Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v8

86, Chap. 27. An Expofstion upon the 'Book of Jo B. Verf.8. Chcift,who knew the worth of a foul, and laid down a pace to the utmoft Worth of fouls, puts chete queftions ( (Math. r6.26.) What is aman profited if he¡hall gain the whole world, and lofe bis ownfoul ? or what (hall a man give in exchangefor hisfoul ? that Is, he is not at all profited by all the profits of the world, if he lofe hit foul ; nor is there any thing in this world, which a man giving, may receive his loft foul back again, as it were byway of Barter andExchange. Secondly, From chofe words, When God taketh away bis Joule, Obferve ; Thefoul is at Gods lifpofe, he may fendfor it when he will. The Lord cancommand away the foul of the flrongeft, of the richef't, of the wileft; Life and death are in thehand of God. He caneither cut the thread of life, or ¡pin is our at pleafure. Motes tells the (ewes as one man (Deut,3o.Co.) He is thy life, and the lengthof thylayes. He allo difpenceth death,and(bortnefs of daps. The marriage of the foul and body together is life ; the break- ing of this marriage bond, or the parting of foul and body is death. Godcan part the foul from the body, he can breakthat marriage bond when 8¿ how he pleafech.He can uncloath the foul, and leave it naked, hecan quickly ftrip it of this garment offlefh. The foul feparate from the bodyis baked and'uncloathed. So the Apoftle fpeaks about bis own death (2Cor. 5. 2, 3, 4.) Not that be wouldbe uncloatbed, but eloatbedrspon,that mortality might be fwallowed up of life. When we are uncloached or dye, mortali- ty fwalloweth us up, but whenwe (hall be cloathed upon with, or live inglory, mortality ¡hall be fwallowed up. Now, as the time when the body (ball be cloathedwith glory,and mortality (ball be for ever fwallowed up ; foche time when the foul (hall be unclog- thed of this body, and this life fwallowedup ofmortality, is at the appoyntmenr, and under the decree of God. When God will take away the foul noman knows, only this we know, that he both can and may take it away when he will. Laftly, As chefe words ( God taketb away hisfoul) imply a force, Obferve; Though

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=