The Profit of Godliness, Sermon 6
Serm. 6. Preached Decemb. 8. 1661.
CHAP. I.
OUr Saviour, vers. 34. told the people, upon what terms he was willing to receive into his service any who were desirous of it: Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.
1. Let him deny himself, se, sua, suos. 1. Himself; his own understanding, will, affections, inclinations, yea, life it self. 2. Let him deny sua, his enjoyments, his houses, lands, livings, wealth, liberty. 3. Let h…m deny suos, his relations, Father, Mother, Wi…e, Children, all relations and friends, for the love of Christ and his Gospel.
2. This is not all; but he must also take up his cross; he must not only part with the profits and dignities of the world, but he must willingly, readily, chearfully take up the cross, undergo afflict ons, persecutions for Christ and his Gospel: so let him follow me in the way of faith, Christian profession and obedience.
These are hard conditions; where is the man that is willing to subscribe them? therefore for our encouragement to submit to these terms, our Saviour in the preceding verse, and in my Text, sheweth what great advantages the performance of these harsh conditions will bring to them; as also what great damage the despising of them will be unto them. Vers. 33. Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it: as who should say; That which the world judgeth to be destruction, is salvation; and what it judgeth salvation, is destruction. He that is willing to lay down this mortal life for the sake of Christ, he shall gain life eternal: so then, to deny our lives for Christ, is the means to attain eternal life; there is no loss in this; the yoke is easie, though this saying be hard.
But what shall we gain by denying our profits, our goods, our riches and preferments? 'Tis an hard condition to part with all these things, to lay them down at Christs feet; our Saviour answereth this in my Text; What if ye do lose the world? ye shall by that loss save your souls: What if you gain the world, and reject Christ? by this gain you will lose your souls. 'Tis a thousand times more profitable for a man to part with riches, lands, preferments, and to save his soul, than to keep these things when Christ requires them, and to lose his precious soul: It is better to part with Earth and to gain Heaven, than to gain Earth and to part with Heaven. For what shall it profit a man, &c.
CHAP. II.
THe words are a vehement Interrogation: What shall it profit a man, and what shall a man give in exchange?
These Interrogations in Scripture are alwayes very earnest denyals; it shall not profit a man at all; there is nothing to be given in exchange for the soul if it be once lost: There is more meant in the words, than that it shall not profit a man at all; it denoteth that man shall receive the greatest loss that can be imagined: the loss of the soul passeth all understanding, it is the loss of losses; there is no possibility of recovering a lost soul; semel damnatus, semper damnatus, once damned, and forever damned.
Look upon the words, and you may observe that our Saviour doth not say; What shall it profit a man if he gain many hundreds, or thousands? many ten thousands are nothing comparable to the soul: Nay, he doth not say, What shall it profit a man if he gain many hundreds of thousands? yea many millions of gold and silver are not to be compared to our souls: neither doth he say, What shall it profit a man, if he gain the richest and greatest Kingdom, yea many Kingdoms? even Kingdoms are of no value in regard of our souls.
Our Saviour passeth by these petty profits, and puts the c…se thus; What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world? i… he shall gain all the wealth, all the gold and silver, all the lands and honours in the world: if he had (as Adam in his first daies) the whole world in possession, yet saith he, The gain of the world is nothing, if he lose his soul: and if a man should offer the whole world in exchange for his lost soul, to redeem it from the eternal flames of Hell, it will not be accepted: if a man shall willingly part with the whole world, and save his soul, he gaineth infinite profit by losing the whole world: Oh seriously ponder on this, you that venture the loss of your sou…s to gain a little profit; perhaps a few shillings or pounds, a few hundreds of pounds, and care not by what means you gain, so you get gain: Oh consider this ye swinish drunkards, and prophane swearers, that venture the loss of your souls, not for profit, but for a vain oath, and for a base lust.
In the words we h…ve these th…ngs offered to our serious consideration and choice.
1. The gain of the whole world, and the loss of our souls; if you care not for the salvation of your immortal souls, then …ke choice of the gain of this world, and let your souls perish ever…astingly.
2. The saving of our souls with the loss of the world: we may be put to this choice: either now save thy soul, or lose the world.
3. The incomparable worth of our souls above the world; thy soul, mine, or his soul, is more worth than the whole world: for the price of redemption, it cannot recover and redeem the soul.
4. The words are Christs appeal to every man: 'Tis as if he had said, B… you Judges your selves, whether that man be a gainer, that gaineth the whole world, grasping at the honours, profits, pleasures, preferments of it in his hand, and when he dyeth, he loseth his soul for ever and ever; put both into the ballance of the Sanctuary, and w…ig… them, and give forth your judgment which is the best gain.
CHAP. III.
FRom the words I will present to your saddest consideration three Propositions, which I will handle; then will I apply them to our selves.
Prop. 1 1. The saving of our souls is invaluable profit.
2. That man is no gainer at all, who gaineth the world wi…h the loss of h…s soul.
3. That the loss of our souls is the loss of losses.
He that loseth the whole world, loseth as it were a drop of a bucket, and the dust in the ballance, in comparison of him that loseth his precious soul: were there more worlds than one, as many worlds as there be Kingdoms in the world; should a man have them all in his possession, and then lose them all, he doth not lose so much as that poor man that doth for the love of the world, or a base lust, lose his precious and immortal soul. Whiles I shall handle these Propositions, let me intreat you in the words of the Prophet Isa. 46.8. Shew your selves men; that is, men of reason; and consider what shall be said, you that regard the world more than your souls. For the first; duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page The saving of our souls is an invaluable gain.
What Solomon saith of wisdom, may be spoken of the soul: The Merchandise of it is better than the Merchandise of Silver, and the gain thereof than fine Gold: She is more precious than Rubies, and all the things thou canst desire, are not to be compared to her: desire riches, and all manner of precious things, and as many of them as thou canst desire; yet the whole world, and ten worlds more are not to be compared to the soul of a man: There is no valuable consideration for a soul, but only the precious blood of Jesus Christ. This truth will be evident, if we consider these following particulars.
1. Consider what a most precious thing the soul of man is in it self: I shall not insist on all the particular excellencies of the soul, as its divine original, that it cometh from the hands of God immediately; the Father of Spirits is still breathing this breath of life into the body by Creation; the very Philosopher calleth the soul, divinae aure particulam. Neither will I speak of the immateriality and spirituality of the soul: albeit it is the noble excellency of the soul of man, that it is a spiritual substance: it is a spirit; so God is, so the holy Angels are ministring spirits. Neither will I speak of the more noble faculties of the soul, the understanding and will: As it is an understanding spirit, so all things whatsoever are within the souls cognizance, it is apprehensive of every intelligible object; it is a willing spirit, because it can embrace every good.
I shall only instance in three things, which set forth the incomparable worth of the soul.
1. It is a living soul, which is the most noble excellency of it; therefore St. Augustine said, That a Worm is a more noble creature than the Sun, because the Worm is a living creature, the Sun a dead thing: Oh what is the soul of man that is such a noble living creature! the rational life is the best of lives: What is thy body if thy soul were not in it? a lump of Clay, a stink ng carkass, and it dwinders into dust and ashes: Yea, what is all the world? What is Heaven it self, if the soul were not … living substance? life is absolutely necessary to the enjoyment of the world that now is, and of that which is to come: What are earthly Kingdoms, and heavenly Crowns, if we have no life to enjoy them?
2. It is an immortal Being: it is a small happiness to live a while, and anon to dye, and to be turned into nothing. The very thoughts that we must dye, and part with all things, is that which sowreth all the sweetest contentments of this life; but now our souls cannot dye: When a man dyes, it is the body dyeth, not his soul: 'tis the body that suffers corruption, not the soul; the soul of man lives in articulo mortis, in the very point of death; and after death either in Heaven, or in Hell, in eternal weal or woe: This immortality of the soul, is the incomparable excellency of it above the world, which is a perishing thing: All the profits, honours, comforts of this world are transitory and perishing so is it not with thy soul; but 'tis immorta… as God is, and as Angels are; only with th… difference; God is only immortal by nature, but Angels and souls are by grace and through Gods sustentat…on of them i… their Beings.
3. The soul is most precious in respec… of her capacity: Oh the rare and glorio… excellencies of which thy soul, and ever… mans soul is capable of! 'T…s thy soul th… is capable of bearing the Image of Go… Holiness, Righteousness, and the tr… knowledge of God are such precious excellencies, that none but a reasonable soul is capable of; none but rational spirits are Subjects capable of the graces of the Spirit of God: Thy soul is capable of the Peace of God which passeth all understanding; of the Joyes of the Holy Ghost, which are most glorious and unspeakable: Thy soul is capable of Heavens blessedness, and Hells misery: of drinking of those Rivers of pleasures which are at Gods right hand, and of those Rivers of fire and brimstone which are in Hell. It is thy soul that is capable of communion with, vision and fruition of God, and of the loss of God: tis thy soul that can only see him that is invisible; 'tis thy soul that can know what the losse of the vision and fruition of God is. All the happinesse of the body hereafter, is but the redundance of the happinesse of thy soul; and all the misery of the damned bodies is redundant from the soul: Thy body would not be sensible of Hell flames, were it not for thy soul. Finally, thy soul is capable of the fruition of God, and of the losse of God to eternity; for being an immortal spirit, it shall run parallel to eternity; the happinesse of it shall be immortal, and the torments immortal: as the soul is a never-dying spirit, so the worms that shall gn…w it, shall be never-dying worms; and the unspeakable comforts of it, shall be never-dying comforts: and herein lyes the best of Heaven, that the soul being immortal, shall be eternally happy; this is also the worst of Hell, that the soul being immortal, shall be eternally miserable: you may see by these particulars, what a precious gain the salvation of our souls is.
CHAP. IV.
2. IN the next place, we shall better understand what precious gain the soul of man is, by considering what an invaluable price they put upon a soul, who know best what the worth of a soul is. Swine trample upon Pearls, because they cannot know t… value of them: offer to a man a Diamond, who never knew the worth of it, he will value it no more than a piece of painted Glasse or a Pebble: 'tis the skilful Lapidary that can put a just value and esteem upon it. I shall present these particulars to your consideration.
1. Consider how God the Maker and Creator of all souls esteems and valueth them: nothing in all the world is precious to him but souls; that he was willing to give his Son out of his bosom, to be the price of souls. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son; he so deeply loved the souls of men, that he gave not a world to save them; that price would not obtain one soul, neither did he give an Angel from Heaven, nor many Angels from Heaven, to be the price of the redemption of our souls: the death of Angels could not have purchased one soul: but God gave his only begotten Son, and none but he was a valuable price to gain souls: See how the great God doth value one poor soul!
2. Consider the salvation of our souls to have been the great subject of Gods eternal thoughts and counsels: 'Tis no lesse than a blasphemous absurdity to conceive that the great God would lay out his eternal thoughts, and everlasting purposes, about the gaining of souls, were they not incomparably precious in his esteem, Ephes. 1.4. He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world; There you see that God did set his thoughts upon the salvation of souls, before he set his thoughts upon the Creation of this glorious Fabrick of the world; and for this very end doth he keep up the world, that he may save all the souls he hath chosen: Heaven and Earth cannot passe away, till all elect souls be brought in to Christ; when that is done, the world shall soon be taken down: Shall not the salvation of our souls be the great subject of our own thoughts! Oh how many are there, who scarce have one serious thought of their poor souls salvation!
3. Consider how the Lord Jesus doth value our souls: though his Father sent and gave him, yet it was also his own spontaneous and voluntary act in giving himself for a price to redeem souls: He loved me, and gave himself for me, saith the Apostle: Surely our souls must be precious gain, that nothing but the blood of Christ could purchase them: What pains did Christ take, what pains did he endure for thy soul! he was scourged, crucified, he was buried: all that he did, all that he suffered, was for thy soul. When the Jews beheld Christ weeping over dead Lazarus, Behold, said they, how he loved him! Behold ye Christ sweating drops of blood over thy soul, bleeding over thy soul, enduring the unsupportable wrath of God for thy soul! Behold how he loved our souls! the great dignity of our souls is seen in the infinite dignity of the price.
4. Consider how precious thy soul is to the Holy Ghost: how doth he move upon the face of thy soul, dropping many precious motions to urge thee! how doth he illighten, convince, strive with thy soul! how doth he wooe thy soul! how is he grieved when thou dost quench his motions! what gifts doth he bestow upon our souls! how willing is he to enrich our souls with his graces! he is willing to lead our souls in the way to salvation, as a Mother or Nurse leads the weak child: Certainly our souls are marvelous profit, that the glorious Trinity have such a care of them, that each person hath his peculiar work appropriated to him, in order to our salvation: the Father electeth us in Christ, the Son redeems us, the Holy Ghost sanctifies us, and all to gain our souls.
5. Consider the manifold arguments God in his Word useth to win our souls to him: How doth God command, exhort, entreat, beseech us, expostulate with us! why will ye damn your souls! what precious promises to allure us to him! what terrible threatnings to drive us to him! how doth he draw souls with cords of love to himself! The Apostle, 2 Cor. 5.20. sheweth how much God did value a soul: as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God. God beseecheth you for your souls: Christ prayeth you for your souls: all his Ministers in their stead pray you to give up your souls: we beseech you by the mercies of God, by the love of Christ. Can we imagine that the Most High God would thus condescend to use such beseechings and entreaties, if our souls, and the winning of them were not of unspeakable value!
6. Consider what joy and rejoycing there is in Heaven, when but one poor soul among many hundreds is gained to Christ. Luk. 15.10. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. When Angels see a sinner mourning, confessing, humbled, hating his former evil courses, following after holinesse; for Angels know that we repent by the true fruits and effects of repentance; they rejoyce that this day is a Son begotten unto God; this day another heir of salvation; we have another fellow-servant: so precious is one soul to the Angels, that they are willing and ready to pitch their Tents about the soul, to guard and protect it: yea, those glorious Angels will come flying from Heaven to conduct, to carry, to accompany the soul to Heaven.
7. Consider what transcendent and most glorious things God hath prepared for the entertainment of our souls: our Saviour tells us, Joh. 14.2. I go to prepare a place for you: I am going up to Heaven to prepare Heaven for your reception; to prepare Thrones and Crowns, and Robes and Pleasures, and Joy and Glory for you. What preparations are made for the entertainment of earthly Princes! they expect that great preparations should be made for them. Oh then what great thoughts hath the Great God of our souls, that he should make such great preparations in Heaven, to entertain our souls, when they depart hence!
CHAP. V.
MOreover, let us consider what esteem and value the very Devils in Hell put upon souls.
1. Consider how the Devil puts an higher esteem on thy soul, than on the Kingdoms and Glory of this world: he will tell thee, he will give a man the Kingdoms of the Earth, so he may have his soul: with this tentation he assaulted Christ, Mat. 4.9. All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. As the King of Sodom said to Abraham, Gen 4.21. Give me the souls, and take the goods to thy self: So the Devil saith to man, Give me thy soul; give up thy soul to thy lusts, and take the goods of the world to …hy self. All the temptations baited with profit, with which he tempts men, is only in reference to their souls; he doth not so much …im to make men rich, great, honourable in the world, as at the destruction of their souls: Oh that ever men should set the things of this world to their hearts, which the Devil sets at his heels!
2. Consider how the Devil takes all the pains his wisdom, power, and strength can, to ga…n the souls of men; he walks to and fro the whole Earth that he may gain a soul; he compasseth Sea and Land to make a Proselyte of Hell. The Apostle tells us, 1 Pet. 5.8. Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour; he is restlesse and indefatigable, and very watchful, giving his eyes neither slumber nor sleep, to devour a soul: if the damned Devils were capable of joy, what triumphs would there be in Hell, when he hath gained one poor soul! we doubt not but it is some contentation to his malitious nature, when he hath devoured a soul: Can we think that the Devil would thus traverse the Earth to and fro, did not he know too well the worth of souls!
3. Consider, that all the opposition he makes, is against the salvation of souls; 'tis true, he fights against God, Christ, and the Gospel, against Faith and Holinesse, but all in reference to the soul, that he may destroy it: he keeps men from the means of salvation, from Prayer, Word, Sacraments, that he may hinder the salvation of our souls; he warreth against nothing but our soul. As the Prophet said of the Medes and Persians, Isa. 13.17, That they regard neither silver nor gold: So the Devil regards not the outward comforts and contentments we have; he regards not our wealth, lands, honours; he fighteth not against them, but against our souls.
4. Consider how he makes use of all things and persons, that by them he may gain a soul to himself: there is nothing in the world but he employs it to this purpose; riches, pleasures, honours he useth to catch souls with; yea, your near and dear relations; as he did Job's wife, tempting him by her, to curse God and dye: and all wicked persons he makes great use of, making them to be so many tempting Devils to catch souls; making them to rail, to reproach, to revile the wayes of God, that men may abhor Godlinesse, and damn their souls.
5. Consider what pains he takes, how he rageth when he is in fear that any soul will be converted; how doth he oppose their conversion, and endeavour all that he can to make that work to come to nought: those who are Converts do sadly feel his power and rage against the work of grace in their hearts; none more tempted than they, none more perplexed with distracting thoughts, with doubts and fears than they.
6. Consider, that albe…t the Devil knows that the damnation of souls will be the aggravation of his intolerable and inexpressible torments; that God will require the blood of all souls of him; yet he so prizeth a soul, that he will gain it if he call, though it will cost him dear at the last; he doth not regard his own torments, so he may bring souls into the same torment with himself: by these arguments you see what a pretious gain our souls are.
Use. My Beloved! Doth God put such a value on our souls? doth Christ, do Angels, do Devils so highly value them? Shall not our souls be pretious in our own eyes? Shall they judge that the gain of a soul is the truest gain? Shall we sl…ght and undervalue our own pretious souls? Shall we be careless of that on which depends our eternal weal and woe: Oh let us mind our souls which are immortal, therefore capable of immortal glory or immortal misery.