THE Shepherd's Prognostication, Foretelling, The sad and strange Eclipse of the Sun, which will happen on the 29. of March this present year 1652.  
WHICH Eclipse will begin about eight of the clock in the forenoon, and so continue till past the hour of eleven, which will be the dismallest day that ever was known since the year 33. when our Saviour Christ suffered on the Cross for the sins of Mankind.  At which time, the Seas did roar, the earth did quake, the graves did open, the temple rend from the top to the bottom, Luk. 23.45. 
And there was a darkness over all the Land.  
This Prediction also foretelleth of many strange Presages and Passages which will follow after that horrible Eclipse of the Sun, and what will ensue.  
With a perfect way whereby to avoid the ensuing danger.  
By L. P.  
London Printed for Fra. Grove on Snow-hill.   

THE Preface to the Readers, and Hearers.  
Beloved Friends and Countrymen,  
I Have caused this little book to be Printed, which I call the Shepherd's Prognostication, and to be sent abroad into the several parts of England, Wales, & Scotland, whereby to give all men forewarning of many strange and wonderful alterations that will come to pass this present year 1652. and of the great and terrible Eclipse of the Sun, also predicting what will after come to pass: Mark, peruse, and note it well, it may through God's assistance be both for your public and private good. It is no fable, for whosoever lives to see the 29. of March shall surely find the matter here written too true, except the world be brought to an end before that day comes, Mat. 24.29. and immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the Sun be darkened, and the Moon shall not give her light. Our Saviour Jesus Christ in the 24. chapter, verse 6, 7 concerning the end of the world, sayeth thus, there shall be Ways, and rumours of wars, Nation shall rise against Nation, the Father shall rise against the Son, and the Son against the Father, and the like, verse 33. when you shall see all these things come to pass know that the Kingdom of God is near, even at your doors. And now to go on forwards.  
Concerning these say, let us proceed further, and also consider what hath been seen and known amongst us which are called Christians, in these our late and sinful times hath not the Father and the Son, the Mother and the Daughter, yea, and the Husbands and Wives, been, and fallen to great discords, about matters of Religion, they being of divers and several opinions. And hath not the Lord for our unrepented sins? sent many plagues and afflictions amongst us, and poured down his heavy judgements even upon the chiefest of ten thousands?  
Have we not had the terrible Plague of Pestilence, both in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, raging and devouring our people? and have we not heard and felt of Wars, and rumours of Wars, with much blood shed and slaughters, which would never have come to pass, if we had never ofended God.  
Are not all these forerunners which I have named, sufficient tokens and evidences to prove that the Lord is angry with us, for our sinful living, and that the end of the world is near at hand; then I pray you consider what follows, and make good use of your time while yet you remain alive.   

Here followeth a brief Description of that dreadful and horrible Eclipse of the Sun, which will happen upon Monday, being the 29th. day of March this present year 1652.  
Showing also By examples of forepast times what will ensue before and after this prodigious ECLIPSE.  
THE Eclipse of the Sun which is here spoken of will be on Monday March 29. 1652. beginning forty eight minutes after eight of the clock in the forenoon, and ending seventeen minutes after eleven, in which time the Sun, which is the eye and light of the world, will suffer such a black Eclipse, that it will almost be overcome with darkness, which Eclipse signifieth and betokeneth the fatal overthrow of some great Kings and Princes and men in Authority, within the limits of Christian Dominions, with many other troubles and sad disasters that will happen this year in our Cities, and Countries, as cruel deal amongst Neighbours, hatred, envy, and malice, Wars, and bloodshed, house-burning, great robberies by Land and Sea, violent and forcible deaths to many, Famine, Plagues, and other strange sicknesses: It also threatens a mighty disturbance betwixt the inferior people and their Governors, together with slaughter and captivity of many great persons, the ransacking and sacking of many great Cities and Towns: Moreover, this Eclipse signifies alteration of Opinions, changes of Magistrates, new Religions, and a great madness raging and terrifying thousands of people.  
Furthermore, it foreshews that there will follow unseasonable weathers with strange and prodigious sights to be seen in the air, with horrible tempests of thunders and lightnings, and blusterous Winds, which will destroy the ships at Sea, and overthrow many buildings on the Land, the Corn will be blasted on the ground and the Cattle of the field will die of strange diseases  
And thus loving Friends have I with much diligence and carefulness, plainly and publicly laid open unto you the manner how this Eclipse of the Sun shall be, the time and day when, the length of its continuance, whilst it is eclipsed, and the strange and sad effects that will follow after according to the Scripture and the sense of Astrology.  
Now will I with Gods leave also show you a way and means, whereby to avoid those dangerous evils which is like to fall upon the chiefest parts of all Europe, of which England is the first to be spoken of.   

Here followeth the Author's directions, being the readiest way of all ways to escape God's anger and keep ourselves out of danger in the proceeding perilous times, and thus it followeth.  
IT is an old saying and worthy of observation how that God governs the stars, and the stars govern men, but this is a certain thing, that God both can and will govern both stars and men, as you may read in the book of Joshua 10.13. How that the Lord God caused the Sun and the Moon to stand still, until such time that the people of God had avenged themselves of their enemies, whereby we may well understand and know that God hath a greater power, than the Earth, and the Sea, the Air, and the Firmament; the Planets, and the Stars, the Sun and the Moon, and in a moment of time can the Lord cause them all to alter their properties, and to do whatsoever he pleases to have done.  
Look again in the book of Isaiah how Hezekiah was sick, and how the Prophet of the Lord came unto him, and bade him set his house in good order, and therewithal told him that he should die and not live: then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly, and behold the messenger of the Lord returned unto Hezekiah again and said, the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and seen thy tears, and behold he will add unto thy days, and thou shalt live yet fifteen years longer; and this shall be a sign from the Lord, I will bring again the shadow of the Sun ten degrees backward whereby it is gone down. So the Sun returned ten degrees, as the Lord God had promised it should do, Isaiah 28. vers. 8.  
By this we see that the power of the Lord fare exceeds all other powers whatsoever they be or can be. Now let us draw into consideration, why and for what cause the Lord made the Sun and the Moon to stand still in the time of Joshua, and at another time, that the Sun should go back ten degrees, in the time of Hezekiah: Surely the reason was this, Joshua, was a righteous man, one that served, and obeyed the Lord in whatsoever he was commanded to do: moreover Joshua was a Warrior, and had promised to fight the Lords battle which he performed with much diligence wherefore the Lord shown him this wonderful token of his love and care that he had over Joshua and his followers by examples of the standing still of the Sun and Moon.  
And as for Hezekiah he lamented, he wept, and he prayed unto the Lord, in so much that the Lord God took pity and compassion upon him, and withal prolonged his life and restored him to his former health, so that the plague of Pestilence nor any other sicknesses with which his Country was annoyed, had no more power over him.  

Now here follows on the Direction.  
LEt us strive to accompany Joshua in his faithfulness, and with all true obedience keep our promise with God and endeavour ourselves to please his divine Majesty that the Lord may assist us in whatsoever we take in hand and let us with good Hezekiah, be sure to set our houses in order for we have no lease of our lives: Let us I say call upon the Lord, and pray unto his holy name, that those extreme calamities and dreadful destinies which are like suddenly to come upon us, may be through the mercifulness of our good God turned away from our sinful Nation & let every man and every woman be sorry for our time misspent, since we all have done amiss.  
And so to conclude, let us with speed seek to amend our lives, and that I hold to be the ready way to preserve us alive: It is but a little while, and therefore I pray you to look to it in time. And so the Lord be merciful unto us all, Amen.   
FINIS.