A Plat for Mariners, Dedication 2
To all Mariners, and others that uſe the Seas.
Brethren,
I Cannot but with all the opportunities that I can, promote the honour of my dear Maſter, and the intereſt of precious Souls. I would by prayers, tears, intreaties, preaching, writing; be doing what I can poſſible to pluck poor Creatures out of the ſnares of Satan; and of all ſorts of men, poor Seamen have not the leaſt ſhare in my affections: I can I hope though in too low a degree yet ſpeak theſe words of Paul to you, Brethren my hearts deſire and prayer to God for your Souls is, that they may be ſaved. I know the redemption of the Soul is precious, and ceaſeth for ever, and ſhortly you will be out of the reach of my intreaties, and I expect e're long to put off this Tabernacle; the ſhortneſs of my breath, and the weakneſs of my body, cry aloud to me, What thou doſt do quickly, for ſhortly thou muſt be ſilent. I am not ignorant of the dangers that you grapple with every moment; methinks when I hear the wind begin to ruſtle, my heart begins to ake; fain would I do all that I can to ſecure you from an everlaſting wrack. I am not inſenſible how many temptations you meet with, and how much you are expoſed in thoſe hot Climates you trade in, and of what prevalency bad examples may be with ſome; I know alſo that the want of quickning Ordinances, and powerful preaching, when you are abroad, doth not a little hazzard the cooling of your affections to Spiritual things. I can't alſo but obſerve that a ſtrange hardneſs, ſtupidneſs, and unconcernedneſs hath poſſeſſed moſt of your tribe. And who can chuſe but bewail the condition of men that live within ſight of death and eternity every hour, and yet carry it as if there were no other life beyond this; or as if their buſineſs here were to ſecure miſery and damnation hereafter. Oh what doth ſin make men! what ſots, mad men, and fools are moſt? and who worſe than ſome Seamen? who of all men living ſhould be moſt ſerious. They which carry their lives in their hands had need carry grace in their hearts.
Oh what a ſad ſound it is to hear any of them ſwearing and curſing, and damning, who one would think ſhould be almoſt always praying, or praiſing of God! when I lay all theſe things together, and conſider how loud God himſelf hath ſpoke within theſe few years to poor Seamen, I could not but ſtrike in with Providence: It may be ſome may hear, and in this their day underſtand the things of their peace before they be hid.
It was not long ſince the diſmall thundring of Cannons did alarum poor ſleepy Seamen; it's not long ſince the groans of the dying ſpoke aloud to you to get an Ark; it's not long ſince the wounds of your Brethren opened their mouths and bid you look quickly for the Balm of Gilead; it's not long ſince the decks of your Ships were ſlippery with the brains and blood of your friends: and what doth all this teach you, but that your lives and ſouls are in unſpeakable hazzard; and whoſoever neglects the minding of Chriſt and his Soul, it ſhould not be a Seaman.Eſpecia… that fa… ſtorm t… thouſands of Souls, September laſt, which occaſioned the Autho… preaching ſeveral of the enſuing Sermons, …ſpecially upon th… Text, The Lot fell upon Jonah. And alſo it occaſioned their co… mitting to publick view, that they may be prepared againſt ſucc… ding ſtroms and tempeſts.
I will ſay nothing of the later ſtorms, and diſmal tempeſts, although I believe they are not eaſily to be parallel'd in ſome hundreds of years: I paſs by the miſerable captivity of others; and what ſtorms the tribe of Mariners may ſtill meet with, I will not now ſay. When I conſider what leiſure you have to read, when you cannot hear, and how heart-affecting a warm diſcourſe may be to you when you have time to read and think, and read and ſee, and hear what is writ, and read and pray too; I can't but commend to your ſerious peruſal this judicious practical and affectionate piece of my reverend Brother.
And now I have an opportunity give me leave to add a word or two more to quicken you to ſeriouſneſs, and let me leave theſe following lines as a witneſs of my hearty affections to you, which I beg of you to think of, when I am dead and gone. Again, I beſeech you as you love your Souls think of theſe enſuing Conſiderations.
1. Conſider what a ſorry Veſſel you have under you, how brittle is that Bark that you are ſailing in; a little blaſt overſets it, a leak ſinks it, if it ſtrike upon the ground it's ſoon broken; I mean your bodies are poor frail things, and are ſoon ſhaken; you dwell in tabernacles of clay, whoſe foundation is in the duſt; and is it not worth the while to think ſeriouſly what ſhall I do to live for ever?
2. Conſider what precious Wares this Veſſel is laden with. Your Veſſel is your Body, the lading your Soul, and what do you think a Soul is worth? as little as moſt mind it, if you'l believe him that bought them, he ſaith, That they are worth more than a world; and ſhall the preciouſeſt commodities be leaſt valued? or was Chriſt miſtaken, and gave too much for them? or are you wiſer than Chriſt? is gold and ſilver worth more than a ſoul? are dying men, or are damned men that have loſt their ſouls, of this mind? Oh Sirs, you can never be too careful about the ſaving of your Souls.
3. Conſider whither you are bound; it's for eternity, either everlaſting glory, or everlaſting miſery. Death will ſhortly land you in endleſs happineſs or ſorrow, and if you would never ſo fain you cannot then alter your ſtate; you may repent your bargain, but not mend it; prayers, tears, and wiſhes will e're long be in vain. Oh therefore ſeeing it is for eternity, do your work to purpoſe, that it may not need repenting of: Man your voyage is great, lay in proviſions accordingly.
4. Conſider how few make a ſaving Voyage; many that think they are getting, when they come to caſt up their accounts, find that they were hugely out; men carry great ventures with them, and expect to be made by it, and when all comes to all they are worth leſs than nothing, and undone for ever; no grace, no peace, no Chriſt, no glory; and is it worth the while to venture ones life and ſoul for that which is worth nothing, and will do one no good in another world.
5. Conſider what dangers you are in every moment: I need not tell you that you are ſailing within a few inches of death; ſometimes ſtorms, ſometimes ſands, ſometimes rocks, ſometimes pyrates, ſometimes a calm, and proviſions fail; ſometimes the Veſſel proves leaky, and men are fain to pump for their lives; you know your dangers better than I, I wiſh you did alſo know how to ſecure your ſelves: what have you to hold up your hearts in the greateſt of difficulties? can you ſay Chriſt is my Ark in this ſtorm, his boſom will be my harbour if this ſhould prove a wrack. What doſt thou ſay man? if you can't, I wiſh you could. Awake oh ſleeper, what meaneſt thou?
6. Conſider how good a Voyage ſome make, they go out fraught with tears and groans, and paſs through many a ſtorm, devouring ſeas of difficulties, and ſometimes almoſt loſt, ſo that they ſcarce know whether they be in the Sea or out; their Maſts are ſpent, their Rigging ſpoil'd, their Anchors and Cables broke; and yet after all there hath been a calm, their Rigging recruited, and all recovered, and they come home richly laden with grace, peace, glory, and the pearl of great price, and they come top and top-gallant into the harbour of reſt, and have an abundant entrance adminiſtred into the everlaſting inheritance: and would not you be one of thoſe? Bleſſed are the people that are in ſuch a caſe; yea, bleſſed are the people whoſe God is the Lord. Oh what a triumphant welcome will ſuch have to Glory! and would not you be glad to be of this number? but Sir, what ſhall I do to make ſuch a Voyage? If I ſhould give you advice will you take it? Oh but will you indeed? if you will not, lay down this book and read no farther: But methinks I hear ſome ſaying, Oh that we did but know what we ſhall do to be ſaved, what we ſhall do to ſecure this pearl of great price? Oh a Chriſt, a pardon and heaven, upon any terms in the world. Well then, if you take this following advice, my ſoul for yours if you miſcarry.
Direction 1. Venture not out but in a Directions.ſound fight, and good bottom, let your ground-work be well laid, in deep humility and ſolid knowledg, labour to know your ſelves, your corrupt natures; your abſolute need of Chriſt his excellency, ſecure for yours, and all's well. Labour to ſee ſin the greateſt evil in the world, and to loth your ſelves, and juſtifie God under a ſenſe of your own unworthineſs; beg that you may not be deceived with an hypocritical profeſſion, but that your hearts may be right in Gods ſtatutes; he that's ſincere is ſafe.
2. Have not too many Owners, let God be your owner, and you are ſafe enough; none of his Veſſels miſcarry. Yield your ſelves to the Lord; make over all you have to him, never more your own, than when moſt his.
3. Let all your tackling be of the beſt: let your Judgment be well convinced and eſtabliſhed, that's your Maſt; let your affections be divine, they are your Sails; let your hope caſt Anchor upon Chriſt, and the Scripture-promiſes; let your Veſſel be well ballaſted with humility; lay in good proviſions, ſuch as are ſtrengthning, wholſome, laſting, get in the whole armour of God, and reſiſt your adverſary therewith, and he will fly from you.
4. Let your lading & fraught be ſuch Commodities as will go off well in that other Country. Oh how many that are bound for another world, that are loaded with rags, dung, droſs; faith, love, meekneſs, patience, zeal, heavenly-mindedneſs; theſe, are the wares that can never want a good market.
5. Make up your accounts exactly when you go out; & go to the great office, & inſure all whatever it coſt you; it's that may be done, you may run a ſad riskow if you don't; the comfort and peace that you will have in it wil abundantly recompence your pains & charge in this buſineſs: How joyfully then …ay you look dangers in the face? though the Sea run mountains high, though the waves therof roar, though every billow look as if it brought death with it; yet how comfortably may ſuch a one look, he knows that if the veſſel break, and his body be drowned, yet Chriſt lives, and he ſhal immediately be caſt upon a happy ſhore, where in amoment all wants ſhall be ſupplied, all loſſes ſhall be made up in the glorious, perfect, and eternal fruition of God. And he that gets Heaven, Chriſt, and Glory by his loſſes, hath no great reaſon to be afraid of them.
6. Labour to make the beſt advantage of opportunity; don't loſe your markets when the wind preſents, hoiſe ſail and away: The opportunities that God gives you at Land in his Ordinances muſt not be ſlighted; the Lords day is your great market-day, wherein you may buy the richeſt peniworths; and when affections are ſtriving, & the ſpirit of God is moving upon your ſpirits, & ſtriving with your fouls, and pleading with you, then have a care of looſing ſuch an opportunity; that's a brave gale, and the wind ſits fair, & if you be then ready, ſuch a wind may ſend you amain to your port; or elſe you may lie becalm'd, or windbound, & eat out your comforts, and loſe more than you are aware of.
7. Take heed of the great rocks, Preſumption and Deſpair: take heed of the great Pyrat the Devil; take heed of running a ground: the love of the world ruins thouſands, and if you ſtrike here it's dangerous, but if you ſtick here you are broken, Ship-wracked, loſt; take heed of all the ſins that poor Seamen are too ſubject to; Swearing, curſing, raging, damning, jeering at godlineſs neglect of prayer, hardneſs of heart, atheiſm; may I not add drunkenneſs, uncleanneſs, &c.
8. Look oft to your Compaſs, the Word of God, and then you can't ſteer amiſs; read and meditate upon the Scriptures, the Bible is an excellent companion.
9. Get a good Convoy, Pilot, Factor, Chriſt is all; count all as dung and droſs in compariſon of him: let your eye be ſtill to him, your heart upon him, and know this, you can't overvalue him whom never yet any did ſufficiently prize; let your hearts be much above, let not ſea and land make you forget heaven, think you never make agood port till you are ſafe in the arms of Chriſt.
10. Keep an exact Journal, obſerve what way you make, by this God may have glory; you may have paſt experiences to feed your faith, and hope upon for the future. O that men would praiſe the Lord for his goodneſs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.
11. Let loſſes make you more diligent to get and ſecure that which can't be loſt.
12. In a word take heed of a ſleepy indifferent careleſs ſpirit; take heed of having a Jonah aboard, of carrying any ſin unrepented out with you; and be much earneſt and conſtant in prayer.
But in this and many other things, I refer you to this ſeaſonable and excellent Diſcourſe which is calculated for the tribe of Zebulon chiefly. Again, I ſay, read and think, and read and practiſe, read and pray; and this will be the joy of one that dearly loves you, and daily prayeth for you,
James Janeway. March 1. 1672.