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
an Epitome of this part of our discourse NORTH God is Good Knowen Spirit SOUTH Holines It 's the new Creature The Soules lustre Christ at heigh't in vs Is at Enmitie with sin EAST Christ The light of God The Reconsiler to God Injoyed by the Spirit by faith WEST Death In it selfe Certaine out of Christ sad shall haue a ' Resurrection brings to Judgment J fecit CHAP. IV. The things or duties necessary to be done by Christians reduced to as many practical rules as there are points in the Compass LEt us pass now from the speculative part of our Christian Compass in which we have seen the grand principles which are necessary to be known unto the practical part thereof and see what are the duties or the things which we ought to do in order to the arrival to our happiness And here I shall keep me to my Compass and mention as many points for practise as there are noted in our Compass which are thirty two And for a help to memory I shall begin each point with the initial known letters on the points of our Compass Our first point is North which is thus cut out ito its eight points 1. Never stir or steer any course but by light from God N. Let the Scriptures which are Gods word be thy North star This is the original cause of all our misery and miscarriage that we make not Gods commandment our Compass Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths said David Psal 119.105 To the law and to the Testimony saith Christ by the prophet Isa 8.10 They are the Scriptures which can make us wise unto salvation I do no more wonder to see men split on the rocks of error or sunk in the sands of sin who cast off or neglect the Scriptures then I do to see a man make shipwrack who wants or useth not his Compass 2. Never Enter upon any designe but such as tends towards Christ N. by E. Let Christ be the rising Sun which thy soul doth alwayes worship While other men run from West to East to gaine riches do thou lance forth in no bottom or business which will not further thee in thy knowledge and enjoyment of Christ Christ is next to God and the word of God principally and primarily points at him to him gave all the prophets witness Act. 10.43 3. Note Nothing enviously which thrives without God N.N.E. Indeed nothing can thrive truely without God though sometimes the wicked who want him do seem to prosper And it 's a great remorse to a poor afflicted Saint to see the prosperitie of the wicked It made the Psalmist once think his voyage Heaven-ward was in vain Psal 73.12 13. But remember not to envy because of the prosperity of the wicked Psal 37. They make a poor voyage that sail with never so fair a wind or never so smooth a sea and yet traffick for nothing but sand or pebles He that trades for Jewels need not envy such at all Though he have foul weather and rough seas yet his traffick will make amends for all Many miscarry for not eying this point of the Compass therefore minde it Note nothing enviously which thrives or seems to prosper without God 4. Never enter upon unwarrantable courses to procure any the most prized or conceited advantage N.E. Many a soul is cast away and sunk in eternal perdition by venturing upon unlawful and not-warrantable designes to advance or inrich it self 1 Tim. 6.9 10. What got Achan by his wedge of Gold Josh 7. What got Gehazi by the talent of silver and changes of raiments 2 Kings 5. Nay what shall it profit a man to get all the world and lose his soul Any thing got in or by a non-warranted way may and will undo the soul though it may please or profit the body 5. Now entertaine the noble commands of God N.E. by N. if hereafter thou expect the soveraign consolations of God Many are willing to have comfort who care not for command My hands will I lift up to thy commandments which I have loved And I will meditate in thy statutes Psal 119.48 Many a soul is ready to lift up his hand to take a comfort which will not stretch it forth or lift it up to take a command But in vain shall you cry for or expect Gods comforts in a storm if you neglect his commands in a calme You who swear and drink and drab ashore or in a calme How can you expect God should hear you in a tempest Meditate upon that place Prov. 1.24 25 26. 6. Esteem not Egypts treasures in comparison of the afflictions of Gods people E. N.E. Heb. 11.26 In this imitate Moses rather to chuse to suffer persecution disgrace c. with the godly then to enjoy the pleasures of sin or to live at ease with the wicked Better is it to go though a very boisterous voyage in a poor vessel with men then to lye upon the shore though in a brave country with wilde beasts Better to go to heaven through many tempests and with much hardship and fear then to swim to hell with full sails and a fair gale of pleasures and honors 7. Err not especially in soul-affairs N.E. by E. Jam. 1.16 Errors in corporal affaires are not so dangerous as in soul-affaires That soul which errs in faith in love in holiness c. makes the worst of shipwracks remember those floating maches I mean Hymeneus Alexander and Philetus 1 Tim. 1.19 20. 2 Tim. 2.18 Erroneous persons are but bad Pilots And he that errs in the matters of his soul will make but a hard voyage though at last his ship come into the Haven safe Their salvation will be as through fire 1 Cor. 3.15 8. Eschew nothing but sin E. by N. He that will ever do good upon a soul-voyage must fear nothing but sin 1 Pet. 3.11 Job was a good steersman who eschewed nothing but what was evil Job 1.7 8. He did not fear a great multitude neither did the contempt of family terrifie him Job 31.39 Men that will be spiritual sailors must fear no wind or weather sin only sin that because it provokes God is to be feared It 's not a whistling mast not a ratling pumpe not a Lee-shore not a sinking or leakie ship but sin which alone can hazard our soul He that fears and flies from sin shall never need fear to sink CHAP. V. The second sort of duties being the second quarter of the practical Compass WE have passed through the first quarter of our Compass and all the rules in it are negative When therefore you come upon the breaking of or neer to transgress any of them think you heard Christ saying Beware come no neerer I shall now proceed unto our next quarter our Eastern and then also give forth eight points Beginning each with the cardinal letters 1. Establish thy heart with grace
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
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