JjJ-ASTER Thomas Reed, yet living to attest the truth of this narrative, (an abstract whereof I procured from his nearest relations from Ratcliff, himself j at that time, being at sea,) was some years since in Carolina Bay, in Newfoundland, to load fish, with which he designed to go for the Straits. The ship accordingly being loaded, he took up his powder, and made what room he could in his bread-room to stow away what fish he could ; and this being done, the powder was put down again, and all things being put in order, they went to supper, and so to their cabins.
At supper-time, the master had no disposition at all to eat, he therefore retires himself into his cabin, to take his rest, but could not sleep. Whereupon he called in the boy to bring a light, which no sooner came, but he perceived smoke to come out of the ceiling, which gave him an apprehension of danger, and taking more notice of it, he hasted out of his cabin, and cried out, Fire, fire.
The mate being by, feared it might be in the gun-room, and would have gone down immediately to examine it ; but before he could stir a foot farther, the ship blew up.
The terrible blow was given just behind the master"*s back, which rent and carried away all the clothes from his back-parts, and blew him up upon the main-yard, where it laid him in a trance, but so equally and exactly poized that he fell not; the mate fell also upon his back, and lay upon him : but the master recovering at last some sense, and feeling an heavy weight uj:)on hie back, he began to struggle to take hold of the shrouds, which
51lf WOXDEKFUL SEA-DELIVEEAXCES,
turned over tlie mate, who fell into the sea, and was seen na more.
Tlie ship sunk immediately, and that with such a noise in the water, that he was forced to climb as fast, and as high as he could, and so hang till a boat from another ship came and saved him. Thus one among many was miraculously plucked out of the jaws of death, and he so bruised and weak with the blow, that it was long before he recovered ; yet at last his lameness was cured, and he returned, to the wonder of all men»
1. In this relation, there is a concurrence of rare and wonderful circumstances : As, (1.) The indisposedness of the master that evening both to meat and sleep, though he knew no reason to hin- der him from the one or other. Here seems to be a plain presage of approaching danger, whilst as yet there was not the least sus- picious circumstance in sight. This, some ascribe to a certain unusual a'asis of the body, others to an overpoise of complexion, wdiich is much the same : for my own part, I am satisfied that such presages as this, (the like whereunto hath been observed in divers others before their death, or some imminent danger) is from the inspiration of some spirit, in a supernatural way.
Bodinus tells us of a good man of his time and acquaintance, who had many remarkable and strange premonitions given him of approaching danger ; and that one time being in very great dan- ger, and newly gone to bed, he was unquiet, and could by no means rest, but was forced to rise again, and spend the night in watching and prayer. The day following he escaped the hands of his persecutors in a wonderful manner ; which being done, in his next sleep he seemed to hear a voice, saying, Now sing, Qui sed'it in latihulo Altissimi : " He that dwelleth in the secret places of the '' jVfost High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
2. The providence of God was also wonderful in nicking the very minute, wherein he was to be preserved, which had it been slipt, there had been no escape from destruction : for had he staid a minute longer in the cabin, he had been shattered to pieces-, and had he come out sooner, he and the mate had certainly gone down into the gun-room, and both had perished there. O how many substantial documents and instructions may that one circum- stance of time afford to the wise and serious observers of providence.
S. It was little less than a miracle of providence, that the same blow which shattered a stout ship in pieces, blew others away to destruction in a moment, had its commission from heaven only to blow off the clothes from his back, and place him in a perfect
ANTIPHARMACUM SALUBEIlllIMUM. 515
equipoize upon the yard of the ship, wlierc he was settled as the earth itself is, Pondcribus lihrata suis ; evenly balanced or poized with its own weight ; the least struggle of a man deprived of sense as he was, had been his ruin.
I do heartily wish a life made so remarkable by the wonders of providence, may be no less remarkable for eminent and serious godliness, and that his life may be devoted to God, which hath been so miraculously preserved by him.
ANTIPHARIMACUM SALUBERRIMUM : Or, A
serious and seasonable Caveat to all the SAINTS in this Hour of Temptation.
-A-S God hath stretched out the eocpansum^ or firmament of hea-i ven, over the natural world, so hath he stretched out his word over the rational world ; and as in that he hath placed the stars and lu- minaries to enlighten the earth, and to be for signs and seasons, Gen. i. 14. so hath he placed a constellation of scriptures in this also, by which they that are skilful in the word of righteousness Inay discern very much the designs and issues of these rolling and amazing providences that are over our heads.
And doubtless, nothing more settles and supports the hearts of saints under terrible and tempestuous providences, than to view them in their reference and relation to the world : for of these we may say, as David doth, Psaf. cxlviii. 8. of the stormy winds, that they fuMl his word, and are the undoubted accomplishments of its predictions and prophecies.
Now to those that heedfully observe the Scripture-prophecies, relating to the ruin and destruction of antichrist, it cannot but ap- pear that their accomplishment is nigh, and that glorious design come even to the birth. * But then, as the darkest part of the night, is that which inmiediately precedes the dawning of the day, so before the vial of the Lord's indignation be poured out upon the throne of the beast, it will be a time of trouble to the saints, such
* All right and laws shall perish and be confounded ; there shall be no faithfulness in men ; no peace, nor shame, neither safety nor order; and of this confusion this shall be the cause, that the Roman name, by which the world is now ruled, shall be takea away from the earth.
51(> AXTIPHARMACUM SALUBERHIMUM.