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 ...

Argument II.

TO be weary of the Body upon the pure account and reason of our hatred of sin, and longing desires after Jesus Christ, argues strongly grace in truth, and grace in strength: it is both the Test of our sincerity, and the measure of our attainment, and maturity of grace; and upon both ac∣counts highly covetable by all the people of God.

It is so great an evidence of the truth of grace, that the Scriptures have made it the descriptive periphrasis of a Christi∣an: so we find it in 2 Tim. 4.8. the Crown of life is there promised to all them that love the appearance of Christ: (i.e.) those that love to think of it, that delight to steep their thoughts in Subjects belonging to the other World: and cast ••••ny a yearning look that way, and 2 Pet. 3.12. they are described to be such as are looking for, and hastening to the co∣ming of the day of God. Their earnest expectations and longings do not only put them upon making all the hast they can to be with Christ; but it makes the interposing time seem so tedious and slow, that with their most vehement wishes and desires, they do what they can to accelerate and hasten it, as Rev. 22. Come Lord Iesus, come quickly, Lovers hours, saith the Proverb, are full of Eternity O said, Mr. Rutherford;

That Christ would make long strides O that he would fold up the Heavens as an old Cloak, and shovel time and days out of the way!

Such desires as these can spring from none but

gracious and renewed Souls: for Nature is wholly disaffected to a removal hence upon such Motives and Considerations as these: if others wish at any time for death, 'tis but in a Pet, a present passion provoked by some intollerable anguish, or great distress of nature. But to look, and long, and hasten to the other World, out of a weariness of sin, and an hearty willingness to be with Christ, it supposes necessarily a deep-rooted hatred of sin, abhorring it more than death it self, the greatest of natural evils: and a real sight of things invisible by the eye of Faith, without which it is impossible any mans heart should be thus framed and tempered.

And as it evidenceth the truth, so also the strength and maturity of Grace: for alas! How many thousands of gra∣cious Souls that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, are to be found quite below this temper of mind. O 'tis but here and there one among the Lords own people that have reached this height and eminence of Faith and Love: it is with the fruits of the Spirit just as it is with the fruits of the earth; some are green and raw, others are ripe and mellow: the first stick fast on the Branches; you may shake and shake again, and not one will drop; or as those fruits that grow in the Hedges with their Coats and Integuments enwrapping them, as Nuts, &c. You may try your strength upon them, and sooner break your Nails, than disclose and separate them; so fast and close do their husks stick to them: but when time and the influences of Heaven have ripened and brought them to their perfection, the Apples drop into your hands without the least touch, and the Nut falls out of its Case of its own accord: So, much so, doth the Soul part from its Body when it is maturated, and come to its strength and vigour.