Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…

Fourthly, And further, The soul is of such a nature, as it is capable of the communication of the choicest excellencies that ever God did, or will communicate unto any: Certainly there are very glorious excellencies in God, in the infinite fountain of all good, in the infinite first being of all things; and this God being an infinite good, doth take infinite delight in the communication of his goodness; Now I say, the souls of men are of such a large extent, as they are some way capable of the enjoyment of any good that God hath to communicate, which he hath revealed in his word; yea, and the truth is, when we hear of Gods communicating of himself to his Son, that hath a humane soul as well as a body, we cannot but conceive that a humane soul is of that large extent, as it is capable of the highest and excellentest good that God hath to communicate to any Creature. We cannot but think that the soul of Jesus Christ hath as much of Gods goodness communicated to it, as ever creature had, or can have; now the soul of Jesus Christ is of the same nature with our souls, as his body; he took the same kind of flesh as we have, only there was no sin; and so the soul, it is the same kind of soul that we have, only it was not sinful, as ours are: Now, if the soul of Jesus Christ be capable of the highest good that God the infinite good hath to communicate to any creature, then the souls of men and women are also: howsoever you have looked after your souls no further, but only to be serviceable to your bodies, to get meat and drink, and be as it were salt, ¹as the Philosopher saith of the Epicure, that the soul serves for no other end to him, but to keep his body from stinking; yet know, whatsoever thou art, though now a sinful wretched vile creature, and art deprived of the chief excellency that thy soul is capable of, yet that soul of thine that thou hast, is capable of the highest good thing that an infinite God hath to communicate: Oh that ⟨p. 212⟩God by your owning of this, would a little but raise your spirits to think that you have been deluded and deceived all this while: this is the excellency now of your souls, in reference unto God.

Fourthly, And further, The soul is of such a nature, as it is capable of the communication of the choicest excellencies that ever God did, or will communicate unto any: Certainly there are very glorious excellencies in God, in the infinite fountain of all good, in the infinite first beeing of all things; and this God being an infinite good, doth take infinite delight in the communication of his goodness; Now I say, the souls of men are of such a large extent, as they are some way capable of the enjoyment of any good that God hath to communicate, which hee hath revealed in his word; yea, and the truth is, when wee hear of Gods communicating of himself to his Son, that hath a humane soul as well as a body, wee cannot but conceive that a humane soul is of that large extent, as it is capable of the highest and excellentest good that God hath to communicate to any Creature. We cannot but think that the soul of Jesus Christ hath as much of Gods goodness communicated to it, as ever creature had, or can have; now the soul of Jesus Christ is of the same nature with our souls, as his body; hee took the same kinde of flesh as wee have, onely there was no sin; and so the soul, it is the same kind of soul that wee have, onely it was not sinful, as ours are: Now, if the soul of Jesus Christ bee capable of the highest good that God the infinite good hath to communicate to any creature, then the souls of men and women are also: howsoever you have look'd after your souls no further, but onely to bee serviceable to your bodies, to get meat and drink, and bee as it were salt,