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THE
PUNTSI
MEN773
-PN
xrt"t.
Ditsv.
grr.
not
been
entirely cut
off from the land
of
hope,
and
sent
down
tot
his
destruction.
Blessed
be
the
name and the
grace of God
for ever
and
ever.
"
While there are thousands
who
have
been
sent
down
to the
place
of punishment, whence there
is
no redemp+
Con,
before they had
continued
so
long
in
sin as
many
of
us have done,
what a peculiar instance
is
it
of
divine
long
-
suffering
and
goodness,
that
we
are not
actually put
under
the sting
of
this living worm,
under this
fiery
ven=
geance
from
the hand
of
God
?
What
was
there
in
us
that
should secure us
from this
destruction,
while
we
continued
in
our state
of
guilt, rebellion
and
impeni-
tence
,?
Have
we
not
seen many
sinners
on
our right
-
hand, and
on
our
left,
cut
off
in
their
sins,
and
to
all
appearance
they seem
to
be
sent
down
to
the place
of
sorrows? What
is
it
but
the
special mercy and distin-
guishing favour
of God that
has
dealt
thus kindly
with us,
and spared and
saved
us,
week
after
week,
and
month
after
month,
while
we
continued
in
our iniquities, and
has
given us
space for
repentance
and
hope? What
shall
we
render
to
the
Lord
for
all
his
patience
and long-suf-
fering, even
to this
day?
How often
have
we
incurred
the penalty
of
the
law
of
God, and the
fiery
sentence
of
condemnation
by
our
repeated
iniquities, both against
the authority
and the grace of
God
?
And
yet
we
are
alive
in
his
presence,
and are hearing-the
words
of
hope
and
salvation.
O
let
us
look back and shudder
at
the
thoughts
of that
dreadful
precipice,
on
the edge
of
which
we
have
so
long wandered.
Let
us
fly
for escape to the
refuge
that
is
set before
us,
and
give
a thousand
glories
to
the
divine mercy
that
we
are
not
plunged into
this
perdition.
Reflexion
VI. Let
us
learn
from this
description of
hell,
and
our imminent
danger of
it,
"
the infinite value and
worth
of
the
gospel
of Christ
:"
This
gospel; which calls
us
aloud
to
fly
from the
wrath
to
come,
and
points
out
to us
the only effectual way to
escapeit.
What
can all
the riches
of
the
Indies
do
to
relieve us
under
the
guilt
and distress
into
which sin
had
brought
us
?
What
can the favour
of
princes; and the
flattering honours
of
the
world
do
to
rescue
us
from this
danger? What
can the highest gust
of
sensuality,
and the most exquisite
delights
of
flesh
and