How much more evil is it in you to abuse the most precious light that fhineth in this world? And what mifchievous effects the abufe of your light will have upon this blind world? It was a smart rebuke given once by an Atheist to a good man, who being afked by him how he could fatisfy his confcience to live as he did? Nay rather, faid the Atheist, I wonder how you can fatisfy yourself to live as you do; for did I believe as you do, that there is such a Christ, and fuch a glory as you believe there are, I would pray and live at another rate than you do.

THE CONCLUSION.

And now, reader, if all my difcourfes of the method of Chrift in purchafing the great falvation for us, and the way of the Spirit in applying it, and making it effectual to God's elect; thou haft two wonders before thine eyes, either of which may aftonish thy foul, in the confideration of them, viz.

1. This admirable grace of God in preparing this great 2. The defperate wickednefs of man in rejecting Salvation. First, Behold the riches of the goodnefs and mercy of God in preparing fuch a remedy as this for loft man. This is that which is juftly called "The great myftery of godlinefs," 1 Tim. iii. 16. that mystery which the prophets enquired diligently after, yea, which the "angels defired to look into," r Pet. i. 10, 12. In this glorious mystery of redemption, that rohoxhos coi, manifold wifdom of God, or that wifdom which hath fuch curious and admirable variety in it, is illuftrioufly difplayed, Eph. iv. 10. Yea, the contrivance of our redemption, this way, is the moft glorious difplay of divine love that ever was made, or can be made, in this world to the children of men; for fo the apoftle will be underftood, when he faith, Rom. v. 8. Zuriskoi Thy raula ayaπnı,————God hath fet forth, or prefented his love to man in the most engaging manner, in a way that commends it beyond all compare to the acceptation of men. "This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all ac"cepration, that Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave finners,” 1 Tim. 1. 15. It might be justly expected, that when this glorious mystery thould come to be published by the gofpel in the ears of finners, all eyes fhould be withdrawn from all other objects, and fixed with admiration upon Chrift; all hearts fhould be ravifhed with thefe glad tidings; and every inan preffing to Christ without the greateft zeal and diligence. But behold, inftead thereof,

Secondly, The defperate wickedness of the world, in rejecting the only remedy prepared for them. This was long fince foretold by the prophet, Ifa. liii. 3. "He is defpifed and rejected of men,

* * a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid "our faces from him; he was defpifed, and we esteemed him "not." His poor and mean appearance, which should endear him beyond all confiderations to the fouls of men, (fince it was for their fakes, that he emptied himself of all his glory) yet this lays him under contempt, he is looked on as the very off-caft of ment, when his own love to man had emptied him of all his riches, the wickedness of men loaded him with contempt, and as it was prophefied of him, fo it was, and, at this day is fadly verified all the world over; for,

First, The Pagan world hath no knowledge of him, they are loft in darkness. "God hath fuffered them to walk in their own "ways," Acts xiv. 16.

Secondly, The Mahometans which overfpread fo great a part of the world reject him, and instead of the bleffed gofpel, which they hifs at with abhorrence, embrace the blafphemous and rediculous Alcoran, which they confidently affirm came down from God immediately in that Laylatto Hanzili (as they call it) the night of demiffion, calling all Chriftians, Cafirouna, i. e. Infidels.

Thirdly, The Jews reject him with abhorrence, and spit at his very name, and being blind-folded by the devil, they call Jefus Anathema, 1 Cor. xii. 3. And in a blind zeal for Mofes, blafpheme him as an impoftor. "He came to his own, and his own received "him not," John i. 11.

Fourthly, The far greater part of the Chriftianized world reject him; thofe that are called after his name, will not fubmit to his government. The nobles of the world think themselves difhonoured by fubmitting their necks to his yoke. The fenfualifts of the world will not deny their lufts, or forfake their pleasures, for all the treasures of righteousness, life and peace, which his blood hath purchased. Worldlings of the earth prefer the dirt and dung of the world before him; and few there be among them that profess Christianity, who love the Lord Jefus in fincerity. The only reafon why they are called Chriftians is, because, by the advantageous cast of providence, they were born and educated in a nation where. Christianity is profeffed and established by the laws of the Coun

DWN 17 Geffans virorum: i. e. Infimus hominum, qui citius definit quam ullus virorum.

Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in fe,
Quam qued ridiculos homines facit :-

Juvenal. Sat. III. v. 152.

Want is the fcorn of ev'ry wealthy fool,

And wit in rags is turn'd to ridicule.

To put on the profeffion of Chrift's name, and not to walk in Chrift's way. what is it but prevaricating with that divine name? Cyp, de Zelo.

try; and if the wind fhould turn, and the public authority think fit to establish another religion, they can shift their fail, and steer a contrary course.

But now, reader, let me tell thee, that if ever God fend forth thefe two grim ferjeants, his law, and thine own conscience, to arreft thee for thy fins, if thou find thyfelf dragged away by them towards that prifon from whence none return, that are once clapt up therein, and that in this unfpeakable diftrefs Jefus Chrift manifeft himself to thy foul, and open thy heart to receive him, and become thy furety with God, pay all thy debts, and cancel all thy obligations, thou wilt love him at another rate than others do; his blood will run deeper in thine eyes than it doth in the fhallow apprehenfions of the world; he will be altogether lovely, and thou wilt account all things but dung and drofs in comparison of the excellency of Jefus Chrift thy Lord. To work thy heart to this frame, thefe things are written, which the Lord profper upon thy foul, by the bleffing of his good Spirit upon thee.

Bleffed be God for Jefus Chrift!

Pneumatologia.

A TREATISE

OF THE

SOUL OF MAN.

The EPISTLE DEDICATORY.

To the much honoured, his dear kinfman, Mr JOHN FLAVEL, and Mr EDWARD CRISPE, of London, Merchants; and the rest of my worthy friends in London, RATCLIFFE, SHADWELL, and LYMEHOUSE, grace, mercy, and peace.

DEAR FRIEnds,

A

MONG all the creatures in this lower world, none deferves to be ftiled great, but man; and in man nothing is "found worthy of that epithet, but his foul*.

The ftudy, and knowledge of his foul was, therefore, always reckoned a rich and neceffary improvement of time. All ages have magnified these two words, "Know thyself, as an oracle de"fcending from heavent."

"No knowledge, faith Bernard*, is better than that whereby "we know ourselves; leave other matters therefore, and search "thyfelf; run through thyself, make a stand in thyself; let thy "thoughts, as it were, circulate, begin and end in thyfelf." Strain not thy thoughts in vain about other things, thyfelf being neglected.

• Nibil in terra magnum præter hominem, nihil in homine præter mentem. Favorin. —E cœlo defcendit, yıwdi autov. Juvenal. Sat. 11. ▼. 27.

+

Nulla fcientia melior illa, qua bomo novit seipfum; relinque ergo cætera, et teipfum difcute : per te curre, in te confifle; a te ncipiat cogitatio tua, et in te finiatur,

The study and knowledge of Jefus Chrift muft ftill be allowed. to be the most excellent and neceffary: But yet the worth and neceffity of Chrift is unknown to men, till the value, wants, and dangers of their own fouls be firft difcovered to them.

The difaffectedness, and averfion of men to the study of their own fouls, are the more to be admired; not only because of the weight and neceffity of it, but the alluring pleasure, and sweetnefs that are found therein. What Cardan fpeaks, is experimentally felt by many, "That fcarce any thing is more pleasant and "delectable to the foul of man, than to know what he is, what "he may and fhall be; and what thofe divine and fupreme "things are, which he is to enjoy after death, and the viciffitudes "of this prefent world." For we are creatures conscious to ourfelves of an immortal nature, and that we have fomething about us which muft overlive this mortal flesh, and therefore it is ever and anon some way or other hinting and intimating to us its expectations of, and defignation for a better life than that it now lives in the body, and that we shall not ceafe to be, when we cease to breathe.

And certainly, my friends, difcourfes of the foul, and its immortality; of heaven and of hell, the next, and only receptacles of unbodied fpirits, were never more seasonable and neceffary than in this atheistical age of the world, wherein all ferious piety and thoughts of immortality are ridiculed, and hiffed out of the company of many: As if thofe old condemned Heretics, the mixin who afferted the corruptibility and mortality of the foul as well as the body, had been again revived in our days.

And as the Atheism of fome, fo the tepidity, and unconcerned carelessnefs of the most, need and call for fuch potent remedies, as difcourfes of this kind do plentifully afford. I dare appeal to your charitable judgments, whether the converfations and difcourses of the many, do indeed look like a ferious pursuit of heaven, and a flight from hell?

Long have my thoughts bended towards this great and excellent fubject, and many earnest defires I have had, (as I believe all thinking perfons muft needs have) to know what I fhall be when I breathe not. But when I had engaged my meditations about it, two great rubs oppofed the farther progrefs of my thoughts therein: Namely,

I. The difficulty of the fubject I had chofen: And,

II. The distractions of the times in which I was to write up'on it.

Quid jucundius quam feire quid fimus, quid fuerimus, quid erimus, et cum bis etiam divina atque fuprema illa poft obitum mundique viciffitudines.