Chap. 30. An Expofition upon the Book of J ó a Vert', i 5. 143 is in extreamett paines, when'ris even tortur'd with the lion, gout, chollicke, andother acute difeafes,yea when 'tis tormented with themoft exquifite fufferings which thewit ofcruel tyrants and perfecuters can invent, or their rage and malice inflift upon the body, by racking, burning, breaking the bones, opening the bowells, and powring in boyling lead, yet then the foule is re p2enifht with comfort, and rejoyceth with joy unfpeakeable and full ofglory, Thirdly The foule is our principal one, if we confider the immortalitieof it. The earthly tabernacleof mans body (hakes . and is ready to fall into the earth every day. Daft thou are and todu(i,tbots fhalt retorne, was the fentence of God upon the body ofman as Toone as he had finned. Death entred at the famedore by which findid ; And therefore it is appointed for men once to die( Heb. 9. a7.) There's no avoyding themortalitieof the body. But the foule is an immortal! piece, and it is immortali not onlyby divineordination , as thebody of Adam wasbefore the fall (who then had.a pofíibilitie not to die, though his body con - f dered in its materiallswas inapoffibility ofdying)But the foule is immortali, accordingto its naturals conftitutive properties, or theperfe&ionof its nature; whenGodmade the foulehe ftatnpt immortalitie upon the very being and conftitution of it. Thus Angelisand the fouies ofmen are immortali , becaufe free from elementary matter andall contrariety of qualities, which are the feed orroot ofcorruption. The foule isnot only fpirituail; but a fpirit, as the Angels are, and fo is of an everlafting make , and cannot be diffolved. But force may fay, you put too muchhonour upon the foule, in afcribing immortalitie to it : the Apoftle faith (sTim.6. i6.) Codonly loath irurnortalitie, &c. Why thendoe you fay, the foule is. immortal ? is not this to put a crowne of dignitie upon the foule, which is the Lordspeçuliar I anfwer; God only is immortal!, limply, abfolutely,, primi- tivelyand independently; yet The foule bath alto a dependent communicated immortality ; or the foule is immortali by its con- flitution received andderived from God ; He bath not put any ingredientsofdeath into it. Andwere it not thus, the foule were not above the body, but ( as to this) the bodyesequall. Be- fides, werenot the foule immortali, to what, purpofe were all, thofe
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