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in the grave, it must be in your lifetime, and before you go to the grave: for, 'as the tree falls so it lies,' therefore, consider this while you be alive.

G. F.

The 7th month, 1676.

A TESTIMONY

For all Masters of Ships, and Seamen to read over; and to see whether you be in the true faith that the true Christians and Holy Men of God were in, and if you be not, then turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of the Holy, Divine, and Precious Faith; and then by this faith your hearts may be purified, and with your hearts you may believe, and with your mouths ye may make confession unto Salvation. Rom. x. And Christ saith,' every one that is of the truth, heareth his voice,' John xviii. 37. And now every one that is not of the truth heareth not his voice, and say, there is no hearing of it nowadays.

And here you may see how Christ called Fishermen and Seamen to be his

disciples, as followeth; and how Christ commanded the winds, and they obeyed him; and how that the Lord God holds the winds in his fist, and raises a storm, and makes a calm, so that all are to serve and fear him. "Quench not the Spirit, despise not Prophesying; prove all things, hold fast that which is good.' 1 Thes. xix. 20, 21.

Those who quench the Spirit, and despise Prophesying are not like to prove all things, nor hold fast that which is good.-By G. F.

'AFTER that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Mark i. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, 'repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

'And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, (for they' were fishers.)

And Jesus said unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,' and they straightway left their nets and followed him.

'And Jesus going on from thence, he saw two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.'

'And immediately they left the ship and their father, and followed Jesus.' Matt. iv. 17, to 22. Mark i. 15, to 20.

Now here all ye seamen and fishermen, and all people may see, these four disciples of Christ their call, and what trades they were of, fishermen, and seamen; these and such were more like to follow Jesus then, and now, than the high priests that had the tythes, and such as have great benefices.

But Christ is the same to-day, as he was yesterday, and so forever ; for it was not many, mighty and rich, but the poor that received the gospel.

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And when Jesus was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him, and behold! there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with waves; but Jesus was asleep.'

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And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying Lord save us, we perish.' Mark, in the time of a storm these fishermen came to Christ, and so should all seamen do now. And he said to them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? then he arose and rebuked the winds, and the sea, and there was a great calm.'

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But the men marvelled, saying, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him.'

Now all ye seamen and fishermen, let your eyes be to Christ, and your faith in him that hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him, and he can still the storms, and tempests, and waves of the sea, and make it calm.

And so Christ it is that saves you from perishing outwardly, and eternally, as you may see, Matt. viii. 23, to 27. and Mark iv. 36, to 41. and Luke viii. 22, 23, 24, 25.

For both the winds and the sea do obey Christ, by whom they were made; therefore, fear God, and let your faith stand in him, who is the author and finisher of it.

'And Jesus began to teach by the sea side, and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and there sat in the sea, (to wit, in the ship,) and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land,' as you may see, Matt. xiii. Mark iv. 1. ' and he taught them many things by parables,' &c.

Now would not many say, that it was not a consecrated place to teach the word of God in; but I must tell you, Christ consecrates and makes all things and places holy.

Now Peter, who was a fisherman, Christ said unto him, and the rest of his company of fishermen, that he would make them fishers of men, and bid them follow him, which they did.

And you may see in Acts ii. how Peter the fisherman, by one sermon that he preached, converted three thousand souls, as you may see from the 14th verse to the 41st, the beginning and end of his sermon.

And now all ye seamen and fishermen, consider this call of Christ,

who is the same to-day as yesterday, and so forever to you, if you will hear his voice; for he stands at the door of your hearts and knocks, and if any will hear my voice, saith Christ, and open his door, (to wit, of his heart, by joining to his grace, light, power, and spirit,) 'I will come in and sup with him, and he with me.' Rev. iii. 21. And so the sheep of Christ hear his voice and follow him. John x. for Peter the fisherman said to the Jews, how that in the last days' God would pour out his spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters, shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on my servants, and on my hand-maids I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy saith the Lord,' &c.

And now if God hath poured out of his spirit upon all flesh, and you grieve it, and quench it, and vex it; then how can ye prophesy, or have any of God's dreams or visions, or believe, or receive this fisherman's sermon, who was a disciple of Christ?

And again, in Matt. xiv. 24. &c. and Jesus constrained his disciples to go into a ship, and to go before him, &c. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea tossed with waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea; and when the disciples saw him walk on the sea, they were troubled, saying, it is a spirit, and they cried out for fear; but Jesus spake unto them, saying, be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid and Peter answered him, and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water, and he said, come; and when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus: but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? and when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased: then they that were in the ship, worshipped him, saying, of a truth, thou art the Son of God.'

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And now here all seamen and others, you may see it is Christ that saves, and stills the boisterous winds and waves, and makes them to cease; and therefore, ye are not to doubt, but be steadfast in faith in all storms and tempests, and see and feel Jesus to lay hold upon you, as he did upon Peter, to save you from sinking in time of storms, who stills the waves of the sea, who is the same to-day, as he was yesterday, and so forever: a rock of your age, and a foundation of your generation, as was of former ages, as you may see, Matt. xiv. 22, to 33. and John vi. 17, to 21.

And again in Mark vi. 47, to 51. there you seamen may see, ‘when Christ's disciples entered the ship, they had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them, more than one loaf.'

'And Christ charged them, saying, take heed of the leaven of the pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.'

'And the disciples reasoned among themselves, saying, it is because we have no bread.'

'And when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, why reason ye because ye have not bread? perceive ye not, neither understand? have ye your hearts yet hardened, having eyes, and see ye not? and having ears, and hear ye not?'

For do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? and they said, twelve.'

'And when the seven (to wit, loaves,) among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? and they said, seven. And Jesus said unto his disciples, how is it that ye do not understand?'

Now consider ye seamen, and fishermen, and others, that are not disciples of Christ; for sometimes in your ships you have been in scarcity of bread; and now here was Christ and his disciples which had but one loaf in the ship, and Christ convinced them that they had enough, by his former miracles.

And therefore, they that have Christ, they have enough, they have by whom all things were made, who gives the increase, as you may see by his miracles.

And therefore, it is good for every one to see with the pure eye, and hear with the pure ear, so that they may perceive and understand with the pure heart what Christ did and doth do, and what he is able to do in all necessities, and to take heed of Herod's and the fair-sayer's leaven, which are not the doers, but resist Christ, who doth not only say, but doth the will of his Father, and so do all them that follow him. Mark viii. 13, to 21. Matt. xvi. 6, to 12.

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And again, Christ saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets: and he entered into one of the ships which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

'And Simon answered and said unto him, Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.'

'And when they had let down the net, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake; and they beckoned unto their partners which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them; and they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink: and

when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus's knees, saying, depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'

'For Peter was astonished, and all they that were with him at the draught of fishes which they had taken; and so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon and Jesus said unto Simon, fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed Jesus.'

Now here all you seamen, and fishermen, and others, may see that you may toil all night to catch outward fish with the nets, and take nothing.

And you that call yourselves fishers of men, you may toil all the night and catch not a man in God's net to him, except it be with the power of Christ; and therefore know his voice, and obey it, and follow him, by whom all things were made.

And so there is not a sparrow that falls to the ground, nor a fish in a fisherman's net, but by the will of the Father.

And therefore, all ye fishermen and others, are to stand in the will of God, who gives the increase, and fills the nets and the ships; and therefore let him have the praise and follow him.

And here you may see the fishermen, and seamen; James and John, and Peter and Andrew, were fishermen, and seamen, and partners together in ships, and preachers of Christ Jesus, and caught a multitude of outward fish, and a multitude of men, which they fished out of the great sea of the world, by the command and power of Christ. Luke v. 2, to 11. and Matt. viii. 18.

'And after Christ was risen, he shewed himself again to his disciples at the sea of Tiberius; on this wise he shewed himself, there were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, called Didimus, and Nathaniel of Canaan in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.'

'Simon Peter said unto them, I go a fishing, they say unto him, we also go with thee: they went forth and entered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing; but when the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus: then Jesus said unto them, children, have ye any meat? and they answered him, no; and he said unto them, cast the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find, and they cast therefore; and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes: therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved, said unto Peter, it is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea, and the other disciples came in a little ship, (for they were not far from land, but as it were two VOL. V.-36

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