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
though it cannot excuse yet it may lessen somewhat the fault and weakenesse in the Disciples faith in this place that may seeme to bee in greater danger and their Master asleepe For the vse of this point I say with the Apostle All these things came to them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Our Sauiour Christ would teach them that they were but men and so weake and feeble in themselues that they ought both to acknowledge their weakenesse and labor continually to increase their strength but therein not to trust to themselues but to depend vpon him and say with the man in the Gospell Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe And if the case were so with them that were specially called out of the world by our Sauiour Christ and enioyed his presence let vs take heede that we arrogate not too much vnto our selues and whatsoeuer measure of grace we haue receiued remember the Counsell of the Apostle Be not high-minded but feare I write this the rather because that which I find in S. Chrysost. concerning saylers and seamen in long voyages that a tempest to them is nothing they haue seene and felt and ouerliued so many tempests that they are growne familiar with them They are as old beaten souldiers that feare neither blowes nor bullets and as Dauid because he had killed a Lyon and a Beare perswaded himself that he could kill Goliah So they hauing been in as great dangers in other voyages as may be haue now they thinke such resolution that they cannot feare to meetwith death it self But take heed thy resolutions be truly grounded in Christ lest it proue presumption Be not too rash nor foole-hardy vnder the name of courage better called curre-rage but know that thou art a man and thy faith in God onely makes thee truely couragious rest therefore in his protection and striue by all meanes to increase and strengthen thy faith crie with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and then neither storme nor tempest nor raine nor wind nor flouds shall hurt thee for though thou bee in a mouing house yet thou art builded vpon the true rockâ— against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile But of the small measure of the Disciples faith and the wants in it more in the next verse Christs reproofa We come now to the third and last point of their praier the reason We perish Wherein was obserued their faint and almost forlorne hope of deliuerance from their present danger for they say not we shall perish or we are like to perish but in the present We perish As if they should haue said We haue hitherto waited and expected in hope that the tempest would haue ouerblowne we were loth to trouble and awake you so long as the danger was not desperate but now the tempest continues the ship is full of water and is ready to sinke euen at this instant we haue onely time left to tell thee in a word we perish It appeares by this in what pitifull perplexitie they breake out into this complaint The Prophet Dauid indeuoring to expresse the great danger of the people of God and Gods mercy in deliuering them doth make choice of this comparison whereby to set it forth If the Lord had not been on our side may Israel now say If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose vp against vs They had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule As if the greatest danger that could befall men in this world could not be greater then to be swallowed vp quicke to bee drowned and ouerwhelmed with water But let the danger be neuer so great a good Christian must be sure to retaine hope as the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast as the Apostle speaketh which laying fast hold vpon Christ can neuer be moued for as the body liues spirando by breathing so the soule liueth sperando by hoping and as expirare to leaue to breathe is the death of the body so desperare to despaire and leaue to hope is the most miserable estate of the soule The Heathen man can say Dum spiro spero that is while I breathe I hope But the Christian goeth further saith Dum expiro spero when I leaue to breathe I hope still Holy Iob telleth vs that the hypocrite hath no hope if God take away his soule but of himselfe hee is confident Though the Loâ—d kill me â—et will I trust in him And so speakes Salomon The righteous hath hope in his death And againe There will bee an end and thy hope shall not be cut off How comes it then to passe that the Disciples here are so dismaied at the danger of death at the most Origâ—n writing on this place makes answere by way of dialogue first speaking thus to the Disciples How can you possibly feare danger that haue the Sauiour of the world aboard you you haue life with you and are you afeard of death are ye afraid of a tempest that haue the Maker and Creator of tempest with you Dare you awaken him as if he could not deliuer you while he slept To this he makes answere in the Disciples names We are weake and young Christians yâ—t our tendernâ—sse makes vs tremble we haue not yet seene Christ crucified nor been confirmed by his passion and resurrection and ascending into heauen nor by his sending and the descending of the holy Ghost vpon vs therfore we are weake and heare that reproofâ— of our Lord O ye of little faith which we willingly beare and sâ—ffer Thus farre Origen But to leaue both him and them The vse that we are to make vnto our selues is to bee warned by them neuer to forsake our hold for any danger be it neuer so great but to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for hee is faithfull that hath promised And let vs be assured that there is no depth of danger either outward to the body or inward to the soule so great but if we sing with the Prophet Dauid a De profuâ—dis as he did with a true heart and cry Out of the depth haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my prayer c. If when all other helpes faile we reserue the anchor of hope to cast forth vpon the Lord Christ he wil not leaue vs nor faile vs nor forsake vs but our greatest crosses shall bee our greatest comforts vpon our deliuerance whether he see good to doe it by life or death for Christ is our life and death is to vs aduantage And seeing sea-men doe or should determine before they ship themselues to see euery day death before their eyes they ought to arme themselues with
Christian resolution depending vpon Gods prouidence without which a haire shall not fall from their heads so to encounter the greatest difficulties by this that they know their hope to bee in Christ and if it were onely in this life then were Christians of all other the most miserable but now they are so farre from perishing that God so loued the world that he gaâ—e his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Hitherto we haue seene the occasions of the miracle Christ being fast asleepe and by reason of the extreme danger now newly awaked by the crie of his Disciples It remaines that wee come to the miracle and the meanes whereby it was wrought to wit his word onely rebuking the winds and the sea But yet our Sauiour makes no such haste but that first he reprehends his Disciples and â—aith Why are you fearefull O ye of little â—aith And yet some writing vpon this place doe thinke it to bee no reprehension but rather that before he will calme the sea hee doth onely strengthen and encourage his disciples in their faith and hope which was yet very weake and rid them of their feare and fainting And if we do so vnderstand it the meaning is that as in the apparitions of Angels to holy men and women botâ— in the old new TestameÌ„t they were strucken ordinarily with such feare that they could not deliuer their messages till they had rid theÌ„ froÌ„ that feare and therfore began their speeches so Feare not or Be not afraid Or as our Sauiour doth himselfe afterward to his Disciples at sea when they were troubled and cried out for feare thinking him to be a spirit He saith to them Be of good comfort It is I be not afraid So according to this interpretation it should be a speech to raise vp their deiected harts and spirits and to relieue and comfort them And if wee vnderstand the meaning in this sense then we learne here the difference betwixt this and other of Christs miracles for that in them he cured the bodily diseases of the leprosie paulsey blindnesse deafenesse lamenes but in this he cured the inward afflictions of the mind in immoderate griefe feare fainting and distrust of his mercie which are farre greater then bodily sicknesses And herein he teacheth vs that though their faith was very weake that he doth not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoaking flaxe but comfort and nourish and cherish the least desires of goodnesse in his Saints and children And in that hee doth this before he worke the miracle he not onely sheweth that he hath more care of their soules then of their bodies but withall teacheth them and in them all Christians to be principally carefull for the health of their soules without which they are dead spiritually while they are aliue But I take it rather as the current both of the ancient Fathers and new Writers doe agree to be a reprehension or reproofe of the Disciples containing first a question Why are ye fearefull Secondly an answere O ye of little faith The question may seeme strange for how should they not be feareful that saw the danger of present death before their eyes as they verily thought They were men subiect to passions and imminent perils cannot but produce the passion of feare they must be either Stoicks or stocks that are not moued with such apparent danger But it was not their feare but the excessiue measure thereof that our Sauiour reprehends and therefore Saint Marke renders it so Why are you so fearefull that is though the danger be neuer so great yet you ought not thus to be faint-hearted and dismaied you might call vpon me but not with such exclamations you might awake me but not so ouercome with passion as if you were in despaire of helpe your extreame feare and want of faith doth you more harme then either the winds or the â—eaes Why are you so fearefulâ— Now to let passe the nature and necessity of feare in generall and to hold me to the text It was necessary at this time for them to feare For without it there would haue been little occasion and small vse of the miracle following neither could it haue wrought such impression in them as it did Neither are Christians to behold Gods iudgements but with feare The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid And Moses at the giuing of the Law with lightnings and thunders said â— feare and quake much more the people of whom God saith O that there were such an heart in them to feare me alway Now howsoeuer the Scripture telleth vs that Christ hath deliuered vs from the hands of our enemies that wee being deliuered may serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life And againe That we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but we haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father And so Saint Iohn There is no fâ—are in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare In which respect our Sauiour giueth this charge Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Yet these and all such places as they are to be vnderstood of a seruile and â—lauish feare not of that filiall and childlike feare wherby children stand in awe of their parents and dare not offend them especially while they are young for feare of correction yea for feare of disinheriting so as Salomon saith There is a time for all things there is a time in Gods children for seruile feare and that is in their first beginning of their repentance and conuersion vnto God For no man can truly repent vntill the Spirit of God by the shrill trumpet of the Law and the punishments due vnto the breakers of the law contained in that one sentence Cursâ—d is euery man that contiâ—ueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them which is a fearefull sentence if we obserue the words that they are not only miserable and wretched but accursed not onely some or many but euerie one not onely that doth not begin but that doth not continue and constantly perseuere vnto the end not onely in some points of the Law but in all things written in the booke of the Law not onely to affect and desire but to doe them This I say is a fearefull sentence and vntill it haue rowzed vp the â—inners drowzie conscience and both set before his eyes his manifold breaches and transgressions of Gods commandements and presented him with the fearefull spectacle of eternal death and condemnation due vnto him therefore so that the poore sinner holding vp his hand as it were at the barre of Gods iudgement seat being selfe-conuicted and condemned doth in a manner find himselfe in hell feeling the terrors of God fighting