order and tranquillity of the world : but yet it is certain, that the eyes of thousands are so dazzled with the lustre of their own mora- lity, that they see no need of Christ, nor feel any want of his righ- teousness, and this is the ruin of their souls. Thus Christ brings in the Pharisee with his proud boast, that he is " no extortioner, " adulterer, nor unjust, or such an one as that publican,'' Luke xviii. 11. O what a saint doth he vote himself, when he compared his life with the others ! Well, then, beware you be not deceived by thinking you are safe, because you are got out of the dirty road to hell, when, all the while you have only stepped over the hedge into a cleaner path to damnation. Vou have had a short account of some few of those many ways in which the precious souls of men are eternally lost: Let us briefly apply it in the Jbllowing in~ ferences.
Infer. 1. If there be so many ways of losing the soul, and such multitudes of souls lost in every one of them, then the number of saved souls must needs be exceeding small.
The number of the saved may be considered, either absolutely or comparatively : In the first consideration they appear great, and many, even a great multitude, which no man can number. Rev. vii. 9. but if compared with those that are lost, they make but a small remnant, Isa. i. 9. a little flock, Matth. xii. 32. For when we consider how vastly the kingdom of Satan is extended, who is called the god of this world, from the world of people who are in subjection to him, how small a part of this earthly globe is en- lightened with the beams of gospel-light, and that Satan is the ac- knowledged ruler of all the rest, Eph. vi. 12. But when it slAll be farther considered, that out of this spot, on which the light of the gospel is risen, the far greatest part are lost, also : O what a poor handful remains to Jesus Christ, as the purchase of his blood !
It is of trembling consideration, how many thousands of families, amongst us, are mere nurseries for hell, parents bringing forth and breeding up children for the devil; not one word of God (except it be in the way of blasphemy, or profaneness) to be heard among them. How naturally their ignorant and wicked education puts them in the course and tide of the world, which carries them away irresistibly to hell; how one sinner confirms and animates another, in the same sinful course, till they are all past hope, or remedy : how the rich are taken with the baits of sensual pleasures, and the poor lost in the brake of distracting, worldly cares, except here and there a soul plucked out of the snare of the devil, by the wonderful power, and arm of God. On the one side, you may see multitudes drowned in open profaneness and debauchery ; and, on the other side, many tliousands securely sleeping in the state of
220 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MA^*.
civility and morality : some key-cold, and without the least sense of religion ; others hell-hot with blind zeal, and superstitious mad- ness against true godhness, and the sincere practisers of it. Some living all their days under the ordinances of God, and never touch- ed with any conviction of their sin and misery ; others convinced, and making some faint offers at religion; but their convictions (like blossoms nipt with a frosty morning) fall off, and no fruit follows. And as rubies, sapphires, and diamcmds are very few, in comparison of the pcbhles and common stones of the earth ; so are true Christians in comparison of multitudes that perish in the snares of Satan.
Inf. Horv Utile reason have the unregenerate to ghry, and boast themselves in their earthly acquisitions and successes, whilst hi the wean time, their souls are lost I they have gotten other things, but lost their souls. It is strange to see how some men, by rolling a small fortune up and down the world (as boys do a snow-ball) have increased the heap, and raised a great estate ; they have attained their design and aim in the world, and hug themselves in the pleased thoughts of their happiness ; but, alas, among all the thoughts of theij- gains, there is not one thought of what they have lost. O if such a thought as this could find room in their hearts, ' I have in- ' deed gotten an estate, but I have lost my soul; I have much of * the world, but nothing of Christ ; gold and silver I have, but ^ grace, peace, and pardon I have not ; my body is well provided ' for, but my soul is naked, empty, and destitute.' Such a thought, like the sentence written on the wall, would make their hearts fail within them. What a raptui;e and transport of joy did the sight of a full barn cast that worldhng into! Luke xii. 19, 20. " Soul, " take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry ;"" little dreaming that death was just then at the door, to take away the cloth, guest, and all together ; that the next hour his friends would be scrambling for his estate, the worms for his body, and the devils for his soul.
O how many have not only lost their souls, whilst they have been drudging for the world, but have sold their souls to purchase a lit- tle of the world ! parted, by consent, with their best treasure for a very trifle, and yet think they have a great bargain of it ! Surely, if poor sinners did but apprehend what they have lost, as well as what they have gained, their gains would yield them as little com- fort as Judas' money did, for which he sold both his soul and Sa- viour. Instead of those pleasing frolicks of wanton worldlings, what a cold shiver would run through all their bones and bowels, did they but understand what it is to lose a gracious God, and a precious soul, and both eternally, and irrecoverably !
The just God remains still to avenge and punish the sinner;
A THE ATI SE OF THE SOUL OF MAlf. 221
but the favour of God, that friendly look is gone ; the peace of God, that heaven upon earth, is gone ; the essence of the soul re- mains still, but its purity, peace, joy, hope, and happiness, these are gone ; and these being gone, what can remain, but a tormenting, piercing sight of those things, for which you have sold them ?
Infer. 3. Hence let us estimate the evil of' sin, and see what a dreadful thing that is, which men commonly sport themselves with, and make so light of: it is not only a wrong and injury to the soul, but the loss and utter ruin of the soul for ever.
It is said, Prov. viii. 36. " He that sinneth against me, wrong- " eth his own soul." And if this were all the mischief sin did us, it were bad enough ; a wrong to the soul is a greater evil than the ruin of the body or estate, and all the outward enjoyments of this life can be ; but to lose the precious soul, and destroy it to all eter- nity, O what can estimate such a loss ! Now the result and last effect of sin is death, the death of the precious soul. Rom. vi. 21. " The end of those things is death." So Ezek. xviii. 4. " The " soul that sinneth shall die."