said to Thomas Believe me for the very works sake what works were they why they were such as are almost incredible and to many seem impossible as giving sight to the blind strength to the weak health to the sick life to the dead c. but it would be tedious for me to relate all the miracles he did upon the bodies of men and women he did and doth effect greater things upon the Soul Luk. 4.18 for he enlightens darkned understandings heals broken hearts likewise there are his works for the good of his Church My Father saith Christ worketh hitherto and I work Joh. 5.17 Christ is continually working for the glory and happiness of his beloved ones for he protects them as the apple of his eye and sends his Spirit who conveys celestial treasure into their souls fills them with grace and conducts them over the raging waves of this tumultuous World to the haven of rest Joh. 16.13 14 15. and the land of eternal felicity Christs care is continual towards his Church and therefore he hath and doth and will work wonders for it Thus his divine works prove that he is more than a creature yea that he is the Creator Joh. 20.28 5th Argum. The fifth Argument to prove his Divinity is deduced ex honore Divino from the divine honour given to him God the Father saith I will not give mine honour to another i. e. Is 4.8 Joh. 5.23 any creature yet it is said of Christ Jesus That all men should honour the Son even in the same manner and in the same measure as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him He is not only to be honoured as a person designated to the office of Mediatorship but also as he is the true living God For as Christ said to Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father so that one said concerning the Trinity ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. I cannot think of one but presently I am invironed with the glory of three I cannot discern three but immediately I am carryed to adore the glorious Unity The Angels are said to adore and worship him Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth his first begotten into the world he saith let all the Angels of God worship him i. e. give divine honour to him Is 6.3 The Angels did cry holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Now the divine Apostle saith that it was the glory of the Lord Jesus that the Prophet did behold in that glorious Vision Joh. 12.41 When the Angels were thus magnifying and adoring him for they are but ministring Spirits in Rev. 5.12 13. we have the whole regiment of them celebrating his praise Heb. 1.14 as one worthy of divine honour 2ly Saints Militant do pay the tribute of divine honour to him who is their Lord and Saviour As 1 Faith this is accounted part of divine honour as a learned Divine hath defined it Cultus qui tendit in Deum anquam in bonum nostrum Ames Medull Theol. saith he it is a worship which extends to God as our present good Now that Faith is proper to Christ as part of divine worship I need not say much to prove because the scriptures are so clear in it as Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me i. e. believe that I am the second Person in the blessed Trinity therefore am able and faithful to perform what I have said and promised unto you Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Now we know that the Scripture saith it is sin to trust in man Act. 20.21 and a curse to them that rely on him for salvation nay to believe or depend upon Angels because they are but creatures Jer. 17.5 and it would derogate from the honour of God that we should believe for salvation from any but from him who is all-sufficient and all-mighty to save 2ly as Faith so Prayer which is part of divine worship is frequently made unto Christ Prayer as one saith is made up of two species or kinds Orationis species Duae sunt Petitio gratiarum actio Ames Phil. 4.6 scil Petition and giving of Thanks Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God for he alone is the true object of all religious services as Christ told Satan It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve But I suppose Mat. 4.10 this granted by all Oratio est voluntatis nostrae religiosa representatio coram Deo ut illa Deus quasi afficitur Ames Medul Theol. that Prayer is a religious Act. And thus that excellent Author defines it Prayer saith he is a religious representation of our will before God that he may as it were be affected with it My work then is to enquire whether this part of divine honour be given unto Christ Jesus as 1 Petition in the 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen so 2 Thess 3.18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen 2 Tim. 4.22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thee All which prove that petitions are made to Christ and that for the highest mercy scil grace and peace Tim. 1.2 Rom. 16.20 21. 2 Thes 1.2 which comprehend most spiritual blessings and seeing the Apostle prays for these things it proves that he is a divine Person from whom he requests them or else he could never give such mercies for who can give grace but God alone who is the fountain of grace Eph. 2.13 14 16. now grace peace flow from the Lord Jesus to poor sinners for he has made peace by the blood of his Cross it is he that has purchased peace for believers with his Father and grace in an abundant measure Joh. 1.16 I am come that they might have life that they might have it more abundantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratiam super gratiam life is put here for grace other spiritual blessings for it is out of his fulness we all receive and grace for grace There is a fulness of redundancy that dwells in the Lord Jesus and well it may for there dwells in him the fulness of the God-head Bodily Col. 2.9 Rom. 9.5 Therefore the servants and true worshippers of God make their petitions to the Lord Jesus for Grace who is God over all Blessed for ever Secondly The other part which is thanksgiving and praise is by the Apostle Ascribed to him 2 Tim. 4.18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me 2 Tim. 4 18. unto his heavenly Kingdom unto whom be glory for ever and ever Amen The context makes it evident that it is applyed to the Lord Jesus Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth his first
him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you See here what a mercy this is to have the blessed Spirit for thou canst have no true comfort here but from him it must flow thou canst not know nor understand the way to Zion but by his Divine assistance 1 Cor. 2.14.15 it is he who is spiritually inlightened that can discern the Excellency of Divine objects thou canst not pray without him Rom. 8.26 Then is it not a blessing greatly to be desired to have the blessed spirit without whom thou canst not perceive thine own misery sufficiently nor apprehend Christ a Saviour satisfactorily it is the Spirit that searches the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 and reveals them to his Children as much as is for his glory and their Eternal good Now I intreat thee in the name of Christ let this consideration that God will be thy God Christ will be thy Saviour and the Spirit thy guid and Comforter excite thy Soul to come to Christ 8. If thou come unto Christ thou shalt have an eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words cannot be well expressed in English but it is as if the Apostle should have said thou shalt have Hyperboly's of Glory Glory upon Glory ineffable such as hath not entred into the Heart of Man to conceive neither can Tongue utter it but observe this it shall be a weight and an eternal weight of Glory not transient and momentary like unto worldly Glory which depends upon the estimation of poor silly Mortals as it is usually said Honos est in Honorante Honour is in him that gives Honour not in him that receives it but the greatest Glory of this World is not to be compared nay rather to be contemned in comparison of that Glory believers shall be Crowned with the greatest part of their Glory shall be in this That they shall see God and be made like unto him 1 Jo. 3.2 What canst thou be humbly ambitious of more then this That thou shalt be like unto God in holyness and Righteousness and that for ever Thou shalt have a Crown of Righteousness upon thine Head 2 Tim. 4.8 Rev. 3.21 and thou shalt sit down with Christ in his throne Here Soul it is lawful for thee to run for this prize Phil. 3.14 To fight for this heavenly Crown Take but a serious view of what thou shalt have if thou comest to Christ and then refuse if thou canst see if the world can offer more then what Christ doth to incourage thee to come unto him if the World or Satan can promise and give more and better things then these I have mentioned from the word of God then imbrace them and let Christ go but if they cannot why dost thou make delays in coming unto him 9ly and lastly 9. Motive consider the misery thou dost involve thy self in if thou dost not come unto Christ thy Misery is great in this Life thou art a Child of wrath a Servant to Satan Eph. 2.3 a Servant to Sin thou art an Enemy to God and God is an Enemy to thee Rom. 6.20 Rom. 5.10 the Curse of the Law abides upon thee Gal. 3.10 Read and consider canst thou be content to be in this estate hast thou no pity for thine own Soul no love to God who sent his Son to dye for Sinners Jo. 3.16 no love for Christ who came to sacrifice himself that thou mightest have access to God by him but consider further thy misery will not end in this Life nor with it for the wrath of God will follow thee to the Grave and tumble thy Soul into everlasting Flames That is a terririble word Jo. 3.36 The wrath of God abideth on him that believeth not in Christ He doth not say it shall be for a little time for a year or a hundred or a thousand years but it abideth on him and so it will for ever 2 Thes 1.8 9. See what will be the doom of those who obay not Christ that is who believe not in him Now I say Sinner come unto Christ least that terrible word be said unto thee in the last day Pro. 1.24.25.26 Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hands and no man reguarded But ye have set at nought all my Councel therefore I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh So much shall suffice for the first Doctrine That Jesus Christ graciously invites Sinners to come unto him 2. Doctrine It is the duty of all heavy laden Sinners who look for Rest and Salvation to come unto Christ for the obtaining of it If the invitation will not prevail with thee to come unto Christ yet let his command and the consideration of thy Duty Christ hath not left it mearly to their own wills but he commands them The Method that I shall proceed in is as followeth 1. I shall prove the point 2. Shew many of those obstructions which keep Sinners from coming to Christ with their unreasonableness 3. Answer some objections 4. Apply all and I shall bring in the two other Doctrines in the application 1. To prove that it is a duty Jo. 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe in him whom he hath sent 1 Jo. 3.23 This is his Commandment that ye believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ I shall demonstrate the point by these propositions 1. It is the great duty incumbent upon all to seek the eternal well-being of their immortal Souls this is granted I think by all sober persons it is made our second principal end in the Assemblies Catechism 1. Glorify God 2. Save our own Souls Phil. 2.12 Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling God requires this from all men whether they be Princes or subjects Rulers or ruled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Arminians do pervert this Text. 1 Tim. 2.4 He willeth all men to be saved So the words may be read and they have relation to the foregoing verses where the Apostle exhorts to pray for all degrees of Men for Kings and those in authority for God willeth all Men all sorts of Men to seek after their Salvation for he is no respecter of Persons in that sence but he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness and believeth in his Son shall be saved Act. 10.35 Jo. 3.36 He that believeth the Son hath Life 2. Prop. Is that it is the duty of all to make use of means in order to the attaining of this great end scil the Salvation of their Souls God hath ordained the means as well as the end and he hath injoyned it as our Duty to make use of the means God hath given his Son to dye for us and doth command us to come and believe in him 1 Jo. 3.33 3. Prop. is that Christ Jesus is the only way for sinners to attain eternal life by
then come unto Christ as labouring under the intollerable Burthen of sin for sin is a heavy burthen although multitudes in the world count it light as may be seen by their chearful countenances merry hearts jovial lives and running and drawing under this burthen into Eternity being very little concerned for the weight of it Holy David was sensible of the ponderosity of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onus grave when he cried out Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as agrievous they are too heavy for me The pressure of sin lay so hard upon poor David that it made his back bend his heart pant his tongue roar and his groanings to multiply as may be seen in that 38. Psal at large So Psal 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine Iniquities have taken hold of me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart forsaketh me He was so bowed down under this burthen that he could not elevate himself nay it made his very heart forsake him when he considered the gravity and innumerable number of them but what did David do in this case why he goes to God through Christ for ease from this great and heavy burthen Psal 25.11 For thy Name sake O Lord pardon mine Iniquity for it is great great both for weight and number therefore for thy Names sake magnify thy grace and what was the Issue see Psal 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin He went with this Burthen to the Lord and found Mercy and Pardon from him so must thou do Go to Christ under the sense of the weightiness of your sins and beg him according to his promise to ease thee of thy burthen which otherwise will sink thee down into eternal misery for it weighed Angels out of Glory and now confines them under Chains of darkness therefore come unto Christ for he will not refuse thee because of the greatness of thy burthen but rather imbrace thee for the Exaltation of his free grace 3ly Come labouring under a deep sense of the immense and intollerable weight of the wrath of God for who can endure if he be inraged or what can stand and oppose if God be the Antagonist Job 9.34 by nature we are all under this burthen Eph. 2.3 And were by Nature Children of wrath even as others i. e. by nature we are subject and liable to Divine vengeance because the imputation of the guilt of Adams transgression abides upon us and the corruption of Nature is derived unto us The extream weightiness of this wrath makes damned Angels and wicked Spirits roar lament and gnash their teeth It is more tollerable * Poets Fiction Atlas-like to bear the Heavens upon our shoulders or to lye under Rocks Mountains thousands of years then to abide under this wrath but a day nay an hour nay a minute for it burns yet never utterly consumes it presseth heavy without mitigation now there is no releasement from the obnoxiousness to this wrath but from a deep sense of the grievousness of it by applying our selves speedily to the Lord Jesus for it is he alone that can deliver from the wrath that is to come 1 Thes 1.10 come unto Christ with a sense of it upon thy heart whilst thou art here that thou maist not see the intollerableness of it hereafter 4ly Come to Christ as labouring under and being heavy laden with the curse of the Law and the Empire of death I mean by the Empire of death not only our obnoxiousness to the stroke of death upon our bodys but the sting of death and the eternity of it in regard of our Souls Death has raigned by reason of sin Rom. 5. over the bodys of all two or three excepted and over the Souls of most even from Adam to Moses and from Moses untill Christ and from Christ even to our days Death is a universal Monarch his Empire is from East to West and from North to South There is no escaping his fatal blow Only believers then take their flight from a dead Corps to Christ who is their life from a muddy Tabernacle to a glorious city Rev. 21.22.23 Col. 3.3 Heb. 12.28 Rom. 2.15 from a tottering Cottage to a firm Kingdom from a dark and mortal state to a splendent and immortal glory for although the body dyes yet the life of the Soul is secure as Being hid with Christ in God Col. 3.4 Believers can never dye take it in a Spiritual sence so long as God and Christ live but yet I say the way to be freed from the eternal Bondage of this deadly Monarch is to come unto Christ for Ease from this burthen also Moreover the burden of the curse of the Law must be taken away or else the former Emperor will keep his dominion Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them But seeing we have not continued in all things to do them and therefore are under the curse what must we do now but go unto Christ who was made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Now the Judge when he gives forth pardon to the Malefactor expects that he should be sensible of the greatness of his guilt and also of his desert the sentence of Condemnation having passed upon him so Christ expects a sensible owning the Curse and Misery we are under that his grace may be magnified in our relief succour and Salvation 5thly Come unto Christ as labouring under the cruel tyrany of Satan for Satan is the Prince of the Powers of the Air Magnitudo mali in quatuor consistit quae sunt peccati gravita quae Dei immensum intollerabile pondus Mortis imperium Tyrannis Diaboli quae tollere abolere placare vincere nemo potuit nisi Deus Bucan and he rules in and over the children of disobedience and there is none that can deliver from this tyranny but Christ for as one reasoning why it behoved Christ the Redeemer to be God said it was for two causes 1. Ob magnitudinem mali For the greatness of the Evil by which mankind was pressed down 2. Ob magnitudinem Boni For the magnitude of the good which could be restored by no man nor Angel unto mankind but only by him who is God now the greatness of the Evil which Christ underwent and in fine overcame consisted in bareing the weight of Sin the intollerable burden of Gods wrath and in conquering Death and the tiranny of Satan which none could or was able to do but he that was God-man by his own mighty Power so that seeing Christ hath done these things for all those that
Rev. 3.21 He that overcometh shall sit down with me in my Throne Thou shalt Raign with Christ in that Kingdom for ever now this Kingdom is a transcendently glorious Kingdom it is the Court of the great Jehova it is a rich Kingdom full of treasure no want there read but Rev. 21. It is an invincible Kingdom all the Black Regiments of the infernal Prince cannot overcome it Lastly it is an everlasting Kingdom it will abide as long as God is and that will be to all Eternity and thou shalt be Crowned with a Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 I could be much larger in every one of these Particulars but I have much exceeded what I intended being desirous to exalt Christ in thine estimation and allure thee to come to and close with him seeing he so graciously invites thee 7. Thou shalt have God Christ and the blessed Spirit and what a priviledg is this to have God to be thy God this is the great blessing of the new covenant Jer. 31.33 This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People See hear Soul what a blessing thou wilt obtain God will be thine what canst thou desire if he be thine then his power is ingaged to defend and protect thee Psal 84.11 Psal 73.24 Psal 103.13 Exod. 34.36 I will be a Sun and a Shield saith God to those that walk uprightly And such are the Souls who come unto Christ his wisdom shall direct thee his love Pity thee his Mercy pardon thee but what shall I say I might run through all the Attributes of God for some way or other they are imployed for thy good Happy is that Soul whose God is the Lord for he can bring good out of Evil to thee he can make all things work together for thy good I cannot number up all the mercys which are contained in this one but let me tell thee in a word it is the Mercy of Mercys for if we seriously consider that those people ever since the lapsation of Adam were looked upon as the most miserable who were said to be without God as the Apostle speaks of the condition of the Gentiles before the Gospel came among them Eph. 2.12 They were without God in the World i. e. They had no saving knowledg of God as Christ saith Jo. 17.3 This is Life eternal to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent They had no knowledg of God in Christ moreover the words implys they had no God in covenant with them they were Aliens to the commonwealth of Israel now seeing this is so miserable a condition to be without God to have no interest in him no access unto him no smiles from him it must on the contrary be granted that it is a signal blessing to have God to be our God now this inestimable benefit is confered upon the Soul in and by the Lord Jesus as in Rom. 5.1.2 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus vers 2. By whom also we have access unto that grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God Thus we see when the Soul comes to Christ by Faith then it is justifyed and hath free access to God which before it had not It now can cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 2. Christ himself will be thine and thou shalt be his 1 Cor. 3.23 Ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Christ will be a head to communicate Life unto thee and also to rule thee he will be a Mediator and Intercessor at the Right hand of the Father in thy behalf 1 Jo. 2.1 O consider what it is to have Christ to be thine for if he be thine he will be a hiding place for thee from all those tempestuous storms that may arise against thee Isa 8.14 He is called a Sanctuary this must be for his own Isa 22.2 A man shall be for a hiding place and for a Covert from the Storm this Man is the Lord Jesus Col. 3.3 Our Life is hid with Christ in God Now Christ will be a hiding place a sanctuary From 1. The wrath of Men that may be inraged against his Servants Pro. 18.19 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous flee into it and are safe Thus he defended Luther from all malice of the Pope and his Emissaries and many more instances I could give out of History the word of God but I should be too prolix and tedious then but as he has been to his Servants so he will be to thee if thou comest unto him 2. From the wrath of God which will inevitably destroy and consume all those who are out of Christ 1 Thes 1.10 Jesus who redeemeth us from wrath to come It must be Christ alone that can hide thee and defend thee from the wrath of God 1 Pet. 5.8 3. From the wrath and malice of Satan who goes about like a Roaring Lyon Christ keeps his Sheep from being destroyed by him Jo. 10.28 I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never Perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hands 2. If thou hast Christ he will be a Redeemer to thee Rev. 5.9 Who has redeemed us with his Blood he paid a sufficient price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.18.19 Tit. 2.14 Gal. 3.13 Jo. 15.19 Jo. 14.16 it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his own pretious Blood He is a Redeemer from Sin from the World and from the Curse of the Law and he hath redeemed thee for everlasting Glory 3. He will be a Mediator between God and thee he will Mediate for Pardon for thy Sins for acceptance with God for grace for thy Soul for his Spirit to guide thee for perseverance that thou mayst hold out to the end Jo. 17.15 Christ prayed that Peters Faith might not fail lastly Jo. 6.35 he mediates for a Crown of Righteousness what priviledges are all these wilt thou not come to Christ upon these terms if thou hast Christ he will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 food for thy Soul he will be Righteousness to thee 1 Cor. 1.30 God has made him to be wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption unto every one that believeth in him In a word Christ is all and in all Col. 3.11 Therefore thou wilt be no looser but an infinite gainer if thou hast the Lord Jesus for thy Portion for he is the Eternal delight of the Father the glory of Angells the admiration of Saints 2 Thes 1.10 3. The holy Spirit will be thine saith Christ Jo. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever ver 17. Even the spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth
though never so Barbarous they Worship and Adore something for a Deity there is such a divine Impress left upon the Conscience of Man that Lactantius lib. 2. Div. Instit Cap. 2. observed when they Swore or Cursed or Prayed or Wished any thing heartily especially when in affliction their manner was to say God Deus non Dii not Gods other Arguments they have as the Finis Vltima and the Summum Bonum the last end and chief felicity of man and also from the consideration of good and evil vice and vertue and the reward in equity due to the one and the Punishment belonging to the other but I must not inlarge for I intend only to declare the Darts Satan hath to shoot at Poor Souls and sometimes he casts them at the elect upon their conversion or some time of weakness or sore afflictions but they are in the end repulsed by the power of Divine grace and are extinguished by the shield of Faith But now he fills others who live in wickedness with some secret conceits that there is no God that will call them to a strict account therefore they persevere in their evil Practices and totally neglect coming to Christ 27. If they step so high as to grant there is a God who is supream and the Author of all things then he is ready to perswade them that he concerns not himself with Democritus Heroclitus Epicurus and Lucretius acknowledged a Numen or Deity but denyed the providence of the same nor observes humane affairs as there have been many that he has deceiv'd by this Argument and so they have thrown off the Yoke of obedience and wholly neglected their Souls so there are many to be found at this day who have such strange conceptions of God therefore they neglect coming to Christ they are ready to say as in Job 22.13 14. How doth God know can he judge through the dark Clouds thick Clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not he walketh in the Circuit of Heaven There are many such who are deceived with this to think that God is bounded within the circuit of Heaven deny unto him all Prescience Omnipresence and Omniscience that Fancy God doth not observe their minute and eye every singular action of theirs therefore they freely live and dayly delight in Sin and hearken not to the calls of Christ by his Ministers inviting them to come unto him this is another obstacle of Satans by which he impedes many I fear of those who go under the notion of Christians for this may be gathered clearly if we do but view their actions O how greedily do they fall upon Sin both Publickly and Privately without any abashedness or remorse which they could never do if they understood and believed that God sees and observes all their ways Job 34 21. For his eyes are upon the ways of Man and he seeth all his goings Moreover that he will render according to each ones deeds as 1 Pet. 1.17 But whoever thou art that dost cast thine eye upon this Book and Satan doth suggest such a thing to thee as that God doth not reguard the actions of Men here below sheild thy self against this Dart by giving credit to the Word of God Job 31.4 Doth not God see my ways and count all my Steps Prov. 5.2 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings And thus considering that God beholds all thy actions and will call thee to account for them and that thou art not able to answer him one of a thousand when he enters into judgment with thee will make thee more diligently seek after Christ Jesus that thou maist be secured from perishing in for thy iniquity 28. If that will not do then Satan perswades the Sinner that he hath no Soul distinct from the Body in Nature and Essence but they are the same substance thus he hath deceived many with a base perswasion that they are no better than the bruits that their Soul is no other thing then their Blood or Breath or some such like thing and is not of a spiritual nature which can exist seperate from the Body therefore there is no necessity of Christ to save it it is not a spirit as many foolishly conjecture then what need any care for the Salvation of it thus the Sadduces of old were deluded by Satan that Father of Lyes and Lying Spirits that there are no Angels or Spirits Acts 23.8 Which made them neglect Christ who came to save the Spirits of all them that believe in him to confute this and remove this obstacle out of the way read Eccle. 12.7 Then shall the dust meaning the Body return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Hear are these things observable in these Words 1. Here is the Nature of the Soul it is a Spirit the Spirit shall return to God 2. The Author and Donator of it scil God who creating it infused it and by infusing it created it the Soul is not communicated by the seminal vertue in the conjunction of both sexes as some vainly immagin but it is a spirit created by God Immediately and infused into and united to the Body which unition makes a compleat man ☜ 3. That it doth exist distinct from the Body after the dissolution of it for it returns to him that gave it even when the Dusty Body the House of Clay is mouldred into Earth which was the Materia prima the first matter of it Now if it were not a distinct Imaterial substance it could never be said to return to God Luk. 12.4 Fear not them that can kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul Which words declare that the Soul and the Body are two distinct things although being united they constitute one man Now seeing thy Soul is of a Spiritual nature that can exist seperate from the Body eject and abominate this brutish Argument of Satan who to the end he might bring thy Spirit into the Place of Torment with himself seeks to perswade thee thou art no degree higher than a Beast and so neglect coming to Christ by whom Salvation alone is to be expected 29. If they are convinced that the Soul is of a Spiritual Nature which no serious and rational Man can deny then he Labours to perswade them that it is Mortal and that when the Body dies the Soul is annihilate or at least dies with the Body till the resurrection which is a time most uncertain if any such thing be So he perswades the Sinner to neglect Christ and indulge his Sences for if the Soul is Mortal or must not appear till the general Resurrection it need not be solicitous about a future being for what man will take care to provide a Mansion or Build a stately Fabrick when there is none to inhabit it so who would busy their anxious thoughts about Eternity when