• 9 7 ®etlitatton. Chap 8.Se&.6. ---··-··--------~------- __ ___: __--.: • running back:jnto it[elf, JVbofe centre _is _always; and cir~umfercn~e without all end•; it is a durarion1[ torment aLways pre[eilt, tt u ~ne perphual mght_ofutter dar/z.neJTe; which is not divided into. hor,res ~r V.Jaft·hes, time paft or ume to come : tt is an age of living in deaths pf!nges, nevu expirinff, or .r;Jvin.g up t~e g~oft; it iJ a beginning of u,:m~nt) never en~mg : b'ut after a tho,if,md, thoujandyears, znftead.of endmg, ftz/1 begmmng. Why thts, 0 my foul, is the mmity of Hdl. . 2. Diftribmion. There is a twof0ld eternity •fhell, ·A parte imtc, & aparte po(f: in refpeCl: of beginning, i( we look on hell inGods decree, it was from eternity; when a qu~!1:lon was propounded by one to an ancient author,what God IMJ a doing beftre he n1ade the world? he returned anfwer, that God was prepttring hellfor Juch curious queftionifts. Indeed the actual creation of hell, was not from all eternity; for hell is a creature, and there was no creature before the wvrld was; yet probably hell was one of the fir!1: creatures T[a. ~o. 31 that God after heaven did make: Tophet is ordained ofold, faith lfaiah, and hell pro– bably; was created the firfl: day, becaufe the Angels fell the lir!1: day: when Go:! made heaven, he made the Angels in heaven; now God made heaven the lirfl: day, and the Angels fell the firfl: day : it is clear enough that on the fixth day there was a devil to tempt ,Jdam, and devils could not be wirhout an hell. But, 0 my foul, /lay not too long on this curiofity ; in refpeC1 of ending, hell is indeed and really to all If.• a!J 6 6 >4 eternity: th' worme jha/1 not dyel the fire mver jl>a/1 be quenched. After a thoufancL ihoufJnd mill·ions of years, there are llill as many more to come, and when thofe many more arc come and gone, the torments are yet as fat· from the lafl: as they were If~,iah 14~ u at the firJ; It is now a:lmofl: 6ooo. years fince Lucifer, fo of the morning, f tll from heaven to hd/: it is now above foure thoufand years, fincc Efa", whohatedJac<b, was call: into this pit of hell, and yet the number of their years, of torments, are as many llill, as they were the fir!1: day of their entrance into hell : Eternity is of that nature, that no tim~ can meafure it, or diminfh it; take from it what you will, it isitill tire fame; it is neither increafed by addition, nor leffcncd by fubtraC1ion. And of this e– ternity of hell wi~hout any end, is that more efpecially, vf which, 0 my foul, thou art now to meditate, , 3· Caufes. The caufcs of this Eternity ofhell, are I. The eternity of fin, Men fin in their eterJ nity, a•d therefore God will punijl> them in bu eternit)'· Man fins as long is he can, and therefore God will pnnilh as long as he can,Again,mcn would fin eternally in this world if Gvd would but leave them to themfelves; and therefore God hath proportioned this etemity of fuffering to the, Eternities of mens defires and delights in !inning. Again, when wicked men come to hell, they will fin there to all eternity, and therefore thcit' torments mull: be ~eternal: as long as there is fin in a mo.n, the Lord will torment that man, for fin and punilhment cannot be fevered ; fin is like oylc, and Gods wrath like fire, as long as you call: oyle upon fire, the fire cannot ceafe burning; as . Jtevcl. 16 o. long as Gn is in a mans nature, a man cannot be free from fuffcrin'g; we read ·that in • '• 01 hell there is great blafphemy of God, becaufc of their plagues; They blafpheme his jufiice, bec~ufe he judged them, they blafph~me his mercy, becaufe he forfook them; they blafpheme the blood of Chrifl:; becaufett)lat blood which faveth thouf•rids, favcd not them: hell is made up of nothing but ot'tfns, and blafphemies, and torments; 1. Jtevd. H· 11 Being curfed of God, they curfe God againe; and their fin continuing to all eterni· tY, tllcrdvre thefmoak_of 1hcir torments~ afccndethup for ever ~tnd Ct'er. 2. The j'ull:icc of God that !1:ill remaines unfatisfied as for their fin. There is.a !1:ory of Tiberi11s Ctr· Jar, that being iilcenfed againfl: an offender in his Court, the offender petitioned the l':mperour, that his death and punilhment might be haff~ned, but the Emp'crour rc– turncs his anfwer; 0 man, I am notyet friendr ~· wicKed men they wrong Gods ju~ice, and they expeC1 their torments fhould foon be at an end, no, faith God, As TiberiJJs an· M,tiJc·; 12 , 59 fwered his malefaC1or, you tnd I are notyetfriends, you ha:;e not )'et Jatisfied my jufhcr for all yam· trefpaffis,& )'OU j/ut!l not depdrt thence ttlly01t hawpatd the very /aftmne. Why .alas! this can never be done by a mans own fuA:erings.Gocl is infinite, and juil:ice ts ii1finite, arid there is no infinity in a reprobates fuffcring, but oncly in refpcCl: of du– tance; and therefore as long as God is God, and as God is a jufl: God, fo long n1uff there be an hell for the damned to fuffer iri. Oh.who can !1:and before thefc eveda!ting burnings! who can dwell with the devoHrimr fire ! JVho 11m011gjf HS can dwell wit!5 1he <ver· lfaia' •!Jl· 14 iafting bJtrning? • 0 .,·
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