loo THE GREAT MISERY OF THOSE How will it even cut them to the heart to look each other in the face! What an interview will there then be, cursing the day that ever they saw one another ! O that sinners would now remember, and say, " Will these delights accompany us into the other world ? Will not the remembrance of them be then our tor- ment ? Shall we then take this partnership in vice for true friendship? Why should we sell such lasting incomprehensible joys for a taste of seeming pleasure? Come, as we have sinned together, let us pray toge- ther that God would pardon us ; and let us help one another towards heaven, instead of helping to de- ceive and destroy each other." O that men knew but what they desire, when they would so fain have all things suited to the desires of the flesh ! It is but to desire their temptations to be increased, and their snares strengthened. § S. (II.) As the loss of the saint's rest will be ag- gravated by losing the enjoyments of time, it will be much more so by suffering the torments of hell. The exceeding greatness of such torments may appear by considering, the principal author of them, which is God himself ; the place or state of torment ; that these torments are the fruit of divine vengeance ; that the Almighty takes pleasure in them ; that Satan and sinners themselves shall be God's execu- tioners ; that these torments shall be universal, with- out mitigation and without end. § 9. (1) The principal author of hell torments is God himself. As it was no less than God whom the sinners had offended, so it is no less than God who will punish them for their offences. He hath prepared those torments for his enemies. His continued anger will still be devouring them. His breath of indigna- tion will kindle the flames. His wrath will be an intolerable burden to their souls. If it were but a creature they had to do with, they might better bear it. Woe to him that falls under the strokes of the Al- mighty ! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of' the living God.(f) It were nothing in comparison (f) Heb. x. 31.
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