A39675:1443
Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man
Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applied, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...
London: printed for Francis Tyton, 1685
MATTH. 16.26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole… › Doctrine 1: DOCT. I.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
9. Ninthly, The institution of Gospel-Ordinances and the appointment of so many Gospel-Officers purposely for the saving of Souls, is no small evidence of what value and esteem they are.
No man would light and maintain a Lamp fed with golden Oil, and keep it burning from Age to Age, if the work to be done by the light of it were not of a very precious and important nature; what else are the Dispensations of the Gospel, but Lamps burning with golden Oil to light Souls to Heaven, Zech. 4.2, 3, 4, & 12. compared: a magnificent Vision is there presented to the Prophet, viz. a Candlestick of Gold with a Bowl or Cistern upon the top of it, and seven Shafts with seven Lamps at the ends thereof, all lighted: and that these Lamps might have a constant supply of oil, without any accessary humane help, there are presented (as growing by the Candlestick) two fresh and green Olive-trees on each side thereof, ver. 3. which do empty out of themselves golden Oil, ver. 12. naturally dropping and distilling it into that Bowl, and the two Pipes ⟨p. 374⟩thereof to feed the Lamps continually. Under this stately Emblem you have a lively representation of the spiritual Gifts and Graces distilled by the Spirit into the Ministers of the Gospel, for the use and benefit of the Church, as you find not only by the Angels Exposition of it here, but by the Spirits allusion to it, and accommodation of it in Rev. 11.3, 4. See herein what price God puts upon the salvation of Souls: Gospel Lamps are maintained for their sakes, not with the sweat of Ministers brows, or the expense and waste of their Spirits, but by the precious Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit continually dropping into them for the use and service of Souls. These ministerial Gifts and Graces are Christs Ascension-gifts, Eph. 4.8. When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men; and what were the Royal gifts of that triumphant day? why, he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. It is an allusion to the Roman Triumphs, wherein the Conqueror did spargere missilia, scatter abroad his treasures among the people. It is reported of the Palm-tree saith one, that when it was first planted in Italy, they watered its roots with Wine to make it take the better with the Soil;