A85953:730
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 10: The Tenth 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.
Thirdly, All these things, they are things beneath the soul, things of an inferior nature; what good is it for a man that hath gotten never so much food, that he hath laid up for his horses and dogs, but he hath nothing for his children or for himself? So if a man hath gotten the world, he hath gotten somewhat for his body, his inferior part; I but ⟨p. 348⟩he hath gotten nothing for his soul that is above it: These are things beneath and under the soul: what good would it be for a soldier, if he have gilt his scabbard, but he hath a broken rusty sword within, or but a wooden sword within? Therefore I find in Scripture that the bodies of men and women are called the sheath of their souls, Dan. 7.15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit, in the midst of my body. So it is in your books translated, but those that understand the Original Text, they know it is a word that signifies a sheath, and so Arius Montanus turns it, and likewise in your Margents, in the midst of his sheath; and by comparing this Scripture with another, it is plain, that that is the propriety of the word, 1 Chron. 21.27. Where the Text saith, The Lord commanded the Angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. Now the word that is here translated sheath, I find by comparing of them together, that it is the very same word in the Original that Daniel translates body; for the body is but as the sheath unto the soul, and what will it gain a soldier to have a brave sheath, and in the mean time have nothing within it, or that that is of no use at all? thus it is with many, they seek great things for their bodies, but their souls are left in the mean time without any succour or help, and in a most miserable condition; all things that are in the world should be servants to thy soul, for they are all inferior to it. We account it a great dishonour to a man to marry his servant; a man of estate in the world, if we hear he hath married his servant, which is very mean, we account it a dishonour: Now for thy heart to mingle it self with the things of this world, as its chiefest good, what dost thou but marry thy soul to that which should be thy servant? for all these things are but as servants to the soul; and for the heart of a man to be set upon the things of this world, it is to have the curse of Ham to be upon him; A servant of servants shalt thou be;