4516 GIFT OF PROFESSOR C.A, KOFOI CASE Dr. BROWN'S S E R M O N, ON THE DANGERS AND DUTIES OF THE SEAFARING LIFE. SERMON, ON THE DANGERS and DUTIES OF THE SEAFARING LIFE; PREACHED BEFORE THE Proteftant Diffenting Congregation, AT HALIFAX; AND PUBLISHED AT THE DESIRE OF THE MARINE SOCIETY, IN THAT PLACE. BY ANDREW BROWN, D.D. Minifter of the Proteftant Dijftnting Congregation. PRINTED AT THE &poU0 J3ref#, IN BOSTON, BY BELKNAP AND HALL, DOCK SQUARE. 1793. AND FOR SALE AT THE BOSTON BOOKSTORE, NO. 59, CORNHILL. GIFT OF PROFESS OR .C. A, - ADVERTISEMENT. TlIE following Sermon, ha/lily prepared at fea, while the feelings it defcribes and the train of thought to which they lead werefrefJi on the mind, was delivered in the ordinary courfe of duty, without any view to publication. At that time, the Author did not know of the exijlencc of a Society in this place for the benevolent purpofe of patronizing and relieving dif- treffedfeamen ; and could notforejee that his dif courfe would meet their approbation, or be thought capable of promoting the dcjigns of their inflitution. Afenfe of gratitude for much kind attention receiv ed from failors, and ajincere de/ire of contributing to their benefit, has induced him to comply with the too partial requejl of the MARINE SOCIETY (the prin ciple of whofe 'injlitution he highly approves) and to fujftr this dif courfe to be printed for their ufe. HALIFAX, April 2 9 1793. PSALM cvii. from verfe 23 to 33. They that go down to the fea in [hips, that do bufinefs in great waters : The/e fee the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth and raifetk the Jl or my wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the, depths : their foul is melted becaufe of trouble. They reel to and fro, and Jl agger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their dif- trejjes. He maketh thejiorm a calm, Jo that the waves thereof are JlilL Then are they glad becaufe they be, quiet, fo he bringeth them unto their defired haven. Oh, that men would praife the Lord for his goodnefs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men I Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people, and praife him in the ajfembly of the elders. H E Minifters of the Gofpel are appointed to explain the do&rines of Chriftian- ity, to adminifter its facraments, and to inculcate the practice of piety and good works. Their commiflion inftrucls them to preach the glad tidings of reconciliation and forgivenefs to every creature, and they are authorized by the exam ple of an apoftle, to become all things to all men, 8 that they may gain fome. Hence it is their duty to feleft all forts of fubje&s, and to addrefs all claffes of men. No order is fo defpicable as to be below their notice, and none fo profligate as to be beyond their hope. In their paftoral care of the Chriflian Church, it is incumbent on Minifters to confider the par ticular lituations in which their congregations are placed, the character of the different ranks which compofe them, and the dangers and temp tations to which they are fubje&ed ; that they may be enabled to accommodate their difcourfes to their capacity, and to recommend, with ener gy and effect, the fentiments and conduct which are fuited to their circurnftances in life. In a feaport town, where many have con cerns on the ocean, and are employed in mips, it will not furely be reckoned too great an en croachment on the rights of general inftruQion, to beftow a particular difcourfe on the feafaring life ; efpecially when we confider that none of the works of God are indifferent to any of his people, and that the practical inftructionsdeduc- ible from the prefent fubjeft, will, in a great meafure, be equally applicable to all. Were further juftification necefTary for adopt ing fuch a theme, I fhould fay of the order of men to whom it more particularly belongs, what the Jews faid of the Centurion, who befought Jefus for the recovery of his fervant, " They are worthy for whom we fhould do this/' Tho* rough in manners and in fpeech, their hearts are good, and readily warm with friendlhip for each" other, and with pity to the poor. They are very fufceptible of ferious impreffions and of gratitude to God ; and though not generally diftinguifhed by the profeffion of religion, they are at word, I truft, more thoughtlefs and in- confiderate, than obflinately wicked. In the text, which is equally remarkable for fimplicity of flyle and juftnefs of defcription, the Pfalmifl has given us a very animated repre- fentation of the dangers of the feafaring life, and of the impreflions v/hich they make on the heart of the mariner. Treading in the fteps of this infpired guide, I propofe to offer a few obferva- tions on the following articles immediately con nected with this profeflion : I. On the belief of the exiftence and govern ment of God, or at leafl of the practical confe- quences of that principle, which is ex^prefled or implied in navigation, and in all the hazardous occupations of life. II. On the fignal manifeftatioris of the divine power and providence which are made to the mariner on the great waters. B 10 III. On the imminent dangers of the fea- faring life, and the merciful protection which God extends to thofe who are engaged in it. IV. On the fentiments and conduct becom ing this expofed and perilous profeflion. All thefe ideas are evidently included in the words of the Pfalm, " They that go down to the fea in fhips, that do bufinefs in great wa ters : Thefe fee the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commanded! and raifeth the flormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths ; their foul is melted becaufe of trouble. They reel to and fro, and dagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their diftrefles. He maketh the ftorm a calm, fo that the waves thereof are dill. Then are they glad becaufe they be quiet, fo he bring eth them unto their defired haven. Oh, that men would praife the Lord for nis goodnefs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men ! Let them exalt him alfo in the congrega tion of the people, and praife him in the aflem- bly of the elders." I begin with offering a few obfervations on the belief of the exiftence and government of God, or at.leaft of the practical confequences of that prin- il ciple, whichis expreiled or implied in navigation, and in all the hazardous occupations of life. Whether we fear God, or do not fear him, we are indebted to principles eftablifhed by religion for our comfort and fecurity in all the trying exi gences of this mortal ftate. In a particular man ner it is owing to our belief in the exiflence of God, and in the fixed laws of his government, that we go down to the fea in (hips with compof- ure and expectation. Were there no order in nature, no prefiding Agent, and no fettled con- neclion between caufes and effects, we durft not truft ourfelves from firm ground, and could not tread even there with any meafure of confi dence. Did we believe that chance had produced the lyftem of the univerfe, and placed us in our fla- tion, we could have no fecurity for the continu ance of our exiftence, or for the duration of the world in which we dwell. Chance cannot ; work with defign, and the fabric which it had fo wonderfully reared, it might again deflroy in a ! manner equally wonderful. In this ftate of un certainty with refpect to our being, we fhould have no determinate principles to regulate our conduct. All things would appear fingle and unrelated, refulting from no eftablimed caufe, and referring to no certain end. Of confequence experience would be of no femce to us, as we could not infer from what had taken place yefterday, that to-morrow the fame caufes would be attended with the fame effects, or the fame means pro ductive of the fame ends. The future would be wholly fortuitous, and on ordinary as well as extraordinary occafions, when we had any matter of importance at flake, we fhould be at our wit's end. On the other hand if we had reafon to fup- pofe that an eternal fate and uncontroulable neceffity directed the courfe of things, it would be our duty to wait in perfect tranquillity till their pleafure was made known, and then to fubmit to the decree without a flruggle or a. murmur. On this fcheme, reafon and prudence, effort and action would be completely fuperfed- cd ; nothing being more obvious than that fate cannot be altered, and that it is vain to con tend with neceffity. Even on the beft fyftems of infidelity, our ex- iftence and the world around us would be gloomy and uncomfortable. Unknown and irrefiftible powers, who had counted mankind worthy of no communication of their will, would be working on every fide, without any regard for our happinefs. Ignorant of their nature, and of the ends of their adminiftration. in profperity Fe fhould not be able to enjoy ourfelves, or the arbitrary .gifts ,cf. our invi&ble fcenefa&ojis ; and in adverfity we could have no prefent help, and no fuftaining hope of future deliverance. The belief of the exiftence and government ofan everlafting and Almighty Being, wife, ancl juft, and beneficent, compofes our fears, and gives us courage and confidence in the rnoft perilous fcenes. By the difcoveries of revelation, his perfections are made our truft, and his provi dence becomes our fafeguard. There we learn that infinite wifdorn cannot err, and that eter- i nal goodnefs is incapable of change ; that the intelligence which knows the end from the begin ning can ordain nothing but what is good, and that what is once ordained can never be improv ed, and cqnfequently will not be altered. Thefe principles of religion infpire us with confidence in the order of nature, and in the efficacy of our own exertions. They allure us that in the time to come as well as in that which is part, the fun will rife in the eaft, and the mag net point to the pole ; that in the fame latitudes the variation and declination of the needle will be regulated by the fame laws ; and that in fim- ilar, circumflances, limilar appearances will be the indication of fimilar effects. Proceeding on thefe folid principles which are eftablifhed by religion with ftill greater au thority than by philofophy, the mariner weighs his anchor, and fpreads his canvas to the breeze* Under their direction he purfues his courfe thro* the pathlefs waters ; fweeps the horrizon to af- certain the mid-day hour ; calculates his diftance from his port, and even ventures to predict the time of his arrival. I do not mean, however, to afTert by any of the preceding obfervations, that the perfons who acl; upon thefe principles do it with defign, Or in a-religious fpirit. It is much to be feared that this is very feldom the cafe. Walking in a beaten track, and guided by cuflom and habit, they too often take advantage of them, as cir- curnilances require, without any refle&ion at all. Jn the fame fituation they repeat the fame ac tion, inftinclively and mechanically, with no concern about its immediate operation, or the ultimate effects which it is intended to produce. Neverthelefs, when we trace their conduct to the foundation on which it reds, it evidently refolves itfelf into the principle here affigned, the belief that a wife and benificent Providence rules the world by general and unalterable laws. SonecefTary is the exiftence and government of God to the exiftence of the world, and the comfort* of his creatures, and fo true is it that in every ftep we take, we carry at Icaft the pra&ical convi&ion of his exiftence and government at our hearts, and in our hands. Our belief of this truth is expreffed or implied in the whole of our conduct, but more efpecially in our hazardous undertakings ; and confidering how important this grand principle is to our fecurity and enjoy ment, it is our reproach as well as our crime, that we are ever fo inattentive to our intereft, as to aft upon it without proper fentiments of ra tional truft and filial piety. This inattention and negligence will appear more inexculible in fuch as frequent the fea, if we confider. in the fecond place, the fignal man- ifeflations of the power and Povidence of God which are daily made to them on that element. * ; They that go down to the fea in mips, that do bufinefs in great waters : Thefe fee the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep/' The wifdom of the Almighty ordained the feparation of the elements ; and by diflributing them in admirable order and in juft proportion, he has diverfified the appearance, andincreafed the perfection of his works. The fea, that grand magazine of moifture, forms, as it were, a world by itfelf ; is peopled by diftincl; tribes of being ; and governed by peculiar laws. It like- wife miniflers, in an endlefs variety of ways, to the falubrity and fertility of the earth, and to the convenience and improvement of man. In this advanced ftage of commercial intercourfe. it may well be faid that the Tea at once fevers and unites the nations. In the infancy of things we may perhaps fuppofe that men viewed its fwelling deeps with difmay, and turned from the advancing flood not only as from a boundary they were forbidden to pafs, but alfo as from an enemy threatening to deftroy. By degrees, however, they were reconciled to the appear ance of this immenfe affemblage of water, and having learned that " God had broken up for it his decreed place, and fet bars and doors, and faid hitherto malt thou come but no further, and here mall all thy proud waves be ftaid ;"* they approached it with confidence, and foon .became familiar with its ftorms and its tides. Neverthelefs, to adopt the language of an an cient poet, threefold oak, that is, the mod invin cible refolution, muft have fhielded his heart who firft violated the fan&ity of the ocean, and in a frail bark tempted the winds, and the waves, and the feverer wrath of the angry powers who were fuppofed to have chofen it as their pecu liar refidence. But gathering courage from the fuccefs of their firft adventures, and finding the benefit of their commerce with the deep, men foon became more enterprifing ; and while they proceeded with caution and prudence on their part, hoped by prayers and facrifices to appeafe r* Job xxxviii, 10, the refentmerit of the gods of the waters, and to make them propitious to their defigns. Ne- ceffity continuing to fharpen invention, expedi ents were multiplied on expedients to add to the eafe and fafety of conveyance by water. Every new generation improved on the pra6tice of the part, and tranfmitted to future times fome valu able difcovery of its own ; till, in the progrefs of art and fcience, from a raft, which a few ofiers bound together, a flup was conftrufted, the mofl ingenious and perfect of all the mechanical pro ductions of man. Thus to the dominion of the earth the domin ion of the fea has been added ; and in the pref- ent improved Mate of fhipbuilding, the mariner enjoys almofl all the advantages which the land affords, and delivered from the illiberal terrors of fuperflition, has an opportunity of contem plating, without interruption and without fear, the works of God, and his wonders in the deep. In this great department of nature, thefe are neither few nor inconfiderable. and it is riot nec- effary to go far from land to difcover them. Around the fkirts of the more a garden is plant ed in the waters, abounding with vegetable pro ductions of various appearance and quality. This marine nuriery is exceedingly beautiful. C i8 The preparation which nature has made to at tach its productions to the bottom, and to di rect their growth to the furface and the light, is wonderful ; and the whole of their economy is efiablifhed by that mafterly (kill which has done all things well. In their watery bed they anf- wer the good purpofes for which they were cre ated, and neither flourifh nor fade in vain, As we depart from the land, the ocean itfelf claims our undivided atlention. In a ftate of reft it is a magnificent and ftupendous object. Extending further than the eye or the imagina tion can reach, it is poured into bays and inlets without number, and encompaffes the earth as a girdle. When the atmofphere is clear, the imrneafurable expanfe of water enlarges our fac ulties, and gives elevation to our conceptions of the univerfe. The mind fwells with the fcene which it contemplates ; the range of vilion is extended ; and for the moment, an addition feems to be made to our notions of infinitude. But this is a fubje6l upon which we cannot enter. The confideration of the ufes, phenom ena and laws of the ocean, would divert us from our proper bufinefs, and lead to dilcudions un- luitable to this place. Suffice it to fay, that if the earth is full of the riches of the Creator's wifdom and goodntfs, fb alfo is the great and wide fea. Perhaps indeed the ocean is more replete with life than the land. Through the whole of its extent myriads of creatures range unconfined, and, with all our boafled fcience, it is but little that we know concerning them. Ac certain feafons of the year, particular fpecies of them are found in one place, and at a different period they furprife the mariner in a far diftant region. Some rude gueffes have been made with regard to the length of their life ; but we are 1 rangers to the initin&s which regulate their migrations, to the routine of fervice they per form, and to their various ufes in the fyftem of animated nature. So far indeed as the learn ed have been able to examine their external fig ure and their internal conformation, and to reafon from thefe to their condition and bufinefs in their own element, they have found the mod infallible proofs of the wifdom of the Creator, and of his unwearied attention to the perfection and happinefs of his creatures. The feathered tribes which dwell upon the ocean, or frequent its coafts, proclaim the fame comfortable truth, that God is good to all, and that his tender mercies are over all his works. The extent of the fea is their domain ; and fee ble as they are, they are taught to fhun, or fit ted to refill the fiercenefs of the tempeft. Where- ever they are found they appear to be at home, 20 and though in general they move an flocks, yet fome of them are feeri alone far from any land, and, as it were, in a ftate of exile from the reft of their fpecies. Delighting in the filence of an untroubled retreat^ perhaps for months to gether they do not vifit the more ; and their ex- iftence is entirely unknoxvn fave to him who ieeth all things. But a more interefting object fometimes at tracts the manner's notice and reminds him oi: the vigilance of providence. Remote in the ocean as well as amongfl the habitations of men, the danger of venturing too far on forbidden ground is occafionally difplayed in a very afFe6t- ing manner. A bird belonging to the land draws near the fhip, borne on a weary wing. Surprifed in all probability, while hovering on the more, by a fudden blafl whole impetuofity it was unable to refill, it was carried out to fea, and perhaps for feverai days was driven along, without any other exertion on its own part but that of preventing itfelf from falling into the, water. As the ftorm abated the anxieties of iilf prefervation returned, and it looked round for a place of fafety. The appearance of the fliip attracts its notice, and like the dove at the deluge of the old world, it draws near with con fidence and hope. The antipathies of its n,a,- 21 ture are fubdued by fuffering, and it is no long er afraid of man. It feeks a refuge at his fide, and may be lure to find one in the compaflkm of the failor, who has himfelf known danger and fear. The extent of the hoftile element on which this bird was expofed, the weaknefs of its frame, and the wonderful concurrence of cir- cumflanccs which effect its prefervation, natur ally raife the mind to the contemplation of that eternal power without whofe permiffion even a fparrow cannot fall to the ground, and who, out of the very jaws of death can give deliverance. In ordinary cafes the variety at fea is not great ; there is a fatiguing famenefs in the avo- cations\)f the day ; and incidents, which elfe- where would be reckoned trifling are there fuf- ficient to amufe the mind. Of thefe, however, all fuch as ferve to compofe the thoughts, and* to infpire tranquillity and hope are peculiarly pleafing. Hence it is obferved, with a ming led fentiment of latisfaclion and joy, that in the bofom of the ocean the grand phenomina of na ture are as magnificent and beautiful as in the bed cultivated land. There the arch of heav- en preferves its majefly, and the rainbow the (plendour of its appearance ; there the fky is variegated with all the tints and fhadings which give luftre to a fummer morning, or rnildnefs 22- to an autumnal day. The fcene, indeed, is pe culiar, and the mariner finds himfelf in a new fituation. As the fun defcends below the gild ed: wave, a folemri (tillnefs prevails ; no cattle ;- no fmoke riles, and no diilant noife indi- the prefence or the labours of men. In pfi>)ortion as the la ft flreaks of reflected light di&ppear in this weft i a deeper gloom advances from thee oppolite quarter; and at length the fcorifcon con lifts of dark waters and thick clouds fcf the fky. , Such a fituation requires vigilance and cau- ^k>n, and may lead us to coniider in the third pface, the various dangers to which the feafaring MFc is expo fed. The defencelefs ftate of a fhip-at fea without conibrt or corrvoy, the continual expofure to ac cidents, and the little probability of efcape or deliverance were any evil to happen, mufl in forne 1 degree at leaft render a voyage a tedious and an anxious period. The fafety of the mari ner is always uncertain, and his life is in jeopar dy every hour. In the finefl weather and with he faired profpe&s, the carelefTneis or the- caf- ualty of a moment may deftroy his hopes, and reduce hfm to extremity. They who follow other profeflions may alfo walk in the midft of clangers, of fnares, and of death ; but then thefe are in general concealed from their view, a4 they proceed in a beaten tra6l without difquie- tude or apprehenfion. By t a multitude of haz ards furround the mariner which perpetually flare him in' the face, and there is hardly a ftep he can take, or a part of his duty that he can difqharge without expofing him-felf to danger. B.elides. the niind has never either more lei- fure or inclination to contemplate the nature of the fcene, and to dwell on its uncertainties, than during a long voyage. Many things occur to fix the attention on what is prefent, and few to divert it to more exhilirating profpecls. The fecluiion from the world, the abfente of friends, and of all the objects that have been accufiomed to carry the individual beyond himfelf, leave the mind unoccupied ; nothing interrupts the current of uneafy thought ; and when our fears are once alarmed, they magnify real and create imaginary dangers. But even imagination, fertile as it is in ficlion, can fcarcely multiply the perils of the fea. So many combinations of difficulty and fuffering are ppffible on that element, and fuch a variety of new and untried evils are daily experienced in the courfe of navigation, that no calculation of chances can afcertain the fum of hardfhip tc which it is expofed. From the hiftory of nau- 24 ticai expeditions of all kinds, it is evident, that more complicated and fevere diflrefles have been endured in fhips than, was ever known on Chore even in the time of liege and battle. Fatigues, and terrors, and difafters are the mariner's infep- arable attendants; and thefe are increafed in proportion to the charge and authority with which he is inverted. The mailer's office is pe culiarly arduous : The management of the (hip and the feamen is expected of him, as well as refolution and conduct in the feafon of perplex ity. Whatever is difficult or embarrafiing in a voyage falls on him with double weight, and his vigilance and activity can never fleep with fafe- ty. Contrary winds or continued calms are equally hoflile to his repofe ; while the fcarcity of provifions, the attack of difeafe, or the en trance of difcontent, fummon him at once to the moft delicate and decifive interpofition. The text refers in a particular manner to the labours and dangers of the ftorm, and though thefe are not the word evils incident to naviga tion, yet they are of a very alarming-kind, arid awaken all the anxieties of the heart. From the feafon and lituation in which it at tacks the mariner, the terror as well as danger of the florm, may be greatly augmented. In the dead of night, it is an awful thing to en- Counter the rage of the wind and the toffings of the fea. Light is enlivening ; and the face of heaven, even though enveloped with clouds, infpires a degree of confidence and fecurity which we never poffefs in darknefs. Befid'es, the meafures to be taken for the fafety and eafe of the vefiel are then obvious, and can be carried into execution with more certainty and expedi tion, than when all is night and uproar, and the mailer's orders can neither be heard nor an ticipated. In every fituation, however, and with all pof- fible precaution, the working of the temped is terrible to the mariner. When heaved from its bed the ocean fwells tumultuoufly, nothing can withdand the commotion. Mountains are heap ed upon mountains, and the flouted Ihip muft labour for life. Meanwhile dangers thicken, and fear invades the company. Every hour their condition grows more critical ; " They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths : Their foul is melted becaufe of trouble. They reel to and ft;o, and dagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end." The continuance of their trials exhauds their flrength, and deprefles their fpirits ; and at length, overpowered by fatigue, they give them- felves up to defpondence. On the brink of eternity, they think of the feat of Judgment, D and of their appearance before God. But fear* are in the way, and the fcene which excites them inftead of infpiring hope, fuggefts the idea of terrible majefty and devouring wrath. WhaC a moment is this for the diffolute and impure I Their paft actions rum upon their memory, and confcience condemns them for every fin they have committed. Stung with remorfe, they Ihrink from the thought of meeting the Father of their fpirits in all the frefhnefs of unrepented wickednefs. But who lhall now interpofe in their behalf, or add to their life a fhort refpite for penitence and preparation ? Their friends are far diftant and cannot hear their cry ; they are cut off from the inhabitants of the world, and there is none to pity, far lefs to relieve them. Without a comforter in all the earth but the God whom they have fo often offended, their eyes and hearts are lifted up to heaven, and they call upon the Lord if fo be he will think upon them that they perifti not. The King of mercy, who rules in the fyftem of nature, and hears the voice of all thofe that pray unto him, liftens to their ^application, rebukes the wind, and fays unto the fea, peace, be ftill. Immediately the ftorm becomes a calm ; the Iky re fumes its wonted ferenity ; and the fun looks out and fmiles. " Then are they glad becaufe they be quiet ; fo he bringeth them unto their defired haveru" But perhaps their hardfhips and fufFerings are not yet at an end. As his home rifes before him, the joy of the mariner is checked by the folemn consideration, that trouble is not pecu liar to the ocean, that difeafe and death are al ways at work, and that every day produces changes of its own. In this various life, indeed, it fometimes happens that they who go down to the fea in fhips are preferved from the dangers of their profeffion, to meet feverer affliction on the Chore. The family and relations whom they left in health, and whom they expected to em brace in gladnefs, dwell in the houle of mourn ing. The eyes that were wont to brighten aC the lignal of return, are clofed in death ; and the heart which overflowed with gratitude in the hour of reunion, is covered with the clods of the valley. The habitation of domeflic joy is dark and empty ; the voice of kindnefs which chid the long, though involuntary abfence, is filent; and the tender afFeclion which fhare'd in every viciffitude of fortune, and called for the whole (lory over and over, no longer iweetens the bitternefs of grief, or heightens the tranfport of joy. The unexpeclednefs of luch an event, and the fudden tranfition from the elevation of hope to the depth of affliction, makes this ftroke fall heavy on the head of the manner : But it is one of the calamities incident to the feafaring 28 life, and ought to concur with the reft in im- preffing failors with an abiding fenfe of thetr abfolute dependence on God, and of his great goodnefs in favihg them from fo many dangers, and vifiting them fo feldom with fuch afflidtive difpenfations. From this fhort and imperfect view of the per ils of navigation, I now proceed^ to offer fome observations on the fentiments and conduct be coming feamen. And here, furely, I may be allowed to afk in the firft place, what returns of veneration, obedience, and gratitude are not due from thofe who are fo peculiarly under the care of God, and fo fignally preferved by his provi dence ? We have all received fo many bleffings from the goodnefs of our Maker, that we are bound to love and to ferve him fo long as we have any being. But the ordinary tenor of his provi dence is fo benificenr, and in common life the gifts of his liberality tt>me fo much, as it were, in the common courfe of things, that we do not generally perceive and acknowledge the hand of the giver. We are only awakened to con- fideration and gratitude by fingular and fhik- ing interpofitions of mercy ; and however un thankful we may be for our daily prefervation, and the neceffary bleffings of life, we all agree that perfons :vho are expofed to imminent dan- gers. and who meet with furprifing deliverance, ought to teftify their dependence by an exem* plary piety, and to exprefs their gratitude by public acknowledgments. In juftice to human nature, it rmift be allow ed that this fentiment has a perceptible influence on the conduct of thole who have concerns at fea. Confidering that element as hoftile to hu man life, and taking it for granted that it muft require the peculiar care of Providence to pre- ferve the manner, and to profper the bufinefs which is tranfadted in fhips, we find that a guarded manner of expreffion, and a more than ordinary fhew of piety diftinguifhes the conver- fation of the fober part of failors. The fame thing may be remarked in the forms of infur- ance and agreement reipe6Hng Ihipping. The fupremacy of Providence is devoutly acknowl edged by the contracting parties ; and phraf- es expreffive of dependence on the divine will, occur more frequently in their covenants, than in other writings of a fimilar nature. Act uated by the fame fentiment, it is common for thofe who venture on enterprises not exempted from danger, without any public, and frequent- ly it may be prefumed without any private fup- plication for the divine aJMance and protection, to requeft the prayers of the Church before they proceed to fea, 30 On that turbulent element men live under the impreffion and the awe of a fuperior. They are encompaffed with a fky which blackens con trary to their expectation, and find themfeives at the mercy of winds and waters over which they have no controul. The fenfe of fear is al- moft infeparable from fuch a fituation ; it is ex cited by the grand difplay of power, by the magnitude of the danger, and the a6live folici- tudes of felf prefervatfon. Amidft the workings of the deep we look up with awful reverence to that invifible arm, which rules the moft active Clements with as much eafe as the moft inert. This fentiment is fo natural to the human mind, that we find the prophet Jeremiah employing it with great effet in his expostulation with the difo- bedient Jews. " Fear ye not me, faith the Lord, will ye not tremble at my prefence, which have placed the fand for the bound of the fea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pafs it; and though the waves thereof tofs themfeives, yet can they not prevail, though they roar yet can they not pafs over it !"* But though the fear of God, worked into the mind by the manifestations of his power, ought al ways to operate as a reftraint from offending him, yet it is a tranGent as well as an illiberal emotion * Jer. v. 22. 3* and cannot fafely be trufted as the guide of con- duel:. Better principles ought to guard the vir tue, and prompt the obedience of the chriftian failor. You have heard of the long fuffeiing patience of God, and of his goodnefs in the gof- pel ; you have cried to him in trouble, and been delivered, and when he makes you to dwell at eafe, will you forget his mercy, or your obligations to gratitude ? In the feafon of tran quillity, it is your duty to cherifh the remem brance of the protection that was extended to you in the hour of difmay, and to kt that re membrance give fervour to your piery, and firtn- nefs to your obedie'nce. It is your duty to ded icate the life which God preferved from the proud waters to religion and holinefs, to culti vate the fpirit of devotion, to attend the public worlhip of your preferver, and to publim what he has done for your fouls in the prefence of your brethren. Thefe duties are forcibly arid pathetically recommended in the text, " Oh that men would praife the Lord for his good nefs, and for his wonderful works to the chil dren of men! Let them exalt him alfo in the congregation of the people, and praife him in the ailembly of the elders." By fuch rational and manly conduct you would unfpeakably promote your comfort and peace of mind. A fteadfaft trufl in God, and a 3 2 devout dependence on his providence, would arm you with courage andconftancy for all the labours of your profeffion. Genuine piety would purify the imagination from vifionary ter rors, andcafl out every fear but the fear of doing wrong. Shadowy prefages, evil omens, and un lucky days, the reliques of ancient fuperftition, at which the uninftructed failor flill trembles, would no longer be regarded with cowardly dread ; things that are indifferent would ceafe to give birth to anticipations of difafter; and all the varieties of appearance in the fea and the fky would be viewed without apprehenfion. Safe in the divine protection, and fure of a friend in the ruler of the ftorm, even amidft the wrath of the elements, the pious mariner would poffefs his foul in patience, and act in the very face of death with that calm ferenity which is fo ufeful in defperate cafes. Animal courage is an un certain quality, dependent on circumftances, and apteft to fail when needed moft. At any rate no rigidity of nerves, or boldnefs of natur al temper, .can beftow that real bravery which fprings from a good confcience, and from the confidence of fafety. In the hour of trial to unaffifted nature the value of true piety is fully proved. " God is our refuge and ftrength," fay the good, " a very prefent help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be 33 removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midfl of the fea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the moun tains fhake with the fwellings thereof."* In the 2d place, let me admonifh thofe who frequent the fea to beware of an unprofitable and pernicious fin, to which from example and inconfideratenefs they are much expofed, not to fay addicted ; I mean the fin of profane fwear- ing. In order to preferve on the mind of his crea tures that awful reverence which is due to the majefly of his perfections, and that inviolable fan&ity which is eflential to the obligation of an oath, God commanded by an immutable law* that his holy name fhould not be taken in vain. There is a folemnity and ftrength in the penal fanclion of this precept which ought never to be forgotten. " Thou fhalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ; for the Lord will not hold him guiltlefs that taketh his name irt vain/' Now 5 if we attend to our feelings in ordinary life we fhall find that it is natural for ourfelves to be extremely jealous of the manner in which our name is mentioned. All nations have {hewn a wonderful delicacy on this fubjed and the very * Pfalms xlvi. i. E Jl ftru6hire of language bears witnefs to the folici- tude of mankind to avoid offence by rudenefs in addreffing the prefent, or a difrefpeclful ufe of the names of the abfent. Indeed there is no ex- preffion of contempt more mortifying, than the unceremonious and fcornful ufe of our name. Even between equals the uneafy emo tion which this incivility produces is very pun gent ; it brings the flufh of indignation into the face, embitters our refentments againft an ene my, and occafions at leaft a temporary difguft with a friend. But if it is unfeemly and im proper for a man to ufe the name of his fellow in a familiar and difrefpeclful manner, how in finitely more unfeemly and improper muft it be for creatures to proftitute and abufe the name of their Creator, to make it the burden of their converfation, and to degrade it as a kind of ex pletive in the chafms of their difcourfe ? Other lins, as has often been obferved, may have their temptations and their alleviating circumftances, but for this fin there is no apology. Neither pleafure nor profit can refult from the profane habit of taking the name of God in vain. Even when ufed as an affeveration, perhaps the moit plaufible pretence that can be alleged for the impious practice, it defeats its purpofe, and in- flead of adding credit and authority to the re lation it was meant to corroborate, uniformly 35 excites a fufpicion and diftruft of the deiigns of the narrator. A perfon of good faith needs no atteftation to the truth of his report, and an army of oaths will not give credit to the lips of a liar. From thefe obfervations we may learn, in part, the criminality of profane (wearing, and the reafon why God will not hold them guilt- lefs who are addicted to it. The habit implies a culpable ivant of rever ence for his divine majefty, and a determined fpirit of difobedience without the profpect of re ward ; it deftroys the practical regard which is due to the fupreme object of religious worfhip, and weakens the functions of an oath, the Jaft Jbond of truth and civil fociety. Befide all this, fuch as follow the fea ought to recollect that profane (Wearing is peculiarly unfuitable to their defencelefs condition. Your calling, as has repeatedly been dated, is full of hazard, and in the time of need no other arm but God's can fave you from destruction. Be exhorted then to refpect,in the day of quiet, that holv name which you mufl invoke when at your %vit's end. Be not wicked over much ; and ceafe to imprecate on every trifling occafion the wrath of the Almighty, left you fo far provoke his indignation, as to make him fulfil at your lateft hour the mod terrible denunciation in the fcriptures. " Becaufe ye have fet at nought all my counfel, and would none of my reproof, I alfo will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as defolation, and your deftru6lion cometh as a whirlwind/'* In the third place, Remembering the diffi culties of your profeffion, and the accidents to which it expofes you, be admoniflied to be tem perate and fober in all things. It would exhauft your patience, and re quire a volume to enumerate the evils which are occafioned by drunkennefs. That ilupify- ing vice is equally pernicious to the body, the mind, and the worldly interefts of thofe who furrender themfelves to its power. Butbefide the long train of direft evils which it never fails to produce, it alfo operates as an inlet to every fpe- cies and degree of wickednefs. The drunkard has no command over himfelf, and in the par- oxilms of intoxication, is equally liable to per petrate the vilefl or the mod atrocious crimes. " Who hath woe ? Who hath forrow ? Who hath contentions ? Who hath wounds without caufe ? They that tarry long at the wine." The fcriptures compare the flate of a drunk ard on fhore to that of a perfon who lieth down * Prov. i. 2,5, 26, 27. in the midfl of the fea, or of one that fleepeth on the top of a matt. But how much more im minent is the danger on that devouring ele ment ? The mariner needs a clear eye and a fteady hand : All his faculties are neceflary to him ; for when the fhip is under fail there is no time to re6lify mi Rakes, and in general the in advertence of a moment is punifhed with imme diate death. It is painful to recoil eel; how great a number of failors, in the midft of their vigour and ufe- fulnefs, are annually loft to their families, their friends, and their country, by this debafing vice. Surprifed in the frenzy or the infenfibility of drunkenness, they are carried, without a mo ment's preparation, to the judgment of God, to give an account of their life, and of the defence- lefs condition in which they allowed themfelves to be cut off in the midfi of their days. This coniideration is awful, and ought to have its weight with drunkards. But perhaps it is unneceffary to expoftulate with them on the folly and danger of their conduct ; for among the other effe6h of that deftruclive habit, this is not the leaf!; alarming one, that it generally acquires fuch a complete afcendency in the end. as to become almofl, if not altogether, invinci ble. Let fuch then as are yet unenflaved re- joice in their fobriety, and be thankful to God for his preventing and reftraining grace. Let them hold faft their integrity in this inftance, and determine to avoid, fo long as they live, all approaches to drunkennefs, with as much care as they would avoid the worft evils that can befal them. Laftly, to fobriety and temperance it would be your wifdom to add moderation and frugality. The life you lead is a rough and laborious one, and your wages are hardly earned. Much painful work muft be performed, and many an inclement night fpent on the watch, even in the courfe of a profperous voyage. Hence it is obvious that the duties of the naval profefiion require health and flrength, and an unbroken conftitution ; at the fame time it is plain that thefe duties neceflarily fhorten the duration of that period in which only they can be borne. Se vere exertion, want of regular reft, and increafe of anxiety and fufferiagm the worft weather, with frequent and fudden changes of climate and provifions, undermine the conftitution, wafte the principle of life, and produce a pre mature old age. Accordingly it has often been remarked, that there are in comparifon but few grey-headed failors, and that in the evening of Jife a perfon of that profefiion can give but a 39 forfowful account of the companions of his youth and his voyages. In the fame (hip the fucceflion of crews is rapid, though the owners remain unchanged ; and few failors, in propor tion, continue fit for fervice to the time of their death, when thatevent is produced by the gradu al decay of age. If thefe obfervations are juft, it follows of courfe that even independent of acci dental calamity, a long feafon of inaction lies before the mariner, which muft be comfortable or uncomfortable according to the prudence or imprudence of his conduct while in the receipt of wages. Hence refults the obligation fo peculiarly in cumbent on failors to be faving of their gains, and to provide in the time of health and fervice for the helpleffhefs of infirmity, and the wants of old age. Unfortunately, however, in fpite of fenfe and reafon, the fpirit of prodigality and waitefulnefs has long been regarded as one of the diftinguifhing chara&eriflics of the feafaring life ; and from the number and the arts of thofe who are interefted in encouraging it, and from the generofity of nature from which it is of pur- pofe fuppofcd to fpring, it has been fan&ioned by cuftom, and is now almoft converted into a profeffional habit, 40 Sailors no doubt have many and flrong temp tations to run into extremes in conduct. The reftraints to which they are fubjecled on Clip board are removed when they reach their har bour ; and it is wonderful in how fliort a fpace the impreflions of the voyage are obliterated. As the vifions of fleep are difperfed by the light of the morning, fo the ideas which occupied the mind at fea are fcattered by the light of the fliore. Fatigue and fear are no longer felt ; vows are forgotten with the perils which produc ed .them ; and from the very abftinerice of their life, failors ru(h upon forbidden pleafures with all the hunger of appetite. In thefe intervals of fervice they heed not the florins that are paft, nor the approaching mife- ries of being at once friendlefs, and indigent, and old. By an oath and a jeft they banilh ferious thought, and take courage in diflipating the wages which ought to fupport and cheer their declining days. But in the end they fuffer feverely for their mifconducl;. When difcharged as no longer capable of fervice. they have neither refource nor afylum. Eflranged from their friends by the nature of their employment, and wholly un qualified for the ordinary labours of life, they are forced to call tbemtelves upon the charity of / the public. The condition of the mendicant poor is always humiliating ; but when there is a prefumption that the beggar's poverty has been occasioned by his vices, his folicitations excite little compaflion, and even his importunity ex torts but fcanty alms. There is no other way of avoiding fuch wretchednefs, but by avoiding the folly and ex travagance which produce it. Be it then your fixed purpofe to aft a rational and fober part. Not that I would harden your hearts againfi the entrance of pity, or fhut your hands againft the claims of diftrefs. Exercife compaflion and be neficence, only guide your affairs with difcretion. Live by principle, and prefcribe to yourfelves an honourable economy. Cherifh no fuperflu- ous defires, and incur no unneceffary expenfe, that if accident or growing infirmities mould dif- able you for fervice, it may be in your power to retire to fome decent ftation, in which the laft years of life may be ufeful and happy. But here you will naturally recollect that this is not the whole of the provifion which it becomes you to make for the future. Melan choly and uncomfortable were the ftormy Voyage of human life, if it conducted us to no fafe haven of peace and of joy. But beyond this fea of trouble there is a harbour of everlafting F . .-** ** 4* reft. The inconveniences and evils which dif- trefs us here have no exiftence in that uncloud ed region ; the wind and the waves are ftill ; the danger of Ihipwreck is over ; the condition of the good is happy beyond conception ; and their happinefs will have no end. Is it not of the firft importance then to be ready, if we may be allowed the expreffion, for this final embark ation ? In this fublunary ftate every thing is uncertain. Our labours may be fruitlefs and our preparations vain, for death and judgment only are fixed and unavoidable. Be it therefore your firft and chief care to make your peace with God according to the terms of the gofpel. Con- lider your ways, and repent of your fins ; pray for the forgivenefs of God thro* the interceflion of Jefus, and for the grace of his fpirit to keep you. from falling in the time to come. Give not fleep to your eyes nor flumber to your eyelids till you have made fome progrefs in this rnoft needful work ; and when you have once heartily begun it, you may go down to the fea in mips and do bufinefs in great waters in the calm and in the ftorm, in peace and in war, knowing that God is your Saviour, and that under his protection I\Q lafting evil can befal you. I / " And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inher itance among ail them which are fanclified."* * Acls xx. 32. 'THE END. A M216804 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY