THE SOUL OF MAN COMPARED TO A SHIP. Book IV. METAPHOR. IX. A Ship needeth often to be ;·epaiC'd, being very fubjetl: to -ipring a Leak. X. A Ship is toffed upon the ro•Jgh and tempell:uous W aves,and has its Ups and Downs, and feldom hath Reft or Q,tiet, till file has made the Voyage. XI. A Ship is in danger of be– ing loft, and that tnJny ways, rr•iz. by Rocks, by Sands, by the raging Waves, and by fpringing of a Leak, &c. PAR AL L EL. IX. So cloth the Soul of a Chriftian n'led often to be repaired by Prayer and Repentance, or dfe it will fall under fad and fearful Decays. The Soul is likewife compared to a leaking Veffel, Heb. ii. r. X. Thus it is with the Soul; it is often tolfed upon the boifterous and tempell:uous Seas of Temptation, fometimes tranfported up to Hea– v.en, and then by and by down again to the Depths, and all rhe Billows of God's Wrath feem to ru1 over ir, Pfal. cvii. 23-28. . XI. The Soul alfo is in great Danger. Neve~ was Ship in more eminent Hazard than the Soul of a Chrifl:ian, and that many ways, viz. by the Rocks and Mountains of great Oppofition, the Sands ofDefpair, and raging Waves of Perfecu– tion, befides the Leaks occalioned by indwelling Srn, &c. Zech. tv. 7· XII. A Ship bath a Compafs XII. So likewife the Soul muft have a Camby which !he is fteered from place paf,, unto which we are with care and diligence to to place, without which no Man look, and to be well-fkilled in all the Points therecan or dare go to Sea. of, viz. the Word and Spirit of God, 2 Pet. ii. 19. XIII. A Ship is expofed to great XIII. So is the Soul of a Believer by that curfed Danger of bemg robbed, by PrPirate Satan, who fometimes transforms him– rates, of all her Treafure. felf into an Angel of Light, and to trapan the Soul puts out falfe Colours; z Cor. xi. 15. pre– tends himfelf a Friend, wl1en his whole DeGgn is Blood and Slaughter, and treacher– ouOy to ruin and fpoil the Soul. The Flelb is another fecret Sea-thief, and the World; yea, and Sin is as arch a Pirate as any, I Pet. ii. 4· XIV. A Ship often meets with XIV. So muft the Soul expect to meet with a fudden Storms; and a good Maridreadful Tempeft or Hurricane. The Winds ner cloth not only look for them, will rife, and a Storm will come upon the Ship but alia provides and prepares for where Chrift is. David was aware of thefe Dan– !hem. gers, and faw how to prevent and efcape finking, X V. It is a rare Thing to fee a Ship fail along before a hefh and profperous Gale. XVI. A Ship is fomet-imes be– calmed. XVII. It is a Wonder to fee a Ship to live in a tempeftuous and boifterous Sea. XVIII. Some Ships fuffer Ship– wreck, are loft, and fink down to the Bottom. XIX. A Ship muft be well look– ed ro, and kept very clean within and without, or !he · ..:ill not fail with any fpeed. XX. A Ship bath its Anchor, and if in rhe midll: of a Storm it be righrly ca£1:, and takes good hold, the Ship is fafe. Pfal. lv. 8. XV. It is a rare and lovely Thing to fee a Soul carried fwiftly along in the Work and Service of God, being under the powerful Influences, ~ frelb and profperous Gale or ''Vind of the Spirit. XVI. So, alas! it is too often with the Soul o! a poor Chriftian. X VII. It is a Wonder of Mercy to fee how the Soul of a Saint fhould live, be preferved, and abide with its Head above Water, in fuch a difquiet and tempe~uous World as this is. XVIII. So dorh the Soul of many a Profeffor, that fets out with much feemingHopes of Heaven, fuffer fpiritual Shipwreck, and fink down to Hell, 1 'Tim. i. '9· X !X. So mtift the Soul be walhed, and kept exceeding clean, within as well as wirhour, or it will go but flowly or heavily towards rhe Haven, of future Happinefs, the Mire and Clay, or Srum and Filth of this World, is fa apt to obftru<'t its way, as it pafTcs Heaven-ward . XX. The Soul hath irs Anchor, Hope. Which Hope we ,have as the Anchor of the Soul, both fiwe and .ftedfafl, Heb. vi. I 9· This Anchor being rightly caft upwards, within the Vail, in the midft of the greatell: Danger, the Soul is fafe. DI SPARITY.
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