useful Author of Gods examples relates a sad one of Gods Judgements upon two fellows in Essex near Brinkely that were working in a Chalk-pit one of them boasting that he had vext his Mistresse by coming so late in from his Sabbath-dayes Sports and Recreations ◠but sayes he I will anger her worse next Sabbath day which words were no sooner out but Justice seizes upon him for the Earth falls upon him and he never stirred more to his Sabbath prophanesse his fellowes limbs were broken both being sharers in the sin of the Sabbath are made also to be so in their sufferings and punishments The Lord will be known in the paths and wayes of his Judgements to such as will not be led and allured by his tender mercies And of one Mr. Ameredith a Gentleman of Devonshire being recovered from a pain which he had suffered in his feet one of his friends saying he was glad to see him so nimble the Gentleman replies He hoped his hopes should not be frustrated of the great expectations he had to dance about the May-Pole the next Sunday But behold the Lord in a just punishment for such impious and wicked resolutions and no doubt also for his former prophanesse on that day smites him suddenly with feeblenesse and faintnesse of heart ere he stirred from the place and with such a strange dizzinesse in the head that he was forc't to be led home and from thence to his last home before the Lords Day shined upon him Now tell me any that can what little hopes the poor souls thus ushered to the chambers of death have to keep an eternal Sabbath with God that will not keep his Sabbath from prophaning on earth Truly these are sad symptoms of Gods heavy displeasure against soul as well as body his mercy if any be in such dismal dispensations are occult and hidden the Lord in mercy warn poor sinners to avoid the wrath of such an Infinite God that such as will not be intreated to keep the Lords day as they ought may be terrified from prophaning of it Another as severe he relates which together with the three former are attested by sufficient witnesses At Walton upon Thames in Survey upon a great frost in the year 1634. three young men having in the forenoon heard a Sermon from 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ c. they went over the Ice into an house of disorder and gaming where they prophanely spent away the rest of the Lords day and night also in revelling and drinking the one of them next day boasting merrily of his pleasure upon the Sabbath day and his adventure over the Ice All three on Tuesday return the way they went and upon the Ice suddenly sunk to the bottom like stones one of them onely miraculously preserved These judgements may be mercies to some that are yet prophaners of the Lords day if God please At Burton upon Trent Mr. Abberly a godly Minister often took occasion to reprove and threaten such as make no conscience of the Lords day by prophaning it in a more peculiar manner such as bought and sold meat upon this day which it seems was a sin as great and as commonly practised in this place as it was lately at Buntingford where in my journey some Gentlemen of Newcastle being my fellow-travellers we took occasion after Sermon to acquaint the Minister withal I pray God it may not be so still lest such a judgement befal the place as did this prophane wretch which was thus A Taylor being a nimble and active man dwelling at the upper end of the Town must needs in a bravado go to the further end to buy some meat before morning-prayer but coming home with both his hands full in the midst of the street he fell down stark dead I was sayes Doctor Teate an eye-witnesse both of his fall and burial and that it wrought a reformation in the place both among the Butchers and others It was a remarkable Providence and I wish I say that other places may be reformed of this bold and impudent sin or truly they may repent of it when it s too late A Pious Divine sayes he The Lord hath spoken so loud from heaven against Sabbath-sinners that I cannot be silent We hereabout have had in a short time terrible tokens of God severe vengeance upon such as mind not the service of his Day amongst our selves a sad example A Townsman going to gather Cherries on the Lords Day fell from the tree and in the fall was so battered and bruised that he never spake more but lay groaning in his blood until the next day and then died Another man not far from this place in Cherry-time as he was gathering fruit fell from the tree and with the fall was so hurt that he lay in anguish and dreadful dolour all the week till Sabbath day and then ended his miserable life And of a young man that on the Lords Day in a place nigh unto Mr. Goodwins scrambling with others for Peares thrown out in the Church-yard broke his main thigh-bone and the bone of his leg on the same side which was so miserably and strangely broken as that the Bone-setter who was a godly man told Mr. Goodwin though he had seen many yet he never saw the like God here dealt in mercy as well as in judgememt in that he 〈◊〉 him space to repent and see his sin The Lord warn us all by these examples A company of prophane young men in 1635. near Salisbury upon the Lords Day morning went to Clarington Park to cut down a May-Pole and having loaden the Cart with the tree and themselves with the bitter fruits of sin they are severely punisht by the hand of God For entring into the City of Salisbury through a place called Milners Bars unawares the Cart gives a turn and the end of the tree struck one of the Sabbath-breakers such a mortal blow that his brains flew out and there on the place he yeilded himself a conquered sinner by the Just hand of the Lord lying there as a sad spectacle of Gods indignation and sayes Mr Clark I enquired of
are let fall into as many high wayes as directions to avoyd the road to hell The Devill returns to the Feast and before the Mayor and all the company threw her intralls upon the Table saying Behold these dishes of meat belong to thee whom the like destruction â—wayteth if thou dost not amend thy wicked life This is testified by Mr. Herman Minister of Oster the Mayor and all the Town who desired it to â—e communicated to posterity for an example and land-mark to avoyd eternall destruction A Gentleman of Gorlitz having invited many friends to supper who failed him in a rage wished That all the Devils in Hell would come presently his Table is furnished as well with guests as meat whom he welcomed but perceiving clawes instead of hands it was not time to bid him be gone his Wife follows him leaving in the house onely a child and a fool by the fire side who through mercy were not hurt We are by these bid to beware of rash imprecations to our selves or others It s fresh the story of Hacket oâ—Oundle in Northamptonshire who 159â— in the Raign of Queen Eliz. the 3â— year in his common discourse useâ— to say If it be not true then let a vâ—sible confusion come upon me and hâ— had his desire for being delivered uâ— of God to Sathan he fell foul off â— many errours that at last he arriveâ— to the height and called himself Christ with himself he seduced to Gent. Coppinger and Arthington wâ— believed all Hacket said and whâ— he bid them proclaim That Christ uâ— come with his fan in his hand to Juâ—â— the Earth they did through 〈◊〉 City and in Cheapside got upon two Carts Crying Repent repent for Christ Jesus is come to judge the VVorld they affirmed also that Hacket presented Christ by taking his Glorified body c. Hacket hereupon is apprehended brought before the Lord Mayor of London and at last hanged on a Gibbet in Cheapside uttering to the last horrid blasphemies against God This was a visible confusion indeed Before Mr. Luther and others A woman at VVeteburg whose Daughter was possessed did confesse that she in fury wished the Devil to take her who instantly possessed her with an evil spirit to their great terrour and fear John Peter son to the cruel Keeper of New-gate London was a horrid swearer and curser usually saying If it be not so I pray God I may rot ere I die and so he did with great misery In Misina Sep. 11. 1552. A child not quick enough to dispatch his fathers will as he ought provoked the fathers rage into this imprecation That he might never stir from that place its presently granted his son sticks immoveable for his body could not be moved or bent Some godly people meet and pray for him whereby his anguish is asswaged yet he continued three years standing with a post at his back and four years he continued sitting and then ended his life yet this was a mercy to him For that he doubted not of the mercy of Jesus Christ to save him and being demanded how he did frequently replyed That he was there fastened of God and his mercy onely could release him Here was a living example of rash oathes At Neoburg in Germany a cursed mother wishing she might never see her son alive again was answered for the child was drowned the same day In Astorga A woman cursed her son wishing the Devils of Hell to take him from her presence with many horrible execrations it being late at night the child was afraid of her anger retiring to a little court behind the house to whom appeared men of grim aspects and large composures who carried him into the aire with such swiftnesse as was not possible to believe and alighting amongest some bushes trailed him to the great torturing of his body and tearing of sundry parts thereof The boyes thoughts being better fixt than his mothers craved aid of God and so was delivered The devils bringing him back through the aire put him in at a little window in a chamber and there he was found almost out of his wits and sadly tortured and mangled in his face hands legs c. That penitent Gentleman Sir Gervise Ellowis being drawn in to be a partaker in the sad death of that poor Gent. Sir Tho. Overbury in the Tower was at last brought as a sufferer to Tower-Hill acknowledging the just hand of God against his rash and unpreserved vow which a great losse at Cards one time occasioned in the sense whereof clapping his hands upon his breast he vowed seriously betwixt God and his own soul That if ever he played again he wished he were hanged and being upon the ladder Now sayes he God in Justice hath made me keep my imprecation and paid my vow by this just though violent death and so wished all to take warning by his sad example Mr. Young reports of Nichanor who for his blasphemous cursing and swearing had his tongue cut out and in small pieces thrown to the fowls A young Couple in love together solemnize their private promises alone the maid being rich and the young man poor she to assure him of her love promises that unlikenesse of fortunes shall not disoblige her engagements nor disinherit her of that loyalty which she hoped grace as well as good nature had planted in her which he though before earnestly fearful that she might be as changeable as others did now neverthelesse content himself in the strength of this assurance and so at the giving their faith one to another she with many more imprecations tied her self most strongly with this That the Devil would take her away that day she married to another She marries another and on the Wedding-day two guests uninvited come well mounted to the door and dine with them and were made welcome after dinner one of them complements the Bride and borrows her hand to lead the Dance and after a turn or two lead a Dance which none could follow for in presence of all her friends he carries her out of doors and notwithstanding her crying for help she is mounted into the aire and with his companion and horses was never seen more See the fruits of rash vows oathes and imprecations they are not to be slightly dealt withal for God takes notice of our own desires when we never think of our words how we must give an account of them Two prophane young men striving who should be most exquisite in oathes were met with by Gods Judgement in Justice for he that out-vied the other in swearing was immediately distracted Also he relateth of two young men delighting themselves in swearing sporting with oathes as the flie with the flame are overtaken with Gods Judgement the one is struck dumb and never spake word more the other was distracted both of them standing to the example of all young men that do not remember their Creator in the