A39673:33
Navigation spiritualizedNavigation spiritualiz'd
Navigation spiritualized: or, A new compass for seamen consisting of XXXII points of pleasant observations, profitable applications, and serious reflections: all concluded with so many spiritual poems. Whereunto is now added, I. A sober consideration of the sin of drunkenness. II. The harlots face in the Scripture-glass. III. The art of preserving the fruit of the lips. IV. The resurrection of buried mercies and promises. V. The sea-mans catechism. Being an essay toward their much desired reformation from the horrible and detestable [sic] sins of drunkenness, swearing, uncleanness, forgetfulness of mercies, violation of promises, and atheistical contempt of death. Fit to be seriously recommended to their profane relations, whether sea-men or others, by all such as unfeignedly desire their eternal welfare. By John Flavel, minister of the Gospel.Navigation spiritualiz'd: or, A new compass for seamen consisting of XXXII points of pleasant observations, profitable applications, and serious reflections: all concluded with so many spiritual poems. Whereunto is now added, I. A sober consideration of the sin of drunkenness. II. The harlots face in the Scripture-glass. III. The art of preserving the fruit of the lips. IV. The resurrection of buried mercies and promises. V. The sea-mans catechism. Being an essay toward their much desir'd reformation from the horrible and destable [sic] sins of drunkenness, swearing, uncleanness, forgetfulness of mercies, violation of promises, and atheistical contempt of death. Fit to be seriously recommmended to their profane relations, whether sea-men or others, by all such as unfeignedly desire their eternal welfare. By John Flavel, minister of the Gospel.
London: printed for M. Fabian, 1698
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. Consider, what if through want of skill in the heavenly Art of spiritual Navigation, thou shouldst not steer thy C••rse aright! I will instance only in two consequents thereof. 1. Thou wilt never ⟨image 11⟩arrive at the Haven of Happiness. 2. Thou shalt be drowned in the Ocean of God's wrath. As true as the Word of God is true; as sure as the Heavens are over thy head, and the Earth under thy feet; as sure as thou yet livest and breathest in this Air: so true and certain it is, thou shalt never enter into Heaven, but sink into the depth of the bottomless pit. Am I not herein a Messenger of the saddest Tidings that ever yet thy Ears did hear? Possibly now thou makest a light matter of these things, because thou dost not know what it is to miss of Heaven, and what it is for ever to lie under the wrath of God: but hereafter thou wilt know fully, what it is to have thy Soul lost eternally, so lost, as that God's mercies, and all the good there is in Christ, shall never save it; and as God hath set and ordered things, can never save it. Hereafter thou wilt be perfectly sensible of the good that thou mightest have had, and of the evil that shall be upon thee (this is God's peculiar Prerogative, to make a Creature as sensible of Misery as he pleaseth,) then thou wilt have other thoughts of these things than now thou hast.1 Then the thoughts of thy mind shall be busied about thy lost Condition, both as to the pain of loss, and the pain of sense; so that thou shalt not be able to take any ease any moment: then, that thy torments may be increased, they acknowledge, the truth of thy apprehensions, yea. the strength of them, shall be increased; thou shalt have true and deep apprehensions of the greatness of that good that thou shalt miss of, and of that evil which thou shalt procure unto thy self; and then thou shalt not be able to choose, but to apply all thy loss, all thy misery to thy self, which will force thee to roar out, O my ⟨image 11⟩loss! O my misery! O my unconceivable unrecoverable loss and misery! Yea, for the increasing of thy torments, thy Affections and Memory shall be enlarged. O that, to prevent that lose and misery, these things may now be known and laid to heart! O that a blind Understanding, a stupid Judgment, a bribed Conscience, a hard Heart, a bad Memory, may no longer make Heaven and Hell to seem but trifles to thee!