A Help Unto Devotion, Prayer 24
24. A Prayer for a man trauailing by Sea, about his lawfull buſineſſe.
O Heauenly Father, vntounto whoſe eares the Prayers of humbled ſinners hauehave fréedome of acceſſe out of eueryevery place: let it pleaſe thee, to encline to me, who being prouoked by mine owne preſent néede, and taking heart vntounto my ſelfe by thy liberall & large promiſes, doe deſire to powre out my Soule before thy Maieſtie: Heere (O Lord) by reaſon of the calling and place, in which it hath béene thy prouidence to ranke mee, I am come downe to the ſea in a Ship, and I doe now ſée thy workes, and continually beholde thy wonders in this déepe. How eaſie a thing is it vntounto thee, when thou rayſeſt a ſtorme, & lifteſt vp the waues, not only to toſſe vsus to and fro, and to make vsus ſtagger like a drunken man, but vtterly to ſwallow vsus vp, and to turne vponupon our heads in a moment the bottome of theſe mouing houſes in which wee are! It is thy great and excéeding mercy, that theſe ſwelling billowes & foaming ſurges doe not drinke vsus in, and ſo make our bodyes to become as a prey, eyther to that great Leuiathan (the Whale) whom thou haſt made to play here, or to ſome other of thy creatures, with …ire varietie and troupes whereof this vaſt body is repleniſhed. But it is euen thou (O mightie Lord) which layedſt the foundations of the earth, & which diddeſt ſhut vp the Sea with doores: thou didſt firſt gather theſe waters together as vponupon an heape, and ſtoredſt vp the depths in thy treaſures: thogh the waues are maruailous, though the floods lift vp their voyce: though ye waters rage and be troubled, and the very moūtaines ſhake at the ſurges of ye ſame, yet thou art much more mightie, thou ſoone appeaſeſt the noiſe, and turneſt the ſtorme into a calme.
Look gratiouſly therfore vponupon mee, I beſéech thée, teach mée to vnderſtand the greatnes of thy terror, by that fearfulnes of thy creatures which I do ſtill behold: Cauſe me to reſt my hope and comfort vponupon the power of thy merciemercy, let that be ye anchor of my Soule both ſure and ſtedfaſt. And leſt my ſins not being pardoned, ſhould be a hinderance & ſtoppage to thy fauor, I pray thee, ſettle in mee an hearty & vnfained deteſtation of them, a godly griefe and ſorrow for them, a ſtedfaſt reſolution and purpoſe in the whole courſe of my life to ſtriue againſt them. Open my heart, that I may often & earneſtly ſue and entreate for thy grace in thy ſon, and may neuer giuegive ouer till I féele in my conſcience ſome comfortable aſſurance that thou haſt forgiuen me. Fit & prepare me to thine owne appointments; If it be thy pleaſure that I ſhould heere ende my dayes, I know well, that the ſoule which thou kéepeſt cannot miſcary: To thee therfore I cōmend my ſpirit, forſake mee not (I pray thee) in my laſt breathing. Albeit theſe waues may ouerwhelme my body, yet let them not bee able to quench my comfort, or to plunge mee downe into deſpaire. Graunt me euer to lay faſt hold vponupon my Sauiour, that neither ſea, death, nor hell may ſeparate mee from his grace. And if it ſhal ſéeme good vntounto thee, to bring me ſafe vntounto that hauen where I would be; Oh that I may neuer forget thy kindneſſe, but may make conſcience to performe that obedience which I am now ready to vowe in my neceſſitie. Make me alwayes to take as great delight to ſerue thée, as I am now forward to aſke, and deſirous to receiue life and ſafety from thée. Heare me (O Lord) in theſe and other my petitions, forgiuing my vnworthineſſe in the merites of Ieſus Chriſt thy bleſſed Sonne, and my great Redéemer. Amen.