on the Excellency of the Soul. 233 doth exped to have his glory a 1iveiy from that : that man by his foul Ihould come to know this God, the infinite firtl- being of all things, fhould fear him , and worship him, and ferve him , and have communion with him, and praife him; and therefore David in Pfal. z o 3 . My foulpraife thou the Lord, and ali that is within mee praife his holy name. And a- gain, bee concludes , Myfoul praife thou the Lord. And fo in Pfal. 104. Now upon the confideration of what hath been faid of the excellency of our fouls , wee thould lay a charge upon them,that they do honour God, and ferve God : What a fad charge will this bee to many a man at the great day, when God shall fay , Haddeil thou been made a Dog, I never had had fo much difhonour as I have had, I thould have had more honour if I had made thee a Dog, there I lhould have had my honour paflively , and no dishonour from thee ? But now, thou being made an immortal foul, as it was capable of honouring mee, fo of finning againfl mee; the more excellent a thing is, the more capable of evil it is, as well as of good ; no creatures , but Angels and men are able to fin again God. Oh it is pitty that God thould nor have the honour of thy immortal foul. God had more ho- nour from Nebuchadnezzar , when hee was driven out a- mong the beafts , than when hee fat upon the Throne as a King. And then further , that lhould have been another life, to have laboured to perfwade you to take heed of difhonour- ing thefe fouls of yours. God hath put a great deal of ñlory and excellency upon them , do not you difhonour them; and many wayes lhould have been faid how men do put dishonour upon their fouls;only for the conclufion ; Oh that you would but learn to love your own fouls : To love them. It is a firange exhortation you will fay to exhort men to love their fouls : Oh that you would but do it, Pfal. 22. David calls his foul his Darling, the fouls of men thould bee indeed their Darlings, not their bodies.. It was a fpeech of a Courtier to his friend , faith hee , I love you as mine own foul; Oh faith hee, then you love mee not at a11; Gg if
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