Parentator. Memoirs of remarkables in the life and the death of the ever-memorable Dr.…

It is now Time for me to Observe, That the Instances of a Particular Faith, wherewith Dr. Mather was Distinguished, were very Various and Wondrous. Of these I have told Some in the foregoing History; [and if I had not, the caution of this Paragraph, had not been so Needful to be Introduced:] And I could insert Many more, if it were Proper to treat the Public, with such Personal or Domestic Matters: And, All Accomplished!—

—But One;—And that was This. After his last Return to New-England, he had a Strange Impression on his Mind, That he should yet have an Opportunity to do Special Service for CHRIST in England. The Impression was many times very strongly made upon him, for diverse Months together; ⟨p. 193⟩And even at such times as one would suppose least Obnoxious to Satanic Illusions. But yet,—He never saw England any more. Now, what shall we make of This? Will it be enough to say, That he Misinterpreted his own Impression, when he thought it must needs imply, his own going in Person to the other side of the Atlantic? But that this very Book may sufficiently Accomplish the Prediction? Or, shall we say, what he himself wrote upon it; As for the Impression, I have had concerning my Doing Service for GOD in England; I know not what to think of it. Such Things are often from Angels: And I sometimes think, that Angles may be Ignorant of some Future Events; but may cause Motions on the Spirits of Men, according to what will in Probability come to pass. I am Desirous to Die where I am. No question but Jacob thought, that he should return again to the Land of Canaan; and that Joseph should outlive him there. [Gen. XLVI. 4.] Whereas, the Promise was made Good, when his Body was Buried in that Land, and his Posterity returned thither. However it shall be as to myself, I hope, my Son Samuel will do Service for the Name of CHRIST in England; which is in some sort as if I did so: And Books of mine Published there, will be Serviceable to the Kingdom of GOD. One thing which a little Emboldened, that stroke about the Angels, was, that about the Time, when the Impression was in its Liveliest Operation, [October 1694.] there was among some in his Neighbourhood, a strange