The Christians Compass, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Mixed maritine, 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 me and death. It's but this board of which the ſhip is made, if that break I am gone; my burial place is alwayes by me; I ſhal need no Sexton to dig my grave; my dead body will make its 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 land marks? And how careful is the ſteerſman at the helm, 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 eſpy land, to diſcover ſhoar and harbour whereto they ſail? And what welcome newes 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 lazie to look out? So backward to caſt thine eyes, to uſe thy Proſpective to diſcover Emmanuels Land, which is afar off? 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 art to thy bleſſed port.
4. What care is there of this cable to preſerve and ſtrengthen it, both that it may hold faſt to the Anchor, and that it may not break any where, but hold faſt the ſhip to it? Surely I have in my veſſell both my Cables I have in my veſſell both my Cables and Anchor too, (The great promiſes of grace, and the good hope which is through that grace, as it is 2 Theſſ. 2.16) and this Anchor is caſt within the vail, Heb. 6.19. where it hath ſure ground, from whence it will not ſlip. Why do I not carefully and diligently attend it? Why do I not ſtudy to ſecure theſe Cables and this Anchor, that in every ſtorm and tempeſt they may ſecure me?
5. With what deſires do all the Seamen tarry and pray for a good winde? How troubled are they at a croſs winde? and how much perplexed at a calm? What means all this, but a deſire to ſpeed the voyage, and to arrive the intended and deſired Port, which a calme and no winde doth as well hinder as a ſtorm and croſs winde. Call thou (O my ſoule) upon the Spirit (who is the breath of God, and the winde of the ſoul-ſhip) call upon him to ariſe & blow. Be grieved when thou art becalmed, ſo as that thou muſt float and fluctuate upon the waters of this world for want of the winde and gales of the Spirit. Mourn likewiſe when thou art hindered ſo as that thou canſt not ſpeed, and haſte in thy Heavenly Voyage, by reaſon of croſs breathings and oppoſite windes of thy corruptions. Be ſure diligently to obſerve everie gale; ſpread all thy ſailes; neglect no opportunity; take the winde of the Spirit when it blows, and rejoyce, that in the help of it t…ou haſteſt to thy deſired port.
6. What labour and paines doe all take in a ſtorme? How do theſe tend the ſails, and thoſe the pump? How do theſe ſtand by this, and the others by the other rope? And how do all ſecretly [at leaſt] cry out and ſay, Lord ſave us, that we periſh not! Why then doeſt thou (O my ſoule) Jonah-like lye and ſleep ſecurely in many a tempeſt which doth befall thee? Is the ſinking of thy ſoul leſs then the periſhing of a ſhip? or art reſolved deſperately to go a-drift, to ſee if God will ſave thee at a venture? O take heed of this, Awake and call upon thy God; up and take hold of the means. Set every faculty a work: This is the hour and power of darkneſs, as Chriſt ſaid, [truly we may ſpeak it of our preſent times.] If ever there were a tempeſtuous time now it is. Soul! art inſenſible? Doſt not thou ſee before thee many an Alexandrean, and Hymean ſhipwrack, as it is, 1 Tim. 1.19. Hark! The windes blow, the floods ariſe, thy ſails and rigging are rent and torn; many a ſtately ſhip is ſunk by thee; and thy leaks are more then the pump of thy repentance can clear; yet hope in God, and be laborious; though ſalvation be of grace, yet good ſecurity is not without works and diligence.
7. How doth each Mariner and Seaman eye, and care for the whole crew as well as himſelf? How doth he mainly intend the ſafety of the whole veſſell, while yet he ſingly cares for his own Cabbin? What a ſafe and ſweet harmony is there between the care of the whole and each particular part? And how well doth ſelfe and the publike conſiſt together? Fool that I am, why do I not thus in the ſhip of the Church, ſeek as well the good of others as of my ſelfe? Minde ſo my owne, as not to neglect others; and minde ſo others, as yet particularly to minde my ſelfe. How many (like him in the Goſpel) ask concerning the number or multitude of ſuch as ſhall be ſaved; and yet in the interim, neglect to ſtir themſelves to ſecure their own ſalvation, by ſtriving to enter in at the ſtrait gate? And how many ſo ſingly eye themſelves, and enquire what they ſhall do to be ſaved; that they ſeem altogether to neglect, and not to care for others? Steer (Oh my ſoul!) a ſtrait courſe between theſe rocks; regard thy ſelf, and yet minde thy fellow-paſſengers. Let not ſelf-privacy wrong the publike, nor a Pragmatick publickneſs cheat ſelf.
8. How oft hath a calm evening deceived the Seaman, who when he thought he might go to his cabbin and ſleep ſecurely, hath bin raiſed up in half a watch by ſome unexpected and boyſterous ſtorm? And on the oher hand, How hath ſome ſtormy day (which made the Seamen fear a tempestuous and ſad night) how oft hath ſuch a day ended in a calm at night? So that when he thought to watch with fear, he could go and lie down to ſleep in peace. Surely thus it hath bin more then once with thee [O my ſoul] in the voyage over the Sea of this world. Many a ſtorm haſt thou unexpectedly met withall, when viſible appearances promiſed nothing but peace & joy; ſo that when-as thou haſt ſaid, I wil lie me down in peace &c. and my mountain is ſo ſure I ſhal not be moved; how upon a ſudden hath God hid his face, and the tempter aroſe in a tempeſt and thou wert ſuddenly troubled? ſo that where thou wert ready to ſay, I am in peace, & may reſt ſweetly, Trouble came and thou wert afflicted, and toſſed as with a tempeſt, and not comforted. But canſt not thou call to minde on the contrary to thy Redeemers praiſe, that ſomtime thou haſt expected trouble, and yet haſt met with peace? And when thou haſt ſaid [Hezekiah-like] I ſhal go in bitterneſs ſoftly all my dayes; then hath not the Lord ere thou didſt expect it, ſpeak peace in the blood of the Croſs, & by the word of the Promiſe? ſo that about the evening time [when thodidſt fear a night of darkneſs and tempeſt] it was light, and thou couldſt reſt and lie down with joy in the bed of grace, in the boſome of Jeſus. Recall (O ſoul) thy ſpiritual experiences to remembrance by theſe ſea-obſervations.
9. How beautiful is the ſhip, when under ſail, going before a fair winde, and making fine weather? With what eaſe and cheerfulneſs do all the ſailors tend their buſineſs? And how ſweet and pleaſant is ſuch a paſſage, when neither windes nor waves do in the leaſt interrupt or indanger the ſhip in its courſe? Hath it not been thus ſometimes with thee (O my ſoul) hast not thou ſometimes ſailed with a full and fair gale? Have not the winds above thee, and the waters under thee, ſweetly ſerved thee in thy voyage? Haſt not ſpeeded well, and ſailed farr upon ſome Watches? Verily it becomes thee to call to minde ſuch former dayes, and to render praiſe even for what is paſt: And by or from the thought of ſome former Soul-calm, and ſweet experiences (which then thou haſt enjoyed) to learne to live, and hope in any tempeſt and ſtorm that hereafter thou mayeſt meet withall.
10. How uſeful and ſerviceable is every Rope, yea the leaſt (about the ſhip) in its proper place? And how well skilled are the Sea-men in them? How do they know them all by name? and with what dexterity and ſtrength do they hand, and hale, and hold any of them as occaſion is? Surely (O my ſoul!) all thy ſpiritual tackling is uſeful and neceſſary. Every word of God is good. Every precept, promiſe, threatning, experience, &c. all, and each of theſe are occaſionally to be remembred & improved: yea every work and providence, every mercy and affliction ſhould be known (as it were) by Name: And wert thou but divinely dextrous, and ſpiritually skilful, thou mighteſt make ſpecial uſe of all in thy ſpiritual Navigation.
11. The ſhip hath not onelyonly Merchandize and treaſure in its hold, but it carryes force and ſtrength upon its Decks. Here are inſtruments of war; guns, &c. to ſecure from enemies and pyrates, as well as Commodities to traffick withall. all. And ſurely (O my ſoul) it becomes thee to minde the weapons of thy warfare, that whole Armor of God, which out of the Magazine of the Scriptures thou art to be furniſhed withall. Go into, and take a ſight of the Armory as 'tis opened Eph. 6.14, 15, 16, 17. There are Enemyes and Pyrates upon the ſoul-Sea: Men (yea and devils) of wrath and war, that way-lay thee. Expect an onſet, and provide. None ever did paſſe over the Sea of the world, but met with Pyrates. Thou muſt reſiſt and fight (yea, and that unto blood) to ſecure thy ſelf from being taken or ſunk. and remember this, and look about thee (O my ſoul) thou carryeſt petty Pyrates within thee, that will never fight for thee, (fleſh will not fight againſt the world and Satan) nay, which war againſt thy ſoul. Look to it therefore to watch againſt thoſe within, that thou mayeſt the better maintain thy fight without.
12. Still by our Helm ſtands the compaſſe, that the ſteerſman may alwayes eye it. As ſoon as his hand is on the Helm, his eye is on the Compaſſe; and with what exactneſs & ſtrength doth he hold the Helm, to ſteer to a point by that! Thus it becomes thee (O my poor ſoul) to eye thy Compaſſe in all thy stirring and ſteering up and down the world. It's not enough to hand and hold the Helm, to put forth ſtrength to ſtir and do, (indeed this is very good againſt idleneſs) but thou muſt eye the rule, that while thou ſtirreſt it may be within (as we ſay) are according to Compaſſe. Many who are not idle, are yet evil employed; who though they ſtir, yet it's not according to compaſſe; and it is a thouſand to one if they run not aground upon ſome Rock ot Sand. But let the word be in thy hand, in thy heart; keep it, that it may guide thee. Remember & retain it. (O my ſoul) as a certain truth, That they make ſhipwrack of their ſoul who ey not, and ſteer not according to Compaſs, how active and zealous ſoever they be otherwiſe. Actions that are irregular and without Compaſs, are as bad as direct idleneſs, if not often worſe.