WHether those St pendious Operations of Omnipo­tency, which dim-sighted Humanity admires by the Name of Miracles, and Infinite VVisdom made use of for Confirming and Propagating Evangelical Truths in the In [...]ancy of the Ch [...]ch, be yet totally Ceased▪ is a Disp [...]te too Abstruse and Curio [...] to be Discussed (much less Determined) by our [...]e [...]er Pen: Yet this we must declare, that the ens [...]ing Na [...]rative carries with it so much of Rarity and VVonder, that had we not been well Satisfied in the worth and Credit of the Relaters we could not have presumed to Expose it thus publickly to the VVorld without much Caution and a large Apologie.

But being amply Convinced of the Truth of the thing as to matter of Fact, we conceive it a Duty rather than Crime, to Divulg [...] [...] Register so Eminent and Signal an Accident (or rather Di [...]pensation of Providence) to the View of the pre­sent Age an notice of Posterity: Not that we are Ignorant how Obnox [...]ous generally (and sometimes for good Reason) s [...]n Relations a [...]e to Suspition and Censure, and how ready those that Pride themselves in being counted mighty VVits, as they make a Mock of Sin, are to turn the most dreadfu [...] Judgments into Scoff and Drollery; from such we may expect a Thousand Intorrogatives. As wherefore? To what end? By what means? And how? could such a strange thing as this c [...]me to pass, &c. [Page 2] But our Answer is as ready, that, Had we designed to abuse the World with a Fiction, an ordinary Invention might so Artificially have composed a Story, as might have been Plau­sible enough to Answer all the Nice Scurtinies of their wanton Imaginations: But that's a Liberty we dare not take, and only shall Nakedly set forth the Truth of the thing as it happened, and leave each Reader to make his own Gloss or Comment on it afterwards as he pleases.

IN the Town of Dumfreez (Situate in Galloway, on the South of Scotland, near the Marshes or Borders) there lately Dwelt an Antient man, of an ordinary Fortune, who in the second week of this last September, happened to fall very Sick, his Distemper seemed to be only a violent Feaver; nor was there any thing Extraordinary in it, but this: That as he was Seized with it, he declared to his VVife and Neigh­bours, that he should certainly Die of that Sickness, which continually prevailing against Languishing Nature, soon per­swaded them also to be of the same Opinion. But the very day before he departed this Life, he charged his wife to get him Buried within Three Hours after he should be Dead. This his sorrowful wife little Regarded, thinking them only to be Extravagant words that proceeded from the Distemperature of his Brain: which he obsorving, Repeated the same Injunction several times, both to her, and diverse others of his Friends; very solemnly adding, that unless they did so Bury him in that short space, they should never be able afterwards to bear away, or remove his Body. They askt him often, what he meant? And why he should say so? But could procure no Answer from him, but this, with many deep sighs, It would be so.

The Malignity of the Disease was now arrived to the height, that Nature overpoured, could no longer-resist, so that on the 28th. of the said Month of September last this poor Creature was forced to quit the Stage of this Tran [...]itory Life; Dying in a calm and ordinary Temper, without de­claring much his hopes, or betraying any symptoms of dispair.

His enfranchised Soul had no sooner quitted the Prison of his Body and was wafted to Eternity, but his Friends remem­bring his Charge of being speedily Buried, resolve to make a Truce with their Griefs, and not [...]t still stupified with an un­profitable Sorrow, but rather execute as fast as they can his dy­ing Commands in that particular: To this purpose a Coffin is immediately sent for, and the Corps as soon as said forth put into it, being placed on a Table in a Ground round, Neigh­bours are invited, and all preparation made to inter him that very Night; but the three hours were Elapst, It being almost impossible to provide all things in so small a time. At last the Company being met with Charitable intentions to bear and Accompany the body to it's long home, in the place Sacrated & set a part for that purpose, which was above half a Mile distant, when they went to take up the Coffin. Behold! It would not stir, four or five men confessed themselves too weak, and then the whole Company add their helping hands but to no purpose, the Coffin seems fixed to the Table to grow out of the Ground, rather than stand there, so that neither one nor the other could by all their strength be removed, or stirred in the least.

This accident astonishes all the Company, who having wea­ried themselves to no purpose, repair at night to their respective Habitations fill'd with Admiration, and leaving the disconso­late Widdow and her poor Children, in the House equally ore whe [...]m'd with Grief, and affrighted with this new kind of Prodigy.

Next day New Counsells were taken about carrying away this Corps, Since the Coffin could not be stirred, nor the Ta­ble moved by strength of Man, they resolve at last to try what may be done with that of Cattel; and to come at it conveni­ently are forced to pull down a wall and one side of the House, which being done, they fasten several Teems both of Oxen and Horses to the Coffin sometimes, and sometimes to the Table: But both remain still as fixed and immoveable as a Rock, and which was remarkable though the strength of the Cattle broke, most of their Tackling, yet neither the Coffin nor the Table, received the least prejudice.

They then essayed to open the Coffin and take out the Body, but that neither could be done; so that at length dispairing of any success, t [...]ey give over attempting any thing further, but a [...]i [...]e [...] the poor Woman and her C [...]ildren, to get out of the House, and so [...]eave it standing; which they did accordingly, and carried all their moveable Goods to another House in the Town.

Thus the Corps stood in the f [...]rsa [...]en Tenement for two or three days, and had as many wondring Pilgr [...]ms to visit it, out of Curo [...]ty▪ as Superstition in Fo [...]eign parts carries to the Tomb of some Celebrated [...].

At last the Land Lord of the House who dwelt some Miles distant, hearing great R [...]port of this Prodigy, came to see it; and fin [...]ing [...]ll things as we have r [...]lated, because his House by this means wa [...] rendred Incapable of being Tenanted (for who would willingly dwell in a Charnel House) and that it was be­fore old and ruinous, resolves wholly to demolish it, and build a new one in the place, and that he might be rid of this unparalleld Tomb, concludes to set the House on Fire, not do [...]bting but thereby the Coffin, Table, and Corps would tog [...]ther with the rest be so [...]n reduced to Ashes; but he pro­mi [...]ed himse [...]f too much, for when they had set [...]he House all on Flames, and the same was wholly Burnt down to the Ground. The Coffin and Table stood as before, whole firm and un­toucht.

Seeing all ways fail, some Friends of the deceased, after the House was Burnt took the pains to cast up Earth [...]bout Table, and at last have cover'd the Coffin with that Bank which yet can never hide the strangeness of the thing, b [...]t that it will remain a wonder and a Rid [...]le to fu [...]ure Generations. And such we leave it, without any impertinent di [...]qui [...]tion after the Cause of so Admirab [...]e Phen [...]non, or Saucy prying in­to the Eternal Dooms-day Book of Providence; which some­times for Reasons only known to its infinite Wisdom suffers wonderful things to come to pass, and often (as in the well known Case of Lots Wife turned into a lasting Pillar of Salt) sets up amazing Monuments of Divine Justice for Sin, to warn [Page 5] and deter others from such Crimes. Let not the Reader busie himself so much in gue [...]sing what notorious off [...]nce could cause the Infliction of so strange a punishment, or branding the Deceased Party with harsh and unwarrantable (because uncharitable) Censures, as to forget his own Duty, which is to become more Holy and more Humble, by such dreadful Examples. And so to work out [...]h [...] Sa [...]vation with Fe [...]r and T [...]em [...]ling, That when himself shall be Summoned by Death, however Providence shall dispose of his Body, His Soul may be received into the Mansions of Bliss and Glory.