* Here the soul receives a deadly wound upon itself, to ward it off from the bodj So did Spira.
■ - A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAX,
(4.) In a word ; it appears we love them fondly and irregularly, in that we cannot with any patience think of death and separation from them. How do some men fright at the very name of death ! And no arguments can persuade them seriously to think of an un- bodied, and separated state. It is as death to them, to bring their thoughts close to that ungrateful subject. A Christian that loves his body regularly and moderately, can look into his own grave with a composed mind, and speak familiarly of it, as Job xvii. 14. And Peter speaks of the putting off of his body by death, as a man would of the putting off of his clothes at night, 2 Pet. i. 13, 14. And certainly such men have a great advantage above all others, both as to the tranquillity of their life and death. You know a parting time must come, and the more fond you are of them, the more bitter and doleful that time will be. Nothing, except the guilt and terrible charges of conscience, puts men into terrors at death, more than our fondness of the body. I do con- fess, christless persons have a great deal of reason to-be shy of death ; their dying day is their undoing day : but for Christians to startle and fright at it, is strange, considering how great a friend death will be to them that are in Christ. What are you afraid of? What, to go to Christ ? to be freed of sin and affliction too soon ? Certainly this hath not been so comfortable a habitation to you, that you should be loth to change it for a heavenly one. Use third, of exhortation.
To conclude ; Seeing there is so strict a friendship and tender affection betwixt soul and body, let me persuade every soul of you to express your love to the body, by labouring to get union with Jesus Christ, and thereby to prevent the utter ruin of both to all eternity.
Souls, if you love 3-ourselves, or the bodies you dwell in, shew it by your preventing care in season, lest they be cast away for ever. How can you say you love them, when you daily expose them to the everlasting wrath of God, by emploving them as weapons of unrighteousness, to fight against him that formed them? You feed and pamper them on earth, you give them all the delight and pleasure you can procure for them in this world ; but you take no care what shall become of them, nor your souls neither, after death hath separated them. Oh cruel souls ! cruel, not to others, but to yourselves, and to vour own flesh, which you pretend so much love to ! Is this your love to your bodies ? What, to employ them in Satan's service on earth, and then to be cast as a prey to him for ever in hell ? You think the rigour and mortification of the saints, their abstemiousness and self-denial, their cares, fears, and diligence, to be too great seventy to their bodies : but they know these are the most real evidences of their true love to them ;
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN". 609
they love them too well to cast them away as you do. Alas ! your love to the body doth not consist in feeding, and clothing, and pleas- ing it; but in getting it united to Christ, and made the temple of the Holy Ghost: in using it for God, and dedicating it to God.
I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies living .sacrifices to God, which is your reasonable service, Rom. xii. 1. The soul should look upon the body as a wise parent upon a rebellious or wanton child, that would, if left to itself, quickly bring itself to the gallows ; the father looks on him with compassion and melting bowels, and saith, with the rod in his hand, and tears in his eyes, " My child, my naughty, disobedient, 4* headstrong child, I resolve to chastise thee severely. I love thee " too well to suffer thee to be ruined, if my care or correction may " prevent it." So should our souls evidence their love to and care over their own rebellious flesh. It is cruelty, not love or pity, to indulge them to their own destruction.
Except you have gracious souls, you shall never have glorified bodies : except your souls be united with Christ, the happiness of your bodies, as well as your souls is lost to all eternity. Know you not that the everlasting condition of your bodies follows and de- pends on the interest your souls now get in Christ ? Oh that this sad truth might sink deep into all our considerations this day ; that if your bodies be snares to your souls, and your souls be now re- gardless of the future state of themselves, and them ; assuredly they will have a bitter parting at death, a terrible meeting again at the resurrection, and horrid reflections upon each other, naturally charging their ruin upon each other to all eternity. Whilst they that are in Christ, part in hope, meet with joy, and bless God for ^ach other for evermore.
J'JfE END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.