motions yet he is sure in his executions 2. Poor Souls that are preserved and make no spiritual use of their Preservations they are ready to think God loves them because he preserves them and so they go on in their sins and provocations We must not argue from common Providences to special affection There are no evidences in these things no no more than in sparing the wicked in the Plague-time while many truly-godly were carried into Heaven and glory by it 3. Poor Souls that are under such Perfecutions are hardened 4. Preservations that are not answered in Conversation nothing speaks more sadly a Souls-Rejection by God than this O what a sad argument it is of Rejection for a poor Soul never to be brought nearer God by all its preservations but worse after deliverances This saith as much as God hath let it alone Third Use is a word of Examination to Godly Sea-men If it be so that Prayer is such an excellent meanes for preservation O then examine whether your Preservations have been fruits of prayer answers unto prayer O it is a sweet thing to read answers of prayer in preservation to say Lord thou hast heard my Cry and delivered me 1. A Preservation that is a fruit of prayer is a Perservation that alwaies endears the Soul unto God I will love thee O Lord my strength O what a warm frame of Heart was Ps 18. 1 2. he in at that time O the Lord had delivered and preserved him Hath your Preservations indeared God to you or no What not love him that appeared for you when none else could come into your Relief 2dly A Preservation that is a fruit of Prayer alwaies raises the Souls of the Receivers in praise That which we win by Prayer we wear by praise What is the reason men are so ingrateful and unthankful for these Preservations They are not answers of prayer 3dly A Preservation that is a fruit of Prayer will cause the Soul to believe in the next strait it is brought into It binds the Soul over to believe for the future Answers of prayer always bind over the Soul to believe He hath delivered me and he will deliver c. 4thly Preservations that are answers to prayer they fill the Soul with admiration such Souls go round about their preservations and look stedfastly upon every circumstance and so see the beauty of its preservations The mercy came in when I had given over all hope when near sinking then the storm ceased Here did the power of God appear there the wisdom of God there the love of God 5. Preservations that are Answers to Prayer they are always lived up to Conversations are suited to their Preservations 1. Such walk Humbly under their Preservations they do not puff them up 2. They walk Holily after Preservations 3. They walk Thankfully Jonah 1. 7. And they said every one to his Fellow Come let us cast Lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us So they cast Lotts and the Lot fell upon Jonah WEe have already had an account how serious these poor distressed Mariners were in their danger as to their use of means 1. Rational means They lighted the Ship 2. Religious means They every one cry to their God And here in the Text they are upon the use of the most extraordinary and best and last means viz To find out the guilty Malefactour who raised the storm that now threatned them with Ship-wrack For whose cause this evil was come upon them Now was their grand Inquiry 1. In the Text we have a serious consultation of a poor distressed Ship-company in eminent danger Dangers will make men serious in their Consultations And they said every one to his Fellow Come let us cast Lots The storm growing upon them though they had used rational and religious means Jonah having not confessed his sin they begin to think that the storm came upon some extraordinary errand and might be some extraordinary Messenger or Pursevant to Arrest some great Malefactor And therefore they fall upon a Consultation to use extraordinary means in order to a discovery of the guilty Person And this is the casting of Lots The use of the Lot being in difficult cases to leave it to the judgment of God to decide the Controversie The Lot was used in Scripture in these cases 1. To decide inheritances They were divided by Lot The Inheritance was also from hence called a Lot And Simeon said unto his Brother come up with me into my Lot that Numb 26. 53. we may fight against the Canaanites 2. The use of Lots was in order to the executing of Sacred and Holy matters Aaron was to cast Judg. 1. 3. Lotts upon the Goats One for the Lord another Lev. 15. 8. for the Scape-Goats So Matthias was chosen to his Office by Lot 4. The use of Acts 1. 26. the Lot was for deciding of Controversies The Lot causeth contention to cease and parteth Pro. 18. 18. between the mighty It unites them and reconciles them The disposing of the Lot is 1 Sam 14. 41. called God's Judgment The Lot is cast into the lap but the disposing thereof is of the Prov. 16. 33. Lord. But the word signifies Judgment the Judgment is of the Lord He decides the controversie And some read it The whole Judgment of it is of the Lord. Thus Achan was discovered by Lot He was taken Josh 7. 14 15. but some read it he was hit the Lot fell upon him as here upon Jonah A Lot saith Dr. Ames is a requesting a divine testimony to decide Mat. 27. 35 They cast Lotts upon his Vesture some controversie by the determining of an event to be manifested in a meer Contingency Now the case of these poor Heathen Mariners was this They attributed some thing of this Nature to Lotts that they were in their use and eye of a deciding discovering Nature So they consult to cast Lotts 2. We have their agreement in their consultation So they cast Lotts they were not divided in this case as many Ships-companies are in storms Some will stay by the Vessel and some will take them to their Boat and both the divided Parties many times lost Dividing in time of common danger and distress is frequently of sad Consequence But we see here they all resolve upon one course which should teach Christian Sea-men to be united in their course and Resolution in time of distress 3. We have the main scope and end of this serious Consultation That we may know for whose cause this Evil is come upon us They had strong apprehensions that the Case was extraordinary and gladly would they find it out They do not every one reflect upon one and say Is it I Is it I O no but they put it off from one another and yet all are in good earnest for a discovery of the cause But Jonah is silent all this while says nothing They had this
you that you may have the mercies of all that sail with you to be given unto you and never come under the judgment of having them that sail with you to come in as witnesses against you in the day of the Lord. If any thing in these following Papers may be useful and serviceable to this end it will cause the Author to say It is enough nay it is all that was in design in sending out these weak endeavours into your hands That you and your Ships-companies Souls and Bodies Vessels and Ventures may be ensured in the great Ensurance-office above is the prayer of Your Cordial Soul-friend in the things that concern your Internal External and Eternal Peace J. R. To all Mariners and others that use the Seas Brethren I Cannot but with all the opportunities that I can promote the honour of my dear Master and the interest of precious Souls I would by prayers tears intreaties preaching writing be doing what I can possible to pluck poor Creatures out of the snares of Satan and of all sorts of men poor Seamen have not the least share in my affections I can I hope though in too low a degree yet speak these words of Paul to you Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for your Souls is that they may be saved I know the redemption of the Soul is precious and ceaseth for ever and shortly you will be out of the reach of my intreaties and I expect e're long to put off this Tabernacle the shortness of my breath and the weakness of my body cry aloud to me What thou dost do quickly for shortly thou must be silent I am not ignorant of the dangers that you grapple with every moment methinks when I hear the wind begin to rustle my heart begins to ake fain would I do all that I can to secure you from an everlasting wrack I am not insensible how many temptations you meet with and how much you are exposed in those hot Climates you trade in and of what prevalency bad examples may be with some I know also that the want of quickning Ordinances and powerful preaching when you are abroad doth not a little hazzard the cooling of your affections to Spiritual things I can't also but observe that a strange hardness stupidness and unconcernedness hath possessed most of your tribe And who can chuse but bewail the condition of men that live within sight of death and eternity every hour and yet carry it as if there were no other life beyond this or as if their business here were to secure misery and damnation hereafter Oh what doth sin make men what sots mad men and fools are most and who worse than some Seamen who of all men living should be most serious They which carry their lives in their hands had need carry grace in their hearts Oh what a sad sound it is to hear any of them swearing and cursing and damning who one would think should be almost always praying or praising of God! when I lay all these things together and consider how loud God himself hath spoke within these few years to poor Seamen I could not but strike in with Providence It may be some may hear and in this their day understand the things of their peace before they be hid It was not long since the dismall thundring of Cannons did alarum poor sleepy Seamen it 's not long since the groans of the dying spoke aloud to you to get an Ark it 's not long since the wounds of your Brethren opened their mouths and bid you look quickly for the Balm of Gilead it 's not long since the decks of your Ships were slippery with the brains and blood of your friends and what doth all this teach you but that your lives and souls are in unspeakable hazzard and whosoever neglects the minding of Christ and his Soul it should not be a Seaman Especiaâ— that faâ— storm tâ— thousands of Souls September last which occasioned the Authoâ— preaching several of the ensuing Sermons â—specially upon thâ— Text The Lot fell upon Jonah And also it occasioned their coâ—mitting to publick view that they may be prepared against succâ—ding stroms and tempests I will say nothing of the later storms and dismal tempests although I believe they are not easily to be parallel'd in some hundreds of years I pass by the miserable captivity of others and what storms the tribe of Mariners may still meet with I will not now say When I consider what leisure you have to read when you cannot hear and how heart-affecting a warm discourse may be to you when you have time to read and think and read and see and hear what is writ and read and pray too I can't but commend to your serious perusal this judicious practical and affectionate piece of my reverend Brother And now I have an opportunity give me leave to add a word or two more to quicken you to seriousness and let me leave these following lines as a witness of my hearty affections to you which I beg of you to think of when I am dead and gone Again I beseech you as you love your Souls think of these ensuing Considerations 1. Consider what a sorry Vessel you have under you how brittle is that Bark that you are sailing in a little blast oversets it a leak sinks it if it strike upon the ground it 's soon broken I mean your bodies are poor frail things and are soon shaken you dwell in tabernacles of clay whose foundation is in the dust and is it not worth the while to think seriously what shall I do to live for ever 2. Consider what precious Wares this Vessel is laden with Your Vessel is your Body the lading your Soul and what do you think a Soul is worth as little as most mind it if you 'l believe him that bought them he saith That they are worth more than a world and shall the preciousest commodities be least valued or was Christ mistaken and gave too much for them or are you wiser than Christ is gold and silver worth more than a soul are dying men or are damned men that have lost their souls of this mind Oh Sirs you can never be too careful about the saving of your Souls 3. Consider whither you are bound it 's for eternity either everlasting glory or everlasting misery Death will shortly land you in endless happiness or sorrow and if you would never so fain you cannot then alter your state you may repent your bargain but not mend it prayers tears and wishes will e're long be in vain Oh therefore seeing it is for eternity do your work to purpose that it may not need repenting of Man your voyage is great lay in provisions accordingly 4. Consider how few make a saving Voyage many that think they are getting when they come to cast up their accounts find that they were hugely out men carry great ventures with them and expect to be made by it and
poor sinner will go thus was it with Jonah 3. In the 4 Verse we have Gods displeasure in Jonah's Punishment but the Lord sent a great wind into the Sea Observe the Lord is sole Commander at Sea the winds do not rise accidentally but they have their Commission from God though Jonah would not obey Gods Commission yet the winds do Here the Lord sends a Pursevant in a storme after a rebellious Prophet the Winds and the Sea are God's servants O let Sea-men tremble at this God can cause these his servants to execute his will upon them when he pleaseth it is greatly the sin of such Persons that they look not higher then natural causes but alas every storm should read a Lecture to you of God when you are at Sea We may further observe guilt cannot flee from God God sends after guilt guilt carried to Sea will have a storm sent after it O tremble poor Sea-men when you go out to carry unpardoned guilt abroad with you Again observe Persons employed and especially commissioned by God may in their Temptations go cross to their Commissions thus did Jonah here thus did 1 Kings 13. the young Prophet who bare that brave Testimony against the Altar at Bethel yet he failed afterwards and went cross to his Commission Now the Text it self contains in it a discovery of the effects and consequences of this storm God sends after Jonah 1. Here is a description of the Persons under these Effects 2. The Effects themselves 1. The Persons Then the Marriners were afraid They are the most undaunted of Men the hardiest of Men being so frequently in these deaths and dangers they little regard them and yet these persons are afraid not the Passengers were affraid but the Marriners that used to encourage the poor trembling Passengers 2. We have the Effects themselves In fear They were afraid though they had been probably in many stormes before yet here being some things extraordinary in the Case to be discovered this fear fell upon them Now their courage and magnanimity were daunted this storm made them lower their Top-sails of courage and confidence 2. Effect of this storm was every one cryed to his God which argues the greatness of their fears it puts them upon seriousness stormes will change Mariners notes turn their Swearing into Praying it may be Swearing by their Gods was their practice before but now Praying is their practice They cryed which notes the earnestness Acts 27. 38. of their Spirits as Persons in distress cry to the true God so they cryed to their false God 3. Effect and cast out the Wares to lighten it which still spoke their fears this is one of the last things you doe at Sea to save your lives Paul did so with the Ship he was in cast the Wheat over-board here are all endeavours used to prevent Ship-wrack 3. Thing in the Text is a description of the guilty Person 1. Jonah was in the sides of the Ship Jonah whom the Mariners least suspected for they cast lotts we see to know who it was the unsuspected Person is often the guilty Person 2. We have an account of his posture he was gone into the sides of the Ship and was fast asleep Was he praying no though that would have been more proper more comely work a great deal for a guilty Person What a strange sight is here in the Ship Pagans and Gentiles praying And a Prophet yea a guilty Prophet sleeping nay observe the word fast asleep O what a Potion had he taken that he could be sleeping and the Vessel sinking neither the Windes roaring nor the Ships beating nor the Mariners praying nor the Ships lightning none of these awakens Jonah O what a sound sleep was he in The first Observation is this that stormes of danger causes stormes of fear the Marriners were afraid I will begin to handle this as being that part of my work intended for the awakening of the Souls of poor Seamen These Marriners were poor blind Heathens as you see by praying to their Gods and they were afraid now if the glimmering of the light of Nature did make them afraid O then well may poor sinners be afraid that have the light of the Gospel shineing into their hearts by conviction when they come into stormes if Heathens who had no light nor sight of a future state of their immortal Souls only as Death was terrible to them as it doth untie the Marriage knot between the Soul and Body were afraid then how may Sinners that know if they suffer Ship-wrack in a storm uninterrested in Christ they perish Body and Soul to all Eternity well I say may such Souls be afraid in stormes You see what those Marriners say if peradventure that we perish not They only meant of the perishing of the out-ward man what then may such Souls say that know they are not interested in Christ and yet must inevitably perish in their stormes To be sinking at Sea and have no bottom for thy poor Soul to build its hopes upon when thou shalt lanch out into that vast Ocean of Eternity it will daunt and amaze the stoutest Marriner and sinner in the world the Disciples we read of them sometimes in their stormes and in their fears they sometimes cry out why carest thou not that we perish well then may Prophane Sinners cry out in their stormes and dangers 1. Because Death is before men in stormes therefore they are in fears thus it was with those in my Text they see nothing but death before them O when poor Sea-men get a sight of the King of terrours in stormes O how doth their countenances fall how are their notes changed If many poor Souls be afraid of death are kept in bondage through the fear of death all their life long and yet Christ came to deliver them from death well may poor Sinners then be afraid of death O what sad cryes have many Souls uttered under the Fears and Horror of Death one cryes O that I might live Heb. â— â—5 a little longer though but as a Toad another cryes out Ten Pounds for an hour Ten Pounds for an hour Another I think it was one of the Kings of France I charge you name not Death in my hearing upon pain of Death Another I cannot dye yet I must dye then I say to thee O poor Christ-less Soul how can thou think of facing this grim Serjeant Death when he comes to break up a Writ of Eternal wrath upon thee whether by Sea or Land 2. Reason why in stormes and dangers men are full of fears because then Conscience stings them fear ariseth out of guilt a guilty Conscience is a thousand Witnesses and will not this O you poor guilty Sea-men dread you can you deny that Evidence that cryes out of your own Bosomes and this when you are in dangers Jonah's guilty Conscience when awakened did fly in his face I know for my sake this great Tempest is upon us it
afraid if he had not been asleep It is the Character of the Wicked They are as Esay 57. last the troubled Sea that easts forth mire and dirt and cannot rest Guilt poor Mariners will be to you as the Winds are to the Sea It was said of Caligula the persecuting Emperor that when it thundred and lightned he got under his Bed A poor shelter So when guilt is upon the Soul then there is a storm raised in the Conscience This is the Serpent Amâ—s 9. 5. in the bottom of the Sea that God commands to bite them Now you are Magor-missabibs Terrours to your selves and to all that are about you Now your Hearts will be made to meditate Terrour What a Case was Cain in by reason of the bloody guilt of his own Conscience when he cryed out Every Gâ—n 4. 14 one that meets me will slay me He speaks as if the World were full of men and we read but of very few Persons then in the World But this was his guilt 2. Guilt will raise storms without Jonah's guilt did so his guilt of Rebellion and disobedience to the Lords Commission did cause this great Temptest to be sent after him We read of Jehosaphat a godly Prince that he joyned himself with Ahaziah who did wickedly and they would send out a Fleet together What became of this Naval Expedition of theirs the Text tells us The Lord broke their works and their Ships so 2 Chron. 20. 31. that they were not able to go to Tarshish 1 Kings 9 26. this was a Sea-port Town in the Land of Edom upon the Red-Sea They never reached the Port Jehosaphats guilt raised the breaking storms O what sad thoughts will arise in your hearts at such times when you are in storms O will your guilty Consciences say This is come upon us for our sakes for our Land-sins Land-sins many times brings Sea-dangers You know the Heathens drew up that conclusion He hath escaped Acts 28 4. at Sea and Vengeance follows him at Land That guilt will be followed and Revenged that they concluded 3. Guilt will keep your Souls under the hidings of Gods face at Sea It was a sad Voyage that Paul was in when neither Moon nor Stars appeared for many days but Acts 27. it is farr sadder when the light of Gods Countenance doth lye in when it doth not appear But at that time the Angel came to him and bid him Be of good chear But now to be in such terrible storms and no Angel of Gods presence with you O how sad will this be O what would a smile of Christs reconciled face be worth when sinking when splitting It was sweetly said of that Sea-Captain when his Ship was on fire at Sea and they thought they should all be blown up immediately Now says he Jesus Christ is worth ten thousand Worlds 4. Guilt will sting your Souls at Sea with fears of death If poor Souls for whom Christ dyed may be in fears of death yea all their lives well then may guilty Souls at Sea be afraid of that King of Terrors How sad will it be for you poor Mariners to dye to have none of your Relations about you to be of use to you To dye without sickness To dye such a sudden death To dye out of your own Land Will not all these things come in to help on the trouble of your spirits But now if guilt be taken away Death is unstung You may say then when sinking O Death were is now thy sting And say as that old Puritan Minister did in a storm coming from New-England when Mr. Saxton of Leeds in Yorkshire they all were expecting the Vessel to sink O who is now for Heaven who is bound for Heaven 5. Guilt at Sea will be more dreadful to you than at Land because you are there deprived of those helps which you have here at Land You have not there those helps to unload your Consciences when they are burdened with the sense of sin You may sooner unload the Ship then unload your Soul there you have not any to be the Lord 's Barnabas's Sons of Consolation unto you There you have not those precious Ordinances to be Breasts of Consolation to you when under the Sense of guilt O what would not your Souls give if you should fall under the Load and Burden of your sins for a poor Minister that might tell but you of any glad tydings Would not their feet be beautiful then though their Persons and Ministry be now despised and slighted by you 3. Use Is it so that the guilty Person is usually the secure Person then it is a word of Caution both to Land-men and Sea-faring-men all of us one and other of us take heed then of being Secure under guilt O this is most dangerous Sense of guilt may bring a Soul nearer God bâ—t stupidity under guilt is very dangerous 1. Take heed of Security under guilt if once asleep it will be hard for you to be awakened you see it was thus with Jonah The Lord sends a Tempest after him and the Ship is like to be broken by it The Mariners they were afraid they cry to their Gods they lighten the Ship yet all this while guilty Jonah was sleepy Jonah until the Master of the Ship calls unto him and preaches a rouzing Sermon unto him saying Arise sleeper and pray unto thy God Is Esay 29. 10. not a Spirit of deep sleep and slumber fallen up-you Nay O that poor Ministers had not cause to say The Lord hath judicially poured it upon you And if so is it not hard to awaken such If one should come to the Grave-side and Preach and Pray and Weep would not you wonder And what do poor Ministers do every day is not this their work to preach to the dead to pray over the dead secure Souls in their graves Who for all this stirrs hand or foot after the Lord Jesus Was it not sad in the time of the Plague to hear that doleful Cry in the night Bring out your dead bring out your dead and must that be the cry yea all the cry of poor Ministers Throw out your dead Throw out dead Souls from your Congregations through out dead Souls from your Families Take heed of security under guilt for security hath always been a fore-runner of some great Calamity upon both Nations and Persons the security of Jonah was the fore-runner of this great storm the security of the Old World was a fore-runner of the Flood the security of the Jews was a fore-runner of their Captivity 3. Security under guilt is a sin that hath a wo written upon the Head of it Wo to Amos 6. 1. those that are at ease in Zion To be at Ease and to be Secure is all one in the Scripture-Dialect Jonah was too much at ease now when all the Company was in danger and so are there many that sayl in the same Bottom with him
Notion that some extraordinary guilt raised this Storm There was some Malefactor aboard and as they said when Paul came a shoar and the Viper came upon his Acts 28. 4. hand No doubt this man is a Murderer whom though he escaped the Sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live So these poor Pagans conclude Some great Malefactor was aboard this storm pursued to take Vengeance of 2. Here is this in it also that they gave up the discovery to the determination of the Lot That we may know for whose cause this Evil is come upon us We will be decided by the Lot whom the Lot will fall upon They attributed such a Divinity to Lots that they were willing the Controversie should be ended by them 4. We have the controversie devided and the Malefactor discovered And the Lot fell upon Jonah Before he was reproved and might have been vehemently suspected being asleep in such a storm But here he is plainly and openly discovered and discovered in an extraordinary way too His Conscience is not startled at the Mariners reproof though he be awake his Conscience is asleep still he doth not cry out I am the man for whose cause this Evil is come upon You. I am the Malefactor sent after by this storm O no so hard it is to acknowledg our guilt and take shame to our selves We go on and let God go onuntil we be discovered that there is no denyal of it 1. Observation is this Extraordinary Storms and Tempests are not sent out without a Cause This Doctrine these poor Pagans owned 2. In all Distresses and Afflictions it is our duty to be inquiring into the Cause This Doctrine the poor Heathen Sea-men own For whose Cause this Evil is come upon us 3. God will find out the Jonah that hath raised the storm And the Lot fell upon Jonah The hand of an especial determining Providence disposing and so ordering it that it fell upon Jonah 1. Observation Extraordinary storms and tempests are not sent out without a Cause That we may know for whose cause this Evil is come upon us is the consent of the whole Ships-company 1. We are to understand that these poor Heathens had in their dangers apprehensions above Chance and Fortune They thought that there was some cause given to their Gods by provoking them why these things should come upon them As they had why the Viper should come upon Paul's hand They thought there was some great cause that he was a Murderer and vengeance was pursuing him They thought their Gods were angry and so They cryed unto 1 Sam. 6 9. their Gods We read of the Philistines when they had taken the Ark Prisoner and had been Plagued for it with one Judgment after another to decide the Controversie whether these Judgments were from God or a chance that hapned to them they would put it upon this issue They would send it home and if it went by the way of the Coast of Bethshemesh then they concluded It was God's hand that smote them So here If the Lot fall upon Jonah then the Controversie is decided that he is the guilty Malefactor that hath caused this great storm 2. We are to understand that those poor Heathens had apprehensions of the Justice of their Gods while they say For whose cause is this come upon us They looked upon it as a punishment and that it was come as some righteous Sentence upon some great Malefactor So they in the Acts when they saw the Viper come upon Paul's hand presently conclude him a Malefactor of the highest ranck and that Vengeance would follow him at land if he escaped it at Sea They could not but believe there was some Cause given by some in the Vessel O that this may teach poor Sea-men every storm to say For whose cause is this storm come upon us shall Heathens out-strip Christians when they are in storms and dangers 3. We are to understand that these poor Heathen Sea-men did think that there was a Supream Power ordering and guiding this storm or tempest What needed they else cry to their Gods what needed they have cast Lotts But that they attributed a kind of Divinity to them to decide the Controversie and that the Winds had a Commission from their Gods to blow or else why should they say What should we doe unto thee that the Sea may be calm c. They thought If a righteous sentence was executed upon the now discover'd Malefactor that the storm would cease 4. We are to understand That these poor Heathen Sea-men thought that the Malefactor would be discovered Therefore they said every one to his Fellows Let us cast Lotts that we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us Lots were not used but in doubtful and difficult Cases Therefore they by joint consent put it upon this issue that he whom the Lot fell upon was the Person 5. It is further observable They were all willing to find out the guilty Person And every one said to his fellows Come let us cast Lots This seems to argue their innocency all this while they were so willing to come to tryal Guilty Persons use to fear the sentence of the Judg. Their willingness to cast Lots was to come undâ—r the judgment and sentence of the Lord. Though they might not think absolutely of the sentence of God in the Lots but it may be used them superstitiously and unwarrantably Before we come to the Reasons of it let us a little enquire into this storm What kind of storm it was that they thought there must be some especial Cause or Provocation to procure it 1. It is said to be sent out It is a Messenger or Pursevant after a Mallefactor The Ver. 4. Lord sent out a great Wind into the Sea Winds are the Servants of God He sayes Go and they go blow and they blow 2. It was a wind of The Lords sending out The Lord sent out a great Wind. They blow as God gives them a Commission God's Soveraignty over the Winds is an useful doctrine to Sea-men to take notice of It is said God Psal 78. 26. caused an East-wind to blow in the Heaven and by his Power he brought in the South wind He is said to bring them out of his Ps 135. 7. Treasuries They are shut up and let out at his command The way of the Lord was in this Tempest 3. It seems to be a sudden storm The Lord sent out a Wind into the Sea Cast out a wind upon the Sea some read it noting the suddeness of it And this made the Mariners conclude there was something extraordinary in it beyond the course of Nature 4. It was suâ—â— a storm as threatned the breaking of the Vessel 5. It was such a storm as was not calmed though the Malefactor was discoverd until he was executed They rowed hard to save his life but the Sea wrought and was Tempestuous against them â—er 15. justice must be
us that God is Righteous in his Terrible dispensations at Sea O how Righteous was God in this grievous Tempest O may not Sea-men and Land-men and all sorts say as the poor Church did Thou hast Ps 65. 5 punished us less than our Iniquities deserved How righteous is God and doth answer us with Terrible things in Rightcousness And observe what follows O God of our Salvation who art the confidence of all the ends of At old Lynn the 11 12 of September 16â—1 the Earth and of them that are far off upon the Sea When God ariseth terribly to shake the Earth or terribly to shake the Sea it is always in Righteousness Was not the late great Tempest a shaking of both when the Sea overflowed its banks broke all before it Alas sin hath broke all bounds and banks and it is a Righteous thing that the Sea should do so Great floods of sin righteously bring great Floods of wrath 4. It informs us That the Cause of Gods Judgments may be hid from us These poor Sea-men understood not the Cause therefore they take this extraordinary course to find it out They cast Lots to this end that they may know it There was a guilty Malefactor gotten aboard and they knew it not There was an Achan in the Camp and Joshua knew it not Who had gotten the accursed thing and hid it among the stuff and upon this account God refuses to go up with Israel O it is good for us all to say in our distresses both at Sea and at Land Wherefore dost thou contend with me Lord for whose sakes are these terrible Dispensations come upon us 5ly It informs us what a great evil Sin and Guilt is Guilt is that which causeth the storm This this is that which will find you out wheresoever you go This Num. 32. 23. will be the Avenger of blood if at land if at Sea this will cause storms against you If you think to flee from the presence of God it will follow you this is that will make you meditate Terror where-ever you are O poor Sea-men what a terrible thing is it to have storms threaten you with Shipwrack every moment and at that time all your unpardoned Guilt looking you in the face The iniquities of your heels compassing you about the sorrows of Hell and Death to take hold of you at the same time 2. Use If extraordinary storms be not sent forth without cause it is then a word of Counsel and Exhortation to Sea-men in a more special manner O then give not the Lord cause to enter into a controversie with you You your Wives and Relations give not the Lord cause to bring forth his extraordinary storms upon you and then do not provoke him do not stir up his wrath If his wrath be kindled but a little happy are they that put their trust in him You cannot say when he brings Tempests upon you that he breaketh you with tempest and multiplieth Job 9. 17. Ezek. 14. ult your wounds either in your Relations or Estates without a cause it was said of Jerusalem They should know what God had done he had not done it without a cause 1. O give God no cause to take up a controversie with you if he once come forth against you there is no standing before him It is said of God He casteth forth his Ice like Ps 147 17. morsels and who can stand before his cold But it may be said in this case Who can stand before his storm his Tempests of Fury and Displeasure Who will provoke one that is his Superiour that can crush him Did ever any contend with the Lord and prosper Is not this to kick against the Pricks Can your hearts endure or your hands be made strong in that day that God shall deal with you O then why should you be so fool-hardy to put the Lord to it Are not you while sinning against him setting only Bryars and Thorns before him in Battel 2. O give not God cause to take up a controversie against you poor Sea-men and your Relations While you are under Gods controversie your own Consciences will condemn you and O how sad will this be God against you and Conscience against you Jonah's own Conscience at this time you see did fly in his face for my sake is this storm come upon you We say Conscience is a thousand witnesses Now it will be a storm within and this is sad while a strom is within to have another without 3. O give not God cause to take up a controversie against you No means will prove significant or available to the end they are used if a storm upon you in God's controversie be against you You see it was here so they used all means they lighten'd the Ship as Pauls Vessel was For saith the Text they cast the Tackling over-board and the Acts 17. 19. 38. Wheat All the means were used that could be here with these poor Mariners in Jonah's Vessel and they cry to their Gods but all will not calm the storm because it came for a controversie against Jonah nay when the guilty Person was discovered they were so ingenuous to seek by all means to save his life who had brought this storm upon them but all was to no purpose For the Sea wrought still and was tempestuous O it is no ver 15. wonder now if in such cases Sea-men be at their wits end when they see all means they can use insignificant to their intended purpose O now their hearts fail them O now they begin to think This is the Lords controversie against us and our families and therefore no means used are blest As it is with sick Persons when no means no Physick is blest to them they are given over for dead So it is in this case 4. O give God no cause to take up a controversie against you for if he have a controversie with you you cannot any where be safe from his presence Jonah here would flee to Tarshish but God you see sends after him with a Witness God hath his bloud-hounds to find out where-ever you go This was that Moses told them that took up their Inheritance on the other side Jordan that Num. 32. 23. Surely their Sin should find them out Surely the punishment of your sins shall hitt you so some read it as Jonah was hitt by lot being an expression taken from finding out by lots and as Achan was hitt by lot where-ever you go God will send after you Some say it is an allusion to blood-hounds that by Scent find out the Thief David sayes Where shall I fly from thy presence c. Psal 39. 7 8. God hath Pursevants at command to send after guilty Sinners where ever they are That very Voyage that you think poor Seamen shall be the safest that very Voyage shall be the most dangerous if God have a controversy with you Nay when you come home in your own
out O what a place is that Thou hast Ps 90. 8. set our secret sins in the light of thy countenance that word you have had again and again your sin will find you out shall God make a discovery and we make no inquiry O never think that you can hide the accursed thing out of God's sight That is an observable place He will search Jerusalem with Zeph. 1. 12. Candles and punish the men that are setled upon their leese that say in their hearts The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil some carries it To search with Lant-horns exactly and narrowly and take it that the Caldeans shall be their searchers to seek out their wealth and treasures But others that God would make a diligent narrow search after their sins and his search should reach so deep as to a discovery of mens very hearts That say in their hearts c. Begin to draw up Atheistical conclusions against God that he never regards the government of the world The arguing of too many poor Seamens hearts I am afraid God will discover the very thoughts of your hearts and if the cause lye hid there either in heart or house he will find it out Therefore we should be upon inquiry But this will fall in under the next Doctrine And the Lot fell upon Jonah 4. We should be inquiring into the cause Because until this be discovered the judgment is not removed as Physicians say The cause of a disease known the disease is half cured So in this case this storm do what they could never calmes until Jonah was discovered Though they used all the means possible for men to use when at last they were so ingenious that they thought to save the life of the Delinquent yet the Sea wrought and was tempestuous and they could ver 15. not do it until the righteous sentence of God was executed upon him that they cast him over-board And then sayes the Text the Sea ceased from her raging we read that â—â—v â—6 42 43 44 45. such a time should come that God would Remember the Land of Israel when they were under sad tryals and distresses and God would Remember his Covenant now it is observable what time that was The Text tells When their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they accept the punishment of their iniquities because even because they despised my Judgments and their Souls abhorred my Statutes You see now here is the cause of all discovered well they accept of the punishment of their iniquity here the cause of the Judgment is acknowledged and now it shall be remembred And yet for all that When they be in the Land of their Enemies I will not cast them away neither will I destroy them utterly nor abhor them nor break my Covenant with them For I am the Lord their God See here now is the controversie taken up betwixt God and Them 5. Reason We must inquire into the cause when under Distresses and Afflictions this speaks us truly humbled under the hand of God When we are digging into the cause of God's Judgments that lye upon us many poor sinners may be sensible of the sad effects of God's displeasure in taking away Relations from them by violent tempests in breaking their Estates in the loss of Ships but this is but to cry and complain of the smart of God's dispensations but what is this to the cause of them there your work lies Lord wherefore doest thou contend with us have you found out the Achan the Jonah all this while therefore you must in your Humiliations be more punctual and particular when under the hand of God than at other times When Israel was under the hand of the Philistines and lamented after the Lord Samuel in his exhortation to them upon a solemn Fast-day a Humiliation-day he leads them by the hand to the cause of their distress If you return to the Lord with all your heart and put away the strange Gods from among you and Ashtaroth then he will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines 1 Sam â—â—â— 4. This Idol was the grand provocation to the Lord Nay this argued them deeply humbled that they would put the Idol away and so in the days of Ezra they came to this â—o find out the particular provocation viz. the marrying strange wives against the express mind of God they resolve to put them away and sayes the Text They sate trembling Ezâ—â— â—0 9. because of this matter O it is a hopeful case to be inquiring into the matter and cause of the Lords controversie When poor Sea-men and their Relations are saying to God under their distresses and tryalls Lord what is the matter what is the sin whereby Lord we have caused thee to send such terrible Messengers of thy displeasure after us When you say Is this sin it or that sin it Lord is it our drunkenness is it our neglect nay profanation of Sabbaths Is it our neglecting the worship of God aboard our Ships when at Sea or neglecting family-prayer when at home Is it our carnal confidence in our successes Is it our unrighteous dealings in the way of our Trade betwixt man and man Lord what sin is it find it out O the Lot will fall upon Jonah the Person and the crime too will be found out by God APPLICATION Is it so that it is our duty to inquire into the cause when under tryals and distresses 1. It is a word of Counsel and Exhortation to poor Sea-men and their Relations to set upon the work when under such dispensations of God The work that the doctrine calls for To say to the Lord shew us wherefore thou contendest with us why are these sad blows come upon us why are we broken in our Comforts in our Estates in our Relations Lord why are we thus Is it to try grace Is it to discover guilt Is it to wean from the uncertain comforts of this present life Is it to let us see where more durable Treasures are to be had then those perishing Treasures that come by the Sea nay what if God should give all the Families of the Tribe of Zebulun the performance of the word Thou shalt seek of the abundance of the Deut. 33. 19. Sea and of Treasures hid in the Land What would these things signifie if you have no Title to the other treasures of God above Heaven is the only treasure-house Lay up your treasures in Heaven these treasures never can suffer Ship-wrack 1. Motive to enquire into the cause this is the only way to have the controversie taken up betwixt God and You. And O what a mercy would this be How comfortably then might you go to Sea and look dangers and difficulties in the face How couragiously might you look Turks and Pyrats in the face when you have the controversie taken up betwixt You and God you need not then fear mans controversie If there should be War betwixt
Nation and Nation what brave Sea-men will they be that have made their peace with God then they may Rejoyce in going out to War so some take that Jud. ◠18. Text of Zebulun for Zebulun is commended for jeoparding there lives unto the death they disdained their Souls to death as the Dutch Annotators observe upon it they fought so bravely for Israels deliverance that they seem to condemn their very lives no man will fight so bravely with an Enemy as he that is reconciled unto God Are not they fittest to fight that are fittest to dye 2. Motive to inquire into the cause of all Evils coming upon you this speaks you sensible of the hand of God There are some that whatsoever they meet with at Sea or at Land all their lives they never say for whose cause is this come upon us they are obdurate and hardned they are like Solomons drunk ard Thou shalt be as he that lyeth down in the midst Prov 23. 34 35. of the Sea or as he that lyeth upon the top of the Mast they have stricken me shal◠thou say and I was not sick They have beat en me and I felt it not when shall I awake I will take it yet again Are there not many such poor drunken Sea-men and O what danger are they in as one that lyeth asleep in the top of the Mast and is stricken and yet feels nothing is even hardned in his sin O these poor Souls never inquires into the cause of the evil and dangers they meet with all As God said of a People why should you be smitten any more you Revolt more and more 3. Motive to inquire into the cause of all evils you meet with this-will help you much to the knowledg of your hearts and lives and O how necessary are these to know both for Sea-men and Land-men You love to know how such a Rock lyes and such a Sand such a Port and such a Coast such a 〈◊〉 or Cape O it is as necessary to know your hearts to know where such a Rock of temptation lyes and such a Sand of a temptation lyes to know these that your precious Souls may never be split upon any of them O many of these Rocks of temptations lye hid in your hearts and you may be run upon them before you ever are aware if you do not know how they lie O how many a pretious Soul hath perished for want of knowing how the temptations of their own hearts lay they have thought they have run upon a bold Coast as you say and hath ventured upon temptations with their own carnal confidence and so have miscarried for ever did you know you had such proud hearts you were almost split upon the Rock of Pride did you know you had such worldly hearts until you were almost split upon the Rock of Covetuousness well now by inquiring into the cause of your evils you come to the knowledg of your hearts For sometimes the cause lyes there and your lives it somtimes lyes there O that poor Sea-men would see into their lives and see if the accursed thing be not there Is it not your loosness your profaneness your swearing your violation of the Sabboth your mocking at prayer your despiseing of ordinances your cruelty to the Souls of the men under your charge some of you Are not those things the causes of the Lords controversie with you It may be you go on and sin and never inquire into these matters until the fatall storm and dismal stroak over-take you and then perish you must when you have scarce time to say Lord for whose sake is this evil come upon us 4. Motive to inquire into the cause of the evils you meet withall This will argue you look higher then second causes in storms and distresses that none of these afflictions arise out of the dust the winds are his winds his servants the Seas his servants and you must look over from the servant to the Lord. These poor Mariners you see did look higher therefore they pray unto their Gods this is a Christian spirit this storme fulfills the will of God the word of God and good is the word of the Lord. 5. Motive to inquire into the cause of the evils you meet with This argues sincerity and integrity of soul that they all were so willing to cast lots and find out the Malefactor argued their uprightness and innocency as to that extraordinary guilt that they thought this storm came for When a poor Sea-man can say with holy David Lord search me and try me and know my heart and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me doth not this argue sincerity and uprightness can any Ps 139. 23 24. but a sound heart abide searching especially Gods searching Can any but upright hearts desire to know the plague of their own hearts to desire to know the worst by themselves to say is it I Lord is it I that have caused this storm am I the Jonah in the Vessel am I the guilty Person this storm is sent after if Lord I yeild to thy most righteous sentence do what thou wilt with me so that this storm may become a calm 2. Use Is it so that inquiry into the cause is our duty when in distress then it is a word of direction O but sayes poor Souls now we shall inquire into the cause of God's controversie with us 1. By Prayer This is the great inquiry shew me wherefore thou contendest with me this is the only way to find out the controversie Thus David did as you have heard Search me O God try me c. Joshua's prayer found out the Achan for God upon it bid him arise and search out the cursed thing He knew not of the accursed thing until he had been inquiring of God and then all comes out O Prayer brings all out As sometimes God sayes by Preaching Thou art the man as he did by Nathan unto David so he says somtimes by Prayer thou art the man and this is the sin the cause of such an evil and of such a tryal 2. Direction Would you find out the cause then you must look into your selves as well as look up to God looking inward is as necessary as looking upward you must make a diligent search you must commune with your own hearts You must find this if ever you find it upon search O it is not an easie thing to find out the cause of Gods contending with us And therefore we must be exact in the scrutiny 1. It is it may be some hidden thing the accursed thing was the hidden thing it was not in the open field no it was in Achans Tent yea and it was hid there therefore we must ransack every corner of our hearts they have many dark corners and we must if we will find out the cause go from corner to corner with the light of the Word You Sea-men search your Ships for the
fruit of his doings We read a sad story of a professing people even the Ancients of the House of Israel Son of man seest thou what they do in the dark every man in the Chambers Ezek. 1 of his Imagery for they say the Lord seeth us not the Lord hath forsaken the Earth And yet you see Gods eye was upon them all this while These Chambers were the secret places where they had Idolatrous Pictures and did there privately worship them as most conclude upon the place though Achan's wedg of Gold was hid in the Tent as hath been hinted God discovered him 3. It informs us then If God will discover the guilty person of the wretchedness of our sinful deceitful hearts and in what doth their wretchedness and deceitfulness appear more than in this thing viz. to go about to hide sin when we have committed sin Oh then the next step that Satan treads in towards us is to excuse sin this is as natural to us as it is to sin this hiding of sin we derive from Adam he excused the matter of his eating the forbidden fruit and put it in a sense upon God The Woman thou gavest me c. Is not this to add sin unto sin Oh see the wretchedness of hiding or going about to hide our sin by way of excuse in these Particulars 1. This is a continuance and persisting in sin and this always greatens guilt It is dangerous to step into a sinful way but it is more dangerous to continue on and walk on in it We read of a dreadful threatning unto him that walks on in his Trespasses God will wound the hairy scalp of such A godly man may step into a way of sin but he is not hence denominated an ungodly man because it is not his course and so an ungodly man may step into a way of holiness but he is not for this called a godly man because it is not his course Now every man is denominated from his course but now when a poor sinner doth go on in his sin this speaks it his course 2. Our sin and wretchedness in excusing our guilt doth appear in this it carries a face in it as though we could mock God nay is it not an endeavouring to mock God And hath not the Apostle cautioned sinners against it Be not deceived God will not be Gal. 6. 7. mocked What though you may deceive Relations and mock them and delude them but thus you cannot do with God God sees you and will find you out If you will seek to mock God I must tell you the day is coming that he will mock at you He will laugh at you when your desolation comes as a whirlwind yea he will mock when your fear comes 3. A wo is written upon the head of this sin Wo unto them that cover but not with a Isa 30. 1. Covering of my Spirit that they may add sin unto sin And sure they are no small sins that God writes his woes upon the head of Though it is true the literal sense of it is The Covering of the Kings's of Egypts Protection yet it holds true in this sense For he hath said He that hideth his sin shall not prosper Jer. 2. ulâ— You may be confident in this Covering and the other but in such confidences you Souls shall not prosper for God will lay open all 4. Our sin and wretchedness appears in this When we go about to hide our sin it argues a great measure of Judicial obduracy and hardness of heart to be upon us is not this a hard heart that yields not to the Testimony of Conscience and stands it out against inward checks and convictions nay it may be against terrors and horrors of Conscience It may be when the Soul looks within it self is a Magor-missabib a terror to it self yet it falls not down in Confession before the Lord. Oh poor Soul what if God should leave thee sealed under this hard heart and say of thee as of Ephraim He is joined to Idols let him alone And he that is filthy let him be so still and he that is unclean let him be so still 5. Our hiding of sin doth lead into great Temptations Thus David's hiding his sin did you see what Temptations to cover sin was he led into one sin brings in and brings on another seldom doth one sin go alone Davids Adultery must be hid with making Vriah drunk and sending a Letter to Joab to put him in the Front of the Battel how often is committing sins covered with lying And then I know not the man with standing in it and then clapping an Oath upon the back of a lye and thus one sin clapt for a cover upon the back of another We see how Adam seeking to hide his sin brought him into further guilt 4. It informes us then what a dangerous condition Hypocrites are in if God will discover the guilty person many persons go on smoothly and carry the fair side forward and yet the Lord sees within is rottenness Oh poor souls a day is coming that will discover the thoughts of many hearts when God will turn mens inside outward cause them to wear their hearts in their faces O then will the Soul approved in the sight of God be a blessed Soul alas he is not a Jew that is one outwardly but he is a Jew that is one inwardly whose Rev 2. 23 praise is of God and not of man Therefore it is we read God telling the Church of Ver. 13. Thyatira He will make all the Churches to know that he is a God that searches the reins and heart He will find out all the hollow hearted rotten Hypocrites that creep into Churches For Jesus Christ is there described to have Eyes like a flame of fire viz. to make exact discoveries both of things and persons Oh what discovering days and dispensations hath God already brought upon us of late years and yet greater discoveries are behind 2. Vse Is it so that God will discover the guilty person then it is a word of Caution Then take heed you do not hide your sin Oh poor Seamen of all men in the world should stand clear here should be cautioned here as well as others Therefore Joshua speaks thus to Achan Confess and give glory to God tell me what thou hast done and hide it not Josh 7. 19. from me This we are very prone to as hath been already hinted We read of some that are said To hide it like a sweet morsel under Job 20. 12 13. their Tongue Though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still within his mouth What then Yet his meat in his Bowels is turned it is the gall of Asps within him Though they be mightily taken with it and so as Children keep it as a sweet bit under their Tongues and there hide it yet it is bitter when down like the poyson of Aspes that kills suddenly Oh poor