your faith also is vaiâ— And yet it is so hard a matter to beleeue it that not onely the Athenians mocked Saint Paul for preaching it and Festus told him though he heard him well enough till he came to that point Paul thou art besides thy selfe much learning hath made thee mad But the Apostles themselues as was touched before could hardly be brought to beleeue it And the Prophet fore-telling it doth by way of dialogue bring in the Church wondring euen when they saw him who it should be as suspecting him to be some Edomite or enemy that should raise some further storme Who is this saith the Church that commeth from Edom in red garments from Bosra He is all glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength And when Christ had made answere I speake righteoâ—sneâ—â—e and am mighty to saue The Church replies Wherefore is thine apparrell red and thy garments like to him that treadeth in the wine-presse To which he answeres I haue troden the wine-presse alone and of all other there is none with me By which dialogue we see in what feare the Church was of him comming from among their enemies the graue and hell and in their enemies bloudy colours that he had been one of their enemies and came to doe them hurt they thought it vnlikely that it could be Christ that was so despitefully handled but three daies before that was shorne and naked they deuidiâ—g his â—arments casting lots vpon his vesture and flayne and slaine and buried should now so soone returne in such pompe and triumph An admirable sudden change that hee that but three dayes before was agâ—us â—ccisus a lambe slaine should now returne Leo de tribu Iuda victor The conquering Lion of the Tribe of Iuda that he that was so lately Christus ouis As a sheepe led to the slaughter and as a lambe dumbe before the shearer not opening his mouth should now bee Christus ouans Christ comming in triumph froÌ„ the midst of his enemies casting his shoo off ouer Edom that is trampling and treaâ—ing all his enemies vnder his feet not only aâ— the Apostle expresseth it triumphing oâ—er theÌ„ all in his persâ—n but also hauing been deâ—â— is now aliue and hath brought with him the keyes of death and the graue to giue life to our bodies and the keyes of hell to giue life vnto our soules in which respect the Apostle telles vs that hee hath brought with him not onely life but immortalitie This was the Lords doing and could not but be maruellous in the Churches eyes And yet this was not onely necessary to be so but impossible to be otherwise for so Saint Peter telles vs That God had raised him vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that hee shoâ—ld be holden of it For Dauid saith concerning him I beheld the Lord alwaies bâ—fore me for he is at my right hand that I should not be shaken Therâ—fore did my heart reioyce and my tongue was glad my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy oâ—e to see corruption c. This article therefore of our faith being the greatest comfort vnto Christians and yet so hard to be beleeued that Saint Augustine saith Crede resurrectionem esto Christianus Beleeue this point of the resurrection and thou canst not but bee a Christian hath had as many if not more confirmations of it then any other The Law saith That in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery matter shall bee stablished but in this we haue many more for first the Angels giue their testimony recorded by all the foure Euangelists He is risen he is not here Secondly the Saints that rose with him and appeared to many to confirme his resurrection Thirdly the very souldiers themselues that were set to watch him and to keepe him from rising doe confesse it though afâ—erward they were hired by the high Priests to tell an vntruth Fourthly Marie Magdalen and other deuout women sent by the Angels and by Christ himselfe to certifie the Apostles that he was risen Fifthly the two Disciples that met him as they were trauelling to Emaus that made haste to returne to Ierusalem and certifie the Apostles thereof Sixthly the Apostles though they doubted at the first of which S. Augustine saith Dubitabant illâ— ne dos dubitaremus that is they doubted that we might be out of doubt yet after are made eye-witnesses and eare-witnessâ—s and may say with S. Iohn That which we haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes which we haue looked vpon and these hands of ours haue handled of that word of life that I say which we haue sâ—ene and heard declare we vnto you Seuenthly and lastly those fiue hundred witnesses which saw him at once as Saint Paul speaketh may serue to assure vs. We see then the resemblance that this his resurrection from the dead to secure his Church from all the dangers and perils that by his death it was brought vnto hath to his arising from sleepe in the ship and shewing his power and authoritie ouer the winds and seas For as in the miracle wrought in the history he proued himselfe to be God that had power to command his creatures at his pleasure So much more in this his arising from death to life and that so quickly within three daies and in the conquest that hee made ouer death and the graue and ouer the diuell and hell he sheweth not onely his diuine power but his tender care for his Church being compassed here by a sea of dangers that they may thereby not onely beleeue the resurrection of their bodies in the end of the world but in this life die to sin and liue to righteousnesse and hauing their part in the first resurrection they are free from all danger of the second death And let this suffice for the fifth obseruation Sixthly and lastly the Calme that followed after Christs arising and rebuking the Windes and the Sea is an image both of that rest and quiet which they that are in the Church of Christ doe finde in their soules and consciences here in this life and of that eternall rest and quiet without feare of any stormes which they shall haue in heauen whereof the peace of conscience which wee here enioy is a pledge and earnest Both these doe depend vpon the resurrection of Christ before spoken of as the fruit thereof to vs. The first benefit that a Christian doth find by beleeuing Christs resurrection and meditating vpon it is the peace of conscience that is peace with God peace with the creatures peace with other men and peace with himselfe God in the first Creation of the world did set and settle all things in order and quietnesse
THE TRVE HONOR OF NAVIGATION AND NAVIGATORS Or HOLY MEDITATIONS FOR SEA-MEN Written vpon our Sauiour Christ his Voyage by Sea MATTH 8.23 c. Whereunto are added certaine formes of Prayers for Sea trauellers suited to the former Meditations vpon the seuerall occasions that fall at Sea By IOHN WOOD Doctor in Diuinitie PSALM 34.17 The righteous crie and the Lord heareth and deliuereth them out of all their troubles LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston dwelling in Pater-noster row neere the signe of the golden Cocke 1618. TO THE HONORABLE AND WORTHIE KNIGHT SIR THOMAS SMITH GOVERNOR OF THE EAST-INDIA COMPANIE To the Right Worshipful Master Maurice Abbot Deputie Master William Harison Treâ—surer The Committies and all the rest of the Honorable and worthie Aduenturers of the same Societie HAuing for many yeeres together bin an eye-witnesse of your great care in prouiding all manner of necessaries both for the bodies and soules of those men that you haue sent and imployed in your seuerall fleets into the East-Indies I haue longed to expresse my loue for many fauours receiued from you but had no other meanes but by adding to your great prouisions for the Sea these Meditations following fitted especiallie for Sea-men A worke wherein I know not any man that hath gone before me and therefore I hope the better to be accepted In which I haue onely broken the yâ—e and giuen the onset to encourage some more skillfull workeman to vndertake it in some better fashion seeing there is such varietie and plentie of heauenly meditations in this argument as in no other particular that I know of And yet amongst the great multiplicitie of learned workes in all other matters this only hath bin neglected and not thought of The substance of these Meditations were purposed to haue been Preached at the setting forth of your last fleete aboard the ROYALL IAMES as a farewell-Sermon as I had diuers times before vpon the like occasions done the like office But God then otherwise disposing of it As our law condemneth malefactors that speake not for themselues to be pressed to death so I contrariewise haue thought fit to presse this benefactor to Sea-men as I hope to a further life that the things that then escaped the eares of a few may now bee in the eyes and sight of all that please and may not onely bee a meanes to them to beguile some idle howres but teach them in all places of the world to make spirituall vse to their soules of all occurrences that either by Sea or Land they shall meete withall The great blessings of Almightie God vpon our little Iland since the shaking off the superstitious Idolatrie of the Church of Rome and the sincere Preaching of the true Catholike Faith amongst vs as they appeare in the vniting of the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and the vniting of the hearts of both the peoples hauing One Lord One Faith One Baptisme One God and Father of all So by your meanes and Christian care in the sending forth of your great Fleetes vnto the furthest parts of the earth Our Faith is published thoròugh the World and our Land made famous vnto the remotest parts thereof And yee cannot but thankefully remember and acknowledge to the honour of our great God how hee hath poured out his blessings more aboundantly vpon your Fleets then vpon any of our bordering neighbours I humbly beseech him not onely to continue but to increase and multiplie his goodnesse and mercy euery day more and more toward vs maugre the malice of all our enemies I know that some secretly through enuie doe repine and murmur at your prosperous successe and some haue publikely in Print taxed and traduced your Trading laying foule and scandalous imputations and aspersions vpon it as preiudiciall to the State and Common-wealth and it were easie for me to shew the ridiculous vntruth of those cauils which they obiect but that I am therein preuented both by a worthy Knight in his defence of Trade as also by a reuerend Diuine in his holy Pilgrimage vnto whose writings I referre them that desire satisfaction I must needs set downe what I know and see daily of your great bountie and liberalitie to the honour of God and your further encouragement to doe good viz. that as God hath greatly encreased your store so yee haue not been backward to impart much and more then any other Societie that euer I could heare of to the supplie of the wants of his poore members your dailie reliefe of poore Ministers of the Gospell your charitie to Prisoners to Widowes to Orphans and to all well minded poore people that you find to stand in neede of your helpe cannot but pleade for you in the eyes of God and all good men Goe on therefore in Gods name in your noble designes and rest ye still vpon his blessing who I doubt not hath many more in store for you and so long as you conscionably seeke to honour his name among the Heathen and vnder him to aduance the State wherein yee liue will no doubt affoord you many comfortable assurances of his loue and fauour both to your bodies and soules here in this life and crowne you with eternall glorie with himselfe in the life to come And thus recommending your selues your ships your men your goods both abroade and at home to Gods blessed protection with my dailie Prayers to God for you all and more specially for that Fleete which is now shortly to be set forth I beseech you kindely to accept of this little Newyeeres gift and I shall be bound to rest Readie to doe you seruice IOHN WOOD. TO ALL HONEST PROFESSORS and practisers of Nauigation and more specially to all Nauigators to the East-Indies NOble Spirits that dare euery houre looke death in the face and runne thorough the difficulties of the vast Ocean I haue in this short Treatise taught you how to become truly religious and thereby to be truly honourable and couragious and my purpose in writing these meditations was to instruct you by these few how to raise vnto your selues spirituâ—ll and heauenly meditations in all other passages of your liues at Sea and land so as you may reape the sweetest comforts to your soules and consciences both in the whole course of your life and especially at the houre of death To this end I haue set downe at the end of the booke certaine formes of prayer and thanks-giuing fiâ—ted both to the former meditations in the booke and the most vsefull occasions that I could thinke of I desire not to tye any man to those set formes for whosoeuer can in the inward feeling of his owne misery and Gods mercy poure foorth his soules desires according to his sensible feeling â—ither of Gods iudgements in time of danger or of his gracious promise in the time of his deliuerance shall certainly finde the best assurance of Gods gracious assistance by the spirit of adoption dwelling in him whereby hee is broâ—ght
me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as â—e see I haue Some held that in respect of the manhood he had no soule but that the body was in animated by the Godhead who are confuted where he saith My soule is heauie euen to the death but his Diuinitie was not heauie neither could it suffer Lastly some denie the coniunction of these two natures in one person that he was not perfect God and perfect Man who were condemned by such proprieties of speech and phrase in the Scripture where that is spoken of his Godhead that belonged to his Manhood and that of his Manhood which is proper to his Godhead as Feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with that his owne blood There is blood attributed vnto God which hee had not but as hee was man So on the other side he saith No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen that Sonne of Man which is in heauen Where that is ascribed to the Sonne of Man namely to be in heauen which was proper vnto him as he was God This article therfore of our faith is the ground of Christian Religion and affordeth many comforts to all Christians but especially to Sea-men and those that vndertake long voiages amongst Heathens Infidels and I could wish none might be admitted to go vntill they be well grounded therein which would afford many heauenly meditations For first whereas these men resoluing to leaue their natiue Countrie and to trauell to the furthest parts of the World doe expose themselues to more perils and dangers then other men what sweeter meditation can they haue for the arming of themselues euen against death it selfe the last enemie then to know that they are in the right faith concerning their Sauiour and Redeemer that whatsoeuer shall become of their bodies they haue before prouided for their soules and so are ready â—o liue or die in that faith Secondly when they see preparations made for them by the Merchants and Aduenturers of goodly tall ships with all manner of fit prouisions when they obserue the skill and art of their chiefe Leaders and Commanders that haue been trained vp by long experience not only to guide and gouerne those great Vessels but themselues also in their seuerall places that they trust not in any of these secondarie meanes but to Gods blessing vpon those meanes by and through Christ for Except the Lord build the house they labour in vainâ— that build it Except the Lord keep the Citie the watchman watcheth but in vaine It is Christ God and Man by whom wee receiue all good When they are in the greatest perils to meditate that Christ their Sauiour is God and therefore can and Man and therefore will deliuer and free them if it stand with his glory and with their good 4 When they come to remote places and find Infidels that haue not heard of Christ to remember that they themselues are such by nature and that they haue deserued no better at Gods hand nay they haue deserued much worse because they haue abused Gods blessings yea his long suffering and patience that should lead them â—o repentance And therefore to consider of the great loue of God toward them that passing by so great and huge nations and leauing them in incredulitie hath afforded them the meanes of saluation 5 To meditate that the best way to make a good voiage indeede is to labour by all meanes possible to reduce those Infidels or any of them to the profession of the same faith in Christ there being both a commandement from Christ to doe it and great promises to them that obey that commandement 6 That aboue al they take heed that leauing Christendome they forsake not this faith in Christ they proue not Apostataes they make not shipwracke of faith and of a good conscience for such falling away is the high way to the sinne vnpardonable against the holy Ghost And thus much of the generall doctrine we come now to the particulars of the historie wherein first â—as obserued a Sea-voyage by Christ and his Disciples First of him He entred into a ship Where it may be demanded why Christ would passe the sea when he might haue staid on land For the Philosopher said that a shipman had but foure inches the thicknes of the boardâ— of his ship betwixt him and death And it was one oâ—â—â—e 3 things that Cato in his old age repented him of that he had trauelled by sea when he might haue gone by land It was the charge that Antigonus gaue to his sonnes hauing escaped a dangerous tempest at sea that they should neither aduenture vpon any such danger againe themselues nor forget to aduise their posteritie after them to take heede by their example of that which was like to haue cost them so deare It was the speech of one of the seuen wise men of Greece that Sailers at sea were neither to bee reckoned for liue men nor for dead but betweene both And in Diuinitie it may seeme or at least the diuell will suggest it that to aduenture to trauell by sea is a kind of tempting of God And indeede without a lawfull calling and vsing the meanes which God hath appointed to preserue vs it is as vnlawfull for to trauell by sea as it is for a man in the time of the plague wilfully to run into an infected house or to thrust himselfe into any vnnecessary danger For answere therefore to the former obiection why Christ would enter into a ship if hee would needes goe ouer the sea who could by his word haue diuided the sea into two parts that hee and his might goe ouer as vpon drie land as he did the Read sea for his peoples sake by the minisâ—â—ry of Moses or could haue walked as he did anotheâ—â—â—me vpon the water as vpon firme ground yet he rather taketh the ordinary course to enter into a ship and saile ouer for these reasons 1 He hauing after his long Sermon on the Mount in the three former Chapters done diuers great miracles in this Chapter vpon the land as the clensing of a Leper the curing of the Centurions seruant the healing of Peters wiues mother the â—â—sting forth of diuels out of many that were possessed with them doth now that hee may shew himselfe not only the God of the Mountaines but of the vallies not only the Gâ—d of the Land but of the Sea enter into a ship that thereby he might shew his authority and power on the winds and seas in this miracle 2 Hauing done the foâ—â—er miracles in his Apostles sight only he thought now to doe a miracle vpon themselues whereof being partakers they might be more sensible 3 He was faine by â—his meanes to auoide the presse of the multâ—tude that followed â—im and therefore vpon such occasions sometime he withdrew
though it cannot excuse yet it may lessen somewhat the fault and weakenesse in the Disciples faith in this place that may seeme to bee in greater danger and their Master asleepe For the vse of this point I say with the Apostle All these things came to them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Our Sauiour Christ would teach them that they were but men and so weake and feeble in themselues that they ought both to acknowledge their weakenesse and labor continually to increase their strength but therein not to trust to themselues but to depend vpon him and say with the man in the Gospell Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe And if the case were so with them that were specially called out of the world by our Sauiour Christ and enioyed his presence let vs take heede that we arrogate not too much vnto our selues and whatsoeuer measure of grace we haue receiued remember the Counsell of the Apostle Be not high-minded but feare I write this the rather because that which I find in S. Chrysost. concerning saylers and seamen in long voyages that a tempest to them is nothing they haue seene and felt and ouerliued so many tempests that they are growne familiar with them They are as old beaten souldiers that feare neither blowes nor bullets and as Dauid because he had killed a Lyon and a Beare perswaded himself that he could kill Goliah So they hauing been in as great dangers in other voyages as may be haue now they thinke such resolution that they cannot feare to meetwith death it self But take heed thy resolutions be truly grounded in Christ lest it proue presumption Be not too rash nor foole-hardy vnder the name of courage better called curre-rage but know that thou art a man and thy faith in God onely makes thee truely couragious rest therefore in his protection and striue by all meanes to increase and strengthen thy faith crie with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and then neither storme nor tempest nor raine nor wind nor flouds shall hurt thee for though thou bee in a mouing house yet thou art builded vpon the true rockâ— against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile But of the small measure of the Disciples faith and the wants in it more in the next verse Christs reproofa We come now to the third and last point of their praier the reason We perish Wherein was obserued their faint and almost forlorne hope of deliuerance from their present danger for they say not we shall perish or we are like to perish but in the present We perish As if they should haue said We haue hitherto waited and expected in hope that the tempest would haue ouerblowne we were loth to trouble and awake you so long as the danger was not desperate but now the tempest continues the ship is full of water and is ready to sinke euen at this instant we haue onely time left to tell thee in a word we perish It appeares by this in what pitifull perplexitie they breake out into this complaint The Prophet Dauid indeuoring to expresse the great danger of the people of God and Gods mercy in deliuering them doth make choice of this comparison whereby to set it forth If the Lord had not been on our side may Israel now say If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose vp against vs They had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule As if the greatest danger that could befall men in this world could not be greater then to be swallowed vp quicke to bee drowned and ouerwhelmed with water But let the danger be neuer so great a good Christian must be sure to retaine hope as the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast as the Apostle speaketh which laying fast hold vpon Christ can neuer be moued for as the body liues spirando by breathing so the soule liueth sperando by hoping and as expirare to leaue to breathe is the death of the body so desperare to despaire and leaue to hope is the most miserable estate of the soule The Heathen man can say Dum spiro spero that is while I breathe I hope But the Christian goeth further saith Dum expiro spero when I leaue to breathe I hope still Holy Iob telleth vs that the hypocrite hath no hope if God take away his soule but of himselfe hee is confident Though the Loâ—d kill me â—et will I trust in him And so speakes Salomon The righteous hath hope in his death And againe There will bee an end and thy hope shall not be cut off How comes it then to passe that the Disciples here are so dismaied at the danger of death at the most Origâ—n writing on this place makes answere by way of dialogue first speaking thus to the Disciples How can you possibly feare danger that haue the Sauiour of the world aboard you you haue life with you and are you afeard of death are ye afraid of a tempest that haue the Maker and Creator of tempest with you Dare you awaken him as if he could not deliuer you while he slept To this he makes answere in the Disciples names We are weake and young Christians yâ—t our tendernâ—sse makes vs tremble we haue not yet seene Christ crucified nor been confirmed by his passion and resurrection and ascending into heauen nor by his sending and the descending of the holy Ghost vpon vs therfore we are weake and heare that reproofâ— of our Lord O ye of little faith which we willingly beare and sâ—ffer Thus farre Origen But to leaue both him and them The vse that we are to make vnto our selues is to bee warned by them neuer to forsake our hold for any danger be it neuer so great but to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for hee is faithfull that hath promised And let vs be assured that there is no depth of danger either outward to the body or inward to the soule so great but if we sing with the Prophet Dauid a De profuâ—dis as he did with a true heart and cry Out of the depth haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my prayer c. If when all other helpes faile we reserue the anchor of hope to cast forth vpon the Lord Christ he wil not leaue vs nor faile vs nor forsake vs but our greatest crosses shall bee our greatest comforts vpon our deliuerance whether he see good to doe it by life or death for Christ is our life and death is to vs aduantage And seeing sea-men doe or should determine before they ship themselues to see euery day death before their eyes they ought to arme themselues with
thy goodnesse ouer all the world whereby thou chearest and comfortest all things liuing but also beholdest all things and actions of the world which are naked and conspicuous in thy sight and dispellest and scatterest all thicke clouds and darke mists of ignorance infidelity and error and shewest vnto thy children the right way to heauen preseruing them from stumbling slipping and dangerous falling in that way Grant vs therefore that in thy light wee may see light And seeing thy Sonne Iesus Christ is the true life and light of men that enlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world who when the naturall light of rectified reason which thou gauest vnto man in his creation was by sinne extinguished and put out did supply the defect thereof by a better light the light of faith whereby thy children do vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen O Lord make vs euery day more and more partakers of this light Enlighten our vnderstandâ—ngs by thy blessed Spirit and our hearts by the light of faith and our affections by thy Word that we being naâ—urally darkenesse may be light in thee and may shine as lights in a froward and peruerse generation and may let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie thee our Father in heauen And seeing the night of our ignorance is passed and the day is at hand and thy grace which bringeth saluation to all thy faithfull hath appeared teaching vs to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to walke soberly and iustly and godly in this present world Grant vs thy grace whereby we may cast off the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light and walk as children of the light that thy Son being come a light into the world we may not loue darkenes more then light because our works are euil but Lord let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs that the light of faith which we receiue of thee in this life may make vs liue in expectation of thy light of glory in the life to come being by thee made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light And now Lord we humbly intreate thy fatherly protection of our bodies soules from all dangers both outward and inward this day giue vs grace to make spiritual vse to our soules of all the actions and occurrences therein make vs conscionably carefull not to offend thee either in thought word or deede and prosper we beseech thee whatsoeuer wee vndertake in thy feare that wee may chearefully goe on in the seuerall workes of our places and callings so as we may seale vp our election by good workes and worke out our saluation in feare and trembling that whensoeuer this miserable and sinfull life of ours shall be ended wee may rest and raigne with thee in glory through the merits of thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ in whose name wee further call vpon thee as he hath taught vs saying Our Father c. An Euening Prayer WE present ouâ—â—â—lues again before thee most merciful Father acknowledging and confessing against our selues our manifold sins which wee haue daily multiplied against thy Maiestie and against our owne consciences from the beginning of our dayes and euen this day now passed We confesse O Lord that we were at first conceiued and borne in sinne and that from that originall corruption there haue euer since proceeded so many wicked and vngodly thoughts words and works that if thou examine what we haue done amisse we were not able to abide it or to answere one of a thousand of our actions for euen our best workes our prayers are accompanied with so many imperfections of wandring imaginations that when we haue done praying we had need to pray vnto thee againe to forgiue the scapes and negligences and ignorances of them Wee confesse further O Lord God that in respect of our sinnes wee are not worthy to looke vp to heauen or to call vpon thy name for we haue iustly deserued not onely to be depriued of all thy good blessings both concerning this and a better life which hitherto by thy mercies we haue enioyed and which we more fully expect hereafter by thy gracious promise but also wee haue deserued and doe daily deserue thy wrath and indignation to bee poured downe vpon vs vpon our bodies and soules in this life and in the life to come if thou shouldest enter into iudgement with vs. But there is mercy with the O Lord that thou maist be feared And we appeale therefore from thy seuere iustice against sinne vnto thy tender mercies in thine owne Sonne in whom wee know thou art well pleased Wee humbly beseech thee for his sake to be mercifull vnto â—s to pardon and to forgiue vs all our sinnes to wash them away in his blood to bury them in his death and passion so as they may neuer be imputed to vs either in this life to the terror and affrighting of our consciences or in the world to come to our vtter condemnation Good Lord giue vs euery day more and more the true sight of our sinnes the true sense and feeling of them and of thy great iudgements hanging ouer our heads in respect of them Giue vs a true sorrow and hearty repentance for all our sinnes past and a full resolution in the residue of our liues to be more wary and circumspect ouer all our words and actions that we may not onely striue to abstaine from sin but auoid those occasions which we haue formerly found to haue drawne vs thereunto And now Lord seeing the night is come vpon vs and hath not onely depriued vs of the light of the Sun but hath also brought with it darkenesse and terrors fearefull to our weake natures yet wee still depend vpon thy holy protection for as the day is thine so the night is thine Thou hast made darkenesse thy secret place and thy pauillion round about thee euen darkenesse of waters and clowds of the aire and yet the darkenesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and the light to thee are both alike Preserue vs therefore we humbly beseech thee from the perils and dangers of this night following giue our bodies rest and sleepe and let our soules continually watch for the time when our Lord Iesus Christ shall come for our full deliuerance out of this mortall life O Lord the sleepe wee now desire is an image of death while our senses being thereby bound vp from the performance of their functions and operations wee lye still as dead men not able to see or heare or doe any thing Let our beds therefore put vs in mind of our graues and the rest which we desire for our wearied bodies put vs in minde of the true rest and quiet both of body and soule which thou hast prouided for thy children after this life eâ—ded And
as we are not afraid the day being past and the night now come to aduenture vpon sleepe hoping to be awaked the next morning and to rise againe and goe about our labours So O Lord when the time of our dissolution shall come by any kind of death Let vs be so prepared for it certainely beleeuing the immortalitie of the soule and the resurrection of the body that wee may not bee afraid of it knowing it to bee but a longer sleepe of our bodies till they be awakened and raised by thy trumpet at the last day And whereas O Lord in our passage by ship through the sea we dare not aduenture in respect of the many dangers therein to sleepe all at once but to keepe continuall watch yet O Lord wee must needs confesse that except thou preserue and keepe vs the watchmen watch but in vaine Doe thou therfore O Lord watch ouer our watch and ouer vs while wee are asleepe and make vs as watchfull and carefull for our soules as we are for our bodies And so we commend our selues waking and sleeping into thy protection and defence crauing all things necessary for vs or for any of thy children at thy hands for thy Sonne Iesus Christ his sake in whose name we conclude our praiers as he hath taught vs saying Our Father c A Prayer for Sea-men in a Tempest MOST mighty God thou art wonderfull in all thy workes and fearefull and terrible in thy iudgements Let it not seeme strange vnto vs that the sea is thus troubled and that the stormes and tempests doe thus compasse vs and that both we and our ship are brought thereby into great danger Thou hast threatned O God to raine down vpon the vngodly snares and fire and brimstone and stormy tempest as the portion of their cup. And wee must needes confesse that wee haue many waies sinned fearefully against thee and doe daily so run on in sinne that wee iustly deserue thy fierce wrath and the greatest measure of thine indignation Besides O Lord wee reade in the Scripture not onely that the Prophet Ionah when he fled from thy presence and the place whither thou sentest him had his ship in great ieopardy by that great wind and mightie tempest which thou sentest after him into the sea But that thy holy Apostle Paul also had his ship wherein hee sayled so seazed vpon by an exceeding tempest that neither Sunne nor Starres appeared in many dayes so that there was no hope of life left him and those that sailed with him vntill thou by thy holy Angell hadst giuen him comfort But aboue all O Lord when wee reade and heare that thy Sonne our Sauiour Christ himselfe when he tooke our nature vpon him and became Man for our redemption being at sea with his Disciples was set vpon by so great a tempest at sea that his ship was couered with waues and his Disciples in great feare How can we O Lord looke to be freed from such danger but by thine onely helpe The sorrowes of death compasse vs and the floods of wickednesse make vs afraid The sorrowes of the graue doe compasse vs about and the snares of death haue ouertaken vs. Thou makest darkenesse thy secret place and thy pauillion round about euen darkenesse of waters and cloudes of the aire At the brightnesse of thy presence the clouds passe hailestones and coales of fire Thou hast thundred in the heauens and giuen out thy voice Thou sendest out thine arrows and encreasest lightnings vpon vs. The channells of thy waters are seene and the foundations of the world are discouered at thy rebuking O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrils Thou hast laid vs in the lowest pit in darkenesse and in the deepe Thine indignation lieth vpon vs and thou hast vexed vs with all thy waues All this is come vpon vs yet doe wee not forget thee nor deale falsely concerning thy couenant Our heart is not turned backe neither are our steppes gone out of thy pathes Although thou haue smitten vs downe into the place of Dragons and couered vs with the shadow of death yet thou Lord art our rocke and our fortresse â—o deliuer vs our God and our strength in thee will wee trust our shield the horne also of our saluation and our refuge Whom haue we in heauen buâ— thee and we desire nothing in the earth with thee Ouâ— flesh faileth and our heart also But thou art the strength of our hearts and our portion for euer Wee know O Lord that if thou please thou canst presently by thy word stil the rage and fury of these winds and seas and deliuer vs from all dangers but we submit our selues to thy good will and pleasure we depend vpon thy fatherly goodnesse to dispose of vs as thou pleasest Giue vs patience good Lord in these our afflictions to abide and waite both thy pleasure and leasure Giue vs faith to lay hold vpon thy promises made vnto vs in thy Sonne Iesus Christ. And grant vs that by hope we may expect the performance of them when thou seest good O Lord we know that we owe a death vnto thee and we know not how soone thou wilt require it at our hands prepare vs therfore now for it and let vs not be dismayed at any perill that may threaten it Giue vs grace to vse all good meanes and neglect no opportunitie which thou offerest vnto vs for our preseruation But let our trust be in thy blessing vpon our weake endeuours for thou art our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found Therefore will we not feare though the earth be moued and though the mountaines fall into the middest of the sea though the waters thereof rage and be troubled and the mountaines shake at the surges of the same Into thy hands therefore wee commend our bodies and soules and whatsoeuer wee haue and desire so to liue and die in thy seruice that whensoeuer death shall come wee may be partakers of euerlasting life purchased for vs by the death of thy Son Iesus Christ. In whose name wee call further vpon thee as he hath taught vs. Our Father c. A Thankes-giuing to God after deliuerance from a Tempest GRatâ—ous God and louing Father as our necessities haue enforced vs according to thy commandement to call vpon thee in the time of our trouble so grant vs now being deliuered from it by our giuing thankes vnto thee to glorifie thy holy name O thou the hope of all the ends of the earth and of them that are farre in the sea The sea is thine and thou madest it thy hand prepared the drie land Thy way is in the sea and thy pathes in the deepe waters and thy foote-steps are not knowne O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches So is
by their feare whereby they awoke him and indeede prayer in it selfe is so excellent that as the word of God is the foode of the soule so thiâ— is the exercise of the soule for the obtaining keeping and increasing of all spirituall grace So that as a man cannot keepe his body for any long time in health and strength vnlesse he vse some exercise yea though he fill it with good meate and feed it most carefully So although a man doe heare the Word of God euery day preached vâ—to him and so feede his soule with the foode of life yet vnlesse he doe by this spirituall exercise of praier draw the said heauenly food into the seuerall parts of his soule he shall sensibly feele his faith hope loue patience all other spirituall graces to decrease by little and little yea as â—he exercising of the body doth not onely preserue it in the naturall vigour but also â—ncreaseth the strength of it by keeping it from growing fat and foggy and preseruing it from sicknesse so by the daily vse of prayer we shall find that the Lord will increase in vs all spirituall graces farre aboue our owne expectation or the opinion of any other Yea euen in this life hearty and feruent prayer comming from a faithfull man is health in sicknesse riches in pouerty safety in danger comfort in aduersitie and makes supply of all temporall defects and wants whatsoeuer But aboue all the sea-man â—specially in long voyages being for the most part debarred of the spirituall food of his soule that is the Word of God ordinarily preached should labour to redeeme and recouer that losse both by reading the Word of God and learned mens workes but specially by hauing continuall recourse to God in prayer For it is the end of our preaching to teach men how to pray and there is not a more infallible signe of a true childe of God then the spirit or gift of prayer whereby a man is made able and willing and ready to pray aright vnto God as the present occasion doth require Art thou by distance of place imprisonment trauell or otherwise remoued from the ordinary hearing of the Word preached haue daily recourse vnto God by prayer three times in a day with Daniel seuen times in a day with Dauid alwaies as Christ teacheth and continually as Saint Paul commandeth Offer vp this sacrifice morniâ—g and euening and say with the Prophet Let my prayer ascend vnto thee as the incense and the lifting vp of my haâ—ds as the euening sacrifice Let it be thy first and thy last worke euery day for this is clauis dieâ— a key to open the day and it is Sera noctis a locke to shut vp the night it is Signaculum cibi that which makes thee looke for a blessing on thy meat thy prayer or grace before and after mâ—ales and whatsoeuer thou goest about though thou haue not time to conceiue a prayer in words yet learne of Nehemiah to lift vp thy heart vnto the Lord. Art thou tempted to any euill pray to God to giue theâ— grace and strength to ouercome the tentation and if thou receiue it not at the first pray with Saint Paul the second and third time Hast thou giuen way and art thou ouercome by the tentation pray for repentance and faith that thou maist bee reconciled vnto God againe Dost thou find that thou hast deserued Gods iudgements and that they hang ouer tâ—y head for sinne pray that if it be his will they may be turned away from thee Hath God found thee out and are his iudgements vpon thee rip vp thy heart consider thy former life confesse thy sinnes vnto him pray for deliuerance either to remoue his iudgements or to lessen them or to encrease thy strength and patience to beare theÌ„ Again dost thou find any want of any spirituall grace in thee pray to him that is only able and willing to bestow it vpon thee Dost thou find any comfort by any grace already receiued pray for the continuance and increase in it and for multiplying and increasing of more graces Giâ—â— alâ— diligence to ioyne vnto your faith vertue and with vâ—â—tue kâ—owlâ—dge and with knowledge temperance anâ— with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindâ—esse louâ— c. Pray not only for thy selfe but for others both with thee and farre from thee Frater si prote solùm oras solus pro te oras si pro omnibus ores omnes pro te orant Brother saith Saint Augustinâ— if thou onely pray for thy selfe thou alone prayest for thy self if thou pray for all men all doe pray for thee A man in the remotest parts of the world should not onely remember his friends at home but his enemies abroad and pray for all that they all may pray for him Now for the necessity of this duty of prayer if we consider Gods commandement Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble This is all that he requires and therefore we say with Naamans seruants If the Prophet hâ—d commanded thee a great thing wouldst thou not haue done it how much rather then c. This commandement of God were a sufficient reason by the Centurions rule And Christ speaking of an obedient seruant Doth his Master saith he thanke him for doing this But secondly our owne wants and necessities do constraine vs for wee haue nothing of our selues but what wee receiue of him neither haue we any promise of receiuing any thing without prayer Aske and you shall haue Thirdly our enemies are first strong like the strong man armed that holdeth possession in peace Secondly many euen principalities powers worldlie gouernours princes of darknesse c. Thirdly crafty for the diuell is a deepe polititian And lest we should be circumuenâ—ed wee must not be ignorant of his enterprises As that sometimes hee transformes himselfe into an Angell of light And there is more heede to be taken of him when he comes in the wilie serpent then when he comes with open mouth roring like a Lion We see when he came to tempt our Sauiour Christ he comes as it weâ—â— with his Psalter in his hand and scriptum est in his mouth It is wâ—itten saith he as though he had Scripture for his warrant Seeing then God commands vs our necessities compell vs and our enemies are so strong so many and so craftie and wee can haue no helpe but of God and no meanes to obtaine helpe from him but by prayer to which he hath annexed his promise and he is faithfull that hath promised Seeing that which Saint Iames telles vs that the prayer of a righteous man preuaileth much is confirmed by examples in holy Scripture that no dutie hath wrought such miracles not onely in the Elements as the opening of the earth to swallow vp
hee trieth the heart and the raines Hee hath found that the cogitations of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill contâ—nually that we were conceiued and borne in sinne that wee haue not power of our selues as of our selues to thinke a good thought How then can we dreame or imagine but to haue our prayer turned into sinne and in stead of a blessing to receiue a curse if we present not our selues and our praiers vnto him in humility acknowledging him our Lord our Father and Master and therefore denying and renouncing our selues and resting vpon him who as a Lord and Master is able and as a tutor and teacher is willing to deliuer vs in his good time And so much for the terme giuen Lord or Master The second followeth that is the request in these words Saue vs. The sense whereof is plaine that the Disciples when they came to Iesus that is the Sauiour of the world when they cry vnto him saue vs doe not speake of eternall saluation of their bodies and soules but onely of the sauing of their liues from that imminent danger wherein they now are being ready to bee drowned as they thought And indeed this life is very sweet and as the diuell said of Iob Skin for skin all that a man hath will he giue for his life The Philosopher can tell vs that death is of all terrible things the most terrible and Christians doe account of death as their last enemie and we know how vnwelcome such an enemie is to any that spares no man and hath a statute for it that all must become his subiects They know also that death is the reward of sinne and consequently that after death must come a iudgement when as euery man must receiue the things that he hath done in the flesh according to that hee hath done be it good or euill As for this life they know it to be a blessing of God and the prolonging thereof promised to the obseruers of the 5. Commandement Wheras iudgements are denounced to the wicked they shall not liue halfe their dayes So that if the death of Gods Saints be precious in his sight and Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer them to keepe them in all their waies that they dash not their foot against a stone no maruell if they call to Christ for the sauing of their liues But on the other side if life bee so sweete and death so bitter how commeth it to passe that the godly many times desire death not onely in impatiency vnder the crosse as Iob cursing the day of his birth and Eliah being persecuted by Iezabel that he desired to die and said It is enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers And the Prophet Ionah after the Lord had spared the city of Nineueh prayes Now therefore O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for mee to die then to liue But euen in a Christian resolution the Apostle Paul saith I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ and old Simeon prayes Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word To this we answere that for Iob and Eliah and Ionah they shewed themselues to be men subiect to passion and are not therin to be imitated and followed by vs and for Saint Paul and Simeon and all holy Martyrs that haue in their desire to be freed from sinne and to bee with Christ waiting Gods leisure when it may best stand with his glory and with their good been desirous to die that is a thing that we should labour and long for not to be vnclothed but to be clothed vpon that is not to be wearie of this life for any crosses or afflictions in it but to haue Christian resolution patiently to endure all that God shall thinke fit to lay vpon vs. But our hope of a better life with which we cannot be clothed till we be vnclothed of this makes vs desire when God sees it good to make vs wearie of the pleasures and delights of this life which are vaine and transitorie in comparison of the other which are eternall I conclude therefore that it is not onely lawfull and conuenient but necessary for a man in extreame danger of death to call vpon God for deliuerance from the danger so that he referre his will to Gods will and be resolued of a better life if it please God to take away this Euery Christian though weake is willing to liue and patient to die as God pleaseth but the strong Christian is patient to liue and willing to die for being assured of the mortality of the soule that it dies not and of the resurrection of the body he knowes that They are blessed that die in the Lord they rest from their labours and being wearied with the great burthen of his sinnes he desireth that rest But here in these words Saue vs we haue before obserued the faith of the Disciples acknowledging his power to saue them and expecting it though very faintly It was their faith whereby they thought hee was able to saue them but the weaknes of their faith that they imagined he could not saue them except he were awake And no maruell if their faith were yet weake for the confirmation wherof this miracle was chiefly wrought being yong schollers fresh-water souldiors newly entertained by our Sauior Christ not fit to be sent forth yet into the world as may appeare in the tenth Chapter of this Gospell Much more fearfull seemes to be the case of Saint Peter who hauing seene this miracle and in it the command that our Sauiour had ouer the winds and sea and hauing receiued commission as a chiefe Apostle not only to preach the Gospell but himselfe to worke miracles doth yet after all this at another time being at the sea and our Sauiour Christ not with them and the ship tossed on the sea with waues and a contrary wind when first hee and the rest were afraid of Christ walking vpon the sea crying out for feare that he had been a spirit and Christ had so comforted them that Peter desired to walke vpon the water to meet him and had warrant from his Master so to doe and accordingly walked vpon the water yet the text saith That when he saw a mighty wind he was afraid and as he began to sinke he cried saying Master saue me So immediately Iesus stretâ—hed forth his hand and caught him and said vnto him O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt If therfore Saint Peter after many more experiences and trials of his Masters power and after commission receiued from Christ did not so venterously desire to walke vpon the water as cowardly stagger in his faith at the sight of a great wind his Lord and Master being so nigh him and awake
Christian resolution depending vpon Gods prouidence without which a haire shall not fall from their heads so to encounter the greatest difficulties by this that they know their hope to bee in Christ and if it were onely in this life then were Christians of all other the most miserable but now they are so farre from perishing that God so loued the world that he gaâ—e his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Hitherto we haue seene the occasions of the miracle Christ being fast asleepe and by reason of the extreme danger now newly awaked by the crie of his Disciples It remaines that wee come to the miracle and the meanes whereby it was wrought to wit his word onely rebuking the winds and the sea But yet our Sauiour makes no such haste but that first he reprehends his Disciples and â—aith Why are you fearefull O ye of little â—aith And yet some writing vpon this place doe thinke it to bee no reprehension but rather that before he will calme the sea hee doth onely strengthen and encourage his disciples in their faith and hope which was yet very weake and rid them of their feare and fainting And if we do so vnderstand it the meaning is that as in the apparitions of Angels to holy men and women botâ— in the old new TestameÌ„t they were strucken ordinarily with such feare that they could not deliuer their messages till they had rid theÌ„ froÌ„ that feare and therfore began their speeches so Feare not or Be not afraid Or as our Sauiour doth himselfe afterward to his Disciples at sea when they were troubled and cried out for feare thinking him to be a spirit He saith to them Be of good comfort It is I be not afraid So according to this interpretation it should be a speech to raise vp their deiected harts and spirits and to relieue and comfort them And if wee vnderstand the meaning in this sense then we learne here the difference betwixt this and other of Christs miracles for that in them he cured the bodily diseases of the leprosie paulsey blindnesse deafenesse lamenes but in this he cured the inward afflictions of the mind in immoderate griefe feare fainting and distrust of his mercie which are farre greater then bodily sicknesses And herein he teacheth vs that though their faith was very weake that he doth not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoaking flaxe but comfort and nourish and cherish the least desires of goodnesse in his Saints and children And in that hee doth this before he worke the miracle he not onely sheweth that he hath more care of their soules then of their bodies but withall teacheth them and in them all Christians to be principally carefull for the health of their soules without which they are dead spiritually while they are aliue But I take it rather as the current both of the ancient Fathers and new Writers doe agree to be a reprehension or reproofe of the Disciples containing first a question Why are ye fearefull Secondly an answere O ye of little faith The question may seeme strange for how should they not be feareful that saw the danger of present death before their eyes as they verily thought They were men subiect to passions and imminent perils cannot but produce the passion of feare they must be either Stoicks or stocks that are not moued with such apparent danger But it was not their feare but the excessiue measure thereof that our Sauiour reprehends and therefore Saint Marke renders it so Why are you so fearefull that is though the danger be neuer so great yet you ought not thus to be faint-hearted and dismaied you might call vpon me but not with such exclamations you might awake me but not so ouercome with passion as if you were in despaire of helpe your extreame feare and want of faith doth you more harme then either the winds or the â—eaes Why are you so fearefulâ— Now to let passe the nature and necessity of feare in generall and to hold me to the text It was necessary at this time for them to feare For without it there would haue been little occasion and small vse of the miracle following neither could it haue wrought such impression in them as it did Neither are Christians to behold Gods iudgements but with feare The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid And Moses at the giuing of the Law with lightnings and thunders said â— feare and quake much more the people of whom God saith O that there were such an heart in them to feare me alway Now howsoeuer the Scripture telleth vs that Christ hath deliuered vs from the hands of our enemies that wee being deliuered may serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And againe That we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but we haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father And so Saint Iohn There is no fâ—are in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare In which respect our Sauiour giueth this charge Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Yet these and all such places as they are to be vnderstood of a seruile and â—lauish feare not of that filiall and childlike feare wherby children stand in awe of their parents and dare not offend them especially while they are young for feare of correction yea for feare of disinheriting so as Salomon saith There is a time for all things there is a time in Gods children for seruile feare and that is in their first beginning of their repentance and conuersion vnto God For no man can truly repent vntill the Spirit of God by the shrill trumpet of the Law and the punishments due vnto the breakers of the law contained in that one sentence Cursâ—d is euery man that contiâ—ueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them which is a fearefull sentence if we obserue the words that they are not only miserable and wretched but accursed not onely some or many but euerie one not onely that doth not begin but that doth not continue and constantly perseuere vnto the end not onely in some points of the Law but in all things written in the booke of the Law not onely to affect and desire but to doe them This I say is a fearefull sentence and vntill it haue rowzed vp the â—inners drowzie conscience and both set before his eyes his manifold breaches and transgressions of Gods commandements and presented him with the fearefull spectacle of eternal death and condemnation due vnto him therefore so that the poore sinner holding vp his hand as it were at the barre of Gods iudgement seat being selfe-conuicted and condemned doth in a manner find himselfe in hell feeling the terrors of God fighting
against him that he is faine to crie out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me Til then there is no place for repentance nor no way for faith to apprehend and lay hold of the sweete and comfortable promises of God in Iesus Christ. And though where faith and loue are entertained after our conuersion according to the measure of grace which we receiue in theÌ„ this seruile feare of hell and condemnation be expelled cast out as S. Iohn speaketh yet seeing we can haue no perfection in any grace in this life and Gods best children doe still carrie with them concupiscence the body of sin and as they are daily subiect to infirmities so many times fall into grosse â—innes As a leaking ship had neede of continuall pumping and a beggars rotten coat of continuall patching â—o our liues haue neede of continuall repenting which cannot be without the beholding of Gods iudgements with feare and therefore as the Prophet willes vs to serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in â—rembling So the Apostle aduiseth vs To worke out our saluation in feare and trembling And as Saint Peter and Saint Iude doe propound the iudgements of God against the Angels against the old World against Sodome and Gomorrha because as the Poet saith Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae that is Euill men abstaiâ—e from doing euill for feare of punishment And Saint Augustine Si non potes propter amorem iâ—stitiae fac propter timorem poenae If thou canst nâ—t abstaine from sinne for loue to righteousnesse yet doe it for feare of punishment So the feare of punishment breedes abstinence from sinne and that abstinence a will and desire to doe good from thence a delight and pleasure in goodnesse And thus Gods best children doe make good vse of that feare that proceedeth from the meditation of his iudgements as a bridle to restraine them from sinne and a spurre to set them forward in the seruice of God It was therfore the excesse of feare that our Sauiour here reproued in his Disciples that they were so discouraged and dismaied that they were euen in a maner past hope of deliuerance notwithstanding his presence The feare of death is naturall and so far from being sin that our Sauiour Christ himself had the sense thereof when before his Passion Saint Matthew reporteth that hee began to bee sorrowfull and grieuously troubled And S. Marke saith He began to be troubled in great heauines which the Apostle expoundeth thus That in the daies of his flesh he did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and if this were the case of the greene tree what can we expect of the withered If Christ himself were so affected with the sense of death no maruell though his Apostles now in the time of their minority do cry out with the Prophet Mine heart trembleth within me the terrors of death are fallen vpon me Feare trembling are come vpon me a horrible feare hath couered me And again I am afflicted at the point of death from my youth I suffer thy terrors doubting of my life Thine indignation goeth ouer me and thy feare hath cut me off So that our Sauiour doth here not simply reproue them for their feare but for the exceeding measure thereof proceeding from their want of faith as himself witnesseth in the words following O ye of little faith wherin he answereth to the question before propounded by himself and sheweth that in stead of their exclamation before we perish they should rather haue said with the Apostle We are afflicted on euery side yet not in distresse we are in doubt but yet despaire not we are persecuted but not forsaken cast down but we perish not Now the question is what faith it is the want whereof our Sauiour doth here charge the Disciples withal and I vnderstand it not of iustifying faith but of the faith of working miracles that they beleeued not in Christ that he was able miraculously to deliuer them out of the danger though it were neuer so great For as to work a miracle there is faith required as Christ speaketh to them afterwards Verily I say vnto you if ye had faith as much as a graine of mustard seede ye shall say to this mountaine remoue hence to yonder place it shall remoue and nothing shal be vnpossible vnto you So must there be faith in theÌ„ vpon whom the miracle is wrought and therfore when the father of the child that was possessed said to Christ If thou canst doe any thing help vs and haue coÌ„passion on vs he answereth him If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth and therfore that which our Euangelist saith of Nazareth where our Sauior was brought vp That he did not many great works there for their vnbeleefes sake S. Marke expresseth thus He could not there do any great works saue that he laid his hands vpon a fâ—w sick folk healed them And he maruelled at their vnbeliefe for as faith can draw vertue from Christ vnawares for the working of miracles And make Christ wonder So infidelity vnbeleefe doth not only eclipse and darken but also let and hinder the powerfull working of Gods grace from doing vs any good either to our bodies or our soules And therfore S. August doth fitly compare faith to the mouth of a vessel whereby the sweet liquor of Gods grace is poured in and infidelity to a couer or stopple that hinders the entrance of any such liquor So that the meditatioÌ„ of this point is that of the Apostle Take heede brethren lest at any time there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe to depart away from the liuing God but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest ye bee hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Let no man say in his extremity with the wicked Tush God hath forgotten hee hideth away his face and will neuâ—r see or with Iobs wife Curse God and die But let vs rather as the Apostle willeth vs hold the profession of our faith without wauering Let vs not cast away our confidence which hath great recompence of reward Let vs being compassed with a great cloud of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs run with patience the race that is set before vs looking to Iesus the author and finisher of our faith c. And wheras miracles are ceased and therefore in that kind no such faith required of vs yet our true iustifying faith which is proper to Gods children shall giue vs such peace with God and peace in conscience that we shall be as bold as Lions and not feare any perils nor
The waters of Iordan gaue way also to the feet of â—he Priests and were diuided till all the people went ouer vpon dry land And the same Iordan was diuided by the striking of it with Eliahs cloake both by Eliah him selfe and by Elisha But of these miracles wee may well say with the Prophet What ailed thee O thou sea that thou flâ—ddest and thou Iordan that thou wast turned back And we may answere with him The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Iacob For all men that haue receiued power from God to worke miracles must confesse of themselues as Peter and Iohn after the curing of the cripple that lay at the gate of the Temple called Beautifull Yee men of Israâ—l why maruell ye â—t this or why looke ye so stedfastly on vs as though by our owne power or Godlinesse we had made this man goe The God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the God of your fathers hath glorifiâ—d his sonne Iesus whom ye betrayed c. And a little after And his name hath made this man sound whom ye see and know through faith in his name And the faith which is by him hath giuen him perfect health in his whole body in the presence of you all So Paul and Barnabas vpon the like miracle wrought by them vpon another cripple at Lystra when the people and Priests would haue honoured them as Gods rent thâ—ir clothes and ran among the people crying and saying O men why doe you these things we are euen men subiect to the like passions that ye be and prâ—ach vnto you that ye should turne from these vaine things vnto thâ— liuing God which made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them are c. Now then as no man can worke any miracle but as an instrument by whose hand and ministery God worketh whatsoeuer hee pleaseth in all places so much lesse can any coniurers or sorcerers or witches or the diuell himselfe worke any miracle for though the Pharisies blasphemously charge our Sauiour Christ in his working of miracles that he casteth out diuels by the power of Beelzebub the chiefe of the diuels yet it is certaine that the diuell though he hath power to doe many things which are wonderfull to ignorant men that vnderstand not the causes of things and seeke not into the depth of his subtilties yet hee had neuer power to worke any miracle for the greatest extent of the diuels power is either in Illusions or true workes By Illusions he may dâ—ceiue the senses of men either by casting a mist before the eyes of men or by tempering or rather distempering of the humours in the eyes For true works he may moue windes and thunder not to create them but the matter being before he is able to stir them vp he is able to infect the creatures as the riuers and the fishes in it he is able to take the shape of a man being dead yea to present himselfe like an Angell of light He can corrupt the vnderstanding by taking away the seede of Gods word that is sowne out of our remembrance He can hinder the preaching of the word in Gods Ministers He can blind the mind of man by signes and lying wonders he can workâ— outragious affections in men as in Saul and in those that we reade were possessed in the Gospell as in the 18. verse of this Chapter And lastly he can bee a lying spirit in the mouthes of false prophets to deceiue wicked men to bring them to their end as in the case of Achab peâ—swading him to goe fight against Ramoth in Gilead But all this power of the diuell is confined and limited within two bounds the first that he is able to doe nothing without Gods permission and sufferance as appeareth in Iob in Saul in â—hab and in the end of this chapter that the diuels could not enter into the herd of swine vntill they had gotten leaue of our Sauiour Christ. The second is that they can doe nothing but that is agreeable to nature and therefore can worke no miracles which are aboue nature The diuels may in respect of their great knowledge in naturall things being of a spirituall nature not troubled mole corporis by any hinderance of a body corruptible to presse downe their soule and by their long experience of the causes and effects in nature they may know and foretell some naturall things to come but their knowledge is ioyned with much ignorance they vnderstood not how God did worke the saluation of his elect in the fall of Adam and in Christ they were not sure when Christ came into the world that it was hee they know not the thoughts of mens hearts but onely by their outward actions they iudge of their inward inclinations For God onely is the searcher of the heart and raines and though as Gods ape hee doe striue to imitate his miracles yet could hee neuer worke any true miracle as the raising of the dead the staying of the course of the Sunne the causing of women that are past children and barren to conceiue A Virgin to beare a sonne the preseruing of men from burning being in a hoâ—e fierie furnace or the calming of the sea from tempest as it is in this place The which argument I haue handled the more at large because of a strange opinion of many men both at sea and land concerning the power of the diuell in this matter especially of winds and tempests For ordinarily if any tempestuous weather doe arise it is presently ascribed to the diuell and men say that there are some coniurers abroad and I haue heard some trauellers auouch that in Lapland any man may for money buy what winde hee please at a witches hand to serue his turne and make vse of when he list For answere whereunto I say that I neuer finde in the Scriptures that the diuell hath any power either to create a body or destroy a body or transforme any body as of a man into a beast and therefore the windes the lightnings the thunders the tempests and all other meteors they are the creatures of God as I haue shewed before in the description of the nature of the winds and tempests so that the diuel is not the first cause of any of them but they being ingendred in the middle region of the aire and the diuell being as the Apostle saith the prince that ruleth in the aire hee can when God will vse his seruice and giues him permission hurrie those windes together and raise tempests as a secondarie meanes both at land and sea both for a iudgement and punishment of the wicked and for the triall of the faith patience hope and dependance of Gods children vpon him who know that a haire shall not fall from their heads without his
death and resurrection in this life as also of that eternall rest in the life to come whereof the other is but a pledge and earnest when the godly shall be partakers of such ioyes as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor câ—n possibly enter into the heart of man to conceiue For the first the whole current of the fathers tell vs that the sea is an image of the world many waies 1. First the sea hath his name of bitternesse Proptâ—rea mare appellaâ—um quòd eius aquae sunâ— amarae The sea hath his name Mare in the Latine of the Latine word amarum which signifieth bitter because the waters thereof are bitter The sea is very bitter notwithstanding to the fishes that liue and are nourished in it it sauoureth sweetly So the world is very bitter yeâ— to worldly men delighting in the fleshly lusts thereof it seemes sweete and though at first it seeme but as a sport or play yet as Abneâ— saith to Ioab Knowest thou not that iâ— will be bitternesse in the lâ—ttâ—r eâ—d For like a subtill serpent it hath a sting in the taile and insinuates and windes it selfe into vs for to hurt vs. And though worldly men flatter themselues and say as Agag to Samuel Truly the bitternesse of death is pâ—ssed yet they are as much deceiued as Agag was as may appeare in Samuels answere in that place It is the distemperate taste of worldly men that makes the pleasures of the world seeme so sweete vnto them but if euer God effectually call them and they come to the true rellish of them they will say with Naomi the mother of Ruth Call mâ— no more Naomi or beautifull but call mee Mara that is bitter for the Almighty hath giuen me much bitternesse For the greatest pleasures of this world are like the waters of Marah wherof the Israelites Gods people could not drinke for the bitternesse thereof The waters of the sea of the world are like those waters which Saint Iohn saw by vision into which fell a great starre named wormewood and the waters became wormewood and many men died of the waters because they were bitter Let men therefore feare the curse denounced by the Prophet Woe be to them which make sowre sweet and sweet sowre which call euiâ—l good and good euill which make darknesse light and light darknesse For it were easie to shew of all the things in the world as Saint Iohn reckoneth them vp the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life that is the vnlawfull desire of worldly pleasure treasure honor that they be all the bitter waters of the sea of the world And it may bee said of them al as the Wise man saith of the first The lips of a strange woman drop as the hony combe and her mouth is more soft then oyle But the end of her is bitter as wormwood and sharpe as a two edged sword And that wee may see the bitternesse of these waters in this sweet sinne of vncleannesse as the world is not ashamed to call it and thereby to iudge of the rest First Salomon tels vs that it is a punishment in it selfe for such as God is angry withall The mouth saith he of strange women is as a deâ—pe pit He with whom the Lord is angry shall fall therein It is therefore a signe of Gods anger towards vs when he suffereth vs to fall into it Secondly it bringeth men to infamie reproch dishonour He shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproch shall neuer be done away Thirdly it bringeth beggery with it for because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread Fourthly it bringeth filthy and loathsome diseases on a man euen rottennesâ—â— to his bones Fifthly it destroyeth not onely his vnderstanding but his soule also Sixthly it is as a fire that will pursue and follow not onely him but his encrease to â—heir vtter dâ—struction Seuenthly the Apostle maketh it as a punishment of Idolatry to be giuen ouer to these vncleane lusts Let men therefore take heede of these bitter waters and if either they bee afraid of the anger of God or their owne infamie or the wasting of their estates or of the rotting of their bodies or the destroying of their soules oâ— the vndoing of their posterity let them take heed of that which if they looke they may finde hath cost other men so deare and giuen them sharp and bitter sawce to their sweet meate knowing what a poysonfull hooke lyeth vnder that pleasing bait to betray them The same may bee said of the rest of the vices that ouerflow the world as pride couetousnesse intemperance in diet murmuring enuie hatred disobedience to authority they are all the bitter waters of the world The woâ—ld is a sea The sea is bitter Thâ— world is bitter Secondly the sea is inconstant it ebbeth and floweth sometime it is quiet sometimes troubled It followeth the Moone As the Moone changeth so the sea changeth The world is as inconstant altering and changing euery day both in priuate men and in whole states Some borne some die some in health some sicke some rising some falling some in fauour some in disgrace and as Saint Gregory obserued all the actions of our life are but remedia taedij when we are wearie of one thing we seeke for reliefe of the contrary when we are wearie of fasting we eate and being wearie of eating wee fast when wâ—e are wearie of waking we sleepe and being wearie of sleeping we wake In nothing we continue at one stay and as the day succeedes the night and the night the day so variety and contrariety must giue content in all our actions The vse whereof is to teach vs to obserue in the world and our selues liuing in the world the mutability and change of all things vnder the Sunne God only being vnchangeable The Angels in heauen and man in Paradise were subiect to change as they found by miserable experience In God onely is no change nor shadâ—w of change but the world passeth and the concupiscâ—nce thereâ—f As the sea therefore is inconstant so is the world inconstant Thirdly the sea is full of dangers sometime by contrary wiâ—ds sometime by Pyrats sometime by entising mermaids and syrens sometime by rockes somtime by quick-sands and many other waies The world is a sea of dangers yea hath more dangers theÌ„ the sea 1. It hath such coÌ„trary windes that Christs ship his Church is faine with Saint Pauls ship to cast ancor lest it bee driuen backe in her course to heauen 2. It is ful of pyâ—ats that watch their opportunitie to take and make prize of the rich commodities wherewith she is laden to rob and spoile her of that most precious faith which is much more precious then gold that perisheth yea to depriue her of those
house of this their tabernacle is dissolued they haue an euerlasting habitation in the heauens and therefore like to sea-men they vse the world as sea-men vse the sea as a way or place of passage to goe through neuer more ioyfull then when their voyage is ended by death and they brought into their right port or hauen that they may leaue their ship the Church Militant and goe ashore into the land of the liuing the Church Triumphant in heauen To conclude this point and not to passe it any further in the things wherein the sea is a true resemblance of the world as the vastnesse both of the one and of the other and that the sea casteth vp her dead vnto the shoare and so the world casteth vp those that are dead vnto it as the filth of the world aâ—d the off-scowring of all things to make them a gasing stock vnto the world to the Angels and to men and such like things wherein the sea and the world are alike We see that as the sea is bitter inconstant full of dangers full of monsters full of deuouring fishes and no place to settle and abide in so likewise is the world in all these respects to teach all men so to vse the world as sea-men vse the sea who in respect of the conditions and dangers before spoken of doe continually stand vpon their guard and watch day and night and specially in the night lest they should be suddenly ouertaken It is fit for all Christians to be as carefull and rather more for their soules then for their bodies the losse being much greater if they should miscary for what shall it profit a man to winne all the world and to lose his soule or what shall he giue for a recompence for his soule And the danger greater wherefore Christ chargeth vs Feare not them that can kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but feare him which is able to destroy both soule and boâ—y in hell And wee hauing so many commandements and charges in these regards to Watch and pray lest we fall iâ—to tentation to be sober and watch because the diuell goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour Let not the children of the world be wiser in their generation then we But though we bee vpon the land yet let vs thinke our selues to be at sea seeing this world is to vs as a sea and let them that are at sea compare the world and the sea together and bee as carefull and watchfull to preuent the dangers of the world as the dangers of the other sea or else there will be small comfort in making neuer so speedy prosperous and gainefull a voyage when their bodies shall returne safe home and their soules be drowned by the way in the gulfe of the worlds pleasures And thus wee see the sea is an image of the world Secondly the ship is an image of the true Church of Christ Militant here on earth So speakes Saint Chrysostome vpon this place It is not to be doubted saith he but this ship was a figure of the Church according to which exposition the holy Ghost speaketh by Salomon She is like a ship of Merchants which fetcheth her goods from farre that is the Church which the Apostles sayling in and the Lord guiding it the Spirit of God blowing on them with a fresh gale doth runne through the sea of the world by the preaching of the Gospell carrying in it the rich and inestimable iâ—well of Christs bloud the price paid by him for the redemption of all mankind In which words of Saint Chrysostome agreeing with the current of all writers we obserue another honour of Nauigation for as we account it a great honour to the holy estate of matrimony that Christ in the coniunction of the man and the woman would mystically signifie and represent the spirituall marriage and vnion betwixt himselfe and his Church so may we not idly ouerpasse the honour done here to Nauigation that our Sauiour did make the ship here as hee did Noahs Arke before a figure of his Church by which all Christians might learne of trauellers by sea how to passe through the sea of the world And certainely a ship may be the true resemblance of the Church of Christ in many respects First in the building a ship must be made in the keele toward the water and the earth very close and tight but is open aloft in the vpper part toward heauen so the Church of Christ is close and shut vp toward the world the sea but open vpwards towards God for our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly in the forme a ship is made a Head and a Sterne that is before and behind very narrow but in the middle it is broad so the Church of Christ in the beginning was very narrow kept within the limits of Iudaea and in the middle when Christ came it spread abroad by the Ministery of the Apostles and their successours but in the end of the world it shall againe bee narrow for Thinke you when the Sonne of man comes that hee shall find faith in the earth Thirdly a ship that intends to make a long voyage must not onely be built but well furnisht and prouided of many necessaries she must haue her Ballast her Mast her Rigging her Sayles her Victualing her Ordinance her Lading and that neither too light nor too heauy and of such Merchandize as will best vent in the place whether she is to trade she must haue her Helme to bee guided by and her Compasse whereby to steere a right course and she must haue skilfull Commanders and seuerall Officers and painefull Saylers she must haue a Wind to carry her along and instruments to take the height of the Sunne and the Starres whereby she may be sure to steere a good course And lastly she must be prouided of an Anchor both in time of danger and being arriued in the Port or Hauen But if I should prosecute this comparison in all things belonging to a ship it would require a whole volume of it selfe and I must confesse that I am out of my element and that this taske would require the helpe and art of a skilfull Nauigator It shall suffice according to these short obseruations that the ballast of Christs ship is the feaâ—e of God to keepe it vpright That her Mast is the Crosse of Chrisâ— That her Sayles are the Faith of Christians That her Rigging consists in applâ—cation of the examples of the Saints that haue gone before vs That her victualing is the Flesh and bloud of Christ which will neuer perish buâ—â—ndure to life euerlastiâ—g That her Ordinance are the threâ—tnings of Gods Law thundring out death to all malefactors That her Lading is Good workes according to which euery man shall make his voyage That Sin is
thou Lord hadst not been on our sides when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule Praised be the Lord which hath not giuen vs ouer as a prey vnto their teeth Our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken we are deliuered Let vs not therfore forget to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing vnto thee the true God y◠hast deliuered vs frō the hands of our enemies let the holy examples of thy seruants Moses and Miriam and Baruch Deborah and the Prophet Dauid in their Psalms of thanksgiuing for their victories and deliuerance from their enemies incite and prouoke vs to praise thy name as long as wee liue yea as long as we haue any being Thou hast giuen vs the shield of thy saluation and thy right hand hath staid vs and thy louing kindnesse hath caused vs to encrease For thou hast girded vs with strength to battell Them that rose against vs thou hast subdued vnder vs. Let the Lord liue and blessed be our strength and the God of our saluation be exalted It is God that giueth vs power to auenge vs and subdueth the people vnto vs O our deliuerer from our enemies euen thou hast set vs vp from them that rose against vs thou hast deliuered vs from the cruell men Therefore will we praise thee O Lord among the nations and will sing vnto thy name We will alwaies giue thankes vnto thee and thy praise shall be in our mouth continually and our tongues shall vtter thy righteousnesse and thy praise euery day Thou hast put into our mouthes a new song of praise vnto thee our God Many shall see and feare and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proud and such as turne aside to lies O Lord our God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towards vs. Wee would declare and speake of them but they are more then we are able to expresse Thou makest war to cease vnto the ends of the world thou breakest the bow and cuttest the speare and burnest the chariots in the fire Let vs therefore be still and know that thou art God and wilt be exalted among the Heathen and wilt bee exalted in the earth Thou Lord of hosts art with vs thou God of Iacob art our refuge Let vs therefore reioyce and be glad in thee and tell and sing of thy greatnesse Thy name shall bee for euer thy name shall endure as long as the Sunne All Nations shall blesse thee and bee blessed in thee Blessed be the Lord God euen the God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious name for euer and let all the earth be filled with his glory Amen Amen A Prayer in the time of Famine and Dearth O Lord our God thou hast broken the staffe of our bread and taken away the strength therof wherby it should nourish vs we eat our bread by waight and with care and drinke our water by measure with astonishment because our bread and water faile we are astonied one with another But thou hast taught vs that Man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of thy mouth We know therefore that howsoeuer thou hast appointed bread and meat and drinke as the ordinary means to maintaine life yet it is thy blessing vpon those meanes whereby we are preserued and as it is easie with thee to turne penurie and scarcity into plenty and abundance beyond the expectation of men so thou canst giue a blessing to a little meale in a bartell and a little oyle in a cruse to continue and not wast till thy seruants are relieued And though thou hast threatned the iudgement of Famine as a punishment to wicked men yet wee know that thy dearest children the holy Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob haue all of them been tried thereby and yet after been relieued by thee And seeing the Scripture teacheth vs that thy eye O Lord is vpon them that feare thee and that trust in thy mercy To deliuer their soules from death and preserue them from famine And that our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath not onely charged vs not to cark and care for our selues as the Heathen What wee shall eate or drink but to depend vpon thy prouidence which feedest the fowles of the aire and knowest that wee haue need of these things but also hath promised that they that seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse shall haue all these things ministred vnto them Teach vs to relie vpon thy prouidence O Lord and to know that when all outward meanes faile vs yet thou art still the same God faithfull in thy promises and thy mercies cannot faile Thou canst suddenly by meanes vnknowne to vs supply our wants thou canst make a little stretch farre and canst proportion our appetites to our store Giue vs grace therefore to make vse of this crosse when we see the great care taken for our prouision before we vndertook the voyage cannot helpe vs that it may cause vs both to waite thy leisure and expect supply in thy good time and submit our selues vnto thee without murmuring grudging or repining at thee and without mutining or falling out among our selues And if it please thee to supply our necessities grant that we may thankfully acknowledge thy mercies therein and keepe our selues in so sober a diet that we may both auoide the sins of surfetting and drunkennesse and may specially be stirred vp to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and the spirituall meate and drinke of our soules which shall endure vnto euerlasting life which now and euer we desire to be so carefull of that howsoeuer it please thee to dispose of our bodies the food belonging vnto them we may know that meate was made for the belly and the belly for meate but thou shalt destroy them both but this bread of life and water of life shall last and neuer faile vs but euen in death bring vs to euerlasting life purchased for vs by the death of thy Sonne Iesus Christ in whose name and words we craue the supply of all our wants in that forme which hee hath prescribed saying Our Father which art c. A Prayer being arriued at a Port among Infidels O Lord it is thy goodnesse and mercie that hath brought vs safe through the many dangers of Sea vnto this place where we are to enter yet into more dangers being to trade and conuerse with
rebuked the winds and the sea 3. The worke There followed a great calme Fourthly the successe in the beholders in 2. things 1. What they did The men wondred 2. What they said What man is this that both winds and sea obey him The second generall part is the mysterie For by the iudgement of the Fathers 1. The sea is an image of the world 2. The ship is an image of the true Church of Christ militant 3. The tempest an image of the rage and furie of heretickes schismatickes and persecuting tyrants against the Church 4. Christ his sleeping is an image of his death 5. His arising is an image of his resurrection 6. The Calme that followed is an image not onely of that peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost which the Church receiueth as the benefits of his resurrection in this life but also of that eternall rest and happinesse which they receiue thereby in the life to come Before I come to the handling of the particulars the whole history doth deliuer vnto vs the truth of a generall doctrine concerning a chiefe Article of our Christian faith of the coniunction of the two Natures the Humane and the Deuine in one person Christ to make him a compleate and absolute Mediatour and Sauiour of mankind In that he entred into a ship vsed it as a meanes to crosse the sea his ship was subiect to the violence of the tempest and himselfe so sound a sleepe all these shewed him to be perfect man and in that by his owne onely word rebuking the Windes and the Sea there presently followed a Calme this shewed him to be perfect God Which point of doctrine is the summe and ground of the whole Gospell which doth so set forth Christ vnto vs that by it wee may firmely beleeue that the Word was made Flesh that When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Law That he might redeeme them that were vnder the Law that wee might receiue the adoptioÌ„ of sons And without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlines God manifested in the flesh To this end the Euangelists in the whole historie of his life death doe purposely intermingle such things as may shew the truth of both these Natures in one person As He was conceiued and so he was man but he was conceiued of the holy Ghost as no other man was and therfore God He was borne and so he was man but He was borne of a Virgin as no other man was and therefore God He was hungry which shewed him to be Man but he fed 5000 with fiue barly loaues and two fishes yet there remained of the broken meat twelue baskets full which proued him to be God He was thirsty which shewed him to be man but he had the water of life to giue of which whosoeuer dranke should neuer thirst and therefore he was God He was weary and so a man but he had ease to giue to all that were laden and so he was God He was Dauids sonne and so a man but he was Dauids Lord as he was God He died as he was a man but he raised himselfe from death by the power of his Godhead At his birth he was laid in a craâ—ch as a man but a starre in the heauen shewes him to be God At his death though â—e suffered on the crosse as a man yet he made a deâ—d of Paradâ—se as he was God No maruell therefore if the Apostle call it a great mysterie for The Ancient â—f daiâ—s to be borne in time for him by whom all things were created to become himselfe a creature for him whom the Heauens could not containe to bee contained in the wombe of a Virgin for him that was equall with God the Father to take vpon him the forme of a seruant to bee made like vnto men and to bee found in the shape of man yea to bee tempted in like sort as we yet without sinne This mysterie it pleased God from the begiâ—ning of the world to keepe hid in himselfe And as it was beyond the compasse of the diuels knowledge though he knew much for he would neuer haue endeuoured the fall of man if he had vnderstood the redemption of mankind by Christ to a more happy estate so it was not fully reuealed to the elect Angels no not to the chiefest of them the Principalities and Powers vntill his manifestation in the flesh when they were made the first Preachers of it And though it were in part reuealed to the Fathers in the old Testament both by the word of promise to Adam presently after his fall and after to Abraham and to Dauid as also by many types and shadowes and lastly by Euangelicall prophecies that a Virgin should conceiue and beare a sonne and they should call his name Emmanuel that is God with vs. Yet was this reuelation made but darkely and they saw and bâ—lâ—eued in Christ a farre off so that we say with the Apostle to our comfort At sundâ—ie times and in diuers mâ—nners God spake in the old time to our Fathers by the Prophets In these last daies he hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonâ—e c. Hence it comes that the diuell hath euer since laboured to stirre vp diuelish minded men to oppugne this maine article of our faith so that all heresies are reduced either to those that denie the truth of his Diuinitie or of his Humanitie or of the coniunction of both those Natures in one person to be our onely true Mediatour Some of these heretickes granted him to be God but not before hee was borne of the Virgin Marie who were confuted by that of the Euangelist In the beginning was the Word and that Word was with God and that Word was God and for confutation of them was that clause added in the Nicen Creede Begoâ—tâ—n of the Father before all worlds Some affirmed him to bee the same person with God the Father who were confuted by his owne speech There is anothâ—r that bâ—arâ—th wâ—nes of me Some thought him to be a kind of God but not of the same substance with the Father who are likewise confuted by himselfe where he saith I and my Father are one Some acknowledged the Father and him to bee of one substance but yet that there was no equalitie betweene them who were confuted by that of the Apostle He â—hought it no robberie to be equall with God These were the maine Heresies touching his Godhead Some againe denied him to be man who are confuted by that of the Apostle There is one Mediatour betweene God and man the Man Christ Iesus Some thought and taught that he had no true but a phantasticall body who are confuted by himselfe saying Behold my hands and my feete handle