Serm. CXCV. eternal Life. fider what an unequal bargain we make, how little we purchafe, and how much we part withal. Whenever we are foliçited to any fin, let us take time to anfwer the queflion here in the Text, What is a man profited, if he (hall gain the whole world, and lofe bis own foul, &c. SERMON CXCVI. The Reafonablenefs offearing God more than Man. LUKE XII. 4, 5. And 1 fay unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye fhall fear : Fear him, which after he loath killed, bath power to call into hell, yea, I fay untoyou, Fear him. 635 THE occafion of thefe words will more clearly appear, if we compare this rr e fir/t difcourfe of our Saviour's, as it is here recorded bySt. Luke, with that fuller Serm °n account of it given by St. Matthew, Chap. so. where our Saviour having called" rex'.. his Difciples together, and given them their coinmiffion, and the rules and initial- ¿lions they were to obferve in the executionof it, he warns them likewife ofthe oppofition they would meet with, and the perfecution that would attend them in the faithful difcharge of their duty ; neverthelefs , he bids them take courage, and boldly to proclaim the Gofpel , notwithftanding all the danger and hazard it would expofe them to : but becaufe this is very unwelcome and terrible to flefh and blood, to encounter the Rage and Fury of Men, therefore to ítrengthen their re- folution, and to fortifie their fpirits againft thefe fears, he tells them offomething muchmore terrible than the Wrathor Rage ofMen, viz. the Anger and Difpleafure of God, that fo he might chafe away this leffer fear by a greater, Ifay untoyou, my friends, Be not afraid, &c. The words are fiifficiently plain, and need no explication ; only before I come to the main propofitionwhich is contained in them, I fhall take notice of thefe two important Doltrines which are fuppofed in theText ; the Immortality of the Soul, and the Refurre&ion of the Body. Firfl, The Immortality of the Soul, which is a principle of natural Religion, and not any where, that I know of exprefly afferted in Scripture ; not need it be fo, being to be known by natural light, without divine Revelation : but divine Reve- lation did always fuppofe it, and take it for granted, as one of the foundations of Religion. And I the rather take notice of it here, becaufe I donot knowany Text from which it may be more immediately inferr'd, than from thefe words of our Saviour, which neceffarily imply thefe two things. a. That the Soul is not obnoxious to death, as theBody is. Fear not him that can kill the body , but after that bath no more that he can do; which St.Matthew expreffeth, cannot kill the foul. 2. That the Soul remains after the death of the Body. Fear him, who after he bath killed, bathpower to call into hell. Secondly, Another DoEtrine implied in thefe words, is that of the Refurre&ion of theBody ; whichis a Doétrine ofpure Revelation, and molt clearly and exprefly revealed in the New Teftament : and in fome fort before to the 7ems, who did generally believe it before our Saviour's coming, excepting the Sell ofthe Sadduces, This is fuppofed in the fifth verfe, But fear him, who after he bath kill'd, bath M in m m 2 power
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