quiet my Spirit in himself and I was well perswaded to die and began to be ravisht with the Consideration of the joyes of Heaven how quickly I and my poor heart should be in our Masters joyes that expression of entring into my Masters joy affected me much that the joy was too big to enter into me I must be swallowed up in it and that my Masters joy could be no small joy thereupon I spake comfortably to my wife desiring her to cheer up for that we should suddainly be in Heaven if the Lord was pleased thus to take us to himself who resigned her Soul to God and we took our leaves solemnly of each other with our eyes full of teares which I felt running down her cheeks when I kist them saying that all tears shall suddenly be wiped from our eyes in Heaven and with a great fervour of Spirit I thought several times to this purpose Sweet Jesus I come to thee we come not only in this Sea of waters but Lord we come to thee in a Sea of blood if it shall please thee to call us the storm still increased and I grew exceeding heavy and sleepy but roused my self up and checked my heart that I should Jonah like offer to sleep in such a storm what be drowned in my sleep my wife often begged at me not to sleep but I could not possibly forbear sleep if it had been to have saved all our lives so it pleased God that sitting as upright as I could I fell into as fast a sleep as ever I was in all my life And in my sleep I dreamed THat I was in an upper chamber with my sweet Redeemer Christ Jesus and that there were many Suiters attended to speak with him to beseech him to save their Ships and Barks that they might not perish by the storm I thought it was a large room wherein there was a long table with an ordinary Carpet and two candles standing upon it two trenchers of Tobacco and Pipes and one Man walking up and down by the table of a middle stature about thirty years of age the hairs of his Head long and white as flax but curling at the end but the hair of his upper lip brown in sad colour'd cloathes and a cloth broad brim'd hat I asked him who he was who said he waited upon Jesus Christ I asked him where Jesus Christ was he pointed to a Curtain saying there he is I beheld and saw a glorious shining but no person and methought Jesus Christ spake to me and asked me what I would have I said the lives of all in the Ship said he in what ship said I in the Hector It is a bad name said he for such as profess me Castor and Pollux is for Heathens I pray'd him that we might not dye in this manner sayes he to me are not you safe but good Lord said I I must return and I beg life for all in the Ship who are they said he I answered that there was my dear Wife and three servants Lieutenant Colonel Saunders Major Bee Mr. Hews honest Abraham and other passengers thy servants said Jesus Christ at my naming Lieu. Col. Saunders and some others it s so much the better that they are there the Captain and the Sea-men are serviceable to thy Cause and they take wonderful pains to save their own lives and ours but unless thou speak the word the Sea will swallow us up Then methought Jesus Christ askt me why I was not willing to dye I told him that by this death I could not glorifie him thinking upon that Scripture Joh. 21.19 and methought I was something impatient that the Lord should surprize us getting us into a ship at his call for his service and then to drown us as if we were Parricides or hainous Malefactors which by Law were drowned at that methought Jesus Christ withdrew as if he was displeased said I Lord if thou drownest those that love thee what wilt thou do to thine enemies but could get no answer whereupon I was sensible of my impatience and thought that I fell down flat down on the ground and cryed for mercy saying Lord we kiss thy Rod and turn our naked backs strike as much as thou pleasest Lord I plead nothing but thy free grace it may be many of us have offended in excessive drinking and now thou art punishing us in our own Element however our sins are more then the sands of the Sea-shore but let pitty move thee to save us thou sweet Redeemer which hast been at Sea in storms that art a merciful High Priest like unto us in all things but sin Heb. 2.17 and 4.15 take pitty upon thine own flesh and blood what Father but would save his Child from drowning if he could hast thou no work for any of us to do I thought the answer was but little to be done by some of us my Wife tells me that but a little before I slept I said certainly God had something for me and others to do for his service and therefore we should not dye at this time which I did not remember sweet Christ hear us as thou didst thy Disciples save us quickly or else we perish and being earnest in prayer in my dream methought that the man in the room came to me and told me that this was no natural storm of Gods sending but an extraordinary tempest raised by Satan by Gods permission to destroy those which were coming to fight against his servants and bad me use that argument to his Master Thereupon I instantly craved leave to speak and said Sweet Saviour if this storm and tempest be raised by Satan the Prince of the air as in Lapland and many other places where winds are sold he works in the children of disobedience and hath nothing to do with thy poor servants for though thou mayst justly for our sins give Satan power over us as thou didst over thy dear servant Job yet where thou givest a particular faith to be free from Sathans storms and witchcrafts thou art pleased to grant that which is believed And in great love it pleased Jesus Christ to give a gratious answer to my spirit and said Be not afraid your lives shall be saved instantly I replyed Lord let it be for all the Persons in the ship he said be it so then I pressed for the goods in the ship Lord said I there are my L. G. goods M. G. goods Let them be safe but they are not there said Jesus Christ no Lord said I they are fighting thy battels Jesus Christ answered the goods shall all be safe and the ship likewise and nothing miscarry then I gave humble thanks and departed and as I was going out I thought Jesus Christ said to me it is granted for half fifty go no more to Sea in Winter I further dream'd that the Devil and his Imps were very earnest with Jesus Christ to get leave to destroy the Governour of Wexford by the storm but
A True RELATION Of Mr. Iustice Cook 's passage by Sea from Wexford to Kinsaile and of the great Storm and eminent danger that he with others were in with the wonderful appearance of the power goodness of God in their deliverance according as it was revealed to him in A DREAM As also M. Deedate with other witnesses in Genevah opinion concerning Dreams occasioned by a remarkeable profettick Dream of a Protestant Marques Daughter in Poland All faithfully communicated as received from his own hand in the Year 1650. They that go down to the Sea in ships and do their business in great waters Those see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep etc. Psal 107.23.24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. Acts 27.22 to 26. And now I exhort you to be of good cheere for there shall be no losse of any mans life among you For there stood by me this night the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve Saying fear not Paul thou must be brought be four Caesar and lot God hath given thee all them that saile with thee Wherefore Sirs be of good cheere for I beleeve God that it shall be even as it was told me The 2d Edition LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by T. B. at the three Bibles neer the West end of Pauls Chrch-Yard A Relation of Mr. John Cooks passage by Sea from Wexford to Kinsale being in the great Storm on Jannuary the 5th The Lord is then best praised when we acknowledge him to be his own praise I Annuary the first 1649. We embarqued from Wexford in the Hector for Corke sayled two or three leagues beyond Greenor-bay but were driven back the wind turning upon us upon the Saturday following the wind being fair we got within sight of Dungarvan that night proved very windy and about four in the morning on the Lords day a very tempestuous wind arose and the storm was the greatest that ever any of the Sea-men knew as they said the wind was at South-east very thick we hoped to fetch Corke being within a mile of the shore but could not possibly make land in that distress we put to sea hoping by that way to save life the wind continued all that Sabbath day at South-east South-east and by South and South South-east which if the wind had held at south-east as it was in the morning we could not have doubled the point about the land but had been east upon the rocks we bore two courses to keep off from the shore all the day and being as we supposed about the pitch of the Cape Cleere at nine on Sabbath day night we shipt a great Sea which split and carryed away our foresaile and so were forced to bring to a fore-top fail to keep from the shore and to here that fore tope-saile till two in the night in which time we were formed to cut our Anchor from the bough to save the ship from foundring we having at that time five foot water in the hold The Monday morning we were ten leagues to leeward of the Cape Cleere and the wind was up at South-west then we made all the sayl possible to fetch some harbour and it pleased God we made the Cape hoping to fetch Baltamore but the wind coming up at South-east and by east we were forced to Sea again all the night the wind continuing at South-east South-east and by South and South-South-east Tuesday we made the Misne head and could fetch no harbour the wind being still at South-east Wednesday the wind came up at West and we made for shore again and came up as high as Gally-head hoping to fetch Kinsale about three in the after-noone the wind came up at East South-east and then we hoped to recover Castlehaven before night and made for it and in our running in the Wind veared at South-east and blew very fresh and we still hoping to gain the harbour ranin knowing no other way to save life the Wind being so contrary it grew extraordinary thick rained and blew much we fired three or four pieces of Ordnance for lights and saw one light from the Castle as we supposed and two other lights to the Eastward which put us to an amazement not knowing whether they were friends or enemies and could not possibly see the going into the Harbour but were in the very breach of the shore the sight whereof caused a great scrik in the Ship and thereupon brought our Ship to hoping thereby to have come to an Anchor which if we had done we had been past all hopes of life the Rock being so neer would have cut our Anchor but God being most merciful in that nick of time the Sea-men despairing of life the Wind at an instant came up at East which carryed us into the Sea and yet so great was the danger that if the Wind did not turn again to the West in less than half an hour we were dead men by reason of the Rocks called the Staggs so we came in a little time within sight of the Rocks the Wind driving us strongly upon them and then seeing the Rocks within a Ships length of us we put our Ship to stay which she would not the Sea being so extremely grown the Sea-men being at their wits end wishing us to prepare for death the Lord again at that very instent caused the wind to come up at South-west which carryed us out into the Sea cleer from the Rocks where we had the Wind favourable that night and blessed be God on Thursday we came into Kinsale it being the first Harbour that the Lord was pleased to give us but that which is most admirable is this that so soon as the Ship was come into Kinsale Harbour she leaked so very much that the Sea-men came the next morning and told us that they were almost drowned that night and could scarce keep the ship alive in the Harbour and were forced the next tide to bring her to the Key and at the Ebb to repair her and had much ado to keep her from sinking This being the method of Gods dealing with us in our passage Now concerning the work of God upon my spirit during the storm thus it was Towards the evening of the Sabbath day Jannuary the 5. my heart was exceeding sad and sorrowfull even unto death a dark night approaching and the ship taking in much water my spirit fainted and my heart sunk within me the sorrows of death caught hould of me much grieved I was for my poor dear heart who did not express half so much fear as my self many sweet expressions she used in prayers wishing me to call earnestly upon God many words I could not use but my heart was praying it almost broke my heart to think what my wives friends would say in England that I should bring her into Ireland to drown her though I bless God she never repined at it troubled I was likewise for my poor servants that came
in love along with us it almost split my heart to think what the Malignants would say in England when they hear that we were drowned how they would abuse that passage of Paul Acts 28.4 That though vengeance hath not overtaken me at Land yet I was met withal at Sea much troubled I was at the manner of the death such extraordinary violent deaths importing the nature of some heavy Judgement as if the Lord hath been displeased with us and had not sent us and Jonahs storm was much in my thoughts I having spoken some words of Exhortation to the company out of that Scripture before the storm began for God sent that great storm Jonah 1.4 because Jonah went contrary to his Commands where I observed That when a Christian is in Gods way upon Gods errand sent to Sea usually God makes the Winde and the Seas favourable to him upon such considerations and many obiections made by flesh and blood I had very much trouble with my unbelieving heart and could not bring my mind to be willing to die earnest I had been in secret prayer at the Throne of Grace before for 16. or 18. hours together pleading with the Lord that if it were possible this cup of his indignation might pase over us that in Judgments he would remember Mercy however that we might cheerfully submit to his sweet pleasure the materials of my long suggested prayers were meditations and applications of several Scriptures which mention Gods power wisdome and love in the Seas God having put it into my minde not long before to note most of the chief places is Scripture concerning the Seas as proper and usefull for a Sea-voyage I prest my dear Christ not to drown us for said I we fight for thy Kingly Office throw the Agyptians and all thy emplacable enemies into the midst of the Sea but let us be preserved that we may praise thy Name Exod. 14.27 30. 15.1 Lord this is a calamity too heavy for thy poor creatures to beare Job 6.3 were it not that thou hast cast our sins into the depths of the Seas Micah 7.19 Lord suffer not the deeps to swallow us up Psal 69.15 Let not all thy waves and billowes pass over us We have seen thy wonders in the deep Psal 107.23 And if thou save us we shall declare them to the children of men but if thou make our graves in the Sea the dead cannot praise thee Psal 115.17 thou Lord which leadest thy Servants through the deep prepare dry Land for us Lord why should not the Seas be as favourable to thy servants as the dry Land Thou layest up the depth in store-houses Psal 33.7 Thou Lord canst still the noyse of the waves Psal 65 7. Psal 68.22 was a comfortable place to me that the Lord promised to bring again his people from the depth of the Sea Sweet Christ do thy Office and be a Savour to thy people both for Souls and Bodies thou layest the beames of thy Chambers in the waters 10.4 Psal 3. and rulest the raging of the Seas Psal 89.9 Now Lord the floods have lifted up their voyce and their waves Psal 93.2 but thou art mightyer than the mighty waves of the Sea The fishes of the Sea shall shrink at thy presence but why art thou so angry with thy servants who art sent in thy service Lord cast the great Dragon into the Bottomless Pit that old Serpent called the Devil and Sathan Revel 12.9 but let thy people live to praise thee thou Lord canst say to the Sea Be dry Esa 44.27 Esa 50.2 and canst easily bring us safe to land Lord hast not thou made the depths of the Sea a way for thy ransomed ones to pass over Esa 51.10 Why must then thy servants be drowned as if they were in this Malefactors Ionah ran away from thee and would not obey thee being unwilling to be the mouth and proclaimer of thy Iustice upon Nineveh the head of the Assyrian Empire and thou sentest out a great winde and there was a mighty tempest in the Sea Ionah 4. which was no ordinary wind but sent as a punishment for his disobedience yet because he was thy servant and was not selvish nor displeased in thy shewing mercy for fear of his being thought a false Prophet but out of zeal for thy glory which he thought was wronged and obscured by that change and out of his ardent affection to thy people that their enemies should live and though he said he did well to be angry even unto death they being not words of expresse rebellion but of a passionate Spirit blinded with anger therefore when he prayed unto thee out of the belly of Hell he was mightily preserved Now Lord thou which wast a God so gracious and merciful slow to anger of great kindness towards the Heathens in Niveveh shall not we find thy mercy if thou hast any further work for us to do in our generation we shall Lord it is the wicked that is like the troubled Sea whose water casts up mire and dirt Isa 57.20 Thy Justice was very wonderful and glorious at Wexford in drowning those Pirates and wicked men in the Sea that had done so much mischief to thy people in that Element and what will thy enemies say when the carkasses of thy people are given to be food for the Fishes Lord command this great wind into thy treasure and bring forth winds serviceable for us that we may have an auspicious gale and an expeditious fail into some Harbour where it shall please thy Majesty for thy poor creatures are at their wits end and death appears in their faces thou only canst shut up the Sea with doors Job 38.8 Thou makest the deep to boyle like a pot and makest the Sea like a pot of oyntment as if the Sea was hoary by the long white frothy path Job 41.31 32. Sweet Christ thou hast dominion from Sea to Sea Psal 72.8 and thou hast given to the Sea a decree that the waters pass not thy commands Prov. 8.29 Therefore though the Sea Roar and threaten to swallow us up yet unless thou givest it a commission to devour us it cannot hurt us sweet Christ the Sea is unto thee as the dry land the winds and Seas will obey thee dear Redeemer wilt not thou speak one word to save the lives of thy own members Matth. 8.26 27. and 14.27 Mark 4.29 Peace Be still will make a great calm Lord assure some of thy poor Servants that all shall be well as thou didst to blessed Paul Acts 27.23 Give some vision and manifestation of thy love for it was for thy sake that we committed our selves to the Sea let some of thy Servants in the Ship be assured from Heaven that we shall be safe however Lord let thy will be our wills with other Scriptures not now perfectly remembred Now after long Prayers and meditations it pleased God about six on the Sabbath day night that the Lord Jesus Christ began to