Peter was come down out of the Ship he walked on the Water to go to Jesus But when he saw the Wind boysterous he was afraid and beginning to sink he cryed saying Lord save me And immediately Jesus stretched forth his Hand and caught him and said unto him O thou little Faith wherefore didst thou doubt And when they were come into the ship the Wind ceased Then they that were in the ship worshipped him saying Of a Truth thou art the Son of God And now here all Sea-men and others you may see it is Christ that saves and stills the boysterous Winds and Waves and makes them to cease and therefore ye are not to doubt but be stedfast in Faith in all Storms and Tempests and see and feel Jesus to lay hold upon you as he did upon Peter to save you from sinking in time of storms who stills the Waves of the Sea who is the same to day as he was yesterday and so for ever A Rock of your Age and a Foundation of your Generation as he was of former Ages as you may see Mat. 14. from verse 22. to verse 33. and John 6.17 18 19 20 21. And again in Mark 6. from 47. to 51. there you Sea-men may see When Christ's Disciples entered the Ship they had forgotten to take Bread neither had they in the ship with them more then one Loaf And Christ charged them saying Take heed of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Leaven of Herod And the Disciples reasoned among themselves saying It is because we have no Bread And when Jesus knew it he said unto them Why reason ye because ye have no Bread Perceive ye not neither understand Have ye your Hearts yet hardned having Eyes and see ye not And having Ears and hear ye not For do you not remember when I broke the five Loaves among five Thousand how many Baskets full of Fragments took ye up And they said Twelve And when the seven to wit Loaves among four Thousand how many Baskets full of Fragments took ye up and they said Seven And Jesus said unto his Disciples How is it that ye do not understand Now consider ye Seamen and Fisher-men and others that are not Disciples of Christ for sometimes in your Ships ye have been in scarcity of Bread and now here was Christ and his Disciples which had but one Loaf in the Ship and Christ convinceth them that they had enough by his former Miracles And therefore they that have Christ they have enough they have him by whom all things were made who gives the Encrease as you may see by his Miracles And therefore it is good for every one to see with the pure Eye and hear with the Pure Ear so that they may perceive and understand with the pure Heart what Christ did and doth do and what he is able to do in all Necessities and to take heed of Herod's and the Fair-sayers Leaven which are not the Doers but resist Christ who doth not only say but doth the Will of his Father and so do all them that follow him Mark 8.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Mat. 16.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And again Christ saw two Ships standing by the Lake but the Fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their Nets And he entered into one of the Ships which was Simon 's and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the Land and he sate down and taught the People out of the Ship Now when he had left speaking he said unto Simon Lanch out into the deep and let down your Nets for a Draught And Simon answered and said unto him Master We have toyled all Night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the Net And when they had let down the Net they enclosed a great Multitude of Fishes and their Net brake and they beckoned unto their Partners which were in the other Ship that they should come and help them and they came and filled both the Ships so that they begâ—n to siâ—k And when Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus's Knees saying Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord. For Peter was astonished and all that were with him at the Draught of Fishes which they had taken And so was also James and John the Son of Zebedee which were Partners with Simon And Jesus said unto Simon Fear not from hence forth thou shalt catch men And when they had brought their Ships to Land they forsook all and followed Jesus Now here all you Seamen and Fisher-men and others may see that you may toyl all night to catch outward Fish with the nets and take nothing And you that call your selves Fishers of Men you may toyl all the night and catch not a manin God's Net to him except it be with the Power of Christ and know his Voice and obey it and follow him by whom all things were made And so there is not a Sparrow that falls to the Ground nor a Fish in a Fisherman's Net but by the Will of the father And therefore all ye Fisher-men and others are to stand in the Will of God who gives the Encrease and fills the Nets and the Ships and therefore let him have the Praise and follow him And here you may see the Fisher-men and Seamen James and John and Peter and Andrew were Fishermen and Seamen and Partners together in Ships and Preachers of Christ Jesus and catcht a Multitude of outward fish and a Multitude of men which they fish'd out of the great sea of the World by the Command and Power of Christ Luke 5.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. and Mat. 8.18 And after Christ was risen he shewed himself again to his Disciples at the Sea of Tyberius on this wise he shewed himself There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didimus and Nathaniel of Canaan in Galilee and the Sons of Zebedee and two other of his Disciples Simon Peter said unto them I go a fishing they say unto him We also go with thee They went forth and entered into a Ship immediately and that Night they caught nothing but when the Morning was come Jesus stood on the Shore but the Disciples knew not that it was Jesus Then Jesus said unto them Children have ye any Meat And they answered him No and he said unto them Cast the Net on the right Side of the Ship and ye shall find and they cast therefore and now they were not able to draw it for the Multitude of Fishes Therefore that Disple whom Jesus loved said unto Peter It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord he girt his Fishers Coat unto him for he was naked and did cast himself into the Sea and the other Disciples came in a little Ship for they were not far from Land but as it were two hundred Cubits dragging the Net with Fishes Assoon then as they were come
to the Land they saw a Fire of Coals there and Fish laid thereon and Bread And Jesus said unto them Bring of the Fish which ye have now caught and Simon Peter went up and drew the Net to the Land full of great Fishes c. And Jesus said unto them Come and dine c. And Jesus then cometh and taketh Bread and giveth them and Fish likewise c. And this was now the third time that Jesns shewed himself after he was risen from the dead John 21.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. And now all ye Fishermen and Sea-men and others consider what kind of Disciples and Ministers the Lord Jesus Christ chose and you may see that Peter and the rest though they had been Disciples of Christ Jesus for some Years and such that Christ had sent forth to preach before he was crucified and after that he was risen Christ appeared the third time unto them and Peter had his Fishers Coat and the Disciples which were Fishermen and Seamen they were Partners together in a Ship And now was this a fit Coat think you to preach the Gospel in and to meet Christ in and to dine with him in I say Yes as good as any of the Canonnical Garments And consider ye Fishermen and Seamen and others how all these Disciples had been fishing all the Night but had caught nothing But when the Morning was come and they saw Jesus after he was risen at his Command they cast in the Net and drew it full of fish to the Shore So it is by the Will of God and Christ that every one doth catch who made all things and upholds all things by his word and power and fills all and knows what all have need of for as Christ saith A Sparrow shall not fall to the Ground without the Will of the Father so a fish cannot be caught in the Net without his Will And likewise you fishermen and seamen and others may see that Jesus by whom all things were made had provided these fishermen and seamen who were his Disciples a Fire and Fish upon it and Bread upon the Land when they had been fishing in the Sea And therefore you may see how that Christ that upholds all things and hath all power given unto him provides for his Disciples and Seamen and Fishermen for he gave them both Fish in the Sea and Fish and Bread upon the Land whom he sent forth and gave Commission to preach and said Freely ye have received freely give So here ye may all see how the Disciples of Christ were encouraged to trust in him and that their minds might be carried over all Distrust of carnal things and outward victuals And now ye Fishermen and Seamen and all others may see Christ's Words fulfilled unto his Disciples who said unto them Follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men for Peter at one Draught caught three Thousand in God's Net and ye may read Peter's two General Epistles which he freely gave forth And also ye may see John the Fisherman a Disciple of Christ his Evangelists his General Epistle and his two Epistles and his Revelations Come ye Seamen and Fishermen and others and see what ye can say for Christ that is the same to day as yesterday and so forever and come let us see what Nets ye have if it be the Power of God that will pluck them out of the Sea of Wickedness And if the Seamen had taken Paul's Counsel when he said Sirs I perceive that this Voyage will be for Hurt and much Damage not only of the Lading and Ship but also of our Lives But neither the Centurion nor the Master believed Paul's Words but his Words came to pass as you may see in Acts 27. But the Lord preserved Paul and their Lives And so you may see it is not the seamans skill but the Lord's Power which all are to have faith in and to obey him by which they are saved and preserved And James one of the fishermen and an Apostle of Christ in his General Epistle to the Twelve Tribes he saith Behold we put Bits in the Horses Mouthes that they may obey us and we turn about their whole Body Behold also the Ships which though they be so great and are driven of fierce Winds yet are they turned about with a very small Helm whither soever the Governour listeth even so the Tongue is a little Member and boasteth great things Behold how great a matter a little Fire kindleth and the Tongue is a Fire a World of Iniquity c. And now mark all ye seamen and all ye bridles of Horses and all others that tame other Creatures see that you can bridle and tame your own Tongues and turn about your Tongues in your passion assoon as you do your Horses and assoon as you do your great Ships when you turn them about so see that you can so soon turn your Tongues when the fierce Winds of Passion are up and tame your Tongues least that unruly Member defile your whole Bodies and Set on fire the Course of Nature and it is set on Fire of Hell James 3. For can you tame Serpents and all kind of Beasts and of Birds and things in the Sea and not tame your Tongue that unruly Member that is full of deadly Poyson Bridle it I say with God's Bridle his Power For The Tongue of the just is as choice Silver and the Tongue of the wise is Health Prov. 10.20 12.18 The Tongue of the wise useth Knowledge aright and a wholesome Tongue is a Tree of Life Prov. 15.2 4. And in a Virtuous Woman's Tongue is the Law of Kindness Prov. 31.26 And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ who made Tents with Priscilla and Aquilla and wrought with his Hands that he might not be chargeable to others and he did not only maintain himself but he also helped others with his Labour who had received his Gospel not from man but by the Revesation of Jesus Christ which he preached freely as he had received of Christ freely after Christ was risen for Christ had given his Command to his Twelve Disciples before he was crucified Freely as they had received freely give And now consider Matthew who was called from his Custom and Luke who was a Phisitian and John the Fisher-man and Peter and the rest who were Disciples of Christ did not they give forth all their Evanglists and Epistles freely as they preached freely And did not Paul the Apostle of Christ who was a Tent-maker who said of the Jews Five times I received Forty Stripes save One Thrice was I beaten with Rods Once was I stoned Thrice I suffered Shipwrack A Night and a Day I have been in the deep in journying often in Perils of Waters in Perils of Robbers in Perils of my own Country-men in Perils by the Heathen in Perils in the City in Perils in the Wilderness in Perils in the Sea in Perils among false Brethren
Isaiah 43.2 16. verse Here you may see how the Lord comforteth his people with his promises to belive and trust in him who is God all sufficient The Lord saith wo to the multitude of many people which make a noise like the noise of the Sea and to the rushing of many Nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty Waters the Nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters but God shall rebuke them and they shall fly far of and shall be chased like the Chaff on the Mountains before the wind and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind Isaiah 17.12 13. Here you may see the end of these Chaffy rushing noises like the Seas and waters whom the Lord rebukes and Scatters and the Lord is a strength to the poor and needy in their distresses and a refuge from the storm and a shadow from the heat c. Isaiah 25.4 And therefore it is good to trust in the Lord. And Isaiah saith Wo to the crown of pride to the drunkenness of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is as a fading flower c. Behold the Lord hath a mighty and a strong one which as a tempest of hail a destroying storm as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the Earth with his hand Isaiah 28.2 Here you may see the tempest and storm and the mighty overflowing waters God brings upon the Drunkards Proud and Wicked though they be upon the Land and likewise you may see the same in Isaiah 19.6 But they that hearken to the Lords Commandments and obey him their peace shall be as a River and their righteousness as the waves of the Sea Isaiah 48.17 And Amos saith seek ye the Lord and ye shall live least he break out like a fire c. that calleth for the waters of the Sea and poureth them upon the face of the Earth the Lord is his name Amos 5.6.8 Here you may see the waters of the Sea obey the Lord therefore surely man ought to seek him and obey him And the Lord saith though they dig into Hell thence shall my hand take them thence they climbe up to Heaven thence will I bring them down and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel I will search and take them from thence though they be hid in the bottom of the Sea thence will I command the Serpent and he shall bite them And here you may see the wicked and disobedient and rebellious cannot hide themselves from the Lord who searches the hearts and tryes the reins and will find them out and reward every one according to their works Amos 9.2 3. And Nahum saith Nahum 1.4 the Lord rebukes the Sea and dryes up all Rivers here the wicked are compared to a Sea and Rivers and the Lord will not acquit the wicked who hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet Here the Lords people know his way in the whirlwind and in the storm let it be in the outward sea or the storm and whirlwind the wicked raise or the storm and whirlwind the Lord brings upon the wicked His people can praise him who is over all and above all and can say thou art Lord alone that hath made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their host ye Earth and all things that are therein the Sea and all that is therein thou preservest them all and the host of Heaven worshipeth thee Nehemiah 6. And you may see in Joshua 3.15 16. and Jos 4.23 How the Lord dryed up the waters of Jordan and made them stand on heaps as he did the red Sea So the Lord can dry up the Rivers of Judgment for his People to pass to the Land of the living as he did who did dry up the red Sea and the River of Jordan for his people to pass into the land of Canaan And in Gen. 1.26.28 You may see what dominion God gave to Man and Woman while they obeyed served and hearkned unto him And the Lord reproved the Jews for their Idolatry and perversness and corruption and told them they had eyes and saw not and â—ars and heard not and called them a foolish people and said unto them fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presencâ— Which hath placed the sands for the bounds of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and through the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it Jer. 5.22 Here you may see the decree and bound that God hath set on the outward sea and his decree and bound is set to the world the sea of wickedness that it cannot pass over his elect and chosen people in Christ Jesus And the Lord God said O Tyrus I am against thee and will cause many waters to come up against thee as the sea causeth his waves to come up and was not this sea the King of Babylon which the Lord did bring upon Tyrus for their insulting against Jerusalem and you may see what a destruction the Lord brought upon them and upon their Mariners and men of War in Ezek. 26.28 And what judgments God brought upon them for their height and pride And in Ezek 30. you may see the desolation of Aegypt and her helpers and the Lord saith they shall know that I am the Lord when I have set a fire on Aegypt in that day shall messengers go forth from me on Ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid c. Here you may see how the Lord doth terrifie the Ethiopians and Aegptians for their Pride and Carelesness therefore it is good to be diligent and serve the Lord in humility and live in his fear He that formeth the Mountains and createth the winds and declareth unto man what is his thought c. the Lord of Host is his Name Amos 4.13 And John said I saw another Angel fly in the midst of the Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgment is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the fountains of waters Rev. 14.6.7 And so here you may see it is the Angel that preaches the everlasting Gospel to them that dwell upon the Earth which the Apostle calls the power of God in Rom. 1. to every nation and kindred and tongue and people and therefore every nation kindred tongue and people must receive and obey this everlasting Gospel of Salvation G. F. THE END
A TESTIMONY FOR ALL THE MASTERS of SHIPS and SEAMEN TO READ OVER. And to see whether they be in the True Faith that the True Christians and the Holy Men of God were in and if you be not then turn to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Author and Finisher of the Holy Divine and Precious Faith and then by this Faith your Hearts may be purified and with your Hearts ye may believe and with your Mouths ye may make Confession unto Salvation Rom. 10. And Christ saith Every one that is of the Truth heareth his Voice John 18.37 And now every one that is not of the Truth heateth not his Voice and say there is no hearing of it now adayes And here you may see how Christ called Fisher-men and Sea-men to be his Disciples as followeth And how Christ commanded the Winds and they obeyed him and how that the Lord God holds the Winds in his Fist and raiseth a Storm and makes a Calm so that all are to serve and fear him Take unto me saith the Lord all the ends of the Earth be saved Reprinted the Second time with an Addition By George Fox Quench not the Spirit dispise not prophesying prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 19 20 21. Who quench the Spirit and dispise Prophesying are not like to prove all things nor hold fast that which is good Printed in the Year 1677. A TESTIMONY FOR ALL THE MASTERS of SHIPS and SEAMEN TO READ OVER c. AFter that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand repent ye and believe the Gospel Mark 1. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand And Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee saw two Brethren Simon called Peter and Andrew his Brother casting a Net into the Sea for they were Fishers And Jesus said unto them Follow me and I will make you Fishers of men and they straitway left their Nets and followed him And Jesus going on from thence he saw two Brethren James the Son of Zebedee and John his Brother in a Ship with Zebedee their Father mending their Nets and he called them And immediately they left the Ship and their Father and followed Jesus Mat. 4.17.18 19 20 21 22. Mark 1.15 16 17 18 19 20. Now here all ye Sea-men and Fisher-men and all people may see these four Disciples of Christ their Call and what trades they were of Fisher-men and Sea-men these and such were more like to follow Jesus then and now then the High-Priests that had the Tythes and such as have great Benefices But Christ is the same to day as he was yesterday and so for ever for it was not many mighty and rich but the poor that received the Gospel And when Jesus was entered into a Ship his Disciples followed him and behold there arose a great Tempest in the Sea insomuch that the Ship was covered with the Waves but Jesus was asleep And his Disciples came to him and awoke him saying Lord save us we perish Mark in the time of a Storm these Fisher-men came to Christ and so should all Sea-men do now And he said to them why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Then he arose and rebuked the Winds and Sea and there was a great Calm But the men marvelled saying what manner of man is this that even the Winds and the Sea obey him Now all ye Sea-men and Fisher-men let your Eyes be to Christ and your Faith in him that hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given to him and can still the Storms and Tempests and Waves of the Sea and make it Calm And so Christ it is that saves you from perishing outwardly and eternally as you may see Mat. 8.23 24 25 26 27. and Mark 4.36 37 38 39 40 41. and Luke 8.22 23 24 25. For both the Winds and the Sea do obey Christ by whom they were made therefore fear God and let your faith stand in him who is the author and finisher of it And Jesus began to teach by the Sea Side and there was gathered unto him a great Multitude so that he entered into a Ship and sate in the Sea to wit in the Ship and the whole Multitude was by the Sea on the Land as you may see Mat. 13. Mark 4.1 and he taught them many things by Parables c. Now would not many say that it was not a consecrated place to teach the Word of God in but I must tell you Christ consecrates and makes all things and places holy Now Peter who was a Fisher-man Christ said unto him and the rest of his company of Fisher-men that he would make them fishers of men and bid them follow him which they did And you may see in Acts 2. how Peter the Fisher-man by one Sermon that he preached converted Three Thousand Souls as you may see from the 14th verse to the 41st the Beginning and End of his Sermon And now all ye Sea men and Fisher-men consider this Call of Christ who is the same to day as yesterday and so for ever to you if you will hear hear his voice for he stands at the door of your hearts and knocks and if any will hear my voice faith Christ and open his Door to wit of his Heart by joyning to his Grace Light Power and Spirit he will come in and sup with you and ye with him Rev. 3.21 And so the Sheep of Christ hear his voice and follow him John 10. for Peter the Fisher-man said to the Jews how in the last dayes God would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and Daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams and on my Servants and on my Hand maids I will pour out in those dayes of my Spirit and they shall prophesie saith the Lord c. And now if God hath poured out of his Spirit upon all Flesh and you grieve it and quench it and vex it then how can you prophesie or have any of these spiritual Dreams or visions or believe or receive this fisher-mans Sermon who was a Disciple of Christ And again in Mat. 14.24 c. And Jesus constrained his Disciples to go into a Ship and to go before him c. But the Ship was now in the midst of the Sea tossed with Waves for the Wind was contrary And in the forth Watch of the Night Jesus went unto them walking on the Sea and when the Disciples saw him walk on the Sea they were troubled saying it is a Spirit and they cryed out for Fear but Jesus spake unto them saying Be of good cheer it is I be not afraid And Peter answered him and sald Lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the Water and he said Come and when