An essay for the recording of illustrious providences

Thus doth the great God Who sits King upon the Floods for ever, make the World see how many ways he hath to punish them, when it shall seem good unto him. Many such things are with him. There are who think that the last Comet, and those more rare Conjunctions of the Superior Planets, happening this Year, have had a natural influence into the mentioned Inundations. Concerning the Flood at Connecticut, as for the more immediate natural cause, some impute it to the great Rain which preceded. Others did imagine that some more than usual Cataracts did fall amongst the Mountains, there having been more Rain then what now fell, sometimes when no such Flood has followed. It is not impossible, but that the Wind might be a secondary cause of this Calamity; Judicious Observators write concerning the River Dee in Cheshire in England, that though much Rain do fall, it riseth but little, but if the South ⟨p. 332⟩Wind beat vehemently upon it, then it swells and overflows the Grounds adjoining extremely; the reason of which is, that the River being broad towards the Sea, when the Rain falls it hath a quick and easy passage, but the South Wind brings the Sea in, and doth somewhat stop the free passage of the River into the Sea. Whether there might not be some such natural reason of the great Flood in Connecticut at this time; the ingenious upon the place, who know best how things are there circumstanced may consider. With us in Boston it was then at first an Euroclydon; but in the afternoon the Wind became Southerly, when it blew with the greatest fierceness. If it were so at Connecticut, it seems very probable that the fury of the wind gave a check to the free passage of the River, which caused the sudden overflowing of the Waters. It has moreover been by some observed, that the breaking forth of subterraneous Waters has caused very prodigious Floods. Since the days of Noah, when the Fountains of the great Deep were opened, no History mentions a more surprising and amazing Inundation than that which happened five years ago at Gascoyn in France) proceeding (as tis probably judged) from the irruption of Waters out of the Earth. Concerning ⟨p. 333⟩which Remarkable accident, a judicious account is given in the late Philosophical Collections, published by Mr. Robert Hook, Page 9. There being but one of these Books in the Country;

Thus doth the great God Who sits King upon the Floods for ever, make the World see how many wayes he hath to punish them, when it shall seem good unto him. Many such things are with him. There are who think that the last Comet, and those more rare Conjunctions of the Superiour Planets, hapning this Year, have had a natural influence into the mentioned Inundations. Concerning the Flood at Connecticot, as for the more immediate natural cause, some impute it to the great Rain which preceded. Others did imagine that some more than usual Cataracts did fall amongst the Mountains, there having been more Rain then what now fell, sometimes when no such Flood has followed. It is not impossible, but that the Wind might be a secondary cause of this Calamity; Judicious Observators write concerning the River Dee in Cheshire in England, that though much Rain do fall, it riseth but little, but if the South