shadows of the night Doth put the Suns fair pleasant beams to flight â—o where true holiness doth take possession â—here's no allowance for the least transgression Nor is there any place for holiness Where sins usurping power doth possess Sometimes we see the Sun appears so bright As if no darkness now could stain its light But presently we see a Cloud arise And then the Sun is hidden from our eyes Just thus it 's with a Saint a little folly O how it stains him that 's reputed holy If once a Christian do contract a blot His former holiness is quite forgot A Saint whose conversation is upright 'T will put whole legions of his sins to flight Let Christ our blessed Eastern Star shine clear Within thy soul and sin will disappear Thus have we given thee a brief relation Of three first Points of Sacred Speculation Of North of South of East the next must be Our Western Point which take with brevetie God is our North and Christ our Morning Sun Holiness our South at West our day is done As Moses councell'd Israel so do I First learn to live and yet prepare to die That faithful servant of the Lord whose breath Propounds to Israel both life and death I have saith Moses set before your eyes This day both life and death may I advise Or give you council how to make your choice Could I perswade you to obey my voice You should not die saith he for I would givâ— You counsel to obey Gods Word and live â—th life is but a momentary space â—f times most fwift yet most uncertain race â—nd that as certain as you draw your breath â—th open air so certain is your death â—nd yet your death no other but a sleep â—our Grave no other than a place to keep â—he broken pieces of your brittle clay â—hich are reserved till the judgment day â—hen your dead corps shall live again and never â—hall be dissolved but remain for ever â—hen do the thing saith Moses that may be â—f soul concernment to eternity Death is our Western Point by death we pass â—ut of this world return to what we was â—o dust again Sentence of death was given â—hen men transgress'd the sacred will of Heaven The certain wages disobedience brings â—â— death our night of silence whence four things â—â— to be noted needful to be known â—y spiritual Seamen which I thus lay down First Death is certain every soul must taste â—f death or else be changed first or last â—he stroke of death can never be avoided â—owever some may vainly be perswaded â—ur lives our days our Suns resplendant light â—ill set in death will terminate in night â—herefore in vain some foolishly assay â—o flatter death and send it far away â—rom youth to manhood and from thence to age â—or death must act its part upon this Stage Though man would flatter death it never stays Death strikes the child the aged man betrayâ— The hopeful young man even in his prime And gives him not sometimes a minutes time Uncertain when but certain death will strike Respecting Kings and Beggers all alike But in the sccond place it is as plain Our Sun that sets i' th West will rise again From God we pass to Christ and Christ doth bless That serious soul brings it to holiness Which fits man for his Western Point from whence By death he 's brought to God his N. from thence He 's brought unto his Eastern Point again He 's rais'd by God through Christ and doth remain Now in a state of perfect holiness Which he shall then eternally possess His Southern Sun is always now at height 'T is always noon and never will be night No Clouds shall now his perfect glory stain His day is perfect and shall so remain No Western Point no dying any more No setting of our Sun as heretofore No shadows nor eclipses shall obscure This glorious day it always shall endure Sin and temptations which now interpose Between the glorious Face of God and those Which from some present glimpses of his Grace Like Moses longs to see his glorious Face Shall now like Clouds disperse and flie away By reason of the glory of the day Those sighs sorrows and those clouds of fears Which sin now raises those soul-melting tears Which sin now causes for which Saints complain They shall be all disper'd and none remain No Satan then the tempter now remains â—n darkness and in everlasting chains O happy he thrice happy he I say That doth arrive at this so glorious day He now is freed from sorrow and distress From thirst and hunger cold and nakedness From all his persecutors he 's set free He 's with the Lord and evermore shall be The glory that his eyes shall then behold One thousand part thereof cannot be told 'T is not in man that lives upon the earth To find out words to set his glory forth But that some glimpses Christians may behold Scriptures compares it with refined gold To precious Pearls whose excellence and worth Exceeds all other treasures in the earth When John that Evangelical Divine By Heavens high appointment did design To leave the Saints a copy of their joy The Lord presents it to his Servants eye Who in a Vision did behold such glory That faith must help a man to read the story The glory of this vision was so great As that the highest pitch of mans conceit Can hardly reach the strength of mans desire Can scarcely reach so high but never higher He sees a City that to ' th Saints is given Made by the wisdom of the God of Heaven Nay furthermore our Author adds beside The City was adorn'd and beautifi'd Like to a Bride in splendant rich aray Deckt for her Husband on her wedding day Strong is that place glorious that habitation Where God Almighty lays the first foundation Great must the splendor of that glory be Where Gods most soveraign blessed Majestie Improves his sacred wisdom in adorning Bright is that day that hath so clear a morning Blessed is he that feels this warm reflection In the clear morning of his resurrection Eye hath not seen nor can mans heart conceiveâ— This sacred glory yet we may receive Some glimpses of this glory if with care Spiritual with temporal things we do compare Suppose that all the worlds united power Should as one man attempt to build a Tower Whose Heaven aspiring top should reach so high As men might make their dwelling in the Sky Should all the wisdom that the Lord hath given To all the world residing under Heaven Be now improved with united power To beautifie as well as build this Tower With sparkling Diamonds and burnisht Gold Rich for their value glorious to behold With precious Jewels beautifi'd all over While pure Gold the Streets thereof did cover How fair and beautiful with splendor clear Would such a glorious place as this appear That famous Temple Herod once erected â— fair Jerusalem how it affected
may take Pleasure â— little Season and Repent at leisure â—nswer thy Flesh thou cannot surely say â—hou mayst continue yet another Day â—nd to confirm this Truth Experience sayes â—eath strikes the Child the aged Man betrays â—he hopeful young Man even in his Prime â—nd gives him not sometimes an howers time Death comes unheard her Arrow 's sharp and keen â—e strikes invisibly kills unseen â—ncertain when but certain Death will strike â—especting Kings and Beggars all alike â—eath's stroke is dreadful come it soon or late â—t being struck Repentance out of date Perhaps thou may take Pleasure for To-Day â—-Morrow Death doth take thy Life away â—e World poor Soul and all the Pleasures in it â—nnot secure thee now another Minute â—en hear To-day 't is all the time that 's given â—ject To-day and lose thy Way to Heaven West and by North. The next Point in this Quarter 's West by North â—learn this Point aright is of great worth Remember this That if thou dost not take Time by the Fore-lock when thou wast awaâ— Living on Earth I mean pale Death bereaâ— thâ— Of Life of all means of Grace leaves thâ— In no Capacity to mend thy Wayes Living thou may but dead thou cannot praisâ— The sacred Name of God within the Grave There 's no Remembrance that the Dead â— haâ— King Solomon whom God hath made more wâ— Than any Man before or since did prize A living Dog tho th' mean'st one could set 〈◊〉 Before a dead altho a Kingly Lyon And Solomon doth give this Reason why The Living knows saith he that he must dye The Dead knows nothing Therefore while tâ— liâ— Observe the Counsel that Christ Jesus gives Work while it is to-day the Night will hast In which the time of working will be past 'T is in the Day Men work not in the Night Wherefore improve thy Day with all thy miâ— The Heavenly Hosts of Angels are delighteâ— When Sinners turn before they are be-night Christ to Jerusalem was heard to say O that thou didst but know in this thy Day The things that do concern thy Peace But noâ— The Day is past and Darkness doth ensue â—ese things which in the day God doth reveal â—e Night being come thick darkness doth conceal Well then be careful thou that art to stear â—on this Point for if thou miss it here â—ou runs the hazard of th' approaching Night â—hen Heaven will refuse to give thee Light â— thou would have thy Soul-Endeavours blest â—en mind the next Point which is West North-VVest VVest North-VVest â—t not the greatness of the Numbers sway thee â—r let the Counsel of the most betray thee â—e most are careless how they spend their time â—ving their Lusts and Satan with their prime â—tear not by most Examples for thereby â—u'lt miss thy Point and sink Eternally â— Paths of Death is like the mighty Ocean â—en quiet calm'd deny their Waves of Motion â—en Seamen ride upon the smooth-fac'd Seas â—thout disturbance Many run with Ease â—aths of Darkness and are quite mis-led â— so have many thousands perished â— Way that leads to true Felicity â—ke the narrow Channel that doth lye â— at the Entrance of some Isle A Stranger â—nding out the Channel meets with danger â—ell thou art sailing to the Holy I le â— not the smooth-fac'd Seas thy Soul beguile The Pleasures of this World I mean which doâ— Bring many thousands to Eternal Woe And with this Caution I 'le this Point concludâ— Go not to Hell because the multitude Will not seek after true Felicity But rather chuse the Paths of Death and dye 'T is better go to Heaven though alone Than go to Hell ' cause thousands more are gonâ— This leads us to North-West by West where weâ— Shall farther in our Christian Compass be North-West by West Instructed still that so we may not miss That sacred Shore where true Contentment iâ— We 're still exhorting of you to prepare To meet with Death to mind your Western Staâ— We having told you You must learn to dye If you would live in Joy eternally That you may learn to dye we also give You Notice that you first must learn to live But for as much as some impediments Do threaten much as if they would prevent All good Endeavours I shall now asay To take all such impediments away The two next Points that follow will I spend Alone for the promoting of that End Obj. The Flesh objects against our first Advicâ— Supposing it to be a Point too nice Should thou saith Flesh refuse to own that wâ— Which most walk in what is' t Men will not sayâ— Thou wilt expose thy self to all Men's scorn And be as one forsaken and forlorn And many troubles thou 'lt find beside Thy Sorrows will be daily multiply'd Ans To this I Answer 'T is no matter what Man say or think so God reject thee not Man may revile thy soul they cannot harm Undaunted Sea-men do not fear a Storm 'T is not whom Man but whom the Lord approves That finds acceptance wherefore it behoves Thee not to let the fear of Man betray Thy Soul and keep thee from the narrow way This Channel 's narrow and is hard to find But Christ's thy Pilot fear thou not the wind Believe God's Word and do thou not regard Mens threatnings or their promise of reward This is his Word Whoever doth not hate Father and Mother Life for my Name 's sake He is not worthy of the smallest measure Of Sion's Glory Christ the Eternal Treasure What shall the fear of mortal man whose breath Is in his Nostrils shall the fear of Death Cause thee to slight the way of God deny His sacred Truths and fall eternally Let not thy life be precious in thine eyes But freely give it for a Sacrifice If God require it as He often hath done To bear a Testimony for his Son What! did the Son of God freely lay down His Sacred Life to purchase thee a Crown And shall a Christian think his life too dear To lose for Christ Alas thy stay is here But for a moments time the life of Man At longest is compared to a Span. Suppose thou layest down thy life thou dost But lay thee down to sleep awhile at most And sleeping thou wilt pass away the Night To rise to Glory in the Morning-Light Then fear not dying but be mov'd thereby To learn to Live that thou may learn to Dye North-West Our next Point is North-West this Point doth give Some brief directions how to learn to live Wherefore give heed for thus thy Point begins Look not too lightly upon smaller Sins And let small duties be in thy esteem As much as these that greater duties seem 'T is true indeed there 's no command at all As it proceeds from God himself is small Nor any Sin against that Glory bright Though it may seem but little in our sight Can be accounted small though there may seem Some difference in
North. â— is by Christ our mercies is increast â—e's next the Father Christ stands for the East â—om East to South the Sun doth make its way â—riving at the South 't is perfect day â—e next to Christ that Christians must possess â—is the Spirit South point is Holiness â—oliness is our South and Christ is then â— height in Christians when most holy men â—ext to the South is West whither the Sun â—akes haste and sets and then our day is done â—eath is our Western Point doth terminate â—r day and put a period to its date â—ese be the Four Points all men must eye â—orth East South West then man prepare to die Now see our Scripture grounds for this allusion â—r upon that we 'll bottom each Conclusion â—s a Notion generally receiv'd â—d as unquestionably it believ'd That fair Jerusalem that famous Town Israels Metropolis the worlds renown Was plac't i' th midst o' th earth and hence it waâ— As most conclude it all was came to pass All places bear their true Denomination As they were plac't or stood for scituation Relating to that City whose great name Did fill the earth with its renowned fame Jerusalem thus for the Center ey'd I will remember that on its North side The City of the mighty King was plac't The mount of Olives also on the East Which mountains as it first did entertain Our blessed Lord so when he comes again Zachary the Prophet gives a full accompt His feet shall stand upon that Eastern Mounâ— And on the South-side did mount Sion stand The sacred mountain of that holy Land Mount Calvery the place of Death this mouâ— Was scituate on the VVest on this account I am incourag'd to make this allusion Scriptures not contradicting this Conclusion â—hat East should stand for Christ and Stouh â—leâ— â—ithout excepting stands for holiness And VVest for death will never be denied But why the North is unto God apply'd May at the first to some seem not so clear But that the truth thereof may still appear Mark what good David saith observe the worâ— Of that most faithful Servant of the Lord. When David sets Mount Sions Beauty forth She is saith he the joy of all the Earth She 's beautiful saith he for scituation Which he makes out by this clear deâ—â—nstration The mighty King saith David doth â—eside â—n fair Jerusalem on the North side Of sacred Sion to whose glorious King The Nations shall their wealth and glory bring Hence 't was that speech concerning Lucifer Who would exalt himself above the Stars Of God Almighty Esay adds besides â—s further Demonstration of his pride That Lucifer presum'd himself so great That he would make the side o' th North his seat â—ut he whose high aspiring thoughts did swell â— ' usurp Gods place is tumbled down to Hell â—he North which if as some suppose to be â—he Mount Moria it will well agree That Sacred Mount in Canaans Holy Land â—id also on the North of Sion stand â—hat still the North in Scriptures is appli'd â—o God alone as properly his side â—hese words of David next I 'd have you mind â—hich you in Psalm the 75 may find David excluding both West South and East â—rom giving honours making not the least Mention o' th North saith honours do proceed â—rom God alone as if it were agreed â—nd taken for a grant on every hand â—hat for Gods proper place the North doth stand Sith then the language of Gods holy word With this our notion doth so well accord I hope I may presume without offence With awful fear and holy reverence To make a serious and divine inspection Into the Sacred Art taking direction From Holy Writ which we will make our guid Not on the right or left to turn aside And now with seriousness we will conclude The North with God most fitly doth allude 'T is God alone we first must seek to know The Word and Spirit will direct us how When first therefore thy Vessel launcheth forth Into these troubled Seas upon the Earth Assure thy self thou art not like to make A happy Voyage if thou undertake To stear thy Ship to fair Emanuels Land Before thou know and rightly understand God thy North Star whom thou must alwayâ— eye When thou sets forth towards eternity Know God is first 't is he first gave thee breatâ— And he is last and hath appointed death That fatal messenger to call thee hence To give accompt to him for each offence Know God is merciful and just also He sees thy ways and did thy secrets know Let no such foolish thoughts possess thy mind To think there is no God be not so blind The Heavens are his witness day and night Do speak throughout the World their beams â— lighâ— â—ills every place By this the Nations know There is a God whether they will or no. The very Heathen do the same confess â—y light of nature they can do no less â—is acts of providence bespeaks the same They all set forth the glory of his name â—is mighty hand that framed every Creature â—oth in the Earth the Air and in the Water Gives food as well as being unto all Of every thing he 's the original He feeds the Ravens when to him they cry He is and was from all eternity â—his knowledge although true is not alone â—e is not onely God but he is one â—lthough there be Gods many saith St. Paul â—o us there is but one he 's all in all God must not onely thus be understood â—ut we must know him for our chiefest good That good thou dost or ever shalt enjoy Comes from himself alone he 'll not destroy His handy work Mans ruin doth proceed â—rom man himself 't is man that doth that deed T is in and by the Lord we must obtain â—ternal Life Life doth in him remain â—his thing is needful to be known by these That sail for Heaven on these troubled Seas To know God thus is of as great concern â—s for a Seaman his North Point to learn â—nd in the third place thou must learn to know â—od in his Holy Attributes also His Attributes of Power Mercy and Of Justice also thou must understand We read when God Almighty did proclaim His ever honoured and his Name In Exodus the thirty fourth we find His Name is gracious merciful and kind In him long suffering patience doth abound Sin pard'ning grace in him is to be found Reserved mercy is laid up in store For such as love him grace for ever more As thou must know he 's merciful thou must Know as he 's God Almighty he is just To those that hate him he will be severe A guilty Conscience he 'll by no means clear Though Heavens in his right hand is as rewarâ— To such as do his righteousness regard Yet in his left hand is a flaming fire Consumes the wicked in his burning ire His wrath once kindled he that reads his namâ— Must read him then
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
on pleasing Objects for What ever you behold you will abhor You will abhor and loath your selves because Your former slighting of God's sacred Laws Your stubborn Hearts refusing to Repent Has brought you to this place of Punishment From which most lamentable State thou never Shall be released altho thou should endeavour This is the Second Death and certainly It is a dreadful Death for Man to dye The first Death frees a Man from temporal Sorrow And frees him from his Labour till the Morrow The Second Death begins a Sinner's grief And leaves him helpless hopeless of Relief Now wouldst thou not be taken in the Snare Of Death the second time Oh then prepare For Death's first Summons let not sin dis-arm thee And then the Second Death will never harm thee There is no way to scape the Plagues of Hell But in thy Living and thy Dying well Two things concerning Death I 'de have thee mind Which if thou do thou wilt the Comfort find First Death is certain either first or last All living Creatours of Death's Cup must tast Aâ—d Secondly It is uncertain when Children and Infants dye as well as Men. Death is a Messenger that 's sent from Heaven Hath both his Power and his Commission given By God alone and when he 's sent to strike Respects all Ages and Degrees alike Death when it doth arrest will give no Day Death will have nothing under present Pay Nor Years nor Months nor Weeks will Death allow Death will admit of no intreaties now With ghastly Looks he stares thee in the Face And tells thee Thou hast here no longer space This Night by Death the Lord requires thy Soul Sad was the Message to that prosperous Fool That in his own Conceit had lately blest His Soul with Peace and many Years of Rest Deluded Man had not one Day to spend This Night thy many Years is at an end Thus unexpectedly are Souls ensnar'd But dreadful will it be if unprepar'd Well Death is come thy Barns all thy Store Thou must forsake and never see them more And true it is we see it with our Eyes That Death is certain in uncertainties There 's not a Man among the Sons of Men But knows that he must dy but knows not when Death on his Cloudy Errand sometimes comes And smites poor Children in their Mother 's Womb. And sometimes he will venter to Arrest The Infant Sucking at the Mothers brest And sometimes Death forbears to throw his Dart Till Childish practice joyes the Parents heart So in like manner Death is sometimes known When Childhoods past and Youthful Blossoms blown To strike his Fatal stroke and many a time Death strikes us not till we are in our prime When Strength Manhood is upon the Stage And sometimes Death stays till decripped Age. Death blasts young Buds fair Blossoms dainty Flowers At th'age of years of months weeks days and hours How darest thou in Sinning take delight And sin to day that is to dye at night Poor VVretch that at God's pleasure draws thy breath How dare thou sin that 's not secure from Death In one moments time poor Soul thou canst not tell But that this Night thou shalt go down to Hell North by West Our two and-thirtieth Point draws near the North To Steer aright upon this Point is worth Ten thousand worlds ten thousand times told over It s real worth no mortal can discover As North's by West so Death's by God He The First and Last of every Thing will be It is from God we do receive our Breath By God's appointment all must tast of Death We told you lately what a dreadful thing It was to dye the Second Death but bring You better Tydeings now and to be brief This Point well learnt will expiate all Grief It is the Tydings of a Second Life Beginning Peace and terminating trife And that I may in this one thing discharge My self bear with me Reader if I do inlarge Upon this sacred Point But what am I To undertake a Task so much too high For any Man Angels desire to 〈◊〉 it And holy Prophets never fully knew it When holy Men of old did stear their Course Upon this Point the depth thereof did force Them to cry out as Men astonisht and Confess it was too high to understand Into which Mystery when Paul inquires Instead of Satisfaction he admires At God's great Wisdom Which saith he no doubt Is over-high for Man to find it out Eye hath not seen that excellent Reward Which God Almighty hath of old prepar'd For such as Love him Heart cannot conceive Nor Tongue express the Glory they receive Some Hints the holy Prophets have laid down Which in the Scripture language is made known In such a Dialect as may impart The Mystery of this Glory to the Heart And also doth inform the Eye and Ear That to Man's Sense this Glory might appear These be the Terms it is discover'd by Riches and Honour Princely Dignity Silver Gold precious Pearl that Treasure In which the Princes of the Earth take Pleasure Fair Houses beautify'd with Gold And precious Pearl most lovely to behold Cities whose Pavements upon which we tread Is pure Gold whose Wall is garnished With precious Pearls in comely order set The Jasper Amathist and Crisolet With Saphir Tophas Emrald Chalcedon The Jasinct Sardius and Sardonix-Stone Thus in our Sailing upon West by North By these Similitudes the Lord sets forth The great Advantage of our Stearing right Upon this Point and yet this great Delight With which Man 's captivated Eye 's ensnar'd Is less than nothing if it be compar'd With Heavenly Glory which exceeds as far As Mid-day Phoebus doth the dullest Star The greatest Beauty Mortals can behold Is Gems and Jewels with refined Gold Which when th' Apostle Paul compares with thâ— In his Esteem behold how vile it is As if all Earthly Pomp had nothing been Speaking of Heavenly saith Eye hath not seâ— Nor never could Man's highest Conceit impart This Heavenly Glory unto any Heart 'Twixt Heaven and Earthly Joy the disproportion Is like one Drop of Water to the Ocean For though one drop be real Water yet It 's not sufficient for Man's Benefit There is no Substance in so small a Measure And small 's the Substance of all earthly Treasure 'T is not unlike the pearled Dew of May Whose Morning-Substance quickly â—ades away Like Jonah's Gourd that sprang up in a Night And in another vanisht out of sight Exactly like a Shadow in the Water Which seems a Substance but is no such matter Which if a Man puts forth his Hand to take it Finds it a Shaddow and doth streight forsake it Or like a Man that dreams he doth possess Great Substance but awakes finds nothing less Could Man with Alexander say My hand Hath made the Earth subject to my Command And to my Pleasure I the World confine And all the Treasures oâ— the Earth is mine He that