A Collection of Sermons Upon Jonah, Corollary – Title page 6
A Corolary.
THe Soule of Man as conjoyned with his Body, is in Scripture compared to a*Job 18. 6. Prov. 20. 27. Candle: Non although omnes animae ſunt aequales, all ſouls are equall in eſſence, yet both in operation (wherein they muſt ask the body leave to exerciſe it ſelf by its proper organs) as alſo in duration whilst conjoyned here with the body, there is great difference betwixt them. And we may in humble proſecution of the Scriptures Metaphor obſerve ſeven Candles in relation to their continuance in this life:
1. The firſt and leaſt ſize is of thoſe who have life in them, but never ſee light without them.
2. The ſecond ſize is of ſuch who are born into this world, but die before the concurrence of their Will with their Judgment, and therefore before their poſsibility of committing Actuall ſinne, with the Babes of Bethlehem murthered by Herod.
3. The third is of thoſe who arrive at an ability of Actuall ſinne, yet expire before they have attained unto the Perfection of Youth, with the Children that mocked the Prophet Eliſha.
4. The fourth ſize ſucceeds of thoſe who are in the height and heat of their Youth, the proper ſubject of our foregoing Sermon.
5. The fift is of thoſe who cannot be ſo fooliſh and fond in flattering themſelves, but that they muſt confeſſe Youth is paſt with them, though as yet they are not ſenſible of any decay in Nature: Theſe are my Pew-fellowes in age, God grant we may beware the Atheisticall inference of thoſe in the 2 Pet. 3. 4. denying the Day of Judgment, becauſe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation. We are ſubject to commit the ſame dangerous miſtake in our Microcoſme as they did in their great World, and to conclude Death will never ſurpriſe becauſe we finde not in our ſelves any evident and eminent diminution of our ſtrength, being as able and active as ever we have been in our remembrance.
6. The ſixt ſize is of thoſe whoſe Almond-tree doth flouriſh, though the budding thereof be no ſigne of Spring, but Autumn in them; God grant they may understand the ſummons of Death, though at diſtance, liſten to, and make good uſe of them.
7. The ſeventh and laſt ſize is of ſuch who cannot appear in this place, nor come within the hearing of a Sermon, no Church but a Chimney-corner, or a Bed is the place of their aboad, whoſe Candle is in the ſocket, and Lamps ready to goe out for want of oyle to feed them.
To all theſe ſeverall ſizes, I mean to ſo many of them as are capable of underſtanding GOD in Solomon ſpeaks, Eccleſ. 12. 1. Remember now thy Creatour. I ſay now, now is an Atome, it will puzzle the skill of an Angell to divide: now is a Monoſyllable in all Learned (and many other) Languages, beſt otherwiſe the name ſhould be longer in pronouncing than the thing in continuing. God grant that what ſize ſoever the Candle of our life be, we may inſtantly remember our Creatour. Amen.
FINIS.
NOTES UPON JONAH.
By Thomas Fuller.
LONDON, Printed for Iohn Stafford in George-yard neer Fleet-bridge. 1656.