Page:Wonderful progidies (sic) of judgment and mercy.pdf/37

Rh profaned the name of God with horrible blaſphemies, and the picture of the devil painted upon the wall, they carouſed healths to him, which the devil pledged ſoon after; for the next morning all five were found dead, their necks being broken, and quaſhed to pieces, as though a wheel had gone over them, blood running out of their mouths, noſtrils, and ears, to the great aſtoniſhment of the ſpectators. Johan Fincel.

L. Not many years ſince, two men contended together, who ſhould pour forth moſt blaſphemies againſt God, but whilſt they were exerciſing this deviliſh contention, one of them was ſtrucken with madneſs, and ſo continued to his life's end,

In the ſame manner ſeveral young men at Rome agreed together that he ſhould have the victory, who could ſwear moſt; but as ſoon as they entered into this wicked ſtrife, one of them was deprived of the uſe of his tongue, another of his reaſon and underſtanding, and the reſt remained for ſome time as dead men, God reſerving them alive for repentance.—Beard's Theatre.

LI. At Eſſinga in Germany, a certain nobleman having loſt much money at play; fell into horrible execrations and blaſphemies, and commanded his man to bring him his horſe, that he might ride home in a very dark night; his ſervant diſſuaded him from his journey, affirming how dangerous the way was, by reaſon of the waters and fens that lay in the midſt, whereat he began to rage and ſwear the more, and reſolved to go, but as he was riding along, he was encountered by the way with an army of infernal ſoldiers, or evil ſpirits, who beſet the nobleman on every ſide, and threw him from his horſe; now there was in his company a virtuous