Two Discourses, Section 9 – Section 11
§.
I. On the Soul's part.
Therein two things:
1. The Species, the Kind, and intrinſecal Rank of Being, which this Creature (we call the Soul) thus wrought upon, ſtands in afore God.
2. The outward Condition or Caſe this Soul is left in upon its parting with the Body, unleſs God takes it up into Glory.
Firſt; For its Rank or Kind of Being.
Therein two things:
1. This Soul was by its firſt Creation a Spirit, and that in the ſubſtance or native kind thereof; and in that reſpect (conſidered apart for its Union with the Body) is in a more ſpecial manner allied unto God, than all other Creatures (but Angels) are.
You have the Pedigree of Man, both in reſpect of Body and Soul, ſet out, Acts 17. The Extract of our Bodies, in v. 26. He hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men. So then on that ſide (as we ſay) in reſpect of our Bodies, there is a Conſanguinity of all Men, being made of one Blood, between one another: But then in reſpect of our Souls, we are God's Off-ſpring, v. 28. and ſo on that ſide there is an Alliance (not of Conſanguinity) unto God, upon the account of having been created immediately by him, and in the very ſubſtance of our Souls made like him, and in his Image; and yet we are not begotten of his Eſſence or Subſtance, which is only proper to his Great Son. And in a correſpondency unto this, God is ſtiled, Heb. 12. 9. The Father of our Spirits, in diſtinction from the Fathers of our Fleſh or Bodies; (ſee the words:) Which Alliance or Fatherhood, take it as in common with all Mens Spirits, lieth in this, That he not only created our Souls immediately out of nothing, but in his own Image, as to the ſubſtance of them, which Image or Likeneſs other Creatures did not bear, which yet were made out of nothing, as the Chaos was; both which appear, by putting two places together, Zech. 12. 1. He frameth their Spirits (ſpeaking of the Souls of Men) and that, [altogether] ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 33. 15. (ſo Ainſworth; and others read it) that is, both, each of thoſe Spirits; and alſo wholly and totally, every whit of the ſubſtance of them: Creatio eſt productio totius entis; for Creation differs from Generation in this, that it is a raiſing up or producing the whole of a being out of meer nothing, that is to ſay, [altogether,] whereas Generation preſuppoſeth pre-exiſtent matter; as in the generation of our Bodies, which are not wholly and every whit of God immediately, but the Parents afford the matter, and the formative virtue beſides, by which our Bodies are framed. So then, in reſpect of our firſt Creation, our Souls (apart conſidered) are thus allied to God, to which our Bodies are not; being Spirits in the very Being of them, that altogether do owe that their Being to him.
But there is a taint come upon the Souls of all Men by Sin, ſo as this alliance is thereby worn out, yea forfeited, until it be reſtored. Now therefore theſe Souls (the only ſubject of our Diſcourſe) being ſuch as God hath wrought, and ſo are become his Workmanſhip by a new and far nobler Creation, and thereby created Spirit anew, according to what Chriſt ſays, That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Hereupon theſe Souls are Spirit, upon a double account: as you ſay of Sugar, it is double-refined; ſo this is now become a ſpiritual Spirit, or Spirit ſpiritualized and ſublimated; yea, and thereby the inward Sanctuary, the Holy Rom. 7. 22. 25.of Holies, the ſeat of God's moſt ſpiritual Worſhip; which the Body is not, but only as it is the outward Temple or Inſtrument of this new-made Spirit.
And hereupon that original Affinity to God of Spirit, is not only reſtored, but endeared; for now there is both the ſtuff, or the ground-work, and then the workmanſhip, or embroidery upon it, and both of them the Works of God; that ſo look as the Gold wrought upon, commends the Enamel, and then again the Enamel enhaunceth the value of the Gold, ſo as both are conſidered in the price; ſo it's here with this Soul wrought by God in both reſpects.
§.
Secondly, Conſider we now again the Caſe and outward Condition of ſuch a Soul, that of it ſelf would fall out to it upon the Diſſolution of the Body.
1. It fails of all ſorts of Comforts it had in and by its union with the Body in this World, Luke 16. 9. When you fail, ſays Chriſt, ſpeaking of Death, 'tis your City-phraſe when any of you break, and perhaps are thereby driven into another Kingdom, as the Soul now is.
2. Then, if ever, a Mans fleſh and his heart fails, Pſal. 73. 26.
3. And (which is worſe) a Man's Faith faileth or ceaſeth after Death, and all his ſpiritual Knowledg as in this Life, 'tis the expreſs phraſe uſed 1 Cor. 13. at the 8th verſe, and which is proſecuted to the end of that Chapter. And ſo all that communion it had with God in this Life is cut off: It is of all Creatures left the moſt deſtitute and forlorn, if God provides not.
And yet fourthly, It is now upon Death (which it never was afore) immediately brought into the preſence of God. Naked Soul comes afore naked God. Eccleſ. 12. 7. Then ſhall the Duſt return to the Earth as it was, and the Spirit ſhall return unto God that gave it: it is put out of houſe and home, and turned upon its Father again.
This as to the Souls Condition.
II. God's part.
§.
This is a ſpecial ſeaſon for God to ſhew his Love to ſuch a Soul, if ever afore or after, an opportunity, ſuch as falls not out, neither afore, whilſt it was in the Body; nor after, when it is united to the Body again, at the Reſurrection: if ever therefore he means to ſhew a reſpect unto a poor Soul, which is his ſo neer Kindred and Alliance, it muſt be done now. We read in Pſal. 73. 26. My Fleſh and my Heart faileth (as at Death to be ſure it doth) but God is the ſtrength of my Heart, both in this Life and at Death to ſupport me [and my portion for ever] in the Life to come without any interruption or vacant ſpace of time, as that [ever] imports: and that David ſpake this with an Eye unto the Glory to come, when Heart, and Fleſh, and all in this World he foreſaw would fail him, is evident by what he had immediately meditated in the words afore, ver. 24. Thou ſhalt guide me with thy counſel, ſo in this Life, and afterwards (that being ended) ſhall receive me unto Glory. The contemplation whereof makes him cry out again, ver. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? for all things elſe will fail me one day, when my Fleſh utterly fails me alſo: And There is none upon Earth (where he had at preſent many Comforts and Comforters) in compariſon of thee. You ſee God is the portion of the whole of his time, even for ever, as ver. 26. and his Eſtate in Heaven and Earth divide that time and portion between them, and no middle ſtate between both, but when the one ceaſeth the other begins, for between them two muſt be the [for ever,] and when all fail him which he had on Earth, then God alone becomes his Happineſs in Heaven. But this only in general ſhews what God is and will be to a Soul in this condition.