A True RELATION Of Mr. Iustice Cook's passage by Sea from Wexford to Kinsaile, and of the great Storm, and eminent danger that he with others were in, with the wonderful appearance of the power & goodness of God in their deliverance, according as it was revealed to him in A DREAM. As also M. Deedate with other witnesses (in Genevah) opinion concerning Dreams occasioned by a remarkeable profettick Dream of a Protestant Marques Daughter in Poland. All faithfully communicated as received from his own hand in the Year, 1650.
The 2d. Edition,
LONDON. Printed and are to be Sold by T. B. at the three Bibles neer the West end of Pauls Chrch-Yard.
A Relation of Mr. John Cooks passage by Sea from Wexford to Kinsale, being in the great Storm on Jannuary the 5th.
I Annuary the first 1649. We embarqued from Wexford in the Hector for Corke, sayled two or three leagues beyond Greenor-bay, but were driven back, the wind turning upon us, upon the Saturday following the wind being fair we got within sight of Dungarvan, that night proved very windy, and about four in the morning, on the Lords day, a very tempestuous wind arose, and the storm was the greatest that ever any of the Sea-men knew (as they said) the wind was at South-east very thick, we hoped to fetch Corke, being within a mile of the shore, but could not possibly make land: in that distress we put to sea, hoping by that way to save life, the wind continued all that Sabbath day at South-east, South-east and by South, and South South-east, which if the wind had held at south-east as it was in the morning, we could not have doubled the point about the land but had been east upon the rocks: we bore two courses to keep off from the shore all the day, and being as we supposed about the pitch of the Cape Cleere, at nine on Sabbath day night we shipt a great Sea which split and carryed away our foresaile, and so were forced to bring to a fore-top fail to keep from the shore, and to here that fore tope-saile till two in the night, in which time we were formed to cut our Anchor from the bough to save the ship from foundring, we having at that time five foot water in the hold. The Monday morning we were ten leagues to leeward of the Cape Cleere, and the [Page 4]wind was up at South-west, then we made all the sayl possible to fetch some harbour, and it pleased God, we made the Cape, hoping to fetch Baltamore, but the wind coming up at South-east and by east, we were forced to Sea again all the night, the wind continuing at South-east, South-east and by South, and South-South-east.
Tuesday we made the Misne head, and could fetch no harbour the wind being still at South-east. Wednesday the wind came up at West, and we made for shore again, and came up as high as Gally-head hoping to fetch Kinsale; about three in the after-noone the wind came up at East South-east, and then we hoped to recover Castlehaven before night, and made for it, and in our running in, the Wind veared at South-east and blew very fresh, and we still hoping to gain the harbour, ranin, knowing no other way to save life, the Wind being so contrary, it grew extraordinary thick, rained and blew much, we fired three or four pieces of Ordnance (for lights) and saw one light from the Castle, as we supposed, and two other lights to the Eastward, which put us to an amazement, not knowing whether they were friends or enemies, and could not possibly see the going into the Harbour, but were in the very breach of the shore, the sight whereof caused a great scrik in the Ship, and thereupon brought our Ship to, hoping thereby to have come to an Anchor, which if we had done, we had been past all hopes of life, the Rock being so neer would have cut our Anchor, but God being most merciful in that nick of time, the Sea-men despairing of life, the Wind at an instant came up at East, which carryed us into the Sea, and yet so great was the danger, that if the Wind did not turn again to the West in less than half an hour, we were dead men, by reason of the Rocks called the Staggs, so we came in a little time within sight of the Rocks, the Wind driving us strongly upon them, and then seeing the Rocks within a Ships length of us, we put our Ship to stay, which she would not, the Sea being so extremely grown, the Sea-men being at their wits end, wishing us to prepare for death: the Lord again at that very instent caused the wind to come up at South-west, which carryed us out into the Sea cleer from the Rocks, where we had the Wind favourable that night, and blessed be God on Thursday we came into Kinsale, it being the first Harbour that the Lord was pleased to give us, but that which is most admirable is this, that so soon as the Ship was come into Kinsale Harbour, she leaked so very much, that the Sea-men came the next morning and told us, that they were almost drowned that night, and could [Page 5]scarce keep the ship alive in the Harbour, and were forced the next tide to bring her to the Key, and at the Ebb to repair her, and had much ado to keep her from sinking. This being the method of Gods dealing with us in our passage.
Now concerning the work of God upon my spirit during the storm, thus it was. Towards the evening of the Sabbath day Jannuary the 5. my heart was exceeding sad and sorrowfull even unto death a dark night approaching, and the ship taking in much water, my spirit fainted and my heart sunk within me, the sorrows of death caught hould of me, much grieved I was for my poor dear heart who did not express half so much fear as my self, many sweet expressions she used in prayers, wishing me to call earnestly upon God: many words I could not use, but my heart was praying; it almost broke my heart to think what my wives friends would say in England, that I should bring her into Ireland to drown her (though I bless God she never repined at it) troubled I was likewise for my poor servants that came in love along with us; it almost split my heart to think what the Malignants would say in England when they hear that we were drowned (how they would abuse that passage of Paul, Acts 28.4.) That though vengeance hath not overtaken me at Land, yet I was met withal at Sea; much troubled I was at the manner of the death, such extraordinary violent deaths importing the nature of some heavy Judgement, as if the Lord hath been displeased with us, and had not sent us, and Jonahs storm was much in my thoughts (I having spoken some words of Exhortation to the company out of that Scripture before the storm began) for God sent that great storm, Jonah. 1.4. because Jonah went contrary to his Commands, where I observed, That when a Christian is in Gods way, upon Gods errand sent to Sea, usually God makes the Winde and the Seas favourable to him; upon such considerations, and many obiections made by flesh and blood, I had very much trouble with my unbelieving heart, and could not bring my mind to be willing to die, earnest I had been in secret prayer at the Throne of Grace before, for 16. or 18. hours together, pleading with the Lord, that if it were possible this cup of his indignation might pase over us, that in Judgments he would remember Mercy, however that we might cheerfully submit to his sweet pleasure; the materials of my long suggested prayers were meditations and applications of several Scriptures which mention Gods power, [Page 6]wisdome and love in the Seas. God having put it into my minde not long before to note most of the chief places is Scripture concerning the Seas, as proper and usefull for a Sea-voyage. I prest my dear Christ not to drown us, for said I, we fight for thy Kingly Office, throw the Agyptians and all thy emplacable enemies into the midst of the Sea, but let us be preserved that we may praise thy Name, Exod. 14.27, 30. & 15.1. Lord this is a calamity too heavy for thy poor creatures to beare. Job 6.3 were it not that thou hast cast our sins into the depths of the Seas: Micah 7.19. Lord suffer not the deeps to swallow us up: Psal. 69.15. Let not all thy waves and billowes pass over us. We have seen thy wonders in the deep: Psal. 107.23. And if thou save us we shall declare them to the children of men; but if thou make our graves in the Sea, the dead cannot praise thee: Psal. 115.17. thou Lord which leadest thy Servants through the deep, prepare dry Land for us: Lord, why should not the Seas be as favourable to thy servants as the dry Land? Thou layest up the depth in store-houses, Psal. 33.7. Thou Lord canst still the noyse of the waves, Psal. 65, 7. Psal. 68.22. was a comfortable place to me, that the Lord promised to bring again his people from the depth of the Sea. Sweet Christ do thy Office and be a Savour to thy people both for Souls and Bodies, thou layest the beames of thy Chambers in the waters 10.4. Psal. 3. and rulest the raging of the Seas. Psal. 89.9. Now Lord the floods have lifted up their voyce and their waves: Psal. 93.2. but thou art mightyer than the mighty waves of the Sea. The fishes of the Sea shall shrink at thy presence: but why art thou so angry with thy servants who art sent in thy service? Lord cast the great Dragon into the Bottomless Pit, that old Serpent called the Devil and Sathan. Revel. 12.9. but let thy people live to praise thee; thou Lord canst say to the Sea, Be dry: Esa. 44.27. Esa. 50.2, and canst easily bring us safe to land Lord hast not thou made the depths of the Sea a way for thy ransomed ones to pass over? Esa. 51.10. Why must then thy servants be drowned as if they were in this Malefactors? Ionah ran away from thee and would not obey thee, being unwilling to be the mouth and proclaimer of thy Iustice upon Nineveh the head of the Assyrian Empire; and thou sentest out a great winde, and there was a mighty tempest in the Sea, Ionah. 4. which was no ordinary wind, but sent as a punishment for his disobedience, yet because he was thy servant, and was not selvish, [Page 7]nor displeased in thy shewing mercy for fear of his being thought a false Prophet, but out of zeal for thy glory which he thought was wronged and obscured by that change, and out of his ardent affection to thy people that their enemies should live; and though he said, he did well to be angry, even unto death, they being not words of expresse rebellion, but of a passionate Spirit blinded with anger, therefore when he prayed unto thee out of the belly of Hell, he was mightily preserved. Now Lord, thou which wast a God so gracious and merciful slow to anger, & of great kindness towards the Heathens in Niveveh shall not we find thy mercy? if thou hast any further work for us to do in our generation, we shall. Lord, it is the wicked that is like the troubled Sea, whose water casts up mire and dirt, Isa. 57.20 Thy Justice was very wonderful and glorious at Wexford, in drowning those Pirates and wicked men in the Sea, that had done so much mischief to thy people in that Element, and what will thy enemies say when the carkasses of thy people are given to be food for the Fishes? Lord command this great wind into thy treasure, and bring forth winds serviceable for us that we may have an auspicious gale, and an expeditious fail into some Harbour where it shall please thy Majesty, for thy poor creatures are at their wits end, and death appears in their faces; thou only canst shut up the Sea with doors, Job. 38.8. Thou makest the deep to boyle like a pot, and makest the Sea like a pot of oyntment, as if the Sea was hoary by the long white frothy path, Job. 41.31, 32. Sweet Christ, thou hast dominion from Sea to Sea, Psal. 72.8. and thou hast given to the Sea a decree, that the waters pass not thy commands, Prov. 8.29. Therefore though the Sea Roar and threaten to swallow us up, yet unless thou givest it a commission to devour us, it cannot hurt us: sweet Christ, the Sea is unto thee as the dry land, the winds and Seas will obey thee, dear Redeemer wilt not thou speak one word to save the lives of thy own members? Matth. 8.26, 27. and 14.27. Mark 4.29. Peace, Be still, will make a great calm. Lord assure some of thy poor Servants that all shall be well, as thou didst to blessed Paul, Acts 27.23. Give some vision and manifestation of thy love, for it was for thy sake that we committed our selves to the Sea, let some of thy Servants in the Ship be assured from Heaven that we shall be safe, however Lord let thy will be our wills: with other Scriptures, not now perfectly remembred. Now after long Prayers and meditations, [Page 8]it pleased God about six on the Sabbath day night, that the Lord Jesus Christ began to quiet my Spirit in himself, and I was well perswaded to die, and began to be ravisht with the Consideration of the joyes of Heaven, how quickly I and my poor heart should be in our Masters joyes, that expression of entring into my Masters joy affected me much, that the joy was too big to enter into me, I must be swallowed up in it, and that my Masters joy could be no small joy; thereupon I spake comfortably to my wife, desiring her to cheer up, for that we should suddainly be in Heaven, if the Lord was pleased thus to take us to himself, who resigned her Soul to God, and we took our leaves solemnly of each other, with our eyes full of teares, which I felt running down her cheeks when I kist them, saying that all tears shall suddenly be wiped from our eyes in Heaven, and with a great fervour of Spirit I thought several times to this purpose, Sweet Jesus I come to thee, we come not only in this Sea of waters, but Lord we come to thee in a Sea of blood if it shall please thee to call us, the storm still increased, and I grew exceeding heavy and sleepy, but roused my self up, and checked my heart, that I should Jonah like offer to sleep in such a storm: what, be drowned in my sleep! my wife often begged at me not to sleep, but I could not possibly forbear sleep, if it had been to have saved all our lives; so it pleased God, that sitting as upright as I could, I fell into as fast a sleep as ever I was in all my life.
And in my sleep I dreamed.
THat I was in an upper chamber with my sweet Redeemer Christ Jesus, and that there were many Suiters attended to speak with him, to beseech him to save their Ships and Barks, that they might not perish by the storm. I thought it was a large room, wherein there was a long table with an ordinary Carpet, and two candles standing upon it, two trenchers of Tobacco, and Pipes, and one Man walking up and down by the table, of a middle stature, about thirty years of age, the hairs of his Head long and white as flax, but curling at the end, but the hair of his upper lip brown, in sad colour'd cloathes, and a cloth broad brim'd hat; I asked him who he was, who said, he waited upon Jesus Christ; I asked him where Jesus Christ was, he pointed to a Curtain, saying, there he is; I beheld and saw a glorious shining, but no person, and methought Jesus Christ spake to me, and asked me what I would have, I said the lives of all in the Ship; said he, in what ship? said I in the Hector. It is a bad name said he, for such as profess me. Castor and Pollux is for Heathens. I pray'd him that we might not dye in this manner; sayes he to me, are not you safe? but good Lord said I, I must return, and I beg life for all in the Ship; who are they said he? I answered, that there was my dear Wife and three servants, Lieutenant Colonel Saunders, Major Bee, Mr. Hews, honest Abraham, and other passengers thy servants, (said Jesus Christ at my naming Lieu. Col. Saunders and some others, its so much the better that they are there) the Captain and the Sea-men are serviceable to thy Cause, and they take wonderful pains to save their own lives and ours, but unless thou speak the word, the Sea will swallow us up. Then methought Jesus Christ askt me why I was not willing to dye? I told him, that by this death I could not glorifie him, thinking upon that Scripture, Joh. 21.19. and methought I was something impatient that the Lord should surprize us, getting us into a ship at his call for his service, and then to drown us, as if we were Parricides or hainous Malefactors, which by [Page 10]Law were drowned: at that methought Jesus Christ withdrew, as if he was displeased; said I, Lord, if thou drownest those that love thee, what wilt thou do to thine enemies? but could get no answer, whereupon I was sensible of my impatience, and thought that I fell down flat down on the ground, and cryed for mercy, saying, Lord, we kiss thy Rod, and turn our naked backs; strike as much as thou pleasest. Lord, I plead nothing but thy free grace; it may be many of us have offended in excessive drinking, and now thou art punishing us in our own Element; however our sins are more then the sands of the Sea-shore, but let pitty move thee to save us; thou sweet Redeemer which hast been at Sea in storms, that art a merciful High Priest, like unto us in all things but sin, Heb. 2.17. and 4.15. take pitty upon thine own flesh and blood; what Father but would save his Child from drowning if he could? hast thou no work for any of us to do? I thought the answer was, but little to be done by some of us; (my Wife tells me, that but a little before I slept, I said, certainly God had something for me, and others to do for his service, and therefore we should not dye at this time, which I did not remember;) sweet Christ hear us as thou didst thy Disciples, save us quickly or else we perish; and being earnest in prayer, in my dream methought that the man in the room came to me, and told me that this was no natural storm of Gods sending, but an extraordinary tempest raised by Satan (by Gods permission) to destroy those which were coming to fight against his servants, and bad me use that argument to his Master. Thereupon I instantly craved leave to speak, and said, Sweet Saviour, if this storm and tempest be raised by Satan the Prince of the air, as in Lapland, and many other places where winds are sold, he works in the children of disobedience, and hath nothing to do with thy poor servants; for though thou mayst justly for our sins give Satan power over us, as thou didst over thy dear servant Job, yet where thou givest a particular faith to be free from Sathans storms and witchcrafts, thou art pleased to grant that which is believed, And in great love it pleased Jesus Christ to give a gratious answer to my spirit, and said, Be not afraid, your lives shall be saved; instantly I replyed, Lord, let it be for all the Persons in the ship; he said, be it so; then I pressed for the goods in the ship; Lord said I, there are my L. G. goods, & M. G. goods, Let them be safe; but they are not there, said Jesus Christ; no Lord said I, they are fighting thy battels; Jesus Christ answered, the goods shall [Page 11]all be safe, and the ship likewise, and nothing miscarry; then I gave humble thanks, and departed; and as I was going out, I thought Jesus Christ said to me, it is granted for half fifty, go no more to Sea in Winter. I further dream'd that the Devil and his Imps were very earnest with Jesus Christ, to get leave to destroy the Governour of Wexford, by the storm; but the Lord said, it should not be; some there were that had Barks at Wexford, that attended to speak with Jesus Christ; I could not tell what they said, they discoursed much about the Governour, and all that I heard Christ say, was, that winter was not yet come for them at Wexford; then I thought I met with Captain Hairebottel, who had very great respect shewn to him, and I thought his prayers did us very much good, and he was very much commended for his tenderness to the sick Souldiers at Wexford. I thought there were other men from Wexford that came for safe passages, and one Officer was very earnest for a ship that he was to come in, and I heard this expression concerning him, we must take special care of his ship, for he was very tender and kind to the poor sick souldiers, and much discourse I heard about sick souldiers. Jesus Christ said, if storms will not do, I have other afflictions to make them more tender-hearted and pitiful; methought the person that so walked in the room, spake much to this effect, that there would be many storms by reason of much hardheartedness, to break and melt their spirits, since which (blessed be God) Captain Lucus is come safe in the wild Bear, one whom I observed in Wexford to be very liberal, tender-hearted, and compassionate to the poor Souldiers; whereupon I awaked: this dream lasted about two hours, all which time the storm increased; my Wife told me that she jogged me above twenty times to awaken me, and wondred that I should sleep, seeing we were all so near the point of death; said I to her, peace my dear heart, be quiet, we shall all be safe: Jesus Christ hath promised me our lives, be not afraid; and told her all my dream, whereat she was much amazed, but could not believe any safety, and urged me to prayer, being her self well resolved to dye, cheerfully submitting to Gods good pleasure; but told me she had a strong impression upon her spirit by way of question, as if the Lord had spoken to her, that in case he should be pleased to spare her life at this time, whether she could be content to suffer for him? whereunto she found her heart most ready and willing, by the Lords assistance, to lay [Page 12]down her life for his glory; but my own heart was then giving thanks, and brim-full of comfort.
I related my dream to Liutenant Col. Saunders, Major Bee, Ben. and the two Maids that were in the Cabbin. And sent in for Captain Stoaks, the Master, the Gunner, Bennet, and Marshal, and bid them be of good cheer, and ply their business, for we should be all safe, telling them what I had dreamed; they admired at my confidence, and Captain Stoaks could not believe it, (said he) I know God is very merciful and can do much; but the Ship hath five foot water in the hould, which the Pumpe could not reach, being choaked, and very subject to leaks, being twenty years old, and then it was about nine at night, the storm increasing, and they not knowing where about they were, I told them that I was assured of safety, as if I were on Shore, and one word more I had dreamed, which I told them of; said I to Jesus Christ, what if the Ship should break asunder? He answered me, you shall be as safe as if you were in Codds boat (a boat at Wexford that we went in towards the ship in the bay, and were driven back several times) or as if you were in the Governors house in Wexford; what impression it had upon their spirits I know not, but some that were in the great Cabbin told me that they did verily believe it, and that their hearts were much quieted by what I said. The storm increased, and a great noyse was made in the ship, the water came in at the great Cabbin windows, the ship ready to overset and to founder; many screeks and cryes out, now we are gone, and yet my confidence and assurance increased, I bid them pray and be thankful, for they were as safe as if they were on shoar; still my poor wife said it could not be; I told her I was sure of it; she must lye still and see the salvation of our God.
I confess I much marvelled at the change that was wrought in my own spirit, from a trembling fearfulness to a rejoycing assurance; and considering it was but a dream, I thought I might presume too much in an over-confidence, and was jealous over my own heart lest I should offend, begging the Lords extraordinary assistance sutable to the present danger; but the more I checkt my heart of presumption, the more did my faith mount upon the wing as if I had been upon dry ground, and had not so much fear as the thousand part of the weight of a hair: the poor ship workt for her life, and the Sea-men took infinite pains, two parts being fallen sick, & the other 30. were continually at it, somtimes [Page 13]they were in a little hopes, sometimes their souls ready to faint; about twelve at night, he that was at the Helm by my Cabbin said all was broken, the water came in there; a little before they cryed out, that the foresail was split and carried away, and the Anchors thrown over board to lighten the ship, yet all this while my spirit was the same, in a thankful admiration for so great a deliverance, and said, all shall be as well as heart could wish; when they spoke of lightning the ship, my wife call'd to Capt. Stoaks, and bad him if he thought sit to throw over some Trunks which we had in the ship, which I liked very well (as it was in Pauls-storm) in regard of others that were in the ship, but for my own part, I said I would not have any thing thrown over, for I knew all would be well, and (so blessed be the Lord of Seas) about four in the morning, the storm abated, my heart was in a very thankful posture, and that Wednesday night after, when the Sea-men said, we were in most danger, entring into Castle-Haven in the dark, that we must have the wind turn twice in half an hour to save us, first to carry us from the breach of the shore to the Staggs, and then to carry us off from them: when we were within a Cables length of the shore, and the Seamen divided, not knowing what to do, Captain Stoakes bad let fall an Anchor, or else we are all dead men, others said, try to get off from shore, and there was a great screek that all was gone, I was not one jot afraid, but told them they were fure to get safe to Land, and the ship to a Harbour, and the Lord shewed himself kind to poor sinners.
One thing, though it seem to be of small importance, yet it runs much in my mind, and I must needs relate it; I thought that Jesus Christ said to me, that the goods should be all safe, and nothing hurt or lost by the storm, but when we came to look for our things, we mist a looking-glass and a Pistol, the glass-case was all broke and shivered in many pieces by the rouling of the ship, being in one of the Boxes or Cabbin-chests in the great Cabbin among other things, but the Glass it self was not so much as broken or crackt, and the case, though in eight or ten pieces, yet might easily be joyned and glued together, that it is not worse by a farthing, which seems to me very admirable; I told Captain Stoakes of it, and desired him, if possible, to help me to my Pistol, he examined them about it, but it could not be heard of, till the very day the ship was going out of the Harbour, and then somebody that had it, could not be quiet till he brought it out, [Page 14]to let us see how weak our faith and confidence is in the Lord, and that he will perform with his poor servants to a Title of his promise.
I know that usually dreams follow mens natural inclination, or their daily conversation, as in Pharaohs Butler and Baker, they dreamed of wine and baskets of meat, matters about which they were ordinarily imployed, Gen. 40. and I having been in a continued meditation of Jesus Christ his love, power, bowels of pity towards his members, it was most likely, that if I dreamed of any thing I should dream of him, as many times upon the Sabboth night I have dreamed that I was in the very same company, and at the same exercises as I was upon the day; and indeed the consideration of Christs humanity, his being at Sea, and his experimental knowledg of our miseries much supported me; how many prayers did we put up for a safe passage, which though they do not move the Lord by any eloquence, as an Orator moves his hearers, yet they move the Lord, as the cries of children make the bowels of their Parents yern towards them; and we must distinguish between shadows and substances; dreams are but the appearances of things which are not; natural dreams are either sinful, deceitful and vain, as Isa. 29.8. the hungry thirsty man dreams, that he eats and drinks, but he awakes, and his soul is faint for food; or else they are representations of things past, which were really done; or things to come, which falls out accordingly; and the matter of the dream is principally to be regarded; some Christians have had difficult places of Scripture expounded to them in their dreams, as they have told me.
Therefore although dreams which are natural and ordinary, be of little or no account, yet extraordinary dreams many times prove true; as if one cry in his dream or be so fast asleep that he feels not pinching, when the Imagination is so extraordinarily powerful, and that the party dreaming is confidently perswaded that it will come to pass, it commonly proves accordingly, as that of Katharin de Medicis Queen of France, who dreamed that Hen. the second should be killed at the Tilt, and said she would venture her soul upon it. And so he was killed by a Scots man, Montgomery, as she dreamed. Petrarch in Padova dreamed that a Scorpion stung him to death, that was in one of the Lyons that stand before a statue which they fondly call Sancta Justina; the next morning he told his dream, went thither and put in his hand into the hole, and out came a Scorpion which [Page 15]poysoned him, whereof he died: the great Souldier Farese the night before he dyed, dreamed that he was drowned, and that his Saint Christopher could not carry him over the River, and the next day the Ferry-boat sunk, and he was drowned.
In 1629. Christina a Protestant Marquesses Daughter in Poland dreamed that Jesus Christ had told her comfortable things for the Protestants, as the good success of the King of Sweden, the death of the Emperors General Walsten; and that it might be the better believed, she should dye four days and revive again; one Minister Coturnius slighted it as a delusion and vain fancie; she told him that God was angry with him, and such a day his only child should die and himself presently after, which both proved true; she likewise fell into a Trance for eight and fourty hours, and then revived and foretold victories of the King of Sweden, but that God would take him away, because the people began to make a God of him, and thought him to be invincible. She dreamed that she was married to Jesus Christ, and that she had a Crown of Glory promised her if she could persevere in the faith, and told her she would be mockt and scoft at by many who would not believe but that such visions proceeded from imagination, melancholy humours, or weakness of brain, but bade her not be discouraged, shewing her a cup of blood, which he said he would pour upon those that persecute his servants; and that she prayed very earnestly for the salvation of a deer friend of hers who was in arms against the Protestants, but that she could not prevail for the salvation of any of her friends, but only for her self, and that night the same party died; she likewise in her dream saw two great persons coming to be judged, one a Papist who had prayed much to his St. Francis, and desired to be admitted into Heaven, but Jesus Christ bad him go to Hell to Saint Francis, whither he was immediately dragged; and the other was a Protestant, who argued for his salvation because he fought against the Papists, and the Ministers assured him of Heaven: Jesus Christ, said he, will put out his candle in Germany, for it gives a false light, it shines without, but it is full of filth and self-righteousness within: she likewise saw a man upon a Tree adored by many; and some Lyons came to the Tree and pluckt it down, and an Eagle was flying away, which the Lyons caught, and toar in pieces, and asking Jesus Christ the [Page 16]meaning of that vision, he told, that the man was that horrid beast the Pope of Rome my capital enemy, not a Pastor, but a Woolf, that says, behold I am set aloft, who dare come to touch me? the Lyons are the French, English, Swedes, Hollanders, Venetians and others that shall pluck down the proud beast, and pour out my wrath upon her, and her adherents, and that it should begin about 1650. and be compleat by 1666. in her sleep she was heard to say; welcome Husband, and laughed heartily, and as she awaked, she said, farewell dear Husband, and she dreamed many things more which fell out accordingly, being a vertuous child, naturally merry.
In 1633. she was married in Lesno in Poland, and most of the Ministers in Germany have subscribed to it, for they seriously consulted about it, and sent into Holland and Geneva, for assistance and advice, and the result of the conference (which Mr. Deodate shewed me at Geneva) came to this; in Christinaes dream, they did believe there was a Divine light: for first the young Lady was regenerate, and very zealous for the glory of God, so there was a good life in the person dreaming: Secondly, there was a full perswasion of heart that it was from God, and it would prove true: Thirdly, there was a certitude in the event, the party was not deceived, for it proved so, and it was likewise their judgements, that in a time of general persecution, or some extraordinary eminent danger, God might and did many times speak comfortable things to his people in dreams, as in the late Bohemian Wars, many Calvinists were admonisht in their dreams to go to places of security, which they attending, were safe from the enemy; as the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and bad him flee with Jesus Christ into Egypt, Mat. 2.13. and others that neglected such dreams have afterwards repented it.
The Lord keep us all that were made partakers of so great a mercy, in an humble believing and thankful posture, that we may spend the remainder of our new lives in the zeal of his service, as those that having their lives prolonged so extraordinarily are exceedingly obliged more then others to walk answerably to so great a mercy.