DISC. mt.) THE NATURE OP THE PUNISHMENTS IN HELL. 597 the good "that thou seemedst to have shall be taken from thee ;" Mat. xxv. 29. or rather thy heart itself will grow more hard, thy will more obstinate against God, and every evil passion will rise and prevail, and make thee perhaps as very a devil as thy companions in guilt and misery. It is for those who would not part with their beloved sins, which were as dear as right-hands, or as right-eyes, that the never-dying worm and the unquench- able fire are prepared, as the context itself informs us in this place. . And as the worm of conscience, even for lesser sins, will gnaw thy heart with intense anguish, so the ven- geance of divine fire will torment thee with exquisite pain, though thy pain and thy anguish shall not be equal to what greater criminals endure. But it is wise and kind in,the blessed God to denounce the terrors and sanctions of his law in their utmost severity,, to guard his law the better against every transgression, and to frighten and se- cure his creatures from sin and punishment. . Trifle not therefore, O sinner, with the means of mercy, and venture not upon little sins, in hope of little misery, nor dare to continue in an impenitent state with- oút God, without Christ and his salvation, upon a fool- ish presumption that thy sins are but small, and thy pu nishment shall be less thanothers: For the least of those sorrows will be found greater than any mortal creature can bear, and therefore thou shalt.be made immortal to stiffer them." It is granted, there are many mansions in hell, as well as in heaven, but as the lowest mansion in heaven is hap- piness, so the easiest place in hell is misery. There is another Objection arises here, which it is necessary to give some answer to ; viz. Ifthe punishments of hell'are so intense and terrible, between the worm of consci- ence, the fire of God's anger, and the malice of evil spi rits, surely it will work up human nature into ecstasyand madness ; It will take away all the regular exercise of our natural powers ; it will render us perhaps mere.pas- sive miserable beings, of keen sensations without reason-, ing. This is certain, that such and so various tortures would have that influence upon our natures at present, and why should it not hereafter ? And will the blessed 2et 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=