A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

Seeing the effect of those horrors is weeping, which shall never be comforted; let us prevent them, by weeping where we may be comforted. The time of living, is the time of repenting. If a man dies without repentance, repentance is dead to him forever. If we compare, Mat. 5.4. with Luke 6.25. we shall find, that the decree of God hath disposed, Flentes ad risum, ridentes ad fletum; weepers to laughing, and laughers to weeping.

Seeing the effect of those horrors is weeping, which shall never be comforted; let us prevent them, by weeping where we may be comforted. The time of living, is the time of repenting. If a man dies without repentance, repentance is dead to him forever. If we compare, Mat. 5.4. with Luke 6.25. we shall finde, that the decree of God hath disposed, Flentes ad risum, ridentes ad fletum; weepers to laughing, and laughers to weeping.

Gnashing of teeth;] This is the effect of an inexpressible sorrow. A just and s• punishment, that they who once gnashed their teeth at others in contempt, should gnash their teeth at themselves in torment. The Psalmist complains; They gnashed their teeth at me; and the Jews^k gnashed on Stephen with their teeth. Therefore^l they shall gnaw their tongues for pain: their tongues gnawed their neighbours, now they shall gnaw their own tongues. They showed their teeth in derision, they shall gnash their teeth in damnation. No part of the damned shall be free from anguish, the memory afflicted with pleasures past, the apprehension with terrors present, the understanding with torments to come and continue, the eye with darkness, the ear with hideous scriechings, the smell with killing stenches, the taste with gall of bitterness, the very teeth with such an anguish, that the extremest tooth-ache here is but a pleasure to it. Such is the extremity, universality, and eternity of those pains: if they be so universal in all parts, O that they were not so extreme! if so extreme; O that not so universal! if both so universal and extreme! O tha not so everlasting; each torment easeless, endless, remediless! There be Ignite lacrymae, and frigidi anhelitus. Therefore called Avernus; absque vera temperature where the freezing cold shall not mitigate the scorching heat, nor the scorching he qualify the freezing cold. Avernus is a lake in Italy, that Caesar purged; evaporating such a mortal steam, that it killed the birds which flew over it. Therefore called Avernùs quasi avibus adversus.