600 THE NATURE OF THE PUNISHMENTS IN HELL. DISC XII. tions of sin we might fly to the utmost distance from it with horror, and make our safe escape." Reflexion II. If the punishments of hell, appointed by the blessed God, carry so much terror in ,them, " how much mistaken are the sinful children of glen in the ideas which they `form of the great and blessed God This representation of the vengeance of the Lord in hell may be of use to refute such mistaken opinions. Some have framed a God for themselves; not such as dwells in the heavens, not such as he has described himself in his word, but their vain imagination has raised up an idol made of mere goodness and mercy, without holiness and justice : It is their own self-love which forms this idle and foolish image of the God that made them, because they do not like to think of falling under the terror of his power. They venture to affront him to his face, they dare him to vengeance ; and as the writer of the book of Job expresses it, " they stretch out their hands against God, they strengthen themselves against the Almighty, they run uponhim with insolence, and venture upon the thick bosses of his buckler ;" Job xv. 25, 526. There are multitudes in our day that are arrived at such a dreadful height of impiety, as to call upon him for the damnation of themselves, as well as of their friends, iii sport and merriment. They will not believe that the blessed God will ever be found so severe and formidable as preachers describe him : And " because judgment is not speedily executed against the men of iniquity, there- fore the sons of men have their hearts set in them to do mischief;" Ec. viii. 11. " Madness is in their hearts," chapter ix. 3. Because God delays his indignation they will not believe he has any belonging to him, notwith- standing all the terrible words by which he is represented by the prophets, the apostles, and the Son of God him- self: And while they rush boldly on those crimes which God has severely forbidden, they are ready to think God is just "such a one as themselves, regardless of virtue and government;" Ps. 1. 21. And because they make nothing of sin, they imagine God will make nothing of it. O that the sons of men would once learn to know God better, for there are many who have not°the true knowledge of God, I speak it to their shame, when they
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