The Immortality of the Soule

p. 1THE IMMORTALITY OF The SOVLE.

What will it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his own soule? [Mat. 16.26.] saith our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, the soule of man is a spirituall, immortall, [Psal. 31.8.] substance which did flow from God, [Eccles. 22.7.] and cannot die with the body, but returne to God that gave it, unlesse it rebell against his Father and Maker, his laws and true Church, and hath no true lively faith to save himselfe by applying Christs righteousnesse to himselfe by a lively faith; then these souls must die the everliving death of torment, but God made the soule of man righteous, but he hath sought to himselfe many inventions: the bodies of all men must turn to dust again untill the day of the Lord come, and then shall the dead heare the voice of the Sonne of God, [Luke 23.43.] and shall stand up in more strength and spirituall power, and meet our Lord Jesus to be judged, every one according to our faith and workes. The body of man hath five senses, seeing hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling; the living and immortall soule hath in him understanding and knowledge, the will and the remembrance, imaginptions, the affections and wisdome to rule the senses of the body and the evill lusts of the soule, which joyne with the body to sinfull actions, but let wisdome, and grace and knowledge look hp to God for help and strength to withstand them, and as the body hath hands and feet, so hath the living soule in him many faculties: Faith is a vertue of the soule, unbeliefe is a vice, humility as a vertue of the soule, pride is a vice, the love of God and his p. 2Saints a vertue of the soule, hatred a vice, zeal for Gods glory and true worship a vertue of the soule, cold◊esse a vice, 〈…〉 a vertue lying a vice there i◊ a vertue, ◊◊nely a vice 〈…〉 a ver◊◊e of the soule, envie a vice, thankfulnesse a vertue of the soule, unthankfulnesse a vice, bounty and freenesse of minde of the gifts which we have received of God, riches or knowledge are both of them a vertue of the soule, covetousnesse, and hiding Gods talems in the earth, avice spealing honourably of God, and of the word of God, a vertue of the soule: swearing cursing, blasphemie, and mocking of the word of God, great vices of the soule: wit, policy, valour, sound judgement and discerning of spirits are Gods good gifts, and should be used well: th◊s the soule, the spirituall substance, the immortall soule, the holy Image of God before mans fall, which God did breath into man and made him righteous and excellent in knowledge, but now the children of wrath by Adams fall and originall sin, but the soules of the faithfull are renewed by Jesus Christ our glorious Lord and Saviour, and shall be made perfect in heaven for ever more: For the soules of the Saints shall sodainly come from heaven again to the body in love and peace, saying, as it were, Arise, my loving friend and dear companion, the day of Christ our King is come, the darke winter of trouble and sorrow persecution, sicknesse, poverty and death it selfe is gons, come see thy glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which redeemed thee, with all his holy companion of Saints and Angels, come lift up thy head and receive thy acquistance from all thy sins, and live in glory for ever. But ungodly, faithlesse men which have done ill, griefe, the worme of conscience shall bite them, saying, who shall hide us from the wrath of the Judge? but the godly redeemer shall comfort them saying Come yee blessed of my Father, receive and eternall Kingdome, and enter into jour Masters joy: All Glory, and thanks, and prayse be unto God, for all his free mercie and gifts, both now and for ever more.

p. 3The excellencie of CHRIST JESVS.

THe soule of man is a noble spirituall creature, created of God to obey him, as was Adam and Evah in Paradice, but the Devill by temptations, quickly spoyled his innocent righteous soul, defaced Gods Image, and then his shining body became miserable and naked, his perfect soul became miserable, sinfull and ignorant; then were their souls and bodies to dye the death naturall and eternall for ever: but then the mercy and love of God appeared and promised, that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head; this was our glorious Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus which came in due time to restore Gods Image, and to destroy the works of the Devill, to suffer and satisfie Gods justice for the sins of all the believing world, which lay hold on him by a lively faith, to in graft them into himselfe to adopt and make them his beloved children and heires of the Kingdome of heaven: for Christ Jesus our glorious Lord and Saviour is the only Son of God, in whom alone he is well pleased; he is the naturall son of God begotten begotten before the stars appeared, hee is the graven form of God, the brightnesse of the glory, the Image of the invisible God, the first begotten Son of God; begotten before all worlds, God of Gods very God of very God e◊e◊uall with the Father & with the holy Ghost, he is the head of the Church, and in him all fulnesse dwelleth; thy sent, a Christ! endureth for ever: the scepter of thy Kingdome doth may◊t am righteousnesse. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit on my right hand, untill I make thy foes a stool whereon thy feet may stand: Christ Jesus is the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah, which overcame the roaring and devouring Lion the Devill; He is the Lambe of God which was slain for our sins, and taketh away the sins of the world, hee is the mighty God, the Prince of peace, which trod the winepresse of the wrath of God alone, and conquered p. 4death, hell, and the grave, and the infernall spirits, and hee arose and sustained himself by his own power and strength, and sits at the right hand of the glory of God for ever.