Bates - HP BX5200 B3 1700

538 Of H E L L. Chap.III. .Jcr. 26. ~· but whe~ Thrcarnings _are part of the ~ws whereby Men are govern'd, iris congruous ro ~he W1fd_om and Ju~ICC of the L1_w-g1ver ~o ~xe~ute them in their full tOrce upon.thcobfhnateOflenders; wnh~l confidenng the mfllflmg of them is fofar fi·om• ~~~~r1~~8u~-~rc~~1genuous 'Change in thofe Rebels, that thereby rhcy become more fierce Lallly, The immenfe Guilt that adheres to Sin, requires a proportion in the Punif!J. ment. 'Tisa rule in all Courts of Judicature, that the degrees of an Ollcncearifeaccord. !"!!to the dcgrees .of Dif;nity !Jf !he Perfon offended. Now the Majelly of God is truly mfimtc, ~gam{1 \yhom Sm IS comrpmed ; and confcquemly the Gu ilt of Sin exceeds our b~undlefs Thoughts. This is the reafon of the Sentence, Curfed is every one tbat continueth not m all tlni1gs ,vhicharewritten t1f the Book of the LaJV.to do them. The Curfe threat- .ncd, inclvdes the firll and the fecond Death. Wlmt a difhonour is it to the God of Glory that proud Dull.f!Jould fly in his Face, and controul his . A~thority? What a provocation; .that the reafone~l c Creature, that 1S naturally and necelfan ly a SubjeEl:, fhbulddefpife the Divine Law,and La.w-giver? Tho carnal Minds alleviate th~ Guilt of Sin, yet weighed ~~;;d~:·::t)fer Y:tt,;n:.~~~ ~~'&~~~~i~~~ ~~vJ~retr~~f~~.umfhment mftJEled on Sinners God's Jullice is not fatisfied in d~priving them,of Heaven, but inflills the mol\ heavy Pundhment upon Senfe and Confctence mthe Da!l)ned : For as the Soul and Body in their State pf Q'nio~ in this Lire were both guilty, the orie as the Gbide, the other as the lnllrument of Sin ; fo 'tis equal, when reunited, they lhould feel the penal Ef!el.ls of ir, Sinners il1all then be tormented wherein they were mpft,de)ighted; they fhall be in~efted .)Vitb thoJe,ObJe&s that wifl caufe the moll dolorous perceptions in .their fenfitive Faculties. Xhe Lake of Ftre an~ Brtmj/one, the blackne[s of Darknefs for ever, are words of a terrible fignification., But no words can fully exprefs the terrible Ingredients of their Mifery: ·1ihe Puni01mcpq will .lle in.prqportion to the Glory of God's Majelly that is provoked, :and' thecxtxnt of ,his Power,. ,-And a~ the Soul. was the Principal, and the Body but an Accelfaryi m, the Wor~s of Sm; fo Its capac10us Faculues ilmll be far more tormented .than the limited Faculties of theputward Senfes. The fiery Atlributes of God !hall be ·tranfmitted through the Glafs of ,confciente, and concenter'd up"on damned Spirits: The Fire without is not fo tormenting as the Fire within them. How wiU the torment~ ing Paflions be inflam'd ? What .Rancour, Reluchnce, and Rage againll tbe jull Power that fentenc'd them to Hell? What impatience and Indignation again!\ themfelves for ~~:[; u';;~~u~x~~cfi~!',e J~~ecfi~~1 ~~:e~:~ft~:i~ ~ffer~?r~~~~\~ ~~~~t~~~~n~n~)~~ are in vain ; for the Guilt of Sin will never be expiated, nor God fo far reconciled as to annihilate them. As long as there is Jullice in Heaven, or Fire in Hell ; as long as God and Eternity [hall continue, they mull fufler thofe Torments, which the llrength and patience of an Angel cannot bear one hour. cHAP. Ifl, PraEiical Iuforwces. TJ,e tender Mercies of God to Men, i11 re]Jealiug t/;e prepared Plagtus for Sinuers, to pre]Jmt tl!eir Mifery. Carnal Men are more capable of concei]Jill,g ti!C Torments of Hell, tl!an t/;e Joy of Hea~en. 1/,e~ are more apt to be mo]Jet/ by tl!em. 'I be difperate Folly of Siuners, to c!JU[e the plea{11res of Sin, 11otwithjlandi>~,g tl1e dreadful and el!erlajli''l Tormeuts that follow Si11. The · ftedfafl heliif and jerious Conjideratio11 of EtemalVeath,. t/;e wages of Sin,. is a pre]Jaili11.g motilie to abbor and forfak.e it. Our dear Obl~,gatiolls to 011r Sal!tour, tuf,o ddiliers t<s f rom the Wrat/, to come. I Shall now draw fom.c p:aai~l Inferences, and concludcthisSubjea. x. From the Revelauon mScnpture of the dreadful Pumfl1ment. prepared for unre- .formed Sinners in the next Sta~e, we may 1,mderlland the tender Mel'Cles of God to Men; ~~~;';~~ ~~,~~e~~t:;~:o'ft1ei~fe~~v~1gu~~o t~r~[,~i~11;h~[~ t~a~f:~i~~s. ~~~ ftr~~~~ affe& theieMinds, that t!Jey mltJ flee from tbe Wrat!J to 'ome. God counfels, commaods, mtreats,

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