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596 THE
NATURE
OF
THE
PUNISHMENTS IN HELL.
[DISC.
XII.
It
is
possible some lesser sinner, who
has had
more
appearances
of
piety or religion
here
on
earth,,
may rise
and
say,
"
you have
set the unnishments
of
sin in
a most
'horrible and tremendous
light, from
this
metaphor of
fire, as well
as
from the deathless
worm,
But
surely
this
cannot
be
the
case,
nor
these the
sufferings which
God
will
inflict on every wretched
creature
in hell.
Are
not
the
punishments there
proportioned
to
the
offences
?
What if
these
sharpest
and deepest tortures and horrors
should
be.
the portion
of
the vilest criminals, the most
impious rebels against
God,
the
profane
and
obstinate
abusers
of grace,
the
scoffers
of
Christ and
his
gospel,
and
the
cruel
persecutors
of
all
the
saints,
yet
will
every
soul
who
had
not quite
religion
and
holiness enough to
reach
heaven,
be
thus terribly tormented
in hell
?
Does
not
Christ himself
tell
us,
and did
yon
not
allow before,
that
it
shall be
more
tolerable
for some sinners
than for
others
?
And
will
there
be no
easier
abodes, no
milder
regions,
no
kinder and
more favourable
appointments for
such
as
have had many good
wishes
and hopes, many
friendly
exercises
of
virtue towards
men,
and
some
work-
ings
of
imperfect piety towards God
?
To
this
I
answer,
as before,
It
is
certain
that
every one
shall be
judged
according
to
their
works,
by
an unerring rule
of
equity, and shall
be punished
according
to the aggravation
of
their
iniqui-
ties..
But dost
thou
know,
O
sinner,
how
great
is
that
punishment
which
the least transgression against the
law
of God
deserves? One
single
sin,
which thou wilt
not
part
with,
will
.create 'insufferable misery. And
though
there
may
be
other
criminals there
of
much more
heinous
and
aggravated
guilt, profaneness, and rebellion
than
'.thine
is,
yet'
if
thy soul
be
filled
with
all
that
torment
which
-one sin may
create and
deserve, there
will
be
hell
enough around
thee to make thy distress
too
terrible for
thee
to
bear.
Besides;
let
it
be
remembered,
that
what-
soever tendencies toward
piety,
or appearances
of
good-
ness,
might
be
found
with
thee
in
this world, all these
will
vanish and
be lost, when
once
thy
day
of
grace
is
finish-
ed,
and
all
the means
of
grace and salvation are
ended for
ever.
If
thou hast
refused the proposals
of
mercy,
and
continued
in thy
sins
without repentance,
and hast never
accepted the salvation
of Christ
while
it
was offered,
all