IF beloued, the sundrie and manifold examples of Gods indignation powred vpon vs, which we through our intol­lerable heapes of iniquities haue deserued be extinct, and that through his owne intyre mercy and vnspeakeable cle­mencie withdrawing his hea­uie displeasure, from our heads, we become forget­ful of his goodnes sleeping in sinne, drencht in the depth of our desires, and wallowing in iniquities. Let this rare and wonderfull spectacle of our vtter decaie, and ruinous subuersion be an admonition, a caueat, yea and an alarum to awake vs from our sinful and sluggish sléeping, least the condigne wrath of our Lord and sauiour come vpon vs before we bée aware, but vnwares we cannot account it, in so­much as he sendeth, giueth, and sheweth innumera­ble signes of his heauie displeasure euen in a moment to fall vpon vs, aswell in other signes as in this sight, the very report wherof but little read, and lightly regarded, may be sufficient to reclaime the most sinnefull, and hard harted creature.

On Saterday being the 25. of September, last past, at the Hay in Herefordshier was sene so rare a sight as neither our forefathers haue knowne, nor we our selues heard of. For there arose sodenlye a most wonderfull and cruell tempest, with such a­boundant high waters, that the whole countrie was [Page] not onely greatly amazed therwith, but also in dan­ger of drowning: besides the losse of great and plen­teous store of Corne and Cattell, wherewith they were indued: at which instant there appeared also a most wonderfull and dreadfull sight of two great cloudes, the one being blacke, which arising, issued from the North the other being white, came from the South part, which meeting together seemed, to rend the Skie with their ratling, in such vnusuall sort, that it brought a most rare and terrible terrour to the beholders. In the middest of which cloudes, opposite with the earth did visibly appeare, there si­tuated a faire greene Field, as it had beene of feirne, in which field dispersed was seene flying an innume­rable companie of blacke Crowes, and other Foules which continuing a certaine time, sent foorth moste dreadfull straunge and wonderful cryes, no lesse rare to be recited then lamentable to regard: being in al­titude to the iudgement of the beholders not aboue 30. fadomes from the earth: with a verye obscure and darke continuance: and not long before the vanishing of these cloudes, was heard so rare and horrible roa­ring (as if it had beene) the cryes of beares and lyons: yea and that so terrible that it was rather iudged to haue beene the skritching of some maleuolent hellish and furious fiends: these presupposed Crowes were of diuers credible persons visiblye seene to rent and teare whole houses, barnes, and stables, yea and to pull out whole and huge trees by the rootes, in a most rare and wonderfull manner ransacked and dispersed into diuerse places, yea and after a moste dreadfull sight some of the rafters and peeces therof, were carried vp into the aire, and after that neuer sithens seene, with great store of corne which at that [Page] time was carried away: Likewise such hauoke made, of trees that had stood a long time, as woulde almost exceede a truth to be spoken of, some were pulled vp by the rootes and cast a bow shot from the place, other some cut as it had beene with an axe or saw, and o­ther some so straungely writhen as the like hath not beene seene of our forefathers nor hard of our selues. Moreouer, and besides al this, was sene a most rare and terrible stratagem and perfect paterne of our impietie, for the which vnlesse spéedie and suppliant prayers be lifted vp vnto our Lord, that it may please him of his infinite goodnes and mercie, to bee fauou­rable vnto vs, we are and shall be in daunger of his heauie displeasure: from the which God for his infi­nite goodnes and mercies sake deliuer vs: At that instant I say beloued, there was seene of diuerse cre­dible persons a most huge, great and vgly black dogg, who running along in the presence of manye behol­ders, rent, toare, and pulled vp whole trees by the rootes, most wonderfull to looke vpon, which did so a­maze and terrifie the inhabitants there about, that they expected nothing els, but that dolefull and dis­mall day of Doome, I meane the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, which no doubt ne­ther is nor can be far off. Many other rare and great tempests about that time were seene in Deuonshier and diuers other places: the verie rumour whereof may of it selfe without further witnes, bee sufficient to withdraw vs from our most obstinate, sinfull, and wicked lustes and determinations, wherby we heape vpon our heads the heauie wrath and indignation of our Sauiour Christ, who I say (beloued) except wee spéedily repent and cal for grace, the multitude of our sinnes dayly increasing more and more, will suffer [Page] his wrath to fall vpon vs. Looke how farre the East is from the West, so far hath he set our sinnes from vs, to thend we might repent and sinne no more, yea euen as a father pittieth his owne children, so hath he compassion on vs, and fauourably admonisheth vs by diuerse examples of his indignation, to abolish these our manifold sinnes: In somuch as with Ieru­salem by diuerse and sundry tokens he hath manife­sted his fatherly clemencie vnto vs: yea euen as a hen gathereth her Chickins vnder her winges, so woulde he haue called vs and we would not: Verily beloued, the men of Niniuie repented at the preaching of Io­nas with ashes and sackcloth, and turned vnto the Lord, who had pittie and compassion on them: The Queene of the South shall arise against vs in iudge­ment, for she came to heare the wisedome of Salo­mon, and we haue greater then Salomon, or Ionas, when the Lord himselfe admonisheth vs by earth quakes, comets, and signes in the ayre: the verye Turkes, Panims, and Infidels, will arise in iudge­ment against vs, who no doubt, had they known the Lord God, or the multitude of examples that we haue sene, would haue bin conuerted. Let vs I say repent, be watchfull, and vigilant that our Lord and sauiour comming (like good stewards) we may make account of our liues, and be readie for the comming of our fa­ther, when he shall discend in his glorious maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead: and when hee shall say come ye blessed of my father, inherite the kingdome which is prepared for you from the begin­ning of the world, that then I say we may appeare al righteous before him to ascend with him into his glo­rious maiestie, there to liue and remaine with him & the father in glorie world without end.