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 twelfth way to Damnation barred by three Considerations.

1. Blind not your selves with the lustre of your own mo∣ral Vertues, a life smoothly drawn with Civility through the World; for though it must be acknowledged there is a loveliness and attracting sweetness in Morality and Civility, yet these things rather respect Earth than Heaven, and are designed for the conservation of the order and peace of this World, not for your Salvation and Title to the World to come. Without Justice and Truth, Kingdoms and Common-wealths would become Mountains of prey, and Dens of rob∣bery. Where there is no trust, there can be no traffick; and where there is no truth, there can be no trust. Civility is the very Basis of humane Society, a world of good accrues to men by it, and abundance of mischief is prevented by it; but it ne∣ver gave any man an interest in Christ, or a title to Salvation. The Romans and Lacedemonians, who perished in the darkness of Heathenism, excelled in Morality: there is nothing of Christ or Regeneration in these things, how much of excel∣lency soever 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 Ene∣my to him, and all that were his. Till you can find ano∣ther way to Heaven, than by Regeneration, Repentance, and Faith, never lean upon such a deceitful and rotten prop as meer Civility is.

2. Civilized Nature is unsanctified Nature still; and with∣out Sanctification there is no Salvation, Heb. 12.14. Civi∣lity adorneth Nature, but doth not change it. Moral Ver∣tues are so many sweet flowers strawed over a dead Corps, which hide the loathsomness of it, but inspire not life into it. Morality hides and covers,* 1.1 but never mortifies nor cures the corruptions of Nature; and mortified they must be, or you cannot be saved. Take the best Nature in the world, and

let it be adorned with all the ornaments of Morality, (which they call Homilitical Vertues) and add to these, all the com∣mon gifts of the Spirit, which are for assistance and ministry; yet all this cannot secure that Soul from Hell, or be the ground-work for a just claim to any promise of Salvation: all this is but Nature improved, not regenerated. Morality is neither produced, as saving Grace is, nor works such effects as Grace worketh. There are no pangs of Repen∣tance introducing it, it may cost many an aking head, but no asking heart for sin; no such distressed out-cries, as that Acts 2.37. Men and Brethren, what shall we do? Nor doth it produce such humility, self-abasement, heavenly tempers and tendencies of Soul as Grace doth. Cheat not your selves therefore in so important a concern as 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 Christ∣less. Mistake not, I am not pleading the Cause of Prophane∣ness, nor disputing Civility out of the world; I heartily wish there were more of it to be found in every place, it would exceedingly promote the peace, order, and tranquility of the world: but yet it is certain, that the eyes of thousands are so dazled with the lustre of their own Morality, that they see no need of Christ, nor feel any want of his Righteousness, and this is the ruine of their Souls. Thus Christ brings in the Pharisee, with his proud boast, that he is no Extortioner, Adulterer, nor unjust, or such an one as that Publican, Luke 18.11. O what a Saint doth he vote himself when he compared his life with the others! Well then, beware you be not deceived by thinking you are safe, because you are got out of the dirty road to Hell, when all the while you are only stept over the hedge into a cleaner path to damnation. You have had a short account of some few of those many ways in which the precious Souls of men are eternally lost; let us briefly apply it in the following Inferences.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Abscondit, non abscindit vitia. Lactant.