But it ſhall not thoſe dead always retain, 17
A New Compass for Seamen : Ot, CHAP.
XXXI.
Thefeaman'sgreatest danger's near the coaft ; When weare nearest heav'n, the danger's most.
OBSERVATION.
Hough ſeamen meetwith violent ſtorms, yet iftheyhave T fea room enough, they are not muchdiſmayed: but if they find themſelves near the ſhore,they look upontheir condition asverydangerous: the fightofthe ſhore is to them (as Solomon ſpeaksofthe morning in anothercafe) like the ſhadow ofdeath, ifnot able to weather it.
Forone ſhip ſwallowedup inthe ocean, manyperish uponthe coast.
APPLICATION.
Thegreateſt ſtraits and difficulties thatmany faints meet with in all their lives, is whentheycome nearestto heaven, and have almoſt finiſhed their courſe.
Heaven, indeed, is a glorious place, the ſpacious, androyalmanſion of the great king; but difficilia quae pulchra ; ithath a ſtrait and narrow entrance, Luke xiii. 24. O the difficulty of arriving there ! how manyhard tugs in duty, what earnest contention and ſtriving, even to an agony! as that word imports, Luke xiii. 24.
Multitudes put forth, andby profeffion are bound for thisfair haven : butofthe multitudes that put out, how few do arrive there ? Amanmayſet out byagloriousprofeffion, with much reſolution, and continue long therein; he may offer very fair for it, and notbe far from thekingdom ofGod, andyet notbe ableto enter atthe last, Mat. vii. 22.
Yea, and many ofthoſe who are ſincere intheirprofeffion, and do arrive at laſt, yet come to heaven (as Imay ſay) by the gates ofhell ; and put in, as apoor weather-beaten veſſelcomes into the harbour, more like a wreck than a ſhip, neither maſt nor fail left.
The righteous themſelves are ſcarcely faved, (i. e.) they are ſaved with very much difficulty.
They have not all an abundant entrance, as the apostle ſpeaks,2Pet. i. 11 .
Someperſons (as * one well notes) are afaroff, Eph. ii. 23.
' (i. e.) touched with no care of religion: ſome come near, • but never enter, as ſemi-converts.
See Matth. xii. 34.
• Others enter, but with great difficulty, they are ſaved as by fire, 1 Cor. iii. 13. Make an hard ſhift. Butthen there
• are ſomethat go inwith full failbefore the wind, and have ⚫an abundant entrance: theygotriumphingoutoftheworld."
*Manton on Jude. p. 119.
Navigation Spiritualized.
Ah! whenwecome into the narrow channel, at thevery point of entrance into life, the foul is then in the moſt ſerious frame ; all things look with a new face; confcience ſcans our evidence moſt critically; then, alſo, Satan falls upon us, and makes his foreſt aſfaults, and batteries.
Itis the laſt encounter; if they eſcapehim now, they are gone out of his reach for ever : and if he cannot hinder their ſalvation, yet if he can but cloud theirevening, and makethem go groaning and howling out of theworld, he reaches another end by it, even to confirm and prejudice thewicked, and weaken the hands of others that are looking towards religion.
REFLECTION .
If this be ſo, how inevitable is my perdition, may the care leſs ſoul ſay ?
If they that ſtrive ſo much, and go ſo far, yet periſh at laſt ; and if the righteous themselves are ſcarcely ſaved, then where ſhall ſuch an ungodlycreature as I appear ?
Lord! if they that have made religion their buſineſs, and have beenmanyyears pursuing awork of mortification, have gone mourning after the Lord Jeſus, andwalked humbly withGod ; yet if some of theſe have ſuch an hard tug at laſt, then what will become of ſuch a vain, ſenſual, careleſs, fleſh-pleaſing wretch as I have been ?
Again, Do faints find it ſo ſtrait an entrance ? Then, though I havewell-grounded hopes of ſafe arrival at laſt ; yet let me look to it, that I do not increaſe the difficulty. Ah ! they are the things that are now done, or omitted, that put confcience into ſuch an agony then; for then itcomes to reviewthe life with the moſt ſerious eye. O let me not ſtick mydeath bedfull of thorns, againſt I come to liedown upon it. O that I may turn to the wall, in that hour, as Hezekiah did, 2 Kings xx.
2, 3. and ſay, " Remember now, O Lord, how Ihave walked " before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart," &c.
The POЕМ.
AFter atedious paſſage, faintsdefcry The glorious ſhore, ſalvationbeing nigh :
Death's long boat's launch'd, ready to ſet aſhore Their pantingfouls. O how they tug at oar,
Longing tobe at reſt ! but then they find The hardest tug of all is yet behind.
Juſt at the harbour's mouth they fee the wreck Of fouls there caſt away, anddriven back.
A world of dang'rous rocks before it lie ; The harbour's barr'd, andnow the windsblow high :
VOL . VI .
A New Compass for Seamen : Or, Thoughts now arife, fears multiply apace ; All things about them have another face.
Life blazes, juſt like an expiring light, The foul's upon the lip prepar'd for flight.
Death, tillthe refurrection, tears and rends, Out of each other's arms, two parting friends,
The foul and body. Ah! but more than ſo, The devil falls upon them e're they go, With new temptations, back'dwith all his pow'r,
And fcruples, kepton purpoſe for that hour.
This is the last encounter, now, or never ; If he fucceedeth now, they're gone for ever.
Thus in they put, with hardſhip at the laſt, As ſhips out of a ſtorm, norfail, nor maſt :
Yet ſome go inbefore a wind, and have Their ſtreamer of afſurance flying brave.
Lord, give me eafier entrance, if thou pleaſe ; Orif I may not there arrive with eaſe, Yet I beseech thee, ſet me ſafe a-ſhore,
Tho' ſtormy windsat harbour's mouth ſhouldroar.
CHAP.
XXXII .
ン Howgladare feamen when they make the shore?
Andfaints, no less, when all their danger's d'er.
OBSERVATION .
WTHAT joy is there among feamen, when at laſt, aftera tedious and dangerous voyage, theydefcry land, and feethe defired haven before them ? Then they turn out of their loathedcabins, and comeupon open deck with much joy. Pfal.
cvii. 30. "Then theyare glad, becauſe theybe quiet:
So he " bringeth them totheir defired haven." Now theycan reflect, with comfort, uponthe manydangerstheyhave paft, Olim haec meminiffe juvabit ; it is ſweet to recountthem.
APPLICATIΟΝ .
But Owhat a tranfcendent joy, yea, ravishing, will over-run the hearts of faints, when, after ſo manyconflicts, temptations, and afflictions, they arrive in glory, and are harboured in heaven, where they ſhall reft for ever ! 2 Theff. i. 7.
The fcripture faith, They ſhall fing the fong of Mofes, and of the Lamb," Rev. xv. 3.
The fong of Mofes was a triumphant fong, compoſed for the celebrationof that glorious deliverance at the red ſea.
The faints are now fluctuating upon a trouble. fomeandtempestuous ſea; their hearts ſometimes ready to fink, and die within them, atthe apprehenfion of fo many and great
Navigation Spiritualized.
dangers and difficulties. Many a hard ſtorm they ride out, andmany ſtraits and troubles they here encounter with, but at laſt they arrive at their defired and long expected haven, and thenheavenrings and reſounds with their joyful acclamations.
Andhow can it be otherwise, when as foon as ever they fet foot uponthat glorious ſhore, Chriſt himself meets and receives them, witha " Come ye bleſſed of my Father," Matth. xxv. 34. Ο joyful voice ! O much defired word ! faith Paraeus, what tribulation would not a man undergo for this word's fake !
Beſides, then theyare perfectlyfreedfrom all evils, whetherof finor fuffering, and perfectly filled with alldefired good. Now they ſhall joinwith that great aſſembly, in the high praiſes of God. O what a day will this be ! if, faid a * worthydivine,
Diagoras died awaywith an exceſs ofjoy, whilst he embraced. his three fons that were crowned as victors in the Olympic games in one day : and good old Simeon, when he faw Chrift but in a body ſubject to the infirmities ofour nature, criedout,
" Now let thy ſervant depart in peace;" what unspeakable joy will itbe tothe faints, tobehold Chriſt in his glory, and fee their godly relations alſo (to whoſe converfion, perhaps, they have beeninſtrumental) all crowned, in oneday, with everlafting diadems of bliss! and if the ſtars did, as Ignatius faith, make a choir, as it were, about that ſtar that appeared at Chrift's incarnation, and there is ſuch joy inheaven at the converfion of a finner ; no wonder, then, the morning ſtars ſing together, and the fons of God ſhout for joy, when the general affembly meet in heaven : O how will the arches of heavenring, and echo, when the high praiſes ofGod ſhall be in the mouth of fuch a congregation ! then ſhall the faints be joyful inglory, and fing aloud upon their beds of everlafting reſt.
REFLECTION.
And is there ſuch aday approaching for the fons ofGod, indeed! andhave I [authority] to call myſelf one ofthe num ber ! John i. 12. O then let menotdroop at preſentdifficulties, norhang down my hands when I meet with hardſhips in the way. O my foul, what a joyful day will this be ! for at prefent we aretoffed uponan ocean of troubles, fears, andtemptations ; but theſe will make heaven the ſweeter.
Chear up, then,O my soul, thy falvation is now nearer than whenthou firſt believedſt, Rom. xiii. 11. and it will not now be long e're I receive the endofmy faith, I Pet. i. 9. and then itwill be ſweet to reſtect evenupon theſe hardſhips in theway.
Sf2 * Morning Exerciſe, p. 651.
New Compass for Seamen : Or, Yet afewdays more, andthencomes thatbleffeddaythouhaft ſo longwaitedand panted for.
Oppoſe the gloryof thatday, Omy foul, to thy preſent abafures and tufferings, as bleſſed
Paul did, Rom. i. 18. and thou shaltſeehowitwill ſhrink them all up to nothing; oppoſetheinheritance thou ſhalt receive in that day, to thy loſſes for Chriſt now; and fee how joyfully it will make thee bear them, Heb. x. 34. oppoſe the honour that will be putuponthee inthatday, to thy preſent reproaches, and ſee howeaſy it will make them tothee, 1 Cor. iv. 5.
What condition can I be in, wherein the believing thoughts of this bleſſedday cannot relieve me ?
Am I poor, here is thatwhich anſwers poverty. Jam. iii. 5.
" Hearken, my beloved brethren,hathnotGodchofen the poor " of thisworld, rich in faith, andheirsof thekingdom ?"
Am I tempted ? here is relief against that, Rev. xii. 16, " Now is comeſalvationand ſtrength ; for the accufer of our
" brethren is caft down," &c.
Am I deſerted ? Here is a remedy for that too, Rev. xxii. 5.
" And there ſhall be no night there," &c.
Come then, my foul, let us enterupon our inheritancebydegrees, and begin the life of heaven upon earth.
W The POEM.
HEN Solomon in Iſrael firſt was king, Heav'n's arches, earth's foundations, ſeem'd toring
With joyful exclamations ? How much more Will heav'n reſound, when ſaints are come a-ſhore !
How will the raviſhed ſouls tranſported be At the firſt glimpse of Chriſt ! whomthey ſhall ſee
In all his glory; and ſhall live, and move, Like ſalamanders, inthe fire of love.
Afloodof tears convey'd them to thegate Where endleſs joys receiv'd them.
Now thedate Of all their forrow's out ; henceforth theywalk In robes of glory. Now there's no more talk
Of fears, temptations, of that ſnare, or this :
No ferpent in that paradiſe doth hiſs.
Mo more deſertions, troubled thoughts, or tears ; Chriſt's full enjoyment ſuperſedes thoſe fears.
Delights of princes courts are all but toys To theſe delights, theſeare tranſcendent joys,
Thejoysof Chriſt himself ; of what theyare, Anangel's tongue wou'd ſtammer todeclare.
Wereourconceptionsclear, didtheir tonguesgo Unto theirEla, yetthe note's too low.
Navigation Spiritualized.
What! paintthefun too bright ! it cannotbe ; Sure heaven ſuffers no hyperbole.
My thoughts are ſwallow'd up, mymuſedothtire, Andhangherwings, conception foarsno higher.
Give meaplace among thy childrenthere, Altho' I ly withthemindungeons here, I
A concluding SPEECH.
Havenowdone, and am looking toheaven for a bleſſingupon theſeweak labours ; what uſe you will make of them, I know not, but this I know, that the day is coming, whenGod will reckonwith you for this, and all other helps and means afforded to you : and if it be not improved by you, be fure it will be produced as a witneſs against you.
Sirs, I beg you, in the name of Chriſt, before whom both you and I must ſhortly appear, thatyou receive not theſe things in vain. Did
Iknow what other lawful means to uſe that might reach your hearts, they ſhould not be in vain to you ; but I cannot do
God's part of the work, nor your's : only I request you all, both maſters, common men, and all others into whoſe hands this ſhall come, that you will lay toheart whatyou read ; pray unto him that hath the key of the house of David, that openeth and noman ſhutteth, to open your hearts to give entertainment to theſe truths. Alas ! if you apply it not toyourſelves,
Ihave labouredtono purpoſe; the penofthe ſcribe is invain : but God may make ſuch an application of them, in one ſtorm or another, as maymake your hearts to tremble. O firs ! when death and eternity lookyou in the face, conſcience may reflect upontheſe things to your horror and amazement, andmake you cry out, as Prov. v. 12, 13.
" How have I hated knowledge, " andmyheart deſpiſed reproof! and havenot obeyedthe voice
*" of my teacher, nor inclined my ears to them that inſtructed " me ?"
And O what a dreadful ſhriek will fuch fouls give, when the Lord opens their eyes to ſee that miſery that they are here warned of !
But if the Lord ſhall bleſs theſe things, to your converfion, then we may fay to you, as Moſes did to Zebulun, the mariners tribe, Deut. xxxiii. 12. " Rejoice Zebu- " lun in thy going out."
The Lord will be with you, which way ſoever you turn yourſelves ; and being in the boſom ofthe covenant, you are ſafe in the midst of alldangers. Othou, that art the Father of ſpirits, that formedſt and canft easily reform the heart, open thou the blind eye, unſtop the deaf ear, let theword take hold upon the heart.
If thou wilt but ſay the word, theſe weak labours ſhall profper, to bring home many loſtſouls unto thee. Amen.