Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

⁷ After this brief examination then, know and hold for certain that the body is dead without the soul, and that the soul is dead without God. Every man without God has a dead soul. You bewail the dead: bewail the sinner rather, bewail rather the ungodly man, bewail the unbeliever. It is written, “The mourning for the dead is seven days; for a fool and an ungodly man all the days of his life.” What! Are there no bowels of Christian compassion in you; that you mourn for a body from which the soul is gone, and mournest not for the soul, from which God is departed?

Let the Martyr remembering this make answer to him that threatens him, “Why do you force me to deny Christ?” Would you then force me to deny the truth? And if I will not, what will you do? You will assault my body, that my soul shall depart from it; but this same soul of mine has its body only for the soul's sake. It is not so foolish or unwise. You would wound my body; but would you, that through fear lest you should wound my body, and my soul should depart from it, I should wound my own soul, and my God should depart from it? Fear not then, O Martyr, the sword of your executioner; fear only your own tongue, lest you do execution upon your own self, and slay, not your body, but your soul. Fear for your soul, lest it die in hell-fire.