us through the spirit It 's the spirit alone who can anoint our eyes to see and behold this so 1 Cor. 2.9 10 c. It 's the spirit who uniteth us to Christ 1 Cor. 6.17 It 's the spirit who doth fit us for and bring us to Jesus Christ Iohn 16.8 9 c. 4. The way of the spirit uniting us to Christ is by an act of power on his part and by an act of faith on our part The spirit uses no other grace either to fasten Christ on us or us to Christ but Faith Believing is the all and the onely means of having Christ Others things may predispose but faith alone takes hold of and intitles us to Christ Other graces will follow but not as things joyning us to Christ but as fruits of our being united unto Jesus Christ Ioh. 3.16 last 5.29 Eph. 3.17 Ioh. 1.12 13. with others As Christ is the onely foundation so these things are fundamentally necessary to be known of him Now concerning our next point viz. Holiness which is our South I would fain possess my self and others with these four principles about it 1. That whoever is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 which new creature is renewed in holiness Ephes 4.24 Although Christ in free grace takes sinners when sinners yet he leaves them not so but makes them Saints or Sanctified ones 1 Cor. 6.11 This know Though the unholyest soul may have Christ yet none but the holy soul can truely say I have Christ 2. Holiness is the souls highest lustre it s the Sun in the South at the highest The holy soul is in the right and full aspect of God as South is towards the North. God is and surely we are when we are holy glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 3. Holiness is Christ filling the soul As the Sun which passeth from East to South is highest in the South so Jesus Christ is at his highest in the heart when the heart is most holy A soul in the hight of holiness hath Christ in the hight in him 4. This holiness is that which is directly opposite to sine As the clearest light is to the greatest darkness so is holiness to sin Sin Eclipses holiness and holiness scatters sin Holy and undefiled are all one in Scripture they are parallel expressions of one and the same thing Heb. 7.26 Phil. 2.15 2 Pet. 3.11 14. Our last principal point is the West that is our night-point our death-principle And certainly it 's necessary for us to know something of death Moses propounded the thought and fight of death to Israel as well as life Now with reference to death take four principles 1. Death is certain There is none that liveth and shall not see death It 's the certain wages of sin men do but deceive themselves when they put off the thoughts for all must dye the Sun of our life will set in death when our dayes come about to this Western point it will be night Heb. 9.27 Psal 49.7 9. 2. If we dye in our sins out of Christ we are undone for ever Joh. 8.24 Miserable are the wisest the richest the greatest of men who cannot dye with Christ in their arms As to dye in Christ is gaine So out of Christ it's loss yea the greatest loss Philip. 1.21 3. Death as but the souls or rather the bodies night The setting Sun will rise again it 's our benighting to dye but it 's not our annihilating All even the worst shall rise again and be brought to appear before Jesus Christ As the Sun which sets in the West shall rise in the East So they that go hence by death shall rise by Christ 1 Cor. 15. Apoc. 20.12 4. After death comes judgement Men that dye shall arise to be judged either for life or death the second time Good men shall arise to life wicked men to death Heb. 9.27 Mat. 25. Do not slight this truth for it 's a principle in Religion Heb. 6.2 These are things all of them very necessary to be known As necessary as the four points in the Compass so necessary are these four heads and the particulars under them to be known I shall not pass from this without and addition of some other things from the connexion of these points in our Christian Compass 1. From North-point we pass to the East God passeth forth to the world by Christ He comes onely down to us by his Son No man cometh to God but by him Joh. 14.6 And as soon as we have thought of God it becomes us to pass on in our thoughts to Christ For God out of Christ is no lightsome nor cheering thought God out of Christ is a consuming fire 2. From East we proceed to South And indeed as Christ cometh into and advances upon the South so holiness appears even as the Sun doth as it riseth Southward Christs passage in the soul is in the Southern line of holiness 3. From South we come to West Even the most Southern sanctified Saints that are must pass on to death Holiness fits for but frees not from death The warmth of Southern heat i.e. holiness will enable us to bear the cold of death the better but yet dye we must our holiness will not keep us from it To the West we must there the grave and night of death waits for us all there our Sun must set and our dayes end 4. From the West we come to the North again and indeed so it is When we dye we return to God The Spirit of every one returns to God Eccles 12.7 onely some go to him as a Judge others as to a Father Having looked upon the points of our Compass in their ordinary connexion consider it again in its opposition And remembring still our North point is God our East Christ our South Holiness and our West death then consider and remember those things as worthy our nothing and knowing 1. God and holiness are things not to be served God looks not on any thing in a direct line of approbation but upon holiness Holiness brings the soul into a right light of aspect and communion with God 2. Even Christ himself as coming into the world for us must dye As the Sun which rises in the East must set in the West And indeed that Christ whose rising star was first seen in the East of Jerusalem Did set upon the West when he dyed upon the Cross on Calvary which was on the West of the Holy City The first of these things noted and known will teach us to labor and to press after holiness to perfect it in the fear and love of God for without it none shall fee God The 2. of these remembred will sweeten death unto us for why should we fear to follow Christ Sith he hath tasted of death before us and for us why should we be so loath to dye To help your ey and thereby to fix these things the better look upon the following Compass as
albeit with many companions 3. Weigh Not what men speak or think of thee W.N.W. so God approve thee Not he who commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2. Cor. 10.18 Neither is he a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. It 's the madness and misery of many they minde man more then God and so they may be well repute of and reported by men they are not conscientious not careful of their carriage towards God But be not deceived God is not mocked he knoweth what is in men and at the last day we shall be judged according to Gods law and not according to mans judgement And he that studies to approve himself to God will be see to have been the wisest in that day 4. Never winke at small sin N.W. nor neglect little duties Indeed no command of the great God is little nor is any sin against him little But comparatively we say and that aright that some sins and duties are small An idle word is a small sin in comparison of an oath and profession is a little duty if compared with doing or suffering for the name of Christ Yet beware of little things in Religion A small leak if neglected may sink a ship And a little negligence in looking out at Sea may indanger all unawares walk therefore circumspectly Eph. 5.15 Steer to a hairs breadth in duty and flie from the appearance of evil make conscience of the smallest duty to do it and of the least sin to avoid it 5. Never wish wantonly or rashly for death N.W. by W. nor love life too inordinately Call not for death before it's time neither hanker thou after life when thy time of death is come Jonah did evil to wish to dye Jon. 4.3 Men in a pet under a pain upon some cross or trouble are too apt to cry out O that they were dead Poor souls they know not what they say Are they fit for that which they forwardly wish for What if death should come at a wish would not they cry out Lord take it away Beware therefore of this distemper Thy times are in Gods hand he hath numbered them Neither substract nor add unto Gods number if God will have them many do not wish them few and if God will have them short do not desire them long Consider he is wise and good and supreme and knows what is best neither can any resist his will to lengthen or diminish the dayes which he hath determined us O learn to live and to dye in his will 6. Now Work wisely ere Night come N.W. by N. while you have the light life walk in it before the night comes when none can work Joh. 12.35 36. Defer not nor put off the great things of eternal life unto the uncertain time of thy natural death How many are gone down to the place of the second death by putting off repentance and faith c. till their death Remember therefore the wise counsel of Solomon Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it defer not stay not but do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Eccl. 9.10 The soul who puts off his great work till the last may dye ere he hath begun to do that which he can never sufficiently do should he work all his dayes Take the present time for every work which God by his Word Spirit Providence or any other way doth call thee unto 7. Name Nothing when thou pleadest with God for thy soul N.N.W. but Christ and free Grace Prayer is and ought to be thy standing daily work and Christ and free Grace ought to be they constant argument in thy prayers whatever thou wishest or wouldst have of God say as Daniel Do it for the Lords sake Dan. 9.17 Cast thy desires thy hopes thy soul and all upon the merits of a dying Christ and upon the tenders and promises of free Grace In the time of thy life at tho hour of thy death and then when thou shalt be brought to thy tryal after death renounce all things and plead none but Christ Cry pardon Lord justication Lord peace Lord life glory all for thy Christs fake and upon the account of thy free Grace 8. Now wellcome Christ if at death thou wilt be welcomed by Christ N. by W. Entertain Christ in the world if thou wilt be entertained by Christ when thou goest out of the world Many say unto Christ depart now as those Job 21.13 To whom Jesus Christ will say Depart then Observe Christ in every approach and providence to thy soul to the world c. and say Oh welcome Jesus Let the Messengers in preaching of Christ be beautiful even in their face to thee Let the providences and occurrences of the grand changes in the world by which Christ cometh to make way for and to set up his own kingdom let these be dear and welcome to thee Fret not against murmur not under any dispensation in which Christ comes neer to thee or others Welcome Christ in a sickness though sharp in asermon though plain in a providence though terrible In all things in every thing wherein Christ is O bid him welcome now so wil he bid you welcome when you come to dye If you ask where hee 'l bid you welcome Take it in a word Hee 'l bid you welcome to his fathers house and hee 'l carry you into a Mansion which he hath prepared for you in his fathers presence Thus are we come about our compass We have run from North to North in a round From God to Christ from Christ to holiness from holiness to death and by death we are in our Christian circle come about to God againe And thus we have our principal Points in our Sea or Saint-Compass CHAP. VIII The point on which the Christian Compass must turn and the box in which it must be kept I Had thoughts to have passed presently to my first head of spiritual Navigation But I must add a word or two more The occasion is this I perceive my Sea-compass is lifted up upon a point or pin which it turns and runs round upon and there is a box in which it 's kept and stands Hereupon I shall add two words answerable to these two things First for the point upon which our Compass must stand and turn I cannot think of any other but conscience A tender quicke enlightened and inlivened conscience is the onely point upon which we must erect the practical rules of our Christian Compass Minde that therefore Herein imitate that great Pilot Paul Labour alwayes to have a conscience void of offence towards God and man That
E. Heb. 13.9 It 's grace which is our best ballast Opinions Notions Expressions Gifts c. all these none of these can establish us This makes many to be as boates tossed up and down with every winde of doctrine because they are not established with grace The heart which is serious and established with grace is like a ship well-balanced at Sea it makes fair weather as we say with any wind How many tossing tumbling rowling unsteady souls do we see in this tempestuous age moved with every wind and almost over-set with every wave for want of being solidly and groundedly established with grace Minde this therefore a principal point of your Compass viz. Establishment and that of the heart not of the head with grace The most gracious souls prove the best Sailers 2. Eye Sanctity in every action E. by S. Let this be thy great study to be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 While others talk of a saving voyage talke thou of a sacred Let every peece and part of the tackling which is about thy ship be sacred Why should not our Roaps and Sails have on them as well holiness to the Lord as the bridles or bells of the horses spoke of in Zach. 14.20 If you know whither you are sailing for happiness you cannot forget holiness You are Sailing for the Holy Land and what should you eye but holiness The white clifts of Sanctity and holiness lye along the Coast of the country whereunto you are sailing Eye therefore that white and when you see the dark clifts of sin say This is not the shore that I Saile unto 3. Even strive earnestly to lye under E.S.E. and to improve the means of grace Where Paul doth plant and Apollo water where the word of God is preached in season and out of season where the Scriptures of truth are clearly opened and rightly divided there love to live and be If thou canst not be on shore where preaching is labor to procure preaching with thee at Sea Verily in our Christian ship and for our spiritual Sea-affairs Godly spiritual preachers are the best and most needful Pilots 4. Suffer Every evil of punishment or sorrow S. E. rather then leave the wayes of Christ and Grace Account no storm or tempest too sore or troublesome to undergo that thou mayest pass on in thy voyage to Christ Seamen must not fear storms nor shrink back for foul weather Nor must Christians fear persecutions Sometimes troubles are like strong gales of wind which drive the ship of the soul the faster to its port and keep it steadier in its way 5. Sigh Ever Earnestly for more enjoyments of Christ S.E. by E. Rest not in a little but pant after a great deal of Jesus Christ Though a little of Christ be very sweet yet we should not count it sufficient Out of his fulness still strive for a supply even till thou hast grace for grace e. i. Every grace of Christ in thee answerable to what it is in him As little of the creature and as much of Christ as may be 6. Seek Earnestly for some evidences of Christ in you the hope of glory S. E. by S. Let it not content thee to make out after Christ but strive to be sure thou hast attained unto him Many never come to good and grounded hope few come to sure earnests of Christs in-being in them But look thou to see Christ dwelling in thy heart by faith Christ evidencing his abode in thy soul by the evidence of his Spirit Be not if it be possible alwayes at a venture or a peradventure for Christ but go to the assuring office to make sure that Christ is in thee of a truth 7. Set Eternity before you in regard of injoying of Jesus Christ To be ever with the Lord S.S.E. let that still sound in thy ears and be in thy eyes Entreat Christ not to tarry with the a few dayes but coâ—et to have him with thee alwayes Even all thy voyage on earth and at thy port at death Let Christ be in thy eye both in life and death or if thou canst not be so happy as to have his sensible presence all the voyage in the time of life Be suâ—e thou make it thy desire designe to have him for ever after death If Christ will have you put out to Sea as his disciples and tell you hee 'l come after Intreat him not to faile in that though you love not his visible presence now yet desire of him to vouchsafe to you hereafter to be alwayes with him where he is as John 17.24 8. Settle it ever in your soul as a principle which you will never depart from S. by S. that holiness is by Christ South is by East and holiness is by Christ Christ was holy when a Childe and holiness is as neer him as himself is to himself it 's his essence and therefore abominate all loose and leud principles which would set up Christ without holiness and possess or perswade thee that thou mayest have Christ though thou minde not holiness or which would exalt holiness without Christ and perswade that even Nature Reason Education Mortality can make hee holy enough to enjoy God though thou never hear of nor know Jesus Christ Let Ranters and Socinians keep those poisons to themselves Be thou for Christ and holiness for holiness and Christ still together never asunder in points or practice CHAP. VI. The third quarter of the duties in the Christian Compass HAving past two parts of our Compass we 'l hasten over the other two onely let me intreat you to minde and con these well ere you proceed to learn the other But when you have got by heart or rather into the heart this half then proceed to the next which is our Southern quarter and here remember your eight points likewise 1. Set thy self alwayes as before the Lord imagine nay believe it thou art alway as directly before the Lord as the south is just in a streight line before or in the face of the North. I have set the Lord alwayes before me he is at my right hand I shall not be moved 'T was the saying of David Psal 16.8 Nay of Christ who was Davids Lord and ours as it 's clear by Acts 2.25 This is the nature and life of holiness to eye God alwayes without holiness we shall never see God here or hereafter And 't is holiness which fixes our sight upon God The Southern Sun doth not more directly cast his beams upon the North then the Sanctified soul doth cast his eyes and every glance of his soul upon God It 's the light of thy soul the Meridian point of thy piety alwayes to have thy face and thy heart toward thy God 2. See weakness hastening thee to death S. by W. even when thou art at highest pitch or point Even the Sun at the hight in the South moves
immediately to the West and its first differenced motion from South is by West Even holy men at and in the height of holiness are by death It 's appointed for all once to dye As sin hath brought death upon all so holiness doth not exempt any I mean death natural 'T is true in a spiritual divine sence Saints do not shall not cannot dye but in a literal humane sense even the highest Saints that have come up to highest degrees of Sanctity have and must drink of deaths cup and it 's much for the advance and strengthening of holiness in our hearts to see our selves alwayes stepping towards the grave going to set in the point or place of death 3. See that sin S.S.W. which is the sting of death as taken out and away by Christ if ever you expect to dye in peace Often minde and think upon that Scripture 1 Cor. 15.55 56. And search thy soul to see whether upon good ground thou canst say O death where is thy sting It 's not sword or plague or devouring monsters at Sea or land which can make death stinging if the soul can see the blood of Jesus to have cleansed it from all it's sins Death onely stings with poison and pain such as live and dye in their sins But to souls who are true believers who are washed with the blood of Jesus death is a Bee having much hony but no sting at all 4. Store up wisely some provisions every day for your dying day S.W. Dying men need cordials and so do dying Christians search and lay up promises study and store up experiences How will you be able to see sin as gone except you be well acquainted with sin-pardoning promises and except you have eye-divine experiences Mark how and by what God at any time speaks peace to your soul in the blood of Jesus Treasure up every hint and intimation of Grace and Glory which at any Sermon in any duty upon or after any eminent danger and deliverance which thou hast had What reviving comforts what conscience-cordials unto a dying soul are the remembrances of such and such discoveries and tasts of God at such and such a time Verily the experiences of our life are often choice refreshings in or at our death 5. Set worldly sayings and things under your feet before death come to look you in the face S.W. by S. It 's the world and the things of it which next to sin make death bitter we therefore fear to dye because we are loath to leave the world houses bonds relation c. make the thoughts of death dreadful whereas were we weaned from those we should with much ease and quiet of minde be willing to go down to the grave 6. Still and stand wait as upon your watch with loins girded and lamps trimmed up Be not so mad as the foolish virgins to have a lamp without oile nor so foolish as the wise were to slumber and let your lamps be untrimmed but see your lamp be ready your oile prepared you your selves as wise waking watchful ready servants who upon any call or knock can go out to open to your Lord and to meet your bridegroom study Christs words Luk. 12.35 36 37. 7. Seriously weight soul works S.W. by S. and all in the balance of the Sanctuary lest when thou come to be weighed at the night of death thou be found to have deceived thy self and be too light It will be a dreadful word if be said to thee in the night thou art to dye as it was said to Belshazzar in his thou art weighed and found too light judge thy self by Gods weights his weights are internals sincerities Christs righteousness but words weigh nothing with God pretences semblances are too light with him all mans righteousness in his balance weigh not as the dust of the balance God loves truth in the inward parts and they alone hold weight in his soul that are found in his sons robes 8. Wind thy soul about Christs neck W. by S. and so thou mayest dye in by S. peace Simeon with Christ in his arms could sing and dye Luk. 2.29 Though the Papists hang about a Crucifix as many of them have done yet I am confident it hath been rather a hindrance then a help to them Superstition cannot be a solid comfort yet Christ embraced by faith and hugged with delight makes death very pleasant The Sun never set clearer in the fairest evening when in came to it 's Western point then the soul can and doth when it lies down with Christ in his arms and goes with him as it were in his bosom to his buriall Chap. VII The last quarter of a Christians practice according to his Compass I Have thus run over three quarters of my Compass I must now finish the fourth yet I desire my Reader to stay and to proceed no further till he hath well learnt the former The points of our Christian Compass are not so soon learnt as our Sea-Compass is But yet to finish this I shall mention and pray mind well these eight points of our last quarter 1. Whatsoever thy condition be in this world W. eye God as the disposer of it and therein be contented Philip. 4.11 The turbulent Sea is not so restless as the discontented minde of man Man under discontent foams and rages and casts up nothing but mire and filth whereas the contented soul sails alwayes as in smooth waters and makes all fair weather within even then when it is foulest without Did discontented souls but know and remember how much they dishonour God by not resting in that which his providence brings upon them and how great enemies they are to themselves in fretting against or under that which they cannot help they would then wholly cease from their discontent and strive to rest in the will of God A contented minde may well be called and counted a kingdom for it hath much of the kingdome of God in it Certainly godliness with content is great gain 2. Walk not according to the course of the most W. by N. but after the example of the best The most are the worst and the best are alwayes the fewest the broad way of the multitude leads to death whereas the narrow of the few that walk wifely leads to life Indeed it 's not easie to finde out the narrow path of life and peace The broad way of death is open and obvious to every eye as the vast â—â—ean is to every one at Sea but the narrow way like the chanel at the end or entrance of some Isle as it 's with ours in the West is hard to be discerned and to finde out It 's thy wisdom to study to know exactly the narrow way which the fewest finde in which thou mayest safely arrive the Haven of happiness and not to rowle up and down the broad Sea of the wide world with the multitude and so perish without any comfort
Psal 65.7 He disappoints the devices of crafty captaines and makes the common Mariners to yeeld up them that blood may not be shed nor peace broken God makes even men at Sea as well as waves to be calme and still On a man thnt standing to sound with the line fell over-board and was lost This man sounded to secure the ship yet he lost himself He stood with the line and lead to sound what depth of water the vessel had and he falls into the waters and so himself sunk to th◠bottome to feel the depth Ah O my soule Is not this man an embleme of thee who soundest the depths of Satan to secure others Art not thou in danger to loose thy self Preachers look about you fear lest while you sound and discourse of Satans deeps to warn others fear I say lest you lose your selves Mariners look to it while you stand by the line and lead sounding Consider that you may be neerer the bottome then you are aware 't will be sad if you fall and sinke even while you sound But sadder if as your body like the lead goes down the bottome of the deep your soul sink as a stone into the depth of Hell You had need be well skilled in the art and mystery of spiritual swimming that so your souls may be secure and fase by swimming to the banks of heaven's shoar when your bodyes sinke to bottome of the Seas On the sight of many great shot made from a Fort to some vessels and none taking place Surely the gunner intended to hit and hurt however he still missed the mark he traversed and levelled to mischief vessel and men but yet still his bullet flew over and besides both Seest thou not O my soul how its God who guides the bullet while man fires the gun Divine providence can at pleasure disappoint the gunners intents Bullets obey God not men and he that is under the protection of the Almighty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Shot-free Why then should they who are on the service of God and a good cause fear men or guns both whose breath is in their nostrils and who may shoot often but hit or hurt never without divine permission Saile by go on securely ye men of war who are upon divine designs Pass by forts by the sides of ships A thousand shot shall flye a head and as many more a sterne many shall fall over and beyond you and none shall fasten to do you the least hurt while God is with you All bullets flye at Gods command and not according to the gunners intent On the sight of one corrected at the capstock for an offence How do men observe and punish offences in all places This vessel is the Seamans habitation and house of correction and the same instrument which holds the anchor of hope sometimes holds the offender to be chastized Indeed O my soul chastisement is at the capstock of the anchor of hope It 's a hope we are children and not bastards if we are chastised Who then would presume to sin when in all places there are punishments and yet who would faint under any affliction when as he is so neer the hold of the anchor of hope I 'le fear thee my God and Lord put thy fear into my heart that I may say and hold never presuming to offend at land or Sea for thou canst punish me in all places at thy pleasure yet still I 'le hope under every punishment For verily 't is good that a man accept of the punishment of his iniquity with patience and with hope Next to be free from offending the next mercy to that is to be chastised neer and by hope On the fall of a bed that was lashed to the ship side in a blowing night I did lye down in peace and thought to have slept so but how is my bed faln under me and how am I awakened with a fall when I expected to lye soft and secure But see O my soul what poor things beds are to rest in Surely no bed in this world is fastned sure enough to secure sleep and safety Though the feathers are soft the fastening is not sure How can that bed stand that alway rowles upon on the waves of a tempestuous world The next blast O secure sleepy man may shake thy bed unloose or break thy cords and then where is all thy security and expectation of rest make sure O my soul of a better bed and in a better cabine then any in this world Cast thy self into thy Saviours bosom That bed is soft and sure let the winds blow and the floods arise let the ship rowle and thy cords shake yet still that bed shall abide and not be shaken When thou goest to bed in thy cabbin O Seaman thou art not sure of rest but thou who restest in Christ thy rest is sure and in him thou mayest lye thee down in peace and sleep for he only can make thee to dwell and rest in safety On a boy at the topmast head looking out to descry land How nimbly did that boy run up the shrowds and clime that topmast and how sharply doth he look out for land yea how doth the master attend his report I see now that he who desires to see the land afar off must climb high A low station cannot discover the remote banks of Emanuels land He that will spie the white clifts of heavens faire shoar must mount the topmast and Habakkuk-like set him upon his tower And hearken O soul to the report of him on the top-mast Watchman what of the night what of the day what of land what of the shoar Surely methinks I hear the report the land is yet afar off we shall see it but it may be ere we come to an anchor our heart may meditate terror Yet rejoyce in this what we are within ken of the good land A few watches more we must run and indeed we must watch as we sail and then we shall see eye to eye and discern the fair haven fairly open for us to enter and land where we long to be On an anchor that lost its hold and came home and left the ship adrift This anchor sure had not good ground For if it had it would have kept it's hold and not have left the ship thus to drive I see the anchor of hope will not serve the turn to hold the soul in a tempest except the ground of that hope be good There is a hope which hath but an evil ground and in the day of distress it will fail and force the soul to drive O my soul look to thy hope See where thou castest it Be sure thy anchor be within the vaile Hope is not good nor grounded except on Christ and free grace Now the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even the Father who hath loved me and hath given me everlasting consolation and good hope through grace Even that same God comfort my heart and establish me in every good word and work that though my hope be singly grounded on grace yet it may be accompanied with good words and works that I deceive not my self lest my anchor come home and I run afloat full of fear without hopes or hold in the day of tempest and tryals On a ship that was left by the Mariners upon the Goodwin-sands in a storm and fetcht off by some seamen sent to relieve it by my Lord of Warwick What fearful and unfaithful Mariners were these that left the vessel to sink and shifted for themselves while their stay and pains might have secured themselves and it well enough Ah Lord may the ship of the state never meet with such Mariners But if that doth stir up some Noble Warwicks to send relief to secure the ship which the perfidious Seamen cowardly and unconscionaly desert Trust not in men On my soul who are unstable as the waters Rely onely upon the living God who never forsakes his in a storm or tempest If they prove fearful and false that ought to tend thy security God can raise up others if he pleases to fetch thee off at any time from any rocks or sands Yea if men fail sands shall be so good as to keep thee from wracking till Jehovah send help from above to save thee from the waters on which thou sailest that thou fink not and perish On the parting of a ships company at the end of a voyage With what joy do those all part and how glad are these men to leave each other and yet without any malice or ill will They love each other as companions and yet are glad to part company this is indeed a friendly farewell of friends Why should it not be thus between thy soul and body O my heart at the end of thy voyage when death comes and call upon thee to strike sail and part Why art so loath to leave the carkass thy companion when thou art to go ashoar in thy spirit upon Emanuels land Come leap and skip O soul part with the carkass with joy Thy voyage is ended thy months are out Go take thy pay receive thy wages which yet is of grace and not of works Be as glad to go out of the body and to leave it as the Seaman is to leave his ship Yet remember you shall return to your ship again when mortality shall have put on immortality your body shall be new rigged and trimmed up And though at the end of time in the world to come John tells us there shall be no sea yet the Psalmist tells us there shall be a river of pleasures on which thy soul and body shall sail and swim in an eternal calme of unexpressibly bless in the presence of God in the company of Christ Angels and Saints for evermore Strike saile here O my soul and turmoile thy self on the sea of this world no longer REader I have now ended my voyage I 'le conclude my Navigation If thou by the help of this compass arrive this port I have my aime and end therefore I 'le add no more but this This is my desired haven which I sail unto And while I saile I 'le sing Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men So it is in the Psalm which I commend to every sailor to studye and to sing Psal 107.30.31 FINIS