A good and seasonable CAVEAT FOR CHRISTIANS.  
Delivered in a Sermon at the funeral of the Right worshipful Sir Charles Shirley, Knight and Baronet, in the Parish Church of Breedon, in Leicester-Shire.  
By John Wilson, Master of Arts, and Preacher of God's word in the said Parish.  O Lord keep my soul. Psa. 25. 20. For what shall it profit a man if he win the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what recompense or exchange shall a man give for his soul? Mat. 16. 26. 

Imprimatur,  
Jo. Downame. 7. Octob. 1646.   
LONDON, Printed for Richard Harper, and are to be sold at his shop in Smithfield. 1646.   

TO The Right worshipful Sir ROBERT SHIRLEY Knight Baronet, And to his virtuous consort the Lady CATHARINE SHIRLEY, the author wisheth all happiness, external, internal, and eternal.  
Rt. Wor.  
HAd not the importunity of friends prevailed with me, I had never published this Sermon preached at the solemnization of the funeral obsequies, of your Noble brother, Sir Charles) for I was never so well conceited of the product of my weak brain, as to deem it worthy public view.  
If Moses the author of my Text, 
Exod. 4. 10.  professed that he was not eloquent, that he was slow of speech, and unapt for so great employment as he was called to: I am sure I have ten thousand thousand times more cause to disclaim eloquence and to acknowledge my own weakness, and unworthiness; yet this is my comfort Innocentia melior eloquentiâ 
b Quintilian.  innocence is better than eloquence; a good cause better than a good orator.  
This little manual or Enchiridion I am sure will be censured, and I fear more then practised: 
c Scrinia damagnis, me manus una capit. Mar. lib. 1. epig. 2.  one perhaps will quarrel with the stile, another with the method, and others with the matter, but let such know that I seek not the suffrages of their praise or approbation, 
d candour in hoc ae●●o in●ermortua ●enc, Ovid ●e pont. lib. 〈◊〉. elig. ●. 〈◊〉 non ego ●●entosae ●●lebis suf●●ragia ve●●or. Ho●●a. lib. 1. ep. 9 Lucian.  who like summer ●lyes breath corruption on the best provision: the malignity of whose wit, can find fault with the best actions, not only of men, but of God also, as Lucian's Momus, who being called to judge of the excellency of those master pieces the gods had made, (scil.) a man, a house and a horse, found fault withal three, with the horse, that it had not horns for defence, with the house, that it had not motion, and with the man, that he had not a window to look into his breast: even so these malevolent censurers criticise with a froward curiosity upon the best and purest volumes, and often times fill and blot them with their own Astericks and erratas. And where a candid censure might of every thing make a good construction, and take all in a fair sense, there will they through misconstruction or some idle conjecture, though to the fullest period, add, a nonnulla desiderantur, that something is wanting, or that it might have been better done otherwise. Insomuch that it is even a task for divinity to please man, 
g {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Non 〈◊〉 cun● tis place● vel Jupi●ter ipse Nec mi●●tens pluv●●am, ●●retinens ●●pluviam.  not that this argues any weakness in God who is able to do all things, but a perverseness in man's nature that will be content with nothing.  
If therefore such find fault, it shall not trouble me; if any be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the Church of God. 1 Corin. 11. 16.  
The more ingenious, are more courteous, 
i Unus Plato plus est quam Atheniensis populus. 〈…〉, in vita ●lat.  together with whom, so your Wor. continues your approbation of it, I shall think myself happy in my labours; 
k magnum ●oc ego ●luco, ●ood pla●●ui tibi, qui tu●pi ●ecernis ●oncstum H●rat-Ser●●. lib. 2. 〈◊〉. 6.  and acknowledge your favour herein, to be far transcending my merit; the best of whose endeavours cannot deserve the influence of so noble a protector.  
It is a good rule that in dedicating books, we should be sure that the thing be worthy the person to whom it is dedicated. 
l ●e exhortor moneoque libelle, ut docto placeas Apolli●●●.   
I will not say this is such, 
m Mart. lib. 4. epig. 87. Da mihi ●te placidum, ingenium vultu starque caditque tuo. Ovid fast. lib 1. ●mmensa subit cura ut quae tibi dicantur te digna sint. ●lin. praef in Hi●●●at. 〈◊〉 Vesp. imperat. In hoc faci●unt slult quos gloria vexa●inanis.  because I am conscious to myself of much weakness and unworthiness: yet you will the more magnify your own worth by receiving so small a mite into your so noble patrociny.  
I shall forbear much Apologizing, for your protection of this ensuing Sermon, having had assurance thereof already from you, at your house in Staunton; my humble suit is, that you will pardon my demerits, and at your best leisure peruse it, and I trust that as God hath endowed you with a great temporal estate on earth, so you may by these my weak endeavours be excited to labour for, and diligently seek after, an eternal inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.  
The motto annexed to your coat of arms is, A Eterna prapon● caducis, a●d indeed it is the s●mme of my exhortations, in the ensuing Sermon.  
Be pleased therefore to ●emember what you in that motto profess. Prefer heavenly above earthly things, set your affections on things above, and not on things beneath; take heed to yourselves, and keep your souls diligently. But the volume is so small, that I must make the preface suitable, lest the City run out of the gates, as the Philosophers jeered the men of Myndum. 
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. ●acrt. de ●it. Philos. ●ib. 6.   
I shall therefore conclude with that of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, 1 Ep. 3 ch. 12. & 13. ver. the Lord make you increase and abound in love one towards another, and towards all men, to the end he may establish your hearts unbl●mable, in holiness before God our father, even at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints: which is and shall be the hearty and constant prayer of  
Your most humble servant, John WILSON.   

A good caveat for Christians.  Deut. chap. 4. part of the ninth verse. only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently. 
THis is grave counsel, given by Moses the lawgiver; a man both religious and learned, who, though his humility was such, that he pleaded want of eloquence, slowness of tongue, and imperfection of speech, Exod. 4. 10. yet his knowledge was so great, and that not only in the learning of the Egyptians, but also in spiritual matters, that we may most justly affirm of him that he was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, weighty in his sentences: 
Suav●●●●● & Brevissima.  for proof whereof you need travail no farther than my text, which is both short and sweet, and therefore I hope will be the more welcome to you, for it fares with sentences as it doth with coins. 
●drewes princi●●● conci●. 〈…〉.  In coins they that in smallest compass conteyn greatest values are most esteemed; and in sentences, they that in fewest words comprise most matter, are most praised, and indeed such is this of my text: it is both short and sweet.  
It is short and therefore you will be without excuse, if you forget it; it is sweet, and therefore he must needs be a distempered man that disrellishes it: it is short and indeed so short that I may justly affirm with Basil that it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, even a volume in a sentence, consilium optimum in mole minima, one of the excellentest exhortations in one of the least sentences, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, as it were Homer's Iliads in a nut shell.  
It is also sweet, and so sweet, that as Saint Paul said. 
●●edibile ●●alicui ●ntam ig●aviam esse insuam, ut salutem suam negligat. De most. Oly  Covet earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor: 12. 31. So may I say covet or seek the best counsel you can, and you cannot find better than this in my text: For what counsel is like it? it is true you may have good counsel from your physician for your bodily-health, and no one is so simple to refuse it, you may have good counsel also from your lawyer concerning your estate, & I am sure you much desire it; but this counsel from the Minister concerning the good of your soul much exceeds both the precedent counsels in regard of the excellency of the soul, which far surpasses both body and estate.  
It was good advice of Austin, keep the faith, res pretiosa est. It is a precious thing, keep innocency, res pretiosaest, that is a precious thing also. I add farther, yet not I, but Moses custodi animam, keep thy soul, res pretiosa, nay res preciosissima est, it is the most precious jewel thou hast, if it be lost thou art lost, if it be lost all is lost, therefore Moses in the text advises us to take heed to ourselves and keep our souls diligently.  

Division.  
In which words be pleased to observe with me two parts:  
First a preface, Secondly a precept; or (if you will) a direction, and a duty.  
First the preface, or direction in these words, only take heed to thyself.  
Secondly the precept or duty, in the words following. Keep thy soul diligently.  
He duae partes quasi duo luminaria, these two as the two great Lights in Heaven Gen: 1. 16. may serve to direct us in all our ways.  
Thus having, as Dido did with her ox hide, 
〈…〉.  cut the words in pieces, I have enclosed a pleasant and fruitful ground, out of which I shall collect these two observations, on which (by the almighty's assistance) I intend to build my ensuing discourse.  
1. Obser. The first is this: It is the duty of Christians to be circumspect and cautious in all their erterprises: or (if you will have it more plainly) in the words of my text, To take heed to themselves in all their attempts.  
2. Obser. The second this, Every one ought to have a care of his soul, to keep that diligently. Of these in their order briefly and plainly, and first of the first.  
It is the duty of Christians to be circumspect and cautious in all their erterprises. This is that which the Apostle exhorts unto. Eph. 5. 15. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, and according to this is that advice of the Poet. Quicquid agis prudenter agas & respice finem, what ever thou dost take heed that thou do it wisely and praecogitate, or anticipate to thyself what the end, the issue or the event thereof may be, which duty of circumspection will appear to be most necessary, if we consider the reasons following.  
1. Reason. First we should be circumspect and wary in all our undertakings, because rash and precipitated actions, seldom or never produce good effects, this you may see verified in all manner of actions, whether natural, moral, civil or spiritual.  
First in natural actions, as in the motions of nature, which the Philosophers hold are flow in the beginning, swifter in the middle, and swiftest of all in the latter end, so that no violent action (being contrary to nature) can continue long, nullum violentum perpetuum, no violent is permanent.  
Secondly, moral actions, wherein consists the exercise of virtues, seldom or never come to good perfection, unless advice and deliberation go before, hence grew that maxim, Deliberandum est diu, quod statuendum est semel, we must deliberate or forethink of that often, which we are to do but once.  
Thirdly, civil actions, whether concerning Church or commonwealth, seldom succeed well unless advice and deliberation precede them, and indeed there is no Orator in the Senate-house, nor Lawyer in the Common-pleas, nor Preacher in the Pulpit (if he have any modesty) which dare show himself in public, except he be well furnished and provided beforehand.  
Fourthly and lastly, spiritual actions, which concern the worship of God, never please God, unless they be undertaken with deliberation, due advice and circumspection, unless we consider the matter which we do, the manner how we do it, the means whereby we do it, and the end wherefore we do it, which is (or at least ought to be) for the glory of God: according to that of St. Paul, whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, let all be done to the praise and glory of God. 1. Cor. 10. 31.  
Thus you see that no manner of action can come to good perfection, except advice and deliberation go before, which (if there were no other reason) is enough to persuade every prudent man to take heed to himself; as Moses in my text exhorts.  
Rea. 2. But Secondly, we had need take heed to ourselves, and be circumspect in our ways, in regard of the many subtle and puissant enemies wherewith we are daily surrounded. The greater our danger is, the greater should our care be, and the more subtle our enemies are, the more circumspect aught we to be, lest we be circumvented by their policy.  
Now I beseech you consider what great danger we are in, 
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Homer Od. γ.  and what resolute and cunning assailants we are besieged with. Our danger is great, for in this our spiritual war-fare we are not in a fenced and fortified Garrison, but in the open Field; nor is it a naked field, but a field of war, I might say Acheldama, a field of blood, where you need not wait for an enemy, for you shall find many, and those not weak but strong; able to conquer Adam in Paradise, Noah the most righteous man in the world, David the best king, Peter the best Apostle.  
You must not expect that I should capitulate unto you all your enemies which are against you, for as Nestor said of the mise●ies that they suffered at the siege of Troy, or as David speaks of God's works, Psalm. 40. 5. they are more than can be numbered, Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum, If I had a hundred mouths and tongues, 
g Aen. 6.  I were not able to relate them all unto you; I shall therefore (as men do in the suppression of Rebellion) show you the heads of the chief rebels of mankind (as it were) on stakes, and leave the rest to your mature consideration.  
The first enemy whose cunning I would have you take notice of, is the devil, the grand general of all mischief, who with his Host of malevolent Spirits, encamps himself against us, and endeavours by all means to plunge us both soul and body into everlasting torments in the bottomless pit, where is weeping and wailing, and gn●shing of teeth for evermore.  
Much might be said concerning the terribleness of this enemy, but because I would hasten to other things, I shall refer you to St. Peter for information in his first Epistle, fift Chapter and eighth verse; your adversary the devil (saith he) goes about daily like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, 1. Pet. 5. 8. In which description you may find four properties in Satan, which makes him a most terrible enemy. First his power, Secondly his malice, Thirdly his subtlety, and Fourthly his sedulity or diligence to harm us; Goliah's power made him seem so terrible, that Saul and all Israel were dismayed when they heard of him 1. Sa. 17. 12. Doeg's malice made him seem terrible, 1. Sam. 22. 22. Achitophel's policy made him seem terrible, 2. Sam 15. 31. and the enemies of Israel were accounted terrible in respect of their swiftness to destroy. Esa. 5. 26.  
Now if one of these make an enemy terrible, how terrible will that enemy be, in whom all these four meet? if an enemy be malicious (as a Writer observes) yet if he want power, he may peradventure consume himself with malice and hurt no other; or if he have both power and malice, yet if he want cunning and subtlety he may miss an opportunity to do hurt; or suppose he have power, malice and subtlety, yet if he be slow and careless, there is the less danger of him, but where malice is accompanied with power, and that guided with craft, and all exercised with sedulity and much diligence; who, having such an enemy will be careless and take no heed to himself?  
Now if you please to review that 1 Pet: 5. 
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Calumniator.  and the 8 verse. you shall find that all these, do in a high degree concur in Satan; 
Deceptor.  your adversary the devil (saith the Apostle) goes about daily like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour: his name devil and that which he seeks to devour, shows his malice; the lion whereunto he is resembled, demonstrates his power and subtlety, the epithet roaring shows his terribleness, and lastly his walking up and down shows his diligence and sedulity which he uses to bring us to destruction.  
Now beloved, if we had no other enemy but this, Yet the consideration of his malice power and cunning, should cause as to walk circumspectly; and (as we are exhorted in my text) to take heed to ourselves.  
The second enemy which I would have you take notice of is the world, 
Qui quamvis su●● vanis pollititationibus & promissis nos alli●iat, &c. Greg.  which though it enchant us with its Circe's charms, and vain promises of comfort to dote upon it, yet it is a great enemies to us, so great that David (a man after God's own heart) bewails his abode in it: Psa: 120: 5. so great, that Saint John dissuades from the love of it 1 Ioh: 2. 15. so great that Saint Paul desires to be translated out of it. I desire (saith he) to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The third enemy is the flesh and indeed this is inimicorum p●ssimus, quia proximus, the worst because the most near adhering to us; it is an enemy quem nec fugere, nec fugàre possumus, circumferre ●um necesse est, 
〈…〉  which we can neither fly from, nor cause it to fly from us, but must of necessity carry it abou● us: this as the Trojan horse hath in it many enemies, such as are noisome jousts, & ungodly thoughts, which war ●●ainst us in their several orders: there be thousands mor● enemies, which conspire against our welfare, but the time will not permit me to pu● down any more of them in this list, 
Catera praetereo nec ●nim sermonibus istis ●mnia complecti ●●a●uo.  therefore I forbear any farther enumeration of them, and hasten to the third reason why we should all take heed to ourselves and walk circumspectly, which is this: Because we must all answer for all our thoughts, 
Mantuan.  words and deeds. It is appointed for all men to die, 
Eclog. 8.  and after death the judgement. He. 9 27. so Re. 20. 12. I saw the dead small and great stand before God, and the books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.  
There be two things that deal impartially with all men, 
Pallida ●ors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regumque turres.  Death, and the Judgement of the last day. That death deals impartially, you see proved in that it strikes with the same foot as well at the palaces of Princes, as at the cottages of poor men: 'tis true that there is a great deal of difference between man and man, in three respects. First in respect of natural endowments, some are wise, others fools, some beautiful, others deformed, some of an affable and courteous disposition, others are sordid and immorigerous; secondly, in respect of spiritual graces, some are spiritual, sanctified with grace, others carnal, sold under sin, some are patient in the greatest tribulation, and others querulous and murmurers in the least, some there are whom nothing can make proud, or elevate them above their brethren, and others there are, whom things worth nothing, transport in a sphere of pride above their betters; thirdly, there is difference in respect of future eternity, some there are who are vessels of wrath, and firebrands of Hell, to whom it shall be said, Ite maledicti, go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels: and others there are who are Children of God and heirs of the kingdom of Heaven, to whom it shall be said, Venite benedicti, come ye blessed Children of my Father receive the kingdom prepared for you.  
Yet though it be true that there be such difference between man and man in these respects, if we look upon death and the judgement that they have of the righteous Judge at the last day, we shall find that they have no respect of persons; as for death it doth equalise the peer of the realm, 
Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat.  and the Peasant of the Country the life of man is like a play or interlude. You know before the play be begun, the Actors are fellows, 
Simile.  in the play there appears a great deal of difference, some are Kings, and others Subjects, some Judges, others Prisoners, some rich, others beggars; and after the play is ended, there is little or no difference between them: even so is it with men, while we act our parts on the vast stage of the world, there appears a great deal of difference between us, some live in the mountains of riches, honours, and preferments, others in the valleys of mean and low estates, yet when we have severally acted our parts, death will make us all equal: Him that sitteth on the Throne, with him that lieth in the field, him that holds the sceptre, with him that holds the Plow, the rich with the beggar, wise with foolish, by turning us all into the prime element, dust, whereof we are composed; And as death deals impartially with all, so will the judgement of the last day. There Qualem unusquisque habet conscientiam talem & habebit Judicem, whatsoever conscience a man hath, such a Judge shall he have either excusing or accusing him, there no bribes shall corrupt justice, no entreaties protract it, no opposition hinder the passage of it, but there every one shall receive without partiality according to what he hath done in the flesh. O that men would seriously revolve this in their minds, that so they might be caused to walk circumspectly with God and man, and (as Moses in my Text exhorts) to take heed to themselves, and keep their souls diligently.   

Application.  
It serves for exhortation; First to Magistrates, secondly, to Ministers, thirdly, to the Common People, to be circumspect in their ways, and to take heed to themselves in all their erterprises.  
First, let Magistrates and men in eminent places, take heed to themselves in all their undertakings, for they have as much, nay more cause to be circumspect in their ways than others.  
First they are bound to it by the former reasons, scil. their actions, as well as the actions of other men, (if undertaken unadvisedly) produce miserable, and prodigious effects. Again, they have the same enemies, the devil, the world, and the flesh endeavouring their overthrow, as well as the overthrow of others, and finally they must die as well as others, Psal. 82. v. 6. 7. and give an account for their thoughts, words, and deeds, as well as others.  
But secondly, they have more cause to take heed to themselves, and to be circumspect in their ways than others, for these reasons.  
First God hath advanced them above others in dignity, and he therefore expects that they should walk more warily than others: if God should find them guilty of such enormities as others, he might justly cry out against them as Caesar did against Brutus, & tu fili? What and thou my son? Have I honoured thee so much? And wilt thou be so careless of my honour, and of thy own salvation?  
It should be with men as it is with the elements, 
Simile.  the higher they are, the purer they are, air is purer than water, and fire then air, so the higher men are in office and wealth, the more circumspect aught they to be in their ways: to whom much is given, of him much shall be required, Luke 12. 48. good to this purpose is that of Gregory, Crescentibus donis crescunt & rationes donorum, the greater our gifts are, the greater should our care be.  
Again, men in eminent places ought to be more circumspect than others, because the people commonly follow their examples, their good or evil life doth commonly cause much good, or evil amongst the people.  
I remember a saying, which experience in all ages hath proved to be true: Qualis Rex, talis Grex, such as the King or chief Rulers are, such for the most part will the people be; for their precedent is more followed than their precept.  
If the King be an Idolater, it lodgeth not in his breast alone, but like a gangrene or spreading leprosy it passeth over the whole body of the Common wealth: If on the contrary, the King be a religious and sanctified person, the people will at least in show appear so too: If Jeroboam the son of Nebat become an Idolater, and an errector of strange Altars, he shall not go alone, but all Israel will sin with him for company, 2 Ki. 10. 31. if Joshus devote himself to serve the Lord, all the people will be ready to comply with him, 1 Josh. 16. Ahaz was an Idolater, so were the people, Hezekiah his son worshipped God truly, so did the people, thus Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis: the examples of eminent persons are as looking glasses, after which the Country dress themselves; and therefore you may find that Jehosaphat speaking to such, charges them even in the very words of my Text to take heed to themselves, 2 Cron. 19 c. 6. 7. v. and he said to the Judges take heed what you do, for you judge not for man but for God, who is with you in your judgement, v. 6. again v. 7. wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it.  
Secondly, let Ministers take heed to themselves and be circumspect and wary in all their courses: First let them take heed that they thrust not themselves into the calling of the ministry, without due calling thereunto, let them not intrude into Moses chair or rashly lay hold on the ark of Aaron, let them not presume to execute the ministerial function, in preaching the Word, and administration of the Sacrament, without Commission.  
I beseech you do not uncharitably misconstrue my meaning, 
Sicut ad pertinet qui vobis ecclesia ad vos p●tinet v●tris l●qui domibus Ber.  by concluding that I condemn laymen, that are careful in teaching their Families the fundamental grounds of Piety and true Religion, for it is their duty so to do, and in so doing they are worthy of much honour. Bernard hath an apt saying to this purpose, as (saith he) it is our duty to teach you in the Church, so it is your duty to teach those that are under your tuition in your houses: 
Vnusquis● pater famlias est M●nister Chr●sti, & erg● suos que dammod●●●piscopale officium implere d●●bes. Aug in Psa. 5●  and Augustine says that every man in this case is a Minister, or (if you will a Bishop) so he keep within his own diocese, but for the public charge, the Pulpit, let no over officious Nadab or Abihu approach into it there to offer up the strange fire of their own preposterous zeal, lest fire come down from Heaven and consume them, as it did Nadab and Abihu, Levit, 10. 1. 2. be pleased to look into the Chapter, and you shall in the first ver. find their arrogance and presumption, in offering up strange fire unto God; and in the very next verse, God's just judgement on them for their most unjust presumption, in sending down a miraculous fire to destroy them.  
O then, as we love our own souls let us know our own charges, let every man take heed and keep him to his own Trade or Vocation, Ne Sutor Vltra crepidam, Let not the cobbler mistake the Pulpit for his stall, and instead of patching soles, take upon him the charge of souls. Let not the tailor mistake the Lord's Table for his cutting board, let him not instead of a garment cut out a Text, and with some stolen shreds of other men's works, patch up a Sermon; God forbid that this should be suffered, for if it should, our Religion, our Land, nay our souls are like to suffer ruin. I assure you beloved I speak not this out of any pride of myself, who am the unworthiest of all the Prophets, neither do I speak it in the contempt of the gifts of others, be they never so mean, for I could wish with Moses, that all the Lord's people were Prophets, and that the Lord would ponre down his holy spirit upon them; But (as a late writer says) we must give God leave to be the orderer of his own Ordinances, and we that are called to the ministry, must take leave to call upon men to keep them to their own callings; and I desire you to forbear hearing such arrogant Nadabs', and insolent Abi●ues, for they are not pastors Pastors, sed impostores, but impostors; not Doctores Teachers, sed Seductores but seducers; not Vigiles but Noctambulones, not guided by the spirit, but scared with spirits, like the seven sons of Sceva, Act 19 13. 14. 15. a vagabond Jew that without Commission, would needs cast out devils in the name of Jesus, but mark what befell them, Acts 19 the evil spirit answered, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, sed qui vos? But who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leapt upon them and overcame them. O that all those who pretend the spirit of God, against the Ordinance of God, would henceforward take heed to keep them to their own vocations, and not meddle with the preaching of the word, more than as diligent hearers, and constant practitioners; or with the administration of the Sacrament more than as pious and well prepared Receivers, lest the evil spirit which they would seem to cast out of others, enter into themselves, prevail against them, and overcome them.  
Secondly, when Ministers are lawfully called, let them take heed that they mind not the fleece more than the flock, their own benefit more than the good of their people, let them take heed that they desire not more to make a prey of their flock, then to prey for it.  
Let them take heed that they be not such as in their preaching aim more at popular applause for themselves, then to win souls unto God; I mean such whose preaching is more affectedly obscure than Delphian Oracles, or Egyptian hieroglyphics, that have mouths, nay words, yet speak not, at least not to their auditor's understanding, that deal with their Auditors, as the fox did with the stork, who inviting him to dinner, poured his liquour into so shallow a platter that the stork by reason of his long bill was unable to lap any of it, so that he was only spectator while the Foxlapt up the liquour.  
Such Ministers as these set their words in knots and borders, only to delight the ears of the curious, not to ravish the heart of the sanctified; they labour and study much to speak so as they may not be understood, who fill up their Sermons with strange languages, some of whose English words (being exceeding lofty) are as difficult to be understood by the greatest part of their auditors, as Hebrew is▪ these would make good that curse upon their auditors, to be of the number of those, that hearing, hear and understand not, and seeing, see and perceive not, Isa. 6. 9 Acts 28. 26.  
But stay, I would not have you think that I am Advocate for those that on the contrary, as the other make their preaching as prophesying, so these in a bad sense would make good that of the Apostle, of some that call preaching foolishness, 1. Cor. 1. 21. 23. as if, because preaching must not be garish, it must therefore be sordid.  
I mean such, who rush unpreparedly into the Pulpit, perhaps three or four times a week, with any undigested stuff, and there rend the sacred Scriptures in pieces with their unsanctified lips, even as a clown doth a capon, who knows not how to carve it neatly, neither know these how to divide and dispense the word rightly; these take no heed to prepare themselves for so weighty a work, but spend the whole week in rioting, chambering and wantonness, and little or no part of their time in studying, and then mount the Pulpit trusting to enthusiasms and Revelations, as if God were bound to appear always in such glorious rays of wonders, whereby it comes to pass that they vent such poor stuff in the Pulpit, that no wise or religious man hath so much patience as to hear it, much less so much folly, as to follow it.  
I would such would hereafter take notice of the exhortation of St. Paul, to the Pastors of the Church of Ephesus, take heed to yourselves and to the flock overwhich the holyghost hath made you overseers, Acts; and that to Timothy, Take heed to thyself and to thy Doctrine. ● Tim. 4. 16.  
Thirdly, let all men in general be exhorted to take heed to themselves, and be circumspect in all their actions, but more especially in those which concern the worship of God. Let us instance in some particulars.  
Art thou to come unto the Lord by Prayer? take heed that thou do it not rashly without due preparation of thy heart, and praeconsideration of the majesty of him to whom thou art to speak, the want whereof causes us to carry ourselves so irreverently as we do towards God: for so immorigerous are we grown, that we will scarce vouchsafe to fall down and worship the Lord our maker. We think ourselves too great or too good to fall down and kneel before him in Prayer: Ezra: 9: 5. 6. It was not so with Ezra, for he rent his garment, and his mantle, and fell upon his knees and spread out his hands unto the Lord, Ezra: 9: and David advises us to worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord, our maker, Psal: 95. 6. yea and the Lord himself expects it. Is: 45. 23. I have sworn by myself that every knee shall bow to me: & this is most certain that that Prayer which is made unto God without reverence and due respect done to his glorious majesty is not acceptable with God. I will not say, that all prayers that are made without bending the knee are unacceptable, yet I could wish that men being but dust, should kneel as low as dust when they are to speak to the high God.  
It is reported of Augustus that one inviting him to dinner to homely entertainment, far unfit for so royal a personage; he thus spoke to him that invited him; nesciebam me tibi fuisse tam familiarem, I knew not that you and I had been so familiar: may not the Lord say so to us, that without any taking heed to prepare or sanctify ourselves, petition for favours: take heed therefore to yourselves, and remember the advice of the wise man Eccles. 5. 2. be not rash with thy mouth, neither let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God, for God is in Heaven, and thou art on Earth, therefore let thy words be few; and indeed it very much concerns us thus to take heed that we be not inconsiderate, rash or multiloquacious in our Prayer, for though it be true that we may approach unto the throne of Grace, with confidence and boldness, yet we must take heed that we come not with sauciness, for as God is a God of mercy, so also is he a consuming fire.  
Again, art thou to come unto the Temple of the Lord? take heed that thou rush not in thither rashly or unadvisedly, as if thou wert going unto a stage play, but forethink with thyself that thou art going, as it were, into the immediate presence of Almighty God, who is a great and terrible God, that will not be mocked by thee: as therefore when you are to meet an earthly king, and to speak with him, you prepare yourselves, and study a comportment and expression that may best please him, so do when you are to meet God: praecogitate with yourselves what comportment you ought to use in his presence; what zeal, Ro. 12. 11. cheerfulness, Psal. 100 1. sincerity, Josh. 24. 14. and reverence, Heb. 12. 28. you should use in the service which you perform to God.  
Art thou to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper? take heed that thou do it not rashly or unadvisedly; it is the advice of the Apostle. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup, 1 Cor. 1. 28. 19 and he gives a good reason for it in the next verse, for (saith he) he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  
What shall I say more? In a word, art thou a believer, and hast embraced the Faith of Christ? take heed thou undertake not any thing without due advice and deliberation, lest that old proverb be verified by thee, qui ante non cavet post dolebit, he that doth not beware before, will be sorry after.  
Now, lest what I have said be not enough to make us take heed to ourselves in all our undertakings, I beseech you look back into the former ages, and consider what and how many miserable inconveniences and sad disasters have happened to several people, only for want of good take heed; it was the want of good take heed that cast the Angels out of Heaven: it was the want of good take heed, that exiled Adam from Paradise, that brought the flood on the old World: it was the want of good take heed that brought sire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, that rent ten tribes from Rehoboam's kingdom, 1 King 12. it was the want of good take heed that shut the five foolish virgins out of Heaven, Mat. 25. and it is the want of this good take heed, that shall bring a general destruction on the wicked and ungodly, 1 Thes. 5. 3.  
No more but this, consider I pray you, what is it that brings so many, some to poverty, some to disgrace, some to sudden desperate and dangerous deaths? but only the want of good take heed; that you may therefore escape all these inconveniences, and thousands more which are most incident to the careless; I beseech you remember the exhortation of Moses in my Text, Take heed to yourselves.  
Quest. But then as the soldiers said to John the Baptist, Master what shall we do? So may you say to me, you have (we confess) proved that we should be circumspect and take heed to ourselves, but we would know the manner how we should do it, or what it is that we should take heed to in ourselves.  
Ans. I answer, You must first take heed to your eyes, they are apt to range after iniquity, and if they be not diligently watched, they prove arch-traitors to mankind: until Adam and Eve lusted with their eyes, sin and Satan entered not into their hearts, Gen. 3. had not Herod looked or Herodias dancing, he had not so rashly granted her John Baptists head Mar. 6. had not Potiphar's wife given her eyes liberty to behold Joseph, she had not lusted to defile her marriage bed with him, King. 2. had not Sichem seen Dina Jacob's daughter, he had never ravished her, Gen. 34. These evils proceed from licentious gazing on such objects, and therefore (saith the Prophet) turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity; it was the want of taking heed to the eyes, that made Tarqvinius Sextus to ravish Collatinus wife that made Queen Cleopatra to use her brother Ptolomeus as her husband; that made Macareus to lie with his sister Canaces, and Menephron to defile his own Mother.  
And indeed it is God's great mercy that he hath placed in the eyes, as well the remedy as the malady, fletum & visum, the faculty of seeing, and the sluice of tears, Vt qui delinquant videndo, poeniteant plorando, that they who have offended by seeing, may repent by weeping; if therefore thou wilt escape the punishment of weeping (I mean of eternal weeping in hell fire) take heed to thine eyes: look not after a woman to lust after her, for than thou hast committed adultery with her in thy heart, Mat. 5. In a word, make a Covenant with thine eyes that they behold nor vanity.  
Secondly, Take heed to your ears which most commonly are more open to Siren's songs, then to heavenly ditties, to obscene communication then to the precepts of God, and therefore Christ sets a double guard at this Port of hearing, and both delivered in the terms of my Text; The first is in Mark 4. 24. where we are bid to take heed what we hear: and the other in Luke 8. 18. where we are bid to take heed how we hear, Psal. 141. 3. he keeps both these sayings well that hears the word of God diligently, and practices it in his life and conversation constantly.  
Thirdly, Take heed to your tongue, for this is often times an unruly member, so unruly that (as one well observes) the port-c●●llis of the teeth, and the counterscarp of the lips are not sufficient to keep it in, unless with David, we daily pray Psal. 14. 3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth, keep thou the door of my lips.  
Take heed to your understanding that it be not corrupted; this is the first door the devil knocks at, the first forge where sin is framed, the first commander the devil seeks to corrupt, for though he intend to sack the whole city of our souls, yet he makes his first assaults against this Port.  
And therefore as the besieged fortify most where they fear most batteries or assaults, so take we heed to look carefully to our understandings, that they be not blinded with ignorance, nor ensnared with the subtlety of atheism, heresy, Popery, schism, or any thing else repugnant to God and his truth.  
Take we heed to our understandings that they dive not too far into the hidden mysteries of the word: There is enough revealed both for our faith and our salvation, Mitte arcana Dei, meddle not with the secrets of God: Quod Deus texit, quis revelabit, what God hath hidden, let not the understanding pry into.  
Consider we, that our understanding or intellectual part, is that which the devil, heretics, Atheists, Papists, schismatics, and many other pernicious enemies, much labour to corrupt, and therefore let us take great heed to preserve it.  
Take heed to your will, which will be either the seat of sin, or sanctuary of grace; if it be depraved it hath a very malignant influence upon all our actions, and therefore as besiegers of a Garrison labour most to possess themselves of the chief Sconce or capitol, knowing, that thence they may command the whole City, so the devil besieging the City of our soul, labours chiefly to captivate our will, because he knows that if that become subject to his laws, and embrace his sceptre, all the faculties of the whole man will be tributaries to the same service.  
Take heed therefore that your wills be not enslaved by Satan's policy, but renewed by grace, and regulated by the rule of piety.  
Lastly take heed to your consciences, there may be so much said for this, that I shall say but little.  
Solomon says that a good conscience is a continual feast, Prov. 15. 15. and indeed so it is, if we be weak it is a staff to support us, if in want, a comforter to relieve us, if in suits of Law, it is the best agent to plead for us if falsely accused, it is the best witness to clear us, if wrongfully condemned, it is a most upright Judge to vindicate us: There can no estate or condition befall man, either so prosperous or averse, but that the comfort of a good conscience will appear in it.  
It comforts in prosperity and adversity, in sickness and in health, in life and in death, and (which is best of all) it yields transcendent comfort at the day of judgement: For when among the wicked at the dreadful day of Jesus Christ, there shall appear nothing but horrors, frights, and amazements, be heard nothing but fearful shri●kes, ululations, cries, and howlings, for fear of the sentence of malediction, that shall there be pronounced against them; even than there shall be nothing but joy, exultation, and heavenly consolations to them that have taken heed to preserve their consciences spotless, being assured of the sentence of benediction which shall then be pronounced to them, at which time their bodies being reunited to their souls, they shall be both received into everlasting salvation which every one ought diligently to seek after, which is set forth in the next part of my Text, the duty in these words, keep thy soul diligently; whence we conclude this observation.  
2 Obser. That every Christian should have a special care of his foul; and keep that diligently. To this purpose we have both the Precept and precedent of God's Children in sacred writ. First for Precept, see St. Paul exhorting us to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1. 10. and Phil. 2 12. he bid us work out our salvation with fear and trembling, so Moses in our Text, bid us take heed to ourselves, and keep our souls diligently.  
As for precedent, look on St. Paul, and you shall find that he was so careful of his soul's salvation, that as the Nicene Fathers would not gratify Arrius in the least compliance with him, so neither would he conform in any thing to the Doctrine of Seducers: And if you read the life and death of the Martyrs, you shall find that they were so careful of the salvation of their souls, that they would not in the least semblance condescend to the Pagan Persecutors, though they might thereby have come off with corporal safety.  
But not to trouble you with multiplicity of examples, look but on one precedent more, and that shall be David a man after God's own heart.  
The Lord had wonderfully magnified his mercy towards him in many eminent favours, first in respect of his estate, when he took him from following his father's Ewes great with young, to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance, Psal. 78. 70. 71. when he translated him from a shepherd's crook to a sceptre of gold, Psa. 70. 71. Again, the Lord did well for him otherwise too, in respect of his strength; for he had as magnanimous a heart, as a Lion, 1. Sam. 17. 49. And when that proud Philistine Goliath came railing and defying the God of Israel, notwithstanding his menacing terms, he encountered with him, and slew him, and so took the reproach from Israel. Again, the Lord did wonderful well for David, in respect of his beauty; for he was a man of a more than ordinary pulchritude, as you may see proved, 1. Sam. 16 12. the Text there says, that he was ●uddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look on. Again, the Lord did wonderful well for him, in respect of his issue, for he had a marvellous great issue. And I doubt not but David was truly thankful to the Lord for all these ●nercies bestowed on him, in respect of his body and his estate. But yet I am resolved that he minded more the salvation of his soul, than he did all these things: and I gather this from his own words in the 14. Psalm: he declares that he longs for the salvation of God; and if you look on him in the psalm, 25. v. 20. you shall find that being surrounded with miseries, he hath a special care of his soul, and desires the Lord to keep that safe, so Psal. 86. 2. he prays the Lord to preserve his soul, and having received some special favour for his soul you may find him making a solemn invitation unto the righteous, to come and hear what the Lord had done unto his soul, Psal. 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare unto you what he hath done for my soul; thus you see God's children have at all times been so careful of their souls, that they would rather suffer death then do any thing that might hinder the salvation of their souls; such care ought we also to have of our souls, we should keep them diligently, and that for these Reasons.  
1 Reason. First, because of the excellency of the soul, which consists first in the purity of it; Secondly, in the unity and singularity; and Thirdly in the inequality that is between it and any thing else.  
First, in the purity of it, which though it be shapeless and immaterial, yet would it make a man heavenly proud, to contemplate of how divine a nature, excellency and quality the soul is. In puritate est Deo simillima, 
Aug. li● de anim●  in its purity it is as a God, and hereupon (saith a writer) let me worship the great God of the little God my soul: and good to this purpose is that of Seneca.. Quid aliud est anima quam Deus hospitans in corpore humano? 
Senec. 〈◊〉 8. ad 〈…〉.  what other thing is the soul, but God lodging in the body? and Bernard, standing in admiration of the excellency of his soul, breaks out into these words. How beautiful art thou O my soul! thou art ennobled by the Image of God stamped on thee, 
Quam 〈…〉 anima, 〈◊〉 Bernar● meditat●  adorned with his likeness, espoused to him by promise, redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Quid de te dicam? what shall I say of thee? tu maximum es quod esse potest in parvo loco. Thou art the excellentest thing that may be contained in so small a place as the body. Nobilitas tua omnibus mundanis praeferenda, thy excellency exceeds all earthly treasures. According to this is that of Augustine: as (Says he) the Creator excels all the Creatures, even so the soul is far more excellent than any of them.  
Secondly, consider the excellency of the soul, 
●icut Deus ●●nem 〈…〉 ita 〈…〉 all as ex 〈◊〉. Aug. 〈◊〉 de Ani●●.  consisting in the unity and singularity of it. God hath given unto one body two eyes, two hands, and two feet, but he hath given it but one soul, he hath given two eyes to the end that if one be blind the other may see, two hands to the end that if one be weak the other may work, 
●eus dedit 〈◊〉 corpori 〈◊〉 oculos 〈◊〉 as ma●us 〈◊〉 duos 〈◊〉 uni●a 〈…〉 Ber. 〈◊〉 Medit.  and two feeetes to the end that if one be lame, the other may walk, but he hath given us but one soul, which is a jewel invaluable, a gem immatchable, & a pearl inestimable.  
Thirdly, consider the excellency of the soul consisting in the inequality that is between it and any thing else, what recompense or what exchange shall a man give for his soul, Mat. 16. 26. shall he give a thousand of Rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil, shall he give the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul, surely all these are not sufficient to redeem one soul, Mica. 6. 7. nay ten thousand worlds were not sufficient ransom for one soul, nothing could do it but the precious blood of that immaculate Lamb Jesus Christ; this St. Peter affirms 1. Pet. 1. 19 we are not bought with silver or with gold, or with any corruptible thing, but with the blood of Jesus Christ, as of a Lamb spotless and undefiled.  
I beseech you consider then the excellency of your soul; the body of man is a glorious frame, yet it is not comparable to the soul, for the body is but the tabernacle, 
Anima naturaliter dominatur corpori, sicut Dominus servo. Aristo. lib. 1. Politic.  the soul is the mercy-seat, the body is but the hand maid, the soul is the Mistress, the body is but the palace, the soul is the queen-regent governing in that palace; the body is but the cabinet, the soul is the precious jewel lodging in it.  
What is it that advances the calling of the ministry above other callings but only this, that it tends to the good of man's soul? the study of the Lawyer tends to the good of man's estate, the study of the Physician to the good of man's body, but the study of the Minister tends to the good of man's soul, which is the better part. The soul is optimum & primum, the better part, there is nothing like it, there is nothing that may be compared unto it, Solomon calls it a precious soul, Prov. 6. and a greater, and wiser than Solomon puts it in the balance of the sanctuary, and makes it weigh down the whole world; What shall it profit a man (saith our Saviour Jesus Christ) to win the whole world and lose his own soul? Mat. 16. 26. And I pray see if he be not a great loser that gains a world and loses his soul? for suppose a man were sure to live as long as Nestor, 
Proper. lib. 2. & Iuven. Sat.  who is reported to have lived three hundred years, and could have his health all that time, and never be sick; suppose he had as much riches as Croesus, as much beauty as Absalon, as much strength as Samson. Supposes he had as much worth in him, as the Romans ascribe to their Cato's, Curioes', Fabritioes'; the greeks to their Socrates, Solon, Aristides, Homer, to Agamemnon, 
Os occulesqueJovi pares.  affirming that he was like Jupiter in feature, Mars in valour, Pallas in wisdom; suppose all eyes were upon him, all tongues spoke well of him; suppose he had such a glorious fame, that men came as far to see him, as the Queen of Sheba did to see Solomon, 
Navigat. Vertom. lib. 3.  gaze on him as the Egyptians did once on honoured Joseph, the Arabians on fair Vertomanus, suppose men praised him as much as Tully did Caesar, 
Oration. pro Rege.  Plato did Socrates, let his ears be delighted with as much variety of music as Alexander had from Timolaus, the Thebans from Amphion, the Mariners from Orpheus; suppose men acted such plays before him as the Romans acted in their Theaters and amphitheatre, let men show him such sports and pageants as the greeks had in their Olympian, Pythian, Istmian, Athenian and Corinthian games; suppose he have houses like Nebuchadnezar's Babel, Gardens like that of Adonis, Orchards like those of the Hesperides; suppose he fared at home as deliciously, as he in the gospel, Luke 16. 19 20. and when he went abroad be feasted with more varieties than Esther entertained Ahasuerus, Esth. 7. Dido Aeneas, or Cleopatra Mark Anthony; let him be attended with more men than Solomon; let him solace himself among his lascivious concubines as Heliogabalus and Sardanapalus; 
Justin. li. 1 Jo. in e●us vita.  let him hunt more than Leo the tenth; 
Shyrlics Relation.  hawk more than the Persian kings; Card and Dice more than the Thebans; and suppose (if it be possible) that he enjoyed all these pleasures all the days of his life here, yet if he lose his soul hereafter, he is most miserable, and that sad catastrophe brings more torments, than all his former fruitions brought him pleasures: consider this I beseech you, that your soul is more excellent than any thing you can have, and therefore take heed to yourselves, and keep your souls diligently.  
2 Rea. Secondly, we should look so carefully to our souls, in regard of the necessity of the salvation of the soul; certainly there are many things which we pursue and seek after with eager, and uncestant labour and desire; which are not absolutely necessary, such as are riches, honours, and preferments; I may say of these, as our Saviour said unto Martha, Luke 10. 41. 42. You are troubled about many things, but there is but one thing necessary, and that is to make your election sure, to labour diligently for the salvation of your souls.  
3 Rea. Thirdly, we should look carefully to our souls, in regard of the difficulty of attaining to salvation; It is not so easy a matter as some suppose it is, to get our souls into Heaven, 
Facilis descensus averni. Sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras, hic labour hoc opus est.  it is easy to fall into sin and so consequently into Hell, but it is a difficult matter for that soul that hath once been entangled in the snares of sin, to become retrograde, and turn back again into the ways of righteousness, it will be a hard matter for the covetous man whose heart hath been long imprisoned within the walls of covetousness, to forsake his covetousness, and become bountiful; it will be hard for the ambitious man whose heart hath been only set upon honours, who hath not feared the greatest hazard, or omitted the least opportunity that might further him in attaining thereof, to forsake his ambition and become humble. In a word it will be hard for any one that once devoted himself to sin, to become the servant of God; and therefore (as we are exhorted in my Text) we ought to take heed to ourselves, and keep our souls diligently in the ways of salvation, because that having once wandered out of the right way, we cannot with facility return into it again.  
4 Rea. Fourthly we have great reason to keep our souls diligently, in regard of the miserable and wretched condition of the lost soul. Certainly had I the tongues of men and angels, I could not relate unto you the woeful condition of the lost soul; but this is that which aggravates their tortures, beyond compare, that as they are ●aselesse, so also are they endless: other losses may be recovered, but the lost soul that is cast into the bottomless pit of perdition cannot be recovered.  
A man may lose his estate, and may recover it with more than he had before, he may lose his health and may recover it with more than he had, he may lose his credit, and may recover it with more estimation, than he had before, but if once he have lost his soul he must never look to recover that again; Poets and Historians writ of some that have gone to Hell and returned again, 
Hom. Od. 〈◊〉 Virg. Aen. l. 6.  as of Ulysses that went thither to consult with Tiresias, Aeneas that went thither to talk with his Father Anchises: 
Ovid. M●t. lib. 10.  Orpheus that fetched his Wife Eurydice thence, Pythagoras also that going thither reported at his return, that he saw Hesiod tied to a brazen pillar, and Homer hanging on a Tree full of Snakes, for feigning such things on the deities: 
Laert. de vita Philo. l. 8. in Pythag.  Admiranda canunt, sed non credenda Poetae; these be strange things, but they are not true, for the Scripture assures us that there shall be no return from Heaven or Hell: 
Tert. lib. de anima, cap. 29.  If any man be cast into Hell, though his eyes gush out with rivers of water, yet there shall be no one to comfort him, no one to help him, no one to do so much as cool his tongue with a drop of cold water. O that we had hearts to consider this, that so we might take heed to ourselves, and keep our souls diligently.  
5 Rea. Lastly we should look carefully to our souls, for if they be lost, body and all is lost, and if they be safe, body and all will be safe, for where the soul at death goes before, the body at the resurrection will follow after. Good to this purpose is that of Chrysostom: if (Says he) we neglect the soul, the body cannot be saved, for the soul was not made for the body, but the body for the soul; he therefore which neglects the soul, being the first and chiefest part, and minds the body only, loses both, but he that seeks after the salvation of the soul, though he neglect the body, yet by the soul's salvation, 
Si animam negligamus, nec corpus salvare paterimus, &c.  the body also shall be saved, which is most elegantly set down by Aristotle, Lib. 7. metaphysic. ex sanitate animae fit sanitas in corpore, by the safety of the soul, safety is wrought to the body. If you have but so much faith as a grain of mustardseed to lay hold on Jesus Christ, 
Chrysost. de recuperatione lapsi.  as the Saviour of your soul, your body shall be sure to be saved also, Rom. 8. 32. he that spared not his own Son but gave him to death for us, shall he not with him give us all things else that are necessary?  
I might give you more reasons why we should seek so diligently after the salvation of our souls; But I must not be totus in singulis: I therefore proceed to Application, and the use which we shall make hereof is twofold.  
First, it serves for confutation.  
Secondly, for exhortation.   

1 use of consutation.  
Have we such great cause to seek diligently after the salvation of our souls? Sure than they are much to blame that care more for temporal things, than they do for the salvation of their souls. Some prodigals what cost do they bestow upon Houses, Horses, hawks, Dogs, and what cheap account do they make of their souls: the House must be magnificently built and furnis●t, the Horse must be pampered and kept fat and fair, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and all things must be brave and gorgeous, but there is no care taken that there be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a beautiful soul.  
I have read of a spruce Roman, that riding through the streets of Rome on a lean horse, was demanded by the Censor, why he being so spruce a man, rode on so poor a horse. Unto whom he answered ego curo incipsum, servus vero equum. I take care for myself, but my servant for my horse; In like manner I doubt there are many that only take care for their bodies, but neglect seeking after the salvation of their souls.  
Some there be, that esteem more of agility of body than fervency of spirit: others esteem more of strength of the body, than grace of the soul: others there be, that esteem more of beauty of the body, than purity of the soul; and if such as these have beauty, how do they mince and trip it up and down, contemning and despising others? and yet God knows beauty is but a deceiving vanity: favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain. Forma est mera deceptio visus, beauty is a mere deceiving of ourselves, a mere flout, a mere scoff. For what face is there, be it never so beautiful in youth, but if it live long it will be ploughed with the furrows of old age? and if it live not to old age, yet it is subject to deformity many other ways; and yet some are more enamoured with this vanity, than they are with their souls.  
The covetous man cares not what becomes of his soul, so he may have but plenty of riches: these count wealth the summum bonum, the chief good, and therefore seek only after it, and not after the salvation of their souls: these are the seed of the Serpent, and indeed have the curse of the Serpent sticking on them, to lick the dust; these covetous wretches deface the image of God that was stamped on them, by continual rubbing against the earth: these like worms and no men crawl upon the ground, or like hogs they go rooting downwards in the earth; and indeed they may well be compared to hogs, for as hogs are always rooting downwards in the earth, and seldom or never look upwards, till being ready to be killed they are laid flat on their backs, and forced to it; so these covetous miscreants go grovelling downwards, and lie scraping in the dunghill of this world, and never look upwards, or think of heaven or salvation, till wrestling with the pangs of death they are thrown flat on their backs, and then perhaps the Minister is sent for, the sacrament and heavenly things desired; but if the Minister persuade them before this time to be weaned from the world, and to seek diligently after the salvation of their souls, they are ready to say as the devils to our saviour, art thou come to torment us before our time, they are loath to be saints too soon, and if they must needs be weaned from the world, they would put it off till the last day and hour of their death, when they can enjoy it no longer.  
It is fabulized that the crab gave the Serpent his death's wound, for his crooked conditions, and seeing him stretch himself out straight, said, At oportuit sic vixisse, you should have lived so. Let the covetous worldling that seeks not after the salvation of his soul take heed that when he lies gasping as it were in the suburbs of death, and begs for salvation, that God answer him non at oportuit sic vixisse, but thou shouldest so have lived, as that thou mightest now have been sit for heaven.  
But me thinks I hear this earthworm say, 
●●ject.  I doubt not but I shall go to heaven, for I am not such a notorious offender as such and such are, I am no adulterer, no drunkard, no swearer, and the like. I only affect this sin of covetousness, and I hope that for all this, I may be saved.  
To this I answer, 
●●sw.  yet not I, but the Apostle. Be not deceived, for neither idolater, nor adulterer, nor drunkard, no nor the covetous person shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ephe. 5. 5.  
Again the ambitious man cares not for his soul, so he may have honours here: how many such be there, that spend all their time in seeking after honour, and neglect many blessed opportunities offered to them for the salvation of their souls?  
The voluptuous person devotes himself wholly to pleasures, and with the Epicure thus sings to himself, ede, bibe, lude, charum praesentibus exple corpus deliciis post mortem nulla voluptas, eat, drink and be merry, let us fill ourselves with new wine, and crown ourselves with rose buds, let us take our pleasure while we live here, for there is no pleasure hereafter. And indeed to them there shall be nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.  
I might much enlarge myself in marking out others that come under this reproof, such as is the amorous wanton, that spends that time which he should spend in seeking after the salvation of his soul, in courting some fair face, some beauty of the times, and thinks of no other heaven, than the fruition of his Mistress favour, and counts her smile the only vision beatisicall, never considering that death is courting that face as well as he, and oftentimes proves the most successful, at least the most revengeful corrival: taking her from him, or him from her, and turning them into another world to embrace, but what? eternal flames.  
Such also is the profuse gallant, that spends his time in gaming, and not in seeking after salvation, that sits down to eat and drink, and rises up to play.  
Such also are your fantastical women that spend their whole time in tricking and ●rimming, tiring and dressing their bodies, and seek not after the salvation of their souls. 
●●en.  Dum moliuntur dum comuntur annus est, the morning is gone before many of them know it is come; at least by any serious holy duty which they have performed therein: these will not have so much as a pin out of order in atyring their bodies, but care not for beautifying their souls with Grace; these spend their time in looking glasses to see their bodies gorgeously attired, but look not into the looking glass of God's word, to be taught the way of saving their souls. In a word, these are very careful to inquire after the newest (French, Italian or Spanish,) fashion, but take no pains to inquire after the way that leads to salvation, they are better and constanter customers to new fashioning tailors, than they are auditors to the best preaching Ministers, and will give more to him that shall make them a new fashioned suit, than they will to him that shall preach salvation to their souls.  
I could enumerate many more, but it is high time to close this use.   

2 use.  
Exhort. Secondly, have we such reasons to seek after the salvation of our souls▪ Let us then be weaned from the world, and consider what danger they are in, that only hunt after the pleasures, profits and honours of this world, and neglect seeking after the salvation of their souls.  
It is storied of Lysimachus, that he being much necessitated for want of drink, parted with a whole kingdom for a drop of cold water, and afterwards repented in these words, O pro quant illo regnum perdidi? O for how little have I lost a kingdom? even so will the covetous, the ambitious, and the voluptuous man, the profuse gallant, the amorous wanton, and the fantastic woman; Repent with O pro quantillo! O for how little pleasure, how little profit, how little honours, how little pride and the like, have we lost the kingdom of heaven, the eternal salvation of our precious souls.  
I beseech you therefore, settle not your affections on the things of this life, but on things that are above. Remember the excellency of your creation.  
Os homini sublime dedit coelunque tueri  
Jussit, & erectos ad fidera tollerevultus.  
God hath given you a lofty countenance that you might not as beasts look downwards, nor as worms crawl on the earth, nor as hogs be always feeding on the acorns of this world: but that you might look upwards and seek after that Kingdom which he prepared for his servants. O then be not slaves to the world when you may be Kings in Heaven: think on the excellency of your souls. Remember the advice of Moses in my text, take heed to yourselves and keep your souls diligently.  
And that you may the better perform this, consider these two motives.  
1 Mot. First, consider the vanity of the things of this life. I might prove that there is nothing but vanity, vicissitude and uncertainty in all those earthly things which we delight in: but I will confine myself to the examination of that trinity which worldlings most adore (to wit) honours, riches, and pleasures.  
First, how uncertain is honour? It is but the breath of the vulgar, which being but wind, 
●●onor est hono●●nte.  changes with the wind; did not the people even now salute our Sav●our with Hosanna, blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord, and presently they cry out against him to have him crucified, John 12. 13. was not Paul and Barnabas honoured by the Barbarians, as though they were their Paganish gods, Jupiter and Mercury, Acts 14. 12. and in the same chapter ver. 19 we read that they were stoned as malefactors, was not Christ counted a Prophet? Mark 6. 15. and presently a devil, Jo. 7. 12. 20. how soon was Pharaoh and his pomp drowned in the red Sea, Exo. 13. 28. Adonibezeck disgracefully mangled. Jud: 1. 6. Agag a king hewn in pieces 1 Sam. 15. 33. Nebuchadnezar turned out as a beast: B●jazet carried up & down by conquering Tamburlaine in an iron Cage; by all which you see that it is not wisdom to place our delights in honours, which are exceeding lubric and subject to change.  
Secondly, you shall find the like uncertainty in pleasures. Alas how short lived are they, even the best of them perish as vapours, or as the untimely fruit of a woman, they are dashed in a moment. Look on Adoniah feasting in great jollity, 1 Ki. 1. and you shall find that the news of Solomon proclaimed king, and the noise of trumpets turned his joy into sorrow, his mirth into mourning; the like you may see in Baltazar, who when he was feasting with his Lords and Concubines, there appeared an inscription on the wall, which soon turned his jollity into sadness, made his joints lose, and his knees smite one against another, Dan. 5. 3. 4. 5. therefore it's no trusting to the pleasures of this life.  
Thirdly, you shall find the same uncertainty in riches; they often times take the wings of Eagles, and fly away, when we think we have them surest; they skip from man to man, like some fawning dog, or insinuating whore: for proof hereof look on Job, who in the morning had 7000. sheep, 3000. Camels, 500 yoke of Oxen, and 500 she Asses, and at night was bereft of all.  
Quotidian experience proves that riches are uncertain, for how many be there, Noblemen and Gentlemen, merchants, Mariners and Tradesmen, Citizens and Countrymen, who formerly were able to relieve others, and now want to support themselves, who formerly had store of gold & silver, and now some of them are (as great Bellisarius, who thrice rescued Rome was) forced to say, Date obolum Bellisario, one single halfpenny to Bellisarius, so these who formerly lived as Croesus are now as Colon: Fallen from a mountain of riches, into a valley of poverty, some by carding, dicing and gaming, some by false servants, some by extorting U●●reres, some by hawks, Hounds, and Horses, and some by whoring, being eaten up of their own lusts, as Actaeon by his own dogs: Thus you see that these things are uncertain in respect of themselves.  
You may also see them uncertain in respect of ourselves: for if we were sure of them, yet we are not sure of our own selves; we are as subject to change, as riches, honours, and preferments are, we change in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  
The second motive to stir us up thus to seek after the salvation of our souls, is, the consideration of the blessed condition of the soul that is sav●d, instead of the corruptible dross of this life, they shall have treasures incorruptible, glory unmatchable, solace inalterable, mirth immeasurable, and perfect felicity unto all eternity. Eye hath not seen, neither hath ear heard, neither can it enter into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for those souls that shall be saved. Mar. 13. 35.  
Now therefore, as when Monica (Austin's mother) heard an excellent discourse of the joys of heaven, said, Quid facio hic? What do I here on earth? so say I, what do we here, planting our affections on the things of this life? let us transplant our affections, and set them on things that are above. Some may object thus:  
Object. Is it not lawful to seek at all after the things of this life?  
Ans. I answer, it is: you may, nay you are bound in conscience to provide for those that are under your tuition, but you must not spend all your time herein, and neglect seeking after the salvation of your souls, you may in a moderate way seek after the things of this life, but you must not do it immoderately, you may use the world, but it must be as if you used it not, you must so live here as if your conversation were in Heaven, you may salute the world, but you must take heed that you do not hug and embrace it.  
To conclude, in a word, I beseech you do as our Saviour exhorts you, Mat. 6. 33. seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added to you: make sure of Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of your souls, and you shall be sure that God will give you all things else that are necessary for you; which that you may do, I desire every one of you, to remember and practise this exhortation of Moses in my Text, with which I began, and now end. Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently.  
I have done with my Text.  
I know it will be expected that I should add some laurel to this Hearse, by ●lazoning the great worth of the noble party deceased▪ and I am sure I might without flattery speak much to his honour, for those who knew him best, knew him to be of an affable and amiable carriage, courteous to the meanest, exceeding charitable to the poorest, and most upright towards all, &c.  
But I know that funeral Sermons are not made as panegyrics, or commendatory Orations to proclaim the worth of the dead, but for instruction to the living; and therefore I shall forbear to speak more now, but I shall (God willing) write of him by way of Elegy; which shall be exposed to public view.  
Si benè quid dixi; mea non est gloria, Christi est  
Sin malè, scito hominem me quoque quisquis homo es.  
FINIS.