a soul-consuming flame More bright than Phebus in the Southern skies Like to devouring fire in his eyes His voice is like a soul amazing thunder That fills the massie earth with dread and wonder But now I think I hear some make reply If thus I do behold his Face I die His terror frights me O I am undone I am unclean O whether shall I run If Holy Angels be not pure how then Can I be sav'd that am a sinful man If God be Holy thou must be no less Thou must behold Gods Face in Righteousness Then I 'll assure thee when thou dost awake His Image will full satisfaction make By wake I mean thy being rais'd from Grave When thou a full and perfect sight shalt have Of that great glory Moses could not see With which thou then shalt satisfied be And that thou may his Beauty then behold With joy remember that thou hast been told He is a Holy Spirit wherefore he In Spirit and in Truth must worshipt be By that pure Light that in the Soul doth shine Proceeding from the Spirit of God Divine And by the strength and vigor of thine own Must thy unfeigned Love to God be shown Alas say some this is but fruitless talk For that no man can thus unspotted walk Shew me the man that never doth transgress Or him who thus sees God in righteousness â—f none but man thus holy can enjoy This blessed state Gods presence will destroy The universe the best of men do not Live without sin none is without his spot To this I say the God of Earth and Heaven Considering mans weakness hath given His Son his onely Son whom he hath set To be our Surety and to pay our debt Christ is our Eastern Point he is that Light Whose morning brightness doth expel the Night All you that sail for Heaven be sure you learn To know this Eastern Point 't is your concern And first remember Christ hath quit that score That Adam left to pay it shall no more Be reckon'd for for he hath paid that debt Which on our score for Adams sin was set Behold the Lamb of God behold I say That blessed Lamb that took our sins away That holy Lamb of God the King of Kings That did arise with healing in his Wings He pleads the cause of such as do transgress And willingly he is our righteousness 'T is Christ alone 't is he alone I say That by his glorious rising made a day Till this bright Eastern Morning Star did rise All the whole world in dismal darkness lies He like the glorious Morning Sun came forth And visited all corners of the Earth How dismal is the dark and silent night How comfortable is the morning light Here is thy comfort soul do what you can Christ is that pure perfect holy man He ' as done exactly what thou shouldst have done And God accepts thy doing in his Son Know for thy comfort God is reconcil'd To sinful man by Christ that holy Child A body was prepar'd him for thy sake For nothing else could reconcilement make Thy weakness in Christ is all suppli'd By him alone thou must be justifi'd â—hrist doth not only fill the world with light â—ut as a way-mark guids thy steps aright â—nto the Father tells thee there is none â—omes to the Father but by him alone The third thing in this Point thou art to learn â—nd make thy chief concernment to discern â—â— is that ownness and sweet unity â—hat is between the Soul and Christ whereby â—hrist and thy Soul is made intirely one â—y the indwelling of the Spirit alone â—â— is the Spirit alone that doth unite â—hee unto Christ the spirit gives thee light â—â— fills thy soul with light thy heart with praise â—y which thou mayst behold those golden raies â—hich darts into thy soul gives thee a glance â—f thy adoption and assurance â—hus knowing North and East the South doth follow â—ext to be known it is the spirit doth hallow â—nd sanctifie the soul and change the nature Converts the man and makes him a new creature â—enewed in himself he 's born anew â—o all unholiness he bids adiew â—e that doth put on Christ will surely find â—o great an alteration in his mind â—here's nothing now with which he 's so delighted As holiness which he before had slighted The love of Christ casts such a warm reflection â—pon the soul it stirs up his affection â—his Soul like Mary's melted into tears â—ith which she washt Christs feet thought not her hairs Although her ornament too good to foul To dry his Feet his love so melts her soul Her sins were many made her love abound Because so vile a wretch had mercy found What I saith such a soul who no eye piti'd Defild with sin and are my sins remitted Shall I be guilty of so great a folly That 's washt from sin and shall I be unholy He whose dear love did take away my sin Will hate and loath me if I sin again When Christ did clear that sinful womans score He gave charge she should sin no more How miserable was thy state when he At first had thoughts of pity upon thee Polluted in thy Blood he passes by Beheld thee and did cast a gracious eye Of Pity Did both grace and mercy give Said to thy loathed soul O sinner live Upon thy head he puts a crown of gold And makes thee fair and lovely to hehold Then doth present thee as a Virgin clear Before the Father doth espouse thee there Thou must be holy now and sanctifi'd Laying thy former sins and lusts aside You heaven born souls think and remembeâ— how Unsuitable it is how much below A Saint it is to sin whose holy dress Like to a sacred garment must express Whose Spouse thou art O do not give consenâ— To live in sin sin stains thy ornament â—o'iness is Saints lustre makes them shine â—â— tells thine enemies thou art divine â—ow high is Christ advanc'd in Christians when â—n mortifi'd doth make them holy men â—hrist's like the glory of the Southern Sun â—t height in Christians when this work is done â— Christian now is in a line direct â—o God the Father may have full aspect â—ook from the South the North is just before ye â—o Saints in holiness may see Gods glory â—nd hence it was that Abraham did discover â—he glory of the Lord From hence moreover Moses that holy man of God contemns â—ll Egypts glory counterfeiting Jems Moses by faith sees holiness rewarded â—hinks Egypts glory not to be regarded â—e did esteem of Israels distess Above the glory that he might possess â—n Pharoahs Court his faith bore evidence â—nto that Heaven promis'd recompence But secondly consider as the light â—s contrary to darkness day to night â—o sin and holiness do hate each other â—nd in one place they cannot dwell together â—ut as the Sun when shining bright and clear Doth make nights sable shadows disappear And as the gloomy
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
Titus the Roman when he did behold The Sanctum Sanctorum beautified with Gold â—e stood amaz'd lifts up his hands to Heaven Desires of the Lord to be forgiven His great offence to God protesting still That glorious Temple fell against his will Wherefore he crys aloud calls out amain â—o spare that Holy Temple crys again â— spare saith he that glorious place 't is pity â— should be ruin'd with this wicked City â—et was this Temples glory not so great â—o answer to the height of mans conceit â—or may the height of mans conceit compare â—ith what this Vision did to John declare â—welve thousand furlongs was its measured height â—he glory of the Lamb did give it light â—he Suns resplendent rays when shining clear â—ould give no light it had no luster there â—o night was there no cloud nor sables shade â—his is the glorious day the Lord hath made â—hat tongue or pen can give a true relation â—f new Jerusalem the habitation â—f glorified Saints whose full perfection â—all be compleated at the resurrection But last to the West â—â—ve this to say â—ere is eternal night as well as day Thugh God in Christ do bless the Sts. with light God out of Christ prepares perpetual night For wicked men and Devils no exemption In life there is in death there 's no redemption All men must die we know it to be true Daily experience doth this matter shew There 's none exempt from death the very best Choicest of Christians pass from South to West The good man dies the wicked dies also Both good and bad from West to North must go The good man shall be rais'd so will the evil The Angel must be judg'd so will the Devil The difference lies here the Saints perfection Is at the highest after resurection 'T is then their everlasting day begins 'T is then they turn their backs of all their sins But with the wicked it is nothing so From their North Point to West again they go Depart they must from Gods eternal light VVith go you cursed to perpetual night But Oh! what heart can think or tongue express Their endless wo their grief remediless Consider Christians joy you need not borrow A better Pensil to paint forth their sorrow Consider but the comfort of the light From thence behold the terror of the night If naught but darkness should their souls oppress It would be sorrowful and comfortless 'T is utter darkness not the smallest beam Of light which makes their sorrows so extream Those very eyes while on the earth was blest VVith natural light shall now be dispossest Of all the incomfort what they undergo Being in darkness aggravates their woe The lustful eyes which in the earth delighted In naught but filthiness is now be nighted Shall never see a pleasant object more But weep and wail and never shall give o'r Be warn'd you swearers for these tongues of yours That in blaspâ—eming spends your precious hourâ— Uncessently shall then blaspheme Gods name For very anguish in tormenting flame And yet in darkness you that can hear God cry Repent you sinners wherefore will you die That scorns his bounty and refuse his grace While God with patience waiting gives you space You that can hear the God of Heaven complain At your destruction yet rebel again You that have grievâ—d the Lord you now must bear Your endless grief your cryes he will not hear Your ears which while on earth could give consent To hear Gods name blasphemed and be content Shall now hear sighs and lamentable cryes While you are sharers in these miseries Your hearts with which you hated every word Spoke to you by the Servants of the Lord With horror and amazement shall be smitten While all your former wickedness â—s written â—n your tormented conscience which will smite you â—nd with its aggravation shall affright you And in a dreadful manner shall present Before your face that hellish regiment Of all your former sins you have committed From which you might have been acquitted You then have time too much to see your folly But none at all to labour to be holy Your day is past your dreadful night is come Your Sun is set and darkness is your doom This is the last considerable thing Relating to the West that I shall bring But yet before we pass to th' Second part Of this soul-saving Navigable Art These four things that we have lastly read Shall once again before your eyes be spread But very brief and for no other end But that I may more seriously commend Them to your thoughts as highly your concern Rightly to weigh to understand and learn North stands for God and that you first must know From God to Christ your Eastern Star you go God out of Christ is cloathed all in ire Behold God so he 's a consuming fire To God by Christ your souls must have access And Christ conducts thee unto holiness Thy Southern Point from whence cast but thine eye Unto thy Western Point and learn to die Four things is in thy Western Point laid down All very necessary to be known First thou must die thy rising sun must set I' th' West 't is certain do not that forget From West to North from death to God you go By God through Christ th' art rais'd again also After which time thy sun will set no more Nor yet decline as it has done before But if thou do'st not die a holy man Thou wilt be far more miserable than Thou wast before thou must go back again From North to West for ever to remain In that black night which never sees a morrow Where thou wilt find no period of thy sorrow One word of use and then I shall have done Walk not in darkness while you have the Sun To be your guid He that walks in light May see to take and chuse his steps aright But he that walks in paths of darkness neither Knows how to guid his steps aright nor whether He is a going God hath provided well Why should your precious souls go down to hell What pity 't is that man that noble creature Whose well composed form and comely feature The Son of God did not disdain I say What pity 't is he should be cast away And that you may not want a full direction To bring you unto Heaven Saints perfection The next unto this Art of Speculation Must be the practick of Souls Navigation In which discourse I shall my self confine To th' Seamans Compass only more divine And shall accordingly present to view Our Practick Points in number thirty two Thus having given you a full relation Of the First Part of Sacred Navigation Which is speculation I now proceed Unto the Second Part which is indeed The Practice of a Christian after he Hath been instructed to a good degree In the true Knowledge of the Deity One God in Essence three in Divinity Distinguish't thus the Father and the Son And Holy Ghost three