Diary of Ralph Josselin (Private Collection)

5.10.1656 (Sunday 5 October 1656)

document 70009690

Oct: 5. God good in many mercies to me and mine, I dreamed in the night towards the lords day morning of many things, at length of the unruliness of soldiers in quartering, and on a sudden at a distance towards the Northwest, a mighty fire, and burning rising up out of the earth, and the fire running in the face of the earth towards me as if the face of the earth, were dried turf, persons a little before I dreamed a busy in worldly business as ever, lord thus it will be, thy judgements on us before aware of it, I was not afraid, I cannot tell the issue, I went back from it, I saw none when my face was turned up to great Taine from Spooners whether the fire reached in the face of the earth. Sacrament of baptism administered this day, in public which was not of a long time before in Colne, god was good to me this day in the word, which was a heart refreshing word, from Heb. 7.25. lord deliver me from shines and bring me to a steady confidence in thy mercy and truth.