Gospel Revelation, Treatise 3 · Sermon 5
The Fifth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul.
Matthew 16.26. For what is a man profited if hee ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul?
Uſe. IF the loſs of our ſouls bee ſo dreadful as you have heard, bleſs God that your ſouls are not gone, and thus loſt, as hath been opened unto you: It may bee thou haſt loſt thy husband, or thy wife, or thy childe, or thy friend, or a great part of thine eſtate, but bleſſed bee God that thy ſoul is not loſt: In a great fire where men uſe to loſe moſt, if not all that they have, when a man comes to view what hee hath loſt, and hee findes hee hath loſt this thing that was in ſuch a parlour, and that that was in ſuch a cheſt, but if at length he comes to finde that ſuch a Jewel that hee had in the houſe, or ſuch a bagg of gold, in which moſt of his eſtate conſiſted, that that is not loſt, though all the lumber, all the houſhold-ſtuff is loſt, that comforts him in all other of his loſſes: So it ſhould bee here, whatever wee loſe, wee are to bee comforted in this, that our ſouls are not gone and loſt: It is a notable Scripture, in 1 Pet. 4. verſ. laſt. Wherefore let them that ſuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their ſouls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. As if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, you are like to meet with great ſufferings, you may likely bee deprived of all you have, of your eſtates, and of all your comforts, and may come to ſuffer much, yet commit the keeping of your ſouls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator: Why, they might have ſaid, but what ſhall become of other things? if ſtorms, and tempeſts, and ſufferings come, what ſhall become of our eſtates? what ſhall become of our livelihoods, and of our bodies? why ſaith the Apoſtle, as for them, for your eſtates, for your bodies, it may bee they may periſh; you are not ſo much to look after them, but commit the keeping of your ſouls unto him, as unto a faithful Creator. The Apoſtle here exhorts them what to do in times of ſufferings, and by what hee doth expreſs, hee doth imply, that they ſhould take no care for outward eſtate, and body; it is enough that your ſouls are well, commit the keeping of your ſouls to him, as unto a faithful Creator, wee have enough if that bee ſafe: You know in time of danger, as fires, and other times, if a man hath any precious thing, hee carries that preſently to ſome ſpecial friend, and commits the keeping of that to him; his writings and ſuch things, wherein his eſtate is moſt: So ſaith the Apoſtle, in the time of publick danger, Take care to commit the keeping of your ſouls to him, as unto a faithful Creator, and you are well enough. That is the firſt.
Secondly, If the loſs of the ſoul bee ſo dreadful a loſs, Oh let us bleſs God then for Jeſus Chriſt, without whom all our ſouls had been eternally loſt, never a ſoul in the world but muſt have periſhed unto all eternity, had not Jeſus Chriſt come into the world to bee the great Saviour of ſouls; All the Angels in Heaven, and men in the world could never have ſaved one ſoul; now Chriſt ſaw this, and his bowels did even yearn towards ſo many thouſands of precious ſouls, and rather than they ſhould periſh, hee was content to come and make his own ſoul to bee an offering for ſin, Iſa. 53.10. the ſoul of Chriſt was made an offering there, and what was that but for the ſaving of ſouls? wee may therefore, concerning Chriſt, well ſay, as the Elders, in Rev. 5.9. They ſang a new ſong, ſaying, Thou art worthy, &c. for thou waſt ſlain, and haſt redeemed us to God by thy blood. Oh thou art worthy! O bleſſed Saviour! Hee doth not ſay what, but onelyonly thus, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the ſeals thereof, for thou wert ſlain, and haſt redeemed us to God: There is infinite worthineſs in Chriſt, and worthy hee is of all the honour that wee are able poſſibly to bring to him, had wee ten thouſand times more ſtrength than wee have to do it; For hee was ſlain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood. If there were a company of poor people upon the Sea, and in danger to be loſt, their own ſhip through ſtreſs of weather fallen to peeces, and they upon a plank, and ready to bee ſwallowed up of every wave, and there comes a ſhip by, and ſaves their lives, Oh how would they bee affected with ſuch a mercy as this! and bleſs God for his goodneſs, that ſuch a ſhip ſhould come by at ſuch a time; wee had all been loſt if this ſhip had not come by juſt at this time: So when wee read the Goſpel, wee read of Jeſus Chriſt God-Man coming into the world, and ſtanding between the wrath of the Infinite God, and ſinful ſouls, let us then conſider how infinitely wee are bound to bleſs God for Jeſus Chriſt; for we were ready even all of us to bee ſwallowed up into the bottomleſs gulf of the wrath of the infinite God; the waves of Gods infinite wrath, were ready to have covered over all man-kinde, onelyonly the Lord Jeſus Chriſt comes, and even leaps, as it were, into the very Ocean of Gods wrath, into the very flames of the wrath and juſtice of God, to pluck out our ſouls, and to ſave them: Bleſs wee God then for Jeſus Chriſt, conſidering that the loſs of ſouls is ſuch a dreadful loſs, and onelyonly ſaved by that great Saviour that is come into the world.
And then thirdly, If the loſs of the ſoul bee ſo dreadful, then it muſt needs bee a dreadful evil for any to have any hand in this loſs, or to bee any furtherance of it: Take heed that thou haſt no hand at all in ſo great an evil as this is; Oh how much better thou hadſt never been born, than to have a hand in ſo great an evil! wee account thoſe miſerable creatures, that have a hand in the loſs of Kingdomes; to have a hand in the undoing of one ſoul is a greater miſchief, than to be the cauſe of the undoing of a whole Kingdome for their outward eſtate: If one ſhould bee the cauſe of the ruine of a whole Kingdome for their outward eſtate, you would ſay that certainly it had been better that that man had never been born: Certainly thou that haſt a hand in the undoing of any ſoul, thou wert born to do a greater miſchief than ſuch a one; if any friend of yours take a courſe whereby hee undoes himſelf, and when the evil conſequence of his unwiſe courſes appears, you are ready to ſay, Bleſſed bee God I had no hand in it. If people will damn their ſouls eternally, take heed you have no hand in it; and if any of your children, friends, ſervants, acquaintance, neighbours, ſhould periſh eternally, yet it will bee a great mercy if you have no hand in it: People may have a hand in the loſs of other mens ſouls many waies.
As by careleſneſs of the ſouls of thoſe committed to their charge; they may come to bee loſt by thy careleſneſs; by thy neglect their ſouls may periſh; and eſpecially it concerns thoſe that take the charge of ſouls, they had need look to it, that thoſe do not cry out againſt them in Hell, that it was through their neglect that they are here now, and muſt lye here for ever? Oh the cry of a ſoul againſt a man is a dreadful thing! perhaps the ſouls of ſome of your children may bee in Hell, crying out againſt you for the neglect of them, that you regarded them not, you let them prophane Sabbaths, you could hear them ſwear, and rebuke them not, or but very ſlightly; you never inſtructed them in the waies of God, and eternal life: you were the cauſe of the deſtruction of their ſouls, by your wicked example; they ſaw their Parents do thus and thus, hate goodneſs and good men; they ſaw them ſcorn at the Word, or neglect it, and contemn it, and upon that they did ſo too, and now they are in Hell for it, and curſing the time that ever they were born of ſuch Parents: And many ſouls, no queſtion there are in Hell, curſing the time that ever they came into ſuch a wicked family, wherein they ſaw ſo much wickedneſs, wherein there was no worſhipping of God, nor no means to come to know God, and upon that they went on ſecurely in wickedneſs, and now are ſunk down to eternal miſery. — You may bee the cauſe of the deſtruction of others ſouls, by drawing of them to ſin; when you ſhall be active to draw any one to the commiſſion of any ſin, thou doſt what in thee lieſt to caſt away that precious immortal ſoul; And have never any of you had a hand in this? have you never been inſtruments to draw others to ſome ſin or other? now if you have, either theſe that you have tempted are yet alive, or they are dead; if they bee alive, know, that you are bound in conſcience to do now to the uttermoſt for the good of their ſouls; to make it your great work, if it bee poſſible, to do them as much good as ever you did them hurt; for certainly Soul-ſatisfaction is required of men, as well as Bodily-ſatisfaction: If you have wronged a man in his eſtate any way, although it were ſeven, twenty years ago, if God comes to awaken your conſciences, it will not ſerve your turn to return and repent, that is, to bee very ſorry that you have done it, and ask God forgiveneſs, but before you can have peace, you muſt make ſatisfaction where you have wronged, if God inable you: Now, doth God ſtand ſo much upon that, that if one hath but wronged a man in his eſtate, that all the ſorrow and repenting in the world will never bring peace of conſcience, without reſtitution, where there is ability? then certainly, if one hath wronged another in his ſoul, and hath indangered the damnation of that, by drawing of him to ſin: It is not enough for thee that thou ſeeſt this thy ſin, and thou art ſorry for it, and thou wilt never ſeek to draw others any more, no, but thou art bound, if ſuch bee alive, to go to them if thou canſt, and to ſeek now to do them as much good for their ſouls, as thou wert a cauſe of evil; what if this ſoul ſhould periſh at laſt by this ſin, that thou wert a cauſe to draw them to, thou hadſt need look about thee while they live, that if it bee poſſible thou mayeſt make a ſatisfaction for that ſoul-wrong that thou haſt done to them; and it may bee ſuch a one is dead, and ſo dead, as for ought thou knoweſt hee never did repent him of that ſin; now then ſee what a caſe thou art in: there is one drawn to a ſin by thee, and now hee is in Hell for that ſin that thou wert the cauſe of; what a caſe haſt thou brought thy ſelf into now? Is it any otherwiſe like, but that thou muſt follow? ſhall one bee in Hell for a ſin that thou wert the cauſe of, and doſt thou think alwaies to eſcape? here is the dreadful eſtate that any man brings himſelf to, when hee draws others to ſin: thou hadſt need to look about thee, and thy heart to bee affected with that ſin that hath been puniſhed with the eternal damnation of thoſe ſouls that thou haſt drawn to that ſin.— And not onelyonly by tempting to ſin, but by incouraging to ſin, by diſſwading from that that is good: It may bee ſome ſouls have been in a good forwardneſs to that which is good, they have begun to inquire after the waies of God, but have gotten into thy company, and thou haſt ſought to take them off; and what, will you bee ſuch fools as to beleeve every thing that is ſaid, and you will bee melancholly and mad, and who are they but a company of ſimple people that do thus and thus? and thus thou haſt been a means to hinder the good work of God in others, and to draw them from the good way that they were a beginning to ſet their feet in, and now they begin to bee out of love with the good waies of God, and thou haſt been the cauſe of it: Now, if theſe ſouls periſh, and it may bee ſome of them are in Hell already; truly, if a mans heart we…e as hard as any Iron, or Steel in the world, one would think that ſuch a meditation as this ſhould break his heart in peeces: That I know nothing to the contrary but ſome may bee in Hell for my cauſe. — And ſo many other waies wee might name, how a man might have his hand in the loſs of the ſouls of others; what way ſoever thou haſt a hand in the ſin of others, …or keeping of others from good, ſo many waies thou mayeſt have a hand in the loſs of their ſouls: But I intend not to ſtand upon this point, onelyonly conſider of it, and the Lord ſtrike the hearts of thoſe that are guilty in this kind; But the main uſe that I would ſpend the chief part of the time in, is this,
Uſe 4 If the loſs of a ſoul bee ſo dreadful, then hence is rebuked the folly and madneſs of moſt people that have no care of their ſouls, but through their own wretchedneſs and vileneſs they ſuffer their ſouls to periſh eternally; all their care is in pampering their bodies, and making much of them, but little minding their ſouls, and their eternal eſtates: Certainly when the bodies of thoſe ſouls ſhall meet them at the day of judgement, it will bee a very dreadful meeting: When thine immortal ſoul ſhall know what it is to bee loſt for ever, and ſhall bee brought to joyn again with the body, Oh how do you think it will look upon that curſed carkaſs? Oh this is that carkaſs, that body of mine, for whoſe ſake I muſt periſh for ever, yea and wee muſt now bee joyned both together, to bee fuel for the wrath of the Infinite God to burn upon to all eternity! certainly ſouls are loſt, and periſh thick and threefold, they go down to Hell, as Bees flie to the hive in the time of a ſtorm: There are many waies by which the ſoul may bee loſt, though there bee but one by which it may bee ſaved.
The ſeveral waies by which men come to loſe their Souls.
As firſt, Some there are that loſe their ſouls by wandring up and down in darkneſs all the daies of their lives, by wandring in the waies of ſin, in the dark, and ſo are a continual prey unto the Devil: how many, yea and in many places, the generality of people, they go on continually in blindneſs and darkneſs, in the vanity of their converſations, knowing nothing of God, nor of their own ſouls; and the firſt time that the eyes of their ſouls are opened and enlightned, it is when they are irrecoverably undone; yea the firſt thing that many ſouls do ever underſtand concerning themſelves, it is this, I am loſt and undone for ever; it is ſo with many, certainly they know nothing about their own ſouls, nor about God, till they come to know this, I am caſt away from God, and have loſt my ſoul for ever.
Secondly, Others, they loſe their ſouls by pawning of them away; by pawning of them, what is that you will ſay? why, you know what it is to pawn a thing, when you come and receive from a Broker ſuch a thing, you lay ſomething elſe to pawn for it, and upon this condition, that within ſuch a time you bring them ſuch a thing that you bargain for, and if you do not bring it againſt that time, then you loſe your pawn: Thus many pawn away their ſouls; when there is a temptation to any ſin, and they have a mind to it, now upon the commiſſion of this ſin thou doſt lay thy ſoul to pawn to the Devil, onelyonly upon this condition, that if thou doſt repent and beleeve before God cuts thee off, then thou ſhalt have thy ſoul again; upon theſe tearms moſt people ſin, and in caſe thou doſt not bring repentance and beleef in Chriſt, thy ſoul is gone: I appeal to you, there is a temptation to ſin, you know it is a ſin, and there is a great deal of danger in it, well but you have a mind to it, and you will needs have it, now you will acknowledge this, indeed if I do not repent, then I ſhall bee damned, but before I die, I hope to repent, and ſo I hope that my ſoul ſhall not periſh; that is as much as to ſay, I will lay my ſoul in pawn, and if I can bring repentance before I die, I will have my ſoul again, but if I do not, then my ſoul is gone; thus upon the commiſſion of every ſin, thou doſt lay thy ſoul to pawn, the devil hath it upon ſuch tearms as theſe: Now how many thouſands have loſt this their pawn, they have not brought Faith and Repentance within their time before they died, and ſo the Devil hath kept the pawn, and will keep it for ever: And it is more dangerous the laying of ſuch a pawn, than the ordinary laying of pawns to Brokers.
Firſt, There is no ſuch pawn that poſſibly can bee laid as this, the ſoul of a man: Men and women that have any wiſdome, they will not lay pawns of thoſe things that are precious to them, Oh it goes to their hearts to think, what muſt I lay this to pawn! I thought I ſhould never have lived to the day to lay ſuch a thing to pawn, I but when thou comeſt to lay thy ſoul to pawn, thou layeſt a more precious thing than all the world is.
Secondly, When thou layeſt a thing to pawn, thou doſt prefix thy own time for the redeeming of it again, perhaps two, three, four months before thou bring that, that is bargained for; but when thou layeſt thy ſoul to pawn, thou canſt not ſet any time:Luk. 12.20 What doſt thou know, oh Fool, but that this night thy ſoul may bee taken away from thee?
Thirdly, Yea and further, When you lay ſuch a thing to pawn, you make a bargain for the bringing of ſomewhat to redeem it that you have in your own power, or make account that you ſhall have in your own power to bring, you will not make the bargain to bring ſuch a thing that you are ſure you ſhall not have in your own power: Now, when you lay your ſouls to pawn, you lay them to pawn for that that you have not in your power, nor all the creatures in Heaven and Earth cannot help you to in your need, and that is Faith and Repentance: All the Angels in Heaven, nor men in the world cannot help you to it; it is onelyonly in the hands of God, of the Infinite bleſſed God, againſt whom you ſin, and whom you provoke, and yet how many do thus pawn their ſouls? and no marvel though men loſe their fouls, becauſe they pawn them thus fooliſhly and wretchedly; and that is the ſecond way of mens loſing of their ſouls.
Thirdly, Men loſe their ſouls by wounding them, they give them deadly wounds, upon which the ſouls of moſt do periſh.
Queſt. Wounding, how you will ſay?
Anſw. By that I mean the commiſſion of ſins againſt conſcience; to commit a known ſin, and a wilful ſin, oh this gives a wide gaſh in the ſoul, a moſt fearful wound! every ſin againſt conſcience gives a wound that requires a ſalve to heal it, that is more worth than a thouſand worlds; the ſins againſt conſcience, againſt light, againſt knowledge, they are deep wounds unto the ſouls of men; and it is not uſual for ſuch wounds to bee healed, for they do not onelyonly ſtrike at the life of the ſoul, but they harden the heart of the ſinner exceedingly, and keep off the means that might do the ſoul good; thou goeſt abroad into company, and there thou committeſt a ſin againſt thy conſcience, oh thou haſt given a gaſh to that precious ſoul of thine, thou haſt given it a deep wound, and except thou lookeſt to it, and that preſently, thy ſoul perhaps may die for ever! A man that hath received a deep wound, hee preſently ſends for the Chyrurgion, and if it bleeds well, hee hopes the cure is more hopeful: ſo when thou haſt committed ſin, if indeed it bleed, that is, if thy ſoul preſently bee ſenſible of it, and affected with it, and mourn and lament, and ſo ſeek after the Chyrurgion, there may bee hopes; but men and women do wound their own ſouls by wilful ſins, ſins againſt their conſciences, and yet they are not ſenſible of them, they do not ſo much as bleed, but they lye in the very open Air, as it were, and are not bound up at all, Ah! thouſand thouſands there are that die and periſh this way.
Fourthly, And then a fourth ſort there are that loſe their ſouls by being gulled of them, by being deceived of them; Satan perſwades them they are in a good condition, that all is well with them, and they need not fear, what need they to trouble themſelves, theſe are but the melancholly thoughts of ſuch and ſuch kind of people; there is no ſuch great matters required in ſorrow for ſin, and it is but a Lord have mercy upon us, and but, a being in Chriſt, and hoping in Gods mercy, and the like; and thus by ſuch kind of deluſions as theſe are, many ſouls are gulled and deceived by the Devil, and ſo periſh for ever. They are like unto Jonas, that was aſleep, and awakened in the midſt of a dreadful tempeſt: ſo certainly theſe ſouls, when they come to know themſelves, and to bee awakened, it will bee in the dreadfull tempeſt of Gods wrath: As Sampſon; the Philiſtims are upon thee, when hee lay in Delilahs boſome; ſo there will bee that dreadful noiſe one day to theſe ſouls, the wrath of God, and the curſe of the Law is upon thee, that muſt lye upon thee; Oh the dreadful ſorrow there will bee when the ſoul ſhall ſee, oh I am deluded and gulled! many of you are vext extreamly, when you are gulled of any little part of your eſtates, but to bee deluded and gulled of your ſouls, ſo as they muſt bee loſt for ever, this will bee extream horrour another day.
Fifthly, A fifth way of loſing our ſouls, is, by ſelling of them away; ſelling of them away, you will ſay, what do I mean by that? It is ſaid of Alexander the ſixth, that was Pope, hee ſold his ſoul to the Devil for the Popedome, there was an expreſs contract between the Devil and him, that if in ſuch a year hee ſhould come to bee Pope, the Devil ſhould have his ſoul: But now, there is a twofold ſelling of our ſouls to the Devil, beſides ſuch a kind of contract, as when the Devil ſhall appear in a bodily ſhape, and ſo people ſell their ſouls to him.
Firſt, As firſt, When men ſeek advantage to themſelves by any unlawful means, ſeek the gain of the world, or any profits or pleaſures, by cheating, couzening, wronging, ſwearing, or forſwearing; ſeek I ſay to gain any thing in ſuch a way; there is ſuch a thing that thou wouldeſt have, and that thou mayeſt have, if thou wilt bee falſe in thy books, in thy reckonings, or forſwear thy ſelf for gain, I ſay thou doſt as truly ſell thy ſoul for the getting of that gain, as ever Conjurer did, that did contract face to face with the Devil: I would have ſuch a gain, why, ſaith the Devil, (though thou doſt not ſee him) then thou muſt lye, thou muſt couzen, thou muſt ſwear, and forſwear, I will do it, ſaith the ſoul; and thus thou doſt many times ſell thy ſoul to the Devil: You that are chap-men, if one ſhould come and offer you a little matter for a commodity that is of price, you have ſuch a peece of ware in your ſhops that is worth forty ſhillings, and one comes and offers you t…o-pence for it, why you riſe in diſdain againſt it, what: offer mee two-pence for that which is worth forty ſhillings; oh now that your hearts would riſe in diſdain when the Devil comes to buy your ſouls! you ſhould riſe in diſdain, what, ſhall I venture the ſelling of this ſoul of mine, that is more worth than ten thouſand worlds, for ſuch a poor gain as this is? and yet many of you do.
Secondly, And then there is a ſecond way of a mans ſelling of his ſoul, and that is when a man ſhall reſolutely give up himſelf to all manner of wickedneſs: Thus it is ſaid of Ahab, 1 King. 21.20. Ahab ſold himſelf to work wickedneſs, that is, Ahab in a reſolute way was ſet upon any manner of wickedneſs that might ſerve his own turn: When a man ſhall bee ſet upon this, that what ever way of wickedneſs may bee ſubſervient to the attaining of ſuch and ſuch deſigns that I have, I will venture upon it, I ſay, this man ſells his ſoul in this caſe to the Devil, Ahab ſold himſelf to work wickedneſs.
Sixthly, And then a ſixth way of mens loſing their ſouls, it is by being poiſoned, their ſouls are poiſoned, and ſo they come to bee loſt: now the poiſon of the ſoul it is either wicked company, or wicked errours; either of thoſe two.
By keeping of wicked company, thou keepeſt in an infectious Air, thou goeſt from home ſometimes and meeteſt with ſuch wicked company, thou getteſt thy bain, thy poiſon there, and poiſon works divers waies; ſometimes it will cauſe one to ſwell mightily; how many, when they come from their wicked company, come home with ſuch ſwelling hearts, in ſuch an outragious way, ſwearing, and fighting, and blaſpheming, and ſcorning, and contemning at all waies of godlineſs; now theſe have been abroad, and have gotten poiſon, and ſo they ſhall, and are ready to burſt with it.
Now there are other kinds of poiſon that will not work till a quarter or half a year after: A man may go into company, and get his bain, and yet not work till a quarter of a year after: As I remember a Philoſopher ſeeing two women that were wicked, talk together, Oh! ſaith hee, now the Viper is taking of poiſon from the Aſp, and indeed it ſeemed to bee a Proverb in Tertullians time, for I meet with ſuch a proverbial ſpeech in him, as that the Viper borrows poiſon from the Aſp: ſo when wicked company are infuſing wicked principles, here is the poiſon gotten from the Aſp; wicked company perhaps they come with their ſweet cups, and perhaps thou drinkeſt down the Wine merrily, but together with the Wine, wicked things are infuſed into thy ſpirit that are poiſonful: When thou art in wicked company, and heareſt the waies of God ſpoken againſt, and heareſt the Saints of God railed on, and the good Word of God ſpoken againſt, and this thou draweſt into thy heart, oh there is poiſon goes down in this cup; it is like to poiſon thy ſoul, and to be thy undoing for ever.
And then there is another kind of venome, and that is wicked errours and hereſies, when men drink off the Cup of Fornication, as when they are taken with the great errours of Popery, this poiſons the ſoul; that place in the Theſſalonians is a moſt dreadful place, even for that very errour, 2 Theſſalonians 2.11. Speaking of Antichriſt, that hee ſhould come with all deceiveableneſs of unrighteouſneſs in them that periſh, becauſe they received not the love of the truth, that they might bee ſaved; and for this cauſe God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſions, that they ſhould beleeve a lye, that they all might bee damned who beleeve not the truth, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe. This is a moſt dreadful Text againſt thoſe that ſhall drink in the errours of Popery.
But you will ſay, that they are learned men, and have a great deal of ſhew of truth, with all deceiveableneſs of unrighteouſneſs: But how art thou deceived by them? becauſe thou receiveſt not the love of the truth, that thou mighteſt bee ſaved: And for this cauſe God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſions to beleeve a lye, that they might bee damned; to that end God ſends ſtrong deluſions, that men might beleeve thoſe errours, and drink in that cup of fornications, that they might bee damned for ever.
If it were but onelyonly that one errour drunk down in the groſneſs of it, that is, that the righteouſneſs that I muſt tender up to God for ſatisfaction to divine Juſtice, and for my eternal ſalvation, muſt bee mine own righteouſneſs, mine own works: Here is enough to poiſon a ſoul to eternal perdition; and many other waies there may bee that may indanger the ſoul extreamly, and very ill conſequences may bee gathered from good principles: As for that principle of our Juſtification by free Grace in Chriſt; That it is onelyonly by Chriſt that wee are juſtified, that principle is exceeding good, but from thence ſuch dangerous venomous conſequences may bee drawn, as may extreamly indanger; and I make no queſtion do invenome and poiſon many thouſand ſouls, upon which they draw conſequences for looſeneſs, and againſt humiliation for ſin, and againſt obedience to the Law, as by Moſes. All the principles and errours that are againſt the ſtrict waies of God, that tend to any looſeneſs, certainly they are invenoming principles: Oh take heed of any doctrine, of any conceits, of any opinions that do any way tend to looſeneſs! they will certainly poiſon and invenome your ſouls, ſo that your very errours may bee enough to damn you eternally. Many loſe their ſouls by poiſoning.
Seventhly, And there are many that loſe their ſouls by venturing of them; there are many ventures upon which many come to loſe their ſouls; there are four caſes wherein a man may loſe his ſoul by venturing of it.
Firſt, As firſt by raſhneſſe, men that are inconſiderate and raſh in their waies, that will ſuddenly fall upon things before they examine them, that raſhneſſe and ſuddenneſſe of thine to fall upon things before thou doſt examine them, and to go on in a raſh way the moſt part of thy life, as many do; this indangers the loſs of thy ſoul.
Secondly, And others venture the loſſe of their ſouls, by doing things that are doubtful, that their conſciences miſ-give them in, and tell them, Oh this is not right, I doubt I ſin againſt God in this, and yet they will put on and venture, before they ſatisfie their doubts, but take heed of doing any thing with a doubtful conſcience, for you know what the Scripture ſaith, in the 14. of the Romans, the latter end; Whatſoever is not of Faith is ſin. If thou doubteſt, thou muſt not venture to do a thing, till thou haſt examined thy doubt, and there ſee upon what ground thy doubt is built, for if thou wilt preſume to do a thing doubtfully, it may coſt thee thy life.
Thirdly, A third venture, it is to venture upon Gods patience; why, the Lord is a patient God, and hee hath ſpared mee ſo many years; all this while I have been ſpared, and have done well enough, why may not I hope that God will ſpare mee ſtill, and bee patient with mee ſtill? how many wretched ſinful creatures venture upon this? they perhaps have been brought up in wickedneſſe and prophaneneſſe; God hath been patient towards them, and yet they can to their ſin again and again, and live very merry lives: Now all this time thou liveſt upon the meer patience of God, and thou thinkeſt becauſe God hath been patient thus long, therefore hee will bee ſo ſtill: Wee may indeed venture upon the Grace of God in his Son, as well for ſanctification as for pardon, but not to venture either upon patience, or any thing elſe, ſo as to continue in our ſins, though God hath been patient thus long, thou doſt not know but that upon thy next venture the cord of mercy may crack, and thou mayeſt ſink and periſh eternally; that may befall thee in one day, that hath not befallen thee all thy life before; take heed my brethren of venturing upon patience, for that hath not a word of promiſe to ſtrengthen it unto thee: Indeed Faith is a kind of venture, but that ventures upon the Word of God, and the Promiſe of God, and it is good venturing upon that, but when thou ventureſt upon patience, thou haſt no word to aſſure thee that patience will hold; Thou haſt no word to make this good unto thee, that though God hath been patient ſo many years, therefore hee will bee ſo ſtill.
Fourthly, And then a fourth venture that men make, it is to venture upon their own lives; they are young, and they hope they may live many years yet, I know others they live to bee old men, and why may not I live and have my pleaſure as well as they? and thus they venture; Oh but what if the threed of thy life ſhould bee ſnapt aſunder, what will become of thee then! wilt thou venture thy eternal miſcarrying upon ſuch a brittle and frail thing as thy life is? Oh it is a deſperate venture, when men and women will venture thus! that if God take away my life now, certainly I muſt periſh for ever. — Now I put it unto every ſoul in this place, let this bee the caſe now, do you examine what you think in your conſciences your conditions would bee, if you ſhould hear a voice from Heaven ſaying unto you preſently, this ſoul ſhall have no more time to make proviſion for eternity; I am perſwaded that in ſuch a place as this is there cannot but bee many that would in their own conſciences ſay, If God ſhould take away my life now, I fear I ſhould bee loſt for ever; I doubt, if wee could go from one to another, and lay our ears to the boſoms of men, and could but hear what the conſciences of men ſay upon this that is now put to them, that thou ſhouldeſt dye in the condition in which now thou art, and what repentance thou haſt had, bee it good or bad, that thy ſoul muſt depend upon, if it bee not right, thy ſoul muſt periſh; I ſay, I fear that upon ſuch a meſſage from Heaven, many a mans and womans heart would ask within them, and their conſciences would tell them, I am afraid I ſhould bee loſt for ever: Oh for thee to bee content to bee in ſuch a condition any one moment, that if thou ſhouldeſt dye that moment, thy ſoul ſhould bee damned, I ſay thou art a bold and preſumptuous ſinner, a moſt deſperate wretch.