Rev. 11. 2. Gentiles forty two Moneths But cast your Anchor upon the Rock Christ it will else come home again if you carry not Hope in God and Christ through the Promise to Sea with you you go without your best Anchor this is your Sheet-Anchor you talk of the Cape of good Hope you will neer touch here all the Voyage until you get into Christ it is Faith and Hope that must keep out fear why are you afraid O ye of little Hope 5. Would you be above Fears in Sea-dangers then carry no Leaks with you to Sea viz. Known sins These will prove Leaks at Sea you know it is as much as your lives are worth at Sea to have a Leak break upon you in a storm and yet how many of you carry Spiritual Leaks in your Souls Jonah had a leak sprung 〈…〉 Sea a known Sin and it had like to have cost them all their lives you search your Vessels narrowly to see if you can spy any Leaks O that you would do so with your Souls a little hole in a Ship endangers all and a little hole in a Sea-bank is of great danger O then let no poor Sinner no poor Sea-man say It is but a little one and my Soul shall live see to every hole in the heart 6. Would you be above fears in Sea-dangers O then go to Sea well Ballasted there is danger you know if you be not well ballasted in a storm The Spiritual Ballast I mean is the truth of Grace Be not carried about with every Wind of strange Heb. 13 â— Doctrine for it is a good thing that the Heart be established with Grace An Allusion to a Ship unballasted that by the storms is tossed and in danger of sinking O it is good to carry Souls fraughted with grace Is not this better then to have Ships fraughted with goods When goods may be thrown out as here then Grace will be establishing of your Hearts against all fears 7. Would you be above fears in Sea-dangers then keep the Pump going viz. of godly sorrow for sin keep in a melting frame of heart Godly sorrow is the Pump now if any thing get into the Pump it is you know dangerous O then live in the daily exercise of Repentance Here now in this Case of Jonah's there was a stoppage in the Pump Repentance was laid aside and guilty Jonah was secure Jonah The second Observation from the effects of this storm is this Eminent dangers by the light of Nature will put men upon Prayer They were afraid and what followed and cryed to their Gods Their fear was the first effect of this storm and their Devotion was the second Those poor Mariners were Idolaters yet they thought in this danger their Gods could help them therefore they cry to them Here is something for Christians to learn from Pagans here is a Pagan preaching a rowzing Sermon to the Prophet Arise Sleeper and pray to thy God And here is also a Company of poor distressed Seamen praying in danger to their Heathenish Gods to teach us to pray in time of distress to the true God the very light of Nature is not so dim but it can look through danger to duty for self-preservation Let us inquire what is meant by the light of Nature For the understanding of which we must conceive Man at his Creation was created in the Image of God which consisted in Knowledg Eph. 4. 24 and true Holiness now the beams of light that shone round about him and upon his Tabernacle as Job's Phrase is these were eclipsed and darkned by his fall but not so totally extinguished as to be clean put out the eye of Natural light was not altogether put out some glimmerings and remains are still in lost man though not so strong as to lead him to Christ which some vainly contend for yet so strong as many times it is at work upon Natural Conscience to accuse or excuse So we read of the Gentiles though they were without a Law promulged as the Jews had yet not without a Law Rom. 2. 14 15 engrafted in their Consciences whereby they had common Dictates about Good and Evil which light was a Law to them in many things So that the light of Nature is the strength and Law of Natural Conscience stirring in a poor Creature that 's ignorant of God in Christ It is called the Candle of the Prov. 20. 27. Lord Searching the dark places of the Belly and Paul I conceive meant of this when he 1 Cor. 11. 14. said Doth not even Nature teach thee viz. the light of Nature This light of Nature in times of danger Ezek. 6. 5. did teach the very Heathens to look up to their Gods we read in the Prophet that God threatned to cast down their slain before their Idols they used in times of danger to stand before their Idols to enquire of them O now sayes God they who have stood before them to worship them shall be cast down before them I find one upon this Text They cryed unto their Gods every one to his God He gives a Reason the uncertainty that attends Idolatry distrusting their Gods to be the true God and so called on Jonah to pray to his God therefore they used to close their superstitious Devotions with that General Dii Deaeque omnes Going to enquire of Oracles Heathenish History is full of they would not attempt any great design but first inquired of their Idolatrous Oracles which is very teaching to Christians 1. Natural Conscience acknowledges a God in times of Danger For though the Heathens knew not God yet they acknowledged by their false Gods their many Deities that there was a God though some worshipped 2 Kings â—3 v. 13. more Noble Deities than others as the Babylonians who Worshipped the Sun I find one giving that as the reason of the Sun-dial of Ahaz going backward ten degrees that the Babylonish Ambassadors that worship'd the Sun might be convinced that the God of Hezekiah was the true God the God of Israel that had power over the Sun which they worshiped as a Deity was ver 11. the true God We read of the Horses of the Sun which some understand were Horses upon which men rode early in the morning to worship the Sun upon its rising others think they were only Pictures of Horses of the Sun Acts 17. 23. but all is to this purpose They worshiped the Or to that purpose in their own language calling upon that which they worship for a Gâ—d Sun Also we read of the Inscription of the Men of Athens To the unknown God Therefore it is said when any Persons in what Countryes soever are surprized with danger in their Native Dialect they use this Expression which we do in England O God! Well this is acknowleeged by these Heathens in a storm They cried unto their Gods 2. The Natural Conscience doth acknowledg that this God is able to deliver
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
with the same breath send forth Prayers and Oaths alas such Prayers never reach Gods ears 3. The Prayers that are such excellent means for preservation at Sea are Prayers sent up in Faith As hearing without believing James 1. 5. profits not so praying without believing profits not There are many Sea-mens Prayers that are like the waves of the Sea it is a Scripture-Similitude Let him ask in Faith without wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the Wind and is tossed for let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord. The word wavering it signifies when a man is at no certainty with himself but at variance somtimes being of one mind somtimes of another we should in our distress pray believingly therefore our Lord Jesus did chide his Disciples for not acting faith in that storm we read of Why are you afraid O 2. Pet. 2. 9. ye of little faith 1. We at such times are to act faith upon the power of God He knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation when neither Angels nor Men know what way a mercy shall come in a deliverance shall be sent yet the Lord knows he is never at a loss for ways and means a piece of the Ship-wrack't Vessel a Mast a piece of a broken Plank any thing shall do it if God command it Nothing sets off so much the Power of God in a preservation as the utter unlikelihood and improbability that was in it when all hope of being Saved was taken Acts 17 away then came the Angel to Paul Here was the power of God How much of the power of God did appear in saving the Vessel where the Disciples were when it was filled with Waves O how much of the power Maâ—k 4. 34. of God did appear in the preservation of Jonah that Salvation should come to him out Jonah 2. 2. of the belly of Hell 2. Our faith in times of danger must have respect to the promise of God Faith will not venture to God without a promise The great encouragement to prayer is the Promise Call upon me in the day of trouble Here is the precept but where is the promise and I will deliver thee 1. Faith eyes Ps â—0 15. the saithfulness of the promise in time of danger The more Believers plead this in ther daingers the better they are usually fetched off God loves to have his faithfulness leaned on in distress 2. Faith in Prayer Heâ— 6. 13. eyes the immutability of the promise Hope in the promise as to its unchangeableness in your storms is your best Anchor This is the Anchor that will never come home again This made Luther say he had rather be in the bottom of the Sea with a promise than in Paradise without a promise 4. Those prayers that are such excellent means for preservation from Sea-dangers are to be presented to God by the hands of Christ no prayers are prevailing prayers either at Land or Sea but such Christ is the great Friend of poor Creatures in all their dangers We read of Christ praying when the Disciples were sinking Why were Maâ—k 6. 46. they not lost and cast away O Christ was praying for them The Angel that stood by Paul when all the Ships-company were so nigh being cast away was Christ Christ carries the prayers of poor Creatures unto his Father when they are in dangers and distress and brings answers suddenly from Heaven and so the storm is quiet and becomes a Calm And you little it may be know how it comes O Christ many times prayes for it no question Paul had been praying for the preservation of the Vessel when the Angel brought him that good news All that sayl with thee are given thee He had been begging their lives and Jesus Christ gives in the answer 5. Those Prayers that are such excellent means for preservation are unfeigned Prayers Sea-men often do with their Prayers and Consciences as they do with their goods in a storm they cast them over-board but in a Calm they wish for them again So many of them pray in their storms but these prayers are but forced prayers God never hears from them but in danger Alas God looks upon such praying to be only flattering and lying and so he calls Hypocritical praying They flattered me with their lips and lyed unto Psal â—8 34. me with their tongues Why they were praying O but their hearts were all this while a deceitful Bow they were Hypocritical in all this And we read of some though the Lord Hos â— 13. redeemed them yet they spake lyes against him O how often have you done so 6. The prayers that are such excellent means for preservation are prayers flowing from a broken and a contrite heart He is Psal 34. 18. nigh them that are of a contrite heart Nigh them how nigh them to save them so sayes the next word some read it he preserveth the dismayed in Spirit or bruised Are you dismayed in dangers under the sense of your sins fear not God is nigh such But alas what are the Prayers of a Company of poor wretches unbroken either for their sins or from their sins who it may be before the storm were Swearing and Blaspheming God the Prayers of such is no more then to cut off a Dog's neck 1. Reason why Prayer is such an excellent means for preservation because In this duty God's honour is highly concerned this is Gods great Name and Title a God hearing prayer in which he much glories All his Attributes are much honoured in calling upon him especially in times of dangers and distresses 1. When you call upon God at Sea you honour his Soveraignty his Soveraignty over the Winds and Seas is acknowledged by calling on him God sayes to these proud waves So far and no further So the storm and hail they fulfil his will and when he pleases he commands a Calm 2. Prayer in time of danger honours God's Wisdom when we see no way open for mercies and deliverance to come in at then to look up to him believing he knows how to deliver out of Temptation O how much of the wisdom of God appears in preservations in time of danger and is it not a good token of mercy coming in when Persons pray though all visible wayes are block't up this honours God's Wisdom which we acknowledg is never at a loss as to wayes of bringing in mercy and deliverance 3. The Faithfulness of God is much honoured in times of danger when he is called upon the faithfulness of a Friend doth most appear in a strait now if you can rely upon his Promise Gods faithfulness is the best line men sinking at Sea can lay hold on So I might add Calling upon God honours all his other Attributes 2. Reason because the promise of preservation runs to Prayer Call upon me in the day of trouble here is the Precept Is not
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
a man a dead man and a damned man if not rescued from this snare O that poor Sea-men would read that Chapter often over she tells him She had deckt her bed c. O but yet it was the Chamber of Death Though the bed was perfumed and all in bravery yet it was the way to Hell well but after a while he is struck through the Liver being the seat of Lust saith one therefore the foul-disease as you call it is called Morbus Hepatarius The disease of the Liver Splen ridere facit cogit amare jecur Is it not good to say Is not this the cause of the Lords controversie many a time at Sea O how many Sea-mens Souls have been swallowed up of this Guloh 3. Consult to find out the cause the Word Preached A searching Ministry may be a great blessing to Sea-men upon that account The word Preached to you is to be your Spiritual Pilots to shew you where such a Rock lies such a Sand lies where such a Shelve lies we are to tell you from our Lord and Master that if you steer a course of sin you will run a course of Ruine It was the Lords Commission to his Prophets Lift up thy Voyce like a Trumpet cry aloud and spare not Shew unto my people their sins and the House of Jacob their Transgressions We are to shew your sins as the causes of Gods controversie with you We shew you your danger of such a Rock such a sin but do you bear off do you stand off from it if you do not at your peril if you miscarry your blood be upon your own heads O me-thinks of all men Sea-men should love a searching Ministry you enjoy so little of it go many months and hear not a Sermon you that run so many hazards and dangers you love Carpenters for the safety of the ship and Chirurgions for the health of your bodies and why should not you love Ministers for the good of your Souls Must ships must bodies be preferr'd before precious Souls 4. Would you find out the cause Be then often reading over your lives and Conversations You keep your Journals and is it not as necessary to keep Diaries The book of your lives you may read every day when you cannot have time to read other books nay it may be some of you cannot read at all O but this book you may read and may not you often read O Lord my wickedness now doth correct me doth pursue me doth as an Avenger of blood follow me This is thy Iniquity that testifies against thee this is thy sin that now hath found thee out this is thy drunkenness thy abominable uncleanness thy blaspheamous Oaths thy mocking at Prayer thy prophaining of Sabbaths May not you read all this in your lives men at Land that would know how it is with them as to their Estates will cast up their books and men at Sea that would know where they are and what course they run will keep their observations and watches So should you be often casting up your Books your Accounts your Observations if you would know where abouts you are for your Eternal Conditions It may be the Jonah is in thy Conversation that brings the storm then thou must look to Reform that 5. Would you find out the Cause Then you must set before you the danger of miscarrying Now they were in danger they cry out For whose cause is this evil come upon us Truly we are seldom either at Sea or Land led into our duty until danger drive us to it In your storms you are it may be saying to your selves What if the ship should miscarry but do you ever say to your Souls what if your Souls miscarry what if the ship be lost you say but if you said What if your Souls be lost this would help you in the inquiry after the cause of the Lords Controversie with you Set thy danger before thee poor Sea-man that thou may'st find out the cause 1. If thy Soul miscarry it is an eternal miscarriage thou art fixed in that miscarryed estate to all Eternity never to come out of it It is to go to the Pit from whence there is no Redemption There may be Redemption from Sally from Algier nay from Fez where poor Sea-men when they are taken by the Turks are so affraid of being sent O but poor Sea-men from Hell there is no Redemption The King of this Country never gives up his Slaves 2. If thy Soul miscarry poor Sea-man it will aggravate thy sin and misery that thou had'st so many warnings but refused them O what a fair way wast thou once in when convinced of such a sin would be thy Ruine if thou did'st not Repent of it such a Rock would split thy Soul for ever if thou came foul upon it and yet what a bold course did'st thou steer notwithstanding all these warnings Ministers called to thee Relations called to thee Conscience called to thee Godly Friends and Acquaintance that loved thy Soul called to thee O stand off the Rock of sinful Company O take heed of such a sin and such a Lust but alas all these signified nothing to thee O these refused-warnings will be as oyle to make Hells flames burn more vehemently 3. If thou miscarry poor Sea-man thou many times miscarryest on a sudden They go down in a moment to the grave O what little time have they to prepare for Death that little time they have is to provide for their lives that they seldom entertain a thought what will become of their Souls The Sea-mans destruction comes upon them as a whirl-wind suddenly and often inevitably suddenly destroyed and that without Remedy as that word you read and Are not all sudden things sad and full of astonishment Is it not a comfortable thing to have time to prepare for your change now The sense of your danger every Voyage you go should make you find out the cause of Gods Controversie with you The last Use is of Tryal How may we conclude what is the cause of Gods Controversie with us what sin is the Jonah We may pass a false Judgment then how may we find out the sin and Provocation to say This is the cause why God contends with me as David when Nathan said to him Thou art the man so we may say Thou art the sin and so single out the particular Provocation to God 1. That sin usually that lies uppermost on the Conscience is the cause of Gods Controversie with us when we are in any distress or under any Affliction When Jonah's Conscience was gotten cured of his Lethargy it was thus with him his guilt of fleeing from the presence of the Lord was uppermost why hast thou done this say the Ships Company to him For the men knew that he had fled from the presence Gen 4â— 21. of the Lord for he had told them Thus it was with Josephs Brethren And they said one to another in this wise