dangers and difficulties. Many a hard ftorm they ride out, and many ftraits and troubles they here encounter with, but at laft they arrive at their defired and long expected haven, and then heaven rings and refounds with their joyful acclamations. And how can it be otherwife, when as foon as ever they fet foot upon that glorious fhore, Chrift himself meets and receives them, with a "Come ye blessed of my Father," Matth. xxv. 34. O joyful voice! O much defired word! faith Paraeus, what tribulation would not a man undergo for this word's fake!

:

*

Befides, then they are perfectly freed from all evils, whether of fin or fuffering, and perfectly filled with all defired good. Now they fhall join with that great affembly, in the high praises of God. O what a day will this be ! if, faid a worthy divine, Diagoras died away with an exccfs of joy, whilft 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 fubject to the infirmities of our nature, cried out, "Now let thy fervant depart in peace;" what unspeakable joy will it be to the faints, to behold Chrift in his glory, and fee their godly relations alfo (to whofe converfion, perhaps, they have been inftrumental) all crowned, in one day, with everlafting diadems of blifs! and if the ftars did, as Ignatius faith, make a choir, as it were, about that star that appeared at Christ's incarnation, and there is fuch joy in heaven at the converfion of a finner; no wonder, then, the morning ftars fing together, and the fons of God fhout for joy, when the general affembly meet in heaven: O how will the arches of heaven ring, and echo, when the high praifes of God fhall be in the mouth of fuch a congregation! then fhall the faints be joyful in glory, and fing aloud upon their beds of everlasting rest.

REFLECTION.

And is there fuch a day approaching for the fons of God, indeed! and have I [authority] to call myself one of the num ber! John i. 12. O then let me sot droop at prefent difficulties, nor hang down my hands when I meet with hardships in the way. O my foul, what a joyful day will this be ! for at prefeut we are toffed upon an ocean of troubles, fears, and temptations; but thefe will make heaven the fweeter.

Chear up, then, O my foul, thy falvation is now nearer than when thou first believedft, Rom, xiii. 11. and it will not now be long e're I receive the end of my faith, 1 Pet. i. 9. and then it will be fweet to reflect even upon these hardships in the way.

Morning Exercise, P. 651.

Yet a few days more, and then comes that bleffed day thou haft fo long waited and panted for. Oppofe the glory of that day, O my foul, to thy prefent abafures and fufferings, as blessed Paul did, Rom. i. 18. and thou fhalt fee how it will fhrink them all up to nothing; oppofe the inheritance thou shalt receive in that day, to thy loffes for Chrift now; and fee how joyfully it will make thee bear them, Heb. x. 34. oppose the honour that will be put upon thee in that day, to thy present reproaches, and fee how eafy it will make them to thee, I Cor. iv. 5. What condition can I be in, wherein the believing thoughts of this bleffed day cannot relieve me?

Am I poor, here is that which anfwers poverty. Jam. iii. 5. "Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chofen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?"

Am I tempted? here is relief against that, Rev. xii. 16, "Now is come falvation and strength; for the accufer of our "brethren is caft down," &c.

Am I deferted? Here is a remedy for that too, Rev. xxii. 5. "And there fhall be no night there," &c. Come then, my foul, let us enter upon our inheritance by degrees, and begin the life of heaven upon earth.

W

The POE M.

HEN Solomon in Ifrael firft was king,

Heav'n's arches, earth's foundations, feem'd to ring With joyful exclamations? How much more

Will heav'n refound, when faints are come a-fhore !
How will the ravifh'd fouls transported be

At the first glimpse of Chrift! whom they fhall fee
In all his glory; and fhall live, and move,
Like falamanders, in the fire of love.

A flood of tears convey'd them to the gate
Where endless joys receiv'd them. Now the date
Of all their forrow's out; henceforth they walk
In robes of glory. Now there's no more talk
Of fears, temptations, of that foare, or this:
No ferpent in that paradife doth hifs.

Mo more desertions, troubled thoughts, or tears
Chrift's full enjoyment fuperfedes thofe fears.
Delights of princes courts are all but toys
To thefe delights, thefe are tranfcendent joys,
The joys of Chrift himself; of what they are,
An angel's tongue wou'd ftammer to declare.
Were our conceptions clear, did their tongues ga
Unto their Ela, yet the note's too low.

What! paint the fun too bright! it cannot be ;
Sure heaven fuffers no hyperbole.

My thoughts are fwallow'd up, my mufe doth tire,
And hang her wings, conception foars no higher.
Give me a place among thy children there,
Altho' I ly with them in dungeons here,

I

A concluding SPEECH.

Have now done, and am looking to heaven for a blessing upon these weak labours; what ufe you will make of them, I know not, but this I know, that the day is coming, when God will reckon with 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 Chrift, before whom both you and I muft fhortly appear, that you receive not thefe things in vain. Did I know 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 whofe hands this shall come, that you will lay to heart what you read; pray unto him that hath the key of the house of David, that openeth and no man fhutteth, to open your hearts to give entertainment to these truths. Alas! if you apply it not to yourselves, I have laboured to no purpofe; the pen of the fcribe is in vain : but God may make fuch an application of them, in one storm or another, as may make your hearts to tremble. O firs! when death and eternity look you in the face, confcience may reflect upon these things to your horror and amazement, and make you cry out, as Prov. v. 12, 13. "How have I hated knowledge,

and my heart defpifed reproof! and have not obeyed the voice "of my teacher, nor inclined my ears to them that inftructed "me?" And O what a dreadful fhriek will fuch fouls give, when the Lord opens their eyes to fee that mifery that they are here warned of! But if the Lord fhall blefs these things, to your converfion, then we may fay to you, as Mofes did to Zebulun, the mariners tribe, Deut. xxxiii. 12. " Rejoice Zebu"lun in thy going out." The Lord will be with you, which way foever you turn yourfelves; and being in the bofom of the covenant, you are fafe in the midst of all dangers. O thou, that art the Father of spirits, that formedft and canft easily reform the heart, open thou the blind eye, unstop the deaf ear, let the word take hold upon the heart. If thou wilt but say the word, thefe weak labours fhall profper, to bring home many loft fouls unto thee. Amen.

A PATHETICAL and SERIOUS

DISSUASIVE

From the horrid and deteftable SINS of Drunkenness, Swearing, Uncleannefs, forgetfulness of Mercies, violation of Promifes, and Atheistical Contempt of Death.

Applied by way of CAUTION to SE AMEN, and now added as an APPENDIX to their NEW COMPASS.

Being an ESSAY toward their much-defired Reformation: fit to be feriously recommended to their profane Relations, whether Seamen or others, by all fuch as unfeignedly defire their eternal Welfare.

To the right worshipful Sir JOHN FREDERICK, Kt, one of the worshipful Aldermen of the City of London, and their honourable BURGESS in the prefent Parliament: And to the truly religious and ever honoured Mr JOHN LOVERING, of the city of London, merchant.

Much honoured and efteemed,

Although there is an excellent tile and adva a vast be

tery, yet there is an excellent ufe and advantage to be made of them: partly to encourage perfons of worth and eminency to efpouse the intereft of religion themselves; and partly to oblige thofe readers, for whom fuch books are principally intended, to a diligent perufal of them, by interefling fuch per fons in them, for whom they have great refpects, or on whom they have any dependence.

Upon the first account, a dedication would be needless to you; for I am perfuaded, you do not only in your judgment approve the defign I here manage, viz. The reformation of the profane and loofer fort of our feamen; but are alfo heartily willing to improve your intereft to the uttermoft for the pro motion of it. I cannot look upon you as perfons acted by that low and common fpirit that the most of your profeffion are acted by, who little regard, if they be good fervants to them, whe

ther God have any fervice from them or no; and if they pay them the wages due for their work, never think of the wages they are to receive for their fin. You are judged to be perfons of another fpirit, who do not only mind, but advance Chrift's interest above your own, and negotiate for his glory, as well as for your own gain: reft as well as God's: Subordinata non pugnant. Your intereft is never more profperously managed, or abundantly secured, than when it is carried on in a due fubordination to God's. Their reformation will apparently tend to your advantage. Thofe fins of theirs, against which I have here engaged, are the Jonahs in your hips; it is fin that finks them, and drives them against the rocks. "One finner deftroyeth much good," Eccl. viii. 1. How much more a lewd crew of them confpiring to provoke God! the death of their lufts, is the more probable means to give life to your trade. And as thefe counfels profper in their hearts, fo will your bufinefs thrive in your hands. Piety and profperity are married together in that promife, Pfal. i. 3. Oncfimus was never fo profitable a fervant to Philemon, as when he became his brother in a spiritual, as well as his fervant in a civil capacity, Philem. verf. 11. and 16. compared. And yet if your intereft were forced to step back, to give way to Chrift's, I hope you would (notwithstanding) rejoice therein. So that my prefent bufioefs is, not fo much to perfuade you, whofe hearts, I hope, God hath already perfuaded to fo good a work; as to make your fames and refpects, which are great among them, an innocent bait to tempt them to their du

and yet herein you confult your own inte

iy.

And if either your names or intereft may be useful to fuch an end, I prefume I may ufe them freely, and welcome; for, fure I am, they can never be put to a better ufe.

Well then, I will make bold to fend this fmall adventure in your ships; and if the return of it be but the converfion of one foul to God, I fhall reckon that I have made a better voyage than you, let your returns be never fo rich.

How these things will affect them, I know not. I do fuppofe it will produce different effects upon them, according to the different tempers of their fpirits, and according as God fhall command, or fufpend the bleffing. Poffibly fome will, florm at the clofe and cutting rebukes of the word, (for most mens lufts are a great deal more fenfible and tender than their confciences) and will fondly imagine that this neceffary plainnefs tends to their reproach. But if none but the guilty can be fuppofed to be angry at them, they will thereby reproach themselves a great deal more than ever I intended to do.