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105 of Ages, he will not repent him of the Evil which is befallen them. Woe to the Soul that is thus fet up as a Butt, for the Wrath of the Almighty to fhoot at! and as a Bush that must burn in the Flames of his Jealoufy, and never be confumed!

$11. (3) The Torments of the Damned must be extreme, because they are the Effect of divine Vengeance. Wrath is terrible, but Revenge is implacable. When the great God fhall fay, "My rebellious Creatures "fhall now pay for all the Abufe of my Patience. "Remember how I waited your Leifure in vain, "how I ftooped to perfuade and intreat you. Did ་ you think I would always be fo flighted?" Then will he be revenged for every abufed Mercy, and for all their Neglects of Chrift and Grace. Othat Men would forefee this, and please God better in preventing their Woe!

$12. (4) Confider also, that though God had rather Men would accept of Christ and Mercy, yet when they perfift in Rebellion, he will take Pleasure in their Execution. He tells us, Fury is not in me; yet he adds, who would fet the Briars and Thorns against me in Batthe? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Wretched Creatures! when he that made them will not have Mercy on them, and he that formed them will few them no Favour (h). As the Lord rejoiced over them to do them Good; fo the Lord will rejoie over them to deftroy them, and to bring them to nought (i). Woe to the Soul whom God rejoiceth to punifh! He will laugh at their Calamity, he will mock when their Fear cometh; when their Fear cometh as Defolation, and their Deftruction cometh as a Whirlwind; when Diftrefs and Anguifh cometh upon them (k). Terrible Thing, when none in Heaven or Earth can help them but God, and he shall rejoice in their Ca

(h) Ifaiah xxvii. 4, II.

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lamity!

(i) Deut. xxviii. 63. (k) Prox, i. 26, 27.

lamity! Tho' Scripture speaks of God's laughing and macking, not literally, but after the Manner of Men; yet it is fuch an Act of God in tormenting the Sinner, which cannot otherwise be more fitly expreffed.

§ 13. (5) Confider that Satan and themselves fhall be Gad's Executioners. He that was here fo fuccefsful in drawing them from Chrift, will then be the Inftrument of their Punishment, for yielding to his Temptations. That is the Reward he will give them for all their Service; for their rejecting the Commands of God, and forfaking Chrift, and neglecting their Souls at his Perfuafion. If they had ferved Chrift as faithfully as they did Satan, he would have given them a better Reward. It is also most just, that they fhould be their own Tormentors, that they may fee their whole Deftruction is of themselves; and then who can they complain of but themselves?

$14. (6) Confider also that their Torment will be univerfal. As all Parts have joined in Sin, fo muft they all partake in the Torment. The Soul, as it was the chief in finning, fhall be the chief in fuffering; and as it is of a more excellent Nature than the Body, fo will its Torments far exceed bodily Torments; and as its Joys far furpafs all fenfual Pleafures, fo the Pains of the Soul exceed corporal Pains.

It is not only a Soul, but a finful Soul, that must fuffer. Fire will not burn, except the Fuel be combustible; but if the Wood be dry, how fiercely will it burn? The Guilt of their Sins will be to damned Souls like Tinder to Gun-Powder, to make the Flames of Hell take hold upon them with Fury. The Body muft alfo bear its Part. That Body which was fo carefully looked to, fo tenderly cherished, fo curiously dreffed; what muft it now endure? How are its haughty Locks now taken down? How little will thofe Flames regard its Comelinefs and Beauty? Those.

Thofe Eyes which were wont to be delighted with curious Sights, muft then fee nothing but what shall terrify them; an angry God above them, with those Saints whom they fcorned, enjoying the Glory which they have loft; and about them will be only Devils and damned Souls. How will they look back, and fay," Are all our Feafts, and Games, and Revels, "come to this?" Thofe Ears which were accuftomed to Mufick and Songs, fhall hear the Shrieks and Cries of their damned Companions; Children. crying out againft their Parents, that gave them Encouragement and Example in Evil; Hufbands and Wives, Mafters and Servants, Minifters and People, Magiftrates and Subjects, charging their Mifery upon one another, for difcouraging in Duty, conniving at Sin, and being filent, when they should have plainly foretold the Danger. Thus will Soul and Body be Companions in Woe.

$15. (7) Far greater will thefe Torments be, be-" caufe without Mitigation. In this Life, when told of Hell, or Confcience troubled their Peace, they had Comforters at Hand; their carnal Friends, their Bufinefs, their Company, their Mirth. They could drink, play, or fleep away their Sorrows. But now all these Remedies are vanished. Their hard, prefumptuous, unbelieving Heart was a Wall to defend them against Trouble of Mind. Satan was himfelf their Comforter, as he was. to our firft Mother; "Hath God faid, ye shall not cat?ye fhall not furely "die. Doth God tell you that you fhall lie in Hell? "It is no fuch Matter. God is more merciful. Or "if there be a Hell, what need you fear it? Are "not you Chriftians? Was not the Blood of Chrift "fhed for you?" Thus as the Spirit of Chrift is the Comforter of the Saints, fo Satan is the Comforter of the Wicked. Never was a Thief more careful lest ·

ning; or that unfeen Power which rends in Pieces the mighty Oaks, and tears down the strongest Buildings; or at the Plague, when it rageth around thee? If thou hadst feen the Plagues of Egypt; or the Earth swallow up Dathan and Abiram; or Elijah bring Fire from Heaven to deftroy the Captains and their Companies; would not any of thefe Sights have daunted thy Spirits How then canft thou bear the Plagues of Hell?Why art thou dismayed with fuch small Sufferings as befall thee here? A Tooth-ach; a Fit of the Gout, or Stone; the Loss of a Limb; or falling into Beggary and Difgrace? And yet all these laid together, will be one Day accounted a happy State, in Comparison of that which is fuffered in Hell. Why does the Approach of Death so much affright thee? O how cold it strikes to thy Heart! And would not the Grave be accounted a Paradife, compared with that Place of Torment which thou flightest? Is it an intolerable Thing to burn Part of thy Body, by holding it in the Fire? What then will it be to fuffer ten thoufand Times more for ever in Hell?Why does the Thought or Mention of Hell occafion any Difquiet in thy Spirit? And canft thou endure the Torments themfelves?Why doth the rich Man complain to Abraham of his Torment in Hell! Or thy dying Companions lofe their Courage, and change their haughty Language? Why cannot thefe make as light of Hell as thyfelf? Did thou never fee or Speak with a Man under Defpair? How uncomfortable was his Talk? How burthenfome his Life? Nothing he poffessed did him Good: He had no Sweetness in Meat or Drink: The Sight of Friends troubled him: He was weary of Life, and fearful of Death. If the Mifery of the Damned can be endured, why cannot a Man more easily endure thefe Foretaftes of Hell?. -What if thou shouldst fee the Devil appear to thee in fome ter

rible

rible Shape? Would not thy Heart fail thee, and thy Hair ftand an End? And how wilt thou endure to live for ever, where thou fhalt have no other Company but Devils, and the Damned, and fhalt not only fee them, but be tormented with them and by them? -Let me once more afk, If the Wrath of God be fo light, why did the Son of God himself make fo great a Matter of it? It made Him fweat as it were great Drops of Blood falling down to the Ground. The Lord of Life cried, My Soul is exceeding forrowful even unto Death. And on the Crofs, My God, my God, why haft thou for faken me? Surely if any one could have born thefe Sufferings eafily, it would have been Jefus Chrift. He had anorher Measure of Strength to bear it than thou haft. Woe to thee, Sinner, for thy mad Security! Doft thou think to find it tolerable to thee, which was fo heavy to Chrift? Nay, the Son of God is caft into a bitter Agony, and bloody Sweat, only under the Curfe of the Law; and yet thou, feeble, foolish Creature, makeft nothing to bear alfo the Curfe of the Gospel, which requires a much forer Punishment (1). The good Lord bring thee to thy right Mind by Repentance, left thou buy thy Wit at too dear a Rate!

$18. AND now, Reader, I demand thy Refolution; what Ufe wilt thou make of all this? Shall it all be loft to thee? or wilt thou confider it in good Earneft? Thou haft caft away many a Warning of God; wilt thou do fo by this allo? Take Heed, God will not always ftand warning and threatening. The Hand of Revenge is lifted up, the Blow is com ing, and Woe to him on whom it lighteth! Doft thou throw away the Book, and fay, it speaks of nothing but Hell and Damnation? Thus thou useft alfo to complain of the Preacher. But wouldst thou not have

(1) Heb. x. 29.

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