Places, and Famines, and Peftilences, and fearful Sights, and great Signs fhall there be from Heaven. Has it not been thus, and that in a very awful manner too, of late? Have we not heard and feen of more than ordinary, yea extraordinary Signs. and Tokens, both in the Earth and Heavens, in these latter Years? What fearful Sights in the Air, Plagues and Peftilence on the Earth, has there. been, and is to this day! And what tho' fome do impute these great and wonderful things unto fome naItural Caufe? Yet let thefe Men but confider who it is that over-rules all natural Caufes; and why it is that we have fo many of thefe Signs in our Days, which Ages paft knew little or nothing of Sure I then here is a fpeaking Voice of God in every one, of thefe awful Signs, which a little Time will further explain, it felf, in leaving all Men without, Excufe.

And now I am fpeaking about these things, L think it may not be amifs, if I here infert what a frange and wonderful Apparition or Vifion there, was feen by the Turks at Medina (as recorded in Clark's Looking Glafs) in the Year 1620; where their Prophet Mahomet was buried, which continued there three Weeks together, and exceedingly terrify'd the whole Country: And it was as followeth:

About the 20th of September there fell a great Tempeft, which was attended with a fearful Thunder about Midnight: But when the Clouds difperfed, and the Element was clear, the People might read in ArabickCharacters thefe Words in the Firmament, O why will ye believe in Lies! And beg tween 2 and 3 a Clock in the Morning" there appeared a Woman in white, compaffed about with

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a Brightnefs like the Sun, having a cheerful Countenance, and a Book in her Hand, and over against her were Armies of Turks, Perfians, Art bians, and other Mahometans, in Battel-Array, ready to charge her: But fhe keeping herst tion, only opened the Book; at the fight we of the Armies fled away, and presently alle Lamps about Mahomet's Tomb were put out. T ifb Hiftory,Page 1384.

For as foon as the Vifion vanifhed (which wa commonly an Hour before Sun-rifing) a murm ing Wind was heard, whereunto they impute the Extinguishing of the Lamps.

The ancient Pilgrims of Mahomet's Race, who after they have vifited this Place, never usd to cut their Hair, were much amazed, for that they 'could not conceive the Meaning of this Vifion Only one of the Dervices (which is a ftrict religious Order among the Turks, like unto the Cap chins among the Papifts, and live in Contempla tion) ftepped up very boldly, and made a fpeech unto the Company, which incenfed them much againft him: So that this poor Prieft, for his Plain-dealing, loft his Life, as you fhall hear The Sum of his Speech was this;

That the World had never but three true Religi ons, every one of which had a Prophet. Firft, God chofe the Jews, and did Wonders for them in Egypt, and brought them forth by their Prophet Mofes,pho prefcribed them a Law, wherein he would batt maintained them, if they had not been obftinate ar rebellious, and fallen to Idolatry; whereupon gave them over, and fcattered them upon the face of the Earth,

Secondly

Secondly, Then presently after God raised a new Prophet, who taught the Chriftian Religion. This n' good Man the Jews condemned and crucified, for a "Seducer of the People, being not moved with the Piety of his Life, bis great Miracles, nor his Doarine, Tet after his Death the Preaching of a few Fishermen did fo move the Hearts of Men, as that the great Monarchs of the World bowed to his very Title, and yielded to the Commands of his Minifters. But it feems they in procefs of time grew as corrupt as the Jews, their Church being disjointed with Diftin&ion of Eaftern and Western; committing Idolatry again, by fetting upImages, with other idle Ceremonies, befides the Corruption of their Lives, fo.as God was weary of them too; and not only fent Divifions among them, but forfook them, and difpoffeffed them of their chiefeft Cities, Jerufalem and Conftantinople.

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Thirdly, Tet God is fill the Governour of the World, and himself of another Prophet and People, raising our great Mahomet, and giving way to our Nation; fo as no doubt we shall be happy for ever, if we can ferve this God aright, and take warning by the Fall of others: But alas! I tremble to speak it! We have erred in every point, and wilfully broken our firft Inftitution; fo as God hath manifefted his I Wrath by evident Signs and Tokens; keeping our Prophet from us, who prefixed a Time to return, with all Happiness, to bis People; fa as there are now forty Tears paft by our Account. Wherefore this frange and fearful Vision is a Prediction of fume great Troubles and Alterations. For the Opening of the Book in the Woman's Hand, deth foretel our Falling away from the first Intent of our Law; whereat

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whereat thefe armed Men departed, as being confounded with the Guilt of their own Confciences; "Or else it fignifies fome other Book wherein we have not yet read, and againft which, no Power fhall prevail: So, as I fear, our Religion will be proved corrupt, and our Prophet an Impoftor; and then this Christ, whom they talk of, fhall fhine like the Sun, and fet up his Name everlastingly.

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Hitherto the Company was filent; but bearing him fpeak fo boldly, they charged him with Blaf phemy, and knowing their Law, which makes all Blafphemy a Capital Crime; they prefently con demn'd him, and having obtain'd the Beglerbeg's Confent and Warrant, they put him to death. The Truth hereof was confirmed by Ifuf Chaous, a converted Turk, fome time after coming over to London; which Vifion (be faid) did much affect him; but that the Grand Signior charged, that upon Pain of Death, none fhould speak of it.

This Apparition in the Air, was not only wonderful, but fupernatural; here can be nothing of a natural Caufe alledged in fuch an extraordinary. Appearance as this was; and therefore the Effects which will (in God's due time) follow, or the matter fignified by this Vifion, muft certainly be great and extraordinary alfo, to wit,the utter Ruin and Deftruction of Turk and Pope; and the ufhering in of the Kingdom of Chrift; and is a Sign of its nearnefs.

But 2dly, Ifwe take thefeSigns of the Sun Moon and Stars,in a metaphoricalSenfe,and fo by theSun underftand the bright Difplays of Divine Light, in the preaching of the everlafting Gofpel, how hath this

Sign been fulfilled in the Eclipfing of the pureLight of Gospel Grace, by the difmal Mixtures of Papift, Quakers, Arminian, and SocinianDarkness, with many others.

Again, If by the Moon we understand, as fome, the Church of Chrift whilft militant, fignifying what Changes the Church paffes under, in refpect of her outward State, during her Abode in this World; then the Moon being turned into Blood, muft mean the Troubles, Afflictions, and Perfecutions which the Church of God hath fuffer'd from wicked Men; and if fo, this Sign hath been fulfilled times without Number.

Or if we understand by the Moon as others, the World; in refpect of the continual Changes, Mutations, and Alterations, that daily are produced in it, then the Moon being turned into Blood, doth mean the Wars, Troubles, Diftreffes and Miferies, that not only have been in all Ages, but more than ordinary in this latter end of the World. Now I let us take it in either, or in all thefe Senfes, we may eafily fee, that thefe Signs have been fulfilled over and over again.

Fifthly, In the next Place, by the Signs which are to be in the Stars, is in another Text expreffed, by

their falling from Heaven; which cannot be underftood properly, becaufe every Star is fuppofed to be as big, and fome bigger than the Earth. Therefore metaphorically they muft fignify the Minifters, Officers, and Men of Note in the Church, as they are called in Rei. i. 20. The Seven Stars are the Angels of the feven Churches, that is the Minifers of the feven Churches. Now their falling from