Page:Strange and remarkable prophecies and predictions of the holy, learned and excellent James Usher, late Archbishop of Armaugh (sic).pdf/3

( 3 ) true; for from that Time 1601, to the Year 1641, waſ juſt Forty Years, in which it is notoriouſly known that the Rebellion and Deſtruction of Ireland happened; which was acted by thoſe Popiſh Prieſts, and other Papiſts which were then connived at. And of this Sermon the Biſhop reſerved the Notes, and put a Note thereoſ in the Margent of his Bible; and, for Twenty Years before, he ſtill lived in the Expectation of the fulfilling thereof: And the nearer the Time was, the more confident he was that it was near Accompliſhment, tho' there was no viſible Appearance of any ſuch Thing. And (ſays Dr. Bernard) the Year before the Rebellion broke forth, the Biſhop taking his Leave of me, being then going from Ireland to England, he adviſed me to a ſerious Preparation, for I ſhould ſee heavy Sorrows and Miſeries before I ſaw him again; which he delivered with a great Confidence as if he had ſeen it with his Eyes: Which ſeems to verify that of the Prophet, Amos 3. 7. Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he will reveal it to his Servants the Prophets. From this Spirit of Prophecy, he foreſaw the Changes and Miſeries of England in Church and State. For having in one of his Books (called, De prim. Eccl. Brit.) given a large Account of the Deſtruction of the Church and State of the Britons by the Saxons, about 550 Years after Chriſt; he gives this among other Reaſons why he inſiſted ſo largely upon it, That he foreſaw that a like Judgment was yet behind, if timely Repentance and Reformation did not prevent it. And he would often mourn upon the Foreſight of this, long before it came.

From this Spirit he gave mournful Intimations of the Death of our late Sovereign Charles I. of whom he would be often ſpeaking with Fear and Trembling, even when the King had the greateſt Succeſs; and would therefore conſtantly pray, and give all Advices poſſible, to prevent any ſuch Thing.

From this Spirit be foreſaw his own Poverty in worldly Things; and this he would often ſpeak of with Admiration to the Hearers, when he was in his A2