628 The Follyofhazarding Vo1.II. SERMON CXCV. The folly of hazarding eternal Life, for temporal Enjoyments. MATTH. XVI. 26. For what is a man profited, if he (Ball gain the whole world, and lofe his own Soul? or what lhall a mangive in exchange of his Soul ? H E great Queftion that a wife man puts to himfelfin any Defign or Under- taking, is this, What fhall I bethe better for it, ifI obtain what I feek for? Ifall things fucceed according to my defire, what benefit and advantage will it be to me? Or ifI gain in one refpe&, fhall I not be as great, or a greater lofer in ano- ther? When all things are calculated and call up, what will be the foot of theac- count ? Upon the whole matter, and in the final ilfue and refult of things, what will be the gain or lofs ? For tho' the advantage appear never fo great in one re- fpe&, yet if this be over-balancedby a greater hazard and lofs in another kind, far moreconfiderable ; it is upon the whole matter a foolifh Bargain , and a wife man will not meddle with it. And this is theQueftion which our Saviour here puts, What is a manprofited ? , &c. For the underflandingof which words, we muff lookback to the verfes immedi- ately before, wherein-our Saviour tells his Followers , upon what terms they may be his Difciples, and lift themfelves in his Service, ver. 24.25. If any man will be my Difciple, let him deny himfelf, and take up hisCrofs, andfollow me. Who- foever will fave his life, (hall lofe it : and whofoever will lofe his lifefor my,fake, (hallfind it ; that is, whofoever by declining the Profefûon ofthe Gofpel forfear of Perfecution, Ihall hope to fave this temporal life, (hall lofe that which isinfinitely more conuderable, eternal life : and who ever for my fake and the Gofpel'st íhall expofe himfelf to Perfecution and the lofs of this temporal life, (hall finda better life in lieuof it, fhall at lait bemade partaker ofeternal life. And this certainly is wif- dom, not to lofe that which is more valuable, for the purchafing pf that which is lefs confiderable ; For what is a man profited? &c. What is a man profited, ifhegain the whole world, and lofehis own Soul ? Here ourTranflators have unneceffarily changed thefignification ofthe fame word that was ufed before : for the word here tranflated Soul, is the very fame which is ufed for life, in theverfe before ; and there's no reafon to alter the rend'ring of it; for the fenfe is very current thus; Whofoever willfavehis life, fhalllofe it; andwhofoever will lofe his lifefor my fake, fhallfind it. For what is a man profited, ifhegain the whole world and lofe his life ; or what (hall a man give in exchangefor his life. This was a proverbial Speech ufed among theyews, to fignifie that men value life above any thing in this world, and it feems to allude to that exprefiion in job Skinfor skin, and all that a man bath, will he givefor his life; that is, men will part with any thing in this world to fave their lives. Now this proverbial Sentence, which the Jews ufed concerning this temporal life, our Saviour does very fitly apply to the purpofe he was fpeaking of, and argues d fortiori from this temporal life to eternal life. For if we think all that we have, well bellowed to ranfom our lives, then much more fitould we be willing to part with this mortal life, and all the Enjoyments of it, to purchafe eternal life, which cloth in true value more exceed this life, than this life does any thing elfe in this World. 3 And
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