God commend The Holy Scripture to us to the end That man might search them and in searching find What 's there revealed of the fathers mind And do the same that so they may obtain Eternal peace when they shall rise again â— erre not here in faith and that thou may Scape Shipwrack here observe what I say Search but the word of God and thou wilt find The Apostles did foresee vain man inclin'd â—o much to Atheism there would arise â—ain men that would Gods sacred Word despise â—aving of Scripture man might live without them â—ea venture to deny the Lord that bought them Which mock at Heaven and without regard Of God or Christ do scoff at Saints reward Who of the Resurrection say in vain Do men that die hope to rise again These be the men of which th' Apostle saith Th' are turned aside and as concerning Faith Have err'd here let thy Faith be sound For want of care here thou mayst run aground And split thy Ship and sink into that Lake Of everlasting Fire and partake With damned Spirits in eternal woe Where fearful and where unbelievers go Thirdly remember this aâ—d understand That thou art to obey to â—â—rists command It is not Moses nor Elias neither Nor Holy Angels take them altogether That God hath made thy Leader to be brief Christ is thy Leader and Commander in chief If I or Angels saith St. Paul do bring Another Gospel teach another thing Believe it not whatever men shall say See how 't agrees with Christ ere you obey Inquire if Christ command it first of all In Person or by Apostolical Decree If neither of them do command God never will require it at thy hand Wherefore be sound in Faith in all these three Forenamed particulars as thou shall be Directed by Gods Word to which I 'll leave thee As to a guid that never will deceive thee And this be sure if thou dost not steer Drectly on this Point bur errest here In matters of thy faith thou makes a poor And slender Voyage though thou comes safe to shore But that I may these errors yet explain In this short breviate read them once again A man may erre in faith in three respects All which produce most dangerous effects In not believing universal love It is a dangerous error and may prove The ruin of thy soul but secondly He errs in faith that doth presumptuously Deny the use of holy Scripture and Presumes to say that men may understand Gods mind without them from a light within This is an error and a dangerous sin Denying use of Scripture is the ground Of all the erors that do now abound Men erre in Faith that do not understand That they are wholly under Christs command But run to Moses Law to be directed In Gods true worship as if Christ neglected To leave his Gospel Churches a supply Of Laws to rule and Rules to worship by East by North. The next Point unto this thou art to learn Is North by East a Point of high concern As Christ for man by Gods degree was slain So Christ by God is rais'd to life again And as Chist by his Death did reconcile Man who by sinning did himself defile Unto his maker and hath now appeas'd Gods wrath who justly might have been displeas'd With man for ever but now reconcil'd He doth in Christ adopt man as his Child And make him heir with Christ in that possession Whose endless glory is without expression So Christ doth by his glorious Resurrection Raise man from death to life his imperfection Is Chang'd into a pure perfect state Which once begun will never terminate Mortal shall put on immortality And man thus rais'd to life shall never die Christ by the Word of God he overcame Satan that was the cause of sin and shame And that a Saint may do 't God doth afford Every Child of his the self same sword He that thus Conquered Satan by his breath Hath by his Resurection conquered Death Mans fatal enemy that first anoy'd The Sons of Adam is at last destroy'd The Son of God is Captain King and Head And is the first that riseth from the dead Whence we a certain testimony have That we should be redeemed from the grave The grave yields up her dead so must the deep The Trump must sound and all must wake from sleep Some unto dismal Darkness woe and sorrow Some to eternal light and joyful moâ—â—ow Sin causes Death both temporal and eternal Then fly from sin as from a foe infernal The Second Death is a perpetual dying Attended with Sorrow and continual Crying Whoever then would wisely undertake A prosperous Voiage for his soul to make And scape the second Death sin doth procure And all the sorrows sinners shall indure And would arrive at heaven fear no weather Storms is no hindrance in your Voiage thither Fear naught but sin there 's nothing else can harm You may get good advantage by a Storm Eschew but sin and storms will drive you faster To your desired Port there 's no disaster That thou canst meet with in this restless ocean Fly but from sin resist it in its motion And do not fear for thou art safe enough Thou 'lt find thy crasie Vessel weather proof 'T is neither whisling Mast nor ratling Pum The noise of storms or tempests that may come T is neither leaking Vessel or Lee shore Nor sinking Ship all these and many more Like seeming dangers that will lose thy prize Or hurt or hazard thy souls merchandize There 's nought but sin I say that can deceive us Of our souls trafique sin will quite bereave us He that doth fear and fly from sin shall never Perish in sinking no nor sink for ever Although his body sink his precious store His soul I mean shall surely come to shore Then fly from sin as from a Serpent least Sin sink thy soul which brings us to the East To Christ I mean whose precious blood was spilt To save thy soul and free thee from the guilt Of all thy sins if thou wilt but obey His precious voice now while it is too day East Next is our Eastern point that equal space Twixt North and South stablish thy heart with grace Grace is the only balast thou canst have It is by grace that God will sinners save Not of our selves so saith his servant Paul Christ is the gift of God given for all Stablish thy heart with grace not with notion Which fills the head and not the heart with motion 'T is neither gifts nor high expressions can Upon right grounds establish any man Grace is that balast makes thy Ship go steady But high aspiring notions makes men heady How many floating and unwary Souls Wanting this balast is tost about and rouls Now here now there no place of rest they find Are tost and turn'd about with every wind And almost overset with every wave And can no solid satisfaction have Sometimes their curious
then I 'le give Him my Devotions Say God's House is here â—le worship Him at Sea He 's every where Where is the Place in which a Man may hide Himself from God Behold He doth abide â— Heaven above where Angels hear his Voyce â—nd in his Presence constantly rejoyce And on the Earth O Lord thou also art With those that are of pure and perfect Heart If in the Deep saith David I should hover Behold God's there His Presence is all over He rides upon the VVinds He 's in the Clouds There is no Place my Soul where Man may shroud Himself from God His watchful Eye ne'r sleeps â—le worship God like Jonah in the Deeps Though my Relations dear be all on Shore And I alone at Sea I am before The Lord my Maker here as well as they â—le worship God whom Winds VVaves obey 3. And as thou see God rules both VVind and VVaves Know this my Soul it is the Lord that saves This slender Vessel that may in one Minute Sink down into the Depth with all tâ—at's in it 'T is God who was and is and will be ever That gives Man VVisdom blesses his Endeavor VVhereby poor Man is made an Instrument To save himself from Danger and prevent Himself from Ruine Did mine Eyes but see Into the Depth of this great Mystery Doubtless I should behold great streams of Lovâ— To fall like plenteous Showers from above Upon poor Man that brittle lump of Clay That hâ—re has but a little time to stay For if the Lord do let his Love run out Towards our Bodies then there is no doubt But that his Love doth very much exceed Unto our Souls that did from him proceed For what 's our Bodies any more than Dust Made of our Mother-Earth whether we must Shortly return We live a while and dye And in our Morther's VVomb again must lye Till God from Heaven once again do give His great Command saying Arise and Liveâ— And Dye no more All this exactly proves That Man 's the Creature only that God loves And gives Man VVisdom to prolong his Dayes On Earth that so he might amend his wayes In order to his Life Eternally That Man might live in true Felicity Behold My Soul this Mystery Divine How God preserving of this Life of thine Chiefly intends thy future Preservation Preserves thy Body for its Exaltation Wilt thou improve that Wisdom God hath given To save thy natural Life And is not Heaven Worth all thy pains O use thy best Endeavor To save thy Soul which lost is lost for ever Th' art sailing O my Soul to Canaans Land There 's many a churlish Rock dangerous Sand. Improve that Understanding God hath given Be careful O my Soul thou be not driven On Rocks and Sands Observe when Danger 's nigh thee And then be sure to have thy Compass by thee Then tho thou be at Sea with Tempest tost And meets with many a Storm and bitter Blast Remember then my Soul the Lord is nigh thee And with sweet calms of Comfort will supply thee Thus if thy Meditations do run out Upon the sacred Word of God no doubt 'T will bring thy Heart into a melting Frame 'T will heat thy Soul with Zeal and so enflame All thy Affections till at last it prove A servent Fire of Faith and Zeal and Love 2. The second sacred Scripture that I mind Relating unto Seamen you may find In Psalm one Hundred seven there read on From Verse the Twenty third to Thirty-one Which sacred Scriptures as it doth relate Only to Seamen they may Meditate On these choise Sayings and with great content Wisely improve each strange Experiment To help thy Meditations these two things If carefully observ'd great profit brings And first observe as I did say before These Words relates to Sea-men Furthermore Consider to what end these Words are spoken 'T is that they might behold each wondrous token Of God's great Power at Sea so as to raise Up their Affections fill their Mouths with praise To him that walks upon the Waves from whence They may store up each Dayes Experience Such Men saith David as in Ships go down Into the Seas to such the Lord makes known His mighty Wonders while within the Deep They do their Business There the Lord doth keep A Court Imperial even in the Seas There he commands the Tempests who obeys His All-commanding Voyce There they advance Their prouder Waves their threatning Billows dance Whose raging Fury strikes all Hearts with fear They cry in their distress and God doth hear That 't is the Seamans Duty is most plain 1. To eye God in his Wonders And again To eye him in each Tempest as indeed He is the Author From him Storms proceed 2. But Secondly Seamen are ne'rtheless To know that He 's their Helper in distress 3. Thirdly In every Storm thy are to eye The greatness of their Danger and how nigh They are to Death 4thly Seamen must know likewise Their way to future Joy through Danger lies On these four Heads now let thy Contemplations Run out on these or such like Meditations Say to thy Soul My Soul Let not mistrust Perplex thy Mind at Sea thy VVay is Just God made the Seas and doth their Waves command He prospers Sea-affairs as well as Land Is my Employ at Sea I 'le not forsake it For there 's no wickedness unless I make it God's Hand his Eye his Power is all o're I am as safe on Sea as on the Shore Great Dangers is at Sea it is confest And on the Shore how many are distrest How many Men we see upon the Shore Leaves their Relations never sees them more Wild Beasts the Winds the Flood the flames of Fire All these and many more Man's Death conspire Dangers surround us upon every Hand And Sin 's the cause of Death by Sea and Land Wherefore my Soul if thou would be secure From danger at the Seas thou must be sure Thou carry not thy Sins to Sea Bethink thee The Seas are dangerous and thy Sins will sink thee It was a Righteous Noah that first did float Upon the Seas God sav'd him in his Boat When all the sinful World was lost beside This righteous Person rules both Wind Tide One Sin presumptiously allow'd may be The sinking here and to Eternity The Ship indeed may bear it knows not what Because it hath no Sense but thou art not To be so sensless Thou must understand That thou cannot possess that Holy Land Fraught with thy sins Sinners must not come thither Sin raises Storms and makes tempestuous Weather 2. But in the second Place Doth Fear surprize Thy Soul because a Tempest doth arise Remember then whether thou art to flye 'T is God must help Lift up thy Voice and cry To God for Help who only can command The stormy Winds make the Waves to stand But when the Tempest doth at first begin Reflect upon thy self Perhaps some Sin Has rais'd
a soul-consuming flame More bright than Phebus in the Southern skies Like to devouring fire in his eyes His voice is like a soul amazing thunder That fills the massie earth with dread and wonder But now I think I hear some make reply If thus I do behold his Face I die His terror frights me O I am undone I am unclean O whether shall I run If Holy Angels be not pure how then Can I be sav'd that am a sinful man If God be Holy thou must be no less Thou must behold Gods Face in Righteousness Then I 'll assure thee when thou dost awake His Image will full satisfaction make By wake I mean thy being rais'd from Grave When thou a full and perfect sight shalt have Of that great glory Moses could not see With which thou then shalt satisfied be And that thou may his Beauty then behold With joy remember that thou hast been told He is a Holy Spirit wherefore he In Spirit and in Truth must worshipt be By that pure Light that in the Soul doth shine Proceeding from the Spirit of God Divine And by the strength and vigor of thine own Must thy unfeigned Love to God be shown Alas say some this is but fruitless talk For that no man can thus unspotted walk Shew me the man that never doth transgress Or him who thus sees God in righteousness â—f none but man thus holy can enjoy This blessed state Gods presence will destroy The universe the best of men do not Live without sin none is without his spot To this I say the God of Earth and Heaven Considering mans weakness hath given His Son his onely Son whom he hath set To be our Surety and to pay our debt Christ is our Eastern Point he is that Light Whose morning brightness doth expel the Night All you that sail for Heaven be sure you learn To know this Eastern Point 't is your concern And first remember Christ hath quit that score That Adam left to pay it shall no more Be reckon'd for for he hath paid that debt Which on our score for Adams sin was set Behold the Lamb of God behold I say That blessed Lamb that took our sins away That holy Lamb of God the King of Kings That did arise with healing in his Wings He pleads the cause of such as do transgress And willingly he is our righteousness 'T is Christ alone 't is he alone I say That by his glorious rising made a day Till this bright Eastern Morning Star did rise All the whole world in dismal darkness lies He like the glorious Morning Sun came forth And visited all corners of the Earth How dismal is the dark and silent night How comfortable is the morning light Here is thy comfort soul do what you can Christ is that pure perfect holy man He ' as done exactly what thou shouldst have done And God accepts thy doing in his Son Know for thy comfort God is reconcil'd To sinful man by Christ that holy Child A body was prepar'd him for thy sake For nothing else could reconcilement make Thy weakness in Christ is all suppli'd By him alone thou must be justifi'd â—hrist doth not only fill the world with light â—ut as a way-mark guids thy steps aright â—nto the Father tells thee there is none â—omes to the Father but by him alone The third thing in this Point thou art to learn â—nd make thy chief concernment to discern â—â— is that ownness and sweet unity â—hat is between the Soul and Christ whereby â—hrist and thy Soul is made intirely one â—y the indwelling of the Spirit alone â—â— is the Spirit alone that doth unite â—hee unto Christ the spirit gives thee light â—â— fills thy soul with light thy heart with praise â—y which thou mayst behold those golden raies â—hich darts into thy soul gives thee a glance â—f thy adoption and assurance â—hus knowing North and East the South doth follow â—ext to be known it is the spirit doth hallow â—nd sanctifie the soul and change the nature Converts the man and makes him a new creature â—enewed in himself he 's born anew â—o all unholiness he bids adiew â—e that doth put on Christ will surely find â—o great an alteration in his mind â—here's nothing now with which he 's so delighted As holiness which he before had slighted The love of Christ casts such a warm reflection â—pon the soul it stirs up his affection â—his Soul like Mary's melted into tears â—ith which she washt Christs feet thought not her hairs Although her ornament too good to foul To dry his Feet his love so melts her soul Her sins were many made her love abound Because so vile a wretch had mercy found What I saith such a soul who no eye piti'd Defild with sin and are my sins remitted Shall I be guilty of so great a folly That 's washt from sin and shall I be unholy He whose dear love did take away my sin Will hate and loath me if I sin again When Christ did clear that sinful womans score He gave charge she should sin no more How miserable was thy state when he At first had thoughts of pity upon thee Polluted in thy Blood he passes by Beheld thee and did cast a gracious eye Of Pity Did both grace and mercy give Said to thy loathed soul O sinner live Upon thy head he puts a crown of gold And makes thee fair and lovely to hehold Then doth present thee as a Virgin clear Before the Father doth espouse thee there Thou must be holy now and sanctifi'd Laying thy former sins and lusts aside You heaven born souls think and remembeâ— how Unsuitable it is how much below A Saint it is to sin whose holy dress Like to a sacred garment must express Whose Spouse thou art O do not give consenâ— To live in sin sin stains thy ornament â—o'iness is Saints lustre makes them shine â—â— tells thine enemies thou art divine â—ow high is Christ advanc'd in Christians when â—n mortifi'd doth make them holy men â—hrist's like the glory of the Southern Sun â—t height in Christians when this work is done â— Christian now is in a line direct â—o God the Father may have full aspect â—ook from the South the North is just before ye â—o Saints in holiness may see Gods glory â—nd hence it was that Abraham did discover â—he glory of the Lord From hence moreover Moses that holy man of God contemns â—ll Egypts glory counterfeiting Jems Moses by faith sees holiness rewarded â—hinks Egypts glory not to be regarded â—e did esteem of Israels distess Above the glory that he might possess â—n Pharoahs Court his faith bore evidence â—nto that Heaven promis'd recompence But secondly consider as the light â—s contrary to darkness day to night â—o sin and holiness do hate each other â—nd in one place they cannot dwell together â—ut as the Sun when shining bright and clear Doth make nights sable shadows disappear And as the gloomy
Let not thy Lusts bear rule nor have command Within thy heart suffer not sin to sway Take heed thou never do'st thy lusts obey Yield not thy members instuments unto Unrighteousness but unto God and know To whom thou givest ear with diligence And dost submit and yield obedience Thou art a servant there whether it be Of sin to Death unto eternity Or of obedience unto righteousness Which with eternal life the Lord will bless If to Gods Holy Spirit thou subject art And suffer it to reign and rule thy heart Thou art a Servant unto Righteousness And God Almighty will in mercy bless â—hy true indeavours and thy sins will die And grace will live so shalt thou mortifie All thy corruptions there shall none remain â—o harm thy soul much less to rule and reign â—et there is one thing I would have thee mind Know that the very best of men will find That Satan that Degraded Seraphin Will use all diligence to tempt to sin â—f Christ the Son of God was not exempted â—ut by the subtil Serpent must be tempted â—hen poor imperfect man may well be sure â—hat from his malice he is not secure â—ut God Almighty hath prepar'd a Sword â—hich Christ made use of 't is Gods Holy Word â—ith that resist him and he 'll fly away â—or where Gods Word is us'd he dares not stay â—e can but tempt thee he can do no more â—e cannot force thee God hath shut that dore â—ill sin in its conception let it never â—ome to the birth a very small indeavour â—hen stops sins progress when it first appears â—nly t' intice the eyes or reach the ears â—re it convey its poyson or impart â—s secret counsel to thy yielding heart â—ake Davids Counsel in my heart saith he â—l hide thy word let this thy practice be â—en will thy sword be quickly at command â—r thy defence Good Joseph did withstand Sins early motion when it first appears With soul-inticing words t'inchant his ears Fair beauty that might captivate his eye Good Joseph yields not but makes this reply How shall I sin if thus I shall transgress Against the Lord and do this wickedness He nips sin in its bud before it spring Behold sin here a subject grace a King Triumphant in his heart but furthermore Let me advise thee daily to implore The Lord for help give diligent attention To hear Gods word 't will help thy apprehensioâ— When rightly 't is divided God will bless And thus thou 'lt steer thy course to happiness South East You that will trafique for the Holy Land Must learn this Point also to understand It lies directly 'twixt the South and East And of as high concern as all the rest This must be understood thy righteousness Will stand thee in no stead at all unless Christ to the Father do present thee holy Thy best performance will be but folly For he that doth the very best he can Hath cause enough to say Lord what is man A poor imperfect Creature whose endeavour Comes short of what 's required Man can nevâ— Be capable the Kingdome to inherit By all that his performances can merit â—is Christ whose righteousness must stand instead â—is he that hath the kingdom purchased â—et must thou strive with all thy might main â—nd then this benefit thou shalt obtain â—hrist is thy advocate at Gods right hand â—o plead thy Cause in Heaven he doth stand â—nd God beholds thee in a Holy dress â—nd beautifully cloath'd in Christs righteousness â—nd neither spot nor wrinkle doth appear â—r Christ presents thee as a virgin clear â—otless and sinless but least thou from hence â—ould think the good Apostle doth dispence â—ith sin in Christians at the highest rate â—ecause they have in heaven an Advocate â—o Answer this objection first of all â—e doth prohibit sin in general â—hildren saith he for unto such I write â—n not with approbation and delight â—n not saith he or do not let the fact â—f any sin be properly your act â—t if against your will at unawares â—ou be intangled in Satans snares â—hose watchful eye observes when he may â—ith best advantage silly souls betray â—inding in thee some want of watchfulness â—ere takes advantage tempts thee to transgress â— this despair not but with heart contrition â—umble thy self to God thy heart submission â—od will accept in Christ who intercedes â—nd with the Father for forgiveness pleads Those be the souls Christ presenteth holy Who are afraid to be defil'd with folly South East and by South This Point i' th' Christian Compass also thou With care and diligence must learn to know The more of Christ thou knowst dost possess The nearer art thou unto happiness Sailing upon this Point thou must beware And with all diligence thy heart prepare For Holiness for now thou drawest nigh Thy Southern Point the Sun grows very high Esteem nothing for holiness that stands Directly opposite to Christs Commands Let Christs directions ever be thy guide And from his Precepts do not turn aside Let no vain shows of holiness allure What man counts holy Christ accounts impure All Holiness is meer imagination That is not built upon the true foundation When Saul the first of Israels Kings was sent By God to execute due punishment Upon the cursed Amalike his eye Must pity none all are condemn'd to die Both man and Beast Gods great command was sâ— He must not bate one jot or add thereto But here observe how he did miscarry Pretending holiness he acts contrary Unto that dread Command that God did give He spares King Agag suffers him to live 2. Let Christian boldness strengthen resolution Not to comply for fear of Persecution With Forms of Holiness that Men invents Nor fear the Evil of Man's Punishments But patiently endure for Christ's Sake Your Persecutor's Rage Heaven will make Amends for All. Good Moses had regard Unto the Recompence The Saint's Reward Was more to him than Egypt's painted Glory Whose Pleasures fades whose Joys are transitory The Sorrows of few Years will soon expire But who can dwell with Everlasting Fire â—ndure all things rather than decline â—he sacred Cause of Christ The Golden Mine â—ies deep He that would find the smallest Measure He must not pass for losing Earthly Treasure The Sea-man fears no Storms shrinks not for Weather â—hat trades to th' Indies if he gets but thither â—hough Mast and Yards be broke and Sales be rent â—nd Vessel leaks he 's very well content â—he Riches of the Country makes amends â—uch less must Spiritual Sea-men that intends â—'arrive with safety at that happy Shore â—hose Treasures far exceeds the Golden Ore â—rink back for fear of persecuting Hands â—r to please Man neglect the Lord's Commands Or mix God's holy ways with Men's inventions To save thy Life or scape Man's Reprehension If Sea-man venter Life for Indian Dust That Thieves may steal or may consume with Rust The Spiritual Sea-man then may well lay down Both Life and
this Tempest some beloved Lust Afflictions come but not out of the Dust Storms do not come by chance VVhile Jonah sleeps His sin at Land-makes Tempests in the Deeps The very Heathen did conclude no less Therefore cast Lots to see who did transgress God raises Tempests to correct our Crimes And for the trial of our Faith sometimes What ever 't is my Soul some Cause is given What e're 's the Cause the Remedy's in Heaven Is Sin the Cause O then my Soul Repent God hears the humble Soul and penitent Cry unto God who only can appease This dreadful Tempest and can calm the Seas Hold all thy Sails my Soul with fervent sighs â—and all thy Cords with secret Pray'rs likewise Let Faith be mixt with Payer Faith will prevail Cast Anchor O my Soul within the Vail And when thy hand 's at Helm thenlet thine Eye Look up to Heaven from whence must come supply Rouse up from Sleep my Soul for that intent Perhaps this Tempest was from Heaven sent To rouse thy drowsie Soul Awake awake Who sleeps in Sin shall fall into the Lake 2. Be not Fool-hardy of an Atheist's mind That scoffs at Tempests and doth scorn the Wind Laughing at Death presumptiously out-braves As if his Courage could withstand the Waves But be thou humble O my Soul and know 'T is God that makes the stormy Winds to blow 'T is He alone that makes the Seas to rage And none but He their Fury can asswage Be not too foolish in thy Confidence The next strong Gust that comes may fetch thee hence Say to thy Soul the next proud Wave that comes May swallow this poor Vessel and intomb Both It and Thee within the restless Ocean Let Storms and Tempests stir up thy Devotion In Prayer to God who if he say Be still Both Wind and Waves and Seas obey his Will 3. But in the third place Are thy Sorrows past And hath the Lord deliver'd thee at last Doth frothy Neptunes raging Fury cease And are the VVinds and VVaves and Seas at peace And is thy trembling Heart set free from fears Thy Hands from labor and thine Eyes from tears O then my Soul forget not Him whose Hand Hath given Rest Praise him by Sea and Land Forget not God that helpt you in Distress Let not his Mercies make thee love him less Was Sin the cause that made the Seas to rore Forsake thy sins my Soul and sin no more Or was 't to try thy Faith God sent this Storm Let this Deliverance then thy Faith confirm How did it fill your Hearts with joy peace When first the Tempest did begin to cease Its first appearance was like precious Balm So welcome was the tydings of a Calm How was your Hearts refreshed as with Wine Your Souls revived as if some Divine Or holy Angel had some Cordial given Which God to chear your Souls had sent from Heaven You were as one now raised from the Grave Such Soul-refreshments did you then receive Your Breaches were built up and all repair'd Wherefore dear Souls do not now disregard God's Goodness on the Seas now you 're on Shore But magnifie the Lord for ever more And for his Goodness do not prove unkind Let not Sea-Mercies slip out of thy Mind Tremble when ever you do entertain A Thought into your Hearts to sin again Or when you do forget the Lord whose Hand Spar'd you at Sea brought you safe to Land Now Courteous Reader for whose sake I have Expos'd these Lines to view I only crave This at your Hands That if these Meditations Be over brief for your large expectations That you would use Industry and enlarge Upon the Premises and so discharge Your Christian Duty in this Exercise And then what 's writ may very well suffice For Simple Meditations from this Text Mixt Meditations now shall be the next CHAP. X. Wherein you have a brief but plain Relation What Seas and Ships afford for Meditation Which is in twelve Particulars laid down Pleasant and profitable to be known AND first consider well how near thou art Unto thy Death 't is but a Board doth part 'Twixt Thee Death if that Board chance to hit Upon some churlish Rock so be split Thou sinks into the raging Ocean and Thy Burying-place must be the restless Sand Thou needs no Sexton there to dig thy Grave The Sand is all the Burying-place thou 'lt have Thy Body through the Waters make its way And there must lye until the Judgment-Day 2. But Secondly Consider with what care The Pilot to his Compass doth repair Because from thence he is to take Direction And with what careful Head Circumspection He doth observe his Land-Marks and likewise See how the Stears-man at the Helm applyes Himself to hearken with all diligence Unto the Pilot's Voyce because from thence He 's to receive Directions how to stear But Oh! How careless doth poor man appear That is concerned in Soul-Navigation Although it do respect his own Salvation Although we hear the Pilot call and cry What little heed takes Man to stear thereby Oh how industrious is Seamen here To scape from Ship-wrack while we void of fear Hazard the Shipwrack of our Souls and trust All will be well though we obey our Lusts Oh what 's the matter Souls what doth condence Our Hearts and why are we so void of Sense To value less the shipwrack of our Souls Than of our Ships that carries in their Holds â—othing at best but what is transitory â—hose full Enjoyment's but a fading Glory Now let the Seaman's Diligence and Care â—o save his Ship provoke thee to beware â—hou dost not lose thy Soul through negligence â—or loss of which there is no Recompence 3. With what a strong unsatisfy'd Desire â—o all the Ships crew after Land enquire â—Vhen he at Top-masts Head at last doth spy â—and tho far off How welcome is his Cry â— of good Chear dear Sirs and faint no more â—onder's our Harbor I discover Shore â—e're past the worst our Danger now is over â—ear up dear Hearts Chear up I do discover Our wisht-for Port from whence our hop't-foâ— Gaiâ— Will recompence us for our toyl pain Doth Seamen thus desire to des-cry Their Ports at Sea O then my Soul say Whâ— Thou art so lazy and dost not look out Alas my Soul I fear I am in doubt Th' art too secure Dost not understand The Excellency of that Holy Land Methinks thou shouldest much desire to hear The Watch-man tell thee That thou draweneâ— That happy Port of fair Emmanuel Whose boundless-endless-Treasures do excel Seamen have their prospective Glasses by them By which things at a distance is drawn ny theâ— Faith is that true Prospective Glass whereby Things at a distance is drawn very nigh Abram looks thorow his Prospective-Glass And saw Christ's Day long time before it was Through this Prospective-Glass thou may bâ—hoâ— Jerusalem whose Streets is pure Gold Whose Walls is precious Stones whos 's