Proposition I.

That there is a Devil, is a Thing Doubted by none but such as are under the Influence of the Page  7 Devil. For any to Deny the Being of a Devil must be from an Ignorance or Profaneness, worse than Diabolical. A Devil! What is that? We have a Definition of the Monster, in Eph. 6. 12. A Spiri∣tual Wickedness, that is, A wicked Spirit. A Devil is a Fall•…n Angel, an Angel Fallen from the Fear and Love of God, and from all Celestial Glories; but Fallen to all manner of Wretchedness and Cur∣sedness. He was once in that Order of Heavenly Creatures, which God in the Beginning made Mi∣nistring Spirits, for his own peculiar Service and Honour, in the management of the Universe; but we may now write that Epitaph upon him, How art thou fall•…n from Heaven! thou hast said in thine Heart, I will Exalt my Thr•…ne above the Stars of God; but thou art brought down to Hell! A Devil is a Spiritual and a Rational Substance, by his Apostasy from God, Inclined unto all that is Vicious, and for that Apostasy confin'd unto the Atmosphere of this Earth; in Chains under Darkness, unto the Iudg∣ment of the Great Day. This is a Devil; and the Experience of Mankind as well as the Testimony of Scriptu•…e, does abundantly prove the Existence of such a Devil.

About this Devil, there are many Things, where∣of we may reasonably and profitably be Inqusi∣tive; such things, I mean, as are in our Bibles Re∣veal'd unto us; according to which if we do not speak, on so Dark a Subject, but according to our own uncertain, and perhaps humoursome Conje∣ctures, There is no Light in us. I will carry you Page  8 with me, but unto one Paragraph of the Bible, to be informed of three Things, relating to the Devil; 'tis the Story of the Gadaren Energumen, in the fifth Chapter of Mark.

First, then; 'Tis to be granted; The Devils are so many, that some Thousands, can sometimes at once apply themselves to vex one Child of Man. It is said, in Marc. 5. 15. He that was Possessed with the Devil, had the Legion. Dreadful to be spoken! A Legion consisted of Twelve Thousand Five Hundred people: and we see that in one man or two, so many Devils can be spared for a Gar∣rison. As the Prophet cry'd out, Multitudes, Mul∣titudes, in the Valley of Decision! So I say, There are multi•…udes, multitudes, in the valley of Destruction, where the Devils are! When we speak of, The De∣vil, 'tis, A Name of Multitude; it means not One Individual Devil, so Potent and Scient, as perhaps a Man chee would imagine; but it means a Kind, which a Multitude belongs unto. Alas, The Devils, they swarm about us, like the Frogs of Egypt, in the most Retired of our Chambers Are we at our Boards? There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Sensuality: Are we in our Beds? There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Carnality; Are we in our Shops? There will be Devils to Tempt us un∣to Dishonesty. Yea, Tho' we get into the Church of God, there will be Devils to Haunt us in the very Temple it self, and there Tempt us to manifold Misbehaviours. I am verily perswaded, That there are very few Humane Affayrs, whereinto Page  9 some Devils are not Insinuated; There is not so much as a Iourney intended, but Satan will have an Hand in Hindering or Furthering of it.

Secondly, 'Tis to be supposed, That there is a sort of Arbitrary, even Military Government, a∣mong the Devils. This is intimated, when in Mar. 5. 9. The Unclean Spirit said, My Name is Legion: they are under such a Discipline as Legions use to be. Hence we read about, The Prince of the Pow∣er of the Air: Our Air has a Power! or an Army, of Devils in the High Plac•…s of it; and these De∣vils have a Prince over them, who is, King over the Children of Pride. 'Tis probable, That the Devil, who was the Ring-leader of that mutinous and rebellious Crew, which first shook off the Authori∣ty of God, is now the General of those Hellish Armies; Our Lord, that Conquer'd him, has told us the Name of him; 'tis Belzebub; 'tis he that is, the Devil, and the rest are, his Angels, or his Souldiers. Think on, vast Regiments, of cruel, and bloody French Dragoons, with an Intendant o∣ver them, over-running a pillaged Neighbourhood, and you will think a little, what the Constitution among the Devils is.

Thirdly, Tis to be supposed, That some Divels are more peculiarly Commission'd, and perhaps Qua∣lify'd, for some Countreys, while others are for others. This is intimated, when in Mar. 5. 10. The Devils besought Our Lord, Much, that he would not send them away out of the Countrey. Why was that? But in all probability, Because These Divels Page  10 were more Able, to, Do the Works of the Divel, in such a Countrey, than in another. It is not likely that every Divel do's know every Language; or that every Divel can do every Mischief. Tis pos∣sible that the Experience, or, if I may call it so, the Education, of all Divels, is not alike, and that there may be some Difference in their Abilities. If one might make an Inference from what the Divels Do, to what they are, One cannot forbear Dreaming, that there are Degrees of Divels. Who can allow that such Tri•…ing Daemons, as that of Mascon, or those that once infested our New berry, are of so much Gran∣deur, as those Daemons, whose Games are mighty Kingdomes? Yea, Tis Certain, that all Divels do not make a like Figure, in the Invisible World. Nor do's it look agreeably, That the Daemons, which were the Familiars of such a Man as the Old Apoll•…nius, differ not from those Baser Goblins that chuse to Nest in the filthy and loathsome Rags, of a Beastly Sorceress. Accordingly, why may not some Divels, be more Accomplished for what is to be done in such and such places: when others must be Detachd for other Terri•…ories? Each Divel as he sees his advantage, Cries out, Let me be in this Countrey, rather than another. But Enough, if not Too much, o•… these Things.

Proposition II.

There is a Divellish Wrath against Mankind, with which the Divel is, for Gods Sake Inspired. The Page  11 Divel is himself broiling under the intollerable and interminable Wrath of God; and a fiery Wrath at God, is that with which the Divel is for that cause Enflamed. Methinks I see the posture of the Divels in Isa. 8. 21. They fret themselves, and Curse their God, and look upward. The first and chief Wrath of the Divel, is at the Almighty God Himself; He knows, The God that made him, will not have mercy on him, and the God that formed him, will shew him no favour; and so he can have no Kindness for that God, who has no Mercy, nor Favour for him. Hence tis, that he cannot bear the Name of God should be Acknowledged in the World; Every Acknowledgment paid unto God, is a fresh Drop of Burning Brimstone falling upon the Divel; He do's make his Insolent, tho' Impotent Batte∣ries, even upon the Throne of God Himsel•…: and soolishly affects to have hims•…lf exalted unto that Glorious High Throne, by all people, as he sometimes is, by Ex•…rcable Witches. This ho•…i∣ble Dragon do's not only wi•…h 〈◊〉, Tayl st•…ike at the Stars of God, but at the God 〈◊〉, wh•… made the Stars, being desirous to 〈◊〉 them all. God and the Divel are swo•…n Enemi•…s to each other; the Terms between them, are those, in Zech. 11. 18. My Soul 〈◊〉 them, and their Soul also Abb•…rred me. And from this Furious Wrath, or Displeasure and Prejudice at God, pro∣ceeds the Divels Wrath at us, the poor Children of Men. Our doing the Service of God, is one thing that Exposes us to the Wrath of the Divel. Page  12 We are the High-Priests of the World; when all Creatures are call'd upon, Praise ye the Lord, they bring to us those demanded Praises of God, say∣ing, Do you Offer them for us. Hence 'tis, that the Divel has a a Quarrel with us, as he had with the High-Priest in the Vision of Old. Our bear∣ing the Image of God, is another thing that brings the Wrath of the Divel upon us. As a Tygre, thro' his Hatred at a man, will tear the very Pict∣ure of him, if it come in his way; such a Tygre the Devil is; because God said of old, Let us make Man in our Image, the Devil is ever saying, Let us p•…ll this man to pieces. But the envious Pride of the Devil, is one thing more that gives an Edge unto his Furious Wrath against us. The Apostle has gi∣ven us an hint, as if Pride had been the Condemna∣tion of the Devil. 'Tis not unlikely, that the De∣vils Affectation to be above that Condition which he might learn that Mankind was to be preferr'd unto, might be the occasion of his taking up Arms against the Immortal King. However, the Devil now sees Man lying in the Bosome of God, but Himself damned in the Bottom of Hell; and this Enrages him exceedingly; O, says he, I cannot bear it, that man should not be as miserable as myself.

Proposition III.

The Devil, in the prosecution, & for the execution, of His wrath upon them, often getts a Liberty to make a Descent upon the Children of men. When Page  13 the Devil does Hurt unto us, he Comes Down unto us; for the Randezvouze of the Infernal Troops, is indeed in the Supernal Parts of our Air. But as tis said, A. sparrow of the Air does not fall down without the will of God; so I may say, Not a Devil in the Air, can come down without the leave of God. Of this we have a famous Instance in that Arabian Prince, of whom the Devil was unable so much as to Touch any thing, till the most High God gave him a permission, to go down. The Divel stands with all the Instruments of Death, aiming at us, and begging of the Lord, as that King ask'd for the Hood-winck'd Syrians of old, Shall I Smite 'em, shall I Smite 'em? He cannot strike a Blow, till the Lord say, Go down and smite, but sometimes He does obtain from the High Posses∣sor of Heaven and Earth, a License for the doing of it. The Divel sometimes does make most rueful Havock among us; but still we may say to him, as our Lord said unto a great servant of his, Thou could∣est have no power against me, except it were given thee from above. The Divel is called in 1 pet. 5. 8. your Ad∣versary. Tis a Law-term; and it notes, An Adver∣sary at Law. The Divel cannot come at us, except in some sence according to Law; but sometimes he does procure sad things to be inflicted, according to that Law of the eternal King, upon us. The Divel First Goes up as an Accuser against us: He is therefore styled The Accuser; and it is on this account, that his proper Name, does belong unto him. There is a Court somewhere kept; a Court of Spirits, where the Divel enters all sorts of Complaints against us Page  14 all; he charges us with manifold sins against the Lord our God: There he loads us with heavy Imputati∣ons, of Hypocrisy, Iniquity, Disobedience; where upon he u•…ges, Lord, Let 'em now have the Death, which is their Wages, paid unto 'em! If our Advocate in the Heavens do not now take off his Libels, the Devil then with a Concession of God, Comes down, as a Destroyer upon us. Having first been an Attorney, to bespeak that the Judgments of Heaven may be Ordered for us, he then also pleads that he may be the Executioner of those Judgments; and the God of Heaven sometimes after a sort signs a Warrant, for this Destroying Angel, to do what has bin desired to be done for the Destroying of men. But such a Permission from God, for the Divel to Come down, and Break in upon mankind, oftentimes must be Ac∣companyed with a Commission from some wretches of mankind it 〈◊〉. Every man is, as 'tis hinted in Gen. 4 9. His Brothers Kee•…per. We are to keep one an∣other from the 〈◊〉 of the Divel, by mutual and Cordi•…l wi•…hes of prosperity to one another. When ungodly people, give their Consents in witchcrafts di∣abolically performed, for the Divell to annoy their Neighbours, he •…nds a Breach made in the Hedge about us, whereat he Rushes in upon us, with g•…ie∣vous molestations. Yea, when Impious people, that never saw the Divel, do but utter their Curses against their Neighbours, those are so many Watch words whereby the Ma•…ives of Hell are animated pre∣sently to fall upon us. 'Ti•… thus, that the Devil gets Leave to worry us.

Proposition IV.

Most Horrible Woes come to be inflicted upon Mankind, when the Divel do's in Great Wrath, make a Descent upon them. The Divel, is a Do-Evil, and wholly set upon mischief. When Our Lord once was going to Muzzel him, that he might not mis∣chief others, he cry'd out, Art thou come to 〈◊〉 me? He is, it seems, himself Tormented, if he be but Restrained from the Tormenting of Men. If upon the Sounding of the Three last Apocalyptical Angels, it was an outcry made in Heaven, Wo, Wo, Wo, to the inhabitants of the Earth by reason of the voice of the Trumpet. I am sure, a Descent made by the An∣gel of Death, would give cause for the like Excla∣mation: Wo to the World, by reason of the Wrath of the Divel! What a Woful plight, Mankind would by the Descent of the Divel, be brought into, may be gathered from the Woful pains, and wounds, and hideous desolations, which the Divel b•…ings upon them, of whom he has with a Bodily Possession made a Siezure. You may both in Sacred and Profane History, read many a direful Account of the Woes, which they, that are possessed by the Divel, do un∣dergo: And from thence conclude, What must the Children of Men, hope from such a Divel! Moreover the Tyrannical Ceremonies, whereto the Divel uses to subjugate such VVoful Nations or Orders of men, as are more Entirely under his Dominion, do declare what VVoful Work, the Divel would make where he Page  16 comes. The very Devotions of those forlorn Pa∣gans, to whom the Divel is a Leader, are most bloo∣dy Penances: and what VVoes indeed must we ex∣pect from such a Divel of a M•…loch, as relishes no Sacrifices like those of Humane Heart-Blood, and unto whom there is no musick like the bitter, dy∣ing, doleful Groans, ejulated by the Roasting Children of men.

Furthermore, the Servile, Abject, Needy Circum∣stances wherein the Devil keeps the Slaves, that are under his more sensible Vassallage, do suggest unto us, How woful the Devil would render all of our Lives. We that live in a Province, which affords unto us, all that may be Necessary or Comfortable for us, found the Province fill'd with vast Herds of Salvages, that never saw so much as a Knife, or a Nail, or a Board, or a Grain of Salt, in all their dayes. No better would the Devil have the World provided for! Nor should we, or any else, have one convenient Thing about us; but be as Indigent as usually our most Ragged VVitches are; if the Devils Malice were not over-ruled by a Compassi∣onate God, Who Preserves Man and Beast. Hence tis, That the Devil, even like a Dragon, keeping a Guard upon such Fruits as would Refresh a Lan∣guishing World, has hindred Mankind for many Ages, from hitting upon those useful Inventions, which yet were so Obvious and Facil, that it is eve∣ry bodies wonder, they were no sooner hit upon. The Bemisted World, must jog on for Thousands of Years, without the knowledge of the Loadstone, till a Neapolitan stumbled upon it, about Three Hun∣dred Page  17 years ago. Nor must the world be blest with such a matchless Engine of Learning and Vertue, as that of, Printing, till about the middle of the Fif∣teenth Century. Nor could one Old Man all over the Face of the whole Earth, have the benefit of such a Little, tho' most Needful, Thing, as a pair of Spectacles, till a Dutch-Man, a little while ago ac∣commodated us.

Indeed, as the Divel do's begrutch us all manner of Good, so he do's Annoy us with all manner of VVo, as often as he finds himself capable of doing it. But shall vve mention some of the special woes with which the Divel do's usually infest the World! Breefly then; Plagues are some of those woes, with which the Divel troubles us. It is said of the Isra∣elites, in 1. Cor. 10. 10 They were destroyed of the destroyer. That is, they had the Plague among them. 'Tis the Destroyer, or the Divel, that scatters Plagues about the World: Pestilential and Conta∣gious Diseases, 'tis the Divel, who do's oftentimes Invade us with them. 'Tis no uneasy thing, for the Divel, to impregnate the Air about us, with such Malignant Salts, as meeting with the Salt of our Microcosin, shall immediately cast us into that Fermentation and Putrefaction, which will utterly dissolve all the Vital Tyes within us; Ev'n as an Aqua-Fortis, made with a conjunction of Nitre and Vitriol, Corrodes what it Siezes upon. And when the Divel has raised those Arsenical Fumes, which become Venemous Quivers full of Terrible Arrows, how easily can he shoot the delete•…ious M•…sms into Page  18 those Juices or Bowels of Mens Bodies, which will, soon Enflame them with a MortalFire! Hence come such Plagues, as that Beesome of Destruction which within our memory swept away such a Throng of people from One English City in one Visitation: and hence those Infectious Feavers, which are but so many Disguised Plagues among us, Causing Epidemical Desolations. Again, Wars are also some of those VVoes, with which the Divel causes our Trouble. It is said in Rev. 12. 17. The Dragon was wroth, and went to make war: And there is in Truth, scarce any VVar, but what is of the Dragons kindling. The Divel is that V•…lcan, out of whose Forge come the instruments of our VVars, and it is he that finds us Employments for those Instru∣ments. We read concerning Daemoniacks, or people in whom the Devil was, that they would cut and wound themselves; and so, when the Devil is in Men, he puts 'em upon dealing in that barbarous fashion with one another. VVars do often furnish him with some Thousands of Souls in one Morning from one Acre of Ground; and for the sake of such Thyestaean Banquets, he will push us upon as ma∣ny VVars as he can.

Once more, why may not Storms be rekoned a∣mong those VVoes, with which the Devil do's di∣sturb us? It is not improbable, that Natural Storms on the World, are often of the Devils raising. We are told in Job. 1. 11. 12, 19. that the Devil made a Storm, which Hurricano'd the House of Iob, u∣pon the Heads of them that were feasting in it. Page  19 Paracelsus could have informed the Devil, if he had not been informed, as be sure he was before, That if much Aluminious matter, with Salt-Peter not throughly prepared, be mixed, they will send up a cloud of Smoke, which will come down in Rain. But undoubtedly the Devil understands as well the way to make a Tempest, as to turn the VVinds at the Solicitation of a Laplander; Whence perhaps it is, that Thunders are observed oftner to break upon Churches, than upon any other Buildings; and besides many a Man, yea many a Ship, yea many a Town has miscarried, when the Devil ha's been per∣mitted from above to make an Horrible tempest. However that the Divel has raised many Metapho∣rical Storms upon the Church, is a thing, than which there is nothing more notorious. It was said unto Believers, in Rev. 2. 10. The Devil shall cast some 〈◊〉 you into Prison. The Devil was he that at first 〈◊〉 Cain upon Abel, to butcher him, as the Apo•… seems to suggest, for his Faith in God, as a Rewar∣der. And, in how many Persecutions, as well as Haeresies, has the Devil been ever since Engaging all the Children of Cain! That Serpent the Devil ha's acted his cursed Seed, in unwearied Endeavours to have them, Of whom the World is not worthy, treated as those who are, Not Worthy to live in the World. By the Impulse of the Devil, tis that first the old Heathens, and then the mad Arians, were Pricking Briars, to the true Servants of God; and that the Papists that came after them, have out-done 〈◊〉 all, for Slaughters, upon those that have been Accoun∣ted Page  20 as the sheep for the Slaughters. The late French Persecution, is perhaps the Horriblest that ever was in the World: and as the Devil of Mascon seems before to have meant it, in his outcries, upon, The miseries preparing for the poor Hugonots! thus it ha's been all acted, by a singular Fury of the old Dra∣gon inspiring of his Emissaries.

But in reality, Spiritual Woes, are the Principal Woes, among all those that the Devil would have us undone withal. Sins are the worst of W•…es; and the Devil seeks nothing so much, as to plunge us into Sins. When men do commit a Crime for which they are to be Indicted, they are usually, Mov'd by the Instigation of the Devil. The Devil will put Ill Men upon being worse. Was it not he, that laid in 1 King 22. 22. I will go forth, and be a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of all the Prophets? Even so the Devil becomes an Unclean Spirit, a Drinking Spirit, a Swearing Spirit, a Worldly Spirit, a Passio∣nate Spirit, a Revengful Spirit, and the like, in the Hearts of those that are already too much of such a Spirit; and thus, they become Improv'd in Sin∣fulness. Yea, the Devil will put Good Men upon doing Ill. Thus we read, in 1 Chron. 21. 1. Satan provoked David to Number Israel. And so, the De∣vil provokes men that are Eminent in Holiness, un∣to such Things as may become eminently pernici∣ous; he provokes them especially unto Pride, and unto many unsuitable Emulations. There are like∣wise most lamentable Impressions, which the Devil makes upon the Souls of men, by way of punish∣ment Page  21 upon them for their Sins. 'Tis thus, when an Offended God, puts the Souls of men over into the Hands of that Officer, Who has the Power of Death, that is, the Devil. It is the woful misery of Unbelievers, in 2 Cor. 4. 4. The God of this World has blinded their minds. And thus it may be said of those Woful Wretches, whom the Devil is a God unto, The Devil so Muffles them, that they cannot see the things of their Peace. And, The Devil so Hardens them, that nothing will awaken their cares about their Souls: How come so many to be Seared in their Sins? 'Tis the Devil, that with a Red Hot Iron fetch't from his Hell, does cauterise them. Thus tis, till perhaps at last they come to have a Wound∣ed Conscience in them, and the Devil has often a share in their Torturing and Confounding Anguish∣es. The Devil who Terrify'd Cain, and Saul, and Iudas, into Desperation, still becomes a King of Terrors, to many Sinners, and frights them from laying hold on the Mercy of God in the Lord Je∣sus Christ. In these regards, Wo to us, when the Devil comes down upon us.

Proposition V.

Toward the End of his Time the Descent of the Devil in Wrath upon the World, will produce more woful Effects, than what have been in Former Ages. The Dying Dragon, will bite more Cruelly, & sting more bloodily than ever he did before: The •…th-pangs of the Devil will make him to be more Page  22 of a Devil than ever he was; and the Furnace of this Nebuchadnezaear will be heated seven times hot∣ter, just before its putting out.

We are in the first place, to Apprehend, That there is a Time fixed and stated by God, for the Devil to enjoy a Dominion over our sinful and therefore woful World. The D•…vil once Exclaim∣ed, in Mat. 8. 29. Iesus, thou Son of God, art thou come hither to Torment us before our Time? It is plain, That until the Second Coming of our Lord, the Devil must have a Time of plaguing the World, which he was afraid, would have Expired at His First. The Devil is, By the wrath of God, the Prince of this World; and the Time of his Reign, is to continue until the Time, when our Lord Himself, shall, Take to Himself, his great Power and Reign. Then 'tis that the Devil shall hear the Son of God, swearing with loud Thunders against him, Thy Time shall now be no more! Then shall the Devil with his Angels, receive their Doom, which will be, Depart into the Everlasting Fire prepared for you.

We are also to Apprehend, that in the mean time, the Divel can give a shrowd guess, when he drawes near to the End of his Time. When he saw Christi∣anity enthron'd among the Romans, it is here said, in our Rev, 12 12, He knows he hath but a short time. And how does he know it? Why, Reason will make the Divel to know that God won't suffer him to have, the Everlasting Dominion; & that when God has once begun to rescue the world out of his hands Page  23 Hee'l go through with it, until The Captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the Terrible shall be delivered. But the Divel will have Scripture also, to make him Know that when his Antichristian Vicar the seven headed Beast on the seven-hilled City, shall have spent his determined years, he with his Vicar must unavoidably go down into the Bottomless Pitt.. It is not Improbable, that the Divel often hears the Scripture expounded in our congregations; yea that we never Assemble without a Satan among us. As there are some Divines, who do with more un∣certainty conjecture, from a •…eartain P•…ace in the E∣pistle to the Ephesians, That the Angels do some times come into our Churches, to gain some Advan∣tage from our Ministry. But be sure our Demonstra ble Interpretations, may give Repeated Notices to the-Divel, That his time is almost out: and what the preach∣er says unto the Young Man, Know thou, that God will bring thee into Iudgment! THAT may our Sermons tell unto that Old Wretch, Know thou, that the time of thy Iudgment is at hand▪

But we must now, likewise, Apprehend, that in such a time, the Woes of the world, will be heightened, be∣yond what they were at any Time yet from the foun∣dation of the world. Hence ti's, that the Apostle has forewarned us, in 2. Tim. 3. 1. this know, that in the last days, perillous times shall come. Truly, when the Divel knows, that he is got into his Last days, he will make Perillous Times for us; the times will grow more full of Divels, and therefore more full of Perils, than everthey were before. Of this if we Page  24 would Know, what cause is to be assigned; It is not only, because the Divel growes more Able and more Eager to Vex the world; but also, and cheefly, Be∣cause the world is more worthy to be Vexed by the Divel, than ever heretofore. The Sins of men in this Generation, will be more mighty Sins, than those of the Former Ages; men will be more Accurate & Exqui∣site, & Refined in the Arts of Sinning, than they use to be. And besides, their own sins, the sins of all the Former Ages will also lie upon the sinners of this generation. Do we ask why the mischievous powers of darkness are to prevail more in our days, than they did in those that are past & gone! Tis because that men by sinning over again the sins of the Former days, have a Fellow∣ship with all those unfruitful works of darkness. As 'twas said in Math. 23. 36. All these things shall come upon this generation; so, the men of the Last generation, will find themselves involved in the guilt of all that went be∣fore them. Of Sinners tis said, They Heap up Wrath; and the sinners of the Last generations do not only add unto the Heap of sin that has been pileing up, ever since the Fall of man, but they Interest themselves in every sin of that enormous Heap. There has been a Cry of sin in all Former Ages going up to God, That the Divel may come down! and the sinners of the Last generations, do sharpen and louden that cry, till the thing do come to pass, as Destructively as Ir∣remediably. From whence it follows, that the Thrice Holy God, with His Holy Angels, will now after a sort more Abandon the World, than in the former Ages. The Roaring Impieties of the Old World, Page  25 at last gave Mankind such a Dista•…t in the Heart of the Just God; that he came to say, It Repents me, that I have made such a Creature! And however, it may be but a witty Fancy, in a Late Learned Writer, that the Earth before the Flood was near∣er to the Sun, than it is at this Day; and that Gods Hurling down the Earth to a further Distance from the Sun, were the cause of that Flood; yet we may fitly enough say, that men perished by a Re∣jection from the God of Heaven. Thus, the En∣hanc'd Impieties of this our World, will Exasperate the Displeasure of God, at such a rate, as that he will more Cost us off, than heretofore; until at last, He do with a more than ordinary Indignation say, Go Devils; do you take them, and make them be∣yond all former measures miserable!

If Lastly, We are inquisitive after Instances of those Aggravated Woes, with which the Devil will towards the End of his Time assault us; Let it be Remembred, That all the Extremities which were foretold by the Trumpets and the Vials in the Apo∣calyptic Schemes of these things, to come upon the world, were the woes to come from the wrath of the Divel, upon the shortning of his Time, The horren∣dous desolations that have come upon mankind, by the Irruptions of the old Barbarians upon the Roman World, and then of the Saracens, and since, of the Turks, were such woes, as men had never seen before. The Infandous Blindness and Vi•…eness which then came upon mankind, and the Monstrous 〈◊〉 which thereupon carried the Roman world by the Page  26 Millions together unto the shambles, were also such woes as had never yet had a Parallel. And yet these were some of the things here intended, when it was said, wo! For the Divel is come down in Great wrath, having but a short Time.

But besides all these things, and besides the In∣crease of Plagues & Wars, and Storms, and Internal Maladies now in our days, there are especially two most extraordinary Woes, one would fear, will in these days become very ordinary. One Woe that may be look'd for is, A frequent Repetition of Earthquakes, and this perhaps by the energy of the Divel in the Earth. The Divel will be clap't up, as a Prisoner in or near the Bowels of the earth, when once that Conflagration shall be dispatch'd, which will make, The New Earth wherein shall dwell Righ∣teousness; and that Conflagration will doubtless be much promoted, by the Subterraneous Fires, which are a cause of the Earthquakes in our Dayes. Ac∣cordingly, we read, Great Earthquakes in divers pla∣ces, enumerated among the Tokens of the Time approaching, when the Devil shall have no longer Time. I suspect, That we shall now be visited with more Usual, and yet more Fatal Earthquakes, than were our Ancestors; inasmuch as the Fires that are shortly to, Burn unto the Lowest Hell, and set on Fire the Foundations of the Mountains, will now get more Head than they use to do; and it is not impossible, that the Devil, who is e're long to be punished in those Fires, may aforehand augment his Desert of it, by having an hand in Page  27 using some of those Fires, for our Detriment. Learned Men have made no scruple to charge the Devil with it; Deo permittente, Terraemotus causat. The Devil surely, was a party in the Earthquake, whereby the Vengeance of God, in one black Night sunk Twelve considerable Cities of Asia, in the Reign of Tiberius. But there will be more such Catastrophe's in our Dayes! Italy has lately been Shaking, till its Earthquakes have brought Ru∣ines at once upon more than thirty Towns; but it will within a little while, shake again, and shake till the Fire of God have made an Entire Etna of it. And behold, This very Morning, when I was intending to utter among you such Things as these, we are cast into an Heartquake by Tidings of an Earthquake that has lately happened at Iamaica: an horrible Earthquake, whereby the Tyrus of the English America, was at once pull'd into the Jawes of the Gaping and Groaning Earth, and many Hundreds of the Inhabitants buried alive. The Lord sanctifie so dismal a Dispensation of his Pro∣vidence, unto all the American Plantations! But be as∣sured, my Neighbours, the Earthquakes are not o∣ver yet! We have not yet seen the Last. And then, Another Wo that may be Look'd for is, The Devils being now let Loose in preternatural Operati∣ons more than formerly; & perhaps in Possessions & Obsessions that shall be very marvellous. You are not Ignorant, That just before our Lords First Co∣ming, there were most observable Outrages com∣mitted by the Devil upon the Children of Men: Page  28 And I am suspicious, That there will again be an un∣usual Range of the Devil among us, a little before the Second Coming of our Lord, which will be, to give the last stroke in, Destroying the Works of the Devil. The Evening Wolves will be much abroad, when we are near the Evening of the World. The Devil is going to be Dislodged of the Air, where his present Quarters are; God will with flashes of hot Lightning upon him, cause him to fall as Lightning from this Ancient Habitations: And the Raised Saints will there have a New Heaven, which, We expect according to the Promise of God. Now, a little before this thing, you'l be like to see the Devil, more sensibly and visibly Busy upon Earth perhaps, than ever he was before: You shall oftner hear a∣bout Apparitions of the Devil, and about poor peo∣ple strangely Bewitched, Possessed and Obsessed, by Infernal Fiends. When our Lord is going to set up His Kingdom, in the most sensible and visible manner that ever was, and in a manner answering the Transfiguration in the Mount, it is a thousand to one, but the Devil will in sundry parts of the World, assay the like for Himself, with a most A∣pish Imitation: and Men, at least in some Corners of the World, and perhaps in such as God may have some special Designs upon, will to their Cost, be more Familiarized with the World of Spirits than they had been formerly.

So that, in fine, if just before the End when the Times of the Iews were to be finished, a man then •…an about every where, crying, Wo to the Nation! Wo Page  29 to the City! Wo to the Temple! Wo! Wo! Wo! Much more may the descent of the Devil, just be∣fore his End, when also the Times of the Gentiles will be finished, cause us to cry out, Wo! Wo! Wo! because of the Black things that Threaten us!

But it is now Time to make our Improvement of what has been said. And, first, we shall enter∣tain ourselves with a few Corollaries: deduced from what has been thus asserted.

Corollary I.

What cause have we to bless God, for our pre∣servation from the Devils wrath, in this which may too reasonably be call'd the Devils VVorld! While we are in, this present evil world, We are continually surrounded with swarms of those Devils, who make this present world, become so evil. What a wonder of Mercy is it, that no Devil could ever yet make a prey of us! We can set our foot no where but we shall tread in the midst of most Hellish Rattle-Snakes; and one of those Rattle-Snakes once thro' the mouth of a Man on whom he had Sie∣zed, hissed out such a Truth as this, If God would let me loose upon you, I should find enough in the Best of you all, to make you all mine. What shall I say? The VVilderness thro' which we are passing to the Promised Land, is all over fill'd with, Fiery, flying serpents. But blessed be God; None of them have hitherto so fastned upon us, as to confound us utter∣ly▪ All our way to Heaven, lies by the 〈◊〉 of Page  30 Lions, and the Mounts of Leopards; there are incre∣dible Droves of Divels in our way. But have we safely got on our way thus far? O let us be thank∣ful to our Eternal preserver for it. It is said in, Psal. 76. 10. Surely the wrath of Man shall praise thee, and the Remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain But surely It becomes us to praise God, in that we have yet sustain'd no more Damage by the wrath of the Devil, and in that he has restrain'd that O∣verwhelming wrath. We are poor Travellers in a World, which is as well the Devils Field, as the De∣vils Gaol; a World, in every Nook whereof, the Devil is encamped, with Bands of Robbers, to pes∣ter all that have their Face looking Zion-ward: And are we all this while preserved from the undoing Snares of the Devil! it is, Thou, O keeper of Israel, that hast hitherto been our Keeper! And therefore, Bless the Lord, O my soul, Bless his Holy Name, who has redeemed thy Life from the Distroyer!

Corollary. II.

We may see the rise of those multiply'd magnify'd, and Singularly stinged Afflictions, with which aged or dying Saints frequently have their Death Prefa∣ced, & their Age embittered. When the Saints of God are going to leave the World, it is usually a more Stormy World with them, than ever it was; and they find more Vanity, and more Vexation in the world than ever they did before. It is true, That many are the afflictions of the Righteous Page  31 but a little before they bid adieu to all those many Afflictions, they often have greater, harder, Sorer, Loads thereof laid upon them, than they had yet endured. It is true, That thro' much Tribulation we must enter in the Kingdom of God; but a little before our Entrance thereinto, our Tribulation may have some sharper accents of Sorrow, than ever were yet upon it. And what is the cause of this! It is indeed the Faithfulness of our God unto us, that we should find the Earth mo•…e full of Thorns and Briars than ever, just before he fetches us from Earth to Heaven; that so we may go away the more willingly, the more easily, and with less Convulsion, at his calling for us. O there are ugly Ties, by which we are fastned unto this world; but God will by Thorns and Briars tear those Ties asunder. But, Is not the Hand of Ioab here? Sure, There is the wrath of the Devll also in it. A little before we step in∣to Heaven, the Devil thinks with himself, My time to abuse that Saint is now but short; what Mischief I am to do that Saint, must be done quickly, if at all; he'l shortly be out of my Reach for ever. And for this cause he will now fly upon us with the Fiercest Efforts and Furies of his Wrath. It was allowed unto the Serpent, in Gen. 2. 15. To Bruise the Heel. Why, at the Heel, or at the Close, of our Lives, the Serpent will be nibbling, more than ever in our Lives before: and it is, Because now he has but a short time. He knows, That we shall very shortly Page  32 be, Where the Wicked cease from Troubling, and where the Weary are at Rest; wherefore that Wicked one will now Trouble us, more than ever he did, and we shall have so much Disrest, as will make us more weary than ever we were, of things here below.

Corollary. III

What a Reasonable Thing then is it, that they whose Time is but short, should make as great Use of their Time, as ever they can! I pray, let us learn some good, even from the Wicked One himself. It has been ad∣vised, Be Wise as Serpents: why, there is a peece of Wisdom, whereto that old Serpent, the Divel himself, may be our Monitor. When the Divel perceives his Time is but short, it puts him upon Great Wrath. But how should it be with us, when we perceive that our Time is but short? why, it should put us upon Great Work. The motive which makes the Divel to be more full of wrath, should make us more full of warmth, more full of watch, and more full of All Diligence to make our Vocation, and Election sure. Our Pace in our Journey Heaven-ward; must be Quickened, if our space for that Journey be shortened: even as Israel went further the two last years of their Journey Ca∣naan ward, than they did in Thirty eight years before. The Apostle brings this, as a spur to the Devotions of Christians, in. 1. Cor. 7. 29. This I say, Bretheren, the time is short. Even so, I say this day; some things I lay before you, which I do only think, or guess, but here is a thing which I venture to say with all the Page  33 freedom Imaginable. You have now a Time to Get good; even a Time to make sure of Grace and Glory, and every good thing, by true Repentance; But, This I say, the time is but short. You have now Time to Do good; even to serve out your generation, as by the Will, so for the Praise of God; But, This I say the time is but short. And what I say thus to All People, I say to Old People, with a Peculiar Vehemency: Syrs, It Can∣not be long, before your Time is out; there are but a few Sands Left in the glass of your Time: And it is of all things the saddest, for a man to say, My Time is done but my work undone! O then, To work as fast as you can; and of Soul-Work, and Church-Work, Dispatch as much as ever you can. Say to all Hin∣drances, as the Gracious Ieremiah Burrows would sometimes to Visitants: You'l excuse me if I ask you •…o be short with me, for my work is great, and my Time is but short. Methinks every Time, we hear a clock, or see a watch, we have an Admonition given us, That our Time is upon the wing, and it will all be gone within a little while. I Remember I have read of a famous man, who having a Clock-Watch long Lying by him, out of Kilture in his Trunk, it unac∣countably Struck Eleven just before he Dy'd. Why, there are many of you, for whom I am to do that office this day: I am to tell you, You are come to your Eleventh Hour; there is no more than a Twelfth Part at most, of your life yet behind. But if we neglect our business, till our short Time shall be reduced into None, then, •…o to us, for the great wrath of God will send us down from whence there is no Redemption.

Corollary. IV.

How wellcome should a Death in the Lord, be unto them, that belong not unto the Divel, but unto the Lord! While We are sojourning in this world, we are in what may upon too many accounts be cal∣led The Divels Country: we are where the Divel may Come down upon us in Great Wrath continually. The day when God shall take us out of this world, will be, The Day when the Lord will deliver us from the Hand of all our enemies, and from the Hand of Satan: In such a day, why should not our Song be that of the Psalmist, Blessed be my Rock, and let the God of my Salvation be Exalted! While we are here, we are in the Valley of the shadow of Death; and what is it that makes it so! Ti's because the Wild Beasts of Hell are lurking on every side of us, & every minute ready to Salley forth upon us. But our Death will fetch us out of that Valley, and carry us where we shall be, For ever with the Lord. We are now un∣der the daily Buffetings of the Divel, and he does molest us with such Fiery Darts, as cause us even to cry out, I am weary of my Life. Yea, but are we as Willing to Dy, as, Weary of Life? Our Death will then soon set us where we cannot be Reach'd by the, Fist of Wickednoss: and where the, Perfect can∣not be shotten at. It is said, in Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the Dead, which Dy in the Lord, They Rest from their Labours. But we may say, Blessed are the Dead in the Lord, inasmuch they Rest from the Devils! Our Page  35 Dying will be but our Taking Wing: When, attend∣ed with a Convoy of Winged Angels, we shall be convey'd into that Heaven, from whence the De∣vil having been thrown, he shall never more come thither after us. What if God should now say to us, as to Moses, Go up and Dy! As long as we Go up, when we Dy, Let us receive the Message with a Joyful Soul; we shall soon be there, where the Devil can't Come Down upon us. If the, God of our Life, should now send that Order to us, which he gave to Hezekiah, Set thy House in Order, for thou shalt Dy, and not Live; We need not be cast into such deadly Agonies thereupon, as Hezekiah was: We are but going to that House, the Golden Doors whereof, cannot be Entred by the Devil that here did use to Persecute us. Methinks, I see the De∣parted Spirit of a Believer, Triumphantly carried thro' the Devils Territories, in such a Stately and Fiery, Chariot, as the Spiritualizing Body of Elias had; methinks, I see the Devil, with whole Flocks of Harpies, grinning at this Child of God, but un∣able to fasten any of their Griping Talons upon him: And then, upon the utmost Edge of our Atmosphaere, methinks I over-hear the Holy Soul, with a most Heavenly Gallantry deriding the Defeated Fiend, and saying, Ah! Satan! Return to thy Dungeons again; I am going where thou canst not come for ever! O 'tis a Brave Thing so to Dy! And especially so to Dy, in Our Time. For, tho' when we call to mind, That the Devils Time is now but short, it may almost make us wish to Page  36 Live unto the End of it; and to say with the Psalmist, Because the Lord will shortly appear in His Glory, to Build up Zion. O my God, Take me not away in the midst of my Dayes! Yet when we bear in mind, That the Devils Wrath is now most Great, it would make one willing to be, Out of the Way. Inasmuch as now is the Time for the doing of those things in the prospect where∣of Balaam long ago cry'd out, Who shall live when such Things are done! We should not be in∣ordinately loth to Dy at such a Time. In a word, The Times are so Bad, that we may well count it, as Good a Time to Dy in, as ever we saw.

Corollary. V.

Good News for the Israel of God, and particular∣ly for His New-English Israel! If the Devils Time were above a Thousand Years ago, pronounced, Short, What may we suppose it now in Our Time? Surely We are not a Thousand Years distant from those Hap∣py Thousand Years of rest and peace, and [which is better] Holiness, reserved for the people of God in the latter days; and if we are not a Thousand Years, yet short of that Golden Age, there is cause to think, that we are not an Hundred. That the blessed Thousand Years are not yet begun, is abundantly clear from this, We do not see the Devil bound; No, the Devil was never more let Loose than in our Days; and it is very much that any should imagine other∣wise: Page  37 But the same thing that proves the Thousand Years of Prosperity for the Church of God, UN∣DER THE WHOLE HEAVEN, to be not yet Begun, do's also prove, that it is not very Far Off; and that is the prodigious Wrath with which the Devil do's in our Days Prosecute, yea, Desolate the World. Let us cast our Eyes almost where we will, and we shall see the Devils Domi∣neering at such a rate as may justly fill us with a∣stonishment; it is Quaestionable whether Iniquity ever were so Rampant, or whether Calamity were ever so Pungent, as in this Lamentable Time; We may truly say, Tis the Hour and the Power of Darkness. But, tho' the Wrath be so Great, the Time is but Short: when we are perplexed with the Wrath of the De∣vil, the Word of our God at the same time unto us, is that, in Rom. 16. 20. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet SHORTLY. SHORTLY, didst thou say, Dearest Lord! O! Gladsome word! A∣men, Even so, Come, Lord! Lord Iesus, Come Quic•…∣ly! We shall never be rid of this Troublesome Devil, till, Thou do come to Chain him up!

But because the people of God, would willingly be told Whereabouts we are with reference to the Wrath and the Time, of the Devil, you shall give me leave humbly to set before you a few, Conject∣ures.

The first Conjecture

The Devils Eldest Son seems to be towards the Page  38 End of his last Half-time; and if it be so, the De∣vils Whole-time, cannot but be very near it's End. It is a very scandalous thing that any Protestant, should be at a loss where to find, The Anti-Christ. But, we have sufficient Assurance, that the Duration of Antichrist, is to be but for a Time, and for Times, and for Half a time; that is for Twelve-hundred and Sixty Years. And indeed, those Twelve Hundred and Sixty years, were the very Spott of Time left for the Devil, and meant when 'tis here said, He has but a short time. Now, I should have an Easy Time of it, if I were never put upon an Harder Task, than to produce what might render it extreamly probable, That Antichrist entred his last Half-time, or the Last Hundred and Fourscore years of his Reign, at or soon after the Celebrated Reformation which began at the year 1517 in the former Century. In∣deed, it is very agreeable to see how Antichrist then Lost Half of his Empire; and how that Half which then became Reformed, have been upon many ac∣counts little more than Half-Reformed. But by this Computaion, we must needs bee within a very few years of such a Mortification to befall the See of Rome, as that Antichrist who ha's lately been plan∣ting (what proves no more lasting than) a Taber∣nacle in the Glorious Holy Mountain between the Seas, must quickly, Come to his End and none shall help him. So then, within a very little while, we shall see the Devil stript of the Grand, yea, the Last, Vehicle, wherein he will be capable to abuse our World. The Fires, with which, That Beast, is to be consu∣med, Page  39 will so singe the Wings of the Devil too, that he shall no more set the Affairs of this world on Fire. Yea, they shall both go into the same Fire, to be tor∣mented for ever and ever.

The Second Conjecture.

That which is, perhaps, the greatest Effect of the Divels Wrath, seems to be in a manner at an end: and this would make one hope that the Divels Time can∣not be far from its end. It is in PERSECUTION, that the wrath of the Divel uses to break forth, with its greatest Fury. Now there want not Pro∣babilities, that the Last Persecution intended for the Church of God, before the Advent of Our Lord, has been upon it. When we see the, Second We Passing away, we have a fair signal given unto us, That the Last Slaughter of our Lords Witnesses is over: and then what QUICKLY followes? (The Next thing is, The Kingdomes of this World, are become the Kingdomes of Our Lord) and of His Christ: and then Down goes the Kingdome of the Divel, so that he cannot any more come down upon us. Now, the Irrecoverable & Irretrievable Humiliations that have Lately befallen the Turkish Power, are but so many Declarations of the, Second Wo Passing away. And the dealings of God with the European parts of the world, at this day, do further strengthen this our Expectation. We do see, At this Hour a great Earth-Quake all Europe over: and we shall see, that this Great Earth-quake, and these great Commotions, will Page  40 but Contribute unto the Advancement of Our Lords Hitherto Depressed Interests. Tis also to be Re∣mark'd that, A Disposition to Recognize the Empire of God over the Conscience of man, does now prevail more in the world than formerly; & God from on High more touches the Hearts of Princes & Rulers with an Averseness to Persecution. Tis Particularly the unspeakable Happiness of the English Nation, to be under the Influences of that Excellent Queen, who could say, Inasmuch as a man cannot make himself Believe what he will, why should we Persecute men for not Believing as we do! I wish I could see all good men of one mind; but in the mean time I pray, let them 〈◊〉 Love one another. Words Worthy to be written in Letters of Gold! and by us the more to be consider∣ed, because to one of Ours did that Royal Person Express Her Self so Excellently, so Obligingly. When the late King Iames published his Declaration for, Liberty of Conscience, a Worthy Divine in the Church of England, then st•…dying the Revelation, saw cause upon Revelational Grounds, to Declare himself in such words as these, Whatsoever others may intend or design by this Liberty of Conscience, I cannot be∣lieve, that it will 〈◊〉 be recalled in England, as long as the World stands. And you know how Miraculous∣ly the Earth Quake which then immediately came upon the Kingdom, •…a's established that Liberty! But that which exceeds all the tendencies this way, is, The Dispensation of God at this Day, towards the blessed Vaud•…. Those Renowned Waldenses, which 〈◊◊〉 sort of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Protestant Churches, Page  41 were never dissipated, by all the Persecutions of many Ages, till within these few years, the French King and the Duke of Savoy Leagued for their Dis∣spation. But just Three years and half after the scat∣tering of that Holy people, to the Surprise of all the world, a Spirit of life from God is come into them; and having with a Thousand Miracles Repossessed themselves of their antient Seats, their Hot Persecu∣tor is become their great Protector. Whereupon the Reflection of the Worthy person, that writes the story is, The Churches of Piemont, being the Root of the Protestant Churches, They have been the first Esta∣blished; the Churches of other places, being but the Bran∣ches, shall be Established in due time, God will deliver them speedily, He has already delivered the Mother, and He will not long leave the Daughter behind: He will Fi∣nish what he has Gloriously begun!

The Third Conjecture.

There is a Little Room for Hope, that the Great Wrath of the Devil, will not prove the Present Ruine of our poor New-England in particular. I believe, there never was a poor Plantation, more Pursued by the Wrath of the Devil, than our poor New-England; and that which makes our Condition very much the more deplorable is, That the Wrath of the Great God Himself, at the same Time also pres∣ses hard upon us. It was a Rowsing Alarm to the Devil, when a great Company of English Page  42 Protestants, and Puritans, came to Erect Evange∣lical Churches, in a corner of the World, where he had Reign'd without any Controll for many Ages; and it is a vexing Eye-sore, to the Devil, that our Lord Christ should be known, and own'd, and preached in this Howling Wilderness. Wherefore he has left no Stone Unturned, that so he might undermine his Plantation, and force us out of our Country.

First, The Indian Powawes, used all their Sor∣ceries to molest the First Planters here; but God said unto them, Touch them not! Then, Seducing Spirits, came to Root in this Vineyard, but God so Rated them off, that they have not prevail'd much further than the Edges of our Land. After this, we have had a continual Blast upon some of our principal Grain, Annu∣ally diminishing a vast part of our Ordinary Food. Herewithal, Wasting Sicknesses, especially Burn∣ing, and Mortal Agues, have Shot the Arrows of Death in at our Windows. Next, We have had many Adversaries of our own Language, who have been perpetually assaying to deprive us of those English Liberties, in the Encourage∣ment whereof these Territories have been Set∣tled. As if this had not been enough; The Tawnies among whom we came, have Watered our Soyl, with the Blood, of many Hundreds of our Inhabitants. Desolating Fires also have many times laid the chief Treasure of the whole Province in Ashes. As for Losses by Sea, they Page  43 have been multiply'd upon us: and particularly in the present French War, the whole English Nation have observed, That no part of the Na∣tion has proportionably had so many Vessels ta∣ken, as our poor New-England. Besides all which, now at last the Devils are (if I may so speak) in Person come down upon us, with such a Wrath, as is justly much, and will quickly be more, the Asto∣nishment of the World. Alas, I may Sigh over this Wilderness, as Moses did over his, in Psal. 90. 7, 9. We are consumed by thine Anger, and by thy Wrath we are Troubled: All our Dayes are passed away in thy Wrath. And I may add this unto it, The Wrath of the Devil •…oh as been Troubling and Spend∣ing of us, all our Dayes.

But what will become of this poor New-England after all? Shall we Sink, Expire, Perish, before the Short Time of the Devil shall be finished? I must confess, That when I consider the lamentable Unfruitfulness of men, among us, under as power∣ful and perspicuous Dispensations of the Gospel, as are in the World; and when I consider the De∣clining State of the Power of Godliness in our Chur∣ches, with the most horrible Indisposition that per∣haps ever was, to Recover out of this Declension; I cannot but Fear lest it comes to this, and lest an Asiatic Removal of Candlesticks come upon us. But upon some other Accounts, I would fain Hope otherwise; and I will give you therefore the op∣portunity to Try what Inferences may be drawn from these probable Prognostications.

Page  44 I say, First, That surely, America's Fate, must at the long run, include New-Englands in it. What was the Design of our God, in bringing over so many Europaeans hither of later years? Of what Use or State will America be, when the Kingdom of God shall come? If it must all be the Devils pro∣priety, while the Saved Nations of the other Hae∣misphere, shall be, Walking in the Light of the New Ierusalem, Our New-England has then, 'tis likely, done all that it was Erected for. But if God have a Purpose to make here a Seat for any of, Those Glorious. Things, which are spoken of Thee, O thou City of God; then even Thou, O New-England, art within a very little while of Better Dayes than e∣ver yet have Dawn'd upon thee.

I say, Secondly, That tho' there be very Threat∣ning Symptoms on America, yet there are some Hopeful ones. I confess, when one thinks upon the crying Barbarities with which the most of those Europaeans that have Peopled this New world, became the Masters of it; it looks but Ominously. VVhen one also thinks, How much the way of Living in many parts of America, is utterly Incon∣sistent with the very Essentials of Christianity; yea, how much Injury and Violence is therein done to Humanity it self; it is enough to Damp the Hopes of the most Sanguine Complexion. And the Frown of Heaven which has hitherto been upon Attempts of better Gospellizing the Plantations, considered, will but increase the Damp. Neverthe∣less, on the other side, what shall be said of all the Page  45 Promises, That our Lord Iesus Christ shall have the uttermost parts of the Earth for his Possession? and of all the Prophecies, That All the ends of the Earth shall Remember and Turn unto the Lord? Or does it look Agreeably, That such a Rich Quarter of the VVorld, equal in some Regards to all the Rest, should never be out of the Devils Hands, from the first Inhabitation unto the Last Dissolution of it? No sure; why may not the last be the first? and the Sun of Righteousness come to shine Brightest, in Climates which it Rose Latest upon!

I say, Thirdly, That as it fares with Old England, so it will be most likely to fare with New-England. For which cause, by the way, there may be more of the Divine Favour in the present Circumstances of our Dependence on England, than we are well aware of. This is very sure, if matters Go Ill with our Mother, her poor American Daughter here, must feel it; nor could our former Happy Settlement have hindred our Sympathy in that Unhappiness. But if matters Go Well in the Three Kingdoms; as long as God shall Bless the English Nation, with Rulers that shall Encourage Piety, Honesty, Industry; in their Subjects, and that shall cast a Benign Aspect upon the Interests of our Glorious Gospel, Abroad as well as at Home; so long, New-England will at least keep its Head above Water: and so much the more, for our Comfortable Settlement in such a Form as we are now cast into. Unless, there should be any Singular, Destroying, Topical Plagues, whereby an offended God should at last make us Page  46 Rise; But, Alas, O Lord, what other Hive hast Thou Provided for us!

I say, Fourthly, That the Elder England will certain∣ly & speedily be Visited with the Ancient Loving kind∣ness of God. When one sees, how strangely the Curse of our Ioshua, ha's fallen upon the Persons & Houses of them, that have attempted the Rebuilding of the Old Romish Iericho, which has there been so far de∣molished, they cannot but say, That the Reformation there, shall not only be maintained, but also pursued, proceeded, perfected; and that God will shortly there have a New Ierusalem. Or, Let a Man in his Thoughts run over; but the Series of amazing Providences towards the English Nation for the last Thirty Years: Let him Reflect, How many Plots for the Ruine of the Nation, have been strangely discovered? yea, How very unaccoun∣tably, those very Persons, yea; I may also say, and those very Methods which were intended for the Tools of that Ruine, have become the Instru∣ments, or Occasions of Deliverances? A man can∣not but say upon these Reflections, as the Wife of Manoah once prudently expressed her self, If the Lord were pleased to have Destroyed us, He would not have show'd us, all these things. Indeed, It is not unlikely, that the Enemies of the English Nation, may yet provoke such a Shake unto it, as may per∣haps exceed any that has hitherto been undergone: the Lord prevent the Machinations of his Adver∣saries! But, that Shake will usher in the most Glorious Times, that over arose upon the English Horizon: Page  47 As for the French Cloud which hangs over England, tho' it be like to Rain Showers of Blood upon a Nation, where the Blood of the Blessed Jesus, has been too much treated, as an Unholy Thing; yet I believe, God will shortly scatter it: and my Belief is grounded upon a Bottom, that will bear it. If that overgrown French Leviathan, should accom∣plish any thing like a Conquest of England, what could there be to hinder him from the Universal Empire of the West? But the Visions of the Western World, in the Views both of Daniel and of Iohn, do assure us, that whatever Monarch, shall while the Papacy continues, go to smallow up the Ten Kings which received Their Power upon the Fall of the Western Empire, he must miscarry in the Attempt. The French Phaetons Epitaph seems written in that, Sure Word of Prophecy!

[Since the making of this Conjecture, there are Arriv'd unto us, the News of a Victory obtain'd by the English over the French, which further con∣firms our Conjecture; and causes us to sing, Pha∣raohs Chariots, and his Host, has the Lord cast down into the Sea; Thy Right-hand has dashed in pieces the Enemy!]

Now, In the Salvation of England, the Planta∣tions cannot but Rejoyce, and New-England also will be Glad.

But so much for our Corollaries, I hasten to the main Thing designed for your Entertainment. And that is,

Page  79 HAving thus discoursed on the Wonders of the In∣visible World, I shall now, with Gods Help, go on to relate some Remarkable and Memorable Instances of Wonders which that World he's given to ourselves. And altho' the chief Entertainment which my Readers do Expect, and shall Receive, will be, a True History of what ha's occurred, respect∣ing the WITCHCRAFTS wherewith we are at this day persecuted, yet I shall choose to Usher in the mention of those Things, with

This History I received of Mr Ioseph Beacon himself; who, a little before his own Pious & Hope∣ful Death, which follow'd not long after, gave me the Story written and signed with his own Hand, and Attested with the Circumstances I have already mentioned.

BUt I shall no longer detain my Reader, from His expected entertainment; in a Brief Ac∣count of the Trials, which have passed upon some of the Malefactors, Lately Executed at Salem, for •…he W•…hcrafts, whereof they stood Convicted. For Page  82 my own part, I was not Present at any of Them; nor ever Had I any personal prejudice at the per∣sons thus brought upon the Stage; much less, at the Surviving Relations of those persons, with and for whom I would be as Hearty a mourner as any man Living in the World: The Lord Comfort them! But having Received a •…mand, so to do, I can do no other than shortly Relate the Chief Matters of fact which accurr'd in the Trials of some that where Executed; in an Abridgment collected out of the Court-Papers, on this occasion put into my Hands. You are to take the Truth, just as it was; and the Truth will hurt no good man. There might have been more of these, if my Book would not thereby have been swollen too big; and if some other wor∣thy hands did not perhaps intend something fur∣ther in these Collections; for which cause I have only singled out Four or Five which may serve to Illus∣trate the way of dealing, wherein Witchcrafts use to be concerned; and I Report matters not as an Advocate but as an Historian.

They were some of the Gracious Words, inserted in the Advice, which many of the Neighbouring Ministers, did this Summer humbly lay before our Honourable Judges, We cannot but with all thankful∣ness, acknowledge the success which the Merciful God has given unto the Sedulous and Assiduous endeavours of Our Honourable Rulers, to detect the abominable Witchcrafts which have been committed in the Country; Humbly Pray∣ing that the discovery of those mysterious and mischie∣vous wickednesses, may be perfected. If in the midst of Page  83 the many Dissatisfactions among us, the publication of these Trials, may promote such a pious Thankful∣ness unto God, for Justice being so far, executed a∣mong us, I shall Rejoyce that God is Glorified; and pray that no wrong steps of ours may ever fully any of His Glorious Works.

But we will begin with,

Page  94 We will now proceed unto several of the like Trials among our selves.

I. THE TRYAL of G. B. At a Court of Dyer and Terminer, Held in Salem. 1692.

GLad should I have been, if I had never known the Name of this man; or never had this occasion to mention so much as the first Letters of his Name. But the Government requiring some Account, of his Trial, to be Inserted in this Book, it becomes me with all Obedience, to submit unto the Order.

I. This G. B. was Indicted for Witchcrafts; and in the Prosecution of the Charge against him, he was Accused by five or six of the Bewitched, as the Author of their Miseries; he was Accused by eight of the Confessing Witches, as being an Head Actor at some of their Hellish Randezvouzes, and Page  95 one who had the promise of being a King in Sa∣tans Kingdom, now going to be Erected; he was Accused by nine persons, for extraordinary Lift∣ing, and such Feats of Strength, as could not be done without a Diabolical Assistance. And for other such Things he was Accused, until about Thirty Testimonies were brought in against him; nor were these, judg'd the half of what might have been considered, for his Conviction: however they were enough to fix the Character of a Witch upon him, according to the Rules of Reasoning, by the Judicious Gaule, in that Case directed.

II. The Court being sensible, that the Testimo∣nies of the Parties Bewitched, use to have a Room a∣mong the Suspicions, or Presumptions, brought in a∣gainst one Indicted for Witchcraft, there were now heard the Testimonies of several Persons, who were most notoriously Bewitched, and every day Tortured by Invisible Hands, and these now all charged the Spectres of G. B. to have a share in their Torments. At the Examination of this G. B. the Bewitched People were grievously harassed, with Preternatural Mischiefs, which could not possibly be Dissembled; and they still ascribed it unto the Endeavours of G. B. to kill them. And now upon his Trial, one of the Bewitched Per∣sons testify'd, That in her Agonies, a little Black hair'd man came to her, saying his Name was B∣and bidding her set her hand unto a Book which▪ he show'd unto her; and bragging that he was a Page  96 Conjurer above the ordinary Rank of Witches; That he often persecuted her, with the offer of that Book, saying, She should be well, and need fear no body, if she would but Sign it: but he inflicted cruel Pains and Hures upon her, because of her Denying so to do. The Testimonies of the other Sufferers concurred with these; and it was Re∣markable, that whereas Biting, was one of the ways which the Witches used, for the vexing of the Sufferers, when they cry'd out of G. B. biting them, the print of the Teeth, would be seen on the Flesh of the Complainers; and just such a sett of Teeth, as G. B's would then appear upon them, which could be distinguished from those of some other mens. Others of them testify'd, That in their Torments, G. B. tempted them, to go unto a Sacrament, unto which they perceived him with a sound of Trumpet Summoning of other Witch∣•…s; who quickly after the Sound would come from all Quarters unto the Rendezvouz. One of them falling into a kind of Trance, afterwards af∣•…ed, That G. B. had carried her into a very high Mountain, where he show'd her mighty and glorious Kingdoms, and said, He would give them all to her, if she would write in his Book; but she told him, They were none of his to give; and refused the motions; enduring of much misery for that Re∣fusal.

It cost the Court a wonderful deal of Trouble, to hear the Testimonies of the Sufferers; for when they were going to give in their Depositions, they Page  97 would for a long while be taken with fitts, that made them uncapable of saying any thing. The Chief Judge asked the prisoner, who he thought hindred these witnesses from giving their testimo∣nies? and he answered, He supposed, it was the Divel? That Honourable person, then reply'd, How comes the Divel so loathe to have any Testimony born against you? Which cast him into very great confusion.

III. It has been a frequent thing for the Be∣witched people, to be entertained with Apparitions of Ghosts of murdered people, at the same time, that the Spectres of the witches trouble them. These Ghosts do always affright the Beholders, more than all the other spectral Representations; and when they exhibit themselves, they cry out, of being Murdered by the witchcrafts or other violences of the persons who are then in spectre present. It is further considerable, that once or twice, these Ap∣paritions have been seen by others at the very same time that they have shown them selves to the Be∣witched; & seldom have there been these Apparitions but when somthing unusual & suspected had attend∣ed the Death of the party thus Appearing. Some that have bin accused by these Apparitions, accosting of the Bewitched People, who had never heard a word of any such persons, ever being in the world, have upon a fair examination freely, and fully, confessed the murders of those very persons, altho' these also did not know how the Apparitions had complained of them. Accordingly several of the Bewitched, Page  98 had given in their Testimony, that they had been troubled with the Apparitions of two women, who said, that they were G. Bs. two wives; and that he had been the Death of them; and that the Magi∣strates must be told of it, before whom if B. upon his trial deny'd it, they did not know but that they should appear again in the Court. Now, G. B. had been infamous for the Barbarous usage of his two successive wives, all the Country over. More∣over; It was testifi'd, the spectre of G. B. threatning of the sufferers told them, he had killed (besides others) Mrs Lawson and her Daughter Ann. And it was noted, That these were the vertuous wife and Daughter, of one at whom this G. B. might have a prejudice for his being serviceable at Salem-village, from whence himself had in Ill Terms re∣moved some years before: & that when they dy'd, which was long since, there were some odd circum∣stances about them, which made some of the Atten∣dents there suspect something of witchraft, tho' none Imagined from what Quarter it should come.

Well, G. B. being now upon his Triall, one of the Bewitched persons was cast into Horror at the Ghosts of B's. two deceased wives, then appear∣ing before him, and crying for, Vengeance, against him. Hereupon several of the Bewitched persons were successively called in, who all not knowing what the former had seen and said, concurred in their Horror, of the Apparition, which they affir∣med, that he had before him. But he, tho' much appalled, utterly deny'd that he discerned anything of it; nor was it any part of his Conviction.

Page  99 IV Judicious Writers, have assigned it a great place, in the Conviction of witches, when persons are Impea∣ched by other Notorious witches, to be as Ill as themselves; especially, if the persons have been much noted for neglect∣ing the Worship of God. Now, as there might have been Testimonies Enough of G. B's. Antipathy to Prayer and the other Ordinances of God, tho' by his profession singularly obliged thereunto; so, there now came in against the prisoner, the Testimonies of several persons, who confessed their own having been Horrible Witches, and ever since their confessi∣ons had been themselves terribly Tortured by the Devils and other Witches, even like the other Suf∣ferers; and therein undergone the pains of many Deaths for their Confessions.

These now Testify'd, that G. B. had been at Witch-Meetings with them; and that he was the Person who had Seduced, and Compelled them into the snares of Witchcraft: That he promised them Fine Cloaths, for doing it; that he brought Poppets to them, and thorns to stick into those Poppets, for the afflicting of other People: And that he ex∣horted them, with the rest of the Crue, to be∣witch all Salem-Village, but besure to do it Gradually, if they would prevail in what they did.

When the LancashireWitches were condemn'd, I don't Remember that there was any considerable further Evidence, than that of the Bewitched, and then that of some that confessed. We see so much already a∣gainst G. B. But this being indeed not Enough, there Page  100 were, other things to render what had been already produced credible.

V. A famous Divine, recites this among the Convictions of a Witch; The Testimony of the Par∣ty Bewitched, whether Pining or Dying; together with the Ioint Oathes of Sufficient Persons, that have seen certain Prodi•…ious Pranks or Feats, wrought by the party Accused. Now God had been pleased so to leave this G. B. that he had ensnared himself, by several Instances which he had formerly given of a Preternatural strength, and which were now pro∣duced against him. He was a very Puny man; yet he had often done things beyond the strength of a Giant. A Gun of about seven foot barrel, and so heavy that strong men could not steadily hold it out, with both hands; there were several Testimonies, given in by Persons of Credit and Honour, that he made nothing of taking up such a Gun behind the Lock, with but one hand, and holding it out like a Pistol, at Arms-end. G. B. in his Vindication was so foolish as to say, That an Indian was there, and held it out at the same time: Whereas, none of the Spectators ever saw any such Indian; but they suppos'd the Black man (as the Witches call the Devil; and they generally say he resembles an Indian) might give him that Assistence. There was Evidence, like∣wise, brought in, that he made nothing of Taking up whole Barrels fill'd with Malasses, or Cider, in very Disadvantagious Postures, and Carrying of Page  101 them through the Difficultest Places, out of a Canoo to the Shore.

[Yea, there were Two Testimonies, that G. B. with only putting the Fore-Finger of his Right hand, into the Muzzel of an heavy Gun, a Fow∣ling-piece, of about six or seven foot Barrel, did Lift up the Gun, and hold it out at Arms end; a Gun which the Deponents, though strong men, could not with both hands Lift up, and hold out, at the Butt end, as is usual. Indeed one of these Witnesses, was over perswaded by some persons, to be out of the way, upon G. B. 's Trial; but he came afterwards, with sorrow for his withdraw, and gave in his Testimony: Nor were either of these Witnesses made use of as evidences in th•… Trial.]

VI. There came in several Testimonies, rela∣ting to the Domestick Affayrs of G. B. which had a very hard Aspect upon him; and not only prov'd him a very ill man; but also confirmed the Belief of the Character, which had been al∣ready fastned on him. e. g.

T'was testifyed, That keeping his two Suc∣cessive Wives in a strange kind of Slavery, he would when he came home from abroad, pretend to tell the Talk which any had with them. That he ha's brought them to the point of Death, by his Harsh Dealings with his Wives, and then made the People about him to promise that in Case Death should happen, they would say no∣thing Page  102 of it. That he used all means to make his Wives Write, Sign, Seal, and Swear a Covenant, never to Reveal any of his Secrets. That his Wives had privately complained unto the Neigh∣bours about frightful Apparitions of EvilSpirits, with which their House was sometimes infested; and that many such things have been Whispered among the Neighbourhood. There were also some other Testimonies, relating to the Death of People, where∣by the Consciences of an Impartial Jury, were con∣vinced, that G. B. had Bewitched the persons men∣tioned in the Complaints. But I am forced to o∣mit several such passages, in this, as well as in all the succeeding Trials, because the Scribes who took Notice of them, have not Supplyed me.

VII. One Mr. Ruck, Brother in Law to this G. 〈◊〉 Testify'd, that G. B. and he himself, and his Siste•… who was G. B's Wife, going out for Two or thre•… Miles, to gather Straw-Berries, Ruck, with his Sister the Wife of G. B. Rode home very Softly, with G. B. on Foot in their Company, G. B. stept aside a little into the Bushes; Whereupon they Halte•… and Halloo'd for 〈◊〉 He not answering, they went away homewards, with a Quickened pace; without any expectation of seeing him in a conside∣rable while: and yet when they were got 〈◊〉 home, to their Astonishment they found him on foot, with them, having a Basket of Straw-Berries▪ 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉. immediately, then fell to chiding his Wife 〈◊◊〉 account of what she had been speaking to 〈◊〉 Page  103 Brother, of him, on the Road: which when they wondred at, he said, He knew their thoughts. Ruck being startled at that, made some Reply, intimating that the Devil himself did not know so far; but G. B. answered, My God, makes known your Thoughts un∣to me. The prisoner now at the Barr had nothing to answer, unto what was thus Witnessed against him, that was worth considering. Only he said, Ruck, and his Wife left a man with him, when they left him. Which Ruck now affirm'd to be false; and when the Court asked G. B. What the Man's Name was? his countenance was much altered; nor could he say, who 'twas. But the Court began to think, that he then step'd aside, only that by the assistance of the Black Man, he might put on his Invisibility, and in that Fascinating Mist, gratify his own Jealous humour, to hear what they said of him. Which trick of rendring themselves Invisible, our Witches do in their confessions pretend that they sometimes are Masters of; and it it is the more credible, because there is Demonstration that they often render many other things utterly Invisible.

VIII. Faltring, Fau•…ty, unconstant, and contrary Answers upon Iudicial and deliberate examination, are counted some unlucky symptoms of gui•… in al•… crimes; Especially in Witchcrafts. Now there 〈◊〉 ver was a prisoner more Emiuent for them, tha•… G. B. both at his Examination and on his Trial. H•… Tergiversations, Contradictions, and Falsehoods, 〈◊〉 very sensible; he had little to fay, but that 〈◊〉 Page  104 heard some things that he could not prove, Reflect∣ing upon the Reputation of some of the witnesses▪ Only he gave in a paper, to the Jury; wherein, al∣tho' he had many times before, granted, not only that there are Witches, but also that the present sufferingsof the Countrey are the Effect of horri∣ble Witchcrafts, yet he now goes to, evince it, That there neither are, nor ever were, Witches that having made a compact with the Divel, Can send a Divel to Torment other people at a distance. This paper was Transcribed out of Ady; which the Court presently knew, as soon as they heard it. But he said, he had taken none of it out of any Book; for which his evasion afterwards was, that a Gentleman gave him the discourse, in a manuscript, from whence h•… Transcribed it.

IX. The Jury brought him in guilty; But when he came to Dy, he utterly deny'd the Fact, where∣of he had been thus convicted.