To which I answer, it is true, it may be so,1 they may prosper a while, but they shall be plagued at the last; either here, or hereafter in hell fire for evermore. And now do but consider seriously of Eternity, what a lamentable thing it is, that when thou hast been there ten thousand times, ten thousand years, thou shalt yet be as far from ever coming out, or having of any end of thy torments as thou wast at the very first moment thou wentest thither: and therefore remember for this purpose these two places of Scripture, which here I desire thee to look and read with me; the one is, where the wise man saith, that though a man live many days, and rejoice in them all, 2yet he shall remember the days of darkness, for they are many, and all that cometh is vanity*; that is, all his delights shall have an end, but ⟨p. 48⟩his damnation shall be eternal, it shall never have either ease or end. The other place is this; where the Apostle, with such as thus despised the bountifulness, 3and patience, and long suffering, and forbearance of God, not knowing that his mercy, &c. he tells them that they did but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath, &c. for God will render unto every man according to his works, to them that through patience in well doing seek glory and honour &c. and to them that are contentious, and disobey the truth, and obey unrighteousness, tribulation, and anguish, and wrath, &c. that is, as if he should say, let men please themselves in sin as long as they list, yet they shall pay deer for it at the last upshot; for, for all these things. God will bring them to judgment, and reward them according to their works, whether they be good or evil: so that however some drops of his mercy may light upon them here in this world, yet then the great deep of his judgements, and the vast gulf of his justice shall be broken up, and he shall rain upon them fire and brimstone, storm, and tempest,4 this shall be their portion to drink.
To which I answer, it is true, it may bee so,1 they may proser a while, but they shall be plagued at the last; either here, or hereafter in hell fire for evermore. And now doe but consider seriously of Eternity, what a lamentable thing it is, that when thou hast beene there ten thousand times, ten thousand yeares, thou shalt yet be as farre from ever comming out, or having of any end of thy torments as thou wast at the very first moment thou wentest thither: and therefore remember for this purpose these two places of Scripture, which here I desire thee to looke and reade with mee; the one is, where the wise man saith, that though a man live many dayes, and rejoyce in them all, 2yet hee shall remember the dayes of darkenesse, for they are many, and all that commeth is vanity*; that is, all his delights shall have an end, but ⟨p. 48⟩his damnation shall bee eternall, it shall never have either ease or end. The other place is this; where the Apostle, with such as thus despised the bountifulnesse, 3and patience, and long suffering, and forbearance of God, not knowing that his mercy, &c. he tells them that they did but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath, &c. for God will render unto every man according to his workes, to them that through patience in well doing seeke glory and honour &c. and to them that are contentious, and disobey the truth, and obey unrighteousnesse, tribulation, and anguish, and wrath, &c. that is, as if hee should say, let men please themselves in sinne as long as they list, yet they shall pay deere for it at the last upshot; for, for all these things. God will bring them to judgment, and reward them according to their workes, whether they bee good or evill: so that however some drops of his mercy may light upon them here in this world, yet then the greate deepe of his judgements, and the vast gulfe of his justice shall bee broken up, and hee shall raine upon them fire and brimstone, storme, and tempest,4 this shall bee their portion to drinke.
- 1Sol.
- 2Eccles. 11. 8.
- 3Rom. 2. 7, 8. 9.
- 4Psal. 11. •.
