Thrēnoikos the house of mourning furnished with directions for the hour of death ... delivered in LIII sermons preached at the funerals of divers faithfull servants of Christ / by Daniel Featly, Martin Day, John Preston, Ri. Houldsworth, Richard Sibbs, Thomas Taylor, doctors in divinity, Thomas Fuller and other reverend divines.

THE CARELESSE MERCHANT: OR THE WOFUL LOSSE OF THE PRECIOUS SOUL. SERMON XXII.

MATT. 16.26.

What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul?

THe Patriarch Jacob in his vision at Bethel, saw the Angels of God ascending and descending, Gen. 28. So from the thir∣teenth verse of this Chapter, we have the Disciples of Christ ascending and descending. For first their general spea∣ker Simon Peter, had made a notable confession of our Savi∣ours Divinity, and had received for the further incourage∣ment of himself and his brethren, such an excellent testimo∣ny from our Saviour, that the Angels of heaven might be∣hold, observe, and imbrace; Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jo∣na, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my father which is in hea∣ven: and I say thou art Peter, and on this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Which words were not only appropriate to him, (they were spoken to him) but they were common to all the Apostles: For as Origen argues, * 1.1 shall we think that the gates of hell prevailed not against Peter, but did a gainst the rest? Therefore that which was said to him, was said to all, and being such a glorious commendation; behold the Angels ascend.

But secondly, what if the earthly mind of man dream of a Messias temporal, and that they must be promoted to places of eminency, and stiled gracious Lords? the case is too palpable: for if Christ warn his Disciples, and tell them of his approach∣ing death at Jerusalem, he shall be sure to meet with a check; no such matter, it shall not be so to thee. Oh! here is a strange metamorphise, a sudden alteration; before a Confessor, and now a controller: there is no wisdome of the spirit in this, and therefore no commendation for this, but because he was somewhat too for∣ward, get the behind me, for thou art an offence to me; behold the Angels descend. And surely this carnal wisdome had been able to weigh them down to the nether∣most hell, had not the wisdom•…•… of the wisest curbed, and subdued, and restrained it. What, not suffer? Yes, Peter also must suffer; and all that will follow Christ, must renounce all the inticements of the world, and mortifie all the corrupt exor∣bitancies of the flesh, and resist all the temptations of the Divel. For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his soul?

Which words are an exaggeration of the woful estate of a temporizing Pro∣fessor, * 1.2 of a carnal Gospeller, and they reach to our consideration these four gene∣rals.

First, the excellency, and worth of mans soul, which is of greater value then the whole world.

Secondly, the possiblity of the loss, a man may lose his own soul.

Thirdly, the compossibility of outward prosperity, he may lose his soul in gaining the whole world.

And then lastly, the woful bargain in such an exchange, What is a man profited? Of these in order.

First of the surpassing excellency, * 1.3 and dignity of mans soul: it is valued and prized here above the whole world. It was the plausible conceit of certain Ehi∣losophers, that the world was a great man, and that man was a little world: a little world indeed, but as Saint 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rearms him, a great wonder: for within this little world, there is a reasonable soul worth all the world. To render an exact definition of the soul, it requires the tongue of an Angel, rather then of a man: it passes the comprehension of travellers to apprehend the nature of the soul: for these three, God, Angels, and mans Soul, they are unknown to us; we may sooner admire their excellency, then conceive their nature; and argue of their opperations, then attain their knowledge; of such sublimity is the soul of man, so Angelical and Divine; the excellency whereof is commended to us by three distinct voyces, of

• Nature.
• Grace.
• Glory.

For, * 1.4 first in the order of nature, it is the greatest thing, saith Plato, that we may conceive in a narrow room: the most noble thing that all the frame of nature affords; and that, * 1.5

• In respect of the Orignal.
• In respect of the Image.

In respect of the Original, * 1.6 the soul of man hath no beginning here 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there was no voyce directed to the earth, or to the water, for the production of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 soul, but a serious confultation of the sacred Trinity, and a breathing into his 〈…〉〈…〉 the breath of life. * 1.7 Saith Saint Austin, he created it by infusion, and 〈…〉〈…〉 creation. And the Philosopher well concludes, that the soul as it is not from with∣out, * 1.8. it is only divine. Therefore the Manichees extolled it too high, when they deemed it a portion of Gods substance: let not others abase, and depresse it too low, to think it is derived from Parents; it comes not of their substance: it is enough for them to be the fathers of the flesh, God alone is the Father of spirits, as the Apostle makes the antithesis, * 1.9 Heb. 12.9.

Secondly, for the Image, the soul is most like God, saith Plato; saith Aristotle, it is of the nearest kin, of the greatest consanguinity, as I may say: and the Lord himself signifies so much, After our Image let us make man. Then the soul of man is not

stamped with a Roman Caesar, but with Gods own Image and superscription; and that

First in respect of the substance, * 1.10 being not only a spiritual, intellectual, incorpore∣al, invisible essence; but explaining by the plurality of Powers, in the unity of Essence, the plurality of Persons in the unity of the Deity.

Secondly, * 1.11 being furnished with singular indowments; as in the state of innocency with perfect wisdome, and holiness, and righteousness. Yea, still in the state of sin, some generals are lest, some broken fragments of the creation, moral qualifications that may lead us by the hand to the knowledge of our Master.

Lastly, * 1.12 in regard of the comanding power it hath over the body. It is to the body, as Moses was to Pharoah; a God to the body; it actuates it, and moves, and commands, and restrains it; whereby (next and immediately under God) we live and move, and have our being. Seeing then the soul is the immediate work, and character of God himself, so excellent for the Original, and for the Image, let nature conclude that the soul in-these regards, is of greater value then the whole world.

Secondly, * 1.13 in the Kingdome of grace, the price of the soul is far above the dignity of the world; and that in the grace of Redemption, and the grace of renova∣tion.

For first, * 1.14 in the souls redemption, the soul amounts so high, as that the whole Creation is not able to discharge it; It is not gotten for gold, nor silver is not weigh∣ed for the price of it; it is not valued with the gold of Ophir, or the precious Onix. It cost more to redeem the soul of sinful man: the precious bloud of the eternal Son of God; he could only redeem it, that at the first created it; Ye are bought with a price, the precious blood of Christ.

Secondly, * 1.15 in the grace of renovation, nothing is able to cleanse it from sin, but the Spirit of God. The spirit alone must enlighten the understanding, and rectisie the affections, and purisie the will, and sanctifie the conscience, and seal up the Image of God in righteousness, and true holiness. And the soul thus renewed, is as a Garden inclosed, a spiritual Paradise, where the God of heaven delights to dwell, the Spouse of the Beloved, and in the phrase of the Church, As the Lilly among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Seeing it appears that the universal World is not able to redeem, or being redeemed, to renew, or renewed, to parallel the soul; let grace subscribe to that which nature concludes, that the soul is of grea∣ter value then the whole world.

Lastly, * 1.16 for the passage of glory, the contents of the whole Universe are not able to come neer the soul. Saith S. Bernard well, well it may be busie, and took up with other things, but it cannot be satiate, and replenished with them. And Democrates imagined, that if there were millions of worlds, it were all one in comparison of the soul for blessedness. The world is transitory like the dew of the morning, it fades as the grass, and as the flower of the field; whereas on the contrary, the soul of man is the subject of immortality, capable of an exceeding, surpassing, eternal weight of glory. For if in the time of grace we behold as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, and are changed into the same Image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. How resplendant shall the soul of the righteous be, in the beatifical vision of Gods excellencies? How wonderful shall that divine capacity be, that shall be capable of God himself for a perpetual residence? Insomuch that the most ancient of dayes shall give fulness to the Soul, of knowledg and wisdom, and his sacred Spirit that shall fill it with the fulness of God, with contentation, and the sacred Trinity shall be all in all to it. Seeing then the Soul is capable, and is the subject of the happiness, and joyes of heaven, and partner with the glorious Angels in the fruition of the chief good, let the sentence of glory joyn to Grace and nature, that the Soul is of greater value then the whole world.

Behold then, O man, out of the mouth of three witnesses: (for I may say in this case, as Saint John saith in another, There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost. Behold, out of the mouth of three Wit∣nesses) the surpassing excellency, and dignity of thy soul; it is the breathing of God,

the Image of God; he created it with his Word, redeemed it with his Son, and in whomsoever his grace abides, he will crown it hereafter with his glorious pre∣sence.

What then remains, * 1.17 but that we esteem our souls accordingly as God values them. Let us not with the unhallowed voluptuous in these times, make Lords of our bodies, and slaves of our souls. Let us not spend our dayes in providing for the lusts of the flesh. Let us not in affectation of fair possessions, of able servants, of hopeful sons, and good friends, content our selves with bad souls. A mans soul is himself, * 1.18 saith Plato. And O wretched wight, saith Saint Austin, how hast thou deserved so much ill of thy self, as among all thy goods, to be only thy self bad? O remember the sublimity of thy precious soul: thou knowest not what a precious pearle thou hast in thy body, like the hidden treasure in the Gospel, it is of greater worth than the whole field. I say not as he did, know that thou hast a God in thee, yet know that in that better part of thy nature, thou art like to God: for he hath given thee a soul of his own breathing, and stamped it with the impress of his own Image; and created it capable of the fruition of his own presence in endless glory. In the consideration whereof, walk worthily of this precious divine inspi∣ration. Thy Soul is a spirit, let thy thoughts be spiritual. Thy soul is immortal, let thy meditations be of immortality, and renounce thy body and good name, and gifts of the world, for the gainig of thy soul; for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and to lose his own soul? So much shall serve to be spoken of the first point: the surpassing excellency and dignity of the soul, it is vallued and pri∣zed here above the whole world.

Now, * 1.19 the next is the possibility, that a man may lose his own soul. The menti∣on whereof causeth me to remember, that passage between Christ and his Disciples, Mat. 24. The Disciples point Christ to the stately buildings of the Temple; but they were soon damped, when Christ told them, that after a while there should not a stone, be left upon a stone. So perhaps, you are taken with admiration at the former part of the discourse, concerning the excellency of mans soul, but are damped, to consider that a man may lose it. It is a substance immortal, in respect of the being of it; but defiled with sin, it is adjudgeable to death in regard of the well-being; and a posibility so to die, is nothing repugnant to the immortality of the soul. The damned spirits they are alwayes dying, and are never dead; they are alwayes deprived of Gods comfortable presence, and are never released of their hellish torments; As the Apostle saith in another case, as dying, and yet behold they live; as living, and yet behold they die. The soul expiring is the death of the body, and God forsaking is the death of the soul.

But you will say, * 1.20 how is it possible?

The question is soon resolved, * 1.21 if we ponder the causes of death. A thousand mortal maladies there are to kill the body, * 1.22 and there are a thousand deadly diseases to destroy the soul. There is no sin so small, but in the rigour of Gods justice, and in its own nature, it way damn the soul.

When God in the beginning stated man in Paradise, he gave him a special caveat about the tree of knowledg, he gives him a command thus; In the day thou eatest, thou shalt die. What, for bare eating? No, beloved, but for the sin, for tans∣gressing so small a commandement of so great a God. Sin alone makes a separation between God and the soul, and causeth the death of the soul; the soul that sins, the same shall die. It may teach us, that for the time that we live in this world, there is nothing easier then to sin. There is a tree of Life, and a tree of Kuowledg, and by eating of the tree forbidden cometh death: there is a way of felicity, and a way to destruction; there is a God of salvation, and a ghostly enemy, and by adhe∣ring to the pricipality of sin, a man may lose his own soul.

Is it possible then that a man may lose his soul that is so precious? * 1.23 and have we not great reason to try, and to suspect our selves, touching our standing towards God? Is there not a main necessity to seek the means to preserve us in the compass, and seals of grace? It is lamentable to consider how in bodily diseases men can open their grief, and seek for help, and send to some learned Physitian. We can go

to some noble learned councel, in case of law. But alas the soul lies wounded in the way, over laden with the grievances and pressures of sin, distracted with the affrightings of a troubled conscience, as if there were no balm in Gilead, no Physitian there, as if there were no Minister to afford help. There is no seeking abroad: a Lyon is pretented to be in the way, and Solomons sluggard, folds his hands to sleep. O let not these things be so. Be not as the Horse and Mule that have no understanding. Neglect not the helps of your preservation in grace: but, be continually watchful with suspition and jealousie, and abstain from fleshly lusts, that fight against your souls. The Poet could say, Theeves rise by night to rob, and kill, and steal, and wilt not thou wake to save thy soul.

God (for the most part) saith Saint Chrysostome hath alotted to nature all by two's; two hands, two eyes, two feet, two ears; ears, eyes, hands, feet, two of all, that if we chance to maim one, we can help to relieve the necessity of it by the o∣ther: but he hath given us but one soul, if we lose that, what shift shall we make for another soul? a piercing contemplation, if we had grace to consider it. There∣fore, O my soul, tender thy self as my own happiness, if thou be translated to hea∣ven, the body in time shall come thither; this corruption, shall put on incorruption; this mortal, shall put on immortality. Again, if thou be haled with the fiends to the nethermost hell, the body in time shall be tormented with thee. It is altogether just with the righteous God, that they that meet in sin, should also consort in suf∣fering. Save thy self, and save all; and by woful consequence, lose thy self, and lose all: For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. So much for the second point, the possibility of losing a mans soul.

* 1.24 Come we to the third, the compossibility of outward prosperity; he may lose his soul, in gaining the whole world. In the diversity of opinions concerning the chief good, some there were that placed it in riches; others in honours; and how ever they differed in their judgements, yet both agreed in this, that they were both deceived. For how ever it cannot be denied, but that riches, and honours, are the blessings of God; * 1.25 yet again they are no demonstration of a blessed man. Lest any man should take them to be ill, they are bestowed upon them that are good: lest any man should reckon them for the chief good, they are bestowed likewise up∣on the evil: external blessings are but common favours vouchsafed to good and bad. Was Abraham rich? so was Abimelech. Was Jacob rich? so was La∣ban. Was David a King? so was Saul. Was Constantine an Emperour? so was Julian. Salvation depends not on the multitude of riches, or emminency in place: the tallest Cedar hath the greatest fall; and the fairest houses many times the greatest ruin; and outward prosperity uuguarded with inward sanctity, may soon lose the soul.

For first, * 1.26 rich men are tainted with covetousness, which is a kind of secret Idola∣try, Collos. 3. and covetousness which is Idolatry, saith the Apostle.

If you would know the reason, * 1.27 the more tenaciously a man loves his own, the less devotion he offers to God, you cannot live in the service of Mammon, and of Christ; the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, you cannot serve God and Mammon. If the young man in the Gospel have great possessions; if Judas carry the bag; if Demas imbrace the present world; then fearewel Christ, farewel Paul, and fare∣wel soul too. So true is the saying of the Apostle, They that will be rich fall into temptations, and snares, and many foolish, and noysome lusts that drown men in perdition and destruction. Where, he saith not they that are, but they that will be rich: It is not simply money, but the love of money that is the root of all evil. Riches are good with a good conscience: but if the soul be infected with avarice, if it savour of that bitter Collaquintida, Death is in the pot, and how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdome of heaven? For the desire of worldly men, it is as the unsatiable thirst of a dropsie patient: there is no means that they leave unattempted, no policy unachieved for the accomplishment of their ends, and advancing of their estate.

Balaam for a bribe will almost curse where the Lord hath blessed. Ziba for an in∣heritance (as much as in him lies) will bring his Master within the compass of trea∣son.

Demosthenes for a little more gold, instead of pleading, will pretend he hath a cold. May not the Church have a Balaam? And the Princes Court have a Ziba? and the bar have a Demosthenes? There is no greedy Monopolizer wheresoever they be, in City or Country, but they are moralized Eagles; and the coals that they carry shall fire their own nest; They shall have Ahabs curse with Naboths Vineyard, and Gehezies leprosie with Naamans reward; and while with an eager pursuit they hoard up unrighteous Mammon, it is but wrath heaped up against the last day; they heap up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath.

Secondly, * 1.28 great men are in danger of ambition, and a swelling inordinately up∣on their promotion. And the ambitious man is so strangely dazled with the beams of his own lustre, ut imperio, &c. that in the greatest of his power, he thinks of nothing but how to be greater, he forgets the Lord that made him, and God that raised him out of the mire, to set him with the Princes of the people. And like that famous fool in his new coat once, he knows not himself. So by means of this im∣pediment; though God have some Noble, and some worldly-wise, that he hath drawn to himself: yet by means of this impediment, not many mighty, not many Noble are called. The gates of heaven are too too strait for the swelling dimensions of ambition: there is nothing so easie to pride, as to purchase a fall, and there is no fall so great as from heaven. It is a sign that Lucifer, if he long for dainties shall be cast out of heaven. It is a sign that Adam, if he desire the Apple shall be cast out of Paradise. It is a sign that Nebuchadnezzar, if he glory in Babel, he shall be cast out of his Kingdom. It is a signe that Haman by abusing his promotion, shall be exalted to the gallows. To comprize it in aword, the greater the dignity of eminency and ho∣nour, the greater the execution of pains, and horror. The sum then is this, in a world of promotion, and temporal advancement in worldly possessions, and unmeasura∣ble treasure, the covetous, and ambitious man may lose his own soul.

Now, * 1.29 for a word of Application, if this be so; how taxable then are the thousands of worldlings in this kind, that imagine the gain of this earth to be the greatest happi∣ness? * 1.30 That say to the Gold, thou art my God; and to honour, thou art my glory? That make Gold their God, and Mammon their Mediator. Saith Saint Bernard, Yea cove∣tous generation that glory in silver and gold, in that that is not yours, nor precious; precious it cannot be, but by the avarice of the sons of Adam that prise them. A∣gain, if they be yours, take them away with you when you go hence. Yet the children of the world are wholly for great Diana, Gods of silver and gold, multi∣tudes of lands, and revenues, and advancing of their secular estate.

Many can complain of the vanity of this world, and the deceivableness of it; but few complain of that Idolatrous confidence that themselves repose in this false world: there are few that recount, how in enjoying outward things, Martha without Mary, prosperity without piety, they may lose their own souls. O let a word of exhortation prevail against this sore disease, if riches encrease, take heed of covetous∣ness; be covetous of spiritual things, for immortality, there hoard up your trea∣sure in heaven.

Again, * 1.31 for ambition take heed of it, be honourable for humility, and ambitious for heaven; Love not the world, and the things of this world; exalt not your selves a∣gainst the Lord of glory. Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth: boast not of to morrow. O fool, this night shall they fetch thy soul. And what is a man profi∣ted, if he gain the world, and lose his own soul? So much for the third point, the compossibility of outward prosperity, a man may lose his soul, in gaining the whole world.

The fourth and the last, * 1.32 is the woful disadvantage by such an exchange, What is a man profited? You may call it not unfitly the account of the careless Merchant; or a Summary collection of gains and losses. For (a little to countenance the alle∣gory) every unsatiable worldling is but merchant adventurer, a ventrous Mer∣chant, he exchangeth his precious Soul for the deceivable riches of this world. But when God in his judgement transports him to his own place, the infortunate Island of damned spirits; then he begins when the time is past, to cast up his doleful account, to campare his gains, and his losses; and after all the ennumeration of his imaginary

gain; so much by usury, so much by extortion, so much by fraudulent dealing; the to∣tal sum is collected to his hand. What is a man profited? whence the observation might be this; that,
When the gain of the world, * 1.33 is attended with the loss of the soul, the over plus will be just nothing.

The bargain is such, as that there is nothing gotten by it. That is too sparing an expression, it is short of Christs meaning, who conceals the worst, and refers it to our own collection: for (by the way) it were a happiness to be nothing, it were profitable for the damned: but this comes neerest Christs meaning, it is a loss unre∣deemable, and such as the world cannot countervail, when a man for the gaining of the world forfeits his soul. Let us see it in some particulars.

First, if it be a man that glories in the resplendency of his fortunes, and blesseth himself in magnifying his estate; a Commander of Kingdoms and Nations, an in∣grosser of preferments and dignities; yet

First, * 1.34 Death will attach him, there is no carrying it away: he must of necessity take his leave of his Mammon, and then whose shall all these things be for which he hath lost his soul? Who gains by the smallness of the Epha, the greatness of the shek•…•…e, the refuse of the wheat? Where is the man that gloried in his abundance, and store, and thought himself the only happy man? saith the Prophet David, I went but by, and he was gone, I sought him, and his place could not be found. There is a lively expression that illustrates it, * 1.35 Jer. 17. As the Partridg gathereth young that she brought not forth: so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the middest of his dayes, and at his end shall be a fool. What not before? Yes, he was alwayes a fool; but then by conviction, his own conscience shall call him so; by the confession of his own tongue, which shall call him so; by the proclamation of just men, they shall proclaim him so; Lo this is the man that took not God for his strength, but trusted in the multitude of his riches, and strengthened himself, &c.

Secondly, * 1.36 having lost his supposed good, he loseth the fruition of God the chief good, the countenance of the beatifical presence, the fellowship, and melodious harmony of the glorious Angels: his place and portion with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdome of heaven. And all proportionable to his own deservings. In his life-time he refused God, being dead God refuseth him: he turned his face from the poor and needy; God in his affliction eternally turns his face from him. A loss so exceeding great, that whosoever descends deepest in the meditation of it, yet he shall be at a loss, * 1.37 and to seek for a full definition of it: For as Chrysostome truly affirms, though a man tell thee of ten thousand hells, all is one in comparison of this misery, to be discarded of blessedness and glory, and to be hated of Christ.

But if this be so, * 1.38 what shall we say to further misery? having lost the chief good, he receives his punishment with hypocrites, and unbeleevers in the dungeon of ex∣tream ill. A place where there is nothing but horrour of conscience and desperation; a company of affrighting divels; and with all this, weeping and wailing, and gnash∣ing of teeth. Instead of merriment, and jovial laughter, and scurrulous lascivious songs, and wasting, and abusing the creatures of God, nothing but weeping, and gnashing of teeth. So that having come into the chambers of death and closed in the straits of the grave; the man like the hedg-hogg, leaves the apples behind him, and only reserves the prickles of a wounded spirit, * 1.39 in that sentence of Babilon; As much as she bath gloryed her self, and lived delitiously, so much terment give her.

Lastly, * 1.40 that that is the hell of hells, that nothing may be wanting to his diserved wo; he is out of hope of all gracious means of deliverance, he must never look for the revokation of Gods sentence, though with Esau, he seek it with tears, he must never look for mittigation of his horrour, though he heg with the unmerciful glut∣ton, for one drop of water. The date of repentance is out; the day of grace will never dawn again: the justice is implacable, the fire unquenchable, the worm unsa∣tiable, and all continual without intermission for ever-more.

O! bottomless depth of horrour; oh unexpressible torment of a forsaken soul! what greater misery, * 1.41 saith devout St. Bernard, then alway to be wishing for that which shall never be, and for the removing of that that shall never cease to be. Therefore the sum is this; Hath the covetous exchanged his soul for riches; the am∣bitious for honours: hath he lost it for the riches of Cressus; the power of Alexan∣der; the Empireof Augustus; the glory of the whole world? yet in consideration of

• The end of his life
• The loss of his God
• The extremity of his pain
• The eternity of all

What is a man profited?

Now then for some application, * 1.42 and to draw toward a conclusion: suffer the word of exhortation (brethren) and captivate your thoughts to the obedience of Jesus Christ. You especially whom God hath blessed above others, concerning the enjoyment of outward, temporal things. If ever you be desirous to escape the direful slaughter-house of Hell; to escape those burnings, and those everlasting yellings, while you have time, bethink your selves of some saving course to flie from the wrath to come. And now in time cast up your accounts: take heed lest for the love of this present world, you lose your God, the life of your souls. There is a way that seems right to a man (saith Solomon) but the end of it is the manifold wayes of death. Some Babilonish garment, some Naboths Vineyard, some sweet preferment: but if the means be unlawful, if it disturb conscience, and prejudice the glory of God, and occasion the destruction of thy soul, then say, What shall I doe when God shall rise up? and when he shall visit, what shall I answer? This will be the reckoning of fools at the last, What hath pride profited us? and what hath riches brought us? Sure∣ly the gain will be no other then what Promethius is fabled to have had by Pandora's box, a place to be tormented. Or what Hercules got by Dianira's garment. Such will be the final issue of all Mammonists, that live amongst Christians, and un∣der means of better reformation, and more sanctification in their wayes; I say this will be the final issue. The worm of despair alway gnawing, and never dying; and the flames of eternal Tophet never to be extinguished. Therefore in such a case, if thou tell me thou knowest what thou dost, and what thou gainest. Let me tell thee, thou little knowest thy dammage, and what thou hast lost. Alas, what are the goods of this life, when they are compared with eternal damnation? and the sweetness of imaginary gain, what proportion hath it with the bitterness of so great a loss? Riches have wings, they take their leave; honour is transitory; plea∣sures flie away: whereas the soul of man is the subject of immortality. And thy poor neglected soul must bide by it for an everlasting pledge, and pay the debt.

O! then, contemn this glory that is nothing; First seek Gods kingdom, and the glory of it; suffer not heaven to stand at so great a distance to thy soul, taste and see how gracious the Lord is, by one drop of water from that celestial fountain; by one crum from that heavenly table; and then as concerning the things below, thou wilt account them as dross and dung, in comparison of that joy, and peace of conscience. Resolve as Themistocles, when he saw a goodly booty, he would not stoup to take it up: leave these things for the Children of this world. But let your care be to please the Lord, and to gain the peace of a good conscience; First seek the kingdom of God, which consists not in meat and drink; but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. Remember the vanity of the things of the world; remember how un∣able the soul is to enjoy hell, and to lose heaven without eternal horrour: and in consideration hereof. Use the World, as though you used is not; and use this as a proof, hide it in a sanctified memory, and write it in the table of a sanctified conscience, (if it were possible with a pen of Iron, and the point of a Diamond. What is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Origen.
• * 1.2

  Parts of the Text.
• * 1.3

  The excellency of mans soul.
• * 1.4

  1. By nature; and that in res∣pect.
• * 1.5

  Plato.
• * 1.6

  1. Of the ori∣ginal.
• * 1.7

  Aug.
• * 1.8

  Manichees
• * 1.9

  Heb 12.9.2. The Image. Plato. Aristocle.
• * 1.10

  In respect of the substance.
• * 1.11

  The indow∣ments.
• * 1.12

  The comand over the body.
• * 1.13

  2. By grace.
• * 1.14

  1. In Re∣demption.
• * 1.15

  2. In renova∣tion.
• * 1.16

  3. By glory. Bern.
• * 1.17

  Ʋse. To take espe∣cial care of our souls.
• * 1.18

  Plato. Aug.
• * 1.19

  The possibility to lose the soul. Mat. 24.
• * 1.20

  Quest.
• * 1.21

  Answ.
• * 1.22

  How the soul may be lost.
• * 1.23

  Ʋse.
• * 1.24

  3. A man may lose his soul in gaining the world.
• * 1.25

  Note.
• * 1.26

  1. Rich men.
• * 1.27

  Are covetous.
• * 1.28

  Ambi••ious. men
• * 1.29

  Vse. To tax cove∣tous men
• * 1.30

  Bern.
• * 1.31

  1. Ambitious.
• * 1.32

  The loss by this gain.
• * 1.33

  Observat. The worlds gain with the souls loss it comes to no∣thing.
• * 1.34

  1. Death takes all away.
• * 1.35

  Jer. 17.11.
• * 1.36

  2 He loseth the chiefe good.
• * 1.37

  Chrysost.
• * 1.38

  3. Possest of the greatest ill.
• * 1.39

  Simile.
• * 1.40

  4. Without hope of deli∣verance.
• * 1.41

  Bern.
• * 1.42

  Ʋse. To prevent this misery be∣times.