Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 11
by John Flavel (1628–1691)
[Here, we continue our reprint of excerpts from John Flavel’s book Navigation Spiritualized.
John Flavel was a 17th century minister in the seaside town of Dartmouth, England. A
good many of his parishioners made their living on the sea, and so Mr. Flavel wrote
Navigation Spiritualized, a book which draws parallels between things of the sea and
spiritual things.]
The Perpetuity of the Church
The rocks abide, though seas against them rage
So shall the church, which is God's heritage.
Observation.
The rocks, though situate in the boisterous and tempestuous ocean, yet abide firm
and immoveable from age to age. The impetuous waves dash against them with
great violence, but cannot remove them out of their place. And although sometimes
they wash over them, and make them to disappear, yet there they remain fixed and
impregnable.
Application.
This is a lively emblem of the condition of the church, amidst all dangers and
oppositions wherewith it is encountered and assaulted in this world. These
metaphorical waves roar and beat with violence against it, but with as little success
as the sea against the rocks: "Upon this rock will I build my church, and the
[gates] of hell shall not prevail against it"(Matt. xvi. 18). The gates of hell are the
power and policy of hell; for it is conceived to be an allusive speech to the gates of
the Jews, wherein their ammunition for war was lodged, which also were the seats
of judicature, there sat the judges; but yet these gates of hell shall not prevail. Nay,
this rock is not only invincible in the midst of their violence, but also breaks all that
dash against it: "In that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all
people; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the
people of the earth be gathered together against it." (Zech. xii. 3). This is an
allusion to one that essays to roll some great stone against the hill, which at last
returns upon him, and crushes him to pieces.
And the reason why it is thus firm and impregnable is not from itself; for alas, so
considered, it is weak, and obnoxious to ruin; but from the almighty power of God,
which guards and preserves it day and night: "God is in the midst of her, she shall
not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early" (Psal. xlvi. 5, 6). This notes
(saith Calvin) God's assiduous and constant help and succour, which is extended in
all dangers, as constantly as the sun arises. And this assiduous succour to His
people, and their great security thereby, is set forth in the scriptures by a pleasant
variety of metaphors and emblems: "I, saith the Lord, will be a wall of fire round
about it" (Zech. ii. 5). Some think this phrase alludes to the cherubim that kept the
way of the tree of life with flaming swords; others to the fiery chariots round about
Dathan, where Elisha was; but most think it to be an allusion to an ancient custom
of travellers in the deserts, who, to prevent the assaults of wild beasts in the night,
made a circular fire round about them, which was as a wall to them. Thus will God
be to His people a wall of fire, which none can scale. So, in Exod. iii. 3-5 we have an
excellent emblem of the church's low and dangerous condition, and admirable
preservation. You have here both a marvel and a mystery. The marvel was to see a
bush all on fire and yet not consumed. The mystery is this: the bush represented the
sad condition of the church of Egypt; the fire flaming upon it, the grievous
afflictions, troubles, and bondage it was in there; the remaining of the bush
unconsumed, the strange and admirable preservation of the church in those
troubles. It lived there as the three noble Jews, untouched in the midst of a burning
fiery furnace: and the angel of the Lord in a flame of fire, in the midst of the bush
was nothing else but the Lord Jesus Christ, powerfully and graciously present with
His people amidst all their dangers and sufferings. The Lord is exceeding tender
over them, and jealous for them, as that expression imports: "He that toucheth
them toucheth the apple of mine eye" (Zech. ii. 8). He that strikes at them, strikes
at the face of God, and at the most excellent part of the face, the eye, and at the most
tender and precious part of the eye, the apple of the eye. And yet, as a learned
modern observes, this people of whom He uses this tender and dear expression,
were none of the best of Israel neither; but the residue that staid behind in Babylon,
when their brethren were gone to rebuild the temple; and yet over these, He is as
tender as a man is over his eye.
Reflection.
And is the security of the church so great! And its preservation so admirable,
amidst all storms and tempests! Then why art thou so prone and subject to
despond, O my soul, in the day of Zion's trouble? Sensible thou wast, and oughtest
to be: but no reason to hang down the head through discouragement, much less to
forsake Zion in her distress, for fear of being ruined with her.
What David spake to Abiathar, that may Zion speak to all her sons and daughters
in all their distresses: "Though he that seeketh thy life seeketh mine also; yet with
me shalt thou be in safeguard" (I Sam. xxii. 23). God hath entailed great salvation
and deliverances upon Zion; and blessed are all her friends and favorers; the Rock
of ages is its defence. Fear not, therefore, O my soul, though the hills be removed
out of their place, and cast into the midst of the sea. O let my faith triumph, and my
heart rejoice upon this ground of comfort. I see the same rocks now, and in the
same place and condition they were many years ago. Though they have endured
many storms, yet there they abide; and so shall Zion, when the proud waves have
spent their fury and rage against it.
-------------------------
This article is taken from:
Flavel,
John.
The
Whole
Works
of
John
Flavel
,
Vol.
V.
London:
W.
Baynes
&
Son,
1820
(originally published c. 1675).
A PDF file of this book can be downloaded, free of charge, at:
http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com/comp_set_section.html
© 1994-2018, Scott Sperling
Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 11
by John Flavel (1628–1691)
[Here, we continue our reprint of excerpts from John
Flavel’s book Navigation Spiritualized. John Flavel was a
17th century minister in the seaside town of Dartmouth,
England. A good many of his parishioners made their living
on the sea, and so Mr. Flavel wrote Navigation
Spiritualized, a book which draws parallels between things
of the sea and spiritual things.]
The Perpetuity of the Church
The rocks abide, though seas against them rage
So shall the church, which is God's heritage.
Observation.
The rocks, though situate in the boisterous and
tempestuous ocean, yet abide firm and immoveable
from age to age. The impetuous waves dash against
them with great violence, but cannot remove them out
of their place. And although sometimes they wash over
them, and make them to disappear, yet there they
remain fixed and impregnable.
Application.
This is a lively emblem of the condition of the church,
amidst all dangers and oppositions wherewith it is
encountered and assaulted in this world. These
metaphorical waves roar and beat with violence
against it, but with as little success as the sea against
the rocks: "Upon this rock will I build my church, and
the [gates] of hell shall not prevail against it"(Matt.
xvi. 18). The gates of hell are the power and policy of
hell; for it is conceived to be an allusive speech to the
gates of the Jews, wherein their ammunition for war
was lodged, which also were the seats of judicature,
there sat the judges; but yet these gates of hell shall not
prevail. Nay, this rock is not only invincible in the
midst of their violence, but also breaks all that dash
against it: "In that day I will make Jerusalem a
burdensome stone for all people; all that burden
themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all
the people of the earth be gathered together against
it." (Zech. xii. 3). This is an allusion to one that essays
to roll some great stone against the hill, which at last
returns upon him, and crushes him to pieces.
And the reason why it is thus firm and impregnable is
not from itself; for alas, so considered, it is weak, and
obnoxious to ruin; but from the almighty power of
God, which guards and preserves it day and night:
"God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved:
God shall help her, and that right early" (Psal. xlvi. 5,
6). This notes (saith Calvin) God's assiduous and
constant help and succour, which is extended in all
dangers, as constantly as the sun arises. And this
assiduous succour to His people, and their great
security thereby, is set forth in the scriptures by a
pleasant variety of metaphors and emblems: "I, saith
the Lord, will be a wall of fire round about it" (Zech.
ii. 5). Some think this phrase alludes to the cherubim
that kept the way of the tree of life with flaming
swords; others to the fiery chariots round about
Dathan, where Elisha was; but most think it to be an
allusion to an ancient custom of travellers in the
deserts, who, to prevent the assaults of wild beasts in
the night, made a circular fire round about them,
which was as a wall to them. Thus will God be to His
people a wall of fire, which none can scale. So, in Exod.
iii. 3-5 we have an excellent emblem of the church's
low and dangerous condition, and admirable
preservation. You have here both a marvel and a
mystery. The marvel was to see a bush all on fire and
yet not consumed. The mystery is this: the bush
represented the sad condition of the church of Egypt;
the fire flaming upon it, the grievous afflictions,
troubles, and bondage it was in there; the remaining of
the bush unconsumed, the strange and admirable
preservation of the church in those troubles. It lived
there as the three noble Jews, untouched in the midst
of a burning fiery furnace: and the angel of the Lord in
a flame of fire, in the midst of the bush was nothing
else but the Lord Jesus Christ, powerfully and
graciously present with His people amidst all their
dangers and sufferings. The Lord is exceeding tender
over them, and jealous for them, as that expression
imports: "He that toucheth them toucheth the apple
of mine eye" (Zech. ii. 8). He that strikes at them,
strikes at the face of God, and at the most excellent
part of the face, the eye, and at the most tender and
precious part of the eye, the apple of the eye. And yet,
as a learned modern observes, this people of whom He
uses this tender and dear expression, were none of the
best of Israel neither; but the residue that staid behind
in Babylon, when their brethren were gone to rebuild
the temple; and yet over these, He is as tender as a
man is over his eye.
Reflection.
And is the security of the church so great! And its
preservation so admirable, amidst all storms and
tempests! Then why art thou so prone and subject to
despond, O my soul, in the day of Zion's trouble?
Sensible thou wast, and oughtest to be: but no reason
to hang down the head through discouragement,
much less to forsake Zion in her distress, for fear of
being ruined with her.
What David spake to Abiathar, that may Zion speak to
all her sons and daughters in all their distresses:
"Though he that seeketh thy life seeketh mine also;
yet with me shalt thou be in safeguard" (I Sam. xxii.
23). God hath entailed great salvation and deliverances
upon Zion; and blessed are all her friends and
favorers; the Rock of ages is its defence. Fear not,
therefore, O my soul, though the hills be removed out
of their place, and cast into the midst of the sea. O let
my faith triumph, and my heart rejoice upon this
ground of comfort. I see the same rocks now, and in
the same place and condition they were many years
ago. Though they have endured many storms, yet
there they abide; and so shall Zion, when the proud
waves have spent their fury and rage against it.
-------------------------
This article is taken from:
Flavel,
John.
The
Whole
Works
of
John
Flavel
,
Vol.
V.
London:
W.
Baynes
&
Son,
1820
(originally
published c. 1675).
A
PDF
file
of
this
book
can
be
downloaded,
free
of
charge, at:
h
t
t
p
:
/
/
w
w
w
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a
r
y
.
c
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m
/
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ction.html
