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
his beloueâ— wiâ—e Rachâ—l in childbed And yet more with the losse of Ioseph his eldest sonne by her And lastly with enduring two yeeres of famine No maruell therefore if he stiled his whole life the dayes of his pilgrimage And his good sonne Ioseph sped little better who was enuied by his brethren threatned to bee killed cast into a pit drawne forth and sold as a slâ—â—e to the Ishmaelites carried by them into Egypt and sold to Putaphar falsely accused by the harlot his Mistresse vniusâ—ly cast into prison whose feet they hâ—ld in â—hâ— sâ—ockes and he was laâ—d in irons And lastly the fauour he did to the Kings Butler which was cast in prison to him though he earnestly entreated to be rememâ—red was quite forgotten This then is the state and condition of Gods dearest children and not to instance in any more particulars we may obserue it to be his dealing commonly with his Church for thus hee deaâ—t with his people the children of Israel when by his mighty power and out-stretched arme hee had made the Egyptians weary of them by those ten seuerall plagues inflicted vpon them by the ministery of Moses insomuch that they forced them to goe away in hast saying we dye all And so deliuered them from that slauery and bondage which they had endured foure hundred and thirty yeeres yet let vs consider to what straights they are brought They had the Red seâ— before them the mountaines on each side and Pharaâ—h with a great Host of Horses and Chariots pâ—rsuing them So that the pâ—ople are in despaire of any escape and therefore say to Moses Hast thou broâ—ght vs to die in the wildernesse because there were no graues in Egypt Wherefore hast thou serued vs thus to carry vs out of Egypt Did we not tell thee this thing in Egypt saying Let vs be in rest that we may serue the Egyptians for it had been betâ—er fâ—r vs to serue the Egyptians then that we should dâ—e in the wildernesse Then and not till then was it time for God to shew himselfe and therefore Moses doth then answere for God Feare ye not stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom ye haue seene this day ye shall neuer see againe The Lord shall fight for you therefore hold you your peace And presently hee diuided the sea so that the Israelites went through the midst of it vpon the dry ground and the waters were a wall vnto them on the riâ—ht hand and on the left but Pharaoh and all his host were dâ—owned in pursuing and following them I haue been the longer in this meditation because it is of most vse for Sea-men that finding it ordinary with God to haue dealt thus with his best Saints they mâ—y neuer faint be the danger neuer so great but wait and expect Gods leasure for deliuery For God as hee knoweth the best time so he is the best obseruer of time and though the ship be couered with waues yet cast not away your confidence Say with holy Iâ—b Though he â—ill me I will trust in him resolue with the 3. children Bâ—hold our God whoÌ„ we serue is able to dâ—liâ—er vs when he please he will I would here end this first point of the danger in respect of the tempest but that by consideration of that which we find in the other Euangelists reporting this history we finde in Saint Marke that there werâ— with him other little ships and yet wee finde not that those ships or any of them were in the like danger for this ship was couered with waues and both Saint Marke and S. Luke say that it was filled with watâ—r and they both vse a word for the tempest which in the Originall signifieth A whirle-wind which is a violent and strong wind descending downe right and turning and winding round about so that when such a wind shall light vpon such a ship at sea it carryeth it instaâ—tly round about and wheeles it vnderneath the water So that this word imports that though the whole sea were troubled and so the other ships not free from danger yet this tempestuous whirle-wind did specially aime at this bottome in which our Sauiour and his Disciples were And whether this tempest was raised by Christ himselfe as he was God or whether Satan whom the Apostle calleth The prince that ruleth in the aire was permitted to raise it as hee was to raise such another tempest whereby hee smote the foure corners of the house wherein Iobs children were eating and drinking and killed them It is certaine that the end for which Christ thus suffered this tempest thus directly to seaze vpon his ship was not onely for the triall of their faith which was yet but weake but also for the confirmation and strengthening thereof by that great miracle which he then wrought To teach all men at sea and land to depend vpon Gods prouidence in their greatest dangers knowing that a sparrow câ—nâ—ot fall â—o the ground nor an haire from their heâ—ds without him and therefore submitting their wils to his will in their most extremities to say with Elâ— It is tâ—e Lord leâ— him do what â—â—emeâ—h him good And thus much for the first point of the danger 2. We come now to the second point But he was aslâ—epâ— When Christ told his Disciples concerning Lazarus Our friend Lazâ—rus sleepeth bâ—t I goe to wâ—â—e hâ—m Thâ—y answere Lord if he sleepe he shall be sâ—fâ— But Christ spake there of his death by the name of sleepe And heere in as great danger of death as flesh and blood can imagine the Disciples plainly seâ— that their mâ—sters sleeping is the greatest cause of their danger for as Marâ—â—a saith of her brother Lord if thou â—aâ—st bâ—en here my broâ—her had not bin dâ—ad so might the Disciples haue said Lord if â—hou hadst not slept wee might haue preuented all this danger Strange it is therefore that ouâ— Sauiour should be so sound asleepe when his Disciples were so watchfull It was not so with him in anoâ—her daâ—ger when indeede he was to die when withdrawing himselfe from the rest and making choyce of his â—hree pillars of the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn to waâ—â—h with him â—he â—ight before his passion as he could not or would not sleâ—pe himselfe so he could not keepe them awake â—hoâ—gh hee warned and charged them againe and againe though he tâ—lâ— them of the danger of that right that â—he shepheard should bâ— smitten and the shâ—epe scattered yet he found that hâ—wsoeâ—er the spirit was willing yet the flesh was weake The one the spirit was like a forward dog that cannot be holden backe from his game but the flesh was like a curre in his couples that
will neither goe himsâ—lfe nor suffer his fellow that is coupled with him to goe neither It was fit for them as they were Christians to bee watchful at all times but at that time especially it concerned them to be as wise in their generation as the children of â—his world who if they knâ—w certainly at what houre thâ— theefe would come would surely watch But they though forewarned neither looke to â—ndas who was a â—heefe nor to Satan who was a murtherâ—r fâ—om the bâ—ginning for when they should assist their Master in his greatest agonie they are fast asleepe Alas our Sauiour Christ knew that the danger of this tempest was nothing and although he tooke our nature vpon him that in it he might die yet hee was sure that his houre was not yet come and when it did come he knew what death he should die as hee told Nicodemus As Moses liâ—t vp the serpent in the wâ—ldernesse so must â—he sonne of man be lift vp yea he told his Disciples directly thaâ— he must bee deliuered into the hands of â—he Genâ—iâ—es to mocke and to scouâ—ge and to crucifie him So that though his countrey-men at Nazareth wou'd haue thrownâ— him headâ—oâ—g from a sleepe hill wheron theiâ— towne stood Though the Iewes would haâ—e stoned him Herod would â—â—ue killed him and here he be in a great tempest to all shewes in extremitie of danger yet no maruell if hee sleepe securely knowing that no harme could come to him And here not to enter into any philosophicall discourse concerning the nature and causes and necessity of sleepe it is certaine that as Christ thereby gaue assurance of the truth of his humanity so it was specially for the encreasing of the danger to the greatest height that thereby there might bee a triall of their faith which is much more precious thâ—n gold though tried with the fire and that the Disciples might thereby be drawne more earnestly to call vpon him for helpe and succour for we haue no promise of hauing without asking or opening without our knocking The vse then of this is to all Sea-men in their greatest dangers that as Christ did here animate and encourage his Disciples by these extremities to endure whatsoeuer crosses afâ—erward might fall vpon them So wee must know that Christ doth suffer now alâ—o his best children many times to come in great danger as the Apostle doth report of himselfe Brethren we would not haue you ignorant of our affliction which came vnto vs in Asia how we were pressed out of measure passing strengtâ— so that wee altogeâ—her doubted euen â—f life yea wee reâ—eiued the sentence of death in our selues â—ecause wee should not â—â—uâ—t in ouâ— selâ—es but in God which raiseth â—he deaâ— who deliuered vs from so great a â—eaâ—h and doâ—h â—elâ—ue◠〈◊〉 c. This is the case of all Gods children and howsoeuer wee are apt in our extremities to thinke that God is farre from vs that he doth not see nor know or else would not suffer vs to be in such danger yet let vs comfort our selues with the consideration of this particular that Christ being present with his Disciples in this great storme would yet sleepe as though he regarded it not And certainly as hee was present with them as hee was man so hee is alwaies present with his children as he is God as hee promised Iacob in his vision Behold I am with thee and will keepâ— thee whither soeuer thou goest and wil bring thee backe into this land for I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that which I haue promised thee So also hath hee promised not onely his presence but his assistance to all his children in their greatest necessities as he speaketh in the Psalme Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shal abide in the shadow of the Almighty And the issue therof is set downe in the same Psalme I will bee with him in trouble and I will deliuer him and glorifie him He that sâ—w his Disciples troubled in rowing when the wind was contrary to thâ—m in the fourth watch of the night and came himselfe to helpe them he seeth and knoweth our troubles also and when he seeth time will free vs from them though he seeme to vs to bee asleepe and to haue little care of vs for He that formed the eye shall not he see And though he seeme to vs to stay long before he helpe vs yet he will come quickly and in conuenient time for his mâ—rcy is ouer all his workes And therefore if in shewing his iudgements hee be not slacke of his promise as some men count slacknesse But in comming he will come and will not tary Then much more in his promises of mercy are we patiently to endure and expect the performance knowing that he is faithfull that hath promised The conclusion therefore of this part is that the resolution of all men but especially of Sea-men in extremity of danger must be that of the Prophet Dauid God is our hope and strength and helpe in trâ—â—bles ready to be found Therfore will we not feare though the earth bee 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 Selaâ— And thus much shall suffice for the second generall part The danger of the voyage We come now to the third generall head viz. the miracle wrought by Christ and in it first the occasion therof in the Disciples both in that they did They came and awoke him And in that they said Master saue vs we pâ—rish First they came and it may seeme it was high time to come for they were in great ieopardy The windes whistled loud the sea went high their ship was ful of water both passengers and mariners were all at their wits end Their case seemed desperate as may appeare both by their cry to him and his reproofe of them in the next verse no maruell therefore if they came It is Christs owne precept Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie laden And though the best comming to Christ be spiritually by faith yet while he liued vpon the earth there was also a bodily comming to him commended in the Wise men that came from the East to Ierusalem by the conduct of a star to see and worship him presently after his birth and commanded to the shepheards by the ministery of an Angell and a signe giuen them by which they should finde him And it is noted as a fault in Nicodemus that he came to Christ but he came by night for feare of the Iewes as not daring to â—uouch his comming to him And there is yet an outward comming to Christ required of Christians that although hee be present in all places and at all times as
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
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
Christian resolution depending vpon Gods prouidence without which a haire shall not fall from their heads so to encounter the greatest difficulties by this that they know their hope to bee in Christ and if it were onely in this life then were Christians of all other the most miserable but now they are so farre from perishing that God so loued the world that he gaâ—e his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Hitherto we haue seene the occasions of the miracle Christ being fast asleepe and by reason of the extreme danger now newly awaked by the crie of his Disciples It remaines that wee come to the miracle and the meanes whereby it was wrought to wit his word onely rebuking the winds and the sea But yet our Sauiour makes no such haste but that first he reprehends his Disciples and â—aith Why are you fearefull O ye of little â—aith And yet some writing vpon this place doe thinke it to bee no reprehension but rather that before he will calme the sea hee doth onely strengthen and encourage his disciples in their faith and hope which was yet very weake and rid them of their feare and fainting And if we do so vnderstand it the meaning is that as in the apparitions of Angels to holy men and women botâ— in the old new TestameÌ„t they were strucken ordinarily with such feare that they could not deliuer their messages till they had rid theÌ„ froÌ„ that feare and therfore began their speeches so Feare not or Be not afraid Or as our Sauiour doth himselfe afterward to his Disciples at sea when they were troubled and cried out for feare thinking him to be a spirit He saith to them Be of good comfort It is I be not afraid So according to this interpretation it should be a speech to raise vp their deiected harts and spirits and to relieue and comfort them And if wee vnderstand the meaning in this sense then we learne here the difference betwixt this and other of Christs miracles for that in them he cured the bodily diseases of the leprosie paulsey blindnesse deafenesse lamenes but in this he cured the inward afflictions of the mind in immoderate griefe feare fainting and distrust of his mercie which are farre greater then bodily sicknesses And herein he teacheth vs that though their faith was very weake that he doth not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoaking flaxe but comfort and nourish and cherish the least desires of goodnesse in his Saints and children And in that hee doth this before he worke the miracle he not onely sheweth that he hath more care of their soules then of their bodies but withall teacheth them and in them all Christians to be principally carefull for the health of their soules without which they are dead spiritually while they are aliue But I take it rather as the current both of the ancient Fathers and new Writers doe agree to be a reprehension or reproofe of the Disciples containing first a question Why are ye fearefull Secondly an answere O ye of little faith The question may seeme strange for how should they not be feareful that saw the danger of present death before their eyes as they verily thought They were men subiect to passions and imminent perils cannot but produce the passion of feare they must be either Stoicks or stocks that are not moued with such apparent danger But it was not their feare but the excessiue measure thereof that our Sauiour reprehends and therefore Saint Marke renders it so Why are you so fearefull that is though the danger be neuer so great yet you ought not thus to be faint-hearted and dismaied you might call vpon me but not with such exclamations you might awake me but not so ouercome with passion as if you were in despaire of helpe your extreame feare and want of faith doth you more harme then either the winds or the â—eaes Why are you so fearefulâ— Now to let passe the nature and necessity of feare in generall and to hold me to the text It was necessary at this time for them to feare For without it there would haue been little occasion and small vse of the miracle following neither could it haue wrought such impression in them as it did Neither are Christians to behold Gods iudgements but with feare The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid And Moses at the giuing of the Law with lightnings and thunders said â— feare and quake much more the people of whom God saith O that there were such an heart in them to feare me alway Now howsoeuer the Scripture telleth vs that Christ hath deliuered vs from the hands of our enemies that wee being deliuered may serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And againe That we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but we haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father And so Saint Iohn There is no fâ—are in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare In which respect our Sauiour giueth this charge Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Yet these and all such places as they are to be vnderstood of a seruile and â—lauish feare not of that filiall and childlike feare wherby children stand in awe of their parents and dare not offend them especially while they are young for feare of correction yea for feare of disinheriting so as Salomon saith There is a time for all things there is a time in Gods children for seruile feare and that is in their first beginning of their repentance and conuersion vnto God For no man can truly repent vntill the Spirit of God by the shrill trumpet of the Law and the punishments due vnto the breakers of the law contained in that one sentence Cursâ—d is euery man that contiâ—ueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them which is a fearefull sentence if we obserue the words that they are not only miserable and wretched but accursed not onely some or many but euerie one not onely that doth not begin but that doth not continue and constantly perseuere vnto the end not onely in some points of the Law but in all things written in the booke of the Law not onely to affect and desire but to doe them This I say is a fearefull sentence and vntill it haue rowzed vp the â—inners drowzie conscience and both set before his eyes his manifold breaches and transgressions of Gods commandements and presented him with the fearefull spectacle of eternal death and condemnation due vnto him therefore so that the poore sinner holding vp his hand as it were at the barre of Gods iudgement seat being selfe-conuicted and condemned doth in a manner find himselfe in hell feeling the terrors of God fighting
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
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
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
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
THE TRVE HONOR OF NAVIGATION AND NAVIGATORS Or HOLY MEDITATIONS FOR SEA-MEN Written vpon our Sauiour Christ his Voyage by Sea MATTH 8.23 c. Whereunto are added certaine formes of Prayers for Sea trauellers suited to the former Meditations vpon the seuerall occasions that fall at Sea By IOHN WOOD Doctor in Diuinitie PSALM 34.17 The righteous crie and the Lord heareth and deliuereth them out of all their troubles LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston dwelling in Pater-noster row neere the signe of the golden Cocke 1618. TO THE HONORABLE AND WORTHIE KNIGHT SIR THOMAS SMITH GOVERNOR OF THE EAST-INDIA COMPANIE To the Right Worshipful Master Maurice Abbot Deputie Master William Harison Treâ—surer The Committies and all the rest of the Honorable and worthie Aduenturers of the same Societie HAuing for many yeeres together bin an eye-witnesse of your great care in prouiding all manner of necessaries both for the bodies and soules of those men that you haue sent and imployed in your seuerall fleets into the East-Indies I haue longed to expresse my loue for many fauours receiued from you but had no other meanes but by adding to your great prouisions for the Sea these Meditations following fitted especiallie for Sea-men A worke wherein I know not any man that hath gone before me and therefore I hope the better to be accepted In which I haue onely broken the yâ—e and giuen the onset to encourage some more skillfull workeman to vndertake it in some better fashion seeing there is such varietie and plentie of heauenly meditations in this argument as in no other particular that I know of And yet amongst the great multiplicitie of learned workes in all other matters this only hath bin neglected and not thought of The substance of these Meditations were purposed to haue been Preached at the setting forth of your last fleete aboard the ROYALL IAMES as a farewell-Sermon as I had diuers times before vpon the like occasions done the like office But God then otherwise disposing of it As our law condemneth malefactors that speake not for themselues to be pressed to death so I contrariewise haue thought fit to presse this benefactor to Sea-men as I hope to a further life that the things that then escaped the eares of a few may now bee in the eyes and sight of all that please and may not onely bee a meanes to them to beguile some idle howres but teach them in all places of the world to make spirituall vse to their soules of all occurrences that either by Sea or Land they shall meete withall The great blessings of Almightie God vpon our little Iland since the shaking off the superstitious Idolatrie of the Church of Rome and the sincere Preaching of the true Catholike Faith amongst vs as they appeare in the vniting of the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and the vniting of the hearts of both the peoples hauing One Lord One Faith One Baptisme One God and Father of all So by your meanes and Christian care in the sending forth of your great Fleetes vnto the furthest parts of the earth Our Faith is published thoròugh the World and our Land made famous vnto the remotest parts thereof And yee cannot but thankefully remember and acknowledge to the honour of our great God how hee hath poured out his blessings more aboundantly vpon your Fleets then vpon any of our bordering neighbours I humbly beseech him not onely to continue but to increase and multiplie his goodnesse and mercy euery day more and more toward vs maugre the malice of all our enemies I know that some secretly through enuie doe repine and murmur at your prosperous successe and some haue publikely in Print taxed and traduced your Trading laying foule and scandalous imputations and aspersions vpon it as preiudiciall to the State and Common-wealth and it were easie for me to shew the ridiculous vntruth of those cauils which they obiect but that I am therein preuented both by a worthy Knight in his defence of Trade as also by a reuerend Diuine in his holy Pilgrimage vnto whose writings I referre them that desire satisfaction I must needs set downe what I know and see daily of your great bountie and liberalitie to the honour of God and your further encouragement to doe good viz. that as God hath greatly encreased your store so yee haue not been backward to impart much and more then any other Societie that euer I could heare of to the supplie of the wants of his poore members your dailie reliefe of poore Ministers of the Gospell your charitie to Prisoners to Widowes to Orphans and to all well minded poore people that you find to stand in neede of your helpe cannot but pleade for you in the eyes of God and all good men Goe on therefore in Gods name in your noble designes and rest ye still vpon his blessing who I doubt not hath many more in store for you and so long as you conscionably seeke to honour his name among the Heathen and vnder him to aduance the State wherein yee liue will no doubt affoord you many comfortable assurances of his loue and fauour both to your bodies and soules here in this life and crowne you with eternall glorie with himselfe in the life to come And thus recommending your selues your ships your men your goods both abroade and at home to Gods blessed protection with my dailie Prayers to God for you all and more specially for that Fleete which is now shortly to be set forth I beseech you kindely to accept of this little Newyeeres gift and I shall be bound to rest Readie to doe you seruice IOHN WOOD. TO ALL HONEST PROFESSORS and practisers of Nauigation and more specially to all Nauigators to the East-Indies NOble Spirits that dare euery houre looke death in the face and runne thorough the difficulties of the vast Ocean I haue in this short Treatise taught you how to become truly religious and thereby to be truly honourable and couragious and my purpose in writing these meditations was to instruct you by these few how to raise vnto your selues spirituâ—ll and heauenly meditations in all other passages of your liues at Sea and land so as you may reape the sweetest comforts to your soules and consciences both in the whole course of your life and especially at the houre of death To this end I haue set downe at the end of the booke certaine formes of prayer and thanks-giuing fiâ—ted both to the former meditations in the booke and the most vsefull occasions that I could thinke of I desire not to tye any man to those set formes for whosoeuer can in the inward feeling of his owne misery and Gods mercy poure foorth his soules desires according to his sensible feeling â—ither of Gods iudgements in time of danger or of his gracious promise in the time of his deliuerance shall certainly finde the best assurance of Gods gracious assistance by the spirit of adoption dwelling in him whereby hee is broâ—ght
sixe skorâ— thousand that knew not their right hand from the left And they had fortie daies liberty to bethink themselues before the destruction should come yet at one dayes preaching of one Prophet one short Sermon The men of Niniueh beleeued God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them for the word came to the King of Niniueh and hee arose from his throne and he laid his robe from him and put one sackcloth and sat in ashes c. No maruell therefore if our Sauiour say of the men in his time that the men of Niniueh shall rise in iudgeâ—ent with this generation and coâ—demne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionah But much more may it be said of our generation now for we are not Heathen as they were we haue heard not one onely but many Ionahs not one day but many daies and yeeres preaching and threatning Gods iudgements We haue not liberty of forty daies granted vs before we are to expect his iudgement except we repent we haue seene and felt many iudgements both vpon our neighbours and our selues and yet we are so farre from ioyning together from the greatest to the least to repent and humble our selues in prayer and fasting for the diuerting his iudgements and to turne from our euill wayes as they did that we continue in sinne and daily multiply our sinnes to prouoke him to hasten his iudgement yea many of vs I feare may bee accounted among those that the Apostle prophecied of that in the last daies should be mockers which would walke after their owne lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation But to all such mockers of Gods iudgements denounced by his Prophets let that one example of the Iewes Gods owne people be sufficient of whom we reade That the Lord God of their Fathers sent vnto them by his messengers rising vp earely and sending for he had compassion on his people and on his habitation But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and till there was no remedy We see how the good thiefe in the Gospel rebuked the other thiefe that suffered with him and railed vpon our Sauiour Christ Fearest thou not God saith he seeing thou art in the same condemnation The feare of which condemnation did so worke with him that in the next verse after hee had acknowledged his owne sinne and Christs innocency he entreateth of Christ Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome And receiued this comfortable promise This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Now if the feare of Gods iudgements worke so powerfully vpon the wicked to be in some of them the beginning of wisedome that is as Saint Augustine compares it as a needle to draw in the thread of the faith and loue of God wherby the rent is sowne vp betwixt God and them How is it possible but the iudgements of God vpon his owne Saints shuld make them cleaue vnto him and call and crie and roare and neuer giue ouer till they haue deliuerance and if their griefes and sorrowes bee so great that they cannot expresse them in words it being true of griefes Leâ—es loquuntur ingentes tacenâ— that light griefes may bee vttered in words but extreame griefes doe astonish and depriue men of speech yet euen in the greatest with Anna the mother of Samuel They doe in their troubled spirit poure out their soule before the Lord or with Hezekiah They chatter as a crane or a swallow and mourne as a doue And when we know not what to pray as wee ought the spirit helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vs with sighes and grones which cannot be expressed But hee that knoweth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for he maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God And thus wee see how the deuotions in our prayers are quickened and excited and stirred vp by the sensible feeling of Gods fatherly corrections which all his children are partakers of The vse whereof vnto sea-men nay their aduantage by occasion and necessity is that seeing they spend their liues in continuall dangers so that they may say with Saint Paul In iourâ—eying often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils of mine own nation in perils among the Gentiles in perils in the Citie in perils in the wildernesse in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren The more perils they vndergoe the oftner they should and shall repaire to God by prayer in Iesus Christ seeing hee hath made two promises the one that whosoeuer asketh shall receiue and the other that whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he will giue it If wee ioyne these two that whosoeuer asketh whatsoeuer hâ— aske shall bee granted that will make vs like children in all dangers to run vnto our father and call and cry to him with assured trust to be deliuered And if we cleaue fast to God and haue continuall recourse vnto him and then most especially when we are in most danger then are we sure that nothing shall separate vs from his loue neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor perils nor sword No neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But heere may bee demanded and obiected Shall any man whosoeuer receiue any thing whatsoeuer he shall aske of God in Christs name To this Saint Iames makes answere Let him not aske amiâ—se to consume vpon his owne lusts And againe Let him aske in faith and not wauer for a wauering minded man is like a waue of the sea And as our Sauiour Christ saith let him know what he askes expounded by Saint â—ohn If we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Not as the theese that Saint Chrysostome speakes of that going to rob prayed that he might not be taken and was taken so much the sooner For conclusion of this point we obserue two things 1. That it is no certaine signe of Gods grace and fauour to haue a request granted at Gods hand For when the Israelites would needs haue flesh the Psalmist telles vs That he rained flâ—sh vpon them as dust and feathered foules as the sands of the sea And hee made it fall in the middest of their campe round about their habitations So they did eate and were filled for he gaue them their desire They were not turned from their lusts but their meat
wonderfull And as the due consideration of his birth could not but moue amazement and astonishment to men and Angels to see a new thing in the world The Word made Flesh God and Man in one person a Virgin and a Mother in one So the miracles that hee wrought such as neuâ—r any man did could not but worke admiration in those that saw them We say therefore with the Prophet Stay your selues and wonder and with another Prophet Behold among the Heathen and regard and wonder and maruell For all miracles are maruelous and wondrous workes It is therefore an ordinary thing that attended the miracles of Christ that his Disciples and the people wondred The second thing therefore is rather to be considered that is their confession What man is this c. Saint Iohn writing his Gospell last of all the Euangelists purposing thereby to confute Cerinthus and other hereticks that denied the Diuinitie of Christ after he had proued it by his essence and eternitie Secondly by his Creation and preseruation of all things doth set downe certaine excellent Sermons and notable miracles wrought by Christ and omitted by the other Euangelists and at last he concludeth These things are written that ye may beleeuâ— that Iesus is that Christ that sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name thus wrought one strange miracle with Nathanael Rabbi thou art the sonne of God And in the blind man that was cured and instructed by him who said Lord I beleeue and worshâ—pped him And in another miracle at the sea They thaâ— were in the ship came worshipped him saying Of a truâ—h thou art the sonne of God And at his death the Centurion when he saw what was done and they that were with him saw the Earthquake they feared greatly saying Truely this man was the Sonne of God All these brought vnto it by Christs miracles made that good confession concerning his Diuinitie which when Saint Peter made saying Thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Our Sauiour told him That flesh and bloud had not reuealed it vnto him but his Father which is in heauen And further That vpon this rocke or true confession of him he would build his Church and the gates of hell should not preuaile against it Now howsoeuer the beholders of this miracle proceede not so farre in their confession and acknowledgement yet they are in a good way and doe in a manner confesse as much when they propound it by way of question Who is this that both the winds and the sea obey him For it is as much as if they had said It is impossible that he should bee but a meere man that hath these vnruly creatures at command to check and controle at his pleasure As therefore Christ himself in the next Chapter in another miracle vpon one that was sicke of the Palsey when he had first told him Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And certaine of the Scribes said within themselues This man blasphemeth And Saint Marke addeth their reason Who can forgiue sinnes but God onely That hee might shew himselfe to bee God indeed and so to haue power to forgiue sinnes doth command him to arise take vp his bed and goe vnto his owne house And so thorowly curing the man by his word doth manifestly proue himselfe to be God and to haue power as well in the one as in the other So in this place though they giue him the terme of a man yet enquiring what man and so acknowledging him more then a man by the worke that he hath wrought in commanding the winds and seaes they doe in a sort confesse him to be God For conclusion therefore of the History the meditation rising to sea-men from hence is this that as in the vndertaking of their voyages they must if they haue any hope to make a good and prosperous voyage begin at Christ and be carefull and sure to take him along with them that is to examine the lawfulnesse of their callings and professions either as sea-men or as Merchants and Factors to doe seruice vnto God and to the state wherein they liue committing themselues to that vast element the sea and depending vpon Gods protection and defence and so expecting a blessing from him in all their honest labours so must they prepare themselues before hand especially in long voyages and amongst Infidels for many disasters and counterbuffes not onely of wind weather which our Sauiour Christs ship was subiect to in his short voyage but of many other dangers which cannot possibly be auoided and if Christ seeme to be asleepe in not affoording them present helpe by their earnest and hearty prayers to awake and stirre him vp by faith beleeuing his omnipotent power and by hope expecting and waiting his leisure submitting their willes to his will and ready as well at sea as at land and as well by death as by life to giue him praise and glory And thus much shall suffice for this history of Christs voyage and the meditations thence arising But I haue yet a further taske in the second generall part of the text that is the mysterie In the former I haue endeauoured to teach sea-men to be Christians but now I am to shew that all true Christians bee sea-men and haue a longer voyage in hand then to the East Indies for their whole life is but a voyage from earth to heauen In which voyage they haue a sea to passe thorough and a ship to passe in and in their passage they must looke for great tempests threatning to drowne both them and their ship and they shall find Christ in whom they trust to be asleepe as if he regarded not their danger but if they waken him by their deuout prayers he will arise quickly and not onely make all their enemies to vanish and secure the ship but neuer leaue them nor forsake them till he haue brought them to heauen the hauen where they would be This voyage cannot be performed by factors and seruants but euery Christian man and woman must vndertake it in their owne persons For â—ustus ex fide sua viâ—it in fide sua moriâ—ur that is the godly man doth liue and die doth begin and continue and make an end of this voyage according to his owne faith In this voyage 1. The sea is an image of the world 2. The ship an image of the true Church of Christ. 3. The tempest an image of the rage and fury of heretickes and schismatickes and persecuting tyrants against the Church 4. Christ his sleeping an image of his death 5. His arising an image of his resurrection whereby he subdued all his and our enemies And 6. The calme that followed is an image both of the peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the first fruits of the spirit which the Church receiueth as the benefits by his
death and resurrection in this life as also of that eternall rest in the life to come whereof the other is but a pledge and earnest when the godly shall be partakers of such ioyes as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor câ—n possibly enter into the heart of man to conceiue For the first the whole current of the fathers tell vs that the sea is an image of the world many waies 1. First the sea hath his name of bitternesse Proptâ—rea mare appellaâ—um quòd eius aquae sunâ— amarae The sea hath his name Mare in the Latine of the Latine word amarum which signifieth bitter because the waters thereof are bitter The sea is very bitter notwithstanding to the fishes that liue and are nourished in it it sauoureth sweetly So the world is very bitter yeâ— to worldly men delighting in the fleshly lusts thereof it seemes sweete and though at first it seeme but as a sport or play yet as Abneâ— saith to Ioab Knowest thou not that iâ— will be bitternesse in the lâ—ttâ—r eâ—d For like a subtill serpent it hath a sting in the taile and insinuates and windes it selfe into vs for to hurt vs. And though worldly men flatter themselues and say as Agag to Samuel Truly the bitternesse of death is pâ—ssed yet they are as much deceiued as Agag was as may appeare in Samuels answere in that place It is the distemperate taste of worldly men that makes the pleasures of the world seeme so sweete vnto them but if euer God effectually call them and they come to the true rellish of them they will say with Naomi the mother of Ruth Call mâ— no more Naomi or beautifull but call mee Mara that is bitter for the Almighty hath giuen me much bitternesse For the greatest pleasures of this world are like the waters of Marah wherof the Israelites Gods people could not drinke for the bitternesse thereof The waters of the sea of the world are like those waters which Saint Iohn saw by vision into which fell a great starre named wormewood and the waters became wormewood and many men died of the waters because they were bitter Let men therefore feare the curse denounced by the Prophet Woe be to them which make sowre sweet and sweet sowre which call euiâ—l good and good euill which make darknesse light and light darknesse For it were easie to shew of all the things in the world as Saint Iohn reckoneth them vp the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life that is the vnlawfull desire of worldly pleasure treasure honor that they be all the bitter waters of the sea of the world And it may bee said of them al as the Wise man saith of the first The lips of a strange woman drop as the hony combe and her mouth is more soft then oyle But the end of her is bitter as wormwood and sharpe as a two edged sword And that wee may see the bitternesse of these waters in this sweet sinne of vncleannesse as the world is not ashamed to call it and thereby to iudge of the rest First Salomon tels vs that it is a punishment in it selfe for such as God is angry withall The mouth saith he of strange women is as a deâ—pe pit He with whom the Lord is angry shall fall therein It is therefore a signe of Gods anger towards vs when he suffereth vs to fall into it Secondly it bringeth men to infamie reproch dishonour He shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproch shall neuer be done away Thirdly it bringeth beggery with it for because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread Fourthly it bringeth filthy and loathsome diseases on a man euen rottennesâ—â— to his bones Fifthly it destroyeth not onely his vnderstanding but his soule also Sixthly it is as a fire that will pursue and follow not onely him but his encrease to â—heir vtter dâ—struction Seuenthly the Apostle maketh it as a punishment of Idolatry to be giuen ouer to these vncleane lusts Let men therefore take heede of these bitter waters and if either they bee afraid of the anger of God or their owne infamie or the wasting of their estates or of the rotting of their bodies or the destroying of their soules oâ— the vndoing of their posterity let them take heed of that which if they looke they may finde hath cost other men so deare and giuen them sharp and bitter sawce to their sweet meate knowing what a poysonfull hooke lyeth vnder that pleasing bait to betray them The same may bee said of the rest of the vices that ouerflow the world as pride couetousnesse intemperance in diet murmuring enuie hatred disobedience to authority they are all the bitter waters of the world The woâ—ld is a sea The sea is bitter Thâ— world is bitter Secondly the sea is inconstant it ebbeth and floweth sometime it is quiet sometimes troubled It followeth the Moone As the Moone changeth so the sea changeth The world is as inconstant altering and changing euery day both in priuate men and in whole states Some borne some die some in health some sicke some rising some falling some in fauour some in disgrace and as Saint Gregory obserued all the actions of our life are but remedia taedij when we are wearie of one thing we seeke for reliefe of the contrary when we are wearie of fasting we eate and being wearie of eating wee fast when wâ—e are wearie of waking we sleepe and being wearie of sleeping we wake In nothing we continue at one stay and as the day succeedes the night and the night the day so variety and contrariety must giue content in all our actions The vse whereof is to teach vs to obserue in the world and our selues liuing in the world the mutability and change of all things vnder the Sunne God only being vnchangeable The Angels in heauen and man in Paradise were subiect to change as they found by miserable experience In God onely is no change nor shadâ—w of change but the world passeth and the concupiscâ—nce thereâ—f As the sea therefore is inconstant so is the world inconstant Thirdly the sea is full of dangers sometime by contrary wiâ—ds sometime by Pyrats sometime by entising mermaids and syrens sometime by rockes somtime by quick-sands and many other waies The world is a sea of dangers yea hath more dangers theÌ„ the sea 1. It hath such coÌ„trary windes that Christs ship his Church is faine with Saint Pauls ship to cast ancor lest it bee driuen backe in her course to heauen 2. It is ful of pyâ—ats that watch their opportunitie to take and make prize of the rich commodities wherewith she is laden to rob and spoile her of that most precious faith which is much more precious then gold that perisheth yea to depriue her of those
mosâ— great and precious promisâ—s which they that saile in her haue to be partakers of the diuâ—ne nature yea to pillage her of the benefit of that most precious blood of Christ of much more value then gold and siluer and precious stones 3. This sea of the world hath her Mâ—rmaids and Syrens entising lusts and fleshly pleasures alluring men to forsake the ship of Christs Church with Deâ—as and wilfully to leape into this sea to their vtter destruction 4. It is full of â—ockes on both sides presumption of Gods mercy on the one side making men bold and fool-hardie to aduenture vpon any dangerous sinne bee it neuer so great and on the other side desperation of Gods mercy after sinne to make the ship split and sinke suddenly And when wee haue escaped all these dangers when wee haue euen descried land think we haue made our port yet if we take not the direction of our good pilot to steer a right course and keepe the deepe channell there are such quick-sands that we may soone runne aground if not to losse of ship and goods that it may bee verified of vs procella â—nti in portu naufragi that we rid out the storme and perish in the hauen which if euer it fall out it had been better for vs neuer to haue knowne and begun the way to heauen at least we shall recouer our port after so great danger with so great losse as we shall haue good cause to repent our carelesse negligence The sea then is full of dangers The sea of this world hath more dangers Fourthly the sea is full of monsters The Prophet Daniel in a vision saw the foure winds of the heauen striue vpon the great sea And foure great beasts came vp from the sea one diuers from another the first a Lion with Eagles wings the second a Beare that had three ribs in his mouâ—h betweene his teeth The third like a Leopard which had vpon his backe foure wings of a fowle and had also foure heads The fourth was fearfull and terrible very strong and had iron teeth and had ten hornes But the sea of the world hath more monsters beasts after the manner of â—en monstrous men that are rather to be accounted for beasts then men some as full of poyson as serpents some as full of rage as roring Lions some as blood-thirstie as wild beares and boares some as raâ—ening after their pray as wolues some as wilie and craftie to beguile as foxes some as full of lust as goats some taking as much pleasure in their filthy sinnes as swine to wallow in the miâ—e some generations of vipers that eate themselues forth of their mothers belly as if some enchanting Circe in the world had by her cup of forcerie metamorphized and transformed men so much that Diogenes might well goe at noone day into the market with a lanthorne and candle light to looke a man amongst men and lose his labour The Prophet Dauid telleth vs that Man being in honour had no vnderstanding but is like vnto the beasts that perish And certainly all beastly minded men and women are monsters in nature Some hauing as many heads as they haue noysome lusts whereby they are led and directed Some as many hornes as they haue meanes and opportunities to doe mischiefe Some hauing two tongues as all flatterers and slanderers Some hauing swords in their lips as all railers reuilers and ill-tongued persons There is a generation whose teeth are as swords and their iawes as kniues to eate vp the afflicted out of the earth and the poore froÌ„ among men Of whoÌ„ the Prophet Dauid speaketh thus Their teeth are speares and arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword and againe Behold they brag in their talke and swords are in their lips Some carrie two faces as all liars and dissemblers Some are great giants as all proud men Some are crook-backed as all rich couetous worldlings for whom it is as impossiâ—le to come to heauen as for a cammell to goe through the eye of a needle So generally all men that giue their members seruants of vncleannesse and iniquity to commit iniquity are monsters whereof the world is so full as of Atheists Idolaters blasphemers swearers drunkards or as the Apostle reckoneth them vp Backbiters haters of God doers of wrong proud boasters inuentors of euill disobedient to parents couenant-breâ—kâ—rs without naturall affection such as cannot be appeasâ—d mercilesse that I must conclude this point As the sea is full of monsters So is this sea of the world more full Fifthly the sea hath many deuouring fishes the great fishes deuoure the little ones So in the sea of the world the great and mighty men like pikes in a pond deuoure and vndoe poore men They grind the faces of the poore they swallow vy the needy yea Thâ—y sell the righteous for siluer and the poore for shooes they take their poore fellow-seruanâ—s by the throat as our Sauiour speakes in the parable and say pay that thou owest In this sea as in the other might ouercomes right For heere wee may many times see great malefactors sitting in iudgement and giuing sentence of death as Iudah was like to haue done and coâ—fesseth it against them that are more righteous thâ—n themselues Here Anachâ—rsis may see Solons lawes like to cob-webs which hold the little flies but the great flies breake through Here Socrates may laugh to see pettie theeues trust vp at the gallowes and great theeues without punishment ride vp and downe in state and pompe Here Heraclâ—tus may weepe to see vertuous men despised and vertue trampled vnder foot if they speake the truth conscionably from their hearts and vicious men extolled for clawing and flattering great men against their conscience And if good men liue in this sea it must be as â—onas in the whales belly which he cals the belly of hell For good men haue not onely their purgatorie but their hell in this world while with iust Lot their righteous soule is vâ—xed from day to day with the vnlawfull deeds of filthy lust So that the great fishes doe not make thâ—ir pray more vpon the small ones in the sea then wicked men in their greatnesse doe vâ—on poore silly wretches in the sea of the world Lastly the sea is no place for men to dwell and abide in but those that loue it best and liue by trading in it and through it make their longest voyages in as short time as they can possibly and are full of ioy when they can descry the hauen whither they shape their course So the sea of the world is no place for Christians to dwell and abide in for they are in it and liue in it as strangâ—rs and â—ilgrims they haue here no abiding City but they looâ—e for one to come And they know when the earthly
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
thy goodnesse ouer all the world whereby thou chearest and comfortest all things liuing but also beholdest all things and actions of the world which are naked and conspicuous in thy sight and dispellest and scatterest all thicke clouds and darke mists of ignorance infidelity and error and shewest vnto thy children the right way to heauen preseruing them from stumbling slipping and dangerous falling in that way Grant vs therefore that in thy light wee may see light And seeing thy Sonne Iesus Christ is the true life and light of men that enlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world who when the naturall light of rectified reason which thou gauest vnto man in his creation was by sinne extinguished and put out did supply the defect thereof by a better light the light of faith whereby thy children do vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen O Lord make vs euery day more and more partakers of this light Enlighten our vnderstandâ—ngs by thy blessed Spirit and our hearts by the light of faith and our affections by thy Word that we being naâ—urally darkenesse may be light in thee and may shine as lights in a froward and peruerse generation and may let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie thee our Father in heauen And seeing the night of our ignorance is passed and the day is at hand and thy grace which bringeth saluation to all thy faithfull hath appeared teaching vs to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to walke soberly and iustly and godly in this present world Grant vs thy grace whereby we may cast off the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light and walk as children of the light that thy Son being come a light into the world we may not loue darkenes more then light because our works are euil but Lord let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs that the light of faith which we receiue of thee in this life may make vs liue in expectation of thy light of glory in the life to come being by thee made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light And now Lord we humbly intreate thy fatherly protection of our bodies soules from all dangers both outward and inward this day giue vs grace to make spiritual vse to our soules of all the actions and occurrences therein make vs conscionably carefull not to offend thee either in thought word or deede and prosper we beseech thee whatsoeuer wee vndertake in thy feare that wee may chearefully goe on in the seuerall workes of our places and callings so as we may seale vp our election by good workes and worke out our saluation in feare and trembling that whensoeuer this miserable and sinfull life of ours shall be ended wee may rest and raigne with thee in glory through the merits of thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ in whose name wee further call vpon thee as he hath taught vs saying Our Father c. An Euening Prayer WE present ouâ—â—â—lues again before thee most merciful Father acknowledging and confessing against our selues our manifold sins which wee haue daily multiplied against thy Maiestie and against our owne consciences from the beginning of our dayes and euen this day now passed We confesse O Lord that we were at first conceiued and borne in sinne and that from that originall corruption there haue euer since proceeded so many wicked and vngodly thoughts words and works that if thou examine what we haue done amisse we were not able to abide it or to answere one of a thousand of our actions for euen our best workes our prayers are accompanied with so many imperfections of wandring imaginations that when we haue done praying we had need to pray vnto thee againe to forgiue the scapes and negligences and ignorances of them Wee confesse further O Lord God that in respect of our sinnes wee are not worthy to looke vp to heauen or to call vpon thy name for we haue iustly deserued not onely to be depriued of all thy good blessings both concerning this and a better life which hitherto by thy mercies we haue enioyed and which we more fully expect hereafter by thy gracious promise but also wee haue deserued and doe daily deserue thy wrath and indignation to bee poured downe vpon vs vpon our bodies and soules in this life and in the life to come if thou shouldest enter into iudgement with vs. But there is mercy with the O Lord that thou maist be feared And we appeale therefore from thy seuere iustice against sinne vnto thy tender mercies in thine owne Sonne in whom wee know thou art well pleased Wee humbly beseech thee for his sake to be mercifull vnto â—s to pardon and to forgiue vs all our sinnes to wash them away in his blood to bury them in his death and passion so as they may neuer be imputed to vs either in this life to the terror and affrighting of our consciences or in the world to come to our vtter condemnation Good Lord giue vs euery day more and more the true sight of our sinnes the true sense and feeling of them and of thy great iudgements hanging ouer our heads in respect of them Giue vs a true sorrow and hearty repentance for all our sinnes past and a full resolution in the residue of our liues to be more wary and circumspect ouer all our words and actions that we may not onely striue to abstaine from sin but auoid those occasions which we haue formerly found to haue drawne vs thereunto And now Lord seeing the night is come vpon vs and hath not onely depriued vs of the light of the Sun but hath also brought with it darkenesse and terrors fearefull to our weake natures yet wee still depend vpon thy holy protection for as the day is thine so the night is thine Thou hast made darkenesse thy secret place and thy pauillion round about thee euen darkenesse of waters and clowds of the aire and yet the darkenesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and the light to thee are both alike Preserue vs therefore we humbly beseech thee from the perils and dangers of this night following giue our bodies rest and sleepe and let our soules continually watch for the time when our Lord Iesus Christ shall come for our full deliuerance out of this mortall life O Lord the sleepe wee now desire is an image of death while our senses being thereby bound vp from the performance of their functions and operations wee lye still as dead men not able to see or heare or doe any thing Let our beds therefore put vs in mind of our graues and the rest which we desire for our wearied bodies put vs in minde of the true rest and quiet both of body and soule which thou hast prouided for thy children after this life eâ—ded And
thou Lord hadst not been on our sides 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 Praised be the Lord which hath not giuen vs ouer as a prey vnto their teeth Our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken we are deliuered Let vs not therfore forget to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing vnto thee the true God y◠hast deliuered vs frō the hands of our enemies let the holy examples of thy seruants Moses and Miriam and Baruch Deborah and the Prophet Dauid in their Psalms of thanksgiuing for their victories and deliuerance from their enemies incite and prouoke vs to praise thy name as long as wee liue yea as long as we haue any being Thou hast giuen vs the shield of thy saluation and thy right hand hath staid vs and thy louing kindnesse hath caused vs to encrease For thou hast girded vs with strength to battell Them that rose against vs thou hast subdued vnder vs. Let the Lord liue and blessed be our strength and the God of our saluation be exalted It is God that giueth vs power to auenge vs and subdueth the people vnto vs O our deliuerer from our enemies euen thou hast set vs vp from them that rose against vs thou hast deliuered vs from the cruell men Therefore will we praise thee O Lord among the nations and will sing vnto thy name We will alwaies giue thankes vnto thee and thy praise shall be in our mouth continually and our tongues shall vtter thy righteousnesse and thy praise euery day Thou hast put into our mouthes a new song of praise vnto thee our God Many shall see and feare and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proud and such as turne aside to lies O Lord our God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towards vs. Wee would declare and speake of them but they are more then we are able to expresse Thou makest war to cease vnto the ends of the world thou breakest the bow and cuttest the speare and burnest the chariots in the fire Let vs therefore be still and know that thou art God and wilt be exalted among the Heathen and wilt bee exalted in the earth Thou Lord of hosts art with vs thou God of Iacob art our refuge Let vs therefore reioyce and be glad in thee and tell and sing of thy greatnesse Thy name shall bee for euer thy name shall endure as long as the Sunne All Nations shall blesse thee and bee blessed in thee Blessed be the Lord God euen the God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious name for euer and let all the earth be filled with his glory Amen Amen A Prayer in the time of Famine and Dearth O Lord our God thou hast broken the staffe of our bread and taken away the strength therof wherby it should nourish vs we eat our bread by waight and with care and drinke our water by measure with astonishment because our bread and water faile we are astonied one with another But thou hast taught vs that Man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of thy mouth We know therefore that howsoeuer thou hast appointed bread and meat and drinke as the ordinary means to maintaine life yet it is thy blessing vpon those meanes whereby we are preserued and as it is easie with thee to turne penurie and scarcity into plenty and abundance beyond the expectation of men so thou canst giue a blessing to a little meale in a bartell and a little oyle in a cruse to continue and not wast till thy seruants are relieued And though thou hast threatned the iudgement of Famine as a punishment to wicked men yet wee know that thy dearest children the holy Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob haue all of them been tried thereby and yet after been relieued by thee And seeing the Scripture teacheth vs that thy eye O Lord is vpon them that feare thee and that trust in thy mercy To deliuer their soules from death and preserue them from famine And that our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath not onely charged vs not to cark and care for our selues as the Heathen What wee shall eate or drink but to depend vpon thy prouidence which feedest the fowles of the aire and knowest that wee haue need of these things but also hath promised that they that seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse shall haue all these things ministred vnto them Teach vs to relie vpon thy prouidence O Lord and to know that when all outward meanes faile vs yet thou art still the same God faithfull in thy promises and thy mercies cannot faile Thou canst suddenly by meanes vnknowne to vs supply our wants thou canst make a little stretch farre and canst proportion our appetites to our store Giue vs grace therefore to make vse of this crosse when we see the great care taken for our prouision before we vndertook the voyage cannot helpe vs that it may cause vs both to waite thy leisure and expect supply in thy good time and submit our selues vnto thee without murmuring grudging or repining at thee and without mutining or falling out among our selues And if it please thee to supply our necessities grant that we may thankfully acknowledge thy mercies therein and keepe our selues in so sober a diet that we may both auoide the sins of surfetting and drunkennesse and may specially be stirred vp to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and the spirituall meate and drinke of our soules which shall endure vnto euerlasting life which now and euer we desire to be so carefull of that howsoeuer it please thee to dispose of our bodies the food belonging vnto them we may know that meate was made for the belly and the belly for meate but thou shalt destroy them both but this bread of life and water of life shall last and neuer faile vs but euen in death bring vs to euerlasting life purchased for vs by the death of thy Sonne Iesus Christ in whose name and words we craue the supply of all our wants in that forme which hee hath prescribed saying Our Father which art c. A Prayer being arriued at a Port among Infidels O Lord it is thy goodnesse and mercie that hath brought vs safe through the many dangers of Sea vnto this place where we are to enter yet into more dangers being to trade and conuerse with
doe all these by secondary meanes so that the generation of the cloudes and of the lightnings and of the winds may be found out by them that search into them And hitherto we haue discoursed of the naturall causes of all windes which if they be temperate doe coole and refresh the earth and the creatures therein and are things which the Sea-men desire and without whose helpe their ship can make no way so that a fresh gale whereby they may sayle before the winde is that which giues them the best content but here this winde is called a tempest that is a violent and furious winde such an one as the word in the originall here signifieth as if it get into the hollow parts of the earth wil make way before it and shake the very foundations of the earth and make an earthquake it will shake yea and rent the rockes asunder and therefore for the measure of it it is here called which was the third consideration in this point of their danger A great tempest such as whereby the Prophets describe the fiercenesse of Gods wrath against sinners As the fire burneth the forrest and as the flame setteth the Mountaines on fire So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy stormâ— And againe Our God shall coâ—e and shall not keepe silence a fire shall deâ—oure before him and a mighty tempest shall be moued round about him So that we may say The Lord hath his waâ— in the whirlewind and in the storme This made the Wise man in that sort to denounce the iudgements of God against tâ—e wicked Destruction shall come vpon them like a â—â—â—rlâ—wind And it caused the Prophet Dauid to wish O â—hat I had the wings of a Doue then would I flie away aâ—d reâ—t Behold I would take my flight far off and lodge in the wildernesse He would make haste for my deliuerance from the stormy wind and tempest By these phrases of the Scripture wee may gather the nature and condition of this great tempest To which if we adde that which is here set downe in the fourth place that it was in the sea which is as a reuerent Bâ—â—hop hath obserued a champian and plaine channell an open â—lâ—â—â—e where there was neither hill nor forrest nor aâ—y other impediment to breake the force of it this muâ—â— neâ—des increase the greatnesse But we neeâ—e â—ot seek for amplifications when in the fifth place the effect of the storme is set downe in the Text thaâ— thâ— shâ—p was couereâ— wâ—th wauâ—â— that is that it was so neere sinking that withouâ— Christs â—resenâ— helpe the Disciples themselues that had been brought vp at sea at least some of them saw no other way of escape And seeing as was said befoâ—e the fiercenesse of Gods wrath against sinners is vsâ—â—â—ly in the Scripture set down in the termes of such tempests no marâ—ell if Iâ—nah flying from the presence of God and from the execution of the duties of his calling were thus encountred but that Christ himselfe going about his Fathers businessâ— and to whom it was meat and drink to do his will that sent him and to finish his worke and for his Disciples that left all to follow him that they should be brought to such extremitie of danger may seeme strange For the first meditation therfore arising vnto sea-men from hence As â—he woman of Samaria said vnto Christ Art thou grâ—ater then our Father Iacob So say I Art thou greater or better then our Sauiour Christ and his Disciples we see what estate and condition he and they were subiect vnto let vs prepare our selues for the like Secondly seeing the Apostle telleth vs That it bâ—hoâ—â—d hâ—â— in â—l â—hings to bâ— maâ—e lâ—ke vntâ— his brethâ—en that hâ— might be mâ—rciful and a faithful High-Priest in things concerâ—iâ—g God that he might mâ—ke recâ—nâ—â—liation for â—he sinnâ—s of the â—eâ—ple For in that he sufferâ—d and was tempted he is able to suâ—cour them that are â—empted This is an excellent meditation for sea-men in their greatest dangers by stormes or tempests or any other meanes not only to consider that Christ himselfe did vndergoe the like dangers in the daies of his flesh but the reason why hee did so vndertake them to wit that he hauing had experience of them in himselfe might be the more mercifull to vs and the readier to make intercession for vs and as he is God to helpe and deliuer vs. And this meditation will breede Christian fortitude and patience as the Apostle saith There hath no tentation taken you but such as appertaine to man and God is faithfull whâ—ch will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able but will euen giue the issue with the tentation that yâ—e may bee able to beare it The third meditation is the extremitie of danger that God doth suffer his children to fal into that they may see and acknowledge themselues past all worldly helpe before he free them The Patriarch Iacob though God loued him before he was borne yet we see to what straights he is driuen before he could enioy the blessing promised His brother Esau threatens to kill him He is in Ishmaels case caâ—t forth of his fathers house For his mother that loued him dearely is faine to send him away priuately while his wicked brother stayes at home to hunt at his pleasure Neither goes he as his grandfather Abrahams mâ—n went â—o seeke his father a wife wiâ—h hâ—s Cammels and his furniturâ— but he is faine to goe alone ouer Iordan with his staffe in his hand and to take vp his â—â—dging in the opâ—n field and make a stone his pillow before he had that coâ—fortable vision of the Angels aâ—d God sâ—eâ—king to him And yet all this comfort may seeme to be but a dreame for after this he is faine to endure painefull seruice in his churlish Vncle Lâ—baâ—s house the space of twentie yeeres who as he deceiued him of his daughter whom hee had promised him after seuen yeeres seruice so Iacob doth tell him to his face I was in the day consumed wâ—th heate and with frost in the night and my sleepe departed from mine eies Thus hauâ— I been twentâ—â— yeeres in thine house and serued thee fourteene yeâ—res for thy two daughters and sixe yeeres for thy sheepe and thou hâ—st changed my wages â—en times And yet for all this good seruice he was fâ—ine to steale away from hâ—m by Gods commandâ—ment and was pursâ—ed by him wiâ—h purpose to haue done him hurt if God himself had not preuenâ—ed him Neither did this holy Patriarchs troubles thus end for he was after enâ—ountred by an Angell And after that by his brother Esau with foure hundred men Then was he troubled with the murther of the Sichemites by his two soâ—nes and after that with the death of