Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

USE III. Of Exhortation.

TO conclude, seeing there is so strict a friendship and tender affection betwixt Soul and Body, let me per∣swade every Soul of you to express your love to the Body, by labouring to get union with Jesus Christ, and thereby to prevent the utter ruine of both to all Eternity.

Souls, if you love your selves, or the Bodies you dwell in, shew it by your preventing care in season, lest they be cast away for ever. How can you say you love them, when you daily expose them to the everlasting wrath of God, by imploying them as weapons of unrighteousness, to fight against him that formed them? You feed and pamper them on earth, you give them all the delights and pleasures you can procure for them in this World, but you take no care what shall become of them, nor your Souls neither after death hath separated them. O cruel Souls, cruel not to o∣thers, but to your selves, and to your own flesh, which you pretend so much love to! Is this your love to your Bodies, what, to imploy them in Satans service on Earth, and then to be cast as a prey to him for ever in Hell? You think the rigor and mortification of the Saints, their ab∣stemiousness and self-denial, their cares, fears, and diligence, to be too great severity to their Bodies, but they know, these are the most real evidences of their true love to them; they love them too well to cast them away as you do. Alas! Your love to the Body doth not consist ••n feeding and cloathing and pleasing it; but in getting it united to Christ, and made the Temple of the Holy Ghost: in using it for God, and dedicating it to God.

I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God, to present your Bodies living Sacrifices to God, which is your reasona∣ble

service•• Rom. 12.1. The Soul should look upon the Body as a wise Parent upon a rebellious or wanton child, that would (if left to it self) quickly bring it self to the Gallows; The Father looks on him with compassion and melting bowels, and saith, with the rod in his hand, and tears in his eyes, my child, my naughty, disobedient, headstrong child, I resolve to chastise thee severely, I love thee too well to suffer thee to be ruin'd, if my care or cor∣rections may prevent it. So should our Souls evidence their love to, and care over their own rebellious flesh. 'Tis cru∣elty, not love or pity, to indulge them to their own de∣struction.

Except you have gracious Souls, you shall never have glo∣rified Bodies: except you Souls be united with Christ, the happiness of your Bodies as well as Souls is lost to all eter∣nity. Know you not that the everlasting condition of your Bodies follows and depends on the Interest your Souls now get in Christ? O that this one sad truth might sink deep into all our considerations this day; that if your Bodies be snares to your Souls, and your Souls be now re∣gardless of the future estate of themselves and them; as∣suredly, they will have a bitter parting at death, a terrible meeting again at the Resurrection, and horrid reflections upon each other, mutually charging their ruine upon each o∣ther to all eternity. Whilst they that are in Christ part in hope, meet with joy, and bless God for each other for ever∣more.