220 Os the Exseflency of the Sour': and this is the excellency of mans foul, it is above all crea- tures; iris a vertue-in the foul of man to have a holy kinde of pride , to think all creatures in the world to bee too little to bee the portion of it, and God takes this well, bee likes it well, - that we,fhould -knory our own fouls,fo far,that' wee fhould have this kinde of pride of fpirit , as wee may fo call it, or rather a right elevation of fpirit, to look upon all creatures in the world, as too low, and toomean to bee the portion of one immortal fold. Many other things were delivered about the excellency of mans foul , that fo you might know fomething of your worth, that you are too good to bee llaves to the Devil, and it is good for you to know your own worth in this thing, that fo your hearts might bee elevated above thofe bare things that you fought to have your happinefs in ; all thofe that ever have had true wifdome,have accounted fouls to bee very 'p ecious. I remember Zozomen the l;cclefiafhícal Hiftorianfaith of the Martyrs , that they fuffered torment in their bodies, as if' they were other folks bodies, and not their own, they look not upon them s any 'part of them- felves,but on'their fouls as themfelves;and fo you finde it in Scripture that it is the foul of man ," that is a mans relf. Compare for xhis,my Text in Matths "w,with Luke 9. where you have the fame fpeech of our Saviour fetting out the ex- cellency of a mans foul.In the one it is, What will it profit a man, if hee gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul ? In the other it is, If bee lofe himfelf ; this is all one, the lofing of a mans foul, and the lofing of himfelf : for a mans felf it is his foul , as for the body it is but the cafe , it is but the out -fide, and fo indeed'fome of the Heathens accounted ??ride tune their bodies. Anaxarchus, when bee was beaten in a i9asxarcbifot- Mortar to death ,by the Tyrants ;hee calls to them , Beat, aem, Avaaxar- Beat as long as you will, you beat but the outward part of ebanrmimosa flnaxarchm, it is but the veffel in which hee is. trandiai The Devil himfelf bath high etleem of fouls, the Devil care s not, fo bee it bee may gain mens fouls, what they have for 'their bodies ; the Devil d©th not envy any wicked-man to
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