pISc. XItt.] THE PUNISHMENTS IN HELL. sá punishments, I acknowledge I cannot see sufficient rea- son for this endless duration of them ; I cannot give any probable account why creatures who are never to be corrected and reformed, should be tormented for ever in secret ; God perfectly knows his holiness and justice, without such monuments of it ; and since he has asserted this punishment, I think there must be some creatures to receive a moral influence from the knowledge of it. Ans. 2. When there is a representation made of the pu- nishment of the worshippers of the beast in Rev. xiv. 10. that " They shall drink of the wine of the wrathof God, which is poured out without mixture, and they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever, it is in the presence of the holy angels as well as in the presence of the lamb." Angels, and other innocent beings may im- prove such a sight to valuable purposes. Objection the seventh, when we remember that Jesus Christ himself bath assured us, that but few shall be saved, and that the broadway is full of sinners running down to destruction and death ; if we suppose these pu- nishments to be endless, some will be ready to say, What! shall the greatest part of God'screatures be made miserable for ever and ever ? , Is this consistent with the wisdom and goodness of the blessed God, to form such an immense multitude ofsouls dwelling in bodies, to make them for ever miserable ? What will a God of goodness bave to prove his goodness to his creatures, if far the greatest part of them are left in everlasting sorrows ? Answer. The far greatest part of the creation of God may be holy and happy still : For this . world of ours, even all mankind, is a very small portion of God's im- mense dominions; and when the transactions of our earth, and God's present government of it shall be finished, he has a thousand other dominions among the planets and stars, which has been proved by the reason of men to a great degree of probability ; and these he governs by righteous laws : and though he has not re- vealed much of them to us in this life, yet he has disco- vered something of this kind in his own word. He has acquainted us with his wise and righteous government Aver fallen angels, ,arid what was their sin, viz. their pride and ambition, and what was their punishment for
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=