the First-fruits of the whole Creation, and therefore do infer the Sanctification and Salvation of every Individual of the human Nature.

CHA P. XV.

An Argument for this Hypothefis drawn from the Nature of Man, as each Individual is a Compendium and Abstract the intire Creation; and so not probable to be caft away for ever.

IN

N every individual Man is, not only by a figure in Rhetorical Speech, but in true propriety of fpeaking; a Microcom, comprehending in him all the parts of the Microcofm; and that not only whether we confider him apart in the two Conftitutives of him, his Soul and Body: But in the whole Complex or refult of his Perfon confifting of both. For first in his Body he contains all Vegetative and Senfitive Nature, and in his Soul or Spirit all Rational and Intellectual Nature, with all the Virtues, Excellencies, and Perfections of both: In which respect it is faid, God breathed into Man at his Creation, the Breaths or Spirits of Lives, in the plural Number, that is of all Lives, Vegetative, Senfitive, Rational, Intellectual.

zdly, Solomon faith, God hath placed or set the World in Man's Heart, as a Flower in its Bed or Principle in which it grows. And,

3dly, From hence it was that Adam gave Names to all the Creatures; and whatfoever he called them, that was the Name thereof; the reason of Man being the formal determination of their Specifick Natures, Differences, and Kinds. And, L

4thly,

4thly, Our Saviour prefers upon this just Account, the Soul of Man (of one Man and of every Individual) before the whole World of Things below the Soul: Saying, What fall it profit a Man to gain the whole World, and lofe his Soul; or what fhall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul? and therefore the redemption of the Soul is precious.

But this will much more appear if we confider the Perfon of Man confifting of Soul and Body; that it is a Unity, Perfona quafi per fe una; now a Unity is the Apex, the confpiration of a Multitude, or Variety into one point; in which Point all lines do meet, and take mutual hold of it, as in a Spire, or Pyramid, or in a centre of a Globe.

None but intellectual Nature are or can be called Perfons, God, Angels, and Men; and it is by and for this Spiritual Nature that they are thus called, and qualified for this Appellation. And therefore in every perfon, eo nomine, as he is a Perfon, the fupreme Unity, which is God; who comprehends all things: (all Being being in himfelf in one) fhadows and figures forth himself, and prefents and feats himself, as in a glafs or mirrour to be feen and reflected on, in which respect, and for which Caufe, Man is faid to be made in the Image of God.

Now to bring home the Argument; Can we think fo many Millions of fuch precious fouls, each of which is an entire World, each of which is more worth than the whole World of Inferior beings, fhould be deemed fuch vile and abject things as to be eternally abandoned of God, and loft for ever, never to be vifited, never to be recovered to the glory of the Creator that made them? See how paffionately the Lord reflects on Souls eo nomihe, as made by him, prefcinding from Redemption, (which is a New Creation) but merely with relation to their first make, Ifa. Wii. 16, I will not

contend

contend for ever, neither will I be always wrath: for fo the fpirits fhould fail before me, and the fouls which I have made. A Confequence not to be admitted, or allowed; nay not once to be imagined.

And

For if each Soul be a Unity, a Figure, a Shadow of the Supreme Unity (not a dead but a living Shadow) and that all Lines of Being and Beauty meet in this Apex, and unity of the intellectual Spirit; no fuch individual Soul can be for ever abandoned; but the whole nature of things muft fuffer therein, as it did when Chrift was crucified: which made a Heathen that faw that deliquium upon the Sun, fay, aut natura folvitur aut Deus naturæ patitur. If fo many millions of thefe intellectual Subftances be never look'd upon, or vifited with Redemption, not one Saint is completely Saved, for if each Spirit be an entire world, all Spirits are in each Spirit; as the Soul is in every part of the Body. therefore as it is faid of the Body, through the one Spirit in all the Members, that whether one Member Suffer, all the Members fuffer with it; or one Member be honoured, all the Members rejoice with it: So is it in the Myftical Body, which is in Union (thro' this Union of the intellectual Spirit) with all Spirits, and the whole Nature of things, and therefore those which have the First-fruits of the Spirit, do with the Creation groan within themselves, waiting for the Adoption, not Redemption of their own particular Bodies only, but the Redemption of the Univerfal Body; elfe they fhould come short of the Creation, and thofe that have not the Firftfruits of the Spirit, for they wait for the manifeftation of the Sons of God. Whence is it that natural Men wait for the Manifeftation of the Sons of God? but for their intereft therein: Because they as feeds fhall fpring up in that Manifeftation; for as Believers are Chrift's feeds, (the feed of his pe-. culiar myftical Body immediately born to him) fo are the reft of Men their feed and fullness; and

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therefore

therefore they have an intereft and concern likewife immediately in the quickning of thefe Seeds in due time, till which be done they are not full and perfect. This is moft concifely, yet fully held forth in that fcale of the Apoftle. The Head of the Woman, (that is in the Mystery, the natural Creation, is the Man, the Head of every Man) every fpiritual Man is Chrift; The head of Chrift is God; which fhews the linking and concatenation, the mutual Intereft and Combination, the entering of one link of this golden Chain into the other, making all one; all a Unity, each running into all, and being all, and all being in each one. Which proves what I faid before, that the Saints are not fully glorified without the rest of Mankind. Nay, that Chrift is not full without them, nor the manifeftative Glory of God himself full and perfect without the recovering the whole. For further fatisfaction in this Argument, I fhall refer the Reader to that incomparable and learned Pen of Mr. Peter Sterry, in his difcourfe of the Soul, in that excellent Treatife of his, upon the Freedom of the Will. Though I have yet more to add upon this Head of Man's being the fullness of the Creation of God.

***

CHAP.

CHAP. XVI.

A further Evidence of this Hypothefis, from the high Eulogies of Love in the Scrip

tures

W

THATSOEVER the Lord commends to the Creature, he ftands forth himself as the higheft Image and Example in it to the Creature: This being the highest and most effectual way of commending any thing to another, (efpecially to an Inferior) and the higher the Superior is, fo much the more forcible is his own Practice and Example to commend it. God is not as the Scribes and Pharifees that laid heavy Burthens upon others, fuch as they would not touch with one of their own Fingers: But when he bids us be Holy, he gives us this Reafon, For I the Lord your God am Holy: when he calls us to be Perfect, he doth the fame Be you Perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Now there is nothing the Lord commends to Men fo much as Love; yea, it is Love that Commends all to God himself, Ephef. i. 4. That we should be holy and without blame before him in Love. Love is as the Sparkle in the Diamond, even in Holiness and Unblameableness itself: As if Holiness and Unblameableness had all its Beauty, all its acceptance in Love, as indeed it hath, for, 1 Cor. xiii. the Apoftle, after a large enumeration of choiceft Gifts and Excellencies, as Tongues, Prophefies, understanding all Myfteries, all Knowledge, all Faith, yea all acts of Charity, and laftly giving our Bodies to be burned, faith, that without Love all is Nothing But Love is all, and where Love is, nothing is wanting, if that Love be perfect in

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kind,