the second, of those which are wholly immersed in flesh, the souls of beasts, which rise out of the power of the flesh, and perish together with it: the third is of those which inhabit bodies of flesh, but rise out of ⟨p. 224⟩the power of the flesh, nor dye when the body dyeth; and these are the souls of men. When the body returneth to the 1earth as it was, the Spirit shall return to God who gave it. O Sirs, the soul being immortal, it must be immortally happy, or immortally miserable. Certainly there is no wisdom, nor policy to that of securing the everlasting welfare of your souls. All the honours, riches, greatness and glory of this world, are but chips, feathers tr•fles, pebbles to your precious and immortal souls: and therefore before all, and above all other things, make sure work for your souls; if they are safe, all is safe; but if they are lost, all is lost, and you cast and undone in both worlds. Chrysostom observeth, that whereas God hath given many other things double, two eyes to see with, two ears to hear with, two hands to work with, and two feet to walk with, to the intent that the sailing of the one might be supplied by the other, he hath given us but one soul, if that be lost, hast thou another soul to give in recompense for it. If you save your souls, though you should lose all you have in this world, your loss would be a gainful loss; but if you lose your precious souls, though you should gain all the world, yet your very gains will undo you for ever. You have found by the late dreadful fire, that there is no securing of the things of this world; and therefore make it your business, your work, to get a Christ for your souls, grace for your souls, and a Heaven for your souls, that so though all go to wrack h•re, yet your souls may be saved in the day of Christ. What desperate madness and folly would it have been in any, when London was in flames, to mind more, and endeavour more to save their Lumber, than their Jewels; their goods in their Shops, than their Children in their Cradles, or their Wives in their Beds; but it is a thousand times greater madness and folly, for men to mind more, and endeavour more to secure their temporal estates, than they do to secure their eternal estates. But,
the second, of those which are wholly immersed in flesh, the souls of beasts, which rise out of the power of the flesh, and perish together with it: the third is of those which inhabit bodies of flesh, but rise out of ⟨p. 224⟩the power of the flesh, nor dye when the body dyeth; and these are the souls of men. When the body returneth to the 1earth as it was, the Spirit shall return to God who gave it. O Sirs, the soul being immortal, it must be immortally happy, or immortally miserable. Certainly there is no wisdom, nor policy to that of securing the everlasting welfare of your souls. All the honours, riches, greatness and glory of this world, are but chips, feathers tr•fles, p•bbles to your precious and immortal souls: and therefore before all, and above all other things, make sure work for your souls; if they are safe, all is safe; but if they are lost, all is lost, and you cast and undone in both worlds. Chrys•stom observeth, that whereas God hath given many other things double, two eyes to see with, two ears to hear with, two hands to work with, and two feet to walk with, to the intent that the sailing of the one might be supplyed by the other, he hath given us but one soul, if that be lost, hast thou another soul to give in recompence for it. If you save your souls, though you should lose all you have in this world, your loss would be a gainful loss; but if you lose your precious souls, though you should gain all the world, yet your very gains will undo you for ever. You have found by the late dreadful fire, that there is no securing of the things of this world; and therefore make it your business, your work, to get a Christ for your souls, grace for your souls, and a Heaven for your souls, that so though all go to wrack h•re, yet your souls may be saved in the day of Christ. What desperate madness and folly would it have been in any, when London was in flames, to mind more, and endeavour more to save their Lumber, than their Jewels; their goods in their Shops, than their Children in their Cradles, or their Wives in their Beds; but it is a thousand times greater madness and folly, for men to mind more, and endeavour more to secure their temporal estates, than they do to secure their eternal estates. But,
- 1Eccles. 12. 7.
