and not the least at Tyre, where he met with certain disciples that jaid to him, by the Spirit, that lie should not go to Jerusalem, though, in that, they followed their own spirit ; but he is not to be dissuaded : Like that noble Roman *, and upon a more noble account, ' he judged it necessary to go, but not to live.' The disci- ples seeing his unalterable resolution, express their affections to him at parting, by bringing him to the ship, and that with their whole families, wives and children, ver. 5. therein giving him the last mark of their dear respects.
In the farewell, their Christian affections are mutually manifested by two sorts of actions, — viz. Sacred and Civil — in prayers and sa- lutations.
1. Prayers ; the best office one Christian can do to another. As prayer is the best preface, so certainly it is the best close to any business or enjoyment : In which prayer we may note the place, posture, and matter or scope.
Firsts The place ; it was upon the shore, the parting place near to which the ship rode, waiting for Paul : And this was no unusual thing among them in those days. Tertullian '\' tells us, " they sent their prayers to heaven from every shore ;"" and elsewhere, he calls them, orationes littorales, " shore prayers." So customary it was for holy men, in those days, to be taken into the ship or boat from their knees, not from the tavern or ale-house.
Secondly, The posture ; " They kneeled down."" As all places, so all postures have been used in prayer. Some have used one posture, and some another ; but this is the common and ordinary posture : Knees when they can (as an ingenious author speaks) then they must be bowed. ,
Thirdly, The matter and scope of the prayer, which though it be not expressed, yet may with great probability be argued from the place and occasion, to be, as Erasmus speaks, Projuusta Naviga- tione, for a prosperous voyage, and divine protection. He knew to what, and how many hazards of life they are hourly exposed, that border so near unto death, as mariners and passengers at sea do ; and therefore would not commit himself to the sea, until first he had so- lemnly committed himself to God, whose voice the winds and seas obey : Nor was he willing to take his leave of his friends, until he had poured out his heart to God with them, and for them, whose faces he might never see again in this world, and engaged their prayers also for him.
2. As their affections were mutually manifested hyi\\\s sacred action, prayer ; so by civil ones too, affectionate embraces and salutations. " When we had taken our leave one of another.'*' Salutations were
* Necesse est ut earn, non ut vivam. Caesar.
f Per oJHne lit tics j^reces ad ccelum mittunt. Tertul. de Jejun.
346 THE SEAMA\-'S FAREtVELL*
used among the Jews, both at their meeting and parting. This lat- ter consisted in words and gestures ; the usual words were, "The " Lord bless you," Ruth ii. 4. " Peace be unto tljee. Grace be " with you,"" <^'C. The gestures were kissing each other. These w^ere kisses which a Cato might give, and a Vestal receive. In both these, viz. their prayers for, and salutations of, each other, they manifested their Christian affections mutually, but especially by their prayers at parting. Hence note,
Doct. Those that iindertoke^ voyages hy sea, had need not only to pray earnestly themselves^ hut also to evgage the prayers of other Christians for them.
They that part praying, may hope to meet again rejoicing ; and those designs which are not prefaced w ith prayer, cannot wind upv.ith a blessing. There are two sorts of prayer, stated and occasional.
Stated prayer is our conversing with God, either publicly, privately, or secretly, at the constant seasons allotted for it, in the returns of every week and day.
Occasioned, is the Christian"'s address to God at any time upon ex- traordinary emergencies, and calls of providence ; or, when we un- dertake any solemn business, (and what more solemn than this?) and then the chief matter and scope of praver is to be suited to the pre- sent occasion and design in hand ; of this sort is that I am here to speak. Now in opening the point, I v.ill shew,
(1.) What those special mercies are that seamen should pray for, when they are to undertake a voyage.
(2.) What influence prayer hath upon those mercies, and how it must be qualified for that end.
(3.) What aid and assistance the prayers of other Christians may contribute to the procurement of them.
And then make application of all.
(1.) We wall inform the seamen, what those special mercies are» he should earnestly pray for, when he undertakes a voyage.
And amongst those mercies to be earnestly requested of God by him, the first and principal is, the pardon of sin ; a mercy which must make a part of every prayer, and at this time to be earnestly sued for. Guilt is that Jonah in the ship, for whose sake storms, ship^vl•ecks, and ruin pursue it. It is said, Psal. cxlviii. 8. " That *' the stormy winds fulfil God's word." l^ the word there spoken of be the word of God's threatening against sin, as some expound it, then the stormy winds and lofty waves, are God's Serjeants sent out with commission to arrest sinners upon the sea, his water- bailiifs to execute the threatenings of God upon them, in the great deeps. Hence those expressions of scripture. Num. xxxii. 23. " Be sure your sin will find you out C and Gen. iv. 7. " Sin lieth at the door.'' In both* which places the Spirit of God compares a man's guilt to a blood-hound, that pursues and
THE SISAMA^i's FAREWELL. 347