The Profit of Godliness, Sermon 8
Serm. 8. Preached Decemb. 22. 1661.
CHAP. X.
SECT. 1.
BEfore I make Application, I will lay down this Inference or Corollary, hence we may infer, That our souls are immortal; otherwise there were no force in our Saviours arguments, encouraging us to self-denyal, and losing of life, and despising the gains and profits of the world: for if our souls were corruptible, like the souls of Beasts, then let us seek our selves, throw away the Cross, let us save this present life, and let us gain the world, and never matter our souls no more than do the Beasts that perish: What necessity is there of professing any Religion, of being holy? let us rather take up this resolution, and put it in pract…ce, let us eat, and drink, and play, for to morrow we shall dye; let us buy and sell, and get gain, and heap up treasure per fas & nefas; let us live merrily, and when we dye there is an end of us. Therefore our Saviour, to dash these impious resolutions, and to make us willing to lose all, to leave all, to suffer all things, to despise the world, tells us of saving life by losing it. (1.) Of gaining eternal life by losing a temporal life: therefore the soul must needs live after its departure from the body; and that the gain of the whole world is nothing to the loss of our souls; therefore the soul must abide for ever in weal or woe; for if our souls live not alwayes, there were no losing of them. I will therefore by some Arguments from Scripture, and by other Arguments, prove the immortality of the soul. Some deny the immortality of it; and the generality of men live as practical Mortalists, as if their souls were mortal; and did we firmly believe the immortality of our souls, men would have greater care, and give more diligence to save their souls, than they do; men would prize their souls above a thousand worlds of mortal and perishing treasures; but alas few believe it!
SECT. 2.
THe first Argument is in Mat. 10 28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell: Here is the power of man, and the dreadful power of God: men have power to kill your bodies, but not you… souls: but God hath power to destroy bo…h soul and body in Hell everlastingly: the soul is therefore immortal, for otherwise God would not destroy it in Hell; if the soul were mortal, then m n by kill…ng the body, kills the soul also: Hence it is that Christ forb…ds us to fear men, they can but kill the body: it is the utmost mischief that the most powerful Persecutor can do, and it is no more than a disease or old age will in time do: th…s k…ling of the body is an inconsiderable mischief; it ought to be the contempt, and not the fear of noble believers: the everlasting destruction o… the soul in Hell, is the evil we should …ear: fear God therefore w…o only hath power over our souls and bodies to destroy them for ever. St. Austin from those words perswades all Christians to be of an u… daunted spirit, and not to deny Christ for fear of men. Ecce quem times, & sub cujus comminationibus expallescis? Behold, whom dost thou fear? at whose threatnings dost thou wax pale? Mans cruelty extends but to thy body, usque ad corpus saevit; noli saevire in animam tuam, be not cruel to thy own soul by a slavish fear of men, and casting off the fear of Almighty God.
Arg: 2 God glorieth in this title, that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and Christ in his confutation of the Sadduces (who denied the Resurrection, and that there are Angels and Spirits) thus inferreth from this title, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. What then is the Inference, but that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are now living? though not in their bodies, yet their souls are now alive; if they were not living, he is not the God of them: for in that he is said to be their God, it is grounded upon their existence: if God be for ever the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their souls have an everlasting communion with him.
Arg: 3 Consider what the Scripture speaks of the souls of good and bad men after death.
1. That the souls of the godly are present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5.6.
2. That they are with Christ. Phil. 1.23. I desire to depart and to be with Christ.
3. The spirits of just men are made perfect in Heaven. Heb. 12.25.
4. Why doth Stephen pray, Lord Jesus receive my spirit? Act. 7.59.
5. 'Tis said of Lazarus, that after death he was in Abraham's bosome, and the rich glutton was in Hell torments, which is understood of their souls. Luk. 16.22, 23.
6. The penitent Thief was said to be with Christ in Paradise, Luk. 23.43. More places may be brought, but these may suffice any that believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God.
Arg: 4 What mean all the promises of eternal life, of an incorruptible Kingdom? What mean all the threatnings of eternal death, of everlasting destruction, of unquenchable fire, of never-dying worms, if our souls were not immortal, and so capable of eternal rewards and punishments? I could bring Reasons from the souls simpl…city, without composition; from the souls independency upon the body, as to her operations: from Gods power, who can as well preserve the soul to eternity, as preserve it in its Being for a day: yea, see how God preserves your souls in your bodies for your time of life in this world; 'tis as easie for God to preserve your souls to eternity, as for an hour; but I will pass by these Reasons, and only instance in Reasons of our experience, which abundantly prove the immortality of the soul.
SECT. 3.
Reas. 1 COnsider how greatly some godly men have desired, how willingly they have embraced death: I desire to be dissolved, saith St. Paul, Egredere anima, egredere anima, go forth my soul, go forth my soul, saith Hilarion: Volemus in coelum, volenus in coelum, let us fly to Heaven, let us fly up into Heaven, was the out-cry of Monica the Mother of Austin: how have the Martyrs kissed the stake! Welcome life, said one to his stake: in the dayes of the Roman Pagan Persecutors, Christians would voluntarily run and suffer Martyrdome with condemned Martyrs: Crowns are given to day, and I will go and receive one, said a Christian woman, hearing of some going to suffer Martyrdom, and she …n and suffered with them: how have some Martyrs cal…ed their day of death their wedding day? The Apostle tells us, that some have not accepted of deliverance, but preferred to dye before life. Heb. 11.35. A Martyr going to the stake, being advised by one to have a care of his soul, answered him, so I have; therefore I give my body to be burnt, that my soul may be saved. Now, whence proceed these fervent desires of death, and triumphant joys in death, with the contempt of death, but from a full assurance and perswasi…n of the immortality of their souls; and that they should go from the flames of Martyrdom to refresh themselves in the Rivers of pleasures, which are at Gods right hand for evermore?
2. Consider the devotion and fearfulness of some wicked men lying on their death-beds, and being ready to expire.
1. Let us consider whence their devotion cometh at that time: look on them in time of health, they drink and laugh away all fears and cares from their hearts: they neither pray, nor read, nor bewail the wickedness of their lives; they have Religion and religious duties in contempt, and make a scorn of holiness; but when sickness seizeth on them, and dreadful apprehensions of death catch hold of …hem, then they will pray, then they bewail the wickedness of their past life; then they will desire the prayers of those whom they had in daily derision; and will wish they had …one as they, and had hearkened to the voice of the r Teachers. Solomon describes their penitence. Prov. 5.12, 13 14 Thou wilt mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, and say: How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof, and have not ob…yed the voice of my Teachers, nor inclined mine ears to them that instructed me? Whence proceeds this devotion and repentance of dying wick…d men? doth it not come from th…s impress of the souls immortality wh…ch …s on them, and from their serious apprehension, that after death the souls of men shall be carried … to Abraham's bosome of joy, or into the …nquenchable fire, and endless torments of Hell? What necessi…y is there they should m…ke such ado, if their souls were mortal, and death be a destruction of their bodies, and an annihilation of their souls?
2. Consider not only the devotion of …ome; but also the fear, and horrour, and despair of some wicked men o… their death-beds: in the time of health, they say there is no God, no Heaven, no Hell: they mock and laugh at all these dreadful doctrines of Death, Hell, Judgement, Damnation, and Salvation, as if they were but meer humane inventions, preached in policy to keep fools in awe. Albeit there are some that live and dye in this gross Atheism, yet some of them have been filled with horrour and terrour; one crying out, Oh that I were a Toad between two walls, so I might but live and not dye! Another cryes out, Oh that I had never been born! Spira cryes out, Oh that I were above God! You shall see the horrour of their hearts in the shiverings of their bodies: whence cometh this horrour, but from their apprehension of thei… souls immortality, and they are lost, o… they are in doubts, whether they shall b… damned or saved: as that Emperour dying cryed out, Quo vadis animula vagul… blandula? Whither art thou going O m… poor soul? Oh that this perswasion of ou… souls immortality were deeply rooted in u… then I think we should be more fearful … the loss of the soul, and more endeavour … gain our souls.
CHAP. XI.
Use 1 LEt us who mind our souls, and know the invaluable preciousness of a soul, take up a sad lamentation, and weep (if we could) rivers of tears, considering how many live as if they had no souls to take care of, as if they had only a belly to feed, and a back to cloath, and children to provide portions for, and have no care what will become of their souls.N. B. Socrates wondred, beholding men to take care of makeing Statutes of Stone to appear like men; and that men themselves lived as if they were stocks and stones: So may we wonder to see men adorn their carkasses, and yet take no care for their souls; as if they were stinking carkasses, not worth our thoughts or care. Oh how do many men lose their souls for nothing, for meer toys and trifles! as it is in the Parable of the Wedding-Feast: One would not come because of a Farm; another because of a yoke of Oxen; a third because of his new-married Wife: So in the world, some cannot look after the salvation of their souls, because of drunkenness, others because of covetousness, and others because of uncleanness; some cannot for this lust, some for that, all for one lust or other: Oh it is sad and lamentable that there are more souls d…mned than saved, and that Hell should have so many pr…t…ous souls!
CHAP. XII.
SECT. I.
Use 1 THe second U…e shall be of admonition to profane persons, and to the worldlings.
1. To profane wicked persons: lose not your invaluable souls for a base lust: St. Paul saith, For meat destroy not the work of God, Rom. 14.15. let none of us for a lust destroy our souls, the choycest of Gods works: destroy it not for drunkenness, for swearing, for uncleanness: our hearts would dissolve into tears, did we seriously consider how many men hazzard their immortal souls for the love and satisfaction of some lust or other, by which many do not gain the world, but lose the very gains of the world, in satisfying some damning lusts: swearers gain nothing by their oaths, yet lose their soul: Drunkards lose their gain, and their souls also: many lusts there are which consume mens estates, and bring everlasting destruction on their souls.
To bring arguments to perswade you to hate, mortifie, and forsake your lusts, seemeth needless, if the fe…r of the loss of your pretious souls cannot perswade you, which is the sure and inevitable wages of sin, of every lust: yet I will use some arguments, as an Archer will shoot many arrows, not knowing which of them shall hi… the mark.
1. Consider, Your lusts are they which war against your souls, 1 Pet. 2.11. no enemy more seeks the destruction, and thirsteth after the blood of his enemie, than your lusts do the ruine and destruction of your souls. Did ever man destroy his own life for the love of his enemies? No, it is a pleasure to him to behold a thousand of them lie at his feet wallowing in their heir…s blood: surely then i… is the height of madness, when a man will damn his soul for the love of a lust, the greatest enemy our souls have: our lusts are wo…se enem…es then the Devils are; they could not mischief our souls, were it not for our lusts within: your lusts please you, therefore you love them: the more they please, the more dangerous enemies are they to our souls: let men beware most, when lust like Jael, presents us with Butter and Milk in a Lordly d…sh.
2. Your lusts pollute and defile your souls, and do put your souls into an utter incapacity of salvation, and fit the soul for destruct on. No unclean thing shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; no unclean soul shall be saved: Hell is the proper place and receptacle of unclean spirits; the very Devils shall as soon enter into heaven as an unclean soul: your souls must be washed in the blood of Christ, and bathed in the laver of regeneration, before they can enter into heaven.
3. Your souls cannot but be lost, if you love any lust; for God cannot but abhor and hate your souls wallowing in filthy lusts: God cannot delight in you, will not shew you any redeeming and saving mercy; they are your lusts that make the Almighty God, the severe Judge of all souls to be an enemy to you; if God be an enemy, thy soul cannot escape the damnation of Hell.
4. Oh think with your selves, that it is a most hainous provocation in the sight of God to see men prefer a lust (which is worse then nothing) above their souls, which in themselves are more worth then a world, and in Christs account more worth then a world. Oh that we could but seriously think, how angry God and Christ is, to see men value a lust above a soul for which Christ died; this is trampling under foot the blood of Christ, and the blood of our souls also. Did not Christ prefer thy soul above his own life? Wilt thou prefer a lust above him? Did not Christ die for thy soul? Wilt thou destroy the soul for which Christ died? If your s…uls were ten thousand times more precious then they are, yet they perish deservedly, who for lusts will destroy them: This is the cause why the loss of the soul is everlasting, because men do prefer a base momentany lust above God infinitely go…d, above Christ an infinite Saviour: they forsake an eternal God for a temporal and external good: therefore their punishment shall be eternal: God will judge men to pun…shment apportioned to the offence.
SECT. 2.
2. T This may serve as an admonition to worldly men: you have before your eyes the gain of the world, the loss of your souls: O beware of setting thy heart o… gain, lest thou lose thy precious soul: do not for a little money, for preferment, pleasure and ease, destroy thy immortal soul! Oh do not make so precious a creature as thy soul is, subordinate to any worldly gain whatsoever: your gain will be inconsiderable, but the loss of your soul is unconceivable. The pretiousness and immortality of our souls, and the fading transitory nature of all worldly things, should (me thinks) be a most prevailing argument to take off our affections from worldly gain, and quicken them to work out the salvation of our souls. Worldly gain is the great hinderance o… salvation; it is difficult for all and any to be saved: but saith the Scripture, H… hard is it for a rich man to enter into t… Kingdome of Heaven? it is as possible for a Camel to go through a Needles eye: nothing but Gods Omn…potency can carry a man through this difficulty to heaven.
CHAP. XIII.
I Will now shew in some particulars what an hinderance the gain of this world is to the saving of our souls: when the hearts of men are p…ssionately set upon gain, and their thoughts are raised up to an high admiration of it, and they are carried out into an e…ger pursuit after the world, then is their soul in danger of being lost. I desire such persons sadly to consider these particulars.
1. The gain of the world makes men very sl…ves to many lusts, 1 Tim. 6.9. They that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction. He that will be rich,] that is, that man that sets his mind and affections on the world, he falls into temptation, namely of the Dev…l, who tempts him to many fordid and unjust practises to get gain: And into a snare, namely of the Devil, who intangleth him in the world, …s a Bird in a snare: he falls into divers foolish and hurtful lusts: namely of lying, chearing, dissembling, pride, oppression, what lust soever makes for his advantage, which drown men in perdition and destruction; the word is foreign, sinks them to the bottom of destruction; the greater gain, the greater damnation of the soul.
2 It is exceeding injurious to God; for worldly men do set up gain in the room of God: covetousness is therefore called Idolatry by the Apostle; yea, it sets God and man at enmity: What hope of salvation when God is an enemy to thee? it devours all thoughts of God, all love of him, Psalm 10.4. God is not in all the worldlings thoughts: he never thinks on God, Christ, heaven, salvation, but all his thoughts are on his profits; the world sleeps with him, goes to meals with him, is at bed and board, and goes to Church with him.
3. Worldly gain makes men to slight, neglect, and despise the dayes of salvation, means of salvation, and saving duties: when will the Sabbath be over? cries the worldling; he inve…gheth that God hath one day in seven: as for prayer, and Preaching he matters them not, looking on them as unprofitable things: what profit shall we have if we pray unto him? saith the worldling; how can that man be saved, that despiseth the day of grace and means of salvation, that never regards any duties tending to the saving of his soul?
4. It is worldly gain that choaks the seed of the word which is able to save your souls: as Christ whipt out of the Temple the buyers and sellers, so the world comes in and casts out all saving counsel of the word; yea when the word comes in a convincing way, the world choaks all those convictions; and when the word of God stirs up any good resolutions in the soul, the world choaks them, and makes men break through all, and all this is to the utter undoing of the pretious souls; choak the word, and you choak your souls; choak the word, and you choak your consciences.
5. This worlds gain makes men to professe religion according as it makes for their advantages: if religion be in credit, they will professe it, if religion be opposed, they will persecute it: he that makes gain to be Godlinesse, will be goldly and ungodly as his gain requireth: as the Samaritans would be Jews, when it went well with the Jews; and when the Jews were down, then the Samaritans helped to down with them; how will God shortly avenge himself on such souls?
6. No lust more unsatiable then the desire of worldly gain; tis alwayes increasing, even in old age; when men should think on the world to come, yet then are earthworms too mindful of this world. There is a tale of a country man that sate down on a rivers bank, till the river should run all away,N. B. but the river ran still: such are the greedy desires of gain: our heart think, if we had so much, we would be content; but when we have it, our desire like the river, do still run after the things of this life so vehemently, that men cannot, and do not desire after salvation. Of therefore if thy soul be pretious in thy esteem, as it is in it self, set thy heart upon the gaining of thy soul, and not on this worlds gain: withdraw thine affections from the things of the world, look o… them as dross and dung, as hinderances of thy salvation: Oh that the men of this world did but remember that they have immortal souls to be saved or lost: th… as a certain Minister wrote upon his books, tables, walls, Pretium sanguinis, pretiu… sanguinis, the price, of blood, the price of blood; so I wish that worldly men would write on their shops, counting houses, tables, doors, bags, Have a care of the soul; of the soul that must shortly be either in eternal joyes, or in everlasting misery.