Six Sermons, Sermon 3 – Dedication 6

Six Sermons · Sermon 3 – Dedication 6

p. 71Of the Worlds Vanity, and the Soules Excellency.

Matt. 16. 26. For what is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole World, and loſe his own Soule? Or, what ſhall a man give in exchange for his Soule?

THe Coral, and the Chryſtal, are accounted pretious ſtones, by skilfull Lapidaries; And therefore, it is neither a fault nor yet a folly, for ſuch as finde them in their Travels to ſtoop down and take them up: Yet are they but minus pretioſi, of an inferiour worth with the chief Philoſophers; And therefore, it would not onelyonly be a folly but a fault too, for any Traveller to turmoile himſelf in gathering of an heavy burden of theſe together; and in the mean time to neglect, or, for their ſakes to reject a richer bootie of Jaſper-ſtones, or Saphir-ſtones, or of Amethyſts, or the like.

We are all Travellers wandring through the wilderneſſe of this tranſitorie World, towards that City of pure Gold, …er as Chryſtal, the foundations of whoſe Wals are garniſhed with Berils, with Emeraulds, with Chryſolites, and all manner of pretious ſtones, as St. John deſcribes that new Hieruſalem, Revel. 21.

Now in this our Pilgrimage we meet with Marbles, and we meet with Jacincts; with leſſe pretious-ſtones, and with p. 72more pretious Gemms. I mean, the leſſe worthy bleſſings of Gods left-hand, the more worthy bleſſings of Gods right-hand, Gen. 1. 29. 28, 29. 30, 31.Gen 1:29Gen 1:28Gen 1:30Gen 1:31Earthly Treaſures, and Heavenly Treaſures: And lawfull it is to gather the meaner of theſe Treaſures together, and to uſe the meaneſt of them: For God, who made them all, did make them good, and for the good of man it was, that he made them ſo.

God made this preſent World for man, but man himſelf for another to come, farre better then this preſent; And man does fool himſelf extreamly, when he ſels the reverſion of that to come for ever, for this preſent, which is but for the preſent. That other is without compare: this but a very nothing to it. Let no man therefore overvalue this, or poſtpone that unto it. Let every man be ware, that in ſtooping down to take up Earthly Things, he does not let fall Heavenly: Or, that for the gaining of this baſer World of droſſie Earth, he doth not loſe the refined ſubſtance of his moſt precious Soule: For, What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole World, and loſe his own Soule? Or, what ſhall a man give in exchange for his Soule?

The moſt Emphatical words in this Text are Metaphorical: For borrowed they are, either from that richer way of Merchandizing by Whole-ſale; or, from that poorer way of Peddling by Retaile. I muſt needs follow the Metaphore in my diſcourſe, and the rather becauſe it is in this Place, A placeLondinium ſenat Navale, vel Ʋrbs navium, &c. Ʋrbes plurimae à navibus nomina tulerunt: uti Naupactus, Nauſtathmos, Nauplia, &c. Sed ex his nulla meliori jure Navalis nomen ſibi aſſumere poſſit, quam Londinium nostrum. Tamaſi adpoſita, qui placidiſſimus rerum in orbe naſcentium Mercator, statis horis Oceani aeſtibus ſuperbus, alveo tuto, praealto, & navium quamlibet magnarum capaciſſimo, tantas Orientis, & Occidentis opes quotidie in vehit, ut cum Orbis Christiani Emporiis de ſecunda palma hodie contendat, &c. Camden in Brit. de Middleſex. of Commerce. The very Metropolis of this Kingdome, the chiefeſt place of Merchandize; and the place of the chiefeſt Merchants and other Traders, that labour to gaine this preſent World, by the ſeveral wayes of chaffering for it. Here therefore give me leave to deale with you in ſome of your own terms, that ſo I may trade the Commodity of this Text of Trading with the greater profit to you.

In the Text there are two Queſtions proponed to you.

The firſt in theſe Words. What is a p. 73man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul?

The ſecond in theſe, What ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoule?

The firſt ſeems to relate to your Trading by way of Commer…e. The ſecond, to your trading by way of Merchandizing Exchange. In both together, there are two Conſiderables,

The firſt, in the firſt queſtion; The ſecond, in the ſecond: Yea both may be obſerved in either of both. I ſhall diſcourſeOſtenditur & quam inutile ſit lucrum vitae temporalis im… totius mundi cum perditione animae, & quam irreparabile ſit damnum perditionis animae. Jaſen in commen. in concor. of both, as they are both diſcovered in the firſt queſtion, which refers to Trading by way of Commerce, In theſe words; What is a man profited, if he ſhall gaine the whole World and loſe his own ſoule?

In which words we may obſerve theſe Foure particulars,

I. A Merchant.

II. His Wares.

III. The Merchandize it ſelf.

IV. The Ballance of Trade.

Firſt, the Merchant, Man: What is a man profited?

Secondly, the Wares, and they are of two ſorts.

The 1. Imported.

The 2. Exported.

The Ware imported; the whole World.

The Ware exported; his own Soule.

Concerning the firſt, two Circumſtances are conſiderable.

1. A Variety.

2. A Monopoly.

The Variety; the World.

The Monopoly, the whole World.

Concerning the ſecond, three Circumſtances are remarkable;

1. The Qualitie or Nature.

2. The Quantity, or Number.

3. The Propriety, or Relation.

p. 74For Nature or Quality, it is a Mans Soule; For Number or Quantity, it is his One ſoule, his onelyonly ſoule, in the ſingular number; For Relation or Propriety, it is his own ſoule. And loſe his own ſoule.

Thirdly, the Merchandize it ſelf, or the Negotiating o… the Trade, which is notably ſet forth unto us by a ſtrange Paradoxe, of gaining, and loſing by the ſame bargain; y… of gaining the whole World, and loſing by the bargain. gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoule.

Fourthly, The Ballance of Trade, which in the Dialect of Merchants, is nothing elſe but an exact Computation, o… the caſting up of a juſt Account, thereby to know what i… S'r Ralph Madd…ſon, in his Englands looking in and out.loſt, or gained by the Merchandize. What is a man profited? as much as to ſay, Ballance the Trade, compute the worth of the Ware exported, with that of the Ware imported, and then tell me, What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoule? Theſe Minutes of the Text ſhall be the Meaſures of my Time, and your Patience.

Firſt of the Merchant, Man. What is a man profited? By … man here, our Saviour meaneth any man whatever: He ſpeaketh here not only of ſuch as compaſſe Sea and Land to gather the Riches of this World together, as Ferdinandus Magellanes did,Ferdin. Mag…llan. Portuga. rei nauticae peritiſſimus, impetrata claſſe 5 navinm à Caeſare, an. Dom. 1519. 10 die Auguſt. ex Hispali ſolvit, Canar…as adit, ab iis rectè Braſiliam navigavit. Navis ejus à ſociis in Hispaniam ducitur, 6 Septem. 1524. Haec prima ſuit Navigatio. Drake Id. Decemb. 1577. ex Anglia ſolvit, toto terrarum orbe circumnavigato, domum redit 4 Kal. Octob. 1580. Tho. Cavendiſh ex Anglia ſolvit Jul. 21. 1586. totum terrae ambitum circumnavigavit, & rediit Sept. 15. 1588. and as our Drake, and Cavendiſh after him, with other Circum-Navigaters. Nor ſpeaks he only of ſuch as adventure to ſome ſpecial, or particular Ports or Places of Merchandiſe, ſuch as Alexandria, and Aleppo, the Gra… Caire, and both the Indies are, as th… Royal Merchant King Solomon did, who ſent forth ſhips from Ezion-Geb… for the transfretation of Gold fro… Ophir. And as that neighbouring Prince of ours, that ſ… 1 King. 9. 26. 281 Kgs 9:261 Kgs 9:28forth ſumptuous Plate-Fleets, for the importation of h… Perulania. But he ſpeaks of any Man, that adventures th… loſſe of his Soule, by any way of Traffiquing for this preſent World. For thus an indefinite Interrogation may ve… p. 79well the univerſal, in the Interpretation. And this French Title Merchant (as Ambroſe Calepine aſſerteth) may be givenDiction. Hexag. to any man, that any way deales or chaffers for any thing in this World, whether it be for his own uſe, or to trade away again to others. And ſurely ſuch as adventure the loſſe of an Eternal eſtate in Heaven, for the gaining or the increaſing of a Temporal one on Earth, are very Merchants indeed. Now of ſuch, and unto ſuch this Queſtion is moſt fitly propounded: What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoule?

Thus we have found out the Merchant, Man, any man. Now let us look upon the Wares, and they are (as you have heard) of two ſorts: The firſt, Imported; the ſecond, Exported.

Firſt of the Ware imported, concernig which two Circumſtances are to be conſidered. 1. A Variety. 2. A Monopoly.

Firſt of the Variety, The World. Now the World may be conſidered two wayes.

1. Philoſophically.

2. Theologically.

Firſt Philoſophically, and ſo indeed the World is nothingConimb…. lib. 1. de Coelo, cap. 1. elſe but a Variety of things in a beautiful Order. Th… foreign, or beautiful Order in that Variety hath given the Appe…ations to it, both in Greek, and Latine. It is ordinata compages rer… omnium, a well-diſpoſed Pack of all kinds of War. s. Omnia Corpora ſimul ſumpta dic…tir Mundus: All Phyſical B…d…s taken and compact together are called the World: But there are no Merchants (as I conjecture) that trade for this World in this Philoſophical ſenſe. And therefore ſecondly, the World may be conſidered in a Theological ſenſe; and ſo it muſt be in this place.

In a Theological ſenſe, by the World is meant the Honours,B…ll. de G…mit. Columbae, lib. 3. cap. 10. Riches, and Pleaſures of this preſent World. He that gains a Variety of th…ſe, is ſometimes ſaid to gain a World of Riches, and Honours, and Pleaſures: It is much for a man to gain all the…; but it is more for him to gain as much as the Text doth ſpeak of: For here's not onelyonly p. 80the Variety in the World, but the Monopoly of all theſe, and of all of all theſe, in the whole World:—gain the whole world.

Could one Merchant but engroſſe the Artificial Wares ofArchb. Abbots D…ſcription of the World. Dr. Hey. Geogra. all Q…inſaio, or all the Alexandrian Warcs, or all the rich Perfumes, or coſtly Drugs, or fragrant Spices of Arabia felix, it were enough, and more then enough to tympanize his heart with the proudeſt thoughts of the Wealthy. And yet, alas, all theſe Alls together can amount to no more then a little Packet or a worthleſſe Fardle, in compare with that Ingroſſment in the Text, the gaining of the whole World. Yet ſee, the Saviour of the World does queſtion this great gain, whether it may be rightly called Profit or no: yea rather He puts it out of queſtion, by putting forth of this queſtion, What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoule?

Indeed theſe words are not only one, but two Queſtions: the firſt is Abſolute, the ſecond Hypothetical. The firſt is in theſe words: What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole world? The ſecond in theſe, added to the former by way of condition: And loſe his own ſoule?

Firſt of the firſt. But firſt obſerve, that it is but a meer ſuppoſition, that is the foundation of both. Our Saviour ſpeaketh only foreign, by way of ſuppoſition, foreign, If he ſhall gain the whole world, i. e. ſuppoſe it were poſſible for him ſo to do, and that he ſhould do ſo: I ſay ſuppoſe it. But ſuppoſitio nihil ponit, The bare ſuppoſing of a thing to be, is no proving of that thing to be as it is ſuppoſed; That may be ſuppoſed to be, which never was, and that which never ſhall be, yea that which never can be. Such is this thing ſuppoſed by our Saviour, the gaining of all this preſent World.

For alas! it is not all the plodding in the World, nor all the projecting for it, that can gain it all. Oh no! It is not all the griping Uſury, nor all the pinching Miſery, that can draw ſo much as ilia terrae, the Guts and Garbage of the Earth into one mans Coffers, no not ſo much as the white or yellow Intrails of the Indian-Earth.

p. 81Suppoſe that a man could have a mind more covetousOvid. metam. lib. 11. then Midas had, or be more dunghilly-minded then Craſſus or Hortenſius; And ſuppoſe that ſuch a man were more ingeniousValer. Max. lib. 9. cap. 4. to invent new projects to gain the World, then the old Athenians were, which were the very Minters of Arts and Sciences; And ſuppoſe he could be more aſſiduous inIt is nor improper that the I…elian (i. e. the Hollander) be compared to the Ant for his ſedulity and labour. Vocal Forrest. all his Negotiations, then the moſt induſtrious Hollander; and more deceitful in all his dealings, then the moſt perfidious Carthaginian: yet could he never engroſſe the whole World.

Let this Merchant, Man, have never ſo great a Stock to begin the World with, and let him drive never ſo good a Trade to increaſe it, y…t muſt he never think to gain the whole World. Were he the onelyonly Sonne of a ſecond Pyrrhus, and the onelyonly Nephew of another Craeſus, Volateran in Anthropologia.and ſo had both their wealths to ſet up with; And were it poſſible for him to uſe a Conſcience more cauterized then the worſt of Jewes in the hardeſt wayes of Uſury; And could he have an Head-peece more crafty then that of Mahomet in the myſteries of Merchandiſe, and an Heart moreArchb. Abbot, of Arabia, in his Deſcrip. of the World. greedy then his, and Hands more violent in robbing of other Merchants in their travels; And could he be more fortunate then Polycrates himſelf, that was the very Favourite of Fortune, as Herodotus hath ſtoried it: yet would it ſtillHerodot. in Thalia 78. be foreign, a thing impoſſible for him to gain the whole VVorld.

Though Machiavels Policy, and Catalines Activity, and Hectors Valour, with that Martial proweſſe of thoſe two Thunder-bolts of war, Menelaus and Agamemnon, ſhould all meet in one man: y…t could they never advance him to the abſolute Command or Governance of the whole VVorld. The greateſt Monarchies of all, that ever were in the world, were never truly univerſal, of all the world. Indeed Nebuchad-nezzar was a mighty Monarch in Syria and Chaldea; And Cyrus had vaſt Dominions, when he had joyned the Kingdome of the Medes unto the Perſians: yet both their Territories had their Fron…iers. And though the prodigious Avarice, and boundleſſe Ambition of Alexander the Great p. 82affected the Soveraignty of more then one whole World, (as Plutarch ſtories it of him) yet could he never reduce the whole of this one World unto his Grecian Monarchy. Nor could thoſe Noble Victors, Caius Julius Caeſar, and Octavian… Caeſar Auguſtus, ſubjugate the whole unto the Romane Eagle, by all their notable Victories. And without all controverſie, the ſole Command of all the World, is too great a Soveraignty for any one Man in the World. It muſt needs ſeem a very mockery, for the ſullen Donns of our neighbouring Nation to ſooth their Soveraign up with the fondlyaffected Title of Catholique Majeſty. Me thinks that ominous Ribellion of Catalonia, with that fatal Revolt of Portugal, without the thinking of others that led them the way, or that are like to follow them, might fully infeoffe them with the apprehenſion of that diſlike which the undoubted Monarch of Heaven and Earth hath often ſhewn unto ſuch generall Claims. Though many and many Manarchs be the Supreme Governours in their ſeveral Monarchies; yet may no Monarch in the World claime any title to the Manarchy of the whole World. It is an honour belonging to God alone: And mine honour (ſaith he) will I not give to any other. It is He that is cloa…hed with Catholique Majeſty. It is He that is King. The Lord reigneth (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) and let the Earth rejoyce, yea let the multitudes of the Iſles be glad thereof, Pſ. 97. 1. He reigns not only over one, but all the Iſles; nor reigns He only over Iſles, but over the Continent too; for He is King over all the Earth, Pſ. 47. 7.

It was but an Uſurpation in Dari…s the Perſian, to ſtile himſelf The King of Kings. And it is no leſſe preſumption inRex Regum & Conſanguineus Deorum. Q. Curtius, l. 2. the Pope to aſelf that Title. It is a Title belonging to God alone, who is (as S. Paul proclaimes him) the bleſſ…d and onelyonly Potentate, foreign, The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. 1 Tim. 6. 15.

And certain it is, He never made th… whole World for any one man. Yet when any one ſhall prove himſelf the ſole Heire of the Protoplaſt, the World will give him leave to claim his Propriety in the whole. But for the preſent, the Poſſeſſions of Adam are parcelled almoſt into as many Particles, p. 83as his Nature is into particular Perſons; which numerous Progeny knowes not how to acknowledge any Lord Paramo…nt amongſt them, beſides that onelyonly true God, whoſe Throne is in the higheſt Heavens. Nor may the Chriſtian World acknowledge any CatholiqueThoſe that are learned know, that the government of the Church is neither Popular, nor Ariſtocratical, but a Monarchie. Of the Univerſal Church onelyonly Chriſt is the head and chiefe; and therefore the ſtate of it is Monarchical, &c. Whitgi…ts D…f…nce of the Anſwer to the Admoniſion, tract. 17. Commander beſides our Saviour Chriſt, who is Emmanuel, God with us: The God of Gods, as well as, Lord of Lords. Yea God of God, foreign, very God of very God, as the Nicene Council hath well explain'd the ſecond Article of the Apoſtles Creed againſt the Arrian Hereſie.

It was into lerable Pride in that Romane Prelate, that firſt contended for the ſupreame Headſhip of the Chriſtian World. Indeed, this very ſin of that very Man, hath plainly proved him to be that very Man of Sin, that St. Paul foreſpake of, 2 Theſſ. 2. 3. It muſt needs be deemed a moſt hatefull incloſure, for any Subject in the Kingdome of Chriſt, to take in all the Commons of the Chriſtian World: And y…t alas! the World Chriſtian is a very little one, a ſmal Manor; a ve…y little Lordſhip in compare with the vaſt dominions of the great Sultan, and grand Sophie, and other parts of the World not Chriſtian.

But ſuppoſe a man could gain the Monarchie of the World, not of the World Chriſtian onelyonly, but of the whole World; yet ſtill the Queſtion may be asked, What is a man profited?

For ſuch ſoveraignty would neither make him the ſole Poſſeſſour, nor yet the proper Owner of the whole World: For ſtill the Subjects ſhould not onelyonly have the Poſſeſſion of, but a true, and juſt Right, and Title to, and Property in all their Goods Conſtitut. 1. made at the Convocation 1640.and Eſtates; yea, and perhaps ſome churliſh Nabals might have full-Coffers, when ſuch a Monarch might have au empty Exchequer.

But to put the Suppoſition as high as our Saviour Chriſt here puts it in the Text: Suppoſe a man ſhould gain, not onelyonly the empty Title to the World; but the full poſſ…ſſion of the whole World; yet ſtill the Queſtion may be asked,

p. 84What is a man profited?

For what's the World, the whole World, but a Shop of vanities, a Store-houſe of vexations, a Stall of toyes and trifles, lighter then vanity it ſelf? Vanity of vanities, ſaith the Preacher, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. And what profit hath a man of all the labour which he taketh under the ſunne. Eccleſ. 1. verſ. 2, 3.

Man diſquieteth himſelf in vain to gain the World: and what is it that he gaineth by it, but a world of diſquiet? Suppoſe he gaines the World and all of Vanities, even all the Vanities of the World; what profit is there in ſuch gain? What profit can it be to gain a World full of nothing elſe but emptineſſe, a World empty of every thing but nothingneſſe?

This Worlds every-thing is the Wiſemans nothing: Omnia nihil, All is nothing: yea, the nothingneſſe of nothing. Omnia vanitas, all is vanity; not vain onelyonly in the Concrete, but Vanity in the Abſtract: Yea, Vanitas vanitatum; in the Abſtract of that Abſtract, Vanity of vanities, i. e. vaniſſima, moſt vain, ſaith Hugo Cardinalis. What are the chiefeſt ſeeming ſome-things of this World? Pleaſurers and Honours, and Riches, they are. And what are they? AreNihil aliud ſunt quam merae nugae. Jo. Fran. Pi. Miran. lib. 2. de Mort. Chriſti. they not all vaine? altogether vanity?

Solomon the wiſeſt of Kings and of men, that did know as much as any man, or King of them; for he knew them by Inſpiration, by Speculation, and by Experience; and upon his certain knowledge of them he gives this Character, that they are all Vanity. They are all but vanity in reſpect of their Inſtability or mutability; ſo Hugo de Sancto Victore. And they are all but vanity, in reſpect of their inſufficiency, and meere vacuity; ſo Hugo Cardinalis. They cannot continueHugo de Sancto Victore in Et…l. Hugo Cardin. in Eccleſ. with man when he has them; nor can they content him whileſt he has them, though he has them all. But let's conſider them ſeverally; And firſt let us conſider ſeriouſly of Worldly Pleaſures. What are they? Indeed they are miſcalled Pleaſures; but alas! they are not Pleaſures indeed, but the ſhad…w…s of them. The joys of the World have a world of ſorrows waiting on them, and the ſweets of content in p. 85them are imbittered with more diſcontents adhering to them. Alas for them! The Brooks of worldly Pleaſures are very ſhallow and ſoon dryed up. The very Sources of them are like broken Ceſternes that can hold no water. The Flowers of worldly Pleaſures are all Ephemerons, or like toEphemerion, a Plant of one dayes continuance. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 25. 13. Jonah 4. 6, 7.Jonah 4:6Jonah 4:7 Jonahs Gourd, growing ſpeedily, and gone as ſuddenly. The faireſt Noſe-gayes of them are but for a ſhew, and that ſhew but for a moment; yet the greateſt part of the World are taken with ſuch ſhews. The ſeems of pleaſures are the greateſt Witches in the world, and the greateſt of the world are bewitched with them. Indeed like Witches they can doe miſchief to many, but little or no good to any: And like Witches, they uſe to doe moſt hurt to thoſe, that are moſt inward with them. The life of worldly Pleaſures, like that of Witches, is very wicked; and their end, like that of Witches, is very wretched: for theſe Pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon, muſt end in thoſe ſufferings of puniſhment which muſt have no end. Let us then beware of theſe moſt fatall Inchantments of the Fleſh, theſe grand Impoſtures of the World, worldly Pleaſures; let us overcome theſe ſinnes of Pleaſures, leſt the pleaſures of theſe ſins do overcome us. And here let's leave theſe vain pleaſures, that we may come to Honours. And what are they?

In the Second place then, let us ſeriouſly conſider of Worldly Honours: Are they alſo all but Vanity? Yes, they are more then vanity, but yet they are Vanity; They are vanity and vexation of ſpirit. They are Vanity when they are gotten, but vexation of ſpirit ingetting, and vexation of ſpirit in loſing: they are hardly gotten, but eaſily loſt.

The Bubble of Worldly Honour is hardly blown up to any bigneſſe by the breath of many friends; but eaſily broken by the blaſt of a few enemies: yea, it is often broke by their breath that blow it up, and ſometimes whileſt they are blowing of it. It is foreign, the vapour of vapours, and Ayrie thinneſſe, and the very thinneſſe of the Ayre, it vaniſheth whileſt it vapoureth: It turns to nothing when it ſeems the greateſt ſomething: It is a vexatious vanity, depending upon that which is lighter then vanity it ſelf: The lighteſt Plumes of Worldly Honours are toſſed p. 86up and down, and up and down by the lighter puffs of Popular humours. Vulgus Proteus eſt ipſiſſimus. The reſpects of the Protean many, are more changeable then the Aſpects of the Moon her ſelfe. The ſalve…es and valetes, the embracements, and the ba…iſhments, the applauſes and diſgraces, which the four Scipios met amongſt the Romans, may ſufficiently atteſt the Mutability and Lunacy of the Bedlan many Yea the Hiſtories of Socrates, of Pho…ion, of Demoſthenes, andPlu…ar. P…n. S…c. Valeran. Eraſm. Apoph. Valeri. Maxi. of Demetrius Phalerius, are approved Teſtimonies of the Worlds Athenian Inconſtancy. But we need not beat the w…d…ſt fields of Humanity for ſingle Inſtances; we may ſpring & retrive whole Covies in the Authentick Hiſtories. Our Saviour Chriſt with his Diſciples are cryed up and down by the mutable many. The ſame fountain cannot ſend forth ſweet water, and bitter, at the ſame place; yet the ſame men at the ſame mouths did ſend forth the ſweeteſt language of Commendation, and the ſowreſt language of Condemnation of the ſame Objects of their violent love, and violent hatred. That fi…le multitude that cryed out Hoſanna to the Son of David, Hoſanna in the higheſt, in honour of our Saviour,Matth. 21. 9.Matt 21:9 did preſently cry out in fury againſt him, Let him … crucified, let him be crucified.Mat. 27. 22, 23.Matt 27:22Matt 27:23

S^t Paul and Barnab…s were one while greatly admired by thoſe fond Zealots, or zealous Fondlings, the Lyſtra…a… Act. 14. 8, 9, 10 11, 12, &c.Acts 14:8Acts 14:9Acts 14:10they cryed out to one another in the Ly…aonean language, that the Gods were come down unto them in the likneſſe of Men. Th…y thought that Paul could be no leſſe then Mercury, nor Barnabas then Jupiter, and …uch they had to do to reſtrain them from offering ſacrifices to th…m as Gods. But preſently this Spring-tide of Popular applauſe abat…th to as low an Eb… of cauſeleſſe, ſenſeleſſe, and maſterleſſe contempt; Oh how this Sea of Men does turn and return, and turn, and turn again. They deſie them now, which even now they Deifie…. Thoſe violent hands which even now could ſcarcely be … ſtrained from offering Sacrifices to Paul a…d Barnabas, as unto gods, can ſcarcely be reſtrained now from offering th… as ſacrifices to the fury of Men. What Man then upon the ſerious conſideration of this inconſtancy of World…y Honour, p. 87would once adventure the loſſe of his eternall weight2 Cor. 4. 17.2 Cor 4:17 of Glory for it. Thoſe that are now lifted up to the Excellency of Honor, and to the Honor of Excellency, by the men of voice, may ſoon have all their Honors laid in the duſt by the voices of men. And yet that the voice of the CommonpeopleMatth. 7. 13.Matt 7:13 is the voice of God, is the common voice of the people; and that the Multitude cannot erre in judgement, is the judgement of the multitude, but a judgement full of errour, for the greateſt multi…udes are wont to wander in the broadeſt wayes of Errour, and they that run with the multitude to ſeek for Worldly Honours, may loſe their Honours by the Multitudes in this World, and themſelves with the Multitudes in the World to come.

In the laſt place, let us ſee the vanity of Worldly Riches. When Solomon had viewed, and reviewed all the Works that he had wrought, and all the labours that he had laboured to do, he audited this account of them all, that they were all but vanity and vexation of ſpirit, and that there was no profit under the Sun, Eccleſ. 2. 11. Be then perſwaded by S^t Paul, andforeign, &c. S^t Chryſ. Hom. …. truſt not in uncertain Riches. There is nothing more uncertain, nothing more unfaithfull, foreign, ſaith S. Chriſoſtome, to day with thee, to morrow againſt thee. Let us not make Riches our God, and Poverty our Devil, l…ſt our Riches do part us from God, and pack us to the Devil. The Devil is foreign, The god of this World, as the Apoſtle calls him, 2 Cor. 4. 4. from Worldly Riches was he called Pluto, or from his name foreign were they called foreign. Thus did the Greeks of old entitle him to Worldly Riches, and entail their Worldly Riches upon him. Let us not entitle our ſelves to them by him, nor him unto our ſelves by them. Let us never place our Heaven in them, ſeeing Hell it ſelfe is ſo near unto them: and ſeeing that we may not place our Happineſſe in them, let us never ſet our hearts upon them. Nothing ſhould have Mans heart, but that which is his Heaven, or does relate unto it. foreign, ſaith Saint Chryſoſtome. The Riches that are truly everlaſtingChryſoſ. Hom. 2. are all in Heaven, and all the Riches that are in p. 88Heaven are truly everlaſting. Let not us then ſeek forIn comparatione aeternorum honorum vana ſunt omnia etiam bona temporalia. S. Greg. Mag. in Prim. Sam. cap. 12. Riches here on Earth, as for our Heaven: But let us ſeek for Heaven, that may be more then Riches to us for ever hereafter. Alas! theſe Worldly riches, in compare with thoſe of Heaven (as S. Gregory tells us) are altogether vain, yea vanity it ſelf, as Solomon ſpeaks them in the ſame ſenſe.

But here let us advance the Suppoſition one ſtep higher: Let us ſuppoſe the Riches of the World to be neither vanity nor vain, but to have reality and worth in them, yet ſtill the Queſtion may be asked, What is a man profited? For what profit can it be to a man to gain ſuch things, as he may not think his own when he has gained them, nor uſe them as his own? They that get theſe Worldly Riches by ungodly means, are by thoſe means indebted to the God of this World for them: And he will be paid by all his Debtors;2 Cor. 4. 4.2 Cor 4:4 They may all look to be arreſted at his Suit, and caſt into the priſon of Hell, but may not look to get out thence. untill they have paid the uttermoſt farthing. And as for ſuch as uſe the lawfulleſt means to get them, they may not uſe them as they liſt or will themſelves when they have got them: For why, they are but Servants, in receiving of them; but Truſtees, in keeping of them; and but as meer Stewards they muſt be, in accounting for them. Now it is very requiſite in Stewards to be found faithfull; Faithfull in all Imburſements,1 Cor. 4. 2.1 Cor 4:2 faithfull in all Disburſements, faithfull in all Intruſtments.

God himſelf was the Maker of all this World. And he himſelf is the Maſter of it. He is the Author of all good in the World. And he is the Owner of all the goods of all the World. Man muſt ever therefore have reſpect to him, and to his pleaſure, in the uſing of his goods. There muſt at laſt be a generall Audit, and man muſt reckon for all; And woe unto him, if he makes not an even Reckoning. An even Reckoning is hard to be made, though never ſo ſmall, but the greateſt Reckonings are hardeſt to be made even. There is no Euge to be expected from the Maſter, without an even Reckoning from the Servant: Nor can the Servant make his Reckoning even then, unleſſe he be now fidelis in p. 89minimis, faithful in the ſmalleſt driblets, faithfull to the utmoſt farthing, careful not to waſte the very minutes of his Maſters goods, by miſpending of them. He is ſaid to waſte his Maſters goods, that does miſpend thoſe goods by riotous courſes, which are entruſted in his hands. And for his waſting of them ſo, he is ſoon to be diſcarded from all Entruſtments by his Maſter: Redde rationem villicationis tuae, ſaith his Maſter to him, Luke 16. 1. Come, give an account of thy ſtewardſhip, for thou mayeſt be no longer ſteward. Durus eſt hic ſermo: This is an hard ſaying: But it it ſaid, and it muſt be ſo; There muſt an Account be given. And now doth not this great Rich Worldling begin to wiſh that he had ever been a Lazarus, rather then a Dives? That he had neverLuk. 16. 19, &c.Luke 16:19 been entruſted with ſo much of this Worlds goods, that ſo he might not now have had ſo much to reckon for? But to whom much is given, of him there is much to be required. HeLuk. 12. 48.Luke 12:48 muſt now anſwer for all. He had a great Truſt committed to him, and now he diſtruſts his Reckoning the more. The Reckoning is ſo great that he is to make, that he makes no reckoning to ſave himſelf when he hath made it. By theDivitiarum acquiſitio magni laboris eſt, poſſeſſio magni timoris, amiſſio magni doloris. Idiotae Contemplat. de amore divino. c. 33. very Summons to the Audit, he hears an Exauctoration decreed againſt him, He may be no longer Steward. For miſſpending that part which he had, he muſt now part with all that he hath. But all that will not ſerve the turn: For what he hath is none of his, but his Maſters; and it will not ſatisfie for that he hath miſ-ſpent of his Maſters. And therefore what he is, Soul and Body, muſt be ſold, that payment may be made. Now tell me, where is his profit? He willingly loſt that other, that better World, for this; and now hath loſt both this, and himſelf, with that other.

But let us put the Suppoſition one ſtep higher: Let us ſuppoſe a man to gain the World, and to uſe it as he ought. Yet ſtill the Queſtion may be asked,

What is a man profited?

For why, ſtill he cannot keep it; He muſt be taken fromHeb. 9. 27.Heb 9:27 that by death, if that be not taken from him before. It is appointed for all men once to die. And there is no man that knoweth either how he ſhall die, or where he ſhall die, or when p. 90he ſhall die: But this every man may know, that when he doth die, he ſhall carry nothing with him of all that he gained when he lived. Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, ſaid holy Job, and naked ſhall I return thither.

That great Sultan that conquered the Chriſtians in theJob 1. 21.Job 1:21 Eaſtern Countries, and gained the Holy Land from them by his Conqueſts, was conquered himſelf ſoon after by Death, and carried captive to another World, and ſo was forced to leave even all his Worldly pomp and riches here behind him. As it was expreſſed to the life at his Funeral-Solemnities: For then his ſhirt or ſhroud was put upon the point of a Lance (according to his fore-appointment) and ſo carried Knoll. Turk. Hiſt. Sabellic. E…. 9. l. 5.before his Hearſe, whileſt a plain Prieſt proclaimed with a loud voice, That Saladine the great Lord and Governour of Aſia is dead, and of all his Worldly wealth he carried nothing with him, but left his very ſhirt or ſhroud behind him. It may be Saladine had gained more then he could well tell how to ſpend, yea much more then he could tell how to ſpend well. But what profit was it to him, when he was ſo quickly parted from it? His time to have it was but ſhort, and it may be his enjoyment of it was not all that time he had it. But let us put the ſuppoſition higher yet. Let us ſuppoſe a man to gain the World, and to live longer in it then Saladine did: Yea let us ſuppoſe his years to be as many as Mathuſalems Geneſ. 5. 25, 26, 27.Gen 5:25Gen 5:26Gen 5:27dayes were by appointment: Yea let us make him immortal by our ſuppoſes. Yet ſtill the Queſtion may be asked,

What is a man profited?

Pſ. 102. 26, 27. Matth. 5. 18. 2 Pet. 3. 11. 12 Zanch. Miſcellaneor. lib. 1. de fine ſeculi. Nihil …nim est magnum re, quod parvum tempore nec longis dila…ur gaudiis quicquid arcto fine conditur. Eucher. ad Valerianum.Ps 102:26Ps 102:27Matt 5:182 Pet 3:112 Pet 3:12For why, though his life ſhould never have an end, yet there muſt be an end of the World. And that end of the World may be e're a day to an end. How quickly might he ſee the conflagration of all, by that moſt fatal fire that muſt demoliſh all? This preſen… World is momentarie, but that to come for ever. Yet the great Gainers of this preſent World, are wont to look ſo much after this World, which they g…t, that they forget the World to come, which they ſhould look after: And by the greatneſſe of their gaines in this World, they gaine that Worldly greatneſſe, which makes them too great to enter in at the ſtreight gate of that better p. 91World; & ſo when this world muſt be burnt with fire, they muſt needs burn with it for want of entrance in at the ſtreight gate. But let us put the Suppoſition as high as it can be put. Let us ſuppoſe a man to gain the World, and never to loſe it again, either in whole, or in part, by being taken from that by Death, or by having of that to be taken from him by fire. Yet ſtill the Queſtion may be asked,

What is he profited?

For why, for all this he may be ſtill a poor man, a diſcontented man, an unhappy man. Unhappy by being diſcontented, and diſcontented for being poor. Indeed he hath riches enough, that is contented with the riches that heNihil potest animae ſufficere praet…r ſummum bonum. S^t Auguſt. Manuel. c. 25. hath. But alas! it is not the whole World, nor a World of Worlds that can content a Worldly minde, or make it think it hath enough. The deſires of Mans heart are infinite, and the World but finite, and therefore it cannot ſatisfie them to contentment. This preſent World was ſo ſmall a thing in compare with Alexanders wiſhes, and the vaſtneſſe of his deſires, that he did even ſweat to think how his Greatneſſe was to be narrowed, and crowded up in it.

Aeſtuat infaelix anguſto limite mundi.Juvenal. Sat.

As the the Poet fancies of him, that he was even ſtifled with the conceit, that he ſhould not have elbow-room enough in this World.

And again, as it is finite, ſo all the treaſures of it are extrinſ…call, and ſo never enter into the Heart of Man to fulfill the deſires of it. Though his Barns, and Granaries be never ſo full, and all his Bags and Coffers; yet his Heart and Soule are never the fuller, but it may be much the …mpti…r, by having their deſires more and more enlarged.

Creſcit amor nummi, quantum ipſa pecunia creſcit,Juvenal.

Saith the Poet. The love of Money creaſeth as the Money creaſeth or increaſeth that is beloved. The more draughts ofNon qui parum h…bet pauper eſt, ſed qui plus cupi…. Seneca, gain be ſwallowed down, the more is the Hydropical Thirſt of gain increaſed. The more that the covetous Worldling gain…th, the more he coveteth; and the more he coveteth, the more he wanteth; and the more he wanteth, the poorer h…e groweth: ſo that by conſequence it clearely appeareth, p. 92that the more he gaineth, the poorer he groweth. Now what profit is it, for a man to gain that which makes him poor? He is not ſo poor that hath enough of a little, as he that hath much, and yet wanteth much more; and that is the condition of the Covetous worldling, He is ever in want. And therefore ſaith S. Chryſoſtome, foreign: It is one thing to be a Covetous man, andforeign S. Chryſ. Hom. 2. another to be a Rich man: for the covetous man is never rich; He ever wanteth what he coveteth, and he ever wanteth what he covereth. He covereth what he hath, from himſelfforeign, &c. Idem ibid. as well as others; and he coveteth what he hath not, whilſt others have it. He wanteth all that others have, and he wanteth all that he hath himſelf. All that he hath, did I ſay? Alas for him! he hath nothing: but the goods which he hath gotten, have gotten him; He doth not poſſeſſe them, but they poſſeſſe him; He doth not command them, but they command him. According to that of Chryſoſtome, foreign.Avaro deest tam quod habet quam quod non habet. S. Hier. Valer. Max. lib. 9. cap. 4. The covetous man may be a keeper of mony, but not a commander of it; a ſervant to it, not a maſter over it. As Valerius Maximus writes of that Ptolom…us which was King of Cyprus: Titulo Rex inſulae, animo autem pecuniae miſerabile mancipium: He was in title the King of the Cyprian-Iſle; but in truth, he was a miſerable Bondſlave to his Pelf. Now what profit is it to gain and increaſe that mony, which begetteth and increaſeth miſery? And if it be ſo little profit ſimply to gain the World, certainly there is leſſe profit in the gaining of it, if a man muſt pay his own Soule for it.

And this brings us to the ſecond Querie, that Hypothetical Queſtion, that includes the whole Text:

What is a man profited, if he ſhall gain the whole World, and loſe his own Soule?

And this Queſtion ſets us to conſider of the ſecond ſort of Wares, the Ware Exported; concerning which three Circumſtances were propoſed to be conſidered.

1. The Nature or Quality.

2. The Number or Quantity.

3. The Relation or Propriety.

p. 93Firſt, for the Nature or Quality, we may obſerve, that itSee Nemeſius of the Nature of Man. is a Soul. Yet not a Vegitative Soule, ſuch as is in the Plants; Nor yet a Senſitive Soule, ſuch as is in Birds and Beaſts; But a Reaſonable Soule, ſuch as is in Man, ſuch a Soule as makes him to be a Man; It is is his Soule, his owne Soule. I ſhallIt is the ſoule of man that makes him to be a man. See Philip of Mornay's Truneſſe of Chriſtian Religion, tranſlated by S^t Phil. Sidney chap. 14. not tell you what Ariſtotle ſayes of the Soule of Man, nor yet how other Philoſophers uſe to define it. But let me tell you thus much of it, that it is an Heavenly Jewell in a C…binet of Earth, and a Jewel of that worth it is, that not all the Diamonds in the World, though never ſo curiouſly cut, and never ſo artificially ſet, in the richeſt Rings of the moſt refined gold, may be valued with it, though it be cabined in the moſt deformed lump of Red Earth. There be many Reaſons in it to raiſe the eſtimate of it. I'le name ſome of them.

As firſt, it is the Medal of the Almighty; The lively Image of the living God; Or the Tablet upon which that King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, hath drawn his owne likeneſſe. Now ſhall the Image of a Mortall King, ſtamped on the ſubſtance of the Earth, or the Earthly ſubſtance of Gold or Silver, make man ſo to eſteem it as to become an Idolater towards it; and ſhall not the Image of the Immortal King of Kings imprinted in his own Workmanſhip upon the Heavenly ſubſtance of Mans ſoule, perſwade him far more highly to value that?

And a ſecond reaſon, why this Merchant Man ſhould inhaunceDei inſignita imagine, decorata ſimilitudine. S^t Bern. Medita. de digni…. animae. Mens noſtra Dei ſimilis, &c. Gregor. Nyſſ. diſputat. de anima & Reſurr. the price of his Soul, may be this, becauſe it is a ſpirit, an Immateriall ſubſtance. It is indeed within the ſubſtance of the body, but yet without a bodily ſubſtance. And the more that any ſubſtance be ſpiritualized, the more pu… and precious it is, and the more ennobled. And the further that any ſubſtance be diſtanced from the nature of a body, the nearer it drawes to the Nature of God; For foreign; God is a Spirit. And the ſpirituality of the Soule does far exalt it above the body, as comming nearer to the purity of God who is a Spirit. And therefore it is well aſſerted by S^t Bernard, that the worſt of ſoules in reſpect of ſubſtance, is far more excellent then the beſt of bodies, and ought to be valued far above them.

p. 94A third Reaſon to perſwade this Merchant-man to value his Soul at a very d…ar rate, may be the Immortality of it: It is immortal as well as immaterial. Indeed man dies atSee the Immortality of the ſoul diſcourſed of largely and very learnedly, by Philip of Mornay Lord of Pl…ſſie, in the Trueneſſe of Chriſt. Religion, c. 14. 15. his appointed time, but the ſoul of man does never die. By death the whole man is diſſolved, but the whole of man is not deſtroyed by death: The ſoul of man doth live, when man is dead. The ſoul is doomed at the inſtant of death, either to enjoy everlaſting felicity in Heaven, or to endure everlaſting miſery in Hell. And that endleſſe miſery is often called Mors ſecunda, the ſecond death. Yet is it not ſo called, that we ſhould think that the Soul doth ceaſe to live in hell, but rather …ecauſe it ceaſeth to enjoy its life. The damnedNon enim quia ſolvitur compoſitum, inde etiā neceſſariò conſequitur una cum compoſito d…ſſolvi id quod compoſitum non est. Greg. Nyſſen. diſput. de Anim. & Reſurr. ſouls in Hell live not there to enjoy life, but to endure grief. And therefore their life there is ſaid to be no life. Simplex vita non eſt vivere, ſed valere: meerly to live, is no life; but to live indeed, is to enjoy life. It is a kind of death, for one to live in pain, that hath lived at eaſe: It is a kind of death for one to live in priſon, that hath lived at liberty; A kind of death for one to live in penury, that hath lived in plenty. Thoſe damned Souls that lie impriſoned in Hell, do all live there in pain, for living here in pleaſure: their joyes are turned into pains, and their life now is worſe then death. Their Damnation in Hell is like to Death in four reſpects;In damnatione noviſſima quā vis homo ſentire non deſina…, tamen quia ſenſus ipſe nec voluptate ſuavis, nec quiete ſalubris, ſed do…o… poenalis est; non immeritò mors eſt potius appella…a quam vita. S. Auguſt. and for its likeneſſe in each reſpect it is called Death.

Firſt, it is like it for Separation. In temporal d…ath, theQuamvis enim humana anima v…raciter immortalis perhib…tur, habet tamen etiam ipſa mortem ſuam. Soul which gave life to the Body, is ſeparated from it: So in Damnation, the Lord of life, which gave life to the Soul, is ſeparated from that. Mort…ae ſunt animae, hoc eſt, à Deo deſert…, ſaith S. Auſtine: The damned ſoules are dead, that is, forſaken of God. For, Sicut mors corporis eſt cum id deſerit anim…, ita mors animae eſt cum eam deſerit Deus: As it is the death ofS. Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 13. c. 2. the body when it is forſaken of the ſoul, ſo it is the death of the ſoul when it is forſaken of God.Sicut enim anima diſcedente moritur corpus, ſic anima Deo d…ſ…rente mori credenda eſt.

p. 95Secondly, Damnation is like to Death in reſpect of Place. Hell is a place of Darkneſſe, a place that is very diſconſolate:Primaſius ſuper Apocalyp. cap. 18. ſo is the Grave. And therefore foreign Sheol with the Hebrews ſignifi…s both Hell and the Grave; and ſo doth foreign with the Greeks.

Thirdly, Damnation is like to Death, in reſpect of PainQuid ſacient intime familiares, quales ſunt corpus & anima, quae ab ipſo utero ita jucundiſſime vixerint? The ſpirit may be willing, but the fleſh will be loath. Mancheſt. Al Mond… contemp. mortis. and Griefe. Great are the pangs of Death, and great the griefe of Man that's dying: and the griefe and pains of Hell are full as great, and greater.

Fourthly, and laſt, Damnation is like to Death in reſpect of Horrour. Death is called the King of feares, the moſt terrible of terribles. Nature abhorreth nothing more then Death, there is nothing that is known to Man more terrible; and therefore is Damnation called Death. Indeed Damnation is beyond expreſſion terrible, yea beyond all apprehenſion; we want words to expreſſe it by, we want things more hideous to reſemble it unto. We miſ-call it Death, but it is not Death indeed. The Damned may wiſh for Death, but they muſt not dye. The Damned ſouls are all immortal, they are ſent to Hell to live in miſery, yea to live in miſery for ever, yea for ever and for ever. The expreſſion is as uſeful, as it is uſual: Mark it well, for ever and for ever. That which is but once for ever, can never have an end. But the living, and laſting Miſeries of Hell are ſaid to be for ever, and for ever, to make us the more ſeriouſly to conſider of them. This Duplication intimateth thus much to us, that when the poore damned ſoule hath paſſed a thouſand years, and ten thouſands more, and as many thouſands more as the nimbleſt imagination can conceive of, and more Millions of Ages more then the beſt Arithmetician can ever multiply, yet then he ſhall be as if he were newly to begin, he hath ſtill and ſtill another for ever to endure miſeries. This it is that does ſo aggravate the Miſery of Man by his Worldly Merchandize. If he muſt loſe his Soul, for his gaining of the World, his loſſe is infinite, becauſe the Damnation of his Soul is endleſſe. It is for ever and ever. It was the thought of this, that cauſed that Right Reverend Parſon of Bethlem Pariſh, devout S^t Hierome, to renounce this preſent World, p. 96and retire into a Cell or Cave, which he either found, or founded in Bethlem; leſt he ſhould loſe his Soule for ever and ever in Hell, by gaining the World for a time.

The feare of endleſſe torments turn'd his CellD^r Willans foreign.

Into a Jayle, and made his Cave his Hell.

Propter metum Gehennae tali me carceri emancipaveram, as he ſaid himſelf to Heliodorus. That good old Father was wont to be portraied with a young Lyon by his ſide, partly to ſignifie how fiercely he cryed out againſt the Schiſmes and Hereſies, and other ſins of others in his time; and partly to ſignifie that he ſometimes roared out for the very diſquietneſſe of his own heart, at the ſight of his own ſin, knowing that if his ſoule muſt be loſt by them, his loſſe would be intolerable, becauſe it would be the loſſe of an immortal ſubſtance.

A fourth Reaſon to raiſe the eſtimate of the Soul, may be taken from the Reaſon in it. It is a Reaſonable Soul, an IntellectualIt is chiefly in reſpect thereof that we are called Reaſonable Creatures. Nemeſ. of the Nature of Man, cap. 14. Subſtance. The richeſt Treaſure of any that Man as man is entruſted with. By this he comes to know himſelfe. By this he comes to know the way to ſave himſelfe. By this he comes to know the worth of this and other things. If he loſeth this, he is but a loſt man, yea without this he is no man at all: And therefore Man ſhould value this above all.

A fifth Reaſon may be this, that the loſing or ſaving of the whole man depends upon the ſaving or loſing of the ſoule. If the Soule of man be turned into Hell at the firſt Judgement, the whole man muſt be tumbled thither at the ſecond Judgement. But if it be tranſlated to Heaven at the Night of Death, the Body alſo ſhall have a removal thither at the Morning of the Reſurrection.

It is a prepoſterous Care in many Great ones in thisMultus Corporum Curationi impenditur uſus, multum huic operae in ſpem med…lae datur. Nunquid medicinam anima non m…retur? Etſi varia corpori auxiliae studio tuendae ſanitatis adhibentur; ſas non eſt tamen animam velut excluſam jacere, & quaſi neglectam morbis ſuis intabeſcere atque unam à propriis remediis exulare: immo verè plura animae conſerenda ſunt, ſi corpori tanta praeſtantur. Nam ſi r…cte quidam carnem famulam, animam verò dominam eſſe dixerunt; non oportet post…ri…re l…co nos dominam ponere, ac famulam iniquo jure praeferre. Eucherius in Epiſt. Paraenet. ad Valerianum. World, to make great proviſion for their Bodies here before death, and alſo after it, but none at all, or very little for their Soules. Alas for them! Let them provide what Phyſicians they can to prevent the Death of their Bodies, yet are they mortal, and ſo muſt dye. And let them prepare what Tombs they will to preſerve them after Death: Yet if their ſoules be ſent to Hell to be tormented for their p. 97ſinnes done in their bodies, their bodies muſt be ſure they alſo ſhall be ſent to ſuffer with their ſoules: As they ſinned together, ſo muſt they ſuffer. But whatever become of their Bodies after death, if their Soules be ſaved when they die, their Bodies alſo ſhall be ſaved at the ſecond coming of our Saviour. As they have ſerved him together, ſo ſhall they be ſaved together by him. The happineſſe or unhappineſſe of the whole man, depends upon the happineſſe or unhappineſſe of his Soule.

The ſixth and laſt Reaſon to perſwade this Merchant,Totus quidem iſte mundus ad unius animae pretium aeſtimari non poteſt; non enim pro tolo mundo Deus animam ſuam dare voluit, quam pro anima humanae dedit. Sublimius ergo animae pretium, quae non niſi ſanguine Chriſti redimi potuit, &c. Agnoſce homo, quam nobilis eſt anima tua, & quam gravia ſuerunt ejus vulnera, pro quibus neceſſe ſuit Chriſtum Dominum vulnerari. Noli ergo vilipendere animae tuae paſſionem, cui à tanta Majeſtate tantam vides exhiberi compaſſionem. S. Bern. Medit. Man, to prize his Soul above the World, may be taken from the conſideration of that price which our Saviour paid for the redemption of it. And was it not very conſiderable, think you, that the Sonne of God, the welbeloved Sonne of God, the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God, equal to the Father in goodneſſe, and power, and glory, and majeſty, ſhould condeſcend ſo low as to become a Man, a Man of no reputation, the very ſcorn and deriſion of men, and the very Outcaſt of the people? That he ſhould take upon him the forme of a Servant, and vouchſafe to be a Servant of ſervants; To be mocked of many, to be hated of moſt, to be forſaken of all at laſt? Yea more, that he ſhould aſſelf the blame, and ſhame, and ſufferings of all the ſinnes of man; Of man that was his enemy, of man that hated him? That he ſhould die for man; and die the worſt of deaths too, the death of the Croſſe, a painful death, a ſhameful death, an hateful death, a curſed death? And more yet; That he ſhould ſuffer as many Torments of Hell it ſelf, as might ſave man from being tormented for ever? Can we think that he, the Sonne of God, begotten of the Father of Wiſdome, yea begotten of the Wiſdome of the Father, ſhould dote on Man to very folly, and do and ſuffer this, even all this, for a toy, for a trifle, for a thing of nothing? Surely he did highly prize p. 98the Soul of man, or he would never have done and ſuffered ſo much to redeem it. Too many there be indeed, that make too little reckoning of their Soules: For, all they do ſo, that adventure the loſing of them, for the gaining of the World. Indeed if man had many Soules, the loſſe of one were not ſo much, as it is now that he hath but one. The loſſe of one is the loſſe of all, of himſelf and all.

And that is the ſecond Circumſtance concerning this Commodity Exported, to be conſidered; The Number or Quantity: His one Soul, in the ſingular number. When a cunning Merchant hath but a ſmall quantity of ſome ſpecial Commodity, he knows then what he hath to doe, he makes his price accordingly, or rather he knows not what price to make of it, he thinks he can never ask enough, eſpecially if theſe five Circumſtances be coincident with the ſmalneſſe of the Quantity.

Firſt, if it be ſuch a kind of Commodity, as that he may be ſure he can get no more of the ſame kind, if he parts with that he hath.

Secondly, if it be ſuch a Commodity as he cannot be without, if he deſires to have a being; ſuch a Commodity as he can neither trade for the World, nor ſubſiſt in the World without it.

Thirdly, if it be a Commodity received from a Friend, andKeep thy ſoule diligently, Deut. 4. 9.Deut 4:9 ſuch a Friend as he ought to love above the World, and that Friend gave it to him to the end that he might keep it for his own endleſſe good, and for his ſake that gave it to him.

Fourthly, if it be ſuch a Commodity as doth exceed allFor it coſt more to redeem their ſoules; ſo that he muſt let that alone for ever. Pſal. 49. 8. What ſhall he give in exchange? Intelligere oportet de anima perdita. Janſen.Ps 49:8 prices that can be given by this World for it.

And laſtly, if it be a Commodity that cannot be regained by any man that hath parted with it, although he would part with all back again that he took for it, and give even all that he had before to boot.

Now all theſe Circumſtances do concurre with the Singularity of the Soul. For, 1. A man can never get another Soul, when his own is loſt. 2. A man cannot ſubſiſt without his Soul, he could not be a Man but for his Soul, it is p. 99Soul that makes him ſo. 3. It was the Lord himſelf that gave his Soul unto him, and for his ſake he ought to keep it; and he gave it him to keep, untill that he ſhould come and take it to himſelf again. 4. It is of worth above the World. And laſtly, nothing in the World can ever redeem it, if it be loſt or laid to pawn. The loſſe muſt needs be great: And how great ſoever it be, that man that hath loſt it muſt beare all the loſſe; no man can be partner with him, becauſe it was his own ſoul, and onelyonly his.

That's the third Circumſtance to be conſidered, and it is very conſiderable; It is his own Soul. Others can have no ſhare with him in the ſubſtance of this Commodity thus exported, and therefore can they not be ſharers with him in his loſſe of it. Others may have their hands in the loſſe of this Soul, and ſo may be puniſhed with the loſſe of their own for it, yet will their loſſes no way leſſen his. His ſoul was all his own before he parted with it, and all the loſſe muſt be his own for parting from it. A great loſſe it muſt needs be unto him: It is the loſſe of his greateſt good, and with that the loſſe of all his goods. Yet for the gaining of wordly goods, too many adventure the loſſe of their ſouls.

Some Merchants have adventured much, and have gained more; they have adventured with their goods, and have ſaved themſelves: But others have loſt both their goods and themſelves by the like adventures. Some men have adventured far for the gaining of the World, and have come home again to themſelves without loſing their Souls: But others have loſt them by adventuring of them. Some men loſe their Souls by adventuring of them: Some others ſell them, and ſo loſe them.

And ſo we are fallen upon the third particular, the Merchandiſe it ſelf, or the Negotiating of the Trade. And in this negotiating of the Trade, there are both gaining & loſing: Gaining of the World, and loſing of the Soul. The gaines are great; gain the whole World: But the loſſe is greater; and loſe his own Soul. He that ſells his Soul for the whole World, makes but an ill bargain for himſelf: He is a loſer by the bargain, and ſuch a loſer, that his very ſoul may be p. 100ſaid to be loſt though he ſells it, becauſe he ſells it ſo much under foot. There are two Wayes to loſe the Soule by ſelling of it.

The firſt by Whole-ſale.

The ſecond by Retaile.

Men may be ſaid to ſell and loſe their ſouls by Whole-ſale, when they take ſome great reward of iniquity for them, and ſo Ioſe them all at once. And they may be ſaid to ſell them by Retaile, when they forfeit and loſe them by little and little. There are Minuta peccata, ſaith S. Auſtine, peccadillio's, littleS. August. de de Cevit. Dei. l. 2. cap. 32. ſinnes. And there are Peccata conſcientiam vaſtantia, Conſcience-waſting ſinnes, great offences. The Soule may be loſt by one of theſe, or it may be loſt by a multitude of thoſe. It is traded away by Whole-ſale, when it is loſt for one grand offence; And it is traded away by Retaile, when it is loſt for many minute offences. St Bernard calls theſe Venialia, S. Bern. de praecep. & diſpen. cap. 14.and thoſe greater Criminalia: but theſe Venials are made Mortals, when a mortal man allows them in himſelfe, and himſelfe in them, and ſo multiplies them upon that ſtock of allowance. St Auſtine compares theſe ſmaller ſinnes to the graines of Sand, and to the ſmalleſt drops of Water. The graines of Sand are very ſmall, yet if many of them be put together into a Bag, or Sack, and laid upon the head, or ſhoulders of a man, they will preſſe him down: And the drops of Raine are little by themſelves, yet when many meet together they may cauſe an inundation. Many ſmall ſinnes may be as heavy as one great ſinne, ſaith S. Auſtine. S. Auguſt. Epiſtol. 108. ad Seleuſian.And he fitly reſembles the loſſe of a Soule to the loſſe of a Merchants ſhip upon the Sea; Sometimes a Ship is loſt by one great Wave that overwhelmes it, and ſinks it right downe; and ſometimes a Ship is loſt by the Water that leaks in by ſome breach or breaches in the ſides or bottome. So ſome mens ſoules are loſt by the ſinnes that ſue in through their leaking ſenſes; and ſometimes they are loſt by ſome great ſinne that ſwells above them, and ſinks them right downe to the very bottome of perdition; ſuch was that grand Rebellion of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, andNum. 16. 1, 2. 4. 31, 32, 33.Num 16:1Num 16:2Num 16:4Num 16:31Num 16:32Num 16:33 their factious Complices that roſe up againſt Moſes and Aaren p. 101to pull them downe. It was ſo heynous and ſo heavy a ſinne, that it ſunk them all to the pit of deſtruction, the very Earth was not able to bear them with that ſinne upon them. Some other trifled away theirs ſoules by little and little: But theſe traded theirs away by whole-ſale. But which way ſo ever they be ſold, they are but loſt. And in both theſe wayes of ſelling them there are two things remarkable:

Firſt, the making of the Bargaine.

Secondly, the performing of the Bargaine.

Firſt, the making of it. And it may be made two wayes: Explicitely, or Implicitely; that is Formally, or by Conſequence.

Firſt, Explicitely, or Formally, when both parties doe capitulate the Conditions, and agree upon the Termes. Thus Witches, and Wizards, and all Confederates with the Devil, are ſaid to ſell their ſoules unto him.

Secondly, Implicitely, or by conſequence: and this is when the Devil, or his Factors come into the Mart of this World, and fall to chaffering for Mens Soules by cheapning of them, and bidding like Chapmen for them. The Devil comes to the Covetous man, and asketh him the price of his Soule; He comes to the Voluptuous man, and asketh him the price of his; And he comes to the Ambitious man, and asketh him the price of his. The price of the Covetous mans is Wealth; the price of the Voluptuous mans is Pleaſure; and the price of the Ambitious mans is Honour. The Devil knows their ſeveral prizes, but knows not how to pay them downe: Yet like himſelfe he offers all they ask, and promiſeth in time to pay them all.Matth. 4 9.Matt 4:9 Haec omnia vobis dabo, all theſe things will I give unto you. And then for Earneſt, or in part of payment he puts a penny or a Teſton of unlawful gains into the hands of the Covetous man to conclude the Bargaine with him: He procures an opportunity of unlawful Pleaſure according to the Voluptuous mans deſire, to conclude the Bargain with him: And by a ſmall Bribe he ſets the Ambitious man upon the firſt ſtep to preferment, to conclude with him. p. 102Theſe men cannot be ignorant of the Devils aims, they muſt needs know, that what he offers, is but in earneſt or in part of payment for their ſouls; yet they take his offers, or rather are taken with his temptations: and what call you this, but a ſtriking up of the bargaine? Now the bargain being made, the performance is expected. But here men think to be too cunning for the Devil himſelf. They never intend to perform the bargain, they think to put him off by denying of it. They intend to put him to prove it by ſufficient witneſſes, which they think he cannot doe, before the Judge at the great Aſſize. But alas for them! before it comes to that, they may be ſure to be Arr…ſted at the Devils Suit, by that bold, that inexorable, that impartial Serjeant, Death. Executions will be granted out againſt them; and thoſe not of goods onelyonly, nor yet of bodies and goods; but of goods and bodies and ſoules. And Death's Warrants run very high, Non omittas propter ullam libertatem: Attach them where-ever thou findeſt them. There are no places in this world, that are priviledged from the Arreſts of Death. When once this Serjeant Death hath arreſted their Bodies, their Soules muſt preſently be ſent to the Barre of Judgement for particular Sentences. Then actum erit, the matter will be paſt cure; the bargain will be proved againſt them by credible witneſſes: For firſt, the Devils payments will be proved by that Coyn of his, thoſe peeces of Devilliſme found in their poſſeſſions at the time of their attachments. Thoſe ſinnes which the Devil brought to them, or them unto, will all be witneſſes againſt them.

Secondly, the Day-book of their own Conſciences will be produced as a thouſand Witneſſes againſt them: for there the Debt of Sin is ſcored up, and never can be croſſed untill it be expunged by repentance. And now, ſhall not the Judge of all the World do right? Yes ſurely, and he will give the Devil his due. There is no remedy now, the bargain muſt be performed: The Devil bought their Souls, and he muſt have them. The Devil is the Jailour of Hell, and thither the Judge commands them: Take them Jailour, ſaith the Judge; that is, take them Devil, and keep them faſt till the general p. 103Judgement: They might have been wiſer before, but now there is no help for them; It is now too late to repent, let Merchantmen beware in time then; let no man think to cheat the Devil, leſt he cheats himſelf. Let no man think himſelf ſecure in the middeſt of danger. Think not your ſelves by the African Promontory, the Cape of good Hope, when ye are very neer the Magillanean Straights. Miſtake not thoſe unfortunate Caput bou… ſp…t. Abbots deſcription of the VVorld.Iſlands neer the Molucco's, for the very Canaries. If you be not yet arrived at Lucians Iſland of Dreams, doe not dream broadwaking; do not imagine your ſoules to be in ſafe habours when they are in the midſt of Helliſh Pyrates. This World is like a Sea, a dangerous Sea; and that Arch-Pyrate the Devll, and many Scouts from Hell are coaſting this Sea of the World; from place to place. And the Devil can play the Merchant as well as the Pyrate, if he cannot take men in the World, he will try to take them by it: If he cannot ſurprize them in it, he'le offer it as a prize unto them, and many are taken by it: Many ſell themſelves unto him for it, and ſo undoe themſelves for ever; for they loſe their Souls by the ſale, which are more worth then all the World. And ſo much they muſt confeſſe, if they ballance the Trade.

What is a man profited, if he ſhall gaine the whole world, and loſe his own ſoule? i. e. Ballance the Trade, compare and compute the worth of the wares, and then ſay, What profit is it for a man to gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoule? I may not ſtand to recapitulate the ſeveral circumſtances of both theſe Wares, the whole World, and a mans own ſoule; and ſo compare them: Let your Meditations eaſe me of that labour, whileſt I ſumme up the Uſes that may be made of theſe Meditations.

Yet for the Ballancing of the Trade, let me make a tendry to you of three or four Conſiderables.

1. Conſider, That the gaining of the whole World can never make the Gainer of it happy: But ſo will his ſaving of his own Soule.

2. Conſider, that a man cannot be happy without his own Soule; but without the World he may

3. Conſider, That a man muſt loſe the World, or leave it before he can be happy; but if his Soule be loſt, when it p. 106muſt leave him he can never be happy.

4. Conſider, That the Soul is infinite in duration, and the World but finite. This but temporal; but that eternal, àparte poſt, as ſome diſtinguiſh. The one a matchleſſe treaſure, the other a worthleſſe trifle in compariſon.

Now ballance theſe Conſiderables: What profit is it for a man to gain that, which can never make him happy, and loſe that for it, which would make him ſo for ever, if he did not loſe it? Or, what profit is it for a man to gaine that, which he muſt loſe again before he can be happy; and for his gaining of it, muſt loſe that which can no more be gained, nor happines without it? Or, what profit can it be to gain that which is but finite, and loſe that which is infinite? Inter finitum, & infinitum nulla datur proportio. There is no proportion between a thing that is finite, and a thing that is infinite.

Is it ſo then, that the whole World is not to be valued with one Soule? What folly then doe thoſe men ſhew to the world, that adventure the loſſe of their Soules for the very Attoms of the world, or the ſmalleſt gains that can be in the World? for an Inch in an Ell, for an Ounce in a Pound? What lunacy, what madneſſe to hazard a SouleSi ergo homines totum mundum ſpernere oportet ne animarum damna patiantur; & propter ſuam ſalutem debet quiſpiam etiam ſua lucra contemnere; quàm infidelis est, quàm inſipiens est, qui ut alium divitem faciat, animam ſuam ipſe condemnat? Maximè cum & ille non multum adipiſcitur, qui uſum temporalium rerum accipit… & ille inaestimabilia damna praeferat, qui fructum beatae aeternitatis amittit. Salvianus ad Eccleſ. Cathol. lib. 3. for farthings, or the Minutes of the World? for a moment of Pleaſure, or a Puffe of applauſe? Many think they bring their Souls to very good Markets, if they can ſell them with a Ziba for a Mephiboſheths inheritance; or with an Ahab for a Naboths Vineyard, or with an Achan for a wedge of gold. Many are willing to ſell them as Eſau did his Birth-right, for a meſſe of Pottage; yea, for a peece of Bread ſome will tranſgreſſe. Judas the Traitor valued his Maſter at thirty pence: But how many are there, that can be content to ſell their Saviour, and give their Souls into the bargain, for the bare moitie of his reward of iniquity? Ananias and Sapphira ſold themſelves for part of that price, that ſhould have been laid at the Apoſtles feet, Acts 5. A very inconſiderable price. But what if it had been all? And what if that all had been as much as all the world? what profit would p. 106it have been unto them, if they muſt have loſt their ownSacrilego poena eſt neque ei ſoli qui è ſacro abſtulerit, ſed etiam ei qui ſacro commendatum quod & nunc multis ſit fanis. Cicer. de leglb. lib. 1. Souls for it? Alas, no profit at all! For what is a man profited, if he ſhall gaine the whole World, and loſe his own Soule?

And ſecondly, is it ſo that the gaining of the whole World is not to be ballanced with the loſſe of one Soul? What anſwer or account can thoſe Factors make to their Principal? What can ſuch Malefactors anſwer unto God Almighty, that have cauſed the loſſe of a World of Souls, for the gaining of a little Worldly Pelf, or a little vain Applauſe, or a little vaniſhing Pleaſure?Cicer. Parad. lib. 3.

The Stoicks thought (as Cicero telleth us) that all ſinnes are equal. And ſome Hereticks have thought that all ſufferings ſhall be ſo in Hell. But dantur gradus in Gloria; there are degrees of Glory in Heaven amongſt the Saints, and there ſhall be degrees of Miſery in Hell amongſt the Sinners. It hath been the judgment of many Orthodox Divines, that the Authors and the Abettors of the Arrian Hereſies had their Torments in Hell increaſed daily, as the number of Soules increaſed which were daily loſt by following of their Hereſies. Yet for a little applauſe amongſt ſome people, and for ſome ſmall Benevolence from them, the old Hereſies are unraked out of their aſhes, and new ones are blown up daily into blazing-flames, to the great diſturbance of Iſraels peace, and to the deſtruction of Sions proſperity. The Pulpits are prophaned, and the Preſſes are peſtered, and Myriads of Souls are ſeduced with the daring fancies of deſperate Opinioniſts. For ſmall gains, ſome have written, and others have printed, and divers have vended dangerous Pamphlets, to corrupt mens judgments, and poyſon their affections, and undo their ſoules. Oh that the worth of Soules were better conſidered!

It was a pious Reſolve in an Engliſh Gentleman, an elegant Pen-man, neither to write, nor yet to read any prophane Paſquils. He would not write any ſuch, leſt his own condemnation ſhould be increaſed by theirs that ſhould be corrupted by his Pen: nor would he read any ſuch, leſt he ſhould be corrupted, and increaſe their condemnation that p. 106wrote them. It is better to have a lame hand, ſaith he, then a lewd pen. Our Saviour paid very heartily to redeeme mens ſouls; And muſt not thoſe men pay very dearly for them, that thus adventure to ruine them?

In the third place: Is it ſo, that our Saviour Chriſt the chief Paſtor and Biſhop of Souls, hath ſuch an eſtimate of Souls, that he deems one Soul worth more then all the World? Then let all Biſhops and Spiritual Paſtors take the greater heed unto thoſe Souls committed by him to their Charges. All others are Vicarii ejus, but his Curates or his Vicars, ſaithOmnes alii ſunt Vicarii ejus, quia ipſe paſcit oves proprias, alii verò oves Christi. Aquin. in Ep. ad Heb. c. 13.Heb 13 Aquinas; and unto him they muſt anſwer for thoſe entruſted to them. It is reported of S. Auſtine, that he wept when he entred into Holy Orders: And ſome have thought thoſe Tears prognoſticks or forerunners of his following Troubles in his Office. But ſurely the ſight of his Danger under that Charge did draw teares out of his eyes, as well as his foreſight of thoſe Troubles that he found in the Diſcharge of his Office. Indeed his pains in Preaching were like to prove Paraemian; his labours little better then the waſhing of the Black-Moore: His Cure conſiſted of Swarthy AfricansSee Eliah's wiſh, preached by D^r. Willan ar the Funerals of the Lord Bayning. whoſe Souls were as tawny as their Hides. And thoſe Labours of the Pulpit were likely to be made more difficult by multitudes of Gainſayers. He was likely to have perpetual Bickerings with refractary Schiſmaticks, and with obſtinate Hereticks, ſuch as would oppoſe the Diſcipline, and ſuch as would apoſtatize from the Doctrine of the Church. And likely he was by their meanes to meet many Atheiſts too, ſuch as would neither believe the Truth of God, nor the God of Truth. For all Africa was full of ſuch Monſters inAffrica ſemper aliquid apportat novi. the time of S. Auſtine, as full as of other Monſters at other times.

The firſt Part of S. Auſtin's Polemicks doth ſtill atteſt whatDiv. Aug. Tom. 6. bickerings he had with Jewes, and with Pagans; with Fortunatus, and Adimantus, and Fauſtus, and Felix, and Secundinus, and other Manichean Hereticks; with Maximinus, and Felicianus, and other Arrians; with Priſcilianiſts, and Originiſts, and Jovinian, and other Hereticks. And the ſecond Part of his Polemicks does abundantly ſhew his troubleſome ConflictsS. Aug. tom. 7. p. 107with Parmenian, and Petilian, and Creſconius, and Gaudentius, and Emeritus, and Fulgentius, and other malignant Donatiſts, and with that peſtilent Heretick Pelagius and all his followers.

Pelagius was born in Wales, about the time that S. Auſtine Pelagius Brito Monachus, An. Dom. 415. Bellar. Chron. par. altera.was born in Africa; and the infection of his Hereſies as well as others, did ſpread as far as the Dioceſſe of Hippo, when Father Auſtine was Biſhop there; and it coſt him no little pains to adminiſter an Antidote againſt the poyſon. But S. Auſtine was Malleus Haereticorum, the Maul of Hereticks:For the Heretical opinions of Pelagius, ſee Mer. Hanmers Eccl. Chron. and ſo he proved to Pelagius. It was by ſpecial Providence (as ſome have thought) that theſe two were foreign or Contemporaneans, that ſo the Antidote might be contemporal to the Poyſon, and that the Truth might have an Auſtine to defend it, when it had a Pelagius to oppoſe it.They were born both in one day. Noahs Dove, by Dr. Valentine. S. Auſtine had work enough with him, and ſuch as he. Yet his troubles were increaſed by compoſing of Quarrels between Diſſentients in Civil things. But that which was moſt burdenſome of all, was his Charge of Souls. He knew right well the worth of Souls; and he knew as well what a ſtrict account would be required of them. Judah's engagementGen. 43. 8, 9.Gen 43:8Gen 43:9 for Benjamin was full of hazard: But a Paſtors, or Biſhops engagement for the Souls in his Charge is far more hazardous; though few men think themſelves beholding to them for engaging for them.

But Ghoſtly Fathers are not the onelyonly men that muſt anſwer for Souls: for Natural Fathers are Curates too. The Souls of all their Children are committed to their truſt, and ſcored upon their accounts: It is their Duty to bring Epheſ. 6. 4.Eph 6:4them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And if they periſh for want of ſuch admonition and nurture, the Souls of the Fathers muſt ſuffer for them.

And Maſters of Families are Truſtees too, they have Cures of Souls committed to them; The ſouls of their Servants are all upon their ſcores. And therefore Joſhuah's care was not for a perſonal piety only, but a domeſtical too. As for me and my houſe, we will ſerve the Lord. Joſ. 25. 15. And the care of Philemon was to have his houſe like the houſe ofPhilem. 2.Phlm 1:2 p. 110God. And ſuch was the pious care of Aquila, and Priſcilla. 1 Cor. 16. 19.1 Cor 16:19The Apoſtle telleth us of Churches in their Houſes: their Houſes were like to Churches, for government and for godlineſſe. Each maſter was as a Biſhop in his own Dioceſſe, reſpecting the Soules committed to his charge, as one that muſt anſwer for them.

And Publike Magiſtrates have Charges of Souls too, and ſuch as are full of hazard. It belongs to them foreign, to1. Reprimendos eſſe haereticos ab omnibus piis, ſecundum illam vocationem, & poteſtatem, quam acceperunt à Deo, ſatis apparet ex naturâ rei: quia omnes pii ad militiam Christianam vocantur ut in ſuis ſtationibus opponant ſeſe ſinguli regno tenebrarum. 2. Magiſtratus locus, & officium postulant, ut reprimat improbos turbatores gladio, vel potestate publicâ, & externa ſi opus fuerit. 3. Si igitur Haeretici ſint manifeſti, & publicè noxii, debent à Magiſtratu publica poteſtate coerceri. Ameſius de Conſcien. lib. 4. cap. 4. qu. 6. overſee, or to watch over them. That firſt of Chriſtian Emperours, Conſtantine the Great, did think ſo, when he told the Fathers of the Church at the Nicene Council, that he was foreign, a Biſhop as well as they; he was to have a care of of Souls; yea, his office bound him to watch over their Soules as well as others, though his office did differ from theirs in adminiſtration of duty.

The Miniſter hath one ſword of God put into his hand, and he muſt not bear the ſame in vain; for he is the ſpiritual Magiſtrate of God to denounce the evill of Puniſhment againſt all the doers of the evill of Sin. And the Magiſtrate hath another ſword of God in his hand, and he may not bear it in vain; for he is Gods temporal Miniſter, to execute Vengeance upon them that doe evill. All things doeRom. 13. 4. 1 Timoth. 2. 2.Rom 13:41 Tim 2:2 then go well in Common-wealth, when the mouth of God, the Miniſter, and the hand of God, the Magiſtrate goe both together to beat down ſin and ſchiſme, and blaſphemy and hereſie. Indeed, there may be ſome danger in ſuch times as theſe, for either Magiſtrates of Miniſters toImperatorumeſt tollere ſchiſmata. Theodori…us de Nicen. diſpleaſe the violent many, by diſcharging of their offices: But muſt there not needs be more danger to them, if they diſpleaſe God Almighty by not diſcharging of them, to humour the Many. It is good ſleeping in a whole skin; but better keeping of a whole Conſcience. It is well when men can ſave themſelves here; but better if they can ſave their ſoules hereafter. But this cannot be done by neglecting the p. 111Souls of truſt. Magiſtrates are called Gods; yea, God himſelfSurely the Parliament was very ſenſible of this, when the Article for exterpation of Popery, Superſtition, Hereſie, Schiſme, Prophaneſſe, &c. was put into the Covenant, and when the Ordinance for that day of Humilition, March 10. 1646. for the ſuppreſſing of Errours, Hereſies, and Blaſphemies, was made: doth call them ſo, Pſal. 82. 6. And God forbid that they ſhould be like to Idol gods, Which have eyes and ſee not, ears and hear not, and hands but ſtrike not.

I have both heard and read a ſtory (related as from theSee Arch-biſhop Curles Sermon upon Hebr. 12. 14.Heb 12:14 Pen of Plutarch) of a certain Virgin that had many Suters, and every one pretended an onelyonly right unto her: All could not have her, and therefore they reſolved to pull her in peeces. Now me thinks Religion is like that Virgin: many pretend to be good-willers to it; and every meer pretender to it claims the whole right of it. The Papiſt ſaies, Religion is his. The Browniſts ſaies, 'tis his. And ſo ſayes every kinde of Anabaptiſts. And every ſort of Familiſts. All cannot have it, as they would; and therefore they endeavour to rent it all in peeces, that the true Proteſtant may not quietly enjoy it. Thus the life of Religion is in danger, and muſt needs be loſt, unleſſe the Magiſtrate, with the ſword of Juſtice in his hand, will ſhew the Juſtice of that ſword, and doe the Proteſtant right by defending his Religion.Tirannis non eſt impedire novationes in Eccleſia orthodoxa: Videlius dePruden. Ver. Eccleſ. l. 3. c. 4. 1 Kings 13. 16, &c.Sir 50:31 Kgs 13:16

King Solomon could certainly conclude, that ſhe was not the true Mother of the living Childe, that was for the dividing of it. And any Magiſtrate may conclude as certainly, that they are neither Fathers, nor Mothers, nor Brothers, nor Siſters, nor any way allyed to Religion, but meer aliens that are either for dividing of it, or dividing from it.

You then that have the over ſight of ſuch a City as this, be not over-ſeen to loſe your own Soules by conniving atActs 18. 17. Sine zelo nec Religio conſervari, & propagarii nec tentationes vel ſpei, vel metus ſuperari poſſunt. Videlius de Prudent. Ver. Eccleſ. l. 1. c. 3.Acts 18:17Sir 50:1 the loſſe of thouſands. Be not Gallio's at ſuch a time as this, in ſuch as a caſe as this, in ſuch a City as this. But be as zealous for the Truth, as any can be for Errours. Be as watchful for the Church as others are againſt it. Be for the Lord, and he will be for you. Zeale for the Lord does w…ll in any man, but better in the Magiſtrate. Qui non zelat, non amat. He that is not zealous for the City of God, and for the God p. 110of the City, loves neither as he ſhould: Oh, love the Lord, and love the place where his honour dwelleth; love the worſhip of the Lord, and the place of his worſhip, and the time for worſhipping of him in the place of worſhip. Love theLevit. 19. 30. Pſal. 93. 5. The Parliament hath done the Lords Day right by that Ordinance April 6. 1644. for the ſtrict obſervance of the Day. John 2. 14, &c. Si quis domum Dei contemptibilem eſſe, & conventus qui in ea c…lebrantur, Anathema ſit. Carranza Concil. Gangr. Can. 5.Lev 19:30Ps 93:5John 2:14 Lords houſe, and the Lords day; holineſſe becometh both: let not prophaneneſſe come into either, leſt it enter alſo into mens ſouls. If we have neither a ſet time, nor a ſetled place for ſolemn worſhip, we ſhall quickly have no worſhip. And if we loſe the worſhip of God amongſt us, muſt we not look to loſe the Lord himſelf from amongſt us? And if we loſe him, can we ſave our ſelves? Muſt not our ſoules be loſt, if he be loſt that ſhould ſave them? Let us keep his Day, and keep his Houſe, to keep him in his houſe amongſt us.

When our gracious Saviour was upon the earth, his pious zeale for the place of publike worſhip, did even compel him to whip the prophane Huc…ſters out of the Temple. And were he now upon the earth, his zealous Piety might be compelled to whip ſome Huckſters with other prophaners of his Sabbath, into his Temple: And yet it may be he would whip them out again, for comming prophanely thither, or committing prophaneneſſe there.

Many are ſo greedy of worldly gains, that they cannot forbeare their Huckſtering upon the Sabbath: they loſe a greater good for the gaining of a little goods. They loſe the Time and Means of gaining goodneſſe, and gaining godlineſſe. Godlineſſe is great gain. But alas! their gaines by hapering at home are ſmal and inconſiderable. What if theyƲbi ſalutis damnum eſt, illic utique jam lucrum nullum est. Eucher. Epiſt. ad Valerian. gain much? What if they gain as much as all the World, if they muſt loſe their Souls, their gains can no way recompence them for their loſſe. There can be no profit in ſuch gains; For, What is a man profited, if he ſhall gaine the whole world, and loſe his own ſoule?

FINIS.

The Pious Convert. A FAST SERMON, As it was Preached at Great Bealings in SUFFOLK, By Edw. Willan, M. A. C. C. C. in Ca.

Luke 5. 32. I came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to repentance.

Matth. 3. 8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.

Seneca Tragaed. 8. Quem paenitet peccaſſe, pene eſt innocens.

LONDON, Printed for RICHARD ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane, 1651.

To the Worſhipfull, ALMOT CLENCH Eſq; His very loving Friend and Kinſman.

SIR,

YOƲ cannot but know by whom this Text was given to me: But I cannot know to whom this Sermon may be given ſo rightly as to the Giver of the Text. Give me leave then to give that to you a ſecond time, and by a ſecond way, which hath been yours from the firſt. Why ſhould it not be yours in your Hands, as well as yours in your Head, and yours in your Heart? The Text was very well taken from his hands that gave it: And I will hope that thoſe hands which gave the Text, will take the Sermon ſo. Indeed I muſt needs ſay, the Text was very worthy to be accepted; But ſo I dare not ſay of the Sermon. But if you pleaſe to take it as it is, it is as it was. It was yours from the Pulpit at the firſt; And yours for ever it muſt be from the Preſſe, by all the right that may be.

I have minded you already of your Intereſt in the Argument: But I ſuppoſe I need not minde you of your Intereſt in the Author, Who is

Sir, Your Worſhips humble Servant, and poor Kinſman, Edw. Willan.