Chapter 7: Dangers and Fears at Sea — All Forgotten When Sailors Return Home

Through many fears and dangers Sea-men run But all's forgotten when they do return.

OBSERVATION

WE have an elegant and lively description of their fears and dangers, Psalm 107:25, 26, 27. He commands and raiseth the stormy Winds, which listeth up the Waves thereof: They mount up to Heaven, they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble; they reel to and fro, they stagger like a drunken [〈◊〉]; they are at their wits end. Or, as it is in the Hebrew, All Wisdom is swallowed up. Suitable to which is that of the Poet.Rector in incerto est, nec quid fugiative petotive Invenit, ambiguis ars stupet ipsa malis. _Ovid._The Pilot knows not what to chuse or flee, Are stands amaz'd in ambiguity. O what strange and miraculous Deliverances have many Sea-men had? How often have they yielded themselves for dead Men, and verily thought the next Sea would have swallowed them up? How earnestly then do they cry for Mercy? And like the Cymbrians, can pray in a storm, though they regarded i[•] not at other times, Psalm 107:28. Iona 1. 5, 6.

APPLICATION.

These dreadful storms do at once discover to u[•] the mighty Power of God in raising them, and th[•] abundant Goodness of God in preserving poor Creatures in them.

1. The Power of God is graciously manifested i[•] raising them: The Wind is one of the Lord's Wonders Psalm 107:24, 25. They that go down to the Sea, see the works of the Lord, and his [wonders] in the deep; for he commands and raiseth the stormy winds. Indeed, Verse 18. God appropriates it as a peculiar work of his; He causeth [His wind to hlow.] Hence, He is said in Scripture, to bring them forth of his treasury, Psalm 137:7. There they are locked up and reserved, not a gust can break forth, till he command and call for it to go and excute his pleasure: Indeed, He is said to hold them in his fist, Proverbs 30:4. What is more uncapable of holding than the Wind; yet God holds it, Although it be a strong and terrible creature, He controuls and rules it. Indeed, the Scripture sets forth who God, As riding upon the wings of the wind, Psalm 18:10. It is a borrowed speech from the manner of Men, when they would show their pomp and greatness, ride upon some stately Horse or Chario: so the Lord to manifest the greatness of his Power, rides upon the Wings of the wind, and will be admired in so terrible a creature.

And no less of his glorious Power appears in remanding them, than in raising them. The Heathens [•]scribe this power to their god Aeolus; but we know this is the Royalty and sole Prerogative of the true God, who made Heaven and Earth; it is He that makes the storm a clam, Psal, 107. 29. And it is He that shifts and changes them from Point to Point as He pleaseth; for he has appointed them their Cir[•]uits, Ecclesiastes 1:6. The winds goes towards the South, [•]nd turns about to the North; it whirleth about continually, and returns again according to its Circuits.

2. And as we should adore his Power in the winds, [〈◊〉] ought we to admire his Goodness in preserving Men in the height of all their fury and violence. O what a marvellous work of God is here! That Men [••]ould be kept in a poor weak Vessel, upon the wild and stormy Ocean, where the Wind has its full stroke upon them, and they are driven before it as a wreck upon the Seas; yet, I say, that God should preserve you there, is a work of infinite goodness and power. That those Winds which do rend the very Earth, Mountains, and Rocks, 1 Kings 29. 11. Breaks the Cedars, indeed, the Cedars of Lebanon, shakes the Vvilderness and makes the Hinds, to calve: which Naturalists say, bring forth with greatest difficulty, Psalm 29:5, 8, 9. Surely your preservation in such Tempests, is an astonishing work of Mercy. O how dreadful is this Creature, the Winds, sometimes to you? And how does it make your hearts shake within you? If but a Plank spring, or a Bolt give way, you are all lost. Sometimes the Lord for the magnifying of the riches of his goodness upon you, drives you to such exigencies, that, as Paul speaks in a like case, Acts 17. 20. All hopes of being saved is taken away: Nothing but Death before your eyes. The Lord commands a Wind out of his Treasury, bids it go and lift up the terrible Waves; look you in upon the shore, and drive you upon the Rocks, so that no Are can save you; and then sends you a piece of Wreck, or some other means to land you safe: And all this to give you an experiment of his goodness and pity, that you may learn to fear that God, in whose hand your Soul and Breath is.

And it may be for present, your hearts are much affected: Conscience works strongly, it smites you for sins formerly committed, such cannsels of Ministers or Relations slighted. Now, says Conscience, God is come in this storm to reckon with you for these things. But alas, all this is but a morning-dew; no sooner is that storm without allayed, but all is quiet within too. How little of the goodness of God abides kindly and effectually upon the heart?

REFLECTION.

How often has this glorious power and goodness of God passed before me in dreadful storms and tempests at Sea? He has uttered his Voice in those stormy Winds, and spoken in a terrible manner by them; yet how little have I been affected with it? The Lord has his way in the whirlwind, and in the storm, Nahum 1:3. To some he has walked in ways of Judgment and Wrath, sending them down in a moment to Hell; but to me in a way of forbearance and mercy. Ah, how often have I been upon the very brink of Eternity? Had not God shifted or allaid the Wind, in a moment, I had gone down into Hell. What workings of Conscience were at present upon me? And what terrible apprehensions had I then of my eternal condition? What Vows did I make in that distress? and how earnestly did I then beg for Mercy? But Lord, though your Vows are upon me, yet have I been the same; indeed, added to, and filled up the measure of my sins. Neither the bonds of Mercy you hast laid upon me, nor the sacred and solemn Vows I have laid upon my self, could restrain me from those ways of iniquity, which then appeared so dreadful to me.

Ah Lord, what an heart have I? What love, pity, and goodness have I sinned against? If God had but respited Judgment so long what a mercy were it! Sure I am, the damned would account it so; but to give me such a space to repent, Ah what an invaluable Mercy is this! And do I thus requite the Lord, Deuteronomy 32:6. and pervert and abuse his goodness thus? Surely, O my Soul, if this be the fruit of all your preservations, they are rather reservations to some further and sorer judgment. How dreadfully will Justice at last avenge the Quarrel of abused Mercy? Iosh. 24. 20. How grievously did God take it from the Israelites, that they provoked him at the Sea, even at the Red Sea? Psalm 106:7. where God had wrought there deliverance in such a miraculous way. Even thus have I sinned after the similitude of there transgressions; not onely against the Laws of God, but against the Love of God. In the last storm he shot off his Vvarning-piece; in the next, he may discharge his Murdering-piece against my Soul and body. O my Soul! has he given you such deliverances as these, and darest you again break his Commandments; Ezra 9. 13, 14. O let me pay the Vows that my lips have uttered in my distress, lest the Lord recover his glory from me in a way of Judgment.

THE POEM.

The Ship that now sails trim before a Wind,

E're the desired Port it gains, may find

A tedious passage: Gentle Gales a-while,

Do fill its Sails, the flattering Seas do smile,

The Face of Heaven is bright, on every side

The wanton Porpice tumbles on the Tide.

Into their Cahbins now the Sea-men go,

And then turn out again, with, What chear ho?

All on a sudden darkned are the Skies,

The Lamp of Heaven abscur'd, the Winds do rise;

Waves s[•]ell like Mountains: Now their Courage flags,

The Masts are crackt, the Canvas torn to rags.

The Vessel works for life; soon one cries,

The Main mast's gone by th' Board: another plies

The [•]ump, until a third do strike them blank

With, Sirs, prepare for Death, w' have sprung a Plank.

Now to their Knees they go, and on this wise

They beg for Mercy with their loudest Cries:

Lord, save us but this once, and you shalt see

What Persons for the future we will he:

Our former [•]im's mis-spent, but with a Vow

Vve will engage, if you will save us now;

To mend what is amiss. The gracious Lord,

Inclin'd to pity, takes them at their word;

The Vvinds into their Treasures he does call,

Rebukes the stormy Sea, and brin[•]s them all

To their desired Haven: once ashore,

And then their Vows are ne'r remembred more.

Thus Souls are shipwrackt, tho the Bodies live,

Vnless in time you true Repentance give.