Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 17
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.]
Casting Off Cargo
To save the ship, rich lading’s cast away,
Thy soul is shipwrecked if thy lusts do stay.
Observation.
In storms and distresses at sea, the richest commodities are cast overboard; they
stand not upon it, when life and all is in jeopardy and hazard (see Jonah 1:5). The
mariners cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. And,
they cast out the very tacklings of the ship (see Acts 27:18,19). How highly soever
men prize such commodities, yet reason tells them, it were better these should
perish, than life. Satan himself could say, “Skin for skin, and all that a man hath
will he give for his life” (Job 2:4).
Application.
And surely, it is every way as highly reasonable that men should mortify, cast out,
and cut off their dearest lusts, rather than their immortal souls should sink and
perish in the storm of God’s wrath. Life indeed is a precious treasure, and highly
valued by men: You know what Solomon saith, that “a living dog is better than a
dead lion” (Eccl. 9:4). And we find men willing to part with their estates, limbs, or
any outward comfort for the preservation of it. The woman in the gospel spent all
she had on the physicians for her health, a degree below life. Some men indeed do
much overvalue their lives, and part with Christ and peace of conscience for it; but
he that thus saves it, shall lose. Now if life be so much worth, what then is the soul
worth? Alas! Life is but “a vapour, which appeareth for a little while, and then
vanisheth away,” (James 4:14).
Life indeed is more worth than all the world, but my soul is more worth than ten
thousand lives. Nature teacheth you to value the first so high, and grace should
teach you to value the second much higher (see Matt. 19:20). Now here is the case:
Either you must part with your sins, or with your soul; if these be not cast out, both
must sink together. “If ye live after the flesh, ye must die,” (Rom. 8:13). God saith
to you in this case, as to Ahab, when he spared Benhadad: “Because thou hast let
go a man whom God hath appointed to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for
his life” (I Kings 20:42). Guilt will raise a storm of wrath, as Jonah did, if not cast
out.
Reflection.
And must sin or the soul perish? Must my life, yea, my eternal life go for it if I
spare it? O then let me not be cruel to mine own soul in sparing my sin; O my soul,
this foolish pity and cruel indulgence will by thy ruin: If I spare it, God hath said,
He will not spare me (see Deut. 29:20). It is true the pains of mortification are
sharp, but yet is easier than the pains of hell. To cut off a right hand, or pluck out a
right eye is hard; but to have my soul cut off eternally from God is harder. Is it as
easy (O my soul!) to burn for them in hell, as to mortify them on earth? Surely, it is
“profitable for me, that one member perish, rather than that all be cast into hell”
(Matt. 5:24). I see the merchant willing to part with rich wares if embarked with
them in a storm. And those that have gangrened legs or arms, willingly stretch
them out to be cut off to preserve life: And shall I be willing to endure no
difficulties for my soul? Christ reckoned souls worth His blood: And is it not worth
my self-denial? Lord, let me not warm a snake in my bosom, that will at last sting
me to the heart.
-------------------------
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. 17
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.]
Casting Off Cargo
To save the ship, rich lading’s cast away,
Thy soul is shipwrecked if thy lusts do stay.
Observation.
In storms and distresses at sea, the richest
commodities are cast overboard; they stand not upon
it, when life and all is in jeopardy and hazard (see
Jonah 1:5). The mariners cast forth the wares that were
in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. And, they cast out
the very tacklings of the ship (see Acts 27:18,19). How
highly soever men prize such commodities, yet reason
tells them, it were better these should perish, than life.
Satan himself could say, “Skin for skin, and all that a
man hath will he give for his life” (Job 2:4).
Application.
And surely, it is every way as highly reasonable that
men should mortify, cast out, and cut off their dearest
lusts, rather than their immortal souls should sink and
perish in the storm of God’s wrath. Life indeed is a
precious treasure, and highly valued by men: You
know what Solomon saith, that “a living dog is better
than a dead lion” (Eccl. 9:4). And we find men willing
to part with their estates, limbs, or any outward
comfort for the preservation of it. The woman in the
gospel spent all she had on the physicians for her
health, a degree below life. Some men indeed do
much overvalue their lives, and part with Christ and
peace of conscience for it; but he that thus saves it,
shall lose. Now if life be so much worth, what then is
the soul worth? Alas! Life is but “a vapour, which
appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth
away,” (James 4:14).
Life indeed is more worth than all the world, but my
soul is more worth than ten thousand lives. Nature
teacheth you to value the first so high, and grace
should teach you to value the second much higher (see
Matt. 19:20). Now here is the case: Either you must
part with your sins, or with your soul; if these be not
cast out, both must sink together. “If ye live after the
flesh, ye must die,” (Rom. 8:13). God saith to you in
this case, as to Ahab, when he spared Benhadad:
“Because thou hast let go a man whom God hath
appointed to destruction, therefore thy life shall go
for his life” (I Kings 20:42). Guilt will raise a storm of
wrath, as Jonah did, if not cast out.
Reflection.
And must sin or the soul perish? Must my life, yea,
my eternal life go for it if I spare it? O then let me not
be cruel to mine own soul in sparing my sin; O my
soul, this foolish pity and cruel indulgence will by thy
ruin: If I spare it, God hath said, He will not spare me
(see Deut. 29:20). It is true the pains of mortification
are sharp, but yet is easier than the pains of hell. To
cut off a right hand, or pluck out a right eye is hard;
but to have my soul cut off eternally from God is
harder. Is it as easy (O my soul!) to burn for them in
hell, as to mortify them on earth? Surely, it is
“profitable for me, that one member perish, rather
than that all be cast into hell” (Matt. 5:24). I see the
merchant willing to part with rich wares if embarked
with them in a storm. And those that have gangrened
legs or arms, willingly stretch them out to be cut off to
preserve life: And shall I be willing to endure no
difficulties for my soul? Christ reckoned souls worth
His blood: And is it not worth my self-denial? Lord,
let me not warm a snake in my bosom, that will at last
sting me to the heart.
-------------------------
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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b
r
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r
y
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o
m
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t
_
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ction.html
