I have here presented to you a small Booke called, A Warning-peece for all England; which I would de­sire all true Christians to hearken to it; and being fore-warned by those wonderfull Examples of Al­mightie Gods heavie Iudgements, which I shall here relate unto you, that hath happened in this our Na­tion of late, that you may be here­after fore-warned by Prayer to pre­vent & stop the heavie wrath of God, which deservedly is like to be poured out upon us all.

This is no Fable, nor invented [Page]Story, which is here to bée related, but such truths, that thousands can witnesse it: but now adayes many folks in this our Nation, are so hard of beliefe, that they will not beléevs unlesse they sée; who are like Thomas Didimus, or like those People in Noahs time, that all the time he was building the Arke, would not beléeve the Floud, till such time as it came upon them and drowned them all.

So in these our times, wée have heard of the Iudgements that Al­mighty GOD hath sent in this our Nation, and yet we will not beléeve it; and if we did, we never strove by hearty Prayer and sound Repent­ance to kéepe the like from us: but to our great griefe, we have of late both séen, heard, and felt the Won­ders and Iudgements of the Lord here amongst us; and yet our hearts are as hard as ever they were: and so stiffe-necked we are, that we will not humble our selves, nor bow down neither our necks nor our knées by Prayer to the Lord our GOD, that he may stop his Wrath and Iudge­ments, and withdraw his heavie [Page 11]hand from this sinfull and prophane Nation.

How many sad and wofull Acci­dents hath there befallen many peo­ple since the beginning of this pre­sent Yeare, by hanging, drowning, and killing themselves, and one ano­ther? It may justly be called a yeare of Wonder and Admiration, the like whereof hath not in any age béene known.

Therefore, all you that are true Christians, and loves the Name of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I desire you all that read or heare this Booke, to love, honour, and feare that great God of Gods, and King of Kings, who by his Almighty pow­er can make the Earth shake and tremble, and the Foundations of the Hills to move, as you shall finde it written in the 18 Psalme (when David called upon the Lord to deli­ver him from his Enemies) and the 11, 12, and 13 verses; Hee made Darknesse his secret place, his Pavillion round about him were darke Waters, and thick Clouds of the Skies: At the brightnesse that was before him his [Page]thick Clouds passed, Haile-stones and Coales of Fire: The Lord also Thun­dred in the Heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; Haile-stones, and Coals of Fire.

The LORD hath a long time spoken to this sinfull Nation, by the voyce of the Gospell, and by his Mi­nisters; which we not regarding, he now begins to speake loud to us, by the terrible voyce of Thunder and Lightning, which many places of this our Land hath of late felt; as for example:

On the twentieth of June last, at a place called Laughton, a Towne in Cheshire, there happened such a tempestuous storme of Thunder, Lightning, and Haile, in the Church of that Towne, that amazed all the People therein, killed a great many in the said Church, to the num­ber of eleven, and also hurt many: Whilst the Minister was executing his place, there came a flash of fire into the Pulpit, which struck him downe, but God be praised it did him no hurt. It is a wonderfull Relati­on concerning the passages of it: for [Page]they that were strucken dead, never groaned, nor spoke not a word before they dyed; and some that sat next them never hurt, and yet touched them, to the astonishment of all those that saw it: Some were strucken and lay for dead, but recovered a­gaine; and others were wounded, and dyed since: there was a Child in the Mothers armes killed with the flash­ing of Lightning, and the Mother not hurt.

In severall places of this our Na­tion, there was Houses and Barnes burned and shattered down, & many great Trées torne up by the rootes.

At Greenwich in Kent▪ there hap­pened such a Storme of Thunder, Lightning, and Haile, that it broake not only many glasse-windowes, but it broake downe the tops of many Houses in the said Town, and over­threw the gates of the Parke by the violence thereof.

At Uxbridge, by the violence of the Thunder, it threw a great doore of from the hinges, & broke a great part of the house, a man being at the doore blew him down, yet did him no harm▪

[Page] Also, at Westchester, the side of a Church was beaten downe, but did no hurt.

At Ingerstone in Essex, a péece of that Stéeple was beaten down, and a Pillar of the Church.

Thrée Maids being together dis­puting one with another, one of thē having a Bible in her hand, which Maid was a Papist, it is said immè­diatly came a flash of lightning and struck her dead, and the other two had no harme, nor the Bible hurt.

Besides, in sundry places, Hogs, Shéep, Oxen, Horses, & divers other Cattle, were killed in this tempest of Thunder, Lightning, & Haile, Great stormes & showers of Haile & Raine in some places, and in some none at all; in some Townes the people hath séen the stormes and showers round about them, and no Raine at all with them: There hath béene great harme done by the floods & waters in some places, and within five miles a­gaine, great want of raine & water, to refresh the thirsty land, which wanted.

Now, you may sée the wonders of [Page 9]the Lord, & the power of the Almigh­ty; some of those Haile-stones that fell, 'tis reported by many credible people that they were as big as egs, & very Icie and hard, some had the print of a Rose and Crowne, & some the print of Death.

A most miserable sad Accident happened in the Church and Towne of South-Okenton in Essex, the 21 of this instant June, about six a cloke at night, at which time was heard a most terrible great Thunder, with much Lightning: it burned a Barne full of Corne downe to the ground, and then tooke hold of the Church, burned a great part of the same, mel­ted the Bells and Lead of the Stée­ple, and dispersed the same in little péeces all about the Church.

The tenth of June last, it was such a storme in Wales in Glamorgan-shire in Breknoc-shire, & divers other parts of that County, that by the storme & flood that fell after, it drowned many sellers of salt, & carried away many fields of corne & hay; & to the wonder & astonishment of all that heares it, it carried away 7 dwelling-houses [Page]in one place, & 5 in another, & a great bridge; it carried not only the houses, but the people & all that was in thē, a sad wofull sight to behold.

The Lord destroyed the world in Noahs time with a flood, & he destroy­ed Sodom & Gomorrah with fire and brimston, & he made a Covenant that hee would not destroy the world no more by water: he hath kept his Co­venant with us, but how many Co­venants, Oathes, and Protestations have we broaken with him? Let us consider with our selves, & not pro­voke the Lord our God, he shews us by these signes & wonders, that he is the ssame God, & that he hath the seas & waters at his cōmand; he shews us that fire & water are his ministring spirits to extend y ^e viols of his wrath on al rebellious & stiff-necked people

The Foolish hath said in their heart (saith David) that there is no God; I am afraid, that in these sad and mi­serable times, that there are too ma­ny of such Opinions in this our Na­tion, that doe not stick to speake it openly, and say, that all things comes by Nature, and there is neither God [Page]nor Devil: but I desire all true Chri­stians to beware of such Atheists; for though they shall not have the happinesse to sée there is a God, yet they shall acknowledge one day, to their everlasting sorrow, that they then féel the powerfull hand of God in punishing of such Blasphemy; and that there is a God that can cast thē into that place, where they shall sée there is a Devill to torment and pu­nish all such Blasphemers. You sée the Lord begins to speak loud to us, to make us know there is a God, and that he will be feared by all sorts of People.

How many severall Warnings hath the LORD sent to this our sinfull Nation? First, he sent the Pestilence amongst us, which swept away thousands; and hath not the Sword a long time bin amongst us, insomuch that we have sheathed it in one anothers bowels? hath not the Father bin against the Sonne, and the Sonne against the Father, and one Brother against another? We know not how soone the Lord may send a Famine amongst us, for all we [Page]have such plenty now, the Lord bée praised.

Hath not the Almighty shewed Wonders in the Heavens above, and Signe [...] in the Earth below; and will none of all these soften and molli­ [...]ie our stonie-hearts, to séeke the Lord our God by unfained Prayer, and sound Repentance, and never let him go, as Jacob did when he wrest­led with him, hee would not let him goe till he had blessed him, as you may read, in Gen. 32.26.

Beloved Friends, I would not have you think, that those on whom the hand of the Lord hath fallen by these accidents, are greater Sinners then we; for remember what Christ saith in the 23 Chap. of Luke, spea­king of those eightéene on whom the Tower of Siloe fell; for, saith he, Un­lesse ye Repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Therefore let us take war­ning by those examples, for we know not whose turne it is next.

Prayer is the safest B [...]lwarke that we shall find in these times, to protect us against all our Enemies; if any thing wil prevaile with God, [Page]to stop his Wrath, which is like to be poured out upon this land, it must be by that means. When Jonah pro­claimed yet forty dayes and Nini­veh shall be destroyed, yet by Prayer & Fasting the Lord repented him of the evill he pretended, and he did it not; as you may read in the 3 of Jo­nah; againe, you may read in Martin Luthers time, one had made a Cove­nant with the Devill, & had sealed a Bond with his blood, and delivered it to him, and when he had made it known to Martin Luther, of his sad condition; by Prayer that zealous Father prevailed so much with God, that the Devill was forced to come and deliver the Bond up, and so sav­ed this poore Soule, which was as it were almost lost.

By Prayer Joshua prevailed with God, that the Sun and Moone stood still till he had avenged hims [...]fe of his Enemies, as you may read in Joshua 9.13.

By Prayer Moses prevailed with God, so that he destroyed not the peo­ple, as he intended, when they made the molten Calfe, & worshipped it: [Page 12]But pray heare what the Lord said unto Moses, Let me alone that I may destroy this people, Exod. 33.10. So that you may sée that Prayer did, as it were, binde the hands of God, so that he could not destroy the people, by reason Moses prayer was so fer­vent to him for them.

By Prayer the Plague ceased in Davids time, & by Prayer and Repen­tance he had his sins forgiven.

There is a many that are living at this present, that can remember how wonderfully God did aflict the City of London, and divers other places in this our Nation, by his Scourge of Pestilence, but yet by their earnest Prayers and Suppli­cations to Almighty God, it pleased the Lord to stay his hand.

Nay, what is it that Prayer will not do, if it be done with earnestnes and sincerity? Therefore I desire all true Christians whatsoever, whether they bee rich or poore, old or young, to arme themselves by Prayer and Repentance, against the Assaults of the Devill; that they may not run head-long to ruine and [Page 13]despaire, as many of late hath done since this Yeare begun, and made away themselves, to the great grief of their friends.

Likewise, arme your selves by Prayer and Supplications to Al­mighty GOD, in the Name of Ie­sus Christ our blessed Saviour, and you néed not feare what man can doe against you, for hee hath promised Mercy to all those that call upon his Name.

When had we not more néed of Prayer, and when was it lesse used then now; some holds it superstition to use the forme of Prayer, but let them poore soules that hath not the Spirit of Prayer, let them séeke by Forme of Prayer, for the Lord will hearken to the cryes of his People: I called unto the Lord (said David) and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my troubles.

Againe I say, arme your selves by Prayer and Repentance, and you néed not feare Thunder and Light­ning, Sword, Pestilence, nor Fa­mine: it will be your best Buckler in the time of Warre, it will be your [Page]best Physician against sicknesse, it will be a good Store-house for you in the time of Famine; and so I conclude, in that short Prayer that once was used in the Church of Eng­land; in which I am perswaded no good Christian can say that there is any hurt.

From Lightning and Tempest, from Plague, Pestilence, and Famine, Good Lord deliver us.