he will not refign fuch a Charge to them- SERM. felves, to the Guidance of their own Reason VIII.

;

tho' one might think, their natural Powers were fufficient to guard them from thofe Rocks and Shelves, to which they are obnoxious in paffing through the dangerous Ocean of the World.

BUT he better knows, how much they need his divine Affiftance; and therefore never leaves them nor forfakes them, till they renounce, and do Despite to him. He never flumbereth nor fleepeth; but is continually watching over them for their Good, by various Ways warning them of any Evil, which threatens them, and affifting them against the Affaults of thofe malicious Spirits, who range up and down in the Earth, feeking whom they may feduce.

AND in all fuch Conflicts, unless our Souls cowardly and wilfully draw back, their great Supporter renders them more than Conquerors. And when, as many times they do, they yield themfelves Captives to the Enemies of their Salvation, yet does he not presently give them up for loft; but he pur fues them eagerly, in order to their Rescue,--follows them with his Motions and Importunities,

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SERM. tunities, and never defifts, till he has recoVIII. vered them out of the Snare of the Devil,

or found them fo abfolutely in Love with their Chains, as not in the least to second his gracious Efforts for their Deliverance. When he finds them fo ftupidly fond of Death and Destruction, he like a grieved Friend leaves them with Reluctance to their fad Choice and deplorable Fate.

AFTER all this, and much more that he has done, can we fuppofe, the Holy Ghost would be fo diligent in his Ministry, for Souls,---would take such Pains to fave them,-would continue to exercife his Care over them on Earth, whilft the Son intercedes for them in Heaven; if he did not know af furedly that they were of an exceeding high Value?

Ir would be a leffening of the Argument I have been upon, to urge here that Efteem and Concern, which the Angels in heavenly Places entertain for their Fellow-creatures in this inferior World, of like fpiritual Nature with themselves; fince the affectionate Regards of the Deity are infinitely more honourable, as well as beneficial, than thofe of the chiefest created Beings: And fince befides

they

they are Servants of his that do his Pleasure, SERM. all miniftring Spirits fent forth to minifter for VIII. them who shall be Heirs of Salvation (k). So that whatever kind Offices they do us, are ultimately to be refolved into the Love and Favour of our common Lord and Mafter, and to him must the Glory be afcribed.

I SHALL therefore rather proceed to this awakening Confideration, that the Lofs of the Soul is, what our Saviour declares it to be, irreparable.

BUT can an immaterial Subftance be dif folved, or an immortal Being perish? Either of thefe Points must not be affirmed. No, by the Lofs of the Soul we are not to understand its strict and proper Destruction, as though it could be wiped out of the Book of Nature, or cease to have any more Existence in the Univerfe. The Deprivation it is capable of undergoing, is of its Happinefs, not of its Effence, and fuch amazing Injury and Damage may it receive, as to make even Annihilation itself (however dreadful the Thought) to be coveted as a Bleffing.

SERM.
VIII.

THIS awful Truth appears unquestionable from thofe dreadful Torments, the Soul is obnoxious to. For tho' we are altogether ignorant of the Manner, how one Spirit acts upon another, yet the Reality of the Fact there is no room to difpute, and confé. quently an immenfe all-commanding Spirit can make fuch, as are finite and dependant, to become fenfible of his Wrath and Difpleasure in many more Ways than we are now able to conceive; and though our Souls feem not capable of being affected with material Strokes, ftill who can maintain with any Colour of Proof, that they may not have difmal and terrifying Thoughts imprinted on them, fuch as fhall torture them inexpreffibly Day and Night.

A SPECIMEN hereof is fometimes afforded at prefent in the Agonies of defpairing Perfons; who labouring under no visible Indifpofition of Body are however feized with fuch an inconceivable Anguifh of Mind, as no corporeal Pains can bear any Proportion

to.

AND if the Soul is in this World liable to feel the wrathful Refentments of the Almighty, what fhall hinder it from having as

quick, or probably a much quicker Senfe of SERM. VIII. them in that which is to come?

MANY, indeed, are now by fenfual Mirth and vicious Indulgences diverted from reflecting on their Actions, and frequently lull themselves afleep with falfe and deceitful Hopes, crying, Peace, Peace to their Souls, when there can be no Peace, fo long as their Offences against God, their Neighbours and themselves are fo many. But in another State Things will appear in their proper Drefs and genuine Light: None shall then be able to impofe on themselves, much lefs on him, from whofe Sight there is no Darkness nor Shadow of Death, which can hide the Workers of Iniquity. They will then be expofed to their own furious Thoughts, and nothing fhall they have to ftill the Clamours of their guilty Minds: As Thought is the infeparable effential Property of the Soul, the felf-condemned Sinners will be always under the Lafh of Confcience, representing continually to their View thofe Crimes, which have feparated between God and them, and fet an invincible Bar between them and Happiness: Their Perceptions too will be much clearer than at prefent, and their Convictions more sharp

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and