A85953:467
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…
Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nigh. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of Christ. And, 3 The Excellency of mans immortal soul. By Jeremiah Burroughs, late preacher of the gospel at Stepney, and Giles-Cripple-gate, London. Published by William Greenhill. William Bridge. Philip Nye. John Yates. Matthew Mead. William Adderly.
London: printed for Nath. Brook, 1660
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Treatise 3 › Sermon 2: The Second SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul.
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.
It may be you will say, It were better that it were otherwise with us.
It may bee you will say, It were better that it were otherwise with us.
I confess such is the condition of some through their sin, living and dying in it, that it were better ten thousand times that they had been Dogs, or Toads, and Serpents, I but that is but through thy wickedness, but it cannot be said of the vilest alive, for there is none of you, but for ought Angels or men know, may live eternally to the praise of Gods grace in Christ, you have such kind of natures ⟨p. 230⟩as are capable of it. Now it is true, if you should dye in your sins, then it might be said at that instance when you dye in your sins, that it had been better that you had been Toads or Serpents, or any thing in the world: But were not this a sad thing for a man that hath such an excellent nature, to live and dye so that they may wish hereafter that they had been Toads or Dogs? how many are there that are willing, so they may live like a beast, to dye like a beast, I but that thou canst not bring thy self to dye like a beast, thou must be infinitely worse, or infinitely better than the brute beasts. But bless God that thou hast a nature capable of so much good, whatsoever thou art in other respects, though God hath made a great difference between thee and others that are of the same kind in thy outward estate, God hath made a great deal of difference between poor and rich, between a poor Alms-body that lives in so mean a condition, and between a Noble-man, a Prince, an Emperor; I but this difference is made in the outward estate and body, but there is no such difference made in their souls, thou hast as precious a soul within thee, that is naturally as good as ever any Emperor had in the world, so Philosophers say of the souls of men, mens souls are equal, and one is not better than another by nature, what they are better by is afterwards, by education, or by common gifts of the graces of God, but by nature all men are equal. And therefore that wherein mans excellency is, is in his soul, thou art as high as any Emperor in the world, and therefore it is that the Scripture would have no difference made between the souls of men, in