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mans. And this Hegifippus and Dio observe to have been done on the Sabbath-day, in September, about forty years after Christ's death.

And doth not that prophetical commination concern us, as well as the Jews? And have we not cause to fear the accomplishment of it for the breach of the Christian Sabbath? Yes, we have found it to be true. Some impartial obfervers of God's judgments in the world have remarked, that this fin, viz. the breach of the fourth command, by the profane neglect of God's worship upon the Lord's day, and the fpending of this time in open works of impiety, hath been frequently vifited upon cities and private perfons, by confuming fires that have happened upon this day: Of which many inftances might be given in this fame ifland, as well as other parts of the world. That fiery predic tion against Jerufalem hath been oftener than once fulfilled and executed upon the two capital cities thereof, many of whofe inhabitants have been as guilty of profaning the day fet apart for God's fervice as ever the Jews were. In London this vice reigned, and there it was dreadfully punished with a furious and aftonishing fire in the year 1666, which laid the most part of that great city, with its faireft churches and buildings, in rubbifb, in three days fpace: And it is remarkable, that that dreadful fire broke forth on the Lord's day very early in the morning, being the fecond day of September,

Likewife in Edinburgh, where Sabbath breaking very much abounded, (as appears by ths acts of affembly made against that fin) the fairest and itatelieft of its buildings, in the Parliament clofs, and about it, (to which fcarce any in Britain were comparable) were on the fourth of February 1700 (being the Lord's day) burnt down and laid in afhes, and ruins, in the space of a few hours, to the astonishment and terror of the forrowful inhabitants; whereof I myfeif was an eye. witnefs: And the effects of that fire are vifible to this day. Yea, fo great was the terror and confufion of that Lord's day, that the people of the city were in no cafe to attend any fermon or public worship upon it, though

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though there was a great number of worthy minifters convened in the place, (befide the reverend ministers of the city) ready to have prayed with or preached to the people on that fad occafion; for the General Affembly was fitting there at the time: But the difmal case of the city made this impracticable: However the Lord himself, by that filent Sabbath, did loudly preach to all the inhabitants of the city, fetting forth to them, in a most awakening manner, the great fin and danger of irreligious neglecting of God's worship upon the Lord's day, and profaning it, "by doing their own works, and finding their own pleafures "

I have read of the town of Stratford upon Avon, that it was twice, upon the Lord's days, almoft confumed with fire, chiefly for prophaning the Lord's day, and contemning his word in the mouth of his faithful minifter. The like alfo might be told of feveral towns in Scotland.

Dr Beard, in his theatre of God's judgements, tells us of the town of Feverton in Devonshire, that was often admonished by her godly paftor, that God would bring fome heavy judgement upon the inhabitants of that place, for their profanation of the Lord's day, occafioned chiefly by preparing for their weekly market, which they then held on the Monday. Accordingly, very foon after the faid minifter's death, on the 3d of April, 1598, God fent a terrible fire, which in lefs than half an hour confumed the whole town, except the church, the court-houfe, alms-houfes, and a few poor people's dwellings; where a man might have feen four hundred dwelling houfes all at once on fire, and above fifty perfons confumed in the flames. But the remaining inhabitants not taking warning by the former judgement, but continuing in the fame fin, the town was again fired on the 5th of Auguft 1612, (fourteen years after the former fire) and all confumed, except a few poor houfes. The hiftorian adds, that they are blind who see not in this the finger of God: and he prays grace to the people of that city, when it is next built, to change their market day, and to remove all occafions of profaning the Lord's day.

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Dr Twifs on the Sabbath, relates a paffage that happened in Bedford-fhire, not long before his writing that book. A match at foot-ball being appointed on the Sabbath afternoon, whilft two of the moft forward were in the belfrey, tolling of a bell, to call the company together, there was fuddenly heard a clap of thunder, and a flash of lightning was feen by fome that fat in the church porch, coming through a dark lane, which flashed in their faces, and much terrified them: And, paffing through the porch into the belfrey, it tripped up his heels that was tolling the bell, and ftruck him ftark dead; and the other that was with him was fo forely blafted therewith, that fhortly after he died alfo.

Mr Clark, in his father's life, p: 128, hath a very ftrange paffage, to this purpofe. Mr Hugh Clark preaching at Oundle in Northampton-fhire, where the people were generally very ignorant, and much addicted to the profanation of the Lord's day, by Whitfon ales, Morice dances, and fuch pastimes, which he much fet himself against, endeavouring to convince them of the evil, and denouncing God's judgments against them in cafe of perfeverance: But they being trained up in those courfes, and hardened by custom, perfifted still in their wickedness. At last, on a Lord's day, the leader of the dance, being a lufty young man, in the midst of their profane paftimes, fell down fuddenly, and died; but they, foon fhaking off their fear, returned to their vomit. again.

The Lord's day following, Mr Clark took occafion, rom this fad difpenfation, to quote the forecited text, Jer. xvii. 27. "If thou wilt not hearken unto me, to hallow the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire," &c. But the people kicked against these admonitions, and that fame evening went to their fports again; among whom was a fmith that was a chief ringleader : But it pleafed God, the very next day, two husband men coming to his fhop to fharpen their plough fhares, a fpark from the red-hot iron, as he was beating it upon the anvil, flew into the thatch, which both the faith and his neighbours faw, but had no power to move towards it; which prefently burnt down the fmith's shop, VOL. IV.

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houfe, and all his goods. This Mr Clark preffed upon their confciences: but nothing would prevail, till at last, upon a Sabbath day at night, when they were retired to their feveral homes, there was heard a great noife, and rattling of chains up and down the town, which was accompanied with such a smell and stink of fire and brimstone, that many of their guilty confciences fuggested to them, that the devil was come to fetch them away: And now, and not till now, they began to think in good earnestnefs of a reformation.

Mr Clark, in his examples, tells us of one Mr Abberly, a godly minifter in Burton upon Trent, who took occafion often to reprove and threaten Sabbath breakers, especially fuch as fold and bought meat upon Sabbath day mornings, a practice too common in that place. Nevertheless, there was a taylor, that dwelt in the upper end of the town, who would go through the long ftreet (as it were in a bravado) to the other end of the town, and fetch home meat on the Lord's day morning; but as he returned with both his hands full, in the midst of the street he fell down ftark dead. I was (faith Dr Teate) an eye-witness, both of his fall and burial: And it pleased God thereby to work some reformation, both among the butchers and others.

Alfo he relates, from one Mr Falconer, minister of Burford near Salisbury, a fearful example of God's juftice, about the year 1635. A prophane company of young men, on the Lord's day, early in the morning, went to Claringdon park, to cut down a May-pole; and having loaden the cart with it, at Milner's Bars, entering into the city of Salisbury, one of the cartwheels fell into a rut, which made the young tree in the cart (which they had stole for a May pole) to give a great furge on one fide, fo that it ftruck one of the company fuch a blow on the head, that it beat out his brains, and he inftantly died on the place, and lay there a fearful spectacle of God's wrath, both against that heathenish sport and wilful prophaning of the Sabbath; whilft he maketh the very thing they had chofen for their sport and pastime, to be the inftrument of executing his fury. The author faith, that he diligently en

quired after the truth of this matter, at his firft going to Sarum; and many godly and credible perfons, who had feen that fad fpectacle, in his hearing attested it to be fo as above narrated.

Alfo, in the county of Devon, one Edward Ameridith, a gentlemen, having been pained in his feet, and being fomewhat recovered, one faid unto him, He was glad to see him so nimble, Ameridith replied, That he doubted not but to dance about the May pole next Lord's day; but, before he moved out of that place, he was fmitten with fuch feebleness of heart, and dizzinefs in his head, that, defiring help to carry him to an houfe, he died before the Lord's day came..

Dr Twifs on the Sabbath, tells, That at a place called Tidworth, on the Sabbath day, many being met together to play at foot-ball in the church yard, one had his leg broke, which presently gangrening, he forthwith died thereof. Likewife at Alcefter in Warwickshire, a lufty young woman (upon the coming forth of the declaration for sports) went on the Sabbath day to a green not very far off, where the faid, fhe would dance as long as fhe could ftand: But, while fhe was dancing, God ftruck her with a violent disease, whereof, within two or three days after, fhe died.

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Beard in his theatre, writes of a certain nobleman, that used to go a hunting on the Lord's day in time of fermon, who had a child by his wife with a head like a dog, and it howled like a hound.

I fhall conclude with one example more from Mr Clark. He gives account of a godly minifter, that one day was preaching, and earnestly prefling the fanctification of the Sabbath; and, in his fermon, he had occafion to make mention of that man, that, by the fpecial commandment of God, was stoned to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. Whereupon one in the congregation was fo wicked, as to rife up and laugh; yea, made all the hafte he could out of the church, and went to gathering of fticks, though he had no need of them: But, when the people came out from the fermon, they found him in their way, lying ftark dead, with the bundle of flicks in his arms. Thefe inftances

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