Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/26

( 26 ) that it was not his will that we ſhould go to New-England; For we met with a mighty heavy rain out of the North-west which did break our rudder, which we got mended, with much of our gallon-head and fore-croſs-trees, and tore our fore-sail, five or ſix of our champlets made up a great beam under the gunner-room-door broke; ſeas came in over, the round-houſe, and broke a plank or two on the deck, and wet all them that were between the decks: we ſprung a leak, that gave us 700 ſtrokes in two pumps in the half hour glaſs; yet we lay at hull a long time, to beat out that ſtorm, till the maſter and company came one morning and told, it was impoſſible to hold out any longer; and altho’ we beat out that ſtorm, yet we might be ſure in that ſeaſon of the year, we would foregather with one or two more of that ſort, before we could reach New-England. After prayer, when we were conſulting what to do, I propounded an overture, wherewith I was ſomewhat perplexed thereafter, viz. "That ſeeing we thought we had the Lord is warrant for our intended voyage; howbeit it be preſumption to propone a ſign to him, yet we being in ſuch a ſtrait, and having ſtood out ſome days already; we might yet for 24 hours ſtand to it, and if in that time he were pleaſed to calm, the ſtorm, and ſend a fair wind, we might take it for his approbation of our advancing: otherwiſe, that he called us to return". To this they all agreed, but that day, and eſpecially the night thereafter, we had the work ſtorm that we had ſeen; ſo that the next morning ſo ſoon as we ſaw day, we turned and made good, way with a main courſe and a little of a fore-top-sail, and after ſome toſſing we came ap laſt on the third of November, to an anchor in Loch-fergus. During all this time, amidſt ſuch fears and dangers, the moſt part of the paſſengers were very chearful and confident, yea, ſome in prayer had expreſſed ſuch hopes, that rather than the Lord would, suffer such a company in ſuch ſort to periſh, if the ſhip ſhould break, he ſhould put wings to our ſhoulders and carry us ſafe aſhore. I never in my days found the day ſo ſhort as all that time, altho’ I ſlept ſome nights not above two hours, and ſome none at all, but ſtood moſt part in the gallery aſtern the great cabin, where Mr, Blair