540 Of H E L L Chap.lii. In fame rhereis Arheifm full of Folly, or Folly full of Atheifm, that they will not believe the prepared Plagues for the Wicked in the next State, becaufe they have no fenfi• ble proof of them. Reafon, affifted by Divine Revelation, . affords fo clear an evl: ~~~~~ t~~~f~lt~:~~ec~~~d~:~~i~~:, ~~~~[Jf~:;.1v~~~~!fi!ir~a:~e~~~:fa~ ~f~~;e~ ~~f,:~u~ar~tt\:a~~;:~~l~;:~~~~~i~ ~~~~cTt~~ ~;~~f~~i~~raF~~~ b:~r~th~fhj~'Wo~~; before the aClual accomplifi1ment of what !s promifed or threatned; and partly, that ou; Obedtence may be voluntary and unconftramed, tl~at hts Goodnefs m~y take its "ife to reward us. But thefe prefumpruous Infidels hve as tf they had no Spmt, nothing of un. derftanding in them: they are wholly under the dominion of Senfe, as if they were free and lawlefs, independent and unacc.ountable; as if the moft high Governour of the ~~~1Pif:.Je~~it~fer~~~~~~~~tf~~~o~~fi~b~~ :~edal~~ic~h~~ fi:~~l~a~et~=a~~r~~~f Thisisfuch a piece of Folly (but infinitely morewoful) as that of the Weji.Jndian; who at their firft Invafion by the Spamards, were fo terrified by their glittering Swords' !~dt:&:~1F~~~~tln~:i~ai~dth':~i~~~~d~~=~~~~~1r:a~f~1 t~i~.~ :~:i:'~~:~:r~ ~h~d~~ ~~r:~~~~h ~;e~~~ ~~~~;n~;~~~~ ~:~.;;~~~::!~~ds:~:Jeb~fo~~ h;R~i~~~t~~g~u~i Infidels are afraid left the belief of thofe terrible Truths ibould pierce into their Breafts· therefore are utterly averfe from due confidering their Danger, and will not forefee wha; ~~dea~~~~d~~~~~~ut~~r·wZJs~~frra~al~~s~e;;lf~f:Oe~::;~c~~1~k~~~~j::e~~efr~~ them. They have hardned their Hearts and Faces againft all Reproofs, and by an open contempt of Scripture-Threatnings, are paft reclaiming. They are now fearlefs of that Judgment, the thoughts where?f make the Devils tremble : but the time will ibortly come, when the Word of the nghteous God, wh1ch now they defp1fe, fhall irrefiftibly ~~~e:~r~f~~'~·n~i~:~ir~t~~gd~~:n~~:N.~i~eb'~t~h~~~~~~~~d ~C:~it~l,~~I~~£ that infernal Prifon, is the fcornful derifion of God's dreadful Preparations for the Wicked. by~~~~~ i~d~~~~~l~~~a~h~r1;f~;lan~v~~ ~~fi~~~~~l~~;udirc~~~ ~h~i~r~a~~\~v:~~nle~: ~~ii~i ~~/~~~ij ;~~~~ia;helfi:'ft.to ~~~~~e~0~3t~;f";;~:'iJi~j~:sTt:.~~~~~~~~~~ fuch a fear as would make Men circumfpet.l: over their Hearts and Ways. The fear of a prefent dcftrut.l:ive Evil controuls the moft eager Appetites. 'Tis recorded, that when the Army of Ifrael was in purfuit of the Philijlines, Saul, to compleat his ViClory, forbad, upon pain of Death, that any ibould tafte Food till the Sun was down. In the Chace of their Enemies they pafs through a Wood dropping with Honey ; yet notwithftanding their Hunger and Faintnefs, and rhe eafy provifions before them, no Man fo much as tailed it: Jor the People feared the l(jng's Oath. And did Men truly believe and fear the Law of God, threatning Hell for Sin, would they dare to commit it, rho invited by pleafant Temptations? Nay, not only a ftrong Fear, but the meer fufpicion of great Danger, will reftrain the moft vehement defires of Nature. What Perfon, thoin- /lam'd with Thirft, would drink a Glafs of cool Liquor, if he fufpet.l:ed that deadly Poifon were mix'd with it? And if Men were perfwaded that Sin is attended with eternal Death, would the; drink in Jniquiry likeWater? The Devils themfelvesare not able to conquer the fear of Judgment to come, they believe and tremble: Therefore when it is not a/}ive upon the Confcience, it is either becaufe Men do not believe it, or they,fancy that retaining their beloved Lufts, they may obtain ancafy Abfolution, and efcape the Damnation of Hell, which the Eternal Judg has declared fhall be the puniibment of all that will not cut off the right Hand, and pluck our the right Eye, feparate their deareft Corruptions from them. Allonifhing Perverfenefs !. How many will not difcern nor cenfure that Folly in themfelves, which they will condemn in others for extream Madnefs? If one riotouOy lavifhes away his Eftate, and for the fi1ort Pleafure of a few Years, be re· duc'd with the Prodigal to extream Poverty, and to loathfom Imprifonment all his life after, would he not beefteemed to have been befides himfelf? Yetthis is a very tolerable Cafe, in comparifon of expofing the Soul to Eternal Vengeance, for the Pleafuresof Sin that arc bur for a feafon. ~· Let us ftedfaflly believe, .and. frequently confider, that Eternal Death is the Wages of Sin, that we may renounce 1t wtth the de:peft Abhorrence, and forfake 1t for e~
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