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 ...

The sixth way to Hell shut up by five Considerations.

1. Bethink thy self, poor Soul, as much as thou art invol∣ved and plunged in the necessities and distracting cares of this life, others, many others, as poor, as necessitous, and every way as much embroil'd in the cares of the world as you are, have minded their Souls, and taken all care and pains for their Salvation notwithstanding; yea, though mil∣lions

of your rank and order are destroyed by these snares of the Devil, yet God hath a very great number, indeed the greatest of any rank of men, among those that are low, poor, and necessitous in the world. The Church is called the Congregation of the poor, Psal. 74.20. because it consist∣eth mostly of men and women of the lowest and most despi∣cable condition in this world. They are all poor in Spirit, and most of them poor in purse. Hearken, my beloved Bre∣thren, (saith Iames) hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom? Jam. 2.5.

Now if others, many others, as much intangled in the necessities, cares, and troubles of the world as you, have yet struggled through all those difficulties and discourage∣ments to Heaven, why should not you strive for Christ and Salvation as well as they? Your Souls are as valuable as theirs, and their discouragements and hinderances as great, and as many as yours.

2. Consider your poor and necessitous condition in the world, hath something in it of motive and advantage to ex∣cite and quicken you to a greater diligence for Salvation, than is found in a more full, easie, and prosperous state; for God hath hereby imbitter'd this world to you, and made you drink deeper of the troubles of it than other men: they have the honey, and you the gall; they have the flour, and you the bran. But then, as yo•• have not the pleasures, so you have not the snares of a prosperous condition, and your daily troubles, cares, and labours in it, do even prompt you to seek rest in Heaven, which you cannot find on Earth. Can you think you were made for a worse condition than the Beasts? what, to have two Hells, one here, and another hereafter? Surely as low, miserable, and despicable as you are, you are capable of as much happiness as any of the No∣bles of the World, and in your low and afflicted condition stand nearer to the door of hope than they do. Ah! me∣thinks these thoughts do even put themselves upon you, when your spirits are overloaded with the cares, and your bodies tired with the labours of this life. Is this the life of troubles I must expect on Earth? Hath God denied me the pleasures of this World? O then let it be my care, my study,

my business to make sure of Christ, to win Heaven, that I may not be miserable in both Worlds. How can you avoid such thoughts? or put by such meditations which your very station and condition even forceth upon you?

3. Consider how all your troubles in this World would be sweetned, and all your burdens lightned, if once your Souls were in Christ, and in Covenant with God. O what hearts∣ease would Faith give you! What sweet relief would you find in Prayer! These things, like the opening of a Vein or Tumor when ripe, would suddenly cool, relieve, and ease your spirits. Could you but go to God as a Father, and pour out your hearts before him, and roll all your cares and burdens, wants and sorrows upon him, you would find a speedy out-let to y••ur troubles, and an inlet to all peace, all comfort, and all refreshments, such as all the riches, ho∣nours, and fulness of this world cannot give: you would then find Providence engage it self for your supply, and issue all your troubles to your advantage.* 1.1 You would suck the breasts of those Promises in the Margent, and say all the dainties in the world cannot make you such another Feast. You would then see your bread, your cloaths, and all provi∣sions for you and yours in Gods promises, when you are brought to an exigence, and would certainly find perfor∣mances as well as promises all along the course of your life.

4. Say not you have no time to mind another world, God hath not put any of you under such an unhappy necessity: you have one whole day every week allowed you by God and Man for your Souls: you have some spare time every day, which you know you spend worse 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 have daily some relaxations and rest 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 Servants hard at work for Sal∣vation,

labouring for Christ, some in the Fields, others in Barns and Stables, where they could find any privacy to pour out their Souls to God in prayer. As Lovers will make hard shifts to converse together, so will the Soul that is de∣voted to God, and in earnest for Heaven. And though your opportunities be not so large, they may be as sweet as suc∣cessful, and to be sure sincere, as those whose condition affords them more time, and greater external conveniencies than you enjoy. More business is sometimes dispatcht in a quarter of an hour in prayer, yea let me say, in a few hearty ejaculations of Soul to God in a few minutes, than in many long and elaborate duties. If thou cast in thy two mites of time into the Treasury of Prayer, having no more, thou mayst, as Christ said of the poor Widow, give more than those that cast in of their great abundance of time and Talents.

5. Lastly, Consider, Jesus Christ is no Respecter of per∣sons, the poorest and vilest on earth are as welcome to him as the greatest. He chose a poor and mean condition in this World himself, conversed mostly among the poor, never refused any because of his poverty: God accepteth not the per∣sons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor; for they are all the work of his hands, Job 34.19. and that both in respect of their natural constitution as men, and their Civil condition as rich or poor men. Riches and poverty make a great difference in the respects of men, but none at all with God. If thou be one of Gods poor, he will accept, love, and honour thee above the greatest (if graceless) person in the world. Poverty is no bar to Christ or Heaven, though it be to the respects of men and pleasures of this life. Away then with all vain pretences against a life of godliness from the meanness of your outward condition. Heaven was not made for the rich, and Hell only for the poor; no, no: how hard soever you find the way thither, I am sure Christ saith, It's hard for a rich man to enter into that Kingdom.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heb. 13.5. Isa. 41.17. Psal. 34.9, 10. Psal. 91.15. Rom. 8.28.