THe Land of England hath for these many years been account­ed the Land of Wonders. Er­rors and Divisions prevailing, the Angels of the Churches have been dumb; but will you now hear the strange [Page 4]Visions, and the tidings which an Angel, (who is a Ministring Spirit) hath Re­v [...]aled for future times, for the better settlement of many discontented spirits in this Kingdom.

MAster James Wise Minister of Green­way in the County of York, seven miles from the City thereof; walking some few miles to visit a friend of his not far from Greenway where his Parsonage was, did méet in the way with another Minister to whom having communicated his mind, and being both full of pensive thoughts; Mr. Greenway having taken his leave of him, Beheld, where before his face there appeared many strange Vi­sions which might have amazed any other Spirit but his alone, who was throughly exercised in all works of Devotion and Humility; yet he could not be so much master of himself, but at the sight of the first Vision which appeared to him with a Cross in his hand, he trembled down up­on his knées, and hearing a voice that by this you shall overcome, he sell prostrate on his face, and ignorantly worshipped that, which before he too profanely didneg­lect.

In this great distresse both of Body and of Mind, he continued for some cer­tain hours; and another Vision, which carrying a great Splendor with it appear­ing, he lay on the ground (dank as if then was) for the space of an hour, till some honest men, who knew him, passing by, did-raise him from the ground, and desi­red to know the reason of that his so me­lancholly distemper.

He then looking up, as from a Trance, acknowledged that he had séene many strange Visions during the time of that Trance, and they desiring him to return to his own House, because he looked so ex­treamly ill; he beséeched them to let him alone for he did believe, that by a pecu­liar appointment he came forth, a selected man to observe those events which would be of great concernment to this King­dom.

Some there were by, who hereupon did urge him with more perswasions to go home, and buy some warme Meats to strengthen and refresh his weak and mis­guided thoughts, to whom he said, he was never better in all his life; and if they but knew the least of that with which he was [Page 6]then possessed with, and could but appre­hend, and behold what he saw and beheld, they would not part with the least portion of that Spiritual Felicity, for all the En­dowments which the World should give them.

His friends standing in admiration of him; and the Evening drawing on, they parted from one another, and Mr. Wise­man having taken his leave of them, and thanked them for their courtesie, returned towards his own Parsonage of Greenway. He had not gone above the length of halfe an Acre, but an Angel, as dazeling to be­hold, as impossible to express, did encoun­ter him on the way, and touching him with a white Wand, said unto him,

Be of courage and fear not, beloved, and defended by the Powers above. Thou hast séen many things unrevealed to other men; and it will be thy happiness to sée a great part of them fulfilled.

Dost not thou see so many Crawling and Ob [...]rious things that are returning to curle themselves in their own beds again, They are the many Seditions, Factions, and Heresies, which having béen permit­ted to come out of the Monstrous Wombs [Page 7]of Ignorance, Rebellion, and Confusion, are now returning to their own Center: They left Hell empty to people this Na­tion, and to speak truth, there was more Order in Hell without them, then there was lately in your Nation with them.

Who it was that called them into this Land, and did awaken them from their old beds to disease and disrest them, this is not a fit place nor time to reveale; We have a Catalogue of their names above in Heaven, and they hang in Files on the Infernal Rolls.

The World was made in Order, and it is Order only that will preserve it. There must bee a Superiority, and a power Superintendant our all the rest: Look but on your owe hand, and you will confess, that it were a very unfit Instru­ment if the fingers were all of an equall length.

Mr. Wiseman hearing as well the voice, as observing the admirable splendor of the Angel, remained as a thing lost betwixt Amazements and Fears; when by and by the Angel departing from him & giving him a gentle brush with his silver Wings at his departure, Mr. VViseman did séem [Page 8]to be more incouraged thereby, and looking round about him, and resolving to go home with all the spéed that a body so old as his would permit; he sound his hope to be in­treached upon by despair, for to his ap­pearance the Sun (it being then but four in the afternoon) began to lose his light as if it had béen but a short day [...]t the begin­ning of January; his absence was atten­ded with many thick Clouds of darknesse; and to make his words and his fears the greater these Clouds séemed to be of se­veral complexions.

Sometimes they séemed to be of a du­skish pale colour, as is the colour of the Earth; sometimes again of a dark gréen, and blew, such as is the colour of the Sea; sometimes Azure, as is the colour of the Elements; and sometimes of an angry Red, as is the colour of the Fire.

The Clouds that were of a duskish co­lour represented several forms, and dull conditions of many persons with their Arms folded up, as if they would be con­tent with any Government, provided they could but kéep their gold, and the dul trea­sures of the Earth with them.

There were also many men and crea­tures to be séen in the dark gréen and blue colour; and there were swarms of Bats flying like Independants in the Ayre, too wise to own Earth and too weak of wing to fly aloft to Heaven.

That which did most [...]ffect him, were many choice and gallant bodies of Azure colour, and some of perfect White, all dif­fering in their stature, but resembling one another in their degrées, as well in their Honour as in their Innocence.

And it is to be observed, that as they were all distinct from one another, as wel by their Voices as Complexions; so there was no where any true Harmony to be found but in these only.

The last Creatures in the Clouds were some of a Scarlet, and some of a Purple Complexion; some of them in long Coats from their shoulders down to their Féet were walking up and down the Stréets and whispering Treason; and because they had not their own Order, they would admit of no Order. A wretched Generation of men, they looked most of them like Citizens, and knew neither how to govern, nor to be governed.

But those in Scarlet were most of them on foot, and armed either with Pike or Musquet, and looked very superciliously, as if they would give Laws to those men, who of themselves would observe no Laws but their own.

The sight of so many persons, so strange in their Tempers, as in their Complexi­ons, and Habits, did wondefully perplex Mr. Wiseman; but a voice was heard, the Lord is thy Guide, which voyce did give a new Incouragement unto him, when behold a battle in the Ayre, Eagles sought against Griffins, and Bears a­gainst Boars, Tygers against Lions, and Wolves against Leopards, the num­ber on both sides séem'd to be infinite and would have amazed the sight, but behold, in lesse then an hours space they vanished: And men sought against men, both on Horse-back and Foot, they all fought like Lions; but they who carried their Lions Passant in their designes, were un­doubtedly the Conquerors.

After this, there was to be séen a Ci­ty all on fire, a great City, and although of innumerable buildings, yet hardly able to containe her people. And after that a [Page 11]Cloud of Dismall Smoake which for a while waving up and down, there appear­ed at the last a finger of fire, which point­ing to Mr. Wiseman, he drew néere unto it, and heard a voice which commanded him to go home, and declare unto the world this ensuing Prophesie.

WE read in the holy Scri­pture that the ground opening swallowed up the rebellious Corah, Dathan, and Abiram; this was a fearful judg­ment, at which all the whole Tribes of Israel were amazed and silenced. The like we read in many Hi­stories; and the sad punishment in the like nature which befell this Woman in Derby shire is most memorable.

Her name was Dorothy Matley, a woman noted for pilfering and defrauding her neighbours, but above all her most grie­vous sin of imprecation; for when she had wronged any of her Neighbours, which she would do often, and was re­proved by them for it she would pre­sently fall a ranting and cursing bitterly, and wish that the ground might open and swallow her alive, if she had done any such thing.

It so fell out, that on Saturday on the 23. of March last she had purloyned from a poor boy two single pence, the boy missing of his money complained to his Mother, and told her that Dorothy Matley had got it from him; his Mother coming to her, found her washing and purging of Lead-Ore from the Rubbish with which it was digged up, and de­manded the two single pence of her, but she most wretchedly denyed it, and wished that the ground might open, and that she might sink alive into it, if she had it, when behold the just judgement of God, for im­mediately at that very instant the ground did open and swallowed her▪ who per­ceiving whether she was a going made a [Page 16]dismal cry and noise, but it was in vain, for the ground gaping swallowed her self and the Tub in which she was washing, did suddenly close again.

The neighbours, and some that knew did dig for her body, and found it a great way in the Earth, but as for the Tub in which she washed, they could not find it, although they digged deep for it.

This was a dreadful judgement, and may serve for an example to all the God dammers of our times; and to all other that are guilty of the like Imprecations: therefore let them consider of this and re­pent least they be torn in pieces, as the Prophet Daved hath it, and there be none to deliver them.