Chap. 11. threamed mult be in its owr1 nature fo terrible, that the fear of ir rtuty conquer theap- . prehenfion of allprefent Evils that can be infliCled to confhain us to Sin. Therefore our Saviour warns Ins D1fc1ples, Fear not them that can krll the Body (make that part d1e that is mortal) . but fear him that after he has killed, h.w porver to c.ft into Hell ; yea, .1 fay unfo ;ou, fear hem. Now if the thrcatnmg of an everlaltmg Hell~ through Infi~dlty. and Inconfiderauon, be not effeClual ·m the Mmds of Men to reltram them from Sm; 1f Temporary Torments in the next State were only t!ireatned, which are infinitely more ~~1c~~~~;ei~~~it~a~;~~~~e~d;'n~~~~l~~~l~:ul~hfee;;'~ger~Je~~~o~or~~f'~~~~~~i· the Lawgiver, as if he were defeClive in not binding h!S SubjeCls firmly to t heir Duty; and the Ends of Government would not be obtained. z. God, as the Sovereign Ruler of the World, has eltablilhed an infeparable Cdn; nexion between the Choice and AClions of Men here, and their future Con dition for );r~~en~sh~(';h:~gr~~;~r&~! ~~~d~:rir~~s~ftl~tc~u~~~ ~~~~r:~e~~~k a~i~r:llib~ ft furance of this Reward in the Word of Gdd, that all, and only thofe who fincerely obey his Commands, !hall injoy it in the future State ; that a ferious Believer who ponders things, cannot be diverted ii·om his Du~y by prefent Temptations. Befides, by a Chain of Confequences finful Pleafures are linked with eternal punilhment threatned in the Divine Law ; and he that will enjoy forbidden Pleafures, binds himfelf to fu ffer all the Pains annexed to them. Now when God has, from his excellent Goodnefs and undeferved Mercy, affured Nlen of rhe Glory and Joys of Heaven that areunfre akable and eternal, upon the gracious Terms of the Gofpel; and, upon their defpiflng it; threatned ~~~fJ\.;r;~~~;~h::; ~~c~~i~:a?e~h~fe1~~0d~r~~~ ~:!ka~~"." ~i~;do~a~~n~~j!~: t~~ not efcape Hell, but by eternal confequence it will be t!ieir Portion. There is no middle State in the next World, no tolerable Mediocrity, but two contrary States; yet alike in )~jt·e~;~ta~1 ~i~al(h~cl~ afu~~~~!n:!"r;~i.'r ~~e~~~l ;h:n:a:~~a~~~d t::O#~r;~o~"fe: J quence of their Option : Therefore Sinners are charged with extream madnef s, to wrong their own Souls, and to love Death, Prov. 8. 36. ~· lt will appear now unqualifil!d the Damne<l are for the leaft favour, if we confid er their continual hatred and Blafphemies of God. The Seeds of thiS are in wi cked obfti. ~~~·e~;,?;i~: ':!;:F;~~i~rl~ef~~t~;;~'[;tf. ~t0:n~:,u:~~ ~7."ff~J~~~di:1~~ .. ~~~~ ~fd:h~~ Curfes and eternal Averfation. Our Saviour tells u's, that in Hell there is weepingandgnafb- ~flon~~[~~fte~~~~~ ~~:·o;he~ntte~~~~;s~W~~~is ~~fp~r,;;.t,~~~ :h:y t~~~~~pb; Patience endure their Torments, nor by Strength refill: the Power that inflith them, and are wicked and ll:ubborn, they are irritated by their Mifery, and foam out Blafphemies againlt the righteous Judg. If their Rage ·could extend to him, and their Power were equal to their Defires, they would dethrone the molt High. Hatred takes p!eafure in Revenge, either real or imaginary : and altho God is infinitely above the tr anfports of their Fury, and all their rancorous Imprecations are reflexively pernicious to themfe lves, :b~e ~~~0a~~~~t:.~~j~: t~~~r S~ili~~t::i~ltd~hej~8°~~~~~ ~:~d:o~~!n~0:~~~~ ; •f1~ faiJof the Worlhippers of the Bealt, that they gntwed their Tongues for Pain, and blaf. phemed the God of Heaven betaufe of tlmr Pains, Rev. 16. 10, 11. The Torment and Blafphemies of thofe impenitent Idolaters, are a rrue reprefentation of the ft ate of the Damned. From hence it appears they are the proper ObjeCls of Revengin g Juftice. ~~:a:~,iili~,l·~ar~~ra~pg~c;;~;? ~~: :::·~~nt~v~t~~i~~~ !e~r~a~::· t~0~~t~~i~i of perilhing principles, the Spiritual, of an immortal duration: And will God with" ~raw his Confervative Power of the !l.uilty Soul in its Immortality, and to put an en d to Its deferved M1fery, and felf-tormentmg RefleRions, annihilate it? If a Criminal were )Uftly condemned to a fevere Punilhmenr, and lhould contumeliouily and fiercely reproach the Prince, by whofe Authority he was condemned, could it be expeCled there lhould be a mitigation of the Sentence ? And is it a Thought confiltent with the reafona ble Mind that the Righteous Judg of the World will, revcrfe or mitigate' the Seotenae a gainft the Damned, who blafpheme Ius Ma1efty and Jliltice? and if they were as omnipo tent toeffetl:, as they ar·e- mahc10us to defirc, would deltroy his Being.c 'Tis rrue, the Divine !hreatnmgdoes notbmd God to a rigorous execurion of it upon Sinners: he ha s·declar'cl, tf Smnlrs rv1fl turn from ;b,eir evil "'"J'i he w1U repent of tbt Evil he purpojid to do unto them, Aaaa 2 Jer, 531
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