It is a great mistake (and it is well it is so) that the soul is capa- ble only of social glory, or a blessedness in partnership with the body : and that it can neither exert its own powers, nor enjoy its own happiness in the absence of the body. The opinion of a sleep- ing interval took its rise from this error (as it is usual for one mis- take to beget another ;) they conceived the soul to be so dependent, on the body, at least in all its operations, that when death rends it from the body, it must needs be left in a swoon or sleep, unable to exert its proper powers, or enjoy that felicity which we ascribe to it in its state of separation.
But certainly its substantial nature being considered, it will be found, that what perfection soever the body receives from the soul, and how necessary soever its dependence upon it is *, the soul re- ceives not its perfection from the body, nor doth it necessarily de- pend on it, in its principal operations ; but it can live and act out of a body as well as in it. Yea, I doubt not but it enjoys it- self in a much more sweet and perfect liberty than ever it did, or could, whilst it was clogged and fettered with a body of flesh. " Doubtless, (saith ■(- Tertullian) when it is separated, and as it " were strained by death, it comes out of darkness into its own
* The rational soul receives no perfection from matter, which it could not receive without it. Conimbr. disp. 2. art S.
f Procul dubio cum vi mortis exprimitur de concretione cctmis, et ipsa exjiressione colalur, certo de oppanso corpore erumpit in ajwrtum, ad meram et puram, et suam lucem, stntim semetipsam in expeditione substantia recognoscit. ut de somno emergens ab imaginibus ad veritates. Tertul. in lib. de Animae.
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN. 527
" pure, perfect light, and quickly finds itself a substantial being, " able to act freely in that light." Before the eyes of the dead body are closed, I doubt not, but the believing soul, with open eyes, beholdeth the face of Jesus Christ, Luke xxiii. 43. Phil, i 23. But this will also be further spoken to hereafter.
Inf. 3. The souls of men being created immediately out of no- thing, and not seminally traduced ; it follows, That all souls by nature are of equal value and dignity ; one soul is not more excel- lent, honourable, or precious than another : but all by nature equally precious.
The soul of the poorest beggar that cries at the door for a crust, is, in its own nature, of equal dignity and value with the soul of the most glorious monarch that sits upon the throne. And this ap- pears to be so,
1. Because all souls flow out of one and the same fountain, viz. the creating power of God. They were not made of better or worse, finer or coarser matter, but sx m ovruv, out of nothing at all. The same Almighty Power was pfit forth to the forming of one, as of another. All souls are mine, saith he that created them, Ezek. xviii. 4. the soul of the child as well as of the father, the soul of the beggar as well as of the king ; those that had no pre- existent matter, but received their beings from the same efficient cause, must needs be equal in their orignal nature and value. The bodies of men, which are formed out of matter, do greatly differ from one another ; some are moulded (as we say) e meliori luto, out of better and finer clay ; some are more exact, elegant, vigorous, and beautiful than others ; but souls, having no matter of which they consist, are not so differenced.
2. All souls are created with a capacity of enjoying the infinite and blessed God. They need no other powers, faculties, or capa- cities than they are by nature endued with (if these be sanctified and devoted to God) to make them equally happy and blessed with them that are now before the throne of God in heaven, and with unspeakable delight and joy behold his blessed face. We pass through the fields, and take up an egg which lies under a clod, and see nothing in it but a little squalid matter ; yea, but in that egg is seminally and potentially contained such a melodious lark as, it may be, at the same time we see mounting heavenward, and singing delicious notes above. So it is here, these poor despised souls, that are now lodged in crazy, despicable bodies on the earth, have, in their natures, a capacity for the same employments and enjoyments with those in heaven. They have no higher original than these have, and these have the same capacity and ability with them. They are beings improveable by grace, to the highest per-
528 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAtf.
fections attainable by any creature. If thou be never so mean, base, and despicable a creature in other respects, yet thou hast a soul, which hath the same alliance to the Father of spirits, the same ca- pacity to enjoy him in glory, that the most excellent and renowned saints ever had.
3. All souls are rated and valued in God's book, and account, at one and the same price ; and therefore by nature are of equal worth and dignity. Under the law, the rich and the poor were to give the same ransom, Exod. xxx. 15. " The rich shall not give " more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel.'" The redemption of souls, by the blood of Christ, costs one and the same price. The poorest and the most despised soul that believes in Jesus, is as much indebted to him for the ransom of his soul, as the greatest and most illustrious person in the world. Moses, Abraham, Paul, &c. did not cost Christ any thing more than poor Lazarus, or the meanest among all the saints did. " The righte- " ousness of Christ is unto all, and upon all that believe, for there " is no difference,1' Rom.'iii. 22.