Chap. 28. An Expofatiots upen the Book, ofJo B. Vert.. 23. 369 and provifions for them, they will needs beprying into fecrets -and attempt to know, what God bath nowhere revealed. To fa- tisñe this ungodlycuriofty,fome venture to confult with witches acd wizzards,with Sooth-Payers (as they call them, though indeed Falfifayers or ly-fayerr) and Affologers (which kind of Atli- fans (and I look upon it as a fad ligne of Apo(tacy from the power of Godlinefs) are much traded with in thefe dayes.)And from thefe their clients hear fometimes very unpleafing predi&i- ons, and are told that they (hall have many croffes, that the Hea- vens doe not favourthem, that theywere born under the afpeEt of fome malignant Planet. Thefeuncomfortable bodements fill their heads with many dif+ra&ing cares, and their hearts with perplexing feares, which aflji& them alwayes with a fenfeof that (which if truly forefpoken) they can but once or at fail feel. We have a clear infiance of this in Saul, who having heard his own fatal overthrow foretold by that counterfeit Samuel,Thede- vil_inSansels appearance and mantle. The text faith (t Sam, 28. 2ß,)Saulfell flrasght way allalong on theearth ,andwas foreafraid, becasfeof the wards ofSamuel. We read the like reports in Sueto- nitro Herodian, and other Hifforians, of the difmal diflra&ions of .fome of the Roman:Emperours, Severus, Adrian, Domitian,who confult with Tien skilful in thefe curiousbut hellifh arts, were told either when they fhould dyeor what calamities they thould meet with in their lives. Thus alfo were many of the Heathens. ,difaempered anddrunkwith feares, when they had applyed to -their cozening Oracles, which were indeed the Devil Prophets% Someof our modern Writers reflifie, that in their travels into the :EafiernCountries, they found the Inhabitants miferablj rnrru- red upon the rack of thefe fuperflitious feares;yea,giving so much credit to their foolifh Diviners, that whatfoever they foretold was taken for granted , and that the iffue would afluredly anfwer their predi&ions ; fo that if theywere foretold of ficknefs, they would belick with conceit,and dye as theywere foretold. Their opinion was fofixed, and, their finful faith fo flrong, that it often pulled upon them the evil apprehended, and verified the uncer- tain judgings oftheir wizzardswith their own deftru&ion, All of thefe forts (as the P;ältnif+faith, Pfd. 53, 5.) Feared where- no fear war, and.lo (as $plomon tellsus,Pro, Jo. 24.) That which they-fraud-cameupon them; Avi, God the living and true B b b God,
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