26 "For what is a man profited, if he ſhall gain
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
We have all of us perſonal guilt enough upon us, let us not add other men's guilt to our account: to be guilty of theblood ofthe meaneſt man upon earth, is a fin which will cry in your confciences; but to be guilty ofthe blood of fouls, Lord, who canbear it ! Chriſt thought them worth his heart blood, and are theynot worth the expence of our breath ? Didhe ſweatblood to lave them, and will not we move our lips to ſave them ?
It is certainly a forejudgment to the fouls of men, when ſuch miniſters are ſet over them as never understood the value of their peoples fouls, or were never heartily concerned about the falvation of their own fouls.
** * MATTH. xvi. 26. For what is a man profited, if heshallgain the whole world, and lose his own foul ? or whatshalla man give in exchangefor hisfoul ?
DIFFICULT duties need tobe enforced with powerful arguments.
In the 24th verſe of this chapter, our Lord preſſethuponhis diſciples thedeepest and hardeſt duties of felfdenial, acquaints them upon what terms they must be admitted into his ſervice: " If any man will come after me, let him
" deny himself, and take up his croſs and follow me."
This hard and difficult duty he enforceth upon them by a double argument, viz. From, 1. The vanity of all finful ſhifts from it, ver. 25.
2. The value of their fouls, which is imported in it, ver. 26.
They may ſhift off their duty to the loss of their fouls, or ſave their fouls by the loſs of ſuch trifles.
Ifthey eſteem their fouls above the world, andcanbe content to put all other things to the hazard for their ſalvation, making account to ſave nothing but them by Chriſtianity; then they come up to Chriſt's
⚫terms, andmay warrantablyand boldlycall him their Lord and Maſter; and to ſweeten this choice to them, he doth, inmy text, balance the foul and all the world, weighing them one against the other, and ſhews them the infinite odds and diſproportionbetwixt them : " What is aman profited, ifhe ſhallgain
" thewhole world, and loſe his own foul ? or what ſhalla man " give in exchange for his foul ? "
What is a man profited ?] There is a plain meioſis in the phraſe; and the meaning is, how inestimably and irreparably is aman damnified! what a foul-ruining bargain would a man make!
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
If heshouldgain the whole world.] There is a plainhyper. bole in this phrase; for it neverwas, nor ever will be the lot ofanyman to be the fole owner and poffeffor of the whole world*.
But ſuppoſe allthe power, pleaſure, wealth, andhonour ofthe whole world were bid andofferedinexchange for aman's foul ; what a dear purchaſe would it be at ſuch a rate!
" What were this, ſays one†, but towinVenice, and thenbe "hanged atthegate ofit?" As thatman acts like a madman, thatgoes about topurchase a treasureofgold with the loss of his life; for life being loft, what is allthegold in theworldto him? he can have no enjoyment of it, or comfort in it: fo here, what is all the world, or as manyworlds as there are creatures in it, when the foul is loſt, if hegainthis ?
And lose his own foul.] The compariſon lies here betwixt one ſingle foul andthe whole world.
The whole world isno pricefor thepoorest, meaneft,and moſtdeſpiſedſoul that lives init.
By lofing the ſoul, wearenot tounderstand thedeſtruction ofits being, but ofits happiness and comfort, thecuttingitoff fromGod, and allthehopes of his favour andenjoyment for ever.
This isthe loſs here intended, a loſs never tobe repaired. Thewholeworldcan beno recompence forthe lofs tothe foul, if itbe but the loss of its purityor peace for a time; much leſs can itrecompence the lofs of the foul, inthe lofs of allits happiness for ever. When a man's chief happiness is finally loſt, then is his foul loſt : for what benefit can it be, nay, howgreat amiſery muſt itbe, to haveabeing perpetuated in torments for ever? I This is the fine or mulet which is ſet uponfin, as fome render the word.
What ſhalla man gainby fuch pleaſures, for whichGod will mulet, orfine him at the rate or price of his own foul ?
That is, of allthe happiness, joy, andcomfortof ittoalleternity.
Orwhatshalla man give in exchange for hisfoul ?
The queſtionaggravates the ſenſe, and amplifies the loſs anddamage of the man that fells his foul for the whole world.
There is norecompenfe inallthe world for the hazard ordanger of the * By this hypotheticalhyperbole is denotedthegreat atrocioufneſs of lofing eternal ſalvation.
Glaſſius.
† Non magis juvabitur, quam qui acquirit Venetias, ipfevero Juspendaturad portam.
Paræus in loc.
‡ Anima vero fua mulétetur, i. e. Ifone is puniſhedwith the lofs of his own soul.
Bez, Maldon.
|| Interrogatio exaggerans.
A Treatise of the Soul of Man.
foul one hour ; nor would a man that understandswhat atoul andeternityare, put it into danger for ten thousand worlds, much less for one penny, yea, for nothing, as manydo : but toharter or exchange it for the world, to take any thing in lieuofit; thisis the height of madness.
" The wayofbuying " informertimeswasnotby money,butby theexchange ofone " commodity for another;" and to this custom * Brugenfis
= thinks this phrase is alluſive. Nowwhat commodity is found in all the world ; orwho that isnot blindedby the god of this world, can think that the whole world itſelf, ifall the rocks in itwere rocks ofdiamonds, and the ſeas and rivers were liquid gold, is acommodityofequivalentworthtohisownfoul ? Hence two notes arife paturally, Doct. 1. That one foul is of more value than the whole world.
Doct. 2. How precious and invaluablefoever thefoul ofman is, : it may be lost and cast awayfor ever.
T Ibeginwith the firſt.
Doct. 1.That onefoul is of mare value than the whole world.
Ineednot ſpend much time in the proofofit,whenyouhave confidered, that he who bought them, hath here weighed and valued them, and that the pointbeforeus is the refultandconclufion ofone that hath the beſt reaſon toknow the true worth of them.
That which Ihave todo is to gatheroutof the ſcripturestheparticulars ; which, put together,make upthe fullde-
monstrationofthepoint. And, 1. The invaluable worth of fouls appears from the mannerof theircreation.
TheywerecreatedimmediatelybyGod, ashath been proved, and that not without the deliberation ofthe whole
Trinity; Gen. i. 26." Let us make man." For the production of other creatures, it was enough to give out the word ofhis command. " Let there be light, let the earth andthe waters i " bring forth ; " but whenhecomes toman,thenyouhave no FIAT, let there be, but he puts his own hand immediately to it, as to the maſter-piece of the whole creation : yea, a council is called about it; Let us, implying thejust confultation anddeliberation of all the perſons in theGodhead aboutit, thatourhearts might be raiſed to the expectation offome extraordinary work to follow; great counſels and wiſe debates being both the forerunners and foundations ofgreat actions and events to enfue
* Ανταλλαγμα vocat id quo dato, redimitur aliquid; juxta prifcorum commerica, quae non moneta, fed rerumpermutatione conftabant.
Brugenſ.
VOL . III.
Fff
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. thereupon.
Thus Elihu inJobxxxv. 10. " None faith,Where " is God my makers?" And David, in Pial. cxlix. 2. " Ler
" Ifrael rejoice in his Makers:" in both places the word is plu ral.
The conſultation here is only amongst the divine Perfons, no angels are calledto this council table, thewhole matter was tobe conducted by the wiidom, and effectedby the power ofGod; and therefore there was no need to confultwith any but himself, thewisdomofangelsbeing fromhim : but this great council ſhews what an excellent creature wasnow to be produced, andthe excellency ofthat creature man, was principally in his foul; for the bodies ofother creatures,which were madeby the wordof his command, are asbeautiful, elegant, andneatas thebody ofman; yea, and inſome reſpects moreexcellent. The foul then was that rare piecewhichGod inſo condeſcending an expreſſion tells us was created withthe deliberation oftheGodhead; thoſe great andexcellent Perſons laid their heads, as it were, together to project its being.
Andbytheway, this may ſmartly check the pride and arrogance of fouls, who dare take ituponthem to teach God, as murmurs at his diſpoſals of us.
Shall that foul which is the product of his wisdom andcounſel, dare to inſtruct or counſel its Maker ? Butthatby the by. You see there is a tranfcendent dignity and worth in the foul ofman above all other beings in the world, by the peculiar way of its production into the number of createdbeings : no wife man deliberates long, or calls a council about ordinary matters, much less the Allwiſe
God.
2.The foul hath in itſelf an intrinfic worth and excellency, worthy of thatdivine original whence it ſprang : view it in its noblefaculties, andadmirable powers, and it will appear tobe acreatureupon whichGod hath laid out the riches of his wifdomandpower.
There you shall finda mind ſuſceptive ofall light, both natural and ſpiritual, ſhining asthe candle ofGod inthe innerman, cloſingwith truth, asthe irondothwith the attractive loadſtone, a ſhop inwhich all arts and ſciences are laboured and formed : whatare allthe famous libraries and monuments oflearning, but ſomany ſyſtems ofthoughts laboured and perfectedin the active inquiſitive minds ofmen ? Truth is its natural anddelectable object, it pursues eagerly after it, and even fpends itſelfand the body too in the chaſe and proſecution of truth ; when it lies deep, as a fubterranean treaſure ", the mindſends out innu- *Veritasinputeo, i, e, Truth inthe well.
A Treatise of the Soul of Man.
merable thoughts,reinforcing each other in thick ſucceſſions, to dig for, and compaſs that invaluable treaſure; if it be diſguiſed by miſrepreſentations and vulgar prejudice, and trampled inthe dirt under that dilguife, there is an ability in the mind todifcern itby ſome lines and features, which are all wellknown to it, and both own, honour, and vindicate it under all that dirt and obloquy, with more reſpect thanaman will take up a piece ofgold, or a ſparkling diamond out ofthe mire: it ſearches after it by many painful deductions of reaſon, and † triumphs more in the diſcovery of it, than in allearthly treasures; no gratification of
ſenſe like that ofthe mind, when it grafps itsprey for which it hunted.
The mind paſſes through allthe works ofcreation, itviews theſeveral creatureson earth, conſiders the fabric,uſe, andbeauty ofanimals, thefignatures ofplants penetratingtherebyintotheir nature and virtues : itviews the vaſt ocean, and the large train ofcauſes laid together in all theſe things, for the good ofman, byGod,whose name it reads in the moſt diminutive creature it beholds on earth .
Itcan, inamoment, mount itſelffrom earth toheaven, view the face thereof, deſcribe the motions ofthe fun in the ecliptic, calculate tables for the motions of the planets and fixed ſtars, inventconvenientcycles for the computationoftime, foretel, at agreatdiftance, the diſmal eclipses ofthe fun and moon to the verydigit, andthe portentous conjunctions ofthe planets, tothe veryminuteoftheiringreſs: Theſe arethepleaſantemployments of the Underſtanding.
Butthere is ahigher game atwhich this eagle plays, it reckons itſelf all this while employed as much beneath its capacity, as Domitian in catching flies; though theſe be lawful and pleafant exerciſes, when it hath leiſure for them, yet it is fitted for amuchnobler exerciſe,even to penetrate the glorious myſteries of redemption, to trace redeeming love through all the aſtoniſhing methods, and manifold discoveries of it ; and yet higher than all this, it is capable of an imediate fight, or facial viſion ofthe bleſſedGod, ſhort ofwhich itreceives nopleaſure that is fully agreeable to its noble power and infinite appetite.
View its Will, and you ſhall find it like a queen upon the throne ofthe foul, ſwaying the ſceptre ofliberty in her hand,
Fff2 † Archimedes, whenhe made a valuable diſcovery ofanewtruth, leapt out ofthe bath for joy, crying, Ihave foundit, Ihave foundit.
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan.
(as one expreffethit)with allthe affections waitingandattending upon her. No tyrant can forceit, no torment can wrest thegoldenfceptre ofliberty outofits hand, the keys ofall the chambers ofthe foul hangat itsgirdle,theſe it delivers toChrift in the day of his power ; victorious grace ſweetlydetermines it by gaining its confent, but commits no violence upon it. God accepts its offering, though fullofimperfections; butno ſervice is accepted without it, how excellent foeverbethe matterofit.
Viewthe confcience andthoughts with their felf reflective abiMities,wherein thefoul retires intoitſelf, and fits concealedfrom alleyesbut his that made it, judgingits own actions, and canfuring its eſtate ; viewing its face in its own glaſs, and correc tingthe indecencies itdiscovers there: things ofgreatest moinent and importance are filently tranfacted in its council chamber betwixt the foul andGod; ſo remote fromthe knowledge of all creatures, that neither angels, devils, or men, can know what isdoing there, but by uncertain guefs, or revelation from God+: here it impleads,condemns, and acquits itfelf as at aprivy ſeſſion, with reſpect of thejudgment of the great day; here it meets with the beſt of comforts, and with the worst of terrors.
Take aſurveyofits paffions and affections, andyou will find them admirable: fee how they are placed by divine wildom in the foul, fome for defence and fafery, others for delight and pleaſure.
Anger actuates the ſpirits, and rouzeth its courage, enabling itto break through difficulties : Fear Reeps centinel, watching upon alldangers that approach us : Hope foreſtals the good, and anticipates thejoys ofthe next life, and therebyſupports and ſtrengthens the foul under all the discouragements and preſſures ofthe preſentlife: Love unitesus tothe chiefeſt good: " He that dwelleth in love, dwells inGod, andGod in "him:" Zeal is the dagger which love draws inGod's caule
and quarrel, to ſecure itſelf from fin, and reſtifyits refentments ofGod's dishonour.
Owhat adivine ſpark isthe foul ofman well might Chriſt prefer it indignity to the whole world.
13. The worth of a foul may be gatheredand difcerned from its ſubjective capacity and habilityboth of grace and glory. It iscapableofallthe grates of the Spirit, of being filledwith the fulness ofGod, Eph. iii. 19. to live toGodhere, and withGod
T *Culverwell.
Cor. ii The Rom. ii. 15. 2 Cor . 12.
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
for ever.
What excellent graces doadorn fome fouis? How ere alltherooms richlyhanged with divine and coſtlyhangings, thatGod may dwell in them !
This makes it like the carved worksofthe temple,overlaidwithpure gold; here isglory upon glory, a new creation upon the old ; in the innermost parts of fome fouls is a ſpiritual altar erected with this inſcription, Holiness to the Lord: here the foul offers up itſelf toGodinthe facred flames oflove, andhereit facrifices its vile affections, devoting them to deſtruction, to the glory of its God : hereGod walks with delight, even a delight beyond what he takes in all the ſtately ſtructures and magnificent adorned temples in the whole world, Ifa. lxvi. 1, 2.
Noother foul besides man's is marriageable to Chrift,sorcapable ofeſpouſals tothe Kingofglory: they were not deſigned, and therefore not endued with a capacity for fuch an honour asthis: but fuch a capacity hathevery foul, eventhe meaneft onearth, andfuch honour have all his faints : others may, but they are betrothed to Chriſt in this world, 2 Cor.xi. 2. andſhall be preſented without ſpot before him in the world to come,
Eph. v. 27.
Itis now nowa lovely and excellent creature in its naked natural ſtate, much more beautiful and excellent in its fanctified and gracious ſtate : but what ſhallwe ſay, or how ſhallwe conceive ofit, when all ſpots of fin are perfectly waſhed offits beautiful
-face in heaven, and the glory of the Lord is riſen upon it! when its filthy garments are taken away, and the pure robesof perfect holiness, as wellasrighteouſneſs, fuperinducedupon this excellent creature !(Ifthe imperfect beautyof it,begun inſanctification, enamoured its Saviour, andmade him ſay, " Thou hast
" raviſhed myheart with one of thine eyes, with oneof the **" chains of thy neck; " what will its beauty, and his delight in it be in the ſtate of perfectglorification ! As we imagine the circles intheheavens tobe vaſily greater than thofe we view upon the globe , ſo muſt we imagine in the cafe before us.
4. The preparations God makes for fouls in heaven, ſpeak their great worth and value. When you lift up your eyes to heaven, and behold thatbeſpangled azure canopy beſet and inlaidwith ſo many golden ſtuds and ſparklinggems, you ſee but the floor or pavement of thatplacewhichGodhath prepared for fome fouls . He furnished this world for us before he put us intoit ; but, as delightful and beautiful as itis,itisnomore to be compared with the Father's houſe in heaven, than the fmalleſt ruined chapel your eyes ever beheld, is tobe compared with Solomon's temple, when itſtood inallits ſhiningglory.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
Whenyoufeeaſtately and magnificent ſtructurebuilt, richeft hangings andfurniture prepared to adorn it, you conclude ſome great perfons are to come thither : ſuchpreparations ſpeak the quality of the guests.
Nowheaven, yea, the heaven of heavens, the palace ofthe greatKing, the prefence-chamber of theGodhead, is prepared, not onlybyGod's decree and Chriſt's death ; butbyhis aſcenfion thither in our names, and as our forerunner, for all renewedand redeemed fouls. John xiv. 2. " In my Father's houſe
" aremany manſions; if it were not ſo, I would have told " you: I go to preparea place for you."
And, where is the place prepared for them,butin his Father's houſe? The ſame place, the veryſame houſewhere the Father,
Son and Spirit themselves dodwell : ſuch is the love ofChrift to fouls, that he will notdwell in one houſe, andthey in another; but, as he ſpeaks, John xii. 26. " Where I am, there ſhall
66 my ſervant alfo be."
There is room enough inthe Father's houſe for Chriſt and all the fouls he redeemed to live and dwell together for evermore.
His aſcenſion thither was inthe capacity of acommon or public perſon, to take livery and ſeiſin of thoſemanymanſions for them, which are tobe filledwith their inhabitants, as they come thither in their respective times and orders.
5.Thegreat pricewith which they were redeemed and purchaſed, ſpeaks theirdignity and value. Nowife manwill purchaſe a trifle atagreat price,much less themoſt wiſeGod. Now,
:the redemption of every foul ſtoodin no less than the moſt pre- "You cious blood of the LordJesus Chriſt, I Pet. i. 18, 19.
" know (faith the apoſtlethere) that we were not redeemed " with corruptible things as ſilver andgold, but with the precious blood of Chriſt, as alambwithout blemish or ſpot."
All the gold and ſilver intheworld was no ranſom for one foul; nay, all the blood of the creatures, had it been ſhed as afacrifice tothegloryofjuſtice, or even the bloodwhich is moſtdear tous, as being derived from our own; I mean, the bloodof our dear children, evenof our firſt-born, the beginning of our ſtrength, which usually have the ſtrength of affection : I ſay, none ofthis could purchaſe a pardon for the ſmalleſt ſin that ever any foul committed, much leſs was it able to purchase the foul itſelf, Mic. vi. 6, 7. " Thousands of rams, and ten thou- " ſand rivers of oil," or our first-born, are no ranſom toGod for thefin of thefoul.
It is only the precious blood of Chriſt that is a juſt ranſom or counter-price, as it is called, Mat.
Xx. 28.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
Now, who can compute the value of that blood ? Such was the worth ofthe blood of Chriſt, which, by the communication of properties, is truly ſtiled the blood ofGod, that onedrop of it is abovethe eſtimations ofmenand angels; and yet, before the foul ofthe meaneſt man orwoman in the world could be redeemed, every dropofhis bloodmuſt be ſhed; for no leſs than hisdeath couldbe a price for our souls. Hence then we evidentlydifcernan invaluableworthin fouls :Awholekingdom is taxed, when aking is to be ranſomed, the delight and darling ofGod's foul muſtdie, when our fouls aretobe redeemed.
Othe worth of fouls !
: 6. This evidences the tranſcendent dignity and worth of fouls, that eternity isſtampt upon their actions, and theirs only ofallthe beings inthisworld. The acts of fouls are immortal, as their nature is; whereas the actions of other animals, having neither moral goodness or moral evil inthem, paſs away as their beingsdo.
The apoſtle therefore, inGal. vi. 7. compares the actions of meninthis world tofeed ſown, and tells us of everlasting fruits we shall reap fromthem in thenext life; theyhave the fame reſpect to a future account that feedhath to the harveſt ; "He
" that ſoweth iniquity, ſhall reap vanity," i. e. everlasting difappointmentand miſery, Prov. xxii. 8. and " theythatnowfow
" intears, ſhall then reap injoy," Pfal. cxxvi. 5. Every gracious action is the feed ofjoy, and every finful action the feedof forrow; and this makes the great difference betwixt the actions ofarational foul, and thoſedoneby beasts: and if it were not ſo, man would then be wholly ſwayed by ſenſe and preſent things, as thebeasts are, and all religionwouldvaniſh with this distinction of actions .
Our actions are confiderable two ways, phyficallyandmorally; in the firſt ſenſe they are tranfient, inthe laſt permanent : a word is paſt as soon as ſpoken, but yet it must and willbe recalled andbrought into thejudgment ofthe great day, Mat. xii . 36.
Whatever therefore a man ſhall ſpeak, think or do, onceſpoken, thought, or done, itbecomes eternal, and abides
* for ever. Now, what is it that puts ſo great adifference betwixthumanand brutal actions; but the excellent nature of the reaſonable foul ? It is this which ſtamps immortality upon human actions, and is at once a clear proof, both of the immortality, and dignity of the foul of man, above all other creatures in this world.
7. The contentions ofboth worlds, the ſtrife ofheaven and
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. hellabout the foul ofman, fpeaks itamoſtprecious and invaluable treasure.
The foulof man istheprize about which heaven andhell contend: thegreat deſign of heavenisto ſave it, and allthe plotsofhelt toruin it. Man is a borderer betwixt both kingdoms, he liveshere upon the confines ofthe fpiritual and materialworld; andthereforeScaliger fitlycalls him Utriusque mundi nexus,oneinwhom both worlds meet : hisbody isof the earth, earthly; his foul the off-spring of a Deity, heavenly.
It is thennowonderto find fuchtugging and pulling thisway and that way, upward and downward, ſuch ſallies fromheaven to refctieandfave it, fuch excursions fromhell to captivate and ruin it.
The infinitewiſdom of Godhath laid the plotanddeſignfor its falvationbyChriſt in ſo great depth of counſel, that the angels of heaven are aſtoniſhed at it, anddefire to pry into it.
Chriſt in pursuance of this eternal project, came from heaven profefſedly to seek and to fave loſt ſouls, Luke xix. 10. He compares himself toagood thepherd, who leaveth theninety aineto ſeek oneloft ſheep, and having found it, brings it home uponhis ſhoulders, rejoicing that hehath found it, Lukexv. 7.
Hell employs all its ſkill and policy, ſets a-work allwiles and ſtratagems todestroy and ruin it; 1 Pet. v. 8. " Your adverſa- " ry, the devil, goeth about asa roaring lion, feekingwhom
"hemaydevour." The ſtrongmanarmedgets the firſt poffeffionofthefoul, andwith allhis forces and policies labours to fecure it ashisproperty, Lukexi. 21.
Chrift raiſes all theſpiritualmilitia, the very poffe caeli, thepowers of heaven, to re fone it, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. Anddoheaven andearth thuscontend, think you, de lana caprina, for athing of nought ? No, no, if there were not fome fingular and peculiar excellency and worth in man's foul, both worlds would nevertug and pull at this ratewhich ſhould win that prize.
It was agreat argument ofthe worth and excellency ofHomer,that incomparable poet, that ſeven cities contended for the honour ofhis nativity. "
Έπια πόλους διερίζεσι περι ρίζαν Ομήρε, Σμύρνα, Ροδος, Κολοφωνη, Σαλαμούν, Χίος, Άργος, ᾿Αθῆναι.
Smyrna, Rhodes, Colophon, Salamis, Chius, Argos, andAthenswere allat ftrife about one poorman, who shouldcrown themselves with the honour ofhis birth : but when heaven and hell ſhall contend about a foul, certainly it much more ſpeaks the dignity of it, than the contention of seven cities for one
Homer.
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan
-What are all thewooings, expoſtulations, and paffionatebefeechings of Chriſt's miniſters ? What are all the convictions of confcience, andthe ſtrong impreffions made upon the affections ?
What are all the ſtrokes from heaven upon men, in the way of fin? I ſay, what are all theſe but the efforts of heaven to draw fouls out ofthe ſnares ofhell ?
Andwhat are the helliſh temptations that men feel in their hearts, the alluring objects preſented to their eyes, the enſnaring examples that are fet round about them, but the attempts of Satan, if poſſible, to draw the fouls of men into the ſame condemnation and miſery with himself ?
Wouldheaven andhellbe up in arms, as it were, and ſtrive atthis rate for nothing ? Thy foul, O man, how vilely foever thoudepreciateſt and flighteſt it, is of high eſteem, a rich purchaſe, a creature of nobler rank than thou art aware of.
The wife merchantknows the value ofgold and diamonds, though ignorant Indians wouldpart with them for glaſsbeads and tinfel. toys. Andthis leads us to 8. The eighth evidence of the invaluable worth of fouls, which is thejoyin heaven, and the rage in hell, for thegain and lofs of the foul ofman .
Chriſt,who came from heaven, and well knew the frame and diſpoſition of the inhabitants ofthat city, tells us, that " there
" is joy in the prefence of the angels of God over one finner " that repenteth," Lukexv. 7, 10.
*No fooner is the heart ofa finner darted with conviction, broken with forrow for fin, andbegins to cry, " men and brethren, what ſhall I do ?" but the news is quickly in heaven, and fets all the city of God a rejoicing at it, as is in the chiefcityof akingdomwhena young prince is born.
We never read that Chriſt laughed in all his time on earth ; butwe read thathe once rejoiced in ſpirit, Luke x. 21. And what was the occaſion of that his joy, but the fſucceſs of the goſpel in the falvation ofthe fouls of men ? Now, certainly it muſt be ſome great good that ſo effects Chriſt, and all his angels,inheaven at the fightofit; the degree of a wife man's joy is according to the value of the object thereof: No man that is wiſewill rejoice, and feel his heart leap within him for gladneſs at a ſmall or common thing.
* As often as we do good, ſo oftenthe angels are glad, andthe devils are ſad ? and as often as we depart from good, so often the devil rejoices, and the angels are defrauded oftheirjoy. Aug.
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Andas there isjoy inheaven forthe ſaving,ſocertainly there is grief and rage in hell for the loſs ofa foul. No fooner had
God, byPaul's miniſtry,converted one poor Lydia, at Philippi, whither he wascalledby animmediate expreſs from heaven for that ſervice, but the devilput allthe city into anuproar, as if an enemy had landed on their coast ; and raised a violent perſecution, which quickly drave him thence, Acts xvi. 9, 14,
22.
And, indeed, what are allthe fierce and cruel perfecutions of God's faithful miniſters, but ſo many efforts of the rage and malice ofhell, against them, for plucking fouls as ſomany captivesandpreys outofhis paws ? For this he owes themaſpight, and will be fureto pay them, if ever he get them at an advantage. But allthisjoyandgriefdemonſtratesthe high and great valueofthe prizewhich iswon byheaven, and loſt by hell.
9. The institutionofgoſpel-ordinances,andthe appointment ofſomany goſpel-officers purpoſely fortheſavingof fouls, is no finall evidence oftheir value and eſteem.
No manwould lightandmaintain alamp fedwith golden oil, and keep it burning from age toage, ifthe work to be done by the light of it were notof avery precious and important nature ; what elfe are thediſpenſationsofthe goſpel, but lamps burning with golden oil to light fouls to heaven? Zech. iv. 2,
3. 4, and 12. compared: A magnificent viſion is there preſented to the prophet, viz. A candleſtick of gold with a bowl or ciftern upon the topofit, andſeven ſhafts with feven lamps atthe ends thereof, all lighted: And that theſe lamps might have aconſtantſupply of oil, without any acceſſaryhuman help, there are preſented (asgrowingby thecandlestick) two freſhand gre nolive trees oneach fide thereof, ver. 3. which doempty outofthemselves golden oil, ver. 12. naturallydropping and diftillingit intothat bowl,andthe twopipes thereof tofeed the lamps continually. Under this ſtatelyemblem you have a lively repreſentation of the ſpiritual gifts and graces diſtilled by the Spirit into the minifters ofthegoſpel, for the uſe and benefit of the church, asyou find notonly by the angel's expoſition ofit here, but by the Spirit's alluſion to it, andaccommodation ofit in Rev. xi . 3 , 4. See herein what price God puts upon the ſalvationoffouls : Goſpel lamps are maintainedfor their fakes, notwith the ſweat of miniſters brows, or theexpence andwaſte of their ſpirits, butby theprecious gifts andgraces ofGod'sSpiritcontinuallydropping intothem forthe uſeand ſerviceoffouls.
Tele miniſterialgiftsandgracesareChriſt'safſcenſion-gifts,Eph. iv. 8. " Whenheafcendedup onhigh,hegavegiftsuntomen;"
A Treatise of the Soul of Man .
andwhatweretheroyal gifts ofthattriumphantday ? Why, he gave ſome apoſtles, and fome prophets, and ſome evangeliſts,
"andſomepaftorsandteachers, forthe perfectingofthe faints, " for the work of the miniſtry, for the edifying of the body
" ofChriſt."
It is an alluſion to the Roman triumphs,whereintheconquerordidspargeremiſſilia, ſcatter abroad histreaſures among the people.
It is reported of the palm-tree, faith one, thatwhen it was firſtplanted in Italy, they watered its roots withwine, tomake ittake the better with the foil: ButGod watersour foulswith whatis infinitely more coſtly thanwine, hewaters themwith the heart-blood ofChriſt, and the precious giftsandgraces of the Spirit ; which certainly he would never do, iftheywerenot ofgreatworth in his eyes. O how many excellentminiſters, who were, asitis ſaid ofJohn, burning and ſhining lights in theirplaces andgenerations, have spent themfelves, andhow many are therewho arewilling to ſpend, andbe ſpent, asPaul was forthe falvation of fouls !God is at great expences for them, and therefore puts a very high value upon them.
Now all this refſpects the foulof man, that isthe object of all miniſterial labours.
The foul is the terminus actionum ad intra, the ſubjecteon whichGod works, and upon which he ſpendsall thoſe invaluabletreaſures. 'Tisthe foulwhich heaims at, and principally deſigns and levels all to, and reckons it not too dear a rate to fave them at.
No manwill dig for common ſtones with goldenmattocks, theinſtruments thatwouldbe worn outbeingoffargreater value than the thing.
This may convince us of what worth our fouls are, and atwhat rates theyare fetinGod'sbook, thatfuch inſtruments are ſent abroad into the world, and ſuch precious gifts and graces, like goldenoil, ſpentcontinually for theirfalvation; " Whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, all are yours,"
1 Cor. iii. 22. i. e. allfet apart for the ſervice and ſalvation of your fouls. ro. Thegreat encouragements and rewardsGodpropounds, andpromiſeth tothem thatwin fouls, ſpeak their worth, and God'sgreateſteem ofthem.
Therecannotbe a more acceptable ſervicedone toGod, than foramanto fet himselfheartily anddiligently to the converfion offouls ; fo many fouis as a man inſtrumentally faves, ſo many diadems willGod crown him withal in thegreat day.
St. Paul calls his converted Philippians his joy and his crown, Phil. iv. 1. and tells the converted Theſſalonians, they were his
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66 crown of rejoicing in the presence of Jesus Chriſt at his coming," I Theff. ii. 19.
There is a full reward aſſured by promiſe tothoſe that labour in this great ſervice, Dan. xii. 3.
" And they that be wiſe, ſhall ſhine as the brightness of the " firmament; and they that turnmany to righteouſneſs, as the " ſtars for ever and ever."
The wisdom here ſpokenof, I conceive not to be only that whereby aman is made wife to the falvation ofhis own foul, but whereby he is alſo furnished with ſkill for the ſaving ofother mens fouls, according to that, Prov. xi . 30. " He that winneth fouls is wife:" And ſo the latter phrafe is exegeticalof it, meaning one and the fame thing by being wife, and turning many into righteouſneſs: And, to put men upon the ſtudy of this wiſdom, he puts a very honourable titleupon them, calling them םיבזהיקירצמ thejustifiers of many, as in 1 Tim. iv. 16. they are ſaid to fave others.
Here is fingular honour putupon the very inſtruments employed in this honourable ſervice, and that is not all, but their reward is great hereafter, as well as their honour great at preſent, they
" ſhall ſhine as the brightness of the firmament, andthe ſtars *" for ever and ever."
The firmament ſhines like a ſapphire in itſelf, and the ſtars and planets more gloriouslyagain ; but thoſe that faithfully labour in this work ofſaving fouis ſhall ſhine in glory for ever and ever, when the firmament ſhall be parchedup as a fcroll, O what rewards and honours are here to provoke men to the ſtudy ofſaving fouls! God will richly recompenſe all our pains in this work, ifwe did but only fow the feed in our days, and another enter into our labours, and water what we fowed ; fo that neitherthe firſthath thecomfort of finiſhing the work, nor the laſt the honour ofbeginning it; but one did fomewhat towards it in the work of conviction, and the other carried it on to greater maturity and perfection; and ſo neither the one nor the other began and finiſhed the work ſingly, yet both ſhall rejoice in heaven together, John iv. 36.
You ſee what honourGod puts upon the very inſtruments employed in this work, even the honour to be ſaviours, under God, of mens foul's, James v. 20. and what a full rewardof glory, joy, and comfort, they ſhall have inheaven, all which ſpeaks the great value of the foul with God.
Such encouragements, and ſuch rewards, would never have been propounded, and promised, ifGodhad not a fingular eſtimation ofthem.
Andthe more to quicken his inſtruments to all diligence, in this great work, he works upon their fears as well as hopes; threatens them with hell, as well as encourages them with the hopes of heaven; tellsthem he will require theblood of all
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thoſe ſouls that periſh by their negligence : " Theirblood (faith " he) will I require at the watchman's hands," Ezek . xxxiii. 6. which are rather thunderbolts, than words, faith Chryfoftome.
By all which, you fee, what a weightGod lays upon the ſaving, or loſing of fouls: Such ſevere charges, great encouragements, and terrible threats, had never been propoſed in ſcripture, ifthe ſouls of men hadnot been invaluably precious .
II . It is no ſmall evidence of the precious, and invaluable worth of fouls, thatGod manifeſts ſo great, and tender care over them, and is ſomuch concerned about the evil that befals them.
Amongmany others, there are two things in which the tender care ofGod, for the good of fouls, is manifeſted.
(1.) In his tenderneſs over them in times of diſtreſs, and danger ; as a tender father will not leave his fick child in other hands, but fits up, and watches by himself, and adminiſters the cordials with his own hands ; even ſo the great God exprefſeth his care, and tenderneſs. Ifa. lvii. 15. " I dwell in the high
" andholy place, with him, alſo, that is ofa contrite andhumble " ſpirit, to revive the ſpirit of the humble, and to revive the " heart of the contrite ones."
Behold the condeſcending tenderneſs of the highest Majesty ! Is a foulready to faint, and fail,
Ohow foon is God with it, with a reviving cordial in his hand! left " the ſpirit ſhould fail before him, and the foul
" which he hath made ?" as itis ver. 16.
Yea, he put it into Chrift's commiffion, " to preach good tidings to the nieek, and " to bind up the broken-hearted," Ifa. lxi. 1. and not only inſerts itinChriſt'scommiſſion,butgives the fame in folemn charge to all his inferior meſſengers, whom he employs about them.
Iſa. xxxv. 3. " Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the " feeble knees ; ſay to them that are of a fearful heart, Be
" ſtrong, fear not."
(2.) His ſpecial regard to ſouls, is evidenced in his fevere prohibitions to all others to do nothing that may be an occaſionofruin tothem. He charges it upon all, " That no man
" put a ſtumbling-block, or an occaſion to fall in his brother's " way," Rom. xiv. 13. that by the abuse ofour own liberty,
" we deſtroy not him forwhom Chrift died," Rom . xiv. 15.
And what doth all this ſignify, but the precious, and invaluable worth of fouls ?
12. Lastly, It is not the leaſt evidence of the dignity ofmen's fouls, thatGod hath appointedthewhole host of angels tobe theirguardians, and attendants.
ATeatise of the Soul ofMan.
" Are they not all miniſtring ſpirits ſentforth to miniſter for themwho ſhallbe heirs ofſalvation?" Heb. i. 14.
Arethey not ?] It is not a doubtful queſtion,butthe ſtrongest wayof affirmation; nothing is furer than that they are.
All]Not one of that heavenly company excepted.
The highest angel thinks it no diſparagement to ſerve a foul for whom Chriſt died; wellmaytheyall ſtoop to ſervethem, when they fee Chrift, their Lord, hath ſtooped, even todeath, to fave them.
They are all ofthem Ministringspirits.] Αειτεργικα πνευμαία, public officers, to whom their tutelage is committed: To them it belongs to atrend, ferve, protect and relieve them. The greatest barons, and peers, in the kingdom, think it not below them towait uponthe heirapparent to the crown, in his minority ; and no lefs dignity is here ſtamptbyGoduponthefoulsofmen,whom hecalls Heirs offalvation.] And in ſome reſpeſt, nearer to Chriſt, thanthemselves are; on this account it is, that the angelsdelight toferve them. Chriſt's littleones upon earth have their angels, which always behold the face ofGodin heaven, Mat. xviii. 10. and therefore faith our Lord there, " Take heed you
" defpiſe notone of thoſe little ones;" they are greater perfons than you are aware of. Nor is it enough that one angel is appointed towaitupon all, or manyof them, but many angels, even a wholehost of them, are, ſometimes, fent to attend uponone of them. AsJacob was going onhis way, the angels ofGodmet him; and when he saw them, he said, " This is
" God's host," Gen. xxxii. 1, 2.
The fame two offices whichbelong toanurse, towhom the father commits his child, belong, alſo, tothe angels ofheaven, with respect to the childrenofGod, viz. tokeep them tenderly whilſt they are abroad, and bringthem home to their Father's houſe at last . And how clearly doth all this evince, and demonftrate the great dignity, and value of fouls ? Was it an argument of the grandeur, and magnificence of king Solomon, that he had two hundred men with targets, and three hundredmen with shields ofbeaten gold, for his ordinary guard, everyday ? And is it not a mark of far greater dignity than ever Solomonhad in all hisglory, tohave hosts ofangels attendingus ? In compari on with one of this guard, Solomonhimſelfwasbuta worm, in allhis magnificence.
Andnow lay all theſe arguments together, and ſeewhat they will amount to.
You have before you no ordinary creature:
For, (1.) Itwas not produced, as other creatures were, by a :
ATreatie of the Soul ofMan.
mereword of command; butby the deliberationof thegreat council of heaven. And (2.) Such are the high and noble faculties, and powers found init, as render it agreeable to, and becoming fuch a divine Original.
Yea, (3 )By reafon oftheſe itsadmirable powers, itbecomes a capable tubject, both ofgrace here, and glory hereafter.
(4 ) Nor is this its capacityinvain; forGod hath made glorious preparations for ſome of them in heaven.
(5.) And purchased themforheaven, and heaven for them, at an invaluable price, even the precious blood of Chrift.
(6.)And ſtampt immortality upon their actions, as well as natures.
(7.) Bothworlds contend, and ſtrive for the foul, as a prize of greatest value.
(8.) Their converfion to Chriſt is the triumph of heaven, and rage of hell.
(9.) The lamps of gofpel-ordinances are maintained over all the reformed Chriſtian world, to light them in their paſſage toheaven. (10.) Great rewards are propounded to allthat ſhall heartily endeavour the falvation of them.
(11.) The care of heaven is exceeding great, and tender over them. And (12.) The heavenly hofts ofangels have the chargeof them, andreckon ittheirhonour to ferve them.
Theſe things, duelyweighed, bring home the conclufion, with demonſtrative clearneſs, toeveryman's underAanding, That onefoul is of more value than the whole world ; which was the thing to be proved. What remains, is the improvementofthis excellentſubject, intheſe followinginferences.
Infer. 1. The foul of man appearing to be a creature of fuchtranſcendentdignity, and excellency, this truth appears of equal clearness with it; That it was not madefor the body, but thebodyfor it; and therefore it is a vile abuse ofthe noble, and high born foul, to subject it to the lufts, and enslave it to the drudgery of the inferior, and more ignoble part.
The very law of nature aſſigns the moſt honourable places, and employments, to the moſt noble, and excellent creatures, and the baſer, and inferior, to things of the loweſt rank, and quality: The ſun, moon, and ſtars, are placed, by this law, in theheavens; but the ignisfatuus, and the glow-worm, in the fens, andditches.
Princes areſetuponthrones of glory, the beggars lodged in barns, and ſtables : and if at any time this order of nature is inverted, and the baſer ſuppreſs, and perk overthe more noble, andhonourablebeings, it is lookedup-
on as a kind of prodigy, in the civil world. And fo Solomon repreſents it, Ecclef. x. 7. " I have ſeen ſervants uponhorfes,
" and princes walking as ſervants upon the earth ; " (i. e.) Ihave ſeenmenthat are worthyofnobetter employments than to rub horſes heels, in the ſaddle, with their trappings; and
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. menwho deſerve to bear rule, and togovernkingdoms; men, who for their great ability , and integrity, deſervedto fit atthe. helm, andmoderate the affairs of kingdoms; theſe have I ſeen walking as fervants"upon the earth ; and this he calls an evil under the fun, that is, an ataxy, confufion, or diforder in the courſe of nature.
Now there can never be that difference, and vaſt odds betwixt oneman, and another, as there is betwixt the soul and body of every man : Aking upon the throne is not ſo much above a beggar that cries at our doors for a cruſt, as the foul is above the body; for the foul of a beggar is of the fame ſpecies, original, and capacity of happiness, with the foul of themoſt illustrious prince; and ſometimes greater excellencies ofmind are found inthe lowest rank, and order ofmen .
"Bet-. ter is a poor, and wife child, than an old, and fooliſh king,"
Ecclef. iv. 13. but the foul of the meaneſt perſon in the world is better than all thebodies in it ; and therefore, to make the noble, and the high born foul a flave, a mere drudge to the vile body, as the apostle calls it, Phil. iii. 21. " The body of this,
" vileness; " what is it but to ſet the beggar on horſeback, andmake the king lacquey after him on foot ?
It was a generous reſentment that a * Heathen had of the dignity of his own soul, and a very juſt abhorrence of ſovile anabuſe of it, whenhe said, Iam greater, and born togreater things, than that Ishould be aflave to my body.
I know there is adebt ofduty the foul owes to its ownbody, and few fouls are tobe found too careless, or dilatory, in the discharge thereof ; where one foul needs the ſpur in this cafe, thousands need thecurb. Moſt fouls are over-heated with zeal, for the concerns ofthe flesh, worn out, and ſpent in its conſtant drudgery ; their whole life is but a ſerving of divers lufts and pleasures, as the apoſtle ſpeaks, Tit. iii. 3.
Imperious lufts are cruel taſk-maſters, they give the foul no reſt ; the more proviſion the foul brings in to fatisfy them, the more they rage, like fire, by the addition of more fuel.
What a fad fight is it, to fee a noble, immortal foul enslaved, Μη οίνωπολλω as the apoſtle's word is, Tit. i. 7. to wine ? to δεδικλωμίνας. filthy lucre, to a thousand forts of vaſſalage ; like a tapster in a common inn, now running up-ſtairs, and then down, at every one's knock, and call.
Owhat a perpetual hurry, and noiſe, dothousands offouls *Major fum, etad majora natus, quam ut corporis meifim mancipium.
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livein ſo that they have notime toretire into themſelves, and think for whatend, and uſe, they were created, and ſent into this world.
All theirthoughts, all their cares, all their ſtudies, and labours, are taken up about the periſhing, clogging, enfnaringbody, which muſt ſo ſhortly fall a prey to theworms. How many millions ofpoor creatures are there that labour, and toil all their life long, for a poor, bare maintenance of their bodies, and never think they have any other buſineſs to do in this world!
And howmany, ofan higher rank, are charmed by a thick fucceffion of fleſhlydelights, and pleaſures, into adeep oblivion of their eternal concerns ! So that their whole life is but one entirediverſion from the great buſineſs, and proper end of it.
Jamesv. 5. "Ye have lived in pleaſures on earth," living in them, as the fiſh doth in the water, its proper element, or the eel in the mud.
Sometimes it falls out, at the very cloſe of avain voluptuous life, when theyfee all their delights, thrink. ing away at the approaches, and appearance ofdeath, that they begin tobe a little ſtartled at the change, which is about to be made upon them ; and to cry, O what ſhall we do now ! Ah poor fouls! is thatatime to think whatyou shalldo, whenyou arejuſt ſtepping into the awful ſtate of eternity ? O that this had been thought on in ſeaſon! but you could find no leifure forone ſuch thought. Now youbegin to with time hadbeen refcued out ofthe handsofthe cares, andpleaſures ofthis life, forbetter purposes; but it is gone, and never more to be recalled.
Infer. 2. Is thefoul ſo invaluably precious ? Then thefalvation ofthefoulis tobethe great care, and business ofevery man in this life.
Where one thought is ſpent about this queſtion, WhatShallI eat, drink, and put on ? A thousand ſhould be ſpent about that queſtion, " What ſhall I do to be ſaved?" Ifa treasure of ten, or twenty thouſand pounds were committed to your truſt, and charge, and for which (in case of loss) you must be reſponſible ; wouldnotyour thoughts, cares, and fears, beworking nightand day about it, till you are ſatisfied it is ſafe, and out ofdanger?
And then your mind would be at reſt, but not before. Thy foul,Oman, is more worth than the crowns, and treaſuresofall theprinces inthe world ! If all their exchequers were drained, and all their crown-jewels fold to their full value, they could never make up ahalfranſom for thefoul ofthe poorest and meaneftman. This invaluable treaſure is committedtoyour charge;
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ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. ifitbe loft, youare loft forever. Thatwhich St. Matthewcalis thelofingofthe foul in my text, St. Luke calls losing himself, ifthe foul be loſt, the man is loft: The body is but as a boat faſtened to the ſtern ofa ſtately ſhip, ifthe ſhip ſink, the boat follows.it.
O, therefore, whatthoughts, what fears, what cares ſhould exerciſethe minds ofmen,dayandnight,tilltheir precious fouls are out of all danger: Methinks the found of this text ſhould ringa perpetual alarm in theearsofcareleſs ſinners, and make them haftento the inſurance-office, as merchants do, who have greatadventuresindanger at fea.
Itwas counſelgiven once toa king, and worthy to be preſſed upon all, from the king to the beggar, toruminate theſewordsofChriſt onequarterofanhour everyday ; " What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the " whole world, and loſe his own foul ? Or what ſhall a man
" give in exchange for his foul ?" Certainly it would make menlacken their pace andcool themselves in their hot, and earneft pursuit ofthe trifles of this world, and convince them, that they have fomewhat else to do of far greater importance.
Itwas not withoutgreatandweighty reafon,therefore, that the apofile Peter exhorts to alldiligence to make our calling, and election ſure, 2 Pet. i. 10. There are twowordsin this text of extraordinary weight, Give alldiligence ; the Σπεδάσατε, word is study, the utmoſt intention of the mind, pondering, and comparing things in the thoughts, valuing reaſons for, andobjections against thepointbeforeus,this is ſtudy; andfuch as calls for all diligence where the fubject-matter is
(as, tobe fure, hereit is) ofthegreatest importance : Andwhat is the fubject-matter of all this ſtudy, and diligence ? Why, it isthe moſt folemn ofall works that ever came anderthe hand of man, tomake our calling and electionfure, firm,
Βεβάναν. ſtable,or fixed,asabuilding raiſed upon aſquare, and ſtrong foundation; or as aconcluſion is fure, when regularly drawn fromcertain,and indubitablepromiſes : There cannever be toomuchcare, too much ſtudy, or pains, about thatwhich canneverbe too well fecure.
Many foulsnever ſpent one ſolemahourin acloſe andſerious debate about this matter ; others have taken a great deal of pains about it; they have broken many nights fleep, poured outmany prayers, made many a deep ſearch into their own hearts, walkedwith much confcientious watchfulness, and tenderneſs, propoſedmany a feriouscaſe ofconfciencetothemoſt judicious, and ſkilful miniſters, and Chriſtians; and, after all,
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
the ſecurity is not fuch as fully fatisfies: And probably one reason of itmay be the great weight wherewith the matters of their ſalvation lieupon their ſpirits. O that theſe foul concerns didbear upon all, as they do upon ſome! It requires more time, more thoughts, more prayers to make theſe things ſure, thanmoſt are aware of..
Infer. 3. Ifthefoulbesoprecious, then certainly it is the spe cial care ofheaven, that whichGod looks moreparticularlyafter, thananyother creature on earth.
There is an active, vigilant providence, that ſuperintends eeverycreature upon earth; there is not the moſt deſpicable,diminutive creature that lives in the world, left without the line ofprovidence: Godis therefore faid togive them all theirmeat in due ſeaſon, and for that endthey all wait uponhim, Plal. civ. 27. who, as agreat and providenthouſe-keeper orders daily, convenient proviſionsfor all his family, evento the leaſt, and loweſt amongthem: The ſmalleſt inſects,andgnatswhich ſwarm fo thick in the air, and of the usefulness of whoſeBeing it is hard togive an account ; yet as the incomparably learned *Dr.
Morewell obſerves, theſe all find nourishment in the world, which would be loft if theydid not, and are again convenient nourishment themselves toothers that preyupon them.
But man is the peculiar, ſpecial care of God, and the foul of man much more than the body. Hence Chriſt fortifies the faith ofChriſtians, against all diſtruſts ofdivine providence, even from their excellency above other creatures.
Mat. x. 31. " Ye are of more value than many ſparrows;" andMat. vi. 26. yourheavenlyFatherfeeds the fowls ofthe air,
" and are ye not much better than they?" and ver. 30. he clothes thegraſs of the field, " and ſhallhe not much more
" clothe you ?" and ſo the apoſtle, 1Cor. ix. 9. " DothGod " take care for oxen? or faith he it altogether for our fakes ?
" For our fakes,nodoubt, this is written." In allwhichplaces we have the dignityofman aboveall animals and vegetables, in reſpect of the natural excellency of his reasonable foul, but eſpecially the gracious endowments of it, which endear it far more to its Maker; this is the very hinge of the argument, anda firmground for the believer's faith of God's tender care over both parts, but eſpecially the soul. Thebodyof abeliewer isGod's creature, as well as his foul ; but thatbeingof leſs value,hathnot fuch adegree ofcare and tenderness expreſſed
Hhha *Antidote, &c. p. 82.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. towards it, as the foul hath : the father's care is not fo muchh for the child's cloaths, as it is for the child himself.
Befides, the immediatewants and troubles ofthe foul, whichare idopathetical, are far more ſharp and pinching, than thoſe it fuffers upon the body's account, which are but fympathetical; and therefore, whenever ſuch an excellent creature, as a ſanctified foul, which is in Chriſt, or a foul deſigned tobe ſanctified, which is moving towards Chriſt, falls under thoſe heavy preffures and diſtreſſes, (as it often does) and isreadyto fail; let it be aſſured, its merciful Creator willnot fail to relieve, ſupport, revive, anddeliver it, as often as it ſhall fall into thoſedeep diftreffes.
Hearhow his compaſſionate tenderness is expreffed towards diſtreſſed ſouls.
Ifa. xlix. 15."Can awoman forget her fuck- " ing child, that the ſhould not have compaffionon the ſonof
" herwomb? Yea, they may forget,yet Iwillnot forgetthee."
Sooner ihall a woman, the more tender ſex, forget, (not the nurſe-child, that only fucks herbreaſt, but) the child, yea, the fon of her womb, and that notwhengrown and placed abroad, butwhilft it hangs upon her breaſt, and draws love from her heart, as well as milk from her breast; thanGod will forget a foul that fears him.
Let gracious ſouls fortify their faith, therefore, in the Divine care, by confideringwith what a peculiar eye of eſtimation andcare, God looks upon them above all other creatures in the world: onlybeware you ſo eye not the natural, or ſpiritual excellencies ofyourfouls, as to expect mercy for the fake thereof, as if your fouls were worthy for whoſe fakeGod ſhould do this: no, no, ſinhath nonſuited that plea, all is of free grace, not ofdebt: buthe minds us towhat reputation the new creation brings the foul with itsGod.
Infer. 4. Ifthefoul ofmanbefo precious,howpreciousanddear toall believers, should the RedeemerandSaviour oftheirprecious fouls be?
" Unto you therefore that believe, he is precious," faith the apoſtle, 1 Pet. ii. 7.
Though he be yetoutof our fight, he ſhould neverbe one whole hour together out ofour hearts and thoughts.
I Pet. i. 8. " Whomhavingnotſeenye love ; whom " though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with
joy unspeakable, and full of glory."
"The very name of " Chrift," faith + Bernard, " is honey in the mouth, melody " in the ear, and avery jubilee in the heart."
The bleſſed martyr, Mr. Lambert, made this his motto, None but Chriſt, Mel in ore, melos in aure, jubilum in corde. Bern
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan
none but Chrift.
Molinus was ſeldom obſerved to mentionhis name without dropping eyes.
Julius Palmer, in the midst of the flames, moved his ſcorched lips, and was heard to ſay,
SweetJeſus, and fell aſleep. Paulfaſtensuponhis name, as a beeupona ſweet flower, andmentions itno leſsthan ten times inthe compaſs of tenverſes, 1 Cor. i. as if he knew not how toleave it.
There is a twofold preciouſneſs of Chriſt, one in reſpect of hiseffential excellency andglory ; in this reſpect he is glorious, asthe onlybegottenSon ofGod, the brightness of his Father's glory, and the expreſs imageor character of his perſon, Heb. i. theother in reſpect of his relative uſefulneſs, and ſuitableneſs toallthe needs, andwants of poor finners ; as he is the Lord our righteousness, made unto us wiſdom, righteousness, fanctification, and redemption. None difcern this preciouſneſs of Chrift, but thoſe that have been convincedof fin, andhave apprehended the wrath tocome, the juſt demerit of fin, and fled for refuge to thehopeſet before them; and to them he is precious indeed.
Conſider him as a Saviour from wrath to come, andhe willappear the moſt lovely and deſireable in all theworld toyour fouls: he that underſtands the value of his own foul, the dreadful nature of the wrath ofGod, the near approaches of this wrath to his own soul, and the astonishing loveof Chriſt, indelivering him from it,by bearing thatwrath in his place and room, in his own perſon; cannot chuſebut eſtimate Chriſt above ten thousandworlds.
Infer. 5. How great a trust and charge lieth upon them to whom the care offouls is committed, andfrom whom an account for other mens, aswellas their ownfoulsſball certainly be required?
Miniſters are appointed ofGod to watch for the fouls of their people, and that as menthat must give an account, Heb. xiii.17. Thewordhere tranſlatedwatch*, fignifies ſuchwatchfulneſs, as that of ſhepherds who keep their flocks by night in places infeſtedby wolves, and watch wholenights together for their ſafety.
If amanwere a keeper only of ſheep and ſwine, itwere nogreat matter if thewolf nowandthencarried away onewhilsthe lept; butminiſters have charge of fouls, one of which, as Chriſt aſſures us in the text, is more worththan the wholeworld. Hear what one ſpeaks uponthis point.
***Αγρυπνείν eft noctes insomnis agere, quodfolent viri βελήφορος, pernoxfo ilicitudo
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
• *Godpurchased thechurch with hisownblood: what ⚫an argument is here toquicken the negligent ! and what an • argument tocondemn thoſe that will notbequickenedupto
• their duty by it! O, faith one ofthe antientdoctors, ifChrift • had but committed tomykeeping one ſpoonful of his blood
* ina fragil glaſs, how curiously ſhould I preſerve it, and how • tender ſhould Ibe of that glaſs ! Ifthenhehave committedto
•me the purchase ofthatblood, ſhould I not carefully look to mycharge?
• What, firs, ſhall we deſpiſethe blood of Chriſt ? ſhall we think it was ſhed for them that are notworthy our care ? 0
• then let us hearthoſe arguments of Chriſt,whenever we feel • ourſelves growdull and careleſs. Did Idie for them, andwilt
• thou not look after them ? were they worth my blood, and * are they not worth thy labour? Did Icome down from hea
* ven to earth, to seek and tosave that which is loft, and wilt • not thou go to the nextdoor, or treet, or village, to feek
⚫them? How ſmall is thy labour or condeſcenſion tomine ?
• Idebaſed myself to this, but it is thy honour to be ſo em- * ployed."
Let not thatman think tobe ſaved by the blood of Chrift himſelf, that makes light of precious ſouls, who are the purchaſe of thatblood.
Andno leſs charge lieth upon parents, towhomGod hath committed the care of their childrens ſouls; and maſters that have theguardianſhip of the fouls, as well as the bodies of their families; the command is laidexpreſs uponyou,that they fanEtifyGod's fabbaths, Exod. xx. 10. tocommandyour houſhold inthewayofthe Lord,Gen. xviii. 19.
Oparents, confider withyourſelves what ſtrong engagements ly upon you to do all you are capable of doing forthe falvation of the precious fouls of your dear children.
Remember, their fouls are infinitelyof more value thantheir bodies : that theycame into the world under fin and condemnation ; that you were the inſtruments ofpropagating that fin to them, and bringing them into that miſery; that you know their diſpoſitions, and how to fuit them better than others can ; thatthe bonds of nature give you ſingular advantages to prevail, and be ſucceſsful in your exhortations, beyond what any others have; that you are always with them, and can chuſe opportunities which others cannot ; thatyou andthey muſt ſhortly part, andnever meet again, tillyou meet at the judgment-feat
*Gildas Salvian, p. 260.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. ofChriſt; that it will be anunconceivablydreadfuldayto fee them ſtand at Chrift's left hand among the curſed and condemned, there curfing the day that ever they were bornof fuch ignorant and negligent, fuch careleſs and cruel parents, as took no care to inſtruct, reprove, or exhort them. O who can think, without horror, of the cries and curſes of his own child in hell, caft away by the very inſtrument of his being !
Is this the love you bear them, tobetray them toeternal mifery? Was there no other proviſion to be made but for their bodies ? Didyou thinkyouhad fullyacquittedyour duty,when youhad got an eſtate forthem ? O that God would effectually touch your hearts with abecoming ſenſe of the value and dangeroftheirfouls, andyour own too, inthe neglect ofthat great and folemn truſtcommitted toyou with respect to them !
Andyou, maſters, conſider, thoughGod hath ſet you above, and your fervants below, yet are their fouls equally precious with your own: they have another Maſter that expects ſervice from them, aswellas you. Donotonly allow them time, butgive them your exhortations, andcommands,nottoneglect theirown fouls, whilft they attendyourbuſineſs: think notyour buſineſs willprofper the leſs becauſe it is in the hand ofa praying fervant; their fouls are ofgreater concernment than any buſineſs ofyourscanbe.
Infer. 6. Arefoulsfoprecious? Then certainly themeans and instruments oftheirfalvation must be exceeding precious too, and the removalofthemaforejudgment.
Thedignity of the ſubject gives value to the inſtruments employedabout it.
It isordinary mercy for fouls tocome into ſuchapart ofthe world, and in ſuchatime as furnisheth them with the beſt helps for ſalvation.
Ordinances and minifters receive their value, notfrom theirAuthor, but from theirObject : they that have adignity ſtampedupon them,by their usefulneſs tothe fouls ofmen, Acts xx. 32. it is the feed of life,
I Pet. i. 23. the regenerating inſtrument.
It is the breadoflife, and Job xxiii. 12. morethan our neceſſary food. The word is a light, ſhining in the dark world, to direct our fouls through allthe fnares, laidfor them, untoglory.
It is the ſoul's cordial inall fainting fits, Pfal. cxix. 50.
What ſhall Iſayof theword andordinances ofGod ? The fun that mines in heaven togive us light, the fountains, ſprings, and rivers, that ſtream for our refreshment, thecorn and cattle onthe earth, yea, the very air we breathe in, isnotſo uſeful, ſo neceffary, ſo precious to ourbodies, asthe word is to our fouls.
Itcannot therefore but be a ſore judgment, and adreadful
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan.
•token ofGod's indignation and wrath, to have a réſtraint,or ſcarcity of the means ofſalvation among us; but ſhould there be (which God in mercy prevent) a removal and total lofs of theſe things, wrath would then come upon us to the uttermofl.
What will the condition ofprecious ſouls be, when the means of ſalvation are cut offfrom them? when that famine, worfe thanofbread and water, is come uponthem ? Amos viii. II When the ark ofGod (the ſymbol of his preſence) was taken, it is faid, I Sam iv. 13. "That all the city cried ont."
When Paultook his leave ofAntioch, and told them they ſhould fee hisface no more,howdid thepoorChriſtians lamentand mourn ? ascut at the heart, by that killing word, Acts. xx. 37, 38.
It made Chriſt's bowels to yern, and move within him, when he ſawthe multitude ſcattered as ſheep having no ſhepherd, Matth. ix. 36.
Matthew Paris tells us, in the year 1072, when preaching was ſuppreſſed atRome, letters were framedas comingfromhell, wherein the devil gave them thanks for the multitude of fouls ſent tohim that year.
But we need no letters from hell, we have a ſad account from heaven, inwhat a ſad ſtate thoſe ſouls are left, fromwhom the means ofſalvation are cut off: " Where
" no viſion is, thepeople periſh," Prov. xxix. 18. and Hof. iv.
6. " My people are deſtroyed for lack ofknowledge."
Itisſad, when thoſe ſtars that guide fouls toChriſt, (as that which the wiſe-men ſawdid) are fet, and wandering ſtars ſhall ſhine in their places. O ifGod remove the golden candlestick outof its place, whatbut the deſolation and ruin of millions of fouls must follow ?
We account it inſufferable cruelty for a man to undertake the piloting ofa ſhip, full ofpaſſengers, who never learnt his compaſs ; or an ignorant Empiric, togethis living by killing mens bodies ; but much more lamentable willthe ſtate of fouls be, if ever they fall, (which God in mercyprevent) intothe hands of Popiſh guides, or blind leaders ofthe blind.
Infer. 7. Ifthe foul be of so precious a nature, it cannever liveuponsuch bafe and vilefood as earthly things are.
The Apoſtle, Phil. iii. 8, 9. calls the things ofthis world *Dogsmeat; andjudge ifthat be proper food for fuch noble, andhigh-borncreatures as our fouls are. An immaterial being can never live upon material things; theyare nobreadfor fouls, as the prophet ſpeaks, Ifa. Iv. 2. " Whydo ye ſpend money
*TheGreekword Σκυβαλον, for Kυσιβαλον, fignifiesthat which being rejectedbyusisthrowntodogs.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
(i. e. Time andpains, thought and cares) " for thatwhich is " not Bread ?" Your souls can no more live uponcarnal, than your bodies on ſpiritual things.
Earthly things have a double defect inthem,byjreaſon whereof theyare called things ofnought,
Amos vi. 13. of no worth or value ; they are neither fuituable nor durable, and therefore, inthe foul's eye, not valuable.
1. They are not suitable.
What are corn and wine, gold and filver, pleaſures and honours, to the ſoul ?
The body, and bodily ſenſes, can find somewhat of refreshment in them ; butnot the ſpirit : Thatwhich isbread to the body, affords no more nourishment to the foul thanwind or aſhes, Ifa. xliv. 20.
" He feedeth of athes." " † Aſhes are that light, and dry matter, intowhich fewelis reducedbythe fire;" thefewel, before it was burnt, had nothing in it fit for nourishment; or if the ſap or juice, that was in it, might in anyreſpect be useful that way, yet all that is devoured, and licked up by the fire, and not the leaſt nutriment left in the ashes ? And ſuch areall earthly things to the foul of man : " I am the bread of life," ſaith
Chriſt. A foul can feed, and feaſt itſelf upon Chrift, and the promifes; theſe are things fullofmarrow and fatneſs, ſubſtantial, and proper foul-nutriment.
2. As earthly things are no way ſuitable tothe foul, ſo neither are theydurable.
The apostle reduceth all earthly things to threeheads, " the luft of the eye, the luſt of the flesh, andthe
" prideoflife," I John ii. 16. he calls them allby the name of that which gives the luſtre, andbeauty to them, and pronounceth them allfading, tranfitory vanities, they all paſs away : as time, ſo theſe things that are measured by time, are in fluxu continuo, always going, and at laſt will be all gone. Now the foul being of an immortal nature, and theſe things ofa periſhing nature ; it must neceſſarily, and unavoidably follow, that the foul muſt over-live them all; and if it will do so, what a diſmal cafe are thoſe ſouls in, for whom no other proviſion is made, but that on which it cannot ſubſiſt whilft it hath them, nomore than thebodycan upon aſhes or wind ? and if itcould, yet they will ſhortly fail it, and paſs away for ever.
So then it is beyond debate, thatthere lies a plain neceffity upon every man to make proviſion, in time, of things more fuitable, and durable than earthly treaſures are, or the foul muſt periſh, as to its comfort, to all eternity.
Hence is thatweighty counſel ofhim that came to ſavethem, † Cinis eft craffior illa materia in quam combuftum redigitur.
VOL. III.
Iii
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan.
Luke xii. 23. " Provide yourſelves bags that wax not old, a " treaſure inheaven,that faileth not," (i. e.) ahappiness which wil: taſt as long as your fouls laſt.
Certainly, the moth eaten things ofthisworld are no proviſion for immortal ſpirits, and yet multitudes think ofno other proviſion for them, but live as ittheyhad nothing todo in this world but to get an eſtate.
Alas! what are alltheſe things tothe foul ? They ſignify ſomewhat, indeed, to the body, and that but for alittle time; for, after the refurrection, the bodies of the faints become ſpiritual in qualities, and no more need theſe material things, than the angels do: It is madneſs, therefore, tobe ſo intent uponcares for thebody, as to neglect the ſoul; but toruin the ſoul, and drown it in perdition, for the fake of theſeproviſions for the fleſh, is theheight ofmadneſs.
Infer. 8. If the foul beſo invaluably precious, then it is a ra tional, and well advised refolution, and practice, to expose all other things to hazard, yea, to certain loss, for the prefervation of the more preciousfoul.
It is better ourbodies, and alltheir comfors, ſhould periſh, than that our fouls ſhould periſh for theirfakes. Nature teaches us to offer a hand, or arm, to the ſtock of a ſword, to ſave a blow from the head, or putby a thruſt at the heart.
It is recorded, to the praise of thoſe three worthies, Dan. iii. 28.
" That they yielded theirbodies, that they might not ſerve, nor " worſhip anyGod, except their own God." By this rule, allthe martyrs of Chriſt governed themselves, ſtill lighting, and expofing todeſtruction, their bodies, and eſtates, topreferve their fouls, reckoning toſave nothing, by religion, but their fouls, and that theyhad lost nothing, if they could fave them; "They loved not their lives unto the death," Rev. xii. 1.
Thendowe live likeChriſtians, when thecare ofourbodies is ſwallowed up, and ſubduedby that ofour fouls, and allcreature-loves by the love of Chriſt.
Thoſe bleſſed ſouls hated their own bodies, andcountedthem their enemies, when they would drawthemfrom Chriſt, andhis truths, andplunge their fouls into guilt and danger.
This was the refult of all their debates with the flesh, in the hour of temptation; cannot we livebut to thedishonour of Chriſt, and the ruin of our own fouls, by finful compliance againſt our confciences ; then welcome the worſt ofdeaths, rather than fuch a life .
Look into the ſtories ofthe martyrs, andyou ſhall find this was the rule they ſtill governed themselves by; a dungeon, a ſtake, a gibbet, any thing, rather than guilt upon the inner
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
man: deathwas welcome, even in its moſt dreadful form, to eſcape ruin to their precious, and immortal ſouls.
One kiſſed the apparitor, that brought him the tidingsofdeath.
Another being adviſed, whenhe came to the critical point, onwhich his lifedepended, to have acare ofhimself: fo I will, faid he, I willbe as careful as I can ofmybeſt ſelf, my soul.
Thefe men understood the value, and precious worth of their own fouls ; certainly, we ſhall never prove courageous, and conſtant in fufferings, till we understand the worth of our fouls, as they did.
Confider and compare theſe ſufferings in a few obvious particulars, and thendetermine the matter in thineown breaſt.
(1.) Howmuch eaſier it is to endure the torments ofmen in our bodies, than to feel the terrors ofGod in our confciences.
Can the creature ſtrike with an arm like God ?
O think what itis for the wrath ofGod to come into a man's bowels like water, and like oil intohis bones, as the expreffion is, Pfal. cix.
18.
Sure there is no compare betwixt the ftrokes ofGod and men.
(2.) The ſufferings ofthebodyarebut for amoment. When the proconful told Polycarp that he would tame him with fire, he replied, Your fire ſhall burn but for the space of an hour, and thenit ſhall be extinguiſhed; but the fire that ſhall devour thewickedwill never be quenched.
The ſufferings of amoment are nothing to eternal ſufferings.
(3.) Sufferings for Chriſt are usually ſweetenedandmade eaſy bythe confolations ofthe ſpirits; buthell torments have norelief, theyadmitof no eaſe.
(4.) The life that you ſhall live in thatbody, forwhoſe ſake youhave damned your fouls, will not be worththe having ; it willbe a life without comfort, light orjoy; and what is there in life, ſeparate from thejoyand comfort of life ?
(5.) In aword, ifyou facrifice your bodies forGod andyour fouls, freely offer them upinlove to Chrift and his truth. your fouls will joyfully receive and meet them again atthe refurrection of thejuſt; but, if your poor fouls be now enſnared and deſtroyed by your fond indulgence to your bodies, you will leave them atdeath defpairing, and meet them at the refurrectionhowling.
Infer. 9. Toconclude, If the foul beſo invaluablyprecious, how great and irreparable a loss, must the loss of afoul toall eternitybe!
There is adouble loſs of the foul of man,the one inAdam, which loſs is recoverable by Chrift ; the otherby final impeniIii 2
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. tence, and unbelief, cutting it off from Chriſt: and this is irreparable, and irrecoverable.
Souls loft by Adam's fin, are withinthe reach of the arms of Chriſt; but in the ſhipwreck of perſonal infidelity, there is no plank to ſave the foul fo caſt away: of all loffes, this is the moſt lamentable, yet what more common ; O what a ſhriek doth the unregenerate ſoul make, when it fees whither it must go, and that there is no remedy !
Three cries are dreadful to hear on earth, yet all three are drowned, by a more terrible cry in the other world ; the cry of a condemned prifoner at the bar, the cry of drowning feamen, and paffengers, in ashipwreck, the cries of foldiers conquered in the field; all theſe are fearful cries, yet nothing to that of a foul calt away to all eternity, and loſt in the depth of hell.
If a man, as Chryfoftom well obſerves, loſe an eye, an arm, a hand, or leg, it is a great loss ; butyet ifone be loſt, there is another to help him : for omnia Deus dedit duplicia, God hath given us all thoſe members double ; Animam vero unam, but we have but one foul, and and if that be damned, there is not another to be ſaved.
And it is no ſmall aggravation tothis loſs, that it was a wilful Joſs; we had the offers, and means of 'falvation plentifully afforded us ; we were warned of this danger, over and over ; we were intreated, and beſeeched, upon the knee of importunity,
-not to throw away ourfouls, by an obſtinate rejection of Chrift, and grace ; we saw the diligence, and care of others, for the falvation of their fouls, ſome rejoicing in the comfortable aſſurance of it, and others giving all diligence to make their calling and election fure : we knew that our fouls were as capable of bleſſedneſs, as anyof thoſe that are enjoyingGod in heaven, or panting afterthat enjoymenton earth ; yea, ſome fouls that are now irrecoverably gone, and manyothers who are going after them, once were, and now are not far from the kingdom ofGod: theyhad convictions of fin, a ſenſe oftheir loſs, and miferable ſtate ; theybegan to treat with Chriſt in prayer, to converſewith his miniſters, and people, about their condition, and after all this, even when they seemed tohave clean eſcaped the fnares of Satan, tobe again entangled, and overcome ; when even come to the harbour's mouth, to be driven back again, and caft away upon the rocks. O what a loſs will this be!
Othou that createdſt fouls with a capacity toknow, love, and enjoy thee for ever ; who out of thine unſearchable grace fenteſt thine own Son out of thyboſom tofeek, and ſavethat
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
which was, loſt, pity thoſe poor ſouls that cannot pity themſelves : let mercyyet interpoſe itſelf, betwixt them, and eternal ruin; awaken them out of their pleasant ſlumber, though it be at the brink of damnation, left they perish, and there be none to deliver them .
Doct. 2. How precious andinvaluablefoever thefoul ofman is, it may be lost, and cast away for ever.
This propoſition is ſuppoſed, and implied in our Saviour's wordsin the text, and plainlyexpreſſed inMat.vii. 13. "Wide
" is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to deſtruction, " and many there be which go in thereat."
The way to hell is throngedwith paſſengers, it is abeatenroad, one draws another along with him, and ſcoffs atthoſe that are afraid to follow,
1 Pet. iv. 4. Facilis defcenfus averni; it is pleasant failing with wind, and tide.
Some derive the word hellfrom a verb which fignifies to carry, or thruſt in; millions go in, but none return thence: millions are gone down already, and millions more are coming after, as fast as Satan, and their own lufts, can hurry them onward.
You read not only of ſingle perſons, but whole nations drowned in this gulph.
Pfal. ix. 17. " The wicked " ſhall be turned into hell, andall the nations that forgetGod."
How rare is the converfion ofa foul in the dark places of the earth, where the found ofthe goſpel is not heard ? The devil drivesthem, indroves, todeſtruction, ſcarce aman reluctating ordrawing back *.
; Andthough some nations enjoy the inestimable privilege of the goſpel of ſalvation, yet multitudes of precious fouls perihm, notwithstanding, ſinking into hell daily, as itwere, betwixt the merciful arms of a ſaviour ſtretched out to ſave them. light of ſalvation is riſen upon us, but Satan draws the thick curtains of ignorance, and prejudice, about themultitude, that not a beam of ſaving light can ſhine into their hearts. 2Cor.
The iv. 3, 4. " But if our goſpel be hid, it is hid to them that are " loſt: in whom theGod of this world hath blinded the minds
" of them which believe not, leſt the light of the glorious " goſpel ofChriſt, who is the image ofGod, ſhould thine unto
" them."
If ourgospel.] Ours, not by way of inſtitution, as the authors, butby wayofdiſpenſation, as the miniſters, and preachersof it; and, certainly, itwas never preached with that clear- *The Latin wordInfernus, i. e, Hell, isderivedfrom a verb ſigpifying to thrust in, becauſe the wicked are ſo hurried and caft headlong into it, that they cannever afcend out ofit.
ATreatise of the Soul of Man. neſs, authority, and efficacyby any mere man, as itwasbyPaul, and the rest ofthe apostles; and yet the gospel ſo powerfully preached, is by him here ſuppoſed to Behid.] Ifnot as tothe general light, and fuperficial knowledgeofit, yet as to its ſaving influence, and converting efficacy upon their hearts ; this never reacheth home to the fouls, and ſpirits ofmultitudes that hear it, but itis never finally fo hidden, except Tothemthat arelost.] So that all thoſe to whom the converting, andſaving power ofthe goſpel never comes, whatever names, and reputations they may have among men, yet this text looks upon them all as a loſt generation : They may have as many amiable, homiletical virtues, as ſweet, and lovely na-
tures, as clear and piercing eyes, in all other things, as any others; but they are fuch, however,
Whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded.] Satan is here calledthe godof this world, not properly, but by a mimeſis; becauſehe challenges tohimself the honour ofa god, and hath aworld offubjects that obeyhim; and, to ſecure theirobedience,he blindsthem, thatthey may neverfee a better way or ſtate, than that he hath drawn them into.
Therefore he is calledthe ruler of the darkness ofthis world, who rules in the hearts ofthe children of diſobedience. The eye of the foul is themind, thatthinking, conſidering, and reaſoning power of theſoul ; this is, as the philoſophers truly call it, the το ηγέ μονικών, the leading faculty to all the reſt, the guide to all the o. ther faculties, which, in the order of nature, follow this their leader: Ifthisbe blinded, the will, which is caeca potentia, a blind power in itſelf, and all the affctions blindly following the blind, allmust needs fall into the ditch.
And this is the caſe ofthe fargreater part of even the profeffing world. Let us ſuppoſe a number of blindmen upon an iſland, where there aremany ſmooth paths, allleadingto the top ofa perpendicular cliff, and theſeblind mengoing on continually, ſome in one path, and fome in another, but all in fome one of thoſe many paths which lead to the brink oftheir ruin, which they ſee not; it must needs follow, ifthey all move forward, the whole number will in a ſhort time, be caſt away, the iſland cleared, and its inhabitantsdead, and loft in thebottom ofthe fea.
This is the cafe ofthe unregenerate world; they are now upon this habitable ſpot of earth, environed with the vaſt ocean of eternity; there are multitudes of paths leading to eternal mifery; oneman takes thisway, and another that, as it is Ifa. liii. 6. " We have turnedevery one to his ownway;" one to
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
the wayof pride, another to the way ofcovetouſnſs, a third to the way of perfecution, a fourth to the way of civility, and morality ; and ſo on they go, not once making a ſtand, or queſtioning to what end it will bring them, till at laſt over they go, atdeath, and we hear no more ofthem in this world :
And thus one generation of ſinners follows another, and they thatcome after approve, and applaud thoſe miferable wretches that went before them. Pfal. xlix. 13. and ſo hell fills, and the worldempties its inhabitants daily into it. Now I will make
it my work, out ofa dear regard to the precious fouls of men, and inhope to prevent (which the Lord in mercy grant) the loſs, and ruin of ſome, under whoſe eyes this diſcourſe ſhall falt, tonote ſome ofthe principle waysin which precious fouls are loft, and to put ſuch bars into them, as I amcapableto put; and, among many more, I will fet a mark upon theſe following twelve paths, wherein millions of fouls have been lott, andmillions more are confidently, and ſecurely following after, among which, 'tis likely, fome are withinone ſtep, one day, or hour, to their eternaldownfal, and deſtruction.
There isbutoneway in all the world, to ſave, and preſerve the precious fouls of men, but there are many ways to loſe, and dee
: troy them : It is here, as it is in our natural birth, and death, but oneway into the world, but a multitude out of it. And firſt, Thefirst way to helldiscovered.
1.And to begin, where, indeed, the ruin ofevery mandoth begin, it will be found, that an ill education is the high way to destruction; vice need notbe planted; if the gardener neglect todreſs, fow, and manure his garden, he need not give the weeds agreateradvantage;butifhe alſo ſcatter thefeed ofhemloc, docks, and nettles into it, he ſpoils it, and makes it fit for nothing. Many parents, and thoſe godly too, are guilty oftoo many neglects, through careleſneſs, worldly incumbrances, or fond indulgence; and whilst theyneglect the ſeaſon of fow. ing better feed, the devil takes hold of it; ifthey willnot improve it, he will : Ifthey teach them not to pray, he will teach them to curſe, ſwear and lie; if they put not the bible, or catechism in their hands, he will put obſcene ballads into them: And thus the offspring of manygodly parents turn into degenerateplants, andprove ageneration thatknownot theGod oftheir fathers.
This debauched age can furnithuswith too many ſad inſtances hereof.
Thus they are ſpoiled in the bud ; fimple ignorance inyouth,becomes affected,andwilful ignorance inage; blushing fins in children,become impudent in age, and
A Teatise of the Soul ofMan. allthis forwant ofa timely, and prudentpreventing care. O thers, there are, ofthe rudeand ignorantmultitude, who are bred themselves, much like the beasts they daily converſe withal; and ſo they are fitly described, Job xxx. 6, 7. Go into their houſes, andyou may ſooner find in the window, or upon the ſhelf, a pack of cards, than a bible or a catechiſm ; their beds, and tables, differ little, or not at all, from the ſtalls, and cribs where beaſts lie down, and feed inreſpect ofanyworſhip ofGod among them; orif, for faſhion-fake, afew words be huddled over, in the evening, when their bodies are tired, the man faith ſomething, he ſcarce knows what, the wife is aſleep inone corner, the childrenin another, and the fervants ina third.
This is the education multitudes of parents give their children all the week, and whenthe fabbath comes, the moſt they learn to know at church, is, where their own featſtands, and that it is neceſſary to ſpeak with ſuch aneighbour after prayers, about ſuch or fuchabargain,or buſineſs for the next week.
And others there are, who breed their children as profanely, as theſe do fottiſhly; teaching them, by their examples, the neweſt oaths, that were laſt minted in hell, and to revile, and fcoffall ferious godliness, and the ſincere profeſſors of it, ſmiling to hear with what an emphasis theycan talk in the dialect of devils, andhow wittily they can drollupon godly miniſters, and Chriſtians .
Such families are nurſeries for hell; and though God, by an extraordinary handofprovidence, nowandthen ſnatches a foul, by converfion, from among them, as a brand out of the fire; yet, generally, they die as they live, going " to the generation
" of their fathers, where they ſhall never fee light," Pfal. xlix.
19. I know education, and regeneration, are two things ; butI alſo know one is frequently made the " inſtrument of working
" the other, and that the * favour of what firſt ſeaſons our " youth (generally) abides to old age," Prov. xxii. 6. We may obſerve, all the world over, how tenacious men are ofthat which is πατροπαραδοτον , delivered to them by their parents.
what a cut muſt it be, to the heart of that father whoſe fon's life ſhall tell his confcience what a profane ſon's lips once told his father to his face ! " If I have done evil, I have learnt it of 66 you t."
Had they feltmore ofyour prudent correction, it might have prevented their deſtruction. Prov. xxiii. 14. "Thou
** ſhaltbeat him with the rod, and ſhalt deliver his foul from * Quofemel est imbuta recens, &c.
+ Simalefeci, a te didici
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
** hell."
That this is acommon beatenpath tohell, isbeyond allqueſtion ; but how to bar itup, and ſtop the multitudes that are engaged in it to theirown ruin, this is the labour, this is the work.
I cannot be large, but Iwill offer a few weighty confiderations.
The first way to hell barred.
1. Let all parents conſider, what a fearful thing it is tobe the inſtruments of ruining, for ever, thoſe that received their beings inftrumentally from them, and to feek whoſe good they ſtand obliged, by all the laws ofGod, and nature.
In vain are all your cares, and ſtudies for their bodies, whilft their foulsperiſh, for want ofknowledge. You rejoiced attheir birth, but they will have cauſe to curſe theday they were born ofyou, and ſay, " Let the day periſh wherein I was born, and " the night in which I was conceived."
You were follicitous for theirbodies , but careless oftheir fouls; earnest to ſee them rich, but indifferent whether they were gracious ; you neglected to teach them the wayof ſalvation, but the devil did not neglect to teach them the way of fin.
You will one day wiſh you had never been parents, when the doleful cries of your damned children ſhall ring ſuch notes as theſe in your ears :
•O curſed father ! O cruel, merciless mother ! whoſe examples • have drawn me after you, into allthis misery.
You had time enough, and motives enough, to have warned me of this place, and miſery, whilst my heart was tender, and my affec- •tions pliable : Had it notbeen as eaſy tohave put a bible, as aplay-book before me ? To have chaſtiſed me when I pro- • voked God, by fin, as when I provoked you about a trifle ?
•One word, ſpoken in ſeaſon, might have saved my foul ; one • reproof, wiſely given, and ſet on by your example, might
•have preferved me. Had it notbeen the ſame pains tohave asked me, child, what wilt thou do to be ſaved ? As, what
' wilt thou do to live in the world ? Or had I but obſerved any • ſerious religion in you, hadI butfound, orheard my father,
•or mother upon theirknees, in prayer, it mighthave awaken- 'ed me to a confideration of my condtion.
In myyouth Iwas 'ſhame-faced, fearful, credulous, andapt to imitate ; had you
' but had wisdom, as other parents have, tohave taken hold of ' any of theſe handles intime, you had rescued my foul from ' hell. Nay, ſo cruel have youbeen toyour own child, that you
' allowed me notime (if Ihadhad adiſpoſition) for any exerciſe ' ofreligion ; yea, you havequenched and ſtifled the ſparks of ' convictions, and better inclinations, that ſometimes were in
VOL . III.
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ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
6 my heart. O happy had it been, if I hadnever beenbornof •you, or feen your faces.'
This must be the reſult, and iſſue ofyour negligence, exceptGod, by fome other hand (which is no thanks to you) rescue them from their impending ruin.
2. Let all children, whoſe unhappy lot it is to be born of, and educated by, canal and irreligious parents, confider, God hath endued them with reaſon, and a confcience of their own, to enable them tomake a better choice than their parents did, andthat there isno taking fanctuary from thewrath ofGod in their parent's examples. We read, in 1 Kings xiv. 13. ofa goodAbijah, " inwhom was foundsomegood thing towards
" the Lord God of Ifrael, in the houſe ofJeroboam."
Here was a child that would not follow his wicked father to hell, though hehad both the authority of a father, and of aking over him. " You must honour your parents, but stillyou must
" prefer your God before them ‡."
God willnever lay it to your account as your fin, but place it to the account of your duty,andcomfort, that you refused to follow them in the paths of fin, and deſtruction. No law of God, no tie of nature binds you to obey their commands, or tread in their ſteps, farther than they command inGod's authority, and name, and walk in his ways.
Your temptations, indeed, are ſtrong, and diſadvantages great; but the greater will the mercy ofyour deliverancebe: It will be no plea for you, atthe judgment-feat, to ſay, Lord, my father, or motherdid ſo, and ſo, before me, and I thought I might ſafely follow them; or thus, and thus, theycommanded me, and I thoughtI was bound, by thycommand, to obey them.
Therefore look to your own fouls, if they are ſodeſperate as to caſt away their own.
If ſome children had not minded their own falvation, more than their pa- : rents minded it, theyhadnever been faved.
3. Let this confideration work upon the hearts, and bowels ofall feridus Chriſtians, to pity, andhelp those that are like to periſhunder thistemptation; andif their parentsbe ſo ignorant, thattheycannot, or ſo negligent, that theydonot inſtruct and warn theirown children; you that at anytime have an opportunity tohelp them, have compaſſion on them, anddo it. 'Tis true, they are noneof your children by nature; but would it not be a fingular honour, and comfort to you, if God ſhould makethem ſo by grace ? Thousands of children (and, it may be fomeofyou) are more indebted tomere ſtrangers, upon this
= account, than to their nearest relations; you know not how †Amandus genitor, fedpræponendus Creator.
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan.
much goodan occafional wordmaydo them: Allhavenot ability tobe ſo publicly useful thisway, as a late worthy miniſter ofourown nationhath been, who, in compaſſion to the dark, and barbarous corners in Wales, where ignorance, and pover. tyſhutup the way of ſalvation to them, ata vaſt expence procured the tranflation, and printing of the bible in their own tongue, and freelyſent it among them. O you that have the bowels of Chriftians in you, pity, and help them ! What is it, for theſaving of aprecious foul, to drop a ſerious exhortation, as you have opportunity, upon them, to beſlow abible, or ſuitablebook upon them ? Believe it, theſe little fums ofshillings, andpence, to beſtowed, will ſtand for more, in the audit day, thanall the hundreds, and thouſands, other ways expended.
Thesecondway tohell discovered.
II. A fecond way to hell, in which multitudes are found haſtening to their own damnation, is, thewayof affected ignorance.
The generality of people, even ina land enlightened with the gofpel, are found groſly ignorant of Chriſt, the true, andonlyway toheaven, and of repentance, and faith, the onlyway to Chriſt; and thus the people periſh for want ofknow ledge, Hof. iv. 6. if the tree of knowledge had been hedgedin from the common people, as it is in popiſhcountries; and it hadbeen criminal to find a bible inour houſes, there might have been fome cloak, and pretence for our ignorance: But to be ſtupidly ignorant ofthe moſt obvious, plain, and necef farytruths, and yet bred upamong bibles, and minifters ! O how ominous adarkness is this, foreboding theblackness of darkness for ever ! For ifthe hiding ofthe gofpelfrom the hearts of menbe a token to them that they are loft fouls, how much notional light foever they mayhave; muchmore muſttheybe loſt to all intents,from whose hearts, and heads too, it is judicially hidden. They that know notGod, are in the catalogueofthe damned, 2Theff. i. 8. and ifthisbe life eternal, to know the onlytrueGod, andJeſus Chriſt, whom he hath ſent; then this must bedeath eternal, tobegroſly and affectedlyignorant both ofGod, the end, and Chriſt, the way, by the rule of true oppofition, John xvii. 3.
Look over the ſeveralcountries in the profeffingworld; go intothe families of country farmers, day labourers, and poor people, and except here and there a family, or perſon, into whoſeheartGod hath graciouslyſhined; what barbarous, brutiſh ignoranceoverſpreads them: They converſe, from morning to night, withbeasts, though they have fouls, which are
Kkka
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan. fit companions for angels, and capable of ſweet converſe with God. The earthhath opened her mouth, and ſwallowed up all their time, ſtrength, thoughts, and fouls, as it didthe bodies of Corah, andhis company.
They know the value of a horie, or cow, but know not the worth of Chriſt, pardon, or their own fouls : They mind daily what work they have todo with their hands, but forget all they have to do upon their knees ; their whole care is to pay their fine, or rent to their landlord, but not a thought who ſhall pay their debts toGod.
They are ſo far from putting unneceſſary buſineſs afide, to make way for the fervice of God, that God's fervice is put aſide as an unneceſſary buſineſs, to make way for the world:
The world holds them faft till they are aſleep, and will be ſure to viſit them, as soon as their eyes are open, that there maybe no vacancy, or door of opportunity left open for a thought of their fouls , or another life, to flip in: Or if at any time they think, or ſpeak of theſe matters, then the world, like Pharaoh, when Ifrael ſpake of facrificing, is ſure to ſpeak of morework.
And thus they live, and die, without knowledge; there is no key of knowledge (as it is fitly called, Luke xi. 52.) to open the door of the foul to Chriſt ; he, and his miniſters, there fore, muſt ſtand without; pity they may, buthelp they cannot, till knowledge open the door; Satan is ruler of the darkness of this world, Eph. vi. 12. that is, of allblind, and ignorant fouls.
Ignorance is the chain with which he binds them faſt to himſelf, and till that chain be knocked off, by divine illumination, they cannot be emancipated, and made free of Chriſt's kingdom ; Acts xxvi. 18. " To turn them from darkneſs to light, and from the power of Satan toGod."
Ignorance, indeed, incapacitates a man to commit the unpardonable ſin ; butwhat is he the nearer, whilft itdiſpoſeshim to all other fins which damn, as well as that ?
By ignorance it is, that all the eſſays of the goſpel, for men's ſalvation, are fruſtrated ; that naked aſſent is put in the place ofſavingfaith, morality miſtaken for regeneration, a few dead duties laid inthe room of Chriſt, andhis righteouſneſs.
Indeed it would fill a greater book than this is, to ſhew the miſchievous effects of ignorance, and how many ways itdeſtroys the precious fouls of men : but ſeeing I can ſpeakbut little in this placeto it, letme bar up this way to hell, if it be poſſible, by a few ſerious conſiderations.
Thesecond way to hellshut up.
1. Let the ignorant confider, God hath created their fouls with a capacity ofknowing him, and enjoying him, as well as others that are famedin the worldfor knowledge, andwisdom,
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
There is a spirit inman, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. The faculty is in man, but the wiſdom, and knowledge, that enlightens it, from God; as the dial ſhews the hour of the day, when the fun-beams fall upon it.
If, therefore, God be fought unto, in the use of luch helps, andmeans, as you have, even the weakeſt, and dulleſt foul, hath a capacity of beingmadewife unto ſalvation. Pfal. xix. 7. "The teftimony of the Lord is ſure, making wife the 66 ſimple."
Auguſtine tells us ofaman ſo weak, and ſimple, that he was commonly reputed a fool, in all the neighbourhood ; and yet faith, I believe the grace, and fear of God, was in him : For whenhe heard any ſwear, or take the name of God in vain, he wouldthrow stones at them, and ſhew his indignation against fin, by all the ſigns he could make.
2. You that are ſo groſly ignorant in the matter of your ſalvation, are many of you very knowing, prudent, and fubtil perfons, in the affairs of the world.
Luke xvi. 8. " The chil- " drenof thisworld are wifer, in their generation, than thechil- " dren oflight." Had thoſe partswhichyou have,been improv. ed, and heightened, by ſtudy, and obſervation about ſpirituals, as theyhavebeen about earthly things ; you had never been fo ignorant, or dead-hearted, as you are : You might have been as wellverſed inyour bibles, as you are inthealmanacs you yearly buy, and ſtudy.
You mighthave understood the proper ſeaſons of falvation, as well as ofhuſbandry. The great and neceffary points on which your falvation depends, are not so many, or fo abſtruſe, and intricate, but your plain, and inartificial heads mighthave understood them, andthat with leſs pains than yotu havebeenat foryour bodies : What though you cannot com. prehend the fubtilities ofſchoolmen, you may apprehend the ef ſentials of Chriftianity.
Ifyou cannot ſtrictly, and ſcholaftically define faith ; what hinders, if your hearts were fet upon Chrift, and falvation, but you may feel it ? Which is more than many
learned men do, that can define, and dispute about it.
You cannot put an argument in mood, and figure; no matter, ifyou can, by comparing your bibles, and hearts together, draw ſavingly, and experimentally, this concluſion ; I am in Chrift, and my fins are pardoned.
You cannot determine whether faith goes before repentance, or repentance before faith ; but for all that, you might feel both the one, and the other, upon your own ſouls, which is infinitely better.
'Tis not, therefore, your incapacity, but negligence, and worldlineſs, that isyour ruin.
3. Howmany are there, of your own rank, order, and e-
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. ducation, allwhoſe external advantages, andhelps you have, and all your incumbrances, and diſcouragements they had, who yethave attained to an excellentdegree of ſavingknowledge, andheavenly wisdom ? How often have I heard fuch ſpiritual, favoury, experimental truths, in conference, and prayer from plainruſtics, ſuch ſpiritual reasonings about thegreat concerns of falvation, ſuchjudicious, and fatisfying reſolutions ofcafes depending upon the ſenſible, andexperimental partof religion, ashave humbled, convinced, and ſhamed me, and made me fay furgunt indocli, &c. theſe are the menthat will take heaven from the proud, and ſcornful ingeniofi ofthe world; notmanywife, notmanylearned, andacute. Manyknowing, and learnedheads, areinhell, and many illiterate, and weak ones gone to heaven; andothers in the way thither, who neverhad better education, ſtronger parts, or more leiſure than yourſelves : So thatyou are without excufe.
To conclude, Wouldyou heartily ſeek it ofGod, and would the Spirit(which he hath promiſed togive them that afk him) becomeyour teacher, how foon would thelight ofthe ſaving knowledge ofGod, intheface of Chriſt mine intoyour hearts!
No matterhow ignorant, dull, and weak the ſcholarbe, ifGod oncebecome the teacher.
You are not able topurchaſe, orwant time to read many books; but if once you were fanctified perfons, the anointing you would receive from the Father, would teach you all things, I John ii. 27. your own hearts would ſerve you for a commentary upon a great part of the bible; itwould make you of aquick underſtanding, inthe fear of the Lord: Onedrop ofyourknowledge would be more worth than all learned arts and ſciences in the world toyou.
And isGod ſo far from you, and his illuminating Spirit at ſuch adiſtance, that there is no hope for you to find him ? Is there never a private corner, about your houſes, or barns, or in the fields, whereyou can turn afide, ifit be buta quarter of anhour at atime, to pour out your fouls toGod, andbeg the Spirit of him ? Miſerable wretch ! Is thy whole life ſuch a cumber, and clutter ofcares, and puzzles about the world, that thou haft no leifure to mindGod, foui, or eternity ? O doleful ſtate! the Lord in much mercy pity, and awaken thee.
Wilt thou not once ſtrive, and ſtruggle to ſave thy foul ?
What, perish, as itwere,byconfent ! How great then is that blindness!
Thethirdway to belldiscovered.
III.Avaſt multitude of precious fouls are loft for ever, by following the examples,andbeing carriedaway with the courſe
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan
of this world: 'Tis indeed a poor excufe, a filly argument, That the multitude do as wedo; yet, as * Junius rightly ob-...
*ſerves, men's confciences take ſanctuary here, and they think themselves ſafe in it: For thus they reafon, If Ido as thegenerality do, Ishallspeedno worse thantheyspeed; andcertainly
Godis moremerciful than tosufferthe greatest part ofmankindto periso.
They reſolve to follow the beaten road †, let it lead whither it will.
" ThustheEphefians, intheir unregenerate ſtate, "walkedaccordingtothecourse of thisworld," Eph. ii. 2.and the"Co- " rinthians were carried away untodumb idols, even as they
" were led," 1 Cor. xii. 2. juſt as adrop ofwater is carried, and moved according to the courſe, andcurrent ofthe tide: For look as everydrop ofwater, inthefea, is of one and the fame commonnature, fo are all caraal, and unſanctified perfons ; and as theſe waters being collected intoonevaſtbody in theocean, unite their ſtrength, and make a strong current, this way, or that; ſodoth the whole collective body of the unregenerate world, all the particular drops move as the tide moveth.
Hence, they are ſaid" to have receivedthe ſpirit of this world,"
Cor. ii. 12. one common ſpirit, or principle, acts, and rules them all; and therefore they must needs be carried away in the ſame courſe. And there are two ſpecial confiderations that feem to determine them by a kind of neceffity, to do as the multitude do; theone is, thatthey findit the cafieft and moſt commodiouswayto the flesh, herethey meet with quietness, and ſafety: hereby they are exempt from reproaches, loſſes, perfecutions, anddiſtreſſes, for confciencefake: Reſt is ſweet, and here, only, they think to find it.
The other is, the prejudice of fingularity, and manifold tribulations, they fee that little handful, that walk counter to the course of the world, involved in; this-ſtartles them from their company, and fixes themwhere they are. Againſt ſuch ſenſible arguments, it is tono more purpoſe to oppoſe ſpiritual confiderations, motives drawn from the ſafety of the foul, or importance of eternity, than it is for aman to turnthe tide, or courſe ofa river, withhis weak breath.
Add to this, That as one finner confirms, and fixes another, wedging in each other, as men in a crowd †, who muſt
*What a poor andmeandefence have theywhothink themselves ſafe fromthe example oftheir ſuperiors Jud. Paral. b. 2.
†The example ofthe multitudeis a very poorargument. Seneca.
‡No man errs to his ownhurt only,but ſpreads madness among his neighbours.
Seneca.
ATreatise of the Soul of Man. move as it moves; ſo they make it their buſineſs to render all that differ from them, odious and ridiculous : So the apofile notes their practice and Satan's policy in it,
I Pet. iv. 4. whereinthey think it ſtrange, that ye run not with them into the ſame exceſs of riot, ſpeaking evil ofyou, ξενίζονται ; they gaze ſtrangely at them. And that is not all; they not only gaze at them as a ſtrange generation, making them ſigns, and wonders in Ifrael, as the prophet ſpeaks; but they defame, revile, and ſpeak evil of them, repreſenting them as a pack of hypocrites, as turbulent, factious, feditious perſons, the very peſts of thetimes, and places they live in; and all this, not fordoing any evil against them, but only for notdoing evil with them, because they runnot with them into thesame excess ofriot.
Thus the world ſmiles upon its own, and derides thoſe that are afraid to follow them to hell, by which it ſweeps awaythe multitude with it in the ſame courſe.
The thirdway to hell ſout up.
But O ! if the Spirit of God would pleaſe to ſet on, and followhome the following confiderations to your hearts, you would certainly reſolve to take a perfecuted path to heaven, though few accompanyyou therein, rather than fwim like dead fiſhes, with the ſtream, into the dead ſea ofeternal mifery.
1. Thoughyou go with the conſent, and currentofthe world, yetyou go against the expreſs lawand prohibition ofGod : He hath laid his command upon you, " not to be conformed to the " world," Rom. xii. 2.
" That you live not the rest of your " time to the luſts of men, butto the will of God," I Pet. iv.
2. " Thatyou follow not a multitude todo evil," Exod. xxiii.
2. "That you go not in the wayof evil men," Prov. iv. 14.
" That you have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of " darkness." All theſe, and manymore, are commands flowing from the higheſt ſovereign authority, obliging your confciences to obedience under the greatest penalties ; by them your ſtate must be caſt to all eternity in the day of judgment : You may make a piſh of the precept, but fee if you cando ſoof the penalty.
2. Other men, in all ages of the world, that were as much concerned in the world as you, and valuedtheir lives, liberties, and eſtates, as well as you, have yet got outof the croud, difengaged themselves from the way of the multitude, and taken amore folitary, and ſuffering path, out of a due regard to the ſafety of their fouls : Andwhy ſhould not you love them as well, andcare for them as much, as ever any that went before you did ? Noah walkedwithGod allalone, when all fieſh had
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan.
corrupted their ways ; Elijah was zealous for the Lord, when heknew ofnone to ſtandbyhim, butthought he had been left alone ; Job was upright withGod, in the land ofUz; Lot ſtood by himself, agodlynon conformiſt, in avile, debauched Sodom ;
David was a wonder to many ; ſo was Jeremiah, and thoſe few with him, for ſigns, and wonders in Iſrael: I demand of your confciences, what diſcouragements have you, that theſe men had not ?
Or what encouragements had they, that you have not ?
Why should not the falvation of your fouls be as precious in your eyes, as theirs was in theirs ?
Shall you be impoverished, and perfecuted, if you embrace the way of holineſs ?
So were they.
Shall you be reproached, ſcorned, and reviled ? So were they. All yourdifcouragements were theirs, and all their motives, and encouragements are yours.
3. Is not the way which you have choſen marked out by Chriſt, as the way to deſtruction ? And that which youdare not chuſe, and embrace, as the way to life ?
See the marks he has given you ofboth, inthatonetext, Mat. vii. 13, 14. " En- " ter ye in at the ſtrait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad
" is the way that leadeth to deftruction, and many there be " which go in thereat; becauſe ſtrait is the gate, and narrow
" is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that " find it."
And where now is your encouragement, and hope thatGod will be more merciful, than todamnſogreat a part of the world ?
If you willdoas theManydo, dreamnot of ſpeed- ⚫ing as well as that little flock, ſeparated by fanctification from the multitude, ſhall ſpeed. You have your choice, tobedamned with many, or faved with few; to take the broad, ſmooth beaten road to hell, or the difficult, fuffering, ſelf denying path toheaven. O then make a ſeaſonable neceſſary ſtand, and pauſe a while; conſider your ways, and turn your feet to God's teſtimonies : 'Tis a great, and ſpecial part of your falvation, to ſave yourſelves from this untoward generation.
Thefourthway of losing thefoul opened.
IV. Multitudes of fouls are daily loſt, by rooted habits, and long-continued custom in fin. Whenmenhavebeen long ſettled in an evil way, they are difficultly reclaimed : Physicians find it hard tocure a cachexy, or ill habit of body; but it is far more difficult tocure an ill cuſtom, and habit in fin.
Jer. xiii. 23.
" Can the leopard change his ſpots, or the Ethiopian his ſkin ?
" Then may ye alſo do good, that are accuſtomed to do evil."
The ſpots of aleopard, and the hue of anEthiopian, are notby wayof external, accidental adhesion; ifſo,waſhingwould fetch
VOL . III .
L11
Teatise of the Soul ofMan. them off: But theyare innate, and contempered, belonging to the conftitution, andnottobe altered; fo are ſinful habits, and cuſtoms, in the minds of ſiuners : By this means it becomes a ſecond nature, as itwere, and ſtronglydetermines the mind to fin. A teneris affuefcere multum eft, It is a great matter to be accuſtomed to this way, or that, faith Seneca;yea,Caput rei eft, hocvel illo modo, hominem affuefieri, 'Tis thevery head, orrootof thematter, tobeſo orſo accustomed,faithAristotle.Very much of the ſtrength ofſin riſesfromcuſtomary finning.Abrandthat hath beenonce in the fire, eafily catches the fecondtime. Every repeatedactof ſin leffeneth fear and ftrengtheneth inclination. Ahorfe that took an ill ſtroke at first breaking, and hath continued manyyears in it ; is very difficultly, if ever, to be brought toa better way.
What men have been accustomed to from their childhood, theyare tenaciousofin their old age. Hence itis, that fo few are converted to Chriſt in their old age.
It was recorded for awonder, inthe primitivetimes, that Marcus Caius Victorius became a Chriſtian in his old age. Time, anduſage, fixthe roots of findeep in the foul.
Old trees will not bow, astender plants do. Hence all eſſays, and attempts todraw men from the courſe in which they have walked from their youth, are fruftraneous and ſucceſslefs.
The drunkard, the adulterer, yea, the ſelf-righteous moralift, areby long continued uſage, ſo fixed in their courſe, and all this while conſcience fo ſtupified, by often repeated acts of fin, that it is naturally, a5 impoſſible to remove a mountain, as a ſinner's will thus confirmedinhiswickedness. However, let the trial be made, and the fucceſs lefttohim towhom nolength oftime, or difficulty, must be objected, or oppoſed.
Thefourthway tohellfhutup, by two confiderations.
1. Letitbeconfidered, the longeranymanhath beenengaged in, and accuſtomed tothe wayof fin, the more reaſon andneed thatmanhath ſpeedily, andwithoutdelay, torepent, and reform his courſe; there is yet a poſſibility ofmercy, a ſeaſon offalvation left : How far foever a foul is gone on towards hell, none canfay it is yet too late. When Mr. Bilney the martyr, heard aminiſter preaching thus, O thou oidfinner, that haftgone onin acourse offin thesefifty, orfixtyyears ; dost thou think that Chrift willaccept thee now, or take the devil's leavings? Good God! faid he, what preaching of Chriſt is here ! Had ſuchdoctrine been preached to me inmy troubles, ithad beenenough utterly tohave diſcouraged me from repentance, and faith. No, no, finner, itisnot yet too late, ifat laſt thy heart betouched with arealſenſe ofthy fin, and danger. Thewordisplain, Iſa. lv.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. t
7 "Letthe wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteousman his thoughts ; and let him return to the Lord, and he will
" have mercyuponhim, and toourGod, for he willabundantly " pardon."
An abundantpardon thou needeſt; thy ſins, by long con tinued custom and frequent repetitions, havebeen abundantly aggravated; andan abundantpardon iswith God for poor finners: he will abundantly pardon, but then thou must come up to his terms: thou mustnot expect pardon or mercywhen thy ſins have forſakenthee, butuponthy forſaking them; yea, fuchaforſaking as includes a refolution ordecree in thy will to ! return tothem no more, Hof. iv.8.
There must be a change ofthyway, andthatnot from profaneſs tocivility only, which is but tochange one falſeway to heaven for another, or the dirty road to hell for a cleanlier path on the other fide ofthe hedge; but a total and final forſaking of everyway of fin, as to the love and habitual practice ofit; yea, and thy thoughts too, aswell as thyways. There muſt be an internal, as well as an external change upon thee ; yea, a poſitive, as well as a negative change; aturning tothe Lord, as wellas a turning from fin; andthen, how long foever thou hast walked in the road towards hell, there willbetimeenough, andmercy enough to ſecure thy returning foul ſafe toheaven.
2. Canſtthou notforbearthy cuſtomary ſin,upon leſſermotives thanthe ſalvation of thy foul ? And if thou canst, wilt thou not much more do it for the ſaving ofthy precious, immortal ſoul ? Suppoſe there werebut a pecuniary mulct, ofan hundredpounds, tobe certainly levied uponthy eſtate for every oath thou ſweareſt, or every time thou art drunk, wouldſt thou not rather chuſe reformationthan beggary ? And is not the loſs ofthyfoul apenalty infinitely heavierthana little money ? But, as the wife Heathen * obſerved, Eafola emi putamus, proquibus pecuniam folvimus ; ea gratuita vocamus pro quibus nos ipfos impendimus : Wereckon those things onlytobe bought, which we part with money for; andthat we have those things gratis, forwhichwe payourſelves.
Is nothing cheap in our eyes but our ſelves, our fouls ! dowe call thatgratis, that willcoſtus ſo dear? Darius threw away his maſſycrown when he fled before Alexander, that it mightnot hinder him in his flight.
Sure * Theſe things ſeem cheap tous,which coſt very dear, andwhich wecouldnotpurchase, thoughwe ſhould give our houſe for them.
Sen. Ep. 42.
Lila2
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. your fouls aremore worth than your money, and all the enjoy ments you have in this world.
Ithath been an antient cuſtom among the citizens ofAntioch, towashthemselves in the baths ; butthe king forbidding it, they all preſently forbore, for fear of his diſpleaſure : whereupon Chryfoftome convinced them ofthe vanityofthatplea for cuſtomary ſinning. "You fee, (faithhe),
" how foon fear can break off an old cuſtom ; and ſhall not the " fear of Godbe as powerful to over-maſter it in us, as the " fear ofman * ? " O friends, believe it, it " is better for you
" to cut offa right hand, or pluck out a right eye, than having " two hands, or eyes to be caſt into hell, where theworm dieth
" not, and the fire is not quenched."
Thefifth way of losing thefoul opened.
V. The fifthway, by whichaninnumerablemultitudeofſouls are eternally loft, is by the baits of fenfual, ſinful pleaſures.
Some cuſtomary ſins have little, or no pleaſure in them; as ſwearing, malice, &c. but others allure, and entice the foul, by the ſenſual delight that is in them: this is the bait with which multitudes are enticed, enſnared, and ruined to all eternity.
It is a true, and grave obſervation of the philoſopher †, " That we are impelled, as it were, to that which is evil, by " the alluringblandiſmanents of pleaſure."
This was the firſt bait bywhich Satan caught the fouls of our firſt parents, in innocency. Gen. iii. 6. " The tree was pleaſant to the eye." Pleafure quickens the principles of fin inus, and enflames the defires of the heart after it.
Every pleasant fin hath aworld of cuſtomers, and, coſt what it will, they reſolve to have it.
I have read of a certain fruit, which the Spaniards found in the Indies, which was exceeding pleasant to the taſte ; but nature had fo fenced it, and double-guarded it with ſharp anddangerous thorns, that it was very difficult to come at it : they tore their cloaths, yea, their fleſh, to get it; and therefore called thefruit, Comfits in hell.
Such are all the pleaſures of fin, comfits in hell; damnation is the price of them, and yet the ſenſitive appetite is ſo outragious and mad afterthem, that at the price of their fouls, theywill havethem. Thus the wickedare deſcribed, Job xxi. 13. " They ſpendtheir days inwealth, and " ina moment go down to the grave : " That is, their whole ſtock of time is ſpent in cares andlabours toget wealth, and whenthey havegotten it, the rest of their life is ſpent in thoſe
† Voluptatum blanditiis deliniti, ad eagerenda omnia quaepra wafunt impellimur.
Arift. lib. 2. Eth. e. 3.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
fenfual pleaſures that wealth brings in, or in making provifion for the flesh, to fulfil the lufts of it.
The rich man, in the parable, fareddeliciouſly everyday, Luke xvi. where his voluptuous life is deſcribed, and in that deſcription, the occafion of his damnation is infinuated. In a pampered and indulged body, is uſually found a neglected, and ſtarved soul.
But how ſhall the ruin of fouls this way be prevented ?
Thefifth way to hellshut up, by three confiderations.
1. Confiderhow the mortality ofHeathens hath bridled their ſenſual luits and appetites, and cauſed them,with a generous diſdain, to repel thoſe brutiſh pleaſures, asthings below aman.
" What more foolish, what more baſe," ſaith Seneca*, "than " to patch up the good of a reasonable foul out of things un- " reasonable?" " That isthe pleaſure worthy of aman, not to " glut his body, nor to irritate thoſe lufts in whoſe quietneſs is our fafety †." This is the conſtant doctrine of all the Stoicks.
Owhat a ſhame is it, to hearHeatheniſm out-brave Chriftianity! and principles of mere Morality enable men to live more foberly, temperately, and abſtemiouſly, than thoſe who enjoy the greatest pattern, and highest motives, in the Chriſtian religion are found to do ?
Thou embraceſt pleaſure, faith the Heathen, but I bridle it; thou enjoyeſt it, I only use it; thou
⚫thinkeſt it thy chief good, I eſleem it not so much as good ; thou doſt all for pleaſure's fake, but I nothing at all on that account.'
Theſe, therefore, ſhall be your judges.
2. Always remember, ſenſual pleaſures are but the baits with which Satan angles for the precious foul; there is a fatal hook under them .
O if men were but aware of this, they would never purchaſe pleaſure at ſo dear a rate. " Stolen waters are
" fweet, and breadeaten in ſecret is pleaſant ; but he know- " eth not that the dead are there; and that her gueſts are in " the depth of hell," Prov. ix. 17, 18.
Plinytells us that the mermaids have moſt enchanting, charming voices, and frequent pleasant, green meadows, but heaps ofdeadmens bones are always foundwhere they haunt; thatwhich tickles the fancy ſtabs the foul.
If the pain, (as"Anacreon well obferves) were before the pleaſure, noman would be tempted by it; but the pleaſure being firſt, andſenſible, andthe torment coming after, and, as * Quidftultius turpiuſvequam bonum rationalis animi, exirraționalibus nectere ?
Sen. Ep. 92 .
+ Illa eft voluptas, et homine et viro digna, non implere corpus, etfaginare, nec cupiditas irritare, quarum tutiſſima eft quies. De
Benef. lib. 7. c. II ,
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. yet inviſible, this allures ſomany to deftruction. "Atlast it
" bitteth like a ferpent, and ſtingeth like an adder," Prov. xxiii. 32. If fiadidſing andbite at firſt,none would touch it ; butittickles at firſt, andwounds afterward. Owhat man, that is inhiswits, would purchase eternal torments for the ſenſual, brutiſhpleaſures ofa moment ! † The pleaſuresof fin bewitch the affections, blind thejudgment,ſtupify the heart, ſothat ſoberand impartialjudgment finds noplace. The heart is enticed, the lufts are enraged; coſt whatit will, fioners willgratify their lufts.
3. Ifyou are forpleaſure, certainlyyou are out of theway toit, whoſeek it in the fulfilling of your luſts.
If your hearts wereonce ſanctified, andbrought under the government ofthe Spirit, you wouldquickly finda far more excellent pleaſure in thecrucifyingofyour lufts, thannowyou feek inthe gratification and fulfilling ofthem. Rom. viii. 13. " If ye, thro' the " Spirit, mortify the deeds of thebody, ye ſhall live;" i. e. ye ſhall live the moſt joyful, peaceful, and comfortable life of all perſons inthe world, a life ofhighestdelight, and true pleafure; for fo far as your luſts are mortified,thevigorous, healthful frame, anddue temper ofyour foul is reſtored, andyour evidences forheaven cleared; both which are the ſprings of all ſpiritual delight and pleaſure.
Can anycreature-enjoyment, or any beaſtly luft, afford a pleafure like this? Do not you find the life you live, in finful pleaſures, quite beneath the dignity of aman? and are they not followedwithbitter after-reckonings, gripes, and flashes of confcience: Even in the midst of laughter the heart isfad, andthe endofthat mirth is heaviness :
Oponder feriouſlywhat a trifle it is you fellyourprecious fouls for! Is it not agoodly priceyou value them at ? the fugitive, empty, beaſilypleaſures ofamoment, forthetormentsofeternity.
Thefixth way of losing the foul, opened.
VI. There are alſo innumerable ſouls loſt for ever, by the distracting cares of this world, which eat up all their time, thoughts, and ſtudies; ſo that there is noroom for Chriſt, or one ferioushour about ſalvation.
It is too true an obſervation, which Sir Walter Ralegh makes uponthe common mechanics, andpoor labourers, their bodies are the anvils ofpain, and their fouls the hives of unnumbered cares and forrows, whilſt the voluptuous and rich ſpend their time and ſtudies inpurveying
+Breve eft quod delectat, eternum quod cruciat; i. e. The plea fure is ſhort lived,butthetorment is perpetual.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
for newpleaſures, and filling their heads with projects of that nature.
The poorer fort have their heads and hearts filled, dayand night, with anxious thoughts and cares, how to get bread, pay their rents or debts, and ſtruggle through the milerable neceffities that pinch them onevery fide ; many children, it maybe, to provide for, and little or nothing outofwhich to make it: here is brick that must be made, and no ftraw to make it of: he borrows here, to pay there : debts increaſe, and abilities decreaſe; he toils his body all the day, and when his tired carcaſs calls for reft, to enable him for new work to-morrow; the cares of the world invade him on hisbed, and keep him ſighing or muſing there, when, poor man ! he had load enough before for one.
Andnowwhat room is there left for ſalvation-work ? or how canany fpiritual feed, that is caſt into fuch abrakeof thorns, profper? " The cares ofthis life, (faith Chrift) ſpring up, and " choak it,"Mark iv. 19. Tell not them ofheaven andChrift, theymusthavebread; talk not tothemofthe neceffity, or comfort ofa pardon, they must pay theirdebts to men. O the confuſedbuz and clutter, that theſe thoughts and cares make in their head! ſo that no other voice canbe heard.
And thus multitudes ſpend their whole lives ina miferable ſervitude in this world, andby that are caſt upon amore miſerable and reſtleſs ſtate for ever, in the world tocome; onehell here, and another hereafter. And what ſhall be donefor them ? Is there noway for their deliverance ? O thatGod woulddirect, and bleſs the following confiderations tothem, if it maybe expected they may atanytime get through the brake in which theyare involved, and findthemat leiſure tobethink themselves !
Thefixth way to hellshut up, byfive confiderations.
1. Bethink thyſelf, poor foul ! as much as thou art involved andplunged inthe neceſſities anddiſtracting cares of this life ; others, manyothers, as poor and neceffitous, and everyway as much embroiled in the cares ofthe world as you are, have minded their fouls, and taken all care and pains for their falvation, notwithstanding: yea, though millions of your rank and order are deſtroyed by the ſnares of the devil, yetGod hath a verygreat number, indeed the greatest of any rank ofmen, among those that are low, poor, and neceſſitous inthe world.
The church is called the" congregation of the poor," Pfal.
Ixxiv. 20. becauſe it conſiſteth mostlyofmenandwomen ofthe loweſt and moſt deſpicable condition in this world; they are all poor in ſpirit, and moſt of them poor in purſe. "Hearken,
"mybelovedbrethren, (faith James)hath notGod chofen the -
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
" poor ofthisworld, rich in faith, and heirs ofthe kingdom ?* James ii. 5.
Now, ifothers, many others, as much entangled in the neceffities, cares, and troubles of the world, as you, have yet ftruggled through all thoſe difficulties and diſcouragements to heaven; why ſhould you not ſtrive for Chriſt and ſalvation as well as they ? your fouls are as valuable as theirs, and their diſcouragements andhindrances as great and as manyasyours.
2. Confider, your poor and neceſſitous condition in theworld, hath ſomething in it of motive and advantage, to excite and quicken you to a greater diligence for falvation, than is found inamore full, eaſy, and profperous ſtate ; forGod hath hereby imbittered this world to you, and madeyou drink deeper of the troubles of itthan other men : they have the honey, and you the gall; they have the flower, and you the bran ; but then, as you have not the pleaſures, ſoyou have not the ſnares ofa profperous condition; and your daily troubles, cares and labours in it, do even prompt you to ſeek reft in heaven, which you cannot find on earth.
Can you think you were made for aworſe condition than the beasts ? What, to have two hells ! one here, and another hereafter ? Surely, as low, miferable, anddeſpicable as you are, you are capable of as much happineſs as any of the nobles of the world; and, in your low and afflicted condition, ſtand nearer to the door of hope, than they do. Ah! methinks theſe thoughts do even put themſelves upon you, when your ſpirits are overloaded with the cares, and yourbodies tired with the labours of this life.
Is this the life of troubles I must expect on earth ? Hath Goddenied me the pleaſures of this world ? O then let itbe my care, my study, my buſineſs to make ſure of Chriſt, to win heaven, that I may not be miferable in both worlds. How can you avoid ſuch thoughts, or put by fuch meditations, which your very ſtation ! and condition even forceth upon you?
3. Confider how all the troubles in this world would be ſweetened, and allyour burdens lightened, if once your fouls were in Chriſt, and in covenant with God.
O what heart's eaſewould faith give you ! what ſweet relief would you find in prayer ! Theſe things, like the openingofa vein, or tumour whenripe, would suddenly cool, relieve, and eaſe your ſpirits; couldyou but go to God as a Father, and pour out your hearts before him, and caſt all your cares and burdens, wants and forrows upon him: you would finda ſpeedy out-let to your troubles, and an in-let toall peace, all comforts, and all refreſhments; fuch as allthe riches, honours, andfulness of this
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan.
world cannotgive you would then find Providence engage itſelf for your fupply, and iſſue all your troubles to your advantage ; you would fuck the breasts of thoſe promiſes in the margin *, and ſay, allthe dainties in the world cannot make you ſuch another feast; you wouldthen fee your bread, your cloaths, and all proviſions for you and yours in God's promiſes, when you are brought to an exigence, and would certainly find performances, as well as promiſes, all along the courſe of your life.
4. Say not you have no time tomind another world : God hath not put any ofyou under ſuch an unhappy neceffity; you have one whole day every week, allowed you byGod and man, for your fouls ; you have ſome ſpare time every day, which you know you ſpendworse than in heavenly thoughts and exerciſes ; yea, moſt callings are ſuch as will admit of ſpiritual exerciſes of thoughts, even when your hands are exerciſed in the affairs of this life: beſides, there are none of you but have, and muſt havedaily fome relaxations and rett from buſineſs; and if your, hearts were ſpiritual, and ſet upon heaven, you would find more time than you think on, without prejudice to your callings, yea, to the great furtherance of them, to ſpend with God.
I can tell you when, and where I have found poor fervants, hard at work for falvation, labouring for Chriſt, ſome in the fields, others in barns, and ſtables, where they could find any privacy to pour out their fouls toGod in prayer. As lovers willmake hard ſhifts to converſe together, fo will the foul that. is devoted to God, and in earnest for heaven ; and though your opportunities be not ſo large, they may be as ſweet, as fuccefsful, and to be ſure ſincere, as thoſe whoſe condition affords them more time, and greater external conveniencies than you enjoy: more buſineſs is ſometimes diſpatched in a quarter of an hour in prayer, yea, let me ſay, in a fewhearty ejaculations of foul toGod, in a few minutes, than inmany long and elaborate duties.
Ifthou caſt in thy two mites oftime into the treafury of prayer, having no more, thou mayeft, as Chriſt ſaid of the poor widow, give more than those that cast in of theirgreat abundance oftime and talents .
5. Lastly, Confider, Jeſus Chriſt is no reſpecter ofperſons, the poorest and vileſt on earth, are as welcome tohim as the greateſt.
He choſe a poor and mean condition in this world * Heb. xiii. 5. Ifa. xli. 17. Pfal. xxxiv. 9, 10. Plal, xci. 15.
Rom. viii . 28.
VOL. III Mmm
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. himself, converſed mostlyamong the poor, never refuſed any becauſeof his poverty: "God accepteth not the perfons of " princes, nor regardeth the rich more thanthe poor : for they
" are all the work of his hands," Job xxxiv. 19. and that,both in reſpect of their natural conſtitution,'as men, and their civil conditions, as rich or poor men. Riches and poverty make a great difference in the reſpects of men, but none at allwith
God.
If thou be one ofGod's poor, he willaccept, love, and honourthee above the greatest (if graceleſs) perſon inthe world.
Poverty is no bar to Chriſt, or heaven, though it be tothe refpects ofmen, and pleaſures ofthis life. Away, then, with allvainpretences againſt a life of godliness, from the meanneſs ofyour outward condition; heaven was not made for the rich, and hell only for the poor: no, no; how hard foever you find theway thither, I am fure Chriſt faith, It is hardfor & richman to enterintothatkingdom.
Theseventhway oflosingthesoul, discovered.
VII.Theſeventhbeatenpath todeftruction, isbygroundless preſumption ; praefumendoſperant, etſperandopereunt, by preſumption theyhave hope, and by that hope they periſh.
There are divers objects of prefumption, amongst which, theſe threeare moſtuſual, and moſt fatal, viz. that they have,
1. Thatgrace which they have not.
2. That mercy inGod they willnot find.
3. Thattime before them which will fail them.
1. Manyprefume they have that grace inthem, whichGod knoweth theyhave not: SodidLaodicea, Rev. iii. 17. " Thou
" fayeft, I amrich, andhave need of nothing, and knoweſt " not that thou art wretched, andmiferable, poor, blind, and " naked." Here isadangerous conſpiracybetwixt acunning devil, andan ignorant, proudheart, toruinthe foul for ever; they ſtamp their common grace for ſpecial; they put the old creaturebyageneral profeſſion, intothe newcreature's habit, and layaconfidentclaimtoallthe privileges ofthe children of God.
2. They preſumeuponſuch mercyinGod, as theywillnever find; they expect pardoning, and ſaving mercy out of Chriſt, inanunregenerate ſtate, whenthere is not onedrop of mercydiſpenſed in any other way.
Thewhole oeconomy of grace is managed by the Mediator, Jude, verſe 21. all faving mercies comethrough him, upon all that are in him, and upon noothers. God is, indeed, amercifulGod, andyetprefumptuous finners, will findjudgmentwithout mercy, becauſe they arenot found in the proper way, andmethod ofmercy. Thou-
ATreatise of the Soul of Man
fands, and ten thousands carve out, and diſpoſe the mercyof God at their own pleaſure, write their own pardons, in what terms theythink fit, and ifthey hadGod's feal to confirm, and ratify them, it were all well: but, alas! it isbut a night-viſion, adream oftheir own brain.
3. But eſpecially, menprefume upon time enough for repentancehereafter: theyqueſtion not but there are as fit, and as fairopportunities of ſalvation to come, as are already paft ; andinthis ſnare of the devil, thousands are taken, in the very prime, and vigour of their youth: thatage is voluptuous, and lovesnottobe interrupted with fevere, and ferious thoughts, and courſes; and here is a ſalvo fitted exactly to fuit their inclination, and quietthem intheir way, that they may purſue their lufts without interruption.
I cannot follow the ſin of preſumption, at preſent, in all theſe its courſes, and ways; and therefore will apply myself to thecafe laft mentioned, which isſo common to the world.
Theseventh way to destruction shut up byfiveweighty confiderations.
1. Iwouldbeg all thoſeyoung, voluptuous ſinners, whoſe feetare faſt held in the ſnare of this temptation, ferioufly tobethink themselves, whether they are not old enough to be damned, whilft theyjudge themselvestoo young tobe ſeriouslygodly.
There are multitudes inhell of your age, and ſize; you may findgraves in the church-yard, ofyourown length, and, ſkullsofyourown ſize: menwill not ſpare anest ofyoung ſnakes, becauſe they are little.
Ifyou die chriſtleſs, and unregenerate, 'tis the fame thing, whether you be old, or young ; there is abundance of young ſpray, as well as old logs, burning in the flamesofhell.
2. If you knew theweight anddifficulty ofſalvation work, you would never think you could begintoo foon.
Religion is abuſineſs which will take up allyour time ; manyhaverepented they began ſo late, none that theybeganſoſoon *.
Saynot, thepenitent thieffoundmercyat the last hour, for his converfion was extraordinary, audwe must nothopefor miracles : befides, he couldnever encourage himselfin fin,with the hope, and expectationof ſuch amiraculous converfion; he was theonly example ofafinner that was ever ſorecovered, in ſcripture, and this was recorded, not tonourish preſumption,but to prevent deſpair.
If tenthouſand perſonsdied of theplague,and one, Mmm2 Irepent,O Lord, that I loved theetoo late. Auge
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. only, of the whole number infected with it eſcaped, it is no great encouragement that you ſhall make the ſecond. Othink, and think again, how many thousands, now on earth, have been labouring, and ſtriving, forty or fifty years together, tomake their calling and electionfure ; and yet, to this day, it is not fo fure as theywouldhave it: they are afraid, after all, timewillfail them for finiſhing, andyou think it is too early for beginning fo great awork.
3. Others have begun ſooner than you, and finiſhed the great, and main work, betore you havedone any thing.
Abijah was very young, ſtarce got out ofhis childhood, " whenthe graceof "Godwas found in him," I Kings xiv. 13. The fearofGod was in Obadiah, whenbut a youth, 1 Kings xviii. 12. Timothy was not only a Chriftian, but a preacher ofthe gofpel, " inthe mor66 ning of his life," 2 Tim. iii. 15. What have you toplead for yourtelves, which they hadnot ? Or what arguments, and motives to Godliness had theywhich you have not ? You shallbe judgedperpares, by thoſeofyour own age, and fize; theirſe. rioufnels ſhall condemn your vanity.
4 The morning ofyour life is the flower ofyour time, the freſheft, and fittest of all your life for your great work ; now your hearts are tender, and impreffive, your affections flowing, and tractable, your heads clear ofdistracting cares, and hurries ofbufinets, which come on, afterwards, in thick fucceffions :
" Remember, nowthyCreator in thedays of thyyouth, whilſt " theevildays come not," Ecclet. xii. 1. 2. Ifamanhasan important buſineſs to do, he will take the morning for it, knowing if that be flipped, a crowd, and hurry ofbuſineſs willcome on afterwards, to diſtract, and hinderhim.
Iprefume, it all the converts in the world were examined in this point,itwouldbe found, that at least ten to onewerewroughtuponintheiryouth; that is the moulding age.
5. And ifthis proper hopeful ſeaſonbe elapsed, it is very unlikely that ever you bewrought uponafterwards: howthin, and rare in the world, are the inſtances, and examples of converſion, in old age ! long-continued customs in fin, harden the heart, fix the will, and root the habits of vice ſo deep in the foul, that there is noaltering of them; your ears then are ſo accuſtomed to the lounds of the word, that Chrift andfin, heaven and hell, foul and eternity, have lost their awful found, and efficacy with you.
But it is aqueſtion only tobe decided by the event, Whe ther ever you ſhall attain tothe years ofyour fathers. It is not the tprightly vigour of your youth that can fecure you from death. What a madness, then, is it, to putyourfouls, and e
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
ternalhappineſs, upon ſuch ablind adventure ? What ifyour prefumptionof ſo many fair, and proper opportunities hereafter, fail you, as it hath failed millions, who had as rational, and hopeful aproſpect of them as you canhave ; where are you then ?
And ifyou ſhould have more time, and means, than you do prefumeupon, are you fure you hearts will be as flexible, and impreſſive, as now they are ? O beware of this ſin ofvain prefumption, towhichthe generality ofthe damned owe their everlaſting ruin !
The eighth way of losing thefoul, opened.
VIII. The eighth way of ruining the precious foul, is, by drinking in the principles ofAtheism, and living withoutGod inthe world.
Atheism ſtabs the foul to death at one ſtroke, and puts it quite out of the way of falvation; other finners are worse than beafts, but Atheists are worse than devils, for they believe, and tremble; theſe baniſhGod out of their thoughts, and, what theycan, out of the world, living as without God in the world,
Eph. ii. 12.
It is a fin that quencheth all religion in thefoul.
He that affents not to thebeing ofaGod, deſtroys the foundation of all religious' worship ; he cannot fear, love, or obey him, whoſe being he believes not: this ſin ſtrikes at the life of God, and destroys the life of the foul."
Some are Atheists in opinion, but multitudes are ſo in practice: " The foolhath ſaidin hisheart, there is noGod," Pfal. xiv. 1. though he hath engraven his name upon every creature, andwritten it upon the table of their own hearts; yet they will notread it': or if they have a light, Auctuating notion, or a ſecret ſuſpicion ofa Deity, yet they neither acknowledge his preſence, nor his providence.
Fingunt Deum talem qui nec videt, nec punit, i. e. They make fuch aGod who neither fees nor punishes .
They ſay, " How dothGod know ? Can he judge " through the dark clouds ?
Thick clouds are a covering to " him, that he ſeeth not," Job xxii . 14.
Others profeſs tobelieve his being, but their lives daily give their lips the lie; for they give no evidence in practice, of his fear, love or dependance on him: if they believe his being, they plainly ſhew they value not his favour, delight not in his prefence, love not his ways, or people ; but lie down and rife, eat anddrink, live anddie without theworship, or acknowledgment ofhim, except ſo much as the law of the country, or cuſtom of the place extorts from them.
Theſe dregs of time produce abundance ofAtheists, of both forts ; many ridicule, andhiſs religion outof all companies intowhich they come,
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. andothers livedown all ſenſe of religion; theycuſtomarily attend, indeed, on the external duties of it, hear the word ; but when the greatest, and most important duties are urgedupon them, their inward thought is, This is the preacher's calling, andtheman muſt ſaysomething to fillup hishour, andget his living.
If theydare not put their thoughts intowords, and call thegoſpel Fabula Chrifti, the fable ofChrift, as awicked Pope oncedid ; or ſay of hell, and the dreadful fufferings of the damned, as Galderinus the Jeſuit did, Tunc credam cum illuc venero ; I will believe itwhen I fee it: yettheir hearts, and lives, areof the ſame complexion with theſe men'swords : theydo not heartilyaſſent to the truth of the goſpel which they hear, andthough bare aſſent would not ſave them, yet their affent, or non-affent, willcertainlydamn them, except the Lord heal their understandings, and hearts, by the light and life of reli gion. To this laſt fort I ſhall offer a few things.
Theeightway tohellshut up byfix weighty confiderations.
1. You thatattendupon the ordinances ; butbelievethemno more than ſo many deviſed fables, nor heartily afſent to the truth of what you hear ; know aſſuredly, that theword ſhall never do your fouls good, itcannever come toyour hearts and affections in its regenerating and ſanctifying efficacy, whilft it is ſtopt and obſtructed inyourunderſtandings intheacts ofaffent. Andthus you may fitdown under the beſt ordinances allyour lives, and be no more the better for them, than the rocks are for the ſhowers ofrain that fall upon them ; Heb. iv.
2. "The word preacheddid not profit them, not being mixed " with faith in them that heard it."
This is Satan's chief ſtrength andfaſtneſs,whereinhetruſteth; he fears no argument, whilft he can maintain his poſt: the devil hath no furer prifoner than theAtheist; there's noeſcaping outofhis poſſeſſion and power, whilst this bolt of unbelief is ſhut home in the mindor underſtanding. Anunbelieved truth never converted or ſavedone foul from thebeginning of the world, nor never ſhall tothe end of it.
Thoſe bodies that have the Boulema, ordog-appetite, whatever theyeat, it affords them no nouriſh ment or fatisfaction, they thrive not with the beſt fare : juſt ſo it is with your ſouls, no duties, noordinances can poſſiblydo themgood; as in argumentation, noconclufion, be it never fo regularly drawn, and ſtrongly inferred, is of anyforce tohim thatdenies principles.
2. If you affent not to the truth of thegospel, you notonly makeGod ſpeak toyour fouls invain, which is fatal to them ; but you alſomakeGod a liar, which is the greatest affront a
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
creaturecanput upon hisMaker; 1 John v. 10. " He thatbe- " lieveth notGod, hathmade him a liar." Vile duſt,dareſt thou riſeupagainsttheGodthatmade thee,andgivehim the lie ? An affront which thyfellow creature cannot putup, or bear at thy hands. Darest thou atonce ſtab hishonour, andthyown foul?
Arenotthethings that thou lookeſt on as romances and golden dreams, a mere artifice, neatly contrived to cheat and awe the world? Are theynot allbuiltupon theveracity ofGod,which is the firmeſt foundation and greateſt ſecurity in the world
Hath he not intermingled, for our fatisfaction, not only frequent affertions, but his aſſeverations and oath to put allbeyond doubt? and yet dare any of you lift up your ignorant blindunderſtandingsagainſt allthis, and givehim the lie ? Surelythe wrath ofGodſhall ſmoke againſt every foul of man that doth ſo, andhisownbitter, lamentable, doleful experience ſhall behis conviction ſhortly, except he repent.
3. Dare any of you give the thoughts ofyour hearts as certainconclufions under yourhands, and ſtand by them tothe laſt, and venture all upon them, WretchedAtheiſt ! bethink thy ſelf, pauſea while, examine thine own breast; whatever thy vile atheiſtical thoughts fometimes are, is there not at other times a fear of the contrary?
Ajealousythatalltheſe thingswhich thouderideſt and ſporteſt thywicked fancy with, may, and will prove trueat last ? When thou readeſt, or hearest that text, John iii. 18. " He that be- " lieveth not is condemned already;" his mittimus is already made for hell: doth not thy confciencegive thee a ſecret gird, likeaſtitch inthy fide? Dareyouventureallupon this iſſue, that if thoſe things you find inthe word be true, you will ſtand to thehazard of them? Ifthatbea truth, Mark xvi. 16. " He that " believeth not ſhallbe damned," you will be content to be damned ? Or if, Rom. viii. 13. be a truth, That " they who " live after the fleſh ſhall die," you will run the hazard, and bear thepenalty ofeternal death? IfHeb. xii. 14. prove true,
That " withe at holiness no man thall fee God," you willbe content tobe baniſhed from his preſence for evermore ? Speak yourhearts in this matter, andtell us, don't you live betwixt atheiſtical ſurmiſes, thatall theſe are but cunning artifices, and fears thatat laſt they willprove the greateſt verities ?
4. Hath notGodgiven you all the ſatisfaction you can reaſonably defire, of the undoubted truth and certainty ofthis world ? What would you have, which you have not already?
Wouldyou have a voicefrom heaven? the ſcriptures you read, orhear are amore fureword than fuchavoice would be, I Pet.
A Treatise of the Soul of Man. i. 19. Or would you have a meſſenger from hell ? He that be lieveth not the written word, neither would believe " ifone
" ſhould riſe from the dead," Luke xvi . 31.
View the innate characters of the ſcripture, is it not altogether pure and holy, full ofdivine wisdom and awful majesty, and in every refpect, ſuch as evidencethits author tobe the wife, holy, andjuſtGod, who ſearcheth the hearts and reins ? Look upon the feals and confirmations of it ; hath notGod confirmed it by divers miracles from heaven, a feal which neither men or devils could counterfeit ? Anddo not you fee the bleſſing and power ofGod accompanying it in the converfion and wonderful change of men's hearts and lives, which can be done by no other hand thanGod's ? Say not, the miracles, which confirm the goſpel, arebut uncertain traditions, and except you yourſelyes ſee them wrought, you cannotbelievethem.
There are athouſand things which youdo believe, though you never saw them; andwhat you require for your fatisfaction, every man may require the fame for his ; and ſo Chriſt muſt live again in allparts of this world, andrepeat his miracles over and over, in allages, to fatisfy the unreasonable incredulity of thoſe that queſtion their truth, after the fullest confirmation andſeal hath beengiven, that is capable to be given, or the heart ofman can defire ſhould be given; and ifallthis ſhould bedone, you might be as far from believing, as nowyou are ; for manyofthoſe that ſaw andheard the things wroughtby Chrift, contradicted andblafphemed, and ſomight you.
5. Satan,whoundermines your affent to theſe things, is forced togive his own : he that tempts you to look on them as fables, himſelfknows, and is convinced that they are realities ; "The " devils alfo believe and tremble," James ii. 19. they know and feel the truth oftheſe things, though it be their great deſign, and intereſt, to ſhake your affent to them: they know Chrift is the Son ofGod, and thatthere will be a day inwhich he will judge the world inrighteouſneſs, andthat there are torments prepared for themſelves, and all whom they ſeduce from God,
Matth. viii. 29. Ifyou ungodGod, you mustunman yourſelves ; yca, not only make yourſelves leſs thanmen, but worſe than devils.
6. In aword, let thyown heart, OAtheist, bejudge, whether theſebe real doubts ſtill ſticking inyour minds, after you have done all thatbecomes men todo for fatisfaction in fuch importtantcafes ? Or whether they be not ſuch principles as you wil linglyfomentand nourish in your hearts, as a protection to your fenfual lufts, whoſe pleaſures you would fainhave, without in-
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
terruptions andover-awingsby the fears of ajudgment tocome, andarighteous retribution from ajuſt and terrible God! Examineyourheartsin thatpoint, andyou will foon find the cheat tobe in that I here point you to: you have not ſtudied the word impartially, nor brought your doubts and ſcruples with an humble, unbiaſſed, teachable ſpirit tothoſe that are wife and able to reſolve them, much less prayed for the Spirit of illumination ; butwillingly entertained whatever atheiſtical wits invent, or the devil ſuggeſts, as adenfenſative against the checks ofconfcience, and fears of hell, inthe way of fin. You are loath thoſe things ſhouldbe true, which the ſcriptures ſpeak, and are glad ofany colourable argument or pretence to ſtill your own confciences.
Is notthis thecafe ? The Lord ſtopyourdefperate courfe ; your paths lead to hell .
The ninthway oflosing the preciousfoul opened.
IX. Precious ſouls are daily plunged into the gulph of perditionbyprofaneness anddebauchery. How many every where lie wallowing in this puddle ? glorying in their ſhame, and running into all excess of riot ? The hypocrite ſteals to hell in a private cloſeway ofconcealed fin ; buttheprofane gallopalong thepublic road atnoon-day; " Theydeclare their finas Sodom,
" andhide it not ;" Ifa. iii. 9. " Theſhew oftheircountenance " teſtifieth against them." The hypocrite hath devotion in his countenance, and heaven in his mouth ; you know not by his words and countenance, whither he is going; but the profane hide it not, they are paſt ſhame, and above bluſhing at the moſt horrid impieties.
Look, asGod hath ſome fervants more eminent, forward, andcouragious in the ways of godliness than others, men that will not hide their principles, or be ashamed of theways of godliness in the face ofdanger; ſo the devil hath ſomeſervants as eminent for wickedness, who ſcorn toſneak to hell by concealment of their wickedness, but avow and own it, without fear orſhame, in the open ſight ofheaven andearth.
Wherever they come, they defile the air they breathe in with horridblafphemies and obſcene diſcourſes not tobe named, and leave a ſtrong ſcent of hell behindthem.
This age hath brought forth multitudes of theſe monsters, the reproach and ſhame ofthe nation that bred them.
I have littlehope to ſtop any ofthem intheir career and full ſpeed to hell. Theyhave lost thefenfeoffin, the reſtraints ofshame and fear; and then what is left to check them in their courſe ? I cannothope that ſuch a diſcourſe as this ſhall ever come into their hands, except it be to ſacrifice it to the flames ; yet not knowing theways of providence, which are unſearchable, and
VOL . III.
Non
ATeatise of the Soul ofMan. whatufeGodmay makeupon one occafion oranother ofthese following confiderations, Iwill adventure to drop a few words upontheſe forlorn finners, as far as theyfeem tobegone beyond recovery; beſeeching the Lordtomakeway for theſe things to their hands and hearts, andmake them the inftruments of pulling fomeofthem as brands outof the burning.
The ninth way to hell,byprofaneness,ftopt.
1.And firſt, let itbe laid to heart, that though the cafe and ftate ofmany thousand fouls be doubtful and uncertain, ſothat neither themſelves, nor any otherknowwhatthey are, or towhom they belong! yet thy condition, O profane finner, is without controversy, miferable and forlorn; all men know whoſe you are, andwhither you are going. The apostle appeals, in this cafe, tothebar of every man's reaſon and confcience, as athing allowed and yieldedby all, Eph. v. 5. " For this ye know (faith
" he,) that nowhoremonger, nor unclean perſon, nor covetous " man, who is an idolator,hath any inheritance in thekingdom
"of Chrift and ofGod."
This is a clear cafe, there is no controversy about it. Manythere be in adoubtful cafe, but no doubt oftheſe, they are fast andfure inthe power ofSatan ; and as fure asGodisaGod of truth, they that die in thiscondition ſhall neverſee his face. And to the fame purpoſe again, 1 Cor. vi . 9. " Know yenotthat the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the " kingdom ofGod ? be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor " idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abufersofthem- " ſelveswith mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
" nor revilers, nor extortioners, ſhall inherit the kingdom " of God."
Knowyenot ? faith he, q. d. " Sure you cannot "beſo ignorant and blind to think that there is any room in "heaven for fuch wretches as theſe.
Iftherighteousbe ſcarce- " ly ſaved, where ſhall the ſinner and ungodly appear ? Ifall
" ſtrictneſs, holiness, ſelf-denial, diligence, be all little enough to win heaven, whathopecan therebe of thoſe that not only
"caſt offallduties of religion,but alſo caſt themſelves into all " the oppoſite ways and courſes which directly lead to damna- " tion ?" He that refuſeth his food endangers his life ; but he that drinks poiſon, certainly and ſpeedily destroys it.
2. As far as you are gone inacourſe ofprofaneneſs, you are not yet gone beyond the reach of mercy and all hopes of falvation, ifnowat laſt, after all your debaucheries andprofanenefs, the Lord touch your hearts with the ſenſe of your finful and miſerable eſtate, and turn your feet to his teftimonies.
When the apostle, in 1 Cor vi. 9, 10. hadtold us thedoom of fuch men, upon the ſuppoſition oftheirperfeverance in that courſe,
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
yet preſently he adds, as amotive to their repentance, an example of mercyupon ſuch wretches as theſe, " And ſuch were
" ſome of you, but ye are waſhed," ver. 11.
Thegolden ſceptre of free grace hath been held forth tomany, as pro phane, andnotorious ſinners as you, to blafpheming Saul, to aMary Magdalen, toaManaſſeh. 'Tis not the greatness of the fin, but the impenitence, and infidelity of the ſinner, that ruins him.
Well, then, there is a certainty ofdamnation, ifyou go on, and yet a poſſibility of forgiveneſs, and mercy before you; amercy invaluable.
3. Nay, this is notall; but in ſome reſpect, there is more probability, and hope ofyour return, and repentance, thanthere is ofmany others who have led a more ſober, ſmooth, and civil life, thanyou havedone.
Yourprofaneneſs hath more diſhonouredGod, but the morality, and civility of ſome men, ſecures them faſter in the ſnare of the devil : They have many things in themſelves, tobuild up theirpreſumptuous hopes upon, butyou have nothing.
It is hard for conviction to reach that man's confcience that hath righteousness of his own to truſt in; but methinks it ſhouldhave aneasier acceſs toyours, whoſenotorious courſes lay your confciences naked, and bare before the word, tobewoundedby it.
Chriſt's miniſtry had little ſucceſs among the Pharifees, who were righteous in their own eyes, but it wrought effectually upon Publicans and finners.
Hence Chriſt told them, Matth. xxi. 31. that " Publicans, and Har- " lots, go into the kingdom ofGod before them."
Publicans wereeſteemdthe worst of men, andHarlots theworst ofwomen ; yet theone, and theother, as vile as theywere, ſtood fairer for conviction,andconſequentlyfor falvation,thanthoſe that thought theyneeded no repentance. Allthis ismatter ofhope, and runs intoa powerful motive, andloudcalltorepentance. "He that " hath anear tohear, let him hear."
The tenthway leading to destruction, marked.
X. Deep, and fixed prejudices againſt godliness, andthe fincere profeſſors thereof, precipitate thousands offouls into their own ruin, and damnation.
Itwas not without aweighty reaſon, that Chriſtdenounced that wo upon the world, Matth. xviii. 7. "Wo unto the "world, becauſe of offences,"
The poor world willbe ruined by ſcandals, and prejudices ; they will take ſuch offences at the ways ofgodliness, that they will never have good thoughts of them any more. "This ſect is every where ſpoken against,"
Acts xxviii. 22. and ſo Chriſtians are condemned, δια την φημην, Nnna
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan. becauſeofthecommonreproach, as Juſtin Martyr complained.
All the ſcandals which fall out in the church, are ſomany ſwords, and daggers, put into the hands of the wickedworld to murder their own souls withal. Some have fucked inſuch opinions ofthe ways ofgodliness, as make them irreconcileable enemies to them, and fierce oppoſersofthem. And fromhence are moſt ofthe perfecutions thatbefal the people of God.
When you fee showers oflanders, and reproaches, going before, expect ſtormsofperſecutions coming after.
Slanders beget prejudices, andtheſepreparefor perfecutions. Ohow keen, and fierce, are theminds ofmany, against the upright, and innocent fervants of God, whom theyhave firſt reprefented tothemſelves in ſuch an odious dreſs, and character, as the devil hath drawn them in, upon their fancies,and imaginations! So the primitive Chriſtians were reprefentedtothe Heathens as monsters, and their conven. tions in the night, occafionedby the fury of perfecutors, were reported to be for lafcivious, and barbarous ends, to deflower virgins, andmurder innocentchildren : Andby this artifice the Heathens were ſecured against converſionto Chrift.
This hath been the policy of hell from thebeginning, andithath profpered ſomuch in the world, that Satan hath no reason tochange his hand. Buthowmay this plotofhellbe defeated, and the ruin of fouls prevented ?
The tenthway ofdestroyingfoulsshut up, by two counfels.
1. It will be impoſſible to prevent the ruin ofa great part of the world by prejudices against the ways of godlineſs, except thoſewho profeſs them, walk more holily, and conformably to the rule, and pattern of Chriſt, whoſename is called uponby them.
I shall therefore firſt addreſs my diſcourſe to the profeffors of religion, befeechingthem, in thebowels of Chriſt, to takepityupon the multitudes of fouls which are daily ruined, and destroyed by their ſcandals, and miscarriages.
Did you live according to the rules you profeſs, " your well-doing " wouldput to filence the ignorance offooliſhmen," I Pet. ii.
15. and confequently the ruin of many might be prevented.
I remember * Bernard, ſpeaking of the lewd, and looſe life of the priests of his time, ſighs out this juſt, and bitter complaint toGod aboutit ; Miſera eorum converfatioplebis tuae miferabilis fubversio eft : O Lord ! ſaid he, their miferable converſation is the miferable ſubverſion ofthypeople. O! ofhow many, who glory in thetitle offons of the church, may Chriſt ſay, as Jacob did of his two lewd fons, Simeon and Levi, " You have
Bern. in Converf. Pauli, Ser. 1,
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
"troubled me, tomake me to ſtink among theinhabitantsofthe " land." Gen. xxxiv. 30.
And how many profeffors, who pretend to more than ordi nary reformation, and holiness, do ſhed foul blood, by their fcandalous converſations.
* Salvian brings in the wicked of his age upbraiding thelooſeneſs of Chriſtians, in this manner;
" Behold, thoſe menwho boast themselves redeemed from the " tyranny of Satan, and profeſs themselves dead to the world, yet are conqueredby the lufts of it."
And † Cyprian, long beforehis day, brings in theHeathens thus inſulting over loofer
Chriſtians : " Where is that catholic law which they believe ?
" Where are the examples of piety, and chastity, which they " ſhould learn ? They read the goſpel, yet are immodeft ; they
" hear the apoſtles, yet are drunk." O profeffors ! where areyourbowels to the poor fouls of ſinners ?
If your neighbour's ox, or aſs fall into the pit, you are bound to deliver him, if you can; and will you not do as much for a precious foul, as you would do for a beaſt ? Nay, you dig pits, by your ſcandalous lives, to deſtroy them.
If you fin, there are inſtruments enough to spread it, and multitudes of fouls ready prepared to take the infection.
Say not, if they do, the fault is theirs ; tor though they are principals in the murderof their own fouls, by taking the ſcandal, yet you are acceſſories in giving it : He is a mad man that will kill himself with a ſword, and he no better that will put it into his hand.
O therefore, if you have any regard to the precious fouls of men, live up to the rules of your profeſſion ! O be blameless, and harmleſs, the fons ofGod without rebuke, in the midst of aperverſe, and froward generation ! let the heavenlineſs of your converſation ſtop thoſe mouths that accuſe you as men of aworldly ſpirit; let them fee, by your moderation in ſeeking it, your patience in loſing it, your readineſs in diftributing it, that it is a groundless calumny, under which your names ſuffer.
Let them fee, by your apparel, company, and difcourſes, you are not fuch proud, lofty ſpirits, as you are repreſented to be.
Convince them, by your flexibleneſs to all things that are lawful, and expedient, bymanifeſting, as much
* Ecce quijactantse redemptos a tyrannide Satanae, qui praedicantfemortuos mundo, nihilominus a cupiditatibusfuis vincuntur.
Salvian..
†Ubi eft catholica lex quam credunt ? Ubi pietatis et caftitatis exempla quae difcant ? Evangelia legunt, et impudicifunt ; Apoftolos audiunt,et inebriantur.
Treatise of the Soul ofMan. as in you lieth, that it is the pure bond, andtieofconfcience, which keeps you from compliance in all other things, and by your meekneſs in ſuffering for fuch non-compliance, that you are not fuch turbulent, factious incendiaries, as the wicked world ſlanderouſly reports you to be.
Convince the world, byyour exact righteouſneſs in all your civil dealings, andby the lip of truth in all your promiſes, and engagements, that youhave the fear ofGod in your hearts, as wellas the livery of Chriſtianity upon your backs.
In aword, ſo live, that none mayhave juſt groundto believe the impudent ſlanders thedevil raiſes in the world against you.
Let your light ſo ſhine beforemen, that they mayglorifyyour Father which is inheaven.
Without your care, and circumſpection, the ſhedding of a world of precious foulbloodcannever be prevented.
2. Let me adviſe, and beſeech allmento be ſo juſt to others, and merciful to their own fouls, as not to caſt them away for ever, by receiving prejudices againſt godlineſs, fromthe miſcarriages of ſome, who make more than a commonprofefſion of it.
To prevent this fatal effect of ſcandal, and prejudice at religion, I defire afew particulars may be impartially weighed.
First, Very many of thoſe ſcandals, bandied up and down theworld against the profeffors of godliness, are deviſed, and forged inhell, as ſo many traps, and ſnares to catch, anddeſtroy men's fouls, to beget an irreconcileable averſion, and enmity in men to the ways ofGod.
" They deviſe deceitful " matters (faith the Pfalmiſt) against them that arequiet in the " land," Pfal. xxXV. 20.
So Jer. xviii 18. " Come, ſay they, " let us deviſe devices against Jeremiah, and ſmite him with " the tongue." And there is as little equity in the credulous receiver, asthere is honesty in the wicked forger of theſe ſlanders : with one arrow of cenfure, you wound no less than three, viz. the honour of God, your innocent brother, and your own fouls : As to the two former wounds, they will, in due time, be healed; God will vindicate his own name fully, and the reputation of his innocent ſervants ſhall be cleared, and repaired abundantly; but, in the mean time, your fouls may periſh, by the wounds, prejudices have given, ſo that you may never be reconciled to godliness, and its profeffors, whilft you live, but turn ſcoffers, and perfecutors of them.
Secondly, Examine whether the matters that are charged uponthem as their crimes, be not their duties.
Sometimes it falls out tobe ſo, and if ſo, you fight more immediately, and directly against God, than men.
This was David's cafe, Pfal.
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
Ixix. 10. "When I wept, and chaſtened my soul, that was " to my reproach ; " my piety was turned to reproach. They caliedhis tears crocodile's tears, and his faftings hypocritical ſhadows of devotion, and humility.
Thus the very matter of his dutywas turned into ſcorn, and reproach. And so it was with the primitive Chriſtians, theirvery owning of themselves tobe Chriſtians, was crime enough tocondemn them.
Thirdly, If profeffors of religiondo inſomethings actunbecoming their holy profeffion, yet every flip, and failing in their lives, is no fufficient warrant for you tocenſure their perſonsas hypocrites, much leſs to fall upon religion itſelf, andcondemu it for the faults of them that profeſs it.
There's many an uprightheart overtaken bytemptation. You see theirmiscarriages, butyou fee not their humiliations, and ſelf-condemnations, beforeGod for them.
Foul, and fearful (faith a * grave di- •vine) was the ſcandal ofDavid; and whatwas the iſſue ? Pre- •ſentlythe enemies of God, and godliness, began to lift their heads, and fall foul uponDavid's religion, 2 Sam. xii. they blafphemed the name ofGod. O this is he that was fogrand azealot, that the zeal ofGod's houſe did eat him up.
This ⚫isthe man, that, out of his tranſcendent zeal, danced before the ark; this ishe that prayed thrice a day, at morning,
'noon, and night: This is he that was ſo precife, and ſtrict in his family, thatawicked perſon ſhould notdwellin his houſe.
*This your great, preciſe zealot, hathdefiled the wife, and 'murdered the husband. Now you see what his religion is,
•nowyou feewhat comesof this profeſſion of ſo much holiness, ' andgodliness. ""
Othatmenwouldſeriouslyconſider their evilin ſuch cenſures astheſe! what is all this to religion ? Doth religion anyway countenance, or patronize fuch practices ? Nay, doth it not impartiallyand ſeverely condemn them ? It is the glory of the Chriſtian religion, that it ispure, and undefiled, James i. 27.
Theſe practices flow from no principle of religion, nor are
chargeable upon it, for it teacheth men the very contrary, Tit. ii. 11 , 12.
If I fee a Papiſt ſin boldly, or anArminian flight grace, I juſtly condemn their principles, in, and with their practices, becauſe Popery ſets pardons to ſale, andArminianiſm exalts nature into the place ofgrace : But doth the doctrine of the goſpel lead to any immoralities ? Charge it, ifyou can.
Fourthly, And as ſenſeleſs athing it is, tocondemn all, for the miſcarriages, and faults of fome; which, yet, is the com- *Jer. Dyke, of Scandal, p. 53 .
ATreatise of the Soul of Man. mon practice of the world. Are all, that profeſs godliness, looſe, and careless ? No, no : manyare an ornament to their holy profeſſion, and the glory of Chriſtianity. And why muſt theinnocentbecondemned for the guilty ? What is your reafon, andground for that ? Why mightnot theenemies ofChriſtianityhave condemned the eleven apoſtles, upon the fall of Judas ? Had they not as good a warrant for it, as you have for this?
To conclude, You little know what a ſnare of the devil is laid for your fouls, in all thoſe prejudices, and offences, you take, at the ways, and profeffors ofgodliness ; and what awo you bring upon your own fouls by them.
You speak evil of perfons, and things, you know not, andprejudice is like ſtill tokeep you in ignorance of them. "Wo to the world (faith
" Chriſt) because ofoffences ; andbleſſed is hethat is not of- " fended at me ." i The eleventhway of ruining the preciousfoul, opened.
XI. The eleventh way, wherein abundance ofprecious fouls periſh, in the chriſtianized, and profeſſing world, is the wayof formal hypocrify in religion, and zeal about the externals of worſhip.
Such a generation ofmenhave, inall ages, mingled themselves with the fincere worshippers of God; and the inducement to it is obvious, the form of godliness is anhonour, but the power ofit aburden.
By the former, earthly intereſts are accommodated; by the latter, they are frequently expoſed, and hazarded.
We find, in the Jewish church, abundance ofſuch chaff intermixedwith the wheat, which the doctrine of Chriſt diſcovered, and purged out of the flour, Mat. iii. 9, 12. fuch-were thePharifees, who were exceeding zealous for traditions, and the external rites, and ceremonies of the law, but inwardly full of all filthineſs , Mat. xv. 7, 8, 9. Men that honoured the dead, and perfecuted the living faints; that reverenced the material temple, anddestroyedthe living temples; that ſtrained atgnats ofceremonies, and swalloweddownthe groſſeſt immoralities.
Andwellhad itbeen, ifthis generationhad ended with that ſtate, and timeof the church; but we find a prophecy ofthe increaſe oftheſe meninthe latter days, 2 Tim. iii. 5. which is everywhere ſadly verified.
Religion runs into ftalk, andblade, into leaves, and fuckers, which ſhould beconcocted into pith and fruit: Yea, it is of ſad confideration, that, amongst many high pretenders to reformation, their zeal, which ſhould nouriſh the vitals of religion, and maintain their daily work of mortification and communionwithGod, ſpends itſelf in ſome
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
by-opinion, whilst practical godlineſs viſibly languiſheth in their converſations. How many are there that hate doctrinal errors, who yet periſh by practical ones ? who hate a falſedoctrine; but, inmeantime periſh by afalſe heart ? 'Tis verydifficult to reclaim this fort of men from the error of their way ; and therebyfave their fouls from hell.
However, let the means beused, and the ſucceſs left withGod.
The eleventhway to hell, by formality, barred up.
1. No finentangles the fouls of men fafter, or damns them with more certainty, and aggravation, than the fin of formal hypocrify: itholds the foulfaſteſt onearth, and ſinks itdeepeſt intohell.
There was no fort ofmen upon whom the doc trine of Chriſt, and the apostles, had ſo little ſucceſs, andeffect, as the Scribes and Pharifees; theyderided him, when publicans, andfinners, trembled, and believed, Luke xvi. 14, 15.
The form ofGodliness wards off all convictions ; their zeal for the externals of religion fecures them against the fears of damnation, whilft, in the mean time, their hypocrify plunges them deeper into hell, thanothers that never made ſuch ſhews ofſane. tity, and devotion : " He shall appoint him his portion with " hypocrites;" Mat. xxiv. 51. that is, he thall be punished in ✓hell, as hypocrites are puniſhed, viz. with the greatest, and foreſt punishment., Hypocrify is adouble iniquity, and willbe punished withdouble deſtruction: their ungrounded hopes of heaven ſerve but to pullyup their wretched fouls to a greater height ofvain confidence, which gives them the more dreadful jerk in theirlamentable, and eternal diſappointment.
2. Blind, fuperftitious zeal, which ſpends itſelf only about the externals of religion, usually prepares, and engageth men in amore violent perfecution of thoſe that are really godly, and confcientious.
The Lord opened a great door of opportunity at Antioch, to Paul ; the whole citycame together to attend the diſcoveries of Chriſt in the firſt publication of the gospel, and the poor Gentiles began to taſte the ſweetness of the gof- -pel; but the devil perceiving his kingdom begin to totter, immediately flirred up his inſtruments to perfecute the apoſtles, and drive them out of the country : and who more fit for that work, than thedevout, and honourable women ? Acts xiii . 15.
Theſe ſtirred up their husbands, and all they had influence upon, under a fair pretence of zeal for the law, to obſtruct the progreſs of thegoſpel.
No bird (faith one) like the living bird, todraw others into thenet. Menof greatest names, and pretenſions toreligion; if graceleſs, are the moſtdangerous inſtru
VOL. III.
A Treatise of the Soul ofMan. inents the devil canemploy tothe ruin, and extirpation of true godliness.
Such a zealot was Paul, in his unregenerate ftate.
3. Nothing is morecommon,than to findmenhot, andzeaJous against falſe worship, whilst their hearts are as cold as a ſtone, in the vitals, and effentials, of true religion. Many can diſpute warmly against adorations ofimages, praying toangels; andfaintsdeparted, who all the whileare like thoſedead imageswhich others worship. Jehu was a zealot againſt idolatry; andyet the vital power of true godlineſs was a ſtranger tohis foul, 2Kings x. 15, 16.
The Phariſees ſpared no pains to make a profelyte, andyet all the while were the children of the devil themselves, Mat. xxiii. 15.
This isa fad cafe, yetwhat morecommon ? The Lord open theeyes oftheſe men, and convince them, inſeaſon, that their zealrunsin the wrongchannel, andſpends itſelf upon things which ſhall never profit them. O if they werebut as much concerned topromote the love of God, and life of Godliness in themſelves, and others, as theyare about fome external accidents, and appendages of religion, what bleſſingswould they be to the world, and what evidence would theyhave of their ownfincerity?
The twelfthway to hell, opened.
XII. The twelfth way to hell, in which many fouls are carfiedon ſmoothly, and ſecurely, to their owndeſtruction, is, the wayofmere civility, and moral honesty, wherein menreſt as in a ſafe ſtate, neverdoubting but a civil life will producean iſſue into an happy death.
Moral honesty is a lovely thing, and greatly tends tothe peace, and order of the world; but it is not ſavinggrace, norgives any managood title to Chriſt, and falvation.
Indeedtherecan be nograce inthat foul inwhich civility, and moral honeſty are not found: but theſemay be found in thousands thathave nograce.
Thatwhich ruins fouls, is notthe exerciſeofmoral virtues, but their reliance upon them: theyuse their morality as a ſhield to fecure their confciences from the convictions of the word, which would ſhew them their ſinful, and miferable ſtate by nature.
Thus the Phariſee, Luke xviii. 11, 12. "God, I thank " thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
" adulterers, or even as this publican;" he bleſſeth himselfin the conceitsof his own safety, and happiness.
Letdebauched, and prophane perſons look to it, I am well enough ; though, † Satanafcends by therib, asbya ladderto the heart. Gregor.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
alas! poor man, hisbeing leſs evil, atbeſt, couldbut procure him a cooler hell, or a milder flame. This was the case ofthe young man, Mat. xix. 28. and like a young man, indeed, he reasons. He ſums up all the ſtock of his civil life, and thinks it ſtrange if that be not enough to make a purchase of eternal life. What lack I yet ? Alas ! poor foul, every thing neceffary toſalvation; the very firſt ſtonewas not laid, when he thought the building was finiſhed: And this isthe caſe of multitudes, bothyoung and old ; and that which greatly confirms, and ſettles them in this theirdangerous ſecurity, is the general, indiftinct doctrine of ſome, who pretend tobe guides to the fouls of others, the ſcopeof whoſe miniſtry aims at no higher mark, thanto civilize the people, and preſs moral duties uponthem, as if this were all that were neceſſary to falvation : Nay, it is well if somedo not induſtrioufly pulldown the pale of diftinctionbetwixtmorality, and regeneration, and tell the world, in plainEngliſh, That there is no reason to put a difference betwixt fuchas arebaptized,and live morally honest, and those that have favinggrace ; andthey that doso,areonly afew, whoare highly conceited of themselves, andcenforious of all others, whom they please to voteformal, and moral.
This, indeed, is the way to fix them where they are ; if Chriſt had not taken another method with Nicodemus, and his miniſters hadnot preſſed the neceffity of regeneration, and the insufficiency ofmoral honesty tofalvation, how thinhad the number of trueconverts been, though, at moſt, theyare but ahandful, incomparisonof the unregenerate!
OthatGodwouldbleſs what follows, toundeceive, and ſave ſome poor foul out of this dangerous ſnare of the devil !
The twelfthway to damnation barred, by three confiderations.
1. Blind not yourſelves with the luftre of your own moral virtues, a life ſmoothly drawn with civility through the world : for though it must beacknowledgedthere is alovelineſs, andattracting ſweetneſs in morality, and civility, yet theſe things rather reſpect earth, than heaven, and aredeſigned for the conſervationof the order, and peace of this world, not for your falvation, and title to the world to come.
Without justice, and truth, kingdoms, and commonwealths would become mountains ofprey, and dens of robbery.
Where there is,no truſt, therecanbe no traffic; andwhere there is no truth, there can beno trust. Civility is the very basis ofhuman ſociety, aworld ofgood accrues to menby it, and abundance ofmiſchief is preventedby it ; but it never gave anyman an interest in Christ,
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. or a title to falvation. The Romans and Lacedemonians, who periſhed in the darkness of Heatheniſm, excelled in morality; there is nothing ofChriſt, or regeneration, intheſe things, how much of excellency foever be ascribed to them.
Paul, the Phariſee, was a blameless perſon, touching the law, and yet, at the same time, not only utterly ignorant of Chriſt, but a bitter enemy to him, and all that were his.
Till you can find another way to heaven than by regeneration, repentance, and faith, never lean upon ſuch a deceitful, and rotten prop, as mere civility is.
2. Civilized nature is unfanctified nature ſtill; and without fanctification there is nofalvation, Heb. xii. 14. Civilityadorneth nature, butdoth not change it.
Moral virtues are ſomany ſweet flowers ſtrewed over a deadcorpſe, which hide the lothſomeneſs of it, but inſpire not life into it.
" * Morality hides, " and covers, but never mortifies, nor cures the corruptions of " nature;" and mortified they must be, or you cannot be faved: take the beſt nature in the world, and let it be adorned with all the ornaments of morality (which they call homiletical virtues) and add to theſe all the common gifts of the Spirit, which are for aſſiſtance, and miniſtry; yetall this cannot ſecure that foul from hell, or be the ground-work for a just claim to any promiſe of ſalvation : all this is butnature improved, net regenerated.
Morality is neither produced as ſavinggrace is, nor works fuch effects as graceworketh ; there are no pangs of repentance introducing it, it may coſt many an aking head, but no aking heart for fin; nofuch diſtreſſed outcries as that, Acts ii. 37. "Men, and brethren, what ſhall we do ? " Nor doth it produce ſuch humility, ſelfabaſement, heavenly tempers, and tendencies of foul, as grace doth. Cheat not yourſelves, therefore, in ſo important aconcernas ſalvation is, with an empty ſhadow.
3. Civility is not only found in multitudes that are out of Chriſt, but may be the cauſe, and reason why they are chriſtleſs : miſtake not, I am not pleading the cause of prophaneneſs, nor diſputing civility out of the world ; I heartily wiſh there were more of it to be found ineveryplace, it would exceedingly promote the peace, order, and tranquillity of the world : but yet it is certain. that the eyes of thousands are ſo dazzled with the luſtre of their own morality, that they fee no need ofChriſt, nor feel anywant of his righteouſneſs, and this is the ruin of their fouls. Thus Chriſt brings in thePharifce with his proud
*Abscondit, non abfcondit vita.
Lactans.
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan.
boaſt, that he is " noextortioner, adulterer, nor unjuſt, or ſuch 46 anoneas that publican," Luke xviii. 11. O what afaint doth he vote himſelf, when he compared his life with the other's !
Well, then, beware you be not deceived by thinking you are fafe, becauſe you are got out of the dirty road to hell, when, all the while, you are only ſtepped over the hedge into a cleaner path to damnation.
You have had ashort account ofsome few of those many ways in which the precious fouls of men are eternally loft :
Let us briefly apply it in thefollowing inferences.
Infer. 1. Ifthere be ſo many ways of lofing the foul, and ſuch multitudes offouls loft in every one ofthem, then the numтber offavedfouls must needs be exceedingfmall.
The number of the taved may be confidered, either abſolutely or comparatively: In the firſt confideration they appear great, and many, even a great multitude, which no man can number,
Rev. vii. 9. but ifcompared with those that are loft, they make but a small remnant Ifa. i. 9. a littleflock, Mat, xii. 32. For whenwe confider how vaſtly thekingdom ofSatan is extended, who is called thegod of this world, from the world of people who are in fubjection to him: how ſmall a part ofthis earthly globe is enlightenedwiththe beams ofgoſpel-light, and that Satan is the acknowledged ruler ofall the reſt, Eph. vi. 12. But *when it ſhall be farther confidered, that out of this ſpot, ou which the light ofthegospel is riſen, the far greatest part are loft, alſo: Owhat a poorhandful remains toJeſus Chriſt, as the purchase ofhis blood !
It is oftrembling confideration,how manythousands of families, amongst us, are mere nurferies for hell, parents bringing forth and breeding up children for the devil; not one word of •God(except it be in the way ofblafphemy, or prophaneneſs) to beheard amongthem. Hownaturally their ignorant andwicked education puts them in the courſe and tide ofthe world, which carries them away irreſiſtibly to hell; how one finner confirms and animates another, inthe ſame ſinfulcourſe, till they are all paſt hope, or remedy : how the rich are takenwith the baits of ſenſual pleaſures, and the poor loft in the brake of diftracting, worldly cares, except here and there a foul plucked outofthe ſnare ofthe devil, by the wonderful power, and arm of God.
On the one fide, you may fee multitudes drowned in open prophaneneſs, and debauchery ; and, on the other fide, many thousands ſecurely ſleeping, in the ſtateofcivility, andmo- ⚫rality : fome key-cold, and without the leaſt ſenſe ofreligion;
others hell-hot, with blind zeal, and fuperftitious madness, against true godliness,and the fincere practiſers of it.
Some
ATreatise of the Soul ofMan. living all theirdays under the ordinances ofGod, and never touched with anyconviction oftheir fin,ormiſery; others convinced, andmaking ſome faint offers at religion; but their convictions (likebloſſoms nipt with a froſty morning) fall off, and no fruit follows. And as rubies,fapphires, and diamonds, are veryfew, in comparison ofthepebbles, and commonAones ofthe earth; ſo aretrue Chriſtians, in compariſon ofmultitudes that periſh in the ſnares ofSatan.
Infer. 2. How little reason havethe unregenerate toglory, and boaft themselves in their earthly acquisitions andfucceſſes, whilst in the mean time, their fouls are loft! they have gotten other things , but loft their fouls.
It is ſtrange to ſeehow fomemen, by rolling a ſmall fortuneupand down the world (as boys doa ſnow-ball) have increaſed theheap, and raised a great eſtate; theyhave attained theirdeſign and aim inthe world, and hug themſelves inthe pleaſed thoughts of their happiness; but, alas, amongall thethoughts of their gains, there is not one thought ofwhat they have lost. O ifſuch athought as this could find
room in their hearts, ' I have, indeed, gotten an estate, but I • have loft my foul; I have much ofthe world, but nothing of Chriſt; gold and ſilver I have, butgrace, peace and pardon I ' havenot; mybody is well provided for, but my foul is na- ، ked, empty, anddeſtitute.'
Such a thought, like thefentence writtenon the wall, would make their hearts fail within them.
What arapture, and tranſport ofjoydid the fight ofa fullbarn caſt that worldling into ! Luke xii. 19, 20. "Soul, take thine
" eaſe, eat, drink, and be merry;" little dreaming that death wasjust thenatthedoor, totakeaway the cloth,gueſt, andall together; that the nexthour his friends would be ſcrambling for his eftate, the worms for his body, and the devil for his foul .
Ohow many have not only loſt their fouls, whilst theyhave beendrudging for the world,but have ſold their fouls to purchaſea little of the world! parted,byconſent, with their beſt treaſure for avery trifle, andyet think theyhavea great bargain of it! Surely, if poor ſinnersdidbut apprehend whattheyhave loſt, as well as what they have gained, their gains would yield them as little comfortas Judas'smoney did, for which he fold both his foul and Saviour.
Instead ofthoſe pleaſing frolics of wantonworldlings, what acold ſhiver would run through all their bones and bowels, did they but understand what it is to lofe agraciousGod, andaprecious foul, andboth eternally, and irrecoverably !
ThejustGodremains ſtill to avenge and puniſh the ſinner ;
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
but the favour ofGod, that friendlylook, is gone ; the peace of God, that heaven upon earth, is gone; the effence ofthe foul remains ſtill,but its purity, peace, joy, hope, and happineſs, theſe aregone; and theſe being gone,whatcan remain, but atormenting, piercing fightof thoſethings, for which you havefoldthem ?
Infer. 3. Hencelet us estimate theeviloffin, andfeewhata dreadful thing that is, whichmen commonlyſport themselveswith, andmakeso light of: it isnot onlyawrong andinjury tothefoul, but the loss and utter ruin ofthefoulfor ever.
66 It is faid, Prov. viii. 36. "Hethat ſinneth against me, wrongethhis own foul." And ifthis wereall the miſchief findid us, itwerebad enough; awrong to the foul isagreater evil than the ruin of thebody or eſtate, and all the outward enjoyments ofthis life canbe; but to loſe the precious foul, anddestroy it to alleternity,O whatcan eſtimate ſuch aloſs ! Now the reſult andlast effect of ſin, isdeath, thedeath ofthe precious foul.
Rom. vi. 21. " Theendofthoſethingsisdeath." So Ezek. xviii.
"The foul that finneth ſhall die."
Sindoth notdestroythebeingofthe foulby annihilation, but itdoth that which thedamned ſhall find, and acknowledge to bemuchworſe; itcuts offthe ſoul fromGod,and deprives it of all its felicity, joy, and pleaſure, which conſiſts in the enjoyment of him.
Such is the dolefulneſs and fearfulness of this reſultandiſſue of fin,thatwhenGodhimselfſpeaksofit, heputs ona paſſion, and ſpeaks of it with the moſt feeling concernment.
Ezek . xxxiii. 11. " As I live, faith the Lord, I have no plea " fure in thedeath ofthe wicked : Turn ye, turn ye, for why
" willye die, O houſe of Ifrael ?" q.d. Why will ye wilfully caſt away yourown fouls ? Why will ye chuſe the pleaſures of fin for aſeaſon, atthe price of my wrath and fury, poured out for ever ? O think of this, you that make ſo light a matter of committing ſin ! we pity thoſe,who, inthedepthofmelancholy or deſperation, lay violent hands upon themselves, and, in a deſperate mood, cut theirown throats; but certainly, for aman tomurder his own foul, is an act ofwickedness as muchbeyond it, as the value ofthe foul is above the body.
Infer. 4. What an invaluable mercy is Jesus Chrift to the world, who came on purpose to seek, and tofavefuch as were loft?
InAdam all were ſhipwrecked and caſt away : Chriſt is the plank ofmercy, letdown from heaven to ſave ſome. The lofs offouls, by the fall,hadbeen as irrecoverable, as the loss of the fallenangels,hadnotGod, inawayaboveallhuman thoughts,
Treatise of the Soul ofMan. andcounſels, contrived the method of their redemption.
It is aftonithing to confider the admirable harmony and glorious triumph of all the divine attributes, in this great project of heaven, for the recovery of loft fouls: It is the " wonder of « angels,"
1 Pet. i. 12. the " great mystery of godlineſs,"
I Tim. iii. 16. the matter and fubject of the triumphant ſong ofredeemedſaints, Rev. i. 5. and well it may, whenwe confider amore noble ſpecies ofcreatures finally loſt, and no Mediator of reconciliation appointed betwixt God andthem: this is to ſave anearthen pitcher, whilst the veſſel ofgold is let fall, and no hand is ſtretched out to ſave it.
Butwhat is moſt aſtoniſhing, is, that ſogreata perſon, as the Son ofGod, ſhould come himself, from the Father's boſom, to ſave us, by putting himself into our room and ſtead, being made a curſe for us, Gal. iii. 13. He leaves theboſom of his
Father, and all the ineffable delights ofheaven, diſrobes himself ofhis glory, and is found in faſhion as aman, yea, becomes a worm, and no man; ſubmits to the loweſt ſtep and degree of abaſement, to ſave loſt ſinners.
What a low ſtoop doth Chrift make, in his humiliation, to catch the fouls ofpoor finners out ofhell! Herein was love, thatGod fent his own Son, " tobe
" the propitiation for our fins," I John iv. 10. "and foGod " loved the world," John iii. 16. at this rate he was content to fave loft finners.
How feafonable was this work ofmercy, both in its general exhibition to the world, in the incarnation ofChriſt, and in its particular application of it to the foul of every loſt ſinner, by the Spirit ! When he was firſt exhibited to the world, he found them all loft fheepgone astray, every one turning to his own way, Ifa. liii. 6. he speaks of our loft eſtate by nature, both collectively, or in general : " we all wentaftray:" and diſtributively, or in particular, " Every one turned to his own way ;" and in the fulness of time, a Saviour appeared.
Andhow feafonable was it, in its particular application ? How fecurely werewewandering onwards, inthepaths ofdeſtruction, fearing no danger, whenhe graciously opened our eyes by conviction, and pulled us backby heart turning-grace ! No mercy like this; it is an aftoniſhing act ofgrace, that ſtands alone.
Infer. 5. If there besomany ways to hell, and so few that escape it, how are allconcernedtostrive, to the utmost, in order to their own falvation ?
In Luke xiii . 23. acertain perſon propoſed acuriousqueſtion to Chriſt ; " Lord, are there few that be ſaved ?" He faw a multitude flocking to Chriſt, and thronging with great zeal to
ATreatise of the Soul of Man.
481. hearhim; and hecouldnot conceivebutheaven muſt fill, proportionablytothenumbersheſawintheway thither. But Chriſt's anfwer, ver. 24. at once rebukes the curiofity of the queftioniſt, fully refolves the queſtion propounded, and fets home his own duty and greatest concernment upon him.
It rebukes his curiofity, and is, as if he ſhould say, Be the number of the faved more or leſs, what is that to thee ? Strive thou to be one of them.
It fully folves the queſtion propounded, by diſtinguiſhing thoſe that attendupon the means of falvation, into teekers, and ſtrivers.
In the firſt reſpect there are many, who by a cheap and eaſy profeffion, ſeek heaven; but take them underthe notion of ſtrivers, i. e. perlons heartily engaged in religion, andwho make it their buſineſs, and ſo they will ſhrink up into a ſmall number ; and he preſſeth home his great bufineſs, and concern upon him, Strive to enter in at theftraitgate.
Bygate underſtand whatsoever is introductive tobleſſedneſs and falvation : by the epithettrait, understand the difficulties and ſeverities attending religion ; all that fuffering and ſelf-denial, which thoſe that are bound for heaven ſhould reckon upon, and expect : and by striving, underſtand the diligent and conſtant uſe of all thoſe means and duties, how hard, irkſome, and coſtly foever they are.
The word ἀγωνίζεσθε hath a deep ſenſe and emphasis, and imports ſtriving, even to an agony; and this duty is enforced two ways upon him, and every man elſe:
First, by the indiſputable ſovereignty of Chrift, from whomthecommand comes ; and alſo from the deep intereſt and concern everyfoul hath in the commanded duty.
It is not onlya ſimple compliance with the will of God, butwhat alſo involves our own ſalvation and eternal happineſs in it : our greatduty, and our great intereſt are twiſted together in this command; your eternal happineſs depends upon the fucceſs of it. Aman is not crowned, except he ſtrive lawfully, i. e. fuccefsfully and prevalently. O therefore, ſo run, ſo ſtrive, that yemay obtain! if you have any value for your fouls, if you would not be miſerable to eternity, ſtrive, ſtrive ! Believe it, youwould find that the affurance of ſalvationdrops notdown from heaven in anight-dream, as theTurks fable their Alcoran tohave done in that lailato banzili, night of demiſſion, as they call it; no, no; the righteous themſelves are ſcarcely ſaved : many feek, but few find.
Strive, therefore, as men and women that are heartily concerned for their own ſalvation; fit not, with folded arms, like ſo many heaps of ſtupidity and floth, whilft thedoor of hope is yet open, and ſuch a ſweet
: VOL. III.
PPP
Treatise of the Soul ofMan. voice from heaven calls toyou, faying, Strive, fouls, ſtrive, if ever you expect to be partakers of the bleſſedneſs thatishere to be enjoyed ; ſtrive, to the utmost of your abilities and opportunities.
Such an heaven is worth ſtriving to obtain, ſuch an hell isworth Griving toeſcape,ſuch an invaluable foul is worth triving to fave.
Iconfeſs, heavenisnot the purchase or reward of your ſtriving: no foul ſhall boastingly ſay there, Is not this the glory which myduties and diligence purchased for me ? and yet, on theother fide, it is as true, that without ſtriving you shall never ſet foot there.
Say not, it depends upon the pleaſure of God, and not upon your diligence; for it is his declared will and pleafure, to bring men to glory in the way, though not for the fake of their own striving. As intheworks of your civil calling, you know all the care, toil, and ſweat of the husbandman, avails nothing of itfelf, except the fun and rain quicken and ripen the fruits of the earth ; and yetnowife manwill neglect ploughing andharrowing, fowing andweeding, becauſe theſe labours avail not, withoutthe influences of heaven, butwaits for them in the way of his duty and diligence.
Rational hope fets all the world to work. Do they plough in hope, and fow in hope, and will you not pray in hope, and hear in hope ?
You that know your fouis to be hitherto ſtrangers to Chrift and the regeneratingwork ofthe Spirit; how is it, thatyou take them notafide, fometimes, outofthe distracting noise, and hurries of the world, and thus bemoanthem ?
O my poor, graceleſs, chriſtleſs, miſerable ſoul, how fad a cafe art thou in! Others have,butthou never feltelt the burden . of fin; thousands in the world are ſtriving and labouring,
* ſearching andpraying, tomaketheir callingandelectionfure; • whilst thou fitteſt ſtill with folded hands, in a fupine regard- •leſſneſsof themifery that is haſteninguponthee.
Canſt thou ⚫endure thedevouring wrath ofGod ?
Canſt thoudwell with everlasting burnings ?
Haſt thou fancied a tolerable hell?
•Or, is it eaſy to periſh ? Why doſt thou not caft thyselfat • the feet ofChriſt, and cry, as long as breath will laft, Lord,
• pity a finful, miferable, undone, and self-condemning foul ?
• Lord, ſmite this rockyheart, ſubduethis ſtubborn will,heal and •ſave an undone ſoul readyto perish : The characters ofdeath areupon it, it must be changed or condemned, andthat in a < little time.
Bowels ofpity, hear the cry of a fouldittreſſed, and ready to perith.'
And you thatdo not underſtandthecaſe,and ſtateyour fouls are in, have you never a bible near you ? O turn to thoſe