A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II.
John Locke · en
The mariners said, that if God had not loved the landmen more than the
seamen they should never have come off from this danger. Every one made
his observations. Whitelocke concluded them to this purpose:
[SN: Whitelocke orders a thanksgiving to God.]
"Gentlemen,
"I desire that we may all join together in applying these
observations and mercies to the praise of God, and to the good of
our own souls. Let me exhort you never to forget this deliverance
and this signal mercy. While the love of God is warm upon our
hearts, let us resolve to retain a thankful memory of it to our
lives' end, and, for the time to come, to employ those lives, which
God hath now given to us and renewed to us, to the honour and praise
of Him, who hath thus most wonderfully and most mercifully revived
us, and as it were new created us. Let us become new creatures;
forsake your former lusts in your ignorance, and follow that God
fully, who hath so eminently appeared for us, to save us out of our
distress; and as God hath given us new lives, so let us live in
newness of life and holiness of conversation."
Whitelocke caused his people to come into his cabin, where Mr. Ingelo
prayed with them, and returned praises to the Lord for this deliverance:
an occasion sufficient to elevate his spirit, and, meeting with his
affections and abilities, tended the more to the setting forth His glory,
whose name they had so much cause more than others to advance and honour.
Many of the seamen came in to prayers, and Whitelocke talked with divers
of them upon the mercy they had received, who seemed to be much moved
with the goodness of God to them; and Whitelocke sought to make them and
all the company sensible of God's gracious dealings, and to bring it home
to the hearts of them. He also held it a duty to leave to his own family
this large relation, and remembrance of the Lord's signal mercy to him
and his; whereby they might be induced the more to serve the God of
their fathers, to trust in Him who never fails those that seek Him, and
to love that God entirely who hath manifested so much love to them, and
that in their greatest extremities; and hereby to endeavour that a
grateful acknowledgment of the goodness and unspeakable love of God might
be transmitted to his children's children; that as God never forgets to
be gracious, so his servants may never forget to be thankful, but to
express the thankfulness of their hearts by the actions of their lives.
Whitelocke spent this night in discourses upon this happy subject, and
went not to bed at all, but expected the return of day; and, the more to
express cheerfulness to the seamen, he promised that as soon as light did
appear, if they would up to the shrouds and top, he that could first
descry land should have his reward, and a bottle of good sack advantage.
_June 29, 1654._
[SN: They make the coast of Norfolk.]