134 SERMON'S upon the SERM.XVII. Gofpel-Preaching to warn Men of Damnation ; we'muft curfe, as well as biers : And this Part of Dottrine bath its Profit, as well as the more comfortable. (r.) To thofe that are Carnal, to rgufe them out of their Security. If Men did believe the Torments ofHell, they worild not fin as they do. Sermons of Hell may keep many out of Hell. Ne fugiamas Sermones'de Gehenna, ut Gehennam fugiamus. gehn ftartled many by preffing them to flee froria Wrath to come : And 'tis God's ufual courfe, to bring to Heaven by the Gates of Hell. . (2.) To God's Children ; Partly that they may know whát they have efcaped, to be the more thankful to their Redeemer. We were all involved in this Condemna- tion ; and 'tis the Lord's Mercy, that we are as Brands plucked out of the burning, Zeih, 3. 2. A Child of God is a Fire-brand of Hell quenched, Ephef. 2. 3. 'Twas the Pity of our Lord 7efies to refcue us, x Theff. i. to. 'Tis a Part of a Çhriftians Heaven to think of Hell : The Miferies of this Life commend Heaven to us ; much more the Torments of Hell. We know Good the better by the oppofite Evil : As the Ifraelites, when they looked back, and faw the Egyptians tumbling in the Waters, it heightned the Deliverance, and made them the more fenfible of their own Safety. And partly to warn them, and quicken them to their Duty : This Motive alone would be- get flavifh Fear, and compulfory Obedience ; but mixed with others, it doth Good. We need this Difcipline, as long as we are in the World : We are Fleth as well as Spirit. Adam in Innocency needed to be threatned, and told of Death. Paul faith, I Coy.. 9. 27. I keep under my Body, and bring it into fubjettson ; left that by any means, when I have preached to others, I my Jelf fhould he a Cafl -away. If fo fan&ified a Man as Paul, much more we : And, Rom. 8. 13. Ifyc live after the Flefh, ye (hall die ; but ye- through the Spirit do, mortifie the Deeds' of the Body, ye fball live. 'Tis one of the Saints Motives. And partly becaufe they that cannot endure to hear of fuch Dif- courfes, difcover much of the Guilt and Security of their own Hearts : As Ahab faid of Michaiah, He prophefreth nothing but Evil : So Men fay of many of the Preach- ers of the Gofpel, (that yet fpeak with Tendernefs andCompaffion) He preacheth nothing but Hell and Damnation. Prefumption is a Coward, and a Run-away ; but Faith meeteth its Enemy in open Field : Plat. 13. 4. Though I walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, yet I will fear no Evil. It fuppofeth the worft ; it can encoun- ter the greateft Terrors': but a falfe unfound Peace is a tender thing ; loath to be touched, cannot endure a few fad and fober Thoughts of the World to come ; as fore Eyes cannot endure the Light. I {hall only fpeak of this dreadful Place and Elate, as it cometh under the View of this Text, leaving a more full Dieuflion of this Point to the 41. Verfe of this Chapter. Firfl, That there is an Hell, or EverlaflingTorments prepared for the Wicked : 'Tis good to piove an hated Truth ftrongly. Now, 'tis fò, that there is an Hell, if God, or Man, or Devils be competent Witneffes in the Cafe. God hath ever told the World of it, and his Witnefs is true: In the Old Teftament but fparingly ; becaufe the State of the World to come was refereed as a Difeovery,fit for the Times of the Gofpel, 2 Tim. 1. to. yet there God fpeaketh, Deut. 32. 22. of a Fire kindled in his Anger, that /bag burn to the lowefl Hell. God's Wrath is reprefented by Fire, which its an a&ive Inftrument of Deftru&ión ; and the Seat and Reldence of it is in the low- eft Hell: So Pfal. x x. 6. `Upon the Wicked 'ball he rain Snares, Fire and Brimflane : See more, Verfe 41., Secondly, Let us fee it defcribed here, I. As a difmal State, CaJt them out into utter Darknefs : That is; (r.) Shut them out of the Feafl And, (z) Call them into the Dungeon of h el: There they [hall be de- prived of all Confòlation, and Joy, and Happinefs. As, (a.) Of the Sight of Cod, the Company of the good Angels, and Bleffed Spirits: To which Lofs there is added the moft inexplicable. Torments of Body and Soul ; which is exceeding great. And 'tis a dreadful thing to be deprived of the Light of God's Countenance, to be bani{bed -out of his Prefence. The Difciples wept when Paul faid,' Te Ibail fee my Face no more, Aa. 20. 38. What will the Damned do, when he {hall fay, Depart ye turfed ; as 'tis in the 41. Vert? Here in the Lofs all are equal, but 'not in the Pain ; all alike depart from God ; they all lofe Heavens Joyes, the fa- vourable Prefence of God, and the Sight of Çhrift, the Company of the Bleffed, and their Abode in thofe happy Manfions in Chrift's Fathers Houfe. Hell is a deep Dun. geon, where the Sun -thine of God's Prefence never cometh. God is fsmmum Banton, the clriefeft Good ; and in the other World, omne Bonüm, All in All : All things there are
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