The sea-mans direction in time of storm Delivered in a sermon upon occasion of…The sea-mans direction in time of storme Delivered in a sermon upon occasion of…

cast off the works of darkness, when temptations to the work of darkness come, it is good thrusting them away with violence; but take heed you do not so with your consciences, ⟨p. 80⟩when they come upon you, urging on you the performance of what you engaged your self to God in the time of danger. It may be in time of danger you cast out your goods to save your lives, now cast out your lusts to save your souls, either your sins or your souls must perish: know that though you forget your promises, yet God looks after them, and vvill call to account what becomes of them, they are to be seeds of a godly life; now then take heed that when you vow to and covenant with God, you do not sow the Wind, that phrase the Scripture useth for losing our labour, when nothing comes of our endeavours, as Hos. 8. 7. but that is not all, that no good comes of our promises, but certainly if in them you sow the Wind, there will something come of them, if not a harvest of a reformed life, yet reap you shall, you shall reap the Whirl-wind, they will be the seeds of most dreadful miseries to you afterwards. That which one Theodericus answered to Sigismund the Emperor when he would ⟨p. 81⟩know of him what he should do to be happy, may I say to you; Consider, says he, what you would wish you had done at such and such times when you had grievous pain of the stone and gout, and do that now; so I unto you, would you be happy, consider then when you have been in grievous storms and dangerous tempests, what would you wish you had done, do that now; when company, when temptations draws to evil, consider then, will this be my joy if ever God brings me into the like grievous tempests again, would I have done thus at that time? at such times then men are convinced of the ways of God, and could wish themselves godly: Yea, I remember I have read of an expression that Xenophon hath, that all men in their sailings desire for their companions to have men rather religious then Atheists, because of their often dangers and fears, by reason of Tempests; now your hearts rise against them, but at such a time you could be glad to be with them, and to be as they are, except you ⟨p. 82⟩be Atheists your selves; O labour now to be, such as then you are convinced is the best and most safest to be, religious: if it be good then, it is good now.