OF THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.
THIRD, I shall now
come to the third thing which was propounded to be spoken to; and that is, to
show you what we are to understand by losing of the soul, or what the loss of
the soul is—'What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'
He that loseth his
soul loseth himself.
First, The loss of the soul is a loss, in the nature of it, peculiar to itself. There is no such loss, as to the nature of loss, as is the loss of the soul; for that, he that hath lost his soul has lost himself. In all other losses, it is possible for a man to save himself, but he that loseth his soul, loseth himself—' For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself?' (Luke 9:25). Wherefore, the loss of the soul is a loss that cannot be paralleled. He that loseth himself, loseth his all, his lasting all; for himself is his all—his all in the most comprehensive sense. What mattereth it what a man gets, if by the getting thereof he loseth himself? Suppose a man goeth to the Indies for gold, and he loadeth his ship therewith; but at his return, that sea that carried him thither swallows him up—now, what has he got?
But this is but a lean similitude with reference to the matter in hand—to wit, to set forth the loss of the soul. Suppose a man that has been at the Indies for gold should, at his return, himself be taken by them of Algiers, and there made a slave of, and there be hunger-bit, and beaten till his bones are broken, 15 what has he got? what is he advantaged by his rich adventure? Perhaps, you will say, he has got gold enough to obtain his ransom. Indeed this may be; and therefore no similitude can be found that can fully amplify the matter, 'for what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' 'Tis a loss that standeth by itself, there is not another like it, or unto which it may be compared. 'Tis only like itself—'tis singular, 'tis the chief of all losses—the highest, the greatest loss. 'For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'
A man may lose his wife, his children, his estate,
his liberty, and his life, and have all made up again, and have all restored
with advantage, and may, therefore, notwithstanding all these losses, be far
enough off from losing of himself. (Luke 14:26; Mark 8:35). For he may lose his
life, and save it; yea, sometimes the only way to save that, is to lose it; but
when a man has lost himself, his soul, then all is gone to all intents and
purposes. There is no word that says, 'he that loses his soul shall save it;' but
contrariwise, the text supposeth that a man has lost his soul, and then demands
if any can answer it—'What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' All,
then, that he gains that loseth his soul is only this, he has gained a loss, he
has purchased the loss of losses, he has nothing left him now but his loss, but
the loss of himself, of his whole self. He that loseth his life for Christ,
shall save it; but he that loseth himself for sin, and for the world, shall
lose himself to the perfection of loss; he has lost himself, and there is the full
point.
There are several
things that fall under this first head, upon which I would touch a little.
