A Token for Mariners
A TOKEN FOR
MARINERS,
CONTAINING Many Famous and Wonderful Instances of
God's Providence
in SEA DANGER, and DELIVERANCES, in Mercifully preserving the Lives of his Poor Creatures, when, in Humane Probability, at the Point of Perishing by
Shipwrack, Famine,
or other
Accidents.
uch Enlarg'd, with the
Addition
of many New
Relations; Mostly Attested by the Persons themselves.
ALSO The
Seaman's Preacher,
ing a
Sermon
on the Right Improvement of such MERCIES, And
Prayers for Seamen on all Occasions.
LONDON,
nted for
H. N.
and S. H by the Bookselle
s, 1708.
THE Preface
to the
Reader; And Particularly to
Mariners
and other
Seafaring-Men.
THO' God's Wonders are every where visible, and his Mercies no where hid from the Eyes of Man; yet more particularly are they Evident to
Seafaring-Men,
whose Business is in the Great Waters, and their Lives exposed more than others to Innumerable Hazards and Dangers, of
Contending Winds
and
Seas, Rocks, Quick-sands,
and
Inhospitable Shores:
These, as it were, carry their Lives in their Hands, and their best Security is wholly to rely on the Providence and Protection of him
whose Power the Wind and the Waves obey:
Seeing there is so small a Partition between them and Eternity, the Striking on a treacherous
Rock,
over which many times the Flattering Waves smoothly glide, gives them their. Winding-sheet in a Rumpled Wave. Nor
this all their Danger, the Springing of
Plank, a Leak not to be found, nor suddenly stopt, running on a Shoal, or the falling of a Water-spout, frequently carry with them the same Inevitable Fate, and often makes them at their Wits End before they en
their Lives; for a certain Prospect of Unavoidable Death must needs be Terrible to Flesh and Blood, and, in a great measure, remove that Constant Presence of Mind that should support their Spirits amidst all Dangers: From this there is no way to secure themselves, but by laying hold on him that i
Mighty, and able to save to the utmost,
God, who is a present help at need, whose Eyes are in all Places, in Heaven and Earth, and in the great
Deep;
and those that Cry t
him in their Distress, he will surely hear them and deliver them out of all their Troubles, if they are sincere in Heart, and walk uprightly with him. For a Praying-
Paul's
sake w
find, tho' the Ship was broken, and perished on a Rock on the Coast of the Island, antiently
Melita,
now called
Malta,
all that were in it were saved, when they expected nothing less than to be swallowed up in that dangerous Ocean, as we find in the
Acts,
Chap.
27.
Therefore the best thing I can recommend to
Mariners,
and others that Navigate the Deep, is to have a stedfast Reliance on God in all their Dangers, nay at all times, for that is the best and surest Anchor hold and Security that recourse to can be had, and therefore I have furnished this Book with many Wonderful and Remarkable
Sea-Deliverances,
to show them that their Hopes are not in vain; for the Wonders he has already wrought, he will doubtless continue to all that fear and put their Trust in him.
This
Collection
is taken mostly from the Mouths of those who have experienc'd God's Mercy this way, and whose Dangers have been as great as any could be on this side the Grave; yet God, in his Mercy, delivered them out of all. The rest are taken from such Reverend
Authors,
that their Credit and Integrity is indisputable, being purposely written to raise the Minds of Men to contemplate and adore the Love and Goodness of the All wise Creator of the Universe, and may indifferently serve to this end as well at
Land
as
Sea,
though chiefly intended for
Sea-faring
Men, to put them in Mind, when they read it, of their Danger, and what they may expect in their Danger from the Death they apprehend in it, if they apply their Hearts to true Wisdom. When all Help or Hopes fail or seem to be at a loss, then fix your Hearts and Eyes stedfastly on him who is able to do all things, and to whom nothing is impossible; on him, in whose Hands is all the Breath of Life, who can stop the Shafts of Death in their winged Motion, check the Bellowing Thunder in the Mid Volley, and turn the Raging of the Winds to a sudden Calm.
But not to be tedious in a
Preface;
I recommend this to you, as a suitable Companion in your Voyages or Travels, nay in your Houses, or at all times, that you may know these things are the
Lord's doing tho' they are Marvellous in your Eyes.
And so conclude, subscribing my self,
Christian Reader,
Your Friend and Servant.
J.J.
REMARKABLE SEA
Deliverances.
ONE Major
Gibbons,
a Man well known in
New England,
a Gentleman of good Education, good Parts, and of good Conversation, (as the Author hath been credibly inform'd by them that knew him) was bound upon a Voyage to Sea, himself being
Super Cargo
with such Commodities as those Parts of
America
affords, after going out from
Boston
several days, by hard Weather, and contrary Winds, the Ships Company were much distress'd, and by the Continuance of contrary Winds, Provisions now begin
o fail them; and O how feeble do Spirits grow, when Bread, the staff of Life fails! Now Hunger becomes more dreadful to them, than the every Moment t
reatning Billows of the devouring Ocean; and they that one while fear'd drowning, now fear starving; they are brought to the last meal in the Barrel, and the last oyl in the Cruse, and say,
We will Eat this little that is left and dye:
And now when they thought they had eaten the last, what conflicts must they needs have within themselves, who knew not where to have another morsel to fortifie their tired and spent Spirits with the constant toil, and hard labour? How they look one upon another, as men already under a Sentence of Death? And by one anothers Looks, strike terror to one anothers Hearts; They look on every side,
Psal
142. 4, 5. (
as David
says)
I looked on my right hand, but there was no man that would know me; Refuge failed me,
or perished from me. They look downwards, and see nothing but the Belly of destruction opening for them; they look upwards, the onely and last refuge and reme
y in this deplorable estate, and
out of the depths they cry'd to the Lord.
But tho' they look out of the Ship, as
Noah
did out of his Ark, upon the waters and send forth the Dove of Prayer, that winged Messenger, to Heaven, yet she brings no. Olive-branch, no Answer; the Waters asswage not, the Winds calm not, they are like the Prophets Servant, when he bids him, 1
Kings
18.43.
Go up now and look towards the Sea; and he went up and looked and said, there is nothing;
and this strikes them into doleful and dismal Lamentations; out of which Lamentations, at last springs up a tragical and sorrowful Motion. The Motion is that which the Mariners in
Jonah's
Vessel put in execution,
Come let us cast Lots,
&c. only with this difference, they cast Lots to find out the Delinquent, and these which of them should die first, to be a Sacrifice for ravenous Hunger to feed upon: Concluding, as he in that case,
John
11.50.
It is expedient for us that one man should die for the People, and that the whole Ships Company perish not.
Life being sweet, Skin for Skin, and all that a Man hath will he give for his Life, they at last bring it, through many a sad debate, to a result, they cast the Lot,
the disposing of which is of the Lord;
one of the Company is arrested by the Lot; here is the Condemn'd Prisoner: O but where is the Executioner to be found to act his Office upon a poor Innocent? Is it not Death to them now, to think who shall act this bloody part in the Tragedy? But before they fall upon their involuntary Execution, Major
Gibbons
calls them to Prayer, considering, that in the Moment the Lord is often seen, and that many times our Extremity proves God's Opportunity; he also asks the poor Man if he was willing to die; but O what a hard Question is that to Answer! He replies,
if it might preserve the rest of the Lives, he could be the more willing;
to which he hath this Answer;
All Events are in the hands of God, we must not dispute them;
to Prayer they go; and, O sure these Prayers must melt hearts of Adamant! and Behold, while they are at it, God sends a visible Commentary upon that Scripture,
Esa.
58.9.
Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall Answer; thou shalt Cry, and he shall say here I am:
For while they were calling, God was answering; there leaps a mighty Fish into the Boat; and as it is said of the Whale that swallowed up
Jonah, God prepared a Fish,
so the Lord here prepared or provided a Fish, that a poor creature might not be swallowed up: But O what joy was here at such a token for good! it not only at present relieving and refreshing their Hunger, which no Question made them quick Cooks; but when they look'd upon the Finger of God in it, sending it as an answer to Prayer, they conclude it an happy Omen of their Deliverance, and a pledge of approaching Mercy: but alas, it is not long before their Hearts grew faint again, their Countenances pale, their Spirits sink now as low as they were lifted up high; and now the poor Seamen are like their Ship, one while mounted up in hopes to Heaven, and another while they are sunk down again in despair as low as Hell; they know not now of another Cake, another Morsel, they are reduc'd to their former Exigency, which brings them to a resolve to steer in this strait their old course; to Lots they go again the second time, only they have such an Honour for the Providence of God, they will not put him into condemnation, that God hath acquitted; the Lot now falls upon another Person, and O now they receive the old trouble, and intestine Combats, how they shall find in their Hearts, to punish one, that never had offended any of them; and while one thinks of it, says he,
Alas poor Man, what hath he done to deserve this Sentence?
another crys,
Will not this Blood cleave to my Conscience another day; tho' I went to this expedition a Prest Soldier?
another says,
for his part he fees no way but Death, therefore he cannot take away Life, when he sees not any Life can be preserved by it:
but they are call'd again to look upward, before they put the Knife to the Throat of this Sacrifice, and they remember the last Encouragement to put Life into almost the Dead-mens Prayers; they pray now with a pledge in their Hands, and are ready to tell God, the last time he gave them a Pawn, an Earnest; and O it is not in vain to seek the Lord. For lo, while they are seeking to him, he is sending to them; as the Prayers fly to Heaven, Mercy is dispatch'd upon the wing from Heaven.
O turn aside, and see this great sight, while they are praying! Behold a second Answer from above! A great Bird lights and fixes her self upon the Mast, which one in the Company espies, and up he goes and there he stands till he took her with his Hand by the wing, and brought her down to the Company; and O what life from the dead is this to them a second time! Sure they will hearken to the voice of the second Sign, if not to the voice of the first; and now that which they hoped by the first Providence
(viz.)
that it was a fore-runner of their compleat Deliverance; Now they are by this second confirm'd in the Faith, and now they begin to think (as I can easily imagine) if God will save them out of this distress, O what manner of Persons they will become! what manner of Lives they will live! what Sacrifices of Thanksgiving they will offer up to God! but while they are thus thinking they have no visible hopes, but that it must be a third Miracle that brings them out of this their miserable condition; they have the same disappointments upon them still, only now they divert their Hunger all they can, by telling of, and remembring the Loaves, (as I may say) their experiences in this extremity of theirs, and comforting themselves, that if they come to a third strait, it would (they hoped) be an outlet from their present Misery and Calamity: They are reduc'd the third time to their former course and strait, to cast Lots; and when they were to go to the Heart-aking work, to put him to Death, upon whom the Lot fell, they go to their Old Friend, in a day of Adversity, (to God) by hearty and humble Prayer; And O now they do, as the Prophet's Man at the Sea side, look again and again, but alas Master they cry,
there is nothing.
Prayer is done, concluded, nothing appears; O but as the Prophet's Man looked seven times, so says this good Man Major
Gibbons,
look again, as
Jonah, I will look again towards his Holy Temple,
(says he to one of the Company)
Go up to the top, and see what you can espy;
and at last he makes a Sail,
(viz.)
espies a Ship; this put new life into all their spirits; they bear up with the Vessel, they Man their Boat, they desire, in the manner of perishing humble Suppliants, to board them, which they are admitted; the Vessel proves a
French
Vessel, yea, a
French
Pirate; Major
Gibbons
petitions him for a little Bread to sustain their Lives, who had been several days wishing for Death, but could not find it in their extremity; and to take the Ship and Cargo. So sweet is Life, that
all that a Man hath will he give for his Life;
and now behold, God draws forth to the poor Perishing Men his best Wine at the last, nay, turns the Water of Affliction into the Wine of Consolation. The Commander of the Vessel knows the Major, and replies readily and chearfully, Major
Gibbons,
not one hair of your. Head shall perish, nor any of your Ships Company, if it lie in my power either to supply you, or preserve you. O the Wisdom of God that hath ways we know not of, to relieve in the greatest straits, and cause himself to be seen in the Mount. The Commander of this
French
Pirate was one that some Years before Major
Gibbons
had shown signal Kindness to, when his Life was in danger at
Boston
in
New England.
Thus the Lord appeared a God hearing Prayers in Extremities, which appearances are not to be forgotten in succeeding Generations.
O that Men would praise the Lord for his Goodness, and for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men.
Secondly,
About the Year 1636. there arising a Storm and Tempest of troubles in the Church of
Scotland,
five Ministers, eminent for Piety, Learning, and their Honourable success in the Ministry, were so hard born under by a prevailing Party imposing upon their Consciences, that they were forc'd to Embarque themselves for
America;
three of their Names were Mr.
Levinston,
Mr.
Mackleland,
and Mr.
Blaire,
with two more whom my Author could not call to mind.
These good Men sailed half the Channel over, about 500 Leagues, where they met with great distress of Weather, which broke off the Rudder of their Ship, and occasioned a desperate Leak to spring in her, which expos'd them to imminent danger; but they in this distress endeavour to hang on their Rudder again, but often were they frustrated in their attempt, to a total despair of effecting it. They also laboured with the like unsuccessfulness to find out and stop the Leak; this poor Ships Crew had labour'd also by pumping to keep the Ship above Water, until all their few Hands were feeble, and all their Hearts faint; so that as so many
despairing Persons
of Life, they cease all endeavours, and yield themselves to Death, expecting every Moment to be Entombed in the Belly of the Devouring Deep; during the time of this their great Distress, the Ministers kept on their course, as at other times of Worship,
(viz.)
the reading of a Chapter in course, and taking observations from it, with Prayers and Preaching, which they did by turns; at the crisis of this deplorable case, it fell to be the Lot of Mr.
Mackleland
to perform this Exercise, a Man Austeer in his Life, reserv'd in his Speech, and of great Piety, who was often observ'd to let fall many remarkable Prophetical Expressions of future Events; the Chapter that at that time came to be read in course by him, was the 23 of
Exodus,
which he had read all along (until he came to the 12th
verse
) where he made a full stop; the verses run thus;
And
Moses
besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy Wrath wax hot against thy People, which thou hast brought out of the Land of
Egypt
with great Power, and a mighty Hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians say, for mischief did he bring them out to slay them in the Mountains, and to consume them from the face of the Earth? Turn from thy severe Wrath, and repent of this Evil against thy People,
— upon the reading of these verses over again, he declared to them, the Case which
Moses
was here interceeding for, compared with his Expostulation in the 12 verse, did parallel their case, and considering the happy Event of that Argument which
Moses
used (mentioned in the 14 verse, which runs thus:)
and the Lord repented of the Evil which he thought to do unto his People
—he could not but comfortably hope, that they might have the same Effect: Nay he goes further, and his Spirit was raised into a peremptory prediction, that he durst assure them from his great Lord and Master, that not one Hair of his Head shall fall to the ground; after this he went to Prayer, urging God with the same Argument, and then rose up comfortably, assuring his stedfastness in believing the same; he advises the Seamen and the Company in the Ship to refresh themselve by taking some Meat, the long fasling and hard labour having much infeebled them. Then he encouraged them to make another attempt to fasten the Rudder, without which they could not possibly make towards any Point for Shore. He after advised them to clear the Ship, as well as they could, from Water by Pumping, which they did happily effect, the Leak being stopt providentially of it self,— whether it was some noak of a Plank started by the distress of Weather which occasion'd the Leak, and by the surges of the Sea, clapt into the place again, or what it was else could not be known. But however this looks like Life from the Dead to these poor Men, who had received but a little before Sentence of Death in themselves, that they might trust in him who raiseth the Dead. Soon after this, God who had heard in Heaven their Tears and Prayers, Commands the Wind to Tack about to the West, and to blow so strong a Gale that they were forc'd to bear up before it, and it continued so long, that it brought them back to the North of
Ireland,
where they continued some time, altho' but short, they were very instrumental in the Converting of many Souls, which seed-plot remains to this Day; and soon after they passed into
Scotland.
This Relation was given by several Ministers of the North of
Ireland:
also the Reader may take notice, the Author of that Book called the
Fulfilling of the Scriptures,
page 487. mentions this remarkable Providence, tho' not so largely, with these two additional, but very considerable circumstances; first, That a poor Seaman was made the instrument to preserve the same Vessel, by fastening the Rudder, whose Company they had all shun'd, others having given it over. Secondly, Several Passengers being Aboard, who Shipt themselves for
America,
upon only external accounts, expecting a fat Soyl, and outward advantage in that Place, and not as the others upon the account of Conscience, to enjoy the purity of Ordinances; they did all Die upon the Sea save one, being five in Number. And who is so Blind, as cannot see here the out-stretch'd Arm of an Omnipotent God, commanding deliverance for his poor distressed, persecuted, praying, believing Servants, and also for all them that sailed with them? O who would not Pray at Sea, and trust in him who raises the dead in the saddest of their Extremities and Distress! and speaks forth much of the power and goodness of God, calling upon all to trust in him, let the dangers and straits be never so great.
3. A Vessel of ours about the Year 1636. being at
Newfound-Land
a Fishing, being somewhat of the latest in the year, until the Ice came in great flakes; and being ready to hoise Sail for their return home, they sent out in the Boat six of the Men to weigh their Anchor; but while they were about it, a sad Providence prevents them, a great flake of Ice interposes between them and their Ship, and carries them adrift, so that by all means that they and the Ship could use, they could not recover their Vessel again, whereby they were expos'd to an inevitable ruine, neither having Food, nor any other Accommodation to keep them warm; they having continued thus three days and three nights, they began to be Hungerstarv'd, and accounting themselves all dead Men, they began to consult one with another what course to take; they at last, tho' with great regret and grief, resolve one of them must die to become Food for the rest; each Person begg'd to have it his Lot to die first, to be freed from that torment that they languished under; so that they were forced to determine it by Lot: He upon whom the Lot fell, desir'd to go to one end of the Boat, there to recommend his Soul to God by Prayer, before he dyed; the rest being in a deep Agony upon the apprehension of shedding the Blood of one of their Comrades: But while they were sat together, lamenting and imploring God's favour to prevent such a fact, according to that they wish'd and desir'd, the Person separated by Lot for Death, dyed upon the place where he was praying, which in their deplorable Condition occasioned great Joy to the rest, that hereby they were not forced against their Wills to take his Life; so looking upon this as a good
Omen,
they proceeded to satisfie their Hungers upon the dead Body: The Boat was still a-drift, not frozen up; so that by that time their Food was spent, they were brought ashore many Leagues
o the Northward of
New-England,
where the five landed alive, and the poor
Barbarians
did commiserate them, and help them as they could, three of them died with the Distress they had been in, the other two made a shift to get to
New-England,
and so at last, by a good Hand upon them, came to their Habitations in the West of
England,
having both lost their Heels with the Extremity of the Cold in the Boat. This Relation my Author had from one of these two Sea-men, with whom he came afterwards a Passenger from
Ireland,
to whom he shewed his Heels so lost.
4. A small Vessel about 45 Tun, the Master's Name
Philip Hangare,
coming upon the Coast of
New-England,
they suddenly sprang a Leak and so foundred. There were in this poor miscarrying Vessel 18 Seamen and Passengers; 12 of the Men got into the Long-boat, and as that was suddenly brought to their Minds in this Surprise they threw into their Boat also some small matters of Provisions, but they were wholly without Fire: These 12 Men at that time of the Year about
Michaelmas,
(and as
Paul
said in his Voyage,
Sailing was become Dangerous
) sailed five hundred Leagues, and were to a Miracle preserved all that time in this small Boat, five Weeks; but it pleased the Lord, who appears in our straits most, to send them great Relief, by causing some flying Fish to fall into the Boat, which they eat raw, and were unto them more acceptable than the greatest Rarities and Dainties at another time; God's Providence now proving the Caterer, they catch'd a Shark, and that ravenous Fish that uses to prey upon Men now becomes a Prey to these poor distressed Creatures; but they were glad of Food in the want of Fire, and have an Heat in their Stomachs to eat that raw, and digest at this time what would have made them sick at other times; but alas, another Want they had, was Drink as well as Fire, but they were forced to open the Belly of this Shark, and suck his Blood for Drink; at last, that God who hath a Desire to the Work of his own Hands, gives them Hopes to release them out of this insupportable Misery, by letting them come to a Discovery of Land in the
West-Indies;
but alas, they were so Weak, that when they came ashore, one or two of them Dyed; but most of them liv'd to declare the Works of the Lord. This the Author had from one of the 12 that were thus miraculously preserv'd, but since cast away at Sea.
5. Captain
Jonas Clark
of
New-England,
going to
Virginia,
the Vessel was Cast away in a strange amazing manner, about two hours before day, among the
Indians,
where the Ship-wrackt Men lay
shore in great fear; but three days after
hey thought to get their Ship off again;
o which end the Master, with some o
hers, went into the Boat, they came 60 Fathom from the shore, where there a
ose a great Sea, and broke in upon them;
ut the second Sea came and turn'd the Boat up; four Men under Water, all were
rowned, but Capt.
Clark,
who was kept
nder water by one of the Men, till his
reath was near gone, but then God ap
ear'd and set him at liberty from him in most Miraculous way, and enabled him
swim to the shore; they that were a
ve now, were in great straits and per
lexities, not knowing what to do, but
et some of their Eyes were up to God;
t last they unanimously resolve to Tra
el, and when they had Travelled one Night, and part of a Day, meeting with many Swamps and thick places, so that all hope fail'd them of going along, so they stood still as (wayfaring Men) astonish'd, not knowing what course to take; and tho' before they were afraid of any
Indians,
now they were glad to pray to the Lord for the sight of an
Indian,
which in this extremity and perplexity, within half an hour, the Lord was pleased to grant: The
Indian
was all alone, which was observable also; when they got to him, they asked the way to the
English,
and they did persuade him by entreaty to go along with them, but within one hours time, he carried them to a Town of the
Indians,
which did sadly fright and amaze them; but they still looked up to the Lord to help and save them; and at last they got to the
English,
and so were preserved. This Relation the Author had from Captain
Clark's
own Hand, a Person of known Godliness and Integrity.
6. The last Providence called to mind a strange and stupendous passage of a Godly Gentlewoman, who in the first breaking forth of the Rebellion in
Ireland,
was forc'd to fly for her Life, with some other Persons in her Company; especially three Children, one of them upon her Breast: But alas, these poor trembling Travellers had not gone long before they were stripp'd Naked by the
Irish,
who to admiration spar'd their Lives; but passing on to the foot of a River, others met'em, and would have cast 'em into the River; but this Godly Woman not being dismay'd, ask'd a little liberty to Pray, and as she lay on frozen ground Naked, she got a little resolution not to go on her own Feet to so unjust a Death; upon which having call'd her, upon her resolution, they drag'd her by the Heels along the ground, with the rest of the Company; she turns upon them, and on her Knees says,
You should I am sure be Christians, and Men I see you are; in taking away our miserable Lives, you do us a pleasure; but know, as we never wronged you, nor yours, you must die also your selves, and one day give an account of this Cruelty to the Judge of Heaven and Earth.
Suddenly upon which, an
Irish
Priest says,
Let us not take their Lives, but we will put them in this Island of the Lake;
a Boat being at the River, all the eight Naked, and without Meat, are turn'd into that Island, where after four days staying, some of the Company dy'd with Hunger and Cold, but not this Woman, nor any of her Children; a day after, the two Boys found the Hyde of a Beast which had been kill'd at the Root of a Tree, which they and the Mother endeavour'd to cast ove
them; then lying upon the Snow, the next day a little Boat goes by, to whom she calls for God's sake to take her out but they refus'd, being
Irish;
she desir'd a little Bread, but they had none; she beg
a Coal of Fire, which she obtain'd, fo
they had some Fewel in the Boat, an
thus with some fallen Chips, made a Fire; and the Boys taking a piece of the Hide, laid it upon the Coals, and bega
to gnaw the Leather; but alas, withou
an extraordinary Divine support, wha
could this do? Thus they liv'd ten day
without any visible supplies, and tha
good Woman profest it was by Faith and Joy in God she liv'd; nor had she any Bread but Ice and Snow, nor any Drink but Water, but she thought God put more substance in it, and found it as it were clammy. The next day a Boa
carried her out to the side of the
Bandwater,
where yet she had been lost, bu
that she could not suffer to see her Children Die in her sight; and therefore (tho
the two Boys were young, and so Starv'd, that they had no strength) she pressed them to go out of her sight, under pretence of seeking some Fire; the poo
Children had not gone far until they saw 2 or 3 great Dogs eating a Man who had been kill'd; the Children were not afraid of the
Dogs,
(who needed not fear any thing but to live in such a Condition) and one of them came running, and leaped upon one of the Children, without doing him the least hurt, and would run a little before, and then tarry until the Children came up, and so led them on to an House whence Smoak appear'd, which was an
Irish Man's,
Protected by the
English
in
Antrum,
by which means they were marvellously preserv'd, and the Mother sent for, and succour'd by a party from
Antrum.
Altho' this Providence be not a
Sea-Deliverance,
yet it is a remarkable preservation from Danger by Water, and Hunger by Land.
7. In the first setling of the
Bahama
Islands off of the
Cape
of
Florida,
about the Year 1642. there were at that present great troubles in the
Burmudas,
one Captain
Sale,
who had been Governour the Year before, comes for
London,
and here informing some of his Acquaintance, and Persons of Worth and Estate, how things then stood, they undertake for him, and got him a Ship, and all things necessary for the discovery of these
Islands
which he had inform'd them of, so they proceeded to
Burmudas,
where they took in several Passengers, Capt.
Sale
being Chief, and Capt.
Lane
and his Family, who came from
London
with him as his Assistant in the management of the Design; so they, in pursuit of the Voyage, came to an Island call'd
Cicatra,
he lay down in the Platts, where they could not at present find an Harbour. So they sent out their
Shallop
upon a Discovery, which upon Return, inform'd them of a better place to Ride in.—But sending out the
Shallop
again upon a Discovery, before she Return'd, there arose a dreadful Storm, that carried her immediately upon the
Rocks,
and stav'd her, with very much difficulty most of the People were sav'd, and some Provisions. Then were they Reduc'd to very great straits formidable to Flesh and Blood, a Barren Island, no Inhabitants, no likelihood of Relief, little Provisions left; in this great strait most of them resolv'd to Travel up to the Western end of the Island, and there to abide. Capt.
Lane
and his Family, and Son, who was Lieutenant, resolv'd to seek for some kind of Provisions, and so staid on the Island. But Captain
Sale
and one Mr.
Bounly,
who had been Master of the Ship, and some other
Seamen,
and one Mr.
Shadwel,
in all eight, resolv'd to go to
Virginia,
and took what Provisions they could get, which was one
Shark;
but before they made to the Land, they were in very great want; for from this Island from whence they departed to
Virginia,
was 300 Leagues: In their now great Extremity, Providence car'd for them, so that they got another
Shark,
and were glad to eat him Raw. They were 11 days going to
Virginia,
and the
Boat
a very little one, that they could scarcely Steer in her for fear of Danger. Yet the Lord, in this deep Destress,
made his Arm bare for their Salvation,
and brought them safe to a place call'd
Nusemum,
to one Mr.
Rich. Brunkets
House, where they were courteously Entertained; and after the Relation upon what account they were put to these Hardships and Necessities, Capt.
Sale
had a Vessel provided Laden with Necessaries, to go for
Cicatra,
to relieve those they had left there in such Distress, and they arrived there. And O now what Comfort must this be, after such long Wishing and gradual Dying, to see that there was no Hopes of Life brought to them; but several of them were starv'd to Death before their arrival. Capt.
Lane
is now sent to fetch some Provisions, who had been in unspeakable Extremity. He came down in a little
Boat,
his Son also, the Lieutenant, and two Servants, but when they had gotten in their Provision, and going home in hopes of a new Life; Behold, the stupendous Providence of God, all of a sudden Death creeps in and arrests them. For in a narrow place where the Tyde runs swiftly, the
Boat
is sunk, all are drown'd but one Man, who carried the desolate Widow the sad Tydings! What an unwelcome Messenger this was you may may easily conjecture; about 3 Months after, arrived a Vessel to them (the Master of her my Author,) and so Mrs.
Lane,
her Son and Daughter, Maid-servant and Man-servant, were all brought up about 40 Miles, where they were Entertain'd by my Author for 6 Weeks, and gave an account of some notable Passages of God's Providence in preserving them. Worthy never to be forgotten! Her Husband and the Men went out to see what they could get for Food every Day, and they had for the most part just for the Day, and she told my Author, that she as a tender-hearted Mother, would lay something by for her young Children; but she observ'd, that the next Day they never got any thing.
And thus Providence train'd them up in the School of Faith; but further she gave an account of one remarkable thing. In the last day of the week, upon a time it prov'd a very stormy Day, and they being abroad a hunting for some support, could get nothing. The Husband and Son come home very much troubled, and the Men that were gone into the Woods they could get nothing; and they being very much troubled, one took up a Resolution not to come home, knowing there Captain would not suffer them to go and hunt on the Lord's-Day; on the other hand they thought he would wonder what was become of them, and fear lest evil had befallen them; so they alter their Resolution to come home, but empty of Relief; this very Evening before the Sabbath in this perplexity of thoughts, there fly over their Heads three gray
Geese;
a wonder it was, for such
Geese
were never before seen there nor after. O says she to her Husband, that we had some of them, against to morrow! observing they lighted in a Bottom, she acquaints her Husband, he says they have no shot left. O says she, here is a Porrenger, melt it or cut it into peices, which he did for expedition, and charg'd his Peice, and at the first shot kill'd them all.—These things, and many more my Author had from her own Mouth, after her marvellous Preservation.
O that Men would Praise the Lord, for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men!
8. We have a very wonderful Deliverance recorded, an honest poor Man in
Maulden
in
Essex,
one
Gregory Crow,
who with his Man and Boy, was in his Boat going to fetch Fullers-Earth; but by the way meeting a Storm his Boot was driven upon a bank of sand, and there sunk; The Men were glad to hang upon the Mast, but poor
Crow
seeing his New-Testament in the water, which he priz'd highly, caught it up, and took it into his Bosom; the tyde being gone, they were left upon the Sand, at least ten Miles from Land; now in this great Distress they made their prayers to the Lord, that he would send some means of Deliverance. For now within half an hour it would be Flood, but in this little time before Flood, they found a Chest wherein was five pounds six Shillings eight pence, but honest
Crow
cast it into the Sea again saying,
If the Lord will be pleas'd to save our lives he will provide us a little food;
and so they went again up to the Mast, where they to Admiration hung by the Arms and Leggs for ten hours together, only the Boy was so weary, and beaten with the Waves that he fell off, and was drowned; now their fears increased upon them, and they knew not what to do. But
Crow
advises his Man to cut down the Mast, and when the Flood comes again, to sit upon it, and so, says he,
it may please God to drive us to some Ship;
this Counsel was taken, they commit themselves to God upon the Mast, and thus continu'd
Tuesday
Night
Wednesday
and
Wednesday
Night; in which time the man was so tir'd out with Hunger, Watching, and Cold, that he dyed; now was
Crow
left alone in this sad and deplorable Condition, he pray'd now the more earnestly for some Succour and Relief, but durst not Sleep, lest the Sea should beat him off the Mast, and when this distress'd miserable object was almost spent, his flesh sodden with Sea water, and his Eyes almost clos'd up with Salt, now in his Extremity the Lord makes it his opportunity, and steps in by his Providence, presents a Ship going for
Antwerp:
(observe here the Finger of God:) The wind not being favourable she was driven out of the way, and espyed something a far off in the Sea, but supposing it to be some Fisher-boy steer'd from it.
Crow
seeing this, held up his Cap and shaked it over his head, whereby at length they were mov'd to go to him, and so they took him in; when he came into the Ship, being half dead, careful of his
New-Testament,
he pluckt it out of his Bosom and gave it to some to dry. They in the Ship were careful of him, and with great difficulty recover'd him, and carry'd him with them to
Antwerp,
where the fame of his being miraculously deliver'd, drew many to see him, and relieve him with necessaries.
Fox
's
Book of Martyrs.
9. A Ship of
Holland
being driven against her will, came to a Place call'd
Zembla,
where the Pole is elevated 76 degrees; they among many delays, and great dangers, scarce reach'd the
Aurange Islands;
for now they were set fast in a Consolidated body of continu'd Ice, which threaten'd them every moment; at last being reduc'd to their ultimate hope, they resolve to return the same way they came, but now they find the Ship quite frozen up, not far from shore, and now they think they should winter in
Zembla
and wait for a better Season, wherefore taking out Boards and Planks, they built for themselves, and their Stuff, a poor shelter, and by a good Providence, the Tide bad thrown up a good quantity of Timber, they not knowing from whence it came, it prov'd a great advantage to them during their abode; here they had continual fights with Bears, which sometimes were driven away with making great out-crys, other whiles with Shot; they found their flesh unwholesome for food. (For in this place the Maritime wild Beasts, are the food to the wild Beast of the Land) the fat of the Bears they made use of to burn for lights in the night; these poor creatures were at last, after all other Humane Benefits, left by the Sun, in this Barren Country, and left amongst none but wild Beasts: The vast Mountains of Snow, with great difficulty they remove, lest the Habitation should be overwhelm'd, and if at any time they went forth, their jaws were so benum'd they could scarce recover their former heat; now the Bears in the Dark, being dull of sight did not venture out to disturb them, but multitudes of Foxes, which they took in Traps, and made of them both Victuals and Rayment; and yet after all these dangers and difficulties God preserved them, though indeed some of them dyed, they were 12 of them: The chief of them was one
Jacob Hamskerk,
who returned afterwards to
Amsterdam.
Grotius
in his Annals.
10. In the Year 1616, a Flemming named
Pickman,
well known in
England
and
Holland,
for the art he had for getting out of the Sea the great Guns of that
Spanish
Fleet that was forced upon the Coast of
Ireland
and
Scotland,
in the Year 1588, coming from
Dronthem
in
Norway,
laden with Boards, was overtaken by a Calm, during which, the current of the Sea carryed him on a Rock or a little Island towards the extremity of
Scotland,
where he was in some danger of being cast away; to avoid a wrack, he commanded some of his Men to go into the
Shallop,
and to tow off the Ship: these having done so, would needs go upon a certain Rock to seek for Eggs, but as soon as they were got up into it, they espy'd a man, whence they imagine there were others lay there about, and that he had made an Escape thither to avoid some Pirats which might Surprize their Ship, so that they made all the haste they could to the
Shallop,
and return'd to the Ship; but the Calm continuing, and the current of the Sea driving the Vessel against the Island, they were forc'd to get into the Long-boat and Tow her off again; the Man they saw before, was in the mean time come to the brink of the Island, and made signs to them with his hands, entreating them to come nearer; and falling on his Knees, and joyning his Hands together, he beg'd Relief from them; at last coming near the Island, they saw something more like a Ghost than a living Person, a body stark Naked, black, hairy, of a meager and deform'd Countenance hollow and distorted Eyes, which rais'd such Compassion in them, that they profer'd to take him into their Boat; at last with some difficulty they took him in; they found upon the Island no Grass nor Trees, nothing for Food, nor any shelter, but the ruins of a boat, wherewith he had made him an Hut, under which he might be cover'd from Rain and injuries of the Weather; when they came to ask him who he was, and how he came into that un-inhabited place, he reply'd to them he was an
English
Man, and that a year before he was to go from
England
to
Dublin
in
Ireland
in the Passage-Boat, and that they were taken by a
French
-Pyrate, who by a Storm that immediately arose, was forc'd to let go the Passage-Boat, left us to the mercy of the Waves, which carryed us between
Ireland
and
Scotland,
into the main Sea, expecting to be cast away every minute, as at last we were: For the Bark being split against the Rock, where you took me in, I escaped with one of my Comrades into the Island, in a more wretched Condition than if swallow'd up by the Sea, who then had been deliver'd out of the Extremities we were in for want of Meat and Drink; of some of the Boards of our Boat we made the Hutt you saw, and we took some Seamews which we set a drying in the Wind and Sun, and so eat them raw; we found also in the Crevices of the Rock, by the Sea side, some Eggs: Thus were we kept from starving; but what we thought most insupportable, was Thirst; for there was no Water but what fell from Heaven; we liv'd thus six Weeks comforting one another, and finding some Ease in our common Misfortune, till that being left alone, it began to grow insupportable to me; for one Day, awaking in the Morning and missing my Comrade, I fell into such a Despair, that I had some thought of casting my self head long, and so put a final Period to that Affliction, whereof I had but endur'd the one half while I had a Friend suffering with me: I know not what became of him, but I am of Opinion that he fell into the Sea, seeking for Eggs; I left with him my Knife, with which we kill'd the Sea-Dogs and the Mews upon which we lived; so I was forc'd to get out of my Hutt a great Nail, which I made a shift to sharpen upon the Rock, that it serv'd me for a Knife: I was also forc'd to lade a little Stick with a little Sea-dog Fat, and put it out of a Crevice of my Hutt, and so got some Mews to keep me from starving: I liv'd in this Condition and Solitude Eleven Months, and was resolv'd to end my days in it, when God sent you to deliver me out of the greatest Misery that ever Man was in; and this Seaman after this Misery and miraculous Preservation, liv'd to return to
England.
Ambassadors
Travels.
A Remarkable Providence of God in wonderfully preserving of Eleven or Thirteen poor distressed Mens Lives.
11. In the Year 68. a Ketch sailed from
Salom
in
New England
for the
Barbadoes;
and when they came into the Latitude of 35. it began to look like foul Weather, so they took in their Top-sail, and because it was towards Night, they struck down the Main Sail, and rased it; and all this time there was but little Wind (which was Remarkable, if the ensuing Story be observ'd) but still it looked like bad Weather; so they sent up one to tallow the Mast, and made no great haste to set sail; the Man at the top thinks he sees some black thing float upon the Sea, and looking upon it very fixtly, he conceives it to be a Boat, and so calls to the Men below, so they hastned to hoise Sail and make towards it; and when they came to them, there was a Long-boat with 11 or 13 Men, (my Author could not absolutely remember the just Number) which poor distressed Creatures had been bound for
Virginia;
and the Ship in which they were, prov'd very Leaky, and so exceedingly increas'd, that in a very little time she was ready to sink; so all Hands hasten'd to get out the Boat, but the Master stept into the Cabin to fetch a Compass, and took some Canvas, a Sail-needle and Twine, which he thought might be useful to them in their Need and Extremity; but while this poor industrious Man was endeavouring to be useful to some other Mens Lives, he was in danger to lose his own; for the Boat was put off and the Ship was sinking, so he crys to them in this Distress,
if they would leave him, and there let him perish;
so they came back and took him in; they had in their Boat a Capstern-Bar, which they made use of for a Mast, and a piece of Canvas for a Sail, and so sailed afore the Wind, and had no kind of Food; and now comes dreadful and inexpressible Distress upon them making them wish for Death it self to give them a Deliverance, now all Hopes of Relief fail'd them; thus they continu'd five Days, some grew Lame, others Feeble, and all much Dishearten'd by Despair of Life; and now upon the 6th Day they had concluded to cast Lots for their Lives who should die to preserve others; and they put their Resolution into Execution, and that poor Creature upon whom the Lot fell, begs for Time; but alas, what will a Reprieve be in this Case, where there is no hope of Relief; but O what difficult Work is it to die? what a strait was here? Live he could not, and die he could not; well, a little time is defer'd, and behold a Wonder-working God appears now for him and for them all; before Night they espy'd this Ketch, which rais'd them all to Admiration; but they had Fears in this Distress that the Ketch did not see them; but when they perceiv'd the Ketch made to them, O what a new Life did it put into these dying Men; so they all got safe aboard: And see here the Goodness of God: In one Hour after there arose a most dreadful Storm which continu'd for forty Hours, and all of them safely arriv'd at
Barbadoes.
The Master's Name of the Ketch was
Thomas Woodberry
of
Salom.
This the Author had from a very known Person of Integrity and Godliness, now living at
Salom.
12. In the Year 1606. in the Wars betwixt the
Netherlands
and the
Spaniards,
upon the
Spanish
Ocean, fell out this observable and remarkable Action, taken notice of by
Grotius,
in his Annnals of the Low-Country Wars. Admiral
Hauteen
being sent to intercept the
Spanish
Fleet, coming from
America
and the
Indies,
he had with him four and twenty Vessels; but of these, six were beaten back by Tempests; soon after
Frasciardo,
with eight great Gallions, having a prosperous Gale, fell upon them unprovided, and e're they were aware; but the Galleys that were with him not being driven by the Wind, kept by the Shore; but one of them being grappl'd with a Ship of
Zealand,
that was next the Admiral, so affrighted the rest, that as soon as they saw it, they in the very beginning of the Night, retreated with all haste.
Hauteen
thus left by his Companions, being a Man of an undaunted Spirit, for two whole Days did not leave off the Fight, though most of his Men were in that time lost; but with his torn Ship casting off all fear of Danger, protracted the Victory; but after he saw no hopes of Relief, and that the Waves pour'd in upon him, that none of them might come alive into the Enemies Hands; at once they unanimously agreed upon a resolute and terrible Action: For kneeling down upon their Knees, they like dying but desperate Men, beg of God, that he would please to pardon them in that they sought to shun the Mockeries and Cruelties of the
Spaniards,
by that sad and lamentable Death; so they set Fire to the Gunpowder, by which Blow 60 Men were kill'd, 2 half dead lived a little while, being taken up by the
Spaniards,
with Wonder beholding their dreadful Countenances, and their Words, with their strange Resolution and Obstinacy in Death.
13. In the Year 1607. about the time when the Plantations of
Virginia
began to be a little settled by King
James,
some
Britains
went to
Guyana,
but a dangerous Sedition arose in the Voyage, and the Ship being lost, part of the Company remained in the Island, where continually vexing the
Barbarians
with their unkind Usage, they at last were set upon by War as Enemies; by force of which, and the want of Victuals, they committed themselves to Sea in a Boat made only of an hollow Tree; there these poor distressed Creatures were tossed with continual Tempests betwixt Despair and Hope of Life; but at last they were driven upon the Rocks, after great Misery endured by them in their little Boat for ten Days together; and now their Danger was lessen'd, for here they must fall into the Hands of the
Spaniard,
who pardon'd them, in regard they came not to those Parts of their own accord, but by the stress of Weather. Thus were these poor distressed Men saved and preserved, when all Hope of being saved was taken away.
14. The
Phaenix
Frigot, in the time when Captain
Whestone
commanded her, and Mr.
May
was Master, being commanded to carry some Persons of Quality from
Rye
to
Diep
in
France;
the Captain and several of the Gentlemen that belonged to the Frigot were ashore; the Captain sends the Long-boat aboard, and order'd the Frigot to weigh and come to sail, and stand to and fro off in the Bay, and he would come out in his Pinnace the Gentlemen that were with him, were
Sunebank Giles
his Chirurgion, Mr.
Goodwin
his Chaplain, Mr.
Perkins
his Barber and Gentleman, Mr.
Richards,
and some three more Gentlemen Reformadoes,
Abraham Car
Coxswain, and about 12 Sea-men for his Crew that set out of
Rye,
and crossed the Bay to meet the Frigot under Sail; and when they came near, be
ng a good way a-head, waved to the Frigot to keep her way, and not to come
playse for her, which she did with a
resh Top sail Gale of Wind, till she came
p with the Pinnace, and then the Cox
n would
-laid her aboard of the Lar
ord side; but the Captain supposing himself far enough a-head, commanded
im to sh
a-head of her, and lay her
board of the Starboard-side, which he assuming to do, the Ship giving a saw and having fresh way, the Pinnace was not past, but the Cotwater of the Ship cut
he Pinnace in the middle and run right over, that she lay in a moment of time
n a hundred pieces, and all the Men floating for their Lives; in the interim of which time, with a Cry, they gave a
eap, in which leap, the Captain catcht
old on the Rails of the Head, Mr.
Ri
hards
's on the Captain's Heels, Mr.
Giles
he Chirurgion on
Richards
's Heels, Mr.
Goodwin
on
Giles
's Heels, and some other Person on his; so that with that Spring
r Leap, no less than 4 or 5 providentially catcht about one the others Heels or Middle, as Boys when playing at Truss;
nd in hoisting in the Captain they pre
erved 4 or 5 more with him; the Cox
en sunk down and brought some of the Tallow of the Lower part of the Ship on his Cloaths, and came up again a
the Stern, where he was taken up by the Seamen; some by Swimming others by assistance of the Oar, and pieces of the Boat, by God's blessing kept them from Drowning, till the Long-boat took them all up, except the Captain's Barber Mr.
Perkins,
whom it seems had sunk, it's thought his last time; but Providence so order'd it, that the Man in the main Channel, heaving the Hand-Lead, there fell a chrockle in the dipsey-Line, and in that very interim, the Lead fell in the very place where the Barber was sunk, and the chinckle of the Line fell about the Barbers Fingers, hitcht about his Ring, and so providentially fasten'd it self, so that as the Man in the Scenes haling up his Lead, found it to come heavier than it used to do; admiring, at last up come the Barber fasten'd in the chinckle by his Ring, which the Spectators amazed at, immediately took hold of him, and pulled him into the Frigot, with his Eyes fixed, and Teeth set, and little appearance of Life; but by the blessing of God, the immediate means us'd, and care of him, he soon came to himself, and recover'd; so that notwithstanding this shrewd disaster, which might have proved fatal to
ll, or most of them, yet there was not one Man of them all miscarried, but was
ecover'd to their Health again, as Mo
uments of God's Mercy. For truth of his, many of the Men are alive at this Day; the Chirurgion now living in
Grays-Inn-Lane;
and at the very interim
f time, I was then aboard the said Frigot,
nd was not only an Eye-spectator, but
n Instrument to help in preserving of
ome of them, and therefore may Aver
to be Truth.
Ezekiel Fog.
15. About 10 Years ago, in the Island
f
Barbadoes,
there did arrive one Mr.
John Blackleach
(from
New England
) a
ery honest Man, who gave account,
at in his then Voyage, his Son being Master of the Vessel, and himself Mer
hant, their Men at Sea did Mutiny, at which occasion he and his Son were
rc'd to stand on their Guard for some me, casting his care on the Lord: But
hilst under this trouble, being in the
ong Reach,
in or near the Latitude of
arbadoes,
they all did see a great Ship
hich stood towards them; and while
ey were Looking on her, to see how
st she came towards them (she being
etty near) vanish'd away, which struck
e Men with great Fear, and made them humble themselves to the good Old Man, and desir'd his Prayers for them.
16. In the Month of
Novemb.
1669. the Ship
Prosperous
of
Bristol,
sailed from thence, being bound for
Galloway
in
Ireland,
but was forced into
Bruts-Bay
in
Cornwall,
where the Ship brake in pieces, six Persons being Drowned, and other wonderfully cast on Shore and bruised; amongst the rest
John Denny
(a Skinne
of
Bristol
) was cast ashore by a Great Sea, being much Bruised and almost Dead; and was by some strip'd Naked, and laid amongst the other Dead Folks that were taken up, being only cover'd with some Straw or Rubbish. But by Providence, an old Man looking on the Dead People, did perceive some Life in the said
Denny,
and the Lord open'd his Heart, that he strip'd himself of his own Shirt and some Cloaths, and put on him, and tock him from among the Dead: Thro' his Labour and Love, by God's Blessing, the said
Denny
is now well, and liveth at
Bristol.
This my Author had from
John Denny
's own Mouth.
17. In the Year 1671. I being at
Beston
in
New England,
I oft went to see an Acquaintance of mine, one
Abraham Darby,
a sober honest Man, a Master of a Vessel, who relates the following Story, which he attests to be Truth. That some few Years ago, he the said
Darby
being Master of a small Ketch, was
ound from
Barbadoes
to
Virginia,
he having an
Irish
Woman, a Servant, on Board, to be Deliver'd in
Virginia,
but he was a vile Person, and having often offended, at last was punish'd, for which
he said they should not carry her to
Virginia,
tho' the Wind was very fair, and carried them in sounding of the
Capes
of
Virginia:
That they had bent one Cable to the Anchor, thinking soon to got in;
ut she still said they should not: Then
he Wind sprang up of a sudden, in a meer fret, which for
'd them many Days off, and their Provisions near spent (it being, if I mistake not, in
) then
he Wind came fair again, a from Gal
, and they before it, in hopes to gain their Passage; but on a sudden there
a great Sea that cas
the Vessel on
she having but little besides. B
er) that her Goods and things
. But it pleased God they
he Helm a Weather, and she wo
e, and
ll Hands as could in the Hold brought
er to rights, and the Wind continued
air till they came near the place that it
ook them short before, and then took them as before, that they were forc'd off again for many Days, having then but 2 or 3 pieces of Beef, and no Bread, nor (I think) a Gallon of fresh Water: But after some time the Wind came fair, they making Sail to get back, it being fine Weather, there came a great
Sea
and laid her down again, and carried her Mast away, and a part of the
Partners
that hold the Mast, that as she lay on one side, the
Sea
rush'd into her; but the Master with his Bed and Rug stopt the force, till it pleased God they had shifted the things in the Hold and brought her to rights again, (now these poor Souls were left as a Wrack in the Ocean, and neither Victuals nor Drink, but strong Water and Sugar, to help them) but finding a Spar or Oars, in the Hold, made shift to get out a small Sail (I had like to have omitted, that whilst they had any Food, they would have given this wicked Woman a part, but she would not Eat any thing) then it pleased God to send a fine Gale, and they got on the Coast of
New-England,
and sounding, found about forty Fathom Water, and very calm; then they chopt to an Anchor there, and that Night got two or three Fish, wherewith they Refreshed themselves (but the Woman would not Eat) but could get no more; and finding a fine Gale, weighed Anchor, and thought to have got within
Cape-God,
not being far off; but the Wind came fresh against them, and drove them off again to Sea, and then 'twas Calm; and about that time the Woman had fasted about 21 Days, and yet could Curse and Damn, and say,
She should not go a Shoar;
but that Night the Master and some others being on the Deck, spied a great black Thing rise out of the
Sea,
to their thinking, much bigger than the Ketch, the
Sea
being Light all about, and the Woman in the Hold made a great Noise, and when she had given a great Screach, or Groan, this great black Thing Vanish'd, the Water seeming like Fire all round, and made a great
Sea
and Noise: And when the Men came to themselves, they looking for the Woman, found her Dead; but after they had flung her overboard, they had a brave Wind and Weather, and got safe to
Plimonth
in
New-England.
18. At
New-England
in the Year 1671. I spoke with
John Grafting
of
Salem,
and others of good Repute, who told me, not long before the said
Grafting
suffer'd Shipwrack amongst the
Leward Islands,
(the Name of the Place I forget) the Ship or Ketch being broken to pieces, himself and Mate, and one or two were cast with the
Sea
ashoar amongst the Rocks most wonderfully, not knowing of each other, till by Providence they met amongst the Rocks, it being an Island without Inhabitants (if I mistake not) and they bruised; yet the Lord provided for them in a wonderful manner, and not only there, but in their getting off that place, and bringing them safe to their Friends and Relations in
Salem
in
New England;
where Praises were returned to the Lord, who wonderfully preserves the Children of Men.
I hope this ere long will be enlarged from the Party himself.
9. I being well Acquainted with one
Jeffery Howard
a Mariner, who is a Man of good Repute, he told me as followeth; That about 12 or 14 Years since, he was coming through the City of
Salisbury,
he was looking on the Street Rivers, and spies something move on the Water; but looking earnestly, saw it to have Lise, steps in and got it out, and found it to be a Man-child, only inrapt as it came into the World from its Mother, and it was put to Nurse, and now is become a fine Youth.
20. At
Bristol,
a place well known, not many Years ago, a Man fell into the River, near about the Marsh, and not being seen, was carry'd down with the Tide some way; and, I think, could not swim, but lay as Dead on the Water, driving with the Tide; but by providence, some being in the Meadow going to Work, or coming from the
Lymekilns,
being by the Water-side Playing with a Spaniel, saw something floating, flung in things to make the Dog fetch it; and the Dog accordingly took hold of the Man by the Cloaths, and brought him a shoar; and finding some Symptoms of Life, took care of him; and he came to Life, and dwells in
New Bristol. This I had from the Spectators.
21. In the Year 1671, one Mr.
Savage, Master
of the
Society-Ketch,
bound from
Bristol
to
Boston
in
New England,
met on the Coast of
N. E.
the Ship call'd the
George
of
Bristol,
being in distress, spake with them; the Ship having sprang a Leak, their Men tired and spent with Pumping; the Master and all his Company went on Board the Ketch with speed, and soon after the Ship sunk.
This I had from Mr.
Savage
and other Passengers with him, who affirm'd it to be truth,
David Fogg.
22. Capt.
John Trankmore,
Commander of a Ship belonging to
Apsom,
near
Exeter;
in one of his Voyages of late Years, being at
Sea
in a dark Night, and foul Weather, fell soul of another Ship unexpectedly, not then knowing what each other were, but a
Sea
parting them again; in the interim Cap.
Trankmore
's Ship, Shipt a great
Sea,
which washed the said
Trankmore
Over-board; and another
Sea
cast or hove him into the other Ship, which fell out to be an
English-Man,
bound for
Plimouth:
Thus in the dark, the
Wind
and
Sea
parts the said Ship, without having knowledge of each other, Capt.
Trankmore
concluding that his own Ship was Foundred, and all his Lost, and God had wrought a wonder of Mercy in his Preservation; but so it fell out, that one
Samuel Snytal,
who was his Apprentice, had obtain'd such Knowledge of the
Art of Navigation,
and his Master being gone, and as they suppos'd Drown'd, being wash'd Overboard, was necessitated to improve his skill, and by God's Blessing, he carry'd the Ship safe home to
Apsom,
where Arriving, although they had made a good Voyage, yet the sorrow for the loss of the Master, eat up all the Comforts and Smiles a Prosperous Voyage otherwise would have made; but so Providence order'd it, that about 3 or 4 Days after, the other Ship Arrives safe in
Plimouth;
where the said
Trankmore
landed, very sorrowful and dejected, having (as he suppos'd) lost his Ship (wherein he was deeply concern'd as an Adventurer himself) and all his Men; as he was in the Morning walking on the
Hope
at
Plimouth
very dejectedly, he providentially meets with one of his Executors, or
Apsom
Neighbours, who looks him in the Face with Astonishment, knowing him well, and yet believing the Report of his being Dead, or lost, in amaze Salutes him with these Expressions;
What Capt.
Trankmore? who replies,
A poor Captain; having lost my Ship richly Laden, and after a good Voyage, with all my Men, not a Soul saved but my self, whom, by a Miracle God wrought Salvation for,
(as before Recited) giving the Gentleman, his Neighbour an account of his Providence towards him; when after a little pause, his Friend embraces him, and with admiring of the Providence, bids him
be of good Heart, for his Ship and all his Company was well and safe Arriv'd at
Apsom;
for his Man
Samuel Snytal
had brought her safe home, and all the Sorrow and Cry there, was for the loss of him.
Which reply, made the said
Trankmore
in as much amaze on the other hand, being almost Incredulous of Truth, till his Friend positively affirming it, and then consulting his own Mercy, saw, and was made sensible, there was no Mercy too great for God to Work, and thence took heart, recovering himself, went home rejoicing, where he found his expectation answered, and a welcome given him by all Persons with him concern'd.
For the truth, I have heard it acknowledg'd by Capt.
Trankmore's
own Mouth at my House in
Bristol;
and farther, the same
Snytal
was my Predecessor's Son, and I have heard his Mother-in-law speak of it to several, and hath affirm'd it to me for a Truth.
23. The
Bristol
Frigot, when Capt.
Fenn
was Commander, being in the
Straits
in Chace of Capt.
Popoctiene,
a
Spanish
Knight of
Malta,
who at that time our Squadron took and brought Prisoner to the
Tower;
in pursuit of which Chace, the Wind began to rise, the Capt. Commands presently to get Top-gallant Sails abroad; and the Yards being not then Aloft, 3 Men run up presently, where one stood on the top of the Shroud under the Main-top-mast-cross-trees, a second stood a top of the Cross-trees and the other stood by the Top-gallant-mast on the Cape, at the Main-top-mast-head; all expediting their Work in getting the Top-gallant-sail abroad; at which time the Wind freshen'd, and carry'd our Main-top-mast by the Board; in which disaster the Man that was lowermost, and least in danger, fell over board and was drowned; and the other two which were in greatest danger (one of their Names was
Roger Dennis,
under the Denomination of a Quaker) instead of be-in bruis'd and their Bones broken all to pieces, which the Eye of Reason could not otherwise imagine by such a fall; they both fell forward upon the Bunt of the Main course, and one catches hold of the Main Bunt-lines, and the other of the Leech-lines, and slack of a bowling, and so both come down to the Deck, and neither of them in the least prejudic'd.
For the truth of this, my Author was then Aboard the said Frigot, and was an Eyewitness of this Providence.
24. An Account of two Ships bound for
New-found-Land,
from some part in the West of
England,
who by distress of Weather lost Company; some days after, being fair weather, one of the Ships sprang a Leak, and foundred in the Sea, where every Soul perish'd, except one Old Man, who had lasht himself on the main Hatch, and committed himself to the Mercy of the Sea and God's Providence, where he was floating three Days and three nights; in which time, about the middle of the second day, the
Devil
assuming the shape of a Mar-maid, starts up before him, and bids him
he of good heart, for, if he would but make a Contract with him, he would ingage a Deliverance for him in
24
hours;
the Old Man being sensible it was the Devil, and doubtless, having been a proving of his heart to God, as the Circumstance of Providence he was under more immediately called for, found in himself a renewed strength put into him, enabling him to hold up his head, and looking the Tempter in the Face; Replyes,
Ah Satan, if thou canst prophesy deliverance for me; know, my God in whom I trust, will deliver me without thy help; but however, know, I will dot comply to thy wiles, therefore avoid Satan, avoid;
so immediately he Vanish'd, and appear'd no more to him: But so it fell out, the other Ship being at that time in the same Place or Latitude, that Night the Cabbin-Boy Dreams a Dream,
that such a Ship thereabouts was Foundred, and every Soul lost, except such an Old Man, naming his Name, who was saved on a piece of the Ship, and floating in the Sea;
which Dream, the Boy in the Morning confidently tells to the Company and his Master; at last, the Boy began to shew more Confidence, affirming it, as if it must be true; insomuch, he receiv'd some Checks from his Master; but however, at last, the Boy grew so restless, that he, running up from one Mast to another, sometimes at Fore-top-mast-head, looking abroad, that at last, crying out aloud;
Alow there, I see him, I see him under our Lee-bow;
thus confidently affirming it, some of the Men stept up, and spy'd something at a distance no begger than a Crow to appearance, floating, and advis'd the Master of it, who presently commanded the Helm to be born up, and stood away to it; and when they came near, found it to be the Old Man, as the the Boy said; so they hoyst out their Boat, and took him in, who then was speechless, and almost spent; but by the care of the Master and the Chirurgion, with God's Blessing, recover'd, and gave a verbal account of his Misfortune, and yet wonderful deliverance; together with Satan's Temptation as before recited; which Ship, in due time, Arriv'd safe at her Port in
New found-Land,
where this Man was well Landed a shore.
For Confirmation, I had this, and heard it related at my Father's House in
Salom
in
New-England,
by Mr.
John Blackledge
a Merchant, who is a Person of a sober life, and in Fellowship there, who then came from
New-found-Land,
and did affirm that he spake with the Man himself, whom God wrought this wonderful deliverance for, he being then at
New-found-Land
when the said Ship Arriv'd there, and the Man went first ashore.
25.
Anno Christi.
1630.
May
1. the
Moscovy
Merchants of
London
sent a Ship call'd the
Salutation
of
London
for
Greenland,
which arriv'd there in safety
June
11. following, together with two other Ships, all which were commanded by Captain
Will. Goodler.
The Ship wherein the Capt. was, stayed at
Bell-sound;
This of the
Salutation
at the
Foreland:
And the Capt. meeting with store of
Whales,
quickly made a Great Voyage, and so sent for the
Salutation
to take in part of his Train-Oyl: By the way, as they went to him, meeting with Cross-Winds, the Master set Eight of his Men on Shore to kill some Venison, in a place where there used to be good store. These Men taking with them a Brace of Dogs, a Snaphance, two Lances, and a Tnider-Box went on Shore, and that day they laid Fourteen Good Deer on the Ground: And then, being weary, and the Night coming on, they betook themselves to Rest, intending the next day to make an end of their Hunting, and so to return to their Ship: But the next day proved
Foggy,
and there was much Ice between the Shore and the Ship, and the Wind coming Southerly, the Ship was fain to stand so far off into the Sea to be clear of the Ice, that they lost the sight of her; and the Weather growing thicker and thicker, they thought fit to Hunt along the Shoar to
Green-Hurbour,
and there to stay aboard the Ship, till their own Ship should come into the Port.
In this Passage they killed Eight Deer more, and so having laden their Shallop with Venison, they kept on their course to
Green Harbour:
But when they came thither, they found, to their great Astonishment, that the Ship was departed. Being thus frustrated of their Expection, and having but three days to the uttermost expiration of their limited time for their departure out of that Country, they thought it their best course to make all speed possible to
Bell-Sound,
to their Captain; and lest delay should prove dangerous, they lightned their Shallop by heaving their Venison over board into into the Sea, and so they hasted all they might, and that night got half-way: But the dark
Fog
increasing, they were forc'd to cove in a point of the Land till the next day at Noon: At which time the Weather being clearer, they hasted forward; but having no compass to direct their, course by, they wandred up and down so long, till the Ships were departed. This filled them with fear and astonishment, knowing that neither Christian nor Heathen had ever Inhabited those desolate Climates: Yea, they had heard that the Merchants had endeavour'd, with proffers of Great Rewards, and of sufficient Furniture, and Provision of all things necessary, to hire some to undertake to Winter in those parts, but could never meet with any that would adventure their Lives in so hazardous an Undertaking: They had heard also, that the Company of
Moscovy
Merchants had once procur'd the
Reprieve
of some
Malefactors
condemn'd to Death here in
England,
unto whom they promised Pardon, together with Rewards and Provision of Cloaths, Victuals, and all other Necessaries, if they would stay one Winter there: But when they came thither, and took a view of the desolateness of the Place, they conceiv'd such horror and fear in their Hearts, that they chose rather to return for
England,
and there to satisfie the Law with the loss of their Lives, than to stay in so desolate and darksome a Country. They remembred also a more terrible Example, of Nine Good and Able Men left there formerly by the same Master that had now left them, who all Died Miserably upon the place; and whose Bodies were fearfully disfigur'd by the Savage Bears, and Hungry Foxes, which are the only Inhabitants of that comfortless Country: All which made them like amazed Men, to stand one looking upon another, every one foreseeing the future Calamities, both of himself and of his Fellows: And that which much increas'd their horror, was, their want of all necessary Provision for the Life of Man, having neither Clothes to keep them warm, and for shift, nor Food to prevent the Miseries of cruel Famine, nor a House to shroud themselves from the extremity of Cold.
But after a Space, knowing that Delay in Extremity is the Mother of all Danger, they began to conceive Hope out of the Depth of Despair; and therefore they consulted together of the likeliest Course for their Preservation in that Place, and resolv'd upon the Opportunity of the next fair Weather to go to
Green-Harbour
to kill some Venison for part of their Winter Provision, which accordingly they did, but found not so many Dear as they expected; yet the first Day they killed Seven, and Four Bears to Boot, which they also intended to eat: The next Day they killed Six Deer more, and as they returned, they killed Six more; and then the Weather proving foul and cold, they laded their Shallop with the Deer and Bears, and finding another Shallop left there as usually they do from Year to Year, they laded it with Greaves of Whales that had been boiled there that Year, and so dividing themselves into those 2 hallops, they took the first Opportunity of returning to
Bell-Sound
to their Tent, where they intended to take up the rest for the Winter.
But in their Passage, the Night coming on, and the Wind blowing hard, were forc'd to stay in the mid way at
Bottel Cove
for that Night: There they fasten'd their Shallops one to another, and casting out their Anchor, they left them riding in the
Cove.
But here again,
for the trial of their Patience, and to teach them to rely more upon upon God's Providence, than than upon any outward Means of their own,
this mischance befel them: The Wind blowing hard into the
Cove,
and their Anchor coming home, their Shallop sunk into the
Sea,
and so wet all their Provision, and some of it they found swimming up and down by the shoar: The sight thereof, wonderfully troubled them, to see the best part of their Provision, the only hope of their Lives under God, in danger either utterly to be lost, or to be spoil'd by the
Sea-water,
for which they had taken such pains, and run so many adventures in the getting of it: and in this their Misery, they saw but one remedy, and that was a desperate one,
viz.
to turn into the highwrote
Sea
to their Shallops to save the remainder of their Provisions, now ready to be wash'd away by the Billows: This they did, and by main force drew the Shallops to the shore; then they went along by the
Sea-side
to gather up such of their Provisions as were swimming up and down: and when the Weather prov'd fair, they went on to
Bell-sound:
where being arriv'd, they took out their Provivision, and viewed the great Tent which was built of Timber and Boards, and covered with
Flemish
Tiles: The use of it was for the
Coopers
to Work and Lodge in whilst they made Casks for the putting up of the Train-Oyl; and they resolved to build another smaller Tent within that for their Habitations; and accordingly, taking down a lesser Tent that stood near to it, wherein the Land-men lay whilst they made their Oyl, they fetch'd their materials from thence, both Boards, Posts, and Rafters, and from the Chimnies of the Furnaces, they took a thousand Bricks; they found also four Hogsheads of Lime, which mingled with sand from the shoar, made good Mortar; But the Weather was grown so extream cold, that they were fain to make 2 Fires on both sides, to keep their Mortar from freezing; then they raised a Wall of one Brick thickness against the inner Planks of the side of the Tent, but by that time they had Wall'd 2 sides of their House, their Bricks fail'd, so that they were forc'd to build the other 2 sides of Boards; which being nail'd on both sides the Posts, they were hollow between, which they fill'd up with Sand, that made it so tite, that the least breath of Air could not possibly annoy them. The length of this Tent was 20 foot, and the breadth 16; their Chimney was the breadth of a Dealboard, and 4 foot high; they Ciel'd it with Boards of 5 or 6 times double, that no Wind could possibly get thro': The Door they made as close as they could, and lin'd it with a Bed that they found there, which came over both the opening and shutting of it: they made no Windows, having no light but what came thro' the Chimney: then set they up 4 Cabins, quartering themselves two and two in a Cabin; their Beds were the Deer-skins dry'd, which was a warm and comfortable Lodging for them in their Distress: Their next care was for Firing, and finding 7 old Shallops which were unserviceable, they brake them up, and stow'd them over the beams of the great Tent to make it the warmer, and to keep the Snow from driving thro' the Tiles into the Tent: and by this time the cold increasing, and scarce having any Day at all, they stav'd some empty Cask, and brake two old Coolers (wherein they cool their Oyl) providing whatsoever Firing they could without prejudice to the next Years Voyage: yet considering the small quantity of Fewel, the extremity of Cold, and the long time of their aboad, they Husbanded it as thriftily as possibly they could.
Having thus fitted every thing in the best manner they could, on the 12 of
Sept.
looking out into the Sound, they espy'd 2 Sea-Horses lying a Sleep on a piece of Ice, whereupon, taking up an old harping-iron, they hasten'd to them, and first slew the old one, and the the young,; and so bringing them ashore, they flay'd them, roasted, and eat them. Not long after they kill'd another; but the Nights and cold. Weather increasing on them, and they viewing their Provision, found it too small by half; whereupon they stinted themselves to one reasonable Meal a day, and agreed to fast
Wednesdays
and
Fridays,
excepting from the Greaves and Fritters of the Whale (which was a very loathsome Meat) of which they allow'd themselves sufficient for their present Hunger: at which Diet they continu'd for about 3 Months.
Having finished whatever they could invent for their Preservation; they found that all their Clothes and Shoes were worn, and torn; to repair which, they had this new device, of Rope-yarn they made Thread, and of Whale-bones Needles to sow their Clothes withal: But
Octob.
10. the Nights being grown very long, and the Cold so violent, that all the Sea was Frozen over; and they having now nothing to exercise their Minds upon, were troubled with a thousand imaginations: Sometimes they bewail'd
their absence from their Wives and Children, thinking what grief it would be to them to hear of their miscarriage:
then
they thought of their Parents, and what a cutting corrosive it would be to them to hear of their untimely Deaths,
&c. And being tormented in their Minds with Fear, and Grief, and pinched in their Bodies with Hunger, and Cold, the hideous Monster of Desperation, presented his ugliest shape unto them: But thinking it not best to give way to Grief and Fear, th
y doubled their
Prayer
to
Almighty God
for Strength and Patience in their Miseries, by whose Assistance, they shook off their former Thought, and chear'd up themselves to use the best means for their preservation.
Then for the preservation of their Venison, and lengthening of their Fireing, they thought best to roast every day half a Deer, and to stow it in Hogsheads, which accordingly they did, leaving so much raw as would serve to roast every
Sabbath day
a quarter,
&c.
And when this was over, they began again to think of their ensuing Misery, that in case God should give them Life, yet they were to live as Banished Men from all Company; and as if their Sorrows had been too little, they presently found an increase of it; for their Whale-Fritters, after they had been drench'd in the
Sea-water,
lying close together, were grown mouldy, and spoiled: And again surveying their Bear and Venison, they found that it would not afford them five Meals a Week, whereupon they were fain to cut off one Meal more; so that for three Months after, four days in the Week they fed upon the unsavory mouldy Whale-Fritters, and the other three they feasted with Bear and Venison: But beside the want of Meat, they now began to want Light, so that all their Meals were Suppers: For, from
Octob.
10, to
Febr.
3. the never saw the Sun so much as peep above the Horizon: But th
Moon, when not obscur'd with Clouds they always saw shining as bright as i
England:
All which darksome time, they could not certainly tell when it should be Day, and when Night.
In the beginning of this darkness, they sought some means to preserve Light, and finding a piece of Sheet-Lead, and some Oyl in the Coopers Tent, and Rope-yarn they made a Lamp, which they kept continually burning, which was a great comfort to them in their extremity; yet their Wants and Miseries were so many, and great, that sometimes they brake forth into impatient Speeches against the causers of them, but then their Consciences again minded them after their own
Evil deserts,
and so they took it as a just Hand of God for their former wicked Lives; or that God intended to make them Examples of his Mercy in their wonderful deliverance:
Humbling themselves therefore under the mighty Hand of God, they prostrated themselves in Prayer two or three times a day,
which course they constantly held all the time of their Misery.
In the beginning of
January,
as the days began to lengthen, the cold began to strengthen; which proceeded to that extremity, that it raised blisters on their Flesh as if they had been burnt with Fire, and if at any time they touched Iron, it would stick to their Fingers like Birdlime: If they went out of Doors to fetch in a little Water it would so pinch them, that they were sore as if they had been beaten. In the beginning of Winter, with Pick-axes breaking the Ice daily, they got some Water on the Sea-shore: but after
January
10. they had none but Snow-water which they melted with
ot Irons, which was their only Drink
ill
May
20. following.
By the last of
Jan.
the Days were 7 or 8 Hours long, and then viewing their Victuals again, they found that it would not last above six Weeks longer, which made them fear further Famine; but
they had recourse to God,
who they knew, could supply them beyond their hopes.
Looking out on a bright day, they saw a great she Bear with her Cub coming toward their Tent, whereupon Arming themselves with their Lances, the went forth, and staid her coming; she soon cast her greedy Eye upon them, and hoping to devour them, hasted towards them: But with their Lances they gave her such an hearty welcome, that she tumbled upon the Ground, biting the Snow for anger: The Cub seeing this, escap'd by flight: The Weather was so extream Cold, that they were fain presently to retire into the Tent, and having warmed themselves, they drew in the dead Bear, wherewith they Dined merrily; and this Bear serv'd them 20 days: Only this mischance they had, Eating her Liver, it made their Skins peel off; when she was spent, they yet fear'd that their Venison would not hold out till the Fleet came out of
England;
but God sent many Bears to their Tent, by times, at least 40, whereof they kill'd 7; One of which was exceeding great, at least 6 Foot High; so that their Food increasing, they kept not themselves to such short Commons, but oft Eat two or three Meals a Day, which much increased their strength.
By this, the chearful Days lengthen'd so fast, that several sort of Fowl resorted thither.
March
16. one of their Mastiffs went abroad which they never saw after; upon the coming of the Fowls, the Foxes, which all Winter had kept their Burroughts under the Rocks, came abroad to seek for their livings; whereupon they set up Traps, which they baited with the Skins of these Fowls, by which means they caught at times 50 Foxes; all which they roasted, and found to be good Meat: Then taking the Bear-skins, laying the Fleshy side upwards, and making Springs of Whale-bone, the caught about sixty Fowls as big as Pigeons.
May
1. The Weather began to be pretty warm, so that they went daily abroad to seek for Provision: but nothing they could find for many Days, till at length they met with abundance of
Willocks
Eggs; of which the carried home thirty, intending the next day to fetch a 1000 more, but the Day proved so Cold that they could not stir out of their Tent. The same Day there came two Ships of
Hull
into the Sound, who knowing that some Men had been lest there the Year before, being very desirous to know whether they were Deat or Alive, the Master Mann'd forth a Shallop to go as near the shore as they could, and so over the Ice to the Tent: When these Men came near the Tent, they haled them with the usual word of the Sea, crying
Hey:
to which one of them in the Tent answered again
Hoe;
which sudden answer almost amaz'd them all: but perceiving them to be the very Men left there, with joyful Hearts they embrac'd one another, and so coming into the Tent, they shew'd the
Hul
Men
the Courtesie of the House, giving them some Venison that was Roasted 4 Months before, and a cup of cold Water, which for novelty sake they kindly accepted of them.
After a little Discourse, these 8 Men resolved to leave their Tent, and to go with them to their Ship, where they were welcom'd after the heartiest and kindest
English
manner: and so they staid with them till the
London
Fleet came, which was three days after: At which time they went aboard the Admiral, in which Capt
Will. Goodler
was, who made them very welcome, and gave order that they should have any thing that was in the Ship that might do them good: he gave them Apparel also, to the value of 20 Pounds. So that after 14 days refreshment, they grew all perfectly well: But when some of them went to their own Master that had left them there, he fell foul upon them, calling them
Run-aways,
with other harsh terms, far enough from the Civility of an honest Man. Thus they continu'd in the Fleet until
Aug.
20. at which time, with joyful Hearts, they set Sail through the foaming Ocean; and though sometimes crossed with contrary Winds, yet at last they came safely to an Anchor in the River
Thames;
and the
Muscovy Merchants
dealt very well by them.
The Names of these Men, were
Will. Fakely
Gunner:
Edw. Pelham
Gunners-Mate, that wrote this Story.
Joh. Wise,
and
Rob. Goodfellow,
Seamen:
Tho. Ayers,
Whale-cutter:
Hen. Bet,
Cooper:
John Dawns,
and
Rich. Kellet,
Landmen.
Greenland,
is a Country that lies very far North-ward in 77 Degrees, and 40 Minutes, it's wonderful Mountainous, which Mountains are all the Year long cover'd with Ice and Snow. The Plains in part are bare in Summer: But there grows neither Tree nor Herb in it, except
Scurvey-grass
and
Sorrel:
The Sea is as barren as the Land, affording no Fish but Whales, Sea-horses, Seals, and some few small Fishes
26. In
June
1668. the
Peach-tree
of
London,
a small Vessel of the Burthen of about 60 Tons,
Edw. Dixon
Master, came into the
Downs,
bound for
Guinny,
intending there to take in
Negroes,
and to transport them to the
Barbadoes,
and from thence to come for
London,
where
John Watts,
the Son of
John Watts
of
Eltham
in the County of
Kent
Chirurgeon, Shipt himself with the consent of
Rich. Watts
publick Notary of
D
al;
little dreading that his Nephew, being then not above 18 Years old, should meet with such a calamitous Accident. The Ship had not been long in the
Downs,
but a fair Gale presenting, they suddenly hoisted Sail, God's Providence seeming to fill their Sails with Prosperous Success; the 'first place they touch'd at, was the
Gold Coast,
where they staid not long, but Sail'd to old
Calabar,
in the
Bith
of
Guinny.
They enter'd a River, call'd the
Cross River
into
Pirats
Island. After they had taken in their
Negroes,
and ready to Sail, their Anchor being a Peek, the Master calls up the
Boatswain
and 3 Men more, whereof the Relater was one, and commands them to look out the Copper Bars that were left, and carry them on Shore to try if they could sell them: the
Boatswain,
with his small Company, desired that they might have Arms with them, not believing the report of some that inform'd them they were a harmless and innocent People: They took with them three Muskets and a Pistol, and so Row'd towards the Shore; but not far from it, unhappily our Match fell into the Water, and the Ship being fall'n down from that narrow part of the River, nearer the Sea, quite out of sight, we were consulting what should be safest for us to do: we were not willing to precipitate our own Ruin, and were also asham'd to return to our Ship before we had dispatch'd what we were commanded to: at length the
Boatswain
commanded the Relater,
John Watts
on shore, to the first House to light our Match, which we recover'd out of the Water, after it was extinct, which he readily obey'd: But before he was 20 Rods from the Water-side, he was seiz'd on by 2 Black (or rather Tawny-moors) and by them haled above half a Mile up into the Country, and thrown with great violence upon his Belly, and so compell'd to lie till they stript him; and more Company coming to them, they were so eager for his poor Canvas Apparel, that some they tore off, others they cut off, and with that several pieces of his Flesh, to this intolerable pain: with these Rags, they made little Childrens Aprons to cover their Privities; Linnen and Woollen being scarce there. The
Boatswain
seeing this
Joh. Watts
was thus carried away, was resolv'd with his other two Companions to have him again, or else to venture all their Lives for him: They Arm themselves; but whilst they were consulting what to do, whether to venture on shore, or not, of a sudden they were beset with about 12 Men in several Canoes, but they valianly maintain'd their Boat about the space of 3 Hours, for after 2 of their 3 Muskets were discharg'd, they defended themselves with their Oars, and Boat-hooks. The
Boatswain
receiv'd a mortal Wound in his Groin, and fell down in the Boat; the other two adventur'd in the River, endeavouring by Swimming to escape the merciless Hands of cruel Infidels; but the
Negroes
with their swift Canoes soon over-took them, and brought them on shore to the place where the Relater was. The
Negroes
took the
Boatswain
out of the Ships Boat; and instead of endeavouring at all to preserve the Life which remain'd in him, immediately they rob'd him of it; one of them with a keen weapon cutting off his Head before his Companions Faces; and then they prepare for their rare Banquet, while he was yet reeking in his Blood; they in a barbarous manner cutting off pieces of Flesh from off his Buttocks, and his Thighs and his Arms, and Shoulders, and broil'd them on the Coals, and with a great deal of impatience, eagerly eat it before our Faces, to our great astonishment. About 14 days after, one of the Company fell Sick, and instead of being Physicians to cure him, they were his Butchers to Murder him. They served him as they did the
Boatswain,
cut off his Head, and broil'd and eat up his Flesh, and rejoic'd exceedingly at this rich Banquet. About 10 days after, the third fell Sick, whom they served in the same manner.
This was no small cause of Sorrow to the Relater; the thoughts of their Inhuman and Barbarous actions, sometimes surrounded him with Fears and Sorrows, hourly expecting to taste of the said Cruelty. Death did not seem so terrible to him, as the violent manner of it; being left now alone in a strange Country, destitute of Friends or Acquaintance, or any thing that might keep up his Spirits: Die he would fain, but not by the Hands of Infidels and barbarous Monsters. But the great God, that is most compassionate in the greatest extremities, had pity on him, and notwithastnding the alteration of the Climate, and the want of Clothes, and the strangeness of his Food, which was only Herbs, he continu'd in good Health, and had time enough to lament their direful Providence. The Natives who were daily expecting another Banquet, met with a disappointment: either their Cuostms, or the over-ruling Power of God, would not suffer them to destroy him, he continuing still in Health. Therefore they resolve to sell him: his
Arannia,
or Master, was pretty free to Discourse him, which the Relator was capable of, being about 3 Years before in the
West-Indies,
where he had learn'd the
Tata
Language, which is easily attain'd, being comprehended in a very few words, and all the
Negroes
speak it. He began to Discourse his Master, to know
the reason of their Cruelty,
who told him, that
he should rest himself contented, who if he were not Sick, should not have his Head cut off.
In the Boat, which in the beginning they took with them, was a Musket sav'd of the 3 which was not discharg'd; which his Master, some time after he had been with him, brought to him to know
the use of it:
he endeavour'd as much as he could to make him apprehend the use of it, but still they profest their ignorance: but they commanded and threaten'd him to shew the use of it. The fear of his Master's Displeasure and their Inhumanity, caused him to shoot it off; but the
Negroes,
which expected some delightful thing, were frustrated, and at the sudden noise and flash of Fire (which they very much dread) ran from him, and were greatly affrighted; but quickly after, hearing no more of that noise, they came up to him again, and commanded him to
do the like:
He told them
he had not Powder, which was the cause of the noise;
but this would not satisfie these
Barbarians.
He not being able to answer their expectation, they concluded he was not willing, they proceed to threaten him, and were about to Murder him, had not his Master rescu'd him. Upon Discourse after with this
Arannia,
or Master, he began to understand the reason of their barbarous dealing with him and his Friends, he telling him
that naturally the People were Civil and simply Honest, but if provoked, full of Revenge;
and that
this Cruelty was occasion'd by some unhandsome action of carrying a Native away without their leave, about a Year before; they resolving if any came ashore, they should never go off alive.
He had not been above 7 Weeks in the Country, but his Master presented him to his King, whose Name was
E fn-me,
King of the
Blackamoors,
who immediately gave him to his Daughter, whose Name was
Oni-jah,
and when the King went abroad, he attended him also as his Page, throughout the whole Circuit of his Dominions, which was not above 12 Miles, yet boasting extreamly of his Power and Strength, but glorying exceedingly that he had a
White
to attend him, whom he employ'd to carry his Bow and Arrows; at several places remote from the Sea-side, the People would run away from him for fear, others would fall down and seem to Worship him, and and use those actions as they do to their Gods. Their Pregress was never so long, but they could return home at Night, but never without a handsome load of a Cup of the Creature. During all the time of the Relater's servitude there, he never knew him go abroad and come home Sober. They drink of the best
Palm-Wine,
and another sort of strong Liquor, call'd
Penrore.
The Relater quickly knew how to humour this profound Prince, and if any of the Natives abus'd him, upon his complaint, he had redress, as once by striving with a
Negroe,
his Arm was broke, which by Providence more than Skill, was set again. After some Months, the King of
Ca-al nanch,
whose name was
E-fn mancha,
hearing of this beautiful
White,
courted his Neighbour Prince, that he would sell him to him; at length they struck a bargain, and the Relator was sold for
a Cow and a Goat;
this King was a very sober and moderate Person, free from Treacheries and Mischiefs, that the other was subject unto; and he would often Discourse the Relater, and ask him of
his King and Country,
and
if his Kingdoms and Dominions were as big as his,
which were not above 25 Miles in length, and and 15 in breadth. He told him as much as his Understanding and Years made him capable of, keeping still in the bounds of Modesty, and yet relating as much as possible to the
Honour and Dignity of his Soveraign;
first informing him of
the greatness of one of his Kingdoms, the several Shires and Counties it contained, with the number of its Cities, Towns and Castles, and the strength of each, the infinite number of Inhabitants, and valour of his Subjects.
One of these Kingdoms was enough to amaze sufficiently this petty Governour, that he need not to mention any more of his Majesties Glory and Dignity. It put him in to such a profound consternation, that he resolved to find out some way to tender his Respects to this mighty Prince, and no way could he find so convenient, as to tell the Relater, that
if he could find but a passage, he would let him go to
England,
to tell his Majesty of the great Favour and Respect he had for him.
This did not a little rejoice our
English-man.
Withal the King told him, that
he would send him a Present, which should be two Cabareets or Goats,
which they do value at a very high rate; the King having not above 16 or 18. He tells the King, that
the K. of
England
had many thousands of his Subjects that were under the Degree of Genlemen, which had a thousand of Sheep apiece; the Flesh of which, they valu'd at a very much higher rate than Goats.
Tho' our
English man
liv'd very handsomely with this
E-fn man-cha,
King of the
Ca-la-nanch,
yet his desires and his hopes were still for his Native Country: At length he obtain'd a Promise from his King, that
the first
English
Ship that came into that Road, should have liberty to Release or Purchase him;
this very much rejoic'd his Heart: Now he thought ev'ry day a year, till he could hear of, or see some
English
Ship arriv'd. Many times when he was alone, his Heart would be oppress'd with Sighs and Sobbings, when he thought of his Relations, and the comfortable Society that they had together; that it should be his sad Lot to be Captivated amongst barbarous Infidels. Oftentimes did he walk down to the Sea-side, sometimes with Hopes, sometimes with Fear, earnestly expecting the Wind of God's Providence to blow in some
English
Ship thither: His often recourse to the Sea-side was discern'd by one
Ja-ga,
a Wizard, and the chiefest in 3 or 4 Kingdoms there-abouts; they are Persons that the Natives give very much credit to, and on any difficult Occasion, run to them for satisfaction. The famous
Delphiā n Oracle
was never had in greater Adoration, than the Prophetical Speeches of these
Moorish
Wizards. Tho' they have infinite numbers of them in every place, yet this
Ja-ga
had the most renown amongst them; and one day he comes to him, and very kindly ask'd him,
Why he so very often frequented that place?
He told him,
To see if he could discover any
English
Vessel to come in there:
But he being not acquainted with his great Fame, askt him,
When he did belive there would one come in?
Not that he was willing to give credit to any of their Divinations, but supposing that he thereby should please him, and answer his expectation.
Ja ga
immediately told him,
That the
15
day after an
English
Ship should come into the Road.
Then he askt him,
Whether that Ship should carry him away.
To which he answer'd doubtfully, but told him,
That he should be offer'd to the Master of the Ship, that they would not agree that he should come to Shore again, and he should not be Sold, but in a very short time after, he should die for Grief.
These 15 Days seem'd very long and tedious; many a look did he cast on the Sea with an aking Heart: The 14 Day he went to the highest Hill thereabout, but to no purpose, for he could discover no Ship: the next Morning he went again 2 or 3 times but saw none: about 2 or 3 Hours after came running into
Efn-mancha,
some of the
Moors,
and told him there was a Canoe coming, so they call'd our Ships; at which our
English-man
heartily rejoic'd, hoping then to be Releas'd forthwith, yet durst not shew his joy for fear of Punishment, or of Death; for tho' he liv'd better now than with his first Master, yet his Service was far worse than the Slaves in
Turkey,
and their Diet worse than Dogs-Meat; therefore had he cause enough of inward Joy; the Ship came immediately in, and he highs away presently to
Ja-ga,
to know if it were an
English
Ship, who resolv'd him that it was; it happen'd to be the St.
Maloes
Merchant, Capt.
Royden
Commander, who hasten'd to dispatch his Business, took in his
Negroes,
and was ready to Sail, and our
English man
heard never a word what should become of him, the King never offering to sell him; this put him on a resolution to endeavour to make an escape, and to that end had prepar'd a piece of Timber which he had drawn near the Water-side, on which he intended to paddle to the Ship which then lay about a League from the shore. Just by the Sea-side; as he was about to Launch his little floating Stick, he espy'd a great
Aligator,
which will devour a Man at a Mouthful; this made him alter his Resolution, and resolve rather to live with Inhuman Infidels, than to throw himself into so imminent a danger, which would have been little less than Self-murder. But the next day, which I may call a day of
Jubilee,
Almighty God open'd the Heart of the King to let the poor
English man
go: He sent him in a
Canoe,
plac'd between a
Negroe's
Legs, with some others to guide this small Vessel, for fear he should leap over-board and Swim to the Ship. At a distance from the Ship he Hal'd her in the
English
Tongue, which was no small cause of admiration to those on Board to hear an
English
Tongue out of their
Canoes:
The
Negroes
gave him leave to stand up and shew himself to the Captain, to whom he gave an Account
how four were left there, and only he preserv'd.
It was a pretty while before they could strike a Bargain, tho' the Captain was resolv'd not to leave him behind. Several times the
Negroes
padled away with their
Canoe,
resolving not to part with him; but what with his entreaties and promises, he persuaded them to the Ship again, and they deliver'd him on Board for 45 Copper Bars and Iron Bars; each Copper Bar being about the bigness of a Youth's little Finger, the Iron Bars a little bigger. Now were his Joys compleated, he thought himself, as it were,
caught up into the third Heavens;
he could hardly perswade himself but it was a Dream or Vision, and that he did not really see
English
Faces, or embrace
English
Bodies. It was some time before he could throw himself at the Captains Feet, and acknowledge his infinite cause of Joy in himself, and
thankfulness to him for his Deliverance from such a severe Captivity;
that
he that lately was a Slave to Infidels, that worship they know not what, should now see the Faces of Christians, and join with them in Worshipping the true God;
and to him first he offer'd up the Sacrifice of hearty Thanksgiving, that had sent his Angel to redeem him from so cruel a Bondage. When he came on Board, his Hair was very Long, and his Skin Tawny (
Malatto
-like) having gone Naked all the time he was there, and frequently anointing himself with
Palm Oyl
he look'd like a
Tawny-Moor;
but immediately the Seamen aboard, with Christian-like Hearts, Apparell'd him. The Master commanded to hoist Sail, and having a fair Wind, they Sail'd to
Barbadoes,
where Capt.
Royden
was to tarry some time; but the Relator earnestly desiring to go to his Native Country, and his Ralations, got passage to the
Downs,
in the
Katherine
of
London,
Capt.
South
Commander, which through God's Goodness, in a few Weeks arriv'd in the
Downs,
where the Relater was put on shore to his Uncle, Mr.
Rich. Watts
of
Deal,
to his great Joy and Satisfaction, who took this Relation from his own Mouth.
The Relation of Dr.
William Johnson,
concerning a most Remarkable
Sea-Deliverance;
in his own words.
27. We went aboard from
Harwich,
on
Michaelmas-day;
Sept. 29. 1648▪ in the
William
and
John
of
Ipswich, Daniel Morgan
Master, and having a fair Wind, we set Sail; I being Sea-sick, went to Bed, but about 4 a Clock in the Afternoon, the Master of the Ship came into our Cabin with more haste than he was wont, which made me ask him
whether all was well?
Who like a tender-hearted Man, who is loath to tell his Dying Friend, that he is so nigh his end, reply'd
all is well;
yet when I saw him shift himself with such haste, I rose from my Bed, and crawl'd upon the Deck, where I saw a sad spectacle, the Ship having sprang a Leak, or rather a Plank, was ready to sink, upon which, every Man was affrighted,
one was at his Prayer, another wringing his Hands, a third, his Eyes shedding of Tears,
when he had no need of more Salt-water; but after this, they fell to Work, but were busie in doing nothing: The Master's Mate, who went to search the Leak, told us with a sad Countenance, trembling Hands, gnashing of Teeth, a quivering Tongue, and words half spoken.
That the Leak could not be stopt, and the Water came in so fast upon us, that we must perish in this noment.
Upon which we presently cast out our Long-boat, and shot off 8 or 9 Guns to another Ship, who came out with us, to come to our Relief, then with some difficulty we all got into the Boat, and God be thanked, came clear of the Ship, whose Sails now lay flat upon the Water, and now we were rowing we know not whither, for the other Ship came not to our Relief, which made us have hard thoughts of them without cause, for we understood that both the Ship and all the Men perished in the same hour. Now were we without all hope, for it blew half a Storm, and we were in a small Vessel, many Leagues from the shore, without Compass, or Provision to sustain us, being starv'd likewise with Cold as well as for want of Victuals, having nothing in our Boat, but a small Kettle, which serv'd to cast out the water, and 3 Bags of Pieces of Eight, of 300 Pound Serling, which would neither feed us, nor keep us warm; in this distress we went to
Prayers,
and it pleased God to hear us, and send a Ship to us, even in the moment of Death, which we endeavour'd to come to, and he likewise to us, but the Storm was so great, we could not reach one another, tho' when it was dark, he hung out a Light, and we to let him know we were alive, order'd, that when a wave took us up, we should give a great shout, which we did so loud, that
I helieve our Cry was heard to Heaven,
for by God's miraculous Assistance, we got near the Ship, and soon after, all safe into it; the next day it blew fair for
Norway,
whither we were bound, and about 12 at Noon we saw the Coast, which being ragged, and full of Rocks, we resolv'd to stay till next Morning before we went in, and then sat down to Meat, and Eat very heartily being kindly entertain'd by the honest
Norwegian;
about ten a Clock at Night, we laid us down to rest, after having pray'd, and set our Watch, but immediately this our second Ship ran with full Sails upon a Rock, and gave so great a Crack as was able to awake the most dead asleep among us, and the Mariners cry'd out,
Mercy, Mercy,
it pleased God, that the Ship struck it self so fast in the clift of the Rock, that the former part of her stood firm, but breaking in the Storm, one of the Seamen leaped from the Bow of the Ship upon the Rock, with a Rope in his Hand, which was fasten'd to one of our Masts, and held it with so stiff a Hand, that another slipt down by it, and so all our Company that escaped, being 28 in Number, came safe to the Rock; I was the last that came down the Ship that way, for in that very moment she gave way, which the Master perceiving, who was still aboard, made lamentable moan to us to help him, which we endeavour'd to the utmost, but the Ship broke, and sunk immediately; there was this good Man, and four of the Mariners drowned; I saw the Master, with a Lightin his Hand, fall into the Sea, the saddest sight that I ever yet beheld in this World, and that which pierced my Soul, to see him that saved our Lives, lose his own: Now were we in the Dark upon the Rock, but knew not where, our Feet being cut upon the sharp Stones. At length, we happen'd of a hole in the Rock, which which was a warm shelter against the Wind; and when Morning came, where we could see no Land, only had a glimps of the Coast of
Norway,
at a great distance: We grew Hungry, but had nothing to Fish with, but our Arms, with which we drew up some small Muscles, and they we eat heartily, but we burnt with thirst, and
I would have given all I had for a Draught of fresh Water,
which would have been more welcome than the Gold of
Ophir,
tho' nothing is so mean in our esteem; but we were forc'd to drink
Salt-water,
which increased our Thirst; we now saw a Ship coming towards us with full Sails, and we
wav'd our Hats at them,
but they went off, and never came near us; we betook our selves to our old Remedy,
Prayers;
the
Danes
first singing one of
Luther
's
Psalms,
fell to their
Prayers,
and I Pray'd as long as I was able to speak, and then laid my self down on the Rock, thinking I should rise no more in this World: But I overheard one of the Sea-men, say,
Let us make a Raft, and venture to Sea, I had rather be Drown'd than lie here to be Starv'd;
They all concluded of it, tho' dangerous, and the Sea having fallen from the Rock, had left our Sails, Masts, and Anchors, with part of the Ship thereon, wherewith they soon made a slight Boat, and it being a great calm, the rest past through the Beaches with 4 Men in it, and had it touch'd only on them, they would have rent it in pieces, however through God's Goodness, they arrived safe in
Norway,
and return'd with several Boats, so that we came all of us once more to Land, and were entertain'd at an honest
Lutheran
Parson's House, where after we had continu'd for some Days with little Money and much Thanks we parted, and came to
Frederick Stadt,
where the People ran after us in the Streets, and with compassionate Eyes
gave us what we wanted, without asking;
from whence we went to
Oftersondt,
and there went aboard an
English
Ship, we had not been above 2 or 3 hours at Sea, but there was a sad distraction, the Mariners again crying for
Mercy, Mercy,
for we had almost fallen soul on a Rock under Water, which we did not spie till we were upon it, but by the Mercy of God, we Sail'd close by it, and yet escaped it, the least touch of it had been our ruine; about noon we came clear of all the Rocks on the Coast of
Norway,
and were Sailing for
England,
with a fair Gale of Wind. But in this prosperity, another sad ancident befel us, this third Ship sprang a leak and began to swim within as well as without, and we had no way to relieve our selves, but pumping (for the Leak could not be found) which we did day and night, for four or five days together, when it pleased God, we came safe, though in a great deal of danger, because of our rotten Ship, into
Yarmouth
Road; for the wind being very high, had like to have driven us upon a
Scotch
Vessel, who cryed out as well as we, but we happily mist him, and so safely arrived in
Yarmouth
Town, through the wonderful mercy of God.
Deus Nobiscum.
The great Dangers, and Merciful Deliverances of
William Okely
and his Company from Slavery in a Canvas Boat,
&c.
In the Year 1639. We took Ship at
Gravesend,
in the
Mary
of
London,
Mr.
Boarder
Master, bound for the Isle of
Providence
in the
West-Indies,
five weeks we
ay in the
Downs,
waiting for a wind, and then we set Sail, and came to an Anchor near the Isle of
Wight,
but by this time all the Beer in our Ship stunk, and we were forc'd to throw it overboard, and so take in Vinegar to mix with Water for our Voyage; the next Lords day we set Sail again, and coming between the Island and the main Land, we stuck fast in th
Sands, but the Tide coming in, heave
us off: the sixth day after our setting Sa
from the Isle of
Wight,
we discovered thre
Turks
men of War, who chased us, and a
break of day boarded and took us; having kept us close Prisoners at Sea, at th
end of five or six Weeks, they brough
us to
Algiers,
where I was sold for a slay the first Market day to a Patron, wh
told me,
I must allow him two Dollars Month, and live ashore where I would, an
get it where I could,
though I knew no
where to levy the least Mite of it: Wa
dring up and down I met with an
English-man
in his little Shop,
who Trade with Tobacco, and a few other things;
I became his Partner with a little Money had reserved, and a small modicum m
Patron had allowed me for my stock Here I got money and hired a Cella
where I laid up some other of my Good when weary of my slavery, I formed design for my Liberty, and communicated it to
John Anthony
Carpenter,
Wi
Adams
Brick-layer,
John Jephs
Seaman
John
a Carpenter, and two others, me
of able Bodies, and useful in the intende
project, which was to contrive the Mo
del of a Boat, which being formed i
parcels, and afterwards put together, might be the means of our escape: They approved the Proposal, and in my Cellar we began to work, we provided first a piece of Timber of twelve foot long to make the Keel, but because it was impossible to convey it of that length out of the City, but it must be seen and suspected; we therefore cut it in two pieces, and fitted it for jointing just at the middle, and then we provided Ribs, after which we made the Boat Water-tight, and because Boards would require much hammering, and that noise was like to betray us, we bought as much strong Canvas as would cover our Boat twice over upon the Convex of the Carine; we provided also as much
Pitch, Tar,
and
Tallow,
as would serve to make it a kind of Tarpawling Cerecloth to swaddle the Naked Body of our Infant Boat; of two Pipe staves sawed at the Corners, we made two things to serve for Oars, and for our Provision, we had a little Bread, and two Leather Bottles full of fresh Water, we also remembred to buy as much Canvas as would serve for a Sail, we carried out these in parts, and parcels, fitted them together in the Valley about half a mile from the Sea, whither Four of our Company carried the Boat on their Shoulders, and the rest followed them. At the Sea-side we stript, put our Clothes into the Boat, and carried it and them as far into the Sea as we could wade, and then all seven got into the Boat, but finding she was over laden, two of the Seamen were content to stay on shore; having bid them farewel, we lanched out,
June
30. 1644. The Bill of Lading was
John Anthony, Will. Adams, John Jephs, John
the Carpenter and
Will. Okely;
Four of us wrought continually at the Oar, the Fisth was to free the Boat of that Water, which by degrees leaked through our Canvas, our Bread was soon spoiled with the soaking in the Salt-water, our Fresh-water stunk of the Tanned Skin, and
Owze,
yet we complained not; three days with good Husbandry our Bread lasted us, but then
Pale Famine star'd us in the Face; Water
indeed we might have, but
it must be Salt, out of the Sea,
or
that which had been strain'd through our own Bodies,
and that we chose of the two; but we must not have that after a while, unless we would accept of the other first; and the misery was, that did not asswage our Thirst, but inerease it; the Wind too, for some time was full against us, but God rebuked it, and made it our Friend; a second inconvenience was, that our Labour was without intermission; and a third, the extremity of the Heat by day, the season raging hot, the beginning of
July,
and we wanted fresh-water to cool the Heat,
our Labour made it insupportable to our Bodies, and our little hope made it as grievous to our Souls;
one help we had, a poor one, he that emptied the Boat, threw the Water on the Bodies of the other to cool them; but our Bodies thus scorched and cooled rose up in Blisters all over;
great pain we felt, great dangers we were in, great Miseries we indur'd, great wants we were under,
and had nothing but a little Hope, Food and Strength: If any Ask
by what Directions we steered our course to Mayorck,
whither we design'd to go?
For the day a Pocket Dial did supply the place of a Compass, by Night the Stars when they appear'd, and when not, we guessed our way by the the motion of the Clouds:
Four Days and Nights were we in this woful plight; on the fifth, all hope that we should be sav'd was perish'd, so that we left off our Labour, because we had no strength left, only emptied the Boat of Water; but then God sent us some Relief, for as we lay hulling up and down, we discover'd
Tortoise,
not far from us asleep in the Sea; had
Drake
discover'd the
Spanish
Fleet, he could not have more Rejoyc'd; we took up our Oars, silently rowed to our Prey, took it into the Boat with Great Triumph; we cut off her Head, and let her Bleed into a Pot, we drank the Blood, eat the Liver, and sucked the Flesh: it wonderfully refreshed our Spirits, and we picked up some crumbs of Hope: about Noon we thought we discover'd Land; it's impossible to express the joy of our raised Souls at this apprehension, we Wrought hard, and after further Labour were fully satisfy'd that it was Land, and proved to be
Mayork,
which we kept within sight of all day.
July
the 6th. about Ten at Night we came under the Island, and crept as near the Shore as we could or durst, till we found a convenient place, where we might thrust in our
Weather-beaten Boat;
when we were come to Land we were not insensible of our deliverance; but though we had escap'd the Sea, we might die at Land; We had no Food since we eat the Liver, and drank the Blood of the Tortoise; therefore
John Anthony
and my self were sent out to Scout abroad for
Fresh-Water,
because we spake some
Spanish;
We came to a Watch-Tower of the
Spaniards,
spake to him on the Watch, told him our Condition, earnestly begged some
Fresh-Water,
and some
Bread;
he threw us down and
old mouldy Cake,
but so long as it was a Cake, Hunger did not consider its Mouldiness; then he directed us to
Fresh-Water
which was hard by; We stood not telling of Stories, we remembred our Brethren left with our Boat, and observing the Centinel's Directions, came to a Well, where there was a Pot with strings to draw with; we drank a little Water, and eat a bit of our Cake, but the passage was so disused, that we had much ado to force our Throats to relieve our clamorous Stomachs; we return to our Boat, and acquaint them with the Good Successes of our Embassy, and all prepare to make to the
Well,
so tying our Boat as fast as we could to the shore we left her to Mercy: N
w w
are at the
Well
which hath
Water
therein, and we have something to draw with, but
God must give us a Throat to swallow;
for
Will. Adams
attempting to drink, after many Essays, was not able to swallow it, but still the Water return'd, so that he sunk down to the ground, Fainting, saying,
I am a Dead Man:
But after much striving he took a little; so refreshed with our Cake and Water, we lay by the Well side till the Morning; when it was clear day, we again went to the
Watchman,
intreating him
to direct us the ready way to the next House or Town,
wher
we might find Relief; he civilly pointed to us to one about Two Mile off, and long it was ere our Blistering Feet could overcome the tediousness o
that little way: When we came thither the honest
Farmer,
moved with our Relation, sent us
Bread
and
Water,
and
Olives
and seeing us
Thankful Beggars,
inlarge
his Civility to us, called us into his House and gave good warm
Bean Pottage,
which seem'd to me the most pleasant Food that ever I eat in my Life, then we advanced to the City of
Mayorck,
about Te
Miles from that place; that Night we lay by a
Well side,
and in the Morning we e
ed the Suburbs; the
Vice-Roy
was informed of us, and
we were commanded to appear before him,
who, after he had Examin'd us, and heard our Story, order'd we should be maintain'd at his own Cost, till we could have Passage to our own Country. But our
English
Ships seldom Trading thither, we Petition'd the
Vice-Roy
for Passage in the King of
Spain
's Gallies, which were in the Road bound for
Alicant,
which he graciously granted us; after some other Troubles we met with contrary Winds, and it was five Weeks ere we could reach the
Downs,
where we arriv'd in
Sept.
1644. The Commader of the Ship was Capt.
Smith
of
Rotherhithe.
Mr.
Thomas Saunders,
my Wives Brother, being in
Mayorck
not long after we came from thence, saw our Boat hung for a Monument upon the side of Great Church there; and Mr.
Robert Hales
was there 1671. and assures me, that he saw the Naked Ribs and Skeleton of it then hanging in the same place.
Wanly
's Hist.
Man,
p. 642.
The Merciful Preservation and Deliverance of Capt.
Blose
and his ships Company, who were Cast away in an Island of Ice near
Russia,
this present year
1697.
October.
the 7th. 1696. We came from
Archangel
in
Russia
in the
Riga
Merchant, Burthen 300 Tuns, 18 Guns,
Samuel Blose
Commander. The 8th we had the Wind at
North West
by
West,
we plied to Windward, and it blew very hard; the 10th we took two
Reefs
in our
Topsails;
the 12th we took in our
Topsails,
and
Reefe
Costs;
the 13th about One in the Morning we
Sprung a Leak,
in so much that we were forced to set both our Pumps to Work, and bear away before the Wind; yet still the Water increased; and the 14th we cut our
Main-Sail
from the
Yard,
and let him fly overboard, the Weather being so excessive thick by reason of the extraordinary much Snow that then fell, that we could not see the Land, nor any place where we could run our Ship Ashore to save our Lives; The 15 in the Morning, about One of the Clock, by Fortune, unexpected of us, before we saw any Land, we struck upon an Island, called by the
Russes, Mussoves,
lying in the
Missen Gulf,
which by the Miraculous hand of God
we light on, and were all
gotten well ashore; for as God of his wonderful goodness so order'd it, we struck about High Water, and as the Water fell away, our Ship dryed, so that we got safe to Land without any harm; and if it had pleased God we happen'd ever so little, either to one side or the other we should have all perish'd among the Islands of Ice. When we got all ashore, we made us a
Tent,
and when it was Day, looking about us, saw something like
Houses;
so our
Captain
and a
Dutch Merchant
Passenger that we had on Board of our Ship, and our
Doctor,
went to see what they were, thinking to find some Inhabitants, but they could find none: then we went Aboard our Ship, and got all our
Beef
ashore that we could find, about
One hundred Weight
of
Bisket Bread,
which was all the
Bread
we could find; then we Calculated that our
Beef
at
Four Pieces
a day, would serve us till the middle of
May,
and every Man
one Bisket
a Day; but that would last but a small time: Besides, we got ashore Three Boxes of
Candles,
which was a great comfort to us in our necessity, by reason we had not above
Three hours Day.
Then we got all our things we had saved to the House that we saw; and going about discover'd a great many Houses, and we went to them to see what we could find, expecting to see some People, but there was none but
empty Cask,
so we came home to the place that we had carried our things to again; but, as God would have it, just against the House that we had taken for our Habitation, in the Snow we saw
Two Cask,
and we went and found them both full of
Rye Meal,
which was a Joy beyond measure to us in our Extremity; and then we found another
Cask
with a
Kneading-Tub
in it:
Decem.
the First, the
Dutch Merchant,
and Four more of our hands went out and took a
Compass,
and
Provision
with them, upon Discovery, hoping to see some body to speak to, that we might know where we were, but they could find no Inhabitants, the Course they steered was
S. E.
but when they came to turn back, their
Compass
unhung, and they not minding it, went up and down a long time, and at length came to the same place where they were when they first turned back; then they looked more earnestly upon their
Compass,
and found it unhung, they hung it, and came the direct way home again; but when they came in sight of a House that was about Two Miles off of our House, the
Merchant
and one more Travelling better than the other Three, went before, and promis'd them to make a Fire against they came; but the Weather being so severe, they were not able to come along, but were Starved with the Cold before they got up to us: So the Lord, of his great Mercy, made Provision for us until the First of
March,
it being a
Sabbath-day,
and we at our Devotion, one of our Boys being at another House Broiling of our Victuals, saw some Men upon the Island, he fell down, being much surpriz'd, but soon got up again, and run and told us; upon which we left our
Prayers,
and run to see what they were; our
Merchant
could speak the
Language,
which was the preservation of all our Lives, for otherways they would have Murther'd us for
breaking down
their
Houses,
and
Eating
their
Provisions
that we found upon the Island, for they would not be perswaded but we were
Pirats
and
Robbers,
by reason that we were Building of a
Small Vessel
for our own Security, to carry us to the Main when the Ice broke up; but our
Merchant
speaking their
Language,
persuaded them, and promised them to make them Satisfaction for what Damage we had done them; for we broke down
Two
of their Houses for
Firing:
So they
turned us out of our Houses,
and took our
Meal
from us. The Men that came over were in Number 500, Ten Men in a Boat, they came there to kill
Seales:
They asked us
what we had seen?
We told them,
Nothing but Two Ravens.
They made very strange of it, and would not believe it: For they told us,
That none of them live there but Six Weeks in the Year, whether they catch Fish or not, the Island was so Haunted.
Soon after the
Russians
came there, that
Man
that saved his Life, and got well home with the
Merchant,
when the other Three were Starved with the Cold, Died, which made Four that were Dead, our Compliment at first was 27, but then we had but 23 Living: Then our
Merchant
went to the
Russians,
and desired them to put us over, and he would satisfie them for it; They granted we should have
Six Boats,
and 60
Men
to Drag us over the
Ice,
for it was
Seven Leagues
from the
Main,
and all full of
Islands of Ice
between, insomuch that they were 24 hours coming over, when they came upon the said Island: But it pleased the Lord so to order it, that after they had dragg'd us over Two small Islands of Ice, that as God parted the
Red-Sea
for the
Children of Israel
to pass through, so he parted the
Ice
from us, insomuch that we got over in
Six hours
time, which the
Russians
told us was never so before. But when we came over we lay where there were 1000 Men a
Fishing.
The first Night: and the next Morning we hired
Sledges
to drag us to some place Inhabited: The Beasts that dragg'd the Sledges along they call
Roeys,
they are like Deer, but larger: We were forc'd to be Dragg'd, we could not Travel our Limbs were so disabled with the Cold before we got off the aforesaid Island: besides the
Snow
was of such a vast thickness, and so hard
Frozen,
that we could find no Path, if we could Travel never so well, if the
Shamake
,
as they call them, had not shown us the way; the first Night of our Journey upon the Sledges our
Carpenters Mate
died, so we made a Hole in the Snow and put him in, and left him. Then our
Captain,
and the
Merchant,
and the
Doctor,
being but single in a Sledge, and we near double, went faster than us to the next Town to provide
Victuals
and fresh
Sledges
for us against we came; and when we came to that Town we got Sledges that had Horses to draw them along, so we Rid Night and Day till we came to
Archangel;
the Third day of our Travels another of our Men Died, and the 5th day another; the former we Buryed in the
Ground,
because we were nigh a Town, but the other we Buryed in the
Snow:
So that when we came to
Archangel,
out of our 27 Men, we had but 20 left.
March
the 17th we came off the aforesaid Island, and we Travell'd Night and Day, except the first Night, until the 25th of the same Month. Two days after we came to
Archangel
we lost another Man. At
Archangel
our Captain got
Stoves
for us to inhabit in, and sent us
Provision,
where we remain'd till the 6th day of
June,
when there came in Six Sail of
Hollanders,
being the First that came that year, who divided us amongst them, and brought us to
Greenland,
and from thence some of us were brought to
Holland,
and some to
Hamborough,
from whence 16 of us got Passage to
England,
where we Arriv'd the 15 of
Nov.
1697. Two went to the
Straits,
and our
Dutch Merchant
tarried in
Holland.
This Account is given by
Francis Lee,
who was Boatswain of the Ship, and Attested by others now Living in
London.
THE
Seaman
's
Preacher;
OR, Sea-Dangers and Deliverances Improv'd; in a SERMON.
Acts 27.18, 19, 20.
18.
And being exceedingly tossed with a Tempest, the next day they lightned the Ship.
19.
And the third day, we cast out with our own hands, the tackling of the Ship.
20
And when neither Sun nor Stars appeared, and no small Tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved, was then taken away.
IN this Chapter we have a full Narrative of
Paul
's Voyage to
Rome,
in all the circumstances of it; it seems
Paul
kept a
Journal,
and so Recorded this memorable
Voyage
for the use of succeeding Generations. 1. We have the
Occasion
of his Voyage,
(viz.) Paul
being then a
Sufferer
and a
Prisoner,
he appeals to
Caesar,
and so is sent to
Rome,
and there bears a faithful Testimony for
Jesus Christ,
(
vers.
1.) 2. We have the
Dangers
that occurred in the Voyage, and these are also carefully Commemorated (
ver.
9.)
Now much time was spent, and Sailing was now dangerous, because the Fast was already past:
This was the yearly Fast of the
Jews,
on which the Atonement for all the people was made by the High-Priest, in the
holy of holies;
which day was the 10. of the 7th Month, (
Lev.
16.29.) which partly agreed wi
h our
September
and
October,
in which time the Sea was not Sailed in by the Antients, until the beginning of
March,
because of the shortness of the days, and violence of the Tempests, they were prone to in those Parts; this is the sense of Interpreters upon the place. The 1. Danger of the Voyage we read of, is this,
the winds were contrary,
(
ver.
4.) this is spoken of the Voyage of the Disciples,
The winds were contrary.
The 2. Danger,
there arose,
not only a
contrary wind,
but a
violent wind,
called an
Euroclydon,
(
ver.
14.) some read it a
Whirle-wind,
but it is meant of an
Eastwind,
which raises the Sea mightily. 3. The
Tempest
was so great and violent upon them, they were glad to
let the Ship drive,
(
ver.
15.)
3. We have not only the
Danger
in this Voyage, but their marvellous
Deliverance
and
Preservation;
for they came of
all of them with their
lives,
(
ver.
44.) the particulars whereof you may see.
In the Text we have
three
things observable. 1. Their
Endeavours
in this grea
Distress to preserve themselves. 1.
They lightned the Ship,
and what was it she was laden with? it was
Wheat,
(
ver.
38.)
They lightned the Ship, and cast the Wheat into the Sea;
thus did
Jonah
's Mariners cast ou
the
Wares.
Alas, what are these things, but lumber to Lives? if it were Gold, i
must go for Life.
Skin for skin and all tha
a man hath will he give for his Life.
Then what should a man give for his Soul?
what will a man give in exchange for his Soul?
The 2. Endeavour; they
cast ou
the Tackling of their Ship,
any thing they part with to save their lives, though never so useful to them; even that which was necessary for their Voyage▪ they are under a necessity to part with it, for the preservation of their lives.
2. We have their
Dangers
as well as
Endeavours.
1. It is exprest in the violence of the Tempest;
they were exceedingly tosse
with a Tempest.
2. It was dark weather
neither Sun nor Stars appeared,
which used to be great comforts and helps to poo
men at Sea. 3, Their
Danger
is exprest
n this, they were brought to the brink of
he black pit of
Despair; all Hope now was
aken away.
O what a sad distressed con
ition was this! their Hope, which is
alled the Anchor of the Soul, was lost;
hey gave all their lives over for gone and
ost: And oh, what could now a Com
any of Men do that had lost their Hopes
nd Hearts? could these that had lost
heir Hopes find their Hands? they were
ow saying, as the Jews did in the Cap
ivity,
Our Hope is lost, we are cut off for our
arts,
(
Ezek.
37.11.)
3. We have their
Deliverance
and
Pre
ervation,
coming in at such a time and season as this was; now that they are brought
o an extremity, God makes it his oppor
unity; and now that all hope of being
aved is taken away;
Salvation
will be most
easonable: and now
the Angel appears to
Paul,
and tells him, all their lives are ensured,
nly the Ship shall be lost.
Observations are these:
1.
Dangers and Deliverances are to be carefully recorded and remembred; therefore
Paul
takes an account of both, here in this Voyage.
2.
Salvations and Deliverances many times are not sent, until persons be left hopeless in themselves.
I shall speak a little to both these upo
this present occasion, that what you rea
here, may be remarked and remembred,
1.
Dangers and Deliverances are to be carefully recorded and remembred. This Observation hath two paats:
8.
Dangers are t
be remembred.
2.
Deliverances are to b
remembred.
Thus the Lord's poor people used to d
in all Ages: When
Jacob
was in danger o
his Brother
Esau,
you see how he commemorates it, and gives us an exact narrativ
of it, and tells us how he feared him
Lord I fear my Brother
Esau, (
Psal.
34.4.
How often was
David
in danger by
Saul
who was his sworn Enemy? and how many
Psalms
have we, taking occasion to remember what danger he was in, and how comfortably he was brought off:
I sough
the Lord, and he heard me; and delivered m
out of all my fears.
(2 Cor. 1.9.10.) As
Paul
tells the
Corinthians
what danger they were in;
they were prest out of measure, ou
of strength, insomuch that they despaired of life,
&c. And so at
Sea
as well as
Land,
he would have dangers remembred; how that
they go up to Heaven one while, and sink into the deeps another; their Soul melted because of trouble, and they were at their wits ends,
&c.
Peter
's danger at Sea is recorded, when he began to sink, and cried out,
Master, save me, or I peresh,
(
Matt.
14.28, 29, 30.) And the Disciples, when they cried out,
Carest
hou not that we perish?
(Mark. 4.38.) It
s observed the Ship now was full, and
ow comes Salvation and Deliverance. Here was their danger recorded, the Ship was full, and Christ asleep in the hinder part of the Ship.
1. Query is, How
Dangers
should be
emembred?
2. How
Deliverances
should be remem
red?
1.
Dangers
should be remembred, considering we may come into them again. Many when dangers are not, they sing to their Souls that song, and delude themselves,
The bitterness of Death is past;
they think they are out of one storm, and they shall never come in such another. Just as persons do with their
Sickness
at Land,
o many do with their
Dangers
at Sea, if God bring them off: O they grow hard
ed and secure again. But if God hath brought us home one dangerous Voyage, we should think, it may be the next will
e as dangerous; Have I escaped one at
Sea,
one at Land? if I do not improve it, if I do not walk suitable under it, O how easily can God bring me into another. You never were in such Dangers, but you may come to the like again, whether at
Sea
or
Land.
2.
Dangers
should be remembred with consideration to the Greatness of them great things should be remembred, a grea
God, great Mercies, great Deliverances great Sins, and great Dangers. How should we think, O what a Danger was I in a
this time by such a Storm at Sea! by such a Sickness ashore! not only my Life is danger? was I fit to die at such a time
had I gotten an interest in Christ, if
had been cast away at such a time? Me
think dangers great for their Bodies, bu
they do not think them so for their Souls they think them great for their Ships, fo
their Estates, but they do not think them so for their Eternal condition; O had not my Body, Soul, Ship, and all perished together. And was not this a grea
danger? thy Souls danger was the greatest danger; hadst thou been drowned a
such a time, thy Soul had been ship-wrackt to all Eternity.
3. Dangers should be remembred with consideration to their Suddenness; how many times do they come suddenly upon us? As there is sudden Fear, so there is sudden Danger.
When the Lord send the Winds out of his Treasury suddenly, and threatens Men at Sea with sudden destruction, when desolation seems to come as a Whirlwind,
&c. We should think, that if sudden death had come upon me, what a condition was my poor Soul in? what a dreadful thing would it have been if I had been surpris'd on a sudden, and sent into an Eternal condition, in the twinkling of an Eye? I, to be threatned to be swallowed up, only with a formal
God have Mercy upon thee
in thy mouth; not to have time to pray, repent, reflect upon thy past life: O what a sad thing is this?
4. We should think of our Dangers with consideration to the frames of our hearts; what frames of heart we were then under. 1. To the frames of our hearts when in our dangers. 2. The frames of our herats when brought from under them. 1. The frames of the heart when in and under them: were not you under great fears and hurries of Soul? it may be, not knowing how it would go with your Souls, if you had gone off the stage of this life at the present.
David
when he was in danger, took especial notice of the frame of his spirit;
Innumerable evils have compassed me about.
(Psal. 40.12, 13.) He was compass'd about on every side with danger; and how was it with him then? he calls to mind,
Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up,
(Psal. 57.7.) And what then? O see how he prays;
Be pleased, O Lord to deliver me; O Lord, make hast to help me
Remember what the frames of our heart were in dangers, in reference to our fears, and secondly, what in reference to ou
faith; so also did
David,
when pursure
in danger by
Saul. My heart is fixed; my hear
is fixed; I will sing and give praise.
We ar
to remember our fears under our dangers that we may be prepar'd better for futur
tryals; we are to remember our faith unde
dangers past, that we may be encourag'd for the time to come in after straits.
2. We are to remember our frames o
spirit when God brings us out of our danger; how then we were melted with th
present sense of the mercy; as those
Israelites,
when God brought them out o
danger,
they believed God, they sang and gav
praise;
O what resolutions were ther
then upon the Soul to be given up anew to God; to walk before the Lord in th
light of the living. Thus also did
David
when brought out of danger;
Thy vow are upon me, O God,
&c. and at another time
The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brough
low,
&c.
and thou helpedst me,
(Psal. 56.12
13.) And then what a frame of heart wa
upon him?
Return unto thy rest, O my Soul
&c. (
Psal.
116.6, 7.) Then he was al
for returning to God. These we are to remember, that we may not wear totally the sense of them off our Spirits.
5. We should remember our
Dangers,
with consideration to the
frequency
of them, how frequently we were in them.
Paul
remember'd this,
in Perils by Sea often, in Perils by the Heathens,
&c. (2
Cor.
11.26.) O how often have we been near Drowning, near Taking, near Sinking, near Dying, and yet God brought us off; these things we should call to mind often who go out upon dangerous Voyages, and often come home;
he oftner and more frequent our dangers, the more should we think upon them.
2. We should Remember our
Deliverances,
but how? 1. We should Remember them, so as to admire them; thus did the people of the
Jews
in
Ezra, Who hath given them such Deliverance as this?
O! they admire it, and write a Non-such upon the Head of it, as
David
admired the goodness of God, when he had spoken of his House to come.
Is this the manner of Men, O God?
He was in an holy Extasy of Heavenly admiration; so should you say
ow; to carry out, and bring home, in such a Dangerous time as this; To hide from Enemies, when sought for in such a time, such a Voyage as this: Oh!
who am I? And what is my Fathers house, that he should bring me hitherto?
You should turn
he Deliverance on every side, and admire
the Goodness of God, the Wisdom of God, the Mercy of God, the Power of God, the Faithfulness of God in it; and say, O Lord, what a Deliverance is this? What a Voyage is this? God loves to have his Mercies admir'd by us.
2. We should Remember our Deliverances, to have our Hearts raised up it gratitude, and thankfulness to God for them; Thus did
David, I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in presence of all his people: I will take the Cup of Salvation, and will cal
upon the Name of the Lord,
Psal. 116.12, 13, 14. We are to remember to pay our Thank-offerings unto God, after our Deliverance from God: What forget such a Deliverance as this? What, not be thankful for such a Preservation as this?
3. We should Remember our Deliverances, so as to endear our Hearts to God Thus we find
David, I will love thee, O Lord▪ I will love the Lord dearly,
(so the Heb.)
The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer,
&c.
Psal.
18.1. O! now how should Souls, after their Deliverance, boil and burn in Love to God! How are we engaged to a Friend that is at any time but an Instrument in God's hand to Deliver us? And shall we be endeared to the Instrument, and not to the Author. O! how was
David
endeared to God when he said,
He having Redeemed him, he would walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living,
Psal. 59.
ult.
4. We should Remember our
Deliverances
to improve them in a way of acting Faith, when the next danger and straits come:
I will remember thee from the Land of Jordan, from the Hill Missar,
Psal. 42.6, 7. This was to encourage him from his former Deliverances in his future straits and exigencies. What, now distrust God, who hath delivered in Six Troubles, and now shall we give way to Unbelief in the Seventh? Did not holy
David
thus!
He hath delivered me out of the Paw of the Lyon, and out of the Paw of the Bear, and he wi
deliver me out of the hand of the uncircumcised Philistine.
Thus
Paul
remembers his Deliverance from
Nero. And I was delivered
ut of the mouth of the Lyon, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work,
1 Tim.
.17, 18.
5. We should remember our Deliverances, to be often inculcating, and imprinting them upon our own hearts: A
s, when we receive them, they are a little fresh it may be upon our spirits, but O
ow soon do they die, because they are
ot written upon our hearts; they are not
ngraven there as a Man that would Remember a thing, beit a Notion, or an Resolution, he will be often turning it over in his thoughts; Alas if we write o
Deliverances, Is it not in the Dust? where as we should write them in Marble: We should write them with a Pen of Iro
and the point of a Diamond.
1. We should commemorate our Dangers with our Deliverances, because God gives them to that end. The Lord doth not give us our Deliverances to cast them at our heels, nor brings us out of our Da
ers that we might forget them, as tho w
had never been in any of them. God expects that we should faithfully Registe
and Record them; therefore it was a great. Provocation to the Lord, that the Children of
Israel
so soon forgot his works If you do but forget the kindness of Friend, you think it is disingenuous; bu
O then, What is it to forget that God that hath delivered you out of six troubles, and in seven troubles? God loves and expects his kindness should be kept upon Record,
2. We should Commemorate our Dangers and Deliverances, because it was freely of his grace to bring us out of the on
and put us under the other; Is it not o
his meer mercy that he rescu'd and pull'd us out of our dangers? Might not we else have been swallow'd up by them? And may not we all say in this case, as the Psalmist in that?
Had it not been the Lord who was on our side then, the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our Soul, then the proud Waves, had gone over our Soul,
Psal. 124.4, 5. May not you who have been, so often deliver'd at Sea in imminent dangers sing this Song; What, and now forget such dangers? and cast behind your backs such Deliverances. Oh! the freer any favour is, the more it should be remembred; Doth God see any thing in us, or in our Families, more than others, to bestow such deliverances for? One Man goes to Sea, and he is taken; another goes to Sea, and he is sunk; another goes to Sea, and he dies the Time of the Voyage; And why doth the Lord preserve you? Is not this Free-Grace? not because you are more Righteous, but because he is more Gracious; And should not this be remembred?
3. Our Dangers and Deliverances should be remembred, because God hath gracious ends and designs both in the one and the other; What ends hath God to bring us into dangers? 1. He by this hath an end and design to quicken us up to duty; it may be there may be some ommitted duty; neglected duties often bring Men into great and imminent dangers; it may be a Person is convinced of the duty of Prayer, but it may be neglected; Oh then God will bring him into danger to quicken him to his duty; Oh, says God,
In their affiction they will seek me early.
The very Heathen Mariners called out for Prayer in time of danger. Observe it, that Persons convinced of duties, either Personal or Domestical, and yet neglected, God usually whips them to their Duties, by one danger, affliction or another. The Proverb is good,
if you wonld teach a Man to Pray, send him to Sea.
2. God by bringing us into dangers, hath a design upon us to convince us of sin; many Convictions have come into the Soul at this door; Dangers have often proved inlets to Convictions. Oh! What Convictions have many poor Souls lain under while in danger, when it may be the dangers have given them a view of Eternity; when Dangers have presented Death to the Man, and Conscience hath cried,
Now thou art sinking, now there is but a step betwixt thee and Eternity, betwixt thee and and another World?
Oh then what Convictions hath the Soul lain under? and yet it may be when the Danger is over, the Conviction is over too. Well, though we may forget all, yet God remembers all. 3. God hath a design upon us in our Dangers, to prepare us for our latter end. The danger thou wert in, and have escaped, calls for thee to prepare for thy Death, which must certainly come to pass shortly. God by Dangers would have you prepare for Death: And Oh! What a cutting Consideration will this be when thou comest to die? that thou who hast been in so many dangers by Sea and Land, shouldst have no more learned to die, nor art yet ready to die. Alas, you escaped the last, that you might prepare for the next. 4. God hath a design upon our Graces by bringing us into danger; Danger is to evert and draw forth Grace. Thus the Disciples Dangers at Sea were to draw forth their Faith. Faith and Patience come most visibly upon the stage in times of most imminent Danger.
5. God by bringing us into Dangers, hath a design upon our Souls; he sometimes by danger of drowning the Body, hath saved the Soul, and hath caused it to say,
Periissem nisi periissem: I had perished, if had not perished.
Some have escaped Shipwrack of Soul, by Shipwrack of Body; And shall we forget such Dangers, when God hath such gracious designs in them upon us;
2. He drives on gracious ends and designs in our
Deliverances,
And shall we then forget them?
&c.
1. He spares us, that we may account his long-suffering Salvation; he gives, by sparing of us, space to Repent; and Oh! What a dreadful thing is it not to remember wherefore we are spared and delivered?
He gave her space to Repent, but she Repented not,
Psal. 56.
ult.
The Prisoner is Reprieved, that he might sue out his Pardon, and will he forget the End for which he is Reprieved?
2. He delivers, that we may live to him. Why were
David's Feet deliver'd from falling?
It was that
he might walk before the Lord in the light of the Living. He gives us our Lives, that we might give them back again to God,
Jer. 7.10. Men are not delivered from Dangers to live to themselves, to live to their Lusts, to Drink, and Swear, and Rant, and Roar, as a great many poor Wretches do. That say as they did.
We are deliver'd to do all these abominations,
Psal. 50.15.
3. God hath another End of Deliverance, that we might glorifie him, in paying our Vows to him.
I will deliver thee;
And what then? When out of Trouble never remember it more, cast it behind thy back; O no;
And thou shalt glorifie me.
He aims at a Revenue of Glory out of your Deliverances.
4. God hath another End of Delivering of us; that we might enter into New Engagements, to be more the Lord's; a in times of great Dangers, there use to be great Engagements betwixt God, and the Soul; so in times of Great Deliverances, there are great Engagements pass betwixt God and the Soul; New Dedications to God; New Deliverances call for New Dedications of the Soul to God; now the Soul should be set apart for God more than ever.
5. God hath another End in Delivering of us, that we might break off our League with Sin; thus it was with them,
shall we break his Commaandments, after such great Deliverance as this?
APPLICATION.
Is it so, that our
Dangers
and
Deliverances
should be remembred by us? Then it is a word of Information.
1. Learn we here how acceptable it is to God, th
t we thankfully congratulate our Mercies. No Musick like a sound of Trumpets off the Waters: So, O what sweet Musick doth it make in God's Ears, that you thankfully record Sea-Mercies. and Sea-Deliverances; this is the Musick of the Waters; this makes Melody in God's Ears.
Sea-Prayers,
and
Sea-Praises
come up acceptably before the Lord, he is so Pleased with them, that he hath called them Sacrifices, O
that Men would offer the Sacrifice of Praise;
this is the sound of Trumpets you should carry to Sea with yon, Outward bound, and Homeward bound.
2. Learn we hence what a Great Evil it is to lose the remembrance of our Dangers and Deliverances. What do many Families? What do many Persons with the Sea-Dangers, with the Sea-Deliverances? Do not they write them in Dust? Do not they Bury them in the Grave of Oblivion? Do not they cast them behind their Backs? Do not they trample them under Foot? O poor Souls! They little know what they do.
1. Such Deliverances will have a Resurrection in their Consciences one Day: though they Bury them now, O they will Rise again: And Oh! How will they then dread and terrifie a poor Soul!
2. Such Deliverances will another Day be Witnesses and Evidences against you. Oh! What a cutting testimony will they give in against the Soul? Hast not thou been graciously and wonderfully delivered in such a Voyage, in such a Storm at Sea, is such a Sickness at Shore, and yet walked unsuitably under all these? To be cast out by Mercy, O what a dreadful thing is this!
3. Such Deliverances forgotten by us, harden us; either they soften or harden. These Providences are like God's Ordinances in this respect, they either harden or soften. Oh! What a dreadful thing it is to be hardened by Deliverances and Preservation, and yet many are.
Sentence being not speedily Executed, the Hearts of Men are fully set in them to do Evil.
4. Such Deliverances will be great Aggravations both of Man's Sin and Misery, if forgotten by them. The Goodness of God was the Aggravation of the Sin of
David,
says God,
When I had done so and so for thee, nay, and I would have done more, wherefore hast thou dispised the Commandment of the Lord, to do Evil in his Sight,
2 Sam. 12.8, 9. What, for you that had such Deliverances as these, to break his Commandment; as
Ezra
says; O this is an high Aggravation!
5. Deliverances and Dangers forgotten, will cause the Lord to pull in his Hand in a way of Mercy, will cause God to give up Persons, and take his Protecting Presence from them, take them from the shadow of his Wings. Souls by forgetting past Dangers and Deliverances, may put themselves from under God's Protection for the future.
Use
2. Is it so that we are to Remember our Sea-dangers and Deliverances? then it is a word of
Exhortation;
be exhorted then to call to mind, and keep in mind, what God hath done for you; and in this Exhortation I address my self to Sea-faring Men, whose lives are a course and series of Wonders in their frequent Salvations and Preservations, (witness this Treatise) as you
see the wonders of God in the Deeps, (viz.)
The wonders of his Creation, so do you see the wonders of his Salvation: How often may
Wonderful
be Written upon the Head of Salvations that you are every Voyage receiving from God? you never go out, and come home, but God works
Wonderfully,
and appears
Wonderfully
for you; Is not he a Wonder-working-God for you every Voyage?
The
Exhortation
is to call to mind, and keep in mind, to Record and Register your Dangers and Deliverances, and not to do as
Israel
is said to do, who soon forgot his Works. How often doth God bring this sin of theirs in one
Psalm? They forgot his works, and the wonders he had shewed them, Psal.
106.13.
Psal.
78.11.
1. Keep them in mind, for they are wonderful Dangers and Deliverances; They are Wonders, these are to be remembred.
Marvellous things did he for them, in the sight of their Fathers,
&c.
He divided the Sea, and caused them to pass through, and he made the waters to stand as an heap, Psal.
78.12, 13. And it is brought in again in that
Psalm, They remembred not his hand, nor the day when God delivered them out of the hand of the Enemy,
&c.
Psal.
78.42. And in another place,
They forgot God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt, Wondrous works in the Land of Ham, Psal.
106.21, 22. This heightens the and sin exceedingly to forget such Great Wonderful Dangers and Deliverances.
1. Your Dangers are Wonderful in this Respect, they are often such as threaten a sentence of Death to be executed upon you. May it not be said of poor Sea-men, as was of them;
For we would not (Brethren) have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired of Life; but we had the sentence of death in our selves, that we should not trust in our selves, but in him that raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so great a Death, and doth Deliver,
2 Cor. 1.8, 9, 10. O how many Sea-faring Men may say thus!
Our Dangers have been such, as we have often despaired of Life; there hath been but a little betwixt us and Death; nay, betwixt us and Eternity;
And shall we forget such dangers, when we have been so near death in them? As he said to
David, As the Lord lives, there is but one step betwixt thee and death.
O how often have you been near sinking, near drowning, and yet God hath then appeared for you, with an outstreached Arm, and in the Mount hath he been seen, And will you not remember this?
2. Your Dangers are Wonderful in this Respect, they are sudden and surprizing, they are wonderfully sudden; threatned with nothing but present Death and Destruction? It may be said of Sea-men, as of those in
Job, Snares compassed them about, and sudden fear troubled them,
Job 22.10. It doth not only trouble them, but all on a sudden trouble them, before they know almost where they are (as we say;) We read of some whose Calamity shall come suddenly.
Suddenly shall he be broken without Remedy,
Prov. 6.15. O how terrible is such a case, or such a danger! And hath not God often threatened to make this your case and condition? O then do not forget such dangers that have so suddenly lookt you in the Face!
3. Your Dangers are Wonderful in this Respect, they are not Dangers in which your Bodies are concerned only, but they are Dangers in which your Souls are concerned; It is not only the danger of a Shipwrack'd Vessel, and a Ship-wrack'd Estate, and a Shipwrack'd Body, but a Shipwrack'd Soul. Here is the great danger, lest thou make a lost Voyage for thy Soul: If thou hadst died in such a Storm, or died in the Time of such a Voyage; Oh! What would have become of thy Soul, thy precious, thy immortal Soul? Hadst not thou died in a Carnal, in a Christless state and condition? Had not they poor Soul perish'd to all Eternity, if thou then hadst miscarried? Wast not thou then a stranger altogether to Christ, and a Work of Saving Grace upon thy Heart? Hadst not thou then the guilt of all thy sins upon the back of thy Soul unpardoned? And O what danger was this! And wilt thou forget such dangers?
4. Your Dangers are such at Sea, as none but a God can deliver from; all your skill cannot; O, then is the greatest Artist at his Wits end! The Psalmist tells us, (
Psal.
107.27.)
the Mariners in their Storms, are at their wits end;
(or as some read it)
all their wisdom is swallowed up, they know not what course to steer,
(the
Dutch
Annorators carry it,)
Now their very Pilots are at a loss: Now all their courage cannot contribute to their deliverance, though men of the greatest natural courage and magnanimity in the world: Yet now their Hearts melt because of troubles;
as it said of the Mariners in
Jonah's
Ship,
The Mariners were afraid.
O now, when Death and Eternity, the Grave and Judgment to come looks them in the face! Then they are
Magor-Missabibs,
terror to themselves, and to all about them; O then, the danger is such, it must be only the finger of God that can help! I have heard of a Ship in
Yarmouth
Road, that in a great Storm, they feared the Anchor would come home, and the Master discoursing with a Youth in the Ship, that God had begun lately to work some Convictions upon,
O says he,
Master,
if God do but lay a Finger upon one Strand of the Cable, it will hold;
and in the morning many Ships were lost near them, and there was but one Strand in the Cable left. O the singer of God only can save in some dangers. It was a good saying of a Godly Commander of a Ship in imminent danger,
None now but that God that saved the Children of
Israel
at the Red Sea, can save us out of this distress;
and as soon as he had said it, the Wind altered, and saved them; And will you forget such dangers as none but a God can save from?
5. Your dangers at Sea are such as many thousands have perished in; how many have gone to Sea, that never returned more? that have been swallowed up in the belly of the great Deeps? How many have perished by the Sword at Sea? how many by violent Storms? and that God should put a difference betwixt you and others, and you should forget it, this exceedingly heightens and aggravates the guilt. How many have lost their lives? how many have lost their limbs? and yet in such dangers God hath brought you off; this is never to be forgotten.
2. Your dangers are not only wonderful, but your deliverances are so too, and therefore should be remembred. There is never a deliverance, but you may read a wonder in it; so many deliverances and salvations at Sea, so many wonders. God saves you in a miraclous way.
1. Is not this a wonder, that persons of such great sins and provocations, should be persons of such great salvations and preservations? that such as sin every Voyage, nay, it may be at an high rate sin every Voyage, should be saved and delivered at such an high rate every Voyage? is not this a wonder, that Men of such sins, should be men of such salvations? that men that sin against these salvations, should not have these deliverances shorten upon them. Oh what a wonder is this! We should wonder if a person should be continually disobliging any of us, and yet we should be still heaping up kindnesses upon him: This made the Prophet
Ezra
say,
Shall we again break his Commandments, after such deliverances as this?
O do not you provoke the Lord every time that you go out and still he delivers you, still he returns you to your Relations, to visit your habitations in peace! and is not this a wonder?
2 Your deliverances are wonderful, if you consider your deliverances are great deliverances. We read of such;
And the Lord saved them with a great deliverance;
or with a great Salvation. Thus said
Sampson, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy Servant,
(Judg 15.11.) Now any great transactions are remembred and recorded. Your deliverances are great, if we consider these things;
1. They are commanded deliverances by the great God; his word of command brings all our deliverances about, whether at Sea or Land. Which made the Church in distress pray,
Thou art my King, O God, command deliverances for
Jacob, (
Psal.
44.4.) He commands every thing tending to deliverance at Sea; in order to deliverance, he commands the Winds;
He maketh the Storm a Calm,
(Psal. 107, 29.) He also commands the Seas;
He says to the proud Waves, So far, and no farthar.
You read of a decree set to the Sea, to command the Sea, that it cannot pass;
Though the Waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it,
(Jer. 5.22.) It is the great God only that rides Lord Admiral at Sea, to command the Seas and the Waves thereof. God is said to shut up the Sea with doors, and set bars upon it,
Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stay'd,
(Job. 38.8, 11.)
Xerxes
presum'd he could tame the
Hellespont,
for attempting his Bridge of Boats; but all this was in vain, this is a flower in God's Crown alone, to command the Sea. Your deliverances are a fruit and effect of God's commanding Power, therefore great.
2. They are great deliverances, as they are the curious workmanship (as I may call them) of the Attributes of a great God. Deliverance is said to be wrought for us, it is the handy work of God;
If God will work, who can let?
(as the Prophet saith,
Isa.
43.13, 14.) And he seems to speak it upon the account of the deliverance of his People:
For your sake I have sent done to Babylon, and have brought down all their Nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in their ships.
In every deliverance there is the excellent work of the Attributes of God; we may in such a deliverance say,
Here is the Power of God,
and
here is the Wisdom of God,
and
here is the Wisdom of God,
and
here is the Love of God,
and
here is the Faithfulness of God,
&c. For as God in the confounding of the Languages at
Babel,
said,
Go to, let us go down,
(as if he directed himself to his glorious Throne)
Come, let us go down.
Gen. 11.7. (Or as some take it of the Trinity, as in the Creation.) So when God sends us deliverances in our distresses, he sets his Attributes at work;
Go Power, go Mercy, go Love, go Faithfulness, go and act your respective parts in this deliverance;
and must not this be then an excellent and curious Piece that God's Attributes brings forth?
3. They are great deliverances, if we consider the great sins and provocations they come over the heads of, the great unworthiness of the received, heightens much the mercy and favour received; the reason why persons do not greaten their deliverances, is because they do not greaten their sins, in the deep sense and aggravations of them. O such a Soul would say, as
David, is this the manner of Men?
O God, is not this a great deliverance for such a great sinner to receive?
4. They are great Deliverances, if we consider the time and season of their coming in; as this Deliverance of the Ships Company where
Paul
was,
it was when all hope of being saved was taken away;
and so were many of the Deliverances, mention'd in this Treatise. So
Peter
's Sea-Deliverance,
when he began to sink, Christ stretched forth his hand immediately;
he was now sinking and going, but see how ready Christ was to save;
He stretched forth his hand and caught
Peter, (
Matth
14.28, 29, 30.) Our sinking time, is
Jesus Christ's
saving time.
In the Mount is the Lord seen;
our extremity is Gods opportunity; and are not then the great deliverances never to be forgotten?
5. They are great deliverances, if we consider they are not only Deliverances of the Bodies, and Ships, and Estates sometimes, but Souls; and where the Ship is lost, and the Estate is lost, yet for the life to be saved, and the Soul delivered, is a very great Deliverance; a Reprieve when a Prisoner is under the sentence of Death, is a great Mercy: O when God Reprieves a poor Prisoner, this is some Deliverance; we read of some Deliverance God gave to
Israel
in the days of
Shishak;
a Reprieve is some Deliverance, but if it end in suing out the Prisoner's Pardon, then it is a great Deliverance. If it be such a Deliverance in a Storm at Sea, as
Hezekiah
had from a Sickness at Shore,
Thou hast deliver'd me in love to my Soul, and cast all my Sins behind thy back,
(Isa. 38.) This is a double Deliverance, and sure such Deliverances as these are worth Recording; These are to be written in Marble and not in Dust, with the Pen of Iron, (as the Prophet says) and not with the point of a Diamond.
3. Your Deliverances are wonderful, if you consider the many thousands that have perished in less Dangers to an Eye of Reason; they are distinguishing Deliverances, and therefore wonderful; hath God dealt with all Men that go to Sea as with you. Have not thousand perished by the Sword at Sea in bloody Engagements? Miscarried at Sea in dreadful and terrible Storms; Hath not the Sea been a Sepulchre for thousands? Are not there Millions of the Dead that the Sea must one Day give up, and yet you Delivered, and yet you Spared? O what distinguishing Mercy is this! And shall this be forgotten by you? Should not you keep Records of distinguishing Mercy? How many sunk sometimes, and perished by your sides? How many that went out with you that never Returned? One taken, and another left; one sunk, and another saved.
4. Your Deliverances are Wonderful, if you consider the way that sometimes God takes to bring them about; O what strange ways doth God take to Deliver, when he hath a Mind to Deliver; sometimes he brings down to the
very Gate of the Grave,
he brings to the Doors and Bars of the Sea, and then shuts these Doors; as
Job
speaks, He brings to the next Door to perishing, and then he Delivers;
Master save me, or I perish;
and then he lends an Arm, witness many of these Deliverances here mention'd. Sometimes he doth it by strange means; low and contemptible, as the poor Man that we Read of, that Delivered the City, (
Eccles.
2.15.) sometimes by unthought of and unexpected means, as he that Relieved Major
Gibbons,
as this Story mentions, he was a
French
Pyrate. As that Ship I have heard of, that when she sprang a Leak, and they all had like to have perished, and all on a sudden the Leak stopt, and they knew no Reason, but when they came into the next Port to search her, there was a great Fish ha
wrought himself in the Leak, that they were glad to cut him out; was not here a Miraculous Deliverance? That
Jona
should be swallowed up by the Whale,
what a Miracle was this! And so he was preserv'd! And how have some been saved by sudden shifts of Winds when near sinking and perishing? These are to be remembred to the Lord while you live Oh! Methinks this one Motive should set on the Exhortation, if I should use no more, to Remember your Dangers and your Deliverances.
But secondly, another Motive is this, to Remember your Dangers with your Deliverances; this will in your great Distresses and Extremities, contribute some Hope to you; to read over your Register, your ancient Records, how good God hath been at such a time, and such a time; how seasonably he stept in and Delivered in such a strait and such a strait; Oh then says the Soul, why then should I Despair, and cast off all Hope now? Hath not he appeared and saved in Deaths often before now? For past Experiences are good supports for Hope in present Exigencies and Extremities; thus
David
argues, when at a great strait,
Thou hast delivered me, and wilt deliver me;
and thus St.
Paul, Thou hast delivered me, and wilt deliver me. Haman
found this a good way to Remember the Years of the Lord's Right Hand.
3. Remember your Dangers and Deliverances, for God records them; they are filed up by God, and he will mind you of them another Day if you forget them now; he keeps his Journals and Records; he hath his Book of Remembrance of your forgotten Mercies, as well as your forgotten Sins; God will one Day read over all those Deliverances you have forgotten;
Oh poor Soul! Did not I deliver thee in such a Danger, in such a Distress, in such a Death, when there was no Hope, when there was no Help, yet all this hast thou forgotten; forgotten'thy Mercy, and forgotten the God of thy Mercy;
Oh! will not this sting you to the Heart, when God shall cause your strangled, and murdered Mercies to walk in your Consciences; when he shall give them a Resurrection there?
4. Motive to Remember your Dangers and Deliverances: The Vows of God are upon you; Oh! What did you say to God in the day of your Distress and Calamity?
Lord if thou wilt appear, and be a present Help in time of Trouble, it shall never be for gotten, it shall he Remembred to the Lord as long as we have a Day to Live
but when God brings poor Souls off many do not only forget their Vows but deny them: In Ancient times it was usual in imminent Dangers, whether a
Sea or Land to make Vows; We read that
Jonah
's Mariners, they vowed Vows (
Jonah
1.16.)
David
did thus,
Thy Vows are upon me, O God! I will render praises unto thee,
&c.
Psal.
56.11. (and in another place)
I will pay thee my Vows, which my Lips have uttered, and my Mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble,
(Psal. 66.13, 14.) But because this is so ordinary to make Vows at Sea, and break them a Shoar, let me enlarge a little upon it. 1. Why should you forget your Vows after your Deliverances? They were not
ash Vows, there might have been some Excuse if you had made them rashly, you might then have had a Plea, for saying it was an Error; but in times of Distress Men are serious, when Death and Eternity are set before them, and they upon the brink of another World; dare you Sinners rashly Vow, in this day of your Distress; O no, your Consciences will bear Witness against you, that you were in Sober-sadness at that day. 2. Why should you ferget your Vows after Deliverances, for God will require Payment? Nay, this is not only the Reason why we should not forget to pay, but why we should not delay the Pay;
When thou vowest a Vow to the Lord thy God, thou shouldst not be slack to Pay it, for the Lord thy God will require it, yea, will surely require it of thee, and it would be Sin in thee,
(Deut. 23.21.) Take it for granted he will do it, so as to call to a Payment Day, he will demand it, he will send unto you a Summons to Pay the Vows you made to him in the day of your Distress. Oh! How often is Conscience, God's Officer, that he sends to you to demand Payment? O says Conscience,
Sinner, Pay what thou owest to the God of thy Deliverances; it not he a God to whom thy Vows must be Performed?
2. He will require it, so as to punish the Nonpayment; and so requiring is here taken, and in many other places, the Lord, doth very often severely punish Vowbreaking; breaking of Vows doth cause God often to destroy the works of your Hands. Say not before the Angel,
It was an Error, wherefore should God be angry at thy Vows, and destroy the works of thy Hands?
(Eccles. 5.4, 5.) Some Expositors refes this to the Priest, before whom the Sin of rash Vows was to be confess'd; others carry it to Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, who sees through all our subti Excuses and Equivocations, and punishe
them. O God is angry when Men go so flatly against their Vows; O ther God is angry, and destroys the work o
their Hands,
viz.
disappoints their Endeavours, and denies their Success.
Lastly,
to forget your Deliverances and Dangers, is the greatest Ingratitude and Unthankfulness in the World; hath God given you so many wonderful Deliverances, so many miraculous Preservations, to be buried in the Grave of Oblivion? Will you Murder your Mercies and then bury them? It is commonly said,
Murder will out.
Murdered Mercies will one day make terrible work, in walking in your Consciences.
The next Observation is this, That Salvations and Deliverances many times are not sent until Persons be left Helpless and Hopeless. I shall give you a touch of this.
Now all hope of being saved was taken away, no small Tempest lay upon upon them; now they were gulft in Despair of ever coming off with their Lives:
Yet this often is the condition of Nations, Ship-Companies, and Persons, where God intends to save and deliver. The Proofs of the last Observations about Dangers and Deliverances being recorded and remembred, proves this also. Thus was
Peter
saved, the Disciples saved, when just at sinking.
But why doth God stay so long before he sends Deliverances and Salvations? 1. Because he delights to draw forth a Spirit of Prayer; if Men will not Pray when sinking, when Drowning, when Dying, they will never Pray. O see how
Jonah
Prays in his distress:
And
Jonah
Prayed to the Lord out of the Fishes Belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine Affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the Belly of Hell cried I, and thou heardest my Voice,
&c.
When my Soul fainted within me, I remembred the Lord; and my Prayer came in unto thy Holy Temple,
(Jonah 2.1, 2, 3, 7.) O Sirs, God loves Prayer so well, that he stays with his Deliverances, that he might sue them out by Prayer.
Out of the Depths have 1 cried unto thee,
saith
David,
(Psal. 130. 1.) Driven to it by deep and bottomless straits, into which I am plunged. And it seems to be an Illusion to Mariners, in their Distresses and Dangers of being Shipwrackt, crying unto the Lord. What, will any Man perish, and never Pray for it? Die, and never Cry for it? What, and not say as
Peter
did,
Master, save me, or I perish?
What was it that did draw forth Prayer in many of these Distressed Ship Companies (in this Treatise mentioned) but their Dangers and Distresses?
2. God doth not bring our Deliverances and Salvations until we be Hopeless, because he will exercise his Peoples Graces: Therefore the Disciples were not saved until the Ship was full, that their Graces might be exercised. O now is a time for Faith and Patience to be exerted, there is nothing more pleasing unto God, than to see how poor Souls exercise their Graces, when they are reduced to Extremities; God hath a great revenue of Glory arising to himself, out of the exercise of his own Grace in the Souls of Believers. O how doth Faith act its part when Mercy and Deliverance is delay'd! It was one of
Luther
's wonders,
to believe for Mercy that was long delay'd.
It is an high exercise of Faith, to look up to God long together, and nothing to come. To say with the Prophet
Jonah, I will look again towards thy Holy Temple,
(Jonah 2.4, 8.) And with the Prophet
Isaiah, Tho' he hide his Face from the House of
Jacob,
I will wait upon him, and look for him,
(Isaiah 17.) What tho' thou be as the Prophet's Servant, who went down to the Sea to look, and he said
Master, there is nothing.
But what then? Doth he give over? O no,
the looks again;
and
the seventh look he saw he Cloud.
So Faith in its exercise, will look again and again, and never give over, until it espie the Mercy coming upon the wings of Prayer. So might I add of Patience; O how doth it act its part while the Deliverance tarries; it quietly waits for the Salvation of God; saying, as
David, My Soul waits for the Lord, more than they that watch for the Morning,
(Psal. 130.6.) The Soul of the Believer possesses it self in Patience until the Mercy come.
3. God doth not bring our Salvations and Deliverances, until we be brought to an Extremity; because they are most prized and welcomed then. O now Deliverance will be prized: The longer that a Mercy tarries, the more welcome it is when it comes: God loves to make all his Mercies welcome to us. O how welcome is Life, to a Person under a Sentence of Death! O how welcome is a Discovery of the love of Christ to a poor Soul, that hath long groaned under the burthen of unpardon'd Guilt! O how welcome was the Prodigal's Father's House, when he had so long been starving in the Fields, with his Husks, amongst the Swine!
4. Because God will have all his Salvations and Deliverances look like his own Hand and Arm, his Arm brings Salvation with him; he will have the print of his own Hand upon it, that poor Sinners may say,
This is the Finger of God, the doing of God, and it is marvellous in our Eyes.
Alas, Men would attribute it to themselves, if Salvation did not come in such a way,
when all hope of being Saved is taken away.
Oh! Every thing is beautiful in its Season; is not Salvation and Deliverance now in Season? Now they begin to Despair, as to probable or visible hopes. O now, God works like himself, now he appears in a Deliverance to be God; which set the Disciples a wondering,
What manner of Man is this, that the Winds and the Sea obey him?
Mark 4.41. And at another time, when he deliver'd his Disciples at Sea, and calmed the Winds, then they that were in the Ship Worshipped him, saying,
Of a truth thou art the Son of God,
14.32, 33.
5. Because he will by such Salvations set off his Love to poor Souls: Was not the Love of Christ set off highly, in taking that Season to save the Ship
when it was full; to save them when they were sinking;
is not that great Love, that steps forth to save in an Extremity? O what Love was this, to save this Ships Company,
when all hope of being saved was taken away?
Love always chuses the fittest times to appear and evidence it self.
Lastly,
Because he will have his Deliverances, endearing Deliverances to Souls. O how doth such an appearance of God, at such a time, endear the Soul of the Receiver. Therefore, saith
David, I will love the Lord,
(or love the Lord dearly)
my Rock, and my Deliverer,
&c.
But I will proceed to give you also ataste of the
Application,
and not to be large, because I have been large upon the former, which was mainly intended.
1. Then learn we hence, that God may for gracious ends, known to himself, delay a Mercy or a Deliverance, and yet fully intend to give in that Mercy.
Jacob may wrestle all Night, and yet be put off; but in the break of Day the Mercy comes.
The Woman of
Canaan
may cry to Christ for her Daughter, and at present be put off, yet at last she shall carry it. The believing Soul may not have the
Dove
come with an
Olive-Branch
in her Mouth until Evening. Christ's manifesting of his Love to poor Souls, is called his Supping with them;
And I will Sup with you:
Now Supper comes not up till Evening.
2. Learn we hence, that God's timing our Deliverances and Salvations, is best for us; his Time is the best Time. Our time is always ready, (but saith Christ)
My time is not yet.
If we had our Mercies in our time, we should not see that beauty in them; for every thing is beautiful in its Season: And God chuses the fittest Seasons to send them, because he will put a beauty upon them.
3. Learn we hence,
that no case is desperate to God, tho' it be so to Man:
One would have thought this a desperate case,
in such a Storm, lightning the Ship,
the
casting cut of the Tackling of the Ship, neither Sun nor Stars appeared, and all hope of being saved taken away;
yet all this was but desperate to them, it was not so to God: Now their Extremity becomes God's opportunity, and he takes this Juncture of time to appear in. Thus
David,
Psal. 42. 7, 8. all God's
Waves and
God's
Billows had gone over him;
a desperate case! Yet God (then he believes)
would command his loving kindness in the Day-time, and the Song should be with him in the Night.
Faith is an excellent Grace at a desperate stand.
4. Learn we hence, that
God's Thoughts are not as our thoughts;
when
think of nothing but sinking and perishing, then doth God think of Saving and Delivering. They thought
all hope of being saved was taken away,
but God looks through the Storm and Cloud, and Comforts them. As the Disciples, when they thought it had been a Spirit in their Storm that appeared to them;
No,
saith Christ,
be not afraid; be of good chear, it is I,
Mark 6. 50, 51, 52.
Use
2. Is it so, that the Salvations and Deliverances that many of us have, are not until we are brought to Extremities? Then it is a word of
Exhortation;
Then look up to God in the most desperate Case, when you know not what to do in your Storms at Sea, in your Straits at Land. O then let your Eyes be up unto the Lord; you see how many Deliverances have come down in Extremities, as answers to Prayer. O Pray hard; let going to Sea, being in Storms at Sea, being brought to Extremities at Sea, learn you to Pray.
FINIS.
PRAYERS To be Used by
Seafaring-Men.
The Mariners Prayer.
O GOD, the great Creator of Heaven and Earth, thou dost whatsoever thou pleasest in the Sea, and in all deep Places; I, the most unworthiest of all thy Servants, am at this time called upon to behold thy Wonders in the Deep, and to perform my Duty in great Waters. Guide me, I beseech thee, in all times and in all Places: Be thou our skilful Pilot to Steer us, and protect us from all Dangers, and rebuke the Winds and the Seas when they Molest us; preserve our Vessel from being rent by the loud cracks of Thunder, or from being burnt by Lightning or any other Accident; keep us and save us from Tempestuous Weather, from bitter Frosts, Hail, Ice, Snow, or Whirlwinds, and from Captivity and Slavery.
Teach me, O God, to remember thee my Creator in the days of my Youth, to continually think upon thee, and to Praise thy Name for all thy Mercies: Bless all our Friends, I beseech thee, that are on Land, and let their Prayers for us be acceptable in thy Sight, and grant that our next Meeting together may be for the better, and not for the worse, even to the Praising and Magnifying of thy Holy Name, and Salvation of our own Souls in the great Day of the Lord Jesus, to whom, with thee, and thy Blessed Spirit, be ascribed all Honour, Power, and Glory, Adoration, and subjection, now and for evermore.
Amen.
A Prayer before a Voyage.
OETERANL God, even the God of our Salvation, the hope of all the ends of the Earth; and of them that remain in the wide Ocean, under the shadow of whose Wings we are always secure, and without whose protection we cannot expect safety. I have been, O Lord, preserved by thee until this moment from many Dangers, for which I have not expressed my thankfulness in acknowledging those Daily Blessings I have received from thee; but, O Lord, forget and forgive those manifold Sins which I have committed against thee, and blot them out of thy Book of Remembrance.
Purge me, O Lord, I beseech thee, from all vile affections; and grant I may bring forth the fruits of thy Spirit; go along with me with thy blessed Spirit in this my Voyage, preserve me from Pirates, Robers and Enemies, defend me from Rocks, Sands and Shelves, and keep me from Thunder and Lightning, Storms and Tempestous Werther, or any other Danger that may dismay me. To thee, O Lord, I commend my Body and Spirit, to dispose of me according to thy holy Will and Pleasure; if thou art pleas'd to call for my Life upon the Surface of the Waters; I know thy Almighty Word can command the Sea to give up her Dead at the last and great Audit.
But if thou hast determin'd to bring me Safe to my desired Heaven, give me thy Grace which is sufficient for me, to Walk according to thy holy Will in all things; make me to lay hold of Eternal Life, which as the Anchor of Hope, is both sure and stedfast; keep me from all Temptations Ghostly and Bodily, and from sudden Death, and in thy good time bring me to the Land of the Living, there to Reign with thee for evermore.
Amen.
A Thanksgiving after a Voyage.
OIMMORTAL God, I have seen thy Works O Lord, and thy Wonders in the deep; thou spakest the Word and the Stormy Wind arose, which lifted up the Waves thereof, but when we cried unto thee, thou madest the Storm to cease, so that the Waves thereof were still; then did we rejoyce because we were at rest, and thou broughtest us safe to that Haven where we would be: O that Men would therefore praise thee, O Lord, for thy Goodness, and declare the Wonders thou dost continually for them.
I Bless thy Holy Name, for Conducting me through those many Dangers which Encompassed me, and Praise thy thy Mercy that the Deep hath not Swallowed me up, and that I am not gone down into the place of Silence. I also praise thy Holy Name, and Admire thy Loving Kindness towards me, that thou hast not deliver'd up my Body and Goods
s a Prey into the Hands of unrea
ole Men, but hast brought me to my desi
ed Haven, and at last returned me back in safety to my Habitation.
O Let me never forget to pay those Vows I made to thee, when I was in trouble; but give me an awful sense and apprehension of thy great Power, and possess my Soul with a true Reverence of thy Divine Majesty; that I may evermore Serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of my Life: Endue me with thy Holy Spirit; that I may become acceptable in thy sight, and may be fitted at length for future Glories, this I beg for thy Son Jesus Christ sake, my only Saviour.
Amen.
A Prayer in a Storm.
O LORD our God, thou hast commanded us in the Day of Calamity to call upon thy Name, and thou hast promised to hear us; Lord, I fly unto thee, who art a sure refuge; thy Floodgates are opened, and the Floods lift up their lofty Waves. But thou, O Lord most high, art mightier than the Noise of many Waters: yea, than the mighty Waves of the Sea: Thou canst in a moment, if it stand with thy Divine will and pleasure, rebuke the Winds and the Sea, and turn this Storm into a Calm.
I know I justly deserve to be cast away, and utterly to be rejected by thee; but Lord save us, or else we perish; accept of my unfeigned Sorrow for all my Sins and Transgressons, and endue me with a stedfast resolution to forsake them; be merciful unto us, O God, be merciful unto us, and Save us from Perishing in these deep Waters; O refresh us with thy Mercy, and that soon, lest we go down ito the place of silence, O comfort us in this great distress, that though the Sea rage and swell, our Hearts may be quiet and still in this time of our disconsolation.
And as I earnestly desire to be protected from this great Peril and Danger which now terrifies us, so I earnestly beseech thee, that thou wilt for ever fill my Heart with such an awful dread of thy Name, and praise thy power in the great Congregation; awake my dull and drowsie Soul, from the sloth of Sin, and renew a right Spirit within me; fill me with the Gifts of Graces of thy Holy Spirit, that I may Live the Life of the Righteous, and never forget thy Lovingkindness; save us now from Death, I beseech thee, from the Merciless Waves who are now ready to swallow us up, and bring us home in safety, for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake, our only Lord and Saviour.
Amen.
A Thanksgiving after a Storm.
I PRAISE and Glorifie thy Holy Name, O Lord, for all thy Mercies and Blessings vouchsafed unto me, especially for this thy last great Deliverance, wherein I was incompassed in that wide Ocean, whom thou hast set Bounds and Limits to; if thou, O Lord, hadst not been on my side, the Sea had swallowed me up quick, and I had gone down into the deep silence; but thou hast been my God and my Deliverer, and hast put a new Song into my Mouth, a Song of Praise and Thanksgiving unto my God.
I acknowledge, O Lord, that thou art the God of all the Earth, and of them that remain in the broad Sea: Blessed for ever and magnified thy Name that thou hast not cast me out of thy sight, nor turn'd thy Mercy from me; I have escaped the raging Sea, and the Noise of the proud Waves have done me no Harm, if thy Almighty Providence had not protected me, Streams had gone over my Soul. But the Stormy Wind and T
mpest I have narrowly Escap'd, the Storm is ceased, and I am safely Delivered.
And now what shall I render to thee, O Lord, for this, and all other thy great Benefits? I will offer up unto thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, and will pay my Vows I so solemnly made unto thee, when I was in trouble; I will evermore remember, that my help is in the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth, and that thou art that God that can and will deliver me; let this thy Mercy and Loving kindness never depart my Memory, but let me Praise thy Goodness, and Sing of thy Power, unto my Lives end.
Amen.
An Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after a dangerous Tempest.
O Come, let us give thanks unto the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; let the redeemed of the Lord say so; whom he hath delivered from the merciless rage of the Sea.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion: flow to anger, and of great mercy.
He hath not dealt with us according to our sins: neither rewarded us according to our iniquitirs.
But as the Heaven his above the Earth: so great hath been his mercy towards us.
We found trouble and heaviness: we were even at deaths door;
The Waters of the Sea had well nigh cover'd us: the proud waters had nigh gone over our soul.
The Sea roared and the stormy wind lifted the waves thereof;
We were carried up, as it were to Heaven, and went down again into the deep: our soul melted within us, because of trouble;
Then cried we unto the Lord: and thou didst deliver us out of our distress.
Blessed be thy name, who didst not despise the prayer of thy servants; but didst hear our cry, and hast saved us.
Thou didst send forth thy commandment: and the windy storm ceased, and was turned into a calm.
O let us therefore praise the Lord for his goodness: and declare the wonders that he hath done, and still doeth for the children of men.
Praised be the Lord daily; even the Lord that helped us, and poured his benefits upon us.
He is our God, even the God of whom cometh salvation; God is the Lord by whom we escaped death.
Thou Lord hast made us glad through the operation of thy hands; and we will triumph in thy praise.
Blessed be the Lord God; even the Lord God who only doeth wondrous things.
And blessed be the name of his Ma
for ever; and let every one of us say, Amen, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son; and to the holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end.
Amen.
A Prayer to be said before a Fight at Sea against any Enemy.
O Most powerful and glorious Lord God, the Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest all things; Thou sittest in the throne judging right: and therefore we make our address to thy divine Majesty in this our necessity, that thou wouldst take the cause into thy own hand, and judge between us and our enemies. Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come and help us; for thou givest not always the battel to the strong, but canst save by many or by few, O let not our sins now cry against us for vengeance, but hear us thy poor servants beging mercy and imploring thy help, and that thou wouldst be a defence unto us against the face of the enemy. Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
FINIS.