Page images
PDF
EPUB

toffed by the forefaid teaspefts, Job 16.8, 12, 13.14. 3. The Soul of Man is the rich Cargo carried in this Ship or Veffel of the Body, which indeed is of greater worth than the merchandize of Silver and Gold, & all precious things, being of incomparable yalue, Pfal. 49. 8. Matth. 16. 26.

4. The black fate of Nature and Sin is the Port from whence we loofe: and indeed to be in this State, is none other than to be in the Confines and Suburbs of Hell, from whence we should be mightily concerned to let out with greateft fpeed and fo licitude, A&. 26. 18.

5. The Circumference and Line of the Visible Church is the Hemisphere and H-rizion, within which the Chriftian adventurer is to move and fail.

6. The Pyrrats, Rocks, Shelves, and Sand-banks, that we are in danger of, are Satan, the World, & our divers Lufts: of which we have spoken before,

7. The Affections of the Soul are the Sails, which when boiled aloft with Divine Inspirations, make e Chriftian fail faft and profperously, Song. 6. 12. 8, The Breathings of the Spirit of God are the spicious Gale and blessed Wind, that fills the Sails for artbering the Voyage; the which spiritual Gales Dlow where and when they lift, whiles more faftly and gently, whiles more frongly and liberally Cant, 4.16 ihn z 8, Ads 2. 2. 3

9 The feveral Chriflian-duties & Offices of Den votion towards God, and Charity towards Men, are the Tackling, to be handled & managed according to occafion occurrent for carrying on this Vovage. 10, The Holy Word of God is the Compa and Gard

Bard, by the Rules, Points, & Directions whereof we are to fleer our Chriftian courfe. lia. 8. 20, To the Law and to the Teflimonie, &c. Gal, 6, 16.

11. Confcience is the Helm or Rudder, that com mands and turns the Ship as there is need and oc cafion, Rom, 1. 15.

12. The Graces of the Spirit of Ged, are both the Ballast and the Anchor, which are most needfall for the fafetie of the Ship, when Tempefts a rife, Pfal. 42, 11. Heb. 6, 19.

13. All true Believers who fet out for Immanuels Land are Fellowspafengers.

14. The Minifters of the Gofpel in special, and alfe in fome fenfe the Angels of God are the Scamen and Mariners, who Guide and Sail this Richly loaden Ship, A 16. 17. Heb. 13. 7. 17. x Cor. 3. 5. 9, Heb. 1. 14.

1

15. God Almighty who bath His Way in the Deep-waters, & commands the Swelling-furges of the Ocean at His Pleasure, He is the Grand Pilot, Who Guides & Governs all, Ifa. 43. L, 2.63.13.

16. The preached Word and Sacraments are the Provifions, and cbis good quality have they,that they never Mould or Corrupt, Matth. 28. 19, 20,

17.Heaven is the Haven and Country to which this Ship is Bound, where all manner Commodities and Riches are in Endlefs Store, Heb, 11. 10,13,14,16.

18. The particular Port that the Chriftian delires to Arrive at, is Chrif, He, He is the Safe Harbour where the toffed with Tempefts find full and per petual Rea, fa, 54; 9, 10, 11, Marth, 11. 28.

SECTION VIL

5. Caution, BE Eware ye engage not in throng of Trade either above your Skill or your Stack; there are many who out of Vanity and Af. | f&tation of a Name of great Merchants, or eut of an inordinate Defire of being foon and very Rich, have ventured upon and undertaken multiplicity & variety of Bulinels, for the management whereof neither their ability of Parts, or.Purfe has been es qual, and I have konwn fome of this foolish humour, who have foon plaid Bankrupts, and funk under the weight of their unweeldie Affairs, and fo inftead of having great Trade, have reduced them. felves to no Trade, whereas if there had been a difcreet and moderate proportioning of their Trade to their Stock, they might haply have conti nued (tanding Merchants and alfo in process of time have increafed their Stock till to greater things, hence we have a Proverb, let never a man put forth bis arms farther than his fleeve will let him; fo as to our Spiritual trade, there are fome to be cautioned, who are ready from a principle of rafh Zeal to pro. ject and atchieve great things, that they were never able to through, and alfo we have known fome of hort tanding,hallow capacities, and weak enough abilities, who have attempted to talk and debate in very bigh floone Points, and knotty Cafes. that has troubled both judici us Divinės, learned Lawyers,

wife Politicians, how to determine and refolve

nt,yet I fay we have known fome fuch that

[ocr errors]

have been fo high in their own conceit, and fo big. got in venting and afferting their own conceits that they have with boldaefs enough condemned & caft off all that would not barmonize with their humour, whereby it hath appeared, that whatever they had more than others in their Opinion, farely they had net enough of Charity, Prudence, Soliditie, & found Understanding; but however methinks Illiterate and ordinary fort of Folk fhould be ready to fufpect their own Light & Perfwahion, efpecially in things that lye extraordinary high above their Sphere and Capacity. I would have fuch Perfons thinking of what David fays, who furely was both a Wife and a Good Man, Pfal. 131. 1. Lord,my heart is not boughs ty, nor mine eyes lofty, neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

6. Caution. If you grow Rich by Trade, do not attribute this to your own induftrie or skill, this is the way to fet felf in Gods room, and to rob Him of His due, for furely to Him alone belongs Bleding & Praife, for all that we are or have; The Maker of all things doth diftribute what He hath made even as Himfelf willeth; hence faith Hannah in her Song, 1 Sam. 3.7 8. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich, he bringeth low, and lifteth up, &c. Now therefore our God, we thank and praife Thy Glerious Name, for Thine is the Greatnefs and the Power, c. and all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth it is Thine, botb Riches and Honour come of Thee. I Chron. 29, 11, 12, 13, 16. See Deut, 8. 12, 13, 14, 1

Even fo whatever Riches of Grace or Attainm of Godliness our Spiritual Merchant may an

let him beware that be attribute not this to his own frequency or diligence in Duties, but thankfully res fer the acceptance thereof to the free Love and Liz beralitie of God, from Whom we have every good and perfect Gift, Jam, 1, 17.

7 Caution. If ye abound either in Spiritual er Earthly Riches, beware ye wax neither Proud nor Wanton, Ezek. 28. 5. By thy traffick ba thou increrf edthy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches. So likewife O fpiritual Merchants have a care that your gracious Attainments or Gifts do not puff you up, or corrupt your Minds, which is a Plague & Error many times incident even to good People.proceeding from that natural felf-conceited nefs, & felf-deceitfulnefs, that is rooted in the hearts of all men, hence faith the Apoftle, Gal, 6 3. If man think himself to be fomething when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But furely fuch Perfons do not fe riously confider, that whatever Gifts or Graces they have, yet they may be far fhort of fome others who eminently outfhine and excell them, nor do they confider that they are far fhort of what they thems felves might have attained to; neither do they con fider that what Gifts or Graces they have, are not their own, but come from God, for who maketh thee to differ from another and what haft thou that thou did not receive? now if thou didst re ceive it, why dost thou glorie as if thou badat not received it è 1 Cor. 4. and as they are not their own, fo neither is it in their power to preferve them, for God can take back again His own Gifts, and fame

quite blafts them as in the Cafe of Saul, Achi

Tophel

« PreviousContinue »