264 fruit WORLD TO COME. " O that the present survey of these horrors of soul, these Complicated distresses and miseries from within us and without us, from every quarter of heaven and hell, from the gnawing worm within us, and from the fire of the wrath of God, and the mutual insults, railings and injuries of men and devils, might all lie with its due weight upon our spirits now, while we are in the land of hope ; that every one of us may be awakened to a timely concern about our highest interest, and hasten to make our escape as Lot did from Sodom, lest the sentence of death be pro- nounced upon us while we delay, and the fiery deluge overtake us." But here I would tarry a little to answer a repeated Ob- jection, viz. The terror of this outward punishment from the hand of God, which is described by avenging fire, is so severe and intolerable, that it awakens some lesser criminals to raise the same cavil against this unquenchable fire, or God's punishing hand, as was raised before against the never-dying worm, or the inward anguish of soul arising from its own conscience. It is possible some lesser sinner, who has had more appear- ances of piety or religion here on earth, may rise and say, " you have set the punishments of sin in a most horrible and tremend- ous light, from this metaphor of fire, as well as from the death- less 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 often. ces? '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 you 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 workings 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 ac- cording to the aggravation of their iniquities. 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 unsufferable 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
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