Spiritual Experiences of Sundry Believers, Part 2 · Section 39
39. Experiences of T. R.
AT the Age of two and twenty yeares being in the Streights, I was taken by the mercilesse Turkes, and there kept Captive, but by the great power of the Lord I was delivered out of captivity by a miraculous way unexpected, the Lord giving me grace to call on him, gave me a gracious answer, That he would never leave me, nor forsake me.
Experiences in a voyage to Gyne.
In the time of our last War with France, on the Coast of Gyne, I was taken by the French Men of warre, wherein I was greatly afflicted, outwardly in body for want of food, and raiment, and other hard afflictions which they laid on me, to have turned to their Catholike Religion, yet the Lord still promised me, that he would give me a deliverance out of their mercilesse hands; who made good his promise to me in a short time, blessed be his holy name.
Experiences on a Voyage from Lishborne to Brasile in the yeare, 1648.
For the Portugalls, in a Ship of London, and at our being there, and our ship laden, we did intend for Portugall, but they detained us one yeare, so that our ship was all eaten with worms, that we were faine to keep our Pump pumping for the space of nine moneths, but the longer the worse, for in our passage home-ward we could not tell which death to chuse, either to starve, or to be drowned, for our Victuals was so small, that for one yeare and more we had no bread in our ship, but wee did eate the roots of Trees, made into a substance like Oatmeale, and for Beefe, one ounce for a man for a day, which stunke so, that none could have eate it but men in our case; for Drink, we were glad of a pint of water a day during the time of our passage, which was seventeen weekes; but in this passage we saw the wonderful worke of God, for he sent us for the space of three weekes, in seasonable times, Fish called Dolfins, sometimes two or three in a day, and as we grew neare within three hundred leagues of the Coast of Portugall, and that provision we had neare spent, only three or foure dayes left, and all our men sick, and weak, and almost starved, it pleased God of his great mercy to send us a ship of Flushing, a Man of Warre, who proved to us as Joseph to the Children of Israel, for they brought us victuals which saved our lives, and after they had taken our ship, they were faine to put on board forty men to keep our ship from sinking, for it pleased God the next day after they tooke us, that we had a great violent storme, and a great Sea broke upon hee, that we thought she would never have recovered her selfe againe, for our goods did shut all to one side, and so she was faine to goe untill she came to Flushing, but we poore Creatures were in great perill and danger of our lives, and yet the Lord appeared unto me by his promise, That he would bring me to shore, and would deliver my life from death, and my eyes from teares; and he hath done graciously with me above my deserts, and inabled me above my strength, and delivered me above my hope, therefore will I praise him without measure, and magnifie his name without end.
Experiences of a voyage to Ireland of late, on the fourteenth day of Janu. 1651.
Being on the Coast of Ireland, it pleased the Lord to raise a violent storme, and in the morning by the dawning of day, we were so near the shore, that to mans judgement there was nothing but death approaching, for we knew no place of that Land by reason of the Fogge, and Raine that we had all the day, and knew not where to goe, but as the Lord, who is the Pilot of Pilots did carry us, untill foure a clock at night, which at that time a yeare is darke, and then we came to a great high head-land, and a little without that lay a great Sand, so that we could not goe any other way but betwixt them; so that then past all hopes of life, we forced her through the Sea, so that it brake over our heads, insomuch that we could not tell whether we were in the Sea or the Barke, but by our feet and hands, for we could not see for the violence of the water; only he that was at the helme: And yet in the space of a quarter of an houre we were in a safe place, newly taken out of the jawes of death. So that I of all men have great cause to be alwayes rendring thankes to my God, for his continuall and most sweet favours unto me, sinfull wretched, and empty man, voyd of all spirituall goodnes.
Experiences on the Coast of Virginia.
I being in a Ship of the burthen of three hundred tunnes, and lying on the Coast of Virginia, being wind-bound the space of seven weekes, it pleased God to visit our people with the Pestilentiall Feaver, and the Callenture, which is a violent Feaver, or Madnesse at first, and we had in our ship two hundred thirty five soules at that time, and of them it was the will and pleasure of God that we had a hundred of them sick at one time, so that we had but few to looke to the sicke; and we were in great want of provisions, so that we knew not whither to goe, but it pleased God to raise a great storme, so that we received a great Sea, that brake into our maine Saile, and we had two foot water between our Decks, so that our poore sick people cryed out, they were drowned, but within one houre after, by the mercy of God, we had faire weather, and faire wind, and within three or four dayes God set us safe on Land, to our great joy and comfort, that before were almost past all hopes, so that he caused us to say with the Prophet David, It was good for me that I was afflicted.
And yet I have another choyse mercy, to make knowne what God hath done for me, for hee hath now called me out of the world, but not out of the Land, of the living; and he hath also opened my eyes, and made cleare my understanding, with Mary, to chuse the better part; and whatsoever the world, or Satan can cast upon me, it shall all turne to my good; for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and him my soule desires to blesse and praise, which I trust I shall doe till my change cometh, and therefore my desire is to joyne with this Congregation, and walke humbly with them, as God shall inable me, and the Lord strengthen my faith.
T. R. August 12. 1652.