The Christians Compass, Chapter 7 – Chapter 8
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 onelyonly 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 …nk a ſhip; And a little negligence in looking out at Sea, may indanger all unawares; walk therefore circumſpectly, Eph 5.15. Ste…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.
5. Never wiſh raſhly for death, N.W.nor love life too inordinately. Call not for death before its 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 ſo frowardly wiſh for? what if death ſhould come at I wiſh, would duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page 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 determinedus. 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 and 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 came, when they had not ſpace nor grace to do either, and ſo periſhed for ever for the defect of that which they did defer. 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 thy 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 the 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) juſtification (Lord) peace (Lord) life, glory, all for thy Chriſts ſake and upon the account of thy free grace.
8. Now wellcome Chriſt N. & by W: if at death thou wilt be welcomed by Chriſt. 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 feet 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. Welcom Chriſt in a ſickneſs though ſharp; in a ſermon though plain; in providence though terrible. In al things, in ev'ry thing wherein Chriſt is; O bid him welcome now, ſo will he bid you we…ome when you come to dye. If you ask where hee'l bid you welcome? Take it in a word, Hee'l bid you welcom 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 holineſſe to death; and by death we are in our Chriſtian circle come about to God again. And thus we have our princi…al Points in our Sea or Saint-Compaſſe.
CHAP. VIII.
The points 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 laſt head of ſpiritual Navigation. But I muſt add a word or two more. The occaſion is this, I perceive my Sea-Compaſſe 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, quick, enlightned, and inlivened conſcience is the only point upon which we muſt erect the practical rules of our Christian Compaſs. Minde that therefore. Herein imitate that great Pilot Paul; Lab… alwayes to have a conſcience void of offence towards God and man. That 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 ſtere 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 written 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 compaſſe, you must make conſcience of the ſame. 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 ſelfe in all things as neer as poſſible according to this compaſſe. 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 ſmal rejoyceing 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 thoſe rules and that compaſſe, That may be, and thus are agreeable to his own word.
Secondly, For the box in which this comp…ſſe muſt be kept. I ſhall onelyonly name our MEMORY. O treaſure ye theſe rules there; and ſtrive to be as ready and expert in this compaſſe, as the Mariner is in his Sea-Compaſſe 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 compaſſe too large; and I fear the biggeſt and beſt memories could not have contained it. But tis ſhort, that the ſmalleſt memory might retain it. Wherefore do as our Seaboyes do at firſt, Con over this Compaſſe 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 rightly and ſafely to ſteer and carry thy ſelfe 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, where thou ſhalt have cauſe to bleſſe God for the little help of this ſhort Compaſs.