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A36938 The Christian's compass, or, The mariner's companion being a brief compendium of the principles of religion, in the things which are necessary to be known and practised by all who profess the name of Christ / long since prepared, and now published by John Durant ... Durant, John, b. 1620. 1658 (1658) Wing D2671; ESTC R8810 36,678 107

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Affection and give you short Rules for so the Rules of Art ought to be in these things to make up the mystery of spiritual soul-navigation CHAP. III. Things necessary to be known by a spiritual Sea-man according to the points of his compass THE first thing which God made was light And the first piece of the new Creation is knowledge That therefore we may begin aright wee l begin with this and shew what are the principal things necessary to be known by a spiritual Sea-man Now ere I proceed I will premise this That I shall make the Se●… compass as it were the rule and pattern of my discourse which indeed was the occasional ground of these contemplations And answerable to the general points of the compass I shall hint such things as I conceive necessary to be known and done by a Christian in order to the steering rightly and safely to the blessed Port or Haven of happiness Upon this account I shall lay down four heads of truth to be known according unto the principal points of the compass and in allusion unto them I shall make God my North Christ my East Holiness my South and Death my West points Now the reason of this my allusion is this Jerusalem hath been generally conceived to be in the midst of the Earth and therefore some have called it the Navel of the World for as the Navel is in the midst of the body so say they is Jerusalem in the midst of the earth And hence it was that especially in Scripture-notion and language places have their denomination of scituation according as they lay about or stood with reference unto Jerusalem Eying therefore Jerusalem as our center I remember that on the North-side of it was the City of the Great King on the East the Mount of Olives on which Christ stood when he came at first to that City and on which he shall stand when he comes again Zach. 14.4 On the South-side was Mount Sion called the Mountain of holinesse Psal 87.1 And on the West-side was Mount Calvery and the valley of dead mens bones Upon this account it is I shall make my allusion to the North for God to the East for Christ to the South for holiness and to the West for death Now there can be no exception against this Allegorical speculation as to the handling of the things alluded unto save onely the first is not so clear viz. that the North should be for God It 's clear enough to any eye that as to the other three particulars there can be no ground to question their parallelling But why the North should be put by way of parallel for God may seem not so evident To clear that therefore consider that of Psal 48 2. Beautiful for scituation the joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion on the sides of the North the city of the great King The meaning of which I cannot conceive as some do viz. that its spake of Mount Sion as if that were on the North-side of Jerusalem Our Maps and Geographers shew the contrary Mount Sion being on the South but I take it thus that on the North-side of Sion was the city of the great King i. e. Jerusalem or that part which was called the City lay North-ward of Sion as Josephus and others attest and so when it is said The joy of the whole earth is Mount Sion on the sides of the North the city of the great King the meaning is clear that the North side of Sion was the city of the great King Hence I conceive was that speech of the pride of Lucifer who when he would exalt his throne above the stars of God adds he would sit also in the sides of the North Isa 14.13 i. e. on the side which was accounted Gods which if it should be understood of the Mount Moriah as some do it still holds with our notion of the Norths being eyed as the place of God for Moriah was on the North-side of Sion and why may not I harmlesly at least collect that God stands for the North from that in Psal 75.6 where promotion is denyed to come from the East or South or West and without mention of the North it 's said to come from God as if it were a known motion God put for the North I will therefore presume that if I erre in the exactness of my allusion that yet 't is pardonable and therefore I 'le proceed hereupon as I said to put North for God East for Christ South for Holinesse and West for Death A Jove principium Let 's begin therefore as Mariners do with our North-point i.e. with God surely we shall not make a prosperous voyage without him sith he is the first to be known And being wel skilled in this point we shall presume and may expect fair weather will come out of this North as the phrase is Job 37.22 to make us happy in our spiritual failing Concerning God therefore I shall lay down these particulars as necessary to be known which I shall not expatiate upon only clearly and distinctly mention 1. We must know that God is Heb. 11.6 we must beware of saying with the fool there is no God Creation Providence even rain and fruitful seasons are his witnesses A●● 14.17 not to mention those grand and undeniable testimonies of scriptures and conscience But this is the first set it in your hearts that there is a God and however Heathens speak of many yet to us Christians there is but one God 1 Cor 8.5 6 2. We must know that this God is the chiefest good It 's onely himself and the light of his countenance which can make us happy Psal 4.6 7. Blessed are they that see i. e that enjoy him Mat. 5.8 Mat. 18.10 Now this is a principle necessary to be known viz. That God is that supreme good in the enjoyment of whom all true happinesse lyes All our love and labour to and for God depends upon this principle and the knowledge and belief hereof is of absolute necessity to make us happy 3. Life eternal lying in God and he being incomprehensible and unconceivable in essence as being a spirit We must know our best way to eye him is in his attributes Exod. 34.5 6 7. and works as Rom. 1.20 Especially in his Son as 2 Cor. 4.6 Read these Scriptures rememember them Gods Names declare his Nature his works intimate his being but his Son is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person 4. We must know that as God is a spirit so our onely and chiefest way of knowing enjoying serving and walking with him is in the spirit likewise Joh. 4.24 As God is so he ought to be known and served And he being a spirit he is only in a saving way known by the light of his own spirit and served in the simplicity and strength of our spirits These four things are the least that we can know in order to happiness concerning
5. Never wish rashly for death N.W. nor love life too inordinately Call not for death before its 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 so frowardly wish for what if death should come at I 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 determinedus 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 and 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 came when they had not space nor grace to do either and so perished for ever for the defect of that which they did defer 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 thy 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 the 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 justification Lord peace Lord life glory all for thy Christs sake and upon the account of thy free grace 8. Now wellcome Christ N. by W if at death thou wilt be welcomed by Christ 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 feet 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 Welcom Christ in a sickness though sharp in a sermon though plain in providence though terrible In al things in ev'ry thing wherein Christ is O bid him welcome now so will he bid you we●●ome when you come to dye If you ask where hee 'l bid you welcome Take it in a word Hee 'l bid you welcom 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 holinesse to death and by death we are in our Christian circle come about to God again And thus we have our princi●al Points in our Sea or Saint-Compasse CHAP. VIII The points 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 last head of spiritual Navigation But I must add a word or two more The occasion is this I perceive my Sea-Compasse 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 quick enlightned and inlivened conscience is the only point upon which we must erect the practical rules of our Christian Compass Minde that therefore Herein imitate that great Pilot Paul Lab●● alwayes to have a conscience void of offence towards God and man That with him you may say We trust we have a good conscience Heb. 13.8 Indeed without this there is no trust to those rules What are the best rules if men make no conscience of them A painted compass upon the leaf of the book is of no use to stere by It must be an erected compass set on a needle which stirs and moves by which our ship at Sea is to be guided and cunned And written rules though never so full or few are of no profit if they be not laid upon the conscience and that conscience quick and tender Remember therefore this as an additional yet fundamental point That if ever you will be the better for the former compasse you must make conscience of the same Eye it therefore and out of conscience unto God endeavor to steer according to it In every point of thy compass eye God as the main and out of conscience unto him carry thy selfe in all things as neer as possible according to this compasse Then mayest thou rejoyce and expect that God upon thy endeavors should speak unto thee Well done steer away or steer thus And certainly it 's no smal rejoyceing in those things to have the testimony of our conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity by the grace of God we have had our conversation according to those rules and that compasse That may be and thus are agreeable to his own word Secondly For the box in which this comp●sse must be kept I shall onely name our MEMORY O treasure ye these rules there and strive to be as ready and expert in this compasse as the Mariner is in his