A58039:18
A token for mariners
A token for mariners containing many famous and wonderful instances of God's providence in sea dangers and deliverances, in mercifully preserving the lives of his poor creatures, when, in humane probability, at the point of perishing by shipwreck, famine, or other accidents. much enlarged, with the addition of many new relations, one whereof happening this present year, and never before printed. Mostly attested by the persons themselves. Also The seaman's preacher, being a sermon on the right improvement of such mercies. And prayers for seamen on all occasions.A token for mariners containing many famous and wonderful instances of God's providence in sea dangers and deliverances, in mercifully preserving the lives of his poor creatures, when, in humane probability, at the point of perishing by shipwrack, famine, or other accidents. much enlarg'd, with the addition of many new relations, one whereof happening this present year, and never before printed. Mostly attested by the persons themselves. Also The seaman's preacher, being a sermon on the right improvement of such mercies. And prayers for seamen on all occasions.
London: printed by Hugh Newman, 1698
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
O turn aside, and see this great sight, while they are praying. Behold a second Answer from above; A great Bird lights and fixes her self upon the Mast, which one in the Company espies, and up he goes and there she stands until he took her with his hand by the wing, & brought her down to the Company; and O what life from the dead is this to them a second time! Sure they will hearken to the voice of the second Sign, if not to the voice of the first; and now that which they hoped by the first Providence (viz) that it was a fore-runner of the complete deliverance; Now they are by this second confirmed ⟨p. 7⟩in the Faith, and now they begin to think (as I can easily imagine) if God will save them out of this distress, O what manner of persons they will become! what manner of lives they will live! what Sacrifices of Thanksgiving will they offer up to God! but while they are thus thinking they have no visible hopes, but that it must be a third Miracle that brings them out of this their miserable condition; they have the same disappointments upon them still, only now they divert their Hunger all they can, by telling of, and remembering the Loaves, (as I may say) their experiences in this extremity of theirs, and comforting themselves, that if they come to a third strait, it would (they hoped) be an outlet from their present misery and calamity: They are reduced the third time to the former course and strait, to cast Lots; and when they were to go to the heart-aching work, to put him to death, upon whom the Lott fell, they go to their Old Friend, in a day of Adversity, (to God) by hearty and humble Prayer; And O now they do, as the Prophets man at the Sea-side, look again and again, but alas Master they cry, there is nothing. Prayer is done, concluded, nothing appears; O but as the Prophets ⟨p. 8⟩Man looked seven times, so says this good man Major Gibbons, look again, as Jonah, I will look again towards his Holy Temple (says he to one of the Company) Go up to the top, and see what you can espy; and at last he makes a Sail, (viz.) espies a Ship; this puts new life into all their spirits; they bear up with the Vessel, they Man their Boat, they desire, in the manner of perishing humble Suppliants, to Board them, which they are Admitted; the Vessel proves a French Vessel, yea, a French Pirate;
O turn aside, and see this great sight, while they are praying. Behold a second Answer from above; A great Bird lights and fixes her self upon the Mast, which one in the Company espies, and up he goes and there she stands until he took her with his hand by the wing, & brought her down to the Company; and O what life from the dead is this to them a second time! Sure they will hearken to the voyce of the second Sign, if not to the voyce of the first; and now that which they hoped by the first Providence (viz) that it was a fore-runner of the compleat deliverance; Now they are by this second confirmed