13. SERM. XIII. The Fourth Sermon on the Excellency of the Soul.
SERM. XIII. The Fourth Sermon on the Excellency of the Soul.
F or what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? – Matth. 16:26.
Now for the second Particular, Namely, wherein consists the eternal loss of the soul; it is this; when the soul in Hell is so possessed with sin, as to be contrary unto God eternally: I say the soul cast away from God is possessed of all the evil of sin, so as forever to hate God, and to abhor him, and to blaspheme him, that is one particular of the condition of a lost soul.
As every soul here by nature is deprived of all that good in which it was created, and secondly, as it doth wander from, and is at enmity against God: so when the soul is lost eternally, then it is perfectly against God, and doth hate and blaspheme God forever: Thou that art a wicked man, thou wilt sin, but when God hath cast thee away from him eternally, then, as I may say, thou shalt have thy belly full of sin, thou then shalt be fully given up unto sin, Rev. 16:11. And they blasphemed the God of Heaven, because of their pains and sorrows: Now that is spoken of the beast, of Antichrist; but if men here blaspheme God because of pains, what shall they do that are damned
in Hell? They that shall have the vials of God's wrath poured out upon them? But you will ask, how doth it appear that for the wicked to be given up to sin is such an evil unto them, whereas here it is their delight to commit sin? To which I answer, though they love sin, and though sin be their delight here, yet hereafter, when they are cast off from God forever, then they shall not find that delight in sin, as now they do: as to give you it in an example, put a fish into a pot of water, and the fish doth swim, and play, and delight therein, because it is the proper element of the fish to be in the water; but now, if you do but put fire under that pot of water wherein the fish doth play and take delight, why then that which was before the delight and element of the fish, thereby becomes its pain and torture: so, though sin in this life is delightful unto wicked men, because it is their proper element to be in sin in this life, yet hereafter sin shall be their pain, because then there shall be mixed with it the wrath of God, which will make it pain and torture. Again, the loss of the soul consists in this, when the soul is fully possessed of all the evils that are contrary to all the good it is capable of:
Thus shall it be with the lost soul eternally:
That as the Saints shall be enlarged and made more capable of good, which they shall enjoy to all eternity: so, those that are wicked and lost souls, which shall be opposite to God, shall be enlarged in their capacities, and be possessed, and made capable of all contrary evils.
First, To be cast under the eternal curse of God, I say, to be eternally under the curse of the Almighty.
Secondly, To have all the faculties of the soul to be filled with the wrath of God, to have the understanding to be filled with what may increase torment in that, and for the conscience, to have the worm gnawing, which never dieth; and to have the thoughts employed, and running upon those
things that will be so hideous unto them, and to have the will continually crossed by God himself, and to have the heart sinking under the wrath of the infinite God in despair forever. Brethren, the soul of man, it is a very large vessel, and because we know but little of the large extent of our souls, therefore it is that we are so little sensible of the loss of them, or of the pain and torment they are capable of, or liable unto: But as the soul is larger than the body to take in comfort; so is it larger than the body likewise to take in pain, misery, and wrath: we should be sensible of such an expression as this; to have the body in all the members of it to be filled with fire, so as to be all on a hot fiery burning coal, and that to all eternity; this you would think could not but be an extreme misery: But the souls capacity is far larger than the bodies: And to have the soul filled in every faculty of it with the wrath of God, it is far greater pain, than to have the body in such a condition, which is the condition of a lost soul. Further, it doth consist in having the power of God stretched forth to bring evil and wrath upon it, and that to the utmost, Rom. 9:22. What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endureth with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction? (As thus)
First, The infinite power of God put forth in enlarging their natures, that they may be the more capable of evil.
Secondly, The infinite power of God put forth to uphold their natures, that they be not sunk down with those dreadful evils that God hath to put upon them.
Thirdly, The infinite power of God to let out upon the soul, whatever it can bear to make it miserable, so as not to be annihilated therewith, which it shall bear forever. And further, A lost soul is in this condition also, to be continually under the stroke of God's justice, that when it hath lain under its
pains thousands of thousands of years, saith divine Justice, I am not yet satisfied. Now that that is required, is, that the soul should lie under the wrath of God, until such time that God may have as much honor by punishing it, as he hath had dishonor by its sinning against him, and that must be forever; because God can never have so much honor by the punishing of it, as he hath had dishonor by its sinning against him: (And then) As the soul should have had eternal communion with God and Christ,
&c. it being lost, it must have communion instead thereof with the Devil and the damned spirits in Hell: And if this be the condition of a lost soul in Hell, as it is, then what shall a man gain in gaining the world, if he lose his soul? But further, to make this misery appear to be misery indeed, There is required a perfect sense of all these evils: for a man or woman may be in a lost condition, as many are now, but they do not understand it, and therefore are not sensible of it.
But that soul that is lost eternally, the Lord shall so far enlighten its understanding, as may make it sensible of all its evil; certainly many this day are in such a condition, as did they but understand the lost condition they are in, it would make them tremble: But now, when the soul is eternally lost, it shall then perfectly understand what its lost condition is, and then the thoughts of its mind shall be so busied about its misery, as that it shall not be able to ease itself one moment, but its thoughts shall be busied about its condition, so far as may make it miserable; And the Lord is able to make a creature as sensible of misery as he pleaseth. For this is the propriety of God, to make a creature as sensible of all the evil that is upon him as he pleaseth; and if so, then when all these evils come upon the creature, and the Lord intends to make the creature fully sensible of it; then certainly it must needs be miserable indeed. Further, then this loss of the
soul consists in this, That it must have nothing to support it, when the burden of the wrath of the infinite God shall be thus upon it; (as also) there shall be no mixture of any good to bring relief or ease, nor any intermission of time; it must not be one moment of time out of this condition of misery, but must be in it continually to all eternity.
Further, In this doth its misery consist, because God will keep all the faculties of the lost soul in their utmost activity, whereas now it is not so with us; for if misery and pain be upon us here, after a while our activity and sensibleness of it is partly gone: But the Lord will make such souls as are eternally lost, as perfectly sensible of this its misery every moment, as ever it was the very first moment that it went into that misery. Then,
Lastly, In regard of the irrecoverableness of the lostness of the soul when it is once lost.
The soul, when it is departed from the body, and once lost, then all the power of God can never help nor recover it; but then the stream of God's wrath shall carry it with that mighty force, as that it shall not be able to all eternity to have the least actings of its self towards its deliverance forever.
Secondly, There shall be no Mediator between God and the lost soul, none to mediate for it: Now, had not we a Mediator between God and us, we were all certainly lost; but now for the soul that is once lost eternally, Jesus
Christ will never tender up any work of mediation for such a soul; that is certainly gone and lost irrecoverably. And then further, the gates of mercy will be forever shut against such a soul.
Now for the further opening and setting forth the dreadfulness of the loss of the soul, there are divers aggravations wherein the misery of it doth further appear.
The first aggravation is this, If the soul be thus lost, then the body is, and will be lost also: It will bring the body into the very same lost condition of misery that it is in its self, so far as it is capable of misery; and that upon these two grounds.
First, Because the body all the time a man doth live in this world, it was the only or most immediate instrument that the soul had to work and to sin by: And certainly God must needs hate that body, and curse it, that did belong to the soul, because it was the only instrument of the soul to sin by.
Secondly, Miserable must the body also be, because when such a lost soul shall be united unto the body, the very extremity of the soul must needs bring misery upon the body also; as thus, When Christ had the apprehensions of his Fathers wrath and displeasure in his soul, how did it work upon his body even so as to cause even clodders of blood to fall from him? Now, what caused this pain in his body, but the terrors of God in his soul? And if it was so with Jesus Christ, that had but sin imputed unto him, then certainly the body of a damned creature must needs be in very great and dreadful torment, to which this soul is united. If a holy man cried out,
Thy arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore, there is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin. I say, if the anger of God caused this misery unto David's body for his sin, what misery will that be when all the faculties of the soul shall be filled with the wrath of God to their utmost capacity? O then, I say, what dreadful evil and pain will there be unto the body united unto such a soul!
The second aggravation of the loss of the soul, it is this, That when it comes to be in this lost condition, then it comes to be in the deadfullest and most miserable condition that any Creature is in, except the Devils
themselves. The Scripture tells us, it is an evil thing to have riches kept for a man's hurt: But O then what an evil is it, and will it be, for a man to have an immortal soul for his hurt? This is the condition of a lost soul.
The third aggravation of the loss of the soul, is this, It will have none to pity it, in that its miserable lost condition it is in.
If a man in this world should lose his estate, or any great loss, he would have many to pity him: if a man lose by fire, then he may obtain a gathering, whereby his loss may be partly made up, or he relieved; or if you lose your children, you have your friends to pity you, and to condole with you: But that man that shall have his soul lost, he shall be in such a condition, as that he shall have none to pity him.
True, we are all lost by nature, but in that our lost condition we have God pitying us, and Christ pitying us, and the Angels looking upon us with pity, and Saints pitying us; But hereafter, if lost, none shall pity that soul in that condition, when its loss is eternal. God shall not pity it, but then the blessed
God shall look upon it as an object of his eternal curse: But no pity shall he have of souls in that their lost condition; neither shall Jesus Christ pity them: True, Jesus Christ came to seek and to save those that were naturally lost, but ye have done what in you lay to frustrate the ends of Christ his coming: and as Christ shall not pity you, so mercy itself shall not pity you; but be so far from pitying of you, as that it shall plead against you.
And Angels they shall not pity you, because they shall be taken up in blessing and praising of God for his works, and righteous judgments upon you:
Neither shall the Saints pity you, though it be thy Father, out of whose loins thou camest; or though it be thy Mother, out of whose womb thou camest; yet they shall not pity thee, though thou art lost, and lost eternally,
but shall rejoice at it, and bless God for his justice upon thee: therefore miserable is the condition of a lost soul.
The fourth aggravation of a lost soul, is this, It will prove unto most that are lost, an unexpected loss: There are very few that have any apprehensions of the loss of their souls, but they think they may go on in sin, and yet do well enough.
It may be thou hearest a Minister speak of the loss of the soul, but thou flatterest thyself, and thinkest thou shalt do well enough; but at length, before thou art aware, thy soul may be lost, and that unexpectedly; then it must needs be dreadful, because it is so great and unexpected: As (for example) if a Merchant should hear that his stock at the Indies were there safe and well, and afterward upon an instant there doth come news unexpectedly that all is lost and gone, Oh how doth it damp him! And O consider how it will damp thee hereafter, though now thou dost flatter thyself, If thy soul should be lost eternally? I say, it will be a dreadful loss in regard of the unexpectedness of it.
A fifth aggravation is this, It will prove to be a dreadful loss, because the loss of every soul that shall be lost, will prove to be a willful loss: This is a great perplexity to a man in this world, when as he doth see he is undone, and that merely through his own willfulness; and this will be the aggravation of the souls loss, that one day it shall plainly appear unto them, that it was through their own willfulness.
Ye will not come to me, saith Christ, that you might have life; and ye will not endure to hear of the danger ye are in, of being lost eternally: Oh how willful must the loss of those souls be, that will not give ear to hear of the danger their souls are in, of being thus lost? And O how willfully do you run on in wicked courses, which God hath given command unto the
contrary in his Word, and how do you willfully cast off the means that God hath appointed for your salvation? But know, ye perish willfully, if ye willfully reject or neglect to improve the means that God hath given for the saving of your souls: I say, that man or woman that shall willfully cast off those truths of God that should save them, that man or woman doth willfully perish:
Well, but you will say, you do not sin willfully, but you are overtaken with sin. To which I answer, that the sin which a man doth do, which outward carnal motives would be a prevailing means to him to persuade him not to do; yet all that is in God's Word given to persuade to the contrary, doth not; he sins willfully, and if he perish, he will be found to perish willfully.
It may be you will further say, you are ignorant, and therefore if we did know better, we would do better; I answer, yet it is willful, because you are willfully ignorant; and therefore your loss is willful.
The sixth aggravation of the loss of the soul, it is this, because the eternal loss of the soul will be a great loss for a little matter.
For a man to venture the loss of his soul for the gaining of a Kingdom, he would think it something, but yet the Text tells us he would be a great loser; but if so great a loser to gain a Kingdom for his soul, O then how great an evil will it be for a man or woman to lose their souls for trifles! You do not got the world for your souls, but perhaps you do venture the loss of your souls for the getting of a groat, or six-pence, or two-pence, or it may be upon the fear of the displeasure, or anger of your Master or Mistress; you will venture the loss of your souls in telling a lie to excuse you, or it may be for the satisfying of a base lust one quarter of an hour, thou wilt venture the eternal loss of a precious soul, more worth than ten thousand worlds.
Did you never go into the place where condemned persons were, and ask them what they are there for? Why, it may be some of them will say but for a small matter, it may be the undue gaining of two or three shillings, and now my life must go for it: So many lose their souls, even for trifles, for nothing, for a base lust, which is worse than nothing; the consideration of which will make it the more dreadful.
Seventhly, The loss of the soul will be very dreadful upon this consideration, because many will lose their souls, that are very nigh to the saving of their souls: I say, the nearer a man or woman doth come to the saving their souls, and yet lose them; the loss of the soul upon that consideration will be the more dreadful to them; and it is thus with many that have many good workings in and upon their hearts, so that they are in a very good forwardness unto the everlasting salvation of their souls, and yet there doth come some lust that doth drive them back again: The loss of the souls of hypocrites therefore will be dreadful to consider: I that was in so fair a way to salvation in the use of means, and content to leave so many evil ways, and yet that I should have one that I would not leave, and for this have I lost my soul; I that was contented to take up so many duties, and yet by my hearts embracing of one sinful lust, to lose my soul; as Herod heard
John the Baptist gladly, and he reformed many things, and yet he had one sin that he would not part withal: Those that are the nearest the salvation of their souls, and yet lost at last, this will be a great aggravation of the misery thereof.
An eighth aggravation of the loss of the soul, is this, The consideration that they have lost their souls, and that so, as that they have nothing in lieu of them; they shall not only lose their souls, but they shall even lose the thing for which they did venture the loss of their souls: As for example, if a
man should have his heart so set upon a trifle, as to lose his whole estate for it, and after he hath lost his estate for it, he should lose that thing for which he lost his estate too; this would aggravate the loss of his estate much more:
Just so, if you do loss your souls for the world, or for pleasure; if your souls perish, I say ye shall both lose your souls, and that thing, be it what it will, for which you ventured and lost your souls.
And thou shalt have no more pleasure nor I content than those that did not venture the loss of their souls for it.
The ninth aggravation of the loss of the soul, is, The shame that shall be put upon those souls that shall be lost, that perish eternally: As when thy acquaintance, thy neighbors that dwelt next unto thee, that knew thee, that dwelt in the family with thee, that kept days of fast with thee, and went unto the meetings with thee, when they shall be those that shall be with God forever eternally blessing and praising of him, and shall point thee out, as with the finger, before God, the Angels, and blessed Saints, and say,
Behold, this is he that was an hypocrite, that sat under the same word, and that did partake of the same means and ordinances as I did, and yet he hath lost his soul: Loe this is the man that made not God his stay. So all they that perish shall stand before men and Angels, and be pointed at by them, saying, Loe this is the man, and loe this is the woman, that made not God their strength, but did so love their sin, as that they would not by any means be persuaded to part with it, but would rather venture the loss of their souls, to enjoy their sins, and fulfil their lust, than part with their sins to save their souls.
The tenth aggravation of the misery of a lost soul, is this, When they shall see others taken up into the Kingdom of Heaven, who were as unlikely to be saved as themselves, and they themselves shut out, and eternally lost: It
may be thou that art a carnal Master mayst see thy poor servant taken up to God, and thou thyself shut out; or it may be the carnal Father or Mother may see their child saved, and yet they themselves lost; Oh this will be a sad aggravation of their loss. And thus you have heard the dreadful loss of the soul, together with the aggravations thereof in these ten particulars.
Now for the Use.
Is it so, that the loss of the soul eternally is so dreadful a loss, as you have heard it is? Oh then let everyone here bless God for their souls, that their souls are not thus lost. It might have been so long ere this time; when such a kinsman of thine died, or thy fellow-servant, or when such a neighbor or acquaintance of thine died, if thou hadst but died when they died, thy soul, it may be, had been eternally lost.
This I can assure you, that naturally you are all lost, and what makes the difference between thy soul, and the condition of a lost soul, as you have heard, but only the mere mercy of God? Oh therefore now bless God for his mercy unto thee, that thy soul is not as yet a lost soul, and think thus with thyself, Lord, if these things be true, and so dreadful to hear of, Oh then what would be my misery if it should prove that I should be the person made sensible thereof, by experiencing the misery I hear of, to be the miserable condition of a lost soul?
The Scripture doth say concerning the joy and happiness of the Saints, That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what their happiness shall be, that shall be saved. And the like may be said of the misery of the souls that are eternally lost; and the Scripture doth say, That if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. I beseech you therefore remember what hath been spoken concerning the condition of lost souls, and lay to heart what hath been spoken out of this
Text, lest within a little time you feel what hath been spoken to be a truth, and so be forced to cry out, True it is, I heard such a day out of such a text, what was the miserable condition of a soul eternally lost, but now I find it by experience to be true, and the one half I now feel, I could not then conceive: And know the reason, my Brethren, why we lay the misery of lost souls thus before you, it is to this end, that none of you might be thus lost:
And it is a blessed thing for you to hear these things; for how many are there that have lost their souls, which till they were thus lost, never so much as heard anything about the loss of their souls, which if they had, who knows what might have been done by them for the saving of their souls?
Beloved, such a subject as this cannot be spoken unto you without trembling; for certainly this subject will be much adding to the prevention of the loss, or else it will mightily aggravate the loss of your souls, if ever they are eternally lost; therefore all I have at present to counsel you to, is, to lay these things to your hearts seriously, as also to bless God for your souls, that as yet they are not in this dreadful eternally lost condition.