grace for grace i.e. 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 Evermore for some evidences of Christ in you S.E. by S. the hope of glory 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 ir-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 pâ—â—â—ible alwaies at a venture or peradveâ—… for Christ but go to the assuring 〈◊〉 to make sure that Christ is in thee of a truth Though to go to the Assurance-Office for a Venture at Sea is accounted by some an underly way of Merchandize yet it 's a good way and very noble in Christianity Indeed they are the noblest spiritual Merchants that are most and deepest in assurance The clearer our assurance is the more comfortable out voyage will be 7. Still Set Eternity before you in regard of enjoying of Jesus Christ S.S. E. To be ever with the Lord let that still sound in thy ears and be in thy eyes Entreat Christ not to tarry with thee a few dayes but covet 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 sure thou make it thy desire and design 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 fail in that thou â—â— you have not his visible presence noâ—… 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 E. that holinesse is in Christ South is by East and holiness is by Christ Christ was holy when a child and holinesse is as near to him as himself is to himself it 's his essence and therefore abominate all loose and lewd principles which would set up Christ without holinesse and possess or perswade thee that thou mayest have Christ though thou mind not holinesse or which would exalt holynesse without Christ and perswade that even Nature Reason Education Morality can make thee holy enough to enjoy God though thou never hear of nor know Jesus Christ Let Ranters and Socinians keep those poysons to themselves Be thou for Christ and Holynesse for Holynesse and Christ still together never asunder in points or practice CHAP. VI. The chird quarter of the duties in the Christian Compasse HAving past two parts of our Compass wee 'l hasten over the other two onely let me intreat you to mind and con these well e're you proceed to learn the other But when you have got by heart or rather into the heart this half then proceed unto 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 S. thou art alwayes as directly before the Lord as the South is just in a strait 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 David's Lord and ours as it 's clear by Act 2.25 This is the nature and life of holiness to eye God alwayes without holiness we shall never see God here nor 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 height of thy soul the Meridian point of thy piety always 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 height in the South moves immediately to the West and its first differenced motion from South is by West You remember in our points of knowledge chap. 3. I termed West our death point South our holiness point c. Now it 's in allusion to that notion that I make this my second practical Rule in this quarter of our Compass 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 sense Saints do not shall not cannot dye but in a litteral 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 Sin which is the sting of death as taken out S. S. W. and away by Christ if ever you expect to dye in peace Often mind and think upon that Scripture 1 Cor. 15.55 56. and search thy soul to see whether upon good ground thou canst say Oh death where is thy â—ing It 's not sword or plague or devouring Monsters at Sea or Land which can make death stâ—nging if the soul can see the blooâ— of Jesus to have cleansed it from all its sins Death onely stings with poyson 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. by S. 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 acquainred with sin-pardoning-promises and except you have eyes and taken notice of 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 deliverance which thou â—â—st had the Lord hath sweetly given in unto thy soul Oh what reviving comforts what conscience-cordials unto a dying soul are the râ—memembrances of such such discoveries and tasts of God at such and such a time Verily the experiencâ—s of our life are often choâ—ce refreshings in or at our death
God Concerning our next Cardinal point viz. Christ who is our star in the east I will name no more points in number concerning him neither but four 1. Christ is the first and clearest light the true Sun which ariseth upon the world by which all are enlightned Joh. 1.9 He is our Sun of Righteousness and till he arise there is no healing for us Mal. 3.2 He is that light which alone makes day as the Sun in the East doth Luke 1.78 79. The whole world lyes in a Night of dismal damnable darkness until Christ as the Day-spring from on high visite it to give light to them that fit in darkness 2. God alone is in him reconciling himself to the world 2 Cor. 5.19 We can never be reconciled justified adopted c. but in and by Jesus Christ and he is made all to us in these grand soul-saving matters 1 Cor. 1 30. Christ is the Way as well as the Truth the way of God to us as well as the light of God upon us no man cometh to the Father but by him as it is Joh. 14.6 3. Jesus Christ is onely made ours by the union and in-dwelling of himself in us through the spirit It 's the spirit alone who can annoint our eyes to see and behold this Sun 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 Ioh. 16.8 9 c. Where God intends to bring any to himself in his son he there giveth the Holy Ghost none can call Jesus Lord but by the spirit 1 Cor. 12.3 How then can any come by him and be one in Christs body but by the same spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 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 Other 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 Eph 4.24 Although Christ in free-grace takes sinners when sinners yet he leaves them not so but makes them Saints or sanctâ—fied ones 1 Cor. 6.11 This know Though the unholiest soul may have Christ yet none but the holy soul can onely say I have Christ though Christ did not condemn or cast off that great sinner Ioh. 8.3 yet hee cautions her against sinne ver 11. 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 to holiness Exod. 15 11 When we come to perfection in holiness then is our Sun at the height in us and in order unto this we are to improve the promises 2 Cor 7 1 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 height of holiness hath Christ in the height in him 4. This holinesse is that which is directly opposite to sin 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 all 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 sight 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 of death from themselves 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 gain so out of Christ it's loss yea the greatest loss Phil. 1 21 3 Death is but the souls or rather the bodyes 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 appeare 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 Matth. 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 prints in the compass so necessary are these four heads and the particulars under them to be known I shall not passe from this without an addition of some other things from the connexion of these points in our Christian Compass 1 From the North-point we pass to the East God passeth forth to the world by Christ He comes only 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 passe on in our thoughts to Christ For God out of Christ is no lightsome nor chearing 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 soul so holinesse appears even as the Sun doth as it riseth Southward Christs passage in the soul is in the Southern line of holinesse 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 holinesse will enable us to bear the cold of death
5. Set Worldly things under your feet before death come to look you in the face It s the world S. W. and the things of it which next to sin makes death bitter We therefore fear to dye because we are loath to leave the world houses trades lands relations c. make the thoughts of death dreadful where as were we weaned from those we should with much ease quiet of mind be willing to go down to the grave 6. Still wait and stand upon your watch with loynes girded S. W. by W. and Lamps trimmed Be not so mad as the foolish Virgins to have a Lmp without oyle nor so foolish as the wise were to slumber and let your Lamps be untrimmed But see your Lamp be ready your oile prepared and you your selves as wâ—se 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. and practice his counsel which he there gives in this particular 7. Weigh Soul-works and all W.S.W. in the Ballance 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 Many never put their soul into the Ballance to see whether or no that be not as Belshazar found wanting and too light Others never weigh their works or words c. but do thou try all by weight allowing grains for infirmity which God permits Certainly it will be a dreadful word if it 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 sincerityes Christs Righteousnesse but word weigh nothing with God pretences semblances are too light with him all mans righteousnesse in his ballance weigh not as the dust of the ballance God loves truth in the inward parts and they alone hold weight in his Ballance that are found in his Sons Robes 8. Wind thy soul about Christs neck W by S. and so thou mayest dye in 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 hinderance than 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 evenning when it came to its Western point then the soul can and doth when it lyes down with Christ in his arms and goes with him as it were in his bosom to his burial CHAP. VII The last quarter of a Christians practice according to his Compasse 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 Phil. 4.11 The turbulent Sea is not so restless as the discontented mind of man Man under discontent foams and rages and casts up nothing but mire 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 remember how much they dishonor 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 mind may well be called and counted a Kingdom for it hath much of the Kingdom of God in it he hath learned much in spiritual practical Navigation that hath learned with Paul in all things to be content Certainly godliness with content is great gain Indeed godliness teacheth us to be content in all estates whether we get or lose 2. Wale 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 wisely leads to life Indeed it 's not easie to find out the narrow path or life and peace The broad way of death is open and obvious to every eye as the vast Ocean is to every one at Sea but the narrow way like the channel at the end or entrance of some Isle as it 's with ours in the West is hard to be discerned and to find out It 's thy wisdom to study to know exactly the narrow way which the fewest find 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 onely 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 mind man more then God and so they may be well reputed of and reported by men they are not consciencious nor careful of their carriage towards God But be not deceived God is not mooved he knoweth what is in men and at the last day we shall be judged according to Gods Law and not according to mans judgment And he that studies to approve himself to God will be seen to have been wisest in that day 4. Never wink at small sins N.W. by W. nor neglect little dutyes 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 â—â—nk a ship And a little negligence in looking out at Sea may indanger all unawares walk therefore circumspectly Eph 5.15 Steâ—r to a hairs breadth in duty and flye from the appearance of evil make conscience of the smallest duty to do it and of the least sin to avoid it