Armies of fiery clouds thus fight against these wretched people in the Ayre : thunder frights their soules , and astonisheth their hearing , the ground trembles vnder them , and because euery Sence should be punished , according to his offences , the eye that once scorned to looke vp so high as heauen , is now forced full of teares , from thence to begge one droppe of mercy , but in stead of that , it beholdeth a blazing & direfull Comet : The Stars that are the glorious Scutcheons of the Creator , and stucke as candles in heauen to light man in the night , becaus● he should worke no wickednesse in darknesse , are now changed into prodigious , dreadfull , and fiery Meteors . They are out of that celestiall order which the Great Generall aboue placed them in : And like a Kingdome in ciuill vprores threaten nothing but plagues , mischiefe to the world and confusion . Misery is euer borne with a twinne . These prodigies come not alone , but other strange and horrid apparitions flie vp and downe the Ayre : No time being free , as if night and day contended together , which of them should afflict and insult ouer a wretched downe-trodden Citie , with sharpest tyrannie : For the Earthquake , with Thunder and lightning doth twice euery day ( at distinct times ) shake , disioynt , and beate to the ground the howses , and kill the people , and when night should lend them rest to their calamities , they are kept waking by these second allarms in the Element . Not farre from Munster standeth a Castell called Bileuelt , strongly built vpon a mightie rocke , and this Fort ( for all it seemed to be impregnable ) hath beene shaken by the battry of this Earthquake , and such a breach made into the very Rocke it selfe , that the Castell is sunke beneath his setled and first foundation more than the depth of two mens height : That which remaineth vndeuoured in this stony and craggy Gulfe , aboue ground , ●eeling , wauing , and tottering too and fro , as easily ( when the blow is giuen ) as you see standing corne shaken by some mightie wind . Thus the poore people liue in this citie , thus they perish : but leauing them a while .

Into whose bosome shall I poure the riuer of my teares ? Into my countries ? she is ouerwhelmed already in the torrent of her owne sorrowes : Shall I sigh my lamentations vp into Ayre ? She is frighted with the vnusuall prodigies which the wrath of her Maker stickes vpon her beauty : will men heare me ? Sinne hardens their hearts , and they are more senselesse than Rockes : to the Rockes , Mountaines , and Hilles then breath I out my Tragicall condolements : Alas , they tremble too , as readie to feele the generall dissolution : Let me open therefore the mangled booke of thy Ruines onely ( O thou my inexpressibly dilacerated countrey ) because in these leaues are written the blotted Stories of thy downefall .

Why art thou ( aboue all thy fellowes ) marked out and drawne to the slaughter ? Is it because thy iniquities exceede the rest , as thy punishments do ? Or is it because God is but angrie as a father , ( chastising any one that is next his hand ) not in a particular quarrell to that one , but to make these stripes giuen to him , startle all the rest , and so to keepe them in feare of correction . Or shal I let flie none of these arrowes but shooting at Rouers in another bow , shal I with the Naturalist & searcher of secrets , conclude that these Earth frauers haue their shakings from the ordinarie distemperature of Winds , stealing into the bowels of the earth , and there ( with rombling , tossing & stragling to acquire vent & passage ) they open that Cauernes of the massie foundation , and so tumble down all waightie matter that compresseth their violence ? Shall these Crutches serue for my beliefe to leane vpon ? No , let the Lame & halting Heathen ( that neuer trode in the right path of his Creation ) hold vp his knowledge by that weak staffe . Let him suppose that the wheeles of this great Vniuerse are set a going by the subtile workemanship of Nature , & that their motions shall grow flow , and weaken according as she her selfe waxeth old and decaying .

But if I ( that am a Christian ) can read that there is a God ( who controlles Nature , ) a God that made the Sunne to shine by day , a Moone by night , with Starres in the firmament not so much to beautify that Roofe , as to serue the vse of man . And that those officers of light , ( those celestial torchbearers ) are appointed to keep a decent , setled & vnchangeable orderly course , if I can also read that the same Omni-sufficiently-skilfull Enginer , is at all times furnished with Thunder , Lightning & Tempest , ( the Artillerie of his vengeance : ) The naturall Philosopher shall pardon me , if I thinke ( and so wish all Christians to bee of this opinion ) that as in our Earthly or Lunarie bodies , accidentall violent diseases are fore-runners of languishing Sicknes , or Imminent Death , So when those heauenly bodies are out of tune , distempered , & distracted , they are predictions of some fatall , fearefull , & portentious calamities , assuredly threatning some particular Nation , not shot from an ordinarie , but a supernaturall hand . And I doe farther thinke that if the omnipotent Thunderer could locke vp sufficient store of Waters to drowne all the world , as by his word ( giuen since ) he hath sworn to destroy it with fire , sure it is that his opening of the same Sluces now ( which ouer-flow and swallow vp our corne fields in their mercilesse inundations ) are but to shewe vs the old whip which hee then held in his hands , when first he gaue correction , as these tearings of the Element , with fires darted from his lightning vpon one especiall citie , are meere Items to put vs in minde of that dreadfull last blow , which shall pash the world in pieces in her vniuersall consummation .

No no , It is an extraordinarie Finger , that points out where such Tempests shall fall . The Lord of Hostes hath some great Battle to bee fought , and hée doeth now but leuie his forces : The Judge of all Kingdomes is to arraigne the sinnes of some one people , and these are now but the summons sent from his court to warne their appearance . You neuer shall see these gentle Lashes vppon the outward flesh of a few , but bee assured they are Flagella Dei , his Rods which hee ties vp in bundels against some more terrible execution .

I should here weepe mine eyes into Inke , to set downe the deplorable condition of my countrey , if I saw her onely tyed to the Stake of these afflictions ? But is Germanie in a flame , and doe other Nations stand a loofe off , warming their handes by her fires ? Not so , Denmarke our next neighbour , with France , England , Scotland , Ireland , and many other Maritime Kingdoms , haue eaten of this sowre Grape as well as Germanie : they ( as we ) sit still on the weather beaten shores , increasing the wrathfull Seas with Waters showring from their eyes , for their fresh bleeding and neuer to be forgotten Irrecuperable losses .

The knot being now tyed , which to Louers is so welcome , Musicke is called for , to stirre vp their bloud and youthfull Spirits . Daunces hauing wearyed them , they all sit downe at the Bridall-Table , where Plentie her selfe could not haue inuented one dish more to furnish out the feast .

At the table ( after the Dutch fashion ) they sit long , and drinke hard , and being cloyed with Glasses of Sugar and Rhenish , whose poyson goes downe smoothly , they fall againe to their Lauoltaes : and in ths manner doe they for three or foure dayes together , renew good cheere , their carowsing , and their dauncing .

And ( as it commonly happens at such meetings ) it being famed abroad that two wealthy persons were marryed , a number of poore and aged people swarmed about the gates of the Bride-house : But whether it were the couetousnesse of the Parents , the pride of the Bridegroome and Bride , or the neglect of Seruants , or whether it was Gods will to harden all their hearts , onely to shew some punishment on such as are vncharitable , to expresse his detestation of that sinne : or else whether hee suffered them to drowne themselues in Wine , Belly-cheere and Pleasures , of purpose to lay his iudgement vpon sensuall and luxurious Diues , whilst he suffered poore Lazarus to begge crummes at his Gate ▪ yet to haue none : but sure it is , that commandement was giuen , that no meates which came from the Wedding-Table , should not onely not be giuen to the Beggars , but that rather they should be all beaten with cudgels from the gates , which was done accordingly . And so the Beggars being as vncharitable in their prayers , as the other were cold in their almes , went away with hungry Bellyes , but their mouthes full of curses , which they sp●tefully spit forth against the House , the Owners , the Bridegroome , Bride , Seruants , and Guests .

But their ▪ breath had no power to hurt them , it was God that was to take the quarrell in hand , not for any loue to such wicked and licentious idle Caterpillers , against whom he often hardens peoples hearts , to punish their abhominable liuing , but to reuenge himselfe vpon them , who in their fulnesse despise those poore members that begge bread in the Name of his Sonne Jesus Christ . Yet he strikes them not presently , because they should haue time giuen them to bethinke themselues , and to remember the needy . But the hearts of them all being frozen vp , and pitty not enduring in so colde and comfortlesse a lodging : Behold , all at their plenteous and Epicurean voluptuous tables , fall to drinking , swilling , and carowsing deepe healths , which swimme from lip to lip in oaths , in cursing and in quarrels : the Wine ( ordayned by God for mans nourishment ) washing the ground , the earth being made drunken with her owne fruits : and the delicate meates ( whose scraps the hungry beggar would haue beene glad of ) were throwne in sinfull meriment , in one anothers faces , and then spitefully trodden in mockery vnder their feete .

At this impiety the fire of Gods indignation being kindled , he made the earth to cleaue , and to swallow those that deuoured the blessings of it : her wombe opened like an insatiable Graue , and in the same were they ( All ) buryed aliue .

The terror of this strucke them halfe dead with astonishment that escaped the blow : yet afterwards euen they accounted them happy that were so taken away , when they felt the sharpnesse of those miseries which presently Heauen threw vpon them . For sodainely , the Day lost his light , the Sunne hid his head , as ashamed , or rather detesting to looke vpon such wretches : and in stead of his comfortable brightnesse , a melancholy , pitchie , glutinous , and stincking , misty darknesse couered all the place : fearefull to behold , and yet the more fearefull , because nothing could be seene . And this blacke Image of Hell and Night stood before them by the space of fiue dayes . At whose end ( albeit no man thought that God would euer haue said once more , Let there be Light ) yet the Light appeared : but how ? Not to cheere vp their afflicted Spirits , but as it did to Adam , to discouer both their Sinne , their Shame , and a further Punishment . For the Day was onely showne to them to vexe them the more with sight of so deare a losse , and to make them know how powerfull he was that could take it from them .

And againe , to manifest that power , he strucke the Heauens blinde againe , and in stead of light to glad them , rayned downe showres of Fire mixed with Bloud . And then to shake the World with beliefe and feare , that her last and most dismall day was come , an Earthquake ( no lesse dreadfull then the former ) both increased their miseries ▪ and ended them : for God ( according to his diuine promise and property ) being neuer angry long , was satisfied with this their punishment , and restored vnto them that which they were in despaire neuer to haue seene , that is to say , light and life .

Onely let not this be vnremembred , that as the Land felt the strength of his arme and trembled , so did the waters , for the storme of his wrath powred downe it selfe vpon the neighbouring Seas , so that many ▪ Shippes were vtterly cast away , the Goods lost , and the People in them drowned : No Pilot in the World ( how skilfull soeuer ) being able to ouercome a Tempest , when Hee who once made all this World an Ocean , commaunds the Waues to execute his displeasure .

Of which Tragicall fury of the Billowes this is one memorable and notorious proofe , ( to be lamented in more wordes then I set it downe in letters ) that amongst those numbers of dead carkases which the Sea ( as vnwilling to beare such vnnaturall and ignoble Burdens ) paide backe againe vpon the Shoare , a dead Woman was one , about whose body were found tyed ( as it seemed in the heat and height of the Tempest ) seauen Children , she her selfe being great with the eight .

Thus haue you heard a true report of the Almighties Anger and his Mercy , his Power both by Sea and Land : let vs therefore ( whose liues and possessions he might haue confiscated in his iust indignation , yet hath spared them ) fall vpon our knees with thanks for his deliuerance , and bringing vs safe through this Red ▪ Sea of troubles , in which ( if it had pleased him ) we might with the rest haue beene for euer confounded . For our hearts ( made so by our sinnes ) are hardened , ( not onely one against another , but against him ) as much as theirs were , or euer Pharaohs was . Open the Closet of euery mans conscience , and you shall finde a Booke there , all blotted , and written full of impieties , blacker then the incke : yet so marble-breasted are we , that ( like fooles going laughing to the stockes ) we are insensible of our owne harmes .

The Vine ( vntimely cut ) weepes away her strength at the wound , but no misery that cuts vs ( earely or late ) can make vs weepe for our sinnes . Sinne and we are as inseparable as trechery is from the Soule of a Turke , or blackenes from the cheekes of an Ethiope . Wee feele the smarting paine of a slight blow , it angers vs : nay , the losse of a little bloud makes vs cry out , and almost starke mad for the feare of approaching death : but if our soules be buffeted , we laugh at it : if they be shattered in pieces , rent , and ruined , we stirre not at that : Her ill dayes we write downe in no Kalender , for we thinke there are not any can hurt her . Swallowes would not come within Thebes , because the wals were so often ▪ besieged : but wretched man puts on wings to flye to those Cities , which are most shaken with vices . The more rotten the hart of this Worlds Kingdome is , by feeding on sweet and bewitching pleasures , the more we dote ( like fond Louers ) vpon it .

To set downe our sinnes , is as infinite a taske as to paint our thoughts : it is a chaine reaching downe as low beneath vs , as the glories of heauen are aboue vs . To set downe our sinnes at full , we had need to study a new Arithmeticke : to be as long-liude as the Hart when we sit to doe it : to turne the Sea into Incke when we write the Figures : to binde vp a Booke with as many Leaues as are rent by Autumne : and to haue the Sands of the Ocean for Compters , yet all these helpes are not able to cast vp the Summe . For we are still at difference with God , yet is he loath to fall out with vs : we owe him Millions , yet pay him not a Mite : He loues vs as the Apple of his Eye , yet we cast his loue at our feete : he sings sweet Notes of mercy in our Eares , and they make vs presume : he then shakes his Iron Mace of Justice at vs , and then wee despaire . So that his patience and our wickednesse , our prouocation and his tender-hartednesse , are no more tunable together then Lute-strings of a Wolfe and a Lambe , which neuer agree in Musicke .