WZIO LOSE THE SAINT'S REST. 85 rows may be increased. Poor souls ! they would be comparatively happy, if their understandings were wholly taken from them, if they had no more know- ledge than idiots, or brute beasts; or if they knew no more in hell, than they did upon earth, their loss would less trouble them. How happy would they then think themselves, if they did not know there is such a place as heaven ! Now, when their knowledge would help to prevent their misery, they will not know, or will not read or study that they may know ; therefore when their knowledge will but feed their consuming fire, they shall know whether they will or not. They are now in a dead sleep, and dream they are the happiest men in the world; but when death awakes them, how will their judgments be changed in a moment ! and they that would not see, shall then see, and be ashamed. 9. (2) As their understanding will:be cleared, so it will be more enlarged, and made more capacious to conceive the worth of that glory which they have lost. The strength of their apprehensions, as well as the truth of them, will then be increased. What deep apprehensions of the wrath of God, the mad- ness of sinning, the misery of sinners, have those souls that now endure this misery, in comparison with those on earth that do but hear of it ! What sensibility of the worth of life has the condemned man that is going to be executed, compared with what he was wont to have in the time of his prospe- rity ! Much- more will the actual loss of eternal blessedness make the damned exceedingly appre- hensive of the greatness of their loss; and as a large vessel will hold more water than a shell, so will their more enlarged understandings contain more matter to feed their torment, than their shallow capacity can now do. l O. (3) Their consciences also will make a truer and closer application of this doctrine to themselves, which will exceedingly tend to increase their tor- ment. It will then be no hard matter to them to -say, " This is my loss ! and this is my everlasting remedi-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=