Psal 65.7 He disappoints the devices of crafty captaines and makes the common Mariners to yeeld up them that blood may not be shed nor peace broken God makes even men at Sea as well as waves to be calme and still On a man thnt standing to sound with the line fell over-board and was lost This man sounded to secure the ship yet he lost himself He stood with the line and lead to sound what depth of water the vessel had and he falls into the waters and so himself sunk to th◠bottome to feel the depth Ah O my soule Is not this man an embleme of thee who soundest the depths of Satan to secure others Art not thou in danger to loose thy self Preachers look about you fear lest while you sound and discourse of Satans deeps to warn others fear I say lest you lose your selves Mariners look to it while you stand by the line and lead sounding Consider that you may be neerer the bottome then you are aware 't will be sad if you fall and sinke even while you sound But sadder if as your body like the lead goes down the bottome of the deep your soul sink as a stone into the depth of Hell You had need be well skilled in the art and mystery of spiritual swimming that so your souls may be secure and fase by swimming to the banks of heaven's shoar when your bodyes sinke to bottome of the Seas On the sight of many great shot made from a Fort to some vessels and none taking place Surely the gunner intended to hit and hurt however he still missed the mark he traversed and levelled to mischief vessel and men but yet still his bullet flew over and besides both Seest thou not O my soul how its God who guides the bullet while man fires the gun Divine providence can at pleasure disappoint the gunners intents Bullets obey God not men and he that is under the protection of the Almighty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Shot-free Why then should they who are on the service of God and a good cause fear men or guns both whose breath is in their nostrils and who may shoot often but hit or hurt never without divine permission Saile by go on securely ye men of war who are upon divine designs Pass by forts by the sides of ships A thousand shot shall flye a head and as many more a sterne many shall fall over and beyond you and none shall fasten to do you the least hurt while God is with you All bullets flye at Gods command and not according to the gunners intent On the sight of one corrected at the capstock for an offence How do men observe and punish offences in all places This vessel is the Seamans habitation and house of correction and the same instrument which holds the anchor of hope sometimes holds the offender to be chastized Indeed O my soul chastisement is at the capstock of the anchor of hope It 's a hope we are children and not bastards if we are chastised Who then would presume to sin when in all places there are punishments and yet who would faint under any affliction when as he is so neer the hold of the anchor of hope I 'le fear thee my God and Lord put thy fear into my heart that I may say and hold never presuming to offend at land or Sea for thou canst punish me in all places at thy pleasure yet still I 'le hope under every punishment For verily 't is good that a man accept of the punishment of his iniquity with patience and with hope Next to be free from offending the next mercy to that is to be chastised neer and by hope On the fall of a bed that was lashed to the ship side in a blowing night I did lye down in peace and thought to have slept so but how is my bed faln under me and how am I awakened with a fall when I expected to lye soft and secure But see O my soul what poor things beds are to rest in Surely no bed in this world is fastned sure enough to secure sleep and safety Though the feathers are soft the fastening is not sure How can that bed stand that alway rowles upon on the waves of a tempestuous world The next blast O secure sleepy man may shake thy bed unloose or break thy cords and then where is all thy security and expectation of rest make sure O my soul of a better bed and in a better cabine then any in this world Cast thy self into thy Saviours bosom That bed is soft and sure let the winds blow and the floods arise let the ship rowle and thy cords shake yet still that bed shall abide and not be shaken When thou goest to bed in thy cabbin O Seaman thou art not sure of rest but thou who restest in Christ thy rest is sure and in him thou mayest lye thee down in peace and sleep for he only can make thee to dwell and rest in safety On a boy at the topmast head looking out to descry land How nimbly did that boy run up the shrowds and clime that topmast and how sharply doth he look out for land yea how doth the master attend his report I see now that he who desires to see the land afar off must climb high A low station cannot discover the remote banks of Emanuels land He that will spie the white clifts of heavens faire shoar must mount the topmast and Habakkuk-like set him upon his tower And hearken O soul to the report of him on the top-mast Watchman what of the night what of the day what of land what of the shoar Surely methinks I hear the report the land is yet afar off we shall see it but it may be ere we come to an anchor our heart may meditate terror Yet rejoyce in this what we are within ken of the good land A few watches more we must run and indeed we must watch as we sail and then we shall see eye to eye and discern the fair haven fairly open for us to enter and land where we long to be On an anchor that lost its hold and came home and left the ship adrift This anchor sure had not good ground For if it had it would have kept it's hold and not have left the ship thus to drive I see the anchor of hope will not serve the turn to hold the soul in a tempest except the ground of that hope be good There is a hope which hath but an evil ground and in the day of distress it will fail and force the soul to drive O my soul look to thy hope See where thou castest it Be sure thy anchor be within the vaile Hope is not good nor grounded except on Christ and free grace Now the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even the Father who hath loved me and hath given me everlasting consolation and good hope through grace Even that same God comfort my heart and establish me in every good word and work that though my hope be singly grounded on grace yet it may be accompanied with good words and works that I deceive not my self lest my anchor come home and I run afloat full of fear without hopes or hold in the day of tempest and tryals On a ship that was left by the Mariners upon the Goodwin-sands in a storm and fetcht off by some seamen sent to relieve it by my Lord of Warwick What fearful and unfaithful Mariners were these that left the vessel to sink and shifted for themselves while their stay and pains might have secured themselves and it well enough Ah Lord may the ship of the state never meet with such Mariners But if that doth stir up some Noble Warwicks to send relief to secure the ship which the perfidious Seamen cowardly and unconscionaly desert Trust not in men On my soul who are unstable as the waters Rely onely upon the living God who never forsakes his in a storm or tempest If they prove fearful and false that ought to tend thy security God can raise up others if he pleases to fetch thee off at any time from any rocks or sands Yea if men fail sands shall be so good as to keep thee from wracking till Jehovah send help from above to save thee from the waters on which thou sailest that thou fink not and perish On the parting of a ships company at the end of a voyage With what joy do those all part and how glad are these men to leave each other and yet without any malice or ill will They love each other as companions and yet are glad to part company this is indeed a friendly farewell of friends Why should it not be thus between thy soul and body O my heart at the end of thy voyage when death comes and call upon thee to strike sail and part Why art so loath to leave the carkass thy companion when thou art to go ashoar in thy spirit upon Emanuels land Come leap and skip O soul part with the carkass with joy Thy voyage is ended thy months are out Go take thy pay receive thy wages which yet is of grace and not of works Be as glad to go out of the body and to leave it as the Seaman is to leave his ship Yet remember you shall return to your ship again when mortality shall have put on immortality your body shall be new rigged and trimmed up And though at the end of time in the world to come John tells us there shall be no sea yet the Psalmist tells us there shall be a river of pleasures on which thy soul and body shall sail and swim in an eternal calme of unexpressibly bless in the presence of God in the company of Christ Angels and Saints for evermore Strike saile here O my soul and turmoile thy self on the sea of this world no longer REader I have now ended my voyage I 'le conclude my Navigation If thou by the help of this compass arrive this port I have my aime and end therefore I 'le add no more but this This is my desired haven which I sail unto And while I saile I 'le sing Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men So it is in the Psalm which I commend to every sailor to studye and to sing Psal 107.30.31 FINIS
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
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
with him you may say We trust we have a good conscience Heb. 13.8 Indeed without this there is no trust to those rules What are the best rules if men make no conscience of them A painted Compass upon the leaf of the book is of no use to steer by It must be an erected Compass set on a needle which stirs and moves by which our ship at Sea is to be guided and cunned And writen rules though never so full or few are of no profit if they be not laid upon the conscience and that conscience quick and tender Remember therefore this as an additional yet fundamental point that if ever you will be the better for the former Compass you must make conscience of the fame Eye it therefore and out of conscience unto God endeavor to steer according to it In every point of thy compass eye God as the main and out of conscience unto him carry thy thy self in all things as neer as possible according to this Compass Then mayest thou rejoyce and expect that God upon thy endeavors should speak unto thee Well done steer away or steer thus And certainly it 's no small rejoycing in those things to have the testimony of our conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity by the grace of God we have had our conversation according to the rule and Compass That may be and thus are agreeable to his own word Secondly For the box in which this Compass must be kept I shall onely name our Memory O treasure ye these rules there and strive to be as ready and expert in this compass as the Mariner is in his Sea-compass I have on purpose made this little that our memory might hold it Had I been as large as I might I should have made my Compass too large and I fear the biggest and best memories could not have contained it But 't is short that the smallest memory might retain it Wherefore do as our Sea-boyes do at first Con over this Compass again and again Get it into the head nay into the heart that when thou art any where though in the dark or deep and canst not have the help of larger discourses these things may be in thy memory to help thee here to steer and carry thy self upon all occasions I will not say if thou remembrest these things thou needest no more But this I do humbly assure thee of If thou remember these things and doest them thou shalt not miscarry but safely arrive at the Port of eternal felicity when thou shalt have cause to bless God for the little help of this short Compass CHAP. IX The third head of Divine Navigation opened and spoke unto viz. Affectionate Meditation I Called Divinity the Art of soul-spiritual-Navigation and branched it out Chap. 2. into three heads viz. Speculative Practical and Affectionate I have dispatched the two first and shall now treat upon the last Affectionate divinity doth principally lie in the secret notions of the soul towards God in the Affections These affections are raised and warmed and especially appear active in meditation I shall therefore hint at some affectionate meditations which our spiritual Seaman is to be acquainted with Now my meditations shall be of two sorts viz. some meditations of a more single simple nature and others of a mixed such as we call miscellaneous Fixed and simple meditations are such as may arise from some particular special texts of Scripture which concern Seamen of this sort I shall onely instance in two First that of Psalm 77.19 Thy way is in the Sea and thy paths in the mighty waters This Scripture indeed is used in a Spiritual sense with reference to the secret unknown wayes of God in his actings in the world and in his dealings with his Saints But yet it relates unto and is spoke of God in allusion to the literal Sea and waters where God maketh his way for he walketh and is in the deeps as on the dry Hence meditate thus 1. Why should I fear dangers more or sin less at Sea then on the land The Lord is here even in these mighty waters Amidst all those rowling waves he walks and rules Then though I steer in the mighty ocean yet I 'le fear no evil for God is with me And yet I 'le fear to sin for God is here as well as at land Though I am not on shore neer Magistrate or punishing place yet here at Sea is the great God who is chief Judge of all the world therefore even here I 'le stand in aw and sin not 2. See oh my soul is not here a place for worship as well as on land Is not God here on the waters and ought he not here to have his worship This great ocean is no other then his open temple Even here he walks those Seas and winds do serve him at his pleasure O my soul worship thy God even here Say not shall I live on land to go up to the Temple Loe the Lord is nigh thee even before thee Worship thy God in the mighty waters kneel before his footstool and adore his presence even in the seas 3. What though thou be alone on these deeps O my soul as to relations society Though wife children friends c. be on shore and thou as to them upon Sea alone yet art not thou alone alto 〈◊〉 my soul for the Father is with 〈…〉 walketh in the deep while thou walkest on thy Deck His path is in the waters and thou hast alwayes his presence Rejoyce O my soul thy God is at Sea though all thy friends be at land 4. Oh that my eyes were enlightened to observe the invisible paths which God wakes in these waters God is here and I am not aware of it The way of a ship in the Sea is not seen how much less are the print of his feet who is past finding out Come Oh thou Spirit of anointing And as God moves upon the face of the mighty waters move thou on my soul that I may see and apprehend the Divinity which swims in the deep Thus meditate on this text The second is that Psal 107.23 24 25 to the 31. They that go down to the Sea in ships that do business in great waters 24. These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep 25. For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof 26. They mount up to the heavens they go down againe to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble 27. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end 28. Then they cry unto the Lord in their troubles and he bringeth them out of their distress 29. He maketh the storme a calme so that the waves thereof are still 30. Then are they glad because they are quiet so he bringeth them into their desired haven 31. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful
works to the children of men On this Scripture meditate much and to help thy meditations note in it these particulars 1. Observe of whom it speaks viz. of Seamen so all along the verses They that go down to the Sea c. 2. To what end viz. That they should consider their affaires observations and experiences in order to the raising of their hearts to see and praise God for his goodness see v. 3. But more express to help exact meditation Remember that here is set forth 1. The man at Sea upon civil accounts verse 23. 2. The spiritual work or duty of him in that his business and this is set forth in many branches 1. He is to eye God in his works and wonders 24. 2. He is to eye God in every storme and tempest 1. As the owner of it 25. 2. As the helper in it 29. Therfore 3. He is to consider his danger in every storm how neer to death and be full of dread or fear 26 27. 4. He is to know his duty in that danger 28. 5. He is to consider his joy at the end of danger as verse 30. 6. He is to remember to praise the Lord for his goodness upon the whole 31. Now upon these heads meditate thus 1. O my soul the way in which thou art is safe for 't is lawful to traffick by Sea as by Land There is no wickedness in thy way unless thou thy self do make it 2. But what of God do I see and eye in my way I am to walk with God Noah-like and as a child of Abraham I am not to be as the Ship at Sea Sea-close where I am neither am I only to eye Wind and Tide but I am to see God to contemplate him in all These waters are his work He made them and gathered them thus together Gen 1.10 He holds these windes that blow in the hollow of his fist Prov. 30.4 he brings these windes out of his treasure Jer. 10.13 And he rides upon the wings thereof Psal 60.4 Mount my soul above these winds and waters and see thy God in them for they his works And surely wonderful is God in working what wisdom in ordering what power in bounding and ruling these unruly things Job 38.8 9 10 11. see the place and meditate thereon 3. Doth a tempest arise Sit down O my soul and see that it comes from God He made the tempest to find out a sinful Ionah He permits this to try my faith to stir up my prayer to demonstrate his own power As affliction arises not out of the dust so neither do tempests come by chance A God is in all he raiseth and he can still when he pleaseth the boisterous winds and waters 4. Yet consider what is thy desire How neer to death What a stop what an inch between thee and the Grave be not as the fool over hardy nor as the hardened prophaned Atheist that scoffes at winds and feareth no weathers Tremble O my soul the next gust may overset thee the next wave may swallow thee up O be not unaffected with nor inconsiderate of thy danger 5. Up then and call upon thy God Jon. 1.6 poure out prayers to him that made and can still the tempest at his pleasure hold thy sails with fervent sighs hand thy cords and tackling with a heart secretly praying Let thy best anchor be within the vail pray in faith cry in hope The Almighty can with a word make a calm Psal 65.7 Christ can say be still and winds and Sea must and will obey him Mat. 8.27 Have thy hand at the helm and thy eye at heaven God it may be raised the storm to awake thee from thy soul-sleep Rise up therefore and call upon God hee 'l bring you out of your distresses 6. Reflect O man then what was thy joy when the wind began to slaâ—â— and the storm to cease It 's good to eye what comforts God gave in at such a time Forget neither thy soul-meltings in a storm nor thy heart-cheering upon a calm O how did God as it were build up thy broken heart was not thy soul almost shattered as thy sailes and were not all thy comforts broke as thy cords But what reviving after death and what a resurrection as from the grave hadst thou in such a place at such a time c. was not thy soul refreshed as with wine and thy spirit recovered as with a cordial when after that or to the tempest God gave a calm 7. Then praise thy Lord O my soul and forget not all nay not any of his benefits Record and recal to minde the great goodness of thy God and praise thou his miraculous mercy Set forth to others thy experiences and let the children of men know by thee what are the wonderful works of Jehovah Tremble at the thought of being as too many are altogether forgetful of deliverances Be not as those whose sinning at land evidences they forget every storm and danger every mercy and deliverance at Sea But Oh do thou my soul praise the Lord for his wonderful works to thee the poorest of the children of men Inlarge these and the like meditations upon this Scripture and by them try the like way of meditating upon other Scriptures CHAP. X. Mixed maritime or Sea-meditations to stir up spiritual affections I Have hinted an example of meditation upon Scripture I will now offer some mixed meditations relating to Sea affairs such as may serve to excite and direct in this third and last part of Divinity viz affectionate 1. What a little thing is between â—â—â—…e and death It 's but this board of which the ship is made if that break I am gone my burial place is always by me I shall need no Sexton to dig my grave my dead body will make it's way to the bottom of the waters and there shall be my grave till the great day 2. With what care doth the Pilot eye the compass to direct How exactly doth he observe and consider all his hand-works And how careful is the steers-man at the he line to hearken to and to follow his direction O what negligent creatures are we in our spiritual navigation How short do we come of this care and circumspection As if the shipwrack of our souls were a lesser matter then the shipwrack of this vessel 3. How sharp do all the ships crew look out to espie land to discover shoar and harbour whereto they fail And what welcome news is it to hear that he at the topmast head hath descryed or discovered land though it be afar off Ah my soul why art thou so lazye to look out So backward to cast thine eyes to use thy Prospective to discover Emmanuels land which is afar of what is not the haven of Heaven worthy thy observation is it not joy to hear by thy watchman that thou art neer the fair haven of the holy land Look out look up O soul and rejoyce to see how neer thou