The four last things viz. death, judgment, heaven, hell, practically considered and applied in…

If any one should be so foolish to think that Custom will render that State more tolerable, he will find a terrible confutation of his vain Fancy. Indeed, continuance under light Evils, may arm the Mind with patience to bear them, but in great Extremities it makes the Evil more ponderous and ⟨p. 520⟩intolerable. He that is tortured with the Stone, or on the Rack, the longer the Torture continues, the less able he is to sustain it. In short, as the Joy of Heaven is infinitely more ravishing, that the Blessed are without fear of losing of it; so the Misery of Hell is proportionably tormenting, that the Damned are absolutely destitute of hopes of a release. O 'tis a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, who lives for ever, and will punish for ever incorrigible Sinners!

There are some who strongly fancy, 'tis not consistent with Divine Justice, to inflict an eternal Punishment for temporary Sins. Therefore they soften the Sentence, by interpreting the Words of Christ, These shall go into everlasting Punishment, of the annihilation of impenitent Sinners; that is, they shall be for ever deprived of Heaven, but not suffer Torments for ever.

To this there is a clear Answer: 1. The direct opposition between everlasting Punishment, and everlasting Life, in the words of Christ, is a convincing Argument they are to be understood in ⟨p. 521⟩the same extent for an absolute Eternity. And the words in the Revelation are so express, that they admit no mollifying Interpretation, They are tormented Day and Night, for ever and ever: Which necessarily infer, the tormented have Life and Sense for ever. Now that in Scripture 'tis evident, that God hath decreed and denounced eternal Punishment to obstinate Sinners, is sufficient to satisfy all Enquiries about the Justice of it: for Divine Justice is the correspondence of God's Will and Actions, with the Perfections of his Holy Nature. From hence we may infer with invincible Evidence, that whatever he pronounces in Judgment, and consequently inflicts, is most Righteous. The Truth is, we may as easily conceive there is no God, as that God is unjust; because absolute Rectitude is an inseparable Perfection of his Nature. Thus the Apostle with abhorrence rejects the Question,