ALthough it is euer to be confessed and acknowledged with thankefull hearts , that many and infinite are the blessings and benefits which Almightie GOD hath bestowed and powred vpon this our Land of Great Britaine , especially , since the pure profession and preaching of his Gospell amongst vs , for the space of 60. yeares and vpwards ; for the which , blessed bee his Name for euer . Yet in this old and declining aage of the World , such and so great is the hereditarie peruersenesse of miserable mankindes naturall inclination , that although wee infallibly know , that God is infinite in power , and his waies and iudgements are past finding out : Yea , though we generally confesse him to be the mightie , eternall , incomprehensible , and onely wise Iehouab , in whose hands and knowledge are all things past , present , and future : Though , Isay , wee confesse and professe an externall beliefe that God can and will punish obstinat and stiffe-necked sinners in the vprightnesse of his confounding Iustice : yet wee presuming ( because it is said in holy Writ , His mercy is infinite and ouer all his workes ) vpon his mercy , that we are altogether forgetfull of his Iustice ; So that for all , notwithstanding our knowledge , our confession , and profession , we liue in Atheisme , Papisme , and Epicurisme , and so many sundry forts of Hydra-headed Schismes , that , for the most part , wee spend our times in this wicked World , little better then in bruit-Barbarisme : for I am verely perswaded that God had neuer fewer true seruants , nor more Professours , than are in these our dayes ; and surely , it is to bee feared where God hath least , the Deuill hath most : And wee are so lulled and rockt a sleepe in the carelesse cradle of sensuall securitie , by the Prince of the Ayre ( Sathan ) and his two neere kinsmen , the World and the Flesh , that wee ( as it were ) in despight of the Eternall GOD , tread and trample his sacred Lawes , and sanctified Testimonies vnder our prophane , vnhallowed and rebellious feet ; and with a high hand , and an aspiring heart , and millions varieties of transgressions wee seeme to batter the glorious frame of Heauen with thundring shot of our abominable Hell-hatched impieties .

These outragious enormities dayly prouoking our most iust GOD to power forth the consuming Vials of his incensed heauie indignation vpon all the misgouerned . Sonnes of sinnefull Men : for as God is infinite in his Mercy so is he infinite in his Iustice : and as our Transgressions are numberlesse , so are the diuers and seuerall rods and punishments that God vseth to scourge vs with and inflict vpon vs innumerable , sometimes by weake meanes to accomplish great things and confound the mightie ; and sometimes by elementall causes , as Fire , Aire , Water and Earth , he shewes his vniuersal power vpon offenders : and sometimes by vnauoidable infections of Plagues and pestilentiall Feuers , and many other miserable maladies : whereof , ouerpassing many other that haue happened by Gods hand in this our aage , & looking but a little backe , let vs remember and recite , with feare and terror , some that haue befallen vs of late dayes .

For example : First , that deuouring mortalitie of the Plague and Pestilence , that in lesse then a yere laid so many thousand soules ( aboue an hundred thousand in London ) groaueling in their graues , in the yeare of our Lord 1603.

Secondly , in the yeare of our Lord 1605. That horrible and most execrable Plot of Powder Treason , detected and discouered miraculously by Gods prouidence , and the wisdome of our most wise King , to the glorie of God , the good of this land , and the eternall infamie of the Pope and all his English-adherents .

Thirdly , the great fires in diuers parts of the land , which haue burned downe whole Townes of no small account .

What grieuous deluges outragious Inundations , and vnresistable ouerflowings of Waters , nor Historie nor man recording the like ( since the generall Deluge ) whereby many hundreds of Acres of pasture & earable land haue bin in a little space turned ( as it were ) into a Maine Ocean , that the fishes floating in their new made regiments , haue fed on the drowned carkaises of men , women , children & beasts .

What a prodigious , and neuer the like heard of Frost which ( being so long , made the earth as hard as our stony hearts ) killed the fruits of the Earth , and congealed the Riuers that the Fishes of many waters died . Anno 1608.

What Droughts causing sterilitie and barrennesse of our fruitfull mother Earth we haue had , God in his anger withholding the Raine , and shutting the windows of Heauen , that the senselesse ground hath gaped to Heauen for reliefe , when wee our selues haue scarse opened our mouthes to desire Gods fauour , it is sufficiently known to all Estates and degrees .

What hurts , damages , and irrecouerable losses & hinderances men haue sustained by tempestious Windes and stormes both on Land and Sea , when on the Land Churches , and Steeples , Houses , and Chimnies , Trees , and diuers other things that were for the necessary vse of men , haue bin vtterly subuerted and throwne down , to the vtter vndoing of soule & the great impouerishing of many ; especially in the windy Winter , An. 1612. In which blustring winter was also blown from vs on earth ( by the blast of Gods iudgments for our sins ) our most noble , hopefull , & incomperable Prince Henrie , whose losse is neuer enough lamented .

And to come more nere vnto this very instant time , Was there euer heard of such great & so deepe . Snows as hapned the yere 1614. which continued so long , as besides the losse of many Christian people that perished by it , the whole continent was couered so long with such a froze fleece of snow , that the number of cattel which perished in the time for want of food shelter & otherwise were innumerable .

And besides , to seaue the Land & returne to the Water : What great and manifold harmes haue bin vpon the Sea , the outragious winds making it ( in a maner ) altogether vnnauigable : Of the which to write in euery particular were a World of worke & beyond my meaning or purpose . But al these aforesaid grieuous calamities let vs all confesse & acknowledge with penitent hearts , to be the true tokens that our merciful God is highly offended with vs ; & I am perswa●ed that the third part of the people of this Kingdome of Great Britaine , doe , and will euer remember whiles they haue a day to liue , some one or other of these precedent afflictions , some by losse of friends by death , some by losse of goods by fire , water , or other meanes : so that there is not nor hath not bin ( nor I doubt will not bee ) any day night , houre or minute , wherein God hath not , doth not or will not poure his vengeance by one meanes or other , in one place or other , vpon vs impenetrable , vnrepenting , & persidious people , whiles we so persist .

But ( Christian Reader ) leauing this perambulation or triuiall trauel ( as haply you may terme it ) I mean to treat of my intended subiect : nor wil I busie and abuse your eies & eares with any fond fables of flying Serpents , or as fond delusions of deuouring Dragons , of Men or women burne to death miraculously without fire , of dead men rising out of their graues ( which is directly against the truth of the reueled wil of God in the sacred Scriptures , that any dead bodie shal arise before the general resurrection ) the which & the like lying Pamphlets & Prophesies it is to be wished were by Authority crusht in the cradle & suppressed , rather than published & dinulged in the world to staine paper and fill mens mouths , especially the ignorant multitude , full of false miraculous wonderments : being indeed nothing but meere eoseuing deuises of idle braines or Iesuiticall impostures and delusions , or both .

Now , to my purpose , for that hath hapned this present Winter , the beginning wherof for a good space ( God looking mercifully vpon vs ) was drie , mild , and verie temperate , the like scarse knowne heretofore : but God seeing vs neuerthelesse to persist in our accustomed sinnes , turned drinesse into wetnesse , mildnesse into mercilesse blustering : and besides the damage that is done againe by Waters & Flouds in diuers parts , especially in the West parts of the Land , as is credibly reported , surely this latter part of Winter hath been very intemperate , vncouth and vnseasonable ; as namely , by a strange kinde of warmenesse without Frost , a continuall and continued raine and showring which still came in on Boreas backe , for these many daies past : which bitter blasts also haue remained so long Southernly , which is almost incredible , were it not that we knew it ) that diuers Ships and Caruils haue waited for a Wind to bring them from Harwich , & other places , about these three moneths : and diuers other of our Merchants Ships of London haue waited as long in the Downes and thereabouts to set saile in the maine Ocean for to performe their intended Voiages , and yet I beleeue are scarse gotten out .

Moreouer , what strange , fearefull and astonishing thunder-claps and lightning firie-flashes haue ouer eares and eyes been witnesses vnto , within these few dayes ; which at the least , going but to naturall reason , according to the old Prouerb wee may say , Winters thunder is Summers wonder .

But we may iustly feare ( and so bee the more humbled for our sinnes ) that these fearefull accidents are beginning forerunners of the last Day : dreadfull vnto all the wicked : but as glorious vnto all the godly .