BEcause I finde that the darkness occasioned by the not right un­derstanding of Man in his true nature of Being is very great, the Scriptures strangely vailed, the Doctrine taught wonderfully corrupted, and the right use of Christ detained from the spirits of men; I thought my self bound to publish this ensuing Treatise, the ground whereof I lay down in the words of the Apostle, 1 Thess. 5.23. The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved, &c. In the Original, [...], this is indeed [...], if ye take away and divide any part of these, it is only [...]. Of which, saith Ireneus, Lib. 5. cap. 1. Neque enim plasmatio carnis ipsa secundum se homo perfectus est, sed corpus ho­minis & pars hominis; neque anima ipsa secundum se homo, sed anima hominis & pars hominis; neque spiritus homo, spiritus enim & non homo vocatur; commixtio autem & unitio horum omnium perfectum hominem efficit; & propter hoc Apostolus seipsum exponens, explanavit perfectam & spiritualem salutem hominis in I ad Thess. cap. 5. vers. 23, &c. Vide August. lib. quest. cap. 67.

These three before, the Spirit, Soul and Body, are three distinct essential parts of Man, which I shall speak in order particularly unto. But before I do that, it is necessary I should shew you how the life and the breath in Man are distinguished by God in the Scripture, which will shew us, that men need not (that have the Word of God) to go to Aristotle, Plato, &c. to learn Philosophy; they were in the dark, and knew it not; a thing in time God will purge out of this Nation, it being forbid in the Word by God expresly, Levit. 18.3. Ye shall not do after the doings of Egypt and Canaan, nor walk in thier Ordinances: Levit. 20.23. Ye shall not walk [Page 2]in the manners of the Nations I cast out Hence the houses of learning set up among the Jews were houses of the Prophets, that is, such houses in which the Prophets were first taught to be read and written, and then understood; and other learning then this God allowed not, nor doth al­low his own people; and other houses then these are not houses of the Prophets, whose Students by an Hebraism are called children of the Pro­phets, 2 King 4.38. as those study the Heathens are the sons of Ari­stotle: Matt. 11.15.

1. We need know no more then is in the Word, that is onely necessary.

2. In the Word things are more excellently layd down, then in all the writings of the world.

3. That is full of Truth; Aristotle, Ovid, &c. full of Corruption, and Error, and Atheism; fit to make Atheists (as all by Nature are) more A­theistical, corrupting them in their minds at the first receiving of instructi­on against Solom.

4. The Word is light, Philosophy of the Heathens darkness.

1. The Soul and the Life are distinguished,

Psal. 33.19. To deliver their Soul from death, and keep them alive in famine: Vatablus Hebraismus est pro servet eos in vita. Thus Psa. 49.18. He blessed his Soul in his life: in which are [...]

2. Job. 33.18. He keepeth back [...] his soul from the pit, and [...] his life from perishing by the sword. Vers. 20. His life abhorreth bread, and his soul des [...]rable meat. Vers. 22. His soul draweth neer to the grave, and his life to the destroyers. The Seventy render them by [...]. Vers. 28. He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Vide Vers. 30.

The spirit of man from the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2.11.

The Life and the Breath are distinguished,

Acts 17.25. God that giveth [...], to all life, and breath, and all things. Rom. 8.2. Rev. 11.11.

1. Note here, As the Soul and Life are distinguished in words and Be­ing by the Prophets, so Life and Breath by the Apostle.

2. Life by James is set forth as a far inferior thing to the Soul: James 4.13, 14. speaks against mens presumptuous dependance on the Being of their life: [...]; What is your life? for it is but a vapor for a little time appearing, and after that it vanisheth: This cannot be said of the Soul, nor of the breath. Act. 8.33.

3. Here in this ye have such a definition of life, as all the Platonists and Aristotelists on Earth cannot exceed, nor on like grounds attain unto, [Page 3]but in comparison of this theirs is vain Philosophy.

This being undeniable truth,

1. There is matter ariseth hence of exceeding great note and concern­ment to all men, which is the gross corrupting of the Word of God in the false translating of it; the Translators putting down in a hundred places neer, life for soul, rendering [...], life, and sometimes [...], soul, which ought not to be; the word and sence is destroyed by it, and false Doctrine taught to the people: wherefore in especial there is an extream necessity for another Translation to be published, and this called in: The Old Testament in this particular is better translated then the New, though some such is in the Old, as that the minde of God is no way expressed, but clear contrary things, as one especial place I have expounded, and fitted for the Press to publish, but had not where with to do it, which is of high concernment to the people of God, and for the Opening of the Pro­phecies.

2. The Breath is as a ligament by which Soul, Spirit and Body are kept together, and is one both that the Beast and Man enjoyeth.

These places, and many more in our Translations, for [...]. soul, have life put in them, against the Syriac, and the Arabic, which retain the Hebrew root [...] in their Translations. Matth. 6.25. Luk. 12.23. Mat. 10.39. & 16.25. Mark 8.35. Luk. 9.24. & 17.33. Joh. 12.25. Luk. 9.56. & 14.26. Joh. 10.11.15.17. & 13.38, 39. & 15.13. Acts 15.26. & 20.24. & 27.10, 22. Rom. 16.4. Joh. 1. Ephes. 3.16. Revel. 12.11.

Note, If the soul and life are two distinct things in Man, then to write life where God writes soul, is a presumptuous destruction of the Truth of God: and the natural life in Christ is the same with that in us, he being in all things like us, sin onely excepted.

That the spirit, soul and body are three distinct parts of Man, I commend these Scriptures to you.

Note how God speaks to us of himself, Gen. 6.5. My Spirit, and my Soul. Mat. 12.18. My Soul. Mat. 10. As having a Body. 1 Thess. 5.23. as before, [...] Luk. 1.46, 47. Mary said (there is the body) [...], My soul doth magnifie the Lord, and [...], my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour. Job 12.10. For in his hand is [...] the soul of every one [...] living, and [...] the spirit of every flesh­man (or all mankinde,) which is the Adam soma.

In respect the Scripture saith, that every truth is confirmed und r two or three witnesses, and here Paul, Mary, Job are produced, which is the [Page 4]number required, I shall proceed to particulars; and first of the Spirit.

Joh. 11.33. Christs Spirit is troubled, which was his humane spirit: And Cap. 13.21. of his Soul: Joh. 10.15. & 12.27. [...]

The Spirit is not by propagation conveyed from man to man: Job 26. vers. 4. Whose spirit came from thee.

The first thing necessary to be considered is the Being and Beginning of the Spirit, Genes. 2.7. [...] Plasmavit, the word respects the forming of a thing out of a gross body, as a Potter of the clay his vessel, so God formed [...] the Adam of the dust of the Earth, when he breathed in his face spiraculum vitarum, the breath of lives (not of life, as the cor­rupt Translations read, but lives in the plural, viz. that of the soul, of the spirit,) and the Adam, the Earth, became [...] which I thus ex­pound, And the Earth IS to the Soul (vivens) living, where the Soul and the life are distinguished, Isai. 38.19. Gen. 7.21, 22. Numb. 31.40.

2. Whereas it is said, the Lord breathed into Adam [...] which is lives in the plural, not life, as it is corruptly translated, and admirably cleared, Isai. 57.16. the spirit and spiration, shewing,

1. That God placed in man differing lives.

2. That the spirit hath its life, the soul its, and the body its, by this Breath.

3. All were far differently from the beasts by God communicated to man in his Creation, as I shall shew hereafter, Job 35.

Of this Life of the Spirit.

1. As God of the same [...] tohu and bohu, chaos and con­fusion, made Heaven and Earth, Man and Angels, Beasts and Fishes; so of the same spiration or emission he made life in the soul, the spirit, the body.

2. As he divided between the waters above the Firmament, and the wa­ters beneath; so he divided the soul life from that of the spirit, Man, the [...], having in himself, as the perfection of the Creation, that which corresponds to all these.

3. A darkness that lieth hereby on the spirits of men is removed, be­cause whereas God said, Gen. 2.17. Adam should dye in the day he eat of the tree of knowledg of good and evil; some expound ing the day by a thousand years, others other-ways; but I forbear, and commend to you this, That God, in that day he spake to man, alluded to the natural day of man, not God; this sentence was made good on him, not by taking away his soul-life, but his spirit-life, which was then dead in him, as appears, in that his access to, & familiarity with, and innocency before God, was lost, [Page 5]together with all farther actings of the spirit within him.

4. Hence, as Tim. 1.5.6. of the wanton widow, she is dead whiles she liveth, which shews, that she was some way or where dead, that is, in spi­rit, and in some thing or part alive, which was in body and soul.

5. That the spirit was dead, appears 1 Cor. 15.44. for Christ was made a quickening spirit to Adams generation, who by his fall became only a living soul, the spirit being dead in him; Ephes. 5.14. this spoke to men alive in the flesh, but dead in the spirit.

6. This quickening of the spirit is the great work of Christ on man in the days of the Gospel, to raise the spirit from its death, which is called the first Resurrection, Rev. 20.6.

7. Those that confound soul and spirit, do destroy the faith, and put men either to expect that now is to be done hereafter, or that hereafter is to be done now; indeed now is to be the resurrection of the spirit by the Word and Spirit of Christ, or that at last will be nothing available; many Souls by this delusion have been undone.

8. This death first entred into the world by Adams sin, (so the restora­tion of this life is first,) and is called filthiness, 2 Cor. 7.1.

9. This resurrection is by beleeving in Jesus Christ, John 11.25, 26.

10. As the soul is to the body, so the spirit is to the soul; the soul is in the blood as its seat, and the spirit in the mind as its seat, being the sub­limest part of the soul, informing and leading the soul and body.

To make a definition of the Spirit no man ever could since the fall that was meer man: Solomon, whose Philosophy exceeds all else that men call so, Eccles. 3.21. Who knoweth the spirit of man that ascendeth to supernals? [...], according to that [...], that above and above of the Apostle.

1. Shewing that the spirit of man was of an unknown excellency; if any had known it of men, Solomon had: Adams death of spirit, was, that he lost the knowledg of God, himself, and sense of his Soul-misery.

2. In the Restoration thereof we have some discovery made of the ex­ercise thereof, Gal. 5.22, 23. among which, Faith, that excellent grace is said to be one, which, since the death of the spirit, is the gift of God, and a part of the spirits resurrection and life.

3. The spirit is that which is immortally with God, as in Eccles. 12.7. The spirit returns to God that gave it; and who dares say more returned, either that the Soul or life doth, and not be guilty of adding to the Word?

4. It was the Spirit Christ breathed out, and no more, and the Spirit he was so careful of to commit to the hands of God, and nothing else, Mat. 27.50. Mark 15.37. Luke 23.46. all which Scriptures shew that nothing [Page 6]went forth of Christ at his death but his Spirit, and as not out of him, so not out of us, Psal. 76.13. & 78.39. & 104.29. Judg. 15.19. And thus Stephen, Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my spirit; had his Soul then left his body, he would have been as careful of the one as the other: See 2 Cor. 5.6. the spirit is with the Lord, the body dead.

5. As the spirits of just men are immediate with God, so unbeleevers re­turn to God also, and receive the sentence of condemnation, and commit­ment to prison: 1 Pet. 3.18, 19, 20. But quickned in the spirit, by which he (Christ) went and preached to the spirit in prison, that sometime were disobedient, in the days of Noah. 1. The spirits, not Souls not bodies, are in prison, yea see Gen. 6.3. 2. They are the spirits of those bodies were disobedient in the days of Noah at his preaching; so that what men falsly attribute to the Soul, is in truth by God in Scripture only said of the spirit.

6. The spirit is to be raised by the Spirit of Christ, not the Soul nor bo­dy; John 6.63. The flesh profiteth nothing, it is the spirit quickneth: So that the delusion of the times takes off men from the true and immediate use of Christ and the Scriptures.

7. The spirit thus raised is that which God mainly respects in his service; Joh. 4.23. Those that worship God, shall worship him in spirit and in truth: 1 Cor 14.15. If I sing, I will sing with the spirit, &c. Phil. 3.3.

8. The spirit seems to be of an unknown excellency by what Paul says, 1 Cor. 5.3. Col. 2.5. Though absent in body, yet present in spirit: How the spirit may be present in the absence of the body, and how the Apostle intends it, is a mystery.

9. The seat of the spirit is the mind, which is the sublimer part of the Soul, as the Soul in the blood the most excellent part of the body, (1.) That so it may have the more command and readier influence on the whole man, (2.) That being the next or nearest to its self in being & in likeness, Ro. 12.2.

10. The converse of God is with the spirit, as the spirit with the Soul, the flesh and spirit are contrary; the flesh in those are sanctified wars a­gainst the Soul, 1 Pet. 2.11. 2 Tim. 4.22. Phil. 25.

11. Whereas men are the fathers of the flesh and soul, God is the Father of spirits, Heb. 12.9. Eccles. 12.7.

12. Every man hath a particular spirit; Christ as man calls his, my spi­rit; Stephen his, my spirit; Mary hers, her spirit, both male and female, Gen. 45.27. Jacob his spirit, 2 Cor. 3.17. & 2.13.

13. In this part of man it is the Apostle alludes unto, when he saith, that in Adam all dye, 1 Cor. 15.22. The actual sins we after commit are not of Adam, though death of soul and body are annexed to it, Rom.

Death raigned over those had not sinned after Adams transgression: Vide Acts 5.5, 10. 1 Chron. 5.26. Dan. 5.20.

14. That every man, even wicked men, have each a distinct spirit, Deut. 2.30. see how the King of the Amorites is said to have his spirit hardened, and heart obstinate.

If any shall be so blind as to deny this truth, see Job 32.7, 8. I said, days should speak, and multitude of years should speak wisdom: But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them under­standing. 1 Cor. 6.17.

1. It is not in days or years, or other acquired habits, that inables men to speak profitably, effectually, feelingly, but the spirit in man makes a man more wise then his Teachers.

2. The Almighty, when the spirit is quickened, gives it understanding, which the Soul should never have, or can have, from God; for the Soul­man understandeth not the things of God, nor can he; but the spirit is taught of God the things eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it en­tred into the heart of man to consider. Acts 6.9, 10.

3. Hence the regenerate man is called [...], 1 Cor. 2.15. of which Origen on Rom. 1.4. Puto quod consuetudine sua Apostolus utatur etiam in hoc loco, sciens mediam semper esse animam inter spiritum & carnem & aut jungere se carni & effici unum cum carne, aut sociare se spiritui & esse unum cum spiritu, ex qu [...] si quidem cum carne sit carnales homines fiant, si vero cum spiritu spiritales & idcirco extrinsecus eam non nominat sed carnem tantum vel spiritum scit enim alteri horum ne­cessario animam cohoerere sicut in his ad quos dicit vos autem in carne non estis sed in spiritu. Per Archon. Lib. 2. de anima, Orig. 32 Homil. John understands what is written of the flesh and spirit in Gal. 5. from vers. 17, 23. is meant of our flesh and our spirit, and not of the Spirit of God.

4. Solomon gives the most clear description of the spirit, Prov. 20.27. [...], The candle or light of the Lord is the spirit of man, or the inspiration of man; he alludes to what was done in the Crea­tion. 1. Signifying, when man fell, this candle was put out. 2. When men are regenerated, the Lord lights it, Mat. 5.15. 3. The Conscience is the remain of that light in man, of which Job saith, Job 18.6. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, that is, his Conscience within him shall be extin­guisht, Job 21.17. sinning against the light of Conscience, they put out the candle light: Job 29.3. When his candle the spirit shined on me, my head, by his light I shall pass the darkness: 1 Thes. 5.19. Quench not the Spirit.

[Page 8]5. This breathing of God into the face of man is a metaphorical expres­sion, used of God for condescention to man, and commends to us some im­mediate way God had to communicate himself to man, more then to the other of the terrestrial Creatures, by which he was said to be after the image and likeness of God.

Object. Ephes. 2.18. There is one Spirit; so that men have not each a particular spirit in them; and Ephes. 4.4.

1 Resp. This is not spoke of the spirit of man, but God.

2, Nor as man a Creature, but a Christian; all Beleevers had this Spirit, but no Unbeleevers.

3. This is not the spirit of man, but that Spirit is the Spirit to the spirit of man, and gives it life again as at first.

4. Of this it is said, If any have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Object. Eccles. 3.19. Man and beasts are said to have one [...], that is, one spirit.

1. [...] here, is taken for wind, or breath, not spirit; he in the same place speaks of the death of them both, in which they are one, though not in the Resurrection.

2. Vers. 21. he comes again with the same word, and then distinguisheth the beasts spirit from mans, the one goeth up to higher beatitude and enjoy­ments, the other descendeth to its first matter and being at its end.

3. The now ignorance of the Soul and spirit among men, sufficiently shews what a vail of darkness is on the faces of the wise and prudent of the times, who cry down New Lights, because in love with the old dark­ness: The Philosophers saying is useful, Nosce tei psum.

Acts 17.28. We are his off-spring. The Poet in this alludes to Gods breathing into man the breath of life, in which he came to spring off or from God, he having in him a likeness of God through the immortality of spirit, and its spirituality of nature with the other endowments of his Soul.

The Soul and Spirit are so distinct,

1. That now the Soul feels not the death of the spirit.

2. Nor when the Soul and body dye, doth the spirit feel any thing there­in of pain, but the Soul only.

Object. God at once breathed in Soul and spirit, therefore they are one.

1. They are not one as in their names.

2. There are said to be lives begun in man at that one breathing, which must distinguish them in the effence & being of them, and one must hereby be better or greater, more like God, and have more of God, then another.

Ephes. 4.23. Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind.

[Page 9]1 In this yee have the seat of the spirit, which is the supream part of the Soul, Job 20.3. Datur homini ut maneat, & quasi caput ejus sit. Ambrose, 1 Thes. 5.23.

2 Its effects or acts there, are to spiritualize the mind, Romans 8.6.

3 The survay of man is of the spirit, 1 Cor. 2.11. which now only doth remain in that obliterated fragment of the Conscience in man.

4 The spirit under the Gospel-state in time of grace is to be renewed, this is the now work of God and Christ, Titus 3.5. in which he is born again.

5 The mind without the spirit to God, is as the body without the soule to man 1 Pet. 1.22. the Spirit by the Word comes to purifie the soule.

6 The carriage of man is from his spirit, as high spirited, meek, hasty, Elias spirit, Luk. 9.55. Yee know not of what spirit ye are of. O but we know not we have any.

Jude 19. [...] soule men, not having a spirit.

1 The spirit being dead, as Gen. 42.13. they are said not to be.

2 They wanting the light of the spirit, did corruptly corrupt the truth and way of God, and did their owne wills instead of Gods: setting up Churches, administring the Ordinances of God according to their sence, not the Spirit of God.

Object. If any say these distinctions are made by me onely, I com­mend to him, Heb. 4.12. The Word of God is quicke, &c. divides a sunder the Soule and the Spirit.

1 Yee see here is a Soul and Spirit.

2 The Word of God divides a sunder these, and not confounds them.

3 The Word shews what the Spirit is, and what the Soule is, and what Christ hath done for either; and will do in them, and shall be done to them.

4 No man hath the use, knowledge, or the understanding of the word of God, until he seeth how these are divided, and thereby divide the word aright to them.

5 Those that speak against the dividing of them, seek to take away the edge of the Word, the life and power of it, and so to make it uselesse to men.

1 Cor. 15.44. It is sown (that is by birth) a soule body, it is raised (in the first resurrection) a spirituall body; there is a soule body (the [Page 10]naturall man) and a spiritual (the regenerate) Ver 46. But the spiri­tuall body is not first, but the soule body (the naturall man) and after the spiritual body (that is after regeneration.)

Ver. 47. clears this truth, The first man Adam was of the earth, the second from heaven, vide ver. 48, 49.

Vide 1 Cor. 2.15. The spirituall man judgeth all things, the naturall [...] the soule man, understandeth not the things of God.

The divine nature of mans spirit appeares to be far above the soule, in that it hath not respect to creature delights as the soule hath, Eccles. 2.11. Salomon of all found nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit; so that the spirit is vexed with the delusions and deceipts, it seduces and wars against the poor soule, with 1 Pet. 2, 11.

Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit.

1 The flesh lusteth for temporal food, and neglects spirituall; the spirit lusteth for spirituall, and neglects temporal, to keep under his body.

2 The flesh and spirit are contrary, but not flesh and soule in the na­turall, nor soule and spirit, in the regenerate man.

Eccles. 8.8. No man hath power over the Spirit to retaine the Spirit, nor hath he power in the day of death.

The words are thus to be read, no Adam (flesh) hath power over the spirit for the restraining of it nor hath it power in the day of death.

1 The Spirit is not under mans, but Gods authority.

2 Nor hath man in the day of death any thing to doe with the spirit, no not to Judgement: who art thou that judgest another?

3 So that what ignorantly is applied to the foule, that the Scriptures in the name of God applies to the spirit.

4 This was excellently fulfilled in Paul, vide Gal. 1.16. of the soule it is said otherwise, Rom. 13.1.

1 Pet. 4.6. For this cause was the Gospel preached to them that are dead: that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

1 The Gospell, that is the Grace of Christ, is only to be preached to those who are dead, that is, spiritually dead to the world and themselves.

2 Speaking graciously to them, and of them in compassion to their infir­mities as it is said of God, he remembred that they were but flesh, so God in the Gospel speaks to man as in flesh, in weaknes and infirmities of body.

3 Yet that they should live according to God in the spirit.

4 The Gospell is to be preached to none but these.

5 Nor to no other end, but as before.

The death of the spirit in Man

1 Is in this excellently manifested, that man knows it not, Eccles. 3.21. who doth know the spirit of man?

2 That he is so insensible of it, that he knows not that he hath a spirit in him, but takes soule for spirit, and spirit for soule, nor can hee distinguish any operation of the spirit, distinct from the soule.

3 If he doe, it is to place it in some inferior region in the body below the soule, as the animall, vitall, naturall; how far these are below the spi­rit, and how far contrary to that God in his philosophy speaks, every man may judge.

4 Nor doth man misse the lack of its use and knowledge, so that his spirit indeed is not to him being [...] only.

Theoph. on 1 Thes. 5.23. By the spirit of man understandeth the Spirit of God in man. Saith he, Spiritus, id est, donum quod per baptismum jam accepistis. Augustine on the words, Quid hic spiritum vocat, donum spiritus. Ambrose saith thus, Ut integer sit spiritus datus nobis: and after, ad hoc enim datur homini ut maneat, & sit quasi caput ejus: In this whether he speaks of it as of the Spirit of God or man, judge yee; But I take it as of man, if not, see into what a darknesse the world was fallen in, in four hundred years time after Christ, when men had lost the light of the word, that discovered to them the being of the Spirit in them, and with it the right use of Christ in the time of grace, and what his work was, and whereon to be.

1 That the Spirit here is clear, a part of us, a part of the lot of man­kind.

2 That this spirit is to be sanctified as well as the body or soule, and needs sanctification by the Spirit of God.

3. Eccles. 3.21. and in many other places; Stephen said, my spirit, not thy Spirit, Lord receive: and so Mary; who knoweth now indeed the spirit of man, when men know not that they have a spirit of their own within them? Ezek. 13.3.

No wonder Austin and others run to philosophy (having lost the knowledge of the Spirit which was immortal) to prove the soule immor­tall against the Scripture: upon which philosophicall hinges the Divinity of the now times are hanged, in which untruths, error, and deceipts are told the people, to the overthrow of hope, and shaking of faith in men, and destruction of the Truth: and in this follow not the Lords Spirit but their own, Ezek. 13.3.

Psal. 103.16. [...] For the wind passeth over [Page 12]it, and it is gone, which is a grosse corrupting of the word by the mis­translating of it.

In Ver. 15, The Prophet speaks of [...] the sorrowfull man, saying, for the Spirit was in him is departed, and he is not to us, his place shall know it no more, which is said of the falne flower or soule of man, see the part of the soule in 1 Pet. 1.24.

Object. The Spirit God breathed into man is God.

Resp. Amos 4.13. God is said to create the spirit as other things and that [...] here is spirit, not wind; he after in the next words mentions [...] the body and soule.

Heb. 4.12. Dividing between the spirit, and soule, and marrow, and bones, and joynts, and sinews.

1 The word divides between soul and spirit, which proves they are not by Gods word one and the same, as men after themselves teach and affirm.

2. Whereas other object, that it is but a dividing of the same thing ex­pressed by severall tearms, as a dividing marrow, joynts, bones, which are all of the body.

Resp. 1. It is granted, the soule and body are of different natures.

2 The body indeed being a gross corporeal substance may be divided be­twixt its several parts, but the soul being of a spiritual nature is individual.

3 The spirit being more spiritually sublime, is more unpossible to be divided then the soule.

4 Nor is the spirit a part of the soule; no more then the soule is a part of the body; but far more exceeds the soule, then the soule the body.

Exod. 21.23 If there be death [...] (the word signifies murder) thou shalt give soule for soule, we corruptly read life for life.

Jerem. 38.15. As the Lord liveth made us this soule; but the spirit, Eccles. 12.7. is said to be given of God, so that the being of one in man, is in a different way of being from the other.

5 It seems to me all the soules of men are but one soule divided, Deut. 24.7. and Act. 17.26. which is the ground of love, all being as one man, and so thy own flesh, Isa. 58.7. Jer. 38.15.

The first general of the soule.

That every naturall man before regeneration is called [...] a soule­man, 1 Cor. 14.

1 Because his spirit being dead in him, his soule is the most excellent part in being in him.

2 He is guided by the darke light of his soule, to act all, and only ac­cording threunto.

[Page 13]3 He knows nothing higher then that of his soule is dictated to him; yea, nor can he receive, before his spirit be quickened, anything of a higher nature, 1 Cor. 2.14.

[...]

Rom. 13.1. Let every soule be subject to the higher powers, In the Syr. and Arab. it is nephes, and Sultanan as the Heb.

Note God speaking of the spirit, Eccles. 8.8. Says no man hath power Schallit over the spirit, which the Greek 70 renders by [...], which shews the highest power was of the [...], &c.

1 The soule and spirit are two.

2 They strangely differ, one is subject, the other not to power.

3 That, that is subject to power, power can reach by the sword, but the other that they cannot.

Of the second part of man [...] the soule [...].

The excellency whereof is noted Matth. 16.22. Mark. 8.37.

1 In its creation or originall being, it was spired into man of God im­mediately, which proves sufficiently it far exceeds the beasts soule, which with the bodies had their being together from the earth, Gen. 2.7. Gen. 1.

2 The ordinary way of continuance of the same.

1 It is not said as of the Spirit that God gives it.

2 But of the contrary are said to come out of the loyns of the parents, Gen. 46.26. Exod 1.5. vide Ezek. 16.5. Heb. 7.10.

3. It is not said to return to God, but goe to the grave, Act. 2.27, 31. Job 33.18, 20, 22, 28, 30. Isa. 38.17. Psal. 49.15. and 94.17.

4 That with the body it is to partake of the resurrection, Act. 2.31. seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soule was not left in hell, nor his flesh did not see corruption.

1 Here are two parts, the flesh and soule.

2 These were in the grave.

3 These had both interest in the resurrection of Christ.

4 What was done in Christ, is to be done in Saints, because done for them. Now of the soule of Christ 1. It is said he poured out his soule to death, Isa. 53.12.

2 He is said to give his [...] soule for his sheep, John 10.11. ver. 15. he layeth it down, ver. 17. he saith, the father loved him because he laid downe [...] his soule. O did God love his Son for this? and shall this so great a cause of love be hid from us? Have not we much more cause to love him for it, and inquire into it, that it may be a cause [Page 14]of our love to him? also what need have our hearts to be stirred up there­unto. O know to lay down [...] the life a vapour is nothing like this, to ingage Gods love to Christ, or mans either.

3. 1 John 3.16. in this we have knowne love, because he laid downe his soule for us; as if without this laying downe of his soule, no soule can know his love, not in laying down of his life, or being man, &c. Io. 15.13.

4. What Christ did, we may, and ought doe, by laying downe our souls for the brethren.

5 Isa. 53.10. His soul was made an offering for sin, in which we may see how far the soule of Christ acted in the work of our salvation, and how unable wee are to bee saved without it, and beleeving it, against all which, men oppose themselves in these dayes.

6 His soule was in the grave, Act. 2.31.

7 He saith, his soule was heavy to the death, Math. 26.38.

Quer. If all this were done in Christs soul, whether our souls are not capable of, and lyable to the same things in this world, he was in all things tempted like us.

Object. Christ suffered in the flesh for us, 1 Pet. 4.1. and therefore not in his soule.

1 His suffering in the flesh, contains all those sorrows, afflictions, pains and torments, were laid on him before his death.

2 In his death, and death of soule was the last end of all his suffer­ings.

3 The pouring of his soule out to death, was in the soul a suffering in a speciall manner.

4 As he that saith Christ ascended into Heaven with his body, in so saying, denies not he also ascended into the heavens in his soule; so in saying Christ suffered in his flesh, it is not denyed that he also suffered in his soule.

8 The soule and body of Christ being thus carryed home to the house of death, the grave, Christ by his Spirit and Almightinesse redeems his soule, and in that others, destroying death, delivers the body from the grave, and the bonds thereof, Hos. 13.14.

9 The excellency of the soule Mat. 16.22. Mark. 8.37. what shall it advantage a man to gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soule?

10 If figurative speeches would prove any thing, Rev. 16.3. were ef­fectuall, where mens soules of the Antichristian estate are every one said [Page 15]to dye, which shews it concerns men of the false Church estate every one of them to mind their estates.

Matth. 20.28. He gave [...] his soule a ransome for many.

1 The soule of Christ was the ransome.

2 This ransom was paid by death, or could not be paid, Mar. 10.45. 1 Joh. 3.16.

Rev. 12.11. They loved not their souls to death.

1 That is, they gave their souls to death.

2 This the word injoyns saying, he that saveth shall lose his soul.

The fleshy nature of the soule is clear, in that it came out of the loyns by propagation, in that God saith, what ever is of the flesh is flesh, Joh. 3.6.

1 This is notably manifested in the seat of the soule, that it is in the blood, Eccles. 6.2. Luk. 12.23. is not the soule more then meat, and the body then raiment? Math. 6.25. Luk. 12.22. Take no thought for your soule, what yee shall cate or what yee shall drinke, Eccles. 6.2, 3.

Note 1. Rayment, that is proper to the body, that looks for it.

2 The soule, that minds meat and drink, careing for it as being very sensible of the lack thereof, and delighted in the injoyment of it, Salo­mons Prov. 27.7. The full soul loatheth the hony comb, but to the hun­gry soule every bitter thing is sweet, Psal. 107.5. Hungry and thirsty, their soules fainted in them.

Note it is observable, God speaking of spirituall hunger, he saith not he hath filled the hungry soul, but the hungry (only) with good things, Luk. 1.53. or as Psal. 107.9. he distinguishes the soule hungring for goodnesse, and that for meat and drink.

3. Job. 33.20. His life abhorreth bread, and his soule desireable meat, the soul it longs for meats that are pleasing to its appetite, in which is the sensuality of it.

Note this is an emminent argument of the soules fleshy nature, and sub­jectnesse to mortality.

4 If the soule may live without, why saies the Lord to it, to take it off, your father knoweth that yee have need of these things?

5 Why doth he use this Argument to the soule, that it is more then food, as to the body that it is more then raiment; if the soules necessitys were not supplyed in the one, as the bodies in the other?

Reason of it, is because the seat of the soule is in the blood, which is fed with food, meat and drinke.

6. Gen. 34.3. Shechems soule clave unto Dinah, which shews the [Page 16]terrene carnall nature of the soule being conversant about fleshly things.

Object. Fleshly lusts war against the soule, 1 Pet. 2.11. here it seems the desires of meat and drink are not of the soule, but the flesh, here by wars against it.

Resp. 1. I beseech you as Pilgrims and Strangers to be taken off from fleshy lusts which war against the soule.

Noting that the fleshly lusts of the soule did oppose and hinder it from those things, did more especially concern it, which were offered to them by the Spirit, but care of eating and drinking would not give them leave.

This is no more then what Christ did before, in saying, take no care what yee shall eate.

Here in the flesh they are but Pilgrims and strangers to the world, and therefore the soul to seek satisfaction in these was against it selfe.

1. In that he exhorts them to be taken off from them, shews the whole man, flesh, body, and dead spirit were once all fixt upon it, and after quickening, troubled with it.

2 And whereas the flesh and spirit may say and object, why we must care for meat and drinke, these are so necessary that our soule cannot be without it.

Note the Spirit of God makes as it were an answer to it, saying, the lusting after these things doe warre against the soule, and were enemies to it.

And shewes that these things they should have, without having their minds carryed after, and perplexed with care for them, as in Luk. 12.22.

3 It is usuall that the mind of man is divided into carnall and spirituall; whiles it is set on cloath and food, it is carnal; when on God and Christ, spirituall.

Note now, the soule of the regenerate is for spirituall things, but the souls care of food, wars against him in those desires of life God hath quickened in him, to kill and destroy them.

4 It shews how the soule is affected with fleshy things, the delights, sweetnesse, pleasure, gaine, losse of them, and how the gay out-side things of the world are in its mind, being said to be carnally minded, and men sowing to the flesh.

Note Salomon, Eccles. 6.7. All the labour of the Adam is for his mouth, yet his soule is not satisfied.

1 In these words are the Adam body, and nephes the soule.

2 What the Adams labour is for, it is for his mouth, that is, meat to give it.

[Page 17]3 After it is in the mouth, then it comes to the soule, that is not satisfi­ed with what the hands can get, either it is not sweet enough, or good enough, or it hath not quantity enough for to keep him many years. Ha­ving got one thousand, why, it is not enough, it would have ten thousand, yea, all the world, Prov. 27.20. The eyes of man are never satisfied; the body serves an ill Master in the soule; it is like Death and Hell, whiles it is carnally minded; What shall I eate, what shall I drink, what shall I have to morrow, next yeare? he thought he had pleased his soule well, Luk. 12.18, 19.

Psal. 66.9. He holdeth our soule in life.

1 The soule and life are distinct.

2 The soule of all are held in life, or they would dye.

3 God it is holds our soule in life, and suffers not our feet, that is the bodily being to be moved, Psa. 78.50. and 1.16.8. and 22.19.

Ester 7.3. She prayed for the soule of Ahasuerus.

Psal. 22.29. All they that goe down to the dust shall bow before him, (and his soule is not living) or none can keep alive his own soule.

1 The body goeth down to the dust.

2 They are said as dying men to bowe and stoop to God, Isa. 10.4. vide Pagnine on [...].

3 The soul that is not alive, none, when the body goeth to dust, can keep alive his own soule.

4 This John 19.30. was fulfilled in Christ, he bowed the head, and gave up the spirit, man bows before he dyes, Gen. 49.33. and thence are stretched out after death.

Acts 27.10. I perce [...]ve that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading of the ship, but also of our soules.

1 The soules were subject to losse and ruine, as ship and goods.

2 If the soule were immortall, then he would not have put the goods and soule in the same state, as in ver. 22. there shall be no losse of any soule. that is, none shall die.

Rom. 2.5.16. Shews in this chapter the day of Judgement is looked on and spoken of.

Ver. 6. When God renders to every man according to his deeds, Ver. 8, 9. Then on every soule that is contentious, and doth disobey the truth, shall be tribulation and anguish.

And first shews that untill then the soul of man suffers none of these.

2 If it were immortall it should doe as well as the spirit, 1 Pet. 3.19. which proves the spirit immortall, the soul mortall.

The next Generall that proves the mortality of the souls is.

1 That it is joyned, with the flesh, and called flesh.

2 That when dis-joyned it is called blood, which pertains to flesh, and divided by the word flesh.

1 The Scripture cals the Soule and Body flesh.

Gen. 6.3. My spirit shall not alwaies strive with man, for that hee also is flesh, the words may be better read thus, My spirit shall not strive in man for ever, because that he is flesh, by which the 1 Pet. 3.19. is only to be interpreted.

1 Note the spirit was dead, what else was in man was of a fleshly na­ture; yea, God cals it flesh.

2 Though he cals man Adam, as if he meant his body, yet after saying [hee] he comprehended soule and body, as all flesh was in being in him.

3 While man is flesh, there is but a striving with them, and as it were an outstanding by them of the spirit, called a resisting of the spirit, Act. 7.51. [...], fall against the holy spirit.

Matth. 26.41. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.

1 Flesh and spirit are opposed onely, the soule not mentioned.

2 The soule is fleshly in good men, not spiritual, and therefore is to be understood in flesh, and not in the word spirit.

3 Whereas it saith weake only, it speaks of the inclinations of the soul, not the flesh, Rom. 7.18. In me, that is in my flesh, dwels not any good thing.

John 6.63. It is the spirit quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.

1 Here are only two parts as before.

2 It signifies that where the spirit is not a quickening spirit, there the flesh and soule profits not.

3 That the first resurrection is of the spirit, the next of soule and body, and that of the soule and body, without this of the spirit profits not, but rather aggravates its misery and woe.

2 When it speaks of the naturall man whose spirit is dead, and so is said not to be, Gen. 42.13. as Joseph, whom his brethren thought was dead, is said not to bee, so the spirit in naturall man being dead, hee is called by the name of [...], as if he had no spirit, 1 Cor. 2.14. and 15.44. It is distinguished by flesh for the body, and soule for the blood: The Reasons of it.

[Page 19]1 Blood is the soule of Beasts, or the soule is said to be in the blood.

2 Blood is the seat of the soule of man, it is called the blood soule, Prov. 28.17. he that hath done violence to the blood soule, shall flye to the pit, Deut. 27.26.

1 Here is violence to the blood.

2 That is done to the blood, is done to the soule.

Note, In this is the d [...]stinction of the soule of man and beast.

1 The beasts blood and soule were together out of the earth at once.

2 Mans blood was out of the earth, but his soule by which that blood came to be inanimated was from God, yet the blood in man was the seat of the soule as in beasts.

3 Yet in Gen. 9.5. It is spoken closely hereunto, thou shalt not eate the flesh with his soule, his blood Gen. 9.5. [...].

1 Which shewes the grosnesse of the nature of the soule, and its fleshy kind.

2 It shews how we are to understand the word blood when set down in opposition to, and distinguished from the flesh or body of man, and therefore called the blood of the soule, to shew, that when the blood was spoke of, the soule was intended thereby, not the body.

Matth. 16.17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee.

1 If by flesh and blood be nothing else here intended, but that one part of man, his Adam, [...], body, it is clear this without the spirit knowes nothing.

2 [...] The soule man that hath body and soule, knows not the things of God, of which here the spirit speaks, 1 Cor. 2.14.

3 Hence by flesh I understand the body.

4 By blood the soule.

5 These two by any innate power of their own, or acquired habits, can­not manifest to the spirit the mystery of God, and salvation by Jesus Christ.

6 The soul is so dead, that what it hath, it must have from flesh and blood which is corruption, or from the father, it is in a state of death, and all it hath is under the same, before Christ hath raised it.

1 Cor. 15.40. Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God.

1 By Kingdom of God here is meant the Church, as it doth com­prehend the dispensations of the spirit within, and of Christ in the Church Discipline without.

2 By flesh, as before, is meant the body.

3 By blood, the soule of the naturall man.

[Page 20]4 By these, untill the spirit be quickened, no man on ear [...] can lay claime to the Kingdome of God, but is by the institution of God debarred it, and therefore faith, one of the fruits of the spirit in those are quickened, is said to be, that by which men were admit­ted to the Kingdome.

Gal. 1.16. I consulted not with flesh and blood.

1 [I] In his spirit now quickened, when the Adam had no pow­er over it, to restrain it.

2 This power is so far by the quickening of the spirit destroy­ed in him, as that he immediately consults not with it, but dis­covers it to be an enemy to Christ and his own felicity.

3 By flesh and blood is meant his soul and body, who had before conspired so together against the Lord and his truth.

4 The reveal [...]ng of Christ in him was the raising of his spirit from that death it lay in; as it was said of Christ, he was revealed to be the Son of God by his raising from the dead, which in us is called the power of his resurrection, Phil. 3.10.

2 Cor. 5.16. We know no man according to the flesh.

1 For blood it is said clearly, God hath made all men of one blood, hence the prohibition in marriages did arise to prevent its confusion. A thing of speciall note,

2 The flesh, which is of a more externall concernment.

1 He shews one man is not better according to the flesh then an other, nor fitter for the Kingdome.

2 It is prohibited by any prerogative it can have of the King­dome.

3 That it were the gifts of God, not the inward endowments of nature, or the outward beauty of the body was in the administra­tions of the Gospell to be respected.

Heb. 2.14. For as much as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood, be also himselfe tooke part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death.

1 By flesh and blood the natural mans body and soule are in this place set out, of which Christ was a real partaker, being made like to us in all things, sin only excepted.

2 As far as Christ was flesh and blood, he suffered death.

3 By this death of his he destroyed him that had the power of death, which is the Devill, which death was the pouring out of his soule to death.

[Page 21]4 Without the right understanding in what and how Christ di­ed, no true, nor right use of his death can be made.

The understanding of flesh and blood in this sence opens many hid Truths.

1 That when the spirit of God names the body, the soule is usually added to it, when flesh, then blood sets out the soule.

2 As flesh and blood are together, so soule and body are, as ap­pears in the Scripture dialect.

Note, Moses sprinkling the people with the blood of the beasts, called the blood of the Covenant, sprinkled them with the soule of the beasts; and the blood of the new Covenant is the blood of the soule of Christ, though not the soule.

1 Cor. 11.27. He is guilty of the body and blood of Christ.

1 If by blood be meant the soul, how necessary is the cup? Christ gave not his flesh, but blood also; how doe the Papists abuse poor men in keeping it away?

2 If by the blood be meant in the Scripture the soul, multitudes of Scripture are not yet understood but in a carnal sence, which wil spiritually in glory appear on their manifestation.

3 Luk. 13.1. Pilats sin, namely, in mixing mans blood with the blood of the beasts which hee sacrificed to Satan, aggravates the sinne.

4 If the body comprehends the blood, or the blood be spoke of as of the body only, why are they thus distinguished? in a word, it is to set forth the Lords death, who dyed in soul, as well as body.

Job 2.4. All that a man hath will be give for [...] his soule, ver. 6. He is in thy hand, but spare his soule.

And this agrees with that of Christ, What shall a man give in ex­change of his soule.

Acts 20.24. I account not my soule dear to my selfe.

1 The regenerate part speaks (the spirit) which was above the soul.

2 It speaks its esteem of his soule.

3 On what account it speaks so, it would not speak so upon any other occasion whatsoever.

Ezek. 18.20. The soule that sinneth, it shall dye. Orig. 13 Tom. on John pag. 191.

1 The spirit dyed in Adam, in Adam all die, by that which is cal­led Original sin.

[Page 22]2 The soule that lives by another life in the body, and is under the law Morall, the transgressions whereof were death; so that [...]ere is intended the Lords mediate punishing of man with death by the Magistrate, or else immediate by himselfe.

In V. 3. Ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb, the Fathers have eate sowre grapes, and the Childrens teeth are set on edge.

1 This proverb was true in the spirits death, by that sin is called originall in Adam.

2 God saith it should be so no more.

3 Now the next death is of the soule, to which in the after Scripture he only alludes, Ver. 4. All soules are mine, as the soule of the Father, so of the Son, the soule that sinneth it shall dye.

4 No soule by justice dyeth, but for breach of the moral Law [...]one, which is properly its by act, not imputation.

5 It is clear, each man hath a particular soul, as well as spirit or [...]ody, if any two bodies had one soule, it were the Father and [...]on, which the word doth say are distinct.

6 If yee understand by death, eternal death only, then yee make void the Law of God.

7 There is a notable distinction used by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6.18. Fornication is sin unto the body of all other sin; and James, sin ari­seth from lust.

1 Pet. 1.24. All flesh is grasse, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grasse, the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth.

1 The body is the flesh, the grasse.

2 The soule, the flower and glory of man.

3 As the grasse withereth, the flower falleth,

4 The end of the one and the other seem to differ, as they differ in themselves, but fade and fall together.

5 The grasse and flower are of one nature, and subject to change, though differing in their forme and beauty.

Object. 1. 1 Pet. 4.19. Commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing.

Hence men are to commit their soules as well as spirits to God.

Resp. 1. The soule is committed to God in well doing, not in dy­ing, (as the spirit is said to be) before, not in death.

2 The soule is kept from the evil of sin, the spirit from the evill of punishment; the one before death, the other after death, Phil. 4.7. 1 Pet. 1.5.

Object. 2. James 5.20. Shall save a soule from death. Which proves a beleevers soul dieth not, or is not subject to death.

1 The naturall mans spirit is already dead.

2 The salvation here is not temporall but eternall; not now, but hereafter.

3 That is, he saves the soule from hell, the second death, from which Christ saves soule and body of beleevers.

4 That this is the mind of God is clear, for God saves not the elects soule from the temporall death, or sleep of the soule.

5 Nor is it desired of, or beneficiall to them, for death is theirs, and death is to mee gaine, saith St. Paul: so that this doctrine of the soules sleep is not condemned, if understood according to the mind of the Gospell.

Object. 3. James 2.26. As the body without the spirit is dead.

1 This shews the dependance of the body, for its naturall life is on the spirit as well as soule, when Christ gave up the spirit he dyed.

2 This is true, if yee understand breath here by spirit.

3 And that the soules dependance is on the spirit also for life, in the reall absence whereof it dieth.

Object. 4. Act. 20.10. Trouble not your selves, [...], his soule is in him: whence it appears the bodies dependance is on the soule only.

Resp. 1. He speaks of the soule, because he felt the soule, and while that was felt in him, his spirit was in him.

2 The soul is more discernable and materiall then the spirit.

3 As soon as the spirit leaves a man, the soule is no longer dis­cernable to be in a man.

Object. 5. Rev. 21.8. The lake burns with fire and brimstone, is the se­cond death.

Now you say the spirit is dead, you say the soule after dyeth, then that of hell is the third death.

Resp. The death of the spirit, and the after death of soule and body, is but one death on the whole man.

2 The second death is not of a part, but the whole man, the one before, the other after the day of Judgement.

3 As the widow woman 1 Tim. 5.6. so all men naturall are dead (in spirit) while they live (in body and soule) being partly dead, and partly alive, untill death hath put an end to body and soule, foregoing the resurrection.

Job. 33.30. He hath delivered my soule from death, that my life may praise him in the light.

[Page 24]1 Soule and life are distinct.

2 The deliverance of his soule was when God chap. 2. said to Satan, he should not meddle with his soule, and all the rest was given into his hand what ever he had.

3 Satans desire was to have his soule, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his soule.

4 See what a corrupting of the word it is to read here, life for soul, as one word, and in it, one thing for another.

5 Whiles he was denied his soule, he was denyed his life, because his soule was delivered from death in the continuance of his life.

Quest. How Job knew God had given all except this, and that Satan asked his soule.

Resp. Doubtlesse by inspiration, all Scripture is given thereby.

2 He wrote doubtlessely his own life, and then he did it as mo­ved of God to doe it.

1 Note, if by soule were meant the immortal part of man, Satan durst never have asked it.

2 To these distinctions of spirit, soul, body, life, breath, &c. laid down in the word, how have the eyes and hearts of the wise and learned of the world been shut up, concerning which as Paul 1 Cor. 1.20. [...] yea, and let me say [...] could not al the learning of the Academies find out this? no, but destroy it; men sought it in Aristotle, Plato, &c. where it was not, not in the word where it is, and by their corrupt principles came to measure the Truth of God, not measuring them by the truth, whose philo­sophy compared with Gods is vaine Philosophy: a poor man ha­ving his spirit quickened by God, and the eye of his understan­ding opened to understand the mind of God, may out of the word teach all the Philosophers in the world, and swallow up their Philosophy, as the sun a small stars light. Oh let the word, and its principles be studied, and these vain studies be laid aside! I make bold to say the day & time is coming it wil be so. The world knows not the worth and use of Gods word, that use those beggarly rudi­ments and dunghils, the forms of all tropes, metaphors, syllogisms are laid down therein, and to be learned thence, that were a way taken to teach men thence, would sanctifie the speech and under­standing of youth, and not corrupt it and darken it.

Object. Eccles. 3.19. That which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts, even one thing befalleth them, as the one dieth so dieth the other, yea, [Page 25]they have all one [...] breath, so that Adam hath no preheminence above a beast.

V [...]. 20. All goe into one place, all are of the dust, and turn to dust a­gaine.

It seems man and beast are equall, and no difference then by this Scripture.

Resp. 1. He here speaks of the Adam that turns to dust.

2 The breath or aire the beast and man injoy, for the injoy­ment of life in the world, is the same indeed.

3 And as for their death, as one dieth, so dieth the other.

Note he yet distinguisheth them in this.

1 That though they dye alike, the body and soule of the beast, that never riseth againe, as that of man doth, chap. 11.9.

2 He hath clearly distinguished them ver. 21. in their spirits, who knoweth the spirit of man that ascendeth to supernals, and the spirit of a beast that descendeth, because from beneath to its bed of earth, as the spirit to God from whence it came.

3 God hath excellently distinguished them in their first form­ing, and in their more excellent being then the other creatures, shining in reason, understanding, wisdome, knowledge, speech.

Polyc. Lyserus on the first of Genesis gives this distinction between the soule of man and beast. Anima omnis carnis sanguis ejus est, de ho­minis autem anima nuspiam ita loquitur.

Ill. The soule in the grave to the body, is as the life of the seed in the earth, which when the first body dieth, it riseth up a new body, 1 Cor. 15.42.

Object. 6. Since God breathed but one breath into Adam, he had but one life, Gen. 2.7.

Resp. 1 Our translation saies so, but corruptly, the Scripture in the Hebrew hath it in the plurall, lives, of different nature.

2 This appears, because there are severall deaths spoke of in the word, and fulfilled in man, one on his spirit, which differs in kind from that of the soule, and then there is death in hell; as God of one matter made many creatures, so of one breath many lives.

Object. Adam was created mortall.

Resp. Death entered by sin into the world, and first ceized on his immortall part the spirit, and after on the soule, had not man finned, death had never been on soul or spirit.

Object. 6. Luk. 12.20. This night they shall require thy soule.

It seems hence the soule is immortall, and was taken from the body by the devils. Note the words are parabolicall.

Resp. 1. Who these they are, is not set down in the Scripture be­fore going, or that that followeth after.

2 By they are meant the grave and death, of whom God saith, I will ransome them from the hand of the grave, and power of death, Hos. 13.14. death hath the soule first, and after the grave hath soule and body.

3 That the grave requires such a soule as fitted for it, and the manner, Isa. 14.9. the grave from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming. And Isa. 5.14. the grave opened her mouth wide. And Salomons Proverbs tel what she means by her cry, give give me this or that soule, Job 17.1. the graves are ready for me.

4 As the grave, so death and the law, compare Ps. 118.18. Ier. 15.2. [...] those are for death to death, God gives him up to death to take him.

Object. 7 He should rather have spoke of his body then.

Resp. As the fool spake to his soule not body, so doth God al­so.

2 If the soule be required, the body must be.

3 The soule and body lie in grave.

4 The foole had more wit then we, he saw his soul did partake of the meat he eat, and drink, and mirth in them; which I have not understood.

Quest. In what was his folly then?

1 In that he made provision for the flesh not spirit, and took up his rest in these earthly things, as if he needed no more.

2 In that he had goods for many years, and his soule might take its ease, and never thought his life was of so short continuance.

3 That he was now to go to the grave, when these should be left to he knew not whom, and he have no more to doe with any such things.

Object. 8. Rev. 6.9.10. The soules under the Altar cry, how long before thou avenge our blood?

Hieron. ad Vigilantium Ep. Lib. 3. ais enim &c. subter aram Dei animas Apostolorum & martyrum consedisse, nec posse suis tumulis, neque ubi volue­runt esse presentes in terra.

Resp. 1. The way of answering Tropological sayings hath been, [Page 27] Theologia symbolica non est argumentativa.

2 But to answer it indeed, is to know what the Altar is, and that is Christ, at whose feet the Martyrs, as the beasts slaine, had their blood poured out, and to which here the Spirit alludes.

3 Where the soules are that are said to bee under the Altar? Resp. Where ever they are, they are under the Altar, and not for­saken of Christ; as Christs soule was not left of his Father; hence they are said to sleep in Jesus: and the dead in Christ, 1 Thes. 4.13, 14. Matth. 27.52.

4 The soules are said to cry after they were slain, ergo, not dead. Resp. A soul hath no articulate voyce to cry with, and therefore can be nothing else, but Gods beholding the blood and past death, the enemy of Saints, Antichrist, had cruelly spilt.

Obj. Here are the soules, and blood of soules; the cry is from the soul, not the blood: Res. It was the same in Abels blood, Gen. 4.10. Heb. 12.24. the soul is not seen nor heard.

6 Of this Altar speaks the Apostle, We have an Altar, which they that serve at the Tabernacle have no right to eate.

7 As the Altar is a metaphoricall speech, so the soules cry, and the souls being under the Altar, under which some Gospel truth, is mystically represented thereby unto us; as that the blood of Saints now came to be inquired after, Revel. 18.24. and 19.2. and 16.6.

Note from the nearnesse of blood and the soule.

1. Gen. 9.4, 5. God giving leave to man to eate flesh, forbid him to eate blood before the Ceremoniall Law.

2 Under the Ceremoniall Law.

3 After the Ceremoniall Law in the Gospel estate, Act. 15.29. by which the esteem, and mystery of Christs blood in the Sacra­ment is exalted.

4 On this ground Marriages of such as are of consanguinity and next affinity with the Husband and Wife, are forbid, because of confusion.

5 There is in eating blood a confusion of souls with soules, as Pilat mingled the blood of men with blood of beasts.

Obje. 9. Every creature of God is good, &c. for it is sanctified by the Word and prayer, 1 Tim. 4.4, 5.

Resp. Note the dependance of its lawfulnesse because sanctified by the word, but if the word forbid a thing, then it is otherwise.

Object. 10. Not that goeth into a man, but that which commeth out doth defile a man, Mat. 15.11.

Res. This is spoken in contempt of a natural defilement by meat, eaten without washt hands, as being the cause of Christs speaking the words.

Note under the Gospell the eating blood is forbid, for the reve­rence to be had to the drinking of the blood of Christ Sacramen­tally, also.

Obj. Tit. 1.15. To the pure all things are pure. 1 Cor. 7.14. Their Wife and children are pure, yet not to be eat, so blood is pure, but not to be eate.

1 Tim. 4.3. The Apostle shews it was a sign of the false Teachers to command to abstain from meates, calling it doctrine of devils, Col. 2.21.

1 See abstinence was from meat, not from drinking blood.

2 It was on a religious ground, not a morall ground, as this.

3 There was an abstinence from meat sacrificed to Idols, 1 Cor. 10.

Object. 1 Cor. 10.25, 27. What ever is sold in the Shambles, and what ever is set before you, eate.

Resp. The Gentiles themselves, but in their Temples and wor­ship, did abstain from eating and drinking blood.

4 The abstinence spok of to the Colossians, was Judaizing absti­nence from meats.

5 That of Timothy was Antichrists corrupt worship, and religion placed in such things.

Object. 11. Matth. 10.28. Fear not those that kill the body, but can­not kill the soule.

1 This Scriptures obscurity is to bee explained by Luk. 12.4. which was spoke at the same time, and the same thing intended in that of Luke, as that of Matthew, as in the verses before these Scriptures, and after, they being the same words, matter and occasi­on in one, as in the other.

2 In which this general rule is to be observed, for the understan­ding the historians of Christs life.

1 That what seems to be obscure in one, we are to seek an expla­nation of in the other.

2 What seems wanting in one, wee ought to seek the supply thereof in the other.

3 That the mind of God is not fully knowne in one history, if the same be recorded by another, nay, nor in two, if recorded in three, as many are; Now this story and words are only set down in this Matth. 10. and Luk. 12 in which two, yee have the mind of God concerning the same.

Matth. 10.28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soule, but rather fear him that is able to destroy both soule and body in hell.

Luk. 12.4. Be not afraid of them that can kill the body, and after that have no more that they can doe; but I will forewarn you whom yee shall fear, fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell.

1 Life is distinguished, as I shewed you before, from the soul. which dyeth by the death of the body, but not in it, being distinct from it.

2 Life as thus distinct from the soule, is said to be taken away by the sword, Job 33.18. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. Thus also in ver. 22. In which life which perisheth by the sword, is that called here the killing of the body, for that is that man doth; on which dissolving the chain of life, the Spirit leaves the soule; and the soule, say some, lyeth in the body asleep in the grave, and under the Altar.

Nor others it is dead by the spirits departure from the soule, as the body by lifes departure from it, in which is dissolved the most glorious fabrick of the earth.

3 Luke speaks of that killing of the soul which is after death, and not at the dissolution of the body in death, even of casting the soul and body into hell.

1 Note on the killing of the body you have compleated the first death of spirit, soule and body in unbeleevers.

2 In that is to be done after, is the second death, which men have no hand in, when God onely casts soule, and spirit, and body into hel, which is the second death; which is that Christs eie is upon,

3 Or that is after the death of the body to be done on it, is to raise the soule and awake that, quicken the body, restore the spirit, and then bring it to Judgement!

It is appointed to all to dye, and after that to come to Judgement.

Note in this place clearly are expressed but two parts of man, his body, his soule, [...], the spirit being dead before.

2 Man, every man, undeniably consists of three, soul, body & spirit.

3 The spirit must be understood here as well as the rest; and that in the soul which canot be killed nor dyeth, not in the way of man.

4 He speaks of the soule rather then spirit, because the men of the world are [...] in their very spirits; yea, God Gen. 6.5. says, man is flesh: soule, spirit, body, are called flesh in that place, through the carnall mind which was in them, eating, drinking, marry­ing, [Page 30]building, planting, onely thought on.

Note from the word, [...] signifieth trucidare, to tear, rend, cut and slash, which may bee done by man on the body, or beasts; but the soule men cannot come at to use it in like kind, being of a more spirituall substance and nature.

2 That Christs eye is especially on this, to take away the discom­forts hung on the hearts of his people, seeing some whipt, others cut, stoned, 2 Cor. 11, 25. sawen asunder, slain with the sword, scour­ged, Heb. 11.37. why this trucidation of men is but on the body, the soule they cannot make suffer in this kind, that joyes within whiles the body indures this without; they cannot tear that, if not that, much lesse the spirit, Job 33.18, 20, 22, 28. the life the sword destroys, not the soule.

Heb. 6.19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soule:

Acts 2.26. Having spoke that the heart should be glad, and the tongue rejoyce, in which the soule was intimated, my flesh also shall rest in hope.

1 It hopes as the soule, and with the soule.

2 The soule and flesh, though they goe to the grave together, yet hope in the Word, Truth, Power and Promises of God, it shall arise and be incorruptible, though it see it not.

3 This is significantly manifested in the [...] moreover (that is, besides my soule) my flesh shall rest in hope.

4 In that hope is the souls, and the only use of it when the soule and body lye in the grave, it describes the soules nature, and e­state.

The Metaphor is thus opened.

1 Whiles the spirituall man in spirit, soule, and body was carri­ed through the sea of this world by the gales of the Spirit of God, and helpe of the north star, and the Word its compasse steered its course towards heaven.

2 But when the Spirit, the Pilot left the ship, the body, the soul went no f [...]rther, but made use of hope as its Anchor, and there rest­ed where the Spirit left it.

3 W [...]ere it waited for the return of the Spirit from the Lord, and the Lord, bringing it to the desired port and Haven of rest with the Lord, in heavenly places.

Heraclitus said, Animis mors est aquam fieri.

[Page 31]1 The Naturalists say, the water that came out of Christs side was that was contained in the Pericardian.

2 What relation this had to the soule, or the soule to it, I dare not determine.

3 This we know, that the Sacraments of Baptisme was institu­ted with water, the Lords Supper with blood. August. Sacramenta manant e latere Christi.

Clemens. Alex. paed. liq. 1. cap. 6.

Sanguis enim invenitur primum genitus in homine, quem nonnulli ausi sunt dicere substantiam animae.

Austins wrote 16 chap. to prove the immortality of the soule, in all which I remember not; he makes use of one Text of Scripture, but Philosophically handles the Question; nor doth he mention the spirit; such a darkness in his time Philosophy had drawn on men who, seeking to be wise became fools.

Ezek. [...]6 9. I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live.

1 A naturall man in that estate is as a child at his birth, in blood and corruption, as he came out of the womb.

2 God in his blood-estate said live, that is quickned her by his Word and Spirit: Thrice live, first in soule, then spirit, naturally, then spiritually.

Vers. 8. God in love covers her nakednesse, makes a Covenant, and becomes her Husband.

Vers. 9. Hee washed her with water baptisme, and washed away her blood, and anoynted her with oyle, that is, with the Holy Spirits Baptisme after beleeving and baptisme, which shewes in this place Gods eye in especiall was on the estate of the Gospell Church.

Vers. 12. A Crown on her head, the state of the Gospel, Rev. 12.1.

Vers. 14. Her renown went among the Gentiles, when follow­ed the Gentiles call.

Note she was alive yet in her blood, when God says again and again live, and shews her life was nothing which she had in her blood. I might on this subject exceed, were it to the purpose pro­pounded.

Vers. 5. [...] In the casting forth of seed was thy soule, where is the male, in coition with the female. Ver. 6. He is in his blood in the womb, when God first gave life to him, as to Adam.

Blood is the seat of the Soule, and so related to, and concerned in it, that great are the mysteries of it, as concerning Jesus Christ.

THe new Testament was made in the blood of Christ, Heb. 13.20. Luk. 22.20. 1 Cor. 11.25.

1 Without shedding of blood is no remission.

2 The blood of Jesus cleanseth the conscience, Heb. 9.14. and from all sin, 1 John 17. Rev. 1.5.

3 Heb. 10.19, 20. By his blood we have an admission to God.

4. Vers. 22. Water is for the body baptism; blood, the conscience.

5. The use whereof was set out in sprinkling pots and cups, Heb. 10.22. 1 Pet 1.2. this speaks peace, Heb. 12.13.

Note in this was the glorious act of redemption wrought and justice more excellently satisfied then in what was done on the body.

1 God requiring blood for blood, when a man was to dye for staying of a man; so now, man being for sin to dye, he cannot be saved, but by the death of his Son for Man.

2 He requires soule for soule, which are indeed the same, and without this there is no remission.

Ap. the necessity of this knowledge I commend to all to judge of, 2 King. 10.24. Gen. 9.5, 6. Exod. 21.23. typified in the beasts slaine for sacrifice Deut. 19.21. 1 John 5.7.

3 Three beare witnesse in heaven in the God-head, the Father, the Word, the Spirit.

4 Three bear witnesse in earth, in the manhood of Christ, the Spirit, the Water, the Blood.

Now these three accordingly are applied by Christ to man, for and towards his restauration descending to him, in which as Eliah, 2 King. 4.34. Christ applyed himselfe to man to restore him.

1 Using his Spirit to quicken the dead spirit of man, by which the Lord is called a quickening Spirit.

2 After that hee applyes the water, answering to his humane nature, to wash the body by baptism.

3 The blood in the Lords Supper, and in redemption by his blood, which is the soule part of Christ, to cleanse the Consci­ence. John 19.34, 35.

[Page 33]1 If we have not the use of Christ in these severall ways as he hath appointed to communicate himselfe to man, our faith is vain.

2 This of the spirit is all that, and the first only necessary thing to be apprehended, for the flesh profiteth nothing, it is the spirit quickeneth, Joh. 6.63.

3 The end of grace here is, that men may be raised in spirit, and be partaker of the first resurrection, Rev. 20.6. unlesse this be done, Christ doth nothing, and this is to be done on the dead spirit, or there is nothing done.

4 As the spirit hath its good by Christs Spirit, so the soule by Christs soule, and flesh by Christs flesh.

5 The good of each was properly to arise from the severall parts of Christ to those in man, as the sinner needed them; Christ being proportioned, and fitted to be a perfect Saviour.

Object. Gen. 35, 18. As her soul was going forth, (for she died. The soul) as the spirit goeth forth of the body at death.

Resp. 1. The dissolution of that unity was between spirit and soule, and soule and body, as the cause of death.

2 It is like the soule goeth forth with the spirit, though it is not said to goe to God, but dyeth; or sleeps, as with the soule fol­lows after the life, and the body dyeth.

Object: The soule and the spirit are one.

I Answer, that is against Scripture.

Object. As the spirit goeth forth to God, so the soule.

Resp. The Scriptures say not such a word of the soule.

The word [...] in the new Testament so often used hath a notable significancy in it, to set this out; for it signifies man the whole at death, to suffer a resolution of parts; the Spirit divided from Soule, and Soule from Body in the corrupting thereof.