Chapter 1: The Launching of a Ship — Our Double State by First and Second Birth

The Launching of a Ship plainly sets forth Our double State, by First and Second Birth.

OBSERVATION.

NO sooner is a Ship built, launched, rigged, victualled, and manned, but she is presently sent out into the boisterous Ocean, where she is never at rest, but continually fluctuating, tossing and laboring, until she be either overwhelmed and wrecked in the Sea, or through Age, knocks and bruises, grows leaky and unserviceable; and so is hauled up, and ripped abroad.

APPLICATION.

No sooner come we into the World as Men, or as Christians, by a natural, or supernatural Birth; but thus we are tossed upon a Sea of Troubles, Job 5. 7. Yet Man is born to trouble, as the sparks flie upwards. The spark no sooner comes out of the fire, but it flies up naturally; it needs not any external force, help, or guidance, but ascends from a principle in it self: So naturally, so easily, does trouble rise out of sin. There is radically all the misery, anguish, and trouble in the World, in our corrupt Natures. As the spark lies close hid in the coals, so does misery in sin: Every sin draws a rod after it. And these sorrows and troubles fall not only on the Body, in those breaches, flaws, deformities, pains, aches, diseases to which it is subject, which are but the groans of dying Nature, and its crumbling, by degrees, into dust again; but on all our Employments and Callings also, Genesis 3:17, 18, 19. These are full of pain, trouble, and disappointment. Haggai 1:6. We earn Wages, and put it into a Bag with holes, and disquiet our selves in vain; all our Relations full of trouble. The Apostle speaking to those that Marry, says, 1 Corinthians 7:28. Such shall have trouble in the flesh. Upon which words one glosseth thus: Flesh and Trouble are Marry'd together, whether we Marry or no: But they that are Marry'd, Marry with, and Match into new troubles: All Relations have their burdens, as well as their comforts. It were endless to enumerate the sorrows of this kind; and yet the troubles of the Body, are but the body of our troubles: The spirit of the Curse falls upon the spiritual and noblest part of Man. The Soul and Body, like to Ezekiel's Roll, are written full with sorrows, both within and without. So that we make the same report of our lives, when we come to die, that old Jacob made before Pharaoh, Genesis 47:9. Few and evil have the days of the years of our lives been. For what has Man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he has labored under the Sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travel grief, indeed, his heart takes no rest in the night: This is also vanity, Eccles. 2 22, 23.

Neither does our New Birth free us from troubles, though then they be sanctified, sweetened, and turned into blessings to us. We put not off the Humane, when we put on the Divine Nature; nor are we then freed from the sense, though we be delivered from the sting and curse of them. Grace does not presently pluck out all those Arrows that sin has shot into the sides of Nature, 2 Corinthians 7:5. When we were come into Macedonia, our Flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side: without were fightings, and within were fears, Revelation 7:14. These are they that come out of great tribulations. The first cry of the Newborn Christian (says one) gives Hell an alarm, and awakens the rage, both of Devils and Men against him. Hence Paul and Barnabas acquainted those new Converts, Acts 14:22. That through much tribulation, they must enter into the Kingdom of God: And we find the state of the Church, in this World, set out (Isaiah 54:11.) by the similitude of a distressed Ship at Sea: O you afflicted [and tossed] with Tempests, and not comforted. [Tossed] as Iona's Ship was; for the same word is there used, Jonah 1. 11. 13. as a Vessel at Sea, stormed, and violently driven without Rudder, Mast, Sail, or Tacklings. Nor are we to expect freedom from those Troubles, until harboured in Heaven, see 2 Thessalonians 1:7. O what large Catalogues of Experiences do the Saints carry to Heaven with them, of their various Exercises, Dangers, Trials, and marvellous Preservations and Deliverances out of all! And yet all these Troubles without, are nothing to those within them; from Temptations, Corruptions, Desertions, by Passion and Compassion: Besides their own, there comes daily upon them the Troubles of others; many Rivulets fall into this Channel and Brim, indeed often overflow the Banks, Psalm 34:19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous.

REFLECTION.

Hence should the graceless heart thus reflect upon it self. O my Soul! into what a Sea of troubles are you lanched forth! And what a sad case you are in! Full of Trouble and full of Sin, and these do mutually produce each other. And that which is the most dreadful Consideration of all, is, That I cannot see the end of them. As for the Saints, they suffer in the World as well as I; but it is but for a While, 1 Peter 5:10. and then they shall suffer no more, 2 Thessalonians 1:7. But all tears shall be wiped away from their eyes, Revelation 7:17. But my Troubles look with a long Visage: Ah! they are but the beginning of sorrows, but a parboiling before I be roasted in the flames of God's eternal wrath. If I continue as I am, I shall but deceive my self, if I conclude I shall be happy in the other World, because I have met with so much sorrow in this: For I read, Iude 7. that the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, though consumed to ashes, with all their Estates and Relations, (a sorer Temporal Judgment than ever yet befel me) do, notwithstanding that, continue still in everlasting Chains, under Darkness, in which they are reserved to the Judgment of the Great Day. The Troubles of the Saints are sanctified to them, but mine are fruits of the Curse. They have spiritual Consolations to ballance them, which flow into their Souls in the same height and degree, as Troubles do upon their Bodies, 2 Corinthians 1:5. But I am a stranger to their Comforts, and intermeddle not with their Ioys, Proverbs 14:10. If their hearts be surcharged with Trouble, they have a God to go to; and when they have open'd their Cause before him, they are eased, return with comfort, and their Countenance is no more sad, 1 Samuel 1:18. When their Belly is as Bottles full of new Wine, they can give it vent by pouring out of their Souls into their Father's Bosome: But I have no interest in, nor acquaintance with this God; nor can I pray to him in the Spirit. My griefs are shut up like fire in my bosome, which preys upon my spirit. This is my [•]orrow, and I alone must bear it. O my Soul, look round about you! What a miserable case are you [•]n? Rest no longer satisfied in it, but look out for a Christ also. What though I be a vile, unworthy wretch? yet he promiseth to love freely, Hosea 14:4. and invites such as are heavy laden to him, Matthew 11:28.

Hence also should the gracious Soul reflect sweetly upon it self after this manner: And is the World so full of trouble? O my Soul, what cause hast you to stand admiring at the indulgence and goodness of God to you! You hast hitherto had a smooth [•]assage comparatively to what others have had. How has Divine Wisdom ordered my Condition, and cast my Lot? Have I been chastised with Whips? others with Scorpions: Have I had no peace without: Some have neither had peace without nor within, but terrours round about: Or have I felt trouble in my flesh and spirit at once? Yet have they not been extream, either for time or measure, And has the World been a Sodom, an Egypt to you? Why then dost you thus linger in it, and hanker after it? Why do I not long to be gone, and sigh more heartily for Deliverance? Why are the thoughts of my Lord's coming no sweeter to me, and the day of my full deliverance no more panted for? And why am I no more careful to maintain peace within, since there is so much trouble without? Is not this it that puts weight into all outward troubles, and makes them sinking, that they fall upon me when my spirit is dark or wounded?

THE POEM.

My Soul, are you besieged

with troubles round about?

If you be wise, take this Advice,

to keep these troubles out.

Wise Men will keep their Conscience as their eyes;

For in their Conscience their best Treasure lies.

See you be tender of your inward peace;

That shipwrackt, then your Mirth and Ioy must ceas.

If God from you your outward Comforts rend,

You'll find what need you have of such a Friend.

If this be not by sin destroy'd and lost,

You need not fear, your Peace will quit your cost.

If youl'd know How to sweeten any grief,

Though ne'r so great, or to procure relief

Against th' afflictions, which like deadly Darts.

Most fatal are to Men of carnal hearts,

Reject not that, which Conscience bids you chusc,

And chuse not you, what Conscience says, Refuse.

If sin you must, or Misery under lie,

Resolve to bear, and chuse the Misery.