quiet my Spirit in himself and I was well perswaded to die and began to be ravisht with the Consideration of the joyes of Heaven how quickly I and my poor heart should be in our Masters joyes that expression of entring into my Masters joy affected me much that the joy was too big to enter into me I must be swallowed up in it and that my Masters joy could be no small joy thereupon I spake comfortably to my wife desiring her to cheer up for that we should suddainly be in Heaven if the Lord was pleased thus to take us to himself who resigned her Soul to God and we took our leaves solemnly of each other with our eyes full of teares which I felt running down her cheeks when I kist them saying that all tears shall suddenly be wiped from our eyes in Heaven and with a great fervour of Spirit I thought several times to this purpose Sweet Jesus I come to thee we come not only in this Sea of waters but Lord we come to thee in a Sea of blood if it shall please thee to call us the storm still increased and I grew exceeding heavy and sleepy but roused my self up and checked my heart that I should Jonah like offer to sleep in such a storm what be drowned in my sleep my wife often begged at me not to sleep but I could not possibly forbear sleep if it had been to have saved all our lives so it pleased God that sitting as upright as I could I fell into as fast a sleep as ever I was in all my life And in my sleep I dreamed THat I was in an upper chamber with my sweet Redeemer Christ Jesus and that there were many Suiters attended to speak with him to beseech him to save their Ships and Barks that they might not perish by the storm I thought it was a large room wherein there was a long table with an ordinary Carpet and two candles standing upon it two trenchers of Tobacco and Pipes and one Man walking up and down by the table of a middle stature about thirty years of age the hairs of his Head long and white as flax but curling at the end but the hair of his upper lip brown in sad colour'd cloathes and a cloth broad brim'd hat I asked him who he was who said he waited upon Jesus Christ I asked him where Jesus Christ was he pointed to a Curtain saying there he is I beheld and saw a glorious shining but no person and methought Jesus Christ spake to me and asked me what I would have I said the lives of all in the Ship said he in what ship said I in the Hector It is a bad name said he for such as profess me Castor and Pollux is for Heathens I pray'd him that we might not dye in this manner sayes he to me are not you safe but good Lord said I I must return and I beg life for all in the Ship who are they said he I answered that there was my dear Wife and three servants Lieutenant Colonel Saunders Major Bee Mr. Hews honest Abraham and other passengers thy servants said Jesus Christ at my naming Lieu. Col. Saunders and some others it s so much the better that they are there the Captain and the Sea-men are serviceable to thy Cause and they take wonderful pains to save their own lives and ours but unless thou speak the word the Sea will swallow us up Then methought Jesus Christ askt me why I was not willing to dye I told him that by this death I could not glorifie him thinking upon that Scripture Joh. 21.19 and methought I was something impatient that the Lord should surprize us getting us into a ship at his call for his service and then to drown us as if we were Parricides or hainous Malefactors which by Law were drowned at that methought Jesus Christ withdrew as if he was displeased said I Lord if thou drownest those that love thee what wilt thou do to thine enemies but could get no answer whereupon I was sensible of my impatience and thought that I fell down flat down on the ground and cryed for mercy saying Lord we kiss thy Rod and turn our naked backs strike as much as thou pleasest Lord I plead nothing but thy free grace it may be many of us have offended in excessive drinking and now thou art punishing us in our own Element however our sins are more then the sands of the Sea-shore but let pitty move thee to save us thou sweet Redeemer which hast been at Sea in storms that art a merciful High Priest like unto us in all things but sin Heb. 2.17 and 4.15 take pitty upon thine own flesh and blood what Father but would save his Child from drowning if he could hast thou no work for any of us to do I thought the answer was but little to be done by some of us my Wife tells me that but a little before I slept I said certainly God had something for me and others to do for his service and therefore we should not dye at this time which I did not remember sweet Christ hear us as thou didst thy Disciples save us quickly or else we perish and being earnest in prayer in my dream methought that the man in the room came to me and told me that this was no natural storm of Gods sending but an extraordinary tempest raised by Satan by Gods permission to destroy those which were coming to fight against his servants and bad me use that argument to his Master Thereupon I instantly craved leave to speak and said Sweet Saviour if this storm and tempest be raised by Satan the Prince of the air as in Lapland and many other places where winds are sold he works in the children of disobedience and hath nothing to do with thy poor servants for though thou mayst justly for our sins give Satan power over us as thou didst over thy dear servant Job yet where thou givest a particular faith to be free from Sathans storms and witchcrafts thou art pleased to grant that which is believed And in great love it pleased Jesus Christ to give a gratious answer to my spirit and said Be not afraid your lives shall be saved instantly I replyed Lord let it be for all the Persons in the ship he said be it so then I pressed for the goods in the ship Lord said I there are my L. G. goods M. G. goods Let them be safe but they are not there said Jesus Christ no Lord said I they are fighting thy battels Jesus Christ answered the goods shall all be safe and the ship likewise and nothing miscarry then I gave humble thanks and departed and as I was going out I thought Jesus Christ said to me it is granted for half fifty go no more to Sea in Winter I further dream'd that the Devil and his Imps were very earnest with Jesus Christ to get leave to destroy the Governour of Wexford by the storm but
the Lord said it should not be some there were that had Barks at Wexford that attended to speak with Jesus Christ I could not tell what they said they discoursed much about the Governour and all that I heard Christ say was that winter was not yet come for them at Wexford then I thought I met with Captain Hairebottel who had very great respect shewn to him and I thought his prayers did us very much good and he was very much commended for his tenderness to the sick Souldiers at Wexford I thought there were other men from Wexford that came for safe passages and one Officer was very earnest for a ship that he was to come in and I heard this expression concerning him we must take special care of his ship for he was very tender and kind to the poor sick souldiers and much discourse I heard about sick souldiers Jesus Christ said if storms will not do I have other afflictions to make them more tender-hearted and pitiful methought the person that so walked in the room spake much to this effect that there would be many storms by reason of much hardheartedness to break and melt their spirits since which blessed be God Captain Lucus is come safe in the wild Bear one whom I observed in Wexford to be very liberal tender-hearted and compassionate to the poor Souldiers whereupon I awaked this dream lasted about two hours all which time the storm increased my Wife told me that she jogged me above twenty times to awaken me and wondred that I should sleep seeing we were all so near the point of death said I to her peace my dear heart be quiet we shall all be safe Jesus Christ hath promised me our lives be not afraid and told her all my dream whereat she was much amazed but could not believe any safety and urged me to prayer being her self well resolved to dye cheerfully submitting to Gods good pleasure but told me she had a strong impression upon her spirit by way of question as if the Lord had spoken to her that in case he should be pleased to spare her life at this time whether she could be content to suffer for him whereunto she found her heart most ready and willing by the Lords assistance to lay down her life for his glory but my own heart was then giving thanks and brim-full of comfort I related my dream to Liutenant Col. Saunders Major Bee Ben. and the two Maids that were in the Cabbin And sent in for Captain Stoaks the Master the Gunner Bennet and Marshal and bid them be of good cheer and ply their business for we should be all safe telling them what I had dreamed they admired at my confidence and Captain Stoaks could not believe it said he I know God is very merciful and can do much but the Ship hath five foot water in the hould which the Pumpe could not reach being choaked and very subject to leaks being twenty years old and then it was about nine at night the storm increasing and they not knowing where about they were I told them that I was assured of safety as if I were on Shore and one word more I had dreamed which I told them of said I to Jesus Christ what if the Ship should break asunder He answered me you shall be as safe as if you were in Codds boat a boat at Wexford that we went in towards the ship in the bay and were driven back several times or as if you were in the Governors house in Wexford what impression it had upon their spirits I know not but some that were in the great Cabbin told me that they did verily believe it and that their hearts were much quieted by what I said The storm increased and a great noyse was made in the ship the water came in at the great Cabbin windows the ship ready to overset and to founder many screeks and cryes out now we are gone and yet my confidence and assurance increased I bid them pray and be thankful for they were as safe as if they were on shoar still my poor wife said it could not be I told her I was sure of it she must lye still and see the salvation of our God I confess I much marvelled at the change that was wrought in my own spirit from a trembling fearfulness to a rejoycing assurance and considering it was but a dream I thought I might presume too much in an over-confidence and was jealous over my own heart lest I should offend begging the Lords extraordinary assistance sutable to the present danger but the more I checkt my heart of presumption the more did my faith mount upon the wing as if I had been upon dry ground and had not so much fear as the thousand part of the weight of a hair the poor ship workt for her life and the Sea-men took infinite pains two parts being fallen sick the other 30. were continually at it somtimes they were in a little hopes sometimes their souls ready to faint about twelve at night he that was at the Helm by my Cabbin said all was broken the water came in there a little before they cryed out that the foresail was split and carried away and the Anchors thrown over board to lighten the ship yet all this while my spirit was the same in a thankful admiration for so great a deliverance and said all shall be as well as heart could wish when they spoke of lightning the ship my wife call'd to Capt. Stoaks and bad him if he thought sit to throw over some Trunks which we had in the ship which I liked very well as it was in Pauls-storm in regard of others that were in the ship but for my own part I said I would not have any thing thrown over for I knew all would be well and so blessed be the Lord of Seas about four in the morning the storm abated my heart was in a very thankful posture and that Wednesday night after when the Sea-men said we were in most danger entring into Castle-Haven in the dark that we must have the wind turn twice in half an hour to save us first to carry us from the breach of the shore to the Staggs and then to carry us off from them when we were within a Cables length of the shore and the Seamen divided not knowing what to do Captain Stoakes bad let fall an Anchor or else we are all dead men others said try to get off from shore and there was a great screek that all was gone I was not one jot afraid but told them they were fure to get safe to Land and the ship to a Harbour and the Lord shewed himself kind to poor sinners One thing though it seem to be of small importance yet it runs much in my mind and I must needs relate it I thought that Jesus Christ said to me that the goods should be all safe and nothing hurt or lost by the storm but when we came
to look for our things we mist a looking-glass and a Pistol the glass-case was all broke and shivered in many pieces by the rouling of the ship being in one of the Boxes or Cabbin-chests in the great Cabbin among other things but the Glass it self was not so much as broken or crackt and the case though in eight or ten pieces yet might easily be joyned and glued together that it is not worse by a farthing which seems to me very admirable I told Captain Stoakes of it and desired him if possible to help me to my Pistol he examined them about it but it could not be heard of till the very day the ship was going out of the Harbour and then somebody that had it could not be quiet till he brought it out to let us see how weak our faith and confidence is in the Lord and that he will perform with his poor servants to a Title of his promise I know that usually dreams follow mens natural inclination or their daily conversation as in Pharaohs Butler and Baker they dreamed of wine and baskets of meat matters about which they were ordinarily imployed Gen. 40. and I having been in a continued meditation of Jesus Christ his love power bowels of pity towards his members it was most likely that if I dreamed of any thing I should dream of him as many times upon the Sabboth night I have dreamed that I was in the very same company and at the same exercises as I was upon the day and indeed the consideration of Christs humanity his being at Sea and his experimental knowledg of our miseries much supported me how many prayers did we put up for a safe passage which though they do not move the Lord by any eloquence as an Orator moves his hearers yet they move the Lord as the cries of children make the bowels of their Parents yern towards them and we must distinguish between shadows and substances dreams are but the appearances of things which are not natural dreams are either sinful deceitful and vain as Isa 29.8 the hungry thirsty man dreams that he eats and drinks but he awakes and his soul is faint for food or else they are representations of things past which were really done or things to come which falls out accordingly and the matter of the dream is principally to be regarded some Christians have had difficult places of Scripture expounded to them in their dreams as they have told me Therefore although dreams which are natural and ordinary be of little or no account yet extraordinary dreams many times prove true as if one cry in his dream or be so fast asleep that he feels not pinching when the Imagination is so extraordinarily powerful and that the party dreaming is confidently perswaded that it will come to pass it commonly proves accordingly as that of Katharin de Medicis Queen of France who dreamed that Hen. the second should be killed at the Tilt and said she would venture her soul upon it And so he was killed by a Scots man Montgomery as she dreamed Petrarch in Padova dreamed that a Scorpion stung him to death that was in one of the Lyons that stand before a statue which they fondly call Sancta Justina the next morning he told his dream went thither and put in his hand into the hole and out came a Scorpion which poysoned him whereof he died the great Souldier Farese the night before he dyed dreamed that he was drowned and that his Saint Christopher could not carry him over the River and the next day the Ferry-boat sunk and he was drowned In 1629. Christina a Protestant Marquesses Daughter in Poland dreamed that Jesus Christ had told her comfortable things for the Protestants as the good success of the King of Sweden the death of the Emperors General Walsten and that it might be the better believed she should dye four days and revive again one Minister Coturnius slighted it as a delusion and vain fancie she told him that God was angry with him and such a day his only child should die and himself presently after which both proved true she likewise fell into a Trance for eight and fourty hours and then revived and foretold victories of the King of Sweden but that God would take him away because the people began to make a God of him and thought him to be invincible She dreamed that she was married to Jesus Christ and that she had a Crown of Glory promised her if she could persevere in the faith and told her she would be mockt and scoft at by many who would not believe but that such visions proceeded from imagination melancholy humours or weakness of brain but bade her not be discouraged shewing her a cup of blood which he said he would pour upon those that persecute his servants and that she prayed very earnestly for the salvation of a deer friend of hers who was in arms against the Protestants but that she could not prevail for the salvation of any of her friends but only for her self and that night the same party died she likewise in her dream saw two great persons coming to be judged one a Papist who had prayed much to his St. Francis and desired to be admitted into Heaven but Jesus Christ bad him go to Hell to Saint Francis whither he was immediately dragged and the other was a Protestant who argued for his salvation because he fought against the Papists and the Ministers assured him of Heaven Jesus Christ said he will put out his candle in Germany for it gives a false light it shines without but it is full of filth and self-righteousness within she likewise saw a man upon a Tree adored by many and some Lyons came to the Tree and pluckt it down and an Eagle was flying away which the Lyons caught and toar in pieces and asking Jesus Christ the meaning of that vision he told that the man was that horrid beast the Pope of Rome my capital enemy not a Pastor but a Woolf that says behold I am set aloft who dare come to touch me the Lyons are the French English Swedes Hollanders Venetians and others that shall pluck down the proud beast and pour out my wrath upon her and her adherents and that it should begin about 1650. and be compleat by 1666. in her sleep she was heard to say welcome Husband and laughed heartily and as she awaked she said farewell dear Husband and she dreamed many things more which fell out accordingly being a vertuous child naturally merry In 1633. she was married in Lesno in Poland and most of the Ministers in Germany have subscribed to it for they seriously consulted about it and sent into Holland and Geneva for assistance and advice and the result of the conference which Mr. Deodate shewed me at Geneva came to this in Christinaes dream they did believe there was a Divine light for first the young Lady was regenerate and very zealous for the glory of God so there was a good life in the person dreaming Secondly there was a full perswasion of heart that it was from God and it would prove true Thirdly there was a certitude in the event the party was not deceived for it proved so and it was likewise their judgements that in a time of general persecution or some extraordinary eminent danger God might and did many times speak comfortable things to his people in dreams as in the late Bohemian Wars many Calvinists were admonisht in their dreams to go to places of security which they attending were safe from the enemy as the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and bad him flee with Jesus Christ into Egypt Mat. 2.13 and others that neglected such dreams have afterwards repented it The Lord keep us all that were made partakers of so great a mercy in an humble believing and thankful posture that we may spend the remainder of our new lives in the zeal of his service as those that having their lives prolonged so extraordinarily are exceedingly obliged more then others to walk answerably to so great a mercy FINIS
in love along with us it almost split my heart to think what the Malignants would say in England when they hear that we were drowned how they would abuse that passage of Paul Acts 28.4 That though vengeance hath not overtaken me at Land yet I was met withal at Sea much troubled I was at the manner of the death such extraordinary violent deaths importing the nature of some heavy Judgement as if the Lord hath been displeased with us and had not sent us and Jonahs storm was much in my thoughts I having spoken some words of Exhortation to the company out of that Scripture before the storm began for God sent that great storm Jonah 1.4 because Jonah went contrary to his Commands where I observed That when a Christian is in Gods way upon Gods errand sent to Sea usually God makes the Winde and the Seas favourable to him upon such considerations and many obiections made by flesh and blood I had very much trouble with my unbelieving heart and could not bring my mind to be willing to die earnest I had been in secret prayer at the Throne of Grace before for 16. or 18. hours together pleading with the Lord that if it were possible this cup of his indignation might pase over us that in Judgments he would remember Mercy however that we might cheerfully submit to his sweet pleasure the materials of my long suggested prayers were meditations and applications of several Scriptures which mention Gods power wisdome and love in the Seas God having put it into my minde not long before to note most of the chief places is Scripture concerning the Seas as proper and usefull for a Sea-voyage I prest my dear Christ not to drown us for said I we fight for thy Kingly Office throw the Agyptians and all thy emplacable enemies into the midst of the Sea but let us be preserved that we may praise thy Name Exod. 14.27 30. 15.1 Lord this is a calamity too heavy for thy poor creatures to beare Job 6.3 were it not that thou hast cast our sins into the depths of the Seas Micah 7.19 Lord suffer not the deeps to swallow us up Psal 69.15 Let not all thy waves and billowes pass over us We have seen thy wonders in the deep Psal 107.23 And if thou save us we shall declare them to the children of men but if thou make our graves in the Sea the dead cannot praise thee Psal 115.17 thou Lord which leadest thy Servants through the deep prepare dry Land for us Lord why should not the Seas be as favourable to thy servants as the dry Land Thou layest up the depth in store-houses Psal 33.7 Thou Lord canst still the noyse of the waves Psal 65 7. Psal 68.22 was a comfortable place to me that the Lord promised to bring again his people from the depth of the Sea Sweet Christ do thy Office and be a Savour to thy people both for Souls and Bodies thou layest the beames of thy Chambers in the waters 10.4 Psal 3. and rulest the raging of the Seas Psal 89.9 Now Lord the floods have lifted up their voyce and their waves Psal 93.2 but thou art mightyer than the mighty waves of the Sea The fishes of the Sea shall shrink at thy presence but why art thou so angry with thy servants who art sent in thy service Lord cast the great Dragon into the Bottomless Pit that old Serpent called the Devil and Sathan Revel 12.9 but let thy people live to praise thee thou Lord canst say to the Sea Be dry Esa 44.27 Esa 50.2 and canst easily bring us safe to land Lord hast not thou made the depths of the Sea a way for thy ransomed ones to pass over Esa 51.10 Why must then thy servants be drowned as if they were in this Malefactors Ionah ran away from thee and would not obey thee being unwilling to be the mouth and proclaimer of thy Iustice upon Nineveh the head of the Assyrian Empire and thou sentest out a great winde and there was a mighty tempest in the Sea Ionah 4. which was no ordinary wind but sent as a punishment for his disobedience yet because he was thy servant and was not selvish nor displeased in thy shewing mercy for fear of his being thought a false Prophet but out of zeal for thy glory which he thought was wronged and obscured by that change and out of his ardent affection to thy people that their enemies should live and though he said he did well to be angry even unto death they being not words of expresse rebellion but of a passionate Spirit blinded with anger therefore when he prayed unto thee out of the belly of Hell he was mightily preserved Now Lord thou which wast a God so gracious and merciful slow to anger of great kindness towards the Heathens in Niveveh shall not we find thy mercy if thou hast any further work for us to do in our generation we shall Lord it is the wicked that is like the troubled Sea whose water casts up mire and dirt Isa 57.20 Thy Justice was very wonderful and glorious at Wexford in drowning those Pirates and wicked men in the Sea that had done so much mischief to thy people in that Element and what will thy enemies say when the carkasses of thy people are given to be food for the Fishes Lord command this great wind into thy treasure and bring forth winds serviceable for us that we may have an auspicious gale and an expeditious fail into some Harbour where it shall please thy Majesty for thy poor creatures are at their wits end and death appears in their faces thou only canst shut up the Sea with doors Job 38.8 Thou makest the deep to boyle like a pot and makest the Sea like a pot of oyntment as if the Sea was hoary by the long white frothy path Job 41.31 32. Sweet Christ thou hast dominion from Sea to Sea Psal 72.8 and thou hast given to the Sea a decree that the waters pass not thy commands Prov. 8.29 Therefore though the Sea Roar and threaten to swallow us up yet unless thou givest it a commission to devour us it cannot hurt us sweet Christ the Sea is unto thee as the dry land the winds and Seas will obey thee dear Redeemer wilt not thou speak one word to save the lives of thy own members Matth. 8.26 27. and 14.27 Mark 4.29 Peace Be still will make a great calm Lord assure some of thy poor Servants that all shall be well as thou didst to blessed Paul Acts 27.23 Give some vision and manifestation of thy love for it was for thy sake that we committed our selves to the Sea let some of thy Servants in the Ship be assured from Heaven that we shall be safe however Lord let thy will be our wills with other Scriptures not now perfectly remembred Now after long Prayers and meditations it pleased God about six on the Sabbath day night that the Lord Jesus Christ began to