3. Know, that the World is kept up for this very end , for the bringing in of some souls for a Saviour. Do you think that God is at this vast cost and expence in maiotaining this vast fabrick of Ebe Creation, onely for men that oppose him, and provoke him, and violate his Laws? No, ris for the gathering of his Jewels, for the binding up some precious Souls in the bundle of Life. If 'cwere not for this,che very pillars and foundations of the world would crack afunder.

4. Think upon the great Preparation that is made for the entertainment of souls; how that Christ is gone to prepare a place for them. What treasures of love and sweetnesse, what heaps of joy are stor'd up for them? What a weight of Glory? what Crowns? what Thrones? what glorious and unexpreflible, and unconceiveable Priviledges fhall they then enjoy? Tbus by all these several Arguments you have seen the worth

and preciousnesse of souls. Vule 1. And now when we consider the worth of them, we might even take up chis sad lamentation; How is the gold become droffe? how is the most fine Gold changed? The precious souls of men that were purer chen Snow, ruddier than Rubies, more polishe chan Saphirs in their first Original; now their visage tis blacker than a coal. How are they become the reproach of him that made them, the Bodie's flaves, the Devil's captives,the scorn of every luft and templation. Nay, you might even melc and difolve into tears under this sad and serious consideration, that fo few of those precious souls shall be saved, that there are so many of them that drop into hell irrecoverably. And though there be a generation of men in the world that will never go over Ebis narrow bridge, unlesse chey put on Spectacles, that so they may tumble in more Artificially: men that lay down such large and reaching principles of lo vast a latitude, as that they scarce make it poflible for any to be damn'd: men that widen the narrow gate in their own apprehensions; yet God has revealid bis mind expressely, and cis the constanc voice of the Gospel it self, that there are but few of these precious should be savd. And, which is more,chat as for men of the rarest and most admirable: endowments, of the choicest accomplishments, men of most orient and glitcering fouls,chere are fewer of these chan of others. Not many wise, C. And yet all chis comes not about because of

any

a

any want of Gospel.provision:ant but that there is balm enough in Gilead,oyl enough in chat horn of salvation not but cbat there are abundance of bowels in God, which yearn towards the precious souls that be has made; but because men refuse his goodnefs, and abuse his mercy; imprison his truth, and shut it up in un. righteousneffe.

Now when men are told of the worth of their souls, when shey are put in mind of their preciousnesse again and again, when they have all means for the welfare of their soul, and when they are directed in the ways that tend to the saving of the soul;when they are convinc'd chat such and such lusts fight against their fouis; and when they know that the present season of grace is all they are sure of, for the welfare of their soul ; If they Thall subbornly refuse their own mercy,and wilfully and violently rushina cocheir own ruine ; chough.cheir souls were ten thousand times more precious than they are, yet they perish deservedly.

Vse 2. Mecbinks cherefore at length men should come to such thoughts as these: Tis time now to provide for our own fouls, Tis time now to build for Eternity: Tanquam femper vičturi. If he that does not provide for his own house, is worfe then an Ins fidel; chen surely, be that does not provide for bis own soul is little better. Yet bow many are there in the world, that live fo as if chey had no souls to fave? Many that take no notice of their own souls. These are spiritual Beings, and ran not into their oucward senses,& so they never mind chem. These mens souls are so dark, as they cannot see themselves. Ochers that do cake fome little acquaintance with their own spirits; yet how do they leave them in a rolling and Auctuating condition;how do they venture Eternity? upon what strange uncertainties do they leave a precious soul? as he that was ready to die, faid, He should know by and by,whether the fol were immortal or no; chat was all he made ofie. Or as that other,ebat complemented with his soul, in that sport, ing language,

Animula vagula, blandula,

Que tandem abit ura es in loca? And yet is an impresion engraven upon every Being with a pen of Iron;and with the point of a Diamond. Nay, tis a vou gestos stampt upon every Being by the finger of God himself, that it Thould look to its own prelervation, to the maintaining of it felf:

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So that cis matter of amazement and astonishment, that the fouls of men being such precious Beings,should look to their own welfare no more: And ic can be resolv'd into nothing else, but into that same first & grand Apostasy from their God, the fountain of their life and happinesse. When they lost their God, they lost themselves, and when they fell off from him, they Apostaciz'd from their own Essence. And now they mind the body, and take care for things here below, and neglect themselves. if there be any that can repair the ruins of Nature,or that can wrangle a little for mens estates, these shall have bonour and esteem in the world, and the things of the world at their command: but they that cake care only for fouls, these must live upon meer benevolence; as if the Ministers of the Gospel were nothing indeed but fouls, as if they were properly Angels, that must affume a Body, and deliver their message, and then must disappear. This does strongly convince char men prize their bodies and their goods above their souls; because men of such employments, Lawyers and Physicians these find bercer entertainment in the world, than the Ministers of the Gospel.

Hence it is also that men neglect the seasons of grace, opportunities of mercy,advantages for their souls which they would not negled in other things. The Sabbbath, the market-day for fouls, how is it flighed, prophaned ? yet the Sabbath was made for man, for the soul of man chiefly, for that is the chief of man. And yet God has us'd very strong and powerful meansto engage men to seek the welfare of their own souls. For out of his own infinite love and goodnesle he has by a strict connexion, knit and united his own glory,and the salvation of souls together: He has wrought Israels name in the frame of his own glory. That wbereas now if these two were sever'd, a man were bound to seek the glory of God, before the salvation of his own soul. For though the soul be very precious, yerçhe glory of the Creatour of souls is infinitely more precious. God therefore our of the riches of his grace, bas so joynd these together, as none can put them afunder. He that seeks the glory of God, does by this promote the welfare of his own soul; and he char seeks the saving of his own soul, does in this advance the glory of God. He chat seeks the one, must seek the other also. If the souls of men be so exceeding precious, then ad

Dd

mire

use. 3.

mire che goodnesse of God, that does not leave them in the

powe er of men.

1. Some souls, the souls of his own people are so precious, as that he wont leave them in their own hands. You know how Adam disposd of his own loul,when he had it in his own keeping. And such men as are left to themselves, you see how they lay out their fouls, But God has laid up some precious souls in a safe and fure hand, they are laid up as a rich Depositum in che hand of a Saviour, and they are kept by his Almighty power through faith unto salvation.

2. Souls are so precious, as that he wont leave them to the difposing of other men. He keeps these Apples of his eye under the lid of his own providence. The sword of an enemy can reach but the sheath of the body. An enemy though never so fierce and fua rious, can but cut the sheath of the body afunder. Fear not them that can kill the body,and that's all they can do,&c. Yet such is the fury and implacablenesse of men, as that if they could reach the foul, that should be the first they would strike and wound; and they would damn other mens souls as surely as they do their own. As that desperate Italian, that having an enemy of his ac advantage threatned to kill him, unless he would curse & blafpheme & renounce his Religion ; that foolish man too covecous of a frail and fading life, yielded to him; but as foon as he had ended such blafphemies as were prescrib’d him the other stabs him presently, and then triumphs & and applauds bimself in bis bloody victory: O, says he,tis a kindly and delicate revenge; 0), cis an orderly and methodical revenge, firit to damn the soul, and then to ftab the body. You see wbat the rage and fury of men would reach unto; but that God has set fouls, Em Bénese

3. And therefore chou that wile trust him with thy precious soul, wile not trust him for things here below? Wilt thou trust him for Eternity, and not for a moment? Wilt thou trust him wich the Jewel, and not with the casket? wilt thou trust him for thy Soul, and not for thy body, thy state, thy name? Think upon our Saviours argument ; Consider but the lilies of the field: they that have but vegetative foals, cwo or three removes off from matter: They neither spin nor toile: why shouldst thou then have spinning and toiling thoughcs? will he not much more take care for thee?

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Vje 4. See here the top of Antichristian fury; his cruelty to fouls, as it the souls of men were Antichrists slaves, to be burried up & down at his pleafure; as if an heap of precious fouls were but Antichrists foot-stool, for him to get up to this ekrone by. Consule but with that place in the 18. of Rev.v.i213. You'r fee chere that Antichrit trades there in very rich and costly-commodities, Gold, Silver, Pearls, Purple, Silk.cc. But amongst the relt, he has one more precious than ordinary, and tis a fure and staple commodity that he trades in,& tis in the souls of men And that which bespeaks the ruine of Antichrist; and cries aloud to that God co whom vengeance belongs, and 'twill pour out the very dregs of the vials upon him, bis deluding of souls, his impofing upon Souls, his multiplying the bricks, putting out the eyes of souls,making them grind at his mil,to go round in an implicite faith, and like his slaves, he buyes chem and sels them at his pleasure. The bloud of souls is the paint of that same spiritual fezabel, and the scarlet of the Babylonish whore; tis double-dy'd in the blood of Saints. use

es. This speaks aloud co the Prophets, and sons of Pron phers; that they would lay out-alf cheir golden calents and prés cious opportunity for the welfare of souls, not onely their own fouls, but for the souls of others too, to be men of publick influence, to spread light abroad in the world. Tis the strongest expression of love you can show to a Saviour; Peter, lovelt thou me? feed my Sheep,feed my lambs: Lot ebis be a token of thy love, and sign that thou lov'ít me. Does not to picy you to see so many precious souls famisht for want of the bread of life? so many ignorant souls rushing upon their own ruine for want of light; lo many souls poison'd with unsound do&rine & strange opinions; so many unstable fouls beguild by rude& illiterate men that corture the Scriptures and feed men so, as if non-sense were the only Nectar and Ambrofia for immortal souls to live on.

Don's ) you fee bow thirsty souls are, that they will drink in muddy waters?had nor chey'racher, chink ye, drink in pure and crystalline streams? Do they take in Errour so fast, and would not Truth be more pleasant to them? You are the hope and the expectation of souls ; if you should frustrate and disappoint them, whither should they go, or where should they betake themselves?

Where