Here beginneth the book of several sad Examples which have hapned unto the people of England, for want of serving of God, and taking good heed from March 1. to this present time 1655.

BEloved Christians, it is a saying a­mongst many people, that there is a foreknowledge by the planets whereby the wisards and soothsayers of our times can foretell what death a man or a woman shall die: and some there are that will take upon them to foretell how long the world shall endure, and at what time the later day shall come; but I am sure they have no warrant from the word of God for what they say; and therefore to convince such Diabolical errors, I refer you to the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who saith, of that great and notable day knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heaven, but my Fa­ther onely, Matth. 24. 26. This place of [Page 4] Scripture may very well serve to with­draw mens hearts from believing in false prophets, fortune-tellers, wisards and soothsayers, and to put their whole trust and confidence in the living Lord; which God give us all grace to do. And now I will tell you of a sad misfortune which hapned to a Fortune-teller on the second of March last. In the famous citie of Exeter there was a certaine dissembling fellow which presumed to say that he had such skill in knowledge, that he could discern by the palm of the hand, by the visage of the face, or by the colour of the hair, how long any man or woman should live, what courses they should take, and what deaths they should die. This false fellows name was Thomas Jones, who had so deluded the people, that they followed him up and down which waysoever he went, thinking that he had passing skill; but all the skill he had was but to cozen them of their money, as you shall hear: At one end of the citie there was a great Barn which had nothing in it; to which every day for a long time together he frequented and [Page 4] came into without the consent of the ow­ner; and as often as he came thither, a multitude of simple people followed him; but without money he would do nothing. Moreover he said, that if they would not believe that he could do them good, and give them satisfaction for what they came for, he would not meddle with them. This set such an edge upon the fancy of the people, that some gave him money, others gave him cheese and bacon, and some gave him the clothes from their backs, because they had nothing else to give him. But at the last some of the Ma­gistrates of the citie finding themselves agrived at his doings, they sent officers which apprehended him and brought him to prison; where when he had lain there the matter of four hours, the Divell ap­peared to him in a bodily shape, and bade him to hang himselfe, or cut his owne throat: whereupon he cried out with such a lowd voyce, insomuch that the Keeper of the prison came into the room where he was, and asked him what was the mat­ter, who told him that he had given him [Page 5] self to the Divell some 3 years since, and that he was now come for him, and that he bade him cut his own throat: Where­upon the Keeper looking round about, and saw nothing appear, told him that it was but his fancy to think so, and therefore bade him serve God and repent him of his sins, and he should be sure to prevent the danger of sudden death, and that the Divel should have no power over him: to whom he answered, that he had done so many villanies and traspasses against God and the world, that his sins could never be forgiven. The Keeper desired him to pray; he answered, that his heart was so much hardned, that God had forsaken him, and that he had no power to pray. Then the Keeper searcht his pockets, and took away his knife, and the garters from his legs, because he should do himself no harm, and so went out of the room, think­ing to have sent some body to keep him company, till he had order from the officers to let him goe: but he having a knife in the skirt of his Coat, which the Keeper knew not of, cut his own throat [Page 6] therewith, before any one could come to him; and there was an end of a false blas­phemous, dissembling hypocrite: God grant that others may take example hy his death, and learn to amend their sinfull lives.

Here followeth another sad Example which was done at Collyweston two miles from Stamford, March 20. 1655.

THere lived in the Parish of Collyweston a young man whose name was Francis Jarvice, who fell in love with a beautiful maid that dwelt in the same parish; and so between them two there was no love lost, for she loved him as dearly as ever woman loved man, as you shall hear: this loving couple having made a match toge­ther between themselves, appointed a day to be married on; and when the time was near at hand, the young woman all too late, she being great with child, made her father and mother acquainted with her mind, and how she had made a promise to be married on such a day; which when her father heard, he became like a mad [Page 7] man, and in his angry mood did swear, that if she married with such a beggarly fellow as Francis Jarvice, he would never own her for his child; an said, that he had rather keep the bastard when it was born, then that she should marry with him: whereupon she made and errand to Stamford, as if she were to buy poyson to poyson the Rats; but by the way coming home she poysoned her self, and the infant within her, and so she died a sudden and desperate death: which when her sweet­heart heard of, he vowed never to eat nor to drink, nor to take any sustenance whilst he lived in this world, and so pined himself and died. Her father ran about being di­stracted of his wits, and threw himself off from a high gallery & broke his neck. Her mother drowned her self in a deep Draw­well; whose sudden deaths and untimely ends many thousands do lament.

About that very same time there was a sad disaster hapned to a servant maid near unto Smithfield Bars in London at the sign of the Castle; which maid went up into a high room to hang out cloathes to dry [Page 8] out at a window upon poles which were made for that purpose; but for want of taking good heed, the pole which she put trust unto, slipt away from her, and so lo­sing her hold, she fell out of the window and dasht out her brains against the stones, and had never the power to call upon God for mercy, nor to speak one word to any man or woman, and so poor soul she came by a sudden and untimely death, which might have been prevented if she had taken better heed; for certainly if she had thought that her death had been so near at hand, she would have had a better care of herselfe. The truth of the matter here. spoken of, there are more then a thousand people that can witnesse, which be held the maid after she was dead, and some of them that were eye witnesses, de­sired that it might be put in print, because all other servants that goe carelesly about their businesse, may by this sad example serve God, and take a care of themselves.

Here followeth another sad example very necessary to be had in memory.

In the county of Suffolk, at a town called Bugles, there lived a man named William Tite, being possest of an evill quality of jealousie: Upon a certain time he made shew of love to his wife, so caught her in his arms, set her upon his knee as they sate in a chair, and with a Judas kisse saluted her, and said unto her as followeth: Ah my dear and loving wife, that hast been always faithful and true unto me, now my conscience accuseth me that I have done thee great wrong, laying that to thy charge, that I know thee to be guiltlesse of: And for the severall abuses which I have done thee, I am heartily sory, and henceforth I protest never to abuse thee more. The woman being over-joy'd with her husbands comfortable words, made him this reply; Husband I thank you for your good words, and I hope that good deeds will follow after. Yes, said he, your desires shall quickly be fulfilled; and with that word having a knife which he had prepared for that purpose, put his hand under her Apron, and ript up her bowels and belly, insomuch that the child [Page 10] which was in her womb, fell out on the ground, and sprawled before him. And having done his mischief, presently ran away from the place, and came to Yar­mouth, and was entertained into a Ship to goe beyond the Seas; but as they were fai­ling along on the salt Seas, there suddenly arose a mighty tempest of weather, both of thunder and lightning, wind and rain, that the like hath but seldome been seen or known. Whereupon the Master of the ship desired all the people that were in the ship to joyn with him in prayer, that God would be pleased to pre­serve them and their ship from the dan­gers of the surging and mercilesse waves. Then said William Tite that had murdred his wife so bloodily, making a scoff of that which the Master of the ship had spoken, saying as followeth, As for my part I need not fear drowning, for I was born to be hang'd: for I kild my wife but three dayes before I came on shipboard, and I will see you all damn'd before I will pray for any of you all. There was at that time a lusty young man in the ship named [Page 11] Miles Johnson, who ran unto him and said, It may be that it is for thy wickednesss that our ship is so troubled, and our lives in such extream danger, and therefore if thou wilt not pray unto God to deliver thy self and us from perill, I will presently throw thee over the shipboard & drown thee, and so thou shalt never live to be hanged. Then said William Tite, hang me or drown me, or cut my throat, or doe what you will with me, you shall never make me to say any prayer, for the safe­guard of our lives. Whereupon the young man having the consent of some others that were in the ship, took him by the twist, and threw him headlong into the Sea, and left him to the mercy of the waves, for he was no more to be seene; and immediatly the tempest abated, and the wether became temperate, and they all praised God for their deliverance.

The Ship which they were in, had a Dutch Skipper, which served to carry passengers to and again. The certainty of this matter was written in a Letter by James Roberts, Thomas Moody, and Roger [Page 12] Gale, which were then aboard the Ship, and sent to London on purpose to have it printed, for others to take warning by, and to avoid murder and blasphemy.

Here followeth a most strange and miraculous Ex­ample of a great deliverance and preservation of a woman from sudden death, by the providence of Almighty God, the like whereof was never heard of before; and this it was.

THere lived in the County of Kent a Gentleman of good Rank and quality, who had great store of money at com­mand, and did usually lend and lay out, and take in mighty great sums. This gen­tleman oftentimes frequented to come to the Citie of London to buy and to sell, ha­ving to his wife a very modest, civill, wel­governed woman, and one that feared God, with whom her husband left all the substance that he had. Upon a time when the gentleman was from home, there came a great company of villains, thieves and robbers to the house, and surprized the servants, and bound them with cords, [Page 13] hands and feet; and after coming into the room where the gentlewoman her self was, and commanded her to bring them and to shew them the place where her husbands mony bags all were: The wo­man being in a maze, knew not what to doe, but being in danger of her life, but praid them even for Gods sake to spare her life, and she would doe for them all that she could; and so she brought them to a room where was great store of gold and silver, money and plate, and other rich commodities which they took away and loaded some of their horses with; but ha­ving not enough to satisfie their greedy desire, they eame again to the woman, and said they would hang her, if she would not help them to more mony. She answered, that she knew of never a peny but what they had already. Whereupon one of the villains took her and would have ravished her, & afterwards like a merciless wretch hanged her up by the neck in a silk scarse which she had about her middle: which being done, he went againe with some others of his fellows, and searched [Page 14] every room about the house, and tooke what they could find; and coming backe again the same way that they went, they found the woman praying upon her knees, and praising God for her preservations for the knot which they had tied was loo­sened, and so she fell to the ground, by what means she her self nor none else doth know. Then they tooke her and hanged her the second time with a bridle of one of their horses, saying, if that were not strong enough, that they would be hanged for her. Which being done, the Thieves made away. Now mark well what af­terwards came to passe, it pleased God that with her struggling and striving when they were gone, that the bridle broke and she fell to the ground again. And when her husband came home, she having reco­vered her senses and health, told him of all the passages which had hapned unto her. Not long time after that her hus­band and she came to London about some businesse which they had to doe; and on the day when the great shew was to be seen in the fields with the Train bands of [Page 15] London, the gentleman and his wife were there, and standing near unto the Tent where my Lord Mayor was, the woman saw the man which had hanged her, and done her all the wrong, and knowing him to be the same, caused him to be appre­hended and sent to the prison of Newgate, and being arraigned at the Barre for his life, confest the matter, and peacht others of his companions, For which offence there were five of them taken and con­demned to dye, of which one was prest to death, and the other four with two other offenders, were hunged at Tyburn in A­pril the last day of the Moneth, whose names were as followeth,

Mr, Prescot, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Horton, Mr. Loveridge, all hang'd to death, Mr. Hancock prest to death.

The truth of this may be verified by more then ten thousand people which saw them suffer at the place of Execu­tion.

By this we may see how powerful & how mercifull God is to them that put their trust in the Lord: Therefore let no man [Page 16] nor woman think that any one is able to foretell or know what God will have brought to passe. And of this be sure, that God will never leave us nor forsake us, except we leave him and forsake him first: therefore I desire all good people to serve God truly and duly both day and night, and to pray unto him that he will be pleased to guide our hearts and mindes in the true knowledge of God, and of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be ascribed all honor and power, might, ma­jesty, and thankesgiving.