636 TheRea önetblenef of van. power to call intohell; not only the Soul, but alfa to jade up the Body which is kill'd, and to torment it in Hell ; for fo St. Matthew hath it exprefly, Butfear him that can de/Ìroy both body and foul in hell, Now the Body, fo long as it is dead is devoid of fenfe, and fo incapable oftorment, till it be raifed tolife again. Thefe being fuppofed, I come to the main obfervation contained in the words. That God is infinitely more to be dreaded than Men. The word's indeed feem to reach farther, and to be an abfolùte prohibition of the fear of Men; but it is an Hebrew phrafe and manner of fpeaking, when two' things are oppofed, to exprefs many times thofe thingsabfolutely, which are to be under-flood comparatively; as 'John 6. a7. Labour not for the meat which perifheth but for that meat which enduretb wire everlafìing lii è; that is, not fo much for thingstetnpöril, as things eternal, incomparably more for the one than the. other, So when our Saviour fays, Fear not them that can kill the body , that is, fear not Men fo much as God, fear him infinitely more. It is very lawful for us to fear Men, and to Rand in awe of their power, becaufe they can kill the body, and death is terrible : but when the power of 1\'lan comes in competition with Omnipotence, and what Man can do to the Body in this world, with what God can do to theBo- dy and Soul in the other.; there is no comparifon between the terror of the one and the other. The truth of this will appear, by comparing thefe two objects of fear together, God and Min. Fear is a paffion which is molt deeply rooted in our nature, and flows immediately from that principle of Self-prefervationwhich is planted in every Man's nature. We have a natural dread and horror for every thing that may hurt us and endanger our being and happinefs; now the greateft danger is always from the greatet power ; fo that to make good the truth'bfthis obfervation, we need do no more butto compare thepower of Men andGod, and the effects of both, and then to calculate the difference ; and if there appear to be a vafl and infinite diffe- rich between them, it will be evident, that God is infinitely more to be dreaded than Men; Pirft,'tie will confider the power of Man, 'andwhat it is he can do : or rather his impotency, and what he cannot do. Secondly, How much the power of God exceeds the power of Men, and what hé can do .more. Fir/I, We will confider the power of Man, and what it is he can do ; which our Saviour expreffeth in theft words, Be not afraid of them that can kill the body, and -after ihizt have no more that they can'do. Which lignifies in general, that the power of Man is finite andlimited, and circumfcribed within certain bounds, be- ond which it cannot go ; fomething it can do , but not much ; it can hurt the rock, yea and take away oúí life ; it can kill the body, hither it can go, and no f 'dither. More particularly in thefe words you have Man's power, what he can do ; and ?iYS' impotency, what he can but do, 'the limits and bounds of his power. f. The power of Men, and what they can do, they can kill the body, and take w} our lives; which'includes a power of doing whatever is lefs. All thofe evils :aadperfectitions which fall Ihort of death, thefe they can inflict upon us, theycan -rëvile us; and fpeak all manner of evil again£1 us ; they canperfecute usfrom one Ci- ty to'anOthet, -and bring us before Councils, and fedurge ars in their .Synagogues; they can /poi/ us of our goods, and deprive us of our liberty; they can exercife us With bonds and imprifonments, with cruel mocking and fccu gings, with hunger and ßhíifB, with' Cold"and nakedoefs; they"can many ways afllid and torment us, and ar fait they can put us to death; all this they can do by the permillion of God; 'If-ere-is the foin of their power ; give them all advantages, let them be united and combined together. Our Saviour puts it in the plural number, Fear not them; and let them be back'dwith human authority, which our Saviour fuppofeth, when he fpeaks of bringing his Difciplesbefore Rings and Governours. Thus much their power amounts to. II. We will confider the impotency of Men , which will appear in thefe two particulars. 5 t. That
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