.230 THE WORLD TO COME. bounced the tenders of divine mercy I chose the paths of sin and folly, and madness, though I knew they led to everlasting misery and death. Wretch that I was, to chuse those sins and these sorrows, though I knew they were necessarily joined together ! I am sent into , those regions of misery which I chose for myself, against all the kind admonitions and warnings of God and Christ, of his gospel and his ministers of grace ! O these cursed eyes of mine, that led me into the snares of guilt and folly ! These cursed hands that practised iniquity with greedi- ness! These cursed lips of mine which dishonoured my Ma- ker ! O these cursed appetites and passions, and this obstinate will, which have wrought my ruin ! This cursed body and soul, that have procured their own everlasting wretchedness!" These thoughts will be like a gnawing worm within, which will prey upon the spirit for ever. The fretting smart arising from this vexatious worm must be painful in the highest ex- treme, when we know it is a worm which will never die, which will for ever ham= at our heart, and sting our vitals in the most tender and sensible parts of them without intermission,, as well as without end. Here on earth the stings and scourges of conscience meet with some intervals of relief, from necessary business which em- ploys the mind, from gay company which diverts the heart, front the refreshments of nature by day, or from the sweet repose of the returning night : But in the world to come every hour shall be filled up with these cutting sorrows, for there is no season of refreshment, no diversion of mind, no sleeping there : All things are for ever awake in that world ; there are no shadows and darkness to hide us where this torment shall not find us, for it is bred and lives within. There is no couch there to lull the conscience into soft repose, and to permit the sufferer to forget his agonies. Ancient crimes shall rise up and stand for ever before the eyes of the sinner in all theirtglaring forms, and all their heinous aggravating circumstances : These will sit heavy upon the spirit with teazing and eternal vexation. O dreadful state of an immortal creature, which must for ever be its own tormentor, and shall know no relief through all the ages of its immortality.! Think of this bitter anguish of soul, O sinner, to guard thee from sin in an hour of strong temptation. H. Another spring of this torment will be the "overwhelm- ing sense of an angry God, and utter despair of his love which is lost for ever." It was the thought of the displeasure of God, which pierced the soul of David with such acute pain, when lie remembered his sins ; Ps. li. 3, 4. -114 sin is ever before me : Against thee, against thee only have 1 sinned, and done titis evil in thy sight: And again he pleads with God; Ps. vi. 1. O Laid, chasten me not in thy anger, nor vex oie in thy
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