Of H E L L. -~-Q;p:II When three terrible Evils were propounded to David's Choice, pining Famine for ;;~r~~0~{~ ;~~ Tho~~~ft~Ytl~~f,~ f~~,Wr:1~:;:~~l~a ~~~~evounng Pefhlence for three Days; Many. f.1d Days mu ft pafs under the other Judgments, where Death by anticipation in fucl1vanety of Shapes would be prcfented to the Mmd, that the hngnng expet!ation of 1t would afllrtt more than the fudden t1rol<e; whereas the fury of the Pefti!ence would be foo nover. llut the Damned have not this relief, hilt f/;a/1 be tormented day and night f~r ever and ever. How eamcftly do th'! Jiek for Death, ~ut ~anoot find it I What a f· avour would they cfteem 1tto be anmhdated? .For certaml~, 1f when the Evils in the prefent State are fo multiphed, that no comfort rs left, or fo VIOlent that the affiitted Per. fon cannot en joy them,. and refi·~01 his formwful Spirit, Death is chofen rather than Ltfe; It cannot be unagmcd that m the fmure State, where the M1fery is extream and ~~~;~~~i~~i~~~~o~~~·~~~ret~~~~~~~~~~~~~m~~'?f ~~ ~i~~~eb:.ith the unhappy g~d of If any one fhould be fo foolifh to think that Cuftom will render that State more to]e. rable~ he will fi nd a terrible confutation of .his vain Fancy. Indeed,. continuance un. der hght F1•ds may armtheMmdwl!h patience to bearthem; butmgreatExtremi· tics it makes the Evil more ponderous and intolerable. He that is tortured with the Stone, or on the Rack, the longer the Torture continues, the lefs able he is to fufiain it. In fhort, as the Joy of Heaven is infinitc!y more ravifhing, that the Bleffed are without fea r of JoGng it; fo the Mifery of Hell is proportionably tormenting, that the Damned are abfolutely delhtute of Hopes of re]eafe. 'Tu a fearful thing to fall mto tht Hands of the living God, who lives for ever, and will punilli for ever incorrigible Sinners! There are fame who firongly fancy, 'tis not confifient with Divine Juftice to in· ~;~r~~e~l~;~~~~;~~e~J~J~rl~~!2j!~if/fo~~~;~ini.h~:;~~fl:~;rJ,~!:'}h,:e~~.8~rt~~:~n~f. hilation of impenitent Sinners ; that is, they fl1all be for ever deprived of Heaven, but not fuff'kr Torments for ever. To this there is a clear Anfwer: 1. The direa oppofition between tverlajling Ptmifb. ment, and e'Verlajfing Life, intheword.s of Chrift, is a convincing Argument they are to be underftood in the fame extent for an abfolute Eternity. And the words in the Reve/a. tion are fo exprefs, that they admit no mol!rfying Interpretation, They are tormented Day and Night, f or ever an_dever.: Which neceffarilyinfer, the Tormented have Life and Senfe for ever. Now that rn-Scnpture 'nsev1dent, that God bath decreed and denouncedeter· na] Punifhment to obfiinate Sinners, is fufficient to fatisfy all Enquiries about the Juftice of it: for Divine Juftice is the correfpondence of God's Will and Attions with the Perfections of his Holy Nature. From hence we may infer with invincible Evidence, that whatever he pronounces in Judgment, and confequently infliEl:s, is mofi Righteous. The Truth is, we may as eafily conceive there is no God, as that God is UnJuft ;. bocaufe abfo!ute Rettitude is an infeparable PerfeC.tion of his Nature. Thus the Apoflle with ab· horrence rejeC.ts the Q!Jefiion, Is God Vnrigbteous who taketh Vengeance ? God forbid: for then bo•• ]ball God judg the World? Ram. 3· ), 6. That were to deny him to. be God, who is the Creator, and King, and Judg of the. World: 'Tis a full Reply to all the pi· tiful Shifts that are made ufe of to elude the plarn meaomg of the eternal Judgment that will pafs upon the Wicked: Shall mortal Man be more jrifl than God? ]ball a Man be more pure than his Maker? Job 4· '7· The Reprobates have now fome bold Advocaces, rhat plead thofe things for favour to them, wluch they will not dare to plead for tbemfelvesat the la ft Day. The holy Judg will then cut.off all their Excufes, and reduce them to a defencelefs Glence, before he cuts them off. God •vill be jujlijied in his Sentence, and ow· come when he judgeth. . . . . . The Righteoufnefs of the Proceedmgs at the !aft Day, mdetermrnmg theWtcked to a fiate of everlafiing Torments,. has been con~der'd in the Difcomfe of Judgr»e•t, and wi~.fa;~:~;fu~~bKf~~o;~~~~~~,~~~[~~~~~~~fhmentthreatned in hisLaw,.as it muft be fo firmly decreed, that all obftinate Rebels fhall of neceffity undergo tt, fo tr muft rn· comparably exceed all temporal Evils, to whtch Men may be expofed for theu- Obedrence to the Divine Commands, otherw1fe the Threatmng would not be an ~ fl_eC.tual r~f!ramt from Sin: For the propinquity of an Evil makes a firong tmpreffion on.U1e Mtnd, and a prefent Fear makes a Perfon follicitous to ayoid the tncurfion of what" ready to ferzc on him, without forccafimg to prevent an Evtl Jook'd on. at a drflance. Therefore that the Santtionof the Divine Lawmay prefervethe Precepts mvwlable, that there may be a con· tinua l Reverence of it, and a fixed Refolution in the Heart not to tranfgrefs, th~h~:'t~~~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=