GOD in all ages hath given Testi­monies of his power, and par­ticularly of that power which is able in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that do not know and obey him, even the power which the Excellent Singer of Israel thus expresseth, Psal. 29. The voyce of the Lord is powerfull; The voyce of the Lord is full of Majesty, The voyce of the Lord divides the flames of fire.

But here have we notice, not only of his power but his goodnesse; so as wee may say with the Prophet, The Lord is jealous, and the Lord reven­geth; Nahum 1. [Page 2] yet withall, the Lord is slowe to anger, and great in power, his way is in the whirle wind and in the storme, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. For here we see God in the storme, threatning judg­ment, yet shewing mercy; yea, Mercy trium­phing over judgement: And indeed his judge­ment leads to Mercy by leading to Repentance; For whiles it calls to Repentance, it forewarnes to flye the wrath to come: Whereas without Repentance, this will be but a patterne and fore­runner of eternall fire. But if like wise children burnt with this temporall fire, sinners by peni­tence escape the everlasting burnings of eternall fire; then may they sing Mercy and judgement, even judgement turned into Mercy: And then may they breake out into thanksgivings, for the judgement which hath brought them by Re­pentance to Mercy, and did now terrifie them, but not destroy them; and did terrifie them now, that it might not hereafter eternally de­stroy them.

On Whitsunday last a faire morning began, but by the desert of sinne, turned into blacke darknesse, and was shadowed about 8. or 9. of the clocke with a cloud, and this cloud was fol­lowed with some (not extraordinary) darknesse, claps of Thunder, and flashes of Lightning; but afterwards vvhen Divine Prayers and Sermon were ended, and Administration of the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper was neere ac­complished, there came a very vehement fire, farre more bright than Lightning; and this fire [Page 3] was suddenly attended with a terrible and un­speakable sound, to the great amazement and astonishment of the people then present in the Church. The terrour of this strange fire and fearefull sound, drew from some pittifull cryes, caused in others a dead silence, their senses being stupified and overcome by that which they saw, heard, and felt.

More particularly, while the holy Commu­nion was administring, and when as many as came to a first and second Table had received, and those that came to a third had received the bread, Light came in at the Chancell window, and was seene in the Chancell by divers persons, in the forme of a fiery Ball, the bignesse of a Bowle, and did strike divers persons which were kneeling and expecting the Cup.

Divers hurts by divers persons were then re­ceived, of which my selfe was one, who thought I had the haire of mine head burnt off, and the outside of my left legge scalded, and could not in minde be otherwise perswaded, untill I was informed the contray of the one, and mine owne eyes saw the contrary of the other. In which give me leave to expresse unto the Reader (and that with hearty thankes to my mighty Preser­ver) my great deliverance, and that onely by Gods good providence toward me; I received the blow at my very turning towards the Com­munion Table, to take the Cup to administer the Wine, and I was no sooner removed from the place, but instantly a Ball of Fire came into [Page 4] the same place vvhere I stood before, as is testi­fied by divers persons then present.

For my owne part I call to minde that I saw a great flaming fire about my body, and heard a terible sound in mine eares; and the blow which came vvith it (according to our sense) if it had lighted on my person, must needs have proved mortall. And my wife Elizabeth Bache, sitting in her seate after the receiving of that holy Sa­crament, being astonished, partly with the greatnesse of the sound, partly vvith the terror of the fire, and partly vith the cry of the peo­ple, supposing some one had beene strucke dead, asked of some of her neighbours by her, vvhether that vvere her husband vvhich vvas killed? Reply vvas made her; not, thankes be to God, for hee is comforting Iohn Hodge, one of the distressed, and astonished persons. Ma­ster Antony Furlong the yonger, vvas stricken in the soles of his feete, and likewise in the legges as it had beene with Gunpower, and so he saw the fire vanish away in the manner of sparkles. Iohn Brusie likewise saw at the same time, as it were a Ball of fire desending from above; which when it came to the ground, dispersed a­broad with a deadly Sound; and hee felt his legges and toes extraodinary hot therewith; but when hee returned home, and looked upon them, they were onely very red, but hee had no other harme. William Sargent, a Masters mate of a ship, kneeling under the Chauncell window, was stricken on the chine, as seemed [Page 5] to him with a bullet: The blow was so grievous, as that hee thought his body had beene cut in two peeces; yea such was the violence of the blow, that it caused his water forthwith to issue from his body; and for a time lost his sight and sences, but soone recovered them againe; which Sargeant for two or three yeares before feeling oftimes a great paine in his chine, was hereby so cured, as that hee felt no paine there since. John Gendle a servant vnto Richard Carew Esq. was smitten against the fore part of the right shoulder, where hee kneeled upon his knees, with a great violence, that (hearing as it were the hissing of a great shot) hee thought hee had beene stricken therewith, and his shoul­der had beene carried cleane away: hee was turned almost round about where hee kneeled, and exceedingly astonisht with the blow. An­thony Peeke was fearefully smitten, in all the lo­wer part of his body, as if it had beene made dead; and felt the water in his bladder, as it were boyling hot; hee supposed hee had beene shot thorow; he vvas set up upon the forme, by vvhich he vvas kneeling, himselfe not knowing how. Dorothy Tubbe vvho vvas then kneeling to receive the Communion, vvas so smitten vvith this Lightning, that it seemed to her that her legs and knees vvere stricken off from her body, vvherevvith shee vvas astonisht for a vvhile, but afterwards recovering her senses, felt extraordinarie paine, and heate therein, vvhich by little and little vvent so avvay, as it [Page 6] left onely a little numnesse in them, during the most part of that day; but in the end shee vvas (by the blessing of God) perfectly freed there­of. Ferdinando Reepe of the Church-towne, vvas stricken in the sole of his left foote, vvith such violence, as he thought it had been split in peeces; and vvith the same blow vvas for the time deprived of his senses. Iohn Hodge vvas smitten in his knees, and thighes; and so as if every joynt of the lovver part of his body had beene unjoynted; hee feared greatly hee should never have beene able to stand againe; it forced from him, a bitter and most pittifull cry; hee likevvise savv the ball of fire. Susanna Collings also received a greeuous blovv, as if shee had beene strucke with fire, and the under part of her body seem'd, as if it had beene severed from the upper; it scalded the vvrest of her right arme, as broad as a peece of three pence, vvhich vvas not vvhole in a fortnight after; though she nor any of the rest felt any of the greater hurts, after the same day; shee vvas so astonisht with the blow, as that shee fell sidewayes therewith, as shee kneeled by the forme: who being seene so falne, there came one Iohn Burt of our parish, who being weake in respect of age, and so not a­ble to lift her up; forthwith came likewise one Master Oliver Deeble, to assist him with his hands, as hee did my selfe, and the rest with his Christian comfortable words. As likewise Mistris Grace Carew, the wife of the foresaid Ma­ster Richard Carew did (her husband being then [Page 7] absent, by reason of his grievous sicknesse;) perswading them to continue in, and not to goe out of the Church: vvhich counsell vvas so hearkened unto and embraced, as that none de­parted from the Temple.

There came in at the North vvindow (being a little behind the aforesaid Master Carewes seate) a great fire much redder then ordinary Lightning; vvhich vvas seene by Misteris Pearse vviddow, daughter unto the said Master Carew; and by Degory Moyse the elder his Tenant; and strake Nicholas Skelton, one of his house, with such violence, as if he had beene stricken with two flat stones, or two trenchers, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side of his head, and withall shooke his body, as if it should have beene shaken in pieces, whereby for a time he lost his sight and his sences. This fire then passed downe by Master Carewes seate into the path before it, and so went on unto the end thereof upon the ground, and passed up by the fore-part of his seate in the Chancell, and there instantly kill'd a Dogge, which Mistris Pearse's Daughter heard onely once to screech.

This Lightning or fearefull fire (terme it as you please) entred likewise in the same time at a window in the West end of the Church, where it brake off pieces of the hard Moore stone, and rent one of the Arches of the window three foot long; and likewise brake some of the glasse, and left the lead of the same pressed inwards, and made an hole in the stones and the lime of [Page 8] the side wall adjoyning thereunto as big as a scaffold hole, and then strucke one Roger Nile on the pinbone of his right side, and on the ankle on the inside of his left legge, as if the blow had beene given by a Bowle; so as for a while hee was not able to stand. John Cowle also (com­monly called Cowling) sitting in the South Ile of our Church, as high up as the lower end of the Chancell, was so stricken with Lightning in the face, that he thought all the haire thereon had beene burnt; yet by the mercy of God, though hee were feared, had no hurt. Nicholas Wilcock, a servant unto the foresaid Master Ca­rew likewise saith, that he saw fire come downe from aloft, and a small piece of Lime therewith being throwne downe, strake him on the cheeke, which made his cheeke continue in a burning heat all that day. In this Agony one cryed as the childe to his Father, Mine head, mine head, 2 Reg. 4.19. Another, My belly, My belly, Jer. 4.19. A third, like a lame Mephibosheth, My leg, My leg, 2 Sam. 4.4. All, like the Prince in Daniel, chap. 5.6. (troubled, yea trem­bled) whose face was changed at such a dismall sight.

After this fire (which it should seeme came from divers places; as appeares by the blowes of severall persons, received in severall places, and all at one instant) there was heard in the Church, as it were the hissing of a great shot; and withall such a noise, as rather resembled di­vers Canons shot off at an instant to make one [Page 9] single terrible report, then usuall long ratling thunder: Which fearefull sound was not heard till the Ball of Fire was seene to breake in pieces; neither did the noise descend from above, but was heard, and seem'd to begin in Church first: And as I for mine owne part doe verily thinke, close at the North side of the Communion Ta­ble, and as neere as might be, to mine owne per­son; with which terrible noise the Church see­med to shake, and the lyme fell on the persons of two, who sate in one Pue, so as their Hats and clothes were vvhite therewith, as if they had beene vvhited vvith Meale; so as many feared the falling of the Roofe, as it did at Withicombe, vvhere one vvas killed with the same, and divers others hurt, and the Church so ruined, as they were forced to have a contribution for the repa­ration thereof. After this fire and sound, there followed a loathsome smell of Gunpowder and Brimstone, but the savour of the Gunpowder by the judgement of all, was stronger then that of the Brimstone. There was a great smoake in di­vers places of the Church, which many saw and many saw not.

The fearefull hearing of this noise, and seeing of this fire, astonisht and even mortified most of those who were smitten therewith, and greatly terrified the whole Congregation (which were about two hundred soules) as appeared in their faces; yet notwithstanding the storme (praised be the Name of God) we all went safely home, as the Sea-men did to land, Acts 27.44. Where­in [Page 10] it pleased God to shew us his poore Christian servants such favour, as though it wrought for a whilè on them who were most fearefully smitten, losing their speech, and being deprived of their senses, so as they resembled dead, or dying men, more then the living; yet God so limited the force and burning of the Lightning, that it hurt neither their clothes nor persons; much like unto that mighty worke of God in Daniel upon the three children, Dan. 3.27: the womans small scald only excepted; (which also expressed how it wanted not power in its owne naturall strength to have done mischiefe.) But then first in a confused manner, betweene crying and speaking, their sen­ses and speeches began to revive; and within a little space they so recovered themselves, as that none departed out of his place, till (after the ta­king of the bread when they were smitten) they had every one of them their senses so well resto­red unto them, that they likewise received the Cup at the same Table; and all returned at the afternoone (as there was great cause) to give thankes unto Almighty God for so great deli­verance. Which appeared plainely to be farre the greater, in that the same Thunder and Light­ning instantly kill'd a Dogge, at the feet of those who were kneeling in the Chancell to receive the Sacrament, and likewise another without the Church at the Bell-free doore.

Master Anthony Furlong the elder had a Mare killed in the field, and another horse fearefully stricken the same time with his head on one side, [Page 11] and so continues; and the ground of the same Field, for the space of three or foure foot, tur­ned as vvith a Plough: And likewise made seven or eight holes and rents in the walls of our To­wer; some on the inside, some on the outside; and made impressions on the stones thereof in divers places, as if it had been done by the force of shot discharged out of great Ordnance; so as in divers places, the light might be seen through the walls.

Thus have beene represented to you terrible sounds; even sounds, containing many Thun­ders at once; a Fiery Ball flying from Heaven to Earth; Fire walking upon the Earth; Brim­stone kindled with fire, thicke darknesse, Storme and tempest; The blowes and scourges of an hand from on high; Astonishment, hurrying and tumbling of Bodies, shaking and distracting of senses, spirits, and hearts of men. You have seen part of the Plague of Aegypt, where fire mingled with Haile, as here with most unusuall and over­flowing Raine, ran upon the ground. You have seene a resemblance of Mount Sinai, Exod. 19.16. where were Thundrings and Lightnings, and a thicke cloud, and an exceeding loud voyce, so that all the peo­ple in the Campe trembled. Behold then in these things the terrour of the Lord; And what use shall we make of this Terrour? Exod. 20.20. Let Moses tell us, God is come to prove you, that his feare may be before your faces, that ye sinne not. Let the Psal­mist tell you, Stand in awe, and sinne not. Psal. 4.4. Let Sa­muel [Page 12] tell you as he told the Israelites after a won­derfull Thunder and raine, 1 Sam. 12.24, 25. Feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart; but if ye shall still doe wickedly, ye shall be consumed.

There hath been also shewed you, the level­ling and shooting of the Arrows of the Almigh­ty, at this place, at this time, and among the people; you have seene the fire, as it were, led by his hand, not onely where it did, on whom it did, but like a living creature turning about as in a walke: And so according to the Vision of E­zekiel, Ezek. 1.14. The living creatures ran and returned, as the apparance of a flash of Lightning. Behold then here the Dominion, High and Supreme power of the Almighty: He doth what he will in the Army of Heaven, Dan. 4.35. and among the Inhabi­tants of the Earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, Iob 37.2, 3. What dost thou? He directeth the sound that goeth out of his Mouth, and his Lightning unto the ends of the Earth His clouds are turned about by his counsels, 11, 12. that they may doe whatsoever he commandeth them, upon the face of the World in the Earth: And what use shall wee make of the Knowledge of this High Dominion and Rule of the Most High? Let Ne­buchadnezzar humbled by this Dominion teach you: Dan. 4.34. I blessed (said he) the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever and ever, whose Dominion is an everlasting Do­minion, and his Kingdome is from Generation to Generation: Yea, let the great King of the World teach us himselfe: Esa. 46. Looke unto me, and [Page 13] be saved all the ends of the Earth, for I am God and there is none else: But for those that turne their hearts from obeying this King; and will breake his bands, and cast away his cords; Let them know, That hee will breake them with a Rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a Pot­ters Vessell; Yea, Psal. 2. let the greatest sonne of this greatest King tell them; Those mine enemies, which would not have me to raigne over them, bring them forth and cut them in pieces.

Lastly, you have seene flames scorching, but not consuming: A Ball of Fire shot, and stri­king, but not killing; yea killing of Beasts, and unreasonable creatures, but sparing the reasona­ble; casting downe, but not destroying; Men astonished and driven out of their senses, yet soone restored; A Communion divided and cut in pieces, but healed againe and perfected: Those that in the House of God received the sentence of death, in the forenoone, returning to the same House in the afternoone, 2 Cor. 1.9, 1 [...]. to give thanks for a kinde of resurrection from death unto life. Behold here the great, free, and unspeakable Goodnesse and Mercy of God: And what use shall we make of this Goodnesse, and Mercy? Let the Spirit of God in the Psalmist tell you; and not tongue onely the burden and often re­turning sentence of his Songs: O praise the Lord for he is good, Psal. 136. for his mercy endureth for ever And againe, Psal. 107. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse, and for his wonderfull workes to the chil­dren of men. And againe, I will extoll thee my God, Psal. 145. [Page 14] O King, and I will blesse thy Name for ever and ever. Every day will I blesse thee, and I will blesse thy Name for ever, and ever. Men shall speake of thy terrible Acts, and I will declare thy Greatnesse; They shall abundantly utter the Memory of thy great goodnes: And yet again, we have thought of thy Goodnesse, Psal. 48. O God, in the midst of the Temple; According to thy Name O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the Earth: Neither let us only praise him in thoughts and words, Psal. 100.2. but in workes also; Serve the Lord with gladnesse, as well as come before his pre­sence with singing. Being delivered, Let us serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes: Luk. 1.74, 75. Say as the children of Israel, but doe al­so what they said, and did not; Who is there of all flesh, Deut. 5.26, 27. that hath heard the voyce of the li­ving God, speaking out of the midst of the fire; as we have heard, and lived? Therefore all that the Lord shall speake unto us, we will heare, and do it: But for such as turne aside unto their croo­ked wayes, Psal. 125, 5. the Lord shall leade them forth with the workers of iniquity; Therefore let us sin no more, lest worse things come unto us.