enlarge upon it nay indeed it is an useful Doctrine for all sorts of people whatsoever 1. The Omniscience of God lays an Awe of God upon Spirits Can thou say or think that God looks on and venture to sin what to sin in the Presence of God as he said Will he force the Queen in the Presence of the King Oh what a height of impudence in sin is it for a person to steal before the face of the Judg What poor Seaman when thou art in a foreign Country though the eye of Friends Relations godly Acquaintance do not look on yet that eye looks on which should ten thousand times more awe thee than the eye of all the Relations thou hast in the world the eye of God The eye 1. of an holy God looks on who cannot behold iniquity but with abhorrency and darest thou sin under such an Eye 2. The eye of a righteous God will not this awe the Soul The eye of a righteous Judg Oh poor sinner is upon thee 3. The eye of the great God who hath power not only to strike thee dead but damned in every act of sin What not the greatness of God awe thee poor sinner how will the greatness of Persons awe a mans Spirits and make them very cautious of their deportments and shall not the greatness of God strike sinners with an holy awe of his Majesty to awe mens Spirits in his Worship we read this reason given why they should look carefully what they offer'd up to God For I am a great King and my Mal. 1. ult Name is dreadful among the Heathen 4. The eye of that God looks on before whom thou must solemnly appear O did poor sinners but think shortly they must give an account of these actions of theirs to that God that now is a Spectator would it not awe their spirits He sees thee now that must judg thee ere long Now thou art running on in sin there is no stopping thee thou art Sermon-proof and casts the Word of the Lord behind thy back and hatest to be reformed Well poor sinner it will but be a little while and thou shalt stand trembling before Gods Tribunal receiving thy Sentence for these sins that thou thought were secret and hidden 5. The eye of that God looks on that hath been a God of many preservations and salvations to thee who is it that gives thee thy Life every storm every Voyage nay every moment who hath been thy old friend to carry thee out and bring thee home again to rescue and redeem thee so many times from the very brink of the Pit Was it not God may not you call him the God of your Salvations How often hath he given you large Commentaries upon the Word Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Psal 3. 8. And this God looks on and dare you ven-venture to sin under the eye of such a God 2. The Omniscience of God truly studied and observed is an argument of sincerity and integrity of Soul Hypocrites act from the eye of men both as to their sins as well as services they did all it is said of the Pharisees to be seen of men So if the eye of man be over an unsound heart it may be he is awed O but the eye of God hath an awful influence upon a sincere gracious Soul O says this poor soul as Joseph did How can I do this and sin against God although the temptation was advantaged with so much privacy and secrecy Therefore we read of that word of God's to Abraham Walk before me and be perfect viz. be upright The eye of God is much considered of by an upright Soul 3. The sense of Gods Omniscience usually makes the Soul conscientious as to thoughts What thoughts poor souls take in Oh that is a wicked Proverb Thoughts are free Oh no saith a poor gracious soul Gods eye is upon every thought of the heart as soon as it springs up in a conception in the soul is falls under his cognisance That which is said of the Word much more may be said of God It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart discerns it as a Critick that passes censure what is to be approved and what refused so the word is he doth not only discern the thoughts Heb. 4. 1â— but critically discern them he passes his observations upon them It speaks a great deal of Spirituality in the heart to be careful of our thoughts It may be poor Sea-men may at Sea be plotting sin what they will do when they come to their Port Oh the Lord knows this God saw that the Gen. 6. wickedness of man was great upon the earth and that every thought of the imagination of his heart were evil continually Figment of the thought viz. what the mind fashioneth within it self by thinking 4. The sense of Gods Omniscience will raise a spirit of watchfulness in the Soul against all sin but especially against the right hand-sin Who are so watchful over their own hearts as those that live under the sense of Gods all-seeing Eye being upon them But there is one sin above all we should be very watchful against and that is the sin of our Complexions that we are so very prone to fall into Oh the eye of God awes the Soul as to this if it be drunkenness if it be that ordinary sin of poor Seamen Swearing 5. The sense of Gods Omniscience will preserve your Souls against Atheism This is an Age that never more abounded with Atheists than at this day What is the language of them How doth God know can he judg through the dark Cloud thick Clouds are a covering to him that he seeth â—â—b 22. 14 not This is true of wicked men though it was not true of Job The Psalmist tells us of them That they say in their heart God 〈◊〉 10. 11. hath forgotten he hides his face he will never see it And if you forget Gods Omniscience you presently may be brought to a denial of his Being you had need have cautions against Atheism at Sea even where you see so many of the Wonders of the Lord. 2. Branch of Information Is it so that God will discover the guilty person sooner or later then it informs us what a folly it is for poor sinners either at Sea or Land to think to hide and cover their sin from the eye of God! are there not many poor sinners run into guilt at Land and then to cover it and conceal it they will go to Sea as Jonah did who fled from the presence of the Lord and he would hide all by going to Tarshish but you have heard how God followed him It is true The heart of man is deceitful above all things and will be covering and hiding its fin from God But says he I the Lord search the heart and try the reins even to give every man according Jer. 17. â— 10 to his ways and according to the
word take heed of a sleepy indifferent careless spirit take heed of having a Jonah aboard of carrying any sin unrepented out with you and be much earnest and constant in prayer But in this and many other things I refer you to this seasonable and excellent Discourse which is calculated for the tribe of Zebulon chiefly Again I say read and think and read and practise read and pray and this will be the joy of one that dearly loves you and daily prayeth for you James Janeway March 1. 1672. To all Seamen whose day of Grace is yet not hid from them and whose hearts are not hardned and ears deafned to the voice behind them saying This is the way walk you in it Dear Friends YOur state and calling is set forth by the Spirit of God to be the most dangerous of all Means You mount up to Heaven and go down again to the depths and is not this a desperate case Their soul is melted because of trouble can any more Psal 107. 26 27. be said in a word to declare their forlorn and deplorable condition They reel to and fro like a drunken man and are at their wits end They know not what to do but then their eyes are up to God And that when you are plunged into this sad estate you may have some good Anchor-hold for eternity is the design of these Papers sent now into your hands 1. Love to your Souls studied them love to your Souls preached them and now love to your Souls notwithstanding the many imperfections they are clothed withal prints them and indeed they were hastned to the Press rather by the voice of God than man Thoughts of presenting them to publick view were taken up and laid down again some Months but that dreadful alarum from Heaven in that fatal storm both at Sea and Land when so many Ships and Lives miscarryed viz. September the 11. and 12 1671. did occasion the reassuming fresh thoughts that through the blessing of God they might be useful to the good of poor Seamen and so the Author was prevailed with to trust God with them especially so few Treatises being in print for the sakes of poor Seamen that live constantly lives of death and danger and their Relations that lives Lives of sorrow and fear That you may be serious in the reading and practising what now is put into your hand Let me tell you 1. Your Souls your Families your Estates your Lives nay your All is here concerned The design of these Papers is the Ensurance of your immortal precious Souls this is the Jewel if safe all is safe if this be lost all is lost Ships lost you may get others nay the loss of Relations may be made up but the loss of a Soul is an irreparable loss as it is unvaluable so it is irreparable it can neither be made up nor sum'd up O poor Seamen what a precious commodity do you carry to Sea with you what an unvaluable Jewel and yet run the venture take no care to ensure this that is infinitely worth more than all you carry to Sea with you besides 2. Your snares and temptations are greater than other mens May it not be said of you as of them Fear the Pit and the snare are upon you It is to be hoped you are not all fearless and graceless Snares of Companies at land at sea at home and abroad snares of foreign Countries and snares of your callings Oh what a wonder it is that poor Seamen that walk upon snares are no more sensible of them that they are not like him that dreamed he saw the world full of snares and heard a voice say Quis pertranseat ista Who shall pass through these and afterwards he heard a voice say by way of reply Humilitas pertransit Humility shall pass through So say I Oh poor Seamen a watchful heart shall pass through all your snares you have need of as many eyes as the Poets feign Argus to have Who have so many snares as you have How true is that of many Seamen that Job hath of the wicked For he is cast into a net by his own feet Job 18. 8. and he walketh upon a snare 3. Your opportunities and seasons for your Souls are fewer than other mens Good Books must be your Sermons and if you will not read when you cannot hear you live in a daily neglect of your duty to God and to your own precious souls Oh how sad would it be and will it be for you one day if you sleight and despise the Ministry of Reconciliation when you are at home where you may enjoy it as in no place of the world whither you go and when you are at Sea neglect those advantages which you may have in reading of the word Seamens Ordinances are and ought to be Gods Providences and their Ministry and Preachers Seas and Winds if you sleight the Ministry of your Barnabasses ashore viz. the Sons of Consolation you shall meet with the Ministry of Boarnergesses at Sea a Ministry of Thunder Doth not God often thunder upon you in storms Hurricanes and mighty Tempests doth not the Lord make that word good upon many poor Seamen Vpon the wicked he rains fire Psa 11. snares and brimstone and an horrible Tempest This shall be the portion of their cup. 4. Your Accounts are great No men have greater accounts to give to God than Seamen have therefore they had need look well to the stating of them poor Seamen though you put it off yet the great Audit-day is coming the Lord will call you to a reckoning what though it should be as you think long first it is said of the slothful servant that after a long time the Master of that servant reckoned with him God will make you know that long forbearance is no forgiveness As Solomon says to the young man so I say to the Seamen Rejoyce O poor profane Seaman in thy youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment 1. O that Seamen would consider that the Lord will call them to an account for their vows that their lips have uttered in the day of their distress The day will come that they shall say Thy vows are 〈◊〉 56. 12. upon us O God Can you answer the question when God and Conscience shall ask you what is become of your vows of your promises and protestations Can you make vows and break them with the same breach 2. Oh that Seamen would consider God will call them to an account for the Convictions they have had in their storms and distresses Oh doth not God and Conscience often board them as I may say and come to close fight with them and tell them poor sinners these are your sins your crying sins that you must leave and lay
4. Take heed of security under guilt for the Lords judgments come upon such in a way of surprize Such Nations or Persons are not prepared to meet the Lord in the way of his judgements they are taken all on a sudden as the Foolish Virgins were by the coming and appearing of the Bride-groom Now it is very sad to have any judgment come upon us by way of surprize Sudden things bring much astonishment along with them such poor guilty Souls as are secure will say I never thought of this never thought of my death this Voyage never thought of sinking O what a Fool am I that should no more think of my latter end 5. Security under guilt grieves the Spirit of God Jonah had now grieved the Spirit of God and it let him sleep for it is the Spirit of God that is the great keeper of the Soul awake Nay we keep awake no longer than the Spirit doth keep jogging of us one way or other The Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson and what then did he sit still O no! He arose and shook himself But when Mat. 26. 45. the Spirit of God is grieved it sayes to the Soul as sometimes Christ did to his Disciples Now sleep on And how sad is it for the Spirit to let a poor Soul alone to say Sin on sleep on He that is filthy let him be so still and he that is unclean let him be so still But now methinks by this time I here some poo souls say I am the afraid Mariner now I see my danger my danger not of drowning only but of damning the fears of my sinking is turned now to fears of sinking into Hell of going down into the bottom of Hell Now I feel a storm in my own bosom And what are outward storms to inward storms and O now sayes the Soul What shall such a guilty Soul as I do that hath such a load of unpardoned guilt upon the back of my Soul what shall I do under sense of guilt 1. Direction to the guilty sinner or Mariner Cry to the Lord under sense of thy guilt O what shall I cry sayes the Soul If peradventure that thou perish not as these in Text did What poor Soul if thou have but a Peradventure to cry upon to go upon to the Lord A divine it may be may keep thy Soul from sinking Many a poor Soul have by the help of an it may be gone to the Lord Jesus O guilty Souls cry after Christ what said the Disciples in that storm they were in Lord carest thou not that we perish What did Saint Peter in the storm when sinking Master save me or else I perish So poor guilty Soul cry hard after Christ Carest thou not Lord that a poor Soul should perish hast thou not said that thou camest into the World that Whosoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life 2. Art thou sensible of guilt Then own the punishment of thine Iniquity Thus did Jonah For my sake is this storm come upon you O what an ingenuous confession was here after God had awakened his Conscience Conscience will be ingenuous when God works kindly upon it We read a promise made to the Accepting the punishment of Lev. 26. 41. our Iniquity If they with a good will acknowledg it so the Italians reads it If they accept it as a Love-token from the hand of a Friend Jonah accepted his punishment under the sense of guilt two wayes 1. By Confession 2. By Submission Take me up and cast me into the Sea O thus own your guilt though it be before others Lord if thou cast me into Hell sayes the guilty sinner Thou art righteous 3. Though you be not heard at first cry again Thus did Jonah I will look again towards thy holy Temple O poor guilty sinner what may a look out of the Belly of Hell towards the Lord Jesus Christ do what though you see not mercy coming to you at first yet look again it may be the next look it will bring it it is an excellent frame of Heart to turn Faith's eye often Christ-ward under Sense of guilt this was the way that healing came to the stung Israelites The sting was the guilt of sin The Brazen Serpent typed out the Lord Jesus Christ Their looking was believing Their healing was justification by pardoning grace 4. Art thou under the Sense of guilt take heed of drawing black Conclusions against thy own Soul This was the infirmity of Jonah I said I am cast out of thy sight Jonah 2. 4. If Satan can but drive a poor guilty Soul upon the Rock of despair he then hopes to split it for ever this was the Rock that guilty Judas was split upon this is the Devils fiery dart with which he doth not only think to wound the Soul but to strike it as I may say through the Liver to all Eternity 5. Art thou under Sense of guilt O now thou wilt highly prize Christ The whole need not the Physitian but the sick O now thou wilt cry with David Heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee Lastly Art thou under Sense of guilt then know that there is a fulness of grace in the heart of Christ therefore we read of sheading grace aboundantly upon Souls what Tit. 3. 6. though there be abundance of guilt in thy heart yet there is abundance of grace in Christs heart a spring of grace in his heart and it runs freely upon guilty Souls He abundantly Pardons or multiplyes Pardons Esay 55. 5. Jonah 1. 6th So the Ship-Master came unto him and said unto him what meanest thou O sleeper Arise and call upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not In the verse before you had a discovery of the deportment of a Ship-Company that were in distress In this verse we have a discovery of further means they use for their preservation some means you have had an Accompt of Did they swear in their distress did they prophane the Name of their Gods did these Heathen Mariners do as many who profess themselvs Christians do viz. Take the Name of God in vain and so as that wicked King who sinned more and more in the time of his distress O no They cryed to their Gods In this Verse here you have further means used for preservation of their whole Ships-Company in this great storm 1. Reprehension of guilt So the Ship-Master came unto him and said unto him What meanest thou O sleeper 2. Here is exhortation to a duty The duty is To arise and call upon God 3. Here is the Motive or Encouragement the means are to be used upon If so be that God will think upon us that we perish not Here is no certainty alas Idolaters can speak at no Certainty O say they though there be not a Certainty yet there is a Probability of it That our Prayer will be heard and our Persons
smitten at At the Lord refused to go with the Camp What was the matter There was a secret cause an hidden cause Joshua he complains to God and sadly bewails the want of Gods presence and the Lord upon his Inquiry tells him There is a cause and the cause was this The Accursed thing was among them And this was the 13 21. cause O Israel thou cannot stand before thine Enemies until thou take away the accursed thing from among you Here are three things observable 1. The accursed thing was the hidden thing hid among the stuff The Babylonish garments was hid and the Silver under it O the accursed thing lies hid the cause is hid but it must be inquired into hid in your ships it may be in your shops hid in your Trade or Converse with men where ever the cause or accursed thing lies it must be inquired into 2. Achan was of the Tribe of Judah which was the Tribe so honourable that Christ came of it and yet one of this Tribe was the cause of the Lords thus withdrawing his presence after this the Tribe that kept close to the true worship of God Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the Saints yet one of the Tribe of Judah taken as the guilty person 3. Achan was discovered taken by Lot Joshua 6. verse for this discovery fell down on his face before the Arke The Ark was to inquire in dark and doubtful cases all and now he was inquiring of the Lord the cause of this disappointment and God answered him in Judg. 20. 27. telling him what course to take for a discovery Hence it is that when Gods People are brought into straits and distresses he usually points all their sins and provocations as being the cause of his so dealing with them and tells them as he did by the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 4. 18. your wayes and doings have procured these things unto your Souls c. Alas saith God you put me upon it it was your own doings and this is but to eat of the bitter fruit of your own evil wayes This is your Esay 50. 1. wickedness you see now what misery your sins have brought upon your heads thus in that great stroak of the Captivity God clears himself Behold for your Iniquities have you sold your selves and for your Transgressions is your Mother put away viz. It was your own Act and Deed And indeed thus inquiring into our selves for the cause of these evils when they are upon us is a sweet frame of heart then the Soul sayes as the Church did wherefore should a living man complain for the punishment of his sins why should we be complaining doth not God say to the complaining Soul as to Joshua Arise get thee Josh 7. 9. up wherefore lyest thou upon thy face Israel hath sinned and taken the accursed thing So poor Soul thou hast sinned sayes God The accursed thing is found in thy skirts in thy Tent in thy House in thy Heart Thy work is to be inquiring and Searching now after the cause therefore it follows Let us search Laâ— 3. 39 40 and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. 1. Reason why in a day of Distress and Affliction it is our duty to inquire into the cause not because that the cause of Gods controversie often is hid from us it lyes hid and we cannot find it out without a diligent inquiry it was so here in the Text They knew not what was the matter and to search â—â— out they were resolved And so they cast â—oâ—s to decide the case and to discover the guilty Person The cause of Gods not going up with Israel was hid from Joshua there was a guilty Achan there as well as a guilty Jonah here and both taken by Lots The accursed thing was the hidden thing we read of Heman under his affliction what course he took I communed with mine own heart and my Spirit made diligent search he Psa â—7 7. supposed There might be some hidden guilt that might occasion it to be thus with him therefore he would fall to searching The Septuagint reads it I digged my own heart The vulgar Latin I swept my own heart Both senses import that there might be some undiscerned guilt which God was angry with him for O how good is it in storms for Sea-men to say Lord is not the accursed thing among us is not the wedg of Gold aboard and the Babylonish garment and now hath not our sins found us out nay our secret sins which the Lord sets in the light of his countenance sin may be hid a long time but as is commonly said of Murder it will out so it may be said of other sins They will out Jonah's running away from God you see came out 2. Reason why we should be inquiring into the cause when under Distresses and Afflictions Because this frame of heart vindicates and honours the justice and righteousness of God Thus Jonah was brought to this at last For my sake is this storm come Ps 9. 13. upon us O now God sends his Agents his Pursevants to artest Delinquents we read therefore of God making Inquisition for blood then saith the Text he remembreth them he will seek out blood so it is read Now whether remembring refers to Bloods to Murders God is searching out or Remembring relates to the afflicted ones as a learned Expositer observes the Caldee to read it he that requires blood of the innocent remembers his just ones however this is true God remembers sin Now when he makes 2 Châ—â—n 2â— 22. Inquisition for it to punish it requiring and punishing the same therefore we read of the Lord looking upon Blood and requiring it viz. to punish and avenge it and so Josephs Brethren say Behold his blood is required O now the Lords searchers are abroad Gen. 42. 22. it is good to be inquiring our selves and so justify God You Sea-men have the Kings Searchers come abroad and they wait upon you O my friends God hath his searchers and his waiters too such as you cannot deceive O then inquire into the cause Lord thou art righteous in all thy proceedings against sinners at Sea and Land and there is some great cause that thou doth thus contend with us That which we know Job 31. 32. not teach thou us and if we have done iniquity we will do so no more 3. We should be inquiring into the cause because God will certainly discover it God will fetch it out let it lye never so latent and hid The Lord sees where the accursed thing lyes he knew the Babylonish garment was hid and the Silver under it Gods eye looks under the Babilonish garment you it may be think your sins are secret from the knowledg of Relations and so you are safe enough and upon the account of the secrecy of sin go on and are hardned but alas for you poor Sea-men God will bring all
when all comes to all they are worth less than nothing and undone for ever no grace no peace no Christ no glory and is it worth the while to venture ones life and soul for that which is worth nothing and will do one no good in another world 5. Consider what dangers you are in every moment I need not tell you that you are sailing within a few inches of death sometimes storms sometimes sands sometimes rocks sometimes pyrates sometimes a calm and provisions fail sometimes the Vessel proves leaky and men are fain to pump for their lives you know your dangers better than I I wish you did also know how to secure your selves what have you to hold up your hearts in the greatest of difficulties can you say Christ is my Ark in this storm his bosom will be my harbour if this should prove a wrack What dost thou say man if you can't I wish you could Awake oh sleeper what meanest thou 6. Consider how good a Voyage some make they go out fraught with tears and groans and pass through many a storm devouring seas of difficulties and sometimes almost lost so that they scarce know whether they be in the Sea or out their Masts are spent their Rigging spoil'd their Anchors and Cables broke and yet after all there hath been a calm their Rigging recruited and all recovered and they come home richly laden with grace peace glory and the pearl of great price and they come top and top-gallant into the harbour of rest and have an abundant entrance administred into the everlasting inheritance and would not you be one of those Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Oh what a triumphant welcome will such have to Glory and would not you be glad to be of this number but Sir what shall I do to make such a Voyage If I should give you advice will you take it Oh but will you indeed if you will not lay down this book and read no farther But methinks I hear some saying Oh that we did but know what we shall do to be saved what we shall do to secure this pearl of great price Oh a Christ a pardon and heaven upon any terms in the world Well then if you take this following advice my soul for yours if you miscarry Direction 1. Venture not out but in a Directions sound fight and good bottom let your ground-work be well laid in deep humility and solid knowledg labour to know your selves your corrupt natures your absolute need of Christ his excellency secure for yours and all 's well Labour to see sin the greatest evil in the world and to loth your selves and justifie God under a sense of your own unworthiness beg that you may not be deceived with an hypocritical profession but that your hearts may be right in Gods statutes he that 's sincere is safe 2. Have not too many Owners let God be your owner and you are safe enough none of his Vessels miscarry Yield your selves to the Lord make over all you have to him never more your own than when most his 3. Let all your tackling be of the best let your Judgment be well convinced and established that 's your Mast let your affections be divine they are your Sails let your hope cast Anchor upon Christ and the Scripture-promises let your Vessel be well ballasted with humility lay in good provisions such as are strengthning wholsome lasting get in the whole armour of God and resist your adversary therewith and he will fly from you 4. Let your lading fraught be such Commodities as will go off well in that other Country Oh how many that are bound for another world that are loaded with rags dung dross faith love meekness patience zeal heavenly-mindedness these are the wares that can never want a good market 5. Make up your accounts exactly when you go out go to the great office insure all whatever it cost you it 's that may be done you may run a sad riskow if you don 't the comfort and peace that you will have in it wil abundantly recompence your pains charge in this business How joyfully then â—ay you look dangers in the face though the Sea run mountains high though the waves therof roar though every billow look as if it brought death with it yet how comfortably may such a one look he knows that if the vessel break and his body be drowned yet Christ lives and he shal immediately be cast upon a happy shore where in amoment all wants shall be supplied all losses shall be made up in the glorious perfect and eternal fruition of God And he that gets Heaven Christ and Glory by his losses hath no great reason to be afraid of them 6. Labour to make the best advantage of opportunity don't lose your markets when the wind presents hoise sail and away The opportunities that God gives you at Land in his Ordinances must not be slighted the Lords day is your great market-day wherein you may buy the richest peniworths and when affections are striving the spirit of God is moving upon your spirits striving with your fouls and pleading with you then have a care of loosing such an opportunity that 's a brave gale and the wind sits fair if you be then ready such a wind may send you amain to your port or else you may lie becalm'd or windbound eat out your comforts and lose more than you are aware of 7. Take heed of the great rocks Presumption and Despair take heed of the great Pyrat the Devil take heed of running a ground the love of the world ruins thousands and if you strike here it 's dangerous but if you stick here you are broken Ship-wracked lost take heed of all the sins that poor Seamen are too subject to Swearing cursing raging damning jeering at godliness neglect of prayer hardness of heart atheism may I not add drunkenness uncleanness c. 8. Look oft to your Compass the Word of God and then you can't steer amiss read and meditate upon the Scriptures the Bible is an excellent companion 9. Get a good Convoy Pilot Factor Christ is all count all as dung and dross in comparison of him let your eye be still to him your heart upon him and know this you can't overvalue him whom never yet any did sufficiently prize let your hearts be much above let not sea and land make you forget heaven think you never make agood port till you are safe in the arms of Christ 10. Keep an exact Journal observe what way you make by this God may have glory you may have past experiences to feed your faith and hope upon for the future O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 11. Let losses make you more diligent to get and secure that which can't be lost 12. In a
with the Spouse untill she sinned-off her tenderness When David had sinned how was he hardned in that sound sleep for three quarters of a Year together O what a hard heart had he under his guilt at that time We read of the City of Rabbah what cruelty he did exercise 2 Sam. 12. ult towards poor Creatures there and he brought forth the People and put them under Saws and Harrows of Iron and under Axes and made them pass through the Brick-kiln c. We never read the like of David O what difference was there between David at this time and when his heart smote him for the cutting of the lap of Sauls garment Some do judge at this time he took in Rabbah he was under his guilt with Bathsheba It was then the spawn of his guilt that had thus hardned his heart So in this case O what a hardness of heart had seized upon Jonah that he could be so fast asleep in such eminent danger 3. Reason Because The Lord often suffers guilt to meet with success Now Success usually is the Mother of Security Jonah here meets with Success in fleeing from the presence of God He goes down to Joppa and there he finds a Ship at that time bound where he was resolved to go now all this was for the tryal of Jonah Many poor Souls when under guilt if any thing favour them called a Providence they then think Sure I am not running from God Alas Succesful Providences in a way of sin are part of the punishment of that sin and through the deceitfulness of our hearts they are mighty hardning You think Go to Sea you may be under Success and sin too Rubs in the way are a great mercy to be check't in our pursuits of sin Disappointments in a way of sin have been blest to the turning of many Souls to God Thus the Prodigal's disappointments brought him home And that of the Lord to the Church I will hedg up thy Hos 7. 7. way with thorns And O what a mercy it proved Now I will return to my first Husband for it was better with me than then it is now 4. The guilty Person is often the Secure Person Because Guilt dare not bring Conscience to the Reckoning Guilt is attended with Fear Now the Soul is as our first Parents were when they had sinned They were afraid and ran among the Trees of the Garden So Jonah gets into the sides of the Ship As an indebted Person cares not for reckoning his estate nor looking into his Book so poor guilty Souls care not for looking into the Book of Conscience they run upon the score still So did Jonah here until God sent after him 5. The guilty Person is often the Secure Person because Guilt deafens the Soul to the Calls of God The Lord calls upon poor deafned Sinners yea upon Believers Alas they hear not that it may be said of them as Moses did If Israel will not hear me Lord how should Pharaoh hear me Guilt gotten into the Conscience makes it both dumb and deaf and O what an uncomfortable thing it is to speak to the deaf to preach to the deaf 1. Guilty Persons are secure as they are deaf to the voice of the Word Guilt Esay 6. 10. hath made their ears heavy they cannot hear they have sinned themselves deaf and they must now be preached deaf make their ears heavy 2. Guilty Persons are deaf to the voice of the Rod and so they are secure Man preaches to the deaf and God preaches to the deaf too Hear the voice of the Rod and Micah 6. 9. who hath appointed Sinners have Rod-Sermons and Word-Sermons but nothing makes them hear 3. Guilt makes sinners deaf to the Cryes of Christ in the Conscience O what cryes doth Christ give many times in the Consciences of sinners as he said to Jonah Doest thou well to be angry Jonah so says Christ Dost thou well to do thus doest thou well to neglect thy pretious Soul doest thou well to provoke the Almighty to displeasure against thee to sin against so much mercy so much pitty so much compassion APPLICATION Is it so that the guilty Person is the secure Person then it is 1 a word of Information And it informs of the misery of the Guilt and Security when they meet together as they did here in Jonah When a Soul lyes and cryes to God under the sense of guilt as David did Lord heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee O this is a rich mercy But when a Soul is secure under his guilt this speaks the Soul in a sad condition 1. Guilt and Security meeting together speaks the Soul to be benum'd and Conscience benum'd com's hardly to its self Jonah's Conscience by this guilt was benum'd O benum'd Consciences are sad Commodities to carry to Sea with you Thus David in the time of his guilt had his Conscience benum'd 2. Guilt and Security met together speaks the Spirit of God absent from the Soul Thus it was with Jonah Thus with David Take not thy holy Spirit from me And that was a Prayer he put up to God when he was under guilt he prayes as if he was afraid of a Total withdrawment 3. Guilt and Security met together speaks Gods displeasure upon the Soul God was displeased with Jonah and sent this storm after him It was a storm of God's Anger and Who can stand before Gods Anger according to his Fear so is his Wrath. O how sad is it to go to Sea under the Anger Psal 90. ver 11. of God! He is angry with the Wicked every Psal 7. 11. day You would not leave Relations in Anger when you go to Sea when it may be you shall never see them more But alas how many of you go to Sea with the Anger of God upon the backs of your Souls 4. Guilt and Security met together doth not only speak the Soul asleep but fast asleep But Jonah was fast asleep and fast asleep in a storm O how dangerous is this Second Use Is it so that the guilty Person is often the secure Person then is it a word to Sea-faring Men to Counsel them not to go to Sea under guilt and security O what a mercy would it be to have guilt taken off your Consciences when you leave your Relations and never may be see them more O that you may not carry the accursed thing aboard with you O that you would not hide it among the stuff Guilt is a prohibited Commodity Joshua 7. 11 12. you know the accursed thing did hinder Gods presence from going up with Israel and so it will hinder the Lord's comfortable presence from going along with you And can that Ship make a good Voyage that carries not God in the Company 1. Carry not guilt with you for your guilt will raise inward storms Then the Mariners were afraid and alas they knew nothing of the matter Then how would Jonah have been
consider the way he was in until the Lord sent a Pursevant to Arrest him until he is in an extraordinary manner discovered O poor Souls did you never read that terrible word of the Lord God will wound the heads of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth still on Psal 68. 21. in his Trespasses The word for hairy scalp signifies an High-way-man an high-way Robber and is the same with that in Job and the Robber shall prevail against him As the Jâ—b 18. â— Dutch-Ambassadors observe Their hair makes them terrible to the Traveller Well but God will wound such if they walk in their guilts so it is to be read O how good is it poor Sea-men to stop your Course 1. The longer you continue to provoke God to come out against you the harder will it be to take up The longer that a disease runs or hangs upon a man the harder it is to cure The longer thou sleepest in thy sin and security the harder will it be to awaken thee Thus it was with Jonah He goes on in his guilt and security and then a whole storm at Sea awakens him not and you see he is glad to be called on Nay as it were haled out of his hole and all little enough Such a sound sleep doth guilt cast the Soul in The longer poor sinners you wear your Chains and Fetters the stronger will they be upon you The nearer you are to the bottom of the hill the harder you will be to stop O therefore in time consider your ways and turn your feet unto the Lords Testimonies 2. The longer you continue to give God cause to come forth against you the greater will the account and reckoning be And if you cannot Answer for one of a thousand how should you Answer for ten thousands nay ten thousand times ten thousand that is put upon your scoreâ— as that word in Job is â—f God will contend with him he cannot Answer him one of a Thousand some read it he shall be found guilty a thousand times over and O what a Terrible Reckoning will this be here is now double interest nay interest upon interest O it is dangerous running upon the score with God 3. The longer that you continue in giving God Cause to come forth against you the more dreadful will the blow be when it comes upon you O how heavy will that stroak be that is so long a fetching The longer that any Judgment of God is coming the more terrible it is when it comes I have a long time holden Esa 42. 14. my Peace and lain still and refrained my self now will I cry like a Travelling woman I will destroy and devour at once or swallow up as the words is altogether Long deferr'd Judgments are swallowing-up Judgments when they come 4. The longer you continue to give God cause to come forth against you the dearer it will cost your Souls when you come to be made sensible of it O how will you cry out of your selves that you should stand out against so many Calls that you should stout it out so many years against that God that exercised such infinite Patience and long-suffering towards you that he that was armed with so much Power should exercise so much Patience towards such Rebels Then you will say with cries and tears to God for mercy The time past of your 1 Pet. 4. 3. lives may suffice you To have wrought the wills of the Gentiles c. O how will it grieve your Souls that you kept up arms against that God who held out his golden Scepter to you to offer you tearms of Peace Reconciliation 5. The longer you continue to give God cause to come forth against you the more danger you run of being hardned in your course O poor Sea-men is not that Text a word that looks sadly upon you Because Eccles 8. 11. Sentence is not speedily Executed therefore the hearts of Sinners are hardned The words are very considerable Because Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily viz. The righteous Judgment of God upon sin is delayed for the present therefore the hearts of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil O what an abuse is here of Gods Patience Their heart is full to do evil so the Hebrew reads it What if God poor Souls should let you alone strive no more with you but give you up to the hardness of your hearts and say sleep on and sin on until my Judgments meet you and my wrath arrest you and you reap of the fruit of your own evil ways Would not this be sad O therefore poor Sea-men no longer stand out against God but upon your knees and beg for mercy that the Controversie may no longer continue betwixt God your poor Souls Thus we have done with this first Observation That God doth not send forth extraordinary storms without a Cause Jonah 1. 7. And every one said to his fellow Come let us cast Lots That we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us c. WE are now to discourse the end and aime that these poor Marriners had in casting Lots in this distress and danger which is here exprest That we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us This evill of Punishment some cause there was that they concluded and that the guilty person would be discovered by casting Lots that they also concluded And you see they were unanimous and earnest in finding out the cause The Observation is In all distresses and afflictions it is our duty to be inquiring into the cause That we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us There is a two-fold inquiry into the cauâ—e of distresses and afflictions 1. There is an Inquiry of discontented expostulation and reasoning the case with God in a way of un belief Thus Gideon when the Lord had told him that he was with him If the Lord be with us O my Lord why then is all this befallen Judg. 6 13. us and where be all his miracles which our Fathers told us of saying Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites Here is an inquiry but it was with an unbelieving Reasoning against God And we read of eminent Saints falling into this Temptation why doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore Jer 12. 1. are they happy that deal treacherously saies Jeremy 2. There is an inquiry of submission and humiliation when poor Souls would know wherefore the Lord doth contend with them â—â—b 10 â— that they may be humbled for giving God cause to come forth against them And this is the Inquiry ye are discoursing about That God doth not contend without a cause that we have heard already And That we are to inquire into the cause now we are to prove When Israel was
Nation and Nation what brave Sea-men will they be that have made their peace with God then they may Rejoyce in going out to War so some take that Jud. ◠18. Text of Zebulun for Zebulun is commended for jeoparding there lives unto the death they disdained their Souls to death as the Dutch Annotators observe upon it they fought so bravely for Israels deliverance that they seem to condemn their very lives no man will fight so bravely with an Enemy as he that is reconciled unto God Are not they fittest to fight that are fittest to dye 2. Motive to inquire into the cause of all Evils coming upon you this speaks you sensible of the hand of God There are some that whatsoever they meet with at Sea or at Land all their lives they never say for whose cause is this come upon us they are obdurate and hardned they are like Solomons drunk ard Thou shalt be as he that lyeth down in the midst Prov 23. 34 35. of the Sea or as he that lyeth upon the top of the Mast they have stricken me shal◠thou say and I was not sick They have beat en me and I felt it not when shall I awake I will take it yet again Are there not many such poor drunken Sea-men and O what danger are they in as one that lyeth asleep in the top of the Mast and is stricken and yet feels nothing is even hardned in his sin O these poor Souls never inquires into the cause of the evil and dangers they meet with all As God said of a People why should you be smitten any more you Revolt more and more 3. Motive to inquire into the cause of all evils you meet with this-will help you much to the knowledg of your hearts and lives and O how necessary are these to know both for Sea-men and Land-men You love to know how such a Rock lyes and such a Sand such a Port and such a Coast such a 〈◊〉 or Cape O it is as necessary to know your hearts to know where such a Rock of temptation lyes and such a Sand of a temptation lyes to know these that your precious Souls may never be split upon any of them O many of these Rocks of temptations lye hid in your hearts and you may be run upon them before you ever are aware if you do not know how they lie O how many a pretious Soul hath perished for want of knowing how the temptations of their own hearts lay they have thought they have run upon a bold Coast as you say and hath ventured upon temptations with their own carnal confidence and so have miscarried for ever did you know you had such proud hearts you were almost split upon the Rock of Pride did you know you had such worldly hearts until you were almost split upon the Rock of Covetuousness well now by inquiring into the cause of your evils you come to the knowledg of your hearts For sometimes the cause lyes there and your lives it somtimes lyes there O that poor Sea-men would see into their lives and see if the accursed thing be not there Is it not your loosness your profaneness your swearing your violation of the Sabboth your mocking at prayer your despiseing of ordinances your cruelty to the Souls of the men under your charge some of you Are not those things the causes of the Lords controversie with you It may be you go on and sin and never inquire into these matters until the fatall storm and dismal stroak over-take you and then perish you must when you have scarce time to say Lord for whose sake is this evil come upon us 4. Motive to inquire into the cause of the evils you meet withall This will argue you look higher then second causes in storms and distresses that none of these afflictions arise out of the dust the winds are his winds his servants the Seas his servants and you must look over from the servant to the Lord. These poor Mariners you see did look higher therefore they pray unto their Gods this is a Christian spirit this storme fulfills the will of God the word of God and good is the word of the Lord. 5. Motive to inquire into the cause of the evils you meet with This argues sincerity and integrity of soul that they all were so willing to cast lots and find out the Malefactor argued their uprightness and innocency as to that extraordinary guilt that they thought this storm came for When a poor Sea-man can say with holy David Lord search me and try me and know my heart and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me doth not this argue sincerity and uprightness can any Ps 139. 23 24. but a sound heart abide searching especially Gods searching Can any but upright hearts desire to know the plague of their own hearts to desire to know the worst by themselves to say is it I Lord is it I that have caused this storm am I the Jonah in the Vessel am I the guilty Person this storm is sent after if Lord I yeild to thy most righteous sentence do what thou wilt with me so that this storm may become a calm 2. Use Is it so that inquiry into the cause is our duty when in distress then it is a word of direction O but sayes poor Souls now we shall inquire into the cause of God's controversie with us 1. By Prayer This is the great inquiry shew me wherefore thou contendest with me this is the only way to find out the controversie Thus David did as you have heard Search me O God try me c. Joshua's prayer found out the Achan for God upon it bid him arise and search out the cursed thing He knew not of the accursed thing until he had been inquiring of God and then all comes out O Prayer brings all out As sometimes God sayes by Preaching Thou art the man as he did by Nathan unto David so he says somtimes by Prayer thou art the man and this is the sin the cause of such an evil and of such a tryal 2. Direction Would you find out the cause then you must look into your selves as well as look up to God looking inward is as necessary as looking upward you must make a diligent search you must commune with your own hearts You must find this if ever you find it upon search O it is not an easie thing to find out the cause of Gods contending with us And therefore we must be exact in the scrutiny 1. It is it may be some hidden thing the accursed thing was the hidden thing it was not in the open field no it was in Achans Tent yea and it was hid there therefore we must ransack every corner of our hearts they have many dark corners and we must if we will find out the cause go from corner to corner with the light of the Word You Sea-men search your Ships for the
Saw we not the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us you see This sin layd uppermost upon his Conscience Now observe it well what that sin is you may write upon the head of it Thou art the Jonah this is the cause of this Controversie when the Conscience is humbled there is a Controversie betwixt God and the Soul Now sin is very prone to walk in the Conscience in a day of distress and affliction 2. That sin that is thy darling sin usually is the cause This usually of all sins is the Jonah This complexion-sin as that Country-sins where you Sea-men go So you must remember there are constitutional sins which you carry and now to carry your constitutional sins to meet with other-country-sins is sad If you run into them here in England what will you do when you come into climates that shall be like sparks to gun-powder You carry the gun-powder with you but there you meet with Sparks viz occasions exciting your corruptions And may it not be said then of many a poor Sea-man as of the wild Asse In her occasioâ— who can turn her away Gods Controversy frequently either at Land or Sea arises upon the account of our right-hand or right-eyes viz. our dearest and nearest corruptions Some mens complexion sin is Lust others Drunkenesse others Passion and these are often breaking out to provoke the Lord. And O how good it is to know them For there is an especial providence made to such as Know the Plague of their own Hearts 3ly That sin that we design most to hide that is the cause of the Controversy betwixt God and us The accursed thing you have heard was the hidden thing We have it naturally from our first Parents to hide our Sin This is like the children of Adam though the Lord hath expresly told us that He that hideth his Sin shall not prosper Man is a proud creature Pro. 28. 13 and cannot endure to leave his own shame therefore he finds out covers for his sins although they be but Fig-leaves which will blow away with the least breath of a powerful conviction and then the Sinner will see the shame of his nakedness and cry out of his Guilt both before the Lord and others O poor Sinners consider Had not you better be ashamed here than damned hereafter Had not you better bear your shame now say as she did when you are to die And I am one of the fools in Israel and whither shall I carry my shame It will be sad to carry it to Hell with you and have it upon you to all Eternity 4. That sin that we are most prone to plead for our excuse that usually is the cause of the Controversy betwixt God and us And as we are Adams children in hiding our Sin so we are his children in being prone to excuse our Sin The woman thou gavest me gave me Gen. 3. 11 12 and I did eat He puts it off the woman she sayes The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat and she puts it off And thus do we for our beloved sins especially It is a little one and my Soul shall live a little Pride a little Passion a little worldliness a little drunkenness somtimes overseen in drink but yet no drunkard O Sirs it is a dangerous thing to cover your Sins with excuses Your woe is written upon the head of it Wee to them that cover but not with a covering of my Spirit 5. That Sin is the controversy betwixt God us which is the Sin we cannot endure should be sharply Reproved We expect that this Sin should be favoured therefore when the power of the Word in an Ordinance comes then the hearts of Sinners swell As Herod when John-Baptist comes to his particular sin to his Herodias O then Johns head must go for it O poor sinners cannot bear particular home-preaching as a profane Gentleman said of a godly Preacher where he lived He divides his Text like a Scholler and follow his doctrine like a Logician but the Devil cannot stand before his Application O sinners cannot bear plain dealing for their Souls can say spare this sin deal gently with this sin for my sake as David said of his son Absalom 6ly That is the sin that is the controversy betwixt God and us which we are so loath to part with O it goes to the heart to part with some sins a sin of custome or a sin of Interest or a sin of inclination O what strugling and combatting is there in the Soul before they can give up such sins other evils when they see no other way they can be more contented to part Gen. 42. 36. with but what them I say that hath caused them to laugh and sport themselves so often What their Benjamins O what a parting was there betwixt the old Patriarch and his son Benjamin Gen. 43. 11. Joseph is not and Simeon is not and you will take Benjamin away All these things are against me and at last he came to If it must be so now Such a parting there is betwixt these beloved sins and poor Souls Pharaoh will not let Israel go untill he see no other way So it is in this case Thus I have dispatched the second observation of the Text. That it is our duty to make inquiry into the Cause when any evil is upon us either at Land or Sea Jonah 3. 7. And the Lot fell upon Jonah WE have already heard of a Controversie and of the means that was used to decide that Controversie viz. by casting Lots now we are come to the decision of the Controversie viz. The discovery of the guilty person who had caused this storm And the Lot fell upon Jonah The Observation is this God will certainly find out the Jonah that causeth the storm This Lot that found out Jonah was the determination of God the finger of God The disposing of the Lot is of the Lord says the Wise-man The guilty person shall not always go undiscovered though he was gone down into the sides of the Ship and was fast asleep yet he is found out But it is necessary we should premise something before we come to follow the Observation that all stumbling blocks may be taken out of the way 1. Persons under guilt may go a long time undiscovered Jonah for a time we see continues so yea though the storm was upon the Vessel where he was yet he is not discovered It may be said of many a poor sinner as is said of the wicked man He flatters himself in his own eyes until his iniquity Psal 36. 3. be found to be hateful He goes on for the present and thinks all is well but God discovers him sooner or later and makes his iniquity hateful Some mens hidden works of darkness are sooner brought to light than others Judas goes a long time among the Disciples before he be discovered