thevoful lofs oftheprecious Soul. 269 to tome noble learnedcouncel, in cafe of law. But alas thefoul lies wounded hi the way, over laden with the grievances and preffttres of fin, diftra&ed with the affrightings of a troubled conscience, as if there were no balm in Gilead, no Phyfitian there, as if there were no Miniher toafford help. There is no Peeking abroad : a Lyon is pretended to be'in the way, and Solomòns fluggard , folds his hands to Jleep. O let not theft things be fo. Benot as the Horse and Mule that have no underftandint. Negle& not thehelps ofyour prefervationin grace : but, be continually watchful with fufpition and jealoufie, and abflain from ffieJ ly lulls, that fight againF your fouls. The Poet could fay , Thieves rife by night to rob, andkill, and fleal, and wilt not thon waketo fave thy foul. God, (tor the moll part) faith Saint Chryfoftome, hath alotted to natureall by two's ; twohands,two eyes, two feet, two ears 5 ears,eyes,hands,feet, two ofall, that if we chance to maim one, we can help to relieve thenecefñty of it by' the other : but hebath given us but one foul, ifwelofe that, what-lb ift (hall wemake for anotherfoul ? a piercing contemplation, ifwe had grace to confider it. There- fore, Omy foul, tender thy fclf as my own happincfs,ifthou betranflated to hea- ven, the body in time (hall come thither ; this corruption, Jhall put on incorreption ; this mortal, Jhall put on immortality. Again,ifthou be haledwith thefiends to the nethermoft hell, the body -in time (hall he tormented with thee. It is altogether jut+ with the righteous Gods that they that meet infin/ should alto confort in fuf- feting. Save thy self, and fave all; and by woful confequence, lofe thy fell, and lofe all : For what ù aman profited, ifbe gain the whole world, and lofe his ownfits!? So much for the secondpoint, the poffibilityof losinga mans foul. Come we to the third, the compoffibilityofoutward prosperity ; he may lose t. Amanmay his foul_in gaining the whole world. Inthe diverfitj ofopinions concerning the lose isafou! in chief good, tome there werethat placed it in riches ; others in honours ; and how °= ad. the ever they differedin their judgements, yet both agreed in this, that they wereboth Lad. deceived. For however it cannot be denied , but that riches , and honours, are' the bleffings ofGod; yet again they are no demonhration of a bleffed man. Left Note. any man should take them to bé ill, they are bellowed upon them that are good left anyman (hould reckon them for thechief good,they are bellowed likewikup- on the evil : external bleffings are but common favours vouchfafed to good and bad. Was Abraham rich ? fo was Abimelech. Was Jacob rich ? fo was La- ban. Was David a King ? fo was Saul. Was Conftantine an Emperor ? fowas filian. Salvation depends not on the multitude of riches,òr emminèncy in place : the talleft Cedar hath the greateftfall; and the faireft bottles many times the greateft ruine; andoutward profperity unguardedwith inward fan&icy, may foon bole the foul. . For firft, rich menaretainted with covetoufnefs, which isa kind offecret Idols- t. Rich roan. try, Co/of. 3. and covetoufaefs, which is Idolatry, faith the Apoftle. Ifyou would know the reafon, the more tenaciously a man loves hisown, the Ate covetous. lefs devotion he offers to God, you cannot live in thefervice ofMammon, and of Chrifl ; the mouth of theLord lath fpoken it, you cannot ferve Godand Mammon. Ifthe young man in the Gofpel have great poffeffions; if fudee carry the bag ; if Demas imbrece the prefent world; then farewell Chrifl, farewell Pattl, and fare- well foul too. So true is the laying of the Apoftle, They that will berichfall into temptations , andsnares , and many foolish , and noyfome lugs that drown men in perdition anddeftruflion. Where, he faith not they that are, but they that will be rich : It is not (imply money, but the love ofmoneythat is the root of all evil. Riches are good with agood confcience : but ifthe foul be infe&ed with avarice, if it favour of that bitter Collaquintida, Death is in thepot, and how hardly Jball they that have riches enter into the kingdoms ofheaven T For the delire ofworldly men, it is as the unfatiable thirft of a dropfte patient : there is nomeans that they leave unattempted, no policy unachieved for the accomplilhment oftheir ends, and advancingoftheir eftate. Balaamfor abribe will almoft corkwhere theLord bath bleffed. tiba foran in- heritance (as much as in him lies) willbring hisMafter within thecompass pf tree- fon..
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