1Hell is called damnation, Because it brings Heavens loss, and this by consent of most Divines, is the more horrible part of hell: so Basil; To be alienated or separated from the presence of God, his Saints, and Angels, is far more grievous, then the pains of hell. So Chrysostom, The pain of hell is intolerable indeed, yet a thousand hells are nothing to the loss of that most glorious kingdom. So Bernard, It is a pain far surpassing all the tortures in hell, not to see God, and those joys immortal, which are prepared for his children. O then what hells are in hell, when besides the pains of sense, there is a pain of loss, the loss of God, loss of Saints, loss of Angels, loss of Heaven, loss of that beatifical vision of the most Sovereign Good; our everblessed Maker. Consider with your selves, if at the parting of the soul and body there be such pangs, and gripes, and stings, and sorrows: what grief then will it be, to be severed for ever from the Highest and supremest Good, Suppose your bodies (as some Martyrs have been used) should be torn in sunder, and that wild horses, driven contrary ways, should rack and pull your arms and legs, and heart, and bowels, one piece from another, what an horrible kind of death would this be, think you? and yet a thousand rentings of this member from that, or of the soul from the body, are infinitely less then this one separation of the soul from God. When Jacob got rhe blessing from his brother Esau, 2it is said in the Text, that he roared with a great cry and bitter, saying to his father, Hast thou not reserved one blessing for me also? Imagine then, when the wheat must have the blessing how will the tares (figured in Esau) roar and cry, and yell, and howl again? and yet notwithstanding this unspeakable rage, all the tears of hell shall never be sufficient to bewail the loss of heaven. Hence breeds that worm that is always ⟨p. 141⟩gnawing at the conscience, a wor••: (saith our Saviour) that dies not, Mark 9.44.3 It shall lie day and night, biting, and gnawing, and feeding upon the bowels of the damned persons. O the stings of this worm! no sooner shall the damned consider the cause of their misery, to wit, the mis-spending of their time, the greatness of their sin, the many opportunities lost, when they might have gotten Heaven for a tear, or a sigh, or groan from a penitent heart;
1Hell is called damnation, Because it brings Heavens losse, and this by consent of most Divines, is the more horrible part of hell: so Basil; To be alienated or separated from the presence of God, his Saints, and Angels, is farre more grievous, then the pains of hell. So Chrysostome, The pain of hell is intolerable indeed, yet a thousand hels are nothing to the losse of that most glorious kingdome. So Bernard, It is a pain far surpassing all the tortures in hel, not to see God, and those joyes immortall, which are prepared for his children. O then what hels are in hell, when besides the pains of sense, there is a pain of losse, the losse of God, losse of Saints, losse of Angels, losse of Heaven, losse of that beatificall vision of the most Sovereigne Good; our everblessed Maker. Consider with your selves, if at the parting of the soul and body there be such pangs, and gripes, and stings, and sorrows: what grief then will it be, to be severed for ever from the Highest and supreamest Good, Suppose your bodies (as some Martyrs have been used) should be torn in sunder, and that wild horses, driven contrary wayes, should rack and pul your arms and legs, and heart, and bowels, one piece frō another, what an horrible kind of death would this be, think you? and yet a thousand rentings of this member from that, or of the soul from the body, are infinitely lesse then this one separation of the soul from God. When Jacob got rhe blessing from his brother Esau, 2it is said in the Text, that he roared with a great cry and bitter, saying to his father, Hast thou not reserved one blessing for me also? Imagine then, when the wheat must have the blessing how will the tares (figured in Esau) roar and crie, and yell, and howl again? and yet notwithstanding this unspeakable rage, all the tears of hell shall never be sufficient to bewail the losse of heaven. Hence breeds that worm that is alwayes ⟨p. 141⟩gnawing at the conscience, a wor••: (saith our Saviour) that dies not, Mark 9.44.3 It shall lie day and night, biting, and gnawing, and feeding upon the bowels of the damned persons. O the stings of this worm! no sooner shall the damned consider the cause of their miserie, to wit, the mis-spending of their time, the greatnesse of their sinne, the many oportunities lost, when they might have gotten Heaven for a tear, or a sigh, or groan from a penitent heart;
- 1Quia damni poenam infert, Basil. Ascer. in c. 2. p. 255. Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. 24. Bern. de inter. domo. cap. 38.
- 2Gen. 27.31.
- 3Mark 9.44.
