And they cried. Which showeth that their gods were deaf and could not hear them, no more then they could help them. Here is a distinction in prayer: the righteous pray when they are in need, but the ungodly roar and cry like bears without their pray, for they despair of help before they pray for it. Every man unto his god. They prayed much like the Papists, which in extremity cry out 1some to one saint, some to another, some to saints some to Angels, for they think, if one will not help another will. But true prayer hath two wings, between which it must be carried up to heaven, else it cannot ascend at 2all, namely faith and love, without which no prayer can be acceptable or amiable before God. These cried and prayed, & their prayers did beat the sky, but could not lay the tempest, yet their prayer is here noted, to show the custom of natural men: for the heathen do well perceive that there is a God, (nature and experience doth teach it them,) who hath made the stately and most glorious frame of the world, with all the excellent creatures therein, yet they know him not. For though the lamps be wasted since Adam consulted with the devil that he might be a God, yet there is a little light which still dwelleth in darkness, like a spark hid in ⟨p. 140⟩ashes. They would not have prayed at all, but that nature taught them that there is a God, whose mighty power they beheld so expressly in all the creatures, that they imagined it to be impossible for one God to work them all: therefore they thought that there were diverse gods as there were diverse seasons, diverse nations, diverse trades, diverse languages, diverse and sundry kinds of all things; and so diverse nations worshipped diverse gods. Every of these mariners did now in their extremity call upon his god, every one upon that god which he thought most highly off, and in whom he hath in his prosperity reposed most confidence. And now while none could help but 3one, they cried to many, and by this means while they sought to lay the tempest, they stirred it more: for their prayers being idolatrous, were so wicked, that it had been sufficient to provoke the Lord utterly to destroy them, if his mercy were not wonderful 4over all his works, therefore blessed is he that hath the Lord for his God.
And they cried. Which sheweth that their gods were deafe and could not heare them, no more then they could helpe them. Here is a distinctiō in prayer: the righteous pray when they are in need, but the vngodly rore and crie like beares without their pray, for they dispaire of helpe before they pray for it. Euerie mā vnto his god. They prayed much like the Papists, which in extremitie cry out 1some to one saint, some to another, some to saints some to Angels, for they thinke, if one will not helpe another will. But true prayer hath two wings, betweene which it must be carried vp to heauen, else it cannot ascend at 2all, namely faith and loue, without which no prayer can be acceptable or amiable before God. These cried and prayed, & their prayers did beate the skie, but could not lay the tempest, yet their prayer is here noted, to shew the custome of naturall men: for the heathen do wel perceiue that there is a God, (nature and experiēce doth teach it them,) who hath made the stately and most glorious frame of the world, with all the excellent creatures therein, yet they know him not. For though the lamps be wasted since Adam cōsulted with the deuil that he might be a God, yet there is a litle light which still dwelleth in darknesse, like a sparke hid in ⟨p. 140⟩ashes. They would not haue prayed at all, but that nature taught them that there is a God, whose mightie power they beheld so expresly in all the creatures, that they imagined it to be impossible for one God to worke them all: therfore they thought that there were diuerse gods as there were diuerse seasons, diuerse nations, diuerse trades, diuerse languages, diuerse and sundry kinds of all things; and so diuerse nations worshipped diuerse gods. Euerie of these mariners did now in their extremitie call vpon his god, euerie one vpon that god which he thought most highly off, and in whom he hath in his prosperitie reposed most confidence. And now while none could help but 3one, they cried to many, and by this meanes while they sought to lay the tempest, they stirred it more: for their prayers being idolatrous, were so wicked, that it had bene sufficient to prouoke the Lord vtterly to destroy them, if his mercie were not wonderfull 4ouer all his works, therefore blessed is he that hath the Lord for his God.
- 1Papists to their sundry Saints.Papistes to their sundrie Saints.
- 2Prayers wings to bring it to heaven: faith and love.Prayers wings to bring it to heauē: faith and loue.
- 3Seeking to lay the tempest, they increase it.
- 4Psal. 144. 15.
