7. The contentions of both worlds, the strife of heaven and hell about the soul of man, speaks it a most precious and invaluable treasure.
The soul of man is the prize about which heaven and hell con- tend : the great design of heaven is to save it, and all the plots of hell to ruin it. Man is a borderer betwixt both kingdoms, he lives here upon the confines of the spiritual and material world; and therefore Scaliger fitly calls him Ut7'iusque mundi nexus, one in whom both worlds meet : his body is of the earth, earthly ; his soul the offspring of the Deity, heavenly. It is then no wonder to find such tugging and pulling this way and that way, upward and downward, such sallies from heaven to rescue and save it, such ex- cursions from hell to captivate and ruin it.
The infinite wisdom of God hath laid the plot and design for its salvation by Christ in so great depth of counsel, that the angels of heaven are astonished at it, and desire to pry into it. Christ in pursuance of this eternal project, came from heaven professedly to seek and to save lost souls, Luke xix. 10. He compares himself to a good shepherd, who leaveth the ninety and nine to seek one lost sheep, and having found it, brings it home upon his shoulders, rejoicing that he hath found it, Luke xv. 7.
Hell employs all its skill and policy, sets a-work all wiles and stratagems to destroy and ruin it ; 1 Pet. v. 8. " Your adversary " the devil goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may de- " vour."' The strong man armed g«ts the first possession of the soul, and with all his forces and policies labours to secure it as his
1G2 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
property, Luke xi. 21. Christ raises all the spiritual militia, th« very posse cceli, the powers of heaven, to rescue it, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. And do heaven and earth thus contend, think you, de lana caprina, for a thing of nought ? No, no, if there were not some singular and peculiar excellency and worth in man's soul, both worlds would never tug and pull at this rate which should win that prize. It was a great argument of the worth and excellency of Homer, that in- comparable poet, that seven cities contended for the honour of his nativity.
2/vjpm, PoBog, Ko\o<puv, lakajMiv, Xiog, A^yo^j A^jjva/.
Smyrna, Rhodes, Colophon, Salamis, Chius, Argos, and Athens, were all at strife about one poor man, who should crown themselves ynih the honour of his birth : but when heaven and hell shall con- tend about a soul, certainly it much more speaks the dignity of it, than the contention of several cities for one Homer.
What are all the wooings, expostulations, and passionate be- seechings of Christ's ministers? What are all the convictions of conscience, and the strong impressions made upon the affections ? What are all the strokes from heaven upon men in the way of sin ? I say, what are all tliese but the efforts of heaven to draw souls out of the snares of hell ?
And what are the hellish temptations that men feel in their hearts, the alluring objects presented to their eyes, the ensnaring examples that are set round about them, but the attempts of Satan, if possible, to draw the souls of men into the same condemnation and misery with himself?
Would heaven and hell be up in arms, as it were, and strive at this rate for nothing? Thy soul, O man, how vilely soever thou depreciatest and slightest it, is of high esteem, a rich purchase, a creature of nobler rank than thou art aware of. The wise mer- chant knows the value of gold and diamonds, though ignorant In- dians would part with them for glass beads and tinsel toys. And this leads us to
8. The eighth evidence of the invaluable worth of souls, which is the joy in heaven, and the rage in hell, for the gain and loss of the soul of man.
Christ, who came from heaven, and well knew the frame and dis- position of the inhabitants of that city, tells us, that " there is joy " in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that re- " penteth," Luke xv. 7, 10. * No sooner is the heart of a sin-
* As often as we do good, so often the angels are glad, and the derils are sad ?
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN. lC3
ner darted with conviction, broken with sorrow for sin, and begins to cry, " men and brethren, what shall I do ?" but tlie news is quickly in heaven, and sets all the city of God a rejoicing at it, as is in the chief city of a kingdom when a young prince is born.
We never read that Christ laughed in all his time on earth ; but we read that he once rejoiced in spirit, Luke x. 21. And what was the occasion of that his joy, but the success of the gospel in the salvation of the souls of men ? Now, certainly it must be some great good that so affects Christ, and all his angels in heaven at the sight of it ; the degree of a wise man's joy is according to the value of the object thereof: No man that is wise will rejoice and feel his heart leap within him for gladness at a small or common thing.
And as there is joy in heaven for the saving, so certainly there is grief and rage in hell for the loss of a soul. No sooner had God, by PauPs ministry, converted one poor Lydia, at Philippi, whither he was called by an immediate express from heaven for that ser- vice, but the devil put all the city into an uproar, as if an enemy had landed on their coast ; and raised a violent persecution, which quickly drave him thence. Acts xvi. 9, 14, 22.
And indeed what are all the fierce and cruel persecutions of God's faithful ministers, but so many efforts of the rage and malice of hell against them, for plucking souls as so many captives and preys out of his paws .'' for this he owes them a spight, and will be sure to pay them, if ever he get them at an advantage. But all this joy and grief demonstrates the high and great value of the prize which is won by heaven and lost by hell.
9. The institution of gospel-ordinances, and the appointment of so many gospel-officers purposely for the saving of souls^ is no small evidence of their value and esteem.
No man would light and maintain a lamp fed with golden oil, and keep it burning from age to age, if the work to be done by the light of it were not of a very precious and important nature : what else are the dispensations of the gospel, but lamps burning with golden oil to light souls to heaven ? Zech. iv. 2, 3, 4, and 12. compared : A magnificent vision is there represented to the prophet, viz. a candlestick of gold with a bowl or cistern upon the top of it, and seven shafts with seven lamps at the ends thereof, all lighted : And that these lamps might have a constant supply of oil, without any accessary human help, there are represented (as growing by the candlestick) two fresh and green olive trees on each side thereof, ver. S, which do empty out of themselves golden oil, ver. 12. na-
and as often as we depart from good, so often the devils rejoice, and the aogeis are dc frauded of their jov. Aug.
164 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.