sent that great storm Jon. 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 objections made by flesh blood I had very much trouble with my unbelieving heart 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 pass 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 severall 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 in Scripture concerning the Seas as proper and usefull for a Sea-voyage I prest my deere Christ not to drown us for said I we fight for thy Kingly office throw the Aegyptians and all thy implacable enemies into the midst of the Sea but let us be preserved that we may prayse thy Name Exod. 14.27 30. 15.1 Lord this is a calamity too heavy for thy poor creatures to bear Iob 6.3 were it not that thou hast cast our sinnes into the depths of the Seas Micha 7.19 Lord suffer not the deeps to swallow us up Psal 69.15 Let not all thy waves and billowes passe 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 favorable to thy servants as the dry land Thou layest up the depth in storehouses Psal 33.7 Thou Lord canst still the noyse of the waves Psal 65.7 Ps 68.22 was a comfortable place to me that the Lord promised to bring againe his people from the depth of the Sea Sweet Christ do thy office and be a Saviour to thy people both for soules and bodies thou layest the beams 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 mightier then 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 are sent in thy service Lord cast the great Dragon into the bottomlesse pit that old Serpent called the Devill and Sathan Revel 12.9 but let thy people live to prayse 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 disobedince yet because he was thy servant and was not selvish nor displeased in thy shewing mercy for feare of his being thought a false prophet but out of zeale for thy glory which he thought was wronged and obscured by that change and out of his ardent affectiton 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 Nineveh 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 wonderfull 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 windes serviceable for us that we may have an auspicious gale and an expeditious saile into some Harbor 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 Iob 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 passe not thy commands Prov. 8.29 Therefore though the sea roare 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 deere Redeemer wilt not thou speak one word to save the lives of thy own members Matth. 8.26 27. 14.27 Mark 4.29 Peace Be still will make a great calme 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 wils with other Scriptures not now perfectly remembred Now after long prayers and meditations it pleased God about six on the Sabboth day night that the Lord Jesus Christ began to 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 suddenly 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
a Ship that he was to come in and I heard this expression concerning him we must take speciall care of his Ship for he was very tender and kinde to the poore sick Souldiers and much discourse I heard about sick Souldiers Jesus Christ said if stormes will not doe I have other afflictions to make them more tender-hearted and pitifull me thought the person that so walked in the roome spake much to this effect that there would be many stormes by reason of much hardheartednesse to breake and melt their Spirits since which blessed be God Captaine Lucus is come safe in the wild Beare one whom I observed in Wexford to be very liberall tender-hearted and compassionate to the poore Souldiers whereupon I awaked this dreame lasted about two houres all which time the storme encreased my Wife told me that shee jogged me above twenty times to waken me And wondred that I should sleep seeing we were all so neere the point of death said I to her peace my dear heart be quiet we shall all be safe Jesus Christ hath promised me our lives be not afraid and told her all my dreame whereat she was much amazed but could not believe any afety and urged me to prayer being her selfe well resolved to dye cheerefully submitting to Gods good pleasure but told me she had a strong impression upon her Spirit by way of question as if the Lord had spoken to her that in case he should be pleased to spare her life at this time whether she could be content to suffer for him whereunto she found her heart most ready and willing by the Lords assistance to lay â—owne her life for his glory but my owne heart was then giving thanks and bran full of comfort I related my dreame to Lieutenan Col. Saunders Major Bee Ben. and the two Maids that were in the Cabin And sent in for Captaine Stoakes the Master the Gunner Bennet and marshall and bad them be of good cheere and plye their businesse for we should be all safe telling them what I had dreamed they admired at my confidence and Captaine Stoakes could not believe it said he I know God is very Mercifull and can doe much but the Ship hath five foot water in the hould which the Pumpe could not reach being choaked and very subject to leaks being twenty years old and then it was about nine at night the storme increasing and they not knowing where about they were I told them that I was assured of safety as if I were on Shore and one word more I had dreamed which I told them of said I to Jesus Christ what if the Ship should break asunder He answered me you shall be as safe as if you were in Codds Boat a Boat at Wexford that we went in towards the ship in the bay and were driven back severall times or as if you were in the Governors house in Wexford what impression it had upon their Spirits I know not but some that were in the great Cabbin told me that they did verily beleeve it and that their hearts were much quieted by what I said The storme increased and a great noyse was made in the ship the water came in at the great Cabbine windowes the ship ready to overset and to founder many skreaks and cryes out now we are gone and yet my confidence and assurance increased I bad them pray and bethankfull for they were as safe as if they were on shoare still my poore Wife said it could not be I told her I was sure of it she must lye still and see the salvation of our God I confesse I much marvelled at the change that was wrought in my own Spirit from a trembling fearfulnesse to a rejoycing assurance and considering it was but a dreame I thought I might presume too much in an over Confidence and was jealous over my owne hart least I should offend begging the Lords extraordinary assistance sutable to the present danger but the more I checkt my heart of presumption the more did my faith mount upon the wing as if I had been upon dry ground and had not so much fear as the thousand part of the weight of a haire the poor ship workt for her life and the Sea-men took infinite paines two parts being fallen sick the other 30. were continually at it somtimes they were in a little hopes sometimes their Soules ready to faint about twelve at night he that was at the Helme by my Cabbin said all was broken the water came in there a little before they cryed out that the foresaile was split and carried away and the Anchors thrown over board to lighten the ship yet all this while my Spirit was the same in a thankfull admiration for so great a deliverance and said all shall be as well as heart could wish when they spoke of lightning the ship my wife cald to Capt. Stoaks and bad him if he thought fit to throw over some Trunkes which we had in the ship which I like very well as it was in Pauls-storm in regard of others that were in the ship but for my own part I said I would not have any thing throwne over for I knew all would be well and so blessed be the Lord of Seas about four in the morning the storme abated my heart was in a very thankfull posture and that Wednesday night after when the Sea-men said we were in most danger entring into Castle-Haven in the dark that we must have the wind turne twice in halfe an houre to save us first to carry us from the breach of the shoare to the Staggs and then to carry us off from them when we were within a Cables length of the shoare and the Seamen devided not knowing what to do Captaine Stoakes bad let fall an Anchor or else we are all dead-men others saib try to get off from shoare and there was a great skreak that all was gone I was not one jot afraid but told them they were sure to get safe to Land and the ship to a Harbour and the Lord shewed himselfe kind to poore sinners One thing though it seeme to be of small importance yet it runs much in my mind and I must needs relate it I thought that Jesus Christ said to me that the goods should be all safe and nothing hurt or loft by the storme but when we came to look for our things we mist a looking-glasse and a Pistoll the glasse case was all broke and shivered in many peeces by the rouling of the ship being in one of the Boxes or Cabin-chests in the great Cabbin amongst other things but the Glasse it selfe was not so much as broken or crackt and the case though in eight or ten peeces yet might easily be joyned and glued together that it is not worse by a farthing which seemes to me very admirable I told Captaine Stoakes of it and desired him if possible to help me to my Pistoll he examined them about it but it could not be
each other with our eyes full of teares which I felt running down her cheeks when I kist them saying that all teares shall suddenly be wiped from our eyes in Heaven and with a great fervour of spirit I thought severall 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 speake with him to beseech him to save their Ships and Barks that they might not perish by the storme I thought it was a large roome 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 downe by the toble of a middle staturs about thirty years of age the hairs of his Head long and white as flax but curling at the Ends but the haire of his upper lipp browne in sad coulor'd cloathes and a cloth broad brim'd hatt I asked him who he was who said he waited upon Jesus Christ I asked him where Jesus Christ was he pointed to a Curtin 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 professe me Castor and Pollux is for Heathens I prayed him that we might not dye in this manner sayes he to me are not you safe but good Lord said I I must returne and I beg life for all in the ship who are they said he I answered that there was my deare Wife and three Servants Lieutenant Colonell Saunders Major Bee Mr. Hewes honest Abraham and other passingers thy Servants said Iesus Christ at my naming Lieu. Col. Saunders and some others it s so much the better that they are there the Captaine and the Sea-men are serviceable to thy Cause and they take wonderfull paines to save their owne lives and ours but unlesse thou speake the word the Sea will swallow us up Then me thought 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 Iohn 21.19 and me thought I was something impatient that the Lord should surprize us getting us into a ship at his call for his Service and then to drowne us as if we were Parricides or hainous Malefactors which by Law were drowned at that me thought Jesus Christ withdrew as if he was displeased said I Lord if thou drownest those that love thee what wilt thou doe to thine Enemies but could get no answer whereupon I was sensible of my impatience and thought that I fell downe flat downe on the ground and cryed for Mercy saying Lord we kisse thy Rod and turne 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 owne Element however our sinnes are more then the sands of the Sea-shore but let pity move thee to save us thou sweet Redeemer which hast been at Sea in stormes that art a mercifull high Priest like unto us in all things but sinne Heb. 2.17 and 4.15 take pity upon thine owne flesh and blood what Father but would save his Child from drewning if he could hast thou no worke for any of us to doe 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 doe for his service and therefore we should not dye at this time which I did not remember sweet Christ hear us as thou didest thy Disciples save us quickly or else we perish and being earnest in prayer in my dreame me thought that the man in the roome came to me and told me that this was no naturall storme 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 speake and said sweet Saviour if this Storme and Tempest be raised by Satan the Prince of the ayre as in Lapland and many other places where winds are sold he works in the Children of disobedience and hath nothing to doe with thy poore Servants for though thou mayst justly for our sins give Satan power over us as thou didst over thy dear Servant Iob. Yet where thou givest a particular faith to be free from Sathans stormes 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 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. Gen goods M. Gn. goods Let them safe but they are not there said Jesus Christ no Lord said I they are fighting thy battells 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 halfe fifty goe no more to Sea in winter I further dream'd that the Devill and his Imps were very earnest with Jesus Christ to get leave to destroy the Governour of Wexford by the storme but the Lord said it should not be some there were that had Barkes at Wezford that attended to speake with Jesus Christ I could not tell what they said they discoursed much about the Governour and all that I heard Christ say was that winter was not yet come for them at Wexford then I thought I met with Captaine Haâ—rebottell who had very great respect showne to him and I thought his prayers did us very much good and he was very much commended for his tendernesse to the sick Souldiers at Wexford I thought there were other men from Wexford that came for safe passages and one Officer was very earnest for