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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
him
self 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
upon
him 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