The Hazard and Unprofitableness of Losing A Soul for Gaining the World, Sermon
THE HAZZARD AND THE Unprofitableness, Of Losing a SOUL For the sake of Gaining the WORLD Evidenced In a SERMON, on Mat. XVI. 26.
By JOHN BARNARD, A.M.
BOSTON, Printed and Sold by Timothy Green, in Middle-Street, 1712.
Imprimatur,
J. DUDLEY.
The Hazzard, AND UNPROFITABLENESS Of Losing a SOUL TO Gain the WORLD.
Mat. XVI. 26.
For what is a Man Profited, if he shall Gain the whole World, and Lose his own Soul? Or what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul?
'TIS one of the Aphorisms of Solomon, Eccl. II. 14. A wise mans eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. No where does Wisdom appear in a greater Lustre, than in weighing things in a just Balance, and proportioning our Care and Labour, according to the nature and intrinsick worth and value of them; and fixing our chief Concern upon that which is of the greatest Weight and Moment to us: For this manifestly discovers, that we have a clear & distinct View of things; know where our greatest interest lies; how to move in a strait line, and take the nearest course to secure it. Whereas, they that content themselves with a transient view of things, are often led into wild Mistakes about their true interest; are apt to conclude that to be so, which upon Examination would be found to be of little or no Consequence to 'em; and hence they spend themselves in vain and to no purpose: by which means they evidently declare their Folly, and that they walk in Darkness.
This then is the distinguishing Character between the Wife Man, & the Fool, & what we may form a Judgment of 'em by; viz. their Closest Application: What is it fixes their Diligence, and commands their Attention? Are they the lower and more trifling Matters that most of all engage 'em? Or, do they keep more noble Ends in their view? steadily pursue what does more nearly concern them, & regard these lesser Matters only by the By?
This now holds good with respect to the Wisdom of this World. But when we consider this, and the future World, our Souls and our Bodies apart, (to the one or other of which our greatest Care and Labour must be restrained,) the Wise man will plainly discover himself by his Choice; he will prudently adjust his Labours after this World, so as that they mayn't be an impediment, or give any interruption to the greater Business he has upon his hands; viz. that of securing the welfare of his Soul; which he firstly regards, and reaches after with the utmost pains and sedulity. In order hereto, 'twill be necessary for him, to have a full Conviction of the worth of his Soul; of what importance the Salvation of it is to him, and how much below its Dignity all the things of this World are; and therefore how much less he ought to be concern'd about them, than about the grand affairs of Futurity; that he must by no means suffer the little Interests of the Flesh to turn the Scale against the weighty Concerns of the Spirit.
To this end my Text serves; For what is a Man Profited, if he shall gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul? or what shall a man give in Exchange for his Soul?
In the Paragraph to which these words belong, our Saviour gives us the Essential Qualification of His true Disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me. He is one that for the sake of Christ, is ready to part with every thing in this World, tho' never so dear to him; to deny himself not only of his Sensual Gratifications, but of those Enjoyments which are justly valuable to him, nay, even of Life it self; when they stand in Competition with the cause of Christ. And the reason why he must thus deny himself, is given in the next words; For whosoever will save his Life shall lose it. He that for the sake of any earthly Enjoyment; tho' it be to preserve his Life, shall forsake Christ and His Cause; shall find he has miss'd his aim, and lost the happiness he sought, in losing a Life infinitely more valuable than this: But whosoever shall lose his Life for my sake, shall find it; he shall find in the Conclusion, that by his Fidelity to Me & My Interest, he has been the greatest Gainer, tho he hath parted with all this World for Me; for he has secured the Life of his immortal Soul.
As a further Argument to follow Christ whither-soever He shall lead us, though it be with our Cross upon our Shoulders, the words of my Text are bro't in; which shows us, how little will be the Gains, and how great the Loss, if for the sake of preserving this Life and the Enjoyments of it, we should part with the Life that is to come: For what is a man Profited? &c. If a man have Gained never so much of this World, tho' it should be the Whole of it, if it be at the Expense and Loss of his Soul, he will see at the foot of the Accompt, that he has made an Unprofitable Bargain; his Loss is so great, that his Gains are no ways Equivalent; and so Irreparable, that the whole World, were it in his power, would not be sufficient to give in Exchange for his Soul.
In the Words, 'tis First, taken for Granted, that the World, & the Soul stand Competitors, and are Rivals in address; and there is great Hazzard, left the World be hearken'd to.
That the Soul, the Heaven-born, Intellectual and Immortal part of the man, which raises him above the Brute, and distinguishes him with the bright characters of his Divine Original, from the rest of the visible Creation; that this Courts his Love in the Most pathetical address, and challenges his thought and pains proportionable to its worth & dignity.
That the World, the things that we Converse with here, which lye level to Sense, and we necessarily have some respect to while we Tabernacle in Flesh, that must be fed & cloathed; that this also Sues for the greatest Interest in our Affections; and under all appearances, with the most splendid and courtly shew, and specious pretences, endeavours the possession of our highest Love; and there is great Hazzard, lest the Charms of the World prevail upon us, and we make a Surrender of our selves to it.
And then, Secondly, we have it Asserted, in favour of the Soul, that he makes an Unprofitable Bargain of it, who for the sake of Gaining the World, Loses his Soul: Who receives the Address of the World, hearkens to its insinuations, and places his affections upon it; at the same time disregarding the more important Entreaties of the Soul. For the misery of it is, that if the Address of the World be admitted, the Soul is unavoidably Lost. The Soul may be made our chief Concern, and yet a sufficiency of the World be secured to us; but we can't make the World our greatest Business, but it will certainly be at the Expense of the Soul. The World May, but the Soul Can't come in as a Servitor, & be treated by the By only. 'Twill then be no ways to his Profit, but his unspeakable Damage and Loss, to prefer the World to his Soul: As plainly appears from hence; What shall a man give in exchange for his Soul? If he were never so willing to purchase the recovery of his lost Soul, at the Price of all that he has, or all that he can wish for of this World, it would not be sufficient to Redeem it. The mighty advantage he thought to have made to himself, by throwing off the care of his Soul, and hugging the World as his Darling, will all disappear; and he will see, that he has Play'd the Fool Egregiously, in his rash and inconsiderate Choice; when he comes to find, that the whole World is not a valuable Consideration, for the Redemption of the Soul he has parted with to Gain it.
According to this View of the Words, there are these Two General Heads of Discourse for me to insist upon. [I.] That there is extream Hazzard and Danger, lest the Soul be Lost for the sake of Gaining the World. [I.I.] That whatever any may Gain of this World, if it be at the Expense and Loss of the Soul, 'twill be the most Unprofitable Bargain.
Accordingly;
1. There is Extream Hazzard and Danger, lest the Soul should be Lost for the sake of Gaining This World.
MAN is justly look'd upon as the Top of the visible Creation, and a kind of Medium between Bòdy and Spirit; for he is neither one nor the other consider'd alone, but both in a near & happy Union; by which means he stands ally'd to Two Worlds with respect to This Body, to This in which we now dwell; and with regard to his Soul or Spirit, to … World, which here he … a Candidate and Probationer for. Hence arises the Contest between Flesh and Spirit, the things of Time and Eternity. This World, on the one hand, makes interest with our Fleshly part, and courts our Choice; and the Glory and Happiness of the Future World, on the other hand, presents it self to our Spiritual man, as more worthy of our regards. Now tis impossible that we should be equally alike concern'd for Both of these at the same time; but while we Cleave to the one, we shall necessarily Forsake the other; if we Love the one, we shall discover our Hatred of the other by our Slighting of it, Mat. VI. 24.
This now shews us, wherein lies the Loss of the Soul; not in its Annihilation, or being reduced to Nothing; (this indeed may be sadly wish'd for, but shall never be experienc'd by those miserable Wretches that lose them;) but, in its Forfeiture and Loss of all the Happiness, Joy and Pleasure of the future World; and Consequently, in inheriting all that Misery which is contrary thereunto for the Soul can't remain in a state of Indifferency; but her Exquisite Sensation will necessarily involve her in all the Unhappiness and Misery, contrary to the Good She is deprived of.
And tis granted, as an Unquestionable Truth, that he that Gains the World, thus Loses his Soul. Not that barely our acquiring this or that, is to be esteemed the Gaining of the World, in the sense our Saviour speaks; for while we dwell here, the Body must be provided for; and we are oblig'd as Men, and Christians, to such a just Industry in our proper Business, as we may rationally expect some Worldly Gains from: But it means, our Loving the World above every thing else, and for the Gaining of it, to make it our chief Care and Business, and accounting what we get of this World to be the only Gains; He who thus Gains the World, undoubtedly Loses his Soul.
Here then lies the Danger, lest while we Converse with this World, it gain the ascendant over us, six our Hearts and Affections, and extort from us the chiefest of our Tho't and Care; left it put us upon neglecting the weighty Concerns of Immortality, turning our backs upon the Blessedness and Glory of the future World, and so our Souls become Lost for ever. And this, I say, there is extream Hazzard and Danger of.
For,
1. Do but consider the Advantage this World has on its side, in its striking so directly, & immediately upon the Senses. Tis the world we dwell in; and must necessarily hold some Communion with, while we carry about with us a load of Flesh. Tis wonderfully suited to our Outward Fleshly part, but has no kindred and affinity with our Immortal Spirits, which the Future World more peculiarly belongs to Every thing here exactly agrees with our Senses. We see, we feel, we taste the Enjoyments of this World, and all our Senses are gratified from it. What advantage has it over us by this Means? For the Communication from the Senses to the Intellectual Powers, renders the Soul necessarily affected with what affects the Body, enclines her to will and embrace what is agreeable to the Body, and to refuse the contrary.
And besides, we need no dint of Argument and severe Reasonings, to convince us of the Truth and Reality of these things; so apparent and self-evident are they to our Senses: Whereas, we need to summon our Rational Powers, and closely apply our Thoughts; and when we have been most Intense and deep in our Enquiries, and made the fairest Discoveries we can, we must exert our Faith, to confirm to us the Being of a future World, and the Truth and Reality of its Happiness and Misery. Yea, tho' the existence of the Soul is Self-evident; yet so much clearer & plainer is the evidence of the Body, and the things relating to it, that we are ready to lose the view of our Souls, in the brighter appearance of this World to us. There needs no Arguments, to convince a Hungry man, that he is so; or one Athirst, that he wants Drink; but we need the strongest Arguments, to convince us of the Wants of the Soul.
Thus, by the force this World has upon the Body, we are put upon pleading necessity for it; tis what we can't do without, as well as what will greatly delight and entertain us.
Now then, what extream Hazzard is there, left for the sake of Gaining this World, we neglect the Care of the Soul? What great Danger are we in, of having our Hearts engage with our Senses, listen to the pleas of the World, and we give it all our Love? What Danger, left we submit our selves intirely to the Empire and Dominion of our Senses, which are so near akin to this world, and have such influence upon us? Left we think no more of those Spirits, which appear to us in so dim a Light; or, of a coming World, which is at such an unknown Distance from us, and Sense has so little Evidence of the Truth of? Left we give the loose to our Appetites, & not only neglect the important Interest of the Soul, but take those methods to gain this sensible World, which strike directly at the Foundation of its Happiness? And so the Soul be utterly Lost.
Again,
2. The extream Danger we are in, of setting our Hearts upon this World, will further appear, if we consider the force of our Natural Depravity; and the Advantage which Satan makes of it. We have all Sinned, and come short of the Glory of God (a)Rom. iii. 23.: We are shapen in Iniquity and conceived in Sin (b)Psal. li. 5.; and have gone astray from the Womb, telling of Lies (c)Psal. lviii. 3..
Now, this is the Injury and Mischief done us by our Apostacy from God, that the Soul is sunk vastly below its Original Dignity; and with its Primitive Rectitude, has lost much of its Royal Prerogative, Empire, and Dominion over the Senses: that instead of being the Guide, and Director of our Senses, and Governour of our Sensual Appetites, 'tis now subjected to their Influence and Sway. The Revolution which Sin has made, has given the lower Appetites the ascendant; that now the Soul is forced to see thro' their Glasses, has a strong Bias put upon her, her Volition and Choice is Govern'd by the greedy desires of Sense, and her mean and low Joys rise chiefly from Sensual Gratifications. Now, from this superiour Influence the Senses, & lower Passions and Affections have, you may easily see, what extream Danger we are in, of being so careful and troubled about the Many things of this Life, as to neglect the One thing Needful.
Besides, how eagerly does Satan bring home to us the force of Temptations from the World? What an edge does he give 'em? while he presents the World to us in the most Gaudy and Beautiful appearance. How does he fire our Ambition with a View of the Glory of this World? Charm us with the momentany Delights and Pleasures of Sin? And Encourage us with the Prospect of the vast Advantage we may make to our selves by these things? So does he enkindle our Desires after them, and quicken our Endeavours to grasp a Portion in this Life, tho' we should be destitute for ever hereafter.
Hence tis, that the Natural man is wholly under the Power of this World; Walking according to the Course of this World; according to the Prince of the power of the Air; the Spirit that works in the Children of Disobedience, Eph. II. 2. And even the Child of God, who is released from the Tyranny of Sense, yet finds a Law in his Members, warring against the Law of his Mind, Rom. VII. 23. That if we consider him with no greater Guard & Security than what he has from himself, there would be great Danger, lest thro' the workings of the Remainder of Corruption that is in him, and the Subtilty of Satan, his grand Adversary, he should determine his Choice for this World, and lose his Soul for ever.
3. The extream Hazzard there is of Losing a Soul for the sake of Gaining this World, is Evident, from the Natural Tendency of all our Worldly Possessions. Tis but the natural produce of what we Enjoy in this world, to have our Eyes more blinded, our Desires enflamed, and our Lusts encreased by it.
It tends to Blind the eyes of the Soul; it casts a mist before her, that She shan't be able to take a fair View of things, nor see 'em in their proper Shape and Colours. We read, Deut. XVI. 19. A gift blindeth the eyes of the wise. Thus the things we enjoy, (which we are apt to look upon as Gifts from the world, they) hinder our fight of any thing but in favour of it. They miserably Cloud and Darken our Apprehensions in Spiritual and Heavenly things, that we can't see their Justness, and Beauty, and the lasting Importance they are to us. This we enjoy appears Fair and Comely, and tempts us to say with the rich Fool, Eat, Drink, and be Merry therewith (a)Luke xi…. 19.: And while we have this View, how little shall we think of our Souls?
Again; Thus what we Enjoy tends to Enflame our Desires after a larger & fairer Interest in the world. For tasting the sweet of this little, we conclude it must be much more pleasant to feed upon a larger Income, and hence are excited to Cry, Give, Give. Hence 'tis, that every Stone shall be turned, and the most Unjust Method taken, rather than such Joy shall be with-held from our longing Desires, and our greedy Thirst after Riches go Unquenched.
Thus also, our worldly Possessions tend to Encrease our Lusts; our Pride, Ambition, Luxury, and the like; and so more subject the Soul under the Government of the world; all of which bars the Happiness of the Future World, and evidently destroyes the wellbeing of the Soul. Hence we are told, I Tim. VI. 9. They that will be Rich, fall into Temptation and a Snare, and many foolish and hurtful Lusts; which drown men in Destruction and Perdition. And yet this is the Natural Tendency of all our worldly Enjoyments; which nothing but the Grace of God can prevent. How great then is the Danger, let our Affections be entirely Possessed by the World, and for the sake of Gaining it, we Lose our Souls? Bar to add no more;
4. Our Blessed Saviour hath Warn'dus, of the extream Danger of losing the Soul to gain the World. He does so in my Text; What is a man Profited, if he Gain the whole World, and Lose his own Soul? Which as well supposes the Hazzard, lest a man do so, as asserts the Unprofitableness of his Bargain. And so in the words foregoing my Text, He that will save his Life shall lose it; which imply's the very great danger there is, left for the sake of this Life and the Enjoyments peculiarly relating to it, we should refuse to take up our Cross, and follow our Lord; and so lose the life of our Souls. And hence tis, our Lord hath told us, Luke XVI. 8. That the Children of this world, are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light: They are not only more Prudent in Consulting the best means, and more Industrious in the Application of those means to attain their ends, to grow Rich & Honourable in this world, than the Children of Light are to secure to themselves the Treasures of the Heavenly World; but than the Children of Light are to Gain this world. You rarely see a Christian of great Attainments in Grace and Holiness, who lives in a fair View of the Eternal World as his Portion, that is Wise for the things of this world, like them who have their Portion in this Life; but as his Spiritual Wisdom encreases, his worldly Wisdom abates and the Reason is plain, because a man can scarcely be every way Wise about the Concerns of this Life, without setting his Heart upon 'em, and making 'em his chief Business. Hence also, our Lord has given us this awful Admonition, Mat XIX. 23, 24, Verily, a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.—It is easier for a Camel to go thro' the eye of a Needle, than for a Rich man to enter into Kingdom of God. For, tis next to impossible, that a Rich man should not set his Heart upon these things; and contented with his present Portion, take no thought of securing a Portion in the Kingdom of God.
If therefore, I see a man encreased in Wealth and Honour, who in the midst of all his worldly Enjoyments, and the hurry and business he is necessarily Engaged in, maintains a just Concern for his own Soul, & wisely makes sure of a more enduring Substance; I look upon him, as one of the Brightest instances of the Infinite Grace of GOD; and shall Honour him, as one that is possessed with more eminent measures of that Grace and Spirit, which only can support him in his Slippery places, and preserve him safe in the midst of those far greater Dangers, than others, not Circumstanc'd like him, are encompassed withal.
And now upon a View of this Head; Can we consider, how nearly this world stands ally'd to us, how sensibly it affects us, how easily it makes way to our affections, and with what advantage of Grandeur, and Magnisicence, Delight and Gallantry, it Courts our Love? Can we think, how much our Sinful Souls are disorder'd and subjected to the Government of our Passions, and the Tyranny of Flesh and Sense; that, the Enemy that is lodg'd within us, waits the first opportunity to open the Gates, and let the World into our hearts; and an envious Devil is ever soothing us to the Chains, and calming us into Subjection? Can we view the force of what we already Enjoy, to stir up our gust & relish, to urge our endeavours after more, and cloud our sight of Eternal things? Can we read the awful Admonitions and Warnings our Saviour has given us, of the Snares of a deluding World? I say, Can we seriously consider these things? and not not the extream Hazzard and Danger, lest the world prove too hard for us, we are … in its Snares, surrender our selves to its Enticements, and mind only Earthly things.
But I proceed to the Second General Head, Viz.
II. That whatever any may Gain of this World, if it be at the Expense and Loss of the Soul, 'twill be the most Unprofitable Bargain.
You have seen the Danger, left a Soul be Lost, to Gain a World; and now I am to cast up the Accompts, and see what wou'd be got by the Bargain. In order to this,
I. I shall distinctly Sum up the Gain, and the Loss by themselves.
II. And then Balance the Accompt, and see whether the Gains be Equivalent to the Loss
Agreeably,
I. I shall Distinctly Sum up the Gains, and the Loss by themselves.
1. Let us see what is Gained: which is here supposed to be the whole World. But by the way; Tis impossible any one Man shou'd Gain the Whole World into his own Possession; the greatest Monarch, that ever boasted of Universal Empire, has had but a small part of the World compar'd with the whole: However, to make all possible Allowance for the Gains, I shall suppose it to be the whole World; and if we consider, that he that has placed his Affections, in the sense I have been speaking of, upon the whole, it will vindicate the allowance.
But then, The world is not properly Gained; for nothing is so, but what a Man can call his own from a true Propriety he has in it. Now after all pretences to Possession, if his Title be Challeng'd, we shall find the Man has no Right to it; he may have a just Claim to this or that, with respect to his fellow-Creatures; But, the earth is the Lord's, with the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein, Psal XXIV. I. God only is the Great Lord-Propietor of all; and every man is but His Steward, and holds all that he has at Good Pleasure only. However, Suppose he has truly Gained the world, and has a Right and Propriety in it. And now after all this allowance, let us see what tis that he has Gained:
(1.) Tis an Empty, Unsatisfactory World. Tis empty of all that Good which the Man hoped to enjoy, and which only is suitable to him. For, this world is neither Man's chief Good, nor of it self leading to that which is so: the Man has therefore grosly mistaken his interest, and the means to attain it. And hence when he has Gained what he reached after, he finds himself deceived; tis not the thing he thought it, not what he fought for. Thus under all his acquisitions, he remains unsatisfy'd: nor is it in the power of the whole world, to yield Satisfaction to a Man that has a Soul in him; which however depraved, yet has a fort of Boundlessness and Infinity in its Cravings; and won't rest Contented, unless the Supream Good, the Infinite All, he has some faint breathings after, in his imperfect State, come and fill him with everlasting Satisfaction: For this whole world is not that infinite All, but GOD only; and therefore, tho' he shou'd Gain it all, there wou'd be still something which the World cou'd not afford, and without which the Man cou'd not be truly Satisfy'd; but he wou'd still wish New Worlds to Gain, as Alexander did to Conquer. Hence tis, that King Solomon, who had tasted as much of the sweet of the world as any Man, assures us, Eccl. 1. 8. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, not the ear with hearing: And Chap. V. 10. He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied therewith; nor he that loveth abundance with increase. The rivers run into the sea, and yet the sea is not full; as that wise Man tells us: And as easily can a Soul of boundless Capacities, lodge the whole world in a narrow Corner, and be as far from having its appetites filled and satisfied as ever, Hence tis we daily see, that those who enjoy the largest Portion of this world are as uneasy in their desires as others: nay, they may well be the more so, for the fuller experience they have of the Emptiness, and Unsatisfactoriness of it all.
(2.) Tis a World, which not only is unable to Prevent Trouble, or Support them under it, but does it self Create them abundance. This whole World wou'd not be able to secure them, from the Sorrows and Afflictions, which necessarily attend upon their Make and Frame; and how little a way will it all go, to keep their hearts from fainting in a day of Adversity? Tis not the fairest appearance this world can make to him, that will sooth and calm a Soul under the horror and anguish of an awakened Conscience, and the sense of Guilt; especially, such as may arise from a view of the manner of his acquiring it, and what he has lost for it. When he has most need of this world, he will find it most useless to him: his bags of Gold won't be able to Bribe the Angel of Death; nor the solidest Props of his Throne Support him and prevent his stumbling upon the dark Mountain: but though he may be called a God, yet he shall Die like a Man, Psal. I, XXXII. 6, 7. Nor will all his Enjoyments afford him a Plea, to wipe away his Guilt in the day of Trial; for they will not profit him in the day of wrath, Prov. XI. 4. Nor will they be able to fill his mouth with Songs, and his heart with Rejoycing, while everlasting Burning surrounds him: but, tho' in his life time, he had his good things; yet now he is in Torment, the whole World can't supply him with a drop of water to cool his Tongue, Luk. XVI. 23,24.
But then, the whole will conspire to Give him abundance of Uneasiness; and he will find it to be Vexation of Spirit, as well as Vanity (a)Eccl. 1. 14.. The way to Gain it is paved with (b)Gen. iii. 18. Hos. ii. 6.Thorns, and he must take many a painful step e're he reaches it. But I suppose him to have Gained it, and therefore shall not insist upon the trouble he meets with in the way to it: and only say, he will not want for Vexation in the Improvement of it. For his Possessions wou'd be unweildy; as we see those that have the fairest Estates, are ordinarily less able to manage them with Ease and Comfort. He wou'd find his Interests often jarr and clash together; Disappointments wou'd break in upon him; his best Schemes fail; and his frustrated Endeavours wou'd throw him into as much Confusion within, as his Affairs are without. Tis impossible it shou'd be otherwise, while a Finite, Clouded, Debauched Mind had the concerting of Measures, and the managing of all the Affairs of the world, for its sensual Gratifications.
(3.) Tis but a Fading, Perishing World that he has Gained. Decay is written in indelible Characters upon all the Glory of this world: and we see a little time puts a Period to the greatest Lustre and Beauty of it.
We our Selves daily Change; we alter our Taste and Relish; and what was pleasant and delightful to our Palate a little while ago, is now the least grateful and acceptable to us. As we advance in Years, we lose our Gust for those Entertainments which delighted us in Youth. We see to, that a Man of Wisdom and Strength, may become a Child in Weakness and Folly; a Man of Beauty & Honour, lose the gay Airs of his Countenance, and be rob'd of his Glory.
And the whole World is a continued Scene of Changes: the very Heavens wax old as a Garment (a)Psal. cii. 26.: The Earth fadeth away (b)Isa. xxiv. 4.: And one Generation passeth away, & another cometh. (c)Eccl. i. 4.What is become of the Flourishing States & Kingdoms, the Magnificent Structures, the Applauded Heroes, that a few Ages ago Struck the world with admiration? they have all sunk in the Ruines of Time; and he that Enjoyed the most of the world then, has not his Skin left upon his Bones now. And yet this will be the Condition of all the Living e're longs their Riches, and all the Glory of this world, will make to it self wings, & flee away, Prov. XXIII. 5. And he that Boasts most in his Wealth, shall, in a little time, be laid in the Grave, and Death shall feed upon him. So is all that he has Gained Fading & Perishing. But
(4.) Besides; While he does Enjoy this mighty Gain, tis suited only to his Body, the Meaner part of the man. Such is the very Nature of all he Enjoys, that it answers only to his Body; which is but the Brutal part of the man; and it has no real affinity to a Spiritual and Immortal Soul, which is of too Angelical a Nature to have its Wants and Circumstances answered by Sensible Objects. Tis therefore, a Gain of the lowest Nature, because of the lowest Order of things, and suited only to the Meanest part of the man.
And now, If you suppose a man at the Head of the World, on a more exalted Throne than Ahasuerus, who Ruled over an Hundred and Twenty Seven Provinces; Wealthier than Crasus; and surfeiting on all the Delights of the greatest Voluptuary; yet, if all that he has gain'd be, a World that can't Satisfy him; a World that can't Secure him from Troubles, but Procure them; that is Perishing in the Using of it; and at best suited only to his Brutal part; than I am sure, tis but Poor Gains after all ! And yet thus it wou'd fare with him who shou'd Gain the whole of it, at the Loss of his Soul.
2. Let us now cast up the other Accompt and see what is the Loss he has sustained, for the sake of this Gain. Tis here said to be a Soul. To take a distinct View of the Loss, we must consider the Worth of a Soul, and the Nature of its Loss: What tis that is Lost, and How it is Lost.
(I.) First then, to Consider the Worth of the Soul; and certainly that is far more than the whole World. Which sufficiently appears;
1. From its Nature and Endowments. If we View it in its Nature, tis a Spiritual Being: For there is a Spirit in man, and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth him Understanding, Job XXXII. 8. Tis all over the Book of God styled a Spirit: tis so in regard of the subtlety and purity of its Substance; tis of an Angelical Contexture; and not formed of gross Matter, as the Body, and this World are: And tho' it be invisible to our Bodily Eyes, and unperceptible by our Senses, yet it is most Active and Vigorous. How quick are its Motions? How powerful its Operations?
Again; Tis the Principle of Life in us; God Breathed into man the breath of Life and he became a living Soul, Gen. II. 7. Tis the Union of this to the Body that upholds us in Life: And if the Spirit return to God that gave it, the Body returns to its original Dust.
Again; Tis an Immortal Spirit. Tis not composed of any preaeexistent Matter, subject to decay, as our Bodies are; tis possess'd with aspirations after immortality; and the Sacred Scripture every where treats it as immortal; it assures us, (a)Mat.X.28.it cannot be Killed; it sets before it Eternal Happiness and Misery, as its Reward of Punishment; (b)Mat.XXV.46.and God Challenges it as His Name, to be the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; and He is the God of the Living, not of the Dead.(c)Mat.xxi.32.
Thus its Endowments be speak its Worth & Dignity. The Soul is capable of Understanding, the Nature of other things, the Dependance and Connexion of Causes and Effects; tis capable of Retiring within it self, taking a view of its own Essence, and reflecting upon its own Actions. The Spirit of a man which is in him, knoweth the things of a man, 1 Cor. II. 11. Tis capable of knowing God, & Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent; whom to know is Life Eternal.
Besides, it acts by Counsel, and is able to Determine its Choice, and always Acts as a Free and Spontaneous Agent: that even in the work of Conversion, the Will is not forced, but guided and directed; and as such God works in the Soul both, to Will, and to Do, of His own good Pleasure.
Now this excellent Nature of the Soul shews, that tis to be preferred to the Body, to all the enjoyments of this World, and to Life it self.
2. The worth of the Soul may be judg'd of, by the Regards those that best know it have to it. God, who is infinitely well acquainted with all things, esteems it Precious and Valauble: Hence, He insists upon it as His honour, Zech. XII. 1. I, the Lord, that formed the Spirit of man within him. And He has manifested His esteem of it, in the whole Contrivance of our Salvation, which has more peculiar reference to the Soul.
Christ Jesus also esteems it Precious; as is evident if we Consider, what He has Done, and Suffered for it. He has not tho't it too much, to leave the Delights of His Father's Kingdom, to assume our Nature, to pass thro' all imaginable Indignities and Sufferings, to lay down His Life, and all to Purchase this Valuable things to Himself, and make it His own Inheritance.
And they will appear Valuable, if we Consider the Pains the Apostate Spirits are at, to Secure our Souls to themselves; how deep they lay their Designs, how unwearied they are in the Execution of their Purposes, to compass this great End, the gaining of our Souls for their own Possession; and, that tho' they have Secured Millions of Miserable Wretches, yet they are as vigorous and eager as ever to Gain more.
All of this evidently shews the worth of the Soul, to be very great. Tis such a Precious and Valuable thing that is Lost, for the sake of Gaining the World.
(2.) Consider the Nature of the Loss; wherein the Loss of the Soul consists. You may remember I said before, it does not ly in the Annihilation of the Soul; yet if This were the Loss of it, tis certainly a great deal too much, to destroy the Essence and Being of so Noble a thing as a Soul, for the sake of Gaining this World: But this can't be what is meant, for I have shewed tis immortal, and can never Dye. It must therefore be the loss of its happiness and well-being, which consists in the Image and Favour of God.
Wherefore,
1. The Loss of the Soul lies, in its being deprived of the Image of God. The Image of God is Holiness and Rightcousness, Eph. IV. 24. After this image and likeness the Soul was at first Created; But since the man has chosen this World rather than Heaven, and been guilty of that Covetousness which is Idolatry, he has lost that Glorious Image, and now his Soul is become Polluted and Unholy. Its Rectitude was its Glory; but now all its Powers are disordered; the Understanding and Will often interfere, the Passions clash together, and the Love of the world has involved it in thick Confusion. Since it has submitted to the World, tis become the Servant of Sin and Lust, is sold under Sin, and stoops to the meanest Drudgery of it. It has now contracted an Enmity against God, is not subject to His Law, nor indeed can be; for since the Love of the World has gain'd the ascendant, the Love of the Father dwells not in him, I Joh. II. 15. So that now it has no lines of the Divine Likeness upon it, but what will aggravate its Misery; its Spirituality, which renders its Apprehensions Exquisite; and its Immortality, its Pains Lasting.
2. The Loss of the Soul lies, in its being Destitute of the Favour of God. For having turned its Back upon God, for the sake of this World, incensed Justice will for ever Exclude such a Soul, from any Tokens of the Divine Favour in the World to come. It has lost the bright Presence of the ever Glorious God, the Fellowship of the holy Angels, the Society of perfected Spirits, and sweet Communion with a Triumphant Redeemer. Vastly great is this Loss indeed! To lose that God who is the only adequate Portion of an immortal Soul! To lose that Mercy and Favour, and all the Dear Expressions of immense Love, which a Crucified Saviour has Purchased!—And yet this is the Loss they sustain, who prefer the Care of their Bodies, to their Souls: And He that Made them will not have Mercy on them, and He that Formed them will shew'em no Favour. (a)Isa.xxvii.11.There is not a Smile in the Divine Countenance for them, nothing but angry Frowns; which will fill them with Terror & Amazement. When they pass into the Future World, God will say to them, Depart from me, ye workers of Iniquity, I know you not. (b)Mat. vii.23.And this dreadful Sentence will immediately take place upon them, and they will be Eternally Banished His Favour; even beyond the reach of Mercy to relieve them. They had Chosen this World for their God, and now they may get all the Favour from it they can; for there is none to be found any where else for them. So in losing their Souls, they have lost Heaven, and Happiness, and God Himself. As a Surplussage, and what necessarily follows upon this, I may add,
3. There will be this in the Loss of the Soul, its Eternal Existing in Misery, Pain, and Anguish. If the Loving Kindness of God is better than Life: †Psal. Ixiii..3then on the contrary, to be Excluded His Favour is worse than Death. The Happiness of the Glorified lies, in their near Conformity to the Image of God, and their beholding of His Face in Glory; and tis the Misery of the Damned, to be most unlike Him, & excluded His Presence. Now the Soul will be sensible of the happiness it has lost, and this apprehension will wrack and torture it beyond all imagination. How will its Reflections lash and sting it? And make every where, separated from God, an hell to it? Yea, set up a hell within it self! Which it can no more get rid of, than it can cease to be.
But besides, there is an Hell, or a Place of Torment, which God of old hath fore-ordained, for them that slight the Blessedness of Heaven; where Rivers of Brimstone, and inextinguishable Flames prey upon the forsaken Soul. The Sentence is not only, Depart ye Cursed, which rouses the Never-dying Worm to fasten his corroding Teeth upon them; but, Depart into everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Mat. XXV.41. Which fixes the Soul in the midst of inexpressible Pain & Torment; while the Body too, which has occasioned the loss of the Soul for the pampering of it, Roars out its endless Ejulations. This is the Loss of the Soul! Oh! Who would be so mad, to run the risque of this Loss, for the sake of Gaining the whole World!
II. And now, let us Balance the Accompt, and see whether or no the Gain is equivalent to the Loss. Can we subduct the Loss from the Gain? Alas! Alas! The Loss is infinitely the most; and the whole World is not a valuable Consideration to give again in Exchange for the lost Soul. What shall a man give in Exchange? Fain wou'd he give something; any thing; every thing to Redeem his lost Soul: But, alas! So Precious is the Redemption of his Soul, that it ceases for ever, Psal. XLIX. 8. What is an empty, troublesome, perishing World, compared with an heavenborn, spiritual, immortal Soul? Tis lighter than the small dust of the Balance: And how is it possible then, that such a light aery Nothing should be a Gain equivalent to the Loss of a weighty Soul? There is no proportion at all between them.
In short; Will Divine Justice be Pleased with this, & for the sake of it release the Captive in Chains, from Eternal Darkness and Misery?
Will the Son of God be Contented, that he that slighted the infinitely valuable Price of His Blood, which was offered to Ransom him from going down into the Pit; I say, that he should be rescued from that Torment, which is his due, by the mean inconsiderable Bauble of a World? No certainly; Tis not such Corruptible things as Silver and Gold, (a)1 Pet. i. 18.that can Redeem a Soul; Burnt-offerings, and Calves of a year old, thousands of Rams, and ten thousands of rivers of Oyl, (b)Mic. vi. 6,7.would not appease the Divine displeasure, and prevail with God to release him.
Besides; If the World were sufficient to give in Exchange, he has it not now to give: Upon the moment of his entring into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, he Lost the World, which he tho't he had Gained, as well as his Soul; and now has not the least pittance of it left to Comfort him in his Misery.
Nay further; if it were possible for God to say to him, Be as thou wilt; he is now become so much of a Devil, that he wou'd be his own Tormentor: for God he cou'd not Choose; and he wou'd never be able to get from under the lively apprehensions of what he has lost.
Oh, then! What an Unprofitable Bargain do they make of it, who lose their Souls, for a World; who, for the sake of Gratifying their Sensual Appetites, carry Fire in their Bosoms, and Court Everlasting Burning?