206 On the Excellency of the Soul. doaths, and fuch kinde of things ; do not think that thou arc happy in that for thefe are things that concern thy out - ward man , there is (till another fub{lance in thee that thou art to look after, that takes little notice of fuch things as thefe are. Neither do you think that you have provided well for your children, when you have provided an &late, an inhe- ritance, fomewhat to leave them, know, that there is ano- ther fubfiance in your children, befides that outward bodily fubilance you look upon. Do you fee a fine feature,come- ly parts , comely countenance , and your children finely cloathed? I but know there is a fpirit in that childe befides that bodily fubfiance that you are to look to:Certainly man is very far fallen from God , that none fcarce takes notice of his own fpirit : We do not only naturally live without a God in the world,fo as to know little of that infinite divine Spirit that is the firft being of all things; but wee live with- out the knowledge of our own fpirits , of our own fouls : Truly few men there are that know their own fouls. As a man by his eye fees things that are without him,but he cloth not fee his own eye; fo by the foul wee come to underftand many things without us , but yet how little do wee under - Hand of our own fouls ? well might the Pfalmift therefore complain, and fay,in Pfal.49.2o. Man that is in honour,and Kndttflandeth not, a like the beafls that perifh. God did in- deed make man at firfl in honour , but now hee is become like the very bealls, hee dub minde little or nothing more than the very beafis themfelves hee bleffes himfelf if hee hath but content for the body for a while , as if there were nothing elfe concerned him; I appeal unto your con - fciences in this thing, whether the uttermoft fphere of your, thoughts have been any further than meerly within theconí- pafs of bodily content : If you fhould come to a beafl, and talk to it about Trades and titles of honour, and Arts and Sciences, and fuch kind of things , why what is all this to a beaft ? Give a beaft hay orcorn , and fuch inde of things that arc fuitable to it , and it mindes that more than it doth
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