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
the sea great and wide for therein are things creeping innumerable both small beasts and great There goe the ships yea that Leuiathan which thou hast made to play therein All these waite vpon thee that thou maist giue them meate in due season Thou giuest it to them and they gather it thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good things But if thou hide thy face they are troubled if thou take away their breath they die Againe if thou send forth thy Spirit they are created and thou renuest the face of the earth The floods haue lifted vp O Lord the floods haue lifted vp their voice the floods haue lift vp their waues the waues of the sea are maruellous through the noise of many waters yet thou Lord on high art more mighty We haue seene thy workes in the sea and thy wonders in the deepe For thou didst command and raise the stormie winde and liftedst vp the waues thereof Our ship hath mounted vp toward heauen and descended againe to the deepe so that our soule melted for trouble We were tossed to and fro and staggered like drunken men and all our cunning was gone Then wee cried to thee in our trouble and thou deliueredst vs out of our distresse Thou hast turned the storme into a calme so that the waues thereof are still Thou rulest the raging of the sea when as the waues thereof arise thou stillest them Thou hast according to thy promise brought vs againe from the depth of the sea Thou appeasest the noise of the seas and the noise of the waues thereof Let heauen and earth praise thee therefore the sea and all that moueth therein Let vs reioyce from the sea yea let vs depend vpon thy might and mercy in thy time to bring vs to the hauen where wee would be Let vs confesse before thee thy louing kindnesse and thy wonderfull works before the sonnes of men Open our lips O Lord that our mouthes may speake thy praise which breakest the sea whē the waues therof rore thy name is the Lord of hosts Whatsoeuer it pleased thee thou hast done in heauen and in earth and in the sea and in all the depths Let our mouthes therefore bee filled with praise and with thy glory euery day Let thy praise be in our mouthes continually and Let vs sing vnto thee a new song and thy praise from the end of the earth Let vs neuer forget thy mercies and louing kindnesse to vs miserable sinners but seeing wee haue nothing else to render vnto thee for all thy benefits accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing and teach vs euermore to ascribe and giue vnto thee O Father with thy Son and the holy Ghost all honour glory power might and maiesty from this time forth and for euer Amen A Prayer before a Fight at Sea O Lord God of Hostes thou art the God of peace and the God of war we confesse that without thee we can haue no true peace nor make any iust war Grant vs therefore first to be at peace with thee and at peace with our owne consciences that so we may vndertake in thy name the fight now intended against thine and our enemies O Lord we acknowledge that our sins haue separated betweene thee and vs and that in respect of our iniquities thou maist iustly make our enemies thy rod and scourge to correct vs yea euen as a fire to consume and deuoure vs. Thou hast many times suffered thine owne people when they haue sinned against thee with an high hand and not humbled themselues before thee but trusted to their owne strength to become a prey vnto wicked and vngodly men that haue risen vp against them But Lord we confesse our manifold sinnes and that thereby wee haue iustly deserued thy iudgements wee repent vs of our former liues and resolue by thy gratious assistance to liue and die in thy feare and faith And now Lord Loe thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee haue lift vp their head They haue taken counsell against thy people and consulted against thy secret ones They haue said Come and let vs cut them off from being a people and let the name of Israel be no more in remembrance Looke downe therfore O Lord from heauen and behold their wicked imaginations against vs. Confound their malicious and mischieuous policies giue vs courage and true Christian resolution to withstand the rage and fury of these idolaters and fight for vs as thou art wont to doe for thy children Teach our hands to warre and our fingers to fight Let thy power and might in thy mercifull preseruation of vs be knowne among the Heathen that they may confesse Doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the world Let not these wicked men triumph ouer vs neither deliuer vs as a prey vnto their teeth It is thy mercy O Lord that bath affoorded vs many excellent prouisions of warlike meanes to defend our selues and to make them if thou please to giue a blessing to fall into the same pit which they haue digged for vs. But our trust is not in these secondary meanes but in thy mercies Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses but wee will trust in thy name A horse is a vaine thing to saue a man and so are all other meanes without thee Let the right of our cause fighting for thee against thine and our enemies put such life and spirit and courage into vs that wee may bee resolued to liue and die thy seruants and let vs so rely vpon thy protection that wee neglect no meanes which thou hast giuen vs for our preseruation but may manfully in our greatest extremities shew our Christian resolutions not to feare bodily death which is euery day before our eies being assured of euerlasting life hereafter purchased by the death and passion of thy Son Iesus Christ So we thy people and sheepe of thy pasture shal learne daily to praise and glorifie thy holy name for all thy mercies which wee receiue at thy hands here in this life and publish them in the great Congregation if thou giue vs safe returne into our natiue Country yea wee shall declare them vnto the ages to come and desire in all places to acknowledge that greatnesse and power and glory and victory and praise are thine for euer and euer And thus submitting our selues to thy good will and pleasure and depending vpon thy gracious protection wee commit and commend our soules and bodies and endeuours in this dangerous fight to thy mercy in thy Sonne Iesus Christ praying further vnto thee as hee hath taught vs Our Father which art in heauen c. A Thanksgiuing after Victory O Lord God the strength of our saluation thou hast couered our heads in the day of battell If
will neither goe himsâ—lfe nor suffer his fellow that is coupled with him to goe neither It was fit for them as they were Christians to bee watchful at all times but at that time especially it concerned them to be as wise in their generation as the children of â—his world who if they knâ—w certainly at what houre thâ— theefe would come would surely watch But they though forewarned neither looke to â—ndas who was a â—heefe nor to Satan who was a murtherâ—r fâ—om the bâ—ginning for when they should assist their Master in his greatest agonie they are fast asleepe Alas our Sauiour Christ knew that the danger of this tempest was nothing and although he tooke our nature vpon him that in it he might die yet hee was sure that his houre was not yet come and when it did come he knew what death he should die as hee told Nicodemus As Moses liâ—t vp the serpent in the wâ—ldernesse so must â—he sonne of man be lift vp yea he told his Disciples directly thaâ— he must bee deliuered into the hands of â—he Genâ—iâ—es to mocke and to scouâ—ge and to crucifie him So that though his countrey-men at Nazareth wou'd haue thrownâ— him headâ—oâ—g from a sleepe hill wheron theiâ— towne stood Though the Iewes would haâ—e stoned him Herod would â—â—ue killed him and here he be in a great tempest to all shewes in extremitie of danger yet no maruell if hee sleepe securely knowing that no harme could come to him And here not to enter into any philosophicall discourse concerning the nature and causes and necessity of sleepe it is certaine that as Christ thereby gaue assurance of the truth of his humanity so it was specially for the encreasing of the danger to the greatest height that thereby there might bee a triall of their faith which is much more precious thâ—n gold though tried with the fire and that the Disciples might thereby be drawne more earnestly to call vpon him for helpe and succour for we haue no promise of hauing without asking or opening without our knocking The vse then of this is to all Sea-men in their greatest dangers that as Christ did here animate and encourage his Disciples by these extremities to endure whatsoeuer crosses afâ—erward might fall vpon them So wee must know that Christ doth suffer now alâ—o his best children many times to come in great danger as the Apostle doth report of himselfe Brethren we would not haue you ignorant of our affliction which came vnto vs in Asia how we were pressed out of measure passing strengtâ— so that wee altogeâ—her doubted euen â—f life yea wee reâ—eiued the sentence of death in our selues â—ecause wee should not â—â—uâ—t in ouâ— selâ—es but in God which raiseth â—he deaâ— who deliuered vs from so great a â—eaâ—h and doâ—h â—elâ—ue◠〈◊〉 c. This is the case of all Gods children and howsoeuer wee are apt in our extremities to thinke that God is farre from vs that he doth not see nor know or else would not suffer vs to be in such danger yet let vs comfort our selues with the consideration of this particular that Christ being present with his Disciples in this great storme would yet sleepe as though he regarded it not And certainly as hee was present with them as hee was man so hee is alwaies present with his children as he is God as hee promised Iacob in his vision Behold I am with thee and will keepâ— thee whither soeuer thou goest and wil bring thee backe into this land for I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that which I haue promised thee So also hath hee promised not onely his presence but his assistance to all his children in their greatest necessities as he speaketh in the Psalme Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shal abide in the shadow of the Almighty And the issue therof is set downe in the same Psalme I will bee with him in trouble and I will deliuer him and glorifie him He that sâ—w his Disciples troubled in rowing when the wind was contrary to thâ—m in the fourth watch of the night and came himselfe to helpe them he seeth and knoweth our troubles also and when he seeth time will free vs from them though he seeme to vs to bee asleepe and to haue little care of vs for He that formed the eye shall not he see And though he seeme to vs to stay long before he helpe vs yet he will come quickly and in conuenient time for his mâ—rcy is ouer all his workes And therefore if in shewing his iudgements hee be not slacke of his promise as some men count slacknesse But in comming he will come and will not tary Then much more in his promises of mercy are we patiently to endure and expect the performance knowing that he is faithfull that hath promised The conclusion therefore of this part is that the resolution of all men but especially of Sea-men in extremity of danger must be that of the Prophet Dauid God is our hope and strength and helpe in trâ—â—bles ready to be found Therfore will we not feare though the earth bee 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 Selaâ— And thus much shall suffice for the second generall part The danger of the voyage We come now to the third generall head viz. the miracle wrought by Christ and in it first the occasion therof in the Disciples both in that they did They came and awoke him And in that they said Master saue vs we pâ—rish First they came and it may seeme it was high time to come for they were in great ieopardy The windes whistled loud the sea went high their ship was ful of water both passengers and mariners were all at their wits end Their case seemed desperate as may appeare both by their cry to him and his reproofe of them in the next verse no maruell therefore if they came It is Christs owne precept Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie laden And though the best comming to Christ be spiritually by faith yet while he liued vpon the earth there was also a bodily comming to him commended in the Wise men that came from the East to Ierusalem by the conduct of a star to see and worship him presently after his birth and commanded to the shepheards by the ministery of an Angell and a signe giuen them by which they should finde him And it is noted as a fault in Nicodemus that he came to Christ but he came by night for feare of the Iewes as not daring to â—uouch his comming to him And there is yet an outward comming to Christ required of Christians that although hee be present in all places and at all times as
death it selfe whose sting is now taken awâ—y by Christ but as the fishes are fresh in the salt waters so are wee free from hurt in the greatest perils and as the Apostle saith bee more then conquerors And thus much of Christs reproofe of his Disciples Now followeth the miracle it selfe wherein I obserue these particulars first the time Then secondly the manner He arose Thirdly the meanes He rebuked the winds and thâ— sea Lastly the worke There was a great calme And first for the time we see that howsoeuer our Sauiour Christ hath hitherto carried himselfe like a meere man and lay still as if he neglected the danger wherein both hee and his Disciples were yet now hee will abide no longer it is time and high time that he shew himselfe to be God and giue them deliuerance To teach all men in extremity of danger as to fly to God by praâ—er and depend vpon his helpe so not to set or prescribe him a time but to wait and expect his leisure knowing that as he best vnderstands the most seasonable times so he will not ouerslip one minute when he sees it may most make for his glory and his childrens good Diuines doe impute it for a great fault vnto Ozias and the Bethulians that would limit their expectation of deliuerance at Gods hand to fiue dayes and if they had not helpe by that time then to waite on God no longer but to deliuer their City into the hand of the enemie But certainly Christians as in all their necessities they referre themselues to Gods mercies so likewise they referre the time to him when hee sees best and therfore Christ in the working of his miracles would not be aduised by his mother for when she told him at the marriage in Cana of Galile They haue no wine his answere is Woman what haue I to doe with thee Mine houre is not yet come As if he should haue said Mother I know that thou desirest that I should miraculously supply the want of wine whereof thou speakest and my purpose and meaning is so to doe but I know my time best when to doe it and I wil performe it in his due time and so it may be said of this miracle that till now his houre or or time wherein to doe it was not come but now all things being fitted and brought to an head as we see in diseases many times Vbi desinit medicus incipit Deus that is When the Physitions giue ouer their patients for desperate God will shew his power to cure them So when the Disciples were brought past all hope of life except by way of miracle Then and not till then the text saith He arose which is the second part in the miracle containing the manner Now for this arising of Christ the Prophet Dauid in the person of God may seeme to describe it Now for the oppression of the needy saith hee and for the sighes of the poore I will vp saith the Lord and set at liberty him whom the wicked hath snared And as the Psalmist saith in another place If God arise his enemies shall be scattered they also that hate him shall fly before him As the smoke vanisheth so shalt thou driue them away and as the wax melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God which Psalme Athanasius called flagellum diaboli the scourge of the diuell as if the recitall of it were able to make the diuels in hell quake The Prophet Dauid doth therefore in his greatest crosses and distresses repose his chiâ—fest hope in Gods arising and to that end serue all those short eiaculations as the Fathers call them or piercing prayers O Lord arise helpe me my God and againe Arise O Lord in thy wrath and lift vp thy selfe against the rage of mine enemies and awake for me c. And in another place Vp Lord let no man preuaile And againe Vp Lord disappoint him cast him downe In all which places and the like which are very ordinary in the booke of Psalmes the Prophet doth call vpon God as if he were asleepe and had need to awake and arise Indeed Eliah doth by an holy Ironie mâ—cke the Prophets of Baal with their God It may bee saith he that he sleepeth and must bee awaked But our Prophet tels vs of our God That he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe hee doth not so much as slumber much lesse sleepe but he doth seeme to be many times as carelesse of his Church suffering it to runne into extreame danger as if he were asleepe and to bee awaked and called vp by the supplication of his distressed children But here our Sauiour as wee haue shewed before was truly asleepe as hee was man though hee could not sleepe as he was God and being awakened though hee could haue wrought the miracle and laine still yet to shew his readinesse to doe his Disciples good and his authority ouer the windes and seas He arose Therby both giuing exceeding comfort to the deiected spirits of his Disciples when they see him so yare and ready to bestirre himselfe for their sakes and in shewing himselfe to the windes and the sea not onely as the commander but the creator of them daring as it were the one to blow or the other rage and swell against him any longer and thus he doth shew his power and authority ouer them which will be more fully expressed in the words following containing the meanes of the miracle by his word onely He rebuked the wind and the sea which was the third particular obserued in the miracle In which words wee obserue that Christ doth not in this miracle as in the raising of Lazarus betake himselfe to prayer to his Father nor vse any other meanes whereby to effect it but onely by his bare word commanding these insensible creatures to be quiet and Saint Marke sets downe his words Peace and be still So that herein he shewes and proues himselfe to be God according to that of the Prophet Dauid Whatsoeuer pleased the Lord that did he in heauen and in earth in the sea and in all the depths And againe Thou rulest the raging of the sea when the waues thereof arise thou stillest them And in another place The waues of the sea are marâ—ellous through the noyse of many waters yet the Lord on high is more mighty From which places and other such like I gather that the sea especially being troubled by winds and stormes is an vnruly creature not to be controlled or kept vnder but by God onely It is true that Moses by stretching out his hand on the red sea diuidâ—d the waters but the text telleth vs in the same place that Moses did it not by his owne power For the Lord caused the sea to run backe by a strong East wind all the night and made the sea dry land
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
endeuour to reduce so many of them as wee can possibly to the embracing of the same Christian faith which we professe and to that end may bee earnest with thee by our deuout prayers to giue a blessing to our endeuours by enlightning their vnderstandings and opening their hearts and inflaming their affections and desires that so thy name may be more and more knowne vpon earth and thy sauing health among all Nations And lastly O Lord we entreate thee that leauing Christendome wee may hold fast our Christian faith that we bee not Apostataes and back-sliders to make shipwrack of faith and of a good conscience but may hold the profession of our hope without waâ—ering from the beginning to the end of this voiage And thus commending our selues to thy holy protection we beg these things at thy hands and whatsoeuer else thou knowest to bee necessary or fit for vs in thy Son Iesus Christ his name and in that forme which he himselfe hath taught vs in his Gospell saying Our Father c. A Prayer for the conscionable warranting of Nauigators to vndertake long Voyages by Sea WE do not presume most gracious God and louing Father in thy Sonne Iesus Christ to aduenture vpon the great dangers which we make account to haue continually before our eyes in our trauels by Sea trusting either in our owne skill or in the meanes prepared and prouided for vs to saue vs from those dangers but in thy blessings which thou hast graciouslie promised vpon our lawfull labours and endeuours in our honest callings and professions For howsoeuer by our callings wee are drawne to leade a great part of our liues in another element then other men ordinarily doe yet seeing that element is nothing inferiour to the earth which was chiefely made subiect to thy curse for mans sinne so that though once thou didst by this element for the sinne of man drowne all the world except eight persons saued in the Arke yet thou then promisedst neuer to destroy it so againe and to that end didst set thy Raine-bow in the cloud to assure men thereof And seeing thou hast made this Element the matter of the Sacrament of Baptisme And thy Sonne Iesus Christ by vndertaking this Sacrament in this Element hath sanctified all waters vsed in this Sacrament to signifie the mysticall washing away of sinne seeing it hâ—th pleâ—sâ—d thee to reueale more in this latter age of the world concerning this art of Nauigation then to our forefathers and dost daily bring to light more certaine meanes to giue men further knowledge and experience therein seeing by thy blessing vpon Nauigation and Nauigators the greatest dangers and difficulties in the world are runne thorow and ouercome and our little Iland of England where thy Gospell is truly preached and thy name called vpon is made famous to the remotest partes of the world Seeing the knowledge of the Mathematicall sciences which for their certentie standing vpon demonstrations and for their excellency making obseruations of the heauens and celestiall bodies and their motions and influences haue the precedence before other humane learning is by this art daily more and more encreased Seeing thou thy selfe O Lord God wast the first author of this Art instructing thy seruant Noah to build an Arke for the sauing of himselfe his famely and the rest of the creatures from the waters of the great Flood Seeing thou dost daily in our trauels by sea affoord vs more meanes and helpes to deuout and heauenly meditations then to other ordinary men Seeing that by this Art which we professe and practise the commerce and trade betwixt Nation and Nation is preserued and maintained and the knowledge of thy sauing truth carried into those parts of the earth which formerly haue not knowne thee And seeing the sea through which we passe is an image of the world and the ship in which wee â—aile is an image of thy Church and the whole course of our life at sea may teach vs spiritually how to behaue our selues in thy â—eruice Lastly seeing thy Sonne our Sauiour while he liued vpon the earth did vouchsafe not only to approue and allow our profession but to honour it in his owne person by entring into a ship and therein working a great miracle at sea and thereby giue certaine â—estimony and assurance of his Diuinity and God-head Grant that we may no way in this our intended voyage dishonour this our profession which thou hast so many waies graced but may acknowledge thee to be the God of the sea as well as of the land and may depend and relie vpon thy protection and defence at all times and in all places that the beholding of the waters may put vs in minde of the solemne vow and promise and profession which was vndertaken for vs by our Sureties in this element at our first admission into thy visible Church when we receiued the Sacrament of baptisme that by thy blessing wee may daily increase in the knowledge of those things that belong vnto our profession and chearefully run â—hrough the difficulties and dangers of our voyage and may raise spirituall comforts to our hearts from all blessings and crosses that may befall vs and aboue al that we may be sure to take thy Sonne our Sauiour Christ along with vs in our ship and whole fleete and haue him alwaies present with vs not onely as he is generally as God present in all places but as he hath specially promised his mercifull and helping presence where two or three are gathered together in his name that we may not suffer him to sleepe in vs but by our deuout prayers so awake him that we may so begin continue and end this our now intended voyage that withall our soules may continually be sayling to our true port and hauen which is heauen Grant vs these things O mercifull Father and whatsoeuer else is necessary for vs in our whole voyage not for any merits of ours but for thy Sonne Iesus Christ his sake in whose name we call vpon thee further as hee hath taught vs in his Gospell saying Our Faâ—her c. A Morning Prayer WEE giue thee humble and hearty thankes most mercifull Father in thy Sonne Iesus Christ for thy gracious preseruation of vs this night passed from all the perils and dangers whereunto we were subiect giuing vs quiet rest and sleepe for the refreshing of our bodies before wearied and bringing vs to the comfortable ioy of the light of this day wee beseech thee that the beholding of this corporall light which was the first of thy creatures and which before rested in thy selfe and wherein thou seemedst to take such delight that thou didst adde to the light created the first day those excellent celestiall bodyes of the Sunne and Moone and Starres the fourth day may cause vs to lift vp our hearts spiritually to discearne thee that art light and in whom is no darkenesse that not onely doest as the light disperse the beames of
â—o â—â—ie Abba Father But the formes of prayer by me set downe as they are intended for their helpe that for want of knowledge vnderstand not how to pray or in the time of feare be so distracted and astonished that they cannot vtter their mindes but confusedly and out of order so the best men may make good vse of the most of the Prayers being meditations gathered out of the booke of Psalmes to reade ouer that booke againe and againe and gather from thence such profitable meditations as may fitly be applied for comforts vpon all occasions My request to God for you all is that you may finde as great comfort in the reading and hearing of these meditations as I haue done in the writing of them And my request to you is that both before your Voyages while yee may enioy the ordinarie preaching of the Word you labour thereby to season your hearts with grace that yee doe not like Epicures say Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die and that hauing finished your Voyage you neither forgèt Gods merciful preseruation of you whilest you haue seene many of your fellowes perish before your faces nor your promâ—ses and vowes made to God in your greatest extremitieâ— So shall ye be sure to make a good voyage which I heartily desire for you at Gods hands and so commending you to his sacred prâ—tection I rest Your true Remembrancer vnto God IOHN WOOD. HOLY MEDITATIONS FOR SEA-MEN It is written MATTH 8.23 And when he was entred into the ship his Disciples followed him And behold there arose a great tempest in the sea so that the ship was couered with waues but he was asleepe Then his Disciples came and awoke him saying Master saue vs we perish And hee said vnto them Why are you fearful O ye of little faith Then he arose and rebuked the windes and the sea and so there was a great calme And the men maruelled saying What man is this that both the windes and the sea obey him IT hath euer bin the vse and custome of Gods best Saints and dearest children in their holiest meditations either of his creatures or of their owne or others actions to lift vp their mindes aboue their senses and to make spiâ—ituall vse to their soules of whatsoeuer they did see heare reade or doe The heauens saith the sweet singer of Israel declare the glory of God and the firmament shew forth his handie workes And in another place When I behold thine heauens euen the workes of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained What is man say I that thou art so mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him And this was the reason that the Prophets and Apostles and especially our Sauiour Christ himselfe taught the people so much by way of parable that the sight of a little child nay of the Oxe and the Asse nay of the Storke the Crane the Turâ—le the Swallow yea euen of the little Ant or Emmet may affoord vs holy and heauenly meditations and teach vs Christian and religious duties that the plowman breaking vp his ground may be put in minde of the necessity of repentance thereby to breake vp the fallownesse and hardnesse of his heart that the husbandman throwing his seed vpon the ground may therein consider the nature of the word of God the necessity and vtilitie thereof and the chiefe reason why many times it taketh no better effect that the beholding of tares and weedes in the field should instruct him of the state and condition of Gods kingdome in his Church militant that the Merchant searching diligently for pearles and precious stones and paying dearely for them should remember a more precious pearle to wit to haue Christ become his and be content to sell all he hath to get possession of him that a poore woman sowing a graine of mustard seede or laying her leauen may be taught therein the nature of the kingdome of heauen Master Bradford an holy Martyr in the bloody daies of Queene Mary hath left behind him many comfortable meditations for the particular actions of the whole day from the time of our awaking in the morning to our lying downe to rest at night There is a spirituall awakeing and a spirituall light more to be desired then the corporall There is spirituall arising from sin and clothing of our selues in our Sauiour Christ. There is spirituall talking to edification and a spirituall walking in loue There is spirituall meate and spirituall drinke to be laboured for and there are spirituall workes that were ordained for vs to doe our sleepe which we nightly deâ—ire should put vs in mind of our death and our beds of our graues and the rest we desire for our bodies of eternall rest But all these may seeme to bee meditations for men on land Indeed theyâ— bee such as belong both to land and sea â—nd the sea-trauelleâ— hath heere the aduantage that they haue many holy meditations proper to themselues They that goe downe to the sea in ships and occupiely the great waters They see the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe And of such sea-meditations fit for sea-men I purpose to discourse Wherein if any shall taxe me as Hannibal the great Captaine did Phormio the Philosopher for reading a lecture of martiall discipline before him my selfe neuer hauing passed the seas and yet writing these things for their sakes and vse that are the greatest trauellers in the world My answere is that I onely purpose to relate the obseruations of the ancient Fathers and such as doe arise from the sea-voyage of our Sauiour Christ before propounded that accordingly all trauellers by sea especially may raise vnto themselues spiritual meditations from the seuerall occurrences that at any time they shall meet withall In the Text I obserue these two things The history The mysterie The history hath these foure parts First a sea voyage of our Sauiour Christ and his Disciples wherein 1. For our Sauiour Christ He entred into a ship 2. For his Disciples His Disciples followed him Secondly the danger of the voyage consisting in two things 1. A tempest arising wherein is to be obserued 1. A note of admiration or attention Behold 2. Secondly the nature of it in the name A Tempest 3. Thirdly the measure of it Great 4. Fourthly the place In the Sea 5. The effect it wrought The ship was couered with waues 2. In Christs being asleepe But he was asleepe Thirdly the miracle and in it two things 1. The occasion in the Disciples wherein I note 1. What they did viz. 1. They came to him 2. They awoke him 2. What they said Master saue vs we perish 2. The miracle it selfe wrought by Christ and in it 1. A preparation in a reproofe of his Disciples Why are ye fearfull O ye of little faith 2. The meanes 1. He arose 2. He
and â—he forme or manner the length the breadth the heighth the cabbins the window and the seuerall decks Seeing therefore Nauigation hath so honourable an author of such antiquitie it may not be despised but highly esteemed Sixthly true religion is the best marke of true honour as may appeare in that noble title giuen by the holy Ghost to the faithfull of Berea And wee see that God himselfe hath passed his promise Those that honour me I will honour This then is the sixth part of the honour of Nauigators that they haue the best meanes to bee truly religious and sincere Christians without hypocrisie For howsoeuer it is true that the ordinary meanes to beget faith is the word preached ordinarily which many of these Nauigators doe want yet God be thanked there is care had in those Fleets that are sent into the East Indies for the furnishing of them with honest Ministers to supply that want so farre as conueniently may be And as I am perswaded that Gods blessings haue been the more multiplied vpon the Merchants aduenturers for their Christian and religious care in this point So I hope that the sense and feeling of those blessings from God will cause them not only to continue still but to encrease daily in that holy care But howsoeuer the thing I aime to shew is that the men that are sent to those parts especially the Commanders being men of wit and vnderstanding and hauing such helpes and meanes as I know they haue not onely of the Bible which is the chiefe and principall but of the best bookes that are now written in our owne language to helpe daily to encrease their knowledge as they cannot in perusing the great booke of nature the fabrick of the world by God but breake out into that holy admiration with the kingly Prophet O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches So is the sea great and wide therein are things creeping innumerable both small beasts and great There go the ships yea that great Leâ—iathan whom thou hast made to play therein All thâ—se waite vpon thee that thou mâ—yâ—st giue them foodâ— in due season And liuing in that element from whence all riuers come and returne into it againe and yet cannot fill it how can they but meditate of him Thaâ— gaue his decree to the sea that the waters should not passe his commande ment when hee appointed the foundations of the earth That shut vp the sea wâ—th doores when it issued and came forth as out of the wombe That made the clouds as a couering thereof and darknesse as the swadling bands thereof That stablished his commandement vpon it and set barres and doores And said Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall it stay thy proud waues And if these considerations worke not vpon their hearts God speakes by the Prophet Ieremy Feare ye not mee saith the Lord or will ye not bee â—fraid at my presence which haue placed the sands for the bounds of the sea by the perpeâ—uall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues â—hereof rage yet can they not preuaile thoâ—gh they roare they cannot passe ouer it And yet besides all these meditations the Prophet Dâ—uid telleth vs that They that goe downe to the sea in ships anâ— oâ—cupie by the great waters they see the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe For he commandeth and raiseth the stormie wind and it lifteth vp the waues thereof They mount vp to the heauen and dâ—scend to the deep so that their soule melâ—eth for trouble They are tossed too and fro and stagger like a drunken man and all their cunning is gone c. This teacheth vs that Nauigators cannot but see and acknowledge more then other men the omnipotencie the infinitenesse the iustice the goodnesse and mercy of God both in the variety of creatures exceeding them vpon earth and in the variety of administration of all things himselfe remaining vnchangeable and how can these men then in reâ—ding good bookes wherof they haue plentie but apply them to their hearts and so liue as they should euer bee prepared to die Seuenthly it is a great honour to men to supply the necessities and to bring profit and renoune to the state and Common wealth wherein they liue And this is the seuenth honour due to Nauigators especially amongst vs that are seated in an Iland and separated round about by the ocean sea from the continent or firme land that without the vse of Nauigation should bee depriued from all commerce and trade with other Nations whereas now by the vse thereof our land is not onely as famous as any other to the remotest parts of the world but those merchandizes wherewith wee abound and which wee can well spare are exported for the benefit of other countreyes and those things which we want and without which wee could not conueniâ—ntly liue are returned as corne in time of dearth wine oyle spices drugs siluer gold precious stones and that which must not be forgotten fish to the reliefe of many poore as we daily see with our eyes But lastly and aboue all the honour of Nauigation and Nauigators appeares in this that Christ our Sauiour liuing vpon the earth though he were borne at Bethlehem in Iurie yet had his whole education at Nazareth a towne of Galile not far from the sea and when hee began to shew himselfe to the world hee for sooke Nazareth and went and dwelt at Capernaum which is neere the sea in the borders of Zabulon and Nepthalim and not onely tooke pleasure to walk by the sea of Galile and from thence to call Apostles while they were casting their nets into the sea to catch fish and promising to make them fishers of me but likewise made choice of a ship somtime as a pulpit out of which he might best instruct and reach the people here as a passenger as a place to rest sleep in and therein to woâ—ke that great miracle that followeth in this story The vse whereof vnto all Nauigators is that this honour done vnto that profession then doth not cease now but as he was then bodily and visibly present in this ship so he is as hee is God present in euery ship in what place of the world soeuer it bee and with his children as a speciall protector in their societies assembled in his feare and name according to his promise Wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of theÌ„ or as he promised to his Apostles when hee sent them to preach to all nations Behold I am with you alway to the end of the world To teach Nauigators when they enter into their ships to take Christ along with them and to be sure to keepe him
Corah Dathan and Abiran at the prayer of Moses And in the waters at his prayer not onely the makâ—ng of bitter waters sweet but deuiding of the sea in two And in the aire at the prayer of Eliah the middle region shut vp from raine for â—hree yeeres and sixe moneths and at his prayer the fire descending to consume the Captaines and their fifties but also in the Heauens the Sunne to stand still at the prayer of Ioshuah and the strongest diuels to bee cast out by this and fasting Yea seeing this duty doth worke vpon God himself to withhold him from pouring downe his iâ—dgements All those doe not onely excuse the Disciples but commend them in comming to their Master to awake him and call vpon him for helpe and doe teach all good Christians by their example neuer to forget or neglect the performance of this dutie But we consider further here the manner of the Disciples comming vnto Christ by the extremitie of danger whereby they were driuen not onely presently and suddenly to call vpon him but with exclamation and outcrie to crie and roare to him thereby to reâ—eiue present helpe lest it come too late for in the great dangers of fier and water which two elements are said to haue no mercy there must be neither dallying nor delaying but without present helpe there is no hope As therefore if a man shall see his house on fire hee comes not coldly and faintly to entreat his neighbors help to yeeld them reasons but breakes out into exclamations Fier fier water water ladders ladders helpe helpe we are all vndone c. So in this place in this extreme perill of water it may wel be presumed that the Disciples being in great feare skreeked and made a pitifull noise to awake their Master And howsoeuer the prayers of the godly are neuer vnseasonable and are therefore to be vsed at all times and vpon all occasions as was said before yet certainely they are neuer so earnest so feruent so hearty and consequently so effectuall as in extremity of trouble This therefore is a principall reason why God doth suffer afflictions in this life to seaze vpon and euen to be ready to ouerthrow his owne dearest children For though many other reasons hereof are giuen by the Fathers as first To shew his iustice against sinne of which no man is free in this life Secondly to terrifie the wicked for If iustice begin at the house of God what shall c. Thirdly to exercise their patience of which they haue neede no patience but in afflictions Fourthly to make conformable to the image of his sonne for as Christ saith of himselfe Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into glory So Saint Paul of his children All that will liue godly in Christ must suffer persecution Fifthly to weane them from the world as the nurse annoints the teate with bitter things Sixthly to make them know that their disease is not incurable As the Physitian to a desperate patient wil giue leaue to eate what he list but to him whom he hath hope to recouer he denies many things hee must keepe diet Seuenthly to assure them that they are sons not bastards being partakers of correction Eightly to stop Satans mouth that is ready to say Doth Iob serue God for naught Ninthly to purge vs from the drosse and corruption of our natures for that which the flayle is to the Corne to bring it from the straw that which the file is to the yron to take off the rust that which the fier is to the gold to purge it from drosse that is tribulation and affliction to Gods children to do them good Tenthly but aboue all other reasons the last remaineth that they may call and crie vnto the Lord renouncing themselues and resting and relying vpon his protection This is the reason that the Prophet Dauid desireth of God that his prayer may ascend as the incense For as incense can send vp no smoke or sweete perfume till it come into the fier So the prayers of the Saints do neuer ascend so forcibly as in their fiery trials Oratio sine malis est sicut auis sine alis Prayer vntill affliction stings is like a bird without wings it cannot raise it selfe to mount and flie vp to heauen for if we examine our owne harts we shall find that euen the best men that pray vnto God ordinarily euery day either publikely with others or priuately by themselues which duty is too much neglected by too too many doe while they are free from troubles call vpon God but weakely and coldly and faintly rather for fashion and custome then with any sound and sensible feeling of their owne miseries they offer the calues of their lippes And draw neere vnto God with their mouthes but their hearts are farre from him and are therefore attended and accompanied with so many wandring imaginations and vaine and idle thoughts euen in the middest of this holy and religious duty that when they haue done praying they had neede begin to pray againe for forgiuenesse of their negligent and carelesse carriage therein But in affliction when the iudgements of God are vpon vs and wee are thereby brought either to the true sense and feeling of our sinne and of the waight burden of it pressing vs downe to hel or to be deiected by any extremitie of sickenesse or any other danger that may threaten death this cannot but worke feare and terror and howsoeuer many of the wicked that neuer had care to serue God in the daies of their peace are thereby brought either to murmur and to repine against God as the Israelites in the wildernesse or to reuile the meanes and seeke reuenge as dogs that bite at the stone that is throwne at them or fall to open blasphemy against God as Iulian the Apostata crying at his death Vicisti Galilâ—e O Galilean meaning Christ Thou hast ouercome Or lastly fall into despaire and make away themselues as Achitophel and Iudas yet if they be not past all grace and hope the iudgements of God wil work remorse in them Wee reade of hard-hearted Pharaoh that at the first would not acknowledge God and therefore said to Mâ—ses and Aaron Quis est Iehoua Who is the Lord that I should heare his voice Yet afterward though he could not for the hardnesse of his heart pray himselfe yet when the plagues of God were vpon him he entreated Moses and Aaron to pray for him And againe Goe not farre away but pray for me It is admirable to consider how the feare of Gods iudgements wrought vpon the Niniuites at Ionahs preaching for the text saith of them that though they were a Heathen people that knew not God and a great people for their Citie was of three daies iourney and there was in it
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
prouidence and therefore where the diuell doth most rage they receiue the greatest comfort As therefore the enchanters of Pharaoh striuing by their lying wonders to imitate the miracles wrought by God by the hands of Moses and Aaron were faine at the last euen in a most vile creature to wit lice constrained to confesse that it was the finger of God So much more should al Christians in the sensible feeling of any of Gods iudgements and the serious meditation of them confesse with old Ely It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good and with Hezekias The word of the Lord which thou hast spoken is good Farre be it therefore from them to runne with Saul in their extremities to a witch to aske counsell of the diuell against which sort of people the Law of God is plaine that they should be put to death But let them know that whatsoeuer power the diuell falsely ascribeth to himselfe as that all kingdomes of the earth and the glory of them are deliuered to him and are at his disposing or whatsoeuer power the Scriptures ascribe to him and his Angels as that the Apostle calleth them principalities powers c. yet as was said before his power is restrained and limited by God And though as a strong man armed he hath taken possession of all men by nature now corrupted yet Christ is stronger then he that takes from him the things in which he trusteth and diuideth the spoiles To which the Prophet Esay alluding saith In that day the Lord with his sore and great and mighty sword shall visit Leuiathan that piercing Serpent euen Leuiathan that crooked Serpent and he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea And that speech of the Prophet Zachary The Lord reproue thee Satan sheweth the power of Christ aboue his And himselfe shewing his victory ouer the diuell saith Now shall the prince of the world be cast out And he not onely expressed his power against Satan in word but in deed both casting out of diuels out of the possessed himself and giuing power and authoritie to his Apostles and Disciples to doe it also Therfore doe the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Iude tell vs that the diuels are kept in chaines as Christs captiues and cannot stirre to doe harme further then he shall giue them leaue And howsoeuer it is comfort enough to all Gods children That he 〈◊〉 giuen his holy Angels charge ouer them to keepe them to pitch their tents about them to fight for them and being stronger then the dâ—uels to ouercome them So that if they looke to God by the eye of faith they shal see as Elisha shewed his seruant that there are more with them then against them for they are compassed about with horses and chariots of fire to defend them from all hurt and to destroy their enemies Yet they haue a further coÌ„fort in God who is alwaies present with them and therfore say with the Apostle If God be with vs who can be against vs Or with the Prophet Dauid The Lord is my shepheard therefore I shall want nothing yea though I walk through the vallâ—y of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe thâ—y comfort me And thus we see that God hath onely absolute power in himself to worke miracles and so that Christ in the working of this miracle by his word onely commanding the winds and the sea doth thereby shew himselfe to be God by whose word as all things at the first were created of nothing so now al things and actions not onely of men but of all other creatures yea euen of the diuels themselues are ordered and directed to teach all good Christians in their greatest crosses not to be dismaied or discouraged seeing they haue God at hand who hath promised to helpe them and to whose word all the creatures must yeeld subiection and obedience as it followeth in the next words the last thing considered in the miracle There was a great calme This is the worke it selfe containing the obedience of these vnruly Creatures to the word of Christ that as the Centurion saith to him before in this Chapter But speake the word onely and my seruant shall be healed so here the word no sooner spoken but a great Calme followed By which wee see the truth of that deliuered by the Prophet He sendeth forth his commandemâ—nt vpon the earth and his word runneth very swiftly And a game in the same Psalme He sendeth out his Ice like morsels who can abide the cold thereof He sendeth out his word and melâ—eth them he caâ—sâ—â—h the wind to blow and the waters to flow So that as his word can raise a tempest At his word the stormie wind ariseth and lifteth vp the wauâ—s of the sea Or as the Prophet Ieremiâ— speaketh He giueth by his voice the multitude of waters in the heauen and he causeth the cloudes to ascend from the earth he turâ—eth lightnings to raine and bringeth forth the windes out of his treasures So at his word as they that came to apprehend him went backwards and fell to the ground So I say all the creatures must yeeld obedience and doe his will as the sea and wind doe in this place No maruell therefore if the Apostle do call the afflictions that befall the children of God in this life light and but for a moment for we may say of them as was said of Iulian Nubecula est cito transibit It is but a little cloud that will soone be blowne ouer for Heauinesse may indure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning After the storme there will come a calme and though Leuiathan doe make the dâ—pth boyle as a pot and the sea like a pot of oyntment yet our trust is in Gods word as the Prophet speaketh He appeaseth the noise of the seaes and the noise of the wâ—ues thereof The vse whereof to all men both at sea and land is to consider the obedience of these disordered creatures to the word and command of their Lord and Master and to compare it to their owne disobedience vpon whom neither the word of God nor his promises nor his threatnings nor his blessings nor his iudgements can worke so much as his bare word did heere on these insensible things The Prophet Ieremie to draw the Iewes to obedience vnto God doth propound the example of the Rechabites by Gods commandement and applieth it thus â—he commandement of Ionadab the sonne of Rechaâ— that he commanded his sonnes that they should drinke no wine is surely kept for vnto this day they drinke none but obey their fathers commandement Notwithstanding I haue spoken vntâ— you râ—sing early and speaking but you would not obey me I haue sent also vnto you all my
The Elements were to serue and nourish the Plants and the Plants to serue the Beasts and the Beasts to serue Man and Man to serue God Before sinne there was no disorder or disquietnesse of any creature toward another but a generall quiet Calme through the whole world And therefore God may well bee called the God of peace and peace may be as well stiled the â—eace of God But man by sin breaking the peace with God as the Prophet speaketh Your iniquities haue separated betwixt God and you and your sinnes haâ—e hid his face from you consequently the creatures being thereby made subiect to vanity there arose stormes and tempests troubles and oppositions from all the creatures for the earth being cursed for mans sake brought forth thornes and thistles the Angels stood with a blade of a sword shaken to keepe him from the tree of life the water destroyed all the race of mankind by an vniuersall Floud except onely those eight that entred into the Arke The spirit of God was grieued And God the Father said It repenteth me that I haue made man I will destroy him from the earth Thus then these tempests being raised against man from God and his creatures by mans sinne and man hauing thereby a warre within himself in his owne conscience condemning him there was no calming of these tempests nor no peace to be made but onely by Christ who as he is truly termed the Prince of peace so likewise the Apostle calleth him our peace who hath not onely made peace beâ—wixt God and vs but hath also preached peace to all whether Iâ—wes or Gentiles This then is the great Calme that Christ brought into the world to reconcile all mans enemies That the water that before destroyed the world should in him by the Sacrament of Baptisme become Lauacrum regenerationis the Laâ—er of our new birth whereby we are entred into Gods Church That the earth instead of thornes and thistles should bring forth bread and wine which in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doe not onely represent but exhibit spiritually to â—he faithfull receiuer the body and blood of Christ vnto saluation That a whole quire of Angels in stead of swords in their hands should haue a song of peâ—ce in their mouthes That the Spirit of God should descend in the likenesse of a mild Doue And God the Father acknowledge hiâ—selfe by a voice from heauen to bee in Christ well pleased with mankind This I say is that great Calme wrought by Christ whereby God and the Angels and the creatures are reconciled vnto man and man is at peace with his owne conscience that wee may say with the Apostle If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old â—hings are passed away Behold all things are become new And therfore our Sauior Christ when he sent forth his Apostles to preach yea and his seuenty disciples also charged them to begin at that Into what soeuer hâ—â—se ye eâ—ter first say Peace be to this house And if the Sonne of peace be there your peace shall rest vpon him if not it shall â—urne to you againe And when hee was to leaue them he left behind him this legacy My peace I leaue with you But specially after his resurrection his first salutation repeated againe and againe Peace be vnto you that we may say with Saint Bernard Miseros nos quos non penetrat pax toties repetita that it is a miserable thing for vs if we had rather continue out the storme then be in a calme sea which made Saint Paul begin his Epistles with Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ and conclude them with â—he peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your hearts and minds that we may say with Saint Bernard Domine pacem volo pacem desidero nil amplius Lord I wish and desire peace onely and nothing â—lse And yet all this peace and calme which we can receiue in this world is but a pledge and earnest of the perfect and compleate Calme and quiet which the Christian by faith beleeueth and by hope expecteth in the world to come when he shall rest from his lâ—bours and receiue the Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shâ—ll giue at that day to all that loue his appearing Now rest and quiet is the onely end of all labour God himsâ—lfe when hee hâ—d fâ—nished his worke of Creatioâ— in six daies he rested the seuenth day and sanctified it And Christ when he had finished the worke of our redemption by a painefull and troublesome life and death in this world was then receiued vp inâ—o heaâ—en to sit at â—he right haâ—d of God thâ— Fâ—thâ—r It hath pleased God not only to ordaine and appoint the night for man to take his rest in as well as the day to labor trauell in but also to appoint a seuenth day for a day of rest from bodily labours And Canaan the land of Promise where Gods people were to rest after their bondage in Egypt troublesome passage through the wildernesse was a type and figure of that rest and quiet which God hath prouided in heauen for his children after their deliuerance from the bondage of Satan and troublesome passage thorow the wildernesse of this world as the Apostle proueth at large For we saith he which haue beleeued doe enter inâ—o rest c. And in the next verse For he spake in a certaine place of the seuenth day in this wise And God did rest the seuenth day from all his workes And in this place againe If they shall enter into my rest And a little after he saith If Iesus â—hat â—s Ioshua had giuen them rest then would he not after this hâ—ue spoken of another day There remaineth thâ—refore a reâ—â— to â—he people of God For he that hath entred into his rest haâ—h also ceased from his ownâ— workes as God did from his let vs studie therefore to enâ—er into that rest c. By all which the Apostle doth proue that al the peace and rest which we can attaine vnto in this life should put vs in mind and prepare vs for the eternall peace and rest in the life to come that when the time of our dissolution comes wee may bee ready to say with old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart part in peace The yere of Iubilie or reioycing which God ordained to be euery fiftieth yeere whâ—râ—in the whole land was to rest and liberty to be proclaimed to all the inhabitants and they were neither to sowe nor to reape nor gather grapes c. was a type also of this great calme and eternall rest purchased to all Gods people by the death and resurrection of Christ. And to conclude this eternall rest is that which al good Christians should long
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