The seaman's spiritual companion, or, Navigation spirituallized being a new compass for seamen consisting of thirty-two points : directing every Christian how to stear the course of his life through all storms and tempests : fit to be read and seriously perused by all such as desire their eternal welfare / published for a general good, but more especially for those that are exposed to the danger of the seas by William Balmford, a well-wisher to seamen's eternal welfare and recommended to the Christian reader by J.F. ; to which is prefixt a preface by Benj. Keach, the author of War with the Devil.

THus in our Christian Compass we have past From North to East, to South, to West; at last▪ We're come to North again: Our longest Day On Earth, is measured to us by the Stay Of Heaven's great Lamp of Light, the glorious Sun, When it stayes longest in o•••• Horizon. But now our Sun will never lose its Light, We never more shall see a Cloudy Night: If while thou art on Earth, thou makest sure This sacred Treasure, thou lyes down secure, And free from Fear, no Darkness will arise, To hide this sacred Glory from thine Eyes. Who then would make this World's uncertain Treasure, The Object of their Comfort, Joy, & Pleasure? Lay Treasure up in Heaven, that may be From Thieves and Rust, from Death and Danger free.

The height of Earthly Glory's like a Bubble, Fill'd with the wind, but tost about with Trouble; It's at no certain; speaks thee fair To-day, And of a suddain, it makes hast away. The P••rsian Monarch once could make his boast, His Branches spread themselves in every Coast, Throughout the Universe; and, in one Story, The World agreed to Crown him with their Glory; All People is contented he shall have What e'r his Eye could see, or Heart could crave: The Enjoyment of all this, the Reason why We cannot call it true Felicity, ••••its Uncertainty: Man has no Power To keep himself in this Estate an Hour; The momentary Dangers that attend him, He cannot scape, though all the World be friend him: Sorrows, as well as Pleasures, do abound On every Hand; D••ngers besets him round; His Enemies beholds him, and admire His prosperous State, and secretly conspire His suddain Death, hoping a Change in State May make an Alteration in their Fate: But if through Servant's watchfulness and care, He be preserved, and escape that snare; ••here's other Dangers, that be incident To Man, as such Care never can prevent. The Sorrows that this Monarch doth sustain, As the true Product of some grievous Pain, Sometime is in less, somtime in greater measure; Bereaves him (tho a Prince) of all his Pleasure.

Death so impartially doth throw his Dart, Makes Prince & Pesant from his Pleasures part.

The Kings of Egypt, making of their Feasts (Fit to accomodate their Princely Guests) Did serve Death's-Head, as the last Course, whereby They were inform'd of their Mortality. Thus at the end of all their Dainty Chear, They by Death's head, of Death admonisht were.

This is the Counsel therefore, that I give To such as do in full Enjoyment live Of Princely Pleasures; know for certainty, You are but Men, tho Princes; you must dye; You are but Clay, Death will dis-robe you quite, And bury all your Glory out of sight: Naked you shall arise, and stand before The Judge of Heaven & Earth, & have no more Advantage than the Beggar▪ All shall have One common Resurrection from the Grave, And no Respect of Persons will be there; No notice will be taken what you were In Men's Esteem; whether you were the Head▪ Or such as was constrain'd to beg their Bread; But what your Works have been. O happy He, Tho Rich or Poor, of high or low Degree, Whose VVorks shall be accepted! He or they Shall stand in Judgment at the Judgment-Day. All those whom Death finds in the Lord are blest, They cease from Labour, enter into Rest.

Thus have we run our Christian Compass round; And if our way Canaan, we have found Thorow the raging Seas of VVorldly Trouble, Our Labors then will be rewarded double: If we have learn'd to scape the Rocks and Sand, And every Point o' th' Compass understand; And upon every Point can stear aright, Whether in pleasant Day, or stormy Night: If we each Point do so exactly learn, That whether we be at Mast, or Pump, or Stern, We can behave our selves in every Place, Like Men accomplisht; Happy is our Case!