The Bank of Faith.'-When my family increased, and my circumstances were bettered, I gadded about with my Laft Will and Teftament.'-And, when I arrived to the fulleft affurance of gofpel faith, I then renewed my vifits as a fubject of the kingdom of God.-Now, as times get better and better, I am come to pay a vifit on board a fhip. I have been promoted fo faft, that in lefs than eight years I have ascended from the fervile flavery of coalheaving on board a barge to the dignity of flag-officer on board a man of war.-Thus reader may fee how we clergy get up in the world. But 'kiffing goes by favour;' favour precedes choice; both favour and choice are the refult of fovereign love; and all fovereignty centers only in God.

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The divine birth and life of a real chriftian are compared to five things, which have a deep effect on the fenfations of mortals. First, to the fcrutiny of a guilty criminal at the bar of judgment; 1 Cor. xi. 32. Secondly, to the purifying of gold in a refiner's furnace; Zech. xiii. 9. Thirdly, to a fevere battle, where victory hangs in an even balance; 2 Cor. vii. 5. Fourthly, to the dreadful pains of child birth; John xvi. 21. And, lastly, to a ship in a violent storm; Pfalm x. 7.

As the Holy Ghoft makes ufe of a veffel in a ftorm as a fimilitude of the perils of a fpiritual conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil, it is to be hoped that none will take offence at my paying the world a vifit by fea, efpecially as I am not come

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in the character of a Spaniard to invade the land, nor to storm any fort; but only to let the carnallyminded know how we mariners fare at fea; the difficulties we meet with; and the dangers we encounter before we reach the defired haven.

This little pamphlet appeared, in its original form, about thirteen years ago, and was written at the time I carried coals. I ftudied it while at my labour to prevent my ears being stormed with vain conversation; and what I ftudied at my work I penned at my dinner hour, and corrected in the evening. The poetry was entirely spontaneous, but the printer made it worse; and, as I could not attend the prefs, I was obliged to leave it at the mercy of many critics, who of courfe fhewed me none: their cenfures, however, neither stemmed the blessing of God which attended it, nor hurt the fale.

But my reader may probably afk, How came you to addrefs us from the prefs in fea terms, and reprefent our trials by a sea voyage, seeing you never was at fea yourself?—It is true I never was literally at fea in my life; nor was I ever on board a real fhip until this fummer, when kind Providence fent me down to Chatham in Kent, where I intended to furnish myself with a store of knowledge fufficient for this voyage. Accordingly a gentleman took me on board a ship that lay in the dock for repair; but, as all her rigging and guns were taken out, and nothing left but the hull, that was not fufficient. I therefore refolved to go on board a new guard-ship, of the first

rate, that was both rigged and manned. Two gentlemen accompanied me, and fpoke to the gunner in my behalf, who very politely told me he would shew me the ship throughout: and indeed so he did; for he took me into every hole and corner, from head to ftern, except the great cabin, and refolved all the questions that I afked him. Had I not been about my master's business I would have gone on board again, being highly delighted with the amazing conftruction and architecture of fo noble a machine. But we need not wonder at the architecture either of a fhip or of Soloman's temple, feeing the plan of both were given by God; Gen. xiv. and Exodus xxv.

The first edition of this work favoured more of divinity than of the fea, which fome fea-faring men found fault with, for the want of knowing more of the bible; and this edition will, I fuppofe, favour too much of the fea for the palate of landfmen. However, as the Saviour himself pleafed but a very few, it would be in vain for me to think of fucseeding better.

Some of my friends defired me to write a key to this work; but I found the key would be bigger than the lock, if it was to be notched and cut so as to fit every ward.—Besides to print a key would be the ready way to let carnal critics come on board, who would be for overhauling the rigging and fcrutinizing the workmanship; by which means they would diforder the crew, and do more mifchief

than enough: Wherefore I have, in this work, compared these carnal critics, or hardened hypocrites, to barnacles, a fort of shell fish, that stick to the ship's bottom, and obstruct her in failing; which we must scrape off as well as we can. But it is better for them to ftick to the bottom of the fhip than to come on board with their fhells; for one thief within is worse than ten without.

The beft key is the spirit of revelation and understanding, which is given by the blessed Saviour himself; who is the storehouse, the door, and the lock; in whom lie all the treasures of grace, wifdom, and knowledge: and the Holy Ghoft is the key that lets us into his fulness; and with this key it is that we go in and out, and find pasture.' For the fcriptures say that we know not the things of God, but by the Spirit of God;' therefore he is the key of knowledge. And the treasures of knowledge are in Chrift; who is the ftorehouse, from whence all fupplies may be had in answer to humble prayer.

Reader, I wish thee a profperous voyage, and advise thee to make what aftronomical obfervations thou canst in the way. Difcern the figns of the times; and, among all the planets that fhine, be fure to put no confidence in the crab-the bear, Prov. xxviii. 15-the dog, Phil. iii. 2-the Scorpion, Rev. ix. 5-the eagle, Lev. xi. 13—the rabbit, Prov. xxx. 26-nor in the dolphin, Hab. i. 14nor pay any regard to the comets or wandering ftars,

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ftars, Jude 13. Caftor and Pollux are twin brothers, and shed no baleful influence on us, and therefore are not to be despised.-Observe the ram, Gen. xxxi. 10-and the lion, Rev. v. 5-for they are great friends to us. Prize highly the sweet influence of pleiades; but, above all, cleave clofe to ' him that maketh the feven stars and Orion,' and who once turned thy fhadow of death into the morning; Amos v. 8.-And be fure to take heed that thou never attempt, in thy contracted frames, to bind the sweet influences of pleiades ;' nor by the strength of free-will to loose the bands of Orion;' Job xxxviii. 31.-Admire the morning star; Rev. xxii. 16-obferve the milky way; Prov. iv. 18 -and fail as far as poffible from the dragon's tail; Rev. xii. 4.

In all your engagements, be fure to keep off your enemy from thwarting your hawfe. If a whole fleet chase you, or if they attack you both on the larboard and ftarboard fides, they will do you but little damage; but, if they thwart your hawfe, or get under your counter, they will rake you, until every comfort is difabled, and not a grace left fit for exercise. It is better to have a whole fleet on your fides than to have the piercing guilt of one fin lie between God and your confcience; therefore be fure to keep your enemy from thwarting your hawfe. And now, Reader, I fhall leave thee to the direction of him who knows the way of an cagle in the air, the way of a ferpent on a rock,

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