among their cups; and, amongst others, the bride swore an oath. At this the bridegroom, as a man amazed, took occafion to rife from the table, ftepped forth, and going to the ftable, took a horfe, mounted, and rode away, not knowing whither. As he rode along, he bewailed himself as undone, and that deservedly; he had been fo in love, and the business fo hurried on! He faid, he had at that time reftrained prayer, and flackened his communion with God, whereas, in that grand affair he should have been doubly serious; and fo might thank himself that he was utterly undone. He sometimes thought of riding quite away. At laft, being among the woods, he led his horfe into a folitary place, tied him to a tree and betook himself to his prayers and tears, in which he fpent the afternoon. God had altered his argument of prayer; which was now for the converfion of his wife. He did not rife from prayer, without good hope of being heard. At the bride-house there was hurry enough; horfe and man (after they miffed the bridegroom) being fent every way. In the evening he returned, and enquiring where his bride was, went up to her and found her in her chamber pensive enough. She asked him, "If he had done well, to expofe her to scorn and derision all the day ?" He intreated her to fit down upon a couch by him, and he would give her an account of what he had done, and tell her the ftory of his whole life. He went over the story, not without great affection and many tears; the flood-gates of which had been opened in the wood. And ever and anon, 66 through grace, God did fo and fo for me." When he had told her his ftory, she asked him, what he meant by that word, fo often ufed in the relation,

Through grace?" and then asked him, if he thought there was no grace for her, who was fo wretched a ftranger to God? Yes, my dear, faid he, there is grace for thee; That I have been praying for this day in the wood. And God hath heard my prayer, and seen my tears, and let us now go together to him about it. Then did they kneel down by the

couch..

couch-fide, and he prayed: and fuch weeping and fupplication there was on both fides, that when they were called down to fupper, they had hardly eyes to fee with, fo fwelled were they with weeping. At fupper the bride's father (according to his custom) fwore. The bride immediately faid; "Father, I beseech you swear not." At which the bridegroom's father, in a great rage, rose from table: what (fays he) is the devil in him! hath he made his wife a Puritan already? and fwore bitterly, that he would rather set fire (with his own hands) to the four corners of his new-built house, than ever he fhould enjoy it. Accordingly he made his will, gave his fon (when he fhould die) ten pounds to cut off his claim; and gave the eftate to fome others, of whom Dr. Reeves was one. Not long after, he died. Dr. Reeves fent for the Gentleman, paid him his ten pounds, told him he had been a rebellious fon, and disobliged his father, and might thank himself. He received the ten pounds, and meekly departed. His wife (the match .was fo huddled up,) had no portion promised, at least that he knew of, who relied on his father. And fhe was also deserted by her friends: but having two hundred pounds in her own hand, that had been given her by a grandmother, they took and stocked a farm in Suffex. There Mr. Knight hath often been, and feen her, who had been highly bred, in her red waistcoat milking her cows. She was now become the great comforter and encourager of her husband. God, faid the, hath had mercy on me, and any pains-taking is pleasant to me. There they lived with much comfort, and had the bleffing of marriage, divers children. After three years, he was met on the road, in Kent, by one of the tenants of the estate, and faluted by the name of Landlord: alas! faid he, I am none of your Landlord: yes, you are, faid he; I know more than you do of the fettlement: your father, though a cunning Lawyer, with all his wit, could not alienate the eftate from you, whom he had made joint-purchafer. Myself, and fome other tenants know it, and have refused to pay any

money

money to Dr. Reeves: I have fixteen pounds ready for you, which I will pay to your acquittance, and that will serve you to go to law with them. He was amazed at this wonderful Providence, received the money, fued for his estate, and in a term or two recovered it. His bleffed wife who enjoyed a loving hufband, divers fine children, and a plentiful estate; in the midst of these outward bleffings, fell into a way of queftioning the truth of her grace, because of outward prosperity. This was her fin without doubt, for which Mr. Knight rebuked her; but it was a fevere rebuke that the Lord gave her for her unthankfulness: a fine boy, about three years old, fell into a kettle of fcalding wort, and was taken out by his mother, and died. This fhe looked on as the Lord's discipline for her unthankfulness, and was inftructed. This relation was fent me (fays Mr. Turner,) by the Rev. Mr. Singleton, now living in Hoxton-Square; and he received it from Mr. Knight, who was intimately acquainted with Mr. Studly.

A true NARRATIVE of a prodigious Storm of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning, that happened at ATHLONE, betwixt four and five o'clock on Wednesday morning, the 27th of October 1697, as it was declared before the Sovereign, and Governor of the faid Town, upon the examinations of the Officers and Soldiers of the Main-Guard, and Guard of Dublin Gate; and likewife by the eight Sentinels that food on the baflions and works during this Storm.

1.

A

DREADFUL blaft of high wind, fuddenly shook and ftripped the guard-houfe. 2. A terrible fhower of rain, as if a whole river had fallen on the ftreet, which being forced on by a violent wind, made a prodigious noise as it fell. 3. After the rain, a dreadful and terrible clap of thunder. 4. A thick darknefs enfued, that continued for

half

half a quarter of an hour. 5. Continued lightning broke out without ceafing, fo that heaven and earth feemed to be united in the flame; which was more terrible to the Guards than all that happened before, and ended with three claps of dreadful thunder out of a fiery cloud from the North; which running violently through the air, flopt just above the Caftle. At the laft of the three claps, in the twinkling of an eye, fell a wonderful great, round body of fire, out of the clouds, directly upon the Caftle; and in a moment the magazine blew up, which contained two hundred and fixty barrels of powder, one thoufand charged hand-grenades; with eight hundred and ten fkanes of match, which were piled over them; two hundred and twenty barrels of musket and piftolballs; great quantities of pick-axes, fpades, fhovels, horfe-fhoes, and nails; all blew up into the air, and covered the whole town, and neighbouring fields: by the violence of the fhock, the town-gates were all blown open. The poor inhabitants, who were generally afleep when this tragical fcene began, were awaked with the different, furprizing misfortunes that befel them: fome finding themfelves buried in the ruins of their own houses; others finding their houfes in a flame above their heads; others blown from their beds into the ftreets; others having their brains knocked out with the fall of great ftones, and breaking of hand-grenades in their houses. Thefe ftupifying difaflers within doors, made moft of the poor, amazed mortals, fly to the ftreets for fhelter; where to their great aftonishment, they faw the air filled with different fhapes of fire, ready to fall upon their houfes and heads. The great quantities of match that was blown up, occafioning thefe different figures of fire, which being followed with great thunder-claps, made many of thefe helpless inhabitants believe that it was the Day of Judgment; who therefore for fome time minded nothing but their prayers, without ufing any other means for the prefervation of themfelves or neighbours. In the mean time the lighted match firing the thatched

houfes

houfes burned to the ground, the greateft part of what the thunder and blaft of wind had left ftanding; fo that little remained of the whole town, but a few poor cottages without

the gates.

The wonderful deliverance of Mr. Dodwell, Store-keeper, and Mr. Roe, one of the Bailiffs of the town, should not be omitted; who being buried in the rubbish, at least fix hours after this fatal accident happened, were at length dug out, with their wives dead in their arms. Mr. Dodwell is in a fair way of recovering, and Mr. Roe is perfectly well. God's great care of the inhabitants was very wonderful in this difafter; there being but thirty-fix wounded, and feven killed in the whole town.

Upon the frictest enquiry I could make, I find this to be a true Account, and therefore defire that no other may be written. GUSTAVUS HAMILTON,

Sovereign.

RIGHTEOUSNESS the PATH of PEACE: SUFFERING the MEANS of PURITY.

[By the late Mr. Charles Perronet.]

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation. Jam. i. 12.

OME fare fo well in this life, they cannot conceive they

SOME

can fail in the next. Others endure so much, they trust to escape hereafter. But God will not determine our future estate by the present portion of good or evil. He commands all men every where to repent. Such as do not, there is but one decree for them, whether they have enjoyed much or little. If our abundance makes us the more fruitful in every good thing, the end will be peace. If we fuffer according to the will of God, VOL. IV.

Sf

He