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
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
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
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
me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as â—e see I haue Some held that in respect of the manhood he had no soule but that the body was in animated by the Godhead who are confuted where he saith My soule is heauie euen to the death but his Diuinitie was not heauie neither could it suffer Lastly some denie the coniunction of these two natures in one person that he was not perfect God and perfect Man who were condemned by such proprieties of speech and phrase in the Scripture where that is spoken of his Godhead that belonged to his Manhood and that of his Manhood which is proper to his Godhead as Feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with that his owne blood There is blood attributed vnto God which hee had not but as hee was man So on the other side he saith No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen that Sonne of Man which is in heauen Where that is ascribed to the Sonne of Man namely to be in heauen which was proper vnto him as he was God This article therfore of our faith is the ground of Christian Religion and affordeth many comforts to all Christians but especially to Sea-men and those that vndertake long voiages amongst Heathens Infidels and I could wish none might be admitted to go vntill they be well grounded therein which would afford many heauenly meditations For first whereas these men resoluing to leaue their natiue Countrie and to trauell to the furthest parts of the World doe expose themselues to more perils and dangers then other men what sweeter meditation can they haue for the arming of themselues euen against death it selfe the last enemie then to know that they are in the right faith concerning their Sauiour and Redeemer that whatsoeuer shall become of their bodies they haue before prouided for their soules and so are ready â—o liue or die in that faith Secondly when they see preparations made for them by the Merchants and Aduenturers of goodly tall ships with all manner of fit prouisions when they obserue the skill and art of their chiefe Leaders and Commanders that haue been trained vp by long experience not only to guide and gouerne those great Vessels but themselues also in their seuerall places that they trust not in any of these secondarie meanes but to Gods blessing vpon those meanes by and through Christ for Except the Lord build the house they labour in vainâ— that build it Except the Lord keep the Citie the watchman watcheth but in vaine It is Christ God and Man by whom wee receiue all good When they are in the greatest perils to meditate that Christ their Sauiour is God and therefore can and Man and therefore will deliuer and free them if it stand with his glory and with their good 4 When they come to remote places and find Infidels that haue not heard of Christ to remember that they themselues are such by nature and that they haue deserued no better at Gods hand nay they haue deserued much worse because they haue abused Gods blessings yea his long suffering and patience that should lead them â—o repentance And therefore to consider of the great loue of God toward them that passing by so great and huge nations and leauing them in incredulitie hath afforded them the meanes of saluation 5 To meditate that the best way to make a good voiage indeede is to labour by all meanes possible to reduce those Infidels or any of them to the profession of the same faith in Christ there being both a commandement from Christ to doe it and great promises to them that obey that commandement 6 That aboue al they take heed that leauing Christendome they forsake not this faith in Christ they proue not Apostataes they make not shipwracke of faith and of a good conscience for such falling away is the high way to the sinne vnpardonable against the holy Ghost And thus much of the generall doctrine we come now to the particulars of the historie wherein first â—as obserued a Sea-voyage by Christ and his Disciples First of him He entred into a ship Where it may be demanded why Christ would passe the sea when he might haue staid on land For the Philosopher said that a shipman had but foure inches the thicknes of the boardâ— of his ship betwixt him and death And it was one oâ—â—â—e 3 things that Cato in his old age repented him of that he had trauelled by sea when he might haue gone by land It was the charge that Antigonus gaue to his sonnes hauing escaped a dangerous tempest at sea that they should neither aduenture vpon any such danger againe themselues nor forget to aduise their posteritie after them to take heede by their example of that which was like to haue cost them so deare It was the speech of one of the seuen wise men of Greece that Sailers at sea were neither to bee reckoned for liue men nor for dead but betweene both And in Diuinitie it may seeme or at least the diuell will suggest it that to aduenture to trauell by sea is a kind of tempting of God And indeede without a lawfull calling and vsing the meanes which God hath appointed to preserue vs it is as vnlawfull for to trauell by sea as it is for a man in the time of the plague wilfully to run into an infected house or to thrust himselfe into any vnnecessary danger For answere therefore to the former obiection why Christ would enter into a ship if hee would needes goe ouer the sea who could by his word haue diuided the sea into two parts that hee and his might goe ouer as vpon drie land as he did the Read sea for his peoples sake by the minisâ—â—ry of Moses or could haue walked as he did anotheâ—â—â—me vpon the water as vpon firme ground yet he rather taketh the ordinary course to enter into a ship and saile ouer for these reasons 1 He hauing after his long Sermon on the Mount in the three former Chapters done diuers great miracles in this Chapter vpon the land as the clensing of a Leper the curing of the Centurions seruant the healing of Peters wiues mother the â—â—sting forth of diuels out of many that were possessed with them doth now that hee may shew himselfe not only the God of the Mountaines but of the vallies not only the Gâ—d of the Land but of the Sea enter into a ship that thereby he might shew his authority and power on the winds and seas in this miracle 2 Hauing done the foâ—â—er miracles in his Apostles sight only he thought now to doe a miracle vpon themselues whereof being partakers they might be more sensible 3 He was faine by â—his meanes to auoide the presse of the multâ—tude that followed â—im and therefore vpon such occasions sometime he withdrew
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
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
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
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
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