your faith also is vaiâ— And yet it is so hard a matter to beleeue it that not onely the Athenians mocked Saint Paul for preaching it and Festus told him though he heard him well enough till he came to that point Paul thou art besides thy selfe much learning hath made thee mad But the Apostles themselues as was touched before could hardly be brought to beleeue it And the Prophet fore-telling it doth by way of dialogue bring in the Church wondring euen when they saw him who it should be as suspecting him to be some Edomite or enemy that should raise some further storme Who is this saith the Church that commeth from Edom in red garments from Bosra He is all glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength And when Christ had made answere I speake righteoâ—sneâ—â—e and am mighty to saue The Church replies Wherefore is thine apparrell red and thy garments like to him that treadeth in the wine-presse To which he answeres I haue troden the wine-presse alone and of all other there is none with me By which dialogue we see in what feare the Church was of him comming from among their enemies the graue and hell and in their enemies bloudy colours that he had been one of their enemies and came to doe them hurt they thought it vnlikely that it could be Christ that was so despitefully handled but three daies before that was shorne and naked they deuidiâ—g his â—arments casting lots vpon his vesture and flayne and slaine and buried should now so soone returne in such pompe and triumph An admirable sudden change that hee that but three dayes before was agâ—us â—ccisus a lambe slaine should now returne Leo de tribu Iuda victor The conquering Lion of the Tribe of Iuda that he that was so lately Christus ouis As a sheepe led to the slaughter and as a lambe dumbe before the shearer not opening his mouth should now bee Christus ouans Christ comming in triumph froÌ„ the midst of his enemies casting his shoo off ouer Edom that is trampling and treaâ—ing all his enemies vnder his feet not only aâ— the Apostle expresseth it triumphing oâ—er theÌ„ all in his persâ—n but also hauing been deâ—â— is now aliue and hath brought with him the keyes of death and the graue to giue life to our bodies and the keyes of hell to giue life vnto our soules in which respect the Apostle telles vs that hee hath brought with him not onely life but immortalitie This was the Lords doing and could not but be maruellous in the Churches eyes And yet this was not onely necessary to be so but impossible to be otherwise for so Saint Peter telles vs That God had raised him vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that hee shoâ—ld be holden of it For Dauid saith concerning him I beheld the Lord alwaies bâ—fore me for he is at my right hand that I should not be shaken Therâ—fore did my heart reioyce and my tongue was glad my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy oâ—e to see corruption c. This article therefore of our faith being the greatest comfort vnto Christians and yet so hard to be beleeued that Saint Augustine saith Crede resurrectionem esto Christianus Beleeue this point of the resurrection and thou canst not but bee a Christian hath had as many if not more confirmations of it then any other The Law saith That in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery matter shall bee stablished but in this we haue many more for first the Angels giue their testimony recorded by all the foure Euangelists He is risen he is not here Secondly the Saints that rose with him and appeared to many to confirme his resurrection Thirdly the very souldiers themselues that were set to watch him and to keepe him from rising doe confesse it though afâ—erward they were hired by the high Priests to tell an vntruth Fourthly Marie Magdalen and other deuout women sent by the Angels and by Christ himselfe to certifie the Apostles that he was risen Fifthly the two Disciples that met him as they were trauelling to Emaus that made haste to returne to Ierusalem and certifie the Apostles thereof Sixthly the Apostles though they doubted at the first of which S. Augustine saith Dubitabant illâ— ne dos dubitaremus that is they doubted that we might be out of doubt yet after are made eye-witnesses and eare-witnessâ—s and may say with S. Iohn That which we haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes which we haue looked vpon and these hands of ours haue handled of that word of life that I say which we haue sâ—ene and heard declare we vnto you Seuenthly and lastly those fiue hundred witnesses which saw him at once as Saint Paul speaketh may serue to assure vs. We see then the resemblance that this his resurrection from the dead to secure his Church from all the dangers and perils that by his death it was brought vnto hath to his arising from sleepe in the ship and shewing his power and authoritie ouer the winds and seas For as in the miracle wrought in the history he proued himselfe to be God that had power to command his creatures at his pleasure So much more in this his arising from death to life and that so quickly within three daies and in the conquest that hee made ouer death and the graue and ouer the diuell and hell he sheweth not onely his diuine power but his tender care for his Church being compassed here by a sea of dangers that they may thereby not onely beleeue the resurrection of their bodies in the end of the world but in this life die to sin and liue to righteousnesse and hauing their part in the first resurrection they are free from all danger of the second death And let this suffice for the fifth obseruation Sixthly and lastly the Calme that followed after Christs arising and rebuking the Windes and the Sea is an image both of that rest and quiet which they that are in the Church of Christ doe finde in their soules and consciences here in this life and of that eternall rest and quiet without feare of any stormes which they shall haue in heauen whereof the peace of conscience which wee here enioy is a pledge and earnest Both these doe depend vpon the resurrection of Christ before spoken of as the fruit thereof to vs. The first benefit that a Christian doth find by beleeuing Christs resurrection and meditating vpon it is the peace of conscience that is peace with God peace with the creatures peace with other men and peace with himselfe God in the first Creation of the world did set and settle all things in order and quietnesse
thy goodnesse ouer all the world whereby thou chearest and comfortest all things liuing but also beholdest all things and actions of the world which are naked and conspicuous in thy sight and dispellest and scatterest all thicke clouds and darke mists of ignorance infidelity and error and shewest vnto thy children the right way to heauen preseruing them from stumbling slipping and dangerous falling in that way Grant vs therefore that in thy light wee may see light And seeing thy Sonne Iesus Christ is the true life and light of men that enlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world who when the naturall light of rectified reason which thou gauest vnto man in his creation was by sinne extinguished and put out did supply the defect thereof by a better light the light of faith whereby thy children do vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen O Lord make vs euery day more and more partakers of this light Enlighten our vnderstandâ—ngs by thy blessed Spirit and our hearts by the light of faith and our affections by thy Word that we being naâ—urally darkenesse may be light in thee and may shine as lights in a froward and peruerse generation and may let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie thee our Father in heauen And seeing the night of our ignorance is passed and the day is at hand and thy grace which bringeth saluation to all thy faithfull hath appeared teaching vs to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to walke soberly and iustly and godly in this present world Grant vs thy grace whereby we may cast off the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light and walk as children of the light that thy Son being come a light into the world we may not loue darkenes more then light because our works are euil but Lord let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs that the light of faith which we receiue of thee in this life may make vs liue in expectation of thy light of glory in the life to come being by thee made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light And now Lord we humbly intreate thy fatherly protection of our bodies soules from all dangers both outward and inward this day giue vs grace to make spiritual vse to our soules of all the actions and occurrences therein make vs conscionably carefull not to offend thee either in thought word or deede and prosper we beseech thee whatsoeuer wee vndertake in thy feare that wee may chearefully goe on in the seuerall workes of our places and callings so as we may seale vp our election by good workes and worke out our saluation in feare and trembling that whensoeuer this miserable and sinfull life of ours shall be ended wee may rest and raigne with thee in glory through the merits of thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ in whose name wee further call vpon thee as he hath taught vs saying Our Father c. An Euening Prayer WE present ouâ—â—â—lues again before thee most merciful Father acknowledging and confessing against our selues our manifold sins which wee haue daily multiplied against thy Maiestie and against our owne consciences from the beginning of our dayes and euen this day now passed We confesse O Lord that we were at first conceiued and borne in sinne and that from that originall corruption there haue euer since proceeded so many wicked and vngodly thoughts words and works that if thou examine what we haue done amisse we were not able to abide it or to answere one of a thousand of our actions for euen our best workes our prayers are accompanied with so many imperfections of wandring imaginations that when we haue done praying we had need to pray vnto thee againe to forgiue the scapes and negligences and ignorances of them Wee confesse further O Lord God that in respect of our sinnes wee are not worthy to looke vp to heauen or to call vpon thy name for we haue iustly deserued not onely to be depriued of all thy good blessings both concerning this and a better life which hitherto by thy mercies we haue enioyed and which we more fully expect hereafter by thy gracious promise but also wee haue deserued and doe daily deserue thy wrath and indignation to bee poured downe vpon vs vpon our bodies and soules in this life and in the life to come if thou shouldest enter into iudgement with vs. But there is mercy with the O Lord that thou maist be feared And we appeale therefore from thy seuere iustice against sinne vnto thy tender mercies in thine owne Sonne in whom wee know thou art well pleased Wee humbly beseech thee for his sake to be mercifull vnto â—s to pardon and to forgiue vs all our sinnes to wash them away in his blood to bury them in his death and passion so as they may neuer be imputed to vs either in this life to the terror and affrighting of our consciences or in the world to come to our vtter condemnation Good Lord giue vs euery day more and more the true sight of our sinnes the true sense and feeling of them and of thy great iudgements hanging ouer our heads in respect of them Giue vs a true sorrow and hearty repentance for all our sinnes past and a full resolution in the residue of our liues to be more wary and circumspect ouer all our words and actions that we may not onely striue to abstaine from sin but auoid those occasions which we haue formerly found to haue drawne vs thereunto And now Lord seeing the night is come vpon vs and hath not onely depriued vs of the light of the Sun but hath also brought with it darkenesse and terrors fearefull to our weake natures yet wee still depend vpon thy holy protection for as the day is thine so the night is thine Thou hast made darkenesse thy secret place and thy pauillion round about thee euen darkenesse of waters and clowds of the aire and yet the darkenesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and the light to thee are both alike Preserue vs therefore we humbly beseech thee from the perils and dangers of this night following giue our bodies rest and sleepe and let our soules continually watch for the time when our Lord Iesus Christ shall come for our full deliuerance out of this mortall life O Lord the sleepe wee now desire is an image of death while our senses being thereby bound vp from the performance of their functions and operations wee lye still as dead men not able to see or heare or doe any thing Let our beds therefore put vs in mind of our graues and the rest which we desire for our wearied bodies put vs in minde of the true rest and quiet both of body and soule which thou hast prouided for thy children after this life eâ—ded And
me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as â—e see I haue Some held that in respect of the manhood he had no soule but that the body was in animated by the Godhead who are confuted where he saith My soule is heauie euen to the death but his Diuinitie was not heauie neither could it suffer Lastly some denie the coniunction of these two natures in one person that he was not perfect God and perfect Man who were condemned by such proprieties of speech and phrase in the Scripture where that is spoken of his Godhead that belonged to his Manhood and that of his Manhood which is proper to his Godhead as Feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with that his owne blood There is blood attributed vnto God which hee had not but as hee was man So on the other side he saith No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen that Sonne of Man which is in heauen Where that is ascribed to the Sonne of Man namely to be in heauen which was proper vnto him as he was God This article therfore of our faith is the ground of Christian Religion and affordeth many comforts to all Christians but especially to Sea-men and those that vndertake long voiages amongst Heathens Infidels and I could wish none might be admitted to go vntill they be well grounded therein which would afford many heauenly meditations For first whereas these men resoluing to leaue their natiue Countrie and to trauell to the furthest parts of the World doe expose themselues to more perils and dangers then other men what sweeter meditation can they haue for the arming of themselues euen against death it selfe the last enemie then to know that they are in the right faith concerning their Sauiour and Redeemer that whatsoeuer shall become of their bodies they haue before prouided for their soules and so are ready â—o liue or die in that faith Secondly when they see preparations made for them by the Merchants and Aduenturers of goodly tall ships with all manner of fit prouisions when they obserue the skill and art of their chiefe Leaders and Commanders that haue been trained vp by long experience not only to guide and gouerne those great Vessels but themselues also in their seuerall places that they trust not in any of these secondarie meanes but to Gods blessing vpon those meanes by and through Christ for Except the Lord build the house they labour in vainâ— that build it Except the Lord keep the Citie the watchman watcheth but in vaine It is Christ God and Man by whom wee receiue all good When they are in the greatest perils to meditate that Christ their Sauiour is God and therefore can and Man and therefore will deliuer and free them if it stand with his glory and with their good 4 When they come to remote places and find Infidels that haue not heard of Christ to remember that they themselues are such by nature and that they haue deserued no better at Gods hand nay they haue deserued much worse because they haue abused Gods blessings yea his long suffering and patience that should lead them â—o repentance And therefore to consider of the great loue of God toward them that passing by so great and huge nations and leauing them in incredulitie hath afforded them the meanes of saluation 5 To meditate that the best way to make a good voiage indeede is to labour by all meanes possible to reduce those Infidels or any of them to the profession of the same faith in Christ there being both a commandement from Christ to doe it and great promises to them that obey that commandement 6 That aboue al they take heed that leauing Christendome they forsake not this faith in Christ they proue not Apostataes they make not shipwracke of faith and of a good conscience for such falling away is the high way to the sinne vnpardonable against the holy Ghost And thus much of the generall doctrine we come now to the particulars of the historie wherein first â—as obserued a Sea-voyage by Christ and his Disciples First of him He entred into a ship Where it may be demanded why Christ would passe the sea when he might haue staid on land For the Philosopher said that a shipman had but foure inches the thicknes of the boardâ— of his ship betwixt him and death And it was one oâ—â—â—e 3 things that Cato in his old age repented him of that he had trauelled by sea when he might haue gone by land It was the charge that Antigonus gaue to his sonnes hauing escaped a dangerous tempest at sea that they should neither aduenture vpon any such danger againe themselues nor forget to aduise their posteritie after them to take heede by their example of that which was like to haue cost them so deare It was the speech of one of the seuen wise men of Greece that Sailers at sea were neither to bee reckoned for liue men nor for dead but betweene both And in Diuinitie it may seeme or at least the diuell will suggest it that to aduenture to trauell by sea is a kind of tempting of God And indeede without a lawfull calling and vsing the meanes which God hath appointed to preserue vs it is as vnlawfull for to trauell by sea as it is for a man in the time of the plague wilfully to run into an infected house or to thrust himselfe into any vnnecessary danger For answere therefore to the former obiection why Christ would enter into a ship if hee would needes goe ouer the sea who could by his word haue diuided the sea into two parts that hee and his might goe ouer as vpon drie land as he did the Read sea for his peoples sake by the minisâ—â—ry of Moses or could haue walked as he did anotheâ—â—â—me vpon the water as vpon firme ground yet he rather taketh the ordinary course to enter into a ship and saile ouer for these reasons 1 He hauing after his long Sermon on the Mount in the three former Chapters done diuers great miracles in this Chapter vpon the land as the clensing of a Leper the curing of the Centurions seruant the healing of Peters wiues mother the â—â—sting forth of diuels out of many that were possessed with them doth now that hee may shew himselfe not only the God of the Mountaines but of the vallies not only the Gâ—d of the Land but of the Sea enter into a ship that thereby he might shew his authority and power on the winds and seas in this miracle 2 Hauing done the foâ—â—er miracles in his Apostles sight only he thought now to doe a miracle vpon themselues whereof being partakers they might be more sensible 3 He was faine by â—his meanes to auoide the presse of the multâ—tude that followed â—im and therefore vpon such occasions sometime he withdrew
though it cannot excuse yet it may lessen somewhat the fault and weakenesse in the Disciples faith in this place that may seeme to bee in greater danger and their Master asleepe For the vse of this point I say with the Apostle All these things came to them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Our Sauiour Christ would teach them that they were but men and so weake and feeble in themselues that they ought both to acknowledge their weakenesse and labor continually to increase their strength but therein not to trust to themselues but to depend vpon him and say with the man in the Gospell Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe And if the case were so with them that were specially called out of the world by our Sauiour Christ and enioyed his presence let vs take heede that we arrogate not too much vnto our selues and whatsoeuer measure of grace we haue receiued remember the Counsell of the Apostle Be not high-minded but feare I write this the rather because that which I find in S. Chrysost. concerning saylers and seamen in long voyages that a tempest to them is nothing they haue seene and felt and ouerliued so many tempests that they are growne familiar with them They are as old beaten souldiers that feare neither blowes nor bullets and as Dauid because he had killed a Lyon and a Beare perswaded himself that he could kill Goliah So they hauing been in as great dangers in other voyages as may be haue now they thinke such resolution that they cannot feare to meetwith death it self But take heed thy resolutions be truly grounded in Christ lest it proue presumption Be not too rash nor foole-hardy vnder the name of courage better called curre-rage but know that thou art a man and thy faith in God onely makes thee truely couragious rest therefore in his protection and striue by all meanes to increase and strengthen thy faith crie with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and then neither storme nor tempest nor raine nor wind nor flouds shall hurt thee for though thou bee in a mouing house yet thou art builded vpon the true rockâ— against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile But of the small measure of the Disciples faith and the wants in it more in the next verse Christs reproofa We come now to the third and last point of their praier the reason We perish Wherein was obserued their faint and almost forlorne hope of deliuerance from their present danger for they say not we shall perish or we are like to perish but in the present We perish As if they should haue said We haue hitherto waited and expected in hope that the tempest would haue ouerblowne we were loth to trouble and awake you so long as the danger was not desperate but now the tempest continues the ship is full of water and is ready to sinke euen at this instant we haue onely time left to tell thee in a word we perish It appeares by this in what pitifull perplexitie they breake out into this complaint The Prophet Dauid indeuoring to expresse the great danger of the people of God and Gods mercy in deliuering them doth make choice of this comparison whereby to set it forth If the Lord had not been on our side may Israel now say If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose vp against vs They had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule As if the greatest danger that could befall men in this world could not be greater then to be swallowed vp quicke to bee drowned and ouerwhelmed with water But let the danger be neuer so great a good Christian must be sure to retaine hope as the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast as the Apostle speaketh which laying fast hold vpon Christ can neuer be moued for as the body liues spirando by breathing so the soule liueth sperando by hoping and as expirare to leaue to breathe is the death of the body so desperare to despaire and leaue to hope is the most miserable estate of the soule The Heathen man can say Dum spiro spero that is while I breathe I hope But the Christian goeth further saith Dum expiro spero when I leaue to breathe I hope still Holy Iob telleth vs that the hypocrite hath no hope if God take away his soule but of himselfe hee is confident Though the Loâ—d kill me â—et will I trust in him And so speakes Salomon The righteous hath hope in his death And againe There will bee an end and thy hope shall not be cut off How comes it then to passe that the Disciples here are so dismaied at the danger of death at the most Origâ—n writing on this place makes answere by way of dialogue first speaking thus to the Disciples How can you possibly feare danger that haue the Sauiour of the world aboard you you haue life with you and are you afeard of death are ye afraid of a tempest that haue the Maker and Creator of tempest with you Dare you awaken him as if he could not deliuer you while he slept To this he makes answere in the Disciples names We are weake and young Christians yâ—t our tendernâ—sse makes vs tremble we haue not yet seene Christ crucified nor been confirmed by his passion and resurrection and ascending into heauen nor by his sending and the descending of the holy Ghost vpon vs therfore we are weake and heare that reproofâ— of our Lord O ye of little faith which we willingly beare and sâ—ffer Thus farre Origen But to leaue both him and them The vse that we are to make vnto our selues is to bee warned by them neuer to forsake our hold for any danger be it neuer so great but to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for hee is faithfull that hath promised And let vs be assured that there is no depth of danger either outward to the body or inward to the soule so great but if we sing with the Prophet Dauid a De profuâ—dis as he did with a true heart and cry Out of the depth haue I cried vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my prayer c. If when all other helpes faile we reserue the anchor of hope to cast forth vpon the Lord Christ he wil not leaue vs nor faile vs nor forsake vs but our greatest crosses shall bee our greatest comforts vpon our deliuerance whether he see good to doe it by life or death for Christ is our life and death is to vs aduantage And seeing sea-men doe or should determine before they ship themselues to see euery day death before their eyes they ought to arme themselues with
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
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
be assembled a plot so horrible as if al the diuels in hel had conspired to ioyne in consultation with them can neuer be forgotten for by this they thought to raise at once such thunder and lightning and storme and tempest if not from aboue yet from hell it selfe as should certainely drowne this poore vessell and ship of Christ the Church of England And for all this they are not ashamed to arrogate the title to themselues of the ship of Christ the Catholike Church and in their mouthes and writings to exclaime against vs as hereticks and to complaine of bitter persecution as though we raised stormes and tempests against them But Quis tulerit Gracchum de seditiâ—ne loquentem Who can endure Gracchus a traytor to pleade against treason or Verres a thiefe to pleade against theft or the Pope and his followers to complaine of persecution We haue here no cruell Spanish Inquisition to â—ift them out neither haue we made any Massacres of them Since the receiuing of the Gospell no Papist euer suffered death or losse of lands for his meere conscience except he made it conscience not to commit or assent to treason and for our selues we say with Saint Paul We confesse that after the way which they call heresie so worship we the God of our fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And haue hope towards God that the resurrection of the dead which they themselues also looke for shall be both of iust and vniust And this shall suffice for the tempests and stormes which the ship of Christ that is his Church must continually looke for while it passeth through the sea of the world Fourthly Christ his sleeping is an image of his death by which the diuel thought to haue swallowed vp Christ quite that he might dominiere in the world therefore he entred into Iudas to tempt him for couetousnesse of thirty siluer pieces to betray his Master and stirred vp by all meanes he could the Scribes and Pharisies to conspire his death and the people to be so earnest with Pilate and Pilate and Herod to giue consent vnto it for this death of his was not only a stumbling block to the Iewes and to the Gentiles foolishnes but his owne Disciples could not abide to heare of it before and therfore when Christ foretold it saying that he must go to Ierusalem suffer many things of the Elders and High Priests and Scribes and be slaine and be raised vp the next day Peter tooke hâ—m aside to rebuke him saying Master pitie thy selfe this shall not be to thee And when his time and houre was come they all forsooke him fled And indeed it was so strange a thing that he should sleepe this sleepe and die himself that came to saue others from death that the earth trembled the Sunne was darkned the graues opened the Vaile of the Temple rent in twaine and the Centurion confessed Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissâ—luetur that is Either the God of Nature sâ—ffereth or the frame of the whole world shall haue an end And when he was dead the diuell thought he would keepe him fast enough and therfore he caused the high Priests and Pharisies to call him a deceiuer because he had foretold his resurrection and to hinder that they get commission from Pilat and lay a great stone on the mouth of the sepulcher and seale vp the stone and watch not only him for rising but his disciples also from stealing him away which they made their greatest feare and therefore the text saith that they made their watch sure as they thought But it is no maruell if his enemies thought they had him sure when he was dead and buried and such a watch to keep them in his graue when his bestfriends his owne Disciples and Apostles notwithstanding all that hee had told him while he was aliue with them yet were so dismaied at this his dead sleepe or sleepe of death that they do not as in the former history call vpon him to awake him nay they are past hope of any good from him as those two Disciples tell him that were trauelling to Emaus Nos sperabamus We hoped or trusted that is while he was yet liuing it had been he that should haue deliuered Israâ—l as if they should haue said Now that hee is dead our hope and trust is gone And all the Apostles when they heard the report of his awaking and arising by the women that were certified thereof by Angels yet esteemed no better of it then of an old wiues tale or a fable And when al â—â—e rest had seene him and spoken with him yet Saint Thomas still incredulous told the rest Except I see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into the print of the nailes I will not beleeue And therefore he was faine to cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe and hardnes of hart We see then into what excesse of feare this sleep of Christ did cast the Church as if now the ship must needs sink without hope of recouery and yet as there was a necessitie of this sleepe of death in him as he himselfe saith Ought not Christ to suffer thâ—se things So the Apostle giueth the reason That by death he might destroy him thâ—t had the power of death the diuâ—l that he might delâ—uer al them that for feare of death were al their life time subiect to bondage that he might say with the Prophet O death I will be thy death or with the Apostle Death is swallowed vp in victory And therfore the night before he died he did institute the Sacrament of his Supper and told them This is my body which is broken for you This is my blood which is shed for you of which the Apostle saith So oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death vntill he come And thus wee see the correspondence of Christs sleeping in the ship and his death and buriall and the likenesse of the danger and feare of the Church both in the one and in the other Fifthly the arising of Christ in the extremitie of the ships danger to shew his command and authoritie ouer the greatest stormes and tempests that trouble his ship is an image of the resurrection of Christ from death to life thereby leading captiuity captiue and destroying all his and his Churches enemies that now we may truly say of this our Sunâ—e of righteousnesse as the Prophet speaketh of the Sunne in the firmament He commeth forâ—h as a bridegromâ— out of his chamber and reioyceth as a mightie maÌ„ to run his race This is an article of our faith as necessarily to be beleeued as the former without which as the ApoÌ„stle speaketh All our preaching is vaine and
thou Lord hadst not been on our sides when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule Praised be the Lord which hath not giuen vs ouer as a prey vnto their teeth Our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken we are deliuered Let vs not therfore forget to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing vnto thee the true God y◠hast deliuered vs frō the hands of our enemies let the holy examples of thy seruants Moses and Miriam and Baruch Deborah and the Prophet Dauid in their Psalms of thanksgiuing for their victories and deliuerance from their enemies incite and prouoke vs to praise thy name as long as wee liue yea as long as we haue any being Thou hast giuen vs the shield of thy saluation and thy right hand hath staid vs and thy louing kindnesse hath caused vs to encrease For thou hast girded vs with strength to battell Them that rose against vs thou hast subdued vnder vs. Let the Lord liue and blessed be our strength and the God of our saluation be exalted It is God that giueth vs power to auenge vs and subdueth the people vnto vs O our deliuerer from our enemies euen thou hast set vs vp from them that rose against vs thou hast deliuered vs from the cruell men Therefore will we praise thee O Lord among the nations and will sing vnto thy name We will alwaies giue thankes vnto thee and thy praise shall be in our mouth continually and our tongues shall vtter thy righteousnesse and thy praise euery day Thou hast put into our mouthes a new song of praise vnto thee our God Many shall see and feare and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proud and such as turne aside to lies O Lord our God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towards vs. Wee would declare and speake of them but they are more then we are able to expresse Thou makest war to cease vnto the ends of the world thou breakest the bow and cuttest the speare and burnest the chariots in the fire Let vs therefore be still and know that thou art God and wilt be exalted among the Heathen and wilt bee exalted in the earth Thou Lord of hosts art with vs thou God of Iacob art our refuge Let vs therefore reioyce and be glad in thee and tell and sing of thy greatnesse Thy name shall bee for euer thy name shall endure as long as the Sunne All Nations shall blesse thee and bee blessed in thee Blessed be the Lord God euen the God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious name for euer and let all the earth be filled with his glory Amen Amen A Prayer in the time of Famine and Dearth O Lord our God thou hast broken the staffe of our bread and taken away the strength therof wherby it should nourish vs we eat our bread by waight and with care and drinke our water by measure with astonishment because our bread and water faile we are astonied one with another But thou hast taught vs that Man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of thy mouth We know therefore that howsoeuer thou hast appointed bread and meat and drinke as the ordinary means to maintaine life yet it is thy blessing vpon those meanes whereby we are preserued and as it is easie with thee to turne penurie and scarcity into plenty and abundance beyond the expectation of men so thou canst giue a blessing to a little meale in a bartell and a little oyle in a cruse to continue and not wast till thy seruants are relieued And though thou hast threatned the iudgement of Famine as a punishment to wicked men yet wee know that thy dearest children the holy Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob haue all of them been tried thereby and yet after been relieued by thee And seeing the Scripture teacheth vs that thy eye O Lord is vpon them that feare thee and that trust in thy mercy To deliuer their soules from death and preserue them from famine And that our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath not onely charged vs not to cark and care for our selues as the Heathen What wee shall eate or drink but to depend vpon thy prouidence which feedest the fowles of the aire and knowest that wee haue need of these things but also hath promised that they that seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse shall haue all these things ministred vnto them Teach vs to relie vpon thy prouidence O Lord and to know that when all outward meanes faile vs yet thou art still the same God faithfull in thy promises and thy mercies cannot faile Thou canst suddenly by meanes vnknowne to vs supply our wants thou canst make a little stretch farre and canst proportion our appetites to our store Giue vs grace therefore to make vse of this crosse when we see the great care taken for our prouision before we vndertook the voyage cannot helpe vs that it may cause vs both to waite thy leisure and expect supply in thy good time and submit our selues vnto thee without murmuring grudging or repining at thee and without mutining or falling out among our selues And if it please thee to supply our necessities grant that we may thankfully acknowledge thy mercies therein and keepe our selues in so sober a diet that we may both auoide the sins of surfetting and drunkennesse and may specially be stirred vp to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and the spirituall meate and drinke of our soules which shall endure vnto euerlasting life which now and euer we desire to be so carefull of that howsoeuer it please thee to dispose of our bodies the food belonging vnto them we may know that meate was made for the belly and the belly for meate but thou shalt destroy them both but this bread of life and water of life shall last and neuer faile vs but euen in death bring vs to euerlasting life purchased for vs by the death of thy Sonne Iesus Christ in whose name and words we craue the supply of all our wants in that forme which hee hath prescribed saying Our Father which art c. A Prayer being arriued at a Port among Infidels O Lord it is thy goodnesse and mercie that hath brought vs safe through the many dangers of Sea vnto this place where we are to enter yet into more dangers being to trade and conuerse with