Miracles of Christ and his Apostles when all other nations were dry that nation like the inhabitants of Goshen had light in their dwellings when the Gentiles lay wrapt and muffled up in more then Egyptian darknesse But this was but for a time a prophecy there was that God would enlarge Iaphet and perswade him to dwell in the tents of Shem. And there was a promise too that in the last dayes the Law should goe forth from Zion and the word from Ierusalem that it might runne from the one end of the world unto the other so that no Nation should bee hid from the heat or deprived of the comfort of it Now then howsoever Christ and his Gospell might be conveyed to many Nations of the same Continent without the helpe of the Sea or benefit of shipping yet we that inhabite the Islands which God hath moated about and surrounded with a girdle of waters had for ever sate in darknes and in the shadow of death But now let the multitude of the Isles rejoyce sayes David let them give glory unto God Esay 42.12 Ezek. 30.9 and praise him in the Islands sayes Esay For now that of Ezekiel is fulfilled In that day I will send my Messengers unto them in Ships Who the messenger was that was first imployed and bound for this Island with that rich and invaluable lading of the Gospell is uncertaine Some say it was the Apostle S. Paul that great Doctour of the Gentiles Theodor. de câ—rand Graecorunâ— affect l. 9. Others say it was Simon Zelotes who was crucified and buried here But most are of opinion it was that honourable Senatour Ioseph of Arimathea Niceph. l. 2. c. 40 Doroth. in Synops who with twelve others was sent over by S. Philip out of France into Britaine who dyed here and was buried at Glastonbury Whosoever it was wee are much bound to Almighty God that notwithstanding the distance of the place and danger of the Sea he arrived safely with the Gospell and with that Christ on whom we beleeve in whom wee trust to whom we pray and by whom we looke to be everlastingly saved As for the Common-wealth Caput underobur nervi manant in Rempub. Laur. Med. shipping is the very nerves and sinewes the strength and security of a nation and our ships are and so they may well be called the walls of our Kingdome And next to the protection of Almighty God the wisdome of a gracious King and the unanimity of the people they are the lockes of Sampson wherein our strength consisteth Moreover by this meanes the want Dissepti faederae mundi traxit in unum Thessala pinus Seneca in Medea and indigence of our country is supplyed with the wealth and abundance of another For God hath disposed the parts of the world as the members of the body and hath so tyed them together in mutuall and reciprocall offices that no part of the whole universe can say to another I have no need of thee As for this countrey wherein we live I may say of it as the Scripture doth of the plaine of Iordan behold it is even as the garden of God it may as well stand upon its bottome and boast an Autarchie and selfe sufficiencie as any place whatsoever and yet we are beholding to others for their Mineralls Spices and that which is most necessary their Drugges Secondly the businesse of the merchant is an honourable businesse and imployment Esay 23.8 as we read of the merchants of Tyre that they were Princes her traffiquers the honorable of the earth This is that which hath advanced the heads of those three flourishing States in Christendome Venice Genoa and the Low-countries who by their strength in shipping industrie in Navigation are arrived at such a degree of honour and eminency that many envy it and all admire it The time was when this was the peculiar honour and glorious prerogative of this nation as Keckerman confesses Hoc certum est omnibus hodiè gentibus navigandi industria peritia superiores esse Anglos post Anglos Hollandos Keckerm for saith he It is certaine that the Englishmen are the best sea-men no nation in the world can compare with them either for art or industrie and next to them are the Hollanders But I feare I may say as the daughter of Eli did when the Arke was taken where is the glory or the glory is departed from our Israel or if not departed yet much eclypsed Such is our sloth and negligence such our tendernesse and delicacie that wee cannot brooke the dangers of the Sea nor the confinement of a Cabbin Thirdly the businesse of the merchant is a gainefull businesse And hence is it that Salomon compares his good huswife to a Merchants Ship Prov. 31.14 which brings in riches from a farre countrey Such was the riches of Salomon that all his drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forrest of Lebanon were of pure gold none were of silver it was not any thing accounted of in the dayes of Salomon And the reason of this wealth is given in the next verse 2 Chron. 9.20 21 22. For the Kings ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram every three yeares once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver yvorie and apes and peacocks so that King Salomon passed all the Kings of the earth in riches and wisdome It is said of Tyre that by her traffique shee had increased her riches and through the multitude of her merchandise lived in such plenty and abundance as if shee lived in Eden the garden of God being covered with gold and precious stones I make no question but some of you which heare mee this day will confesse with Iacob that when you first passed over Iordan when you went first to Sea your portion was not great yet now behold God hath inriched you with the blessings of the deepe and the treasures hid in the sands take heed therefore that your hearts be not lifted up doe not sacrifice to your nets and ships as though by them your portion was plenteous and your morsels fat doe not kisse your owne hands say not it is your owne wisdome or understanding your owne art or industry that hath gotten you this wealth but confesse that it is the Lord your God that hath given you power to gather riches and that it is his blessing that maketh rich And then there wants but one thing to make up all and that is when God prospers you with rich voyages and safe returnes you have a care to pay him his Custome I exclude not the Kings for if you steale that you may forfeit all And Gods Custome is your charity to his poore members for whatsoever you doe to one of them he takes it as done to himselfe As you get your wealth by the waters so cast your bread upon the waters upon the weeping cheekes of comfortlesse widdowes
the faithfull It is said of the Cities of the Amorites that they were walled up to heavē Deut. 1.28 but he that would raise a wall so high must lay the foundation as low as the Center of the earth and we see in the storie of Nimrod that God would not suffer such bold undertakings Exod. 3.17 It is reported of the land of Canaan that it was a land flowing with milk and honie and yet I beleeve there were no such rivers in Paradise And it is here said that such sometimes is the violence of the windes and the elevation of the waters that ships are mounted to heaven and cast down to hell and David sayes no more then what many have said after him Tollimur in coelum curvato gurgite Virg. Aeneid 3. iidem Subductâ ad Manes imos descendimus undâ We mount to heaven or dive to hell As wanton billowes sinke or swell Me miserum quanti montes volvuntur aquarum Ovid. l. 1. Trist eleg 2. Iamjam tacturos syder a summa putes Quantae diducto subsidunt aequore valles Iamjam tacturas Tartara nigraputes Wretch that I am such hills of water rise As seeme to touch the heavens and wash the skies And in a trice such gaping gulfes appeare As if that way to hell a passage were Nubila tanguntur velis terra carina Lucan l. 5 The top-sailes touch the clouds the keele the sands Now these and the like hyperbolicall expressions are not to be understood precisely according to the sound but according to the sense and they intimate thus much that the miracles of Christ were very many that the seed of Abraham was very numerous that the walls of the Amorites were very high that the fruitfulnesse of Canaan was very much and that the dangers of the Sea are very great and indeed such a Poeticall and superlative expression was the fittest for this Argument The Poet will not be perswaded but he had an heart of oake Ille robur aes triplex circa pectus erat c. Horat. l. 1. Car. ode 3. Aut insanit aut mori cupit aut mendicus est Alex. in Stob. I nunc ventis animam committe dolato confisus ligne digitis a morte remotus quatuor aut septem si sit latissima taeda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nam propè tam lethum quam propè cernit aquam Ovid. l. 2. de Ponto Acts 27.18 or brasse that first adventured to Sea and trusted himself in a wooden vessell with that mercilesse element And another will not beleeve but hee that goes to Sea is either a mad man or a beggar or desirous to die Anacharsis be asked whether the number of the dead or the living was the greater answered that he knew not in what number to reckon mariners and having learnt that the thicknesse of a ship was but foure fingers said there was no more distance betwixt them and death Let a ship bee built as strong as art can possibly make her let her bee laden with gold silver and the most precious commodities let her cary never so many guns let her beare the name of some dreadfull and hideous monster yet the winde playes with it as a toy and the waves tosse it as a tennis ball as S. Paul saith of the ship wherein he sailed that she was exceedingly tossed Now if the danger bee so great that you are mounted up to heaven and throwne downe againe into the depths dare any of you venture to Sea till you have mounted up to heaven on the wings of prayer that Gods power and protection would goe along with you and gone downe into the depths of your own hearts by repentance and confession of your sinnes S. Ieromes counsell is that we should not stirre abroad till we have armed our selves with prayer Egredientes de hospitio armet oratio in ep ad Eustoch for Leo in via there is a Lion in the way and danger in all places It may bee some incensed Lamech or unnaturall Cain may meet thee and kill thee It may be some loose tile or unjoynted piece of timber may fall upon thee and brain thee And if it be thus in the fields or streets of the City what is it at Sea which is as full of danger as it is of water every wave and puffe of winde threatning destruction nay though the Sea be never so calme and the winde never so still yet there is but the thicknesse of a plank betwixt you and ruine Pitty it is that when men goe to Sea they are carefull to have their number of men their provision of victuals their tire of guns and whatsoever else is necessary for their voyage yet the one thing that is necessary for the most part is least regarded The Church of Rome teaches her disciples to cary with them to Sea the relique of some Saint as an antidote and preservative against all dangers or to invocate some commentitious Patron But call upon mee sayes God and there is good reason wee should doe so for the Sea is his and he made it and he that made it can rule it be the waves thereof never so unquiet S. Paul intending a voyage to Ierusalem would not enter into the ship till he had kneeled down upon the shore and commended himselfe to Gods protection The gravell I confesse was but a hard cushion and it may be the mariners called upon him to come aboard because the tide was far spent or the winde ready to alter or else they would hoise sayles and leave him yet for all this he will pray before hee will saile and commit himselfe to God before he commit himselfe to the deepe waters and goe thou and doe likewise And prayer if it save not thy ship will save thy soule if it keepe not thy body from the water for all things happen alike to all men it will keepe thy soule from the fire which is the greater deliverance Againe are the dangers of the Sea so great and dare any of you when you are at Sea behave and demeane your selves prophanely and irreligiously S. Peter discoursing of the dissolution of the world when the heavens shall be rouled up like skins of parchment and the elements melt with fervent heat makes this inference What manner of men ought we to bee in all holy conversation and godlinesse And truly when I consider how you are sometimes mounted up to heaven where God is ready to judge you and sometimes throwne downe into the depths where hell is ready to swallow you I cannot but say What manner of men ought ye to be Doubtlesse a Seaman that is profane is as prodigious a monster as a poore man that is proud or a rich man that is a lyer or an old man that is wanton and the Lord abhorres him as well as any of the other S. Ambrose calls the Sea the schoole of temperance chastity and sobriety Secretiem temperantiae exercitium
continentiae mundi hujus sobrietas Hexam l. 3. and therefore such as will not be ruled on land we send to Sea that being disciplined with the spectacles of Gods power and the strong apprehensions of death and danger they may be reformed and yet such is the invincible and incorrigible wickednesse of our hearts that men come out of a ship as the beasts out of Noahs Arke as very beasts and as uncleane as when they went first in and like the Catadupi continually hearing the falls of Nilus grow deafe and heare nothing And if at any time the extremity of a storme extort from them a vow of amendement it is for the most part blowne over with the foule weather and like Manna melts with the next Sun-shine I remember a merry story of one who in a tempest vowed he would offer our Lady a wax light as big as his maine mast if he escaped and being reproved by one of his fellowes for vowing a thing impossible peace foole sayes he we must speake our Lady faire now but if I get to shore one of eight in the pound shall serve her Much better did a company of mariners who vowed if they escaped the tempest to build a Church to S. Heylin Iohn di Malvatia whose morter should be tempered with malmesey and accordingly they paid it Which Church is in Zara or Iudera a City in Dalmatia for the possession of which towne there have beene great warres betwixt the Hungarians and Venetians Vow therefore unto the Lord and pay it and say as the Psalmist Psal 66.13 I will goe into thine house with burnt offerings I will pay thee my vowes which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Againe are the dangers of the Sea so great and can you forget God when he hath delivered you from them must not you needs say with the Apostle Thankes be unto God who hath delivered me must not you needs confesse with David that if the Lord had not helped you the waters had overwhelmed you yea the proud waters had gone over your soule But because I shall hereafter have occasion to speak of your duty after your deliverance which is to praise the Lord and declare the wonders which he doth for the sons of men I will here passe it over We have now seene the literall sense of the words as for allegories and allusions Expositours are full of them Musculûs in Io. A ship thus mounted up to heaven and throwne downe to hell is the embleme of a proud man who lifting up his heart as high as heaven meets with a God which refists the proud and beates him into the depths againe for he that exalteth himselfe shall be humbled Lucifer said in his heart that he would ascend into heaven and exalt his throne above the starres of God that he would ascend above the height of the cloudes and be like the most high you heare his mounting up to heaven Ascendit Angelus deseendit diabosus Aug. Soliloq c. 28. but God tells him when hee had done so he should be brought downe to hell to the sides of the pit there is his going downe into the depths againe Edom having made his habitation high said in the pride of his heart who shall bring me dawne to the ground one undertakes it that was able to doe it Obediah 3.4 for though Edom exalt himselfe as an eagle and though he set his nest among the stars yet thence will I bring him down saith the Lord. Luke 10.15 And so Capernaum which was exalted to heaven was thrust downe to hell for of a proud and populous City there remaines but seven or eight fishermens cottages Stella in loc Aesope being asked how God was imployed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diog. Laërt l. t. in Chilon Dominare tumidus spiritus altos gere Sequitior superbos ultor à tergo Deus Sen. in Herc. answered that his businesse was to hūble such as are prond to exalt such as are humble Arnobius applyes this unto S. Peter who when he said he would die for Christ rather then deny him and follow him though all forsooke him seemed in the conceit of his owne strength and ability to be mounted up to heaven but when he denied him at the voice of a silly maide hee went downe into the depths nay hee went yet lower for he did not only deny him but forsweare him yet after all this he went out and wept bitterly and so as it followes in the text his soule was melted in him And so wee come to the sad consequences and attendants of this danger the first whereof is expressed in an elegant metaphor of melting and liquefaction Their soules are melted in them because of thetrouble A tempest is here called a trouble and howsoever in the Hebrew the word be in the singular yet S. Ierome renders it in the plurall number In malis for indeed many are the troubles that constitute and make up this trouble Is not the ayre troubled with the clashing and collision of the clouds Esay 57.20 and conflicts of the windes being let loose out of their treasuries Doe we not read of a troubled Sea in the prophet which being disquieted by its neighbour element cannot rest nay does not S. Iude tells us Jude 13. that the Sea is so troubled that the waves thereof are mad and raging And now must not the hearts of the mariners and passengers be troubled with the apprehension of death which is the King of feares Praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem Virg and of all things in the world the most terrible when they see it approach in every billow and heare it threaten in every blast The disciples in the storme thought of nothing but of perishing S. Paul speaking of the tempest that lay upon them sayes that all hope of being saved was taken away from them Acts 27.20 and can you blame flesh and blood if it change countenance and be troubled in such a case Yet secondly though we be naturally troubled with the sense and apprehension of death yet some kindes of death there are which trouble us more then others And I know not how it comes to passe but drowning hath ever been accounted a miserable and inglorious death as appeares by that of the Poet. Ovid. l. 1. Trist eleg 2. Non let hum timeo genus est miserabile lethi Demite naufragium mors mihi munus erit Et non aequoreis piscibus esse cibum I feare not death death is the thing I wish And yet I would not drowne and feed the fish And the reason hereof it may be was because they thought the soule Ignava fortes sata consument viros Sen. in Agam which they supposed to be fire was extinguished in the waters or else because it is a death wherein a man can give no testimony of his valour Maximè detestaban