619 / 674
DISC.
XIi.]
THE NATURE
OF
ThE
PUNISHMENTS IN HELL.
599
pent, or
with
burning firebrands.
The serpent
has many
gay and
pleasing
colours
on its skin,
and appears
a very
charming
creature,
which
tempts children and
fools
to
play with it
:
And
the
same
ignorance inclines them
sometimes
.
to
sport
with
fire,
'because of
its
shining
brightness
:
And
till
they
are
burned
with
the
fire,
or
bit
by
the serpent, they
will
not
forsake
their
foolish choice,
nor
be
convinced
of their danger
:
Such
is
the
ease
and
temper of
sinful mortals
:
Their
senses
indulge the
pleas.
ing
flatteries
of
sin,
and
are
fond
of
its
tempting amuse-
ments, till they
feel
the smart
of
the
fire
raging
in
their
bosoms,
and
the
adder
stings them to
death. Thus
the
,wise
man
desçribes
the
flatteries
of
wine in
the
view
of
the
drunkard
;
Prov.
xxiii, 31,
32.
But
the same wise
man pronounces
every
one a
fool
that.makes
a mock
at
sin,
or
trifles with
so
formidable
a
mischief;"
Prov.
xiv. 9.
"
How vain are the
gay
fancies
of
sinful men in
the
hour
of
temptation, and
how
shocking
.and
dreadful
will
be
their
disappointment? They
think the descriptions
of
sin, which
are
blown
up and kindled into
such
terror
by
the
lips
of
the preacher, are
but
as mock fire which
ne-
ver burns;
but
the great
day
of
vengeance
which
makes
haste towards
them,
will
terribly and eternally convince
them
of
the fatal mischief
of it
by
the various plagues
that
shall
seize
upon them. The
living worm shall gnaw
their
consciences, and the
fire
of
God
will
torment their
spirits, and spread
a
raging anguish
through their
whole
natures
;
and
every twinging
accent
of
their
pain
shall
teach
them,
but
with
a terrible
and hopeless conviction,
what unspeakable
evil
is
contained,
in sin
They
will
then
find
what
a fearful thing
it
is
to.
fall
into the
hands of
the living
God,
who
has
a
right,.
and
power,
and
will
to
punish
;''
He&. x.
3I.
"
O that
each
of
us
might
arrive
at this
holy wisdom,
to
learn
the
dreadful evil of
sin from
this
bible, this
book
of
the divine
law
and
grace,
And
not,
provoke the
blessed
God
to
teach
us so
necessary a lesson
by the'
rod
of
his
vengeance
!
'O
that
we
could look upon every unlawful
action, and
partieularlyevery
sin
against
conscience, as
the
seed
of
that
worm which
will
gnaw
our
souls in hell
-with
intense pain,
as
part of that'fewel
which
is
kindling
into
a
flame
to
torment our
consciences for ever
and
that under
the powerful
influences
of
ti3ese
representa-
`t
Q4