in Contriving Man's Redemption. '2'27 clUll to give check to them, than the Confideration that they are attended with a painful "-./'-"'1 Eternity, that within a little while nothing will remainofthemoCtplea(ant LuCts bnttheClJJp. 1 8. J!Vorm and the Fire? Thus one extreme is cured by another. Or, if the Fear ofMen, who l..I"'(""\J ~~n~fl~~o~~r g~~;~r~~a~i::'m~~~ ~~~~~~on l~t;fen~l~[i~~r:ffron:i~ha;~~~:mr!~~b~;~~~~ dreadful a thing it is to fai) into the revenging Hand.J of the livh1g God, who lh,es tOr ever, and can punifh for ever? Thus our Saviour fortified his Difciples againf\ Per(ecution, Lnf<! 1 2. 4, 5· !fay 111zto yo11, my Friends, Be mt afraid of them that IJII the Body, and after that have 110 more that they can do; but I wiU f orewarn you whom you foal/ fear: fear hhn which after he hath kjlled, hath power to cajl into HcU; yea, I fay llnlo yo:e, fem1 him. Eternal Damnation is infinitely more fea rful than T empora l Death. As the Rod of M.ofes devoured the Rods of the Magicians; [o the Fear of Hell overcomes the Fear of Death, and all the Torments which end with this Life. I fhall add farther, to fhew how fit an Argument this is to work on Mankind; That ufually the Fear of Evil more deeply affeC'cs than the Hope of Good. When the Imagi - nation is violently Ctruck with an ObjeC'c, it hath a mighty force to turn the Mind and Will it felf. Therefore Laws are fecured by Punifhments, not by Rewards. Indeed the FearoHiellatfirf\ difpofesusfortheLoveofHeaven: To efcape the one, we fly to the mher. As the virtue of the Loadftone is increaf\: by armi ng it with Iron, which a.ltho' it hath no attractive Power in it felf, yet by conjunction it makes the others more forcible: So the Promife of Heaven make a f\ronger impreffion upon us by the threarning of Hell to all that defpife it. Were it not fo r.theTorments <;>f Hell, .(which are more ea fil y · conceived by us whilfl we are cloathed wah Flefh, than Celef"al Joys, and therefore more Ctrongly affeC'c us ) Heaven would be negleC'ced, and be as empty of Saints as 'tis full of Glory. To awaken us out of the deep Lethargy of fenfual Lults, the mof\ pleaf>nt Mufick is inefreC'cual , nothing lefs is requifite than cutting and fcarifying. And not only thofe that begin and firCt enter in the ways of Godlincfs, but thofe who are advanc'd in Chriflianity have need of this Bridle. For there are fome Temptation~ wherein the Flefh alf•ults the Spirit with that violence, that Love it felfi1obliged to call in Fear to its affirtance, as being more proper to reprefs its iltordinatc motions. 'Tis on.. ly in Heaven that perfeC'c Love will confumeall concupifcence, and caf\outfearofJudgment: but whilft we are encornpaft with Temptations, we muft: not think under the pretext of a more raifed Spirituality, that the fear of Hell is either unbecoming or unnecelfarr. 'Tis not unworthy a Child of God to imploy all the Motives of the Gofpel. We are commanded to worb,_out 011r own Salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2. 12. But the opening of Hell to our view is not fufficient alone to make us Holy. For the f'trongeCt Terrors, although they ref\rain from the outward forbidden aC'c, yet do not change the Heart. According to that of St. Auflin, lnaniter fe virJorem putat cjfe. peccati qui pre11£ timore non peccat; quia ctfi non impletm· fori! mgotiuntmdl£ cupiditatif, ip/d t::Zmm cupiditas intuseft hoflis; that is, the fear of Punilhment can never make us trul y vifrorious over Sin, becaufe altho' we do not aC'cually accomplifh the Defiresof the corrupt Will, yet thecorruptWillisflillan Enemy that lives within, and is only def\royed by the Love of Holinefs, which allures us by the excell ent Reward that is promifed ro it. Befides, fear is a viol ent Paffion to which Nature is repugnant, . [o that altho' its Power is great, yet notconf\ant. How f\rong foever the force is by which a Srone isthrown upwards, yetthe lmpre(lion is weakned by degrees,and overcome by the natural weight of the Srone whereby it falls to the.Center. So the humane Nature refif\s Fear, and lelfens itS Impetuoufnefs fo far, that frequently it returns to fenfual LuCts. Therefore that the Law of the Spirit may be perfeC'c and f\able , it muCt be confirmed by the Hopes of Heaven. As the Natural fo the Spiritual Life muO: be nourifh'd by grateful Food, 'tis not preferved with Aloes o; Wormwood. For this reafon our Saviour, 2. To encourage and raife our Hopes, offers to us a Reward i nfinitely valuable: for as God is Infinite, fuch is the Happinefs he beflows on his Favourites. 'Tis defcrioed to us in Scripture under the moCt enamouring reprefentations; as-a State of Peace and Love, of Joy and Glory. • The Prince of Peace reigns in the Holy 1erufale!Jt that is above, and pre[erves an everlaftlllg Serenity and Calmnefs. The mutinous Spirits that rebelled were prefently chafed from thence, into this lower Region where they brought trouble and diforder. He maf<!th Peace in his high Places. The Peace of Heaven is /if<! theChrJ[/a!Seabefore the Throue of the ~an~b, which no unquiet Agitation ever troubles or diCturbs. An mvtolable Love unites all ~is SubjeC'cs, no Divifion or Jea!oufy difcompofes their Concord. They enjoy without envy: for infinite Blelfednefs is not dimini!hed by the number of Polfeffors. The Inheritance in Light is communicated to all. Although the G g 2 Angels
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