Chap. 6.] SUFFER THE TORMENTS OF HELL. 87 and as abush that must burn in the flames of his jealousy, and never be consumed! 3. The torments of the damned must be extreme, be- cause they are the effect of divine vengeance. Wrath is ter- rible, but revenge is implacable. When the great God shall say, " My rebellious creatures shall now pay for all the abuse of mypatience; remember how I waited your leisure in vain, how I stooped to persuade and entreat you ; did you think I would always be so slighted?" then will he be revenged for every abused mercy, and for all their neglects of Christ and grace. O that men would foresee this, and please God better in preventing their wo ! 4. Consider also, that, though God had rather men would accept of Christ and mercy, yet, when they persist in re- bellion, he will take pleasure in their execution. He tells us, " Fury is not in me ;" yet he adds, " Who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle; I would go through them, I would burn them together." Wretched creatures! when "he that made them will not have mercy upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favor. As the Lord rejoiced over them to do them good; so the Lord will rejoice over them to destroy them, and bring them to nought." Wo to the souls whom God rejoiceth to punish! " He will laugh at their calamity, he will mock when their fear cometh; when their fear cometh as desolation, and their destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when dis- tress and anguish cometh upon them." Terrible thing, when none in heaven or earth can help them but God, and he shall rejoice in their calamity ! Though Scripture speaks of God's laughing and mocking, not literally, but after the manner of men ; yet it is an act of God in tor- menting the sinner, which cannot otherwise be more fitly expressed. 5. Consider that Satan and themselves shall be God's exe- cutioners. He that was here so successful in drawing them from Christ, will then be the instrument of their punish- ment, for yielding to his temptations. That is the reward he will give them for all their service; for their rejecting the commands of God, forsaking Christ, and neglecting their souls at his persuasion. If they had served Christ as faithfully as they did Satan, he would have given them a better reward. It is also mostjust, that they should be their
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