o8 SERMONS upon the S E R M. XXVI. ( i.) Confider fome In/lances of Gods Wrath : When his Anger is kindled but a little, bided are all they that put their truft in him, Pfal. 2. 12. In CorreP ive Difci- pline, when Gods Children fall into any Difeafe, the Burnings of a Feavour, the gripes of the Chollick, the torment of the Stone ; they cannot endure two or three dayes pain, how wilt thou dwell with devouring Burnings? Theft are nothing to the (harp Puniíhments of Hell on the Body -. Poor Creatures are at their Wits - end, when búta Spark or Flafh of this Fire lighteth into the Confcience ; yudas hang- ed himfelf, yob curled the day of his Birth, yet this is but a drop ; thefe come from Hell, they have been in the Suburbs of .it. Dives wilhed that Lazarus might but dip the tip of his Finger in water to cool his Tongue : thefe are Warnings, they can tell you what a dreadfull thing it is : The Lord Chrift who was the Son of God, perfea in Faith and Patience, he wanted no Courage; he was un- der no Defpair in the midft of his Agonies, yet he cryed out, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? Oh ! what will become of ther whole Portion it is ? Thus for the Nature. Secondly, The Duration, Evrrlafting Fire. The Pains of Hell are Eternal. (t.) The Moral Reafons of it, are, I. Partly, becaufe our Obligations to God are infinite: in a way of Love, God hath done as much as he could : We turn the back upon Eternal Happinels which was offered in the Gofpel : They can never reflore the Honour to God which they have deprived him of, therefore their Punifhmenr is for evermore : the Juflice of God can never be fatisfied by a finite Creature. Believers do it in Chrift, but the 'Wicked are in their final Ellate. 2. They Bill remain' Impenitent : the Damned are not changed in Hell. Melt- ed Mettal groweth hard again : the bad Thief that had one foot in Hell, dieth blafpheming ; their Judgments are changed, but not their Hearts. If one Ihould core from the dead, he might fpeak to you of Eternity, and that in Hell they lilt"; fer Eternal punifhments. (2.) The Natural Reafons, are, 1. The Fire continueth for ever : Heb. u o. ; 3. The Breath of the Lord í1i11 keeper eth the Flame burning ; the Fuel continueth- for ever, and Wicked men continue for ever ; they confume. not, but are Immortal in Body and Soul,: Oh think of this! there is. no End, no Intermiffton. No End; the Fire on Sodom tailed but a day ; but when the Wicked have lain in Hell a thoufand years, 'tis but as the firfl day. When a Man' is lick, he tumbleth and toffeth, and telleth the Hours of the Night, and wifheth it were Day. We are wont to think a Sermon ling, a Prayer long, what will Hell be ? Confcience will ever be talking to thee, re- peating over the Story of thy Life, and putting thee in Remembrance of the Wrath of God, that endureth forever. And,' 2. 'Tis. without Intermijion. Revel. 20. 10. They (hall be tormented day mid night, for ever and ever. Not a drop to cool their Tongues : Here Sin is everlafting, all day it runneth in the Mind, and all night it playeth in the-Fancy : , Wicked men begin the Morning with it, and end the Day with it. Man is ever haunted with his own Horrours, and the Wrath of-God infliaed upon him. 'Thirdly, The next Aggravation is, 'tis prepared for the Devil and his Angels, for them principally, and others to bear them company : Sathan and all that are (e- duced by him, are tormented together. There is a Principality among the De- vils, one that was chief, and Ringleader in the Rebellion againfl God, he and his . Angels; and then' Wicked men make up the Company in that Region of Dark, nefs. 'Twas a fad Judgment on Nebuchadnezzar, when he was turned out among the Beafls ; but the Curled of the Lord, are turned out among Devils. If a Man knew a Houle were haunted, he would not lie in it for a Night : You muff keep Cortìpany with Sathan and his Angels for evermore. The Saints enjoy God, and have.
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