Chap. IU. Of HE J:., L. intreats, u;ges Sinners ·to be wife, to fo'refee and 1~reve~t the Evil tha~ cvc.ry hour is ap~ proaching to them ; and 1v jth Cornpaffion and Incltgnat!On Jarnems .theu· Mrfcry, and re~ preaches their folly in 'bringing_i,t upon themfelvcs. The Divine Mercy is as eminently and apparently declar'd to Men 1n. the prefent .corrupt State, m threatmng Hell to exCite their Fear, as in promifing Heaven to ·a~luretherr Hopes.. For 1f earn~ I mdulgent S~n~ers ft~a"r~~;~u~:~bletrJ~i~~~:bf;~;dn~d~v~~-f,e!J~th;t;;a;:~ ~~~~Yb~"~~Y,~~~;·f}n~~~! ~M~~if~~ " • ' ( 1.) Becaufe they are more capable to conceive of the Torments of Hell, than the l~r::, ~.~ea~~~~ mr~~-~~tbtf~fi~~~: ~ev~~~~f~rt~~;Fe ~~-~d~1~c~a~~;fi~o~~~; 539 reprefents its Vehemence in tormenting the -~dy : And what·.M1fery the unceffant remorfe of the gu1lty Confc1ence w11l caufe 10 tne Damned hereafter; 1$111-part underfiood by the fecret Accufa:tions and Twinges of Confcience in [elf-condemning.Sinners here. But they are abfolurely firangers to the Joys of tfie Boly.Ghofi, to the Delights -of the Soul in communion with God, and to Peace of Confcience in. his favour. They .:annat without experience, know how good_the Lord is, . no more than fee a tafie. To difcourfe to them of fpiritual Plcafures that flow from the Divine Prcfcnce, of the Happinefs of the Saints that are btjore the Throne of GoU, and ferve him in his Temple, is to fpeak with the Tongue of an Angel" unintelligible:things. ';['heir Minds and Language areconfin'd to •s; [,;g;d~Jo- [:£jb~Jshi~%~~ ;~~:~b::r';:; f/kn:=~~h:S:,o~:::r:J:':ff~ 0{,:7-,7~~:;/tIf;~J'J. 1~h== ~:;; ~~~~~,. may be in the carnal Mind a conception of Heaven, as a San8:uary wherein they may be fecured from the Wrath of God; and fome [mothering confuferl thoughts of its Felicity, :::~}~~~~~~~~:~~rTe~o~[fi~~ ~~e~~~~~ fh~~a7c~,~i~;~ ln ~~~~ ~~~:r~J~~fi:a! 4~ ithere. ' · J • , ( 2.) Carnal Men are more difpofed to be wrought upoh, •by- reprefenting the Torments of Hell, than the Joys of Heaven. For we cannot lov~ but wharJi!l4<nown,. nor enjoy but what is loved. And as the purification of the Heart from vict6us A.lfuthons; is an excellent means tb.cl!"'r the Mind; fo the illufiration of the Mind is very influential ~~;::Zu~~~~~~etiJ~:v\!h~h~~~~~~n~f; ~~dv~~ ;hi::• par~~!~~~ E;,~~~:~~i~~1 y'~~~~~ ble. Buttl,10fe who are fcnfual, are.witho'!t rclilh of fpiritual Happinefs, and are allur'd or terrified only with what is pleafant or painful to Flefh. , ' 'Tis recorded as th7 unparai!~Pd Folly of N~ro, that wherl, h~ wa.s.-rekdy tOcut his dfgft~~~emuaown Throat, to av01d the Fm y of the Multltude, he broke forth into great Expref. 1;.,n;r,~ 1,e. lions of Sorrow, what an excellent 4rtifi ,he died! 'Twas not the lofs of the Rom4n r<o! s"''· Empire that fo much troubled him, as that fo much ;kill in Mufick died with him. He valued himfelf more as a Fidler, than an Emperor. Thus carnal Men with a Folly ih- :~t~:'o~~~{~~~f;~u:~d'~~:~~~~~~ ~ffre~::~~t [~ ~~t~1 th~~a;r~f~~~'1 ]e~~fn~0~h~~ World and its Vanities. This makes ~ath intolcra!Jly bitter. Till the Love of God purifies the Heart, the fruition of his Prefence is not efieemed -or .defired. ' A Seraphim fent from. tll\' - Prefenc~ df God with a flaming Coal from the Altar, wuch'd the Lips of th~ holy Pro_Pfiet, and h1s Hem was prefently melted inrq '!- .c~nipliance with the Divine Wdl. But 1f a Rebel Angel, that bprns with another F1re than of Divine Love, were d1fpatch'd from Hell wnh a Coal from that Altar, where fo many V18:ims are olfer'd to_Divine Jufiice as _there are. damned Souls, and touch'd obdurate Sihn~i·s; ihat they 7.~~1~~:~. :~~~1~~:;;~~~~~- '~ik;fi,~~~~:~I~;~~~ttl~~~r;,:~h~~;tt~~,~g'~~~~,'t a~~ t~:~ F~re. ;From what has been f31d, we may obfcrve the Heavenly Hai'IlliJny between Mei'- ~y a_nd Jufiice in God: he is the Father of Mercy, 'tis his naturaJ Off-fpring, hi l 1irimary ~~c;~~~~~~ ~~ ~~;~:~~~1~:~ ~~~~~h~~:~~~~i~~t~e~=~~~~~nAfl~~~~~~ ;~n£~:~s~li: ~a~~;~~~~ Bnefly, ~is feverity and fl.~m~ng difpleafure never deftroys Sinners, but to rCvcng'e the abufe of hJS negle8:ed Bemgmty, and Clemency. , , . . · 2, Th1s lhewsthe wofuldepravat,ion of the Minds and Wills of Men : tha rchufe Sin ' when thmly painted over with Pleaftite, notwithfianding the mofi dreadltJl and durabl~ Torments, the certam Confequenccs of It. Dcfperat e folly! cirher they beiieve, or do not, the _eter,n~l Torment ?f. Hell., ,If they do not, ,h?w. _prod,~gi?~' is the ir Jmpietl: ?- If l)•ey do, us more ~rod1gious they d~re Indulg~ then· ~IClOUs A'fieC:hons. · A w1cked Behcver rs more mon_ftraus and guilty than~ \Vie¥ M fiindel , lri
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