VISC. %II.] THE NATURE OF THE PUNISHMENTS INNELL. "695 malice, and who died with their hearts full of revenge against their fellow-sinners; and when they shall meet them in those deplorable regions, how natural is it to suppose they will endeavour to execute this revenge upon them without end and without mercy? For it may be easily supposed that malice, revenge and cruelty, which are the proper character of devils, shall not be abated among the children.of men, when they are grown so near a-kin in their tempers to those evil spirits, and are now for ever mingled amongst them. And yet further, who knows what the damned in hell,shall endure from the endless brawls and bitter quarrels among themselves? What new contentions will arise perpetually in such a country, where it is perhaps the practice and custom of the place, and the nature of the inhabitants, for the most part, to make every one oftheir fellows as uneasy and as miserable as they can ? O what mad and furious prided and malice, and every hellish passion, will be raging al} most in every bosom against all those who are nearthem; and this in a dark prison where all are intensely tor. mented, and where there is no such thing as compassion or sincere love, nothing to soothe each others sorrows, but every thing that may add to the smart and anguish l " O that the present survey of these horrors of soul, these complicated distresses and miseries fromwithin uS, and without us, from every quarter of heaven and hell, from the gnawing worm within us, and from the fire of the wrath of God, and the mutual insults, railings and injuries of men and devils, might all lie with its due weight upon our spirits now, while we are in the lanciof hope ; that every one of us may be awakened to a timely concern about our highest interest, and hasten to Make our escape as Lot did from Sodom, lest the sentence of death be pronounced upon us while we delay, and the fiery deluge overtake us." But here I would tarry a little to answer a repeated Objection, vit. The terror of this outward punishment from the hand of God, which is described by avenging fire, is so severe and intolerable, that it awakens sorne ,lesser criminals to raise the same cavil against the unquenchable fire, or God's punishing hand, as was raisedbefore against the never-dying worm, or the inward anguish of soul arising from its own con. science. eá
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