The greatness of the soul and unspeakableness of the loss thereof with the causes…

I shall now come to the second Thing which was propounded to be spoken to: and that is to show you what we are to understand ^aby losing of the Soul, or what the Loss of the Soul is, What shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul.

I shall now come to the second Thing which was propounded to be spoken to: and that is to shew you what we are to understand ^aby losing of the Soul, or what the Loss of the Soul is, What shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul.

1. aOf the Loss of the Soul.

1. The Loss of the Soul ^bis a Loss, in the Nature ⟨p. 44⟩of it peculiar to it self. There is no such Lo• as to the Nature of Loss as is the Loss of the So• For that he that hath lost his Soul, has lost himself In all other Losses it is possible for a Man to save himself, but he that loseth his Soul, loseth himself; F• ^cwhat is a Man advantaged, if he gain the who• World, and lose himself? So Luke has it. Wherefore the Loss of the Soul is a Loss that cannot be parallel• He that loseth himself, loseth his all, his lasting a• for himself is his all, his all in the most comprehen• sive Sence: What mattereth it what a Man gets, i by the getting thereof he loseth himself? Suppose Man goeth to the Indies for Gold, and he loadeth his Ship therewith, but at his return, that Sea tha carried him thither, swallows him up, now what ha he got? but this is but a lean Similitude with re ference to the Matter in hand, to wit, to set fort the Loss of the Soul. Suppose a Man that has bee at the Indies for Gold, should at his return himself be taken by them of Algiers, and there made a Slav of, and there be hunger-bit, and beaten till his bon are broken; What has he got? What is he advantaged by his rich adventure? perhaps you will say, He has got Gold enough to obtain his ransom: Indeed this may be, and therefore no similitude can be found, that can fully amplify the Matter. For wha shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul? It is a Loss that standeth by it self, there is not another like it: or unto which it may be compared, 'tis only like it self, 'tis singular, 'tis the chief of all losses, the highest, the greatest Loss. For what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul? A Man may lose his Wife, his Children, his Estate, his Liberty, and his Life, and have all made up again, and have all restored with