A discourse concerning prodigies: wherein the vanity of presages by them is reprehended. And their true and proper ends asserted and vindicated / By John Spencer, B.D.

John Spencer

Date:: 1663

Credit: A discourse concerning prodigies: wherein the vanity of presages by them is reprehended. And their true and proper ends asserted and vindicated / By John Spencer, B.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

120/150 (page 98)

$pha fuitinfignificanti quam in figno: His prophetick panphrafeupon thatfign, gave it that fignificancy and expreftivenefs, which of it felf it had not j the type fpeaking no more (without the divine glofs and fatfCtionJ then the fmiting of any King upon the ground three , Xit'/fs \ x times with an arrow, now, figmfies that he fhall fmite his enemies “ 1 three times, becaufe the the 1 nib nee was once by Gods appoynt- d* ment) a happy Omen of luch a blefflng to a King of Ifrael. But howfoever, the Jews ought to have feen the fword of God in the handofP^e, in that fad example, to have confider’d that while he (like the leechj drew all this bloud to ferve his own bloudy and reverigfull Nature, the great Phyfitian intended it as medicinal to the body of the nation, to teach them thewifdom of afpeedy repentance therein, leaft a like or greater judgement Jhould furprize themfelves: and the rather, becaule fo guilty of the fame fin [the hiding of the /hw^offedition in the Ephod of religion and confid¬ ence toward God] and not feeing their fellows iecur’d from the arreft of Judgement by the religion of an Altar, and the prerogative of a Temple. All Gods judgements upon others, come forth upon purpofes ofgrace, and are intended but as the cutting and lancing - of one member, to draw away the corrupt humours from the reft. P , - Fifthly, Lefj'er national judgements are to be regarded*as the Jigns of Conciui. 5. qoc[s prefent difpleafure, and as his fummons to repentance. Scripture makes mention of Gods cutting of a Ration Jhort [ z Kings i o. 3 2.] and of hi s cutting of them off [Jer. 44. n.] the inftruments whereby he doth the former, are very intemperate [eafons, murrains of cattle, Epidemical difeafesj long dearths, great defeats of Armies, &c. For as 1 Joel. 12. thereare Vitia Hominum & vitia Temporum, the vices and follies of men taken afunder, and of men confider’d as a body, and under fuch common and moveable circumftances; fo there are MalaHo- minum, the evils which fall upon the lots of private men, and Mala temporum., the evils of the Times, the Judgements which ceazeand touch men as united and meeting in one common body and intereft and under the guilt of fome publick and National impiety. Nowthefe are I fay to be received, by the common fenfe of a Nation, as Gods warning pieces to come in and fubmit themfelves to him, by repentance, leaft he ftorme them by fome more black Joel. 1.1 p. and terrible judgement. For God fometimes deals by Nations as with i7# perfons, who are firft brought to a Council,next to a Judgement, then Mull am pent- to hell-fre. Tht great day of deftruftton from the Almighty (foretold by m Romani the Prophet) was uflierM by thefe letter evils, the cutting off the meat Orbis autRo- from before their eyes, the rotting of the feeds tinder the clods, &rc. And mani nominis before God layd the Axe to the root of that fair tree [ the Jewifb partem,quam- Church) he was pleafed many years to chop and prune it by thofe libet gravitcr (i?y/u vcPimv) many little andprelufory judgements, that itsun- plagiscat fam fruitfulnefs might be corredted.And that (howr of vengeance which unquamfuiffe at laft overwhelm’d the Romane Ernpire, was prefac'd by fome fmal- corrcttam,&c. ler drops. It lay long in the fire of many heavy afflictions, but (like Salv.l.^De the clay whereby it is emblem'd Dan.2.42.) it loft nothing of its Gub. Dei- impure and drofly nature *, and at laft this incorrigiblenefs brought$