Ver. 41. xxvth Chapter of St. MA T T H E W: 193 knowing the fádgment of God, that they which commit frith things are worthy of Death: Reafon fheweth, that he that perfe&ly hateth fin, will perfealy punifh it ; not in this life, for abominable (inners are many times. profperous : here Juftice is not difcovered to the utmoft, therefore guilty Confcience prefageth there is more evil to come. There is much in thefe prefages of Confcience, efpecially when we are more ferious, however they diffemble the matter when well, Heb. 2. 15. And deliver them from the fear of death, who all their life -time were fubje 1 to bondage : Yet, when they come to die, when they are entring upon the confines of ,Eter- nity, then they cannot hide their fears any longer : Oh ! the horrours and terrours of wicked men when they lie a dying ; if ever men may be believed, 'tis then. 3. The Devils are Orthodox in this point, for Judges : There are no Atheifls in Hell, Matth. 8..29. And behold they cryed out, laying, What have we to do with thee, yefus thou Son of God? art thou come to torment as before the time? They know there is a time when they shall be in greater torment than now they are ; there- fore if we will take Gods Word, or Authentick .Record for it, or Mans word when he is not in a cafe to Diffemble, or the Devils word ; there is a Hell, or everlafting Torments prepared for the wicked. Obj. r. But is it not an everlafting abode under Death ; and to make it the more terrible to vulgar capacities, expreffed by Eternal Fire ? I Anfiver : This were to make Chrift a Deceiver indeed, and to publifh his Do- arine with a lye, or an handfome fraud : But clearly, It ',There is a flare of Torment, as well as a ¡late of Death : 'Tis true, 'tis call - e the Second Death, becaufe deprived of Eternal Life, which is the only true Life ; and becaufe 'tis worfe than the temporal Death ; better never been born, Matth. 26. 24. It had been good for that man, he had never been born : He doth not fay, It had been good, but it had been good for that man : If only Death and Annihila- tion "were in it, what fenfe would there be in this Speech ? Therefore there is a lively and effeauál fenfe of the Wrath of God. Befides, the Confcienee.r of wicked men, feareth and prefageth other kind of Punifhment from Gods Wrath, or elfe why are they molt troubled when they come to dye ? why is it fo dreadful a thing to fall into the hands of the Living God ? Heb. ro. 31. We are mortal Creatures, but God is a living God ; why fhould the Eternity of God make Isis Wrath terrible, but that there is a fear of an eter- nal fubfiftence on our part alto ? we read of many and fewer firipes, Luk. 12. 47, 48. Math. 11. 22. It ¡hall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of Yudg- ment, than for you : If it be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you, tor- ments are meafured out by proportion, according tó our fins, and means of Grace that we have enjoyed, but not improved. (a.) There is a .place of Torment, a local Hell, ím, pew, Luk. 16. 28. This place of torment : And yudes went to his own place, Alls s. 25. As in all Common- wealths, the Prince bath not only his Palace but his Prifon ; it mull be fomewhere for the wicked are fomewhere ; God keepeth it fecret with wife Councel, becaufe he will exercife our Faith, and not our Senfe, yob 38. 17. Have the gates of Death been opened to thee, or haft thou fan the doors of the fbadow of Death? This is one of the fecrets of Providence. Obj. 2. But how can it ¡land with Gods- Love and Mercy, to punifh his Crea- ture for ever : Our Bowels are troubled, if we fhould hear the howling of a Dog in a fiery Furnace, for a (mall (pace of time. Now God is Love its felf, r Joh. 4.. 8. therefore, furely he will not damn his Creature to everlafting torments. I Aufirer : Man is not fit to fix the bounds of Gods Mercy, but the Lord. himfelf ; therefore take thefe confiderations. r. Gods Punifbments may Rand with his Mercy: 'Tis very notable, in one place 'tis Paid, Heb. lo. 31. 'Tis a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: But in another place 'ris Paid, 2 Sam. 24. 14. I am in a great ¡trait, let us fall now into the hand, of the Lord, for his Mercies are great : The one noteth God Angry, the other God Appeared. When God hath been long upon a treaty of Love, Patience abufed is turned into Fury : The one fheweth what God is in himfelf, Love, Sweet - eefs,, Mercy ; the other, what he is when provoked : The Sea in its fell is fmooth and calm, but when the Winds and Tempells arife, how dreadfully it roareth : Gods Attributes mull not be let a quarrelingl`: He is Love and Mercy, but he is all' Jul', and True, and Holy ; if he_ were not angry for fin, he fhould not love Cc his
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