hee trieth the heart and the raines Hee hath found that the cogitations of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill contâ—nually that we were conceiued and borne in sinne that wee haue not power of our selues as of our selues to thinke a good thought How then can we dreame or imagine but to haue our prayer turned into sinne and in stead of a blessing to receiue a curse if we present not our selues and our praiers vnto him in humility acknowledging him our Lord our Father and Master and therefore denying and renouncing our selues and resting vpon him who as a Lord and Master is able and as a tutor and teacher is willing to deliuer vs in his good time And so much for the terme giuen Lord or Master The second followeth that is the request in these words Saue vs. The sense whereof is plaine that the Disciples when they came to Iesus that is the Sauiour of the world when they cry vnto him saue vs doe not speake of eternall saluation of their bodies and soules but onely of the sauing of their liues from that imminent danger wherein they now are being ready to bee drowned as they thought And indeed this life is very sweet and as the diuell said of Iob Skin for skin all that a man hath will he giue for his life The Philosopher can tell vs that death is of all terrible things the most terrible and Christians doe account of death as their last enemie and we know how vnwelcome such an enemie is to any that spares no man and hath a statute for it that all must become his subiects They know also that death is the reward of sinne and consequently that after death must come a iudgement when as euery man must receiue the things that he hath done in the flesh according to that hee hath done be it good or euill As for this life they know it to be a blessing of God and the prolonging thereof promised to the obseruers of the 5. Commandement Wheras iudgements are denounced to the wicked they shall not liue halfe their dayes So that if the death of Gods Saints be precious in his sight and Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer them to keepe them in all their waies that they dash not their foot against a stone no maruell if they call to Christ for the sauing of their liues But on the other side if life bee so sweete and death so bitter how commeth it to passe that the godly many times desire death not onely in impatiency vnder the crosse as Iob cursing the day of his birth and Eliah being persecuted by Iezabel that he desired to die and said It is enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers And the Prophet Ionah after the Lord had spared the city of Nineueh prayes Now therefore O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for mee to die then to liue But euen in a Christian resolution the Apostle Paul saith I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ and old Simeon prayes Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word To this we answere that for Iob and Eliah and Ionah they shewed themselues to be men subiect to passion and are not therin to be imitated and followed by vs and for Saint Paul and Simeon and all holy Martyrs that haue in their desire to be freed from sinne and to bee with Christ waiting Gods leisure when it may best stand with his glory and with their good been desirous to die that is a thing that we should labour and long for not to be vnclothed but to be clothed vpon that is not to be wearie of this life for any crosses or afflictions in it but to haue Christian resolution patiently to endure all that God shall thinke fit to lay vpon vs. But our hope of a better life with which we cannot be clothed till we be vnclothed of this makes vs desire when God sees it good to make vs wearie of the pleasures and delights of this life which are vaine and transitorie in comparison of the other which are eternall I conclude therefore that it is not onely lawfull and conuenient but necessary for a man in extreame danger of death to call vpon God for deliuerance from the danger so that he referre his will to Gods will and be resolued of a better life if it please God to take away this Euery Christian though weake is willing to liue and patient to die as God pleaseth but the strong Christian is patient to liue and willing to die for being assured of the mortality of the soule that it dies not and of the resurrection of the body he knowes that They are blessed that die in the Lord they rest from their labours and being wearied with the great burthen of his sinnes he desireth that rest But here in these words Saue vs we haue before obserued the faith of the Disciples acknowledging his power to saue them and expecting it though very faintly It was their faith whereby they thought hee was able to saue them but the weaknes of their faith that they imagined he could not saue them except he were awake And no maruell if their faith were yet weake for the confirmation wherof this miracle was chiefly wrought being yong schollers fresh-water souldiors newly entertained by our Sauior Christ not fit to be sent forth yet into the world as may appeare in the tenth Chapter of this Gospell Much more fearfull seemes to be the case of Saint Peter who hauing seene this miracle and in it the command that our Sauiour had ouer the winds and sea and hauing receiued commission as a chiefe Apostle not only to preach the Gospell but himselfe to worke miracles doth yet after all this at another time being at the sea and our Sauiour Christ not with them and the ship tossed on the sea with waues and a contrary wind when first hee and the rest were afraid of Christ walking vpon the sea crying out for feare that he had been a spirit and Christ had so comforted them that Peter desired to walke vpon the water to meet him and had warrant from his Master so to doe and accordingly walked vpon the water yet the text saith That when he saw a mighty wind he was afraid and as he began to sinke he cried saying Master saue me So immediately Iesus stretâ—hed forth his hand and caught him and said vnto him O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt If therfore Saint Peter after many more experiences and trials of his Masters power and after commission receiued from Christ did not so venterously desire to walke vpon the water as cowardly stagger in his faith at the sight of a great wind his Lord and Master being so nigh him and awake
as we are not afraid the day being past and the night now come to aduenture vpon sleepe hoping to be awaked the next morning and to rise againe and goe about our labours So O Lord when the time of our dissolution shall come by any kind of death Let vs be so prepared for it certainely beleeuing the immortalitie of the soule and the resurrection of the body that wee may not bee afraid of it knowing it to bee but a longer sleepe of our bodies till they be awakened and raised by thy trumpet at the last day And whereas O Lord in our passage by ship through the sea we dare not aduenture in respect of the many dangers therein to sleepe all at once but to keepe continuall watch yet O Lord wee must needs confesse that except thou preserue and keepe vs the watchmen watch but in vaine Doe thou therfore O Lord watch ouer our watch and ouer vs while wee are asleepe and make vs as watchfull and carefull for our soules as we are for our bodies And so we commend our selues waking and sleeping into thy protection and defence crauing all things necessary for vs or for any of thy children at thy hands for thy Sonne Iesus Christ his sake in whose name we conclude our praiers as he hath taught vs saying Our Father c A Prayer for Sea-men in a Tempest MOST mighty God thou art wonderfull in all thy workes and fearefull and terrible in thy iudgements Let it not seeme strange vnto vs that the sea is thus troubled and that the stormes and tempests doe thus compasse vs and that both we and our ship are brought thereby into great danger Thou hast threatned O God to raine down vpon the vngodly snares and fire and brimstone and stormy tempest as the portion of their cup. And wee must needes confesse that wee haue many waies sinned fearefully against thee and doe daily so run on in sinne that wee iustly deserue thy fierce wrath and the greatest measure of thine indignation Besides O Lord wee reade in the Scripture not onely that the Prophet Ionah when he fled from thy presence and the place whither thou sentest him had his ship in great ieopardy by that great wind and mightie tempest which thou sentest after him into the sea But that thy holy Apostle Paul also had his ship wherein hee sayled so seazed vpon by an exceeding tempest that neither Sunne nor Starres appeared in many dayes so that there was no hope of life left him and those that sailed with him vntill thou by thy holy Angell hadst giuen him comfort But aboue all O Lord when wee reade and heare that thy Sonne our Sauiour Christ himselfe when he tooke our nature vpon him and became Man for our redemption being at sea with his Disciples was set vpon by so great a tempest at sea that his ship was couered with waues and his Disciples in great feare How can we O Lord looke to be freed from such danger but by thine onely helpe The sorrowes of death compasse vs and the floods of wickednesse make vs afraid The sorrowes of the graue doe compasse vs about and the snares of death haue ouertaken vs. Thou makest darkenesse thy secret place and thy pauillion round about euen darkenesse of waters and cloudes of the aire At the brightnesse of thy presence the clouds passe hailestones and coales of fire Thou hast thundred in the heauens and giuen out thy voice Thou sendest out thine arrows and encreasest lightnings vpon vs. The channells of thy waters are seene and the foundations of the world are discouered at thy rebuking O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrils Thou hast laid vs in the lowest pit in darkenesse and in the deepe Thine indignation lieth vpon vs and thou hast vexed vs with all thy waues All this is come vpon vs yet doe wee not forget thee nor deale falsely concerning thy couenant Our heart is not turned backe neither are our steppes gone out of thy pathes Although thou haue smitten vs downe into the place of Dragons and couered vs with the shadow of death yet thou Lord art our rocke and our fortresse â—o deliuer vs our God and our strength in thee will wee trust our shield the horne also of our saluation and our refuge Whom haue we in heauen buâ— thee and we desire nothing in the earth with thee Ouâ— flesh faileth and our heart also But thou art the strength of our hearts and our portion for euer Wee know O Lord that if thou please thou canst presently by thy word stil the rage and fury of these winds and seas and deliuer vs from all dangers but we submit our selues to thy good will and pleasure we depend vpon thy fatherly goodnesse to dispose of vs as thou pleasest Giue vs patience good Lord in these our afflictions to abide and waite both thy pleasure and leasure Giue vs faith to lay hold vpon thy promises made vnto vs in thy Sonne Iesus Christ. And grant vs that by hope we may expect the performance of them when thou seest good O Lord we know that we owe a death vnto thee and we know not how soone thou wilt require it at our hands prepare vs therfore now for it and let vs not be dismayed at any perill that may threaten it Giue vs grace to vse all good meanes and neglect no opportunitie which thou offerest vnto vs for our preseruation But let our trust be in thy blessing vpon our weake endeuours for thou art our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found Therefore will we not feare though the earth be moued and though the mountaines fall into the middest of the sea though the waters thereof rage and be troubled and the mountaines shake at the surges of the same Into thy hands therefore wee commend our bodies and soules and whatsoeuer wee haue and desire so to liue and die in thy seruice that whensoeuer death shall come wee may be partakers of euerlasting life purchased for vs by the death of thy Son Iesus Christ. In whose name wee call further vpon thee as he hath taught vs. Our Father c. A Thankes-giuing to God after deliuerance from a Tempest GRatâ—ous God and louing Father as our necessities haue enforced vs according to thy commandement to call vpon thee in the time of our trouble so grant vs now being deliuered from it by our giuing thankes vnto thee to glorifie thy holy name O thou the hope of all the ends of the earth and of them that are farre in the sea The sea is thine and thou madest it thy hand prepared the drie land Thy way is in the sea and thy pathes in the deepe waters and thy foote-steps are not knowne O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches So is
against him that he is faine to crie out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me Til then there is no place for repentance nor no way for faith to apprehend and lay hold of the sweete and comfortable promises of God in Iesus Christ. And though where faith and loue are entertained after our conuersion according to the measure of grace which we receiue in theÌ„ this seruile feare of hell and condemnation be expelled cast out as S. Iohn speaketh yet seeing we can haue no perfection in any grace in this life and Gods best children doe still carrie with them concupiscence the body of sin and as they are daily subiect to infirmities so many times fall into grosse â—innes As a leaking ship had neede of continuall pumping and a beggars rotten coat of continuall patching â—o our liues haue neede of continuall repenting which cannot be without the beholding of Gods iudgements with feare and therefore as the Prophet willes vs to serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in â—rembling So the Apostle aduiseth vs To worke out our saluation in feare and trembling And as Saint Peter and Saint Iude doe propound the iudgements of God against the Angels against the old World against Sodome and Gomorrha because as the Poet saith Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae that is Euill men abstaiâ—e from doing euill for feare of punishment And Saint Augustine Si non potes propter amorem iâ—stitiae fac propter timorem poenae If thou canst nâ—t abstaine from sinne for loue to righteousnesse yet doe it for feare of punishment So the feare of punishment breedes abstinence from sinne and that abstinence a will and desire to doe good from thence a delight and pleasure in goodnesse And thus Gods best children doe make good vse of that feare that proceedeth from the meditation of his iudgements as a bridle to restraine them from sinne and a spurre to set them forward in the seruice of God It was therfore the excesse of feare that our Sauiour here reproued in his Disciples that they were so discouraged and dismaied that they were euen in a maner past hope of deliuerance notwithstanding his presence The feare of death is naturall and so far from being sin that our Sauiour Christ himself had the sense thereof when before his Passion Saint Matthew reporteth that hee began to bee sorrowfull and grieuously troubled And S. Marke saith He began to be troubled in great heauines which the Apostle expoundeth thus That in the daies of his flesh he did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and if this were the case of the greene tree what can we expect of the withered If Christ himself were so affected with the sense of death no maruell though his Apostles now in the time of their minority do cry out with the Prophet Mine heart trembleth within me the terrors of death are fallen vpon me Feare trembling are come vpon me a horrible feare hath couered me And again I am afflicted at the point of death from my youth I suffer thy terrors doubting of my life Thine indignation goeth ouer me and thy feare hath cut me off So that our Sauiour doth here not simply reproue them for their feare but for the exceeding measure thereof proceeding from their want of faith as himself witnesseth in the words following O ye of little faith wherin he answereth to the question before propounded by himself and sheweth that in stead of their exclamation before we perish they should rather haue said with the Apostle We are afflicted on euery side yet not in distresse we are in doubt but yet despaire not we are persecuted but not forsaken cast down but we perish not Now the question is what faith it is the want whereof our Sauiour doth here charge the Disciples withal and I vnderstand it not of iustifying faith but of the faith of working miracles that they beleeued not in Christ that he was able miraculously to deliuer them out of the danger though it were neuer so great For as to work a miracle there is faith required as Christ speaketh to them afterwards Verily I say vnto you if ye had faith as much as a graine of mustard seede ye shall say to this mountaine remoue hence to yonder place it shall remoue and nothing shal be vnpossible vnto you So must there be faith in theÌ„ vpon whom the miracle is wrought and therfore when the father of the child that was possessed said to Christ If thou canst doe any thing help vs and haue coÌ„passion on vs he answereth him If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth and therfore that which our Euangelist saith of Nazareth where our Sauior was brought vp That he did not many great works there for their vnbeleefes sake S. Marke expresseth thus He could not there do any great works saue that he laid his hands vpon a fâ—w sick folk healed them And he maruelled at their vnbeliefe for as faith can draw vertue from Christ vnawares for the working of miracles And make Christ wonder So infidelity vnbeleefe doth not only eclipse and darken but also let and hinder the powerfull working of Gods grace from doing vs any good either to our bodies or our soules And therfore S. August doth fitly compare faith to the mouth of a vessel whereby the sweet liquor of Gods grace is poured in and infidelity to a couer or stopple that hinders the entrance of any such liquor So that the meditatioÌ„ of this point is that of the Apostle Take heede brethren lest at any time there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe to depart away from the liuing God but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest ye bee hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Let no man say in his extremity with the wicked Tush God hath forgotten hee hideth away his face and will neuâ—r see or with Iobs wife Curse God and die But let vs rather as the Apostle willeth vs hold the profession of our faith without wauering Let vs not cast away our confidence which hath great recompence of reward Let vs being compassed with a great cloud of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs run with patience the race that is set before vs looking to Iesus the author and finisher of our faith c. And wheras miracles are ceased and therefore in that kind no such faith required of vs yet our true iustifying faith which is proper to Gods children shall giue vs such peace with God and peace in conscience that we shall be as bold as Lions and not feare any perils nor
rebuked the winds and the sea 3. The worke There followed a great calme Fourthly the successe in the beholders in 2. things 1. What they did The men wondred 2. What they said What man is this that both winds and sea obey him The second generall part is the mysterie For by the iudgement of the Fathers 1. The sea is an image of the world 2. The ship is an image of the true Church of Christ militant 3. The tempest an image of the rage and furie of heretickes schismatickes and persecuting tyrants against the Church 4. Christ his sleeping is an image of his death 5. His arising is an image of his resurrection 6. The Calme that followed is an image not onely of that peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost which the Church receiueth as the benefits of his resurrection in this life but also of that eternall rest and happinesse which they receiue thereby in the life to come Before I come to the handling of the particulars the whole history doth deliuer vnto vs the truth of a generall doctrine concerning a chiefe Article of our Christian faith of the coniunction of the two Natures the Humane and the Deuine in one person Christ to make him a compleate and absolute Mediatour and Sauiour of mankind In that he entred into a ship vsed it as a meanes to crosse the sea his ship was subiect to the violence of the tempest and himselfe so sound a sleepe all these shewed him to be perfect man and in that by his owne onely word rebuking the Windes and the Sea there presently followed a Calme this shewed him to be perfect God Which point of doctrine is the summe and ground of the whole Gospell which doth so set forth Christ vnto vs that by it wee may firmely beleeue that the Word was made Flesh that When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Law That he might redeeme them that were vnder the Law that wee might receiue the adoptioÌ„ of sons And without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlines God manifested in the flesh To this end the Euangelists in the whole historie of his life death doe purposely intermingle such things as may shew the truth of both these Natures in one person As He was conceiued and so he was man but he was conceiued of the holy Ghost as no other man was and therfore God He was borne and so he was man but He was borne of a Virgin as no other man was and therefore God He was hungry which shewed him to be Man but he fed 5000 with fiue barly loaues and two fishes yet there remained of the broken meat twelue baskets full which proued him to be God He was thirsty which shewed him to be man but he had the water of life to giue of which whosoeuer dranke should neuer thirst and therefore he was God He was weary and so a man but he had ease to giue to all that were laden and so he was God He was Dauids sonne and so a man but he was Dauids Lord as he was God He died as he was a man but he raised himselfe from death by the power of his Godhead At his birth he was laid in a craâ—ch as a man but a starre in the heauen shewes him to be God At his death though â—e suffered on the crosse as a man yet he made a deâ—d of Paradâ—se as he was God No maruell therefore if the Apostle call it a great mysterie for The Ancient â—f daiâ—s to be borne in time for him by whom all things were created to become himselfe a creature for him whom the Heauens could not containe to bee contained in the wombe of a Virgin for him that was equall with God the Father to take vpon him the forme of a seruant to bee made like vnto men and to bee found in the shape of man yea to bee tempted in like sort as we yet without sinne This mysterie it pleased God from the begiâ—ning of the world to keepe hid in himselfe And as it was beyond the compasse of the diuels knowledge though he knew much for he would neuer haue endeuoured the fall of man if he had vnderstood the redemption of mankind by Christ to a more happy estate so it was not fully reuealed to the elect Angels no not to the chiefest of them the Principalities and Powers vntill his manifestation in the flesh when they were made the first Preachers of it And though it were in part reuealed to the Fathers in the old Testament both by the word of promise to Adam presently after his fall and after to Abraham and to Dauid as also by many types and shadowes and lastly by Euangelicall prophecies that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne and they should call his name Emmanuel that is God with vs. Yet was this reuelation made but darkely and they saw and bâ—lâ—eued in Christ a farre off so that we say with the Apostle to our comfort At sundâ—ie times and in diuers mâ—nners God spake in the old time to our Fathers by the Prophets In these last daies he hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonâ—e c. Hence it comes that the diuell hath euer since laboured to stirre vp diuelish minded men to oppugne this maine article of our faith so that all heresies are reduced either to those that denie the truth of his Diuinitie or of his Humanitie or of the coniunction of both those Natures in one person to be our onely true Mediatour Some of these heretickes granted him to be God but not before hee was borne of the Virgin Marie who were confuted by that of the Euangelist In the beginning was the Word and that Word was with God and that Word was God and for confutation of them was that clause added in the Nicen Creede Begoâ—tâ—n of the Father before all worlds Some affirmed him to bee the same person with God the Father who were confuted by his owne speech There is anothâ—r that bâ—arâ—th wâ—nes of me Some thought him to be a kind of God but not of the same substance with the Father who are likewise confuted by himselfe where he saith I and my Father are one Some acknowledged the Father and him to bee of one substance but yet that there was no equalitie betweene them who were confuted by that of the Apostle He â—hought it no robberie to be equall with God These were the maine Heresies touching his Godhead Some againe denied him to be man who are confuted by that of the Apostle There is one Mediatour betweene God and man the Man Christ Iesus Some thought and taught that he had no true but a phantasticall body who are confuted by himselfe saying Behold my hands and my feete handle
though it cannot excuse yet it may lessen somewhat the fault and weakenesse in the Disciples faith in this place that may seeme to bee in greater danger and their Master asleepe For the vse of this point I say with the Apostle All these things came to them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Our Sauiour Christ would teach them that they were but men and so weake and feeble in themselues that they ought both to acknowledge their weakenesse and labor continually to increase their strength but therein not to trust to themselues but to depend vpon him and say with the man in the Gospell Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe And if the case were so with them that were specially called out of the world by our Sauiour Christ and enioyed his presence let vs take heede that we arrogate not too much vnto our selues and whatsoeuer measure of grace we haue receiued remember the Counsell of the Apostle Be not high-minded but feare I write this the rather because that which I find in S. Chrysost. concerning saylers and seamen in long voyages that a tempest to them is nothing they haue seene and felt and ouerliued so many tempests that they are growne familiar with them They are as old beaten souldiers that feare neither blowes nor bullets and as Dauid because he had killed a Lyon and a Beare perswaded himself that he could kill Goliah So they hauing been in as great dangers in other voyages as may be haue now they thinke such resolution that they cannot feare to meetwith death it self But take heed thy resolutions be truly grounded in Christ lest it proue presumption Be not too rash nor foole-hardy vnder the name of courage better called curre-rage but know that thou art a man and thy faith in God onely makes thee truely couragious rest therefore in his protection and striue by all meanes to increase and strengthen thy faith crie with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and then neither storme nor tempest nor raine nor wind nor flouds shall hurt thee for though thou bee in a mouing house yet thou art builded vpon the true rockâ— against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile But of the small measure of the Disciples faith and the wants in it more in the next verse Christs reproofa We come now to the third and last point of their praier the reason We perish Wherein was obserued their faint and almost forlorne hope of deliuerance from their present danger for they say not we shall perish or we are like to perish but in the present We perish As if they should haue said We haue hitherto waited and expected in hope that the tempest would haue ouerblowne we were loth to trouble and awake you so long as the danger was not desperate but now the tempest continues the ship is full of water and is ready to sinke euen at this instant we haue onely time left to tell thee in a word we perish It appeares by this in what pitifull perplexitie they breake out into this complaint The Prophet Dauid indeuoring to expresse the great danger of the people of God and Gods mercy in deliuering them doth make choice of this comparison whereby to set it forth If the Lord had not been on our side may Israel now say If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose vp against vs They had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule As if the greatest danger that could befall men in this world could not be greater then to be swallowed vp quicke to bee drowned and ouerwhelmed with water But let the danger be neuer so great a good Christian must be sure to retaine hope as the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast as the Apostle speaketh which laying fast hold vpon Christ can neuer be moued for as the body liues spirando by breathing so the soule liueth sperando by hoping and as expirare to leaue to breathe is the death of the body so desperare to despaire and leaue to hope is the most miserable estate of the soule The Heathen man can say Dum spiro spero that is while I breathe I hope But the Christian goeth further saith Dum expiro spero when I leaue to breathe I hope still Holy Iob telleth vs that the hypocrite hath no hope if God take away his soule but of himselfe hee is confident Though the Loâ—d kill me â—et will I trust in him And so speakes Salomon The righteous hath hope in his death And againe There will bee an end and thy hope shall not be cut off How comes it then to passe that the Disciples here are so dismaied at the danger of death at the most Origâ—n writing on this place makes answere by way of dialogue first speaking thus to the Disciples How can you possibly feare danger that haue the Sauiour of the world aboard you you haue life with you and are you afeard of death are ye afraid of a tempest that haue the Maker and Creator of tempest with you Dare you awaken him as if he could not deliuer you while he slept To this he makes answere in the Disciples names We are weake and young Christians yâ—t our tendernâ—sse makes vs tremble we haue not yet seene Christ crucified nor been confirmed by his passion and resurrection and ascending into heauen nor by his sending and the descending of the holy Ghost vpon vs therfore we are weake and heare that reproofâ— of our Lord O ye of little faith which we willingly beare and sâ—ffer Thus farre Origen But to leaue both him and them The vse that we are to make vnto our selues is to bee warned by them neuer to forsake our hold for any danger be it neuer so great but to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for hee is faithfull that hath promised And let vs be assured that there is no depth of danger either outward to the body or inward to the soule so great but if we sing with the Prophet Dauid a De profuâ—dis as he did with a true heart and cry Out of the depth haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my prayer c. If when all other helpes faile we reserue the anchor of hope to cast forth vpon the Lord Christ he wil not leaue vs nor faile vs nor forsake vs but our greatest crosses shall bee our greatest comforts vpon our deliuerance whether he see good to doe it by life or death for Christ is our life and death is to vs aduantage And seeing sea-men doe or should determine before they ship themselues to see euery day death before their eyes they ought to arme themselues with
be assembled a plot so horrible as if al the diuels in hel had conspired to ioyne in consultation with them can neuer be forgotten for by this they thought to raise at once such thunder and lightning and storme and tempest if not from aboue yet from hell it selfe as should certainely drowne this poore vessell and ship of Christ the Church of England And for all this they are not ashamed to arrogate the title to themselues of the ship of Christ the Catholike Church and in their mouthes and writings to exclaime against vs as hereticks and to complaine of bitter persecution as though we raised stormes and tempests against them But Quis tulerit Gracchum de seditiâ—ne loquentem Who can endure Gracchus a traytor to pleade against treason or Verres a thiefe to pleade against theft or the Pope and his followers to complaine of persecution We haue here no cruell Spanish Inquisition to â—ift them out neither haue we made any Massacres of them Since the receiuing of the Gospell no Papist euer suffered death or losse of lands for his meere conscience except he made it conscience not to commit or assent to treason and for our selues we say with Saint Paul We confesse that after the way which they call heresie so worship we the God of our fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And haue hope towards God that the resurrection of the dead which they themselues also looke for shall be both of iust and vniust And this shall suffice for the tempests and stormes which the ship of Christ that is his Church must continually looke for while it passeth through the sea of the world Fourthly Christ his sleeping is an image of his death by which the diuel thought to haue swallowed vp Christ quite that he might dominiere in the world therefore he entred into Iudas to tempt him for couetousnesse of thirty siluer pieces to betray his Master and stirred vp by all meanes he could the Scribes and Pharisies to conspire his death and the people to be so earnest with Pilate and Pilate and Herod to giue consent vnto it for this death of his was not only a stumbling block to the Iewes and to the Gentiles foolishnes but his owne Disciples could not abide to heare of it before and therfore when Christ foretold it saying that he must go to Ierusalem suffer many things of the Elders and High Priests and Scribes and be slaine and be raised vp the next day Peter tooke hâ—m aside to rebuke him saying Master pitie thy selfe this shall not be to thee And when his time and houre was come they all forsooke him fled And indeed it was so strange a thing that he should sleepe this sleepe and die himself that came to saue others from death that the earth trembled the Sunne was darkned the graues opened the Vaile of the Temple rent in twaine and the Centurion confessed Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissâ—luetur that is Either the God of Nature sâ—ffereth or the frame of the whole world shall haue an end And when he was dead the diuell thought he would keepe him fast enough and therfore he caused the high Priests and Pharisies to call him a deceiuer because he had foretold his resurrection and to hinder that they get commission from Pilat and lay a great stone on the mouth of the sepulcher and seale vp the stone and watch not only him for rising but his disciples also from stealing him away which they made their greatest feare and therefore the text saith that they made their watch sure as they thought But it is no maruell if his enemies thought they had him sure when he was dead and buried and such a watch to keep them in his graue when his bestfriends his owne Disciples and Apostles notwithstanding all that hee had told him while he was aliue with them yet were so dismaied at this his dead sleepe or sleepe of death that they do not as in the former history call vpon him to awake him nay they are past hope of any good from him as those two Disciples tell him that were trauelling to Emaus Nos sperabamus We hoped or trusted that is while he was yet liuing it had been he that should haue deliuered Israâ—l as if they should haue said Now that hee is dead our hope and trust is gone And all the Apostles when they heard the report of his awaking and arising by the women that were certified thereof by Angels yet esteemed no better of it then of an old wiues tale or a fable And when al â—â—e rest had seene him and spoken with him yet Saint Thomas still incredulous told the rest Except I see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into the print of the nailes I will not beleeue And therefore he was faine to cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe and hardnes of hart We see then into what excesse of feare this sleep of Christ did cast the Church as if now the ship must needs sink without hope of recouery and yet as there was a necessitie of this sleepe of death in him as he himselfe saith Ought not Christ to suffer thâ—se things So the Apostle giueth the reason That by death he might destroy him thâ—t had the power of death the diuâ—l that he might delâ—uer al them that for feare of death were al their life time subiect to bondage that he might say with the Prophet O death I will be thy death or with the Apostle Death is swallowed vp in victory And therfore the night before he died he did institute the Sacrament of his Supper and told them This is my body which is broken for you This is my blood which is shed for you of which the Apostle saith So oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death vntill he come And thus wee see the correspondence of Christs sleeping in the ship and his death and buriall and the likenesse of the danger and feare of the Church both in the one and in the other Fifthly the arising of Christ in the extremitie of the ships danger to shew his command and authoritie ouer the greatest stormes and tempests that trouble his ship is an image of the resurrection of Christ from death to life thereby leading captiuity captiue and destroying all his and his Churches enemies that now we may truly say of this our Sunâ—e of righteousnesse as the Prophet speaketh of the Sunne in the firmament He commeth forâ—h as a bridegromâ— out of his chamber and reioyceth as a mightie maÌ„ to run his race This is an article of our faith as necessarily to be beleeued as the former without which as the ApoÌ„stle speaketh All our preaching is vaine and
your faith also is vaiâ— And yet it is so hard a matter to beleeue it that not onely the Athenians mocked Saint Paul for preaching it and Festus told him though he heard him well enough till he came to that point Paul thou art besides thy selfe much learning hath made thee mad But the Apostles themselues as was touched before could hardly be brought to beleeue it And the Prophet fore-telling it doth by way of dialogue bring in the Church wondring euen when they saw him who it should be as suspecting him to be some Edomite or enemy that should raise some further storme Who is this saith the Church that commeth from Edom in red garments from Bosra He is all glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength And when Christ had made answere I speake righteoâ—sneâ—â—e and am mighty to saue The Church replies Wherefore is thine apparrell red and thy garments like to him that treadeth in the wine-presse To which he answeres I haue troden the wine-presse alone and of all other there is none with me By which dialogue we see in what feare the Church was of him comming from among their enemies the graue and hell and in their enemies bloudy colours that he had been one of their enemies and came to doe them hurt they thought it vnlikely that it could be Christ that was so despitefully handled but three daies before that was shorne and naked they deuidiâ—g his â—arments casting lots vpon his vesture and flayne and slaine and buried should now so soone returne in such pompe and triumph An admirable sudden change that hee that but three dayes before was agâ—us â—ccisus a lambe slaine should now returne Leo de tribu Iuda victor The conquering Lion of the Tribe of Iuda that he that was so lately Christus ouis As a sheepe led to the slaughter and as a lambe dumbe before the shearer not opening his mouth should now bee Christus ouans Christ comming in triumph froÌ„ the midst of his enemies casting his shoo off ouer Edom that is trampling and treaâ—ing all his enemies vnder his feet not only aâ— the Apostle expresseth it triumphing oâ—er theÌ„ all in his persâ—n but also hauing been deâ—â— is now aliue and hath brought with him the keyes of death and the graue to giue life to our bodies and the keyes of hell to giue life vnto our soules in which respect the Apostle telles vs that hee hath brought with him not onely life but immortalitie This was the Lords doing and could not but be maruellous in the Churches eyes And yet this was not onely necessary to be so but impossible to be otherwise for so Saint Peter telles vs That God had raised him vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that hee shoâ—ld be holden of it For Dauid saith concerning him I beheld the Lord alwaies bâ—fore me for he is at my right hand that I should not be shaken Therâ—fore did my heart reioyce and my tongue was glad my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy oâ—e to see corruption c. This article therefore of our faith being the greatest comfort vnto Christians and yet so hard to be beleeued that Saint Augustine saith Crede resurrectionem esto Christianus Beleeue this point of the resurrection and thou canst not but bee a Christian hath had as many if not more confirmations of it then any other The Law saith That in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery matter shall bee stablished but in this we haue many more for first the Angels giue their testimony recorded by all the foure Euangelists He is risen he is not here Secondly the Saints that rose with him and appeared to many to confirme his resurrection Thirdly the very souldiers themselues that were set to watch him and to keepe him from rising doe confesse it though afâ—erward they were hired by the high Priests to tell an vntruth Fourthly Marie Magdalen and other deuout women sent by the Angels and by Christ himselfe to certifie the Apostles that he was risen Fifthly the two Disciples that met him as they were trauelling to Emaus that made haste to returne to Ierusalem and certifie the Apostles thereof Sixthly the Apostles though they doubted at the first of which S. Augustine saith Dubitabant illâ— ne dos dubitaremus that is they doubted that we might be out of doubt yet after are made eye-witnesses and eare-witnessâ—s and may say with S. Iohn That which we haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes which we haue looked vpon and these hands of ours haue handled of that word of life that I say which we haue sâ—ene and heard declare we vnto you Seuenthly and lastly those fiue hundred witnesses which saw him at once as Saint Paul speaketh may serue to assure vs. We see then the resemblance that this his resurrection from the dead to secure his Church from all the dangers and perils that by his death it was brought vnto hath to his arising from sleepe in the ship and shewing his power and authoritie ouer the winds and seas For as in the miracle wrought in the history he proued himselfe to be God that had power to command his creatures at his pleasure So much more in this his arising from death to life and that so quickly within three daies and in the conquest that hee made ouer death and the graue and ouer the diuell and hell he sheweth not onely his diuine power but his tender care for his Church being compassed here by a sea of dangers that they may thereby not onely beleeue the resurrection of their bodies in the end of the world but in this life die to sin and liue to righteousnesse and hauing their part in the first resurrection they are free from all danger of the second death And let this suffice for the fifth obseruation Sixthly and lastly the Calme that followed after Christs arising and rebuking the Windes and the Sea is an image both of that rest and quiet which they that are in the Church of Christ doe finde in their soules and consciences here in this life and of that eternall rest and quiet without feare of any stormes which they shall haue in heauen whereof the peace of conscience which wee here enioy is a pledge and earnest Both these doe depend vpon the resurrection of Christ before spoken of as the fruit thereof to vs. The first benefit that a Christian doth find by beleeuing Christs resurrection and meditating vpon it is the peace of conscience that is peace with God peace with the creatures peace with other men and peace with himselfe God in the first Creation of the world did set and settle all things in order and quietnesse
The Elements were to serue and nourish the Plants and the Plants to serue the Beasts and the Beasts to serue Man and Man to serue God Before sinne there was no disorder or disquietnesse of any creature toward another but a generall quiet Calme through the whole world And therefore God may well bee called the God of peace and peace may be as well stiled the â—eace of God But man by sin breaking the peace with God as the Prophet speaketh Your iniquities haue separated betwixt God and you and your sinnes haâ—e hid his face from you consequently the creatures being thereby made subiect to vanity there arose stormes and tempests troubles and oppositions from all the creatures for the earth being cursed for mans sake brought forth thornes and thistles the Angels stood with a blade of a sword shaken to keepe him from the tree of life the water destroyed all the race of mankind by an vniuersall Floud except onely those eight that entred into the Arke The spirit of God was grieued And God the Father said It repenteth me that I haue made man I will destroy him from the earth Thus then these tempests being raised against man from God and his creatures by mans sinne and man hauing thereby a warre within himself in his owne conscience condemning him there was no calming of these tempests nor no peace to be made but onely by Christ who as he is truly termed the Prince of peace so likewise the Apostle calleth him our peace who hath not onely made peace beâ—wixt God and vs but hath also preached peace to all whether Iâ—wes or Gentiles This then is the great Calme that Christ brought into the world to reconcile all mans enemies That the water that before destroyed the world should in him by the Sacrament of Baptisme become Lauacrum regenerationis the Laâ—er of our new birth whereby we are entred into Gods Church That the earth instead of thornes and thistles should bring forth bread and wine which in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doe not onely represent but exhibit spiritually to â—he faithfull receiuer the body and blood of Christ vnto saluation That a whole quire of Angels in stead of swords in their hands should haue a song of peâ—ce in their mouthes That the Spirit of God should descend in the likenesse of a mild Doue And God the Father acknowledge hiâ—selfe by a voice from heauen to bee in Christ well pleased with mankind This I say is that great Calme wrought by Christ whereby God and the Angels and the creatures are reconciled vnto man and man is at peace with his owne conscience that wee may say with the Apostle If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old â—hings are passed away Behold all things are become new And therfore our Sauior Christ when he sent forth his Apostles to preach yea and his seuenty disciples also charged them to begin at that Into what soeuer hâ—â—se ye eâ—ter first say Peace be to this house And if the Sonne of peace be there your peace shall rest vpon him if not it shall â—urne to you againe And when hee was to leaue them he left behind him this legacy My peace I leaue with you But specially after his resurrection his first salutation repeated againe and againe Peace be vnto you that we may say with Saint Bernard Miseros nos quos non penetrat pax toties repetita that it is a miserable thing for vs if we had rather continue out the storme then be in a calme sea which made Saint Paul begin his Epistles with Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ and conclude them with â—he peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your hearts and minds that we may say with Saint Bernard Domine pacem volo pacem desidero nil amplius Lord I wish and desire peace onely and nothing â—lse And yet all this peace and calme which we can receiue in this world is but a pledge and earnest of the perfect and compleate Calme and quiet which the Christian by faith beleeueth and by hope expecteth in the world to come when he shall rest from his lâ—bours and receiue the Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shâ—ll giue at that day to all that loue his appearing Now rest and quiet is the onely end of all labour God himsâ—lfe when hee hâ—d fâ—nished his worke of Creatioâ— in six daies he rested the seuenth day and sanctified it And Christ when he had finished the worke of our redemption by a painefull and troublesome life and death in this world was then receiued vp inâ—o heaâ—en to sit at â—he right haâ—d of God thâ— Fâ—thâ—r It hath pleased God not only to ordaine and appoint the night for man to take his rest in as well as the day to labor trauell in but also to appoint a seuenth day for a day of rest from bodily labours And Canaan the land of Promise where Gods people were to rest after their bondage in Egypt troublesome passage through the wildernesse was a type and figure of that rest and quiet which God hath prouided in heauen for his children after their deliuerance from the bondage of Satan and troublesome passage thorow the wildernesse of this world as the Apostle proueth at large For we saith he which haue beleeued doe enter inâ—o rest c. And in the next verse For he spake in a certaine place of the seuenth day in this wise And God did rest the seuenth day from all his workes And in this place againe If they shall enter into my rest And a little after he saith If Iesus â—hat â—s Ioshua had giuen them rest then would he not after this hâ—ue spoken of another day There remaineth thâ—refore a reâ—â— to â—he people of God For he that hath entred into his rest haâ—h also ceased from his ownâ— workes as God did from his let vs studie therefore to enâ—er into that rest c. By all which the Apostle doth proue that al the peace and rest which we can attaine vnto in this life should put vs in mind and prepare vs for the eternall peace and rest in the life to come that when the time of our dissolution comes wee may bee ready to say with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart part in peace The yere of Iubilie or reioycing which God ordained to be euery fiftieth yeere whâ—râ—in the whole land was to rest and liberty to be proclaimed to all the inhabitants and they were neither to sowe nor to reape nor gather grapes c. was a type also of this great calme and eternall rest purchased to all Gods people by the death and resurrection of Christ. And to conclude this eternall rest is that which al good Christians should long
the sea great and wide for therein are things creeping innumerable both small beasts and great There goe the ships yea that Leuiathan which thou hast made to play therein All these waite vpon thee that thou maist giue them meate in due season Thou giuest it to them and they gather it thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good things But if thou hide thy face they are troubled if thou take away their breath they die Againe if thou send forth thy Spirit they are created and thou renuest the face of the earth The floods haue lifted vp O Lord the floods haue lifted vp their voice the floods haue lift vp their waues the waues of the sea are maruellous through the noise of many waters yet thou Lord on high art more mighty We haue seene thy workes in the sea and thy wonders in the deepe For thou didst command and raise the stormie winde and liftedst vp the waues thereof Our ship hath mounted vp toward heauen and descended againe to the deepe so that our soule melted for trouble We were tossed to and fro and staggered like drunken men and all our cunning was gone Then wee cried to thee in our trouble and thou deliueredst vs out of our distresse Thou hast turned the storme into a calme so that the waues thereof are still Thou rulest the raging of the sea when as the waues thereof arise thou stillest them Thou hast according to thy promise brought vs againe from the depth of the sea Thou appeasest the noise of the seas and the noise of the waues thereof Let heauen and earth praise thee therefore the sea and all that moueth therein Let vs reioyce from the sea yea let vs depend vpon thy might and mercy in thy time to bring vs to the hauen where wee would be Let vs confesse before thee thy louing kindnesse and thy wonderfull works before the sonnes of men Open our lips O Lord that our mouthes may speake thy praise which breakest the sea whē the waues therof rore thy name is the Lord of hosts Whatsoeuer it pleased thee thou hast done in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all the depths Let our mouthes therefore bee filled with praise and with thy glory euery day Let thy praise be in our mouthes continually and Let vs sing vnto thee a new song and thy praise from the end of the earth Let vs neuer forget thy mercies and louing kindnesse to vs miserable sinners but seeing wee haue nothing else to render vnto thee for all thy benefits accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing and teach vs euermore to ascribe and giue vnto thee O Father with thy Son and the holy Ghost all honour glory power might and maiesty from this time forth and for euer Amen A Prayer before a Fight at Sea O Lord God of Hostes thou art the God of peace and the God of war we confesse that without thee we can haue no true peace nor make any iust war Grant vs therefore first to be at peace with thee and at peace with our owne consciences that so we may vndertake in thy name the fight now intended against thine and our enemies O Lord we acknowledge that our sins haue separated betweene thee and vs and that in respect of our iniquities thou maist iustly make our enemies thy rod and scourge to correct vs yea euen as a fire to consume and deuoure vs. Thou hast many times suffered thine owne people when they haue sinned against thee with an high hand and not humbled themselues before thee but trusted to their owne strength to become a prey vnto wicked and vngodly men that haue risen vp against them But Lord we confesse our manifold sinnes and that thereby wee haue iustly deserued thy iudgements wee repent vs of our former liues and resolue by thy gratious assistance to liue and die in thy feare and faith And now Lord Loe thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee haue lift vp their head They haue taken counsell against thy people and consulted against thy secret ones They haue said Come and let vs cut them off from being a people and let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance Looke downe therfore O Lord from heauen and behold their wicked imaginations against vs. Confound their malicious and mischieuous policies giue vs courage and true Christian resolution to withstand the rage and fury of these idolaters and fight for vs as thou art wont to doe for thy children Teach our hands to warre and our fingers to fight Let thy power and might in thy mercifull preseruation of vs be knowne among the Heathen that they may confesse Doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the world Let not these wicked men triumph ouer vs neither deliuer vs as a prey vnto their teeth It is thy mercy O Lord that bath affoorded vs many excellent prouisions of warlike meanes to defend our selues and to make them if thou please to giue a blessing to fall into the same pit which they haue digged for vs. But our trust is not in these secondary meanes but in thy mercies Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses but wee will trust in thy name A horse is a vaine thing to saue a man and so are all other meanes without thee Let the right of our cause fighting for thee against thine and our enemies put such life and spirit and courage into vs that wee may bee resolued to liue and die thy seruants and let vs so rely vpon thy protection that wee neglect no meanes which thou hast giuen vs for our preseruation but may manfully in our greatest extremities shew our Christian resolutions not to feare bodily death which is euery day before our eies being assured of euerlasting life hereafter purchased by the death and passion of thy Son Iesus Christ So we thy people and sheepe of thy pasture shal learne daily to praise and glorifie thy holy name for all thy mercies which wee receiue at thy hands here in this life and publish them in the great Congregation if thou giue vs safe returne into our natiue Country yea wee shall declare them vnto the ages to come and desire in all places to acknowledge that greatnesse and power and glory and victory and praise are thine for euer and euer And thus submitting our selues to thy good will and pleasure and depending vpon thy gracious protection wee commit and commend our soules and bodies and endeuours in this dangerous fight to thy mercy in thy Sonne Iesus Christ praying further vnto thee as hee hath taught vs Our Father which art in heauen c. A Thanksgiuing after Victory O Lord God the strength of our saluation thou hast couered our heads in the day of battell If