THat the Lord hath béen plea­sed wonderfully to shew forth his power to sinful man, it doth every day ap­pear unto us; there is not a month nor wéek, nay we may say a day in the year in which the mighty works of [Page 4] the Lord are not vistbly apparent unto us. But that which I have now to re­late unto you is most wonderful, nay I may say a most amazing providence as ever man or woman ever heard in this Kingdom, it may be truly said to be a discovery of Witchcraft; and that the Lord doth sometimes suffer wicked peo­ple to have power over others in be­witching them the Scriptures hold forth, for we read of Saul that he went to the Witch of Ender, 1 Sam. 28. vers. 6. And in several places of Scripture it doth evi­dently make clear unto us, That the Lord hath suffered Witches and Sor­cerers, and such like people in a Na­tion.

But I shall not stand to give you any examples of old; but come to the mat­ter intended which is as follows.

It was not much above two years since their dwelt at Cambden in Glo­cester shire one Master William Harrison a Gentleman of good credit and estimati­on in the place where he dwelt. This Master Harrison aforesaid was Steward to the honourable Lady the Lady Nowel [Page 5] whose place of dwelling was at Camb­den also. In this place there was also a widow woman whose name was Per­ry, who had two sons; Master Harri­son looking upon the woman as an ho­nest poor woman, took one of her Sons from her, and brought him up at length to become one of his Houshold Ser­vants. This Boy being grown up to be a lusty Fellow, observing his Ma­ster oftentimes to bring home great sums of money which he received for rent, being Steward to the Lady afore­said: what doth this wicked fellow do but presently fell to contrive how he might become Master of some of those sums of money which he observed his Master so often to bring home.

It was not long but this fellow with his mother (who as it now appears was a Witch) with his other Brother did determine to set upon this Gentleman, as he should come along upon the road to his habitation to take what money he had from him, and there was an op­portunity fell out so that they had an occasion to put their wicked determina­tions [Page 6] into practice, as you shall hear; The Gentleman was coming home, and being not many miles from his intended iourneys end, this Widow Perry and her two sons met Mr. Harrison, who they no sooner espied, but they knockt him down and robbed him, and cast him into a pit whereout they digged stones. He did not long remain there, as you will hear by the sequel. But Mr. Har­rison not coming home according to his usual custom, his Wife and Family were much troubled at it: Great search after some few days were made for him, but all to little purpose, for there was no tidings of him, but every one concluded that he was murthered upon the rode. It was not long before the Lord had brought to light this strange accident; for this widow Perry and her two Sons were suspected of the robbery, and they were all thrée forthwith appre­hended, and at the Assizes at Glocester about two years since, they were ar­raigned, condemned and executed for the supposed murther of Master Harri­son.

[Page 7]The place of their execution was on Broadway hills in the fight of Cambden where a Gibbet was erected, the mo­ther and one of her Sons were hanged and buried under the Gibbet, the other Son, who was Servant to Mr. Harrison was hanged in chains on the Gibbet, where part of him remains to be séen at this day.

At the time of their Execution they would not confess what they had done with Master Harrison; but said that he was not dead, but ere seven years were half over they should sée Master Harrison again.

Now attend to this following Dis­course, and you shall hear in what a condition Master Harrison was left in. This Widow Perry by her wicked Con­juration had power on Master Harrison, for no sooner had they knocked him down, and taken what he had from him, but they threw him into a pit; He had not lain long but he began to come to himself, and he apprehended where he was, but before he was come to himself fully, he was in a moment [Page 8] conveyed to the Sea side, and from thence in a very short time he was con­veyed to a rock standing in the Sea on the coast of Turky, where he re­mained the space of four days bare headed, his hat being left near Camb­den, where they first had knocked him down.

After his four days abode there, there came by a Turkish ship which took him in, and brought him to Turky, and there sold him. His Master that bought him was by profession a Chyrurgeon, who asked his new bought Servant what he could do, he answered his Ma­ster that then was, that he had skill in Gardening and could distil Hearbs, in which employment he was entertained in; and he so well behaved himself that he gained a great deal of love from his Master during his life.

He had not lived there above two years or thereabouts, but it pleased God his Master dyed, who out of the re­spect he did bear to Master Harrison, his Servant, he gave him a peice of plate, and bade him make use thereof [Page 9] for his Transportation into his own Country, which he did.

After this it was not long but he heard of a Turky Merchant bound for Portugal, for the which piece of plate he had his passage to Portugal, where it was not long but he safely arrived, and is now since that come safely into his own Native Country, England, and is come to his own dwelling house at Cambden, to the no little astonishment and wonderful amazement of all his Friends and Relations, nay of all the Country round.

It is matter of great amazement to all people that such a thing should be wrought by Witchcraft; but the truth of this is not to be disputed, for there are thousands of people that can witness and testifie the truth here­of.

Now friends, having related to you the truth of the whole matter, here is great matter of wonder and astenish­ment to all people, to sée the wonder­ful deliverance which the Lord hath be­stowed [Page 10] upon this Gentleman, and no que­stion but he will and doth acknowledge the Lords mercy to him; We may also observe here how the Lord both bring pu­nishment upon such wicked livers as this Woman and her two Sons were, you may look but into the 22. of Exod. 18. there it is said, thou shalt not suffer a witch to live, and here we may sée how just the Lord was in his dealing to these vile and wicked livers, for soon after they had committed the wicked fact on such a faithful friend as this Mr. Harrison was, who out of love and pity did bring up this Boy, and kept him as we may say as his own, the Lord was pleased to bring them to this sad end and deserved punishment, and I wish that it may prove a warning to all others that practice such divelish and horrid Witthcrafts.

In the 5. of Micah and the 12. verse, the Lord hath promised there, that he will cut off Witthcrafts, and there shall be no more Soothsayers, the Lord will not be worse then his word, but he will bring all such wicked offenders to shame­ful ends, he will not onely punish them [Page 11] here, but hrreafter, for Witches and Wizards or fortunetellers and the like, they are such as sell their souls to the Deuil to do mischief, and though the Lord let them alone for a season to go on in their wicked ways, yet let them knew that there will a reckoning day come, when they shall pay dearly for all their folly.

O that this notable example of Gods Iustice, might be a warning peice unto all of us, of what condition soever we be, and this wonderful example of mercy to Mr. Harrison might be always fresh in our memory. Surely we may judge the Lord dealt by him as he did by Job, when the Lord gave Satan leave to do what he would with him, onely touch not his life (saith God) as we may read in the first Chapter of the Book of Job. So the Lord would not suffer this wicked woman to do any hurt to his person, that is, to his life, as we now may sée: Although every one thought that he had béen murthered, the Lord can and the Lord will restrain the power of the wicked, they shall not [Page 12] always have their will, though he doth give them power, yet doth put a re­straint upon them; and they cannot go any further then he will give them leave.

What matter of encouragement is here to all that love the Lord, the Lord may and doth suffer Satan the great Enemy of mankind to tempt his people, and he doth sometimes let the wicked prevail, so far as to have some power of them, that is to do some mischief either to their bodies or estates and the like, but they cannot hurt their soul for the Lord taketh care of that, and he will preserve them, in spite of all the Devils in Hell.

I shall now come to a conclusion; only I shall desire every one that bears this truth, to consider of the power of the Lord, and of the great mercy the Lord hath to bestow on them that deftre sin­cerely to serve him, and I shall desire all that hear of this to consider of it, and to be careful of their ways, and to be [Page 13] watthful, for your adversary the Devil walketh about like a roaring Lyon, séek­ing whom he may devour, a Christian had néed to be wakeful in sinful times, for it may be the occasion of any of us, to be of­ten abroad, we had néed to be careful of our selves, especially our souls, for that may fall out in a moment to us, which we nor any of our Relations little thought of.

The Devil is a very busie adversary, and is always a contriving and plotting to do mischief to Gods people, where he can set any at work, he will promise great rewards to them, we read in the Scripture that he tempted our Lord Ie­sus Christ himself, all this will I give thee saith he, if thou wilt fall down and wor­ship me, but he could make no approach upon Christ, but upon poor sinful man, he doth too too often prevail, he strives all he can to make a Christian forsake the ways of God, it is Satans chief design and aim to tempt a Christian to make him think evil of the ways of God, that so at length he may bring them to himself, and this [Page 14] thou mayst assure thy self ef, that if thou make a contract with the Devil, as all such wicked creatures do, as go by the name of Witches or Conjurers and the like, though thou dost reign in thy wicked ways for many moneths or years, yet know for a certain that the Deuil that set thee en work will pay thee thy wages,

Therefore now to make an end, I wish that this Example of Mercy and Iustice may be a seasonable warning­piece to us all, and that it may make every one that hears of it extoll the goodness of the Lord in so miracu­lously preserving the life of this Gen­tleman: And on the other side we have great cause to admire at this strange Providence, that the Lord would bring such wicked offenders to such a deserved punishment.

The Lord grant that we may live al­ways to the praise of his holy Name while we live in the World, that when our time is finished in this life, we may inherit a Crown of Glory in the life which is to come.