1\cvcl. 9 I, Ktc~er. jyfl. Thto. Jein· faM. · ~ells ~ortour. 20, 21. \Vhat •n. ugly devil is this, whom God only myllically defcribes with fuch temble lhapes? hts neefing flames, hts eyes llare, hts mouth !hoots fire · his noll:r'! fmoak, his very breath fets all a burning round about him. Such a jaylo;r harh G~~ prepared for he!l-pnfoners.. As God hath fettered him, fo he layesfetters on them, re– venging his own maltce on hts fellow-fufferers. The devil firll tempts arid then he fct ters T,,rcs : whiles men live on earth, he !ayes fnares for fouls: thus 'he prepared lla; tercrs for Rehobo':'m, liars for Ahab, concubins for Solomon, forcerers·for Pharaoh, wit: chcs for Smtl, wme for JJenhadad, gold for Achan, a lhip for Jona<, and'a rope for Haman: but he that makes gms, and nets, and fnares on earth, makes bolts, and ham. mers, and whtps m hell; thus be hath prepared darknelfe for Herod a fire for Div plagues for Pi/ate, brimt!one for Judas, fnares for D emas, and fiery f~tters for all R~: prob~te !""" : what need poor fouls any farther fetters, whom the Devil once lhuts \~tthm h1s Den ! dare you hve _m f~c~ a n_dl: a~ongll fpeckled poifons'? there Serpents g1rdlc the lomcs, and Cockatrtces ktll With thetr eyes, and Dragons fpit fire from their mouths, an~ \Vo~ves all devoure mens fouls, and Lions roar for the prey', and Vipers llmg and llrtkc Wtth thetr Tatles: 0 fearful Jay/ours! what llrange kind offuries live in hell. You fee the Jay/or, now turn your eyes from fo bad a fpcti:acle, and let us view the den where this M onjhr !yes. The Hebrews call it Sheol, a great Ditch or Dungeon;' the Greeks Zbp@-, .even da;k. nelfc it fclf; the Latines Inf ernus, a place under ground: all agree it ih Dungeon under earth, containing thefe two properties. . 5 Docpneffi. l Dark__ne!Je. r. It is deep: as heaven is high, fo (moft probable it is) that hell is deep'. John calls it a bottomlefs pit, ReveL 9· 1. as if Reprobates were always falling, yet never could find bottom where to reil; or howfoever this be a Metaphor , yet without queil:ion, heaveR and hell arc as oppofite as may be: and whether the Centre be the place of torment, or (as others think) all the gulfe; of the Sea, and hollows of the earth, as bei>~g more capable to contain the Damned, I leave it to the Schools ; as for the Pulpit, I think this prayer more fit, Lord, }hew i<s what it is, bur nmr where. Secondly, the deepnefs is yoaked with darizyefs ;- fuch a dungeon fits the Tares, they committed works of darlzye[s; and arc caft into utter dark.Jrfs ; a darlzyefs that may be felt, thick Clouds that may be handled, damps and miits tliat llrike at their hearts with fenfible griefs. This is that bottomlefs pit in the heart of the Earth: There Ihincs no Sun,no Moon,nor Stars; there is no light of Candle,Torch,or Taper,lhine the Sun never fo fair, it is ll:iU night there;· the Dungeon is dark, and this makes the place more fad, more uncomfortable. Let Poets feign of Tanta!Ju tortures, Pro– methens Vultures, Jxions \'ifheel; and Charons rowin·g, thefe come far lhort to expre!l'e the pains of thofe that rage in Hell: there pbgucs have no cafe, cries have not help, time has·no enil, place no redemption': it is the dark prifon where the Tares are chained, and the wicked bound'in fetters of fire and darknelfe. Could men have a fight of hell whiles they live on earth,! doubt not their hearts would tremble in their bofomes: yet view it in a way of meditation, and fee what yo'u find; are there not wonderful €ngines, lharpc and fore inllruments of revenge, fiery JJrimftone, pitchy Sulphur, red hot chaines, flammg whips, fcorching dark.!_tejJe? wlll you any more? The worm." zm– mortal, cold intolerable, flench indurable;Jire Jmquenchable, dark_neffe palpable: This is that prifon of the damned, then whofe eyes dare behold fuch amazing obje<'!s? But if not, fee, yet li!len with your earcs, is there any charm in hell to conjure_ away DeVIls, or to ravilh fouls? What muf1ck affords the place, but roartng, and crymg, and houlmg? curftng their Hymnes, waiLing t~eir um.es, b~afphemies their du:ies, la~hrymre ~h~ir norrs, lamentations their fongs, Jt:riechmg thezr ftremcs, t~efe are thetr evenl~g and tneJr morn.. ing fongs; Muab jhailcry againft Moab, one a&amll: i'nother, all agam!l: God. 0 f~arful Prifon! what torments have the Tares that !te here fettered? Thetr feet are chamcd in the llocks, and the Iron picrccth their fouls; it is a dungeon where the light never lhined, but the walls are as black as pitch, the vaults are fmo~kcd as Chtmneys, the roof as dark as hell, nay the Dungeon is hell, where the Tare; lye bound and fettered. Think ofthis Jayle, ye offenders of Gods Law, and Majefty; the Angels fee ?ur domgs, the Judge now cxpcCl:s our returning, the 1nres grow till the harveft ; and rf ll:t!lllitht!yd o en
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