29 "For no man ever yet hated his own fleſh;
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(3.) From all their vain, ungrounded, preſumptuous hopes of heaven, into abſolute and finaldeſperation of mercy.
The very finews and nerves of hope are cutbydeath, Prov. xiv. 32.
" Thewicked isdriven awayin his wickedneſs, but therighte- " ous hath hope in his death."
These are the great and aftoniſhing alterations that will be made upon our fouls, after they partwith the bodies which they now inhabit. Oh that we, who cannot but be conſcious to ourfelves that we must over live our bodies, were more thoughtful of the condition they must enter into, after that ſeparation which is at hand.
Infer. 10. If our fouls be immortal, then death is neither to befearedby them in heaven, nor hopedfor them in hell.
The being of foulsnever fails, whether they be in a ſtate ofbleſſedneſs or of miſery. " Inglory they are ever with the Lord."
1 Theſ. iv. 17.
There ſhallbe no death there, Rev. xxi. 4.
And inhell, though they ſhall wish for death, yet death ſhall flee from them *.
Though there be no fears of annihilation in heaven, yet there may be many wishes for it in hell, but to no purpoſe; there never will be an end put, eitherto their being, or to their torments.
In this reſpect noother creatures are capable of the miſery that wicked men are capable of: When theydie, there is the end of all their miſery ; but it is not fo with men.
Better therefore had it been for them, ifGod had createdthem in the baſeſt, and loweſt order and rank of creatures; adog, a toad, a worm, is better than aman in endleſs miſery, ever dying, andnever dead. Andso much of the fouls immortality.
** ** EPH. V. 2). For no man ever yet hated his own fleſb; but nouriſbeth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.
HAVING given fome account of the nature and immortality of the foul, we next come,from this text, to diſcourſe ofits love and inclination to the body, with which it is united.
The ſcope ofthe apoſlle is, to preſs Chriſtians to the exact difchargeof thoſe relative duties theyowe to each other ; particularly, he here urgeth the mutual duties ofhusbands andwives, ver. 22. wives to an obedient ſubjection, husbands to a tender love of their wives.
This exhortation he enforceth from the * O death thou art ſweet to thoſe to whom thou waſt formerly bitter : They defire thee alone, who did hate theealone. Auguft.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
intimate union, which, by the ordinance of God, is betwixt them, they beingnow one flesh. Andthis union he illuſtrates bycomparing itwith, 1. The mystical union ofChritt and the church.
2. Thenatural union of the foul and body.
Andfromboth theſe, as excellent examples and patterns,he, with great ftrength of argument, urgeth the duty oflove ; ver.
28. " Soought men to lovetheir wives as their own bodies; he " that loveth his wife, loveth himself." Self love is naturally implanted in all men, and it is the rule by which we meaſure out anddiſpenſe our love to others.--" Thou shalt love thy
" neighbour as thyself."
This ſelf-love he opens in this place, by, (1.) The univerſality of it.
(2.) The effects that evidence it.
1. The univerſality ofit.
No man everyet hated his own flesh.
By.flesh, underſtandthe body by an uſual metonymy of a part for the whole, called fleſh. By hating it, underſtand a fimple hatred, or hatred itſelf.
It is ufual for mento hate the deformities and diſeaſes of their ownbodies, and upon thatac- - count to deal with the members of their own bodies as if they hated them; hence it is,theywillingly ſtretch forth a gangren- -edleg or arm to be cut off, for the preſervation of the reſt : butthis isnot a ſimple hatred of a man's felf, but rather an argument of the ſtrengthofthe foul's love to the body, that it willbecontenttoendure ſomuch pain andanguiſh for its fake.
And ifthe foul be at any time weary of, and willing to part, notwith a ſingle member only, but with the whole body, and loaths its unionwith it any longer, yet it hates it and loaths it not fimply in, and for itſelf, but becauſe it isfo filled with diſeaſes all over, and loads the foul daily with ſo much grief, thathow well foever thefoul loves it in itſelf,yet upon ſuch ſad, terms and conditions it would notbetied toit.
Thiswas Job's cafe, Jobx. 1. "My foul is weary of my life;" yet not fimply ofhis life, butofſuchalife,in painand trouble.
Except itbeinſuchreſpects andcafes, no man, faith he, everyet hated hisownfleſh; i. e. nomanin hisright mind, and in the exerciſeofhis reaſonand ſenſe; for we muſt except diſtracted and delirious men, who know not what theydo, as alſo men under the terrorsofconfcience, whenGod ſuffers itto rage in extremity, as Spira and others, whowouldhave been gladwiththeir own hands to have cut the threed that tied their miſerable fouls totheir bodies, ſuppoſing thatway, andby that change, to find
A Treatise of the Soul of Man. fome relief.
Either of theſe caſes forces men to act beſide the ſtated rule of nature and reaſon.
2. This love of the foul to thebody is further diſcoveredby the effects which evidence it, viz. its nourishing and cherishingthebody, έκτρεφει και δαλπει. Theſe two comprize the neceſſaries for the body, viz. food and raiment. The firſt ſignifies to nourish with proper food; the latter to warm by cloathing, as the word θαλπειν is rendered, James ii. 16. to which the Hebrew word answers,Job xxxi. 20. The care andproviſion of theſe things for thebody evidences the foul's love to םימאתמ it.
Doct. That thefouls ofmen arestrongly inclined, and tenderly affected, towards the bodies in which they now dwell.
The foul's love to the body is ſo ſtrong, natural, and inſeparable, that it is made the rule and meaſure by which we diſpenſe and proportion our love to others, Matth. xix. 19. "Thou
" ſhalt love thy neighbour as thyself." And the apostle, Gal . v. 14. tells us, That the whole law, i. e. the ſecond table of the law, is fulfilled, or ſummedup in this precept, "Thou
" ſhalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The meaning is not, that all and every one who is our neighbour, must be equally near to us as our ownbodies; but itintends, (1.) The ſincerity of our love to others, which mustbe without diſſimulation, for wediſſemble not in ſelf-love.
(2.) That we be as careful to avoid injuring others, as we would ourſelves,Matth. vii. 12.
To do by others, or meaſure to them, as we would have done or meaſured untous : for which rule, Severus the Heathen emperor, honoured Chriſt and Chriſtianity, andcauſedit to bewritten in capital letters ofgold.
(3.) That wetake direction from this principle offelf-love, tomeaſure out our care, love, and reſpects to others, according to thedifferentdegrees ofnearneſs inwhich we ſtand tothem.
As, (1.) The wife of our boſom, towhom, by this rule, is due our firſt care and love, as inthe text.
(2.) Ourchildrenandfamily, 1 Tim. v. 8. (3.) To allingeneral, whether we have anybond of naturalrelation upon them or no ; but eſpecially thoſeto whom we areſpiritually related, asGal. vi. 10.
And indeed, as every Chriſtian hath a right to ourlove and care above other men, ſo in ſome cafes, we are to exceed this rule offelf-love, by a tranſcendent act of felf-denial forthem, IJohn iii. 16.
And Paul went higher than that, in aglorious exceſs ofcharitytothecommunityorbody ofGod's people, preferring their ſalvation not only to his own body, butto his foul alſo,
Rom. ix. 3.
But to theſe extraordinary cafeswe areſeldom çal led ; and ifwe be,the gospel furnisheth us with an higher rule
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
-than ſelf-love, John xiii. 34. Butby this principle of ſelf-love, inall ordinary cafes, we must proportion anddiſpenſe our love to all others; by which you fee what adeep-rooted and fixed principle in nature ſelf-love is, how univerſal and permanent a lone this is, which elſe were not fit to be made the meaſure of our love to all others .
Two things will deſerve our conſideration inthe doctrinal partof this point.
First, Wherein the foul evidenceth its love to the body.
Secondly, What are the grounds and fundamental cauſes or realous of its love to it; andthen apply it.
First, Wherein the foul evidenceth its love to the body, and that itdoth indivers reſpects.
1. In its cares for the things needful to the body, as the text ſpeaks, in nouriſhing and cheriſhing it, i. e. taking care for food andraiment for it.
This care is univerfal, it is implanted inthe moſt ſavage and barbarous people ; and is generally fo
- exceſſive andexorbitant, that though it never needs a ſpur, yet moſt times, and with moſt men, itdoth need a curb ; and therefore Chriſt, in Matth. vi. 32. ſhews how thoſe cares torture and diſtract the nations of the world, warns them against the like exceſſes, and propounds arule tothem for theallay and mi- -tigation of them, ver. 25, 26, 27. So doth the apostle alſo,
1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31. To speak as the matter is, moſt ſouls are over-heatedwiththeircares, and eager purſuit after the concerns of the body.
They pant after the duſt of the earth.
They pierce themselves through with many forrows, I Tim. vi.
10.
They are cumbered like Martha with much ſerving.
It is a perfect drudge and flave to the body, beſtowing all its time, ſtrength, and ſtudies about the body for one foul that putsthe queſtion to itſelf, " What ſhall 1do to be ſaved ?" a thouſand are tobe found that mind nothingmore, but, " What
" ſhall I eat, what ſhall I drink, and wherewithal ſhall I and " minebe cloathed ?" I do not ſay, that theſe are proofs ofthe foul's regular love to the body; no, they differ from it, as a fever does from natural heat.
This is adoating fondneſs upon the body. Hetruly loves his body, that moderatelyand ordi. nately cares forwhat is neceſſary for it, and cankeep it under,
1Cor. ix. 27. and deny its whinning appetite,when indulgence is prejudicial to the foul, or warms its lufts.
Believers themſelves find ithard to keep the golden bridle ofmoderation upon their affections in this matter.
It is not every man that hath attained Agur's cool temper, Prov. xxx. 8.that can flack his
VOL. III.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. paceanddrive moderately, where the intereſts of the body are concerned: thebeſt fouls are too warm, the generalityin raging heats, which diſtract their minds, as that word, Matth. vi. 25. μημεριμνατε, fignifies.
Ifthebody were not exceedingdear to the foul, it would never torture itſelf, day and night, with ſuch anxious cares about it .
2. The foul diſcovers its eſteem and value for the body inall the fears ithath about it.
Didnot the foul loveit exceedingly, it would never be affrighted for it, and on its account, ſomuch and ſooften as it is. What a panic feardo the dangers of the body caſt the foul into ? Ifa. vii. 2. When thebody is indanger, the foul is in diſtraction, the foul is in fears and tremblings aboutit : theſe fears flow from the ſouls tender love and affection tothe body; ifitdid not love it ſo intenſely, itwould aever afflict andtorment itſelfat that rate itdoth about it: Satan, the profeſſed enemy of our fouls, being throughly acquainted with thoſe fears which flow from the fountain of love tothe body, politicly improves them in the way oftemptation, tothe utter ruinof fome, and the great hazard of other fouls; he edges and ſharpens his temptations upon us this way ; he puts our bodies intodanger, that he may thereby endanger our fouls; he reckons, ifhe can but draw the body intodanger, fearwill quickly drive the foul into temptation: it is not ſo much from Satan's malice or hatred ofour bodies, that he ſtirs up perfecu tions againſt us : but he knows the tie of affection is ſo ſtrong betwixt theſe friends, that love will draw, and fear will drive the foul into many and great hazards of its own happiness, to free the body out of thoſe dangers.
Prov. xxix. 25. "The " fear of man brings a ſnare :" andHeb.xi. 37. " Tortured " and tempted."
Upon this ground alſo it is, that this life becomes a life of temptation to allmen, and there is no freedom from that dan ger, till we be freed from the body, and ſet at liberty by death.
Separated fouls are the only free fouls.
They that carry no fleſh about them, need carry no fears of temptation within them.
It is thebodywhich catches the ſparks oftemptation.
3.The foul manifeſts its dear love and affection to thebody, by its sympathy, and compaffionate feeling of all its burdens: whatevertouches the body, by way of injury, affects the foul alſobyway of fympathy. The foul andbody are as ſtringsof two muſical instruments, ſet exactly at one height; ifone be touched, theothertrembles. They laugh and cry, are fickand well together.
This is awonderful mystery, and a rarefecret (asalearnedmanobferves) how the foul comes to ſympathize
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with the body, and to have not only aknowledge, but as it were a feeling ofits neceffities and infirmities; how this fleſhly lumpcomes to affect, and make its deep impreffions upon a creatureoffodifferent a nature from it, as the foul or ſpirit is.
But that it doth ſo, tho' we know not how, is plain and ſenſible toanyman.
If any member of the body, tho' but the lowest andmeaneſt, be inpain and miſery, the foul is preſently affected with it, and commands the eyes to watch, yea, to weep, the hands tobind itup with all tenderness, and defend it fromthe leaſt injurious touch; the lips to complain of its mifery, and beg pity and help from others for it. Ifthe body be in danger, how are the faculties ofthe foul, understanding, memory, invention, &c. employed with utmoſt ſtrength and concernment for its deliverance ! This is a real and unexceptionable evidence ofitsdearand tender love tothe body. As thoſe thatbelong toone myſtical body ſhew their fincere love this way, I Cor. xii . 25, 26. ſo the foul .
4. The foul manifeſteth its love to thebody, by its fears of death, and extreme averſation to afeparationfrom it. Onthis account, death is called in Job xviii. 14. " The king of ter- " rors," or the black prince, or the prince ofclouds anddarknefs, as fome tranſlate that place : We read it, " The king of " terrors," meaning, that the terrors atdeath are fuch terrors as ſubdue and keep down all other terrors under them, as a princedoth his fubjects.
Other terrors compared with thoſe thatthefoul conceives and conflicts with at parting, are nomore than acut finger, to the laying one's headon the block.
Oh! the fouland body are ſtrongly twiſted and knit together indear bands of intimate union and affection, and theſe bands cannot be brokenwithout much ſtruggling : Oh ! it is ahard thing for the foul tobid the body farewel, it is a bitter parting, a doleful
ſeparation: Nothing isheard inthat hour but the moſtdeep and emphatical groans; I fay emphaticalgroans, thedeep fenfe and meaning ofwhich the living are but little acquainted with :
For noman living hath yet feltthe forrows ofa parting pull; whatsoever other forrows he hath felt inthe body, yet they must be ſuppoſed tobe far ſhort of theſe.
The forrows of death are in ſcripture fet forth unto us, by thebearing throes ofa travailing woman, Acts ii. 24. ωδιναςτε
· θάνατο, and what thoſe mean, many cantell. The foul is in labour, it will not let go its hold of the body, but by con. ftraint: Death is a cloſe ſiege, and when the soul is beaten out of itsbody, itdiſputes the paſſage with death, as foldiers uſe
Ff2
ATreatise of the Soul of Man. todowith an enemy that enters by ſtorm, and fights and Arives to the laſt : It is alſo compared to a battle orsharpfight, Eccl. viii. 8. that war.
That war with an emphasis. No conflict ſo ſharp, each labour to the utmoſt to drive the other from the ground they ſtand on, and winthe field. And though grace much over-powers nature in this matter, and reconciles it to death, and makes it defire to be diſſolved, yet ſaints wholly put not off this reluctation of nature, 2 Cor. v. 2. Notthat wewould be uncloathed; as it is with one willing towade over abrook to his father's houſe, puts his foot into the water, and feels it cold, ſtarts back, and is loth to venture in; Not that we would be uncloathed.
And ifit be ſo with ſanctified fouls, how is it, thinkyou, with others ? Mark the fcripture language
Job xxvii. 8. God taketh away their fouls, faith our tranflation ; but the root is, לשכ extrahere,and ſignifies topull out by plain force and violence. A graceleſs ſoul dieth notby con. fent, but force.
Thus Adrian bewailed his departure, OAnimula, vagula, blandula, heu quo vadis ! Yea, tho' the foul havenever ſo longatime beenin thebody,though it ſhould live as longas theAntideluvianfathers did, for many hundredyears, yet fill it wouldbe loth to part; yea, though it endure abundance of mifery in the body, and have little reſt or comfort, but timeſpent ingriefs and fears, yet for all that it is loth topart with it. All this ſhews a ſtrong inclination and affectionto it.
5. Its defire of re-union continuing ſtillwith it, in its ſtate of feparation, ſpeaks its love to thebody. As the foul parted with it in grief and forrow, ſo it ſtill retains, even inglory, an inclination to re-union, and waits for a dayofre-eſpouſals : and tothat ſenſe ſome ſearchingand judicious men underſtand thoſe words of Job , chap. xiv. 14. " If a mandie, ſhallhe liveagain ?" viz. by a refurrection: if ſo, then all thedays ofmy appointed ſeparation, my foul in heaven ſhall wait till that change come.
And to the ſame ſenſe is that cry of ſeparated fouls, Rev. vi. 9, 10, 11. " How long, O Lord, how long ?" (i. e.) tothe confummation of all things, when judgment ſhall be executed on them that killed ourbodies, and our bodies ſo long abſent, reſtored tous again ? In thatday ofrefurrection, the fouls ofthe faints come willinglyfrom heavenitſelf, torepoſſeſs theirbodies, andbring them to a partnerſhip with them in their glory : for it is with the foul in heaven as it is with an husband who is richly entertained, feaſted, and lodged abroad, but his dearwife is folitaryand comfortless; it abates the completeness of his joy. Thereforewe ſay, the ſaints joy is not confummate till thatday.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
There is an exerciſe for faith, hope and defires, on this account in heaven.
The union of foul and body is natural, their ſeparation is not fo: many benefits will redound to both by a re-union, and the refurrection of thebody is provided by God, as the grand relief against thoſe prejudices and loſſes the bodies ofthe faints ſuſtain by ſeparation.
I ſay not that the propenſion or inclination of the foul tore-union with its body, is accompanied with any perturbation or anxiety, in its ſtate of feparation ; for it enjoysGod, and in him a placid reſt ; and as the body, ſo the
foul reſts in hope; it is ſuch a hope as disturbs not the rest of either: yetwhenthe time iscome for the foul to be re-eſpoufed, it is highly gratifiedby that ſecondmarriage, glad it is to fee itsolddear companion, as two friends after along ſeparation. And so much of the evidence of the foul's love to the body.
Secondly, Next we are to enquire into the grounds and reafons of its love and inclination to the body.
And, 1. The fundamental ground and reaſon thereof will be found intheir natural unionwith each other.
There my text lays it :
" No man ever yet hated his [own] fleſh."
Mark, the body is the foul's own ; they areſtrictly married and related to each other: the foul hath apropriety in its body, theſe two make up,or conftituteone perſon : True, they And this is no more arenot eſſentiallyone, theyhavefardiffer. entnatures, buttheyare perfonally one; and though thefoul be what itwas, after than neceffaryforthe confervation of the species, else the body its feparation, yet to make amanthewho he was, (i. e.) the ſame complete and perfect perſon, they must be re-united.
Hence ſprings its love to the body. Every would be neglected, exposed, and quickly perish, being bad in man loves his own, John xvii. 19. All the world is in love with its own, and hence no more regard than anyother body. itcarestoprovide forits welfare, ITim v. 8. " Ifany man provide not for his own, he is worſe than an " infidel."
For nature teacheth all men todo ſo.
Why are children dearer to parents than to all others, butbecauſe they are their own ? Job xix. 17. But our wives, our children, our goods, are not ſo much our own, as our bodies are ; this is the nearest of all natural unions .
In this propriety and relation are involved the reaſons and motives of our love to, and care over the body, which is no more than what is neceſſary to their prefervation.
For, were itnot for thisproprietyand relation,noman would be at any
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan. morecoſtor pains for his ownbody, than for thatofa stranger.
It is propriety which naturally draws love, care, and tenderneſsalongwith it; and theſe are orderedbythe wisdom of providence, for the conſervationofthe body, which wouldquickly periſh without it.
2. The body istheſoul's ancient acquaintance, and intimate friend, with whom it hath affiduouſlyand familiarly converſed from its beginning. They have been partners in each others comforts and forrows.
Theymay ſay toeach other, as Miconiusdid to hiscolleague, with whom hehad spent twentyyears in the government of the Thuringian church: Gurrimus, certavimus, laboravimus, pugnavimus, vicimus, et viximus conjunctiffime; We have run, ſtriven,laboured, fought, overcome, and lived moſt intimately and lovingly together.
Confuetude, anddailyconverſation,begets andconciliates friendſhipandlove betwixt creatures ofcontrary natures: Let a lamb be brought upwitha lion, and the lion willexpreſs atenderness towards it, much more the foul to itsown body.
3. The body is the foul's houſe, and beloved habitation, where it was born, andhath livedever ſince it had a being, and inwhich ithath enjoyed all its comforts, natural and fupernatural, whichcannotbut ſtrengthen the fouls engagement to it. Upon this account theapofilecallsit the foul'shome, 2Cor. v. 6. " Whilft we are at home inthebody."
It is true, this houſe isnot fo comfortable an habitation, that itſhouldbemuch defiredbymany fouls; wemay ſay ofmanygracious fouls, that they pay a dearrent forthe houſe theydwell in : or as itwas faid of Galba, Anima Galbae male habitat, their fouls are but ill accommodated; but yet it is theirhome, andthereforebeloved bythem.
4. Thebody is the foul's inſtrument by which it doth its work and buſineſs in the world, both natural and religious,
Rom. vi. 13. Through the bodily ſenſes ittakes in allthenatural comforts ofthis world, andby the bodilymembers it performs all its duties and ſervices.
When theſe are broken and laid aſide by death, the foul knows it can work no more in thatway itnow doth, John ix. 4. Eccl. ix. 10. Natural men love their bodies for the natural pleaſures, theyare inſtrumental toconveyto their fouls; andſpiritual men,fortheuſe andfervice they areofto their own, and other fouls, Phil. i. 23.
5. Thebody is the foul's partner in the benefit of Christ's purchases.
Itwas bought with the fame price, 1 Cor. vi. 20. fanctifiedby the fame Spirit, I Theff. v. 23. intereſted inthe ſame promiſes, Matth. xxii. 32. and deſigned for the fame
ATreatise of the Soul ofMani
glory, I Theff. iv. 16, 17. So thatwe may ſayofit as it was faid of Augustine and his friend Alippius, they are fanguine
Chrifti conglutinati, glewed together by the blood of Chrift, And thus ofthe grounds and reaſons ofits love.
Infer. 1. Is it ſo? Learn hence themightystrength andprevalence ofdivine love, which overpowering allnatural affections, doth not only enable thefouls ofmen to take their feparationfrom thebody patiently, but to longfor it ardently, Phil. i. 23. While ſomeneed patience todie, others need it asmuch to live, 2Thef. iii. 5. It is faid, Rev. xii. 11. " They loved not their lives."
And indeed, on theſe terms they first cloſed with Chrift, Luke
xii. 26. " to hate their lives for his fake," (i. e.) to love them inſo remiſs adegree, that whenever they ſhall come in competitionwith Chrift, toregard them no more thanthethingswe hate.
The love of Chriſt is to be the fupreme love, and all others tobe fubordinate to it, or quenched by it.
It is not its own comfort inthebody, it principally and ultimately deſigns and aims at, but Chriſt's glory ; and if this may be furthered by thedeath ofthebody,itsdeaththereuponbecomes as eligible to the foul as its life, Phil. i. 20. Oh! this is an high pitch of grace, a great attainment, to ſay as onedid, vixere renuo, ut
Christovivam ; I refuſe life, tobe with Chriſt : Or another, when hewas aſked whether he was willing todie ? anſwered, illius eft nollemori, qui nolit ire ad Chriftium ; let him be loth todie, that is loth togo to Chrift.
So, 2 Cor. v. 8. " We are " willing rathertobe abſentfromthebody,andpreſentwith the " Lord."
It isnoteveryChriſtian that can arrive to this degree oflove, though they love Chriſt ſincerely, yet they ſhrink fromdeath cowardly, and are loth to be gone.
There are two forts of grounds upon which chriſtians may be loth to be unbodied;
1. Sinful .
2. Allowable.
1. The finful and unjustifiable grounds are ſuch as theſe, viz. ( 1.) Guilt upontheconſcience, which willdamp and difcourage the foul, and make it loth to die.
It arms death with terror, " the ſting ofdeath is fin."
(2.) Unmortified affections tothe world, Imean in ſuchadegree as is neceſſary to ſweeten death, and make aman a volunteer inthat ſharp engagement with that laſt, and dreadful enemy.
It is with our hearts as withfuel ; ifgreen, and full offap, it will not burn; but if that be dried up, it catches preſently.
Mortification is the dryingup ofcarnal affections to the creature, which is that which refifts death, as greenwood doth the fire.
(3.) The
ATreatise of the Soul of Min. weakness and cloudineſs of faith.
You need faith todieby, as well as live by,Heb. xi. 13. All befe died in faith. The leſs ſtrength there is in faith, the more indeath. A strong believer welcomes the meſſengers ofdeath,when aweak one, unleſs extraordinarily aſſiſted, trembles at them.
2. There are grounds onwhich we may defire a longer continuancein thebody, warrantably and allowably : As (1.) todo himyet more fervice in our bodies, before we lay them down.
Thus the faints have pleaded for longer life, Pfal. xxx. 9. Pfal. lxxxviii. 11 , 12, 13. and Iſa. xxxviii. 18, 19.
(2.) To fee the clouds of God's anger diſpelled, whether public or perfonal, and a clear light break out e'er we die ; Pfal. xxvii. 13.
(3.) They may defire, with fubmiffion, to out-live the days of perſecution, and not to be delivered into the hands ofcruel men, but come to their graves in peace, Pfal. xxxi. 15. and 2 Theff. iii. 2. that they may be delivered from abſurdmen.
3. But though ſome Chriſtians ſnun death upon a finful account, and others upon ajuſtifiable one ; yet others there are, who feeing their title clear, their work done, and reliſhing the joys of heaven, in the prelibations of faith, are willing to be uncloathed, and to be with Chriſt.
Their love to Chriſt hath extinguished in them the love of life; and they can ſaywith
Paul, Acts xxi . 13. I am ready.
Ignatius longed to come to thoſe beafts that were to devour him ; and ſo many of the primitive Chriſtians : Chriſt was ſodear, that their lives were cheap, and low-prizedthings for this enjoyment. And here indeed is theglory and triumph of a Chriſtian's faith and love to Chriſt :
For ( 1.) it enables him to part chearfully withwhat he ſees and feels, for what his eyes never yet faw, I Pet. i. 8. " Whom
" having not feen, ye love."
(2.) To part with what is dearest onearth, and lies nearest the heart ofall he enjoys, for Chriſt's fake.
(3.) To reconcile his heart to what is moſt abhorrent and formidable to nature.
(4.) To endure the greateſt ofpains and torments to be with him.
(5.) To caſt himself into the vaſtocean of eternity, the moſt amazing change, to be with Chriſt, Oh the glorious conqueſts of love !
Infer. 2. Then the apostacy ofunregenerate profeſſors, in times of imminent danger, is not tobe wondered at.
They will, and muſtwarp from Chriſt, when their lives are in hazard for him.
The love of the body will certainly prevail over their love to Chriſt and religion. Amor meus pondus meum.
Self-love will now draw.
Love is the weight of the foul, which inclines and determines it, in the competition of intereſts, and the predominant intereſt always carries it. Every unregenerate profeffor
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
loves his own life more than Chriſt, prefers his body before his foul ; fuch an onemay, upondivers accounts, as education, example, flight comictions of confcience, or oftentationofgifts, fallinto a profeffion of religion, and continue along time in that profeffion, before he viſibly recede from Chrift ; hope of the refurrection of the intereſtof religion inthe world ; Shame of retracting his profeſſion ; applause of his zeal and conſtancy inhigher trials, the peace ofhis own confcience, and manyfuch motives, may prevail with a carnal profeffor to endure a while ; but, whendangers of life come to an height, they are gone,
Matth. xxiv. 8, 9, 10. And therefore our Lord tells us, that they " whohate not their lives, cannot be his diſciples," Luke
12, 26.
Now will they loſe their lives by ſaving them, Matth. xvi. 25. and the reaſons are plain and forcible : For,
1. Now is the proper ſeaſon for the predominant love to be diſcovered, it can be hid no longer and the love of life is the predominant love in all fuch perſons ; for do but compare it with their love to Chriſt, and it will easily be found fo.
They love their lives truly and really, they love Chrift but feignedly and pretendedly; and the real will, and muſt prevail over the feigned love. They love their lives fervently and intensely, they love Chriftbut coldly and remiſsly : And the fervent love will prevail over the remiſs love.
Their love to their bodies hath a root in themselves, their love to Chriſt hath no root in themſelves, Matth. xiii. 21.
And thatwhich hath a root must needs out-laſt and out-live that which hath none.
2. Becauſewhen life is in hazard, confcience willwork inthem byway ofdiſcouragement ; it will hint the danger oftheir eternal ſtate to them, and tellthem they may caſt away their fouls for ever in a bravado ; for though the cauſe they are called to fuffer for be good, yet theircondition is bad; and ifthe condi tion be not good as well as the cauſe, a man is loft for ever, though he fuffer for it, I Cor. xiii. 3.
Confcience, which encourages and ſupports the upright, willdiſcourage and daunt thehypocrite, andtellhim,he isnotonthe fame terms in fufferings that other men are.
3.Becauſe then all the ſprings bywhich their profeſſion was fedand maintained, fail anddry up. Now the wind thatwas intheirbacks is come about, andblows a ſtorm intheir faces; there are no preferments nor honours now tobe had from religion.
Theſe mens ſufferings are a perfect ſurprize to them, for they never countedthe coſt, Luke xiv. 28. Nowthey must
VOL. III.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. ſtandalone, and refiſt untoblood,and facrifice allviſiblesfor inviſibles ; and this they can never do.
Oh therefore, profeffors, look toyour hear's, try theirpredominant love ; compare your love toChriſt with that to your lives. Now the like queſtion willbe put toyou, that once was put to Peter, John xxi .
15. " Loveſt thou me more than " theſe ?" What lay you to this ? You think now, you do, but, alas your love is not yet brought to the fire tobe tried : you think you hate fin, but will you be able to ſtrive unto bloodagainſt ſin ? Heb. xii. 4.
Will you chuſe ſuffering rather than fin ? Job xxxvi. 21. O try your love to Chrift, beforeGod bring it to the trial.
Sure Iam, the love of life will make you warp in thehour oftemptation; except, 1. You fatdownandcounted the cost ofreligion before-hand: ifyou fet out in proceſſion only for a walk, not for ajourney ; ifyou go to ſea for recreation, not for avoyage ; if you be mounted among other proceſſors, only to take the air, and not to engage anenemy in ſharp and bloody encounters, you are gone.
2. Except you liveby faith, andnotby ſenſe, 2Cor. iv. 18.
" Whilft we look not at the things that are ſeen."
You must balance preſent fufferings with future glory. You must goby that account and reckoning, Rom. viii. 18. or you are gone.
" Now the juſt ſhall liveby faith ;" andiffaithdonot fupport, your fears will certainly finkyou.
3. Except you be fincere and plain-hearted in religion, drivingno defign initbut to fave your fouls; you may fee your lot inthatexample, 2 Tim. iv. 10. " Demas hath forſaken me."
Otakeheed ofacunning, deceitful, double heart in religion ; beplain, be open, care not ifyour ends lieopen to the eyes of alltheworld.
4. Except you experience the power of religion in your own fouls, as well as wear the name of it. O my brethren, itis not aname to live that will do you ſervice now. Many ſhips are gonedowntothebottom, for allthe brave names ofthe Success, the Prosperous, the HappyReturn, andfo will you.
There is aknowing of ourselves by taſte and real experience,Heb.x. 34. whichdoth a foulmoreſervicein a fuffering hour, than allthe ſplendid names and titles inthe world.
5. Except you make it yourdaily work to crucify the fleſh, deny felffor Chriſt, in all the forms andintereſts ofit.
He that cannot deny himself, will deny Jeſus Chriſt, Matth. xvi. 24.
" Let him denyhimself, take up his croſs, and follow me," elic
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
he cannotbemydiſciple. Ponder theſe things in yourhearts, whilst yetGod delays the trial.
Infer. 3. Ifthefouls ofmenbe naturally ſo ſtrongly inclined andaffected towards the body; Then hence you may plainlyfee thewisdom ofGodin all the afflictions andburdens he lays uponhis people in this world, and find that allis but enough to wean off theirfoulsfrom their bodies, and make them willing to part with them.
The life ofthe faints in this world, is generally a burdened and a groaning life; 2Cor. v. 2. " In this tabernacle we groan, being burdened."
Here the faints feel, (1.) A burdenof fin, Rom. vii. 24. this isadeadand a ſinking weight.
(2. ) A burdenof affliction ; of this all are partakers, Heb. xii. though not all inan equaldegree, or in the ſame kind, yet allhave their burdens equal to, and even beyond their own ſtrength to fupport it; 2 Cor. i. 8. " preſſed above measure."
(3 ) A burden of inward troubles for fin, and outward troubles in the flesh both together, ſo had Job, Heman, David, and many of the faints.
Certainly this befals them not, (1.) Caſually, Job v. 6. " It " riſes not out ofthe dust:" (2.) Nor becauſeGod loves and regards them not, for they are fruits of his love ; Heb. xii. 6.
" Whom he loveth he correcteth:" (3.) Nor because he takes pleafure inour groans ; Lam. iii. 34. " To tread under his feet
" the prisoners of the earth, the Lord hath no pleaſure :" it isnot for his own pleaſure, but his childrens profit, Heb. xii.
10. And among the profits thatrefultfrom theſe burdens, this is notthe leaſt, to make you leſs fond of the body than you would elfebe, and morewilling tobe gone to your everlasting reſt. And certainly all thediſeaſes and painswe endure in the body, whether they be upon inward or outward accounts, by paffion or compaſſion from God or men, willbe found but enough toweanus, and looſe offour hearts from the fond love of life.
Afflictions arebitter things to our taſte, Ruth i. 20. ſo bitter, thatNaomi thought a name ofa contrary fignification fitter forher afflicted condition; callme Marah, i. e. bitter, not Naomi, pleasant, beautiful. And the church, Lam. iii. 19.. callsthemwormwood and gall.
Thegreat deſign ofGodin afflicting them, is the ſame that atender mother projects in putting wormwood to her breaft when the would wean the child.
Ithath been obſervedby ſome diſcreet and grave miniſters, thatbefore theirremove from oneplace to another, God hath
Gg 2
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. permittedand ordered ſome weaning providence to befal them eitherdenying wonted fucceſs to their labour, or alienating and cooling the affections oftheir people towards them, which not only makes the manner of their departure more eaſy, but the grounds of it more clear. Much ſo it falis out in ournatural death, the comfort of the world is imbittered tous before we leave it; the longerwe live in it, the leſs we shall like it. We overlive moſt of our comforts which engaged our hearts to it, thatwe may more freely take our leave ofit. It weregood for Chriſtians to obſerve the voiceofſuch providences as theſe, and anfwer the deſigns ofthem in a greater willingness to die.
1. Is thy body whichwas once hale and vigorous, now becomea crazy, fickly, pained body to thee, neither useful to God, nor comfortable to thee? a tabernacle to groan and figh in? and little hopes it will be recovered to a better temper ;
God hath ordained this to make thee willing tobe divorced from it: the leſs deſireable life is, the leſsformidabledeath will be.
2. Is thy eſtate decayed and blasted byprovidence, ſo that thy life which was once fullofcreature-comforts, is now filled with cares and anxieties ? O it is a weaning providence to thee, and beſpeaks thee the more chearfully tobid the world farewel.
The leſs comfortitgives you, the leſs it ſhall entangle and engageyou .
We little knowwith what aking hearts, and penſive breasts, many ofGod's people walk up anddown, though for religion, or reputation fake they put a good face upon it; but by theſe things, God is beſpeaking and preparing them for a better ſtate.
3. Is anhusband, a wife, or dear childrendead, and with themthecomfort oflife laidin the dust ? why this the Lord fees neceſſary todo to perfuadeyou tocome after willingly ? It is the cutting aſunder thy roots inthe earth, that thou mayeft fall the more easily. O how many ſtrokes muſtGod give at our names, eſtates, relations, andhealth, beforewe will give way tothe laſt ſtroke of death that fells us to the ground ?
4. Do the times frown upon religion ? Do all things ſeem to threaten ſtormy times at hand ? Are defirable affemblies ſcattered ? nothing but forrows and fufferings to be expected in thisworld? by theſe things God will imbitter the earth, and fweetenheaven to his people.
T 5. Is the beauty and ſweetness of Chriſtian ſocietydefaced anddecayed ? That communion which was wont tobe pithy, ſubſtantial, ſpiritual, and edifying, become either frothy or contentious, fo that thy foul has no pleaſure in it, this alſo is a
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
weaning providence to our fouls; Strigelius defiredto diethat - he might be freed ab implacabilibus theologorum odiis, fromthe
- wranglings andcontentions that were in his time. Our fond affection to the body requires allthis, and much more, towean andmortify them.
Infer. 4. How comfortable is the doctrine ofthe refurrection to believers, which affures them of receiving their bodies again, though they part with themfor a time !
Believers muſt die as well as others; their union with Chriſt privileges them not from a feparation from their bodies, Rom. viii. 10. Heb. ix. 27. But yet they have ſpecial grounds ofconfolationagainst thisdolefulfeparation above all others.
For, 1. Though they part with them, yet they part in hopes of re ceivingthem again, 1 Theff. iv. 13, 14.
They take nota final leave ofthem when theydie. Huſbandmen caft their feed-corn into the earth chearfully and willingly, becauſe they part with it inhope; ſo ſhouldwewhenwe commit our bodies to the earth at death.
2. Though death ſeparates theſe dear friends from each other, yet itcannot ſeparate either the one or other from Chrift, Luke xx. 37, 38. " 1 am the God of Abraham," &c.
Your very duſt is the Lord's, andthe grave rots not the bond ofthecovenant.
3.The very fame body we lay down at death, we ſhall aſſume again at the refurrection ; not only the ſame ſpecifical, but the famenumerical body; Job xix. 25, 26. " Withtheſe eyes ſhall
" I ſeeGod ."
4. The unbodied foul ſhall not find the wantof its body, fo as to afflict or diſquiet it ; nor the body the want of its foul; butthe one ſhall be at reſt in heaven, and the other sweet afleep inthe grave; and allthatlong interval ſhall flide away without any afflicting ſenſe of each others abſence. The time will be long, Job. xiv. 12. but if it were longer, itcannot be afflicting, confidering, how the foul is cloathed immediately, 2 Cor. v. 1,
2. and how the body fleeps ſweetly inJeſus, I Theff. iv. 14.
5. When the dayof their re-efpouſals is come, the foul will findthe body ſo transformed and improved, that it ſhall never receive prejudice from it any more, but a fingular addition to its happiness and glory. Now it clogs us: Mat. xxvi. 41.
" The ſpirit indeed is willing,but the flesh is weak."
Iten cumbers us with cares to provide for it, andeats uptime and thoughts; but then it willbe a ſpiritual body, 1 Cor. xv. 43 . like to the angels for manner ofſubſiſtence, Luke xx. 35, 36.
Cor. vi. 13. and, which is the highest ſtep of glory, like unto Chriſt's glorious body, Phil. iii. 21.
Welltherefore might the
A Treatise of the Soul of Mar.
Father ſay, Refurrectio mortuorum eft confolatio Chriftianorum: the refurrection of the dead is the confolation of Chriftians .
Use fecond, of reproof.
Inthe nextplace, let me preſs you to regulate your love to your bodies, by the rules of religion and right reaſon : I must preſs you to love them, though nature itſelfteacheth you ſo to do; but I preſs you to love them as Chriſtians, as men that un derſtandthe right uſe andimprovement of their bodies.
There are two forts of errors in our love tothe body, one in defect, theother in excess; both come fitly here tobe cenfuredand healed.
First, Some offend in the defect of love to their ownbodies, who uſe them as if they had no love for them, whoſe ſouls act as if they were enemies totheir own bodies: theydo not for mally and directly hate them, but confequentially and eventually they maybe faidto hate them, and that,
(1.) By defiling them with filthy luits ; to the apostle ſpeaks, Cor. vi. 18. " Every ſin that a man doth, is without the bo- " dy, but he that committeth adultery ſinneth against his own
"body:" Inother ſins it is the inſtrument, but here it isboth inſtrument and object; notonlyGod, but yourown bodies are abuſed, and wrongedby it.
The body may be confideredtwo ways, Either, 1. As our veſſel ; or 2. As the Spirit's temple.
1. As our veſſel or inſtrument for natural and ſpiritual uſes and ſervices: and on that account we should not injure or defile it, i Theff. iv. 4, 5. but poſſeſs itin ſanctification and hoThe lufts of uncleanneſs, gluttony, anddrunkenneſs, quench the vigour, blaſt the beauty, and destroy the health and honour ofthe body; and ſo render it both naturally andmoralnour. lyunfit for the ſervice and use of the foul.
2. And the injury is yetgreater, ifwe confider it as the Spi rit's temple.
On this ground the apostle ſtrongly convinceth, and diffuadeth Chriſtians from theſe abuſes ofthe body, 1 Cor. vi. 15, 16. He argues fromthe dignityGodwill put upon our bodies by the refurrection, ver. 13, 14.
They are tobe tranfformed, andmade like unto Chriſt's glorious body ; and from thehonour he has already put upon the bodies of the faints in their unionwithChriſt, ver. 15, 16.
They, as wellas the foul, are ingrafted into him, andjoined with him; they are his temples, to be dedicated, hallowed, and confecrated to his ſervice.
O let them hot be made a fink for lufts, or mere ſtrainers for meat anddrink.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
(2.)By macerating them with covetous lufts, denying them theirdue comfortsand refreshments,and unmercifullyburdeningthem with labours and forrows about things that perith. ( 1.)
Some deny their bodiesdue comforts and refreshments, which thenatural and poſitive laws ofGod both allow and command.
Their fouls are cruel ſtep-mothers to their bodies, and keep them too ſhort ; not out of a prudent and Chriſtian deſign to ſtarve their lufts, but to advance their eſtates. Of this Solomon ſpeaks, Eccl. vi. 22. " There is an evil which I have ſeen
" underthe fun,andit iscommonamongmen; Aman towhom " Godhath given riches, wealth and honour, ſo that he want- " eth nothing forhis foul of all that he defireth; yet God giv- "eth him not power to eat thereof, but a ſtranger eateth it.
" This is vanity, and it is an evil diſeaſe."
Tenacity isadiſeaſe ofthe foul, like that ofa dyscrasy in the ſtomach, which ſo indiſpoſeth it that itcannot receive with any appetite or delight thebeſt refreshments at a plentiful table.
(2.)And others there are thatwrongand abuſe their own bodies, by laying unreaſonable andunmerciful loads uponthem, eſpecially loads ofgrief and forrow, waſting andweakening them beyond all rules of reaſon or religion.
If a friend or relation die, they have leſs mercyon their ownbodiesthan a confcientious man hath on the horſe he rides.
Cares and forrows are as deadly to the body as a fword, 1 Tim. vi. 10. Intenſe and immoderate griefs about worldly loſſes and croſſes have fſlain their ten thouſands ; and, which is ſtrange, the foul ſeems to take a certain kind ofpleafure in loading and tormenting the body.
There is a real truth in that ſtrange expreſſion of * Seneca, " Sorrow itſelf hath a "certainkind ofpleaſure attending it."
The fouls of ſome mournersdo willingly excite and provoke their own grief, when they begin to abate, which is like the whetting of the knife that grows dull, to make it cut the deeper into the body.
Thus, as † Seneca obſerves, " ſome parents that have lost theirbeloved children, willingly call to " mind their pleaſant ſayings, and pretty actions to find a kind
" ofpleaſure in afreſh ſhower oftears for them;" when, poor hearts ! Sorrow hath ſo broken them already, that they need confolations under their preſent ſorrows, rather than irritations ofnew ones. And the foul's unmercifulneſs to the body, is in ſuch caules farther difcovered by its obſtinate refufal ofall that * Inest quiddam dulce triftitia. Ep. 806.
+Cum occurrant fermones eorum jucundi, conversatio bliaris, oficiosapietar : tane oculi velut in gaudio relaxantur.
Id. ib.
A Treatise of the Soul of Man. is comforting and relieving. So it is faid ofRachel, Jer. xxxi.
15. " Rachel weeping for her children,would notbe comforted, " because they were not."
So the Ifraelites hearkened not un . toMoſes, becauſe ofthe anguishofſpirit, and the cruel bondage,
Exod. vi. 9.
Thus we ſtudiouſly rake together and exafperate whatſoever is piercing, wounding, andoverwhelming; and ſhut our ears to all that is relieving and ſuporting, which is cruelty toour own bodies,and that which hath ſo far broken thehealth and ſtrength of fomebodies, that they are never like to be useful inſtruments tothefoul any more in this world; fuchdeep anddeſperate wounds have their own fouls given them by immoderate grief, as will never be perfectly healed, but by the refurrection. Of thoſe wounds the body may ſay, as it is Zech. xiii. 6. These are thewounds " with which I was wounded inthe
" houſe (or by the hand) of my friend;" thus my own foul hath dealt cruelly and unmercifully with me.
Secondly, Others offend in the exceſs and extravagancy of their love to thebody, and theſe are a hundred to one in number with thoſe that ſin in defect of love. My friends, upon a due fearch, it will be found, that the love ofour fouls generally degenerates into fondness and folly: there is but littlewell-tempered and ordinarylove found among men. We make fondlings, yea, we make idols of our bodies; we rob God, yea, our own fouls, to give to the body.
It is not a natural and kindly heat of love, but a mere feverith heat, which preys upon thevery spirits of religion, which is found with many of us.
The feveriſh diſtemper may be diſcovered, by the beating of our pulſe, in three or four particulars.
(1. ) This appears by our finful indulgence to our whinning appetites. We give the flesh whatsoever it craves, and can deny it nothing it deſires; pampering the body, to the great injury and hazard of the foul.
Some have their converſation in the lufts of the fleſh, as it is, Eph. ii. 3. trading only in thoſe things that pleaſe and pamper the flesh : "They fow to the " fleſh," Gal. vi. 8. i. e. all their ſtudies and labours are but thefowing of thefeeds ofpleasure to theflesh.
Not a handful of ſpiritual feed fown inprayer for the foulallthe day long : what thebody craves, theobſequious foul, like a flave, is at its beck
" togive it; Tit. iii . 3.
Serving divers lufts and pleaſures;" attending to every knock and call, to fulfil the defires of the fleſh, O how little dotheſe men understand the life ofreligion, or the great deſign of Chriſtianity ! which confiſts inmortifying, and not pampering and gratifying the body, Rom . xiv.
13, 14, And according to that rule, all ferious Chriſtians or-
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
241.
} der theirbodies, giving them what is needful tokeepthem ferviceable and useful to the foul, but not gratifying their irregular defires ; giving what their wants, not what their wantonneſs calls for.
So Paul, Cor. ix. 27. " I beat it down, and " keep it under;" he understood it as his ſervant,nothis maſter
He knew that Hagar would quickly perk up, and domineer over Sarah, expect more attendance than the foul, except it were kept under : theſe two verbs, υπωπιαζω and δελαγωγω, are very emphatical; the former ſignifies to make it black and blue with buffering, the other to bring it under by checks and rebukes, as maſters that underſtand their place and authority uſe to do with infolent and wanton ſervants .
Itwas a rare expreſſion of aHeathen, Majorfum, et admajoranatus, quamut corporis mei fim mancipium ; I am greater, andborn to greater things, than that I should be a ſlave to my body. And it was the ſaying of a piousdivine, whenhe felt the fleſh rebellious and wanton, Egofaciam, afelle, ut ne calcitres; I will make thee, thou aſs, that thou shalt not kick.
I know the fuperftitious Papiſts place much of religion in theſe external things, but though they abuſe them to an ill purpoſe, there isaneceſſary and lawfuluſe oftheſe abridgments and reſtraints uponthe body; and it willbe impoffible to mortify and ſtarve our lufts without adue rigour and ſeverity to our fleſh.
But how little are many acquainted withtheſe things ? They deal with their bodies as David with Adonijah, ofwhom it is faid, 1 Kings i. 6. His father had not diſpleaſed him at any time, in ſaying, Why haſt thou done fo? Andjuſt ſo our fleſh requites us, by its rebellions and treaſons against the foul; it feeks the life of the foul, which ſeeks nothing morethan its contentandpleaſure: this is not ordinate love, but fondness and folly, andwhat we ſhall bitterly repent for at laſt.
(2.) It appears by our ſparing and favouring ofthem, in the neceſſary uſes and ſervices we have for them in religion. Many will rather ſtarve their fouls, than work and exerciſe their bo. dies, or disturb their luggish reſt: thus the idle excuſes and pretences of endangering our health, oftentimes put by the duties of religion, or at least loſe the fittest and propereft feafon for them: we are lazying upon our beds, whenwe should bewrestling uponourknees: the world is fuffered to get the ſtartofreligionin the morning, and fo religion is never able to overtake it all theday long. This was none of David's courſe, he prevented thedawning ofthe morning, andcried, Pfal. cxix.
147. and Pfal. v. 3. " My voice ſhalt thou hear inthe morning, Hh
VOL . III.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
" O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, " and will look up."
And indeed we ſhould confecrate unto God the freſhett and fitteſt parts ofour time, when our bodily fenſes are moſt vigorous; and wewould do ſo, (exceptGodby his providence diſable us), were our hearts fully fet forGod, and religion lay with weight upon our ſpirits.
Some I confefs, cannotreceive this injunction, being naturallydiſabled by prevailing infirmities; but thoſe that can, ought todo fo.
But O how many flothful excuſes doth the flesh inventtoput offduty ! We shall injure our health, &c. O the hypocrify of fuch pleas ! If profit or pleaſure calls us up, we have no thifts, but canriſe early, and fit up late.
Ofriends, why hathGod given you bodies, ifnot towaſte and wear them out in his ſervice, and the ſervice of your own fouls! Ifyour bodies must not be put to it, and exerciſed this way, where is the mercy of having a body ? If a ſtately horſe weregiven you on this condition, that you must not ride or work him, what benefit would ſuch a gift be to you ? Your bodies muſt and will wear out, and it is better to wear them withworking, than with ruſting : we are generally more folicitous to live long, than to live uſefully and ſerviceably ; and it maybe our health had been more precious in the eyes ofGod, if ithadbeen leſs precious in our own eyes.
It is just with God to destroythat health with diſeaſes, which he ſees we wouldcaſt away in ſlothfulness and idleneſs.
Think with thyfelf, had fuch a foul as Timothy's or Gaius's been bleſtwith fuchabody as thine, ſo ſtrong and vigorous, ſo apt and able for ſervice, they wouldhave honouredGodmore in it in a day, thanperhapsyou do in a year.
Certainlythis isnot love, but lazineſs; not a due improvement, buta finful neglect and abuſe of the body, to let it ruſt out into idleneſs, which might be employed ſo manyways forGod, for your own and others fouls.
Well, remember death will ſhortly diſſolve them, and thentheycanbe of no more uſe; and ifyou expectGod ſhould putglory and honour upon them at the reſurrection, uſe them forGod now, with a faithful felf-denying diligence.
(3.) It appearsby our cowardly ſhrinking fromdangers that threaten them, when the glory of God, our own and others falvation, bid us expoſe and not regard them. Some there are, that rather than theywill adventure their fleſh to the rage of man, will hazard their fouls to the wrath ofGod *.
They are
*Herethe foul receives adeadlywound uponitſelf, to ward it offfromthebody.
Sodid Spira.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
tootender to fuffer pain or reſtraint for Chriſt, but confider notwhat ſufferings are prepared for the fearful and unbelieving in the world to come, Rev. xxi. 8.
How many fad examples do the church-hiſtories of antient and latter times afford us, of men, who confulting with flesh andblood in time of danger, have, in pity to their bodies, ruined their fouls !
There be but few like-mindedwith Paul,who ſet a low price upon his liberty or life for Chriſt, Acts xx. 24. or with thoſe worthyJews, Dan. iii. 28. who yielded theirbodies to preſerve their confciences.
Few of Chryfoftom's mind, who told the empreſs, Nil nifi peccatum timeo, I fear nothingbut fin ; or of Bafil's, who told the emperor, God threatned hell, whereas he threatned but a priſon.
That is a remarkable rule that Chriſt gives us, Mat. x. 28.
The ſum of it is, to ſet God against man, the foul against the body, and hell againſt temporal ſufferings; and ſo ſurmounting theſe low fleſhly confiderations, to cleave to our duty in the face of dangers.
You read, Gal. i, 16. how in pursuit of duty, though ſurrounded with danger, Paul would not confer, or confult with flesh and blood, i. e. afk
" its opinion which were beſt, or ſtayfor its conſent, till it were willing to fuffer; he understood not that the fleſh had any voice at the council-table in his foul, but willing or unwilling, if duty call for it, he was refolvedto hazard itfor God.
We have agreat many little politicians among us,who think tohuſband their lives and liberties a great deal better thano ther plain-hearted, and too forward Chriſtians do : but theſe politics willbe their perdition, and their craft will betray them to ruin.
They will loſe their lives byſaving them, when others will fave themby loſing them, Matth. x. 39.
For the intereſt ofthe body depends on, and follows the ſafety of the foul, as the cabindoth the ſhip.
O my friends, letme begyou not to love your bodies into hell, and your fouls too for their ſakes : be not ſo ſcared at the fufferings of the body, as, with poor Spira, to daſh them both against the wrath ofthe greatand terribleGod. Most of thoſe fouls that are now in hell, arethereupon the account of their indulgenceto the fleſh, they could not deny the fleſh, andnow aredeniedbyGod. Theycouldnot fuffer frommen,andnow muſt ſuffer the vengeance ofeternal fire,
(4.) Ina word; it appears we love them fondly and irregularly, in that wecannot with any patience think of death and ſeparation from them. How do ſome men fright at the very nameofdeath ! Andno arguments canperfuade them ſeriouſly
Hh2
ATreatise of the Soul of Man . to think ofan unbodied, and ſeparated ſtate.
It is asdeathto them, to bring their thoughts cloſe tothatungrateful fubject.
A Chriftian that loves his body regularly and moderately, can look into his own grave with a compofed mind, and fpeak familiarly of it, as Job xvii. 14. And Peter speaks of the putting offofhis bodybydeath; as a man would ofthe putting offof his cloaths at night, 2Pet. i. 13, 14. And certainly fuch men have a great advantage above all others, both as tothe tranquillity of their life and death. You know a parting time muft come, and the more fond you are of them, the more bitter and doleful thattime will be. Nothing, except the guilt and terrible charges ofconfcience, putmeninto terrorsat death, more than our fondneſs ofthebody.
Ido confefs, chriſtleſs perſons have a great deal of reaſon tobe shy of death ; their dying day is their undoingday: but for Chriſtians to ſtartle and fright at it, is ſtrange, confideringhowgreat a friend death willbe to them that are in Chriſt.
What are you afraid of? What, to go to Chrift ? to be freed of fin and affliction too foon ? Certainly this hath not been ſo comfortable a habitation to you, that you should be lothto change it foraheavenly one.
Use third, of exhortation.
To conclude ; Seeing there is ſo ſtrict a friendſhip and tender affection betwixt foul and body, let me perfuade everyfoul ofyou to expreſs your love to the body, by labouring toget union with Jeſus Chriſt, and thereby toprevent the utter ruin of both to all eternity.
Souls, ifyou love yourſelves, or the bodies you dwell in, ſhew it by your preventing care in ſeaſon, left they be caft away for ever. How can you sayyou love them, when you daily expoſe them to the everlasting wrath of God, by employing them as weapons of unrighteouſneſs, to fight against him that formed them? You feed and pamper them on earth, you give them all the delight andpleaſuresyou can procureforthem in thisworld ; but you take no care what ſhallbecome ofthem, nor your fouls neither, after death hath ſeparated them. Oh cruel fouls ! cruel, not to others, but to yourſelves, and to your own fleſh, which you pretend ſo much love to ! Is this your love to your bodies ? What, to employ them inSatan's ſervice on earth, and then tobe caſt as a prey tohim for ever inhell ? You think the rigour and mortification of the faints, their abſtemiouſneſs and felf-denial, their cares, fears, and diligence, tobe too great ſeverity to their bodies : but they know theſe are the most real evidences oftheir true love to them; they love them toowell to calt them away as you do.
Alas ! your love to thebody doth