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7CII.1
THE NATURE
OF TFIE PVNISIIb18N1FS
IN HELL.
5111,
and
they
began to
take
their
revenge
there near
six
thou-
sand years
ago. All
the
suns,,
and
all
the
miseries
of
the
sons
and daughters
of
Adam, from
the beginning
of the
world
to
this
day,
are
owing to this madness
of
malice,
this
hatred of
God in
the
hearts of
evil angels,
who were
cast
out
from
heaven and the/regions
of
happiness
:
They
began
to
exert
this
malice early, and
still
they
are
ever,
lasting tempters
of
men; in
order
to avenge themselves
upon
_a
righteous
God.
But
alas,
what
a
wretched satisfaction must the
damned
spirits
of
then propose
to
themselves
in such
a
wild
and
extravagant attempt
?
The
very name and
mention
of
this
iniquity
seems to
put our
souls and .our
ears to pain,
while
we
dwell in
flesh
and blood
;
but
as cursed
and
hateful
a
temper
as this
is,
it
is
the very
spirit
and
tez
per of
apostate angels; and
this will
be
thy temper
and
thy spirit,
O wilful
and impenitent. sinner,
when
thou
shalt have
obstinately sinned thyself into damnation,
and canst never deliver thyself
from
the punishing hand
of
God.
"
Think,
O my
soul,
at
what a dreadful distance such
creatures
'must
be
from every glimpse
of
peace and hap-
piness, whose
hearts are
filled
with such
blasphemy
and
rage,
.and
who would
be
attempting
such vain
and
impi-
ous efforts
of
mingled insolence and
.madness.
Read, O
ye foolish
and
wicked transgressors,
read
the
temper and
conduct
Of
devils
in
their
spite
and
opposition
to
every
thing
of-God,
through
all.
the
books of
the Old 'Testament
and
the New,
and remember
and think,
that
such
will
your
temper
be,
when
you also shall be
banished
from
the
presence
of God
for your
wilful
rebellions,
as
the
fallen
angels. are,
and
be
for ever
shut
out
from all
the
blessings
of
his love,
and
áll
hope
of
his
favour."
IV.
11
further
spring
of
continued torment
is
"
such
fixed
and
eternal
hardness of
heart
as
will
never be
soft-
ened,
such
impenitence
and obstinacy
of
soul which will
never relent or submit." The
hardest sinner
here
on
earth
may
now
and then feel
a
relenting moment, and the
most daring atheist
may sometimes
have
a
softening
thought
come across
him, which
may
perhaps bring
a
tear
.
into
his eyes,
and
may
form a good
wish
or
two in
his
soul,
and
wring a
groan,
from
his
heart
which looks
like
relpentance; but
when
we
are
dismissed from this body,
P3