The sea-mans dictionary, or, An exposition and demonstration of all the parts and things belonging to a shippe together with an explanation of all the termes and phrases used in the practique of navigation / composed by Henry Manwaring ...

The State of a CHRISTIAN, lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Shippe under Sayle:* 1.1 Taken out of the Victory of Patience.

MY Body is the Hull; the Keele my Backe; my Neck the Stem; the Sides are my Ribbes; the Beames my Bones; my flesh the plankes; Gristles and ligaments are the Pintells and knee∣timbers; Arteries, veines and sinewes the severall seames of the Ship; my blood is the ballast; my heart the principall hold; my stomack the Cooke-roome; my Liver the Cesterne; my Bowels the sinke; my Lungs the Bellowes; my teeth the Chopping-knives; except you divide them, and then they are the 32. points of the Sea-card both agreeing in number; Concoction is the Caldron; and hunger the Salt or sawce; my belly is the lower Decke; my kidnies Close Cabbins or receptacles; my thighes are long Galleries for the grace of the Ship; my armes and hands the Can∣hookes, my Midriffe is a large Partition or bulk-head; within the circum∣ference of my bead is placed the Steeridge-roome and chiefe Cabbins, with the Round house where the Master lyeth, and these for the more safety and decency are inclosed with a double fence, the one Dura mater something hard and thicke, the other Pia mater very thin and soft, which serveth in stead of hangings; The eares are two doores or Scuttles fitly placed for entertain∣ment; the two Eyes are Casements to let in light; under them is my Mouth the Stowidge or Stewards roome; my Lipps are Hatches for receit of goods; my two Nostrils serve as Gratings to let in ayre; at the one end stands my chin which is the Beakenead; my forehead is the upper deck; all which being trimmed with my fat in stead of pitch, and haire in stead of Ockham, are coloured with my skinne.

The fore-deck is humility; the stearne Charity; active obedience the sailes; which being hoysed up with the severall Yards, Halliers and bowlings of holy precepts and good purposes, are let down againe by ficklenesse, faintings, and inconstancy; Reason is my Rudder; experience the helme; hope of salva∣tion my Anchor; passive obedience the Capstaine; holy Revenge the Cat and Fish to hawle the sheate Anchor or last hope; feare of offending is the Buoy; vertues are the Cabels; Holy desires and sodaine ejaculations the shroudes; the zeale of Gods glory is my Maine-mast, premeditation the fore-mast; de∣sire of my own salvation the Missen-mast; saving knowledge the Boltesprit;

Circumspection a sounding line; my Light is illumination, Justice is the Card, Gods word the Compasse; the meditation of lifes brevity a Foure-houre glasse; Contemplation of the creatures the Crosse-staffe or Jacobs staffe; the Creed a Sea grammer; the life of Christ my Load starre; the Saints falls are Sea-markes; Good examples Land-markes; Repentance Pumps out the sinke of my sins; a good conscience keeps me cleane; imputative righ∣teousnesse is my Flag, having this Motto (BEING CAST DOWNE WE PERISH NOT) The Flag-staffe is sincerity; the Ship is victualled afresh by reading, hearing, receiving; Books are Long-boates, Letters are little Sciffes to carry and recarry my spirituall merchandize; Perseverance is my speede, and patience my name, my fire is lust, which will not be cleane extin∣guished; full feeding and strong drinke is the fuell to maintaine it, whose flame (if it be not supprest) is jealousie; whose sparkes are evill words; whose ashes is envy; whose smoake is infamie; Lascivious talke is as flint and steele; Concupiscence as tinder, opportunity is the match to light it; Sloth and idlenesse are the Servants to prepare it.

The Law of God is my Pilot; Faith my Captaine; Fortitude the Master; Chastity the Masters mate, my will the Coxen; Conscience the Preacher; Application of Christs death the Chirurgion; Mortification the Cook, Vivi∣fication the Caulker; Selfedeniall is an Apprentice of his; Temperance the Steward; Contentation his Mate; truth the Purser; thankefulnesse the Pur∣sers mate; Reformation the Boatswain; The 4. humours, Sanguin, Cholar, &c. are the Quartermasters; Christian vigilancy undertakes to supply the office of Starboorde and Larboorde watch; Memory is Clerke of the Check; Assurance the Corporall; the Armour Innocency; the Mariners Angels; Schismaticks are searchers sent abroad; my understanding as Master Gun∣ner culls out from those two Budgecaskes of the New and old Testament certaine threats and promises which is my only powder and Shot; and with the assistance of the Gunners mate, holy anger against sinne, chargeth my tongue, which like to a peece of Ordnance shootes them to the shame and overthrow of my spirituall Adversaries.

My Noble passengers are Joy in the Holy Ghost and the peace of Con∣science, whose retinue are divine graces; my ignoble or rather mutinous pas∣sengers, are worldly cogitations and vaine delights, which are more than a good many; besides some that are arrant theeves and traytors, namely pride, envy, prejudice; but all these ile bid farewell when I come to my journies end, though I would but cannot before.

Heaven is my Countrey, where I am registred in the Booke of life; my King is Jehovah; my tribute Almesdeeds; they which gather it are the poore; Love is my Countries badge; my language is holy conference; my fellow companions are the Saints.

I am poore in performances, yet rich in Gods acceptation; The founda∣tion of all my good, is Gods free Election; I became bound into the Corpora∣tion of the Church to serve him in my Baptisme; I was inrolled at the time when he first called me: my freedome is Justification, it was purchased with the blood of Christ, my evidence is the earnest of his Spirit; my priviledges are his sanctifying Graces; my Crown (reserved for me on high) is glo∣rification.

My Maker and Owner is God, who built me by his Word which is Christ, of earth which was the materiall: he fraught it with the essence of my soule which is the Treasure; and hath set me to saile in the sea of this world, till I attaine to the port of death, which letteth the terrestriall part into the har∣bour of the grave, and the celestiall into the kingdome of Heaven; in which voyage conveniencie of estate is a sea-roome; good affections serve as a tyde, and prayer as a prosperous gale a wind to help forward.

But innumerable are the Impediments and perills; for here I meete with the proffers of unlawfull gaine, and sensuall delights as so many Sirens; the baites of prosperity (as high bankes) on the right hand or weathershore, and there with evill suggestions, and crabbed adversitie (as Rockes) on the left hand or Lee-shore ready to split me; the feare of Hell like quickesands threa∣ten to swallow me; Originall sin like weeds clog me, and actuall transgres∣sions like so many Barnacles hang about me, yea every sin I commit springs a new leake; my senses are as so many stormes of raine, haile and snow to sinke me; lewd affections are roaring billowes and waves; selfe confidence or to re∣ly upon any thing but divine assistance, is to lose the bolt-sprit; Restitution is heaving goods over board to save the ship; Melancholy, is want of fresh∣water, the scoffes of Atheists and contempt of Religion in all places, is a no∣table becalming; the lewd lives and evill examples of the most a contagious ayre; Idlenesse furres it, and is a shrewd decay both of Hull and Tackling.

"Moreover sayling along and keeping watch (for they that are Christs-friends you know must looke for all they meet to be their enemies) we no sooner looke up but presently we ken a man of Warre, and then we must be for warre too, and provide for a skirmish.

"Now the Gallyon that hath our Pinnace in chase, and always watcheth

for advantages to surprise it, is the Piracy of Hell, the synagogue of Sa∣tan; her fraight is temptations and persecutions, with all the Engines of mischiefe; in which the Devill is Master; malice the Masters mate; cruelty the Captaine; Murder the Cooke; Flattery the Calker; profanenesse a Quartermaster; riot the Steward; never content his mate; pride the Cockeson; superstition the Preacher, hypocrisie the Boatswain; covetousnes the Purser; lust the Swabber; fury the Gunner; presumption the Corporall; sedition the Trumpeter; drunkennesse the Drummer; vices are the sayles; custome the Maine-mast; Example of the multitude the Fore∣mast; Lusts and passions the Cables; blindnesse of mind the Rudder; hardnesse of heart the helme; the wisedome of the flesh the Card; the mystery of iniquity the Compasse; the five Senses, or if you will scof∣fing Atheists, profane foule-mouthed drunkards, and all the rabble of Hell are the Marriners;

lewd affections the Passengers; little conscience the Load-starre, she hath two Tyre of great Ordnance planted in her, here∣sie and irreligion (being either for a false God or none) Oathes, blas∣phemie and curses are the powder and shot, which they spit against all that worship the Lambe, or fight under the ensigne of Faith; her armour is car∣nall security; the Flag in her top, is infidelity, the motto (There is no God but gaine) Her ballast which keeps her upright, is ignorance, most of her tackling she has from Rome; Antichrist as Pilot, steares her in such a course that she goes on swiftly, proudly, securely, scorning and scoffing (Senna∣charib like) to heare that any Lord should deliver this poore Pinnace out of her hands; yet in the sequell this silly Pinke having the insurance of Gods omnipresence, finds not only succour from the Stock of the Churches prayers, which like another Merchant man comes into the rescue, but like∣wise that Gods Almightie power and providence is neare as hand as a strong Castle of defence to free her, whereby she escapes even as a bird out of the snare of the hunter, to praise the Lord, who hath not given her as a pray unto their teeth, that would have swallowed up all quick, but deliver her from such swelling waters, flouds of affliction, and streames of persecu∣tion, as else had gone over her, and even drowned her soule, as it is Psalm. 124. while this great Gallion (though, it seeme like that Invincible Ar∣mado) flies, and (having no Anchor) when the stormes of Gods wrath arise, downe she sinkes to desperation, and perisheth in the bottomlesse pit or burning lake of fire and brimstone, where wee'le leave her to receive a just recompence of reward.

R. Y.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prov 31.14. Iob 9.26. Isa. 22.1. Rev 8.9.