seruants the prophets rising vp early and sending them saying Returne now euery man from his euill way and amend your workes c. but you would not obey mâ— Now if the obedience of the Rechabites to their father should be so great an argument to moue the Iewes to obedience vnto God how much more may the example of these rough seas and stormy tempests being calmed at the word of our Sauiour Christ only be a greater means if we truly meditate vpon it both to coÌ„sider how many words of his in the mouthes and writings of his Ministers haue bin in vaine vnto vs in former times and to put vs in mind of our duty of obedience that we be not worse then other creatures which are ready to obey and doe his will as it appeareth in this place And surely the word of God which is so powerfull in other creatures should be of as great command in man for the Apostle tels vs that the word of God is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and of the intents of the heart And this word will produce a worke for so saith the Prophet in the person of God Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud and that it may giue seede to the sower aâ—d bread vnto him that eateth So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it It is true that if we examine the working of this word in men it hath not many times that successe to be the power of God vnto saluation and the sauour of life vnto life but if it faile of that it is the sauour of death vnto death vnto them that perish for the earth saith the Apostle which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth herbes meete for them by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing of God but that which beareth thornes and briers is reproued and is neere vnto cursing whose end is to be burned And to apply this vnto the text the Prophet telles vs That the wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters casâ— vp myre and dirt There is no peace saith my God vnto the wicked That is they are continually troubled with stormes and tempests for their exorbitant passions and affections bee as violent and contrary winds distracting them on the one side to wanton lust and on the other to hatred and malice sometime feeding them with vaine hopes and sometimes renting and tearing them with desperate feares So that these and all other passions of the mind are fitly termed perturbations that corrupt the iudgement and seduce the will causing wicked men neuer to be at rest and quiet And the chiefe end of the word of God preached or read is to quiet and calme these tempests of the soule to moderate the violence of these furious passions and perturbations of the mind The vse whereof to all men but specially to Sea-men when they see stormes and tempests and their ship in danger is to consider their soules and the spirituall danger they are in by these outragious winds that sometime their ship or heart is driuen a shoare and sticks fast in the mire and dirt of lust and vncleannes which I heare hath been the wracke of many a poore soule in his trauels and sometime they are driuen into the gulfe of intemperance whereby they are swallowed vp quicke for want of calming that passion of their greedy appetite and desire sometime they are driuen vpon the rocke of desperate profanenesse swearing and cursing and blaspheming God vntil the ship of their soule be quasht in pieces and sometime on the sands of selfe-loue and selfe-conceit which passions and all other so long as they be inordinate doth driue their ship dangerously they know not whether Saint Augustine writing vpon that in the Psalme He would make haste for my deliuerance from the stormy wind and tempest sheweth both the cause and the remedie of all such tempests arising in thy heart and mind Forte nauis tua ideo turbatur quia Christus in te dormit c. Happily saith he thy ship is troubled because Christ is asleepe in thee The ship in which Christ sailed with his Disciples was sore troubled and in danger but the reason waâ— Christ was asleepe when his Disciples awaked him â—e rebuked the winds and the sea and there followed a Calme Thy heart and mind are therefore perhaps worthily troubled because Christ in whom thou hast â—eleeued â—s not awake in thee thou sufferest many perturbations because thou hast forgotten Christ his Passion and suffering for thee Recouer thy faith in him call vpon him awake him and â—e will arise and rebuke the storme and giue thee a Calme The cause then of all thy tempests in thy soule is that thou sufferest Christ to sleepe in thee the remedy against them is to awake him and call vpon him for helpe and deliuerance Doth the tentation to lust and vncleannesse seaze vpon thee as a tempest say vnto thy soule I am a Christian and haue giuen my name to Christ and am a member of his Mysticall body Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Thus doe thou rouze vp Christ by thy spirituall meditation the storme will blow ouer and a Calme follow And as in this so in all other tentations if thou repaire to Christ his word will be as powerfull to giue thee peace and quiet as it was here to appease the fury of the windes and waues Thus much shall suffice of the third generall part of the historie to wit the miracle The fourth and last followeth concerning the successe of it in the beholders consisting in two things First They maruelled Secondly They acknowledged What man is this that both the Windes and Sea obey him For the first we neede not stand long with interpreters vpon this place to enquire who they are that are that are here said to maruell and wonder Our Euangelist calleth them the men and Saint Marke and Saint Luke they among themselues and seeing Saint Marke saith There were also with him other little ships It is plaine that both the Disciples and all the rest that were the beholders marueled for the Disciples as was shewed before were yet but young beginners raw fresh water souldiers and are reproued before for their little faith and therefore they as well as the rest could not chuse but wonder The Prophet Esay speaking of the birth of Christ saith that they shall call his name
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
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
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