History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 30 – Title page 2
ARTICLE XXX. Things to Come.
FRom Relating of Things past, it would no doubt, be very Acceptable to the Reader if we could paſs to Foretelling of Things to come Our Curioſity in this point may eaſily come to a, Degree Culpable, and Criminal. We muſt be Humbly content, with what the God in whoſe Hands are our Times, hath Reveal'd unto us.
Two Things we will venture to Inſert.
Firſt, For our ſelves, at home, Let us Remember an awful Saying of our Goodwin, quoted by my Reverend Friend, Mr. Noyes, in his late Excellent Sermon at our Anniverſary Election.
As you Look for Storms in Autumn, and Frosts in Winter, ſo Expect Judgments, where the Goſpel hath been Preached; for the Quarrel of the Covenant muſt be Avenged.
Secondly. For the Church abroad, I am far from deſerting, what was Aſſerted, in the Sermon Preached at our Anniverſary Election, in the year, 1696. The Tidings which I bring unto you, are, That there is a Revolution, and a Reformation, at the very Door, which will be vaſtly more wonderful, than any of the Deliverances yet ſeen by the Church of God, from the Beginning of the World. I do not ſay, That the Next year will bring on this Happy Period: but this I do ſay, The Bigger part of this Aſſembly, may, in the courſe of Nature, Live to ſee it. Theſe Things will come on, with horrible Commotions, and Concuſſions, and Confuſions: The mighty Angels of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, will make their Deſcent, and ſet the World a Trembling at the Approaches of their Almighty Lord: They will Shake Nations, and Shake Churches, and Shake mighty Kingdoms, and Shake once more, not Earth only, but Heaven alſo.
Unto theſe Two Things, my Reader will not miſimprove it, I hope, if I add a Third, lately fallen into my Hands; and never yet ſo Expoſed unto the Publick.
A Wonderful Matter Inconteſtably Demonſtrated, and much Deſired by ſome Good men, to be in this place Communicated.
MR. John Sadler, a very Learned and a very Pious man, and a moſt Exemplary Chriſtian, Lay Sick in his Bed, at his Mannor, of Warmwell in Dorſet-Shire: In the year, 1663. In the Time of his Illneſs, he was viſited by Mr. Cuthbert Bound, the Miniſter of Warmwell
Mr. Sadler then deſired his man, (one Thomas Gray,) to ſee that there ſhould be no body elſe in the Room, and Lock the Door, and give him the Key.
He then Sat up in his Bed, and asked Mr. Bound and the Attendent Gray; Whether the… Saw no body? and, whether they did no… hear, what a perſon ſaid, that ſtood at the corner of the Chamber? They Replied, No. H… wondred at it, and ſaid, The man ſpake ſo loud that the whole Pariſh might hear him.
Hereupon, calling for a Pen and Ink, h… wrote what was told him, and made Them le… their Hands to it; For he told them, the ma… would not be gone, till he had ſeen that done.
The Articles written down, were;
I. That there would, after ſo many months be a Plague in London, whereof ſo many woul… Dye:[Naming the Number.]
II. That the greateſt part of the City woul… be Burnt, and Pauls, he particularly ſhow'… him, Tumbled down into Ruines, as if Beate… down with Great Guns.
III. That there would be Three—So… Hight… between the Engliſh and the Dutch.
IV. That there would appear Three Blazi… Stars; the Laſt of which, would be terrible t… behold. [He ſaid, the man ſhow'd him th… Star.]
V. That afterwards, there would come Thr… ſmall Ships, to Land in the Weſt of Weymout… which would put all England in an uproar, b… it would come to nothing.
VI. That in the year 1688. there would come to paſs ſuch a Thing in the Kingdom as all the world would take notice of.
VII. That after this, and after ſome further Diſturbance, there would be Happy Times: And a Wonderful Thing would come to paſs, which he was not now to Declare.
VIII. That he, and his man (Gray) ſhould Dye, before the Accompliſhment of theſe things; but Mr. Bound ſhould Live to ſee it.
IX. For the confirmation of the whole, the man thus appearing, told him, That he ſhould be well the next Day; and there would come There men to viſit him, One from Ireland, One from Guernſey, and his Brother Bingham.
Accordingly, The Day following Mr. Sadler went abroad: And this Day, there accidentally met at his Houſe, and ſo Dined with him, firſt, the Lord Steel, who had been Lord Chancellour of Ireland, and now returning from thence, in his way to London, came to ſee Mr. Sadler: Secondly, Monſieur de la Marſh, a French Miniſter from Guernſey, and Laſtly, his Brother Bingham.
Mr. Bound, and Gray, within Three Days after this, made Affidavit of it, before Colonel Giles Strangewayes, and Colonel Cocker, who is yet alive.
Mr. Daniel Sadler, and Mr. John Sadler, the Sons of this old Mr. Sadler, very ſerious and worthy Chriſtians, are at this Time Living in Rotterdam; one of them, is His Majeſties Agent for Transportation.
Mr. Daniel Sadler, making his Applications to Mr Bound, for his Teſtimony about this matter, the ſaid Old Mr. Bound, in a Letter, dated, Warmwell, Aug. 30th. O. S. 1697. aſſerts the matter at large …nto him; and Subſcribes, This I ſhall testify before the King himſelf, if occaſion be; when he comes into England.
Yours, Cuthbert Bound, yet Miniſter of Warmwell.
Mr. Daniel Sadler, ha's this Teſtimony further fortifyed, by a Letter from One Mr. Robert Loder, telling him, That he had met with an Old Copy of the Depoſitions aforeſaid; which accordingly he tranſcribes for him; and ſeveral yet living in Dorcheſter affirm'd unto him, the Truth of the Story.
The Copies of theſe Letters are now in Boſton in New-England.
Mr. John Sadler, adds his Teſtimony, That his Father told unto his Mother, and himſelf, That he had been told of Remarkable Things to come to paſs, particularly, the Burning of London, and Pauls. But that they were not acquainted with all the matters, he foretold unto Mr. Bound, and Gray. Only he Remembers well, They Two were with him in his Chamber alone; and his Father went abroad within a day or two; and that, (according to the Sign he had given to them,) the Three Perſons aforeſaid viſited him. He adds, That his Father ſpoke of leaving in Writing, the things that had been Shown to him; and that a litle after, he ſaw once a Thin Octavo Manuſcript in his Fathers Study, which he believed had thoſe things in it: but after that, he could never find it. This Teſtimony, is Dated, in October. 1697.
A Worthy and a Godly Gentleman, at this Time, Living in Roterdam, and well-acquainted, with both Mr. Daniel, and Mr. John Sadler, Sends this to Mr. Increaſe Mather, in New-England; with a Letter Dated, 26. March. 1698.
REader, I am not Ignorant, that many Cheats and Shams, have been Impoſed upon the World, under the Notion of Communications from the Inviſible World; and, I hope, I am not becoming a Viſionary. But Fancies, and Juggles, have their Foundation laid in Realities: there would never have been Impoſtures of Apparitions, and of Communications from the Inviſible World, if there never had been Really ſome ſuch things, to be Counterfeited and Imitated. Wiſe men therefore, will count it a Folly in its Exaltation and Extremity, to D…ride all Inſtances, of Strange Things arriving to us, from the Inviſible World, becauſe that Some Things have been Deluſions. No, 'tis a Wiſdom, that is pleaſing to God, and uſeful to the World, for a due Notice to be taken, of Rare Things; wherein we have Inconteſtable Proofs, of an Inviſible World, and of the Intereſt it hath in Humane Affayrs. The Narrative of Mr. Sadler, is advantaged with ſuch Inconteſtable Proofs, and contains in it ſuch Notable paſſages, that, I believe, I do well to lay it before Serious Men; and, I believe, no Serious Men, will play the Buffoon upon it. By no means pretend I to paſs any Judgment upon this Remarkable Narrative; by no means do I preſume to tell what I think it, any more than this, that it is Remarkable. Nevertheleſs, for the Caution of unwary Readers, I will annex the words of an Excellent Writer upon Divine Providence.
Watch againſt an Unmortified Itch, after Excentrical, or Extraordinary Diſpenſations of Providence. Luther ſaid, The Martyrs, without the Apparition of Angels, being confirmed by the word of God alone, dyed for the Name of Chriſt; and why ſhould not we acquieſce? And he obſerveth, how the Devil hath greatly deluded parties who have been gaping after Viſions.
Nor will it be unprofitable, to Recite the words of another Author, whom I muſt quote, as R. David Kimchi, did uſe to quote R. Joſeph Kimchi, under the Title of, Adoni Avi.
Evil Angels do now appear, more often than Good Ones. 'Tis an unwarrantable, and a very Dangerous Thing, for men to wiſh, that they might ſee Angels, and converſe with them. Some have done ſo; and God hath been provoked with them for their Curioſity and Preſumption, and hath permitted Devils to come unto them, whereby they have been Deceived and Undone.
More Particular Prognoſtications, upon the Future State of NEW-ENGLAND.
BUt, Oh, my dear NEW-ENGLAND, Give one of thy Friends Leave, to utter the Fears of thy beſt Friends concerning thee; and conſider, what Fearful cauſe there may be for thee to expect ſad Things to Come? If every Wiſe man be a Prophet, there are ſome yet in thee, that can Propheſy. Praedictions, may be form'd out of theſe
¶ Reaſonable Expectations.
I. Where Schools are not Vigorouſly and Honourably Encouraged, whole Colonies will ſink apace into a Degenerate and Contemptible Condition, and at laſt become horribly Barbarous: And the firſt Inſtance of their Barbarity will t… that they will be undone for want of Men, but not ſee and own, what it was that undid them.
II. Where Faithful Miniſters, are Cheated and Grieved, by the Sacriledge of people that Rebel againſt the Expreſs Word of Chriſt, Let him that is Taught in the Word, Communicate unto him that Teacheth in all Good Things, the Righteous Judgments of God will Impoveriſh that people; The Goſpel will be made Lamentably Unſucceſ… ful unto the Souls of ſuch a people; The Miniſters will either be fetch'd away to Heaven, o… have their Miniſtry made wofully Inſipid by their Encumbrances on Earth.
III. Where the Paſtors of Churches in a Vicinity, deſpiſe or neglect Formed Aſſociations for mutual Aſſiſtence in their Evangelical Services, Wo to him that is alone. 'Tis a ſign, either that ſome of the Paſtors want Love to one another, or that others may be conſcious to ſome Fault, which may diſpoſe them to avoid Inſpection; but fatal to the Churches will be the Tendency of either.
IV. Where Churches, have ſome Hundreds o… Souls under their Diſcipline; but the ſingle Paſtors, are not ſtrengthened, with Conſiſtories o… Elders, or, an Agreeable Number of wiſe and good and grave men choſen to join with th… Paſtor, as their Praeſident, in that part of hi… Work, which concerns the Well Ruling of the Flock, there Diſcipline will by Degrees be utterly Loſt; The Groſſeſt Offenders, will by degrees, and thro' parties, be ſcarce to be dealt withal.
V. Where Paſtors, do not Quicken Orderly Private Meetings of both Elder and Younger Chriſtians, for Exerciſes of Religion, in their Neighbourhood, the Power of Religion will obſervably Decay, among thoſe Chriſtians; the Seed ſown in the Publick, will not ſo much proſper, for want of being watered in private: And when the Paſtor ſhall fall ſick, there will not be ſo much as one company of Chriſtians in all his Flock, that can come together, to pray for his Life.
VI. Where Churches profeſſing a Great Reformation, ſhall in their Conſtitution ceaſe to Repreſent unto the World, the Holineſs of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and of His Heavenly Kingdom; they will become Loathſome to that Holy Lord; their Glory is gone, and their Defence goes with it: the dreadful Wrath of Heaven, will Aſtoniſh the World, with the Things which it will do unto them.
VII. Where Churches are Loth to give unto Councils regularly upon Complaints Enquiring into their Administrations, an Account thereof, 'tis much to be ſuſpected, that they are Chargeable with Male-Adminiſtrations; and if the Advice of Regular Councils come once to be trod under foot, by any Particular Churches, all ſerious men will be afraid of joining to ſuch Unaccountable Societies.
VIII. Where a mighty Body of people in a Country, are violently ſet upon running down the ancient Church State in that Country, and are violent for the Hedge about the Communion at the Lords-Table to be broken down, and for thoſe who are not Admitted unto the Communion, to ſtand on equal Terms in all Votes with them that are; the Churches there are not far from a tremendous Convulſion, and they had need uſe a marvellous Temper of Reſolution with Circumſpection to keep it off.
IX. Where Churches are bent upon Backſliding, and carried away with a ſtrong Spirit of Apoſtaſy, whatever Miniſter ſhall ſet himſelf to withſtand their Evil Bents, will pull upon himſelf an inexpreſſible contempt and hatred; Be his merits never ſo Great, a Thouſand Arts will be uſed for to make him Little; He had need be a man of Great Faith and Great Prayer; But God will at length Honour ſuch a man, with wonderful Recompences.
X. Where a Fountain ſhall become Corrupt, there the Streams will no longer Make Glad the City of God.
XI. The Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, we have with much expence, lately ſent unto ſeveral of our Southern Plantations: If it be Rejected, there are Terrible Things to come upon them; 'twere better to have Lived in Sodom, than in one of thoſe Plantations.
XII. God prepare our dear Brethren, in Connectecut, for certain Changes that are Impending over them.
Finally; There was a Town called, Amyciae, which was Ruined by Silence. The Rulers, becauſe there had been ſome falſe Alarms, forbad all people under pain of Death to ſpeak of any Enemies approaching them: So, when the Enemies came indeed, no man durſt ſpeak of it, and the Town was Loſt. Corruptions will grow upon the Land; and they will gain by Silence: 'Twill be ſo Invidious to do it, No man will dare to ſpeak of the Corruptions; and the Fate of Amyc…e will come upon the Land.
Reader, I call'd theſe things Prophecy; But, I wiſh, I be not all this while Writing Hiſtory.
Now, if any Diſcerning perſons, apprehend any Dangers to Impend over New-England, from any of the Symptomes mentioned, it is to be hoped, they will Employ their beſt Thoughts, how to Anticipate thoſe Dangers. And whereas, 'tis the ſenſe of all men, who diſcern any thing, that it is in vain to hope for any Good, until a Spirit of Grace, be poured out from Heaven, to diſpoſe men unto it, I beg them to conſider, whether the only way to obtain that Spirit of Grace, be not, Humbly to Ask it, by Prayer with Faſting before the God of Heaven.
It was therefore an Article in an Advice agreed, by ſome of the principal Miniſters in this Province; and with the mention of that Advice, (which doubtleſs, all but the Sleeping will follow) I'l conclude; Solemn Days of Prayer with Faſting, celebrated in our Churches, to Implore the Grace of God, for the Riſing Generation, would probably be of bleſſed conſequence, for the Turning of our Young people, unto the God of our Fathers. The more there is this way aſcribed unto Grace, the more the Grace of God is like to be communicated; and there is in this way, a natural and a plentiful Tendency to Awaken our Unconverted Youth, unto a ſenſe of their Everlaſting Intereſts: Which were it generally accompliſhed, a Remarkable Reformation where therein Effected.
Obſervable Things.
THE HISTORY OF Ten Years Rolled away under the great Calamities of A WAR, WITH Indian-Salvages: Repeated and Improved, in a SERMON, at Boſton-Lecture. 27d. 7m. 1698.
Judg. VI. 3, 5, 6.
The Children of the EAST came up againſt them; and they Entred into the Land, to Destroy it; and Iſrael was greatly Impoveriſhed.
Boſton, Printed for Samuel Phillips, at the Brick Shop. 1699.