Chap. I. Of HE J:, L. Pfal. 90 • 11 What are the. prepared Plagues, by infinite Jufiicc and A !mighty Wrath, for obfiinate Smners? It IS lmpollible for the moll gwlry and trembhng Confc~ence to m- }~~r~~h;~s f¥~.~~;~~~~~f:hi~cc;.~~g.;~.~h;,d:c:~:;L ~~~~l"Y.~Z;Jir;;;/;o'dN~~~~;·,: tell what God can do, and what Man lhall fuffer, when made capable to endure fuch Torments for ever, as now would prefently confume him. As the Glory of Heaven cannot be fully underfiood till enjoyed, fo the Torments of Hell cannot be comprehended till felt. But we may have fame d1fcovery of thofe unknown Terrors, by the followwg Confiderations. J. The mofi heavy Judgments of God upon Sinners here, are light and rolerable in comparifon of the Punilhment of Sinners in the next State. For, ( 1.) Temporal Evi ls of all kinds and degrees, asPefiilence, Famine, War, are defigned for the bringing of Men to a fight and fenfe 'of their Sins, and are common to Good and Bad here. And if his Anger be fo rerrible when he chafiifes as a compaffionate Farhcr, what is his Fury when he punilhesasa fevere Judg? If thecorre£ting Remedies ordered by his Wifdom and Love for the converlion of Sinners b~ fo lharp, what is the deadly revenge of his irreconcilable Hatred? , ( 2.) The Miferies of the prefenr State are allayed with fome enjoyments. None are fo univerfally aflli£ted, fo defolate, but femething remains to fweeten the fenfe of their Sufferings. Judgmenrsaretempered with Memes. No Man is tortur'd with all D<fcafes, nor forfaken of all Friends, nor utterly without Comfort. And when the Affliction is irrtmcdiable, yet if our Grief produces Sympathy in orh~rs, 'tis fame cafe w the troubled Mind, and by that affifiance the Burden. is made hghter. But in He ll, th,e ~ Damned are furrouodc:d w1th Terrors, encompaft wuh Flames, wuhout any thmg eo refrclh their Sorrows, not a drop of Water to a Lake of Fire. All that was clleemcd Feli~iry here, is coraliy withdrawn. Death puts. a ~eriod to their Lives and Pleafures.of Sm !or ever. For 'tis moft jufi, that thofe 0bJe£ts which were abufed by their Lulls, and alimatcd their Hearts from their Dury and Felicity, Jhou!d be taken away. Anct which is cxtrcam Mifc<y, in their mofi pitiful State, they are abfolutely unpitied. Piry is the cheap and univcrfal Lenitive, not denied ro the moll guilty in rhe1r Suffc:rings h~.::re; for the Law of Nature infiru£ts us to pity the Man, when the MalefaCtor fuflers. But even this is not afforded to the Damned. All their Agonies and Cnes cannot incline the Compaffion of God, and the blelfed Spirits in Heaven towards them : for they are not compallionable Obje£ts, their Mifery being . the jufi el!e£t of their perverfe obll inare Choice. And in Hell all humane tender Al!e£tions are cxtinguilh'd for ever Now 'tis the perfe£tion ofMifery, rheexcefsof Defolation, robe deprived of all good th ings p!ea- ~bffo:·~e~~~De~~e;'~ ;;.~~~~~~e~a!J~1 ~!~~ufrh~~~~;:i~d~eat~~~~~~;~ b~~r~~~ ~f~ in fJellall Evil is in exceffive degrees, and nothing but Evil. ( 3·) Temporal Evils are infli£ted by the mediation of fecond Caufes·that are of a limited power to hurt: but ia tl1e next World he more immediarcly tormems rhe Damned by hisabfolutePower. TheApofiletellsus, that the Wicked arepunifbedwithevtrlfJiing Deflru8101J from the prefence of the Lord, and the Glory of hts Power. What is the lafh. ~~i~~~~::;rr!i~~io~ :~~'?f;~~.en by the hand of a Giant that !hikes dead at once ? ma~~~':!e~r~iu~1~~~;~~ ~:det~frXi~~lni~l;~~~hc~~;~rt~~~ bl ~~:],~ir:~~~~t:~~~~~~ rably painful, than ful!ering the violence of Fire inraged with Brimfione: and Hell is defcribed by a Lake of Fire and Brimfione, wherein the Wicked are tormented. W hether the Fire be Material or Metaphorical,the reality and intenfcnefs of the Torment is fi"- nified by it. But the ordinary Fi~e, tho mingled with the mofi torturing Ingredients, ~s not an adequate reprefentatwn of 11. For that is prepared by Men, bur the Fire of Hell IS prepared by the Wrath of God for the Devil and his Angels. The Divine Power is dlufiriou~y manifefied in that terrible\reparation: So that, as fame of the fathers exprefs lt, 1f one of theDamned m<ght pafs from thofe Flames into the fierceft Fires here, ~;i.fi:.t:~~!i:£~t:+:.;,~:.~i7£l£E~;2-~:t,~;~;~:.~r.fEJ;;·;.~!~Z5:::,f~:;,~::,;1:tiE fo~~/ln~r;t~Cll~;~ i:Ott:: ::n7::~t~~;~;:;;~~ t:;~~:!:rr;:;:,h ~~eis8~1r::~~ r::; o/foa}:~t.S:~~~n:f7:~!:~v;:; '{ Battti~ dup Wo~if!dsart not ftlt. And liS God~ a'uttur:t.l Confiitlltionhas mltlrd~ that tb( B'ril fo t6ucbtd11nd mnm~, txr ;~~~!JjJ7J!,fl1~1~n/o:;/~d; kt maJhtwt or~melfth11t the D1!11Us fh;dJ f'el the 1m}r:jfions of Mamial Flrc, tn * }IJ&.u i;
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