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.

33/150 (page 11)

$1*0 purely arbitrary and contingent > Either all fuch irregular acV cidents mail be allow'd prefagesof future judgements, and then Jer*20. $, every Nation will become a Magor Miffabib, and (what was threat- Upon the Jews) our lives flail alway hang in doubt before m we flail then i)eut g fear night and day,_ and have no afj'u/ance, (at lead, no comfort) of our * 1 lives \ orelfefome onely of thefe Prodigious Events lhall be fo ac¬ knowledg'd *, burthen,; at; whofe feet mult we lit to learn which are onely the Intel prefers of the power of.Nature, and. which are A/oj ayUhor, Gods melfengers to proclaim to a Nation that the days of its vifitationdre approaching ? Certainly ligns of judgments extraordinary, mull themfelves be fuch, they mull (as the Prophet Ifai 44,9. {peaks in another cafe) be their own witnefjes■■ and /like Heralds which proclaim a War) bear upon them fif poffible) that badge and cogni¬ zance whereby their office may be known, all may underiland to what end and purpofe they come forth from God. We find in Scri¬ pture, that Gods real ligns were generally great and mighty, tran- icenden.fi to the powers and poffibilites of Natural Agents, that it might appear his power was greatly concern'd in them, and that Ar£* 4*- they came forth upon a greater purpofe then the bare fervice of the law’s of Nature, and the powers of Lome fecond Cauies. - Exod.7. * 4, Fourthly, The condition and temper ofthe O economy wears now Under 1 King.*18. admits not our expectation of any fignsfrom heaven,either to witnefs againft 24. the practices or opinions of any party of men, or to give notice of an approach- x King. 20.9 ing mercy or judgement Lto all which purpofes they minillredhereto- Luke 21. 2$. fore-] 1) O .Lo c.i? . f-: ,« God was pleas’d, heretofore (fukably to; the homage of the Church) to addrefshimfelf very much to the lower faculties of the Soul, (Pliancy and: imaginations) accordingly we finde Prophecies deliver'd in vehement and unufual fchemes of fpeech, fuch as are aptjgreatly to llrikeand affedfc upon imagination ; Chrill was pro¬ mis'd (os one fpeaks) fub magnified & admirationem facientibus idem theimyfterifes of theGofpel were held forth in moll fpleudidtypes andfymb'ols, and tile law of God fore’t upon the fpirits of men here¬ tofore by the terr6ur£$f a thundering heaven and a burning moun- tainj and a fpeedy Vengeance upon the defpilers thereof, the fpirits ^eb*i2. of good, men carried out to aftions and tempers beyond their natu¬ ral capacities,' by the pregnant and vigorous impreffes of the divine Spirit, and the fears of the Church excited, arid her faith affilled by Pfal. 74. 9» m/ghtyflgns^tid Winders, f the withdrawing whereof the Church bewayls, they aU vasilhing as the light of divine Revelation/pre¬ vail'd, as liars doe upon the approaches of day-light. ) vfi) ; But they which talk of and look for any fuch vehement expreffi- ons of Divinity now, miftakethe temper & condition of that Oeco- nomy which the appearance of our Siviour hath now put us under; wherein all things are to be managed in a more fedate, cool, and Elent manner, in a way fuited to, and expreffive of the temper our Sayio,ur.diicover’d in theworld,#^ caufed not his voice to be heardin the r r ftreets s and to the condition of a Reafonable Being made to be ma- ’ * ‘ 2* nag'dby Heady and calm arguments, and the words of Wifdom heard in quiet Ecclcf*y»i 7« \ ✓$