Chap. 6.] SUFFER THE TORMENTS OF HELL. $3 thy hopes. Despair of ever being saved, ." except thou be born again;"` or of " seeing God, without holiness ;"or of having part in Christ, except thou a' love him above father, mother, or thy own life." This kind of despair is one of the first steps to heaven. If a man be quite out of his way, what must be the first means to bring him in again ? He must despair of ever coming to his journey's end in the way that he is in. If his.home be eastward, and he is go- ing westward, as long as he hopes he is right, he will go on; and as long as he goes on hoping, he goes further amiss.. When he despairs of coming home, except he turn back, then he will return, and then he may hope. Just so it is, sinner, with thy soul : thou art born out of the way to heaven, and hast proceeded many a year; thou goest on and hopest to be saved, because thou art not so bad as many others. Except thou throw away those hopes, and see that thou hast all this while been quite out of the way to heaven, thou wilt never return and be saved. There is nothing in the world more likely to keep thy soul out of heaven, than thy false hopes of being saved, while thou art out of the way to salvation. See then how it will ag- gravate the misery of the damned, that, with the loss of heaven, they shall lose all that hope of it which now sup- ports them. 3. They will lose all that false peaceofconscience, which makes their present life so easy. Who would think, that sees how quietly the multitude of the ungodly live, that they must very shortly lie down in everlasting flames ? They are as free from the fears of hell as an obedient be- liever; and for the most part have less disquiet of mind than those who shall be saved. Happy men, if this peace would prove lasting ! " When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not es- cape." 0 cruel peace, which ends in such a war ! The soul of every man by nature is Satan's garrison.; all is at peace in such a man till Christ comes, and gives it terri- ble alarms of judgment and -hell; batters it with the ord- nance of his threats and terrors, forces it to yield to his mere mercy, and take him for the Governor; then dothhe Last out Satan, " overcome him, take from him all his ar- mor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils," and then
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