The Worth of the Soul

by Rev. Matthew Henry

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
— Matt. 14: 26.

The soul of man is a jewel of inestimable value. This is plainly intimated here, where the loss of the soul is represented as such a loss that the gain of all the world will not be a compensation for it. Observe here,

1. What those things are that are here compared — “the whole world,” and “thy own soul;” these are here put into the scales against one another. The world here means not the universe, or the whole creation, that is more excellent than any one part, but the things that are seen, that are temporal, 2 Cor. 4: 18; the riches, honours, and pleasures, of this present time. See a map of this world, 1 John 2: 16. Now the “whole world” is here set in the balance against one soul, if that one be thy one. It is not a small estate, or a lordship, that is here supposed to be of less value than the soul, but the world, the whole world. Our temporal concerns are compared with our spiritual, the “life that now is, and that which is to come,” 1 Tim. 4: 8.

2. What judgment is here passed upon them — That our own souls are of infinitely more value than the whole world. The value of a thing is reckoned partly by its nature and intrinsic dignity, and partly by its use. That is most valuable, that is most delightful, most profitable and most necessary. We reckon that is most worth that is most worth to us. Now our own souls are more to us than all the world is or can be. The design of this is to show of what little worth the world is, and the things of the

world they are weighed in the balance and found wanting; not worthy to be compared, or to be named, with the soul; Rom. 8: 18.

1. Who is that passeth this judgment. It is our Lord Jesus himself, one who had reason to know the worth of souls, for he made them, and bought them; and who, we may be sure, would not under-rate the world, for by him “the worlds were made,” Col. 1: 16; Heb. 1: 2. This doctrine I shall endeavour,

I. To prove — The true worth of the soul, and that it is more to us than all the world. Consider,

1. The production of the soul. Trace it up to its original; and it is breathed into us by the breath of God: it is a spark of heaven; it is that part of man by which he is allied to the world of spirits; it is the masterpiece of God’s workmanship in this lower world, Gen. 2: 7. The image of God is stamped upon it, Gen. 1: 26, 27. When it returns to God, it doth but as all the waters do, return to the place from whence it came. It is of a noble extraction. That which makes up the world, that men covet so much, is but of the earth, earthy:— honour is a shadow; the pleasures of the world, and the wealth of the world, are of the earth; gold and silver are but refined earth — Man found thee poor and dirty in a mine, Herbert. But man was made last of all the creatures, as the chief of the works of God. It is good for us often to ask whence we came; and being so nobly descended, disdain to serve the base and sordid lusts of the flesh, and to prostitute an immortal soul to the drudgery of this world.

2. The powers of the soul. These are very great; its apprehensions are not confined by the horizon of sense; but rove far beyond it. The faculties of the human soul are such as above any other creature prove the eternal power and wisdom of the Creator. It is the soul that knows right well how marvellous God’s works are, Ps. 139: 14, by reflection upon itself. Think what the soul of man is capable of, and you will say that it is of inestimable value.

(1.) It is capable of glorifying God in this world. It has a power of knowing God, as he has been pleased to reveal himself. It is that which is within us, that renders us capable of blessing and praising God, Ps. 103: 1, 2. It is capable of “knowledge,” in which, especially, the image of God consists, Col. 3: 10. It is capable of reasoning and “bringing to mind,” Isa. 46: 8. It is capable of receiving a divine revelation to this purpose, and in the use of instituted ordinances is capable of “having fellowship” with God — of being wrought upon, and witnessed with, by the Holy Spirit of God, Rom. 8: 16. It is capable of being “sanctified.”

(2.) It is capable of being glorified with God in the other world; of see-

ing and enjoying him within the veil; of conversing with angels and glorified spirits, and drinking in the sweet and glorious rays of divine grace and love; things which are above, out of the sight of sense. It has a power of doing that, which the body, till it is refined and become a spiritual body, is not able to attain. It is capable of seeing God face to face, which an embodied soul, till stripped of this veil, cannot possibly do, Exod. 33: 20.

(3.) The perpetuity of the soul. This is one great thing which speaks the worth of the soul — that it is to last for ever, it is an immortal spirit. It is a flame that can never be extinguished. It will survive the body, and will live and act in a state of separation from it. It is one of those things which are not seen, but are eternal, 2 Cor. 4: 18. It is an awful consideration, when a child is born, to think, here is the beginning of a being that will outlive all the ages of time. The world is but for a moment, Prov. 23: 5, the fashion of it, the scheme, the outside of it, (for it is but a superficies,) “passeth away,” 1 Cor. 7: 31; 1 John 2: 17. But the soul is perpetual; the things themselves towards which its desires extend, and those desires that are so formed, are eternal. The brute creatures are mortal, but man will be immortal. This makes it such a serious thing for a man to die, above what it is for a beast to die, Eccl. 3: 21. Things are reckoned valuable according to their duration. Gold therefore is the most precious metal because it will not rust nor waste; but the utmost of the duration of this world’s goods is within time.

(4.) The propriety of our souls — “thy own soul.” In order to ascertain the right value of a thing it must be considered, not only what the thing is in itself, but what interest we have in it. The loan of a thing is nothing so valuable as the possession of it. Now the world is but lent us; whatever we have in it, is not to be called our own; but our souls are our own. We brought them into the world, and we shall carry them out — they are our own, they are, in fact, ourselves. The soul is the man. What is man but a “living soul?” Gen. 2: 7. Abstract the soul as living, and the body is a lump of clay; abstract the soul as rational, and the man is as the beasts that perish. It is a certain truth that the soul is the man. “Persons,” in Scripture, are often reckoned by souls, as Acts 2: 41. What we are is more to us that what we have. It is the spirit that is the substance of the man; and what is the chaff to the wheat, the shell to the kernel, the clothes to the body? This is one of the first things that the convinced sinner is made sensible of — that the soul is the man; and if he would do well for himself, he must do well for his soul.

(5.) The projects that are laid about souls. There is great work about

souls, more than you think of. That is valuable which those that are intelligent are concerned about. This speaks the soul of man to be of very great value. Consider,

1. What projects the love of God has to save souls. The God of infinite wisdom, whose the worlds are, has been pleased to concern himself with a peculiar care about the world of mankind, the world of souls. Some observe, that in Scripture, God is never brought in consulting with himself but when man is concerned. God has thoughts “to us ward,” Ps. 40: 5. Infinite Wisdom was from eternity, devising means that poor banished souls might not be forever expelled, Eph. 1: 11, compare verse 9. God had thoughts of love to the sons of men, i.e. the souls of men, before the worlds were.

2. What projects the malice of Satan has to destroy souls. It is a sign the soul of man is very precious, when God and Satan, those two adverse powers, are as it were contending for it. He seeks to get and keep possession of the soul, that he may devour it, 1 Pet. 5: 8. The great dispute between Michael and the dragon is, who shall rule the souls of men. The devil’s agents trade in the “souls of men,” Rev. 18: 13. The devil saith, as the king of Sodom, Gen. 14: 21, “Give me the souls.” There is great striving about the soul.

(6.) The price that was paid to redeem souls. We reckon the value of a thing by that which a wise man will give for it, who is not ignorant of it, nor under necessity. Christ the Wisdom of God, gave himself, his own precious blood, to redeem souls, and he knew what they were, and had no need of them. The redemption of the “soul is precious,” Ps. 49: 8. Corruptible things, as silver and gold, would not do: then did Christ, for us men and for our salvation, make his soul an offering, 1 Pet. 1: 18, 19. “His soul was an offering” for ours, his life a “ransom” for many, Matt. 20: 28. See here the worth of souls — nothing could be a ransom for forfeited souls but the blood of the Son of God. Lo I come, saith he — for us men and for our salvation, saith the Nicene creed. Neither the fruit of the body, nor the fruit of the estate, would atone for the “sin of the soul,” Mic. 6: 7, but Christ gave himself. Blood of bulls and goats would not do. God proves the excellency of his people by this, Isa. 43: 4, “I will give men for thee;” — much more doth it demonstrate the excellency of souls, when God gave his Son for them. The blood of Christ is precious blood, of immense value.

(7.) The pains that are taken to renew souls. God hath manifested his favour to man in the provision made for his body, that that might be put into, and kept in, a capacity to answer the end of its creation. See the

first instance of this care, Gen. 1: 29, and afterwards, Gen. 9: 3. But there is a great deal more done to provide for the soul, and to put that into, and keep that in, a capacity to answer the ends of its creation. The power of God is wonderfully exerted in this important work, to sanctify a soul, to recover it from its degenerate state, to reduce it to its integrity, and to prepare it for glory. The word of God is given for these ends, that mighty word, which is so quick and powerful, Heb. 4: 12. The spirit of God is at work for the good of the soul — the arm of the Lord is revealed — and the work of faith fulfilled with power. These things show what a value God puts upon souls. A word made us, but far more is required to new-make us.

(8.) The preparations that are made to receive souls. There is much in progress for them in the other world. Souls being immortal, have immortal things provided for them.

There are preparations of wrath for sinful souls, to which they are “reserved,” 2 Pet. 2: 9. There is a Tophet that is ordained of old, Isa. 30: 33, an everlasting fire, that is prepared for the devil and his angels, is reserved for wicked men, Matt. 25: 41. It is sealed up among his treasures, treasures of wrath, after the long season of his patience.

And there are preparations of glory for sanctified souls. These must needs be of great value when there is so much laid out to make them great and happy. They have a glory proportioned to their capacities. Knowledge and love are the principal faculties of the soul; and these are sources of bliss in heaven. (to be continued)