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

And the first Use is this, Use. Surely then we ought to look upon every child of man with some reverent respect and honour; there is not the poorest child (as I told you the last day) that lies crying at your doors for a crust, but hath a soul in it more worth than heaven and earth. And the consideration of this should make us look upon the meanest child, servant, the poorest body, with an honourable esteem and respect; how ever the glory of their souls be darkened for the present, yet they have still in them such souls as are capable of a kind of infinite good, more than all the other works that ever God made, except the Angels; do not look upon your servants that are under you with scorn and contempt, do not use them doggedly, as if they were brute-beasts; Remember, though you be a Master, a Mistress, a Governor, you are a Governor of one that hath an immortal soul, more worth than all the world. A good man, saith the Scripture, is merciful to his beast, and surely then a good man will be merciful to one that hath an immortal soul, and it may be an immortal soul better than his Governor; how many have more respect to Dogs, to brute-beasts, than they have to servants and children, and poor people, who have immortal souls? I have read of the Turks, that though they be noted for most cruel people to men, as you heard of their cruelty to those in the Galleys, yet they are very pitiful to brute-beasts, and therefore they will give alms and stipends out of charity, to maintain brute-beasts withal; and there is a story of a youth that abusing a bird that had a long bill, was like to have been stoned to death in the street, they did so hate cruelty to those kind of creatures, though they be cruel ⟨p. 222⟩to men. Many have this Turkish disposition, that are dogged and cruel to those of their own kind, to those that have immortal souls together with themselves, though pitiful even to brute-beasts. This is the first Use, Look upon all that have these souls with an honourable respect, considering they have that that is of so much worth.

And the first Use is this, Use. Surely then wee ought to look upon every childe of man with some reverent respect and honour; there is not the poorest childe (as I told you the last day) that lyes crying at your doors for a crust, but hath a soul in it more worth than heaven and earth. And the consideration of this should make us look upon the meanest childe, servant, the poorest body, with an honourable esteem and respect; how ever the glory of their souls bee darkned for the present, yet they have still in them such souls as are capable of a kinde of infinite good, more than all the other works that ever God made, except the Angels; do not look upon your servants that are under you with scorn and contempt, do not use them doggedly, as if they were brute-beasts; Remember, though you bee a Master, a Mistress, a Governour, you are a Governour of one that hath an immortal soul, more worth than all the world. A good man, saith the Scripture, is merciful to his beast, and surely then a good man will bee merciful to one that hath an immortal soul, and it may bee an immortal soul better than his Governour; how many have more respect to Dogs, to brute-beasts, than they have to servants and children, and poor people, who have immortal souls? I have read of the Turks, that though they bee noted for most cruel people to men, as you heard of their cruelty to those in the Gallies, yet they are very pittiful to brute-beasts, and therefore they will give alms and stipends out of charity, to maintain brute-beasts withall; and there is a story of a youth that abusing a bird that had a long bill, was like to have been stoned to death in the street, they did so hate cruelty to those kinde of creatures, though they bee cruel