A Plat for Mariners, Frontispiece – Dedication 1
Reioyce, o Zebulū … thy going out—
Deuteronomy: chap: 33: vers 18: 19. And of Zebulun he ſaid, Reioyce, Zebulun, in thy going out, and Iſachar, in thy tents. They ſhall call the people unto the mountain, there ye ſhall offer ſacrifices of righteouſneſs: for they ſhall ſuck of the abundance of the ſeas; and of the treaſures hid in the ſand.
A PLAT for MARINERS; OR, THE SEAMAN'S PREACHER.
Delivered in ſeveral Sermons upon Jonah's Voyage.
By John Ryther Preacher of Gods Word in Wapping near London.
Rejoyce O Zebulon in thy Going out, for they ſhall ſuck of the Abundance of the Seas, and of Treaſures hid in the ſame, Deut. 33. 18, 19.
They that go down to the Sea in Ships, that do buſineſs in great Waters, theſe ſee the Works of the Lord, and his Wonders in the Deep, Pſal. 107. 23, 24.
LONDON, Printed by A M. for Dorman Newman, at the Kings-Arms next Grocers-Alley in the Poultry, 1672.
To all Commanders and Maſters of Ships; Grace and Peace be multiplied upon you, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
THE Wiſe and Supream Governour, and Orderer of all Affairs here below, hath put you into a large capacity of Serviceableneſs and Ʋſefulneſs in your preſent day and Generation, Iſa. 26. 1.(as Nationally conſidered) not only in a way of Commerce and Trade, but in a way of Defence and Safe-guard: God hath not onelyonly bulwarkt England with his Salvations, Salvation hath God appointed for walls and Iſa. 26. 1.bulwarks; but alſo with Seas and Sea-Commanders: You have many times in your Capacities ſtood in the breach to keep out an Enemy that would have flowed in upon us like a flood, if God had not by ſpiriting of you, lifted up a Standard againſt him; and what meſſage theſe following Papers have to you, is to call you, and excite you to further meaſures of uſe and ſervice, that ſuch as have been honoured in doing ſervice for their Nation, may be honoured in being uſeful to precious and immortal Souls under their Charge and Command; which you may be by the Bleſſing of God, in holy, exemplary, conſcientious walking in and out before your Companies: To which end, conſider but theſe few following Motives:
1. Your Command is great; and where God gives much, doth he not require much? Can you ſay to your Companies as the Centurion did to his Servants, Go, and he goes? and do they not readily obey you? and have you a word of command to do your buſineſs, and not one word of command for God, and their own Souls? It was ſaid by a great perſon once in high command; upon ſome Complaint; Well, (ſaith he) if Soldiers, private Soldiers, miſcarry, I will make Commanders pay for it. I wiſh in the iſſue it prove not ſo in this caſe: You ſhould rule for God in your places.
2. Your dangers are great; and will you, can you neglect your duty in time of danger? in a time of danger you will look out if there be fears of an Enemy, of a Rock, of a Sand: Soldiers neglect not their duty when beſieged with danger: You at Sea are beſieged with dangers, yea with deaths; as it was ſaid of Paul, he was in perils often by Sea; therefore you had need with all your Companies, attend your duty towards God, towards one anothers Souls; this is the way to come off when beſet with dangers. Prayer hath brought many a Veſſel off, and Ships company off, when all hope of being ſaved hath been taken away.
3. Your time looks as if it were ſhort; have not you of all men cauſe to reckon ſo? Can you enſure your lives, though you may your Veſſels, and your Ventures? hath God told you, you ſhall not miſcarry this Voyage? who can tell what is in the womb of To-morrow? then can any tell what is in the womb of a twelve months, or a twenty months Voyage? Can you promiſe your ſelves a return home from an Eaſt-Indie, or from a Guiny Voyage? If you be ſecured from ſtorms at Sea, can you ſecure your ſelves from the Diſeaſes of the places and countries where you go? Oh then do good in your day, (which is like for any thing you know to be ſhort).
4. Your Reward will be great; your Reward will be great here, and hereafter. Your reward will be great here, Great peace have they which love thy Law: In keeping thy Commandments there is great reward. And when you come to die, either at Land, or Sea, you will be able to ſay with good Hezekiah, Lord, Remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart: And hereafter, Oh what a Crown will it be if one Soul be converted under your charge, by your gracious carriage, and going in and out before them!
5. Your advantages and helps are great: you are advantaged with moſt excellent ſeaſons to do good to their Souls under your charge: Oh when Conſcience hath been working in your companies, in their ſtorms and dangers! what may not a word ſpoken at ſuch a time do upon their ſouls! when it may be the ſenſe of their eternal ſtates is freſh upon them, when it may be, Eternity is before them; when it may be their hearts are tender with the ſenſe of deliverance from ſome terrible Tempeſt: Oh what good may your praying, your ſpeaking to them do at ſuch times? Do not you ſee the Wonders of the Lord in the deep, to affect your hearts? may not you ſay your eyes affect your hearts?
6. Your Obligations to God are great: Are any perſons under Heaven under ſuch Obligations as you are? When you go into the utmoſt parts of the Sea, doth not Gods hand lead you there? Do not you ſail under Gods eſpecial Protection? Is not his Banner over you love, from Voyage to Voyage? Is not he much out of Purſe (as I may ſay) upon you? Hath not he brought you out of the Jawes of Hell, and Death, many a time? Hath not he commanded many a ſtorm into a calm for your ſakes? Hath not he many a time ſaid to the raging Waves and Seas, Peace and be ſtill? Thus far, and no further? And will you thus requite the Lord, with evil for ſo much good? Is this your kindneſs to your friend? ſuch a friend as he hath been in a day of adverſity, to know your Souls in your diſtreſſes? Why ſhould your Souls ſhew themſelves ſo unkind?
7. Your Promiſes to God have been great: Oh the Vows that your lips have uttered to God in the day of your diſtreſs! what Protestations have come from you, when in ſignal and eminent dangers? Are any men in ſo much debt to God as Seamen? are not promiſes debts? when you pay your Vows, do not you pay your Debts? and is not the God of your Salvations, the God to whom the Vows ought to be performed? Oh then go on Sirs in your ſeveral capacities, to promote the Honour of that God who is the God of all your Deliverances. And do good to all under your command and charge, as opportunities preſent to you, that you may have the mercies of all that ſail with you to be given unto you, and never come under the judgment of having them that ſail with you to come in as witneſſes againſt you in the day of the Lord.
If any thing in theſe following Papers may be uſeful and ſerviceable to this end, it will cauſe the Author to ſay, (It is enough) nay it is all that was in deſign, in ſending out theſe weak endeavours into your hands. That you, and your Ships-companies, Souls and Bodies, Veſſels and Ventures, may be enſured in the great Enſurance-office above, is the prayer of
Your Cordial Soul-friend in the things that concern your Internal, External, and Eternal Peace: J. R.