is a glass vLerein some rays of divine glory shine, much of God is to be seen in it; tiiongh this glass be cracked by the fall, yet it shall one day be perfect ; we read of spirits of just men made })erfect, Heb. xii. 23. The soul since the fall of Adam, may be compared to the moon in its conjunction, very much obscured by sin ; but when it is sanctified by the Spirit, and translated from hence, it shall be as the moon in the full, it shall shine forth in its perfect glory.
1. If the soul be so precious, see then what that worship is that God doth expect and accept ; namely, that which comes from the more noble part of the soul. Psal. xxv. 1. " To thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." David did not only lift up his voice, but his soul ; though God will have the eye and the knee, the service of the body ; yet he com- plains of them that draw near with their lips, when their hearts were far from him, Isa. xxix. 13. The soul is the jewel ; David not only put his lute and viol in tune, but his soul in tune to praise God. Psal. ciii. 1. " Bless the Lord, O my soul ;" his affections joining together in worship, made up the concert. The soul is both altar, fire and in- cense ; it is the altar on which we offer up our prayers, the fire which kindles our pray- ers, and the incense which perfumes them. God's eye is chiefly upon the soul : bring an hundred dishes to table, he will carve of none but this ; this is the savoury meat he loves. He who is best, will be served with the best ; when we give him the soul in a duty, now we give him the flower and the cream ; by a holy chemistry we still out the spirits. A soul inflamed in service, is, " the cup of spic- ed wine, and the juice of the pomegranate," Cant. viii. 2. which the spouse makes Christ to drink of : without the worship of the soul, all Qur religion is but bodily exercise, 1 Tim. iv. 8. which profits nothing ; \\dthout the soul we give God but a carcase. What are all the Papists' fastings, penance, pilgri- mages, but going to hell in more pomp and state ? What are the formalist's prayers, which do even cool between his lips, but a dead devotion ? It is not sacrifice but sa- crilege ; he robs God of that which he hath a right to, his soul.
2. Branch. If tho soul be so precious,
then of what precious account should ordi- nances and ministers be ?
L Ordinances are the golden ladder by which the soul climbs up to heaven, they are conduits of the water of life. C) how precious should these be to us ! they that are against ordinances, are against being saved.
2. Of how precious account should minis- ters be, whose very work is to save souls ; their feet should be beautiful.
L Their labours should be precious; they are, in the Greek, sunergoi, 2 Cor. vi. \. They labour with God, and they labour for your souls ; all their sweat, their tears, their prayers are for you ; they woo for your souls, and oftentimes spend their lives in the suit.
2. Their liberty should be precious. Con- stantine was a great honourer of the ministry ; it indeed you see any of them who are of this holv and honourable function, like that druir the physicians si)eak of, which is hot in the mouth, but cold in operation; if you see them either idle or ravenous, if they do not divide the word rightly, and live uprightly, censure and spare not. God forbid I shoidd open my mouth for such. In the law, the lips of the leper were to be covered ; that minister who is by office an angel, but by his life a leper, ought to have his lips covered, he deserves silencing. A good preacher, but a bad liver, is like a physician that hath the plague ; though his advice and receipts which he gives may be good, yet his plague infects the patient : so though ministers may have good words, and give good receij)ts in the pulpit, yet the plague of their lives in- fects their people. Jf you find a II<)])hni and Phinehas among the sons of Levi, wlK)>e unholy carriage makes the offering of CukI to be abhorred, you will save God a labour in ejecting them; but be sure you distii'guish between the precious and the vile ; while you let out the bad blood, have a care to preserve the heart-blood ; while you purge out tlie ill humours, do not destroy the sjiirits; while you are taking away the snufl's do not eclipse the lights of God's sanctuary; it is a work fit for a Julian to suppress the orthodox ministry, and open the temple of tlie idol. The Romans sacked the city of Corinth, and rased it doAVTi to the ground for some inci- vility offered to their ambassador, God will
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avenge the affronts offered to his ministers, Psal. cv. 15. O take heed of this ! if souls be of such infinite value, how precious should their liberties be, whose very design and ne- gotiation is to save souls; 1 Tim. iv. 16. Jude 23.