Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton,…

While Mr. Wilson was Minister of Sudbury, in England, there was a Noted Person, who had been absent, for some while among the Papists. This man Returning Home, Offered himself to the Communion; whereat Mr. Wilson, in the open Assembly Spoke unto him after this manner; Brother, you, here; present your self, as if you would partake in the Holy Supper of the Lord. You cannot be Ignorant of what you ⟨p. 33⟩have done in withdrawing your self from our Communion, and how you have been much conversant, for a Considerable while, with the Papists, whose Religion is Antichristian. Therefore, though we cannot so absolutely Charge you, God knows, who is the Searcher of All Hearts; and if you have Defiled your self with their Worship and Way, and not Repented of it, by offering to partake, at this Time, in the Holy Supper with us, you will Eat, and Drink your own Damnation; but if you are clear, and have nothing wherewith to charge your self; you your self know; upon this Account you may Receive. The man did then partake at the Lords Table, professing his Innocency. But as if the Devil had entered into him, he soon went and Hanged himself.

In the Circumstances of his own Children, he saw many Effects of an Extraordinary Faith.

His Eldest Son, Edmund, while Travelling into the Countries, which the Bloody Popish Inquisition, has made a Clime too Torrid for a Protestant, was Extremely Exposed: but the Prayers of the Young Gentleman's continually Distressed Father, for him, were answered, with Signal Preservations. When he was under Examination by the Inquisitors, a Friend of the Chief among them, suddenly arrived; and the Inquisitor not having seen this Friend for many years before, was ⟨p. 34⟩hereby so diverted and mollified, that he carried the Young Mr. Wilson to Dinner with him; and, though he had passed hitherto Unknown by his True Name, yet this Inquisitor could now call him, to his great Surprise, by the Name, of Mr. Wilson, and report unto him the Character of his Father, and his Fathers Industry in Serving the Heretics of New-England. But, that which I here most of all design, is an Account of a thing yet more Memorable and Unaccountable. For, at another Time, his Father Dream' himself Transported into Italy, where he saw a Beautiful Person in the Sons Chamber, Endeavouring, with a thousand Enchantments to debauch him; whereupon the Old Gentleman made, and was by his Bed-fellow overheard making, first, Prayers to God full of Agony, and then Warnings unto his Tempted Son, to Beware of Defiling himself with the Daughter of a Strange God. Now, some Considerable while after this, the Young. Gentleman Writes to his Father, that on such a Night, (which was upon Enquiry found the very same Night,) a Gentlewoman had caressed him, thus and so (just according to the Vision,) and that his Chastity had been Conquered, if he had not been Strongly Possessed with a Sense of his Fathers Prayers over him, and Warnings unto him, for his Escape from the Pits, whereinto do fall the Abhorred of the Lord.