192 SERMONS upon the SEKM. XXIV. I I. Theft Torments ¡hall be full at the Day of Yudgment. III. Concerning the Perfons Sentenced ; It Pall light upon the Curled. IV. The Nature of thole Torments ; The lofs of Communion with God in Chri/i, and the horrible Pain of Fire ; the Duration, Everlafling ; and the Compa- ny, The Devil, and his Angels. Firft, That there it a Place of Everlafling Torments in Hell, prepared for the Wicked. This being a Truth hated by Flefh and Blood, ought the more strongly to be made evident to us. Now there is an Hell, if God, or Men, or Devils, may be judge. (I.) Let God 6e the Yudge : He hath ever told the World of an Hell, in the Old- Teflament, and the New. r. In the Old- Teflament, but fparingly, becaufe Immortality was referved as aglo- rious Difcovery, fit for the Times of the Gofpel : Deer. 32.22. A Fire is kindled in. mine Anger, and fhall burn to the love ft Hell. God's Wrath is Hill reprefented by Fire, which is an aaive Inffrument of Deftru &ion ; . and the Seat; and Refdence. of it, is in the lowef} Hell, in the other World : So Pfal. r r. 6. 'Upon the Wicked lie (hall slain Snares, and Fire, and Brtmflone, and an horrible Temper&. Firfl, Snares ; and then Fire and Brimitone. Here they are held with the Cords of Vanity, and hereafter in Chains of Darknefs : Here they have their Comforts, Croffes, Snares ; then Hell -Fire for their Portion : So lfa. 3o. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old ; yea, fir the ljng it is prepared: He bath made it deep-and-large, the Pile tl c;eof zs- -lures and-,neich Wood ; the Breath of the Lord, like a Stream of Brimstone, loth kindle it. Tophet is the fame Place, which is called the Valley of Hinnom, and Geheime, in the New- Teftament : A filthy hateful Place, which the Jews defiled with dead Mens Bones. z _ ing. 23. so. And he defiled Tophet, which is in thel'aliey of the Children of- Himont, that no Man might make his Son, or his Daughter ?aft through the Fire to March. And he brake in pieces the Image, and cut down the Groves, and. defiled their Places with .the hones of Men, Infants were burnt there, with horrible Cries, and Screeches; and found of Drums, and Ta, brees, and other Inffruments, to drown the Noifè : And thole that were condem- ned, were burnt in that Valley ; as alto, the Bones of Màlefaaors. Now, to the Piles of Wood, and the Piles continually burning .there , doth the Prophet allude. This was reprefented in Sodom's Burning, as a Type ; as' the Drowning of theWorld was a Figure of Christ's coming to Judgment : The Burning of the Sacrifice, which in the Interpretation of the Law, was the Sinner himlelf, was the Figure of it. 1 2. Now come we to the New-Teflament. There are Places without number fometimes reprefented by Fire; where we read of a Furnace of Fire, Matti. 13.42. And ¡hall call them into a Furnace. of ,Fire; there ¡hall be weeping, and gnafhing of Teeth. God's Wrath is compared in the Old. /tament, to a.fiery Oven, where the contratl- ed Flame appeareth moil dreadful : Sometimes to- a Lake of Fire ; Revel. 59. zo. And the Beall was taken, and with him the fa fe Prophet, that wrought Miracles before hint, with which he deceived them that had received the Mark of the Beef, and them" that wor- fhipped his Image ; both there were call into a Lake of Fire, burning with Brimflone. At other times 'cis compared to a Prifon ; r Pet. 3. ; 9. By which 40 he went and preach, ed to the Spirits that are to Prifon : Or to a Bottomlels Pit ; Revel. 9. r r. And they had a King over them, Which is the Angel of the Bsttomlefr -Pit. There is Darknefs, and-Chains, and Gaoler, and Judge : The Chains of Invincible Providence, and their own horrible Defpair.- There is- no making an Escape : But of this, more hereafter. So that, unlefs we will count God a Liar, there is fuch a Place of Torment pro- vided. (z.) Ask Men. The blind Nations had a Seufe of Eternity, and Fancies of an Heaven and.Hell, Elizian Fields, and obfcere Maniions, and Places ofTorment. There are fome Relicics of this Truth in the corrupt Dot -trine of the Gentiles. Bat we need not go fo far back, as Tradition ; look to Confèience : Wicked Men 'find in them - felves anaapprehenfion of Immortality, and Punilhment after Death : Rom. r. 32. Who hearing
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