Whilst this work was under my hand, I was both delighted and assisted by a pious and useful essay of an unknown author *, who liath to very good purpose improved many scriptural passages of providence, which seem to lie out of the road of common obser- vation: some passages I have noted out of it, which have been sweet to me. And oh, that Christians would every where set themselves to such work ! Providence carries our lives, liberties, and concernments in its hand every moment. Your bread is in its cup-board, your money in its purse, your safety in its enfolding arms : and sure it is the least part of what you owe, to record the favours you receive at his hands. More particularly,
1. Trust not your slippery memories with such a multitude of remarkable passages of providence as you have met, and shall meet with in your way to heaven. It is true, Things that greatly affect us, are not easily forgotten by us ; and yet, how ordinary is it for new impressions to raze out former ones.^ It was a saying of that worthy man, Dr. Harris, * My memory (said he) never failed me ' in all my life ; for, indeed, I durst never trust it.' Written me- morials secure us against that hazard; and besides, make them useful to others when we are gone. So that you carry not away all your treasure to heaven with you, but leave these choice legacies to your surviving friends. Certainly it were not so great a loss to lose your silver, your goods and chatties, as it is to lose your ex- periences which God hath, this way, given you in this world.
* Mr, T. C. in his Isagoge,
^-ONDERFUL SEA-DELIVERAKCE!?. 497
2. Take heed of clasping up those rich treasures in a book, and thinking it enough to have noted them there ; b\it have frequent recourse to them, as oft as new wants, fears, or difficulties arise and assault you. Now, it is seasonable to consider and reflect, Was I never so distressed before ? Is this the first plunge that ever befel me ? " Let me consider the days of old, the years of ancient " times," as Asaph did, Psal Ixxvii. 5.
3. Lastly, beware of slighting former straits and dangers in comparison with present ones. That which is next us, 'always ap- pears greatest to us : and as time removes us farther and farther from our former mercies or dangers, so they lessen in our eyes, just as the land from which they sail doth to seamen. Know that your dangers have been as great, and your fears no less formerly than now. Make it as much your business to preserve the sense and value, as the memory of former providences, and the fruit will be sweet to you.
A faithful and succinct Narrative of some late and wonder^ ful Sea-Deliverances.
J-T is a certain truth, that religion doth not expose all to public view ; and as true, that it doth not impropriate and conceal all within the limits of a man's private breast. To expose all would be Pharisaical, and to conceal all would be highly injurious and uncharitable; by the former a man WTongs himself, and by the latter many others.
Some works of providence have a designation for general use and public good in the very nature of them ; such I apprehend these to be, which are contained in the following narratives.
It is said, the art of physic was advanced and perfected in this manner. In the ruder and more ignorant ages of the world, when a person, either by design or accident, had discovered the virtue of any herb or mineral, the experiment was posted up in some public place for all to read, and take notice of it ; till at last, out of the multitude of these posted experiments, an orderly system was framed, wherein every thing was reduced to its proper place and use.
I am convinced, that if an orderly collection were made of the
49S UOXDLRIL-L SEA-DELIVEEAXCES.
more remarkable and eminent acts of Divine providence, it would be an excellent compendium or system, of spiritual physic to purge and cure this atheistical generation, wherein the very being of a God and providence are denied by some, and left disputable and uncer- tain by others.
The same sense and affection is not to be expected in those that read, as in those that have been the subject of these astonishing works of God ; nor is it to be supposed the same deep and lively sense of the goodness of God will be found in their own hearts, in reading their own story, as they found in the day of their deliver- ance ; even mercies of the highest rank suffer abatements by time, through the corruption of nature ; but would the reader put him- self into the case of the concerned, and they who are personally concerned in it, would view it with such an affection and sense as becomes such awful and glorious works of God; what good effects and impressions might then be expected from this little manual ?
All that I shall further add is. That as there is not one circum- stance added, or stretched beyond its due proportion to engage any man's affection, so I persuade myself, the true aim and design of the concerned is to rear it up as a stone of remembrance, in gra- titude to their great deliverer, and to assist so pious a design, is the only aim of
Thy Friend and Servant,
On the 6th of May, 1679, a ship of Dartmouth, called the Thomas and Ann, Joseph Curtis, of the same to\\Ti, being master, loaden with salt, wine, and brandy, from Bourneufe, in France, for New- foundland, and being about 24 leagues off that coast, in latitude 47 degrees, 40 minutes, having for many days seen abundance of floating islands of ice at some distance ; this morning, says the re- later, we discerned a great many lumps of ice, of various sizes, scattered up and down upon the sea ; the wind being at N. W. the weather clear, and hoping to see land before night, we stood in to the westward, now and then bearing up to avoid those Httle floating islands which came in our way. But about noon we found ourselves beset on every side with thousands of these dangerous enemies, threatening destruction to us from every quarter ; and at the same time, the wind fell calm, (except now and then a little breeze) and so continued till almost night. We now began to apprehend more than ordinary danger, well
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knowing how fatal one blow might prove, and liow improbable it was to escape many, the clanger being ecjual on every side, whe- ther we stood seaward or shoreward ; had we been thus environed with fixed rocks, our hazard had been great, but these did float as well as we, and the calm so dipt and pinioned our wings, tliar we could not fly any way from them ; so that now ruin seemed inevi- table ; the wind seemed to be commissioned to bring us into the midst of danger, and there to leave us.
Indeed, towards evening, it began to spring up at north, but, alas! too late to do us any service ; move we could, but no way from dancrer of imminent destruction.