The second death cannot do it, because it is said their worm never dies, but is always torturing them with his gnawing. Mark ix. But that could not be, if time, or lying in hellfire for ever, could annihilate the soul. Now this also shows the greatness of the soul, that it is that which has an endless life, and that will therefore have a being endlessly. It cannot be said of any angel but that he is immortal, and so it is and ought to be said of the soul. O what a thing is the soul!

The soul then is immortal, though not eternal. That is eternal which has neither beginning nor end, and therefore eternal is properly applicable to none but God; hence he is called the "eternal God." Deut. xxxiii. 27. Immortal is that which, though it hath a beginning, yet hath no end; it cannot die, nor cease to be. And this is the state of the soul. It cannot cease to have a being when it is once created; I mean, a living, sensible being. For I mean by living, only such a being as distinguishes it from annihilation, or incapableness of sense and feeling. Hence, as the rich man is after death said to "lift up his eyes in hell," so the beggar is said, when he died, "to be carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Luke xvi. 22, 23. And both these sayings must have respect to the souls of these men; for as for their bodies, we know at present it is otherwise with them. The grave is their house, and so must be till the trumpet shall sound, and the heavens pass away like a scroll.

Now, I say, the immortality of the soul shows the greatness of it, as the eternity of God shows the greatness of God. This therefore shows the greatness of the soul, in that it is as to abiding so like unto him.

7. But a word or two more, and so to conclude this head. The Soul!-why, it is the soul that actuateth the body in all those things that seem good and reasonable, or amazingly wicked. True, the acts and emoti( ns of the soul are only

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seen and heard in the members and motions of the body, but the body is but a poor instrument, the soul is the great agitator and actor. "The body without the spirit is dead.” James ii. 26. All those famous arts, and works, and inventions of works, that are done by men under heaven, they are all the inventions of the Soul; and the body as acting and laboring therein, is but as a tool that the soul maketh use of to bring his invention unto maturity. Eccles. vii. 9. How many things have men found out to the amazing of one another, to the wonderment of one another, to the begetting of endless commendations of one another in the world; while in the mean time the Soul, which indeed is the true inventor of all, is overlooked, not regarded, but dragged up and down by every lust, and prostrated and made a slave to every silly and beastly thing. O the amazing darkness that hath covered the face of the hearts of the children of men, that they cannot deliver their soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? though they are so cunning in all other matters. Isa. xliv. 20. Take Man in matters that are abroad, and far from home, and he is the mirror of all the world; but take him at home, and put him upon things that are near him, I mean, that have respect to the things that concern his soul, and then you will find him the greatest fool that ever God made. But this must not be applied to

the soul simply as it is God's creature, but to the soul sinful; as it has willingly apostatized from God, and so suffered itself to be darkened, and that with such thick and stupifying darkness, that it is bound up and cannot see; it hath a napkin of sin bound so close before its eyes, that it is not able of itself to look at and after those things which should be its chief concern, and without which it will be most miserable for ever.

8. Further, as the soul is thus curious about arts and sciences, and about every excellent thing of this life, so it is capable of having to do with invisibles, with angels, good

or bad, yea, with the highest and supreme Being, even with the holy God of heaven. I told you before that God sought the soul of man, to have it for his companion; and now I tell you that the soul is capable of communion with him, when the darkness that sin hath spread over its face is removed. The soul is an intelligent power, it can be made to know and understand depths, and heights, and lengths, and breadths, in those high, sublime, and spiritual mysteries that only God can reveal and teach; yea, it is capable of diving unutterably into them. And herein is God, the God of glory, much delighted and pleased-namely, that he hath made himself a creature that is capable of hearing, of knowing, and of understanding his mind when opened and revealed to it.-I think I may say, without offence to God or man, that one reason why God made the world was, that he might manifest himself, not only by, but to the works which he made; but (I speak with reverence) how could that be, if he did not also make some of his creatures capable of apprehending him in those most high mysteries and methods in which he purposed to reveal himself? But then, what are those creatures which he hath made (unto whom when these things are shown) that are able to take them in and understand them, and so to improve them to God's glory, as he hath ordained and purposed they should, but souls? for none else in the visible world are capable of doing this but they.—And hence it is that to them, and them only, he beginneth to reveal himself in this world.-And hence it is that they, and they only, are gathered up to him where he is; for they are they that are called the spirits of just men made perfect. Heb. xii. 23. The spirit of a beast goeth downward to the earth; it is the spirit of a man that goes upwards to God that gave it. Eccles. iii. 21; xii. 7.—That, and that only, is capable of beholding and understanding the glorious visions of heaven; as Christ said, "Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I

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am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." John xvii. 24. And thus the greatness of the soul is manifest. True, the body is also gathered up into glory, but not simply for its own sake, or because that is capable of itself to know and understand the glories of its Maker; but that it has been a companion with the soul in this world, has also been its house, its mantle, its cabinet and tabernacle here; it has also been that by which the soul hath acted, in which it hath wrought, and by which its excellent appearances have been manifested; and it shall also there be its co-partner, and sharer in its glory. Wherefore, as the body here did partake of the soul's excellences, and was also conformed to its spiritual and regenerate principles, so it shall be hereafter a partaker of that glory with which the soul shall be filled, and also be made suitable by that glory to become a partaker and co-partner with it of the eternal excellences which heaven will put upon it. In this world it is a gracious soul (I speak now of the regenerate), and in that world it shall be a glorious one; in this world the body was conformable to the soul as it was gracious, and in that world it shall be conformable to it as it is glorious; conformable, I say, by partaking of that glory which the soul shall then partake of; yea, it shall also have an additional glory, to adorn, and make it yet the more capable of being serviceable to it and with it, in its great acts before God in eternal glory.

O what great things are the souls of the sons of men!

9. But again, as the soul is thus capable of enjoying God in glory, and of prying into these mysteries that are in him, so it is capable with great profundity to dive into the mysterious depths of hell. Hell is a place and state utterly unknown to any in this visible world, excepting the souls of men; nor shall any for ever be capable of understanding the miseries thereof, but souls and fallen angels. Now I

think, as the joys of heaven stand not only in speculation, or in beholding of glory, but in a sensible enjoyment and unspeakable pleasure which these glories will yield to the soul (Psalm xv. 11), so the torments of hell will not stand in the present lashes and strokes with which by the flames of eternal fire God will scourge the ungodly; but the torments of hell stand much, if not in the greatest part of them, in those deep thoughts and apprehensions which souls in the next world will have of the nature and occasions of sin, of God, and of separation from him; of the eternity of those miseries, and of the utter impossibility of their help, case, or deliverance for ever. O, damned souls will have thoughts that will clash with glory, clash with justice, clash with law, clash with itself, clash with hell, and with the everlastingness of misery; but the point, the edge, and the poison of all these thoughts will still be galling, and dropping their stings into the sore, wounded, and fretted place, which is the conscience; though not the conscience only; for I may say of the souls in hell, that they all over are but one wound, one sore. Miseries as well as mercies sharpen and make quick the apprehensions of the soul. Behold Spira in hist book, Cain in his guilt, and Saul with the witch of Endor, and you shall see men ripened, men enlarged and greatened in their fancies, imaginations, and apprehensions, though not about God, and heaven, and glory, yet about their loss, their misery, their woe, and their hells. Isa. xxxiii. 14; Psalm 1. 3; Rev. xiv. 10; Mark ix. 44, 46.

10. Nor doth their ability to bear (if it be proper to say they bear) those griefs which there for ever they shall endure, a little demonstrate their greatness. Everlasting burning, devouring fire, perpetual pains, gnawing worms, utter darkness, and the ireful words, face, and strokes of divine and infinite justice, will not, cannot make this soul extinct, as I said before. I think it is not so proper to say the soul that is damned for sin doth bear these things, as