An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of…

And then the last thing that is to be noted from hence, is this, That men who prove notable in their lives, have many times notable presages of their notable exploits in their very birth of what they should do after; as it was a notable exploit that Jacob should do in supplanting his Brother: By some notable providences God shows many times what men shall do that he chooses to be eminent in the world; as Moses, by what was done upon his birth there ⟨p. 226⟩was a presage of his strange and wonderful kind of deliverance when he was both, and being brought into Pharaoh's Court: and so John Baptist a Presage of what should be afterwards; and so other stories tell us of men that have been famous for good or evil, there hath been presages at their birth. I remember it is said of Nero that did such monstrous things, that when he was born, he was born with his heels forward: and it is said of Dominicus that great persecutor of the Saints, that when his Mother was with child, she dreamed that she had in her womb, a Wolf with a fire-brand in his mouth, and he even proved to be so, for he was one of the first that stirred up Persecution against the SAINTS by FIRE; and your Papists they turn it quite otherwise; I remember one of the Papists interpreting this providence of God, that the Mother of Dominicus (who was the father of the Dominicans) should have such a dream; it was to ¹signify saith he, That by the Splendour of his holiness, and Doctrine he should inflame the whole world, and that was signified (say they) by the fire-brand in his mouth, whereas experience taught otherwise. Now I note this only to show the vanity of mens spirits in interpreting ways of providence merely according to their own humours. And thus much for that notable story of Jacobs taking his brother by the heel. Now follows the next, and that is, —He had strength with God.²

And then the last thing that is to be noted from hence, is this, That men who prove notable in their lives, have many times notable presages of their notable exploits in their very birth of what they should do after; as it was a notable exploit that Jacob should do in supplanting his Brother: By some notable providences God shews many times what men shall do that he chuses to be eminent in the world; as Moses, by what was done upon his birth there ⟨p. 226⟩