Obj. If any man object, and say. How can this be, sith the soul of a man is no material thing, and it is the soul that sees, and the soul that hears, and not the body ; and, therefore, why should the seeing, and hearing, and these senses decay ?
Ans. The answer is very easy. The soul doth these things, but it useth the body as an instrument and organ, and so it must work according to the nature of the instrument. Let a man be never so good a horseman, and never so cunning in the way, he must travel as his horse will give him leave. So in this case, let the soul be never so active and full of life, it must perform its actions as the organ and instrument, the members of the body are disposed. Now the body is frail and mortal in a double regard.
First, In regard of the curse and sentence of God passed upon man, ' In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death,' Gen. iii. 3.
Secondly, In regard of the matter whereof man's body is compounded and made. If you make an house of weak and rotten timber, it will decay ;
44 THE VANITY OF THE CREATUEE.
if you make a coat of that which is not very sound and durable, it will not last. Man's body is made of such matter, of such metal, of such timber, of such stufi", it will not hold out ; therefore in time it wastes and rots in pieces.
Use 1. For the use of this, thus much in brief. Sith these bodies, the natural faculties and powers, will decay and wear out in time, let us bnprove them ii-hile ur have them ; let us make use of them, as we do of other instru- ments while they are fit for use. Memory will decay, therefore let us labour to treasure up good things in our memories, lay up things worthy to come into a treasury, and not bad things. That is Solomon's use that he makes : ' Eemembcr thy Creator in the days of thy youth,' saith he, Eccles. xii. 1. Long before the evil days come, and before the decay of thy natural powers, employ thyself well, redeem the time. So say I to you ; use memory whiles it lasteth, use wit whiles it lasteth, for the truth : « Do nothing against the truth,' as Paul speaks of himself, 2 Cor. xiii. 8 ; so for thine eyes, let them be casements to let in fresh air, and not to let in corruption ; use thy ears for wholesome instructions ; use thy feet for good purposes, to follow the ways to the house of God ; use thy hands, employ them in profitable business while you can work. This providence* men have for their outward estate, and for the body. When we are young we provide for age, we provide somewhat tu keep us when we are old. Let us do somewhat for our spiritual estate. You that have young and fresh wits, fresh memories, and eyes, and ears, and hands, and feet, all the parts of your bodies and powers of your souls, ready to do service, improve your time, lay hold on the opportunity. Now is the time of reading, now is the time of learning, now is the time of gathering, now is the time of your harvest ; provide for winter ; there will evil days come, cloud will follow cloud, as Solomon speaks.
Use 2. Secondly, here is another point of instruction : since this is so, that the natural powers and faculties will fail, let us therefore strive to (jet more than this ivhich is natural. Since this will away, let us provide some more durable substance. You know when an old suit fails, we think of getting a new suit of apparel ; when the old lease is expired, we think w^here to get another habitation ; we begin to take a new state, and a new lease. As we do thus in matters of this life, so we should do much more for matters of the soul. "When we see the natural life will not hold out, and that it cannot continue long, oh, labour, labour, my brethren, for a better life, for another life, a life that is heavenly, a life that is supernatural ; get the life of God in you, and then you shall never die. To this end, get the fountain of life, Christ, to be yours, receive him into your understandings by knowledge, into your hearts by love and aflection ; receive him, and clasp him, and take him to j^ourselves by faith, and he that believes in him shall never die ; yea, though he die, he shall live ; he shall live in death, and shall outlive death, '.as Christ tells us in that place of the Gospel, John sv. 26. And when you have this fountain of life, that Christ lives in you, that you live not your own life, that you live not the life of Adam, the life of nature,
First, Labour to act to this life. Life is made up of many actions, so is the life of God too.
Secondly, If we live the life of Christ, and act it when he puts life into us, we shall labour to mortify the lusts of the flesh, and of the old man. So much corruption, so much death ; so far as sin lives, so far the man dies. * That is, ' forethought,' = care. — G.